The temple of the Fountains of Apollo was a cave; a cave with elegant, delicately carved walls and incredibly life like paintings that glowered with colour and almost seemed to move in the flickering light of the torches, but still....a cave...

Iolaus wasn't sure why he had bothered to come to the temple. He could probably guess his own answer. Hercules was not going to be in any mood to celebrate the Solstice after the loss of his family. But Iolaus missed him. The big guy had been there when he lost his own beloved Anya and Iolaus desperately wanted to return the favour. But Hercules had sent him away, determined to travel his own road as if by living among strangers he could keep his friends and family safe at arm’s length.

"So," said the priest of Apollo, gazing indulgently at the blond warrior before him. "Which do you wish to speak with? The Fount of All Wisdom or the Trickle of Knowledge?"

Iolaus blinked, coming back into focus on the plump priest in his heavily brocaded dark green robes. "There’s a difference?" he asked warily.

"About two dinars..."

"Why’s the trickle cheaper?" Iolaus asked curiously. "Apart from having a daft name?"

"The Trickle is still learning," retorted the priest, managing to sound the capital.

"So, it could give me the wrong answer?"

"No, the Fountains always give the right answer. Assuming you know the right answer...."

Iolaus sighed, ruffling one hand through his shaggy curls. "What if it can’t answer me at all?"

"Then you get a discount visit to the Fount," the priest said cheerfully. "Frankly, the Fount’s always a kit busy with kings and what have you around Solstice. You’ll probably have to wait in the queue...And the Trickle will answer more than one question for the same price." He lowered his voice a little, smiling faintly. "It enjoys it and it needs the practice..."

"Okay, okay, the Trickle it is then..."

Having surrendered his hard earned dinars, Iolaus was led from the main audience cave, down a narrow tunnel carved into the rock. It wound down and down, like the spiralling turns of a giant snake until finally opening out into a cave that glittered with mica deposits and was filled with the merry gurgle of water. Crystals suspended on delicate chains refracted light from the torches, filling the cave with a shimmer of rainbows. On the far side of the cave, a white quartz basin carved into the shape of a giant iris received the water bubbling out of a crevice in the wall above.

The priest bowed and led Iolaus to the side of the basin and up the steps to the edge. He indicated that Iolaus should kneel on the padded cushions of the top step and bent his portly frame to take a handful of herbs from on of the vases that flanked it. These he scattered across the surface, intoning softly under his breath and finally lifting his hands above the water in a soothing gesture. The rippling pool shimmered to ice smooth stillness; water so clear the shimmering quartz of the basin could clearly be seen.

"Ask your questions...." the priest told Iolaus quietly, stepping back to stand on the steps behind him. "You might want to explain a bit of the background if you like. Helps the Trickle....I’ll translate for both of you if necessary...."

"Ah, right um....This isn't the question, but do you know who Hercules is?" Iolaus said cautiously, feeling a bit embarrassed with the priest standing right behind him.

The waters shimmered and an image of the demi-god appeared on the water’s surface. "My, he looks unhappy," commented the priest in surprise, then hastily clapped a hand over his mouth and made a little patting gesture at Iolaus as the warrior glared at him.

"Again, not the question, but do you know why he’s unhappy?" Iolaus asked the Trickle grimly.

The pool flickered again this time with the liquid rush of fire before settling back to its silvery waiting stillness.

"That’s right," Iolaus sighed. "Now, the thing is, I’d do anything to make him happy even if it’s only for Solstice, but I can’t bring his family back, so I want to get him a gift." He gave the pool an expectant look.

"You have to ask it...." the priest prompted.

"No sarcastic comments about dumb questions?"

The priest looked down his nose at him. "Believe, me, I've heard dumber questions than how do I make my friend happy. Go on."

Iolaus flushed and turned hastily back to the pool. "So, what do I get Hercules for a Solstice Gift?"

The pool shimmered with a ripple of blue and purple and suddenly Iolaus found himself looking at his own face.

Iolaus rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I know, that’s me. What do I get him?"

Another ripple and still his own face.

The priest frowned and reached for another handful of herbs, sprinkling them across the pool. "Come on now," he coaxed.

