Dawn of Empire by Sam Barone Read Free Book Online Page A

As captain of the guard, he’d have more than enough gold to settle down for the rest of his days. Perhaps he’d join the ranks of the nobles and become one of Orak’s rulers. That would be almost as satisfying as crushing a part of the Alur Meriki.
    Esk kar put the fanciful thoughts aside. He studied the landscape, riding slowly to the southwest, stopping from time to time to examine the approaches to Orak, picturing what the steppes people would see when they turned their eyes here.
    He rode for nearly three hours, until he completed a circle around Orak and found himself back at the hilltop where he’d begun his observa-tions. Esk kar dismounted and sat down with his back to a rock. He let his mind turn over the ideas he had this day.
    No one had ever called him quick in his wits, but Esk kar could build a simple plan as well as the next. That ability, plus his size, strength, and quickness with sword and knife, had won him promotion until he stood at Ariamus’s side. Now Esk kar stood alone, and Nicar had asked him to do something no man had ever done before—prevent the steppes people from looting and destroying the village.
    The sheer scope of what needed to be done threatened to overwhelm him. He forced himself to remember that a plan had many parts and that each part could be considered separately.
    Carefully, he reviewed the many tasks needed to defend the village, repeating them out loud several times to make sure he’d remember all of them. When he finished, Esk kar saw that the sun had moved far into the western sky. Grunting a little, he stood and stretched, then he mounted his horse and retraced his path back to the village and his appointment with Nicar. At least he knew what he would say tonight, though he doubted Orak’s leading merchant would like his words.
    2
    –-
    Riding back into Orak, Esk kar found two soldiers guarding the gate instead of the usual sentry. Both called out to him, looks of relief on their faces. Nicar must have ordered the extra guard to reassure the villagers. By now everyone must know about the barbarians sighted in the north.
    As his horse picked its way through the narrow lanes, people stopped their activities and stared. A few tried to stop him, to ask him what he knew about the barbarians. Esk kar paid no attention to them. Everyone seemed to know that Nicar had summoned him, so now they looked at him for some sign of hope and protection. That thought deepened his frown.
    Esk kar had no idea what to tell them.
    At the barracks, the soldiers waited outside, squatting on the dirt or leaning against the wall, regular duties ignored, anxiety on their faces. The soldiers knew about tonight’s meeting with Nicar. Nearly thirty men, and some of their women, awaited him, eager to learn anything new. He dismounted and handed the horse to a stable boy.
    Esk kar considered ignoring them, then thought better of it. “You know the barbarians are coming?” Heads nodded. “They won’t be here for at least five months, so you can sleep easy tonight.” He hesitated, not sure what to tell them. “I’m meeting with Nicar, to talk about the defense of the village. When I return, I’ll tell you what I know.”
    He strode past them into the barracks and dumped his gear on his pallet. Esk kar thought about moving into Ariamus’s private room, but decided that could wait until after tonight’s meal. Reminded of his meeting, he stripped to his undergarment and wrapped his rough blanket around himself. Leaving the barracks, he went down the winding street and through the village’s rear gate, heading straight to the river. Esk kar ignored anyone who tried to speak to him and pushed past those few brave enough to try to block his path.
    At the water’s edge, Esk kar tossed the blanket on a low bush, stripped, then dove in. At first he stayed in the calm of the eddy pool that hugged the river’s east bank, then moved away from the shore and took strong, overhand strokes against the