“You men will be the pride of Akkad’s fighters, its first army of spear-men. Never before has anyone trained so many to fight as one. If our enemy has greater numbers, it matters little. If you work and fight together, as Gatus and his commanders teach you, no foe will be able to withstand your charge. When the enemy sees you approaching, his knees will go weak with fear. When you smash into his shield wall, he will turn and flee. He will do this because he will know in his heart that you are stronger, tougher, and better trained than he is. He will not stand against you.”
This time another cheer went up, louder than the first, and it went on and on, despite Eskkar’s efforts to silence them.
“Now you must continue your training. But I will join you tonight, to buy ale for Gatus. I will sit with the Hawk army, and complain about our bad luck as much as any of you.”
A laugh rippled through them.
“Gatus, take command of your men again.”
He waited until Gatus had given the orders and turned the men over to the subcommanders. The two friends walked away from the training ground, found an empty spot in the shade of a barrack, and sat down on the ground, both of them leaning back against the wall and gazing out of the common area.
“Gatus, you’ve done well. These men look good.”
Gatus shook his head. “I think they can be better. I want to train them harder. I want to increase the training, and try some new tactics as well.”
Eskkar glanced at the veteran. Gatus had always been an excellent trainer, a good second in command, but seldom initiated anything new.
Gatus caught the glance. “Hear me out. First, I want to toughen them up even more. That means longer marches, more spear practice. I want them to handle their spears as well as you handle your sword. They’ll need to learn how to fight with a sword as well, so we’ll need more sword work. And I want to change the spears. I want thicker shafts. Too many splinter or break at the first hard contact, even on the training ground. In a battle, many would be lost after the first thrust. Then we’ll have nothing but an army of swordsmen.”
Eskkar had seen it himself. Even men in training could thrust hard enough to penetrate a Sumerian shield, and that effort sometimes snapped the shaft.
“A heavier and longer weapon will slow them down on the march.”
Such weapons would cost more, too, but neither man worried about that. Trella had already collected a good supply of gold from Nuzi, and the first shipment of silver arrived only days ago.
“That’s one reason why I want to toughen them up. You saw this group. Almost all of them are bigger and stronger than most of the men in Akkad. With the right training… I want to train all the spear-carriers every day, work them until they can’t even stand. Remember what Mitrac’s father did with the archers.”
“Working the archers didn’t involve them ending up bleeding and bruised. You won’t be popular with these spearmen.”
“I don’t care, and neither do you, for all your fine speeches. I remember when you couldn’t say three words without stumbling over the fourth.”
Eskkar grunted. Somehow Gatus always managed to annoy him, remind him of the days when Eskkar seldom spoke more than a dozen words from dawn to dusk. Trella, of course, was responsible for his new-found eloquence. But the two remained friends, the way that two men who have fought side by side against overwhelming numbers always do, no matter what words pass between them.
“Do what you like with them, Gatus. I know you will anyway. Just make sure that when the time comes, they’ll march and fight better than any force Sumer can put in front of them. Remember, they’ll be facing two or three times as many enemies.”
“That’s why I want to train them harder. First, I’ll show them how soft and clumsy they are, then rebuild them, toughen them up, until they’re stronger than any fighting men in Akkad. When I’m finished training them, they’ll be the finest fighting force in the land. Just make sure you don’t waste their lives to protect your precious horse fighters.”
“I know how to use my riders when the time comes, don’t worry about that. What else do you have planned?”
“I want them to master every possible way to fight with a spear. I want to teach them how to brace a spear against the ground, to stop a charging enemy, even if he’s on horseback. I want my men to learn to thrust with the spear just using their arms, until they can hit a man in the face or groin every time. Another technique I want them to master is to hold the spear tight against their bodies, and deliver the thrust by stepping forward. Or use a long thrust with one hand, or two hands stepping forward, with one or both feet. When they’ve mastered all those ways to kill a man, I’ll teach them how to throw the spear on the run. I’ve practiced it myself, and found it’s best to release the weapon when the opposite foot is forward.”
Eskkar felt the surprise cover his face. “How long have you been thinking about all this?”
“Months. Almost from the beginning. But I had to know what they could do before I tried to teach them any of these new tricks. The last thing I want them to master is swinging the spear. If a man swings the spear from side to side, the tip of the blade will slice right through flesh and bone. If the spear is moving fast enough, even the shaft will cause injury. That trick will give a spearman a chance, if he’s alone and in open ground against more than one opponent.”
“How long is all this going to take?”
Gatus laughed. “If I told you, you wouldn’t believe me. But the wait will be worth it, I promise. When I’m done, these men will wield a spear as easily as you whirl your sword around. And they’ll fight through twice their number with ease.”
“They may have to.” Eskkar shook his head, this time in admiration at what Gatus had already accomplished. “You’ve done well, Gatus. I mean that. And now, I’ll get back to my work, and let you continue with yours. Just keep moving the men up north.”
Gatus kept the number of men he was training in Akkad’s barracks at about one hundred, more or less. What most people didn’t notice was that as the men grew more proficient, small groups were moved north, to be replaced by new recruits. Sumer’s spies would count the number of men in training, but hopefully wouldn’t notice the gradual movement north, or at least not be able to count the entire force.
“Will you join us at the tavern tonight?”
“Oh, yes. After what you’ve shown me, and told me, I think I’m going to need a large cup of strong ale. Just make sure you tell Trella about the new weapons you want. I’m sure they’re going to cost more gold.”
“Which will be nothing compared to what you’re spending on horses.”
Eskkar pushed himself to his feet. “Talking with you makes my head ache. If you don’t mind, I think I’ll ride to the north tomorrow. At least up there I won’t have to argue with you all day.”
28
The first portion of Eskkar’s journey to the lands north of Bisitun was by riverboat. In the last few months, he received several reports regarding the training at the horse camp, and wanted to observe the men’s progress himself. Each departure from Akkad now required careful preparations. As usual, Trella wanted as few people as possible to know when her husband had left the city. Whenever Eskkar departed, the Hawk Clan guards increased their security around Trella, and Gatus and Bantor kept the soldiers on heightened alert. There would be no repeat of someone trying to seize the city by force while Eskkar was gone.
Any who enquired about Eskkar’s whereabouts would be told that he was occupied with important matters and remaining in the Compound. To help maintain secrecy on this trip, the first stage of the journey to Bisitun would be by boat. Eskkar riding out of Akkad on horseback, day or night, would certainly have attracted notice. But few paid much attention to what went on at the docks, especially in the early morning. Eskkar and his companions boarded their vessels before first light, and the two boats departed as soon as the sun cleared the horizon.
Yavtar commanded the boat that carried the king and seven of his guards. Another eight rode in the second vessel. For this visit, the men Eskkar took with him had all been carefully chosen by Hathor. All were archers, and more important, all knew how to ride. For that very reason, Grond remained in Akkad. The big man could ride, but
