Chapter Seventeen ~ Indication of war

Chapter Seventeen~ In the time of Achilles

Helios's house, Phthia, Greece, January 1191BC

The morning air had a bite to it as Aedia climbed onto her father's cart, taking the reins into her hands as the slaves put the last of the summer grain bags onto the cart; a mixture of wheat and barley inside them. Helios always kept some of his grain in storage for the winter, when it would be scarce and the demand would be higher, he saw it as an opportunity for him to make money until the spring came.

"You sell those bags for no less than their worth. If you are given a hard time you remind them that grain is hard to come by this winter-" Helios limped to the side of the cart, his hand gripping the wood tightly for support. The injuries that he had sustained from Dymas still troubled him, more so now that winter had truly set in. "-are you sure you can do this?"

Aedia smiled encouragingly down at him, taking up the slack in the reins, preparing to leave for town.

"Yes, father. I would not have asked to sell the bags if I thought I could not bargain a good price. I will be fine, you shall see" Slightly more convinced with the idea, Helios nodded, gave Aedia a lopsided grin and stepped away from the cart.

"You remind me so much of your mother-" He paused, smiling softly "-now be off with you before I decide to go with you!" Feeling more than a little proud of herself, she clicked her tongue and the ox moved forwards into a walk and down the rocky hill that led into town.

She would be passing the ruins and Aedia found herself secretly hoping that Patroclus would be training with Achilles when she did. The highlight of her days was always when she could finish her chores for the day and pay a visit to Patroclus, he always knew just what to say to make her smile.

The cart turned the corner close to where the temple ruins lay. While Aedia was able to just catch sight of two sets of spears and shields propped up against the stone columns, there were no signs of any training taking place. Slightly disappointed, Aedia kept her gaze fixed on the oxen. Her father would not thank her if they tried to take their own path down the steep cliffside that ran alongside the path.

In the corner of her eye, she caught sight of the familiar figure of Patroclus, stood on the steps alone, his wooden sword held before him as he slashed and swung at the invisible enemy before him. Aedia could not help but admire the way he moved the sword through the air, so swift and precise, as untrained in warfare as she was. Hearing the sound of the cartwheels moving over the rocks, he turned, at last, to look over his shoulder, squinting into the low morning sunlight to decipher who he was looking at.

Patroclus was too far away to call out to Aedia, but she could tell from the softened expression on his face that he had seen her. Lowering the sword to his side, he slowly strolled to the side of the path, leaning against the olive tree, his gaze un-moving from her.

"Isn't it a little early for you to be awake?" A challenging smirk played at his lips, as Aedia pulled the ox to a stop. Already thinking of a response.

"And how many times have I had to wait for you to wake up?" She tilted her head to the side, suppressing the grin that was bursting to come out. "-Sometimes late into the afternoon?"

He snickered, placing the training sword against the olive tree and taking deliberate slow steps towards the cart. He always knew just what to do to make her heart race.

He didn't speak until he had climbed up beside her on the cart. His hand rising to move her hair to the side, fingers brushing lightly across her cool skin.

"I suppose this makes us even" He placed a single kiss to her neck, hooking her chin with his finger to turn her head to face him.

"Yes, I suppose it does" Her voice was soft now, as she eyed his lips. He inched closer, his eyes moving between her reddened lips and half-closed lids.

"Am I interrupting?" The commanding voice of Achilles caused Aedia to jump, sliding away from Patroclus across the seat and re-gaining her grip on the reins. When neither Aedia nor Patroclus responded, Achilles laughed gleefully.

"I am, aren't I? Well don't let me stop you" He raised his eyebrows teasingly at Patroclus, who sneered at him in return. When had Achilles moved out of sight behind a column of the ruins, Aedia smiled widely over at Patroclus, her cheeks flushed.

Closing the gap between them, he kissed her.

No sooner than he had pressed his lips to hers he had pulled away, well aware that he had caught her unaware and revelling in her shock.

"I will see you later" He said as he leapt down from the cart, once again picking up his training sword. His beautiful blue eyes remaining trained on her as she gave a click of her tongue to get the ox to move onward.

