Eskkar woke in darkness. Like most people, he tended to rise with the dawn, but this morning something had awakened him, though he heard no one moving about the house. He wondered if the strangeness of his surroundings or the unfamiliar woman beside him had cut short his sleep. Lani stirred, murmuring something into the blanket that he couldn’t make out.
She lay on her side, her back toward him. He slid his arm free from under her neck. His arm felt numb, and he worked his fingers until the tingling disappeared. Lani didn’t wake, just kept whispering unintelligible words in some strange language.
Eskkar glanced up at the dark outline of the tiny window. The blackness it framed seemed a shade lighter, and he knew the sun would soon be up, the household rising with it. He turned onto his side, so that his face rested against Lani’s hair, and caught the last trace of her perfume, or perhaps just her scent. Her closeness soothed him, and he had no desire to arise.
Wide awake now, and refreshed by a long night of sleep, he knew he should be thinking about the coming day, the dozens of tasks that needed his supervision. Instead he found himself worrying about Trella-what she would say about this woman, what he would tell her, how she would look at him. He knew she would not be pleased, not so much because he took a woman while away from her. That would be expected from a soldier on campaign.
No, Trella would be concerned because she would see in Lani more than a mere bed companion. In fact, Lani seemed in many ways like Trella.
The similarities between the two made him uncomfortable. Perhaps he should have taken Tippu to his bed, merely to quench his lust. Tippu, who could be forgotten in the morning, a pretty face frightened for her life and eager to please. Trella would not be concerned with a woman like Tippu, any more than she worried about the other women in Akkad who offered themselves at every opportunity to her husband.
Since that first night when he’d bedded Trella, he had ignored those offers, no matter how beautiful or willing the woman. Trella had made him aware of how satisfying a strong-minded woman could be, someone who could share and understand his feelings. Lani possessed much of that awareness, yet was somehow different. Eskkar should have sent her away last night, even packed her off to Akkad, or simply given her to one of his men. But he’d sensed a quality in her, something that quickened both his desire and curiosity. He’d wanted her, wanted to keep her close to him. Now he couldn’t send her away, not after she had pleasured him so completely.
Even this morning his desire remained strong. Maybe the need would lessen in a few days, when the excitement of a new woman had worn off.
Eskkar hadn’t slept with anyone except Trella for many months, and even longer since he’d lusted after another woman. Trella always equaled his passion as she loved him, and he had not wanted any other woman, not even for an afternoon’s dallying.
Until last night. Now another woman troubled his thoughts, and what should have been a simple pleasure had turned into a problem. He looked toward the window, as the first gray light of dawn arrived, providing enough illumination to see inside the bedroom.
Lani twitched in the bed, and he knew her dreams troubled her. She spoke again, but he still couldn’t comprehend the words, soft and indistinct, like a sleepy child in its mother’s arms. Her head tossed about, then her arm, and she called out a word… a name, he realized.
“Namtar… Namtar.” She gave a small cry and sat up, her eyes wide but empty. Her hand covered her mouth, as if to prevent herself from speaking further. Lani remained motionless, until he reached out and touched her arm.
“Oh!” She whirled in the bed, pushing herself away from him. She seemed confused to find him beside her. “Please don’t hurt me! Please!”
“Why would I hurt you, Lani?” She still wasn’t fully awake. “You’re safe here. Nothing can harm you now.”
She took a deep breath and tried to speak, but all he heard was a chok-ing sound. “You’re safe, Lani,” he repeated, and this time his words seemed to calm her. “Who is Namtar?”
She jumped, as if he’d summoned a demon by speaking its name. Lani’s body shook, and she started sobbing. Eskkar had seen enough women cry before, but nothing to equal what he now heard and felt. Lani fell back on the bed, hugging her knees to her chest, her whole body trembling.
Until last year he’d never wasted a moment over a crying woman, walking away from whatever sorrows plagued them. He considered leaving Lani to her misery. Instead he remembered the times Trella had cried into his chest, those nights she’d felt helpless before the barbarians. Eskkar had sworn an oath that Trella would cry no more if he could help it.
So he stroked Lani’s head and held her lightly. Dawn had risen, and he heard people moving about the house. No one would disturb him, he knew, but they would hear Lani crying and wonder.
Her tears subsided, and her body sagged against him as whatever demons tortured her spirit faded with the morning’s light. She attempted to sit up, but he held her close, trying to give comfort.
“I’m sorry, lord,” she began, her voice so hoarse that at first he didn’t understand her. “Please forgive me, lord. I did not mean to ruin your night’s sleep.” Again she tried to sit up, and this time he let go, but kept hold of her hands. In the growing light, he saw her face red with tears, her eyes swollen and filled with blood.
