Echo and Narcissus (and Chione)

Chione saw her crouched behind a boulder, voicelessly sobbing and knew her sororal duty. Talking to Echo was a trying task ever since Hera had cursed her as punishment for aiding Zeus in his philandering. Once so loquacious, Echo could now only repeat part of what had just been said to her. It was slow going but if you phrased your questions correctly you could usually get her gist. In the end, Echo was a fellow Nymph and an attempt had to be made.

'Is there a problem?' asked Chione, gently wrapping her arm around Echo's shoulders.

‘Problem.’

If Chione hadn’t had her arm around Echo she would have facepalmed herself. Of course there was a problem. Without any hints it was going to be difficult to get anything sensible out of her. Time to resort to yes or no questions. ‘Can you nod yes or shake your head no for me?’

‘Nod yes’ Echo nodded ‘and shake your head no’ she replied, shaking her head.

‘Good’ said Chione gently. ‘Now, are you hurt?’

‘Hurt’ replied Echo nodding her head vigorously.

Chione could see no obvious injury. ‘Can you point to where you are hurt?’

‘Hurt’ repeated Echo, pointing to her chest.

Chione saw no blood so put her hand against Echo’s breastbone. She could feel no broken bones, just Echo’s heart racing. After a second she twigged. ‘Did someone break your heart?’

‘Heart’ Echo nodded and her tears began anew.

Time to uncover this scoundrel Chione thought. ‘Now Echo. I’m going to say a few options and I want you to put your emphasis on the correct answer.’

‘Correct answer’ Echo assented.

‘Now, was the object of your desire a man or a woman?’ enquired Chione, whom then thinking of her own father’s predilection for mares feared she needed to add ‘or beast?’

‘Man!’ exclaimed Echo, then whispered ‘or woman or’ and adding a sneer of distaste, ‘beast.’

‘You know I had to ask’ laughed Chione.

‘Had to ask’ replied Echo, her tears giving away to a wry smile.

‘Do you know where he is?’ asked Chione.

‘Know where he is’ nodded Echo.

‘Can you lead me to him?’

‘To him’ Echo responded forcefully. Leaping to her feet she hared off into the woods as only a Nymph can. Chione was slightly taken aback at her alacrity but took off after her. She wasn’t sure what she was going to say to this cad but felt it would come to her when she got there. It didn’t take long to find him, Echo hadn’t been able to drag herself far from the object of her affection. He lay face down, staring into a small pond. Echo burst into tears again but the wailing showed no effect on the prone body before her.

‘Are you okay?’ Chione asked. There was no response. She knelt beside the prostrate figure, taking his hand. She felt its dryness. She pinched the skin and saw the lack of turgor, he was clearly dehydrated. ‘Will you not drink?’ she asked, reaching for the water. Suddenly there was movement and his hand arrested hers. Chione struggled briefly but his grip was strong. He was, or at least had been, a very fit man.

‘I pray, do not disturb the water’ he begged, still not averting his gaze from the pond.

Chione retracted her hand and he released it. ‘Is the pond poisoned?’

‘Do not disturb the water’ he reiterated.

‘If you don’t drink you will perish’ Chione stated.

‘As I will surely perish should this reflection be broken.’

She looked into the water and finally saw his face. Certainly a fine looking young man, if now a little gaunt. She could see why Echo had become infatuated. Such vanity though was beyond the pale. She attempted to lift him away from the water however he was heavy set and she was slight. Chione sensed that there were greater forces in play. ‘Have you been cursed?’

A sickly smile broke across the young man’s face. ‘How could you call this visage a curse?’

There was no way that Chione could move him against his will. She was ready to abandon him, he was either the very picture of conceit or else she risked angering Nemesis – the god of justice and retribution. Then she looked around to Echo. Echo’s doe eyes pleaded to her for help. Chione could not resist her entreaties. As far as Chione could see she only one available avenue for help, her father Boreas. What’s the point of having a God for a father if you can’t ask him to perform the occasional miracle she asked herself. She raised her hands into the air and intoned ‘Father. Freeze this pond and unshackle this young man.’

Almost immediately the wind swung around and blew from the north. Its velocity increased as its temperature dropped. Echo shivered as a film of ice formed across the pond. Chione used her own powers to draw forth a flurry of snow and the water became opaque. Surely this should breaks the spell he has been under.

In a sense Chione was right, for the largely lifeless lump that had lain before her was suddenly a frenzy of action. Fists flew at the ice, blood spraying from damaged knuckles. A crack formed in the ice. ‘The water!’ he cried and ploughed headlong into it.

Chione cried out to her father. ‘Stop! Stop!’ The tempest began to subside but too late to prevent the ice resealing over the head of the thrashing young man. Echo raced to the pond’s edge.

‘Stop. Stop’ she sobbed. She too punched at the ice but her fists lacked weight. She swiped the snow from the surface. His lifeless yet still beautiful face was visible through the ice. Echo could no longer bear to look, turning away from the pond. Suddenly before her, plants sprouted where his blood had landed on the earth. Flowers formed. Daffodils – Narcissus Poeticus.