by Sam Barone
“We thank you both for coming, King Naxos, Noble Kuara,” Lady Trella said. “Please, sit down. There is water and wine to refresh you.”
Naxos remembered his manners enough to bow. “It is good to see you again, Lady Trella. And you, Eskkar.” His gruff voice sounded out of place in the pleasant glade.
Eskkar bowed as well. Both were rulers of a city, and supposedly of equal rank. But Naxos also knew who held the real power. Akkad, with its ability to call on all the other cities, far outnumbered Isin in numbers and industry. And so Isin had journeyed to Akkad, and not Akkad to Isin.
“Yes, Lord Naxos. Our thanks to you for coming to see us in secret.” Trella’s words would have soothed an angry lion.
She, like Eskkar, understood how touchy Naxos was. Even after nine years, he still resented the fact that Eskkar had once threatened to destroy his city.
As Naxos tried to sit, his sword caught on the seat. Glancing around, he noticed that Eskkar’s sword rested a few paces away, leaning against the white trunk of a nearby sycamore tree. Naxos realized that he was the only one armed. For a moment he struggled with the urge to keep his sword, but he yielded to his better instincts. Unbuckling the scabbard, he shoved the weapon under the table and took his seat, facing Eskkar across the table.
Kuara took the chair to the left of his King. Gemama faced Trella, with Jarud to his right. Yavtar sat at the end of the table, separating himself from the rulers of the three cities.
None of the men questioned Trella’s presence at a gathering of leaders. However valuable her husband’s fighting skills and leadership might be, the rulers of Isin and Sumer knew Trella’s keen wits had guided the City of Akkad for the last fifteen years. Only a fool would reject such a talent, and these men were no fools.
Eskkar waited until everyone had a cup of water or wine at hand. “I asked both Sumer and Isin here to warn you of a danger that threatens us all. An invasion is coming from the east, from the land of the Elamites.” A glance around the table showed that he had their attention. “I’ll let Trella tell you the story. She has gathered most of the information, and knows more about the Elamite threat than anyone.” He smiled. “Besides, that way I won’t forget anything.”
They had agreed before the meeting that Trella should bring the others up to date. Her reputation for reasonableness and honesty would make them more likely to swallow the bitter news. And the leaders of Isin and Sumer were well aware of the role she played in ruling the city of Akkad.
Eskkar would lead the discussion later, which would give Trella a better opportunity to study their guests’ faces and reactions.
“You all know of the land of the Elamites to the east,” Trella began. “Almost two years ago, we learned they were planning to invade the Land Between the Rivers, conquer our cities, and reduce us all to slaves.”
She told them everything, except how they had first learned of the approaching threat from Eskkar’s old companion, Bracca. Step by step Trella explained what her agents had learned, and told them of the preparations that Akkad had already begun. No one spoke, and the only other sound besides her voice was the sighing of the leaves in the trees.
The sun moved a hand’s breadth across the sky before Trella finished. While she delivered the news, Eskkar eyed his visitors. Neither Naxos nor Kuara let anything show on their faces. Jarud looked grave, and Gemama paled as the story unfolded. He broke the silence that followed the last of Trella’s words.
“Are you certain that they are coming against Sumer?”
“They are coming against all of us,” Eskkar said. “It would make no sense for them to invade these lands to attack and capture a single city. The Elamites want all the Land Between the Rivers. Sumer and Akkad will be their first targets, Sumer because of its position on the coast. The Elamites will use it to supply their forces. Then Isin and the others.”
“How sure are you of their numbers?” Kuara’s good hand had tightened on his cup, and he set it down carefully. “Forty to fifty thousand soldiers?”
“The Elamites have more than that number spread out across their empire, possibly another four or five thousand. But they dare not leave their lands unguarded. Most of their cities and villages have been brutally subjugated by King Shirudukh, and their people are ripe for a revolt against their masters.”
“How can they march such a large number of men from Elam to here?” Naxos shook his head. “There’s not enough food to feed them on the way.”
