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katerinaaqu · 2 days ago

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Thank you so much for this comment @coco6420 !!!

It means so much! Yes I wanted to indeed accumulate the aspect of anxiety he would feel and in a way the aspect that despite all that effort he died in a dishonorable way which can happen in war!

And yes if there is one thing that I adore at Homer is his dedication to show the aspects of war even if they are unpleasant and how he shows no real good or bad guys but people with different motivations and passions

Guard Dog (a Patroclus and his dogs one-shot)

The Phrygian was really nervous. He could almost hear his heart beating up against the skin of his throat. His breath was coming out in hisses even if he was trying his best not to forget his training as a tracker and a spy for his people. It wasn't that he was a first-timer. He had been through some dangerous missions before and one required more skill than the other; he had once tracked the path of a deer outside a bear's den until the animal was captured by his fellow hunters. He was sent to spy close to an opposing tribe before and he had managed to come back with useful information that allowed his clan to come on top in that battle. He had contributed to that war even; collecting information on the enemy and he was undetected by everyone. However he was definitely scared out of his wits that night because that night's mission topped them all...by far!

He was supposed to sneak on the Strongest of all the Greeks...

Achilles the son of Peleus himself!

The Phrygian had heard many rumors on that man and all more terrible than the other. They said he had the strength of twenty men like Heracles himself. They said that he was faster than God Hermes himself while others said that the Argophontes had even given him his Winged sandals to fly faster. Fast in Feet they called him and strong like Apollo and with the same youth and glory. He heard rumors that he could kill you just by locking eyes with you...he even heard he was invulnerable by any kind of weapon; no one ever managed to wound him. The young Phrygian was considering himself intelligent enough not to pay attention to all those rumors but if just one of them were true then his life was hanging by a very thin and not to mention very fragile thread. Either way he had taken his precautions.

The assassination should be fast and precise.

He even forgot the idea of a knife for obvious reasons. Even if the rumors of his vulnerability held no truth whatsoever, he knew that he had no way of slitting the throat of a man who managed to singlehandedly bring an army to its knees. The game was dangerous. So he had prepared himself the poison he knew well. One drop in the wine by his side, the one he knew he kept, would do the job. He was sure that Achilles was not immortal. That much he knew. He also heard the rumor; that he was destined to die young. Perhaps fate had come to its toll that night. He spotted the dark figure of the tent the prince of Myrmindons was sleeping in. His steps became more careful; even more soundless. He had to be careful now. He knew the demigod was heavily guarded and that the guards would slash him in half without asking questions. But he knew. He knew a secret path behind the tent. He would take that. He would sneak in, pour the poison and run. No more stalling and no unpredictable moves!

He made a turn around avoiding the gaze of a guard skillfully and hid in the shadow of the tent. He estimated the slave with the duty to sleep by the ruler to protect him, wouldn't be much of a problem to him to be silenced but he hoped things wouldn't get rough. He had to make sure nothing would disturb the sleep of the son of Peleus before he had made his move. He hesitated for one second. What if he awoke? What if he wasn't sleeping yet and the calm breathing from the tent was a decoy? What if he was detected? He drew a breath and calmed himself. No more thoughts. He had to empty his mind. He had to do it. But once he was about to barge in as quietly as possible he heard something that drew five years out of his body. It was a human voice.

"If I were you, I would think twice before I did that!"

The soft and yet threatening tenor voice made him look at the shadows to detect the tall and lean figure. The man had long curly hair and arms that looked like good stretched leather. His back could belong to the best type of athlete and his bare legs showed a man that could run a marathon in the wilderness without problem. He was dressed with a simple cloth around his waist, showing he had just risen from sleep. The Phrygian spy gulped soundly realizing that this scenario he didn't think; the scenario that it would be no slave by the side of the son of Peleus!

"I am sure you thought you would achieve something tonight" Patroclus continued in his calm and yet deeply threatening voice, "but I assure you your efforts would be in vain! Even if you did manage to get past me there is no way that you would win against him no matter what ploy and scheme you have in your barbarian brain but I promise you by Hera that you won't achieve it!"

The man took a step back drawing his dagger. The man they called "divine" didn't look so divine at all and yet somehow he knew he was a forced to be reckoned with. Patroclus followed the move and his brown eyes shone like a jackal in the night.

"I wouldn't want to disturb my lord's sleep so I would strongly advise you not to come at me with threatening force"

The Phrygian stopped again. How could he run away now? How could he go back a coward and a failure? How could he explain to his clan that he backed away not by the threat itself but by his companion? He clenched upon his dagger; move not passing undetected by the son of Menoetius.

