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The day was hot and dry, as were most days in the summer. The sun beat down on the two men as they neared the end of their journey. They had been returning from the Northern border where they had been sent on a sort of scouting mission. They had been travelling for days with very little rest, and both men and the horses they rode on were exhausted from the push. Though Maleos enjoyed what he did, he could not wait to get home and rest in an actual bed and wash himself off as well. They were covered in dirt and dust, not having the time or water to spare to clean themselves during their journey. Not that there would have been a point, had they cleaned off in the middle of their scouting, they would have been back in the same state the next day.
Their trip had been quiet, neither man really having much to talk about with each other. Maleos wasn't great at being social, and it didn't seem much like Timaeus wanted to say a lot to him anyways. Maleos was fine with the silence, he rather preferred it to those men that would talk on and on, despite the clear lack of interest from himself. Timaeus seemed to be fine with the relative silence as well, so he actually made for a pretty great travel companion.
As exhaustion weighed heavy on his mind and body, Maleos found himself not paying much attention to his horses’ steps. Though he had only just been given the animal shortly before he and Timaeus had left Colchis to heed their orders, he trusted that it was well trained and would keep it’s footing along the narrow cliff path back to their home in Eubocris. He had not had any problems with the beast thus far, and so he had no reason to think he would have any problems on the way home.
If Maleos had not been so tired from lack of sleep and physical exertion over the past few days, he would have realized his horse was tired, and perhaps spurring it on over the narrow cliff path was not a good idea. Had he been fully awake he would have suggested they made camp for the night and rested themselves and their horses before continuing on. They were ahead of plan anyways, so staying another night before making it home would not have been an issue.
But he was in no state to think of such things, instead he pushed on with Timaeus following behind him. He was sure that the other man also wanted to make it home that night, certain he would have his own reasons for pushing on instead of making camp as one of them should have suggested.
And as his luck would have it, the Gods seemed to think he needed to learn an important lesson that day.
It was sudden, and it took Maleos longer than he would like to admit before he realized what was happening. His horse suddenly went down from underneath him, the beast losing its footing, it threatened to take its rider down along with it. Maleos managed to come to his senses in time to slip his feet from the stirrups of the saddle, and as his horse went crashing down the side of the cliff, he found a hand hold nearly a quarter of the way down the cliff side. He hung there, in shock over what happened and tried to take in the series of events. It was with horror he realized that Timaeus was there on the cliff side with him, hanging the same as he was but slightly further up. He figured his horse must have caught Timaeus’ off guard and sent both of them tumbling down.
He did not know what to do, adrenaline pumped through his body and it seemed as if his brain had just shut itself off, already prepared for the inevitable death that would follow this incident.
It felt as if he had just hung there for all of eternity, trying to push his mind into gear to think about how to get both of them out of the situation. In reality it was seconds, but the longer he hung there the more tired his arm became, and he started desperately looking for anything to hold on to or pull himself up with. It was then that he wondered if Timaeus would leave him to hang there. Surely the other male could see the hand hold above him that could be used to pull himself up, and from there Maleos was certain that there would be more. Timaeus could get himself to the top and leave Maleos to his fate.
And he would not blame the other male, this was his fault and he should face the consequences of his own irresponsible actions.
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This character is currently a work in progress.
Check out their information page here.
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The day was hot and dry, as were most days in the summer. The sun beat down on the two men as they neared the end of their journey. They had been returning from the Northern border where they had been sent on a sort of scouting mission. They had been travelling for days with very little rest, and both men and the horses they rode on were exhausted from the push. Though Maleos enjoyed what he did, he could not wait to get home and rest in an actual bed and wash himself off as well. They were covered in dirt and dust, not having the time or water to spare to clean themselves during their journey. Not that there would have been a point, had they cleaned off in the middle of their scouting, they would have been back in the same state the next day.
Their trip had been quiet, neither man really having much to talk about with each other. Maleos wasn't great at being social, and it didn't seem much like Timaeus wanted to say a lot to him anyways. Maleos was fine with the silence, he rather preferred it to those men that would talk on and on, despite the clear lack of interest from himself. Timaeus seemed to be fine with the relative silence as well, so he actually made for a pretty great travel companion.
As exhaustion weighed heavy on his mind and body, Maleos found himself not paying much attention to his horses’ steps. Though he had only just been given the animal shortly before he and Timaeus had left Colchis to heed their orders, he trusted that it was well trained and would keep it’s footing along the narrow cliff path back to their home in Eubocris. He had not had any problems with the beast thus far, and so he had no reason to think he would have any problems on the way home.
If Maleos had not been so tired from lack of sleep and physical exertion over the past few days, he would have realized his horse was tired, and perhaps spurring it on over the narrow cliff path was not a good idea. Had he been fully awake he would have suggested they made camp for the night and rested themselves and their horses before continuing on. They were ahead of plan anyways, so staying another night before making it home would not have been an issue.
But he was in no state to think of such things, instead he pushed on with Timaeus following behind him. He was sure that the other man also wanted to make it home that night, certain he would have his own reasons for pushing on instead of making camp as one of them should have suggested.
And as his luck would have it, the Gods seemed to think he needed to learn an important lesson that day.
It was sudden, and it took Maleos longer than he would like to admit before he realized what was happening. His horse suddenly went down from underneath him, the beast losing its footing, it threatened to take its rider down along with it. Maleos managed to come to his senses in time to slip his feet from the stirrups of the saddle, and as his horse went crashing down the side of the cliff, he found a hand hold nearly a quarter of the way down the cliff side. He hung there, in shock over what happened and tried to take in the series of events. It was with horror he realized that Timaeus was there on the cliff side with him, hanging the same as he was but slightly further up. He figured his horse must have caught Timaeus’ off guard and sent both of them tumbling down.
He did not know what to do, adrenaline pumped through his body and it seemed as if his brain had just shut itself off, already prepared for the inevitable death that would follow this incident.
It felt as if he had just hung there for all of eternity, trying to push his mind into gear to think about how to get both of them out of the situation. In reality it was seconds, but the longer he hung there the more tired his arm became, and he started desperately looking for anything to hold on to or pull himself up with. It was then that he wondered if Timaeus would leave him to hang there. Surely the other male could see the hand hold above him that could be used to pull himself up, and from there Maleos was certain that there would be more. Timaeus could get himself to the top and leave Maleos to his fate.
And he would not blame the other male, this was his fault and he should face the consequences of his own irresponsible actions.
The day was hot and dry, as were most days in the summer. The sun beat down on the two men as they neared the end of their journey. They had been returning from the Northern border where they had been sent on a sort of scouting mission. They had been travelling for days with very little rest, and both men and the horses they rode on were exhausted from the push. Though Maleos enjoyed what he did, he could not wait to get home and rest in an actual bed and wash himself off as well. They were covered in dirt and dust, not having the time or water to spare to clean themselves during their journey. Not that there would have been a point, had they cleaned off in the middle of their scouting, they would have been back in the same state the next day.
Their trip had been quiet, neither man really having much to talk about with each other. Maleos wasn't great at being social, and it didn't seem much like Timaeus wanted to say a lot to him anyways. Maleos was fine with the silence, he rather preferred it to those men that would talk on and on, despite the clear lack of interest from himself. Timaeus seemed to be fine with the relative silence as well, so he actually made for a pretty great travel companion.
As exhaustion weighed heavy on his mind and body, Maleos found himself not paying much attention to his horses’ steps. Though he had only just been given the animal shortly before he and Timaeus had left Colchis to heed their orders, he trusted that it was well trained and would keep it’s footing along the narrow cliff path back to their home in Eubocris. He had not had any problems with the beast thus far, and so he had no reason to think he would have any problems on the way home.
If Maleos had not been so tired from lack of sleep and physical exertion over the past few days, he would have realized his horse was tired, and perhaps spurring it on over the narrow cliff path was not a good idea. Had he been fully awake he would have suggested they made camp for the night and rested themselves and their horses before continuing on. They were ahead of plan anyways, so staying another night before making it home would not have been an issue.
But he was in no state to think of such things, instead he pushed on with Timaeus following behind him. He was sure that the other man also wanted to make it home that night, certain he would have his own reasons for pushing on instead of making camp as one of them should have suggested.
And as his luck would have it, the Gods seemed to think he needed to learn an important lesson that day.
It was sudden, and it took Maleos longer than he would like to admit before he realized what was happening. His horse suddenly went down from underneath him, the beast losing its footing, it threatened to take its rider down along with it. Maleos managed to come to his senses in time to slip his feet from the stirrups of the saddle, and as his horse went crashing down the side of the cliff, he found a hand hold nearly a quarter of the way down the cliff side. He hung there, in shock over what happened and tried to take in the series of events. It was with horror he realized that Timaeus was there on the cliff side with him, hanging the same as he was but slightly further up. He figured his horse must have caught Timaeus’ off guard and sent both of them tumbling down.
He did not know what to do, adrenaline pumped through his body and it seemed as if his brain had just shut itself off, already prepared for the inevitable death that would follow this incident.
It felt as if he had just hung there for all of eternity, trying to push his mind into gear to think about how to get both of them out of the situation. In reality it was seconds, but the longer he hung there the more tired his arm became, and he started desperately looking for anything to hold on to or pull himself up with. It was then that he wondered if Timaeus would leave him to hang there. Surely the other male could see the hand hold above him that could be used to pull himself up, and from there Maleos was certain that there would be more. Timaeus could get himself to the top and leave Maleos to his fate.
And he would not blame the other male, this was his fault and he should face the consequences of his own irresponsible actions.
The last few days had easily been some of the most uncomfortable in Timaeus’s life. Not only was he exhausted, having traveled to the furthest Northern reaches of his family’s land, but he had also done so in complete silence as his comrade wasn’t the most talkative traveling companion; a common-born soldier named Maleos.
As much as he didn’t want to say it, the nobleman knew that the silence was not an accident. After all, Timaeus wasn’t a fool. He knew that there was a widespread legend surrounding his family within the province Eubocris that was less than flattering, to say the very least. The young lord didn’t like to give it any of his attention as he knew the whole thing to be a complete farce, but not everyone else shared his viewpoint. Instead, those people believed that his whole family was founded on dishonor and an insatiable need for power. From his birth, Timaeus was condemned in the eyes of some of the men as being no better than a man who had lived four generations prior. Nothing the Valaoritis did could convince them that this wasn’t the case. It was something he had grown used to over the years and only served to further justify his dislike of the province. Not only was he penned in by his blood, like a caged animal, but the ones he was supposed to help his brother protect hated him as well.
Or at least… so he thought.
It was hard for Timaeus to know the truth about how far this rumor had spread or how many people actually believed it when he has spent the majority of his life either in the manor high up in the mountains, overlooking the whole valley. As a boy, Timaeus only ventured into the city below the Valaoritis's perch only during festivals or the children were up to no good -- again. He may have visited more if is mother’s memories of the legend and her own fierce devotion to her boys hadn't kept him from wandering into the city below. There was no reason for him to go either. The prestige of his name ensured that he could have all that he ever wanted in the manor and with the sheer number of brothers and cousins that were running around its halls, there just wasn’t much of a reason to wander off. His perfectly content childhood just isolated him from the reality of the situation even further. It was a double headed-coin. The family’s own actions just further closed them off from the truth and made them no different than the people they quietly condemned.
Either way, when Maleos has settled into a steady silence at the beginning of their excursion, Timaeus had assumed that it was brought on by a silent judgment of his family name and not just a natural consequence of both men not being very talkative. It was strange at first, but Timaeus wasn’t sure how to break the awkwardness. Only within the second day did he realize how much easier it was for both of them to keep to themselves. It certainly made it easier for Timaeus to focus on the task at hand and be more attentive to the state of the land that they were inspecting, ensuring that there was nothing amiss, especially on the northern tip where the province bordered Thanasi lands.
