Chapter 5: On the way
Notes: Thank you everyone! My answers to your reviews are at the end of the chapter as usual! Enjoy!
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Four days apart and Brasidas misses Kassandra. He fell in love with this strong, determined, hot-headed and kindhearted woman. She has everything he could wish for a woman. He wonders what she is doing, if she is well. If he could, he would go with her. Not to save those Athenians, just so he could be by her side. Although, that little girl Kassandra was worried about is in his mind as well. No matter that he does not know the child, he wishes she is safe and sound.
They may be in war but kids don't deserve sufferance and death. He would never hurt a child. Even if Sparta achieved to win, he wouldn't rifle the villages and kill innocent children. In fact, he doesn't like Athenians at all and he would be harsh on the battlefield to ensure victory for Sparta but still he prefers to elude bloodshed; it is his last option.
His thoughts take him back to Kassandra. She doesn't seem to be bloodthirsty just accustomed to killing for her survival. She is tough and can be aggressive at times but she is not a brute. Anyone in her shoes would probably end up like this, not necessarily that successful and making such a name, but being a misthios or starve to death. She had no other choice. Brasidas doesn't judge her.
Then it occurs to him. Will he ever see her again? There is war and the kings might send him anywhere they think he will be useful. He may die in a battlefield and never see her again, or be ordered to go to a far away place, or at a Spartan camp in the middle of nowhere. He could write her a letter and use his connections to find out where she is to send it to her, but what would that be? He didn't have a job for her, he couldn't write that he missed her.
A heavy sigh escapes his thinned lips. The candlelight flickers almost extinguishing the flame because of the forceful movement of air.
He clears his thoughts to focus on his paper work. He can write less sloppy today as his hand has almost healed and the pain isn't so severe. He has to finish the reports until tomorrow to send them to the Kings with a messenger. He will stay at the Spartan camp for a few more days to recover completely and then will move back to Korinth until further orders.
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At the same time many kilometers away from Korinth.
Kassandra and Aspasia have to make their way through Athens and then out of it. The best option for them is to get down to the city and go around the rocky hill, where the sanctuary is, from the northern part of the city opposite from Perikles' residence. Then head to the east to get out of the town through the gate behind the Memorial of the Amazons, which is usually less guarded and not so crowded.
"I have an idea to reach the streets but it's risky." Kassandra proposes crossing her arms and giving it more thought.
"Nothing is safe, whatever we choose will be hazardous. What is your plan?" Aspasia asks knowing that without Kassandra's help she is trapped.
"We will take a decorative linen fabric from the wall, and wrap up Aspasia with it. I will take her on my shoulders. Hippokrates it would be good if you could accompany us until the last steps. If anyone approaches, we will say that it's a victim of the plague that died while praying." The eagle bearer suggests rubbing her jaw with her right hand still considering it.
"Good thinking but I presume you'd better wear one, too, as a cloak to hide your armor and weapons, Kassandra." Hippokrates agrees and retrieves a big piece of fabric from the floor under the pillows handing it to Kassandra.
"Alright, let's move on. Sokrates, goodbye my friend." Kassandra says and hugs the philosopher.
"Take care and don't worry I have a plan of my own to hopefully buy you some time. Goodbye, safe travels." He smiles while they get outside of the temple.
Kassandra whistles to Ikaros to do what he knows best while Hippokrates assists Aspasia wrapping her up. For once Kassandra is grateful, she didn't wear heavy armor and left her father's helmet on the ship.
Ikaros chirps many times spotting guards almost everywhere, thankfully none of them is at the sanctuary at the time. Kassandra adjusts her bow and covers her back to hide her weapons. She is not wearing a metal breastplate, it is more like what hunters wear, made from deer skin, looking a little less threatening and hopefully less suspicious.
She runs to the altar of Athena to wash her hands and her face off the blood to the trough that is there and rejoins the others.
Everything is set as planned.
They are almost at the stairs at the Propylea when a soldier halts them. "What is going on here?" He grunts with authority and suspicion.
Hippokrates lifts his hands up in a gesture of innocence and answers with a steady voice. "An unfortunate woman died as she was praying for cure in front of Athena's statue and we are moving her away."
