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Thread: Written in Sand (Nabataean AAR for EBII)[updated: June 29]

  1. #421

    Default Re: Written in Sand (Nabataean AAR for EBII)[updated: Feb 12]

    Continued from Chapter 12 - Part IV


    Dramatis Personae

    Nabati:

    Mun'at Ha'Qadri: General of the Nabati army, tasked with uniting the tribes of Arabia and subduing the Saba' confederations that control Arabia Felix.
    Shullai Ha'Maleki: Prince of the Nabati, riding south under Mun'at's command.
    Ravîv'êl Bikrum: Crown Prince of the Nabati. Currently governing the conquered settlement of Dedan.
    Malka Qênu: King of the Nabati, and leader of the united tribes.

    Rana'in: Elder warrior and long-time friend of Mun'at.
    Khalil: Raider under Mun'at's command, usually tasked with leading the cavalry and light skirmishers.
    Haza'el: Captain of the Nabati.
    Wayyuq: A spy and pathfinder in the service of the Nabati, but not of their tribe.

    Sabeans (Saba'):

    Mubsamat: Queen of the Saba' with ambitions to end the tribal rivalries that plague her people.
    Tharin: Captain of Mubsamat's guard, tasked with contacting the approaching Nabati on Mubsamat's behalf and bringing them over to her cause.
    Zaadi Il'Bayyin: Often referred to as "Lord of the Northpass", Zaadi is a Qayl (higher official) of the Saba', and the ringleader of a group of nobles arrayed against Mubsamat.
    Halik Il'Yakif: Landowner and noble of the Saba' who initially followed Zaadi's plans but has since been turned by Mubsamat.
    Far'am Rafshan: Half-Qatabani exile who was in league with Zaadi Il'Bayyin, until Zaadi killed him.
    Karab: Son of the Athtar Yazi' clan and great leader of the Hashidi warriors of the northern plateau. He is also in league with Zaadi against Mubsamat.
    Hasan: Deceased brother of Karab.



    Chapter 12
    Brother's Blood


    --------------------------------------------------
    (Part V)


    "What happened?" Zaadi hissed, keeping his voice low. His question was answered only with shrugs and blank stares from the men standing nearby. Karab would surely know what it was, or at least have men already finding out, but Karab was nowhere to be seen, something else which worried Zaadi. He pushed that to the back of his mind though, for there were more pressing concerns to be dealt with.

    All had been going as planned, better even, for when Zaadi pulled himself over the wall's crest he had been met with the wide white eyes of a startled boy holding a spear. But the youth had gawped like a fish out of water, seeming utterly unaware of what his weapon was for, and without hesitation Zaadi had swung his own blade. The sharpened iron bit deep into the boy's flesh just above the shoulder, carving its way inwards and down toward the young man's heart. Zaadi felt two ribs break from the force of the strike, and with a jerk he heaved the sword out, the body falling dead at his feet with a crash. And then there had been silence. To Zaadi's left and right had been other guardsmen spaced irregularly along the parapets, but his Houthis and Hashidis had done well. Nearly all had managed to swing over the wall within moments of one another, and in one fell swoop they had slaughtered the paltry garrison manning the battlements. There had been a a flurry of noise attending each isolated mortal combat between one man and another, but then silence, with no sign that a general alarm had been raised or that the citadel would be made fast. And then the night had been split by an explosion off to Zaadi's right, the rumble of it shaking the rooftops as it rolled across Ma'rib.

    Zaadi continued staring at the men standing about him on the ramparts, trying by sheer will to force one to know what it was that had caused the blast, whether more would follow. But try as he might, they were as ignorant as he, and no amount of barbed glances would suddenly gift them knowledge or wisdom. And then out of the corner of his eye Zaadi saw something that was truly troubling, a figure running down the main avenue of Ma'rib toward the citadel. There were no torches lining the streets, for fuel was costly and not to be spent dispelling the gloom of night when all were sleeping, but the sky above was clear, the pale moon shining down, and her dim radiance picked out in ghostly hues the image of a man making all haste to the cracked red fist of a mount upon which Ma'rib's fortress stood.

    "That man..." Zaadi said quietly. Then, with more force, "That man must be stopped." He glanced left and right at his soldiers, but all simply stood there, expressionless and motionless. "Bows, you fools!" Zaadi shouted, forgetting in his frustration their need for quiet, for secrecy. "Put an arrow through him, before he gets away!"

