Chapter 13

"Xena look out!" Gabrielle cried out, sitting up immediately and snatching her weapons.

"Mama, Bri's having bad dreams," Tai said loudly, which caused Emery to start crying.

Gabrielle's eyes quickly adjusted to the predawn darkness. She shivered, not from the cool of the morning, but from the last vestiges of the nightmare that still clung to her awareness. Moving swiftly, she knelt down beside Tai.

"Ssh, Tai, your mama needs her sleep."

"Too late," Ella grinned, stepping in the light that the burning coals in the campfire made. The slender woman held Emery in her arms and sat down to feed the fussing baby.

"Mama, I'm hungry, too," Tai chimed in.

"There's still time to sleep, Tai, don't you want to snuggle down in the blankets for a little while longer?" Gabrielle asked.

"Uh uh," the youngster shook her head back and forth.

Ella laughed at Gabrielle's attempt. "We might as well start our day," Ella chuckled.

Gabrielle rose and placed another log on the fire, watching as the dry wood caught spark and threw flames into the air, pushing back the darkness from around their small camp. They enjoyed a breakfast of fruit and cheese, Gabrielle helping Tai, while Ella fed the baby, Emery. By the time the sky had lightened to a pale gray, the small band was on their way.

"That same dream again?" Ella asked Gabrielle as the blonde road beside the wagon.

Gabrielle shook her head, turning to look at the dark-haired woman. "It was different this time. It was…I dreamed of Xena. This is the first time I haven't had that same nightmare I told you about."

"How was it different?" Ella asked.

Xe was in trouble," Gabrielle stated, flatly.

They rode along in relative silence, Tai's occasional chatter the only thing interrupting the quiet. Even the youngster eventually noticed the strained look on the blonde Amazon's face. Tai fell still, seated beside her mother on the slow moving wagon. Ella watched the young woman out of the corner of her eye, realizing it would be up to her to persuade the Amazon to open up her thoughts.

"It would help if you talked about it," Ella said at last.

"Hmph," Gabrielle snorted.

Seeing the slightly wounded look on Ella's face, the young Queen immediately regretted her callous action. She thought back to the time when a young blonde bard, hopelessly infatuated with the tall dark warrior she traveled with, experienced the same thing. Gabrielle remembered the hurt she suffered every time Xena, unwittingly, remained distant…keeping to herself, acting as if Gabrielle weren't even there. The young woman mustered up a small smile and offered it to Ella in apology.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to disregard you that way," Gabrielle added to the smile.

"I understand, Gabrielle. It's not in a warrior's nature to open up."

Gabrielle offered a bittersweet smile. "I'm not really a warrior, not a true one anyway."

"I suppose we always see ourselves differently than others view us," Ella responded. "Tell me what you're thinking so hard about today."

"What you said I should be thinking hard about," Gabrielle answered. "I've been trying to sort things out in my mind, you know, wondering why they make so much sense one minute and the same thoughts seem absolutely ludicrous the next. I dreamed of Xena," she added softly. "It looked like she was in trouble. I saw a large black panther stalking her…the rest was just bits here and there. It was different, though. Now, suddenly, part of me still thinks I'm doing the right thing, but then there's a very small part that wonders what in the known world I'm doing."

"Well, that's good, right?" Ella questioned.

"I'm not so sure. Ella, I've set myself on a path. I can't let a few doubts and insecurities steer me off course."

"Gabrielle, you talk about yourself as though you were a ship in the middle of a wild sea. You're a human being, filled with thought and emotions, many of them unpredictable and uncontrollable. You can't simply say, ‘I will be a certain way' and then expect it to miraculously be that way."

"That's exactly what I expect, Ella. My friend," Gabrielle softened her voice to explain. "A warrior can't afford to get caught up in feeling things. If I'm in the middle of a fight and I allow my emotions, my feelings, to get the better of me…I could get myself killed. What's worse, I could get someone around me killed."

"What are you smiling at?" Gabrielle asked.

"You," Ella kept her eyes straight ahead. "For a woman who keeps telling everyone that she's not a warrior, you sure do enjoy talking about what a warrior should be."

"I--" Gabrielle began, opening her mouth to speak. Knowing she was beat, the Queen simply closed her mouth again and turned her head, but not before she grinned affectionately at her friend.

**********

"What is this?" Hera screamed at the dark-skinned man. "I was told you were a mystic who had abilities to rival a God. God of what? Stupidity?!

