shh. the boy stares into the eyes of achilles , who seems to have barely moved. somehow he managed to seize the boy and put a knife to his throat without waking the women.
i was having a good dream. a very good dream. the boy nods, dumb with fear. achilles has the lean, efficient physique of a boxer. his face and body are dark from a summer spent in the sun.
i'll speak with your king in the morning.
i wouldn't be bothering with the shield then, would i?
that's why no one will remember your name.
who's giving the whipping? he walks toward agamemnon, fingers curling over the hilt of his sword. nestor slides in between achilles and the king.
why don't you fight him yourself? wouldn't that be a sight, a king who fights his own battles?
achilles, son of peleus.
he's not my king. achilles walks west, away from both armies. the soldiers watch him go in silence.
you're getting fat, cousin. patroclus grins and relaunches his attack, sword spinning with blazing speed. achilles ducks beneath an arcing swing and sword-taps patroclus on the back.
fancy swordplay. the girls must be impressed. patroclus grunts and charges in again. this time a genuine duel develops, featuring splendid repartee and parrying.
terrified. achilles raises his right hand and patroclus lifts his sword to parry the blow -- but achilles no longer holds his sword in his right hand. sword in hisleft hand, achilles taps patroclus on the chest. patroclus stares down at the wood blade.
by the time you know how to do it, you won't be following my orders anymore. achilles tosses aside the sparring sword. he cocks his head as if listening to some distant sound. patroclus, oblivious to the noise, practices his swordplay. achilles' foot curls around the wood shaft of one of the spears lying on the ground. in one impossibly fast motion, he flips the spear into the air with his foot, catches it, and throws in the opposite direction from where he was looking.
i don't like that smile, my friend. it's the smile you smile when you want me to fight in another war. patroclus, my cousin -- odysseus, king of ithaca.
tell me you're not here at agamemnon's bidding. odysseus hesitates. achilles shakes his head.
how many times have i done the savage work for the king of kings? and when has he ever shown me the respect i've earned?
why? are the greeks tired of fighting each other?
the trojans never did anything to me.
they insulted one greek, a man who couldn't hold on to his wife. what business is that of mine?
is it? am i the whore of the battlefield? can my sword be bought and sold? i don't want to be remembered as a tyrant's mercenary.
trees don't swing back. odysseus chuckles, but he's alert to the boy's enthusiasm.
play your tricks on me, if you'd like. but leave my cousin out of it.
mother. thetis turns and smiles at achilles.
i haven't worn a seashell necklace since i was a boy. thetis looks at achilles' bare neck.
they want me for another war. thetis bends down and scoops up a silvery shell.
are you listening?
patroclus wants to go.
and you know this, mother?
they brought us here for a war, didn't they?
do you fight for me, eudorus? or agamemnon?
then fight for me. and let the servants of agamemnon fight for him.
where are you going?
you're not ready.
and you're a good student. but you're not a myrmidon yet. he gestures to the myrmidons around them.
these are the fiercest soldiers in greece. each of them has bled for me before. i can't fight the trojans if i'm worrying about you, cousin. guard the ship. patroclus looks about the deck. the only unarmored man aboard is an old, one-legged cook, mending spears. patroclus angrily strips off his breastplate and drops it to the deck.
myrmidons, we are brothers of the sword. i'd rather fight alongside you than any army of thousands.
do you know what's waiting beyond that beach? immortality. the myrmidons raise their swords and cry out with one voice. the oarsmen give one last mighty pull on their oars and beach the tar-caulked keel of the warship on trojan sand. achilles puts on his helmet, grabs a coiled rope anchored to a bronze cleat, and rappels down to the beach. the myrmidons follow him, tossing the ropes off the deck and shimmying down to the beach.
breathe, my friend. eudorus takes two deep breaths. achilles dashes for the temple. his myrmidons follow behind.
the sun god is the patron of troy, our enemy. take whatever treasure you can find. the myrmidons cheer and rush the temple.
speak. eudorus gestures to the sun above them.
get inside the temple, warn the men. eudorus hurries to warn his comrades.
eudorus! wait, wait a moment. the myrmidon captain stops. achilles hefts a spear, judges the distance, and throws. one hundred yards from achilles, the spearhead finds its mark: tecton's breastplate. tecton is knocked from his horse and skewered to the ground. he clutches at the wooden shaft, not comprehending his fate. hector reins in his horse and stares at his fallen captain. the man is finished. hector turns to look at achilles. eudorus's eyes are wide. no other man alive could have thrown a spear that far or that accurately.
