Patroclus stood staring at the sea for quite some time. He still was not sure what he would tell Chryseis. He had gotten used to her, but he did not know if she was used to him. If Briseis and Chryseis decided to stay, then Achilles and Patroclus would gladly walk them to the gates of Troy themselves.
"Chryseis? Are you washed up now?"
"Yes, you can come in."
"I have something I need to discuss with you."
He enters the tent to find her laying on a deerskin, her wet hair laying flat around her head, making her hair look like a halo.
"Do you have a comb I can use?"
"Yes."
"But what is it you need to dicuss with me?"
"Achilles is having the Myrmidons lod our ship. He wants to leave for Phthia in the morning."
"Does Briseis know you will be leaving?"
"Achilles said he intends to ask her to come with him. Whatever spell you three cast on us, it apparently worked."
"I can see by what you mean for Briseis and Cassandra, but I did not cast a spell on you, Patroclus."
"But my cousin also said it is my choice whether I should ask you to come back with me to Phthia."
"Why would I leave Troy with you? Even if Briseis leaves with Achilles, and Cassandra leaves with Ajax, none of us would leave without telling Uncle Priam somehow."
Patroclus considered her words. He needed to be prepared for her choice either way.
"Chryseis, the decision for you to come back with me to Phthia, or to stay in your homeland, is your and yours alone. You are not a slave. I will not try to influence your decision. That I promise you."
He was almost outside of the tent when she stopped him.
"Patroclus, wait."
"What is it?"
"Have you-, have you ever been with a woman?"
He was shocked by her question, and by the expression on her face, he could tell her question was sincere. He had to be honest with her.
"No, I have not. Back home, I put all of my focus into training with Achilles. He trains his men hard and with percision."
"I suppose, with my father gone, me being a priestess is pointless now. I would not be comfortable answering to the other priests."
"So, what will you do then?"
"I, I want to break my vow to Apollo."
If Chryseis was doing what he thought she was doing, then Patroclus was only surprised that she was the one to make the first move.
She bade him to come over and sit down with her on the deerskin, where she let him hold her face, and then he closed his eyes to kiss her.
"Are you scared, Chryseis?"
"A little."
"I am, too."
She kissed him again, and her first instinct was to let him slip her robe from her shoulders. They let everything else fall into place.
Back in Achilles' tent, Briseis was stil unsure about hat her answer to Achilles would be. She knew she wanted to leave with him, but she was also worred about leaving her family.
"Achilles?"
"Yes?"
"If I do go with you to Larissa, will you alllow me to see my family?"
"Of course I will."
"And in what capacity will I be going? What will I be when we get there?"
"What do you think you'll be?"
"I know I wont be a slave. You already voiced that to Agamemnon."
"And you won't be my concubine either."
"So, that only leaves one option."
"But we won't leave here until I talk to Priam about that option."
"And how do you intend to do that?"
"I was hoping you had that answer."
Briseis got up from the deerskin bed, put on Achilles' black robe, and walked out of the tent.
"Briseis, wait!"
She waded out into the water. Achilles followed after her.
"Briseis, why are you out here?"
"I know what answer you want from me, and I can't give you that. How am I to trust you?"
"Isn't me asking you to come back to Hellas with me enough?"
"If I give you the answer you want, you must promise me that you will not tell Agamemnon. He cannot know."
He sat down with her in the sand, and wrote down what they were going to dow that evening. He let the water wash away his words.
Before nightfall, when the sky was purple, Achilles called a meeting betwen himself, Ajax, Odysseus, and Patroclus.
"Why have you called us here, Achilles?"
"As you know, Odysseus, I plan on leaving for Larissa, and I'm taking Briseis with me. But there is one thing that has to happen first."
"And what is that, pray tell?"
"Briseis would like to see her family again, one last time, and to tell her of her wishes."
"I don't think Priam would open his gates for you."
"The gates won't need to be opened."
"There is another way in?! Does Agamemnon know?!"
"No, and I aim to keep it that way."
"What you speak of is treason."
"Besides letting Briseis see her family, I want to have a private audience with King Priam and Prince Hector. And I wish for the King of Ithaca and the King of Salamis to be by my side whe I do."
"This idea is absolute madness, Achilles. We cannot go against Agamemnon."
"Patroclus, you're going as well. Your presence will ease their minds."
"Just what is this audience for, Achilles?"
"I want to bring down Agamemnon. Our kingdoms got a long fine before he came along. I am tired of fighting for him, and I am sure you both are."
"He's not wrong, Odysseus."
"Yes, but that will still leave several kingdoms against us. Agamemnon has command of the Spartan forces. If we do this, Achilles, you must leave the talking to me."
"Of course. I may be rash, but I'm not stupid."
"So, how will we do this?"
"The girls know the other way in. At nightfall, I will take them to the temple. Watch for Patroclus and I, then wait a while and join up with us there. We will make our way across the field from there, in single file. Agreed?"
"Agred."
"Agreed."
The others left Achilles' tent to go back to their own, while Cassandra stayed behind with Briseis and Chruyseis to prepare to leave for Troy.
"Will your plan work, Achilles?"
"I certainly hope so."
"And if it doesn't?"
"I don't know what will happen then."
"If nothing goes our way, before we leave, will you leave me with a child? If I never see yu again, I want to be able to have a part of you with me."
Achilles did not even have a moment to blink before his lips were on Briseis. They made love in what time they had. Every touch was treated as if it was their last.