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Description
Chapter 3
Caleb yawned, sitting up and ducking his head to keep from whacking it on the top bunk of the new bunk bed that he and Asher had built together, just yesterday. Of course, there was the constant danger of it falling on his head, but he could deal with that if it meant that he didn’t have to sleep on a pile of wool blankets that still smell slightly of wet sheep. Rubbing his eyes with the heel of his hands, Caleb called quietly up to his brother. “Hey, sleepy-head! Wake up!” But when he stood up to peer into his brother’s bed, he found him sitting cross-legged on his bed, the blankets already pulled up over the straw mattress neatly. “Sleepy-head?” Asher asked innocently, giving a painful half-smile. He had a split lip from a rough training session yesterday and was skinnier then ever, not to mention what felt like a million little cuts, scrapes and bruises. It had been a week since the boys had arrived at the Agoge, and each of them had a growing list of injuries. “I was up at the crack of dawn to get up these.” He held out his open palms. In his cupped hands were two little blue-green spotted eggs. “Nice!” Caleb exclaimed, reaching out a hand to grab an egg. “Hey!” Asher teased. “How do you know they’re even for you?” His twin shot him a look. “Ok, fine, but at least keep your voice down. Everyone else is still sleeping, and you know how much the ‘schoolmaster’ loves waking us up as loudly as possible for training.” Caleb snorted. Making fun of their trainer was all well and good, as long as he didn’t overhear them. A lesson Caleb had learned all too well. He grimaced at the thought, feeling the long bruises along his back from the flat side of Lieutenant Reilly’s sword throb painfully at the memory. “Ok, fine.” He reached out a hand again, and this time, his brother let him take an egg. Carefully cracking open a small hole in the top, he smiled at his brother. “Thanks for sharing.” He said, sucking out the innards of the raw egg. Swallowing a mouthful of watery yolk, he sighed happily. “You know, you’re not as useless as you look.”
“Thanks…I think.” Asher cracked into his own egg, smiling slightly. “I did have to fight off a particular angry-looking robin.” He looked around, his light, almost happy expression disappearing as he noticed the other kids starting to wake. “Better finish these.” Caleb sucked out the last bit of egg and handed the shells to his brother, who crept, silent as a mouse, across the cold wooden floor to throw the shells out the door into the bushes surrounding the courtyard. Then he climbed back up into his own bed, happy to have a full belly for once.
* * *

“Get up, you lazy little girls! Breakfast in five minutes.” Luitenent Reily barked. Asher sighed. There was nothing like their trainer’s horse voice to snap you out of a pleasant dream. Then again, he’d only been pretending to sleep anyway, as he had long since trained himself to wake up before being woken. Across the room, he could see Akalia glaring up at the Leitenant with that firey green glare that he was very familiar with by now. Jumping down from the top bunk, he sat down next to Caleb on his bed as the rest of the boys threw on new clothing and hurried to push their way out the door. First ones to breakfast got the most food. The twins rapidly pushed their way out the door, dodging the other kids and walking towards the dining hall. A few minutes later, the boys were sitting next to one another on hard wooden benches, eating as fast as possible. They had learned quickly that a pack of hungry 8 and 9-year-olds were not above stealing, and whoever finished first would immediately start taking other’s food. Akalia swung her leg over the bench, plopping down her little wood bowl of mealy-looking gruel on the table. “Hey, you better eat up.” She said, elbowing Asher in the ribs. “I see Ugly and his band of cronies are coming over.” He sat up straight, snapping out of a daydream. “What? Oh, dang it…” Sure enough, Nika was walking over with two of his friends in tow. Asher gulped down three more bites of food before Nika was standing over him. “Hey shrimpy.” He said causually, using Asher’s official nickname at the Agoge. Asher scowled up at him, trying to keep himself from shaking. “What do you want?” His voice shook, despite every effort to keep it steady. “Yes Nika, what do you want?” Akalia repeated angrily. Her voice was stronger then Asher’s, quiestioning without sounding defensive, and he was grateful for her help.
Nika smirked down at the two 7-year-olds. “Aw, how cute, Akalia. Defending your friend, huh?” His voice was layered with sarcasm. “I’d stay out of it if I were you, Sis.”
Asher shot his friend a look. Sis? But they wouldn’t have time for that now. Nika reached for his bowl, and although Akalia made a valiagnt effort to slap the older boy’s hand away, but he wrestled it from her grip and quickly finshed the last bits of mush at the bottom of the bowl. Asher was treated to yet another veiw of his friends iciest glare. “It’s ok.” He whispered, looking for all the world as if he’d like to melt into the walls. “I’m used to it.” By now the rest of the students had noticed the conflict and were watching carefully. Caleb looked up from where he’d been sitting next to Asher, determinedly staring at the grain of the wood table and ignoring Nika. Don’t get involved. He thought. Don’t get involved, Don’t get involved, It isn’t your fight. Finally, he couldn’t take it anymore, and turned angryly to face the twelve year old. “Stay away from my brother!” he snapped, looking up at Nika with a blue glare to rival Akalia’s. “Or what?”
