There wasn't a lot of space within their tent, but Artemis didn't really mind. Perseus had proved to be respectful, and hadn't even paid her a glance when she changed out of her sweat-soaked tunic.
...
Artemis had to admire his resolve. After all, she knew she was beautiful. Her mortal body was toned and full, which had proven to be an issue amongst many of the soldiers on the Expedition. Yet, with Perseus's warning, the death toll remained at zero from her hands. On the other hand, she had made it explicitly clear to Perseus that if she were to catch him looking at her naked or in any state of undress, she would most assuredly kill him.
She grabbed a whittled comb from her cot side, and was in the middle of brushing down her long red hair when Perseus spoke up, still unmoved from his position at the table.
"It has been quiet this week, but tomorrow will bring a fight, I'm sure of it."
"I had the same thought." Artemis admitted, "The Tyrians will try something, either through bombardment, assaulting the mole, or more monsters."
Perseus nodded a couple of times, "You never did tell me how they would've unleashed a Hydra on us. I've never seen a city summon monsters from… anywhere to do their bidding."
"You are partially right. In other circumstances, I would shrug off the Hydra's appearance as unlucky, but here, and now, with the Expedition? Nothing is by chance. Tyre is being aided by some Godly presence."
Perseus sat back, scratching his bare stomach, "Can you tell who it is?"
Artemis shook her head, "I know Tyre, and they mostly worship Heracles, but Zeus would forbid his assistance to Tyre in a moment's notice. I haven't felt any other presence yet, but it's there. I can feel the threads of power at work. If I was a full goddess… it wouldn't be so hard." She'd felt the tug in her gut as a God walked unseen around her, during her work on the mole.
"Right, if you'd even be here as a goddess."
Artemis found herself looking Perseus in the eye, seeing her moment to admit her realization. He was right, she wouldn't have stayed had she woken up in that meadow with her powers intact. But now…
"True. But I have given some thought the that. You were right, when we were talking, before the hydra attack. Despite my position, I have changed from the goddess I was. Would I be here to help you and the Expedition? No. But I am here now, And I am doing what I can." Artemis resolved, her face hardening, as she thought about Perseus's father again. If she couldn't even garner the devotion of a young man, who'd seen her face to face, then what was her place in this world?
"You know, you don't have to help. What happens if you fall, or the expedition scatters in a defeat?"
"Tartarus awaits me then, until I would reform. I sincerely doubt my father would offer me to regain my strength so easily if that were the case. My willingness comes from a position of survival, but also from a standpoint of justice. You were right, we gods should be better. As much as you feel responsible for Philip's death, I feel the same burden of responsibility. The gods' caused this expedition to go on under Alexander, and gods have caused enough havoc here. I will see that this ends on the terms of the mortals here, not some puppeteer in the shadows."
She met Perseus's gaze, and smiled lightly, seeing his surprised expression.
"Really now? I've made you speechless? And I thought you had a proficiency for your quips." Artemis smirked, spinning her whittled comb in hand in a practiced dagger flick. But then, she had to keep her hands from twitching because Perseus was looking at her with… a look. An intense, vulnerable look that Artemis found herself drowning in.
"Thank you." Perseus said, his eyes never wavering from hers, "Really… it means a lot to me that you are here. My mother always told me that the gods watched over us, but I never believed her. I guess, when we first met, I had expectations that were unfair to ask of a goddess."
"Distant, I think was the word you used." Artemis pointed out, her chest tight.
"Not anymore." Perseus smiled, "I think my mother would be happy to know that I in the protection of one of her most beloved goddesses."
"You never mentioned that!" Artemis spluttered, coughing violently and she choked on her wine. What had been an attempt to quell her growing complacency with Perseus had been completely reversed.
"I grew up on stories about you." Perseus said sheepishly, "And yes, I know, I'm a dead man walking. My mom would always tell me about Artemis, the goddess who walked amongst the woods, guiding her huntresses, and making sure that new children would be welcomed into their families."
"If this is a roundabout way of asking if you can join the hunt, my answer is no." Artemis recovered, narrowing her eyes at Perseus. Even if she could not read his thoughts, she still had a skill for reading people. She should have known that Perseus would've grown up on stories about the Gods and Goddesses. Lightning flashes of panic struck her, as she wondered what stories he had heard. Most were smudged in one way or another… but many rung true.
