Sacrifice Ch. 03

"I didn't know I needed your approval."He mused, looking down at her out of the corner of his eye.

She captured the errant chunk and pointed it at him. "Learn something new every day."

"You're awfully cheeky today aren't you?" He smirked. She'd been awfully cheeky most days lately, having discovered he was generally more entertained than annoyed by it. Which was a relief for her since her natural sense of humor had always tended towards the sardonic. It was a relief to not have to suppress it as she did with all but her closest siblings.

"My deepest apologies, I'd hate to make you angry my lord" she leered.

Demitri made a disgusted sound. "Do you mind, I'm trying to eat here."

Thelios chuckled, though not before returning her look. She grinned back and returned to her food, and turned her thoughts back to where exactly he was off to. She decided it must be related to the messenger who had come two days ago, who true to Demitri's predictions was someone new, and did his best to keep his distance. Any who came had also done so. She felt a little bad, and tried to be pleasant with the others, but they only eyed her suspiciously.

It would be strange having him gone, she considered, even for a few days. She'd become so used to him. Well it was a chance to sleep in her own room she mused, though that thought didn't cheer her up much. There wouldn't be much to do with him gone...there wasn't much to do with him here for that matter. As far as masters went, he was extremely low maintenance. With him gone she'd be bored silly. She'd have to look after the flock, otherwise she'd go mad.

There wasn't much to do at home since she'd discovered what few other rooms existed were mostly empty and never used, and the depths of the caverns held only a cistern for rain water, which explained the clever plumbing. She'd pulled a few things out of the so called storage room, which looked more like a treasury to her, just to have something to keep her busy, even sneaking the golden Apollo into her own little room. Well, sneaking wasn't entirely correct. She'd actually marched it past them as they watched in silence and closed her door behind her. They never said anything, and it remained where she put it, so she decided they must not have cared one way or the other. It wasn't like they'd noticed it much before.

A new and sudden thought interrupted her musing. What exactly was 'family' business for a giant? His Aunt the sphinx taken ill, a cyclops reunion? She knew very little about him when it came down to it.

"Whats so funny?" Demitri was looking cockeyed at her across the table. She started and blinked at him.

"Nothing."

"Then what's with the grin?" Thelios was watching her too.

"What, do you two have nothing better to do but watch me for unusual facial expressions?" Thelios shrugged carelessly in afirmation.

Demitri pursed his lips, "pretty much."

She sighed. "Family business."They both frowned. "I was trying to picture your family business." Demitri got it, but Thelios still frowned. "You know what sort of family business you'd likely have. You lineage isn't particularly banal I imagine," she continued when he just stared at her. Still nothing. "Sick aunty sphinx?" she offered.

Demitri nearly spat out his wine and Thelios finally grinned. "Ah, I see. No nothing that exotic. Just checking in with cousins and brothers...not my idea, but they insist."

"Are they giants as well?"

"Most."

Interesting. She didn't want to pry...well didn't want to seem like she was prying, so she asked no further questions and no one offered any more information. She cleared the table and washed up. They were still talking when she returned. She paused at the door to see if she could catch a snippet of interesting information. She'd long ago stopped feeling guilty about listening since the two of them were terrible eavesdroppers.

"And your father?"

"What does he care? And why should he. I can't imagine it becoming a problem, and certainly not for him. My cousin is an over confident fool, and he's managed, though apparently just barely. It will be a lesson to others." There was a pause. "My only real concern is if he compromised another as well. Specifically me."

"I see. What about you then? Are there many who know?"

"I can count the number of people on one hand."

"Does it include her? I've never heard her say it aloud." There was a longer pause, and she wondered if they'd figured out she was there.

"Yes" Thelios said finally.

"Is that bad?"

"I hope not." Beat. "No....I trust her." She knocked on the door and peeked in. They both looked up at her.

"Goodnight." They nodded and returned to their wine. She paused a while longer but the conversation changed. It must have been the 'business' he was speaking of. She wondered who the 'she' was they spoke of. She headed to his room and undressed, tossing her dress over the top of a nearby chest and settled herself under the skins. There was an unusual chill in the air and it made her skin bump. She'd fallen asleep before he'd arrived and didn't hear him enter.

