There is a reverse reference to an episode of H:TLJ in this FF. Can you find it? Answer at the end of the story.
"Hercules," the man gasp breathlessly as he hurried toward the son of Zeus. "Our village is being attacked by a monster. You've got to help us."
Hercules was torn. He was to meet Iolaus in Plinth, but obliviously the villager needed his help. "I need to get a message to Plinth first. I'm meeting a friend there."
"Plinth is the village under attack."
"Then let's go and on the way you can tell me about this monster." Hercules set out toward Plinth. He'd meet up with Iolaus, they would take care of this monster, then go on that vacation they had been planning.
"Oh, it is giant wolf-like creature that is vaguely human-like in form," the villager told Hercules as he hurried to catch up with the demigod. "Funny thing is though, the creature wears a medallion around it's neck."
At the mention of the medallion, Hercules stopped dead in his tracks. "You've seen this medallion for yourself?" At the villager's affirmative, Hercules gestured toward the ground. "Show me."
The villager found a stick and drew the likeness of the creature's medallion in the dirt. He looked up at Hercules in time to see all the color drain from Hercules' face. "Do you recognize it, Hercules?"
The villager had drawn a exact likeness of Iolaus' medallion. Surely the man was mistaken. "Are you sure that is the medallion you saw?"
"Yes. It stands out clearly against the creature's golden fur. I remember thinking that it was strange to see a monster wearing jewelry." The man glanced at the demigod. The color had still not returned to Hercules' face. In fact, he was even paler, if that was possible. Suddenly realization struck the villager. "It belonged to your friend, didn't it? Oh Hercules, I'm sorry."
Hercules ignored the question and set out for Plinth at a dead run.
The light was giving way to night when the creature made it's way down from the cave it had taken as it's lair. It made it's way toward the outskirts of the village while it struggled to make sense of the strange dream that visited it as it slept. In the dream, he had seen a male human's face. Somehow the face was vaguely familiar. But from where and how?
Suddenly the scent and bleating of sheep jerked the creature from it's thoughts. It had come up upon one of the outlying farms. It was about to crash through the fence that enclosed the sheep when pain blossomed in it's leg. It growled and look down. Sticking in it's leg was a long splinter of wood. It ripped the splinter out when it felt another one bury itself in it's shoulder. It ripped that one out and looked around for the source of the splinters. It spotted the farmer trying to notch another arrow. The creature gave a bloodcurdling scream and advanced. The farmer drop his bow and turned to run, but the creature was faster.
Hercules knelt by the dead man and surveyed the destruction in the light of day. He'd got the villagers to admit that this was the first person that they knew of that the creature had killed. Before this it had just killed livestock.
Hercules had seen the bloodied arrows and the discarded bow. It wasn't hard to figure out what had taken place here. This didn't look like a picture of a mankiller, but a creature hunting. Hercules got slowly to his feet, absently wiping his hands on his pants. Well, he had said he'd help the villagers. He'd have to confront the creature and try to solve the problem.
He helped bury the farmer, sent the villagers back and started for the creature's cave.
As Hercules rounded a bend, the scent of rotten meat assailed his nostrils. He entered the cave and waited for his eyes to adjust. He looked around and his heart lodged in his throat. There on a rock, like it was being displayed for him, was a torn and bloodied purple vest. Hercules fell to his knees and gathered the cloth to his chest. All the tears he had held back coursed down his face. Here was indisputable proof. Up until now he could believe the villager was mistaken about the medallion. He looked around for something to use as a weapon. His eyes light on a sword still in it's scabbard. Iolaus' sword. Hercules closed his eyes as he imagioned how his friend had died. He stood and grasped the sword, pulling it from the scabbard.
Hercules advanced toward the back of the cave, his eyes scanning for the creature. He spotted it sitting on a rock staring into space. The creature had it's back to Hercules. It would be so easy to plunge the sword into the creature's unprotected back.
Suddenly the creature turned and stared at Hercules. It was the man from it's dream. It had struggled to recall from where it knew the man. Now that the man was standing before and it could get his scent, realization hit it like a lightening bolt. His brother. But how? The creature had always been a...creature, hadn't it?
Hercules was caught off guard by the creature's reaction or lack thereof. He had expected it to attack him. He almost lowered the sword, but a picture of Iolaus' lifeless and broken body flashed before his eyes. With a cry, he swung the sword.
When the creature heard Hercules' cry, it instinctively sprang back. So instead of burying itself deeply in the creature's flesh, the sword's tip sliced shallowly across the creature's chest. The medallion clinked as it hit the ground.
The creature blinked, surprised. Why was it's brother trying to hurt it? Didn't the man recognize it?
Hercules rushed the creature. The creature turned away, but before it could spring away the sword sliced through it's already wounded shoulder. As it twisted away, it's injured leg gave way and it crumbled to the ground.
The man stood over it, ready to plunge the sword down. The creature moaned as it laid it's head back and gazed up at the man. His brother didn't recognize him.
Hercules was startled to see the creature had blue eyes. In fact, with the light from a crack in the cave streaming on it's face, The creature looked vaguely like...
"IOLAUS!" Hercules cried out as he flung the sword aside. He kelt and pulled the creature into to his arms. "Oh gods what have I done? Iolaus, please forgive me," he whispered as he buried his head in the golden curls.
The creature felt the tears fall on it head. Everything would be alright now, his brother recognized and loved him. The creature sighed and closed it's eyes.
Suddenly the creature shuddered. Thinking it was death theos, Hercules clutched the creature tighter to him and cried harder. He was so swept up in his grief that he didn't feel the creature shift and shrink in his arms.
A fist weakly punched him in the arm, and Hercules realized someone was talking to him. "Herc, you're crushing me."
