"Stop!" Briseis let's herself be known. Everyone stops to look at her. "Too many men have died today." She speaks with hidden strength and authority, that when she scans the room, its inhabitants find it hard to meet her gaze. Her eyes finally rest on Achilles, who is the only one who can actually look at her in return. "If killing is your only talent, then that is your curse. But I don't want anyone dying for me."

Everyone remains quiet until Agamemnon laughs. "Mighty Achilles, silenced by a slave girl."

"She's not a slave." Achilles snapped.

"She is now." Agamemnon replied coolly, never letting go of his satisfied smirk. Achilles' eyes flared with anger.

"Before my time is done, King of Kings, I will look down on your corpse and smile." He said mercilessly. With that said, Achilles turns on his heel (ironically said, I know) and left the tent.

I figured I'd review somewhat since it's been SO LONG since I updated, not including the Author's Note-that doesn't count! I made myself a huge cup of hot chocolate so I figure that should buy me a good hour or so of writing time…. In other words, hopefully you'll all forgive me for being a big fat liar about my posting time, and I'll write an extra long one for ya.

Anyways, on with the next chapter

Too Close For Comfort II

Achilles stormed past groups of bewildered soldiers and thrust apart the flaps to his tent. 'How dare he!?' His thoughts fumed. Achilles sighed deeply to calm himself, but cursed under his breath before letting go of his anger. He tried to keep a cool head about the situation or he might not ever save Briseis. After Agamemnon was…. done with her, he would most likely kill her for being Trojan. Achilles couldn't let that happen, he swore to protect her. Slave girl or not, Achilles didn't give up on his word very easily, no matter what the consequences. It was part of his definition of honor.

"Out of the way!" A gruff voice yelled near Achilles' tent. He looked up as the voice approached. Two burly guards dragged a slightly beaten Patroclus into Achilles' presence.

"You can have it back." They tossed Patroclus, who barely moved, at his feet. "The King has no use for him." They both laughed at the boy's cowering figure and left. Achilles knelt before his beloved cousin and attempted to raise the boy to his feet, but he recoiled as though he was still being dragged and tossed about. Achilles' crisp blue stare softened at the sight of his own cousin in so much pain, he vowed then and there, that he would be a man of his word…. To Agamemnon. "I'll see that bastard dead." He whispered to his cousin.

Achilles exited the tent once again. He had cleaned Patroclus as best as he could and laid him on his bed. He wouldn't be needing it. He had elsewhere to be tonight.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::Meanwhile::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

"So it seems that one of my soldiers has quite and infatuation with you." Agamemnon spoke to Briseis who sat in the corner of the room. She simply glared at him. "Can I assume that the feeling is mutual?" he smirked.

She shot him another acid stare. "No, you may not." She lashed quietly.

"Oh? So he hasn't put on the old charm yet, has he? Most little girls would be in his bed by now. He must be losing his touch." He replied snidely. Briseis swallowed hard. She had to keep him talking to keep him from killing her out of spite for the royal family, or worse….

"If you hate him so, then why do you intend to do the same to me?" She hoped this question could keep him occupied.

"Clever little wench aren't you? Well, I suppose that's possible, but I have all the time in the world. And I have enough guards to give that time. I'll keep your little lover at bay, so I can have my fun."

It took every ounce of strength not to gasp loudly at that last statement. And as he moved toward her, having nothing more to say, she was sure that she would rather have been given the chance at death.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::The Next Day:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Achilles had spent the night looking for Odysseus. Hoping that his old friend could keep his head straight, but he could not find him before the fatigue set in. It was no matter. He threw himself onto the mound of pillows and went to sleep, only to awake the next morning to find Patroclus missing. Achilles wasn't worried so much as to go look for him. He knew Patroclus was a man now, and could take care of himself well enough. He would have to prove himself if he wanted to fight in this war.

Achilles needed time to think. Think on his actions, what to do next? He relaxed the tension in his muscles as best as he could with a deep, cleansing breath. He laid back on the pillows once more, deep in thought. How to rescue Briseis?…….. "My lord?"

Achilles recognized that voice. The only one who ever called him 'lord' was-

"Eudorus?"

"My lord," he repeated out of respect, "the army is marching."

"Let them march. We stay." Achilles replied coolly.

"But the men –" Eudorus started, but Achilles turned and glared at him. Eudorus's voice faltered under his gaze. "-- the men

are ready."

"Agamemnon spat on my honor yesterday. I promised that girl her safety and he stole her from me. Let him fight the Trojans

today." Achilles said. Patroclus, who had been standing quietly behind Eudorus, exchanged a look with him just before he left. Eudorus bowed to Achilles walked away to leave them alone to talk. Patroclus stood awkwardly in Achilles' doorway, waiting for him to speak.

