"Uh huh." Symra said sarcastically. "And do you think she was acting in the best interest of the Amazons when she beat our queen senseless and crippled one of our finest warriors?" she waved her hand dismissively. "There's no need to answer that question. Tell me, when she arrived at the appointed place and time to collect the ransom, she had drugged Gabrielle, isn't that correct?"
"Yes."
"No doubt to keep her from escaping." she stepped out from behind the table and approached Ephiny. "Eponin is one of your best friends, isn't she?"
"Yes, we've known each other since we were children."
"And in all that time have you ever known her to want to be anything except a warrior?"
"No."
"Now tell me, will Eponin ever be able to perform her duties as a warrior again?"
"There are other ways that she can contribute to-"
"That's not what I asked, Ephiny. Now I know you consider that animal a friend, but try putting your responsibilities as regent first. I'll ask again, can Eponin ever return to her former duties as a warrior and defender of the Amazon nation?"
"Not to her former duties, no."
"The injury she suffered at the hands of Xena saw to that, didn't it? No more questions for you right now."
Symra sat down and Ephiny waited for Luna to finish looking at her notes. "I understand that Xena helped to deliver your son?"
"Yes, if it wasn't for her neither of us would have survived." she gave the warrior a small smile.
"So she has done things to help Amazons." she looked down, trying to think of what question to ask next. "And until this latest incident, she has always tried to help our nation?"
"Yes, Xena helped us avoid war and defeat Velasca. She gave us hope when there was none." the crowd murmured as they recalled the fierce battle with the sinister Amazon. "Do you feel that Xena should die for her crimes?"
"No." Ephiny replied firmly. For the first time since she took the stand, the blue eyes of the warrior focused on her. The room filled with whispers. In the time since Velasca's death, Ephiny had proven herself over and over to be a capable and fair leader and was respected by almost all of the Amazons. Her statement that Xena's crimes weren't worthy of execution carried a great deal of weight with them and many began to question whether in fact her death really was necessary.
"Thank you." Luna said before sitting down. Gabrielle and Ephiny exchanged looks of surprise at the brief questioning.
"Why didn't you ask her more questions? She's the best ally Xena has right now." the bard said into the advocate's ear.
"I think I made my point." Luna answered as the blond ruler returned to her seat. "There's no need to ask a thousand questions."
"No need?" Gabrielle raised her voice slightly. "This is Xena's life we're talking about. Ask ten thousand questions if it helps."
"Queen Gabrielle." Andro said in a warning tone. "I really must ask you to remain quiet."
"But she didn't ask the important questions." the bard said, rising to her feet to address the head of the tribunal. "She didn't ask her how she felt when we found her on the road in Thessaly. She didn't ask about the time Xena saved Ephiny from a Centaur."
"Enough, Gabrielle." Andro said firmly. "You are not the advocate in this case. Now sit down and remain quiet or I'll have you removed until it's time for you to take the stand." the bard glared but took her seat.
"How did you feel?" a voice from the crowd shouted. It was joined by several others who wanted to hear the answer. Ephiny stood and faced them.
"When I looked up and saw Xena standing over me, I felt a wave of relief. I knew I was safe then." she looked over and smiled briefly at the raven haired warrior. "I will always be grateful to her for saving me and my son." Andro pounded on the table. The hearing was quickly getting out of hand. "Trasis needs time to restore this room before the mid day meal. Rather than having her change it back again before dinner, we'll recess for the rest of the day and resume tomorrow. Take the prisoner away." two Amazons stepped forward and waited for Xena to stand. It was then that Gabrielle saw the reason the warrior had kept her hands under the table. She wore chains on her wrists and ankles which were connected to a band of metal encircling her waist. Obviously they still considered her an escape risk. They exited out the front, never allowing Gabrielle a chance to get near her. The crowd got to their feet slowly and a cacophony of voices filled the air as the Amazons made their way out of the hut. The young queen waited until almost everyone had left before turning and speaking to Luna.
"I can't believe you. You're supposed to be trying to save her life." she roared. Ephiny stepped up behind her.
"Gabrielle, let's go for a walk."
"No." she replied angrily, turning to face the blond Amazon. "What did you do, Eph? Find the most incompetent advocate possible?" she said, not caring if she hurt the brown haired woman's feelings.
"I am doing the best I can, Gabrielle. You need to be patient." Luna said.
"You need to ask better questions or they might as well pass the sentence right now." she felt herself losing control again and stormed out of the food hut, ignoring the dozen Amazons standing around outside. Ephiny watched her leave before addressing the advocate.
