Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from "Troy", but the villains are mine and Halo's since she helped me come up with them.
A/N: Hey, I'm back! Thanks for all of your patience. Much thanks to Halo for helping me with and supporting this chapter and giving me the names of Hector's family members. I know you'll like this! I love how your story's coming along. Keep up the great work! Also, a warm thanks to jimmy-barnes-13, Small-Fri, HospitalHorror, Snowgurl54, and Shiek 2 for your wonderful reviews. Thanks for your patience, everyone! Enjoy this chapter!
Dedication: I dedicate this chapter to Bobby Mercer and the fluffy white poodle. You'll see what I mean at the end of this chapter. For those of you who still do not get it at that point, watch "Four Brothers". Then, you'll understand why he is the inspiration for the end of this chapter! And if not… well, just message me. Lol!
Chapter IV
Achilles acted on instinct when he saw the arrow. Not knowing why, he lunged toward Hector. "Get down!" he shouted, pushing him down to the sand.
All of the air left Hector's lungs as he forcefully hit the ground, Achilles landing in the sand beside him. The prince glared up at him, but then his eyes widened in horror when he saw the arrow fly over them harmlessly and stick firmly into one of the trees. Achilles looked up from the ground, barely able to see an outline of a man holding a bow standing not too far away before he took off.
The great warrior instantly jumped to his feet and ran up the sandy hill after the retreating figure, gaining speed as he pressed on. Hector got to his feet as well, glancing back at the arrow before he followed the Myrmidon.
Achilles was quickly pursuing the man who had fired the arrow, easily gaining on him. He grabbed onto the man's arm, roughly stopping him and shoving him to the sand. Hector came up behind him just as the Myrmidon rolled him onto his back. Both men gasped in surprise.
"That is one of Agamemnon's men." Achilles muttered.
The prince glanced at him. "No, you are wrong. That is one of my men." Hector said.
Achilles looked back at him, and they both knew what the other was thinking. Something was not right.
Both soldiers looked down, only to find that the man was desperately trying to crawl away from them. They quickly ran after him, grabbing onto his arms and pulling him roughly to his feet. The man closed his eyes in fear, terrified that the prince of Troy was on his left and the great Achilles was on his right.
"I think this might be a spy." Hector muttered with a grin. "We do not do well with spies, do we, Achilles?"
"No, we do not." Achilles agreed angrily. "What do you think, Prince of Troy? Shall we let the Myrmidon have him?"
Remembering his earlier encounter with Achilles' men, Hector nodded. That would drive fear into the heart of any man.
"Please, spare my life!" the man begged, beyond panicked. "I am merely the messenger!"
"Messenger?" Hector asked. "What message did you deliver?"
Before the man could answer him, he cried out in pain when Achilles twisted his arm in an unnatural position. "Whom do you work for?!" he shouted.
"Achilles, that is not going to solve anything…" Hector muttered.
But the great warrior ignored him. "I said, whom do you work for?!" Achilles repeated, pulling on the same arm.
The man cried out again, wincing in pain. "Please…" he muttered.
"Achilles."
The Myrmidon soldier looked behind him with Hector looking as well, and they saw two people walking toward them. One was a man with golden hair and deep blue eyes while the second was a woman with brown hair and gray eyes. Each warrior recognized one of them, but not the other.
"Athena." Achilles replied, nodding to the now embodied goddess. "What is it?"
"We found this note tied to the arrow." the golden-haired man said, walking up to Hector. "You may want to look at it."
The Trojan prince slowly took the neatly rolled paper from the god and unfurled it, looking over the neat handwriting. His eyes narrowed angrily when he finished. "One week to find them…"
"Let me see, Prince of Troy." Achilles muttered, taking the paper from him with his free hand since he was still holding onto the man's arm. He read it over, and Hector could see the burning anger in his eyes when he was finished. Only two things stood out to him…
"King Arnuwandas? Why does he have my cousin?!" Achilles demanded.
"And my brother." Hector added.
Achilles glanced back at him, and then nodded in his agreement. "I do not even know the man!" the warrior concluded.
The man was in another panic. "I… I cannot tell you…" he muttered. Suddenly, he cried out when Achilles forcefully twisted his arm and a loud snap echoed throughout the night air.
"Who is he?!"
The prince inwardly cringed at the sound. What Achilles had done was not necessary. "Achilles, King Arnuwandas is the new king of the Hittite people." Hector explained. "It was only a recent change. The only thing is, I thought that they had dwindled out of existence because they had lost so much power and land."
The great warrior nodded. "I have heard of the Hittite people, but I also believed that they no longer existed." Achilles agreed. "This new king must have brought new power to the city of Hattusas. How did you know that, Prince of Troy?"
