Peter Darman - Parthian Dawn

When Surena had left I called together Nergal and Orodes and worked out how we would spring our trap. I sent Byrd and Malik ahead to scout the land and ensure that there were no enemy forces approaching our location, which was still on the west bank of the Euphrates. We had actually marched south of the Mesenian capital to reach the ford.

At night we set no fires, which meant the men grumbled, wrapped their cloaks around them and chewed on cold food. Their moaning was a small price to pay for our veil of secrecy. For the fires of twenty thousand men would be seen for miles, even by the sentries on the high walls of Uruk. Five days after Surena had left, Byrd and Malik returned to inform me that a large group of marsh people had left the safety of their watery domain and were heading north as requested.

‘They have a collection of old shields, spears, a few swords and long knives,’ said Malik with disdain.

‘They no soldiers,’ added Byrd.

‘That is our job,’ I said.

I told them to return to Surena and inform him that he would be receiving reinforcements shortly, but that he must keep heading in the direction of Uruk. I then ordered Domitus to send two cohorts to support Surena. Domitus was most unhappy.

‘I thought we were here to take Uruk.’

‘And so we are, Domitus.’

‘Then why are we wasting two cohorts of good men playing nursemaid to a bunch of vagrants?’

‘I too do not understand,’ said Orodes.

‘Listen, my friends,’ I replied. ‘Chosroes hates the marsh people, so when he learns that they are marching on his capital he will send troops to destroy them. Only when he does, they will be running into a trap.’

‘If he’s got wind that we are here,’ replied Domitus, ‘he’ll barricade himself inside his city and won’t take the bait.’

Domitus, as ever, saw everything in purely military terms, and he was right. Having lost the majority of his army in a recent battle no commander would further weaken his forces on dispersing a band of marsh people. But I knew that Chosroes despised the Ma’adan and would relish the opportunity to slaughter them. In any case, as far Chosroes was concerned Dura’s army was still in its homeland. My gamble paid off, for Byrd and Malik brought news that a body of horsemen had indeed left Uruk and were riding south to intercept Surena. Chosroes had no system of forts such as existed in Hatra, to pass on information to neighbouring strongholds or watchtowers. Sitting in his capital he was effectively blind.

Mesene is mostly flat, with a highly cultivated strip on the eastern side of the Euphrates, extending inland for a distance of around two miles. As in Hatra there is also another belt of rich agricultural land on the other side of the kingdom, along the River Tigris. Byrd and Malik had reported that there was little activity on the opposite side of the river, no doubt because many of the farmers who had worked the land had been killed at Dura. Their families must have taken refuge in Uruk. It was now time for us to cross the river.

As the Euphrates begins the final leg of its long journey before it enters the Persian Gulf, the depth of the river lessens and there are many fords that will allow an army to cross. Nevertheless, it took two days to transport the men and beasts and the hundreds of wagons over to the other side. Nergal sent parties of horsemen many miles ahead of the crossing to ensure that we were not surprised, but there were no hostile moves against us. When everything and everyone was across the river, Domitus made camp and I rode with Orodes at the head of five hundred cataphracts and their squires to intercept and destroy the Mesenians who had been sent from Uruk. We rode across cultivated land and then arid, featureless desert as we headed south. At midday on the second day of our journey we saw a great dust cloud on the horizon — we had found the enemy.

Byrd and Malik joined us as we were equipping our horses with scale armour from the camel train that accompanied us. It was mercilessly hot and I knew that horse and rider would not be able to spend many hours encased in steel armour, thick hide and iron scales. Byrd told me that the enemy was five miles south of our position.

‘They made camp hereabouts last night and wait for their prey.’

‘Where are Surena and his men?’ I asked.

‘Ten miles south of the Mesenians,’ said Malik. ‘Your foot soldiers are also with them.’

‘Did you count the Mesenians, Byrd?’

He squinted in the sunlight. ‘Not more than a thousand, mostly spearmen and horse archers. No problem for your horsemen.’

We left the camels under a guard of squires and then began our journey. My plan was hardly subtle. We would ride south in two lines and strike the enemy while they were attacking the marsh people. I thanked Shamash that the cohorts had linked up with Surena. I was unconcerned about the legionaries, they could handle cavalry easily enough, but if the marsh people had been intercepted before my men had linked up with them, then the desert would be littered with their corpses by now.

On we rode, the dust cloud filling the horizon where men were fighting and dying. At around two miles from our target we broke into a canter, my kontus resting on my right shoulder. The sounds of battle were pulling me, making my heart race as the lure of combat made my blood race through my body. Remus strained at the leash to break into a gallop, for he too knew the sounds of battle. Not yet, my friend, have patience. On we rode, now less than half a mile from the bloody maelstrom. I could see figures ahead, men on horseback riding parallel to a line of shields — Duran shields!

I brought down my kontus and grabbed it with both hands on the right side of Remus.

The enemy spotted us as we broke into a fast gallop, hurtling across the iron-hard earth towards them. They desperately tried to form a line as we closed on them, riders lowering their spears and then moving toward us. But we had the momentum and when we hit them their thin line disintegrated. My kontus felt as light as a feather as I clutched it hard, drove it into the chest of a horsemen then let it go. I drew my sword and slashed left and right at figures as I thundered through the enemy formation and then wheeled Remus around and went back to the melee. A figure lunged at me with his spear but the point glanced off the metal rings protecting my arm. I brought my sword down and hacked at his shoulder as he rode past me, the blade cutting into flesh. These riders had shields and helmets but wore no armour protection over their torsos. Many had been speared in our first charge and now my horsemen went to work with their swords and maces. The enemy could find no way through our scale armour and metal leg and arm protection. A figure dressed in an ornate helmet and scale cuirass came at me with his sword, driving the point towards my face. I parried his blow and then swung at him with my spatha but he deflected my blade. He used his sword with great dexterity, thrusting and then withdrawing it, always looking for a gap in my defences. I raised my blade above my head and brought it down against his neck but he blocked the blow and then drove his sword point into my arm. The metal rings fortunately deflected the blow. We fought for what seemed like an eternity and I forgot about what was happening around me. Once more he raised his sword above his head, and then an arrow slammed into the side of his chest. He froze, looked down at the feathered shaft protruding from his flesh and then slowly lowered his sword. Another arrow hit him in the back and he pitched forward in the saddle, dropping his sword. I looked past him and saw Surena on his horse with a bow in his hand. He nocked another arrow and then shot my opponent in the back once more. The man gently slid out of his saddle and fell to the ground. Surena rode up to me.