One Wild Ride
Part 25
Xena pressed her forehead against the rock as the rainlashed at her back, wondering briefly if there was something more than natureconspiring against them. She couldfeel the strain of Ares almost dead weight pulling against the rope she now hadlooped over one shoulder, and her fingers felt cramped as she tenaciously triedto hang on to the slick rock.
Across from her, and a little below, she could seeGabrielle’s jaw, rigid with muscle as the bard clung to the stone and slowly,carefully worked her free hand upwards to search for another hold.
The utter determination in her face was almostheartbreaking. Xena couldsee the scrapes on her skin, seeping blood quickly washed clean by the rain andher entire body was tense with the strain it was taking to keep herself, andher portion of Ares bodyweight up.
Xena took a breath, and almost.. almost released her handoff the wall to pull her sword and cut Ares free. As though sensing that,Gabrielle glanced over at her, eyes blinking hard to clear the rain from them.
“You okay?” The bard yelled over, watching her.
Resisting the urge, Xena nodded briefly, and then turned herattention back to the cliff wall. She wrapped her fingers around another tinyhold and set herself, then she pulled steadily upward, grimacing as the rockcut into her skin.
Ares was out cold. Xena found another hold and tookadvantage of it, feeling the rope burn against her shoulder. Or he was dead. Itwas impossible for her to tell at this point, since he was hanging limp belowthem and there wasn’t any place to stop and find out.
She’d stopped looking up. The top of the ridge never lookedlike it was getting any closer and she needed all her energy to just keepmoving.
Just keep moving. Xena focused on the rock, and herbreathing, as she scrabbled with her boots for a crack, a crevice, anything asher fingers cramped and she almost…
“Xena!”
Ah. A boot caught, and she gratefully eased her weight ontoit. “I’m all right! You?”
“I suck!”
A pained smiled crossed her face. In the back of her mind, where she kept shoving it was theknowledge that what they were doing might not even be worth it, at this point,and she suspected Gabrielle knew that as well as she did.
“Know what?” The bard yelled, hoarsely.
“What?” Xena wearily inched herself up a bit more.
“Whatever we did to deserve this…”
“Gabrielle.”
“We didn’t deserve it.”
No, for once in her life, Xena truly believed that. Therehad been many times she’d deserved everything she’d gotten, but damn it all toHades, this wasn’t one of them.
She paused, as she felt a vibration under her fingers. “Holdup!” The warrior pressed her body against the rock, putting her ear to it tolisten intently. She looked through the now driving rain at Gabrielle, who hadstopped and was watching her again.
No more. Xena could read it in those exhausted, expressivegreen eyes. She felt the rumble under her body again, then she almost jerkedright off the cliff when a loud, thundering crack sounded right over them andshe felt movement where there should be none against her skin.
Time was up.
Now, all there was, was all she was and all she could do waswhat she was capable of. Xena released her hold and shoved herself outward, reaching out to grabGabrielle’s arm as the mountain started coming down around them.
She shifted her grip and latched on to Gabrielle’s belt withone hand, shoving and clawing her way up the shifting stone with furiousenergy. “Keep moving!”
“B.” Gabrielle cut off her speech and just did it. Shereached for handholds as thehandholds fell away from her finger tips. The rock moved, but it stayed inplace long enough for her to scramble upward along side Xena, as debris started to come down on both ofthem.
“Go go go go go.” Xena bellowed in her ear, as they bothmoved in unison, boots scrabbling against the falling rocks. She got hold of awidening crack and pulled them both up over it, painfully aware of the dragagainst her back that was Ares limp body.
Cut him loose?
No time. Gabrielle managed to clamp on to a jutting boulderand they were over it, rocks slamming into them from above
It should have hit them. Xena felt it impact her shoulderand she instinctively shifted side ways and pushed backwards as it rolledacross her to fall free, leaving a depression more than big enough for her tojump into.
Gabrielle got in next to her and they both ducked, as a rainof stone slid down the mountain, Xena grabbing hold of her partner and yankingher into space as it rattled down under them and fell past. She got a hand onanother handhold and pulled up ward, then another, then another, and her feetwere sliding and sliding and barely able to keep her moving upward.
Another crack of lightning, this one so close every hair on her head stood up and shesmelled the burning scent of brimstone as Gabrielle suddenly yelled at the topof her voice and the next thing Xena knew the bard was on top of her and they were both thrown against therocks with stunning force.
She could taste blood in her mouth, and her shoulder achedwhere the rope was cutting into it and if she’d been able to grab her sword atthat moment….
Gabrielle yelled again, this time in terror.
Xena responded without thinking. She pulled them both to oneside as a rush of granite slid past her, slamming into her thighs as shecrouched and uncoiled her legs, sending both of them impossibly upward.
Her hand reached up, fingers flexing as she reached forsomething, anything, hoping for the slightest bit of firm stone to hold onto.
Something struck her hand and she clenched hold of it,almost releasing in shock when her skin touched something that wasn’t rock.
Something round. Something rough. Something that put welcomesplinters into the palm of her hand. With the last bit of strength she had, Xena hauledupward, feeling dirt and rocks thundering down on them with a scent of rain,and rock, and with shocking suddenness –
Earth. She tasted dirt. It leant a wild surge to her musclesand as the rock face broke away under her she made one last lunge upward,everything falling down around her and under her as she half climbed half ranacross the lip of the cliff into a maelstrom of wind that very nearly blew herbackwards.
Her feet started to slip out from under her, as Ares weightdragged them both backwards, but she got her balance and lunged forward,hearing a hoarse yell come from her throat in pure animal frustration.
Damn it! She threw herself into the wind, daring it to denyher.
And there was nothing but air in front of her hands as therain drove full force against her body. She pulled Gabrielle up and they crawledforward against the momentum of the avalanche, boots sliding over stone thatbecame, at last, something other than that.
She stumbled forward, and crashed to her knees as Gabriellefell next to her and she half turned to reach for the ropes only to find Aresstill form half a body length behind them, covered in blood and dust.
Motionless.
Then lightning struck the ground past her boots, and blindedher. She threw her arm up in front of her eyes as the flash faded, blinkingpainfully as the sound of thunder was replaced by the sound of rain all aroundher, striking the thick earth churned up by the storm.
As she watched, the edge of the cliff slid away from them,disappearing in a crash of falling stone that rapidly faded into the continuedrolling of thunder.
The new precipice started barely a handspan beyond Aresfeet, a mute line drawn that separated them from oblivion by the narrowest ofmargins.
Shocking. Xenadrew in a shaky breath.
Far off, she heard the booming roar as the avalanche hit thebottom of the valley, as Gabrielle sprawled across her legs, shaking like aleaf.
For a long moment, all she could do was sit there and shake,every muscle in her body turned to jelly as her chest heaved, sucking in airthat was equal parts water, her heart hammering so hard in her chest it madeit’s own thunder in her ears.
She looked up at the sky, then around her, hardly believingshe could finally see a horizon that had no mountain walls in it.
Her eyes went to the god of war, lying utterly still therein the rain. She watched his back for a long moment, and saw no movement, andher heart slowly sank.
Then her eyes dropped to Gabrielle’s huddled form, and sheput painful and shaking arms around the bard, hugging her in simple, mindlessrelief.
For a moment, at least, she just wanted to sit here, and hope they didn’t get hit by lightning. Anything beyondthat…
Life could wait a while.
