“The question is,” Hercules mused, “is this a trap?”

“You think?” Iolaus began to look around for an ambush, but saw nothing unusual.

“Maybe,” Hercules shrugged. “One thing’s for sure - I’ve got to open this road before something bad happens.” He stepped toward the impossible pile of huge rocks and easily heaved one up into his arms.

“Need any help?” Iolaus joked, knowing he could not be of any service in this predicament.

Hercules tossed away the rock and grinned back at his friend, “Nah, just keep an eye out for trouble, okay?”

Iolaus nodded as he sat down on the newly-removed rock to finish eating his apple and watch Hercules as he returned to the pile. Just as the sandy-haired hero hefted another boulder into his arms, the sounds of a scuffle began to resound from somewhere off in the woods, far from the road he was clearing, and he stopped to listen.

Hercules and Iolaus both looked at each other, unsure of what they were hearing and seeking confirmation from the other. After a few moments of tense silence they heard a woman scream, and they no longer questioned what was going on and whether they should react. Iolaus was off the rock and on his way into the woods immediately, and Hercules followed as soon as he had tossed away the boulder he had just lifted.

Iolaus quickly found a rough detour path that had been cut through the heavy brush of the woods. He followed it, and it led directly to a clearing where a group of thieves - most likely the creators of the roadblock - had formed a circle around a cloaked traveler who had mistakenly followed their detour and fallen into their clutches.

Without hesitation, Iolaus started to dash forward to help the traveler, but the beset woman suddenly emitted a startlingly shrill battle cry and shot high into the air, powered only by the strong muscles of her well-defined legs. Iolaus found himself watching in amazement as the woman seemed to move with a swiftness that blurred the outlines of her body, kicking out with ferocious intent as she repeatedly abused and forcibly downed the men who were reckless enough to keep coming back for more. Iolaus found himself standing motionless as he thoroughly admired the way the unknown woman kept the five thugs at arm's length while severely punishing them for foolishly attacking her. Hearing Hercules running along the path behind him, he forced himself out of his reverie and joined the skirmish, running up behind one of the thieves and tapping him lightly on the shoulder.

“Hmmph?” The thug growled as he spun around to meet Iolaus’ fist head-on. The brute swayed slightly and Iolaus hopped out of the way just in time to watch him fall headfirst to the ground.

Hercules made his way into the clearing at that time and saw that Iolaus had laid out one of the thieves, but was surprised to see that the woman was busy taking two others to task on her own. He had no time to consider who the woman might be before he found that the two remaining thugs were more than willing to take him on, so Hercules smiled and said sarcastically, “Don’t you gentlemen know better than to block public roads?”

“We’ll block whatever we want!” retorted one of the ugly criminals.

“Yeah! Who’s going to stop us? You?” proclaimed the other.

“Well, okay, if that’s the way you want it!” Hercules grinned even wider and balled up his fists. Opening his arms wide, he then swiftly brought his fists together, capturing their heads in between the solid strength of his forearms. Their skulls slammed together with a sickening “CRUNCH!”, and they fell to the ground in an unconscious heap next to their comrade who had been felled by Iolaus.

At the same time, Iolaus faced one of the remaining two thieves, seeing that the man had every intention of charging him. He held his ground as the thug ran toward him at full speed, holding his position until the very last second, when he stepped aside and extended his arm across the thief’s path. Unable to stop his advance, the thief ran straight into Iolaus’ arm, crushing his windpipe and knocking the wind out of himself. He fell backward and hit the ground with a harsh thud, and was silent from that moment on.

The last one was still locked in mortal battle with the cloaked traveler, and until the thief saw he had no friends left to back him up, their hands were flying through the air in arm-to-arm combat. When he realized that his four companions were no longer able to help him, he backed away from the traveler and made a run for it. He dashed away into the woods, closely followed by Hercules.

Iolaus turned to the lady traveler in concern, “Are you all right?”

The cloaked head nodded.

“You’re sure you’re not injured? That was some pretty fast foot and hand work you were doing there,” he praised with great admiration evident in his voice.

“You weren’t so bad yourself,” returned the traveler at last. “Not to mention Hercules.”

Iolaus’ eyebrows lifted in suspicion, “You know Hercules?”

The traveler had no chance to answer, for Hercules returned at that moment and announced to Iolaus, “I think I ran that last one off, and we’ll deal with these others in a moment. Is she okay?”

“She’s fine,” Iolaus assured.

Hercules turned and addressed the traveler, “You certainly know how to defend yourself, Miss.”

“Of course I do,” she answered lightly. “I learned from Hercules himself!”

