Helix

Carry the Pack

24 AD

"Good morning."

The crisp air was heavily laden with the smells of wood smoke and sizzling meat. Helix turned two prepared rabbits on a makeshift spit over the open flames. Eslein stretched as she sat up, her eyes quickly flicking over the food and Helix's appearance.

The corners of her mouth flicked up ever so slightly as she, at last, brought her gaze to his. "Good morning. I see your hunting skills are not confined to your hairy self."

Helix made a face. Deciding not to acknowledge her comment he pulled the food from the spit. "Sleep well?"

"Actually yes." Eslein took the food her eyes dancing hungrily. "Thank you."

"You are welcome. So, why were you out here crying in the woods?"

"How did you piss a god off so bad he turned you into a wolf?" Her tone was hard.

Helix took another bite of his food staring at her. "If I tell you my story will you tell me yours?"

Her lovely blue eyes were guarded, fear flickering through her attempts to appear cold. But, at last, she agreed, "Okay."

Taking a breath, Helix began his story, a story he hadn't told anyone. From being a young prince in Arcadia to seeing her in the stream he left no important detail out. It took the better part of two days for the full telling of it. They took only the necessary breaks for hunting and bodily necessities. For the most part, Eslein listened quietly, occasionally asking a question to clarify some point.

A near overwhelming sense of calm overtook Helix as finished the tale. It relieving to speak all of it aloud, to another living person. He did not feel quite so alone.

Eslein watched him, a considering expression gracing her face. "Your life is-" she hesitated to search for a word.

"Crazy? Backward? Fucked?"

The corners of her mouth tilted into a smirk. "I was going to say fascinating."

He grunted, not convinced.

Shrugging in response, Eslein continued, "I understand why you took Ares offer, but you know she will be back? Decuma is The Seer of the Future. Ares might hold her power, and even her captive, but even he can't keep her locked up forever."

"Hopefully, I'm dead and gone then by the time she resurfaces." Eslein did not offer an opinion on his hope. Nor did he ask her too. As the silence stretched, broken only by the quiet whisper of their own breathing, Helix became restless. "I believe the deal was a story for a story?"

Instantly she tensed, eyes wary, expression uncomfortable. "Yes. But-" She stood suddenly, "We have stayed here long enough. Let's move on and I will," she sighed, "I will tell you as we travel."

Finding her offer fair, Helix stood and cautiously stretched. His pain had dwindled to more of a mild annoyance than anything else. An occasional, abdominal twinge was all that remained.

It took less than ten minutes to pack her belongings and put out the remnants of the fire. "When we met you didn't know where you were going. Any idea now?"

Eslein glanced into the distance, "I have... had, a sister that I would like to find, and properly burn her body if your Roman men have moved out of the fort."