Breathing hurt. Gabrielle found herself in a place where she was too tired to even cry,her body shaking so hard from the exertion she was banging her head againstXena’s ribcage. All she could feelaround her was chaos, the rain and the thunder rattling against her skin
Her overstressed muscles ached, sharp daggers of painlancing through her that made it far easier to remain very still, her earpressed against Xena’s side as she felt the warrior’s heartbeat thunderingagainst it. The landslide hadhappened so fast, she hadn’t even had time to be afraid, not of that at anyrate.
A moment of terror, yes, when she’d seen the boulder headingfor Xena, fear of losing her soulmate sending her into a surge of reaction thathadn’t left any room for anything else.
Now, she closed her eyes and breathed in lungfuls of airthat smelled like rain and dirt, impossibly glad to feel mud against herfingers, soft and cold and welcome after the harsh stone she’d grown to hate.
She felt Xena take a deep breath, and reluctantly, shereleased her tight hold, rolling half over to lay on her back across Xena’sthighs.
Rain hit her in the face, and she shaded her eyes with onehand so she could look up at the warrior, outlined against the storm tossedsky. Xena’s face was drawn andexhausted, more so than Gabrielle could ever remember seeing her even in theworst of times. “Xe?”
Blue eyes searched her face. “Ares.” The warrior said,briefly. “I don’t think he made it.”
Slowly, Gabrielle rolled over onto her side and blinked,staring through the thick rain to the still, sodden figure. “Oh.. “ Sheexhaled. “Oh, no.” She let herhead rest against Xena’s knee. “Now what?”
Now what? Good question. Xena looked down at her hands,resting on Gabrielle’s body, washed clean of the mud and dust. At the edge ofher senses, she could feel the sword of war behind her, an almost tingle thatmade the center of her shoulderblades itch.
They had all made it out. But now, what good did that do ifAres hadn’t survived?
Had he won, at last?
Xena flexed her hand, drawing it up so she could look at thecallused palm, scraped and reddened from the climb and covered with deepscratches and cuts. After amoment’s thought, she reached over her shoulder and firmly clasped the Sword,drawing it out and feeling the bone deep tingle that reached down into her gutsand set them burning.
This was a part of her. She knew it. She closed her eyes andlet herself feel the power of it, acknowledging the synergy of her soul thathad, in it’s depths, a home for this thing, and this feeling, and the promisebehind it.
Yes. Xena’s eyes opened, her lashes fluttering to ridthemselves of the droplets of rain. This was, in fact, part of who she was.
Then she took a deep breath and with a twist of hershoulders, and a wrench of her seated body, she threw the Sword of War from herand over the newly cragged precipice, sending it back into the valley with amoment of darkly savage joy.
As the sparkling sword disappeared into the mist, Gabrielleturned to look at her, eyes widening, as a blast of lightening send themsprawling to the ground, blinded and deafened.
But ultimately triumphant.
**
The thunder diminished.
The rain abated, slowing rapidly from a stinging patter to agentle mist, and then into nothing, even the sound of it drifting into a moist,expectant silence.
When the light faded enough for her to open her eyes,
She blinked and looked up at him and for the first time in along time saw the god and not the man, cold cruelty in the almost unfamiliarexpression.
And yet. Theblade touched her skin, pricking it as they stared at each other in silence.
He was back in his dark leathers, and despite the apparentdanger Xena could only feel a sense of profound relief, broken as Gabriellegasped and lunged over her, knocking Ares sword aside as she sprawledprotectively over Xena’s body in a rush of warm panic.
It knocked the wind out of her and exposed Gabrielle’sunprotected back to the blade now sweeping back towards them and without reallythinking about it Xena clasped the bard to her and rolled to her right, curlingher body around Gabrielle’s protectively.
Ares snorted softly. “Two of a kind.”
Xena remained still, just watching him. He let the point ofthe sword drop to the ground and rested his hands on the hilts, and after amoment, she relaxed and eased off Gabrielle. “Thanks.”
“Ungh.” Gabrielle lifted a hand to rake the hair from hereyes. “What she said.”
Surprisingly, Ares came over and sat down next to them, placinghis sword across his knees and resting his elbows on it. He folded his handstogether and regarded them quietly.
Around them, a thick forest clustered, branches whisperingin the light wind that brushed over the ground they sat on, bring the smell ofpine, and a hint of change with it. It was almost as though the earth were holding it’s breath, waitingalong with them for who knew what?
“Glad you made it.” Xena finally said, as the silencelengthened past her tolerance.
“Bet you are.” Ares responded, but curling around the smartremark was a wry humor that surprised them both. “But who says we did?”
Gabrielle sat up, then thought better of it and dropped backdown onto her side, resting her head on Xena’s thigh. “I’m done.” She admitted.“And we must be on the way to Elysia, Xena. Ares said something nice tous.” She curled her fingers aroundXena’s leg and sighed.
“Don’t think so.” Xena turned her hands over and looked atthem. “I hurt too much to be dead.” She stated, after a brief silence.
“Ungh.” Gabrielle closed her eyes. “Take your word for it.”
Ares shifted a little. “Yeah, I noticed that.”
They sat there looking at each other for a while. “So.. youdied?” Gabrielle finally asked.
The god of war nodded.
Gabrielle felt as though a heavy brick had fallen on her.“After that sideways crevice.” She murmured. “Was it then?”
Ares studied her briefly. “Yeah.” He sniffed, and halfshrugged. “One minute I was hanging there, next minute, everything just stoppedworking. Freaky.”
Xena well remembered that moment of release. “So how wasit?”
“Sucked.” Ares responded succinctly.
Coming into the reality of Tartarus – yeah, that had sucked.Xena recalled. Even though she’d expected it, the pain and the shock of thetorment had been overwhelming.
Was that why she’d sought out a return? All along she’dalways clung to the notion it had been Gabrielle’s need for her that drove herfight back to life, but wasn’t that just an excuse? Really? “Yeah.” She studiedthe ground between her knees, very aware of the green eyes looking up at hercuriously. “It sucks.”
Ares turned his sword over, his head tilted to one side ashe looked at the blade. “Sure find out fast who your friends are, that’s afact.”
Xena set aside the bleak memories for some marginally betterones. “Yeah, I um… “ She cleared her throat a little. “I got past the shock ofit all and first thing I realized was.. oh boy, did I ever make a mistake.” Hereyes dropped to Gabrielle’s face, seeing the ghosts clearly reflected in herexpression. “Screwed that one up big time.”
The bard was so exhausted, all she could do was look back ather partner with loving, if mute, agreement. Every bone in her body ached andjust lying still on the churned and muddy earth was an unspeakable pleasure.
She knew what they were going through now was important, butit was only in a far off way and all the ability to worry about what happenednext had drained from her completely.
She was here.
Xena was here.
Life was going on.
“Well.” Ares sighed. “There I was, dead.” He shook his heada little. “Way unexpected, you know? Gods don’t die much, you’d think it’d cause a stir someplace. Right?”
“Sure.” Xena said.
“Nobody gave a damn.” Ares shrugged again, and looked offinto the distance. “Even my sister said it was a good thing.”
Xena realized at that moment it was still in her to feelemotionally shocked at something, which was a surprise. She thought she’d seenit all, and even though she had experienced the depths of cruelty – thissurprised her.
Gabrielle rolled over and sat up, pressing close to herpartner. “I can’t believe that.”
“Believe it.” Ares tried for a mocking tone, but didn’tquite achieve it. “Yeah, well. I shoulda figured. Bunch of jerks anyway.”
