This story is written as a continuation of the Season 1 episode "As Darkness Falls" and fills in what could have happened before the next episode "Pride Comes Before A Brawl."
When Lyla took off for Athens with the centaur Deric, she had made a point of telling him that the blindness was only a temporary condition of the poison. It would wear off after several days. Hercules had no reason to believe she was lying to him. But he also had no reason to believe her, period. After all, Lyla was the one who had administered the poison in the first place. The added kicker was that the poison came from Hera, so he wasn't going to count on regaining his sight. He wasn't going to allow himself to have that hope.
So hard to trust, yet it appeared he would now have to place all his trust in the kindness of strangers, at least for the time being until his sight returned or until he could get home and deal with his infirmity.
After the centaur Nemis died in the cave-in, Salmoneus helped him and the girls back to the village. He accepted the hospitality of Penelope's family for the night, staying just long enough to attend her more subdued wedding ceremony the following morning.
Hercules made arrangements for Salmoneus to accompany him home. Thebes...the topmost thought in his mind since his vision began to dim. Thebes...his mother's home, where everything was familiar, where he could find his way in the dark...with his eyes closed...blind drunk...or even just plain blind. Funny though, it wasn't his mother's care and consolation he was seeking. When pictures of his home flashed through his mind, it wasn't Alcmene who came out of the door to greet him, it was Iolaus.
If the hunter was okay with this, accepting him this way, then he knew he could learn to accept himself this way too. He needed to be with someone he could trust all the way and the only one who could ever make him feel that sure, that secure, was his best friend.
Hercules had been thinking about Iolaus a lot these past few months. He'd been wanting to spend more time with the hunter, almost craving his friend's company. In fact, if things worked out and he got his sight back, he was going to ask Iolaus to be his full time partner again, like they were in the days after the Academy, before the labors. He had visions of them together again like they were ten years ago...before Anya...before Deineira and the kids. He knew Iolaus had a good life in the village with a reputation for being the finest blacksmith and hunter in the greater Corinth region. He didn't have much in the way to offer his friend if they resumed their partnership and began traveling together. Sometimes he even felt embarrassed for even thinking to ask. But he still hoped he could persuade his friend to join him.
The trip to Thebes would have taken him no more than two days had he been in full control of his faculties. Blind, and at the good-intentioned mercies of the talkative salesman, it took almost four. When they arrived at the house of Alcmene, Salmoneus was amazed as he watched the demigod walk unerringly down the path towards the porch. Hercules took the porch steps in one long stride and he walked confidently up to the front door, calling for his mother as his fingers turned the handle to enter. He called over his shoulder to the salesman inviting him in for refreshments. Salmoneus was curious about Hercules' mother. He wanted to meet the woman who had so totally charmed Zeus. He jumped at the demigod's invitation. Staying outside just long enough to run his fingers through his wind blown hair and smooth his beard, the salesman turned to enter the house. As he reached the porch, there came a great, thundering crash, followed immediately by some very smothered cursing and muttering.
Salmoneus found the demigod on his knees in the middle of the main room, his feet caught up in a lambs wool throw rug, his hands clutching pieces of what used to be a heavily carved, wooden curio chest.
"Hercules! Are you okay?" inquired the salesman.
"Mother must have gotten some new pieces in here since I was home last. I guess I'll just have to be more careful."
"I guess," repeated Salmoneus. "Look here, Hercules...I mean...I know you can't look but...I'm sorry...."
"It's okay, Salmoneus. Just tell me what it is you want me to 'look at,' urged the suddenly impatient demigod.
"Well, there's a scroll on the table in the center of the room and I can see that it's addressed to you," he replied.
"Sit here at the table and let me read it for you," offered the salesman as he led the demigod to a chair at the head of the table. When Hercules settled, Salmoneus continued, "it says 'Son, if you happen to return home while I am gone, please don't be worried about me. I am in Athens with your cousin Letta who has broken her leg. She needed someone to help take care of the twins while she recuperates. I will return home seven days before the Summer Solstice. If you are in the area it would be so good to see you, dear. I do miss you. Mother.'"
Without seeming to take a breath, Salmoneus continued, "Oh well, I guess that means I've got nothing to stick around for. I've got plenty of food and drink in my packs so I won't be needing those refreshments you offered. Hey, I have an idea! Since your mother's not here, maybe you'd like to travel with me for a while. We could close a couple of deals and take some time off to visit the Delphi Hot Springs. "
"Sal! Salmoneus! Stop. I'll be staying here, thank you anyway. I can look after myself. Besides, whenever mother travels she has one of the neighbors come by every couple of days and check on the place. I'll be just fine until someone shows up. You go ahead," urged the demigod.
"Suit yourself. I have some hot prospects for my real estate deal over in Corinth. I guess I'll just be getting along. Are you sure you're not interested?" pushed the salesman.
"No, Salmoneus. Thanks, but no thanks," repeated the demigod.
"Goodbye, Hercules. I'll be seeing you." The door slammed loudly as the salesman took his leave of the demigod without further thought to the big man's needs.
