For Better or Worse
By
Enginerd
(October 1997)
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Index |
Xena watched as Gabrielle's mother
walked towards them, her cold eyes fixed on the Warrior Princess.
"Where is Gabrielle?" She
asked briskly.
"Back in Amazonia mother,"
Sarah interjected drawing her mother's annoyed glare from the Warrior Princess.
"I asked Xena the question
Sarah, not you," she snapped then returned her gaze to the Warrior
Princess.
"Sarah is right, Gabrielle is
still in Amazonia," Xena responded cooly.
"You left her
there...alone?" She asked incredulously.
"Mother, she is not exactly
alo..." Lila blurted, quickly silenced by her mother's sharp stare.
"Gabrielle asked that I deliver
these scrolls to Sarah," Xena relayed, pointing to the treaty and demands.
"I did as she asked," Xena added simply, though the woman's words
weighed heavily on Xena's already concerned mind.
"She CAN be pretty
stub...born," Meleager interjected then coughed when his future
mother-in-law turned her icy glare towards him.
"Who will protect her from
that...that...woman?" The older woman blurted, having not slept since she
finally wore down her daughters' resistance to explaining to her the disturbing
reason for Gabrielle's abrupt departure.
Surprised the older woman was aware
of the situation, Xena looked over to Sarah and Lila, who shrugged innocently.
"Once these scrolls are signed,
the claim to Walsas is settled and Gurda no longer has an ability to challenge
the throne," Xena explained cooly, staring at the older woman.
Sarah quickly took her quill out and
decided now would be good time to sign the treaty.
"If Gurda challenges Gabrielle
now, it will be a personal challenge and she can name a champion to fight for
her. I will fight for her," Xena spoke calmly and confidently.
"Xena's the best fighter
mother," Sarah interjected as she blew on the ink to dry it, hoping to
further allay her mother's fears.
"She MUST be if she can fight a
woman in Amazonia all the way from WALSAS!" She snapped.
Xena's gaze dropped to the floor,
the mother's words successfully hitting their mark.
"Gurda wouldn't risk
challenging Gabrielle now, she'd be crazy to," Lila interjected, amazed to
find the Warrior Princess so...passive.
The older woman looked at her
daughters then Xena.
"A few years ago, I knew my
daughter," she paused wearily, slightly shaking her head. "The woman
you...travel...with," The older woman exhaled slowly. "...is not the
Gabrielle I raised," the woman relayed, looking up into the warrior's
eyes.
"Gabrielle has grown into an
amazing woman," Xena spoke with conviction.
"She is more willful, ready to
take chances...You know Gabrielle better than I do Xena. If she is challenged,
are you SURE she'll name a champion?" She asked and waited for and answer
that Xena didn't have.
"Xena," Sarah asked with
concern, seeing the warrior's face as she hesitated in answering. "She
wouldn't fight Gurda, would she?"
In front of the cave, the Amazons
watched uneasily as the challenge began. Immediately, the towering Gurda
launched into a fierce attack. Gabrielle stumbled backwards while blocking each
powerful strike from her opponent, who was trying to use her superior strength
to overpower the smaller bard.
Solari and Eponin gasped at Gurda's
intensity. Sustra just nudged a concerned Trayla and shook her head with a
knowing smile.
To Gurda's surprise, this BARD Queen
quickly responded with her own attack. Sustra noted that while the bard's blows
did not have the same power, they were more controlled and came closer to
hitting her opponent. Gurda's brow furrowed as she realized it would take
longer than she expected to beat this bard.
After long rounds of hitting and blocking,
blocking and hitting, Gabrielle knew she needed an edge. Gurda's strength would
eventually overwhelm her if they kept this pace up.
"First you loose the chance at
the throne," Gabrielle called out as she lunged towards the Amazon.
The Queen's attack was easily
deflected by the Amazon, who quickly countered with a grunt-filled attack of
her own. Gabrielle swiftly blocked the rapid strikes but at the expense of
valuable energy. The muscles in her arms started to quake with fatigue, never
before pushed so hard. Gods I should have practiced more, the bard silently
scolded herself.
"...and now your losing this
challenge," she blurted, continuing her verbal assault and making Gurda
very annoyed.
The bard thrust one end of her staff
with an enthusiastic and distracting cry. Deliberately stopping short of her
opponent's high block, she deftly reversed her attack. With an underhanded
thrust from the other end of her staff, she successfully slipped passed her
opponent's defenses, making solid contact with the Amazon's ribs.
