DISCLAIMER: I do not own Troy - thumbs up to Greek Mythology.
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Odysseus
Life moves on, with or without you.
Odysseus laid the golden coins on Achilles's closed eyes. He made no sound as he looked down at his friends cold face and put his right hand on Achilles's shoulder and whispered something only he could hear. Then, he placed the helmet on top of his head and climbing down the wooden ladder he joined the remaining Greeks as they paid their respects to the fallen warrior.
"He was a great man." Lucas said quietly as he stepped up next to him.
Lucas had been a Greek solider who had luckily survived the battle twelve days before. He was honoured with bravery, and was the self proclaimed apprentice to Odysseus.
Odysseus bowed his head and nodded, choosing to ignore him. But Lucas spoke again, "The best warrior I ever met. What say you, Odysseus?"
"He wasn't that great if he got himself killed for a woman." He sneered and pushed past him towards the giant doors of the castle.
Lucas raised his eyebrows; to see Odysseus talk in that way about Achilles made him wonder how angry he was that Achilles was dead. He had no lover or wife of his own but he knew if the most powerful man in the world died for the love of a woman she must have been of importance. He turned away before a solider lit the hay underneath Achilles body with a torch, not wanting to watch him burn.
As he walked away to catch up to the boat that was getting ready to set sail he wondered if the young woman Achilles gave his life for was still alive.
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Briseis
I left him, was all that ran through my mind as Paris pulled me through the stone corridor and through the tunnel. The only thought I had was that the man I had loved, and given myself to, was dead. And I would be left alone to walk the earth until Apollo sent me to Hades.
"Briseis, you must eat something." Helen spoke softly as she held a carved wooden bowl of porridge to the weeping woman.
"No, Helen. I will not eat. If I die from starvation, let the gods choose my fate in Hades."
"Do you think it is worth to die for the enemy? The man who killed your very cousin, Hector? And drug his dead body from his chariot back to the beaches and left Andromache a widow, to raise the baby with no father?"
Briseis's head snapped up from her knees as she glared at Helen fiercely. "Do not speak of Hector like that. He chose his fate and died in honour."
"Hector died in the hands of your warrior, who you stick up for."
"He was avenging his brother's death. Just like Paris did for Hector. Achilles was no worse then any of these men we speak of."
Helen's eyebrows narrowed as she stood up and walked away quickly. "Then it is even. An eye for an eye."
Briseis crouched into her knees and whispered to herself, "No, it is not. I am left alone."
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When the body was burned and all that remained were the ashes of Achilles, the Greeks prepared to leave; the battle won and over.
Odysseus had told everyone to aboard the ships and wait for him. When he was asked why he simply said he had to say his goodbyes privately.
He entered the courtyard alone and walked past the burial stand swiftly, not bothering to look up at the burned armour and body. Odysseus walked into an open door and shut it behind him. He looked into the back of the room at the dark silhouette of a man in a cloak.
"I see you got out in time." He said quietly.
"It wasn't without effort, Odysseus." The man answered.
"I was sure that you would have been seen, or I would have raised suspicion."
The figure in the cloak laughed. "I don't think anyone would second guess you with the remark about my death for a woman."
Odysseus smirked and opened the door. "I must leave, they will send someone to see that I haven't run off."
"Very well, old friend. We shall meet up again in time."
Odysseus opened the door and walked out, but paused and turned his head not wanting to look at the man. "You know they will hunt for her. For the death of Menelaus, and they will not rest until she is dead."
"I know. The Greeks have a way with vengeance."
"As do you Achilles, as do you."
Odysseus left the gates of Troy and hurried back to the ships before anyone could be sent to look for him. When he boarded it was Lucas who looked at him curiously, and tempted to make conversation, but Odysseus shrugged him off and walked to the back of the boat. He gazed up at cliffs from the beaches and although he saw nothing, he knew he was being watched.
High up where no one could see him, Achilles watched the boats sail further away from the destroyed kingdom. His thoughts were soon interrupted when the pain in his ankle returned and he thought of the night before. "Briseis." he breathed, feeling the ache in his heart once again. Leaning on his spear for support, Achilles turned and began to walk back to the doors of the castle.
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When the remaining people of Troy escaped the burning palace through the tunnel Hector had instructed Andromache to leave in they found themselves in an empty village. Death hung in the air, and a foul stench coated the little stone houses that surrounded the village. Paris had guessed the Greeks had done this on their way to Troy and left the people to rot. They had all taken shelter in the destroyed town for hiding, in case the Greeks had come looking for them.
"For all they know were dead too." Paris said angrily.
"They will come, in time." Andromache whispered as she rocked the infant in her arms. "They will not want us to carry on after what had happened."
"They will come for her as well, they will hunt her like a pig." Aiden, a solider of Troy said between bites of the food they had made.
He pointed a finger towards Briseis, huddled against a house; her head in her arms, and the others followed his gaze but said nothing and continued to eat. Paris watched her, still horrified at what he had witnessed before he shot the arrow that killed Achilles. The embrace they had made him ill to his stomach, his very own cousin in love with the murderer or his dear brother Hector.
"What troubles you, my love?" Helen asked, putting a hand delicately on his shoulder.
"Nothing, just cold. I'll be inside." He said not hiding the disgust in his voice.
He walked past Briseis not looking down at her. She lifted her head enough to peek out and see him disappear in the broken down house.
They don't understand, S
A/N: Here it is. I know it's short, but I'm going to get into Achilles in the next one, and more or Briseis. It skips to the other characters a lot but it's how I wanted it written. Yes, Achilles is alive and I will be explaining that in the next few chapters or so. Stay tuned, and R&R!