"Hey Herc - bet I can get a fire started before you!" Iolaus was already hard at work spinning sticks to set some moss aflame. "Oh yeah? You're on!" Herc was always ready to take Iolaus on in his bets - the odds were better than even that he would win. Hercules brushed some dry leaves into a pile, then began spinning a stick between his hands to set the dry tinder on fire. With his strength and speed, he soon had wisps of smoke appear. Iolaus had unstrung his bow and was using the string wrapped around his stick to gain a mechanical advantage. In the end, the race was a dead heat between the boys. "I won" "No, I did!" They both took their contests good naturedly, and combined the tiny flames to create a campfire.
The boys were as excited about their first solo camping trip as only 8's can be. The trip was part of Hercules' birthday present. All winter long the boys had been badgering their mothers - ever since Iolaus turned 8.
"It'll be all right Mom!" They each pleaded with their mothers. "We're old enough! We can take care of ourselves! Nothing is going to happen!" Surprising even himself, Hercules was talking nearly as fast as Iolaus; they were interrupting each other in their eagerness to convince their mothers. Alcmene and Automedusa were working together to get the loom warped when the boys had tumbled in on them this time. As the weather was getting warmer, they were getting more impatient with the answer of maybe later. In a torrent of words, they pleaded their case yet again. Iolaus ended up winning the verbal race, and had done most of the talking. He worked hardest trying to win Alcmene over - his mother seemed impervious to his charms! And Alcmene was charmed, she found his smile and impish ways almost irresistible - they were so different from her sons. As the words washed over them, Automedusa and Alcmene exchanged glances, and the barest of nods. It was spring, and the winter just past had been easy, so the wild animals hadn't been made bold by hunger. Anyway, the lean-to wasn't all that far away, and if anything happened, the boys could get home quickly.
"Slow down Iolaus! I need to know what Alcmene thinks about this and she can't get a word in." After a few "Buts" and "I only's," Iolaus perched on the edge of bench, barely able to contain himself in his eagerness. Hercules stood nearby, just as anxious but forcing himself to be composed.
"I suppose that you are old enough now to go out on your own. But why don't you take Iphicles as well? Neither he nor Hercules has had anyone to go hunting with them, and it would do him good as well" Alcmene had always tried not to show favoritism to either of her sons. It had been difficult enough when Iphicles had realized that his twin' brother was only his half-brother and half-god as well. He had pulled into a shell that Alcmene tried endlessly to drag him out of. With no father around to help, she felt she was never really ever able to reach him, and she worried.
Iolaus bounced up and exclaimed "Aw, he's no fun! We wanted to go by ourselves!" "IOLAUS! That is a very mean thing to say!" Automedusa chastised her son. "I will not have you saying things like that!"
"But Mom! He's always so grumpy and he never wants to do the same things we do! And he's said that he doesn't care about hunting!" Iolaus desperately tried to salvage what he saw as a rapidly fading chance. He mentally kicked himself - why did he always do that?! Whenever he got excited his mouth led a life of its own, without taking time to think about the effect of what he was saying. More often than not he ended up in trouble.
"He's right" Hercules interjected, trying to cover for his friend's impetuousness. "Iphicles never wants to do anything with us when we ask him. And we really have Mom! He always runs away to be by himself." Hercules knew that Iolaus was only telling the truth, but somehow it was forever coming out wrong. Hopefully he could make it clear this time as he had done before.
Alcmene sighed, it was never easy with her boys. She so wanted them to be close as brothers often were, but it seemed doomed. Her sons had been at odds long before Hercules met Iolaus. "It's all right, Automedusa" Alcmene said. "The boys are right, Iphicles has been very moody recently, and doesn't want to have anything to do with anyone. He's been so unhappy that I'm thinking about sending him to spend the summer with his uncle in Thebes. Maybe the change and getting away from here for a while will help."
"Hurray!" Both boys were jumping up and down, hugging each other as they realized that they would be able to go after all. Alcmene enjoyed watching Iolaus' cheerful and exuberant nature bring out some of the same in her son. "They do each other good." she thought. Hercules seemed to be making a habit out of helping Iolaus get out of the scrapes that his impulsiveness got him into. But then again, Iolaus brought spontaneity to the relationship.
