Chapter
8
"Let's
wait just a little longer, okay?" Gabrielle asked the two Healers.
"Sure,
we have some time." Adia responded.
The
tall woman proceeded to set up the rest of the items she might need, exchanging a
concerned glance with her wife. Sartori took the boiling teakettle from the fire to refill
it again. The water boiled away twice already, but still Gabrielle wanted to wait, hoping
Xena would appear.
The
young Queen stood with her back to the two Healers, her arms folded across her chest,
looking out the large window. Gabrielle would have to go ahead with this, but she so
wished Xena would change her mind and return. She knew she didn't deserve her wife's
understanding, but it didn't stop her from wanting it, needing it. Gabrielle held nothing
against her warrior. The Queen thought she would be acting in much the same manner if
their roles were reversed. She wondered if it were herself out there, seething over her
wife's refusal to share the truth with her, if she would stubbornly hold onto her anger,
or if she would come back to support her wife. She couldn't answer the hypothetical
question, even to herself. She had no idea what she would do in a similar situation.
Oh,
Xe, I know I don't deserve your help or your compassion, but I dearly would love both
right about now. Even if this helps, I'm just prolonging the inevitable aren't I? There's
only one way you'll be able to forgive me
that's if you forget me. I can put it off
for a little longer, though, can't I? I just have to make sure that you don't find
out
just a little more time
**********
Once
Xena was outside all she wanted to do was get away; from the anger and the hurt, so she
ran. She ran through the woods until her lungs burned with the same fire that she felt in
the muscles in her legs. She felt the strength leave her body and she leaned back against
an old tree, sliding along its length until she was seated at its base.
She
cried out and slammed both fists into the ground at once. Why couldn't Gabrielle tell her?
What could her wife be experiencing that could be so terrible? More importantly, why
can't I deal with it?
Xena
froze, listening intently to the slight sound of the branches high above her, creak under
someone's weight. The warrior wasn't in the mood for games or enemies tonight.
"Whoever
you are and whatever you're up to, you'd better make yourself known pretty quick, unless
you want to find out what a really bad mood I'm in!"
It
took only heartbeats for a length of braided horsehair rope to drop from the branches, a
tall, slim figure following the rope to stand at Xena's feet.
"Ep!
What in Hades are you trying to do, get yourself killed?" Xena hissed.
"Hey,
I was here first," the Amazon countered. She dropped down beside her friend and
pulled up a few blades of grass, tossing them into the breeze. "I was going to say
something when I first saw you, but then, well, I heard you yell and
well, by then I
figured it might embarrass one or both of us if I said anything."
"It's
okay," Xena responded tiredly.
"Um,
look Xena, a bunch of us are going into the mountains hunting. We should be gone about a
fortnight."
"A
little early for it," Xena instantly replied. A dozen or so warriors and students
gathered twice a season to hunt for the village. It was late summer now, but the deer
didn't usually fill the forests until early fall.
"Yea,
well, we heard there was a big herd of elk running in the high mountains. I thought it
might be the perfect opportunity to bring along some of the younger hunter and tracker
wannabes."
"Ah,"
Xena responded.
"I
was thinking
actually wondering
why don't you come with us, Xena."
"I
can't leave Gabrielle, Ep, not right now, anyway."
"I
just wondered if maybe some time apart
well, if it wouldn't
you know, help each
of you get a different perspective on things. Shit, I know I'm not putting this well at
all, but--"
"Ep,"
Xena placed a hand on the Amazon's arm, quieting her. "It's okay
and I do
understand, but I just can't leave Gabrielle alone right now."
"Okay,
just thought I'd offer, ya know. If you change your mind, we're not leaving till morning,
after the hunters get the Queen's blessing."
"If
anything changes, I'll let you know," Xena replied.
The
two warrior's exchanged farewells and Eponin jogged off in the opposite direction. Xena
sat still, waiting for some sort of enlightenment to come to her. She was ashamed that
she'd run from the situation. Gods, she and Gabrielle's roles were reversing more and more
lately.
The
warrior thought about why she was so angry with Gabrielle for not confiding in her. There
was fear, yes, but something more
helplessness. Xena was a woman of actions, not
words, or emotions. When Gabrielle needed help, Xena was always there. Now, Gabrielle was
telling her that she didn't need the warrior's help, that she could work it out on her
own. Xena winced internally at the number of times she did that very thing, not allowing
Gabrielle to help the warrior heal.
Why
is this so important? If she needs to get a handle on this herself, why should I be angry
about it? Why am I taking it so personally, when I've done the very same thing to her?
Control.
The
answer simply popped into her brain and she recognized it immediately as the truth. Xena's
whole life was about control, more importantly, getting back the control she'd lost. It
wasn't merely a warrior thing; it was something in Xena. Yes, admittedly, Xena chose a
warrior's path, not simply out of necessity, but because it was something, she was born to
do. Her natural abilities and strengths all but foretold that it would be the path she was
destined to choose. Ever since that day when Cortese attacked her village, she'd been
fighting to get it back. The things that were ripped from her on that day
she'd been
raped, her brother murdered, her mother's love lost
all things that put a
subconscious message inside of her head. The message was a need really; a need that said,
if she could control, a situation, she would never have to depend on anyone else again.
Gabrielle
refusing to allow Xena to be a part of the Queen's healing process, removed that control
from Xena's hands, thus creating the feelings of helplessness and anger she was now
experiencing. The warrior looked at her wrists, remembering the claustrophobic fear that
encompassed her when she realized that Gabrielle had actually removed the warrior's
control in their bed.
That's
what it's all about for me, isn't it? Controlling any situation. My grief at losing
Brianna
it hurt a hundred times more because I didn't have control of the situation.
So, now that I know what my major malfunction is, how do I overcome it? Even more, what do
I do if I never can?
Xena's
thoughts turned logically to Gabrielle, once more. If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't be
able to let go as much as I do. Okay, I admit, I had an inkling of what giving up some of
that control was like before I met Brie, but if compassion is something that grows like a
plant, then the seed was sown the day I saved that baby from its death. Gabrielle's been
the one to nurture this wild rose, though. I can't give up on her now. How many times has
she stuck by me, never knowing the whole story? If part of loving you, Brie, means letting
you keep some things to yourself, then I'll just have to find a way to live with that.
Xena
was constantly amazed. For all the times she felt the Fate's hand treated her unkindly, if
not cruelly, she still felt blessed at the path she was allowed to travel, which led her
to Gabrielle. Through it all
through life and death, and even their most recent,
heartbreaking turn of events, Xena swore she wouldn't change a thing about her often times
painful life, if by changing one small thing, it would have caused her to stray from the
path on which she met her bard.
"Thank
you," Xena whispered aloud. It was the second time the warrior thanked the Fates.
This time, her thanks would not go unnoticed.
**********
Lachesis
still held the bright thread between her fingers. She didn't understand the power that
could reverse the will of the Fates. What was odder still was the fact that the mortal
child's life had ended; yet still the thread glowed brightly, just as brilliantly as the
mother's, who came before.
Lachesis
heard the warrior's thanks, and the thought echoed softly throughout the hall.
"Yes,
I hear your thoughts, sister," Atropos paused her busy work to turn her head, shears
still poised above a twisting network of threads. "A debt still hasn't been paid and
we find we owe another."
