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’Well...I didn’t exactly expect to be here either, but circumstances conspired against me and so,’ he spread his arms out wide. ‘Here I am. Things have...uh..changed a little. I’m not staying. We’ll be sailing tomorrow I think.’
Nikos’ brows rose as his blue eyes grew wide at the choice of words his dear friend used. ”Wait. What are you saying, Sil? Though in truth Nikos’ quick thinking mind had already surmised exactly what he meant. The Colchian lord who’d been like a brother to him these past years had been conscripted into the fighting ranks. Nik set his jaw, a tic starting in his cheek as he clenched his teeth, searching for the right words. What in Hades name had happened to cause this to happen? Sil had only been gone a few months. And now…
Eleni’s shocked and panicked voice brought his thoughts back into focus. ”It appears that he is a soldier now, Eleni. I’m sure there is good reason for this.” He looked from Eleni back to Silanos. ”One I hope that you will share with us, my friend?”
Just then he felt a delicate hand slip into his and squeeze. It was such a familiar motion and it made something stirr deep inside him. But that feeling was quickly replaced by agitation. He pulled his hand free of Arete’s grasp and turned a look on her that said she shouldn’t be here. ’I couldn’t resist.’ The look she gave him made him want to gather her into his arms right there. Instead he took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment, suppressing his temper. When he opened his eyes a second later, his gaze was softer, but the set of his jaw was no less tense. ”Not now, Arete.” he hissed, glancing towards where his father and the other royales and nobles were gathered. Nikos only used her full name, instead of the endearing nickname he usually used, when he was agitated or angry - not pleased with her actions. He was always happy to see his Retta, yes. But he’d thought they’d had an understanding that she would keep away from the docks this day. His father was not happy about his choice of mistress. And he couldn’t afford to let the rumor mill start up about their relationship with so many high ranking people roaming about. It was better for everyone, if Arete stayed within the gates of House Condos or kept to the market. Had he made a mistake in bringing her to the capitol? He dismissed that thought almost as soon as it had formed. No. He would have never forgiven himself if something had happened to her if war came to their shores. No. He would stick by his decision to bring his lover to the capitol, to live behind the walls that had been reinforced. WHere she would be safe.
When Arete focused in on Eleni’s distress over Sil’s news, Nikos tilted his head in curiosity. The two women had never been close to his knowledge. And with recent events between him and Eleni, he was glad of that. He would need to watch these two. Retta had a temper when she felt threatened. He knew that first hand. He turned his attention to Silanos, pushing his concern about the women to the back of his mind for now. ”Yes. Perhaps off the beach altogether? You said you will not be sailing until tomorrow. Please, join me at House Condos, my lord. You could stay there in comfort for the night. We can all share a meal and you can tell us the story of how these circumstances came about.” He truly wished to hear what had happened to his friend since he’d left Taengea. And he hoped Sil would take him up on the offer of staying at House Condos while he was in the capitol.
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’Well...I didn’t exactly expect to be here either, but circumstances conspired against me and so,’ he spread his arms out wide. ‘Here I am. Things have...uh..changed a little. I’m not staying. We’ll be sailing tomorrow I think.’
Nikos’ brows rose as his blue eyes grew wide at the choice of words his dear friend used. ”Wait. What are you saying, Sil? Though in truth Nikos’ quick thinking mind had already surmised exactly what he meant. The Colchian lord who’d been like a brother to him these past years had been conscripted into the fighting ranks. Nik set his jaw, a tic starting in his cheek as he clenched his teeth, searching for the right words. What in Hades name had happened to cause this to happen? Sil had only been gone a few months. And now…
Eleni’s shocked and panicked voice brought his thoughts back into focus. ”It appears that he is a soldier now, Eleni. I’m sure there is good reason for this.” He looked from Eleni back to Silanos. ”One I hope that you will share with us, my friend?”
Just then he felt a delicate hand slip into his and squeeze. It was such a familiar motion and it made something stirr deep inside him. But that feeling was quickly replaced by agitation. He pulled his hand free of Arete’s grasp and turned a look on her that said she shouldn’t be here. ’I couldn’t resist.’ The look she gave him made him want to gather her into his arms right there. Instead he took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment, suppressing his temper. When he opened his eyes a second later, his gaze was softer, but the set of his jaw was no less tense. ”Not now, Arete.” he hissed, glancing towards where his father and the other royales and nobles were gathered. Nikos only used her full name, instead of the endearing nickname he usually used, when he was agitated or angry - not pleased with her actions. He was always happy to see his Retta, yes. But he’d thought they’d had an understanding that she would keep away from the docks this day. His father was not happy about his choice of mistress. And he couldn’t afford to let the rumor mill start up about their relationship with so many high ranking people roaming about. It was better for everyone, if Arete stayed within the gates of House Condos or kept to the market. Had he made a mistake in bringing her to the capitol? He dismissed that thought almost as soon as it had formed. No. He would have never forgiven himself if something had happened to her if war came to their shores. No. He would stick by his decision to bring his lover to the capitol, to live behind the walls that had been reinforced. WHere she would be safe.
When Arete focused in on Eleni’s distress over Sil’s news, Nikos tilted his head in curiosity. The two women had never been close to his knowledge. And with recent events between him and Eleni, he was glad of that. He would need to watch these two. Retta had a temper when she felt threatened. He knew that first hand. He turned his attention to Silanos, pushing his concern about the women to the back of his mind for now. ”Yes. Perhaps off the beach altogether? You said you will not be sailing until tomorrow. Please, join me at House Condos, my lord. You could stay there in comfort for the night. We can all share a meal and you can tell us the story of how these circumstances came about.” He truly wished to hear what had happened to his friend since he’d left Taengea. And he hoped Sil would take him up on the offer of staying at House Condos while he was in the capitol.
’Well...I didn’t exactly expect to be here either, but circumstances conspired against me and so,’ he spread his arms out wide. ‘Here I am. Things have...uh..changed a little. I’m not staying. We’ll be sailing tomorrow I think.’
Nikos’ brows rose as his blue eyes grew wide at the choice of words his dear friend used. ”Wait. What are you saying, Sil? Though in truth Nikos’ quick thinking mind had already surmised exactly what he meant. The Colchian lord who’d been like a brother to him these past years had been conscripted into the fighting ranks. Nik set his jaw, a tic starting in his cheek as he clenched his teeth, searching for the right words. What in Hades name had happened to cause this to happen? Sil had only been gone a few months. And now…
Eleni’s shocked and panicked voice brought his thoughts back into focus. ”It appears that he is a soldier now, Eleni. I’m sure there is good reason for this.” He looked from Eleni back to Silanos. ”One I hope that you will share with us, my friend?”
Just then he felt a delicate hand slip into his and squeeze. It was such a familiar motion and it made something stirr deep inside him. But that feeling was quickly replaced by agitation. He pulled his hand free of Arete’s grasp and turned a look on her that said she shouldn’t be here. ’I couldn’t resist.’ The look she gave him made him want to gather her into his arms right there. Instead he took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment, suppressing his temper. When he opened his eyes a second later, his gaze was softer, but the set of his jaw was no less tense. ”Not now, Arete.” he hissed, glancing towards where his father and the other royales and nobles were gathered. Nikos only used her full name, instead of the endearing nickname he usually used, when he was agitated or angry - not pleased with her actions. He was always happy to see his Retta, yes. But he’d thought they’d had an understanding that she would keep away from the docks this day. His father was not happy about his choice of mistress. And he couldn’t afford to let the rumor mill start up about their relationship with so many high ranking people roaming about. It was better for everyone, if Arete stayed within the gates of House Condos or kept to the market. Had he made a mistake in bringing her to the capitol? He dismissed that thought almost as soon as it had formed. No. He would have never forgiven himself if something had happened to her if war came to their shores. No. He would stick by his decision to bring his lover to the capitol, to live behind the walls that had been reinforced. WHere she would be safe.
When Arete focused in on Eleni’s distress over Sil’s news, Nikos tilted his head in curiosity. The two women had never been close to his knowledge. And with recent events between him and Eleni, he was glad of that. He would need to watch these two. Retta had a temper when she felt threatened. He knew that first hand. He turned his attention to Silanos, pushing his concern about the women to the back of his mind for now. ”Yes. Perhaps off the beach altogether? You said you will not be sailing until tomorrow. Please, join me at House Condos, my lord. You could stay there in comfort for the night. We can all share a meal and you can tell us the story of how these circumstances came about.” He truly wished to hear what had happened to his friend since he’d left Taengea. And he hoped Sil would take him up on the offer of staying at House Condos while he was in the capitol.
Silanos had been too absorbed in greeting the Condos Lord to catch on to the slightly dejected air that had come over Eleni, but he certainly couldn’t miss her reaction to his telling that he would be sailing with the rest of the Colchian contingent tomorrow. That she seemed to be arguing against the very thing he’d just stated, babbling really, took him entirely by surprise.
“Hey, come on” he caught hold of her arm, dipped his head a little to try and catch her eye, cajole her out of her upset. He heard Nikos’ question too, but his focus was on Eleni. Fuck. Maybe he should have eased up to the news a little more.
'It appears that he is a soldier now, Eleni. I’m sure there is good reason for this. One I hope that you will share with us, my friend?’
Sil glanced at Nikos, and then looked to the woman who had melted up to next to him. Arete was a fairly regular fixture around Doralis, but he hadn’t realised her and Nikos were being so open about their relationship now. What a difference a few months made. Silanos raised his brows at her in acknowledgement before he returned his attention to the mess he’d made of this little reunion. And as for good reason why he was going? Well, where did he fucking start?
“It's a long story,” he said. And not one he was willing to entertain so close to those who might be interested to hear, so after looking again to see where Vangelis was, the lord consented to Arete’s suggestion they move their little tete a tete somewhere else. He’d already nodded and offered Eleni his arm, intent on drawing her over to the footing of the great stone fortification that had been erected since he’d been here last.
Catching Nikos’ words and offer, the Valaoritis lord turned to speak over his shoulder. “ Thanks. I might be able to get away later...for now I’m going to have to stay here.” He didn't know if that was really the case, but gods the idea of a soft bed sounded like Elysium.
But he didn’t get to choose for himself anymore, and he couldn't imagine it going down terribly well if he just wandered off to catch up with his friends. Oh, what? Do you mean like that isn’t allowed?. Yeah. He didn’t want to imagine what that would look like.
When they reached the shelter of the wall, Silanos kicked a couple of crates over, nodded for Eleni to take a seat on them. Then he stood back, rubbed at the back of his neck and waited for the others to join them before he offered any sort of explanation.
“So...yeah.Soldier. Surprise?” He forced a grin and looked down exaggeratedly at himself as if he couldn’t quite believe it either. Which wasn’t much of a stretch, if he were honest. He hadn’t planned for this, it would never have been on his agenda and he knew his friends would know it too.
“I guess I don’t need to tell you it’s not by choice,” he said. “I managed to piss off the wrong people, and what do you know, here I am. Never been to Egypt so..that’ll be interesting” He shrugged, cast a glance at Nikos, Arete and then finally Eleni, his expression softening a little at the last. “ Don’t look so sad about it” He tried to make light of it. “I’m getting more out of you than I did at home, I should write a complaint to those fuckers”
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Silanos had been too absorbed in greeting the Condos Lord to catch on to the slightly dejected air that had come over Eleni, but he certainly couldn’t miss her reaction to his telling that he would be sailing with the rest of the Colchian contingent tomorrow. That she seemed to be arguing against the very thing he’d just stated, babbling really, took him entirely by surprise.
“Hey, come on” he caught hold of her arm, dipped his head a little to try and catch her eye, cajole her out of her upset. He heard Nikos’ question too, but his focus was on Eleni. Fuck. Maybe he should have eased up to the news a little more.
'It appears that he is a soldier now, Eleni. I’m sure there is good reason for this. One I hope that you will share with us, my friend?’
Sil glanced at Nikos, and then looked to the woman who had melted up to next to him. Arete was a fairly regular fixture around Doralis, but he hadn’t realised her and Nikos were being so open about their relationship now. What a difference a few months made. Silanos raised his brows at her in acknowledgement before he returned his attention to the mess he’d made of this little reunion. And as for good reason why he was going? Well, where did he fucking start?
“It's a long story,” he said. And not one he was willing to entertain so close to those who might be interested to hear, so after looking again to see where Vangelis was, the lord consented to Arete’s suggestion they move their little tete a tete somewhere else. He’d already nodded and offered Eleni his arm, intent on drawing her over to the footing of the great stone fortification that had been erected since he’d been here last.
Catching Nikos’ words and offer, the Valaoritis lord turned to speak over his shoulder. “ Thanks. I might be able to get away later...for now I’m going to have to stay here.” He didn't know if that was really the case, but gods the idea of a soft bed sounded like Elysium.
But he didn’t get to choose for himself anymore, and he couldn't imagine it going down terribly well if he just wandered off to catch up with his friends. Oh, what? Do you mean like that isn’t allowed?. Yeah. He didn’t want to imagine what that would look like.
When they reached the shelter of the wall, Silanos kicked a couple of crates over, nodded for Eleni to take a seat on them. Then he stood back, rubbed at the back of his neck and waited for the others to join them before he offered any sort of explanation.
“So...yeah.Soldier. Surprise?” He forced a grin and looked down exaggeratedly at himself as if he couldn’t quite believe it either. Which wasn’t much of a stretch, if he were honest. He hadn’t planned for this, it would never have been on his agenda and he knew his friends would know it too.
“I guess I don’t need to tell you it’s not by choice,” he said. “I managed to piss off the wrong people, and what do you know, here I am. Never been to Egypt so..that’ll be interesting” He shrugged, cast a glance at Nikos, Arete and then finally Eleni, his expression softening a little at the last. “ Don’t look so sad about it” He tried to make light of it. “I’m getting more out of you than I did at home, I should write a complaint to those fuckers”
Silanos had been too absorbed in greeting the Condos Lord to catch on to the slightly dejected air that had come over Eleni, but he certainly couldn’t miss her reaction to his telling that he would be sailing with the rest of the Colchian contingent tomorrow. That she seemed to be arguing against the very thing he’d just stated, babbling really, took him entirely by surprise.
“Hey, come on” he caught hold of her arm, dipped his head a little to try and catch her eye, cajole her out of her upset. He heard Nikos’ question too, but his focus was on Eleni. Fuck. Maybe he should have eased up to the news a little more.
'It appears that he is a soldier now, Eleni. I’m sure there is good reason for this. One I hope that you will share with us, my friend?’
Sil glanced at Nikos, and then looked to the woman who had melted up to next to him. Arete was a fairly regular fixture around Doralis, but he hadn’t realised her and Nikos were being so open about their relationship now. What a difference a few months made. Silanos raised his brows at her in acknowledgement before he returned his attention to the mess he’d made of this little reunion. And as for good reason why he was going? Well, where did he fucking start?
“It's a long story,” he said. And not one he was willing to entertain so close to those who might be interested to hear, so after looking again to see where Vangelis was, the lord consented to Arete’s suggestion they move their little tete a tete somewhere else. He’d already nodded and offered Eleni his arm, intent on drawing her over to the footing of the great stone fortification that had been erected since he’d been here last.
Catching Nikos’ words and offer, the Valaoritis lord turned to speak over his shoulder. “ Thanks. I might be able to get away later...for now I’m going to have to stay here.” He didn't know if that was really the case, but gods the idea of a soft bed sounded like Elysium.
But he didn’t get to choose for himself anymore, and he couldn't imagine it going down terribly well if he just wandered off to catch up with his friends. Oh, what? Do you mean like that isn’t allowed?. Yeah. He didn’t want to imagine what that would look like.
When they reached the shelter of the wall, Silanos kicked a couple of crates over, nodded for Eleni to take a seat on them. Then he stood back, rubbed at the back of his neck and waited for the others to join them before he offered any sort of explanation.
“So...yeah.Soldier. Surprise?” He forced a grin and looked down exaggeratedly at himself as if he couldn’t quite believe it either. Which wasn’t much of a stretch, if he were honest. He hadn’t planned for this, it would never have been on his agenda and he knew his friends would know it too.
“I guess I don’t need to tell you it’s not by choice,” he said. “I managed to piss off the wrong people, and what do you know, here I am. Never been to Egypt so..that’ll be interesting” He shrugged, cast a glance at Nikos, Arete and then finally Eleni, his expression softening a little at the last. “ Don’t look so sad about it” He tried to make light of it. “I’m getting more out of you than I did at home, I should write a complaint to those fuckers”
When they finally pulled into the port of Taengea, Phaedra released a breath that she hadn’t even realized she had been holding. Yes, they were sailing off to war, but their first port of call was Taengea, still safe, Greek lands. It was only from here on out that they were actually heading into a combat situation. It had been a long time since she had last been to Taengea, and she was certain the archers under her command, many who had never been outside of Colchis, would be eager to explore. But now was not the time to let discipline waver. Not this close to entering a war. Sure she would give them their leave to explore and have a final night to enjoy themselves before they headed out to Egypt, but that would only happen once she was certain they were ready for what lay ahead.
As such, as soon as she had stepped off the boat. Phaedra had her troops form up and she addressed them. “I’m sure you’re excited to visit Taengea, but you should remember this isn’t a sightseeing trip.” Phaedra paced in front of the formation as she talked looking each of the women in the eye in turn. “While I don’t expect you not to indulge in the sights and amenities here in Vasiliadon, I do expect you to exercise your best judgment. We head to Egypt after this to face the enemy. Do not let your actions today let them catch you off your guard. I expect all of you to do your best in practice this afternoon, and then, if you prove yourselves ready for battle, you will be free to see the city. Understood?”
‘Yes, ma’am’ came the reply from the troops in unison. Phaedra marched her troops further down along the shore where an open area of sand served for a good location to allow for the women to practice. However, it appeared that someone had beaten her to the location, and she smiled a bit in approval. She stood for a moment, watching the men practice, waiting for a moment to speak with their commander. She didn’t want to interrupt their drills, but she watched in interest at the unfamiliar fighting style of the hoplites.
When there was a break in the leader’s issuing of commands, Phaedra approached him. “I’m Lieutenant Phaedra of the Molossi Wolves. Do you mind if we join you?” Phaedra gestured back at her unit of female archers. They may be better trained in archery than swordcraft, but she wouldn’t put it past them to be able to hold their own in one on one combat. At the very least, he might consent to share the beach so that they might practice their own drills separately.
