Disclaimer: None of the characters in the story following are my property.
None of the large events that take place are my property. They are the
property of Homer, author of the Illiad. I own only their thoughts and
ideas.
Author's Note: I am taking this story almost solely from the movie and my own memory. Some of it has reference to the movie, though lines may be different. Part of it is my own imagination, such as after the battle. Another note, I'll be using ( --- ) to signify the story breaks. I'll be using ( ..'..'.. ) to signify flasback beginnings and ends. Please review
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Briseis stumbled out of the tunnel after Andromache and Helen. Close behind her was Paris, still weilding his bow. She was so out of breath, her head was swimming. What had happened? She didn't want to remember, for the tears were still wet on her cheeks. Achilles was dead, honest-to-the-gods dead. She didn't want to believe it. It just wasn't possible. He was invincible, no man could have ever touched him. That was fact...his death was fiction, but somewhere deep down, she knew it was real.
Lost in thought, she didn't pay any mind to where she stepped and so naturally, she stepped onto a stone and slipped, nearly falling. But Paris caught her by the arm. She turned around, almost thanking him. Something screamed inside her. No! It said. He killed him...he did it. She wrenched her arm out of his grip with a snarl. Involuntarilly, her mind repeated the sad event moments ago.
..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'. .'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'.. '
She was frightened. She had searched everywhere for him and he could not be found. What if she had passed him without realizing it? What if...he didn't want her? She stamped herself to a stop, putting her fists to her head, trying to think. The shouts, the screams, the burning, it all clouded her mind. "Achilles!" She called, but there wasn't any way he could hear her. She had lost him. Suddenly, she felt a strong grip on her arm. Unwillingly, she was swung around to face that so-called king who had given her so gladly to the Greek soldiers.
"Ah," Agamemnon. "What have we here?"
"Let me go!"
"No, I do not think that will be happening." Agamemnon grinned sickeningly. I winced as he drew as finger across my neck. "A Trojan Priestress should make a very nice price...or a valuable slave. Yes, I like the sound of that, having a Trojan princess to scrub my floors and prepare my suppers."
I couldn't bear to think of being subject to the Greek pig's will. As he spoke so sure of himself, I felt for my dagger. I put it into my free hand and held it behind my back. Just as Agamemnon was leaning in, I stabbed him deeply in the chest with a soft cry. I held it down, watching him crumble to the ground. I heard footsteps and turned around, expecting to see one of the King's minions. But it was Achilles.
"Achilles!" I whispered and rushed into his arms. Somehow I knew everything would be all right as I kissed him. He held me close, saying something that I did not quite catch. For out of the corner of my eye, I saw Paris, standing up on a terrace, an arrow ready on his bow. Achilles wrapped his arms tighter around me and I smiled up at him. Then a heard the softest rushing sound and next thing I knew, Achilles was bent over in pain.
I turned to Paris. How could I explain about the Greek man in so little words? "No!" The word just tumbled out of my mouth. "No, don't!"
But he drew back his string again. I looked at Achilles, just as he was hit in the chest by another arrow. "No!!" I yelled toward the terrace. Paris was making a mistake. "Stop!!"
Twice more he'd shot at him. He showed his strength by simply pulling the arrows out, but I saw the pain etched in his face. Paris was going to kill him!
"NO!" I screamed at Paris. Why wasn't he listening? "STOP! DON'T!"
One more arrow had brought Achilles to his knees. I fell beside him, a burning in my throat. I felt the tears of anger burst and roll down my cheeks. Oh gods, you can't die! I held onto him. I felt his shuddering breath and cooling body. I began to cry.
"You must go now, Briseis. I no longer hold you captive. Go."
"I can't, I will not. You have to come with me!"
"No, no, I am dying. Briseis, go now."
I clung to him, my shoulders shaking with sobs. This wasn't happening. I no longer felt the world spinning. Everything had stopped, even my heart. Tears had clouded my vision and I didn't see. I put my hands into his soft, wavy hair. I felt him nuzzle my cheek with his jaw and I pressed against him. Don't leave me here. Don't go. I tilted my head up and kissed him. His lips were still warm and full against mine. I felt him slack a little, and my arms supported him. He kissed my teary cheeks and whispered something in my ear. Let me die with him, I thought. If that is the only way I can be with him, then let Apollo strike me down now.