Achilles picked up his favorite sword from its sheath and balanced it on the palm of his hand. "When I was very small I saw my

father kill a man with his bare hands." Achilles said randomly. Patroclus didn't know how to respond to this and just stared blankly at his cousin. "There is so much blood in a human body." Achilles flipped the sword in the air and caught it by the hilt. He seemed to be examining it before he spoke again. "You're ready to fight, Patroclus?" Achilles asked.

"I am." Achilles rested his sword on the ground before he spoke to his cousin again.

"You're ready to kill?" Achilles rephrased. Patroclus hesitated. "At night I see their faces. All the men I've killed. I see them

standing on the far bank of the River Styx. They're waiting for me." Achilles sighed deeply. Patroclus stood completely still. He's never heard his cousin speak this way before.

"Some nights I walk among them. When I wake I can still hear their words. They say, 'welcome, brother.'" Achilles seemed

departed from this world for a moment, but the look quickly faded, and he turned to Patroclus. "Never hate the men you fight. All of us are mortals. All of us, wretched things, tumbled crying from our mother's loins. Only the gods are free from the sorrows of mortality." Achilles said.

"I hate no one, cousin." Patroclus replied cautiously.

"Good. I taught you how to fight. But I never taught you why to fight."

"I fight for you." Patroclus replied quickly.

Achilles smiled quickly. "And who will you follow when I'm gone?" Patroclus hesitated once again.

"Most soldiers battle for kings they've never met. They do what they're told; they die when they're told to die."

"Soldiers obey." Patroclus replied.

"We don't have much time to walk in the sun, Patroclus. After this life comes the underworld, an eternity telling stories to other

shades. Don't tell them you died following some fool's orders." Achilles said distantly once more.

"Then what should I tell them?" Patroclus was now confused beyond reckoning.

"Tell them your name. If your life has been worthy, they'll know the rest." Achilles clapped a hand on his cousin's shoulder. In

that moment there seemed to be an immeasurable amount of understanding between cousins.

"I must go now, cousin. I have much to speak about with Odysseus." Achilles took his leave from his tent.

Battlefield

Hector and Ajax have been locked in a battle to the death for what seemed like years, even as far as the gods are concerned. All the soldiers, Greek and Trojan alike, could do nothing but watch as their noble leaders struck blow after blow to each other. After many of what seemed to be fatal wounds, the mighty Ajax fell to Hector, though. Agamemnon deliberated over whether to pull back his troops for the day. His army isn't so mighty without Achilles and his Myrmidons who stayed back at Achilles' command.

"They're laughing at me in Troy. Old Priam and the others are drunk on victory. They think I'll quit these shores, sail home at

first light." Agamemnon's usual overly confident tone was replaced with agitation.

"Maybe we should." Odysseus had always been clever one, but when it came to honor, he would rather save his life cunningly

than die a warriors death. Agamemnon spun to glare at Odysseus's remark as if it were more of a mortal sin than murdering his own parents, wife and children.

"And flee like a whipped dog?" he spat.

"The men believe we came here for Menelaus's wife. He won't be needing his wife anymore." Odysseus replied blandly.

Agamemnon's face inadvertently turned red with rage at this last remark. "My brother's blood still wets the grass and you insult

him?!"

"It's no insult to say a dead man is dead." Odysseus raised his voice at the old king's stubbornness.

"If we leave now we lose all credibility. If the Trojans can beat us so easily, how long before the Hittites invade?" Nestor, one of

Agamemnon's advisors, tries to regain stability in this conversation.

Odysseus thought for a moment before-"You're right. But if we stay, we stay for the right reasons." He turned back to

Agamemnon. "We would stay to protect Greece, not your pride. Your private battle with Achilles is destroying us."

"Achilles is one man. What good could he –" the King started.

"Hector is one man. Look what he did to us today." Odysseus cut him off.

"Hector fights for the honor of his country." Agamemnon paused in disgust, "Achilles fights only for himself."

"I don't care about the man's patriotism. I care about his ability to win battles." Odysseus took the side of his old friend.

"He's right. The men's morale is weak." Nestor added.

"Weak?" Agamemnon scoffed slightly, "They're ready to swim home!" He sighed for a moment and continued, "Even if I wanted

to make peace with Achilles, the man won't listen. He's just as likely to spear me as speak with me."

"I'll talk to him in the morning." Odysseus suggested. "He'll want the girl back." Odysseus remembered his talk with Achilles

that morning and prodded getting her back to him.

"He can take the damned girl. I haven't touched her."

"Where is she?" He asked hastily.

"I gave her to the men. They needed some amusement after today." Agamemnon replied as if it wasn't his concern at all.

Odysseus and Nestor exchanged worried looks.

Ahhh! I want to get this thing out ASAP, so I'm not gonna write much here for once! Liked it???? Hated it????? Loved it (hey I can dream!)???? Have no idea what I was talking about????? Tell me! REVIEW! (A/N) I had lots of trouble for some reason with the verb tenses cuz I got some quotes directly from the movie, so apologies for that. And I also used WAY more vulgar lang. This chapter than in any other for the same reason, trust me, I'm not the swearing type, but this is PG!