by Sam Barone
It took fourteen days, but Eskkar visited every camp. He spoke to each commander, inspected the soldiers, and made sure that the men were being properly trained. Now the time had come to start implementing the plans he and Trella had prepared to repel the coming invasion.
Wild rumors of war floated throughout the land, almost all of them carefully nurtured and disseminated by Trella and Annok-sur’s agents. Akkad was going to attack Sumer. Akkad would assault the city of Isin. Lagash and Isin had decided to invade Sumer. The barbarians would return from the north and overrun the land.
Other, wilder tales circulated about an invasion from the west, or one from the lands across the eastern mountains. These whispers came and went so fast that soon few of Akkad’s inhabitants believed any of them. Conflict of some kind appeared certain, however. The provisioning and arming of the soldiers couldn’t be concealed. Every night, the lanes and taverns of Akkad filled with many more soldiers than usual.
The time had come to sow the final seeds of deceit into the minds of any travelers or spies returning to Elam. Annok-sur wanted the last traders leaving Sumer and Akkad to bear witness to the chaos and turmoil in the Land Between the Rivers. By the time these conflicting reports reached the east, it would be impossible for Elam’s generals to ascertain the truth. Instead they would have a picture of a confused and frightened Akkad, one without the will to resist.
Meanwhile, Corio and the builders strengthened Akkad’s walls, and the city’s soldiers trained constantly. Increased numbers of alert soldiers manned the walls or practiced their bowmanship. At the same time, large contingents of men and cavalry moved between Akkad and the surrounding camps.
Eskkar brushed aside all these rumors, refusing to confirm or deny any of them. But the people of Akkad and those from the surrounding farms noted the preparations. The ones who remembered the original siege by the Alur Meriki, or the war against Sumer, nodded knowingly. They watched as the scattered huts and tents that somehow found a way to creep closer to the city’s outer walls were torn down.
The wide ditch that encircled the city was once again dug out, and in many places lined with stones from the river. The irrigation masters made their own preparations to flood both the ditch and the countryside around Akkad. At the first approach of the enemy, the water would flow to impede the invaders’ efforts.
Nor could the people fail to notice Trella’s agents in the marketplace and dock yards, buying grain, and assembling ever larger herds of sheep and cattle across the Tigris, just to the west of the city. Despite the rumors of war, trade flourished, both over the land routes and along the Tigris, as supplies of all types flowed into the city.
Prices rose on food, livestock, and grain driven by the sudden scarcity of these goods, as most were diverted to either Akkad’s storehouses or the soldiers’ training camps. The number of Akkad’s soldiers increased as well. Since maintaining fighting men and their equipment demanded plenty of gold and silver coins, that fact alone warned the people that a great conflict approached.
Fortunately, the Kingdom still received a steady supply of silver from the mine at Nuzi. The bright silver disks, marked with the symbol of the City on one side and the outline of a hawk on the other, flowed from hand to hand, from traders to merchants, from farmers to laborers, and even to the ale houses frequented by the soldiers.
Only one thing remained certain – the many years of peace were coming to an end. Once again war menaced the Land Between the Rivers.
Eskkar continued to ignore the rising tide of questions and kept his attention focused on the soldiers and their training. He knew Trella and her hundreds of clerks and scribes could manage the myriad details needed to prepare the city to withstand an extended siege.
She would see to it that Akkad’s soldiers received all the food and equipment they needed to fight. Bantor, as Commander of the city’s defenses, prowled the walls every day, searching for the slightest weakness that an opposing army might try to exploit.
In the last year, six training camps had been established, all on the western side of the Tigris, and all within twenty to thirty miles of the city. Spearmen, archers, and slingers practiced their craft in these outposts, less than two days march from Akkad. More camps lay farther to the north. The cavalry trained their mounts and men in these, fighting mock battles and galloping over the countryside.
Horses, ever in short supply, arrived in steady streams from the far western lands. Uruk and Lagash traded with the western desert nomads for fresh animals that soon found their way to Akkad’s training camps. The rulers of those two cities also supplied plenty of grain and additional weapons. Trella’s envoys had explained the situation to those cities and the need for them to do their utmost. They understood that, while they might not feel the first blows of the invading Elamites, they stood little chance to resist the enemy if Akkad and Sumer should fall.