"Forgive me, my Queen, but--"

"Quiet!" Hera shouted as she paced one of the spacious rooms in the castle on Olympus. "You let Xena slip through your grasp and now you're losing her Amazon slut."

"I wouldn't exactly say, losing her," Ortolan said.

"Oh, no? Well, Mighty Mystic of Stupidity, what would you say? She's starting to think her own thoughts."

"Well, she is a Queen with considerable strengths and a strong will…argh--"

Immediately Ortolan dropped to his knees, fighting for breath. Hera sat down on a marble chair that appeared very throne-like. Ortolan gasped for air as an unseen force closed around his throat, crushing his windpipe. Hera smiled her most evil smile as the mystic finally realized it was the Goddess who was slowly squeezing the life from him.

"I am a Queen with considerable strength and it is my will alone that can either save you or crush you."

Ortolan nodded, groveling along the tile on his belly, clawing at the smooth floor. He nodded again.

Hera waved her hand distractedly and the only sounds in the chamber were the loud gasps of breath taken by the mystic, while the Goddess appeared lost in thought. She rose and quickly made her way from the room, pausing in front of the open doorway with her back to the dark-skinned man.

"Ortolan, are we clear on who is the Queen and who is the whore? Hmmm?"

"Quite, my Queen." The mystic rose, massaging his throat with a large hand. "I will not fail you."

Hera laughed then, the harsh and unforgiving sound echoing off the high columned walls. "If you do, Ortolan, I'll not simply put you back in the pits of Tartarus myself. I'll tie a rope around your neck and you'll spend eternity as an anchor for Charon's boat."

The Goddess' cold laughter filtered back to the mystic as he watched her walk briskly from the room. The fear the Olympic Queen could instill, even in a heartless soul such as Ortolan's, caused his nonexistent blood to chill.

**********

They stopped in a quiet looking meadow for a short rest. The food Gabrielle purchased in Pella was running low and they would need to buy some more supplies in the next town. The small blonde began to feel guilty over the way she'd treated Ella and Tai during the morning. Baby Emery was oblivious, and as she held the child while Ella and Tai washed up, Gabrielle was taken back at what the unconditional love of a child felt like. Emery smiled and giggled as the blonde played peek-a-boo and kissed the baby's belly.

"She likes you, Bri. Doesn't she mama?"

Tai and Ella slipped up without Gabrielle noticing and the Queen blushed in embarrassment at being caught in the child-play.

Ella smiled and nodded to her daughter.

"We all like you, Bri." Tai smiled, but Gabrielle could see the tiny reservation in the girl's eyes.

Gods, I bet this is how Xena used to feel when she would snap at me. I'd still be nice to her and she would feel like a complete jerk.

Gabrielle remembered the small sack of treats she purchased in Pella and quickly rose, returning to sit beside the small girl again.

"I was kind of a grump this morning, huh?" Gabrielle said to the child who now smiled brightly.

"But not anymore. Right?" Tai asked, hopefully.

"No, not anymore. How could I be in a bad mood with a cutie like you around?" Gabrielle reached over and scooped the small child in her arms; tickling the youngster until the girl laughed so hard, she couldn't breathe.

Gabrielle released the child and reached into the small sack. She pulled out a handful of soft candies, a chewy sweet treat made from the dark molasses that grew in the Greek Islands.

"Are your hands clean?"

Tai nodded enthusiastically, straining her neck to see what the Queen was going to pull out of the small bag.

"Hold out your hands," Gabrielle instructed.

A heartbeat later, the youngster held out both hands. Gabrielle pushed the hands together and placed a number of the treats in the girl's cupped hands. The look of surprise on Tai's face was something that Gabrielle swore she would never forget.

"All for me?" she asked softly.

"Yes, sweetheart, all for you. I'm sorry I was such a bear this morning," Gabrielle answered.

"Thank you, Bri," Tai threw her arms around the Queen's neck, both tiny hands clutching the sticky candy. Running to her mother's side, Tai held out her treasures. "Here, mama, want one?"

"No, sweetie, those are just for you," Ella chuckled, looking at the soft candies being mashed in her daughter's hands.

Tai retrieved her wooden sword and fought with her imaginary foes in the high grass a short distance away. Gabrielle sat down next to Ella as the dark-haired woman fed Emery.

"She's such a good baby. I hardly ever hear her cry or fuss," Gabrielle commented.

