Dawn of Empire

9

Five days later, much had changed. Esk kar and Trella had moved into Drigo’s house. The lower story of the spacious home contained five good — sized chambers, in addition to a large central space that could be used for meeting or dining, and a separate area for cooking. The upper fl oor, which Esk kar took for himself and Trella, held only two large rooms, one for sleeping and one for working.

With all that extra space, Esk kar provided quarters for Bantor and Jalen. Bantor had a wife and a daughter of eight seasons. After meeting Bantor’s wife, Trella hired mother and daughter to help run the house.

Bantor’s family was more than grateful to get out of their wretched hut, all Bantor could afford.

A clerk, provided by the Noble Nestor and skilled in writing the symbols, arrived the morning after Esk kar and Trella moved in. The clerk kept track of expenses, but returned to Nestor’s house each night, where he no doubt reported everything of interest.

Gatus’s two boys and their friends began spending their days at the new headquarters and right away became runners, relaying messages at Esk kar’s or the subcommanders’ need. Nicar contributed an older woman slave as a cook. He’d planned to put her on the auction block, but she would have fetched little. Instead, he made her a gift to Esk kar. The grateful slave took over the cooking, and soon Esk kar and Trella began to enjoy bread and vegetables fresh from the market, to go with the occasional chicken.

To men used to communal living in the filthy and crowded barracks, the house seemed vast and luxurious, but Esk kar knew that soon more commanders would be eating and sleeping there. Meanwhile he ordered each commander to sleep three nights in a row in Ariamus’s quarters. This would keep them close to the men, not only to keep an eye on the soldiers but also to stay aware of what they thought and felt.

The main house had a smaller, single

— story building adjoining it, where Drigo housed his guards and slaves. It had five separate rooms, each large enough for four or five men. Esk kar decided to keep a force of ten soldiers near him at all times, should the villagers or even the Families grow troublesome. He had to put men there anyway, since the old barracks could at best provide beds for fifty men. Gatus helped pick the ten soldiers, making sure only the steadiest and most reliable men moved into Esk kar’s quarters.

Esk kar and Trella began to settle into a routine. Each day he trained until midmorning with his men. After a brief break to wash up, he met with his four subcommanders and Trella to plan the rest of the day. They gathered in what had been Drigo’s workroom, the large room outside Eskkar’s bedroom and sanctuary. While Nicar had stripped the house of most of its furnishings, no one had wanted the workroom’s two tables. Esk kar purchased them at a good price. He used the smaller one as his private work table, while the other easily accommodated Esk kar’s meetings with his four subcommanders.

At the initial session, Esk kar had spoken first, according to the custom.

Afterward, Trella suggested he allow the others to speak first. By doing so, he would not be contradicted by facts or new information he didn’t have when he spoke. She added he didn’t need to impress his men with his authority. Esk kar saw the wisdom in her suggestion so the next morning he let Gatus begin.

“The target range has been completed,” Gatus announced. “Since Sisuthros wanted some building materials and we needed the space, we tore down almost all the huts on the northeast side of the palisade. We set up a range of up to three hundred paces, right up to the river’s edge.”

“And the training?” Most of the soldiers could bend a decent bow, but these men needed to train others. That required better than average archery skills, plus the knowledge of how to teach others.

“They’re doing well, but slower than I’d like. I won’t trust the best of them on their own for another week at least.”

Gatus went on to the next topic. “In the last few days, we’ve taken in forty recruits. When I reached that number, I stopped accepting new men, at least until we’ve got these other men trained.”

“Gatus, we need men as soon as possible, so move them along as quickly as you can,” Esk kar said. “But I don’t want half — trained men strutting around Orak carrying weapons, or fools killing themselves or some villager. How long before you can take more men?”

“At least two weeks, maybe longer.” Gatus’s words brooked no argument. “After that, we’ll be able to take in another forty or fifty. Tevana already supplies us with target arrows, though he has requested four tons of bronze, plus a new forge and a dozen other wood and metal — working tools. I think Master Tevana wants to make sure he never has to buy anything again.”

Esk kar grimaced at that, but nothing could stop Tevana or other craftsmen from taking advantage of the situation. If Orak survived, many tradesmen would profit handsomely by their dealings with Esk kar and Nicar.

“And thanks to Trella,” Gatus continued with a smile, “we now have plenty of bows to work with, good ones, too. Tell them, Trella.”

