What Now?
92 - Teachers Three
Blue sat nervously on the delicate looking chair hands folded in his lap. Apollo had spoken to him and then Hera and now they were waiting, for what he was not quite sure. Blue glanced out the window and wished he were outside. The room was sunny and having no wall at the far end the breeze swirled in keeping it pleasantly cool and bringing with it the scent of orange blossoms. But Blue preferred to be outside under the sun itself.
After a few minutes three women entered and Hera rose to greet them. Blue stood as well, nodding in greeting at each as they were introduced. Calliope the muse of Epic Poetry, Clio the muse of History, and Urania the muse of Astronomy. They had dark hair and startling violet eyes and wore wispy flowing dresses. Blue blushed as the three gave him appraising looks.
Hera wrapped her hand around his wrist and explained that he would be spending part of each day with them. He was to learn reading and writing, basic math and history. Blue looked wide eyed at the Muses. “Everyday? But what about my garden? And you said- you said I was going to learn to cook.” He bit his lip to stop himself from rambling on.
Hera laughed, not her scary laugh but a light sweet laugh, and pulled Blue into a hug. “Oh, Popet, you’ll only be spending an hour or so here a day. Your garden will do just fine with out fussing over it, mine does after all. And Hestia will be giving you cooking lessons twice a week in the evening. We’ll go and see here after we leave here, ok?”
Blue nodded enthusiastically. He wasn’t all together sure he’d enjoy his lessons with the Muses but Hera seemed to think they were important and as long as he still got to learn to cook and didn’t have to abandon his garden then he supposed they couldn’t hurt.
93 - Greece in the Fall
It might have been a perpetual summer on Olympus but it was definitely fall in Greece. The air was turning crisper and all over people were busy with the last harvests of the year. Joxer tilted his face toward the sky enjoying the rain. It was refreshing when you didn’t have to worry about sleeping in it.Jayce was once again gathering the Bent River Performers. The fall equinox brought a lot of festivals and they need to gear up for another tour before winter hit. The Bent River boys didn’t mind traveling but it wasn’t worth the effort to travel far in the winter. They’d come back to Corinth and most would hire out as ’in house entertainment’ at the local inns and taverns.
Apollo, disguised as Ilios, went with Jayce into the Sleeping Lion to get him a room. Then Apollo would be taking Joxer up north to where Xena and Gabby were camping. The women were making their way to an old friend’s homestead. The older man was having trouble with raiders, from the sounds of it barbarians at that, and they were going to winter there with him.
Joxer would have felt better about the coming conversation if Ares had been there rather than Apollo - not that Apollo wasn’t great but... His presents wasn’t as encouraging. Joxer just would have liked to know Ares was backing him up.
Of course Ares would probably have come if Joxer had ASKED. But Joxer had heard Ares and Strife discussing the virtues of Death of a Thousand Cuts verses scrambling a certain blonde bard’s mind so she couldn’t speak, read or write ever again. Joxer was positive that the ‘nagging, self-righteous bitch’ they referred to was Gabby.
Joxer shivered and pulled his cloak tighter around himself. He winced as a passing rider splashed mud and rain water, leaving him speckled with it. Oh yeah. Now he remembered why he didn’t like the rain. Joxer looked around the gray city and thought about how autumn had always seemed to shine before.
The way everything turned from green to flaming yellows and reds. Like one last fling before settling down. Joxer winkled his nose and hoped Apollo would be back soon. Reminiscing was fine but Joxer desperately wanted to get this over with so he could go back home.
94 - Snow
Joxer pulled his cloak tighter as he and Apollo materialized on a wooded path. It was colder here than it had been in Corinth and the damp patches on his clothing were already frosting stiff. Apollo noticed the immortal’s shiver and dried him with a snap of his fingers. It left Joxer’s clothes and skin warmer as well. The pale man nodded his head in thanks.Apollo gestured down the rough road. “Xena and her companion are around the next bend, about a ten minute walk. They are setting up camp for the night. A snow storm is gathering. Not a bad one, but not good for traveling either.” The Sun god started off down the road and Joxer fell into step beside him. “I would have brought us closer but it’s better not to startle Xena. That woman has an exaggerated fight or flight response - emphasis on fight.” Apollo gave a fake shudder and Joxer couldn’t help but to chuckle.
