ext_66712 ([identity profile] essayel.livejournal.com) wrote in [personal profile] erastes 2008-12-08 08:48 pm (UTC)

A really OLD book. Sword At Sunset by Rosemary Sutcliffe, about a 5th century warlord called Artos. Two of his warriors are lovers - I read it when I was 12 and it was the first time I'd ever seen any reference to men loving other men. Spoiler below : [hope the whiting out works]


Trapped by the winter far north of Hadrian's Wall, Artos's company are starving and one of the couple [sadly I can't remember their names] takes both's rations and walks out into the snow. They think he has stolen the food, despite his partners protests, but eventually a relief force arrives with food and spare horses and they say the absentee brought word of their plight, then died of gangrene from his frost bitten feet. His lover lasts a few more chapters then dies bravely in battle, obviously not really caring to preserve himself.

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