The demigod spent the rest of the morning and most of the afternoon sitting exactly where the salesman had left him, lost in thought, until a cooling breeze wafted through the window behind him, stirring the long hair at the back of his neck. It made him realize that the day would soon be drawing to a close and he should be bringing in some firewood and water. He would get the fire going in the hearth and then search his mother's pantry for any roots and preserved foods he could use to sustain himself. He would make it a priority the next day to spend time in his mother's garden to determine what vegetables she had growing there and if any were ready for the picking.
Hercules gathered his bearings and knew that if the window were to his back, then the front door would be approximately ten paces to his right. He was confident that he could make a go of this and he set about things with his usual unflagging determination. These simple tasks, which normally would have taken him less than 10 minutes, took at least forty and added at least two more bruises to the collection he'd been accumulating since he lost his sight.
The demigod tore a corner off of the scroll his mother left and he piled some kindling on top of it. Striking his gauntlets over the pile, he used his senses of touch and smell to tell when the sparks caught. He set the kettle of water over the hearth fire and gingerly felt his way back towards the pantry. He found the root bin and was happy to discover that it was brim-full of his favorites. He took several of the tubers and stuffed them inside the small basket his mother always kept hanging on the back of the pantry door. Hercules then turned to the task of examining, with touch and smell, the clay jars of vegetable and fruit preserves that took up a good portion of the floor space in the little room.
Hercules took just enough food from the pantry to make himself a hearty dinner for that evening and a substantial breakfast the next day. When he stood up to return to the hearth, he was greeted with billows of hot, choking smoke. He attempted to make his way towards the hearth but the heat and increasing smoke chased him back towards the pantry. The conditions in the house were quickly becoming unbearable and Hercules had to feel his way to the back door in order to escape. Cursing himself for being so self confident that he could take care of things even in his current condition -- cursing Hera for poisoning the mind of the centaur Nemis and for creating the poison that Lyla used to blind him -- Hercules tripped and stumbled his way across the garden until he ran into the stone bench under the old apple tree.
The demigod was so caught up in his dark thoughts that he almost failed to hear the running steps approaching the house. He heard the shouts from man to man and recognized the voices of their closest neighbors, Grecus and his son Viander. Hercules found his own voice and started shouting his location to his old friends. Relief filled the demigod's soul for the first time in many days.
At about the same time, in the village of Thebes, a young boy ran breathlessly into the forge at the edge of town. "Iolaus...Iolaus, sir...come quickly!!! There's dark smoke rising above the trees and it's coming from the direction of the lady Alcmene's home."
A final resounding clang of hammer on anvil was followed by the hiss of hot metal meeting cool water. "Damn! Are you sure Lysos? Because if this is another one of your tricks, you little scamp, I'll..." but no further words issued from the mouth of the sweat-streaked, sturdy young man as he emerged from the forge, wiping his hands on his leather apron. He could see for himself the 'little scamp' wasn't crying wolf this time.
"Quick Lysos, go tell Cyrus to dampen down the forge fire and close things up. I've got to go see what's happening over there. Hurry!" shouted the blond whirlwind as he tore off the apron, shrugged on his vest, and took up his sword and hunting knife from the mantle piece in the main room behind the forge. The man was out the door almost faster than the boy's senses could take it in.
Hercules began to calm himself after Grecus and Viander assured him that the house was not on fire. The demigod had failed to open the flue allowing the smoke from the hearth fire to escape through the chimney. All of the smoke from his generous fire had collected inside the house with only a small crack of a window allowing for any of it to escape. Grecus assured the demigod that he had opened all the doors and windows and insisted that the demigod give the house a chance to air out before trying to go back inside.
Hercules explained his blindness to his neighbors and they immediately offered their hospitality until he recovered. He was weighing their offer of a place to stay for the night when his ears perked up. It seemed that being blind had enhanced his already sensitive hearing and the demigod could tell from the distinctive rhythm of the approaching footfalls that the runner was Iolaus. A broad grin found it's way to his face as he thanked Grecus for his kind offer but telling him it wouldn't be necessary...that help was fast approaching to make sure he wouldn't damage anything else in his mother's home.
Iolaus slowed only as he approached the gate of Alcmene's home and could see that there was no fire. He caught sight of the demigod, Grecus and Viander standing in the shade of the gnarled apple tree at the rear of the house, their backs toward him. He thought to sneak up on the demigod and give his old friend a good pummeling for not letting him know he was home. The hunter inside him took over as he silently snuck around the other side of the house and prepared to ambush his best friend.
Iolaus stilled as the demigod held up his hand and motioned for the neighbors to be quiet. They all fell silent immediately. Hercules lifted his head towards the sky, took a couple of deep sniffs of the air around him and bellowed, "Iolaus...you old, scurvy dog! I'd know your scent anywhere!"
Grecus and Viander swung around, incredulous as Iolaus emerged from behind the thick trunk of the tree.
"Aw Herc. It isn't that bad, is it?" marveled the hunter as he raised his arms and took a sniff under each one. "I bathed last night but I've been working like a dog all day in the forge. I couldn't very well stop to do a touch up when I saw all the smoke coming from this direction," he added with a shining grin.
