CHAPTER TEN

Briseis

Achilles returned to the hut quicker than I had expected. At the sight of him, I knew Hector had been defeated. Achilles glanced at me before washing his face in a wooden bowl of water. He removed his chest plate and greaves and poured the bowl of water over his body. I looked away, I didn't want to gaze at the man who killed my friend.

'I assume Hector is dead,' I gasped as I wiped my tears.

'He is outside,' Achilles replied and I gave him a look of horror.

'You monster!'

'He's dead, Briseis. Where his body goes does not matter.'

'Have you no respect?'

Achilles turned and strolled up to me. He glared down at me before replying.

'He killed my cousin,' he said before putting on his robe.

'And how many cousins have you killed, brave Achilles?' I asked and he looked away. 'How many fathers, brothers, husbands have you snatched away with the edge of your sword?' Achilles pointed his sword at my head and I looked him in the eye.

'Do not mock me.'

'I do not fear death anymore, Achilles. Ever since I was taken as a captive I knew my life would end soon.'

He lowered his sword and looked away.

'I cannot kill you,' he told me as he sat down on the bed. I stood up and walked over to the exit of the hut.

'You refuse to kill me,' I corrected him and he nodded. He got up and stood between me and the exit.

'If anyone has to kill you, it would be. But you do not have to die. That is why I have to make you wife.'

'You do not have to do anything. How can I marry you knowing that you murdered those close to me.'

With that, I shoved my way past him and left the hut. Tears filled my eyes again and I collapsed on the wet sand just in front of the water.

Achilles

Night came and Briseis still not had returned to the hut. I watched her from the exit, she still sat there watching the waves of the sea. What did she find so interesting about it?

I sat down on the bed and held my head in my hands. If she did not want to marry me, so be it. But what she said was true, I am a monster. We men are the monsters we write about.

Suddenly, a hooded man entered me and slowly approached me. He knelt down to me and kissed my fingers.

'Who are you?' I asked and the man removed his hood. It was Priam.

'I have endured what no one else on this Earth has endured,' he replied as I snatched my hands away. 'I kiss the hands of the man who killed my son.'

'Priam? How did you get here?'

'I think I know my own country better than the Greeks.'

'You're a brave man to come here alone.' I lifted him onto the bed by his arms. 'I could have your head on a spit in the blink of an eye.'

'Do you really think death frightens me now?' What he said sounded similar to what Briseis had told me. 'I knew your father, he died before his time. But he was lucky to not live long enough to see his son fall.'

'Hector killed my cousin, he was much too young.'

'Thought he was you. But I imagine that you have killed men much younger, Achilles. You may be a killer but I know you are not as ruthless as you seem. Give me back my son. Let me wash his body, let me place two coins on his eyes for the boatman. You would have wanted the same if you were in his place. A beautiful wife lost her husband today. A baby son lost his father. And a country lost their future king.'

For a moment, I thought long and hard before getting up and heading towards the exit. I stopped and turned to face Priam from there.

'If I give Hector back to you, it doesn't change anything. You're still my enemy in the morning,' I told him and Priam got to his feet.

'And you're still my enemy tonight.'

I left and began to wrap Hector's body in a blue blanket. After strapping it to Priam's chariot, I turned to face him.

'Your son was the best I fought,' I said and Priam half smiled. 'In my country, the funeral games last for twelve days.'

'This is the same in my country,' Priam almost interrupted.

'Then the prince will have that honour. No Greek will attack Troy for twelve days. Priam nodded as a sign of appreciation.

Suddenly, Briseis appeared out of nowhere and gasped.

'Briseis!' Priam cried and held out his arms. Briseis ran into them and let Priam kiss her cheeks. 'I thought you were dead.'

'I will follow you back to the walls of Troy so no Greek attacks you,' I told him with my eyes on the ground. Priam climbed onto the chariot and I climbed on behind him. Briseis stopped glaring at me when I held out my hand to her. She took it and I helped her onto the chariot.

We rode back to the walls of Troy, Greeks giving us strange looks as we did. Priam pulled the reins of his horse and the chariot came to a sudden stop. I jumped off, followed by Priam and Briseis.

Andromache ran through the open gates to Hector's body. She weeped and rested her head on him. Helen appeared next to her, cradling a baby which I asummed to be Andromache's. Paris noticed Briseis and opened his mouth slightly in shock. He ran to her and held her in his arms.

'Briseis,' he gasped as he held her tightly. 'The Gods have blessed us!' Helen and Andromache joined him at his side. Briseis broke the hug and turned to face me; her brown eyes filled with tears.

'Go,' I told her, 'you are free.'

'I was never a captive,' she said as she moved closer to me. 'You told me yourself.'

'You are a guest, we are not around the Greeks now. You are safe and can leave without being attacked.' A tear rolled down her voice and she placed her hand on my chest.

'What about us?' she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

'You are safer here, with your family. When this war is over, I will come for you if you want me to.' I replied and she looked down. 'If I ever hurt you, it is not what I wanted.' Slowly, I placed a sea shell necklace (which once belonged to me) in her delicate hand.

After smiling slightly, she turned and climbed back onto the chariot. Her gaze was focused on me as they rode into the city of Troy, followed by Paris, Helen and Andromache. The gates closed behind them and I felt like I would never see her again.

Odysseus

When Agamemnon heard of what Achilles had done, he was not pleased.

'Achilles gives King Priam twelve days of peace? Peace? Peace!' He spat furiously after he gulped down his wine. 'What nonsense is this? Their prince is dead. Their army leaderless. This is the time to attack!'

'Even with Prince Hector dead, Troy's walls can't be breached,' Nestor mentioned and what he said was true.

'King Priam thinks he's untouchable behind his high walls. He thinks the Sun God will protect him. But Troy will burn some day, even if I have to smash their walls to the ground. Here me Zeus! I will smash their walls to the ground!'

I needed to think of something which would make us win this war. I had not seen Penelope for such a long time. Sometimes I feared that I might not gaze upon her beauty again.

That night, when I sat around the camp fire eating bread and drinking wine with the men. I noticed a man next to me, carving a small horse out of a block of wood.

'That's good,' I told him with a smile. I was truly impressed by his work.

'Thank you,' thanked the man as he returned my smile. 'For my son, back home.' I looked away, but looked back at the wooden horse suddenly. My mind was invaded by a brilliant idea. An idea that would bring us victory.

Soon after, I gathered the men and instructed them to build a wooden horse out of wood from the ships. They followed my orders and began to build. As I watched them, I planned what I would do next.

'Well done, Odysseus,' Agamemnon congratulated me from behind with a smirk. 'You've found a way for the sheep to invite the wolves for dinner.' I smiled at his comment before returning to my thoughts. This war would end very soon.