gwenchan

Fandom: The Song of Achilles
Characters: Achilles, Patroclus
Prompt: Antica Grecia
Tag: Missing moments

Sweat drips salty into Patroclus' eyes. Blinking, he dries his forehead with the back of his hand and pushes back his wet curls.
It’s hot and sultry, the air heavy even here on the mountain. It must be the hottest day of the whole summer, a day in which Helios' carriage is burning up more than ever.
Back against the warm trunk of a fir tree, Patroclus lets himself slowly soccombe to lethargy.

It's too hot to do anything, but find a nice tree and relax in the shade it offers. Even Chiron agreed, dispensing them from their usual tasks.
The light makes everything look brighter.

Achilles has brought his lyre today, in the bag where he keeps his knife, the hunting tools and the herbs and instruments for first-aid in case of an accident.
Now, he lazily picks at the chords in some more akin to arpeggio exercises than a real song. His music, normally limpid and clear, now envelops Patroclus, rich and pasty.

It lulls him to sleep as a few bees buzz around them. From time to time, one lands on the tip of Patroclus' nose, tickling with its tiny legs; or on Achilles' fingers; through his hair.
They don't care much. Chiron has told them aplenty bees are normally gentle and not to be feared if approached with calm, that they sting only if feeling threatened.
Those poor little things must be thinking Achilles' gold hair and their chitons are a new and strange type of flower.
The important thing is to not make any sudden movements. Even their buzz after a while stops being a nuisance, mingling with the cicadas chirruping and birds chirping.

They have lunch under the tree, as the sun reaches its peak in the sky. It’s fresh berries they gathered yesterday, figs, cheese and the fish that fill the mountain streams. The other day Achilles caught three in one go while Patroclus struggled to hit one. Now they roast the fish on a skewer on the embers, though Patroclus is pretty sure the stones are hot enough to cook food on them.

After lunch, with their bellies full, staying awake becomes pretty much impossible.

Well, for Patroclus' at least, judging from how Achilles is nudging him in the side.

"Did you hear that?"

"What? The crickets?"

He will have to be more specific.

"No. A bird, tweeting. Listen?"

Eyes still closed, Patroclus listens. Around him the mountain sings with all its voices, and below all that, a desperate chirping. Probably a bird has fallen from its nest. Patroclus hasn’t yet the time to say anything that Achlles is already pulling him on his feet for an impromptu hunt

Achilles moves fast and sure. Chiron taught them how to understand where sounds came from to not get lost. When they finally find it, the bird is screaming and flapping its too wings at the feet of a tall tree. The nest must be hidden through the branches

“It’s too high,” Patroclus considers. “Maybe with a - what are you doing?"

Having grabbed the bird, squeezing firmly, Achilles moves from branch to branch with the fluidity of a cat. Patroclus can’t help but to watch, completely mesmerised.

And terrified, of course.

"Be careful," he shouts, as the branches become thinner and thinner the higher Achilles climb.

“Don’ worry,” Achilles shouts back. “Oh, there it is. Found it.”

He’s so high that even if he’s shouting, Patroclus has a hard time hearing him.

“Good. Now please come down. Before you -”

He hasn’t completed the thought yet that he hears a horrible crack. He stares, helplessly, as Achilles’ fall.

“Achilles!” he shouts. But Achilles only catches a branch and uses his body to stop the fall as if it was nothing. On the ground, Patroclus is sure to have just experienced one of those heart attacks Chiron talked about.

Achilles will be his death and he isn’t even aware. He’s grinning and brushing his hands from the dust and traces of bark. "Let's go to the river for a bath?"

Hand on his chest, Patroclus smiles too.

“Yes. Good idea.”