Dawn of Empire es-1 Read online

  “Silence,” Esk kar said loudly. He repeated the word, this time using his command voice. “You’ll wake the whole village with your chattering, and no one will get any sleep tonight.” He jerked his head at the soldiers, and they began to move in front of the crowd, ordering the excited crowd to be silent. When the voices finally died down, Esk kar began to speak.

  “Yes, it’s true. The barbarians are coming.” Esk kar let the words run through the crowd, let them jabber for a moment, watching their faces as he confirmed their worst fears. “But they won’t be here for months, so go back to your beds-before your wives cut your throats for being out so late.”

  That brought nervous laughter from some, but others shouted at him, asking from what direction the barbarians would come, whether they should leave the village, or whether Orak would try to fight them off. Eskkar raised his hand and eventually they fell silent.

  “In two days, Nicar and the other Families will meet. Then we can begin preparing to resist the barbarians. We will fortify Orak so that it can turn back any attack.”

  Shouts of disbelief rose up, as well as questions, and the clamor grew louder. Esk kar glanced down at the soldiers. “Quiet them down,” he commanded. His men moved through the crowd, silencing the loudest, pushing back the most aggressive.

  Strange, now these soldiers watch my every gesture and obey my smallest command. Yesterday only his fists, backed if necessary by his sword, had provided the slimmest shred of authority. This must be what real power is like, Esk kar realized, more than a little amazed at the sensation.

  The people are afraid. Even the soldiers are worried. They want to be told they’ll be safe, told by someone in charge, someone in whom they can believe, even if only for a little while.

  “I know you have many questions,” he went on when the murmurs abated, “but they’ll have to wait until Nicar speaks. But hear this, my friends. We have the means and the men to make Orak strong enough to stop the barbarians-if we stand together. I will guide you all in this, and I tell you it can be done, and it will be done. Now, return to your homes and to your beds. Let Nicar speak in two days. By then you’ll know what you must do.”

  They shouted at him, but Esk kar ignored them as he jumped down and grabbed Gatus, a grizzled veteran approaching fifty seasons. A subcommander when Esk kar joined Orak’s guards, Ariamus had demoted Gatus back to the ranks for questioning his orders. Esk kar had no real friends among the soldiers, but he respected the old fighter, who knew his trade better than most.

  “Gatus, you’re second in command now.” Esk kar raised his voice so as many soldiers as possible could hear him. “Clear out this crowd. Make sure the gates are fastened for the night and guards stationed there. Have a few men patrol the streets until dawn as well. They don’t have to do anything, but have them armed and looking impressive. Then come see me.”

  The man nodded, accepting without question his new authority as well as Esk kar’s.

  “And Gatus, I’m moving into Ariamus’s quarters. Put a guard at my door. Otherwise some of these fools will be pounding on it until dawn.”

  Esk kar turned to Trella and found her staring at him, her fright gone, her wide eyes now locked fi rmly on his as he returned to her side. Taking her hand, he led her away from the crowd, toward the rear of the barracks where his new quarters were located.

  Guiding her inside, Esk kar noted in surprise that somebody had cleaned and packed down the dirt floor, thrown out most of the refuse, and moved his few belongings in there as well. Some of the men had anticipated his promotion.

  The thought of his possessions made him smile. It wouldn’t have taken long to move a thin blanket, a tunic, an old horse sword, and a common short sword.

  A fire burned in the tiny hearth and someone had piled a stack of wood nearby. A soldier entered, bringing a precious candle that he set in a pool of wax on the rough table in the center of the room. The soldier glanced admiringly at Trella, then grinned at Esk kar before he left them.

  Esk kar closed the door and leaned against it, the crowd noises already fading as his men started herding the villagers away. The candle flared up, adding its light to that of the fire.

  Trella walked slowly around the room. Esk kar’s eyes followed her as she took in her new home. She removed her cloak, then hung it on a peg near the door. From a pocket of her dress she removed a small pouch that no doubt contained the rest of her possessions, and hung it over the same peg. She crossed over to the fireplace, then turned and stood facing him, her head held high.