Iolaus grabbed the offered hands of Grecus and Viander in hearty shakes. He stuck out his hand towards his best friend greeting him with a hearty "Long time...no see, pal!" The quickly drawn intakes of breath from the two men behind him and a dimming of the grin on his best friend's face alerted the hunter to the fact that something was wrong.
"Poor choice of words, buddy," responded the demigod as he reached his own hand out to greet his best friend, missing the hunter's proffered hand by almost two feet.
"Gods...Hercules, you're blind?" gasped an unbelieving Iolaus as he searched the demigod's face. He hoped that it was all some great misunderstanding on his part.
"Um...yeah, buddy. I'll explain it all in a few minutes." Then turning to his neighbors he added, "Grecus...Viander thank you for all your help. Iolaus is here now and I'll be just fine. I'm in the best of hands."
When the two men left, Hercules sat with his best friend on the stone bench beneath the apple tree until well after sundown, explaining the story behind his current predicament.
"Damn that witch Hera to the Abyss of Tartarus!" exclaimed the hunter at the end of Hercules' retelling of the tale of Nemis and Penelope.
"From your mouth to Zeus' ears, Iolaus," agreed the demigod.
"Don't worry, my friend. I'll help you with this as much as you want me to until your sight returns. Just tell me what I can do," offered the hunter from his heart.
"That's IF my sight returns, Iolaus...IF!" Herc spat out the words bitterly, with a defeated shake of his head. He took a deep breath to clear that thought from his mind, then he continued.
"You've been at the top of my mind, Iolaus. I've missed you, my friend," uttered the emotionally charged demigod, as he reached out for his friend. Encountering the shabby vest, he let his fingers gently glide upward, until he could give the hunter's shoulder a warm squeeze.
Iolaus' anger at Hera made his skin crawl and a lump come to his throat. He always had that reaction when the gods were involved and right now Herc didn't need him to be emotional, his partner needed him to be strong and level headed. The hunter controlled his initial reaction and responded.
"You've been on my mind a lot these days too, Herc. I was beginning to wonder when you'd make your next trip home," Iolaus added almost too quickly, hoping to distract the demigod in case his friend had picked up on his reaction. "It's getting chilly real fast now that the sun has gone down. How about we go inside. I'll get a proper fire going, since it seems you've forgotten how to, pal," he added with a small chuckle.
Hercules chuckled too. He kept his hand on the hunter's shoulder and allowed his best friend to lead him back to the house.
Iolaus stopped in his tracks halfway to the house. He could see the aura of sparkling light that preceded the appearance of one of Herc's godly relatives. Iolaus took a step in front of the demigod to place himself between his friend and whichever god was making an appearance. Hercules could feel the hair standing up on the back of his own neck and recognized the manifestation also.
"Color?" Herc whispered quickly.
"Green," replied the hunter.
"Artemis...how nice to see you," drawled the demigod in a voice laden with sarcasm.
"Look, Hercules. I just incurred the wrath of Hera on your behalf and I don't need to take any of your bad attitude or hear anything from you too. I just came to try to make you feel better if I could."
"Yeah, well I don't think you could say anything at this point to make me feel better Artemis. I'm blind, and without my sight I can't fight the good fight, or protect Greece and it's people. I couldn't even save one of your precious little bunny rabbits in this condition. Say what you've come to say then leave us alone."
Iolaus ventured a look at the beautiful, rainbow-colored goddess and shrugged his shoulders.
"I felt that Iolaus," muttered the exasperated demigod.
"Whoops...uh...yeah, Herc. Listen. Artemis said she's come to make you feel better. Don't you think you should just give her a chance to say what she's come to say?" the hunter soothed.
"Artemis, what's the news?" asked the demigod
"Hera brought charges against you on Olympus because you killed two centaurs after Zeus had declared that they're a protected species. She demanded that your temporary blindness be made permanent. It seems that the poison would have worn off by itself after another two or three days and Hera wanted to keep you neutralized for good. If she couldn't kill you...she could at least keep you helpless. Most of the gods voted against you but I argued in your favor. The centaurs are under my direct protectorate since they're half animal and the two that you killed were obviously under someone's spell. They were no longer in their right minds and you were acting in self defense."
"So the point of this story is...what?" queried the demigod.
"So the point is...that instead of the gods making your blindness permanent, it will only be a temporary condition," answered the goddess of the hunt.
"How temporary?" asked the hunter.
Artemis turned to her golden hunter and smiled, "I can't tell you that because I don't actually know. What I can tell you is that it will be for a period of less than four seasons."
"Great. Up to a whole year like this," growled the demigod.
"Yeah, it is great Herc. Did you hear what she said? It's temporary -- up to a year. That could mean a lot less than a year too. Right, Artemis?" added the hunter.
"Right," affirmed the goddess.
"We can do this, Herc. We can do this together. Thanks Artemis...thanks for the good news," said the grinning hunter.
And turning to the demigod he added, "come on, buddy. Let's get inside, have some dinner and make some plans. We can do this."
The following morning after a leisurely breakfast, the two heroes closed up Alcmene's house and made their way back to the village. The hunter had some pressing jobs that had to be finished and it was just not safe to leave the demigod alone and virtually defenseless. Now that all the gods knew of his affliction, there were many of them who would eagerly take advantage of the situation.