"Luna, she has a point. I could have done a better job than you did today. If you have feelings about this, let me know and I'll find someone else to defend Xena. If you're not up to this..." she let the comment hang in the air.
"I've handled dozens of cases, although I'll admit this is my first death penalty case. I generally handle contract disputes, you know, disagreements about sales and goods."
"You mean you've never handled a criminal case before?" Ephiny asked incredulously. "I specifically sent word that I needed an experienced advocate."
"I am experienced, just not in matters of life and death. I generally deal with dinars."
"Then why did they send you? Surely there must have been someone else..."
"No one else would take it, Ephiny. Once they heard that Xena, Destroyer of Nations was being accused of kidnapping and ransoming the queen, everyone figured it was an open and shut case with no chance of winning."
"And no one figured it'd matter if she got proper representation or not, right?" the advocate looked downward, silently confirming the regent's suspicion. "Well they were wrong, Luna, as I'm sure you see by now. This is much more complicated than just some raging warlord committing a crime. This is Xena, a friend and ally to the Amazons and the most important person in Gabrielle's life. She deserves every chance we can give her. If you can't handle the challenge then I'll suspend this hearing until we can find someone who can."
"I can handle it." the advocate replied. "Xena's not much help, you know. She barely answers the questions I put forth to her and when she does it's with one or two word answers. You know her, what can you tell me that will help?"
Gabrielle went to Saras' hut to get something for her pounding headache and was surprised not to find Eponin there. "Where is she?" she asked the grey haired healer.
"She went to the training grounds. Be back soon, I imagine. Even with the crutches, I don't think she can stand to be up too long."
"Thank you." the bard said, turning and leaving, her reason for being there forgotten.
She found Eponin leaning against the wooden fence of the training grounds watching a group of young girls practicing with staffs. Their lesson had ended a few moments ago but the enthusiastic youths were still hanging around trying to master their newly taught moves. "How are they?" the bard asked, leaning up on the fence next to the stocky Amazon.
"Not bad, Arissa is a good teacher. They don't pick it up as quickly as you did, but they're still young, they have plenty of time to learn." she replied.
"Hmm." they continued to watch as two girls no more than ten summers old practiced twirling the long staffs around their bodies. Eponin's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Wait." she called out, stopping them. She put the crutches under her arms and worked her way out to them. "You have to concentrate on how you hold your staff just as much as how you move it. Look...you have a death grip on it. How can you use it as an extension of your body if you're holding it as though it were a wiggling eel? You have to hold it loosely in your hands, tight enough to control it but not so much that you can't move it freely." she balanced herself enough to release her grip from one crutch and reached out for the staff. The young girl handed it over to the older woman quickly, grateful for the extra lessons. Eponin twirled the staff effortlessly through her fingers. She showed them the proper way to hold it. "Like this..." she changed the way she gripped it. "...not like this. Try again." she handed it back and returned her grip to the crutch as she watched them repeat their motions, this time using the lesson learned from her. Gabrielle came up behind her and put her hand on the stocky Amazon's shoulder.
"You do that very well. You have a lot of patience when you're teaching, you know that?"
"They already have an instructor, Gabrielle. Besides, I can't teach them if I can't walk." she said sourly.
"Of course you can, you just did. Look at them, Ep. They're eager to learn."
"Like you were." she remembered. Eponin soon found herself surrounded by a half dozen young girls, all enthusiastically waiting for her to teach them another lesson. Gabrielle quietly slipped back out of the way and was quickly forgotten by the warrior as she concentrated on her new pupils. By the time Eponin looked for her, the young queen was long gone.
Despite her actions at the hearing, Gabrielle still found herself unable to approach Xena privately and retreated instead to her hut. She laid on her bed, absently stroking her wooden lamb and trying to think of what she'd have to say on the stand when she was called. She saw Symra in action against Ephiny and knew that she'd have her hands full when she finally had to speak about what happened. She went over all the possible questions in her mind and the answers that would inflict the least amount of damage to Xena's case. She was grateful that her face bore no more than the faintest tinge of bruises and those could only be seen from close up. That would help her to try and minimize the extent of injuries she'd received. She also thought about Luna and her style of defense. Gabrielle knew exactly what questions she wanted the brown haired advocate to ask in order for her to put Xena in the best possible light. Her green eyes lit up with an idea and she jumped off her bed and headed for the small table, reaching for a blank scroll and her quill as she did so. If Luna didn't know the right questions to ask, then she'd just have to supply her with them. Gabrielle lit several candles, giving herself plenty of light to complete her task. The candlemarks sailed by as she wrote question after question down, all designed to paint a picture of the Xena she knew and loved.
