Cozy and warm. A fluffy embrace; her body rocked slowly back and forth. She stretched and as her eyes opened, her mind grasped bits and pieces of the surrounding reality. She blinked. Her eyes got used to the environment quickly. There wasn't much light, just enough for her to see the things around. There was something weird about the shape of this roomand the wooden walls. There was light coming through the cracks. And then she heard a splash, like water hitting against the walls. She got up sustaining her body weight on the elbows. She frowned trying to pierce further into the semi-darkness. A few boxes were stacked in a corner along the wall, pepper, garlic and some chunks of meet hang from the ceiling. They too were slowly bouncing left to right. More crates, some shields and weapons thrown randomly in a corner.
She looked where she was standing. It looked like a bed, somewhere up the floor. Her hand ran through the animal skin covering the boards. She was wrapped all over in them. Her shoulders had grown cold since she woke up. And her nose froze too. More and more she understood where she was but she couldn't remember how she got there. She stepped lightly out of the bed and she jumped down because it was too high for her. Her black dress looked like it had been through a war. It was torn and dirty. She tied together one of the golden locks and as she stroke the carving on it, her heart hurt. Troy. My dear home. So much had happened. What was she to do? She pulled the locks on her shoulders and pushed the hair back. Her hands. So tinny, so white. They looked dried and bonny. Her wedding band was still there. She took it out easily. It felt like her hands had shrunk. She caressed it gently and then put it back on. And the gold shinned powerfully against the black material. Black. That's what she was like inside; black. Her life had lost all color. She will never wear anything else but black. Black as her soul. Black as the armor of the man who killed her husband. Black as her future.
She stepped towards the flight of stairs she saw at the end of the room. And as she climbed the daylight blinded her. She covered her eyes and stepped outside. A gust of wind forced the hair in her eyes and she lost balance trying to clear her face off. A strong hand supported her for a brief moment. She turned around to see a bearded soldier watching her carefully. Like she was something out of the ordinary; precious. Behind him the sea. And nothing beyond that. The picture grew so much bigger, her eyes filled in with the immensity of the Aegean Sea. Water all around. No sign of Troy. No sign of land anywhere. She took a few steps and leaned against the railing. She sensed the soldier following her closely but she wanted to see the blue waves. She loved the sea, but for once the sight of it did not stir any emotion in her heart. Her shoulders relaxed as she watched the vast blue, the clear skies. Another burst of wind and the cold crept down her spine. She forgot about the winter, she forgot about how winter felt on the sea. She closed her eyes. The wind soothed her inner fire. She turned around and the soldier stepped aside making room for her to pass. The ship black veils flopped in the air. Two rows of soldiers pulled heavily on each side, rowing and stirring the boat in the right direction. What direction?
Her eyes fell upon the man standing at the other end. And her mind opened to the image of him like that was their first time face to face. She didn't remember much of him; the golden hair, the swift moves, the harsh voice with the strong accent. And again, the sea behind him. And the sea in his eyes. She stepped forward forgetful at her condition, closing in to inspect that blue depth. She did not remember those eyes. They shinned like sapphires on the dark toned skin. Strands of his blond hair dangled down his face and into his eyelids but his sight never blurred for a moment. The same predator look she'd seen before, but there was no danger, just interest.
She stopped at half way. The veils above her fretted in the powerful wind. Her dress got stolen away from her body but she didn't do anything to stop it from flowing freely around her legs. She resented the cold now more than before. Or maybe it was the way he peered through her with his eyes. Achilles stepped down from the helm and covered her in his cloak.
The way his body moved around her made her acknowledge it; acknowledge his scent, the way his muscles flexed with each motion. How tall he was. Almost as tall as Hector. She gasped for air and pulled back violently. Only Hector made her see such things in a man! Hector, the man this … other man killed… He too was a man but she didn't want to notice. Hector was her only man. There was no other and no other had ever made her look twice. But this man did. She felt guilty and disgusted with herself. She wished to throw the cloak to the floor but the cold in her bones stopped her from acting childishly. She dared look him in the eye and for once he sustained her look without hesitation. And then she wished she hadn't. Achilles turned around and retook his post. She watched his back straighten as he tried to ignore her presence. He didn't look so fierce without the armor on. The dark blue vest and the long black covering around his waist made him look almost human. But there was something in the way he moved that made her think he was ready to charge at any moment.
Aalexia turned around and sat on a crate at the other end of the boat. She folded his cloak tighter around her body and pulled the legs underneath her. Her feet had almost lost color because of the cold. She felt puny and lost, with no where to go. Not knowing what would be of her. She cared less. But what about home? What about Paris and her people? Her house and Adrastos! Hefe! Tears surged and she fought to keep them back. She felt gutted with anger and frustration, with longing to have at least been able to say goodbye to her loved ones. Maybe they stood a chance and made it. Her farm wasn't that close to Troy. Maybe one day she'll make it back, as an old woman.
The bearded man commanded the soldiers to put some back into it and make the boat move faster. The wind grew stronger and they feared a storm coming. She thought of death; of drowning. But she would have loved to die home, in their bed, with his smell in her nostrils, with the touch of the sheets on her finger tips, those sheets that absorbed all the memories of their love making. She took a deep breath and went downstairs. But not before looking at him to see if he was watching her. He wasn't. He was looking over some scrolls and discussed matters with his men.
She balanced against the walls and wooden pylons. The movement of the ship down here was less strong than upstairs. She lifted the lid to one of the crates. Food. All of them were filled up with food. She moved towards the bed and she saw a few garments. A shell necklace; such tinny shells, skillfully assembled together in a very delicate jewelry. She tried to imagine who'd give him such a thing. She couldn't picture him a romantic, a gift giver. She passed her fingers on top of the shinny shells. She put it back then looked at the leather bracelets lying around. She remembered seeing one on his wrist as he put the cloak on her. She grimaced and turned around toward the weapons. Spears, shields, swords. Knives. A wooden structure stood behind them and on it she saw the armor that struck fear in her heart. That armor must've been made for him. It looked imposing and mighty on its own. She feared touching it. She stretched her hand towards the cold metal. She followed the fine pattern carved on its surface. No marks anywhere. No spear and no arrow seemed to have touched it. She looked closely. A narrow line across the armor, from the shoulder down to the chest; her heart got louder – it reminded her of something.
A flashback; Hector span on his heel waving the sword above his head. Then struck hard. She saw Achilles flinch to his right. She thought the blade missed him. Her fingertip followed the line down to where the heart of the Mirmidon lay hidden behind the metal. That's where it stopped. If it weren't for you! And she pressed on the metal wanting to hurt it. His heart would still be beating now! She backed up against the pylon behind her. She couldn't unwind time. She put her palms on her cheeks and the coolness left from his armor cooled down the turmoil inside. She breathed heavily. She felt exhausted. The bed she'd woken up in was probably his. There was no other like it. Only hammocks hanging from the pylons. She would've gladly slept on the cold wooden floor than in that bed again but she felt back broken and slain. The past few days had taken a toll on her. For a moment she wondered for how long they've been at sea. But her thoughts scattered and she slowly dragged her body to his bed. She sat on the side and leaned against the fur. She didn't lift her legs up. She would punish herself with this uncomfortable position for being so weak and sleep in his bed again. She fell asleep immediately.