I LEFT IN THE MIDDLE of the night.

My pouch was full. Eunaide had made sure I had enough to eat for at least a week; she also added two bars of olive soap, a spare pair of sandals, a clean linen robe, a few pieces of parchment, and a dagger with a leather cover, in case I needed to cut something or someone up.

I had assured myself that my father, his horses and his men had dissappeared on the horizon that day; I watched them through the window until there was no trace of them left.

The eve before, I had hardly slept. I had deep creases below my eyes, and eating made me feel as if I was going to throw up.

Yet, this was the day I must depart.

No news of my fleeing could come to my father as long as he was journeying; the letters would come only as he would have settled a few days in Crete. The more time was left until he came rushing back, the more time I had to dissappear.

And what's more, Zephyros said to come in a month. It was the exact day.

Eunaide helped me greatly, and I will be eternally thankful for that.

Two hours after sunset, she called the guards for help, saying she had seen intruders climb through the windows in the east wing of the palace. They rushed there, leaving the west entrance unguarded.

I slipped out of the spare door in the corridor, checked if the way was clear, and ran through the court as quickly, yet quietly as I could. My heart was beating so fiercely it sounded like drums in battle.

I felt like a soldier running back to safe territory under the fire of enemies' arrows. I was terrified.

Only a bit more, I thought to myself. Only a bit more, and I will get my taste of freedom.

My fearful ears made me hear noises that weren't there; at every bird squeak or branch crack, I would be startled. I ran, and ran, over the clearing where everyone could see me if only they gazed out of the window, until I reached the beginning of the forest, my legs starting to tire, and finally slipped into the thick green vegetation.

Safely hidden there, I stopped a few moments to regain my breath. I needed to find the river. But it wouldn't be soon. I needed to go through the whole path I had taken by horse a month ago.

The forest was dark, and woke up a paralyzing sense of fear in me. Did wolves reside here? I was doubtful of that, after all, they preferred the high terrains of the mountains, yet my mind just wanted a phobia to latch onto.

I progressed slowly, mindful to not make too much noise, and the scent of pine, crunch of branches beneath my feet and deep emerald green scenery imprinted themselves in my mind into a long-lasting memory.

It felt excruciating. Not only was I alone, without company to keep me from boredom, but if I died here, no one would know until the next hunting season, a year from now. And then, my body would have long been rotten, eaten away by prey birds and fungi.

Hoo. Hoo.

An owl cooed into the dark of the night. The sound brought me relief. Was it a sign of the goddess Athena, telling me to be wise and calm, even in this perilous situation?

I reached to my shoulders to tighten the leather straps of my pouch, that bounced on my back. I was quite worried it would slip off and that I would lose my provisions. The biggest mistake I could make now was to be abandoned to my own devices.

The forest seemed unending. I wondered if I had somehow taken the wrong path. Did I turn at the right place?

Hoo. Hoo.

The voice of the owl guided me. The moonlight tried forging its way throught the thick pine crowns. It was enough light to distinguish shadows and forms, but colors were muted and details obscured.

The path I was walking felt cleaner now; it was as if it was oftentimes taken. I breathed a sigh of relief. In the distance, the moon clearly lit up the clearing where we had tied our horses.

Except, when I came closer, I saw that there was a figure standing there, leaning on a tree, its face in the shadows, like a beast calmly waiting for game.

My heart raced, and my stride slowed. Should I turn and make a run for it? I would surely get lost in the woods; if luck had served me enough to find this clearing, it meant I had already spent it all.

I squinted my eyes. Did the stranger wear a weapon round his waist? His robe looked quite plain; it was tied in Athenian style, exposing one side of his chest, and reaching to his ankles.

It seemed unlikely it was one of my father's men. They tied their robes differently, and most often wore iron plates for combat, even in times of peace.

Then, who was he? A robber? A wandering  vagabond? A perverse villager?

Were my tired eyes betraying me? The figure started moving towards me. I started walking back; the man was quite tall, menacingly so. My pouch would only make it harder for me if it were to come to a fight.

Why was he walking so quickly toward me? It was as if he had the intention of grabbing me. My back bumped into a tree. If he continued advancing, I would have to go back to the forest.

"W-what do you want?", I half-said, half-screamed. I slipped behind a large tree, hiding, holding it like some sort of emotional support.

The figure stopped, as if frozen. A ray of moonlight fell upon his face, clearing it from shadows.

"I want your name, just like I've given you mine."

Maybe it was his voice. Maybe the exquisite silver eyes that lit up with the light.

I chuckled to myself for not recognizing him. It was laughable I had even for a moment thought he was a robber or a villager.

"It's Hyacinthus", I said.

Over Zephyros' face, a smile widened, like the crescent of the moon, but to me, it was even brighter.

"Hyacinthus," he said.

He stretched his hand out. Without thinking, I came out from behind the tree and took it. The warmth and sincerity of his touch sent chills down my spine, like the sparkle of a fire. I will never cease to talk about his touch; it was a magnificent thing to experience.

"How far do you want to go?", he asked. I understood we wouldn't be going back to the cave. Perhaps someone had found out his secret lair.

"The farthest possible to get away," I said. I didn't even look back to the direction of the forest I came from; I despised the palace even more now that I wasn't in it.

His smile was soft and reassuring; now that he was close, I could see his features with great clarity, despite the darkness of the night. He clutched my hand, running his fingers gently over my knuckles, and gripped it comfortably, yet firmly.

He lead the way, and I followed him wordlessly, now taking in the surrounding nature not with unease, but with joy and a kind of serenity that only comes from good company.

Now, I was truly free. Free from my fears, too. They had fled from my mind, leaving it bare and clean.

And it seemed as if the moon and the stars gave their best to shine their brightest for us, lighting a clear path in front, that looked as if it was made just for us, a path that lead into the new and the unknown.