Xena paced in her cell as much as the leg chain allowed. The hearing seemed secondary to her in relation to the emptiness she felt without Gabrielle. Again the bard had refused to come see her and she could only suspect the worst. 'No matter what happens, I've lost you haven't I?' she thought to herself. The cell door opened and for a moment the warrior's heart leapt at the thought that it might be Gabrielle coming to see her, only to sink when she saw Luna enter. Xena slumped down on the cot. "What?"
"I came to see if you could tell me anything else that would help. I don't know you or Gabrielle well enough and Ephiny could only provide me with what she knew." she leaned against the granite slab and unfurled her scroll. "She's under the impression that you care very much for our queen."
"I do." she said adamantly.
"That's good. Now if she cares for you as much that will be a great help, I think." she looked at her notes. "Now what can you tell me about the time you rescued Gabrielle from someone named Callisto?"
The conversation went on for a few more moments before the brown haired Amazon stopped. "Xena, I really need more details that you're providing. You make it sound like it was no big deal."
"I'm not a bard." she protested. "If you want details, ask Gabrielle."
"Hmm, that's not a bad idea. She seems willing to help you." the warrior made no comment. "Perhaps I'll do that. You realize that it's Gabrielle's testimony that will have the most impact on the tribunal."
Xena didn't respond, but her mind raced with the ramifications of that very problem. Gabrielle appeared supportive in public but refused to talk to her privately. She had no doubt that the bard would do everything in her power to help, but what after that? She looked up when she realized that Luna had spoken again. "What?"
"I asked you about Thessaly. The temple? You saved Ephiny's life and she tells me that you also saved Gabrielle. What can you tell me about that?" she said, slightly annoyed that the warrior had ignored her. "Xena, this is your life we're talking about. I need your help if we're going to keep you alive."
The hut was just as packed as the day before by the time Andro called Symra to begin. The redheaded Amazon rose to her feet. "I call Queen Gabrielle." all eyes turned to see the bard rise from her seat behind Luna. As she passed the edge of the defense table, Gabrielle casually reached out with her hand and knocked the advocate's scroll to the floor.
"Oh, I'm sorry, let me get that." she said, quickly dropping to her knees. Using her body as a shield, Gabrielle slipped the scroll she had prepared the night before out of the inside of her boot and switched it with the advocate's. She rose to her feet and placed her scroll on the table in front of Luna. "Here you go." she said sweetly before turning and taking the stand. The advocate unrolled the scroll and immediately realized what the young queen had done. Xena glanced over, recognized the handwriting, and felt a sense of comfort wash over her. Gabrielle was still trying to help her. It was more than just appearances, she had provided Luna with the right questions to ask. She looked up at the stand and for a brief moment green eyes met blue, but both women kept their emotions hidden and the bard turned her attention to the prosecutor.
"Hello my queen." Symra said, nodding slightly in acknowledgment of the young woman's rank within their society.
"Hello Symra."
"May I call you Gabrielle for the purposes of this hearing?"
"That's fine." the prosecutor smiled insincerely and glanced quickly at her notes. She had three scrolls filled with information about the young queen and her relationship with the warrior.
"Now Gabrielle, you've been traveling with Xena for over two summers now, isn't that correct?"
"Yes." she replied, knowing full well that the innocent sounding question was leading up to something.
"And in that time, how often did the warrior princess hit you?"
Gabrielle had been expecting the question, knowing full well that her account of Xena's battle with Ares over the death of three innocent men was documented in her scrolls, scrolls which were stored in the Amazon library. "Once, when Ares tried to pull her back into his fold using treachery and deceit."
"A simple number would suffice, my queen. So prior to her kidnapping and brutally beating you, she had only hit you once?"
"Yes."
"Hmm, and you weren't frightened of her? You have to admit, Gabrielle, she is a lot larger and stronger than you."
"I've never feared Xena. I know she'd never do anything deliberately to hurt me." she gazed defiantly at the prosecutor, daring her to say otherwise.
"A yes or no, please." Symra realized that she had underestimated the friendship between the two women.
"No, I've never feared for my safety from Xena." she said. The redheaded Amazon refused to take the bait and make mention of yes or no answers again. It wouldn't look good if she appeared hostile toward her queen. She would just have to work around the bard's answers.
"When you were savagely beaten by her, you weren't afraid?" Gabrielle smiled slightly.
"I was afraid of the warlord, not of the woman I've come to know."
"Come now, Gabrielle, it's the same person."
"No, the Xena that held me prisoner isn't the same-"
"Yes, we've all heard your tale of how the gods were involved in this. Tell me, if the gods truly interfered, then why haven't they stepped forward to stop this hearing? Surely they wouldn't allow an innocent" she snorted "woman to be sent to her death, now would they?"
