Seeds (14 page)

     Demeter took her daughter's hand, starting to lead her down the hill. As Kora started after her, she looked over her shoulder and Hades' eyes widened as she looked in his direction. Had she seen him? Impossible, he was wearing his helmet! She did not call out or show any alarm, and her eyes moved away from his location casually. The unseen god let out a soft groan, not sure whether to be relieved or disappointed.

     As she argued with her mother, Kora slowly became aware of the sensation that she was being watched. Once Mother made her decision about what to do next, Kora glanced in the direction where she felt her watcher might be, and was disappointed when she saw nothing. She snapped her head forward, following her mother, not at all in the mood to meet some nymphs. All she wanted to do was walk along the shore and be given solitude so she could think about things, but she hadn't been left alone since her father had died. She would have dearly welcomed an opportunity for some much-needed privacy, or someone who would listen to her and understand her in a way that her mother wasn't able to.

Chapter VIII

o0o

     Kora's prediction of boredom in her new home proved to be all too accurate. She celebrated her fourteenth and fifteenth birthday with the nymphs, and missed her family as much as ever, if not more. Every time she asked to see her family, Demeter said no. Over the last few years, she had grown especially resentful of her mother's smothering care. 'No' to visiting her family. 'No' to leaving the island and the supervision of the nymphs. 'No' to meeting other gods. 'No' to even seeing other mortals, period. At first, the island had been fun to explore, and without men present, Mother had been surprisingly lenient in letting her daughter romp around. But one could only see so many trees, flowers, rocks, and nymphs before it all became the same.

     The only time where she had any real fun, or got the mental stimulation that she needed so badly, was when one of the nymphs told her stories. Dryads and Naiads generally stayed around their forests or ponds, but they still had some interesting stories to tell. The Aurai – the nymphs of the breeze and clouds – often brought exotic tales from the mainland, moving amongst the mortals as light as air. The nymphs quickly learned how to keep Kora entertained. All they had to do was tell her a story, or even a myth or song. Quite a few of the nymphs had been wooed and chased after by mortals and gods, or had seen some of the world outside the island. Out of the different tales told, Kora loved these stories the best. She was hungry for news and information about the outside world.

     There was one nymph she especially liked, a Naiad named Cyane. Out of all the nymphs, Cyane seemed the most understanding of her boredom and loneliness. To the Naiad, Kora was a pleasant companion, a breath of fresh air to someone who was in the constant company of other nymphs, and lacking the sense of superiority that many of the Olympians possessed. While the Naiad had her own spring, she had been in other waters, and like Kora, had an adventurous streak. It was this friendly nymph that kept Kora from going over the edge from frustration. Demeter had commanded the nymphs to keep bawdy or even slightly racy stories away from her daughter's ears, but Cyane circumvented this, and had the young goddess' undying gratitude.

     Demeter either could not or would not see her daughter's need for adventure. Her determination to keep her daughter sheltered bordered on obsessiveness, but she refused to acknowledge that. She was determined to avert the dire prophecy that had been issued by the Fates, and even as Kora's mind and perceptiveness grew, her body remained the same. Demeter was content to see her daughter romp through the forest or valley, flowers in her hair, her body still slender and almost boyish in contrast to the curvy nymphs that surrounded her.

     Unlike Demeter, Hades did not see the lovely goddess as a child. Over the last few years he had stolen up to the surface more often. Unlike his subjects, he was not bound to Dis forever simply because he enjoyed the food that his staff of chefs prepared for him. He was Lord of the Realm of the Dead, and he was bound there by his duties rather than by his appetite.

     He would stand silently, unseen to everyone as he observed Kora. Neither Demeter nor any of the nymphs had ever caught on, but sometimes when he appeared, Kora would glance in his direction, as if she sensed he was there, before playing with her companions or listening to one of their stories.