“What!?” Hercules exclaimed, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

“I said, I learned from you, Hercules!” the traveler repeated with a laugh in her voice, then lifted back the hood of the cloak to reveal herself to him.

Hercules looked at her for a moment, taking in the sight of the girl. She was young, and her looks definitely said that she was one of his godly relatives. It hit him a moment later, and he ventured tentatively, “Sorrow?” She certainly resembled the little blue-haired sprite who once learned the basics of fighting from two young warriors fresh out of the Academy.

“Sorrow?” Iolaus echoed, looking disconcerted as he tried to place the face of the pearlescent-skinned goddess. It hit him a moment later, and he said, “You mean - ?”

“Yes, I’m Sorrow! Don’t either of you recognize me?” she bubbled happily, glad to see them.

Hercules grinned, “Of course we do! You remember my little cousin Sorrow, don’t you, Iolaus? You held her as a baby about eighteen years ago.”

“Actually, it was exactly eighteen years ago!” Sorrow confirmed. “I just turned eighteen today!”

Iolaus suddenly remembered, “The daughter of the Fates!?”

“That’s me,” Sorrow confirmed, blushing at his open amazement.

Iolaus held out his hands as though he were reliving the moment he first held Sorrow as a baby back in the Hall of Fates, and then he laughed, “Gosh, we haven’t seen you since you were a little girl - my, but how you’ve grown!”

Hercules clapped a hand onto Iolaus’ shoulder and grinned at Sorrow, “It’s good to see you, Cousin - to what do we owe this chance encounter, anyway?”

“I’m on my way to pay homage to my father at his temple by the sea in Iolkos,” she answered lightly, hoping neither hero would question her method of travel.

“Would you like us to accompany you?” Hercules asked, not catching on to her fear. “We need to remove that road block first, but afterward, we’ll be glad to take you to Poseidon’s Temple.”

“Oh, no,” Sorrow shook her head in negation. “I’m sure you have some place you need to be.”

“Not at all!” Iolaus interjected quickly and over-enthusiastically. “We’d be glad to escort you!”

Hercules grinned wider and stifled a chuckle for Iolaus’ obvious enthusiasm before nodding, “We really would be glad to escort you, Sorrow - that is, if you can wait for us?”

Sorrow hesitated at first and only smiled at them as she contemplated what their help might mean to her. Hercules wasn't a favorite of his brothers and sisters' at the moment, but he was still the strongest human she knew, and the most reliable. Even as a child, she had been keenly aware of the conflict that existed between Zeus' two sons, and knew that Hercules was certainly no fan of Ares. That fact alone assured her that she could count on her cousin's help should Ares suddenly find her.

However, there was also a human - Iolaus - involved, and she had to take into consideration whether he was up to such a challenge. She could remember the time when she was but a little girl, and she was play-fighting with Hercules and Iolaus. They were just teenagers themselves, not long out of Cheiron’s Academy and celebrating their new skills by teaching them to her. Hercules had not been the least bit serious about her minor training, but Iolaus had been quite earnest in his instruction. What they both had taught her was what had just saved her from the thieves that now lay in a heap to the side of their discussion. Even more vivid was the remembrance of the sweet, gentle kiss she had given Iolaus before they had left her and Mount Olympus. That had been perhaps ten or more years ago, and she doubted he remembered much of it.

However, she didn’t need him for romance - she needed Iolaus for defense. Sorrow sized him up anew and found him to be quite handsome and strong, and a momentary introspection of his soul revealed many sadnesses he had endured at the hands of Ares in the past. It was enough to convince her that he would not only be willing to help her, but he would likely insist upon it.

Sorrow decided then and there to stay with the two heroes, and she nodded, “All right, I’ll let you two, big, strong men escort me to my father’s temple - BUT, only if it isn’t out of your way!”

“Oh, no!” Iolaus quickly answered. “It’s not out of our way at all!”

Hercules laughed openly this time, “No, I guess it’s not! Now, let’s take care of these guys and get that road cleared so we can be on our way!”

While Hercules labored at his task of reopening the road, Iolaus made it his responsibility to entertain the young goddess. He joked and jabbered non-stop while she listened politely, smiling at his exuberance as he related all their most recent adventures. The awesome feats that the pair had accomplished together impressed her greatly, and she looked to Hercules with greatly renewed appreciation.

“Sometimes I just can’t believe how strong he is!”

Iolaus nodded, “I sometimes can’t believe it myself . . . or the fact that he chooses to use his strength to help mankind instead of abusing us the way so many of the Olympian gods do - ”

“I’m so sorry, Iolaus!” Sorrow interjected, her voice filled with hopelessness as she reached out and touched him gently on the arm. At the same time, Iolaus turned and looked into her deep, ocean green eyes and saw opaque tears welling up into them.

