This answers the December 2001 Challenge: write a holiday themed story beginning with the line “This is the stupidest thing I’ve ever done”.
Author’s Note: This story is a sequel of sorts to the challenge from December 2000 “I’ll Be Home for Solstice”. It is not really necessary to read that one prior to reading this one, but it can be found on the Challenge page, linked below. As always, this story means no copyright infringements held by RenPics or Universal Studios, so get in the holiday spirit and lighten up :) Comments and criticisms are always welcome.
“This is the stupidest thing I’ve ever done,” Iolaus muttered, raising himself up on his elbows to glare across the campfire at his companion, who was snoring loudly. With a sigh, the hunter sat up and poked at the flagging blaze, adding another log before lying back down and closing his eyes. He could almost swear that the very ground was trembling with the force of the sounds that were coming out of the King of Thieves’ slack mouth.
If anyone had told Iolaus a week ago that he would be partnering up with Autolycus, he would have vowed that there was nothing in Greece that would make him agree to such an event. But, as it turned out, all it took was a summons from Hagios Nikolaos, the man known as Father Solstice. Iolaus had formed an uneasy alliance with the thief only one year ago, in order to save the kind old man from the clutches of Hera. He thought that it would be the last time, until Autolycus had intercepted him and had shown him the message he’d received, asking both of them to come to Pieria, a small village in the northern region of Greece.
Iolaus had been on his way to Thebes, looking forward to celebrating solstice with Hercules, Alcmene, and Jason, so he did not welcome Autolycus’ intervention. The hunter simply wanted to go home and be with his family, and pamper himself with a warm fire, a soft bed, and Alcmene’s incomparable cooking, but he just could not say no to someone that needed his help. His own heart was pure and his motives were true, but Iolaus had to wonder about Autolycus. Why was the self-proclaimed King of Thieves so eager to run to a remote area of Greece to help those in need. The hunter couldn’t help but wonder what was in it for him.
As he tried to make himself comfortable on the hard ground, listening to Autolycus’ rumblings roaring in his ears, Iolaus couldn’t stop himself from feeling a bit sad. He knew he was doing the right thing, and his very nature would never let him turn his back on those that needed help, but that didn’t make it any easier on the soul. His was not an easy life, and he needed quiet time alone with those he loved every now and then to ease his heart. Not getting that was a crushing disappointment. But, so was the life of a hero. The hunter contented himself with resolving to wrap up the trouble in Pieria as fast as he could, so that he could still make it home in time for solstice.
The morning sun dawned on a bright eyed Autolycus and a rather grumpy Iolaus. Not even wanting to get into what had contributed to his sleepless night, as he was quite sure his companion would deny it vehemently, the hunter ate his meager breakfast silently and packed up his few belongings. The unlikely duo was ready to resume their journey quickly and they were soon underway, amid a flurry of bickering. Iolaus was hoping to make it to Pieria by nightfall, but they didn’t quite get that far and were forced to spend another night under the stars.
The hunter woke late at night, shivering in the cold air. He began building up the fire, which was nearly out. When the blaze was once more crackling merrily in the dark, he curled up next to it, relishing in the warmth it put out. Yawning, Iolaus relaxed and was drifting back to sleep when he suddenly realized how quiet the camp was. Sitting up, the hunter looked across the fire and saw his companion’s bedroll was empty.
“Autolycus?” he called out.
There was no answer, and Iolaus was faced with a dilemma. Go back to sleep and let Autolycus (whom he blamed for the delays in their travels that day) take care of himself, or leave the nice, warm fire and go look for him. The hunter finally convinced himself that the thief was probably just out answering nature’s call and snuggled back down under his blanket, closing his eyes and enjoying the peace and quiet of the night.
Iolaus awoke in the morning, senses on full alert. He tensed, getting up and peering through the dawn’s early light all around the clearing that served as their camp. Carefully moving over to the slumbering man on the other side of the cold ashes of the fire, the hunter nudged him with the toe of his boot. The thief woke up reluctantly, grumbling and moaning.
“Shhhh,” the hunter hissed, crouching down beside him. “There’s someone coming this way. Four or five of them, I think.”
Autolycus was immediately awake.
“Let’s get out of here, then,” he whispered, already rolling up his bedroll.
“Don‘t be so paranoid. Let‘s see what they want,” the hunter whispered back insistently.