"Briseis!" Paris was calling me. I held onto tighter to Achilles, but he was pushing me away.
"...You gave me peace...in a lifetime of war. For that, I am eternally glad." His voice was shaking and he was hardly taking breath anymore. "Go now, Briseis, before it is too late."
He pried my arms away from him. I wanted to scream in despair, I wanted to tell him I loved him. But tears and fear and sadness had me strangled. He opened my hands and put a shell necklace into them. The one his mother had made for him. Then he put his hands on my cheeks and I kissed him dearly and gently. Then Paris had ripped me from him. Before Achilles fell back, I thought I saw him mouth the words 'I love you'. I made to run back to him, to tell him, to scream it if he couldn't hear it, but I was already rushing up the steps.
..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'. .'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'
Fresh tears bit under her eyelids. We could have saved him, if we had tried. She cast an angry glance at Paris. My cousin had murdered the only man I ever loved. I could never love like that again. My own cousin. He looked back at her, shocked at first at the look she'd given him.
"Why are you so angry with me?" He asked. Inside, she screamed with frustration. Wasn't it obvious?
"You killed who could not be killed. And I loved him." He looked at her strangely. "Yes, cousin, I loved him."
"He was going to hurt you. I saw it."
"He was holding me, that is all you saw. Then you striked him. Not once, but five times. Were you just ignoring my cries for you to stop?"
"Briseis, he killed many of our men...hundreds. Then he took Hector from us, have you forgotten?"
She looked away. "No, I did not forget. But Hector had killed his cousin. Isn't that the way war is?"
"He held you captive for a long time, we thought you were dead."
"I wish I were dead!" She muttered furiously. "Because my heart died back there, with Achilles."
Paris stayed silent. He moved ahead to join Helen. Briseis breathed out, a new wave of sorrow crashing over her. She reached into a length of her dress and pulled out the shell necklace. It sparkled in the sunrise that crept over the horizon. She held it to her heart. Wait for me, she tought. Wait for me, and I will meet you at the river Styx.
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So what did you think of it? Please review and such. You're such a big help! n.n;
Author's Note: I am taking this story almost solely from the movie and my own memory. Some of it has reference to the movie, though lines may be different. Part of it is my own imagination, such as after the battle. Another note, I'll be using ( --- ) to signify the story breaks. I'll be using ( ..'..'.. ) to signify flasback beginnings and ends. Please review
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------
Briseis stumbled out of the tunnel after Andromache and Helen. Close behind her was Paris, still weilding his bow. She was so out of breath, her head was swimming. What had happened? She didn't want to remember, for the tears were still wet on her cheeks. Achilles was dead, honest-to-the-gods dead. She didn't want to believe it. It just wasn't possible. He was invincible, no man could have ever touched him. That was fact...his death was fiction, but somewhere deep down, she knew it was real.
Lost in thought, she didn't pay any mind to where she stepped and so naturally, she stepped onto a stone and slipped, nearly falling. But Paris caught her by the arm. She turned around, almost thanking him. Something screamed inside her. No! It said. He killed him...he did it. She wrenched her arm out of his grip with a snarl. Involuntarilly, her mind repeated the sad event moments ago.
..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'. .'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'.. '
She was frightened. She had searched everywhere for him and he could not be found. What if she had passed him without realizing it? What if...he didn't want her? She stamped herself to a stop, putting her fists to her head, trying to think. The shouts, the screams, the burning, it all clouded her mind. "Achilles!" She called, but there wasn't any way he could hear her. She had lost him. Suddenly, she felt a strong grip on her arm. Unwillingly, she was swung around to face that so-called king who had given her so gladly to the Greek soldiers.
"Ah," Agamemnon. "What have we here?"
"Let me go!"
"No, I do not think that will be happening." Agamemnon grinned sickeningly. I winced as he drew as finger across my neck. "A Trojan Priestress should make a very nice price...or a valuable slave. Yes, I like the sound of that, having a Trojan princess to scrub my floors and prepare my suppers."
