Chapter 9: Saving Briseis

Achilles ordered his men not to fight, he had a plan to get his beloved Briseis back. Patroclus ran into the tent. "Cousin, the Prince of Troy challenged King Menelaus for Helen," he informed.

"The boy will die before he could even lay his sword upon Menelaus. Leave me alone, Patroclus, leave me to my thoughts," Achilles ordered.

Patroclus went back outside, leaving Achilles to his thoughts. He was thinking about Agneta and his mother as well. He missed them greatly, just as much as he wanted to get his beloved Briseis back into his arms.

After he learned that Menelaus died in the hands of Hector, Paris' brother. He remembered the boys well, he remembered that Hector would protect his brother no matter what he did. Achilles laughed at that fact. He couldn't help but think that they didn't know that Hector would kill Menelaus if he tried to kill his beloved brother. When he came out of his tent, he saw them getting ready to burn the King of Sparta's body.

An hour passed since the funeral, and Achilles was thinking about another way of freeing Briseis. Patroclus entered the tent again. "Cousin, if you are thinking about freeing the woman, you could free her from being raped by Agamemnon's soldiers," Patroclus explained. Achilles didn't need to hear anymore, he was already gone.

Briseis was curled up in a ball where she was sitting during the past couple of days. She jumped when she felt two pairs of hands on her arms, dragging her out of the tent. "NO, NO!" She screamed. The men laughed as they dragged her away.

Fear welled up in her heart when men started tossing her back and forth from soldier to soldier. "NO, PLEASE NO!" She shrieked. She fought against them, but it was no use. "ACHILLES, PLEASE HELP ME!" She called.

Achilles was hurrying down the beach and went behind a tent. "STOP, PLEASE STOP!" He heard Briseis beg.

"Give me the Trojan whore," a soldier chuckled.

Briseis gasped when she felt the sleeve of her dress being ripped. "We have to brand you first, beautiful," a soldier hissed into her ear. She struggled as they brought the heated metal to her arm.

"No, no," she whimpered.

She fought as hard as she could with no prevail. "Please," she whispered. She gasped when the soldier cried out in pain as the brand went into his neck. He picked Briseis up from the ground and held her to him. "Achilles," she whispered.

"I'm here, Briseis, I'm here," he whispered back.

He carried her back to his tent and set her on the ground. She insisted on him not to touch her and he just handed her food. "Why did you choose this life?" She asked.

"What life?" He asked back.

"To be a great warrior," she answered.

"I'm a soldier, I was born and that's how it was."

Briseis sighed and played with the cloth. "Achilles, I'm sorry for what I did to deny your love back in Greece. I just wanted to be home with my family," she reminded.

"I understand, Briseis. A beautiful Trojan woman like yourself and a Greece soldier like me could never work together," he acknowledged.

"No, I hurt you, I can see it in your eyes every time you look upon me," she insisted.

Achilles sighed as he put another grape into his mouth. "You are a beautiful woman, but I think it would be impossible for a relationship to work out now. Since your cousin took Helen," Achilles mumbled. Briseis placed her hand on his arm.

"Achilles..." she started.

"Look, princess, you belong with your people. As soon as I can, I'll take you back...again," he objected.

He stood up and left the tent. Briseis sighed and leaned back. Before she knew it, she had fallen into a deep sleep.

Achilles stood out on the beach looking out into the ocean. He didn't bother to go back into the tent for awhile. Patroclus walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder. "How are you holding up, cousin?" He asked.

"I am fine, Patroclus, go back to your tent, leave me to my thoughts," Achilles demanded.

Patroclus walked away and went into his tent to sleep. Achilles picked up a stone and threw it into the water. He sighed as watched the ripples calm themselves after a moment. "I'm sorry, Briseis," he whispered.