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You shake your head gently, refusing your wife’s request. Euanippe irritably passes Deianira to you, tightly bundled within linens, fast asleep. Your daughter’s chubby face looks a bit wan in the morning sun – faint circles under her eyes, and you frown as you notice them. Euanippe following your gaze, sighs, and before speaking –
“The priestesses feel that a visit to the sea in order – the salt air may sooth her cough, they say. They are otherwise happy with her growth and appetite, but they seem to have run out of herbs and tinctures to apply.” You shrug your huge shoulders – perhaps they are right, and the sea will do what their spices cannot. You let silence rest comfortably between you and your family for a moment – you enjoy the warm morning for a few moments before annoucing:
“I will be traveling alone to Trachis – I’ll be gone for about three weeks,” you tell her. Euanippe stares at you blankly for a moment, before opening her mouth:
“To fucking <span class="mu-i">WHERE, Hippomedon?” she asks incredulously.
You produce the thief’s ring (although careful not to reveal exactly how you came upon it – you’d rather not make Euanippe an accomplice to your Tegean cattle-raid), and explain what you had learned about it. Trachis, you explain, is a smaller city on the north hills of Mount Oeta, and directly south of the river Sperchios. The peak of Mount Oeta, as practically all Hellenes know, is the site upon which Heracles had ascended to divinity some two decades ago. You know almost nothing else about Trachis, in truth – you expect it to be a relative backwater well off the main roads of Boeotia, and probably quite rural.
Euanippe is unimpressed at this explanation, staring at you with concern and confusion both:
“Are you… well, Hippomedon? I don’t understand why this ring has captured your attention; returning this ring to the nobody it belongs to in the hinterlands of Boeotia is a complete waste of time. Drop this madness and come with us to Arcadia, instead,” she commands.
But your decision is final, despite Euanippe’s frustrated pleading. You inform her that you’ll travel by chariot to Corinth, find passage aboard a galley to the Phocian port of Kyparrisos (a quick jaunt across the gulf of Corinth), and from there, ride northwest, looping around Mount Parnassus. Once your business in Trachis is concluded, you’ll ride for a day to Phalara, and catching passage south, return by galley to Argos over the course of a few days. You embrace her, kiss your daughter, and notify Argyros of your plans shortly afterwards – he will remain with your honorguard in Argos until your return.
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