February 2002 Challenge: In "As Darkness Falls" Hercules is blinded by Lyla and the blindness while temporary is supposed to last several days. At the end of the episode Hercules walks off with his arm around Salmoneus' shoulder. The next episode is "Pride Comes Before A Brawl". Your mission is to write the story of the next few days including meeting up with Iolaus.
Author’s Note: This story is strictly for entertainment purposes, and I don’t mean to step on the toes of the bigwigs at Universal Studios.
“Do you think they’ll name their first child after me?”
“I wouldn’t go that far,” Hercules said with a wry grin.
Salmoneus continued to grumble under his breath. If anyone had given him as many dinars as he’d just given away, he would gladly name ALL of his subsequent progeny after such a benevolent person.
“I still can’t believe you made me do that,” the salesman whined. “I mean, I’m happy for Marcus and Penelope, but...”
He trailed off as his companion tripped over a large root in the path, stumbling briefly before regaining his balance.
“Are you all right?”
“Sure,” Hercules replied, a bit embarrassed. “I just didn’t see that there.”
“How are your eyes?” Salmoneus asked, a suspicion forming in his mind. “You do have your sight back, don’t you?”
“Of course I do,” the demigod reassured him.
“How many fingers?” The salesman held up his hand to test his friend.
“Four,” Hercules answered, going along with him. “Now quit worrying about me. I’m fine.”
Salmoneus looked critically at his companion for several moments before apparently satisfying himself that Hercules was telling him the truth. He began walking once more, picking up his complaining right where he had left off.
Hercules walked beside him, his mind only half listening to his companion. He had not told him the truth, at least not all of it. His vision was returning, but in the same manner that it had left him. Slowly, and gradually. Light had began to filter through the darkness, and he had begun to see once more. But his sight had not completely been restored. The world was still shadowy and blurry. In the bright, midday sunlight, Hercules was able to see enough to convince everyone that he was fine. But when the light began to recede, shadows compounded shadows and the demigod was completely blinded.
He was confident that the effect was only temporary. As the poison continued to wear off, more of his sight would return, and he was sure that in the next few days his vision would be back to normal. Until then, Hercules had definitely had enough of the blind bit. He didn’t want anyone worrying about him, and he was sick of having to rely on others to help him with simple tasks. So, he had decided to let everyone think he was better, and it worked as long as he stayed close to the light.
Hercules and Salmoneus walked for the rest of the afternoon without incident. The day was peaceful and the countryside was beautiful, and soon even the greedy salesman forgot to be bitter and he began chattering about giving up the real estate business and returning to his toga-selling roots. When the sun began to descend in the bright blue sky, the pair reached a large village and the time came for them to part ways.
“Are you sure you don’t want to stop here at the inn?” Salmoneus asked. “It will be getting dark soon. You can always meet your friend tomorrow.”
“No, he’ll be waiting for me. And he’s not the patient sort,” Hercules replied, grinning as he thought of his restless partner.
“All right. It was nice to see you again, Hercules. Maybe next time, we can meet up in a town where I won’t be forced to give up my earnings.”
“Good luck, Salmoneus.” The demigod reached out and shook his friend’s hand. “And thank you for all your help.”
Once he’d left the quiet village and the not-so-quiet salesman behind, Hercules began to sprint rapidly down the road. As Salmoneus had so astutely pointed out, it would be dark soon, and the demigod still had several miles to go to reach the crossroads where he was to meet Iolaus. He didn’t relish the thought of blundering his way there, blinded in the dark.
However, upon reaching their rendezvous spot, Hercules was surprised to see that his friend was not there, as he had expected. The demigod sat down to wait, the approaching night bringing the now familiar darkness to his eyes, but no Iolaus.
“How do you like that?” he muttered to himself. “I gave up a comfortable night at the inn, and he doesn’t even have the decency to show up. He’s probably warming the bed of some young village girl, and here I sit, out in the cold.”