Now, to be perfectly honest, Timaeus was not all that concerned that they would find anything out of the ordinary. His brother, Nicomedes, was the guardian of the noble family who owned the bordering land, Arcanaes, after the current Baron slipped into a coma a little over three years ago. Although, his brother had no direct influence over anything besides the Peisistratos family’s financials and the upkeep of Galatea, the baron’s wife; it had been simpler for the stewards to report all sorts of matters to the Varonos to the south. After all, Nicomedes was brilliant in the role of Baron. He was a natural born leader and his years of intense education made him an excellent politician. Timaeus really couldn’t think of anyone better for the job than his elder brother.
But that’s were the unrest came in. It was no secret that there was a slight issue with a Kotas vassal overseeing Thanasi lands, nevermind that the two families were closely related by blood. He didn’t know the details himself as everything had happened during the brief four years that Timaeus had been out at sea, escaping the landlocked province, and truthfully, he didn’t really care all that much for politics anyway. However, it was easy to see why the house with a snake sigil had protested the Valaoritis family taking primary guardianship. In order to appease them, a steward had been installed, but that couldn’t stop the grumbling about he reported to Valaoritis anyway. Folks who were on the Thanasi side of the dispute were not happy, but the law was clear. The head of the Valaoritis family was the closest male relative to the current Baron. It was Nicomedes’ legal right to serve as guardian, whether folks like it or not.
And those who did not like, especially those that took to the Thanasi way of handling things that they did not like, could very easily become *testy* and use the shared borderlands as a chance to show their displeasure.
That was probably why both Timaeus was sent on this mission in the first place. He was a captain, had been since he had returned from a retainer ship with his uncle when he was sixteen. (A typical way that noble boys climbed the ranks without needed to subject themselves to the grueling tasks that the common folk had to go through.) This kind of scouting mission should have been beneath him. However, Nicomedes was personally interested in the state of the north and there was no one he trusted more to report what was happening than his younger brother, Timaeus.
Though, it didn’t really matter in the end as there was nothing to report by the end of the trip. All those countless hours the two men sent traveling the countryside had essentially been for nothing as all they would have to report was that things were peaceful. Which was a good thing, Timaeus wasn’t stupid enough to say otherwise, but he wished that for how little sleep and how filthy they had gotten, there would be something of interest for them to say at the end of it all.
Maybe it was the mundaneness of their task and the sheer exhaustion in his eyes that also kept Timaeus from insisting that they rested for the night before attempting the rocky cliffside paths that would lead the men home. After such a fruitless mission, he just wanted to lay his head down on a real pillow again and enjoy not moving for days. He couldn’t do that from a makeshift camp on the roadside where he would barely be able to sleep and still wake with sore muscles for the umpteenth day in a row. No, he pressed on, just like Maleos as he knew that their journey was almost at an end and it was most certainly worth riding through the night for.
Though perhaps if the sleep didn’t tug at his eyelids so greatly, he might have noticed that Maleos wasn’t as strongly bonded with his steed as Timaeus was with his own beast Thrasos, a gift from his brother upon his return last year. The chestnut Andalusian that Timaeus rode was well accustomed to the dangerous roads and the young lord knew how to read even the slight change in the horses’ behavior, signaling that there was something was wrong. This allowed him to correct any issues before they become incidents that threatened both of their lives.
Maleos did not have the same luxury.
Timaeus was not paying close attention when Maleos’s horse first lost its footing. In truth, he was almost falling asleep at that moment and his lack of awareness was something he would regret for years to come. One moment, everything was fine and his eyes were slipping closed. The next, there was a loud braying from the beast who Timaeus saw lose its balance and fall over the cliffside… with his comrade still on his back.
“MALEOS!” Timaeus called out, but his cry was soon transformed into his own terrifying call as Thrasos reacted to seeing the other horse fall off the cliffside and reared up, intending to use his intimidating stature in order to scare off the supposed threat that had caused the other steed to stumble. Unfortunately for Timaeus, this action made it impossible for him to hold onto the beast. In only a matter of seconds, the future Baron was thrown out of the saddle and over the cliffside.
Luckily for him, the gods must have been looking favorably upon the young lord as he had not traveled far before he found a handhold that paused his descent.
His exhausted muscles cried out in agony at the sudden motions bringing a soft groan of pain from the Lord's lips. His free arm frantically searching around him for another spot to support himself and spare his arm the uncomfortable burden. By the time he found one, his left arm was beginning to spasm, making it clear that the Valaoritis would not be able to cling to the cliffside for very long. Glancing upwards, he could see that he was not that far down on the cliff and there were enough spaces to haul himself up from what would otherwise be certain death.
He was about to let go of the first spot and push himself upward when a small noise pulled his attention down to the rest of the cliffside. There, just a bit farther below him was Maleos. His pained expression took on a look of shock, hadn’t he just seen the man go over the cliff still in his horse’s saddle? Timaeus was convinced just a moment ago that he had seen this man die a horrible, painful death and yet… here he was, clinging to the same cliff that Timaeus was.
His shaking arms pulled him out of this state of shock though and forced him to consider the situation they were in. Both men were trapped on the cliffside, facing certain death. Timaeus could get himself out, but glancing down it looked like there were fewer spots for Maleos to save himself as well. It was clear that he was going to need assistance making his way up, but Timaeus didn’t know how to give it when his own arms were threatening to drop him as well.
A soft braying pulled his eyes up the cliffside. To his great relief, he could see that Thrasos was still up on the cliffside, unsure of what to do in the absence of his rider. Despite the pain and the precarious situation that they were in, a light laugh escaped Timaeus. He knew that his pack of supplies was still strapped to the animal, including a rope that if he could get to in time, he might be able to pull Maleos up with… if the other soldier could last long enough for Timaeus to save himself and then anchor the rope to something.
A part of him wanted to immediately start climbing, but he needed to know that he had the time to do it before he risked limb and neck.
“Maleos!” He called out, glancing down the cliffside at his comrade. “Are you hurt? How long can you hold on?” If the man answered with a time that Timaeus couldn’t reach the rope in, he would have to rethink his plan.
And as much as he hated to consider it if Maleos couldn’t last long enough and couldn’t scale the wall himself… then Timaeus might have no other choice beyond leaving the man to his fate.
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This character is currently a work in progress.
Check out their information page here.
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The last few days had easily been some of the most uncomfortable in Timaeus’s life. Not only was he exhausted, having traveled to the furthest Northern reaches of his family’s land, but he had also done so in complete silence as his comrade wasn’t the most talkative traveling companion; a common-born soldier named Maleos.
As much as he didn’t want to say it, the nobleman knew that the silence was not an accident. After all, Timaeus wasn’t a fool. He knew that there was a widespread legend surrounding his family within the province Eubocris that was less than flattering, to say the very least. The young lord didn’t like to give it any of his attention as he knew the whole thing to be a complete farce, but not everyone else shared his viewpoint. Instead, those people believed that his whole family was founded on dishonor and an insatiable need for power. From his birth, Timaeus was condemned in the eyes of some of the men as being no better than a man who had lived four generations prior. Nothing the Valaoritis did could convince them that this wasn’t the case. It was something he had grown used to over the years and only served to further justify his dislike of the province. Not only was he penned in by his blood, like a caged animal, but the ones he was supposed to help his brother protect hated him as well.
Or at least… so he thought.
It was hard for Timaeus to know the truth about how far this rumor had spread or how many people actually believed it when he has spent the majority of his life either in the manor high up in the mountains, overlooking the whole valley. As a boy, Timaeus only ventured into the city below the Valaoritis's perch only during festivals or the children were up to no good -- again. He may have visited more if is mother’s memories of the legend and her own fierce devotion to her boys hadn't kept him from wandering into the city below. There was no reason for him to go either. The prestige of his name ensured that he could have all that he ever wanted in the manor and with the sheer number of brothers and cousins that were running around its halls, there just wasn’t much of a reason to wander off. His perfectly content childhood just isolated him from the reality of the situation even further. It was a double headed-coin. The family’s own actions just further closed them off from the truth and made them no different than the people they quietly condemned.
Either way, when Maleos has settled into a steady silence at the beginning of their excursion, Timaeus had assumed that it was brought on by a silent judgment of his family name and not just a natural consequence of both men not being very talkative. It was strange at first, but Timaeus wasn’t sure how to break the awkwardness. Only within the second day did he realize how much easier it was for both of them to keep to themselves. It certainly made it easier for Timaeus to focus on the task at hand and be more attentive to the state of the land that they were inspecting, ensuring that there was nothing amiss, especially on the northern tip where the province bordered Thanasi lands.
Now, to be perfectly honest, Timaeus was not all that concerned that they would find anything out of the ordinary. His brother, Nicomedes, was the guardian of the noble family who owned the bordering land, Arcanaes, after the current Baron slipped into a coma a little over three years ago. Although, his brother had no direct influence over anything besides the Peisistratos family’s financials and the upkeep of Galatea, the baron’s wife; it had been simpler for the stewards to report all sorts of matters to the Varonos to the south. After all, Nicomedes was brilliant in the role of Baron. He was a natural born leader and his years of intense education made him an excellent politician. Timaeus really couldn’t think of anyone better for the job than his elder brother.
But that’s were the unrest came in. It was no secret that there was a slight issue with a Kotas vassal overseeing Thanasi lands, nevermind that the two families were closely related by blood. He didn’t know the details himself as everything had happened during the brief four years that Timaeus had been out at sea, escaping the landlocked province, and truthfully, he didn’t really care all that much for politics anyway. However, it was easy to see why the house with a snake sigil had protested the Valaoritis family taking primary guardianship. In order to appease them, a steward had been installed, but that couldn’t stop the grumbling about he reported to Valaoritis anyway. Folks who were on the Thanasi side of the dispute were not happy, but the law was clear. The head of the Valaoritis family was the closest male relative to the current Baron. It was Nicomedes’ legal right to serve as guardian, whether folks like it or not.
And those who did not like, especially those that took to the Thanasi way of handling things that they did not like, could very easily become *testy* and use the shared borderlands as a chance to show their displeasure.
That was probably why both Timaeus was sent on this mission in the first place. He was a captain, had been since he had returned from a retainer ship with his uncle when he was sixteen. (A typical way that noble boys climbed the ranks without needed to subject themselves to the grueling tasks that the common folk had to go through.) This kind of scouting mission should have been beneath him. However, Nicomedes was personally interested in the state of the north and there was no one he trusted more to report what was happening than his younger brother, Timaeus.
Though, it didn’t really matter in the end as there was nothing to report by the end of the trip. All those countless hours the two men sent traveling the countryside had essentially been for nothing as all they would have to report was that things were peaceful. Which was a good thing, Timaeus wasn’t stupid enough to say otherwise, but he wished that for how little sleep and how filthy they had gotten, there would be something of interest for them to say at the end of it all.
Maybe it was the mundaneness of their task and the sheer exhaustion in his eyes that also kept Timaeus from insisting that they rested for the night before attempting the rocky cliffside paths that would lead the men home. After such a fruitless mission, he just wanted to lay his head down on a real pillow again and enjoy not moving for days. He couldn’t do that from a makeshift camp on the roadside where he would barely be able to sleep and still wake with sore muscles for the umpteenth day in a row. No, he pressed on, just like Maleos as he knew that their journey was almost at an end and it was most certainly worth riding through the night for.
Though perhaps if the sleep didn’t tug at his eyelids so greatly, he might have noticed that Maleos wasn’t as strongly bonded with his steed as Timaeus was with his own beast Thrasos, a gift from his brother upon his return last year. The chestnut Andalusian that Timaeus rode was well accustomed to the dangerous roads and the young lord knew how to read even the slight change in the horses’ behavior, signaling that there was something was wrong. This allowed him to correct any issues before they become incidents that threatened both of their lives.