For so early in the morning the town market was busy with other local farmers and merchants. Life was harder in the winter, money and paying customers weren't so easy to come by. Setting up her stall, Aedia readied the grain bags for sale. Adonia would join her shortly to help, just as soon as she had finished making Helios's breakfast and setting the slaves to their tasks for the day.

As time passed, the number of people in the market grew until midday when the numbers were at their peak. With it brought the customers that were less willing to part with their money.

"If you will sell four bags to me for two silver drachmas I will consider it." An elderly farmer, who needed the grain for his livestock, was one of them.

"Grain is hard to come by during the winter, you must know this sir. I cannot sell the grain to you so cheaply, that is less than what we paid for the grain seeds, to begin with"

"I won't go any higher!" 

Aedia was determined to make Helios proud of her and so was equally unwilling to part with the bags of grain for anything less than their worth.

"Four silver drachma for four bags of grain. Take it or leave it, but I would wager that you would be hard pushed to find such fine grain for such a price elsewhere" Disgruntled, the man reached for his money. Clumsily throwing four silver drachma in Aedia's direction. Without uttering another word he took his bags of grain and left, but not before sending Aedia a harsh glare.

"Aedia?!" Adonia, out of breath and red in the face, came running to the stall.

"What? What is it?!" The horror in Adonia's eyes said it all. Something was terribly wrong.

"Agamemnon's emissary's are on their way to find Achilles. King Agamemnon wants him to fight for him!" Feeling her blood run cold, Aedia left Adonia to tend to the stall while she left as quickly as she could for Achilles' house. The first place she knew Agamemnon's men would look for him. The ground was wet and slippery, making Aedia slide and lose her footing. But she would not let that stop her, she had to find Achilles before them to warn him of their coming.

Running through the meadow, her gown held up to avoid tripping over it, Aedia burst inside the house. Passing shocked servants whose eyes bore into her back as she searched for Achilles. At last, she found him, lounging in the atrium, a goblet of wine in one hand and a slice of cheese in the other.

"Achilles?" He turned, his smile dropping as he took in Aedia's appearance. Putting both the cheese and goblet aside he rose from his seat to stand before her.

"Yes?"

"Agamemnon's emissary's are looking for you. Word has it they are going to ask you to fight for them-" He frowned, looking to his mother, Thetis, who having heard the commotion had come inside from the gardens "-it is non-negotiable"

"You know this to be true?" He eyed her carefully, tense and fear swimming in the depths of his eyes. Not for himself, but for the people of Phthia. Agamemnon was not known to let anyone or anything get in the way of what he wanted. There was a reason he had obtained nearly the entirety of the Greek nations to fight for him.

"I do" He nodded solemnly, with one swift movement of his head he turned to a servant boy, stood in the corner, quietly holding a platter of cheese.

"Seek out Eudoras. He is to come here immediately-" Achilles gestured with his head towards the door "-Quickly! There is no time to waste!"

Leaving the platter, the boy bolted outside in search of Achilles' Myrmidon war general. Achilles had chosen wisely, nobody would suspect a servant boy of anything more than being eager to carry out his master's tasks. As soon as the boy was out of sight, Achilles made for Thetis.

"Mother, prepare, we must accommodate them, treat them as though they are kings in their own right. We cannot falter now, we must show them no weakness, Agamemnon can suspect nothing of us but that which we let him" With a brief nod of her head, she left in a hurry for the kitchens to instruct the servants to cook the finest of dishes.

Achilles then turned in the direction of Patroclus' room.

"Patroclus?!"

It was not long before he too appeared in the atrium, concerned, but remaining composed.

"Agamemnon's emissaries will be here any moment. We must treat them with every respect, they cannot think we are not loyal to them. I will need you to help me with this" Patroclus stood taller, nodding in understanding. With the sunlight from the corridor flooding in behind him, creating a golden halo around him, he looked more like a prince than ever. An exiled prince yes, but that did not change the dignity with which he carried himself.

"If this goes badly, we could be forced to fight for Phthia. We need to avoid that at all costs. We have very little time to prepare for their arrival, do what you must but be ready to greet them" Patroclus remained silent, but once more nodded. Achilles clapped a hand against his back, before clasping his hands on Patroclus' shoulders.

"I knew I could count on you" He smiled proudly, but it was short-lived, as the servant boy returned with who Aedia could only think to be Eudoras.