Nika challenged.
“Or maybe I’ll beat some respect for life into you!”
“I’d like to see you try.”
“Fine, then. I’ll meet you in the couryard at midnight tonight.” Caleb challenged, rising partway out of his seat, fists clenched. He couldn’t stand bullies, especially when they picked on his twin. “You can bring as many of your ugly friends as you want.” Nika snorted. “Don’t worry, I can beat you up just fine on my own. But you can bring your pathetic excuse for a brother, and my little sister, too, I suppose. You’re gonna need all the backup you can get.” And with that, Nika whipped around and headed back to his group before Caleb could reply to the jibe.
* * *
“So, Nika is your brother?” Asher asked Akalia timidly, tossing his practice sword onto the growing pile of sabers, broad-swords and foils. They had been practicing sword-fighting all afternoon, and Asher had lost eight times respectivly, to Akalia, Caleb, and almost every other boy in the group, gaining himself a long cut along his wrist to add to his ‘injuries’ list. Now the twins, along with their friend, were heading out into the woods to hunt, trying to get themsleves a little meat before the fight. The fight. The real reason that Asher had lost so many tines today. Normally, he could at leasts get a few good hits in before Caleb disarmed him, but today his hands were shaking and his stomach felt like it was tied in a knot. “yeah.” Akalia responded once they were out of ear-shot from the chattering pack of boys. “He’s a horrible, horrible brother- couldn’t give a load of horse-dung how I get treated, but yeah, we’re related.” She scowled down at the dust, jaw set in a hard line, and Asher had just about descided to change the subject when she spoke again. “I envy you and Caleb. You guys are the best brothers I could possibly imagine. Always taking care of each other, sticking up for each other…” she trailed off wistfully. Now it was Asher’s turn to stare down at the dusty path. He shrugged, remembering how Caleb had ignored Nika until the last second just that morning. “I guess I’m pretty lucky,” He agreed, “But you don’t need anyone to stick up for you. Your so strong and brave- like a real Spartan. Not like me.” Akalia just shrugged, but as she slipped away into the woods, flipping her knife causually in one hand, Asher caught a glimpse of her smiling face.
* * *
That night, Caleb woke to the quiet sound of sobs coming from the bunk above him. “Asher?” He whispered. “What’s wrong?”
“Oh, Caleb, you’re still awake?” Asher said, his voice thick wih tears. “It’s nothing, ok? You can go back to sleep.” Caleb scowled, standing up and doing his best to climb up to his brother’s bed without waking half the camp. It was only about 10:00, but most of the students were asleep. Caleb had stayed up because he didn’t want to sleep past midnight. If they didn’t show up for the fight, Nika would think they were scared. “It is clearly not nothing! Tell me what’s going on!” It wasn’t often you would see a Spartan child crying, so it must be something really bad. “What’s this?” Caleb noticed a small bundle of oil-cloth, packed with food and one change of cloths, sitting on his twin’s bed. “It’s my pack.” Sniffled Asher. “For when I leave.” He looked up, tears leaving little trails on his dusty face, grey eyes as bleak and miserable as storm clouds. “I was going to run away.” He explained. “To Athens. I know it’s dumb, but I don’t want to live here anymore. I want to go somewhere where I don’t have to fight for my food everyday. Where they appreaciate me for my brains, not how a hold a sword.” He watched his brother carefully, as if expected protests, but Caleb was speechless. “But I can’t-I can’t go now, not with you and Akalia ready to fight for me. Nika will kill you. He just enjoys toying with me, but he could kill me, if he wanted too.” Caleb felt like he was choaking, and he finally managed to get out one sentence. “But-you can’t just leave!” he cleared his throat, thinking of a way that maybe, maybe he could keep his brother here with him. “Will you stay if we win the fight? Please. You have to give me a chance. I don’t want to lose my twin forever.” Asher looked at his brother with those pleading grey eyes. “Fine. But promise me you won’t tell, Caleb. Promise.”
Caleb sat on the worn straw matress, remembering another promise. I’m teaching myself to read…but you can’t tell anyone, Caleb. You have to promise.
And the answer would be exactly the same. “I promise.” He held out one open hand, and Asher held out a hand as well, pressing their open palms together. This was something they’s taught themselves; somehting to do when they needed comfort, but didn’t want to cry. The two brothers sat there together in the dark, preparing themsleves for a fight for their lives.
