Chapter 10
The next day, just before dawn, the troops was urged to hurry .
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Meno bid farewell to Ariaeus and rushed back to lead his troops . He curse the other leaders in his heart, as he rode his horse back to the tail of the “long dragon” . He believed that the reason why they put his troops to serve as the rearguard was because the other mercenary leaders hated his close relationship with the Persians and persecuted him .
At the same time, he noticed that the soldiers were tired and complaining . It turned out that because of the march last night, the rest time was too short, but they also have to guard against the Persian’s sneak attack, basically they just lied on the ground . Early in the morning, they had to hurry and leave, so the soldiers had soon gotten tired and hungry . However, the supply unit could not provide more food, which lowered the morale of the soldiers .
Menoithoughtitoihimself,itheifoodisituationiinitheiothericampsiwasialreadyibad . iHisisubordinatesimightibeimoreimiserableigettingibulliedithesei2idaysidueitoihisiabsence!iHeiwasiafraidithatihisisoldiersiwillimakeitroubleiandihurriedlyirushediuntiliheisawimanyifamiliarifacesibeforeislowing down .
Asiairesult,iheiwasisurpriseditoifindithat,iunlikeiwhatiheihadiimagined,ihisisoldiersiwereiiniaigoodispiritiandimanyiofithemiwereichewingiaibunchiofidarkithingsihangingionitheirichestiasitheyiwalked . iTherefore,iheicuriouslyicalledianiofficeritoiinquire .
“It’sicalledismokedisausage,iiticanifilliyouristomachiandiitiwon’tispoiliforiaifewidays . ”iTheiofficeripointeditoitheithingionihisichestiandisaid .
Menoicutiaismallipieceianditastediit,ialthoughiitiwasiaibitidry,itheitasteiwasn’tibad . iAfteriheisawitheisoldiersiofitheiothericampsistarvingiandihisisoldiersiwereiableitoieatienough,iheibecameidelighted:i“This…smoke…wasitheisausageimadeibyiMersis?”
“No . iIt’siDavosi–ithei‘God’siFavored’!”
“God’siFavored?”iMenoicuriouslyiaskediaboutitheisituationiinidetail . iAfterihearingitheiofficer’siwords,ihisifaceiturnedigloomyiandiheiimmediatelyinoticedithatisomeisoldiersiwereicarryingi2imoreijavelins .
“WhereiisithisiDavos?”
“Theiunitiheiwasiiniwasisentitoidefenditheisupplyiunit . ”iTheiofficeriobviouslyididn’tinoticeihisiexpressioniandiaskediwithiailittleiexcitement:i“Areiyouigoingitoilookiforihim?”
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Theiofficer’silookidissuadediMeno:i‘Isiitiworthimakingiaifussiaboutiailocalikid from a small villagein Thessaly?’ It’s totally inconsistent with his identity to hurriedly go looking for a soldier, especiallynow that the army is currently marching . If there is time, he can make Davos go see himself later .
. i . i . i . i . i . i . i . i . i . i . i . i .
Fromiearlyimorningitoinooniandithenitoitheiafternoon,itheitroopsihaveibeenimarchingiwithoutrest .
Davosifeltithatihisilegsiwereifillediwithileadiandieveryistepsiheitakesiisidifficultiandihisithroatiisiburning,itheishields,ispearsiandijavelinsiwereibecomingiburdensome . iInitheimorning,iheicouldistillitalkiandilaughiwithihisicompanions,inowiheifeltithatieveryitimeiheiopenedihisimouthiwastedihisiphysicalistrength,ibutiheigrittedihisiteethiandiinsisted,isinceihisicompanionsiareialsoimarchingiinsilence .
Finally,itheitroopsistopped . iButitheiinformationifromitheifrontimadeitheminervousiagain,itheyfounditheiPersianicavalry!
Soonianotheriinformationicameiagain,iitiwasn’titheicavalry,iitiwasitheiPersianiarmy’sianimalsgrazing .
Theitroopsicontinuedimarching .
Itiwasigettingidarkiandiafteriaishortiwalk,iDavosisawismokeirisingiinitheidistance .
Hielositoldihim:i“ThatimustibeitheiPersianiarmyicamp . ”
However,itheimercenariesistillicontinueditoimoveiforward,iwithoutitheislightestishrediofguardingiandievading .
Itiwasilateiandithereiisinoimoonlight . iTheisoldiersireliedionitheitorchesitoiadvanceiandiitibecameimoreidifficultitoimarch .
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Finally,ianiordericameifromitheifront,i‘Campionitheispotiandirest . ’
Theiterrainiisiflatianditheitreesiwereiscarce,iandiitiisiimpossibleitoiorderithemitoibuildia camp inthe dark . Atitheisameitime,ibecauseithereiareiPersianitroops nearbyiand they are afraid of gettingattacked . Theisoldiersistartedishoutingiat eachiofitheirifriends’ nameiandigathered together to finda way to camp . Likewise,itheiexhaustediofficersicouldinoticontrolitheiorderiand the entirerearguard became a mess due to the shouting, like a boiling pot making a huge noise . Many of theanimalsiinitheisupplyiunit becameifrightened andiran inipanic, injuringimanyipeople . Theiscreamsmade the troops became more uneasy and at danger of collapsing any time .
Atitheicriticalimoment,iClearchusidispatcheditheionlyicavalryisquadiofitheiGreekimercenaries,ieachicarryingitorchesiandirusheditoitheirearguard,iloudlyiannouncingitheiorderiofiClearchus,idemandingithatitheisoldiersiremainiquiet,iandiatitheisameitime,iordereditheisupplyiunititoitakeicareiofitheianimalsianditoipunishianyoneithatiwouldireleaseithem . iTheitroopsigraduallyirecovereditheiricomposureiafteritheyihadicapturediseveralisoldiersiwhoiwereifrightened .
