A Wayward Arrow

Chapter Twelve: The Second Trial

Once the breakfast was made, Psyche would find some time to rest a little as the house ate. She'd find some semblance of peace in this dark expanse of sleep but it was short-lived, for as soon as the meals were eaten, she was being whipped awake by Aphrodite's personal handmaidens. As she woke, she was forced to clean up the dishes from that morning.

As she cleaned the dishes, she'd find the will to continue going. Knowing that each of these tasks were only more proof that she had for the goddess of her love and devotion to the god Eros. Surely, if all this torture that Aphrodite was putting her through would eventually pay off in way of favor. Either way, she would finish her cleaning and the chores set out before she came to stand before Aphrodite for her next task.

"I am here for the task you wish to ask of me." Psyche would speak as she stood before the goddess.

"Yes, your next task. I need you to go out to the meadow just outside my palace. It's across the river. There you will find some sheep. Not just any sheep, but beautiful golden sheep that belong to the mighty Helios. I want you to gather up some of their golden wool. Now go." The goddess would wave off Psyche.

The task seemed easy enough. Shearing some sheep, because the last task seemed impossible when the goddess set it, she knew there had to be some sort of catch. Either way, she gathered some shears and headed out of the palace. Making her way towards the river. Keeping her eyes peeled for anything that might make the task set before her seem more difficult than it should be.

Then, she got to the river. The river ripped and rolled violently against the banks as the wind rolled across the meadow. As Psyche got closer, she saw the small whirls beneath the surface, showing that even though the surface of the water seemed calm in spots when the wind wasn't blowing fast and hard, that there was some dangerous undertow just beneath it.

From across the river, she saw the golden sheep of Helios. They were in the meadow grazing peacefully despite the breeze and she wondered if she could manage to get across this dangerous river, then surely she could just shear one of the sheep and get enough wool to bring back to Aphrodite. Yes, she had to. For Eros, she had to cross this river.

She gathered up the rags of what was left of her peplos and started to make her way towards the waters. Her toes touched the shivering cool depths and before she could take any more of a plunge, she'd slip on the bank and begin to fall into the water. Dropping her shears along the way and nearly began to be dragged down by one of the undertows. She screamed out, grabbing hold of the bank with a fistful of dirt and grass and made her way back up onto the side. Finding the river much too dangerous.

"Even if you cross the river, the sheep will kill you." A voice called from next to where she lay, breathing heavily amongst the reeds.

"Who is that?"

"The reeds and the wind. We warned you the river was much too dangerous, but you tried anyway. You still wish you could try again?"

"I need the wool of the sheep. I need to bring it back to Aphrodite. There is no other way. I have to cross the river. What do you mean the sheep will kill me?"

"The sheep are most murderous. This river is here to keep them penned in the meadow. Helios set it that way. They lust for blood. Observe."

Psyche sat up, turning to watch the sheep. For the most part, they were simply being sheep. Bleating to each other and eating the grass and anything else that so much as crossed their path. They didn't seem murderous until a bird dove down too close into the meadow and one of the sheep instantly jumped up. Grabbing it with it's teeth and tossed it to the ground. From there the sheep swarmed around it, stomping and biting as they turned the little bird into a mess of blood and bones. They did not stop till the frenzy was over and the bird was unrecognizable.