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“Remember,” he said as we started to break off into pairs. “Teamwork is key. Use each other’s strengths. And most importantly, have fun with it.”
As the girls quickly paired off, I was left standing alone, my heart sinking at the prospect of being the odd one out. Then Father Mason turned to me.
“You’re on my team, but you will do all the work.”
“That sounds fair,” I said sarcastically.
He handed me the last large, white envelope. Inside was a folded piece of paper identical to those he’d distributed among the other teams. I opened it, revealing a list of ten items written in a cryptic way that made them sound like enigmas rather than everyday objects.
Gossamer Threads of Arachne’s Loom
Vestiges of Celestial Quill
Nymph’s Adornment
Athena’s Symbol
Pan’s Melody
Poseidon’s Trident
Cronus’ Footprint
Gaia’s Brooch
Vulcan’s Needle
Dionysian Revelry
I chuckled at the list, confused about what I was staring at. This was definitely going to be interesting.
“This isn’t a list,” one of the girls spat. “Like, where are we meant to get any of this stuff? What the heck is a Gossamer?”
“Well, we’ve been studying mythology for weeks now,” Mason explained. “You should know what each deity and god represents, so you need to decipher what each item could represent and collect them, placing them in your envelope.”
“Gaia’s brooch might be a leaf or a flower, I think. Gaia is the Greek goddess of Earth, the mother of all life.” My words filled the silence as the other girls stopped their grumbling to consider what I’d just said.
Father Mason’s gaze turned toward me, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “Well done, Katerina,” he commended, giving me an approving nod. “That’s your first answer. Now, work on the other nine. Good luck.”
“You have two hours.” With a wave of his hand, he set us off on our task. “Everything you need to find is near the cathedral. No need to wander off too far.”
His words spurred us into action, and just like that, we split, each team venturing in its own direction.
The woods were filled with a tranquil silence, broken only by the crunch of our footfalls and the distant chatter of the other girls. I led the way, Mason following closely behind me. A nervous flutter began to take hold of my stomach, heightened by the proximity of the man who had sent my world spinning just last week.
“First up, ‘Gossamer Threads of Arachne’s Loom,’” I murmured to myself, eyes scanning the list before me. Father Mason, who had followed me a safe distance away, merely watched, offering no hints.
A memory of a Greek myth sprung to mind from all the books I read about mythology growing up. So, this should be a breeze. Arachne had challenged the goddess Athena to a weaving competition. And what was the best loom in nature?
“Spiderweb,” I stated with conviction.
Mason’s interested gaze on me spurred me to take a leap and search for a nearby tree, quickly spotting a thin, intricate web swaying gently in the morning breeze. Gently, I collected a piece of it, tucking it into my envelope, feeling like it completely vanished in there, but I had the teacher with me, so he couldn’t fail me.
Next was the ‘Vestiges of Celestial Quill.’
“A feather, I believe,” I said aloud, then began to search the forest floor. Soon enough, I found a small white feather, picked it up carefully, and added it to my collection.
“Nymph’s Adornment next,” Father Bridge said.