Trella’s supply masters and counting house clerks knew their business. They had, after all, fought two major wars in the last twenty years. Food, weapons, horses, clothing, even ale and wine, poured into Akkad and its supply depots. Arrows by the tens of thousands were crafted, and the sound of new bronze swords and axes being forged and tested echoed in every camp.
Each day Bantor, Annok-sur’s husband, worked to improve the City’s fortifications. The oldest of Eskkar’s commanders, a fall from a horse five years before left Bantor unable to fight on foot or with the cavalry. But his experience with two sieges of Akkad now served him in good stead. Wakannh, the Captain of Akkad’s Guard, maintained law and order within the city. Both men were determined to ensure that Akkad’s defenses would be well organized and supplied.
When the fighting began, no matter who the enemy might be, Akkad, its soldiers, and its inhabitants would be ready.
Trella’s hard work left Eskkar free to concentrate on the army. After years of secret planning, the appointed day to meet with Akkad’s senior commanders arrived at last. Until now, only Hathor, Alexar, Bantor, and his wife Annok-sur knew the full extent of the threat and the measures Eskkar and Trella had initiated. Some commanders knew part of the plan, and the others had guessed what might be approaching.
The time had come to tell all the leaders everything that lay in store for them, and the role each would play in the coming conflict.
The morning after Sargon and Draelin reached Akkad, Eskkar summoned his commanders and trusted friends to the Compound. Just after midmorning, on a beautiful summer day, the leaders climbed the stairs to Eskkar’s private quarters.
One by one, the commanders filed into the Map Room. They took their places around the long table, its surface covered by a detailed map of the Land Between the Rivers, from the northern mountains to the Great Sea. The women had already taken their seats, with Trella at the far end of the table. Annok-sur and Uvela sat beside her, along with Ismenne, the Map Maker.
Draelin, Daro, Wakannh, Yavtar, Shappa, Drakis, Muta, and Mitrac occupied the center seats. Hathor, Bantor, and Alexar took their places near the head of the table, as Eskkar and his son Sargon entered. Sargon chose a place beside Draelin. Every eye studied the heir to the city, searching for any hint of weakness. But they found none. All they saw was another soldier, tough and battle hardened despite his youth.
Eskkar closed the door behind him. His Hawk Clan guards remained at their station on the floor below, to make sure no one could approach the Map Room.
As Eskkar took his place at the head of the table, he faced Trella at the opposite end. For a moment, he studied their faces, as they in turn studied his. All of them knew the threats of war had once again gathered at Akkad’s gates. In the last few months, most had guessed the name and plans of the enemy, but none had talked, either openly or in secret, about the coming conflict. Each one knew the importance of keeping his thoughts to himself.
“The Elamites have been preparing to invade our lands for nearly three years,” Eskkar began without any preamble. “In that time, they have dispatched many spies to Akkad, as
well as to Sumer and Isin. They have also bribed many in Akkad to provide information about our strengths and weaknesses. To conceal our strength as much as possible, we’ve kept you and our soldiers moving from camp to camp. It’s also the reason why Trella and I kept our plans hidden even from you, the men who must lead the fight in the coming war.”
Taking his time, Eskkar outlined the situation that Akkad faced. “We will be greatly outnumbered, by well trained and equipped soldiers. We will also have to fight the invaders on two fronts. However, Annok-sur’s spies and Yavtar’s traders have collected much information about the Elamites’ plan. Through their efforts, we know when and from what directions the enemy will come.”
No one spoke, but every man kept his attention focused on Eskkar’s words. These were all tough, battle-tested men who had fought Akkad’s enemies before, some of them many times.
“The Elamites will strike from three directions, and at nearly the same time. One force, probably horsemen only, will come through the Jkarian Pass to the north. They will send between five and seven thousand men to devastate the farm lands that supply Akkad’s grain and livestock, then turn south and move toward our city. On their way, they will collect food and herds for the besiegers. Many of the people will be rounded up and sent back to Elam as slaves.”
