"W-Wait!" She calls out, her word half a moan. "My husband, I've given him a cuckold's horns..." She admits. "I've lain with another man. Not including you."
Spoiler: Grapple Roll D100: 100 (Crit) "I think you might even enjoy it..." The Spartan grins, approaching him. She's still alert, but she's looking around the deck at other Athenian fighters, not at him, who she's already written off. As she raises her sword, looking at a nearby fight that threatens to spill into their area of the deck, she's unprepared for Talpharos as he springs to his feet, arms wrapping around her hips as he lifts her up before slamming her down against the wooden deck. Unarmored, there's nothing to prevent the air being driven from the woman's lungs, and she slumps over, unconscious. Spoiler: Ship Battle Spartans: 41+20 (Agoge Training) Athens: 72+10 (Athenian Naval Dominance) The Spartans, realising that it's unlikely for them to break the Athenian shield wall. In a disciplined manner, they retreat to their own ship, using the oars to press the hulls away from one another. The Athenians, bloodied, elect not to pursue. As the bodies are left in the sea with prayers to Poseidon, the grizzled captain approaches Talpharos, handing him some rope and gesturing to the Spartan. "You did well in the fight, boy. By the laws of Athens, she's yours to decide what to do with. I'd recommend leaving her in the sea with the rest - Spartans make poor slaves."
“Phew, that was too close for comfort.” Talpharos mumbled to himself as he looked at the unconscious woman. Once he was sure that she was no longer a threat he looked around other opponents – only to discover that the battle was over, the Spartans retreating. “Thank you.” Talpharos nodded at the captain and took the rope, then looked at the still-unconscious woman. She was not bad-looking, but she wasn't anything special either, in his opinion. He would likely need to regularly use the power Aphrodite had revealed to him in order to keep her under control. “Agreed, she seems more trouble than she is worth. I have no need for a slave that is likely to try and kill me in my sleep, if given the chance. So I will follow your advice.”
The reflexes to grab weapons were natural. But while most couldn't properly communicate she kept her spear point lower to the ground, in a sign that was clear that while she wouldn't disarm, she didn't intend to use unless actually provoked. As the runt emerged, she was in a bit of disbelief from the look at him. He didn't look particularly imposing compared to some of the others, though in good shape. However, she didn't want to make the mistake of judging ability by appearance. Truth be told, she was still relatively confident even if she was still somewhat weary from the wreck and having to track them, she could probably handle him. However, even if she was in perfect health, she could not possibly win against the entire tribe at once if it came down to it. "I am Rhea Decima. I am a vassal of my lord. He was taken after the shipwreck. Following the trail has led me here." She tried to keep her sentences somewhat short and to the point. Greek always tried putting an odd emphasis on the stupidest letters. But they did share something of a similar vocabulary that combined with the Greek she did remember, she could at least carry a conversation even if she wasn't the most literate in it. "You said there was someone else before me. What did they look like?"
"I'll have some of my mates take care of it." The old man nods, handing Talpharos some strong liquor. "You wouldn't be interested in joining the crew longer term, would you? I have plenty of javelinmen, but not as many archers as I'd like. I'd pay you a fair wage." He says, as the bound woman is taken away.
"Well met, Rhea, I have the honor of being Molossus, son of Neoptolemus, blood of Achilles, and ruler of this tribe. You stand in the land of Epirus, north of Greece, where I assume you were going? You're Roman, I suppose? I can tell from the way you mangle Greek - you all speak like drill sergeants." He raises an eyebrow. The young man is strange - he might only be chieftain over a tribe of barbarians, but he holds himself as high as any consul, with complete confidence in himself. "Might your lord be the insolent, soft young man who almost immediately tried to woo my mother upon arising to consciousness?" Molossus raises an eyebrow, looking at Rhea with amusement.
“It’s certainly possible.” She couldn’t exactly be too stunned by the news, but more just felt disbelief he would already be doing this after just making plans with her. Well…she was the one who said she wasn’t willing to think about it seriously just yet. Slightly shaking her head, she remembered that wasn’t the biggest problem and gave her best well practiced, expressionless stare. “I thank you for your aid when he needed it the most. I’m sorry for what trouble this may have caused you.” She did her best to speak in a diplomatic and elegant fashion, but with her language difficulties, she though actions would make it more clear as she visibly fully relaxed her spear stance into a properly neutral pose, now affirming they most likely weren’t actually dangerous.
"Was the woman with you as well?" Molossus asks, not seeming to care too much. "Looks like the boy, but older?"
"Go on..." The prince resumed moving his hand over her labia. It was not serious enough to send her to Tartarus, but it was a start...
“Thank you for the offer, but I'll have to pass. I have some things to take care of.” Talpharos politely declined offer before he had a quick taste of the strong liquor. Besides, he had no desire to be stuck on a ship with a bunch of other men when he could be chasing pretty girls instead.
