by Katrina
The following is a bit of alternative fiction based on certain characters from the Xenaverse. It is not meant to infringe on anyone else's rights. If you don't agree or disapprove, please go read something else.
Xerious characterbuilding stuff ahead. You have been warned.
"Gabrielle,
look at me." Gabrielle noted a change in the timbre of Xena's voice and lifted her
gaze. She turned to face Xena. The warlord's expression was stern, but her voice held
understanding. "This is how you are to do this." She took Gabrielle's hands in
her own. The warrior's were eyes dark with emotion, knowing the hardship of her demand.
Xena's instructions were exact. Twenty cutting crisscross diagonals along the middle back and shoulders, nothing lower. Blood would be drawn, (that command had drawn a gasp from Gabrielle) but Xena didn't say how deep or how wide. Evania was to watch Darvin's front during the proceedings. Xena squeezed Gabrielle's hands gently, "The rest," she said, "I leave in your care." It was the way she spoke those last words that let Gabrielle know that this had been an agonizing decision for the warlord.
The bard heard the unexpected hidden messages from Xena; the ones that spoke of of a different kind of mercy. She knew what to do. Gabrielle responded with poise, "I will do as you say, Mistress." Her voice held another promise in it. Forgiveness. They gazed at one another for a long moment, establishing confidence between them. Then they unlinked their hands and assumed their roles.
The next time Gabrielle's voice expressed itself, it was with the confidence of Xena's chosen. "May I have the keys, Mistress?" Xena's hand descended to the table, picked up the keys, then very gingerly placed them in the bard's waiting hand. Gabrielle's facial expression was as impassive as the attractive warlord's when she knelt at Darvin's feet.
She efficiently removed the bindings, having been in the same position not too long ago, but for different reasons. There was a part of her that was thanking the Gods for Shasta and Rachis. She removed the chain that held the wrist manacles together, but left the manacles on. Then she caught Darvin's gaze with her own and told him to stand.
He was kind of wobbly. Terror has a way of sapping one's strength. Somehow he managed it though. Gabrielle gave him time to get used to standing without the weight of the shackles by turning her attention to Evania. The child's face was cleaner than she remembered, a little less salty looking. Gabrielle looked around and spotted the wet cloth and the pitcher, and realized that Xena had cleaned the child's face. She looked up at her warrior and smiled gently.
Xena spoke gruffly, "Evania knows why this is to happen," She turned and looked expressively at the little blonde, "don't you?" Xena directed her question to the child and the little one nodded. "She's going to be brave for her brother, but it's okay to cry, isn't it." Another little nod. Xena's heart was as nigh unto breaking as Gabrielle had ever seen it. That told the young woman, that the reasons behind her decision to have Evania watching had to be pretty serious.
Gabrielle extended her hand to the child, her countenance solemn. Evania silently slid off the chair and took it. Then Gabrielle looked over her shoulder and instructed Darvin, "Follow me."
She didn't look back.
When she stepped out of the tent she instructed Eponin to take the Evania's hand and accompany them. Eponin nodded and her warm calloused palm enclosed the small child's hand. Then Gabrielle turned to the guards and said, "You may go. You're services are not needed. *I* will be handling this." Colchak blinked in surprise. He'd expected Xena to carry out the punishment herself. He knew of her expertise with the whip. It was a shock to find out that she'd handed the responsibility to someone else, even if it were her personal slave.
Of course, the bullies were argumentative.
"What?! NO Way! That's our Job. A little thing like you, can't," one of them started vocalizing. His massive body inclined towards her as he was talking and he was reaching for her with one enormous hand, intending to stall her by physically overpowering her.
It is a fact that slaves and unarmed populations develop subtle ways of defense. Shasta taught her all that he knew. Before the big man could utter another disparaging argumentative word, before he could even blink, he was on the ground. Before he could even think of getting back up again, Gabrielle's booted foot was at the crook of his shoulder and his arm was displaced. Before he could even breath, his wrist was broken and the arm thrown down. Then his throat was covered by the same boot that did the other damage
"I AM NOT YOURS TO TOUCH!!" Her voice was a growl. "Do you understand?"
The other guard had a sudden change of heart and backed off. He was especially glad of that decision when he saw Xena step out of the tent, expression feral, sword in hand. He laughed nervously and held his hands up to show he wasn't armed.
The man under Gabrielle's foot, who'd inflicted pain on more people than he could count, nodded and groaned. He didn't suffer pain well and he was now in a lot of it. She removed her foot, grabbed his chest straps and then pulled him to a standing position. She yanked him down, her eyelids narrowed and he was faced with a hazel gaze that held a strange mix of anger and regret. "No One touches me without my permission. It makes me Angry and You do NOT want to see me Angry. Do you?" She practically spit the question. He shook his head. *He* was convinced. "Good." Her jaw was clenched as she said the word. "Now go and get that fixed. I don't want to see your face again." She pushed him away from her and he stumbled back. It caused him to groan.
