Well this isn't traditional "Hurt/Comfort" but . . . plus it does have that kinder, gentler GOW showing his hand in matters of the human heart or in this case the PG-13 version of seduction.

She looked past him, toward a young group of men gathered at the end of the bar. He hadn't even noticed them when he came in but quickly evaluated them now. They were standard bar fare: drinking, talking loudly, throwing dice, talking even louder, bothering the serving girls, nothing special. Iolaus and his friends had been like that once; he liked to think that he had moved past that stage to something better.

She placed a sack on the table and brought out a circular piece of wood about the size of a large serving platter and a cloth roll. Unrolling the cloth he was surprised to see it contained an assortment of small arrows with different color feathers -- no on closer observation they were darts. One of the men picked up a dart and balanced it on his finger. She smiled. Another man hung board on the wall. It looked like a target. It looked like a game.

He watched for a while as the woman and the men at the end of the bar took turns throwing the darts at the target. They seemed pretty good, but it also appeared that she was winning. He wondered who this woman was, where she came from, and why she was throwing the darts at the board. Finishing his beer, he smiled as he walked over to the group. He ignored the "old man" comments from the group as he reached down and grabbed the handle of his throwing knife. He knew that he possessed as much accuracy with the knife as these men seemed to have with the darts. He wasn't sure about the woman. He flashed her one of his best smiles, and quickly threw the knife, imbedding it in the exact center of the target.

"Now, why did you do that?" she asked.

"What? Beat all these guys."

"No. Mess up our game board. We're trying to hit these numbers in order. A big knife slash in the center is not going to make it any easier."

He smiled sheepishly. He shouldn't have assumed he knew how the game was played. Her certainly shouldn't have used a knife to play it. She scowled at him.

"What can I do to say I'm sorry?"

"There's nothing more you can do. It's up to the gods now!" There wasn't a hint of a smile on her face. For a second he figured she might possibly be working for the gods and that he was going to be enveloped in a fireball.

"Are you always so melodramatic." He wasn't sure she knew that the word meant. She did her best to ignore him.

"Come on," he said, grabbing her on the shoulder. "I really am sorry. I want to make it up to you. How about I buy you lunch."

"Got my lunch. What I don't have is wine. How about you buying us a bottle? What do you think?"

"Wine is good. We could go outside and have lunch. I know a wonderful spot down by the river. We could have a picnic."

She wrinkled her face. Iolaus smiled again. She smiled back.

"You bring the wine, I've got the rest. Bread, honey, yogurt." She smiled.

"You know what would make that perfect," he smiled. "Strawberries, and there is a patch of them right by where we were going to have lunch.

Iolaus couldn't believe his luck. This beautiful young woman was going to join him for lunch. If he was lucky maybe . . . . for dinner. . . or….

The spot was everything he promised. Secluded, sunny, serenaded by rushing water, and fanned by a cool breeze. The tavern owner had loaned him a tablecloth and some dishes, when he purchased a bottle of wine. Two of the cups would be used for wine. He filled one of the remaining ones with yogurt and the other with honey. He quickly dashed off and picked about eight large, perfect strawberries. This was going to be so beautiful.

They chatted quietly as they ate the bread and a little cheese, there is no point being hungry … and drank a glass or two of wine. She drank the wine faster than he would have liked, but maybe she was thirsty.

"Let me show you how to eat these." He said as he pulled a napkin off the plate of strawberries. "First you dip them in the yogurt and then you dip them in the honey. Now, lean your head back, and I will feed it to you."

The woman did just as he asked. He wondered if she had ever had strawberries that way before, the way she smacked her lips with delight. The second one he held a few inches above her lips, and made her work to get it. After she finished eating it he bent over and kissed her lightly on the lips. Just a peck. Iolaus knew better than to move to quickly.

"Ready for another?" He asked.

"Yes," she sighed. He wasn't sure if she was referring to the strawberries or the kiss. She reached for another cup of wine.

"Slow down," we've got all day, he was speaking as much to himself as to her. He dipped another berry and fed it to her. She lay back and smiled up at the sky. Iolaus knew he had to take his time with a woman this beautiful. One false move and it would be all over. Iolaus also knew he had a lot of time this afternoon.

"Another?"

She just smiled.

He stared at her face. Her skin was like ivory, already taking on a soft pink blush in the sunlight. She must not be used to spending much time outdoors. He wondered if she had worn a hat or a cloak on her travels, or just traveled at night. He moved a hand to her head and gently fingered one of those red curls.

She just smiled.

