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his own kingdom. Nevertheless, I felt honour bound to point out that it would be rash to launch a frontal assault and was just about to say so when Malik spoke.
    ‘Their horsemen are advancing.’
    We all looked to where he was pointing at the enemy’s right wing, from where a group of horsemen were advancing against Dura’s horse archers.
    ‘Roman horsemen,’ he sneered, ‘the same ones who inflicted many losses on us earlier.’
    ‘Vagises will deal with them,’ I assured him.
    ‘What about those?’ I heard Haytham say.
    I turned in the saddle to stare at the enemy’s other wing, which consisted of a great mass of spearmen wearing white tops and silver helmets.
    ‘The horsemen of King Sampsiceramus,’ spat Malik.
    There appeared to be around a thousand Roman horsemen but many times that number of Emesian riders who were now advancing with spears levelled towards the thousand Durans facing them. I turned to Spandarat.
    ‘You and the lords must assist our horse archers on the right, Spandarat, otherwise they will be forced back’ I looked sheepishly at Haytham. ‘With your permission, lord king.’
    He smiled savagely. ‘You have done more in twenty minutes than I did in a whole morning, Pacorus, so please carry on.’
    ‘Go, Spandarat,’ I ordered.
    He whooped with delight, dug his knees into his rough old mare and galloped away to his fellow nobles.
    ‘I will assist Spandarat,’ announced Gallia, who turned and raised her bow. ‘Amazons!’
    Her warriors raised their bows in acknowledgment and moments later were riding behind their queen as she accompanied Spandarat towards the seething mass of enemy horsemen. It was the first time Haytham had seen Gallia on the battlefield. Formerly she had always been charm and beauty in his presence, not the fearless killer he now saw.
    ‘You do not fear for her safety, Pacorus?’
    ‘Shamash will protect her,’ I replied, hoping that my god would wrap her in a cloak of invulnerability.
    I turned and signalled to the commander of the six companies of Duran horse archers who were grouped immediately behind me.
    ‘We go to aid Lord Vagises, follow me with your men.’
    He saluted and rode back to his companies as Malik’s bodyguard – a hundred black-clad warriors – closed around him.
    ‘I am coming with you, Pacorus.’
    I smiled at him. ‘It would be an honour, my friend.’
    ‘Are we going or not?’ grumbled Vagharsh as his horse scraped impatiently at the earth.
    ‘I would ask you to be patient a little longer, lord king,’ I said to Haytham, ‘and the day will be yours.’
    He raised his hand as I bellowed at Remus to move. He reared up on his hind legs and bolted forward as I headed for the left flank, followed by Vagharsh, Malik, a hundred Agraci warriors and six hundred horse archers. In front of us Vagises had withdrawn in the face of the Roman onslaught, enticing their horsemen forward in expectation of an easy victory against the lightly armed horse archers they faced. The Romans, maintaining a tight, disciplined formation, were charging now, their large, tan-coloured shields tight to their left sides and their spears levelled. I pulled my bow from its case and then extracted an arrow from my quiver as we rode across the front of the densely packed ranks of Haytham’s warriors towards the Romans. The Agraci cheered us as we passed, though they were probably acclaiming their prince who was accompanying us rather than me or my men.
    I nocked the arrow in the bowstring and leaned forward in the saddle as Remus thundered across the ground made bone-dry by a merciless sun. The Romans were cheering now as they chased Vagises’ apparently fleeing horsemen. Signallers in the horse archers accompanying me blew their horns to indicate the charge as we broke into a fast gallop.
    We were closing on the left rear of the Roman formation as I released my first arrow and reached into my quiver to nock another. Behind me six companies of horse archers