The Heart of Alexander

Chapter Three - Fighting the Enemy

A/N: hey guys!! Thank you so much for reading my books. Sorry for not writing for awhile since I have been away. So please comment for any questions or any of that. Thanks!!! Oxyartes (her father) above. 

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329 BCE Sogdiana Rock

More wounded entered the fortress day by day from all over the area, even as far as Persia. I tended to the wounded in the morning and I spent my afternoons escaping with Kiro and walking the inner walls. I was always eager to see him, despite the suspicions my mother had.

Over the time we had spent together, I had learned a lot about Macedonia. Its weaknesses, its strengths, and so much more. I had heard briefly of Alexander of Macedonia and his battles, but never before had I heard of his personal world. Kiro told me about his equestrian skills and his brilliant war horse. He informed me about his years of tutoring with the best of the best and he told me of his scheming against his father's lovers. I pitied him, yet at the same time, I wanted to hate him with every bone in my body.

"Don't be frightened by Alexander. He is a noble one, more noble than his father ever was," Kiro assured me.

"Noble? You call slaughtering all the innocent Bactrians and invading people's homes is noble?" I snapped, anger swelling up inside me like a volcano.

"I'm sorry, Dafina. I didn't mean to offend you," he apologized.

I sighed and looked with the guilt towards the lands below me. I shouldn't take out my hatred to Kiro, but I did wonder if I should. He did after all invade my city. How many cities  I longed to ask him what he endured during the invasion.

"D-did you kill anyone before?" I asked, stuttering a bit.

"Yes I have. My first kill was a young boy, no older than seven. I regretted doing it, but it was an order and with an order, it is either me or the boy. I remember looking into his eyes before I brutally murdered him, " Kiro bowed his head as he reminisced every moment, "His eyes told me he had done nothing wrong. He was a true innocent unlike many others in the world. It pained me to kill him, to take him away from his family. I watched his mother weep at my feet and then over his body when I drove my sword through his throat. I killed someone who wasn't worth killing, all for the sake of my own life. It would have been better if my life was taken in the boy's stead,"

"I'm sorry to bring it up. I know it must have been hard for you," I spoke quietly.

"It's okay. You didn't know. Have you ever killed someone?" he asked me.

"Never,"

"Have you ever picked up a sword before in your life?"

"No," I answered shamefully.

"Well come on then!" Kiro took a hold of my hand and lead me quickly to the tower and down the stairs.

"Where are we going this time?" I chuckled, staying close to him.

"Wait and see, Dafina. You will like it," Kiro smiled back at me as we hurried along. My curiosity was beginning to get the better of me.

This time, we took a different turn, going further in the fortress than I have before. We entered a small room that contained straw made into beds. Kiro lifted the straw in the left corner of the room and pulled out two swords sheathed in sheepskin before putting the straw back in its place. He handed one to me and smiled.

"Come, come, Dafina. You have much to learn in so little of time," he said.

Kiro led me into a small abandoned court yard within the inner walls. All within the court yard was dried up or dead. But it didn't matter whatsoever. We were here for one thing and one thing only.