Alexis of Troy (Book I)

ιζ′ - Dekaexi

Sixteen

"Absolutely not."

Chiron shook out his beard. It glistened with fresh water, indicating he had decided to take advantage of the river to cool down.

"You didn't even answer my question," I snapped, following him. "What is it about her you don't trust?"

Chiron's eyes were steely. "Bringing her on your journey will complicate things. That is all you need to know."

"What happened to being honest with me? Now you're going back on your promise." I darted ahead of him to block his path. The centaur threw his arms in the air, exasperated. I crossed my arms and raised my eyebrows. "Well? Start talking, buddy."

We had set up camp by the river. It was a little too out in the open for my liking, but the direct access to the water was nice. Zoisme was huddled next to a large boulder, her knees drawn up to her chin. She was trembling, but the milk of the poppy seemed to have taken the edge off. Paris was building the fire, and he kept shooting looks at the girl.

"I did not anticipate her presence," Chiron admitted, "and that worries me. A slave girl is not supposed to be part of your journey. It means that something has changed, or perhaps is being manipulated."

"Okay, well, if someone is manipulating an escaped slave, that's kind of cruel." Not that it was a surprise. The gods would do whatever they wanted without fear of consequence. "All the more reason to help her."

"Alexis, you have come a long way under my tutelage, but you still have so much to learn about this world." Chiron sighed and glanced at Zoisme. "You have a big heart, one that is easily manipulated. Be careful who you give it to."

"You're saying not to trust anyone. That's hypocritical, don't you think? Considering you literally told me to trust you."

"I'm the only one giving you honest advice. Whether you accept it or not is your decision," Chiron said, without even a hint of smugness. He wasn't being egotistical in his statement. To him, it was fact. In that sense, I supposed the centaur was the only one I could trust. Which wasn't all that comforting, considering he was only going as far as Troy.

"And I think Zoisme should come with us," I said, my tone final.

Chiron eyed me with a hum and then dipped his head in acceptance. "If that is what you wish then consider this matter dropped." He straightened to move away but paused. "Do not forget that I warned you, whatever may happen."

He wandered off to tend to his daughter and I exhaled an exasperated sigh. The blue and purple ombre of the evening sky was a silky, embroidered veil. Everything was picturesque, stunning. The scenery never failed to take my breath away.

The day slipped away without a word, night sliding easily in its place. Time was a funny concept in the ancient world. Days of the week had no consequence here, or if they did, I'd experience it. Each day passed like a lazy cloud. I could only guess if it was a Monday or a Friday, but no one else seemed bothered by the lack of distinction. It really showed that time was a manmade construct.

There was something nice about that notion. There was no need to rush anywhere (well, obviously, there was, but that's not the point). I didn't have to rush to work in the morning, didn't have to schedule every little thing into my calendar.

It was that absence that made me appreciate the ancient world. And here I was, running towards that structure once again.

Was running back to a life that was dictated by time and work a mistake?