“Who is Namtar?” he repeated. She shuddered, and he thought the tears would start again.
“Namtar was my husband, lord. Ninazu killed him in front of me.”
Her eyes closed, as she no doubt relived the moment. “After Ninazu captured us, he said he would put Namtar to the torture, if I did not pleasure him willingly… give him much pleasure.”
She turned her face away from Eskkar, her eyes staring at the wall.
“So I pleasured Ninazu, while his men laughed, and my husband watched, bound hand and foot to a cart.” Her lips trembled as she fought back the tears. “I had to please him… had to… do many things. We had already seen men and women put to the torture. Namtar never said a word. He just closed his eyes. After Ninazu finished with me, he stood naked over my husband, letting him smell my scent on his body, then Ninazu laughed and stabbed him in the heart with his sword.”
Eskkar let his hands drop from her arms. “There was nothing you could do, Lani. We’ve all seen men put to the torture. You saved your husband from that.”
She shook her head, letting her hair fall in front of her face, as if to hide her shame. “I did not kill myself, lord. I should have killed myself, thrown myself on the same sword that took Namtar.” Her voice hardened.
“Or I should have killed Ninazu in his sleep. But he told me he wanted Tippu to be as willing. Ninazu said he would put us both to the torture, if we did not please him. I did not want my sister to die. Though she has not been the same in her head since that day. But she obeyed my wishes, and we lived. We stayed alive and hoped to escape someday, or for someone to kill Ninazu. The goddess Ishtar answered my prayers. She sent you and your soldiers to free us from him.”
Her voice cracked with her words, and Eskkar heard the dryness in her throat. He got out of bed and looked down at the table, at the empty water cup. Lani followed his gaze.
“I’ll fetch water, lord,” she said, swinging her feet off the bed.
“Stay where you are,” he ordered, then strode to the door, unbarred it, and stepped out into the great room.
Most of the men had risen earlier, and Sisuthros already sat at the table with Hamati, no doubt talking about the coming day’s events. No one seemed surprised at the sudden appearance of their captain, naked.
“Have someone bring water to my room,” Eskkar said, then turned back into the bedroom. He stood by the door, waiting, and in moments Tippu stood there, a large goblet of water in her hands.
“Bring it in, Tippu. Give it to your sister.” He watched the younger girl, to see if he could detect any signs of her madness. She seemed calm, even more so than last night.
Lani took the cup and drank. He watched as she half-emptied the cup, gazing at her naked body, and he felt another stir of passion.
When Lani lowered the cup, she looked at him guiltily. “My pardon, lord. I should not drink your water.”
He returned to the bed and sat down, pulling the blanket over his lap, then accepted the cup from her hands and took a few sips. A mouthful remained, so he gave it back to her. “Finish it, Lani.”
She drained it and handed the empty cup back to her sister. Tippu started for the door.
“Tippu, stay a moment,” Eskkar said, studying her with care for the first time. Shorter than her sister, Tippu possessed swirling reddish-brown hair that floated around her tiny face, with features as delicate as a child’s. Her dress, the same one she’d worn yesterday, showed the full body of a woman.
A beautiful woman, he decided, but one without her sister’s sharp wits.
He knew that, given a choice, every one of his soldiers would have chosen Tippu over Lani, just as he knew that Lani’s strength of will made her more desirable, at least for him. Days and nights with Trella had spoiled him. Weak, empty-headed women, painted and perfumed, or trained only to keep house and hearth, no longer interested him. Eskkar put the annoying thought aside.
“Last night, Tippu, I sent you to Grond’s bed. I did not realize what you and your sister had been through, though I should have guessed. You need not return to him tonight. I’ll speak to him.”
For the first time Tippu lifted her eyes to his. “Lord, there is no need to say anything. Grond did no more than hold me through the night. I am no longer afraid of being with him. He’s offered me his protection.”
Eskkar turned to Lani, who appeared just as surprised as her sister.
That didn’t sound like Grond at all, a simple soldier who enjoyed taking a woman as much as any man. Someone as beautiful as Tippu… maybe the girl had bewitched him.
“Tippu, bring food for us both. We’ll eat in here.” He touched Lani’s hand. “We have much to talk about, Lani. I want to hear more about Ninazu, and about you and your sister.”
Eskkar sat on the bed and ate, while Lani told him everything about Ninazu. In managing Ninazu’s household, she directed his servants and concubines, and served at his table. Lani knew everything. She had overheard or been present during most of Ninazu’s meetings with his men.
