Bellerophone and the Hag

Chapter6

Bellerophone wiped sweat off his forehead.  It was hot in the forest today.  Megaera was busy mixing herbs and potions together.  Bellerophone had gotten bored watching her and had gone outside to drill.  He had shed his shirt several minutes earlier.  The familiar weight of his sword in his hand calmed him.  Bellerophone sheathed his sword.  He placed his hands on his hips and stretched his back.  Bellerophone rolled his shoulders before he settled into a neutral stance.

Megaera watched from the tiny window in her hut as Bellerophone started moving gracefully through a series of moves.  She had no idea what he was doing, but she vaguely remember seeing the men in her father's army doing something similar to this.  They used the skills they learned in battle when they lost their weapon or they were in close combat.

Sweat dripped down his back and his muscles rippled causing Megaera to have feelings that she hadn't had in centuries.  Bellerophone was a fine specimen of the male body.  Megaera could tell that he had spent many years training to be where he was now.  He didn't look very old, but if she remembered correctly the young boys in her kingdom started training to be warriors at the age of seven. 

Megaera turned from the window and started mixing her potions together.  There were people outside the forest who requested her potions and elixirs.  Megaera used crows and ravens to fly the potions to those who asked for them.  They would give the raven or crow their payment.  If Megaera didn't receive her coin then she would send a curse after them.  The curse would follow them until they paid their coin.

Boot steps sounded on the dirt floor.  Megaera didn't need to turn around to know that it was Bellerophone.  She could smell the manly scent of him.  If she still looked like she used to, then she would do subtle signs of flirtation with him.  She knew right know that if she tried that he would look at her in disgust.  The sound of the ladle being dipped into the water bucket made Megaera look up.  Bellerophone was busy drinking from the ladle.  He lowered the ladle and wiped his mouth before he motioned to what she was doing.

"How many people ask for your help?"

"Too many to count."

Bellerophone moved around Megaera making sure to keep from touching her.  He wasn't the first one to do that.  She had learned long ago not to let it bother her.  At least Bellerophone hadn't spit on her yet.  Megaera called to one of her ravens and held her hand out for it.  The raven flew in the window and waited patiently while she tied the potion to it's leg and told it who it belonged to.  The raven flew away as soon as she was done speaking to it.

"Where did you learn to do those moves you did?"

Bellerophone looked up from eating the piece of day old bread he'd found laying on the table.  He paused with his mouth full before he swallowed and cleared his throat.  "Legend has it that an ancestor of mine came to this forest before it was like this.  They were taught the moves I just performed and brought them back to my land.  The knowledge of those fighting moves have been passed down for generations."

Megaera grunted.  She vaguely remembered a stranger appearing at her father's court asking to learn their fighting methods.  It made sense that Bellerophone was the descendant of that man.  Megaera remained silent as she fixed her potions and made her magic amulets.  She was aware of Bellerophone watching her and she grew jealousy imagining him watching Isabelle with gentle eyes.

Bellerophone rested against the wall and watched Megaera work.  He wondered how she used to look before she became an old hag.  She seemed so bitter and he wondered why.  What could have caused this forest to change?  What could have caused her to be the way she was?  Bellerophone figured that it had something to do with Megaera.  She's connected to this forest.

"How long have you been here?"

Megaera looked up at him.  She shrugged.  "I was born during the reign of the last King of this land.  A curse was put on this forest and I happened to be caught in the crossfire of that curse."

"Why?"

"That is something that I have told no one."

Megaera refused to speak after that and Bellerohphone quit trying.  He was content to just watch her work.  She was very knowledgeable on what she was doing.  In another place she would be called a healer.  A thought occured to him adn it was one that he felt the urge to ask.

"Have you ever tried to leave the forest?"

"I can't.  I tried once and I didn't even make it out of the forest before I had to turn back.  Believe me if I could leave I would, but must stay here."