"I've been lucky, Tai was the same way." Ella paused, formulating the words in her head. "Thank you, Gabrielle. It hurts so much not to be able to do little things like that for my daughter." Tears flowed down the dark-haired woman's face.

"Oh, Ella," Gabrielle put an arm around her new friend and let her cry for a long while. "It will get better, I know it will. Just don't give up hope, all right? Tai and Emery both need you to keep that. Besides, I feel your future is going to get better starting right now."

"You do, eh?"

"Yep." Gabrielle answered and held open the sack she still had in her possession.

Ella leaned over and peered into the bag. "Oh, honeyed dates!" She looked up into the smiling blonde's face. "I haven't had these in such a long time."

"Well hand over that little bundle asleep in your arms and I'll trade you," Gabrielle held out the sack.

"You are too much, my friend…simply too much!"

**********

The old woman watched them from the side of the dirt road. Antira wasn't a big town, but the village was on one of the alternate roads into Abdera, therefore strangers were always plentiful. This small party caught her eye, even among the throng of people the festival attracted. She thought about the advantages to being old. People passed her on the side of the road without a second glance. She was as invisible as the air to them, yet she was thankful for that fact today. She was getting rather hungry, however, but the wooden bowl she held out to the men and women who passed her by was still empty.

She silently watched as the women uneasily wended their way through the crowds of people. Observation, that was the key. The people, who branded her as a witch, and more, never knew the half of it. She learned more about people from simply watching them, than she could ever learn from the bottom of a tea mug.

The dark-haired woman was slender, yet held the reins of the wagon as though she'd worked behind a farm team all her life. A bright young soul bounced on the seat next to her, one moment wide-eyed at the sights and sounds around her, the next moment, the youngster was sliding closer to the woman. Fear wasn't something children had by nature, and so the woman shook her head at the reasons why a child of this age would fear strangers.

The one on the horse was intriguing. Her eyes, bright and intelligent, never stopped moving, even when she turned her head and spoke to the child, saying something that made the youngster laugh. Even then, the small blonde's eyes searched the crowds, always aware of what was happening around her. She rode upon a massive warhorse, snow white, the animal watching the strangers around him with as much unease as his mistress. The young woman's leathers couldn't hide the way the muscles in her neck and shoulders bunched and tensed among the people.

The small warrior kept her mount positioned rather protectively alongside the wagon. It became clear as to why when the wagon stopped at the end of the row of open market tents. The warrior tied her horse off to the wagon and dismounted, opening her arms just in time to capture the laughing girl from the wagon. The dark-haired woman reached into a well cushioned spot directly behind her seat and scooped up a small baby.

The old woman continued to beg at the side of the road, waiting for her opportunity.

**********

"What do you think?" Ella asked Gabrielle nervously.

"Well, I certainly didn't anticipate this many people. It must be some kind of local summer festival. How about I simply replenish our supplies while you wait here? It's just too many people for my liking," Gabrielle responded.

Ella nodded her head and Gabrielle strolled off. Both women were unaware of the eyes that followed them. The small blonde finished the task rather quickly, amazing herself. Gabrielle usually loved to shop, strolling through the vendor's tents, haggling over the price of tomatoes. Now, all she could think about was getting what she needed, so they could be on their way as quickly as possible. The sheer number of celebrating citizens put her nerves on edge.

Gabrielle made her way back to the wagon, running into two soldiers talking to Ella. The blonde noticed the insignia on their armor was from the Athenian garrison. They were a long way from their own territory and from the way one of them was listing to port, they'd been drinking for a while. She took in the nervous glances Ella threw at them, then the one of relief when the dark-haired woman saw Gabrielle approach.

Gabrielle put on the mask she reserved for occasions like this. She placed her sacks in the back of the wagon and called to Tai. The youngster ran from her mother's skirts into the blonde's arms, Gabrielle lifting the child into the back of the wagon.

"Ella, get in the wagon," Gabrielle said in a tight voice, paying no heed to the soldiers.

Both men turned drunken eyes to the small blonde. Ella took that opportunity to quickly climb into the wagon, turning to assure herself that Tai and Emery were both safe. Gabrielle knew the soldiers wouldn't start anything major with this many people around, but drunken men are unpredictable.

"Hey, who in Hades do you think you are?" The largest man slurred.

He made the monumental mistake of grabbing Gabrielle's arm, pulling her around to face him. The small woman's eyes burned emerald fire, even as her voice was devoid of emotion.