     It was addicting watching her play and prance about. He knew that using his helmet and spying on her was illicit, but he could not help himself. He would go up to the surface and convince himself that it was the last time he would watch her, but then when he went back down he was consumed by insatiable desire to see her. He would struggle against this need before he gave in and left his realm again. And so it went on – need, desire, denial, giving in to desire, and then back to need. It was frustrating, perplexing, and exciting for a man who had never felt such a thing before in his long existence.

o0o

     Kora had just passed her seventeenth summer, and it was the same as all the other birthdays she had celebrated since she was brought here. To her, her birthday had never been a special occasion, but her family made it wonderful. Her grandmother would make her baklava and other favorite foods – she did this for every one of her grandchildren every year – and it was always a wonderful treat. Being surrounded by her family, given the challenge and interaction she needed, always something to do, that was the life. Even the chores were an enjoyable part of life since she often did them with Father or other relatives, but here on the island, they provided her with much-needed distraction. She liked taking care of the animals and milking the goats or feeding the chickens and gathering their eggs, or harvesting fruits and vegetables, making a game out of it with various family members. Here, there was no one to share them with besides Mother, who could be nagging at times. She missed spinning or cooking with her grandmother and aunt, and looking for berries or nuts with her cousins.

     At these moments, when the homesickness was overwhelming, she would resent her mother deeply. It was clear that Mother loved and cared for her, but she just didn't listen!

     Kora sighed softly as she idly plucked one of the little white flowers that lightly dusted the hill, her mother just a couple of feet away and deep in meditation. She was supposed to meditate too, but she didn't want to. She always chafed when her mother told her to do something, and right now all she wanted to do was take a walk on the beach and perhaps pick up a few seashells.

     “I want to take a walk,” she declared, rising to her feet. She had just turned seventeen! She had always been mature for her age – something that her grandmother and father had commented on quite a few times. Yet Demeter never acknowledged that her daughter might have a mind of her own.

     “It is time to meditate,” Demeter replied calmly.

     “I have no desire to.”

     “Meditation is important. It helps us to keep connected and understand life's energy.”

     “I
know
that, but I do not want to do it right now. I am not calm.” How was she supposed to meditate if she could not clear her mind enough to concentrate on the earth below them?

     “Then calm yourself,” Demeter stated, glancing at her daughter. Kora glared back, frowning.

     “Mother, I am seventeen! I am not a child, and I know to avoid dangers and not be reckless. All I want to do is take a walk!” she replied, trying to not sound too exasperated or defiant – her mother
hated
it when she was the least bit uncooperative.

     “You are my child.”

     “I am your daughter,” Kora replied, now not caring anymore if her mother would get angry. Enough was enough. “And I will not calm myself, because I don't want to.” She raised her chin, trying to feel strong in front of her imposing mother.

     Demeter rose to her feet, over two heads taller and twice the weight of her daughter, her generous bosom jutting out from under the comfortable ocher-colored gown she wore. Demeter was just as tall as any man, and Kora felt resentful at this size difference. When she had first noticed that her body was starting to bud, she had been excited. But then her fourteenth birthday came around and these buds had remained... well, buds. She had been a bit frustrated, but willing to be patient, knowing that such things took time. But now she was seventeen, and she had the same exact body she did at thirteen! She had even measured herself by making a small mark on the wall in her room, and never did she grow past that mark. She wasn't sure if this was because a goddess, or in her case, a demi-goddess, took longer to grow than a mortal, but when she asked Mother about her body, she was always given a boring, oft-repeated answer such as “There is no rush to grow up, is there?” and such.

     “Kora, it is important that you learn to connect to the earth...”
Not another one of Mother's token sayings!
She had said certain things so many times that Kora knew when she was about to say them. These sayings were extremely unhelpful to the poor girl, especially because these favorite phrases of her mother were often used as evasive answers to her questions.

     Rather than stand around waiting for her mother to repeat something that she had said many times already, Kora turned around and started walking down the hill to the beach. It was the first time she had ever defied her mother in such an open way – and damn if it didn't feel good!

     She did not get far before Mother grabbed her arm.

     “Let me go!” Kora shouted. She was already in trouble, why should she stop? “I just do not feel calm enough to meditate! I wish you would
listen
to me!”