Maleos did not have the same luxury.
Timaeus was not paying close attention when Maleos’s horse first lost its footing. In truth, he was almost falling asleep at that moment and his lack of awareness was something he would regret for years to come. One moment, everything was fine and his eyes were slipping closed. The next, there was a loud braying from the beast who Timaeus saw lose its balance and fall over the cliffside… with his comrade still on his back.
“MALEOS!” Timaeus called out, but his cry was soon transformed into his own terrifying call as Thrasos reacted to seeing the other horse fall off the cliffside and reared up, intending to use his intimidating stature in order to scare off the supposed threat that had caused the other steed to stumble. Unfortunately for Timaeus, this action made it impossible for him to hold onto the beast. In only a matter of seconds, the future Baron was thrown out of the saddle and over the cliffside.
Luckily for him, the gods must have been looking favorably upon the young lord as he had not traveled far before he found a handhold that paused his descent.
His exhausted muscles cried out in agony at the sudden motions bringing a soft groan of pain from the Lord's lips. His free arm frantically searching around him for another spot to support himself and spare his arm the uncomfortable burden. By the time he found one, his left arm was beginning to spasm, making it clear that the Valaoritis would not be able to cling to the cliffside for very long. Glancing upwards, he could see that he was not that far down on the cliff and there were enough spaces to haul himself up from what would otherwise be certain death.
He was about to let go of the first spot and push himself upward when a small noise pulled his attention down to the rest of the cliffside. There, just a bit farther below him was Maleos. His pained expression took on a look of shock, hadn’t he just seen the man go over the cliff still in his horse’s saddle? Timaeus was convinced just a moment ago that he had seen this man die a horrible, painful death and yet… here he was, clinging to the same cliff that Timaeus was.
His shaking arms pulled him out of this state of shock though and forced him to consider the situation they were in. Both men were trapped on the cliffside, facing certain death. Timaeus could get himself out, but glancing down it looked like there were fewer spots for Maleos to save himself as well. It was clear that he was going to need assistance making his way up, but Timaeus didn’t know how to give it when his own arms were threatening to drop him as well.
A soft braying pulled his eyes up the cliffside. To his great relief, he could see that Thrasos was still up on the cliffside, unsure of what to do in the absence of his rider. Despite the pain and the precarious situation that they were in, a light laugh escaped Timaeus. He knew that his pack of supplies was still strapped to the animal, including a rope that if he could get to in time, he might be able to pull Maleos up with… if the other soldier could last long enough for Timaeus to save himself and then anchor the rope to something.
A part of him wanted to immediately start climbing, but he needed to know that he had the time to do it before he risked limb and neck.
“Maleos!” He called out, glancing down the cliffside at his comrade. “Are you hurt? How long can you hold on?” If the man answered with a time that Timaeus couldn’t reach the rope in, he would have to rethink his plan.
And as much as he hated to consider it if Maleos couldn’t last long enough and couldn’t scale the wall himself… then Timaeus might have no other choice beyond leaving the man to his fate.
The last few days had easily been some of the most uncomfortable in Timaeus’s life. Not only was he exhausted, having traveled to the furthest Northern reaches of his family’s land, but he had also done so in complete silence as his comrade wasn’t the most talkative traveling companion; a common-born soldier named Maleos.
As much as he didn’t want to say it, the nobleman knew that the silence was not an accident. After all, Timaeus wasn’t a fool. He knew that there was a widespread legend surrounding his family within the province Eubocris that was less than flattering, to say the very least. The young lord didn’t like to give it any of his attention as he knew the whole thing to be a complete farce, but not everyone else shared his viewpoint. Instead, those people believed that his whole family was founded on dishonor and an insatiable need for power. From his birth, Timaeus was condemned in the eyes of some of the men as being no better than a man who had lived four generations prior. Nothing the Valaoritis did could convince them that this wasn’t the case. It was something he had grown used to over the years and only served to further justify his dislike of the province. Not only was he penned in by his blood, like a caged animal, but the ones he was supposed to help his brother protect hated him as well.
Or at least… so he thought.
It was hard for Timaeus to know the truth about how far this rumor had spread or how many people actually believed it when he has spent the majority of his life either in the manor high up in the mountains, overlooking the whole valley. As a boy, Timaeus only ventured into the city below the Valaoritis's perch only during festivals or the children were up to no good -- again. He may have visited more if is mother’s memories of the legend and her own fierce devotion to her boys hadn't kept him from wandering into the city below. There was no reason for him to go either. The prestige of his name ensured that he could have all that he ever wanted in the manor and with the sheer number of brothers and cousins that were running around its halls, there just wasn’t much of a reason to wander off. His perfectly content childhood just isolated him from the reality of the situation even further. It was a double headed-coin. The family’s own actions just further closed them off from the truth and made them no different than the people they quietly condemned.
Either way, when Maleos has settled into a steady silence at the beginning of their excursion, Timaeus had assumed that it was brought on by a silent judgment of his family name and not just a natural consequence of both men not being very talkative. It was strange at first, but Timaeus wasn’t sure how to break the awkwardness. Only within the second day did he realize how much easier it was for both of them to keep to themselves. It certainly made it easier for Timaeus to focus on the task at hand and be more attentive to the state of the land that they were inspecting, ensuring that there was nothing amiss, especially on the northern tip where the province bordered Thanasi lands.
Now, to be perfectly honest, Timaeus was not all that concerned that they would find anything out of the ordinary. His brother, Nicomedes, was the guardian of the noble family who owned the bordering land, Arcanaes, after the current Baron slipped into a coma a little over three years ago. Although, his brother had no direct influence over anything besides the Peisistratos family’s financials and the upkeep of Galatea, the baron’s wife; it had been simpler for the stewards to report all sorts of matters to the Varonos to the south. After all, Nicomedes was brilliant in the role of Baron. He was a natural born leader and his years of intense education made him an excellent politician. Timaeus really couldn’t think of anyone better for the job than his elder brother.
But that’s were the unrest came in. It was no secret that there was a slight issue with a Kotas vassal overseeing Thanasi lands, nevermind that the two families were closely related by blood. He didn’t know the details himself as everything had happened during the brief four years that Timaeus had been out at sea, escaping the landlocked province, and truthfully, he didn’t really care all that much for politics anyway. However, it was easy to see why the house with a snake sigil had protested the Valaoritis family taking primary guardianship. In order to appease them, a steward had been installed, but that couldn’t stop the grumbling about he reported to Valaoritis anyway. Folks who were on the Thanasi side of the dispute were not happy, but the law was clear. The head of the Valaoritis family was the closest male relative to the current Baron. It was Nicomedes’ legal right to serve as guardian, whether folks like it or not.
And those who did not like, especially those that took to the Thanasi way of handling things that they did not like, could very easily become *testy* and use the shared borderlands as a chance to show their displeasure.
That was probably why both Timaeus was sent on this mission in the first place. He was a captain, had been since he had returned from a retainer ship with his uncle when he was sixteen. (A typical way that noble boys climbed the ranks without needed to subject themselves to the grueling tasks that the common folk had to go through.) This kind of scouting mission should have been beneath him. However, Nicomedes was personally interested in the state of the north and there was no one he trusted more to report what was happening than his younger brother, Timaeus.
Though, it didn’t really matter in the end as there was nothing to report by the end of the trip. All those countless hours the two men sent traveling the countryside had essentially been for nothing as all they would have to report was that things were peaceful. Which was a good thing, Timaeus wasn’t stupid enough to say otherwise, but he wished that for how little sleep and how filthy they had gotten, there would be something of interest for them to say at the end of it all.
Maybe it was the mundaneness of their task and the sheer exhaustion in his eyes that also kept Timaeus from insisting that they rested for the night before attempting the rocky cliffside paths that would lead the men home. After such a fruitless mission, he just wanted to lay his head down on a real pillow again and enjoy not moving for days. He couldn’t do that from a makeshift camp on the roadside where he would barely be able to sleep and still wake with sore muscles for the umpteenth day in a row. No, he pressed on, just like Maleos as he knew that their journey was almost at an end and it was most certainly worth riding through the night for.
Though perhaps if the sleep didn’t tug at his eyelids so greatly, he might have noticed that Maleos wasn’t as strongly bonded with his steed as Timaeus was with his own beast Thrasos, a gift from his brother upon his return last year. The chestnut Andalusian that Timaeus rode was well accustomed to the dangerous roads and the young lord knew how to read even the slight change in the horses’ behavior, signaling that there was something was wrong. This allowed him to correct any issues before they become incidents that threatened both of their lives.
Maleos did not have the same luxury.
Timaeus was not paying close attention when Maleos’s horse first lost its footing. In truth, he was almost falling asleep at that moment and his lack of awareness was something he would regret for years to come. One moment, everything was fine and his eyes were slipping closed. The next, there was a loud braying from the beast who Timaeus saw lose its balance and fall over the cliffside… with his comrade still on his back.
“MALEOS!” Timaeus called out, but his cry was soon transformed into his own terrifying call as Thrasos reacted to seeing the other horse fall off the cliffside and reared up, intending to use his intimidating stature in order to scare off the supposed threat that had caused the other steed to stumble. Unfortunately for Timaeus, this action made it impossible for him to hold onto the beast. In only a matter of seconds, the future Baron was thrown out of the saddle and over the cliffside.
Luckily for him, the gods must have been looking favorably upon the young lord as he had not traveled far before he found a handhold that paused his descent.
His exhausted muscles cried out in agony at the sudden motions bringing a soft groan of pain from the Lord's lips. His free arm frantically searching around him for another spot to support himself and spare his arm the uncomfortable burden. By the time he found one, his left arm was beginning to spasm, making it clear that the Valaoritis would not be able to cling to the cliffside for very long. Glancing upwards, he could see that he was not that far down on the cliff and there were enough spaces to haul himself up from what would otherwise be certain death.
He was about to let go of the first spot and push himself upward when a small noise pulled his attention down to the rest of the cliffside. There, just a bit farther below him was Maleos. His pained expression took on a look of shock, hadn’t he just seen the man go over the cliff still in his horse’s saddle? Timaeus was convinced just a moment ago that he had seen this man die a horrible, painful death and yet… here he was, clinging to the same cliff that Timaeus was.
His shaking arms pulled him out of this state of shock though and forced him to consider the situation they were in. Both men were trapped on the cliffside, facing certain death. Timaeus could get himself out, but glancing down it looked like there were fewer spots for Maleos to save himself as well. It was clear that he was going to need assistance making his way up, but Timaeus didn’t know how to give it when his own arms were threatening to drop him as well.
A soft braying pulled his eyes up the cliffside. To his great relief, he could see that Thrasos was still up on the cliffside, unsure of what to do in the absence of his rider. Despite the pain and the precarious situation that they were in, a light laugh escaped Timaeus. He knew that his pack of supplies was still strapped to the animal, including a rope that if he could get to in time, he might be able to pull Maleos up with… if the other soldier could last long enough for Timaeus to save himself and then anchor the rope to something.
A part of him wanted to immediately start climbing, but he needed to know that he had the time to do it before he risked limb and neck.
“Maleos!” He called out, glancing down the cliffside at his comrade. “Are you hurt? How long can you hold on?” If the man answered with a time that Timaeus couldn’t reach the rope in, he would have to rethink his plan.
And as much as he hated to consider it if Maleos couldn’t last long enough and couldn’t scale the wall himself… then Timaeus might have no other choice beyond leaving the man to his fate.
