The Gift of the Lethe

Life and Death

Thalia lightly touches Pallas' shoulder. "Nervous?"

Pallas nods. "Of course. I'm about to meet someone who died, came back, and remembers everything. Someone like me. Why wouldn't I be nervous?"

"Hazel is a good person, Pallas. I'm sure she'll like you."

Pallas mutters, "I hope so."

She reaches up to knock twice on the maroon-painted door. It swings open a heartbeat later to reveal a head of curly cinnamon-brown hair. The girl smiles warmly at them, her amber eyes shining.

"Wonderful to see you again, Thalia. And- you must be Pallas. Lord Apollo dropped by and said we should talk."

Pallas gives the girl a hesitant smile of her own. "Yes, that's me. Hello."

"Come inside. My name is Hazel."

Pallas follows Hazel into the small house, glancing back at Thalia. The hunter shakes her head and motions outside, mouthing to her. 'I'm going to visit Percy and Annabeth.' Pallas nods in response and Thalia slips out, shutting the door behind her. Once the door is shut, Pallas rushes to catch up with Hazel who has gone a little farther down the hall. They stop in a small sitting area where Hazel perches on the edge of a purple armchair. Pallas sits in the chair opposite her, twisting her bracelet. Hazel gives her a reassuring smile.

"So Apollo told me we needed to speak, but he didn't say what about. Do you know of our topic?"

"I- yes, I do." Pallas shifts. "What were your experiences, coming back from the underworld."

Hazel's brow furrows. "Why do you ask?"

Pallas shifts. "What do you know about me?"

Hazel's frown deepens. "Not much. Your name, really. Why?"

"I know you aren't greek, but what do you know of Athena's childhood?"

Hazel's eyes narrow. "Are you trying to change the subject, again?"

"Humor me."

"Hmm. She was . . . born in a nontraditional sense, erupting from Jupiter's- sorry, Zeus' head. Then she went to train somewhere- I can't remember where exactly. When training, she made friends with Triton's daughter. I know something happened after that, but I can't remember it- wait. Didn't the friend die?"

Pallas shudders. "Yes, that's correct. Well, mostly. Historians have their relationship a bit wrong. That friend of Athena's, the one that died? She's me."

Hazel's eyes widen. "Reincarnation, or a Doors of Death situation?"

Pallas blinks in confusion. "I'm not quite sure what the latter is, but I'm not going to ask. I was reborn in this life as a daughter of Poseidon, just before the oath of the Big Three was made. I was put in stasis for my own protection and when I woke decades later, having grown to adulthood, my memories returned a few days later." She pauses and takes a breath. "I'm aware . . . I know that-"

Hazel reaches over to touch her arm, smiling reassuringly. "Take your time."

Pallas nods, breathing deeply. "I know that recounting your own experiences might be difficult, so I'll explain why I ask for them. My death was traumatizing, and I am in a place of healing. Apollo thought that hearing your experience would help me with that journey."

"And do you think the same?"

Pallas ponders that for a few moments, the silence looming over them. "I do think that, yes. Even just hearing that I'm not alone in this experience helps."

Hazel gives her another flickering smile and squeezes Pallas' hand before leaning back in her seat. "I suppose that settles it. When I was thirteen, my mother moved us to Alaska . . ."

As Hazel recounts her tale, Pallas listens in enraptured silence, picking up on the way Hazel every so often falters for a heartbeat before continuing, relying on the strength of her voice to hide it. She's moved past it, she's been past it for years at this point, but it's still a difficult topic to broach. When Pallas moves to say that Hazel doesn't have to continue, she doesn't want to force her into anything, Hazel holds up a hand and shakes her head.

So Pallas sits back, listening. When the tale is almost complete, more than one tear has trickled down Hazel's cheeks, but they have long since dried by the time she reaches the point where she recounts her brother bringing her up from the underworld. Hazel closes her mouth at last and stills, fisting the fabric of her shirt.

"That's everything, or at least everything that pertains to this story. I really do hope it helps you."

Pallas finds that it already has, the lingering fear that she hadn't known existed has disappeared at some point in the tale. The fear that she would be sent back, for cheating her way into a new life. She still has the fear of dying again, but that's more connected to her fear of Zeus than anything else.

She smiles. "Thank you, Hazel."

"I'm glad to help. Please, let me know if you ever want to talk again."

Pallas stands, promising, "I will."

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What do you think of this conversation? How much do you think it helped? What's going to happen next? Tell me your thoughts!

Happy reading and I'll see you next chapter!

~ Goddess of Fate, signing out