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When they finally pulled into the port of Taengea, Phaedra released a breath that she hadn’t even realized she had been holding. Yes, they were sailing off to war, but their first port of call was Taengea, still safe, Greek lands. It was only from here on out that they were actually heading into a combat situation. It had been a long time since she had last been to Taengea, and she was certain the archers under her command, many who had never been outside of Colchis, would be eager to explore. But now was not the time to let discipline waver. Not this close to entering a war. Sure she would give them their leave to explore and have a final night to enjoy themselves before they headed out to Egypt, but that would only happen once she was certain they were ready for what lay ahead.
As such, as soon as she had stepped off the boat. Phaedra had her troops form up and she addressed them. “I’m sure you’re excited to visit Taengea, but you should remember this isn’t a sightseeing trip.” Phaedra paced in front of the formation as she talked looking each of the women in the eye in turn. “While I don’t expect you not to indulge in the sights and amenities here in Vasiliadon, I do expect you to exercise your best judgment. We head to Egypt after this to face the enemy. Do not let your actions today let them catch you off your guard. I expect all of you to do your best in practice this afternoon, and then, if you prove yourselves ready for battle, you will be free to see the city. Understood?”
‘Yes, ma’am’ came the reply from the troops in unison. Phaedra marched her troops further down along the shore where an open area of sand served for a good location to allow for the women to practice. However, it appeared that someone had beaten her to the location, and she smiled a bit in approval. She stood for a moment, watching the men practice, waiting for a moment to speak with their commander. She didn’t want to interrupt their drills, but she watched in interest at the unfamiliar fighting style of the hoplites.
When there was a break in the leader’s issuing of commands, Phaedra approached him. “I’m Lieutenant Phaedra of the Molossi Wolves. Do you mind if we join you?” Phaedra gestured back at her unit of female archers. They may be better trained in archery than swordcraft, but she wouldn’t put it past them to be able to hold their own in one on one combat. At the very least, he might consent to share the beach so that they might practice their own drills separately.
When they finally pulled into the port of Taengea, Phaedra released a breath that she hadn’t even realized she had been holding. Yes, they were sailing off to war, but their first port of call was Taengea, still safe, Greek lands. It was only from here on out that they were actually heading into a combat situation. It had been a long time since she had last been to Taengea, and she was certain the archers under her command, many who had never been outside of Colchis, would be eager to explore. But now was not the time to let discipline waver. Not this close to entering a war. Sure she would give them their leave to explore and have a final night to enjoy themselves before they headed out to Egypt, but that would only happen once she was certain they were ready for what lay ahead.
As such, as soon as she had stepped off the boat. Phaedra had her troops form up and she addressed them. “I’m sure you’re excited to visit Taengea, but you should remember this isn’t a sightseeing trip.” Phaedra paced in front of the formation as she talked looking each of the women in the eye in turn. “While I don’t expect you not to indulge in the sights and amenities here in Vasiliadon, I do expect you to exercise your best judgment. We head to Egypt after this to face the enemy. Do not let your actions today let them catch you off your guard. I expect all of you to do your best in practice this afternoon, and then, if you prove yourselves ready for battle, you will be free to see the city. Understood?”
‘Yes, ma’am’ came the reply from the troops in unison. Phaedra marched her troops further down along the shore where an open area of sand served for a good location to allow for the women to practice. However, it appeared that someone had beaten her to the location, and she smiled a bit in approval. She stood for a moment, watching the men practice, waiting for a moment to speak with their commander. She didn’t want to interrupt their drills, but she watched in interest at the unfamiliar fighting style of the hoplites.
When there was a break in the leader’s issuing of commands, Phaedra approached him. “I’m Lieutenant Phaedra of the Molossi Wolves. Do you mind if we join you?” Phaedra gestured back at her unit of female archers. They may be better trained in archery than swordcraft, but she wouldn’t put it past them to be able to hold their own in one on one combat. At the very least, he might consent to share the beach so that they might practice their own drills separately.
It was difficult to describe the relief that Zosime felt as the first calls of land sighting went up, and then again when their boat had made it up to the Taengean coast. The other archers were a titter of excitement, and it seemed that she was not the only one who was sick of the endless seas. She flexed her fingers as she set aside another arrow tip, inspecting her quiver for what felt like the hundredth time. She could have been watching the coastline coming into view, but she knew better than to be attached to the land. They would be here for perhaps a day before setting off, back to the land of endless sand and heat. Egypt. The country’s name was a snarl on her lips as she picked up the next tip for inspection.
Zosime had been a Colchian soldier for a long time, and she had seen war in many places but Egypt was unlike anything else. She both hated and relished the idea of returning there, eager for a chance to prove herself invaluable but also worried to add to the mental and physical scars she carried. She swept a hand across her face, brushing back a piece of her hair that had untangled itself from the thick braid that lay down her back. She’d cut it a few months ago, finding the thing to be too long to be practical but now it was even more of a nuisance since pieces of it kept finding ways to free themselves.
When the call came that they had arrived, that the ship was docked and Taengea was welcoming them -- Zosi rose to her feet, carefully packing away her meticulous work and going to join her fellow soldiers. She shouldered her way past some of the youngest, until she found herself at the front and slightly to the right of where Phaedra was giving orders. The two of them had known each other for a long time, and the female soldier held a great respect for her commanding officer. There was hardly another soul that she would follow without question. Even if Phaedra had the power that she herself wanted, Zosime did not resent her at all. No, she respected the hell out of the blonde before her.
She had settled into a loose stance, listening as Phaedra let them know the situation at hand. Vasiliadon. Gods, it had been ages since she had been to Vasiliadon. Her thoughts lingered but only for a moment of the last time she had been here, a young and stupid sixteen year old on a suicide mission to find her brother. She was lucky that she hadn’t been killed then, trained from the age of ten with a sword and bow well enough that she could defend herself. But, knowing herself...she would have done it all again if given the chance -- and searched harder.
Practice? She gave a roll of her shoulders, blue eyes sharpening on Phaedra’s face. Fine, fine. She supposed practicing was as good as anything else.
”Yes ma’am.” rose her voice in unison with the others, and off they went down the beaches. Each woman carried their own weaponry, and Zosi had been sure to bring her sword in case chances arose that she could actually get to use the thing. She may have been an archer, but she loved -- truly loved -- the sword. They passed by other groups, smatterings of Colchians and Taengeans alike as everyone tried to gather any information, news, or the securement of supplies. Her gaze drifted over all of them, but did not linger. Practice first. Socialize later.
When they had reached a section of the beach the the lieutenant found favorable, Zosi crossed her arms and followed her leader up towards the man that she knew only in name. She lingered behind a couple of paces, not imposing on them -- but there if needed. Unlikely, given they were on the same side but old habits did die hard. Her gaze flickered briefly from the two ranked soldiers to the men who were going through drilling. She felt the sharp snip of jealously. Borish old laws, she thought sourly. She would have liked to be able to openly wield her weapon of choice.
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It was difficult to describe the relief that Zosime felt as the first calls of land sighting went up, and then again when their boat had made it up to the Taengean coast. The other archers were a titter of excitement, and it seemed that she was not the only one who was sick of the endless seas. She flexed her fingers as she set aside another arrow tip, inspecting her quiver for what felt like the hundredth time. She could have been watching the coastline coming into view, but she knew better than to be attached to the land. They would be here for perhaps a day before setting off, back to the land of endless sand and heat. Egypt. The country’s name was a snarl on her lips as she picked up the next tip for inspection.
Zosime had been a Colchian soldier for a long time, and she had seen war in many places but Egypt was unlike anything else. She both hated and relished the idea of returning there, eager for a chance to prove herself invaluable but also worried to add to the mental and physical scars she carried. She swept a hand across her face, brushing back a piece of her hair that had untangled itself from the thick braid that lay down her back. She’d cut it a few months ago, finding the thing to be too long to be practical but now it was even more of a nuisance since pieces of it kept finding ways to free themselves.
When the call came that they had arrived, that the ship was docked and Taengea was welcoming them -- Zosi rose to her feet, carefully packing away her meticulous work and going to join her fellow soldiers. She shouldered her way past some of the youngest, until she found herself at the front and slightly to the right of where Phaedra was giving orders. The two of them had known each other for a long time, and the female soldier held a great respect for her commanding officer. There was hardly another soul that she would follow without question. Even if Phaedra had the power that she herself wanted, Zosime did not resent her at all. No, she respected the hell out of the blonde before her.
She had settled into a loose stance, listening as Phaedra let them know the situation at hand. Vasiliadon. Gods, it had been ages since she had been to Vasiliadon. Her thoughts lingered but only for a moment of the last time she had been here, a young and stupid sixteen year old on a suicide mission to find her brother. She was lucky that she hadn’t been killed then, trained from the age of ten with a sword and bow well enough that she could defend herself. But, knowing herself...she would have done it all again if given the chance -- and searched harder.
Practice? She gave a roll of her shoulders, blue eyes sharpening on Phaedra’s face. Fine, fine. She supposed practicing was as good as anything else.
”Yes ma’am.” rose her voice in unison with the others, and off they went down the beaches. Each woman carried their own weaponry, and Zosi had been sure to bring her sword in case chances arose that she could actually get to use the thing. She may have been an archer, but she loved -- truly loved -- the sword. They passed by other groups, smatterings of Colchians and Taengeans alike as everyone tried to gather any information, news, or the securement of supplies. Her gaze drifted over all of them, but did not linger. Practice first. Socialize later.
When they had reached a section of the beach the the lieutenant found favorable, Zosi crossed her arms and followed her leader up towards the man that she knew only in name. She lingered behind a couple of paces, not imposing on them -- but there if needed. Unlikely, given they were on the same side but old habits did die hard. Her gaze flickered briefly from the two ranked soldiers to the men who were going through drilling. She felt the sharp snip of jealously. Borish old laws, she thought sourly. She would have liked to be able to openly wield her weapon of choice.
It was difficult to describe the relief that Zosime felt as the first calls of land sighting went up, and then again when their boat had made it up to the Taengean coast. The other archers were a titter of excitement, and it seemed that she was not the only one who was sick of the endless seas. She flexed her fingers as she set aside another arrow tip, inspecting her quiver for what felt like the hundredth time. She could have been watching the coastline coming into view, but she knew better than to be attached to the land. They would be here for perhaps a day before setting off, back to the land of endless sand and heat. Egypt. The country’s name was a snarl on her lips as she picked up the next tip for inspection.
Zosime had been a Colchian soldier for a long time, and she had seen war in many places but Egypt was unlike anything else. She both hated and relished the idea of returning there, eager for a chance to prove herself invaluable but also worried to add to the mental and physical scars she carried. She swept a hand across her face, brushing back a piece of her hair that had untangled itself from the thick braid that lay down her back. She’d cut it a few months ago, finding the thing to be too long to be practical but now it was even more of a nuisance since pieces of it kept finding ways to free themselves.
When the call came that they had arrived, that the ship was docked and Taengea was welcoming them -- Zosi rose to her feet, carefully packing away her meticulous work and going to join her fellow soldiers. She shouldered her way past some of the youngest, until she found herself at the front and slightly to the right of where Phaedra was giving orders. The two of them had known each other for a long time, and the female soldier held a great respect for her commanding officer. There was hardly another soul that she would follow without question. Even if Phaedra had the power that she herself wanted, Zosime did not resent her at all. No, she respected the hell out of the blonde before her.
She had settled into a loose stance, listening as Phaedra let them know the situation at hand. Vasiliadon. Gods, it had been ages since she had been to Vasiliadon. Her thoughts lingered but only for a moment of the last time she had been here, a young and stupid sixteen year old on a suicide mission to find her brother. She was lucky that she hadn’t been killed then, trained from the age of ten with a sword and bow well enough that she could defend herself. But, knowing herself...she would have done it all again if given the chance -- and searched harder.
Practice? She gave a roll of her shoulders, blue eyes sharpening on Phaedra’s face. Fine, fine. She supposed practicing was as good as anything else.
”Yes ma’am.” rose her voice in unison with the others, and off they went down the beaches. Each woman carried their own weaponry, and Zosi had been sure to bring her sword in case chances arose that she could actually get to use the thing. She may have been an archer, but she loved -- truly loved -- the sword. They passed by other groups, smatterings of Colchians and Taengeans alike as everyone tried to gather any information, news, or the securement of supplies. Her gaze drifted over all of them, but did not linger. Practice first. Socialize later.
When they had reached a section of the beach the the lieutenant found favorable, Zosi crossed her arms and followed her leader up towards the man that she knew only in name. She lingered behind a couple of paces, not imposing on them -- but there if needed. Unlikely, given they were on the same side but old habits did die hard. Her gaze flickered briefly from the two ranked soldiers to the men who were going through drilling. She felt the sharp snip of jealously. Borish old laws, she thought sourly. She would have liked to be able to openly wield her weapon of choice.
These streets held little familiarity for Dorothea. In truth, she spent most of her time on her family’s estate, coming to the capital as little as possible. With the rekindling of a childhood friendship, she had come more often these past few months, but the young women had done minimal exploration of this particular area. They had mostly spent time near their homes and in the surrounding markets. As such, she should have been more interested in this particular space, but found her eyes glossing over the various wares that merchants presented them. Her mind was on other things and listening to her cousin was part of that.
She supposed that he had a fair argument. Her stance came from knowing the princess and what she probably would have wanted to do. It also came from herself, somewhat selfishly, and what she would have wished to do in the situation. What she had recently wanted to do in another situation—but her father had expressly forbidden. Although the two had made up, her feelings were still recovering from the hurt that they had experienced. To want to prove oneself was perhaps a bit selfish, but it was about more that just that. It would be an honor for her to serve her future sister, just as in this case it would be an honor for her to fight for her country or Athanasia for hers.
“No, I suspect I would spend every moment worrying about her,” she acquiesced. “But if it were what she wanted and I believed that her skills were at a level that might ensure her survival, I would find it very hard to stop her. Of course, she’s not a princess and in any case is too young for war. However, I take your point and don’t disagree with the decision for her to stay behind. It is always up to the older siblings to worry and the younger ones to feel disappointment, isn’t it?” As she was in the middle, she supposed she felt some of both.
However, she thought it was particularly tough on siblings that were also practically parents. Dorothea had done as much as anyone in her family to raise Alexa. She had been a child when her mother died, but she had also been the only other female in the household. It had been up to her to teach Alexa what she had only started to learn herself. It would difficult to send her sister off to war, not knowing if she could also protect her.
Vangelis’ words seemed to echo hers in a sense moments later, speaking of those left behind to worry. It made her think of their conversation months earlier and the waste of war. It was unfortunate that fear had to lodge such a permanent place in her cousin’s life. She didn’t see the sense in bringing that up again as they were on the eve of war and with Taengeans likely already fighting. This waste of life was now inevitable, whether she or anyone else liked it or not. It seemed inappropriate to remind him of the matter.
“Yes, perhaps she is used to it, though I doubt she is comforted by it. However, Asia is strong and I am sure confident in your abilities.” It was a tough thing to be away from one’s family without the certainty that they would return. She worried after Iason and Persephone every day, knowing there was nothing she could do to help them. She could only offer prayers and hope the gods would hear them.
As they passed the homeless man, Dorothea gave a sympathetic smile, grateful for her cousin’s kindness. He was always surprising her. As he informed her of their plans, they made their way back around towards the docks. Dorothea expected his answer, thinking they would not want to linger. She would not have much longer to contemplate the decision that had been floating in the back of her mind for some time now. There was no chance of sharing any of her thoughts with Vangelis for she didn’t want anything inhibiting her decision.
“Well, it seems I shall only have a short period of time to meet some of your archers,” she remarked, referring back to one of their last conversations. “And it seems I shall not have to travel as far as Colchis, for which my father will be happy. Perhaps you could introduce me, if you have a moment upon our return?” However, as they rounded the corner, she realized that she would need no help finding the women, as they were lining themselves up to practice on the beach.
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These streets held little familiarity for Dorothea. In truth, she spent most of her time on her family’s estate, coming to the capital as little as possible. With the rekindling of a childhood friendship, she had come more often these past few months, but the young women had done minimal exploration of this particular area. They had mostly spent time near their homes and in the surrounding markets. As such, she should have been more interested in this particular space, but found her eyes glossing over the various wares that merchants presented them. Her mind was on other things and listening to her cousin was part of that.
She supposed that he had a fair argument. Her stance came from knowing the princess and what she probably would have wanted to do. It also came from herself, somewhat selfishly, and what she would have wished to do in the situation. What she had recently wanted to do in another situation—but her father had expressly forbidden. Although the two had made up, her feelings were still recovering from the hurt that they had experienced. To want to prove oneself was perhaps a bit selfish, but it was about more that just that. It would be an honor for her to serve her future sister, just as in this case it would be an honor for her to fight for her country or Athanasia for hers.
“No, I suspect I would spend every moment worrying about her,” she acquiesced. “But if it were what she wanted and I believed that her skills were at a level that might ensure her survival, I would find it very hard to stop her. Of course, she’s not a princess and in any case is too young for war. However, I take your point and don’t disagree with the decision for her to stay behind. It is always up to the older siblings to worry and the younger ones to feel disappointment, isn’t it?” As she was in the middle, she supposed she felt some of both.
However, she thought it was particularly tough on siblings that were also practically parents. Dorothea had done as much as anyone in her family to raise Alexa. She had been a child when her mother died, but she had also been the only other female in the household. It had been up to her to teach Alexa what she had only started to learn herself. It would difficult to send her sister off to war, not knowing if she could also protect her.
Vangelis’ words seemed to echo hers in a sense moments later, speaking of those left behind to worry. It made her think of their conversation months earlier and the waste of war. It was unfortunate that fear had to lodge such a permanent place in her cousin’s life. She didn’t see the sense in bringing that up again as they were on the eve of war and with Taengeans likely already fighting. This waste of life was now inevitable, whether she or anyone else liked it or not. It seemed inappropriate to remind him of the matter.
“Yes, perhaps she is used to it, though I doubt she is comforted by it. However, Asia is strong and I am sure confident in your abilities.” It was a tough thing to be away from one’s family without the certainty that they would return. She worried after Iason and Persephone every day, knowing there was nothing she could do to help them. She could only offer prayers and hope the gods would hear them.
As they passed the homeless man, Dorothea gave a sympathetic smile, grateful for her cousin’s kindness. He was always surprising her. As he informed her of their plans, they made their way back around towards the docks. Dorothea expected his answer, thinking they would not want to linger. She would not have much longer to contemplate the decision that had been floating in the back of her mind for some time now. There was no chance of sharing any of her thoughts with Vangelis for she didn’t want anything inhibiting her decision.
