Hades and Persephone Ch 18 4.docx

1、Hades and Persephone Ch 18 4A pair of giddy lovers dressed in saffron chitons dashed past him in the opposite direction, escaping the fires and torches for the privacy afforded by the open fields, the night sky and the stars above. Aidon jogged after his wife, nearly losing her trail in the incense

2、wafting from the temple. He looked about the crowd for signs of her, then felt a hand grasp at his.Come on, she whispered. Its not much farther.The music faded into the background, a steady muffled drumbeat and a melody from the flute amidst the singing. Aidoneus and Persephone carefully scaled the

3、rocky hillside north of the temple. She lifted the faceplate of her helm and perched it atop her head, becoming visible to him again. He followed her lead so he could be sure of his footing, but his helm still covered his face, his cloak hiding all but a single arm and a glint of his cuirass. Persep

4、hone held his hand and gathered up her skirts with the other, one pale foot carefully following the other, trying to find the scattered steps in the darkness.You climb these rocks barefoot? he asked.Of course, she said, smiling. I always did so when I was Kore.The incline gentled and they soon came

5、to a short wall of stacked stones and blocks of marble. Masons tools lay propped against one of the walls. This was an unfinished temple. I know this place.Id hope so, she said. Its where we emerged and struck the new Agreement.He frowned. Its where I lost you for half the year, every year. Why brin

6、g me here of all places, Persephone?Look. She paused and he turned in the direction she faced. All was silent except for the distant music in Eleusis. Her husbands eyes widened and his mouth hung open. Persephone spoke. You said you werent worshipped in the world above. You told me how you would be

7、blamed for all that happened, how the mortals would never know you.Aidon shook his head and removed his helm, laying it on the ground beside him. Before them on a raised altar stood two life-size statues his likeness and hers, carved from ash trees. They were faced outward together with his wooden i

8、mage placed slightly behind hers, one hand gently holding her shoulder, the other hand cupping her upturned hand in front of them. The image of Persephone held a long stalk of asphodel between them. The statues heads were crowned with fresh wreaths of poplar leaves and asphodel flowers, respectively

9、. Boughs of cypress covered the ground, perfuming the air with their spicy scent. It mingled with the sweet smell of narcissus and pomegranate flowers that were strewn about the altar. The face of his wifes statue looked serene, his looked stern.Footprints littered the ground. This place was well vi

10、sited and, judging from the crispness of the wreaths adorning their heads, recently and carefully tended. Cradled in the statues upturned hands was a single, perfect pomegranate flower. Their wooden visages blurred in his vision. Persephones hand intertwined with his. He quickly swiped his fingers o

11、ver his eyes and gazed down at her. How. Persephone, have you.Yes, she answered softly. I wasnt expecting them to create all this, though. It was built by students of one of my mothers priests. My priest, in truth Eumolpus. He said that it would take too long to chisel reliefs and statues out of mar

12、ble; so this is temporary.A shame. I quite like the ash wood. Aidon took a step closer to look at the embracing statues and saw amphorae of olive oil stacked near the base of the altar, offerings to his realm. So thats where all the oil has been coming from.Mortals have made offerings to the Underwo

13、rld before, though. Havent they? She remembered how hed used the oil to slick back his hair, and shave his thick stubble.Only small libations, he answered. Nothing like this. Olive oil has been appearing in the great hall of the palace of late. What have you told them of our world?The truth. Perseph

14、one leaned against his arm. That they are reborn above. About how peaceful Asphodel is, how you are firm but kind, a shepherd of souls.Sto Theo, kai Thea, he said, reading the inscription carved into the platform below.Is that what that says? she said, a smile broadening across her face.To the God a

15、nd the Goddess; yes. Unsurprising. Were gods of the dead. They will not call on us by name, or write our names, for that matter.What about that one? she said pointing to a heavy marble cornerstone at the entrance. She only recognized the first letter,pi, the same letter that started her name.Aidon s

16、quinted to read it. The wordPlutonionwas scratched roughly into its surface to mark where the chisel would eventually do the rest. The Rich One. he said with a smirk. Or rather, the sanctuary of the Rich One.Theyre not talking about gold, Aidon. That had little value here during winter. They call yo

