Summary: Patroclus wants nothing more than a chance to kill his first Trojan. He soon learns to be more careful in his wishing. Movie-verse AU, starring Patroclus and Hector. Co-inspired by the movie "How to Train Your Dragon." Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Troy, The Iliad, or "How to Train Your Dragon" (the book or the movie).

How to Train your Trojan

Chapter 8

Meanwhile, down by the ships, Achilles had nearly driven himself mad with worry and pent-up energies. Unleashing his fury on the battlefield like a thunderstorm had helped temporarily, but it hadn't actually solved anything. Nearly two months had passed now, and Patroclus was still Hector's prisoner in Troy. Achilles knew he shouldn't have confronted the prince like he did the previous week. It had been excessively foolish on his part, not to mention dangerous; but after all this time, he couldn't help himself. The son of Peleus was not accustomed to feeling trapped or powerless in any sense!

Fortunately, Odysseus had taken pity on his friend and devised a scheme which, with a little help from their patroness Athena, would allow them to finally penetrate the city. Eudorus had all but begged to be included among the soldiers selected to hide inside Odysseus' construction, but Achilles had ordered him to stay with the other Myrmidons and lead them inside Troy at the appointed time with the rest of the Greek forces.

Once inside, the only directive for those under his command was to find Patroclus, and Achilles himself would head straight to the royal palace with that goal in mind. Right now, all he wanted was to get his cousin out of Troy before ravaging flames reduced the city to ash.

A Horse? A giant, wooden Horse?

Patroclus didn't like it one bit, and he could tell Hector didn't, either.

At first, he had despaired when word spread that the Greek army had left the beach; but now that this Horse had been found and brought inside the city, his suspicions prickled like a persistent itch. Having spent time in the Greek camp, he couldn't believe that Agamemnon, who had waged a battle of wills against Achilles, would be driven away by pestilence in any form; he was far too proud and too stubborn for that!

Patroclus didn't sleep again that night, but not for the usual reasons; he just lay there wide awake in the dark, thinking about the Horse. He couldn't honestly say he was surprised later, when the far-off shrieks of women reached his ears. Greeks were inside the walls, and the Trojan War was as good as over. Whether or not that was a good thing for him personally, remained to be seen.

He got up without thinking and ran toward Hector's chambers. The prince himself was absent, but Andromache was already awake and dressed, bundling up Astyanax in her arms.

"Patroclus…"

"Come on," he urged her, interrupting. "There's no time to waste, you must hurry!"

She obeyed and followed him outside. "Do you know where Hector is?"

The youth shook his head. "No, I haven't seen him. But if he was here, I know he would want to get you safely out of the city ahead of him."

The only pause he allowed in their flight was so that Andromache could pound on the doors they passed and rouse as many people as possible to follow them. However, even that began to take too much time, and Patroclus had to put an end to it. He grabbed Andromache by the wrist and led their growing group of refugees toward the tunnel at a jog. She moved with him easily, never once questioning how he knew the way to their escape.

"Go on, quickly!" he ordered when they had arrived. He recognized many of the faces that hurried by him into the passageway, and found himself unexpectedly grateful that each of them at least had a chance to survive the night. Except perhaps Helen and Paris.

But Andromache still clung to his arm, looking torn, and Patroclus could guess her dilemma easily enough.

"I'm going to find Hector," he told her simply, "and I won't come back here without him. I promise."

"Thank you." Battling tears of worry and gratitude alike, she leaned in to kiss his cheek. "I hope this isn't goodbye forever, Patroclus."

He didn't know how to respond to that; his greatest hope right now was for her family's safety, regardless of whatever happened to him in the coming moments. So he only said, "You need to go. If there's anything I can do to send Hector safely after you, I swear I'll do it."

And then he ran off, with the pain of yet another parting stinging in his chest. He would indeed look for Hector, as promised; but if he happened to find Achilles first, he would search no further.

As it turned out, he did find Hector first, and with surprisingly little effort. Patroclus had taken a back road to get away from the palace, quiet even now with chaos on all sides, while Hector had come the same way approaching the palace. They practically bumped into one another, resulting in immediate and unabashed relief to see that the other was unharmed thus far.

"Patroclus, there you are! Thank Apollo." Hector promptly grabbed the youth's elbow and began steering him back the way he'd come. "The Greeks are inside, and I've organized what defenses I can to serve as the city's last stand. I know it's only a matter of time now. But before I do anything else, I've got to make sure my family is safe."

"They are!" Patroclus interjected, pulling back just hard enough to make Hector pause. "They're already in the secret tunnel, I promise. I saw them there safely myself."

The prince squeezed his arm, this time in gratitude. "Thank you, Patroclus; once again, I am in your debt. But how long have you known about that tunnel?"

Before Patroclus could awkwardly explain, there came the most welcome sound his ears had heard in two full months – Achilles, calling his name in the distance.

Passageway forgotten, the boy lunged toward the sound with wild hope and overpowering joy! But he went nowhere, as Hector still held his arm in an iron grip.

"Let me go!" he pleaded, struggling in vain to break free from the prince who was so much stronger. "Please, Hector, let me go to him!"

