Quoted By:
You are uncommonly divided in your heart – the daring half of you insists that you make good on the raid, that you pluck five hundred head of cattle from under Archigeiros’ nose, and if he discovers you at it – what would he dare to do? He cannot defeat you in arms – you doubt any Tegean could- nor can his men stay you. Even if he deduces your identity, for the man is said to be clever, would he risk the wrath of Argos over some gold and a mere five hundred head of livestock? A clever nobleman might simply suffer the loss and organize face-saving compensation later.
But the soldier half of you calmly explains: you must be dutiful. You must serve Argos and your uncle, and you must avoid complication. Complication in battle, cattle raids and marriages are to be avoided at all costs – these are things lead to the Elysian Fields as surely as the Αθανατος Δαικτορος*. You already have an easily-smuggled bounty of Tegean gold, and a (possibly) valuable hostage besides, and your presence amongst the estates is not yet known. Furthermore, even the men of your honorguard cannot easily fight off five times their number – you should not spend their lives so frivolously; not when war with Thebes is on the horizon.
You sigh, and silently give the order to return to the northern camp, above Archigeiros’ estate. You give one last glance to the shadowed Tegean cattle – no doubt they’d taste magnificent on the road to Thebes, but a successful raid is satisfying enough. In the distance, the Tegean patrols continue to sound their horns at regular intervals – the pursuit is still on.
Your exfiltration is much swifter than your cautious approach – having slain the Tegean patrols on the way in, and with many more patrols in pursuit after Pronax, your men are free to travel quickly upon the roads. You’re halfway to the “Dorian” camp when you hear it:
A single horn, baying from the east like a hound, carried on the night breeze – first long, then short, then long again. The horn repeats pleadingly, over and over. It has the sound of begging to your ear, a cry for help, perhaps? You hear an answering horn from the south – from the Archigeirian palace. This answering horn calls back decisively – short, short, short. The eastern horn ceases its imploring, and instead resumes its typical call.
You curse, intuiting the meaning of the horns:
First, the eastern horn: <span class="mu-i">We need help!</span>
Then, the Archigeiran palace: <span class="mu-i">Keep pursuit – we are coming!</span>
The Tegean nobility, perhaps even Archigeiros himself, must be riding east to personally intervene! This changes things – you must consider your next move very carefully.
>vote post next