Maleos tried to take stock of the situation, he should have died along with his horse, the bottom of those cliffs should have been his final resting place, but whether it was luck, the grace of the Gods, or skill, he clung to the cliffside, death biting at his heels as his already exhausted and sore muscles threatened to give out with every passing second. He hadn't realized he was cut until he felt blood dripping down his arm, as well as a fairly steady stream leaking out from some where under his dark curls, running down the side of his face. He did not worry about the blood for the moment, he could worry about those injuries if he made it off the cliffside.
Timaeus seemed to notice the man who hung on the cliff below him, and he had to admit he felt relief when his Captain didn't just begin the climb and leave him there. He was at least willing to try and save his life, and Maleos respected the man immensely for not just abandoning him there, as he was sure many others would. The odds of him climbing up on his own were slim, and so Timaeus could get back out and go back to Eubocris, and tell the story of how he was unable to save the man as he fell to his death with the horse. No one would even question it.
He quickly replied to Timaeus, knowing that time was of the essence. "I am, but not gravely." He called up, knowing the fall down the cliff would kill him a lot faster than what ever injuries were causing him to bleed as he hung there. "I am not sure, not long. What ever you are planning, do it soon if you do not wish to witness my death." He replied, looking around desperately as he felt his right arm giving out, hand beginning to cramp. He spotted another hand hold, just a bit further up, but a little too far for him to be able to reach out and just grab it.
The soldiers heart pounded as he knew how stupid his next move was going to be, but if he did not attempt it, he would fall anyways. He took a deep breath, and with a grunt of effort, managed to put his feet on the cliffside and push himself sideways, letting go of the handhold with his right hand, he just managed to grab the other with his left, a frenzied laugh escaping him as he gained a little relief from his exhausted right side. He knew that his left would only last so long as well, but he hoped he could hang on long enough for Timaeus to save him. This was not how he had wanted to die.
After his leap for the other handhold, and making sure he had a good grip, he looked back up the cliff to see if the other male had made any progress himself, he let his right arm hang at his side and let the muscles rest for awhile as he hung there, his less used left arm could hold out a little longer than his right had, but he knew it would not be forever.
Maleos was not an overly religious man, but he began to silently mouth a prayer to any God who may be listening, praying for his safety as well as that of Timaeus. He also prayed that if he was to die, that it would be a quick drop to the bottom where certain death awaited.
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Maleos tried to take stock of the situation, he should have died along with his horse, the bottom of those cliffs should have been his final resting place, but whether it was luck, the grace of the Gods, or skill, he clung to the cliffside, death biting at his heels as his already exhausted and sore muscles threatened to give out with every passing second. He hadn't realized he was cut until he felt blood dripping down his arm, as well as a fairly steady stream leaking out from some where under his dark curls, running down the side of his face. He did not worry about the blood for the moment, he could worry about those injuries if he made it off the cliffside.
Timaeus seemed to notice the man who hung on the cliff below him, and he had to admit he felt relief when his Captain didn't just begin the climb and leave him there. He was at least willing to try and save his life, and Maleos respected the man immensely for not just abandoning him there, as he was sure many others would. The odds of him climbing up on his own were slim, and so Timaeus could get back out and go back to Eubocris, and tell the story of how he was unable to save the man as he fell to his death with the horse. No one would even question it.
He quickly replied to Timaeus, knowing that time was of the essence. "I am, but not gravely." He called up, knowing the fall down the cliff would kill him a lot faster than what ever injuries were causing him to bleed as he hung there. "I am not sure, not long. What ever you are planning, do it soon if you do not wish to witness my death." He replied, looking around desperately as he felt his right arm giving out, hand beginning to cramp. He spotted another hand hold, just a bit further up, but a little too far for him to be able to reach out and just grab it.
The soldiers heart pounded as he knew how stupid his next move was going to be, but if he did not attempt it, he would fall anyways. He took a deep breath, and with a grunt of effort, managed to put his feet on the cliffside and push himself sideways, letting go of the handhold with his right hand, he just managed to grab the other with his left, a frenzied laugh escaping him as he gained a little relief from his exhausted right side. He knew that his left would only last so long as well, but he hoped he could hang on long enough for Timaeus to save him. This was not how he had wanted to die.
After his leap for the other handhold, and making sure he had a good grip, he looked back up the cliff to see if the other male had made any progress himself, he let his right arm hang at his side and let the muscles rest for awhile as he hung there, his less used left arm could hold out a little longer than his right had, but he knew it would not be forever.
Maleos was not an overly religious man, but he began to silently mouth a prayer to any God who may be listening, praying for his safety as well as that of Timaeus. He also prayed that if he was to die, that it would be a quick drop to the bottom where certain death awaited.
Maleos tried to take stock of the situation, he should have died along with his horse, the bottom of those cliffs should have been his final resting place, but whether it was luck, the grace of the Gods, or skill, he clung to the cliffside, death biting at his heels as his already exhausted and sore muscles threatened to give out with every passing second. He hadn't realized he was cut until he felt blood dripping down his arm, as well as a fairly steady stream leaking out from some where under his dark curls, running down the side of his face. He did not worry about the blood for the moment, he could worry about those injuries if he made it off the cliffside.
Timaeus seemed to notice the man who hung on the cliff below him, and he had to admit he felt relief when his Captain didn't just begin the climb and leave him there. He was at least willing to try and save his life, and Maleos respected the man immensely for not just abandoning him there, as he was sure many others would. The odds of him climbing up on his own were slim, and so Timaeus could get back out and go back to Eubocris, and tell the story of how he was unable to save the man as he fell to his death with the horse. No one would even question it.
He quickly replied to Timaeus, knowing that time was of the essence. "I am, but not gravely." He called up, knowing the fall down the cliff would kill him a lot faster than what ever injuries were causing him to bleed as he hung there. "I am not sure, not long. What ever you are planning, do it soon if you do not wish to witness my death." He replied, looking around desperately as he felt his right arm giving out, hand beginning to cramp. He spotted another hand hold, just a bit further up, but a little too far for him to be able to reach out and just grab it.
The soldiers heart pounded as he knew how stupid his next move was going to be, but if he did not attempt it, he would fall anyways. He took a deep breath, and with a grunt of effort, managed to put his feet on the cliffside and push himself sideways, letting go of the handhold with his right hand, he just managed to grab the other with his left, a frenzied laugh escaping him as he gained a little relief from his exhausted right side. He knew that his left would only last so long as well, but he hoped he could hang on long enough for Timaeus to save him. This was not how he had wanted to die.
After his leap for the other handhold, and making sure he had a good grip, he looked back up the cliff to see if the other male had made any progress himself, he let his right arm hang at his side and let the muscles rest for awhile as he hung there, his less used left arm could hold out a little longer than his right had, but he knew it would not be forever.
Maleos was not an overly religious man, but he began to silently mouth a prayer to any God who may be listening, praying for his safety as well as that of Timaeus. He also prayed that if he was to die, that it would be a quick drop to the bottom where certain death awaited.
It was stupid for Timaeus to even ask if Maleos was alright. If he had even half a dozen brain cells with him, he would recognize that from the moment that the lord realized that he was alright, he should have scrambled up the cliffside. That would have been the sane thing to do… but not the compassionate thing. He may be cold and stern, but he wasn’t heartless. The man just couldn’t leave his companion clinging to the cliffside and not even try to help.
But glancing down at Maleos, it was clear that there was nothing that Timaeus could do for him. At least not here on the cliff. The men were just too far apart and the lower ranking officer just didn’t have the same number of footholds that Timaeus had on the upper edges. If he was going to help, it would have to be from the pathway where he would have access to better supplies and not have to worry about his cramping muscles.
Nodding quickly in affirmation once Maleos confirmed that he was not seriously hurt, Timaeus turned back to the cliffside and carefully began to make his way back to the path. Climbing like this was almost second nature as he and his cousins had spent many hours scrambling up similar rockfaces surrounding the Kalospíti Aetoú when they were younger. He just knew where to put his weight safely and how to balance himself just-so to prevent himself from slipping. Granted, he had a close call or two as he wasn’t perfect and misjudge the strength of a jutting rock here or there, bringing forth a startling noise from him as the rock crumbled beneath him, but he quickly recovered trying not to think of the fact he probably sent little pebbles raining down upon his comrade.
Within a few agonizing minutes, Timaeus was able to haul himself over the edge and back onto the safety of the roadway. Sprawling out for a moment, chest heaving as the quiet panic within him disappeared, he quietly said thanks to the gods for allowing him to escape unharmed.
A small noise from over the cliffside reminded him though that he could not afford to linger and celebrate his survival as Maleos was still in danger. Scrambling quickly to his feet, Timaeus hurried over to his horse (who was calmly waiting on the pathway, seemingly unbothered by all the fuss) and fished a long rope from the pack. Glancing around quickly, the Baron noticed a hefty stone nearby. It was larger than him and he doubted that it would be too bothered by the weight of the two men.
Trusting it to bear the burden of being an anchor for the rescue mission, Timaeus deftly tied the rope around it, securing it with a set of intricate knots. Once he was satisfied with the sturdiness of this makeshift rescue device, he headed back to the cliff’s edge and peered over to see if Maleos was still alright.
At first glance, he seemed to be okay, but just barely. Even from up here Timaeus could see how the man’s arms were quaking under the strain of supporting him. The man didn’t have the strength to stay in that position much longer.
“ Grab on!” Timaeus shouted as he tossed the rope down to him, “ I’ll haul you up.” Luckily it was long enough to reach Maleos, but he didn’t know if the man could grab on with his sorry state at the moment or if he had the strength to be able to hold onto the rope long enough for Timaeus to save him. But it wasn’t like the men had much of a choice either as it was either this or death and Timaeus was not eager for the latter to happen to this other man. Not on his watch.
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It was stupid for Timaeus to even ask if Maleos was alright. If he had even half a dozen brain cells with him, he would recognize that from the moment that the lord realized that he was alright, he should have scrambled up the cliffside. That would have been the sane thing to do… but not the compassionate thing. He may be cold and stern, but he wasn’t heartless. The man just couldn’t leave his companion clinging to the cliffside and not even try to help.
But glancing down at Maleos, it was clear that there was nothing that Timaeus could do for him. At least not here on the cliff. The men were just too far apart and the lower ranking officer just didn’t have the same number of footholds that Timaeus had on the upper edges. If he was going to help, it would have to be from the pathway where he would have access to better supplies and not have to worry about his cramping muscles.
Nodding quickly in affirmation once Maleos confirmed that he was not seriously hurt, Timaeus turned back to the cliffside and carefully began to make his way back to the path. Climbing like this was almost second nature as he and his cousins had spent many hours scrambling up similar rockfaces surrounding the Kalospíti Aetoú when they were younger. He just knew where to put his weight safely and how to balance himself just-so to prevent himself from slipping. Granted, he had a close call or two as he wasn’t perfect and misjudge the strength of a jutting rock here or there, bringing forth a startling noise from him as the rock crumbled beneath him, but he quickly recovered trying not to think of the fact he probably sent little pebbles raining down upon his comrade.
Within a few agonizing minutes, Timaeus was able to haul himself over the edge and back onto the safety of the roadway. Sprawling out for a moment, chest heaving as the quiet panic within him disappeared, he quietly said thanks to the gods for allowing him to escape unharmed.
A small noise from over the cliffside reminded him though that he could not afford to linger and celebrate his survival as Maleos was still in danger. Scrambling quickly to his feet, Timaeus hurried over to his horse (who was calmly waiting on the pathway, seemingly unbothered by all the fuss) and fished a long rope from the pack. Glancing around quickly, the Baron noticed a hefty stone nearby. It was larger than him and he doubted that it would be too bothered by the weight of the two men.
