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The moment Athena had left I went and tried to patch myself up. I had blood pouring down my face from a gash on my forehead and my nose. My knuckles were scraped and raw from trying to punch. My back hurt from being literally thrown into a wall. I knew I had many other small cuts and bruises scattered across my body but the sheer number of them made it hard to count.
The adrenaline started to wear off as I limped through the halls, my knees hurting from being swiped and used to catch my falls too many times.
There weren't many people in the halls. The few that were present didn't even notice me as I made my way to my mother's bed chamber, hoping she wasn't there so I could take some bandages and leave.
Before I knocked on the door I took a moment to try and wipe some of the blood from my face, likely only succeeding in smearing it though. I sighed and steeled my nerves. I rapped three times on the door.
“Who is it?” she called from within.
“Telemachus.”
“Come in.”
The moment I opened the door I watched my mother's eyes notice my battered face, slowly trailing to my bruised arms and legs. I tried to stand up straight and not shake but I'm pretty sure she noticed.
She immediately got up from her stool, abandoning her tapestry, and closed the door.
“Which one of them did this?” Mom whispered, trying to mask the anger and fear in her voice.
“Antinous,” I replied, swallowing the blood in my mouth.
She quickly wrapped her arms around me. When I tried to pull away to avoid getting my blood all over her dress she just held me tighter against her chest.
She took a deep breath and pulled away, keeping her hands on my shoulders. “Let's get you patched up.”
She sat me down on the stool she was on only a moment ago and began to dab at my face with a damp rag.
“Why did he do this?” Mom asked, her voice barely audible with a noticeable quaver, beginning to wrap a bandage around my head.
“I don't know,” I told her flatly, trying to wipe the shining, sticky, red blood from my hands.
She handed me the rag and I took it gratefully.
As she was examining my hands there was a knock at the door. Mom took a second to clear her voice before asking one again, “Who is it?”
“Zoe, my queen.”
“You may come in.”
She opened the door and quickly closed it behind her. “I heard talk among your suitors of a fight between you son and-” she cut off when she saw me. “I brought some salves for Telemachus I thought might be helpful.”
“Thank you,” she said, taking the vials.
“It is no problem, my queen.” Zoe bowed and left.
My mother used the salves that has been provided immediately.
“I know, but these will help the healing,” Mom said when I tensed at the coldness.
Once she finished she held me in an even tighter embrace.
We bid each other good night I went back to my room as quickly as I could. I knew what would happen if any of the suitors caught me in this state.
The second I opened my door a brown blur immediately jumped on me, knocking me onto my back, only worsening my pain.
“I wasn't gone that long,” I assured Argos, my father's old dog, getting shakily to my feet.
As I walked over to my bed and sat down he followed me faithfully as he always did and laid his head in my lap.
I smiled and petted him. “What was Dad like?” I asked Argos.
He began to wag his tail.
“He must've been pretty good then,” I responded, slowly laying down, hating how the bandages covering me made movement annoying.
The second my head hit the pillow and I had wrapped my blanket around me I was out cold.
—
I woke to gentle hands shaking me awake.
“You need to get up,” my mother told me quietly when I cracked my eyes open.
I sat up, rubbing my forehead right where a headache was forming.
“Please, son. Before my suitors all wake up,” she persisted, gently pulling me out of bed by my arm and I willingly followed.
We wove through the halls as quickly as my sore body could go back to my mother's room.
She sat me back down on her stool and began to reassess my injuries and change my bandages.
The moment she was done she wrapped me in another hug which I returned. “Today I will tell the servants to speak about you going into the woods to hunt. I want you to stay out of sight all day. We both know what will happen if they find you now,” she whispered despite us being alone.
I nodded. “They will expect me to come back with meat, how will we cover for the blatant lack of it?”
“I’ve already thought of that. They will be told you came back in the middle of the night. The cooks are to act as if you had brought them meat.”
I nodded again and she released me from the hug.
“It would be best if you went back to your room now, before they wake up.” I could tell she did not want me to go and hide but knew it was the best way for the time being. “I have to begin work on the shroud again.”
We both smiled, knowing exactly how we were constantly lying to the suitors. It was a blessing from the gods that none of them knew even the tiniest bit of weaving.
Before I could think about the fact I was a grown man I blurted out, “Can I stay here? I don't want to be alone?”
“Of course,” my mom replied without hesitation. “Go get Argos. Be quick.”
“Thank you.” I got to my feet and it was my turn to hug her.
“It is no problem.”