The Conqueror and the Rose

Chapter XI - Gerdosian Night

The ride back to Persia seemed never ending. They were journeying westward through the desert, and Roxana noticed that it was getting hotter and hotter with each passing day. As they rode on, she looked at the brown people dressed in torn linen frocks, sashes tied around their waists. They were bent over and working the wasteland with sticks and shovels. She took note that this land was also surrounded by mountains, but they were flat and nothing seemed to grow on them. But soon they passed by these people, and then not a soul was to be seen asides from their army.

"Alexander, we are crossing a desert that no army has ever ventured to cross before," Said Perdiccas, looking around warily, his demeanour skittish.

"That is exactly the point, my friend," Said Alexander. He winked at Roxana, who was riding alongside him on her own mare. As for her, she did not have a good feeling about this desert either. The mood was depressing, for a start. Her legs were growing tired from sitting on the horse for too long, but the sun was still high up in the sky, glaring at he as if mocking her. She did not know for how many hours they had been riding, but her pride prevented her from asking Alexander for a time of rest. She was determined she would ride on until night came or until the commander commanded them to stop. From the corner of her eyes, she observed as a soldier rode forwards and slowed down beside Alexander. He seemed to be afraid of telling him something.

"My lord," He said.

"What is it?" Alexander asked, his jaw set into a tight line.

"Our supply of water is running short," He informed him. Roxana turned sharply. What did he mean? If they were out of water, where else would they find water in this expansive, dusty desert?

"Do not tell the men of this. But save as much water as you can, restrict the baths."

"We are already doing so -"

"Then restrict the amount of water each man drinks." Alexander turned to his friend beside him, Hephaestion, who looked at him with a worried look in his eyes.

Two weeks had passed since they had started out on the Gerdosian trail. Roxana was thoroughly exhausted now, not having been able to take any baths, her hair was matted and oily. Sweat trickled down her neck under the harsh sun. Alexander looked tired as well, he no longer sat as straight and as rigidly on his horse. Roxana wearily looked behind her. Dry ground. That was all she could see.

"My lord, some of the men are collapsing from heat and exhaustion," She heard a soldier say after having rode up to Alexander. Sure enough, as Roxana looked behind her, one by one some of the me who had been marching handsomely all along slumped forwards onto the sand. They were hoisted up by their comrades, and offered a sip of water from their leather flasks. She saw a horse's ankles give way and bend awkwardly before it collapsed, catapulting the rider forwards. He yelled. It was almost funny if not for the dire situation they were in right now.

Abruptly, Alexander stopped his horse and dismounted. He thrust the reigns to his servant, then began to trudge on alongside the horse.

"What are you doing?" Asked Selecuos grimly. The general had been riding close to Alexander.

"Exactly what I look like to be doing. Walking, just like my men are," Alexander replied. They continued for a while, before Roxana slid off her horse as well. If Alexander and his men were walking, there was no reason she wasn't. Her maids looked at her worriedly, when Alexander put up his hand. The entire army halted.

"Set up for camp!" He shouted. The men had already begun drilling holes into the ground with iron pegs, and she made her way over to where a general and his men were spreading the tent canopies. The general turned out to be Lysimachus, and she too grabbed one side of the canopy in order to bring it over the skeleton structure.