Achilles had arrived three days. He had been on his way home. Menelaus found out he was in town and invited him to stay for a while. Wanting to refuse, his crew wishing to stay, he sadly agreed to the offer. Tonight was the night that two alliances would become allies after many years of battleing against one another.
Menelaus raised his glass.
'To the new alliance between some long awaited allies!' he said and took a sip of his drink. Everybody in the room did the same and then he stood up and said:
'I was hopeing this day would go well when Hector sent me the letter wishing the two of us could meet and make ammends. And I am proud to present a little gift or gifts as it were, to all the members here that are a part of the new alliance.'
Achilles looked up from his corner to see what the hell was going on. He was a bit tipsy but that was only because he didn't want to be here. He was watching Paris the brother of Hector, both princes of Troy, he watched the way Paris kept eyeing Helen,Menelaus' wife. When in came a long line of beautiful women, their hands bound in thick, heavy rope, strong enough to pull and elephant. The guards gave them out slowly to the men. Halfway down the line a woman pulled the rope up over her head and kicked the guard beside her. He fell back and she used his fallen blade to cut the rope that kept her attached to the rest of the women as she did a cartwheel over the fallen guard. She ended up in the arms of another guard and she elbowed him in the gut and put her bouned hands around his neck and flipped him over her shoulder. She ran to the stairs where one of the guards hit her over the head with the hilt of his blade. He looked over at Agamemnon for what he should do and Agamemnon said 'Give him to our only guest who will never belong to any side of the battle. Achilles.' The guard carried her to Achilles. She was half passed out but her eyes were still trying to stay open.
He dropped the girl into his lap. Menelaus laughed at Achilles' face as he received her. Her hair was dark brown, wavy and it was very long. Her dress was emerald green with slits down the side so that a lot of leg was showing. It hung loosely on her and didn't fit her figure. It was a typical dress made for whores. She opened her eye finally and struggled to get out of his grasp.
'Have fun with her. She might just be the only person to every cut you.' Menelaus said raising his drink and all the guests laughed.
She got off his lap and sat next to him with a humph sound. She stopped struggling after Menelaus had said what he said. She put her hand on her knees and stared at the man in disgust. She looked at Achilles and and her face had a look that looked like a hyena testing the limits of a lions temper. She noticed his tipsy state and smiled. He will be an easy one to rid myself of. She thought to herself.
'May I ask you for your name?' he asked his fingers running down her arm.
'Disgusting pig! You think that because I wear a whore's clothing that I want to pleasure you?' she said, pushing his hand off her and put her head in her hands.
Achilles shifted himself so that he was confortable and looked at the other women being passed out. The woman beside him noticed his money pouch and slowly took it from his pocket. He didn't notice so she slipped it into a pocket hidden under her breast.
'What is your name?' He asked again. Turning back to her.
'And what would you do with my name?' She said harshly trying to act as though she did nothing. She looked down at the ropes around her wrists and tried to get free. The rope burned into her wrist and she gave up. She noticed a knife on the table and grabbed it with one hand. She sawed at the rope while Achilles watched with a smile on his face.
'I would use it in poems and talk to others of your beauty. But without your name, you would just be 'the girl who dressed like a whore.' 'He said and watched her face.
'My name is Gabrielle and don't you dare think that I will be your pleasure slave. I will run from you when you least expect it. For no man or god on this earth can keep me as his own nor can keep me from running free of them.' she cringed as she missed the rope and got the side of her hand with the knife. She sighed in frustration.
'Well I give you points for trying but the knife is at the wrong angle. Here.' he fixed the knife's angle and she began to saw again. The rope began to ripe and she smiled and pulled her hands free. She threw the rope under the table and began to put the knife somewhere in her dress where she could hide it. He grabbed her hand and took the knife away. He was sobering up.
'I don't want your name put down for murdering anyone with this.' he said and put it on the table out of her reach.
She looked at the knife sadly. 'Who said I would commit murder? I might just try to entice with it, any man who thinks he can touch me.' she smiled at the thought.
'Well I am leaving.' He said and grabbed her elbow. She got up with him and he led her out. As soon as they left the great hall she began to ripped her way out of his grasp.
'What do you think you are doing?' he asked and his grip locked.
'Do you think I will go to your room and wait for you to molest me? No! You won't take me with you and I …will get away from you!' she said through grinding teeth. She puched his nose and he bled onto his toga. He was shocked and he looked at her in astonishment as he held his nose with his free hand.
