Chapter 3
By: MysticFantasy
.
.
Another troublesome night had passed for Achilles.
He was worried about Patroclus. He wasn't sure if his cousin was being tortured, if he was being fed or anything and his dreams had plagued his sleep with those thoughts.
Achilles was sure that the Trojans would try to get information out of Patroclus but he hoped that his teachings of holding out had gotten through to the young man.
Patroclus could be very stubborn and that could prove to be useful to him in this situation.
Now the great warrior was sitting alone in his hut wondering how his only cousin was fairing and wondering when he would see him again.
.
l~*~*~*~*~*l~*~*~*~*~*l~*~*~*~*~*l
l~*~*~*~*~*l~*~*~*~*~*l~*~*~*~*~*l
.
[Troy]
Patroclus walked down the small flight of wooden stairs to the sitting room of his new cell. The sun had just risen but it was still a little cool. He started a fire in the iron stove and let the fire spread its warmth.
Turning around, Patroclus noticed that a morning meal was already set on the table that was in the middle of the room.
Sitting at the table he began to quietly eat. The whole time he was wondering how Achilles was doing. If he knew he was missing, how was he taking the fact he was gone? Was he angry? Worried?
Achilles was hard to understand at times and this would be one of those times. Patroclus had seen his cousin react differently from others during certain situations.
After finishing his meal and putting the dishes to the side, Patroclus laid across the only couch in his new 'cell'. It was only his second day in the Trojan city as a prisoner but it already felt like weeks had gone by.
He wasn't one for sitting around and doing nothing all day. He'd been that way since he was a child. He was always energetic and needed to burn that energy. It was one of the reasons that he had picked up fighting so well from Achilles.
Not sure how much time had passed, Patroclus soon heard the door being unlocked and then opened.
He sat up a bit surprised to see a young woman enter the room. She was wearing the same royal robes Priam and Paris had been wearing so he figured she was part of the royal family.
She shut the door quietly and they stared at each other for a few seconds before she finally spoke.
"You must be Patroclus." Her voice was light and gentle and the young Greek right away loved it.
"I am." he said confirming his identity while standing. "And you are?"
"I am Cassandra. Sister of Hector and Paris."
"Then you are the princess."
"I am." she replied.
"Why have you come here?" Patroclus asked curiously as he offered her a seat. "Surely you know that I am a prisoner."
"I am aware." Cassandra answered sitting on the couch. "I just wanted to come see the cousin of the great warrior Achilles."
"I'm starting to feel like a prize that is regularly shown." Patroclus declared.
"I guess the news of my brother capturing the cousin of a legendary warrior has spread a little quickly but you shouldn't feel so bad." Cassandra said. "He's just doing what he can to keep his people safe from the mistake Paris has made."
Patroclus lightly nodded having heard the same thing from Hector himself.
"Are you aware that Hector is going to try to contact your cousin today?" Cassandra asked.
"No." Patroclus answered looking at her curiously. "Why is he going to try to contact him?"
"The answers you gave Hector yesterday...He wants to use that information by trying to ask Achilles if he would be willing to join the Trojans and help defeat Agememnon."
Patroclus went still hearing what Hector was attempting. He knew that it was either going to end in death or with a greater fire for war.
One thing Patroclus knew about his cousin was that when he was bribed it usually didn't end well for whoever had tried their tricks on him.
Cassandra stood and prepared to leave when Patroclus stopped her.
"Why did you bother to come see me and tell me all of this? I know that it can't just be the fact that I am Achilles cousin."
Cassandra lightly smiled opening the door. "I thought you were very handsome when you were brought into the palace." she answered and walked out gracefully as she shut the door behind her and it was locked.
Patroclus stared at the door for a few seconds before he realized his cheeks were burning.
.
l~*~*~*~*~*l~*~*~*~*~*l~*~*~*~*~*l
l~*~*~*~*~*l~*~*~*~*~*l~*~*~*~*~*l
.
[Beach]
Achilles sat in his hut with his arms crossed over his chest. It was only the second day that Patroclus was gone but the worry was starting to claim his body and mind.
It was during the sleepless night that Achilles realized how he had been treating Patroclus ever since he came to live with him as a child.