Alcmene decided to make the entire trip part of Hercules' birthday present. It would be warm enough, and both mothers hoped that the trip would be successful - at least a rabbit! Spring planting would be just beginning - the boys wouldn't be needed until they returned.
As the boys bounded out of the house, Automedusa couldn't help thinking about their arrival at the farmstead that her father had left her. What was it? Almost 2 years now? She was grateful to have found a kindred soul in Alcmene nearby. She had been forced to move her family from town, even if her husband had wanted them to stay. "A general's family should live in a proper place, here, in town, not out there in the boondocks. That's not fitting!" Skorous would say whenever Automedusa would bring up the subject. But that last time he had been gone so long that the money had run out, and there was no choice left. Better moving voluntarily than the shame of being evicted.
They had been at the farm for months when Skourous finally returned. He was forced to search for them, and was humiliated that he had to ask strangers where his own family was.. The ensuing fight had been terrible, accusations flying through the air and the children huddled in their loft. "Stay here" Iolaus had told his siblings, "I have to go help mother!" Skorous had laughed at the small, slight boy who stood in defiance of him, and brushed him aside. The dismissal infuriated Iolaus, but his mother stopped him. "No Iolaus, this is between your father and me. You take your sisters and go over to Alcmene's and wait until I come get you! Go Now!" After that tempestuous argument, Skorous' visits home had nearly ceased.
Iolaus had been very lonely before they had moved to the farm. His friendly nature kept him trying to get along with the boys in town, but there always seemed to be conflict. He always felt he had to prove he was as skillful or strong or quick as the others, despite his diminutive size. Shouting matches were common, with "You can't do that" "Yes I can!" being the essence. In his determination to prove himself, Iolaus often found himself in the middle of a dare that hindsight showed to have been a bad idea. He persisted, and frequently would show the other boys up. This would either impress or infuriate the others, and the cycle would continue.
The farm was near to Alcmene's homestead, and Iolaus found a new start with Hercules and Iphicles. Iphicles, the moodier of the two, preferred to stay to himself. But Hercules! As young as they were, Hercules understood that he was different. His mother was constantly cautioning him to be careful, that he was bigger than everyone else and could hurt them if he didn't look out. His strength kept growing at a frightening rate, causing Alcmene no end of worry. "BE careful" she was always saying, "You could hurt someone without meaning to!" And it had happened, more than once, that Iphicles had run to their mother complaining about Hercules. But with Iolaus he found a companion who didn't seem to mind the rough and tumble of boy's play, or even to notice the odd bruise. If Hercules picked him up and tossed him around, Iolaus would bounce back, ready for more. It never occurred to Hercules to seriously challenge Iolaus' ability to do anything. Iolaus had proved repeatedly that he could do anything he said he could, even if it meant endless hours practicing. Hercules was impressed by the display of persistence and determination, and was thrilled that Iolaus strove equally endlessly to keep up with him. Mutual respect was forming the foundation of their relationship.
"Gee Mom, this is a really nice bow! It doesn't feel like I'm going to snap it when I pull!" The birthday party for Hercules was held on a brilliant day, with warm breezes and the promise of spring. Hercules thought that the hunting trip was to have been his present, but Alcmene had surprised him with a new bow. The bow would have given a strong man pause, but Hercules' strength had been increasing daily, and the old one was in danger of splintering. "Here Iolaus, you take my old one! Then you won't have to make do with your sling!" Herc was so excited that he didn't see the mulish expression cross Iolaus' face. "No thanks - you keep it, I'm fine." Iolaus said woodenly. No one mentioned it, but with Skorous always gone, Automedusa was barely making ends meet, with nothing left for extras. Hercules was confused for a moment, then realized how his offer had sounded. He knew how proud his friend was, and rapidly amended, "No, no - that's not it! I just want to loan it to you until you get yours. How else can we have archery contests?" Iolaus had often admired the weapon, and allowed himself to be convinced.
