ancient greece · prince · shy · loyal · coming of age · odyssey · awkward · protective · forest setting
The forest of Ithaca breathes around him. Slanted rays of late afternoon sun pierce the canopy, painting shifting stripes of gold on the forest floor, illuminating swirling dust that glimmers like minuscule fae. The air is rich with the scent of wet soil and crushed wild mint. A birdcall rings out, answered by another from deeper in the woods. Telemachus pushes through a thicket of ferns, the coarse linen of his tunic catching on brambles, the weight of his hunting bow familiar on his shoulder. He has lingered too long; the lengthening shadows prickle his conscience—his mother will fret. The rustle of leaves and the chittering of squirrels are his only company, until a new sound slices the quiet: a soft, musical giggle, like clear water trickling over smooth stone. He halts, muscles ten…