A/N: Wow, I never thought this story was going to be so popular! This is a
record number of reviews for me. Thank you so much for all your support
people! I get all giggly and bouncy reading your reviews! Also, shameless
plugging check out Siniver and her story "Ellen". Its awesome possum.
naurarwen-fangorn: Yes, that would put Briseis at around 40, Paris around 43 etc.
Chapter Three: Breaking Promises
The next morning, Odysseus was bright eyed as he again searched the market for useful things. They were to leave at high noon today and he had found that he was missing a few items. As he reached for the bundle of cloth, someone pushed past him almost upturning the table.
He turned to confront the man, but was startled to see Achayus kneeling on the ground picking up some of the things that had slipped from the surface.
"Achayus, what brings you so early into the market?"
The boy began stammering and looked away from the him.
"Well, I, my mother needed.." he trailed off. Suddenly, the boys face lit up. "Do you know where I can find a small boat? Just something I can use to fish offshore and possibly sail?"
Odysseus scratched his chin and stared off absentmindedly as he thought of a place to find a boat. Then he remembered the docks.
"Down by the docks boy. For a few gold coins you can procure a vessel for a day or so I should think. Why the sudden interest with fishing? I do recall that this afternoon is a very important sword challenge. I should think that one so skilled as yourself would want to attend?" he questioned the boy suspiciously.
Achayus shook his head.
"I have thought about what you told me yesterday, and my mother explained some things to me last night as well. You were right, perhaps she protests my competing because she fears losing me as well. So I have made a decision. I shall compete no more."
But Odysseus was not so assured. But before he could ask another question, the boy rambled about how he needed to purchase some bread for breakfast and how he must hurry and dashed off. Odysseus took notice that it was in direction of the docks.
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Water, it was all around her. Plugging her ears, thrumming in her head and washing over her body. She could hear the creak of a sail and the splash of an oar in the water. From under this water she could see a tall figure with long hair stepping into the sailboat. This figure looked like Achilles. To her, this was a lovely dream, until she awoke.
Gasping for air, Briseis felt a heavy stone in the pit of her gut. She sat up and instinctively looked for her son. He was nowhere to be found. His bed was made and the morning fire already set aglow, but he was missing. Everything was as it should be, except for that her son was gone. Her eyes widened as she fearfully crept to the leather hides where Achayus kept his weapons. Closing her eyes she, with a trembling hand, pulled back the top layer. As she had guessed, the sword and his knives had vanished.
Swooning, she leaned against a wall. Putting a hand to her brow, she closed her eyes and felt her chest swell with a mixture of emotions, sorrow, betrayal and most of all hurt. He had promised. He had sworn to her that he would remain in Phenelaos. A thick tear rolled down her face as a thought crossed her mind.
It was still light, perhaps if she hurried, she might be able to find him. Perhaps he hadn't gone. Although he tried to pretend that the swordsman competitions were boring to him, Briseis knew that he lived for the fight. As his father before him had. Maybe, he'd gone down to the market to practice for the afternoon duels. Yes, maybe that was it.
Sliding out of her bed, she tied her sandals to her feet and changed out of her dress and into a crème coloured waist robe with red thread woven into desert roses at the ankle and a red tinged tunic with short sleeves that hung just trailed over her waist band.
She wandered up the beach, her heart in her throat trying to convince herself that this is was nothing, she was being silly. As the gates for the marketplace came closer, Briseis could see a lean figure running towards here.
"Lady Briseis! Lady Briseis!"
She stopped and squinted into the distance in hopes of identifying the person calling her name. Soon she saw that it was Philamean, Achayus' best friend and comrade.
"Philamean, what is wrong? You look like you've run half the world"
"I am looking for Achayus, you haven't seen him? He was registered to compete this afternoon. You know how he hates to lose." he asked. Briseis shook her head and felt her heart rise into her throat.
"No Philamean, I was just about to ask you if you had seen him yourself-" a sudden thought crossed her mind.
