Wow I'm glad you guys liked the last chapter! I just saw an old Friends episode that had Brad Pitt guest starring and just seeing him made me want to write some more...I guess I got inspiration from that nerdy shirt he was wearing...but yeah!

Chapter 9

Achilles stopped at the doorway. "Did she just say Briseis?" he asked himself. "Yes...I think I heard correctly."

He turned halfway, so that the side of his face was visible to Briseis. She could see him pondering, and she spoke.

"My name is Briseis." She said again.

"Briseis." He muttered, savoring it on his tongue. It felt good to say...it rolled off easily. He turned fully toward her, and his anger had turned into lightheartedness.

"Tell me, Briseis." He said, drawing out the 'Briseis'. "Have you ever been to Sparta before?"

Briseis shook her head, confused. "Slaves do not travel on freewill."

"Well," Achilles said, smirking. "I suppose you've never worn a proper dress before, then."

Briseis was perplexed. "What?"

Achilles nodded towards her, and said in a matter-of-factly voice, "You told me your name. You're now my guest. Achilles does not lie."

"Oh." Said Briseis dumbly.

"As my guest, you have the freedom to do whatever you like." Achilles grinned at her, as if trying to tell her something.

"I will." She replied, still a bit bemused.

Achilles was starting to get annoyed at her inability to express her emotions clearly. "Well, are you going to do something, then?" he asked impatiently.

Briseis nodded toward the bed. "I'm going to get rest. I'm quite tired."

Achilles looked at her in disbelief. "I'm giving you freedom, and you choose to sleep?"

Briseis stood up. "Don't let me bother you," she said sardonically, heading for the washroom. Achilles stood in frustration. "This girl!" he mused to himself. "I cannot read into her!"

Briseis came out a moment later, dressed in a white nightgown. She sat down on the bed, watching him as he stared back at her.

"Am I free to ask you whatever I like?" she finally broke the awkward silence.

"Yes," Achilles grunted.

"And you will not punish me?" she continued.

"No!" he was growing impatient again.

Briseis smiled. This territory was entirely new to her; to ask whatever she'd like and not get hit! "Are you happy?" she asked him.

Achilles looked up, confused.

"With how you choose to live your life. Killing men you do not know, men you choose not to know. Slaughtering innocent people who don't deserve it. Destroying families that were once so close. Are you happy with a life like that?" she said this all in a rush, and drew a deep breath when she'd finished.

Achilles did not seem to like this line of questioning very much. He stalked close to the bed, until he was towering over Briseis. She was quite unmoved, and stared back, unafraid.

"You will not understand what it is like." He said slowly, pronouncing every word. "You do not know. And to answer your question, yes I am happy." He hissed.

Briseis glared at him. "No, I do not know. I will never know."

Achilles wanted to slap her for her being fresh with him, but he restrained himself. Instead, he settled for leaning down until his eyes were staring straight into her brown ones.

"Why are you not afraid of me?" he muttered, searching her eyes for an answer. "Did your parents never tell you tales of me? Of my greatness and deadliness? Did you not hear stories of the perilous Achilles?"

Briseis' eyes welled up with tears. "My parents are dead." She said, trying to hold back a sob.

Achilles felt himself cringe inside. "I've made her cry." He realized, mentally slapping himself.

"You killed them." She uttered these words, and her brown eyes turned from vulnerable to hard with hatred.

Achilles' mouth fell open stupidly. He straightened up and stood there, arms hanging limply to his side.

But Briseis did not stop there. "My father was a blacksmith." She said, her voice quivering with anger and loathing. "He was called upon to fight against your army. My father was not the ideal man for the job; he had a bad leg that needed attending, but he took his duty for his country." She paused, livid tears beginning to fall.

Achilles didn't know what to say. He squeezed his eyes shut, hoping to block out what she had to say next.

Briseis resumed her story, determined to make him feel guilt. "My mother and I begged him not to go, but he did. The battle had been cancelled that day, however. Instead of the morning, it was postponed to the evening. My father did not know, of course. He thought nothing had changed."

Briseis paused; the most painful part was coming back to her.

"On his way to the battlefield, they say that he met a man. He met a man who had bronze hair, a man who seemed invincible."

Despite himself, Achilles smirked at the description.

"The village people say that my father asked the man what happened. The man didn't reply, and instead, stuck his spear into my father's heart. When my mother heard..." Briseis shut her eyes, tears flowing from her face.

"When my mother heard, her heart suffered. Her heart suffered so much that she died. And I was only twelve years of age. I became a slave." She opened her eyes, this time; the tears were gone, replaced by bitterness.

"This is what you have done for my family, great Achilles. You ask me why I am not afraid of you. It is because my father was not afraid of you. Even when you killed him, the village folk say that he stared straight into your eyes and muttered with his dying breath, 'Look into my eyes and remember them, for they will haunt you for the rest of your miserable life.'" Briseis stood up fiercely, facing Achilles. "Do you remember now, Achilles? Do you remember the man you killed simply because you were bored?"

Achilles slammed his fist into the wall. Repeatedly, he punched and grappled at it, causing it to dent more and more. He groaned with frustration, wanting for Briseis to be quiet. The guilt inside of him was killing him. How could this girl have this effect over him?

Briseis watched Achilles hurt himself, and she felt a sorrow for him. She winced as the wall became more and more destroyed, and finally, she grabbed his arm to stop him from denting it even more.

"Let go," he murmured.

"No." she said.

"LET GO!" he roared, and wrenched his arm away from her grasp, flinging her onto the bed once more.

Briseis wept softly into the pillow as she heard the rhythmic pounding of Achilles' fist into the wall. It became a metronome, and soon, her tears dried, and she fell asleep.

There yah go! A bit of family history for you guys, this is key to bringing them together in the end...they get to 'know each other better...' Lol yes. It may have been EXTREMELY boring...but it was still fun to write!! Please review and tell me what you think!! Thanks to reviewers:

Natalie Hudson: yes...the ear...always the best part!!

polydora: lol I have some weird descriptions sometimes

Naru Kami: hopeless romantics are hott, as I am one myself! lol

Donna Lynn: yes I am totally getting into this longer chapter thing!!

Cannot you imagine a Brad Pitt slamming his fist into the wall? ((smiles))

-enjorli