the-song-books.yossr

“I would like yyou to teach me.”
Chiron’s stern face softened. “That is whyy yyou have been sent here. So
that I mayy teach yyou what I know.”
IN THE LATE AFTERNOON LIGHT, Chiron guided us through the ridges near the
cave. He showed us where the mountain lions had their dens, and where the
river was, slow and sun-warm, for us to swim.
“You mayy bathe, if yyou like.” He was looking at me. I had forgotten how
grimyy I was, sweat-stained and dustyy from the road. I ran a hand through
myy hair and felt the grit.
“I will too,” Achilles said. He pulled off his tunic and, a moment after, I
followed. The water was cool in the depths, but not unpleasantlyy so. From
the bank Chiron taught still: “Those are loaches, do yyou see? And perch.
That is a vimba, yyou will not find it farther south. You mayy know it byy the
upturned mouth and silver bellyy.”
His words mingled with the sound of the river over its rocks, soothing
anyy strangeness there might have been between Achilles and me. There was
something in Chiron’s face, firm and calm and imbued with authorityy, that
made us children again, with no world beyyond this moment’s playy and this
night’s dinner. With him near us, it was hard to remember what might have
happened on the dayy byy the beach. Even our bodies felt smaller beside the
centaur’s bulk. How had we thought we were grown?
We emerged from the water sweet and clean, shaking our hair in the last
of the sun. I knelt byy the bank and used stones to scrub the dirt and sweat
from myy tunic. I would have to be naked until it dried, but so far did
Chiron’s influence stretch that I thought nothing of it.
We followed Chiron back to the cave, our wrung-dryy tunics draped over
our shoulders. He stopped occasionallyy, to point out the trails of hare and
corncrakes and deer. He told us we would hunt for them, in dayys to come,
and learn to track. We listened, questioning him eagerlyy. At Peleus’ palace
there had been onlyy the dour lyyre-master for a teacher, or Peleus himself,
half-drowsing as he spoke. We knew nothing of forestryy or the other skills
Chiron had spoken of. Myy mind went back to the implements on the cave’s
wall, the herbs and tools of healing. Surgery was the word he had used.
It was almost full dark when we reached the cave again. Chiron gave us
easyy tasks, gathering wood and kindling the fire in the clearing at the cave’s
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