His grumblings were an exaggeration. The night was warm and the wind was light, so a fire was not even needed. Not that he could see to light one. That also made returning to the village where he’d left Salmoneus an impossibility. Well, it was hardly the first night Hercules had spent under the stars. The weather was mild and Penelope had sent enough leftover food from the wedding feast with him to adequately quell his hunger. He wouldn’t have minded his location at all, except he was suddenly feeing very alone and very vulnerable, by himself in the darkness Where in Hades was Iolaus?
Hercules awoke to the singing of birds, so he knew morning was fast approaching, although it was some time until the sun had risen enough for him to adequately take in his surroundings. Despite his hazy vision, it was obvious that no one was approaching on the road, so the demigod decided to try and find something to eat while he waited. Bypassing a bush of bright red berries, not wanting to take the chance that he wasn’t correctly identifying them as edible in his condition, Hercules picked his way to the small stream that ran adjacent to the crossroads. After a few botched attempts at catching fleeting trout by hand, he gave up and waded out of the water to sit on the bank, resolving to do his fishing the old fashioned way. After all, it wasn’t as if he didn’t have the time.
Fortunately, the art of fishing relied on tactile skills more so than visual. While he wasn’t seeing well enough to shoot an arrow, Hercules was more than able to bait a hook and toss it in the stream. His patience was rewarded with a slight tug on his line, and the demigod effortless yanked a large trout from the water onto the ground beside him. The morning quickly passed by as he angled a few more fish, and by the time the sun had reached its zenith, he was more than ready to partake of his catch.
Meticulously, Hercules cleared an area for a fire. He gathered twigs and some larger sticks for kindling and created a spark with a mighty strike of his gauntlets. As his fire caught and grew, he quickly cleaned the fish and skewered them, hanging them over the flames to cook, then sat back in anticipation of his meal.
“Something smells good.”
The demigod looked up sharply, then relaxed and grinned.
“I should have known that you’d show up just in time to eat,” he greeted his friend. “What took you so long?”
“A bridge was out near Sicyon and I had to take the long way around,” Iolaus replied, dropping his pack carelessly next to the fire as he crouched down to examine the roasting fish. “And then I hit a little trouble this morning.”
“Leave those alone. They aren’t done yet. What kind of trouble?” Squinting at his partner, Hercules could see that his lip was cut and that there was a slight bruising above his left eye.
“Group of charming individuals,” the hunter answered, sitting back on his heels, satisfied that the demigod had been telling him the truth and that the fish were not fully cooked yet. “We had a bit of a disagreement.”
“Over what?”
“They thought my head would look better separated from my body. I didn’t agree.”
“So, who won?”
“Oh, very funny. So, how was the wedding?”
Hercules hesitated briefly. He hated lying to his friend, but he really didn’t want to go into the whole story. Not until his vision had returned. The last thing he wanted was to worry his partner, and he certainly didn’t want to burden Iolaus any. They’d both been looking forward to this trip, and he didn’t want to ruin it for the hunter, spoiling his fun by making him care for his vision impaired friend.
“Well, there was an initial complication, but in the end, the ceremony went off with no problems. Penelope made a beautiful bride. Marcus is a lucky man.”
“Complication?” Iolaus shot his partner a quizzical look as he removed the steaming fish from the fire, dividing them up into two equal portions.
“A centaur with a grudge,” Hercules explained, reaching out for his share of the meal. “I handled it.”
“I’ll bet you did. Wow, that’s hot!”
“I guess not all experience comes with age,” the demigod teased. “One would think that you would have learned by now to let your food cool before biting into it.”
Iolaus gave him a mock glare over the rim of his water skin as he gulped down the cool liquid. He was well aware that Hercules was holding something back from him. After all the years together, it was impossible for them to hide anything from each other. But whatever it was, the demigod obviously didn’t want to talk about it, so Iolaus didn’t press the issue. He had faith that his friend would tell him everything when he was ready.
They finished eating quickly, but neither warrior seemed to be in a big hurry to move on. It was a lazy sort of afternoon, and they both felt peaceful and comfortable right where they were. Finally, they mutually decided to spend the night at the crossroads. Iolaus set snares around their camp and they both had good luck fishing. As evening began to fall, Hercules began building up the fire, looking forward to another satisfying meal.
