Spirits Forged in Fire

Meanwhile, outside, Achilles had forced Kale to his knees. With the same deadly calm as before, he now addressed Kale.
"I do not care who your orders came from, you took what is mine, and now you shall pay for it." Kale only laughed again, his madness now clear in his eyes.

"My orders came from none, I took pleasure in depriving you of your wife, if even for a time. You may have beaten me, but your weakness shows all over your face. The great Achilles knows what it is to fear, and even death cannot take that away from me." Kale laughed again, but Achilles knelt down, and placed his mouth just inches from Kale's ear.

"Perhaps that is true, but it shall be the last thing you will ever see." He whispered, before removing both of Kale's eyes with his knife. Inside, even the tiny infant's wails were not enough to cover the scream that came from just outside of the tent. Briseis remained huddled for a moment, until the screams subsided, and then realized that she could not remain inside of that tent, where she had both suffered and dispaired, any longer. Forcing the exaustion and the pain down, she stood, still trembling, and took a few uneasy steps towards the entrance to the tent.

Peeling back the flap, she had to force down the nausea as she made out the form of her husband, hacking away at the body of the fallen soldier. Not laboring in the slightest, Achilles brought his knife down again and again, plunging it into the lifeless body, as if killing him a hundred times could erase the feeling of total and complete desperation that had almost overcome him. Blood sprayed up at him as he rained down blow after blow into Kale, while the dead man's eyes stared upward in an permanent expression of pain. Achilles had known the exact moment that Kale had died, having seen the life seep from his gaze, but the death meant nothing, not yet. The feeling in his gut was hollow; there was no rush of victory.

Coming back to his senses, Achilles halted his attack, and straightened, seeing his wife clearly now, who looked at him in horror. He dropped his sword, and faced her, not moving towards her. Unused to violence as she was, he tried to think of something to say to sooth away the shock on her face, but thought of nothing. Instead, for the first time in his life, he felt shame for his violence. For so long, it had been such a part of him that he had accepted it, embraced it. But now as he looked down at his bloody hands, he felt his baseness. Now that she had seen that part of him, how could he ever ask her to let him touch her; his hands were stained, and for the first time, he felt unsure of himself.

Briseis saw the look of defeat on her husband's face, and felt her heart wrench at the pain she saw there. Although she wanted so desperately to go to him, she knew that what little energy she had must be channeled towards keeping her on her feet. "Achilles," she whispered, her voice cracking. "Achilles" she said, a little louder, her voice carrying to him. His head slowly rose, and his eyes met hers. They stood there, for a moment, their eyes locked in silence. Briseis, still cradling her son, reached a hand out to Achilles, who still remained in place. "Please" she whispered, as her knees finally buckled beneath her. In a moment, Achilles was there, underneath her, cradling her as the two slowly sank onto the sand. Her last resolve gone, Briseis let the tears come, and felt her husbands hands tighten around her. He kissed her forehead gently as she cried, recognizing that, despite his violence, despite the side of him that could only bring pain and destruction, she accepted all of him. Right now, she needed him, so he remained there, holding her while she cried.

After a moment, the infanct began to fuss again, and Briseis felt her senses return. She clutched her son close for a moment, and then leaned back, allowing Achilles a full view of his son. Achilles traced a finger down the tiny arm of his boy, and then kissed him gently. "I shall name you Phoenix, born from the fires of Troy to soar above us all," he said, laying his hand upon the child. "Come now, we must go." He helped Briseis to her feet, and led her towards his horse. He helped her up, and then handed her the child. He mounted Kale's charger, and led Briseis' animal towards the water's edge. There, Achilles kissed her long and hard, before releasing her.

"I need you to follow the waters edge. After half a day's ride, you will reach Lyrnessos. Tell them that Troy is under siege. If the Trojan wall falls, they will be next, and must be prepared."

"But where are you going, come with me!" Briseis begged, desperately grabbing onto his arm.

"I must return, the tunnels were discovered. Your people, our people, are trapped within the city. My place is there. Please love, keep our son safe. I will return to you!" He kissed her once again, then spun his horse around a galloped off, leaving Briseis in tears. Dispairing that he would not return, Briseis turned her horse away from the direction of Troy, and rode slowly towards the rising sun, in the direction of Lyrnessos.