Grins formed on the faces of the
hunting party as Gurda recoiled in pain.
"Tell me Gurda, aren't you
tired of losing to me yet?" Gabrielle continued her attack.
"Gods don't you ever shut
up?" Gurda spat with irritation as she lunged at the bard, who blocked the
attack but felt her strength draining away. The bard concluded she would
definitely have to practice more.
Gabrielle crouched down and
attempted to sweep the feet from Gurda, who easily jumped the bard's staff. The
bard looked up with wide eyes, realizing she was too slow and left herself
open. Not having enough time to raise her staff to block Gurda's next attack,
Gabrielle attempted to dive out of the way.
Sustra gasped watching Gurda's staff
plummet down with great force and strike the Queen's back. Gabrielle collapsed
into the dirt.
Still dazed by the blow, Gabrielle
barely managed to roll out of the way of Gurda's violent downward thrust, aimed
at the injured Queen's head. The smile of vicious glee faded from Gurda's face
when her staff only hit dirt. Gurda's eyes widened with the realization that
she had now left herself open.
"Ughh," Gurda groaned
loudly when the felled bard slammed the end of her staff in the Amazon's
already aching ribs.
Sustra blurted out her joy at the
bard's skilled move from the ground. "YES!!"
Stumbling back a moment, Gurda
gasped, allowing the bard time to get back on her feet. The fatigued Queen
quickly glanced over her shoulder at the gaping mouth of the cave. When Gurda
rushed her again, Gabrielle retreated into the black void to Gurda's surprise
and amusement.
"Running already Queen
Gabrielle?" Gurda laughed as she followed the bard into the darkness.
"It will only delay the inevitable..." Gurda blurted confidently.
Solari and Sustra grabbed their
torches. "No!" Eponin called to her sisters. "We can not
interfere," she relayed to the unhappy Amazons.
"I am not going to interfere,
just see what's happening. A challenge needs witnesses doesn't it??"
Sustra argued, taking a torch and lighting it.
"I'll go too," Raiz added
grabbing Solari's torch. "To witness..." Raiz added, making Solari
sigh and release the torch. Sustra nodded in agreement and entered the cave.
Ahead of their field of vision,
Sustra and Raiz heard the two women fighting in the dark. "Is she
crazy?" Raiz shook her head and asked Sustra.
"Well, you know Gurda better
than I do..." Sustra responded sarcastically.
The sounds they heard next were
confusing. In rapid succession, they heard a dull thunk, what they thought was
a muttered 'in the name of Hera', a very loud grunt, a swat, a moan and someone
collapse to the dirt.
As they rushed towards the noise,
their torch light revealed their exhausted Queen standing over Gurda. Gabrielle
held her staff at the ready, waiting for Gurda to move while praying she
wouldn't. Sustra smiled broadly when her Queen quickly glanced at her.
When Gurda rolled over on her back,
Gabrielle held her staff threateningly. "It's...OVER...Gurda,"
Gabrielle called out between gasps. Gurda lifted her hands to her forehead and
moaned. "Gurda!" Gabrielle yelled at her. Gurda nodded and lifted her
hands up in a formal gesture of defeat.
"It's over..." Gabrielle
exhaled with relief that the burden of the whole Amazon situation was finally
over. She looked up at her loyal Amazon, who was grinning ear to ear. Gabrielle
smiled back and forced her exhausted body towards her friend as Raiz helped the
moaning Amazon up.
"Don't be too relieved, we've
still got an egg to find," Gabrielle relayed with a grin to her friend,
who shook her head in amazement at the tenacity of this bard.
As they started to leave, a cold
gust extinguished the two torches. Sustra and Gabrielle heard Gurda's chilling
war cry, just before they felt the impact of the Amazon.
Xena rode Argo hard all the way from
Walsas and arrived in the Amazon village before the Amazon scouts at the edge
of the territory could even announce her arrival. She dismounted and rushed
into the Queen's hut. Bolting from the empty hut, Xena scanned the village and
called out for her bard. "Gabrielle? Gabrielle?" Xena waited uneasily
for a response.
"Xena! What's going on?? Why
are you so up..?" Ephiny met up with the Warrior Princess outside the
Queen's hut.
"Where's Gabrielle?" Xena
sharply interrupted her.
"Hunting for that
furry...chicken thing with a small hunting party," Ephiny relayed with a
shrug. "I'm not exactly sure why she was so determined to..."