"I can't speak for the gods." she replied.
"Of course not. But tell me, don't you find it strange that they would allow this to continue for so long?"
"As I said, I can't speak for the gods and I can't guess at what their reasons are for allowing this to happen."
"Perhaps it's because the gods weren't involved at all. Isn't it more likely that your 'friend' simply snapped?"
"No, my scrolls disappeared, my clothes-"
"That could easily be explained. We all know that Xena would never have been so successful if she wasn't smart enough to plan for every conceivable possibility." she turned to face the crowd. "The temptation of a queen's ransom was just too much for her to take. Pretending to lose her memory was merely a ploy to protect her in case she was caught." she spun on her heels to face Gabrielle again. "How many times did she beat you while you were held prisoner?"
The bard quietly thought about it. "A few times, I...I can't remember how many." she looked apologetically at Xena, there was no way to avoid the question. The warrior's head was down, unable to face her friend.
"In other words she beat on you so many times that you lost count?"
"No, I just can't remember. Three, maybe four times." Symra smiled at the answer. It was exactly what she was looking for.
"So three or four times she pummeled you senseless, is that correct? Don't bother answering. By her own admission she claims to have beaten you five times. It's obvious to this tribunal that you're trying to protect her but I need to remind you that you have sworn to Artemis to tell the truth in this hearing. Now I'll ask again, how many times did she physically assault you?"
"Five times." she said quietly.
"Five times...five separate times she violently attacked you. Tell me, Gabrielle, did she stop when you started begging? Did she stop when you cried and pleaded?"
"She didn't know-"
"Did she stop? Answer the question!" Symra said angrily. "Did she stop beating you when you begged for mercy?"
"No." she quietly admitted. A murmur went through the crowd. "But she was under-"
"The influence of the gods. Yes, we know that you'd like to believe that, Gabrielle." she said dismissively. "So far of course, there's been no evidence of this, but if you need to hold on to your little fantasy..." the muscles in both Gabrielle's and the warrior's jaws tensed simultaneously at the barb. "Let's move on, shall we?" she glanced at her notes. "Now, both you and Ephiny credit Xena with saving your lives in Thessaly, is that correct?"
"Absolutely." she replied firmly.
"Now I can understand Ephiny being lost and alone and feeling relief at seeing the two of you, but Gabrielle, I have to ask this. What were the two of you doing in such a dangerous area?"
"It was the shortest route to-"
"Oh, so when it comes to taking the shortest route or the safest, Xena chooses to take you, at the time our princess, right through the middle of a war zone?"
"You know I had a say in it too, I could have insisted on a different route." she said angrily.
"That wasn't the only time she's taken you through a war zone, was it?"
"That wasn't the only time WE'VE gone through war zones, no." she replied.
"She involved you in the battle of Troy, didn't she?"
"Xena helped to end that war, a war which was responsible for countless deaths. This has nothing to do with this hearing."
"On the contrary, it most certainly does. Time and time again her warlord bloodlust has surfaced and put your life on the line." she walked up to the stand and stood directly in front of the bard. "But we'll get back to the ruthless attacks on you and the others. Why do you think she drugged you before coming to collect the ransom?"
"She wasn't coming to collect the ransom, she came here to surrender."
"Surrender? She was fully armed, how can you call that a surrender? The truth of the matter is that she had you drugged to keep you from escaping and it was only the efforts of practically the entire Amazon army that kept her from running off with the chariot of dinars."
"That's not true! I wanted her to go to Athens, she chose to come here."
"Come now, Gabrielle, you expect us to believe that you wanted to go to Athens and she chose to come here, knowing that she'd be captured?" she turned away and headed back to her table. The battle of words wasn't working. Symra decided to that it was time to play dirty with the defiant queen.
"Queen Gabrielle, you defeated the Titans, isn't that true?"
"Xena and I defeated them, yes."
"And the only way they could be defeated was to have a virgin read the chant, isn't that correct?"
"Yes." she answered, puzzled at where this was leading.
"So you were a virgin at that time, is that correct?" whispers went through the crowd at the prosecutor's brashness to ask such a question of their queen.
"Yes."
"I'm not sure what this has to do with the matter at hand." Andro said in a warning tone.
"If the tribunal will indulge me, I don't believe all the details of the queen's abduction have been revealed. I'm just trying to get to the truth." there was a pause while the members of the tribunal conferred quietly amongst themselves.
"Very well, we'll allow you to continue, but there had better be a good explanation for this." the head jurist said sternly.
"Thank you." Symra replied. "Now Gabrielle, are you still a virgin?"
