The Chosen Prince by Diane Stanley

Author:Diane Stanley
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins

20

NESTOR AND SILANOS ARE up and frantically dressing. They had not even slept in their tunics, trusting in the king’s army and the nightly truce to guarantee the prince’s safety. Now there’s no time to put on breastplates and greaves. Swords, shields, and helmets will have to do. Silanos dashes outside to stand guard with Pitheus while Nestor stays to manage the boys.

As it happens, they are managing perfectly well on their own. Peles has already lit the lamp and Leander is hurriedly wrapping the prince’s leg with the protective bands that go under the brace. It’s a complicated business, usually done with meticulous care. But there’s no time for that either. The task is made harder by Alexos himself, who is pulling his tunic over his head, strapping on his sword belt, and generally not staying still. Peles fetches the brace and waits till Leander is finished. Then Leander, Peles, and Alexos work together, fastening the leather straps that hold it on.

Pitheus opens the door again. “I just got word they’ve set fire to the barracks.”

“That’s a diversion,” Nestor says. “Their real business is here.”

“I understand,” Pitheus says. “They’re not in the building yet, but it won’t be long. There’s heavy fighting in the street by the main door.”

Nestor quickly assesses the situation. Peles and Leander have finished with the brace. But all three of them are barefoot and Leander’s weapon is on the floor beside his cot.

“You two, put your sandals on; I’ll help the prince. Leander, get your sword. Do it now.” He kneels at Alexos’ feet, slips on his boots, and hastily ties the laces.

“What about my father?”

“He has his own men to protect him. You are our only concern—and I’m sorry but we really have to hurry!”

Pitheus comes in. “Now!” he says urgently.

From below they hear the tearing of wood as the raiders break down the door, then shouts as men scramble through the breach and into the building, rapid footsteps on the stairs.

Roughly, Peles takes Alexos under the arms and Leander grabs his legs. Then they haul him out the door like a piece of furniture. There’s no time to stop and rearrange themselves to carry him more efficiently. They just run as they are—stumbling and bumping against the walls, with Nestor in the lead, Pitheus and Silanos protecting the rear—through the darkness to the far end of the corridor.

“Where are we going?” Alexos shouts.

“Out the side door,” Nestor says. He says it in a hoarse whisper, a warning to Alexos to keep his voice down. They don’t want to call attention to themselves.

At the end of the corridor, they turn to the left and head down a flight of stairs. There are no torches in the sconces here, no lamps; they have to feel their way in the darkness, step by step. Alexos is tilted at an angle now, his head higher than his feet. This is more comfortable for him but it’s harder for Leander, who now has to bear most of his weight.

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.