Iolaus quickly took her hands into his and squeezed them, “Hey, don’t cry - I didn’t mean you, Sorrow! You, of all the gods, have known what mankind has had to endure to survive!”

“And that is why I cry, Iolaus,” she replied with deep unhappiness. She blinked her tear-filled eyes, and just as she did, the gentle drops escaped down her cheeks, sliding down her glittering skin and becoming solid as they dropped from her face - each tear becoming a perfect, glorious pearl, more beautiful than any oyster might produce. Iolaus reached up just in time to catch the two pearl tears in his hand, and he stared at them unhappily for a long time.

“You know,” he finally spoke, “that time when Hercules and I were teaching you how to fight, I remember getting a little too serious about your training, and somehow or another, you ended up falling down and scraping your knee. You ran from us crying . . . and there was a little trail of your tears leading all the way home.”

“I can’t believe you actually remember that!” Sorrow remarked in amazement.

“How could I forget?” Iolaus asked most earnestly. “I followed you and picked up each and every one of those little pearls, and when I picked up the last one, I swore then and there that I would never again do anything that would make you cry.”

“But, Iolaus, you know that it is my destiny to cry for the sorrows of man, and that includes you,” Sorrow smiled at him comfortingly. “There have been so many times when I was with you, and you never even knew it - ”

“Yes, I did!” Iolaus insisted firmly. “Anytime I saw one of your tears, I knew you’d been there, crying over my problems . . . I’ve always hated it that I’ve caused you to feel my pain.”

“But, Iolaus, you don’t realize that sometimes I have to cry because you will not,” she informed gently. “I know you think you are saving me by holding in your sadness, but you’re really not. It’s so hard for men to give in to their sorrow, and because you will not, I must then cry for you. It is just something I have to do, Iolaus - it is my destiny!”

Iolaus frowned at Sorrow’s revelation, thinking of the many times that he had deliberately held in his emotions, thinking that he was keeping his young friend from suffering. Instead, each time he had only caused her to feel his pain and sadness even more acutely, and he had not saved her from anything. Iolaus realized then that he could not escape harming Sorrow in that way, but he knew how to protect her otherwise.

“Well, then it’s obvious that I can’t stop you from crying for me, but I can at least promise you this: you will never cry because of me!” Iolaus vowed seriously, and was immediately rewarded with a warm smile from Sorrow. He said gently, “That’s better. I only want to make you happy.”

“You do, Iolaus,” Sorrow affirmed with great affection. “You always did.”

While Iolaus and Sorrow were engrossed in conversation, Hercules was focused on lifting and hurling away the boulders one by one - or so they thought. Hercules was not so preoccupied that he could not glance over and see that Iolaus and his young cousin were getting along quite famously, and were obviously deep in conversation. It made him smile to see them together, for though the two had been separated for ten years at the very least, their friendship appeared to be as solid now as the day they last parted. The only difference was that Sorrow had been a child then. Now, she was a grown woman and goddess, and Iolaus was obviously still as drawn to her as he had been in his youth. In a way, it was good to see the two old friends together again.

Initially, Hercules felt no need to worry about Iolaus getting involved with his cousin Sorrow, romantically or otherwise. Sorrow had never been a threat to humanity in any way. In fact, he’d often marveled at her infinite capacity to empathize with humans, for it had been just as likely that she could have turned out like their less-sympathetic cousin, Discord - a goddess who delighted in the sorrows of man instead of voluntarily experiencing their sadness and trying to make their situations better, as Sorrow did now.

Hercules knew that Sorrow had been endowed by her own mother with the power to feel and understand the sorrows of men and women, but it was Sorrow herself who chose to make it her purpose to visit each sad person and be with them in their time of need. Hercules, himself, had felt her presence at times when the tragedies of his life became too much to bear, and as it was Sorrow’s way to be a silent, unseen visitor at such times, often the only way Hercules ever even knew she had been there was by the little tear-shaped pearls she always left behind.

Hercules caught more bits of the two friends deep in conversation as he worked, and eventually he saw Sorrow laughing at something Iolaus had said. He smiled joyfully at them, for he had always noted that Iolaus had a knack for being able to make Sorrow happy, and it made him glad to see them both so obviously enthralled with each other.

However, a nagging question suddenly popped into his head, and Hercules stopped what he was doing for but a moment to look at Sorrow as he questioned to himself, ~ Why is she not at home, or about her usual tasks? And why is a goddess walking to her father’s temple when she has the power to transport herself there? ~ Something about Sorrow’s presence was completely amiss, and Hercules could do no less than worry as he considered the possible complications that might arise from this unexpected encounter with the daughter of Poseidon.

