Achilles&Briseis: A Novel

Chapter 7

A knock woke Briseis in the dead of night. Fast retreating, but still quiet footsteps were heading away from the door as she got up from bed. Briseis lit the candle beside her bed and took a dagger from under her pillow. Her two guards were in the smaller room that adjoined hers but the knock clearly didn't wake them.

She opened the door cautiously, not expecting to see an assassin but one never knew; not that she could have realistically fended one off or that one was likely to knock. Something about this place made her uneasy the longer she stayed. The priest needed time to gather materials and make sacrifices on the behalf of all who'd come for guidance and it would be rude to leave before at least Lady Celine's business was attended to.

Briseis looked into the dark hallway finding it empty of people as expected, though there was a rolled scroll at the base of her door. She looked once more into the hall, trying to see if anyone was peaking at her around the corner but it was too dark. The person who'd dropped off the scroll could be looking right at her and Briseis would never see them. She grabbed the scroll then lit more candles before taking the twine off and unrolling it.

The hand was completely unfamiliar but that was to be expected since she didn't know many people here. The content of the message was surprising.

Three days from now the High Priest will meet with you to discuss your dream. He has taken no actions to find the true interpretation and he will not. He will tell you the gods have granted him no insight. I have performed the rituals and have an answer for you. Not only that but I can tell you why the priests you have consulted previously also do not want to give you answers. Far more is at play here than you know. It goes back before you were born. I am willing to give you this information but if you want to know you must do something first. There is something about this temple, which if I have been informed correctly as to your interests, after a close examination should be obvious to you. In addition I want you to find out why these nobles are here. Both issues relate to you though why will not be obvious. If you can correctly answer these questions I will give you all the answers. I will be watching you closely over the next three days. If I feel you have done as I asked we will meet.

Burn this message.

She did.

🦉

Though the weather was overcast Briseis decided to start with the mystery of the temple. She waited out on the lawn for her help which she could feel rapidly approaching. Others were also outside enjoying the break in the rain though it couldn't be called warm. Briseis shivered and pulled the blanket closer around her.

An image of herself seen from above popped into her mind and with the quiet swish of wings, a tawny owl landed on the branch above her. With a quiet call a long ear owl landed by its side. Briseis smiled and opened the basket near her knee. Fresh meat was inside and she placed the offerings on the ground and both animals came down to partake in their treat.

As her friends were eating, images transmitted from their minds to hers of the things they'd seen since they last parted. Briseis first discovered her connection to these animals when she was a child. She was out in her lemon orchard lying on the warm ground when an owl landed above her. It wasn't afraid of her and both girl and animal watched the other curiously.

Briseis began to wonder what it would be like to pet the owl but didn't dare. They had been known to use their claws in defense and rumors even swirled of owls large enough to carry off children. Briseis didn't believe owls could get that big. She stared intensely at the bird once again wishing to pet it, when the bird leapt from the branch and glided to her side.

The owl was an old one with short ears and a mean look in its eyes. The bird cocked its head toward her and Briseis boldly began to scratch its ears. The owl visited her every day for a week and at the end of that week something curious began to happen. Images popped into her head when the owl was near. They were of things she couldn't have seen, that no one had ever seen. The city from the view of someone in the sky, of a forest near the river late at night and grabbing prey that came to drink, and herself as she stood on her balcony waiting for the owl to return.