"For
such repayment, the gift should be suitable," Lachesis replied. She was overjoyed her
sister felt the same way. It became increasingly difficult to hide the fact that she
wished to bestow a gift upon the warrior and her Queen.
"I
know what the gift should be," Clotho added with uncharacteristic enthusiasm.
"Impossible!"
Atropos said immediately.
The
other two sisters looked at one another. They would be able to sway their sister, and
before the thought was complete, Atropos nodded her head in agreement.
"We
should wait for our sister, however. She deals well with the Gods. It should come from her
lips."
"But,
we haven't the time," Clotho said. "Besides, she cares little for mortals or
Gods any longer, what if she refuses to aid us?"
"I
will go," Lachesis said with an air of finality. She rose, even as the other two
nodded their heads in agreement. Lachesis swept through the Hall of the Fates, leaving her
balls of threads on the stool where she was sitting.
It
was mere moments, simple fragments of time, before Lachesis stood in the chambers of the
God of the Underworld.
"It
must be a matter of great importance for you to be separated from your sisters,"
Hades commented.
"We
would ask a boon of you," Lachesis stated simply.
"The
Fates asking blessings and favors of the Gods? That's rather new. And what would you have,
if I were able to grant it?"
Lachesis
explained. For the first time the sisters were in disagreement. She could hear Atropos
arguing in her head. The God would only be persuaded if he was told the truth of what
happened, but Atropos was against telling. She argued that the universe would become
chaotic if the Olympian Gods were to discover that someone, somewhere developed a power
strong enough to defeat the will of the Fates.
Lachesis
weighed her sister's argument, but also realized that if the God granted their request,
the time must be now. She explained all to the quiet and thoughtful God. When she was
finished with her tale, he sat down and brought his hands together until only the very
tips of his fingers were touching.
"It
appears that we both have a chance to repay a debt
"
**********
Gabrielle
turned toward the women in the center of the room. "We might as well begin," she
said with a heavy voice.
Just
then the door opened wide and Xena's tall frame filled the doorway. "Sorry I'm
late," she said to Adia and Sartori. The warrior walked to where Gabrielle stood and
tenderly touched the back of her hand to the Queen's cheek.
"No
matter what," the tall woman said softly as Gabrielle put her arms around the
warrior's waist.
Adia
quickly prepared the tea for Gabrielle and as she drank, the four women discussed the
nuances of the dreamscape. They spoke in much the same way that Adia explained things
seasons ago, when they first entered the realm of unconscious reality.
Gabrielle
settled herself in Xena's arms, on the cushioned loveseat, while Adia chose to remain
seated on the floor. The Healer's preferred spot for dreamscape healing was sitting,
cross-legged, her back firmly against the wall. Adia smiled at Sartori, sitting on a
wooden chair beside the tall Healer, reaching her hand out to touch her wife. Adia didn't
reveal the fact to many, but when she used her gift and entered another's dreamscape,
there was always the very real chance that she would be trapped or even killed there.
Sartori knew the risks as well as her mate, but she couldn't ask the woman to be less than
she was.
Adia
watched as Xena brushed Gabrielle's bangs from her forehead, gently kissing the young
woman's head. The Healer would actually have preferred that Xena not be present for the
healing. The more Adia thought about it, the more she was convinced that the Queen and her
Consort had more than just a loving bond between them. Their relationship seemed to exist
on a number of levels, considering their ability to join one another in the dreamscape,
fueled on mere thought and desire alone.
Many
times, Adia wished she had the nerve to tell her friends that the times they entered the
dreamscape on their first anniversary, over the Summer Solstice, they did so without the
aid of herbs. What she gave them was no more than a placebo, a harmless herbal sleeping
concoction. The Healer was quite amazed that day when Gabrielle thanked Adia endlessly for
her help. Now, she was thankful that Gabrielle was more relaxed with Xena near her, but a
small part of the Healer feared what would happen if Xena saw the nightmares, that
Gabrielle seemed so desperate to keep from the warrior.
"Remember,
Gabrielle, if any part of the dreamscape appeals to you, in any way, you won't be able to
stop it, nor will I be able to change it. I'm going to leave you with two thoughts before
you sleep," Adia told the sleepy young woman. "First, I want you to believe that
we can change your dreamscape, no matter how you feel. Second, I'm going to give you the
power to end the dreamscape at any time, by simply asking for my help. The moment you use
the words, help me,' you'll awake. Do you understand, Gabrielle?"
Gabrielle
struggled to open her eyes, grown weary with fatigue. Her tongue felt uncooperative so she
merely nodded her head before falling into a heavy sleep.
"Remember,
Xena
Tori, under no circumstances are you to wake me or Gabrielle from the
dreamscape. If it doesn't end of its own accord or by her own will, using the phrase I
gave her, there's no telling how long I could be trapped there. Okay?"
Xena
nodded, settling Gabrielle against her chest and wrapping her arms around the small
figure.
Adia
smiled one last time at her own wife, as the Healer adjusted her back against the wall,
and closed her eyes. Adia had performed this routine so many times, it took only a dozen
heartbeats for her to fall into her meditation, and slide into the young Queen's
dreamscape.
**********
Adia
paused to catch her breath, moving quickly after Gabrielle once more. She wasn't sure she
could even consider the woman she'd been fighting for candlemarks now, her friend
Gabrielle. If we all had a personage that was our complete opposite, then that's who the
Healer had been battling.
Adia
spent the entire dreamscape on the run after Gabrielle. It started on the steps of the
Temple of Artemis. Gabrielle had a baby in her arms and the Healer didn't have to think
very hard to guess who the child was. Once the bard was inside the Temple, she set the
child down and turned around, prepared to fight the taller woman. Adia did all she could
in trying to reason with Gabrielle, but the small blonde never spoke a word. She disarmed
the Healer easily; armed with the sais that Adia gave her. Gabrielle scooped up the child
and took off through the Temple.
Adia
had never seen the underground tunnels beneath the Temple. There were rumors, of course,
but she was even more amazed at the fact that Gabrielle knew her way. The Queen traveled
along the passages, and then just when Adia would catch up to her, the young Queen would
pause to confront the Healer. These continual encounters usually ended up with Adia flat on her
back as Gabrielle picked up the child and ran off again.
Adia
skidded to a halt as the passageway opened into a large circular room. Located in the
center of the room was an altar, where the baby lay on top of the stone altar, quiet yet
moving its arms and legs. Amazon warriors circled the perimeter of the room, their gazes
fixed upon a hooded figure in a red silk robe. The individual hovered over the child and
looked up as the Healer came into view. The hood was pushed back, revealing Gabrielle's
face, the Queen looked at Adia with eyes that were colorless and devoid of any emotion.
The Healer slowly walked toward the Queen, all the while speaking as if this apparition
truly was Gabrielle. The robed version of Gabrielle opened her mouth to speak, but all
eyes in the room were suddenly drawn to the main entrance.
"Oh
Gods!" Adia exclaimed under her breath.
Gabrielle
took one look as Xena appeared in the doorway and nodded her head in the direction of the
Amazon warriors. This was Gabrielle's dreamscape, after all, so it shouldn't have
surprised Adia or Xena how quickly the Amazons moved. One moment Gabrielle's guards stood
there, silent and unmoving, the next moment they pinned the two women to the wall as if
they were rag dolls.
"Xena,
what have you done?!" Adia shouted at the warrior.
