Chapter 41 - Psyche

"Alexa!" I called, and ran headlong through the woods until I crashed into my invisible friend.

"I thought we were past this whole running into me thing," she teased as she hugged me.

"You came back." I was giddy as I held her in the darkness, unable to let go for fear she'd evaporate.

"I can't stay long," she cautioned. "I'm not even supposed to be here, but I snuck away."

My arms dropped away from her. "So he hasn't forgiven me yet?"

Alexa didn't answer, but she didn't need to. I already knew the answer.

"Did you tell him that I saw you? That's why I believed my sister over him?"

"Not yet, but I will," she said. "He refuses to see anyone right now. Heck, I'm under lock and key living with my parents again," she explained, as we walked through the woods toward my makeshift camp.

"Why'd you have to sneak away from your parents' house? Eros isn't there too is he?"

Alexa snorted. "No, he's back on Mount Olympus. But seeing as how his is partially my fault for letting you hear your sister in the first place, I'm sort of grounded."

"What?" I asked. "What do you mean you're grounded?"

I heard Alexa kick at some leaves. "Eros could've gotten me in real trouble with the Olympian counsel for disobeying his order not to ever let you hear you sister's cries. He said he'd keep quiet about the whole thing if my parents promised not to let me come help you. So, like I said, I can't stay ng."

As we reached my little camp, Alexa said, "I'm glad to see you have a horse. It'll throw Aphrodite off for a while. She won't expect you to be ading, and she's not a very good tracker."

My eyes grew wide and darted around the woods in panicked bursts. She's coming for me?" I stammered. "She knows? But how?"

"She made him tell." Alexa paused before adding softly, "he didn't want

"But if she -- I'll never make it."

"Shhh..." Alexa hushed, wrapping an arm around my shoulder. "Don't ve up. You can make it. I know you can."

"How?" I sniffed.

"You'll reach Corinth tomorrow morning. Just before you reach the ates, there's a shrine to Vesta. She won't want to pick sides in a fight, especially against Aphrodite, but if you can convince her that she's just keeping the peace until you find Eros, she might protect you as you travel."

"I don't really have anything to offer her."

"You can promise to give her something if you make it. It'll give her some added incentive to protect you." Alexa said.

"Alexa, what am I going to do without you? You can't leave me again. Please."

"Psyche, I told you. I can't stay. But you'll do fine. I'm sure of it." She was already pulling her warm hand away from mine.

"Wait!" I called. "Before you go... does he ... I mean... do you think that he...misses me?"

"He must," she answered. I could hear her footsteps moving away in the darkness.

"Will it be enough? To forgive me, I mean?" I tried to keep the panic from registering in my voice.

"Get some rest, Psyche. You have a long journey ahead of you still."

And just like that, the sound of Alexa's retreating footsteps was gone. The forest was so silent, I wondered whether Alexa had really come at all or if it'd been another dream.

Settling back down into my pine straw bed, I strained to pick up any noise that might hint Alexa was coming back. Or that Aphrodite was bearing down on me. But the only sounds filtering through the night air were the chirping of crickets and Xanthy's rhythmic breathing as she dozed.

When I awoke in the morning, the sun was only just beginning to rise.

I quickly ate some crackers before leading Xanthippe back out to the rock and mounting. We hadn't ridden for more than an hour when I realized we were approaching Corinth. Little farm houses and grazing cattle showed we were nearing civilization.

Deciding to make sure I passed the town unrecognized, I pulled a shroud out from one of my bags and wrapped it around my head. I carefully tucked my curls into the folds of the fabric and pulled the sides out as far as possible to shield my face.

I was almost to the city gates when, just as Alexa had promised, I potted a small shrine. Around the marble inscription to Vesta lay clay pots, amps, tiny sculpted animals and busts in the goddess's likeness. Tokens paid out by the farmers and pious visitors who came seeking favors. They reminded me again that I had so little to offer.

Just as I was about to dismount from Xanthy to make my prayer, I realized there was nothing, aside from the shrine itself, to use to get back up on my horse. I couldn't see praying to a goddess only to defile her shrine, so decided to stay on horseback and hope Vesta wasn't offended.

Xanthy brought me right up to it and I stared at the relief image of the goddess. She looked so motherly. It was hard to imagine she was one of the virgin goddesses rather than a matron. Her shoulder-length, curly hair framed the broad face that sat atop her full shoulders and thick torso. Her head was draped in a cloak much like the one I was wearing to conceal myself, only the effect on her was to make her face more severe.

I'd never had much of a connection to Vesta in the past. Her domain was the home and hearth, things I hadn't had much concern for. Others had always cared for my palaces and kept the hearths going for me. I wondered whether I deserved her help now, before realizing that whether I deserved it or not, I had no choice but to ask for it.