'I will not molest you but watch you retreat out of the window as I sleep. You may leave if you wish…once, we get into the room.' He said and led her on.
They finally got to the room and she ran in. He locked the door and went to the bathroom to clean of all the blood.
'The windows should be open.' He said over his shoulder. 'If you are hungry you may have some fruit of which is on the table beside the bed.'
She looked around and spotted the fruit. She walked towards it slowly wondering if it was a trap or if it was poisoned. She suddenly didn't care and lunged for them. If she were to be poisoned at least she would die with her stomach full.
Achilles came out and smiled at the figure stuffing its face with food. She looked up at him and swallowed. More than half the pile of fruit was now missing and she was still eating. Many cores and peels lay on the floor.
'If you keep eating any longer you will be sick.' He stated.
She gave him a dirty look and stopped. He liked her. He didn't know why but he did.
'Here let me have a look at that cut of yours.' He said a bandage in his hand. He sat down beside her and brought the achoholized bandage (if they could be back then) to her hand. She hissed and backed away from him.
'It will hurt but at least you won't get that cut of yours infected.' He stated. She looked at him and slowely came closer. He placed the bandage on her hand. She was staring a bit too hard at his face. He wound it around her hand and made it so it wouldn't fall then let her hand go. She looked at him and then looked down.
'Thank you.' She said her eyes on the floor. He lifted her chin so that she could look at him. 'You're welcome' he said and she looked away blushing.
'So why were you one of the women that was given out?' he asked as she tried to tighten her dress.
'I was pulled from the streets, given these clothes for mine and given to you as a gift. I am no whore, I had a life! I had a man… I worked at a bakery and made myself good money. I was walking home one day and they took me off the street. Disgusting pigs they are, Agamemnon's men. I would never touch one. Nor would one ever dare touch me.' She said and stood up to sit on the bed next to him.
'Do you have children with this man of yours?' he asked.
She looked away angrily at this. It was as if she was afriad he would see some deep dark secret hidden in her eyes. Something about the way she did it made him think that she had a bad relationship with the man of hers.
'No. And what makes you think that I will tell you all of my secrets? Why must you need to know all about me? Why do you care?' She said looking at him.
'Just curious is all.' He said and his eyes told her he was not lying. There was something about his eyes that attracted her to him but she would not follow her intuition. She turned away and looked at the window.
She got up and walked to the window. She looked out at the sea and her face looked as if she longed for it. She turned back in and looked at him.
'I wish I could get out of here…'
'Why don't you? The window is open you are free to leave.' He said.
'No I mean away. Out there on the ocean. Sailing away from this land and living somewhere else. It is like the sea is calling for me.' She said all of her guards down. She felt she could trust this man. Even if she just met him.
'I get the same calling from battle. It is as if I was born to fight, to kill and to be killed. I will never die though.' He said blaytantly. She looked at him and this time it was she who was curious.
'You will never die? How can you not die? Everybody dies.' she said and came and sat in front of him like a small child listening eagerly to an interesting story.
He explained to her how he became immortal. By the end of his tale her face was flabbergasted. She could not believe what she had heard. But then she straitened up and gave him a bored look.
'That reminds me of a story told to me by my mother. It was the story of a great warrior. He would never die unless he wished it so. He is one of the best warriors in the world and his name is Achilles.' It didn't even cross her mind of the man siting in front of her had the same description.
'Do you enjoy it? Being immortal? Do you have a girl waiting for you at home? Is she immortal, too?' She asked curiously watching him out of the corner of her eye.
'Woah there. Not so many questions. I only have so many answers… It can get tiresome for you can never die for you watch all the other around you grow old and you stay young.You can never love anyone for you know that while you stay young they are growing older, weaker and you can do nothing about it. I do not have a woman for that very reason. And by the way that man that you speak of, Achilles? Must have some sort of weakness? Did the stories of this man tell you about his weaknesses?' He asked with a wide grin.
'No. They say he is without weakness.' She looked at him as if daring him to go further.
'Well good. That means i have nothing to worry about then do I?' He said and watched her face. He saw her register it. Her eyes grew wide in amazment and she stood a bit too fast. Her knees buckled and she fell to the ground.