The bard looked up at Xena, the warrior’s profile sharply outlinedagainst the gray sky. No matter how angry she’d been at Ares, no matter whathe’d done to her, or them, or tried to – she didn’t have it in her to not feelbad for him.
As much problems as she’d had with her own family, she’dnever felt indifference from them. Was that worse than hatred? Gabriellethought so. Even in their anger,she and Xena were always passionate in their feelings and she knew she wouldalways want that over a turned back.
Poor Ares.
“Sorry, Ares.” Xena finally said, after a long pause. “Beenthere. It’s not much fun.” Sheadded. “But for what it’s worth, I’m glad we got you out of there, anyway.”
Ares studied her in thoughtful silence. “You gave adamn.” He remarked. “Surprisesurprise.”
Xena nodded slowly, after a moment’s pause.
“So did you.” The god of war turned his attention toGabrielle. “Now that was freaky.” He pulled up a blade of grass, studied it,and after a moment, put it in his mouth.
“Was it?” Gabrielle managed a wan smile. “Ares, despiteeverything that’s happened between us, you’re a part of our lives. We knowthat.”
Ares chewed thoughtfully on the grass as he gazed past them,for once most of the arrogance gone from his expression.
Xena shifted and moved closer to him, leaning on one arm andletting the other rest on her knee. After a moment, she reached out and touched his leg instead. “She’sright.” The warrior said. “Much as we bang heads, I didn’t want to see you diein there, Ares. You’ve got a place in the world that means something.”
Ares eyed her. “You coulda had that place.” He said, in amild tone.
“I know.” Xena’s tone was equally gentle.
“You could have had it all.” The god of war responded. “Iused to think you said that BS just to piss me off, but you really didn’t meanit. I knew you’d take it if you could. I knew that, Xena.” Ares leaned forward.“I felt it.. I was as sure of it as I was sure of… “ He paused, then exhaled alittle. “Totally sucks being wrong, you know that?”
“I know.” The warrior repeated, knowing all too well what hemeant. “But you’re not totallywrong, Ares. I do want it.”
Ares blinked. So did Gabrielle, who turned her head andlooked up at her partner in true surprise.
Xena shrugged. “I just want something else a lot more.”
“Hey.” Ares cleared his throat.
Jarred by the sudden change of subject, Gabrielle halfturned and regarded the sharp, new edge of the cliff. “Hope they were out ofthe way when that fell.. Xena, maybe we can..”
“HEY!” The god of war barked sharply, regaining theirattention immediately. “If you two would shut up long enough, I’d show youwhere your nasty little friends ended up.” He pointed over his own shoulder atthe grass just behind them. “Why you’d want em back I’ve got no idea.”
Gabrielle looked past him to see two huddled forms in thegrass, exhaling against the knots in her gut from a flurry of mixed emotions.“You brought them up here?”
“No.” Ares got up, brushing the dirt off his leathers. “Theyflew on their own.” He waited for them to stand up. “So you owe me one.”
Xena put her hands on her hips. “Let’s just say we’re even,huh?” She reminded him. “We did drag your ass up here.”
Ares’ lips quirked. “Likewise.” He took a step back, andgave himself a shake. “Mortality. Peh. Keep it.”
“We will. Thanks.”
Gabrielle stepped close to Xena and wound an arm around herwaist, getting the expected draping of the warrior’s own arm over hershoulder. As the god of war turnedand raised his hands, Pony stirred in the grass and rolled over.
Ares paused, and waited, lowering his arms to cross themover his chest instead. “Might as well get a little more fun out of this.” Hechuckled.
The bard sighed. “Some things never change.”
By anyone.
Xena took a deep breath. Gabrielle could feel the tension inher rising, as they watched the Amazon lift her head and look around; preparedfor the anger and accusations she knew would follow.
Their eyes met.
Pony blinked. “Holy crap.” She blurted. “We found you!” Sheturned and shook Granella, who was groggily coming to next to her. “Gran.. heylook!”
Granella sat up and rubbed her eyes, looking around inbewilderment. “From a river to this?” She looked up and spotted Xena andGabrielle. “Hey!” A smile appeared. “We came out looking for you guys, and b…”Her eyes shifted, and apparently she saw Ares for the first time. “Uh.”
Pony’s eyes widened, as the god became visible to her aswell. “Oh.” She looked back at Xena and Gabrielle. “It’s been one of thosedays, huh?”
Xena licked her lips. “Yeah.” She managed to get out. “Oneof those days.”
Gabrielle felt incredibly offbalance. She found herselfspeechless, so she let Xena do the talking and turned her eyes to Ares instead.
The god of war was watching her, a faint smile on his face.
“That was you?” Gabrielle mouthed. “You made them forget?”
Ares shrugged, as modestly as he was capable of.
The bard released her partner and walked over to him,pausing only when they were face to face, within inches of each other.
Ares raised his eyebrows at her. “What?”
Without further hesitation, Gabrielle stepped forward andput her arms around him, giving him a hug. Then she released him, took one lookat the widening eyes, and shifted her hold to around his neck, pulling him downto kiss him squarely on the lips.
“Blf..”
Gabrielle eased back and looked him in the eye. “Now, we oweyou one.” She whispered. “Thankyou, Ares.” She let him go and took a step back, clasping his hands before shereleased them and let her hands drop to her sides.
Xena put her hands on Gabrielle’s bare shoulders and watchedin bemusement as Ares tried to recover his composure with a marked lack ofsuccess. She had to smile when hefinally just pointed at Gabrielle and looked at her, his jaw still hanging opena little.
Xena shrugged, as modestly as she was capable of.
With a shake of his head, Ares snapped his fingers and wasgone, leaving a gray, cloudy spot in the air that filled with a moist wind.
Gabrielle turned, and fit herself into Xena’s embrace,burying her face into the warrior’s shoulder in a moment of perfect and utterrelief. The longest day of herlife had finally ended, on a rainy afternoon under a storm tossed sky thatcouldn’t have been sunnier.
By the gods.
**
“Ow.” Gabriellegrimaced and turned her head, as Xena spread some pungent green substance overthe scrapes that liberally covered her body. “Can’t I just keep bleeding alittle instead?”
“No.”
“Hey, Gabrielle?” Granella was crouched over a small fire.“I’m just going to grill these, okay?” She poked two sticks through one of thefish Xena had just pulled from the small river they were stopped by.
“If you’d cut em up and given them to me raw, that’d be okaytoo.” Gabrielle responded. “I’ll be over here chewing on Xena’s leathers.”
The humor felt forced and ghoulish to her, but the emotionaloverload had pushed her to her limits and she really didn’t know how else toreact. The memories of the valley were so fresh, she found herself retreatingback into a mirror of Xena’s matter of fact manner and she wondered if herpartner realized it.
“Gabrielle.”
The bard looked up. “I want a stuffed animal to hug.” Sheuttered. “Let me know when it’s okay to freak out, will you?”
Xena gazed at her battered friend with wry understanding.“Just put it aside, hon.” She pushed the thick, shaggy hair out of Gabrielle’seyes. “Don’t think about it. We’ll deal with it later.”
Gabrielle was watching her. “Boy, I wish I were yousometimes.” She said. “How far arewe from home?”
Pony came over and crouched next to them,
Free ride. Gabrielle exhaled slowly. “Thanks.” She said, hereyes searching Pony’s face for any hint of the angry bitterness she’d seenthere so recently.
The hazel eyes looked back at her with only curiousity,their usual stolid warmth firmly in place. “No offense, your Maj, but you looklike Hades.” She remarked.
Just put it aside.
