The Peopling of Europe
Bresis fought against Paris' grip. "No! Let me go! I love him!" She screamed at the top of her lungs. Paris had just delivered the fatal arrow to Achilles and was dragging Bresis through the burning streets of his beloved Troy, hoping Helen had made it out and hadn't been captured. He couldn't hear the screaming of his cousin over his thoughts for his own beloved.
"Bresis, I had to do it!" Was all he said as he gripped her tighter so she couldn't get free from his grasp. "Come now. We're almost to the gates. Helen! Helen!" He called, searching the crowd for her face. He spotted her and dropped Bresis' hand, taking it for granted she would have abandoned her hope for Achilles. "Helen! Thank the gods! I thought they'd taken you. Come, we must get out of here. Cousin? Cousin?" He turned to take her hand once more so she would not be lost in the thong flocking out the gates. "Bresis!" He yelled when he spotted her running deeper into the city.
He knew where she was going, but a part of him had just figured out how she felt, not knowing if the love of her life was alive or dead. He told himself she'd go back and find Achilles' lifeless body then join the others at the gate with the knowledge he was dead.
Achilles lay on the ground, agony coursing through his body. Why did Paris have to pick now to get good aim? Why couldn't his mother have turned him the other way and dipped his feet into the River Styks? But none of that mattered now. All that mattered was that he'd heard Bresis yelling to Paris that she loved him. All that mattered was that Paris dragged her out of Troy and she would live out the rest of her life. Granted it would be without him, but she would be alive. This thought comforted him and unconsciousness overtook him.
Bresis had fought her way through the crowds flocking to the gates to escape. She'd managed to avoid all of Agamemnon's men who were still raiding the city and made it back to the court yard where she'd been mere moments before. She approached the wall and looked down. There was Achilles' body lying in the middle of the court yard, arrow still through his foot, dead. Her eyes fell as she lost all hope of finding him still alive and at least getting to say a final good bye. She turned to go, but the arrow stuck in her mind. Someone should at least take it out. She turned back and went down the stone steps to where he lay and knelt down beside him.
She grasped the arrow with one hand and put her other hand on his lifeless body. She pulled the arrow hard from his heel, but something happened. His eyes flicked open, pain crossing their grey dullness and his body jerked, rigid with the fresh sting of the wound. She looked down in horror at first, then relief flooded her features. "Achilles! I thought you were…" But she couldn't bring herself to finish.
He'd thought the heavenly light touch he'd felt was a dream, one of the gods come to take him out of this world. But when fresh pain sprung into his aching body he'd awoken to find that he hadn't died yet. At first, he'd been angry, but upon seeing his love before him, the anger had ebbed quickly. "Bresis…" was all he could manage in his weakened state. He tried to sit up, but couldn't.
She noted the weakness in him and pulled him into her arms, wanting to hold him until he died. "I thought you couldn't be killed…" She sobbed, knowing he was dying.
"Your cousin has excellent aim. He hit me in the one place that is fatal; the only part of my body not covered by water from the River Styx." He relaxed in her embrace, accepting he was to die. "Bresis, live out the rest of your life happily. We will be together again. Remember that, my love." He looked up into her eyes and saw the tears spilling down her cheeks.
"I'll live out my life happily, but you're going to be there by my side." She laid him gently back on the ground and reached for a leather cord around her neck. He looked quizzically at her, but said nothing. She pulled a glass vile with clear water inside it from beneath her clothing. "This vile contains water from the River Styx. I can coat with it, if you don't think it's too late." She held up the vile, the water sparkling in the orange light of the many fires around them.
"Bresis…" He trailed off. He wanted more than anything for her to coat his heel with the water and to live out the rest of his life with her, but he was almost sure that it was too late for the water to do any good. He saw the sadness in her eyes when he'd trailed off and sighed, nodding. "It's worth a try." He could at least pretend it had worked until they were outside the gates, then claim he had to go back to his ship for something and send her on to safety. It was clear he wasn't going to die for a little while longer yet.
She smiled and opened the vile. The water was cool against the hot pain ravaging his body and he was thankful for it. He reveled in that coolness for a few moments then allowed himself to come back to reality. It was time to get Bresis out of there, the only way he knew how.
Slowly, Achilles dragged himself up off the ground and held his hand out to Bresis. Instead of the pain he should have felt, there was a coolness much like the coolness of the water on his heel. He ignored it, thinking it was only his body making it bearable for him to get her to safety. "Come." She took his hand and he helped her up. She was so close to him when she stood and she looked like a goddess with the firelight behind her that he had to kiss her. He couldn't help himself. She was so beautiful.
She returned his kiss. He seemed to have gotten away from the brink of death and that deserved a little celebration, even if they were still in mortal peril. She looped his arm over her shoulders and helped him to move as quickly as they could with the awkward height difference.
They managed a fair pace and anytime they passed one of Agamemnon's men, Achilles merely pretended to have taken her captive again. In this way, they made it outside the gates of Troy. Achilles could feel his strength beginning to give. This was it. He had to say goodbye to her without making it seem like that was what he was doing and send her on to safety to wait for him.
He brought her to a stop just around the rock formation where they were out of sight to anyone. "Why did you stop?" She questioned, looking for signs of pain in his expression.
"I need some things from my ship. You go on to the boats. Board them with the rest of the Royal family. I'll set sail and follow you. The first place you land, sneak off and board my boat and we'll leave in the night." He looked into her eyes, wanting to memorize each tiny spark of light in them and then kissed her. "Until we meet again, my love." With that, he limped away to his ship.
Bresis savored the taste of his kiss, knowing it would be the last for several days. "Until then, my love." She sighed. She watched him until he was over the rise and out of sight before going to the boats to rejoin the Royal family, or what was left of it.
"Cousin!" Paris sighed and helped her aboard. "Are you satisfied now? Can you leave Troy behind without thoughts of ever coming back?" She noticed Helen by Paris' side was looking all too eager to set sail and lead the ships carrying the Troy refugees to safety.
"Yes, Paris. I've seen him. I can leave and never think of returning." She walked quickly away, not wanting her expression to betray the fact that Achilles was alive. Paris thought it was out of grief that she quited his presence so quickly. He felt guilty. His true love was standing beside him while his Cousin's waited only for the fires ravaging Troy to consume him.
Helen put her hand on Paris' shoulder, knowing his thoughts. "You did what you had to do to save her, my love. She would not have come otherwise. I am a woman, and so I know a woman's heart. She would have stayed with him and been killed."
"I know you are right, Helen, but I cannot help but feel responsible for her hurting. I could have helped them escape, helped them to run away together, but my anger at Achilles for killing Hector got the better of me. I have avenged my brother's death, but at what price? The loss of a Cousin's love?"