The dream, for so many months she hadn't dreamed. Why this one? Why now? Oh gods, she prayed, tell me where my son is. Assure me that he is safe in Phenelaos.
She felt the dream again, the thrumming of the water, the pounding in her ears and the tall shape of a man she though to be Achilles. It suddenly dawned on her.
"Achayus," she breathed. He was leaving, or he had already gone. But where could he secure a ship? She racked her brain of all the places in Phenelaos for a ship. Grabbing Philamean by the shoulders, she asked him frantically.
"Where could a boy looking to go fishing get a boat!" Philamean stammered and blinked, taken aback by Briseis' unexpected movement. "Tell me boy! A lot more than a lost battle could be at stake!"
"Uh...ah... the... the docks! Try the docks milady! But, why are you in such a hurry? Is Achayus in trouble?" Philamean asked as Briseis wrenched away from him and began running across the beach to the docks located on the far side of the coast.
"Trouble is only the beginning of it." She called back.
Her feet kicked up sand clouds as she ran. Oh please, she begged the gods. Let him be here, let him still be on solid ground! She felt the leather straps on one of her sandals snap. She cried out as she fell to the sand. Wrenching off the broken shoe, she continued on, running as if carried by angels.
By the time she'd reached the dock, she doubled over out of breath. A woman her age simply could not run that far and remain standing. She looked up and in a hysterical coughing fit, saw Odysseus boarding a grandiose ship.
"Odysseus! Odysseus! Please! It is me! Briseis!" she called stumbling towards him.
Two large guards stepped in her way.
"Milady, I'll have to ask you to remain here. The King wishes not to be bothered."
"Get out of my way! This is a dire matter. My sons life is at stake! Odysseus! Odysseus!" she cried.
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Odysseus had put one foot on the gangplank for his ship when he heard his name called faintly from the shore. He turned and saw a desperate dark haired woman being warded off by dock guards. He peered closer and listened harder.
"Odysseus! Please! It is I, Briseis!"
"Briseis?" he said quietly.
"Odysseus, we must be leaving soon." One of the ship mates called from the ship.
"One moment. There is a matter I must attend to that seems to be dire." Odysseus replied with a wave of his hand. He strode back down the gangplank and back onto the beach. As he came closer, he waved the guards off the woman. She came stumbling into his arms.
She was sobbing dry tears.
"You haven't seen Achayus have you? I fear I have sent him to his death!" Briseis said tearfully.
"I saw him this morning. What is the matter dear Briseis?" he asked.
"I came home last night and was greeted by my angry son. You told him quite a story," she started.
"I told your son the truth." Odysseus protested.
"Nevertheless, there were blanks that needed to be filled and so I filled them. Instead of enlightening my son, as I had hoped they had, he became even angrier, not with me, but with the people who exiled me. My remaining family and Trojans on the island of Haitus. Achayus vowed that he would see revenge upon Paris and Helen and Andromache and all of them! I made him promise to stay, but I woke this morning and he was gone!"
"Gone? I remember him trying to find a sailboat, but I-"
"Look! The black sail! Out on the water, nearly a hundred miles offshore!" Briseis hollered. She turned away from the king and spoke to the guards.
"Who took the black sailed vessel on the water right now? I know it belongs to this dock as I have seen it used many times before. Tell me! Who rented it!"
"We are not at liberty to sat m'am." One replied.
"This is my son I am talking about. He may die! It would be my fault! Now tell me!"
The guards shook their heads.
Odysseus looked at the woman before him, red faced and puffy eyed from crying, her face wore sand on her check and a scratch on her chin. He took pity on her. Stepping forward he jabbed one of the guards in the chest.
"I am the King of Ithaca. I say this woman is given the details of the black sailed vessel. Would you deny a mother the knowledge of her child? Can you not see she is in pain? For the gods sake, are you heartless?"
The taller of the guards moved forward.
"Milady, the black sailed vessel was rented by the name Achayus Titus. He gave no return date, only that he would be back soon." He said softly.