She even knew the secret place where Ninazu had buried his personal store of gold. Ninazu, like most men, had spoken too freely in his conversations around his women, a bad trait Eskkar had once possessed, until Trella showed him just how dangerous such a habit could be.
After the meal he took Hamati and a few men to retrieve the buried gold. They crossed the square and entered a well-constructed house with two rooms, big enough for a good-sized family. No doubt one of Ninazu’s trusted subcommanders, or perhaps even his brother Shulat, had occupied it. It took only moments to find the hiding place, still untouched, and exactly where Lani had said it would be. A few moments of digging uncovered a good-sized sack containing gold, silver, and gemstones buried in the floor.
Eskkar hadn’t expected to find such a large cache. Apparently Ninazu had been very successful in his raids even before he came to Bisitun.
Added to what they had found in Ninazu’s main house, there would be more than enough coins to keep Trella’s wall-building going for several months, even after allocating a good portion to Sisuthros and Bisitun’s elders for use in the village.
Even under torture, Ninazu might not have revealed this hiding place.
So Eskkar decided he owed another debt to Lani.
Most of the morning had passed before Eskkar and Grond left the house for the second time. They took a slow tour of the village, checking on the soldiers, prisoners, and inhabitants. Reassured that his men had Bisitun under control, he decided to return to the house and visit the prisoner.
Ninazu had scarcely moved, except to soil himself. He looked weaker, and fever burned on his face. Infection had started in the broken leg. Eskkar ignored the hatred in the man’s eyes.
“Are you ready to talk, Ninazu?” Eskkar began without preamble. “I’ll not ask you again, and I warn you that I already know much of what I want to know. So don’t try to lie to me.”
“I’ll tell you nothing, barbarian.” Ninazu tried to spit at Eskkar, but his parched lips produced only air. He turned his face away.
The man’s words satisfied Eskkar. He’d made the offer yesterday and still felt bound by it. But the situation had changed. With the bandit’s gold in hand, Ninazu now meant little to Eskkar.
“Then you’ll suffer for nothing, Ninazu. Lani told us everything,” Eskkar said. “We’ve already found the rest of your loot buried across the square.”
Ignoring the man’s curses, Eskkar turned to the guard. “Only water, as much as he wants.”
There would be no wine to ease Ninazu’s pain. With him dead and his marauders broken or enslaved, any freebooters still in the countryside would soon take heed and leave the area. If not, Eskkar would drive them away in the next few weeks, as his patrols began combing the countryside.
“When he’s finished drinking,” Eskkar said to the Hawk Clan soldier guarding the prisoner, “take him outside. Have the men keep a close watch on him. I don’t want him killing himself to avoid the villagers’ revenge.
And don’t let any villager, man or woman, near him. Remember what happened in Dilgarth.”
Eskkar turned away and moved to the next bedroom, the chamber used by Lani and Tippu as their sleeping quarters. He found Tippu curled up on the bed and Lani sitting on a stool, waiting. She had changed back into the simple dress she’d worn yesterday. Her eyes still looked red and puffy.
“It’s time for Ninazu to face the village, Lani. They’ll list their charges against him.”
“I will stay in my room, lord. I do not want to see his face again.”
Eskkar thought about that, then shook his head. “Lani, I want you to accuse Ninazu for the deeds he committed against you, your husband, and Tippu’s family. I have given you my protection, but everyone in the village and all my soldiers must know what Ninazu did to you and your kin.
Otherwise some might think that you came with Ninazu willingly. Even my men might not understand.”
She cast her eyes downward, and said nothing.
“It will be hard, Lani, but you need to do it. Both of you. Otherwise the spirits of your family will not rest in peace. It may even help Tippu with her memories.”
“I… we will do it, lord,” Lani said, still looking down. “When will we be needed?”
“Not for some time. Farmers are still arriving from the countryside, and there is much to discuss. Tell your sister what to say. I’ll fetch you when you are needed.” He started to go, then turned back. “After Ninazu is dead, the healing can start. Once you’ve reached Akkad, you’ll both be safe.”
She didn’t answer. Eskkar left the bedroom, straightened his sword, and brushed the hair back from his eyes. When he stepped outside into the bright sunlight, a shout arose from his men, and the villagers echoed the cheer. “Deliverer… deliverer… deliverer.”
Sisuthros had prepared well for his meeting with the village council. He’d joined four tables end-to-end, and sat in the center of the just-formed council of elders, who faced outward toward the square and the rest of the villagers. At last all of the important farmers arrived. Sisuthros called the council of five to order, and, with a loud voice, began listing the charges against Ninazu and his men.
