while, resting often. For a long time,
there was no one who didn’t belong there, but then she spotted a
man she didn’t know. He was dark, with dark hair tied back. He had
the look of a soldier—not the well-honed physique of Spartans, but
the wariness in his eyes as she approached him showed that he was
concerned about his safety.
“ Are you looking for someone?” she asked. She didn’t want to
ask him outright until she got a sense of him.
“ I am looking for an old friend.” Chara could tell by his
accent that he was not a Spartan. He spoke like the Messenians, not
like a Helot. Chara watched him for a moment. Spartan spies were
always Helots. She would never know for sure, so she had to take a
chance. If she was wrong, she would suffer.
“ I understand that people are being urged to desert,” she
stated blatantly trying to keep her voice steady; she didn’t see
any point in mincing her words. She certainly didn’t want to be
misunderstood and then have him walk away.
“ There are rumors regarding such things, I understand,” the man
said carefully. He was wary of her as well. “Who would you be
talking about? Obviously you are in no state to serve in the
Messenian army. In fact, you don’t look like you should be walking
around at all.”
“ I need to find somewhere to go.”
“ I’m sorry, I can’t help you,” he said and started to turn, but
Chara grabbed onto his arm.
“ They are going to kill my baby,” she pressed. “There must be
somewhere I can go.”
“ You can sell yourself into slavery.”
“ That’s hardly an option.”
“ It will keep your baby alive.”
“ But it has to live as a slave. You are heartless,” she
accused. She let go of his arm, ready to let him walk away—he had
nothing for her, she decided. But he stayed longer than she
expected him to, his eyes darted around to see if anyone was
watching them.
“ We can’t help, but perhaps the Athenians can. They require
people to help in Attica. Their lands have been ravaged, as has the
population. They would need people who are skilled with growing
food.”
“ I have worked the fields all my life,” she
confirmed.
“ Then I suggest you find an Athenian to talk to.”
Chara watched
as he left. It sounded simple, but she knew full well that she
couldn’t just approach any Athenian—she needed someone who could
say yes. She knew there were Athenians along the coast, she’d heard
they raided coastal villages on a regular basis, but she knew they
were hardly going to listen to her during a raid—she would just end
up a slave that way. She needed an administrator, not some soldier
she met during acts of aggression and war. But dealing with
Athenians—the enemy of the Spartan state—was an act of treason, but
since seeking out ways of desertion was punishable with death, why
not go the whole length?
She searched
her mind trying to find some way forward. Travelling to Athens was
impossible in her condition, besides, her absence would be noted.
Nicias would come looking for her and if she was not there, he
would know that she was not only defying him, she was acting
against the wellbeing of Sparta, which counted as a more severe
charge. She had to be here when he came, at least for a little
while, until he saw that there was no baby. Later, she could sneak
away and join her child.
Chara felt
like a massive load had been lifted off her. She had a plan now.
She didn’t know if she could make it work, but she had something to
strive for. She didn’t just have to sit there and wait for him to
come take her baby. A whole future opened up to her, one with a
child she could care for. She had given up on that dream once her
husband’s family convinced her that their barrenness was her fault.
As it turned out, it was his and not hers. The accusation bristled
now with its unfairness, but it didn’t matter. They didn’t matter
anymore, only the baby—her baby.
She just
needed to find a way to put her plan in
there was no one who didn’t belong there, but then she spotted a
man she didn’t know. He was dark, with dark hair tied back. He had
the look of a soldier—not the well-honed physique of Spartans, but
the wariness in his eyes as she approached him showed that he was
concerned about his safety.
“ Are you looking for someone?” she asked. She didn’t want to
ask him outright until she got a sense of him.
“ I am looking for an old friend.” Chara could tell by his
accent that he was not a Spartan. He spoke like the Messenians, not
like a Helot. Chara watched him for a moment. Spartan spies were
always Helots. She would never know for sure, so she had to take a
chance. If she was wrong, she would suffer.
“ I understand that people are being urged to desert,” she
stated blatantly trying to keep her voice steady; she didn’t see
any point in mincing her words. She certainly didn’t want to be
misunderstood and then have him walk away.
“ There are rumors regarding such things, I understand,” the man
said carefully. He was wary of her as well. “Who would you be
talking about? Obviously you are in no state to serve in the
Messenian army. In fact, you don’t look like you should be walking
around at all.”
“ I need to find somewhere to go.”
“ I’m sorry, I can’t help you,” he said and started to turn, but
Chara grabbed onto his arm.
“ They are going to kill my baby,” she pressed. “There must be
somewhere I can go.”
“ You can sell yourself into slavery.”
“ That’s hardly an option.”
“ It will keep your baby alive.”
“ But it has to live as a slave. You are heartless,” she
accused. She let go of his arm, ready to let him walk away—he had
nothing for her, she decided. But he stayed longer than she
expected him to, his eyes darted around to see if anyone was
watching them.
“ We can’t help, but perhaps the Athenians can. They require
people to help in Attica. Their lands have been ravaged, as has the
population. They would need people who are skilled with growing
food.”
“ I have worked the fields all my life,” she
confirmed.
“ Then I suggest you find an Athenian to talk to.”
Chara watched
as he left. It sounded simple, but she knew full well that she
couldn’t just approach any Athenian—she needed someone who could
say yes. She knew there were Athenians along the coast, she’d heard
they raided coastal villages on a regular basis, but she knew they
were hardly going to listen to her during a raid—she would just end
up a slave that way. She needed an administrator, not some soldier
she met during acts of aggression and war. But dealing with
Athenians—the enemy of the Spartan state—was an act of treason, but
since seeking out ways of desertion was punishable with death, why
not go the whole length?
She searched
her mind trying to find some way forward. Travelling to Athens was
impossible in her condition, besides, her absence would be noted.
Nicias would come looking for her and if she was not there, he
would know that she was not only defying him, she was acting
against the wellbeing of Sparta, which counted as a more severe
charge. She had to be here when he came, at least for a little
while, until he saw that there was no baby. Later, she could sneak
away and join her child.
Chara felt
like a massive load had been lifted off her. She had a plan now.
She didn’t know if she could make it work, but she had something to
strive for. She didn’t just have to sit there and wait for him to
come take her baby. A whole future opened up to her, one with a
child she could care for. She had given up on that dream once her
husband’s family convinced her that their barrenness was her fault.
As it turned out, it was his and not hers. The accusation bristled
now with its unfairness, but it didn’t matter. They didn’t matter
anymore, only the baby—her baby.
She just
needed to find a way to put her plan in
Similar Books