Briseis looked up at the man and then turned to the sea. Crumpling into a wail, she fell to her knees from exhaustion and distress and moaned. She covered her face with her hands and her body racked with emotion as she watched her only son, sail to his death.
naurarwen-fangorn: Yes, that would put Briseis at around 40, Paris around 43 etc.
Chapter Three: Breaking Promises
The next morning, Odysseus was bright eyed as he again searched the market for useful things. They were to leave at high noon today and he had found that he was missing a few items. As he reached for the bundle of cloth, someone pushed past him almost upturning the table.
He turned to confront the man, but was startled to see Achayus kneeling on the ground picking up some of the things that had slipped from the surface.
"Achayus, what brings you so early into the market?"
The boy began stammering and looked away from the him.
"Well, I, my mother needed.." he trailed off. Suddenly, the boys face lit up. "Do you know where I can find a small boat? Just something I can use to fish offshore and possibly sail?"
Odysseus scratched his chin and stared off absentmindedly as he thought of a place to find a boat. Then he remembered the docks.
"Down by the docks boy. For a few gold coins you can procure a vessel for a day or so I should think. Why the sudden interest with fishing? I do recall that this afternoon is a very important sword challenge. I should think that one so skilled as yourself would want to attend?" he questioned the boy suspiciously.
Achayus shook his head.
"I have thought about what you told me yesterday, and my mother explained some things to me last night as well. You were right, perhaps she protests my competing because she fears losing me as well. So I have made a decision. I shall compete no more."
But Odysseus was not so assured. But before he could ask another question, the boy rambled about how he needed to purchase some bread for breakfast and how he must hurry and dashed off. Odysseus took notice that it was in direction of the docks.
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()
Water, it was all around her. Plugging her ears, thrumming in her head and washing over her body. She could hear the creak of a sail and the splash of an oar in the water. From under this water she could see a tall figure with long hair stepping into the sailboat. This figure looked like Achilles. To her, this was a lovely dream, until she awoke.
Gasping for air, Briseis felt a heavy stone in the pit of her gut. She sat up and instinctively looked for her son. He was nowhere to be found. His bed was made and the morning fire already set aglow, but he was missing. Everything was as it should be, except for that her son was gone. Her eyes widened as she fearfully crept to the leather hides where Achayus kept his weapons. Closing her eyes she, with a trembling hand, pulled back the top layer. As she had guessed, the sword and his knives had vanished.
Swooning, she leaned against a wall. Putting a hand to her brow, she closed her eyes and felt her chest swell with a mixture of emotions, sorrow, betrayal and most of all hurt. He had promised. He had sworn to her that he would remain in Phenelaos. A thick tear rolled down her face as a thought crossed her mind.
It was still light, perhaps if she hurried, she might be able to find him. Perhaps he hadn't gone. Although he tried to pretend that the swordsman competitions were boring to him, Briseis knew that he lived for the fight. As his father before him had. Maybe, he'd gone down to the market to practice for the afternoon duels. Yes, maybe that was it.
Sliding out of her bed, she tied her sandals to her feet and changed out of her dress and into a crème coloured waist robe with red thread woven into desert roses at the ankle and a red tinged tunic with short sleeves that hung just trailed over her waist band.
She wandered up the beach, her heart in her throat trying to convince herself that this is was nothing, she was being silly. As the gates for the marketplace came closer, Briseis could see a lean figure running towards here.
"Lady Briseis! Lady Briseis!"
She stopped and squinted into the distance in hopes of identifying the person calling her name. Soon she saw that it was Philamean, Achayus' best friend and comrade.
"Philamean, what is wrong? You look like you've run half the world"
"I am looking for Achayus, you haven't seen him? He was registered to compete this afternoon. You know how he hates to lose." he asked. Briseis shook her head and felt her heart rise into her throat.
"No Philamean, I was just about to ask you if you had seen him yourself-" a sudden thought crossed her mind.
The dream, for so many months she hadn't dreamed. Why this one? Why now? Oh gods, she prayed, tell me where my son is. Assure me that he is safe in Phenelaos.