Every soldier not on watch at the gates or corral gathered as well, and Sisuthros used them to guard the prisoners or keep the villagers back, away from the tables. Grond, carrying the last stool from the house, followed his captain outside. Eskkar took a seat behind and a few paces from the table, his back to the side of the house, determined to take as little part in the proceedings as possible.
The crowd interrupted Sisuthros after every charge, shouting approval, or calling down curses on Ninazu. At the end of the indictment, Sisuthros called for silence, then announced that the rest of Bisitun could add their own complaints to the grievances. After everyone had voiced their accusations, Sisuthros and the council would apportion justice to Ninazu and his men. After dealing with the bandits, the council would supervise the return of the stolen property to the villagers.
Sisuthros gave the order, and two guards dragged Ninazu out into the sunlight. A furious shout arose from the crowd and echoed around the square. They shouted curses at Ninazu, and it took four soldiers with drawn swords to keep the villagers back as two men half-carried the prisoner into the open space before the tables.
Another soldier pushed a low cart into the center of the square. They bound Ninazu to the side of the wagon, finishing up with a gag over his mouth, to make sure he couldn’t call down curses against his accusers during the proceedings. Other guards took positions in front of him, facing the crowd, alert and determined to make sure no one seeking private vengeance attacked the helpless Ninazu with a knife or sword.
The process began, though it moved too slowly for Eskkar’s liking.
Each of the elders wanted to speak, and Sisuthros had to cut two of them short when they rambled on, venting their hatred. When the elders finished, the villagers came forward, pushing and shoving, one by one, to list their charges against Ninazu.
Every man and woman in the square seemed to have a personal grievance against the bandit. The sun had marched nearly to the top of the sky before Sisuthros rose and announced that the council had heard enough, and that Lord Eskkar wished to speak. For the fi rst time the villagers quieted down, not knowing what would come next.
Eskkar stood and walked toward the elders. When he reached the tables, he climbed smoothly atop one and turned to face the people. He hated talking to crowds, but he had prepared his words while the villagers spoke. A breeze pushed his hair against his cheek, and he brushed it back, waiting until everyone stopped talking.
For the first time, the inhabitants of Bisitun got a good look at their new lord. They stared open-mouthed at the tall warrior, one hand resting on the hilt of the great sword, a man clearly born in the northern steppes, and who now ruled their lives. Eskkar’s eyes slowly scanned the square, gazing, it seemed, at every single person who faced him. When he spoke, his deep voice carried even to those farthest away.
“People of Bisitun, I, too, have grievances against Ninazu. I will speak for the people of Dilgarth, who have none here to represent their wishes.
At Ninazu’s order, his brother raided and killed many in Dilgarth, and their spirits cry out for vengeance as much as any here. A peaceful village, they had no fighting men to guard them. Today Dilgarth is under the protection of Akkad, as all here are now under the protection of Akkad. I tell you what I told the people of Dilgarth. The days of bandits raiding this countryside are over. From today on, they will be hunted down and killed.
The few still left will soon learn to leave alone any who live under Akkad’s safekeeping. You will be safe in your homes and on your farms. The prosperity that you enjoyed before the coming of the Alur Meriki will return, and this time it will be even greater because of Akkad’s protection.”
He paused to take a breath. Clearly in awe of him, the crowd remained silent, and he felt glad that he had left all the petty details to Sisuthros. It made it easier to play the role of a distant guardian, handing out decisions from above. “Akkad, Dilgarth, and Bisitun, as well as the other small villages, will all work together, trade together, and defend themselves together.”
Eskkar turned to Grond. “Bring Lani and Tippu out.” He raised his voice again. “There are two more to accuse Ninazu. I want all to hear what he has done.” Lifting his arm, he pointed at Lani and Tippu as they walked into the center of the square. Grond supported Tippu, his arm around her waist, but Lani stood alone, her head high, holding Tippu by the hand.
Some in the square called out their displeasure at the sight of the women, a few shouting that they, too, deserved punishment.
“Silence!” Eskkar bellowed the single word, the force of his voice shocking the crowd into stunned silence. He glanced about the square, but none of the villagers dared to meet his eyes, all of them suddenly fearful of his wrath. “Come forward, Lani.”
Ignoring the crowd, she kept her eyes on Eskkar until she reached the tables. Finally the two sisters stood directly in front of Ninazu.
In a clear voice, Lani listed the crimes the bandit leader had done to her and her family. She told the whole story, what had been done to her, giving the names of those murdered and tortured. When she finished, Lani took her sister’s arm, and held her while Tippu added her own grievances, the murder of her betrothed, her rape, and enslavement. Tippu’s tears flowed as she spoke, and only those close by could make out her halting words, spoken in a barely audible voice.