The soldier eyes them not answering and considers what he heard, exchanging glances with his two fellows. Kassandra and Aspasia remain still and silent. The soldier still has his doubts and continues his interrogation. "Why is she covered?"
Hippokrates wears a serious and sad face. "We must be cautious to prevent getting infected, too. It is best to avoid coming in contact with the corpse." He tells completely calm. The words that came out of his mouth was the truth, just not this exact moment with Aspasia pretending to be a lifeless body.
Hippokrates is an honest man with values. This is the main reason he risks his own health to treat and help the others. However, his lie now will save the lives of the two women.
The soldiers let them pass as they didn't want to put themselves in peril, eyeing the group suspiciously until they are lost from their sight. The three of them remain in character acting carefully, doing their best to avoid drawing attention. Two more times they were stopped with similar encounters.
All the while Sokrates was sitting on a bench waiting outside the Parthenon for the right moment.
The party finally reached the city streets and had to pass in front of the prison that was full of guards. Kassandra and Hippokrates kept their heads low hoping to bypass. This time when the soldiers stopped them, they were not so easily convinced.
"What you two claim is weird." A guard says looking through narrowed eyes.
"People die all the time the past days. Our city is full of dead bodies, look around you. Does the death of someone with plague seem weird?" Hippokrates says using all his inner strength to manage a straight face.
"You have to prove what you say. Uncover the body." One of them demands with a booming voice.
Kassandra convinced that Hippocrates is no longer calm and cold sweat runs down his spine, she takes a step closer to the men. "If you want to catch the disease then I am letting the corpse here to do whatever you want with it. I won't carry it longer and endanger myself." She declares while letting Aspasia down on the ground, still completely covered, uploading her from her shoulders.
Aspasia does her utmost to remain still despite her fast beating heart, hoping Kassandra's trick will work. And it does! The majority of the soldiers decide to let it go asking the misthios to take it back and finish her job. As they leave almost out of earshot, they overhear one soldier complaining to the others that Kleon had ordered them to investigate anything suspicious tonight but the others quickly shushed him.
Kassandra's mind started guessing about Kleon. If he was behind this and in which ways, but she pushed it all away for the time being to focus on how to escape.
They were in a main road and Ikaros had spotted many soldiers, so they decided to walk through the alleys. It would take them longer but with Ikaros' help it would be easier to shun any guards.
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Up at the Akropolis Sokrates stands up and gets closer to the entrance. "Gods! Gods help us." He screams as loud as he can. Some people that are nearby turn around to face him. He draws away from the entrance informing the people that someone killed Perikles.
As Sokrates usually says in his philosophical discussions there is nothing that is completely true or completely a lie. Both Hippokrates and him had to lie but what they said were fair enough.
Perikles was really assassinated just not the moment Sokrates screamed and a diseased from plague is really best not to be touched. In addition, it was the only way to help his friends be safe. These thoughts eased his mind for his sinful lies and made the philosopher more persuasive.
Panic occurred. Some people run to the Parthenon to see what had happened with their own eyes, others cry in horror and others with resolve run to inform the army or to be gathered and search for the killer. Sokrates leaves the Sanctuary intending to lead astray as many soldiers as possible telling them that they had to inform Aspasia, who was at Perikles' residence, of the homicide.
At another hood of Athens, Kassandra lets Aspasia down to walk and the cloth that she was wrapped up with now is used as a cloak. They thank Hippokrates and continue on their way running. The light had eliminated by this time and they pace quickly without a torch on purpose.
Every time they spotted light ahead, either they took a turn or Kassandra went ahead and stealthily knocked the guards down. Having made the most of the way, they were now hiding with the city walls being their last obstacle.
"Stay here, silently and out of sight. I will deal with those guards at the walls and come back to get you." Kassandra ordered the Athenian woman who nodded in return.
There were five guards in total of both sides of the gate all with their backs at the town facing the exterior land for foes. Kassandra sneaks up on them one by one and knocks them out.
Kassandra and Aspasia pass the gate and run to their final destination.
