Trojan Slave (Book 1)

Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Theod had managed to finally drag Elpis away from the injured after dark had fallen. The stars winked into existence long before she stopped. She had not broken down yet, though he could see the toll it had taken on her. They had lost more men and the mood was solemn. They would be back on the field on the morrow checking for their fallen men that had not returned. There would be no fight, not with the dead still out there needing the respect they deserve.

She had struggled against him. But it was not that much of a fight. In fact, it seemed to be more of a token struggle than her refusing to leave the fallen. She had been strong, so strong; refusing to show weakness in front of the men, she had waited until they were in the tent they shared before she had collapsed against him.

She did not speak, did not make a sound. Just sat on his furs and blankets, silent and remote as he washed the blood from her hands and arms, face and neck. The light within her had been snuffed out. For now all he could do was allow her the time for her mind to recover on its own. With her skin clear of the blood, sand, sweat, and tears, he handed her the meal he had managed to put together with some willing help of his men. However, it was obvious she was not thinking of what she was doing, so he did all he could do and sat beside her letting her know silently she was not alone.

He would not allow her to sit alone when she had become an integral part of their crew. It was at that moment he realised that she was free in his mind. Her slave status was the only thing keeping her safe from the others. She was his, and yet she was free.

Taking a moment to dispatch of the dirty water outside of the tent, he was stopped from re-entering his tent by Androc limping over to him, calling his name. "Do you need help old man?"

Androc paused in front of him, favouring his leg, and panting softly at the pain the movement had just caused. "Watch who you are calling old man." The glare meant nothing and they both knew it. "The men are all asking how Elpis is. They are worried for her." Androc tried to look around his body and into the tent. Only for Theod to move marginally to block any view inside. Elpis may trust him enough now to be seen this way, or rather she had no choice. But he would not ruin her pride by having everyone else know of the state she was in. She was strong and would come out of this; she needed no reminders of that.

"Tell them she is as well as can be expected. It has been a shock to her." He wiped his hand down his face, the weariness almost taking him over. "She has seen death before that much we know. Now she has seen the other consequences." They shared a look. All knew of the reactions from the first time warriors; it wasn't any place for the light-hearted.

"She has their respect Theod. They will not allow anything to happen to her. You need anything, just call out. Right now I need to sit down somewhere." A wry smile and a goodnight were exchanged before he watched his cousin limp away.

Entering the tent, he found Elpis in the same position as he had left her. Half the meal eaten, staring to a point he could not make out. He did not even know if what she saw was physically present or within her mind. Digging through his belongings, he had to admit the way she arranged his things made it a lot simpler to find the tunic he was after.

She could not stay in the Temple slave tunic she had on now. He should have thought of it earlier. Not that she had ever complained, but the white fabric was stained with blood and other such bodily fluids he would rather not think about, as well as the gritty sand and dirt smudges.

Kneeling before her, he took the unfinished meal from her lap and put it to one side. He took her hands in his and waited until her gaze landed on his, though still looking a little vague. "Elpis, you need to change your tunic." He did not know if she had understood, for there was no recognition and no movement. "Elpis. You have a choice. You change, or I will do it for you." He did not want to make her feel uncomfortable, yet he was not going to let her stay in the bloody garment.

Still no response. Well, he had given her a choice. He knew he would not take advantage of her. He untied the belt and discarded it behind him. Without any thought, he tugged at the bottom hem of the tunic and pulled it up and over her head. One quick tug, and she was before him naked. He swallowed, but did not lower his gaze from her face. While she had moved with the motions, she was still blankly staring ahead. It was disconcerting seeing this strong woman so broken. He pushed those thoughts aside in order to get on with the task at hand. Throwing his tunic over her head, she was covered in seconds. If she remembered this on the morrow she was going to be extremely embarrassed. At least she could be told that it was only necessary and he could truthfully say he had not looked, no matter how much he had wanted too.

Standing and pulling her with him, she was a little unsteady on her feet, but the tunic fell hitting her just below the knee. It did look as if he had placed her in a sack rather than a tunic he had had made specifically to his measurements, one of her shoulders coming through the neck of the garment.

As he cleared his throat rather loudly to distract himself, her gaze fully connected with his; for the first time, he saw the real Elpis behind the sheen. She seemed to shake herself, before giving him a wobbly smile. It did not stay in place long, but he recognised the effort. She looked down at the tunic he had placed her in and plucked at the fabric absorbed in the action. Elpis seemed to shake herself and bring her full attention back to Theod. "I will leave you to sleep. I know you were injured in the battle. You need to rest as well." He took hold of her wrist to stop her, turning his hand in order to clasp her fingers within his. She looked back at him. "Sleep, you should sleep. You were injured." She sounded so lost he couldn't stand it.

Pulling her forward, he gently held her against his chest, his arms keeping her in place. He tightened them as she went to move, only to find her trying to get closer to him. He tightened his grip upon her. They just stood there not saying a thing as a fine trembling over-took her slight frame. A chill took over her, the fine hairs on her skin standing on end. He knew she could not be alone tonight. Truth be told, he didn't want to be either.

Leaning down he whispered in her ear, "Elpis, it was not your fault. The ones who died had been fated by the gods to go into the next life. If it were not for you, the ones who did survive probably would not have." He had no idea if she had heard him or not, but her grip loosened. No one blamed her for the deaths except herself.

As her legs finally gave way, he swung her up into his arms only to lie her down on his furs and blankets. When he heard no protest, he turned her on her side and curved his body around hers. Placing one arm beneath her head, and the other coming around her waist, he pulled her closer to his chest. He was not letting her go, not for anyone. For Theod needed to feel closer to someone at that moment just as much as he wanted to help Elpis.

It was the first time he had shared a sleeping quarter since he was a child. It was a strange, unfamiliar feeling. He found the warmth and the sound of soft breathing lulling him into a deep sleep. His final thought before sleep claimed him was that he was making sure she did not sleep on the other side of that partition again.