The commanders glanced at the map. The Jkarian Pass lay almost a hundred and eighty miles north of Akkad.
“The main thrust will be toward Akkad,” Eskkar continued, “through the Dellen Pass. These soldiers, between twenty-five and thirty thousand men, will be well prepared to assault Akkad. The Elamites have captured many cities in the east, so they know all about sieges.”
That got a reaction from the men at the table. An army that size was larger than any force ever assembled in the Land Between the Rivers, even larger than the armies Akkad had defeated at Isin.
“The most critical attack will come from the south, along the coast of the Great Sea, to besiege Sumer. Our agents tell us that perhaps fifteen to sixteen thousand soldiers will take that route.”
Eskkar noted the stunned looks on the men’s faces, as they calculated the total number of invaders, between forty-five and fifty thousand, that would have to be defeated.
“Sumer will be the key to stopping the invasion. If Sumer falls, the Elamites will be able to keep men and supplies flowing along the coast. And with so many soldiers to man Sumer’s walls, we will never be able to drive them out. Even now, they are gathering ships and storing weapons and food to support that army. If Sumer is taken, Akkad and Isin, and the other cities, will not be able to withstand the greater numbers of the enemy, and sooner or later, we will be defeated. It might take another year or two, but with Sumer as an Elamite base, we cannot win.”
The commanders exchanged grim looks. Such numbers were daunting even to experienced and battle hardened fighters.
“But we have made our own plans,” Eskkar said, “and we have prepared a few surprises for the Elamites. This time, thanks to Trella’s efforts and despite all the rumors of war you’ve heard, the cities of Sumer and Isin, and Uruk and Lagash, too, will be fighting alongside Akkad’s soldiers. Even now, King Gemama of Sumer is readying his city and all his people for the coming siege. He will have to hold out until Hathor, and as much cavalry as we can spare, joins with the horsemen of Isin to break the siege and cut the Elamite supply line to the sea.”
“Then all these rumors of war with Isin and Sumer were false?” Draelin reached out his hand and touched the map at the City of Isin.
“Yes. But only King Naxos of Isin and King Gemama of Sumer knew the truth, and they have only been made aware in the last few months.”
“Will they have sufficient time to prepare?” Wakannh, Captain of Akkad’s Guard, asked that question.
“King Naxos of Isin has always been prepared for war.” Eskkar smiled at the looks on their faces. Everyone knew of Isin’s constant readiness to wage war. Since the war with Sumer more than ten years ago, King Naxos had prepared for an assault by Akkad.
“But this time, he will turn his eyes to the south, to aid Sumer. And we will provide men and supplies for that fight. Even as we speak, King Gemama has his men working day and night to prepare Sumer for the Elamite onslaught. Uruk and Lagash are already delivering supplies, weapons, and tools to help him, along with a few hundred laborers and soldiers. However, it will be up to us to provide a way to break the Elamite siege of Sumer.”
“Who will help Akkad withstand our own siege?” Daro, the recently promoted Commander, raised the question no doubt all the others were thinking.
“No one, Daro, because we are not going to just sit and wait for the Elamites to surround Akkad’s walls and grind us down. We’re going to meet them in the Dellen Pass, and hold them long enough until they run out of supplies and have to turn back. In the narrow mountain passes, their greater numbers will not be as effective against our men, and they will soon be short of food. They will be marching with only a few days rations, expecting to live off the land once they enter into Akkad’s territory. Meanwhile we will have plenty of food, water, and weapons delivered by bearers recruited by Trella and led by her clerks. Instead of a siege lasting months, we need only stop them for five or ten days.”
“What if they manage to resupply, and you can’t hold them?” Wakannah’s voice held no trace of worry, just a question.
“That, too, has been considered. Sargon will make sure the Elamites do not get their supplies. But if we are unable to drive them off, we will simply fall back to Akkad. Trella will make sure we are resupplied with enough food along the way, so we can have an orderly retreat if we have to return here. Meanwhile, Bantor and you will prepare Akkad for an extended siege. Food and weapons for at least six months will have to be stockpiled. But we hope it does not come to that. If we have to fight behind Akkad’s walls, it will mean the enemy has driven us back from the Dellen Pass.”
