Domitus stopped playing with his dagger and looked at Rsan.
‘I apologise for leaving so much equipment in the desert, as you say, but at the time a great host of the enemy was trying to kill us. Wagons and cooking pots slipped my mind when the air was filled with enemy arrows and hostile horsemen were trying to turn me into a kebab.’
Rsan’s brow was furrowed like a freshly ploughed field.
Dobbai cackled and pointed at Rsan. ‘The tallyman thinks it would be better if the vultures were picking at your bones and those of your men, Roman. That way he wouldn’t have to open his precious treasury to pay for replacement items.’
Rsan flustered and dropped one of his parchments. Domitus pointed his dagger at him.
‘Haven’t you forgotten something? My javelins?’
Rsan cleared his throat and handed the parchments back to Aaron.
‘The general has requested twenty thousand new javelins, majesty. Ruinous.’
‘War is an expensive business, Rsan. The general must have everything he desires if Dura is to remain strong. Is not the treasury full?’ I asked.
‘Full is vague notion,’ answered Rsan defensively.
‘No it’s not,’ said Domitus. ‘It’s either full or it isn’t.’
Rsan brought his hands together in front of him. ‘It is a matter of income streams and outgoings, general.’ Domitus went back to playing with his dagger while Kronos stared at the wall. ‘Ten thousand foot soldiers and four thousand horsemen, plus their weapons and equipment, is a constant drain on the treasury, made worse when the army goes on campaign.’
Domitus sighed loudly. ‘That is what armies do, Rsan: go on campaign.’
‘And now we have an additional eight thousand soldiers to house and feed,’ continued Rsan, ignoring Domitus.
‘Ah, yes,’ I said, ‘which brings us nicely to Surena.’
‘But what about the cost of re-equipping the army, majesty?’ queried Rsan.
‘Are there sufficient funds in the treasury to cover the cost of the army’s refurbishment?’ I asked.
Rsan nodded sullenly.
‘Then see to it, that is my final word on the matter.’
Rsan blushed and then instructed the clerks to make a note of my decision.
‘And now, Surena, please inform us how you came about acquiring eight thousand horsemen on your travels.’
He told his story with pride, of how the queen had sent for him on the day she brought reinforcements from Dura and told him that she was giving him a thousand men to command, and that he should lead them across the Tigris.
‘I rode south and then east, lord, crossing the Tigris in Mesene. We encountered no opposition and so I assaulted the walls of Ctesiphon itself before striking southeast towards Elymais.’
That would explain why Mithridates had departed suddenly, to hurry back to his mother’s side.
‘Ctesiphon is protected by a perimeter wall, albeit crumbling, that is still strong enough to beat off an assault by horsemen,’ I said.
‘Yes, lord,’ agreed Surena, ‘so we quickly departed after we had shot some of the guards off the walls.’
‘Did you reach Elymais?’ I enquired.
Surena shook his head. ‘No, lord. We continued on for another two days and then came across a great host of horsemen heading north. They carried a banner that showed a four-pointed star, the emblem of Elymais, and thus I knew them to be soldiers of King Gotarzes. I remember being taught that.’
Like many promising leaders in Dura’s army Surena had attended classes as part of the Sons of the Citadel scheme. In addition to their normal lessons they were also taught the history of the empire and surrounding lands.
‘I met with their leader,’ continued Surena, ‘who told me of a great battle between Narses and Gotarzes in which the King of Elymais fell and his army was defeated. Afterwards the king’s capital surrendered and his kingdom was no more. But there are those who have stayed loyal to their king’s memory and vowed to carry on fighting until their homeland is free once more.’
‘Most of them young men burning with hatred for Narses and having a thirst for revenge,’ added Domitus.
‘I know how that feels,’ said Kronos. He was from Pontus, like most of the men of the Exiles, a land now under the Roman heel, though he and his men dreamed of a time when it would not be and they could return to their homeland. He knew, as did all of us, that only a miracle would make it so.
‘Dura is stronger because of such men, Kronos,’ I said, smiling.
‘I told them that Dura and its king would welcome them,’ continued Surena, ‘and so we joined forces and retraced our steps before recrossing the Tigris and heading for home.’
‘Are we to bear the expense of sheltering and equipping these men also, majesty?’ enquired Rsan.
‘Until I have spoken to their commander and worked out what to do with them, yes,’ I answered.
I saw the man who led the soldiers of Elymais that afternoon when I summoned him to the palace. I sat in the throne room beside Gallia as he stood before us. I guessed him to be a man in his early forties. He had long dark brown hair, a beard and a world-weary expression. A sword hung from his faded leather belt and he held a battered helmet in the crook of his right arm. His name was Silaces.
I ordered a chair to be brought for him as he told us his tale of woe.
‘Most of us either have no family or they are dead, majesty. After the king was killed I decided to leave Elymais. I had served him too long to see his kingdom reduced to a vassal state of that bastard Mithridates.’ He glanced at Gallia. ‘Begging your pardon, majesty.’
‘It’s quite all right,’ she replied, ‘we loved Gotarzes too.’
Silaces continued. ‘With the capitulation of the king’s capital the fight went out of most people, but I gathered up those who thought like me and we headed north.’
‘Where were you going?’ asked Gallia.
‘Any of the northern kingdoms — Media, Atropaiene, Hatra — that would give us refuge. After that,’ he shrugged, ‘we had no plans after that.’
‘Well,’ I said, ‘it was fortunate for you and us that you crossed paths with Surena.’
Silaces laughed and the burden of worry and responsibility he carried on his shoulders disappeared for an instant. ‘He is a strange one, that’s for sure, and as cocky as I was at that age. He told me that he had been sent by Dura’s blonde-haired queen and her witch to raise some hell across the Tigris, and that he had already attacked Ctesiphon. I had heard of King Pacorus of Dura of course, and he said that there would be a home for us in your kingdom. I don’t know why but I believed him and so here we are.’
‘He spoke the truth,’ I said. ‘You and your men are welcome here, Silaces. Welcome to stay and welcome to fight alongside us if you so wish.’
Silaces stood and bowed to us. ‘You are a most gracious king, majesty.’
‘I shall inspect your men tomorrow,’ I told him.
When I did I found them to be in a most parlous state. They had been quartered five miles south of the city, on land that was part of the royal estates. Most of Dura’s lords lived in the northern part of the kingdom, their estates extending north for a hundred miles and west into the desert. But Duran territory also extended south of the city for another hundred miles, most of it belonging to the crown and containing the royal tanneries, farms that produced food for the palace and army, and fodder for our horses and camels, mule-breeding centres and the fledgling horse herds that would be used to provide future mounts for Dura’s horsemen.
Silaces had brought the equivalent of eight dragons with him across the Euphrates, but as I rode among them with Surena and Gallia I estimated that less than half of them were adequately equipped. All had their bows, for a Parthian’s most precious object was the bow that he had made himself, but most of their quivers were empty. Few had swords and many of their horses were in urgent need of new saddles and shoes.
Silaces saw me screwing up my face at them. ‘They are not much to look at, majesty. Most of us are survivors from the last battle when we escaped with our lives and not much else. But they are good men and brave given a chance.’