"Ready for another kiss?" He bent down. He noticed her breathing as he softly touched his lips to hers. With this kiss he took his time, but still kissed very gently.

"And another berry, " she continued. He noticed her skin seemed noticeably warmer and wondered if it were the sun or if she had developed a fever.

"They are so good, Iolaus. I just love . . she coughed slightly. Her breathing seemed labored.

"Are you all right?"

She moaned. Normally Iolaus took a moan for a yes, but suddenly he saw her reach down, stick her hand under her tunic, and start scratching. He looked at the top of her chest, exposed at the neckline and noticed large hives had formed.

"Help me, I need to get my clothes off."

Normally Iolaus would have taken that line as indication that his luncheon plan had been a complete success, but this woman was in a panic, and not because she wanted to get naked, but because she needed to get naked.

He helped her open her top, and tried to divert eyes that normally would have been rejoicing in what they saw.

"Guess I'm going to have to owe the tavern a tablecloth," he signed to himself as he tore off strips to soak in the river. "I wonder if I should put you in the water to cool off."

He wished he had some of Alcmeme's salves in his pack. They would probably help a lot. He tried to think what he could use, and then spread the yogurt thickly over her skin, rubbing it into her skin gently, but with a sense of urgency.

"Does that help?"

"A little." She kept trying to scratch.

"No, give me your hand. If you keep scratching like that, I'm going to have to tear up this tablecloth, make bandages, and tie up your fingers."

He sat there, trying to comfort her. He emptied his wineskin that was full of cool water on her chest, and rubbed the yogurt into her skin. Another day, another time, this would have been foreplay. Today he worried that she might have a severe reaction and maybe die.

So intent was he in caring for her that he didn't notice a horse and rider approaching. When he did turn his head he noticed a man, a very big man, scowling down at him.

"What are you doing young man? With my daughter. She's only fifteen, you know. It doesn't look good. Out here in the open, rubbing her bare chest. I thought my . . . .

"I know what it looks like, but it's not. She seems to be having some sort of reaction to something she ate. We just came out here for an innocent picnic."

The man got off the horse and Iolaus assisted him as he wrapped the tablecloth around her. "I think I should get her to a healer. Alicia has always been headstrong. If I don't keep my eyes on her all the time she is off chasing boys."

It had been a long time since Iolaus had been called a 'boy'. He was sure that he was much closer in age to her father. He shuddered to think how the afternoon would have turned out if it had gone according to the scenario he had originally planned.

Iolaus quickly hid the two cups and the wine bottle under his vest. "Please, hurry, you know where the healer lives in the village."

"Yes, I do. You gather up your things and get along. Thanks for the help, but I'd prefer that you not see my daughter again." He threw here over his horses back, mounted, and rode off.

"Right. You'd better hurry." He quickly picked up the rest of the picnic ware that had been scattered around the spot when the tablecloth was hastily removed. There were still two strawberries sitting on the small plate. They looked so good. He picked off the green stem and popped one in his mouth, without the yogurt or honey. He felt a prickly sensation on his neck. He wondered if he was also having a reaction to them. Then he recognized the feeling.

"Ares, is that you?"

The dark leathered god of war appeared.

"Thanks loads for the advice, buddy. Latest in seduction foods. Strawberries, honey and yogurt. For sure. Do you realize what almost happened?"

"First word of advice, curly. Red heads with ivory skin are very sensitive. They are not outdoor girls. Those are the ones you sit home by the fire or in the shade. No sun and definitely no strawberries."

Iolaus sort of felt like laughing. Ares always seemed so damn smug when he was giving him advice on woman.

"Second, make sure you ask how old they are?"

"Even if you meet them in a bar?"

"Especially if you meet them in a bar." I saw you this morning. Knew that girl and her father had just come into town. I had my eye on her, too, until I realized she was the daughter of King Phillip, and I remembered that it hadn't been that long ago that I had attended the festival that celebrated her birth.

"But she was in the bar, playing darts."

"And looking for someone who would buy her some wine. You have to be more careful, Iolaus."

"I promise I will, Ares."

"Consider yourself most fortunate that she was allergic to strawberries." Ares flashed his evil grin.

The god of war reached down and took the last berry off the plate. He held it up to his lips, smiled widely, and then popped it into his mouth.

"The jewelry cart in the market, tall dark-haired woman."

"Yes."

"I can assure you, Iolaus, she is not allergic to strawberries."

Iolaus smiled and headed back toward the village. Sometimes it was good to have a friend who is a god, even if he was the god of war.

McJude

Spring 2002