Chapter Twenty-Seven
“It was so loud, I’m surprised you did not hear it from here,” Hirtus laughed. We were back at Phile’s, drinking wine as he recounted the tale. “She stomped with such force it was not just the boars who fled. I think every bird in the forest was woken by our Otrera.”
It was true. The moment I had stepped clumsily and the branch snapped, the boars lifted their heads and bolted, while the birds that had gone to roost hours before had risen up into the sky in great flocks.
Phile motioned to one of the servants to top off my cup with wine, and I saw no need to stop them. By a gift from the gods, Hirtus had struck one of the boars as it ran. Once we had collected the animal, we had returned to thank the goddess and recount the evening’s events to Phile.
“When can we go again?” I said, desperate to rectify the situation. “Perhaps there is somewhere where the trees are less dense? Or I could borrow a smaller bow that I do not have to fight to get through the brush?”
Phile laughed. “Hirtus will be away again from the new moon. There are items we need and a trader he is to meet in Gordion. But I am sure when he returns, he will be happy to take you out again.”
“Though perhaps we would do well to train you with spears or knives instead. They might make less noise,” Hirtus said.
When the next cup was finished, I offered my gratitude for the evening’s hospitality and prepared to leave.
As I stood in her doorway, ready to embrace Phile, a question that had been turning over in my mind all evening finally left my lips.
“Phile, the money you have put aside for me, can I take it whenever I wish?”
“Of course. I am not keeping anything from you. And I had forgotten. I will give you more for this evening.”
“No, no, that is not why I asked,” I said, though she had reminded me I could not return to Morsimus empty-handed. “I wondered if I could ask you to purchase something for me. Or perhaps Hirtus could. I wonder if he might see to it?”
“I will gladly pass on your request. Or you could tell him yourself the next time you train.”
I nodded. It was likely I would need to spend most of my savings on this, and I did not want to make any mistakes. “I will speak to him directly. And he can take the coins from you if that is suitable?”
“That sounds most acceptable.” Phile smiled.
“Thank you. And there is one other thing. Do you have any scraps of hide or goatskins I could buy from you? They do not need to be the best quality. Marked and stained pieces will more than suffice. And again, I am happy to pay.”
“I shall ask one of the women to take a look for you. May I ask what it is for?”
“For a gift. I hope.”
“You have fortunate friends,” Phile said. “I hope one day to be considered among them.”
The remark caught me off guard, for at some point, perhaps on that very day, I had considered the shift between us too.
I kissed her on the cheeks, bade her farewell, and walked homeward.
Before I left, Phile had promised me a share of the boar, and while I did not know what that would entail, I suspected there would be enough for several meals, enough to share with Iphinone and the others.
Perhaps, if I could guarantee Morsimus would not be present, I could invite them around for the evening.
Or suggest to Althea that we dine at her home.
So busy were my thoughts that I did not even notice the figure walking behind me until we had nearly approached our home and he called out.
“I knew you were lying to me,” he said.