Out on the Outskirts

[Vanora]

Ana was out today doing some light weight practicing. The women were taught light weight training and by no means were put into the training that men were. Ana was using a pike, something many women accelled in because it was a good long range weapon, kept the girls in shape but didn't require them to look better than their men.

The day was extremely warm so Ana wore a light wight dress, and used some string to tie it up so air out her body more. It was white so as not to attract heat and had an open back. Her hair was tied up by some ribbon so it wasn't on her neck. On occasion, Ana took a break but not often. She knew she had to get better.

[Polynikes]

Polynikes had been out that day training some men. Since it had been a profitable day, it had been appointed that they would leave the Club early in the morning and do a two-hour jog with increased and decreased speed in between. So he had made sure everyone was up before dusk was over and there could be no obstacle in achieving this day’s practice.

Everyone had gotten up except for Alexandros; he did not know where he was. In fact, no one seemed to know where he had been last night. This did not worry Polynikes, even though all men lived together until they completed the task in which they were welcome to citizenship, each man was lord of his body and mind. Still he would inquire about him when they got back.

Polynikes had decided that they would run on the outskirts so that men could enjoy the scenery of their beloved Sparta and at the same time not get bored going round and round on the same ground. Something he had experienced when he was younger and had no will in doing so again. Besides, jogging was a good way to knowing your lands like the back of your hand. They all seemed to be doing quite well since he had decided that day to make them wear no weapons nor cloak so their bodies were exposed to the heat, the wind and the land itself. Though, of course they were not fully naked since they weren’t training in the gymnasium. Everyone kept the same pace and seemed to respond quite well to the speed change and the hills they sometimes encountered. Suddenly Polynikes saw a bracelet on the floor and asked Dilos to keep on with the training. He nodded and took the company up the remaining hills; they had done half of the training so far.

Polynikes then stopped and removed some sweat from his forehead before he picked it the wristband and examined it. As he suspected it was Alexandros’. He shook his head and sighed, even though he tried really hard to like him… he simply couldn’t. He then heard some noises not far from where he was, he muttered to himself, “that must be him” and walked following the noise. When he approached the person, since there was a lot of wind, for Erusus seemed in a bad mood, he said almost in a reproaching way, “I have been looking everywhere for you Ale…” he moved his hair from his face and was about to finish the sentence when he noticed it was Ana Vaeldros rather than Alexandros who he was looking at.

Ashamed of the sudden way he had spoken to the lady he quickly stopped talking and bowed his head in greeting and said rather sharply as if to erase the words he had uttered before “Good morning lady.” He quickly looked at the bracelet he was holding and said looking at the horizon “it is good to always be early concerning training, is it not?” He could not think of anything else to say which was not bolder than what he had just said, but in the end he admitted, “I found this bracelet and I thought the noise came from Alexandros. Forgive my intrusion lady.”

[Vanora]

Ana turned hearing someone and noticed it was Polynikes. At first his words were harsh and she was confused but then when he corrected himself, she understoof his mistake. "I am sorry to have disrupted you my lord," she smiled and bowed. "I didn't know the men were training to I came out her to get in a little practice," she said to him and saw the bracelet, what was odd though, was that it was not hers, "I see you found the bracelet, but I'm afraid that I must tell you it is not mine," she told him, sticking the pikes blade in the ground. "If your men are training, I could always leave," she then thought seeing the men in the distance, I did not mean to intrude," she said to him politely, especially since he was her superior.

[Polynikes]

((OOC: Polynikes knows the bracelet is not hers. It is a bracelet Spartan warriors would have ))

Polynikes shook his head and said, “There is no need for you to leave lady Ana. Women and men are free to practice as they like.” It had been more his fault than hers interrupting her training confusing her with Alexandros. Polynikes sighed and shook his head “Nay, this bracelet must never be lost, it is Alexandros’ and it seems he did lose it.”

As he looked at the men jogging away from where he now was he shook his head as he spoke, “you do well in training lady. Just make sure you are not too far away from Sparta in case anything could happen.” Even though Polynikes seemed severe and strict to his men at arms or even training and sometimes in a normal social conversation, he truly cared for those around him. He knew well most of his patriots and their families and histories, even those of the women. Though he worried a bit now for Ana’s safety, tough of course, Spartan women were more than capable of defending themselves. He was more than proud of Sparta and her conventions, for Spartan men and women were like no others.

He then looked back at her thinking that once he found Alexandros he would surely tell him a thing or two about responsibility. She did not have to apologize but it seemed she had no ‘hybris’ and knew well her superiors. As he looked down on her he smiled to her apology and asked out of curiosity “By any chance, did you happen to see a fourteen-year-old boy nearby?”

[Vanora]

Ana tried to think to herself, "No my lord, I have not, but if you like, I could take a break and search for him. There wouldn't be many fourteen-year-old boys out alone so it shouldn't be hard for me to identify him," she suggested. She had just been about to take a break anyways so she wouldn't mind helping him find the boy. He sounded familiar though, she was pretty sure she had heard of a boy skipping practices and the like, which wasn't good. He'd have a hard time finding a woman if he didn't keep up the Spartan way.

