Diana moved forward, her footsteps light against the soft wooded ground.  Her trusted group of huntresses followed closely behind her.  They smiled and laughed with each other.  Each wears a simple tunic and a simple leather war skirt, similar to those worn by the hoplites, as the prey they hunted was much fiercer than a mortal warrior.  Two of the women carried the slain griffin over their shoulder.   The huntresses set down their prey for the moment and Diana scanned the woods.  Surprised, Diana saw Callisto standing at the edge of the grove.  Diana raised her hand and called out a greeting to the girl, who promptly fled.  The nymphs came to Diana’s side, interested in commotion.

Callisto emerged from the woods and walked downtrodden to the goddess.  Diana looked her over; she sensed not only a change but something was terribly wrong.  She placed her hand under the girls chin and looked into her eyes.  They guilt shown but there was still something not quite right – as if Diana only knew part of the crime that had happened to her favorite warrior.  She turned, beckoned Callisto to join the group, and they once again set out, laughing and boasting of their recent hunt.

The hunting season went on for another nine months.  Diana and her band gained greater prestige and renown.  Diana’s temples benefited greatly from the offerings of hunters and Diana was pleased to bless those with exceptional prowess.  Callisto however was lacking in the hunt.  When the goddess stopped the hunters at a stream and suggested they bathe she noticed Callisto hesitate.  As Callisto undressed the true scope of her early problem could be seen.  Angered, Diana expelled her from the group and sent her out of the grove.

Diana walked alone later that month.  She felt a pang of guilt, she knew there was more to Callisto’s troubles than a simple bad choice…the girl felt pain.  It was then she heard a dark, shrill, and sinister voice that could belong to only one, the goddess Juno.  She was enraged, and the target of her rage was Callisto.  Diana crept silently forward with the foot fall of a hunter.  Juno had thrown Callisto to the ground and was glowering with an icy stair at her.  Juno grabbed the girl’s hair and pushed her to the ground.  Her skin erupted in fir, her form bulged, and Callisto let out an inhuman growl. 

Diana’s blood boiled, Juno could be angered for one reason and Diana cursed Jupiter – he had obviously been with Callisto and it had obviously not been by choice.  Diana gripped her bow, tempted to show Juno that her rage was…misplaced. Juno had never exactly endeared herself to Diana.  However, there were two she needed to have words with.

She found them on Jupiter’s throne.  Diana glowered and harsh Juno but she saw certain sympathy for Callisto in Jupiter’s eyes.  He was a cruel lover to have she supposed, but at least he felt for her.  Juno stepped down from the dais, she circled Diana.  Juno seemed content to talk about the adulteress Callisto and how it made Diana look like such a failure.  Juno smiled that cold smile, “could you not instill in them some sense of morality?”

“Perhaps not, although I know they each knew proper fair justice,” and as she turned to Jupiter, “and would not have strayed from the path willingly.”  Diana was angry, angry at her fellow immortals and their petty treatment of humans.  How long ago had it been when Jupiter almost wiped them out on a whim?  How many women must goddess turn to animals out of jealousy?  Of course, she was the goddess of the hunt and she had no power to influence these matters.  She turned and strode out of the throne room.  As she reached the door Juno made one last remark, “I hope her son doesn’t fear her in the woods and do something rash!”

Diana whirled her body gracefully around, in a fluid motion she drew an arrow from her quiver and slipped it onto the bow string and let it fly.  Juno laughed as she stepped aside and let the arrow fall harmlessly behind her.  Diana stormed from the room and Jupiter turned and looked down on the mortal word, his eyes finding the saddened form of Callisto circling her old home.  For a moment he felt remorse, for a moment.