Trusting it to bear the burden of being an anchor for the rescue mission, Timaeus deftly tied the rope around it, securing it with a set of intricate knots. Once he was satisfied with the sturdiness of this makeshift rescue device, he headed back to the cliff’s edge and peered over to see if Maleos was still alright.
At first glance, he seemed to be okay, but just barely. Even from up here Timaeus could see how the man’s arms were quaking under the strain of supporting him. The man didn’t have the strength to stay in that position much longer.
“ Grab on!” Timaeus shouted as he tossed the rope down to him, “ I’ll haul you up.” Luckily it was long enough to reach Maleos, but he didn’t know if the man could grab on with his sorry state at the moment or if he had the strength to be able to hold onto the rope long enough for Timaeus to save him. But it wasn’t like the men had much of a choice either as it was either this or death and Timaeus was not eager for the latter to happen to this other man. Not on his watch.
It was stupid for Timaeus to even ask if Maleos was alright. If he had even half a dozen brain cells with him, he would recognize that from the moment that the lord realized that he was alright, he should have scrambled up the cliffside. That would have been the sane thing to do… but not the compassionate thing. He may be cold and stern, but he wasn’t heartless. The man just couldn’t leave his companion clinging to the cliffside and not even try to help.
But glancing down at Maleos, it was clear that there was nothing that Timaeus could do for him. At least not here on the cliff. The men were just too far apart and the lower ranking officer just didn’t have the same number of footholds that Timaeus had on the upper edges. If he was going to help, it would have to be from the pathway where he would have access to better supplies and not have to worry about his cramping muscles.
Nodding quickly in affirmation once Maleos confirmed that he was not seriously hurt, Timaeus turned back to the cliffside and carefully began to make his way back to the path. Climbing like this was almost second nature as he and his cousins had spent many hours scrambling up similar rockfaces surrounding the Kalospíti Aetoú when they were younger. He just knew where to put his weight safely and how to balance himself just-so to prevent himself from slipping. Granted, he had a close call or two as he wasn’t perfect and misjudge the strength of a jutting rock here or there, bringing forth a startling noise from him as the rock crumbled beneath him, but he quickly recovered trying not to think of the fact he probably sent little pebbles raining down upon his comrade.
Within a few agonizing minutes, Timaeus was able to haul himself over the edge and back onto the safety of the roadway. Sprawling out for a moment, chest heaving as the quiet panic within him disappeared, he quietly said thanks to the gods for allowing him to escape unharmed.
A small noise from over the cliffside reminded him though that he could not afford to linger and celebrate his survival as Maleos was still in danger. Scrambling quickly to his feet, Timaeus hurried over to his horse (who was calmly waiting on the pathway, seemingly unbothered by all the fuss) and fished a long rope from the pack. Glancing around quickly, the Baron noticed a hefty stone nearby. It was larger than him and he doubted that it would be too bothered by the weight of the two men.
Trusting it to bear the burden of being an anchor for the rescue mission, Timaeus deftly tied the rope around it, securing it with a set of intricate knots. Once he was satisfied with the sturdiness of this makeshift rescue device, he headed back to the cliff’s edge and peered over to see if Maleos was still alright.
At first glance, he seemed to be okay, but just barely. Even from up here Timaeus could see how the man’s arms were quaking under the strain of supporting him. The man didn’t have the strength to stay in that position much longer.
“ Grab on!” Timaeus shouted as he tossed the rope down to him, “ I’ll haul you up.” Luckily it was long enough to reach Maleos, but he didn’t know if the man could grab on with his sorry state at the moment or if he had the strength to be able to hold onto the rope long enough for Timaeus to save him. But it wasn’t like the men had much of a choice either as it was either this or death and Timaeus was not eager for the latter to happen to this other man. Not on his watch.
Maleos watched as the other climbed, closing his eyes and turning his head as every once and awhile small pebbles rained down on his head. Every passing second was crucial, his muscles threatening to give out on him at any moment without warning. He had no idea how long he would be able to hold on for, if he would even be able to last until Timaeus could find a way to rescue him. Part of his tired and panicked mind was telling him it would be so much easier just to let go and let death take him, but Maleos refused to give up. He had fought all his life, and this would not be the moment where he would just give in to what was easier.
He watched as his superior officer disappeared over the top of the cliff, and he waited for some sign of rescue, some indication that the man was doing something in an attempt to save him. Surely, he would not leave Maleos to his fate, would he? Or perhaps he would, it was not as if Maleos was likely to survive to tell the story of being abandoned if he chose not to offer assistance. In this moment, Maleos’ life was in Timaeus’ hands.
Though it had been a few short seconds that had passed since Timaeus had made it to the top, to Maleos and his already aching muscles, it felt as if it had been a year or more he had been hanging there. He was just beginning to give up hope that Timaeus was going to try to save him and began trying to figure out his options when he saw the rope tossed and heard Timaeus call to him. In that moment Maleos felt both awe and relief. He had not been left to die after all. From that moment on, he knew that he would do what ever he could to repay Timaeus for his actions.
‘First you must survive this.’ He thought to himself.
Maleos stretched his free arm out to reach for the rope, finding it was just out of his grasp. Of course. None of this could be easy. He wondered if perhaps Ares was testing him, it was either that, or the God had cursed him to die that day on the cliff side. He took a few deep breaths, knowing what his only option was. He hoped that Timaeus had anchored the rope well…
He swung himself a bit, pushing off the cliff side he jumped a little, letting go of his hand hold. Time felt as if it slowed as he let go, now there was nothing to keep him from plummeting to his death. Luckily, he managed to grab the rope before he fell, taking a moment to let his heart settle and release the breath he had not realized he was holding as he gripped the rope.
He did not rest for long, he knew that he was not out of danger yet. He looked up, it was a long way to the top of the cliff and to the safety of the solid ground. He steeled his nerves and grit his teeth. He reached up with one hand and began to pull himself up the rope, bit by bit. His arms still shook from the exertion of all of it, and he had no idea if he would make it yet or not.
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Maleos watched as the other climbed, closing his eyes and turning his head as every once and awhile small pebbles rained down on his head. Every passing second was crucial, his muscles threatening to give out on him at any moment without warning. He had no idea how long he would be able to hold on for, if he would even be able to last until Timaeus could find a way to rescue him. Part of his tired and panicked mind was telling him it would be so much easier just to let go and let death take him, but Maleos refused to give up. He had fought all his life, and this would not be the moment where he would just give in to what was easier.
He watched as his superior officer disappeared over the top of the cliff, and he waited for some sign of rescue, some indication that the man was doing something in an attempt to save him. Surely, he would not leave Maleos to his fate, would he? Or perhaps he would, it was not as if Maleos was likely to survive to tell the story of being abandoned if he chose not to offer assistance. In this moment, Maleos’ life was in Timaeus’ hands.
Though it had been a few short seconds that had passed since Timaeus had made it to the top, to Maleos and his already aching muscles, it felt as if it had been a year or more he had been hanging there. He was just beginning to give up hope that Timaeus was going to try to save him and began trying to figure out his options when he saw the rope tossed and heard Timaeus call to him. In that moment Maleos felt both awe and relief. He had not been left to die after all. From that moment on, he knew that he would do what ever he could to repay Timaeus for his actions.
‘First you must survive this.’ He thought to himself.
Maleos stretched his free arm out to reach for the rope, finding it was just out of his grasp. Of course. None of this could be easy. He wondered if perhaps Ares was testing him, it was either that, or the God had cursed him to die that day on the cliff side. He took a few deep breaths, knowing what his only option was. He hoped that Timaeus had anchored the rope well…
He swung himself a bit, pushing off the cliff side he jumped a little, letting go of his hand hold. Time felt as if it slowed as he let go, now there was nothing to keep him from plummeting to his death. Luckily, he managed to grab the rope before he fell, taking a moment to let his heart settle and release the breath he had not realized he was holding as he gripped the rope.
He did not rest for long, he knew that he was not out of danger yet. He looked up, it was a long way to the top of the cliff and to the safety of the solid ground. He steeled his nerves and grit his teeth. He reached up with one hand and began to pull himself up the rope, bit by bit. His arms still shook from the exertion of all of it, and he had no idea if he would make it yet or not.
Maleos watched as the other climbed, closing his eyes and turning his head as every once and awhile small pebbles rained down on his head. Every passing second was crucial, his muscles threatening to give out on him at any moment without warning. He had no idea how long he would be able to hold on for, if he would even be able to last until Timaeus could find a way to rescue him. Part of his tired and panicked mind was telling him it would be so much easier just to let go and let death take him, but Maleos refused to give up. He had fought all his life, and this would not be the moment where he would just give in to what was easier.
He watched as his superior officer disappeared over the top of the cliff, and he waited for some sign of rescue, some indication that the man was doing something in an attempt to save him. Surely, he would not leave Maleos to his fate, would he? Or perhaps he would, it was not as if Maleos was likely to survive to tell the story of being abandoned if he chose not to offer assistance. In this moment, Maleos’ life was in Timaeus’ hands.
Though it had been a few short seconds that had passed since Timaeus had made it to the top, to Maleos and his already aching muscles, it felt as if it had been a year or more he had been hanging there. He was just beginning to give up hope that Timaeus was going to try to save him and began trying to figure out his options when he saw the rope tossed and heard Timaeus call to him. In that moment Maleos felt both awe and relief. He had not been left to die after all. From that moment on, he knew that he would do what ever he could to repay Timaeus for his actions.
‘First you must survive this.’ He thought to himself.
Maleos stretched his free arm out to reach for the rope, finding it was just out of his grasp. Of course. None of this could be easy. He wondered if perhaps Ares was testing him, it was either that, or the God had cursed him to die that day on the cliff side. He took a few deep breaths, knowing what his only option was. He hoped that Timaeus had anchored the rope well…
He swung himself a bit, pushing off the cliff side he jumped a little, letting go of his hand hold. Time felt as if it slowed as he let go, now there was nothing to keep him from plummeting to his death. Luckily, he managed to grab the rope before he fell, taking a moment to let his heart settle and release the breath he had not realized he was holding as he gripped the rope.
He did not rest for long, he knew that he was not out of danger yet. He looked up, it was a long way to the top of the cliff and to the safety of the solid ground. He steeled his nerves and grit his teeth. He reached up with one hand and began to pull himself up the rope, bit by bit. His arms still shook from the exertion of all of it, and he had no idea if he would make it yet or not.
The time between when Timaeus dropped the rope and it tightened in his grip was far too long for the Lord’s liking. The seconds felt like minutes as he anxiously waited for any sign that the other man was attached to this makeshift anchor and those slow seconds were nothing short of excruciating. Every moment that the line was slack was a chance that Maleos could slip from his handholds, falling to his death in the Gorge below, and Timaeus would be utterly helpless to aid the man from the path above.
In fact, there was little that he could even do at that moment just waiting for Maleos to grab hold of the rope. All that he seemed to be capable of was praying. Praying to any god that might listen, any god that might be capable of aiding the two young men on the mountain path. Timaeus sent silent prayers to Ares, his patron god; Hermes, the god of travelers; Apollo, for Maleos to have the strength to hold on. Anyone. Just as long as they could prevent a loss that day.
Then, seemingly as if it was an answer to his silent pleas, the line grew taut beneath his grip. Maleos had grabbed it.
At first, the sheer sensation of weight being added stunned Timaeus, causing him to nearly drop the line. Luckily, for both of them though, his instincts kicked in before his rationality and Timaeus was able to keep a hold of the rope long enough to gather his wits so that he could haul his comrade to safety.
“ Hold on! I got you!” Timaeus cried out as he began to pull on the braided twine. The rope burned beneath his hands from the friction of his movements, but he tried to ignore it the best he could. The pile of loose rope growing behind him was enough encouragement as he tried to compensate for Maleos’s weakened state, the Lord giving what little energy he had left after hauling himself up the same rock face just a few moments ago. The air was silent save for the grunts and mutterings of curses as Maleos inched closer and closer to the top.