“That’s true. Trella and I have studied their forces as best we can. We believe that they will come at us in three separate armies. One army, probably ten to fifteen thousand, will journey along the coast, supplied by boats along the route, until it reaches Sumer. Once Sumer is taken, their ships will continue bringing supplies and men in, and start taking gold and important prisoners back to Elam.”
As Eskkar spoke, Trella unfolded one of the maps, and spread it out before her. Every head leaned forward. “A second force, and likely the bulk of their army, will come through the Zagros Mountains, through the Dellen pass, straight toward Akkad. Probably about twenty-five thousand men.”
Eskkar traced the path on the map with his finger. “The third force will also come through the mountains, but farther north, through the Jkarian pass. That army will be used to collect supplies along the way, and help resupply the main force, which will be attacking Akkad. The northern force will also prevent any of our own forces escaping in that direction. Probably they will continue west and cross the Tigris and come down the Euphrates, to seal off and capture the cities of Uruk, Lagash, and Nippur. Assuming, of course, that Akkad and Isin have fallen by then.”
“How do you know all this?” Naxos voice held a trace of anger. “When is this all happening?”
Eskkar shrugged. “I can’t be certain of these facts. But during the last two years, we have sent many spies into the Elamite lands. Also, our agents brought back an Elamite commander a year ago, a leader of five hundred accused of treason and sentenced to death. He was forced to watch the torture and murder of his wife and children. In return for a chance to strike a blow against those who killed his kin, he’s told us much about their tactics. With his help, and the latest reports from our spies, we think we’ve worked out Elam’s plan of attack. As for the rest,” Eskkar tapped the map, “it’s what I’d do if I had that many men, and wanted to invade and conquer this land in a single campaign.”
“If I may speak,” Trella said, “this effort is by far the largest the Elamites have undertaken. If it fails, their entire empire may collapse. They know this, which is why they have prepared for so many years. They need to ensure that the invasion succeeds. To accomplish that, they will bring as many soldiers as they can spare. Once they conquer our land, the gold and resources here will support their rule in Elam for many years.”
“And what else did your traitor tell you?” Naxos refilled his cup with wine, and only added a splash of water to it.
If Trella were offended by Naxos’s surly tone, she didn’t show it. “He advised us that his former masters are skilled in the capturing of walled cities. They will bring or construct ramps, ladders, and scaling tools. They also know how to dig beneath a city’s walls, until they collapse. He claimed they had taken over fifteen well defended cities in the Indus alone.”
“But there is no way to defeat such a vast army.” Gemama couldn’t keep the fear out of his voice. “Even if we collected every fighter from all our cities, we could only gather less than half their number.”
“That’s true, Lord Gemama,” Trella said. “And the forces we could raise would not be as well trained as these invaders. I fear that only Akkad and Isin can put soldiers as disciplined into the field.”
“When are they coming?” Kuara’s resigned voice did not reflect the anger of Naxos, his king.
“In the fall, after the harvest. They want the crops from our fields to live on while they conquer our cities.” Trella kept her voice calm. “And their three armies will march at th
e same time, so that we will have to face them all at once. In less than five months from now, they will be on their way through the Zagros Mountains.”
“Why have you waited so long to tell us?” Gemama’s voice quavered in anger. “You should have warned us as soon as you learned of the danger!”
Eskkar kept his voice calm. “First, we could not be certain they were really coming. We only recently confirmed that the invasion preparations had begun. Second, we needed to learn as much as possible. Otherwise you might not have believed us. And last, we needed to find a way to defeat them.”
“So you do have a plan to stop them?” Jarud spoke for the first time. Like Kuara, he kept whatever he might be feeling out of his voice.
Eskkar glanced from face to face. “I do not plan to defeat them. One city alone cannot resist such numbers. But there may be a way, if the three of us work together, to drive them back across the mountains.”
“And what is this way?” King Naxos’s voice still sounded harsh.