"Shusshhh!!" Iolaus hissed at Hercules. "If you want to get good at hunting, you can't be making all of that noise!" Carrying the new bows and freshly fletched arrows, the boys crept through the woods surrounding the sheep pastures. Filled with the excitement of their first solo hunting expedition, Hercules kept calling out whenever he thought he saw something. "Just tap my shoulder and point if you see something. You're scaring everything away with all that noise!" Iolaus was getting irritated that his friend didn't seem to be getting the idea.
Iolaus couldn't understand why Hercules didn't just know how to handle himself in the forest. Every little sight or sound was so clear to him. He was aware of everything going on around him, almost as if it were in slow motion. Tracking game in the woods was one of his biggest thrills. Even though he was focused on following the track, he knew what else was happening around him. He hadn't really been aware of it until now. Poor Hercules just couldn't see it! Iolaus stopped and tried to explain what he was seeing. "It's almost like I can feel the trees and animals around me while I'm looking for the track. I don't know, what does it feel like to you?"
Hercules was beginning to get frustrated. Although close in age, he already towered over his friend and had a more massive frame than his wiry companion. "I don't feel anything except the branches sticking me." Usually when faced with a new task, Hercules would wrestle with the problem until he secured a grip on it, then mastered it. This time, getting in tune with the forest was not yielding to this straight forward method. With every misstep or snapped branch Hercules' irritation was building into anger. "What's wrong?" Hercules' grip on his new bow threatened to crack it. Iolaus flashed a smile, and jabbed at Hercules. "Hey, don't worry! You'll get used to it! Remember when we were learning how to tie knots? It took a while before you got good at it." "Yea," Hercules replied, getting a grasp on his irritation, "But you're still faster than me." Iolaus grinned again, "So what? No one can undo yours without a knife!" Iolaus slapped his pal on the back and they kept moving.
The boys continued creeping through the forest, bows in hand. "Can you hear that bird singing over to the left?" Iolaus whispered "As long as it's singing, we haven't disturbed the game or let it know we're here. Everything gets really quiet and still when the smaller animals sense danger, either from us or from some other big animal." Iolaus was gliding through the bushes, hardly moving a branch, while his bulkier best friend was having a hard time. "Kind of turn sideways to slip through." Iolaus had said. "Sideways!" Hercules grumbled under his breath "I can hardly see where I'm going if I turn sideways!" He wasn't awkward, but he didn't have his smaller friend's grace. Iolaus was so in tune with the natural world that he was unconsciously aware of any changes to the flow of life in the woods. Hercules wondered to himself if he would ever be as much at ease in the forest as his best friend. They spent the next few days searching for game in the forest, as Iolaus tried to share the world that was so special to him with his friend.
On the morning of the fourth day at the shepherd's hut, Hercules surveyed their dwindling supplies. All that was left was some cheese, a couple of apples and some stale bread. Hardly enough for Iolaus' breakfast, much less a meal for them both. Besides, they had promised to be back today. They needed to get back to help with spring planting.
"We really have to start back! My mom'll be getting worried if we don't get back by dark!" Hercules pleaded with his buddy. "But it's so much fun! I could stay out here forever." Iolaus had seemed to completely blend in with the landscape overnight. Everything felt so right to him there. Able to do whatever he wanted, able to set his own pace. Here he felt free. No one yelling at him about uncompleted or never heard chores; no one trying to make him sit still or work on something he had no interest in. No one picking on him because he looked like an easy target. He was able to met the forest on his own terms and feel as if he truly belonged.
Hercules, much more the realist, knew that they had to go back. They both were needed to help with the planting. Hercules sighed, he too wanted to stay longer, to put off going back to a world full of demands. He envied his buddy's ability to put the everyday cares out of his mind and to immerse himself in the moment. Herc also knew that Iolaus understood that their help was critical back home. He just had to have some help pulling loose from the grip their trip had on him. Looking around the packed campsite, he spied their hunting equipment and had an idea of how to make the trip back fun. Grabbing both bows, he started running back toward the farmsteads, calling over his shoulder, "Last one home's a rotten egg!"