Both women out of breath stop only when they set foot on the beach. The misthios took of the cloak as Ikaros landed in front of Barnabas at the deck, the usual sign to send a man with the boat ashore.
Soon the boat reached the shallow waters and the women hopped in.
"We made it. Where will we go now?" Aspasia questions looking one last time back towards the city.
"I was planning on setting sail for the Cyclades. In hopes of finding my mother, she goes by Phoenix." Kassandra reveals with her gaze on the waves.
"So, we are going to Naxos. I have been told that it is a beautiful island." Aspasia chatters.
"To Naxos you said? How do you know?" Kassandra faces the other woman with furrowed eyebrows.
"The Phoenix was Naxos' ruler when the war began, I have heard the name because they refused to be with Athens' side. They said they wanted to be neutral, to stay away from the battles. If I am not mistaken, they are with Sparta's side now." Aspasia smirks waving her hand in distaste.
"Why did you send me to Anthousa if you knew everything from the beginning?" The misthios raves.
"I had heard just the name. I didn't even know THE Phoenix was a woman. How could I possibly know that she was your mother?" Aspasia cowers at her seat.
"Nevermind." Kassandra mumbles.
Finally, they get on board and Kassandra informs Barnabas that Naxos is their destination. "Ready the oars! We have to leave immediately, before Athenian ships spot us. They may be on their way from Piraeus." She commands the crew.
"Ay, ay Captain!" Voice the men in unison.
The Athenian woman is worn out from the eventful day and wants to rest. Kassandra tells Aspasia she can settle at her bed and she'd better not come out a lot until they are far away from Athens.
Barnabas sits down next to Kassandra near the helm of the ship. "What happened Kassandra?" He asks in a low voice.
"Deimos killed Perikles in our presence. He is like a mad man." Her voice just above a whisper.
The old man puts a hand on her shoulder. "I am sorry for Perikles. As for your brother, if you have the chance to speak with him maybe he will change his mind. I am of the opinion that he is just hurt and expresses his anger in extreme ways."
"Maybe you are right. The cult poisoned him, creating muddle and chaos in his mind but there is no way to approach him." She resigns with a heavy sigh lowering her head.
"You are the mighty misthios. The eagle bearer. You will find a way in time." He attempts to cheer her up.
"How many people will die until that day comes, Barnabas? How many innocent lives on my hands?" She cracks up.
"You do your best, Kassandra." He encourages.
"Phoibe is gone. She died on me." She chokes and her eyes fill with tears.
Nothing Barnabas said changed Kassandra's feelings. She was inconsolable all night. He decided to give her space and time alone. She spent the night drinking wine and gazing at stars.
The next morning Barnabas took away all the wine amphoras and hid them to the men's shared room to prevent her from drinking more. Kassandra seethed under the surface but said nothing. She was conscious of the importance to stay sober.
They had travelled east towards Andros and it was about time to head South and go across the sea between Keos, the island of the pirates, and Delos.
This area was full of pirate ships and the crew was tired as they rowed all night in order to leave Athens behind.
Barnabas hands to Kassandra some food. "I think we should wait. Let the men rest at least a few hours. We are heading to dangerous waters Kassandra." He advises her as a more experienced captain.
The last thing Kassandra wants is to fight more, she is in no mood for even joyful things, but Barnabas is right, they will cross over with pirate ships at this journey, for sure. There is no time for her to cool down or relax. As always, she has to endure and go through whatever life brings in her way no matter how she feels. It is simply do or die.
She nods in defeat. "You are right, they will need all their strength. For sure there are naval battles on our way. How long will it take to be in a safe area away from pirates?" She asks.
Kassandra has seen many places since she left from Kephallonia and sailed with the ship to two or three islands as well, but Barnabas has passed almost forty years roaming the seas and he has been almost everywhere.
"Ah, we will be safe of pirate triremes around Paros. Well, the men puddled for five hours to get as here and then they rested for a few hours. I think it is better to rest some more until lunch time and then continue until the sun set…" Barnabas explains in detail in order to teach Kassandra how to command the ship on her own.
"When will we reach PAROS, Barnabas?" She interrupts him irritated rolling her eyes.
