Trojan Slave (Book 1)

Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Theod was helping to sort through the items from the damaged areas. Some items were ruined, while others would just need to be out in the sun for a few hours instead. The jokes had been focused solely on him. He had to admit, he did not like being the centre of the comments, but it was good to see the men in such good spirits after such a violent storm, and so long into a campaign. If this was what it took to keep morale up, he was willing to sacrifice his ego.

Actually, most comments inflated his ego. It was more that he did not want Elpis to come by this way and catch what was being said. She had spent most of the first meal of the day in a constant state of flustered embarrassment, her face looking permanently burnt from the sun. Androc had offered to take her to the stream and help wash up once more. From their shared glance, he knew that he would take extra guards, so that left him in camp to deal with a boisterous crew. Was not he the lucky one?

Laughing as he caught an empty crate that he was sure was aimed at his head, he moved around the men and noticed Androc and Elpis in the distance. His attention on them, he missed the other crate heading his way. Until it crashed against his back. His glare black, he turned to aim it at whom-so-ever it was who had launched it in his direction. Only to find a crew of men looking very interested in their tasks. More so than he had seen all day. Narrowing his eyes, he surveyed the area. Solon, he realised, had suspiciously disappeared. Looking out over the rest of camp, he shook his head. The young one did not know what was good for him. But he was fast and, as much as it pained him to admit right then, excellent to have at your back during a battle.

Catching the grins in his peripheral vision, he turned once more to find once more the men totally focused upon their tasks. Well, if they kept this up, they may be done in an hour or two. Moving back through the men to the food that they had managed to buy from one of the latest shipments, he smiled at the thought of the merchants who had found business in war without having to lift a sword or face the danger of almost certain death. Unless you count the fact they may all drown at sea. But that was the lot they had chosen.

He found Galenos taking stock and grim faced; it did not look good. Yet, Galenos was not the most sociable of the men, so it could be well and he had just not told his face. Slapping Galenos' back as he approached, he sent his own eye over the stock before him. It may not be as bad as they first thought. "Well Galenos, will we starve?" He had tried to make it a joke, but knew the seriousness had leaked through to his words. They could not fight their best if their bodies were not given the best treatment.

"From what I can tell? We have lost a few crates, as they collapsed in the storm under the tent." Theod glanced over, realising there was very rarely seen humour in his companion's eyes. "Unless of course, you actually like food enmeshed in wet sand, and tasting of the sea?" Theod raised an eyebrow, as he had never seen this side of Galenos before and found himself wary.

He put a concerned hand on the man's shoulder. "Did you hit your head in the storm? You seem to have just made a joke," he allowed the shock in his voice to show through. He watched as the man next to him looked incredibly uncomfortable and cleared his throat multiple times before he managed to answer him.

"Um, I, well." Theod had to take pity on the man; he looked so lost. Give this man a sword and point him toward the enemy, and he will cut a path through them in minutes. Social interaction, it seemed, was his downfall.

Patting the shoulder he had clasped. "Do not worry about it, Galenos. Will we still manage to feed the troops well enough until we can replace what was damaged?"

A grateful expression and a nod, "Yes. We can. In fact there is actually the dried items we had brought with us. As we still have not used them. Due to Elpis, we have, in fact, gained extra rations."