by Lazlo Ferran
With that we mounted up and rode on, We would have looked a haggard bunch, had we not put on all our armour again.
Our two flanking columns were only intermittently in sight. The ground was uneven here and the road twisted and turned between hillocks or large dunes. Soon the ground became firmer and we even saw the odd tufted weed. Then the main column passed through a wide gully, with a few stunted bushes and then we were looking down into a wide valley, if you could call it that, running east to west. Straight ahead, perhaps only ten verst away, was the first signs of green. Some bushes and scrubby pastures. And beyond that, in the far distance, the rising mountains, blue and glorious, with white caps, glittering gold in the morning sun.
“We are here,” I muttered under my breath. We kept on riding.
The road here curved to the right, dropping the few sachine to where the green bank, sloping gently up to the feet of the mountains, began. I had no doubt Korim had scouts who would already have seen us and sent word to him... When I guessed we were about seven verst from the green, I ordered a halt and for camp to be made, in full view of Korim.
“Order the men to send out small parties, looking for water. They are not to drink it but to report back first.”
This was a ploy. Of course it would be a bonus if they found water but I really didn’t expect there to be any. I just wanted to give Korim a reason for our stopping. What I wanted was to wait for night. Although still flanking us, I had called in Sabitzan’s column and Kazangap’s to within a few hundred sachine of ours and both Generals were present when I called a meeting just after dusk.
“Call in the scouts.” I had ordered just before entering my tent.
“Good Evening Gentlemen. Here is what we are going to do. Korim expects us to follow the road and come out near his probable fortress location here.” I drew on the sand with a stick.
“As you can see the road curves east here. This would take us longer and futher than I wish and he may expect it.”
“What we are going to do is go here. I drew a bold line, northwest from our point, across the space to the mountains. There is more chance of finding water here and he will not be expecting it. He may be less well defended here and may not have plans to ambush us.”
“Moreoever,” I said, and here I paused for one last consideration before announcing my plan, “we will cross this whole distance tonight.”
For a moment there was silence and then a general uproar from the sun-baked faces around me.
“We cannot march that far, in this condition!”
“It must be 100 verst!”
“Yes. But it is flat and it is just one night. We can do it. Korim will not expect it. As you say. We are tired and short of water. The moon has been our enemy for the last few nights. Now it will be our friend. If we are quiet, Korim will not know where we are until it is too late.”
There was much arguing and protesting, before the Generals finally slunk off to pass on the instructions to their men. They were to sleep for one hour, long enough to give the enemy spies the idea that we were settling down for the night, before we would start the hard march.
It was pitch black as we set of, in a forced march, in one column. At times, the Infantry had to jog over the uneven ground, to keep up with the horses. Nobody spoke but there still seemed to be a tremendous clatter of steel and hooves and snorts of protesting horses. We soon reached the first of the rough vegetation, which ran in a strip roughly 120 verst wide and 700 verst long, up the southern flank of the mountains. The road which curved to the east, crossed over a dried river bed, which, in the winter, was fed from the mountains, and then curved back north west to the point where the river issued from the mountains. This was the place, I thought Korim would have built his fortress. Our path would cut out all this distance and still bring us out opposite his camp. If I was right.
After a short while, the going became much tougher. We encountered ditches, bushes and the occasional scrawny tree and even a rough fence, and the horses stumbled in the dark. I called a halt, which is difficult in the dark. One rider had to make his way back through the columns, passing on the order to stop so that not too many horses would crash into each other, causing chaos. Even so there were many cries and bellows from the horses as the long column ground to a halt.
Geb was the rider I had sent back and I had also told him to bring forward the camels. They would go ahead of us. Having longer legs and being sturdier, they could forge a path for us through the thickening vegetation.
In the almost complete silence, once we were stopped, I suddenly heard a distant trumpet and then another, further away. There were two bursts of notes. Four followed by seven. I had no idea what it meant but it was repeated by each trumpet, as the signal traveled off in the distance.
“A code of some kind.” I thought. So Korim was not so stupid. He probably knew exactly where we were now.
The camels arrived and took up the march. They often grumbled and stalled, seeing or sensing some object we hadn’t. At one point, refusing to go forward, we dismounted and immediately heard the sound of human voices, shouting in a foreign tongue and receding. Moving forwards cautiously, we came across a roughly-hewn cabin of wood and wattle. If we had gone crashing into that, it could have been disastrous, I guessed.
“Tell the men to dismount. We will have to walk.”
As the night dragged on, we drove forwards, gasping with the effort and the lack of water. My eyes were misting over with red. I could hardly concentrate and I often stumbled, hardly seeing what I was going. Arstan beside me, did the same and many times I heard men grumbling, hoping I would call a halt. But I couldn’t.
Whatever position we reached this night, would probably be our final, forward position. Korim would no doubt surround us and draw the noose tighter as the day would wear on. We would have no chance of retreat or escape. That was why we must be as far forward and as close to his fortress, as possible. I only hoped there would be water there.