All eyes turned to Trella. She sat to Esk kar’s left and always a little away from the table. “When I went to work with Rufus at his home, I said I was ignorant of the bowmaking process and asked him to show me everything. At first he resisted, but finally he took me to the room where the bows were shaped and assembled, and the glues were prepared. I saw the tubs where they soaked the wood and the presses where the wet shafts were bent. But I never saw any finished bows.

“After I finished, I went to Gatus. He brought some men, and we searched the house. In a tiny attic above the bowmaster’s sleeping chamber we found the drying and storage room. Inside were twenty — two finished bows, ready for use. I told Gatus to take them. Since Rufus had denied having any inventory, I told him there would be no payment. He wasn’t happy.”

Gatus laughed at that. “No, not a bit. He started to scream at Trella. His sons were quick to restrain him. Good thing, too, or I would’ve knocked the old fool down.”

“Make sure the tale is told throughout the village,” Esk kar said, laughing as well, though he’d already heard the story. “It may persuade others to be more honest. And keep training the men, Gatus. Archery first, then sword and spear. Practice everything from behind a wall if you can.

Sisuthros, how goes our wall?”

“Captain, I’m worried,” Sisuthros answered gloomily. “For the last five days, Corio and his helpers have been digging small holes in the ground, driving stakes here and there, and mixing batches of mud and straw. There are many meetings with his apprentices where they talk and talk. The masons are working from dawn to dusk making bricks, but Corio has yet to lay one brick on another, though he seems busy enough. I asked when he’d begin, but ‘soon’ was all he said.”

Esk kar frowned. “What have you done for him?”

“We’ve confiscated lumber and tools and set up three different work crews. I also cleared some land near where the new gate will be, but that’s all that has happened so far.”

“Master, do not be concerned yet,” Trella offered. “I’ve watched houses built, and there’s much talking and preparation before the actual construction begins. It’s always this way at the beginning, much confusion and seemingly little progress. Better to have them certain of what they must do, than to begin wrong and have to start over.”

“Well, let’s hope so, for our sakes.” Esk kar shook his head. “Though I’d like the wall finished at least a day or two before the barbarians arrive.” He turned to Bantor. “And the guards at the gates?”

Bantor’s duty had turned into the busiest of all. Larger numbers of people came into and out of the village, and traffic on the road had increased to match. Already he’d stopped two fights at the gate involving people trying to leave. The second struggle had nearly overwhelmed the gatekeepers. Esk kar had to assign additional men, and now four men guarded both gates at all times.

“We search every cart and wagon that leaves Orak,” Bantor answered.

“No slaves or tools of value have left, and we make sure that no villager on Nicar’s list leaves without his approval.” He looked around the table.

“Captain, the men are growing tired of guarding the gate. They complain they train for ten or twelve hours a day, then stand a four — hour watch at the gate or patrolling the streets.”

“Bantor, I know the duty is hard right now. Tell the men it’s only for a few more weeks until the recruits are trained.” Not that Esk kar believed it.

Any slack time created by the new recruits would likely be used up somewhere else. “You can lead them in this, Bantor. Treat yourself no better than they, and your men will endure it because you do.”

Bantor nodded, then sat back, relieved to know his commander understood his problems.

Trella leaned forward again. “Bantor, has anyone tried to bribe your men to get out of Orak? If not, they will soon. Some rich tradesman or merchant will offer your men gold, and the temptation will be great.”

“Like Rufus, you mean,” Gatus said with a laugh. “I’m sure he’s planning it as we speak.”

Esk kar hadn’t considered that possibility, though, of course, he should have thought of something so obvious. He sat thinking about what he would do if he were a rich merchant who wanted a few underpaid guards-men to look the other way.

“Bantor, tell your men that anyone offered a bribe is to accept it. Once he has it in his hand then he’s to report it, and you will double it. No matter how much the bribe, we’ll double it.”

“Where will this additional gold come from?” Sisuthros asked.

“Why, from the person who offered the bribe,” Esk kar answered. “If a man can offer five silver coins, then he must have at least another five somewhere. This way, any man offering a bribe will pay twice and still be kept in Orak. Bantor, tell your men. If they can keep it to themselves, it may give them some incentive for their labors. A few may get some extra pay before the word gets out.”

They all smiled at that. Everyone could picture the look of conster-nation on some merchant’s face when he found out he’d been swindled.

