This is a story I did during my creative writing class.

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Irena's Journey

On the mountain side near the city of Sparta a baby girl was left to die. According to Spartan tradition, a child is judged after birth to determine their place in the world. If the elders decide that the child would not be strong enough to be a soldier it must be abandoned in the wilderness, or raised to be a slave. Her father had chosen death as a more suitable punishment for his worthless daughter. However fate had another plan for her, as the desperate cries of the nameless child were answered by Hermes, the messenger of the gods.

The winged-god heard the tiny newborn's cries and investigated the mountain for the source. The moment his eyes fell upon the babe, he immediately felt love and pity for the defenseless mortal. He swept her up in his arms and flew deeply to the nearby forest. Hermes hid the child from the eyes of both gods and mortals alike. While he traveled in service to Zeus, he entrusted the baby to the care of the playful wood nymphs.

However one warm morning, while Hermes was away, Apollo found the toddler-child playing with the nymphs and asked, "Where does this beautiful child come from?"

The nervous nymphs replied, "A god has placed this child in our care great lord. We have sworn not to let Zeus or any mortal know of her."

These words further raised the god's curiosity. Which of his own brethren would be foolish enough to foster a mortal without Zeus's knowledge? With his minstrel voice he coaxed the nymphs to surrender the young maiden, "That babe is truly the most lovely I've ever seen. Will you allow me to hold her?"

The forest maidens could not deny the god and handed him the mortal.

As soon as the child was secure in his arms the god leaped into the air and flew to the base of Mt. Olympus. "Whoever was hiding this child will plea to Zeus for aid to find it."

When Hermes returned, the weeping nymphs told him what had occurred. Enraged and worried for the child, he hurried to the gods' mountain to plea for her return. Already word of the mysterious human who has charmed a god spread among the immortals. The gods were surprised by their brother's sudden devotion.

"You are allowed to keep and care for this mortal babe, for she had been banished by her own people. You will take it upon yourself to raise her until she is accepted by the mortals again. Once she has been wed to a mortal husband you must relinquish your bond with this child."

Thus was the decree of Zeus. The child was then named Irena by Hermes and was returned to the messenger god's care. Fearing to lose his jewel of a daughter, Hermes declared that she might wed only the man who discovered which god had saved her from certain death and raised her. He hopes the task would be more difficult than imagined.

However, at the age of eight, just outside the walls of Athens, Irena was exploring the woodlands with several of the local children, one of them being the son of a hunter, young lad was handsome for a child and already skilled in his family trade, and as many young men would, he fell in love with the girl, though he would not admit it.

"Don't touch those." Irena stated while they were walking by a river where a large collection of white and yellow flowers grew. "They used to be a person."

"Really? Who?"

"A silly man who fell in love with his own reflection. He refused to leave and stayed right there until he became a bunch of flowers."

The little boy laughed when he looked over the blossoms. "That's silly!"

"Na uh! My papa told me."

"Who? The chief?"

Irena shook her head. Her soft dark hair bounced around her head.

"Then who is he?" he continued to inquire.

"I cannot say."

"Why?"

"Just some silly rule he made that only the man I marry can know who he is. I am forbidden to tell anyone myself."

He laughed loudly to the absurdity of the law, "That is most unfair. For all we know you could be the daughter of Hermes and no one would ever know."

When Hermes heard the boy's words and was furious. His plan to extend his claim of the girl child had turned against him! No way would he surrender his treasure this soon, nor to such an insignificant mortal who has not yet grown a beard. This violation must not be known! That day while they were playing in the thickets area of the forest Hermes altered Joshua's path so he would lose his way. Then with a wild roar of the wings he spirited the boy to a far-away land where he would never find Irena and claim her as his wife.

For weeks aft she searched around the woodlands for her dear friend, but never found him.

As the years passes no one knew what happened that fateful day, and the adoptive child of a god grew into a strong elegant, young, women. To find her true place, she traveled to every city state where mortals lived. Everywhere she went, she was adored for her beauty which rivaled the most regal of princesses. Yet she was remarkably wise in the ways of the gods. Even the priests were dumbfounded by her knowledge. She traveled among the many gods of the land to learn their skills, under the protective wings of her adoptive father.

But soon she grew tired of the constant admiration of her people, and surrounded by celestial guardians. She longed for new lands and new worlds. She decided to leave her homelands to the world outside the boundaries of Greece. But her father protested.

"Irena my child, the world outside Greece is vast and treacherous. Surely you can find your place among the humans within your own country." Hermes told his foster daughter when she told him of her decision.

"Father Hermes, I've tried to find my way, but not all the god here can help me find what I desire most. If I am to find true happiness I have to go to where no one has known me."

Hermes finally relented, and gave her a small purse capable of holding large quantities of cargo, "I have retrieved this from Peruses. Inside is a special treasure that will help you if you are in trouble."

