Kirra's Journey

Episode 3 Prelude

"Of Scribes and Heroes"

Chapter 3

Once the sun began its journey into the evening sky, Alcmene called an end to their shopping trip. They had spent the rest of the day shopping and taking in the sights only Corinth had to offer. Stone-hewn columns carved in delicate intricacy at their chapiter, arched entryways which had her wondering at the manpower and labor involved in their construction, sculptures of Corinth's famous people and their favorite deities dotting the cobbled roadways, and people as far as the eye could see—these were only some of the sights that drew Kirra's eye and distracted her already distracted thoughts.

The annoying scribe with her fretful questions did not show her face or her journal and quill in Alcmene's presence again; nor was Alcmene particularly worried she might. Alcmene continued on as if the peace of their day had not been disturbed.

Kirra's had, but she wasn't ready to reveal it. Instead, she related her experience of the strange-looking man she had met and the purchases she made. Alcmene had been most pleased, and eager to try out the tealeaves. The other spice with the sweet but earthy scent Alcmene called cinnamon. Kirra hadn't heard of such a thing, but Alcmene promised her it went well when baking pastries as well as mixed with a bit of sweetened butter on bread. On any other occasion, she might have been interested to try it before bedtime, but her mind swirled with other interests.

On their way out of town, they passed temple after temple; Hermes, Athena, Kratos as well as Hera and Zeus. Alcmene paid no mind to them even as they drew Kirra's eye of curiosity. Why they did was a mystery. There were no public temples in Endor and Mother never prayed to any god. Perhaps it was simply a desire to go where she had not yet been. Like the Acrocorinth. There it rose out of the ground in the distance, monolithic in size and towering over the city like a giant shield. Atop the rock sat Corinth's acropolis, a structure unlike any here upon the ground. Kirra wanted to see it up close, to climb the steep steps to its zenith and explore its many passageways. But Alcmene never lifted her eyes to it. She was as blind to it as she was to the temples around them. Kirra knew why, and yet didn't understand at all. There was much about Alcmene's life she didn't know. The scribed had merely scratched at her surface.

As Alcmene paused to peruse a stand of hand-woven rugs, a pottery shop lining the city streets caught Kirra's eye. The shop housed everything from cooking utensils to flower pots to decorations. But, the pottery was not what drew her attention.

Standing inside and conversing quite intensely with a round, balding man was the woman who had accosted Alcmene earlier in the afternoon. Neither of them happened to see Kirra and Alcmene pass, but Kirra could see her through the open window. She had not forgotten the scribe's expressive features and keen eyes, nor had her thoughts earlier in the day left her. She found herself wondering what this woman was up to. Clearly, she had not given up her effort to find Hercules. Neither had Kirra, and if she were going to find Hercules herself, this woman might be her only ticket.

With a smile she hoped covered the guilt gnawing at her, Kirra left Alcmene's side. "I see something in the shop I'd like to take a closer look at. I'll catch up with you."

She didn't ask for permission and didn't wait for it either. She left Alcmene in her dust, making her way to the shop she had spied the scribe within. Confident the woman hadn't noticed her when she was questioning Alcmene, Kirra walked nonchalantly into the shop. She purposely passed her, offering a word of "excuse me." Would she stop her conversation, look at her, recognize her? No. They continued to talk in hushed tones behind her while she pretended to eye hand-shaped idols of the goddess Artemis. The scribe had not seen her earlier, or later for that matter, walking with Alcmene. To her, she was merely another shopper in the markets.

"So, what are you trying to tell me, Katrina?" the man asked in a gravelly voice. "You got nothing?"

Katrina. So, that's her name. Hearing it softened the image of a cold-hearted scribe … but not for long.

Katrina sighed irritably. "No, nothing. I couldn't get anything from the mother. She says she doesn't know where he is, but if you ask me, she was covering for him. I should have known better. I should have pretended to be a peasant villager in dire need of his help. I'd have gotten a lot farther."

Kirra's ire rose. "The mother"? What an insensitive little Harpy!

"Don't dither about what could have been," the balding man said. "Tell me what you're going to do about it."

"I'm thinking, I'm thinking! Trust me, I haven't forgotten what it would mean for me if Hercules agreed to the deal? Can you imagine the impact of a story like that? You would be swimming in dinars, and I'd get the recognition I deserve."

"What did you do to scare the mother, anyhow? I could swim in dinars just from her story."

The nerve of these two!

"I know. You don't have to tell me I screwed up big time. I asked too many wrong questions and angered her. I was too eager."

"Don't beat yourself up, Katrina."

No, no, let me do it!

"Learn from your mistakes," he continued, Kirra's thought no blip on his radar. "It's what will make you a great scribe."

"You're right. This gives me an idea how I can refine my technique when I meet Hercules."

"You know what? Go to Nesimus anyway. What can it hurt? Maybe the stories are true. Maybe he is there."

Kirra could almost hear the smile break across the woman's face.

"That's exactly what I'm going to do, Dexter. First thing in the morning, I'm heading for Nesimus."

"Can I help you?"

Kirra jumped, nearly dropping the figure of the Goddess of the Hunt she held in her hands, but it was only the shopkeeper looking to make a sale. Her heartbeat returned to its normal rhythm and Kirra replied she was only looking. She then quickly slipped out of the shop once the scribe and her friend had moved on. There was no need to follow them. She heard what she needed to know.

With a quick—and rather unladylike—jog, Kirra returned to Alcmene's side.

"Did you find what you were looking for?" Alcmene asked.

There were more questions reflected in her eyes, but Kirra chose to avoid them. "Yeah, but it was too expensive."

"Maybe next time."

"Maybe."

In Kirra's mind, there would be no 'next time.' She already had her mind set. She didn't worry over the nagging questions: Would Hercules be angry if I left the safety of "home" only to hunt him down? How would Alcmene and Jason react to me wanting to leave so suddenly?

Those worries were best left to be handled when or if they happened. For now, Kirra had decided … if Katrina was leaving for Nesimus first thing in the morning, she was too.

Sorry if this one is a bit short, but I do hope you enjoyed it. There are six chapter total in this one, so we are half way though.

A shout out to Siampie: Thanks for the review! When I got up this morning, I contemplated not even working on it or putting another chapter out, but your post motivated me. It feels good to know I put a smile on someone's face this morning. :)