“With my most trusted commanders,” Eskkar began, “I’ve ridden and studied the lands between here and the Zagros Mountains for almost two years, from the far north all the way to the Great Sea. We’ve prepared maps to identify watering places, supply routes, and even likely camp grounds. We have also considered many ways to stop or defeat them.”
Eskkar leaned forward. “But the key to defeating these Elamites is Sumer. If we can drive them away from Sumer’s walls and keep control of the Tigris, we can destroy their main supply route. Without that, they cannot sustain themselves for long in these lands”
“How do you propose to do that,” Naxos repeated his question, his hand a tight fist rapping on the table.
“I don’t propose to do that.” Eskkar leaned back with a smile. “I propose that you do it, King Naxos.”
Naxos’s mouth fell open. For a moment, he remained speechless.
“A daring plan indeed.” Jarud laughed. “Why doesn’t that surprise me?”
“Akkad always has a plan to protect itself.” Naxos regained his composure. “They care nothing about the rest of us.”
“If I may?” Trella gazed at Naxos for a moment. “I was born and raised in Sumeria. Do you think I wish my people to live as slaves under the Elamites?”
“Let me finish,” Eskkar went on. “The enemy will capture and occupy Sumer. They must do that to establish and protect their supply line. It is far easier for them to move men and supplies along the coast. They will offer treaties and guarantees to all the other cities that do not resist them. Once their armies are in place, they will ignore their promises. Remember, they do not come here to live in peace with us. They intend to rule over us as masters. They also want gold, food, horses, everything that a conquering army demands, and in vast quantities. All our people will be reduced to slaves, working for their new masters.”
He turned from Naxos to Gemama. “So even if you surrender, if you offer peace to the Elamites, they will remove you from power. At best, you may be permitted to live, or even to rule as their figurehead for a time, until they no longer need you. But the power of Sumer will be forever crushed and its people enslaved. Thousands of Elamites and their followers will soon occupy the city and its surrounding farms. Alone, your choice is simple – to fight, or surrender.”
Eskkar shifted his gaze back to Naxos. “So it is up to you, King Naxos. If you do not choose to fight the Elamites, the Land Between the Rivers is lost. Akkad will fight to the end, but there can be no victory unless the three of us work together.”
“And if I chose to make peace with them, instead of fighting your battles?”
Even Eskkar understood Naxos’s clenched jaw. The man could scarcely keep his anger in check.
“You must do what is best for yourself and your city, King Naxos.” Trella spoke quickly, before Eskkar could reply to the taunt. “But if you submit to them, consider what role you would play in their plans. For a time, you and Isin’s soldiers would be used to attack the other cities, your men always in the forefront. When your numbers were reduced, they would simply absorb your remaining soldiers into their armies, scattering them among many units and places. That is the way the Elamite army continues to grow. At that time, you would no longer be needed. At best, you might find a place in their army, commanding other soldiers recruited from places they have conquered. But you would never command men from Isin again, and there would be no future for you in their rule, except as a simple soldier. If that is acceptable to you, then you should consider making contact with the Elamites.”
“I believe we already have.” Kuara’s words turned every head, including Naxos’s. “I did not tell you before this, Naxos, but I met with a trader claiming to speak for the Elamites only two days ago. He declared that he wished to increase Isin’s trade with the cities of the Indus. The terms he mentioned were most favorable, exceedingly so. Even as we spoke, two hundred gold coins were delivered to my steward.”
A huge sum, Eskkar knew, and far more than necessary for any mutual trading venture.
“And you did not see fit to tell me of this?” Naxos’s face reddened at this unexpected news from his chief advisor.
“The trader suggested that it might be best for me to keep this between the two of us, for now. Of course, once I had taken his gold, he would assume I was in his debt. Not long after, the demands would have begun. Since I already knew we were to visit Akkad, and I suspected we would hear something like this, I decided to wait. Until now.”