Hercules moved into the spare bedroom in Iolaus' home behind his forge. The room was small and sparsely furnished, yet perfect for his current needs. It was more of an alcove really, separated from Iolaus' bedroom room by a flimsy curtain having at one time been used as the baby's bedroom.
Hercules spent the morning navigating and memorizing the layout of Iolaus' house. He was pleased with himself for adapting to his surroundings so quickly. The demigod set out a simple lunch for himself and Iolaus, who had spent those hours in the forge filling the commission he'd left incomplete the evening before. Hercules wanted to talk to his friend about working in the forge with him. Any kind of simple work would do. He was having a hard time keeping his mind off of his predicament and the more he thought the more he could feel himself skirting the brink of depression. Hercules knew that keeping occupied would help to dispel this plague of dark thoughts.
Iolaus was delighted to have Hercules with him in the forge. They rarely had time to be with each other these past few years, so every second that Iolaus could spend with his best friend was like a treasured gift for him. Herc worked the bellows and did the polishing and finishing tasks. Iolaus talked and reminisced about their times together from childhood. He tried to garner stories from Hercules about the demigod's solo travels and labors. Hercules gave himself over to the enjoyment of Iolaus' stories, he told a few of his own but most of the time he just listened. He listened to the people coming into the forge to give Iolaus some business. He listened when older women dropped by to bring tasty snacks and dessert samples, and when younger women dropped by to flirt with the handsome blacksmith. He listened to friends old and new who just stopped by the forge to share some news and kind words or to ask the blacksmith for his advice on this matter...or his esteemed opinion on that matter.
Hercules hadn't ever thought of Iolaus in terms of being a 'village elder' but it slowly dawned on him that his friend was certainly being treated as one by his fellow Thebans. Iolaus' very early brushes with the law had apparently been forgiven and forgotten by all.
Hercules began to 'see' his best friend in a new light. He began to 'see' Iolaus as the villagers saw him. His friend was one of the few men in Thebes who had completed school. He had graduated after spending several successful years at the Academy, the most highly esteemed institute of learning in this part of Greece. Added to this was the fact that, although still a young man, Iolaus was well traveled, was held in high regard as a seasoned warrior and was a man who ran a thriving business.
Hercules listened and absorbed. Confronted with this new image of Iolaus that had formed in his mind over the past few weeks, the demigod began to re-think the plans he had been secretly harboring for the two of them. For months he had entertained a desire to have Iolaus as his partner once more, traveling throughout Greece, fighting the good fight. Now he was faced with the reality of Iolaus' life as a vital part of the Theban community. Once he could hear the quiet joy in his friend's voice as he greeted customers and friends, Hercules didn't think he could bring himself to disrupt it with what he was coming to perceive as his own selfish needs. This twisted notion caused the demigod's hope for a future with Iolaus by his side to dim almost as completely as his eyes had dimmed.
The blindness he could learn to deal with although it strained his patience to be idle and semi-dependent for such a long, undetermined period of time. But the blindness, coupled with his perceived loss of Iolaus' companionship was too much for him to handle in his present condition. The demigod began a slow spiral into the depths of depression.
Things had been going so well with Hercules in the beginning yet after approximately three weeks Iolaus began to notice small changes in his best friend's behavior. Hercules no longer wanted to go out and take walks in the sun with his partner. The demigod was performing his daily tasks in the forge and in the house but Iolaus could see him getting more frustrated and irritated by the day. Hercules was just living by rote...going through the motions. But the thing that brought it all to a head was Hercules refusal one day to accompany Iolaus on a fishing trip. Iolaus couldn't stand to see him withdraw from life, from things that used to bring the demigod joy. It was time for a talk.
"I'll put away the dishes tonight, Herc. Sit down and I'll bring us both some ale when I'm finished."
"I don't feel like sitting up tonight, Iolaus. I'll just go to bed," the demigod quickly replied as he turned and headed straight for the bedrooms.
Iolaus finished his chore, grabbed two mugs, filled them with ale and followed his friend into the bedroom. He pulled aside the curtain that separated his room from Herc's and he set the mugs on the bedside table. Hercules was already in bed laying on his side with his back to Iolaus.
"Hercules, you know I don't like to pry but it seems you've left me no choice."
"Let it be, Iolaus."
"I can't let it be, Herc. It hurts to see you like this. What's going on with you?"
"I didn't want to go there, but since you insist, let's see...um...I'M BLIND!" said the demigod with loud sarcasm. "I'm blind AND dependent."
"But it's temporary, Herc. You heard what Artemis said."
"There you go. I can't believe you still trust in what the gods say, after all this time...after all we've been through together."
"But Artemis had no reason to lie or deceive you. I feel we can trust her."
"I didn't come to you for your esteemed opinion, like one of your little village groupies."
"WHAT? What are you talking about, Herc."
"You know what I'm talking about, Iolaus."
"Herc, what's the real problem here?"
"The real problem, Iolaus, is that I'm blind. I'm no good to anybody like this. I can't help people, I can't do anything that I'm used to doing. If this village were attacked right now, you'd be more use to these people than I would."
