Serpent and Stone

Chapter 14

I did not want to risk Perseus' wound reopening and so mandated he not walk around at all while it began to heal. I didn't relent on that mandate, though I knew how much sitting in bed all day was beginning to drive him crazy. The loom made the last few days of bed rest easier for him. He finished a fine piece of cloth on it, proudly presenting me his work when I returned from the garden one day. It took me only a little time to sew the white linen cloth into a tunic and trousers, at last giving him clean clothes that fit him.

That morning, when I checked on the stitches, I had to conclude that he was well enough to walk again.

"You will still have to be careful," I warned him. I kept my voice stern, holding back the laugh that wanted to burst out at the sight of the unbridled eagerness in his eyes. "It will be difficult for you to walk without sight and I don't want you falling into a ditch and injuring yourself again."

"I will be," he replied fervently. He smiled toward me, a soft curve of his lips that made my heart stutter for a beat. "I swear. You don't need to worry for me, Andromeda."

But I did worry. I went mad with worry when I pictured him wandering blind through the forests of the island, unable to see the dangers that lay ahead of him. He could accidentally fall from a cliff and into the sea, or step upon a rattle snake, or a million other equally gruesome possibilities. The island held no dangers for me, but that was only because I was a monster. For a soft, vulnerable mortal like Perseus it would never be completely safe.

"Hang on," I told him.

I strode across the temple chamber to one of the small, unused rooms in the back. There was even more clutter here than in the main chamber, the place crammed with various tidbits and objects I kept stored away in case they might be useful. I pushed piles of random things aside, my brow furrowing as I searched for what I wanted. I soon found it, stuffed into a corner and hidden by a stack of woolen blankets.

I reached out and grasped the wooden staff. I tossed it lightly between my hands, testing its sturdiness. It was a simple, unadorned staff of cypress wood that had once been used here when the priestesses of Athena still lived in this temple. I used the heavier, taller staffs for fighting. The smaller and lighter ones like these I'd had no real use for, but had been loath to toss them away. As I tucked the staff under my arm and returned to Perseus' side I thanked my younger self for having the foresight to keep the thing.

"Reach out your hand," I commanded Perseus when I stood before him once more. He did so, and I placed the staff in his palm. His fingers curled around it and he lifted it up to test its weight, a smile alighting on his face.

"This is perfect." He stood up and twirled the staff around himself, chuckling low to himself.

I scowled. "It's to help you walk without tripping on things," I scolded him. "It isn't a sword."

He sighed, ceasing his fun and putting it down once more. He leaned forward on it, his eyes looking in my direction. "I'm sorry," he said. "I'll use it properly."

"Good." My snakes twisted happily around my face and I batted them away with a hand. "Now, let's go. You need to practice being able to use it."

I grabbed hold of Perseus' arm to guide him to the cavern's entrance, but once we passed the threshold into the open air and sunlight, I let go. He needed to learn how to navigate by himself, in case I ever wasn't around to help him. He didn't seem to mind it or even notice, too busy taking in the fresh air.

He closed his eyes, turning his face to the sun and inhaling deeply. The sunlight glinted off of his curls, making them shine like copper. He exhaled slowly, opening his eyes. Outside, I could see just how light their color was, paler even than the clear sky in the afternoon. I tried to think of something to compare them to and came up with nothing.