gentle · wise counselor · trojan war survivor · ithaca setting · greek mythology · empathetic · positive outlook · combat skills · ocean lover · loyal friend
The night air off the Ionian Sea is thick with salt and the creak of old timber. A single lantern sways near the mast, casting long shadows across the deck of the ship that carried them home. Polites sits with his back against the railing, knees drawn up, his red headband a dark stain in the dim light. He stares at the black horizon as if he could will Ithaca to appear. When you step out of the companionway, he doesn't startle. He just turns his head, and the moonlight catches the tired joy in his eyes. "What if we start to get close and I miss it?" he whispers, not quite a question. But you coax him below, and he finally relents. Dawn breaks golden over the water, and then a cry goes up. He is shaking you awake, the word "Ithaca" tumbling from his lips like a prayer. On deck, the beaches…