Iolaus was stung by Hercules' last comment and he lashed back.
"You're wrong, buddy if you're thinking these things. First of all, I don't necessarily believe anything from the gods, but I do believe in the Fates and your blindness seems to have come at a time when nobody needs your help. So the way I see it is that the Fates have been good for once. Second, you're hardly ever home anymore. You're off on your travels all the time so if this village were attacked right now, odds are I WOULD be more use to these people than you would. At least I'd be here. The fact that you're here, but blind, doesn't change a thing. It would be just like you weren't here at all...just another typical day in Thebes."
Now it was Hercules' turn to be stung. Keeping his back to Iolaus he gritted his teeth and spat out, "Why don't you find one of your little female admirers to bother and leave me alone to my thoughts."
"It seems to me that you've done enough thinking. And you've let your blindness mess with your mind because you're definitely not thinking clearly, Herc."
"My thought processes are working just fine and I clearly think you should leave me alone now, Iolaus."
"You know what I think? I think you've forgotten who you are because I can't believe you're the same guy who defeated Nemis to save two girls just a few weeks ago. You were blind then too. Have you forgotten the skills that let you do something that impossible?"
When Iolaus received no response, he continued. "I'm not going to leave you alone to wallow in your self pity. You're better than that. I'm going to push you until you snap out of it."
"No, Iolaus. You ARE going to leave me alone."
"What did you say?"
Iolaus received no response to his question.
"Don't ever threaten me, Herc, and don't ignore me. I'm not leaving you alone. Yell all you want, but I won't let you get away with this pity party. Did you hear me, Hercules?" demanded an irritated Iolaus.
"I'm blind, Iolaus...my hearing is perfectly in tact," growled Hercules
"Good! Then hear this!" shouted Iolaus as he jumped up and began to rearrange the furniture - starting in Herc's little alcove proceeding quickly to his bedroom. Hercules threw his legs over the side of the bed, jumped to his feet and immediately ran smack into the chest of drawers that Iolaus had shoved several feet to partially block the doorway connecting their rooms. Cursing loudly, demanding that the blond stop this treachery. Hercules gave the chest of drawers a shove, sending it flying against the opposite wall where it shattered into small pieces, covering Iolaus' bedroom with splinters.
Hercules stilled and cocked his ear to listen to what Iolaus was doing. He could hear the blond in the main room of the house still shoving furniture around, recognizing the sound of chair and table legs scraping against the ground.
"Iolaus, stop that and come back here! You're supposed to be my friend. Don't leave me like this!" yelled the demigod.
Iolaus swallowed hard past the lump in his throat and yelled back. "I am your friend. The best one you'll ever have. Prove to me that you're the same hero you've always been. Prove to me that you haven't forgotten the lessons Cheiron taught us in the Academy. Prove to me that you can negotiate the darkness in my house and the darkness in your soul. Prove to me that you still want me as a friend -- and if you do want me, you'll have to come get me."
Hercules let loose with a loud, frustrated wail then fell to the bed, tossed his head on the pillow and rubbed angry tears from his sightless eyes. The demigod heard Iolaus shove some more chairs around then slam the door between the house and the forge.
When Iolaus reached the forge and slammed the door, he had to blink back tears of sadness and frustration. It hurt him that he had to do this to his best friend but he felt he didn't have any other choice. Cursing Hera, he picked up an unfinished hunting knife from the workbench next to him and threw it with such rage-fueled force at a cross-beam near the far wall that it buried itself to the hilt. Then he sunk down to the floor with his back pressed against the door that separated him from his best friend, and he waited.
Hercules didn't move from the bed that whole night and all of the following day. It almost killed Iolaus not to check on his friend the second night. His heart ached but Iolaus held his ground and didn't even open the door between the forge and the house. He sent to the tavern for food although he wasn't very hungry and he spent the nights sleeping on an old horse blanket in the corner of the forge.
The next day, however Iolaus woke to the sounds of Hercules stirring inside the house. He could follow the demigod's progress through the rooms because Hercules would occasionally bump into something, mutter under his breath but continue to move about with a purpose. After spending what seemed like an eternity with his ear pressed against the door, Iolaus could tell that the demigod was finally making his way towards the forge. It took Hercules a while to find his way around but he did it. Iolaus was so wound up that it startled him when his best friend knocked against the door that separated them.
The blond jumped to pull open the door and ran straight into the arms of the demigod who had been pushing the door from the other side. Hercules grabbed him up into a bear hug and huskily whispered two words, "Thanks friend." Iolaus, not trusting his own voice to speak higher than a whisper replied, "Anytime, buddy."
With one more meaningful squeeze, the demigod released Iolaus from the hug and said, "I made you some breakfast. Are you hungry?"
The deep gales of laughter this question elicited from his best friend worked like a balm on their aching souls and the demigod joined him in his mirth.
The heroes worked together in companionable silence through most of that day. Iolaus ordered them a hearty dinner from the tavern along with some good wine to celebrate the occassion.
Iolaus sat back in his chair with his feet propped up on the table. He was truly glad that things were getting to be all right with his world again.