“Well, it seems I shall only have a short period of time to meet some of your archers,” she remarked, referring back to one of their last conversations. “And it seems I shall not have to travel as far as Colchis, for which my father will be happy. Perhaps you could introduce me, if you have a moment upon our return?” However, as they rounded the corner, she realized that she would need no help finding the women, as they were lining themselves up to practice on the beach.
These streets held little familiarity for Dorothea. In truth, she spent most of her time on her family’s estate, coming to the capital as little as possible. With the rekindling of a childhood friendship, she had come more often these past few months, but the young women had done minimal exploration of this particular area. They had mostly spent time near their homes and in the surrounding markets. As such, she should have been more interested in this particular space, but found her eyes glossing over the various wares that merchants presented them. Her mind was on other things and listening to her cousin was part of that.
She supposed that he had a fair argument. Her stance came from knowing the princess and what she probably would have wanted to do. It also came from herself, somewhat selfishly, and what she would have wished to do in the situation. What she had recently wanted to do in another situation—but her father had expressly forbidden. Although the two had made up, her feelings were still recovering from the hurt that they had experienced. To want to prove oneself was perhaps a bit selfish, but it was about more that just that. It would be an honor for her to serve her future sister, just as in this case it would be an honor for her to fight for her country or Athanasia for hers.
“No, I suspect I would spend every moment worrying about her,” she acquiesced. “But if it were what she wanted and I believed that her skills were at a level that might ensure her survival, I would find it very hard to stop her. Of course, she’s not a princess and in any case is too young for war. However, I take your point and don’t disagree with the decision for her to stay behind. It is always up to the older siblings to worry and the younger ones to feel disappointment, isn’t it?” As she was in the middle, she supposed she felt some of both.
However, she thought it was particularly tough on siblings that were also practically parents. Dorothea had done as much as anyone in her family to raise Alexa. She had been a child when her mother died, but she had also been the only other female in the household. It had been up to her to teach Alexa what she had only started to learn herself. It would difficult to send her sister off to war, not knowing if she could also protect her.
Vangelis’ words seemed to echo hers in a sense moments later, speaking of those left behind to worry. It made her think of their conversation months earlier and the waste of war. It was unfortunate that fear had to lodge such a permanent place in her cousin’s life. She didn’t see the sense in bringing that up again as they were on the eve of war and with Taengeans likely already fighting. This waste of life was now inevitable, whether she or anyone else liked it or not. It seemed inappropriate to remind him of the matter.
“Yes, perhaps she is used to it, though I doubt she is comforted by it. However, Asia is strong and I am sure confident in your abilities.” It was a tough thing to be away from one’s family without the certainty that they would return. She worried after Iason and Persephone every day, knowing there was nothing she could do to help them. She could only offer prayers and hope the gods would hear them.
As they passed the homeless man, Dorothea gave a sympathetic smile, grateful for her cousin’s kindness. He was always surprising her. As he informed her of their plans, they made their way back around towards the docks. Dorothea expected his answer, thinking they would not want to linger. She would not have much longer to contemplate the decision that had been floating in the back of her mind for some time now. There was no chance of sharing any of her thoughts with Vangelis for she didn’t want anything inhibiting her decision.
“Well, it seems I shall only have a short period of time to meet some of your archers,” she remarked, referring back to one of their last conversations. “And it seems I shall not have to travel as far as Colchis, for which my father will be happy. Perhaps you could introduce me, if you have a moment upon our return?” However, as they rounded the corner, she realized that she would need no help finding the women, as they were lining themselves up to practice on the beach.
Eleni was certainly she was making a fool of herself, but she couldn’t bring herself to care. How could anything matter if Sil was going off to war? It didn’t make sense. It couldn’t be true. She just couldn’t accept it. Not when it meant he’d be in danger. War was one thing when it was happening a world away and didn’t really touch her life in any significant way.
She hadn’t been able to open her heart to him - not enough at least. But that hardly meant she didn’t care. If anything, she cared far more than was safe. Far more than she had ever wanted to.
As was evidenced by the feeling that there was a hole in her chest at the notion of Sil getting back on that warship.
It had been one thing to know she had missed her chance. To miss him knowing he had returned to his real life and left her behind. To resign herself to being a forgotten chapter in his life. But the notion of a world without him in it at all? That was more than she could bear.
As she felt his light grip on her arm, she looked up at him with wide eyes, a little too glossy, as though with unshed tears. Even now, with just one little touch, he could make her smile. Even if it was shaky at best. He never could stand to upset people. He might test tempers with his mischief, but he always did his best to bring a smile to those around him.
She couldn’t help but shoot Nikos a glare at his remark to her. She wasn’t dumb, she knew what he meant. It just hurt too badly to believe. She was shaken not brainless. But as he turned his attention back to Sil, her temper immediately softened. He was surprised and concerned as well. Arete’s cheerful arrival didn’t exactly lighten the solemn mood of the group either, yet Eleni couldn’t stay cross at her either as she suggested they moved away from the crowd.
Eleni accepted Sil’s offered arm without a second thought, the simple motion so familiar between them. She found herself leaning into him, head resting lightly on his arm as she tried to compose herself. Only half listening as they walked, she found herself hoping he could get away. “I’m sorry,” she murmured, turning slightly to face him, her voice soft and for his ears only. “I must seem so pathetic to you right now,” she continued with a slightly forced smile. Her shock was making her more honest than normal apparently. Not that she regretted it. Not if this might be the last she ever saw him.
Finally, she took the offered seat, squeezing Sil’s hand lightly before he stepped away. She closed her eyes, trying to force all the shock and melancholy away. To let herself truly be present in the moment. In what limited time they had left.
She nodded as he admitted it wasn’t by choice. Eleni remembered how he had spoken about his home - about how he belonged more here in Taengea than with his brethren. It made sense the more he spoke - he had angered the wrong people. His luck had run out it seemed. She met his eyes as he finally looked back to her, seeing the way his expression softened somewhat. And there he went, trying to make them smile. But she had seen what lurked beneath his grin more than most. She’d been there when the nightmares woke him. Her own expression softened in kind and so she did the only thing she really could. She did what would be best for him.
Eleni laughed.
It was a soft chuckle really, maybe a hint forced. But he needed that more than he needed her tears. She tilted her head slightly to the side as she looked up at him, her smile growing a little wider, a little brighter. “They just don’t appreciate your special talents the way we do,” she teased, leaning forward towards him. “It’s not our fault your people have no taste for sentiment.”
She would try to catch him for a private moment later, but for now, she could push her own feelings aside. She could smile for him. After everything... she owed him at least that much.
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Eleni was certainly she was making a fool of herself, but she couldn’t bring herself to care. How could anything matter if Sil was going off to war? It didn’t make sense. It couldn’t be true. She just couldn’t accept it. Not when it meant he’d be in danger. War was one thing when it was happening a world away and didn’t really touch her life in any significant way.
She hadn’t been able to open her heart to him - not enough at least. But that hardly meant she didn’t care. If anything, she cared far more than was safe. Far more than she had ever wanted to.
As was evidenced by the feeling that there was a hole in her chest at the notion of Sil getting back on that warship.
It had been one thing to know she had missed her chance. To miss him knowing he had returned to his real life and left her behind. To resign herself to being a forgotten chapter in his life. But the notion of a world without him in it at all? That was more than she could bear.
As she felt his light grip on her arm, she looked up at him with wide eyes, a little too glossy, as though with unshed tears. Even now, with just one little touch, he could make her smile. Even if it was shaky at best. He never could stand to upset people. He might test tempers with his mischief, but he always did his best to bring a smile to those around him.
She couldn’t help but shoot Nikos a glare at his remark to her. She wasn’t dumb, she knew what he meant. It just hurt too badly to believe. She was shaken not brainless. But as he turned his attention back to Sil, her temper immediately softened. He was surprised and concerned as well. Arete’s cheerful arrival didn’t exactly lighten the solemn mood of the group either, yet Eleni couldn’t stay cross at her either as she suggested they moved away from the crowd.
Eleni accepted Sil’s offered arm without a second thought, the simple motion so familiar between them. She found herself leaning into him, head resting lightly on his arm as she tried to compose herself. Only half listening as they walked, she found herself hoping he could get away. “I’m sorry,” she murmured, turning slightly to face him, her voice soft and for his ears only. “I must seem so pathetic to you right now,” she continued with a slightly forced smile. Her shock was making her more honest than normal apparently. Not that she regretted it. Not if this might be the last she ever saw him.
Finally, she took the offered seat, squeezing Sil’s hand lightly before he stepped away. She closed her eyes, trying to force all the shock and melancholy away. To let herself truly be present in the moment. In what limited time they had left.
She nodded as he admitted it wasn’t by choice. Eleni remembered how he had spoken about his home - about how he belonged more here in Taengea than with his brethren. It made sense the more he spoke - he had angered the wrong people. His luck had run out it seemed. She met his eyes as he finally looked back to her, seeing the way his expression softened somewhat. And there he went, trying to make them smile. But she had seen what lurked beneath his grin more than most. She’d been there when the nightmares woke him. Her own expression softened in kind and so she did the only thing she really could. She did what would be best for him.
Eleni laughed.
It was a soft chuckle really, maybe a hint forced. But he needed that more than he needed her tears. She tilted her head slightly to the side as she looked up at him, her smile growing a little wider, a little brighter. “They just don’t appreciate your special talents the way we do,” she teased, leaning forward towards him. “It’s not our fault your people have no taste for sentiment.”
She would try to catch him for a private moment later, but for now, she could push her own feelings aside. She could smile for him. After everything... she owed him at least that much.
Eleni was certainly she was making a fool of herself, but she couldn’t bring herself to care. How could anything matter if Sil was going off to war? It didn’t make sense. It couldn’t be true. She just couldn’t accept it. Not when it meant he’d be in danger. War was one thing when it was happening a world away and didn’t really touch her life in any significant way.
She hadn’t been able to open her heart to him - not enough at least. But that hardly meant she didn’t care. If anything, she cared far more than was safe. Far more than she had ever wanted to.
As was evidenced by the feeling that there was a hole in her chest at the notion of Sil getting back on that warship.
It had been one thing to know she had missed her chance. To miss him knowing he had returned to his real life and left her behind. To resign herself to being a forgotten chapter in his life. But the notion of a world without him in it at all? That was more than she could bear.
As she felt his light grip on her arm, she looked up at him with wide eyes, a little too glossy, as though with unshed tears. Even now, with just one little touch, he could make her smile. Even if it was shaky at best. He never could stand to upset people. He might test tempers with his mischief, but he always did his best to bring a smile to those around him.
She couldn’t help but shoot Nikos a glare at his remark to her. She wasn’t dumb, she knew what he meant. It just hurt too badly to believe. She was shaken not brainless. But as he turned his attention back to Sil, her temper immediately softened. He was surprised and concerned as well. Arete’s cheerful arrival didn’t exactly lighten the solemn mood of the group either, yet Eleni couldn’t stay cross at her either as she suggested they moved away from the crowd.
Eleni accepted Sil’s offered arm without a second thought, the simple motion so familiar between them. She found herself leaning into him, head resting lightly on his arm as she tried to compose herself. Only half listening as they walked, she found herself hoping he could get away. “I’m sorry,” she murmured, turning slightly to face him, her voice soft and for his ears only. “I must seem so pathetic to you right now,” she continued with a slightly forced smile. Her shock was making her more honest than normal apparently. Not that she regretted it. Not if this might be the last she ever saw him.
Finally, she took the offered seat, squeezing Sil’s hand lightly before he stepped away. She closed her eyes, trying to force all the shock and melancholy away. To let herself truly be present in the moment. In what limited time they had left.
She nodded as he admitted it wasn’t by choice. Eleni remembered how he had spoken about his home - about how he belonged more here in Taengea than with his brethren. It made sense the more he spoke - he had angered the wrong people. His luck had run out it seemed. She met his eyes as he finally looked back to her, seeing the way his expression softened somewhat. And there he went, trying to make them smile. But she had seen what lurked beneath his grin more than most. She’d been there when the nightmares woke him. Her own expression softened in kind and so she did the only thing she really could. She did what would be best for him.
Eleni laughed.
It was a soft chuckle really, maybe a hint forced. But he needed that more than he needed her tears. She tilted her head slightly to the side as she looked up at him, her smile growing a little wider, a little brighter. “They just don’t appreciate your special talents the way we do,” she teased, leaning forward towards him. “It’s not our fault your people have no taste for sentiment.”
She would try to catch him for a private moment later, but for now, she could push her own feelings aside. She could smile for him. After everything... she owed him at least that much.
Over the few years that she had known him, Arete had always known that her lover wasn’t exactly the smartest apple in the bunch. He had never been the sort to have any sort of scholarly interest and quite frankly the girl didn’t blame him. After all, that sort of lifestyle seemed to be incredibly dull no matter which way she looked at it. She knew that Nikos had been cut from the same cloth and did not read anything that he wasn’t basically forced to look over. However, this lack of a love for learning did not excuse him from being foolish enough to try and explain what Sil’s current situation was to Eleni. Arete had only just stumbled into the conversation, but she could clearly see that any lack of understanding of the young woman’s part was not born from confusion. Instead, it stemmed purely from disbelief. Eleni had heard Sil’s statement with perfect clarity. The shock of it simply didn’t make it seem real to the woman who looked like she was on the verge of fainting, judging by how pale she seemed to be.
Although the young woman from Doralis knew that Nikos’s intentions were stemming from a good place, that did absolutely nothing to stop the girl from reaching out to lightly brush her fingers over his arm. Subtly, she was trying to steer him away from this course of action by using the charm she had over him as a way to momentarily distract him. She also tried to gently shush him, hoping that he would just take the hint and cease with his unnecessarily tactless words, but it seemed to be that she had very little luck in this endeavor. That was made more than clear in how he was quick to untangle himself from her. The scowl that formed on her face was just as harsh as his previous tactless words had been. Arete had thought that he would be pleased to see her here, especially with Sil and Eleni present as well. However, this clearly was not the case and Arete did not try again to curry his favor in this moment. There was just no point in pushing her luck and risking that he would grow cross with her. Not when she could very easily make the displeasure that this caused known in more productive ways later. ‘ It also didn’t hurt that the group quickly accepted Arete’s suggestion of moving Eleni away from the main crowd and towards somewhere where she could sit and absorb the news in peace. As the four of them moved away from the crowds, Arete couldn’t help, but perk up a bit at Nikos’s invitation to the newly minted soldier. After all, Silanos was just as much of a partier as Nikos and the rest of them. If the Colchian accepted and the group spent the night in the Condos manor, it was almost guaranteed that the group would be up until the early hours of the morning partaking in a drunken revelry that would be remembered for months to come. Clearly, Arete would not want to pass this sort of fun up and the sheer excitement that came from it even being a possibility was enough to have the girl loose focus on making sure Eleni was alright. Or at least it did long enough for her to chime in, “ooh yes! Come on Sil, it’ll be so much fun.” Her eyes were practically alight with the possibilities that could come from such a fun night, making it very clear that she would probably be a bit crestfallen if the soldier said no. Granted she and Nikos could definitely still have a bit of fun if he respectfully declined the Taengean’s invitation, but there was nothing like being a part of a crowd of fun-loving partiers. That was always more thrilling than just the two lovers drinking together and spending the night doing anything, but sleeping.
However, that would all depend on how willing Silanos would be to stick to his forced abstinence. If it was Arete, she’d drop everything and go partake in the fun, but Silanos was not the poor potter’s daughter from Doralis that had nothing to lose. In fact, he was quite the opposite in that respect in that Sil had everything to lose… not that the group knew that though. That much was made clear when the boy who would have normally dropped everything to hang out with the rest of them actually turned down Nikos’s offer for at least the moment. A small frown appeared on Arete’s face as she didn’t understand what the big deal was in all of this. After all, a little partying never killed anyone, but she wasn’t about to fight it. After all, she was clearly already on thin ice with Nikos. She didn’t want to have the Valaoritis made at her too.
Trailing after the others, Arete tried to give Sil and Eleni a little space given how emotionally fraught they were right now. It wasn’t very successful though as she ended up right back in her usual spot by Nikos’s side within a few moments. Clearly that was far from enough time to have a touching moment, but the young woman had no doubts that the two of them would find a way to have more of those before the Colchian’s brief time in Taengea was done. However, Retta knew that it wouldn’t be nearly long enough for them. Eleni was really lucky that the other young woman didn’t have the faintest clue that the blonde had been encroaching upon her territory while Silanos was away. After all, had Arete known the truth of her and Nikos’s relationship, she certainly would have no pity for their situation and wouldn’t be asking herself why the fates would be so cruel to reunite the pair only for a few hours before they would be ripped away from each other again, quite possibly for forever?
This wasn’t the time to mention such things though, Nikos had done a good enough job of proving that already. So, Retta was fairly quiet when Silanos divulged what had transpired in the past few months to lead the partier down the path of a militant. Though, there really wasn’t much to the story as Sil was rather sparse on the details. The young woman narrowed her eyes at his retelling was so short and quick that it clearly had to leave a lot of details out. After all, this was clearly quite a leap for the lord to make in terms of career paths. There had to be more to the story, but Retta doubted that she would be the one to extract that. Nikos or Eleni would have more luck in that, not her. Not that it mattered, Retta would just be eager to be a fly on the wall whenever that happened as this was bound to be a juicy story.
She felt a little better about thinking about it in this way when Eleni seemed to bounce back a bit as the news properly sunk in and had even managed to muster up a blustering remark about the Colchians as a whole. The mere mention of those warmongering brutes was enough to bring a sour expression to Retta’s face. She, like most of those who lived deep in the countryside and had never even met a Colchian before, did not have the highest held opinions of their northern neighbors. They were always so ready and eager to fight… There had been enough stories about how if you spilled a single drop of blood near a Colchian, it would be enough to trigger a mad bloodlust among the rest of them. Clearly this was not the sort of group that Arete would prefer to be around, not matter how much her own temper could rival this supposed bloodlust that consumed the Colchians.
“Well at least you can show them a thing or two about loosening up. Did you guys see how many soldiers were being marched around on the beach?” Arete remarked with a rather playful look in her eyes. If that was added to the rather cheerful lilt to her voice, it would be more than obvious that even though Retta was about to denounce the drills as cruel, she had not thought as much when she had first spied them. Blushing somewhat as she realized how obvious she might be in that moment, Retta could only pray that Nikos hadn’t caught on to the fact that his… well whatever they were, had been staring at the military men. “You must have been cramped up on that ship for weeks. It is rather barbaric that they wouldn’t let those men go and stretch their legs for a moment before putting them through the wringer like that.” She noted, quickly shaking away any thoughts she had about her appreciation for getting to see the gods only knew how many well-built men showing off their strength. “Surely you don’t have to do anything as arduous as that, right Sil?”
