Chapter Seven

Achilles POV

The girl had been punished and I couldn´t do anything to stop it. I felt useless.

The night before I had gone after her and the other prisoners when they tried to ran away.

I didn´t know what their plans were but the man who stroked her did. I was out of my tent when I heard them going out.

As I turned I saw the slave of my friend Odysseus, Arish, she was leading the other prisoners.

I thought she was very brave, and ingenuous because she really seemed to think she could get it.

I followed her, I was curious and she had taken the sword that Odysseus had given to her. Arish would make him troubles if they found her with it and they would try to use their own swords with the girl. He knew she couldn´t fight with the warriors.

That´s why I went after her and that´s why I took her sword. I knew she thought I betrayed her but I wouldn´t have done anything like that, that damned war had been an stupid idea and I wouldn´t help the other warriors. I hated them, I hated kings, I just wanted to come back home and forget all. I didn´t want to think about what had happened, I didn´t want to remember--

Arish didn´t hate me now, I hoped, she already knew who the real traitor was.

I looked at her as she walked to be punished. She seemed to be calm, to be irrationally calm, I had never seen anybody being so cold when she knew what was going to happen.

Then it happened what I thought. Arish looked at the man who waited her and the boy near him and she saw the whip.

I saw her trying to go back, she was frightened, not as a coward but the girl she really was. She tried to run away but Odysseus stoped her. I knew he didn´t want to but it was his duty, there were some laws and nobody can do anything.

I felt he was afraid, for her. I already knew what that girl meant for him, that´s why I had asked him to make her his slave but what did Arish mean for me?

I saw him embracing her, he didn´t mind everybody was looking at them although lords didn´t use to act like that with their slaves.

I think I wouldn´t be able to do that when everybody looking at me but I was too cold. Anyway I had tried to help that girl several times. That time I couldn´t do anything but try to comfort her and that´s what I did.

It wasn´t a lie what I told her, she was strong, maybe not physically but it wasn´t the kind of thing I meant. And she was brave, and I liked that over anything. She tried to fight for her freedom and their friends one, that was honourable.

I felt her fear when I touched her shoulder and tried to calm down her but there wasn´t anything I could tell to make her feel good before what was going to happen. Nothing would help.

I told her not to cry but I knew it would be difficult.

We went in front of her, I´d rather not seing that but Odysseus had to and I was not going to leave him alone.

When they began to stroke her I had to grab his arm to stop him as he wanted to go with Arish.

I saw her face and heard her moaning and shouting in pain.

She looked at me when she screamed and I felt guilt because I knew she thought she had dissapointed me. It was not truth, it surprised me that she endured more than three strokes and she endured until the seventh.

I wish I could have told her I was proud of her and that I loved her bravery but it wasn´t easy for me to talk about my feelings.

I don´t mind to say I had to close my eyes when she fell after the stroke who made her fall unconcious, I couldn´t say what I saw on her face before her eyes closed.

Then I heard Odysseus begging them to stop, it wasn´t useful anymore as the girl was unconcious but the other man didn´t want to stop.

"The punishment are twenty strokes" he said "there are ten left"

We both wanted to kill him and I didn´t stop Odysseus this time when he went and took Arish away.

There were some whispers between the warriors and then the man tried to hit Odysseus. I had to help him again, like always. I think the man didn´t thought about what he was doing because nobody would have tried to hit a king unless he was mad.

Anyway I enjoyed it because he would have to be punished too because of it.

I ordered my men to look after the warrior and they took him away.

Then I ordered everybody to go back and take care of their own things. Nobody say a word and they did just that.

I looked at Odysseus while he took Arish to his tent and I decided to help him.

I went inside the tent too and I did stay near the girl as Odysseus went out to get something to take care of the wounds.

The girl-or I should say young woman- was almost naked, her dress was down just over her waist. I put her over her chest not to hurt her wounded back and couldn´t help caressing it and her neck softly. I wanted to take care of her and didn´t know why. It was Odysseus problem after all.

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--That´s all by now. I would like you to tell me what do you want to happen next. It seems like Achilles do feel something for Arish. You asked for it so here it is, lol. But just let me know what do you want.--

--Oh, and thanks to stoned-love. Keep reviewing please!! Thanksss--