Categories > Books > Classics > Cast My Ashes Over The Aegean Sea
Chapter Two
0 reviewsShe discovers why Achilles had come there. (Note: This is the inaccurate part, so please don't eat my face off.)
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"Um, sir, um...Achilles?"
He turned his head from the road to flash her a wide grin. "Actually, I prefer 'sir'. In fact, 'Master' would be even better."
"All right...Master," Briseis said awkwardly. "Um, I'd rather like to go back to Troy now,if that's possible..."
"In fact, it's not. Have you ever heard of the term 'spoils of war'?"
A wide-eyed Briseis shook her head no.
"When an army wins a territory, they can take whatever they want from it. Gold, horses, and particularly women. Hence-"
"But Master Achilles, sir!" Briseis interrupted suddenly. "I beg your pardon, but you haven't won the war yet!"
He shot her a confused sidelong glance. Raising one eyebrow, he asked, "How long were you imprisoned in that guard station?"
Briseis thought back. "Two or three days, I believe."
"Your master shouldn't have even had access to that tower," Achilles snorted. "The Greek victory is imminent, Hector is dead, and we have pillaged your city."
She was silent in thought for a few minutes, wondering of her fate. Finally, she said quietly, "Master Achilles? May I ask a question?" Briseis had lapsed back into her scared, polite mode in her embarrassment of her previous outburst.
He didn't bother to respond in words, just gestured for her to continue.
"Well, why were you breaking into that cubiculum?"
Achilles cast his eyes downward. "I...I wanted to find a place for a...well, to build a shrine."
"A shrine?" He doesn't seem like the type of person to acknowledge the superiority of others, Briseis thought, surprised. "Master Achilles, can I ask another question?" She didn't wait for him to answer before continuing, "Who was it for?"
"...Patroclus."
She cocked her head inquisitively to one side, a signal for him to continue.
He smiled wearily. "You would have liked him, I think. He was the fiercely devoted type. I knew him since he was five, and he was that way from the moment I met him until the moment he..."
Achilles trailed off. He stared straight ahead, unblinkingly concentrating on the road ahead. Briseis could tell that he would answer no more questions this ride, but her frustration was quickly swept away as the first sight of the Greek army's camp appeared on the horizon.
He turned his head from the road to flash her a wide grin. "Actually, I prefer 'sir'. In fact, 'Master' would be even better."
"All right...Master," Briseis said awkwardly. "Um, I'd rather like to go back to Troy now,if that's possible..."
"In fact, it's not. Have you ever heard of the term 'spoils of war'?"
A wide-eyed Briseis shook her head no.
"When an army wins a territory, they can take whatever they want from it. Gold, horses, and particularly women. Hence-"
"But Master Achilles, sir!" Briseis interrupted suddenly. "I beg your pardon, but you haven't won the war yet!"
He shot her a confused sidelong glance. Raising one eyebrow, he asked, "How long were you imprisoned in that guard station?"
Briseis thought back. "Two or three days, I believe."
"Your master shouldn't have even had access to that tower," Achilles snorted. "The Greek victory is imminent, Hector is dead, and we have pillaged your city."
She was silent in thought for a few minutes, wondering of her fate. Finally, she said quietly, "Master Achilles? May I ask a question?" Briseis had lapsed back into her scared, polite mode in her embarrassment of her previous outburst.
He didn't bother to respond in words, just gestured for her to continue.
"Well, why were you breaking into that cubiculum?"
Achilles cast his eyes downward. "I...I wanted to find a place for a...well, to build a shrine."
"A shrine?" He doesn't seem like the type of person to acknowledge the superiority of others, Briseis thought, surprised. "Master Achilles, can I ask another question?" She didn't wait for him to answer before continuing, "Who was it for?"
"...Patroclus."
She cocked her head inquisitively to one side, a signal for him to continue.
He smiled wearily. "You would have liked him, I think. He was the fiercely devoted type. I knew him since he was five, and he was that way from the moment I met him until the moment he..."
Achilles trailed off. He stared straight ahead, unblinkingly concentrating on the road ahead. Briseis could tell that he would answer no more questions this ride, but her frustration was quickly swept away as the first sight of the Greek army's camp appeared on the horizon.
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