the dirt — eaters.”
With an oath, Rethnar lowered his sword. A moment later Altanar did the same. The two men glowered at each other. Thutmose — sin stepped forward, moving into the center of the space. “Or would you rather fight me?” He looked around the circle. “Chioti, bring me my sword.”
Thutmose — sin waited, surrounded by angry men still clasping bronze in their hands, until Chioti pushed the guards aside and handed him a sword. Taking the blade, he hefted it, then swung it hard over his head, the weapon hissing through the air. “Do you want to challenge me, Altanar?”
When the clan leader didn’t respond, Thutmose — sin turned to Rethnar.
“Do you, Rethnar?”
Rethnar took his time answering, and Thutmose — sin knew the clan chief was wondering how much the fight last night might slow Thutmose sin down. He walked over to Rethnar, the sword pointed at the ground.
“Are you challenging me?” Thutmose — sin spoke softly, but everyone heard the menace in his words.
“No, Sarrum. It’s just that…”
“Then you, both of you, sheath your swords, send your men away, and sit down. I’ve something to say.”
He waited until Rethnar and Altanar settled onto the ground. “Altanar is right,” he began. “We will lose many more warriors in taking this village.
And it’s true there will be little of value inside Orak to make up for those who die.” Thutmose — sin turned to Rethnar. “But Rethnar is right also. If we don’t defeat these miserable villagers, every dirt — digger in the land will begin moving to the nearest village. They will band together and resist us.
Once they know we can be driven off, we’ll be fighting over every farm and mud hut we encounter.”
He moved in front of Altanar. “Would you change the path of our migration, Altanar? If we fail to take this place, we can never come back to these lands again. If we do, Orak will be twice as strong, with twice as many fighters within. Is that what you want your sons, your clan to face?”
Thutmose — sin walked around the circle, his eyes challenging each clan chief and his subcommanders. “No, my clansmen, we are no longer fighting here for horses or loot, not even for honor. This Orak must be destroyed, or these lands will be forbidden to us. We’re fighting to live the way our fathers before us lived.”
He moved back to his place and sat down, keeping his sword across his knees. When he spoke, he lowered his voice, so that only those within the circle could hear. “This village must learn the price of war. We must kill many more of them, just as we’ve destroyed their crops and burned their houses. This battle must be fought, not because of what we might gain, but because of what we will lose if we just ride away.”
No one said anything. “Then it is settled,” Thutmose — sin said. “We attack as soon as the wagons and wood have been replaced. For this next attack, nothing will be held back. Every man and boy that can fight will march on the village.” Again he looked around the circle. “And when it is taken, we’ll put any survivors to the sword and tear down every wall and house until there’s nothing left but the mud from the river.”
Eskkar got less than two hours’ sleep, the pain in his back wakening him. The window showed only the faintest light in the dark sky to indicate the approaching dawn. Despite the lack of sleep his thoughts seemed as alert as if he’d slept the whole night. But every muscle in his body protested as he began moving about. The bandage on his arm had slipped a little. He ran his fingers over it, but felt no traces of fresh blood.
Slipping quietly from the bed so as not to waken Trella, he dressed quickly. He gathered his sword and entered the workroom, where he un-fastened the outer door as a yawning Annok — sur was about to knock and awaken her mistress.
Esk kar held his finger to his lips. “Good morning, Annok — sur,” he whispered, “I’ll wake her. Can you bring breakfast up, and send Bantor and Gatus to me when they arrive?”
“Captain, Gatus just sent word. He asks that you come to the gate.”
He stared at her but she had nothing more to add. “Bring breakfast for Trella, then. Make sure she eats before she goes out.” Esk kar returned to the bedroom and sat down on the bed. The movement made Trella turn over but she remained asleep. A bit more light came through the windows, just enough to illuminate her. She lay with a hand flung up over her head, her dark tresses scattered across the pillow.
When she slept, she seemed so young, too young for the burden she carried. Her life and future hung on the same thread as his, the thread he’d created in his pride when he told Nicar the barbarians could be beaten.
