Chapter 17: Riding at Dawn, on Our Way to War

It has been some time since Achilles started to train as an actual soldier, he had to train how to march in formation, how to fight in various weapons and did odd jobs for his superiors, mainly to Agamemnon.

Achilles had made some friends on his long marches and training, there was a boy named Hector, he was 8 years old, he was working as a page to Agamemnon, similar to Achilles, Hector mostly did odd jobs and helped the adults in things like puting on armor, cleaning their clothes and other things that soldiers would have to do on their own in the middle of a campain. Then there was another person, he was named Peracles,he was some 15 years old a complete adult, his apearence would be conscidered somewhat androgean if looked from a distance but when taking a closer look he was undoubtedly a man, he had a light brown hair, with eyes of the same color. Achilles became a very close friend of Peracles, he started to somewhat look at Achilles as a elder brother of kind, someone he could depend on.

But at this day, in the beggining of spring, Agamemnon, who was training the young knights, sons of the vassals of Constantine, gathered them in the training grounds.

With the young men organized in files determined by their unit, age and rank Agamemnon nodded, cleaned his throat and said in clear voice.

-At this moment the soldiers of Spehenicos attacked from the west and are besieging the fortress at Komenmnos! You have a months to organize your servents, slave or free, personal suplies, armor and weapons befitting one's rank and your mounts and beasts of burden! We are going to relief the fortess! Dismissed!

Spehenicos was a Lord from the west, who bordered Constantine's territory, right now, the empire that they are vassals of is in chaos, for over three decades there has been a series of succession crisis, nobles trying to usurp the throne, rebelions, other nobles putting childs of the original and of the usurpers royal families on the throne to use them as puppets, and while all of that is happening other Lords are trying to expand their own dominions with wars to get more power.

In this world, once a man said "what is the difference between greed and ambition? For me, the difference is minute but simple, ambition is to want more with an objective as to why, greed is to want more, just to have more." Greed or ambition, what is it that motivates those who are blessed with sapience and rationality have more? As a God myself, I don't really know, mortals really are interesting.

Achilles was in his house by the servant's quarters, he had been learning how to read and write for a while now, so he decided to make note of what is needed.

-Three days worth of ration for personal use, one or two mules, some slaves for caring for the animals, maintening weapons and armor and for daily tasks, lt's see... the weapons and armor I already have, extra clothes and boots, we will problably be walking long distances so I will need lots of pairs... I guess that's it, What do you think Helena?

-Dear, you know I don't know about this things, but you should also bring tools with you, pans, axes and such, you will need firewood won't you?

-Oh, right, I almost forgot about that, let me note that here, ok, I think that's it.

Achilles then got up from the chair he was sitting and went to buy what he needed. He went to the slave market and bought two strong men, they seemed to be nothern in origin, but they could speak his language and knew how to do menial work. He then went to a breeder and bought the mules and on his way back he bought the tools and clothes, the food he would do so when it was closer to the day of departure, you know for obvious reasons.

It was two days before departure, Achilles woke up early, he had to go out, the army would meet at a camp some time from the city, he then had to find his unit make camp and all that stuff, so he went.

Achilles met with other squires and pages who were going out as well, but they were different from Achilles, they were nobles, they went on what looked more to be a caravan from how many servants, horses, guards and other luxeries there were.

Contrary to what people belive in Alex's former world, it wasn't like nobles had a inrational disgust for commoners, they had a superiority complex and were arrogant, sure, but it wasn't like they saw them as livestock. If a commoner showed the respect the noble deserved he would be seen in great light, after all when you are to govern you need to have a iron fist and a fair hand, if not there would be revolt, unrest and with that oportunity, as another noble could use the people to help conquer the territory. Populism is a political weapon as good as any.

And so Achilles went to talk to them. He got out of his horse and aproached a guard.

-Good day, good Sir Knight, I am one of the squires in training with Sir Agamemnon, may I humbly ask of you and His Lordship to let me acompany you in your journey?

Aquilles while bowing slightly ask the knight, after all you don't just aproach nobility like that, the knight called over another person and asked for him to ask the noble.

The noble was a young, black haired with a growing beard and he seemed to be bored as he had to wait for the preparations to be completed, suplies needed to be loaded on the carriages and such. The other person aproaches the noble, in humble respectful way, and says.

-M'Lord Oedipus, a man, who says to be a squire of Sir Agamemnon is asking to acompany, your Lordship in your journey. What should I respond?

The noble, who is called Oedipus, moves his head trying to find who was the person who asked for it, after finding the figure of Achilles he stops and responds.

-Bring him over.

Achilles given permission aproaches Oedipus, kneels with a bow and expresses his gratitude for allowing him to acompany him.

-Good, Achilles was it? I heard from you, why don't you tell your stories? I heard you saved Your Excellency, Lord Justin, from a monster the size of of a war horse and as strong as fourteen men!

Of course rumors would appear when a noble such as Justin is saved from danger while hunting, and as it happens with rumors and end up getting very exagerating.

-Oh, M'Lord, while it was indeed a great beast it wasn't as surreal. We were hunting in the woods and while waiting for the game to be drained I was patroling, that's when I saw it. It was a boar it was big enough for him to be able to stab my chest with his tusks. I tried to get away quietly but then I was called by M'Lord, knowing that the boar would charge at him I attacked first. I stabbed him in the side with my knife with strength to make in tip over, but the impact took all the air from my lungs. Realizing the danger the other's came over to help, the beast refused to die, no matter how much we stabbed it, until we were able to hit it's eye, even when it was already dead we had to be sure so we stabbed it until we were able to come back to reason.

Achilles told the story of how it happened doing movements to show the size and how they attacked, creating a somehow more immersive story for Oedipus.

-That's quite the story! I bet that you will start to shine soon like that! So you were a huntsman for his Lordship, is there any other story you have from it?

-Yes, M'Lord, I would be honored to- Your Lordship, I'm sorry to interrupt, but the preparations are ready we may depart.

-Oh, finally! Come Achilles! Tell me about it on the way!

Achilles nodded and got on his horse with the signal from the guards and the sun finishing to rise on the sky they departed.