"Caliope?"The sound of his voice stirred her out of her light sleep.

"mmm"

"Asleep?"

"Was" she cracked an eye. He was already lying next to her, leaning over her on one arm. He looked serious and she sobered quickly.

"Do you remember me telling you not to tell anyone my name?" She blinked for a moment, wondering where the question had come from.

"I don't think," then she remembered, 'I have a reputation....' "Oh well, maybe. Yes. Yes I do, vaguely...why?"

"It's important that you don't." Perhaps it had something to do with what she overheard earlier.

"Alright." who would she tell anyway?"Demitri?"

He shook his head. "He knows."

She nodded thoughtfully."Any particular reason...besides your reputation?" She would have grinned, but his expression dimmed it to a wan smile.

"In the wrong hands it could be dangerous." His tone sounded final and she knew that was all she was going to get. For now, she thought. She'd squeeze him later when he was in a better mood. It usually helped if she was naked. Then again, under the covers she was.

"You smile at the strangest things."

She blinked again. She'd have to learn to control her facial expressions better when her mind wandered. His face hovered over hers.

"I was thinking of something else." His expression didn't change, but one hand slid around and beneath her giving her rear a firm squeeze. She lifted her chin defiantly."Not necessarily!"

He gave her another longer squeeze, pulling her up against him. He had her at the first squeeze, but she kept her chin up.

"Presumptuous, aren't we?"He was sliding his way down her body as she spoke. She tried to contain her excitement, but her body wasn't interested in playing coy and was wriggling away in anticipation. He rolled her onto her back and ran his tongue down her body from neck to navel then teased her by pausing to kiss the round of her stomach, inching ever so slowly over her waist and hips. She sighed and caressed his head in a familiar manner, smiling softly at him.

"Will you miss me?" He paused to wait for an answer.

"Not at all, I'm sure."

He bit her hip making her chirp a squeal in protest. "That's rubbish" he growled softly against the top of her thigh, his breath making a trail of heat which held her attention with frightening intensity.

Her smile shifted into a silent gasp as she twisted her hips under his hands. His tongue felt like cold water as it ran over her heat, soothing her and eliciting tiny pulsing, electric throbs at the same time.

"Tell me again who it was that said you were a cold fish?"

She groaned. "Stop talking."

"I asked a question..."

She slid her fingers over on of his horns and glared down at him with hazy eyes. "Less words, more tongue..."

He chuckled and crawled over her, his elbow at her head, and she sighed in disappointment. She'd already learned that he had an impressive capacity for patience. Indeed it seemed his favorite game to pause in the middle of proceedings just to make her crazy. She sighed again, this time in defeat.

"A few people...mostly my sisters....but no one had tried that yet so..." she raised her hips as a hint. He ignored her and brushed his lips against her cheek.

"Well you're a hell of a lot warmer than the others' women."

Women? Which women?

"Whose?"

"'Family business' others. They tend to keep little harems... mind you some tarry only with nymphs...and they're notorious."

"Notorious for what?"

"Being cold fish." He was petting her stomach, and his teeth were nipping at her neck, but her mind was intently focused elsewhere.

"How would you know what their women are like?"

He cocked a brow at her. "How else."

"You slept with them?" She fought hard to keep the surprise out of her voice.

"A few. They tend to keep quite a number at their disposal, most of them. Especially at these little get togethers. They like to show off." He chuckled as he caressed her sides absently. "They even have these ridiculous competitions to see who has the better slaves. They're like little boys arguing over toys. Though I'll admit, some of them are quite...talented."

That did it. She sat up and paused his hand."And you sleep with them at these meetings?"

"Sometimes." He tilted his head at her curiously. She felt an irrepressible heat flare up in her stomach.

"And this time?"

He shrugged "who knows." He slowly smirked. "Why? Jealous?"

"No." It sounded defensive to her own ears. "No." She said again this time less intensely, "Just asking." She lay down again and turned over, her interest having rapidly waned. He peeked over her shoulder.

