To achieve that end, a pack train of forty horses plodded along behind the soldiers, filled not only with the usual sacks and skins holding food and water, but an odd collection of tools and lumber. Alcinor also had four men each carrying a ladder of various size. There would be few trees inside the pass. Thirty six supply bearers struggled alongside the beasts of burden, carrying another collection of special supplies required by Alcinor and his apprentices.
Nevertheless, the most important burden — sixteen oak logs, each about ten paces long, an arm length wide, and as straight as an arrow — rested on the shoulders of another hundred and forty porters and seventy-five mules.
Trella had scoured the countryside all the way to Akkad’s borders to find those mules, better animals than horses or oxen for hauling the unusual and unwieldy cargo. Each log rested in a skein of sturdy ropes that formed a sling supported by four mules, and assisted by eight husky laborers. They used smaller poles of oak passed under the log, to help carry the weight, and to support the mules over the rough terrain. Both men and beasts grunted under the heavy logs, as they struggled along.
At least the men enjoyed the luxury of cursing the brutal task, especially when the cavalcade entered the Jkarian Pass and started the long ascent toward the crest. The mules couldn’t swear at their burdens, but they did get to rest part of each day, when some of Draelin’s cavalry used their horses to take the animals place. The sweating bearers had no such relief, as they stumbled along from dawn to dusk.
Five days after starting the ascent into the Jkarian Pass, and just after midday, the heavily burdened cavalcade reached its destination. Even the final leg of the journey had taken longer than expected. A fast moving merchant caravan could cross the Pass through the Zagros Mountains in anywhere from six to ten days.
But the ever increasing slope of the trail had strained horses, mules and men. To Alcinor’s eye, they had arrived just in time to avoid complete exhaustion and collapse.
Thankfully, since the Akkadians first entered the Pass, they’d encountered only one caravan coming west, and Alcinor had been grateful to see that they were in fact only merchants and their armed guards. While there might be a spy or two mixed among them, he thought it highly unlikely that anyone would suspect his intentions. Even the odd cargo of logs would be ignored. After all, what could one do with a handful of logs in the middle of the mountains?
The engineer and the soldier rode side by side. “This is the place, Draelin.” Alcinor pointed toward the right. “Behind that boulder is a narrow path that leads away from the trail and into the mountains. It only lasts for about eight hundred paces before it comes to an end against the cliffs. There’s no other way in. But at the far end, there’s a good place to make camp. It’s large enough to hold your men and the supplies, and it’s far enough off the trail so that no one will see or hear them.”
“I don’t like the idea of being trapped in these rocks.” Draelin sounded dubious. “But at least we’ll be out of sight.”
“I’ll tell the men where to stack the logs. No sense carrying them all the way into the rocks.”
“As soon as they’re unloaded,” Draelin said, “I’m going to send the mules, bearers and any men we don’t need back to Akkad. The sooner we’re rid of the filthy beasts and the extra mouths to feed, the better. Then I’ll clean up our trail and send out the scouts.”
Alcinor led the men into the rocks, told them where to camp, and returned nearly to the mouth of the trail. Two hundred paces into the rocks, the cargo of precious logs and equipment had already been unloaded. Alcinor had only a few moments to thank the porters and bearers, before both men and mules had departed, anxious to get out of the Pass before the Elamites arrived.
Draelin’s soldiers were busy sweeping the ground clear of any tracks that indicated a large party had turned aside and ventured into the mountains. Before the last of the mules was out of sight, Draelin’s men had collected the animal droppings and carried them into the cliff, where they would be buried under piles of loose rocks.
“I’ve sent out four scouts, two toward the east and two on our back trail.” Draelin pointed to a pair of men moving east, just as they disappeared behind the rocks. “They’re on foot because we can’t take a chance on leaving horse tracks or droppings. Still, they should be able to run back and give us enough warning if anyone happens along the trail.”
Alcinor nodded at Draelin’s plans, though he had little interest in the soldiers’ activities. “I’m going to examine the cliff wall. Do you want to come along?”
Draelin glanced up at the rock face towering over them. “Not really, but I suppose I must.”
Alcinor led the way, moving back deeper into the cliffs for a hundred paces, then turning eastward. A few moments later, both men were scrambling over rocks and around boulders as they steadily climbed higher. When Alcinor reached a flat slab of rock, he halted to catch his breath.
Draelin glanced around. “Is this the place?”
“No, but you should see this.”
Alcinor crawled out along the top of a formation until he reached its edge, with Draelin following. A drop greater than two tall trees, at least a hundred paces, lay directly beneath them.
Flat on their bellies, both men peered out at the rocky vista spread out below them. About a hundred and thirty paces away lay part of the Jkarian Pass, with a good stretch visible from their vantage point.
“The highest part of the Pass is less than two miles east,” Alcinor said. “You can just glimpse it from here.”
Draelin crawled closer to the edge and stared. “I can’t even see the scouts. But I’ll take your word for it.” He twisted his head upwards. “Is that the cliff?”
“No, it’s a little further ahead, and a bit closer to the trail. But we have to climb even higher.” Alcinor wriggled away from the precipice and regained his feet. He led the way, moving higher and deeper into rock walls that towered overhead, following marks that he had scraped on the stones on his previous visit. Finally he stopped. “This is the place.”
Draelin’s eyes widened as he glanced around. “I can’t even see the main trail. How can you block the Pass from here?”
“Look up.”
The soldier did so, and Alcinor smiled at the look of amazement that appeared on Draelin’s face. Overhead a massive slab of rock towered over them, leaning at a sharp angle. It looked as if it waited for them to arrive, poised to crush them to death for daring to stand beneath it.
“Ishtar mother of the gods!” Draelin’s mouth stayed open, and he made a sign to ward off the evil spirits.
“Don’t worry, Draelin. It’s been standing here for many years, perhaps hundreds of years.”
“If you say so.” Draelin continued to stare at the rock wall leaning over them. “When Eskkar first told me you were going to bring down a mountain, I didn’t believe it. But looking at that thing, it looks ready to collapse at any moment.”
“It won’t come down, not yet.”
“I’m not so sure. I never felt fear run through me like that, not in my whole life. By the gods, how much does it weigh? It’s the size of a village! Bigger, even!”
“I’ve no idea,” Alcinor admitted. “More than we can imagine.”
Sounds of men climbing toward them reached Alcinor’s ears. The first of his workers had unpacked their loads, gathered their tools, and mounted the cliff in search of their leader. Mouths agape, they, too, kept glancing at the massive overhang.
Alcinor nodded in sympathy. The cliff did indeed appear threatening. “Well, Draelin, there’s no need for you up here. Go back down. Tell your men to send up water, at least three skins. My men are going to need a lot of water.”
“May the gods be with you,” Draelin said, “but I’m not coming back up here again, not unless you need me.”