She glided towards me and slipped her arms around my waist, drawing her mouth closer to mine. She was wearing the most delightful perfume.
‘What is the favour, my sweet?’
She drew her mouth closer to mine and kissed me tenderly, then pulled away to look at me with the eyes of a temptress.
‘I want you to ask Orodes to stay here in Babylon for a while longer.’
She began kissing my neck, her hot breath on my skin, her body pressed against mine.
‘Orodes?’
Her hands came to the front of my body and unbuckled my sword belt, letting it fall to the floor. She tugged my shirt from my leggings and ran her hands up my back.
‘He likes it here, it would be a shame to drag him back to Dura.’
She closed her lips on mine and her tongue went deep into my mouth. My heart was racing and my loins were afire. She pulled away from my lips.
I ran my hand over her cheek. ‘He is his own man. He goes where he will.’ I let my other hand fall to her buttocks and gently pressed her groin into mine.
‘No,’ she purred, ‘he does what you ask him.’
She kissed me long and hard again and ripped off my shirt, then my vest.
‘I really need him back at Dura,’ I whispered into her ear, pulling up her dress with my hand.
She tensed and pushed me backwards. It was as if a demon had suddenly taken possession of her body.
‘So,’ she snapped, ‘you will not do this one small thing that I ask?’
I smiled and tried to pull her close. ‘Gallia, this is not the time for talk.’
She would have none of it, pushing my arms away from her. ‘Don’t Gallia me. If you will not to accede to my desire why should I submit to yours?’
‘What?’
She folded her arms and held her head high in a stance of defiance.
‘Why do you need him at Dura? I thought you commanded your army.’
I was confused. ‘Why do you want Orodes to stay here?’
She placed her hands on her hips and her nostrils flared. ‘Do I have to explain all my actions? Am I your slave to be questioned and ordered about so?’
She turned on her heels, picked up a cloak from the bed and wrapped it around her.
‘I am going to bathe. I will see you again when you are in a better mood.’
I spread my hands in exasperation. ‘When I am in a better mood? Can we please discuss this like civilised people?’
But she merely waved a hand at me and stomped from the room. I flopped onto the bed and stared at the ceiling. Women were more difficult to unravel than the famed Gordian knot that Alexander of Macedon had cut with his sword. It was a complicated knot tied by King Gordius of Phrygia that the famed Alexander had severed with a swing of his sword. That knot appeared mere child’s play when compared to working out my wife’s emotions.
I had no idea why she wanted Orodes to stay in Babylon. Perhaps he had offended her. I discount the possibility. Still, something had obviously irked her. Perhaps Axsen was drowning under responsibilities and required assistance. Who better than Orodes, upon whose shoulders great responsibility sat so lightly? That must be it. To solve the mystery I went in search of him and was told that he and Axsen had departed the city to go hunting. I saddled Remus once more and rode him to the royal hunting grounds located directly south of Babylon. Here the land adjacent to the river was not cultivated or populated but was given over to wildlife. There were irrigation channels that had been deliberately cut to water the foliage and trees and to attract game. This great area of greenery was out of bounds to ordinary citizens and was patrolled by royal gamekeepers. I wore my leather cuirass and plumed helmet to identify myself to them as I rode through poplar, willow and date palms, which fortunately had not been despoiled during the recent siege. Narses had probably used it for his own recreation. Near the river itself were great clumps of the large Mardi reed that grew to four times the height of a man.
The land between the Tigris and Euphrates may be desert but around the waterways there was a plethora of wildlife and fauna. The rivers are full of giant barbels, soft-backed turtles, catfish and eels, while along the banks and overhead fly babblers, crows, hawks, falcons, eagles and vultures. As I followed the churned-up track indicating the hunting party had preceded me I heard the grunting of wild pigs and saw fleeting glances of gazelles. Other animals that inhabited this area included jackals, wolves, hares, river otters, foxes and the king of the beasts: the lion.
The day was hot and still as I tilted my head to try to discern the noise of the beaters who would be with the royal party. But I could hear nothing. Perhaps they had halted for a midday meal. I continued to follow the track, going over in my mind again the earlier experience at the temple and the words of Afrand. I was lost in thought when Remus suddenly stopped and reared his head in alarm, his tail twitching and his ears drawn back. He began to move sideways and then backwards, his eyes wide with alarm. Something had obviously spooked him.
I stroked his neck. ‘Easy, boy.’
But my words did not comfort him. His tail was flattened between his legs; he snorted and became skittish. I looked around but could see nothing among the trees and bushes. But I knew that a threat was close. Horses are grazing animals and become agitated if they can smell or hear a predator, just like Remus was now. I scanned the terrain near me but saw nothing. I pulled my bow from its quiver and nocked an arrow in the bowstring as he backed away from a dense group of bushes about fifty paces in front of us. His ears were pinned back in fear and he snorted again. Then the animal broke cover.
Lions have little stamina and prefer to attack their prey from a close distance, usually around thirty paces, but this one was either very hungry or believed he could reach us before Remus had time to turn and flee. A big male with a great mane and huge paws, he came crashing through the bushes and bounded towards me. Survival instincts took over as I drew back the bowstring and released it as the distance between me and the lion disappeared in an instant. Remus reared up as the lion pounced. I was thrown from the saddle and my horse bolted from sight. As soon as I hit the ground I leapt to my feet and drew my sword and dagger. My helmet had come off my head and my bow lay on the ground several feet away. The arrow had struck the lion in the shoulder, fortunately deflecting his leap and saving both Remus and me, who was now fleeing as fast as his powerful legs could carry him.
The lion circled me, possessed of a rage caused by his scent of prey and the pain from the arrow stuck in him. He curled his lip as me as he limped forward, then roared. He may have been wounded but he could still pounce again using his powerful back legs. Lions usually kill by swiping the head of their prey with their forepaws, the blow being sufficient to stun their victim. If he caught my head with such a blow it would break my neck. So I decided to attack him.
I screamed and ran at him with my dagger held in front of me in my left hand and my spatha over my head in my right. Unfortunately he had the same idea and came at me, leaping into the air with his claws extended and his fearsome canine teeth bared. I collapsed on the ground and tried to stab up at him as he passed over me but missed. I jumped back up and faced him again as he landed, turned and gave another mighty roar. Blood was seeping from his wound but the rage that possessed him meant it had not slowed him down. He could smell blood and wanted to taste it. He roared once more and again came at me. I had not time to run or move as he ran towards me, so I gripped the handles of my weapons and prepared to meet the great lump of claws, teeth and muscle that wanted to turn me into offal.
When the arrows hit him he did not drop but just veered sideways, faltering but remaining on his feet. Another volley of six arrows slammed into his side and he gave a faint roar and then halted. Then arrow after arrow struck his side, shoulder, rump, hind legs and neck. He turned his head in the direction from where the arrows had come, grunted and then collapsed on the ground, dead.