"I'm a widow. No, I'm not a virgin."
"Ah, yes, you were married once, rather briefly if I understand correctly. What was his name? Nerdicus?"
"Perdicus." she replied, the vision of her late husband filling her mind.
"I'm sorry for your loss. How long were you married?"
"He was murdered the day after our wedding." she said quietly.
"By Xena?" Symra asked casually.
"By Callisto!" she growled. "Xena did everything she could to protect us."
"Oh, I'm sure she did." she said insincerely. "So you were married for one day. Tell me, are you and Xena lovers?"
"No."
"Really? A beautiful woman like yourself?"
"I said we weren't lovers." she replied testily. It was true, despite what happened between them. Sitting in the back of the room, Solari locked eyes with the bard and nodded with understanding of the young woman's pain.
"Yes, you did say that, didn't you? My Queen, the scouts found the cave where you and Xena first stayed when you claim she was turned back into a warlord. Do you know what they found there?" Gabrielle looked over at Xena nervously. She hadn't counted on this. She noted that the blue eyes held the same look. She swallowed hard.
"No, what did they find?" the bard asked nervously. Symra grinned and opened a small bag laying on the floor next to the table. She reached in and pulled out the bard's breeches.
"These are yours, aren't they? They were found just outside the mouth of the cave. Now you've said that you and Xena aren't lovers so how do you explain this?"
Gabrielle took a deep breath and focused on Ephiny, sitting just behind the prosecutor's table. The blond ruler gave her a smile of support. "When...when Xena first woke me up and she didn't know who I was, she tied my hands behind my back so I couldn't escape. Well..." she blushed slightly. "...I had to make a trip to the woods and...I couldn't get them up myself and she wouldn't help me, so I stepped out of them and I guess they got left behind."
"So she didn't rape you?" Symra asked, silently cursing herself for not verifying some other explanation for the breeches being left behind. Gabrielle looked over at Xena, forcing her to meet her gaze. The warrior swallowed hard, fearing the answer.
"No. She didn't rape me." she said, her eyes never leaving Xena's. It may not have been an act of love but it wasn't rape either and Gabrielle knew it.
"I think that's enough of that line of questioning, Symra." Andro said, receiving nods of agreement from the other jurists. She turned to face Gabrielle. "My queen, I believe that a break is in order. We'll break for one candlemark and then Luna can start her questions."
"But I'm not finished with my-" the prosecutor protested.
"Yes you are." the leader of the tribunal declared.
Everyone filed out of the food hut and gathered into groups to discuss the newest revelations about the hearing. Most expressed shock at the questions and accusations that Symra made. "I can't believe she asked Gabrielle about her sex life." one woman said. "How about practically accusing her of sleeping with Xena and lying to protect her?" another said. Walking through the crowds, Solari was stopped on several occasions and asked her opinion. The tall Amazon was non-committal and evasive. She finally made her way to where Gabrielle and Ephiny were standing quietly. "Can I speak with you privately?" she asked the bard. They walked away from the hut and didn't stop until they were well out of earshot of the others.
"What did you want to talk about?" Gabrielle asked.
"You did a great job on the stand, you know. All the Amazons are talking about it." they sat down on a low stone wall that surrounded the main well. "Your testimony got a lot of them thinking."
"Good, they should do more thinking. This is her life we're talking about, why can't they see that?"
"I think they're beginning to." Solari replied, putting her arm around the younger woman's shoulders. "Now, how are you doing? I know it had to be difficult for you to be up there and talk about what happened." Gabrielle looked down at the ground, studying a blade of grass.
"I felt like I betrayed her with each word." she said softly.
"You didn't." Solari replied, putting her hand under the bard's chin and forcing Gabrielle to look at her. "You did everything you could to be gentle to her. I'm sure she knows it and your words really had an affect on people. I'm sure Luna's questioning will help as well."
"I hope so. Xena needs all the help she can get." she turned her head to look down at the ground again. "I haven't been to see her, you know. I just can't."
"I know." she smiled at Gabrielle's surprised expression. "There isn't much that escapes the grapevine, especially when it concerns this case."
"I don't know what to say to her. She knew what happened and she didn't say anything. How am I supposed to take that?"
"Gabrielle, you haven't talked to her since she confessed. How was she supposed to talk to you about it? It's not like she can just walk up to you. The only way she can see you is if you go to her." she urged gently. "You're assuming the worst and you haven't even heard her reasons yet."
"But she lied to me...she told me she didn't remember."
"I think she lied to protect you, Gabrielle. You know she came here to surrender, she probably drugged you to spare you having to see that. Everything she's done since she regained her memory has been for your benefit. She loves you, maybe not the same way you love her, but she does love you."
