• "That is wrong, Hera!" snapped Hera's teacher as he hit her hand, causing her to drop the clay cup she'd been using to pour water. It hit the floor with a crash broke into a hundred pieces.
    "Ow!" the girl squeaked, holding her pained hand. Tears sprang to her eyes as she let the pain settle. Another lesson gone wrong! And another pain to deal with. She gritted her small teeth, hurting some of the loose ones.
    "Lesson dismissed!" the mentor exclaimed and left the room.
    As soon as he was out the door, she sunk to the floor and cried at the pain. He hit her hard, and on the hurt that was still healing from her last lesson.
    Lessons! That was all her life was to anyone! They wouldn't let her do anything! She couldn't ever go outside. She couldn't eat anything sweet or with sugar. The small girl didn't even have a single friend due to her many sessions of learning and being hit whenever she did something wrong. Tears stuck to her long black hair as she remembered this.
    Thetys entered the room and stopped dead when she saw Hera on the floor in tears. She ran over to her and looked at her heart-shaped face.
    "Hera, what's wrong? Are you unwell?" the flustered woman asked, putting her hand to her head to check for a fever.
    Hera opened her mouth to say that it was just the pain of being hit. But stopped as a realization hit her. She wouldn't have any lessons if she was sick. She could rest. She could sneak out and see what was outside the castle walls. The young goddess smiled inwardly.
    "My stomach hurts. And so does my head. And I feel a little weak." Hera croaked convincingly.
    Thetys believed her. She told Hera to go to bed and rest. The girl did as she was told and asked Thetys that she not be disturbed while she slept. The woman did as Hera asked.
    But when Hera came into the room, she didn't go to bed. She opened the window and scrambled outside, enjoying the warmth on her porcelain skin. She landed clumsily next to a thorny rose bush.
    "Good thing I didn't land there." she said to herself with a blink of her bright blue eyes. She then silently walked off, her white and blue chiton flowing behind her.

    All the sights, sounds, smells, and feelings were something new to Hera. Never once had she been outside in fresh air. Never had she breathed in the scent of the flowers and trees. Never had she felt grass, leaves, bark, and wind lightly touching her skin. Never had she seen the blue sky with its fluffy white clouds. She'd never heard the noises of animals, nor the gurgling of a stream, the birds chirping, and the laughter of other people enjoying the bliss of nature. Hera giggled in delight when a squirrel appeared in front of her.
    She slowly put her small hand to her mouth. Had she giggled? Had she actually smiled? She couldn't remember the last time she'd done that. It was a good feeling to know how it felt again.
    She happily continued on, letting her senses guide her through a land of wonder. She touched ever tree, stepped in every puddle, and gingerly stroked every little leaf. The raven haired girl hummed to the tune of the songs of the birds.

    Soon she stopped to rest and revel in the silence of nature. But instead of quiet, Hera heard the baa-aaing of sheep. The goddess turned to see a flock of sheep being herded by a white wolf. Her eyes widened at the sight of it. Its grace and beauty astounded her. She ducked down into the bush she hid behind.
    When all the sheep were together, the wolf looked at its work and smiled, pleased with its work. Then it did the strangest thing Hera had ever seen. It transformed into a human boy. Its legs became a healthy golden tan. The paws were now sandaled feet. The white fur disappeared into tanned skin. The wolf like features of its face now showed a handsome boy's face. His gold eyes were like the sun. His smile was perfectly white. His hair was like many strands of the warm sun. He wore a white tunic and dusted it off with his slightly dark hands. The boy smiled as he shook himself, as if trying to shake away all traces of the wolf. He looked up at where Hera was hiding. She ducked even lower.
    "Whoever you are, show yourself! I'm warning you, I won't tolerate tresspassers!" he shouted.
    When Hera said nothing, he made his way over there. He pulled back the branches to see the small wide-eyed girl. He was about the same age as Hera upon closer examination. His eyes widened at her doll-like features.
    "Who are you?" he asked, astounded that a girl that adorable would end up here. He tried to hide his ears, which were becoming slightly pink.
    Hera gulped and murmured, "I'm Hera. Who are you? Excuse me for not knowing, but I've never been outside before."
    The boy tried to get a closer look at her face, but she hid it behind her knees.
    "My name is Apollo, Son of Zeus. You know, King of the Gods." he said, in case she didn't know.
    "Yes, I know. I have to learn about him all the time. He once had an affair with one of my teachers" she said quietly.
    Apollo knelt down to be at eye level with her. But she squirmed away from his gaze. This would be quite difficult.