More on Atalanta

Here is the love triangle for the story, first of all.

So Atalanta was left in the woods when she was a baby because her father was devastated that she was not a son.  She was raised by a mother bear, and learned to live and fight the way bears do.  This is where her wild and rebellious nature comes from.  When she first meets Meleager, at an inn, she has been living among humans for awhile.  When Meleager, who has been gone from home for awhile, sees her, he falls in "love" with her, and wants her. . . even though he is already married and has a daughter.  Atalanta has dedicated her life to the goddess Artemis, and thus has made a vow of chastity.  She sees Meleager the same way she sees all men:  they are fun to hunt with, but they also treat women as inferior.  This rubs her the wrong way, as she knows she is faster and a better fighter than other men.  This leads to her challenge to a hunt with Meleager, which she participates in while dressed as a man.  Meleager and his friend are the only two who know who she really is.  Atalanta can easily keep up with the other men, and when they finally find the boar, she draws first blood, wounding the animal with her spear.  Meleager finishes the beast off, and then gives her the hide as a trophy.  When the other men find out that she is actually a girl, they try to take away her trophy and insult her.  As Meleager steps in to defend her honor, Atalanta receives news of her father, who is now willing to claim her as his heir.  She leaves, against Meleager's protests.  Eventually, after being reunited with her father, her father demands that she choose a husband.  Staying true to her vow, she says that she will only marry the man who can beat her in a race, and any man who challenges her and looses will be put to death.

*Blue text indicates occurs after story.  I included this last bit in order to show more of Atalanta's character.