"Thank you for reminding me of some old lessons I'd learned from Cheiron. I'd have forgotten completely without your help," said the demigod.
"Awww, you would have remembered eventually, Herc, but it's nice to know I helped you. You're usually the one helping me," Iolaus responded with a giggle.
"When you mentioned Cheiron, memories of all those hard learned lessons, and all the hard earned bruises came rushing back to me. You reminded me that even if I lose the use of one sense, the others can kick in and take over, along with that "sixth sense" Cheiron kept telling us that everyone had but didn't use."
Hercules heard Iolaus feet land on the floor and his chair scrape back away from the table. He followed his friend's softly padding feet to some place behind him, near the corner of the room and the next time he heard Iolaus' voice it was accompanied by the sound of the dish cabinet scraping across the floor. "Yeah, that Cheiron was a good teacher. And I'm really glad you've remembered all those lessons 'cause you're gonna need them to get along here." With that, Iolaus began rearranging all of the furniture in the house again.
The next morning Hercules woke and had to learn anew how to navigate his way from bedroom to forge. When he arrived, Iolaus greeted him with, "Good morning, Herc. Catch!"
The demigod extended his hands in front of him and felt a long, smoothly polished wooden pole land in his open palms. He ran his hands slowly from the middle outwards, where he encountered large round balls of padding on either end. Iolaus had made him a training staff, and the realization caused a large, goofy grin to spread across his handsome face.
"Just what I always wanted!" he jested. "I'm assuming you've got the partner for this?"
The demigod's answer came when he felt the padded end of Iolaus' staff catch him behind the right knee, knocking him on his rear end.
"Yup. I guess you do."
"Of course I do. And don't let me catch you off guard like that again. Be ready," replied the giggling blacksmith.
And so life went on at the forge. Each night Iolaus would rearrange the furniture and each morning, before breakfast, the two heroes would practice for almost an hour, fighting with the training staffs and reviewing other lessons that they had learned as cadets in the Academy, about fighting blindfolded.
After the first two mornings, Hercules and Iolaus felt that the forge was becoming too small to contain the full range of their practice sessions so they moved their training to the square in front of the forge. To make things fair, Iolaus had himself blindfolded too.
Every morning their antics attracted an audience of townsfolk who cheered the demigod's progress along. After several days, Iolaus made many more training staffs and invited the young men of the village to join them in their exercises.
The townsfolk weren't the only ones attracted by the heroes' daily exhibitions. Hera had also taken notice and it made her livid with anger that the bastard son of Zeus wasn't devastated and destroyed by his loss of sight. The puny mortal who was helping her hated stepson also drew her wrath. She was sick of them and she began to formulate another plan to get rid of these thorns in her side as well as getting rid of Alcmene, the bitch who had stolen Zeus affection.
One morning, about two weeks into their training, Hercules was so much improved that he was able to catch all of his opponents off guard. With one mighty swipe of the training staff, the demigod had them all sprawled at his feet.
While Iolaus and all of his helpers were still laying on the ground where they had fallen, a voice could be heard shouting over the laughter and applause of their audience.
"Hercules...Hercules! Does anyone know where I can find Hercules? His help is needed quickly."
Iolaus jumped to his feet and ran to meet the man who was fast approaching the square. "Hercules is here, my friend. Come inside and tell us what's wrong."
Once inside the forge, the man blurted out, "some bandits have taken up camp along the Thebes/Corinth road. They're attacking all travelers. Some people have been hurt badly."
"Do you know how many bandits there are?" Iolaus inquired.
"Six, I think. Seven if you count the young one watching their horses."
"Six bandits with horses? You sure that's all?" Iolaus asked.
"Yes sir. But they're nasty ones, for sure," replied the man.
"I should be able to handle six bandits, even if they are mounted. I'll go and take care of it. You rest here," Iolaus assured the man.
"But you're not Hercules!" exclaimed the man.
"But you're not Hercules!" mimicked Iolaus with a wag of his head. "Of course I'm not Hercules, this is Hercules and he won't be able to help you right now. He's been temporarily blinded in an accident. I'm his partner, Iolaus. I can help you."
"Is this true?" asked the man a bit incredulously.
"Yes, it's true. Iolaus is my partner, but I'll be going along with him. We'll both help you," advised the demigod.
Both Iolaus and the man looked at Hercules thinking he'd lost his mind.
"Hercules, you can't go. You'll only wind up getting hurt, or killed. Stay here where it's safe..." Iolaus began.
Hercules excused himself to the man, extended his hand until he felt Iolaus' vest under his fingers, followed the pattern until he reached his friend's arm then circled it with his fingers and pulled Iolaus off into a corner.
"I'm going with you Iolaus," Hercules whispered insistently.
"Hercules, are you crazy. You need your sight to fight bandits," Iolaus argued.
Iolaus felt Hercules' grip tighten on his arm as the demigod replied, "My mother is supposed to be home two days from now. She's on that road right now, and I swear to you, not even chains by Hephestus could keep me from going with you."
"All right, Herc, all right. Calm down and we'll work out a plan on the way there. But you listen to me! If I say it's too dangerous, you're to stay where I put you until the fighting's over."
"Understood," answered the demigod.
