Disclaimer: Oops, think I've forgotten this a couple of chapters, please don't sue! I don't own the Iliad or the movie Troy. There. Said it:)
A/N: Got total writers block, so this chapter took a really long time to post, and I'm really really sorry! But I hope you like this chapter:)
Obeying her lover's orders, despite all her emotions in turmoil just telling her to reach over and touch him, Briseis got a more firm grasp of the ledge, and with the help of Achilles she managed to pull herself up. Shortly after, Achilles' sun-bleached head of hair appeared over the ledge.
For a moment, she could do nothing but stand there; the surroundings and the trouble lying ahead had vanished from her mind as she stared in disbelief at the man standing before her. He had now got to his feet and was staring at her with an unfamiliar look in his eyes; Briseis assumed it was happiness, relief... love? It was not the way she was used to seeing him; he looked so free, like the weight of the world had been lifted off his shoulders. The clothes that she was used to seeing him in, and any other sign of the war was gone. He was dressed in azure blue, accentuating his lean body and his muscles, and Briseis noted that the resemblance to the Greek Gods was striking.
For a moment they stood like this, savouring the moment and growing accustomed to the sight of each other again. But Achilles did not wait much longer to fill the space between them to feel the touch of her again.
All her feelings exploded into flames as his mouth covered hers, entrapping her in a powerful kiss. Her senses were clouded and her entire body was yielding to his every move. He was back; he was actually alive. The initial fears she had felt were completely gone, and all that was left was an overwhelming and most definitely welcomed feeling of relief.
As Achilles hesitantly pulled back for a breath of air, Briseis stood there still; choking on the words she so desperately wished to utter. And after a moments silence, she had finally mustered up the strength to say them out loud.
"I thought..." Briseis let her hands cup his cheeks as a final reassurance that he was actually there. "I thought I had lost you." Tears were pressing hard on her and she could no longer hold them back.
"I know," Achilles said soothingly, tightening his already firm grasp around her waist to better feel the presence of her body.
"I thought I'd never see you again as well," he said, letting out a breath he didn't know he had been holding.
"Thought I'd never feel your warm skin against mine never again," Achilles said in nothing more than a whisper, warming her neck. He moved one of his strong hands carefully over her tanned shoulder, smiling gently as Briseis shuddered lightly under his caress.
Bringing his other hand to her neck, gently massaging a knot, which had no doubt been caused by the all that she had endured the past days, Achilles marvelled at everything she had gone through to be with him. But even now, he knew it would never last. The Gods had separated them for a reason, and this reunion they had shared, was nothing more than teasing coming from the sides of those who ruled the universe. They just loved making mortals squirm under their grasp.
He wanted to be with Briseis more than he'd ever thought possible. But he knew that he would be holding her back if he did; it would only cause her pain and unnecessary grief. They were not meant to be together, he proved that when he took his last breath of air, his body filled with the arrows of her cousin. When Paris had aimed that last arrow at him, he had known that his time had come. That there was nothing Briseis or anyone else could do about it. He had been a warrior. A warrior by heart, mind and soul. And every warrior must die eventually. He was not inclined to a happy ending either, his whole life had been so closely connected and carefully woven around Greek tragedies that there had never been a doubt in his mind that his life would end in one.
He had been so ready for all these things. And then she had shown up. Bound to a tent post, grimy and dirty, she had denied his every approach to clean her, all in the interest of keeping her dignity intact. He had been her enemy from the very first start. She had hated him, he knew that, her detest for him was clear in her eyes. But there was a thin line between love and hate.
And he knew now that he loved her. So maybe there could be a future for them after all? She was here, after all, wrapped in his arms. And that was more than he could have ever hoped for, and if having her with him meant that he could feel as he had done only moments ago as she had looked into his eyes, he would risk anything to make her achieve her goal.
The sound of some rocks falling from the cliff they had just been clinging on to, brought the couple back to reality as they let go of their embrace and took in account their surroundings. The cliff they had been hanging on, pointed to the fact that they were probably on some sort of island, only what was beneath the cliff was not water – it was clouds. They were on Mount Olympus.
Turning around, Briseis noticed a large, stonewall – so high and spread so far that they could not see beyond it – divided in two by a massive, wooden door. Focusing her eyes on the door, she could see an inscription on top of it.
The Maze Of Aglyphia
She abruptly turned to Achilles, getting ready to apologise for her behaviour the last days, and the outcome of it all. 'What a mess she had gotten them both into,' Briseis thought regretfully. But before she could even open her mouth, Achilles had started speaking.
"I know," he said reassuringly. "We've got a lot ahead of us. And the Gods are not expecting our success – but I know that if anyone can do this, it would have to be you."