Esk kar turned to Jalen and listened to him report about the condition of the docks for a few moments, then held up his hand to interrupt. “Jalen, you haven’t been given any tasks of importance this week because I’ve got something special for you. I want you to take four men, good riders, and the five best horses in the village. Then I want you to ride north and find the barbarians. I want to know where they are and when we can expect them to reach Orak.”

“You’re the best horseman in Orak,” Esk kar went on, “and you’ve seen the barbarians in action. We need to know as much as we can about their movements, how many Alur Meriki there are. Anything you learn would be useful, but most of all, we need to know how much time we have.”

All eyes turned to Jalen. The young man looked calm.

“I know this is risky. This will be dangerous, because if you get too close, you’ll likely end up dead or captured.”

“I’ll do it, Captain,” Jalen answered, “though it might be better if I took more men.”

“No more men. I don’t want you fighting. I want you scouting and reporting.”

Jalen exhaled a long breath, but didn’t argue. “How soon do you want me to go?”

“Leave in the morning,” Esk kar replied. “Spend today picking your men and getting ready. Each of them will receive ten gold coins when they return, in addition to their regular pay. And double that for yourself, Jalen.” For that much gold, most men would risk their lives gladly.

“You’ll travel light and travel fast. And you can only take two experienced soldiers. Choose the others from the new recruits. Pick only good horsemen who are steady and will do as you tell them and not get their blood rushing if they see the barbarians.” Esk kar intended that advice as much for Jalen as for any men he might pick.

“And the horses, take any in the village, even from the Families. Didn’t Drigo have some good horseflesh?” Esk kar slapped the table in irritation for forgetting Drigo’s horses, no doubt already appropriated by the Families. Breeding and maintaining a riding horse took plenty of silver coins, and only the richest could afford the luxury. The soldiers’ mounts, provided grudgingly by the nobles, were mostly inferior animals, used for local patrols or as pack animals.

“Those horses must be around somewhere. We’ll find them. But remember, Jalen, your task is to get information, not fight. I want you back here alive, not with your head on some warrior’s lance. If you think fit, send two men back early to report. Take a boy as a servant and to ride an extra horse.” A boy could always be abandoned, should the horse be needed.

Trella stood and went to the other table, returning with a small leather pouch. She removed a light brown cloth and spread it out on the table.

Everyone leaned forward to look, then gasped. The cloth was a map with details sewn into the material using green, blue, and red threads. The river and Orak were clearly marked, as were most of the villages in the northern countryside.

She set a slim wooden needle and two small spools of thread, one red and one white, on the table. “You can sew these threads on to indicate what you find and where you find it. My master obtained this for you yesterday.”

Esk kar didn’t mind explaining. “When I saw Corio’s map, it stayed in my thoughts, so I went to him and asked if he could make one for me. Corio told me he got his from Noble Rebba who had a slave skilled in making such things. So I went to Rebba’s house and convinced him that I needed the slave to work on this.”

It had taken more than polite conversation. Esk kar had threatened to take the slave by force if the map wasn’t completed by this morning. “I spent an hour with the slave. He said a cloth map is easier to carry and use than a papyrus one. He’ll explain certain things to you about the map, and show you how to judge the distance between landmarks. Stay with him, Jalen, until everything is clear in your head.

“Now, men, let’s get back to work,” Esk kar said. “Jalen, join us for dinner at sunset, and we can discuss things. I’m going to visit Corio and see how things are progressing.” He stood up to indicate that the meeting had ended, and that another day in the transformation of Orak had begun.

Esk kar’s following was already so routine as to be scarcely noticed by the villagers. He traveled with Trella and two guards, one a seasoned veteran and the other a recruit, expected to watch his elder and follow his example. With Sisuthros leading the way, they found Corio working outside the main gate, leaning over a small table and talking with one of his sons. A half — dozen slaves and craftsmen surrounded them.

No one seemed to be doing any building. Most of the men just stood around. Tools lay on the ground. A few shallow holes had been dug and piles of wood were scattered about. Not one brick sat atop another.

“Good morning,” Corio greeted each of them by name, an expansive smile on his face. “I expected a visit from you, Captain. I fear Sisuthros is dissatisfied with our progress.”

“We know work such as this takes time, Corio,” Esk kar replied, determined to show the master artisan he understood something about the nature of his craft. “But I wanted to see what’s been done and get some idea of when the wall is likely to be finished.”