The girl didn’t really think that Silanos would have to do any sort of physical labor. Not with his status as a member of the Colchian nobility at least. From Arete’s point of view, all those in the upper crust seemed to have a free pass with that sort of thing. After all, her dear Nikos was not a soldier, but she was just some girl from the sticks who had gotten a chance to taste proper luxury. What would she know of military training? This wasn’t one of the things that Nikos had told her stories about so she knew next to nothing about it and never thought to ask about it before now.
However, if Sil was truthful regarding his situation, Arete would certainly change her stance on asking questions about the military as anything the Colchian lord revealed would likely raise a few eyebrows to say the least...
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This character is currently a work in progress.
Check out their information page here.
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Over the few years that she had known him, Arete had always known that her lover wasn’t exactly the smartest apple in the bunch. He had never been the sort to have any sort of scholarly interest and quite frankly the girl didn’t blame him. After all, that sort of lifestyle seemed to be incredibly dull no matter which way she looked at it. She knew that Nikos had been cut from the same cloth and did not read anything that he wasn’t basically forced to look over. However, this lack of a love for learning did not excuse him from being foolish enough to try and explain what Sil’s current situation was to Eleni. Arete had only just stumbled into the conversation, but she could clearly see that any lack of understanding of the young woman’s part was not born from confusion. Instead, it stemmed purely from disbelief. Eleni had heard Sil’s statement with perfect clarity. The shock of it simply didn’t make it seem real to the woman who looked like she was on the verge of fainting, judging by how pale she seemed to be.
Although the young woman from Doralis knew that Nikos’s intentions were stemming from a good place, that did absolutely nothing to stop the girl from reaching out to lightly brush her fingers over his arm. Subtly, she was trying to steer him away from this course of action by using the charm she had over him as a way to momentarily distract him. She also tried to gently shush him, hoping that he would just take the hint and cease with his unnecessarily tactless words, but it seemed to be that she had very little luck in this endeavor. That was made more than clear in how he was quick to untangle himself from her. The scowl that formed on her face was just as harsh as his previous tactless words had been. Arete had thought that he would be pleased to see her here, especially with Sil and Eleni present as well. However, this clearly was not the case and Arete did not try again to curry his favor in this moment. There was just no point in pushing her luck and risking that he would grow cross with her. Not when she could very easily make the displeasure that this caused known in more productive ways later. ‘ It also didn’t hurt that the group quickly accepted Arete’s suggestion of moving Eleni away from the main crowd and towards somewhere where she could sit and absorb the news in peace. As the four of them moved away from the crowds, Arete couldn’t help, but perk up a bit at Nikos’s invitation to the newly minted soldier. After all, Silanos was just as much of a partier as Nikos and the rest of them. If the Colchian accepted and the group spent the night in the Condos manor, it was almost guaranteed that the group would be up until the early hours of the morning partaking in a drunken revelry that would be remembered for months to come. Clearly, Arete would not want to pass this sort of fun up and the sheer excitement that came from it even being a possibility was enough to have the girl loose focus on making sure Eleni was alright. Or at least it did long enough for her to chime in, “ooh yes! Come on Sil, it’ll be so much fun.” Her eyes were practically alight with the possibilities that could come from such a fun night, making it very clear that she would probably be a bit crestfallen if the soldier said no. Granted she and Nikos could definitely still have a bit of fun if he respectfully declined the Taengean’s invitation, but there was nothing like being a part of a crowd of fun-loving partiers. That was always more thrilling than just the two lovers drinking together and spending the night doing anything, but sleeping.
However, that would all depend on how willing Silanos would be to stick to his forced abstinence. If it was Arete, she’d drop everything and go partake in the fun, but Silanos was not the poor potter’s daughter from Doralis that had nothing to lose. In fact, he was quite the opposite in that respect in that Sil had everything to lose… not that the group knew that though. That much was made clear when the boy who would have normally dropped everything to hang out with the rest of them actually turned down Nikos’s offer for at least the moment. A small frown appeared on Arete’s face as she didn’t understand what the big deal was in all of this. After all, a little partying never killed anyone, but she wasn’t about to fight it. After all, she was clearly already on thin ice with Nikos. She didn’t want to have the Valaoritis made at her too.
Trailing after the others, Arete tried to give Sil and Eleni a little space given how emotionally fraught they were right now. It wasn’t very successful though as she ended up right back in her usual spot by Nikos’s side within a few moments. Clearly that was far from enough time to have a touching moment, but the young woman had no doubts that the two of them would find a way to have more of those before the Colchian’s brief time in Taengea was done. However, Retta knew that it wouldn’t be nearly long enough for them. Eleni was really lucky that the other young woman didn’t have the faintest clue that the blonde had been encroaching upon her territory while Silanos was away. After all, had Arete known the truth of her and Nikos’s relationship, she certainly would have no pity for their situation and wouldn’t be asking herself why the fates would be so cruel to reunite the pair only for a few hours before they would be ripped away from each other again, quite possibly for forever?
This wasn’t the time to mention such things though, Nikos had done a good enough job of proving that already. So, Retta was fairly quiet when Silanos divulged what had transpired in the past few months to lead the partier down the path of a militant. Though, there really wasn’t much to the story as Sil was rather sparse on the details. The young woman narrowed her eyes at his retelling was so short and quick that it clearly had to leave a lot of details out. After all, this was clearly quite a leap for the lord to make in terms of career paths. There had to be more to the story, but Retta doubted that she would be the one to extract that. Nikos or Eleni would have more luck in that, not her. Not that it mattered, Retta would just be eager to be a fly on the wall whenever that happened as this was bound to be a juicy story.
She felt a little better about thinking about it in this way when Eleni seemed to bounce back a bit as the news properly sunk in and had even managed to muster up a blustering remark about the Colchians as a whole. The mere mention of those warmongering brutes was enough to bring a sour expression to Retta’s face. She, like most of those who lived deep in the countryside and had never even met a Colchian before, did not have the highest held opinions of their northern neighbors. They were always so ready and eager to fight… There had been enough stories about how if you spilled a single drop of blood near a Colchian, it would be enough to trigger a mad bloodlust among the rest of them. Clearly this was not the sort of group that Arete would prefer to be around, not matter how much her own temper could rival this supposed bloodlust that consumed the Colchians.
“Well at least you can show them a thing or two about loosening up. Did you guys see how many soldiers were being marched around on the beach?” Arete remarked with a rather playful look in her eyes. If that was added to the rather cheerful lilt to her voice, it would be more than obvious that even though Retta was about to denounce the drills as cruel, she had not thought as much when she had first spied them. Blushing somewhat as she realized how obvious she might be in that moment, Retta could only pray that Nikos hadn’t caught on to the fact that his… well whatever they were, had been staring at the military men. “You must have been cramped up on that ship for weeks. It is rather barbaric that they wouldn’t let those men go and stretch their legs for a moment before putting them through the wringer like that.” She noted, quickly shaking away any thoughts she had about her appreciation for getting to see the gods only knew how many well-built men showing off their strength. “Surely you don’t have to do anything as arduous as that, right Sil?”
The girl didn’t really think that Silanos would have to do any sort of physical labor. Not with his status as a member of the Colchian nobility at least. From Arete’s point of view, all those in the upper crust seemed to have a free pass with that sort of thing. After all, her dear Nikos was not a soldier, but she was just some girl from the sticks who had gotten a chance to taste proper luxury. What would she know of military training? This wasn’t one of the things that Nikos had told her stories about so she knew next to nothing about it and never thought to ask about it before now.
However, if Sil was truthful regarding his situation, Arete would certainly change her stance on asking questions about the military as anything the Colchian lord revealed would likely raise a few eyebrows to say the least...
Over the few years that she had known him, Arete had always known that her lover wasn’t exactly the smartest apple in the bunch. He had never been the sort to have any sort of scholarly interest and quite frankly the girl didn’t blame him. After all, that sort of lifestyle seemed to be incredibly dull no matter which way she looked at it. She knew that Nikos had been cut from the same cloth and did not read anything that he wasn’t basically forced to look over. However, this lack of a love for learning did not excuse him from being foolish enough to try and explain what Sil’s current situation was to Eleni. Arete had only just stumbled into the conversation, but she could clearly see that any lack of understanding of the young woman’s part was not born from confusion. Instead, it stemmed purely from disbelief. Eleni had heard Sil’s statement with perfect clarity. The shock of it simply didn’t make it seem real to the woman who looked like she was on the verge of fainting, judging by how pale she seemed to be.
Although the young woman from Doralis knew that Nikos’s intentions were stemming from a good place, that did absolutely nothing to stop the girl from reaching out to lightly brush her fingers over his arm. Subtly, she was trying to steer him away from this course of action by using the charm she had over him as a way to momentarily distract him. She also tried to gently shush him, hoping that he would just take the hint and cease with his unnecessarily tactless words, but it seemed to be that she had very little luck in this endeavor. That was made more than clear in how he was quick to untangle himself from her. The scowl that formed on her face was just as harsh as his previous tactless words had been. Arete had thought that he would be pleased to see her here, especially with Sil and Eleni present as well. However, this clearly was not the case and Arete did not try again to curry his favor in this moment. There was just no point in pushing her luck and risking that he would grow cross with her. Not when she could very easily make the displeasure that this caused known in more productive ways later. ‘ It also didn’t hurt that the group quickly accepted Arete’s suggestion of moving Eleni away from the main crowd and towards somewhere where she could sit and absorb the news in peace. As the four of them moved away from the crowds, Arete couldn’t help, but perk up a bit at Nikos’s invitation to the newly minted soldier. After all, Silanos was just as much of a partier as Nikos and the rest of them. If the Colchian accepted and the group spent the night in the Condos manor, it was almost guaranteed that the group would be up until the early hours of the morning partaking in a drunken revelry that would be remembered for months to come. Clearly, Arete would not want to pass this sort of fun up and the sheer excitement that came from it even being a possibility was enough to have the girl loose focus on making sure Eleni was alright. Or at least it did long enough for her to chime in, “ooh yes! Come on Sil, it’ll be so much fun.” Her eyes were practically alight with the possibilities that could come from such a fun night, making it very clear that she would probably be a bit crestfallen if the soldier said no. Granted she and Nikos could definitely still have a bit of fun if he respectfully declined the Taengean’s invitation, but there was nothing like being a part of a crowd of fun-loving partiers. That was always more thrilling than just the two lovers drinking together and spending the night doing anything, but sleeping.
However, that would all depend on how willing Silanos would be to stick to his forced abstinence. If it was Arete, she’d drop everything and go partake in the fun, but Silanos was not the poor potter’s daughter from Doralis that had nothing to lose. In fact, he was quite the opposite in that respect in that Sil had everything to lose… not that the group knew that though. That much was made clear when the boy who would have normally dropped everything to hang out with the rest of them actually turned down Nikos’s offer for at least the moment. A small frown appeared on Arete’s face as she didn’t understand what the big deal was in all of this. After all, a little partying never killed anyone, but she wasn’t about to fight it. After all, she was clearly already on thin ice with Nikos. She didn’t want to have the Valaoritis made at her too.
Trailing after the others, Arete tried to give Sil and Eleni a little space given how emotionally fraught they were right now. It wasn’t very successful though as she ended up right back in her usual spot by Nikos’s side within a few moments. Clearly that was far from enough time to have a touching moment, but the young woman had no doubts that the two of them would find a way to have more of those before the Colchian’s brief time in Taengea was done. However, Retta knew that it wouldn’t be nearly long enough for them. Eleni was really lucky that the other young woman didn’t have the faintest clue that the blonde had been encroaching upon her territory while Silanos was away. After all, had Arete known the truth of her and Nikos’s relationship, she certainly would have no pity for their situation and wouldn’t be asking herself why the fates would be so cruel to reunite the pair only for a few hours before they would be ripped away from each other again, quite possibly for forever?
This wasn’t the time to mention such things though, Nikos had done a good enough job of proving that already. So, Retta was fairly quiet when Silanos divulged what had transpired in the past few months to lead the partier down the path of a militant. Though, there really wasn’t much to the story as Sil was rather sparse on the details. The young woman narrowed her eyes at his retelling was so short and quick that it clearly had to leave a lot of details out. After all, this was clearly quite a leap for the lord to make in terms of career paths. There had to be more to the story, but Retta doubted that she would be the one to extract that. Nikos or Eleni would have more luck in that, not her. Not that it mattered, Retta would just be eager to be a fly on the wall whenever that happened as this was bound to be a juicy story.
She felt a little better about thinking about it in this way when Eleni seemed to bounce back a bit as the news properly sunk in and had even managed to muster up a blustering remark about the Colchians as a whole. The mere mention of those warmongering brutes was enough to bring a sour expression to Retta’s face. She, like most of those who lived deep in the countryside and had never even met a Colchian before, did not have the highest held opinions of their northern neighbors. They were always so ready and eager to fight… There had been enough stories about how if you spilled a single drop of blood near a Colchian, it would be enough to trigger a mad bloodlust among the rest of them. Clearly this was not the sort of group that Arete would prefer to be around, not matter how much her own temper could rival this supposed bloodlust that consumed the Colchians.
“Well at least you can show them a thing or two about loosening up. Did you guys see how many soldiers were being marched around on the beach?” Arete remarked with a rather playful look in her eyes. If that was added to the rather cheerful lilt to her voice, it would be more than obvious that even though Retta was about to denounce the drills as cruel, she had not thought as much when she had first spied them. Blushing somewhat as she realized how obvious she might be in that moment, Retta could only pray that Nikos hadn’t caught on to the fact that his… well whatever they were, had been staring at the military men. “You must have been cramped up on that ship for weeks. It is rather barbaric that they wouldn’t let those men go and stretch their legs for a moment before putting them through the wringer like that.” She noted, quickly shaking away any thoughts she had about her appreciation for getting to see the gods only knew how many well-built men showing off their strength. “Surely you don’t have to do anything as arduous as that, right Sil?”
The girl didn’t really think that Silanos would have to do any sort of physical labor. Not with his status as a member of the Colchian nobility at least. From Arete’s point of view, all those in the upper crust seemed to have a free pass with that sort of thing. After all, her dear Nikos was not a soldier, but she was just some girl from the sticks who had gotten a chance to taste proper luxury. What would she know of military training? This wasn’t one of the things that Nikos had told her stories about so she knew next to nothing about it and never thought to ask about it before now.
However, if Sil was truthful regarding his situation, Arete would certainly change her stance on asking questions about the military as anything the Colchian lord revealed would likely raise a few eyebrows to say the least...
Vangelis strolled with his cousin easily enough. The streets of Vasiliadon were hardly the most dangerous or fearful. The places they passed included residences, trader stores and merchants selling their wares from stalls. When Dorothea declined the apple, Vangelis simply placed it in the small canvas bag that was tied to his belt at his hip.
By the time the pair of them circled round and started to head back towards the docks, Vangelis had finished the fruit and was holding the core between his thumb and forefinger until they reached the water's edge and he was able to toss it into the sea. He sucked on the fingertips that were still damp from the core as he listened to Dorothea's assessment of his sister's character.
What she said made sense. Athanasia was eager for war and she was used to it. Yet she would still feel worry and anxiety when her brothers left for campaigns and he would still be unable to let her join them. What Dorothea described was exactly the reason why she had to remain at home. That fear and worry that would have plagued Dorothea every moment that Alexa was away from home would have been what captured Vangelis' mind if Athanasia had travelled with them to Egypt. And, when he was General, leader and brain of the operation itself, he couldn't afford to be distracted like that.
His brothers were different. It wasn't that he didn't care for them. But more that he had been raised with the traditional views of gender. Men were bred for war. They were stronger, fitter, they could carry heavier loads, put aside all personal feeling, live in the moment. They had rushes of rage and fury, spurred on by the God of War himself. They could be vicious and cruel.
Women were by no means inferior to men. They did not hold less value or retain less benefit to society as a whole. But their skills lay elsewhere. They were compassionate, thoughtful, insightful and able to build relationships where men's egos and testosterone got in the way. They birthed and raised children, they kept the fires of the home burning whilst their men were away. They were just as powerful as their menfolk in their own way. That way just wasn't bound for the battlefield.
As if to prove his very thoughts wrong, Vangelis and Dorothea came towards the ships at the same time that the women archery unit of Molossi were disembarking and joining the throng of men that were seeing to the restock of the ships. Colchis allowed women in their archery units - or rather, permitted archery units solely for women. And they were not used as much as their male equivalents. But in this, Vangelis had taken all the men (and women) that he could get. Yet, whilst they were on campaign with his forces, they were treated as soldiers. Never favoured, never coddled. He had never done so with Nike and he was never about to with these women.
But Dorothea had mentioned wanting to meet them.
Glancing towards the woman when she mentioned about having the time to meet some of his archers, Vangelis shifted his head in the direction of Lieutenant Phaedra. He knew her by reputation and by report, but he had no idea of the identity of the exotic looking woman beside her.
"They're over there." He simply stated to Dorothea, glancing back at her. "If you'd care to meet them now?"
When his cousin implied that she would, Vangelis led the way along the docks once more and towards where Phaedra was supervising matters. He called out to her as he went, not wishing to surprise her when the crown prince of her kingdom spoke out to her in person in a public place.
"Lieutenant Phaedra." He called above the heads of the sailors and soldiers that meandered around the beach and the front of the city. "A moment of your time..."
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This character is currently a work in progress.
Check out their information page here.
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Vangelis strolled with his cousin easily enough. The streets of Vasiliadon were hardly the most dangerous or fearful. The places they passed included residences, trader stores and merchants selling their wares from stalls. When Dorothea declined the apple, Vangelis simply placed it in the small canvas bag that was tied to his belt at his hip.
By the time the pair of them circled round and started to head back towards the docks, Vangelis had finished the fruit and was holding the core between his thumb and forefinger until they reached the water's edge and he was able to toss it into the sea. He sucked on the fingertips that were still damp from the core as he listened to Dorothea's assessment of his sister's character.
What she said made sense. Athanasia was eager for war and she was used to it. Yet she would still feel worry and anxiety when her brothers left for campaigns and he would still be unable to let her join them. What Dorothea described was exactly the reason why she had to remain at home. That fear and worry that would have plagued Dorothea every moment that Alexa was away from home would have been what captured Vangelis' mind if Athanasia had travelled with them to Egypt. And, when he was General, leader and brain of the operation itself, he couldn't afford to be distracted like that.