  Esk kar saw the swell of her breasts against the thin dress as she took a deep breath and let her eyes meet his.

  “I was told your name is ‘Esk kar,’ that you’re a barbarian, and that I’m given to you as your slave.” She couldn’t keep the hint of bitterness out of her voice when she uttered the word slave. “Creta didn’t say that you are now captain of the guard.”

  “The steppes people don’t consider themselves barbarians, Trella.

  They’re the same as any other clan, except they move from place to place.

  But I left them long ago, when I was fourteen, and I’ve lived among the farms and villages ever since, selling my sword. I’m just a soldier, and only the cowardice of Ariamus has made me captain of the guard.”

  Esk kar still had his back to the door, and faintly he heard a guard take up position outside. The crowd noise had disappeared, save for an occasional distant shout as his men went about their assignments.

  His men. The words sounded good. The day had started badly, but by day’s end, he’d become captain of the guard with his own room, his own woman slave, and a bag of gold arriving in the morning. Perhaps the gods smiled on him after all. His future prospects seemed good, at least for the next few months, when the Alur Meriki would likely cut off his head and impale it on a lance. No sense worrying about that tonight, though.

  “My father was advisor to the ruler of the village of Carnax,” Trella went on. “They were both killed by treachery, and my brother and I sold into slavery. Now I belong to you.”

  Esk kar wondered whether she told the truth. Everyone knew that all slaves lied about their past. Her parents could be peasants in the field who sold their daughter for a few coins because the rains came late or the sow died. He’d never heard of Carnax and in truth, it mattered little what she said or claimed. Trella was a slave and would be so for the rest of her life.

  He saw the tension in her body and guessed that she would resist him when he took her.

  To his surprise, the thought of taking her brought no excitement, and suddenly his legs felt as weary as his head. He pushed himself away from the door. The movement brought fear to Trella’s eyes. She took a step backward, her hands coming up to cross over her breasts.

  He sat down at the table and stared at the burning candle for a moment. “Trella, today has been long, and filled with many surprises for both of us.”

  Until now he hadn’t realized how much effort it had taken him to talk to Nicar, forcing himself to think and to present his plans and ideas clearly. Swinging a sword or cracking skulls took less effort, and he knew he’d spoken more words today than in the last month. His head wasn’t used to this much activity, and now he felt too tired even to force himself on the girl. He was getting old. Thirty seasons gone, and he knew he was lucky to be alive.

  “And tomorrow will probably be worse. I’m weary. I’ve eaten too much food and drunk too much wine, and there are too many thoughts in my head. Tell me if there’s anything you need, and we’ll go to sleep.”

  Her head came up, and he thought he saw color come into her cheeks, though the flickering light made it hard to be sure.

  “I have never been with a man.”

  He smiled at her, though at this particular moment he didn’t know whether that was good news or bad. “I think you’ll be safe tonight, girl. I need my sleep more than I need to wrestle with you.”

  He stood up, looking around the room. “There’s the chamber po
t. I don’t think you should use the latrine outside, not tonight, anyway.” He turned away from the table and went outside, nodding to the guard as he headed down to the barracks’ privy.

  Finishing at the latrine, he found Gatus waiting for him. The old soldier wasted no words. “Did Nicar make you captain of the guard?” Gatus looked him straight in the eye, standing directly in front of his new commander.

  “For now. But I told him I would be in charge of all the village and its defenses or nothing at all. He’ll confirm that when he meets with the nobles. Or perhaps not.”

  “And if not?” Gatus asked.

  “If not, then I and my slave will be leaving the village. But Nicar will confirm it, I’m sure.”

  Gatus shrugged, then shook his head. The motion swirled his long gray hair around his shoulders. “Do you really think the village can withstand the barbarians?”

  “Gatus, I won’t lie to you. I know it’s never been done. But this is no small village. There may be as many people here as there are barbarians on the move. I think we can make its defenses strong enough to resist until they are forced to move on.”