Hector smiled slightly. "My father is also a king, do not forget. He has to have knowledge of kings from other lands. Even yours."
Achilles' eyes narrowed angrily. He looked like he could say something, but stopped himself at the last minute. The, he only merely said, "He is not my king."
The prince was confused by this statement, but then he just nodded. He would perhaps ask Achilles at a different time if he could.
"I suppose you do not know where the location of Hattusas is, Prince of Troy?" Achilles muttered.
Hector shook his head. "I do not." he confirmed. "None of my father's maps show where it is. It is almost nonexistent."
"Which we thought it was." Achilles replied as he turned to the man who he was holding captive. "I will break your other arm as well if you do not tell me the location of your city." he threatened.
The man was horrified that one arm had already been broken, and he didn't want his other one to be. But he was in such a panic that he was not thinking clearly. "That way…" he said, pointing out towards the sea.
Achilles and Hector followed his gesture, but this angered the great warrior. "That is all that you are going to tell us?" he demanded, looking back at the man. But he was surprised to see that the man had fainted. The great warrior sighed and dropped him to the sand.
"Some help he is." Achilles muttered, mainly to himself. "At least I have a heading. I am going to get my cousin…"
"We have a heading." Hector corrected.
Achilles looked back at him. "What do you mean we, Prince of Troy?" he asked. "I don't remember saying anything about going anywhere with you."
"Think about it, Achilles." Hector answered. "These men have my brother also, and I want to get him back safely. You want your cousin. If we work together, we have a better chance against the many Hittite soldiers that will be against us."
The two gods stood together, now clearly seen by every man's normally blind eye as they watched the two men dispute. "Achilles, please." Athena said. "Accept Hector's help. I have accepted Apollo's."
The great warrior looked back at her. "You two are helping each other?" he asked. "Fine. You may, but I do not want help from a prince of Troy."
"All right. Fair enough." Hector said with a slight shrug. "I was merely thinking of what would be best for my brother… and your cousin."
The words seemed to strike a nerve in Achilles, and he slowly turned to face the prince. After a moment, he sighed. "All right. I will accept your help this once." he reluctantly agreed. "But this does not change anything, Prince of Troy. Once I get my cousin back safely and you have your brother, we are back to being enemies. Agreed?"
Hector slowly nodded, saying the one word that he knew would impact him in a way that would change him for life.
"Agreed."
Xxxxxxxxxx
Patroclus winced as he continued to feel the small creature nibbling on his left ear. It was a rat that was covered everywhere with dark brown fur, except for its underside. That fur was white, which contrasted greatly with the rest of its fur. The seventeen-year-old might have even found that it was kind of cute if it wasn't chewing on his ear. Now, he just wanted to have it go away.
But the rat was not his biggest worry. His limbs were severely cramped from being kept in the same position for so long, and his back was numb from the sharp edges of the rock cutting into his skin. These ailed him, but they were still not the worst. The sun was not beginning to cast its first rays upon the Earth, and as it continued to rise, so did his fever. At that moment, Patroclus felt like he truly was in Hell, for the heat was not only in his head anymore, but it had spread though his veins to the rest of his body. It was almost unbearable.
But there was still a glimmer of hope, something that kept him from falling down too far. The seventeen-year-old kept seeing Achilles smiling at him before he pulled him gently into a loving embrace.
Achilles… Patroclus would give anything to see his cousin again, his kind eyes shining in the light of the sun. He would be coming for him… wouldn't he?
Then, he closed his eyes a forceful fit of coughing escaped him, causing a violent shudder to run through his body. He breathed deeply, not able to stop the tears that were forming in his eyes from falling. His entire body hurt, and he didn't know how much more he could handle…
He faintly heard the ominous sound of the footsteps that belonged to the soldiers approaching him, but he didn't look up. His strength was expunged, and he didn't feel like he could even do something as simple as opening his eyes.
"We brought you some company, boy." the deep voice that Patroclus knew belonged to Mursilis said. Then, he heard the sound of someone being thrown to the sand.
Patroclus slowly opened his eyes and saw a man that he didn't recognize lying bound near him. He wasn't much older than he was, but he was younger than Achilles. His dark, curly hair fell into his face, but it wasn't enough to hide the pale skin and the bruises it bore underneath.
"Who… are you?" the seventeen-year-old asked quietly, his voice strained as he had to force it out.
At the sound of his voice, the man quickly looked up from his bindings, surprised to see that a young boy was painfully bound to a large rock near him. He was terrified to see how pale his face was, how dim his eyes were, how ragged his breathing was…
"My name is Paris." he answered, his voice also sounding heavy under the strain from the abuse that he had received. "I am the younger brother of Hector, prince of Troy. Who are you, boy?"