The stinging in his muscles made the few moments seem like an eternity as Timaeus kept pulling. At least until, he mercifully saw one of the man’s arms appear over the ledge, signaling that Maleos had finally reached safety.
Instantly, Tim dropped the rope and raced to the other man’s side, helping him the rest of the way up. It was no easier than hauling the rope had been, but once Timaeus was sure that there were no body parts hanging over the ledge, he let go of the man. Timaeus instantly fell to his knees, allowing his exhausted body to rest for the first time since he had climbed up himself. For a moment, the air was quiet save for the ragged breaths from the men and the own pounding of Tim’s heartbeat, racing in his chest as he processed what the hell had just happened.
“ Sir Maleos?” Timaeus managed to gasp through his lung’s hungry attempts to devour the air around him, “ Are you hurt?” The Lord looked at the man, trying to see if there were any obvious injuries on him, but it was growing dark and it was difficult to see. If there were any injuries that needed to be tended to, Maleos would have to make them known. But that hardly mattered at that moment as both men were alive and out of danger. They weren’t dead at the bottom of the Gorge. They were alive.
Thank the gods and their lucky stars.
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The time between when Timaeus dropped the rope and it tightened in his grip was far too long for the Lord’s liking. The seconds felt like minutes as he anxiously waited for any sign that the other man was attached to this makeshift anchor and those slow seconds were nothing short of excruciating. Every moment that the line was slack was a chance that Maleos could slip from his handholds, falling to his death in the Gorge below, and Timaeus would be utterly helpless to aid the man from the path above.
In fact, there was little that he could even do at that moment just waiting for Maleos to grab hold of the rope. All that he seemed to be capable of was praying. Praying to any god that might listen, any god that might be capable of aiding the two young men on the mountain path. Timaeus sent silent prayers to Ares, his patron god; Hermes, the god of travelers; Apollo, for Maleos to have the strength to hold on. Anyone. Just as long as they could prevent a loss that day.
Then, seemingly as if it was an answer to his silent pleas, the line grew taut beneath his grip. Maleos had grabbed it.
At first, the sheer sensation of weight being added stunned Timaeus, causing him to nearly drop the line. Luckily, for both of them though, his instincts kicked in before his rationality and Timaeus was able to keep a hold of the rope long enough to gather his wits so that he could haul his comrade to safety.
“ Hold on! I got you!” Timaeus cried out as he began to pull on the braided twine. The rope burned beneath his hands from the friction of his movements, but he tried to ignore it the best he could. The pile of loose rope growing behind him was enough encouragement as he tried to compensate for Maleos’s weakened state, the Lord giving what little energy he had left after hauling himself up the same rock face just a few moments ago. The air was silent save for the grunts and mutterings of curses as Maleos inched closer and closer to the top.
The stinging in his muscles made the few moments seem like an eternity as Timaeus kept pulling. At least until, he mercifully saw one of the man’s arms appear over the ledge, signaling that Maleos had finally reached safety.
Instantly, Tim dropped the rope and raced to the other man’s side, helping him the rest of the way up. It was no easier than hauling the rope had been, but once Timaeus was sure that there were no body parts hanging over the ledge, he let go of the man. Timaeus instantly fell to his knees, allowing his exhausted body to rest for the first time since he had climbed up himself. For a moment, the air was quiet save for the ragged breaths from the men and the own pounding of Tim’s heartbeat, racing in his chest as he processed what the hell had just happened.
“ Sir Maleos?” Timaeus managed to gasp through his lung’s hungry attempts to devour the air around him, “ Are you hurt?” The Lord looked at the man, trying to see if there were any obvious injuries on him, but it was growing dark and it was difficult to see. If there were any injuries that needed to be tended to, Maleos would have to make them known. But that hardly mattered at that moment as both men were alive and out of danger. They weren’t dead at the bottom of the Gorge. They were alive.
Thank the gods and their lucky stars.
The time between when Timaeus dropped the rope and it tightened in his grip was far too long for the Lord’s liking. The seconds felt like minutes as he anxiously waited for any sign that the other man was attached to this makeshift anchor and those slow seconds were nothing short of excruciating. Every moment that the line was slack was a chance that Maleos could slip from his handholds, falling to his death in the Gorge below, and Timaeus would be utterly helpless to aid the man from the path above.
In fact, there was little that he could even do at that moment just waiting for Maleos to grab hold of the rope. All that he seemed to be capable of was praying. Praying to any god that might listen, any god that might be capable of aiding the two young men on the mountain path. Timaeus sent silent prayers to Ares, his patron god; Hermes, the god of travelers; Apollo, for Maleos to have the strength to hold on. Anyone. Just as long as they could prevent a loss that day.
Then, seemingly as if it was an answer to his silent pleas, the line grew taut beneath his grip. Maleos had grabbed it.
At first, the sheer sensation of weight being added stunned Timaeus, causing him to nearly drop the line. Luckily, for both of them though, his instincts kicked in before his rationality and Timaeus was able to keep a hold of the rope long enough to gather his wits so that he could haul his comrade to safety.
“ Hold on! I got you!” Timaeus cried out as he began to pull on the braided twine. The rope burned beneath his hands from the friction of his movements, but he tried to ignore it the best he could. The pile of loose rope growing behind him was enough encouragement as he tried to compensate for Maleos’s weakened state, the Lord giving what little energy he had left after hauling himself up the same rock face just a few moments ago. The air was silent save for the grunts and mutterings of curses as Maleos inched closer and closer to the top.
The stinging in his muscles made the few moments seem like an eternity as Timaeus kept pulling. At least until, he mercifully saw one of the man’s arms appear over the ledge, signaling that Maleos had finally reached safety.
Instantly, Tim dropped the rope and raced to the other man’s side, helping him the rest of the way up. It was no easier than hauling the rope had been, but once Timaeus was sure that there were no body parts hanging over the ledge, he let go of the man. Timaeus instantly fell to his knees, allowing his exhausted body to rest for the first time since he had climbed up himself. For a moment, the air was quiet save for the ragged breaths from the men and the own pounding of Tim’s heartbeat, racing in his chest as he processed what the hell had just happened.
“ Sir Maleos?” Timaeus managed to gasp through his lung’s hungry attempts to devour the air around him, “ Are you hurt?” The Lord looked at the man, trying to see if there were any obvious injuries on him, but it was growing dark and it was difficult to see. If there were any injuries that needed to be tended to, Maleos would have to make them known. But that hardly mattered at that moment as both men were alive and out of danger. They weren’t dead at the bottom of the Gorge. They were alive.
Thank the gods and their lucky stars.
For the next few moments, Maleos’ life literally hung in the balance. If one muscle gave out, if his grip slipped, or Timaeus’ grip did, or the rope broke on the ragged rock edge of the cliff, he would plummet to his death, following after the horse that had tossed him in the first place. He would not have the strength to hold himself up on the cliff side again, if he was even lucky enough to find a handhold once more. He was barely clinging to the rope, doing his best to help Timaeus by climbing the rope as it was pulled further upwards.
It felt like years had passed before he was close enough to the top to reach up with one hand and use the edge to pull himself up, still clinging to the rope with the other hand in case he could not pull himself up. With one more rally of strength and Tim’s help, the black-haired young man managed to haul himself up and over the edge of the cliff, collapsing on his back on the hard ground once he was far enough from the edge that he did not need to worry about falling.
For awhile everything was quiet, it seemed like the night had stopped when the two men had gone over the cliff. Maleos could hardly hear anything save for the blood rushing through his veins as his heart pounded louder than it ever had before, drowning out any other noise that might be around them. He felt utterly exhausted, and he was almost certain he would never be able to move his arms again.
He barely caught Timaeus’ words, his breathing heavy and ragged as he lay there, enjoying the feeling of solid ground beneath him. He couldn’t remember ever being so thankful to have hard earth to lay upon. When his superior asked if he was hurt, Maleos did his best to take stock of any injuries he may have sustained.
It was difficult, for every muscle in his body felt as if it had melted away, leaving nothing but a pile of bones and skin in its wake. He was so numb from shock and exhaustion, he was sure that he could have been run through with a sword and not even have noticed.
He forced himself to sit up, his muscles screaming in protest, and he winced at the sudden pain from moving. He looked down at himself, there were cuts and scrapes, but nothing that would kill him right away. He was certain that they were fine to be tended to the next day when they arrived back in Eubocris.
“No Captain, not enough to worry about.” He replied, realizing just how dry his mouth felt now that his body was starting to regain feeling. He could feel the stiff ache in his bones now, and he knew that the travels back to Eubocris would be rough, especially so now that he didn’t have a horse.
His horse. All his things had been packed on the beast, and it’s unfortunate death over the side of the cliff meant that the only thing Maleos had with him was the sword he always had sheathed at his side. It was going to be a long night, and a long walk back home. He would also need to find the money to get another horse, doubting that the unit would replace the one that was lost that day.
All of that he could worry about later, right now he was thankful to be alive. His life could have been ended in just a few seconds, and he would have died another nameless soldier, mourned by his family and forgotten by the rest of the world. He felt dread sink in at that thought, and he knew he would blame himself for this incident. He should have known better, he should have pressed Timaeus to stop for the night and continue on in the light after the men and their horses had some rest. Instead he had said nothing, had been content to press on.
He tried to push those thoughts from his mind for now as he struggled to his feet, legs threatening to give out. Despite that, he managed to walk back a bit further from the edge of the cliff, and off the road where he could rest for the night without worrying someone else would come along and trample him in the dark.
“Thank you, Captain.” He said simply, looking over at the man in the dark. He couldn’t even begin to think of a way to repay the man for saving his life. It would have been much simpler for him to cut his losses and spin the tale of Maleos’ death which ever way he wanted. No one would have ever known the difference, it wasn’t as if he would be around to dispute his stories. Instead he had chosen to stay there, to do everything he could to pull him up and save his life, and it was not something Maleos would soon forget.
He then rested back against a large rock behind him, allowing his eyes to close as everything started to catch up to him and he became unable to keep his eyes open any longer. He knew that they would not be doing any further travelling that night, and while sitting up against a rock wasn’t an ideal place to sleep, the exhaustion in his body didn’t seem to care about comfort in the moment.
“I just need a bit of rest, I will be okay to continue on at first light.” He said, though as his mind drifted away towards sleep, he wasn’t entirely sure if Timaeus was even paying attention to him, or whether or not his Captain agreed with is plan. Before he could stop himself, he was out cold, passed out from a combination of exhaustion and the shock of everything that had just happened to the two of them.
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For the next few moments, Maleos’ life literally hung in the balance. If one muscle gave out, if his grip slipped, or Timaeus’ grip did, or the rope broke on the ragged rock edge of the cliff, he would plummet to his death, following after the horse that had tossed him in the first place. He would not have the strength to hold himself up on the cliff side again, if he was even lucky enough to find a handhold once more. He was barely clinging to the rope, doing his best to help Timaeus by climbing the rope as it was pulled further upwards.
It felt like years had passed before he was close enough to the top to reach up with one hand and use the edge to pull himself up, still clinging to the rope with the other hand in case he could not pull himself up. With one more rally of strength and Tim’s help, the black-haired young man managed to haul himself up and over the edge of the cliff, collapsing on his back on the hard ground once he was far enough from the edge that he did not need to worry about falling.
For awhile everything was quiet, it seemed like the night had stopped when the two men had gone over the cliff. Maleos could hardly hear anything save for the blood rushing through his veins as his heart pounded louder than it ever had before, drowning out any other noise that might be around them. He felt utterly exhausted, and he was almost certain he would never be able to move his arms again.