Iolaus grabbed his hunting knife and his sword; Hercules tore the padding off of the training staff he still carried and they ran most of the way to the bandit camp following the man's directions.
They found the place easily enough. Iolaus scouted the area and found that the camp was empty although it looked as if the bandits were planning to come back soon. He returned to where he'd left Hercules and reported his findings. "They've got to be near by because they've left their horses hitched on the other side of the rise, closer to the stream. There are no weapons but they've left all of their other equipment in camp. It looks to me like they're planning to make an attack on a stretch of road near here."
"I think you're right, Iolaus. Let's get back to the road quickly and try to stop them before they attack. Set the horses free first though. If any of the bandits make it back this way, we can at least slow down their escape."
"Right, buddy. Let's go!" Iolaus responded.
When the two heroes made it to the road, they could hear the sound of a scuffle coming from close by.
"What's going on, Iolaus?"
"It's Alcmene."
"Mother?"
"Yeah, she's okay. Here's the setup. It looks like the driver's been knocked unconscious and he's laying across the seat of the wagon. With the horses being at noon on the sundial, we've got two bandits at 3:00, two more at 5:00, one at 8:00 and the last one is inside the wagon holding your mom at sword point."
"Okay, let's go. Approach from the 8:00 side first." said Hercules as he put his hand on Iolaus' shoulder and let his friend lead the way.
"Give me all your money!" the bandit leader demanded of Alcmene.
"I'm carrying very little money. What I have is in that sack. You're welcomed to it, just leave us alone," she replied as she inched away from the sword in the man's grimy hand.
The sound of a hunting knife whizzing through the air was the next thing they all heard before it impaled the upper arm of the man holding the sword, causing him to lose his balance, flip out of the wagon and land on the two bandits who were standing at 5:00.
Hercules and Iolaus took advantage of the ensuing confusion by running up behind the bandit at 8:00, tapping him on the shoulder and knocking him out when he turned to confront them.
"Hercules! Iolaus! Thank the gods!" exclaimed Alcmene.
The heroes swung into their back-to-back positions to take on the approaching bandits. Iolaus called out the location of Herc's opponents according to the positions of numbers on a sundial. The system was working perfectly until Hercules got scratched in the thigh by a spear that could have done a lot of damage if Iolaus hadn't deflected it in time.
While distracted, Iolaus took a hit in the shoulder with a bludgeon, wielded by the largest of the bandits. The blow was powerful enough to knock the small blond off his feet, leaving Hercules' back unprotected. One quick-thinking bandit attempted to take advantage of the situation. He raised his axe and let it swing at the demigod but Iolaus recovered quickly and swept the bandit's legs out from under him. The bandit crashed to the ground and Iolaus knocked him out.
Invisible to the humans, Zeus and Artemis appeared by the side of the road to view the skirmish.
With a nod of his head, gratefully acknowledging Artemis' help, Zeus pointed his finger at the small group and some energy escaped his hand. The energy shimmered and sparkled it's way to swirl around the three who were defending themselves from the bandits.
A pair of deathly cold, peacock-colored eyes appeared in the heavens above them. Zeus looked up into his wife's malevolent eyes with a small, satisfied smirk on his face and proclaimed, "You've broken the rules. This is over."
Hera let out a scream of frustration then answered before disappearing in a flash, "Is that what you think, Zeus? You're all so proud of yourselves for thwarting me this time. Be warned! This is only the beginning!"
Hercules turned his head for one moment to grab the bandit who had his mother in a headlock. He picked the man up, threw him against the trunk of a tree and the bandit sank unconscious to the ground.
The demigod turned back to take on the next bandit and all he heard was the loud whoosh of a sword coming at his head. Then the strong smell of boot leather passed by. Hercules became stunned and off balance as cold metal connected with the side of his head, knocking him against the side of the wagon.
Iolaus landed on his feet after making the kick that had just saved his best friend's life. He had no time to get his bearings because there was another bandit right in front of him. He struck out swiftly, parrying a sword thrust aimed at Herc's back. This move disarmed the bandit and Iolaus spun around to steady his friend.
Hercules shook his head and saw stars. He shook his head once more and saw flashing lights. One more shake and when he opened his eyes he saw the distinct shape of a dagger headed for the blond head right next to his arm.
With lightning speed, the demigod reached out his hand and caught the dagger in mid-air.
"Didn't see that one coming did you, buddy?" said the grinning demigod to his stunned friend.
"No, but you did! Herc! You can see!" exclaimed Iolaus excitedly.
They turned back-to-back to finish off the last two bandits. Iolaus drop kicked his opponent into oblivion. Hercules opponent was the one who had hit him in the head with the sword. He hauled the bandit by the scruff of the neck into the air and held him in place almost two feet off the ground. This allowed Alcmene to get a good swipe at the back of the bandit's head with a lead pan. She watched as the bandit crumpled to the ground at her son's feet then she dropped the pan, rubbed her hands on the skirt of her dress and exclaimed, "Let's go home."
The heroes tied the bandits to the back of the wagon and handed the reigns to the driver.
"Yeah, let's go home," said the demigod as he put his hand on Iolaus' good shoulder and led him back towards Thebes.