His brothers were different. It wasn't that he didn't care for them. But more that he had been raised with the traditional views of gender. Men were bred for war. They were stronger, fitter, they could carry heavier loads, put aside all personal feeling, live in the moment. They had rushes of rage and fury, spurred on by the God of War himself. They could be vicious and cruel.
Women were by no means inferior to men. They did not hold less value or retain less benefit to society as a whole. But their skills lay elsewhere. They were compassionate, thoughtful, insightful and able to build relationships where men's egos and testosterone got in the way. They birthed and raised children, they kept the fires of the home burning whilst their men were away. They were just as powerful as their menfolk in their own way. That way just wasn't bound for the battlefield.
As if to prove his very thoughts wrong, Vangelis and Dorothea came towards the ships at the same time that the women archery unit of Molossi were disembarking and joining the throng of men that were seeing to the restock of the ships. Colchis allowed women in their archery units - or rather, permitted archery units solely for women. And they were not used as much as their male equivalents. But in this, Vangelis had taken all the men (and women) that he could get. Yet, whilst they were on campaign with his forces, they were treated as soldiers. Never favoured, never coddled. He had never done so with Nike and he was never about to with these women.
But Dorothea had mentioned wanting to meet them.
Glancing towards the woman when she mentioned about having the time to meet some of his archers, Vangelis shifted his head in the direction of Lieutenant Phaedra. He knew her by reputation and by report, but he had no idea of the identity of the exotic looking woman beside her.
"They're over there." He simply stated to Dorothea, glancing back at her. "If you'd care to meet them now?"
When his cousin implied that she would, Vangelis led the way along the docks once more and towards where Phaedra was supervising matters. He called out to her as he went, not wishing to surprise her when the crown prince of her kingdom spoke out to her in person in a public place.
"Lieutenant Phaedra." He called above the heads of the sailors and soldiers that meandered around the beach and the front of the city. "A moment of your time..."
Vangelis strolled with his cousin easily enough. The streets of Vasiliadon were hardly the most dangerous or fearful. The places they passed included residences, trader stores and merchants selling their wares from stalls. When Dorothea declined the apple, Vangelis simply placed it in the small canvas bag that was tied to his belt at his hip.
By the time the pair of them circled round and started to head back towards the docks, Vangelis had finished the fruit and was holding the core between his thumb and forefinger until they reached the water's edge and he was able to toss it into the sea. He sucked on the fingertips that were still damp from the core as he listened to Dorothea's assessment of his sister's character.
What she said made sense. Athanasia was eager for war and she was used to it. Yet she would still feel worry and anxiety when her brothers left for campaigns and he would still be unable to let her join them. What Dorothea described was exactly the reason why she had to remain at home. That fear and worry that would have plagued Dorothea every moment that Alexa was away from home would have been what captured Vangelis' mind if Athanasia had travelled with them to Egypt. And, when he was General, leader and brain of the operation itself, he couldn't afford to be distracted like that.
His brothers were different. It wasn't that he didn't care for them. But more that he had been raised with the traditional views of gender. Men were bred for war. They were stronger, fitter, they could carry heavier loads, put aside all personal feeling, live in the moment. They had rushes of rage and fury, spurred on by the God of War himself. They could be vicious and cruel.
Women were by no means inferior to men. They did not hold less value or retain less benefit to society as a whole. But their skills lay elsewhere. They were compassionate, thoughtful, insightful and able to build relationships where men's egos and testosterone got in the way. They birthed and raised children, they kept the fires of the home burning whilst their men were away. They were just as powerful as their menfolk in their own way. That way just wasn't bound for the battlefield.
As if to prove his very thoughts wrong, Vangelis and Dorothea came towards the ships at the same time that the women archery unit of Molossi were disembarking and joining the throng of men that were seeing to the restock of the ships. Colchis allowed women in their archery units - or rather, permitted archery units solely for women. And they were not used as much as their male equivalents. But in this, Vangelis had taken all the men (and women) that he could get. Yet, whilst they were on campaign with his forces, they were treated as soldiers. Never favoured, never coddled. He had never done so with Nike and he was never about to with these women.
But Dorothea had mentioned wanting to meet them.
Glancing towards the woman when she mentioned about having the time to meet some of his archers, Vangelis shifted his head in the direction of Lieutenant Phaedra. He knew her by reputation and by report, but he had no idea of the identity of the exotic looking woman beside her.
"They're over there." He simply stated to Dorothea, glancing back at her. "If you'd care to meet them now?"
When his cousin implied that she would, Vangelis led the way along the docks once more and towards where Phaedra was supervising matters. He called out to her as he went, not wishing to surprise her when the crown prince of her kingdom spoke out to her in person in a public place.
"Lieutenant Phaedra." He called above the heads of the sailors and soldiers that meandered around the beach and the front of the city. "A moment of your time..."
As the princess pointed out the conspicuous absence of the Queen, Fotios held a hopeful optimism that the woman was simply detained short term. Emilios wasn't present either which suggested they might be hidden away somewhere together. It was hardly a situation that went against his personal benefits. And so, he said nothing on the matter, only shaking his head a little to confirm that he, indeed, did not know anything.
The conversation moved on easily enough, as Georgios smoothed the gap and assured the princess that she had greeted the Colchians with such affection and prestige that they could hardly be made to feel dishonoured and that the absence of the Queen was understandable during her trying times of running the city in her husband's absence. He commented that he was sure that the Colchis king would understand.
For Fotios' part, he wondered if King Tython would even notice. The Kotas were hardly the first family to stand up and pay attention to royal and noble etiquette. They were far too militant to take slight at greetings and place settings. Provided no-one insulted them directly or got in the way of their missions, they would be fine. Like pitbulls.
When the princess turned to ask the small group of lords who would accompany her on her walk to observe the ships, Fotios bowed towards her with a soft hand upon his chest.
"I would gladly escort you, princess." He began with a soft and polite smile, before his brows drew towards one another in an expression of contrition. "But alas, I have matters here that still need to be tended to, upon the honour of my promise to your cousin, the King. Perhaps my brother or Lord Nikolias might be so good as to escort you..." He lowered his head again, this time in apology. He was careful in his next words.
"I shall, of course, be sure to send you missives, Your Highness. On the developments of the city's defences."
And leaving the woman there to fend for herself between the two men, Fotios murmured a simple "With your permission..." For his leave-taking and removed himself from the docklands and the beach. It was fool-hardy to have him lead the princess around like a trophy on his arm when they were attempting to keep their physical relationship a secret. And Xene knew that. So, if the little princess was trying to play games with him, she would realise herself to be out of her depths very soon...
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As the princess pointed out the conspicuous absence of the Queen, Fotios held a hopeful optimism that the woman was simply detained short term. Emilios wasn't present either which suggested they might be hidden away somewhere together. It was hardly a situation that went against his personal benefits. And so, he said nothing on the matter, only shaking his head a little to confirm that he, indeed, did not know anything.
The conversation moved on easily enough, as Georgios smoothed the gap and assured the princess that she had greeted the Colchians with such affection and prestige that they could hardly be made to feel dishonoured and that the absence of the Queen was understandable during her trying times of running the city in her husband's absence. He commented that he was sure that the Colchis king would understand.
For Fotios' part, he wondered if King Tython would even notice. The Kotas were hardly the first family to stand up and pay attention to royal and noble etiquette. They were far too militant to take slight at greetings and place settings. Provided no-one insulted them directly or got in the way of their missions, they would be fine. Like pitbulls.
When the princess turned to ask the small group of lords who would accompany her on her walk to observe the ships, Fotios bowed towards her with a soft hand upon his chest.
"I would gladly escort you, princess." He began with a soft and polite smile, before his brows drew towards one another in an expression of contrition. "But alas, I have matters here that still need to be tended to, upon the honour of my promise to your cousin, the King. Perhaps my brother or Lord Nikolias might be so good as to escort you..." He lowered his head again, this time in apology. He was careful in his next words.
"I shall, of course, be sure to send you missives, Your Highness. On the developments of the city's defences."
And leaving the woman there to fend for herself between the two men, Fotios murmured a simple "With your permission..." For his leave-taking and removed himself from the docklands and the beach. It was fool-hardy to have him lead the princess around like a trophy on his arm when they were attempting to keep their physical relationship a secret. And Xene knew that. So, if the little princess was trying to play games with him, she would realise herself to be out of her depths very soon...
As the princess pointed out the conspicuous absence of the Queen, Fotios held a hopeful optimism that the woman was simply detained short term. Emilios wasn't present either which suggested they might be hidden away somewhere together. It was hardly a situation that went against his personal benefits. And so, he said nothing on the matter, only shaking his head a little to confirm that he, indeed, did not know anything.
The conversation moved on easily enough, as Georgios smoothed the gap and assured the princess that she had greeted the Colchians with such affection and prestige that they could hardly be made to feel dishonoured and that the absence of the Queen was understandable during her trying times of running the city in her husband's absence. He commented that he was sure that the Colchis king would understand.
For Fotios' part, he wondered if King Tython would even notice. The Kotas were hardly the first family to stand up and pay attention to royal and noble etiquette. They were far too militant to take slight at greetings and place settings. Provided no-one insulted them directly or got in the way of their missions, they would be fine. Like pitbulls.
When the princess turned to ask the small group of lords who would accompany her on her walk to observe the ships, Fotios bowed towards her with a soft hand upon his chest.
"I would gladly escort you, princess." He began with a soft and polite smile, before his brows drew towards one another in an expression of contrition. "But alas, I have matters here that still need to be tended to, upon the honour of my promise to your cousin, the King. Perhaps my brother or Lord Nikolias might be so good as to escort you..." He lowered his head again, this time in apology. He was careful in his next words.
"I shall, of course, be sure to send you missives, Your Highness. On the developments of the city's defences."
And leaving the woman there to fend for herself between the two men, Fotios murmured a simple "With your permission..." For his leave-taking and removed himself from the docklands and the beach. It was fool-hardy to have him lead the princess around like a trophy on his arm when they were attempting to keep their physical relationship a secret. And Xene knew that. So, if the little princess was trying to play games with him, she would realise herself to be out of her depths very soon...
Seeing Thrasius after so many years was a indeed a surprise, a welcomed one no doubt, but a surprise nonetheless. It was with decent fondness that he looked upon the man, hearing his replies intently with a big huge smile on his face that did not betray a level of genuine pleasure in seeing such an old friend be returned back to his presence again. Perhaps, this had been the work of the Gods, putting them again once more under very different circumstances than the ones that had them meet firsthand. A part of him thought it was wrong for him to raise his hand at his friend before, but it wasn’t as the militant had no excuse to his behavior. He had been busy at commanding, and had long warned the other of not getting in the way of his behavior as a soldier and that of him as a friend.
“Ah! I am glad! Perhaps Taengea provides for a better homestead than Colchis for you two.” He said, recalling the first time he met the nomad’s fair wife. She was a respectable woman, one that took her marriage vows seriously and was unwaveringly faithful to her husband in every regard, as far as he could tell. Mayhaps he would find a woman like that in time, but he had greater ambitions than to settle down for love. Of course, now was not the time for such thoughts. He had more pressing matters to take care of. “Please give her my love. I would have greatly enjoyed seeing you both! Hopefully, we’ll get the chance to do so again in the future.”
It was in that time that he paid closer attention to the man’s words concerning his presence and the advent of war that it indicated. “Aye! I am to war once more.” Confirmed Damocles unto the suspicions of his friend, noticing the similarly sized smile on the other man’s handsome face. “But, if I may be candid…” he said as he placed his hand on his friend’s back and turned him around so they could whisper in relative privacy. “I fear this war is not one that I think the Gods smile brightly upon. Prior to our leave from Colchis, vultures circled around us. Vultures! You know what that means. I pray it is just a mere coincidence, and Ares, in his Divine wisdom, is not angry at us.” Confessed the militant to his friend as he recalled the sight of those flesh-eating birds hovered around those great, wooden ships that had transported the might of the Colchian army. There was un unusually frozen look on the Magnemean’s features, but before losing himself in thought, he wiped back his face to its usually optimistic one and falsely laughed a chortle to try and lighten the mood again. “But, well, I’m sure it’s nothing to worry about…”
His words were meant to be re-assuring, probably more to himself than to Thrasius. As far as he could recall, his friend had not made any inclinations to join the military. In fact, he had tried to see if he could spare a spot for him in his own unit before as an archer, for he had demonstrable talent for that style of combat, but alas, due to his leg, things had never reached past a superficial offer. “Besides! We must celebrate! It’s not often that I get to spend time with my nomadic friend from Aetaea. Come, tonight, once I finish the day’s training we shall spend time in a more festive environment. Just as we’ve done before. I do believe you owe me this round of drinks, Thras.” Humorously teased the Colchian as he looked at the man’s brown eyes with his own silver ones, a sign of fraternity and closeness if ever.
It was around then that he turned his focus to the other two individuals in attendance, mysterious and odd in their own way. He had not known either of the two in any regards, and felt no inclination to be remotely as cordial as he had been with Thrasius to them. Yet, he did his best to keep up appearances, and smirked intently when he heard the man’s wayward response to his inquiry about taverns. Truthfully, though Damocles had been interested in sharing a drink with his old friend, he was not overly interested in garnering the interest of this fellow. Alas, cordiality ordained him to act. Besides, strangers could mean potential friends that might be of some future opportunity in the coming days, however that might come to manifest.
“Oh, you are in service of the Leventi?. It is not every day that one gets to meet someone who is close to the Richest Man in Greece.” Remarked Damocles to the blonde woman who claimed to be a handmaiden of that house of Horse-breeders. In honest truth, the words that the woman had just said, and her alleged connection to Lord Fotios intrigued the Magnemean. He had little use of the man’s presence for now, but even he was more than aware of the reputation that proceeded such a legendary aristocrat. Could it be that his afformentioned intrigue about a possibly profitable future could be more solidly foundated than he had imagined? Only time would tell.
For now, that woman Xanthippe would do just fine. Had he more time to spend, he might’ve attempted to pry further information out of her. Those of service often held a closeness to a House secrets, just as he had born witness to in his own home province of Magnemea. “Yes, My Lady, it truly is a remarkable day. I pray we might take away much from this visit.” He politely returned to reply to the strangely fascinating woman that the sinister-minded Colchian had grown to see with more interest than he was willing to demonstrate physically. Devious machinations and profitable ventures of opportunity always were careful and took a modest investment of sorts. Yet this was not the day to embark on that journey. “Well, on Behalf of the Baron of Magnemea and I, I hope you give your master your warmest regards.” He replied, utilizing his nominal superior’s presence to possibly incite a reaction of sorts. It wasn’t a secret at all that the Lord he bent the knee to publicly too was one of the richer noblemen of Greece. He might not have been as rich as the Lord Fotios, Damocles assumed, but still, money always knew money. Perchance, his words might inspire an interaction between the two men.
Once he finished addressing the woman, the Silver-eyes of the renowned militant fell upon the other man, whom seemed oddly quiet in his approach so far. Alas, he might have had a solution for that. Wine had a way of wetting loose often stiffened lips, and it had long been a tool of his to learn about those whom he had not known of prior. By all means, there wasn’t any indication that his tried and tested methodology would not work this time.
“Good! This makes me quite happy! Well then, will you share a drink with the smelly nomad here and me? I guarantee he makes for quite the sight when wine is involved.” he invited while using obviously comical words to poke fun of his outgoing friend. He had teased him before like this in their past, so he did not suspect that the usually lighthearted Athenian would take offence to what was clearly a non-serious joke. His hand soon came upon the other’s back as he chuckled at his joke and patted the other as a means to reassure him that it was all in good taste. “Who knows, maybe by the time we get to try one of those exquisite Condos bottles I’ll make a talker out of you yet!” he once more teased in a lighthearted tone, smiling widely at the man so as to again subtly indicate to him that he was only joking at this time.
Meanwhile however, after he mentioned the name that had long provided him with his own private collection of rare wines, Damocles raised his head and looked around. He supposed it shouldn’t be entirely unreasonable for another old friend of his, in the form of Nikos of said House, to be present in the beaches of Vasiliadon. With a quick hover of his orbs, the silver-eyed man scanned the ensembled assembly of statesmen, politicians, nobles, militants and others, and in an instant, came to recognize one such man in the colors of the Condos family which had long been in business, both friendly and professional, with the famous militant. “Ah! I think I recognize another friend of mine!” Said Damocles as he made for one of his lieutenants to give the order for the men to relax and enjoy a brief moment of respite. Once done, the toweringly muscular soldier stared at the man and made for a call to his name.
“Nikos of Bloody Condos!” he called out in a clearly jovial tone, indicating to the type of relationship the two men shared, smirking widely as he saw the man at the distance and immediately recognized him, waving for him to come join him so they could exchange a few words between them. “Come here you Handsome Devil! Let get a good look of you!”
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This character is currently a work in progress.
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Seeing Thrasius after so many years was a indeed a surprise, a welcomed one no doubt, but a surprise nonetheless. It was with decent fondness that he looked upon the man, hearing his replies intently with a big huge smile on his face that did not betray a level of genuine pleasure in seeing such an old friend be returned back to his presence again. Perhaps, this had been the work of the Gods, putting them again once more under very different circumstances than the ones that had them meet firsthand. A part of him thought it was wrong for him to raise his hand at his friend before, but it wasn’t as the militant had no excuse to his behavior. He had been busy at commanding, and had long warned the other of not getting in the way of his behavior as a soldier and that of him as a friend.
“Ah! I am glad! Perhaps Taengea provides for a better homestead than Colchis for you two.” He said, recalling the first time he met the nomad’s fair wife. She was a respectable woman, one that took her marriage vows seriously and was unwaveringly faithful to her husband in every regard, as far as he could tell. Mayhaps he would find a woman like that in time, but he had greater ambitions than to settle down for love. Of course, now was not the time for such thoughts. He had more pressing matters to take care of. “Please give her my love. I would have greatly enjoyed seeing you both! Hopefully, we’ll get the chance to do so again in the future.”
