Fic: In all but Blood
Title: In all but Blood
Rating: PG-13, for now
Summary: When Patroclus accidentally kills a friend in an argument, he and his father are forced to flee to Phthia, where the queen is said to be a goddess and he's asked to look after her tiny son, unknowing that a series of events has been put into play that will change the world forever.
One: The Flight to Phthia
There was a scream from close-by, and more shouts of alarm from farther away, but Patroclus wasn't hearing any of it. All he could do was stare at where Clysonymus was laying against the wall. Bruises were forming on his neck, and a pool of blood was forming under his head. It began to seep toward Patroclus' feet, but the boy didn't move, just stared as it made a dark red stream across the stone. A strong hand grabbed his arm and dragged him to his feet. They were running in the direction of the house, and finally he looked up to see the scared face of his father.
“Get our cloaks,” Menoetius yelled. “Prepare a horse, quickly!”
“What's going on? Where are you going?” Patroclus recognized the voice of Polymele.
“There's been an accident...Patroclus got in a fight with Clysonymus, and...I don't know where we're going. Anywhere.”
“Go to my father's house. He'll take care of you there. I'll join you as soon as I can.”
“Will you be alright?”
“Being a woman is not my weakness, and I'm Myrmidon.”
Patroclus felt himself lifted onto a horse, and his father mounted behind him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. He was coming out of his daze, and was beginning to comprehend the world around him. He turned to Polymele, and saw the same sad, frightened look that was on his father's face.
“I'm sorry,” he said, suddenly. “I didn't mean to. It was an accident.”
She reached up and took her stepson's hand. “I know. You're a good boy, of course you wouldn't do this on purpose. Just keep being good, do what you're told, and be brave.”
Patroclus gave a small, frantic nod. Within moments, he had lost sight of her as the horse set off at a hard gallop.
~*~
Thetis held her son's hands as he attempted to climb on the rocks. He was able to walk on his own, but was barely two years old, and she couldn't bear to think of him hurting himself. She wouldn't dream of quashing the adventurousness in his nature, even this early in life. From a little ways away her husband sat on a rock watching the two. He then looked past the two of them, and she turned to look at what had distracted him.
A traveler was riding towards them, covered by a dirty cloak and sitting on an exhausted horse. In front of him he held a boy no older than six or seven. The boy didn't seem tired, but rather had a dead expression in his eyes. They stopped suddenly on the road, and the man stared at them. Peleus stood suddenly, and walked over to where the horse was stopped.
“Menoetius?” he said, staring disbelievingly. “What...?”
Menoetius climbed off the horse, and dragged his son down with him. The boy stood for a few moments looking dazed, then blinked and looked around him. He looked up at Peleus, then across at Thetis and Achilles curiously. His father gave him a push in their direction.
“Go on, Patroclus,” he said, encouragingly.
The boy-Patroclus-approached slowly at first, and smiled as Achilles attempted to make a step in his direction. He made a strange sort of gurgling noise, and tried to pry himself from his mother's hands to reach the older boy. Patroclus walked forward and knelt down to Achilles' height.
“What?!”
Both Thetis and Patroclus looked up at Peleus' exclamation. Meneotius was looking very sombre, and was silently pleading with Peleus. Finally, a sigh and a nod. The two approached Thetis and the boys.
“Menoetius and Patroclus will be staying here from now on,” Peleus told his wife. Then, “I'll explain later.”
“Patroclus,” Menoetius said, a small smile forming on his face. “This is Peleus-Polymele's father-and his new wife, Thetis. I'm guessing this strapping young man is Achilles.”
“Indeed he is,” Thetis said, smiling. “and he's taken a liking to your son here.”
“We're going to have to have Patroclus look after him, then,” Peleus said, laughing. “He'll need someone closer to his own age than myself to be there-after a while, they stop caring what their fathers say. And I wonder whether some of the other boys will be unwilling to fight back once Achilles is at the point where he's pushing them around.”
Menoetius turned to his father-in-law and gave a grateful smile. Achilles gave another indistinct noise, and laughed.
Part Two: Goddesses
Notes:
I really, really wanted to do a historically correct version of Achilles and Patroclus. And I thought it interesting how age gaps get smaller, then open again when one hits puberty, then has to close up again.
I also want to break away from the myth aspect, and maybe even try to explain most of it away. So we'll see how far we get with this one. If I get far enough, start looking out for Alexander/Hephaestion parallels (cause I'm a sucker for them >.< If there is any such thing as reincarnation, this would be it.)
