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“Hey! Perim— Peri! I’m gonna… Jump off the ship!” Elpenor proclaimed one night, wine glass in hand, as full as ever. Perimedes snatched it from him, taking a sip of his own.
“Hey! You gimme that back, it’s mine!” Elpenor reached for it, but Perimedes stepped back (Elpenor tripped over and almost fell to the ground), gulping down the whole thing and carefully placing it back into the box where the crew kept its glasses.
“Sorry, Elp, but you’re going to get yourself killed if I let you go on.”
Elpenor stuck his tongue out, and Perimedes couldn’t help but breathe out a laugh.
“You don’t gotta worry, if I die, you’ll just save me.”
“Nah, I’d throw you off the ship myself if it were up to me.”
The offended squawking Perimedes got in response was worth dealing with Elpenor drunk — and the frankly horrible wine.
“No no no no— …No!” Elpenor started, shaking his head with an amusing amount of intensity. “You’d never forgive yourself!”
“Is that so?” Perimedes was only partially paying attention, most of his focus was on manoeuvring Elpenor to the pile of mattresses on the floor where the crew was sleeping. He frowned. It’d been weeks since they’d docked on an island, was the Captain even trying at this—
“Um. Yes!” Elpenor seemed to have already forgotten the statement Perimedes was responding to, and so did Perimedes, honestly. “You never leave me alone, so if I do die, you’ll be dying with me.”
That had to be one of, if not the, most insane things Elpenor had ever said drunk. “Well, guess that’s settled. I’m stuck with you for all eternity. Lucky me.” He accentuated his point with a roll of his eyes.
Were Perimedes a more honest man, he’d say he didn’t entirely mind being stuck with Elpenor. He guessed that was why he learned to keep his truths to himself.
It didn’t matter, anyways, Elpenor was already asleep. Hadn't even heard his response. All the better, he didn’t need Elpenor’s drunken ranting about Perimedes ‘caring for him’ waking up the crew.
Elpenor wouldn’t remember their conversation by the morning. Perimedes wondered if Elpenor remembered any of their conversations.
An odd part of him hoped he did.
—
“Perimedes! Hurry it up! We’re leaving soon!” Alcimus called out as Perimedes ventured into the forest.
“I’ll be right back, don’t worry about it,” he assured, waving the guy off.
He hadn’t seen Elpenor on the ship, and considering he always sought out Perimedes before the ship was about to sail, that had to mean Elpenor was still on the island. Drinking, probably. Hopefully he hadn’t gotten himself turned into a pig again. He would never wish that fate on anyone, certainly not twice, and definitely not on his fellow soldier.
“Elpenor!” Perimedes yelled out, as if that would be much help. It wasn’t.
“Elp, I swear, if you got yourself drunk again—”
His mouth flung shut.
Was that a body?
“Elp?” he said, though he knew he wouldn’t get a response. “Wake up. Elpenor, wake up—”
He poked at the body. Nothing. He tilted the head to the side.
His skull was about as shattered as the damn wine glass in his hand.
Would the crew stop to give him a burial? Or would they move on, desperate to get home as soon as possible?
They had to give him a burial, right?
At least, he had to.
Would they let him, though? Would the nymphs help him? Would Circe allow a man’s body to buried on her island?
A nymph was watching him. He could see it, the glowing eyes, staring from the darkness of the woods. Or perhaps that was a predator, waiting to strike him while he was weak— vulnerable. Yes, that’s the word Elpenor would have used. Vulnerable.
He only realized he was on his knees when a soft (nymph?) hand pulled him back to reality, and then he was out of it again, on the ship with a shard of wine glass in his hand, stained red.
Alcimus’ voice.
“There you are! I was just about to look for you—” Alcimus stopped to stare at Perimedes, looking him over as if he'd just seen something strange. Perimedes took that as a cue to hide the glass behind his back. “Are you alright?”
Perimedes stared, searching for the words. A moment, then he cleared his throat and clapped his hand behind Alcimus’ back. “Of course! As alright as ever,” he told him.
The glass shard felt heavy in his hand.