Not a Man with His Back to his Foe
by RueRoyale
Notes/Disclaimer: A historical story about Alexander the Great.
Upon a shaded palisade lay a group of wounded and dead. They must have been stationed here to defend the deep interior of Tyre, a City Gaurd. Some were sprawled on top of others, some without dignity, and some with the hunch of a protective lover, even has their souls fled their bodies. Alexander walked up to examine them.
One man, laying perfectly on his back, his helmet having fallen from his head, focused his dull eyes at the change in sunlight. Alexander cast a shadow upon the marble. When Alexander noticed the man's moving limbs, he came to him at once.
His body was spread perfectly, and other than its pale color seemed to be in health.
"Where are you hurt, soldier?" Alexander asked as he knelt by the Tyrian's hand. There seemed to be not a scratch on him.
The man said nothing, and it was only then that Alexander looked down and saw the pool of dark, half-dry, blood the body lay in. Blood from what wound?
"There's a wound on your back." Alexander said. He gazed for a short time on the face of the soldeir, if he could be called a soldier. The eyes hid no secrets, and did not try to defy inevitable Death. That redeemed him, somewhat.
Briskly Alexander stood, and removing his sword from its sheath, quickly bent to slit the man's throat. Alexander felt slight rage, for to fall while fleeing was more shameful than suicide. Alexander knew that in his army not a man but he fell with his face to his foe. And maybe a friend by his side, dead too.
Hephaestion saw him from far away, and broke away from the men he was with to walk to Alexander. He saw the fresh blood on Alexander's sword, and the man who had died. Alexander turned and laid a hand on his shoulder.
"He turned his back on his enemy," Alexander said.
"Ah," said Hephaestion. "Then there is no reason to stay here any longer."
Alexander put his sword back into his sheath, and took Hephaestion around the shoulders. The disgust had mostly left him now. "Let us leave in dignity."
"Of course."
end