"I
didn't mean to
I don't know what happened," Xena turned a confused face to the
Healer.
Gabrielle
never seemed to be aware of the two intruders, with the exception of ordering their
bondage. She moved around the altar as if making preparations. Finally, pulling the
blanket away from the infant, Gabrielle opened a wooden box that sat beside the altar.
When the young Queen revealed the contents of the box, Adia was the first to catch on. By
the time the small blonde held up the gleaming dagger, Xena's eyes grew wide.
"Gabrielle!"
Xena cried out.
The
hooded figure looked up and Gabrielle's lifeless eyes stared at the warrior as Xena cried
out the young woman's name, begging and pleading for her to stop. Suddenly, Gabrielle's
brow came together and her face softened, color flowing back into the green eyes. The
Queen looked around the room as if realizing where she was for the first time. Adia
realized that the apparition had indeed transformed into the real Gabrielle.The Queen's
gaze dropped down to her baby, lying on the stone altar, then at the blade in her hand. As
quickly as she gained comprehension, her expression turned into one of fear. The Queen's
body trembled as her arms fought against a course of action that could not be stopped.
Xena
and Adia both screamed now, their voices hoarse with the effort.
Gabrielle
raised the blade until it was directly over her child's heart, tears streaming down her
own face. She looked up one last time to the two strangers in her dreamscape and whispered
the words her unconscious mind held onto, in order to ease the pain.
"Help
me
" she begged in a strained voice.
It
was apparent that Gabrielle was unable to control her body as some unseen force controlled
her actions. Gabrielle could only continue to scream out the words over and over again,
praying for an end to the torture.
"Why
isn't it ending?" Xena shouted through her tears, unable to look away from what she
knew her wife was about to do. The warrior struggled in vain against her captors.
"Why can't we help her?"
"I
don't know
I don't understand
" Adia said, watching horror stricken as
Gabrielle's arms came down.
"Brie
no
"Xena
said in barely a whisper, as her strength left her.
"Help
Meeee!" Gabrielle screamed as the blade came down and settled into the infant's
chest.
**********
Sartori's
heart nearly stopped at the blood-chilling scream that came from Gabrielle's throat.
Within heartbeats of one another, all three of the women awoke, Gabrielle continuing her
terrified wail. Adia was doubled over, unable to catch her breath, then Xena became aware
of the woman in her arms, whose screams had just turned to sobs.
Sartori
placed a small amount of foul smelling herbs under Adia's nose. The Healer took a deep
breath and gagged, pushing her wife's hand away.
"I'm
okay
I'm all right."
Gabrielle
sobbed even more as she came into awareness, remembering the dream's events and who was
present in the dreamscape. She looked up into Xena's face, the warrior's expression a mask
of confusion.
The
warrior didn't mean to, but as soon as Gabrielle looked at her, Xena pulled back,
physically as well as mentally. It was a very human reaction to what she'd just witnessed,
but to Gabrielle, it was the confirmation of her greatest fear.
The
Queen jumped up and bolted through the front door of the small home. Xena wasn't quite
sure what just happened. The warrior looked at her own hands, turning them over and
inspecting them, as if she expected to find blood on them.
"Gabrielle,"
Adia rasped at Sartori. "Don't let her do anything foolish."
Realization
flowed through the warrior's entire being at the Healer's words. Xena scrambled from her
seat and bolted out the door, in search of her wife.
"Addy,
what happened?" Sartori asked fearfully.
Adia
could only shake her head, hoping the strong cup of port her wife offered her would soothe
her nerves. She eventually calmed, hoping Xena was able to catch up with Gabrielle. When
the Healer explained what she could repeat to her wife, Sartori was as shocked as anyone.
"I
don't understand, Tori. Gabrielle used the safe word I gave her and still it wouldn't end.
She had no control over her actions and we were completely helpless to stop her. I've
never visited a dreamscape like that before, and I thought I'd seen some bad ones,"
Adia explained.
"Addy,
you know as well as I, Gabrielle could never have harmed her own child," Sartori
responded.
"All
I can say is that if she didn't, then she thinks she has. Something must have happened to
convince the girl that she did something terrible to her baby. Either that
or
Morpheus has some pretty sick ideas and a grudge against that young woman," Adia
replied.
**********
Xena
was only a half a dozen strides behind the young woman as Gabrielle rushed into the
stables. The warrior rounded the corner to see her wife curled into a ball, hiding in the
corner of the nearest stall. Lying in the hay, it was as if the young woman was trying to
burrow in, and find a hiding place from the world. Xena's sob wasn't even heard over the
gut wrenching wails that Gabrielle was making. The warrior approached her wife and dropped
down beside her in the hay.
Gabrielle
scrambled to move away from her wife; unable to bear the look of disgust and hate she
would see in the warrior's face. Xena reached out, to have her hands pushed away by
Gabrielle. Using her speed and long arms, the dark-haired woman quickly grabbed the
smaller woman and drew Gabrielle to her, pinning her flailing arms to her body.
"Brie
Gods,
please, Brie
baby it was only a dream
"
Gabrielle
continued her struggles and Xena's heartache turned to fear when she saw the vacant look
in her wife's eyes. The warrior knew insanity and what it felt like, first hand. She
remembered the fear and the confusion that stole her mind when the Furies cursed her. She
could only hold on to the woman in her arms, praying to anyone who would listen, for their
help.
"It's
just a dream, baby
it's not real
" Xena repeated, holding tightly to
Gabrielle.
She
felt the small blonde's struggles cease, but the weeping continued. She held and rocked
the young woman as her own tears fell, until she began to feel Gabrielle's body trembling
uncontrollably.
"Brie
baby,
are you with me?"
"So
c-c-cold
"
Gabrielle's teeth chattered, her body curling tighter into herself.
"Okay,
baby, come on
we need to get you home," Xena said, lifting the small woman into
her arms."
**********
Adia
still sat on the floor when Xena flung open the door. Both Healers jumped up to assist the
warrior as she carried Gabrielle into the room and gently placed her into bed. She grabbed
two more blankets from the end of the large bed and wrapped them around the shivering
young Queen.
"She's
in shock," Xena stated to Sartori as the Healer nodded her confirmation.
Sartori
began to care for her patient as Xena stacked three large logs in the fireplace, a roaring
blaze crackling in the hearth in heartbeats. The warrior gulped down a large helping of
the port and stood beside Adia while Sartori wrapped some warmed towels around Gabrielle's
body.
"How
could you let all this happen in there?" Xena finally spoke to Adia.
"Let
which part happen? The part where you showed up in the dreamscape, unannounced, or the
part where your wife went screaming into the night?" Adia shot back.
Xena
turned quickly and grabbed the Healer by the throat of her tunic. It was only Sartori's
interruption that kept Adia from being tossed across the room.
"Quiet!"
she hissed. "Go outside if you want to hit each other."
Both
women froze, each prepared to strike the other. "I don't want to hit you,
Adia
I just
I just wanted to hit something
I'm sorry," Xena muttered.
"Me
too," the Healer replied.
"Adia,
what did happen? I had no intention of entering that dreamscape," Xena
whispered.
"I
honestly don't know. I've never
I just don't understand it."
Xena
could feel the betrayal in simply voicing the words, but she couldn't stop them. "Did
Gabrielle kill our child?"
"I
don't believe that anymore than you do," Adia snapped.