    Nearly all the men near Zaadi held axes, short swords, or half-spears, weapons suited for the gristly work of killing fellow countrymen up close, but a few had strung bows slung across their backs as well. Of those few, two were competent and alert enough to get arrows nocked, drawn, and loosed before the retreating figure down the road could get beyond their range. They sighted and fired, the whistling shafts arcing high overhead, and before the first volley had landed they had another beginning its journey. They were good archers, the both of them, capable of hitting a melon at a hundred paces. But hitting a still melon under the noonday sun is not the same as shooting a running man at night, his silhouette only dimly picked out by the wan and ghostly light of the moon. They fired again and again for as long as the distant man might still be hoped to be hit, but each arrow clattered harmlessly off the stones of the street or lodged itself into the wood of a door, the thatch of a roof, and before they could properly adjust their aims, the man had gotten too far. He had escaped. He had escaped and he would warn the citadel's garrison, a force sure to be far more troubling than the outer watchmen had been.

    It seemed the fight for Ma'rib had not yet been won. It had only just begun.



    Continue to Chapter 13 - Part I
    Last edited by Kilo11; June 29, 2022 at 02:17 AM. Reason: Link added
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  2. #422
    Alwyn's Avatar Frothy Goodness
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    Default Re: Written in Sand (Nabataean AAR for EBII)[updated: Apr 25]

    Great update - the brutality of melee combat comes across powerfully in Zaadi's encounter with the startled boy, and I was on the edge of my seat when the man ran for the citadel, and the archers drew back their bow-strings!

  3. #423

    Default Re: Written in Sand (Nabataean AAR for EBII)[updated: Apr 25]

    Quote Originally Posted by Alwyn View Post
    Great update - the brutality of melee combat comes across powerfully in Zaadi's encounter with the startled boy, and I was on the edge of my seat when the man ran for the citadel, and the archers drew back their bow-strings!
    Thanks, Alwyn. Melee combat is something that has always struck me as particularly nasty, and I wanted to make sure that is conveyed well. Glad to hear it hit the spot.

    And now the next update. I had thought I might get it off quickly after the last one, but it seems I still need a bit more effort to properly get back into a writing groove. Hopefully after this one I can keep the ball rolling.
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  4. #424

    Default Re: Written in Sand (Nabataean AAR for EBII)[updated: Apr 25]

    Continued from Chapter 12 - Part V


    Dramatis Personae

    Nabati:

    Mun'at Ha'Qadri: General of the Nabati army, tasked with uniting the tribes of Arabia and subduing the Saba' confederations that control Arabia Felix.
    Shullai Ha'Maleki: Prince of the Nabati, riding south under Mun'at's command.
    Ravîv'êl Bikrum: Crown Prince of the Nabati. Currently governing the conquered settlement of Dedan.
    Malka Qênu: King of the Nabati, and leader of the united tribes.

    Rana'in: Elder warrior and long-time friend of Mun'at.
    Khalil: Raider under Mun'at's command, usually tasked with leading the cavalry and light skirmishers.
    Haza'el: Captain of the Nabati.
    Wayyuq: A spy and pathfinder in the service of the Nabati, but not of their tribe.

    Sabeans (Saba'):

    Mubsamat: Queen of the Saba' with ambitions to end the tribal rivalries that plague her people.
    Tharin: Captain of Mubsamat's guard, tasked with contacting the approaching Nabati on Mubsamat's behalf and bringing them over to her cause.
    Zaadi Il'Bayyin: Often referred to as "Lord of the Northpass", Zaadi is a Qayl (higher official) of the Saba', and the ringleader of a group of nobles arrayed against Mubsamat.
    Halik Il'Yakif: Landowner and noble of the Saba' who initially followed Zaadi's plans but has since been turned by Mubsamat.
    Far'am Rafshan: Half-Qatabani exile who was in league with Zaadi Il'Bayyin, until Zaadi killed him.
    Karab: Son of the Athtar Yazi' clan and great leader of the Hashidi warriors of the northern plateau. He is also in league with Zaadi against Mubsamat.
    Hasan: Deceased brother of Karab.



    Chapter 13
    Red Sky At Morning


    --------------------------------------------------
    (Part I)


    Dawn was still distant, and in the small hours of the morning the desert lay calm, quiet. As the sun had set the previous evening, there had been a gentle breeze rustling over the sands, sighing through the orchards and over the squared fields bound in by canals, but as night wore on the winds subsided, leaving everything in silence.

    However, for all of the desert's placidity, the dark hours had been anything but. Council after council had been held, the commander plying through waves of information, speculation, and advice, and after hours of talking he was not sure he had come any closer to a real plan. Perhaps because of that he cut the discussions off abruptly when the bells of the second watch rang out, and he gave the orders to move.