He turned and saw Colchak, whose own face held a residual anger. He expected the warlord to go after the little slave, but instead Colchak turned on him. "What are you waiting for?" the warlord growled. "GO!" One thing was apparent to the wounded man at that moment, the rules had changed.
Colchak, signaled the other guard, "You too. Help your. .friend," he used the term loosely, "and get out of here!" The guard glanced warily at the slave, who gave him a menacing look, and then he practically ran.
Xena closed in behind the bard, sheathing her sword as she moved. The warlord laid a hand on the smaller woman's shoulder, "Are you all right?" She forgot for a moment that she was supposed to be the tough warlord and now was the concerned lover. The strawberry blonde nodded and trembled from the adrenaline rush. She was amazed at the difference she felt. Xena had come up from behind her and touched her, yet she'd felt no urge to slam the woman down on the ground. On the other hand, her reaction to the man had occurred before her mind could even plug in that she was injuring someone.
It scared her.
"Xena." She looked at the woman whose blue eyes now held concern, "I think I'm gonna have to talk about it later." Xena touched her cheek softly and nodded.
"We'll do that." the warlord promised, her voice as gentle as her hand. Gabrielle nodded and took a deep breath. Then she straightened her shoulders and turned from Xena's touch to look pointedly at Darvin. He was still there, waiting obediently. Xena's words in the tent had riveted him into a kind of heroic complacency. He might not want to go through the punishment, but there was no way he was going to let his sister deal with it (though now he didn't really believe that Xena would harm the child. She'd been amazingly gentle with her. .considering)
Xena looked at the young man and her expression returned to it's feral state at the same time. She withdrew her hand from the bard and let her nostrils flare with an inhalation. Her voice held the harshness of command, "Fine. Now Go DO what I told you to."
Gabrielle swallowed, "Yes, Mistress." Then she summoned the others and they left the warlords behind.
The walk to the punishing grounds from the command tent was long. It was meant to be that way. Usually when someone was to be punished, members of the camp would line up to taunt and berate the victim with crude comments. Punishments were meant to be a public spectacle. Not this time though. Without the chains and burly guards, the people walking the long walk, as it was called, weren't even really noticed (except for the oddity of a child). It wasn't until they arrived at the grounds themselves, that those individuals who'd been hanging around it's peripheral noticed that something was going on. A crowd gathered but it was smaller than usual.
Gabrielle guided Darvin until he was standing between two tall posts and under one large beam. "Take off your shirt," she ordered. Her hazel eyes were finally settled and she appeared composed. She watched evenly as trembling fingers undid buttons and he uncovered himself. The observers who were present noticed this deviation from the usual. Normally the victim's clothing were ripped off or even cut off. It started the soldiers and mercenaries talking. Now they wanted to know what was going on.
Gabrielle held her hand out and Darvin handed it to her. She summoned Eponin and led the Amazon and the child so they were facing Darvin's front. She knelt down a little so she could make eye contact with Evania. "Will you hold this for your brother? He won't be able to take care of it and he'll need you to do that. Can you?" Evania was trying to hold back the tears that threatened, but nodded. Gabrielle carefully put it in the crook of Evania's free arm. Then, she touched the child's face gently. "Remember what Xena said. It's okay to cry. You can still be brave and cry. Okay?"
A tear dribbled down the child's face and Gabrielle gently wiped it away. "I promise," Gabrielle said, "I will be as gentle as I can be. Understand?" There was a small sob and Evania bit her lip. Gabrielle stood up.
"Eponin, will you stay by her? Make sure she doesn't come between us," Gabrielle nodded meaningfully at Darvin, who was standing nervously between the posts. Eponin nodded earnestly. She tried to pour strength down the little girls hand. Her respect for the Queen was growing. Somehow she knew that Xena had ordered the child to watch. She figured it was the gentle hearted Queen's notion to have Evania stand in front instead of at the side or in back. The child would see, but wouldn't see *all.* It was a *hard* thing that Xena commanded, and somehow the Queen had managed to find a way to make it softer.
She wasn't the only one to notice that. There was shock that a child was present at a whipping. Men who were normally more hard hearted than a diamond were now stewing about uncomfortably. There were too many anomalies for them to be comfortable enough to conduct their normal jeering business. No bets were passed, because they didn't know the sentence. No squishy foods were distributed because no one had time to go get any. They watched with a communal bated breath.
