‘He will send his Sarmatians to scour the land for Armenian stragglers,’ said Silaces. ‘They like to take scalps.’
‘Scalps?’ said Gallia.
‘Yes, majesty,’ he replied, forgetting that he too was now a king. ‘Sarmatian warriors like to take the scalps of men they have killed so they can hang them from their saddles.’
‘Surena should not have brought these savages into Hatra,’ complained Gafarn.
‘Surena saved us, brother,’ I said, ‘we owe him a debt of gratitude for he has turned you into the vanquisher of Armenia. You will find that Artavasdes will be more eager to enter into negotiations now you have destroyed his army.’
‘And killed his brother,’ added Silaces.
‘His brother?’ queried Gafarn.
‘Artashes,’ continued Silaces. ‘It was he who commanded the Armenian Army. That is why Surena was eager to get here. He and Artashes have been conducting their own private war for many months. Surena left his foot at Assur to await the arrival of Atrax’s army when he learned that Artashes was nearing Hatra. Surena will be making sure he does not escape.’
Dura’s army returned to its camp outside the city while Hatra’s soldiers trudged back to their barracks inside the royal quarter. I stayed with Gallia in the command tent with the body of my friend and did not sleep as I sat in silence at the table with my wife sipping at wine. How many times had I sat with my friend at this very same table and joked and planned the future? And now he was gone; gone like Thumelicus, Drenis and Kronos.
‘There are only three of us left,’ I said.
‘What are you talking about?’ asked Gallia.
‘The night of Dobbai’s ritual. Of those who took part there are only three left: myself, Vagises and Vagharsh. The others are dead, as is she. She said there would be a price to pay.’
I heard horse hooves outside and then one of the entrance flaps was swept aside by a sentry.
‘Prince Spartacus, majesty.’
‘Let him in.’
Dressed in a simple white tunic and brown leggings, Spartacus appeared remarkably fresh-faced as he walked over to Gallia and embraced her, then nodded to me.
‘I am glad to see you unharmed,’ I told him, indicating that he should sit with us. I walked over to another table holding wine, poured a cup and handed it to him.
He held it up to me. ‘To you, uncle, and the glory of the empire.’
Gallia rolled her eyes but I smiled at him. He was young, a prince of this city and had just taken part in a battle that had crushed Armenia’s might. He had every reason to feel proud.
He suddenly looked melancholic. ‘I heard about Lucius Domitus. I grieve with you. He was a great soldier.’
‘And a greater friend,’ added Gallia with a cheerless voice.
‘You go now to fight the Romans, uncle?’ he asked.
‘After we have recovered our strength and been reinforced by our allies, yes. I had wanted to deal with Crassus first but the gods dictated otherwise.’
‘I would ask a favour of you,’ he said.
‘What favour can I grant the triumphant Prince of Hatra?’ I teased him. ‘A boy no longer but a valiant member of your city’s Royal Bodyguard.’
‘I wish to come with you when you march against the Romans,’ he said.
I drank some wine. ‘That will be for your father to decide, Spartacus. You are no longer my squire.’
Gallia laid a hand on his arm. ‘Pacorus will ensure that you are beside him when he faces Crassus, Spartacus, have no fear.’
He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. ‘You have always been and will ever remain my favourite aunt.’
He gulped down his wine, bowed his head to me and then asked if he could take his leave. I stood and shook his hand and he embraced Gallia and then sauntered from our presence.
‘What did you say that for?’ I asked.
She shook her head. ‘You think he has forgotten about the quest that Haytham set him? You think he has forgotten about the woman whose strand of hair hangs around his neck?’
I sighed deeply. ‘That nonsense again. I had forgotten.’
‘Just make sure you take him with you.’
I laughed. ‘The chances of him taking a Roman eagle are infinitesimal, they really are.’
‘You took one,’ she shot back.
‘That was different.’
‘How?’
‘It just was.’
She pointed a finger at me. ‘You promised Claudia that you would take care of her son.’
Sometimes the female mind baffled me. ‘What?’
‘If you deprive him of the chance of marrying Rasha he will be deeply unhappy. You do not want that, do you?’
I gave up. ‘Apparently not. Very well, I will ask Gafarn if his son can accompany me.’
Once more the sentry disturbed us to announce that my senior officers were outside. I ordered him to let them in and also to fetch more wine as they entered and slumped into the chairs around the table. They all looked dead on their feet, their faces showing stubble and their clothes dirty and torn. I emptied the wine jug and then half of the fresh one brought in by a sentry to provide them with refreshment as they made their reports.
‘The legions lost four hundred and fifty dead and seven hundred wounded,’ said Chrestus without emotion.
‘Of the wounded around a quarter will not last through the night,’ added Alcaeus.
Vagises looked up. ‘The horse archers lost one hundred and twenty killed and two hundred wounded, with a similar number of horses lost. Losses among the cataphracts are considerably less. Ten killed and fifty wounded.’
‘Three hundred of my men were also slain today,’ reported Peroz, ‘with a further five hundred wounded.’
‘It was a hard fight,’ I agreed, ‘though the Armenians suffered far more so let us thank the gods for that.’
‘And now?’ asked Vagises.
‘And now, my friend,’ I answered, ‘we cremate our dead, await our allies and prepare to fight Marcus Licinius Crassus.’
‘I have lost all my smaller ballista,’ said a distraught Marcus. ‘They were destroyed by the Armenians.’
‘They can be replaced,’ I told him, ‘but at least the larger ones are safe in Hatra. They will be needed against the walls of Nisibus.’
Before they lay down on the carpets and wrapped themselves in their cloaks to sleep I told Chrestus that he now commanded the legions. He had served a long apprenticeship under Kronos and I knew that Domitus rated him highly, which was all the recommendation I needed.
The next day Orodes and Nergal arrived from the south with the armies of Babylon and Mesene — eight thousand foot, twelve thousand horse archers, five hundred cataphracts and Orodes’ Royal Guard — while from the west came Atrax leading the army of Media and Gordyene’s foot soldiers, an additional ten thousand foot, four thousand horse archers and five hundred cataphracts. And with Atrax rode the King of Gordyene with his horsemen, which included the Sarmatians, many of whom had bloody scalps dangling from their saddles.
There was a service of thanksgiving in the Great Temple, which was so full that the congregation spilled out of its main entrance, down the steps and onto the Great Square. The mood of the city, previously apprehensive, became happy and carefree, pretty young women kissing any soldier they could find and citizens acclaiming King Gafarn the greatest ruler that had ever sat upon Hatra’s throne. It was amazing how victory was a panacea for all ills. In the aftermath of the battle blind people apparently regained their sight and the crippled discarded their crutches and walked again so beloved of the gods was Hatra, or so I heard.
Amid the delirium of triumph I ordered Kogan to keep the Sarmatians out of the city, suggesting to Gafarn that he send ample quantities of wine and beer to their camp to keep them in a state of stupefaction rather than raping the female population of his capital.