Briseis was surprised that he knew about it, but then again, she did assume at least someone would have already told him why he got pulled out of the Underworld to join his former lover on some quest doomed from the start.
Achilles had turned to Briseis at this last statement, and was looking deeply into her eyes. Eventually he broke the eye contact, nudging her forward to the door. A bit involuntary, she started taking small steps forward – the sight of the massive door, and the fact that her whole future was literally awaiting her, was intimidating.
As she finally reached the door, she noticed that it was getting darker, and put up the pace. As Briseis put her hand on the wooden door, it opened slowly, a stunning view in itself.
The view that met them on the inside was a little more disappointing, considering the scale of the door, and the walls surrounding it. A forest resided inside the 'fortress', but a beautiful one at that. Before fully entering the forest there was a path headed North, and a sign standing beside it.
'Trust the Sun to guide your way to hidden treasures -
But beware the perils of Darkness'
"We should stay here until the sun comes up. I'll collect some firewood for the night." He only got a distant nod in return, but found it satisfactory, it wasn't many times he had seen her so relaxed. But his mind was more worried than he was letting on. The sign just seemed a little too obvious. Never before had Hera actually helped mortals to achieve their goal. He knew the sting of Hera's wrath would be more painful than anyone could imagine. However they had no choice but to trust the sign, there was no other way to retrieve the necklace that he knew of. Achilles became more at ease thinking of the necklace, and what it would mean for them to get to it. Briseis could be with him, forever.
"This was never a part of my mother's prophecy, someone willingly following me into the Underworld if need be, just to be with me." Achilles stated while picking up some logs, more to assure himself that it had really happened, that someone had actually cared that much for him. But Briseis mistook his words, believing that she had somehow interrupted what was planned for him. And it hurt, thinking that he blamed her for dragging him out of the Underworld for 'her own, selfish reasons.'
"Well, I never meant to disrupt your destiny,"she said icily, trying to get back at him for hurting her with his remark.
"I guess as long as people remember your name you don't even care what happens to anyone else. Well I didn't come here to ruin anything for you, and I apologise if I have done so," Briseis said, trying to make herself sound as cruel as possible.
Achilles stared at her in disbelief. A part of him wanted to clear out the misunderstanding, but the other wished to hurt her for believing he could do such a thing. That all he cared about was making his name known, nothing else mattered.
"So then why did you come here?" he spat, his voice more icy than he had planned.
"I knew I had to die, that was always my destiny. Everything was always planned, right before you came. I died a hero, just as my mother's prophecy foretold. I am still a hero." He stated briskly while gesturing to himself.
"People will remember my name in all the years to come. There was no mention of you in these prophecies. Nor will anyone remember your name after you die..." Achilles knew he was being harsher than he needed, but his emotions were in such turmoil, and he just wanted to hurt her, like she had with her un-thoughtful remark.
"I would have died had I not been able to see you again!" Briseis could not see anything in front of her but a blurry version of her enraged lover; her eyes had become too full of tears.
"Then why didn't you?!" Achilles' eyes became instantly milder as he realised his mistake, but that could not take the sting out of what he had just said. 'Damn,' he thought to himself. He had not meant what he had said; he had just been so baffled by all these new, unfamiliar emotions. Achilles had always been a warrior – mind, body and soul, and as a warrior he was used to hurting people physically, but hurting them in any other way was new to him.
Briseis stood completely still for a moment, stunned by his words. It took a while for the words to completely sink in. And then she ran. 'To hell with all perils and dangers' she thought to herself. Anything would be better than staying there with him, feeling like a betrayed mistress. All the fears that had been lying in the back of her mind for a while suddenly surfaced, and Briseis came to the most hurtful realisation that it all had been a mistake.
She was so caught up in her destructive thoughts that she didn't even notice the shadow that crept over her shoulder, or the shadowy, black hand reaching for her ankle.¤¤¤¤¤"For in this way have the gods spun the thread for the wretched mortals, that they should live in pain; and themselves are sorrowless." - Achilles, the Iliad.
¤¤¤¤¤No, I actually don't have any myths to prove the fact that nymphs can go into the underworld; I'm taking freedom in my writing. And I'm sorry if everyone is out of character. That was never my intention, but it's hard to write someone in character when I've seen so little of them.
I think someone asked me where I get my information from, which is . Great page, really helpful to me in my writing.
Thank you so so much all reviewers!!! I'm forever grateful for you taking time to review this story!!:)
And I really want to know what you think about this story, and luckily it's not that difficult! Just push that little review button (come on, you know you want to...;))and leave your opinions there!:)