Free Birth of a Warrior by Michael Ford Page A

hands.’
    â€˜No problem,’ said Demaratos, straightening his shoulders. ‘How hard can it be?’
    Lysander ducked into their open cave to retrieve his sack. He pulled his water flask out and took a deep swig of water. But on the first mouthful he gagged, spitting on the ground.
    â€˜It’s salt water!’ cried Lysander, wiping the strings of saliva from his mouth. It was a bitter blow after his night of torture.
    Demaratos unstoppered his own flask and tasted the water, then spat it out with disgust.
    â€˜A little gift from Diokles,’ laughed Agesilaus. ‘He didn’t want to make the Ordeal too easy. Come on, the goats will still be dozy.’
    Lysander and Demaratos shared a glance of misery. But what was the point in attacking Agesilaus? They couldn’t bring him down and besides – this is what they’d been sent into the mountains for. To be tested, beyond anything they had ever suffered before.
    The three of them set off down the slope, Agesilauscarrying his spear, and Lysander more hungry and thirsty than ever. He could almost taste the roasted goat meat. They entered a thicket of trees in single file. Lysander saw the piles of round droppings. They were still fresh. Agesilaus suddenly pulled up.
    â€˜I can’t see any …’ started Demaratos, but Agesilaus raised a finger to his lips.
    Ahead, Lysander could hear a rustling. Something was making its way towards them along the forest floor. Lysander felt the hairs at the back of his neck stand up, and his heart knocked in his chest.
    â€˜Follow me!’ hissed Agesilaus. Lysander dropped into a crouch and placed his feet carefully among the fallen branches and pine cones. The three of them moved forward. They came to a gloomy clearing, and hid behind a clump of holly bushes. At first, Lysander couldn’t see anything. But as he watched, a movement came from the far side of the open space. A branch had fallen there and something was behind it, rummaging for food.
    Agesilaus pointed his spear at Demaratos, then into the clearing.
    â€˜It’s yours!’ he whispered.
    Demaratos gave a nod and broke cover, moving stealthily around the outside of the clearing, edging closer to the goat. Lysander looked on intently.
Don’t let us down
, he willed. If they didn’t get a good meal soon, they were as good as dead. The rustling stopped.
Now!
urged Lysander.
Before it escapes
.
    There was a fierce grunt, and Demaratos let out a shout of alarm. A squat black-haired creature burst from the leaves – a wild boar! Short yellow horns protruded from either side of its lower jaw, and red eyes glowed fiercely. The boar shot across the ground towards Demaratos. It bowled into his legs and knocked him to the floor. It quickly skidded in a half circle and charged again. In seconds it was on top of Demaratos, squealing and grunting. Lysander saw the flash of teeth and pink gums. Demaratos’s desperate shouts made Lysander shudder.
    â€˜Help me!’ yelled Demaratos. ‘Please, help.’
    Lysander looked towards Agesilaus. The older Spartan was leaning on his spear and grinning.
    â€˜Do something!’ shouted Lysander.
    Demaratos managed to push the beast off of him, and started to scramble away, but the boar was relentless. Its teeth clamped around Demaratos’s leg, and he screamed in pain, before falling to the ground. Lysander knew how dangerous wild boars could be – he remembered the horribly scarred face of Solon. If he didn’t help Demaratos now, he might be killed. Lysander ran at Agesilaus, and grabbed the spear that he was holding loosely.
    â€˜Hey, stop!’ shouted the Spartan.
    Lysander ignored him. He charged towards the boar and took aim, ramming the spear into the creature’s side. It gave a yelp and immediately withdrew, the spear sticking out of his flesh. The shaft of the spear was tornfrom Lysander’s hands as the boar retreated. It turned twice on