Spy Games

Skulking around in the dark is always an adventure, and this time I got to do my skulking with Diomedes. Good man to have on your side if there's treacherous work afoot. Doesn't hurt to have a goddess on your side either, so once we were armored up and ready to go reconn'ing at the Trojan side of life a prayer to Athena certainly seemed like the better part of valor. Better safe than a blood smear on the Trojan sand.

Well, what to our wondering eyes should appear but a shockingly ugly fellow in Trojan armor. Now I am well aware that I am hardly an Adonis, but this guy could have given Thersites a run for his drachmas. Looked as though the Trojans had the same idea that we did, and this was a scout. Bloke says his name is Dolon, and that a whole mess of Thracians just showed up to lend their tricky-fast little Thracian swords to the noble Trojan cause (enter heavy sarcasm here). With this new bit of useful information, Diomedes quite sensibly offs Dolon. Not like we need him reporting back to Hector, after all.

I have to say that the Thracians weren't much of a contest. We took out a dozen or so of them, including their king, and rode his chariot back to camp. A little salt in the wound never goes amiss when the enemy is trying to destroy you.

The high that we were on after the night's adventures quickly gave out on us come morning. The first part of the day was a complete wash, blood flying left right and center, making me wonder just who we had pissed off. Luckily our tide began to turn come afternoon, with Agamemnon strutting about in all his armor and sending the Trojans scampering back for their gates. Then the pretentious bastard manages to get himself wounded and has to leave the battle, giving a nice big opening for Hector to come rolling in. The troops were ready to cut and run, but a little stirring oratory from Diomedes and myself kept them in line. I'm really getting fond of this young soldier, he has a bright future ahead of him.

Then, of course, it all hit the wall. Diomedes manages to dent Hector with a well placed spear but gets an arrow from pretty boy Paris in the process. Guess who that leaves with a mass of angry Trojans? Yep, that would be me. At least I managed to make them stop and think twice about who they were attacking til I took one in the ribs. Luckily that big brute Ajax managed to tote me off the field. I think my pride hurt worse than my side.

I don't remember too much else, being tended for wounds, but from the reports I received the fighting continued (big surprise there). I have to hand it to Hector, the guy is something else as a soldier. he just keeps coming and coming like some sort of war machine. Now if we could get Achilles to stop pouting, I for one would love to see what the two of them could to to each other.