“Good morning,” Nearh said, and kissed her on the lips, she wrapped her arms around him, kissed her back, touching his body with her bare breasts.
“I have to go,” she smiled at him, said the girl, “I think so, you passed the next test, she laughed, patting his hair.
– What kind? I thought you liked
– Love is pleasing to Elicia, and you are pleasing to her, reproachfully shaking her finger and putting on her chiton, told Kallifens, – And I like you, but I had to instruct you in love, so that your life would be complete, what would be for live. Remember, the spiritual path is the path of Apollo, and the path of Dionysus is sensual.
– And Elicia?
“Also sacrificial, that’s how it is, my glorious one,” she sat down, stretching her legs and putting on sandals. “I have to go, we’ll meet in the afternoon,” she said, and standing on tiptoes, kissed him.
He ate, and soon his mentor came, and how it was nothing, she began to teach him, showing the techniques of writing, and the next day appointed tests.
“You will guess riddles, and only three,” she said,
– Difficult? – asked the young man
– For whom, as with a shrug, the priestess answered,
– You can handle it. Probably, – she said, taking his hand and looked with love in his eyes. For Nearh the night before the ordeals was difficult, he tried to search for possible riddles with Homer and Herodotus, trying to gain the wisdom of the ancients, everything was useless, but in the middle of the night a beneficent dream overcame him. The next morning, waking up, he quickly washed and dressed in an old outfit, then thought that the day was solemn, put on a chiton with a meander, not forgetting the bracelet on his hand. Wearing sandals, saw Kallifena on the slope, waving his hand invitingly to him, and he went, almost ran to meet his fate, and almost, yes, almost, did not worry. The young man entered the house, divided into several partitions, stood in the middle of the table, and behind him in the chairs decorated with rich carvings sat Kallifena and Diokles, an unknown priestess, a woman of thirty, with dark curled hair, in a beautiful dark green dress and a raincoat, with a hairpin in the form of a lioness of pure gold, and on its slender neck hung a golden necklace, in the form of wings of birds, which are closed together.
– What do they call you, young man? she asked
“I am called Nearh,” he answered, “at the behest of the priestess Leto, our city.”
“You have passed the cleansing, now you have to initiate, but first, you have to guess three riddles, according to the order of Ulla. So, let’s begin.
She put a difficult wooden table three figurines of silver: Aphrodite, Artemis and Athens. Aphrodite was depicted naked, emerging from a pearl, Artemis with a bow behind her back and with a bear next to her, Athena with a shield in her hand.
“Tell me, neophyte, what these figurines mean, their meaning and meaning,” she said triumphantly and leaned back in her chair,
Nearh began to think, his choice was almost like that of Paris with a golden apple, and there are three goddesses before him, and the choice is true, not so cruel, he recalled the dream of Elicia and the Champs-Elysées, recalled the lessons of Kallifeny, Artemis of Ephesus, and spoke:
– This is all one goddess, the twin of Apollo-Ull, the great Elicia. All one in one person, and this is only its embodiment, rather emanations.
“You answered wisely, and your answer is correct,” said the priestess in a stern voice. “Next question: What is the meaning of the Path of Dionysus and the Path of Apollo?”
– It is simple, Nearh answered, and unwittingly smiled, remembering the night of love with a beautiful girl and her teachings, -The path of Dionysus is the knowledge of the world through feelings, and the path of Apollo is the knowledge of the world through the mind, the spiritual path. The symbol of Apollo is Meander, and Dionysus is a bunch of grapes and curly ivy.
– And Elissia, what are her symbols? – asked another question
“The greatest one, at every Hellenic temple, is, Palmetta, crowning the frieze, as the hope of resurrection,” Nearh readily answered.
“You are one of us, Nearh, the elder priestess spoke in a warm voice, and if in the eyes of all Hellas there is any Cretan sorcerer, then where destiny leads you, you will know the covenants of the gods in the eyes of the ignorant. You are now Couretes, a guardian of God, a coribant, knowing the divine institutions. Take it as a sign of community, and wear it with honor, and handed the young man a ring with a picture of the left swastika.
– I congratulate you, said Diokles, – now not a boy, but the last initiation, smoking, koribant, a wise man, – seriously, though with some kind of squint, he said, “I taught you to kill you with a spear, try to do what Honor, now you have become a courier, a warrior of God.
“You must not cut your hair,” Kallifen sternly remarked. “Remember the instructions, and it’s time for you to go, and I will see you off.”
Nearh went to collect his simple belongings, removed his bed, in fact a pile of straw, and took his old raincoat, and a bag with scrolls. When he returned, a giggle was waiting for them, Kallifen was sitting in a carriage, and on the goats was an elderly temple attendant, Diokles remained at the priest’s house, as always strong reliable,
“Goodbye, guy, and let the luck be with you,” he said to the hierophant, “and follow the correct stand, don’t turn the brush when you strike, and watch the walking, in short, Nearh, don’t let yourself be killed.” And if something goes wrong, I’m always glad to see you here, the assistant will not bother me, he repeated, shaking his shoulders, and he accidentally raised the sleeve of the chiton, and changed his face, turned pale, not from fear, the navigator knew that Mentor is not scare, but by surprise, and pain for the student,
“I didn’t know that everything happened so,” and threw a quick glance at the wagon, but the priestess got distracted and didn’t hear them, “The chosen goddess,” he said already very quietly, “Pray for us,” he repeated, and put his fist to his forehead and bowed easily, – Be careful and do not tell anyone about the sign. Farewell and be happy if it works out, – he said, and Nearhar was already getting into the carriage, the driver pulled the reins, and the travelers set off.
Departure
The wagon was very shaky on the bumps, and the road was not at all very even, but Nearh settled down well on the mattresses, and he was almost conveniently, Kallifen also sat on pillows, and felt pretty good, but covered herself with a bedcloth so as not to attract other people’s eyes, and so that the dust would not clog up in the face and hair. The wagon was covered by an umbrella from the sun, so that its rays were fried not too mercilessly. Of course, we drove slowly, and watched the fields and gardens passing by, closer to the evening, we were going to stop at the inn. From time to time Kallifen spoke to her fellow traveler:
– So your father Androtim means? My father knows your father, he also sits in the Council of Lato,
Here, Nearh, who nestled comfortably on the pillows, choked, imagining his father’s reaction to a new acquaintance, because he wasn’t even an epheb, but Dad had a sharp temper, and with age he didn’t become quieter. Niarchu more than once fell for having sailed on the boat alone, or for diving too deep, trying to find the ring of Minos in the famous Voulesmeni lake. He looked again at the priestess who smiled sweetly at him, sitting beside him, and he felt the warmth of her thigh through the fabric, already understanding what she was getting at, but he pretended to be uncomprehending.
– Great,