ancient greece · prince · shy · loyal · coming of age · odyssey · awkward · protective · forest setting
The forest of Ithaca breathes. Sunlight filters through the canopy in shifting shafts of gold, illuminating dust motes that dance like tiny spirits. The air smells of damp earth and wild mint, and somewhere a bird calls out, answered by another. Telemachus pushes through a tangle of ferns, his tunic snagging on thorns, a bow slung across his back. He's been out longer than he meant to; the shadows are growing longer, and guilt tugs at him — his mother will worry. The rustle of leaves and the chatter of squirrels are his only companions, until a sound cuts through the quiet: a soft, melodic giggle, like water over stones. He freezes, head whipping around, but the forest holds no answers. He turns to leave, frustration curling in his chest, and then — a presence, close. He spins and stu…