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Post by jamie on Apr 9, 2007 20:23:51 GMT -5
Things were not as simple as before, people from every Greek city-state starting to fear the Persian onslaught. The men and women of Sparta were supposed to look upon such fear with boldness and simply brush it off. Xen could feel it in the city though, the fear was in everyone. There had been stories of what the Persians did to those who did not surrender. Odds were that Sparta would receive the full blow as well. For years they prided themselves as the best military forces in the world, and the Persians would like nothing better than to shut them up. That was the reason for this constant training, and also for the various messengers coming through Sparta.
Athens was beyond frightened now, or at least that was Xenophon's opinion of the city. They seemed to stay away from every conflict, instead resorting to knowledge to gain their wealth. There would come a time though were they could not run anymore. That time was soon approaching, as the Persians sacked yet another Greek city. Corinth was the third most powerful nation in the lands of Greece, but it had fallen in mere days. Now the enemy was approaching swiftly.
They said that thousands, possibly millions marched under the command of the Persian king. Xenophon did not doubt them either, for the lands of that nation stretched for hundreds of miles across Asia. That was not a reason to be afraid though, it was simply a reason to fight. Even if people did decide to run, they could only get so far before those million overwhelmed them. Sparta would stand proud, and so would Xen. His time for glory was soon approaching.
A black horse moved slowly through the fields beneath the cavalry commander, eyes darting from side to side as if afraid of this land. This was the exact place where Xenophon found the beast, with a lone wolf attacking it. Needless to say, even the Spartan's eyes were constantly scanning the fields for any sign of trouble.
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Queen Thais ♥
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Post by Queen Thais ♥ on Apr 10, 2007 3:18:01 GMT -5
Thais lead her small army of cypriotes in the countryside of Sparta urging her ebon stud to canter through the field. His muscles rippled gently across his black skin, his hooves hammered the earth. The stud was covvered with gold chains, wore a bronze bridal on which were precious stones engraved. He coat was shinned to perfect, main combed from any tangle.His rider wore leather boots, a blakc dress which ended below her knees, a great jack made of fur and leather gloves. Her hair were flowing down her shoulders and she was decorated in jewllery. Some would say she looked more like a Persian king than a Cyprian Queen.
Her army stopped before the spartian soldiers. As Thais' warriors were best trained in their riding skills Thais planned for them to protect the other troups on horseback. ''Okay my army, we begin the cross country training. Warm up your horses and begin practicing. I want to see everyone fly round their galloping horses as if they're thin air.'' the Queen told her troops. She glanced at the man on black horse and nodded at her troops to begin. Then, she span Altivo round to begin cantering over to the spartans. ''Hello lords,''she smiled halting before them,''Now I hope you don't mind if our army trains here.''she grinned.
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Post by jamie on Apr 10, 2007 18:31:01 GMT -5
The black horse was moving at a quicker pace now, Xenophon urging it forward as he noticed a familiar figure retreating from the forest. Chirisophus was a fantastic soldier, who had more experience in the matter of cavalry than Xen himself. It was only due to a small discipline issue that the older man did not take command of the small unit. Still, that did not keep the young Spartan from seeking his advice at every turn. In a way he was more of a guiding hand than a lower ranking soldier. It seemed as though he moved with urgency though, something obviously wrong. Again Xenophon urged the ebony stallion forward, eventually intercepting the other Spartan, and with a slight motion of his hand urging the other man to slow his pace.
Chirisophus eventually did pull back on the reins, bringing the whiter animal beneath him to a halt. When Xen did look up, he noticed why his companion seemed a little edgy. The other Spartan moved to draw his sword as these other horsemen started training on their lands. He had a right to be angered, especially when only Spartans roamed these fields. In a way it was their sacred ground, where many young men gave their lives to be simple hoplites.
While Xen was not one for politics, he still knew how to speak with others without using a weapon. It was a skill that many Spartans seemed to lack, as it was usually their xiphos that spoke. A female horseman approached the pair, Xenophon removing his helmet and tucking it under his arm. His eyes were narrowed though, and he was less than pleased to see these men training on his nation's lands. A smile seemed to stretch over the woman's face as she started to speak, the words forcing a reply from the cavalry officer. "Why, might I ask, is your army roaming free in our lands?" Her accent was easily identifiable to the seasoned soldiers, which brought about another question. Why, was a cavalry unit from Cyprus training in the harsh landscape of Sparta?