17、u the Rich One in Eleusis because you helped bring fertility back to the earth. Youre more than just the God of the Dead.Hmm, he grunted in acknowledgement and thinned his lips.Persephone pointed to a much smaller cave littered with copper coins. That one they dedicated to Charon.Oh? A wide smile br

18、oke on Hades face and he laughed. Oh no, I cant.Whats wrong?If I tell him they built this, Ill never hear the end of it!Oh, poor Charon; he should know, Aidon, she said and laughed with him. Fine. Hold off until I come back. It will amuse me to no end to see his reaction.He turned toward her and cup

19、ped her face in his hand. Youve done the impossible, my love.What do you mean?Youve found a way to bridge the divide between our worlds. This is the first temple theyve ever built where I am even mentioned. Youve created a way for the mortals to know us as we are.I couldnt just stand by and let ever

20、yone speak for me, or for you. My mother had more than enough to say about our relationship during the winter. But I wanted the Eleusinians and all of Hellas to know thatHe lifted her against him and silenced her with a kiss. Persephone gave in, holding him to her, grasping at his cloak, pulling him

21、 closer. He drew his shaking hands along her waist to her hips. Persephone.That I love you, she whispered.He gathered her close and kissed her again, and Persephone relaxed in his arms, her legs going limp and heat pooling in her belly.I love you, sweet one, he said when they separated to catch thei

22、r breath. I often thought about how it was barely two months you were with me. the blink of an eye compared to the long aeons Ive lived. But it feels as though a piece of me has been missing without you there.I know. She shook her head, her eyes watering. Aidon, Im so sorry, half the year was the be

23、st I could do.No, my love. Dont ever apologize for what you did, he said, then looked away. Do you regret it? Forever tethering yourself to the Land of the Dead? To me after knowing me for such a short time?Of course not, she smiled at him. You forget, its my world too. Your palace is my home. your

24、bed is my bed.He kissed her again, harder this time, and she felt his fingers bunch in the fabric of her peplos. His lips played with hers, her tongue stroking his, boldly deepening the kiss. He pulled away from her and breathed shallowly, his pulse drumming in his ears. When he finally spoke again,

25、 his voice was low and vulnerable. Can we.?Here?Anywhere. His hands retraced their path up her waist. I need you.I can think of no better place, she said with a smile. This is your sanctuary your home in this world, after all.Our home, he replied huskily, brushing his thumb over the outline of a tau

26、t nipple peaking against her dress.She gasped and pressed herself to him, her body flush against the cold, muscular outlines of his cuirass. How do I remove this?If you want, I could change the armor back to my robes, he said, his mouth twisting into a lusty half-grin. Or I could just will it off my

27、 body.She looked at him in surprise. I dont recall you doing that before, Aidon. And I can think of several times where we would have benefitted from that expediency.I like the ritual of removing clothes, Aidon said against her neck, planting a soft kiss behind her ear. Of revealing each inch of you

28、r skin. of discovering and knowing you one part at a time. And I love the expression on your face when you reveal mine.As do I, she whispered, impatiently running her fingertips over the edges of his armor. Show me how to take this off.Aidon unlaced one of his gauntlets, and Persephone copied him wi

29、th the other, albeit more slowly. She bent down and examined his greaves. He helped her by effortlessly pulling one forward, the metal springing back into the shape of his leg. Persephone removed the other. She quickly untied one of his sandal straps, then the other, the leather thongs loosening and

30、 falling around his ankles. She tossed the greaves aside next to the other pieces as he stepped out of his sandals and kicked them away.Aidoneus unpinned his cloak, letting it drop to the ground behind him. She traced her fingers over the tensed muscles of his exposed arms and the veins winding thei

31、r way to his wrists. He covered her hands with his, moving them to his sides, her fingers brushing over the straps that held his cuirass securely to his body. She kissed him and started working the leather through the bronze fasteners, three on each side.The first strap took the longest; the others quickly followed once she figured out how to unlace them. Aidon lifted the strapped shoulders over his head as she pulled it up from the bottom. The golden carapace crashed loudly to the rocky ground.Persephone jumped back and glanced about, then turned to her chuckling husband. Afraid of be