Patroclus studied the young prince, now understanding the importance the man had. But he still wasn't sure why he had been taken…
Before he could answer his question, though, Mursilis walked over to where they were and knelt down in the warm sand behind the rock, taking out his sword and using the blade to cut through the ropes binding the seventeen-year-old. Patroclus sighed with relief when the pressure around him was finally released, but then he felt the twinge of annoyance of the rat still chewing on his left ear.
The large soldier noticed this too, for he glared down on the small creature. "Get away, pest." Mursilis snarled, pushing it away from Patroclus. The rat landed gracefully in the sand, but it bit Mursilis' ankle hard before it disappeared behind the rock.
Growling with pain and frustration, Mursilis forcefully kicked sand after the rat, missing it and getting the irritating grains all over his two captives instead.
Trying to take a full breath, Patroclus began to violently cough as he found he was unable to, tremors running through his beaten body. He was left shaking when it finally ceased, and he cringed under the large soldier's cold eyes.
"On your feet!" Mursilis snapped, lifting Paris up with one arm and forcefully pulling Patroclus up with the other. The seventeen-year-old cried out in pain as his cramped limbs painfully protested to the sudden movements, and he couldn't stop more tears from falling from his sea blue eyes. He could feel the prince looking at him with worry, but he ignored it.
Then, Mursilis turned to a soldier that was approaching him. "Take these two to the ship!" he commanded, roughly shoving his two captives into his arms. "Lock them up below deck and make sure they cannot escape!"
The soldier nodded and turned toward the ships, walking along the shoreline. Paris kept in pace easily, his terror rising with each step. But he noticed that the boy with them was mainly being dragged since his legs were still not working properly. Paris sighed, closing his eyes as they approached the ship with many more soldiers on it. What had he done to deserve this?
Mursilis looked behind him when he heard footsteps coming near him, and he saw Telipinus stop beside him. "Has he returned yet?" the large soldier asked.
"No." Telipinus answered heavily with an air of impatience as he looked out at the seemingly endless sand. "I am beginning to wonder if he has even been able to deliver the message. We cannot wait for long, though. We will wait until the sun sets for his return, and then we will leave for Hattusas."
Xxxxxxxxxx
Achilles looked around his tent floor, quickly grabbing a brown traveling cloak and throwing it over his arm. Then, he picked up his sword and tied it securely around his waist, knowing that he would need it. Finally, he checked his small pouch, making sure that Patroclus' seashell necklace was still inside. It was. The great warrior knew that should be all that he would need…
He then left the tent, finding that Hector was still waiting for him in the wand with Eudorus and Odysseus. "That is all you are bringing?" the prince asked, looking at the cloak in his arms unsurely. "It doesn't seem like much…"
"It is obvious that you have not spent time in the wild before, Prince of Troy." Achilles commented, turning his attention to the Ithacan king. "Odysseus, I leave you in charge of the Myrmidon. I trust them with you."
"It will be an honor, Achilles." Odysseus replied, placing his hand on the great warrior's shoulder.
Achilles nodded and then turned to Eudorus. "I will not have you do more than you do normally just because I am not here. Do the same for Odysseus as you would for me. That is all I ask of you, old friend."
"Be careful, my lord." Eudorus replied, placing his hand on his shoulder as well. "I want my captain to return safely in one piece."
"I cannot make any promises." Achilles muttered, slight humor in his voice. But there was some truth behind his words as well. The great warrior knew that he would do anything to get Patroclus out of danger… even at the cost of his own life.
Hector watched the Greeks with mounting anxiety. "Shall we head off to the palace?" he asked.
The Myrmidon leader looked back at him. "If we must." Achilles answered, walking through the sand to join the prince. "I am telling you now that I will not be welcome in your home."
"That is all right. For your safety, Achilles, you will have to stay with me at all times." Hector replied as they began to head toward the golden walls of Troy. "I just do not want any weapons near my son, or…"
"Do not worry, Prince of Troy." Achilles interrupted with a grin. "For starters, I will not get anywhere near your son. Also, I will not steal anything of value, steal your women, or try to kill anyone. Just relax. What could happen?"
xxxxxxxxxx
Achilles stood in Hector's large bedroom, looking around at the golden walls uncomfortably. This place was much too large for his liking; he much preferred the smaller, warmer closeness of his own home. He even preferred the tents to this! He also was annoyed by all of the angry glares that he had received from the palace's inhabitants. No one could harm him since he was with Hector, but that didn't mean that they couldn't annoy him to death with all of their continuous glares.
How long did it take a man to pack? It seemed to be taking so long, but that could have been because he was anxious to reach Patroclus…
An older woman who must have been a maid was moving around the room as she cleaned up, holding a very young child in her arms. It looked like this child couldn't even walk yet, but he had a look about him that reminded Achilles of Hector. This must have been his son.
