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Hecate slowly, unhurriedly, carefully surveyed her domain. Thanks to the efforts of Nemesis, the Silver Sisters, and her students, order and peace reigned here, even despite her disappearance. The shadows had not had time to scatter across the earth in search of a new safe place, so she would not have to search for them.
One part of the Crossroads' inhabitants tried not to look the Titaness in the eye. Some of them were ashamed that they had doubted her return. Others were ashamed that they had tried to flee and had been stopped by Nemesis. The second part of the shadows, if they did look at the woman, did so either with admiration that she had managed to escape Kronos's trap, or with fear… How had she managed to return? Had she been in league with him all this time, and during her disappearance, they had discussed a plan for further action? These rumors would need to be nipped in the bud, but not now.
Hecate, sighing, walked toward Melinoë's tent. Now she needed to attend to more important matters than clearing up the consequences of her own arrogance. Titaness nodded to the shadows guarding the entrance, who were replacing Dora, and then, parting the fabric edges, slowly entered inside. Without hesitation, she immediately turned her gaze to her student's bed.
Melinoë lay there, barely breathing. At first glance, one might even think she was dead, but fortunately, the girl was simply unconscious. Her entire body was covered in bandages, through which blood was slowly beginning to seep again. Titaness silently thanked Odysseus once more for his modicum of medical knowledge and for the fact that, thanks to him, he had been able to provide first aid to Hades's daughter.
Next to the student's bed stood numerous ointments and potions, as well as a mortar containing not-fully-ground herbs. Hecate immediately sat down in that spot and, taking the vessel, continued preparing the ingredients for the spell. Of course, ideally, she should have been doing this in her own tent, where it was much more comfortable, but…
"Mentor…"
Melinoë's quiet, weak voice sounded. She opened her eyes and tried to find Titaness with a clouded gaze. This was the reason why the woman was here. Because of the trauma and fever, Hades's daughter would periodically wake up to find her mentor. And if she didn't hear her voice, she would immediately try to get up, thereby aggravating her wounds.
Hecate placed her hand on her student's forehead, calming her.
"I'm here, Melinoë."
She replied quietly. The girl sniffled, and tears appeared in her eyes.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I…"
"I know. You did everything in your power."
Titaness replied, continuing to stroke Melinoë's head. This was not the first such dialogue they had had. Every time the young witch woke up, she would look for her mentor, begin to blame herself for her abduction, and then lose consciousness. Perhaps the reason lay in her injuries, which might also have affected her head.
Although Medea, thanks to her excellent knowledge of anatomy, had managed to properly stitch up most of the wounds, her knowledge was still insufficient. Circe, too, could do nothing for Hades's daughter's injuries, as she dealt more with animals. And Odysseus, unfortunately, was more of a strategist than a physician.
Hecate should go to the city under Apollo's patronage. Perhaps there she could find a shadow of a healer or even a living one. She probably should have done this earlier, while Melinoë was still small. After all, there was human blood in her, and she was not descended from Titans famous for their powerful regeneration. Another mistake Titaness had made.
Here the woman frowned, seeing that the girl had not calmed down and continued to cry, trying to lift her hands. Titaness carefully, without removing her hand from her head, took Melinoë's palm with her other hand.
"I'm sorry, I… I'm useless… I can't, I can't do anything…"
She sobbed, while Hecate stroked her. With each word, the woman frowned more and more.
"Melinoë, you are a very capable goddess."
Titaness said, leaning slightly toward the young witch. The girl, trembling, squeezed her mentor's hand.
"If I were stronger… If I were better… You would…"
Hades's daughter continued muttering, apparently not listening to her interlocutor at all. Hecate, sighing, leaned even closer to her student, pressing her forehead to hers.
"Melinoë. I swear before the Fates, you are one of the most talented students I have ever had. Even Medea and Circe in their prime could not compare to you. You were always ready to listen to my instructions, no matter how long they were, and you always remembered them. You could start a training session at any moment, even if you were already tired from the whole day."
She closed her eyes, while Melinoë, alternately squeezing and releasing her hand, listened.
"You are my pride, Melinoë. I am glad that it was you who became another of my students. Even if the horror our enemy wrought had not happened, I would still wish that you and I could meet someday and that I could become your mentor again."
After this, she pulled back slightly from the girl's head, moving her hand to her eyes.
"And now rest. You must not worry about things that only the Moirai have power over. If they willed that I be abducted by Kronos, then so be it. That means this is the best possible outcome for both of us."
The young witch tried to mutter something, but she said it so quietly that, unfortunately, the Goddess of the Crossroads did not hear it at all. After a few seconds, she fell back into sleep. As usual, Melinoë was unlikely to remember this dialogue, just like dozens of others, but Hecate did not mind continuing this farce if it made her student feel better.
Waiting until the girl was fully asleep, Titaness slowly removed her hands, returning to her preparations. She would need to replace the old bandages with new ones containing the ointments Medea and Circe had made. She also needed to find Arachne and order a couple of new outfits for Hades's daughter. Unfortunately, during her insane outburst, she had ruined every possible dress, making them beyond repair, and Hecate had no intention of letting her walk around in such rags.
Of course, she must not forget about the mountain of tasks at the Crossroads. She needed to eliminate dangerous rumors and, perhaps, some shadows. Discuss further plans of action with the Silver Sisters. Thank Nyx's children and Odysseus for maintaining order in the domain. The protective amulets also needed reinforcement. Although Titaness could do nothing about the Fates' desires, she certainly did not intend to allow Kronos to penetrate so easily next time.
Here Melinoë stirred in bed again, groaning in pain. Hecate again stopped grinding the herbs and, sighing, put the mortar aside. She moved closer to the girl, then took her hand, stroking it. The student, feeling the familiar warmth, calmed down again, continuing her dreamless sleep.
Apparently, Titaness would deal with all the tasks later. Right now, the most important thing was Hades's daughter's successful recovery and further treatment. The other matters would most likely wait. Besides, it was unlikely anyone would say anything to the Goddess of the Crossroads herself.