now you can go. eudorus runs inside the temple.
you must be very brave or very stupid, to come after me alone. you must be hector. hector stares at achilles a moment before kneeling by the dead priests' bodies.
a private audience with the prince of troy. i'm flattered. do you know who i am?
i didn't kill them. cutting old men's throats -- there's no honor in that.
why kill you, prince of troy, with no one here to see you fall? achilles backs out of an archway opening onto the bright day outside. hector follows.
they'll be talking about this war for a thousand years.
yes, prince. but our names will remain. a band of bloodied myrmidons, led by eudorus, emerges from the temple. hector, surrounded by enemies, warily backs off.
go home, prince. drink some wine. make love to your wife. tomorrow we'll have our war.
perhaps your brother can comfort them. i hear he's good at charming other men's wives. hector stares at achilles and the myrmidons for another moment before walking away.
it's too early in the day for killing princes.
the gods are immortal. what do they have to fear? ajax laughs and releases achilles.
i don't have to worry about my back with you behind me.
if you sailed any slower, the war would be over.
leave us. eudorus bows and exits. achilles pulls a small, sharp knife from his belt. briseis stares at the blade. achilles walks over to her and cuts the ropes that bind her. she sits back, rubbing the chafed skin of her wrists, still watching achilles. he sheathes his knife.
what's your name? briseis stares at him but doesn't answer. achilles becomes aware, for the first time, that he's covered in blood. he wipes a hand across his face. briseis looks about the tent, as if searching for a way out.
you're safer in this tent than out there. believe me.
i've killed men in five countries. but never a priest.
what's he waiting for? briseis is stunned by such blunt blasphemy but she can't take her eyes off him, because achilles, after all, is achilles.
his priests are dead and his acolyte's a captive. i think your god is afraid of me. briseis laughs bitterly.
then where is he? briseis has no answer. achilles smiles and she looks away. a bucket of hot water sits beside a washcloth. achilles wets the cloth and begins to scrub the blood from his body.
you haven't seen twenty summers and you think you know my heart? i know more about the gods than priests could ever teach you. you're royalty, aren't you? briseis says nothing. achilles smiles again.
you've spent years talking down to men, you must be royalty. what's your name? even the servants of apollo have names.
are you afraid, briseis? briseis is quiet for a moment. she watches achilles with a mixture of fear and curiosity.
what is it? eudorus sticks his head inside the tent.
why would i want to look at him when i can look at her?
give me a moment. eudorus withdraws. a long beat while achilles studies her.
you don't need to fear me, girl. you're the only trojan who can say that.
apparently you've won some great victory.
you can have the beach. i didn't come here for sand.
the battle was won by soldiers. the soldiers know who fought.
first you need the victory.
i don't want to hear my father's name from your mouth.
you want gold? take it, it's my gift, to honor your courage. take what you want.
i have no quarrel with you, brothers. but you'll never see home again if you don't let her go. the soldiers hesitate, then draw their own swords. achilles advances on them.
she's not a slave.
before my time is done, king of kings, i will look down on your corpse and smile. achilles turns and leaves the tent.
let them march. we stay.
agamemnon spat on my honor yesterday. i promised that girl her safety and he stole her from me. let him fight the trojans today. eudorus and patroclus exchange glances. eudorus bows to achilles and exits the tent. patroclus remains behind.
when i was very small i saw my father kill a man with his bare hands. patroclus doesn't know how to respond to this.
there's so much blood in a human body.
you're ready to fight, patroclus?
you're ready to kill? patroclus hesitates.
at night i see their faces. all the men i've killed. i see them standing on the far bank of the river styx. they're waiting for me. patroclus stands absolutely still. he's never heard his cousin speak this way before.
some nights i walk among them. when i wake i can still hear their words. they say, "welcome, brother." achilles inspects the knuckles of his fist.
never hate the men you fight. all of us are mortals. all of us, wretched things, tumbled crying from our mother's loins. only the gods are free from sorrows.
good. i taught you how to fight. but i never taught you why to fight.
and who will you follow when i'm gone? patroclus hesitates, unsure how to answer.
most soldiers battle for kings they've never met. they do what they're told; they die when they're told to die.
we don't have much time to walk in the sun, patroclus. after this life comes the underworld, an eternity telling stories to other shades. don't tell them you died following some fool's orders.
tell them your name. if your life has been worthy, they'll know the rest.
pull back, you fool.
get them in line.  get them in line.
nine. the other soldiers run. achilles lifts briseis to her feet. more gently than we would have believed possible, achilles brushes the sand from her face and hair.
