Title:  Donjeta and the Sea -- Chapter Four -- The Witch's 
Isle

Codes:  nosex, viol, magic, caution

Summary:  Castaways, Donjeta and Telemachus must resist 
hunger and a most seductive foe.


*****


The three Ithacan ships sped in front of the storm, barely 
keeping ahead.  Our crew shot into action, getting 
everything shipshape fast, tying down what they could, 
except their oars.  They tied themselves to their benches, 
and their oars swept the sea.

"Is this a good idea, Captain, to row into the storm?"

"I'd rather risk Poseidon's wrath than that prince.  Death 
is less certain, and a better death in any case."

"We could parley with Telemachus, make him let you go in 
exchange for me."

"And trust him not to kill us once he had you safe?"

"I could cling to a barrel until you passed over the 
horizon.  If he came near me, or pursued, I would cast 
myself into the sea."

"Might work.  Might not.  We haven't the time with the 
storm.  But still, I wouldn't agree.  The goddess commanded 
me to keep you safe.  I won't risk her certain wrath, or her
fierce sister's.  Better to die at sea."

"Ah."

"You should go below, Princess."

"No.  I won't die hiding.  I'll face this head-on, and if we
live, what a sight to have seen.  No Captain, tie me to the 
rail."

We rowed off angle to the Ithacans toward the tempest.  Two 
of their ships sped on straight.  They would miss us by far.
The other turned.

"He follows."

Of course he did.  He was stupid, not cowardly.


*****


The waves rose to the sky.  The wind howled, and the rain 
beat.  The dark sea churned, casting us this way and that --
until I didn't know up from down.  The clouds, the sea -- 
same thing.

It wasn't long before the wood began to splinter.  The oars 
went first.  Strong oars that had survived many voyages 
splintered like twigs before the roaring surge.  Then the 
planking was stripped along the left-fore.  The sea came in,
and the men bellowed in terror.  They cut their lashings and
tossed themselves into the sea to their watery graves.  I 
heard a spar snap, then another.  It wasn't much longer.  
The sea grabbed us and spun us around.  Down we went, and 
the water closed over the ship.

I took my knife, the one from darling Pallas, and cut the 
line that bound me to the splintering hull.  I slipped free 
under the water.  I was pulled away and twisted in the 
darkness.  The knife was wrenched from my grasp, gone 
forever.  I had no more hope.

Cold hands grabbed me, strong hands that seized me and 
overcame my panic.  I felt the creature kick, propelling us 
through the water with the strength of many men.  I saw long
hair swirl in the shadowy blue.  I saw its eyes.

To the surface, with its pelting rain and shearing wind.  I 
gasped a life-giving breath.  The creature still held me, a 
nereid -- I guessed -- a daughter of the old king of the 
sea.  She swam me to a long splinter of the ship's keel, 
bobbing in the waves.  She placed me on it, and I grabbed 
firm.  She kissed me.  Then she dived.

I clung to that scrap of wood, carried along by the storm 
through the day and most of the night, until it blew itself 
out.  The stars showed themselves, and all the world was 
calm.


*****


Thirst.  Drifting and thirst -- many days.  And the 
unbearable sun.


*****


I woke on a white beach with a lush green forest beyond.  
Telemachus stood over me, his body bruised, his clothes 
torn.  He had a big leering grin.

"Oh Poseidon has answered my every prayer, dear Donjeta, for
here we are stranded on this lonely isle, far in the endless
sea, together.  What could be better?"

"Many things could be better Telemachus.  Many, many 
things."

I had no knife, but neither had he.  However, throwing him 
to the sand and strangling him would give me no pleasure, 
just then.  He seemed pitiful, his evil deeds more the 
tantrums of a silly child than the malice a fearsome man.

"Is there food?"

"Yes.  The trees are abundant with a delicious red fruit.  
And the animals!  They are so tame to walk right up to you.
When we've fashioned a simple spear, I will slaughter one 
for you, and you can prepare a meal."

If he thought I'd cook for him, he was crazy, but he brought
me some of the red fruit, and I ate, suckling on the juices 
which stung my cracked lips.  I staggered into the trees to 
a spring and drank my fill.

I said a prayer to Pallas, giving her all my love.

"How about the trees?  They seem stout.  Can we cut some 
down?  Can we make the tools?  We could build a raft."