"Then
how do you explain what happened? Can misplaced guilt cause that kind of a reaction?"
Xena hissed.
"It's
possible
"
"I
know that anything is possible, but I thought only someone guilty of their crime could
illicit uncontrollable dreamscapes like that. I want to know if you have ever experienced
misplaced guilt reacting like that."
"No,"
Adia answered, realizing the conclusion that Xena was coming to. "But, you can't tell
me that you actually believe that Gabrielle did anything--"
"I
don't know what I believe anymore," Xena ran a hand through her hair in exasperation,
her voice sounding tired and fragile.
"She
h-hates me
she hates m-me, now, d-doesn't she?"
Adia
and Xena both heard the question Gabrielle directed at Sartori. Xena's face fell and as
soon as she heard the sound in her wife's voice, she moved to the young woman's side. It
was easier for the warrior to believe outlandish thoughts when she wasn't close to the
young woman, but hearing Gabrielle's voice, seeing the terrified and lonely expression on
the small woman's face, Xena didn't want to believe there was any validity to the dreams.
"It's
okay, Brie," Xena sat on the bed, taking the smaller figure in her arms. "I'm
right here, baby
it's going to be okay."
"I'm
s-sorry, Xe
s-so sorry
" Gabrielle cried softly as Xena held and rocked
her.
"Ssh,
it'll be okay."
"She'll
be all right as long as she stays warm," Sartori said. "Gabrielle, try to drink
some of this
it will relax you so you can sleep."
"No!"
The young woman pushed the cup away with one hand. "I can't go back there."
Xena
shook her head at the Healer. "It's okay, sweetheart, don't be afraid. I'll be right
here to wake you up if the dreams start again."
Gabrielle
seemed to relax at that thought and grew silent.
"I'll
wake her up every couple of candlemarks, that should do the trick." Xena said to the
Healers. "We'll be okay for tonight."
Adia
knelt down, on the floor near the bed. The Healer was experiencing her own epiphany, never
having experienced a situation within the dreamscape that she couldn't control.
"I'm
not going to give up, Xena," the Healer whispered. Placing a hand on the warrior's
arm, she gave it a gentle squeeze. "There are a lot of meditative, even hypnotic
techniques that I can use to rid Gabrielle of the images in her dreamscape. She just needs
a fortnight or so of rest. I have some medicines that will calm her down enough to sleep
without dreaming. We'll get her through this, Xena, I promise
it's just going to take
a little time."
Adia
and Sartori both nodded their heads to the warrior, returning some order to the room, and
then quietly pulling the door closed behind them. Almost two candlemarks later,
Gabrielle's body twitched and jerked as she moaned in her sleep.
"Gabrielle
Brie,
wake up," Xena gently shook the young woman awake.
Gabrielle
gazed up into the worried blue eyes looking down at her. She knew she would see this
expression. Her wife was trying not to hate her, condemn her; things had already changed.
Xena watched as tears welled up in the sad green eyes, spilling over the edges. Gabrielle
tried to roll away from her wife, but the warrior was stronger. She held the young Queen
in her arms, too afraid to let her go, yet just as terrified at the thoughts that were
racing through her head.
"Talk
to me, Brie
" the warrior said.
Gabrielle
slowly shook her head, turning away from her wife. There isn't any point is there? She
was there
I can see it in her eyes
she knows what I've done. It's changed
already.
Xena
continued to hold the small woman in her arms, the dark-haired woman's mind racing with
the implications of what Gabrielle had done, and what the warrior saw for herself in her
wife's dreamscape.
There's
an explanation
I know it, there has to be. Gabrielle wouldn't
she couldn't. The
Gods
that's it! It was one of them
they've been suspiciously silent lately.
Gabrielle says she did it
why would she say that if she were innocent? Please no,
don't let it be true. Please, just don't let it be. Would Gabrielle have made a deal with
one of the Gods? Maybe to save someone, to save me
thinking she was doing the right
thing.
No!
She wouldn't do that!
She
did, though
once before, didn't she?
That
was different
she was confused
she thought she was doing what was best--
It
cost Solon his life, though
No!
That's not who Gabrielle is!
But,
she did it before
Xena
closed her eyes and pressed the back of her head against the headboard in a futile attempt
to silence the voices at war within her head. Every explanation she could come up with,
the strong voice in her mind reasoned away.
Upon
opening her eyes, she saw Gabrielle staring back at her. They both knew the expression the
other was wearing; they'd seen them before. Gabrielle's held sorrow and regret, coupled
with a pain so enormous that it took all of Xena's strength just to hold the eye contact
and return her wife's gaze. The warrior didn't even have enough strength left to muster a
weak smile. She ran her fingers through Gabrielle's hair, watching as tiny bits of straw
and chaff fell from the blonde strands. She gathered what love and understanding she could
from the warring factions of her brain, and expressed it through her eyes. Xena knew it
wasn't much, and try as she would, she was simply too confused to offer any more.
Xena
situated Gabrielle's head to rest on her chest, her own chin resting atop the blonde head.
"Gabrielle, I'm
I'm going to go with the warriors in the morning on their
hunt."
Xena
paused. Gabrielle became so still, the warrior wondered if her wife fell asleep. The small
blonde stirred slightly, but she just lay there as if she knew there would be more.
"It
will only be a fortnight and
I think we could both use some time--it's just that I
need to sort things out
get it straight in my head, you know? Adia will be here,
she's got some really good ideas
she has medicines she hasn't even tried yet."
Xena
ran her fingers through Gabrielle's hair, smoothing long bangs away from a furrowed brow.
"She
can help you, sweetheart," Xena's voice broke and she knew what she was doing, even
as she cursed herself for doing it. What she did now, she did for herself, not her wife.
Her own tormented mind left her confused and unable to help anyone, not even herself.
"She'll
take good care of you, baby. You just
just need some rest, that's all. Some
rest
plenty of sleep without any dreams. You relax and get well and I'll be back in
no time."
Xena
looked down at Gabrielle and the young woman had her eyes closed. The warrior could tell
from Gabrielle's breathing that her wife wasn't asleep, but she understood the smaller
woman's behavior. Xena wondered if she would react any differently if Gabrielle decided to
abandon her.
**********
"Well,
well
how the innocent have fallen," a female voice laughed evilly.
"I
will see you chained on the highest mountain top until the vultures pick your bones
clean."
Again,
the laughter.
Apollo
struggled against his bonds until his wrists and arms were raw and bleeding. His efforts
were futile. The oppressive air that existed in the small cell sapped a God's powers
entirely. He wasn't alone in the small area that enclosed him. A tall figure was bound
next to him, a blindfold fixed across the hooded figure's eyes.
The cell
was familiar to the handsome God, as it should be, since he was the one who created it.
The small room, deep underground in the subterranean caverns on the island of Delos, was
created to remove the strength of any God or mortal that should attempt to steal the
Elixir of life that was housed there. The Elixir had since been removed and a new hiding
place created, but Hera never forgot the site of her defeat.
The small
room had one wall blown out, compliments of the Warrior Princess. Now, the open space was
covered with bars, fashioned by some Godly spell. They sparkled and shimmered, the
illusion of solidity.
"Did
I tell you it was a girl? Yes, you had a granddaughter, Apollo
well, for a
heartbeat
until I stole her life-force."
"Why,
Hera? I do understand how you could be that evil, it wouldn't be the first time you've
taken the life of an innocent child, but what's the point in destroying my daughter's
relationship with Xena? What have you to gain?"
