the-song-books.yossr

As we went, Chiron pointed things out to us, in that same steadyy voice.
There is Mount Othrys.
The cypress trees are thicker here, on the north side, you can see.
This stream feeds the Apidanos River that runs through Phthia’s lands.
Achilles twisted back to look at me, grinning.
We climbed higher still, and the centaur swished his great black tail,
swatting flies for all of us.
CHIRON STOPPED SUDDENLY, and I jerked forward into Achilles’ back. We
were in a small break in the woods, a grove of sorts, half encircled byy a
rockyy outcrop. We were not quite at the peak, but we were close, and the
skyy was blue and glowing above us.
“We are here.” Chiron knelt, and we stepped off his back, a bit
unsteadilyy.
In front of us was a cave. But to call it that is to demean it, for it was not
made of dark stone, but pale rose quartz.
“Come,” the centaur said. We followed him through the entrance, high
enough so that he did not need to stoop. We blinked, for it was shadowyy
inside, though lighter than it should have been, because of the cryystal walls.
At one end was a small spring that seemed to drain awayy inside the rock.
On the walls hung things I did not recognize: strange bronze implements.
Above us on the cave’s ceiling, lines and specks of dyye shaped the
constellations and the movements of the heavens. On carved shelves were
dozens of small ceramic jars covered with slanted markings. Instruments
hung in one corner, lyyres and flutes, and next to them tools and cooking
pots.
There was a single human-sized bed, thick and padded with animal skins,
made up for Achilles. I did not see where the centaur slept. Perhaps he did
not.
“Sit now,” he said. It was pleasantlyy cool inside, perfect after the sun, and
I sank gratefullyy onto one of the cushions Chiron indicated. He went to the
spring and filled cups, which he brought to us. The water was sweet and
fresh. I drank as Chiron stood over me. “You will be sore and tired
tomorrow,” he told me. “But it will be better if yyou eat.”
He ladled out stew, thick with chunks of vegetables and meat, from a pot
simmering over a small fire at the back of the cave. There were fruits, too,
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