Between Lions and Men

14: and grant victory

Briseis

"You are the most self-absorbed, arrogant, duplicit man I have ever met!"

"We've been arguing for the better part of six hours. I don't think I've had as much fun since cheating the curse to die when jumping ashore," he laughs.

"I'm actually begging you not to elaborate," I sigh. This is like torture. No wonder they call war hell. People like him are involved.

"My patron goddess---,"

"You don't have a patron goddess—,"

"For my sins I do—,"

"You do not. The gods don't like you."

"My patron goddess warned me and the others that the first to jump ashore would die. So, none of us would jump---well Captain Peleus was about to— his boyfriend stopped him—so they just wrestled on the deck the whole first battle—anyway, nobody wanted to jump. So, I tossed my shield and jumped on it, therefore not on shore, and then an idiot leapt onto shore was promptly killed by Hecktor Priam—your side's greatest warrior—"

"They're not my side," I don't have sides.

"Whatever, you know what I'm trying to say—,"

"Wait, that was the most fun you've had? Till now?" I ask, stopping walking, "From landing, till now. For years? The most fun you've had? Was tricking someone into dying instead of you and now vexing me the entire night long? That's it?"

"Yes, that was what I just said," he says, nodding, "I didn't think of it as vexing, bantering rather? Are we not bonding? Was this not bonding? I felt of this as a comradeship, a bonding experience if you will?"

"No, we are not bonding, it is not bantering, I completely promise you that I dislike not only you, but the thought of you exactly as much as I say I do, and moreover, so has everyone else you've ever met," I inform him, holding up my hands.

"Hm, well then. Do you think other people—,"

"Yes, I think other people you were professionally irritating also found you completely distasteful," I say, nodding.

"Right. Well. My wife finds me charming, shall we?" he pauses to help me over a fence. Eighth fence we've done this and he's finally done it of his own accord.

"I hope that's true for your sake," I say, shaking my head, as I walk past him.

"It most definitely is. I also find her charming, I love her very much—,"

"I know. I think everyone on this continent knows how much you love your wife," I inform him.

"Good," he says, rather cheerfully, "All right then, we must go back to camp."

"Why---we've barely searched half the abandoned farms," I sigh.

"Because it's near dawn, and we have a council meeting," he says.

"Those take hours," I say, frowning.

"Yes, which is why I'm not going to go. I am, however, going to waylay a few of the men and get them to help us search, it'll go twice as fast if we get Menoetius to get Peleus to help us search properly," he points out, "Aias too can be motivated. The more of us looking the better."

"All right," I say. He has a point. Also I'd rather not be alone with him any longer. "Do you trust Aias?"

"For somebody to have hid her this well---that requires something approaching intelligence," he says, in his condescending manner, "That does not speak of Aias."

I nod.

"Here, I'll go inside and meet them coming into the room. Wait out here, the gods know Captain Peleus will see fit to loiter," he says.

"Fine," I say, petting the little dog I found as it jumps up on my legs.

"I'll be back in a moment, don't worry, we'll find her," he says, his face softening a bit then.

I nod again. It won't be soon enough.

He goes inside the building. It used to be a temple. Not anymore. Very few of the soldiers are up yet, just the night's watch returning. A few stagger out of their tents and into the street to piss or shout at one another. I am still wearing Captain Peleus' leather jacket. I hug it around my shoulders despite the warmth of sun already. I'm so tired. But I'm not resting until we find her.

The dog trots away, whimpering.

"Come back—I'm sorry," I pause when I see the dog leaving.

"Oh come back-- I will find you food," I sigh, feeling bad. Of course the poor thing would be starving. But it's not as though I have food myself.

The dog ignores me, running down the alley by the temple. It ran up to a soldier, who was leaned against the wall, kneeling, apparently having slept there. The man is tall, taller than Aias and he's the largest of them I thought. This man's barely in uniform, with several weapons on his side and back. The dog crawls into his lap to try to lick his face.

"Hello," he says, petting the dog and tipping dark glasses farther up his nose.

"I'm sorry, I just found him," I say, quickly, used to apologizing to the soldiers for breathing.

"He's a good dog, take good care of him," the man says, straightening up to his full height which feels twice mine. He produces something from his pocket for the dog to eat. "Don't say you saw me here, all right?"

"Yes, sir," I say, even though I have no idea who he is.

"Good girl," he smiles and seems to wink at me, though he's still wearing the glasses. Then he turns and walks away. The dog runs back to my side.

I sigh. Well at least he meant no harm.

"Don't go running off like that. Not all of them are nice as he was," I say, petting the dog, "I'm calling you—Captain. Perhaps one of you will respond when I call it."