(no subject)

[hippodamio]

The foreigner, Kou'te-bpe as he has asked to be called, has been learning the use of the spear at a commendable rate. Likely he'll never be an expert in its use, but one cannot have everything. Besides, he above all men has less need than most to keep his enemy as far away as a spear will reach; so as long as the enemy still uses bronze, and does not turn to rampant foolishness and silver-plate their weapons, it should be well.

But there remains the matter of knowing what he is entirely capable of, and so today he is being called away from spear practice to the high-walled enclosure where cattle are kept, one or two at a time, before being led to sacrifice. If there is any place in the Citadel where the foreigner can show what he is capable of without there being danger to everyone else, it is there.

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[there-is-a-me.livejournal.com]

He sniffs the air, first. "Cows." is the quietly disgusted mutter. Nothing good ever came from cows.

Except cheese. Anyway. "Hektor." he says rather more politely, with a small tilt of his head.

[hippodamio]

"Bulls, more than cows," says Hektor. "But yes. Thank you, Kou'te-bpe. I hope I haven't disturbed your practice too much."

[there-is-a-me.livejournal.com]

"It's never going to replace the sword for me, but I think that Cre'hktdi will be pleased when I see her again. Assuming that I remember to use weapons at all, that is." He stretches, popping his shoulder back into place absently, "What did you need of me?"

[hippodamio]

"You've spoken of your curse before, and what it does for you," the prince says. "Before we go to war I think I would like to know just what it does, and what I can expect from it. I would sleep better knowing exactly what sort of beast was at my back, so to speak."

[there-is-a-me.livejournal.com]

There are old lines in his face which ease, but never leave. They deepen again and he says quietly, "I would feel more comfortable if Rhene were here. She is mine, and I know that I will never hurt her. I am your man, for the time being, but I can not be certain of my other self."

[hippodamio]

Hektor nods. "Of course," he says, and calls one of the servants over. "She'll be here soon enough. It seems my sister's trouble with words is no great thing, to her. She seems quite fond of Kassandra, and my sister of her."

[there-is-a-me.livejournal.com]

"She did walk me through my madness." Kou'te-bpe says fondly, "Rhene was my voice in times when I couldn't speak a human tongue, let alone Greek. I am very glad for both of them."

He always has to resist the urge to offer the princess one of his few remaining fags.

[hippodamio]

Hektor nods. "She can't understand Kassandra, of course, that is something Hellenus alone can do- but still; it doesn't bother her, which is saying quite a good deal."

The patter of feet and the clink of such ornaments as Hektor's sister has lent her new friend announces Rhene's otherwise-quiet arrival.

[there-is-a-me.livejournal.com]

"Hello, Rhene." Spoon says with a smile for the girl, "Hektor wishes to see my curse. Will you stand with him while I show it?" She's the only person living who has seen it, here, and he's fairly certain it will be easier on the prince as well as on Spoon himself if she's there.

[hippodamio]

Rhene smiles back and bows a little. "Of course," she says, and moves to stand by the prince's side. "Will it be long, do you think?"

[there-is-a-me.livejournal.com]

"No, not long." Kou'te-bpe takes the beads from his hair first. He could pick them up later, but it would be harder. Those, the thongs, and his sandals he hands to Rhene. The rest of his clothing is shucked while he has his back turned.

Then he straightens. And straightens. And the howl that he lets loose rattles any loose stones in the room he is in as the Brown turns to scent near!pack and a known smell. There is very little aggression in the wild gaze, and he stands still.

[hippodamio]

The shedding of clothing is no great thing. Hektor has heard the Thracians do as much, stripping down to race into battle wearing nothing more than the blue paint they dye into their skins. But after that. . .

Kou'te-bpe will not know the words, and Rhene is not likely to either, but a soft invocation of the oldest gods of all in Hekabe's native Phrygian tongue can be heard. And that is all Hektor does; it is costing him much, not to raise his hand at once in the sign against evil.

[there-is-a-me.livejournal.com]

The mobile ears of the Brown flicker forward, his nostrils flare at the scent which spikes the air. The bitch-cub stands by the prey-scented human, however, and the Brown paces in indecision. He will not risk the bitch-cub, but the smell is intoxicating.

[hippodamio]

He swallows, and sets his jaw; he can see the claws from here, and the fangs were visible enough for that moment. As for the rest. . . well, the way the great beast moves speaks for itself, he thinks. "Rhene," he says to the girl, "will he change back, if I ask him?"

"Perhaps not," says Rhene, "but it is different if I will."

She steps forward so that she is squarely between Hektor and the great brown creature. "That is enough," she says, lifting her chin a little. "You can go back now."

