The merchant in Tyrins said that I would need some protection if I planned on taking my goods to the island of Cythera. There had been reports of pirates around the south and western islands, sea folk showing off their power at sea. Tantalos was an old friend, and though I was reluctant to incur any more costs for my journey I knew he was reliable and that his advice had always been good in the past.
"I am handy with a sword myself," I reminded him, hoping he'd not press me to hire anyone. "I am also young, and strong and always keep my merchandise near me," I added. "I have travelled this way before and have learned to look after myself."
"I tell you Mydon, you would be wise to hire a guard. And there is one such here now, whom I can highly recommend. He accompanied my son Akamos on his journey back from the north."
I shrugged, and sighed, "I trust your advice Tantalos, old friend, so if you really want me to take on this man then I'd look a fool to the Gods if I didn't. And I leave tomorrow on Iros's ship so. . . .."
"So, I will have him here to met you Mydon, and make the bargain, in the morning."
"Yes," I said, wearily already thinking that my profit on this trip was looking very thin already and wondering if I might be better selling what I had in Tyrins and returning home. But no. What I brought back from Cythera would be where my profit lay, and if I needed to keep this man Tantalos recommended with me till I returned, then, so be it.
I made my way to the dock and finding Iros's boat I made sure our arrangements were still good and told him of my new companion. Then I returned to Tantalos's warehouse and spread my blankets on the floor near my merchandise and slept well that night. At dawn I wakened to find my friend calling my name and joined him in his warehouse and found my new companion already there.
I stared at him as he lounged on a bale of wool in front of Tantalos.
"He is a barbarian. From the north. How do you know I can trust him?" I whispered in my friend's ear.
Tantalos shrugged. "I have trusted Konan twice this summer and he has not failed me. Now he wishes to travel to the west and the stories coming out of the western part of the ocean tell me you may need someone to help protect your merchandise."
I had been staring helplessly at Konan all through this talk. He was a tall solid young man, whose bronzed body rippled with muscles as he reclined there with his legs spread, and my eyes were drawn to the mound pressing up against his soft leather loincloth, the only clothing he wore. My knees were going weak, and I was feeling hot.
"Um. I will take him," I said, "I will take him. He seems to be very, . um strong."
"He is. In all ways," Tantalos said looking at me knowingly. "But you will have to make arrangements with him."
"So, Konan, you are agreeable to protecting me and my cargo on the voyage to Cythera?" I asked him,
"I would not be here if I wasn't," he replied, and immediately demanded a fee I was surprised at, as it was almost exactly what I was willing to pay. I offered him less.
"If you do not want me," he replied, shrugging his shoulders and rising off the wool bale to his full height, "Then I may as well go."
"No, no," I said. "But. . . ."
I wanted to haggle more. It was in my nature to do so, and I was always known for my ability to make a good bargain. But.., "You have a bargain," I said, and he reached out his huge hand for me to shake. A strange way to seal a bargain I thought.
After this Tantalos's servants served us breakfast, Konan eating mightily and saying little, even when directly questioned. When we had eaten I made my farewells, and asking Konan to take up my chest we left the merchant's house.
Konan followed me to the boat, as a servant should, carrying my chest full of merchandise. It had rested securely at Tantalos's house overnight, but I was glad of Konan's strength now, as it was some distance to the dock.
"And what do you trade in?" he asked , "This is very weighty."
I was glad of an excuse to walk closer to him, and to look at him. "Amulets," I said, "And images of the gods, worked in bronze."
"So you are a smith," he stated .
"I can work metal," I informed him, "But I follow the life of a trader."
He said nothing more and I had no excuse not to walk ahead of him as a master should, and wished I was walking behind him instead. I wanted badly to watch him moving before me, see his thighs work and his butt roll, watch his back and shoulders and . . . Yes, I already ached for the huge barbarian.
That evening on the boat as we sailed past the islands near Tyrins, I said to him, quietly, so no one else heard. "You may sleep here," indicating the portion of the deck where my sleeping mat lay.
As a patron of the trip I had a place set aside for me to unroll my mat and sleep in some privacy away from the crew, who were a smelly and rough lot.
He looked at me innocently, and replied, "While you sleep master, I will guard you and your goods. But when you are awake I shall perhaps close my eyes for a few moments during the day, if you will guard what is yours and wake me if I am needed."
"Of course," I said, blushing foolishly.
Once the boat was moored for the night I lay down dejectedly, unable to think of anything but the great barbarian's magnificent body and what lay beneath his loincloth. And pulling my manhood from under my tunic I stroked it until my seed sprouted from its tiny mouth, not just once, but three times. I sighed then and was instantly asleep, but I confess I woke in the night and did the same again, as I looked across at Konan, my barbarian guardian, seated nearby and just visible in the pale moonlight.
For four days we travelled thus, my mind full of unsatisfied dreams of lying with the giant, and with no sign of any pirates. Often we sighted and hailed other boats that passed us, or that we passed, going in both directions, and word of murderous pirates to the west was on all lips. On the fifth day we crossed a large tract of open sea that lay between Greece and the large island of Cythera. Our destination was near and as there had been no trouble I began to regret having the barbarian with me, as so far he had done nothing but cause me to have restless nights.
That evening as we ate on the deck the steersman, who was lookout then, cried out, "Ships, sea folk ships," and all hands dropped their food and ran to the railing to look out, and to gather their oars. I ran with them and saw that two boats were approaching us from the west. And I knew the helmsman was right, as I had seen a sea folk boat before, when I had visited Rhodes.
I grabbed hold of Konan's arm, "Now is when you should earn your money barbarian. And how do you plan to fight two boat loads of men," I asked him angrily, as the crew set up the planks of their benches and sent their oars out through the ports and began to row to increase the speed of the ship, and attempt to escape the pirates.
Konan seemed unconcerned, but walked back to the hatch leading to the cargo area and climbed down. I followed him into the hull, having no idea what he intended and having no ideas of my own. The crew of Iros's boat was tough, but we had no chance against two ships bent on stealing our cargo, and we were unlikely to escape with our lives.
Konan grasped the handles of my chest and lifted it up and carried it to the hatch way, then pushed it up on deck
"What are you doing? You cannot give them my chest," I said angrily. "What sort of guard are you?"
