Trojan War Chapter 7

 

7.

Pirithous cradled the child in his arms, with his eyes teary towards the child’s mother who had died giving birth. The father of the child sheds his tears for he was there and unlike his father who was not seen or heard after birth.

“Hippodamia has moved on.” The healer told Pirithous. “She left you a son. Name him well and he will do your name proud.”

Pirithous looked to the dead mother laid there, cleaned off the blood from her hard birth. She had wedded the woman sometime back and even fought a battle with the centaurs to save her but she had to die giving life to their son.

Hippodamia was not an easy woman to handle or the better words to tame, even for a hardened warrior like Pirithous. She was herself a tamer of the wild horses, whom she rounded them by herself and galloped them to exhaustion before they accepted her as their mistress. She was no mare to him and he was no stud to her, but they were equal in their love. 

Pirithous himself had not known his father, he was raised by his mother named Dia who was a Goddess ranked to that of Olympia and was swift in her movements. She was swift that many had shunned from her but not the one who desired such a challenge; the almighty Zeus. The God had himself matched her speed with his and soon seduced her. The chance meeting of theirs was short-lived when Zeus had to return to Olympia. Dia brought up Pirithous by herself, and it from there, he learned how to tame horses.

Dia never sought Pirithous to seek his father but left him to survive in the world they were in. It was by chance that Pirithous was to meet Theseus, and then of similar childhood; deprived of a father when young. The two youths met Pirithous rustled the herd of cattle from Marathon, and Theseus set out to retrieve it. They clashed but in the end, they became friends and even ventured into adventures like the hunt for the Calydonian Boar.

Their adventures came to a halt when Pirithous wed Hippodamia and life mellowed for the young warrior. It was her death that saddened him and Theseus appeared before him.

“Come, my brother in the arm. You had your stay of absence with a woman and the child is born. Have you named him?” Theseus had asked.

“No, I have not.” Pirtihous sighed. “I am saddened by the loss of Hippodamia. She was good to me.”

“Belly that, my brother in the arm. The woman is dead. Move on. Name your son well so that he will one day lead an army.” Theseus was getting impatient with the other. “We will find one that will replace the mother.”

“It will not be one but one for each of us.” Theseus continued. “I still desire Helen but we need to find one that will suit you too.”

“I am …” Pirithous sighed.

“Name him to honor her and be the man you were once was.” Theseus glared at the other.

“I… so it will be. His name will be Polypoetes. He will be a leader one day and lead a great army.” Pirithous declared. “I will have him taken care of by his caretaker.”

“And so shall we decide now. Who will soothe your heart? And desire?” Theseus roared out. “Let us rejoice to your son and then to ourselves. We were once the strongest men that Earth has bred, the strongest men against the strongest enemies, a savage mountain-dwelling tribe whom they utterly destroyed.”

It did not take long for the two to soon laugh and rejoiced before they thought of the nasty scheme of theirs.

“I desire Persephone,” Pirithous called out. “She will be mine.”

“You fool! She is with Hades. He will roast you on the brazier for desiring her.” Theseus mocked his friend.

“And I will halve Hades with the horses in every direction.” Pirithous laughed. Both of them laughed and the scheme of things was put into place.

“We take Helen first.” Theseus set the plan into motion.

“Helen of Sparta, I demand you return to me now.” The caretaker named Mindea called out for the young girl then of the age twelve to her. She had lost sight of the girl when they arrived at the town square. It was also a busy time then at the square with the traders plying their trades, and the dozens of women doing their purchases then. The traders operate on the hovering platform and will move around to accommodate the buyers hence there were so many movements there.

“Where is the child?” Mindea then of the later years heaved her heavier set body frame past the crowd. She had sent forth the three guards assigned to escort her and Helen to look for the elusive care of her’. Helen had not been an easy child to care for, for she was mischievous and at that age when her legs could spirit her anywhere.

“I can’t put up with her, King Tyndareus. Please have me replaced with others.” Mindea had pleaded with the King but her request was turned down. Instead, he had assigned three guards to escort her, and at that tender age, Helen was not to be housed in the palace. Helen desired to be out there and running with friends she may meet. It was not a chore for her, for everyone wanted to be Helen’s friend.

“Has she passed us yet?” Helen whispered out to her town friend who was on the lookout for her. She was hiding among the vases called the ‘amphora’ then. The amphora was a container that came with two handles and a pointed bottom and was designed to fit tightly in packages or stores.

“Yes.” The signal was given by the friend and Helen soon took to her legs to run towards the nearby alley and from there to the docks where she liked to look at the seafaring ships. These were rare for most of the transportation was by air on the huge freighter crafts.

Helen liked to see the ancient ships that still used water to move about. She will seat herself by the wall facing the sea and her legs dangling over the edge. At the tender age of twelve, Helen was given the simple Chiton’ a cloth wrap around the body with the double clasp on the shoulders to hold it up.

“Do you like it here?” Helen turned to look and saw the two men who had set beside her. They wore a blue cloak over their tunic.

“Are you Spartan?” Helen asked. She feared that they were for all of Sparta knew of her and will report her back to Mindea.

“No, we are from…. Macedonia. I am Theseus, and he is Pirithous. We are travelers and had stopped by here. What is your name?”

“Helen. I am the daughter of King Tyndareus and my mother is Queen Leda.” Helen replied. At the tender age, Helen was not taught many life’s issues and with her protected caretakers and guards, she was unwary of the real going on the outside, besides playing with her friends.

“Well, Helen. How would you like to know more about Macedonia?”

“Is that far? I need to be back before the sunset.”

“No, my dear. You will be home before then.” It did not take long for Helen to be flown off Sparta by air and by sunset, she was asleep in the comfortable compartment in the craft.

“Theseus, she is still young.”: Pirithous reminded the other.

“Yes, I know. I will send her to my mother to take care of it. She will be cared for until she is ready.” Theseus looked at Pirithous. Helen of Sparta was flown to Archaeon and taken under the custody of Aethra. The child was frightened but later assured by the elder woman, she soon pacified and stayed with her.

Meanwhile back at Sparta, the search for Helen was taking place with all the Divisions involved. King Tyndareus was furious and send the caretaker to the dungeon for her negligence.

“I want her found, or war will be waged on anyone suspected of holding her.” King Tyndareus made the threat. The search for Helen soon reached Olympia and Zeus was advised. He looked at the emissary who told him of the missing child.

“Send out words to the Worlds. I want her found or her captors surrendered to me.”

“My Lord, Olympia must not get involved in the matter of the Worlds or we will be dragged in more of their conflicts.” The adviser to Zeus cautioned him.

“I care not. Helen is …” Zeus lost his words then, and it was Hera who assisted him.

“Lord Zeus meant to say, we will do our needed.”