[there-is-a-me.livejournal.com]

The Brown's ears flicker forward again, then flatten in the manner of a canine signaling agreement before he starts the far more painful, far slower, reduction back into the human form. Now the strain shows; in the way his shoulders hunch, in the way he drops to his knees as his bones twist back into human configurations.

Eventually, and softly, "Thank you, Rhene." and the shadowed brown eyes which lift to Hektor's face are tired, and a bit wary.

[hippodamio]

Rhene moves forward to support him, and to assist him as far as he needs in clothing himself. As for Hektor, his expression is only thoughtful; considering, perhaps even calculating, but not particularly repulsed or afraid.

Eventually he speaks. "It startled me. I had forgotten- I have seen paintings of shapes such as that, ivory work out of Egypt, though the forms they show are far more slender and fine. It is. . . a good thing to be aware of, and I thank you for doing that."

[there-is-a-me.livejournal.com]

He leans on her, and he's not ashamed to do so. He does need her help getting clothing on, just as he will getting his hair re-braided later. It passes, though, as everything does and by the time Hektor speaks, Kou'te-bpe is able to stand straight, "Thank you, Rhene. If you wish to go back to Kassandra, I will not object."

he glances at Hektor, to see if the prince has questions for her, then speaks to Hektor's words, "There is very little fine about my curse. The Egyptian gods are something else. Do you have questions?"

[hippodamio]

Rhene nods, and bows again, and heads off to the women's rooms.

"I think not," says Hektor. "Save perhaps- does it come upon you unawares, and if it does, how do I turn it aside should my men be in harm's way?"

[there-is-a-me.livejournal.com]

"The three nights of the full moon...I will probably come here." Spoon slaps the wall of the cattle cell, "And I will need live meat. The more it fights, the better. The rest of the month it is under my control."

The ability to say that truthfully is a hard won one indeed.

[hippodamio]

"That can be arranged," says Hektor. "You have not met our bulls, I think. They are not quite so big as the Cretan stock, but it is as much as a man's life is worth to cross one when he is in a temper. It will be counted against your shares of plunder in the combat that lies ahead."

[there-is-a-me.livejournal.com]

Kou'te-bpe's voice is wry, "Then I will have to hope that there is plenty of plunder. Without meat those three nights it is more likely that I will lose control. Fighting as a man will help as well."

With no other duties, that is what he does from when he wakes until when he sleeps. The foreigner rises as early as any in the palace and works with spear and shield or sword until the dinner hour. It helps.

[hippodamio]

"There will be," Hektor says, in the tone that other men reserve for the sun will rise tomorrow. "These bandits have been digging themselves into the cliffs for years now, ever since Crete was thrown down. The lands along the Euxine shores are rich, and many a ship passes up the Straits of Helle, but few enough of them make it back down again. These men have built up much in their fortress stores. I don't think any man will lack for his fair share."

[there-is-a-me.livejournal.com]

"Good." is the response, "Need enough to keep me in moon-meat, and enough to take care of Rhene." Because he's going to take care of her. She's his, as much as he's Sergeant Harry Wells' Spoon. "When do we fight?"

[hippodamio]

"As soon as the weather turns our way. There are two holdings between here and Dardania that I want flushed as swiftly as possible, but the men who claim them were fine sailors once. When the winds turn foul and they haven't the option of escaping by sea, we'll sweep in on them to begin with."

[there-is-a-me.livejournal.com]

His lips quirk, then, and he asks, "Should I try to get a facsimile of my armor made? It won't be the skeleton of a kainde amedha, of course, but I remember how to shape it."

[hippodamio]

"Our smiths are busy turning out new weapons at the moment," says Hektor. "But the tradition here is that whatever else is captured in battle, you keep the arms and armor of those men who fell by your own hand. It would not be such a difficult thing, to put a smith to reshaping such armor to suit your needs once you had it."

[there-is-a-me.livejournal.com]

The yautja nods, smiling faintly. This won't be the first time he's gone into a fight wearing little to no armor at all. "Sounds like a good way of dealing with things. Won't need all of it, of course, but at least I know what to take for trophies."

[hippodamio]

Hektor nods. "We'll get you a proper shield, the man-covering kind," he says, "and a helmet if you wish- there are enough of them. Will you need anything else?"

[there-is-a-me.livejournal.com]

"No." Kou'te-bpe says with a shake of his head, "There isn't anything else that I need. Except a nap. A nap would be good."

[hippodamio]

"Well enough," says Hektor. "Thank you, Kou'te-bpe. I'll leave you to seek your bed, then."