The sun was coming up in the wrong place, not behind the island, but to the left, as they approached it from the north.
"Find out where we are," Odysseus ordered, as he lifted himself off the tiller, and stumbled toward the steps that would take him below.
The lower deck was dim, with the only light coming in from the top of the steps. All other openings had been plugged to prevent water from entering during the night. Even still, the boards of the floor were damp, and puddles splashed under Odysseus' feet as he made his way to his quarters.
He passed crewmen, patching up injuries, repairing kit, sleeping in their hammocks, or just on the floor, too tired to do anything further than wrap themselves in blankets and pass out.
A little light came from the hatchway window in the rear of the ship, just above Odysseus' bunk, and silhouetted against it, Odysseus spotted Polites, holding Asterion and bouncing the infant on his knee. He was speaking with Cassandra, and Odysseus could hear Asterion babble over the sounds of low conversation.
"Polites, gear up," Odysseus gave the command before he even reached the pair. "We're going ashore."
"I have to come with you!" Cassandra said, leaping to her feet.
"No," Odysseus replied, holding up a hand. "You've helped enough for one night. Get yourself a hammock from the quartermaster, Eurylochus will assign you a spot."
"But you will be trapped on the island—"
"This is not the same island!" Odysseus snapped. "Your advice led us into that storm. Had we stayed, we would have resupplied and escaped notice, and be right where we needed to be. On the way home, halfway to Athens right now. But because I promised to believe you, here we are instead!"
"I did not ask you to rescue me!"
"I simply presented the option! I didn't force you into anything! You chose to come!"
"Come with you or be left in a cell! I am not mad and I can see the future—"
"Yes, you've done a really great job of that so far!" Odysseus interrupted, snatching up the infant from Polites' grip. "Let's get going."
"You're going to take the child?" Polites asked, picking up Odysseus' sword from where it lay beside the bunk.
"For now, I'm not letting him out of my sight." Odysseus grabbed the makeshift sling and slipped it over his shoulder, setting Asterion between his shoulders like a quiver for his bow. Then he took the sword and attached it to his belt, and stormed back toward the steps without a backward glance at the girl.
YOU ARE READING
Defying Fate
FanfictionI read a Tumblr post while back about Odysseus meeting and adopting the prophet Cassandra, who had been cursed so that "Nobody would believe her." Of course, if he's going to adopt Cassandra, whom he never met in the original story... why not adopt...