     “But I do listen. Have I not been a good mother?” The grip on her arm remained, but fortunately, Demeter didn't attempt to drag her back.

     “Not always. You just tell me what to do, not caring if it is the right thing for me to do at that time. You took me away from my family without asking what I wanted, and you just brought me here, to this stupid place! I want to go home!”

     Amazingly, the hand that gripped her arm let go. Mother actually looked...
hurt
.

     When Iasion had died, Kora had already shed all of her tears before her mother came home, and had been silent and numb, her emotions buried deep inside. She had been silent at her father's funeral as Eurycleia filled the air with her anguished wails. The sky had been overcast, fitting Mother's mood perfectly as she wept over her dead husband. All of the women had cried, for Iasion had been a valued member of the community, a good and generous man who was respected by his peers. It was impossible to not like the man once you met him, and now here he was, dead, never to bestow upon anyone a smile, kind words, or a helping hand.

     Kora had never shared her homesickness with her mother, since Demeter had made it clear that she was not going back, not to where she had spent many happy years with her lover. It was the first time that the Goddess had an openly admitted indication of her daughter's unhappiness and boredom.

     “Mother, I know you are a Goddess, and have your duties and everything. I know that Father's death hurt you... but I loved him too. I miss him, but that does not mean I wanted to leave Enna forever. After all, half of me is mortal.”

     Oh, Kora.
Demeter let out a slow sigh. The truth was hard to bear sometimes. She knew that one day in the future – hopefully, the very,
very
distant future – her daughter would learn of her heritage.

     “Is taking a walk so bad? Is it so wrong that meditation is not what I want to do right now? I do not need to be told what to do all the time. I can amuse myself.”

     “Go take a walk,” Demeter murmured, letting go of her daughter's arm. She saw Kora's eyes widen slightly in surprise, and she simply nodded in the direction of the beach. Kora needed no other encouragement and ran down the hill, exulting at her small victory, hoping it would last.

o0o

     Demeter did not miss the spring to her step, and sat back down in the tall grass, gazing after her daughter, feeling a bit sad. It was all too easy to think of her daughter as a little girl. However, her daughter did have a point. Back in Enna, she had been responsible and hardworking. Left alone, she generally avoided trouble, unlike so many other children. The nymphs enjoyed her company. Any defiance from Kora had always been minor, the same kind of mischief all children did.

     She considered Kora's homesickness, but no. That part of their lives was over, and mortal men could be just as desirous as gods – her daughter needed to be protected from
all
male eyes, not just that of the gods. Here Kora was safe and well cared for, what was there to complain about? But perhaps she would let her daughter alone more often and see what came from that. The warm magic she had cast around the island ensured that no monsters or other cursed creatures with evil intent come near its shores.

o0o

     Hades materialized in the shadows that filled Kora's room as she slept, the window offering no light under the new moon. It was the first time he had ever done so, previously keeping himself to daytime observances. But he could see her and his surroundings as clearly as if the brilliance of a bright noonday sun was filtering in through the gauzy drape that was at that time pushed back to admit the night breeze. All the colors and contours on everything stood out in sharp contrast and detail, only there was no light. It was part of Hades's Gift, and it was a considerably useful one to have.

     The young Spring Goddess lay on a soft mat, her blanket kicked back due to the mildness of the summer night. She had on a plain white linen tunic, thin and comfortable, terminating just above her knees. Her dark hair stood out in contrast to the light cream and ochre color of the bedding, slithering along her pillow in a thick braid. Her breathing was quiet and regular, and he wondered what she dreamed of. The expression on her face was serene, even contemplative, making her look closer to her true age.

     To his shock, Hades realized that his heart was pounding.
Pounding
, as if he was some lovestruck boy with an infatuation! Why did this goddess have such an effect on him? Carefully, he reached out, his fingers sliding along her jaw, marveling in the softness of her flesh. Just this mere gentle contact of flesh set his blood ablaze, and he shuddered almost violently, torn between staying here and enjoying more of that sensation or removing himself from her room immediately.