The Silver Coin

'Is there any progress?' Jason strode through the courtyard towards his wife and child.
'She is getting weaker.' Diana met her husband's eyes and he saw the desperation there.
'You are tired, give the child to Daphnis and get some rest. You worry too much.' Diana shook her head and her hair tumbled from its position on top of her head. She stood and took the baby into the main room. Sighing he followed her back in and found her knelt before the fire. Jason was beginning to lose patience with his wife. Helena had been getting steadily weaker since the day she was born, and despite the three healthy sons they already shared Diana had become fixated with her newborn. She hadn't left the house since the birth, just spent her days praying to Hestia in front of the fire. Jason knew the child was a lost cause, he just wished that his wife could see this for herself. He knew he would have to order Diana to abandon the child soon, but for now he would leave her alone with her daughter, just for one more night.

Diana sat, for what felt like hours, staring into the face of her newborn, uttering a silent prayer to the Gods. She knew in her heart that her child would recover, she had done nothing to anger the Gods, and they would not let her down. If only her husband would realise this. Time passed but Diana noticed nothing other than her child's shallow breaths, until she was suddenly roused by Daphnis' entry.
'Your sons are sleeping and the guests have arrived.' She paused before asking, 'Is there any improvement?' Diana shook her head slowly.
'Daphnis, what can we do? If she doesn't get stronger Jason will make me leave her. I cannot do that.' Daphnis' heart broke as she looked into Diana's desperate eyes. Although she was just a nurse to this family Daphnis felt a strong connection to them and hated to see Diana so distressed.
'You keep your fire burning for Hestia; she will look after your family. Trust the Gods Diana.' Diana nodded,
'Thank you Daphnis. You can return to Jason and his guests now.' As Daphnis stood to leave, she stopped suddenly and put a hand on Diana's shoulder.
'I have heard of a temple, on the Isle of Cos, I have been told stories of sick people being healed there by the Gods. It will be difficult to reach but if Jason were to let you go¦' she trailed off knowing that Jason would never authorise such a trip, and seeing the hope that had returned to Diana's eyes she felt she had made a mistake.

That evening as Jason reclined on the couch drinking wine and enjoying the entertainment and conversation, he heard a wail come from the courtyard. The music stopped and the men turned to their host. Jason smiled nervously at his guests and excused himself quickly. When he reached the courtyard he found his wife kneeling before their slave. She was crying hysterically.
'What is the meaning of this disruption?' he demanded. On seeing her husband Diana rushed to his feet.
'Tell me it's not true, oh Jason please. Tell me you have not ordered the death of our daughter.' Her face was red and streaked with dirt, her chiton was ripped and he felt a surge of anger at her appearance.
'Diana, you are too dramatic. Stand up.' Diana rose to her feet and met her husband's gaze. 'Helena is weak, she is getting weaker, and we would be unable to support her even if she were to gain the health you so wish for her. I have told Daphnis to take her to the mountain tomorrow. She will leave her there and return alone.' Diana began to shake her head.
'There is a temple on the Isle of Cos, I've heard stories about the sick going on pilgrimages there, and they were healed. I want to take her to the temple.' His wife suddenly turned her face to meet his, a look of desperation was etched into it and Jason realised that she would not give up so easily.
'Diana that is not possible. It is too far away. There are mountains in between.'
'Jason.'
'You are a woman and my wife and therefore you are to do as I request. I will hear no more on this matter. Now if you are finished I have guests to return to.' He turned from his wife and strode out of the courtyard but stopped as he heard his wife say quietly.
'Yes I am a woman, and your wife. I am also a mother. As a woman in this world I have one responsibility. My family. You cannot take that away from me Jason. It is my one right as a woman.'
'You have no rights woman. Daphnis will take Helena away tomorrow and I will hear no more.' There was a long silence, Jason and Diana stared into each others eyes but neither really saw the other, finally Diana said.
'I will take her.'
'Fine.' And with that Jason left his wife alone.

That night Diana did not sleep, she stayed by the fire praying to Hestia for her child's strength to grow. The Gods had been kind to Diana and her family and she refused to believe that they would abandon her now. She cursed her husband for his stubborn nature and herself for her inability to oppose him. But she knew what she had to do. The next morning she laid her daughter in her cradle and moved silently to her bedroom. She stopped by her bed and knelt on the floor, from under which she took a small wooden box. Inside this box were a number of precious items: a necklace her mother had given her, an ornament she had worn in her hair the day she and Jason had married. She reached in and took out a small silver coin; her father had given it to her when she was a small girl. She knew she would need it to lie on her daughter to ensure her safe passage to the underworld. A single tear fell from her eye as she placed it in the fold of her chiton and closed the box. Returning to the cradle she took her daughter in her arms and set off for the mountain. A slave of the family accompanied her on her journey and they walked for what seemed like days. She was reluctant to stop and ended up walking further up the barren mountain than she had ever planned. When she finally settled it was already close to dark, she knew she would not have long to say goodbye. She sat on the rock with her child in her arms and wept at her inability to heal her daughter. She wept as she looked into the face of her child. Helena was sleeping peacefully, her pale skin almost translucent in the twilight. She knew that if she was to be back before sunset she would have to leave, but nothing in this world or the next could tear her away from her sleeping child. Diana knew that were she to return with her child her husband would order Daphnis to take her. At that moment Diana wanted to lie down and die alongside her child, but she had three other children, she had responsibilities. How could she leave her own flesh and blood on the mountainside to die like this? As she sat weeping and begging for some miracle the slave who had accompanied her appeared,
'We have to leave, it is getting dark, I do not trust my sense of direction to lead us home after the sun has set. We must leave now.' Diana nodded slowly.
'One minute Lasus.'
'Lady¦'
'One minute' she repeated more firmly. Lasus moved further down the mountain leaving her alone with her child. She lay Helena down on the ground and placed a silver coin on her small chest, kissed her head and voiced one last prayer to the Gods.

The coin was more than payment. Diana could see in her mind just how it would happen, how the miracle she prayed for would unfold. She would walk away, leaving Helena sleeping peacefully on the mountainside; moments after she left a young couple would stumble across the child. The couple would be loving and hardworking, but unable to bear children of their own. They would see Helena as a gift from the Gods and would lift her into their arms. Upon lifting her from the ground they would knock the silver coin from her chest and it would roll down the side of the mountain. The coin would soon land at Diana's feet as she made her way down the mountain and upon seeing it she would flee back to her child. She would arrive to find her daughter in the arms of this loving couple and their eyes would meet. No words would be said but Diana would simply nod her approval before turning away. Years later a beautiful woman would arrive at Diana's house, and without a word she would know that Helena had returned home.

But as Diana reached the bottom of the mountain, eyes and ears straining for any sign of the coin, she knew Helena would never come home.

When Diana returned, Daphnis was waiting in the courtyard for her. Her face was pale and concerned but Diana did not stop to talk. Instead she walked directly to the fountain and began to fill a bucket with water.
'What are you doing?' Diana did not answer but walked with the bucket into the main room. 'Diana?' Daphnis followed her and saw as she stopped in front of the fire. 'Diana, you can not put out that fire, it is a tribute to Hestia, she has kept your family safe, you must keep the fire burning.' But Diana was not listening, she was remembering the first time she had seen her daughter, how she had thanked the Gods for such a beautiful gift. She tilted the bucket and threw the water onto the fire watching with deep satisfaction as the flames sizzled and died.
'What about Hestia?' breathed Daphnis.
'What about her?' Diana replied as she walked from the room.