“Actually, Esk kar, we are almost ready to begin. Come, I’ll show you.”

He walked toward the north, stopping in front of a shallow trench.

Esk kar estimated the hole to be four feet wide, six feet long, and three feet deep.

“This is the start of the wall. We’ll dig it down a little deeper to make sure the base is solid, and we will layer the base with stones. Then sun — dried bricks of mud and straw will form two walls, and we’ll fill in the center with dirt, stones, and upright bricks to add strength. We’ll add the dirt slowly and tamp it down tightly as we go. Some bricks will be placed inside at angles to the face of the wall to give it additional strength. That way, the wall will be solid enough even though it will only have bricks on the front and back. Naturally, if we had more time, we would make the wall deeper, taller, and thicker.”

Corio spoke to his son, who ran off and returned in a moment carrying a heavy mud brick with a few strands of straw sticking out of it. “This is the brick we will use.”

About eighteen inches long, six inches wide, and four inches deep, it looked quite heavy. Esk kar started to take it from the boy, but Corio spoke first. “Captain, if you hold the brick, do not grasp it by the ends. It might break in half. Hold it from underneath and support its weight.”

Esk kar took the brick as instructed, surprised at its weight. He handed it to Sisuthros, who hefted the brick before giving it back to the boy, who took it and carefully laid it flat in the bottom of the hole, then ran off to fetch a second brick. When he returned, he placed the second brick in a straight line with the first one, leaving a finger — sized gap between the two.

He raced off to fetch another while Corio explained further.

“The bricks are placed thus in the hole, then covered with a thin layer of wet mud and sand, then a third brick is placed atop the middle of the first two. Then we add more mud and repeat the process. The wall grows out of the earth and becomes stronger as the mud and sand dry around the bricks. Then we smooth the outer face of the wall with a different mixture of sand and mud, which will also harden quite well.”

“Master Corio,” began Sisuthros, poking at the bricks with his foot, “it doesn’t seem very strong. Isn’t it just mud? I mean, won’t the barbarians just be able to push it down?”

Esk kar thought much the same thing, but he’d learned not to ask the obvious questions. Nevertheless, he felt relieved Sisuthros had voiced his doubts.

“Sisuthros, the wall will be strong enough to protect your men and give them a fighting platform. It won’t be easily climbed or torn down. But if they bring tools to dig at the wall, or a ram, to try and punch through it, then the wall won’t stand for very long. To make the wall strong enough to resist tools or a determined assault of that kind would take more time than we have.”

“Master Builder,” Esk kar said, “your task is to build the wall; ours, to defend it.” He turned to Sisuthros. “If we allow the barbarians time to stand before the wall and dig at it with shovels and axes, then we’ll be lost.

If we give them that much time… no, we must kill any of them that make it to the ditch or to the base of the wall.”

Corio thought about Esk kar’s words for a moment. “The wall will not yield easily, and the packed dirt will be difficult to dislodge. But if enough men with the right tools attack the base of the wall, then in twenty or thirty minutes’ hard work, they could make a small breach.”

Less time than that, Esk kar thought, knowing Corio had never witnessed the ferocious energy of the steppes people at war. “We’ll not give them even ten minutes, Corio. Just make sure the wall doesn’t fall down.”

He looked at Trella to see if she had anything to add.

“Master Builder,” she began, “if you think it a good idea, perhaps you could build a small section, one that Esk kar and his men could pretend to attack to see how long it would take them to break it apart. What they learn might help you in your designs.”

Corio rubbed his chin as he considered her words. “An excellent suggestion, Trella. I’ve never tried to tear down anything I’ve built. We’re almost ready to begin anyway, so we will construct for you a ten or twenty — foot section of wall wherever you desire.”

“And how long before we see an actual wall standing before us?” Eskkar asked. They still needed to know if it could be done in time. But that question didn’t seem to worry Corio very much.

“Return in ten days, and you’ll see the first section of the wall completed,” he answered. “Right now, it’s more important for you to make sure that all the supplies and men that I require are delivered.”

“Then I go to attend to my task.” Esk kar gave a formal bow to Corio.

“And I leave you and Sisuthros to yours.”

Esk kar walked away with Trella at his side, ignoring the custom of having the slave walk behind the master. “Well, what did you think?”

