Work Text:
This island is strange. Far stranger than anything Eurylochus has ever seen.
The deep, dense wood reeks of something other . The island big enough for a small village holds only an extravagant palace right in the heart of it. Nymphs and spirits and other immortal beings inhabit every corner. By the gods, his men were even turned to pigs by some witch!
All of this, and yet. The strangest thing on this whole, mystical island is one little boy.
He does not seem anything other than mortal. He is very clearly a mortal boy, no older than eleven, with brown eyes and dark brown hair that reached to his shoulders, as is customary to young boys his age. He walks like a mortal, talks like a mortal (if anyone ever even succeeds in making him open his mouth) and even feels like a mortal. There is no doubt there, the boy is certainly not immortal in any way.
Yet, he is the witch's favourite. He wears robes of decent quality, is always found at the witch's side, comes and goes as he pleases, constantly glowers at the men around him and all around acts nothing like any servant should or ever would. But the witch does not rid of him. In fact, the less like a servant he gets the more protective she is of the boy.
Truth be told, Eurylochus is completely baffled . How can the most mundane thing on this island also be the most puzzling?
The child even has Odysseus confused. Eurylochus keeps catching him staring at the boy with a familiar glint in his eye. Like the boy is another one of those riddles Odysseus used to love solving when both of them were young. There is something else in his eyes too, though. Something akin to longing, as if the kid is some memory buried deep in the dredges of Odysseus' mind.
'Does that boy seem familiar to you?' Odysseus muttered to Eurylochus, sometime in the earlier hours of the celebration they held in the palace, his gaze still trained on the boy. Eurylochus cannot quite figure out what they are celebrating about. The notion of help and a chance to finally return home or the fact that none of them are swine anymore? (Eurylochus hopes it is the former. Hopes that the men still hold out hope for home like he does, like their captain does .)
Eurylochus moves his gaze to the child. Now that Odysseus mentions it... The boy does seem familiar, but he just can't put his finger on it. The boy constantly wore a veil, as if to protect his identity. Which.. yeah Eurylochus feels pretty stupid for saying that. What else would a veil be for? He huffs at his stupidity which Odysseus seems to take as an affirmative.
'See?' Odysseus motions towards the boy, which seems to catch his attention. 'He reminds me of someone, I just do not know who! It might just drive me to madness!'
The boy is fully staring at the two men, now. His eyes narrowed and his mouth pouting in some attempt of intimidation. Eurylochus simply stared back with one raised eyebrow. They both stared at each other for a few moments, both stubbornly locked in a silent battle of intimidation, until one of the men grabbed the kid's arm and started drunkenly motioning towards the pitcher in the boy's arm. The kid's pout deepened to a scowl and he reluctantly poured wine into the man's goblet.
And if the boy somehow slipped and drenched the man from head to toe in wine while attempting to walk past. Well, only him and Eurylochus know that there was never anything to slip on at the boy's feet.
***
Odysseus seems even more agitated now. He is currently ranting to Eurylochus about his failed attempt at conversation to the boy. In frustrated mumblings, of course. Neither of the men desire to know what the witch would do to them if she heard them even speak about her favourite servant (though everyone knows by now that servant is used very loosely).
'And then he said 'I do not speak with strange men who follow me into empty rooms,'. How in the world can I argue with that ?' Odysseus grumbles, clearly irritated. This boy situation is clearly proving extremely bothersome to Odysseus. He is not used to not knowing. Clever and cunning as Odysseus is, even he cannot figure everything out.
'I suppose you will have to drop the subject,' Eurylochus muses. 'We are, in fact, setting sail in mere hours.''
Odysseus just groans in response. ' But I can't !''
After years of dealing with Odysseus, Eurylochus is well used to his, admittedly, at times, irritating, carry-on. But this one? This one calls for wine. He politely smiles at and thanks the servant girl, who is now pouring wine in the boy's place, as she pours wine into his goblet. Eager to let loose, just a little , from all of this drama, Eurylochus takes a sip.
And immediately spits it out.
' Salt? ' Eurylochus stares aghast and betrayed at the wine in his goblet. ' Who puts salt in wine?'
***
'Captain? It is time we leave.'
Odysseus makes no reaction towards Eurylochus' voice. Whether it is because he has not heard or does not care to answer, Eurylochus is not sure. All he is sure of is that Odysseus is still bothered by that boy. Eurylochus sighs and sits down beside his brother.
'Do not worry for the boy,' he reassures Odysseus. 'He is clearly well cared for in the palace and Lady Circe favours him greatly. Perhaps he is just one of those great mysteries.'
'I hear you brother, I really do,'' Odysseus sighs. 'But.. I cannot help but think about him..'
'I know. I am sure he reminds you of Telemachus. Goodness knows every little boy I see reminds me of your son.''
'Yes.. He does..' Odysseus trails off, before jerking up with wide eyes. 'He does remind me of Telemachus because he is Telemachus!''
Eurylochus just stares at his brother. 'What.'
Odysseus leaps up and begins running towards the palace, away from their ready and waiting ship.
'Wait for me!' he shouts as he runs into the wood. 'I will return as soon as I can!'
Eurylochus just stares at the increasingly smaller figure of Odysseus as he sprints further into the wood. And sighs.
***
Eurylochus had many differing ideas of how he would eventually meet his nephew. Yet all of those scenarios never even came close to this.
'Men, meet my son, Telemachus!' Odysseus practically glows with pride as he introduces the little boy clinging to his side. The little boy Eurylochus had been on the verge of agonising over the whole time he was here.
In hindsight, it was really quite obvious. Telemachus is almost identical to his father when he was his age, save for a few features from his mother such as her nose and the fact that he is clearly average height (a fact that has Eurylochus holding in a few chuckles lest he wants to be punched in the face by his charming captain ). He even has the exact same boyish tone Odysseus had when they were kids. Not to mention the same smartass personality that Odysseus is famous for.
Really, Eurylochus is almost ashamed that he did not put the pieces together. The only thing saving him from his shame is the fact that Odysseus could not quite figure it out either. Not until the very last second.
Almighty Zeus , what if Odysseus only realised after they set sail? Eurylochus shivers at the thought. He suspects it would not have been too pretty.
No use dwelling on it now, though. The boy and his father are reunited and together now and that is what is important.
' This little pipsqueak?' one of the (less intelligent, in Eurylochus' humble opinion) men laughs. 'Why, he is all skin and bones and no muscle. I think you have gotten the wrong boy!'
The man starts poking and prodding at Telemachus, clearly attempting to rile the boy up. Most likely to see what the son of Odysseus is truly capable of. Eurylochus cannot help but feel irritated. He is just a child, what does this man expect from him?
Telemachus has it handled. Just as the man prods at his cheek, still trying to get a reaction out of the boy. Telemachus, quick as lightning, whips his head around and bites down hard onto the man's fingers.
The man howls in pain and tries to get his fingers out of the boy's mouth, but he does not budge. Clearly the presence of his father gives the boy some newfound confidence.
As for the father in question, he simply raises his eyebrow at the man as if to say what did you expect? Eurylochus cannot help but agree. What does the man expect when poking at some child? Especially the captain's child .
Telemachus eventually releases the man's fingers, leaving them a bloody mess. As the man gingerly cradles his fingers and glares at the boy, he just smiles sweetly at him.
Oh yes. Eurylochus quite likes this boy.