Their pace was brisk but they didn’t beat the snow. Fat flakes were falling by the time they made it to the Xena and Gabby’s camp. The women had taken shelter in a clearing where the trees were dense enough to one side to shelter Argo from the snow. They had a lean-to built and Gabby was fiddling with the fire.
Xena had sensed their approach and had her sword drawn and stood ready to fight as Joxer and Apollo stepped into the clearing. The warrior woman narrowed her gaze when she saw them, her stance relaxed fractionally but she didn’t sheath her sword or move from her defensive position in front of Gabby.
“Joxer, Apollo, what are you doing here?” Xena asked.
“I came to talk to you guys.” Joxer shifted from foot to foot. “Apollo was kind enough to bring me.”
“And why would Apollo do that?” The dark hair woman asked, Gabby glared at the pair from behind Xena.
“Well that’s part of what I wanted to talk to you about.” Joxer hedged. He hadn’t figured out how to start this conversation, to late now to try so he was just going to wing it. Joxer bit his lip. He was so screwed.
95 - Truths
“Some stuff has happened in the last couple of months that I wanted tell you guys. And to let you know I won’t be traveling with you guys anymore.” Joxer shifted his weight from foot to foot and took a bit of courage at Apollo’s presence beside him.Xena shifted her gaze from Joxer to Apollo and back. “Fine.” She sheathed her sword and stepped back to the fire and Gabby. Her hand, however, hovered over her chakram.
“Well see, I met this man on the way to Corinth to meet up with my brothers. He was lost and had no memory - and well he turned out to be an injured god.”
“Apollo?” Gabby cut in.
“No. His nephew actually.” Joxer cleared his throat, he was just going to side step the whole ’who’ issue. The women would only go off on a tangent and he’d never finish what he came to say. “Anyway when they found him Jett, Jayce and I ended up on Olympus.” Xena snorted softly either in disbelief of the story or the situation.
Apollo glared at the dark haired warrior and touched Joxer’s back gently, to urge him to continue. “So we had dinner and mixed in with the fruit was some... Golden Apple slices.”
“What?!” Gabby screeched, almost drowning out Xena’s hard voiced, “How much?”
“Um, well...” Joxer shrugged. “Enough.”
“All of you?” Gabby sneered.
“Yes. That’s why- That’s why I won’t be traveling with you. We’re living on Olympus now.” Joxer spoke the last with more conviction then he’d voiced so far. “They like me there, and they treat me well, and I’m staying.”
“Yeah right Joxer! I can’t believe you get yourself into these messes. It’s obvious they’re using you!” She smirked at the pale man. “Well don’t come crawling back to us when they get tired of you-”
“Gabriel.” Xena put her hand over the bard’s mouth. “Let me handle this.” Gabby scowled but didn’t speak again. Xena stepped over to Joxer and grabbed him by the collar and drug him away from Apollo. “That’s how it really happened - some big cosmic accident?”
“I had no idea! Honestly.” Joxer pleaded with his eyes to be believed.
“You never do.” She muttered. Xena stared into Joxer’s eyes searchingly. After a moment she asked, “You’re happy then?”
“Very.” Joxer nodded his head vigorously. “All of us.” This wasn’t exactly the response he’d pictured Xena making.
“Alright. I don’t like the gods, don’t trust them but...” She huffed out a breath. “Just be careful, okay?” She turned her head to look at where Gabby was angrily poking at the fire. “You’d better get going. Have a good life, Joxer.” Xena clasped his shoulder briefly before making her way back to Gabby.
Joxer’s eyes stung a bit. He watched the women for a moment. He realized this was probably the last time he’d see them. Kind of sad but there was no way he could go back - wouldn’t if he could - so the only thing left was to move forward.
“Home?” Apollo asked as he wrapped an arm around Joxer. The immortal nodded and they disappeared in a small shower of golden sparks.
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