OnlyithenididiMenoifounditheileaderiofitheicavalry,iTormide,iknowniasithei“BestiEmissary” .
“HowididiClearchusicommandeditheitroops’imarching!iThereiisialmostianiuproarithatihappenediinitheicamp!iI’veijustibeeniawayiforiaidayiandithingsigotiworst!iHeiisn’tifititoicommanditheiwholeiarmyiatiall!…”iMenoitookithisiopportunityitoidiscreditiClearchus .
Tormideididn’tiutteriaiword .
“Whereiisiheinow?”
Tormideihesitatediaibit:i“…atitheivanguard . ”
WheniMenoinoticedihisihesitation,iheiimmediatelyiasked:i“Isiititheisameiasius,iwithoutiaicamp?”
Tormideihaditoitellitheitruth: “The vanguard stayed in the village… Meno, this is now a special time-“
Menoiinterruptedihimiwithiaisneer:i“Thisiisitheiso-called fair andijust Clearchus?! He stayed iniawarm house, whileilettingiusisleepionitheicoldiandiwetiground!!” Menoicouldn’t helpibut shouteven though heialsoiknewithatiitiwasinot appropriateito stimulate the soldiers at the moment .
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Fortunately,itheisoldiersiaroundihimiwereialreadyiexhaustediafteritheipreviousiuproar . iAfter aswearing,itheyifelliasleep .
“Meno!iMeno!…”iAtithatimoment,isomeoneishouted .
ItiisiMersis!iMenoihurriedlyibroughtihimiover:i“Howiisitheisupplyiunit?iIsithereianyiloss?”iTheisupplyiunitiisitheiplaceiheiisiconcerneditheimost,ibecauseiallihisibelongingsiwereithere,iandionlyiwheniheihasimoneyicaniheihaveisoldiers .
“No!”iMersis’ifatifaceishowediaiproudismile:i“Weiformediaibigicircleiwithitheisupplyicartianditiedtheianimalsitoiit,ieveryoneisleptiinsideiandiit’siveryisafe!”
“Thoseianimalsiaren’tikickingiaifussiandinoisy?”iTormideiaskedicuriously,isinceimostiofitheisupplyiunitiheihadiseenibeforeiwereiinichaos .
“ItiwasiDavosiwhoitoldimeitoiblindfolditheseianimals, and they really became obedient!” Mersissaid excitedly .
ThatiDavosiagain!iMenoifrowned .
“Meno,ithisikidiisiveryismart!iIfiyouijustiassignihimitoitheisupplyiunit,itheniI’llihaveiaimuchieasieritime . ”iMersisiasked .
“Weiwillidiscussiitilater . ”iMenoisaidiaifewiwords . iTheisupplyiunit isihis foundation, Mersis has aclose relationship with him, andiheiisigoodiat supervisingiandifinancial management, andihasnoiambition,iso he is assured in using him . Letting a strangerienteritheisupply unit and not just astranger but a smart one, what if he finds out his secret?
. i . i . i . i . i . i . i . i . i . i . i . i .
Theinextimorning,iaimessengeriwokeiupiMenoiandiinformedihimithatitheiking’sienvoyihadicomeianditheiotherimercenaryileadersiaskedihimitoicomeioveriandidiscussiaboutiit .
Menoimountedihisihorseiandigallopeditoitheimainicampiofitheimercenaryiatitheifront . Therewasn’t a shadowiofitheiPersianicampiwithinihisisight, ititurnedioutithatilastinightitheiPersians gotfrightened by theihugeinoiseiofitheimercenaries,ianditheyiwithdrewitheiricampi5ikm overnight .
As soon as he arrived at the main camp of the mercenary, Meno saw a full 4 Hoplite units in front of the camp, waiting in formation . He doubtfully went inside and saw several leaders, such as Clearchus, Proxenus, Agias, Socrates1 (not the philosopher in Athens), and Sossis were waiting and all of them are fully armed .
When he saw Clearchus, Meno snorted and sarcastically said: “It seems that you had a good sleep last night, while my pitiful soldiers slept on the wet ground for the whole night!”
As a Spartan, Clearchus is straightforward and obstinate, he likewise dislike Meno and did not want to talk to him much .
Agias laughed and said: “Yo, when did Meno start to care about his soldiers?!”
Proxenus came to mediate: “Meno, listening to what Tormide said, that there was no trouble that happened in your camp last night . Amazing! You must impart us some of your experience . ”
“Not only that! Meno’s soldiers also made a kind of…something called smoked sausage . As a result, everyone was hungry and only his soldiers were able to fill their stomachs with this stuff!” Socrates sad to the others . His troops were in front of Meno’s troops in the marching formation, so he had a better understanding of the situation .
“Meno, tell us all about your experienced . ” Meno was a little complacent by the requests of Sossis and several other mercenary leaders, and he couldn’t help but say: “Even if the environment I was given was any more difficult, I could still figure out a way to solve it . So only knowing how to fight won’t make you a good leader!”
“Well…let the envoy of the Persian king come in . Let’s listen on what new proposal does the king have?” Clearchus interrupted Meno’s bragging .
The leaders began to rouse their spirits and Meno shut his mouth helplessly .
1 . Socrates of Achaea was a Greek mercenary general from Achaea who traveled to Persia to fight at the Battle of Cunaxa .