"I wish you luck on your journey, my prince." The maid said as she moved over to him, placing her hand on his shoulder. "I am not sure if I will have a chance to see you again before you leave, for I now have to do some things for Lady Andromache. I will give her your love since she will be in the city until late this afternoon and probably will not see you. I will just leave Astyanax here with you, shall I?"
"Yes." Hector replied with a smile. "Thank you for your help and kindness."
The maid smiled and set the young boy gently down on Hector's bed and left the room, ignoring Achilles completely. Well, it wasn't as bad as getting a death-stare…
The great warrior glared after her, wondering if the real reason she had left the room was only because he had entered it. Then, he heard a sound that made him close his eyes in annoyance.
The child must not have been comfortable on the bed because he began to cry. Achilles glanced out into the spacious hall, hoping that the maid would come back if she heard the dreadful sound. But, she did not.
Hector stopped packing when he heard the sound, knowing that he wanted to be held. He got to his feet and picked up his son into his arms, holding him close to him as he slowly stopped crying. Achilles watched him, curiosity in his eyes. The child seemed to be content in Hector's caring arms. But the prince had the arms of a warrior, the arms that drove fear into the hearts of men before they were slaughtered. Achilles found himself wonder if the arms of a warrior could also be… gentle.
Hector awkwardly knelt down on the floor to continue packing, only able to use one hand since he was still holding Astyanax in his other arm. He could feel Achilles swarm uncomfortably by the door behind him, and he sighed. "Pack faster, Prince of Troy." the great warrior said, anxious to get on the road and find Patroclus.
"I cannot unless I set him down." Hector replied, looking back at him.
The Myrmidon's impatience was clear. "Well, set him down then!"
"Then he will cry." Hector told him with a grin. "I know you do not want that."
The great warrior sighed. He just could not win. "Just try." Achilles suggested, gesturing to the bed.
"All right…" Hector muttered, moving to the bed and setting Astyanax down on it. As soon as he walked away, the child began to cry again.
"I told you." Hector said, crossing his arms in front of him while Achilles cringed at the noise.
The Myrmidon leader glared at the prince. "Is there anything you can do to stop his crying?" he asked.
"Only if I hold him." Hector answered. "But then I cannot pack fast. It is up to you. Time is wasting."
Achilles growled in frustration. This was impossible! Either way, he would lose… Hector was looking at the warrior when an idea came to him. He didn't like it, but he was also anxious to find his brother. It had to be done.
"Achilles… I need you to hold Astyanax."
The great warrior looked back at the prince as if he had just been told that Agamemnon was willing to fight his own battles. "What? No! There is no way that I am going to hold that child!"
"I thought you wanted to find your cousin faster." Hector muttered, knowing that his words would have some effect. "Besides, don't you want him to stop crying?"
Achilles glared at him for a moment, but then he sighed heavily in defeat. "I have never held a child before…" he warned, slowly inching over to the bed.
"It's simple. You saw how I was holding him, right?" Hector said over his son's cries, beginning to pack again but at the same time watching Achilles intently.
"Yes…" Achilles replied, looking down on the crying boy warily. Then, closing his eyes, he slowly and delicately picked him up and held him at arms length away from him. "Like this?"
"Hold him closer to you so that you can give him more support." Hector told him.
Achilles sighed again and did as he was instructed, surprised that Astyanax had stopped crying. He looked down on him, and saw with fear that the boy was smiling.
"He's… smiling at me…"
"That means that he likes you." Hector said flatly, just as surprised as the warrior as he grabbed some more things as fast as he could. Great…
Great… Achilles thought as he looked back at the child. Why does he have to like me?
Suddenly, he was caught off guard when one of the boy's tiny hands went up and yanked on one of the warrior's war braids.
"Ow…" Achilles muttered as the child began to laugh.
Hector smiled to himself as he finished up his packing. Well… maybe I have taught him something after all…
Achilles was relieved when Hector finally walked over and took Astyanax from him. "You have to deal with this every day?" he asked, shaking his head. "I have new respect for you, Prince of Troy."
The prince laughed. "Well, it is a lot of work to take care of a child." Hector answered. "Come. I will leave him in the care of Helen and then we can leave."
The Myrmidon gladly followed, merely hoping that the journey ahead of them would not be as difficult as what he had just been through.
A/N: I hoped you liked it! Just as a note, all of the names I've used for the villains are actual Hittite names. Thanks, Halo, for giving me the idea to use them. I hoped you all enjoyed this chapter and one of the story's few humor moments. Reviews are much appreciated. Thanks!