"As you say. Well then, until next time." The man nods, then walks away, forgetting Talpharos. Calydon, Western Greece As Talpharos takes a break from rowing, standing on the deck, he watches as the Athenian warship is guided into a protected cove. A small rural settlement stands on the hilltop above, and Talpharos can see that it's buzzing with activity, people moving around like ants, too many to be just the normal population. "Peasants chased out of their homes by the boar, I'd wager - that and people come for the hunt." A sailor explains, seeing where Talpharos is looking. "King Oeneus forgot to honor Artemis, they say, and her punishment was the boar that's been ravaging his lands, so he's called on anyone who thinks they're able to kill it - just got to do a trial first. Apparently the queen hasn't shown herself the whole time - terrified her son's gonna die in the hunt. Damn shame, I say - I saw her once." He whistles, and gestures to his chest, before an officer chastises him and pushes him back to work. At a small dock, the ship anchors, and the crew begins unloading cargo - Talpharos is free to go on shore, with a treacherous looking row of stairs leading up the mountainside, next to a small cargo lift held by ropes and pulleys.
(I can’t totally remember everything that happened, if she was there or not.) “That would likely be his mother, yes. I will also be needing her returned. Where may I ask, is here exactly? How close to the capital?”
“I see... thank you.” Talpharos gave a nod to the sailor and watched the man get back to work before turning his gaze to the settlement above. Note to self: Take a peek at the queen, if given the chance. Once the ship had docked Talpharos got off and headed to the stairs leading up. Slowly and carefully he began the climb, figuring that he could use the exercise. I wonder what sort of test I will need to pass in order to join the hunt? And what sort of hunters I will meet there?
"That will be a problem - my brother took her, the head of a different tribe." Molossus says. "You're in Southern Epirus. Which capital, Athens?" He snaps his fingers and orders a slave to bring him a map, before gesturing for her to follow him into the large tent. Inside, she sees a throne on a raised dais at the end of the room, and a long table in the center, where Molossus lays down a map of the Aegean. "You're here, in the west." He marks their location with a circle. "Athens is here."
The stairs are precarious, but Talpharos manages to wind his way up the cliffside without breaking his neck. At the top, he gets a better view of the small city. He sees all the necessities of a proper Greek city - public baths, an Odeon for plays and poetry, a brothel, a large temple to Zeus, a gymnasium and a decent sized palace. Moreover, he sees that the city has been surrounded on all sides barring the cliff by tents. "Make way! Make way! Clear the road to the shrine of Asclepius!" Someone shouts, as a group begins shoving their way through the crowd. Three men stand at the front, each a giant who must be just short of seven feet tall. Behind them are a group of warriors from diverse cultures, and behind them are a group of greivously injured people, some gored, others burned - none of them looking particularly likely to survive long. Looking back at the front, Talpharos spots her - the huntress he came here to find. Atalanta tends to some scratches on her arm as she walks, a handsome young man with a laurel crown around his brow next to her. Four muscular and devious looking men walk behind her, one reaching out to grab her ass, and receiving a knife placed at his throat in response. The grabby man's friends reach for their weapons, but the crowned man angrily breaks the confrontation up. The party splits up, the wounded going to the shrine of the god of Medicine, as the healthy go toward the palace.
"I slept with my neighbor's husband..." She gulps as she confesses, dew coating the prince's hand. "The one whose wife I cheated. If things went to plan...he would have thrown his wife onto the street. I could then have made my husband have an accident... And I could become my neighbor's wife."
She took a few moments to process the news. “That’s quite some distance.” She weighed her options before deciding she didn’t have much of a better one. “Then I will retrieve her on my way to the capital.” She announced her intent openly and stiffly, believing related or not, it would be better to remain direct about her intent. “I will take the boy off your hands and escort her mother to the capital. Rome will reward handsomely for their safe passage. You already know that I make good on my end of the deal. You can see it on my face.”
"You can try - I don't know if my brother would be willing to give her up." Molossus says. "You can take them freely." She feels his hand touching her ass as she leans over the table. "Or you could stay a while..."
The touch was enough to make her freeze, her face locked into a way too girlish reaction of embrassament, before biting her inner lip at hard at remembering the slaves and guards watching her. She wasn't about to look weak here. Truth be told, she was still feeling the pain from her injuries, so pushing forward now would likely not be at her peak, but she couldn't exactly just wait with time she didn't have. "The protection and well being of my house comes first." She straightened up, trying to brush off his touch even while her face remained flushed trying to look totally serious. "You and your brother. Close? Not united under same tribe. Particularly attached?" It wasn't the most polished method to ask, especially in her limited greek, but she still believed it would be best to be clear and upfront about her motives with people like this, even if it was as potentially hostile. "I have no plans to wield a spear outside of self defense of myself, or those I'm charged with."
Molossus flashes her a boyishly handsome grin as she turns to him, seeing through the serious guise. "Oh, but you're injured. Surely you'll best serve your masters by staying and resting until you're healthy enough to fight again." He shakes his head. "If you're asking whether I'll swear vengeance if you kill him, the answer is no. But you won't be able to kill him. I'd recommend any method that doesn't involve fighting him, or you'll die."
