Bek, the younger brother of Itaweret from my novel Priestess of the Lost Colony, is equipped to defend the Kemetian (ancient Egyptian) colony of Per-Pehu from attack by the tyrannical Scylax of Mycenae. His primary weapon is a copper-headed mace, but he also carries a cowhide shield for protection (hide shields were how Egyptian warriors usually fended off enemy blows, as most did not bother with body armor due to the hot climate of their native land).
If you’re wondering why Bek isn’t as heavily muscled as most of my other male characters, he’s supposed to be a lanky teenager. It’s really weird how we expect adolescents to have physiques like those of post-pubescent adults since they’re usually portrayed by twenty- and thirty-something actors in Hollywood movies. That must do a lot of damage to many teenagers’ body images.