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Queen Thais ♥
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Everything best you can't buy. Everything second best you need a fortune for.
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Post by Queen Thais ♥ on Apr 10, 2007 18:39:52 GMT -5
''Actually that is the reason why I'm here before you.'' the queen of Cyprus began,''I didn't mean to roam through your lands so freely but I'm afraid there's no more land for us to train on and we most certainly have to keep our troops and horses in form if you wish for us to help you ast war.'' Thais was almost exoecting he'd tell her no one needed their help and would tell her to get the hell out their lands but she wasn't going anywhere untill Leonides told her to. She was called to travel here for nothing? Oh no, that wasn't going to even be the situation.
But what else can you expect? If Thais was a man her treament would definalty be different. Sadly in the hellenic world it was not yet the custom of having female rulers, espeically ones as Thais, proud, almighty and bloodthirsty.
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Post by jamie on Apr 10, 2007 19:05:21 GMT -5
Xenophon listened as the woman explained herself, still sitting straight in the saddle, obviously not intimidated by the two scarlet clad soldiers. Even the officer's second in command seemed to be understanding the situation a little more. That is until she spoke about helping the Spartans at war. Chirisophus scoffed at this comment, nearly falling from the saddle that held him to his impatient steed. In a way the horse resembled his attitude, always one for movement and combat at that. It seemed that the older man could never listen when talking of matters such as these. It was most likely his only major flaw, but one that sometimes pushed him toward trouble. The proud warrior was about to burst, and Xen knew that the first words from his mouth would not be suitable for the female leader.
As a result, before he could even say anything, the cavalry officer turned his head and shot him an icy glare. It was obvious that the look was used when Xen wanted his men to just remain quiet and instead serve as just another presence. Sometimes it was better when he spoke, knowing more manners than most of the other men under his command. "I assume my king knows that you have arrived with your units?" It was obvious that Leonidas was aware of her presence, otherwise there would be hordes of scarlet robed individuals surrounding the horsemen.
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Post by Queen Thais ♥ on Apr 10, 2007 19:12:41 GMT -5
Thais glared at the men the rage growing inside her, burning against her hurt. She suddenly wished she was by the persians; somehow they managed to treat her better than a bunch of snobby spartians. She glared from man to man, her look so cold and dark. She then watched the main. ''Atleast show some respect.''she hissed trhough her teeth and spun her stud round. Turning her back at them as she had already at the persian king and so many other much mother important persons that them, she answered the man's question,''Leonides knows about me more than he knows about you.'' she said and galoped back to her troops. ''Let's do some damage...''she told one her greatest warriors, a man on a roan stud. Straightaway her army began their practice, leaping round their horses better than the amazons ever have. Sure spartans thought they were they best but Thais knew her troops were atleast polite.
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Post by jamie on Apr 10, 2007 19:29:39 GMT -5
Xen just watched, trying to achieve a better understanding of how this woman thought. Her eyes seemed to bore into the two warriors, filled with hate. Well she was a fighter, that was one thing that the officer could see. She had courage as well, standing up to the pair of horsemen without any of her own men around to protect her. Instead they were all playing "war" in the field. In all honesty they seemed to just be prancing around the plains instead of training, but Xenophon did not even think of speaking that opinion. "With respect my lady, I am showing as much courtesy as I can at the moment." The king did not even inform the younger Spartan that these people from Cyprus would be training on their lands. In a way, Xen was infuriated with that fact more than the foreign men wandering Sparta's fields.
She spoke of Leonidas as though he were a sibling though, something that also sparked Xenophon's anger. That was one of his weaknesses, a rage that was easily brought to bear. This time though he was able to control himself, not even responding to her comment of his king knowing more of her than he did of his own soldiers. The woman spun, heading back to watch over her units, leaving the two Spartan horsemen alone. The commander turned to his comrade and in a low voice gave a small order. "Return to the city and make sure that the men get some sleep. I'll return in a few hours." Not wanting to question a superior, the older cavalry trooper nodded and then maneuvered his stallion, heading back to the halls of Sparta.