Daro had another question. “If the Dellen Pass and Akkad will be the Elamite’s main thrust, how will Sargon block the enemy from resupplying?”
“The time has come for the Alur Meriki to fulfill their pledge. Chief Bekka, Sargon, and more than a thousand Alur Meriki warriors will soon be on their way to Elam’s northern lands. Once the Elamite army has entered the Dellen Pass, Sargon and the warriors will disrupt any supply lines behind them. With almost all the Elamite soldiers taking part in the invasion, the Elamites will have no force in reserve to deal with Sargon and the warriors.”
Everyone’s eyes went to Sargon, who nodded. “The warriors of the Ur Nammu and the Alur Meriki are eager for this fight. They will ravage everything they find.”
Eskkar went on. “With luck, Sargon and the warriors will only need to stop the flow of supplies for a few days. Without food and water, the Elamites will have to break our ranks, or fall back. And they are not going to break our soldiers. Bantor and Alexar have trained them into the finest fighting force in the land.”
“That we have,” Alexar said. “Our spearmen and archers are ready.”
Eskkar nodded. “Even so, we have considered every possible way to maximize the number of men we can put into the field. We will be greatly outnumbered on every front, and never have we put together such a difficult battle plan. Much depends on events that will unfold in the next two months. Fortunately, thanks to Annok-sur, King Shirudukh of the Elamites believes what we want him to believe, that we are unprepared and without allies. He expects an easy victory with his superior numbers. That is the weakness we will exploit. ”
He glanced around the table, and saw no signs of fear or doubt. “Remember, I’ve been fighting my enemies for nearly thirty years. One lesson I’ve learned very well is that even a small force, used ruthlessly and with all possible speed, can defeat a more numerous or stronger enemy. Especially if that enemy is not expecting the tactics and weapons we have prepared.”
“Some of our men will be worried about the enemy’s numbers,” Mitrac said, speaking for the first time.
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br /> Eskkar leaned forward, his hands resting on the Map Table. “Most of our soldiers are simple men, who place their trust in their leaders. They know that we will not throw away their lives, that we will not fight a senseless battle. As long as we show no signs of worry or apprehension, they will believe they can win. We must not display even the slightest sign of doubt of our victory. There must be no loose talk to give them pause.”
Everyone at the table understood that. If the men distrusted their commanders, morale would vanish. And once an army took a single step to the rear, they were as liable to turn and run as stand and fight.
“Will we be using the river to fight those attacking Sumer?” Daro had led the war boats that helped defeat the Sumerians.
“No, Daro,” Eskkar said. “This time we have a different surprise for those invading the south. You and Master Miner Orodes will be working together on that. Yavtar has given me an interesting suggestion, and you are the best man to carry it through.”
Drakis and a few of the others chuckled at Daro’s expression of surprise at the mention of Orodes’s name.
“What about the Elamites coming from the north, through the Jkarian Pass? How will we stop them?” Draelin raised the final question.
“That will be your assignment, Draelin.” Eskkar grinned at another surprised look, this time on Draelin’s face. Then Eskkar nodded to Trella.
“We have a bold plan to hold back the enemy coming through the Jkarian Pass,” Trella said. “But it would be best if we do not speak of that now, Draelin. You will learn all about it this afternoon. Now we will spend the rest of today and tomorrow, if need be, to discuss the rest of our plans, and the role each of you will play in the coming fight. All of you have plenty of experience in fighting, and we must all draw upon that knowledge.”
Eskkar straightened up and crossed his arms. “For almost three years, King Shirudukh of Elam has planned our downfall. He thinks we are weak, that we will tremble in fear at the size of his armies. But the surprise will be his, when he finds out we are united and ready for his invasion. And when Elam’s armies are driven back, I intend to lead an army of as many men as we can raise into Elam, and teach Shirudukh what fate awaits anyone who attacks Akkad.”