"I tried to warn you but you leave me no choice!"

He left a tiny and discreet whistle with his slightly decorated with the beginning of a beard lips. The Phrygian felt all his blood being pumped up with several miles per second as he heard the unworldly growl from the shadows. Several pairs of eyes glistered like coals within the night and soon enough the silhouettes dressed in fur emerged. Hounds. Hounds of all shapes and sizes capable of tearing grown boars to shreds with their teeth; teeth that were now bared and glistering with saliva, emerged beneath the drawn lips and the wrinkled noses. They all circled their master, plastering their eyes on him.

"I know you have your reasons, I'm sure" Patroclus whispered

He caressed the head of one of his dogs as it's pointy ears didn't even flinch and the threatening posture of the huge hound didn't change.

"I know you fear him and for a good reason but he is my cousin, my king, my brother, my lord and my soul! You shall not lay a finger on him while I am here and breathing!"

The spy gulped. He realized then that Patroclus was a pure mirror of his dogs; he barely made a sound; he was truly past the point of empty threats. He had crossed the line! He thought that Achilles was something to fear but now seeing that warrior standing like a guard dog and a head of a pack before the tent he realized a bit too late how wrong he was!

"You shall pay for your thoughts to harm him with your life!" Patroclus almost growled

His eyes looked at him; staring just like his Hounds that shivered from top to bottom in anticipation for the orders. They wanted to hunt and he was the prey!

"However..." his heart flattered with hope with that word, "if the gods are merciful they shall give you a chance to escape..."

Then those fierce eyes stuck within his. The Phrygian felt his previously racing heart stop.

"...IF you can run faster that is!"

"G-Gods...!" Was the first and last word the Phrygian uttered that nigt

Patroclus leaned forward caressing two of his loyal dogs.

"Get him!" He softly commanded

And without making a single sound, nine dogs pounced. The Phrygian could only shriek in terror as he broke into a run within the Achaean camp with the dogs coming behind him. Soon lights emerged as soldiers kings and slaves emerged to see what was going on as the shrieks of terror turned into screams of pain. Patroclus stood there looking at that direction before calmly entering the tent.

Upon the mattress he perceived the lean blonde figure and he smiled. All his previous anger and fury was gone; turned into tenderness. He slowly approached the shifting figure. Achilles hummed and stretched his bare body under the covers; every muscle tight against his pale skin. He was glistering like gold under the new light of the torches outside. His face thin and hairless like a woman's and a body strong and athletic like a man. Patroclus would agree with some of the rumors that reach even his eaes; he really DID look like Apollo this way.

"Hmm..." Achilles hummed, "what is it?"

"Nothing, my dear" Patroclus whispered, "go back to sleep."

"I hear voices outside..."

"My dogs just discovered a rat" the son of Menoetius replied once more, "they rose quite a commotion"

"Hmm...I see..."

Achilles stretched some more as Patroclus fixed the covers better around him. He smiled. Yes, he would protect that man from every cowardly attack they would send against him! He deserved better than having his destiny fulfilled in such a way! He would keep him alive for as long as possible! And if his life was the price of that so be it!

"Come to bed with me, darling..." Achilles whispered as he caressed his chest with his stretched arm, "I'm cold and I need you to help me..."

Patroclus snorted.

"Sheesh!" He whispered just like when they were kids, "you are incorrigible! You always act like a child!"

And yet he obeyed. He couldn't and didn't want to say no. He slowly tucked himself under the covers and allowed Achilles to rest his blonde head on his chest; his lean and muscular arms around him. He felt the man who was his other half nuzzle against the light layer of hair on his chest. He caressed that blonde head with his hand.

"Yes...rest well..." he whispered, "I am here...nothing will disturb you while I am here..."

***

Sooooo a little random thing I made. Given how I had made a post in the past about Patroclus's dogs here I thought I should write something on them!

I also wanted to show a more powerful and maybe vicious side of Patroclus given how we do not see it much and I cannot write a full battle scene without my computer dammit! But I hope you like thus, given how I wrote it in a few minutes in one go so forgive me if it is too simple or messy. Plus is past midnight hehehe sorry if this is so-so.

As always I remember some conversations with @deadbaguette about Achilles and Patroclus and their relationship as well as @ellilyre and @hermesmoly and of course @smokey07

As always wanna thank my dear friend @artsofmetamoor keep going with the amazing art girl!

My Patroclus design:

My other fic mentioning Patroclus:

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