can you walk? briseis nods. achilles, arm around her shoulder, leads her away from the campfire.
get me food and water. and a new robe. eudorus bows. patroclus watches achilles and briseis enter the tent.
you should eat. briseis says nothing.
did they hurt you?
i saw you fight them. you have courage.
i like dogs more than people. briseis stares into achilles' eyes. he's not used to people meeting his gaze. he stares back at the girl, intrigued.
what life?
i chose nothing. i was born and this is what i am.
does the scorpion feel joy when he stings the beetle? i doubt it. i doubt he feels anything at all.
and you're a woman in love with a god. where was apollo when those men tried to scar you?
yes.
you've dedicated your life to the gods, yes? briseis, glaring at him, doesn't answer.
zeus, god of thunder. athena, goddess of wisdom. you serve them?
and aries, god of war, who blankets his bed with the skins of men he's killed? briseis pauses, caught in the trap.
i want what all men want. i just want it more. achilles takes an apple and unsheathes a dagger. he tosses the apple in his hand. on the third toss he whips his knife-hand up and across and neatly catches four apple quarters. he offers a quarter to briseis. stunned, she slowly shakes her head. achilles shrugs and eats the sliced apple.
i'll tell you a secret-- something they didn't teach you in your temple. the gods envy us. they envy us because we're mortal, because every moment might be our last. everything is more beautiful for the doomed. he stares at her with such intensity she must look away.
you will never be lovelier than you are right now. and we will never be here again. briseis is quiet for a moment. she rubs the ripe purple grapes on the platter beside her.
go on. briseis holds the blade against his skin.
nothing is easier.
every mortal dies. today or fifty years from now, what does it matter in the face of eternity?
many of them. for several seconds she holds the knife to his throat. finally she puts it down.
have the men start loading the ship. we're going home.
i found her.
not as badly as those who hurt her. achilles stares at the sea. seagulls patrol the skies.
do you miss your wife, odysseus?
i've never missed anyone in my life. i used to think it was a weakness, needing someone else.
greece got along fine before i was born and greece will be greece long after i'm dead.
i saw it. and i saw who led the men to slaughter.
the man sends you to make his apologies? he doesn't understand honor. what are you doing in thrall to that pig of a king?
am i supposed to fear him?
my life is war. is that what you think?
a week ago you were right. but things are less simple today.
of all the kings of greece, i respect you most. but in this war you're a servant. and i refuse to be a servant any longer.
we leave at noon. he tries to enter his tent but patroclus grabs his arm and blocks his path. achilles stares at patroclus' hand. patroclus releases him but doesn't move out of the way.
our countrymen?
if my blood wasn't in your veins --
i gave you an order, cousin. we leave at noon.
captive is a harsh word. you're my guest.
strange custom. achilles takes her hand and inspects her uncalloused palms.
you've never worked the fields. never chopped wood, never carried a milk pail. these are the hands of royalty. achilles raises his own hands and shows them to her.
my hands are gates to the underworld. all my life i've walked with death. but i grow tired of his company. come with me to larissa. a hint of a smile crosses her lips.
i thought i'd never see it again. before i left home my mother told me my fate.
she knows things. she told me if i stayed home i'd have a long, peaceful life. and if i came to troy, life would be short.  but my name would never be forgotten.
but what if fate brought me here for another purpose? what if i had to go to war to find peace? to find you? she cups his face between her palms, pulls him closer, kisses his lips. for a moment they gaze at each other, until the sounds of war cries, horns, and battle drums fill the air. achilles raises his head and listens, his face hardening. briseis, alarmed, watches him.
you've been fighting.
you violated my command.
a mistake? i ordered the myrmidons to stand down. you led them into combat?
who did?
where's patroclus?
you're lying.
lies.
liar!
dead?
eudorus. eudorus blinks, unsure where he is, then rouses himself as he recognizes his master's voice. he struggles to his feet.
i need my armor. eudorus nods and rushes off.
no. eudorus looks at his commander for a second and backs away.
rope. a myrmidon hands him a coil of braided rope and retreats. briseis steps into view. her eyes are shadowed from lack of sleep. she stares up at achilles and he looks at her. she looks fragile today, her pale throat purpled with bruises.
hector! in the background, we see hundreds of greek soldiers crest the high dunes.
hector! louder and louder, his voice echoing above the silent city.
there are no pacts between lions and men. achilles tosses aside his helmet -- an insulting gesture, impugning hector's combat skills.