It was in that time that he paid closer attention to the man’s words concerning his presence and the advent of war that it indicated. “Aye! I am to war once more.” Confirmed Damocles unto the suspicions of his friend, noticing the similarly sized smile on the other man’s handsome face. “But, if I may be candid…” he said as he placed his hand on his friend’s back and turned him around so they could whisper in relative privacy. “I fear this war is not one that I think the Gods smile brightly upon. Prior to our leave from Colchis, vultures circled around us. Vultures! You know what that means. I pray it is just a mere coincidence, and Ares, in his Divine wisdom, is not angry at us.” Confessed the militant to his friend as he recalled the sight of those flesh-eating birds hovered around those great, wooden ships that had transported the might of the Colchian army. There was un unusually frozen look on the Magnemean’s features, but before losing himself in thought, he wiped back his face to its usually optimistic one and falsely laughed a chortle to try and lighten the mood again. “But, well, I’m sure it’s nothing to worry about…”
His words were meant to be re-assuring, probably more to himself than to Thrasius. As far as he could recall, his friend had not made any inclinations to join the military. In fact, he had tried to see if he could spare a spot for him in his own unit before as an archer, for he had demonstrable talent for that style of combat, but alas, due to his leg, things had never reached past a superficial offer. “Besides! We must celebrate! It’s not often that I get to spend time with my nomadic friend from Aetaea. Come, tonight, once I finish the day’s training we shall spend time in a more festive environment. Just as we’ve done before. I do believe you owe me this round of drinks, Thras.” Humorously teased the Colchian as he looked at the man’s brown eyes with his own silver ones, a sign of fraternity and closeness if ever.
It was around then that he turned his focus to the other two individuals in attendance, mysterious and odd in their own way. He had not known either of the two in any regards, and felt no inclination to be remotely as cordial as he had been with Thrasius to them. Yet, he did his best to keep up appearances, and smirked intently when he heard the man’s wayward response to his inquiry about taverns. Truthfully, though Damocles had been interested in sharing a drink with his old friend, he was not overly interested in garnering the interest of this fellow. Alas, cordiality ordained him to act. Besides, strangers could mean potential friends that might be of some future opportunity in the coming days, however that might come to manifest.
“Oh, you are in service of the Leventi?. It is not every day that one gets to meet someone who is close to the Richest Man in Greece.” Remarked Damocles to the blonde woman who claimed to be a handmaiden of that house of Horse-breeders. In honest truth, the words that the woman had just said, and her alleged connection to Lord Fotios intrigued the Magnemean. He had little use of the man’s presence for now, but even he was more than aware of the reputation that proceeded such a legendary aristocrat. Could it be that his afformentioned intrigue about a possibly profitable future could be more solidly foundated than he had imagined? Only time would tell.
For now, that woman Xanthippe would do just fine. Had he more time to spend, he might’ve attempted to pry further information out of her. Those of service often held a closeness to a House secrets, just as he had born witness to in his own home province of Magnemea. “Yes, My Lady, it truly is a remarkable day. I pray we might take away much from this visit.” He politely returned to reply to the strangely fascinating woman that the sinister-minded Colchian had grown to see with more interest than he was willing to demonstrate physically. Devious machinations and profitable ventures of opportunity always were careful and took a modest investment of sorts. Yet this was not the day to embark on that journey. “Well, on Behalf of the Baron of Magnemea and I, I hope you give your master your warmest regards.” He replied, utilizing his nominal superior’s presence to possibly incite a reaction of sorts. It wasn’t a secret at all that the Lord he bent the knee to publicly too was one of the richer noblemen of Greece. He might not have been as rich as the Lord Fotios, Damocles assumed, but still, money always knew money. Perchance, his words might inspire an interaction between the two men.
Once he finished addressing the woman, the Silver-eyes of the renowned militant fell upon the other man, whom seemed oddly quiet in his approach so far. Alas, he might have had a solution for that. Wine had a way of wetting loose often stiffened lips, and it had long been a tool of his to learn about those whom he had not known of prior. By all means, there wasn’t any indication that his tried and tested methodology would not work this time.
“Good! This makes me quite happy! Well then, will you share a drink with the smelly nomad here and me? I guarantee he makes for quite the sight when wine is involved.” he invited while using obviously comical words to poke fun of his outgoing friend. He had teased him before like this in their past, so he did not suspect that the usually lighthearted Athenian would take offence to what was clearly a non-serious joke. His hand soon came upon the other’s back as he chuckled at his joke and patted the other as a means to reassure him that it was all in good taste. “Who knows, maybe by the time we get to try one of those exquisite Condos bottles I’ll make a talker out of you yet!” he once more teased in a lighthearted tone, smiling widely at the man so as to again subtly indicate to him that he was only joking at this time.
Meanwhile however, after he mentioned the name that had long provided him with his own private collection of rare wines, Damocles raised his head and looked around. He supposed it shouldn’t be entirely unreasonable for another old friend of his, in the form of Nikos of said House, to be present in the beaches of Vasiliadon. With a quick hover of his orbs, the silver-eyed man scanned the ensembled assembly of statesmen, politicians, nobles, militants and others, and in an instant, came to recognize one such man in the colors of the Condos family which had long been in business, both friendly and professional, with the famous militant. “Ah! I think I recognize another friend of mine!” Said Damocles as he made for one of his lieutenants to give the order for the men to relax and enjoy a brief moment of respite. Once done, the toweringly muscular soldier stared at the man and made for a call to his name.
“Nikos of Bloody Condos!” he called out in a clearly jovial tone, indicating to the type of relationship the two men shared, smirking widely as he saw the man at the distance and immediately recognized him, waving for him to come join him so they could exchange a few words between them. “Come here you Handsome Devil! Let get a good look of you!”
Seeing Thrasius after so many years was a indeed a surprise, a welcomed one no doubt, but a surprise nonetheless. It was with decent fondness that he looked upon the man, hearing his replies intently with a big huge smile on his face that did not betray a level of genuine pleasure in seeing such an old friend be returned back to his presence again. Perhaps, this had been the work of the Gods, putting them again once more under very different circumstances than the ones that had them meet firsthand. A part of him thought it was wrong for him to raise his hand at his friend before, but it wasn’t as the militant had no excuse to his behavior. He had been busy at commanding, and had long warned the other of not getting in the way of his behavior as a soldier and that of him as a friend.
“Ah! I am glad! Perhaps Taengea provides for a better homestead than Colchis for you two.” He said, recalling the first time he met the nomad’s fair wife. She was a respectable woman, one that took her marriage vows seriously and was unwaveringly faithful to her husband in every regard, as far as he could tell. Mayhaps he would find a woman like that in time, but he had greater ambitions than to settle down for love. Of course, now was not the time for such thoughts. He had more pressing matters to take care of. “Please give her my love. I would have greatly enjoyed seeing you both! Hopefully, we’ll get the chance to do so again in the future.”
It was in that time that he paid closer attention to the man’s words concerning his presence and the advent of war that it indicated. “Aye! I am to war once more.” Confirmed Damocles unto the suspicions of his friend, noticing the similarly sized smile on the other man’s handsome face. “But, if I may be candid…” he said as he placed his hand on his friend’s back and turned him around so they could whisper in relative privacy. “I fear this war is not one that I think the Gods smile brightly upon. Prior to our leave from Colchis, vultures circled around us. Vultures! You know what that means. I pray it is just a mere coincidence, and Ares, in his Divine wisdom, is not angry at us.” Confessed the militant to his friend as he recalled the sight of those flesh-eating birds hovered around those great, wooden ships that had transported the might of the Colchian army. There was un unusually frozen look on the Magnemean’s features, but before losing himself in thought, he wiped back his face to its usually optimistic one and falsely laughed a chortle to try and lighten the mood again. “But, well, I’m sure it’s nothing to worry about…”
His words were meant to be re-assuring, probably more to himself than to Thrasius. As far as he could recall, his friend had not made any inclinations to join the military. In fact, he had tried to see if he could spare a spot for him in his own unit before as an archer, for he had demonstrable talent for that style of combat, but alas, due to his leg, things had never reached past a superficial offer. “Besides! We must celebrate! It’s not often that I get to spend time with my nomadic friend from Aetaea. Come, tonight, once I finish the day’s training we shall spend time in a more festive environment. Just as we’ve done before. I do believe you owe me this round of drinks, Thras.” Humorously teased the Colchian as he looked at the man’s brown eyes with his own silver ones, a sign of fraternity and closeness if ever.
It was around then that he turned his focus to the other two individuals in attendance, mysterious and odd in their own way. He had not known either of the two in any regards, and felt no inclination to be remotely as cordial as he had been with Thrasius to them. Yet, he did his best to keep up appearances, and smirked intently when he heard the man’s wayward response to his inquiry about taverns. Truthfully, though Damocles had been interested in sharing a drink with his old friend, he was not overly interested in garnering the interest of this fellow. Alas, cordiality ordained him to act. Besides, strangers could mean potential friends that might be of some future opportunity in the coming days, however that might come to manifest.
“Oh, you are in service of the Leventi?. It is not every day that one gets to meet someone who is close to the Richest Man in Greece.” Remarked Damocles to the blonde woman who claimed to be a handmaiden of that house of Horse-breeders. In honest truth, the words that the woman had just said, and her alleged connection to Lord Fotios intrigued the Magnemean. He had little use of the man’s presence for now, but even he was more than aware of the reputation that proceeded such a legendary aristocrat. Could it be that his afformentioned intrigue about a possibly profitable future could be more solidly foundated than he had imagined? Only time would tell.
For now, that woman Xanthippe would do just fine. Had he more time to spend, he might’ve attempted to pry further information out of her. Those of service often held a closeness to a House secrets, just as he had born witness to in his own home province of Magnemea. “Yes, My Lady, it truly is a remarkable day. I pray we might take away much from this visit.” He politely returned to reply to the strangely fascinating woman that the sinister-minded Colchian had grown to see with more interest than he was willing to demonstrate physically. Devious machinations and profitable ventures of opportunity always were careful and took a modest investment of sorts. Yet this was not the day to embark on that journey. “Well, on Behalf of the Baron of Magnemea and I, I hope you give your master your warmest regards.” He replied, utilizing his nominal superior’s presence to possibly incite a reaction of sorts. It wasn’t a secret at all that the Lord he bent the knee to publicly too was one of the richer noblemen of Greece. He might not have been as rich as the Lord Fotios, Damocles assumed, but still, money always knew money. Perchance, his words might inspire an interaction between the two men.
Once he finished addressing the woman, the Silver-eyes of the renowned militant fell upon the other man, whom seemed oddly quiet in his approach so far. Alas, he might have had a solution for that. Wine had a way of wetting loose often stiffened lips, and it had long been a tool of his to learn about those whom he had not known of prior. By all means, there wasn’t any indication that his tried and tested methodology would not work this time.
“Good! This makes me quite happy! Well then, will you share a drink with the smelly nomad here and me? I guarantee he makes for quite the sight when wine is involved.” he invited while using obviously comical words to poke fun of his outgoing friend. He had teased him before like this in their past, so he did not suspect that the usually lighthearted Athenian would take offence to what was clearly a non-serious joke. His hand soon came upon the other’s back as he chuckled at his joke and patted the other as a means to reassure him that it was all in good taste. “Who knows, maybe by the time we get to try one of those exquisite Condos bottles I’ll make a talker out of you yet!” he once more teased in a lighthearted tone, smiling widely at the man so as to again subtly indicate to him that he was only joking at this time.
Meanwhile however, after he mentioned the name that had long provided him with his own private collection of rare wines, Damocles raised his head and looked around. He supposed it shouldn’t be entirely unreasonable for another old friend of his, in the form of Nikos of said House, to be present in the beaches of Vasiliadon. With a quick hover of his orbs, the silver-eyed man scanned the ensembled assembly of statesmen, politicians, nobles, militants and others, and in an instant, came to recognize one such man in the colors of the Condos family which had long been in business, both friendly and professional, with the famous militant. “Ah! I think I recognize another friend of mine!” Said Damocles as he made for one of his lieutenants to give the order for the men to relax and enjoy a brief moment of respite. Once done, the toweringly muscular soldier stared at the man and made for a call to his name.
“Nikos of Bloody Condos!” he called out in a clearly jovial tone, indicating to the type of relationship the two men shared, smirking widely as he saw the man at the distance and immediately recognized him, waving for him to come join him so they could exchange a few words between them. “Come here you Handsome Devil! Let get a good look of you!”
Phaedra gave the orders to set up their own practice equipment on the sands of the beach. She was busy enough supervising as the soldiers strung their bows and began setting up targets that she hadn’t noticed as the crown prince of Colchis and her general approached. Luckily for her, he called out ahead of her arrival. For that she was grateful. “Look sharp!” she called out towards the women alerting them to be on their best behavior as the prince arrived. She generally trusted her soldiers to have good sense and present well. She left the women to continue getting settled in to practice as she took several steps towards the prince.
Phaedra’s mind raced with questions. What could Prince Vangelis possibly want with her? Nothing immediately jumped to mind. If it was something about plans for Egypt she would have expected him to go to her captain instead of her. In fact, she wasn’t sure she could recall a time she had ever been directly been addressed by Prince Vangelis before. Well, she’d soon find out what he had in mind. As they approached, she realized that he had a woman with him as well. She couldn’t say she recognized her. Probably not Colchian then, which made sense as they weren’t in Colchis.
Phaedra greeted the crown prince with the traditional salute of a fist to her chest and a slightly deeper bow than she would to any other officer. “What an unexpected pleasure, your highness,” she greeted him, trying to be cordial. She had never been particularly good at such pleasantries and the enthusiasm may have sounded a bit overly flattering given that her tone of voice didn’t quite match the enthusiasm of the words. “May I introduce my second, Zosime of Lyncaea.” Phaedra turned to nod at the woman who had continued to trail slightly behind her. Perhaps that was not the correct thing to invite someone into the conversation that the prince had not invited, but if Zosi was going to stick around to help out, she might as well be properly introduced.
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Phaedra gave the orders to set up their own practice equipment on the sands of the beach. She was busy enough supervising as the soldiers strung their bows and began setting up targets that she hadn’t noticed as the crown prince of Colchis and her general approached. Luckily for her, he called out ahead of her arrival. For that she was grateful. “Look sharp!” she called out towards the women alerting them to be on their best behavior as the prince arrived. She generally trusted her soldiers to have good sense and present well. She left the women to continue getting settled in to practice as she took several steps towards the prince.
Phaedra’s mind raced with questions. What could Prince Vangelis possibly want with her? Nothing immediately jumped to mind. If it was something about plans for Egypt she would have expected him to go to her captain instead of her. In fact, she wasn’t sure she could recall a time she had ever been directly been addressed by Prince Vangelis before. Well, she’d soon find out what he had in mind. As they approached, she realized that he had a woman with him as well. She couldn’t say she recognized her. Probably not Colchian then, which made sense as they weren’t in Colchis.
Phaedra greeted the crown prince with the traditional salute of a fist to her chest and a slightly deeper bow than she would to any other officer. “What an unexpected pleasure, your highness,” she greeted him, trying to be cordial. She had never been particularly good at such pleasantries and the enthusiasm may have sounded a bit overly flattering given that her tone of voice didn’t quite match the enthusiasm of the words. “May I introduce my second, Zosime of Lyncaea.” Phaedra turned to nod at the woman who had continued to trail slightly behind her. Perhaps that was not the correct thing to invite someone into the conversation that the prince had not invited, but if Zosi was going to stick around to help out, she might as well be properly introduced.
Phaedra gave the orders to set up their own practice equipment on the sands of the beach. She was busy enough supervising as the soldiers strung their bows and began setting up targets that she hadn’t noticed as the crown prince of Colchis and her general approached. Luckily for her, he called out ahead of her arrival. For that she was grateful. “Look sharp!” she called out towards the women alerting them to be on their best behavior as the prince arrived. She generally trusted her soldiers to have good sense and present well. She left the women to continue getting settled in to practice as she took several steps towards the prince.
Phaedra’s mind raced with questions. What could Prince Vangelis possibly want with her? Nothing immediately jumped to mind. If it was something about plans for Egypt she would have expected him to go to her captain instead of her. In fact, she wasn’t sure she could recall a time she had ever been directly been addressed by Prince Vangelis before. Well, she’d soon find out what he had in mind. As they approached, she realized that he had a woman with him as well. She couldn’t say she recognized her. Probably not Colchian then, which made sense as they weren’t in Colchis.
Phaedra greeted the crown prince with the traditional salute of a fist to her chest and a slightly deeper bow than she would to any other officer. “What an unexpected pleasure, your highness,” she greeted him, trying to be cordial. She had never been particularly good at such pleasantries and the enthusiasm may have sounded a bit overly flattering given that her tone of voice didn’t quite match the enthusiasm of the words. “May I introduce my second, Zosime of Lyncaea.” Phaedra turned to nod at the woman who had continued to trail slightly behind her. Perhaps that was not the correct thing to invite someone into the conversation that the prince had not invited, but if Zosi was going to stick around to help out, she might as well be properly introduced.
Maleos had been so absorbed in the training his men were doing, so busy watching their every step, making sure that they moved as a unit together that he hadn’t noticed a single thing going on around him. He had other worries, the discussions of nobility held no concern to him, neither did the actions of Damocles or the other military leaders around him. Maleos was a man of discipline and focus, and as such he cared only for what the men under his own command would do.
So it took him a moment to realize he was being spoken to when he was approached by a woman. He pulled his focus from his men and looked at her, taking a second to process the words that she had spoken.
“Captain Maleos, Men of the Heights.” He introduced himself, his attention turning to her unit of archers. He wasn’t sure that archers would fair well against his unit when it came to close combat, but he wasn’t a man to underestimate others. He typically tried to reserve judgment for after he had seen a show of skill. He supposed his men could use a bit of a break from practising the same set of drills. Perhaps sparring with an opponent outside their unit, one who would have a different fighting style than his would be good practice for them. He noticed the other woman who seemed to hover behind the Lieutenant, but did not address her as she had not introduced herself and nor had the other woman. Though he had to admit he was curious.
“I don’t see why not, Lieutenant.” He stated, placing two fingers in his mouth he let out a loud whistle to signify his men to stop their drill, the sound loud enough to be heard a ways down the beach both ways.
His men stopped what they were doing and came over, lining themselves up to wait for their next command. Showing the discipline that Maleos commanded of his men without even a word from the Captain.
“Men, this is Lieutenant Phaedra. She wishes her unit to have the chance to train with ours. Pair off with them. If the numbers are odd, take on an extra.” He stated. He motioned to the boxes of training swords that sat on the beach. Old combat swords that were still stable, but not in good enough condition to bring to battle. Maleos didn’t care if a woman used a sword. Perhaps not in actual battle, as they did not possess the strength needed to fight a war with a sword, but it was a good skill to have in case, or at least he thought so.
“Anyone who does not have a sword of their own can take a training one for use today.” As his command was given to his own men, he fell silent and let Phaedra speak to her unit as she felt necessary.
When commands were given, he turned his attentions back on her. He was never good at small talk, but he knew that he probably should at least try to make conversation.
But about what?