"I know she does..."
"Then give her a chance to explain, Gabrielle. I haven't been to see her, but I've heard from the guards that she just sits in there looking like she's lost her best friend." she squeezed the bard's shoulders. "And she thinks she has, you know. Hey, we'd better get back." she was surprised when Gabrielle gave her a fierce hug.
"I'm sorry you got hurt, Solari, but I'm glad you're okay. Thanks for being my friend."
"I'll always be your friend, Gabrielle, don't ever forget that. I, for one, believe that Xena was influenced by the gods. But right now you have another friend that needs your help more."
The bard nodded and released her embrace. "I guess it's almost time, huh?"
"Yeah, come on, I'll walk you back." they returned to the food hut together, causing yet more conversation between the Amazon spectators. Gabrielle's support of Xena was obvious and now Solari was apparently supporting the queen, leading to more questioning about the severity of the non-Amazon's punishment.
Gabrielle resumed her place at the stand and waited for Luna to ask her first question. The brown haired advocate smiled at her. "Can you tell us the first time you met Xena?"
"It was just outside of my home village of Poteidaia. The warlord Draco had taken several of us prisoner and was going to sell us into slavery. Xena came out of the woods dressed in nothing but her shift, weaponless, and rescued us." she smiled at the memory. "She didn't know me, my sister, or the other girls of our village yet she fought a dozen men to save us." the crowd began their murmuring again until Andro banged on the table. Luna cleared her throat.
"So she had no idea who you were and yet she risked her life to save you?"
"Yes." she said proudly, looking directly at Xena, who smiled almost imperceptibly back at her.
"And many times she's put the safety of others ahead of her own, isn't that true?" Luna asked, reciting the next question on Gabrielle's list.
"Yes, she's always risking her life for others. In fact, when she died..." she looked downward as the horrible memory of Xena's battered body lying in the sarcophagus filled her mind. "She was trying to rescue a young villager that she didn't know." the pain of the memory showed clearly on the bard's face.
"Always trying to make the world a better place. Her own personal needs coming second. Doesn't sound at all like the heartless warlord, does it?" Luna was beginning to feel more confident in her case thanks to the questions given to her. "There was an incident where the two of you found a baby that turned out to eventually be heir to the throne, is that correct?"
"Yes...Xena waited until she was certain that King Gregor wouldn't try to kill the baby and then she turned it over to him."
"She didn't just hand it over to the king and be done with it?"
"Oh no, she wanted to make sure the baby was safe first."
"I see." she looked at the questions again and shook her head. "Gabrielle, let's talk about the temple at Thessaly." the bard looked confused. That wasn't the next question on her list. "Actually..." Luna looked up at the tribunal. "If it pleases the court, I'd like to recall Ephiny to the stand for this question and call the queen back after."
"And your reason for this? My understanding is that Gabrielle was there at the temple." Andro said. "Surely she can answer whatever question you might have."
"I'm afraid not, if the court will grant me this small indulgence..." the jurists whispered amongst themselves and nodded. Gabrielle stepped down and headed back to her seat at the same time that Ephiny rose and headed for the stand. They exchanged the same look of confusion. Luna smiled and turned her attention to the blond Amazon. "Ephiny, you were there when Gabrielle was brought in, seriously injured, is that correct?"
"Yes, she had been stabbed with a sword and was very close to death. In fact she passed her right of caste to me just in case."
"And at one point she did in fact die, is that correct?"
"Yes, she stopped breathing and her heart stopped beating." Xena lowered her head in memory of that painful day.
"Ephiny, can you describe how Xena reacted to the queen dying?"
Intense silence filled the room and women leaned forward to hear. Gabrielle leaned forward as well. Her memory of that event was fuzzy at best and Xena refused to talk to her about it except to say that she was glad that she was okay. The blond ruler took a deep breath. "Gabrielle started having trouble breathing, then she just went limp. She died in Xena's arms...the priests told her that there was nothing that could be done, others told her to let Gabrielle go."
"And did she?"
"No, she...she just couldn't. She kept telling Gabrielle to fight, to just fight. It was hard for me to hear everything she said."
"And why was that?"
"She was too upset...she was crying." the crowd broke into murmurs again.
"Xena was crying. Had you ever seen her cry before that?"
"No, never. If you knew her, you'd know that she doesn't cry, it's just not something she does."
"Yet she cried when she thought she'd lost Gabrielle?"
"She did more than cry, she was practically hysterical. I realized then just how much Xena cared for her." she looked over at the defense table and gave a brief smile. "I believe she would have fought Hades himself to get Gabrielle back."