"Do you want me to promise I won't screw any of them?" It sounded like mockery to her.

"No. It would be pointless. Besides, why should I care what you do...I just serve here. It's none of my business." She sounded short, but she didn't care even if it was unreasonable, she felt irritated.

"You're right." He agreed. His hand returned to her side, but only for a minute before he sighed and rolled onto his back. She peeked over her shoulder when he didn't return his hand. His eyes were closed. Even if she was right he didn't have to agree with her.

"Well, maybe a little" she muttered turning away into her pillow.

"A little what?"

"Jealous." She was nearly inaudible.

"You'll have to talk to me, not the pillow." She could hear the amusement in his voice and let out an exasperated sigh and flipped over shooting him a nasty glare. He was already facing her, his head propped on his fist, smiling gently. She lost her steam and harrumphed, sitting up and crossing her arms over her breasts.

"Stop smiling at me like that."

He chuckled and leaned up, capturing her neck in his hand and pulling her too him, melting the rest of her ire with a long deep kiss."I would be too." She opened her mouth to respond, but nothing came out."You're lovely...now go to sleep."

She couldn't think of anything to say, so she turned over and tried to do just that.

The next morning Caliope woke up alone. Thelios was nowhere to be found, and Demitri, she knew, had been planning to leave early to pick up supplies in town. She'd wanted to ask him to get her vine leaves and a few other things and had forgotten. She cursed mildly and shook off the sleepiness. The sheep were awake and grazing in front of the cavern entrance. She'd slept in too long and many had begun to wander. It took her a good hour to collect them from the shore line and the little creek, the natural boarders of Thelios's land.

She'd learned, bit by bit, that to the north was a long ridge which defined the third boarder of the grazing land. The western tip of the ridge, the one that met the sea, was close by, so she started by heading the lazy fluff balls in that general direction. She knew she wouldn't be there until well after noon, so she let her mind wander as she half halfheartedly shooed errant lambs back into the herd. Her thoughts drifted first to her family.

Her mother, who had survived four daughters and three sons and lived to see all but three of her children married, was a serious and quite women. Caliope often wondered at how little she knew about her mother, who had always kept her own council and who had been too busy tending her family and being the proper wife of a respected council member to devote much time to idle conversation. Caliope had always held the hope that perhaps when she was older and married her mother might open a little to her, as she had seemed to do with her elder sisters. It made her a little melancholy to think that this was no longer possible. Her elder sisters were both married, and the eldest with two young sons of her own. Demetra, the eldest, had always been like a second mother to her and Helena, keeping them out of her mothers hair and teaching them the skills that their mother had taught her: how to keep a house, how to sew and weave, how to cook, clean, and the most difficult lesson, how to sit quietly and be seen and not heard. Caliope smiled wryly at the memory of those lessons. Her sister, like her mother, was not shy with a switch.

She'd adored her sister though, and was heart broken when she was married to the son of a family friend who lived more than a weeks journey from her little city. 'Well', she thought a little sourly, 'I'm three days closer to her now. As if that does anyone any good.'

Her second sister Xanthipe was nearly as charming and beautiful as Helena, but not half as wild. She'd never been that close to her second sister, though it was her who had taught the 'little ones' as she called them, the more charming arts of singing and dancing. She had a naturally clear and high voice and her entertainment at dinners caught the ears and eyes of a wealthy, and very powerful councilman who asked their father for her hand the moment she was of age. She lived in the same city as her family, and she visited her mother now and then, but she was often busy with running a magnificent household for a man who liked to entertain. In the end Caliope saw as little of her as she did her eldest sister. As for her brothers, she had no real memory of her eldest, Aristophanes who, when he was very young and she barely out of her swaddling wraps, had left home to become a man, and returned on his shield. All that she'd known of him growing up was the spear and shield kept in his honor in the entrance of their home. Her second brother Pericles, younger than Xanthipe, had survived his first battle and had come home to marry and inherited a nice bit of land from his wife's family, off of which he made a handsome living from his wheat fields and olive groves. Her youngest brother, Hector, was two years her senior and still doing his civic duty as a young soldier. She was sorry she never had a chance to say good bye to him.

