Shield of the Sun, Part 6

Commander Ayi frowned as he looked at his new trainees and gave a sigh. By the age of forty he had spent most of his life in the army. Most of that time was spent policing the borders. Despite the country being at peace he saw plenty of action. Peace didn’t mean that there was no fighting or army, it only meant that the standing army was smaller and spent all of its time fighting to keep the borders secure. For the past twenty-four years he had served in a succession of border posts from one end of the country to the other and it showed. He had the short grizzled hair, the sun leathered skin and the scarred muscular physique of a fighting man. He could take villagers, farmers and the dregs of the jails and turn them into soldiers.

But that was nothing, compared to the task before him. He was to take the three royal princes and train them in combat. A task he would gladly have refused if the Pharaoh himself hadn’t ordered him to carry it out. Thank the gods it was only for four days each week and on the other days he could escape back to the normality of the barracks.

The frown deepened as he studied his charges, after a year in the royal guard he knew only too well who they were, but this was the first time he had seen them close up. The plump, cherub faced dreamer with the dark skin and tight curly hair was Prince Abbados, the twelve-year-old son of the Pharaohs third wife. The tall skinny boy in the centre was Tutimaios, at eleven this dark haired, olive skinned, hawk nosed boy was the divine son of the Pharaoh. To his left stood Prince Hanno, also eleven, who had the red hair and golden skin, of his mother and ice blue eyes of his father Ahab, king of the island state of Tyre. He was the youngest son of the king and had been sent by his father to live and be taught alongside the children of the sun god.

‘I am, Commander Ayi and I am here to train you in all forms of combat, if you have any questions, ask them now before we begin.’

‘Excuse me Commander, are we to stand here all day?’ Queried Tutimaios imperiously.

‘Yes, and royal blood can be spilt as any other on the battle field, that is why I am here to train you.’

‘I think you should address us in the proper manner,’ stated Hanno. He was looking forward to the weapons training and he said it more to show solidarity with his friends than to rebuke the captain.

‘Do you think that the enemy will bow and address you as My Lord, before he cleaves your head? Or guts you like a fish?’

‘There are no buts about it, he would not, and while I will show you due deference at all other times, when we train, neither will I. So if you have no further questions we will begin.’

Shocked into silence by this blunt speaking commoner they reluctantly did as they were bid. As far as Ayi was concerned this first day would be used to assess the potential of his charges and he worked them hard. He made them run as they’d never run before, for hours on end, then just when they thought their legs could not support them. They were made to stand legs apart and arms stretched straight out at the sides. They were soft having led a pampered life in the palace and having to stand so in the heat of the midday sun was torture.

They moaned and groaned and tried pulling rank. But he ignored their complaints and kept them at it alternately running, standing arms outstretched and performing press-ups, until they would feel as if just about every muscle in their bodies ached. They would learn as their training progressed that their bodies contained many more muscles and at some point they all would ache. Stiff and sore by the end of the day, they tried once more to pull rank on him. But Ayi had the full backing of the pharaoh and would have none of it.

Commander Ayi signalled the end to their first day’s training and they staggered to the shade.

‘All praise Amon Ra,’ intoned Tutimaios as slumped to the ground. ‘I need to rest and then have a nice warm bath to sooth the pain.’

‘Then a selection of food from the kitchens,’ croaked Abbados,’ as he joined him.

‘I don’t think I have the energy to eat. A bath and then bed will do me,’ groaned Hanno, as he collapsed like sack. He ached, he throbbed with pain and he had cramp in muscles that he never knew existed.

Ayi smiled; let them enjoy a night of pampering, being bathed, massaged, rubbed with perfumed oils and dressed in the finest linens by pretty giggling slave girls. Because it would be a few days before they were pampered again. Tomorrow he had the Pharaohs permission to begin the training in earnest and it would not take place within the confines of the palace garden, but in an unused part of the barracks at the rear of the palace. It was place where the palace guards, could protect and at the same time, prevent the princes from gaining access to the pleasures of the palace itself.

If they thought the first day that was spent running, standing and doing press-ups was bad, they were in for a shock. When they arrived at the barracks on the second morning they found they had the same thing to do all over again, with the addition of weight lifting. Only this time they would have to do it with a sack of durra either strapped to their backs or used as weights in the exercises. So began the gruelling four-day sessions, which would build up their bodies and send them to bed after a cold bath totally exhausted and black and blue from head to toe.

Forced to knuckle down, the were grudging in their attendance and tried every trick and excuse to get out of training - none of which were ever allowed to succeed. As the regime began to take effect and their young muscles developed however, their attitude changed. Up until then Ayi had concentrated on their bodies, but soon he would begin the actual weapons training and they could hardly wait to get started.