Lost Fragment: Posiden's Task

Lost Fragment

Poseidon, still in the entry of Hephaestus ' palace, tells the maids: " Let me through now so that I may speak with Hephateus and Ahetne and leave you all to go back to your festivities." The warry maids like children playing around scramble to push someone forward to respond to Poseidon. One maid with golden-brown hair pushed forward another maid with eyes that had golden flecks within them. Before she could respond to Posiden who was growing greatly impatient, Hephaestus answers: " There is no need for you to walk about my palace, what is it that is so important that you must enter my household without my welcoming?" Off put Posideden answers: " Have I done something to offend your name? Why are you so cold towards me? I have come here only because I must speak to Athnene about her love towards Odysseus and how she must stop supporting his antics and let him be for himself." Hephaestus answers: " You have me in your mind as a man with no honor. Think back to when my adultering wife had laid with Ares, you had said to me to let him go and to have him pay me for what he has done, and if he did not do so that you would pay. Do I present myself as a man with no respect for himself and his name? Is that why you had told me to put what he had done behind me for it can be paid away. Well, I will not stand for this. Ares and my wife were as buck who had been caught in a hunters trap, waiting for the release of the sweet fingers of Death in the resourceful hunter's trap, but some passerby had come by and cut the buck free from the trap, leaving the poor hunter without food for the winter so; if I seem as though I do not like you then you are right." Poseidon with a great and demanding voice says: " Hephaestus put aside your cold heart, my one-eyed son has just been blinded by ruthless Odysseus, I am in great grief right now, I do not have any time to spare trying to have you let me in and speak with Athene. I wish not to offend you any further, but I must get by" Posiden walks by Hephaestus and his maids, out of patience Posiden has now decided to go in without the welcoming of Hephaestus. Hephaestus knowing that if he tries to stop Posiden from going, he would be as Odysseus and be pestered by Posiden antics. With a feeling of defeat, Hephaestus retreats to his room to think about what had just happened and how it had made him seem as though he was a man to be walked over. The maids try to comfort him saying: " Dear Hephaestus, do not feel as though your honor has been taken away, for no one other that Zeus could have stopped Poseidon, he is very stubborn and has his way with no regard for others"

Poseidon finding his way through to the courtyard, spots Athene straight away from entering, he sees that it is decorated with many flowers and ribbons, there is the amazing weapon they were all in attendance for, with Athene gazing at all its majestic divine beauty. He makes his way over to Athene and says: " I have finally found you, after great inconveniences, I have reached the helpful goddess of Odysseus. I have some news of your prized Odysseus, did you know while my son, a cyclops, was doing his daily chores of heading his sheep, and speaking with the locals, when he had reached his caveley home Odysseus blinded him in his humble sleep, with no remorse whatsoever?". After Poseidon had said his long and exaggerated sentence Athene finally acknowledged that Poseidon was even there. In her mind, she knew why Posiden was there, and she had a plan to test Poseidon and see whether he is worthy enough for her to hear what he has to say to her, so she says playfully: " Oh, hello dear Uncle, when did you arrive? We could have come together in your golden chariot had I known you were invited. Did you say something when you were just behind me? Forgive me but I am quite parched and would like to fill my quench with but the finest milk from the god of cows, Io, for she herself is a heifer, and I would like to taste her delicious milk. Maybe if I were to have some of her milk I would be able to hear what you have to say." Athene with a pleased look on her face smiled at Poseidon in a way a child would when he is begging their mother for some sweets they saw down at the local market. So Posiden knowing that Athne will not listen to his words unless he brings her a jar of milk, he nods his head and answers: " Athene since you are parched I will go and bring you some of Io's milk when I return you can hear what it is that I have to tell you". Athene smiles and goes back to admiring the Majestic sword.