presence of warriors. But when the tears dried, he swore vengeance to the gods, in the name of his brother, against both the Ur Nammu and the miserable dirt — eaters. The gods heard his oath, and he knew they would honor it. The dirt — eaters and Ur Nammu would pay for his brother’s death.
21
At first light Esk kar dispatched a rider to Orak to deliver word of the victory. He also wanted Trella aware of Mesilim’s death and its effect on Subutai.
The men spent the morning burying the dead and caring for the wounded. The sun had climbed high before they began their journey back to Orak, but the long summer days promised them extra hours of daylight.
The injured who could cling to a horse had been given mounts, while parties of men took turns carrying the three wounded men unable to ride.
Thirty — two horses had been captured. Esk kar gave thirty of them to the Ur Nammu. The rest of the Alur Meriki mounts had been killed in the fi ghting.
Every man had their fill of horsemeat, while what was left of the farmhouse had provided fuel for the cooking fires.
They camped as soon as darkness fell, and the next morning Esk kar had them on the march almost as soon as the sun rose. By early afternoon they’d covered nearly three — quarters of the distance home and Esk kar expected to reach Orak just after dark. He didn’t push the pace and the men walked lighter now that they didn’t have to carry the awkward and heavy shields.
They carried no food, either. The last of it had gone with this morning’s breakfast. It wouldn’t hurt the men to miss one dinner.
The sun had started to set when a rider appeared over the hilltop and lashed an obviously tired beast toward the column of soldiers.
Subutai rode alongside Esk kar, though only ten of his warriors accompanied him. The others had stayed behind in the valley, guarding the horses and resting. Esk kar watched the rider as he approached, the horse covered with sweat and finished for the day. Halting the column, Esk kar dismounted and sat on the ground, motioning to the rider to join him. The rest of his men, eager to hear the latest news, crowded around them, all discipline lost in a moment.
“Captain, I come from Lady Trella. She says to tell you the barbarians have been sighted.” The man paused to catch his breath. “A large column rode up from the south two days ago. We saw more than a hundred riders.
Now they keep a watch on the village.”
“Did any of them attempt to cross the river?” The water ran a bit lower now, and a strong swimmer might make it across.
“No, Captain. There’s plenty of water at the farms, so they don’t need the river.”
Nor did they want to call anyone’s attention to it just yet, Esk kar thought. “Is there anything else?”
“Yes, Captain. Lady Trella will join you in a few hours. She crossed the river with me along with the barbar… the women and children that the warriors left behind. She said she wanted to get them out of Orak before the enemy prevented them from leaving.”
Trella on her way here! Well, a small group of men and women crossing the river should arouse no suspicions. It didn’t matter. He wouldn’t take any chances on this side of the river.
“Gatus! Start the men moving and pick up the pace. I’ll not have Trella walking through the countryside with a group of women. We keep moving until we find her.”
“Captain, she has four soldiers with her,” the messenger said hastily.
“Sisuthros wanted to send more, but she said it would attract too much attention.”
Four or forty made no difference. Esk kar wouldn’t rest until he saw her safely back in Orak. Climbing back on his horse, he led the way, moving at a quick trot that drew grumbling from the men as they struggled to get moving and keep up.
Once again Subutai rode beside him. “Perhaps I should ride ahead, Eskkar, to see to Trella’s safety.”
Esk kar appeared to think it over for a moment. “No, it’s better that you stay at my side. The men guarding Trella might be surprised if they saw warriors riding toward them.”
“I would be willing to take such a chance. We could call out to them, tell them who we are. Our women would recognize us.”
“No, I will not risk it. Stay here with me. We’ll meet up with them in another hour or two at most.”
“And if my horse suddenly broke into a run, what would you do?”
For the first time Esk kar turned to look carefully at the man at his side.
He regarded the new chief of the Ur Nammu closely for a few moments and chose his words before replying.
“In the village, Subutai, many men now cast their eyes at Trella, and I’m sure some of them would slit my throat if they thought that would help them get her. But that could never happen in Orak. The entire village would rise up and punish anyone who tried to take her by force.”
His voice hardened. “But out here, any man with a horse can take a captive, and I remember the saying of my clan: ‘Trust no man with your woman, especially your brother or your friend.’ Now the warrior in me sees danger everywhere, and I’ll take no chances with her safety.”
Subutai digested Esk kar’s words. “Put your fears at rest. I’ll ride with you until we meet up with them.” After a moment he added, “Though I think you have learned much wisdom from your woman.”
“She has many sayings, so many that sometimes my head turns. One of them is to always try to put yourself in another man’s place, to understand him from within. Sometimes it’s not an easy thing to do, but often it helps to understand a man.”
He turned toward the Ur Nammu chief again. “You’re now the leader of your people. But whether you’ll be a great ruler, only time will tell. But it might be a wise saying for you as well.”
They rode in silence for a hundred paces before Subutai spoke. “I did think about it, Esk kar. For a moment it was a great temptation. But I knew I would have to kill you first. After all you’ve done for my people, I’m content to seek her wisdom. But remember your instincts. Always keep a close watch on her.”
“That’s one lesson I’ve already learned. Now, let us talk about the future.”
The moon had not yet risen when they crested a small hill and saw two torches twinkling in the distance. A few moments later Trella’s party spotted them and waved their torches.
The men groaned in relief when they saw Trella’s group. They hadn’t stopped moving for the last three hours. Orak was close now, little more than another two or three hours at an easy pace. Trella had not traveled very far, burdened with the Ur Nammu women and children in addition to a great amount of supplies.
Esk kar galloped ahead as soon as he saw the torches. He jumped down from his horse and took her in his arms until she gasped for breath.
“You should not have left Orak. This was dangerous. You could’ve been attacked on the road. You haven’t even recovered from your wound.”
She looked at him in the flickering torchlight. “Orak is only a few miles behind us. But the ford may be blocked at any moment. I didn’t want to be alone on the other side of the river, away from you.”
“We will talk of this later. Now we must deal with Subutai. I hope you’ve more influence with him and his women than I.”
He told her about the battle in the valley, of Mesilim’s death, and Subutai’s plans. While they talked, Gatus and the men arrived. The soldiers built a small fire and a ring of soldiers formed around Esk kar and Trella.
The men drank the last of their water and rested. Esk kar told Trella what he thought about the new situation, then listened carefully to her replies.
They sent for Subutai. He’d been with his wife and daughter, listening to what the clan’s women had to say, examining the supplies and gifts Trella had given them. The supplies would make a great difference in how the Ur Nammu lived in the months ahead.
Esk kar moved back his guards so his men formed a wide circle, leaving himself and Trella in the center. Now
