Defying Fate

Chapter 3-p2-The Dawn

"Captain, what is this all about?" Eurlochus asked, following Odysseus as he walked toward the prow of the ship. "Why have you brought them aboard?"

"The girl is a seer, and maybe her prophecies will help us reach home."

"And the child?"

Odysseus turned to look at his second-in-command, and he actually took a step back at the expression on his face.

"That bad, huh?" Eurylochus muttered, then looked out over the crew, most of whom were just lounging in their rowers' benches, since they had a favorable wind the going was easy. "Our hold is full of Hector's wine, and other treasures the men could carry on their way out of Troy," Eurylochus said more confidently. "All hands are accounted for, 600 men including myself, twelve ships. Though our food supplies are low, barely a few days' worth of rations, mostly consisting of dry bread and jerky. We have almost no grain and no means of baking it even if we did. Seems our men were too drunk on victory to consider food," he slapped a rower on the back of the head as they passed, gently, but the man rubbed the back of his head ruefully once Eurylochus wasn't looking anymore.

"We've survived this long," Odysseus said, looking behind them at the rising sun, the smoke from Troy still clearly visible, though from this distance it looked more like a large bonfire than a city burning. "We can hold out a little longer, and find an island to hunt on."

"Captain, What happened back there? Where did you find a baby? What possessed you to bring him aboard? We have no way of caring for an infant, we can barely feed ourselves. What about his mother—"

"He had no mother," Odysseus said. "A casualty of war."

"As this boy would be. Hundreds died last night, Odysseus. Why should this one be saved?"

"Because *I* could save him!"

"Captain..." Eurlyochus sighed and shook his head. "My brother, you know I will honor your decision, but I worry that sometimes you don't *think*."

Odysseus didn't look at his friend, staring out at the waves, as Eurylochus continued.

"Your plans and your strategies have always earned us our victories, but, sometimes I worry that you don't consider all the consequences that might come down on *you*. What if this boy's family is still alive? What if they think you've kidnapped him?"

"They're dead," Odysseus said stiffly. "He doesn't have anyone else. Just me."

Eurylochus' shoulders fell, and his tone softened.

"Does he have a name?" He asked.

Odysseus thought. The boy's name has been Astyanax, lord of the city, though he'd also heard him referred to as Scamandrius, from the river that had flowed near Troy.

Neither would fit, and he needed to end Astyanax's life anyway. Even if the gods would eventually have the child's past catch up with them, best to put it off as long as possible.

He wanted a name that was... similar in form, though, so perhaps if he had any memories of Hector's palace, it could be misheard.

"Asterion," he said finally. It meant "of the stars" and it was a common enough name. It wouldn't stand out when they got home.

Odysseus' fate was in the hands of this infant, but, he'd made his decision. The child would live. If Odysseus had to pay for that someday, he would deal with it when that came.