[Polynikes]

Polynikes shook his head, ‘why look for the whim when it is impossible to imagine where in the world he could be,’ he thought. He then looked at Ana again and said, “It is not worthy of our time. Surely he must have hidden or gone to see his friend or his sister.”

He tried not to look worried but he could not think of any other reason Alexandros had not been found in the Club. He then looked at her weapons and curiosity reached him. He wondered what sort of training sessions was she doing so early in the morning. He cleared his throat and then asked, “So, what sort of training are you doing today?”

Polynikes was in charge of men and their training but he did not know what sort of training women had to endure, though of course, they were put to physical and mental training as well as men, but with different intensity.

[Vanora]

"Well sadly, unlike you and your men, we aren't quite put in organized training. We have to finish our womanly duties and when there is time, we must train on our own. I practice with a pike, she told him. "It is good for lunging and hand to hand, though not nearly as effective as a sword," she said to him, pulling her blade from the ground.

It had three prongs, almost like a trident but not quite. Her good weapon had a stronger staff than the wooden one her practice blade had and was more ornate. It had been her mothers, along with the necklace of the tooth that hung around her neck, the one item that never left her body. She watched as Polynikes inspected it then spoke to him, "This is only for practice, as I'm sure you can tell, the staff wouldn't be nearly as useful in real battle."

Ana stood there looking him up and down. They way men were-the way Spartan men were- was something to behold to any womans eye. They had a great deal of strength, but with that strength came a sort of dignity. Every man in Sparta had an air about them, of dignity, control, and power. Even the women had a sort of dignity, unlike that of the men, but more than other Greek women. Her allowance to train, and be more useful than a common housewife, made Ana a proud woman, sometimes though, and she knew this, it would go to her head, and she had been caught out of line, but she learned fast and knew her place. Women were still insubordinate to the men, but they had a place, and in many husbands eyes, they had a voice, something wondrous to behold in such times.

(Wow, I'm in a writing mood )

[Polynikes]

((OOC: I did tell you that you could do it ))

IC:

Polynikes seemed a bit taken aback by her words. He could not believe women were not trained like men were, but that could have a solution. They should be able to defend themselves if something ever happened. But it was not his place to do rules or say who is to do this or that. Still he could ask Stelios about it.

He looked at her weapon and nodded, obviously a good warrior could tell what was real or not. Though that also seemed strange for him, since Spartans always trained for real, and sometimes some died amidst training. Still he nodded to Ana, it seemed she had her own training techniques.

One thing he knew, above all, was that women in Sparta had much more power than any other place in Greece. He was ok with it, he really approved of the fact that women were not treated as mere possessions but had their own mind, body and soul. He then looked at the pike again and raising it with no effort apparently he swung it a bit and then placed it back into place, “it seems quite good to handle, but I think that one of my men at arms could fix it if you ever need it. He is a wonderful craftsman and could transform your pike into a strong training element.”

He looked back at her as the wind blew strongly as if it demanded something to be given. He ran a hand on his forehead as he then asked, “do women jog? Or is it that you only train with a pike?”

[Vanora]

"I don't know about in general my lord, but I do know that I do. One can be the most experienced of their kind with their weapon, but if they can not outlast their enemy, what good does it do them?" Ana pointed out to Polynikes. "With my training, I jog to make sure that should my own fighting skills fail me, I know I can out run the enemy, I'd rather flee and protect my children, should I ever have any, then have them slaughtered at the hands of another."

Ana herself was a strong girl, and while she knew the many duties of a woman, she knew she could not always rely on the men. If they were gone, and something happened at home, she would make sure she was ready. Ana by no means was a simpleton and knew how to prepare for the future, in this world, anything could happen all that one could do was prepare themselves the best way they could for anything. Ana knew that meant strength, and she'd make sure she had it.

[Polynikes]

He nodded, that was one of the main reasons Spartans loved Sparta and her daughters, for they protected everything fiercely, especially their freedom. He knew it well and would always do so. For not long ago had they managed to fight the Persians against being imposed something against their own freedom and culture.

It had taken them 300 men, of the best men there would ever be in Sparta. But he was more than sure that, despite whatever happened there and then, Sparta would always remember her children, who fought against hope of returning alive, and praise them as the best of all examples all Spartans, women included, should follow until the end of times.

He nodded, “that is reason enough to jog, but always remember that your legs also need certain strength for you to move with speed and resistance if it ever was needed.”

But outside Sparta many thought of them as the worst of men, so dark and pleased with pain that they would torture their own men. No, they were not as dark as they were thought of being. But as rumours travelled, then Polynikes could not be bothered to give it importance, as long as they did not profaned Sparta, everything would be indifferent for him.

[Vanora]

Ana nodded to him, "Aye that is true enough," she smiled to him and watched the men disappear. THat's when she had realized how long she had kept him and immediately bowed to him, color in her cheeks. "I am so sorry, I just realized how long I've kept you from your training. Sometimes I forget my place and my mouth speaks silly words," she told him her face turning red.

She knew the importance of the training done in Sparta and the duties of the men. The training in Sparta is what made the men real men, and it's what made the women strong and proud, in order to birth men. She heard that outside Sparta, people thought that they actually hurt their men, and yet other women envied the women of Sparta.