‘I will be attending,’ Dobbai suddenly announced.
I looked at her in disbelief. For years now she had hardly ventured beyond the confines of the Citadel, being content to shuffle around the palace and spend most of her time with our children.
‘Are you sure?’ I queried. ‘You have not left the palace in an age.’
‘I am quite capable of sitting on a wagon for the duration of the journey, unless you do not wish me to attend.’
‘He course he does,’ said Gallia. ‘Don’t you, Pacorus?’
I held up my hands. ‘Of course, the more the merrier. We will have to take the children, then. Claudia and Isabella won’t stay here if Dobbai is not with them.’
Gallia frowned at me. ‘Then we will take them as well. Your father’s palace is large enough to accommodate us all.’
‘I have business to settle at Hatra,’ muttered Dobbai.
I shook my head and finished my wine. What business could she possibly have at Hatra? It was sad to witness her wits slowly diminish.
As we prepared for our journey life at Dura continued as normal. Regular deliveries of weapons were made to Alexander and Aaron’s treasury filled with Jewish gold. The trade caravans continued to pass through Dura and brought with them news of what was happening to the east of the Tigris. We heard that the court at Ctesiphon was riven with fear and loathing and that courtiers were pressing Mithridates to move further to the east, to Susa or even Esfahan. They feared that they were too near the western kingdoms whose kings might assault them. They were right about that at least. But Mithridates would not abandon the empire’s symbolic seat of power, not least because he desired to launch a fresh attack against those who were now in direct rebellion against him. Because the kingdoms of Mesene, Babylon, Hatra, Media and Atropaiene, as well as my own, refused to pay their annual tribute to Ctesiphon, Mithridates railed against them and threatened reprisals. But we heard that the eastern kings had no stomach for another great war, especially after their recent losses.
Of the Romans we heard little save what Byrd told us when he visited Dura. He had expanded his business interests and had established new offices in Damascus. Despite his wealth and importance he still rode a shabby horse and dressed in faded robes. He told me that Egypt was now a protectorate of Rome following a series of internecine struggles and I shuddered. Though Roman Syria was quiet I knew that the caravans that traversed the Parthian Empire before entering Syria or Egypt would also tell the authorities of those two regions that the Parthians had weakened themselves through years of civil war. It would surely be only a matter of time before Rome sent its legions against the empire.
It was a blisteringly hot morning when we set off for Dura. Initially we had determined to depart a day earlier but word came from Uruk that Nergal and Praxima had also been invited to Vata’s wedding. I had no idea why this should be so as Nergal had never known Vata but Gallia was delighted and insisted that we wait for them to reach Dura so we could all make the trip together. Dobbai and the children travelled in a large four-wheeled wagon on which Marcus had erected a metal frame so it could be covered with canvas to make a shaded interior. It was pulled by six mules and led two camels that carried our own tent and Dobbai’s. She also insisted that there should be three hammocks inside the wagon: one for her, one for Claudia and one for Isabella, in addition to Eszter’s cot. I had never seen Marcus so flustered as she ordered him around in the days preceding our departure. I think he was glad to see the back of us.
Gallia took the Amazons as her personal bodyguard. I told her this was unnecessary, as I had already organised a hundred cataphracts to escort us to Hatra. But now that Praxima was also with us it was an opportunity for her and Gallia and the rest of the female Companions to be united once more. Nergal brought a hundred of his horse archers with him, which meant our party numbered two hundred horse archers, two hundred squires and a hundred cataphracts. This number increased when we left Dura and passed over the pontoon bridge to the eastern side of the Euphrates where we had agreed to link up with the party of Orodes and Axsen who were also travelling to Hatra. The rulers of Babylon were escorted by one hundred royal guards attired in dragon skin armour. Axsen had inherited her father’s penchant for taking large numbers of servants on campaign, and so in addition to her royal guards there were cooks, the queen’s female attendants, grooms, slaves and farriers. I think Orodes was embarrassed by the massive entourage but seemed very happy with his new wife.
We all rode in one group as our small combined army made its way north, the Amazons riding directly behind us and a long line of horses and camels following. There must have been a thousand camels in our great expeditionary force.
Axsen found it most strange but was also intrigued. It was the first time she had ridden with Gallia and Praxima, both of them dressed in their mail shirts and fully armed, though because of the heat they were wearing their floppy hats and not their helmets. Axsen was most excited that Dobbai was travelling with us.
‘Perhaps your sorceress would dine with us tonight, Gallia,’ said Axsen as sweat poured down my neck and soaked my shirt. I would have to have words with Vata about getting married in the middle of a Mesopotamian summer.
‘I can ask her,’ replied Gallia.
‘I doubt she will agree,’ I said. ‘She hates the heat and she hates travelling, which means she is as ill-tempered as a angry viper at the moment.’
‘Is she really a sorceress?’ asked Axsen.
‘She is beloved of the gods,’ replied Gallia.
‘She predicted that you and Orodes would be married,’ I added.
‘And she saw Pacorus in danger when Narses and Mithridates had him surrounded and sent Gallia to rescue him,’ offered Praxima.
I grinned at Nergal’s wife. ‘Thank you for reminding me of that.’
‘I must meet her,’ implored Axsen.
‘Why don’t you visit us when we have made camp tonight,’ said Gallia. ‘I fear she will ignore any invites to a feast.’
Axsen was delighted. ‘We will come. How exciting.’
I was exhausted by the time we had travelled a grand distance of fifteen miles in the stupefying heat, and by the end of the day my clothes were drenched in sweat and I felt both tired and irritable. The Durans made camp well away from the large pavilion that housed Babylon’s royal couple, though Nergal and Praxima pitched their tent close to ours. The squires erected our tent first, which was similar to Domitus’ command tent to accommodate the children; then Dobbai’s, a black camel hair affair that was like the Agraci tents; and then put up the tents of the cataphracts. As usual the latter were laid out in a neat row with the squires’ own tents pitched in another row immediately behind.
Despite dozing in their hammocks the children were exhausted by the journey and fell asleep almost immediately after we had eaten a meal of salted mutton, water and biscuits. The night was very warm though mercifully not intolerably hot and a slight easterly breeze was most welcome. After the children had been settled Dobbai relaxed with Gallia and me in front of her tent. We sat on stools while she reclined in her favourite wicker chair that she had ordered Marcus to pack on the wagon. For the journey Dobbai had half a dozen stable hands from the Citadel to attend her, drive her wagon, ensure none of my children fell off it during the day and water and feed the mules. The boys walked beside the wagon during the day, taking it in turns to drive it. They were beside themselves with joy when Dobbai gave each of them a piece of red coral, an ancient talisman to protect the wearer from evil spirits.
Orodes and Axsen appeared out of the darkness an hour later with a score of guards, half of them carrying torches. Axsen was dressed in a simple purple shirt and tan leggings, Orodes in his silver scale armour cuirass and sword at his hip. Dobbai’s eyes were closed as we embraced them and their guards retreated from our presence. Axsen grinned girlishly at Gallia and then looked at the seemingly sleeping Dobbai.