"Come on girls!" I cry out to my followers, hearing the deep breathing and running footsteps of a little over fifty women on my back. I know that Cleminestra is right behind me. I know the sound of her feet hitting the ground when she runs, the sound of her breath, the sound of her. It's been a fortnight since I made my brother vow to me to protect her. We catch sight of the lost doe we had been stalking since early morning, when Aurora settled the road that Apollo drives his flaming chariot on. "Deuceira, shoot first!"

Deuceira is a young girl, barely past her first menstrual cycle, whose mother wants her to be protected by me. This is her first hunt with us.

We all stop around a clearing, trapping the young doe inside its wall of trees. Deuceira steps into the clearing, her spear at the ready and wolves at her feet that snap at the poor deer, she flexes her arm to throw the weapon. She lunges forth and her aim is true. The tension we all feel is relieved after this and the rest of the women all go into the clearing to finish off the doe. I stay with Cleminestra behind a pretty pine tree, and kiss her once. I pull her close to me so I'm sandwiched between her and the tree.

"She's going to be a good hunter, that one," she says to me. I smile, taking her hands in mine and nod.

"That she will. That she will," I reply as I caress her cheek with my left hand. "I want you to take the hind leg for your mother. I would give you the head, but it belongs to the girl for having a successful hunt."

She bows her head, brushes her lips against my trapezius for a second and replies, "Thank you, my love, she'll be quite surprised. I'll give you the tenderest fats from my meal."

I sigh and shake my head, then pull her with me into the clearing. My ladies part for me so I can reach the corpse. I look at my Nestra but say, "Deuceira, approach." A hush forms over the crowd. The pubescent girl advances from the crowd, her chiton sticking to her body from sweat, and curtsies awkwardly. I pull out my sword, now looking at her, seeing the fear cross her eyes, and beckon her to come forth. She trembles as she steps forward. "Take the hilt," I say to her. She obliges quickly, placing both of her petite hands on the silver handle. I step behind her, my body pressing slightly against hers, then put my hand over her own, remembering when I had to do this with Nestra. "Cut off her head," I whisper into the girl's ear, feeling her shudder at the close contact. She lifts the heavy sword, straining at the weight, and then lets it swing down, producing a loud cracking noise at the contact. Blood spatters onto her, staining her grain-coloured chiton red. Cheers erupt from the clearing, my followers roar with acceptance for the girl. I can still feel her shaking against me, so I step away from her, taking my sword from her with my right hand, transferring it to my left, and then take her left hand, brushing her back with my arm, with my right hand and spin us so we face the crowd.

"To our newest huntress, Deuceira!" I yell out, pulling her arm over her head. I look at her and she's grinning. A naiad dressed in nothing but a light blue loincloth gives me a chalice with a crescent on the rim. I place it below the neck of the corpse, gathering blood to the brim and hand it to Deuceira. She takes it to her lips and drinks. There's another ovation and we start taking apart the corpse. The girl gets the heart, and eats it raw, only after being told to do so. I smile and cut off the left hind leg for Cleminestra.

"Here you are, my love," I say after giving the meat to her. She seems somewhat distant. "What's wrong?"

She sighs deeply before replying, "You… you were really… touchy… during that ceremony." I raise an eyebrow at her then place my hand to her cheek.

"Are you seriously jealous of a girl who just had her first hunt? I've done the ceremony tonnes of times, and now you're jealous? Nestra, you should know by now that I love you. Eros pierced my heart the first time I saw you, and you were younger than her," she lays her hand over mine as I twine my other hand through her hair. She nestles her head against my chest.

"You're right, forgive me for my foolishness."

"Come, we have to bathe," I take her hand and walk amidst my followers, knowing that they won't notice us. We walk to our large pool that the naiad Anthenara allows us to bathe in. All of us strip and jump in. Because Deuceira is new, she gets to bathe closest to me. The water is perfect, warm yet cooler than the air. It takes the sweat off of us, refreshing us from our exploit.

I allow the women and nymphs do whatever they want and just lay with my head against the bank, my body submerged in the water. Nestra is on my left side and Deuceira on my right. I feel their hands, the experienced ones of my lover and the innocent ones of my newest huntress take their time in washing me. It's soothing.

"Artemis, I have to go home," she says while giggling. I grin and continue tickling her sides, feeling the tug in my stomach pulling me upwards. The fiery chariot of my twin is descending into the stables of his nightly palace and soon I must ride my own chariot across the sky.

"Tell your mother to enjoy the meat, and eat!" I kiss her once on the lips, "I love you, and I'll see you when Aurora wakes you." Her hands slide off my body and I look at her once more, blowing her one more kiss.

She looks at me with affection before turning to her home.

"Artemis!" I hear her yell with fear in her voice. But it's too late to go to her, I've already succumbed to the pull of the moon.

A/N: What happens? What happens?

KNQ