"Oh,
Apollo," Hera spoke from the other side of the barred cell. "You have no idea
what I will gain. You don't understand what it's like to feel that rush when you see your
enemies crushed under your feet. Especially the ones that were so smug when they thought
they'd bested me. It's your turn to fall, Apollo. You and Xena stole victory from me last
time, now it's payback time, and I'll settle for nothing less than your complete
destruction."
"If
it's me you want, Hera, then so be it, but please
I beg of you, not Gabrielle."
Apollo's eyes filled with tears at the visions he'd already seen, his own daughter ready
to give up on life and Xena believing her wife had slipped into madness.
"But
you're missing the point, Apollo. I've discovered the one thing to bring about the sure
annihilation of you and the warrior with one blow. It's ironic that the God of Healing and
the Warrior Princess should both have only one true weakness
and imagine my delight
that it's the same thing. There is only one vulnerability that you share with that mortal
warrior, and that is the little Amazon Queen."
Hera made
the scrying bowl disappear with a wave of her hand. She stood outside the bars, forcing
the young God to watch some of what transpired in his daughter's life thus far.
"Aren't
you forgetting, Hera? People will miss me. Don't you think my sister will wonder where I
am? Gabrielle will call to me
the sun can't set without me," Apollo spat.
"Oh,
dear Apollo, the mortal world has experienced many sunsets since you've been
shall we
say, detained. I've found someone to fill in quite nicely, riding that little chariot of
yours. And, do try to be a little more unassuming. Your sister wonders where you are, but
that little tramp is too stupid to figure it out, and as for your pathetic Gabrielle, I've
arranged for her to believe that you've turned your back on her."
"That's
impossible! Gabrielle will never give in to the kind of despair you're talking
about."
"Guess
again, young Apollo. Your cellmate has made it excruciatingly easy to manipulate the
little blonde. You see, with Morpheus bound, he is but a prisoner. With his sight denied,
he cannot enter the dreamscape
Gabrielle's or any other. I've been using an old
friend of mine, a mystic from the wrong side of the road, if you will. He was happy to
help in exchange for a little R&R from Tartarus."
"On
the other hand, perhaps you'd like to keep up
" The Goddess returned the scrying
bowl, allowing Apollo to view his daughter once more. "Take a good look, Apollo. By
the time the sun sets tonight, your daughter will slit her own throat. Her warrior will
fall on her sword once she finds out. All's well that ends well."
Hera's
laughter continued long after she disappeared, just as Apollo's screams echoed off the
walls of the caverns.
**********
"Just
look after her, okay?" Xena asked the Regent.
The
warrior rose early and packed enough supplies for the fortnight away. She checked to find
Gabrielle sleeping soundly for a change. Xena knew that leaving to join the hunt would not
go over well with Ephiny. The Regent made it clear that she felt Xena was deserting
Gabrielle, just when the Queen needed her the most.
"Look,
I know I don't know everything that's gone on with you two in the last couple of days, but
leaving Gabrielle
you can't tell me that's going to help," Ephiny said.
"I'm
not leaving her!" Xena hissed. "I am going on the hunt for fourteen days, maybe
less. Adia is going to be seeing Gabrielle and helping her to
to work out some
issues, but I am not leaving her."
"Does
Gabrielle know that? Tell me, Xena, do you think if you say it enough times, you'll start
to believe it?" Ephiny asked softly.
Suddenly
Xena lost the hard edge to her voice. "I don't know what else to do, Eph. I swear, if
I could come up with another way, I would. Right now, I just don't know what's going on
with Gabrielle and I don't want her to see that everyday in my face. I'm not asking you to
believe me, or even agree with me, I'm only asking that you be a friend to
Gabrielle."
"Xena
you
never have to ask me to do that. Gabrielle was my friend, long before she became my Queen.
You're my friend too
" Ephiny placed a hand on Xena's shoulder. "If I can
do anything to help you deal with all of this, Xena
"
"Just
keep an eye on Gabrielle. That will help more than you know," Xena finished before
leaving.
**********
"Hey,"
Xena said softly as she walked in to find Gabrielle fastening her leather belt around her
hips. The young Queen was dressed in the traditional leather top and skirt that she wore
to many official ceremonies.
"Hi,"
Gabrielle said, quickly lowering her eyes to the floor. She could barely look at Xena, now
that the warrior knew the truth.
"I
wanted to say
to see you before I left," Xena stammered. She wanted to say so
much, but her tongue felt heavy and uncooperative. She crossed the room to retrieve her
weapons and saddlebags, laying them on the table.
"You'll
see me at the ceremony. You'll need to be blessed if you want to join in the hunt."
"I
know, but
I meant alone."
"Oh,"
Gabrielle replied, turning to look out the window.
"I
guess
I'll see you in a fortnight, then," Xena said.
"Are
you coming back, Xe?" Gabrielle asked in a low whisper.
The
young Queen's voice sounded so forlorn and frightened that Xena moved behind the woman and
wrapped her arms around the small figure.
"I'm
your wife, Gabrielle, of course I'll be back. Please believe that."
Xena
kissed the back of her wife's head. Quickly grabbing her belongings from the table, the
warrior walked out the door and toward Eponin's hut.
Gabrielle
swallowed back the sobs that rose up in her throat. She took note that her wife said
nothing about love. Because she's my wife, she'll return
out of duty
you
shouldn't have to live that way, Xe.
Chapter
9
Gabrielle
was nearing the last few hunters. She blessed the experienced, then the hopeful students,
many of them, obviously waiting all their life for a chance to bow down before their Queen
as a hunter and receive her mark of faith. The young Queen chose not to hide behind her
mask today, although a part of her desperately wanted to. She knew she looked like
Tartarus, her eyes red rimmed and swollen, dark circles underneath, and her face drawn and
pale. She looked down at the last woman to kneel before her, recognizing the dark head.
She
placed her hand on top of the raven hair and spoke the same words the other hunters heard,
"You have the blessing of the Queen."
Gabrielle
watched as the face lifted, but Xena made no move to rise from her knees. The warrior's
blue eyes sparkled with unshed tears.
"Soon,
Brie
I'll be back soon."
Gabrielle
placed her hand on Xena's cheek, touching the soft skin as though she were committing it
to memory. She gathered the last of her resolve and offered a smile to her wife. The Queen
was amazed and grateful that Xena put up with her this long.
"Good
bye, Xena," Gabrielle whispered softly.
The
warrior's keen hearing picked up the soft-spoken farewell. She was glad that Gabrielle was
actually speaking to her, but there was something in her wife's eyes, something she
couldn't place. Xena looked momentarily confused, then gave a small smile to her wife,
right before she jumped on Argo and trailed after the other members of the hunting party.
**********
"Is
what she said true?" Apollo asked his cellmate.
"Sadly,
my friend, it is. These ropes mean nothing to me; the dreamscape knows no physical
boundaries and nothing can bind it. Having my eyes blindfolded, however, means a great
deal. I can see, but cannot enter your daughter's dreamscape at all."
"What
do you see, Morpheus? Is Hera telling the truth
did she kill my grandchild?"
"I
fear for your little one. Hera speaks the truth; she stole the child from its mother's
womb only candlemarks before its birth. Your daughter
Hera is manipulating the young
girl's dreamscape to the point
I fear Gabrielle has given up. Unless we can intervene
in some way, Hera's words will come true
your child will take her own life and give
up the mortal realm."