  The thought that he might slip out of the village at any time in the next few months had also occurred to him, and the promise of Nicar’s gold kept the thought in the back of his head.

  The man looked dubious, and rightly so. Still, Gatus had to be persuaded, or Esk kar’s tenuous authority with the men would vanish. They respected Gatus and his words would matter.

  “Follow me for a few weeks, and let’s see what we can do. I’ve spent the day thinking about this, and it can be done. I’m certain of it. Meanwhile, your pay is doubled, and you’re second in command.”

  Gatus moved a step closer. “You are changed from what you were yesterday. Have you been touched by the gods?”

  Esk kar’s laugh rang out into the night. The gods and he were not exactly on good terms. “No, I’m not out of my head, though my skull does spin with all these new ideas.” He started to walk past the man, but Gatus gripped his arm hard and now their faces were inches apart.

  “You are changed, Esk kar. A fool can see that, even the rest of the men.

  I’ll follow your orders for a while, at least. But if you lie to me, I’ll put a sword in your back. I swear by the gods, I will! I’ve a wife and two boys, and I’ll not have them taken by the barbarians.”

  “Tend to your duties, then. Tomorrow will be a long day, and you’ll have much to do.” He moved away, and Gatus’s hand slipped from his arm.

  Esk kar thought about how quickly things had changed. Yesterday he would have struck anyone who laid hands on him. Now it meant nothing.

  When Esk kar returned to Ariamus’s room, the candle had been extinguished and the fire had burned itself down to glowing embers. Dropping the wooden bar across the door, he untied his sandals and stripped off his tunic and undergarment, ignoring the growing chill in the room.

  He took his short sword from the wall where it had been hung, drew the blade from its scabbard, and placed it next to the bed. Since he’d run from the Alur Meriki, there had never been a night when he didn’t keep a weapon close at hand. Briefly, he wondered whether the girl would use it on him in the middle of the night, but decided he was too tired to worry about it.

  The bed had more than enough room for two, as Ariamus had liked his women large. For a moment, Esk kar thought it was empty until he realized the girl had wedged herself against the wall, as far from him as possible.

  Fine, let her stay there. Tomorrow, maybe even in the morning, he’d take her, and there’d be no more nonsense.

  Esk kar rolled onto his side, putting his back to her while facing the door. He pulled the single blanket up over his shoulder and let his body relax as he prepared for sleep.

  But his mind refused to obey. Thoughts of Nicar, the Alur Meriki, the command of the guard, the village itself, all kept running through his head. A week ago, Esk kar couldn’t have imagined this could happen. Now he could have power, gold, slaves, anything he wanted-if he could save Orak from the barbarians.

  A big if, despite what he had told Nicar and Gatus. There was so much to do, it was difficult to know where to start. Tomorrow there would be many tasks to set in motion. He would have to talk with Gatus, choose new subcommanders, prepare to meet with Nicar, and speak to the soldiers.

  Esk kar knew he faced long odds, but there might be a chance, and if he could win, if he succeeded, if the gods gave him luck, if… if… if.

  His thoughts kept traveling in circles, going from Nicar’s dinner to the meeting of the nobles, thinking of all the things he should have said to his men and the crowd tonight, what else he should have discussed with Nicar, all the tasks he would have to do tomorrow, how he must address the men, what he must say to the Families. Each time he tried to follow one particular thought, another popped into his mind and started the cycle all over again.

  The blanket shifted a little, and abruptly he felt Trella’s body against his back, her legs barely brushing against his, something softer touching his shoulder.

  “You’re still awake,” she whispered, almost as if it were an accusation.

  “It’s cold against the wall,” she explained further, to justify moving closer to him. “What are you thinking about?”

  Whatever he’d been thinking about vanished with the first contact of her flesh. “You. I was thinking about you.” Thoughts of Orak, along with his tiredness, disappeared, and he felt himself beginning to harden.