“Are any in your unit used to anything other than a bow?” He asked, simply curious if any of them had any practice.
But he fell silent as the Crown Prince approached, addressing the Lieutenant. He gave a respectful bow but did not say anything, as he was not the one who had been spoken to.
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Maleos had been so absorbed in the training his men were doing, so busy watching their every step, making sure that they moved as a unit together that he hadn’t noticed a single thing going on around him. He had other worries, the discussions of nobility held no concern to him, neither did the actions of Damocles or the other military leaders around him. Maleos was a man of discipline and focus, and as such he cared only for what the men under his own command would do.
So it took him a moment to realize he was being spoken to when he was approached by a woman. He pulled his focus from his men and looked at her, taking a second to process the words that she had spoken.
“Captain Maleos, Men of the Heights.” He introduced himself, his attention turning to her unit of archers. He wasn’t sure that archers would fair well against his unit when it came to close combat, but he wasn’t a man to underestimate others. He typically tried to reserve judgment for after he had seen a show of skill. He supposed his men could use a bit of a break from practising the same set of drills. Perhaps sparring with an opponent outside their unit, one who would have a different fighting style than his would be good practice for them. He noticed the other woman who seemed to hover behind the Lieutenant, but did not address her as she had not introduced herself and nor had the other woman. Though he had to admit he was curious.
“I don’t see why not, Lieutenant.” He stated, placing two fingers in his mouth he let out a loud whistle to signify his men to stop their drill, the sound loud enough to be heard a ways down the beach both ways.
His men stopped what they were doing and came over, lining themselves up to wait for their next command. Showing the discipline that Maleos commanded of his men without even a word from the Captain.
“Men, this is Lieutenant Phaedra. She wishes her unit to have the chance to train with ours. Pair off with them. If the numbers are odd, take on an extra.” He stated. He motioned to the boxes of training swords that sat on the beach. Old combat swords that were still stable, but not in good enough condition to bring to battle. Maleos didn’t care if a woman used a sword. Perhaps not in actual battle, as they did not possess the strength needed to fight a war with a sword, but it was a good skill to have in case, or at least he thought so.
“Anyone who does not have a sword of their own can take a training one for use today.” As his command was given to his own men, he fell silent and let Phaedra speak to her unit as she felt necessary.
When commands were given, he turned his attentions back on her. He was never good at small talk, but he knew that he probably should at least try to make conversation.
But about what?
“Are any in your unit used to anything other than a bow?” He asked, simply curious if any of them had any practice.
But he fell silent as the Crown Prince approached, addressing the Lieutenant. He gave a respectful bow but did not say anything, as he was not the one who had been spoken to.
Maleos had been so absorbed in the training his men were doing, so busy watching their every step, making sure that they moved as a unit together that he hadn’t noticed a single thing going on around him. He had other worries, the discussions of nobility held no concern to him, neither did the actions of Damocles or the other military leaders around him. Maleos was a man of discipline and focus, and as such he cared only for what the men under his own command would do.
So it took him a moment to realize he was being spoken to when he was approached by a woman. He pulled his focus from his men and looked at her, taking a second to process the words that she had spoken.
“Captain Maleos, Men of the Heights.” He introduced himself, his attention turning to her unit of archers. He wasn’t sure that archers would fair well against his unit when it came to close combat, but he wasn’t a man to underestimate others. He typically tried to reserve judgment for after he had seen a show of skill. He supposed his men could use a bit of a break from practising the same set of drills. Perhaps sparring with an opponent outside their unit, one who would have a different fighting style than his would be good practice for them. He noticed the other woman who seemed to hover behind the Lieutenant, but did not address her as she had not introduced herself and nor had the other woman. Though he had to admit he was curious.
“I don’t see why not, Lieutenant.” He stated, placing two fingers in his mouth he let out a loud whistle to signify his men to stop their drill, the sound loud enough to be heard a ways down the beach both ways.
His men stopped what they were doing and came over, lining themselves up to wait for their next command. Showing the discipline that Maleos commanded of his men without even a word from the Captain.
“Men, this is Lieutenant Phaedra. She wishes her unit to have the chance to train with ours. Pair off with them. If the numbers are odd, take on an extra.” He stated. He motioned to the boxes of training swords that sat on the beach. Old combat swords that were still stable, but not in good enough condition to bring to battle. Maleos didn’t care if a woman used a sword. Perhaps not in actual battle, as they did not possess the strength needed to fight a war with a sword, but it was a good skill to have in case, or at least he thought so.
“Anyone who does not have a sword of their own can take a training one for use today.” As his command was given to his own men, he fell silent and let Phaedra speak to her unit as she felt necessary.
When commands were given, he turned his attentions back on her. He was never good at small talk, but he knew that he probably should at least try to make conversation.
But about what?
“Are any in your unit used to anything other than a bow?” He asked, simply curious if any of them had any practice.
But he fell silent as the Crown Prince approached, addressing the Lieutenant. He gave a respectful bow but did not say anything, as he was not the one who had been spoken to.
If Nikos had been tactless, he did not notice. He was too caught up in his own shock of the Valaoritis lord’s news to fully realize what he’d said or how it would have come across to the others. Arete’s touch on his arms, her delicate fingers brushing his skin, did seem to do the trick, brought him back from his own reeling thoughts to be more fully present in the moment.
’It's a long story. Sil’s words, the tone behind them, worried Nikos. What trouble had his friend gotten himself into this time? How had his joining the war efforts come to be? Silanos had been gone for mere months, how long of a story could this tale be? These were not questions the Condos lord should be pressing for answers at this time. Eleni was upset, and Sil appeared bothered that he’d brought on this discomfort to the woman he’d grown close to during his time in Taengea. A glance to Arete made Nikos understand that sentiment. His own fondness for the potter’s daughter had certainly grown over the few years he’d known the fiery young woman.
’Thanks. I might be able to get away later…for now I’m going to have to stay here.’ Nikos returned his sky-blue gaze back to his friend. ”Of course,” he nodded in understanding. Silanos had a duty to follow now. He was not as free a man as he’d been when he’d left this very shore months ago.
As they made their way towards the wall where they could talk away from the bustle happening on the beach, Nikos moved in close to Arete, placing a hand on her lower back and dipping his head so that he could speak in hushed tones as they walked. ”I thought you were going to stay at home today, Retta. I asked you not to draw undue attention to yourself whilst we are in the capitol. Especially today, with so many visiting notable people visiting our shores.” His tone was not harsh in the least – he’d had a moment to calm himself from his initial irritation – but there was an undercurrent to his words that belied his displeasure. ”I do not need my name slipping from the waggling tongues of tale-bearers.” Nikos may have insisted on bringing her to the capitol, but he was not ready to so openly claim her in the eyes of the court. There were… proper… channels he would need to follow, and none of those had been done. Had even been attempted. Namely… dealing with her family. No… he was not ready for such an open commitment as that. They reached the wall then, and he let the matter drop for now, guiding Arete to a crate so that she may sit while they listened to what Sil had to say.
’… I’m getting more out of you than I did at home, I should write a complaint to those fuckers.’ ’They just don’t appreciate your special talents the way we do. It’s not our fault your people have no taste for sentiment.’ At least Eleni seemed to be perking back up a bit, though Nikos was sure it was just for show. He’d glimpsed a bit into the mind of that one in the last couple months as they’d grown closer as actual friends. Nikos smiled, laughing lightly as well for the benefit of Eleni and Sil both. ”It’s true, Silanos. You know you have become like a brother to me. You are important to us, and mind you do not forget that fact. Shame be upon them, for not seeing your true value.” Nik was far from satisfied with the vague explanation Sil had provided, but again this wasn’t the place to pry for more detailed answers. Hopefully, Silanos would be able to accept his offer of staying at House Condos and he and Nik would have time for a more in-depth story before the night was out. Nikos had always been a lover of a good story. He just wished this one had a happier ending for his fellow lord.
’Well, at least you can show them a thing or two about loosening up. Did you guys see how many soldiers were being marched around on the beach?’ Nikos did not miss the wistful tone in Arete’s voice. He turned his gaze upon her and took note of the look in her eyes. He cocked his head to the side, his eyes narrowing as he considered this. Was she really eyeing other men in his presence? Sure, they had had their fun in the past with a bit of voyeurism, but that had been his wishes. That didn’t mean he wanted her flirting with other men all the time. The color rising in her cheeks as he eyed her told him that she had indeed been watching the soldiers upon the beach with more than a passing interest. …Interesting… ’… Surely you don’t have to do anything as arduous as that, right Sil?’ Why all the sudden interest in military activities? Was it just the war, or Sil’s news, bringing this out in Arete? Or was there something deeper? Like perhaps she was not impressed with Nikos’ lack of military rank? Nikos was a fine swordsman, and could have been a great officer one day, but fighting was not where his desires lay. Nik much preferred to duel one on one, to fight single challengers to settle an argument or to win a bet. There was sport in that. Fun. And being the only Condos heir, and with his sights set higher than commanding an army… why take the risk that comes with being a soldier? Yes yes, he could see how the glories of war could benefit his ultimate goals. But there were other ways of obtaining glory.
”Nikos of Bloody Condos!’ A voice rose above the clamor on the beach. A familiar voice that stirred memories of years ago. Nikos did not wish for an interruption in the brief time he apparently had with Silanos this day, but Damocles of Magnemea was not a man that could, or would, easily be ignored. Not that he would want to ignore his Colchian friend, it was just that Sil’s predicament pulled at him more. With a reluctant sigh, Nik bowed to his friends, sparing a sly smile for Arete – one that promised pleasures would come later. ”I hate to step away, but duty calls. If you must return to your duties before we get the chance to speak again, Silanos, I do so hope you will be able to join us at the Condos estate later I shall have a feast prepared in your honor, my friend. To celebrate your impending victory at war!” With that, the charismatic lord turned on his heel and put on his customary smile. His worries for Silanos were not so easily dismissed, and remained in the back of his thoughts. But now was not the time for that.
Nik did indeed see the socialization with the important people here today as a duty. It was important to keep and maintain open communications with ranked persons of the other Grecian Kingdoms. It would better help his goals later on. Nikos scanned the beach until he spotted the man waving him over. He lifted a hand in greeting to the famed Colchian militant and fell in step in his direction. ”Captain Damocles, welcome! It has been a long while since you graced our shores, my friend. Though I wish it were under more cheerful circumstances.” Nikos paused to incline his head in greeting to the two men and the young woman gathered around the boisterous militant. He recognized the man with the leg brace, it was hard to not notice something such as that. Nik also recognized the other man as one he’d noticed sitting in a quiet corner of a drinking hole the lord liked to frequent when in the city. The woman he knew was a retainer of the Leventi household. What, Nikos wondered, was the connection between them all? ”Making friends already, Damocles? You never were one to waste away a moment that could be spent making connections.” Nik laughed lightly, his smile lighting up his face.
Kyros did not decline the invitation to join the captain and Thrasius for a drink of fine wine. He did however have his doubts that a goblet of the red liquid would have any effect on his willingness to speak more than he already wished to. Before he could react, the loud man Thrasius had introduced was calling over yet another person he apparently knew. A noble nonetheless! One that Kyros has seen several times at the bar of the tavern, above which the mercenary held a room. Lifting a brow, the quiet man observed the new addition as the Condos lord greeted them. If this one were to join in the impending drinking that evening as well, things could very well get interesting.
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If Nikos had been tactless, he did not notice. He was too caught up in his own shock of the Valaoritis lord’s news to fully realize what he’d said or how it would have come across to the others. Arete’s touch on his arms, her delicate fingers brushing his skin, did seem to do the trick, brought him back from his own reeling thoughts to be more fully present in the moment.
’It's a long story. Sil’s words, the tone behind them, worried Nikos. What trouble had his friend gotten himself into this time? How had his joining the war efforts come to be? Silanos had been gone for mere months, how long of a story could this tale be? These were not questions the Condos lord should be pressing for answers at this time. Eleni was upset, and Sil appeared bothered that he’d brought on this discomfort to the woman he’d grown close to during his time in Taengea. A glance to Arete made Nikos understand that sentiment. His own fondness for the potter’s daughter had certainly grown over the few years he’d known the fiery young woman.
’Thanks. I might be able to get away later…for now I’m going to have to stay here.’ Nikos returned his sky-blue gaze back to his friend. ”Of course,” he nodded in understanding. Silanos had a duty to follow now. He was not as free a man as he’d been when he’d left this very shore months ago.
As they made their way towards the wall where they could talk away from the bustle happening on the beach, Nikos moved in close to Arete, placing a hand on her lower back and dipping his head so that he could speak in hushed tones as they walked. ”I thought you were going to stay at home today, Retta. I asked you not to draw undue attention to yourself whilst we are in the capitol. Especially today, with so many visiting notable people visiting our shores.” His tone was not harsh in the least – he’d had a moment to calm himself from his initial irritation – but there was an undercurrent to his words that belied his displeasure. ”I do not need my name slipping from the waggling tongues of tale-bearers.” Nikos may have insisted on bringing her to the capitol, but he was not ready to so openly claim her in the eyes of the court. There were… proper… channels he would need to follow, and none of those had been done. Had even been attempted. Namely… dealing with her family. No… he was not ready for such an open commitment as that. They reached the wall then, and he let the matter drop for now, guiding Arete to a crate so that she may sit while they listened to what Sil had to say.
’… I’m getting more out of you than I did at home, I should write a complaint to those fuckers.’ ’They just don’t appreciate your special talents the way we do. It’s not our fault your people have no taste for sentiment.’ At least Eleni seemed to be perking back up a bit, though Nikos was sure it was just for show. He’d glimpsed a bit into the mind of that one in the last couple months as they’d grown closer as actual friends. Nikos smiled, laughing lightly as well for the benefit of Eleni and Sil both. ”It’s true, Silanos. You know you have become like a brother to me. You are important to us, and mind you do not forget that fact. Shame be upon them, for not seeing your true value.” Nik was far from satisfied with the vague explanation Sil had provided, but again this wasn’t the place to pry for more detailed answers. Hopefully, Silanos would be able to accept his offer of staying at House Condos and he and Nik would have time for a more in-depth story before the night was out. Nikos had always been a lover of a good story. He just wished this one had a happier ending for his fellow lord.
’Well, at least you can show them a thing or two about loosening up. Did you guys see how many soldiers were being marched around on the beach?’ Nikos did not miss the wistful tone in Arete’s voice. He turned his gaze upon her and took note of the look in her eyes. He cocked his head to the side, his eyes narrowing as he considered this. Was she really eyeing other men in his presence? Sure, they had had their fun in the past with a bit of voyeurism, but that had been his wishes. That didn’t mean he wanted her flirting with other men all the time. The color rising in her cheeks as he eyed her told him that she had indeed been watching the soldiers upon the beach with more than a passing interest. …Interesting… ’… Surely you don’t have to do anything as arduous as that, right Sil?’ Why all the sudden interest in military activities? Was it just the war, or Sil’s news, bringing this out in Arete? Or was there something deeper? Like perhaps she was not impressed with Nikos’ lack of military rank? Nikos was a fine swordsman, and could have been a great officer one day, but fighting was not where his desires lay. Nik much preferred to duel one on one, to fight single challengers to settle an argument or to win a bet. There was sport in that. Fun. And being the only Condos heir, and with his sights set higher than commanding an army… why take the risk that comes with being a soldier? Yes yes, he could see how the glories of war could benefit his ultimate goals. But there were other ways of obtaining glory.
”Nikos of Bloody Condos!’ A voice rose above the clamor on the beach. A familiar voice that stirred memories of years ago. Nikos did not wish for an interruption in the brief time he apparently had with Silanos this day, but Damocles of Magnemea was not a man that could, or would, easily be ignored. Not that he would want to ignore his Colchian friend, it was just that Sil’s predicament pulled at him more. With a reluctant sigh, Nik bowed to his friends, sparing a sly smile for Arete – one that promised pleasures would come later. ”I hate to step away, but duty calls. If you must return to your duties before we get the chance to speak again, Silanos, I do so hope you will be able to join us at the Condos estate later I shall have a feast prepared in your honor, my friend. To celebrate your impending victory at war!” With that, the charismatic lord turned on his heel and put on his customary smile. His worries for Silanos were not so easily dismissed, and remained in the back of his thoughts. But now was not the time for that.
Nik did indeed see the socialization with the important people here today as a duty. It was important to keep and maintain open communications with ranked persons of the other Grecian Kingdoms. It would better help his goals later on. Nikos scanned the beach until he spotted the man waving him over. He lifted a hand in greeting to the famed Colchian militant and fell in step in his direction. ”Captain Damocles, welcome! It has been a long while since you graced our shores, my friend. Though I wish it were under more cheerful circumstances.” Nikos paused to incline his head in greeting to the two men and the young woman gathered around the boisterous militant. He recognized the man with the leg brace, it was hard to not notice something such as that. Nik also recognized the other man as one he’d noticed sitting in a quiet corner of a drinking hole the lord liked to frequent when in the city. The woman he knew was a retainer of the Leventi household. What, Nikos wondered, was the connection between them all? ”Making friends already, Damocles? You never were one to waste away a moment that could be spent making connections.” Nik laughed lightly, his smile lighting up his face.
Kyros did not decline the invitation to join the captain and Thrasius for a drink of fine wine. He did however have his doubts that a goblet of the red liquid would have any effect on his willingness to speak more than he already wished to. Before he could react, the loud man Thrasius had introduced was calling over yet another person he apparently knew. A noble nonetheless! One that Kyros has seen several times at the bar of the tavern, above which the mercenary held a room. Lifting a brow, the quiet man observed the new addition as the Condos lord greeted them. If this one were to join in the impending drinking that evening as well, things could very well get interesting.
If Nikos had been tactless, he did not notice. He was too caught up in his own shock of the Valaoritis lord’s news to fully realize what he’d said or how it would have come across to the others. Arete’s touch on his arms, her delicate fingers brushing his skin, did seem to do the trick, brought him back from his own reeling thoughts to be more fully present in the moment.
’It's a long story. Sil’s words, the tone behind them, worried Nikos. What trouble had his friend gotten himself into this time? How had his joining the war efforts come to be? Silanos had been gone for mere months, how long of a story could this tale be? These were not questions the Condos lord should be pressing for answers at this time. Eleni was upset, and Sil appeared bothered that he’d brought on this discomfort to the woman he’d grown close to during his time in Taengea. A glance to Arete made Nikos understand that sentiment. His own fondness for the potter’s daughter had certainly grown over the few years he’d known the fiery young woman.
