Hey peeps!! 30 reviews!! Holy of unholy alliances, I am impressed! I'm trying to update a new chapter every day, and that's usually at around 3:00 or 4:00 because I have summer school Health, and it ends at 1:00, and I have to eat lunch and exercise, etc. Yeah...I didn't want to take Health during the school year because it is really pointless...so I'll just get it over in the summer. It ends in 2 more days, so soon, I'll have the updates up way earlier than 3:00 or 4:00, because the chapter doesn't show up until 6:00 or something.

Okay so, my goal for the rest of these chapters is: Make Achilles meaner. Make Briseis slave-ier. Oh, and longer. Yeah!



Chapter 5

Briseis woke up at exactly the crack of dawn. Having lived in the slave camp, she was used to waking up early. Achilles had not woken yet.

Briseis quietly got up and folded the covers neatly, arranging them by the pillow. She then proceeded to take off her nightgown, folding it tidily beside the covers. Grabbing her old slave clothes, she put them on and started to work.

She didn't know exactly what Achilles wanted her to do. The most, she figured, was that he needed her to tidy up the tent, and maybe a few other things. As best as she could, Briseis put everything back into its place, and sat primly in the corner, waiting for Achilles to awake.

She didn't know that he'd been awake all along.

"You needn't do that," he muttered, eyes still shut. "I don't mind a clutter."

Briseis started; she thought he was still asleep.

"Then, what will you have me do?" she asked.

Achilles sat up in his mat and looked at her, his heavy blond hair falling into his eyes.

"I ask only for company...and perhaps a few other things." He said, before getting up and shuffling toward the washroom.

The tent was filled with sunlight when Achilles finally finished washing. He came out, still a bit wet with water, and put his armor on.

"I'm going to fight again today." He said unnecessarily as he donned his breastplate.

"Yes." Briseis said, lowering her eyes, for she felt a deep sorrow of knowing that many Trojans would die today.

"I would like a bath when I return." He finished, a sort of smirk dancing across his face.

"Yes." Briseis replied, trying not to cry.

Achilles watched her standing there, head down, trembling slightly, and turned to leave.

Suddenly, as if a new power seized her, Briseis ran to Achilles and grabbed his arm.

"Please!" she begged, looking terrified at what she'd just done. "They are Trojans...they are my fellow countrymen. Please do not kill them! They do not deserve death! Please leave them be!"

Achilles, instead of replying, wrenched his arm free. "Do not do that again." He warned, stepping toward the flap of door.

"No!" Briseis cried. "No, I beg you!"

Achilles turned, a reckless rage on his face.

"You think this is simple? You think it is easy to fight? My people die as well! I offer you no sympathy!"

A few tears fell from Briseis' face, and she said, "You are a monster."

She expected him to strike her, and she was right. His hand flew down and met her cheek, producing a 'pah!' as it hit. Briseis did not flinch; she was used to this kind of treatment, but this was the first time that the sting afterwards did not go away.

Achilles raised his hand again, but he did not slap her. "It's not nice to call names, slave." Turning violently, he left.

Once he had disappeared behind the flap of door, Briseis ran to a tight knit corner of the tent and began to weep, caressing her cheek, which was still red.

"He is a monster," she cried to herself. "He kills, and yet feels no remorse. Why must it be I who has to serve him?"

Hours passed, and yet Briseis did not move from her spot. Her cheek had stopped hurting, but it was still very scarlet. She could still see the rage on Achilles' face when he'd slapped her, see his beautiful blue eyes turn absolutely terrifying, and the tension of his lips. Suddenly, Briseis remembered something.

"The bath!" a voice said in her head.

The battle was most likely over; Achilles could be returning any second. "You fool!" Briseis muttered to herself, as tears threatened to emerge once more. "Now he shall be even more angry at me than before."

Quickly, she ran to the washroom and grabbed the basin. She hurried out of the tent, her heart beating frantically. It was dark outside; there were many beautiful stars in the sky, and they twinkled pleasantly at her.

"The bath!" the voice in her mind said again.

Briseis ran to the well that stood a few yards away from the tent and began to heave up bucket after bucket of water, splashing a grateful amount on her slave garb.

"What are you doing?" a voice said behind her.

Briseis flung around, the bucket still in her hands, spraying water all over the person who had spoken to her.

It was Achilles, dressed him his warrior clothing, sweaty from the battle, but now, as a result of Briseis' hazardous bucket management, he was also wet.

"What are you doing?" he repeated, stepping a little closer, water dripping down his face.

"I--I..." Briseis stammered.

"What are you doing outside of my tent?" He asked menacingly.

"The bath..." Briseis whispered faintly, terrified.

Achilles sighed. "Come." he said imperiously, grabbing her arm and leading her back into the tent, as if she was a small child who was lost.

Once inside, Briseis immediately ran to the tent corner she'd been sitting in during the afternoon, and waited, like a lamb sent to execution, afraid to see Achilles' reaction.

Achilles paid no mind to her; he instead took off his warrior garb, took a rag cloth, and started wiping his sweat off.

Briseis, a little indignant at this silent treatment, felt a need to explain herself.

"I was retrieving water for your bath." she told him, trying to justify her actions. "I didn't realize you were behind me!"

Achilles stopped wiping with the rag and tossed it aside. He strode over to where Briseis huddled, and kneeled in front of her, looking into her eyes.

"And why did you not do this earlier," he asked, piercing her with his gaze. "Why not do this when the sun still shone brightly above you?"

Briseis did not answer. The thought of telling Achilles, the mighty Achilles, that she'd sat in a corner all day because she was half lost in a day dream, half shocked at his slap, sounded quite laughable.

"No matter." he said, when she did not reply to him. "From now on, I want you to stay in the tent. Understand?" he said, lifting her chin with his finger, so that she could look at him directly.

Briseis flinched a bit to his touch, but stared straight back into those deep blue, ocean-like eyes. "Yes..." she said, almost dreamily.

hardy har har! This is a good ole long chappie for ya'll chappie folk!! I know most of it's dialogue...I hope it was interesting!!

Thanks to the reviewers:

Natalie Hudson

dizzy izzy

Raynee

Donna Lynn: this one was pretty long, oui? =D

Yeah yeah! You peeps are hot hot hot! Okay, so...I guess, see ya'll tomorrow!! [lol..."ya'll"...my texas ness]

-enjorli