* * *

Description
Chapter 3
Caleb yawned, sitting up and ducking his head to keep from whacking it on the top bunk of the new bunk bed that he and Asher had built together, just yesterday. Of course, there was the constant danger of it falling on his head, but he could deal with that if it meant that he didn’t have to sleep on a pile of wool blankets that still smell slightly of wet sheep. Rubbing his eyes with the heel of his hands, Caleb called quietly up to his brother. “Hey, sleepy-head! Wake up!” But when he stood up to peer into his brother’s bed, he found him sitting cross-legged on his bed, the blankets already pulled up over the straw mattress neatly. “Sleepy-head?” Asher asked innocently, giving a painful half-smile. He had a split lip from a rough training session yesterday and was skinnier then ever, not to mention what felt like a million little cuts, scrapes and bruises. It had been a week since the boys had arrived at the Agoge, and each of them had a growing list of injuries. “I was up at the crack of dawn to get up these.” He held out his open palms. In his cupped hands were two little blue-green spotted eggs. “Nice!” Caleb exclaimed, reaching out a hand to grab an egg. “Hey!” Asher teased. “How do you know they’re even for you?” His twin shot him a look. “Ok, fine, but at least keep your voice down. Everyone else is still sleeping, and you know how much the ‘schoolmaster’ loves waking us up as loudly as possible for training.” Caleb snorted. Making fun of their trainer was all well and good, as long as he didn’t overhear them. A lesson Caleb had learned all too well. He grimaced at the thought, feeling the long bruises along his back from the flat side of Lieutenant Reilly’s sword throb painfully at the memory. “Ok, fine.” He reached out a hand again, and this time, his brother let him take an egg. Carefully cracking open a small hole in the top, he smiled at his brother. “Thanks for sharing.” He said, sucking out the innards of the raw egg. Swallowing a mouthful of watery yolk, he sighed happily. “You know, you’re not as useless as you look.”
“Thanks…I think.” Asher cracked into his own egg, smiling slightly. “I did have to fight off a particular angry-looking robin.” He looked around, his light, almost happy expression disappearing as he noticed the other kids starting to wake. “Better finish these.” Caleb sucked out the last bit of egg and handed the shells to his brother, who crept, silent as a mouse, across the cold wooden floor to throw the shells out the door into the bushes surrounding the courtyard. Then he climbed back up into his own bed, happy to have a full belly for once.
* * *

“Get up, you lazy little girls! Breakfast in five minutes.” Luitenent Reily barked. Asher sighed. There was nothing like their trainer’s horse voice to snap you out of a pleasant dream. Then again, he’d only been pretending to sleep anyway, as he had long since trained himself to wake up before being woken. Across the room, he could see Akalia glaring up at the Leitenant with that firey green glare that he was very familiar with by now. Jumping down from the top bunk, he sat down next to Caleb on his bed as the rest of the boys threw on new clothing and hurried to push their way out the door. First ones to breakfast got the most food. The twins rapidly pushed their way out the door, dodging the other kids and walking towards the dining hall. A few minutes later, the boys were sitting next to one another on hard wooden benches, eating as fast as possible. They had learned quickly that a pack of hungry 8 and 9-year-olds were not above stealing, and whoever finished first would immediately start taking other’s food. Akalia swung her leg over the bench, plopping down her little wood bowl of mealy-looking gruel on the table. “Hey, you better eat up.” She said, elbowing Asher in the ribs. “I see Ugly and his band of cronies are coming over.” He sat up straight, snapping out of a daydream. “What? Oh, dang it…” Sure enough, Nika was walking over with two of his friends in tow. Asher gulped down three more bites of food before Nika was standing over him. “Hey shrimpy.” He said causually, using Asher’s official nickname at the Agoge. Asher scowled up at him, trying to keep himself from shaking. “What do you want?” His voice shook, despite every effort to keep it steady. “Yes Nika, what do you want?” Akalia repeated angrily. Her voice was stronger then Asher’s, quiestioning without sounding defensive, and he was grateful for her help.
Nika smirked down at the two 7-year-olds. “Aw, how cute, Akalia. Defending your friend, huh?” His voice was layered with sarcasm. “I’d stay out of it if I were you, Sis.”
Asher shot his friend a look. Sis? But they wouldn’t have time for that now. Nika reached for his bowl, and although Akalia made a valiagnt effort to slap the older boy’s hand away, but he wrestled it from her grip and quickly finshed the last bits of mush at the bottom of the bowl. Asher was treated to yet another veiw of his friends iciest glare. “It’s ok.” He whispered, looking for all the world as if he’d like to melt into the walls. “I’m used to it.” By now the rest of the students had noticed the conflict and were watching carefully. Caleb looked up from where he’d been sitting next to Asher, determinedly staring at the grain of the wood table and ignoring Nika. Don’t get involved. He thought. Don’t get involved, Don’t get involved, It isn’t your fight. Finally, he couldn’t take it anymore, and turned angryly to face the twelve year old. “Stay away from my brother!” he snapped, looking up at Nika with a blue glare to rival Akalia’s. “Or what?”
