Empires of Bronze: The Dark Earth (Empires of Bronze 6) by Doherty Gordon

Author:Doherty, Gordon [Doherty, Gordon]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-05-26T00:00:00+00:00

Part III

Days of Amber

Chapter 16

The Far Shore

1227 BC

The day after the Ram’s Keep was won, Tudha gathered the troops in the fortress grounds, and declared that the Copper Island would be their home for the rest of that moon at least.

‘We must establish Hittite or at least friendly local control here, and be sure that more of these Sea Peoples do not simply return to make the island their own again.’

As his voice echoed around the fortress, he saw frustration in the faces of his bandaged and tired men. This, he understood. For over a year he had been gone from Hattusa, gone from Shala and Mother and his sons. ‘We won back the stolen grain last night. It will feed the mouths of our families over the coming winter. Yet what about the next? If we are to keep the spectre of famine at bay, we must make contact with Pharaoh, explain what has happened here, and re-establish the yearly crop shipments from his land. If we can convince him to do this, and he sends his boats, then they will need to put in at this island as part of their long voyage. Thus, it is vital that this island remains in our hands. That is why I ask you to remain here.’ The soldiers’ faces softened at this, the men resigned to the hard truth of it all.

He granted the army a day of rest, then early the next morning put his mind to the first task. From the fortress walls, he gazed down at the dark stone inlet where the black boats remained moored. They would be perfect for this mission. He summoned Admiral Yassib and two spear companies to the inlet. ‘You will sail five of these ships south, to Egypt. I’ve had one boat loaded with fifteen hundred ingots of copper for Pharoah, and this,’ he handed Yassib a tablet, ‘will explain to him that his last grain fleet was destroyed by these Sea Peoples. Most importantly, it implores him to urgently resume the shipments.’

‘It will be done, Labarna ,’ said the admiral.

As soon as the black fleet had set sail, Tudha had his soldiers carry the hoarded grain from the Ram’s Keep and down to the shingle bay. There it was stowed on the other boats – the bright-sailed ones still at rest on that shore. At last, the vital supplies could be returned to the mainland, and taken north to Hattusa for distribution across the Upper Land. All he needed to do now was select a man to command this fleet.

So the next morning under a grey sky, he and Storm waited outside the Ram’s Keep, near the hidden entrance to the Way of the Devoted. Sitting on a boulder, they watched the small figure of a man down on the coast, running along the shore, his hair billowing behind in the choppy winds. When the man came to the stone inlet, he slowed and looked up the ridge slope, planning his ascent.

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