Briseis took a breath. She was no longer under water. She was being carried by the sea. Thetis was carrying her. Oh merciful Thetis, she thought. The waves splashed around her as she realised she was still alive. She opened her eyes and it was not Thetis who carried her. It was Achilles. Oh hate! Now he will kill me for sure! He will hold me under the water until I die and he shall be free from the stubborn Queen whom he loathes. He was holding her tightly with one arm, and she was almost tucked under it. His other pushed through the water as he took them back to shore. During this time Briseis decided that she would rather let Achilles take her back to shore in his arms, than die at sea without him. He had saved her, Briseis thought shocked. He couldn't hate her as much as he made out. They landed on the shore and both ended up on their hands and knees, Briseis coughing and Achilles moaning.

"Why….did you run into the….sea?" He gasped. "What a shock that was for me!"

"Your mother wouldn't……….save………me!" She coughed. Hearing her own words she wanted to cry. Thetis had abandoned her.

"My mother knew that I would save you myself. I promised you no harm and I intend to keep it. I will not let you die here. You will die in many many years from now. You shall be old Briseis. Your life will be full and you shall be happy. I refuse to let you die now." He got up and he helped her up to. Her blue dress now stuck to every curve in her body. Briseis felt naked and she was embarrassed when Achilles looked down at her.

It confused her but she began to feel ashamed of giving judging Achilles so harshly. It was true that she did continue to change her mind about him but the scales always tipped towards hate. Maybe she was wrong about the warrior. He had after all saved her life.

Achilles continued to look at her.

"What were you hoping would happen?" He asked her. Briseis thought for a second before answering.

"Um…that your mother Thetis would save me……and….um...Take me away from you. From this. From all the fighting and the sorrow."

"My mother is Thetis. She isn't Zeus. She cant end the war and she cannot end the sorrow." Briseis looked even more miserable.

"Then who can?" She asked. Achilles stroked her cold cheek.

"Perhaps I can." He suggested. Slowly, he lent forwards until their lips met. Briseis didn't back away even though she told her self she should. She swore that she would never let……that night happen again.

But his kiss was so welcoming. So secure and warm and it filled Briseis with feelings she hadn't felt before. Maybe Achilles could make all the sorrow go away. She wrapped her little wet arms around his tanned neck and let him kiss her. Briseis felt that she need this. She needed to be loved. She had never been truly loved and she herself had never truly loved either. She thought that she loved Eudaner but he is dead now and she had barely thought about him since his departure.

Briseis didn't miss anything about her old life. Her spiteful husband who had the power to make her crawl to him. He treated her terribly. Even worse than Achilles had done on her first night in Troy.

Suddenly, Briseis felt Achilles arm underneath her knees and in a swift movement he scooped her up into his arms. She broke the passionate kiss and held him gasping for breath. He began to carry her back to the tent, looking at the ridiculous slit in the side as he went. He placed her on a bundle of blankets and kissed her again. He crawled towards her and stoked her hair, placing his hand on her neck and rubbing it till Briseis clung to him. He held her again and noticed that she had begun to cry. Women! He thought. I shall never understand them. Assuming that Briseis was crying from possibly the passion he continued to kiss her, nibbling her full bottom lip as he did so. His hand worked its way up Briseis's leg and she suddenly began to panic. However, at that moment they were interrupted as someone walked through the door.

Ajax screamed in fury and he barged into the tent holding a pretty little brunette firmly by her elbow. He twisted it violently and she fell to the floor. Achilles and Briseis both looked up at them. Ajax screamed again.

"Achilles! Take this little Trojan whore from me! She is driving me insane! This is the Fifth time she has not been in my tent when I have returned. I don't know how she does it but I tie her up and she is gone when I come back! I'm fed up of it! Take her from me for at least a night for I fear that if she is in my company any longer I will KILL her!" He kicked the frightened girl in the side once more and looked at Achilles for his answer. Briseis assumed this girl was Tecmessa and she realised that they were around the same age. The poor girl was shaking all over and she was cut and bruised, obviously recovering from an earlier beating. Blood was soaked into her long yellow dress. She had shocking blue eyes, red from crying so hard and long brown hair that was tangled and fluffy. She ignored Briseis and looked at Achilles with pleading eyes. She was begging him to take her from Ajax.

Achilles moaned. "Ajax! I am not going to baby sit your captive!" Briseis threw his hand off her thigh in shock.

"Achilles you must!" She whined. Achilles growled at her.

"I mustn't do anything. Since when did I take orders from you?" Briseis scowled at him.

"Fine!" Achilles screamed, "Fine Fine Fine!" And he walked over to Tecmessa and picked her up off the floor softly. Ajax nodded and left the room.

Once he was gone Achilles raised his eyebrow at Tecmessa.

"What did you do?" he asked slightly amused.

Tecmessa started brushing the sand off her arms.

"I ran from his torture." She said confidently. Achilles brushed her hair back over her shoulders and smiled. He turned back round to Briseis.

"I am sorry how I spoke to you." He said, "You did not deserve it." Briseis gave him a forced little smile. He turned back to Tecmessa.

"You understand that if you escape from me then I may loose my temper with you." Tecmessa nodded.

"If you treat me humanly then I shall have no need to escape." Achilles looked at her for a long time admiring her confidence. He chuckled and lead her over to Briseis.

"This is Briseis," he said, "She is my…." Achilles wondered what to call her. Briseis was his slave and his captive but she wouldn't like to be called either of these things. She was like his sex-slave as well but he certainly wasn't going to call her that. "My guest." He said at last.

He placed his hand on Tecmessa's shoulder and sat her down by the pole.

He picked up some rope and he tied one of her hands to the pole and left the other loose. He did the same to Briseis but as he did so he kissed her on the cheek.

"I'll return shortly." He said. He looked down at Tecmessa who was very dirty. "And I will take you to the river." He smiled discretely at them both and left the tent.