The previous evening, while the men had rested, I had thought much about what Ahmed had said. I would need to use all my instincts and native ability to find water. I had to remember the old ways of our people and sense what the land was telling me.
At one point, we came across a small herd of sheep, huddled nervously against a rough fence and I ordered the men to tie up as many as they could. One man protested that they would make too much noise. He wanted to cut their throats but I told him we were making more noise than they would, and we may need them alive. What I didn’t say was that we might need to drink their blood. Our ancestors had done this, with their horses, as a last resort. As the first delicate rays of the sun touched the mountains, I took in the landscape around me
We were marching up a shallow slope towards the first band of small trees, bunched really not far below the rocky slopes of the mountains. My heart leapt as I saw the deep groove in the mountainsides, which marked the exit of the river. It was almost directly ahead of us, which was a relief and something of a surprise, as we had had to guess the direction and attempt to keep to it during the night. In all the stumbling and going around obstacles, I was surprised that we hadn’t been further off course. At one moment, I thought I saw the glint of sunlight on something, near the exit of the river, in the mountains. Possibly a lookout.
We continued on, all my muscles aching, my throat throbbing and my forehead. After another half-hour, we passed through the trees and up a short slope and into an area of long grass, patchy and parched by the long summer. I looked up and saw the unmistakable walls of a fortress. They jutted out from the apron of a spur, on the west-side of the river valley and the east-side, meeting in the middle in a huge, fortified set of iron-clad doors, glinting in the sun. I smiled though as I looked at it. The walls were stone at the base but, higher up, just wood!
“Korim. You are a clever man but impatient! This could be your biggest mistake.” He must have expected us sooner and rushed to build the walls. Perhaps not having a suitable source for mo
rtar, he had resorted to using wood.
The walls were at the top of a slope, perhaps two or three verst long, the river-bed in the centre. The narrowing sides of the mountain, drawing one’s attention in to the walls and the doors. I could just see the heads and shoulders of men, pacing along the top of the walls. A man, even in full armour, could run from where we were to the walls, although I am not sure about the slope.
The grass, which we stood in, ended at the foot of the slope, perhaps burnt by Korim, to destroy any means of protection. The ground beyond was rough and muddy.
We were close enough. I raised my hand and the Column halted.
From various higher points around us, as far as the rear of the column, I could see enemy archers watching us, some firing the occasional arrow at us.
We had come to a halt, on a slight rise, in the field of swaying grass. Just before we had halted, I had also seen something run across some open ground, a few sachine in front of us, perhaps a wolf, although I thought it had been too small. More likely a fox or a rabbit. I had also noticed a few very small bushes, their tips just poking through the grass, near the end of a shallow gully, which ran south from that point and took a turn east, before widening into the shallow depression just ahead of us.
Those bushes were only about one, to two hundred, sachine away.
The men immediately collapsed, where they had stopped, too exhausted to move.
I forced myself to stay on my feet for a few minutes, surveying the scene, before I too fell on the ground, too exhausted to move.
I knew we would have to find water as soon as possible but for a few minutes, I would have to lie still
Geb crawled to my side. “We must have water! His voice sounded hoarse.”
“Yes. I know. That is why I brought us here. See there?” I pointed to the grassy gully.
Geb craned his neck and then ducked down.
“Where those men re?”
“What?” I looked too. Yes. He was right. There were two enemy soldiers, on foot looking at us from beyond the bend in the gully. “Damn. There is water there, I think. We must move forward to that position as soon as possible”
We had reached this advanced position simply because Korim had not expected it and yet still we were almost surrounded and would soon be pinned down. It never ceased to amaze me that no matter how carefully you prepare a campaign, matters quickly get out of hand.
Suddenly I heard the scream of a horse and we all turned and looked back down the line of faces and horses, stretching away into the distance. We saw a horse falling and then thrashing around on the ground. And then it was still.
“Hit by an arrow, no doubt,” said Geb
An arrow thudded into the grassy bank, sloping down in front of us.
“Geb. Go and get Ahmed and Abdil-khan. Tell Abdil to bring twenty of his best men with him.”
Geb took a few deep breaths, then stood up and in a crouch, ran back.
As I waited for them to return, the arrows thudded into the ground around us. I tried to stand for a moment, to get a better view, but immediately had to drop down, as I saw about ten bows train on me.
“What is it now?” said Abdil’khan as he arrived. “Do you know my men are in revolt!” What sort of mess is this you have got us into? His comments were of course impertinent but as he well knew, we were the last men left to defend the country. If we failed, his impertinence would not matter, because I would no longer be King and we would both probably be dead and if we lived, he would be a hero and forgiven. The time for social, or military niceties, had passed.
“They are threatening to make east, for a spring, which may or may not exist, half day’s ride from here. I am not sure I can stop them! I have already shot the ring-leader but the rest are getting louder!”
Just then, Ahmed and Geb arrived.
I could see twenty, anxious faces behind Abdil, waiting for his command. These must be loyal to him.