“Maybe we should stay here for a couple of days,” Iolaus suggested, skinning the rabbit that had happened into his trap. “The games in Thrace don’t start until next week. We’ve got plenty of time to make it. What do you think?”
“I think that’s a good idea,” Hercules answered truthfully. The shadows were lengthening, bringing with them the mask of blindness. By staying put in a place with which he’d become familiar, the demigod stood less chance of blundering into something that would require an explanation for his keen partner. He was sure that by the time the festivities in Thrace began, his sight would be fully restored. Then he’d tell Iolaus everything.
“Did you hear that?” the hunter whispered suddenly, his body tensing in warning.
Hercules nodded, having heard the twig snap in the forest behind them. The partners became still and silent like statues, listening intently to the soft gust of the wind. They heard nothing further, but their warrior instinct told them everything they needed to know. Their senses picked up the feel of danger, and both men knew they were being surrounded.
“I don’t think they’re going to go away,” the hunter murmured in his friend’s ear. “So why don’t we see if we can get them to come out?”
“Iolaus, wait a minute...” Hercules began, but his partner took a step forward.
“We know you’re there,” he called out. “You might as well show yourselves.”
For a few moments, nothing happened. Then slowly, rough looking men began emerging from the trees, forming a circle around the two heroes.
“What do you know?” Iolaus said cheerfully. “My friends from this morning. I was hoping I hadn’t seen the last of you guys. Looks like you’ve brought a few more friends of your own. And you’re just in time for dinner.”
“I’m going to dine on your liver, you little runt,” came a voice from the crowd. “You and your big pal.”
“Well, I tried to be hospitable,” the hunter sighed. “But I warned you they were the disagreeable type.”
“Iolaus, I have to tell you something...” Hercules cast a frantic look up at the sky. The sun was setting, and he knew he only had a few minutes left before he was cast into darkness. At that moment, all Tartarus broke loose as the gang attacked. The demigod began swinging, cursing himself for not telling his friend the truth beforehand.
He took out as many as he could, desperate to cut the numbers down before his rapidly fading sight vanished completely, but all too soon he was plunged into darkness. To make matters worse, arrows had begun whooshing past his head. The demigod lashed out wildly, fortunately taking out many of his attackers before they got to him. A constant clash of steel reassured him that Iolaus was still up and fighting. Finally, the sounds of battle began to recede, and the constant onslaught of thugs rushing him slowed. He began to relax a bit, starting to think that they had a chance of making it out of this alive.
“Hercules, look out!”
Iolaus’ shout was meant as a warning, but it didn’t help when the demigod couldn’t see which direction the danger was coming from. He tried to duck, but in a moment he found himself knocked to the ground as an arrow pierced his shoulder. Instantly, Iolaus was beside him.
“Herc, are you all right?”
“It’s not bad,” the demigod gasped, unsure as to whether or not he was telling the truth. “How many are left?”
The hunter looked at the blue eyes of his friend, staring unseeingly up at him, and immediately understood.
“Not many,” he replied, giving his partner a pat on his uninjured shoulder. “Just stay down, ok? I’ll take care of the rest.”
Hercules obediently remained where he was, lying still on the ground. He so wanted to help, but he knew that he’d only be putting himself back in the line of fire and endangering Iolaus by getting in the way if he moved. Trying to ignore the pain shooting through his chest and arm, he listened to the remaining sounds of fighting. Eventually, everything became silent.
“Iolaus?”
The wind stirred the leaves in the trees and crickets chirped merrily all around him.
“Iolaus?” A note of panic crept into the demigod’s voice. He struggled to sit up, hindered by the arrow shaft protruding from his body. A wave of dizziness swept over him, but he fought it off and pulled himself to his knees. “Iolaus!”
“Yeah, Herc. Right here.”
The demigod breathed a sigh of relief and turned in the direction of his partner’s voice.
“Are you all right?”
“I’m ok,” the hunter answered. “But I think we need to get out of here. These goons will be waking up soon, and I don’t think we should stick around to greet them.”
“You’re right. But listen, Iolaus. I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you...”
“Later, Herc. We can do that later. Can you get up? I know of a cave that’s near here. We should be safe there for tonight.”