Gabrielle leaned forward and put her hand on the warrior's shoulder. "I never knew." she whispered.
"I try not to think of that day." she turned in her seat slightly to face the bard. "It's one of my most painful memories." she replied softly. "I just...when I thought I lost you..."
"My queen, I really must ask you not to speak with the defendant." Andro reprimanded. Gabrielle gave the warrior's shoulder a small squeeze and sat back in her seat. The jurist nodded at Luna to continue.
"So when you heard that Xena had kidnapped her and attacked Eponin and Solari, your thoughts were of disbelief?"
"Yes, I couldn't believe that the same person who fought so hard to save Gabrielle's life would suddenly change like that." Ephiny replied.
"So what explanation do you have for why she acted the way she did?"
"I believe what Gabrielle has said, that the gods were somehow involved. There just can't be any other reason."
"So even though it was Xena who committed the crimes, crimes which she has admitted to, you believe that she never would have done them if gods hadn't been involved?"
"Exactly." Ephiny replied firmly.
"I have to object to this." Symra said, rising to her feet. "There's no evidence that the gods were involved and Xena already admitted to the crimes. They're just blowing smoke to keep her from getting the death penalty."
"Do I need to remind everyone involved that the purpose of this hearing isn't to determine Xena's guilt or innocence but rather to determine the severity of her punishment?" Andro said. "There's no doubt that she committed the crimes in question, but the punishment should not only fit the crime, but also the reasons behind the crime. And as for blowing smoke," she leveled her gaze at the redheaded Amazon. "You seem just as capable of that as the defense is."
"I have no further questions at this time for Ephiny." Luna said. The blond ruler nodded and stepped down from the stand.
"I believe we've heard enough for the day. We'll resume tomorrow." Andro said, rising to her feet. The other two jurists followed her out the front entrance. The Amazon guards pulled Xena to her feet and headed her toward the same door. She stopped just inside the entrance and turned around to look at Gabrielle.
"Please come see me. I...I need to talk to you."
"Let's go." one of the guards said, giving the warrior a slight shove.
"I will." Gabrielle replied, but her voice was drowned out by the roar of voices from the crowd. This time they didn't even bother to leave the hut to talk about the case, much to Trasis' annoyance. It took her the better part of a candlemark to get the hut cleared out enough for them to set up for the mid day meal. Of course it didn't help that the majority of the kitchen staff was engaging in conversations with the women they were trying to shoo out.
Gabrielle returned to her hut and changed from her queen outfit into her usual clothing. She was just fastening the ties in the front of her top when she heard the soft knock on the door. "Come." Ephiny stepped in and closed the door behind her.
"You okay? You seemed a little shaken with today's testimony." the blond ruler said. Gabrielle motioned for her to take a seat at the table and pulled out a chair for herself.
"She never talked about it with me. I mean, I knew she was upset but...."
"But you didn't know she was that upset? Gabrielle, when I saw her fall to pieces in that temple I knew then that you were more than just a friend to her. How much more, I can't say."
"I love her. I...when she regained her memory, I wanted to run, to get as far away from the Amazons as possible."
"You wanted to protect her." Ephiny said. The bard nodded and stared at the table. "Gabrielle, that's what she did when she came here, when she confessed...all she's done since she regained her memory has been to protect you." she laced her fingers together and sighed. "I know it's none of my business but I understand that you haven't been to see her since the hearings started."
"I was just getting ready to head over there." she ran her finger along an indentation in the wood where a sliver had long ago been chipped away. "I...I'm not sure what to say to her."
"Just tell her the truth. Tell her how you really feel, all of it. She needs to hear it as much as you need to say it."
"What if...what if she doesn't feel the same?" her finger continued to trace the outline of the indentation.
"Then you'll know. And isn't knowing the truth better than spending the rest of your life guessing? Tell her, Gabrielle. Just swallow your fear and tell her how you feel." Ephiny stood placed her hand on the bard's forearm. "I'm here for you if you need me."
"I appreciate that, Eph." she said before slowly rising to her feet.
Gabrielle passed by the smithy hut on her way to jail and couldn't help but hear Xena's name being mentioned. Curious as to what they were saying, she walked closer. "Ephiny pulled Dyna and Alessa from guard duty and assigned them to the south wall for the next three moons." one voice said.
"At least they were smart enough to stay quiet. They know the meaning of protecting their own." another voice said. Gabrielle recognized it as the grey haired woman that held the sword up the first day of the hearings. Standing in the shadows of the outside of the hut, she had a clear view of the half dozen women inside but so far had been unnoticed by them. From the long leather apron and gloves, she realized that the woman had to be the smithy.
