Trojan Slave (Book 1)

Chapter 34

Chapter 34

Sand was flying. Wind was whipping at hair, clothing, and skin. Waves crashed in a crescendo. The sun was a blazing ball within the sky, heating everything it touched. Her heart pounded loudly. The loudest beat, strong and steady. Speed. The only objective. Sea spray hit, sand stuck, the sun heated skin.

The chase was thrilling, making all thoughts fly away. The breeze made all bad dreams and silly, unsure feelings soar away. It took them far, far away from where the idea first came to mind.

After making sure she had stayed behind, Elpis put on a burst of speed. The sand shifted under her feet, making balance an instinctive act. Unthinking and watching her giggling twins ahead, she felt good at the fact they think they have her beaten. Her mind flew back to a similar time, so long ago, when she had had to fly across the sand. She had seen ships coming towards her...and so many of the people she had known had never been seen again.

Yet here on this beach and with her children before her, a different emotion entirely overtook her. A heat, nothing to do with the sun above, resonated through her. A love for those in her life, present and afar.

Unbidden, the thoughts tried to pry their way back in once more. And even as she tried to block them, they found the tiny crevices left by the horrors her dreams had led her too once more. Her body carried on in the chase. As she was purposefully slower than her children, it was no hardship at all. Her mind took her away again. It had been two full moons since the first ship had stopped off in the small port shielded by the cliff she lived near.

It was the first ship of many to dock, which had made its way from Troy, in those many weeks. All held warriors with wonderful, monstrous tales to tell. Stories of heroes and unspeakable deeds. And none so far had held Theod, or news of him. Her children had been impossible to console with each new ship's arrival and no more news of their father. Each time their hope so high was dashed to pieces upon the rocks below the cliff. Her heart broke a little more at their expressions and the fact that they tried so hard to cover their disappointment.

But it added to her grief as exactly the same happened with her. Each ship's arrival sprung a new hope in her deepest heart, only for it to bleed the darkest red at the lack of Theod. If the worst had happened, at least she could try and work past such a thing. Only she did not think she could ever recover. For so many years, the hope of his return had helped her carry on each day, as well as her duty and love to her children. She feared if the worst news came that she would end up giving up on living and only surviving for the sake of her children. And that would not be fair on them.

She just did not think her heart could take any more in this lifetime. The gods had dealt her so much death and pain. The small joys she had received were worth more than any riches. But could the gods be so cruel as to take something so small to them away? With a grim acknowledgment she realised that they could and would. But she was no one. Not in their great scheme. She just wished they had overlooked her for their games this one time.

She shook her head and allowed the sound of her children's laughs to wash away her thoughts as the waves washed clean the sand. Needing to forget, just for a moment, as well as keep the twins entertained, she sped up once more. Judging the space between them and the speed she went too, she tackled Photine. She was the slower of the two. Maybe due to the fact Androcles was so much taller than her already.

Spinning with her arms around Photine's waist, Elpis' back hit the soft sand and sunk slightly. The sound of uproarious laughter from her wiggling, squirming girl made her heart light once more. Trying to wiggle her way free, Photine was not trying extremely hard. But Elpis made a show of holding on tighter. "Never. I will never release you." She forced an evil sounding laugh past her lips. Her children squealed one more.