The moment he was finished removing the last boulder from the main path, he approached his traveling companions and proclaimed, “All done - shall we be on our way?”

Sorrow spontaneously jumped up and exclaimed joyfully, “Oh Hercules, you and Iolaus are so good and kind to come with me and protect me - ”

“That’s something I’d like to talk to you about, Sorrow,” Hercules quickly interjected, his voice reflecting his reluctant suspicion. “Just what, or who, are we going to be protecting you from?”

Sorrow was momentarily dumbfounded, but didn’t panic and answered easily, “Now, really Hercules, why should I need protection? I’m a goddess!”

Unsure of what Hercules might be suspecting and unwilling to believe anything bad about Sorrow, Iolaus joined in on her defense, “C’mon Herc, what are you talking about? This isn’t Discord we’re dealing with here - we both know Sorrow has no ulterior motives.”

“Are you in some kind of trouble, Sorrow?” Hercules pressed on, ignoring his friend’s protest.

“Why are you asking her this, Hercules?” Iolaus demanded. “Why don’t you believe her?”

Hercules looked to his friend in all seriousness, “Just trust me, Iolaus - ”

“No, Herc!” Iolaus put a halting hand on the demigod’s arm, “You can trust Sorrow - I just know you can!”

Sorrow, frightened by this sudden turn of events, stammered, “I - I’m not doing anything wrong, Hercules - I’m just trying to get to my father - ”

“Poseidon?” Hercules asked rhetorically, and she nodded. He then reached out and took hold of the edge of her black cloak and questioned, “Incognito?”

“Enough, Hercules!” Iolaus insisted, his voice reflecting the insult he was about to take on behalf of Sorrow, but she stopped them both from arguing further.

“Look, Hercules,” she said finally, sounding quite serious. “I’m not doing anything that’s going to hurt anyone or give our family a bad name. I’m just trying to get to my father’s temple!”

“Obviously someone’s after you, Sorrow - someone who frightens you enough that you are traveling in disguise, and on foot like a human. Who is it?” Hercules demanded.

Sorrow’s face fell at his further accusation, and she turned a cold eye to her cousin as she said, “If you don’t trust me, then let me go - I’ll get to my father on my own!”

“I want to help you, Sorrow, but I can’t do that if you don’t tell me what’s going on!” Hercules insisted, but Sorrow refused further argument. He stood silently watching her for a moment, wanting to believe that his cousin did not have any ulterior motives that might get them in trouble, but his experiences with his family had never been the types of encounters that created trust for his human half. However, it was that same human half that told him that he could not let Sorrow go off on her own, goddess or not. He would never be able to forgive himself if something happened to her, and so, he decided to give in and let her keep her secret.

“All right, I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt, Sorrow,” he conceded grudgingly. “We’ll go with you to Iolkos and see you safely to your father’s temple.”

Iolaus almost sighed in relief, for he somehow felt responsible for Sorrow in a way he couldn’t explain. He remembered promising to protect her as a child, but this was different from that. It was a feeling that had grown quickly within his heart, mind, and soul that morning, and the sudden need to have Sorrow near had become all-encompassing in the few hours they had been together. He was at her side in but seconds following Hercules’ agreement.

“Are you okay?” Iolaus asked urgently, looking into her eyes for any sign of distress.

Sorrow smiled back weakly, “I’m fine - just a little shaken up. Really, I don’t blame Hercules for being suspicious. Our family haven’t exactly been models of behavior - ”

“But not you,” Iolaus insisted. “I just know you’re different.”

Sorrow’s eyebrows furrowed as she peered into the face of her old friend. Time had aged the exterior of Iolaus’ body, but his eyes were as young and vibrant as the day she first met him. Except now, she could see something else residing in the pale, blue orbs that she could not as yet comprehend or explain, but she recognized that she could trust whatever it was, and she could trust him.

“Thank you, Iolaus,” she said sincerely, then leaned forward to plant a gentle kiss on his cheek.

Iolaus’ eyes closed as he experienced the brief, intimate moment, and he suddenly discovered that his heart was racing. The sweet, ocean scent of her, so close to him, set off a stream of sensations in his body that made him suddenly hyperaware of her proximity, and he felt a strong desire to embrace her. The actual kiss was quickly given, but it lasted long enough to spark something deep inside of him that he could not ignore, nor dismiss with the term “lust”. It felt much more complicated to Iolaus than that, and as she pulled away from him, he realized that he never wanted to let her go.

“Are - are you sure you’re okay?” Iolaus stammered as he did let her go, embarrassed by his unexpected reaction.

Sorrow smiled weakly and replied, “I’ll be fine once we get to my father’s temple.”