Ariadne's string

Chapter 6 Part 2

***

When I woke up, the pain in my hip and stomach had receded a great deal. I could barely sit up and my reflection was pale white, but I felt a lot better. All the kids from Athens came to greet me during the day, bursting with excitement. I was grinning the whole time, as they told me stories of their adventure yesterday, and how they could all see their families again soon.

They also brought me water and some bread, saying that the 'grown-ups' said I needed to eat. I thanked them, setting the tray on my bed, and then asked them,"Can I trust you all with a very important task?" I looked at each of them as they nodded their heads. "Can you tell the people up there that when we get home they have to raise the large sails on the ship, and that they have to white?" The children happily ran to the above deck, excited by their new task.

I watched them run, thinking of my father and mother at home. I missed them so much, and I would see them soon. I wanted to laugh and cry at the same time, because I never thought that I would be here, coming back home, after having killed the Minotaur and escaping Crete.

Theseus walked in after a while, bringing a blanket. "Here. It's getting cold."

"Thanks." I said, wrapping it around me, feeling the heat around me.

"May I...?" He gestured to the chair beside my bed, but I patted the edge of my bed. I sat up, so I was eye-level with him. He sat down, and said, "Can you tell what happened in the labyrinth? One moment I was beside Phaedra, and the next I was calling out your name to the darkness."

"Of course," I told my story, how I found the Minotaur, fighting him, running, hearing them, my realisation of how the labyrinth worked, finding Phaedra and the others, killing the Minotaur, and finding my way back. When I finished, he was staring at me, stunned.

"I never knew that was how the labyrinth functioned. That's why you stopped saying anything? You and the others?"

"Yeah. We knew that if we wanted to get to you, it would be almost impossible. But I originally stopped trying to find you because I didn't want to bring you into any danger."

"I thought you were dead. Then I thought the kids were gone too. I didn't know what to do. I gave up calling you after half an hour, and I was about to close the door when I saw that someone was pulling on the red string."

"You saved us with that string. I owe you."

"You saved me from my father, so I guess we're even."

We shared a smile, and stayed in silence for a bit. "He'll find other ways to retaliate, though. The fight isn't over." I said.

"So we'll keep fighting. For the people of Crete, and for the people of Athens."

I nodded, fiddling with the edges of my blanket. I shuffled closer to Theseus until we were inches apart. He took my hand, and I realised I was smiling. I stared into his deep eyes, and nothing else mattered. I slowly leaned in and kissed him. Once I pulled away, I rested my head on his shoulder, and we both fell asleep.

***

After days of travelling, I finally heard a fellow comrade alert us of our approach. I went above deck, and I soon found Theseus waiting for me. We stood, holding hands, on the edge of the ship as we neared Athens. The white sails flowed behind us in the wind as we approached the shore. I lightly kissed Theseus again, and then we watched the horizon as we slowly neared our new life.