This chapter was added because I didn't want to rush through the big turning point...Quite short.
A bit useless, but well...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 10
"Aren't you afraid?" Briseis asked.
"Briseis?" Achilles asked, watching Briseis hold a knife across his throat. She was sleepwalking. He did not move, for the knife was pressing on his skin. It would be unwise to move away. He cautiously took Briseis' arm, and she awoke suddenly, her body slightly jumping. She pressed against the knife, leaving a thin crimson line to form on Achilles' neck.
Briseis gasped and then threw the knife onto the floor. "I'm sorry, I-I didn't know what I was doing!"
"It's alright, it's not a very deep cut. Get the basin and towel." Achilles instructed.
Briseis obeyed, and shakily walked towards the bathroom. When she returned, she placed the basin on the bed, kneeling to treat Achilles' wound. "Shouldn't we call for a doctor?" she asked.
"They'd make a big fuss out of it. It's just a cut, what for summon them here to hear endless prescriptions, instructions and advice?" Achilles replied, not wincing one bit while Briseis cleaned the wound.
"Next time, perhaps if this should happen again,move away." Briseis said, sighing.
"The knife was pressed against my throat. If I moved, it would have been a deeper cut." Achilles replied.
"Then jerk my hand away?" Briseis asked, as though it were the obvious thing to do.
"And if you dropped the knife?" Achilles shot back. "Half my head would be cut off!"
Briseis made no reply. Achilles was right. "Why do you keep a knife in your robes anyway?" Achilles then asked, more gently this time.
"I still dream about Troy burning at night. I kept a knife in my robes that day Troy fell. It was useful -- I killed Agamemnon with it. So now I would not wander around without a knife." Briseis answered.
"But I'm with you in the bedroom, in Pthia, not Troy. There is no war here, no Agamemnon here. At least put away the knife while we are sleeping?" said Achilles.
"I know." Briseis quietly replied. "I was dreaming about us," Briseis explained after some silence, placing the towel back into the basin. Achilles sat up, while Briseis wounded white cloth around his neck. "That night I tried to kill you with a knife."
Achilles smirked. Briseis shot him an annoyed look at this. "What are you smirking at? It's not funny!"
"I knew you were dreaming of that." Achilles answered. Briseis blushed and looked away. "You were sleepwalking, repeating the lines that we have said."
"Stop it!" Briseis quickly said, turning her back to Achilles. She felt her back being watched by Achilles, then hastily picked up the basin, closing the bathroom door behind her.
When she returned, Achilles was no longer in the room. Where has he gone now, in the middle of the night? a frustrated Briseis pondered. She went out of the bedroom, clasping her hands together from the cold.
"Achilles?" Briseis called out rather timidly down the poorly lit corridor. She guided herself by the dim moonlight and the small fire from the torches. "Where has that dumb brute gone to?" Briseis muttered to herself.
"Who are you calling a dumb brute?" Achilles demanded, his face suddenly lit by a nearby torch.
Briseis jumped. "I think I have had too many shocks from you ever since I arrived. Where did you go?"
"To get you some warm milk. Reckon you won't be able to sleep after that accident." Achilles answered, pulling Briseis' hand. "Where did you think I would go?"
"I don't know, perhaps the doctor or something." Briseis replied, shrugging her shoulders. She received the goblet of warm milk, and sat on the edge of the bed.
"I just said that I would not go to the doctor for something as minor as this. There isn't even a need for a bandage." Achilles pointed to the bandage.
"For once, at least, do not act like you are invincible, and let me take care of you like every wife would." Briseis sighed, sipping the milk.
"I'm serious about it being just a small cut. The wound was not bleeding profusely." Achilles argued.
Briseis placed the goblet on a nearby table, then lay down on the bed slowly, beside Achilles. She watched as he stroked her cheek.
"Would you like a boy or a girl?" Briseis suddenly asked, then felt stupid for asking. She did not think Achilles would like this softness.
To her surprise, Achilles answered. "A boy. I would want to train him in sword-fighting, just like a warrior."
Briseis frowned, and said, "I would much prefer a girl. Another warrior son is not in my favor. I would love to get a chance of dolling up my little girl. Back in Troy, there wasn't one in the family young enough for me to dress up."
"Whatever it may be, I am sure we both do not want our child to suffer." Achilles replied, removing the hand from Briseis' cheek.
"Do you think there will be a war, if you do not take Aretha as your first wife?" Briseis questioned.
"Probably, seeing as how arrogant King Leander is." Achilles answered.
"And how stubborn Aretha is." Briseis added.
"But they will not win the battle, I perceive," Achilles continued, "their kingdom is small. Judging from King Leander;s arrogant ways, he will act like Agamemnon did, and there will be no Odysseus to stop him."
"That's horrible. Innocent blood is spilled for just the sake of one marriage!" Briseis exclaimed.
"That is the inevitable sacrifice of one King's folly. Soldiers die to ease his anger. That is the way war works." Achilles pulled the covers higher. "Get some sleep, Briseis. And keep that knife away." Achilles reached within Briseis' robes and took out a knife, placing it on the table.
Briseis closed her eyes, but could not sleep. "I can't sleep if you're watching me." Briseis said through closed eyes.
