Chapter 3

Limah had fled the bedchamber where she had abided and tendered to her youngling as soon as she perceived the danger coming her way upon Gaius's arrival from Delphi. Her sudden decision to flee had been prompted by goddess Hera during her daily veneration of the deity. Having been a priestess and faithful of the goddess at temple Nuh from way back in Kinsas, Limah had never parted with solemn rites and daily rituals to goddess Hera in spite of captivity, often making certain she observed a resolute spiritual atonement with the goddess.

Limah had been a sacred lamb of temple Nuh and the highly venerable betrothal to the gods and their cause of piety since she was sixteen. However, the sudden invasion of Kinsas and the capture of its women by the power-thirsty Gaius and his army had brought Limah's fate into the arms of Gaius. Her pride had been defiled, spawning a child of prophecy in the wake of her sexual encounter with Gaius. As much as it broke with tradition for a priestess and oracle of the gods to bear a child, Limah was well aware of the child's potential and the prophecy of doom the new-born posed to the throne Athena. In this moment, her best move would be to abscond with her new-born, far from the walls of Athena and the reach of king Gaius.

Limah was well on the run to a world outside the city of Athena, but not before Gaius ordered movement to be halted and all travellers outside the city be brought to proper check.

Limah had changed into the costume of a priestess and disguised as a traveller in one of the horse carriages of the Balkans who had come to Athena on the purpose of trading but were now set to travel back to their city on the night. The Balkans were a business-minded people, having a long-standing commercial relationship with the merchants and traders in the legendary city of Athena. However, Gaius's order had brought them under scrutiny this time before they could cross over the threshold of the city's gate. There was quite a stream of the Balkans waiting at the mouth of city's gate, most with horse carriages and chariots laden with commodities. Meanwhile, one of the famous Balkan merchants, Bojan, had decided to harbour Limah and her new-born in his carriage in a bid to escape the city. Bojan had recognised Limah--when she came seeking help--as the venerable young priestess of temple Nuh and forced subject of king Gaius. Bojan was quite aware of the tale of priestess Limah's fall from grace, and he had willingly accepted to take the risk to help her escape the city in his horse carriage, only for this moment of cast a doom upon her escape ploys.

In this moment, Ganicus and his squad had surrounded the main gate, manning whatever went in and out. Ganicus stepped forward to address the waiting travellers, dishing a stern caveat in the name of the king.

''Migrants and traders!'' Ganicus called to draw attention, as his voice reverberated through the murmurs amidst the travellers, ''we mean no harm, and the city of Athena has no malicious intent against you.''

Seeing as his high-pitched voice had suppressed the murmurs amongst the crowd of travellers to the barest low, Ganicus could only pride himself in his eloquence as he capitalised on the attention accorded him.

''We've come to you in the name of the king, king Gaius Caesar II, the conqueror of kings and empires, and the one true worthy king on the throne of Athena,'' Ganicus bawled, pausing for a while to examine the impression of his words. ''The king's treasure is missing, and if anyone of you has it in his custody, be noble to surrender it now before we begin the search.''

Ganicus's words of caveat sprang another wave of murmurs amongst the waiting travellers who reacted to the caveat in hushed volume and in their unique and individual way. Bojan became tensed as much as Limah began to panic within the canopied horse carriage. The veteran merchant feared having Limah and her infant caught by the search army in his custody. He feared the consequences of having his fate decisioned by king Gaius. As much as his singular act of harbouring Limah could get him killed, it would equally have a ripple effect on the commercial ties between the Balkans and the city of Athena. Bojan was engulfed in sweat and in dilemma. His thoughts oscillated between keeping Limah's identity in sheer act of risk and giving up Limah to the search army from King Gaius.

In a moment of courage, Bojan shook off his fears and summoned up a heart of steel while Ganicus and his soldiers searched through the travellers' identities and their horse carriages along with their consignments. The search was thorough and nothing was left to chances. However, when the soldiers approached Bojan and made to search his carriage and consignments, the Balkan Merchant felt the need to unleash his wits to talk the soldiers away from him.