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Rating: PG-13, for now
Summary: When Patroclus accidentally kills a friend in an argument, he and his father are forced to flee to Phthia, where the queen is said to be a goddess and he's asked to look after her tiny son, unknowing that a series of events has been put into play that will change the world forever.
One: The Flight to Phthia
There was a scream from close-by, and more shouts of alarm from farther away, but Patroclus wasn't hearing any of it. All he could do was stare at where Clysonymus was laying against the wall. Bruises were forming on his neck, and a pool of blood was forming under his head. It began to seep toward Patroclus' feet, but the boy didn't move, just stared as it made a dark red stream across the stone. A strong hand grabbed his arm and dragged him to his feet. They were running in the direction of the house, and finally he looked up to see the scared face of his father.
“Get our cloaks,” Menoetius yelled. “Prepare a horse, quickly!”
“What's going on? Where are you going?” Patroclus recognized the voice of Polymele.
“There's been an accident...Patroclus got in a fight with Clysonymus, and...I don't know where we're going. Anywhere.”
“Go to my father's house. He'll take care of you there. I'll join you as soon as I can.”
“Will you be alright?”
“Being a woman is not my weakness, and I'm Myrmidon.”
Patroclus felt himself lifted onto a horse, and his father mounted behind him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. He was coming out of his daze, and was beginning to comprehend the world around him. He turned to Polymele, and saw the same sad, frightened look that was on his father's face.
“I'm sorry,” he said, suddenly. “I didn't mean to. It was an accident.”
She reached up and took her stepson's hand. “I know. You're a good boy, of course you wouldn't do this on purpose. Just keep being good, do what you're told, and be brave.”
Patroclus gave a small, frantic nod. Within moments, he had lost sight of her as the horse set off at a hard gallop.
~*~
Thetis held her son's hands as he attempted to climb on the rocks. He was able to walk on his own, but was barely two years old, and she couldn't bear to think of him hurting himself. She wouldn't dream of quashing the adventurousness in his nature, even this early in life. From a little ways away her husband sat on a rock watching the two. He then looked past the two of them, and she turned to look at what had distracted him.
A traveler was riding towards them, covered by a dirty cloak and sitting on an exhausted horse. In front of him he held a boy no older than six or seven. The boy didn't seem tired, but rather had a dead expression in his eyes. They stopped suddenly on the road, and the man stared at them. Peleus stood suddenly, and walked over to where the horse was stopped.
“Menoetius?” he said, staring disbelievingly. “What...?”
Menoetius climbed off the horse, and dragged his son down with him. The boy stood for a few moments looking dazed, then blinked and looked around him. He looked up at Peleus, then across at Thetis and Achilles curiously. His father gave him a push in their direction.
“Go on, Patroclus,” he said, encouragingly.
The boy-Patroclus-approached slowly at first, and smiled as Achilles attempted to make a step in his direction. He made a strange sort of gurgling noise, and tried to pry himself from his mother's hands to reach the older boy. Patroclus walked forward and knelt down to Achilles' height.
“What?!”
Both Thetis and Patroclus looked up at Peleus' exclamation. Meneotius was looking very sombre, and was silently pleading with Peleus. Finally, a sigh and a nod. The two approached Thetis and the boys.
“Menoetius and Patroclus will be staying here from now on,” Peleus told his wife. Then, “I'll explain later.”
“Patroclus,” Menoetius said, a small smile forming on his face. “This is Peleus-Polymele's father-and his new wife, Thetis. I'm guessing this strapping young man is Achilles.”
“Indeed he is,” Thetis said, smiling. “and he's taken a liking to your son here.”
“We're going to have to have Patroclus look after him, then,” Peleus said, laughing. “He'll need someone closer to his own age than myself to be there-after a while, they stop caring what their fathers say. And I wonder whether some of the other boys will be unwilling to fight back once Achilles is at the point where he's pushing them around.”
Menoetius turned to his father-in-law and gave a grateful smile. Achilles gave another indistinct noise, and laughed.
Part Two: Goddesses
Notes:
I really, really wanted to do a historically correct version of Achilles and Patroclus. And I thought it interesting how age gaps get smaller, then open again when one hits puberty, then has to close up again.
I also want to break away from the myth aspect, and maybe even try to explain most of it away. So we'll see how far we get with this one. If I get far enough, start looking out for Alexander/Hephaestion parallels (cause I'm a sucker for them >.< If there is any such thing as reincarnation, this would be it.)
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