"Where's Gurda?" Xena
interrupted, not attempting to hide her concern. Ephiny was too slow in
responding. "Where's Gurda?!?" Xena snapped impatiently.
"I don't KNOW Xena...what is
going on??" Without another word, Xena left for the caves, with the
confused and concerned Amazon close behind.
"I won, I've defeated the
Queen!" Gurda yelled triumphantly as the bruised and bloodied Amazon
stumbled out of the cave. The Amazons noted with shock the amount of blood on
her, unusual for a staff fight.
"Gurda!" Eponin blurted
angrily. "We will hear from our witnesses before declaring the
victor."
An uncaring Gurda sneered at her.
"Raiz! Come here!" She
spat back to the cave. Surprising Gurda, Raiz emerged with Sustra, helping
their injured Queen out of the cave. Gurda's mouth dropped.
"Raiz?" Gurda questioned
her, panicked she would actually help that bard.
"Aren't you..." Gabrielle
spoke with great effort. "...a little quick...to declare...victory?"
Gabrielle's breathing was labored.
There was so much blood, Eponin's
mouth dropped.
"Arrest her," Raiz spoke
coldly. The Amazons who arrived with Gurda froze, not knowing what to do.
"She acknowledged the Queen as the victor, then stabbed her in the
back," Raiz spit angrily, throwing the bloody dagger on the ground before
their feet. Elea and Raylas stepped up and grabbed Gurda's arms.
Gurda yanked her arms out of their
grip. "NO! Elea...Raylas...listen to me! I beat her! I beat her!"
Gurda shook her head emphatically, her eyes darted between the women that rode
with her, not getting the support she expected. She looked to Wynna and Karael,
who looked upon her with silent disgust. "NO! I WON...I WON," she
repeated as she frantically backed away from them. Suddenly, she made a mad
dash for her horse and mounted.
"Stop her!" Trayla called
out to the Amazons, as Gurda started to get away. Now a matter of personal
honor, the group that formerly rode with Gurda, rode after her.
"How are you doing?"
Sustra said with a shake in her voice, still applying pressure on her Queen's
wound. With only a moan in response, Raiz and Sustra lowered the very weak bard
to the ground.
"We need a healer NOW!"
Sustra blurted as she eyed Eponin, who nodded and quickly left with the most
important mission in her life.
Gabrielle moaned and shivered.
"ssso ...c cold," the bard mumbled. Raiz rushed to her horse and
retrieved a blanket. Sustra kept pressure over the wound.
"Oh Gods..." Sustra
silently prayed, not truly knowing fear until now. They placed the blanket
around the shivering bard the best they could.
"Fire...make a fire...,"
Sustra blurted to Solari, who numbly followed Sustra's orders.
"Stop the...bleeding,"
Gabrielle relayed weakly.
Sustra looked at the fire then Raiz.
"Sword, get your sword..." Sustra relayed nervously, seeing no other
options. She prayed she could do what needed to be done. Raiz nodded, standing
by, waiting for Solari to get the blaze going.
"Sustra?" Gabrielle called
softly.
"I'm here, Gabrielle,"
Sustra responded nervously.
"Tell Xena ...I love her,"
Gabrielle relayed, barely above a whisper.
"NO! No, I won't," Sustra
responded forcefully. "You'll have to tell her yourself Gabrielle."
The bard closed her eyes.
"Gabrielle? Gabrielle!"
Sustra yelled at the bard, whose eyes opened again.
"Tell her..." Gabrielle
softly urged the Amazon, grasping her arm with surprising strength.
As Sustra was about to cave in and
promise her Queen, she heard the frantic hoof beats of three horses approaching
them. Looking up she saw Eponin, Ephiny and the Warrior Princess arrive and
quickly dismount. Grabbing her saddlebags, Xena rushed over and knelt by her
bard.
"Gabrielle, I'm here,"
Xena informed the bard in a voice much calmer than her eyes, which anxiously
surveyed the injury after Sustra removed her hand. "I'm here..." Xena
repeated, reapplying pressure to the wound with her hand.
The wound was going to require a
large number of quick and small stitches to stop the bleeding, the warrior
considered. For Gabrielle's sake she wanted to avoid searing the wound. That
would be the last resort, she considered, swallowing hard.
The weak bard smiled with relief.
"About...time," Gabrielle blurted.
"I should have never left
you..." Xena added with a crack in her voice as she opened her saddle bag
with her free hand to begin her task.