''Excuse me, legionary, sire,'' Bojan said, sounding urgent and witty as he hurried towards the two oncoming soldiers before they reach his three horse-driven carts laden with huge consignments in large volume.

''Come on, good soldier men,'' Bojan said, ushering the soldiers towards his first horse chariot to search through, ''the Balkans and this legendary city are friends. We can't steal the king's treasure, trust me.''

Bojan was quite chatty and witty as he took the soldiers round his horse carriages. His warm manner was quite appealing to the two searching soldiers and impressed them with the thought he was an honest merchant. They were quite impressed, yet they went about searching his carriages as he guided them through.

''Come, good soldiers. Come see my second horse.'' Bojan urged the soldiers towards his second horse after searching through the first chariot.

This time, Bojan strode towards his horse instead of the chariot leashed behind the horse. He stroked the broad saddle on the back of the heavy pure white horse. And along the wither, he slid his fingers along the ample mane and towards the forelocks of the calm horse.

''It's a beautiful heavy horse,'' Bojan commented excitedly drawing the soldiers' attention towards the beast, ''I purchased him from this great city. His name is Athena.''

Athena? The two soldiers forced a smile, impressed by Bojan's sense of humour and choice of name for his horse.

''But Athena has been feeling unwell lately,'' Bojan continued, seriously engaging the searching soldiers in the talk, ''he's been depressed from the long trips he's made to the funeral rites of my sister's late new-born.''

''We're sorry about your loss, friend,'' one of the soldiers replied briskly expressing sympathy for Bojan who now ushered them to the chariot behind without wasting time.

Seeing as he had won the sympathy of the soldiers, Bojan sought to capitalise on the soldiers' sentiment as he led them to his third canopied chariot. He had kept Limah in the third chariot, and he dreaded having to disclose the chariot. Meanwhile, Limah, seated quietly in the chariot alongside one of Bojan's men, Ivan, was equally tensed and felt uneasy as the soldiers approached the chariot she had been sitting in. She had overheard the babbles of their conversation with Bojan and other travellers. She had heard the soldiers goad other travellers to submission, barking out orders at them. But this man, this Balkan merchant, was quite friendly with the soldiers all along. He had managed to captivate their attention. However, she felt more uneasy and sweaty beneath her all-black veil, as the soldiers approached the chariot with heavy, loud steps.

Bojan took a bold step forward leading the soldiers to his third chariot. In this moment, he drew the canopy aside slowly and reluctantly, only to discover that Limah had already snuggled up with Ivan and dunked her face on his chest while wrapping her arm around his neck in a moment of pretence. She affected a mournful position and of a bereaved mother.

''My good soldier man,'' he beckoned to the two soldiers, urging them to have a look into his chariot, ''see? Here's my mourning sister and her husband. They just lost their child in this great city and had the funeral rites earlier.''

The soldiers stepped forward and shot a scrutinising look into the chariot. They combed their eyes around the mourning woman in a black veil, but couldn't make a figure of it. She was all covered up in black clothing as she whimpered and grieved with sharp but short shrieks. She was not identifiable as her hood projected above her head and her face was buried in Ivan's chest.

When Bojan realised that the soldiers were having too deep a gaze at the mourning figure to make out a shape, he slowly drew the canopy close as well as he drew their attention towards himself.

''My good soldier men,'' he said, turning to the soldiers and squaring up to them, ''trust me, you don't want to lose your child. The pain is too much for my sister and her husband.''

''Our condolences to the bereaved once again, friend'' said one of the soldiers, ''we hope to see more of you in the city.''

The soldiers were quite understanding and didn't see the need to further probe the identity of the bereaved woman in the chariot. They didn't see any harm in permitting a moment of lenience as they were overtaken by sympathy for the Balkan merchant who seemed an honest man. The soldiers cleared Bojan and his entourage as they set out of the city of Athena beyond the gate.