Chapter Ten – Trek to Delphi

They walked along in silence for a good while. Kali was concerned about the overhead sun and pulled out one of the lengths of material from the leather skin and draped it over her head. Tony was still waking up and staggered alongside her, looking bored and kicking up the dusty dry mud under foot.
“Someone needs to invent shoes,” he muttered.
“What were you doing yesterday anyway?” Kali asked.
“Went and sat right by where we came through the portal, guarding the chest.”
“You dug it up?”
“Nah, just sat near the markers in case someone else had that idea.”
“You know you’ve probably attracted more attention by doing that then if you had just left well alone.”
“Well someone had to protect it!” Tony said crossly.
“What about now while we’re on our two day trek to Delphi?”
Tony kept quiet. He obviously hadn’t thought that far ahead.
“Anyway, how much did you drink last night?”
“Why?”
“Well, you were pretty gone. Do you remember dancing like a drunken idiot?”
“I remember dancing really well, actually.”
“Yeah, like a drunken idiot!”
“Look, I was enjoying myself!” Tony cried out. “That Adelphos was a diamond geezer, a proper up-for-it bloke. And then you had to blurt out about the chest and drag us away from a free-for-all booze up and willing slave girls!”
“I thought you wanted to find out the value of that chest?”
“Yeah, well, there was plenty of time for that! Just 'cause you didn’t get any nookie you want to go and spoil it for everyone else.”
“You think I wanted to leave because you were getting some?”
“And you weren’t.”
“Funnily enough I don’t think that sex is the most important thing right now. I’m more concerned about finding out the value of this chest so we can go home and you can cash in.”
“Sex isn’t important?” Tony asked mockingly. “You know, people who say that are either regulars or just frigid.”
“What?”
“You not getting a regular boost?”
“It’s none of your business!”
“I knew it! You’re just uptight.”
“I am not!”
“Prove it!”
“Excuse me?”
“Blow me.”
“Well, excuse me if I decide not to fancy you!” Kali said crossly. “Even if you were the last man on earth I wouldn’t even kiss you let alone do anything else. You are a greedy, selfish and simple-minded individual so forgive me if I just pass.”
“Uptight.”
“Whatever.”
“Maybe I’ll just leave you to go on your little journey and go back to Adelphos.”
“You want to leave me and go back?” Kali laughed. “Be my guest! But Adelphos won’t let you stay forever rent free and while I have the knowledge and the means to go home, you’re better off with me.”
Tony stopped. Kali continued walking. She knew Tony was bluffing and that he would probably be following her from a distance. She didn’t dare look round and show that she cared. She knew they both knew that he couldn’t survive without her and that if he ever wanted to go back, she had the stone.

She walked for at least a couple of hours before starting to get tired. She saw a tree and rested under it, glad of the cool shade it provided. She glanced discreetly in the direction they had come from. Tony was definitely following her. She could see the bundle of supplies sticking out from behind the rock where he was trying to hide from her. Man, he was a twat sometimes. She went through her bundle and found some meat in a cloth and a small skein of watered wine. She drank gratefully and demolished half of the meat. When Tony had finally come out of his sulk he’ll come back and walk with her, asking her a load of questions. Even if he didn’t she was fine without him. She knew enough about the culture to survive. And even if he wanted to stay he could. She could go back and leave him behind. At least the idiot wouldn’t ever bother her again.

The sun was high overhead now. The dry heat was blistering and Kali rooted around in her supplies to try and find some water. She found a large skein and gulped its contents. The water was ice fresh and gratefully received. She took one last look around and saw Tony packing up his goods. She packed up as well and started off again.

She walked for the rest of the day alone. Now and again she’d pretend to have cut her foot on a particularly hard area of ground and turn as she was inspecting her soles. Tony remained behind her but did not close the distance at all. It was like he was trying to spite her. Oh well, she thought, if he wanted to be juvenile about it then he could. All because he wanted to have his cake and eat it. She hummed a tune to herself as she went along, trying not to think of how tired her legs were getting. Her feet were starting to feel sore too. She was in fairly good physical health but she definitely wasn’t used to just walking all day long. Even if she was sightseeing for the day she would have been able to rest in gift shops or cafes during her travels. This was just continuous walking in the same direction at the same pace with the same stupid rocks and occasional olive tree. And all in the dry heat of Greece. She wasn’t even sure if she was going in the right direction. She knew where Delphi was generally but without a proper road she would miss it if she was a few miles out. There was a rough sort of beaten track going in the same direction as she thought she wanted to go but as the day wore on she became less certain of her navigational skills. Her common sense told her that the path had to lead somewhere and even if it wasn’t Delphi it couldn’t be that far off and she was bound to find someone who could tell her where it was. But she really didn’t want another day of just walking all alone.