Rather reluctantly, Autolycus agreed to wait and greet the group of men combing the woods at dawn. The wait was a short one, as moments later five men appeared in the clearing. They appeared to be villagers from the nearby town and one of them recognized Iolaus.
“I saw you and Hercules battle Ares’ mercenaries last year,” he explained, shaking the hunter’s hand. He turned to his companions. “It was amazing. They were like a two man army. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“Thanks,” Iolaus said, a bit embarrassed. He waved a hand at the man behind him. “This is Autolycus.”
“The King of Thieves?” one of the villagers asked.
“Ah,” Autolycus beamed, running a hand suavely over his moustache. “You’ve heard of me.” Instantly, he found the tip of a sword at his throat.
“Whoa,” Iolaus shouted, putting a restraining hand on the sword wielder’s arm. “What are you doing?”
“Our village was robbed last night,” the man said gruffly. “We were out trying to track down the thief, but I think our search is over.”
“Now just calm down,” the hunter told them, pushing the sword away and moving in front of Autolycus. “What exactly was stolen from you?”
“The Eye of Athena,” the villager replied, glaring suspiciously at the thief. “She is our patron goddess, and a large statue of her graces the center of our town. The Eye of Athena is a topaz gem, given to my people many years ago by the goddess herself. It serves as the eye of the owl profiled on her statue’s shoulder, and it was meant to bring wisdom and foresight to my village. But now it’s gone.”
“Look,” Iolaus tried to reason with them. “I know that Autolycus has the reputation for... taking a few things here and there. But that doesn’t automatically mean that he’s guilty.”
“Yeah,” the thief chimed in indignantly.
The hunter turned to face him, grabbing him by the front of his tunic.
“What did you do with it?” he demanded.
“Iolaus, you wound me,” Autolycus moaned with a martyred air. “I have no idea what these men are talking about. I don’t have any topaz.”
“Then you won’t mind if we just check and make sure?”
The thief grumbled, but he let the villagers search him thoroughly.
“You see,” he said. “I told you I didn’t have it.”
“That just means he’s hidden it somewhere.” The swords started coming out again. “Why don’t we take him back to the village for a little interrogation?”
“I don’t think you need to do that.” The hunter took a deep breath. “If he says he didn’t take it, I believe him.”
The villagers conferred quietly among themselves for a moment.
“All right,” the man in charge conceded. “We trust you, Iolaus. Since he’s a friend of yours and you can vouch for him, we’ll let him go. But if you should happen to come across any information that could help us...”
“We’ll keep our ears open,” the hunter promised. He wished them luck in their search, and watched as they walked out of the clearing, disappearing into the forest.
“Aw, I didn’t know you had so much faith in me,” Autolycus told his companion, slinging an arm around his shoulder. “I feel all warm inside.”
“You’d better not make me sorry,” Iolaus said irritably, shrugging off the embrace. “Come on, let’s get going.”
They made good time, and found themselves in Pieria before too long. Father Solstice welcomed them heartily to his home, and they were soon settled in front of a warm fire with food and drink as he began explaining his reasons for summoning them.
“I’m sorry to call the both of you away from your homes so close to solstice,” he began. “But the people here need help, and I knew that if anyone could give it to them, it would be you brave lads.”
Iolaus began regretting that he hadn’t stressed to Father Solstice the previous year that he and Autolycus were not partners by any means, despite what it had seemed when they had rescued the elderly man from Hera. But, he took a deep breath and urged his host to continue.
“A monster’s been coming down from the mountains,” Father Solstice told them gravely. “So far it’s just been taking livestock, but the people are terrified and I’m afraid it’s only a matter of time before it happens upon some poor soul in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
“What kind of monster?” the hunter asked curiously.
“A few people have seen glimpses of it at night. Nothing very concrete, but they all say it was enormous and covered in fur. I know that this is dangerous and that I’m asking a lot of you, so I’ll understand completely if you decide you’d rather go back home.”
“Tomorrow morning we’ll head up into the mountains,” Iolaus declared. “I’ll try and track this monster down and see what we’re up against. I promise you we’ll do whatever we can to stop it.”
“Thank you, my friends,” the old man said sincerely. “I think we should toast to your quest. Let me go and get another bottle of wine.”
As he toddled off out of earshot, Autolycus leaned over to the hunter.
“Are you serious about going up there tomorrow to hunt this monster?”
“Of course,” Iolaus responded, a bit surprised. “Father Solstice is right. If this thing has been taking livestock, it probably wouldn’t hesitate to take a human. We need to stop it before that happens.”
