Infinite 01 - Infinite Sacrifice

barn. Ophira gathers up a straw bed and lays me down. I whisper her good-bye. She leaves swiftly, unsure when he’ll appear. It’s strange to be out here in total darkness. I hear some field mice running past me as I hold my breath. I wonder then, if I should have confirmed I’d definitely be here. Maybe he thought I wasn’t serious and I’d be sitting here all night in the dark. Or maybe he’s waiting in one of the smaller out-buildings. Something moves in the corner; someone has been there waiting this whole time. He steps toward me, and his tall form looms above me.
    Leander reaches down, releases my thick belt effortlessly in the dark, and pulls me out of my robe. I feel weightless in his strong arms and welcome his warmth with the night air so cold. He places me back down in the straw and presses himself against me. He puts his hands up to feel my shaved head. No stranger to what it feels like to have a man so close when undressed, I’m unprepared how different it is in the dark, alone.
    He rolls off to my side, panting. “We’ll meet again in two new moons.”
    “Two moons?”
    “It’s the earliest I can sneak away. If I’m caught leaving, I’ll be punished.”
    “But everyone knows men leave their messes for such secret meetings.”
    “It’s a test for the soldiers to practice stealth and I can’t be caught. This is the most I can sneak away.”
    “All right, then, we’ll meet again in two new moons.”
    With that, he puts back on his cloak and leaves without sound. I, on the other hand, bump into every tool and bucket left out by the helots and receive a good bruise to my shin in the process. When I return, Ophira’s waiting up by the fire. I tell her all the details, which lasts all of two minutes.
    She giggles, saying, “That was about what it was like for me, except mine was soaked in wine.”
    ∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞
    I watch the next moon come and go, wait all month, and when the full moon appears, I’m never happier for it to disappear. Ophira gives me an exaggerated wink before I run down to the barn. Dressed again in only my cloak, I sit on the straw, searching every dark corner.
    Something moves to my left, and when I hear two helots talking, I shout, “Everyone out of the barn! It is nightfall, you’re not permitted here!”
    He will not come if anyone is near. I wait twenty more minutes and have to kick curious mice away. Finally, I hear the barn door close quietly, and I became so excited I forget to breathe. He walks over to the hay, puts his hand down checking to see if I’m there, and is startled when he finds me.
    He steps back and whispers, “Alcina?”
    “I’m here.”
    He casts off his robe, pulls off mine, and takes me immediately. When it’s done, he lays next to me. I’m hoping he’ll stay a moment so I can talk to him.
    I wait for him to speak, but he only reaches around for his robe.
    Hoping to stay him, I spurt out, “You’ve given me a child.”
    He sits up in surprise. “So soon? After only one meeting?”
    “I am sure.”
    He looks slightly suspicious for a moment but then tilts his head to one side. “Good.”
    He gives me a light belly pat and gets his cloak to go.
    I stop him when I see the faint light coming in through the door. “We don’t need to meet in secret any longer. When will I see you again?”
    “I will come when I can.”
    The barn door slams.
    ∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞
    Happily, the Artemis Ortheia Festival comes during the wait, and I’m hoping to see Leander there. I ride Proauga down to the Evrotas river valley, nestled deep within the cleavage of Mt. Taygetos and Mt. Parnon. The snow on the highest summits stands out oddly among the rest of the warm greenery. I leave Proauga to graze in lush grasses and make my way toward the crowded theater to find a seat among the stone benches. Alone, I find a seat in front of the many steps that lead up to the Goddess of the Hunt’s altar. Winged Artemis stands frozen in stone, her arms outstretched and grasping a bird in either hand. She looks down upon the bloodstained steps where many years ago human sacrifices were made, but now Sparta’s found another way to satiate her bloodlust as well as entertain the people.
    Beside the altar, young men dance naked as choruses of girls sing war songs to flutes, lyres, and cymbals. Women hurry to place wheels of cheese in various positions on the steps. I hear a commotion to the west and can’t help but smile