Chapter One
The wind howled as two cloaked figures, each carrying an oddly shaped bundle, ran through the mud, taking shelter under an aged oak tree on a hill in the middle of a meadow. The meadow appeared old and forgotten with overgrown grass grew beside tall shoots of poison ivy sticking out from the bushes. The dim and desolate meadow prevented even the wild deer and other animals from grazing in it.
As they reached the hill, the shorter figure gasped. He raised his hood up and over his head revealing...horns. Yes, Griffin was a satyr. He had curly red hair with little horns poking out from the curls and a fuzzy little goatee.
"Sarafaye, we only have until morning to get there." he told his companion. His voice was urgent, his face set. The other, taller figure shook her hood off. A beautiful woman, with blue eyes, glossy blond hair, and fair skin looked at Griffin with a look of annoyance. Sarafaye was a nymph, a wood nymph.
"Griffin, don't talk so loudly, you'll wake the little ones and he might find us." she whispered, cradling her bundle. She pushed the cloth away to reveal a sleeping baby. The baby had pale skin like the moon and dark hair like the night sky. The baby girl stirred in her sleep, Sarafaye smiled.
"Oh Griffin, look at her! She's so beautiful like her mother..." she cooed.
"Don't get too attached." Griffin warned. He looked at his own passenger. A baby boy was nestled in the cloth, wide awake. He looked like his sister with pale skin, dark hair and pale, unblinking eyes that sent shivers down Griffin's spine.
"What were their names again?" Griffin asked, covering up the baby's face.
"The girl is Calliope and the boy is Orion." Sarafaye whispered, stroking the baby's hair.
"Like I said before, I wouldn't get attached if I were you, you won't see them for a while." Griffin said wisely. Sarafaye whimpered.
"Oh, I know, it's just...I can't believe that she, out of all people! She promised her father she would always be a virgin. Zeus will be furious when he finds out."
"With any luck, Zeus will never know." Griffin said. Sarafaye knew he didn't even believe himself.
"Griffin, what do you think he'll do to them when he finds out?" she asked worriedly.
"Sarafaye I shudder to think what Lord Zeus will do to these twins if he ever finds out they were born." Griffin said, putting up his hood again. Sarafaye did the same, covering up the baby's face once more.
"Come, we need to get there by morning." Griffin said. The two took off running again, a thin strip of pink appearing over the horizon. Eos, the peaceful dawn was announcing the coming of her brother Helios.
Griffin and Sarafaye arrived at their destination before the sun arose. A small house sitting on a quiet hill.
"This is it." Sarafaye whispered, looking at the door. She gulped and rung the doorbell. Seconds passed until a young couple opened the door. The husband was tall, with dark auburn hair and sharp eyes. His wife was blonde, with green eyes and a frown set on her face.
"You are Mr. Pleps?" Griffin asked. The man nodded
"And you..?"
"Yes."
"And that's..?"
"Yes."
"We can only take one of them." The man said impatiently. Griffin scowled.
"You are responsible for both of them! Both of them are your children" he said, angrily.
"We can take only one! We are poor, you are lucky we are taking one of them." The woman said, talking for the first time.
"Take the girl back to...her." The man said. He talked about 'her' as some evil villain. Like the two bundles were her faults, not his.
"Griffin, give them Calliope, we can take Orion to Chiron." Sarafaye said, touching Griffin's arm. Griffin shook it off.
"No! These fools said they can take both of them, and now they say that they can only take one!" Griffin said.
"Maybe it's better this way." Sarafaye whispered. "Think of it! Together, they'll be found before they even turn five. Apart...apart they have more of a chance." She finished. Griffin sighed and nodded his head.
"Maybe you're right. Give him the baby." Sarafaye nodded and handed Calliope to the man, who recoiled.
"No, give me the boy. Boys are better suited to the normal world." he said stubbornly. Sarafaye's eyes narrowed.
"That is the most sexist thing I have ever heard! And I'm two hundred and eighteen!" she hissed.
"Well, maybe my husband doesn't want a boy, as fine as him, mixing with...with people like you!" The wife said. She spoke stiffly. Sarafaye scowled as she traded babies with Griffin.
"His name is Orion." she said, giving Orion to the wife. "That was his name, is his name and will be his name. Change it, and she will be angry. Very angry." Sarafaye stepped back, watching the newly completed family. The man shut the door in their faces.
"Well, that was the rudest bunch of mortals I have ever met." Griffin said, handing Calliope back to Sarafaye, who cradled the baby in her arms.
"I agree I just hope they treat Orion right." she said.
"Well, I suppose we have one more stop to make. I'll have to talk to Chiron about disguising himself...some how, Calliope can't know...until she's older." Griffin said.
The two traveled until the next night when they came to Chiron the centaur's home.
"Griffin? Sarafaye? What a pleasant surprise! And...What's this?" Chiron stepped closer to get a better look at the parcel. He had the torso of a man with brown graying hair, and the body of a paint horse. He pushed aside the rags and revealed a sleeping Calliope.
"Is this...hers?" Chiron asked, stepping back. Sarafaye nodded.
"Yes, the mortals wouldn't take her. Only Orion." Griffin said shortly.
"We need you to raise her, but you'll have to disguise yourself." Sarafaye said, giving Chiron the rags. Chiron nodded.
"I'll go to my mortal home and raise her there. What is her name?" he asked.
"Calliope." Sarafaye whispered. Chiron smiled.
"Appropriate. Very appropriate." he said. "Well, if I want to get out by sunset, I should start packing now. Griffin, Sarafaye, may the gods be with you."
"Wait! Let me...let me say good bye." Sarafaye said, taking the baby Calliope back into her arms. She kissed the baby's soft face.
"Good bye and good luck Calliope, daughter of Artemis." she whispered. Sarafaye gave Calliope back to Chiron, who patted her on the back.
"You'll see her soon Sarafaye." he promised. Chiron shut the door, leaving Griffin and a wailing Sarafaye, who was crying on his shoulder, alone.
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