After Tippu finished, Eskkar spoke, raising his voice to make sure everyone heard. “Lani and Tippu are under my protection. Because of them, much of the gold stolen from you was recovered, so all of you should give them thanks. And although they are not from this village, they are to be treated as honorably as anyone here.”
Eskkar jumped down from the table, and this time the crowd shouted approval. He returned to his spot near the wall, while Grond escorted the two sisters back into the house. Meanwhile, Sisuthros queried each council member and asked for his decision.
“Death!” Each in turn called for Ninazu to be put to the torture until he died.
Sisuthros nodded his assent. “Death, at the hands of those whose kin he murdered,” he pronounced in a loud voice, so that everyone present could hear the council’s just decision, one clearly approved by the gods.
“Let the torture begin.” The crowd’s roar of approval filled the square.
The three villagers selected by the elders to administer the torture came forward, eager to get to their task, and wielding small knives such as used for carving, and the mallets and bronze-tipped chisels used by the tanners to decorate their leather goods; the implements would work equally as well for inflicting pain. The guards moved farther apart as the torturers began their work, so that all could see. The crowd called out their curses on Ninazu, and shouted for the pain-givers to hurry their work.
They removed Ninazu’s gag and the torment began. Soon his screams echoed throughout the square. The broken leg made things easier. The slightest touch there instantly overcame any of Ninazu’s efforts to hold in his pain. He passed out several times, but they always revived him by fling-ing a bucket of water in his face. They forced more water down his throat to refresh him, before they started in again, urged on by the crowd.
By then, Eskkar had had enough. Unnoticed, he returned into the house, followed by his bodyguard. He and Grond sat down at the big table.
“You don’t feel like watching, Captain?” Grond filled two cups with water.
“I’ve seen enough of death and torture in the last few months.” Eskkar felt glad to be away from Ninazu’s ordeal. “Besides, it always makes me wonder how long I’d last under the knife.”
“I was put to the torture once,” Grond said. “Just because my master caught me looking at him. Said I wasn’t respectful.”
Eskkar didn’t bother to ask if Grond had screamed. Everyone did.
Again Eskkar wondered what he would do if he were the one being tortured, how well he would stand the pain, or how long it would take before he began to plead for mercy or death. Some men resisted to the last, but most begged for the pain to stop long before the end.
The thought sent a shiver through his frame. In all his days of fighting, he’d only been captured once, and that day death had come close. The memory of being helpless before his enemies still troubled him. Eskkar swore to himself that he would never be taken alive. Better to fall on your own sword than go through that horror.
“If the assault on Bisitun had gone badly, Grond, I might have ended up dead on the cart, and Ninazu might be standing over me.”
“Well, Captain, I would’ve avenged your death. Or at least buried your remains.”
He looked at Grond and had to smile.
They were alone in the house, except for the two sisters huddled in their room, trying to block out the noise from the crowd. Everyone else was outside enjoying the spectacle. The screams from the square seemed almost as loud inside.
Eskkar finished a handful of grapes from the platter.
“Would you like some wine, lord, or something to eat?” Lani had come out of the bedroom.
“You don’t care to watch Ninazu take the torture, Lani?”
“No, lord. I have seen enough of people being tortured. Now that it’s his turn on the wheel, I know what will happen.”
Eskkar looked around the room. “Where is your sister?”
“In our room, her head under the blanket. Tippu cannot watch such things. It sickens her even to hear it.”
Grond stood up. “Perhaps I should go to her, Lani. Do you think it would help?”
Eskkar wondered about Grond and Tippu, and what had happened last night, or not happened, as it seemed. He would ask his bodyguard about it later, when they were alone.
But Lani mentioned it herself. “I think it would be good for her to be with someone besides myself for a little while, at least until this horrible day is over.” She looked at Grond. “Can you restrain yourself as you did last night, for a while longer?”
“When you’ve been a slave, Lani,” Grond answered, “you know what is needed. I’ll just hold her for a while.” He looked at Eskkar. “If I may, Captain?”
Eskkar nodded, surprised at the serious tone of Grond’s voice. The bodyguard left the table and went to the woman’s room. Eskkar looked at Lani for an explanation.
“That’s what he did last night, lord. He held her, and told her she was safe. She cried in his arms for a long time, until she fell asleep. Your bodyguard didn’t take her. Was he a slave in Akkad?”
“No, not in Akkad. He told me that he’d been a slave in the lands to the west, but he never said much about it, only that he escaped. He has the marks of the lash on his back, and even in Akkad, he might have been put back into slavery, except that we needed soldiers to fight the Alur Meriki.”