"Vesta, eldest sister of Zeus, great mistress of the home and protector of the sacred hearth fire that keeps us warm, hear my prayer. I'm searching for Eros because I made a huge mistake. And I love him," I mumbled, swallowing back the guilt. "I regret that I have nothing to offer you in exchange for hearing this prayer, but am a lowly traveler in desperate need of your help. Your fellow goddess, Aphrodite, doesn't want me to find her son. I pray that you watch over me as I travel so that I have a chance to beg Eros's forgiveness. If you will help me, I promise to dedicate a shrine within my home to you and give thanks at it daily."

And there it was.

No flash of lightning or puff of smoke followed. Just the silence that hung in the air after I finished making the longest prayer of my life. Would Vesta give me a sign that she'd heard me or would help me? I waited a few minutes by the shrine for some indication the goddess was listening, but nothing happened. No birds flew overhead. None of the offerings on the shrine suddenly fell over. Even the wind was stagnant and unmoving.

There was nothing else to do except keep moving. I nudged Xanthy to move faster as we neared the gates of Corinth. I was still worried someone would recognize me, but the only person we passed was a shepherd moving his small flock of sheep to another pasture.

As we crossed the Isthmus of Corinth, the narrow stretch of land that separates the Peloponnese from the mainland of Greece, I exhaled a relieved sigh. We were still so far away, but being on the mainland made me feel closer to Eros.

From high atop the jagged, craggy cliffs, I looked down at the azure waters of the Aegean Sea. The waves pounded mercilessly at the base of the rocks, shooting crashing white waves up the stones like fingers grasping for something just beyond their reach.

I recoiled as I watched, moving Xanthy further away from the edge of the cliff. The sea was Aphrodite's domain; where she was born, where she played. I had the paranoid fear that the waves might actually try to reach up and tear me from my horse. Without spending time to rationalize away my Fears, I urged Xanthy into a gallop so that we could quickly pass the ocean's edge.

We traveled on at trot for the rest of the day and as we neared the city of Megara, a cloud of dust rose up from the road in front of us. The shapes of four riders emerged from the haze, galloping wildly and barreling down on us.

Something about this band of riders made me uneasy. Maybe because they were moving so fast, maybe because there were four of them and only one me, maybe because these were the first people I'd encountered on the barren roads other than the shepherd, but something made my heart race as the riders approached.

I maneuvered Xanthy into the dry, crunchy grass beside the road to clear a path. The first three riders went tearing by so quickly that their following breeze pushed my shroud back from my face and my curls spilled down my shoulders. The fourth rider, catching sight of my face and hair, drew in his horse and called to his companions.

"Hold up!" he yelled, turning his horse back around and quickly closing the distance between us.

I fingered the handle of the knife that was still tucked away at my side and willed myself not to look back as the man rode up behind me.

"What's a pretty, little thing like you doing out here all alone?" he asked as he cut off my path with his own horse. The other three riders trotted up to his side, encircling us and backing Xanthy further into the brittle grasses. If their shields and cloaks were any indication, the men were Spartan soldiers, minus a commander.

My eyes flicked nervously from face to face. Their young eyes sparkled with menace and their lips curled up in snarling smiles. One of the men had an angry scar running from his ear, across his cheek, and down to his upper lip. Another had his left arm bound in a sling. They looked battle fresh and ready for another fight.

"You're Spartan warriors," I stated, using my most commanding voice. "Your men were friends to my great grandfather, King Alcander of Sikyon, in the Trojan War." I hoped my history knowledge would win some favor with the men. And also that they would have been too preoccupied with war training to have heard of me.

The man with the scar swung off his horse and grabbed a fist-full of Xanthy's mane. She snorted and tried to back away, but the man held her firmly as he bored his eyes into mine.

"You're a daughter of Sikyon?" he asked.

I nodded.

Before I could blink, the man grabbed my forearm and wrested me down from Xanthy's back while shouting. "Don't lie to me."

I landed on my knees in the grass, with my arm still held painfully above my head. The other men laughed raucously from their horses.

"Princesses don't travel unguarded," he accused. I had to agree with his magic. Royal women didn't travel alone. Still, I scrambled for something to y that would make him believe me. And loosen his hold on my arm.

"Please, ask me anything," I begged. "Ask me about my parents, the pity, anything."

He jerked my arm, making me wince. "What do I care about Sikyon? you could tell me more lies and I wouldn't know the difference."

"Please," I squealed. "There's got to be something."

The man yanked me to my feet and spun me around to him, leaning in close that I could smell the stink of his breath. "What's your name?" he dissed.

Anything but that.

I didn't answer and he shook me, making my head jerk even though I was bracing myself against him. "Your name," he repeated, louder, harsher.

I bit my lower lip and took a deep breath while glaring at my captor. "Psyche," I finally answered between gritted teeth.

The men erupted in laughter. The one with his arm in the sling used his good hand to steady himself on another man's shoulder. The one with the scar, who was holding me, laughed in barks. He turned back toward his fellow soldiers. "You hear that, men? This girl thinks she's Psyche!"