He picked he up from te ground put her on the bed. she was rather beautiful he noted again. Her skin was soft and her hair like silk. He sat on the edge of the bed and looked at her. She looked back at him in embarassment.
'That was embarassing.' She said and looked away from him.
' Your knees buckled so what?.' He said and saw her mind working. She looked at him and tried to hide a smile. 'My ankle gives me some trouble some times.'
'You are Achilles.' She said. She touched his face and felt the stubble that resided on his chin. She smiled. He took her hand and placed it on her lap. She looked at him in wonder.
'You don't feel any different from any other person.' She said and took his hand, admireing the lines. 'You are just like everyone else. How would anyone find out you are immortal?' She asked. He took his hand out of hers and stood.
'The same way you did. Now. You may leave, or you may stay. Do whatever you wish.' He said with his back to her as went to the bathroom and closed the door.
When he came out of the bathroom she was sitting on the bed, her back to him.
'Still here?' He asked.
'Yes. I desided that I had nowhere else to go. My home was in a small barn and i had nothing of real importance in there.The money was a lie but the job was not i really did work in a bakery.'
'I am quite hungry. You said you worked at a bakery? The food that was served isn't that good you show me some of your skill?' He said and smiled as she smiled.
She led him out of the room. She led him down through the great hall and Achilles noticed Paris, one of the princes of Troy, heading up a flight of stairs following Agamemnon's wife. He turned back to the woman leading him away from the party and said to himself 'You're making bad choices, boy. While walking through the great hall men stared as they walked by and goggled at the fact that she was calm with him and not punching him instead. A man came up to her and pushed his lips onto hers. She kneed him in the groin and he bend in two. She kneed him in the face while it was down there and he fell back. The other men who were watching her, laughed at him. She gave the hall a look and turned back to her path.
She lead Achilles to a corridor with three doors. Two on boths sides and one at the end. She noticed the one at the end and froze. He looked at her and her eyes were wide in fear. She saw him looking at her and changed her facial gesture. It sudenly became stone cold and patient. He was troubled by this skill and noted that she was a rather good actress.
She looked him in the eye and said, ' That was the room they kept us in for two weeks. Bad memories have gone by in there. All the screams of the other women will haunt my dreams for many years. I was never touched as you can probably tell. Bot others that i had grown accustomed to were beaten and raped infront of my very eyes and i could do nothing to help.' She turned to the door on her left and opened it. A kitchen resided inside. It was oddly empty. Only a few servants were in it cleaning.
She sat him down in a chair near the exit and went around the kitchen as if she knew it well. She moved with grace and Achilles had difficulty not noticing the way her hips swayed as she walked around the kitchen. An hour had gone by and she came before him, and smiled. He had not stopped staring at her since she began to work. She led him to the counter where all the pastries she made were.
'Go on and try some.' She said and waited for him to try with a look that said ''go ahead I dare you not to like it.''
He reached for a little pastry filled with a type of jelly. He bit into it and jelly dripped out of the glorious pastry onto his stubbled chin. He nodded his head as he chewed and made noises in accord.
She smiled as he stuffed another in his mouth. He was looking at her when he saw her smile. His breathing caught in his throat and he choked. Her eyes went wide but then laughed as he regained his composure. He coughed a couple times but then he was fine.
'It would have been a shame to lose such a grand immortal over a pastry now wouldn't it?' she joked.
'Well at least I would have died eating something i enjoyed.' He looked at her and her eyes were bright. She smiled and grabbed the rest of the pastries that she made and put them into a bowl. She gave the bowl to him and he he took it gladly.
'I think it would be a shame for such an immortal to stop showing up in battles because he can't fit into his armor any more
They walked back out into the great hall and this time everyone was too drunk to even notice their entrance. Achilles kept looking at the staricase he saw Paris and Helen disapear off to. He turned to Gabrielle, gave her the bowl and told her to wait there.
He ran across the Great Hall and up the stairs. He put his ear next to the first door and heard Helen screaming Paris' name in exctasy.
'Damnation!' He said wanting to pound on the door. 'Your brother has finally finished the long awaited alliance and you go ruining it by sleeping with the leader of your new allies' he said outloud loud enough he though to hear from inside. Inside Paris looked towards the door, Helen above him pleasuring herself with him deep inside her. 'What is it?' She said breathless not stopping her movements.