Hercules got to his feet, wincing slightly but remaining more or less steady. He felt Iolaus near him, but not close enough to touch.
“Straight ahead, Herc. You’re going to need to step left to get around a guy lying in the path.”
They went on that way, with the demigod trying to feel his way along with the help of Iolaus warning him of tripping hazards. As promised, the cave was not far away, and they quickly reached its sanctity. Hercules sat down in the mouth of the cave as Iolaus saw to his wound. The arrowhead had penetrated all the way through his shoulder, so it was a simple matter for the hunter to snap off the shaft and slide the arrow out of his flesh. While he worked, Hercules told him the entire story of Lyla poisoning him, going after Nemis, and his current condition and prognosis.
“At the moment, it’s too dark out here for anyone to see,” Iolaus told him, tying a bandage around his shoulder. “I don’t think we should risk starting a fire, just in case any of those thugs are still prowling around out there. I’d liked to have gotten a better look at this, but all in all I’d say you’re going to be fine. You were lucky, my friend.”
Hercules nodded, wishing with all his heart that he could see his partner. The hunter’s voice sounded so tight and strained. It was either due to worry, which he doubted since he’d just been told his injury was not serious, or it was due to anger.
“Iolaus, I’m sorry,” the demigod blurted out. “I know that I put both our lives in danger by not telling you about my eyes. It was stupid of me, and I swear I’ll never try and hide anything from you again.”
“It’s ok, Herc.” The hand on his shoulder was warm and comforting, but that strange note was still in his friend’s voice. “Let’s just try and get some sleep. Go on inside. I’ll be right behind you.”
Hercules made his way inside the cave, curling up on the hard ground. Guilt lay heavy on his heart, and he didn’t blame his partner for being upset with him. The demigod drifted to sleep, trying to think of some way to make it up to his friend.
The cave was dark, but Hercules knew it was morning. Enough light trickled in through the mouth of the cave to let him make out the dim outlines of his surroundings. He sat up, yawing, stretching his good arm. The night of sleeping on the cold, hard ground had left him stiff, and his shoulder wound was throbbing.
“Iolaus?”
There was no answer, but the demigod could hear his partner breathing beside him. He reached out, touching the dark shape lying on the floor of the cave next to him, calling his name again. Still, there was no answer, and Hercules’ heart skipped a beat. The skin beneath his fingers felt damp and clammy. He reached up, his hand moving over his friend’s bicep, across his shoulder, to his neck, finding a pulse that was weak and sluggish.
“Gods, Iolaus, what is it?” Hercules whispered desperately. He hovered over his friend, his hands gently probing the limp body, trying to find the cause of his partner’s affliction. The source of the problem soon became painfully apparent. Something was protruding from the hunter’s side. Gathering him gently in his arms, Hercules ignored the scream of protest from his shoulder as he lifted his friend and carried him outside into the bright light where he could see.
His vision was clearer and sharper than the day before, but the demigod scarcely noticed. Easing his partner down to the ground, Hercules identified a broken arrow shaft sticking grotesquely from the hunter’s flesh. Instantly, the demigod put everything together. Iolaus had been wounded during the fight and hadn’t told him. He had gotten Hercules to safety and taken care of his wound, completely neglecting his own. The strain in his voice had been from pain, but he’d managed to hide his own injury to protect his friend. But obviously, he could neglect it no longer.
Hercules gathered his friend to him, hugging him tightly to his broad chest for a moment before rising and heading back down toward the road. Once he made it out of the woods, a kindly farmer stopped and offered to take them to the nearby town. The demigod gratefully accepted his offer, climbing in the back of his wagon. He tried to cradle his friend against the bumpy ride, but Iolaus was soon jarred back into consciousness.
“Herc?”
“Right here, buddy. Don’t try to talk. Everything’s going to be all right.”
“What’s happening?”
“We’re going to get you some help. Don’t worry.”
The wagon lurched suddenly, the movement causing Iolaus distress. He whimpered, his fingers squeezing the arm protectively surrounding him.
“It’s ok, Iolaus,” Hercules consoled him, his hand stroking the golden curls as his friend shivered in his lap. “I’m here.”