So with the purse, and a pair of winged sandals her father gave her, Irena set off to the boundaries of Greece. She journeyed for months, overcoming dangerous trials and perilous encounters with the fiercest creatures. Irena traveled until she found herself at the gates of Rome. The moment she stepped through the great stone archway she was amazed by the grandeur of the vast city. She wandered around the city until she found herself before a colossal circular structure with many smaller arches alongside the rounded walls. As Irena gazed at the magnificent monument, she found herself caught up in a mass of people who were eager to enter. She was pushed to the upper bleachers of a large coliseum, just in time for the games to begin.

With a motion of the ruler's hand a dozen prisoners, shackled in heavy irons, were herded out of a small doorway to the center of the ring. For several hours she witness the prisoners being devoured by ravenous lions, and over thirty armed men fighting with each other while the crowds cheered them on. By the end of the afternoon, only one man remained. Irena leaned over the stone railing to see the spared man as he left the arena. Despite the distance between them, she couldn't help but notice the look of dread upon his face, a face altered by time but one she could never forget… "Joshua?"

Long after the sun had set Irena continued to explore the city. She walked down the stone streets when, quite suddenly, she found a temple housing a stone image of Mercury. She ventured inside the empty building where Hermes himself was waiting. In despair and confusion, she asked him about the people of this new town and the madness that she had witnessed. He explained to her that although the Romans seem cultured, they still found great satisfaction in their savage gladiator games. Somehow her childhood friend from long ago had been captured and was forced to participate in the arena.

This news appalled Irena. But soon she formulated a plan. Determined to free Joshua, Irena disguised herself as a man and allowed herself to be captured by the gladiator scouts. Once inside, she was thrown in with the other reluctant warriors. There she met the gladiator who had survived the previous day, Joshua. He had been captured as a youth and had worked many years as slave. Because of his strength and agility, his master had decided to enter him into the games. She learned from Joshua that at the end of a season a single gladiator might earn his release. The rest had a less promising future.

Over a few short months Irena trained with the other gladiators. She impressed even the veteran fighters with her skill and ability with the blade. What they didn't know was that inside the small purse Hermes had given her was a special helmet designed by Hades himself to enhance her disguise and a cast a protective shield around her flesh. Where most blows would have spilt blood and shattered bone, would leave behind only scratches. During the long nights in their cold cell, she would talk with Joshua. Soon Irena learned how he became lost one day and found himself in this strange land. While they talked she found herself falling love with the lost Greek warrior.

She fought in several coliseum battles, and impressed even the emperor, who announced that soon she would face the coliseum's fiercest warrior captured during a mighty battle with a foreign army. The night before Irena's final battle, Hermes entered the cell she shared with Joshua and begged her to come with him back to Greece.

"I have spoken with Zeus and finally he agrees. You can come to Olympus with me. Become an immortal as you were meant to be, and come home."

But Irena refused to go with him; "Father, if you truly love me then you will allow me to fight this battle on my own. I have lived under your protection for far too long; you must let me accomplish this on my own."

Hermes lowered his head and turned away from her to the barred window, "You are a remarkable woman Irena. The last place I ever wanted to lead you was into Hades."

With that he disappeared. Irena realized that Joshua was awake, and had witnessed the conversation. She begged him to forgive her for deceiving him, but he would have nothing to do with her. It was because of her that he had been taken from his home and forced to endure a living hell.

The following morning she entered the ring to face the fiercest warrior. A tall giant of a man. One she recognized from Sparta…Irena gazed upon the audience and spied Hermes at the uppermost part of the coliseum, watching carefully. With the signal from the emperor, they fought hard and bravely. During the battle she lost her winged sandals and her helmet cracked from a mighty blow. Soon, she had the Spartan pinned to the ground, her sword point pinned sharply against his throat without cutting. Irena looked up towards the Emperor for direction. He nodded, and displayed a brief thumbs-down, ordering the soldier' execution.

Irena gazed back to the Spartan soldier, lying on the ground in fear beneath her blade. Abruptly, she removed her helmet to reveal that she was in fact a woman, shook out her long hair, and a gasp went up from the crowd. The soldier gazed in awe at the magnificent beauty that defeated him. She leaned close so only he could hear her words. "Do you recollect my face? Your people left me on the cold wet mountainside die as a babe because you believed I was weak, and thought I was no use to you. I was raised by the god and allowed to find my own destiny because you cast me out. I am stronger than you." With those words Irena moved her sword from his throat and pulled him up to his feet, "and much wiser."

To celebrate her victory, Irena requested the release of all the other gladiators. The emperor, so amazed at the sight of this woman-warrior, could not help but comply. Irena had just stepped outside the city gates, to continue with her journey, when she felt someone grab her elbow. She turned to see the handsome and now free Joshua. He pleaded for her forgiveness, and asked her to be his wife. She smiled. "Nay good friend. For though you have passed my father test, you have yet to pass my own."

"Then I shall accompany you, so I may prove myself to YOU that I am worthy."