Xen sat there for a few minutes though, watching as the Cyprus soldiers practiced around the fields, swords and spears flashing in the afternoon sun. Slowly he urged his horse forward until he moved up beside the woman again, eyes still staring forward, watching the fields. "I'm sorry about the inconvenience we caused back there, but with enemies wandering everywhere it's hard to determine who is a friend and who is a foe." It was a small excuse, but Xenophon hoped that it was enough.
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Post by Queen Thais ♥ on Apr 11, 2007 4:26:35 GMT -5
Thais heard the voice behind her and turned the ebon stud round her leg. ''I get this treatment all the time. As long as it doesn't happen again we're fine.'' Thais responded her eyes focused on the man. This time they weren't filled with such warth and hatred as before; it was one of Thais' 'calm but serious' looks. She tossed her hair back and rolled it in a quick bun while her men trained. Her men were lucky to have such a connection with horses - they could feel each other's breath, heartbeat. Thais would be suprised if anyone in Greece had such connection. Fine maybe their fighting skills weren't as fantastic as Sparta's, but Cyprus was a small island were it was diffiicult to train such a great army. But Thais knew that whoever attacked never won. Thais would never in her life let someone overtake her throne but propably her heir.
Thais was quite tired already. She spent the morning searching for lands, travelling from one greek city to another and now the whole training part. Finally after a moment of silence she added,''What do you think of this war? Is it just another excuse for someone to attack us?'' she spoke almost silently. It wasn't even the thought most people dared to think and here Thais said it outloud. One day her bravery would kill her.
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Post by jamie on Apr 11, 2007 18:25:43 GMT -5
Xen watched as the woman's horse spun on her command, turning to face him and the animal that he was currently riding. Her response was more than he deserved, and the soldier did not mind the still stern tone at all. Compared to his trainers from the Agoge, she was one of the kindest people in Greece. The cavalry officer leaned forward slightly, his arms propped on the front of his saddle while his stallion nibbled at the scorched grass, brown after months of constant sun and little care. Then again, with all the soldiers marching through this area, Xenophon was surprised that there was any grass at all. Her soldiers were good on horseback, though sometimes the fighting could turn to the ground. In that area, the Spartan wondered whether these men from Cyprus could hold their own.
The officer sat straighter as various cavalry members streaked from the side, striking various targets with different weapons. Xen was about to say something, but it was cut short by the woman's own voice. "War is always an excuse to attack another country, that's what makes it war. Persia wants to extend their empire, so they decided that Greece was a beautiful piece of land, a perfect place for their summer homes." For as long as he lived though, Xenophon would fight the invaders. The day Sparta fell was the day that his life was forfeit.
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Post by Queen Thais ♥ on Apr 12, 2007 3:13:40 GMT -5
Thais nodded glancing at her troops once before back at the spartan,''They can dream on.'' she added, a slight smirk on her face. She knew that by being involved in this war her island's freedom was in danger too. Even though Cyprus (not Crete, lol ) was not a fully greek island perhaps because of it being previously it was captured by nearly every nation possible untill a they finally won their independance under the comand of Thais' great grandfather. Imagining Thais' life if Persia invaded Greece was actually a frightening thought. Men hated her for her independance. Some said she was the daughter of Aphrodite and Ares because of her beauty and fighting skills. But Thais knew that the Persian king wouldn't slaughter her like he'd slaughter the rest of the greek kings. Thanks to her beauty he'd propably drag her into his harem and beat her untill her attituide was settle. Thais trembled at the thought .
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Post by jamie on Apr 12, 2007 16:32:44 GMT -5
His eyes never seemed to change position, always staring forward over the plains as he watched the various drills. The ebony horse beneath him stood perfectly still, tail swatting away flies that seemed to circle its body. Xen had to agree with the queen, for as long as there were soldiers in Sparta and other Greek city-states, the Persian army would never succeed. Tired of holding the bronze helmet under his arm, the warrior shifted it slightly, mounting it on the front of his saddle so that it would not slide off. While his countrymen always seemed hostile at first, Xenophon knew that the mistrust would fade away. After all they would need all the help that they could get, be it from Athens or Cyprus. (Got it right. ) After all, if the united countries fell against the Persian force, then everyone would experience slavery. That was something that Xenophon could not stand, he was a free man. If the time came, he would die as a free man as well. "Your island, I've never been there..." The soldier trailed off suddenly, surprised that he was even talking about this. Still, his mouth seemed to jump without a second thought, and so he continued. "What's it like?" All he had ever known was Sparta and the city-states that dotted the mainland. The Greek islands were a mystery to the young man.