“It’s just that monsters are your thing,” the thief grumbled. “Beast slaying isn’t exactly my forte.”
“Well, if you’re scared, Autolycus, then you can stay here. I don’t need your help.”
“I’m not scared,” he scoffed vehemently. “Nothing scares the King of Thieves. It’s just that killing monsters is beneath my talents. Any fool can decapitate a hydra. It takes finesse to dodge security, procure an item, and vanish without a trace.”
“Yeah, well I’ve done both, and that’s a judgment call,” the hunter said wryly. He looked up and saw Father Solstice returning. “Look, I don’t care what you do. I’m going up there tomorrow with or without you. And by the way, you can’t decapitate a hydra, no matter how much finesse you use. Two more heads will grow in the first one’s place.”
“I knew that,” Autolycus muttered, hiding behind the cup that Father Solstice handed him.
“Are you worried about fighting the monster?”
Iolaus jumped, not having heard the old man creep up behind him in the darkened room. He’d been lost in thought, staring out of the window into the black night.
“No, not really,” he replied. “I just can’t sleep in there with Autolycus. I’ve been on battlefields that were quieter.”
“Yes, he’s a window rattler for sure,” Father Solstice chuckled. He pulled up a chair and sat down next to the hunter. “But you are a little worried about tomorrow, aren’t you?”
“A little,” Iolaus confessed. “I usually do these things with my partner, Hercules. We’ve been together so long, we can just about read each other’s minds. When we fight together, we know exactly what each other is going to do, and I trust him to watch my back.”
“And you don’t trust Autolycus?”
“Not in the same way,” the hunter answered with a little shake of the head. “That type of trust has to be earned, and he’s had the habit of being.... deceitful in the past.”
“I know that sometimes his version of the truth can be somewhat distorted,” Father Solstice told him. “And I know that he has a compulsion to take things that don’t belong to him. But all in all, he does have a good heart. You can trust him. I think you‘ll be surprised to see what the two of you can do if you join together.”
“I guess we’ll find out,” Iolaus sighed. “Well, I’d better try and get some sleep. Tomorrow’s going to be a long day.”
“Good night, my friend,” the old man told him.
The hunter replied in kind and made his way to the small room that he’d been given to share with Autolycus. As he entered, he immediately noticed the silence, and through the darkness his eyes made out a figure hovering beside his bed.
“What are you doing?” he demanded suspiciously.
“What? Me? Nothing.” The shadowy figure turned and dove back into his own bed. “Must have been sleepwalking. Don’t mind me.” He began uttering exaggerated snores, which sadly were not remotely as loud as the real thing.
Iolaus went to his bed and fumbled around, finally managing to light the candle on the small table between them. He saw his sword lying on the floor, and immediately something clicked in his mind. Picking it up, the hunter drew out the blade and shook the sheath gently, hearing a faint rattle. Turning the sheath upside down over his bed, he shook it and a large, glittering, yellow stone tumbled out.
“I can’t believe you,” Iolaus spat furiously, glaring at the thief with icy blue eyes. “I stood up for you when those villagers wanted to hang you. I should have known better! I should have just turned you over to them! What was I thinking? Thinking that you might actually be telling me the truth?”
“Well, now technically I didn’t lie,” Autolycus said in his defense. “I said I didn’t have the gem, which I didn’t, because you did. I never actually said I didn’t steal it.”
“It doesn’t even bother me that you stole this,” the hunter seethed. “I should have seen that coming. What bothers me is that I staked my reputation for you. Those men let you go because they believed in me. I put my own name on the line for you, and you just dragged me down with you without even a second thought. Tell me the truth, Autolycus. I know that’s a foreign concept, but let’s give a try for once. Did you ever have any intention of coming here to help Father Solstice, or was his plea for help just an opportunity in your eyes for a big score? And just what was my part in this? Did you intend to pawn me off as the hero for this town while you took the coward’s road after you got what you wanted, or was I always supposed to be a shield for you to hide your pathetic self behind if you were caught?”
“Easy, Blondie,” the thief sniffed. “You’re coming dangerously close to insulting me, and my fragile ego can only take so much.” He rolled over with an indignant air and yanked the blanket over his head. Iolaus remained staring at his form, trembling with anger, though he was unsure as to whom he was most mad. Autolycus, for stealing under his nose, lying, and not even having the decency to be a bit sorry for it? Or himself, for getting taken in yet again by the glib thief? Exhaling loudly, the hunter grabbed his own blanket from the bed and stalked out of the room. Morning was fast approaching, bringing with it the start of his quest. It was time to push aside his ruffled feelings and grab a few hours sleep so he could be ready for it.