The following morning Alcmene cooked them all a big breakfast and served it to them picnic-style in the garden where they could enjoy the late-spring morning sun.
"What are you two boys up to next?" asked Alcmene.
"I don't know, just the usual I suppose," replied Iolaus.
"How about if we take a trip to Thrace.Iolaus?" suggested the demigod. "There's a festival with games taking place there next week. We can take our time getting there and we can relax for a while."
"When do we leave?"
"We finished up all the work orders you had the day before yesterday. That means you're free. How about we leave this afternoon?"
"Great! I'll go close up the forge, get my things and be back in time for lunch. You are going to make lunch, aren't you, Alcmene?"
"For my two heroes, I'll make lunch and fill up a sack for you to take on the road."
"Herc, your Mom's the best. You stay right here and tell her how wonderful she is and I'll be back soon."
Iolaus only made it a little bit down the road and thought to ask Hercules if he should bring his fishing gear too. He doubled back in time to catch Hercules still in the garden talking to his mother. Iolaus didn't mean to eavesdrop but he didn't want to interrupt them either and he was unable to move without making himself known.
"I was planning to head this way after the wedding, before I was blinded. I wanted to see you and I also wanted to ask Iolaus to come travel with me, to be my partner again."
A broad smile came to Iolaus' face and a heart-felt, silent 'thank you' was offered up to the Fates. This was just what he'd been hoping for.
"Well why haven't you, Hercules? I mean, outside of the both of you finding some nice women to settle down with and have children again, that's the best idea you've had. It would be so good for the two of you."
"I thought so, too. But then Hera brought it all home for me. She can destroy me without giving it a second thought, along with anyone else who happens to get in the way. Iolaus would deliberately put himself in the way if he thought it would help me. Our bond...our friendship would move him to do that. The more I thought about that possibility, the more depressed I became. I love him, Mother. I'm so afraid something will happen to him, too. You saw what happened yesterday, he got caught in the shoulder with that bludgeon and the dagger would have gotten him too if I hadn't caught it in time."
"Yes, that's true son, but I saw you yesterday too. You got nicked in the thigh with the tip of a spear. It would have gone in deep if it hadn't been for Iolaus. Besides the spear he stopped three men who were coming at your back with axes and swords. You got hit in the head by the broad side of one sword. It would have been the business side of the sword if Iolaus didn't make that kick to change the angle of the bandit's swing. If Iolaus wasn't there, watching YOUR back I can't even imagine what would have happened," said Alcmene with a shiver.
Hercules chose to ignore the shiver and he continued. "Here, in Thebes, Iolaus has a good life. He's loved and respected by everyone in this village. I know, I've been with him almost every minute these past few weeks. I've had my eyes opened in more ways than one on this trip home. I knew that I couldn't take him away from all this to share a life as unsettled as mine. I knew that if I did, it would be for all the most selfish reasons."
Hercules turned to walk his mother into the house and Iolaus could no longer hear the rest of their conversation.
With tears of disappointment in his eyes he turned to head back to Thebes to get his travel sack, his bow and quiver and he thought, 'I've always been your partner...that's for life. I haven't always been your traveling companion, but we're partners no matter if we're together or apart. I'd give anything to travel with you again, Herc...anything. I have to get you to see that I'm still a good warrior to have at your back, to remember that we're better together. I'll make you see it,' and with a resolved nod of his head he continued down the road.
Inside the house, Hercules and Alcmene continued their conversation. "You didn't let me finish, Mother. I was going to say that even with all that, I don't know how I've survived so long without Iolaus by my side. After the fight with the She-demon I told him I would keep him in my heart with my family. That's probably one of the stupider things I've ever said to him -- I can't see them, or touch them anymore but I can see and touch Iolaus -- I should never have cut myself off from the comfort and companionship he was offering -- I should never have hurt him by distancing myself."
"Hercules, you and Iolaus have been so close since you were children. I think the two of you are like a river, flowing along in the same direction for miles and miles until an island of time came and split the river in two. The river is still one entity and both branches of that river are still going in the same direction. If you're patient son, a little further down stream, the island of time that separates you will come to an end and the river will re-join. That's what will happen. I know it."
"Thank you Mother," murmured the demigod as he raised his mother's hand to his lips and smiled at her in gratitude. "That re-joining may be sooner than you think. I'm going to this festival in Thrace with Iolaus. The two of us need some time together for just resting and relaxing. Then I have a couple of things I have to take care of near Athens. When I come back to help you with the wheat harvest, I'm going to talk business with Iolaus...the hero business. I'm going to ask him to come traveling with me again."
"Oh thank the gods! I'll worry about you a lot less when I know you have Iolaus watching your back," said Alcmene with a relieved smile.
"You and I both, Mother. You and I both," asserted the demigod. "There are signs of trouble in the air and I think it's going to take the two of us working together to take care of it."
"What's wrong, Hercules?"
"You're not going to believe this, but when I was in Macedonia I heard rumors of a sadistically evil warlord with a large army who was slowly but surely making their way from the East towards Greece. And according to that rumor, the warlord is a woman. Can you imagine that?"
The end
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