"It was crushing news as a child, when I learned from my mother that Artemis only had young girls in her hunt."
That was a sight. Artemis found herself snorting with laughter before she could stop herself, as the conjured sight of Perseus in a silver tunic with a tiara on her head injected itself into her mind.
"This doesn't bode well for my pride, does it?" Perseus asked ruefully.
"No…" Artemis covered her mouth as another ungodly snort tried to break free, "No it does not."
Artemis steadied herself, and thought it over, "I think they would like you though."
"As a punching bag?" Perseus said doubtfully.
"That was a joke." Artemis protested lightly, "I swear it. I will bring the hunt up to Macedon after this is over. They could use a lesson or two in fighting swordsmen. Once they see your skill, most would be more open to learn from you."
"Still failing to see how I'm not a punching bag here."
"Shut up." Artemis rolled her eyes, leaning back to crack her back. "You should take that as a compliment. Besides, once you meet my hunters, they will test you, with my permission or not."
"You've never really talked about them, your hunters… huntresses." Perseus faltered, in a rare display of indecision.
He had a point. Her huntresses hadn't been a talking point for the many months she'd been a part of the expedition. But after Aphrodite's threat...
"They are almost like children, if not sisters to me. I have missed them very much, but opening up about the hunt makes it seem… distant, for a lack of a better word. Far away from me, in both distance and time. My silence about the Hunt is certainly not indicative about my lack of care for them"
"I see. It's almost like admitting they are gone? Taken even?"
Artemis nodded somberly, understanding completely, "I wish I could see them tomorrow, and be free of this burden put on the two of us. You'd like one of my veteran huntresses. Her name is Zoe, a former Hesperides of Atlas. She was tricked by the 'hero' Heracles into helping him kill the guardian of the Golden apple orchard, Ladon. She was expelled from the Gardens before she finally found me."
Perseus whistled, "Ladon, the one hundred-headed dragon?"
Artemis grinned good-naturedly, "The very same."
"She must be quite the huntress."
"I plan on her being my lieutenant, in time, should something go wrong to Boularche. Zoe has more hatred of men than most, but she is one of my closest companions. Her trust is hard to gain; howe,ver she has been my loyal friend for centuries now."
"So she would hate me from the start?" Perseus frowned good-naturedly, "I feel so honored."
"I had no good intentions towards you at the beginning of our relationship. It was only your treatment of that woman in the follower's camp early in the Expedition that committed adultery which earned you some respect." Artemis defended herself, "I see myself in her, during our hunts together."
"Two Artemis's?" Perseus echoed, "I would definitely be out of my depth. I'd have to ask you for a favor before you would be able to subject me to that."
"With that tone? It better be a small favor."
"I don't know how big of a favor this would be, but would you visit my mother with me? It'd mean the world to her."
There was a period of silence after Artemis paused in her storytelling, a wave of millennia old rage, despair, and hopelessness washed over her.
"My Lady…" Elizabeth started quietly; Then she fell silent.
"would you visit my mother with me?"
Artemis had imagined that scenario thousands of time in her head, to the point that her conjured up meeting -the way it should have gone- almost seemed real, and the gloomy reality a horrible nightmare. Where she would have been welcomed in his home, with his smiling mother there greeting the two of them. Artemis could have able to look at his face, and see happiness there… happiness for both of them.
"I had forgotten that I already told you about visiting his mother." Artemis finally spoke, sighing deeply. "And for what it's worth… Zoe…"
Her faithful lieutenant smiled at her from a couple steps to her right, "Perseus sounds like a good man, if you found him to be one, how could I not?"
"Hades, I would've liked to meet the guy too. Of course, as you suggested, I would've had to rough him up a bit. I like a challenge." Phoebe joined in.
Artemis considered Phoebe for moment, "It would've a close fight; I can't say who would've won."
Phoebe's answering scowl lightened the mode immediately, as Mara cracked up first, as she was a constant voice against Phoebe's rigorous training workouts with the hunters.
The conversation dissolved into light hearted bickering for a few minutes, as Artemis sat back and looked over the steadily darkening park around the Parthenon. It was time to move in.
"Alright girls, it's time. Gather round." Artemis called out, standing up, her armor and weapons shimmering in a silvery glow.
...
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