He barely caught Timaeus’ words, his breathing heavy and ragged as he lay there, enjoying the feeling of solid ground beneath him. He couldn’t remember ever being so thankful to have hard earth to lay upon. When his superior asked if he was hurt, Maleos did his best to take stock of any injuries he may have sustained.
It was difficult, for every muscle in his body felt as if it had melted away, leaving nothing but a pile of bones and skin in its wake. He was so numb from shock and exhaustion, he was sure that he could have been run through with a sword and not even have noticed.
He forced himself to sit up, his muscles screaming in protest, and he winced at the sudden pain from moving. He looked down at himself, there were cuts and scrapes, but nothing that would kill him right away. He was certain that they were fine to be tended to the next day when they arrived back in Eubocris.
“No Captain, not enough to worry about.” He replied, realizing just how dry his mouth felt now that his body was starting to regain feeling. He could feel the stiff ache in his bones now, and he knew that the travels back to Eubocris would be rough, especially so now that he didn’t have a horse.
His horse. All his things had been packed on the beast, and it’s unfortunate death over the side of the cliff meant that the only thing Maleos had with him was the sword he always had sheathed at his side. It was going to be a long night, and a long walk back home. He would also need to find the money to get another horse, doubting that the unit would replace the one that was lost that day.
All of that he could worry about later, right now he was thankful to be alive. His life could have been ended in just a few seconds, and he would have died another nameless soldier, mourned by his family and forgotten by the rest of the world. He felt dread sink in at that thought, and he knew he would blame himself for this incident. He should have known better, he should have pressed Timaeus to stop for the night and continue on in the light after the men and their horses had some rest. Instead he had said nothing, had been content to press on.
He tried to push those thoughts from his mind for now as he struggled to his feet, legs threatening to give out. Despite that, he managed to walk back a bit further from the edge of the cliff, and off the road where he could rest for the night without worrying someone else would come along and trample him in the dark.
“Thank you, Captain.” He said simply, looking over at the man in the dark. He couldn’t even begin to think of a way to repay the man for saving his life. It would have been much simpler for him to cut his losses and spin the tale of Maleos’ death which ever way he wanted. No one would have ever known the difference, it wasn’t as if he would be around to dispute his stories. Instead he had chosen to stay there, to do everything he could to pull him up and save his life, and it was not something Maleos would soon forget.
He then rested back against a large rock behind him, allowing his eyes to close as everything started to catch up to him and he became unable to keep his eyes open any longer. He knew that they would not be doing any further travelling that night, and while sitting up against a rock wasn’t an ideal place to sleep, the exhaustion in his body didn’t seem to care about comfort in the moment.
“I just need a bit of rest, I will be okay to continue on at first light.” He said, though as his mind drifted away towards sleep, he wasn’t entirely sure if Timaeus was even paying attention to him, or whether or not his Captain agreed with is plan. Before he could stop himself, he was out cold, passed out from a combination of exhaustion and the shock of everything that had just happened to the two of them.
For the next few moments, Maleos’ life literally hung in the balance. If one muscle gave out, if his grip slipped, or Timaeus’ grip did, or the rope broke on the ragged rock edge of the cliff, he would plummet to his death, following after the horse that had tossed him in the first place. He would not have the strength to hold himself up on the cliff side again, if he was even lucky enough to find a handhold once more. He was barely clinging to the rope, doing his best to help Timaeus by climbing the rope as it was pulled further upwards.
It felt like years had passed before he was close enough to the top to reach up with one hand and use the edge to pull himself up, still clinging to the rope with the other hand in case he could not pull himself up. With one more rally of strength and Tim’s help, the black-haired young man managed to haul himself up and over the edge of the cliff, collapsing on his back on the hard ground once he was far enough from the edge that he did not need to worry about falling.
For awhile everything was quiet, it seemed like the night had stopped when the two men had gone over the cliff. Maleos could hardly hear anything save for the blood rushing through his veins as his heart pounded louder than it ever had before, drowning out any other noise that might be around them. He felt utterly exhausted, and he was almost certain he would never be able to move his arms again.
He barely caught Timaeus’ words, his breathing heavy and ragged as he lay there, enjoying the feeling of solid ground beneath him. He couldn’t remember ever being so thankful to have hard earth to lay upon. When his superior asked if he was hurt, Maleos did his best to take stock of any injuries he may have sustained.
It was difficult, for every muscle in his body felt as if it had melted away, leaving nothing but a pile of bones and skin in its wake. He was so numb from shock and exhaustion, he was sure that he could have been run through with a sword and not even have noticed.
He forced himself to sit up, his muscles screaming in protest, and he winced at the sudden pain from moving. He looked down at himself, there were cuts and scrapes, but nothing that would kill him right away. He was certain that they were fine to be tended to the next day when they arrived back in Eubocris.
“No Captain, not enough to worry about.” He replied, realizing just how dry his mouth felt now that his body was starting to regain feeling. He could feel the stiff ache in his bones now, and he knew that the travels back to Eubocris would be rough, especially so now that he didn’t have a horse.
His horse. All his things had been packed on the beast, and it’s unfortunate death over the side of the cliff meant that the only thing Maleos had with him was the sword he always had sheathed at his side. It was going to be a long night, and a long walk back home. He would also need to find the money to get another horse, doubting that the unit would replace the one that was lost that day.
All of that he could worry about later, right now he was thankful to be alive. His life could have been ended in just a few seconds, and he would have died another nameless soldier, mourned by his family and forgotten by the rest of the world. He felt dread sink in at that thought, and he knew he would blame himself for this incident. He should have known better, he should have pressed Timaeus to stop for the night and continue on in the light after the men and their horses had some rest. Instead he had said nothing, had been content to press on.
He tried to push those thoughts from his mind for now as he struggled to his feet, legs threatening to give out. Despite that, he managed to walk back a bit further from the edge of the cliff, and off the road where he could rest for the night without worrying someone else would come along and trample him in the dark.
“Thank you, Captain.” He said simply, looking over at the man in the dark. He couldn’t even begin to think of a way to repay the man for saving his life. It would have been much simpler for him to cut his losses and spin the tale of Maleos’ death which ever way he wanted. No one would have ever known the difference, it wasn’t as if he would be around to dispute his stories. Instead he had chosen to stay there, to do everything he could to pull him up and save his life, and it was not something Maleos would soon forget.
He then rested back against a large rock behind him, allowing his eyes to close as everything started to catch up to him and he became unable to keep his eyes open any longer. He knew that they would not be doing any further travelling that night, and while sitting up against a rock wasn’t an ideal place to sleep, the exhaustion in his body didn’t seem to care about comfort in the moment.
“I just need a bit of rest, I will be okay to continue on at first light.” He said, though as his mind drifted away towards sleep, he wasn’t entirely sure if Timaeus was even paying attention to him, or whether or not his Captain agreed with is plan. Before he could stop himself, he was out cold, passed out from a combination of exhaustion and the shock of everything that had just happened to the two of them.
It was a miracle that Maleos was relatively unscathed from the whole ordeal. Granted, he was winded and most likely would have some sort of mental scar from dangling over the cliff ledge like that, but from what Timaeus could see at first glance; Maleos wasn’t hurt. Bruised? Sore as Hades? Yes to both accounts. But the cuts on him were little more than scrapes.
The soldier would be just fine.
When Maleos pulled himself over to the overhang and collapsed against a rock, a flicker of concern passed over Timaeus’s expression. For a second, he doubted whether the man was actually as okay as he seemed, but Maleos seemed adamant that he was fine, even going as far to insist that they would be able to head out once the night had passed. “ First light then,” Timaeus confirmed as he too finally moved away from the ledge.
Timaeus doubted that the man had heard him as, within a few moments, the quiet mountain air was soon filled with the reverberating noise of the man’s snores. The Baron’s brother had to resist the urge to laugh at this sudden disturbance to the peace or he might have risked waking the man from the rest he clearly needed. (Though then again, if his own snoring couldn’t wake him, Timaeus doubted that anything would.) Either way, seeing Maleos resting was a good sign that the man would be perfectly fine once they made it back to Eubocris. That was certainly a relief.
As much as Maleos was beating himself up over what happened, Timaeus couldn’t shake the same feeling of guilt plaguing him too. He was the captain. He should have known better than to keeping pushing onwards when they all clearly needed rest. Tim should have been the one to recognize the dangers and protect their safety. Instead, he valued the comfort of a warm bed and made Maleos pay the price for it.
The guilt was practically eating him alive.
If the men were wrong and Maleos was not fine like they assumed, it would be solely Timaeus’s fault. There was no getting around that. Tim was the superior on this quest and it was his duty to keep his men safe. If they went back to Eubocris and it turned out that Maleos had suffered some sort of debilitating injury… Timaeus… well, Timaeus didn’t know what he would do.
How could he have been so careless?
To ease the burden of the injured soldier, Timaeus let the man sleep as the Lord’s son built a temporary campsite underneath the overhang Maleos was taking shelter under. Fully alert from the events that had transpired, Timaeus sacrificed his bedroll to toss over Maleos as he set about building a fire to generate heat for them. Even though he didn’t have the supplies to make the roaring campfire that he would have preferred, he did have enough in his horse’s satchel to make a small kindling flame. It took him a few moments to light it as the young lord was essentially fumbling in the dark, but once the man had it going he was sure that it would be enough to last them through a good portion of the night. The flame would surely be out before the dawn’s rays, but some fire was better than no fire, right?
As cozy as the makeshift campsite was, Timaeus couldn’t make himself calm down enough for him to sleep. He was just far too awake for that sort of thing. His muscles were jittery and even the faintest hint of a shadow on the cave wall pulled his sleepy eyes back to the world of the awake. He just couldn’t help it. The man was far too wound up to be able to relax.
And it was for good reason too.
The one thing that truly kept Timaeus from relaxing enough to find his own repose was the question of what the men would do tomorrow. When the sun rose, they would need to return to Eubocris. However, they only had one horse between them. Timaeus knew right off of the top of his head that Maleos would never accept the offer of riding Thrasos back into town, to save him the pain of his sore legs, as his honor was far too high to allow for such a thing. (A trait that Tim truly admired in other circumstances.) However, the man simply couldn’t walk to Eubocris either. It was too far away with him being injured...
But, Timaeus suddenly thought as a realization dawned on him, It’s not too far away by horse..
The man quietly got up from next to the fire and moved silently away from the camp as he decided to undertake his stupidly, brilliant plan. He needed to be sure that the other man wouldn’t wake as he made his way to Thrasos, the only horse they had left, before mounting the beast and taking off in the direction of Eubocris; leaving the injured man alone in the mountains with only the bare remnants of a fire going and no other signs of why the Baron had abandoned him in the middle of the night
---
By the time the early dawn sun was beginning to rise a few hours later, Timaeus was more than exhausted. The sleepy spell of Hypnos pulled as his eyelids as he slid off of Thrasos and took in his surroundings for the first time. Timaeus had ridden through the night, stopping only once throughout the journey or lest the sun would beat him to his goal.
But he could see that he got lucky as he walked closer to the campsite he had abandoned in the night. The still snoring form of Maleos had barely moved and certainly showed no signs of being awake as his snores continued to sound through the air. Timaeus chuckled at this lightly as he guided Thrasos away from the ledge and closer to the overhang. He didn’t want a repeat of what happened last night, after all.
Once his own horse was secured, Timaeus turned to the beast who had been the reason for his midnight ride through the mountains in the darkness; a young stallion with fur as dark as the night that had nearly killed both the men. This would be Maleos’s way of returning to Eubocris. He would not have to walk through the mountains and risk causing more damage to his already injured body. Instead, whenever he woke, he would receive this gift from Timaeus. It would be the silent apology Tim wished he could say forgetting that man into this mess and as the beast came from the Valaoritis stables, he had no qualms about whether or not it would be able to handle the steep cliffs that separated the men from the soft beds they desperately wanted to fall in.