"Ha!  Donjeta, ever looking to escape.  But here's the funny
part.  There's a ship!  A full ship, appointed and ready to 
sail."

"Oh?"

"Ah, but it's a fifty man ship, empty and no sign of a 
crew."

"I'll look at this ship."

"I wonder if you'll recognize it.  It's the most amusing 
thing.  I'm still laughing.  Poseidon, ever my family's 
friend."

The ship was in a small cove a mile down the beach.  It was 
the slave ship, the one that had brought me to Ithaca, 
pulled up on the sand and tied off to the trees.

"Yes!  My prayers to Poseidon were answered, and this 
foolish captain was brought low for daring to lash my lovely
Donjeta!"

He reached out to touch me.  I stepped away.


*****


I searched the ship and found a knife and spear.  I tossed 
him a spear also.  We ate more fruit, and drank again.  I 
felt strength returning.  We headed inland to explore the 
isle.

As we passed into the thickness of the woods, we came across
a trail heading up to the steep heights in the center of the
isle.  We followed it, alert.

"This island isn't quite as lonely as you thought."

"I guess it isn't."

A beautiful youth with only hints of his first beard came 
crashing out of the trees barely five yards ahead of us.  He
saw us, stopped and turned, and gave a little bow.

"Fellow travelers, what brings you to the Isle of Aeaea?"

"Huh?  The Isle of ah-eh-what?"

"Aeaea."

"Shipwrecked, and you Greeks make the silliest words."

He smiled.

"The undying gods named this island, lovely girl.  What are 
your names?"

"Donjeta.  This is prince Telemachus."

"Ah!  Telemachus!  The son of clever Odysseus?"

"I am he."

"How wonderful.  Well friends, I'm called Phoibos.  I hail 
from Thebes with seven gates."

That's what they called the Thebes in Greece.  The one in 
Egypt had more gates.

"Ah.  Well Phoibos, what brings you to this lonely isle?  Do
you live here?" I asked.

"No.  This is the home of Circe, the fearsome witch.  I'm 
just passing through.  I shall deliver you a message, and a 
warning."

"Oh?"

"There is a gray eyed lady who says do not give up hope.  
She watches over you, as she can, and there are friends 
everywhere."

I smiled.

"And she warns you, do not eat the flesh of the pig, no 
matter how hungry you become, no matter how nicely the witch
offers.  Do not eat, not on this isle."

"I shall not."

He came close and whispered.

"And I'm to give you this.  It is an elixir that dispels 
foul magic.  When you're ready, when your position is 
strong, feed it to the pigs."

He deftly slipped the potion into my belt.  Telemachus was 
staring at a tree and didn't seem to notice.

"Farewell friends.  If you continue on this path, you'll 
come to the witch's house.  Remember, do not eat the pigs."

With that he winged off into the trees and was gone from 
sight.

"I wonder if he has a boat?"

"He was sent by the gods you idiot."

Telemachus was starting to crack.


*****


He hadn't been kidding about the animals.  When we reached 
the witch's house, there were lions and wolves sauntering 
around the little glen, calm with no sense of threat.  The 
prince walked straight out.

"See.  They're perfectly tame."

He walked right up to a wolf and petted its scruff.  It 
nuzzled him.

The house itself sat beyond the glen, two stories with walls
of dressed stone.  It had narrow windows and a wide open 
door over a small set of steps.  Down them came the witch, 
wearing a flowing gown of finely spun thread.  Her hair was 
dark and lustrous, in braids.  She had wide dark eyes and 
full pouty lips.  She stopped and looked at the prince 
fondling her wolf.  A smile crossed her face, slowly, as if 
she relished the very arrival of the feeling -- whatever 
feelings the witch may have.

"Welcome guest.  What brings you, a man so clearly of high 
and noble birth, to my home?"

The prince glanced up, noticing her.  He stood frozen for 
several seconds.

"Shipwrecked in a storm, castaway on the waves to drift for 
days, and brought to your door, one so clearly a god, by 
Poseidon himself.  I am Telemachus, prince of Ithaca.  Who 
are you?"

"I'm Circe, and I'm overjoyed that you have come.  We will 
drink to the god of the sea for sending you.  Come.  It's 
warm inside."

The prince went.  The door closed behind him.  Neither he 
nor the witch seemed to notice me at all.


*****


I stole to the side of the house to peer through a window.  
When I got there, I noticed the pigsties and heard the 
grunting of the swine.  They were behind the house, their 
enclosure ramshackle as if hastily made, wooden posts and 
narrow slats lashed together by twine.