"Xena?" She called to her
warrior with concern in her voice.
"I'm here Gabrielle..."
Xena said uneasily, caressing the bard's face.
"You know how much..."
Gabrielle spoke softly, gazing intensely in the warrior's worried eyes. Losing
her struggle with consciousness, the bard passed out.
Xena gasped sharply, nervously
checking for a pulse. The Warrior's reaction alarmed the Amazons. Xena sighed
raggedly when she felt a faint beat.
"I know," Xena answered in
a whisper and proceeded to swiftly and meticulously stitch up the bard's wound.
Ephiny brought over soup to the
Warrior Princess who hadn't budged from Gabrielle's side for hours.
"Hungry?" She asked.
Xena's gaze never left her bard, who
endured more...so much more adversity than she ever deserved.
Having done all that she could, Xena
could now only sit and wait... and remember. Remember the other times, the too
many other times, where she anxiously waited for her injured bard to recover.
In Corerik when her brave bard stood up to the prejudiced Sunmoon...at Uncle
Ustas' after she fell off a cliff while leading an escape attempt from
slavers...in Verbinia, after the bard had her gift brutally torn away...and
now....
To helplessly wait, while this
gentle soul she loved with all of her dark heart, suffered.... She knew THIS
was the Warrior Princess' Tartarus, Xena numbly concluded, still gazing upon
her injured love.
Ephiny sat down with the bowl of
soup, undeterred. "It's not that bad if I do say so myself," Ephiny
added, taking an exaggerated sniff of the bowl. She sighed, getting no
response.
"Trayla and Eponin offered to
be her champion," Ephiny informed Xena, finally getting a response...a
cold glare. "She said no to both of them," Ephiny added, placing the
bowl next to Xena, who's eyes glanced at the bowl with disinterest and returned
to the bard.
"She had something to prove
Xena," Ephiny relayed.
"Something to prove?!?"
Xena blurted. "All she proved was that she shouldn't have fought
Gurda."
Gabrielle moaned and shifted. Xena
was immediately checking her forehead and pale cheeks for a temperature.
"It's ok Gabrielle, I'm here..." Xena spoke soft words of
encouragement to the bard and sighed with relief, finding no temperature.
"You're going to be fine,"
Xena added firmly, sounding more like an order than encouragement. She had to
be fine, the warrior closed her eyes tightly, fighting the tears that
threatened to come.
"Gabrielle won the challenge
Xena," Ephiny relayed, drawing another sharp look from the Warrior
Princess, who didn't care. Xena's gaze softened when it returned to the bard,
who she knew did.
"But she had already won...she
found a peaceful solution, even when others...I ...doubted her," Xena said
hollowly, guiltily shaking her head as she gently traced over the bard's pale
cheek.
"Yes. Yes she did," Ephiny
nodded and sighed. "But even when she found her solution, we still made
her feel she had something to prove." The truthful words finally defeated
Xena in her battle against the tears, which started to escape from Warrior
Princess' eyes.
Ephiny set the bowl of soup down and
stood up. "Eat the soup Xena, Gabrielle needs you to be strong,"
Ephiny told her.
Wiping the tears from her face and
drawing in a steadying breath, Xena stared at her bard then the soup bowl. When
she grabbed the bowl, Ephiny nodded and returned to the other side of the fire.
Ephiny sighed and sat next to
Sustra. "No fever," Ephiny relayed the bit of hopeful news, drawing
Sustra's eyes from the fire.
"She lost so much blood,"
she added, a quiver in her voice escaping.
Ephiny nodded and looked across the
camp to the Warrior Princess, who tenderly ministered to the bard. She noted
how the stoic warrior, who once struggled to hide her love for her bard, could
no more hide her love now than the sun could keep from setting.
"I'm going to get some
rest," Ephiny remarked. "You see to it they get whatever they
need." Ephiny instructed Sustra, who nodded. "You should also get
some rest," Ephiny told the group of concerned Amazons pacing by the cave.
Sustra watched as Xena gently
checked Gabrielle's face and forehead for signs of a fever. As she showered the
bard with soft words of encouragement and love, Xena would gently lift up the
bard's ugly but protective tunic to tend to the wound.
To think those same gentle hands
could wield such a deadly sword, was amazing to the Amazon.
"Sarah signed the treaty
Gabrielle," Xena noted to the unconscious bard. "She was not exactly
thrilled with the demands," Xena grinned slightly as she caressed the
bard's face. "But I think she really likes the new name," she noted.