“Do not let your anger cloud your thoughts, King Naxos.” Trella’s soothing voice reduced the tension at the table. “This is indeed how the Elamites work, sowing confusion and distrust among their enemies long before they arrive with their armies.”
The table grew silent. Eskkar followed Trella’s lead, and resisted the urge to speak. These men needed time to digest what they’d heard. To try and rush them into a decision would only fail.
Jarud broke the silence. “I have wives and children in Sumer, as well as many kin. I would not see them live as slaves, nor would I take them and flee to safety without a fight.”
Trella nodded agreement. “There is, after all, no place in the Land Between the Rivers to go. To escape, at least for a time, would mean trusting your lives to strangers and in distant lands. Meanwhile, the Elamites will believe you have fled with all your fortune, so they will offer a bounty to track you down.”
“If there is a way to resist,” Jarud thumped his fist on the table, “then I say fight.”
Eskkar caught the slight movement of Trella’s finger that meant she wanted him to answer. “There is a way to defeat them. The risk will be great. But we will need King Naxos to help us.”
Everyone’s eyes went to the King of Isin. But before Naxos could speak, Kuara cleared his throat. “Like Jarud, I would not flee my home, nor leave my family and friends behind to face a conquering army. And I have fought too many fights against Isin’s enemies to hand her over to a strange overlord.” He glanced at Naxos. “But I too, must see a way to victory.”
This time no one looked toward Naxos. His Chief Advisor had said his piece. Now the final decision belonged to Naxos.
“I will not yield my city to anyone. But I will not fight the battles of others, not unless I see a way to win.”
“You would not be alone,” Trella said. “The men of Akkad and Sumer, and all the other cities, will stand beside you. That is Akkad’s promise.” She glanced at Eskkar.
“I give you my word, Naxos” Eskkar said, “as one warrior to another. I give it to all of you, to fight to defend your cities as fiercely as my own. I cannot promise that we will be victorious, but I believe we have a chance to win. Remember, we do not need to destroy the armies of Elam, just drive them off with such fierceness that they never dare invade our lands again.”
Before Naxos could reply, Jarud spoke. “Akkad has kept its promises to Sumer for more than nine years. Not only that, but they have helped us when we needed it. So if Eskkar and Lady Tr
ella now say it is time to fight, then that is good enough for me.” Jarud turned to his friend. “Are we agreed, Gemama?”
The King of Sumer also glanced around the table, but his gaze came to rest on Yavtar, still sitting away from the others, almost by himself. “You are in favor of this, old friend? That we put our trust in Akkad?”
Yavtar picked up his empty cup and twirled it between his fingers. “Much of the information on the Elamites has come through my agents and traders. We have sent many boats and caravans into the eastern lands. Eskkar speaks the truth about the Elamites’ plans. They come to conquer and enslave.” He set the cup down. “So I make the same promise as King Eskkar. I will stand by you, old friend, to the end.”
Gemama turned toward Naxos for the first time. “Then Jarud and I will fight with Akkad.”
Eskkar understood how hard that decision must have been for the soft merchant turned king. Soldiers, even after they became kings or advisors, understood that there always came a time when you had to fight to keep what you had built. Those who did not grow up with a sword in their hand had to be even braver to go to war.
“Then we will be at your side, King Gemama.” Trella’s voice held an intensity that turned every eye back to her. “Now it is up to you, King Naxos.”
Naxos met her gaze. “I will not bend my knee to any foreign ruler, not as long as I can fight. If there is a way to drive them off, if Sumer and Akkad are united, then Isin will stand with you.”
Eskkar realized that Naxos had at last grasped the full situation. The last nine years of peace had changed the power structure in the Land Between the Rivers. Prosperity, at least for a time, had dimmed the glory of war and conquest. If Naxos did not join them, sooner or later, Akkad and Sumer would deal with him. And Naxos understood that, if it came to a choice, the other cities would choose Akkad, whose intentions had proved peaceful, over Isin.