4 - They come!
Niera pushed her way skillfully through the thickening crowd. Not so long ago the closeness and crowding of the bodies around her would have made her nearly sick, but now... Niera let out a husky chuckle, she was quite used to it now. Niera was headed for the beaches, where else, her stomach was no protesting quite heartily for food, the decent type, not the type scrounged from whatever the street waifs left, which was usually nothing. Still threading delicately through the growing mass of people, Niera took a brief moment to appreciate the variety of nations that traded with the Trojans. Foreigners from all over the Mediterranean, Asia, Africa, and even perhaps Europe could be spotted amongst the haggling, shouting wares-men. With a silent breath of thanks Niera was once again grateful for the fact that she did not have to find work here, it wasn't so bad on the beaches, despite the fermenting smell of fish that she had really grown used to. Smiling despite herself and feeling her mood lift with the sun as it rose towards mid-sky she picked up her walk to a fast lope, now able in the thinned ranks, heading out of Troy's massive gates, every bit and more impressive as she would have imagined them, she turned and walking backwards observed where that eventful night's dreaming had dropped her.
Troy was massive. That was just the word that described it, whether talking of it's walls, it's center, it's houses, it's industry, Troy itself was massive. It's well-famed walls rose to towering heights, smooth and limestone making it impossible to scale. A ladder would have to be of immense length to even come close to reaching the top, even then the numerous defenders atop would send the ladder, and whoever it carried, crashing down to certain death. Niera shook her head wonderingly, Troy was a work of craftsmanship, hand hewed without mechanical power. Niera taking one last glance at the magnificent city which she knew, or hoped she knew judging that Homer's depicting was correct, was doomed to a fiery ruin, turned her back and continued her trot down to where various small fishing crafts were pulled up away from the surf, their owners busily hauling out fish whose scales caught the sun sending silvery flashes here and there.
As if happened Niera was one of the first to spot the menacing sails as they first appeared on the horizon. She had been mending the usual nets, her head bent studiously over the mangled ropes wherein was intwined the entrails of past victims, her mid-back length hair loose and whipping once more iratantly about her face, when a sudden alarmed shout rang out over the beaches. Niera, without looking up closed her eyes briefly knowing what lay on the waters stretching out in front of her, knowing how many deaths those crafts brought with them, knowing how it all would end.. Or at least she thought she knew. She could not be certain. It took only a few moments for alarm bells to sound out, clanging desperately, their cry of woe bringing the fishermen oaring in the water and without bothering their boats, leaping out and running with such fleetness that Niera would have laughed had she not known the situation she was in.
As it was Niera stayed where she was for a long moment, the enlarge needle specially made for the mending the torn nets, still in her hand. Finally rising and setting her work aside on the sand, knowing it would soon be trampled into non-existence, she watched as the ships came into closer view. There were so many! Niera knew more would follow, knew it would take at least several days before all of them arrived, but the ones already here. They would be enough to take the shore, she was quite certain of that. The rising dust towards the east, back towards Troy already brought defenders, defenders that would be driven back she knew, driven back or slaughtered. She was not sure why they had been sent out, perhaps their leader had been fool enough to think they could hold the beach on their own. Sadly Niera watched as archers came over the dunes, already going into defensive stances, staking arrows into the ground beside them. They would be slaughtered. With a sudden jolt into the reality of the moment Niera gasped.. And so would she if she stood here much longer.
With a grimace Niera thought of her tae kwon do training. She was only a yellow belt, that would not do much against skilled bronze and iron. Niera almost smiled, not much at all. With another grimace she realised it was too late to head for the city, the gates would be already closed, she had stayed here to long. With a tremour of fear that she had not known lay within her she felt a sense of panic, stay here until arrows of swords brought her down along with the Trojan defenders? No. With scramble of movement she scanned the beaches for some sort of refuge some hiding place.. She came up empty, the beaches stretched long and bare ahead of her but.. With a faint glimmer in the distance Niera recalled the Temple of Apollo, the temple that was situated out here upon the beaches. It was only some mile away, glancing back to the all-to-fast approaching ships Niera broke into a steady sprint. Her hair flying confusedly around her head, her eyes widened with a fear she had never felt before, her legs working themselves into a desperate pace that she would hold until she reached it.
Blocking thoughts from her head Niera concentrated only on her burning lungs, the slowing feel of the sand beneath her feet, the temple that became clearer with every step. With a shuddering gasp Niera reached the temple steps, running up them and practically crashing into the priests that were waving incense here and there, intoning words that were prayers she supposed. With a another gasp of air that filled her lungs she, with non-to-much- ceremony yelled out... "Hide! Acheans, Greeks! They're here!" One of the older priests turned his gaze quizzically upon her, as if wondering her mad, "Apollo will send his help." He intoned as if explaining the obvious solution. With a suppressed look of disbelief, Niera tried the other priests faces all coming up with a blank trusting stare. Something of the stare an owner might get from it's dog. A very trusting dog and the owner was Apollo whom they were believing would lead the Greeks away from them.
With this another thought hit Niera, why had she supposed a temple safe? Why a temple for a hiding place? That would be the first place raided, treasure, gold.. Niera groaned as she ran backwards, to the doorway she had just entered intent on getting away. With shocked disbelief Niera watched as the first ship beached on the shoreline of Troy.