"You got her good though, Gryne. Where'd you get that glove?" a blond Amazon whose name was unknown to the bard asked. The grey haired smithy laughed.
"Made it myself summers ago. Took me forever to get her blood out of the links." she chuckled. "If Ephiny wasn't so damn spineless and put her responsibilities to the Amazon nation over her friendships, we wouldn't have had to handle things our own way. Now we can't get near her. She's got Ilanna watching Xena at night and you know she won't let us in."
"Gryne." Gabrielle said, stepping out of the shadows. The Amazons quickly turned to look at her nervously.
"Queen Gabrielle." the smithy said sweetly. "What can I do for you today?" she cast glances at her friends, all silently wondering if she had heard any of their conversation.
"I would like to see you on the training grounds...now!" her green eyes flashed with anger, telling them that she had in fact heard at least some of their conversation.
"I um...I'm rather busy today, my queen, perhaps-"
"Now Gryne. You're not so busy that you can't sit and chat with your cohorts. Surely you aren't planning on refusing an order from your queen?" she said, silently wishing she had her staff with her but glad she didn't, her anger was almost as strong as when she went after Callisto in an attempt to avenge Perdicus' death.
"No, of course not." she flashed her friends a look, conveying that she knew she was in trouble and took off her apron and gloves. Gabrielle turned on her heels and stormed off toward the training grounds, not bothering to look back. She knew they were all following her there.
Eponin was leaning against a stool, showing the young Amazon girls a new drill with the staff when she saw Gabrielle approach with a look that meant business, followed quickly by a half dozen Amazons. The bard softened her features and walked up to one of the young girls. "May I use that for a few moments?"
"O-of course, my queen." the young girl replied, quickly handing over her staff. Gabrielle took it and patted the girl on the head while getting used to the feel of the weapon, slightly shorter than her own but still quite useable.
"Thank you." the bard said before turning to Eponin. "I need this field."
"My queen, this isn't necessary." Gryne said.
"What's going on?" the stocky warrior said, reaching for her crutches. One of the young girls carried off the stool.
"Tell her, Gryne." Gabrielle said. "Tell her how you and your friends were the ones who beat on Xena while she was chained up and defenseless."
"What?" Eponin asked, looking at her friends. She of course had heard about the attack, but no one knew who was responsible, except Dyna and Alessa, and they refused to tell.
"She deserved all that and more, Gabrielle." Gryne said, receiving several murmurs of agreement from her friends. "Did you forget that she beat on you too? Or are you still in awe of the mighty Xena?"
"Choose your weapon, Gryne." the bard shot back angrily.
"Now just wait a moment." Eponin said, hobbling over on her crutches to stand between them. "Gryne, is what she says true? Did you?"
"Ep, look at what she did to you. How can you even think of questioning what we did? She attacked you, left you for dead."
"Get a weapon." Gabrielle repeated, setting herself in a battle stance. Eponin looked from one woman to the other and back to the smithy again.
"Gryne, you knew Ephiny was going to put her on trial. Justice would have been served." she tried again.
"Justice? I gave her justice. I made her hurt like she had hurt you, Ep. Look at you, you can't even walk without help. Where's the justice in that? Xena deserved a hades of a lot worse than what we gave her. How can you even think that she didn't?" she turned her attention the angry queen. "And you...you're so...I don't know what over her that you can't even see that what we did was the right thing to do. She tried to kill Ep and Solari. Don't you even care about them?"
"I risked my life to save them, Gryne." Gabrielle replied, still maintaining her stance. "I fought Xena to protect them when they were down. Don't EVER accuse me of not trying to protect my Amazons."
"Yeah, like you're protecting them at the hearing? 'Oh Xena saved my life, oh Xena this and Xena that. Why don't you recommend her for godhood?" the smithy said sarcastically.
"Gryne, she's still the queen." Eponin gently warned.
"The queen who's got a soft spot for warlords." the grey haired Amazon taunted. Never one for tact or for knowing when to back down, she continued. "You don't want to fight me, little girl. Before I became a smith I was an expert with a sword."
"Can you fight someone who isn't tied up?" the bard replied.
"I could beat you any day. You should make it a royal challenge, at least that way we would end up with a queen that would truly lead us, not just pop in and out whenever she felt like it." Gryne's friends shuffled their feet and looked at each other. The situation was quickly getting out of hand. It was one thing to beat on Xena, it was quite another to threaten the queen.
"Oh yeah, you're just what the Amazon nation needs, someone who attacks people when their chained up and defenseless." Gabrielle taunted, her own anger near full force.