Iolaus knelt down, hearing his boots crunch in the snow as he examined the track before him. It was large and fresh and he studied it carefully. The creature that the track belonged to was indeed a big one, walking on four feet, and fur covered. It would have to be, living so high up in these frigid mountains.
“It’s cold,” Autolycus said loudly, stating the obvious.
“I heard you the first hundred times you told me,” the hunter grumbled.
“Well, excuse me,” the thief exclaimed sarcastically, his breath forming a fog in the freezing air. “It’s just that we’ve been up for two days and haven’t seen any sign of this so called monster.”
“What do you call this?” Iolaus demanded, waving a hand at the print in the ground before pulling his fur cloak tighter around him.
“Anything could have made that track,” Autolycus argued back. “A bear or a wolf. I don’t think there is a monster. We’re wasting our time up here.”
“Then go home,” Iolaus exploded. “Nobody’s forcing you to be here. And I can promise you that you’re not getting your hands on that jewel. So why don’t you do us both a favor and just go back to Pieria?”
“I’m getting just a little tired of your ‘Nobler than thou’ attitude,” Autolycus shot back. “You’re the good guy, and I’m the bad guy. Well, I’ve got news for you, Blondie. I’m not the villain you think I am. And I know you’re not as valiant as you’d have people believe.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“Everyone has ulterior motives,” Autolycus declared with conviction. “You want to help these people, but you can’t tell me a little part of you isn’t doing this to prove yourself. I’ve seen you tagging along at Hercules’ heels, sitting in his shadow as he gets worshiped for a hero. So this is your chance to show everyone that you can be a hero, too. Without him protecting you. Little Iolaus, running away from home to try and make it on his own.”
“That’s it,” the hunter said fiercely. He turned to his companion, tossing his satchel to the ground as he took up a defensive pose. “You either shut up now, or I‘ll shut your mouth for you.”
“Don’t flatter yourself, Short Stuff.” The thief dropped his own satchel and raised his fists. “It’s widely known that I’m a lover AND a fighter. Now, I’d hate to do any more damage to a face that’s obviously seen it’s share of punches, so I’ll give you the chance to apologize.”
“Apologize?” Iolaus squeaked. He readjusted his pose to a serious, offensive stance. “Oh, you don’t know how long I’ve been waiting for this. You’ve had this coming for a long time, you lying, posturing, big-headed, thieving windbag!”
The two men circled each other, glaring daggers as they tried to stare each other down. Tension was heavy in the air as they waited, poised to strike, for the other to make the first move. The snow had begun to fall once again, and in the hushed silence they could almost hear the downy flakes hitting the ground.
“Did you hear that?” Iolaus asked suddenly.
“I’m not going to fall for that old trick,” Autolycus sneered. “Asking me if I heard something, then it’s ‘look behind you’ and you hit me while my back’s turned. Really, Iolaus, I thought you had more class than that.”
The thief immediately found himself tumbling head over heels through the snow, bowled over by the force of the compact hunter diving into him. But he quickly realized it was not an aggressive attack, as Iolaus rolled with him and quickly leapt to his feet. Autolycus followed him, shaking off a momentary dizziness to see that his companion had just pushed him clear of the path of a charging beast. They had to dive out of the way of a monstrous hairy paw, running for cover behind a nearby boulder before the thief even got a good look at the creature. It was gigantic and covered in thick, draping, white fur. The huge paws sported lethal claws, and the gaping jaws held jagged teeth. It looked like some strange cross between bear and sloth, but it definitely had the speed and temper of the former.
“We may be in trouble here,” Iolaus whispered as the monster snarled and began charging them once more.
“Oh, come on now. Have a little optimism,” the thief said sardonically as they scrambled to their feet and dashed in different directions. Unfortunately, being on the somewhat vertical slope of a mountain, there weren’t a lot of places to run and the snow made the footing treacherous, to say the least. Autolycus managed to find another bit of cover, but Iolaus wasn’t so lucky. The creature trapped him up against the rocky surface of the mountain where the relatively wide ledge they’d been on narrowed considerably, and he was forced to make a stand. Pulling out his sword from underneath the fur cloak he wore, the hunter faced off with the beast. With a loud roar, the monster raised his paw and slashed at him. Iolaus tried to block the blow, but the sheer weight and force of the creature was too much for his blade. The sword fell from his hands as he was knocked to the ground. Head spinning, Iolaus winced, bracing himself for a final, crushing blow. Instead, a loud yodel assaulted his ears.