Easier said, you know? “I bet I do.” Gabrielle responded. “I feel like I fell off a cliffinstead of climbed up one.” She shifted her boot, moving her leg into thesunlight that had finally, fitfully emerged from behind the clouds.
“We’re about a day’s walk.” Xena took the nuts from Pony andsat down next to her partner, gazing at the reddened scrapes and bruises on herown legs. “If we push it.”
The sun broadened it’s reach, and Gabrielle found herselfbathed in it, the friendly warmth chasing the damp chill from her skin as shelay there sprawled on the soft earth. “You want to get moving after we finish here?”
It felt so wonderful. She flexed her aching hands, andgingerly spread her arms out to take advantage of the golden heat.
A fingertip tapped her lip, and she opened her mouth, hernose already identifying the item being placed inside.
Amazing. Gabrielle opened her eyes and looked around,finding a smile forming when Xena dangled a bunch of the fruits at her with aknowing grin. “Wow.” She lickedher lips. “Those are incredible.”
Xena leaned back against the thick grassy tussock next toher and worried another berry off the bunch, offering it to her in silence. Thedark circles around the bard’s eyes, and the painfully strained lines of herface would, she knew, be erased in time but there was a wounding in the depthsof her that Xena knew would take very gentle handling.
The Xena Gabrielle had first known would have never had thepatience to deal with that. Luckily for them both, she was no longer that person.
Both women blinked at her, jaws dropping a little insurprise. “Uh.” Pony’s nostrilsflared. “Fine with me.” She lookedquickly over at Gran, who lifted one hand off her fish rods and waved it.
“More than fine with me.. long as you guys are here, andsafe.. I’m cool with it.” The dark haired woman stated. “No problem.”
Gabrielle took a handful of the berries and leaned backagain. She desperately wanted to get home, but she knew both she and Xena wereat the end of their physical ropes. A big part of her wanted to push on anywayreasoning that if they could make it up the cliff, what was a little nightwalking?
“Gab.” Xena lowered her voice, and leaned closer. “I knowyou don’t want to stick around here.”
“Shh. Stop reading my mind in front of other people.” Thebard whispered back, in a resigned tone. “They’re going to think we’re weird.”She paused thoughtfully. “Well, weirder than they already think we are,anyway.”
One of the warrior’s dark brows etched up sharply.
“Sorry.” Gabrielle reached over and took Xena’s hand,feeling the roughness of the scrapes against her fingertips as she squeezed it.“I’m just so tired my head’s going in every direction.”
“Uh huh.” The warrior looked both ways, then exhaled. “I’mbeat, too.” She admitted. “I can’twalk all night. I’m gonna end up plowing into a tree.” She edged forward andlet her head rest against the grass. “Maybe we should have asked him to send ushome.”
Gabrielle gazed up through the pattern of the leaves,watching a squirrel dart among the branches. “Maybe he would have.” She agreed,after a short pause. “I think he might have… if we asked.”
“Mm.”
The bard found her thoughts turning from the horror, to amore familiar worry. “I miss Dori.”
“Me too.” Xena replied in a soft tone.
“Wonder what trouble she’s gotten into this time?” Gabriellemused. “So many opportunities for mischief, so little time…” She fell silent,and they watched the sunbeams together, deep in thought.
“Gabrielle?” Xena spoke up, after a while.
“Mm?”
“We made it out of there.” Xena watched their two companions fuss over the fire,feeling a sense of surrealness over the scene. “I didn’t think we would.”
Gabrielle watched the squirrel scamper upward. “I never feltthat way.” She finally said. “I always felt like we were going to make it; Ijust wondered what kind of price we were going to pay doing it.”
Xena flexed her hand, wincing at the deep cuts in the palm.“Yeah.”
“I didn’t mean that kind of price.” The bard mused. “Wealways pay that way, Xena. I’ve never seen two people get more beat up by lifethan we do.”
“Ungh.” Xenaexhaled. “Ain’t that the truth.” She stretched her booted legs out fully.“Maybe that’s’ the price we pay for us.”
The squirrel bolted down the tree and ran across the leafyground, hopping over Xena’s boots and climbing over Gabrielle’s leg in a flurryof pinprick toenails and lashing tail before it jumped on a rock anddisappeared past her.
The bard watched it in bemusement. “Cheap enough then, Iguess.”
“Mm.”
They reclined in silence together for a little while, as thefragrant smoke from the fire trickled out through the leaves carrying the smellof grilling fish with it.
It was all so impossibly normal. Xena turned her head to look at her partner, to findGabrielle already looking back at her. The warrior sighed, and folded her hands over her stomach. “Change ofplans.” She raised her voice.“We’ll head out after we finish that.”
Pony looked up from the fire, a surprised look on her face.“You sure?” She asked, hesitantly. “You guys look kinda mashed.”
“We’ll be okay.” Gabrielle wiggled her feet. “We just wannaget home. I miss my kid, and the rest of my family.”
Gran looked up at that, and smiled, with totalunderstanding. “Right there with you, sis.” She chuckled. “I can’t imagine whatToris has let those punks get into, and they’re total innocents compared toyours.” She turned the fish. “Though I doubt they got into much trouble in aday.”
Xena and Gabrielle exchanged glances.
“Hers can.” Pony gave her Queen a humorous look. “But she’sactually been pretty cool with Eph.”
The bard smiled back, and then relaxed once more, happy withthe change of plans even though she knew it was going to make them bothmiserable before the night was over. As much as she wanted to rest, she felt in her guts a powerful urge tobe moving and over the years she’d come to realize that instinct wasn’t oftenwrong.
Xena had it. She couldn’t explain it sometimes, any morethan Gabrielle could, but when she ignored it she was unhappy and when theyboth ignored it, usually disaster happened. Frankly, she was tired of disaster happening for this moon, sothe sacrifice would be worth it.
Or at least, she hoped it would. She closed her eyes as the sun splashed over her face andfelt Xena’s hand settle casually on her arm, the idle stroking of her thumbagainst the bard’s skin a comfort all out of proportion to the action.
The closeness brought her it’s own kind of peace, and shespent a moment thinking about what they’d just been through and how easy itwould have been for them to turnon each other and let the frustration get the better of them.
She’d felt anger, definitely, but it had all turned outwardfrom her, from them, and now that she thought about it – the same thing hadhappened last time Ares lost his sword. She’d been angry at everything,everyone… except for Xena.
At the time, she’d thought it had to do with the whole bodyswitching thing, and how her emotions hadn’t really known what to do with allthat so she’d channeled her frustrations elsewhere. But in the valley, it wouldhave been natural to start fighting with Xena and she just hadn’t.
At the beginning, a little. But then they’d.. Gabrielle’shand dropped to her stomach, remembering for the first time in a while abouther suspicions. Gods, they’d lost track of that, hadn’t they?
“You okay?” Xena nudged her shoulder.
“Yeah.” Gabrielle responded. “Just thinking.” She glanced toher right and watched Xena’s profile, the muscles twitching gently around hereyes as she followed the flight of some bird overhead. “Xe?”
“Mm?’
“Do you really want to be the Goddess of War?”
“Sure.” Xena replied easily. “I also want to be the Queen ofGreece, and have someone make me baklava all day, but I’m not gonna hold mybreath waiting for any of that to happen when I’ve got you instead.” She waiteda moment, then glanced over at Gabrielle.
The bard was watching her quietly, her face half hidden inshadows.
“I’m a warrior.” Xena said, in a more serious tone. “Ofcourse that appealed to me. I won’t lie to you and say I wasn’t tempted.”