I crept up to them.  I made a quick count, about fifty pigs 
rooting in the muck.  I stood and watched them, feeling the 
dark knowledge come over me.  It was obvious.

Back to the house, to a window.  I listened and heard the 
sweet musical tone of the witch's laughter.  Then I heard 
the unmistakable sizzling sound of frying grease, and the 
smell hit me.  I ran to the front and up the stairs.  I 
yanked the door open -- it wasn't locked -- and sprinted 
into the hall.

"Don't eat the pigs, Telemachus!"

"But I'm hungry and it smells good."

The witch stood by the hearth heating a iron plate.  She 
turned and looked at me.

"Oh -- and who is this?  You didn't mention you had a 
friend, darling Telemachus.  What's your name, sweetie?"

"Hi.  I'm Donjeta."

"Hi Donjeta.  I'm Circe."

"Yeah.  I figured that out.  Telemachus, trust me.  Don't 
eat the pig."

The witch smiled at me.  I noticed several rashers of meat 
frying on the iron.  A slaughtered pig was hanging from a 
hook.

"Shall I put some on for you sweetie.  The fruit on this 
island is delicious, but hardly nourishing.  A growing body 
needs meat."

My stomach grumbled and turned.  She was right about the 
fruit.

"No thank you."

I still had my spear and knife.  Telemachus had set his 
spear in the corner, but I held on to mine.

I shot forward and lunged at her.  Telemachus shrieked.  She
turned fast.  With a simple flick of her hand a bright light
flashed.  I saw nothing but spots.  I blinked, spinning 
around, thrusting my spear this way and that, but hit 
nothing but the wall.  Then strong arms grabbed me and 
wrapped me up.  I felt the spear yanked from my grasp, and 
the knife stripped from my belt.

"What a wretched little creature!  Tie her up!"

"Donjeta, how could you?  She is our host."

I felt my wrists and ankles bound.  I was cast into a 
corner.  Gradually my sight returned, and I saw Telemachus 
gorging on the flesh of the pig, the flesh of the ship's 
crew transformed.  Circe watched him, smiling.


*****


"The gods will punish you for this."

"Oh sweetie, the gods have already punished me, banished to 
this isle to be lonely forever, trapped with nothing but my 
silence and my spells."

"Why did you do it?  Turn the ship's crew to swine, then 
feed them to Telemachus?"

"Ah, now he is cursed.  He has eaten the flesh of men.  He 
cannot return to civilized lands; what city would take in 
one so stained?  No, Telemachus must stay with me now, on 
Circe's isle.  I will give him eternal life, and I will 
never be lonely again."

I had to admit, I didn't see a downside.  'Cept for the pig.

"Couldn't you convince one of the ship's crew to stay with 
you?  Surely at least one man would delight at eternal life 
with a nymph?"

"No doubt, but those men were dirty and crude.  Have you 
seen them?  They are hardly more grotesque as swine than as 
men."

"Ah yes, I know those men well and bear them no love."

"I'm glad you've become so reasonable.  Our relationship 
started on the wrong foot, I think."

"Yes.  It did.  So -- what do you intend for the remainder 
of the pigs.  Surely not to eat them, I hope."

She pondered.

"Well -- yes, that's what I planned to do.  Have you a 
better suggestion?"

"Give them to me."

"Oh?"

"Yes.  Since you have darling Telemachus to keep you warm, I
would only get in the way.  In fact, the prince was rather 
sweet on me before he met you.  Having me around would only 
tempt him, weak as he is, and lead to petty jealousy.  
Neither of us want that.  So, give me the crew to row me 
back to the lands of men."

"I won't spend my power to undo the spell.  My magic 
ingredients are precious to me, and I have such little 
left."

"Leave that to me.  I have friends and resources."

"Ah!  Yes!  I expect that you do.  Alright, the crew is 
yours.  Take them and soon; their constant grunting 
interrupts my sleep.  And more, for bringing me such a sweet
man, I will give you a gift."

"Oh?"

"Yes.  An elixir.  A balm to heal the mightiest wounds.  
Take it.  If ever you, or another, are cut down -- even if 
only with the barest shred of life -- apply this to the 
wound and all will be well.  Even blindness or severed limbs
are nothing to it.  It will heal all."

