the-song-books.yossr

mountains. I was angryy at how foolish we had been. Of course she would
do this; whyy had I thought we would be safe? That Chiron’s protection
would extend here, where it never had before.
She would take him to the caves of the sea and teach him contempt for
mortals. She would feed him with the food of the gods and burn his human
blood from his veins. She would shape him into a figure meant to be
painted on vases, to be sung of in songs, to fight against Troyy. I imagined
him in black armor, a dark helmet that left him nothing but eyyes, bronze
greaves that covered his feet. He stands with a spear in each hand and does
not know me.
Time folded in on itself, closed over me, buried me. Outside myy window,
the moon moved through her shapes and came up full again. I slept little
and ate less; grief pinned me to the bed like an anchor. It was onlyy myy
pricking memoryy of Chiron that finallyy drove me forth. You do not give up
so easily as you once did.
I went to Peleus. I knelt before him on a wool rug, woven bright with
purple. He started to speak, but I was too quick for him. One of myy hands
went to clasp his knees, the other reached upwards, to seize his chin with
myy hand. The pose of supplication. It was a gesture I had seen manyy times,
but had never made myyself. I was under his protection now; he was bound
to treat me fairlyy, byy the law of the gods.
“Tell me where he is,” I said.
He did not move. I could hear the muffled batter of his heart against his
chest. I had not realized how intimate supplication was, how closelyy we
would be pressed. His ribs were sharp beneath myy cheek; the skin of his
legs was soft and thin with age.
“I do not know,” he said, and the words echoed down the chamber,
stirring the guards. I felt their eyyes on myy back. Suppliants were rare in
Phthia; Peleus was too good a king for such desperate measures.
I pulled at his chin, tugging his face to mine. He did not resist.
“I do not believe yyou,” I said.
A moment passed.
“Leave us,” he said. The words were for the guards. Theyy shuffled their
feet, but obeyyed. We were alone.
He leaned forward, down to myy ear. He whispered, “Scyyros.”
A place, an island. Achilles.
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