However, when the man finally stirred and questioned Timaeus on the gift, the Captain said nothing of his midnight ride or even acknowledged that there was now a mysterious horse in their camp that had not been there previously. Instead, all Timaeus did was give the man a light smirk as he pulled himself onto Thrasos before giving Maleos the only orders he would have to follow today; “ Forward march, Soldier. It’s time to go home.”
With that Timaeus, turned Thrasos around and led him up the trail, trusting that his newfound friend would be following close behind.
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This character is currently a work in progress.
Check out their information page here.
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It was a miracle that Maleos was relatively unscathed from the whole ordeal. Granted, he was winded and most likely would have some sort of mental scar from dangling over the cliff ledge like that, but from what Timaeus could see at first glance; Maleos wasn’t hurt. Bruised? Sore as Hades? Yes to both accounts. But the cuts on him were little more than scrapes.
The soldier would be just fine.
When Maleos pulled himself over to the overhang and collapsed against a rock, a flicker of concern passed over Timaeus’s expression. For a second, he doubted whether the man was actually as okay as he seemed, but Maleos seemed adamant that he was fine, even going as far to insist that they would be able to head out once the night had passed. “ First light then,” Timaeus confirmed as he too finally moved away from the ledge.
Timaeus doubted that the man had heard him as, within a few moments, the quiet mountain air was soon filled with the reverberating noise of the man’s snores. The Baron’s brother had to resist the urge to laugh at this sudden disturbance to the peace or he might have risked waking the man from the rest he clearly needed. (Though then again, if his own snoring couldn’t wake him, Timaeus doubted that anything would.) Either way, seeing Maleos resting was a good sign that the man would be perfectly fine once they made it back to Eubocris. That was certainly a relief.
As much as Maleos was beating himself up over what happened, Timaeus couldn’t shake the same feeling of guilt plaguing him too. He was the captain. He should have known better than to keeping pushing onwards when they all clearly needed rest. Tim should have been the one to recognize the dangers and protect their safety. Instead, he valued the comfort of a warm bed and made Maleos pay the price for it.
The guilt was practically eating him alive.
If the men were wrong and Maleos was not fine like they assumed, it would be solely Timaeus’s fault. There was no getting around that. Tim was the superior on this quest and it was his duty to keep his men safe. If they went back to Eubocris and it turned out that Maleos had suffered some sort of debilitating injury… Timaeus… well, Timaeus didn’t know what he would do.
How could he have been so careless?
To ease the burden of the injured soldier, Timaeus let the man sleep as the Lord’s son built a temporary campsite underneath the overhang Maleos was taking shelter under. Fully alert from the events that had transpired, Timaeus sacrificed his bedroll to toss over Maleos as he set about building a fire to generate heat for them. Even though he didn’t have the supplies to make the roaring campfire that he would have preferred, he did have enough in his horse’s satchel to make a small kindling flame. It took him a few moments to light it as the young lord was essentially fumbling in the dark, but once the man had it going he was sure that it would be enough to last them through a good portion of the night. The flame would surely be out before the dawn’s rays, but some fire was better than no fire, right?
As cozy as the makeshift campsite was, Timaeus couldn’t make himself calm down enough for him to sleep. He was just far too awake for that sort of thing. His muscles were jittery and even the faintest hint of a shadow on the cave wall pulled his sleepy eyes back to the world of the awake. He just couldn’t help it. The man was far too wound up to be able to relax.
And it was for good reason too.
The one thing that truly kept Timaeus from relaxing enough to find his own repose was the question of what the men would do tomorrow. When the sun rose, they would need to return to Eubocris. However, they only had one horse between them. Timaeus knew right off of the top of his head that Maleos would never accept the offer of riding Thrasos back into town, to save him the pain of his sore legs, as his honor was far too high to allow for such a thing. (A trait that Tim truly admired in other circumstances.) However, the man simply couldn’t walk to Eubocris either. It was too far away with him being injured...
But, Timaeus suddenly thought as a realization dawned on him, It’s not too far away by horse..
The man quietly got up from next to the fire and moved silently away from the camp as he decided to undertake his stupidly, brilliant plan. He needed to be sure that the other man wouldn’t wake as he made his way to Thrasos, the only horse they had left, before mounting the beast and taking off in the direction of Eubocris; leaving the injured man alone in the mountains with only the bare remnants of a fire going and no other signs of why the Baron had abandoned him in the middle of the night
---
By the time the early dawn sun was beginning to rise a few hours later, Timaeus was more than exhausted. The sleepy spell of Hypnos pulled as his eyelids as he slid off of Thrasos and took in his surroundings for the first time. Timaeus had ridden through the night, stopping only once throughout the journey or lest the sun would beat him to his goal.
But he could see that he got lucky as he walked closer to the campsite he had abandoned in the night. The still snoring form of Maleos had barely moved and certainly showed no signs of being awake as his snores continued to sound through the air. Timaeus chuckled at this lightly as he guided Thrasos away from the ledge and closer to the overhang. He didn’t want a repeat of what happened last night, after all.
Once his own horse was secured, Timaeus turned to the beast who had been the reason for his midnight ride through the mountains in the darkness; a young stallion with fur as dark as the night that had nearly killed both the men. This would be Maleos’s way of returning to Eubocris. He would not have to walk through the mountains and risk causing more damage to his already injured body. Instead, whenever he woke, he would receive this gift from Timaeus. It would be the silent apology Tim wished he could say forgetting that man into this mess and as the beast came from the Valaoritis stables, he had no qualms about whether or not it would be able to handle the steep cliffs that separated the men from the soft beds they desperately wanted to fall in.
However, when the man finally stirred and questioned Timaeus on the gift, the Captain said nothing of his midnight ride or even acknowledged that there was now a mysterious horse in their camp that had not been there previously. Instead, all Timaeus did was give the man a light smirk as he pulled himself onto Thrasos before giving Maleos the only orders he would have to follow today; “ Forward march, Soldier. It’s time to go home.”
With that Timaeus, turned Thrasos around and led him up the trail, trusting that his newfound friend would be following close behind.
It was a miracle that Maleos was relatively unscathed from the whole ordeal. Granted, he was winded and most likely would have some sort of mental scar from dangling over the cliff ledge like that, but from what Timaeus could see at first glance; Maleos wasn’t hurt. Bruised? Sore as Hades? Yes to both accounts. But the cuts on him were little more than scrapes.
The soldier would be just fine.
When Maleos pulled himself over to the overhang and collapsed against a rock, a flicker of concern passed over Timaeus’s expression. For a second, he doubted whether the man was actually as okay as he seemed, but Maleos seemed adamant that he was fine, even going as far to insist that they would be able to head out once the night had passed. “ First light then,” Timaeus confirmed as he too finally moved away from the ledge.
Timaeus doubted that the man had heard him as, within a few moments, the quiet mountain air was soon filled with the reverberating noise of the man’s snores. The Baron’s brother had to resist the urge to laugh at this sudden disturbance to the peace or he might have risked waking the man from the rest he clearly needed. (Though then again, if his own snoring couldn’t wake him, Timaeus doubted that anything would.) Either way, seeing Maleos resting was a good sign that the man would be perfectly fine once they made it back to Eubocris. That was certainly a relief.
As much as Maleos was beating himself up over what happened, Timaeus couldn’t shake the same feeling of guilt plaguing him too. He was the captain. He should have known better than to keeping pushing onwards when they all clearly needed rest. Tim should have been the one to recognize the dangers and protect their safety. Instead, he valued the comfort of a warm bed and made Maleos pay the price for it.
The guilt was practically eating him alive.
If the men were wrong and Maleos was not fine like they assumed, it would be solely Timaeus’s fault. There was no getting around that. Tim was the superior on this quest and it was his duty to keep his men safe. If they went back to Eubocris and it turned out that Maleos had suffered some sort of debilitating injury… Timaeus… well, Timaeus didn’t know what he would do.
How could he have been so careless?
To ease the burden of the injured soldier, Timaeus let the man sleep as the Lord’s son built a temporary campsite underneath the overhang Maleos was taking shelter under. Fully alert from the events that had transpired, Timaeus sacrificed his bedroll to toss over Maleos as he set about building a fire to generate heat for them. Even though he didn’t have the supplies to make the roaring campfire that he would have preferred, he did have enough in his horse’s satchel to make a small kindling flame. It took him a few moments to light it as the young lord was essentially fumbling in the dark, but once the man had it going he was sure that it would be enough to last them through a good portion of the night. The flame would surely be out before the dawn’s rays, but some fire was better than no fire, right?
As cozy as the makeshift campsite was, Timaeus couldn’t make himself calm down enough for him to sleep. He was just far too awake for that sort of thing. His muscles were jittery and even the faintest hint of a shadow on the cave wall pulled his sleepy eyes back to the world of the awake. He just couldn’t help it. The man was far too wound up to be able to relax.
And it was for good reason too.
The one thing that truly kept Timaeus from relaxing enough to find his own repose was the question of what the men would do tomorrow. When the sun rose, they would need to return to Eubocris. However, they only had one horse between them. Timaeus knew right off of the top of his head that Maleos would never accept the offer of riding Thrasos back into town, to save him the pain of his sore legs, as his honor was far too high to allow for such a thing. (A trait that Tim truly admired in other circumstances.) However, the man simply couldn’t walk to Eubocris either. It was too far away with him being injured...
But, Timaeus suddenly thought as a realization dawned on him, It’s not too far away by horse..
The man quietly got up from next to the fire and moved silently away from the camp as he decided to undertake his stupidly, brilliant plan. He needed to be sure that the other man wouldn’t wake as he made his way to Thrasos, the only horse they had left, before mounting the beast and taking off in the direction of Eubocris; leaving the injured man alone in the mountains with only the bare remnants of a fire going and no other signs of why the Baron had abandoned him in the middle of the night
---
By the time the early dawn sun was beginning to rise a few hours later, Timaeus was more than exhausted. The sleepy spell of Hypnos pulled as his eyelids as he slid off of Thrasos and took in his surroundings for the first time. Timaeus had ridden through the night, stopping only once throughout the journey or lest the sun would beat him to his goal.
But he could see that he got lucky as he walked closer to the campsite he had abandoned in the night. The still snoring form of Maleos had barely moved and certainly showed no signs of being awake as his snores continued to sound through the air. Timaeus chuckled at this lightly as he guided Thrasos away from the ledge and closer to the overhang. He didn’t want a repeat of what happened last night, after all.
Once his own horse was secured, Timaeus turned to the beast who had been the reason for his midnight ride through the mountains in the darkness; a young stallion with fur as dark as the night that had nearly killed both the men. This would be Maleos’s way of returning to Eubocris. He would not have to walk through the mountains and risk causing more damage to his already injured body. Instead, whenever he woke, he would receive this gift from Timaeus. It would be the silent apology Tim wished he could say forgetting that man into this mess and as the beast came from the Valaoritis stables, he had no qualms about whether or not it would be able to handle the steep cliffs that separated the men from the soft beds they desperately wanted to fall in.
However, when the man finally stirred and questioned Timaeus on the gift, the Captain said nothing of his midnight ride or even acknowledged that there was now a mysterious horse in their camp that had not been there previously. Instead, all Timaeus did was give the man a light smirk as he pulled himself onto Thrasos before giving Maleos the only orders he would have to follow today; “ Forward march, Soldier. It’s time to go home.”
With that Timaeus, turned Thrasos around and led him up the trail, trusting that his newfound friend would be following close behind.