“But you did not put him back into bondage when the danger passed?
Did not those in the village declare him a runaway slave?”
“I was born a barbarian, Lani. The ways of the village are not always my ways. Besides, he saved my life, more than once. Do you think I could repay him for that by making him a slave again?” He pushed his wine cup toward her, and she took a small sip before handing it back.
“And now you rule the greatest village in the land, so you’re not a barbarian any more, else the villagers would not follow you.”
Eskkar smiled at that. “They’re still having trouble accepting me as their ruler. And I do not rule alone, Lani.”
“It seems even stranger that the nobles of Akkad would accept a woman to rule over them.”
So Lani had heard about Trella’s true role in Akkad. Well, that made things easier. “She was a slave herself, given to me to help manage my household.” He smiled at the thought. “Trella is what my people call a
‘gifted one.’ She sees much, knows the mysteries of farm and village, and understands the ways of men. Without her, I might not even be alive, let alone ruler of Akkad.”
“I heard that she is young, only fifteen seasons. She must be gifted indeed. You must care for her a great deal.”
Eskkar nodded. “More than you can know, Lani. She’s very special to me.
And she carries our child now, the child that will rule in Akkad after us.”
“Then I bless her name. And I will not allow myself to be jealous of your love for her.”
“Don’t be, Lani. It’s because of her that I am here, and that you’re under Akkad’s protection.” He reached across the table and touched her hand. “And yet you are much like her, I think. Your wits are quick, and you understand the ways of men. How old are you, Lani?”
“In the spring, I will have twenty-four seasons, lord. But much of what I have learned is what I would soonest forget.”
Ninazu’s cries of agony rang throughout the square. They’d managed to ignore the noise outside for a few moments. Suddenly the screams ended, cut short, replaced by a loud groan of disappointment and disapproval from the crowd.
“Ninazu must be unconscious, or dead,” Eskkar said. “I’ll go see.”
He went to the doorway, and called to one of the soldiers. In a few moments Eskkar returned to the table and sat down again. “Ninazu is dead, Lani. The torturers were too careless. The villagers think he scarcely suffered.”
Lani bowed her head. “I’m glad he’s dead. My husband’s life has been avenged. Now I can bury him, at least in my thoughts.”
Everyone had to deal with grief and loss in their own way, and Eskkar had already done all he could to help her. “You will not be needed for the rest of the day, Lani. Stay inside, until everything is finished.” He turned away, and went back out into the square.
The crowd regained its voice. With Ninazu dead, the villagers started arguing again. Many wanted all prisoners to be tortured and killed, and Eskkar watched as Sisuthros pounded his sword hilt on the table to shut them up. Before Sisuthros finished reckoning with the rest of Ninazu’s men, the sun passed midday.
The Akkadians had captured thirty-one men, and each one needed to be dealt with individually. Eskkar knew those who had committed the worst misdeeds would make poor slaves. Too ignorant or intractable, they would have to be watched and guarded for the rest of their days, always seeking to escape and more trouble than they were worth. The villagers denounced nine of these, and the council sentenced them to death. Four had committed particularly atrocious acts, and were put to the torture, giving each of them added pain before they died. A quick sword thrust to the heart took care of the others.
Sisuthros condemned those remaining, the ones docile enough to accept their punishment, to slavery, to be branded with the mark of Akkad and to labor for the rest of their lives. He ordered fifteen to be sent to Akkad as soon as possible. Akkad needed laborers more urgently than Bisitun, to work on the expansion of the walls. Corio and his builders would put the extra workers to good use.
Despite Akkad’s need, Eskkar shook his head at the thought of sending the slaves there. Some of his precious soldiers would be needed to guard and transport them, more food would have to be found and sent with them, along with horses, ropes, and everything else needed for at least a week’s march back to Akkad.
Sisuthros spent the remaining daylight dividing up the goods and animals recovered from Ninazu. Despite recovering much of what Ninazu’s men had taken, many valuables couldn’t be located. Of course several villagers claimed the same items, causing arguments to erupt. Even with fair dispositions, the rightful owners argued about the part taken by Akkad.
Everyone claimed that two-tenths for Akkad was far too great a portion, until Sisuthros threatened to take everything from the next man who protested. He reminded them that they would have nothing if the Akkadians had not rescued both them and their goods, and that Akkadian soldiers had died freeing them.
The gold and silver coins taken from Ninazu provided another source of contention, the difficulty being to establish how much had been taken from any one person. Acting together, the council made those decisions, often after appealing to the villagers, who made dispositions based on what they thought a man might have possessed.