"I know I do," Xena relayed softly. "You surprised me my
bard...again," Xena admitted, her eyes moistening once again.
"Xena, do you need
anything?" Sustra asked uneasily, startling the Warrior Princess, who's
head jerked up abruptly.
"No," she answered
briskly, wiping the evidence of weakness from her eyes before it escaped again.
Sustra nodded wearily and started
back to the other side of the fire, mentally scolding herself for bothering the
Warrior Princess.
"Sustra," Xena called,
making the Amazon turn. "Tell me what happened," Xena asked softly,
surprising the Amazon, who nodded.
Ephiny turned her head towards the
two warriors who kept watch over their Queen and quietly talked. Ephiny smiled
and closed her eyes.
"She fought as an Amazon Queen
should," Sustra noted with a satisfied grin. "Melosa would have been
proud," Sustra added. Xena looked at the bard, knowing how important that
was to her.
"Gurda underestimated
her," Sustra relayed, shaking her head as she looked down at the Queen.
"Just like everyone does."
"Except you," Xena noted,
surprising Sustra, whose gaze was drawn from the bard.
"I've practiced with her,"
Sustra explained with an embarrassed shrug. "It's not wise to
underestimate anything she does...I've found out THAT the hard way," the
Amazon grimaced, making Xena reveal a small smile.
"She drew Gurda into the cave
and fought her. We thought she was crazy. You can't even see your own hand, let
alone your opponent. But then Raiz and I went in to see what was going on. We
heard them fighting and then someone collapse. When we got to them and could
see what was going on, there she was..." Sustra grinned at the fond memory
as she looked at her unconscious Queen. "...standing over Gurda, who just
held her head and moaned."
Xena's eyebrow raised. She glanced
over to the cave then down at her bard. A small, knowing smile, emerged as she
realized Gabrielle had compensated for Gurda's advantages with one of her
own...one that was far superior...her devious mind.
"She got Gurda to admit defeat
and then...when we started to leave the cave," Sustra relayed, then
grimaced angrily. "I shouldn't have turned my back on Gurda...I was so
stupid," she blurted.
"Sustra, Gurda admitted defeat.
That means the matter is finished...you could not have known Gurda would not
honor that Amazon custom," Xena relayed, fully understanding this Amazon's
guilt.
"I should have," Sustra
said bitterly.
"And I should have been there
to protect her," Xena countered.
"Xena, you couldn't have...she
asked you to deliver the Treaty," Sustra responded.
"And you couldn't have known
Gurda would be dishonorable," Xena relayed, making the Amazon sigh and
shake her head in disagreement.
"Gabrielle doesn't blame
you...and neither do I," Xena added sincerely. The Amazon looked up from
the bard and eyed the warrior.
"She must be rubbing off on you
then," Sustra blurted, not ready to give up her guilt.
"I hope so," Xena said
softly, returning her gaze to the bard.
As the sun finally rose and peeked
over the mountains, Xena glanced around the camp, seeing the Amazons stirring.
"How is she?" Ephiny asked
as she approached the Warrior Princess.
"So far, no fever," Xena
relayed. "It is still too early to tell if she's past that," Xena
admitted with a weary sigh, gently brushing her fingers over the bard's cheek.
"Can she travel?" Ephiny
asked.
"Not yet," Xena relayed,
her gaze fixed on the bard's pale face.
"When we do travel, I'm taking
her to Galisar," Xena added firmly, finally looking up at Ephiny, who knew
better than to argue...though she wondered where that was.
Days passed slowly for the weary group but to their relief, the bard grew steadily stronger. Raiz had returned to Amazonia to inform the tribe their Queen was recovering and the remaining Amazons would be escorting their recovering Queen back to Galisar, wherever that was.
By their seventh day by the caves, everyone including the bard was anxious to travel. That is, everyone except the Warrior Princess.
"Any idea when we are going to be ready to travel?" Sustra asked with a mouth full of bread during breakfast, earning an annoyed glance from the Warrior Princess.
"I am ready to travel now," Gabrielle relayed enthusiastically as she started to lean to her side to stand up. She groaned slightly, the pain in her back reminding her to take it slow.
"What do you think you are doing?!?" Xena blurted with great exasperation, grabbing the bard's shoulder, keeping her put.
The uneasy Amazons quickly looked at each other with wide eyes and suddenly found some chores they had to do...elsewhere.
