After Troy
Chapter 17 – Setting Sail
A/N: The following three chapters are dedicated to our resident Scot, Yana. Thanks, dude!
Within three days of Paris' disappearance all of the Trojans in Lyrnessus had managed to build a ship with enough space on board to carry all those who wished to leave the failing civilization. It was there, on board this mighty ship, that Hector stood gazing over the sea.
Andromache and Aeneas were checking off everyone who had put their name forth, and double checking all the supplies. Achilles, having noted all this, and his surroundings, took a place close to Hector's with the intention of peaking, though no idea what he planned to say.
"We sail today." Achilles stated stupidly.
Hector looked at the man strangely. 'Odd thing to say.' He thought. However, as if it was expected of him, he responded. "Yes."
Achilles was, again, silent. He had once respected this Trojan prince. Then he had killed him in a blood feud. Then he had managed to fall in love with his brother. And, finally, by default, he had brought this man back to life and killed his brother, whom both loved dearly. After all this, what could one say?
"So. What you share with Paris, my brother, is it recent?" Hector had taken up the responsibility speaking, as he could see that the windswept warrior had no inclination to do so himself.
"Recent, yes." Achilles pondered a moment. "But eternal."
To his surprise Hector laughed. A smile broke forth on his face as the wind brushed back his hair. Hector looked down into the ocean's liquid, blue-green crystal as he chuckled to himself.
"What is it?" Achilles demanded, not one to be mocked.
"In truth, I never expected to hear something as deep and thoughtful as what you just said from someone such as yourself." He smiled before looking pensively to the horizon. "That day, on the Trojan shores, I did not know it was your friend Patroclus." He told Achilles. "I wish, now, and every day, that I had not killed the boy."
Achilles felt awkward, shifting from one foot to the other and becoming very focused on the ship's wood, and the grains therein. Nevertheless, Hector continued.
"I met him, in the Underworld. I spoke to him and he taught me a great many things, about the grand Achilles." Hector laughed as he raised his chin, as though heralding a great lord. "I suppose you no longer need the shield of Hephaestus?"
"No." Achilles furrowed his brow. "What did you learn." His handsome face seemed somewhat concerned.
Hector looked Achilles in the eye. "Of your other side." He smiled slightly. "When I learnt of you and Paris, I was not so wary as I might have been, had I not met Patroclus. He told me of you, your willingness to fight for those you love until the very end. And I stand tribute to your fiery passion, or rather I fell it." He bowed his head and gripped the beam that ran around the edge of the ship. "Now I have returned, and I wish you to know that I am happy for you to have my brother as your... for you to be with Paris." He looked at Achilles, now, with the utmost seriousness. "But you must sear to me that you will let no harm befall him, least of all by your own hand. For I swear to you that if you do in anyway hurt him, then I will overcome the gods' wishes and you will be the next man to face the Underworld. Immortality, or no."
Achilles, understanding and respecting the sincerity and severity of the situation, nodded. "I swear it. All the powers that I have I will use to protect Paris. And..." he paused, "while I can not apologise for taking your life, I hope that we may be allies, in our newly gained lives."
"Of course." Hector smiled, and gripped the man's shoulder. "Now however, let us get this ship sailing. We have not time to waste."
Andromache smiled as she felt her husbands hand on her lower back, reassuring her again that it had not been some blissful dream of his return.
"We are almost all accounted for. There are just a few to come." She told him.
Hector's eyes moved swiftly over the list, noting few people he recognized who weren't yet aboard. One name he focused on was that of the woman quickly approaching the boat, and her brother.
"Hector," she called, "Andromache." As she got closer, Briseis held out to them a bag, weighed down by its contents.
"Briseis?" Hector was confused. "Where are your belongings? And yours, Alec?" He asked.
Alec stopped just short of his most beloved cousin. "Hector, my friend." He bowed before him. "Today, and for the rest of your journey, we do not travel by your side." He stepped forward, grasping his cousin's shoulder. "I am so sorry to separate from you, but my place is here."
Hector nodded, feeling great sorrow at losing his once great companion. "Perhaps," he said, "we will meet again, one day."
Andromache had checked all off the list, and the runners she had sent out had all returned. She put down her list and turned to embrace Briseis, holding her for a moment. "I will miss you." She whispered.
"And I, you, Andromache. You held us together when it seemed there was no hope. Troy owes you a great dept of gratitude. We shall meet again, in this life or the next. I bid you farewell, until then." She smiled and bowed her head as they parted.
With that, the two who remained stepped back and began to untie the ship from the dock. Briseis looked up as she reached the last rope and her wyes met for the last time with those of Achilles. A tear left her eye and fell into the blue waters below. With all that remained for her courage she unwound the rope and tossed it onto the ships deck.
Achilles was sad as he watched the girl standing on the docks. He knew she was finding this harder than he and he swore that, in his godly existence, he would see her safely through life.
At the very same moment, as the ship began to move off, Briseis and Achilles whispered to the wind; "Goodbye."
A/N: Alright, this will have to be brief because I have to go to Tae kwon do. Peanut, good luck with the making people feel really stupid. And, no, Briseis will never know! Mwahahahahahaha! Uh, excuse me. Yana, hope you enjoyed the dedication, and have fun in rainy, cold, near-Edinburgh, and I'll just sit here in rainy ol' Melbourne! Jamy, I got you three chapters! Have fun in Germany. Greetings, Eloise. And, no, no plans of spinning any more myths. But I was interested to read about it. Hmm... thinking expression as plots form. And my insane cousin, yay for your party and your wacky friends! Oh the amusement. Give 'em all a yell from Tory Alexander! Hehehehe! Goldensong, as do I, my friend, as do I! And another review from you (crazy party animal!) bradliegh. So good to hear from you again. And I agree, it is sort of hard to feel too much sympathy for Briseis. I feel sort of responsible for that. If I had more sympathy for her then it would probably come across in the writing. But, shmeh, what can you do, eh? And I'll do a word count, just because you mentioned it! And finally, x-shadow (omitting the cat because I don't like them!) I actually didn't check a map, but hey, they'll do it! It's fiction, after all! And I don't know about this ulterior motive stuff. Possibility I suppose!
Story count: 1,062 words
A/N count: 245 words