More laughter followed. I felt a warm flush of shock and insult rise up my cheeks. Maybe I wasn't dressed in my finest clothes. Maybe I was traveling alone and unguarded. Maybe all of Greece thought I'd died last week. And maybe I didn't have my hair done and makeup on, but I was Psyche. Two weeks ago these men would've said I was the most beautiful woman in the world, and now they laughed at the idea.

In a burst of bravado, I tried to wrest my arm free, but he held on tight. My resistance actually brought him out of his fit of laughter. His eyes bored into mine, both threatening and mocking.

"Fine, if that's how you want it, Psyche it is."

I opened my mouth to protest that I was Psyche, but snapped it shut again. What could I say that would do me any good?

"Men," he announced to his three companions, "today we will have the good fortune of being entertained by Princess Psyche herself."

My eyes widened and I quickly searched their faces. My heart thundered in my chest as wicked anticipation registered in all their eyes.

My attention was jerked back to the soldier holding me when he began dragging me further away from the side of the road, where the grasses grew taller and thicker. The burrs scratched at my ankles as I tried to walk against the direction I was being pulled. His fingers dug into the skin of my upper arm.

I would've screamed, but only the other men would hear me. I was afraid it would just encourage them.

The other men were hanging back at the side of the road. Probably giving their leader a little privacy. I decided to stop resisting and allowed myself to be led another few meters into the grass, which was now waist deep. When he was satisfied with our location, the soldier yanked and twisted my arm in one quick movement that sent me sprawling to the ground. I quickly rolled over and started crawling backward.

The soldier undid his sheath, tossing his sword to the side. He was kneeling down at me. The smile of a man with complete domination.

"You're no Psyche, but you're not bad," he hissed as he advanced on me. he pulled his tunic over his head and kept walking. "I'm going to enjoy it."

Then he pounced, jutting his knees between my legs and holding my nest down with his forearm while he used his other hand to force up my dress. I used his distraction with my dress as an opportunity to pull out my knife from the folds of my waist.

I stuck the pointed tip right against his throat and pressed deeply though to just barely slice at his skin. "Let me go and I'll let you live," I wanted, half-crazed with terror.

The man used the hand that'd been pulling at my dress to wipe at the ickle of blood running its way down his neck. He examined the crimson near on his finger and laughed. Then he swiped the knife from my hands quickly I barely saw him move. Faster than Zeus's lightning bolt strikes, had the blade pressed firmly against my throat.

"You be a good girl," he spat, "and maybe I'll let you live." He pressed e knife a little deeper for emphasis. I choked back a panicked scream, amping my hand over my mouth to silence myself.

With his free hand, the soldier grabbed at the top of my dress and naked. The fabric sank into the flesh of my shoulders like angry teeth fore it began to stretch and tear. His scarred smile widened over crooked,
discolored teeth.

And then he froze.

The knife fell out of his hands as he scrambled to his feet. He stood too quickly while his feet peddled backward and he toppled over, catching himself with one arm, before righting himself. That's when he started to sprint, pausing only to snatch up his tunic and sword as he ran toward the others.

"Let's go!" he called ahead to them. "Get out of here."

I watched the soldier run from sight before looking back over my shoulder, searching for any sign of the beast that had frightened him away. Pulling at my dress, I rolled over and laid low to the ground, hunkered in fear. I stretched my fingers out and gripped my knife, which lay forgotten in the grass almost beyond reach.

My heart continued to hammer; I could hear the whoosh of blood throbbing in my ears with every beat. But no monster appeared. No griffin, no chimera, not even a giant boar.

In the distance, the soldiers' shocked cries and the pound of their horses' hooves racing away called back to me. After those noises settled, I heard the breeze blow gently through the grasses. Then I heard a snort that I hoped belonged to Xanthy.

Since I couldn't see or hear anything that would cause me danger, I got up to a crouch, staying below the grass line. I remained scrunched down as I scurried toward the road, holding up my tattered dress as I moved. Before fully emerging from the cover of the grasses, I checked the road.

It was empty again, except for Xanthy.

I dashed up to her side, flinging my arms around her thick, butter- colored neck. She tossed her head and pressed her warm muzzle into my head. I'd never been so happy to see another living creature in all my life.

"I don't know what happened back there," I told her, relaxing my grip on her neck. "I just thank the gods that it's over."

Rummaging through one of the bags tied to Xanthy's back, I found the extra dress I'd stashed away. I'd planned on saving it so I would have something fresh to wear when I reached Olympus, but I had no choice but to wear it now. The ruined dress fell to the ground as I shimmied the new one on over my head. All things considered, I could have a lot worse problems than simply having to wear my clean dress before I meant to.

I dusted myself off, removing a few errant blades of grass and one spur that remained lodged in my skin. Then I looked around for something I could use to get back on Xanthy.

But there was nothing.

No rock, no wall, no discarded clay pot. Nothing.

Well, I guess we'd better start walking," I said to Xanthy. "I move slower than you." he two of us set out toward Megara, and with each step I prayed to find some tothold that would get me back on my horse so we could gallop away from the emptiness of this stretch of road.

Chapter end