Two days later, the men broke through the last of the rocks, and Orodes nodded in satisfaction. He even offered a gruff word or two of praise for the men’s labors. As soon as the soldiers swept the last of the rubble off the trail, the little caravan collected its tools and resumed its march.
“Will we make it in time? If it took three days to get through this blockage. .”
Orodes, riding at Daro’s side, considered ignoring the question. But the soldier had been pleasant enough, and Orodes didn’t want to be arguing with everyone for however long the dig lasted.
“I can’t say yet, Daro. This was the first obstacle, so we learned quite a bit about the rocks and how to move them. All the men now know what to do, so our work will go faster. Remember, not all the passages will be as difficult as this one. Some will go quicker than others. Meanwhile, when we reach the second blockage, we’ll send a small crew on ahead to the third, to begin work there. That way we’ll always be working on two obstructions at a time.”
“It still seems impossible. I mean, to get all the way to the Great Sea in such a short time.”
“Well, that’s why I’m here.” Orodes laughed, a grim sound that rolled against the cliff face. “To make it possible. You just make sure the men have what they need, and do what they’re told.”
The soldier grunted, ending the brief conversation.
Despite his bold words, Orodes had his own doubts. After what he’d seen today, he should have started at least twenty or thirty days earlier. But Trella undoubtedly had her reasons, whatever they might be. Still, these were good men, and not afraid of hard labor. Time and the gods would tell. One down, and forty three to go.
Chapter 12
Eskkar swung down from his horse with a grunt of satisfaction. Behind him, the twenty Hawk Clan guards did the same, all of them just as grateful to be off the back of a horse. For almost a month, the King and his guards had ridden from sunup to dusk, visiting the foothills and passes of the Zagros Mountains. Eskkar had sworn to himself that he would study every patch of ground between Akkad and the Jkarian Pass.
Whatever happened in the coming war with the Elamites, he intended to know the best places to fight or defend well in advance.
For this expedition, Eskkar had brought with him Mitrac, Akkad’s Master Archer. Mitrac had wanted one more look at the Dellen Pass, in particular the place where the battle would most likely take place.
But now the day’s traveling had ended, and for once the sun still stood high in the afternoon sky. Eskkar hadn’t visited the village of Nuzi in many months. But since his return journey from the northern lands brought him within a half day’s ride of the mine, he’d allowed Mitrac to convince him that they should stop and visit both the garrison and the source of Akkad’s gold and silver coins.
So Mitrac had commanded the guards and ridden at Eskkar’s side. Mitrac had looked forward to the stop at Nuzi, since he had friends there. In any case, Eskkar had grudgingly admitted that too many months had passed since he last inspected the troops at Nuzi. Another day or two, added to the nearly thirty days since Eskkar had departed Akkad, wouldn’t make much of a difference.
Trella would be pleased as well. She depended on the mine’s output, which she turned into gold, silver, and copper coins, to recruit, arm, train, and pay Akkad’s soldiers. The more time her husband spent at Nuzi, the smoother the operation would run.
Because of its value, the silver mine at Nuzi remained one of the most heavily guarded places in the Land Between the Rivers. The original find and initial excavation had yield plenty of gold, but those thick veins had faded away to mere threads. Many of the miners had expected to exhaust the ores years ago.
However the ancient upheaval that lifted the heavy metals close to the surface had proved to be far more extensive than Master Miner Orodes or anyone could have imagined. While most of the surface nuggets and veins had already been mined, the ever-deeper shafts into the earth continued to produce acceptable quantities of silver, as well as smaller amounts of gold and copper.
Over the years, ores of lead, copper, tin, iron, azurite, malachite, and other minerals extracted from the earth had proved nearly as valuable as the silver and gold. Almost by accident, Nuzi had become Akkad’s main source of the bronze needed by its soldiers and craftsmen.
Forges sprang up around the mine, and the smoke from burning charcoal and heating metal hung in the air from dawn to dusk. The wealth of Nuzi paid for more than half of all of Akkad’s expenditures.
With so much of value to protect, the garrison of soldiers stationed there had grown as well, and before long, a training camp was established nearby. Now hundreds of archers and spearmen trained at the new camp. Women, of course, accompanied their men, and soon children increased the population. Now three good-sized villages, with their outlying farms and herds, surrounded the mine and smelting pits.
Orodes and his senior apprentices still directed the operation of the ore pits and smelters, but lately the Master Miner spent most of his time in Akkad. With the vast wealth he’d earned from Nuzi since the war with Sumer, Orodes had become the richest man in Akkad. These days he much preferred the company of his wives and pleasure slaves in Akkad, where he lived in a large house surrounded by a stout wall, and protected by a sizeable contingent of personal guards.
The mine, the soldiers’ garrison, and the training camps were under the command of Tooraj. One of the older members of the Hawk Clan, he’d lost an eye in the final battle against the Alur Meriki, when they sought to overwhelm the city’s wall.
Tooraj, too, had been at Nuzi since its beginnings, and his responsibilities had grown as steadily as the mine. He also provided security for the villagers and craftsmen who dwelt near the excavation. They were represented by a small council of elders, who made sure that the miners and soldiers treated them fairly.
“Lord Eskkar, it’s good to see you again.” Tooraj, a few seasons older than Eskkar, looked just as fit. A patch covered his left eye socket, to keep out the dirt and dust. “Welcome to Nuzi.”
“What, you can’t remember your Captain?” Eskkar laughed, and hugged the soldier until he pleaded for mercy.
Tooraj nodded at the compliment. “It’s been a long time, Captain, since you’ve been here. I was out on patrol during your last visit.”
“Well, this time you can show me everything you accomplished. My men need a rest, so we’ll remain here tonight and tomorrow.” Eskkar nodded toward Mitrac. “You remember Tooraj?”
“Oh, yes, he fought at my side when the barbarians attacked Akkad’s walls. I understand he’s been most helpful in making Deltin at ease. I would like to see Deltin and give him a message from Daro.”
Tooraj clasped arms with Eskkar’s companion. Hawk Clan members did not forget the oaths they’d sworn to their fellow clansmen. “Deltin’s a good man, Mitrac. Daro did well to rescue him.”
Nuzi held one additional secret, known only to a few. A prosperous Akkadian also lived near the mine, a man named Deltin. Only a handful knew his real name — Sabatu. Lady Trella had insisted on the name change. She and her agents remained most cautious in their handling of the Elamite refugee.
“I suppose Mitrac would like to meet his friend at once,” Tooraj said. “What would you prefer to do, Captain?”
“I’ll accompany Mitrac,” Eskkar said. “He’s very interested in Deltin’s progress.”
“He lives on the other side of the garrison,” Tooraj said, “upwind of most of the smelting ovens. Not a long walk, if you would like to stretch your legs.”
They did. Leaving their horses behind, the three men set off at a brisk pace. Tooraj explained that Sabatu occupied a large house of his own, just a few paces from where the old Hawk Clan soldier had established his own headquarters. A wall as tall as a man surrounded Sabatu’s dwelling, but the open gate was unguarded, and they passed into what Eskkar expected to be the usual garden. Instead, he found himself at a small archery range.