Xiphos Chapter 18

"Wake up young sir." A female slave girl patiently wakes me from my slumber leaving me to yawn.

"How does it feel to be a helot?" The girl turns red at my question.

"What do you mean sir?"

"How does Xenophon treat you?"

"Well he doesn't overwork any of us but he does enjoy testing our smartness strenuously."

I nod at her answer and she leads me to the others all already eating. I sit down and enjoy the rich and nutritious food to indulge in.

"Today I want all of you boys to come and care for the horse's with me!" Xenophon tells us and once we finish we then start to follow him to the stables. The stables hold large and beautiful horse's with slaves brushing their hair.

"I want us to first groom these horse's before we go any farther. Son's I know you both have experience but Damon do you?"

"No sir"

"By Apollo I'm glad for you to be here! You have yet to learn the ways of being a complete man." Xenophon then grabs a brush and starts stroking the largest one's hair with his son's following suit. Eventually I grab my brush, copying Xenophon's movements. The horse first starts huffing and puffing but eventually turns silenced and situated. Xenophon starts smiling and soon puts down the brush and lifts the horse's hooves. He starts cleaning and clawing out anything undesired and then starts to journey to us boys to assist us. Eventually he makes it to me and helps me clean the horse's hooves and eventually I start to move on my own. Afterwards the horse than prances in place looking upwards.

"Good job boys now let's start riding!" Xenophon starts to place straddles on the horse's with them being in complete obedience and stillness. He then starts lifting his youngest Diodorus on his own horse and then Gryllus on his. I managed to get on my own horse after a few tries trying my hardest to stay in control.

"Hold the reins of the horse loosely and allow them to feel joy riding with you." Xenophon tells us and eventually all the horse's begin to move at a slow and steady pace. For several hours we rode on top of the horse's my heart rate became less and less fast and instead the horse became more and more fast. 

"Good job boys now let's take a break." Xenophon leads his horse back in the stable followed by us and we head back to the house. "Sons, go ahead and play amongst yourself. Damon come with me into my writing room."

I walk upstairs in his estate and head into a small room with a view of the outdoors. The room holds many scrolls and much papyrus to write on.

"As a writer I would like to keep my works safe and having one copy of them is not enough. So I would like you to be my scribe and copy my work down." I nod my head and he extends a scroll to my hand which I accept. I begin copying the scroll on another piece of papyrus and while doing so he leaves me on my own after giving a small smile.

For the rest of the day I copy the scrolls and learn much from his book. Learning about what is expected of a cavalry officer, caring and riding horse's, hunting with dogs, and his own early life events during the retreat from Mesopotamia. In my past life I read the outlines of the books but now have gained a more adept knowledge.

The next few weeks follow the same structure: hunting, riding on horse's, and scribing his works. During the hunts my aim hits more often then it misses when targeting hares and when riding the horse always obeys me and even keeps up with Xenophon. 

Scribing out details of war strategies of skills of advanced outhinking and creativity. Such as when Xenophon recruited fame slingers with far range and allowed the enemy to get in close range so when they retreated they used the long range to completely mangle the Persian army with their backs turned.

"Damon." Xenophon takes me from my trance at the breakfast table and I gulp down a mouthful of soup.

"Yes?"

"Today you and I are going to visit the king. I have requested to put his life to pen and papyrus in which he has accepted. During our visit you can meet with your friend and even his betrothed if I heard right."

"Wait, are Nikolaos and the princess officially betrothed?" The sons of Xenophon in unison start ooing.

"Well the king has him as the favorite and so far the princess seems to be in agreement." I nod my head with gratitude due to the gained knowledge and once we finish breakfast Xenophon brings me outside. We retrieve our carriage and with his directions as I ride we make it in good time.

The king's residence is much larger compared to any other Spartan housing but I doubt it would be bigger than a rich artisan in Athens. The helots working seem to be more put together than any type of helot back in my pre agoge town. They quickly come and lead the carriage out of any way or danger as we make it into the house.

We knock on the door and eventually another domestic helot opens it. The house holds few decorations but instead many war trophies and sets of armors. Also quality Xiphos short swords and hoplite spears. 

"Welcome my friend!" The king darts out with a large limp wielding a Xiphos approaching Xenophon.

"Aww yes one of your famed introductions" Xenophon laughs and pulls off a Xiphos sword off the wall and the two begin to trade blows. 

"Still practicing I see." The king states to Xenophon and gives a harty swipe at Xenophon that just misses.

"If I don't I might get bested by an old man!" Xenophon strikes with vigor and the king laughs.

"You're getting up there in age too my friend!" The two continuously keep going and a small teenager walks across, eyeing the scene with a smile.

"Hey, do they do this every time?" I ask her and she stops walking across and I walk forward to her.