Kairos

Chapter 7

"You're drunk?" I shrieked. Oh my god.

"And?"

My life was in the hands of a drunk man. To be fair, I had only noticed now so he wasn't acting intoxicatedly.

Alexander's eyes were cold and his posture was far too calm for the situation. Though his arm strained at the effort of holding up a shield, there was not an ounce of exertion or tension on his face as he took in the accidental battlefield. I watched his eyes track the movement of the arrows, searching for their origin. At that moment the attack ceased, and Alexander had already straightened, as if he had known how many arrows they had left. I struggled to my feet, thighs aching after having squatted for so long.

"BOULDERS ARE COMING FROM THE NORTHERN SLOPES AND THE ARROWS SOUTH! MOVE TO THE SOUTHERN SIDE!" I was impressed with how instantly the army sprang into action at his words. Everyone pressed against the right wall of the pass and I understood Alexander's logic.

The boulders were too heavy to be thrown and had to be pushed, therefore couldn't reach the other side of the pass. The archers, on the other hand, would struggle to hit when met with a wall of shields directly below them because there would be no flesh visible.

That didn't stop them from trying though, and I was once again hauled under Alexander's shield.

Suddenly black figures sprinted at us on all sides screaming guttural war cries. Oh no.

Alexander growled with utter frustration because he knew this was a losing battle.

"HOLD STEADY!" He shouted, though it did little good. The Macedonians tried to form a defence but many men had already fallen. Too many bodies were soaking the ground with their draining lifeforce.

"Alexander, we need to go!" Hephaestion's voice was composed, but his eyes were wide.

"The bodies!" Alexander cried; his usual composure gone. He looked frantically and as he took in the pitiful states of his troops. Anger and frustration flooded his features, furious that he had been caught off guard. I understood that some of his disturbance stemmed from the idea that he wouldn't be able to provide a proper funeral for some of the dead soldiers. My memories from Andromache in Troy had emphasised the importance of burying a body, one needed it to succeed into the afterlife.

"You need to save the rest of your army." He winced as if the very idea hurt him, jaw clenching.

"I promised their families! I promised-"

"If you stay, everyone dies. Save who you can. They may have won this battle, but we will win the war." Alexander screwed his eyes shut then uttered two short sharp whistles that caught the attention of two men I didn't recognise. Horns sounded and suddenly the mass of Macedonians retreated back down the pass and out of reach of the Persian archers like ants, far from the majestic, well-oiled machine of an army that had started out this morning.

***********************************************************************************************

After this intense brush with danger, I was mentally and physically exhausted - so much so that my very bones ached. I slid into bed and nearly sighed at the warmness, although the mattress was hard and unforgiving. I snuggled up and hugged the sheets around me tighter. My eyes started to droop shut lazily. I couldn't get to sleep - I hadn't really been able to since...but I was just enjoying the comfort and relaxation.

I didn't know how long it had been, when the flaps to my tent were lifted carefully and I felt someone's presence enter the tent.

I became instantly hyper-aware. Who was coming to see me? Alexander and Hephaestion were still in a meeting, and they were the only ones I knew. I forced myself to lie still, limbs loose. I laid, every sense straining, even as soft footsteps approached the bed. I slid a hand under the pillow slowly and panic surged when I couldn't find the blade Alexander had given me. Shit. I must have left it by the chair.