Gabrielle reached up and removed a twig from Xena’s hair. “Ifelt it.” She said, briefly.
“But you heard Ares.” The warrior continued. “What does thatget you, in the long run, Gabrielle? Ultimate Power? Or ultimate loneliness andboredom?” A shrug. “I’d rather have what we have, even though I know it can’tlast forever.”
“Maybe it can.” The bard said. “Last forever,” She mimickedthe warrior’s shrug. “You never know.”
“You never know.” Xena agreed, with a smile.
Gabrielle rolled over and settled on her side, tucking onehand around her partner’s arm and enfolding her fingers with the other. “I loveyou.” She remarked. “And I think every day I realize more and more why.”
Xena’s eyebrows lifted a little. “Gonna share?”
“No.” The bard’s eyes twinkled. “I’ll let you figure it outyourself.” She shifted her head into a more comfortable position and relaxedagain as the sun peeked through the trees and splashed them both with goldenbrilliance.
She never even realized it when sleep took her, the hazywarmth fading into a sun drenched dream with deceptive ease.
**
Xena was perfectly balanced on that point between waking andsleeping, when she could sense the comfort of oblivion on one side and yet, wasstill aware of her surroundings on the other. It was a twilight kind of feeling, neither one thing or theother, and she was having to fight hard to keep from going over that edge intothe comfort of joining Gabrielle in her dreams.
She had an excuse, and she knew it, and she also knew thatthe other two women would not grudge it to her, at least in this time andplace. But … Resolutely, Xenaopened her eyes and started counting leaves again.
Pony came over and knelt next to Xena, keeping her voicelow. “She okay?” She indicated the bard with a motion of her head. “You can seethrough her, practically.”
True. Though she was used to dealing with the enigma thatwas their relationship with the Amazons, Xena had to admit she faced some ofthe same uneasy discomfort she knew Gabrielle was feeling in knowing whathappened between them and Pony.
At least, with her, though, grumpy behavior wasexpected. “Yeah.” She answered,briefly, glancing down at her sleeping soulmate, who was now wrapped around herwith one arm curled around Xena’s waist. “Just tired right now. That last climbwas tough.”
“I can’t believe she did that.” Pony’s voice was, in fact,amazed. “Man, she’s so not into heights.”
“Yeah.” Xena felt a moment of wry pride. “She’s got guts, nodoubt about it.’
“Mm.” Pony fell momentarily silent. “You guys look prettybanged up.” She commented. “Whatin Hades did you find down there?”
“Trouble.” Xena answered. “Just a lot of trouble. We…” Shehesitated, at something of a loss to know what to say, how much to tellthem. “We were lucky to get out.”
“Wow.” Pony shook her head. “No offense, but glad we missedit.” She looked over her shoulder.“Food’s done.. think she wants any?”
Xena could see the faint motion of Gabrielle’s eyes undertheir lids and suspected the bard was dreaming. She didn’t like to wake her upif she was, unless she thought it was a bad one as the bard tended to be dazedand out of it otherwise. “Yeah.. gimme a few minutes. You guys go ahead.”
She waited for Pony to retreat back to the fire, before shereturned her attention to Gabrielle’s face, not really wanting to disturb thepeace she found there. After a minute, though, the bard’s eyes drifted open andshe looked up. “Hi.” Xena said. “Nice nap?”
“Ugh.” Gabrielle let her head drop back down on Xena’sshoulder. “Boy, was that a mistake.”
Xena rubbed the back of her neck, easing the tension shefelt under the skin. Gabrielle was funny about naps. Sometimes they worked forher, sometimes they didn’t. Xena supposed this was one of the didn’ts. “Sorryabout that. Thougth you could use a snooze.”
“Why did you let me do something that stupid?” Gabriellemumbled. “I feel like Argo is sitting on my head.” She grimaced at the pounding headache.
“I wish Argo was sitting on your head.” The warrior replied.“Then we’d get a ride home. C’mon.” She rubbed a little more briskly, workingher way down Gabrielle’s back. “Let’s get this over with.”
“Bleah.” The bard moaned. “When we get home, nothing betterget between me and our bed.”
Xena smiled briefly, and hoped it would all be just thatsimple.
Their lives were so seldom that.
**
Morning found them climbing down a rough, rocky path thatnevertheless was very welcome. Gabrielle had recognized the landmarks of theslopes above their new cabin, and her heart lightened with almost every stepshe took downwards.
She’d gone past exhausted, somewhere in the darkness, pushedthrough the need for sleep in much the way she supposed Xena did, when she hadto and now she was more or less in just a place where she could keep moving for as long as she needed to.
She just hoped she didn’t need to for very much longer.
Xena was in the lead, and Pony and Gran were followingthem. Gabrielle could hear the twowomen speaking every now and again, and the normality of the conversationpricked at her senses and worried her a little.
What would happen, for example, when they found out they’d beengone a lot longer than they thought? What would happen if she, or Xena slippedand started talking about things as though they’d been there?
What if, given the tendency for the worst to happen in theirlives sometime, what if Gran’sexperience in the valley led to a child?
Gods. Gabrielle felt her headache start up again.
She was she storyteller in the family. She was the one whoremembered, and wrote down, and kept track, and told the stories of their livesso that people would learn the lessons of them.
What story would this make?
“Hey, Gabrielle?” Gran took a few longer steps and caught upwith her. “ Can I asked you a question?”
Gods. “Sure.” Gabrielle ran one hand through her hair,sorting it and tucking it’s unruliness behind her ears. “I gotta get this trimmed. I feel like oneof those ponies down in town.”
Gran chuckled easily, a light sound that echoed weirdly inher ears. “Bet you’ll be glad toget home, huh?”
Easy enough to answer that one. “Oh, you bet.”
“Must have been really rough.. you’ve lost a lot of weight.”Gran said. “I can pretty much count every rib you have.”
“Yeah.” Gabrielle glanced down at herself. “Xena too.” Shestudied her partner’s shoulderblades, which were clearly visible under herskin.
“Yeah.” Granella went quiet for a moment. “How’d that happenso fast?”
Gabrielle thought about the question, more worried about whyit was being asked than what she was going to answer. “Well.” She exhaled. “Wedid a lot of fighting.. a lot of running.. a lot of swimming..and I had toclimb a cliff on not much more than a handful of berries and some water. Kindagets you, y’know?”
“Hm.. yeah, I guess.” Her sister in law sounded a littledoubtful.
Gabrielle tried another tack. “Not to mention what went onin there… some guys were chasing us.. and we found these strange big animals, and then…”
“Gab?” Gran lowered her voice. “We had Xena’s armor and hersword.” She said. “How’d she get it?”
Uh oh. The bard had forgotten completely about that. “Well, uhm…It’scomplicated.” She hesitated. “You know, anything that Ares is involved in..”
“Oh, right.” Gran hit herself in the head. “He must havegotten them from us… what was that all about, anyway? And that kiss? His eyesnearly came out of his head.”
“Yeah.” Gabrielle knew she was too tired to really thinkstraight. “He did us a favor.” She finally said. “It’s just… I can’t reallyexplain it.”
Surprisingly, Gran merely nodded. “He’s a strange one.” Sheglanced up. “No offense.” Then she peered past Xena’s stolidly walking form.“Hey, is that your famous tree?”
Gabrielle had never been so glad to see a piece of foliagein her entire life, even given that this particular piece held a special placein her heart. “Yep, it sure is.” She smiled. “Means we’re almost home.”