"Tomorrow, hopefully in the early morning, if Poseidon favors us but don't be impatient Kassandra, I am trying to teach you." He reasoned for his verbiage.
"Maybe another time. I am going to check on Aspasia." She says over her shoulder walking away.
It was a clever and easy way out. She knew what he was about to say; his words are always the same in this matter. Giving it a thought, he is right, she needs to learn how to command a ship on her own without anyone's help and calculate how long a journey will take, but today of all the days she is in no state of mind to focus on that.
Phoibe's loss will forever be a knife stabbed in her heart and presently it is like a big open wood that bleeds unstoppably. Kassandra for once prays to the Gods for her friend and to find her mother alive. She also prays to be able to protect her mother and not lose her like she lost Phoibe.
Kassandra has come upon the wooden door of her cabin where Aspasia slept last night and knocks on it lightly. "Aspasia, can I come in?" She questions leaning at the old doorframe.
No answer comes from inside. Kassandra becomes uneasy, after waiting a few seconds she knocks again a little louder this time. "Aspasia?" Still there is no answer. She decides to get in without permission.
"I didn't say you could pass." Aspasia's voice comes from the corner of the room. She seems downcast and she is holding a rolled papyrus that she hides inside her clothes.
"You didn't say anything at all, to be precise." Kassandra corrects her.
"I need some time alone for now. When will we reach Naxos?" The Athenian woman is demanding. Surely, she must be hurt by her lover's death but she is sharp and didn't even cry then. Could she be grieving now?
"Tomorrow, by night we will be there. When you are hungry or need anything else just let me know." Kassandra announces before she takes her leave.
Back on the deck again she calls Ikaros to come to her so she can feed him. The eagle is capable to find his own food but since he used to be Kassandra's only friend for years, she thanks him with small treats now and then and by petting him.
"Kassandra, you should rest as well, until this time tomorrow we will be on edge." Barnabas remarked.
"Have I ever told you how much I hate that you are right so often?" She teases him humorless.
"So, did I convince you so easily?" He teases her back smiling.
"In a way, will you bring me some wine?" A small hint of mischief can be detected in her eyes.
Barnabas frowns shaking his head. "You are more Spartan than you wish to admit." He mutters.
"Hey! What you said is offensive. I just need it to help me sleep." She implies folding her arms.
He brings to her only one mug filled with wine. She knits her eyebrows together and folds her hands to her chest. "Don't look at me like this. Drink it and go to rest. Really, one day you must tell me how you Spartans are so immune to alcohol." Before he can complete his sentence, she has already drunk even the last drop.
"Stop mothering me, Barnabas." She sighs and lies down at the fur she was sleeping on when Brasidas was using her bed in Korinth. This fur brings back happier memories, less stressing moments. She makes an attempt to clear her mind and puts her hands over her eyes to block the sunbeams.
Kassandra is sleeping when Barnabas wakes her up. "Wake up. Pirates ahead." He notifies shaking her.
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Kassandra wraps the gash at her left arm as she watches the sun disappearing behind the sea at the horizon, creating orange, pink and purple hues over the clouds and sky.
Finally, the light would give its place to the darkness, which would make it harder for other ships to detect them, giving them time to rest. Everyone was exhausted. They had encountered pirate ships multiple times over the day. Sometimes they managed to maneuver around the rival triremes and speed away before they could catch up to the Adrestia but four times they were forced to engage in naval conflicts.
At three of the combats they even boarded the enemy ships so that Kassandra and the soldiers would take the situation on their shoulders and the oarsmen could take a break to catch their breaths.
Aspasia was terrified; she hid all day in the small cabin only once coming out when it seemed to be safe for her to ask for food. Barnabas was inspecting the ship to write down what needs immediate repair as soon as they moor at Naxos' harbor. The trireme's hull was damaged and the makeshift mending was sufficient enough to get them to their destination but not much further.
The crew would rest for the next hours and wake up in the middle of the night to leave the dangerous area unnoticed. Some of the men were wounded and would stay at the mid cabin to recover.
A day had passed since the sad incident at Athens and Kassandra's mind has already different perspective than before. At first, she thought she would fight against all odds and reunite her family; kill some of the cultists who got in her way and aimed to keep her and her loved ones apart. Everything changed the moment Phoibe died.