    Long before the eastern sky had even hinted of blushing, they were on the march. Scouts slipped forward where they could, penetrating through any space available, and where no opening could be found, they did their best to create one. Archers strung their bows tightly. Horsemen checked their tack and harness. And every man made himself ready for war, none quite knowing why.

    "Are you sure this is wise? Is this the way forward?"

    Mun'at, at the head of the army, had been looking to the northwest, but he turned at the words, finding Rana'in behind him with pinched brows. "What would be unwise, old friend?"

    Rana'in gestured to the marching ranks behind them, thousands strong, the points of their spears dully reflecting the little light of the setting moon. "We are entering Saba' lands, the lands of those we call friend, but we go as if to battle."

    "This is an army, Rana'in." Mun'at replied with a shrug. "Aren't we always looking for battle?"

    Rana'in sucked at the back of his teeth, the clicking sound sharp on the early morning air. "You know what I mean, Mun'at, and you know as well as I that we are not ones to look for a fight. The gods know we find them often enough as it is."

    Mun'at nodded to himself in silence. Then, after a moment, he shrugged. "You are right Rana'in... We do find fights more often than I would wish. So why not go into one prepared?" Rana'in opened his mouth to speak, but Mun'at stayed him with a wave of his hand. "No, Rana'in. I know what you will say. But you know my mind as well. The Queen, Mubsamat, lied to us. She lied, thought to use us, and were that not reason enough for us to be on our guards, on top of it all her land is at war with itself. She thinks her rebel Zaadi to be all but defeated, but a man who would threaten one such as her is not, I believe, a man to be beaten by a single defeat, no matter how bloody. He will come for her, or failing that, her allies, and by my foolishness we now fall squarely in that latter camp. So yes, I do think it wise that we march as if to war."

    Rana'in's brows were pinched, his jaw tight and lips pursed, but he said no other word against Mun'at's orders. He merely stared at his friend, his face slowly falling to a thoughtful and slightly sad frown, before finally he muttered, "As you wish... Commander."



    Continue to Chapter 13 - Part II
    Last edited by Kilo11; July 03, 2023 at 01:06 AM.
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  5. #425
    Alwyn's Avatar Frothy Goodness
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    Default Re: Written in Sand (Nabataean AAR for EBII)[updated: June 29]

    I can relate to Rana'in's worries about an army marching as if to battle in friendly lands - even so, the thinking of Mun'at sounds sensible to me.

    The phrasing - "Aren't we always looking for battle" and "a land at war with itself" - demonstrates Mun'at's combination of a relaxed style but with firm authority very well. (Did you mean to use the plural in 'to be on our guards'? I've only seen 'for us to be on our guard' used, but maybe the plural is used too).

  6. #426
    Turkafinwë's Avatar The Sick Baby Jester
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    Default Re: Written in Sand (Nabataean AAR for EBII)[updated: June 29]

    Great stuff, as always! In statesmanship (and Mun'at is playing the statesman game) there is no such thing as friendships, only constantly shifting alliances and enmities. Perhaps Mun'at has learned this valuable lesson after Mubsamat's betrayal.

  7. #427

    Default Re: Written in Sand (Nabataean AAR for EBII)[updated: June 29]

    I realize it is over a year since I added to this tale. That is a rather unfortunate state of affairs, and one I ought to remedy. Hopefully I can find time to get back into writing for this, and if I don't, you all have permission to poke me mercilessly until I do
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  8. #428
    Flinn's Avatar His Dudeness of TWC
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    Default Re: Written in Sand (Nabataean AAR for EBII)[updated: June 29]

    Quote Originally Posted by Kilo11 View Post
    you all have permission to poke me mercilessly
    Under the patronage of Finlander, patron of Lugotorix & Lifthrasir & joerock22 & Socrates1984 & Kilo11 & Vladyvid & Dick Cheney & phazer & Jake Armitage & webba 84 of the Imperial House of Hader

  9. #429
    Turkafinwë's Avatar The Sick Baby Jester
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    Default Re: Written in Sand (Nabataean AAR for EBII)[updated: June 29]

    Quote Originally Posted by Kilo11 View Post
    you all have permission to poke me mercilessly until I do

  10. #430
    Alwyn's Avatar Frothy Goodness
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    Default Re: Written in Sand (Nabataean AAR for EBII)[updated: June 29]

    Hi Kilo, I'm with Flinn and Turkafinwë - it would be brilliant to see this continue!

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