“He knows who you’re not,” Milo replied. “He told me, ‘I don’t care who that girl really is, runaway slave or the bastard daughter of a king. Thanks to her, I can count Atalanta among my crew, but I don’t want to count her corpse. She’s a brave young woman. I admire that. I was raised by strangers, with nothing but my own wits and nerve to get me through some hard times. I can appreciate boldness, and when I see it in a girl, of all things—! That’s a miracle worthy of the gods themselves. But it’s a miracle that will end badly if she doesn’t watch her step.’”
I fired the fifth arrow, but Milo’s revelation about Jason shook me so deeply that it went wide of the target. The Argonauts were too busy with their own exercises to notice. “That’s the last one,” I said, and Milo ran to gather up my arrows for me, leaving me a little time to ponder what he’d told me. I’ve misjudged you, Jason, I thought. I don’t know what you endured, growing up the way you did, but at least you’ve let me see there’s more to you than self-preservation turned to selfishness. I wonder if I’ll ever be able to thank you for it?
When Milo came running back with my arrows, I said, “Was there anything else Jason wanted me to know?”
“That he’s going to keep his distance, for your sake, and that you should do the same. He said that the less chance there is for Medea to catch him in the company of a beautiful girl, the better for everyone.”
“If you ask me, he’s been staring into the sun too long.” A wry smile curved my mouth. “Or else he’s as mad as she is.” While I took aim, I told Milo briefly about Medea’s first “gift” to me, the crimson dress with its suspicious smell. “Jason told her I didn’t deserve it,” I said as I loosed the arrow. It was a hit, but a poor one. The memory of that uncanny gown made me shiver and had thrown off my aim. “Now I understand what he meant. I don’t know much about poison, Milo. In Sparta, the word means certain serpents that carry death in their bite, certain plants that have the power to kill with a taste.” I shaded my eyes, as if evaluating my shot. “In Colchis, poison means slaves who risk their lives daily to shield their masters from tainted food and drink, ordinary things that carry hidden death, and cowards who kill without giving their victims the chance to defend themselves. Jason must know that Medea is…not quite right.” I glanced at Milo and saw him nod. “Then why is he courting her? Is he afraid to turn her away? Or does he dream he’ll win all Colchis if he marries Lord Aetes’ mad daughter?”
“Not that,” Milo replied. “Her brother is Lord Aetes’ heir.”
I sniffed. “If Jason even hinted that he wanted the throne, Medea would destroy anyone who stood between him and his heart’s desire, even her own brother.”
“Well, he doesn’t want that,” Milo said. “All he wants is the Golden Fleece.”
“He’s getting it,” I said, firing the next arrow. “Fifty, in fact. He doesn’t need her to—”
“He thinks he does,” Milo said. “He’s going to take her with us when the Argo sails home.”
I lowered the bow and stared at him. “He’s doing what?”
I don’t remember much more about the rest of that morning at the training ground. It all became a blur of arrows in flight, and the repeated thud of Milo’s feet on the earth as he ran back and forth, fetching my darts from the targets. It was amazing that I managed to score so many hits. I was trying to keep my eyes on the target and at the same time be on the lookout for any sign that my brothers were preparing to head back to the palace.
I could have spared myself the effort. When they were done exercising, they hailed Milo to pick up the javelins. I went with him under the pretense of giving back Polydeuces’ bow.
“I have to talk to you and Castor,” I said. “Now.”
“There’s a pine grove on the seaward side of the path back,” Polydeuces said, keeping his voice pitched low. While he spoke, he pretended to examine his bow and arrows for any wear and tear. “You can’t mistake it. A ruined shrine lies under the trees. Go there and wait for us behind the fallen stones, out of sight of the road.” I could tell that he was dying to know what was troubling me, but he’d wait until we were safe from any prying eyes.
“Will Iolaus be with you?” I asked. “You all came down here together.”
Polydeuces glanced across the field to where Iolaus stood chatting with Tiphys, then shook his head. “If too many of us vanish into the pine grove on the way back to the palace, the others will get curious.” I saw his point and agreed. “Good,” he said. “Now let’s get you out of here.”
He began testing the sharpness of an arrowhead with the ball of his thumb. All at once, he glared at me and shouted, “Look at what you’ve done to my arrows! This thing couldn’t pierce cheese now. It serves me right for lending a man’s weapons to a clumsy woman. You may be able to handle a boar spear, Atalanta, but next time I’ll loan my gear to a cow sooner than to you!”
“Better a cow than a jackass!” I shouted back, and raced away from the training ground, blessing my brother for giving me the perfect excuse to avoid the crowd of guards and crewmen.
I found the remains of the shrine in the pine grove and settled myself down behind the weed-grown altar and waited. I saw Iolaus go by, with a laden Milo behind him earning his keep as a weapons bearer. The sound of clattering javelins, marching feet, and deep voices soon faded in the distance. Only then did my brothers arrive.
I told them everything that had happened between Medea and me. I let them know all about the message Milo had brought from Jason, and about Jason’s intention to bring the mad princess back to Iolkos. Their faces paled when I spoke about Medea’s shrine to dark Hecate.
“Hecate’s followers are all expert poisoners,” Castor said. “I’ve heard that they can make anything deadly to taste or touch.”
Polydeuces shook his head. “There’s more to her worshippers than that. Those who serve Hecate do learn how to make countless salves and potions, but only a few can kill. Most are blessings. Some even have the power to control love.”
“Only a few can kill?” Castor repeated. “One is all it takes.”
“Do you think Medea gave Jason a love potion?” Polydeuces asked.