“There aren’t enough horses in the land for that,” Rebba added “And the expense of maintaining so many animals… Eridu’s gold will be long gone before you have a tenth of what you need.”
Raising and maintaining good horseflesh took gold, and plenty of it. Corrals had to be built, cleaned, and maintained. A horse went through large quantities of grain and grass each day, and needed to be exercised as well. Then each beast had to be trained to fight, to charge ahead when its instincts made it want to falter or turn aside. That required skilled riders who understood horseflesh, who could teach both men and animals how to form a battle line, charge the enemy, and run a man or a horse down. It all took time. Even in Akkad, only the wealthy could afford the luxury of owning a simple riding horse, let alone an animal trained for war.
“Eskkar, you say that Eridu was ready to do battle with your archers?”
“Yes, Nicar. His men had a large number of shields, and even more javelins. The shield-bearers expected to charge our archers, supported by the javelins, until they could close the distance.”
“And do you think this tactic would have worked?”
The table went silent for the first time, and every eye lifted to Eskkar.
“Yes, I think it would have succeeded. As long as they could close with us quickly, it might have worked. We were greatly outnumbered. Even if we drove them off, our losses would have been heavy. Without shields of our own, the javelins would have been deadly to our men. A few breaks in the line, and the enemy could have poured through and overwhelmed us.”
“So our archers will not be able to overcome superior numbers, is that what you’re saying?”
Eskkar poured some water into his cup and took a sip, using the moment to gather his thoughts. “Not necessarily. Our archers are well trained. We pick only those men strong enough to bend a bow and empty three or four quivers without weakening. As Gatus can tell you, it takes many months, four to five at least, to harden their muscles. An archer must learn not only how to loose an arrow, but how to gauge the distance, hit a moving target, and stand beside his fellows.”
“When an archer is fully trained, he is a deadly and efficient soldier. But for all that, the archer has his own weaknesses. Unless he’s in a defensive position, he’s vulnerable to surprise attack, night attack, or even attack within close quarters. Outside of a city and its walls, he needs horsemen to scout for him, so that he can prepare to come to grips with his enemy. Archers also need someone to guard their rear. In the fight against Eridu’s men, I had to use our horse boys to watch our backs.”
“So you’re saying our archers are of little use outside the city?” Nicar’s voice held a trace of worry.
“No. What I’m saying is that up to now the archers have been our strongest force. But that will have to change. We need to prepare for a different kind of war, a longer conflict, and we will need new kinds of soldiers.”
No one seemed happy to hear Eskkar’s words, least of all his own commanders. Most of them had trained and fought as archers. Using their bows, they’d won yet another victory over superior numbers, and now they heard their leader say that their efforts might not be enough. The nobles were equally unhappy. A long and drawn out war would be a drain on all of them. Trade would be the first casualty. Already the nobles contributed large amounts of gold to pay for the building of Akkad’s walls, and the ongoing support of the city’s fighting men. In return for that contribution, they expected peace and security for their farms and trading ventures. A protracted conflict with the Sumerian cities would drain much of their wealth, with little to show for it.
“Do you think we can win this new kind of war?” Corio, impatient as always, drummed his fingers on the table.
“Yes, we can win this war,” Eskkar said. “As we’ve all seen, battles are not won just by having superior numbers of fighting men. We drove off the barbarians, and we outfought Korthac to reclaim our city. Both times our fighters were outnumbered. Until now, we’ve taken great care in selecting recruits. Now we need to use all the manpower we have available to us, even those we’ve passed over when we select our archers.”
Eskkar glanced at Gatus, the captain of the guard, and the oldest of Eskkar’s commanders. Everyone respected both his courage and his words. More than that, the nobles trusted him. Born and raised in Akkad, he always spoke his mind and never cared whom he offended. Approaching his sixtieth season, he’d trained most of Akkad’s fighters, and helped Eskkar develop his battle plans and tactics.
“What do you think, Gatus?” Eskkar shifted to face the old soldier. “Can you answer Corio’s question?”
“Eskkar and I, and all the commanders,” Gatus began, gesturing with his hand to include the rest of the soldiers, “have talked about such things for years. Now it is time to do more than talk. We’ll need soldiers who can fight on foot, who can attack an enemy with sword and spear. And we’ll need horsemen, many of them, to act as our eyes and ears, and allow us to strike at our enemies far from Akkad.”
The old soldier spoke with passion. Gatus had seen every kind of enemy, and knew what to expect. Whenever he spoke, men listened. But everyone at the table knew Akkad had nowhere near enough men, nor horses, nor gold to pay them.
“If we have to fight an extended war with Sumeria,” Nestor said, “the expense may be more than we can support. Perhaps it would be better to negotiate with the Sumerians, to make peace with them. They may have learned their lesson. We could even offer them some of the borderland.”
Trella reached out and picked up her water cup. The simple gesture turned every eye toward her, as she knew it would.
“Lady Trella, what do you think?” Once again it was Corio who spoke first.
“Nobles, this conflict between our city and the south will not happen overnight. Eskkar dealt Eridu’s forces a heavy blow. How many men did he lose, husband?”
Of course, she already knew the answer. Trella seldom needed to hear anything more than once. With her flawless memory, she could recall details even many months after hearing them.
“We killed about twenty or twenty-five of their horsemen, and over a hundred and seventy soldiers. Twenty- eight prisoners were taken, and I spoke with each of them. Then I let them go, so they could return to Sumer and the other cities and tell the story of what happened. There were many wounded who we left where we found them, to live or die. We captured most of their weapons as well.”
“That means there will be no more war for the rest of this season,” Trella went on. “And probably not next year, either. Eridu will need time to recoup his losses, and rebuild his reputation. The lost weapons will be expensive to replace, and he will have to pay the ransom as well. His supply of ready gold will be severely depleted, if not exhausted.”
She paused a moment, to let everyone at the table digest her words.
“And, as my husband has explained to me, the defeat of the soldiers will be a heavy blow to their morale. They know they were vanquished by a smaller number of fighters. Their king was taken prisoner. Eridu will not find it so easy to recruit replacements. It will take time before he can again raise a large force of men.”
“So you think we have a few years before the Sumerians begin to trouble us again?”
“No, the plotting will begin as soon as Eridu returns home,” Trella answered. “But the next year or two will give Akkad time to prepare. In that time, there is much we can do. And as Akkad’s leading merchants, perhaps you can find new opportunities for your trading ventures.”
Corio laughed, a long chuckle that turned every head. “Of course, Trella, you’re right. My business will prosper because the increased need for protective walls, not only here in Akkad, but in some of the smaller villages on the border. Nicar’s trading will increase, too, as he supplies us with the ores needed to forge weapons. The city will grow again, as we hire new soldiers, and what we pay them will flow back to us in taxes and increased business.”
“Yes, Corio,” Trella said, letting a smile cross her face for the first time. “If we know what the future will bring, and if we have time to prepare, there is no reason why everyone’s wealth should not increase, even as our soldiers grow in numbers. With Sumer’s defeat, more people will seek Akkad’s protection, more farmers in the borderlands will cry out to join with us. Already the city and the countryside are full of young men who have left their farms to come here. It may be that, in the long run, all of you here today will see your trading ventures prosper.”
Nestor nodded. “Yes, that may all be true. But what happens when the Sumerians march north with thousands of men? How can we defend the border against such a force?”
“We’re not going to defend the border,” Eskkar said. “We’ll patrol it with horsemen that Hathor will train. If the Sumerians come north again, we’ll gather our forces and march south. Akkad’s walls will protect the city, while we invade Sumeria. We’ll ravage their lands and crops. Our threat to carry the war to their cities will be what
