CHAPTER NINE


Achilles

Late morning came and I awoke with my arms wrapped around Briseis. She slept peacefully, her lips slightly parted and her eyelids fully closed. My lips curved into a smile and I pecked her cheek before getting up and getting changed.

As I did so, she also awoke with the blanket wrapped around her. When she stood up, I flashed a smile and handed her a dress. Confusingly, she glared at it before taking it gently. After we both got dressed, we sat on the bed with my arm around her shoulders and her head resting on mine. Our fingers entwined as we gazed at eachother.

'Am I still your captive?' she asked suddenly with a smile.

'You're my guest,' I corrected her as I brought her fingers to my lips and kissed them. She blushed and looked down.

'Would you leave this all behind?'

'Would you leave Troy?'

After a moment of silence, Briseis smiled and nodded. I told her we would leave tomorrow and return to Laressa. I would introduce her to my mother before I would marry her. Briseis was excited, it would be the first time she married for love.

'My Lord!' Called a voice from outside the hut. Both of us strolled outside to see who had called us. Eudoras stood not far from the tent with the men returning from battle. My blood boiled and I walked up to him.

'You violated my orders,' I told him and he shook his head. 'You lead them into battle.'

'It wasn't me, my Lord. We thought it was you.' I grew angrier at that and glanced around for my cousin.

'Where's Patroculus? Patroculus!'

'We thought he was you, my Lord. He wore your spear, your armour. He even moved like you.'

'WHERE IS HE?'

'He's dead, my Lord. Hector cut his throat.'

My eyes were liquid but I didn't let my tears escape my eyes. I shoved Eudoras out of the way and strolled over to the dead body of Patroculus on a stretcher. His throat was slit open and dried blood surrounded the wound

'Patroculus,' I whispered as I placed my hand on my chest plate he was wearing.

Hector

'Hector!' Andromache cried from behind me. 'Where are you taking me?'

We walked through corridors, down steps and secret passages she had never seen before. Astyanax was fast asleep in her arms but gurgled every few minutes. When we reached an unknown door, I opened it and there was a dusty pathway leading somewhere.

'Do you remember how to get here?' I asked and Andromache looked confused.

'Hector why-'

'Do you?' Andromache fell silent and nodded so I carried on. 'Down this path leads you out of Troy. There's no turning so you won't get lost. At the end of the pathway, there is a river. Follow the river and it will take you far away from Troy as possible.'

'Why are you telling me this?'

'If I fall-'

'No!'

'I don't know how long Troy will stand. But if the Greeks invade, you will be ready.' Andromache had burst into tears by now. 'You'll get as much people as you can but most importantly you get yourself here and you run.'

'Why are you saying these terrible things?'

My gaze dropped and I sighed sadly; I could hear her sobbing quietly.

'I killed a boy today,' I told her as I shook my head. 'He was too young to die, much too young.' Andromache stepped closer to me and kissed me gently.

'I can't loose you,' she told me. 'I won't survive.'

Briseis

After Patroculus's body had been burned, Achilles and I returned to the hut. He sat in the far corner of the hut sharpening his sword. I sat on the bed watching him, what could I say which would make him feel better?

'I am going to bed,' I told him but he didn't reply or look up from his sword. 'Are you coming?' Achilles shook his head without looking at me and carried on sharpening his sword. I felt neglected and climbed under the blanket. Tears rolled down my face and I quietly cried myself to sleep.

Morning came and I awoke with Achilles next to me but we were not touching. I turned to face his sleeping body and sighed. When my hand reached out to caress his cheek, he grabbed it so quickly that he caused me to jump. He realised it was me and let go of my hand. That was when I realised that I feared him more than I loved him. I would have to be careful with my words towards him.

He glared at me and made me feel uncomfortable. I turned to face the other way but he grabbed me and turned me back to face him.

'Can you not look at me anymore?' he asked me and I shuddered. 'The night before we made love and now you fear me.'

'I don't understand you,' I told him and he pulled me closer to him.

'What is there to understand? Everyone is a mystery.' He bent his head and kissed my forehead before climbing out of bed and putting on his armour.

