Disclaimer: The characters of this story (except newly introduced ones) belong to the producers of the movie Troy and the Iliad of Homer; they are not my own creations. Also this is a first attempt so please review and I'll decide if I wish to continue it.

The tunnel was dark and damp, Trojans covered with sweat, dirt and occasionally blood, filled its breadth. Each pair of lungs was heaving with effort, but no one dared stop. At any moment one of Agamemnon's soldiers could discover the secret passage leading out of Troy.

One lone figure stood against the wall, trembling as the crowd plundered past. Once they had gone, she sobbed and slid down the rough rock, crumpling as she reached the ground. Tears ran down her cheeks but she didn't wipe them away, not until footsteps sounded. Jumping up and pressing herself flat against the cold stone, she watched the shadow of her pursuer get smaller and smaller as he drew near.

"Briseis?"

"Paris?" Emerging from the sheltered shadows, Briseis stepped into the dimly lit tunnel; she tried to hide her despair.

"Thank the gods no one has found the escape," He searched her face, something was wrong, and he knew what. "Briseis…"

Turning away, her voice was barely a whisper, "How could you?"

Paris was speechless, how could his own cousin be defending the enemy?

Briseis went on, "He came to rescue me, and you killed him."

"He killed my brother! Your cousin! How could you sit there and defend him?"

"I LOVED HIM!" The words tore from her lips as she stepped once more into the light. She fingered her curly brown locks that were knotted and limp from her weeping, her face suddenly softened, "Paris, I loved him."

"He took so many lives Briseis; you were the last woman I guessed would fall in love with Achilles." Paris stared in astonishment at Briseis' form. She had sunk back down to the ground, and was staring off into nothingness.

"I saw him weep over Hector's body the night your father came to retrieve it." Her voice was barely a whisper. This left Paris speechless again and he scraped the rock wall of the tunnel with the tip of an arrow that he had been idly twirling between his fingers.

"I cannot understand why you would continue to set fire your arrows when I pleaded you to quit…"

"I…was…" Paris was uncomfortable; he wished he hadn't stumbled into Briseis. He could not think of anything to say that wouldn't back him further into a corner.

"He had no weapons; his sole purpose in Troy was to rescue me. Would you not do the same for Helen?"

Paris took a moment to collect himself and put on a stern face, "I cannot undo the past, Achilles was a threat, perhaps not at that time but still a threat. Why not kill him whilst he was unarmed?"

"And that justifies it?"

"I will not apologize, what is done is done. Briseis we need to get out of this tunnel quickly."

He leaned down to help her up, but she thrust his hand away and stood on her own instead, straightening her skirts as she did so. Paris stepped back to let her pass.

"Achilles regretted Hector's death and many others," She swept past Paris but turned her head back as she went, "And you regret nothing."

They followed the winding tunnel for an hour before seeing a tiny speck of light in the distance. As they advanced each silently wondered if they'd be accepted with open arms or slaughtered like pigs on a farm.

And then they reached the end...