The Way of Horse and Bow - A Sarmatian 'AAR' (Unfinished)

[McScottish]

For generations we have ridden here and there, across the sweeping steppe lands and grassy plains of our ‘country’ though never have we attempted to subdue others or enslave those of different cultures…That is until now.

Now enemies attempt to encroach upon our lands and destroy what few thatched settlements we call our homelands, these Parthians and their Greek-influenced warriors who fall to arrows as easily as any other and the Saka who consider themselves great horse-warriors as we do but who take from the far eastern lands trade and produce and move not with the seasons and the winds. These Bactrian fools who consider themselves more akin to the Greeks than the Greeks themselves, laying silently to the south-east of our lands, they are like a sleeping giant awaiting awakening.

We will give them an awakening and more, along with any others who dare to oppose us, by the Gods we shall.

Chapter 1- Expansion & Trade

“The High King wishes to see you my lord.”

I slowly readied myself for another long-winded speech about warrior ship and how I should attempt to charge the enemy unsupported and so on. It isn’t that I dislike my father you understand after all, he is my father, it is only that sometimes the old man could be a little too overbearing especially upon his sons and heirs to his confederation.

My eyes adjusted easily to the dim light within my yurt and I just had time to throw the furs of myself, slip into my breeches and get to my feet before the eagle-eyed second-in-command of my fathers bodyguard began to advance further into my ‘home’ as was at that point in time. Most of the others including my own hand-picked guards had decided to go into the village and sleep beneath the thatch of enslaved people, I however could not for I was a nomad and would not sleep within the walls of a city…Imaginary or otherwise.

“Alright, keep your shoes on old man…” Mumbling as I passed him he whacked me hard across the back of the head and although I was thirty years of age it was not my desire at all to turn around and strike not only a veteran but a close friend in return for a justified clout.

Following the lean rider through the darkness, torches slipped into the hard earth here-and-there the only way of knowing where we were going, I only then realised how crisp the air of this night was and new that although it was currently summer that winter was drawing closer and then it would be time for the nomad peoples to move onto newer and greener pastures that could be found during in the harsh whitened landscape.

“My lord, I have your son, may he enter?”

“Of course! Let him in immediately.”

Upon entering the largest yurt in the camp I noticed primarily my father, High King Abeakos, sitting at the farthest end surrounded by semi-naked women and towering above them atop a pile of furs and cushions taken from the spoils of the recent battle.

“Sit down Alouthagos, you look wearied…” Shaking my head I atoned clearly “I am not wearied father and I have no desire to sit down,” as always he saw right through me and knew why I refused to sit “is it so bad that I wish to settle my son, would you not if you too had the chance?” It wasn’t even a second before I answered “no father, for me settling is a thing for conquered farmers and slaves to do, yet you seem to think it will be better for you…” Perhaps he was right, my father was fifty years of age, old by any reckoning “…Then stay, stay here in this subjugated domain and live out the rest of your life but I want no part of it.”

That is where the conversation ended between us, at that point, we sat for a few minutes contained by silence before my father began to speak once more.

“Eunones is dead, he was slain attempting to enter Gelonus, may his soul rest.”

Eunones was our chief spy within the cities of the civilised peoples, a Greek by birth, he had been of great help during my fathers younger years and had finally blundered into some sort of trap. Which was fine with me, I’d never liked him anyway, though I managed to put some look of sadness on my veneer as I had already offended my father enough for one evening.

“Have you heard of your brothers victory?” My face instantly changed to a look of both anger and worry “he took the Ilrkian tribe and their homeland of Dahyu-Yugra once he had defeated them in open battle, now he awaits further horsemen so that he may defeat the remainder of their people,” his feline eyes were bright with the love of my brother Babai who had always been my rival in all things “it is said he slew Xepharnes with his own kontos, spitting him like a rabbit, winning Gava-Yugra from that anger-ridden son of a sow."

Beginning to laugh I could hardly believe what I’d just heard, my hands moving in a gesture than encompassed the yurt around us and the prises of victory my father relished and reclined up-on.

“Look, old man, we are here outside Tanais because of my horsemen and my skill…Those surviving Maeot will either die from the heat of the summer sun or shall be struck by our arrows. Even their mockery of Greek hoplites could not save them from death. Their bones now lay bleached white by the sun.”

Abeakos, elderly but not yet senile nor weak in body, rose from his cushions with a hiss of displeasure and growled at the Maeot whores that lounged all around “take yourselves away harlots, I never want to see any of you again…” His lion-like eyes seared into his sons very soul “you drink from diseased water Alouthagos, it would be a shame to see it kill you so early in your life, now leave me to my thoughts.”

A small bow and the faction heir was making his way back towards the exit “by the way father, the people and communities of Uspe have been turned from pastoral farmers back to true nomads, nobles of the Aorsi lending themselves to our cause there…I just thought you should know.” Not another word was spoken as he lifted the tent flap and walked away into the crisp night air.