Nika challenged.
“Or maybe I’ll beat some respect for life into you!”
“I’d like to see you try.”
“Fine, then. I’ll meet you in the couryard at midnight tonight.” Caleb challenged, rising partway out of his seat, fists clenched. He couldn’t stand bullies, especially when they picked on his twin. “You can bring as many of your ugly friends as you want.” Nika snorted. “Don’t worry, I can beat you up just fine on my own. But you can bring your pathetic excuse for a brother, and my little sister, too, I suppose. You’re gonna need all the backup you can get.” And with that, Nika whipped around and headed back to his group before Caleb could reply to the jibe.
* * *
“So, Nika is your brother?” Asher asked Akalia timidly, tossing his practice sword onto the growing pile of sabers, broad-swords and foils. They had been practicing sword-fighting all afternoon, and Asher had lost eight times respectivly, to Akalia, Caleb, and almost every other boy in the group, gaining himself a long cut along his wrist to add to his ‘injuries’ list. Now the twins, along with their friend, were heading out into the woods to hunt, trying to get themsleves a little meat before the fight. The fight. The real reason that Asher had lost so many tines today. Normally, he could at leasts get a few good hits in before Caleb disarmed him, but today his hands were shaking and his stomach felt like it was tied in a knot. “yeah.” Akalia responded once they were out of ear-shot from the chattering pack of boys. “He’s a horrible, horrible brother- couldn’t give a load of horse-dung how I get treated, but yeah, we’re related.” She scowled down at the dust, jaw set in a hard line, and Asher had just about descided to change the subject when she spoke again. “I envy you and Caleb. You guys are the best brothers I could possibly imagine. Always taking care of each other, sticking up for each other…” she trailed off wistfully. Now it was Asher’s turn to stare down at the dusty path. He shrugged, remembering how Caleb had ignored Nika until the last second just that morning. “I guess I’m pretty lucky,” He agreed, “But you don’t need anyone to stick up for you. Your so strong and brave- like a real Spartan. Not like me.” Akalia just shrugged, but as she slipped away into the woods, flipping her knife causually in one hand, Asher caught a glimpse of her smiling face.
* * *
That night, Caleb woke to the quiet sound of sobs coming from the bunk above him. “Asher?” He whispered. “What’s wrong?”
“Oh, Caleb, you’re still awake?” Asher said, his voice thick wih tears. “It’s nothing, ok? You can go back to sleep.” Caleb scowled, standing up and doing his best to climb up to his brother’s bed without waking half the camp. It was only about 10:00, but most of the students were asleep. Caleb had stayed up because he didn’t want to sleep past midnight. If they didn’t show up for the fight, Nika would think they were scared. “It is clearly not nothing! Tell me what’s going on!” It wasn’t often you would see a Spartan child crying, so it must be something really bad. “What’s this?” Caleb noticed a small bundle of oil-cloth, packed with food and one change of cloths, sitting on his twin’s bed. “It’s my pack.” Sniffled Asher. “For when I leave.” He looked up, tears leaving little trails on his dusty face, grey eyes as bleak and miserable as storm clouds. “I was going to run away.” He explained. “To Athens. I know it’s dumb, but I don’t want to live here anymore. I want to go somewhere where I don’t have to fight for my food everyday. Where they appreaciate me for my brains, not how a hold a sword.” He watched his brother carefully, as if expected protests, but Caleb was speechless. “But I can’t-I can’t go now, not with you and Akalia ready to fight for me. Nika will kill you. He just enjoys toying with me, but he could kill me, if he wanted too.” Caleb felt like he was choaking, and he finally managed to get out one sentence. “But-you can’t just leave!” he cleared his throat, thinking of a way that maybe, maybe he could keep his brother here with him. “Will you stay if we win the fight? Please. You have to give me a chance. I don’t want to lose my twin forever.” Asher looked at his brother with those pleading grey eyes. “Fine. But promise me you won’t tell, Caleb. Promise.”
Caleb sat on the worn straw matress, remembering another promise. I’m teaching myself to read…but you can’t tell anyone, Caleb. You have to promise.
And the answer would be exactly the same. “I promise.” He held out one open hand, and Asher held out a hand as well, pressing their open palms together. This was something they’s taught themselves; somehting to do when they needed comfort, but didn’t want to cry. The two brothers sat there together in the dark, preparing themsleves for a fight for their lives.
* * *