Home. Gabrielle would have been glad if home had been, as itonce had been, Cyrene’s barn. She just wanted a nice quiet place to sit down,and a warm shirt to put on. That wasn’t really too much to ask, was it?
“I’ll be glad to see it.” Gran said. “I forgot how much Ihated camping. Not to mention being wet.”
Gabrielle chuckled wearily. “I say that every time I go outin the wild, and I forget it as soon as I get home.”
They walked along together in silence for a few paces. “Ialways got the feeling you liked being out there.” Gran offered, after amoment. “That you never really.. “ She paused. “Amphipolis was just sort of aconvenience for you.”
Gabrielle found an echo in the question of some of theresentment she’d heard in the valley and acknowledged privately there was, asin most things, a kernel of truth in what Gran had said. She looked down at herscuffed and muddied boots, frowning a little.
“Sorry.” Gran said, after an awkward pause. “Bad time to beasking, I guess.”
“No.” Gabrielle sighed. “It’s true.” She looked at Granella.“I’m a wanderer at heart. I can’t deny that. There’s a part of me that willnever be happy living there.”
Granella looked back at her in some surprise.
“Kinda sucks for Xena.” The bard half shrugged. “Because shewould be. But that’s how life is sometimes, you know?”
“Mm.” Gran murmured, after a moment, a thoughtful look onher face. “I didn’t…well… yeah. I guess it does.” She watched Gabrielle fromthe corner of her eye for a few moments. ‘I thought it was the other wayaround, honestly.”
The corners of Gabrielle’s mouth twitched. “Most people do.”She said. “Sometimes people don’t realize how much of ourselves we’vesacrificed to be together.”
Now it was Granella’s turn to frown, and fall silent, andthe soft music of the forest surrounded them with a sense of finality, brokenonly by their soft footfalls, and Pony’s tuneless whistling.
They followed Xena single file into a thin, rocky path thatbore evidence of recent usage, making no effort to disguise their passage asthey made their way down the final slope above the cabin.
The woods came alive around them with figures, completelyunexpectedly, fierce forms with glinting arrows and loud voices.
“Hold it Don’t move or I’ll have twenty points in you!” Abellow sounded, from just to their right behind a thick shielding of branches.
They all stopped dead in their tracks.
Xena decided to leave her sword sheathed for the moment, andgive her partner a chance to keep them from being expediently spitted.
A pause. “Gabrielle?” Ephiny’s voice sounded hoarse.
“It’s me. It’s us.” Gabrielle reassured her. “What’s goingon?”
“Eph?” Pony added her own voice. “If you have them stick meI ain’t never getting over it!”
The leaves parted, revealing a haggared looking, swordwielding Amazon regent, who took one look at them and moaned in relief. “Thankall the gods and Artemis’ left breastplate. I’ve never been so glad to seeanyone in my life!”
“Ah.” Gabrielle rubbed the back of her neck. “Hoboy.”
“Oh oh.” Xena uttered, under her breath, as Ephiny came forwardand gave Gabrielle a big hug. “I don’t’like the sound of that.”
“Ungh.” Pony came up next to her. “Me either.”
“Boo!” Dori suddenly appeared from between two of the nowvisible Amazons, making a dash for her parents. “Told them! Told them it wasyou!”
Xena dropped gladly to her knees, ignoring the painfulpoking of rocks and twigs as she opened her arms and her daughter bolted intothem with a squeal of delight. She wrapped her in a hug and stood, as Gabriellewatched them from over the curve of Ephiny’s shoulder.
“Yes!” Dori gave her a kiss on the cheek. Something tied toher hair swung and nearly bopped Xena in the nose. “Told them.”
The warrior pulled her head back a little so her eyes couldfocus, and recognized the object as an Amazon feather, fastened in properregulation style in Dori’s dark locks.
Uh oh. Her eyes flicked to Gabrielle’s. “Looks likeeveryone’s got a story to tell.”
“This ain’t gonna be pretty.” Pony muttered, under herbreath. “I can just feel it.”
**
“It happened by accident.” Ephiny said. “Like most thingsaround us, I guess.” She sighed. “Dori was bringing presents to grandma everyday.. you know, sticks and chickenheads and whatnot.. only this time she decided to bring some of her prettyrocks.”
“Ah.” Xena murmured. “Yeah.”
“You knew about those, right?” Ephiny paused, eyeing heruncertainly. “I mean, you knew what they were.”
Xena nodded, but didn’t elaborate any further.
“Anyway, they spilled out in the Inn, and once those bastardssaw them…”
“It really was terrible.” Solari chimed in. “I mean, youknow like most people suck, but that really sucked.” She rubbed the back of herknuckle against her nose. “They started accusing you guys of everything.”
“No one really knew.. anyway.” Ephiny said. “It was bad down there before – those merchantswere getting ugly and the council.. well, they were turning on your mom andall.”
Xena’s eyes took on a significant glint. “Bastards.”
“But when they saw that.. like forget it.” Solari said, halfturning to look at Pony. “We were seriously missing you.”
Pony sat up and her ears visibly pricked, though herexpression remained stoic.
“Yeah.” Ephiny agreed.
Gabrielle sat on their couch, Dori on her lap as shelistened to Ephiny’s tale in silence. She had her arms wrapped around herdaughter, and the taste of their trail bars in her mouth, her eyes flicking nowand again over to where Xena was listening as well.
She’d gotten out of her battered traveling clothes and intoa soft, clean shirt, and there was a steaming cup of hot tea next to her elbow,but it was half forgotten as she absorbed the situation they now foundthemselves in.
A mess. As usual. She heard Xena sigh, and she shifted her position a little, so she couldbetter watch her soulmate’s profile.
Here, in the warm light from the fireplace and the nearbywindow, she could see more clearly how drawn her partner’s face looked, and howdistinct the circles were under her eyes. She had her elbows braced on her knees and her chin propped on herfolded hands and despite the steady concentration in her expression, Xenalooked as tired as Gabrielle had ever seen her.
She could only imagine what she’d see in her own reflection.Being in their own so recently finished cabin only made things worse, becausethe comforts she’d been craving were so close, and yet – for now – impossibleto indulge in.
Fruit bats. Gabrielle sighed, and hugged Dori a little,reveling in the feel of the small yet powerful body wrapped in her arms.“Honey, were you good?” She whispered in one ear. “Did you behave for auntieEphiny?”
“Yes.” Dori whispered back. “Eff gimme this.” She held upthe feather. “Said I was good like mama.”
Ehrm. Gabrielle acknowledged the possible meanings of thatweren’t all wonderful, but gave her child another hug anyway. “Good girl.”
“Mama owie?” Dori turned her full attention to her mother,dismissing the chattering Amazons.
“No.” Gabrielle was glad enough to leave the listening toher partner for a moment. “Just tired, sweetie.. mama had a really bigadventure and I had to climb out of the mountain with your Boo.”
Dori’s eyes widened. “Mama!” She warbled. “You climbed themoutain?”
“Yeah.” Gabrielle reveled in a moment of very private selfpride. “I did. But it was really scary.”
“Go mama!”
Tired as she was, the bard felt a grin forming.
“Gabrielle.” Xena put a hand on her knee, startling her withthe sudden warm touch.
“Uh?” The bard looked back at her. “Sorry.” She gave Xena awry look. “Lost you a minute there – what was that?” She wasn’t sure what her face was showing, but the warriorshifted her hand and cupped her cheek instead, a comfort she wanted to justlean into and just not stop. “You want me to go talk to them?”
