He placed his arm around her shoulder and drew her close. “And now I will have to worry about you every time I leave the city.”
“Do not fear for me, Eskkar. Annok-sur and I will take extra precautions. And King Shirudukh of the Elamites may find that Akkad is not as easily taken as the cities of the Indus. He may even find that he is not as safe on his throne as he thinks.”
Eskkar kissed the top of her head. “Then starting tomorrow, we will begin preparing Akkad for war.”
“Yes, and just like last time, no one must know what we are doing.”
“Bracca’s spies will soon know what we are up to. He said Elamite spies are already here. He could have named them.”
“No, not without putting himself at risk. And we may need his help in the future for more important tasks. I will think about that tonight.” Trella leaned her head on his shoulder. “Tomorrow Annok-sur and I will consider what to do. Perhaps we can find a way to take care of the Elamite spies in our city.”
In spite of the grim prospect that faced them, Eskkar managed a smile. From tonight on, Trella would turn all her thoughts and efforts into meeting this new threat. Whatever might come from those plans, Eskkar had no doubt that Trella and Annok-sur would teach the king of the Elamites a thing or two about terror.
3
Three days later, in the first light of dawn, Eskkar led a column of horsemen out of Akkad and headed north. The spring morning air still held a chill, but that would soon fade as the sun rose higher. Once again, the long sword jutted up over Eskkar’s right shoulder, and it hung as easily as in his younger days.
The smooth-gaited stallion between his legs felt natural, too, the result of many days working with the animal over the last two years. Eskkar always remembered one of his father’s sayings — when you ride to war, better to leave behind your sword than your best horse.
Two summers ago, Eskkar had selected the stallion from a string of animals brought down from the mountain country. A group of twenty animals arrived at the cavalry barracks just north of Akkad, and by chance Eskkar happened to be there that day.
Like every person born on the steppes, fresh horses always aroused his interest. He had joined the other horse trainers and handlers as they drifted over to examine the new stock.
Destined to be ridden by the senior commanders, all of the horses represented fine breeding, tall, powerful, and sleek. Except for one, which appeared stunted compared to the others. This bay looked blunt and coarse, with a shaggy coat and a sad little tail that scarcely reached its hocks.
The four horse trainers inspecting the animals gave the odd-looking bay the briefest glance before moving on. Eskkar agreed. The bay didn’t belong with this group of fine horseflesh, and he wondered if perhaps an animal had fallen ill or gotten injured, and some clever trader had foisted off an inferior beast on Akkad’s buyer.
Trailing behind the trainers, Eskkar stopped in front of the rejected animal. The horse, which appeared too sleepy to pay any attention to those examining it, lifted its head high and eyed him with an expression of superiority out of place with its lowly status. Man and horse stood sizing each other up, and neither showed the slightest intention of lowering their gaze first.
“What do you think of him, My Lord?”
The voice at Eskkar’s side belonged to the horse master who had delivered the animals. Eskkar turned to face the man, who had the dark features and short stature that often marked those born in the southern lands of Sumeria. Since almost all the men who worked Akkad’s horses came from the northern lands, the Sumerian seemed as out of place as the bay.
Nevertheless, Eskkar knew that many fine horses came from Sumeria, though they tended to be small and fast, more suited to the desert than the mountains. Eskkar recalled seeing the Sumerian once before, and even managed to remember his name, Dimuzi.
“An odd horse to bring to Akkad’s barracks, Dimuzi. My commanders need strong warhorses. This one looks more suited to pull a cart than carry a fighter.”
The Sumerian refused to acknowledge the rebuke. “There is more to A-tuku than you might think, My Lord.”
Eskkar had spent many years in Sumeria riding with his old companion Bracca, and had learned most of the dialects spoken in the southern lands. A-tuku was the Sumerian word for “strength.”
Dimuzi unfastened the horse from the holding rail, and turned the animal around. “Look at these hind legs, My Lord. What do you see?”
And Eskkar had looked. A casual glance turned into a studied examination. Muscles bulged in its hindquarters, which, now that he saw the horse from the side, appeared oversized. Eskkar ran his hand down the horse’s flank. Hard as bronze.
Interested now, Eskkar inspected every aspect of the animal. He saw a wide chest concealed under the shaggy brown coat that turned black down the legs. Deep hooves that would not wear under heavy riding joined to thick fetlocks that indicated the animal would not go lame easily. Forearms and shoulders showed plenty of power, and the wider than usual nostrils would provide plenty of air for the animal’s lungs.
“He might make a good mount.” Eskkar reached out and rubbed the horse’s neck, moving slowly so as not to upset the animal. At the touch, A-tuku turned to stare at him, as one equal to another.
“What would My Lord think if I said that A-tuku can run faster and longer than most of these other animals? He hates to be bested in a race, and he never gives ground. A-tuku is not aggressive, but every horse that has challenged him has regretted it.”
Eskkar knew that Sumerians could never resist bargaining, always pointing out the best features of whatever they happened to be selling. “Is there nothing wrong with him, Dimuzi?”
The man lowered his eyes. “He needs much work, My Lord, and patience. So far only I have been able to work with him. But in his heart, A-tuku is as brave as any horse I have ever seen. For the right rider, he might make a fine warhorse.”
Eskkar doubted that. While Dimuzi spoke, Eskkar had circled the animal, and now he stroked A-tuku’s forehead. The proud horse’s large eyes held his gaze for a moment, then reached out to nuzzle Eskkar’s cheek. The simple gesture ended Eskkar’s doubts.
“Bring him to my stable, Dimuzi.” Eskkar patted the horse’s neck one last time. “And I think you’d better plan on staying with him. At least until he proves himself one way or the other.”
The Sumerian and Eskkar had worked with A-tuku since that day. Dimuzi’s words had proven true. The horse could run, all day if necessary, and it would not quit as long as another horse challenged it. From the first, Eskkar knew he would have to earn the horse’s trust. Soon he spent almost every morning working with Dimuzi and A-tuku, teaching the horse the skills needed by a warhorse.
Despite being a hand’s width smaller than Eskkar’s other horses, A-tuku carried his master’s weight as easily as any. Eskkar quickly grasped that he possessed a unique animal, and soon a bond formed between horse and rider as close as any Eskkar had ever known. Together they had raced against every horse in Hathor’s cavalry, and fought against them, too, in the mock battles so necessary to train horse and rider in the art of war.
A-tuku’s careless gait had proven faster than even Dimuzi had expected. While a handful of powerful warhorses in Eskkar’s stable had won races when carrying his weight, in any long run they had all been overtaken by smaller and lighter riders.
Dimuzi claimed that A-tuku had never been beaten when he carried the diminutive Sumerian. And that had proven true. But more impressive was the fact that A-tuku seldom lost even when Eskkar rode him. Eskkar’s eyes still gleamed with pride whenever he swung onto his new warhorse’s back.
Now the cares and worries of Akkad lessened with each of A-tuku’s long strides, as Eskkar left behind the petty problems of a growing and often chaotic City. Even the prospect of a hard fight couldn’t dispel the satisfaction he felt at abandoning the cares and endless disputes of the city. He sensed that A-tuku felt much the same, glad to be away from the usual training grounds and out riding free on the open grasslands.