Wavering Love

Chapter 3: The Newcomer

It was now the doorstep of his new life that stood before him and he felt the first signs of fainting were coming on their way starting from his stomach. One of his guides slide down their horse to introduce their arrival, but his steps were cut short from the woman that trotted from the side of the house. "Wait! I am here."

From her movements you wouldn't think she was half the age she lived for. And her figure was as slender and slim as she was when maybe twenty. But streaks of sliver ran down her long black hair, and aging lines were for now on creased around those blue crystals that were her eyes. She dropped the lose fabric that she held around her hips to keep from dragging and with such warmth and grace she recalled her name to the company. "I am Thetis."

There was no 'daughter of' or 'mother of' titles that most would present to show off their honor or fortune. Now man or even a trailing title of where she came from held her down in place. She was as free as a spiraling feather or leave that you would see dance across the sky on its currents. And it was that trait alone that made her shine with a beauty that not even a word or more could capture her.

Patroclus was off his horse already still captivated by this woman. "Ah!" Her eyes now saw him and all fear that was in him melted away from her welcoming gaze. "And you must be Patroclus." Already her arms were bound to this body. He hesitated to return the hug which was given to him. It took a moment to translate this action, this welcome. He had seen this before in the crowds, when loved ones returned to one another but never practiced the exercise before. "You have her mouth." She whispered. It made him smile quietly to himself. "Come! All of you must be parched from your journey"

The men have been waiting the longest time in their short spanned life to hear any sign of an invitation to drink. And it didn't scare Thetis to see them run off into the house without even tying up their horses. It was just Patroclus and Thetis to do the chore. Which was perfect, already he took pleasure in her company. "Your mother has done right bringing you up." They walked side by side with the horses behind their heels. "But you haven't known me that long my lady? How can you tell?"

"Trust me, your mother never had a bad bone in her body and I would be questioned of all I know if you had one in yours." Her comments made him smile more and a light pink blushed his face. "And what of your son?" Already Achilles was running through his mind. He is here! Right here on this very land! It comforted Patroclus that the warrior didn't see him yet. It would be to embarrassing to not be prepared for any hero.

"Oh, him. He reminds me of a rose. So don't be frightened of him." Already she is warning me of him? Is he really that scary in real life?! Doubt began to cloud his dreams. "He is in perhaps sword playing." From the tone of her voice, she didn't want to pay much attention on her son for a topic. "Where is he?" Patroclus tried to cover his excitement but he couldn't wait to know where he was or when he will meet him. "In the back. Let me take those horses for you and meet him up there. He should bring his sorry ass down her to greet you!"

"No, I can wait!" "Nonsense, go, go!" Her words shoved him off to walk around the back. "Great! You should have just shut up!" He told himself. The yard was blooming with trees for shade and a case of stone slabs for steps were place before him. The top brought him to what use to be an ancient house that now stood in ruins with a couple of pillars and stones, tossed around from a past war of some kind. He heard grunts and taps of fast footing that stamped on the ground.

That same fear of apprehension climbed up to him and seeing the great warrior himself fear also was within him. When he finally saw Achilles, before him and in the flesh all concerns were gone. He seemed to have the same affect as his mother. He wasn't what Patroclus expected but better. Everything of the hero's body was sublime and he took in every aspect of Achilles in like smelling a sweet scented aroma for the first time. He was naked except for the skirt and the belt around his hips. A tall, strong armed, sleek man he was.

Just the movements he composed were like it came from a mystical being. He plunged his sword into nothing, but in his eyes there you could see he was fighting some form of a beast. Patroclus was so intent of gazing at Achilles from over a half torn wall that the next step he took broke his balance and pushed him a couple of steps down. His entire back was burning with pain, but not as much as his hatred toward his clumsy moves.

Shit! He cursed to himself. As he turned around to climb his way back up there he was. Achilles! Seeing the man before him stopped his heart for the longest time and it made him difficult to breathe even after he gained back his wits. Achilles looked hard at him, seizing him up, looking into his soul, piercing through his flesh and form. Or that was what Patroclus believed.

But really Achilles saw a boy. A young man, so young he had the smooth, plump cheeks of a child; his face was pink flustered from embarrassment and beneath his gray tunic there was the smell of sweat and salt. His blonde hair that was now tangled fell into his eyes and his shoulders were coated with dirt and dust. Their stare held for the longest time, Patroclus would recall it was three hours long, but Achilles knowing time better then the youth, thought the same that it was a whiles worth. Damn when will he drop his eyes! Achilles was caught off guard that Patroclus could hold such a stare with him for so long.

After a while Achilles was bored. "My name is Partoclus." He said plainly. At the end of his name, his voice trembled a little showing what he was feeling: scared shitless. The warrior walked away without caring a thing that was spoken with him. He continued like this until the boy continued from where he stood. "Nice to meet you."

At first Achilles thought, is he kidding? But after glancing over his shoulder no sarcasm was shown in his face. And he continued on down to the house to find a drink, leaving Patroclus breath taken and able to only murmur one word. "Wow"

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