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Chapter Four

Achilles groaned as he woke up from his uneasy slumber. The whole night he had been trying to sleep, but as soon as he closed his eyes he saw Briseis' bloody and bruised face, and he was reminded of Agamemnon, and he really didn't want to imagine that pig having his way with her.

Usually girls being beaten and taken advantage didn't bother him; nothing ever really seemed to bother him. But there was something about this girl Briseis, that made Achilles feel the need to do something. But what could he do?

He rolled over and was surprised when he saw a naked girl laying next him, until he remembered what had happened earlier that night. Achilles was shocked that this whore was still here; he hardly ever shared his bed with anyone and definitely not with a whore.

He sat up and looked at the girl that was sleeping soundly. He watched her chest rise and fall with each breath that she took, and he noticed the slight smile on her lips. Achilles smiled smugly. He knew he had showed her a good time, and that like all the other whores he knew she would go brag to her friends that she had bed the great Achilles.

He decided it was time for her to go, so he shook her slightly. When she didn't wake up, he shook her harder. When she still looked like she wasn't going to move Achilles got frustrated and shoved her off of his fur bed. The girl woke up with a start and looked up at him confused.

"Leave!" he commanded, settling back into a comfortable position. The girl made no attempt to move and was still looking at him shocked. "Can you not hear? I said leave!" he shouted, and she got up and grabbed her blue robe that was on the floor next to her and tried to put it on, but Achilles booming voice stopped her.

"Go! Dress yourself outside! I am done with you, so leave my presence!" The girl quickly scuttled outside, not wanting to upset him any further.

Achilles lay on his bed staring up at the roof of his hut. He closed his eyes and willed himself to resign into sleep. He laid there as a couple of minutes went by when sleep still did not come to him, he growled and got up, deciding to take a walk by the calming shoreline.

He got up and covered his naked form with a black linen robe. He walked out his tent, and immediately felt better when he felt the cool sea breeze hit his tanned face.

He walked down to the shore and stared up at the full moon. He couldn't help put wonder if Briseis, his captive, was alright. Deep down for some reason he really hoped that she was.

He walked and walked for at least an hour, and when he felt a hint of a yawn forming in his throat he smiled and started heading back to his hut.

On his way back he passed two soldiers, as they both bowed their heads to him. He acknowledged them briefly, and was on his way again. He was startled when out of the corner of his eye he saw a figure in the darkness dash from one tent to another.

On first impulse he reached for his sword, but then remembered he only had his robe on. So he crept as quietly as possible over to the figure as its back was turned. He squinted in the darkness and realization dawned on Achilles as he saw that the figure was quite petite with long flowing brown hair. 'That must be her…' he thought to himself.

He bent down behind her and reached out his strong arm and placed his hand on her shoulder, as she jumped from fright. She turned quickly turned around; eyes wide with fright and her chest heaving. When she realized it was him she visibly relaxed a little bit, but was noticeably still tense.

"What are you doing?" he asked, noticing she had even more cuts and bruises on her face than she did before.

"What do think!" she exclaimed softly, giving him a dirty look. Achilles raised his eyebrows at her.

"I would think you would be pleasant to me, Briseis, considering as of right now I could give you back to Agamemnon."

"You wouldn't," she stated boldly.

"I wouldn't?" he asked her wondering how she seemed so sure. "What makes you so sure, priestess?"

"You had given me your word that you would protect me. Does your word now mean nothing?" Briseis challenged him

"My word still stands…" he assured her, but he wondered did she really expect to make it back to Troy alive? "What do you wish for me to do?"

"Leave me be. Go back to your slumber," She said with more authority than Achilles would've liked.

"I wasn't sleeping." Achilles said dryly.

"Well then go back to whatever it is that you were doing. Please I need to hurry and escape before any more soldiers awake. I can not waste anymore time talking with you. Please go," she urged him.

"You're still my captive Briseis… maybe I don't want you to escape," he said reaching out a hand to feel one of her cuts, as she violently jerked away from his unwanted touch.

"Don't touch me!" she hissed, and Achilles brought his hand back down and narrowed his eyes at her. "And I'm not your captive," she growled at him. Achilles was amazed at how this girl still managed to still have her dignity.

"Oh and what do you think you are then? My friend?" he said smirking. Briseis rolled her eyes.

"Why do you irritate me so? Please, for the last time, leave me alone and go back to yo-" Briseis' words were cut off when they heard a man's angry voice booming voice, and Briseis' eyes widened when she realized it to be Agamemnon's.

Achilles stood up when he heard it, and in the distance he squinted and he saw Agamemnon talking loudly with about five soldiers and more were coming out of their tents, but he could not make out the words that were being said. He saw him pointing to his bloody head, and Achilles wondered how that had happened. He looked down when he felt Briseis tug lightly on the bottom of his robe.

"What is happening?" she whispered looking up at him, her fear apparent in her dark eyes.

"It's Agamemnon…" he told her.