“I’m not sure talk’s gonna do much.” Ephiny looked at hersympathetically. “The bastards have been crawling up the damn hill at us.. I’mafraid they’re going to set fire to the woods next. We’ve just been lucky it’sbeen so damn wet.” She glanced at her partner. “Thank Artemis and all the godsyou were only gone a few days.. much longer and we’d have had some real trouble.”
Gabrielle froze, and looked at Xena, who looked right backat her with widening blue eyes.
“Yeah, well.. you can thank the gods for that one.” Ponyagreed. “I was falling my ass down a waterfall one minute, next thing I knew Iwas asleep on the grass on the top of the mountain, courtesy of the God ofWar.”
Ephiny’s jaw dropped. “You’re joking.”
“Nope.” Gran shook her head. “Me too.” She pointed to Xenaand Gabrielle. “But they didn’t get so lucky, as you can see.”
“Xe.” Gabrielle barely mouthed the word, then closed herlips as the warrior’s thumb shifted to cover them.
“Later.” Xena uttered. “I’m not sure what’s going on.”
Now wasn’t that an accurate statement? Gabrielle exhaled.“Okay.”
“Yeah, we had quite a time.” Xena spoke up more loudly,turning to face the Amazons. “Butwe’ve to other things to deal with right now. How many of them are there?”
Ephiny shook her head. “Hard to say.” She admitted. “I’mworried about the folks down in town.. it’s just.. Xena, it was like when they saw those gems, those merchantswent nuts!”
“Nuts.” Xena studied her folded hands. “What about themilitia?”
The Amazons were silent. Xena looked up after a minute, andmet Ephiny’s eyes, her own brows lifting. “Those men died for us.” She statedsimply. “None of them that were left were cowards.”
Gabrielle simply wrapped her arms around Dori and listened,unable to process the confusion she was feeling. A couple of days. A couple of days! The bard looked over ather partner, and wondered what the real truth of it was.
Had it all be a trick?
Or a nightmare? Gabrielle flexed her hands and felt thestinging soreness of them. No, damn it, some of it was real enough, that wasfor sure. That climb was real, and her body’s aching was real, and the hollowlook to Xena’s face was very real.
Maybe everyone else had been dreaming. Who could tell?
Right?
“No one said they were.” Ephiny said, holding her hand up.“We don’t really know what’s going on down there.. but you know, Xena.. money has a way of twisting people.Even the most loyal of them” Shejerked her chin at the pile of stones on the mantel. “And that’s a lot ofmoney.”
Xena got up and walked over to the clothing press againstthe wall, opening it, and taking out the distinctive shape of her armor with asoft clash of metal.
“We know.” Gabrielle took up the conversational ball. “We’veknown this mountain had gems in it.. and more.. for a while now. That’s why.. “She glanced at Xena’s silent back. “Well, that’s one reason we wanted you allto move here.”
“You knew.” Ephiny murmured.
“We knew.” The bard confirmed. “But you know, home has a lotof different meanings to both of us, and we decided to try and defend the homewe first knew when we came here.”
“Wow.” The Amazon regent rubbed her forehead. “That’s…Gabrielle, you’re making decisions for a lot of people down there, y’know?”
A shrug. “That’s what Queens do, don’t they?” Gabrielleasked, with a faint smile. “You have to have the big picture, and our bigpicture doesn’t include Amphipolis being destroyed and this mountain being torntot he ground all for pretty colored rocks.”
Ephiny considered that, and finally, she rocked her head toeither side. “I know what you mean, Gabrielle, but damn.”
“Well.” The bard leaned back, pulling Dori to her. “Most ofwhat we’re a part of is.”
Xena fastened her shoulder armor, buckling the worn strapsunder her arms. She turned and sat down on the press, picking up her kneeguards and setting one into place.
“Is that why you moved up here?” Ephiny split her timebetween watching Xena and addressing Gabrielle. “You could have said something.”
Could they have? Gabrielle sighed. For her, and for Xena,Dori’s pretty rocks had been just that. They’d sait down together and talkedabout it and realized that cliché or not – they really didn’t need anything buteach other and their child.
Really. Ohsure, they could go somewhere, and buy a villa near Athens… have nice clothesand fancy jewelry. But that meantgiving up the lives they had, and damn it, neither of them wanted to do that.Was it selfishness, or foresight?
Depended on your point of view, I guess.
Gabrielle felt Xena’s eyes on her, and she looked pastEphiny to see the Destroyer of Nations standing up, swinging a cloak around hershoulders and tacking it into place. ‘Xena.”
The Amazons all turned, as the warrior sheathed her sword andset it into it’s clips. “Gabrielle.” Xena answered, rolling the r’s a little asshe always did. “Grab your staff,and let’s get this over and done with..” She seated her chakram at her hip. “Iwant a bubble bath.”
The incongruity was charming, even to Gabrielle’s exhaustedmind. “Okay honey.”
“What are we doing?” Ephiny asked scrambling hastily to herfeet. Pony joined her, watchingXena warily. “Should we go get armed?”
“You’re not doing anything.” Xena said, as Gabrielle crossedbehind her and retrieved one of her staffs, tucked into a little alcove nearthe door. “Me and Gabrielle are going to go down to the village, and set thosepeople straight.”
Ephiny blinked. “Xena, no offense, but there are a lot ofguys down there. The last batch they sent up the hill were mercenaries.”
“I don’t care.” Xena dusted her hands off. “This is my town.My mountain, and my home. They want anything on it, they’re gonna have to takeit from me.” She put her hand on Gabrielle’s back. “C’mon. Hopefully I wont’have to kill too many people.”
The reality of the violence suddenly became apparent in theroom as everyone realized Xena meant exactly what she’d just said.
That something had changed, and this was no longer themilitia captain and the defender of Amphipolis talking, but a more ancientincarnation of who Xena was stepping forward once again into the sunlight.
“You can come with us if you want.” Xena finished. “Juststay out of the way.”
Gabrielle tightened her boot lacings and straightened,holding her hand out as Dori pattered after them. “C’mon Dori.”
“Gabrielle.. leave her here.” Granella spoke up. “What areyou thinking?”
The bard looked at her. “I’m thinking she’s our daughter.”She said. “And if she doesn’t know who we are, no one does.” She hefted herstaff in her other hand and followed Xena out the door, hoping only thatwhatever happened, happened quickly.
It was time.
**
It felt good to have her staff in her hand again. Gabriellelifted the familiar weight and used the end of the big stick to steady her pathas she led Dori down the worn rocks. “Careful there, Dori.”
“Mama.” Dori pattered along the stones with supremeunconcern. “Missed you.” She hopped down onto a bit of mossy granite, followingalong after Xena’s grim strides. “Missed you and Boo.”
“We missed you too, honey.” Her mother assured her. “But it wouldn’t have been fun for you,this time. Your Boo and I had to do a lot of crazy things.”
“No fun?”
“No fun.” Gabrielle confirmed. “It wasn’t like the lasttime, when we had lots of fun, didn’t we?”
“Yes.” Dori stopped to pick up something. “Mama, they triedto take Boo’s rocks.” She turnedand frowned at the bard. “H’com they did that?”
“Oh, I guess they thought they were so pretty, they wantedto have them.” Gabrielle dodged a low hanging branch. “But our friends wouldn’tlet them. Wasn’t that nice?”
“Eff mad.” Dori remarked. “Boom, boom boom.”