The pool shivered and again Iolaus’ face appeared.

"I think it’s missing the point..." Iolaus muttered.

The water shuddered, churning in sudden agitation and apparently turning muddy.

"There, there," the priest said hastily. "No need to get agitated....He can’t help it if he’s thick...."

"Hey!" Iolaus protested.

"....but what have I told you about being obscure?"

The churning subsided, but Iolaus could still sense a faint air of sulkiness about the darkened waters.

"One more time...." the priest prompted and prodded Iolaus’ shoulder. "That means you...."

Iolaus glared and turned back to the pool. "I want to make Hercules happy, what gift can I buy him?"

The water remained obstinately still.

"Uh...." Iolaus frowned, wondering if it was being stubborn now.

But the priest nodded encouragingly. "That means it’s the wrong question."

"It’s my question. How can it be wrong?"

The pool rippled, showing a shower of dinars and popping out one by one as if they were bubbles.

"Oh...." Iolaus said slowly. "You mean I can’t buy him anything. But I can get him something?"

The fountain made an encouragingly bubbly sound.

"What?"

The pool shimmered and showed the hunter’s face again.

"Now look...." Iolaus growled impatiently.

"No, no wait...." the priest said hastily. "It’s still learning. Maybe it’s not phrasing it right. But it does want to answer you. Trickle, dear, perhaps you can explain it a different way?"

The pool rippled and something like a sigh seemed to murmur through the water.

"Yes, I know it’s exasperating," the priest said consolingly. "It’s all very well being mystically meaningful but it’s no good if no one understands...."

The pool darkened.

"I think you’ve upset it," Iolaus scolded the priest dryly and leaned forward peering into the brooding water. "Please?" After a second the pool brightened. "What do you mean by showing me myself?" Iolaus asked in his most persuasive tone, the one he used on the women.

The pool blushed suddenly pink and gold and rippled as if shivering in delight, then smoothed out, showing first Hercules laughing as he played with Deianara and his kids, then Alcmene and back to Iolaus and finally Hercules with a startled expression on his face and a slow forming smile. With one final shimmer the image settled back to Iolaus....

"Oh," said the priest with a faint smile as he rested one hand on the puzzled warrior’s shoulder. "I think I know what the Trickle means...."

Iolaus nodded slowly, his blue eyes lit with a hint of pleasure. "So, do I. One more question then, where do I find Hercules.....?"

Bruised and battered and weary of body and soul, Hercules trudged back through the village towards the inn where he was staying. It was dark and he should have been back hours ago, but he hadn’t been able to face been able to face the excitement all around him; the looks on the faces of the youngsters racing around, getting underfoot as the Solstice decorations were put out. All the windows were lit now, candles and lanterns burning merrily to hold back the darkness of night.

Hercules sighed, feeling lost and alone, dull with the ache of loss....All the darkness seemed to be in him these days. Ever since he had lost Deianara and his kids, there seemed to be no light left. No laughter, no joy, no pleasure. Fighting monsters was a chore, something to fill in an endless procession of meaningless days that seemed to have no point....

He took a deep breath as he reached the inn door and shoved it open, hearing the bellow of enthusiastic if not particularly tuneful singers celebrating the Solstice Eve. He winced, forcing an unfelt smile to his face and nodding to the cheerful greetings he received. Everyone loved Hercules, but he loved no one these days. Something inside him had frozen, trapping him inside his own loss....

He wished he had left the day before, stayed away for the Eve and for Solstice itself, found a nice dark cave somewhere. Somewhere nice and dark and damp and dank and gloomy....it would have suited his mood perfectly, killjoy that he was...

Hercules blinked, surprising himself with a flicker of amusement at his own self depreciation. You really do feel sorry for yourself, don’t you, he found himself thinking, shaking his head. Get over yourself, Herc, Iolaus would have said. You’re not the only one to have loved and lost....

Hercules swallowed hard, reminded all too sharply of his friend. When he thought of how often he had nearly lost the hunter too....

It didn’t bear thinking about, but it was a salient reminder of why he hadn't gone running home to Alcmene and Iolaus. It was too dangerous for them. Better to stay away, alone. He should not wish for them to be here...