The suffering blue eyes gazed up at the demigod. For a moment, the pain cleared and they smiled with love.
The journey to the small village was a short one, and Hercules quickly got his friend settled in a room at the inn while the healer was sent for. He turned out to be a crotchety old man who promptly threw the nervous, hovering demigod out of the room while he tended to the injured hunter. Finally he emerged to the hallway where Hercules had been restlessly pacing with the welcome news that he expected Iolaus to make a full recovery.
“He’s sleeping,” the healer informed him, holding out a hand to stop him rushing into the room. “I gave him something to put him under while I cut the arrow out of him. He’ll probably be out for most of the day.”
“I’d still like to see him,” Hercules declared, wanting to reassure himself that his friend was all right.
“In good time,” the healer promised him. “But first, let’s have a look at you.”
Realizing that it would be easier to comply than argue, Hercules sat and let the healer examine his shoulder, which was already starting to heal, thanks to his godly blood. Finally, he was allowed in to see his friend, and he spent the remainder of the day watching over the brother of his heart, until he woke in the early evening. Iolaus was groggy, but he seemed to be doing better and took some broth before falling back asleep. The demigod was finally convinced that his friend was out of danger, and he was able to relax and get a night’s peaceful sleep himself.
The healer returned in the morning. Iolaus was pale and weak, but his condition was much improved. A few days rest would undoubtedly restore him to top form. However, he was never one for bed rest, and Hercules had his hands full trying to keep him quiet.
“I know you’re getting better when you start getting ornery,” the demigod said wryly, fending off a barrage of complaints.
“You’d be ornery too if someone was keeping you hostage,” Iolaus pouted.
“Don’t be so dramatic,” Hercules told him. “It’s for your own good.”
“Come on, Herc. I’m fine. So let’s hit the road. The festival at Thrace is waiting!”
“We still have plenty of time to make the festival, so you don’t need to be pushing yourself before you’re ready. I don’t need to deal with you relapsing on the road. You’d think after all that’s happened, we both would have learned a lesson about our stubborn prides. They both almost cost you your life.”
Even though he knew Iolaus bore him no grievance over what had happened, Hercules still felt guilty. If he had only told the hunter the truth about his sight, things might have turned out differently. He blamed himself for his friend getting hurt, and he never would have forgiven himself if Iolaus had been killed. With that thought, he vowed never to let his pride make him act so foolishly ever again.
But Iolaus wasn’t listening to him. He was sulking, and grumbling under his breath. With a sigh, Hercules rose and left the room, announcing his intentions of going downstairs and bringing back dinner for both of them. The hunter glanced after his friend as he left, then made his way to the window. Opening the shutters, he breathed in the warm air as the breeze stirred his tousled curls. Deep inside, his own heart was heavy.
He, too, felt the weight of guilt. Not for his silence concerning his own wound, but rather for his failure when his friend needed him. For once, Hercules had been in trouble. The demigod had been relying on his partner to come through for him. But Iolaus had failed. He’d been unable to stave off a simple bandit attack without almost getting himself killed. If Hercules hadn’t been blinded, he never would have been hurt. He would have caught the arrow, and probably the one that had taken the hunter off guard. Hercules never would have let all this happen.
The fact that he had saved his partner’s life never occurred to Iolaus. He was angry with himself for what he considered to be a colossal failure. And he was worried that Hercules would feel unable to trust him any longer. That Hercules would think he wasn’t good enough to be at his back. The demigod always did have a shielding instinct toward him, and Iolaus was afraid that this incident would only serve to strengthen his convictions that the hunter needed to be under his protection.
Iolaus sighed, going back to his bed as he heard the footsteps on the stairs that signaled Hercules’ return. Once he was finally allowed up and they resumed their travels, he knew he was going to have to work extra hard to prove to Hercules he was still worthy to be his partner. He’d have to find some way of proving to him that his warrior skills were still sharp. That he was still Greece’s hero, second only to the half-mortal son of Zeus. Maybe he’d find an opportunity during the games in Thrace.... One way or another, he was going to win back his best friend’s trust.
Disclaimer: Iolaus’ flesh wound healed quickly. His wounded pride took a bit longer... :)
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