Always watching and scolding him as if he were a child. It was no wonder why Patroclus became infuriated with him at times.
Achilles came out of his thoughts when someone walk into his hut. He saw Odysseus stand there with his hands behind his back.
"How are you fairing my friend?" the Ithacan king asked.
"None too well." Achilles answered. "I had little sleep thanks to my worries."
"I can understand that." Odysseus said with a nod. "I have something to give you."
"What?" Achilles asked looking at his friend.
Odysseus brought out a scroll from behind him. "An emissary brought this a short while ago saying it is meant for your eyes only."
Achilles jumped up and took the scroll. He opened it quickly and read what it said.
Achilles,
Your cousin is alive and well. Do not worry of him being harmed. I wish to speak to you in person in hopes of reaching an agreement. Please meet me outside the gates of Troy at noon. Come alone. Do not worry of being attacked.
Prince Hector
"I must go." Achilles said handing the scroll to his friend who read the message.
"You believe that he is asking an agreement to hand Patroclus back?" the king asked after reading the message.
"Hector won't give him back after one day." Achilles declared. "Something doesn't seem right. He must have gotten Patroclus to tell him something."
"You know that your cousin wouldn't betray you." Odysseus declared.
"I know that!" Achilles snapped. "Patroclus wouldn't do something like that no matter how angry he may be at me. Hector has done something else. I will accept his wish to meet."
"Are you certain?" Odysseus asked.
"I am. I need to get my cousin back and if I get him back today then the Myrmidon and I will sail home tomorrow." Achilles declared going over to his proud armor and started to place it on his body. "I don't care what Agememnon will say."
"You never have cared." Odysseus pointed out with a weak smile before turning serious. "Achilles, if anything please promise that you will be careful. Hector says that you will not be harmed but you shouldn't take that lightly."
"I never do." Achilles replied attaching his sword at his waist belt before retrieving his helmet and then making his way past Odysseus to go outside.
"Achilles, if you go into the city, will you send message of it and what Hector is asking of you? Just so I know how it turns out." the king asked as Achilles mounted a horse.
"I shall." Achilles answered before kicking the horses sides and took off toward the city.
It was near noon already and Achilles was sure that Hector would already be waiting at the city gates.
Achilles rode with his thoughts divide between thoughts of what the Trojan prince wanted to speak about. The war and Patroclus were the only things that he could think about.
A few minutes later, Achilles saw the great walls of Troy come into view. The closer he rode he saw that Hector had kept his part about a lone talk. He didn't even see the archers that were usually standing on the top of the walls.
He finally spotted Hector standing a few yards away from the gates wearing his Trojan armor. Pulling on the reigns, Achilles stopped the horse and climbed off.
The two warriors walked toward each other and stopped about a dozen feet away. The land was silent and a slight gust of wind blew by.
"Thank you for coming." Hector spoke, breaking the tense silence.
"Why did you take him prince of Troy?" Achilles demanded wanting to get straight to the point. "What possible plan could you have that would involve kidnapping my cousin in the middle of the night?"
Hector lightly sighed seeing that Achilles just wanted to know what this private meeting was about.
"I had hoped that he could give me information about you so that I could have an advantage if we ever fought against one another but he has a stubborn will. He won't say a single word. You've taught him well. Instead, I asked him a few questions about the man who brought this army to our shores. I didn't ask anything too grave so don't fear."
"Then why have you called me here before you today?" Achilles questioned.
"One of the things I asked your cousin was if Agememnon had the completely loyalty of the Greeks. My answer was that if a better offer came by the Greeks would most likely accept it without second questioning it."
"And they would." Achilles stated. "Not all of the men in the Greek army are loyal to that foolish king. I really doubt any of them are truly loyal at all."
Hector lightly sighed and took a more serious tone.
"Your cousin is well and in good keeping. He's not in a dungeon or a cell. He's being guarded in a tower but his accommodations are to his liking."
Achilles felt relieved knowing that his cousin was fine.
"Achilles, I have doubts about this question I am about to ask but I know that I must ask regardless." Hector stated, took a deep breath and then spoke again. "Would you be willing to come to the side of Troy?"
