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Apr. 17th, 2007 09:58 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
hippodamioIn a palace the size of the one at Troy, it was easy to miss one of the King's many sons. Phoitios did not worry much after the boy headed off to work on his letters; the Palace was big, and he had the other boys to teach. Not until the sun was halfway down the sky again did he realize young Hektor was missing. Biting back a curse, he set out to look for Priam's wayward boy. Along the length of the main Palace hall, up the stairs to the towers, down again to the armory- the boy was always poking his nose into the armory- but no; there was no king's son there. He bit back a curse and turned to the last remaining place the boy was likely to be found.
Alektryon, the Horse Master, grew tense as he saw the royal tutor approach. "I haven't seen him, Phoitios," he began.
Phoitios cut him off with a jerk of the head. "I haven't said who I'm looking for."
"Word travels, when you move through the Palace like a thundercloud," Alektryon answered. "He didn't come to the stables, I know that for certain. Or if he did, it was none of my doing; I haven't seen him at all, today."
A curse slipped through Phoitios' clenched jaws. "Well, then," he said when he felt himself again, "where do I look for the brat?"
"Have you tried-" began Alektryon, but from the far side of the stables came a cry of "Hoy!", and he stopped. "That, I think, is your charge. Go and fetch him yourself; I've had nothing to do with it."
If he's gotten himself kicked by one of the stallions, I shall never hear the end of it, thought the royal tutor with a scowl. Though it would serve him right- oh, Merciful Zeus, he's got into the paddock with Podargos!
The big dapple-grey stallion's whinny was the sort you do not forget and know anywhere that you hear it. Phoitios swore and ran for the paddock. The king would have him whipped like a serving-boy if Podargos had at his son, for to be certain the stallion would leave the boy battered within an inch of his life. There was no way, none at all, that this could end well.
Yet there was no further sound from the stallion, or at least none that Phoitios could hear; and when he drew close enough, a sight he had little expected met his eyes. The great grey stallion stood no more than a spear's cast from the fence that marked off his grazing-ground. His ears were pricked forward, his attention fixed; but he neither tossed his head nor stamped in anger. He only watched the small brown boy who clung to the top-most pole of the paddock fence like a monkey, and once gave a snort of curiosity.
"It is all right, Phoitios," said Hektor, without taking his eyes from Podargos' shoulder. "He knows I mean him no harm, or I should have come down from here long ago and done it."
"What are you doing up there, boy?" Phoitios cried. "Are you mad? Your father will have someone's hide for this."
"For what?" asked Hektor. "I've not been harmed, and I've done no harm to the horses. I sat here all these hours, watching them; that's all. Better I learn their ways without bothering them, or Alektryon, if I am ever to have a chariot-team of my own."
"If you fell from up there you would break your neck, you young rascal," said Phoitios. But there was no real heat in it. He had seen the boy climb before.
"I was in no danger of falling," said Hektor. "I would have come down first."
"Well, come down now. It's nearly your supper-time- horses or no."
"Oh, very well," said Hektor, and with a sigh he clambered down the proper side of the fence.
Alektryon, the Horse Master, grew tense as he saw the royal tutor approach. "I haven't seen him, Phoitios," he began.
Phoitios cut him off with a jerk of the head. "I haven't said who I'm looking for."
"Word travels, when you move through the Palace like a thundercloud," Alektryon answered. "He didn't come to the stables, I know that for certain. Or if he did, it was none of my doing; I haven't seen him at all, today."
A curse slipped through Phoitios' clenched jaws. "Well, then," he said when he felt himself again, "where do I look for the brat?"
"Have you tried-" began Alektryon, but from the far side of the stables came a cry of "Hoy!", and he stopped. "That, I think, is your charge. Go and fetch him yourself; I've had nothing to do with it."
If he's gotten himself kicked by one of the stallions, I shall never hear the end of it, thought the royal tutor with a scowl. Though it would serve him right- oh, Merciful Zeus, he's got into the paddock with Podargos!
The big dapple-grey stallion's whinny was the sort you do not forget and know anywhere that you hear it. Phoitios swore and ran for the paddock. The king would have him whipped like a serving-boy if Podargos had at his son, for to be certain the stallion would leave the boy battered within an inch of his life. There was no way, none at all, that this could end well.
Yet there was no further sound from the stallion, or at least none that Phoitios could hear; and when he drew close enough, a sight he had little expected met his eyes. The great grey stallion stood no more than a spear's cast from the fence that marked off his grazing-ground. His ears were pricked forward, his attention fixed; but he neither tossed his head nor stamped in anger. He only watched the small brown boy who clung to the top-most pole of the paddock fence like a monkey, and once gave a snort of curiosity.
"It is all right, Phoitios," said Hektor, without taking his eyes from Podargos' shoulder. "He knows I mean him no harm, or I should have come down from here long ago and done it."
"What are you doing up there, boy?" Phoitios cried. "Are you mad? Your father will have someone's hide for this."
"For what?" asked Hektor. "I've not been harmed, and I've done no harm to the horses. I sat here all these hours, watching them; that's all. Better I learn their ways without bothering them, or Alektryon, if I am ever to have a chariot-team of my own."
"If you fell from up there you would break your neck, you young rascal," said Phoitios. But there was no real heat in it. He had seen the boy climb before.
"I was in no danger of falling," said Hektor. "I would have come down first."
"Well, come down now. It's nearly your supper-time- horses or no."
"Oh, very well," said Hektor, and with a sigh he clambered down the proper side of the fence.