’Thanks. I might be able to get away later…for now I’m going to have to stay here.’ Nikos returned his sky-blue gaze back to his friend. ”Of course,” he nodded in understanding. Silanos had a duty to follow now. He was not as free a man as he’d been when he’d left this very shore months ago.
As they made their way towards the wall where they could talk away from the bustle happening on the beach, Nikos moved in close to Arete, placing a hand on her lower back and dipping his head so that he could speak in hushed tones as they walked. ”I thought you were going to stay at home today, Retta. I asked you not to draw undue attention to yourself whilst we are in the capitol. Especially today, with so many visiting notable people visiting our shores.” His tone was not harsh in the least – he’d had a moment to calm himself from his initial irritation – but there was an undercurrent to his words that belied his displeasure. ”I do not need my name slipping from the waggling tongues of tale-bearers.” Nikos may have insisted on bringing her to the capitol, but he was not ready to so openly claim her in the eyes of the court. There were… proper… channels he would need to follow, and none of those had been done. Had even been attempted. Namely… dealing with her family. No… he was not ready for such an open commitment as that. They reached the wall then, and he let the matter drop for now, guiding Arete to a crate so that she may sit while they listened to what Sil had to say.
’… I’m getting more out of you than I did at home, I should write a complaint to those fuckers.’ ’They just don’t appreciate your special talents the way we do. It’s not our fault your people have no taste for sentiment.’ At least Eleni seemed to be perking back up a bit, though Nikos was sure it was just for show. He’d glimpsed a bit into the mind of that one in the last couple months as they’d grown closer as actual friends. Nikos smiled, laughing lightly as well for the benefit of Eleni and Sil both. ”It’s true, Silanos. You know you have become like a brother to me. You are important to us, and mind you do not forget that fact. Shame be upon them, for not seeing your true value.” Nik was far from satisfied with the vague explanation Sil had provided, but again this wasn’t the place to pry for more detailed answers. Hopefully, Silanos would be able to accept his offer of staying at House Condos and he and Nik would have time for a more in-depth story before the night was out. Nikos had always been a lover of a good story. He just wished this one had a happier ending for his fellow lord.
’Well, at least you can show them a thing or two about loosening up. Did you guys see how many soldiers were being marched around on the beach?’ Nikos did not miss the wistful tone in Arete’s voice. He turned his gaze upon her and took note of the look in her eyes. He cocked his head to the side, his eyes narrowing as he considered this. Was she really eyeing other men in his presence? Sure, they had had their fun in the past with a bit of voyeurism, but that had been his wishes. That didn’t mean he wanted her flirting with other men all the time. The color rising in her cheeks as he eyed her told him that she had indeed been watching the soldiers upon the beach with more than a passing interest. …Interesting… ’… Surely you don’t have to do anything as arduous as that, right Sil?’ Why all the sudden interest in military activities? Was it just the war, or Sil’s news, bringing this out in Arete? Or was there something deeper? Like perhaps she was not impressed with Nikos’ lack of military rank? Nikos was a fine swordsman, and could have been a great officer one day, but fighting was not where his desires lay. Nik much preferred to duel one on one, to fight single challengers to settle an argument or to win a bet. There was sport in that. Fun. And being the only Condos heir, and with his sights set higher than commanding an army… why take the risk that comes with being a soldier? Yes yes, he could see how the glories of war could benefit his ultimate goals. But there were other ways of obtaining glory.
”Nikos of Bloody Condos!’ A voice rose above the clamor on the beach. A familiar voice that stirred memories of years ago. Nikos did not wish for an interruption in the brief time he apparently had with Silanos this day, but Damocles of Magnemea was not a man that could, or would, easily be ignored. Not that he would want to ignore his Colchian friend, it was just that Sil’s predicament pulled at him more. With a reluctant sigh, Nik bowed to his friends, sparing a sly smile for Arete – one that promised pleasures would come later. ”I hate to step away, but duty calls. If you must return to your duties before we get the chance to speak again, Silanos, I do so hope you will be able to join us at the Condos estate later I shall have a feast prepared in your honor, my friend. To celebrate your impending victory at war!” With that, the charismatic lord turned on his heel and put on his customary smile. His worries for Silanos were not so easily dismissed, and remained in the back of his thoughts. But now was not the time for that.
Nik did indeed see the socialization with the important people here today as a duty. It was important to keep and maintain open communications with ranked persons of the other Grecian Kingdoms. It would better help his goals later on. Nikos scanned the beach until he spotted the man waving him over. He lifted a hand in greeting to the famed Colchian militant and fell in step in his direction. ”Captain Damocles, welcome! It has been a long while since you graced our shores, my friend. Though I wish it were under more cheerful circumstances.” Nikos paused to incline his head in greeting to the two men and the young woman gathered around the boisterous militant. He recognized the man with the leg brace, it was hard to not notice something such as that. Nik also recognized the other man as one he’d noticed sitting in a quiet corner of a drinking hole the lord liked to frequent when in the city. The woman he knew was a retainer of the Leventi household. What, Nikos wondered, was the connection between them all? ”Making friends already, Damocles? You never were one to waste away a moment that could be spent making connections.” Nik laughed lightly, his smile lighting up his face.
Kyros did not decline the invitation to join the captain and Thrasius for a drink of fine wine. He did however have his doubts that a goblet of the red liquid would have any effect on his willingness to speak more than he already wished to. Before he could react, the loud man Thrasius had introduced was calling over yet another person he apparently knew. A noble nonetheless! One that Kyros has seen several times at the bar of the tavern, above which the mercenary held a room. Lifting a brow, the quiet man observed the new addition as the Condos lord greeted them. If this one were to join in the impending drinking that evening as well, things could very well get interesting.
Zosime stayed where she was, though she did not offer up a word as Phaedra and Maleos determined the when and how to use the beach. When it seemed that they had permission to use the beach, Phaedra had given the order for the targets to be set up. Zosi had not lingered, assisting in giving orders or moving things into a suitable place. Some of the targets needed more attention than others, and she made a mental note to repair one or two that she noticed were in a more severe state of disrepair.
”Take this one back.” She briefly told Myrine, one of the youngest in the unit. She was barely sixteen, but held great promise as an archer. Truth be told, Zosime had been tempted to ask Phaedra to leave the girl behind because of her age. She remembered her first war when she’d been close to that age, the darkness that had trailed her ever since. It was a heavy weight that she would spare her if it were possible.
The best she could do was just make sure that the girl made it home.
Zosime’s gaze flickered up at the sound of a not-so-familiar voice, her head whipping around to spot the General -- the Crown Prince no less -- making an approach over the beach’s uneven surface. A grimace crossed her features. What did he want with Phaedra? The young woman pushed her work into the hands of another with a low order, making short work of crossing the distance to where Vangelis had decided to stop and hold his audience.
Zosime’s traditional greeting was only seconds behind the lieutenant's, her bow slightly less deep. She had no love for Vangelis, although she could not say that he had earned her ire. Still, she would show him the respect he deserved as was expected. Her attention however, moved to scrutinize the woman standing with their Crown Prince. She did not know this one. Taengean?
Zosi inclined her head respectfully as she was introduced, always happy to be called a second even if she held no formal rank. It was a matter that she took seriously enough. Perhaps someday, Zosime would feel the need to truly be ranked -- the idea of returning to Lyncaea to pursue such a position had admittedly crossed her mind in recent months. She had also been considering departing the military in favor of something more private, although she wondered how long it would be before she tired of playing personal guard to some pompous Lord or Lady.
”A pleasure.” She murmured, knowing that this conversation was not truly hers to take part in. She waited, wondering if Vangelis would dismiss her in favor of privacy. It would irk her, certainly.
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Zosime stayed where she was, though she did not offer up a word as Phaedra and Maleos determined the when and how to use the beach. When it seemed that they had permission to use the beach, Phaedra had given the order for the targets to be set up. Zosi had not lingered, assisting in giving orders or moving things into a suitable place. Some of the targets needed more attention than others, and she made a mental note to repair one or two that she noticed were in a more severe state of disrepair.
”Take this one back.” She briefly told Myrine, one of the youngest in the unit. She was barely sixteen, but held great promise as an archer. Truth be told, Zosime had been tempted to ask Phaedra to leave the girl behind because of her age. She remembered her first war when she’d been close to that age, the darkness that had trailed her ever since. It was a heavy weight that she would spare her if it were possible.
The best she could do was just make sure that the girl made it home.
Zosime’s gaze flickered up at the sound of a not-so-familiar voice, her head whipping around to spot the General -- the Crown Prince no less -- making an approach over the beach’s uneven surface. A grimace crossed her features. What did he want with Phaedra? The young woman pushed her work into the hands of another with a low order, making short work of crossing the distance to where Vangelis had decided to stop and hold his audience.
Zosime’s traditional greeting was only seconds behind the lieutenant's, her bow slightly less deep. She had no love for Vangelis, although she could not say that he had earned her ire. Still, she would show him the respect he deserved as was expected. Her attention however, moved to scrutinize the woman standing with their Crown Prince. She did not know this one. Taengean?
Zosi inclined her head respectfully as she was introduced, always happy to be called a second even if she held no formal rank. It was a matter that she took seriously enough. Perhaps someday, Zosime would feel the need to truly be ranked -- the idea of returning to Lyncaea to pursue such a position had admittedly crossed her mind in recent months. She had also been considering departing the military in favor of something more private, although she wondered how long it would be before she tired of playing personal guard to some pompous Lord or Lady.
”A pleasure.” She murmured, knowing that this conversation was not truly hers to take part in. She waited, wondering if Vangelis would dismiss her in favor of privacy. It would irk her, certainly.
Zosime stayed where she was, though she did not offer up a word as Phaedra and Maleos determined the when and how to use the beach. When it seemed that they had permission to use the beach, Phaedra had given the order for the targets to be set up. Zosi had not lingered, assisting in giving orders or moving things into a suitable place. Some of the targets needed more attention than others, and she made a mental note to repair one or two that she noticed were in a more severe state of disrepair.
”Take this one back.” She briefly told Myrine, one of the youngest in the unit. She was barely sixteen, but held great promise as an archer. Truth be told, Zosime had been tempted to ask Phaedra to leave the girl behind because of her age. She remembered her first war when she’d been close to that age, the darkness that had trailed her ever since. It was a heavy weight that she would spare her if it were possible.
The best she could do was just make sure that the girl made it home.
Zosime’s gaze flickered up at the sound of a not-so-familiar voice, her head whipping around to spot the General -- the Crown Prince no less -- making an approach over the beach’s uneven surface. A grimace crossed her features. What did he want with Phaedra? The young woman pushed her work into the hands of another with a low order, making short work of crossing the distance to where Vangelis had decided to stop and hold his audience.
Zosime’s traditional greeting was only seconds behind the lieutenant's, her bow slightly less deep. She had no love for Vangelis, although she could not say that he had earned her ire. Still, she would show him the respect he deserved as was expected. Her attention however, moved to scrutinize the woman standing with their Crown Prince. She did not know this one. Taengean?
Zosi inclined her head respectfully as she was introduced, always happy to be called a second even if she held no formal rank. It was a matter that she took seriously enough. Perhaps someday, Zosime would feel the need to truly be ranked -- the idea of returning to Lyncaea to pursue such a position had admittedly crossed her mind in recent months. She had also been considering departing the military in favor of something more private, although she wondered how long it would be before she tired of playing personal guard to some pompous Lord or Lady.
”A pleasure.” She murmured, knowing that this conversation was not truly hers to take part in. She waited, wondering if Vangelis would dismiss her in favor of privacy. It would irk her, certainly.
For all of the wind-up efforts and goading that fell to him as easy as breathing, Sil didn’t like to see people genuinely upset—riled, frustrated, amused? Those were things he often tried to provoke. But he wasn’t best pleased with how subdued Eleni was, nor at the idea that it was because of him. “Don’t be stupid?” he said when she apologised. “ I get it, its a shock. It was for me too.”
Still trying to be lighthearted about it, there was nevertheless a little confusion as he studied the woman who’d been his friend and lover when he was In Taengea. Eleni had made it clear enough that she wasn’t interested in anything more than someone to share her bed, even when Silanos had thought for a little while that he might tolerate more, with her. This was just grief for a friend, then? He was glad anyway when she pulled together a watery smile and took some of the weight out of the conversation.
He gave a little laugh and shot a glance toward the Crown Prince of Colchis, who certainly didn’t have much tolerance for Sil’s ‘special talents’, and then to the King himself, who had even less. “Yeah..uh...I’ve got some stories I can tell you later. But not now.”
Lord Nikos’ words were sombre too, and it was all making Silanos a little uncomfortable like they’d already decided he was dead and this was the run-up to a eulogy. And he had his own doubts about how the fuck he was going to come out of this alive; he didn’t need anyone else’s to layer on top of it, thank you very much.
Arete’s observations were a welcome distraction then, and the young lord tracked her eyes down the beach to where Maleos - oh, of course, it was fucking Maleos - and that snooty archery captain were running drills. His gaze rested on the Eubocrisian Captian a moment too long before he shook his head. “Oh you’d be surprised,” he said airily, not quite sure how much he wanted to share with them of his unique predicament. Thankfully, the obnoxiously loud voice of another Colchian bought him a little time on that, and Sil inclined is head as Nikos made his apologies. “If I can get away, then that would be more welcome than I can say, friend.”
Turning to Eleni, Sil dipped his head a little to better see her face. “You gonna be ok? I ought to…” he gestured toward the ships. Gods forbid he wasn’t in the right place when he was called for. “ I’ll do my best to get a few hours later. We can talk then.” In an easy gesture of affection that still felt natural between them, he tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear before holding out his hand to draw her to her feet, leaving her with Arete. “I’ll leave you two to appreciate the muscle-bound morons.”
And with that, Silanos lifted his hand in farewell before he turned and moved off down the beach to make himself useful. If he wanted to ask for the night off, he couldn’t really be seen to slacking off the rest the day too.
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For all of the wind-up efforts and goading that fell to him as easy as breathing, Sil didn’t like to see people genuinely upset—riled, frustrated, amused? Those were things he often tried to provoke. But he wasn’t best pleased with how subdued Eleni was, nor at the idea that it was because of him. “Don’t be stupid?” he said when she apologised. “ I get it, its a shock. It was for me too.”
Still trying to be lighthearted about it, there was nevertheless a little confusion as he studied the woman who’d been his friend and lover when he was In Taengea. Eleni had made it clear enough that she wasn’t interested in anything more than someone to share her bed, even when Silanos had thought for a little while that he might tolerate more, with her. This was just grief for a friend, then? He was glad anyway when she pulled together a watery smile and took some of the weight out of the conversation.
He gave a little laugh and shot a glance toward the Crown Prince of Colchis, who certainly didn’t have much tolerance for Sil’s ‘special talents’, and then to the King himself, who had even less. “Yeah..uh...I’ve got some stories I can tell you later. But not now.”
Lord Nikos’ words were sombre too, and it was all making Silanos a little uncomfortable like they’d already decided he was dead and this was the run-up to a eulogy. And he had his own doubts about how the fuck he was going to come out of this alive; he didn’t need anyone else’s to layer on top of it, thank you very much.
Arete’s observations were a welcome distraction then, and the young lord tracked her eyes down the beach to where Maleos - oh, of course, it was fucking Maleos - and that snooty archery captain were running drills. His gaze rested on the Eubocrisian Captian a moment too long before he shook his head. “Oh you’d be surprised,” he said airily, not quite sure how much he wanted to share with them of his unique predicament. Thankfully, the obnoxiously loud voice of another Colchian bought him a little time on that, and Sil inclined is head as Nikos made his apologies. “If I can get away, then that would be more welcome than I can say, friend.”
Turning to Eleni, Sil dipped his head a little to better see her face. “You gonna be ok? I ought to…” he gestured toward the ships. Gods forbid he wasn’t in the right place when he was called for. “ I’ll do my best to get a few hours later. We can talk then.” In an easy gesture of affection that still felt natural between them, he tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear before holding out his hand to draw her to her feet, leaving her with Arete. “I’ll leave you two to appreciate the muscle-bound morons.”
And with that, Silanos lifted his hand in farewell before he turned and moved off down the beach to make himself useful. If he wanted to ask for the night off, he couldn’t really be seen to slacking off the rest the day too.
For all of the wind-up efforts and goading that fell to him as easy as breathing, Sil didn’t like to see people genuinely upset—riled, frustrated, amused? Those were things he often tried to provoke. But he wasn’t best pleased with how subdued Eleni was, nor at the idea that it was because of him. “Don’t be stupid?” he said when she apologised. “ I get it, its a shock. It was for me too.”
Still trying to be lighthearted about it, there was nevertheless a little confusion as he studied the woman who’d been his friend and lover when he was In Taengea. Eleni had made it clear enough that she wasn’t interested in anything more than someone to share her bed, even when Silanos had thought for a little while that he might tolerate more, with her. This was just grief for a friend, then? He was glad anyway when she pulled together a watery smile and took some of the weight out of the conversation.
He gave a little laugh and shot a glance toward the Crown Prince of Colchis, who certainly didn’t have much tolerance for Sil’s ‘special talents’, and then to the King himself, who had even less. “Yeah..uh...I’ve got some stories I can tell you later. But not now.”
Lord Nikos’ words were sombre too, and it was all making Silanos a little uncomfortable like they’d already decided he was dead and this was the run-up to a eulogy. And he had his own doubts about how the fuck he was going to come out of this alive; he didn’t need anyone else’s to layer on top of it, thank you very much.
Arete’s observations were a welcome distraction then, and the young lord tracked her eyes down the beach to where Maleos - oh, of course, it was fucking Maleos - and that snooty archery captain were running drills. His gaze rested on the Eubocrisian Captian a moment too long before he shook his head. “Oh you’d be surprised,” he said airily, not quite sure how much he wanted to share with them of his unique predicament. Thankfully, the obnoxiously loud voice of another Colchian bought him a little time on that, and Sil inclined is head as Nikos made his apologies. “If I can get away, then that would be more welcome than I can say, friend.”
Turning to Eleni, Sil dipped his head a little to better see her face. “You gonna be ok? I ought to…” he gestured toward the ships. Gods forbid he wasn’t in the right place when he was called for. “ I’ll do my best to get a few hours later. We can talk then.” In an easy gesture of affection that still felt natural between them, he tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear before holding out his hand to draw her to her feet, leaving her with Arete. “I’ll leave you two to appreciate the muscle-bound morons.”
And with that, Silanos lifted his hand in farewell before he turned and moved off down the beach to make himself useful. If he wanted to ask for the night off, he couldn’t really be seen to slacking off the rest the day too.