"Alright."
A bit useless, but well...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 10
"Aren't you afraid?" Briseis asked.
"Briseis?" Achilles asked, watching Briseis hold a knife across his throat. She was sleepwalking. He did not move, for the knife was pressing on his skin. It would be unwise to move away. He cautiously took Briseis' arm, and she awoke suddenly, her body slightly jumping. She pressed against the knife, leaving a thin crimson line to form on Achilles' neck.
Briseis gasped and then threw the knife onto the floor. "I'm sorry, I-I didn't know what I was doing!"
"It's alright, it's not a very deep cut. Get the basin and towel." Achilles instructed.
Briseis obeyed, and shakily walked towards the bathroom. When she returned, she placed the basin on the bed, kneeling to treat Achilles' wound. "Shouldn't we call for a doctor?" she asked.
"They'd make a big fuss out of it. It's just a cut, what for summon them here to hear endless prescriptions, instructions and advice?" Achilles replied, not wincing one bit while Briseis cleaned the wound.
"Next time, perhaps if this should happen again,move away." Briseis said, sighing.
"The knife was pressed against my throat. If I moved, it would have been a deeper cut." Achilles replied.
"Then jerk my hand away?" Briseis asked, as though it were the obvious thing to do.
"And if you dropped the knife?" Achilles shot back. "Half my head would be cut off!"
Briseis made no reply. Achilles was right. "Why do you keep a knife in your robes anyway?" Achilles then asked, more gently this time.
"I still dream about Troy burning at night. I kept a knife in my robes that day Troy fell. It was useful -- I killed Agamemnon with it. So now I would not wander around without a knife." Briseis answered.
"But I'm with you in the bedroom, in Pthia, not Troy. There is no war here, no Agamemnon here. At least put away the knife while we are sleeping?" said Achilles.
"I know." Briseis quietly replied. "I was dreaming about us," Briseis explained after some silence, placing the towel back into the basin. Achilles sat up, while Briseis wounded white cloth around his neck. "That night I tried to kill you with a knife."
Achilles smirked. Briseis shot him an annoyed look at this. "What are you smirking at? It's not funny!"
"I knew you were dreaming of that." Achilles answered. Briseis blushed and looked away. "You were sleepwalking, repeating the lines that we have said."
"Stop it!" Briseis quickly said, turning her back to Achilles. She felt her back being watched by Achilles, then hastily picked up the basin, closing the bathroom door behind her.
When she returned, Achilles was no longer in the room. Where has he gone now, in the middle of the night? a frustrated Briseis pondered. She went out of the bedroom, clasping her hands together from the cold.
"Achilles?" Briseis called out rather timidly down the poorly lit corridor. She guided herself by the dim moonlight and the small fire from the torches. "Where has that dumb brute gone to?" Briseis muttered to herself.
"Who are you calling a dumb brute?" Achilles demanded, his face suddenly lit by a nearby torch.
Briseis jumped. "I think I have had too many shocks from you ever since I arrived. Where did you go?"
"To get you some warm milk. Reckon you won't be able to sleep after that accident." Achilles answered, pulling Briseis' hand. "Where did you think I would go?"
"I don't know, perhaps the doctor or something." Briseis replied, shrugging her shoulders. She received the goblet of warm milk, and sat on the edge of the bed.
"I just said that I would not go to the doctor for something as minor as this. There isn't even a need for a bandage." Achilles pointed to the bandage.
"For once, at least, do not act like you are invincible, and let me take care of you like every wife would." Briseis sighed, sipping the milk.
"I'm serious about it being just a small cut. The wound was not bleeding profusely." Achilles argued.
Briseis placed the goblet on a nearby table, then lay down on the bed slowly, beside Achilles. She watched as he stroked her cheek.
"Would you like a boy or a girl?" Briseis suddenly asked, then felt stupid for asking. She did not think Achilles would like this softness.
To her surprise, Achilles answered. "A boy. I would want to train him in sword-fighting, just like a warrior."
Briseis frowned, and said, "I would much prefer a girl. Another warrior son is not in my favor. I would love to get a chance of dolling up my little girl. Back in Troy, there wasn't one in the family young enough for me to dress up."
"Whatever it may be, I am sure we both do not want our child to suffer." Achilles replied, removing the hand from Briseis' cheek.
"Do you think there will be a war, if you do not take Aretha as your first wife?" Briseis questioned.
"Probably, seeing as how arrogant King Leander is." Achilles answered.
"And how stubborn Aretha is." Briseis added.
"But they will not win the battle, I perceive," Achilles continued, "their kingdom is small. Judging from King Leander;s arrogant ways, he will act like Agamemnon did, and there will be no Odysseus to stop him."
"That's horrible. Innocent blood is spilled for just the sake of one marriage!" Briseis exclaimed.
"That is the inevitable sacrifice of one King's folly. Soldiers die to ease his anger. That is the way war works." Achilles pulled the covers higher. "Get some sleep, Briseis. And keep that knife away." Achilles reached within Briseis' robes and took out a knife, placing it on the table.
Briseis closed her eyes, but could not sleep. "I can't sleep if you're watching me." Briseis said through closed eyes.
"Alright."