The youth doubled his efforts to get away now, but Hector responded in kind, wrapping both arms around him and stifling his struggles.

"Patroclus, stop this! Look at me."

Patroclus did as he was told, growing quiet in the arms of a man he couldn't possibly overpower. Hector still didn't release him, yet the prince's voice was unspeakably tender when he said, "You don't have to listen to him, Patroclus. No matter what he's done to you in the past, he has no claim over you now. Don't let your fear of him control you. Come away with us! You don't owe Achilles anything."

"But I do!" the boy cried, too distraught to notice the fresh tears welling in his eyes. With Achilles so close, there was no turning back now! "Hector, Achilles is my cousin, my guardian; I've been in his care ever since I was orphaned seven years ago."

Now Hector let go, stepping back and staring at the young Greek as though he had never seen him before. That alone hurt Patroclus far more than it should have.

"I'm sorry." He was fully aware how desperate and pitiful he sounded, but he couldn't bring himself to care – not when Achilles was likely moving farther away with every moment. "I'm sorry I lied to you all this time; I was just trying to protect him – and myself. But even using me as a hostage won't do you any good now. It's too late! Troy is fallen, and Achilles is here. Don't be brave to the point of foolishness, Hector."

But the prince stood still, shock and hurt warring across his face as he reeled at the revelation. "Did you help them get inside the walls tonight?"

Patroclus took the words like a blow to the stomach, appalled by the mere suggestion. He even had to recover his breath before adamantly replying, "No, of course not! How could you even think that? I admit I knew about the tunnel, but there must have been men hidden inside the Horse. I only stayed here so long because I knew Achilles would kill you if I went back to him – but there's only so much I can do to protect you from him now. Please, go after your family and get out of here while you still can! There's no hope for the city, only for a handful of her people if you hurry. I will delay my cousin as long as I can and keep him away from the tunnel. I swear it, even if my word means nothing to you now!"

Hector huffed a little, although the tension in his shoulders seemed to lessen. "Trying to save my life again, are you?"

For Patroclus, that morsel of humor was like water in the desert! "You are my friend, Hector. I was never lying about that."

"Nor was I." A tired smile now, like a pardon. "But will you admit as much to Achilles?"

The boy shrugged. "I suppose so. You know the whole truth now, and he deserves the same."

"I'm sorry I accused him of…"

When the prince actually grimaced, Patroclus almost laughed. "It's all right, I can't blame you for assuming. You knew there was something between us."

"I'm sure he will be angry when he finds out what you've done for me." Hector hesitated briefly before adding, "You could still come with us, you know."

"I know," the youth acknowledged, "but I really can't. I've said it all along, my place is with my countrymen – and my kinsman. He may be angry, like you said, but I'm not afraid of him."

Sensing that was the final word on the matter, Hector nodded with a resigned sigh. "So be it, then. Farewell for the second time, Patroclus."

The Trojan stepped forward with arms open, and Patroclus didn't hesitate to walk into the proffered embrace. Thank the gods he was going to part with this man on friendly terms! The regret of any other outcome would have haunted him to the end of his days. He felt Hector plant a kiss of blessing on his brow, but in that exact moment…

"Patroclus?"

The boy jerked his head away from Hector and turned toward the sound.

There stood Achilles, looking furious enough to cower Zeus himself. Clearly, he had seen the embrace between Hector and his cousin, only to reach a dangerously wrong conclusion. And Patroclus could only conclude that the gods must be punishing him for his deceit. Why else could he not be rid of these woeful misunderstandings?

But now he had bigger problems to worry about, as Achilles had drawn his sword and was marching toward Hector with murder in his eyes. Patroclus had never seen his guardian so livid, not even when Agamemnon had stolen his priestess. Beside him, Hector drew his own weapon, and Patroclus knew he had to act fast. If these two great warriors came to blows, even he might not be able to stop the fight before one of them was killed. Under different circumstances, he might have laughed at the irony that they were both so intent on protecting him from the other.

Admittedly panicked and lacking any better ideas, Patroclus rushed in front of his cousin and threw his arms around the older man's neck. Achilles, confused, tried half-heartedly to push him away, but Patroclus clung to him like a barnacle, desperate to impede his deadly progress toward Hector.

"Cousin, stop, please! Leave him alone, don't do this!"

His position against Achilles quickly morphed into a shameless hug, something he had longed for above all the treasures in Troy. But still Patroclus refused to let go, both for his own sake and for Hector's. He hid his tear-stained face against Achilles' shoulder now, begging into his ear.

"I'm all right, I swear, he's never hurt me. Just let me explain, please! Please, Achilles…"

And gracious Athena, he knew he had finally gotten through when he felt Achilles lower his sword arm to return the embrace. The warlord glared at Hector over his charge's head all the while, daring him to approach or to even think about trying to separate them. He then gave Patroclus a rather possessive kiss of his own on the exact same spot as Hector just moments before.

Had this not been the first blessed contact with his cousin in two months, Patroclus would have rolled his eyes; even he knew how jealous and downright petulant his guardian could be at times. Furthermore, knowing Achilles' volatile temper, Patroclus would have preferred to break the truth to him more gently; but that wasn't an option now. He pulled away and cautiously stepped back, keeping himself squarely between the two men but still facing his kinsman.