Autolycus had sunken his grappling hook into the rock above their heads and was swinging himself on the rope straight at the creature. His boots implanted hard in the monster’s side with enough force to cause it to lose footing in the slippery snow and ice. It slid and fell over on it’s side, but was soon scrambling up to face this new threat. Autolycus had been thrown backwards with the impact of the collision, and he regained his senses just in time to see the beast bearing down on him. But this momentary distraction was all Iolaus needed. He had caught up his sword, and as the beast loomed over the thief, Iolaus drove his blade home. He’d assumed the thick fur offered the beast protection, so the thrust of his sword was true, through the monster’s glittering black eye and into it’s brain, killing it instantly. It fell over dead, covering Autolycus with it’s huge head.
“Oh, yuck,” the thief moaned as the hunter pulled him free. He had been liberally covered with slime from the creature’s slobbering jaws.
“Are you ok?” Iolaus asked.
“No,” Autolycus whined, trying to clean his tunic with a handful of snow. Then he remembered the savage blow that his companion had taken. “Are you all right?”
“I think so.” The hunter reached behind him and felt the shredded strips of his cloak. That beast hadn’t been the only one who’d had a protective layer of fur. His cloak was ruined, but his skin was hardly scratched.
Autolycus backed up on the ledge, attempting to pull his hook free from the rock as Iolaus turned back to the lifeless corpse and yanked at his sword. As he pulled it free, a large cracking sound echoed through the air. In a split second, the edge of the ledge collapsed and the monster’s body went tumbling out into space. Iolaus quickly followed, but managed to grab on to a cleft with his left hand, breaking his fall a few feet below what was left of the ledge.
He scrambled desperately against the slick rock, trying to find footholds or another handhold, but there were none. Iolaus glanced down below him, immediately wishing he hadn’t. They hadn’t climbed up very high, but the fall would be more than enough to send him packing to Hades. A few loose stones crumbled as he struggled, noisily bouncing off the mountain’s side as they plunged downward, serving to emphasize the fate waiting for him. His hand was slipping, and the hunter cursed through gritted teeth as he frantically tried to hold on. In slow motion, he watched as his fingers lost their grip on the rock, uncoiling as he began to fall. Iolaus closed his eyes, only to feel a hand close around his wrist as he was jerked out of his descent.
“Give me your other hand,” Autolycus commanded, his torso leaning over the cliff’s edge as he fought to keep hold of the hunter.
“Let me go before I take you with me,” Iolaus shouted, seeing the strain on the thief’s face.
“Just do it,” Autolycus said forcefully.
After a moment of hesitation, Iolaus reached up and caught the thief’s other hand. With a loud grunt, Autolycus began to pull. Pushing against the rock with his feet, the hunter was able to climb up to the point where Autolycus was able to grab his cloak and pull him back up over the ledge. They both eased back from the edge, leaning up against the mountain wall as they caught their breath.
“That was a little too close,” Iolaus sighed.
“Good thing I was here, wasn’t it?”
“I guess it was.” The hunter looked at his companion with a raised eyebrow. “Although, I’ll always wonder whether you were saving me, or the Eye of Athena.”
“Well, stop wondering,” the thief told him. He reached inside his cloak and pulled out the glittering yellow stone. “I stole it back from you this morning.”
Iolaus shook his head in exasperation and held out his hand. Autolycus grinned, but obediently placed the gem into his open palm.
“Come on,” the hunter said, getting to his feet as he tucked the jewel safely in the inside pocket of his vest. “Let’s get out of this frozen wasteland. It’s almost solstice.”
Father Solstice was delighted to see the two heroes return to Pieria unharmed and with assurances that the fierce monster would bother the village no more. He invited them to stay and celebrate with him and the townspeople, but Iolaus was restless and eager to go home to Thebes. It was evening before solstice, and he knew he’d never make it back in time, but he was still eager to be on his way.
“I’ll stop and return the Eye of Athena on my way,” he declared, gathering up his belongings.
“I could do it,” Autolycus volunteered. “It would save you a little time. I should take it back anyway, since I’m the one that stole it. But, you probably don’t trust me...”
