Parthian Dawn (70 page)

I turned back to Gallia, but at that moment the low rumble of horses’ hooves came from the rear and I saw the banner of Orodes coming towards me. He and his cataphracts rode through our horsemen and began forming into two ranks in front of us. Ahead, the enemy was breaking into a canter.

‘I desire you to deal with those horsemen opposite, my friend,’ I said.

‘Consider it done.’ He smiled and rode forward and as one the two lines of cataphracts began moving towards the enemy, at first trotting and then breaking into a canter. Each rider then levelled his
kontus
and grasped it with both hands on his right side as the cataphracts broke into a gallop. Moments later there was a scraping noise as the two sides collided. As the horizon disappeared in a cloud of dust and our ears were filled with the screams of men and horses, to our left the Pontic Legion was moving forward prior to wheeling left to attack the flank of the Mesenian foot that had failed to break through to the bridge.

It was time to remove Gallia from the battlefield.

‘Gallia,’ I shouted, ‘take your Amazons and Kuban’s men and ride to the city gates. Reinforce the garrison while we mop up here.’

She was in no mood to be told what to do, but a mother’s desire to ensure that her child was safe overrode all other emotions. With the enemy foot trying to save itself and Orodes driving back the enemy horsemen, the way to the city now lay open. It would take some time for the rubble and braces that would have been placed behind the city’s gates to be removed, but at least Gallia would have something to occupy her mind.

She nodded and ordered Praxima and the rest of the Amazons to follow her towards the Palmyrene Gate. Behind them Kuban and his men followed in a long column. I also sent Vagharsh and my banner with Gallia to ensure that the garrison knew who was riding to the gates. This left me with around a hundred Duran horse archers, including Surena.

‘Feisty, the queen!’ he beamed.

‘Be quiet.’’

‘Did you see Viper when we were shooting arrows at them earlier? Beautiful. Do you think she would marry me?’

‘Not if she has any sense. Now stop daydreaming and concentrate on the task in hand.’

Orodes was cutting the enemy cavalry to pieces. A
kontus
can go straight through a wooden shield with ease, and through leather armour as well, and after the initial impact the cataphracts would go to work with their swords and maces, while the enemy would not be able to pierce scale armour or steel leg and arm armour. I rode forward with my greatly diminished command before encountering Orodes himself, who joined me with an escort of a dozen men. He raised his left hand, a blood-smeared mace held in the other.

‘Most of them are dead, the rest have fled south.’

‘Your own casualties?’ I asked.

He shrugged. ‘Insignificant.’

‘Well done. Get your men back to the city, they’ve earned their pay today.’

As Orodes rode back to his men I journeyed across the battlefield to join the Pontic Legion that was now marching at right angles to the enemy’s camp. Dura’s legion was still locked in combat with the Mesenians, but it was obvious that the latter had failed in their efforts. And from the other flank Atrax, Nergal and their horse archers were attacking the Mesenians. Soon Chosroes’ men would be assaulted on both flanks as well as fighting the Duran Legion to their front.

Seeing the Pontic Legion approaching from the south, the Mesenians attempted to form a line on their left flank. To their credit there was still a semblance of order within their ranks, but their fate was sealed when the Pontic centuries smashed into them. Assaulted on two sides by legionaries and on another by horse archers, they were slowly being squeezed into a densely packed square, from which there was no escape when I led my own horse archers against its rear. Those equipped with shields turned to face us and formed a front rank, ramming the ends of their shafts into the hard earth and levelling their points at us, daring us to ride forward and impale ourselves on the long spears held at an angle of forty-five degrees. We did ride forward, but loosed our arrows at them and then turned our horses away before they could get to grips with us. We were few and they were many, but it did not matter because they were stationary and in ranks — easy targets for our missiles. But then, after hours standing under a hot sun, having failed in their bold attempt to break through our lines, and now assaulted on four sides, their will suddenly collapsed and the Mesenians suddenly turned into a mass of refugees. Unfortunately, the only route in which they could flee was in my direction.

