116. The North Wind, Boreas
The North Wind, Boreas
We had no ship to aid us,
no waters we could tread,
but we had four winds to carry us.
The first of which appeared
not long after Perses spoke.
Unlike his uncles,
Boreas was thin and icy,
his long beard, blue
like his lands in the north.
He arrived in a chill before us.
A ship made of clouds brought him.
‘Perses. Pallas.’ He spoke briskly,
like the ice cold that made him.
He bowed politely to us.
‘Aunts, as requested, I bring some news
of your missing sister.’
I was deeply impatient
and said shortly,
‘Enough ceremony, speak quickly.’
He raised his eyebrow at Pallas,
but Pallas simply took my hand,
caressing it gently to show support.
‘There has been word of your sister
visiting Tartarus. She was looking
for answers within the Underworld,
asking questions built in riddles.
Only the great Tartarus knows
where she went after this.’
I gasped. Oh Metis, what are you doing?
But to him I simply said,
‘Can you take us there?’
He nodded thoughtfully.
‘I can take you to the entrance
of Tartarus. The rest you must
do alone.’ I thanked him curtly,
and he gestured to his ship.
‘Come then,’ he said softly,
‘let me take you to the mouth
of the Underworld.’
There we would meet
Tartarus, both place and God.