Pawns of Olympus Ch. 02

“Eiro!” Aegina hollered, annoyed. “Wait up!”

He paused, and she jogged a little to catch up with him.

“Why are you walking so quickly? You’re acting like you don’t even want to be here with me.”

He forced himself to keep his voice down, “I don’t! This could be very very bad for my cover.”

Aegina glared. “Well, it’ll be even worse if you keep acting like a stranger, and not,” she emphasized the word, “my husband.”

Eiro’s nose scrunched; the word obviously sat very uncomfortably on his shoulders.

“Now, if we’re going to do this right, you need to slow down and walk next to me.” His steps fell in with hers, the difference in height making him walk slowly. “And we should talk.”

“Talk? About what?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” she waved her hand flippantly. “The weather, the shops, what you like to eat, your childhood. Whatever you wish to talk about.”

Eiro raised an eyebrow, grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. “Well, you already know what I like to eat.”

She blushed a dark red. “That is something we most certainly do not wish to talk about.”

Chuckling out loud, Eiro marveled at how reserved his companion was in the light of day. “Then why don’t you choose the topic?”

“Ummm...Why don’t you tell me about your home?”

It was a little awkward at first for him; he’d never really opened up to anyone. Only his mother had shown him the same kind of attention Aegina was and it rather unnerved him. But as they chatted, he could feel himself loosening up, responding to her smiles, her stories.

They reached one of the houses Aegina hadn’t visited and easily wormed their way into a meeting with a senior servant. Impressed with their rapport, the woman bid them to come back after the morning chores were finished to consult with the household manager.

The two wandered out of the house and walked along the side of the street, the silence heavy.

“Listen, Eiro, I just wanted to thank you for doing this for me. I really appreciate it.”

Eiro blushed slightly, unused to her honest manner. Aegina studied him closely before throwing her arms around his neck in a tight hug. He floundered for a second, finally deciding to rest his hands in the small of her back. She lay a soft kiss just under his ear, making his breath catch in his throat.

“If you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to find me.” Aegina pulled away smiling, but her expressive eyes were wistful.

He blinked, the goose bumps her kiss had raised starting to fade. A reply formed on his lips, but instead a horn and the shouts of loud drunken men filled the air.

“What’s that?” Aegina turned towards the noise.

Servants, gardeners, children and even some of the wealthy men and women flocked from their houses, running down to the intersection with the main street. Aegina tugged at Eiro’s hand, trotting after them, curious as ever. They joined the throng of people lining the road, feeling the excitement in the air.

“Excuse me,” Aegina asked the woman next to her, “what exactly is going on?”

“The hero is coming back!” the woman practically screeched as she watched the clouds of dust rolling towards them.

“The hero?”

The woman raised an eyebrow at Aegina’s ignorance. “You’re either new or stupid. The hero is the most handsome man in Berora. He’s a war hero, and he’s the best fighter on this side of Greece and he has saved the town from evil monsters at least three times.” The lady winked at her, “I wouldn’t mind being ‘saved’ by him, if you know what I mean.”

Aegina smiled and nodded, inwardly annoyed by the woman’s snobbery, but as the cheers of the crowd got louder and closer, she was caught up in the joyous atmosphere.

“Come on Eiro!” Aegina once more grabbed the confused man’s hand and began elbowing her way to the front for a better view. He pushed his dark hair out of his eyes, uncomfortable among so many people. The little brunette next to him was all but jumping to catch the first glimpse of the “hero”.

The procession started with a pipe player and was followed by several gruff men, obviously just having returned from the wilderness. They were unwashed, bearded, and quite drunk. They were followed by ten less-drunk men carrying an enormous black bear. Women, including Aegina, screamed and applauded the hunters, a few even running over and trying to kiss them.

“Here he comes!” yelled one of the women.

“A hero, a real hero!” Aegina squealed to Eiro, no longer constraining her bouncing. He couldn’t help but laugh at her childlike antics.

The hero was being carried around atop a blanket that’d been stretched into a makeshift litter. He was waving his jug of wine at the crowd, practically showering them. He’d abandoned his traditional tunic, the chiseled muscles of his chest providing the perfect pathway for the little droplets of sweat and wine that dripped from his chin. His blonde curls glinted in the sunlight and bright brown eyes squinted as he laughed.

Aegina’s jaw dropped.

“Tyre?!”