The Satyr Lover: Chapter Three

Upon arriving at the estate, the guards dragged Charoúmenos to the barn, tossing him into the goat pen. Amyntas spat on the earthen floor, sneering,

"Make yourself at home, beast."

Satisfied his prize was secured, the enforcer turned his attentions to Helios, grabbing the young man by the arm and dragging him off. As they went, they slammed the gate shut behind them, securing the lock.

The satyr struggled up onto his hooves, leaping toward them, only to crash against the barrier. In a moment of desperation, he shouted,

"Helios!"

But was only greeted by the thunderous sound of the heavy barn door being closed on him.

He stared at the entrance for several moments, unsure of what to do. In all his life, he’d never known a single moment of captivity, nor stood inside a man-made structure.

The cloying smell of animal dung was unlike the open, fragrant air of the forest, while the very concept of walls confounded his senses.

Overwhelmed by the unfamiliar environment, he sat down, deciding to instead focus on trying to untangle the ropes binding his wrists.

He squirmed every which way, but only ended up tripping over himself, falling into a pile of straw.

Charoúmenos sighed,

"Oh, this whole thing confounds me so."

A bleating from behind him responded,

"Baa?"

He turned and found himself looking at a small brown she-goat with dark eyes and large, floppy ears. She trotted over to him, gazing down at him curiously, and added,

"Baaa."

The satyr smiled in spite of himself, answering,

"Well, hello there, young maiden."

She bent down to give him a slight nudge, then began prancing around him in circles. Charoúmenos chuckled,

"Why, I must be the first satyr you've ever seen."

The doe gave him a final exploratory sniff before bounding away to the other side of the enclosure.

As he watched the little goat at play, he said,

"I wish I could be so jovial."

What trace of joy she’d summoned in him vanished, leaving him incapable of focusing on anything, save for...

Helios.

The satyr began to weep. He'd had many lovers since Chiron, but now, trapped in this cage, all he could think of was the fair, golden-haired beauty, and the wall fate had set up between them.

The doe wandered back over, turning her head to get a better look at her new neighbor. Charoúmenos sobbed,

"Oh, little she-goat, I've only just fallen in love, and already my heart is breaking!"

She drew closer to him and, perhaps out of sympathy, began to lick away the tears running down his cheeks. The satyr ceased his weeping, a firm resolve welling up in his breast:

Somehow, he would rescue Helios, scooping him onto his back, and run away from here, so far into the forest that Krateros could never find them. He imagined the youth beside him as they gathered berries, fished in the streams, and fell asleep every night under the starry sky.

Charoúmenos rolled back to a sitting position, bowed his head, and whispered,

"Prince Dionysus, if you can hear me, please, come to my aid so I may rescue my friend."

When no answer came, he exhaled sadly, murmuring,

"He must be busy elsewhere."

The goat settled down in the soft straw beside him. Charoúmenos glanced over at her, let out a gentle laugh, and said,

"At least I shall be in good company during my stay."

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