Iolaus took a hard look at the thief. For once, he was being sincere. He tried to give the impression that it didn’t matter, but the hunter could see that Autolycus really wanted him to believe him.
“I trust you,” he said softly. “And I’d appreciate it if you would take it back. I’ll get it for you.”
“Don’t bother.” Autolycus waved his hand, the gem magically appearing in his fingers.
“How did you get that?” the hunter demanded.
“Tricks of the trade,” Autolycus replied with a smug smile. “After all, I am...”
“The king of thieves,” Iolaus finished for him. “We know, we know.” The hunter took up his few possessions. “Anyway, I guess I should thank you for saving me from falling off that cliff.”
“Well, I never did thank you for killing that monster and stopping me from becoming creature chow.”
“As long as we’re thanking each other, thanks for kicking that thing before it crushed me into the mountain.”
“Yeah, well, thanks for giving me that push out of the way.”
Both men were grinning at the end of this exchange. Autolycus held out his hand, and Iolaus took it in a warrior’s grasp.
“I’m glad we decided to join together,” the hunter said. “I guess we do make a pretty good team, don’t we?”
“Don’t worry,” the thief responded with a little wink. “I won’t tell the big guy.”
Autolycus gave a little wave, then disappeared out into the celebrating streets of Pieria when a line of pretty girls were waiting to dance with the handsome hero who had saved their town. Iolaus watched him go with a wistful smile, before turning to his kind host.
“Are you sure I can’t persuade you to stay?” Father Solstice asked.
“I’d like to, but they’re expecting me at home,” the hunter replied.
“Iolaus, I know how important it is for you to be with your family on solstice,” the old man began. “And I can’t thank you enough for giving that up, and also for risking your lives for us. This town, and myself, especially, will be forever indebted to you, my friend.”
“It was my pleasure,” Iolaus stretched out his hand, but instead of shaking it, the old man handed him a parcel.
“What’s this?”
“Just a little something for your journey. It’s a special solstice bread. The children believe that if you make a wish before you eat it, all your solstice dreams will come true. Maybe you should give it a try.”
“I think I’m a little too old for believing in such things,” the hunter grinned.
“There is no age limit for believing in the magic of solstice,” the old man chuckled. “Look at me. I’m twice your age, and I haven’t stopped believing.”
“Anyway,” Iolaus hedged. “I should be going.”
“I know,” Father Solstice said. “You need to get home.” He reached out and gave the hunter a quick hug. “Take care, my brave friend.”
“You, too.”
Iolaus started off, turned and waved, and then strode purposefully out of Pieria. The sun had already set, and he knew it was stupid and stubborn to insist on beginning his journey so late. But he just couldn’t stand the thought of not being in Alcmene’s welcoming cottage for solstice. And even though he wouldn’t make it, at least he was on his way.
The hunter walked quickly for a few miles, then reached into his satchel and pulled out the parcel that Father Solstice had given him. He unwrapped the cloth to unveil a hearty slab of the sweetened bread. To his amazement, it was warm, as if it had just been pulled from the oven. With a heavy sigh, he closed his eyes. He felt like a fool, but there was a small part of him that was dreamy and romantic enough to still believe in the magic of solstice.
“I wish I were home,” he confessed to the night sky.
Iolaus began walking again, taking a bite of the bread. It was warm, and as he swallowed, the warmth filled his body. He devoured it quickly, but when he finished, a wave of odd feelings assaulted him. The warmth pulsed through him, but he was also dizzy and off balance. The hunter shut his eyes and dropped to his knees, trying to overcome the lightheadedness that had suddenly seized him. Then, as abruptly as it had started, everything stopped. He still felt the warmth all through him, but his balance returned and the world had stopped spinning. Iolaus opened his eyes to find himself kneeling in Alcmene’s front yard.
A year ago, the hunter had wondered about his strange new friend, suspecting that there was more to Father Solstice than he was letting on. Now he was sure of it. This harmless looking old man was not a man at all. He WAS the magic of solstice.
“Thank you,” Iolaus whispered, confident that his friend would somehow hear him.
Jumping to his feet, the hunter quickly brushed off his clothes as he bounded to the door. Iolaus knocked upon the wood, a huge grin plastered on his face. He had defeated a monster, saved a village, and made peace with Autolycus. But most importantly, and most miraculously, he had made it home for solstice.
Disclaimer: No fluffy bear-sloth hybrids were harmed during the writing of this story.
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