"If you don't get your hand off of me, I'll slice it off."

The vehemence in the young woman's glare was enough to cause the second man to back up a step. It was obvious he was a little more sober than his friend.

"You little--"

"Come on, mate, can't you see how it is?" the second man said.

Gabrielle knew he was thinking that she and Ella were lovers, but in this particular instance, she wasn't in a hurry to dispel the notion. The drunken man allowed himself to be led away by his friend, but Gabrielle watched as they met up with two other men in front of the tavern. They walked into the establishment, laughing and throwing some curious glances in Gabrielle's direction.

"Well, that wasn't very pleasant," Gabrielle gave a weak smile to her friend.

"Gods, you scared even me. Do you think they're gone for good?" Ella questioned.

"We can only hope so. I think we ought to move on, though, just in case they decide to come back. Sometimes, drink can make a man brave, or at the very least make him do something stupid."

The two women steered their way to the edge of town, allowing them to take an easy breath as the festival revelers thinned considerably. Gabrielle walked beside the slow moving wagon, leading Lightning along behind her. She felt more relaxed now that there weren't as many people to watch. Again, the thought of Xena popped into her head. This must be why Xena hates crowds. She's almost claustrophobic, but now I can relate. I always depended on her abilities to keep us out of harm's way. It's a completely different story when it all falls on your shoulders.

A slight commotion on the side of the small road instantly brought the Queen out of her thoughts and into the present. A man, obviously in a hurry to reach the center of town, rushed by an old woman begging at the edge of the dirt road. He knocked a small bowl from her hands and hurried on his way, never looking back to the frail looking woman, sprawled in the dirt. Gabrielle let loose of Lightning's reins and rushed over to the old woman, helping her get to stand.

"Why aren't you the kind soul," the old woman smiled at Gabrielle.

"Are you all right?"

"Oh, I may be old, but my bones aren't brittle yet. I just don't bounce as well as I did in my younger days." The old woman offered her most endearing smile to the small blonde. "I think I'm just a little weak…I haven't eaten anything today." The woman watched a pain flash across the young woman's green eyes. Yes…she's the one.

"Come with us, we were just going to stop for a meal and we have plenty," Gabrielle offered, leading the woman over to the wagon.

**********

Ella offered the old woman a seat next to her in the wagon and Gabrielle provided some fruit and cheese, along with a slice of flat bread. They ate as they traveled, just enough to appease their growling stomachs. They wanted to put a bit of distance between themselves and the previous town. Neither Ella nor Gabrielle spoke of it, but each woman had experienced a curious feeling of foreboding while in the small village. They were more than happy to put off their midday meal until farther away.

After a few candlemarks of travel, the party stopped in a quiet area of the forest. They shared all they had with the old woman.

"What's your name, my friend?" Gabrielle asked as they sat under the shade provided by the large olive trees.

"Oh my, I've been called so many things and for so long…do you know it's been so long since someone asked, I'm not sure I remember what it is in my own language, but you would pronounce it, Bedilia."

"You're not from Greece?" Ella asked.

"Heavens no, but I've been here for so long now that I've come to think of it as home."

"How long is that?" Gabrielle asked the indelicate question before she realized it.

"Before time began my dear, before time began," Bedilia answered.

Gabrielle looked at Ella and the dark-haired woman hid a smile behind her hand. The young Queen rolled her eyes a bit, as they humored Bedilia and listened attentively to story after story the old woman told.

Bedilia finished a tale and leaned back, her eyes showing no signs of the age her body did. "So, my dear, I've been telling tales for quite a while now," Bedilia said to Gabrielle, "but we have yet to hear you grace us with a story."

Gabrielle looked up in surprise, the smile gone from her face. "I'm not much of a storyteller," she mumbled.

"Hmm, I find that odd. The air around you fairly screams of your talents in that direction."

"You're a seer, is that it?" Ella tried to make light of the old woman's questions, knowing Gabrielle wanted no one to know she was a bard.

"I admit, I charge a small price for what I see," Bedilia admitted.

"Ahh, a fortune teller, then," Gabrielle replied with a worried smile. The small blonde was hesitant now. The few times she had run into so called fortune tellers, they had an uncanny knack of predicting something catastrophic in her life.

"I see you are a doubter." The old woman smiled at Gabrielle. Bedilia knew that the blonde's manner came from belief in the powers of a seer, not disbelief.