She felt the dream again, the thrumming of the water, the pounding in her ears and the tall shape of a man she though to be Achilles. It suddenly dawned on her.
"Achayus," she breathed. He was leaving, or he had already gone. But where could he secure a ship? She racked her brain of all the places in Phenelaos for a ship. Grabbing Philamean by the shoulders, she asked him frantically.
"Where could a boy looking to go fishing get a boat!" Philamean stammered and blinked, taken aback by Briseis' unexpected movement. "Tell me boy! A lot more than a lost battle could be at stake!"
"Uh...ah... the... the docks! Try the docks milady! But, why are you in such a hurry? Is Achayus in trouble?" Philamean asked as Briseis wrenched away from him and began running across the beach to the docks located on the far side of the coast.
"Trouble is only the beginning of it." She called back.
Her feet kicked up sand clouds as she ran. Oh please, she begged the gods. Let him be here, let him still be on solid ground! She felt the leather straps on one of her sandals snap. She cried out as she fell to the sand. Wrenching off the broken shoe, she continued on, running as if carried by angels.
By the time she'd reached the dock, she doubled over out of breath. A woman her age simply could not run that far and remain standing. She looked up and in a hysterical coughing fit, saw Odysseus boarding a grandiose ship.
"Odysseus! Odysseus! Please! It is me! Briseis!" she called stumbling towards him.
Two large guards stepped in her way.
"Milady, I'll have to ask you to remain here. The King wishes not to be bothered."
"Get out of my way! This is a dire matter. My sons life is at stake! Odysseus! Odysseus!" she cried.
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()
Odysseus had put one foot on the gangplank for his ship when he heard his name called faintly from the shore. He turned and saw a desperate dark haired woman being warded off by dock guards. He peered closer and listened harder.
"Odysseus! Please! It is I, Briseis!"
"Briseis?" he said quietly.
"Odysseus, we must be leaving soon." One of the ship mates called from the ship.
"One moment. There is a matter I must attend to that seems to be dire." Odysseus replied with a wave of his hand. He strode back down the gangplank and back onto the beach. As he came closer, he waved the guards off the woman. She came stumbling into his arms.
She was sobbing dry tears.
"You haven't seen Achayus have you? I fear I have sent him to his death!" Briseis said tearfully.
"I saw him this morning. What is the matter dear Briseis?" he asked.
"I came home last night and was greeted by my angry son. You told him quite a story," she started.
"I told your son the truth." Odysseus protested.
"Nevertheless, there were blanks that needed to be filled and so I filled them. Instead of enlightening my son, as I had hoped they had, he became even angrier, not with me, but with the people who exiled me. My remaining family and Trojans on the island of Haitus. Achayus vowed that he would see revenge upon Paris and Helen and Andromache and all of them! I made him promise to stay, but I woke this morning and he was gone!"
"Gone? I remember him trying to find a sailboat, but I-"
"Look! The black sail! Out on the water, nearly a hundred miles offshore!" Briseis hollered. She turned away from the king and spoke to the guards.
"Who took the black sailed vessel on the water right now? I know it belongs to this dock as I have seen it used many times before. Tell me! Who rented it!"
"We are not at liberty to sat m'am." One replied.
"This is my son I am talking about. He may die! It would be my fault! Now tell me!"
The guards shook their heads.
Odysseus looked at the woman before him, red faced and puffy eyed from crying, her face wore sand on her check and a scratch on her chin. He took pity on her. Stepping forward he jabbed one of the guards in the chest.
"I am the King of Ithaca. I say this woman is given the details of the black sailed vessel. Would you deny a mother the knowledge of her child? Can you not see she is in pain? For the gods sake, are you heartless?"
The taller of the guards moved forward.
"Milady, the black sailed vessel was rented by the name Achayus Titus. He gave no return date, only that he would be back soon." He said softly.
Briseis looked up at the man and then turned to the sea. Crumpling into a wail, she fell to her knees from exhaustion and distress and moaned. She covered her face with her hands and her body racked with emotion as she watched her only son, sail to his death.