The enemy mass seemed to dissolve as men started running towards us, thousands of them. Our only choice was to get out of their way — we could mop them up later. I gave the order to join Atrax’s men when a burning sensation engulfed my left leg. I looked down to see an arrow embedded in the flesh, and then an enemy soldier ran straight into Remus. He was obviously gripped by a wild panic, and in his desperation to escape the slaughter had been looking behind him when he hit a wall of horseflesh. He tumbled to the ground before scrambling back to his feet and continuing his flight, but Remus reared up on his back legs and I tumbled from the saddle and fell to the ground. He bolted away as I tried to get to my feet, but the pain in my leg made this difficult and I had been also badly winded by the fall. I drew my sword and used it as a crutch to haul myself to my feet. I felt nauseous and saw that there was now a large patch of blood on my leggings around the arrow wound. Enemy soldiers were fleeing in all directions but not all had lost their minds. To my front one approached me with his spear levelled and his shield covering the front of his body. I tried to limp out of his way but it was impossible to put any weight on my left leg. He leered in delight as he ran towards me with his spear, but suddenly pitched forward as he was shot in the back. I collapsed on the ground in great pain. Surena rode up, slipped his bow in its case and jumped from his saddle, kneeling by my side.

‘You must get on my horse, lord.’

I weakly pointed at two enemy soldiers advancing towards us with axes in their hands. Surena pulled his bow from its case and shot them both in quick succession. Yet more of the enemy, seeing Surena’s horse as a means of escape, bore down on us. Surena calmly shot at them until his quiver was empty. He threw down his bow and drew his sword.

‘Save yourself,’ I ordered, weakness engulfing my body, ‘get out of here.’

A man lunged at him with a spear but Surena deftly jumped aside, grabbed the shaft and ran his blade through the man’s body.

‘Can’t do that, lord. My grandfather would never forgive me.’

A Mesenian tried to split him in two as he held his sword above his head with both hands and brought it down with all of his strength. Surena blocked the blow with his own sword and thrust his dagger into the man’s guts, then stood over me as a ring of enemy soldiers formed around us like a pack of wolves. I thought I heard strange whooshing noises as I drifted into unconsciousness.

I awoke in my bed in the Citadel with Gallia sitting beside me holding Claudia. I felt the wonderful caress of my wife’s fingers on my cheek as I slowly came out of my deep slumber. Claudia smiled when I opened my eyes and I managed a faint smile back. She then crawled onto the bed and snuggled up to me and in that moment I experienced true happiness.

‘How long was I asleep?’

Gallia leaned over, kissed my lips and smiled, her long locks falling about my face.

‘A day and a half. Atrax and Surena carried you here and we have been watching over you ever since.’

I felt very weak but deliriously happy, surrounded as I was by my loved ones. There were no noises of battle, no stench of death, just a gentle breeze that ruffled the cotton nets hanging at the entrance to our balcony.

Alcaeus appeared by the side of the bed.

‘How do you feel?’

‘Weak,’ then I was aware of an aching sensation in my left leg. I noticed my bandaged left arm and then instinctively felt for my lower limb.

Alcaeus smiled when he saw my concerned look. ‘Don’t worry, you still have your leg. You were lucky, the arrow did not smash the bone, and once we had stopped the bleeding it was just a matter of sealing the wound and binding it tightly.’

‘I was worried that you might sleep forever,’ he continued, ‘but now we can all rest easy.’

I looked at Gallia. ‘The battle?’

She gripped my hand. ‘Was won, Pacorus, you have saved our city.’

‘Nearly got yourself killed in the process, though,’ Dobbai suddenly appeared at my bedside, a cup containing white liquid in her hand.

‘What is it?’ I asked, seeing Alcaeus’ disapproving look.

‘Poison, of course,’ replied Dobbai, ‘I thought I would achieve what Mithridates and Narses could not. Now drink it and stop whining.’

‘Remus,’ I said, ‘he bolted during the battle.’

‘He’s safe and being treated like a lord in the stables. Unlike you,’ replied Dobbai, ‘he hasn’t a scratch on him, so drink the liquid.’

Claudia had fallen asleep beside me as Dobbai handed the cup to Gallia, who held it to my lips. It tasted of nuts but had the texture of thick milk. Most strange.

‘The kings are still here,’ said Gallia. ‘They will be most relieved that you are recovering, as I am, my love.’

Dobbai took the cup and shuffled away. ‘I’ll fetch some more. It will soon get you back on your feet.’

