Of Waves and War

34: his words had wings

Penelope

"Miss? There's someone here to see you," a servant knocked at my room door.

"Who?" I asked, frowning. I was expecting no one who wouldn't walk right past the servants and rap on my door asking if I wanted to go sledding. It was quite cold out and it had just snowed the night before. I doubted if that would damper Eulises, but I'd told him not to come by as my brothers were home and enjoyed torturing people who they thought might be flirting with their sisters.

"He said an inventor from the far north with an urgent message about your sponsored mountain creature."

"By the gods," needless to say I knew exactly who that meant. Eulises was waiting in the foyer, to his credit in a weird sort of disguise, but the usual smirk on his face the moment he laid eyes on me.

"Why are you the way that you are? I just want to know," I hissed, as I got close to him.

"We're afraid the venture has not gone well, ma'am---I had to see you," whispering the last bit, "I missed you, most ardently, in ways words cannot name."

"How goes your expedition---you saw me yesterday and I said you'd best not come over because  my brothers are here," I said, whispering the last bit as well.

"The men fought bravely but they were no match for the Creature---I have an excellent disguise do you want to come off and talk to me a while? We could go sledding I bet I'm better at sledding than you," he said, announcing the first bit for the benefit of the very weary servants who didn't strictly know it was him but were quite sure it had to do with 'that ridiculous man that's been seeing Miss Penelope'.

"You're never better at sledding than me you'll lose and have to buy me hot chocolate---oh that's a shame is there any news of the hunter or has he fallen to the Creature as well?" I ask.

"No, and with the number of heads I found I fear the worst---stop laughing!"

"You're laughing!"

"Well I didn't know how funny this was going to be---yes grief affects us all differently. It won't be long before the Creature moves inland."

"That's bad news for the colonies-----Are you gonna stay here exaggerating your story till I agree to come sledding?" I hissed.

"There is no escaping the Creature, I'm glad you're taking this so well---I mean yeah probably though I wouldn't strictly know as I've not done it yet," he whispered.

"We all have to die sometime---there is barely enough snow for sledding."

"Yeah, I thought about that and I decided I didn't care it was still an excuse to come and see you; your brothers around or no I'm sure I could make them like me if put to it-----well we'll be testing the serum shortly, worst case scenario we get another Creature, good day, madam."

"Why did you want to come so badly? I asked, smothering laughter mostly at his laughter at his own stupid story he was making up.

"Because I love you, of course," he grinned, then he walked away before I could tell him I loved him back.
That was the first time he said it. Dressed as a mysterious adventurer, in disguise, in my own house where he was more than welcome. I was cross with myself for loving him back as much as I did, yet I couldn't imagine not.

"You really think that's him?" Cleia stands next to me in the shadows of the balcony, watching the suitors, Telemachus, and his mysterious guest, dine. Argos, my husband's most loyal dog, lies by the stranger, head resting on his thigh as the man idly rubs the dog's flop ears and offers morsels from his plate. This dog who has tried to bite me when I attempted to cajole it from its post in the rain or snow. This dog that barely heeds Telemachus, lying placid as a puppy with a stranger? No, I'm not stupid. Or wrong.

"I want it to be," I say, my hands tight on the rail, "Too badly I think. But by the gods, that man would show up ten years late dressed as a beggar with a bag of stolen goods and multiple warrants out for his arrest. I fucking know him."

"Then why does he not look himself?"

"Also cursed did I mention that? Highly likely to get himself cursed---ah---I told Telemachus to bring him to me so I can speak with him I'll know if I do. I know him, gods I know him," I felt tears on my cheeks.

"I'll help you," she says.

"You will? You need not," I don't want her involved if it's not him and I'm wrong.

"I'll do whatever you ask, my lady," she nods.

"Take his boots from him at whatever excuse you can find---,"

"His leg."

"Yes, his face may be changed, but I can't see why the scar would be," I say.  That terrible, deep white scar, it wraps nearly around his left calf. A boar tusk, when he was just a boy visiting Mount Parnassus.  It's so deep as to deform the muscle. There's no way it's faded not after all this time. And you can feel it easily even through clothes.

"I will," she nods.

"Good, then we have our plan. I'll question him at length, Eulises won't miss the opportunity to verbally spar, especially not with me," I say, "Even if he is hiding for some reason."

"Why would he hide from you, lady?"

"He's cursed or wanted? Or he has some idiotic notion he's protecting me, and wants to kill and maim the suitors in secret and doesn't dare reveal himself before that," I say, more like it's that last one.

"What's he doing dining with them then?"

"Deciding which order he wants to kill them in, more than likely," I say.