Once
again, Apollo strained and lunged at his bindings, but in this cavern room, now converted
to a cell, his strength was less than even a mortal man. His arms and wrists bled, his
shoulders sagged forward in an unmistakable posture of defeat. Gods never experienced pain
or defeat; they were new emotions. Many of the Olympian Gods had numerous children,
sprinkled throughout the mortal realm, the product of romantic dalliances with mortal
women. Apollo felt this loss especially hard, as Gabrielle was the only child he had. The
handsome God was never one for trysts with mortals, but he fell in love with Gabrielle's
mother the very first time he saw her walking along the river with his sister. It pained
him to see the life she now led, living with a man who became more bitter and angry as the
seasons past. Because of his promise to Hecuba, he never told the girl that he was her
real father, content to watch and hope that someday, Gabrielle would learn who the people
were that truly loved her.
He
did break his promise on occasion. There were times in his child's life that required the
intervention of a God. Apollo would never forget the day he carried Gabrielle's burned and
broken body to the Halls of Olympus, requesting his father's permission to return life to
the girl. Gabrielle gave her own life that day, pushing Hope into the lava pit, simply to
save the woman she loved. Zeus looked down in compassion at the young God, acquiescing to
Apollo's wish. Gabrielle never knew that she'd been dead, then reborn. It became one of
the many instances in her life that she could not explain, yet did not examine too
closely. Deep inside, the young Amazon Queen feared what she would see as an answer to the
unexplained miracles in her life.
A
shimmering flash appeared on the other side of the illusionary bars. Apollo looked up,
disappointed, but realizing that this would be the obvious choice for Hera's partner in
crime.
"Man,
little bro
that chariot is a bitch to drive!" Ares flicked some imaginary dust
from his arms. "Hera says she'll let you out once you've learned not to mess around
with her. Hey," the dark-haired God said in alarm. "Don't pull on the ropes,
bro
look what you're doing to yourself. Hera says your punishment will be over soon
and she'll let you out of here."
Apollo
took a deep breath. Ares was not a stupid man, but a pair of pretty eyes always had the
power to sway him. He could be incredibly dense at times. Apollo didn't want to sound to
panicky or patronizing. Ares was his brother, after all, faults and all.
"Ares,
please listen closely. Hera is punishing me, it's true, but this is not temporary. She is
going to destroy me and Morpheus
I expect Artemis will come next--"
"She
said you might tell me something like that
said you didn't want to take your defeat
like a man." Ares smirked.
"Ares
please
look here in the scrying bowl
the image of Gabrielle. Hera is using the
girl's dreams to push Gabrielle into killing herself, and when that happens, Xena will
take her own life out of guilt and remorse. Please, brother, just look into the image in
the bowl."
Ares
peered past the bars, into the bowl. He could only see the blurry shapes of movement from
his angle.
"Oh,
sure
I step in there to look in the bowl. Right!"
Apollo
let out an exasperated sigh, but held his temper. "Ares, open up the image for
yourself."
"Oh,
yea
" Ares waved his hand and the shimmering image of Gabrielle came into focus.
"What's the deal?" Ares grew concerned when he saw the young woman laid a sharp
dagger beside the tub.
"Step
into her mind and you'll se the truth, Ares," Apollo pleaded.
"This
is a trick, right? You said if I ever entered her mind again you'd have Athena castrate
me," Ares drawled.
"Ares
this
is an emergency, just do it!"
Ares'
brow furrowed together, staring intently at his younger brother. It wasn't like Apollo to
become this agitated over anything. The dark-haired God turned back to the spectral image
before him and concentrated on the small blonde.
The
Queen filled the tub in the bathing area with hot water. Gabrielle once read that if you
cut an artery, the pain would be short lived; it would feel as though you were going to
sleep. She also read that warm water would prevent the blood from clotting, and ease the
sensation of being cold, which followed when the human body suffered a large amount of
blood loss.
The
last thing the Queen did before disrobing was to place her Queen's dagger beside the tub.
It was her ceremonial dagger, more for decoration than practical use, yet she didn't have
anything symbolic in mind; it was simply the sharpest dagger she owned. The young woman
wanted to die, not cause herself unnecessary pain.
Ares
pulled his mind back from the small blonde's and had to take a deep breath. The mortal's
emotions of despair and sorrow were a step beyond intense. The God looked over at Apollo.
"Is
this a trick, Apollo? I swear if you an Artie are--"
"Damn
it all, Ares, my child is about to kill herself!" Tears streamed down Apollo's face.
"Please, Ares
help her," the God begged in a small voice.
"Okay,
I'm confused all of a sudden
give me a heartbeat."
"Gabrielle
doesn't have a heartbeat!" Apollo shouted at the top of his voice.
Ares
looked from his brother to the image before him. Gabrielle sat in the tub, her eyes
closed. Suddenly, with a fierce look of determination, the young Queen picked up the
dagger.
**********
"I'll
take that, thanks," Ares said, plucking the dagger deftly from Gabrielle's fingers.
"Ares!
What in Hades
get out of here and leave me be, you miserable son-of-a-bacchae!"
the Queen hissed vehemently.
"You're
getting a mouth on you like a soldier. Didn't anyone ever tell you that a Queen isn't
supposed to talk that way?" Ares shot back. "This is serious stuff here,
Gabrielle
is this some sort of a trick?" Ares asked, turning his head to look
around the room.
The
despair in Gabrielle's voice was apparent. "Ares
just go. This is my
business."
"Okay,
give me a heartbeat, here," the God said in concern, pacing across the room. "It
could be a trick
and I ought to let you do it, for all the times you tried to make me
look like an idiot. I gotta check on this, though." Ares mused this last part to
himself.
"Don't
do anything stupid until I get back." Ares turned to go.
"Ares
my
dagger
" Gabrielle held out a hand.
Ares
nearly placed the weapon in the young woman's hand, but pulled back at the last moment.
"Nah, you never do anything your told, that much I do know."
The
God swirled a hand over the Queen's head and Gabrielle felt a tingling sensation in her
chest.
"The
power of might against the power of will, on this day will stand
The heart's judgment
I will prevent, to keep you from hurt at your own hand." Ares handed the dagger to
Gabrielle. "That ought to hold you till I can get this mess figured out," Ares
said, quickly leaving in a flash of blue shimmering light.
Gabrielle
thought she understood the spell the God placed on her, but she immediately tested her
theory. Raising her arm, dagger in hand, she attempted to slice open her own wrist. Her
arms shook and sweat broke out across her forehead at the strain to get the blade close to
her skin. The frustrated woman snarled, tossing the blade across the room. Ares put a
spell of protection on Gabrielle
to protect the Queen from herself.
"Ares!
Arrreeeesss!"
All
in the village heard Gabrielle's screams. The Royal Guard had to explain to the perturbed
Queen what they were suddenly doing in her bath, but since there was no foe to be found,
the chagrined guards left as quietly as possible, offering only a shrug to the Regent, who
arched an eyebrow in return.
**********
"Do
you want to talk about the dream?" Adia asked.