now you know who you're fighting. hector pauses a moment before removing his own helmet and tossing it aside.
you gave him the honor of your sword. you won't have eyes tonight. you won't have ears, or a tongue. you'll wander the underworld, blind, deaf, and dumb. and all the dead will know: this is hector, the fool who thought he killed achilles. achilles draws his sword. hector draws his. they charge. we've seen extraordinary fighting before, but we've never seen this -- a prowess so extreme as to be hypnotic. two better swordsmen have never clashed. all their lives, all their training and past battles, have led to this moment. nothing is wasted. no flourishes or balletic leaps or spins. every swing is a death blow countered. the rapidity of the exchange is breathless. the bronze blades hiss as they split the air. they swing with such power that sparks fly whenever a sword scrapes a shield.
get up, prince of troy. i won't let a stone take my glory. hector stands. he knows his energy is fading fast. so he spends everything on one last try. he charges, swinging with explosive fury, putting all his might into each blow. when the barrage is finished and hector pauses for a breath, he sees that achilles, unhurt, has parried everything. now achilles bores in, swinging. hector blocks and blocks, but doesn't have the stamina for a new assault. achilles lunges. hector raises his shield. the sword plunges through the seven layers of oxhide, plunges through the hammered bronze of the shield, the bronze of the breastplate, all the way into hector's heart. hector looks down at the blade. he looks at achilles. there is no mercy or remorse on the man's face. hector falls.
it never ends. briseis stares at him for a moment and leaves the tent. achilles quits his sharpening. now there is nothing but silence, nothing but a bronze sword for company.
who are you? priam seems physically hurt by the sight of achilles. for a moment it seems he will collapse again. but he wills himself onward, walking to achilles' chair. he sinks to his knees, takes achilles' hands, and kisses them. achilles observes all this with curiosity.
priam?
how did you get in here, old king? the sentries --
you're a brave man. if agamemnon knew you were here, he'd have your head on a spit.
he killed my cousin.
if i let you walk out of here, if i let you take him, it doesn't change anything. you're still my enemy in the morning.
i admire your courage, old man. you're a better king than the one leading this army. meet me outside in a moment.
we'll meet again soon.
your son was the best i've fought. i want you to know that. in my country the funeral games last twelve days.
then no greek will attack troy for twelve days. the prince deserves that honor. achilles, hearing footsteps, turns. briseis emerges from the shadows. priam is stunned.
you'll be safe behind the trojan walls. achilles reaches into his tunic and pulls out the shell necklace that patroclus had worn. he fastens it around her delicate neck, where the purple bruises are still visible. he speaks quietly to her, too softly for priam to hear.
if i hurt you -- it's not what i wanted. you gave me one night of peace in a lifetime of war. she stares up at him, her young face mapped with conflicting emotions. finally, achilles turns to priam.
go. no one will stop you, you have my word. priam gets in the chariot. briseis still looks at achilles.
wily odysseus. you've found a way to make the sheep invite the wolves over for dinner.
agamemnon will kill them all. men, women, children -- all of them. you know that. achilles walks away. odysseus follows him.
i've always liked you. but if that girl dies because of your plan, you will never sail home to your wife. achilles turns and leaves. odysseus takes a deep breath.
eudorus. forgive me. eudorus blinks. no one has ever heard these words from achilles' mouth before.
i should never have struck you. you've been a loyal friend all your life.
rouse the men. you're taking them home.
i've got one more battle to fight. eudorus hesitates, watching his lord. finally:
all that's left is the slaughter. i don't want to see my men fouled with children's blood. go, eudorus. this is the last order i give you. after a long pause, eudorus bows deeply to his commander.
briseis -- where is she? where is she?!
get him out of troy. the guard, stunned to find himself alive, finally runs. achilles rushes into the palace.
briseis! briseis!
come with me. before she can answer her eyes go wide. she sees paris, in the upper garden, notching an arrow.
come. i'll protect you. paris pulls back the catgut string. briseis screams:
no more. he reaches out and rubs the shells of her necklace.
my mother made this necklace.
you have to get out.
get out. she kisses his lips, running her fingers across his jaw.
there's always a way out for the princes. paris tries to lift briseis to her feet but she refuses.
briseis. she leans closer. he's losing too much blood, his strength is fading, but he summons his remaining energy to speak.
i chose this night.  but you will see the sun again. i want you to live. her face is full of sorrow and love. he touches her lips, his fingers trembling as his body fails. she kisses him.
live. she doesn't want to go but he pushes her gently away. finally she nods.