Iolaus, thus challenged, bristled good naturedly and called back, "Oh, yeah? We'll see!" Scooping up his bed roll and pack, Iolaus started chasing after his companion. As Hercules had grown in height, so had his strength and stamina. Iolaus was the only one of the boys their age who had a chance of keeping up with him. What he lacked in strength, he made up in agility and quickness. And his endurance was nearly as endless, much to the dismay of his mother when she would try to get her brood settled for the night!
Over fields, through woods and over streams, the boys flew toward home. His sleeping roll bouncing against his back, Iolaus thought about the way home. "If I cut through the next ravine and ford the stream there, I should be able to get ahead of Hercules and beat him! That'll show him!" Hardly winded, Iolaus sprinted off the main path and cut through the ravine. He paused for a moment at the stream to get a drink, then froze in place, every nerve in his body alert. A low growl came from the underbrush across the stream. Iolaus could see the yellow eyes locked on his.
"Mountain lion! What was it doing so far from its home?" Iolaus thought frantically, heart pounding. Game was plentiful in the hills, there was no reason for it to have invaded the inhabited farmlands! Without moving, every detail of his surroundings became crystal clear to Iolaus. The only sounds were the rushing of the water and low growls. It had a large head, but something didn't seem right with it. "Herc has the bows" Iolaus thought. "Can't try to kill it. What now?" Iolaus glanced at the nearby cover and trees. "I don't think I can run fast enough to climb those trees and get out of that cat's way before it gets me. What am I going to do?"
In a flash, a plan came to him. If he ran directly away, the lion would be on him before he could reach safety. But if he ran along the stream, the cat would have to go around a dense patch of thorn bushes and he might have time to reach that large oak tree further downstream. The tree was big enough that he would have maneuvering room even if the cat followed him up. Tensing every muscle in his lithe body, Iolaus took a deep breath and started running.
Hercules had also stopped to drink, and to check if Iolaus was catching up with him. Hearing nothing, he thought, "Good, he's so far behind that I'll beat him home easily." Hercules started running again at a lope. A very uneasy feeling came over him. "I can't hear _anything_" he said aloud. Everything has gone quiet, and the ominous feeling grew. Hercules usually kept to paths or places that he knew. He had to pause and think - he knew the area, but hadn't developed the nearly instinctual knowledge that Iolaus had. Hercules had been amazed early on that Iolaus never seemed to get lost. He only had to see a place once and forever after could return there, almost as if he had a map in his head. "OK, that's the stream that goes by the waterfall. It goes down from here and into that ravine were we practiced ambushing. If Iolaus cut through there, he could get ahead of me and I wouldn't know it until I was home. Maybe something happened over there" With a speed driven by the sense that something was terribly wrong, Hercules ran toward the stream.
Heedless of the branches and brush, he pushed his way through the underbrush and burst out to a frightening sight. Iolaus had made the oak, but so had the cat. It had been a magnificent animal, now, its fur was matted and patchy, and it was very gaunt. A nasty looking gash festered on the cat's side. Desperation had driven it to the lowlands, where domesticated animals were easy prey. Now it had Iolaus trapped at the end of a branch that supported Iolaus, but not the cat as well. Iolaus was just barely out of the reach of the claws that kept swiping at him. He hadn't been able to avoid every swipe, and a thin red line was traced along his arm. His sleeping roll was shredded as he used it as a shield. "Careful Herc!" Iolaus cried out as he tried to inch just a little further away. "It's crazy mean!"
Hercules froze for just a moment. A sick feeling grew in the pit of his stomach. Iolaus was seconds away from being mangled by the lion, and possibly killed! Dropping Iolaus' lighter bow and quiver, Herc fit one of his own arrows into his bow with shaking hands. Iolaus' life depended on him now! "Watch out Iolaus! I'm going to try to shoot it!" Hercules took a deep breath to steady himself and let loose the arrow.
