After a minute or so, Belisarius found himself deep in a rumination over the most effective way to combine Roman and Persian forces, given each people’s habits and characteristics. He shook off the thoughts, for now. He had something more immediate to attend to.
“We need to make a stop at the prisoners’ camp,” he announced.
Baresmanas raised a questioning eyebrow, but made no protest. He simply called out a name.
Immediately, one of the Persians riding nearby trotted his horse over to the sahrdaran and the Roman general. As soon as he arrived, Baresmanas made a little sweeping gesture with his hand.
“I would like to introduce the commander of my household troops, General Belisarius. Merena is his name, from a fine azadan family affiliated to the Suren.”
Belisarius nodded politely. The Persian commander returned the nod, very stiffly. Examining him, Belisarius was not sure if the stiffness was inherent in the man himself, or was due to the specific circumstances.
A bit of both, he decided. As a rule, in his experience, Persians tended toward a certain athletic slenderness. Merena, on the other hand, was a large man, almost as heavyset as Belisarius’ friend Sittas. But where Sittas handled his weight and girth with a certain sprawling ease, Merena seemed to prefer a far more immobile method. For all the man’s obvious horsemanship, he sat his saddle almost like a statue.
Baresmanas passed on the command to visit the prisoners’ camp on the way north. Merena nodded—again, very stiffly—and trotted away to give the orders.
“Not the most informal sort of fellow,” remarked Belisarius.
Baresmanas’ lips twisted.
“Normally, he is not so rigid and proper. But I think he is unsure of how to manage the current situation. This is not, actually, the first time you and he were introduced. In a manner of speaking.”
Belisarius pursed his lips.
“He, too, was at Mindouos.” It was a statement more than a question.
“Oh, yes. Right by my side, during Firuz’ mad charge. He tried to come to my aid, after a lance spilled me from my horse. But he was disabled himself, by a plumbata right through the thigh.”
Belasarius winced. The plumbata was the weapon which modern Roman infantrymen used in place of the pilum, the javelin favored in the earlier days of the Empire. The plumbata was a much shorter weapon—more like a dart than a throwing spear. But what it lost in range it gained in penetrating power, due to the heavy lead weight fitted to the shaft below the spearpoint. At close range, hurled with the underarm motion of an expert, it could penetrate even the armor of cataphracts or dehgans. The wounds it produced were notoriously brutal.
“Pinned him right to the saddle,” continued Baresmanas. “Then, when his horse was hamstrung and gutted, the beast rolled over on top of him. Almost took off his leg. Would have, I’m sure, if he were a smaller man. He still walks with a terrible limp.”
The general’s wince turned into a grimace. Seeing the expression, Baresmanas shrugged.
“He does not bear you any ill-will, Belisarius. Ill-will over that battle, of course, he has in plenty—but all of it is directed toward Firuz. Still, he does not exactly count you among his bosom companions.”
“I imagine not!” The general hesitated, for a moment. Then, deciding that politeness was overridden by necessity:
“I must know, however—please do not take offense—if he will be able to serve properly. Being forced in such close—”
“Have no fear on that score,” interrupted Bares-manas. “Whatever his attitude may be toward you, there is not the slightest doubt of his feelings for me, and my family.”
Belisarius’ face must have exhibited a certain skepticism, for the sahrdaran immediately added:
“It is not simply a matter of duty and tradition. Merena’s family is noted—even famed—for its military accomplishments. But they are not rich. He would still be in captivity had I not paid his ransom out of my own funds.”
Belisarius nodded. He and Baresmanas rode together in silence, for a minute. Then the sahrdaran remarked, almost idly:
“I have noted that you yourself are quite generous to your bucellarii. I was told that you dispense a full half of your battle-gained treasure to them, in fact. Most munificent, indeed.”