Turning his attention back toward the center of the valley, Esk kar saw the retreating barbarians had gotten another surprise. Gatus had moved his men forward at a dead run as soon as the charge began, and now his men formed up two hundred paces closer in. The barbarians found themselves under long range fire from both sides, as Hamati ordered his men fifty paces forward.
They could go no farther. Any greater advance would put them into the widest part of the valley and spread the line too thin. Nevertheless, arrows began to fly from both ends of the valley. The shafts flashed high into the sky before arcing down upon the enemy.
Esk kar caught a glimpse of the Alur Meriki chief. He’d survived Mesilim’s attack but looked wounded. Esk kar took a quick count; only about twenty barbarians remained alive. Gatus moved again, advancing another fifty paces before setting up the new line.
Alur Meriki men and horses, hit at long range by lethal, bronze — tipped arrows, continued to fall. Their chief didn’t have enough men left to break through either side now. He gave another command and his men began racing toward the west wall.
They began to climb, scrambling up the steep sides. The Alur Meriki had to dismount to lead and drive the horses up the slope. The moment they’d started toward the cliff, Ur Nammu from both sides charged, ignoring the soldiers’ arrows still arching over their heads and striking at the fl eeing men.
Esk kar saw horses slip and fall, screaming in pain, men and beasts dying as shafts found their marks, but the Alur Meriki kept climbing, fighting up the rocky slope as they strove to escape the valley. But as the first man reached the top, four Ur Nammu strode to the edge of the cliff and began firing arrows down into the struggling mass.
These were Subutai’s men, plus the two boys who had ridden with their elders. He’d sent three men and a boy to the west side, and two men and the other boy to the east side in case any Alur Meriki tried to climb out. It had taken these men this long to get into position, but they’d arrived just in time to partake in the killing.
The few surviving Alur Meriki left alive were helpless. If they let go of the horses, the animals would immediately turn and try to descend.
And they couldn’t shoot a bow with one hand. In moments they were all dead or dying, either from the carefully aimed arrows fi red at close range by the men above, or the storm of missiles from Subutai and his men below. The Ur Nammu had joined together at the base of the hillside to finish the slaughter, some of them jeering at their victims as they handled their bows.
One of Esk kar’s men captured a horse and brought it to his captain.
Esk kar swung onto the back of the wild — eyed animal. Once he had control of the excited brute, he rode deeper into the valley and reached the Ur Nammu as the last body came crashing down the hillside, pushed down by the men descending from the top.
Subutai, blood on his lip and a look of triumph on his face, looked otherwise unharmed. His jubilant men shouted their war cries. He saw Eskkar. Then his eyes went wide as he realized his father was not with him.
“Your father is dying, Subutai.” Esk kar knew no way to soften the news.
Subutai gave a gasp of anger and frustration but said nothing.
Esk kar couldn’t wait. “Subutai, we must check all the bodies, make sure that none are playing dead or hiding in the rocks. We have to count the dead, you understand?”
Subutai took a long time before replying, his face betraying the anger he tried to hold in check. “Take me to him.” Nevertheless, he shouted orders at his men before turning his horse away from the hillside.
The two rode back to where Ur Nammu warriors attended their chief.
Mesilim lay still, either dead or unconscious, so Esk kar left the tribesmen to their grieving and rode off, to make sure Jalen and Hamati sealed the valley and counted the dead. Then he turned and galloped back to Gatus, who followed orders and retreated back to the south end of the valley.
“Gatus, guard the entrance, and keep men at watch along the walls of the canyon.”
Gatus would take care of the details, so Esk kar wheeled the horse around and headed back to the warriors, now bunched around Mesilim’s body. Dismounting, Esk kar found he was still carrying his sword, never having thought to belt the scabbard to his waist, and he’d done nothing with the heavy blade but carry it from place to place.
This time he saw Mesilim had died. Esk kar stood beside the body and offered the warrior prayer to the gods. When he finished, he nodded to Subutai, then withdrew to leave the Ur Nammu to their death rituals. Eskkar had work enough to do.
He started with the Alur Meriki dead, and it took some time before Esk kar felt satisfied, and then only after he’d counted the bodies personally. He ignored the numbers of Jalen and Gatus and demanded all the bodies be gathered at one site to make sure seventy — three dead Alur Meriki lay on the earth. Darkness began to fall, coming earlier in the hill — shaded valley, and the men built a fire. When Esk kar sat down near the fl ames he felt exhausted, as if he’d been fi ghting all day, though he hadn’t raised his sword once.
Someone brought him a wineskin stolen from the farmhouse, and Eskkar drank it gratefully, for once not caring there was only enough for himself, and the men would have to do without.
Gatus had lost only three men, with two more wounded. The men with Esk kar had taken more losses, five dead and four wounded, but with only one or two likely to die. The heavy shields the men had complained about carrying for days had undoubtedly saved lives and prevented wounds.
The Ur Nammu had lost four men and two wounded, all occurring when Mesilim led his men at the barbarians. It was an amazing victory, seventy — three enemy killed, while losing only twelve of their own. Esk kar had never heard of such a battle before, in which a large and powerful force could be defeated so easily and with so few losses.
Normally when men fought, the side with the greater number won unless the other side proved tougher, better armed, or more rested. Here the battle had first been considered weeks before. Then the details of the trap carefully plotted. Esk kar decided more such victories could be achieved with the same forethought, like the way they planned the defense of Orak.
He’d think more about it later.
When Esk kar dropped the empty wineskin to the ground, the soldiers had gathered around the fi re. Those closest to the blaze sat, while the rest stood behind. Almost ninety men waited patiently, wanting to hear what he would say.
A few whispered to one another, but most remained silent. Everyone stared at him and Esk kar saw admiration in their eyes. It took a moment before he understood. Trella’s words came back to him. The men first, Eskkar, build on their loyalty. Remember how much you need them. He must say something to them.
He stood up. Instantly all conversation ceased, and every eye rested on him. Taking a deep breath, Esk kar raised his voice.
“Today we defeated the barbarians in battle. But this was no common clash in the hills. We had to kill all of them. Well, today you men killed seventy — three barbarians and we lost only twelve men. To win, you had to follow your orders exactly and fight bravely. You needed to work together to save each other’s lives. You did that well, and at the same time you proved that the enemy could be beaten with the bow. Now they’ll have no force behind us when they come to Orak, and we’ll beat them there just as we did here. Today, the glory was yours. Today I did nothing but run so slowly that all of my men passed me by.”
They laughed at that, a few calling out comments about Esk kar getting old.
He raised his arm and pointed toward the other fire fifty paces away, where the Ur Nammu sat silently, watching Esk kar speak to his men. “But never forget that we would not have been so lucky without their help.
Some of them died today, including their leader, to help us. For that we must honor them and join them as brothers.”
Esk kar glanced around the ring of men. He could see some eyes glistening with moisture. “Tonight we’ll take many new men into the Hawk Clan. Gatus, Hamati, Jalen… we all observed many men who fought bravely. But each of you stood at your companion’s side, and each of you can speak up about his courage. First, I call out the name of Phrandar, the fleetest runner and the first to reach the battle line, earning a gold coin for his speed. He held the end of the battle line. I ask you, is he Hawk Clan?”
A roar of approval answered his choice. Men shouted out other names.
Then someone began to chant the name “Esk kar!.. Esk kar!.. Esk kar!”
Others took up the cry, until the walls of the valley echoed from the din. It went on for so long he thought