"No,"
Gabrielle replied. Her failed attempt to end her life put her in a dour mood. She
knew
as soon as Xena looked at her through eyes that held something less than the
unconditional love they always shared
Gabrielle knew this was the only way. Her
grief-stricken mind reasoned that it made perfect sense. Unbeknownst to the young Queen,
Hera's interference in Gabrielle's mind, caused her to believe that Xena would be hurt at
first, but Gabrielle was sure her wife would breath a sigh of relief.
The
Healer and the Queen sat outside in the warm afternoon sun. The entire village knew this
small cove as Gabrielle's Pond. It was where the young Queen often spent her quiet time,
when she needed peace from the rigors of managing the Amazon Nation. Adia thought this
would be the perfect spot for she and Gabrielle to talk about last night's events.
The
Healer was a little surprised to hear Xena was leaving on the hunt. A small part of her,
however, expected something of the sort. Adia admitted to her wife later that she had
been, quite literally, terrified of a dreamscape encounter in which she had no control
whatsoever. She never before saw Xena in the shape she was last evening. It wasn't the
same warrior who faced any challenge, braved any terror, for her wife. Xena appeared to
believe what she saw, rather than what her heart told her about the woman she loved. The
Healer could see Xena trying to believe in Gabrielle. Adia just wished she had spoken to
the warrior before she left. The Healer would have liked to tell the dark-haired woman to
discount what she saw in Gabrielle's dreams and trust in her love for the young Queen.
Adia
lost her opportunity when the warrior stopped by to quickly tell Adia and Sartori, she was
leaving Gabrielle in their care for the next fortnight. Xena was taken back to hear that
Sartori would be traveling with the hunt. For some reason Xena appeared suspicious,
perhaps wondering if the Healer meant simply to keep an eye on the warrior. Sartori talked
at length, attempting to convince the dark-haired woman that with all the students
traveling with the other Amazons in the hunting party, a healer seemed a smart idea.
Especially after last season's incident where one of Eponin's own students accidentally
shot her in the leg with a practice arrow.
So,
with her wife gone, Adia saw no reason to waste any time. Once the hunting party left the
village, the Healer was prepared to give Gabrielle a couple of candlemarks before Adia
showed up at the young Queen's door. The screams from the Queen's quarters and the Royal
Guard's inability to explain why, prompted the Healer's visit even sooner.
"How
was Xena feeling about what happened?" Adia asked.
"I
guess you'd have to ask her."
"Did
you sleep last night?"
"A
little
off and on," Gabrielle answered tersely.
Adia
sighed heavily, falling backward from her seated position, her back hitting the grass with
a soft thump.
"Gabrielle
"
she began, "little one
" she said softly rising to one elbow.
That
got the Queen's attention, as Gabrielle turned and looked in surprise at the Healer.
"I've never heard you call me that before."
"I'm
sorry, Gabrielle. Does it bother you?" Adia asked in concern.
"No
no,
it's just that
when Xena and I first traveled together
she called me that
sometimes."
"I
apologize, I hope I haven't brought up any bad memories," Adia commented.
"Not
at all
good ones, as a matter of fact." A small smile appeared on the Queen's
face. "Why did you
call me that?"
"It
it
was just a slip of the tongue, that's all. I guess because you exasperate me, my Queen,
like someone else I used to know."
"Who?"
"Never
mind, it's not important," Adia replied.
"So,
you ask me all the questions
I tell you my most terrifying fears. You want me to
confide the secret I don't want to share with anyone, but you won't even answer one simple
question," Gabrielle responded.
Adia
listened and, not only heard, but agreed with the young woman. She looked up at the Queen,
who was sitting on a log beside the Healer, and expressed her apology in the form of
sheepish grin.
"Well
said. You're right, Gabrielle
it's not fair for me to expect you to open your heart
and your mind to my examinations, without being as candid myself."
Adia
sat up again and folded her hands in her lap. "The endearment really did just slip
out, Gabrielle. I used to call my sister that. I'm so tall and she was a tiny thing
I
guess you just remind me of her."
"What's
her name?" Gabrielle asked.
"Her
name was Emily."
"Was?"
"She
died a number of seasons ago
a fever took her," Adia added unconvincingly.
"Oh
Adia, I'm so sorry. Was she ill for long?"
Adia
ran her fingers through her short hair. Looking up at Gabrielle, tears entered the
Healer's eyes. "I'm sorry, Gabrielle
that was a lie. Emily wasn't ill, not like
that anyway. She
she was beautiful, she loved everyone, and I don't think she had a
hurtful bone in her body."
Adia
paused and cleared her throat, the Queen sat, listening intently to every word.
"Emily
had one problem
she heard voices. She could go on for moons, simply being the loving
girl she was born to be. Then, for no apparent reason, something would set her off and she
would do the oddest things. Just when everyone was sure that she was completely mad, she'd
come back to herself again. It was always the same. Sometimes the voices would disappear
for a whole season and we thought that she'd beaten it, that perhaps we appeased whatever
God afflicted her with the curse. Then as quickly as it left, it would return. Finally,
when the voices returned, Em began trying to hurt herself
trying to kill herself. She
said the voices told her to. I tried to take care of her after our mother died. I told her
everyday how important it was not to listen to them
not to give in to what the voices
said."
The
Healer drew her legs up against her chest, wrapping her arms around her legs, resting her
chin on her knees.
"She
became worse one winter and I thought her mind finally left her for good. She was like
that for 3 seasons. The hardest part was to have her come up to me when she would be lucid
and ask me to call her, little one. It was my pet name for her and I always knew she was
all right when she would do that. I think the worst of it, for her, as she grew older, she
was always aware that something was wrong with her. Some time later, she simply couldn't
take listening to them anymore.
She
turned up missing and I tore the forest apart searching for her, the whole tribe did. They
found her in the bottom of a deep ravine; her tiny body was so broken. She was barely
alive, but when they brought her into the village, she asked me to call her, little one.
She said she did the only thing she could think of to frighten the voices out of her head.
She said when she jumped from the cliff; the voices all ran away.
She
looked so
so happy that day. She said she finally got something right. I think I lost
a piece of myself that day. I could go into a person's dreamscape, into their mind, but I
couldn't heal my own sister enough to make her want to live."
Gabrielle
placed a hand on Adia's shoulder, squeezing slightly. "Why do I remind you of your
sister?"
You're
both small in stature, but enormous in heart. She had a smile filled with light, just like
yours. She also had a secret. It took many seasons before I even found out about the
voices. She kept it to herself; afraid she would hurt our family name or me. She finally
gave into her despair, though. I wasn't good enough to save Em."
Long
moments of absolute silence passed between the two women. When at last, Adia wiped her
tears on her shirtsleeve and looked up, she met with the sight of Gabrielle, sitting
hunched over, as if in pain. Tears streamed down the young Queen's face. She turned to
Adia, and in that moment, the Healer did indeed think the young Queen reminded her of
Emily.
"Do
I remind you of her because you believe I'm going mad?" the Queen's small voice
asked.
"Oh,
Gabrielle
" Adia said, opening her arms to the young woman.
It
was all the encouragement the Queen needed and she fell into the embrace, sobbing. Adia
let her cry for a long while, until Gabrielle's eyes had no more tears to offer.
"Promise
me. Adia
please, promise me
I don't want anyone to know
I don't even want
you to know, but I want you to see that I'm not crazy."
"I
don't think you're crazy at all. Why don't you want to tell me your fears, Gabrielle? Do
you think I'll change my opinion of you
once I hear?"
