A farm in North Georgia, two months later...
"George, what did the vet say?" Mary asked as she entered the stable, giving him a concerned smile. He could hear the vet's truck rumbling down the dirt path. Mary's graying hair was pulled into a side ponytail, and she fiddled with the end of it as she did whenever she worried for one of the animals.
"Believe it or not, but Betty's knocked up."
"What?" Mary asked taking a speculative look to the chestnut mare as George opened the stall and led her out for some fresh air in the field.
A couple months ago, some bird had attempted to make a nest in the stable, an owl maybe, and George had worried the encounter had troubled the skittish mare since it looked as though a great commotion had occurred. There had been feathers scattered throughout, and poor Betty had splintered the wood on her door causing it to need repairs. Strange as it was though, she'd been less wary of the other horses since it happened. Archie, the resident stallion, barely even spared Betty a glance since. Before, she'd been so intimidated by his antics to reach her, they'd worried for her safety.
"It's the damndest thing, dear. She's always been wary around ole' Archie, which is why I've only let him near Ronnie. Honest to God, I'm completely flabbergasted by how Archie got to her. He'd had to have, ya know?"
Mary shuffled over to the bucket in the corner and pulled out the handful of foot long white feathers they'd found in Betty's stall two months ago. "Do you think these are a clue?"
George rolled his eyes. "It would match the doc's estimations as to the time of conception, sure. But feathers? Do you think Big Bird visited and wanted to take Betty out to trot? No, more likely it was as we'd concluded. A bird wanted a new place to nest and found the stable lacking. It maybe got itself stuck in Betty's stall is all, and lost the feathers in a panic."
Unconvinced, Mary examined Betty's stall. "Multiple nights, though? They weren't in any of the other stalls. And look at the size of these suckers, that bird is flippin' huge if it exists."
"Great Gads, woman. Your imagination runs away from you. What do you want me to say? A winged horse from a fairy tale popped in for a quickie?"
They stared at each other, at the feathers, and back again. Then they burst out in guffaws.
Mary dropped the feathers in the wastebasket on the way out. "Yeah, because that would happen. I guess Archie learned to open doors and replace the locks."
It took two months for Hermes to find Melancton. To be fair, he'd had to deal with Olympian issues of being told off about Artemis' tampering and what not—which he'd taken no part of, nor had he known about—until it had already occurred. And afterward, Katerina thought she had gone into labor, but it was a false alarm. She was due soon though. Meanwhile, Hermes finally found Melancton in Virginia, covered in dried mud and reeking of filth.
The dark of the night did nothing to improve the satyr's appearance and made him stand out against the shadows like something in a nightmare. Hermes had seen gutter rats in better condition. Melancton glanced up from the base of the tree he was leaning on when Hermes landed in front of him. He didn't speak; he didn't even nod. He merely closed his eyes as if he didn't care what Hermes had to say to him.
To completely disrespect a god of Olympus was more than enough for some of his family to murder Melancton on the spot. However, Hermes knew the reason he disregarded his own life, and he sympathized with the satyr in a way even Zeus didn't understand.
"You need a shower," Hermes stated and grunted, annoyed, when Melancton offered no reply. "Get up, coward. Are you really going to let Apollo have her that easily?"
Melancton's eyes sprang open and the fury blazing in his gaze should have scorched Hermes to embers. "Do not speak of her to me."
"Why not? You're the one who handed her over like currency."
"You know nothing."
"I know quite a bit, actually. Did you know, in order to keep her from escaping, he has her chained to the laurel tree in his temple? That she has been chained there for so many centuries she is turning into part of the tree? You wish her to live that way forever!" Blood boiled behind Hermes' ears. He didn't have the patience to walk on eggshells around anyone's delicate feelings. Not for matters like Daphne's.
The agonized sob Melancton choked out eased Hermes' anger as quickly as it had arrived. Melancton's skin, what could be seen under the dirt, was ashen. Clearly, Apollo had never let on the circumstances of Daphne's imprisonment. He rose to his feet and thundered past Hermes. The thudding of his heavy hooves boomed a deadly beat, announcing Death had arrived on his pale horse of Christian lore.
Thank the gods he's still in there somewhere.
Hermes reached out and stopped Melancton's retreat, gripping his arm forcefully. "You can't go to Olympus. You're immortal, but you have not drank of the ambrosia. We've been through this several times. Not to mention, the gates are locked to anyone Zeus has not invited there expressly, and you gave your word you wouldn't attempt to take her away from Apollo," Hermes reminded him. "But I can."
"You would help me?" Melancton yanked his arm free. "Why? What do you want in return?"
"Not every god is out for personal gain. I'll help you because I hate how Apollo has treated Daphne. Zeus forbade me from interfering. Before."
"Something has changed?"
"You sacrificed your heart for Ariston to be free of his curse. I'll go to Zeus and demand a reward for your selflessness. Zeus is all about good PR these days. I think I can win him over." More like hoped. There was a high chance it wouldn't work.
Melancton appeared skeptical. "It does not matter. Apollo will kill her anyway should he find her with me. I promised to give her up." He sighed. "Save her, but do not risk her by bringing her to me. Hide her."
"Apollo will throw his hissy fit about anything that isn't going his way, but if Zeus demands it, he can't do jack shit. Besides, as soon as she is free and back to health, nothing will stop her from seeking you out."
Since Melancton still didn't appear convinced, Hermes shrugged. "Pan found Evander and some of the Arcadians running a bed and breakfast in Savannah. I'm going to take you there, and they're going to keep you hidden from Apollo, so we don't have a lot of time to get you inside before dawn. Not that you can wander the historic district of Savannah in the daylight anyway, since you no longer have a thyrsus, but you catch my drift."
"They are Arcadian. They will not want me there."
"If I take you there, they won't put up a fuss. Don't give them a reason to want you gone."
Melancton nodded.
"Tell them nothing of Daphne, Apollo, or of our conversation tonight. The less anyone knows, the better the chances we have." Evander and the others knew, of course, but Apollo couldn't claim Melancton plotted if he never discussed it with them.
Hermes took a hold of Melancton's arm, and they were gone, speeding over the trees toward their destination. Dark times were ahead of them, for even if Zeus did agree, Melancton was right; Apollo would never give Daphne up so easily. Not after keeping her locked up for so long. His fixation on the nymph wasn't healthy, and eons ago had become an obsession. Right was only right, and it was long past the time Hermes acted on some way to free Daphne. There hadn't been a good enough reason to sway Zeus before, but maybe there was at last.
It was three in the morning when Hermes came to a stop outside The Aegean Inn, with Melancton whirling out of his grasp and retching into a trashcan. Sometimes Hermes Airways wasn't the most desired of transportation for passengers.
"I need you to keep it together, Melancton. I know you love her, but loving her isn't enough if you can't keep your cool for a bit longer. I don't know how long it will take, but we're in this together, you and I. If I can work this, I'll become a target for Apollo as well." Not that Hermes worried about that. Much.
"Thank you," Melancton said simply. One of the reasons Hermes liked him was because he didn't say more than he meant. He didn't beat around the bush and make you pick out the pertinent information.
"You're welcome."
The door to the inn opened, and a brunette human woman stepped outside. "I thought I saw horns." She glanced around at the deserted street. "You better come inside before you're noticed. Vander is expecting you."