Hercules loosened his hold and gazed down at the man cradled in his arms. Iolaus smiled weakly at him.
Hercules didn't know how long they sat there before reality penetrated his foggy brain. "I've got to get you back to the village." He stood with Iolaus still cradled in his arms. Iolaus just sighed and laid his head on Hercules' shoulder.
Iolaus opened his eyes and wished he hadn't. He groaned and closed his eyes tight. He heard a chair creak and felt a cool hand on his brow. He risk opening his eyes and tried to concentrate on the large blur hovering over him. After a few seconds the blur reveled itself to be Hercules. "Welcome back," Hercules said as he smiled down at Iolaus. "How do you feel?"
"Like I someone tried to slice me open." Iolaus regretted his word choice when he saw the look of pain that crossed Hercules' face. "Let me rephrase that. Like a giant beat me with a hydra."
Hercules smiled at Iolaus' attempt at a joke, but it didn't banish the pain. He ran a shaky hand through his hair as he sat back down on the chair. "I could have killed you."
Iolaus frowned as he remembered all that had happened. "I think that was what Hera had in mind."
Suddenly Iolaus had Hercules undivided attention. "Hera?!? What has she...," Hercules trailed off. "Oh."
"Yeah, she's the one take changed me into that creature. Her plan was to crush you under the knowledge that you had killed me."
"And she almost succeed."
Hey Herc," Iolaus was getting distressed at the desolate note in Hercules' voice. "But what is the important part is that she didn't succeed."
Hercules looked at Iolaus' concern face and mentally shook himself. "Before I forget," Hercules handed Iolaus the medallion, "I thought you might like this back."
"Thanks Herc." Iolaus turned the medallion over in his hand. It had been strung with a new leather thong. Iolaus put it on and smiled at Hercules.
Just then the healer, a middle aged man, walked in carrying a mug of tea. "Ah, I see that you're finally awake. I thought I heard voices in here."
Iolaus was eyeing the mug warily. "I've got a sinking feeling that that's for me."
The healer, Maceus, laughed as he reached the bedside. "And your sinking feeling would be correct." He set the mug on the table beside the bed as he and Hercules help Iolaus sit up in bed.
When Iolaus was propped up on the pillows, Hercules pressed the mug into Iolaus' hands. Iolaus looked from the mug to Maceus, then Hercules. Iolaus assumed his most wounded expression. "Do I have to?"
Hercules silently wiped the laughter tears from his eyes. "Iolaus, you haven't even tried it yet."
"I think there is a law somewhere that these thing are supposed to taste bad."
"Drink," Hercules ordered.
Iolaus looked at the tea and sighed. He took a big gulp and nearly choked. Hercules pounded him gently on the back.
Iolaus finally managed to swallow and took a shaky breath. "Sip it," Maceus suggested.
Iolaus shot Maceus a dirty look, but did as he was told. He sipped the tea as he settled back on the pillows. He wrinkled his nose after every sip, but he finished it. Actually it wasn't too bad, but he wasn't about to say so.
After the healer took the empty mug and left the room, Hercules patted Iolaus' shoulder. "Why don't you get some sleep."
Iolaus nodded sleepily, "I think Maceus drugged the tea."
Two days later Maceus reluctantly gave the OK for Iolaus to get out of bed, but insisted that he stay for a few more days. With both Maceus and Hercules ganging up against him, Iolaus decided discretion was the better part of valor and agreed. Of course, that didn't mean he liked the idea.
A day and half later, as Hercules was fussing over where Iolaus set under a tree, Iolaus brought up the subject that he knew was weighing heavily on Hercules mind.
"You know Herc, it's not your fault."
Hercules looked at Iolaus like he had suddenly sprouted another head. "Not my fault!?! It's all my fault! If you weren't my friend this wouldn't have happened."
Iolaus sighed and gave Hercules a 'here we go again' look. "How many times are we going to have this conversation? I chose to be your friend knowing I was making myself a target. I knew what I was getting into. And besides, by beating yourself up over what happened, you're letting Hera win."
"I almost killed you."
"Almost only counts in horseshoes."
Hercules chuckled as he remembered the game that Iolaus had tried to teach him. "I just wish she'd leave us alone."
"I know Herc. But it doesn't look like that's going to happen anytime soon."
Hercules looked down at Iolaus and tried to imagine his life without the hunter in it. He didn't like what he saw. "I just wish you'd be a little more careful."
"Who, me? I'm the epitome of carefulness," Iolaus managed to dead pan.
Hercules burst out laughing.
The next day Maceus agreed that Iolaus was well enough to travel. A merchant had generously donated a blue tunic to Iolaus. Said it matched his eyes. Hercules had gone back to the cave and retrieved Iolaus sword and vest, but they were unable to get the blood stains out of the vest. Unwilling to take a chance on ruining it beyond repair, Iolaus had snatched it and put it in his pack, suggesting they take it to Alcemene and see what she could do with it.
As the two started on the road for home, Hercules chuckled. "I guess I know where our next stop is."
"Only after our vacation."
"Oh yeah, I almost forgot we had planned a vacation."
"You mean, you were hoping I'd forget."
Hercules gave Iolaus a strange look. "What makes you say that?"
"Well, I know how much you enjoy fishing."
Hercules smiled and clasp Iolaus around the shoulder. "Don't ever change, my friend."
"I don't intended to."
Finis
Disclaimer: No golden werewolf-like creatures were hurt in the writing of this FF.
Authors notes: I don't know whether or not they had the game of horseshoes in ancient Greece. I just couldn't think of anything else that would fit. And although we've seen Hercules fishing, he takes all the fun out of it.
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In 'Cast A Giant Shadow', Iolaus is to meet Hercules in Plinth and Maceus is the warlord that breaks Iolaus' wrist.
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