Achilles walked away from Briseis after she had accepted the food. He pitied her despite her stubbornness. She still felt that she was a queen under her soiled clothes. Last night he had seen her without those clothes. He smiled to himself at the recent memory and he wondered why Briseis didn't stop him as he suspected she would. He was not at all expecting this little captive to give in as he did have no real intention of loving her on their first night together. He wondered what she thought of him. But he couldn't exactly stop once she melted into him. He couldn't push her away or refuse her. So he continued. He remembered how she had cried when he tied her back up. He had to tie her up. When he took Briseis as a slave he planned to keep her tied for at least the first week so she knew how painful it was, and so she would be good for the rest of their time together. She looked at him with her big brown eyes filled with salty tears. She said nothing and neither did he. It wasn't meant to be this way, he thought. I wasn't planning to use her like this.

He looked back at her and watched her eating. She brought her hand up to her round lips and she bit into the fruit. Achilles noticed the horrid burns on her wrists but didn't act surprised. He had seen them before, countless times on other slaves. Tecmessa for example, the poor girl even had them round her neck. Surely the girl did not deserve such wicked treatment.

Briseis saw Achilles starring at her and she turned to meet his eyes.

"Yes?" She said boldly. Achilles sighed.

"You are very beautiful Briseis. I'm sorry about everything that has happened to you." Briseis tried to laugh, just like Ajax had done, in that you-are-highly-amusing manner.

"You not sorry for the things you inflict on me." Achilles argued.

"I did not welcome the warrior into the tent Briseis!" He marched up to her hoping she would back down as he didn't want to have to hurt her even more.

"But you didn't stop him either!" She wailed. What, Achilles thought, does she want me to do? She is asking me to strike her! Does she expect ME to back down? He brought his hand back and caught her cheek with his palm. Her head flew to the left and she gasped and wobbled. Quickly she tried to regain her posture.

"You are nothing but a killer," she spat. "You disgust me." Achilles put his arm on her shoulder and pushed her to the floor. She landed in a little bundle at his feet. Achilles marched outside leaving her alone.

Briseis looked around. Has he gone? Or is he waiting outside to see if I shall run? Briseis had already decided that she would escape come tomorrow so this was an almost perfect opportunity. She would not however, escape how Achilles would expect. She decided to sneak out a different way. Boldly, she crept over to Achilles bed and she rummaged about until she immerged with a knife. The same knife she had held at his throat last night. The same knife that was thrown down as passion overcame their hate. Passion that Briseis wished would never come again. At least not with Achilles. She ran to the side of the tent and she stuck the knife into it. She began to pull the blade up until there was a slit big enough for her to climb through. How easy, she thought to her self. Keeping the knife, she scrambled through the hole. On the other side was the river Scamander. Ha, she thought as she imagined mighty Achilles face when he returned. She wasn't so feeble after all. However, she saw his face a lot sooner than expected as when she turned her head there he as looking at her, his head at an angle. He smiled, but it was not a smile full of spite. This seemed to frighten her more and without thinking she ran into the river as fast as she could. Achilles ran after her. As she got deep enough to swim in the water she suddenly began to panic. Briseis knew she couldn't swim but she still had her plan.

"Please help me Thetis!" She cried aloud as she bobbed on the water. She began to sink and she kicked about until she immerged again. "Please……..rescue me from your ……..son." But he words stopped short as she fell under the water. Tears on her face were washed away by the salty water. She moaned as she began to sink lower. Why wasn't she being saved? She had been faithful all her life and now she was at the mercy of the sea. Thetis was obviously in her sons favour and was not concerned for Briseis's wellbeing. She tried to cry Poseidon's name but the water muffled her screams. Instead her mouth filled with water and it trickled down her throat as she began to drown. At least, she thought, Achilles will never touch me again.

Darkness.