You Give Liberty a Bad Name (a Percy Jackson AU)

The Odyssey

Pennsylvania: August 10, 1776
      Calypso was adjusting to the life of a camp follower. It was not a life of comfort, but sleeping in the elements was worth it if she could see her beloved Odysseus often. They usually met at night or during lull times when battles stopped and men ate, drank, and talked. There were many of those times and Calypso was grateful that war involved more sitting around than actual fighting because the battles she had witnessed were gory enough.
     Calypso spent most of her day washing things. She washed uniforms and blankets for men who knew little about what they deemed "womanly duties." She washed dishes for men who would rather pay another to do them than do it themselves. She even cooked meals sometimes — often charging a portion of the food as the cost.
      Calypso also aided the soldiers in other ways. She would sometimes assist in the care of  wounded soldiers. Calypso had more set bones, stitched up more wounds, and bandaged more cuts than she could count. She also did simpler tasks like ripping cloth to turn into bandages and fetching water for wounded soldiers.
       Calypso's favorite part of her days were the times she spent with Odysseus. He liked to watch her weave and she was currently working on making a blanket for him. They also liked to go on walks together and dip their feet in streams. Sometimes, they would catch minnows and roast them for dinner.
       At night, they would lay on the sweet grass and stare up at the vault of heaven. Odysseus and Calypso would snuggle together and tell stories about the diamonds of the sky. Sometimes they slept in a tent and other times they made their own stories underneath the starry sky.
      One day, Calypso woke up with a coldness beside her. Odysseus has been on night duty and hadn't been able to meet her. She missed his warmth. She loved sleeping beside him and breathing in his familiar scent — a mixture of pine and salt — while hearing his breathing slow down and relax as he slept.
     The entire day Calypso felt something hollow in her chest. She told herself it was just because she had missed Odysseus last night, but she kept messing up her duties. She used mud instead of soap while washing a jacket and spilled multiple pails filled with water while delivering them.
     When night finally arrived and Odysseus didn't return, Calypso felt agitated. She paced around their meeting place and finally sat down and wept. Had he abandoned her? Had he found another lover?
     Calypso finally couldn't stand it anymore. She left the meeting place and headed to the camp. She located Odysseus's tent, but he wasn't there. One of the soldiers who shared his tent, Agamemnon, leered at her.
     "You looking for Odysseus, sweetcakes?" He asked.
      "Yes," Calypso said, shuffling her feet.
       "He's dead, but you don't have to be cold tonight," Agamemnon said.
    Calypso stepped back in shock. For a second, she stood there unable to think or act. Then, she turned and blindly ran away, tears streaming down her face as she tried to escape the bitter truth.