"I know that, but what is happening?" she whispered frantically. Achilles squinted his eyes and saw that the soldier's had grabbed torches and it seemed like they were looking for something. Achilles had a pretty good idea what it was that they were looking for. He looked down at Briseis' scared face and he knew he couldn't just leave her to the mercy of Agamemnon. He bent down to her level to look into her eyes.

"Briseis, you must come with me," he said holding out his hand towards her. She looked down at his hand and then into his eyes.

"What? No! What's happening? He's looking for me, isn't he?" Briseis asked him wishing she could stand up and see what was happening. Achilles took his large hand and grabbed her chin forcing her to look at him

"It is either me or Agamemnon! Decide!" He said letting go of her face and extending his hand towards her once more. Realizing he was right she tentatively took his hand, as Achilles tried to give her a reassuring smile.

"Come, my hut is that way." He told her as he pointed in the direction. "I will hide you there, but we must be quick." They crouched low and went as fast as they could towards Achilles' hut. The soldier's were still pretty far off and it was dark so they knew the soldier's probably wouldn't notice them.

It didn't take them long to reach the safety of Achilles' hut. Achilles pushed back the curtain at the opening and led Briseis in. As soon as they got in Briseis immediately let go of his hand as if it had burned her. Achilles rolled his eyes at her childish behavior, and watched as she sat in the far corner. He looked at her for a moment longer, before going over to her and grabbing a wash cloth to dip into the water bowl.

"Are you hurt?" he asked, ringing out the cloth. When she didn't answer he leaned over and tried to wipe her face with the cloth, but she slapped his hand away. He gave her a look, and tried again and she slapped his hand away just as she did before. He gave up and threw it at her, and she threw it back with the same force. He took in a deep breath to try to calm his rising temper. He picked up the cloth and made eye contact with her as he dropped it back into the bowl.

Briseis glared at him, as she went to go grab the wash cloth herself. She rang it out and tended to her many cuts, which had pretty much dried up.

Achilles realized she must've been very hungry; knowing Agamemnon hadn't given her anything to eat. So he grabbed a tray of food and set it down in front of her. "Eat," he said while grabbing a chicken leg for himself.

Briseis looked at the food, and even thought she really was hungry she just didn't feel like eating. Instead she settled her gaze on the man that sat in front of her. She rolled her eyes when she thought of how great she knew he thought he was. Did he not know that there were thousands of great warriors just like him? 'Maybe I should let him know…' she thought wryly to herself.

"I've known men like you my whole life." She told him, making him look at her.

"No you haven't," he said confidently, as he took another bite of his chicken.

"You think you're so different from a thousand others?" she asked narrowing her eyes, when she saw him smile smugly. "Soldiers understand nothing but war… peace confuses them."

"And you hate these soldiers?" he asked looking at her closely.

"I pity them."

"Trojan soldiers died trying to protect you. Perhaps they deserve more than your pity." Briseis was speechless when she heard him say that; she had never thought of it like that. The two sat in silence for a moment, until Briseis spoke.

"Why did you choose this life?" she asked, dabbing a cut on her nose.

"What life?" he asked not knowing what she meant.

"To be a great warrior!" she exclaimed.

"I chose nothing," he said looking into her eyes. "I was born, and this is what I am. And you? Why did you choose to love a god?" he asked, she looked up, surprised that he was actually asking about her life. "I think you'll find the romance one sided." He stated grimly. Briseis glared at him. 'Bastard!' she thought.

"Do enjoy provoking me?" she asked lowly, noticing the soft smile on his lips.

"You've dedicated you're life to the gods. Zeus, god of thunder. Athena goddess of wisdom. You serve them?" he stated more than asked.

"Yes of course."

"And Aries? God of war? Who blankets his bed with the skin of men he's killed?" And for the second time that night Briseis was speechless, because he did prove his point.

"All the gods are to be feared and respected," she mumbled, not knowing what else to say.

Achilles stared at her with a half smile. 'She's still beautiful…' he thought looking at her abused face, as he cocked his head to the side.

"I'll tell you a secret, something they don't teach in your temple." He said leaning forward. "The gods envy us. They envy us because we're mortal. Because any moment might be our last, everything's more beautiful because we're doomed. You will never be lovelier than you are now. We will never be here again." He whispered, as their eyes locked.

Not knowing what to say, Briseis leaned forward and gabbed a grape from the tray. "And I thought you were a dumb brute. I could've forgiven a dumb brute," she said before popping it into her mouth.

They were both silent; Briseis thinking about what he had just said, and Achilles wondering what she was thinking about.

"So Briseis…" he said lightly, causing her to break her thoughts and avert her eyes toward him. "How did you escape?" he asked after a couple of moments.

"I knocked all of them out!" Briseis boasted with a proud smile as she popped another grape into her mouth, and Achilles couldn't help but laugh at her childish grin.

"That would explain Agamemnon's head!" Achilles state still laughing. His laughter soon died down and his face filled with wonder as his blue stared at her intently. "Briseis… in all my days I have never met anyone like you." He told her honestly.

She looked up when she heard his surprising statement, and looked at him curiously. "I have never met anyone like you either, Achilles" she whispered, as they both shared a shy smile.

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