didn’t eat anything.
“Bantor was sure it was Ariamus?” Eskkar’s voice was grim. When Alexar nodded, he went on. “And he thought he could reach Rebba’s place in safety?”
“Yes. Bantor said he would march north, then cross the river and double back to Rebba’s farm. He expected to find a boat somewhere along the Tigris to take him there.”
“Bantor has done well,” Sisuthros said. “He’s kept his men together and brought them somewhere safe, at least for a time.”
“Yes, he has, unless they track him down,” Eskkar agreed. “Someone has tried to seize control of Akkad in our absence. That means there’s been fighting in the city as well. Trella must have… If anyone has injured Trella, they’ll pay for it.” He tightened his lips. “Well, we’ll just have to move faster when we march. Let’s start picking the men. We’ll leave at noon. We can still cover plenty of ground before it gets too dark.”
Sisuthros glanced up at the sun. “Captain, you don’t know what you’re facing down there. You may need every man. Let me go with you.”
“I need you here, Sisuthros. Besides, I’ll have Bantor and his men.
That should be enough to take care of Ariamus. If not, then what I said before is even more important now. We may need Bisitun as a secure place behind us, if we need a refuge.”
“No one will want to stay behind,” Grond said. “Most of the men have wives and families in Akkad.”
That started another argument. No one wanted to remain in Bisitun, but Eskkar wouldn’t change his mind. “Now let’s get the horses and men ready to go.”
They rose from the table, then stopped when Lani spoke up, her voice firm. “Lord Eskkar, may I say something?”
“Yes, Lani, what is it?” She’d sat quietly, away from the table, and Eskkar had forgotten her presence, all his thoughts turning to Trella.
“Have you thought about the river?”
“The river?” Eskkar answered, a touch of annoyance in his voice.
“What about the river?”
Sisuthros picked up her idea right away. “Of course! She’s right. You can be there in less than three days if you take the boats. And we have plenty of vessels here, more than enough to hold forty men.”
A horseman first and last, the thought of using the Tigris to transport soldiers had never occurred to Eskkar. “Rebba’s farm has its own jetty,” he mused as he thought about the idea. “Can we put the men and arms on the boats?”
“Yes, but you won’t be able to bring the horses. Still, if you reach Akkad, you won’t need them. What you’ll need is a way to get into the city.
Maybe Rebba and Bantor will have figured out something
“We don’t know how to sail the boats,” Eskkar said, still not sure about this new mode of travel. He had journeyed on a boat for a day once before, and hadn’t liked the experience. He knew the small craft, built mostly of reeds, capsized easily. Cargoes got lost, and men drowned often enough.
“For gold, the boat captains will take you anywhere,” Sisuthros said, his voice rising in excitement. “With extra boatmen along, the boats could go day and night. You’d travel much faster than by horseback.”
The thought of being on the river at night made Eskkar nervous. But if it would get him and his men there in two or three days, instead of five
… He made up his mind. “You know the rivermen, Sisuthros. Get them here, and arrange for use of their boats.” He thought of something else.
“And make sure no boat has left since last night. I don’t want word of the attack, or our coming downriver, to get ahead of us.”
“You’ll need to pack the weapons, the bows, the arrows, and food,”
Sisuthros went on, expanding on the idea. “You’ll probably want men who can swim, just in case. And you’ll need a way to keep the bowstrings dry.
Mitrac will know about that.”
Eskkar looked around the table. Grond nodded, but Hamati said, “I can’t swim.”
“I can,” said Alexar, “but even if I couldn’t, I’m going back to help Bantor, even if I have to walk the whole distance.”
Eskkar put both hands down on the table. “Then we’ll leave as soon as possible. Sisuthros, start with the boats, and get some men on the docks to guard them. Hamati, line up the men and find out who can swim. Grond, figure out what we’ll have to carry. Ask Mitrac what else the archers will need. Make sure we have everything. We won’t be stopping along the way.”
20
Eskkar strode out of the house and into the market, his subcommanders trailing behind him. The rest of his men waited there, all regular duties forgotten. One glance at their leaders’ grim faces warned them that bad news was coming.
“Sisuthros. Are all the men here? Everyone?”
“Except for those posted at the gates.”
“Get them. I want everyone to hear the news.” Better they should hear it from him, rather than picking it up in bits and pieces from each other.
It took only moments. The men guarding the gates arrived at a run, bunching up along with the rest of the troop that had marched here from Akkad. Even the scribes and merchants waited to hear Eskkar’s words.
Eskkar stepped to the nearest merchant’s cart, and climbed onto it, letting his eyes sweep the gathering. “You know what happened here last night. This morning word came that Bantor has been ambushed, and half his men killed. It may be that some enemy has seized control of Akkad.”
His words shocked them into silence. He went on before the questions could start.
“I’m taking forty men with me to Akkad, all volunteers. I intend to kill whoever started this. The rest of you will stay here with Sisuthros, and…”
Shouts rose up, everyone speaking. They all wanted to go.
“Silence!” Eskkar put all the force he could into the word. “Listen to me, men. I know you all want to go. But you can’t. First of all, there aren’t enough boats. And I’m only taking men who can swim. The rest of you will have to stay here and fortify the village. There may be more attacks here, and the villagers will need your protection. Sisuthros and Hamati will be staying in Bisitun, and will need your help.”
“But what about my family?” The voice came from one of the younger archers. “My wife and…”
“The men I bring with me will protect all your families, I promise you that. You’ll have to trust them as you’ve always trusted each other. They won’t fail you. And I pledge that we will do everything we can. You’ve trusted me before. Don’t fail me now, when I need your loyalty and courage.”
Groans of disappointment filled the market as the men realized that some would have to stay behind. Eskkar let the rumblings go on for a few moments, then raised his hand.
“Whatever has happened in Akkad will be dealt with, I swear it,” Eskkar said. “Our city will not fall into an enemy’s hands.”
A shout of approval echoed around the square.
“The time for talk is over,” he said. “Now it’s time to avenge Bantor’s dead and rescue our kin. The faster we can get started, the sooner we’ll reach the city. Are you with me?”
A roar of assent followed his words, and for a moment Eskkar thought five hundred men had answered him, and the clamor continued until he held up both hands.
“Then let’s begin. Sisuthros, secure the boats and crews. Hamati, start gathering supplies. Mitrac, see to the weapons. Grond, find out who can swim and who knows the river. Drakis, get what we need from the villagers. Start moving!”
Soldiers and villagers worked like slaves for the rest of the morning.
Eskkar and his commanders selected the men who would accompany him, a process that took longer than he
