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Achilles hopped down the steps one by one, one hand outstretched to balance himself and the other on the rough wall to catch himself should he slip. The seawater splashed against the stairs, droplets hit his bare legs like daggers and the crashing filled his ears until he could not register the sound anymore.
At the bottom of the steps, he found his mother already waiting, her hands crossed at her knees, facing the sea, her long red hair covering her back. She turned around when he hopped into a puddle on the steps, splashing her. Achilles giggled and she smiled widely, opening her arms. He sat beside her and leaned into her. The goddess wrapped her arm around him and planted a kiss on the top of his head, brushing his hair away from his brow. “Have I ever told you how much I love your hair?” she whispered.
Yes. Many times. That did not mean that Achilles liked hearing it any less.
“That ship that docked on your father’s beach the other day… What did it bring?” She lifted her head and looked down at him inquisitively, but continued running her fingers across his scalp. The sensation made Achilles’ eyes flutter shut, though he was not tired.
“‘Who’,” he corrected her, staring into the horizon.
“Who was it then? One of your father’s friends?”
He shook his head. Nuzzled in her armpit as he was, he knew she would understand what he was saying. “They brought a boy. Just a little older than me.”
His mother sat up and put her hands back in her lap. “Really?” Achilles looked up at her, eyes darting across her face, trying to make sense of her reaction. “And why?”
Achilles shrugged dismissively. “My father and Phoenix have decided to take him in. He was exiled by his father.”
Thetis looked out at the sea, inhaling deeply and shakily. “And why was he exiled?”
Achilles shrugged again. “He killed his playmate.”
Her head shot to him. “He what?” Achilles opened his mouth to repeat what he had said but she continued before he could make a sound. “Your father and Phoenix…” She stood up and climbed the steps. As soon as she had reached the top, she turned around and took the stairs back down again, but stayed standing, towering over Achilles like he was a supplicant at the foot of a majestic statue. Achilles tugged at her silver-blue tunic, which flowed like a waterfall and glinted like the sun on the sea. She sat down in response to this and wrapped an arm around his shoulders, pulling him in close. “How could your father take in a boy who murdered his playmate?”
“He had nowhere else to go, mother.”
His mother smiled, but Achilles could still see the sadness behind her eyes. He frowned. “I understand, my love, but your father shouldn’t be thinking about the well-being of a stranger, he should be thinking about you. Like how I think about you.”
Achilles nodded. He could leave the conversation at that, but he couldn’t stay quiet. “His name is Patroclus,” he said, “and he’s my friend.”
“You’ve only known him a week, Achilles, how can he be your friend?”
His eyes stung, but he rapidly blinked the feeling away. “He plays with me and he tells me stories and he teaches me how to fight. Nobody else does that.”
Thetis sighed. “Yes. He’s your playmate. But he killed his last playmate, my child, and I am scared he will do the same to you.”
Achilles sat up, shrugging her arm off. “He wouldn’t do that.”
She dropped her hand back into her lap, her eyebrows drooping when he pulled away. “Achilles … you understand that I am worried about you? I don’t mean to hurt you, I just don’t want anybody else to hurt you either.”
“He won’t hurt me.”
She just stared at him, face frozen. Her rising and falling chest was the only sign of life in the moment of stillness. “Alright,” she said finally. “‘Patroclus’, you said his name was?” Achilles nodded and scooted back over to his mother, laying his head in her lap. Her fingers ran through his hair and rubbed at his temples. “And? What’s he like? Where is he from?”
“He’s the son of Menoetius from Opus.” The words flowed from his tongue as though it was his own name he was reciting, he had heard them come from Patroclus’ mouth so often. “Dad says he used to know his father from before I was born.”
“Mhm,” Thetis mumbled. “They were Argonauts together.”
Achilles spun around to look at her. “Really?” His mother nodded and took her hand out of his hair to stroke his cheek instead. He nudged her gently in the stomach and she laughed softly. “Tell me more about the Argonauts, mother.”
“Your father can tell you those stories much better than I can. Why don’t you ask him when you get back home?”
He didn’t answer, just continued staring into her eyes. A sharp blue, he felt as though he were looking right back at himself. Only she was, unlike him, smiling.
“Achilles!”