  “Don’t lie. You were thinking about Nicar and his gold.”

  He laughed a little. She was certainly quick about her wits and bold enough to challenge her new master. “Well, I was thinking about Nicar, but not about his gold. But now I can’t remember my thoughts, only the touch of your body. You are very beautiful, Trella.”

  She didn’t answer for a long moment. Then her arm crept over his shoulder, and somehow it seemed both cool to his skin and warm to his touch. Esk kar took her hand in his and held it firmly, the way he’d held it in the street earlier that night. She drew a little closer to him, and now he could almost feel the length of her body against his, warm and soft.

  “And what do you think about now?”

  He felt her breath against his ear.

  “I think about holding you in my arms, holding you and kissing your lips.” His manhood raged now, almost painfully, with an intensity he hadn’t felt in a long time, but he didn’t want to move or do anything to break the spell cast by her words and touch.

  “I am your slave, Esk kar,” she said, her voice low in his ear, moving more of her body against his back.

  Her words surprised him, but he rolled to face her, putting his arms around her, feeling the muscles in her back as he pulled her against him.

  Esk kar could feel her whole body against his, her skin almost hot to his touch. Something strange had come over him. Perhaps the events of the day aroused him, or the fact that she belonged to him. Suddenly he wanted her more than any woman he could remember. Most of all, he wanted her to be willing, wanted her to want him as well.

  “A slave is taken. If you were just that, I would take you whether you wished it or not. But you’re more than a common slave girl. Even Nicar knew that, and I’m only a simple barbarian, not someone good with words.” But he couldn’t stop his hands from reaching out for her, and he heard Trella catch her breath as he cupped the softness of her breast.

  “I saw the fear in your eyes when you first beheld the crowd outside.

  But you said the right words, and I think now that you believe them.”

  He said nothing, surprised at her words and a little shamed that his nervousness had been visible, at least to the girl. But he thought he’d managed it well enough, and perhaps no one else had noticed.

  Her mouth brushed his cheek, banishing all such thoughts once again.

  “I’m afraid, too, Esk kar. Afraid of the barbarians, afraid of the future.

  But it is past time for me to become a woma
n, and I think you will not hurt me too much.” She let her body relax under his touch, burying her head against his shoulder. After a few moments, her hand slipped down between his legs and she gasped.

  He kissed her cheek, then her mouth, gently at first, then harder and deeper as she clung to him. Caressing her body, touching her, stroking her stomach, he held off as long as he could, until he thought he would burst with desire, held off until she moaned for him and he could feel the wetness between her legs, before he mounted her, moving as slowly as he could, knowing he would hurt her, but trying to be as gentle as possible.

  Then she cried out, a sharp exclamation of pain and intake of breath as her nails dug into his back, then smoothness and a gasp of delight as he entered her.

  Esk kar lay still for a moment until she relaxed and her arms encircled him tightly once again. He began to rock against her, and now her small sounds of pain and pleasure mixed as her desire grew. When it was over, all too soon, he held her close, stroking her hair, enjoying her presence, until he fell asleep in her arms, sleeping the deep sleep of the emotionally spent as well as physically exhausted, feeling a sense of comfort in her clasp he hadn’t known since childhood.

  Trella waited until she was sure she wouldn’t wake him. Then she gently disengaged her arm from around Esk kar’s neck, though she stayed close to him and could feel his breath against her breast. He stayed on his side, breathing heavily, with his arm thrown across her stomach. She stared up at the darkness, thinking about their lovemaking as silence surrounded them while the village slept. Now her troubled thoughts kept her awake.

  It had been lovemaking, something she had wanted, though not for all the same reasons as the man beside her. Her virginity had become a problem. Nicar, his son, the other servants in Nicar’s home, even the slave traders who had delivered her to Orak, all of them had desired her, and her maidenhead offered an added attraction. This Esk kar, he’d wanted her as well, and he would have taken her willing or unwilling this night, except for the events of the day.