She had always liked him very much. He was always a sweet boy, and had become a sweet young man. He'd been the only one of her and Helena's elders that had been their playmate, and not their teacher. He was wont to make her practice sword fighting with him since Helena was too dainty and his elder brother too unforgiving. By the time Calliope was 15 she'd become pretty good at not getting hit, if nothing else.

Her mother didn't like her playing at such things, but it amused her father to no end. Most things did though. He and her mother were opposites in every way. Where her mother was calm and stoic, he was gregarious and emotive. Helena got much of her sense of humor from her father, and he doted on her. The whole family did. Caliope sighed heavily and kicked at a stone. How she missed her sister.

She sat down on a small boulder along the base of the boarder ridge and watched as the sheep spread across a small ravine, collecting in the pockets where the grass grew thick and green, her mind wandering along with them before returning to her sister once more.

She wondered how long it would be until Helena would make a marriage. She'd been made numerous offers already, but her father, she knew, was inclined to keep his favorite at home so made no fuss about her refusing the proposals. Helena had her sights set on one of the more youthful and handsome sons of the councilmen. Her father would undoubtedly let his little favorite choose for herself, much to the chagrin of all the older, and perhaps less handsome, men who'd already thrown their hat into the ring.

Caliope felt suddenly restless and slid off the boulder, climbing the ridge to stand at the crest. She'd been here once before with Thelios, but she'd not seen over the ridge.

She smiled at the memory of discovering him laid out in the long grass, eyes closed against the sun. She'd gotten bored and took to walking the shore until she'd come upon him. She'd commented on how hard he clearly worked and he only grinned up at her, eyes still closed and patted the grass next to him, inviting her to work equally as hard. The spot had seemed warm and cozy then, but now, standing alone along a ridge that ran as far as the eye could follow in one direction and that crashed into to dark blue sea in the other, it seemed incredibly lonely.

It was a hot sun, but the ocean winds blew stiffly against her back, wrapping her robes about her legs. She turned pushing her hair back from her mouth and eyes, only to see a figure on the other side of the ridge looking with astonishment at her. She focused more clearly and saw that he was very young, at least 3 or 4 years her junior, and she could see, doing the same work as she. She smiled and waved down at him. He waved hesitantly back. She turned back to check the flock to see if she might go talk to the boy, but a few had already begun to climb another ridge to the east of the depression. She sighed and sent another wave towards the shepherd and climbed quickly down the steep slope.

She managed to wrangle them quickly and took another peek over the ridge, only to find the boy gone. At home, with her family, she'd often liked being alone, but since she'd come here, she found it oppressive and found it difficult to suppress her disappointment at finding her potential company gone.

The next few days passed quietly out in the meadows. She moved the flock along the ridge, climbing the slope periodically to see if she might spot the young shepherd. On the fourth day she did, but only just barely. She waved across the distance and eventually he saw her, but he was too far to call to, so after he returned her wave, they could only return to their flocks. The encounter pleased her, inexplicably, more than she thought it would, and she wondered at herself.

**

"Demitri?" She called as she stood over the small cistern rinsing what few dishes there were to clean, her back to the kitchen.

"Yes?"

"Are you going to town again soon?"

"Why?"

"There was something I wanted to make, but I forgot to ask you to buy the ingredients for me."

He shrugged. "I wasn't planning on it, but I can just give you the money and you can go yourself. It's a pretty calm town, I don't imagine you'll get any trouble."

"Myself?" She turned to face him.

"Sure, why not?"

"No reason. I...I just, I've never been to a market alone before. Am I allowed?"

He shrugged. "If you aren't then I won't tell any one."

She grinned at him "That's kind of you."

"Here." He tossed a purse of money on the kitchen table. "That ought to cover it. Keep what ever is left over. " She walked over and hefted the little bag and opened the top to peak inside.

"That's far too much. I'll just take a few coins."

He waved at her dismissively. "It's less than I could get for all the sheep that won't go missing because you're tending them. Just look at it that way." She looked at the little bag speculatively.