Her thoughts occupied her mind and as night fell and the air became cooler she was able to walk a bit faster and make more headway. As it became darker though she had to stop. There was no light even from the moon. The sky was cloudy and it was pitch black. She was suddenly afraid and wanted Tony as company. She heard the soft clip-clop of hooves and turned. She squinted in the dark towards the sound as it got louder and louder. It was heading straight for her. Too late she saw the horse cantering up and she fell over a rock as she tried to get out of its path.
“Aah!” Kali cried out as she hit the ground hard and the rock dug into the back of her leg.
The horse hooves stopped and slowly trotted back towards her.
“I am terribly sorry,” a man said, jumping off the horse and running up to her.
“That’s okay, really,” Kali said, lifting her leg off the rock and trying to examine any damage.
“No, do not move,” the man said, touching her leg gently. “There is some blood there but nothing major.”
The man pulled out a dagger and ripped a piece off a blanket draped over the horse. He quickly twisted it and bound it tightly around Kali’s leg.
“What are you doing out here alone anyway?” the man asked.
“Oh I’m not…” Kali started but then stopped herself.
“You’re not what?”
“I was with someone but I’m not now.”
“You’re certainly prepared for a journey,” he said, eying up her supply bag.
“I’m headed towards Delphi. I’m on a mission.”
“The Oracle doesn’t just see anyone, you know.”
“Oh, I’m not.”
“Why else would you go to Delphi?”
“I’m visiting a museum.”
“Alone?”
Kali didn’t like the way this conversation was going. She would find him a gift in return for his help and then he would be on his way.
“Here,” she said, pulling out one of the blankets. “Please take this as xenia and to replace the one on your horse.”
“There is no need for that,” he replied, “when you can be my xenia.”
“I can be your xenia?”
“Of course!”
Kali most definitely didn’t like the way this was going.
“You are an attractive woman,” he continued. “I do not have a woman with such fine fair hair such as yourself.”
He reached out and stroked her hair. Kali shuffled back slightly.
“You will not refuse me,” he said, and he suddenly grabbed her around her middle and hauled her up. She stamped on his foot and he yelled out, letting go of her to jump around on one foot. Kali left her supplies on the ground and started to hobble away towards Tony, in the sheer hope that he would see her and help her. She felt a strong arm around her middle again and was hoisted up in the air. She screamed out, kicking her legs out but her arms were trapped and she couldn’t even elbow him hard to make him let go. He lifted her onto his horse but she wasn’t having any of it, still writhing around, trying to escape.
“Keep still or I’ll have to hurt you and the master won’t be pleased with that,” he hissed, his dagger waving around in front of her face, the blade now glinting in full moonlight.

Kali could finally see clearly as the clouds parted and saw the face of her abductor. He was a very skinny man, with a deep scar across his right cheek. She watched him deftly tie her wrists together in front of her and saw his little finger on his left hand was missing. Her arms were then tied to her sides and knotted around the saddle so she couldn’t escape or worse, fall off. The man then tied her supplies to one of the saddlebags and they rode off. Kali grabbed what she could of the man’s shirt with her tied hands and tried to look behind her. Sure as anything, Tony was madly running behind, his supply bag abandoned, desperately trying to keep up with the horse which was thankfully cantering and not galloping away. Unfortunately he had no chance of keeping up with her and was falling further and further behind. Like her he had been walking all day in the heat and had no chance of being able to run after her all night. She watched as he got smaller and smaller till she couldn’t see him anymore. The clouds covered up the moonlight and again it was pitch black. Yet the horse continued to canter away and Kali shut her eyes tightly, wondering what on earth she had gotten herself into.