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Post by Queen Thais ♥ on Apr 13, 2007 4:10:26 GMT -5
Thais was silent for a few moments untill th soldier asked her about her home. She missed her island ofcourse, like any queen would have, but she was actually happy to be away for a bit. Sparta gave her the warrior spirit while Cyprus relaxed her with all its palm trees and white sand. ''It's different to Sparta. Beautiful, warm and...calm.''she said. It took her some time to say the last part. ''But I love it there. The place is very comforting and relaxing yet sometimes you need the difficult life of Sparta.'' she added watching the warrior softly. ''I'm Thais by the way, I don't think we introduced.'' she gave him her hand wondering if he'd kiss it like a gentleman would or shake it like was expected of a fellow warrior.
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Post by jamie on Apr 14, 2007 14:57:45 GMT -5
Xen knew that the question caused the woman to think back, probably longing to see her island again before this war started. The spartan did not blame her either, after all from the stories he was told, Cyprus was a beautiful place. She only confirmed his thoughts a few seconds later, when the woman started to speak of the small Greek island. Spartans were not supposed to think of anything other than war, but after her comments Xenophon found himself thinking of what it would be like to live in a paradise like that. With a simple shake of his head though, the warrior cleared the thoughts and returned to their conversation. When the queen spoke of a Spartan life, Xen had to nod in agreement. "Sometimes a life like ours is better." Then again, it also had its disadvantages. Many of the soldiers were uneducated men who only knew one thing, combat.
As she extended her hand, Xenophon's blue orbs turned to look at it for a second before he also extended his own hand. He was preparing to shake it, just like what he would do with any other Spartan. However, he quickly realized that she was the queen of Cyprus. As a result he performed an action that most Spartans wouldn't even think of. In a polite manner he brought the woman's hand to his lips and gently kissed it. "It's a pleasure to meet you my lady. My name is Xenophon." The introduction was brief and simple, all that it needed to be. After a second, the soldier released Thais' hand and turned back to the training horsemen.
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Queen Thais ♥
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Everything best you can't buy. Everything second best you need a fortune for.
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Post by Queen Thais ♥ on Apr 14, 2007 16:03:38 GMT -5
Thais expected this but she managed to notice that he would have shaked her hand if she wasn't a queen. She smiled politely which was actually suprising for her as she wasn't the person you often found grinning. She then followed his gaze to the troops and watched them for a few moments. Finally she called,''Guys, enough fo today. You need rest. The horses need rest. Shower, feed them, do the same to yourself and all have a nice night.''she told her soldiers like she said practically every night. This was one of the reasons why Cyprus' people loved Thais; she could be a total bitch and boss everyone around but she did it with a touch of something feminine by smiling brightly and telling everyone a good night. That made them love her all-over again. Plus, while a man couldn't be soft enough when expected, Thais could. She could also be more brutal than most men as it's know for women to be much stronger than men over such issues.
The sun was setting when the last cyprian troop galloped back home. Thais was left sat on her great stallion simply watching the territory. She glanced at the spartan soldier. There was a long silence between them since their last words so she finally said,''Bored?''
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Post by jamie on Apr 15, 2007 19:06:10 GMT -5
It was odd to see such an act from a Spartan warrior, Xenophon was aware of that much. Still, it seemed as though the queen had taken his greeting well. At least he did not have spears pressed up against him from any of her guards. As Thais called out to her men, Xen snapped back to attention, watching as the horses seemed to disperse upon her permission. They would be staying in these lands for the night, probably in the city-state itself. There were many, but hopefully Sparta would show appreciation to potential allies. The cavalry officer knew that he needed to get back soon to check over his own comrades, but for the moment he just decided to remain where he was.
Silence overwhelmed the pair as the last of Thais' horsemen retreated into the distance, lost over one of the many rolling hills. For many seconds it seemed as though the only noises came from either the horses or the wind, but at last the queen spoke. Xen looked over at the woman, shaking his head slightly and speaking in return to her question. "No, I was simply thinking."
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