#50hs

In Chapter 3: Swift-Footed Achilles, we finally see his opinion of the Traveler without the narrative bias present in her perspective in the previous two chapters. In this chapter, we can actually pinpoint when Achilles falls in love with the Traveler, even though the change in his character is quite subtle.

The main turning point in Achilles’ feelings was the flower-giving scene. To support this point, I will present how he viewed the Traveler both before and after that moment, and how that changed his behavior towards her.

Before the flower-giving scene, there are several mentions of his dislike toward the Traveler, as she fears him—yet remain close to the women and to Patroclus.

"What angers him the most about you, however, is the way you gaze at him.  Fear. There is no other word to describe your emotions. Through every encounter Achilles has of you, you maintain that same stature of a trembling rabbit. Your entire being is an insult to the Gods. Demigods carried themselves with pride. None would bow the way you do, it’s beneath their parentage. Achilles is sure of this.   [...] Something that displeases him even more is how you interact with the rest of his people.” (Poly, ch.3)

I also have a small draft suggesting that Achilles’ anger toward the Reader may stem from jealousy—both toward the Reader and toward the women and Patroclus. The Traveler, a demigod who resembles him more than they do, is closer to them and more distant from him—when in theory, the Traveler should understand Achilles’ nature better. He may also have developed a strong sense of pride in his nature as a demigod, as it is this very nature that keeps him apart from others. However, I won’t dwell on this subject here, as I plan to publish it in the coming days.

Even in the flower-giving scene (chapter 1: White Florals, form the Travelers' perspective), before he receives a flower, he comments to Patroclus on how useless she is:

“ "A loathsome creature." He tells Patroclus, who admires the flower you gave him earlier. “One who wastes the daylight for us all.”   [...]  “Unable to do basic tasks a child could do, yet decides to go floral-picking?” He continues, his anger clear and bright as the Sun Helios pulls in the sky. “The girl brings shame to the Mother-God who put life into her body.”” (Poly, ch.3)

And while he might have been able to continue ranting to Patroclus about how useless the Traveler is, he stops after she gives him a flower.

“Godlike Achilles turns to his friend with his ire, but he is stopped when something is tucked into his golden hair. You mumble something in that barbaric tongue he despises, and then you leave him with the flower. Achilles can only stare at your glistening hair, coiled and wrapped in a floral hue. You behave as you did before, ignoring the Lord and focusing on the girl once more. Patroclus laughs again. He fails to feel the anger. Slowly, he reaches up, grasping the flower with his warrior-like hands. It curls back into his palm. ” (Poly, ch.3)

It is only after the flower-giving scene that Achilles truly changes his behavior towards the Traveler— even if she fails to notice these changes.

“To please the Gods, Achilles tries with you. He never claims to be a patient man, but he bides his tongue when your hands are slow to weave the loom, or sculpt the pottery. He considers himself very benevolent for keeping you away from the food and other tasks Briseis had taken on, even when you pay no mind to his kindness. […] Despite his ire, Achilles finds himself watching you. He sits in the clearing, tending to his knife, but his eyes wander. They settle on you, Briseis and Pysus. The women had completely taken you in as their own at this point in time. You clearly prefer their company over his own. […] Briseis kisses your cheek. You laugh. He leaves before he is forced to watch anything more. ” (Poly, ch.3)

After the flower-giving scene in Chapter 1, the Traveler’s trauma response begins in the woman’s tent, once she finally relaxes and decides to summon a god, as mentioned in this [post]. However, even before this trauma response—and even before she leaves Achilles’ tent—there is a very interesting mention of a hunt.

“Your act pays off in the evening. [The follower giving] You and Pysus were getting the pelts ready for Achilles to slumber. […] When Achilles arrives, she usually has to take her leave. You hear the tents flap and you feel your heart sink in disappointment. Achilles sinks into the pelts with a sigh, running a hand through golden locks. He smelled of sweat and blood. He must have come back from another hunt. You can already hear the whoops of the other men right out, full of excitement. ” (Poly, ch. 1)

The next time the story mentions the pelts of a hunt is in Chapter 3: Swift-Footed Achilles, after Achilles returns to the camp, humiliated by Agamemnon’s demands.

“His body burns with humiliation of the loss, but he still strides forward in his desperation to see you and your being curled up within the pelts of the animals he’d slain for your comfort. He wishes nothing more than to see your face, a recompense for all that he’s suffered today.” (Poly, ch. 3)

Achilles—prideful, godlike Achilles— only desire after such humiliation (the very same that, in the original Iliad, drove him to withdraw from the Trojan War), was to see the Traveler wrapped in the pelts of the animals he had slain for her comfort. The same pelts he had taken from the hunt that followed the flower-giving scene in Chapter 1.

The Traveler, without even knowing it, managed to tame Achilles’ temper with a simple small white flower.

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