The cat screeched in pain as the arrow found its mark in its shoulder. It thrashed violently before losing it's balance and falling yowling out of the tree. Unfortunately, the shaking dislodged Iolaus as well! Grasping a limb as he hit it, Iolaus was just able to pull himself back up to the relative safety of the lower branches. Shaking its grizzled head, the dazed cat focused on the source of its latest pain, clawing at the arrow protruding from its shoulder. Only wounded! The added pain made the beast more dangerous than ever. Hercules cautiously circled around to get a better angle to finish the wounded cat off. The cat spotted Hercules, and decided to vent its pain and frustration on him. It started advancing on Hercules' position, at first slowly, then faster, charging at the boy.
As the cat started off toward Hercules, Iolaus had dropped silently from the tree, with only a small oomph as the landing jarred the cut in his arm. Quickly he ran over to where Hercules had dropped his bow and quiver and gathered them up. Iolaus dashed to a spot where both he and Hercules would have a good line of sight on the cat. "Here kitty, kitty, kitty" Iolaus called out, trying to distract the cat in its charge. Hercules fought down the rising fear and stood his ground, bow drawn, waiting for the cat to get close enough for a telling shot. The cat leapt through the air to claw its tormentor, and the friends loosed their arrows at the same time. Hercules's penetrated the cat's chest, impaling it's heart, while Iolaus' pierced the cat's side, with the same result. The cat dropped at Hercules' feet, twitching with it's last breath.
You had better wrap something around that cut on your arm." Hercules advised, as the boys sat by the stream staring at the dead cat. "Oh, yeah." Iolaus replied, absently wrapping a bit of his shredded bed roll around his arm. They quietly pondered what they had done as birds and insects began to make themselves known once more. "I guess we better get back." Iolaus said. "Sure" Hercules absently agreed. The brush with death had been too real and the boys worked at digesting the events of the day. After tying the cat to a branch with strips of the now useless bedroll, they made the rest of the short journey home in contemplative silence.
"Mom! Mom! Look what I caught!" Iphicles came running from the creek near the house with a fine fish he had hooked. Alcmene examined it carefully and said, "You must feel very proud to have caught such a fish Iphicles! We'll have it for supper tonight". Iphicles beamed under the praise, pleased to be the center of attention for once. Just then, Automedusa came running toward them, worry etched on her face.
"Alcmene, have you heard the news? The men from the village came by to tell me that a mad mountain lion was loose! I told them the boys were out there and they've gone to collect a hunting party to find them!." Before Alcmene could respond to the dreadful news, Hercules and Iolaus emerged from the woods.
"Oh thank the gods you're back! We've been worried sick!" Alcmene and Automedusa ran to their sons. "The men from the village were just here and..." Automedusa trailed off as she caught sight of the dead cat the boys were carrying and her son's arm. Clasping him tightly, she cried "What happened? You're hurt! Hercules, are you all right? Come inside and let's get a look at that! Just let that creature be there in the courtyard." Iphicles faded back from the excitement, a dark shadow passing over his visage as his accomplishments were yet again forced into the background.
The boys let themselves be dragged back to Automedusa's farmhouse and be fussed over. The hunting party would stop there first and could be prevented from embarking on a needless search. Iolaus rather liked being the center of attention except when his mother cleaned out the gash and rebound it. The shock was wearing off, and the boys started to talk about their adventure excitedly.
"We had told the men that you two were out there, and they have gone to gather a hunting party to rescue you! Looks like they won't have to go to all that trouble!" Automedusa laughed to cover her concern. "We told you that everything would be all right, didn't we? Hercules' shot almost went all the way through that mangy cat! And mine was buried half way up the shaft. We can take care of ourselves! Have we got anything to eat around here? I'm starved!" Iolaus' bravado worried his mother, but entertained the hunting party that had arrived to find its job already finished.
"The boy's right!" Apsyrtus said, "They did a fine job with that mountain lion. Maybe we'll take them with us the next time we go out." The hunting leader looked the boys over approvingly. Hercules and Iolaus grinned from ear to ear.
As Automedusa sat by the fire after finally getting her son settled into bed, she pondered what would happen in the future. Hercules had wanted to stay over, but Alcmene wanted to see her son safely under her own roof. They were inseparable, and now they had this escapade together to bind them. She had a strong feeling that this wouldn't be the last time. Automedusa sighed, banked the fire, and went to bed.
The End
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