That night I had a dream. It was overwhelming and indescribable, but melted into a blur as soon as I opened my eyes. All day I tried to remember that dream, reach for something within that I could not quite grasp.
Kituzda was cross with me, but what else was new. No, she wasn't in my dreams, nor were Idal or Dingira, who both acted out of the norm. One was struck with muted disappointment, the other with loud encouragement.

The daily tasks eluded me. Parts of last night flashed before my eyes, but it was not enough to shape an image of what happened. I felt like my head was filled with mist and all I could do was flail blindly around, hoping to strike something, anything.

"High priestess Enheduanna, might I have a moment of your time?" Lugal-ane's bald head shone in the sun as he bowed before me. Since when did he put his nose towards the ground for me?

The thought cleared a path in my mind like a flash. As if a strike of lightning made everything clear in the blink of an eye, and then it was gone.

A woman with golden wings and a mountain that would not bow.

"Wise En-priestess, your words have touched me deeply. I came to make my apology for not showing respect at you anointment." Lugal-ane said, his voice as sweet as ever.

"Sweet smells are sometimes used to cover foul ones," were the words Idal spoke when we entered the mountain temple of Ningishzida.

With another flash, I saw her. Inanna, goddess of the fearsome divine powers, clad in terror, made complete by the strength of the holy ankar weapon, drenched in blood, rushing around in great battles, with her shield resting on the ground. She was covered in a storm and blood. O great lady Inanna, knowing well how to plan conflicts, you destroy mighty lands with an arrow and strength alone.

"Thus you must care greatly for the people of Ur," Lugal-ane concluded an argument I did not hear.

Never the less, I smiled. "I gave my word that I intended to bring peace to Ur and protect its people, and my word is my bond."

"I am delighted to hear you say that. Because Rimush rages his anger across the land like a serpent pumping venom into its prey. At least Sargon, may his soul rest in the land of no return, had respect for our Sumerian customs." Lugal-ane fumed, forgetting any and all manner of discretion, as he spoke so bluntly about my family.

This man spoke of respect, yet he only showed it when it would benefit him. He didn't show me any respect when I became high priestess, never showed my father any while he was alive. So, why was he feeding me these honeyed words, while simultaneously berating his king?

His red robes fluttered like fire when he threw his hands to the sky. "In heaven and on earth, your hymns roar like a lion and united the people. Like the bull of heaven, your words triumph over those who are hostile. Like a fearsome lioness you will pacify the insubordinate and unsubmissive with your call."

I cocked an eyebrow. "what is my call, may I ask?"

"To aid the Sumerians in our fight for freedom from the Akkadian tyrant." Lugal-ane stated, his back standing as straight as a mountain.

It made me sick. This was not respect. He did not care about my hymn unless they benefitted him. And the nerve to tell me to fight against my own blood. "No." was all I could muster, without cursing him where he stood. That single word carried enough venom to kill an army, and Lugal-ane went pale as it reached his ears.

"I don't understand. In your hymn you spoke about Rimush."

"King Rimush of Akkad," I corrected him. "I do not agree with my brother's methods, as I made clear. But that does not mean I would ever do anything to harm him or his reign. So, enlighten me why you insulted and disrespected my family and your king to my face?"

Any normal man would have trembled, fallen down to their knees and rubbed their lips in the dust. Then again, Lugal-ane never struck me as a normal man, keeping his spine as straight as a mountain range, deluded pride feeding his growing anger.

"You are making a mistake, Enheduanna." He hissed.

I narrowed my eyes, refusing to back away. "You forget who you are speaking to."

"Yes, for a moment I thought our high priestess was actually concerned about the well-being of Ur's people."

If I had an arrow, I would shoot it. If I had a lance, I would throw it. If I had slingstones, I would even rip my own skirt to lunge them. But I only had my mask as my shield, biting my tongue till it bled.

The moment I was finally alone within the Giparu, I wanted to throw something, dual someone, or release my frustration in any way I could. But all I had was a reed and a few blank clay tablets on the table.

It would have to do.

Pressing my title into the wed clay pulled the fog from my mind like a blanket. And there she was again, lighting up my dream like the brightest star in the night sky.

My lady, on your acquiring the stature of heaven. Maiden Inanna, on your becoming as magnificent as the earth. On your coming forth like your brother Utu the king, the sun, and stretching your arms wide, on your walking in heaven and wearing daylight and brilliance. On your being strong with the mace like a joyful lord, like an enthusiastic lord, on your exulting in such battle like a destructive weapon. May the people ring out in song and all the lands sing their song sweetly.

I shall praise the lady of battle and love, the great child of Nanna, maiden Inanna.

I glanced up towards the stars and imagined the goddess looking down at me, smiling with laughter in her eyes. Her presence, even imagined, was comforting. It was in silent moments like this that I thought she was the only one who really understood me. For she also had a father whose wisdom was lost in the night, while her brother rampaged through the day with a fiery rage, thinking he could outshine the moon.

"How do you balance it all? Show me how I can be faithful to my family while fighting for what I believe in?" I said, knowing there would be no answer.

My eyes grew so heavy I struggled to keep them open. And suddenly, I saw it all once e more. A woman with golden wings and a mountain that would not bow.