At last the sun began to sink below the western horizon, and Sisuthros announced the end of the day’s proceedings. Another assembly would convene the next day, starting at midmorning. The council of elders would meet earlier, an hour after sunup, to go over what would be the next order of business-restoring the productivity of the farms, the shopkeepers, and the merchant traders.
The crowd began to disburse, heading to their homes for supper. Even after most departed, guards were posted at Eskkar’s door to keep a few overeager supplicants away from the leaders of Akkad.
“Marduk take all of them,” Sisuthros said, his voice hoarse. He lifted his feet onto the table as he leaned back against the wall. “Another day like today, and I’ll run off and become a bandit myself.”
Eskkar felt every bit as tired. The constant arguing grated on his nerves, wearing him down. Yet he had to remain alert, to study those as they spoke, in order to determine who might be lying from those who had little skills with speech. He’d stayed out of it as much as possible, but he had intervened twice when Sisuthros looked toward him for help. Eskkar attempted to follow Trella’s advice. “Be aloof. Do not deal in common matters. Leave those to your commanders. That way the people will know you concern yourself with far more important things than some farmer’s cow or the innkeeper’s bill.”
“Tomorrow will be easier, Sisuthros. At least you’ve got the gold out of the way. They’ll quiet down as soon as they get back to work. You’ll be besieged with requests for men, to help rebuild the farms, the ditches, the shops, the boats, everything damaged or destroyed by Ninazu.”
“Captain, I don’t know how you and Trella stand it. Better a hard fight against the barbarians any day.” He shook his head. “I don’t think we have enough scribes and traders, let alone soldiers.”
Lani approached the table, carrying a tray of wine, cheese, and bread, the first part of the evening meal. Eskkar mixed himself a cup of watered wine. Sisuthros was right. They would need more help, and they wouldn’t be able to trust anyone from Bisitun for months.
“I’ll send word back to Akkad, Sisuthros. Maybe Nicar or Corio has someone else they can spare to help you. Perhaps Trella knows of someone.”
He didn’t mention Sisuthros’s wife. Far too shy and retiring, she wouldn’t be able to deal forcefully with determined villagers.
Eskkar watched Lani as she moved gracefully about the cooking area, giving directions to the two women preparing the food. He knew she could be of use to Sisuthros, but the people of Bisitun would never accept her in that role. To them, no matter what Eskkar had said today, she would always be Ninazu’s woman. Besides, he had promised her protection in Akkad.
Hamati, Drakis, the scribes, and a few of the other senior men sat down at the table, everyone hungry for their dinner. Lani and Tippu returned, carrying more trays laden with food, helped by the other women, who had done a good part of the cooking in their own homes.
No fancy fare yet. Food would remain in short supply in Bisitun until the market reestablished itself. Nevertheless, in the next few days farmers would be bringing in whatever they could spare, to sell to the soldiers and villagers. So for tonight’s dinner, the men ate a stew made from two chickens, chopped into tiny chunks, and mixed with fresh vegetables. Four loaves of bread fresh from the ovens helped soak up the stew, and watered wine completed the meal. Not much food for fighting men, but most of Bisitun would not eat as well tonight. At least no villager would starve in the next week or ten days, though plenty would go to bed hungry.
The meal finished, Eskkar and Sisuthros took another walk about the village. Both men felt the need to stretch their legs after sitting or standing all day with solemn looks on their faces. Accompanied by Grond and three other guards, they spent hours poking about until darkness made it too difficult to see anything.
Eskkar took every opportunity to talk with the villagers. Such casual speech didn’t come easy to him, but Trella had gotten him used to making small talk with the common folk, asking about their homes, their families, their needs, and their hopes. He’d learned that people provided the real basis for his rule, and he worked hard at building a bond between himself and those he ruled.
The three men were yawning when they returned to the square, for once empty of villagers.
After such a long and exciting day, everyone would be in bed, eager for sleep. Eskkar, Sisuthros, and Grond washed at the well, stripping down and pouring water over their bodies. It didn’t feel as refreshing as a good swim in the river, but Eskkar promised himself that luxury tomorrow, come what may.
Carrying their clothes, the three of them walked back inside the house. The big room, empty of servants, held only two soldiers standing guard just inside the door. Eskkar spoke to both of them, to make sure they stayed alert. Though Sisuthros had distributed much of the loot, the house still held the gold destined for Akkad.
Eskkar had just entered his room when Lani appeared, carrying a pitcher of wine, another of water, and a single cup. She’d no doubt heard the men cleaning themselves at the well, so she brought no washing bowls.