Paris paused contemplayting his situation but chose to ignore the consequences and just pleasure himself with the beautiful woman above him. 'Nothing. Nothing, just a …' helen chose that moment the thrust him deep inside her. He cried out, his hands tangled in her hair. She smiled and kissed him roughly on the lips.
Achilles got back to Gabrielle and she was hissing at a man coming rather close to her. He backed off and she smiled to herself. She notice Achilles and her smile widened.
'What were you doing?' She asked and they began to walk back to his room.
'Just checking up on something.' He said and took the bowl from her delicate hands.
'I am going to bed.' He said as they entered his room. He jumped onto his bed and got the blankets to his liking. Gabrielle sat down on the floor and laid down.
Achilles heard nothing from her and he sat up. She was shivering but no complaining came from her.
'Why don't you join me up here?' He asked.
'I told you I won't sleep with you.' She hissed.
'I don't want you up here so that i can make love to you, although that would be lovely, but i want you up here so you arn't freezing the entire night.' He stated.
She turned onto her back and looked at him. 'Are you serious or are you just playing with me?'She asked.
'I would love to play with you but no, I'm serious.'
She looked at him and got up. She crawled to the opposite side of the bed and layed there.
'You may go underneath the furs if you wish.'Achilles said.
Se slowly lifted the blankets and got underneath. '
If you are naked under there i am going to hit you.' She said her back to him. She felt him move and get off the bed.She turned to look and a gorgous bronze arse was all she saw. She turned back in embarassment and pretended she saw nothing. He got back on the bed and said,'Problem solved, my lady. And by the way i would like to have my money pouch back ' She smiled at this. She fell asleep soon after.
She awoke to his arm slung over her hip. He was slightly snoring as she removed his arm. She got up and walked around the bed to go into the bathroom. She heard the ruffle of Achilles moving in the bed but payed no attetion to it. She heard something coming towards her and she ducked. She turned and Achilles was not even facing her. He rolled over and saw her ducked form.
'Oh sorry about that.'He said. And stood up from the bed. He walked past her to retreive his dagger from the wall. She stared at him the whole time, not an inch of fear had struck her. He looked at her oddly and she got up. She looked at him and smiled and walked into the bathroom.
She exited the bathroom an hour later and she saw that Achilles had left. A note lay on the floor infront of the door. She picked it up and read it.
Dear Gabrielle,
You may leave if you wish or you can stay as my company for tonigt for i will be all alone at this eveninges supper. There is golde under the pillow for you to get youself somthing that fits and something that suits you. I have a good fealing about you and i wish you would take me up on the offer to stay.
Sinserally,
Your Immortal Warrior
She smiled at the note after trying hard not to but she did and she couldn't stop after reading it a second time. His grammar wasn't excellent but that is what you can expect from a warrior fighting in battles all the time.
She went to the bed and reached under the pillow. There was enough gold there to get herself many dresses. She took it all and contemplated taking it and running or taking it to do what he said.
She went to the door, opened it and left.
Achilles returned to the room and found it empty. He noticed that the gold was gone. He sighed and sat on the bed. He ran his hands over his face and looked at the floor. There was a knock on the door and he ran to it.
A servant of Agamemnon was there with a note. He opened it.
Meet me at the back of the palace.
That was all it said.
He smiled and went directly to where she told him. The place was surrounded my trees full of full blosoming flowers and plants of all sorts. The palace wall could be seen but opposite to it was a large opening where the sea could be seen.
She sat on a large rock in the center and looked the at sea. The wind rustled all the leaves and blew her hair back. He walked to her and she looked at him. She smiled and patted a part of the rock beside her. He joined her on the large rock and looked at her. She was looking out at sea again.
'Why did you call me here?' He asked eying her new dress which he noticed shapped her figure perfectly.
'This was my favorite spot to sit and watch the sun go down when I was a child. I have never shown anyone this place and no one ever came back here. It was said that, it was haunted. That made it all the more interesting for me. My curiousity cost me alot.'
'What happened?' he asked looking around at the beautiful area.
'Something i wish had never happened.' She looked down.
'What was that?' He said lifting her chin so that she would look at him.
'I have never in my life told a soul about this but you are different that everybody. If I tell you I have a feeling you will understand.' She got off the rock and stood.
'Tell me.'
'Look over there.' She said and pointed behind him. He turned and looked. Nothing. He turned back and the place in which the lovely Gabrielle stood, now sat a beautiful white tiger.