"Hercules!" One of the inn’s serving maids appeared under his nose, thrusting a plate of dainty pastries at him. "Open wide!" she demanded, holding up a little puffed delight.

Hercules opened his mouth wearily, letting her shove the almond treat into his mouth. He swallowed it down; his stomach gurgling at the first food it had had all day, thinking how much Iolaus would love the treats. The hunter always loved Solstice...

And the pastry tasted exactly like the ones his mother always made, doubling the quantity every time she knew Iolaus was coming.

The maid had stepped back to look him up and down. "You’d better have a bath and get changed before dinner," she ordered.

"Dinner?" Hercules echoed. "I thought I’d eat in my room...."

"At Solstice?!" she exclaimed, shocked. "Never. Bath house is all ready. Off you go. Get a change of clothes."

Hercules found himself pushed to the stairs and climbed them if only to get away from her bright eyed chirpy enthusiasm. She was so young and he felt so old, so old and tired and bone weary to the very depths of his soul....

And once you reach the bottom, the only way is up....Iolaus always said that. He could almost imagine hearing him laugh....

Feeling as if he could cry, Hercules stomped along the corridor to his room, doing his best to ignore the sweet scent of the fresh pine boughs that had been put up in decoration. You are being pathetic, he told himself irritably. All this feeling sorry for yourself because it’s Solstice. What you need is a good kick in the-.

He shoved open his door, stepping inside and halting as he took in the candle burning brightly in its little ring of polished wooden flowers. It was exactly like the one Alcmene always lit for at home at Solstice. Hercules took a step towards it.

No, not exactly. It was the one....

A whisper of movement behind him made him turn, tensing for an attack and freeze as Alcmene flung herself at him. Hercules caught her instinctively, shocked, wondering for a horrible second what new trick was being sent to torture him with, feeling her lips on his cheek. Her happy, "Merry Solstice, darling..." in his ear.

And behind her, blue eyes shining with familiar joy, bubbling with the laugh he had thought he had imagined in the corridor. Iolaus, grinning at him in sheer joy....

"Hi, Herc, I brought you your Solstice present. Me and Alcmene...."

Alcmene giggled like a girl, smiling at the hunter. "My hero," she laughed. "He came to fetch me, Hercules. I was at my wit’s end wondering how I could find you for Solstice and there he was turning up out of nowhere..."

"My timing s always perfect," Iolaus said solemnly, mischief glinting in his eyes. "Or so the girls tell me...."

"Iolaus!" Alcmene scolded even as she laughingly swatted him on the arm.

They were so bright, so normal, so real....

Hercules felt the ice that had frozen him start to thaw....

Hercules had no idea of how late it was. The merriment swirled around him as he watched his mother dancing with the innkeeper who was surprisingly light on his feet. Iolaus had danced with every girl in the inn, flirted with them all and spent an equal amount of time being pursued by every girl in the inn. Iolaus had taken him off to bathe in the hot waters of the bath house, coaxing him out of him some of what the demi-god had been up to since they parted. Hercules could tell from the glint in Iolaus’ eye that his friend not only didn’t approve, but had no intention of letting it continue. Nor from the way Alcmene had acted, had she any intention of letting him go anywhere except home with her after Solstice.

Hercules smiled to himself. It was a weary smile and felt strange on his face, but it also felt good. So had the huge meal the innkeeper had produced for his guests, from a goose so succulent it melted in the mouth to the delicious almond pastries that Alcmene had herself made for them.

A breathless Iolaus sank into the chair beside him, a ribbon wrapped slim package in his hands. "How you doing, Herc?"

"My cup runneth over," Hercules responded. He lifted his cup to demonstrate and startled himself with a giggle as the ale sloshed over the side.

"Are you drunk?" Iolaus asked, wide eyed in surprise.

"Only a little...." Hercules admitted. "And it feels good..."

Iolaus nodded. "About time...." he approved.

"Hmmh. Where’d you go? I thought one of the maids chased you upstairs."

"With Alcmene watching? I wouldn’t dare!" Iolaus shifted round to face him and pushed the ribbon wrapped package towards him.

