Chapter 9

The moon lit up the boar tracks pretty well on the trail through the woods.

"This wild boar is a pretty big fellow, maybe the biggest I've ever tracked," Artemis whispered.

"How do you know?" Lysander asked.

Artemis knelt to the ground and pointed.

"Look how large they are, and how deep, my little one," the goddess replied.

Lysander asked why she called him little one, when in mortal size, she wasn't that much taller.

"You will always be my little one even when you are grown," she laughed as they continued their tracking.

They found a resting spot.

"He can't be very far," she said as they rested on a log.

She reached into her bag and pulled out an apple. She handed it to Lysander and took a bite out of one of her own.

"I guess you are missing out on the singing, the petitions and the offerings tonight," Artemis said.

"Well it is the night of the full moon, and we are supposed to be worshipping you," Lysander laughed.

Artemis gave him a hug, brushed hair out of his face and traced his nose and around his eyes.

"They are such beautiful eyes ... and a beautiful nose," Artemis said.

"They say I get my features from my mother," Lysander said.

"So I've heard, my favorite hunting companion," she said as they got back up to track the boar.

Artemis surprised Phoebe when she appeared at the temple a couple of the weeks after the Olympics.

She used the excuse that Lysander's birthday was approaching. She wanted to hunt down a boar to eat at the celebration.

"It's not every day we get to celebrate the birth of an Olympic champion," Artemis told her high priestess.

"I sense that is not the only reason, my goddess," Phoebe said.

It was not. She was concerned about Lysander's feelings about being Lydia, the feelings about the prince and about Greicos.

"And for one who is only about to be 14 winters old, that is a lot to carry," Artemis said.

"You amaze me, my goddess," Phoebe replied. "I have to admit, at first I resented Lysander's place in the temple. And I even was jealous of his relationship with you. But Lysander has brought out a side of you that we've all come to appreciate. And he has become a beloved member of our priesthood. And he so needs his mother right now."

*****

"He appears to have escaped us for the night," Artemis said as she rolled a blanket on the ground. "This is a good spot."

Artemis walked next to a plant and picked a picked a flower. She placed it in Lysander's hair.

"Aphrodite is right, you are pretty my dear one," Artemis said. "And I have to ask this question. You are still wearing your hair as a girl? And you are wearing clothes more fitting of a huntress than a hunter."

"Hope you are not mad," Lysander replied. "I was wondering when you were going to say something."

"I am not mad," Artemis said. "But I don't want you to think you have to dress as a girl, or even become Lydia to make me happy. Zeus and I had an argument about that after the stunt your Aunt Aphrodite pulled. I am not, nor will I ever, force you to be Lydia or become a woman. You have that option in case there is a need."

"But what if I like dressing as a girl?" Lysander cried. "What if I do want to become a woman?"

Artemis did her best to wipe away the tears.

"I love you as you," Artemis said. "My son. my daughter, you are cherished. You are the best thing ever to happen to me."

"You are to me, too," Lysander said. "I love having you as my Mom."

Just then they heard a branch snap.

"Is it OK to crash this slumber party?" Aphrodite asked.

"I never figured you for the hunting party type," Artemis said with a laugh.

"The Goddess of Love wearing huntress clothes," Lysander laughed.

"I have never hunted pig before," Aphrodite replied. "Why should I let my sisters Artemis and Athena have all of the fun?"

"We were just about to have story time," Artemis told her sister.

"I got here just in time, then," Aphrodite said as she sat down and kissed Lysander on the cheek.

"Before your mother bores us with tales of hunting boars, my dear niece, I'd like to tell you a few tales about love and romance," Aphrodite said.

"Do tell, sister," Artemis said.

"Well, my dear Lydia, there once was a girl almost as pretty as you named Helen," Aphrodite said. "Her eyes were beautiful like yours. And just as you will some day, they were beautiful enough to break a few men's hearts. Your mothers would, too, if she'd come out of the woods some time."

"Aphrodite, please ..." Artemis laughed.

"Please my dear aunt, keep going, I want to hear the tale," Lysander begged.

"My dear Lydia, I will continue," Aphrodite laughed. "There is also a little adventure in this tale, with fighting. And beautiful men named Achilles and Hector.

"Her tales usually come down to beautiful men," Artemis laughed.

"Do you want to hear this story or not?" Aphrodite asked.

"Yes, I do," Lysander said. "Please continue."

Just as Aphrodite was about to delve deep into the story of Helen of Troy, Lysander reached into his pouch and pulled out the necklace that would transform him into Lydia.

"Let me put that on you," Aphrodite said as Artemis' eyes got bigger.

"Oh wow," Aphrodite said. "You are your mother made over. And beware. I am so going to pamper you for the rest of your life."

"I want to be able to identify with Helen," Lydia replied. "Please continue with the story."

"You are really becoming my favorite niece," Aphrodite said.

*****

The people of Erastus were surprised to see two hooded women and a hooded girl carry a large boar into the temple of Artemis.

"Phoebe, I don't believe you've met my sister, Aphrodite," Artemis said.

"This is really a nice temple you have here, sister," Aphrodite replied.

"We have had Zeus, Apollo, Leto and Athena here," Phoebe replied. "We are honored to have Aphrodite as our guest."

"She will be staying in my chambers with Lydia and me through the Feast of Lysander," Artemis said.

"Feast of Lysander?" Lydia asked.

"The celebration of your birth will become an annual feast," Artemis said.

"Well, we should have plenty to eat with the boar you killed," the priestess Arsana said.

"Who killed the boar, you or Mother?" Ariana asked.

"Neither," Artemis replied.

All eyes turned to Aphrodite.

"Turns out my niece is helping me with my archery skills in exchange for beauty advice," Aphrodite said. "Turns out the poor girl has a mother who is more the woodsy type."

"I want to be the woodsy type like my mother," Lydia whispered to Artemis. "But every once in a while, it is nice to look like a princess."

Just then, a bolt of lightning moved across the sky.

"I will smooth things over with Father and will try to help you with that Hera problem," Aphrodite whispered to Artemis.

"You are certain the Fates are correct?" Artemis asked.

"Lydia will be the greatest Heroine among all of the demi-goddesses," Aphrodite whispered. "She may have a boy's body when the necklace comes off. But her heart will not change. It is a girl's heart, and one that longs to be like her mother. For that, I am extremely jealous."