Kassandra realizes that the cult will never stop; they want her dead and all those she cares for. The pain she feels for her friend's loss is her motive now, what drives her to contend harder. She would go to the end of the world to find them all.
No more mourning with drinking and crying. She will take revenge. She eats an apple and some bread, not having much of an appetite, just to regain her energy and keeps watch until the rowers and Barnabas are up.
The night is uneventful as they anticipated and by the first morning light, they have spotted a rocky islet at the horizon where they can hide behind it for some hours at noun.
After the ship anchors at the islet, Aspasia comes up at the deck seeking Kassandra. "I wanted to tell you that I am sorry for Phoibe. I cared for her, too." She says holding her palms together.
"I am sorry I shouted at you. It wasn't your fault. Others are in blame." The younger woman says furrowing her brows.
"Those thugs you mean?" Aspasia asks.
"I mean the cult. But their time is over." Kassandra answers raising her voice while the other woman remains silent.
They eat lunch with the crew all together and the men go to rest, staying behind only two of them to keep watch.
"I don't know what I will do now. I had built a life with Perikles in Athens and it's gone." Aspasia acknowledged looking at Kassandra.
"My mother will help you start again in Naxos, if she is there." She states with confidence.
Kassandra has faith in her mother in many ways. She is strong and determined but kind hearted, too. No matter how many years they haven't seen each other Myrrine won't turn her daughter down.
"Thank you, Kassandra, and don't worry we will find her." Aspasia replies softly.
The sun sets again today and the sailors make preparation to sail covered by the lack of light once again. Naxos wasn't a long distance away from the islet they had anchored and finally they dock at its harbor. Barnabas makes the arrangements and pays the drachmae in advance for the next days. Aspasia will sleep at the ship tonight like the rest of the crew while Kassandra has already gone for research.
Kassandra comes across an old fisherman going home and asks him politely, if he knows anything about the Phoenix. The old man watches her for a few seconds studying her eyes. "We all know about the Phoenix. She is our leader. She has done great things to our island." He reveals with a genuine smile.
"She is still here then?" She asks. Hope rising inside her.
"Of course, she is at her house. But stranger you will need permission to see her." He informs her shattering her hopes to see her today.
She smiles and thanks the old man. She moves around the town to spot the house where her mother lives, weighting her options. She can wait until tomorrow morning or sneak in now. Being so close and so far at the same time makes her nervous. She was in the same town, at the same place as Phoibe when she was killed. She decides she doesn't want to waste time, she has waited enough.
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The night has fallen and the dinner at the Spartan camp, just at the outskirts of Korinth, is almost over. Suddenly a horse galloping fast towards the camp alerts the soldiers. The soldiers guarding at the side watch towers and those above the gate take their bows and aim. The rest of them all run at the wooden gate with their weapons and shields in their hands, ready to fight.
It's a fellow Spartan. They all relax and split up to let him pass. He comes down from his horse in a hurry and asks them to provide him with another horse and a full waterskin. "I have to go quickly to Sparta and report to the kings. Athenians have plague and Perikles is dead." He struggles to utter the words as he is out of breath.
"That is alarming news indeed." The commander says.
"It's a pity Perikles was killed from plague and not by our hand." A soldier humorizes and most of the other men laugh.
"It wasn't plague that killed him but the Eagle-Bearer." The messenger tells them still having trouble to breathe even.
Brasidas who is there with them freezes. Can this be true? She said she was going to help, they were her friends, she would stay in their house. How could she kill a friend of hers? Can he be so wrong about Kassandra? It feels as if he is tongue-tied and his brain shutted down.
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DRWPJT : Thank you very much! It was a hard decision not to change it. I am glad you liked it. I did my best. Your tip was very helpful. 😉
dziubasinsky: Thank you very much! I am glad you liked it best with more paragraphs, it wasn't my idea but I am happy it's easier to read it this way. I couldn't agree more with you about Phoibe's death serving the character development, that's why I didn't change this part. Congratulations for passing your first exam I wish you good luck for the rest!