Sam Barone: Battle For Empire

The younger guard laughed. “I’ll take him in.” He stood up and stretched. “But he may not even hear you. He’s nearly dead.”

“My thanks to the gods, that I got here just in time,” Daro said, bowing several times.

The guard led the way to the hut. The door stood open, and a rank odor emanated from within. Ducking their heads, they passed inside, and out of sight of the other soldier.

“Sabatu’s the one against the wall,” he said, gesturing with his hand.

The stink inside the hut nearly took Daro’s breath away. “I can’t see his face. Are you sure it’s him?”

Before the helpful soldier could answer, Daro grasped the guard’s right arm and plunged his knife into the man’s chest, the blade driving upward through the ribs and into the heart. The guard, caught by surprise, remained on his feet a moment, before his legs gave way. Daro eased the dead body to the ground.

“Curse you, Sabatu,” Daro said, making sure the remaining guard could hear. He kicked the body of the guard, too. “I curse you for what you did to my brother.” He spat on the ground, making sure the sound could be heard. Then he strode out of the hut, and headed for the fire.

“By the gods, what a smell in there!”

The older guard looked up and his mouth opened as he realized Daro was alone. But before he could react, Daro leapt on him, driving him to the ground, one hand over his mouth even as the knife buried itself in the man’s throat.

For a few moments, the dying man struggled, his hands clawing at Daro’s arms. He tried to call for help, but the knife, twisted from side to side, ensured that little more than a gurgle escaped from his mouth. Then the guard’s head flopped back and he went limp.

Taking no chances, Daro jerked the knife from his victim, and struck him again, this time in the heart. He glanced around, ready to run for his life if anyone had seen the attack. But no one had given an alarm. Grabbing the dead man by his feet, Daro dragged the body to the wall of the hut, out of the light from the dying fire.

Darting into the hut, Daro found Sabatu. The prisoner made no response when Daro shook him. The man’s hands were still bound, probably hadn’t been untied for days. Using the bloody knife, Daro cut the ropes, and the release of the tough cords brought a groan of pain from Sabatu.

“Come on, Sabatu, wake up.” Daro shook him again, but the man refused to regain consciousness. With a curse, Daro dragged Sabatu from the hut.

Once outside, Daro pulled him upright, and then, grunting with effort, threw Sabatu over his shoulder. Daro’s left arm passed between the man’s legs, and Daro’s left hand grasped Sabatu’s right hand.

Daro thanked the gods for Sabatu’s thin build. The river lay about a hundred and fifty paces away, and Daro knew he would need some luck to get there unchallenged. But even so, he dared not try to keep to the shadows. Anyone skulking around carrying a body would be stopped and questioned. So Daro walked straight toward the river, passing without notice between two sleeping huts filled with snoring men.

Then he reached the riverbank. It took time and care to descend the bank, and the sharp rocks on the river’s edge cut into Daro’s bare feet.

Nearly exhausted by his efforts, Daro lowered Sabatu to the ground. He stood there a moment, trying to catch his breath. He wanted to move right into the river, but the cool water would surely wake Sabatu. Then he would start struggling, and probably drown them both.

Instead, Daro knelt at the man’s side and kept shaking him until Sabatu groaned and lifted his hands.

“Wake up, but keep silent.” Daro repeated the words, hoping they would penetrate the pain racked body. The man groaned a few more times, then suddenly went silent.

But Daro saw the whites of the man’s eyes staring up at him, the eyes focused. The man had regained consciousness.

“Listen to me, Sabatu. I’ve come to rescue you. But we’ll have to use the river to escape, and you must not struggle. Can you understand me? You won’t drown, I promise you.”

He repeated the words until the man nodded understanding. “Drowning. . sounds good.” A long breath. “Better than torture.” Another rasping breath. “I can swim.”

The man would drown in less than ten strokes, left to his own. “You won’t need to. Just let me hold you up. Now let’s get going. Keep silent. I had to kill your guards, and they may find the bodies at any moment.”

Once again Daro lifted Sabatu, but this time he carried him in both arms. Daro stepped down the last few paces of the river bank, and eased his way into the water. He waded out as far as he could, then let himself fall into the water. He wrapped one arm around Sabatu’s chest, to keep his head above water, and began swimming out toward the center of the river.

Sabatu, thank the gods, remembered Daro’s words and didn’t struggle. Soon they were heading south. Daro concentrated on keeping Sabatu’s head above water, and let the current do most of the work. He used his legs only to add to the river’s force.

In far less time than it had taken to go upstream Daro saw the lines of boats run up on shore, and Sushan’s dock itself, where Yavtar would be anxiously waiting. Daro had to kick hard with his feet, but he reached the side of their boat. Yavtar’s hand caught his own, and the two men had to combine their strength to get Sabatu out of the water.

They stretched the escaped prisoner out on the bottom of the boat, where he couldn’t be seen from the dock. Yavtar forced some water mixed with wine into Sabatu’s mouth. A handful of bread was wolfed down.

“That’s enough for now, Sabatu,” Daro whispered. “You’ll have to keep quiet and hidden until we sail at dawn.”

“Who are you? Why did you rescue me?”

The man’s wits were returning, and Daro breathed a sigh of relief. At least he hadn’t risked Yavtar and his life to rescue someone who had lost his mind.

“Time enough for that later,” Yavtar said. “But would you like a chance to take revenge on those that killed your family?”

“Yes.”

The single word burst from the man’s lips without hesitation. Yavtar glanced at Daro, and both men nodded.

“Then you’ll have that chance. But for now, save your strength,” Daro said. “We’ve a long day tomorrow.

“Where are you taking me? They’ll find me.”

“Well, we’ll see about that,” Yavtar said. “Welcome to the Army of Akkad.”

Sabatu’s eyes widened at Akkad’s name, and Daro smiled in satisfaction. The Elamites might have started their preparations for war, but Akkad had struck the first blow.

Only time would tell if the abduction of High Commander Sabatu was a hard one, one hard enough to upset King Shirudukh of Elam and his bold plan for the conquest of The Land Between the Rivers.