Disclaimer: Troy is not mine.
A/N: I'm not sure but I think that the name of Achilles' "right hand man" is Eudoris. You know, the guy with dark hair and light blue eyes who tells Achilles that Patroclus is dead.
Odysseus had come prepared for many things in this war against Troy, but nothing could have prepared him to ponder a dead boy's fate. All he could think of were Eudoris' words: "We were going to sail home today." And his own, "I don't think any of us are sailing home now."
For him, he had a home to return to. His wife was waiting for him in Ithaca, his son was growing up while he was away, and his kingdom was waiting for its king. But for Achilles, there was nothing. He would not return home, because his goddess mother had predicted it, and he had made his choice. For Achilles, home had been Patroclus. And Patroclus was gone, his ashes kept in a cave near the sea. One day, one day soon, Achilles' ashes would be mingled with his cousin's and they would remain in the cave by the sea until the salt wind scattered their ashes, or the waves claimed them. Only their names would remain to remind history of their great deeds.
Odysseus sighed. No, that was not right. His tongue was clever and he was quick to bring hope to his men's hearts, but he could not lie to himself. Patroclus would not be remembered. His deeds had not seemed good or great. He had stolen the great Achilles' armor, led his cousin's men into battle, deigned to fight with the prince of Troy, and died while still a boy of easily numbered years. What made him great in Odysseus' eyes was that Patroclus had not tried to make a name for himself with the actions that led to his death. He had only been doing what he knew was right. He had been doing his best for Achilles.
"War is old men talking and young men dying," he had once told Achilles jokingly, but it was too true. Achilles had well prepared his cousin for the dangers of battle and the boy had done Achilles credit. But he had also prepared Patroclus for his death. Odysseus remembered hearing a conversation between the two with Patroclus protesting Achilles' refusal to fight.
"Soldiers obey," had said Patroclus and Achilles had challenged the idea.
"Who will you fight for when I am gone?" he had asked, knowing that his cousin nearly worshipped him.
In Patroclus' young mind, Achilles had been gone, from the fight, and he was trying to remove his cousin's scorn for his blind obedience by openly disobeying an order. Achilles had set himself up for this fall, Odysseus reasoned. Patroclus had done as Achilles had: he had fought for no king and had gone to do what he believed was right. Only Patroclus was not the man that Achilles was—and now he never would be.
Odysseus had come prepared for many things in this war against Troy, but nothing could have prepared him to ponder a dead boy's fate—the horrible fate of a boy who had sacrificed all to be, for Achilles, perfect. Odysseus knew that, in Achilles' tear-filled eyes, Patroclus already was.