“Ahmed? See that gully there? It curves to the north and earlier, before we became pinned down, I thought I saw a fox or something slinking away from there. I also saw a few bushes there. The grass seems longer there too. I think there may be water. What do you think?”
“They are possible signs of water, yes. But if there was water there, Korim would be defending it, or would have polluted it long ago.”
“There are some men there. Look. I think we have to get there.”
“Abdil’Khan. You, me and your twenty men, will go and take a look. Geb. If we find water, or one of us, will stand up and wave our sword from left to right. On that signal, the whole column must move to that point and form a defensive circle. Each Battalion will take a half a quadrant, clockwise in order and send out a line of lancers and two lines of bowmen, fifty sachine out, to defend it”
He nodded. “But Sire, You shouldn’t go on this mission. It’s too dangerous. Who will lead us, if you die?”
“Don’t question my orders.”
Just then, shouting broke out down the line.
“It could be my men revolting.” said Abdil’kahn. “They will take many others with them. They do not fear execution for desertion now. They believe we are all doomed.”
I put my head in my hands and pressed my aching forehead. So many woes, all at once.
“Come on then Abdil. Wait here Geb. Be ready to go.”
We half crawled, half ran back to the scene of trouble.
A former Major – I recognised him – was standing with his back to his horse for protection and delivering a speech, imploring men to follow him east. About five hundred men were facing him and perhaps two hundred were imploring their comrades, not to listen. I strode up to him.
Suddenly unsure of himself, he stopped speaking for a moment. Then he turned to me and in a loud voice, said “Sire. We march east to water. If we stay here, there will be no one to defend your Land!”
He saw the look on my face and drew his sword, waving it aimlessly in front of him.
“There is water, just a sachine ahead. At least I believe so. If you are willing to wait just a few minutes, we may be saved.”
The men watched me silently.
“Did you come all this way to give up? Did you come all this way, following me through all those difficult times, just to leave me and follow this Deserter?” Nobody liked the term ‘Deserter’ but I could see, on this occasion, they considered this a reasonable one.
“I have brought us to this spot for a reason. Because there is water here. If you march east now, there will be, what? One thousand of you at most. Korim will see you, separated from the main column and will send two thousand, healthy fresh soldiers against you. They will harry you all the way, or at least until you are dead. You will not stand a chance.”
A few of the men nodded and I could see I had made my point.
“Give me twelve hours. If we have not found water then, we will go east.”
I saw the approval and I turned away and walked back to the head of the column. I heard the Major, sheathing his sword behind me.
“That was brave,” said Geb, trudging beside me.
“Herr! It was necessary.”
As we reached Ahmed, he pointed to the distant mountains, to where the fortress was.
“The gates are open. Take a look.”
Both Geb and I stood up.
We both shielded our eyes from the Sun and stood stock still as several arrows whistled overhead.
There were men going in and men coming out. The men going in looked like farmers and peasants. Then men coming out were soldiers. “There is maybe five hundred of them on horseback and they were coming our way.” We quickly ducked down.
“They will be here in minutes. We must go now. It is as I thought. Korim is attacking us.”
* * *
Chapter Five
We stayed on the high ground, on the opposite side of the gully to the gathering enemy at the site of the bushes, since to go into the gully would mean being exposed but we still felt exposed on th
e higher ground, in the long grass.
Abdil, being an older man, had stripped off his armour and crawled in the long grass beside me. We got to within perhaps one hundred sachine of the bushes, before the first man was hit by an arrow. We heard his muffled moan but the enemy probably did not.
The enemy were gesticulating wildly with their sword arms and others were moving cautiously towards them from all sides. Through the grass, I briefly caught sight of the horses, riding from the fortress. They were only four or five hundred sachine away.
I stood up. “Charge!”
We rushed forwards, around the lip of the northern end of the gully and clashing with the enemy soldiers. They fought to hold the position for a minute of two, hoping their comrades would reinforce them, but the others were reluctant to engage. I fought one of the tallest men and he grinned grimly at me as we pushed at each other and stumbled in the long grass. He swore and said something to me between gasps for breath. He suddenly seemed to find speed I had not expected and lunged for my lower chest. I only just managed to twist to one side, the blade of his curving sword sliding across my belt and catching on my sheath. My vision was red, from exhaustion and fury, and I simply cut at his neck in a wild, high, threshing motion. Luckily it caught him in the right spot and cut half way through his neck. He fell forwards, trapping my sword beneath his head. And I had to put one foot on his back to withdraw the blade. I looked around, to see how we were doing. Of course, when you are fighting, your peripheral vision is taking in everything around you but your mind is not registering it. There was only one of the enemy still standing, being attacked by two of our soldiers so I wasted no time. I turned to face the front of the Column and waved my sword from side to side. Turning east to face the approaching horsemen, I thought, “This is going to be close.”
I turned back to the column and saw that they were running, some in the gully, some on the sides and would be with us in seconds. But the horsemen were quicker.