'You are going to war?' I asked him and he nodded. I stood up and strolled over to him. 'Be safe.' He took me in his arms and kissed me, then he left the hut and I followed him.

'I am going to kill one man,' he told me.'

'Who is that?'

'Hector.' My heart crashed against my ribs as he climbed onto his small chariot.

'No!' I screamed as I ran to him. 'Hector is my friend! He's a good man, please don't fight him. Please!' Achilles grabbed the reins and I grabbed his arm.

'Let go of me, Briseis,' he growled and I shook my head. Angrily, he shoved me off and glared at me. 'Know your place, woman.' With that, he rode off into the distance. Leaving me on the sand in tears. I knew who would win but I refused to believe it. Hector had been my friend since I was a child and now he was going to die for a mistake he probably regrets.

Achilles

I rode up to the walls of Troy as fast as I could. Archers had their arrows ready to fire at me but they were told not to. My chariot came to a sudden stop and I stepped down off it. Everywhere was silent, but i soon broke it when I began to shout Hector's name.

I shouted his name at least twelve times until the gates of Troy opened and a man appeared. He approached me with his spear clutched in his hand.

'I've seen this moment in my dreams,' Hector said as if I wanted to know. 'As the Gods as our witnesses, the winner must allow the loser all the proper rituals.'

'There are no paths between the lines of men.'

'I wish it was you I killed yesterday but I gave the dead boy the honour he deserved.'

'You gave him the honour of your sword,' I snapped and Hector's gaze dropped. 'You won't have eyes tonight. You won't have ears or a tongue. You'll roam the underworld blind, deaf and mute and everyone will know that this is Hector; the fool who thought he killed Achilles.'

Hector was silent as I hammered my spear into the ground and removed my helmet.

'Now you know who you're fighting,' I spat as I threw the helmet onto the ground.

With that, we charged at eachother spears at the ready. Our spears clashed together, each of us aiming for easiest kill. Hector tried to plunge his spear into my shoulder but I blocked it easily and knocked his spear away. With my spear above my shield, I charged at Hector. My spear clashed into his shield with such strength that it knocked him onto the ground.

From the Trojan walls, I noticed his family watching. Andromache couldn't bear to watch and cried out. Helen was peering over the wall, her long blonde hair blowing in the little wind. She was very beautiful, but it was her beauty who caused this war. The war which caused Patroculus to die. I would kill her and Paris if I got the chance. Paris stood next to her, looking down at me with disgust. He was weaker than he looked and I could tell that he had never killed a man. He looked around Patroculus's age.

By this time, Hector was on his feet again breathing heavily. His spear tried to pierce his arm but I snapped it in half with my shield. At that moment, he drew his sword and I drew mine. Our swords glistened in the sunlight as they clashed together constantly. Again, my sword drove into his shield and caused him to fall onto the ground.

'Get up prince of Troy, I won't let anything take my glory,' I snarled as he struggled to his feet. He snatched part of the broken spear and jumped to his feet. He began to attack me with it and his sword. I managed to dodge his attacks and slit part of his exposed thigh open. He called out in pain but did not stop the attacking.

'Hector!' Andromache cried with tears streaming down her face like a waterfall. I looked up at the petrified woman and I pitied her. But her crying had distracted me and Hector nearly plunged his sword into my shoulder. Just in time, I moved out of the way and pushed him onto the ground with my shield. Quickly, he jumped to his feet and began to attack me again.

In the blink of an eye, I grabbed the broken part of the spear from him and drove it into his body just beneath his shoulder. Hector stopped suddenly and fell to his knees. He looked up at me, struggling to breath. To finish his life, I thrust my sword into his stomach and dragged it out of him just before he fell to the ground with a tremendous thud.

I looked up at the king who had just lost his son. Priam's eyes were liquid and he looked away with such horror in his face. Andromache's tears were uncontrollable and Helen was trying to comfort her.

After grabbing a rope from my chariot, I began to tie Hector's feet to the chariot. Priam looked down at me and shook his head in disbelief. I climbed onto my chariot and rode into the distance. Hector's widow screaming as loud as she could at what she had just seen.