‘Clever attempting to take this city, though,’ mused Domitus. ‘If it had fallen then Hatra would have faced being threatened from three directions — Nisibus, Assur and Zeugma.’
I stared at the heaps of black, charred cadavers being licked by flames. ‘Wars are not won by standing on the defensive. It is time to march against the Armenians and defeat them once and for all.’
The next day there was a service of thanksgiving in the city’s temple dedicated to Shamash, at which all those who had volunteered to stand beside the garrison and the Amazons on the city walls were honoured. Almost five hundred had fought on the battlements shooting arrows at the Armenians and a further six hundred had been formed into a reserve at the palace, ready to be committed against any enemy incursions. The Armenians would have made short work of the collection of cripples, old men, young boys and men missing limbs who now stood near the altar being blessed by the high priest for their courage. They were each given five drachmas for their loyalty, paid out of Herneus’ own pocket. He was a rich and powerful man and could afford to do so but I thought it was a nice touch.
The most poignant scenes were the cremations of the runners, the young boys and girls who had been killed while scouring the ground behind the inner wall for enemy arrows. They had thought it great fun and were encouraged by officers of the garrison to collect as many arrows as they could for a reward of sweets and fruit. But many had been hit and killed while doing so and I hated the Armenians for forcing us to resort to such measures.
A touching scene was when an emotional Asher was presented with a silver arrow for his service during the assault. I learned that he had been instrumental in raising volunteers from among the general population that had taken refuge in the temples, and I thanked Shamash that we still had men of iron like him left in the empire.
Afterwards, when everyone had filed out of the temple to return to their daily lives, I sat near the altar next to Gallia as sunlight streamed in through the high windows. She was wearing her white shirt and tan leggings and boots, her hair loose around her shoulders. I held her hand.
‘I am tired, Gallia.’
‘Of course, you have had hardly any sleep these past three days.’
I smiled at her. ‘I did not mean that. I am tired of war, tired of battles and bloodshed. I have been fighting for over twenty years, and for what?’
‘So we can stay free,’ she said, surprised at my despondency.
I sighed. ‘Freedom. We were free when we escaped from Italy, but instead of living in Hatra and being content to wait for my inheritance, in my impatience I took the throne of Dura. I have often wondered if I had not done so whether the empire would have been plunged into civil war, whether Phraates would have been murdered and whether my father would have been killed.’
I looked into her blue eyes. ‘Am I responsible for all those things?’
Her look hardened. ‘No, you are not. Had you been responsible for Mithridates and Narses being vomited into the world then I would have said yes, but you cannot blame yourself for what has happened since we returned from Italy. It has been your destiny.’
I chuckled darkly. ‘My destiny? My doom, more like.’
She stood up. ‘Come on. No more despairing. We have a war to win.’
I stood up and pulled her close, her full lips inches from mine. ‘Perhaps you should be lord high general.’
She kissed me tenderly. ‘I would like that. What will you do now?’
‘We wait for Atrax and then march to Hatra to fight the Armenians.’
The King of Media arrived the next day with five hundred cataphracts, their squires, four thousand horse archers and five thousand foot soldiers. Media’s soldiers wore blue tunics and grey leggings but it was the first time I had seen Atrax’s professional foot soldiers.
‘I have spent the last three years equipping and training them,’ he said with pride as I rode with him, Demaratus and Herneus as we inspected his troops on the Plain of Makhmur, the great flatland across the Tigris opposite Assur, which could accommodate an army with ease. Following Domitus’ relief of the city I had sent a second despatch to Atrax telling him that he need not rush to our aid. This had allowed him to bring his foot soldiers with his horsemen. At the same time I had also sent a courier to Hatra to assure Gafarn that Assur was safe and asked him not to engage the Armenians until I arrived.
Each of Media’s foot soldiers was ensconced in a helmet with a large neck protector and cheekguards, a short-sleeved scale armour tunic, similar to that worn by his heavy horsemen, thick leather greaves over leather boots and a large oval shield faced with hide painted black and sporting the white dragon of Media. But the most remarkable thing about these soldiers was that their main weapon was a mace, a short length of wood topped with a spiked iron head. They also carried swords and daggers but these troops were obviously equipped and armed to literally batter their way through an enemy formation.
‘The Armenians have heavy foot soldiers,’ said Atrax, ‘so these men have been created to fight and destroy them.’
‘They do Media credit, majesty,’ remarked Demaratus.
‘They certainly do,’ I agreed.
The next day we left Assur for Hatra. I hoisted myself onto Remus in the palace courtyard while outside the city twenty-three thousand foot soldiers and four and a half thousand horsemen marched west into the desert. Beside me Gallia was on Epona with the Amazons drawn up behind us. Herneus and his officers stood at the foot of the palace steps, flanked by the high priests from the temples and the city officials. The city governor stepped forward and bowed his head.
‘You have saved this city, majesty,’ he said to me, then looked at Gallia and bowed once more, ‘and this city will talk of your warriors with reverence and awe for generations, highness.’
‘It was an honour to have fought beside the men of Assur,’ she replied, breaking into a smile.
I leaned forward. ‘I will have your lords and their men returned to you as soon as I get to Hatra, Herneus. And Silaces and his men too.’
He nodded. ‘Thank you, majesty.’
‘One more thing, Herneus. King Aschek and the army of Atropaiene will be arriving here soon on their way to Hatra. Aschek has a tendency to dally when he should make haste, therefore please do not encourage him to stay here and enjoy what will be I’m sure your excellent hospitality.’
He smiled wryly as I raised my hand to those assembled before me. ‘Shamash be with you all,’ then I tugged on Remus’ reins and rode from the courtyard with Gallia and the Amazons following. The city had given thanks to the gods for its deliverance, cremated the dead and had now returned to the greater battle that was the daily struggle for survival.
The march to Hatra was uneventful.
Byrd and Malik scouted with their men and Atrax sent parties of horse archers far and wide in case there were any more Armenian forces in the area but they reported seeing nothing, and when we arrived at the city three days later I learned that the Armenian host that had been advancing from Nisibus had suddenly retreated in haste back to the city. There were thus tens of thousands of horsemen and foot soldiers camped around Hatra with nothing to do but eat up their rations and cover the ground with animal dung.
Marcus established the Duran camp to the north of the city near the city’s northern gates. These gave direct access to Hatra’s vast royal quarter housing the mansions of the kingdom’s richest and most important nobles, the Great Temple dedicated to Shamash, the treasury, the palace and its accompanying gardens, and the royal barracks, armouries and stables. A high, thick wall reinforced by one hundred and fifty towers along its length surrounded the entire city, while a separate wall encompassed the royal quarter. It really was a formidable fortress and one that even an enemy with siege engines would find difficult to reduce.