Between Lions and Men

27: as a savage lion attacking a herd

Briseis

The men leave the house all day. I hear the crack of mortars, then the screams of dying men. The battle is raging on. I'm locked in a room but there is a bath so I have water. I couldn't bring myself to eat anyway. Surely Captain Peleus joined the battle as well by now? I haven't heard his war cry, nor the sharp whistles he gives to signal his troops movements. But then I'm not that close. I'm locked up in the same house Krista was.

The window is the second floor, and it's bolted fast. I'd dive out of it rather than be raped but just now I don't want to leap down to my death when there's nothing threatening me up here. Yet.

Finally, part way through the night, I hear footsteps on the stairs. I know Peleus' step it's not him, nor Menoetius. Surely they're in battle by now?  Surely everyone is? But it is a man's steps.

The door bursts open. It is the Colonel, he's wounded but not so badly he can't move quickly across the room to me. I step away.  He's angry, blaming me I think. I don't understand his language and while we both know English well enough he's not using it right now.

"Stupid, dog faced woman," that bit is in English. He's blaming me. I caught the word 'lose' did we lose?  Why am I their 'we'?

He grabs me by the throat and shoves me against the wall. I wait until his face is nearly at mine, to plunge the needle into his neck, emptying the syringe into it swiftly as I can. It's swift enough.

He staggers away, hand to it like that will do any good, "What---what did you just do?"

"What you deserved. Unfortunately it might not kill you," I say, and then I run. Menoetius' warning that taking two vials of morphine would kill me was duly noted. I just hope he didn't exaggerate. To be safe, I mixed the opium with it as well. We'll see what effect it has.

No one is on the stairs. I run all the way out of the house, and part way down the lane, before I am forced to catch my breath and begin walking steadily. I fear him following me. But I doubt if he'll be conscious for long. At least I hope not.

When I see a figure approaching me, I start only for a moment. I know his walk and silhouette. He's not even in uniform, just the thin shirt they wear under it, with no weapon at his side.

"What are you doing?" I ask, I can still hear the battle raging.

"Coming to rescue you?" he says, shrugging, "Not necessary apparently?"

"Necessary," I sigh, looking around, we're over an hours walk from camp.

"Come, back to my tent, we'll await news of the battle there," he says, putting an arm around my shoulders.

"Why aren't you fighting?"

"I told him I wasn't going, not until I had you back," he says, as though it should be obvious, "How did you get out?"

"I drugged him."

"Where did you get drugs?"

"Menoetius."

He nods, shrugging, "That follows."

"How goes the battle?"

"We were losing, the day at least, they're nearly to the ships."

"Gods above."

"I put up an offering, to Lord Zeus, asking for our army to prevail and win the day, and for Menoetius to come back safe," he says.

"I pray he listened."

"As do I."