Hello all,
Chiming in with my first Alphabet Drabble way behind you all. I begin the best way that I know, at The Beginning!
My thanks to my dear 'net friend Yumemakura. Your Artemis story inspired me to write this.
All the best wishes, read and enjoy,
// NorthernLight
***********************************************************************************************
Artemis, The Divine Healer
Efesos, 356 BC
The Goddess Artemis was so very proud of the Temple the People of Efesos had built to honour her. Unseen by all she sat perched at the roof, guarding and admiring her wondrous building.. It was so very perfect and beautiful, its marble pillars, statues and ornaments shone from beauty and piety.
Artemis looked down on the ground, she looked all around her fine and proud Temple. There was a dark alleyway behind it. Now she saw a mysterious torchlight flickering. A vile looking man came sneaking in the alley. The Goddess and Huntress instantly knew that he meant to harm her beautiful Temple. She took a great leap down from the high roof, intending to punish him.
A scream of anguish reached her, stopping her in the midst of her leap.
A woman in childbirth desperately needed her help! The culprit would have to wait. Artemis followed the screams, letting the wild winds blow her to the faraway North. The weather was fortunately warm, it was in the middle of Summer, in the month of Hecatombaeon. She saw a fine, very big city with a Palace in its midst. The screams that had alerted her came from this very Palace. Artemis landed on the marble stairs, her feet safely grounded on the cold stones. The faithful Guards could not see her, but they felt her Divine Presence and let her pass through the portals. She ran up the steep marble stairs, towards the screaming woman.
The screams came from the Royal chambers. The young Queen was in dire distress. She was in labour, but the child was big and stubborn and had great difficulties in being born. Now the baby was in deep distress and one could actually see him kicking in despair when one looked at the Queen's grotesquely distended stomach. Now she screamed out loud from sheer agony once more. The midwife wrenched her hands and the elderly doctor she had called to assist her just stood there, holding a vial with a rose colored concoction in his trembling hands. The ladies in waiting ran around worriedly whispering like hens in a henhouse. An old woman sat at the Queen's bedside, speaking words of courage and comfort to her. She was the only one able to stay calm and confident during all the turmoil.
"Dear, sweet Goddess Artemis, "she fervently prayed, "Please come and help my Dear Mistress and her darling child! We need them both so very badly, they will do Great Things together!"
Artemis knew this old woman well. She was Hyrmina from Epirus, one of her and her friend Dionysos' most fervent followers. Her Dear Mistress must be Queen Olympias, another of Artemis' faithful converts and promoters.
She and her child was in dire need of help from the Goddess. Artemis came unseen of all to the bedside and put her hands on the Queen's distended stomach. Only Hyrmina could sense a shimmering shadow. She did not know its nature but she instantly realized that her Dear Mistress was in good and capable hands.
"My dear Queen, your child will soon be due. Now you must make a final effort, and then HE will be born in not time, "Artemis told Olympias as she gently took her hand and caressed her brow. "We will do this great Labour together. Do not worry. I am with you now!"
Queen Olympias saw the Goddess hovering over her. She felt her Healing hands holding and comforting her. Then they were firmly placed on her stomach, helping her to push the baby forward. Olympias smiled towards Artemis, giving her a silent prayer of thanks. The young Queen no longer felt the pains of childbirth. It was as if she was filled with new, Divine strength and determination. The child felt it, too. He relaxed and let himself go down, calm and easy. Then he kicked once more. Olympias gave up a loud scream and pushed with all her might.
Suddenly there was another scream in the Queen's chamber. The proud and fierce first scream of a new born child. Old Hyrmina and the midwife instantly took hold of the baby. Old doctor Nicomachus saw that it was a healthy boy child, then he collapsed into an armchair nearby.
"It is a boy, my Queen, a beautiful baby boy!"
All in the room rejoiced. Olympias held on to the baby for a long time before Hyrmina and the midwife took him to be bathed, weighed and swaddled. The ladies in waiting took care of the Queen, washed her and changed the blood stained linen. When she rested comfortably under a warm gold rimmed purple red blanket they brought her child to her. He was wrapped into a light blue, gold rimmed small blanket and he looked up to her with the most shining and beautiful dark gray eyes. His hair was as golden as the rising sun. It had tiny curls, already long and forming a lion like mane. Olympias took him in her arms, looking at him with love and adoration.
"Alexander, my little Dear One, at long last you are here with me!"
Mother and Son smiled towards each other in silent consent, sharing a world no one else was able to understand.
There was One who could share it with them, though. The Goddess Artemis stood at the bedside fondly smiling at the proud young Mother and her beautiful Golden Child. The young Queen gave her a warm smile in return.
"My sincere Thanks, dear Goddess Artemis. Without your help perhaps we would not have survived this ordeal. "
Artemis nodded in silent assent. Then she let the winds blow her back South, to Efesos and her beautiful Temple.
Where was it? She could see nothing but a heap of smoking, charred cinders. The culprit with the torch stood laughing in their midst. Her proud and wondrous Temple had been ignominiously burned down when she had been away to help Queen Olympias and her baby boy.
The Goddess Artemis was filled with harm and outrage. She wanted to kill the culprit at the spot but was interrupted by an angry crowd. They dragged him away, putting him into a dark and dreary prison nearby. She sat all alone in the ruins of her glorious Temple. It was a terrible disaster, but then fond thoughts of this night's great Labour came to her.
She knew that it had been worth it. Her Temple would soon be rebuilt in all its splendor.
No one would speak of the culprit Herostratos and his black deed this night. Future men and women would know little of him.
The Child born this night would be known and remembered by all, as
Alexander the Great.
The End
***********************************************************************************************