Lexi's Fate

~74~

Lexi and Anna quickly became the center of attention, as every minotaur in the camp stopped what they were doing to look at them. Their two enormous escorts led them past a fire pit, where a row of orange gourds were being rotated on a spit by a female minotaur. The only defining feminine characteristics were her breasts and the lack of a hairy dick between her legs. Lexi heard a lot of clicking and grunting coming from the onlookers, but she didn't know what they were saying. She suspected it was something like, Another fucking god. There goes the neighborhood.

Lexi and Anna were led to a hut made of natural thatch, probably from the reeds that grew around the lake. It was another testament to the intelligence of these creatures. The larger minotaur stepped into the hut, while his companion stayed outside. The chin jut he offered Anna was probably the signal for them to stay put, which is exactly what they did until the larger minotaur returned, waving them in.

Inside the hut, the atmosphere felt somber, with a soft glow of natural light filtering through several rectangular openings in the walls. Three minotaurs sat on the floor, one male and two females. Much to Lexi's surprise, the adolescent minotaur she and Sella had rescued was sitting on one of the female's lap. He appeared to recognize her but seemed apprehensive about showing it, hiding his face in the fur of his companion. Lexi figured it was a relative, as she knew both his parents were dead. She also noticed he still had the bandage on his arm.

An unintelligible series of noises were exchanged between Anna and one of the minotaurs, and Anna coaxed Lexi toward the group. "Sit down, Lexi. We have been granted a short amount of time for you to speak while I will translate."

Lexi bowed her head to the assembled minotaurs, who she assumed were the remaining leaders of the herd, and she sat down next to the minotaur who was in charge of the adolescent. She tried to get the young minotaur's attention by smiling at him, but he was being especially shy. She also noticed him cringing whenever he moved his injured arm. Was it still giving him pain? The male minotaur to her right spoke to her, using a hand gesture to accompany his foreign language. Of course, she didn't know what he had said.

"The herd leader wants to know why you have come." Anna said.

"Oh, um. Tell him I have come with good news. The council of the gods in Olympus has placed a temporary cessation on the minotaur hunt."

Anna turned to the minotaur and translated what Lexi had said. At least, Lexi hoped Anna was translating her words properly. Was there a minotaur word for cessation? What if the leaders misunderstood? That would suck. Based on the amount of head bobbing, Lexi assumed Anna had nailed it. The leader said something else and Anna translated it for Lexi.

"He wants to know what role you play in the underworld."

Lexi had to think about that for a moment. She wasn't going to tell them she was Hades' consort. There was so much more to it than that, whether Zeus believed it or not. "Tell them I will be serving as queen of the palace and I am their ally. Also, tell them I have a godly gift that allows me to heal the injured." There was no sense mentioning the resurrection part. The underworld might end up with a minotaur zombie problem.

Once Anna translated, the young minotaur lifted his head. He didn't look at Lexi but he looked at the minotaur holding him. The young one received a harsh glance, prompting him to bury his head again.

Lexi held out her basket and opened the lid so they could see the apples. "Anna, will you tell them I brought these apples for the herd as a gesture of good will."

As Anna translated, the young minotaur lifted his head again and peeked at the apples. His eyes widened and he looked to his companion, only to receive another hard glance. Lexi fully understood why they were so distrustful. It made her wonder how often they dealt with the gods, except when they were being attacked by them. Was it the nymphs who collected the pomegranates and delivered them to the palace?

Lexi set the basket down between the minotaurs, leaving the lid open and letting the sweet smell permeate the air. "Anna, will you tell them I wish for there to be peace between the gods and the minotaur herds, and I am personally negotiating with the gods to bring an end to the hunt forever."

While Anna spoke with the leaders, Lexi watched the young minotaur lean further away from his distracted companion to get a better look into the basket. Lexi wanted desperately to give him an apple, but she knew too little about their customs to risk it.

"The leaders accept your gift of good will and thank you for speaking on their behalf," Anna said. "That's a very big compliment, Lexi. You ought to bow your head to show your respect."

Lexi did this, making brief eye contact with each one before inclining her head. The ritual made her feel like she was back at the ashram near Bangalore, although the language barrier in India was not quite as steep. At that point, it seemed as if visiting hours were over, but Lexi felt compelled to say one more thing. "Anna, will you please ask if I can see how the young minotaur's injury is healing? He seems to be favoring it and I really think I can help him."

Anna pulled a face, something that said you might be pushing your luck, but she spoke to the minotaurs again while Lexi offered a smile to anyone who would look at her. She tried to make it as warm as possible without overdoing it. She didn't want them to become suspicious. The three leaders spoke amongst themselves, while Lexi tried to interpret. She had a terrible time reading their facial expressions through all the fur.

Finally, the minotaur holding the adolescent loosened her grip and he slid off her lap, crawling on his knees toward Lexi as he held out his bandaged arm. Lexi smiled at him and he cocked his head, as if he didn't know what her smile meant. Did minotaurs smile? As she unwrapped his bandage, she cooed at him, which usually calmed her horses. She felt a little foolish, but when he responded with a bright-eyed blink, she interpreted it as a good sign.

The bandage was in bad shape, and Lexi suspected they hadn't removed it or washed his wound properly since the incident, so she wasn't surprised at what she found when she got the bandage off. The site where Hecate cut away his fur had become red and inflamed, and a good amount of dirt and pus surrounded it. She tsked then thought better of it when they all cocked their heads and looked at her. What did a tsk mean in minotaur language?

She offered another coo as she gently placed her hand over the wound, feeling the subtle buzz beneath her skin and repeating the same steps she took with Sella that morning. She imagined his arm in perfect condition and sent him love and compassion. As with Sella, who she adored, it was easy to feel love for this little creature. He was such an innocent, with the most beautiful brown eyes, which he used to stare at her as she did her work.

After a few moments, he started to get restless, and he slowly pulled his arm out of her grasp. When he held it up for inspection, Lexi could see his wound had healed, apart from the hair that still needed to grow back. The young minotaur was so excited, he stood and stomped around the room, clicking his tongue and making a serious racket. Lexi couldn't help wondering if this was some sort of dance, and when she turned to the other minotaurs, they all seemed to be in a state of confusion, staring either at him or at Lexi.

"Anna, will you tell them I would be happy to heal any others in the camp who need it," Lexi said, although she wondered if she was committing herself to something that could quickly snowball.

Anna did her job while the young minotaur continued to trot around the room. Lexi giggled to herself as she watched him, not wanting to offend the minotaurs by laughing outright.

"Lexi, they give their thanks for healing their young one," Anna said. "But they want to wait and see what happens to him before they ask for your help again. Understandably, they are uncertain about your methods."

"Of course."

Lexi bowed to the assembled minotaurs, feeling better by the minute. Her visit had been more successful than she imagined. They accepted her peace offering, they appeared to trust her, and she was able to heal one of their offspring. She also had a better grasp of the minotaurs' customs and the role they played among the gods, rather than just providing targets for their lethal sport. The way her luck was running, she might be able to cut an even better deal with the council members. Maybe she would give Zeus a call on the scrying mirror when she returned home. What did she have to lose?