Gabrielle
nodded her head. "I know you will
you won't be able to help it."
"My
dear, Gabrielle, I can't begin to explain what I've seen in my travels through the
dreamscape. I've witnessed the worst that humanity can offer to his fellow man. I've seen
into the hearts and souls of the most heartless of killers. There is nothing you can show
me that will change my mind about what kind of a woman you are.
"I
murdered my baby," Gabrielle stated flatly.
"Why
do you believe this to be true?"
"Because
it's what happened," Gabrielle explained. "Sartori told me
Xena told
me
I knew what I was supposed to do, but I didn't. I cared nothing for the welfare of
my child and I did what I wanted to do."
"Why?"
Adia asked, trying to decide if it were true or if Gabrielle's grief was clouding her
judgment.
"I
don't know," Gabrielle answered. "Pride? I was tired of having everyone tell me
to take it easy. Xena began to care so much about the baby's safety; I felt that I didn't
matter. I really don't know why, but it's not something I did once
I did it again and
again."
"Gabrielle,
that is called an accident, not murder," Adia explained.
The
Healer held the small Queen in her arms, stroking her hair, feeling the young woman shake
her head back and forth in disagreement. Adia was fighting an uphill battle, but she
believed that with some time and patience, she and Gabrielle could overcome the guilt that
plagued the woman. What the Healer had a hard time understanding was how Gabrielle could
have let this build up so high in her mind. It was tragic and terrible, but it wasn't
justification for the label of murderer' that Gabrielle stamped upon herself. The
Queen was usually a very patient and intelligent woman. This kind of hysteria simply
wasn't normal for Gabrielle.
Adia
explained, in detail, where she wanted to go from here, regarding Gabrielle's treatment.
The young Queen nodded, but the Healer thought she saw something unusual in Gabrielle's
gaze. It looked suspiciously like defeat, even though; suicide was also uncharacteristic
for the Bard.
"Little
one, I want you to promise me something. Promise me, Gabrielle, that you won't
won't
hurt yourself. I know what despondency does; it plays tricks with the mind. Don't let your
misery dictate your actions."
Gabrielle
answered the plea very carefully, for as Adia spoke, the young Queen already formulated a
plan. Gabrielle knew what she would have to do. One way or another, she would free her
wife of the burden of having to see Gabrielle's face
having to live with the shame.
"You
have my word, Adia, I won't try to kill myself, if that's what you're worried about,"
Gabrielle answered.
**********
Nightfall
seemed as if it took an eternity in coming. Gabrielle spent the rest of the day preparing.
She realized that Ares, for whatever sick reasons he had, wasn't about to let the Queen
harm herself by committing suicide. There would be only one other way for Gabrielle to
free Xena of her obligation
if she disappeared.
Half
the village already thought her touched with a grief-induced madness. They would believe
she ran off, happy they didn't have to deal with an insane Queen. Then there was Xena.
Gabrielle's chest felt a stabbing pain whenever she thought of her beloved warrior. Xena
would take off after her. The warrior would search, but Gabrielle believed the warrior
wouldn't look long. Her Consort would breathe her own sigh of relief, simply glad that
Gabrielle chose an honorable way out. In the young Queen's mind, this was the only path
she could take. She would run
far away, where they didn't know Greeks and had never
heard of the young woman who followed the Warrior Princess.
Gabrielle
outfitted herself with only a small pack. She brought a sack full of Amazonian dinars
along, tied to her belt, yet hidden by her cloak. The problem was that Gabrielle was well
known as the Amazon Queen, her own tales of her travels with Xena were told in taverns and
inns all across Greece. Her clothes, her looks, even the staff she carried, and fought
with, she had a reputation with all of them. They marked her as who she was, and when Xena
asked around, Gabrielle would be an easy target to follow.
Gabrielle
thought about it and realized she would have to become something, or someone, who no one
would expect. She would have to become something she knew was inside of her. She crossed
the room and lifted the sais Adia gave her. An unknown woman warrior, that was who she
would have to become.
She
dressed in a soft leather outfit, the kind of clothing she wore hunting. The shirt had
long sleeves, long enough to cover the marriage tattoo, on her wrist. A loose, short
sleeve covering that fell down past her thighs went over that, along with leather
trousers. Plain brown boots finished off her new outfit. She needed to look completely
different, so that any mention of a blonde haired warrior would not spark attention.
She
gazed into the polished looking glass Xena placed on the wall by their bed. Gabrielle ran
her fingers through her long blonde tresses.
"Completely
opposite," she said with sadness.
The
Queen reached for the Amazon dagger one last time and began to slice through the long
lengths of her hair. She congratulated herself, as she looked in the mirror, rather
impressed at the job she'd done. She quickly tossed the long strands of hair into the
fireplace.
Gabrielle
looked longingly at her staff. She would feel naked and unprotected without it. She sewed
some leather loops onto her own boots to give her sais a resting place. She had to admit
that she had some natural ability with the weapons. She learned extremely fast and felt
confident enough to use them in a fight. That, combined with the hand-to-hand arts that
Xena made sure the Queen mastered, would protect her. The problem was that Gabrielle could
use a staff in her sleep.
"No
one ever said this would be easy," she muttered.
The
young Queen recognized the fact that she could be killed trying to defend herself with
untested weapons. That's when Gabrielle's determination grew. If Ares wouldn't let her
kill herself, perhaps she could work around this spell of protection. If she fought with
the sais, chances are her end would come more sooner than later.
Gabrielle collected the necessary travel items and placed them in her small pack. There were two items the Queen refused to part with. She removed the ring her father gave her and placed it on the opposite hand. Lastly, she tucked the long chain and medallion that Xena made for her, under her shirt. Two hearts had been formed from the shape and scrollwork of Xena's breastplate, each heart holding a small stone, one blue sapphire, and one emerald green. The hearts were joined together at the points so they created the letter X.
With
a heavy sigh, Gabrielle turned her head to look around the room. Her writings, small
tokens and gifts, she was giving up her life in order to allow Xena the freedom the
warrior deserved. Tears welled up into her eyes, but the Queen refused to release them.
She wouldn't cry, not over this. She was doing this for Xena, just as the older woman made
sacrifices for her. Gabrielle's last thought, as she left their home, was that she hoped
Xena wouldn't hurt for very long.
The
small blonde found it no easy task to sneak out of the protective embrace of the Royal
Guard, or to elude the sentries in the trees, but she was an Amazon Queen after all. That
and seasons spent with the Warrior Princess were all Gabrielle found necessary to slip
from the Amazon village in the dead of night.
There
were three small towns, half a day's walk in any direction. Gabrielle vowed she would
bypass them and would not stop until she neared the large city of Pella. There, perhaps,
she could lose herself at an inn. The most important point was simply not to head in the
direction of either Amphipolis or Potidaea. Once she reached Pella, she would stay north
of her homeland, crossing the Strymon, making for Abdera. From that point in Thrace, she
could book passage on a ship and head anywhere in the known world.
The
night was still warm, yet Gabrielle moved quickly. She was focused on her goal
to
place as much distance between herself and who she had been as possible. She used the
meditative technique her father taught her, in order to close her mind to prying Gods. The
last thing she needed was Ares telling Xena where the Queen was.
"Good
bye, Xe. Please believe that I loved you
to the very end," Gabrielle whispered
to herself, slipping from the open road, to follow a path, deep within the woods.