Nothing must harm her, Esk kar decided. The barbarians, the nobles, nothing and no one must hurt her again. First he would defeat the barbarians, then he would increase his power over the nobles. He swore it by all the gods he didn’t believe in. Esk kar wanted to kiss her but worried that his touch might awaken her. Better to let her have a few more moments of peace.
By the time he was downstairs he’d put all thoughts of Trella behind him. He stopped in the kitchen where he drained a cup of water and picked up a round loaf of bread that he chewed as he went outside in the early morning sun. Esk kar nodded to his guards, checked briefl y with those at the command table, then mounted the ever — present horse. He rode slowly out of the courtyard, his guards jogging after him, the loaf of bread held firmly in his hand.
Few villagers had risen early this morning. Many had stayed up late last night celebrating the victory over the Alur Meriki. Another victory.
Like thieves in the night, he and his men had crawled on their bellies into the barbarian camp, stampeded some horses, and burned a few wagons.
Then they’d run for their lives. Today the whole village might pay the price for our “victory.” Esk kar kept these black thoughts to himself. When he reached the gate, he swung down from the horse, tossing the halter to a half — awake boy.
Climbing to the top of the tower he found Gatus sitting on a stool so tall that he could see more than if he were standing. His second in command had traces of mud over his body, and Esk kar realized that Gatus had remained on the wall all night.
The rising sun shone in Esk kar’s eyes as he peered into the east. “Well, Gatus, I see you’ve missed another night’s sleep. What is it now?” He tore the remaining bread in half and handed it to Gatus, who took the still — warm bread gratefully.
“Last night, a few hours after you left, we saw something.” Gatus took a bite of the bread, then chewed it thoughtfully before continuing. “Another fire broke out in their camp. Not near where you burned the wagons, but close to the center of the plain. We watched it for a while and, just as it disappeared, we heard sounds of fighting. That went on for a few moments, then stopped. Then just before dawn, we thought we heard fighting again.”
Putting the last of the bread into his mouth, Esk kar shaded his eyes as he scanned the horizon. Thin trails of smoke still rose from behind the low hill where he’d burned the wagons but he saw no other sign of fi re. Many men on horseback moved about on the low hills, and he could see dust trails from those out of sight. As he watched, a line of riders appeared on the top of the slope where Esk kar had crouched last night, about twenty in all. Clan leaders come to inspect the damage in daylight and plan their next move.
“We’ve made them very angry, I think.” Esk kar kept his eyes on the riders as they moved slowly across the hilltop. “They lost horses and wagons last night, as well as much of the wood they’ve gathered in the last few weeks. Most of all, they’ve been humiliated, raided by dirt — eaters. The warriors and chiefs are very angry at their leader or whoever they decided to blame for our attack. They may have tried to kill Thutmose — sin. If they succeeded, we’ll be facing a new chief, one who may have entirely different ideas. Or Thutmose — sin may have blamed some of the other chiefs and attacked them.”
Gatus finished off his portion of the bread. “Well, the more they fight each other, the better I like it. Or maybe they’ve had enough and will move on? I don’t suppose anything will happen today, do you think?”
Esk kar wasn’t about to take any chances. “Not today. But I’ll stay here for a while. Send Sisuthros to me. Then you get some sleep.”
Gatus opened his mouth to argue, then thought better of it. “Very well.
I’ll go to your house to sleep. Bantor is well enough to manage the command post for a few hours.” He waited a few moments, but Esk kar didn’t say anything, just stared across the plain. Shrugging, Gatus left the wall, after first telling his men where he would be and when he should be called.
Esk kar scarcely noticed his departure. There seemed to be an unusual amount of activity in the barbarian camp. Without thinking, he sat down upon the now — vacant stool. Small clouds of dust hung everywhere, signifying riders moving from place to place, most of them out of eyesight. He tried to put himself in Thutmose — sin’s place.
