A/N: Thanks to those that left me feedback. It makes me want to continue this story.

Achilles had reached out as he saw her faint into the water. He lifted her out of the water, her body dripping with water, her white dress, tattered by the dirt and travel became instantly transparent as it clung to every curve of her body. Achilles eyes traveled down her body, admiring the beauty her body held.

"This girl is a strange one" Thetis said looking over her son's shoulder

"There is something about her" Achilles said studying her face

"Well don't just hold her there like a fish, we should at least bring her in out of the water"

Achilles carried Briseis' unconscious body out of the water, he walked up the beach and towards his mother's estate. He laid her down on a bench in the garden. He brushed her curly hair aside and his eyes gazed down on her body again.

"Achilles, you are without shame! She is a priestess!" Thetis covered Brieis with a shawl for modesty.

"Mother I must speak with you" Achilles said as he got up

"I already know my son. If you stay in Larissa, you will find peace. You will find a wonderful woman, and you will have sons and daughters, who will have children. And they'll all love you and remember your name. But when your children are dead, and their children after them, your name will be forgotten... If you go to Troy, glory will be yours. They will write stories about your victories in thousands of years! And the world will remember your name. But if you go to Troy, you will never come back... for your glory walks hand-in-hand with your doom. And I shall never see you again." Thetis reached out and touched her son's face.

Achilles looked out and made his decision. Thetis looked down and away. She continued to make the shell necklace.

"Stay the night my son. Let us have one more dinner" Thetis

"Mother," Achilles paused. His mother knew him better than anyone else in the world. He could not deny her.

"Of course mother"

Briseis lay on the bench in the garden, dreaming. Achilles walked by her to see if she was still alive. She lay there, exhausted, she had traveled for days without resting to find him. His mother called out to him that dinner was ready, and so he got up and left Briseis there.

Over dinner his mother and him discussed his childhood, his father, and how he never married. Achilles quickly changed the subject to his cousin Patroculus. She sighed as she realized this would be the last time she would see her son again. She got up and placed the shell necklace around her son's neck.

"Mother"

"A reminder of your childhood my son. A time when things were simplier" she hugged her son from behind

"I did not choose this life mother, it chose me"

"Your fate was already foretold"

Meanwhile in Troy, Hector was walking around the palace searching for Briseis. His father King Priam stopped him.

"What's wrong my son?"

"I haven't seen Briseis yet. I thought she was at the temple but she's not there"

"That is strange, she's usually here to greet you when you return"

"We're expecting war and she's no where to be found."

"She could not have gotten far."

Briseis was still dreaming in the garden. She dreamt of being held in his arms, how protective and warm he was. How his touch on her skin was enough for her to feel at ease. How she would rest her head on his chest, and how he would hold her close. And in a flash it was gone and she was being thrown around by Agamemnon's army. How they threw her to the ground and then picked her back up and tossed her around. How they touched her and mauled at her body, and screaming and yelling at her. How they had prepared the hot iron to brand her with. She tried to fight back, but she was tired.

Achilles walked back to the garden to retrieve her. He heard her talking in her sleep. Her arms and legs starting flinching.

"Stop it, stop it, don't touch me."

Achilles crouched down. Whatever it was that she was dreaming about it wasn't a good one.

"Don't touch me!"

Briseis had struck the soldier in the face with her last ounce of strength. She felt the soldiers hold her and pull her sleeve up and felt the heat from the iron. The gods had abandoned her.

"Let me die" escaped her lips as a whisper.

And then as she awaited her doom, the soldiers let her go, and she heard his name. She fell to the ground and felt strong arms lift her up. Her body stilled.

Achilles saw that she had stopped moving and decided to carry her inside. She felt the warmth of his chest and moved closer. Achilles wondered if she was in fact sleeping or not. He carried her into a room and placed her on the bed. He pulled the blankets over her and wondered about what she was dreaming of now. He closed the door behind him and walked to his own room. But before he reached his room he heard a scream.

Achilles raced down the hallway and burst into Briseis's room. He saw her there sitting on the bed, breathing heavily. She looked at him as tears formed in her eyes. She saw him standing there as the light from the hallway outlined his body.

"Have you come to take me back to Hades?" she asked

Achilles walked closer to her, and the moonlight lit up his face.

"No one is coming to take you to Hades tonight. Now stop screaming in your sleep, my mother does not need the entire estate awakened" Achilles stated flatly

"I'm sorry. I had this dream. I saw you die"

"Who are you girl? You come and seek my mother and give her a fright, and now you dream of me dying"

"I am Briseis. I am a priestess of Apollo."

"I grow tired of the gods, what is it that you seek?"

"I came to stop you from going"

"My own mother cannot stop me from going. What makes you think that some crying girl is going to?"

Breisis blinked and felt her tears fall. She looked away. He was cold to her. She didn't know what to do or say. He didn't know her and he didn't care. And it was here that she realized this. This was Achilles. And he did not love her.

"I'm sorry. I'll leave in the morning" Breisis said

"Very well, and stop screaming." Achilles walked out and he heard Briseis crying. He shrugged it off and went to his room and slept.