The Angelus Brothers Chronicles - The Golden Hind

CHAPTER FIVE

Apollo and Artemis followed Heracles silently and unseen as he crept through the trees keeping low, bow in one hand, arrow ready in the other, keeping to the darkest parts of the forest and out of the dappled sunlight. Barely containing her anger and sitting high in a tree Kaia crept back slightly to keep out of his sight as she watched him stalk her. The demigod had the prickly feeling he was being watched but every time he looked around he couldn't see or hear anyone.

"Which of you is watching me?" He whispered under his breath. Apollo giggled to himself and putting on a faux deep voice imitated his half-brother.

"Which of you is watching me?" His twin elbowed him and put her finger over her lips as she pointed up to the tree in which her hind was hiding.

"You sure she's not part amazon hiding in the trees like that?" The goddess rolled her eyes. "I must admit to being impressed with your little doe. She's had him searching for her for over a year now. I didn't think she'd last the first day. But I have grown tired of this game now." As he spoke he flicked his wrist. With a squeal, Kaia fell out of her hiding place, by the time she hit the ground she was in her hind form. Heracles swung round in shock at the sudden loud appearance of his prey. Scrambling to her feet the deer began to run but she'd barely covered ten feet before an arrow landed in her hind quarter dropping her to the ground.

She screamed in pain as she ploughed into the ground, crashing to a halt at the base of a huge tree. Artemis shoved at her brother in fury.

"She was mine. How dare you!" He smirked and shrugged.

"I was bored of watching them play hide and seek. That was the most entertainment I've had since we started all this hind nonsense." Before his sister could berate him further he vanished, leaving the irate goddess to watch as her beautiful hind had its legs tied together to make her easier for her captor to carry.

Heracles tied the hinds legs together so she couldn't escape then reached down and pulled the arrow out of her rump. She screamed as her head rolled back and she rived in pain.

"It's not that bad, it'll heal soon enough. It's just a little arrow wound." In her mind, she screamed back at him that she'd like to fill him with little arrow wounds. Grunting and thrashing she tried desperately to escape but he'd tied her legs too tight and she couldn't do anything but roll around making her wound hurt more.

Artemis watched the hinds blood drip to the floor from her wound, her fingers caressing a large round pendant she always wore around her neck. It hung from a gold chain, behind its glossy domed surface was a flickering image of a magnificent stag standing in an idyllic woodland setting. Letting go of it she held her arms out and appeared before her half-brother.

"I said not to harm her." The demigod jumped at her sudden appearance and booming voice.

"She's not harmed," Kaia called beseechingly to the goddess but all Heracles heard was grunts and snorts.

"Then what is that?" She asked as she pointed to the spots of blood on the ground.

"It's nothing, just a small wound to knock her off balance and not allow her to escape."

"NOTHING?!" Bellowed Artemis her rage exploding to the surface as she threw him back against a tree. "Blood, my hind's blood, is not NOTHING!" She grabbed the bloodied arrow up from the floor and brandished it toward him. "Any more harm befalls her I will exact revenge on your hide." Crouching she placed a hand gently over the wound and made soft cooing sounds as the wound healed beneath her hand.

Shooting one last furious look at Heracles the goddess vanished, taking the bloodied arrow with her. Kaia's heart sank at the realisation the goddess wasn't going to save her, her head dropped and her body went limp as she lay there motionless and broken, tears welled in her large golden eyes. Angrily Heracles stormed back to the hind and was about to pick her up when he noticed a gold chain about her neck with a nice bow and arrow pendant. He yanked it roughly over her neck and placed it about his own neck before grabbing her by the binds around her legs and hoisting her up over his shoulder.

"I'll be glad when I have you delivered to Eurystheus and that insane harpy leaves me alone." The hind just lay limply over his shoulders, her heart broken at the betrayal of her goddess. Even when her sisters were taken she thought the goddess had planned to protect her. But she had forsaken her in her time of greatest need, she had thought she would smite Heracles and claim her back, return her to her sisters and she would be happy once more. The betrayal stung her worse than the arrow wound had.

Dropping the hind roughly on the ground Heracles grinned at the adoring cheers of the crowd as he presented them with the hind they had all so feared.

"You should bind its mouth, they breathe fire." Shouted someone from the crowd.

"No good friend, it doesn't breathe fire. It's Just a large deer with golden horns."

"Kill it,'' shouted another."

"No, no good friend. It is protected by Artemis, to harm her would bring terrible retribution on you all." Picking the hind back up he hung her by her legs from the wooden frame that stood above the village's water well. Still feeling defeated, Kaia just hung there her head drooped and her eyes closed, listening to the demigod lap up the praise heaped on him by the adoring villagers. Finally opening her eyes she saw the young girl who'd spoken to her the last time she visited the village was standing nearby watching her. When the doe opened her eyes Agata raised her hand and stroked the soft golden brown fur of her neck.

"Poor hind, you look so sad." The little girl's soft petting was oddly comforting but soon her mother came bustling up and dragged the errant child away. Watching her go Kaia wondered how something as sweet as a child grew to be as hateful as the humans who now jeered at her and praised the man who'd wounded and captured her.

Why couldn't she have been left alone? She had been happy with her sisters, roaming the hills and forests. They had never harmed anyone other than stealing the odd skin of wine. They had cared for the goddess' forest and worshipped her like good followers, but all it had brought Kaia was misery and loneliness.

***

Muscles aching and throat sore from thirst she watched as Heracles strolled up to her, a young girl under each arm laughing and looking well-rested. He had not spent the night hanging upside down by his legs, exposed to the elements.

"I am sorry ladies but I must leave you and take my prize back to King Eurystheus." Both girls pouted as he let go of them and pulled the hind down from the wooden frame where she still hung. Fighting Back a groan as her sore muscles protested his rough handling, he hefted her across his shoulders like she was nothing more than a bag. She looked beyond the village to the woods she'd called home all her life and prayed to any god that might listen to return to the days of running free with her sisters. Without offering her water or food Heracles took to the road out of the village. If he'd bothered to look at the hind he'd have seen tears rolling down her face to fall on the dusty road below her as they moved further and further from her home and the only life she'd known.