Artemis and Orion
the Original

Mythology

"I thank thee for thy reverence, Orion," she said. "But come, let us be companions of the hunt together, thou and I."

Orion looked up at her, and foresaw many days of sport and fun together, and laughed with the pleasure of the thought. "Yes, my lady," he said. "I would be thy companion of the hunt."

"I love thy laugh," the goddess said, and they together dressed the animal and took it back to the city for distribution to the people.

Artemis and Orion passed the summer together. By day they hunted and sported, challenging each other to foot races, archery, and storytelling. In the evenings around the fire they bared their souls and told each other about their lives, their lost loves, their secrets. Orion spoke of the men he had loved and hoped to love again. Artemis spoke of the nymphs who attended her, their love affairs, and her romantic attachments to the goddesses and women of her cities. They became, in short, fast friends.