"You asked for my presence, my lord?" Achilles led Eudoras away into the entrance hall. Alone, at last, Aedia was finally able to turn her attention to Patroclus. Everything had been perfect the way it was, now Agamemnon threatened everything they held dear. For what felt like years, Aedia had lived in peace and safety in Pthia. If Pthia was under Agamemnon's control, that peace would not last long - he was not known to preach peace, but war.

Aedia made for Patroclus, reaching for him as he pulled her into his embrace. Her head rested upon his shoulder as she took in his soothing scent, her eyelids briefly closing. Nothing would be the same again, the fates would make sure of that.

"Promise me you won't let them take you away from me? If they want Achilles to fight for them, let him go. Don't put yourself in any unnecessary danger" He pulled away from her enough to be able to look at her properly. He surveyed her closely, from the tears welling up in her eyes to the slight furrow of her brows. Taking hold of her wrist, he led her into the corridor.

"Nothing could take me away from you-" Tenderly, he kissed her forehead. "-I promise" He whispered to her, his voice hoarse, eyes closed and brows furrowed as he rested his forehead against her own.

Moments later, he stepped back and took her hand in his. His other hand coming up to cup her cheek.

"Stay beside me"

Hand in hand, they stepped outside of the house and stopped when they reached Achilles, the sound of the waves crashing against the rocks greeting their ears.

Three men appeared over the brow of the hill, one of them, Aedia knew to be Nestor. He was Agamemnon's most trusted advisor and had helped Agamemnon take over half of the Greek nations. His appearance matched that of the rumours she had heard from Eos; shoulder-length grey waves and a beard to match. While King Odysseus was said to be the one with a "silver tongue" Nestor was also renowned throughout Greece to also be particularly eloquent. No doubt it was how he had found himself as a royal advisor to Agamemnon.

"Achilles, son of Peleus?" Nestor asked, his eyes instantly latching onto Achilles. With his blue eyes, bold figure and blonde hair, he was hard to miss. Not many Greek had such features.

"Yes?" Achilles replied, muscular arms crossing over each other as he surveyed the three men for any signs of weapons. It was a display and Achilles played his part well.

"I have come here on behalf of King Agamemnon. He wishes you and your Myrmidons to fight for him whenever he calls. He also wants control over the town of Pthia and all of its surrounding territories."

"That sounds less like a wish and more like a command." Achilles stepped forward from between Patroclus and Eudoras. He was not much taller than Nestor, nor the emissaries, but his muscular form and the look in his eyes was enough to make the emissaries timidly move away from him.

"King Agamemnon-"

"He is not King here. By what right does he ask for me and my Myrmidons? What gives him control over these lands?-" Achilles began, his eyes darkening "-My father once ruled Pthia, they are now under my protection. I will not see them in the hands of another so easily" Nestor bowed his head, his lips taught and eyes stern. Before either of them could continue they were caught off guard by Thetis, she approached them with all of the regalness and dignity that you would expect from a woman rumoured to be a goddess of the sea.

"It is not customary for us to greet our guests in such a manner. I do apologise, we heard of your coming and so have prepared you a meal. Will you dine with us?" Despite its appearance, it was not a question, but a demand of her own to try and sway the negotiations in their favour.

"How kind" Though the atmosphere remained heavy, the distraction had helped to ease the building tension between Achilles and Nestor.

Thetis smiled, lifting an elegant hand towards the doorway and beckoning to be followed inside. Aedia's firmly gripped Patroclus' as they followed behind Achilles and Eudoras into the dining room. When male guests came and politics were to be spoken about, it was not often that woman were present, which would mean that Aedia and Thetis would have to wait outside.

When the men began to seat themselves at the table, Aedia couldn't help but notice as Thetis whispered into Achilles' ear, sending a long look his way as she guided Aedia out of the room and shut the doors behind them.

"What happens now?" Aedia spoke up as Thetis sat her down on a seat in the atrium.

