Shadow Across the Sun

Disclaimer: I do...do...do...-Cough- not -Cough- own Troy.

Summary: Briseis's world is as perfect as can be expected for a priestess of the God Apollo. But what happens when a shadow fleets across her sun? The sun she knew so well? Briseis/Achilles R&R!

Authors Note: I wrote this! Yeah I know some people wont like it and maybe some will but just remember I wrote it and I have feelings. -Grins- Woohoo! Anyway hope you like it since this is my first Troy fic and I don't normally do this kind of thing. -Snorts- R&R! Oh yeah and if anyone has the script please let me know so I can get a copy. And um excuse the length I didn't have long to type it!

Chapter One

To be a priestess was to be alone. An island leagues away from everything and everyone. To be a priestess is to devote your life to the unknown. To live a life based on hope, faith and belief. Briseis was a priestess. Briseis was an island. Briseis was a believer.

Many Winters have fallen over the city of Troy since Briseis become an orphan. Sheets as cold as the snow covering the carved stone building. Freezing everything within its grasp yet the happiness and spark of the people remained. You can't dim a Trojans light that easily. Summers and Springs came and went. They took to their wings and fleeted away into the darkness taking their light and warmth packed in suitcases with them. Autumns, leaving no footprints, vanished into the night. Everything swirled together. A deadly potion, the joining of one season to the next. The young priestess's life is very similar. A royal life. The comings and goings of things barely leave a mark in her memory. She was not ashamed of the path she had chosen. To isolate oneself from others was not something to be proud of but for a good cause and to worship the almighty gods she deemed it worthy.

The golden rays of the summer sun tore high above the city walls and streaked through the door to the temple. Those walls had become a second home to Briseis especially over these last few days. Every morning since she had taken her vowels to the god Apollo she had awoke well before the sun rose. To welcome the glowing fireball as it cast its first sheets of light over the walls of Troy. Her visits had become more frequent during the time period where her cousins took stay to Sparta. She prayed for their good voyage home and for their peace making. But all that she had prayed for had come crashing down when they had returned. They brought with them a new member of the family. Helen, ex-queen of Sparta. But with them they also brought the rumours of war.

Throwing water over the fire before her Briseis muttered under her breath a prayer for her people. Should they pull through the war that threatened to spill over Troy at any moment. Many lives would be lost for the sake of love. Lives were lost every day for land so why was love not deemed worthy in many eyes? Knowing little of love she could not take a side but knowing her own love to her family she had welcomed Helen with open arms. What was done was done. Her cousin had been foolish but that was just Paris and he was young after all. Where he stood in her eyes there would always be a second chance waiting for him. He was her partner in crime, her beloved cousin and her friend. She loved him like her brother. But what was this love everyone dreamed about? True Briseis was young but she had the wisdom of someone much older than her years. The loss her of parents at an early age was something that had forced her into growing up. But she would willingly swap her wisdom for her parents lives if it was possible. Worshipping the Gods was almost a link to them in the world below. And for that she would remain faithful to the Gods and to her family which seemed to become scarcer every day.

Casting her gaze away from the towering monument of Apollo and the propped up fire Briseis slipped from the temple to catch a breath of fresh air. The two priests and her were the only inhabitants awake at such an early hour to her knowledge. Most were caught in the spirit world of dreams drifting between what was and what they wished to be. Dreams of hope and love.

Briseis pushed her chocolate brown curls from her face. She was young and many did not support her decision to give her life to the Gods. They thought her as naive to decide while she was still on the boarder of womanhood. But how could they possibly understand? The golden statue of Apollo gleamed in the morning sun. The glint of the blinding light and the excellent carvings were a loss among her eyes. The sky stretched before her in a mass of blue. White fluffy clouds dotted the perfect scene. Picturesque. The rise and the fall of the tide was as consistent as a heart beat. The unblemished blue of the ocean and its white capped waves slowly rolling onto the sandy shores caught her mind in a blink of the eye. A slight wind whipped around her white garment and tousled her curls that hung free. They danced on the light breeze that was growing by the moment. Perfect sailing weather. It was like the eye of the storm. Before everything, her whole world came crashing down before her.

Feet tapping on the stone steps she steadied her gaze on the horizon and squinted. The outline of sails stretched beyond her sight. Ships. Greek ships. They were moving with the wind. She knew it wouldn't be long till they landed on the shores of Troy and she knew this was no peace-making outing. Their ships moved easily through the tumbling waters and seemed to barely skim the surface. It was also a great help that the wind was in their favour. They would be there soon and the pain and destruction they promised to Troy was now unstoppable.

Her eyes dared to linger on the ships for a few more seconds contemplating what to do. She could find comfort and safety in the walls of Troy but she was too far away at the temple to be promised to reach it in good time. She also had to worry about the priests. They were elderly men and she couldn't just leave them. No. She would stay. Even now with each precious second dancing past in a teasing manor she knew. Her survival would be limited no matter which path she chose. The ships were entering waters where their archers could reach her if she made a run for it. Fear jumped in her eyes as she turned on her heel and ran into the temple calling out to the priests.

"Ships! There are ships on the horizon!"

The two men looked up from their positions before the stature. Neither bore a weapon and regretting it now neither did Briseis. There would be no fight and no point fighting. The men stood quickly their grey hair swayed with each movement. It was strange to think she had never truly noticed their real age until now. To her they were companions and teachers but now they seemed to be under her care. Motioning to them frantically she tried to keep the fear from her voice. To tell them their numbered chances would be to dash all the hope they held.

"We must hide!"

The urgency in her voice drowned out the fright. The priests nodded and together they journeyed deeper into the temple. The statue of each God was carved of stone and bore good cover but for how long could they hide? The Greeks would be taking anchorage now preparing to fight for the beach and once that was conquered their eyes would be fixed on the temple. Praying would do them no good now. The Gods would not fight the war for her or for her people. The old men were lost in her eyes as she ducked behind a wall and squatted keeping as low to the floor as she could. Steadying her breathing Briseis closed her eyes and awaited the fate the Gods would deal out to her.

Authors Note: I know. I know. Look at the length of it! Oh well it's only the first chapter after all. I hoped you all liked it I shall throw Achilles in the next chapter I guess but that all depends on the reviews! Woohoo! R&R!

Love

Emily