Full Circle second part chapter 16

One less problem to deal with.

Grayson followed at Darius' heels as he was led to Alaric's private chambers, very aware of Methos who keep up with them stride for stride. He silently cursed what had apparently had occured in the time since their departure until now what ever it was.

He had noted Methos air of equality as he strode by his side and then Darius stopped abruptly and turned upon him, queitly furious.

"Don't ever do what you did again, Grayson. My men depend on me for leadership, for everything in their lives, do you understand? I taught you better to care for them--not to lead them to slaughter as you apparantly have done! They are mortal, yes, but even then you must realize that your immortality doesn't put you above them or make you better than them. You were as they are once, remember? You were dead; and then revived unknowing what had happened until I took you in and explained to you what you were. I taught you everything you know and yet time and time again, you disappoint me when you are asked to lead the men." He swung, backhanding Grayson across the mouth, knocking him to the ground. "How many more chances must I give you to show me that you understand? How many more chances must I give you before you prove to me that you understand the responsiblities I place upon you?" he bellowed.

Grayson wiped the back of his hand acrose his mouth and drew it away to look at the blood upon it. Immediately he jumped to his feet, sword drawn and pointing to Darius' neck. "Don't ever hit me again, Father, or you will force me to do something I will perhaps regret later!" His face burned in shame and the heat of his temper.

Methos slowly backed away as he watched the two of them, a slight smile playing around his mouth. "Just do it--kill one another, both of you!" he thought and then he melted away into the shadows to take full pleasure of his freedom. "Saves me the trouble since I've worked towards this all along--divide and conquer."

Darius stared at Grayson never batting an eye, as the metal as the metal pricked at his throat's base. "So tell me whatt happened."

Grayson blinked, lowing his sword as his countenance changed from one of fury to one of a commander reporting to his general. "We were attacked unexpectedly by the Huns. Not one of the outposts detected their being aywhere in the vicinity; we were outnumbered, out manuevered--" He paused as his eyes searched the distance as he remembered the battle before continuing. "We almost had them--I almost had a victory in my hands Father." His hands came up and curled in upon itself as if he were grasping something. "A gap was forced into their lines and we poured through it attacking, taking full and advantage of the situation."

Darius scowled, knowing what was going to be said next and proceeded towards the private chambers. "Then what happened?"

"Their line recovered and closed itself as if sewn together, trapping all of our forces who were inside of their lines. It was a slaughter; I ordered a retreat and the Huns followed us for days, deeper and deeper into our territories." He shook his head. "I didn't know what else to do. As for leaving the wounded and others behind, there wasn't a chance of survival for the remaining army had we tried to save them."

"What the Huns did was and is an old tactic--it's been used for a century or two, perhaps longer. One hopes that you learned a lesson in this, my son. But I would have tried to at least save those who might have had a chance of survival. The loss of Baldur is a great blow to our cause."

He stopped and looked at Grayson then reached out and pushed him gently away towards the hall that led off to his right. "Go see to them men, disband them to thier homes and loved ones. It's been a long time since they were here last. It will do them good. Warn them though that this is only temporary and to expect them to come back to the encampment in a fortnight's time. Understand?"

Grayson nodded but refused to leave as he stood his ground. "I want to stay with you though. Only the stars knows what Alaric will do to you now that you have returned."

Darius' eyes shown with a softness that was rarely seen by anyone as he responded, "I have faith that he will come to see things from my point of view. I have no fear of him. He is my problem, not yours. Go and do as I have ordered."

Grayson began to protest but a quick raising of Darius' hand quelled anything he was going to say and reluctantly he turned and left down the hallway.

Darius watched him go then turned his attention to where Methos had disappeared to. "Methos?" he said aloud but got no answer. "Methos?" he repeated and then turned towards the sound of footsteps heading his way.

"I expected you to already be waiting for me in my chambers, General," Alaric said as his form emerged from the shadows.

"Perhaps there are so many memories here that I became lost it them. You have changed things in the time I've been gone; it makes it a challenge to find myself around." Darius smiled insincerely and glanced at his ruler as they walked side by side the short distance left to his chambers.

Time had not necessarily been kind to Alaric, as his face was lined about his eyes and mouth, and large streaks of gray wove through his hair. Aelsgaarth's blood soaked his tunic front and he absently touched it now and then. Despite the changes in him physically, he still emanated power and control but to Darius, it meant nothing.

They entered and immediately Darius went to pour galsses of mead for them, keeping his back facing Alaric so that Alaric could not see what actions Darius' hands were performing. "This room brings even more memories back, Alaric. Do you remember our last encounter here?" Darius carefully unstoped a small vial and carefully tapped out a few grains of a powder into the beaker meant for Alaric. He swished the contents around watching the color of the mead changed for a fraction of a second then return to normal.

"I do, " Alaric replied. "I have thought often of it the last seven years, old freind." He cocked his head to one side as he watched Darius arms move about yet was unable to see exactly what he was doing. "Just what are you doing there, Darius?"

Darius glanced over his shoulder and threw a smile at the other man. "This is something I picked up while in Rome when I met the Roman Emperor. These are rare spices that bring out the best of a drink." He tapped a few last granules into the drink and stirred it with his finger. Poison often will bring out the best of someone when they know they haven't long to live. he thought to himself as a smile creased his features. Or the worst, depending if I were to tell him or not about it.

He turned and handed his ruler his cup, raising his own in a toast. "I take it then that you have decided in favor of revolution." His pale green eyes glittered in anticipation of Alaric's first sip of the vile concoction he had constructed.

He had been a very apt student with the old healer and when he had learned all he could from her he had had her killed. And now this would be a test of sorts of his training at her hands. Not enough of the poison to kill, but enough to weaken a man slowly and cause his body to fail little by little and the victim's mind to be easily controlled. And it would be Darius himself ruling the Goths behind Alaric's seeming leadership, making the decisions and then upon Alaric's death taking over and pushing the Goth empire which stretched from the Dneipper River and Ural Mountains now past the current Danube River bounderies to the ocean to the west that he had heard about.

The empire would then be his at last.

Alaric returned the toast, silently marveling at Darius' unchaged visage. "I was wrong to send you away, Darius. For that, I apologize. I was wrong." He brought the cup to his lips then pulled it away before taking a first sip. "Revolt against Rome--it's a tricky thing to do. But--" He took a sip then raised it high. "I have utter faith that we will get Rome on her knees before us completely this time. May the Christo guide us." He took a longer drink, draining the beaker, then smacking his lips in appreciation of the taste.

Darius genuinely smiled as he saw Alaric finish off the drink as he sipped his own. "To revolt and to the start of something better for the empire!" he toasted. "So glad you liked your drink, my liege. So very glad."