"How’d you find me anyway?" Hercules wondered. "How’d you know I needed.....wanted....ah...." He gestured helplessly.

Iolaus smiled at him affectionately. "You’ve had enough time on your own, Herc...."

"No, you know why..."

Iolaus held up a hand to silence him. "No more, Herc. Alcmene and I have decided. I went all the way to the Fountains to find out where you were and the decision is you’ve done enough hurting. You can’t live in your memories forever. Its time to get on with living again."

"Iolaus...."

"Hush, Hercules," Iolaus told him firmly and gave the package another little push. "Go on, open it. One last memory...."

Hercules frowned, puzzled but willing as he untied the ribbon and unfolded the cloth. An arrow slid onto the table between them, purple and blue fletched to show it was one of Iolaus’. Even as he turned it in his fingers he knew what he would find; his own name neatly carved along the shaft.

Slowly, very slowly, Hercules lifted his head to meet his friend’s blue eyed regard. The memories shifted through his mind; Clonus demanding he showed him how to make the arrow, wanting to make sure his beloved Uncle Iolaus wouldn’t get himself killed. "I don't want you to be killed, Uncle Iolaus. I’d miss you. So I thought if I had the arrow that's got your name on it, you wouldn't get killed and you’d come home…"

"I still have the one Clonus gave me," Iolaus said softly. "Remember what you told me? Remember how it hurt? Now, I know how you felt too..."

Hercules swallowed his tears. "Iolaus...." he choked.

"You said, you can't stop loving people. Going away won't change that. You can't stop Alcmene loving you and asking me if I've heard from you every time I see her. She's been out of her mind over you. We all have. We need you, Herc. You need us. Let us help. Come home." Iolaus waited a moment, and then gave him a cocky grin. "Something like that anyway. I always thought that was true. You going to tell me you lied?"

"Iolaus...." Hercules managed again and then stopped. Was it a lie? Wasn’t he doing exactly what Hera wanted? Hera wanted him destroyed and if he destroyed his own soul, wasn't he only helping her? Wasn’t the fact he could on loving the only thing he could do? The only right thing to do? Goodness knew how much his leaving had hurt Alcmene and Iolaus.....

Oh, he remembered how much it had hurt knowing Iolaus was out there alone doing his best to get himself killed because it hurt so much.

Hercules took a deep breath, looking down at the arrow again. "The arrow with my name on it," he said softly. "You made this."

Iolaus gave a little shrug. "I know making it made me feel better somehow, maybe some how a little bit of magic to protect you...."

Hercules swallowed. "Iolaus," he said very, very softly. "Did I ever tell you how much I love you? You’re my family too."

"Only when you’re drunk."

Hercules nodded. "Hmmh. Well, doesn't mean I don’t mean it."

"I know that too, you big lug. What would you do without me to take care of you?"

"Huh? Now wait a minute...."

Iolaus laughed and bounded to his feet, grabbing his arm. "Come on, come and dance...Alcmene’s calling...."

Hercules stumbled upright. "Yes, I know she is. But you know I don’t dance..."

"Sure you do....It’s Solstice, Herc!"

"Iolaus...." Hercules rumbled.

"Ah, you almost sounded like yourself then," Iolaus looked up at him, a hint of pleading in his eyes. "Herc," he said softly, seriously. "It’s Solstice, I brought you Alcmene and me as a gift. How about giving me a gift? Give me back my friend...."

Hercules blinked and without thinking wrapped both arms around him, lifting the warrior off his feet into an affectionate bearhug. "Deal...." he promised, knowing it was finally, at long last the answer he had been seeking. The right thing to do....

"I missed you, Herc...." Iolaus gasped as he was set down again.

"I missed you too, more than words can say...." Hercules admitted and let the hunter drag him forward, grinning as Alcmene grabbed his free hand and pulled him into dancing to the sound of the flutes and drum.

Stamping and dancing in the rhythm of the dance with Iolaus and Alcmene on either side of him, Hercules was irresistibly drawn into the circle dance of the Solstice, back into the warmth and love of life, with his mother to support him and his friend beside him. Once more back where he belonged beside them....