"We wait.-" Her eyes moved to the double doors, behind which the future of Pthia was currently being discussed. "-I have told Achilles that he must get us the best possible deal he can and that his pride should come after that of Pthia"

The discussions went on long into the evening, it was only when night began to fall and the atrium darkened, that the men stepped out from the dining room. Achilles led the way, followed closely by Nestor, Agamemnon's emissaries, Eudoras and Patroclus. Not one of them looked particularly pleased. Though there was one thing about Achilles that stood out to Aedia the most, while the other men looked tired and ready for bed, Achilles still looked as awake as he had earlier that day. 

Once in the atrium, Nestor stopped and turned to face Achilles.

"I will inform King Agamemnon of our agreement. While it is not what he had hoped for, I am certain I will be able to sway him so that he does not take Pthia to war." He went to leave but paused, and once more looked back to Achilles "If I am unable to do so, expect Agamemnon to take action. Prepare for the worst, but hope for the best"

And with that, Nestor and Agamemnon's emissaries left. The house fell quiet, the only sound that of the waves and the rustle of trees in the garden outside.

Thetis was the one to break that silence.

"What agreement did you manage to come to?" Her voice was steady, but the quiver of her voice said otherwise. 

"I am to fight for Agamemnon when he commands it-" Achilles reached for his goblet of wine and took a seat in an empty chair -"the Myrmidons will remain here in Pthia, in the situation of a declaration of war on Greece, myself and my Myrmidons are to fight alongside Agamemnon's forces or risk punishment."

"But he wanted both you and the Myrmidons-"

"I told Nestor that I am worth an entire army if it is another army that Agamemnon is looking for then he only needs me"

"But?" Thetis asked, her posture getting taller and straighter. 

"But, if Agamemnon should disagree with these terms then it is within his rights to ask us to fight-" He hastily took a swig of his wine "-Nestor warned that if he were to become angered enough it is possible that he will go against protocol and launch an attack on the city. As King of nearly all of Greece, should he do so, there are few that would stand against him for fear that his eye would then fall on them" 

"His greed will be the death of him!" Thetis spat, her eyes narrowed and face tense. The way in which she had spoken it seemed more like a prophecy than a curse. Thetis was known for her abilities to see into the future. She had foreseen Achilles birth before he was even conceived.

"Eudoras?" At the mention of his name, his back straightened and his eyes lifted to meet Achilles'.

"Yes, my lord?"

"Ready the army, make sure they are prepared in case of an attack on the city" With a bow and a single nod of his head, Eudoras departed into the night. 

"Achilles-" Thetis began, but his hand lifted to quieten her. While he sent her an apologetic look, he stood and made for his room. Bidding goodnight to Aedia and Patroclus, Thetis left for her own room shortly after. 

"Will you come outside with me?" It was the first-word Aedia had heard him speak all evening. Caught up in thoughts about the future of Pthia, it took her a moment to respond. 

"Yes, of course" She took his awaiting hand and he led her outside into the gardens and into the refreshing night air.

"You are worried aren't you?" Patroclus had a knack for knowing when something was on her mind. 

"Yes" Was all she could muster in reply. Her attention turning to the flowers and plants that lined the walkway.

"Would it help you to talk about it?" He stopped walking, sitting down on the grass and gesturing for her to sit beside him. It was reasonably warm for a winter's night. It was cloudy, enabling much of the warmth that the earth had absorbed throughout the day to stay.

"I fear that should Agamemnon want the Myrmidons to fight alongside Achilles, that you will go with them" Patroclus' head quickly turned to look at her, frowning, lips parted as he went to speak.

"I know that you dream of going to war, Patroclus. You have said it many times. I just don't want to watch you leave and know that you may never return. I went through that so often as a child with my father that I do not think I could bear it a second time around" Tears threatened to spill onto her cheeks as her breathing quickened. 

"It is true that I wish to fight someday, but it will not be this war. Achilles would never allow it, not to mention Thetis-" He cut himself off, moving closer to Aedia and stroking her hair away from her face. "-I don't want to leave you knowing that I may never come back, nor do I want to put you through that pain. Yes, a day will come when I will fight alongside Achilles, but he would only ever allow me to fight when he knew I was ready" 

"I want you to promise me that you will not fight in this war. I cannot bear the thought of never hearing your voice again, of never again feeling your lips against mine or your caress upon my skin. It makes me sick just thinking of it! Promise me, Patroclus." Patroclus was quick to draw her to him, burying his face into her hair.

"I promise" And with all his heart he meant it.