I couldn't bear to think of being subject to the Greek pig's will. As he spoke so sure of himself, I felt for my dagger. I put it into my free hand and held it behind my back. Just as Agamemnon was leaning in, I stabbed him deeply in the chest with a soft cry. I held it down, watching him crumble to the ground. I heard footsteps and turned around, expecting to see one of the King's minions. But it was Achilles.
"Achilles!" I whispered and rushed into his arms. Somehow I knew everything would be all right as I kissed him. He held me close, saying something that I did not quite catch. For out of the corner of my eye, I saw Paris, standing up on a terrace, an arrow ready on his bow. Achilles wrapped his arms tighter around me and I smiled up at him. Then a heard the softest rushing sound and next thing I knew, Achilles was bent over in pain.
I turned to Paris. How could I explain about the Greek man in so little words? "No!" The word just tumbled out of my mouth. "No, don't!"
But he drew back his string again. I looked at Achilles, just as he was hit in the chest by another arrow. "No!!" I yelled toward the terrace. Paris was making a mistake. "Stop!!"
Twice more he'd shot at him. He showed his strength by simply pulling the arrows out, but I saw the pain etched in his face. Paris was going to kill him!
"NO!" I screamed at Paris. Why wasn't he listening? "STOP! DON'T!"
One more arrow had brought Achilles to his knees. I fell beside him, a burning in my throat. I felt the tears of anger burst and roll down my cheeks. Oh gods, you can't die! I held onto him. I felt his shuddering breath and cooling body. I began to cry.
"You must go now, Briseis. I no longer hold you captive. Go."
"I can't, I will not. You have to come with me!"
"No, no, I am dying. Briseis, go now."
I clung to him, my shoulders shaking with sobs. This wasn't happening. I no longer felt the world spinning. Everything had stopped, even my heart. Tears had clouded my vision and I didn't see. I put my hands into his soft, wavy hair. I felt him nuzzle my cheek with his jaw and I pressed against him. Don't leave me here. Don't go. I tilted my head up and kissed him. His lips were still warm and full against mine. I felt him slack a little, and my arms supported him. He kissed my teary cheeks and whispered something in my ear. Let me die with him, I thought. If that is the only way I can be with him, then let Apollo strike me down now.
"Briseis!" Paris was calling me. I held onto tighter to Achilles, but he was pushing me away.
"...You gave me peace...in a lifetime of war. For that, I am eternally glad." His voice was shaking and he was hardly taking breath anymore. "Go now, Briseis, before it is too late."
He pried my arms away from him. I wanted to scream in despair, I wanted to tell him I loved him. But tears and fear and sadness had me strangled. He opened my hands and put a shell necklace into them. The one his mother had made for him. Then he put his hands on my cheeks and I kissed him dearly and gently. Then Paris had ripped me from him. Before Achilles fell back, I thought I saw him mouth the words 'I love you'. I made to run back to him, to tell him, to scream it if he couldn't hear it, but I was already rushing up the steps.
..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'. .'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'..'
Fresh tears bit under her eyelids. We could have saved him, if we had tried. She cast an angry glance at Paris. My cousin had murdered the only man I ever loved. I could never love like that again. My own cousin. He looked back at her, shocked at first at the look she'd given him.
"Why are you so angry with me?" He asked. Inside, she screamed with frustration. Wasn't it obvious?
"You killed who could not be killed. And I loved him." He looked at her strangely. "Yes, cousin, I loved him."
"He was going to hurt you. I saw it."
"He was holding me, that is all you saw. Then you striked him. Not once, but five times. Were you just ignoring my cries for you to stop?"
"Briseis, he killed many of our men...hundreds. Then he took Hector from us, have you forgotten?"
She looked away. "No, I did not forget. But Hector had killed his cousin. Isn't that the way war is?"
"He held you captive for a long time, we thought you were dead."
"I wish I were dead!" She muttered furiously. "Because my heart died back there, with Achilles."
Paris stayed silent. He moved ahead to join Helen. Briseis breathed out, a new wave of sorrow crashing over her. She reached into a length of her dress and pulled out the shell necklace. It sparkled in the sunrise that crept over the horizon. She held it to her heart. Wait for me, she tought. Wait for me, and I will meet you at the river Styx.
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So what did you think of it? Please review and such. You're such a big help! n.n;