‘I will decide when he gets back on his feet,’ insisted Alcaeus, to which Dobbai merely waved her hand dismissively at him and left the room.

‘You will have another scar,’ said Alcaeus, ‘and you may have a slight limp.’

‘Limp?’

He shrugged. ‘It’s too early to tell, but better that than having no leg at all.’

The rest of the day I spent slipping in and out of sleep with Gallia and Claudia beside me, interrupted only by Alcaeus applying a fresh dressing to my arm and leg and Dobbai giving me more of her concoction to drink. She would not tell me what was in it, only that it was frequently used by the people of the northern steppes as an aid to recovery. That night I slept like the dead and in the morning awoke to discover that my strength was indeed slowly returning, just as she had promised. Alcaeus scoffed at such nonsense but did accept that I looked healthier than the day before. I agreed that my father could visit me in my bedchamber, but no one else. I did not want anyone to see the King of Dura incapacitated. The height of vanity, perhaps, but the Romans had taught me that you should always project an image of strength to the world, never weakness.

‘So,’ my father stood at the entrance to our bedroom balcony, ‘how is the hero of the hour?’

‘Weak and helpless, if truth be told.’ A dozen well-stuffed pillows propped me up.

‘Your doctor told me that you should be up and about in no time. Curious fellow, treats royalty like something he’s scraped off his sandal.’

‘He’s Greek,’ I said. ‘They are a people who believe that everyone is more or less equal.’

‘Ah. I can see why he likes it here.’

‘You do not approve of my kingdom, father?’ It was the first time he had visited Dura.

He walked over and sat down in a bedside chair. ‘It has a certain rustic charm, I’ll grant you that. And that Roman of yours.’

‘Domitus?’

‘Yes, he has forged a fearsome weapon in his foot soldiers. He reminds me of Vistaspa. Uncompromising, like a rod of iron, but as for Gallia’s women…’

I was more interested in the battle that had taken place than discussing Dura’s army. ‘Was the fight on the other side of the river a hard one?’

My father stretched out his legs. He was dressed in a white baggy shirt and loose blue leggings and looked very relaxed. ‘Not at all. The Persien heavy cavalry put up a fight but Chosroes and his bodyguard scarpered after our first charge. The rest lost heart after that.’

‘Was Narses present?’

My father laughed. ‘No. He has better things to do than lay siege to Dura, I think, no offence meant.’

‘None taken.’

‘Anyway, the kings await your pleasure.’

‘I will see them all tomorrow,’ I replied.

My father stood and offered his hand. I took it. ‘Thank you, father, for your support.’

‘What sort of father would I be if I stood by and did nothing when my son was in danger?’

‘Is Haytham here?’

He nodded. ‘He’s here. One of his lords and Gotarzes have renewed their friendship.’

‘Who would have thought it,’ I said mischievously, ‘Parthian and Agraci making friends with each other?’

‘Who indeed, Pacorus, who indeed.’

The next day I felt well enough to get dressed and hobble to the throne room, where I received a succession of visitors. Gallia sat beside me and Dobbai hovered around, making unwelcome comments and taking delight in annoying people, mostly Alcaeus who insisted that I should not tire myself out. Already the armies of the kings were heading for home, my father’s horse archers having left the day before for Hatra, his cataphracts remaining with Vistaspa to escort their king home. I insisted that while they were in Dura all the standards of the kings should fly side-by-side from the ramparts of the Citadel, so that all may see our great alliance. So the griffin flew beside the white horse’s head, the bull of Babylon, the dragon of Media, the shahbaz of Atropaiene, the eagle of Susiana, and the four-pointed star of Elymais. I also insisted that the black standard of Haytham should be accorded a place among the banners, Gotarzes declaring that it should stand next to his own just as he had stood next to Haytham in battle.

‘Next to each other by the wine jug, more like,’ whispered my father.

Before the great feast to celebrate our victory, I had a private gathering of those whom I trusted the most to thank them for their conduct during the preceding weeks, especially Godarz, the man who had been in charge of the city during two sieges and whose calm demeanour had inspired confidence in everyone around him. That the city had not fallen was due in no small measure to him.

‘I had hoped that your time in Parthia would be one a peaceful one, Godarz,’ I said to him after we had all come together on the palace balcony.