“Corio is sure he can complete the wall in time unless something unexpected occurs. But I don’t think he gave much thought to how strong the wall would actually be. He’ll think about it now, and I’m sure he will make the base of the wall stronger than he’d planned, at least at the places you say the barbarians will attack.” She gave him a smile. “So, master, you have done well this day. Corio will build you a fighting wall, not a house wall.”

Esk kar laughed, then put his arm around her, giving her a hearty squeeze and a slap on her backside, ignoring the looks and smiles from the people in the lane. “Well, then, tonight you will have to work extra hard to make sure your master is rewarded for his quick thinking.”

When their lovemaking ended and Esk kar slept, Trella lay in the crook of his arm. She had to force her thoughts away from the warm glow of their passion, but she finally cleared her mind and thought about her future. The coming months would require long hours of hard work. She knew she’d be busy enough helping Esk kar manage the details of the defense, to make sure no key item was forgotten.

But all the coordination and planning for the attack would be only background to the real struggle that lay ahead. Her few days with Esk kar had convinced her, somewhat to her surprise, that her master possessed many good qualities and more wits than many gave him credit. He had proven capable and resourceful. Uneducated and rough he might be, but he had a personal code of honor that had won her respect and then her heart.

Esk kar had convinced Nicar, then the soldiers, and finally the rest of the villagers he could defend Orak, and now even she believed in him.

Give him the men and supplies, make sure that nothing is overlooked and every detail well planned, and he would have an even chance against the barbarians. And so she promised herself that she would do everything she could to give him that chance.

Nevertheless, Trella knew that even a successful defense of Orak would not guarantee Esk kar would survive. The moment the threat disappeared, the nobles and the leading merchants would remember Drigo’s destruction and how much gold Esk kar had cost them. They’d want to eliminate or remove the upstart captain of the guard. The nobles considered themselves too clever, too wealthy, and too powerful to submit to the rule of an outsider like Esk kar. Even less would they want someone like him to share in their rule, a constant reminder of what they owed to him. So while his dream of joining the nobles might be possible, it seemed doubtful that he, a barbarian himself, could long survive in that group.

No, they’d find a way to get rid of him, and that now included her as well. They’d remember she had provoked Drigo, that she had given Esk kar the help he needed to win over the merchants, and most of all that she’d been a slave. Her fate was bound up with her master’s and just as sealed.

Even if she survived, even if she were not kept as a slave, she’d be given in marriage to some minor son who would keep her in his household, a mere plaything or a source of children, locked away from everything and everyone, and soon forgotten.

Thus Esk kar might win the battle but lose the victory. So that must be where her true efforts should go, all her wits and resources committed to making sure that Esk kar and she retained the fruits of their victory. Not only would it prove difficult, she must do it quietly, so quietly that nobody knew what she was about. Even Esk kar, for now, was better off knowing nothing of her activities.

Knowledge would be the key. To know everything that went on in Orak would be her goal, and already she had several ideas about how to begin that task. Today, as they walked hand — in — hand through the village streets, she’d seen how the people looked at her, the slave girl who walked side — by- side with her master, the slave who’d surely cast a spell on the tall soldier, the slave who had brought down the House of Drigo, the slave who attended the councils of the Nobles. Those looks had reinforced her own assessment.

Tomorrow she’d begin winning over the common people, starting with the women. Once she’d swayed them to her side, she would use them to gather information. She would win allies and friends from among the villagers, especially the new ones that would flock to Orak in the next few months, the landless and friendless ones who would have little loyalty to the nobles or the wealthy merchants.

That started a new train of thought, and she shifted her body slightly, the small movement causing Esk kar to turn on his side but not to wake from his slumber. She smiled as she thought about herself and Esk kar-the barbarian soldier and the educated slave. Everyone in the village thought she’d bewitched him, used magic or potions to turn him into a leader of men. Even Nicar half — believed it. Perhaps that could be another ally. Let all of them think she had the gift of power over men.

Her wits were sharp, she knew, sharp enough to see quickly and easily many things that others saw only slowly or not at all. The common people would be one of the keys to power in the new Orak, she decided, a strong balance against the might and money of the nobles. Well, she would find a way to win the hearts of the crowd. She already had piqued their interest, a good first step. Yes, that was the way to power and security for herself and her lover. She smiled in the darkness and turned on her side, her arm crossing his body as she pulled herself close to him and fell asleep almost at once, feeling safe in his arms.