I thanked the witch.  I took the balm, and my pigs, and 
slipped out without saying goodbye to Telemachus.


*****


I led the pigs to the shore.  I found the captain first; he 
was the large bossy pig.  I gave him a drop of the elixir, 
the one Pallas sent.  There was a column of smoke, and he 
turned back into a man.

"Hi Captain.  Remember me!"

I kicked him hard -- there.  He dropped howling.

"That's for the beatings, and for selling me to that 
wretched prince!"

He lay on the ground, curled up and gurgling.

"So, dear captain, we have a bit of a predicament."

He didn't answer.  He kept gurgling.  I guess I'd kicked him
too hard.

"So, I have a way to turn you back to men, which no doubt 
you all want.  And you have a ship to row back to the lands 
of men.  It seems a simple enough deal, but how can I trust 
you?"

He was finally able to utter words.

"I give you my word."

"Hmm.  No, your word is worth nothing."

"What choice do you have?"

He had a point.  I sat on a log and watched the pigs root in
the sand.


*****


I knocked on the witch's door.

"Hi Circe."

"Hi Donjeta.  I thought you'd left."

"Well, I didn't get very far.  So look, can you make me 
appear like the captain of the ship?"

"It's possible.  Why?"

"The obvious reason.  I would tie him up in the woods, 
change the crew back, and sail away with them.  Then, when I
got somewhere safe, I'd change back -- oh, and I need a way 
to change back too.  Then I'd escape from them."

"Sounds nice, but no.  I told you, my ingredients are 
precious to me.  I already gave you the healing elixir.  
That's all you get.  The rest, figure it out!"

She slammed the door.

I got an idea.  I knocked on her door again.

"What?"

"How 'bout chains?  Do you have any chains?"

"Yes, Donjeta, I have many chains."

"Can I borrow -- like -- fifty?"


*****


She didn't have fifty chains, but I got another idea.  It 
required rope.  The ship had plenty of rope.

I restored each man one by one, overpowering him and tying 
him to an oar -- with two ropes, one long, one short.  The 
captain too, I tied him to an oar.

I slew two men who struggled when I tied them.  The rest got
wise.

'Cept Eukleides.  I remembered him and slew him right away.
He didn't even struggle.

I cut the lines that held the ship.  Then, I waited for the 
tide to lift us.  When it did, I went down the line and 
lashed the men, making them row us out past the waves.  I 
shouted at them like a devil.  I slew three who lurched at 
me, trying to break their bonds.

We got past the breakers.  I went to the rear deck and 
looked over the men.

"Alright!  Now I choose ten, enough to work the sail and get
us, gods willing, to some civilized land.  Just ten, the men
who convince me they'll be loyal, who'll follow me.  Speak 
up!  Who will swear!"

Chaos erupted.  About half began to swear.  The other half 
struggled at their bonds.  I ran down the line stabbing 
right and left with my spear, killing many.  The rest became
docile as little lambs.  But I remembered -- I remembered 
the first to swear.

I chose my men, the ten I guessed most loyal.

"Alright.  The rest of you have two choices.  I kill you, or
you go over the side.  Swim back to the witch's isle or die 
at sea.  I don't care."

I went down the line row by row to the unlucky men.  If they
struggled, they died, my spear in their throat.  If they 
submitted, I cut the short rope with the long edge of the 
spear.  I prodded them 'till the went over the side, 
dangling on the water by the long rope.  Then I cut that and
brandished the spear to make sure they swam away.

It was slow bloody work.  The screams and groans were 
terrible.  One man tried to swim back to the ship and get 
behind me.  Others refused to jump, begging to be chosen.  
Those men died.  Soon only the ten were left.  The captain 
had gone over the side.

"Alright men!  You've sworn before the gods to follow me.  
I'll cut your bonds."

I started at the front, cutting each free, then dancing out 
of reach to the next.  I went quickly down the ship.  Then I
hopped up on the rear deck, looking back at the men gathered
below.

"Alright you dogs, raise the mast.  Set the sail."

Five got a fierce look and came at me, but I'd counted on 
that.  I slew them fast, two with my spear, the second 
wresting it from my grasp as he fell back dying.  Then my 
knife came out, and I leapt among the three turning and 
slashing among the oars until they went down, blood gushing 
from opened throats.  Back to the deck.

"Throw the dead over the side, then hoist the sail!"

I was left with five loyal men.


*****


(To be continued ...)


*****


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