"Nooo," Gabrielle drawled thoughtfully. "I just feel like we have to make our own future." Even as Gabrielle said the words, the Queen thought she sounded a lot like her wife.

"Perhaps you, little one," Bedilia pulled Tai into her lap and the normally shy girl smiled up at her. The old woman took the girl's hands in her own and then Bedilia smiled. "We have a great warrior in our midst. Tai will grow up to be a Champion to a Queen."

Gabrielle arched an eyebrow.

"And Ella?" Bedilia asked, holding out her hand.

It was obvious that the dark-haired woman had reservations about relinquishing her hands, but her curiosity appeared to override any other concern. Bedilia took the offered hands and paused, her brow creasing. She took in a deep breath, releasing it slowly.

"It's difficult to start anew, isn't it?" Bedilia asked.

Ella quickly looked up at Gabrielle, pulling her hand from the old woman's grasp. The slender woman laughed nervously, her hand going to her throat. "I'm sure I don't know what you mean," she responded.

Bedilia smiled, one of those charming smiles that elderly women us with young children. "Well, my dear, I suppose that's why you should listen to the young warrior here," Bedilia indicated Gabrielle. "Perhaps it's not a good idea to put too much belief in a fortune teller."

"I'm not a warrior," Gabrielle said automatically.

Bedilia turned to the small blonde. "Now for you, my cynical young friend," she said, extending her hands. "Don't tell me you're afraid?"

"The truth doesn't scare me," The Queen responded.

"Then you have nothing to be frightened of, do you?"

Gabrielle felt the old woman was challenging her, but she suddenly laughed to herself. Why in the known world should I be afraid of anything this sweet, crazy old woman could tell me?

"Very well," Gabrielle replied with a smug grin. She moved to kneel in front of the old woman, presenting both her hands, palm up. "Give me your best shot."

Bedilia smiled and wrapped her hands around those of the young woman before her. In an instant, the old woman's head was filled with visions of the probable and the impossible. A soul, whose existence spanned nearly as much time in this world as the old woman's, cried out. Many pasts and futures spun their web before her mind's eye, yet all along, she saw the other. There was never one without the other, through the good and the bad, the trying and the terrible.

Then there was the intervention.

Bedilia saw it finally, so well hidden that even the Gods themselves would not have spied it out. There, like a tiny kernel, it was planted. It started small and spread quickly, but its hold was growing tenuous for no apparent reason.

Gabrielle lost her smug smile as soon as the old woman took hold of her hands. The small blonde became nearly frantic as she felt Bedilia taking hold of her mind as well. The Queen tried to pull away, but found herself caught in a strong grip, much stronger than the old woman's frail appearance indicated the grasp should be. At last, her ears heard the old woman's voice, yet Gabrielle was uncertain whether the sound was real or in her head.

"You must rejoin her, Gabrielle. The very fabric of all that exists will be changed if you do not."

Finally, the woman released the Queen and Gabrielle fell backward from the force of trying to pull her hands free.

"Are you all right, dear?" the old woman asked.

"What…what did you say? What did she say?" Gabrielle looked at Ella.

"Nothing, Gabrielle, she said nothing," the dark-haired woman responded.

"It works that way sometime," Bedilia straightened herself and then laughed at the serious look on the faces of those around her. "I told you, you shouldn't put too much stock in these things," she commented offhandedly. After all, my ability to tell the future is simply a matter of observation…good guesses."

The old woman smiled and it was so genuine that Gabrielle and Ella both believed her. Gabrielle chuckled softly, realizing that it probably was simple observation. Calling Tai a future warrior, well, that wouldn't be difficult considering the wooden sword the girl carried with her. Then there was Ella. I do suppose seeing a woman traveling alone…with two children…it would be natural to think her a widow, someone starting out to being her life fresh. Yes, that it.

They made their way back to the wagon to travel a little longer before nightfall. Bedilia led the way, hand in hand with Tai. Suddenly, Ella pulled at Gabrielle's elbow, slowing the pair down.

"Gabrielle, do you believe her? What she said about it all being a trick?"

"Sure…don't you?"

"No."

Gabrielle looked ahead to watch Tai and Bedilia stroll along, and then faced Ella. "Why would you think that?" she asked with concern.

"Because," Ella glanced ahead to the old woman and her daughter once more, "we never told her our names, Gabrielle."

Continued

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