He gasped, jolting, and grabbed onto his mother’s arm to pull himself up. His tunic was heavy with water when he ran up the stairs, but he did not let that stop him. At the top of the stairs he stopped, grinning widely, and waved both hands frantically in the direction of the dark silhouette approaching.
Patroclus picked up his pace and joined him. “I’ve been on the beach looking for you everywhere. Where did you go?”
“I came to speak with my mother.”
“Right.” He pushed Achilles’ scabbard into his hand. “Here. The guards will have my head if they see me carrying this. Besides, haven’t I told you to never leave your weapons lying around? That’s the first rule.”
Achilles tied the belt around his waist. “It’s just a stupid toy. And it’s only us two.”
“You never know who could take it from me.” A cold breeze blew past and a shiver ran through Achilles’ body. Patroclus frowned. “You’re all wet. Are you cold? Here, take this.” He grabbed his maroon chlamys by the brooch that rested on his collarbone and lifted it over his head. Achilles ducked to allow Patroclus to dress him with it, and though it was too large on him and nearly fell from his shoulders, Achilles felt warm. Inside and out. Patroclus looked along the cliffs to the palace. “It’s getting dark anyway. We should get going.”
Achilles followed Patroclus’ gaze, then looked down to his mother, who was still watching him from the bottom of the stairs. He grabbed Patroclus’ hand and pulled him down. “There’s someone you have to meet first.”
Patroclus stumbled down the first two steps before stopping. He stood so rigid that Achilles could not drag him any further down to where he and his mother stood. His eyes were wide and his mouth agape as he looked between the goddess and Achilles. “I… I thought… I thought you were joking.” He limply pointed at Thetis. Suddenly, returning to his senses, Patroclus dropped his hand and bowed his head.
“You don’t have to bow to me, Patroclus,” Achilles’ mother said sweetly and stretched out her hand to him. Patroclus did not take it, but he lowered himself by another step. “Achilles was just telling me about you. About how well you’re treating him.”
Patroclus nodded. “That’s why I was brought here,” he said, taking another step down. “To protect him.” He nudged Achilles gently. “Only I can’t do that if you keep running off.” Achilles chuckled.
“Patroclus, my son is very precious and his happiness is very important to me.” She sounded serious, but Achilles couldn’t tear his eyes off Patroclus to look at her expression. He confidently met the goddess’s eyes with his stern gaze. “You make him happy, but I also want him to be safe. Can I entrust you to keep him safe?”
He nodded again, and stood upright. His thumb was hooked into his belt, right by the empty hilt. “I will protect him even if my life depends on it. If it’s the last thing I do.”
Thetis nodded. “Good.” She tilted Achilles’ face to her and bent down to kiss his cheek. Achilles squinted and squirmed against her, embarrassed in front of Patroclus, but he was no match for his mother. She didn’t even seem to notice. “Your first task is to take him back to his father’s court. Can you do that?”
She smiled and Patroclus nodded. “I can. Come on.” He gestured for Achilles to follow him, and he did, taking the stairs two steps at a time to catch up.
His mother called after him that she would be waiting for him, but Achilles did not respond, he was too enrapt by Patroclus’ smooth movements.
Patroclus grabbed Achilles by the shoulders and directed him away from the cliffside, taking that position himself instead. “Why didn’t you tell me that your mother is a goddess?” he asked as they made their way along the path.
“I did tell you. A lot.”
“Well, I thought you were just saying that. You have to tell me that you’re being serious next time.”
“Or you have to just believe me.” Patroclus huffed a laugh and they continued in silence. When the road became a downhill trudge and they were approaching the palace, Achilles spoke again. “Patroclus?” He turned to him. “You said you were here to protect me. Is that true?”
“Yes, it is.”
“So you’re just my squire?”
His jaw clenched for a moment, but he only stared ahead. “If you want to put it that way.”
“Nothing else?”
He turned to him again. “There’s something you want to say. Just say it. Be upfront.”
Achilles didn’t need to be told twice. He purposefully began dragging his feet as the palace grew larger, as they came closer. “I thought we were friends.”
Patroclus shrugged. “I didn’t come here to make friends.”
“So we’re not going to be friends?”
He shrugged again. “We’ll see what the Fates hold for us, how long our strings will stay intertwined.”
Achilles nodded. Forever. He was sure of it.