I glanced at Atrax. ‘I will be making no demands on your forces, lord king, though if there are any warriors among your men who would like to avenge Balas, they will be very welcome to ride with me.’
‘No!’ Aliyeh rose from her couch and stood before me.
‘You have something to say, sister?’
‘The soldiers of Media are not yours to command.’
I smiled at her. ‘I know that.’
She jabbed a finger in my direction. ‘I know your game and it won’t work.’
‘I play no game.’
She laughed sarcastically. ‘The great King Pacorus, the saviour of the Parthian Empire, the man whose legacy is endless war and bloodshed. Media’s menfolk are not at your disposal.’
It was amazing that she could speak thus in the presence of Farhad, but his silence confirmed the words of Cretus — Media was now ruled by a woman. Indeed, it appeared that the empire was slowly being taken over by the opposite sex. There was Aruna pulling strings at Ctesiphon, Gallia refusing to obey my orders at Dura and now Aliyeh at Irbil. Where would it all end?
I finished nibbling at a wafer dipped in honey and wiped my hands on a tablecloth.
‘If, dear sister, we do not take the fight to the Romans then they will surely return once they have strengthened their forces. That is simple strategy.’
Her eyes flashed with anger. ‘You delude yourself, brother. You are merely chasing more glory. Well, I say that is a fool’s errand.’
I ignored her and turned to Farhad. ‘Lord King, Orodes and I will leave for Gordyene in two days. If there are any that wish to journey with us of their own accord, will you prohibit them from going with us?’
Aliyeh jumped up. ‘Majesty, I must protest.’
‘No, Aliyeh,’ said Atrax, ‘this is not your decision to make.’
Aliyeh sat back down, looking daggers at me. I smiled at her while Farhad looked decidedly uncomfortable. At length he spoke.
‘I do not wish to embroil Media in another war, Pacorus, I have to say. However, if my son wishes to travel north with you, I shall not prohibit him.’
Now it was Atrax’s turn to jump up. ‘Thank you, father. I accept your offer, Pacorus.’
Aliyeh looked despairingly at her husband but Atrax had raced over to shake my hand and then he embraced Orodes. Aliyeh, fighting back tears and rage, bowed to the king and then left us. I never saw her again before we left Irbil.
Two days later, our mules loaded down with six months’ supply of food and supplies, I led a thousand horsemen north to the Shahar Chay River. The last time I was here, two armies faced each other across its rippling waters. Today the riverbanks were devoid of life as I halted at the water’s edge. There was a cool wind blowing from the north and the sky was heaped with grey clouds. It was deathly silent aside from the sound of horses chomping on their bits and the banners of Susa and Dura fluttering in the breeze. I looked at Orodes who nodded at me, then at Atrax on my other side, who was staring across the river determinedly. Looking behind me, a long column of horsemen and mules stretched into the distance. Remus scraped at the ground impatiently. I patted his neck and then nudged him forward. The Romans had invaded my homeland and threatened my family. Even if Phraates had agreed to give up Dura, my experience of the Romans was that they were always looking to expand their empire, never the reverse. As far as Farhad’s scouts had gleaned there were still Romans in Gordyene, though his men had not ridden far into the interior of the kingdom for fear of antagonising them. Farhad was clearly frightened of them, though thankfully his son was made of sterner stuff.
As small spits of rain blew in our faces we rode across the river and into Gordyene. It was time to take the war to the enemy.
Chapter 17
We crossed the river and headed north. Gordyene is a mountainous land littered with great mountain steppes and meadows. It is also a fertile country, home to a rich variety of wildlife, such as bears, leopards and the Caspian tiger. High above us, imperial eagles outstretched their vast wings and rode the winds. I hoped that we would not be seeing any silver eagles during our time here. We headed for the country around Balas’ old capital at Vanadzor, an ancient city at the confluence of the Pambak, Tantsut and Vanadzor rivers. We saw no towns or villages as our column made its way towards the city. Atrax had visited Balas many times when he had been a boy, and without his knowledge we would have been blind in this strange land. I accompanied him as we rode ahead of the column, leaving Orodes behind in command of the horsemen. Atrax had wanted to go on ahead on his own to act as our chief scout but I dissuaded him. I did not want his death on my conscience and nor did I want the permanent enmity of my sister should misfortune strike him. But he knew this country and led us away from the main road, in truth nothing more than a wide track that led straight from Irbil to Vanadzor, and instead diverted us into a great forest that had been on our right flank. The forest was dank and dim, the canopy masking further the poor light.
‘Few people live in this forest,’ said Atrax as we moved silently through the trees, ‘though it is home to much game. I hunted here often as a boy.’
‘And now you come to hunt Romans.’
He halted his horse and looked at me. ‘May I ask you a question?’
‘Of course.’
He looked troubled. ‘When I came to Gordyene with Aschek and my father, our plan was to advance straight to Vanadzor, thinking that if we destroyed the enemy’s main garrison we would take the city and they would withdraw.’
I nodded. ‘A sensible strategy.’
‘But we were beaten and forced to withdraw. My point is, the combined armies of Media and Atropaiene numbered many thousands and still we lost. How, then, are you going to defeat them with only a thousand men?’
I smiled at him. ‘By avoiding battle, Atrax. There are many ways to skin a cat. All will become clear.’
Three days later we were camped in the forest vastness to the east of Vanadzor. We had brought eight-man oilskin tents with us from Dura, the same type used by the soldiers of the legion. Eight men and their equipment was a tight fit, but with the days growing colder tightly packed men would keep each other warm. We cut branches from the trees; a collection of cedars, beech, ash and elm, to fashion temporary stables, for if left exposed to the elements, even among the trees, our horses would suffer greatly. And without our horses we would be lost. We all took turns cutting wood to make frames for the stables, then creating wicker panels for their sides. The roofs were also made from wicker panels overlaid with branches. It was hard work and many grumbled that they had come to fight not play at being foresters, but it kept the men busy while we waited.
The camp was purposely spread over a large area and guards were posted beyond its perimeter in every direction. Around the perimeter itself we dug pits and placed sharpened stakes inside them, then covered them with foliage, which was changed on a daily basis. There was only one entry route into the camp and one route by which riders could leave — I was determined that we would not be surprised. Each day the forest was filled with the sounds of chopping as men felled trees and hacked at their branches. I was worried that the smoke from the myriad of fires would give our position away, but we were deep in the forest and in any case the autumn skies were filled with mist and rain.
‘The men have to eat, Pacorus,’ said Orodes, ‘and they need warm food in their bellies this time of year. So we have to light fires.’
Everyone practised entering and exiting the camp, both on foot and horseback, and getting to know the area intimately. We set up shooting ranges to maintain our archery skills, though I also organised hunting parties to track down and kill bears, wild goats, boar and deer. Approaching wild animals stealthily was good training for what was to come. I emphasised that there was to be no wastage of arrows. We were a long way from home and would not be able to replenish our stocks easily.