With practiced hands, Gabrielle attached the bindings to the manacles. Then positioning his hips and legs, she made sure the man was grounded before turning the wheels that would force his arms above his head. She ignored the chains that were meant for his legs. She had no intention of lifting the man off of the ground. Finally, when she thought he was ready she stood before him. Their gazes connected solemnly.
She placed her right hand upon the center of his chest and offered a few suggestions in the form of commands, "Don't struggle. Cry out when it hurts. Let the tears roll and don't resist." She kept the eye contact and he could feel her matching her breath with his. His eyes grew heavy lidded and she offered this final word. "Remember to breathe and try to stay as relaxed as you can. I'll count it for you, understand?" He nodded, not sure how to take the information she was giving except literally. For some reason, the kindness in her eyes caused his body to feel relaxed even though he was in this terribly stressful situation. He didn't know what to make of it.
When she thought it was time, Gabrielle stepped away and behind the man. The crowd was getting bigger and Gabrielle didn't want to waste time. She didn't see the arrival of the warlords as they climbed to the announcement stage, she was so intent on what she was doing. The strawberry blonde felt a flutter of fear, but tamped down on it, deliberately bringing to mind Shasta's presence. She imagined him covering her body with his, as when he was teaching her. She kept her breath with Darvin's watching the movement of his ribcage from behind.
When *she* felt ready, Gabrielle nimbly released the whip from her side and let it roll open. It uncurled like a familiar snake and she reacquainted herself with its weight. It swung lazily with her hand, as if it had nothing else in the world to accomplish but be a limp piece of leather.
In a few moments, Gabrielle's eyes narrowed their focus and she took a deep breath. Then with a wide circular swing she suddenly counted, "ONE!" The sound felt like thunder, the crack was so loud. Darvin screamed his first with the fine red diagonal that appeared on the left side of his middle back. He didn't have time to scream much afterwards, for she worked quickly, counting to ten up his right shoulder. Then in a move that astounded the people watching, because it was so beautiful it was almost a dance, (and who would ever have thought something like that could be beautiful), she smoothly switched to her other arm while the whip was circling in the air. Then she counted ten more down from his left shoulder to the midpoint of his right side as Xena had commanded. When she finished, Gabrielle gracefully recoiled the whip and then she ran to release the young man. It was over so abruptly the crowd didn't have time to react.
She wasn't the only one who ran to Darvin. A sobbing, heartbroken Evania broke free from a startled Eponin, running to Darvin and wrapping her arms around his abdomen and hips. Gabrielle suddenly realized why Xena had forbidden the lower back. The girl cried out, "I'll never do it again. Never," even as Darvin tried to soothe the girl with gasped words.
"It's okay. I'm okay. It only hurts a little." That was more true than he expected. Oh it stung something fierce. It hurt more than he was saying, but he wasn't dead. The tension in his arms released as Eponin helped Gabrielle lower them. He felt kind of shaky, a little woozy. Gabrielle asked him if he could walk and he nodded his head, but because he wobbled a little she made an offer.
"Put your hand on my shoulder and walk with me." She looked down at Evania. "Evania, let go of him. Take his hand. He has to walk." She wasn't sure if the girl was registering what she said, but then the child backed off, his shirt still clutched in her arm, and she took his other free hand.
Gabrielle turned to Eponin. "Run to the infirmary. Tell them we're coming. I want the salves ready." Eponin nodded and hastened to do as her Queen commanded, her heart in her throat. Then an awed, strangely silent crowd watched as the three young people walked carefully, slowly away from the grounds. If there were tears on grizzled faces, no one commented.
Nisus, who'd joined the other warlords as soon as he heard of the commotion, turned to Xena. "You're never going to sell her are you?"
Xena turned to look at the man, her blue eyes dark with emotion and pride. "No," she said, her voice amazingly even. "I'll never let her go." Nisus gave up the last glimmer of a vain hope and turned to watch as the golden haired woman led the young man away.
Darvin glanced up at the stage, taking in the sight of the warlords. He barely acknowledged his father, but when he saw Xena he straightened his back (as much as he could) and offered a grateful, if wavering, smile. He intended to be the best soldier she ever had. He squeezed Gabrielle's shoulder which caused the woman to look at him. He nodded up to Xena, "She's something different isn't she? Better than them. She's worth something." Gabrielle looked up at her warrior and met her solemn blue gaze. Then she looked forward again, so she could watch where they were going.
"Yes, Darvin, she is." Gabrielle spokes softly, feeling the pressure of his hand on her shoulder, accepting the responsibility of her actions, "She's worth something."
The silence of the crowd was deafening as they exited the grounds. Xena turned to Colchak, her expression fierce. "You tell those thugs of yours," The warlord winced at that phrasing, "that your son took twenty and he walked away."
ŠAugust 1997