Inanna announced, "when I was walking around in heaven, walking around on earth. When I was walking around in the mountain Ebih, and I, the goddess, approached the mountain it showed me no respect."

She huffed. "Since he showed me no respect, since he did not put his nose to the ground for me, since he did not rub his lips in the dust for me, I shall personally fill the soaring mountain range with my terror."

Like a lioness stalking her prey, she circled Ebih from the heavens.

"Against its magnificent sides I shall place magnificent battering-rams against its small sides. I shall place small battering-rams. I shall storm it and show it the power of the holy Inanna."

I followed her as she plucked her weapons from the clouds.

"I shall prepare arrows in the quiver. I shall prepare slingstones with the rope. I shall begin the polishing of my lance. I shall prepare the throw stick and the shield." She announced, rolling the lane through her fingers as easily as I held my reed.

"I shall set fire to its thick forests. I shall take an axe to its evil-doing. I shall make Gibil, the purifier, bare his holy teeth at its watercourses. Like a city which Nanna has cursed, may it never be restored. Like a city at which Enlil has frowned upon, may it never again lift its neck up. May the mountain tremble when I approach. May Ebih give me honour and praise me."

Inanna put on the garment of royalty and girded herself in joy. She bedecked her forehead with terror and fearsome radiance. She arranged cornelian rosettes around her holy throat. She brandished the seven-headed ankar weapon vigorously to her right and placed straps of lapis lazuli on her feet.

At dusk she came forth regally and followed the path to the Gate of Wonder. She made an offering to Nanna and addressed a prayer to him.

Nanna, in delight at Inanna, stepped forward and took place upon his dais. He filled the seat of honour in heaven, and I could see why. He was divinity, power, and wisdom personified. Stars filled his beard, and the moon crowned his head.

Next to him, even Inanna seemed small, but I felt far more insignificant.

"Nanna, my father, I greet you!" Inanna said proudly. "Lend your ear to my words. You have made me terrifying among the deities in heaven. Owing to you, my word has no rival in heaven or on earth. You have given me the ankar weapon, to set the socle in position and make our throne and foundation firm. To carry the might of the ankar weapon, which bends like a mubum tree. To pursue murderous raids and widespread military campaigns. To appear to those kings in the cities of heaven like moonlight so they might remove the locks from their city gates so the doors stand open. King Nanna, you have indeed given me all this, and yet I am not respected upon earth."

A loud gasp escaped my lips, yet they did not hear it.

Inanna continued. "You have placed me at the right hand of the king in order to destroy rebel lands: may he, with my aid, smash like a falcon in the foothills of the mountain Ebih."

Nanna observed his daughter with curious eyes. "He may destroy the lands like a snake in a crevice. He may make them slither around like a sajkal snake coming down from a mountain. He may establish control over the mountain, examine it and know its length. But he can't bring you what you desire, my child."

"How can it be that the mountain did not respect me in heaven and on earth, that the mountain did not respect me, Inanna, after all I have done? I have built a palace and done much more. I have put a throne in place and made its foundation firm. I have given the kurjara cult performers their daggers and prod. I have given the gala cult performers ub and lilis drums. I have changed the headgear of the pilipili cult performers. Still, it showed me no respect. And because it did not put its nose to the ground, because it did not rub its lips in the dust, may I fill my hand with the soaring mountain range and hand it over to my terror?"

Nanna answered her, "My little one demands the destruction of this mountain - what is she taking on?

Stars fell as Nanna shook his wise head. "Ebih has spread fear among the holy dwellings of the Anuna deities. It has poured its terror and ferocity over this land. Its arrogance extends grandly to the centre of heaven. You cannot pass through its terror and fear. The mountain range's radiance is fearsome. Maiden Inanna, you cannot oppose it."

The holy mistress, in her rage and anger, opened the arsenal and pushed on through the lapis lazuli gate. She brought out magnificent battle chariot and called up a great storm. Holy Inanna reached for the quiver.

She raised a towering flood with a grin.

As Inanna confronted the mountain Ebih, she advanced step by step. She sharpened both edges of her dagger. She grabbed Ebih's neck as if ripping up strips of grass. Pressing the dagger's teeth into its interior while she roared like thunder.

The rocks forming the body of Ebih clattered down to its flanks. From its sides and crevices, great serpents spat venom. Inanna damned its forests and cursed its trees. She killed its oak trees with drought. She poured fire on its flanks and made its smoke dense. The goddess established authority over the mountain.

Holy Inanna did as she wished.

She went to the mountain range of Ebih and addressed it. "Mountain range, because of your elevation, because of your height, because of your reaching up to heaven and because you did not put your nose to the ground, I have killed you and brought you low."

For a second time, rejoicing in her fearsome terror, she spoke out righteously. "My father, Nanna, has poured my great terror over the centre of the mountains. On my right side, he has placed a weapon. On my left side, a shield is placed. My anger, a harrow with great teeth, has torn the mountain apart."

In awe of her victory, I rushed towards the mountain. I went forward like a surging flood, and like rising water, I overflowed the dam. Waking up in a cold sweat.

Great child of Nanna, maiden Inanna, be praised for defeating Ebih. May your strength flow through me as I defeat those who oppose me.