"Cousin, Prince Hector is my friend."

"Your friend?" Achilles sneered in disgust. "Are you really so fond of your captor now?"

"He was my friend before I was his captive."

When that gave Achilles pause, Patroclus finally explained, "Three months ago, I found him wounded and stranded behind the Greek lines. Even after I learned who he was, I couldn't have his death on my head – not like that. So I kept him hidden and later helped him escape back to the city. I'm not sorry I did it, but I am sorry I deceived you for so long."

Achilles' eyes darted back and forth between the prince and his cousin, suspicious. "That doesn't explain why you ended up here."

"But it does! The one day I fought, he saw me and brought me back to Troy for my own safety. Up until tonight, he believed I was Eudorus' slave, and he thought I was being forced to fight. He only wanted to repay my kindness and protect me after I had helped him. I never dreamed anything like this would happen, back when I first found him."

Patroclus stopped there to let his guardian absorb the truth; the warrior didn't respond, his expression difficult to read.

"Please, Achilles," the boy entreated at length, "just let him go. I swear, Hector never harmed me, nor meant any harm to me in all of this! He's my friend."

Achilles still didn't speak right away, yet neither did he move as though to attack the prince again. Finally, he addressed Hector in a cold voice. "I cannot forgive you for keeping my cousin from me, Prince of Troy, no matter what your intentions might have been – but I will give you a chance to escape, for his sake. Go look for your father, if you will, but I doubt you'll find him still alive. And if I see your face again inside this city, I swear you will join him."

Grief and rage alike rose to Hector's countenance at the mention of King Priam, but deep down, he knew he was doomed to lose any battle against Achilles. Once again, only Patroclus' intervention had saved his life, and he would not be given this golden opportunity again.

"Go, Hector," the younger Greek urged anxiously. "Please, there's no time, you've got to get out of here!"

But the prince lingered, as if he still didn't trust that Patroclus would be safe if left behind in the Lion's claws; and only with great reluctance did he bow his head. "Thank you for everything, my friend. There is no counting how many times I owe you my life now."

"Goodbye, Hector. The gods go with you and your family."

As he watched the Prince of Troy retreat at last, Patroclus knew he would never see the man again, and their final farewell left an aching emptiness in his chest. He then looked back to Achilles, who regarded him quizzically.

"You bargained for the Trojan's safety, but not your own. Do you not fear me at all right now, Patroclus? What you did could easily be considered treason; you even called him 'friend'."

"Because he is. You taught me about honor, Cousin. I know I betrayed your trust when I helped him, but I hope you can understand my reasons. There would have been no honor either in killing him in that ravine or in leaving him there to die. But believe me, I spent every day here in Troy wishing I was with you instead! That's where I belong – if you will have me back again."

"You should not have sent your friend away so quickly if you had any doubts about my receiving you."

"I don't doubt you, Achilles. I just hope you don't have any reason to doubt me."

It was the right thing to say, apparently, because his kinsman's stony expression melted into one of amusement instead.

"Did that man care for you no better than his horse? You look ill, Cousin."

Patroclus sighed tiredly. "I haven't been sleeping well lately, but that's my own fault, not Hector's. The only thing he ever denied me was my freedom – and you."

"For that alone, I should have killed him – except that it would have caused you grief." Achilles' arm went around his shoulders then, guiding him away in the opposite direction. "Come, there are others who will also want to see you."

A hearty greeting from Odysseus followed shortly thereafter, but Patroclus was unprepared for the full embrace that welcomed him when he was reunited with Eudorus. Such open displays of affection weren't typical of the man's reserved demeanor, and so it was a touching show of emotion. Patroclus had always considered Eudorus to be a friend of sorts, yet he wouldn't have expected his absence to cause the veteran Myrmidon such distress.

Nonetheless, Eudorus' relief was all-pervasive and palpable – as was his guilt over "losing" Patroclus to Hector in the first place.

"I'm so sorry I let him take you!" he apologized for at least the tenth time. "I should have been more careful with you once I realized you were on the field."

"It's all right, Eudorus." Patroclus tried very hard not to make light of his comrade's angst, but it was becoming increasingly difficult not to smile. "I told you, I'm perfectly fine. Hector treated me well, even though I was technically his slave."

"Did you tell him that you belonged to me, like we had talked about?"

This time, the younger Greek couldn't hold back a curt laugh. "Yes, and it probably saved Achilles a lot of trouble – but it still made life awfully difficult for me!"

Patroclus decided there that he would tell Eudorus the truth too, if only to put the man's conscience at ease. But not yet; not until they were all safely home in Phthia, and the bloody sands of Troy were little more than a memory.

Author's End Note: And this is definitely The End. I had a lot of fun with this fic, and I so appreciate your support along the way! I was very, very tempted to let Achilles kill Hector here at the finale, and/or to let Paris show up at the last minute and shoot Achilles. But fortunately for everyone, I decided that Patroclus had already suffered enough and didn't need even more angst piled onto his shoulders for this story. Thanks for reading!