Athena's Champion by Athena's Champion (epub)

Author:Athena's Champion (epub) [Champion, Athena's]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781788632799
Publisher: Canelo Digital Publishing Ltd
Published: 2018-09-17T00:00:00+00:00

12 – Silver-Tongued Prince

‘HESIOD: What is the sure sign of wisdom among men?

HOMER: To judge the present rightly, and to march with the times.’

—Contest of Homer and Hesiod

Sparta, Lacedaemon

Cold water splashes onto my face and I come awake with a jolt, my heart pounding. Light and dark blur around me: human shapes, bronze weapons, red cloaks and shouting voices, all male.

Then someone shakes me, and a voice says, ‘Odysseus! What in Tartarus are you doing here?’

My calf is throbbing and there’s a sharp, liquid pain in my chest, the taste of blood is in my mouth and my sight is a smear. But then the man shaking me resolves himself into Menelaus and I clutch him, half sobbing in sheer relief at being alive, reassured a fraction to see my friend… and then I try to think, asking and answering questions internally, balancing risks and consequences. Some men can think under stress, others freeze. I am learning that I’m of the former kind, thankfully.

But I still almost panic: Oh gods, Bria’s dead… and Hippasus! And if I don’t come up with a plan – NOW – I’m going to die too! Then my thoughts go to Eurybates. Has Theseus killed him too? I picture Eury lying dead in our camp – and Theseus with the Bow of Eurytus. The mental image puts me in a mix of wild panic and cold fury, both of which I’m careful to hide.

‘Menelaus,’ I make myself splutter. ‘The thieves… did they…?’

Before he can answer, one of those rough-faced giants that infest royal courts thrusts Menelaus aside. ‘This piece of shit has woken up!’ he roars, spittle spraying, his fists bunched as though he wants to punch and punch me until I’m pulp, and I can’t blame him. ‘Send for the King!’ he shouts.

‘The guards said he was fighting the intruders!’ Menelaus says, angrily. ‘Let him be, Alycus!’

Alycus, that’s right… one of Tyndareus’s younger champions back when Menelaus and I dwelt here. He looks senior now; if he recognizes me, he’s giving no sign of it.

‘Did they get away?’ I groan.

‘Yes, they—’ Menelaus begins.

‘Tell him nothing!’ Alycus snarls. ‘What in Erebus was he doing here?’

I stifle another groan. ‘I was tracking them… It’s a long story… Menelaus, I’m so glad you’re here.’

Menelaus pats my arm. ‘I vouch for this man, Alycus. He’ll tell you all he knows – just let him recover!’ Then he bends close to whisper: ‘Agamemnon gets regular news from Pytho. The last messenger had some wild tale about you quarrelling with your father?’ From his expression, he clearly knows more – which makes sense. Pytho, Hera’s main shrine, will be keeping the King of Mycenae, Hera’s sacred city, well informed. And Agamemnon will tend to pass anything about me on to Menelaus.

Thank the gods Menelaus knows when to keep his mouth shut. ‘It’ll be resolved,’ I whisper back. ‘My loyalties are as they always have been.’ If only that were true.

I’ve just lied to my dearest friend, and I utterly despise myself.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.