A/N: Thanks to all the encouraging reviews! I hope this chapter pleases to!

Elven Sword: Thank you for the critic, after reading back over my last chapter I realize the repetitiveness of it. I tried very hard to make this chapter a little less, um, sad? Well, anyway, I hope that this chapter is better. Happy reading!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, so get off me.

Chapter 6: Calm in the Storm

A/N: This chapter begins with a dream and then goes back before the dream. I hope it's not that confusing! lol

I was in a torrent, clouds circling me, slowly constricting, taking away my breath. My head throbbed with a steadily growing pain. My hair whipped at my face, slapping it harshly. I felt emptiness in the pit of my stomach.

I turned my head and, in the distance, saw my beautiful city of Troy. But it was no longer the inviting white walls behind which my beloved family was held. No, it was a large and looming force with shadows traveling along the tops of the walls.

I heard, or rather felt, them beckoning me to come to them. I began to steadily make my way through the clouds, but the closer I came to my home the tighter the clouds wound around my wrists and ankles. Beyond the throbbing pain that filled my ears with a constant thudding, I heard thunder in the space around me. The thunder sounded oddly familiar, like a low laugh, and made me pause in my flight to my city.

Instead I turned away to the darkness behind me. The darkness began to shape into the figure of a man. I could not make out a face, but could follow the lines of his broad shoulders and muscular arms. I watched as the man stretched a hand towards me. I felt my hand moving upwards against my own will. I felt the man's fingers close around my own. Suddenly, my lungs filled with cold air that they had since been deprived of, the clouds no longer holding their death grip on me.

A light flashed against the darkness and across the man's shadowed face. I caught just a glimpse of startling blue eyes. They were not Hector or Paris' warm chocolate brown, but yet a familiar blue. I gasped as I felt something tighten around my middle and jerk me backwards. I moved away from the clasp of the comforting and reassuring hand, which had seemed the only calm in the storm I found myself in.

Earlier in the day:

I waited in my box until I heard voices in the next room. I recognized one as Agamemnon's immediately, but I assumed the other belonged to one of his advisors.

"How could this have happened! A retreat? A retreat!" Agamemnon exclaimed as paced or rather stomped, around the room that the door to my box-prison was connected to. I listened as I heard him curse Hector and his army. My hope rose as I listened to The Pig's swearing. "I have the greatest army in the world! How could we have had to retreat? And what about my brother? Have I honored his death by Hectors sword by ordering my men to run for their lives?"

My heart filled with uneasy joy as I figured the meaning of his words. Helen's husband, Menelaus, had been killed by Hector. This gave the Greek army no reason to stay in Troy! They would surely leave and never return to my city, leaving Troy in peace. I was elated with this news, but had no idea of the damage done to Paris' pride with Hectors killing of Agamemnon's brother.

"Your majesty sir, the men are quite low in spirits after today's… mishap. They need something to cheer them up, and give them hope for the next battle." The advisor said. 'The next battle?'

"Um, uh, yes, right." Agamemnon blundered. "Well, give them some drinks. Alcohol will surely lighten their mood and get their mind off the re—mishap."

"Yes sir. Perhaps some sort of entertainment could be in order also."

"Surely, yes, um, give them the girl, the priestess. I have no use for her. She should entertain them for tonight. Tell them to do as they please with her. She is Trojan, and should be shown no mercy." Agamemnon said carelessly. My heart quickened to a rapid pace inside my chest and I began to back away from the door.

'Oh Gods! Please no! Don't let them—' I heard the click of the lock on the door. I glanced around, frantically looking for a way out. There was none. The door opened and a large soldier sneered as he came towards me. He raised a large wooden stick in the air bringing it down to the base of my head. As I opened my mouth to scream, everything went black.

Later that day at sunset:

My eyes burnt against the harsh light of the sun as my eyelids fluttered open. Two soldiers were carrying me through the Greek camp, as I had been unconscious for the past few minutes. My head throbbed with the pain from where the soldier had hit me earlier. My stomach growled as I realized how hungry I was.

While being dragged through the sand, I caught a glance of Troy. Its walls still stood tall, glowing in the setting sunlight. A fire I thought long extinguished rekindled to life as my pride surged through me. We had won the battle, though not the war. Troy's walls still stood against Agamemnon and his army, and therefore gave hope to all those who were sheltered behind them.

I vaguely heard the two soldiers laughing as they dragged me across the sand. I set my jaw and dug my heels into the ground. I let my complete weight plus the resistance of my firmly planted feet upon the soldiers. They merely faltered slightly in their steps. I was enough though, for me to grab a handful of the sand, which had been heated by the day sun.

When one of the soldiers went to strike me for my stupidity, I threw the sand up into his face, stinging his eyes. He cursed wildly while his counter part laughed at his apparent discomfort. I took this opportunity to kick him squarely in the loins. He doubled over in pain as the other soldier stumbled blindly, still cursing me with his every breath. A part of me wanted to stay and reprimand him that Apollo would not appreciate such swearing in his name, but thankfully I thought better of it and quickly made a run for it.

I sprinted for all my worth toward my city, hoping against hope that one of the guards on the walls would se me still in my priestess robes and alert Hector. My breath caught in my throat as I saw the corpses scattered along the plain staining the sand with both Greek and Trojan blood. Their armor was the only thing that told of their differences.

Did they even know what they had been fighting for? For love? For greed? For pride? I felt a sickening feeling rising in my stomach. They never knew, but they had readily given their life for their countries and kings. 'For Helen.' I couldn't help but think bitterly.

I turned and readily vomited on the soldier that had followed me. He cursed me as he grabbed my arm in a bruising hold. My throat burned while my mouth was filled with the bitter taste of my own waste. I cried in pain when the soldier abruptly grabbed my hair, throwing my head back, forcing me to look him in the face.

"You Trojan brat! Wha' do you think you are doing? Fighting Greek soldiers like that will only get you more pain! You are stupider than that crackpot Priam! Well Agamemnon has decided you should cheer up the men, and not by reading them poetry, if you catch my drift. What do you have to say now, whore?" He spat in my face, obviously not expecting me to say anything to him after he belittled me and dishonored my uncle. Me! The cousin of Paris the Charmer not say anything? Ha! You must be joking!

"Apollo forgive you. He must understand that you are merely a wild dog with fleas, following your cruel and ignorant pig of a master's commands. I do believe Apollo has a soft spot for fleas." I said through clenched teeth, mirroring the much larger man with my glare. He sputtered momentarily before delivering a blow to my head that sent me sprawling to the ground.

"Whore! Bitch!" He yelled as I began to pick myself of the sand.

"Surely one of you must have thought of another name for me by now other than bitch and whore, for I assure you I am neither." I replied curtly from my bent position. I immediately received a kick to my stomach. 'You had to go there didn't you?'

"She's all yours men, have with her what you will." He spat on me and turned to leave. Out of the corner of my eye I watched as men made their way to my crumpled body, like lions to their fallen prey.

It hurt for me to breathe. I knew I had a bruised rib, but with darkness falling I could see the lights of Troy burning, keeping it in a peaceful glow. And so, my own fire still burned.

A/N: Well, what do you think? Good? Bad? Ugly? Let me know with a review! You know, just click that little button down there and type what you think!

Thanks, LR