Sam Barone: Battle For Empire

Sargon took a step closer. “Father, you cannot go back on my promise to Bekka. I told him that you would help his clan with food and anything else he might need. He saved the Ur Nammu, saved all of us.”

“Bekka will be here soon.” Eskkar kept his voice calm and his words soft. “I will explain the situation to him, and make whatever arrangements I feel necessary. You will not lose honor. Bekka will understand such things. You are a warrior of the Ur Nammu now. As you said to me and your mother, the affairs of Akkad no longer concern you.”

Sargon blanched. His own words had returned to damn him. His lip trembled, as much with shame as with anger.

“Honored Father, your son acted wisely and fought bravely to save my people.” Tashanella surprised them all by speaking.

Eskkar frowned at the girl. By custom, she should not speak unless spoken to, and certainly not in matters that concerned men. Even Petra, kneeling behind them, flinched at the words.

Eskkar’s voice held no sign that he took offense. “My new Daughter, your husband fought bravely to save you, and for that I honor him as a man. But even a coward will fight to save his wife or his children. When Sargon is as ready to risk his life to save his family, his kin, and the people of Akkad, including all those who raised him and fought for him and died for him, then he will be accepted back into his own family. Not before.”

Tashanella’s face turned as pale as her husband’s. Eskkar saw Petra shake her head in disappointment.

“Please, Father.” Tashanella fought to keep the tears from her voice. “You must not reject your son.”

“I do not reject him. But I will not embrace a son who abandons not only his mother, but his duties to those who raised him.” Eskkar turned back to Sargon. “If you wish to speak for me with the Ur Nammu, you may do so. There is much that you can do to help them. But you will not make any commitment in Akkad’s name, not before you consult with me. Do you understand that?”

“Yes, Father.”

Eskkar searched his son’s face, but did not see any trace of anger. “Then you may stay and attend the meeting. But you will keep silent, unless you are spoken to.”

The boy had finally swallowed his pride, humbled in front of his wife and her mother. Whatever Tashanella had said to him last night must have finally swayed his mind.

“Good. Then if you prove yourself, it may be that one day you can serve such a purpose with the Alur Meriki as well. I will talk to Bekka about that.”

“Yes, Father. I will do my best.”

“No man can ask another for more than that.” Eskkar turned to Petra, only a long stride away, stirring the contents of the stew pot. “That smells good, Petra. Might I have a cup?”

Petra looked up, as if caught by surprise, and as though she had not heard a single word of what had just passed between father and son. “Of course, My Lord.” She scooped a cup full of the hot liquid, rose, and handed it to him with a bow. “A good cup to start a good day.”

“My thanks to you, Petra of the Ur Nammu, for all you have done for me.” Eskkar doubted whether anyone else noticed the slight nod of approval she gave him. He hadn’t handled the situation as she wanted, but she would follow the path Eskkar had laid out for Sargon, and now Tashanella would help Sargon along the way.

Besides, Eskkar did not have the patience to wait years for his son to stand up to his obligations. At any rate, for Petra and Roxsanni, the end result should be the same.

Cradling the warm cup in both hands, Eskkar glanced around. Subutai had returned, but stood at the far side of the little clearing, waiting for the conversation to end. Beside him stood Fashod and Chinua, both arriving early for the Council Meeting. Behind them, Eskkar saw Hathor and Bekka and a few of the Alur Meriki approaching.

Eskkar lifted the cup toward Subutai in a gesture of thanks. Family matters had been taken care of. Now it was time for the Council of Leaders. And this time, Sargon would be present, as a dutiful son should attend to his father.

The new day had just begun, but already Eskkar had accomplished the most important of his goals. The long process of regaining his son had started. It would take time, and there would be setbacks. But it would happen. The good news about Sargon would bring relief and joy to Trella. And she would approve of how Eskkar had dealt with their son, of that he was sure.

Despite Eskkar’s hope to be on his way by midmorning, the meeting took much longer than expected. The sun had already passed well beyond its midpoint in the sky before Eskkar and Hathor said their final goodbyes. At last they climbed onto their horses, and led the Akkadian cavalry back toward home.

The horsemen riding behind their leaders had no complaint. They’d endured a hard ride out to these empty lands, but at least they had avoided any conflict, and now faced only a leisurely journey back to Akkad. Eskkar rode as complacently as any of his men. He had much more to smile about than just avoiding another battle.

The only man unhappy with the day’s events rode at the rear of the column, a rope around his neck. Kamanis. He would be taken back to Akkad. Once there, Annok-sur would wring every morsel of information out of him. Soon she would know all there was to know about the Carchemishi.

The Akkadians had covered more than ten miles before Hathor could restrain his curiosity no longer.

“Well, Captain,” Hathor began, “are you going to tell me why you’re looking so satisfied?”

Eskkar laughed. “Isn’t peace with the Alur Meriki, and good relations with the Ur Nammu enough to smile about?”

“And Sargon’s new bride? She seemed very interested in what the Council had to say.”

Tashanella had indeed managed to stay close to the chiefs and leaders while they spoke. With her mother and Petra, they remained just within earshot, ready to attend to their men, though of course they pretended that they could not hear a word.

“Sargon has chosen a good woman. I think she will prove a good match for him.” Eskkar related all that had occurred between Sargon, Petra, and Tashanella, to his trusted friend. “Now I think that between Tashanella and her mother, they will turn Sargon back to Akkad sooner rather than later.”

Eskkar shook his head in amazement of it all. “And my talk with Bekka went better than I could have hoped. I promised him even more help than Sargon did. Bekka understands my son’s role now, too. He even extended an invitation for Sargon to come and visit with the Alur Meriki.”

Hathor chuckled. “So Sargon’s wife and her mothers will plot behind Sargon’s back to make sure he remains in favor in Akkad, to make certain that the Ur Nammu are safe and secure. And the Alur Meriki will court Sargon as well, in order that they, too, can stay in favor with Akkad. No doubt as soon as Bekka returns home, he will be searching his tents for a suitably beautiful girl to present to Sargon as a second wife. Meanwhile you offered them even more than what your son had promised.”

“That sums it up,” Eskkar agreed.

“And what do we get out of all this, besides getting rid of these foolish Carchemishi invaders?”

Eskkar faced his friend. “Well, we haven’t lost a man. It will be many years before the Carchemishi or anyone else from that region dares to come near Akkad’s lands. More important, Trella and I will get our son back, and I think Akkad will get a leader, too. For an untried warrior, Sargon showed much courage, and made good decisions that benefited many. I could not have done as well when I was his age. It will take patience, but for the first time in years, I believe Sargon will make a good ruler of Akkad, when the time comes.”