Splashing a bit of wine into a cup, she added water before handing it to him. Already she had learned that he drank his wine well watered.
“Thank you, Lani,” he said, breaking the silence. She probably thought he expected her to attend him. She wore the same soft robe she wore last night when she came to him, and already he wished she would unfasten it.
He took a sip from the cup.
“Lani, you don’t have to be here. Your sorrow for your husband is …”
She touched her finger to his lips. “My husband has been dead for over four months. Today… watching Ninazu die, I put an end to my grief.
Now I have to care for my sister.”
“Then she’ll need you tonight, Lani. Stay with her. She doesn’t have your strength.”
“Tonight she has Grond to comfort her.” She saw the look on his face.
“No, lord, she went to him willingly. It’s time she ceased being afraid of men. And I think Grond is the right man for that task. He ignores her dishonor, and treats her with respect. His presence reassures her more than my words ever can. She knows no one will hurt her now.”
True enough, Eskkar thought. Only a foolhardy man would offer any insult to a woman under Grond’s protection.
Lani turned away and went to the door. She closed it, then placed the wooden bar across the frame. Turning back to face him, she lifted her head high. “I think it’s time that I, too, went willingly to a man’s bed. I would stay the night with you again, lord, if I do not displease you.”
He looked at her, and his resolve vanished. She had some essence, something that made him want her, and he knew it was more than just her skill in pleasuring him. Eskkar sat down on the bed, more than a little unsure of himself.
“You know I want you, Lani. But I won’t take you with a lie on my lips. My life is back in Akkad, with Trella. And I’ll be going back soon enough.”
“Then I only ask that you keep your word, lord, to take me and my sister back to Akkad with you. Until then, you will need someone to manage your household, care for you while you are here, and hold you in the darkness of the night.”
“You do not need to call me ‘lord,’ Lani. My name is Eskkar. I am just a simple soldier. One trying to rule a city and a land full of problems.”
She stepped toward him, stopping just out of reach, and began to unfasten her dress. “No, Eskkar. I heard you in the square today, and saw what you did. You gave the villagers honesty and justice, something they haven’t seen in many months. Despite their complaining, they already accept you as their ruler, and trust you to protect them. You are a great lord, to have such power over men.”
The robe untied, she slipped it over her shoulders, letting it hang from her arms, the same as she’d done last night. She closed her eyes to his gaze, but her body trembled as if she could already feel his hands upon her.
He shook his head. No one had ever called him “great” before. If he ever ruled this land, it would be Trella who deserved that honor. He couldn’t explain all that to Lani, not now. He stood and reached for her, taking her in his arms and catching her hair in his hand. He kissed her upraised lips, and heard the robe slip to the floor. She tasted sweet to him, and he kissed her even harder, letting his other hand find and fondle her breast until she caught her breath.
“What can I do to please my lord tonight?” She kept her voice low, but he could hear the passion in it.
He swung her around, and pushed her gently down on the bed. For a moment he felt tempted to leave the candle burning, but the sight of her body already burned in his memory. He leaned over and blew out the flickering light. Despite his passion, he took the time to unsheathe the sword and lean it against the wall before sliding into the bed.
They held each other, neither one saying anything, just kissing and touching for a long time, until his excitement grew. When Lani moved to pleasure him as she had done the night before, he held her down, kissing her neck.
“Oh, no, Lani. Not tonight. Tonight I will give you pleasure.” He lay on his side and began caressing her, sucking and biting on her nipples while his fingers probed and teased her body. At first she seemed uncomfortable with the attention, but gradually she relaxed, letting him arouse her.
His lips moved up and down the length of her body, tasting her, kissing her, and she began to moan from the pleasure he gave her. He resisted her first pleadings, ignored the way she pushed her body against him, held back until her hand tightened so much around him that he thought he would burst.
Finally he moved atop her and slid deep into her body. A long sigh of pleasure escaped her lips, and she locked her legs around him.
He began to move against her, and she matched his movements, pushing herself against him. Before long she cried out, her arms and legs fastening themselves around him, her sounds of passion coming faster and faster until she gave a little scream into his neck as her body overwhelmed her.
Trembling, she could do nothing but hold him fast; he increased his thrusts against her and soon he, too, cried out as he gave her his seed, his face and mouth buried in her hair.
For a long time he lay on top of her, his passion spent but enjoying the touch of her body. When he moved beside her, she moaned a little. He took her in his arms and held her. Her whole body shook, and he tasted the salt of tears on his lips when he gently kissed her cheek.
“Did I hurt you, Lani?”
“No, lord.” Her arms pulled tight around his neck, and she buried her face against his. “These are tears of happiness.”