“Well, Ephiny really loves us, and wants to take care of usand our stuff, especially when we’re not here. That was really nice of her,wasn’t it?”
Her daughter booted a bit of stick out of her way, andwatched as it clattered down the path, skipping along until it bounced pastXena, who reached down and swept it out of the air without so much as missing astride. “Bad mens.” She decided. “No like.”
“Well… I’m sure we won’t like them either…” Gabrielle caughtup to her and put a hand on her back. “Xena, slow down a little, woudlja?They’ve been stewing all this time..they’ll wait a candlemark more.”
The warrior sighed aggrievedly, but slowed her steps untilthey caught up to her. “Stupid bastards.”
Gabrielle fully agreed. “What are we going to do?” Sheasked. “Are you just going to..”
“Yeah.” Xena replied. “I’m just going to.”
“Mm.”
They walked through the thickly leafed mountainside for awhile in silence, their steps slowing as they reached the intersection to theAmazon’s valley. Waiting at the cross in the path was a cluster of mostly barebodies, watching them approach.
Warriors, and armed. How Ephiny had sent word so fast, andthey’d gotten ready so fast, was anyone’s guess. But she had, and they had, andnow twenty of them were there, blending into the foliage and presenting asuitably fierce appearance.
Amazons. Gabrielle’s sometimes troublesome, sometimesindispensable other family – had Pony’s attitude in the valley reflected howthe tribe really felt?
Xena and Gabrielle stopped, then exchanged glances. After amoment, Xena nudged her partner, and Gabrielle released Dori’s hand and walkedover to the waiting Amazons. “Hi.”
Xena closed her eyes momentarily and lifted her hand tocover a smile. Some things justnever really did change, even after all the things they’d been through.
“My queen.” Solari stepped forward and saluted the bard.
“Solari.” Gabrielle responded agreeably. “What brings youguys out in all the froo froo?”
Oh boy. Xena took a seat on a nearby rock and picked Doriup, putting her on her lap. “So, what have you been up to, shortie?’
“Did lots of fun things, Boo.” Dori swung her booted feet.“Got to play with Auntie Eff’s peoples.”
Xena touched the feather in her hair. “Where did this comefrom?”
“Eff.”
“Uh huh.” The warrior murmured. “For what?
Dori blinked at her, big green eyes reflecting the spots ofsunlight. “Some of the peoples were being mean, Boo. Tried to take the ballaway. I gots them not.”
Xena nodded soberly. “Did you yell at them?”
“Yes.”
The warrior nodded again. “Did they listen to you?”
Dori shook her head, and poked her lip out.
“Did you have to go boom?”
Dori nodded.
“Is that why Ephiny gave you the feather? Because you wentboom?” Xena’s voice dropped alittle, still gentle, but with a hint of gathering steel.
“Eff says go like mama first.” Dori told her.
Xena sighed. “Well, as long as you yelled first.”
“Otay.” Dori agreed cheerfully. “But Boo, peoples nolisten.”
The warrior sighed again. “Yeah, I know.” She gave Dori akiss on her head. “But you always have to try talking to them first, Dori.Promise me you will, huh?”
Dori put her arms around Xena’s neck and hugged her. “Yakyak.” She said. “Go mama.”
“You got it.” Xena hugged her back. They walked over to where Gabrielle was standing,and listened as the bard talked to her people.
“Solari, we didn’t ask Ephiny to do that.” Gabrielle wassaying. “We said she could come along if she wanted but…”
“Uh.. Gabrielle?” Solari waved a hand at her. “I know youdon’t spend a lot of time with us, but…”
Gabrielle looked away, as the words echoed the sentimentsshe’d heard in the valley.
“We don’t really need anyone to force us to kick butts,yeah?” Solari finished. “It kinda comes with the package.” She indicatedherself, then turned to the others. “We’ve been waiting for you to get back…Eph didn’t really want to jump down your town’s throats, you know? Not withoutyou being here and all that.’
“Yeah.” One of Solari’s companions said. “We’re really gladyou’re back.”
“Why?” Gabrielle looked at her.
The woman’s jaw dropped a little. “Your majesty?”
“Why are you glad I’m back?” The bard asked, in a gentletone. “What do I do for you guys? I’m never here, I never find you betterhunting areas, I never give you anything. Why are you glad?”
Xena’s nostrils flared and her body stiffened in a bone deepreaction. She put a hand on Gabrielle’s shoulder, but stopped at the slightlifting of her partner’s hand, fingers spread.
A deep crease appeared in Solari’s forehead. “Did we dosomething to piss you off?” She blurted. “Cause I don’t know what you’retalking about, your Maj.” She said. “You feeling okay?”
Gabrielle gazed steadily at her. “I asked a simplequestion.” Rotten timing, sheknew, but sometimes there was just a time and place for something, and thisseemed to be it. “Be honest.”
Solari’s eyes dropped to the ground, then she turned andlooked at her companions for a long moment, before she returned her attentionto Gabrielle. She sidled a step closer. “Okay.” She said. “Look, it’s likethis.”
The bard cocked her head to one side, and waited.
“Weird shit happens to you guys.” Solari told her, bluntly.“Like, really weird shit, okay? Gods, monsters, weird people, creatures, chickswith glowing eyes, spirit winds, ghosts, people dying and coming back… you guysattract strange, y’know?”
Thrown totally off track, Gabrielle could only nodmutely. Xena reached up andscratched her ear.
“So, like.. when you’re around, it happens to us too.” TheAmazon said. “So it’s cool you’re not around all the time, okay?”
Gabrielle stared at her, then she looked at the otherAmazons. They all nodded rapidly.
“I mean it’s okay you moved us up here.” Solari clarifiedhastily. “It’s really cool now that it stopped raining, and there’s like, a lotto love. But it would be cool to have some time to enjoy it, yeah?”
Gabrielle studied them with a grave expression. Then she puta hand out and clasped Solari’s arm. “Okay. Let’s go then. We’d love thebackup. Right Xe?”
“Right.” Xena answered without hesitation.
The bard felt a strange sense of wry relief. “Then we’ll goback up to our place, and you won’t see us for a couple sevendays. Promise.”
Solari gazed at her warily. “You’re not pissed off? Youasked, y’know?”
“I’m not pissed off, and I did ask.” Gabrielle, finally,smiled. “Thanks for letting me know. I didn’t really ask for the position.. butI try to do the best I can with it.”
Solari tightened her sword and dusted her hands off. “Yeah,well..” She motioned the rest of the squad forward. “People who want that stuffusually shouldn’t get it. At least with you in charge, we know we ain’t gonnahave to go get shot at cause it’s that time of the month, yknow?”
“Mm.” Gabrielle pondered the question of whether she’d sendthe Amazons to war in the throes of a pre cycle depression, and decided itwasn’t really likely, at least at this stage in her life. She glanced over atXena.
“Yes.” The warrior skirted a tree and started down the pathagain. “But I didn’t enjoy it.”
“Ah.”
They hadn’t gone along for another several hundredbodylengths, when Xena paused and held up a hand. “Shh.” She turned her headinto the wind and tensed her ears, cupping the air to gather in the small,discordant sound that had alerted her.
There it was. The sound of wood against steel, and thethunder of hooves. “C’mon.” The warrior started a fast ramble down the rocks.“We got trouble.”
“See what I mean?” Solari sighed, and drew her sword, racingafter Xena. “It ain’t even been a candlemark, has it?”
Gabrielle grabbed Dori’s hand and followed, shaking herhead. “Learn something new every darn day around here, no doubt about it.”
**