"I'm trying to stand, which I'm finding rather difficult with you continuing to hold me down," Gabrielle snapped, eyeing the warrior's hand on her shoulder then the warrior.
"Gabrielle, you are pushing yourself too fast. We are GOING to wait until you are stronger," the determined Warrior Princess informed the weak bard.
Helping Gabrielle up on Argo, Sustra cringed, noticing a very disgruntled Warrior Princess scowling down at her. However, after receiving a smile from her Queen when she got settled in the saddle, Sustra considered the scowl a small price to pay. Though, wisely electing not to push it, Sustra quickly left their company for her horse.
When Xena carefully slipped her arm around Gabrielle's waist, she felt the bard's fingers capture hers. As Gabrielle cautiously leaned back into her with a contented sigh, the warrior shook her head with a small smile.
"Are you ok?" Xena asked.
"More than ok...now," Gabrielle responded softly with a smile.
The group rode for hours before stopping at a clearing for lunch. Though she was not about to admit it, Gabrielle was thankful for the break from the painfully bumpy ride on Argo.
In the middle of their lunch, Xena saw Gabrielle grimace slightly as she shifted to a more comfortable sitting position.
"Gabrielle, you should take a nap after lunch. Sleep is important to recovering quickly," Xena informed the bard as inspected the bard's bandages again.
The Amazons exchanged glances.
"I don't need to take a nap Xena," Gabrielle countered with a restrained grimace as the warrior touched her near the wound.
"Gabrielle, you're exhausted and need to sleep," Xena quickly responded in a stern voice.
The Amazons quietly wrapped up their food and put it away, except for Sustra, who was hungry and still enjoying her lunch.
"I can SLEEP on Argo as we ride," Gabrielle responded with increasing irritation.
The Amazons started to look around for something to do...elsewhere. "You want to practice?" Eponin asked Trayla, who nodded vigorously and blurted "YES!"
Ephiny opened her mouth to ask Solari, who agreed before the words escaped. "Great idea! Let's practice!"
The four abruptly got up and left their picnic site. Sustra looked up from her bread to find the Amazons had abandoned her. When the Warrior Princess and Queen looked at her a moment, Sustra smiled weakly and unenthusiastically bit into her bread.
"I know you can sleep on Argo Gabrielle, but you will be more rested from a nap here," Xena continued her discussion with the stubborn bard, pointing to the grassy patch they were sitting on.
"Please?" The Warrior Princess added softly, surprising Sustra, who finished her lunch and nonchalantly pulled out her sword and inspected a spot on it.
Sustra breathed over that spot and tried to rub it off. It needs polishing, she concluded. That would be a nice quiet activity that wouldn't disturb her Queen, she considered, pulling out a cloth.
"All right, all right..." Gabrielle responded, lifting her hands up in defeat, making the Warrior Princess smile. "But you need a break yourself," Gabrielle relayed with concern. Sustra quickly glanced up at the two, now also concerned.
"I don't need..." Xena relayed with a furrowed brow. Sustra's glance returned to her sword, which she more vigorously rubbed with her cloth.
"Xena...go for a walk...run...ride...do SOMETHING," Gabrielle interjected. Sustra's eyes widened with fear as they looked up at the too-helpful Queen, then drifted down to the sword in her lap.
"I know you need a break from this…from me," the Queen argued.
"I don't want to leave..." Xena countered.
"Sustra will be here. I'll be fine," Gabrielle argued to quell any further objections. Sustra held her breath, hoping.
"You sure?" Xena asked.
Letting out a long and relieved exhale, Sustra silently thanked the Gods, all of them, for the reprieve from practicing with Xena. As she stared at her sword with that spot, she felt cold and discriminating eyes on her. When she dared to look up, her suspicions were confirmed, the Warrior Princess was glaring at her.
"Absolutely," Gabrielle blurted with conviction, drawing the warrior's gaze back to the bard, who beamed at her success when the warrior rolled her eyes. Xena shook her head as she got up.
Looking in the direction of the Amazons' sudden retreat, Xena unsheathed her sword. "I'll see if they are interested in practicing...with me," the Warrior Princess relayed with a wild twinkle in her eyes and an enthusiastic grin on her face.
As she watched the Warrior Princess disappear into the forest, Sustra was not so upset anymore that her sisters abandoned her.
"Uh, maybe I shouldn't have suggested she take a break," Gabrielle noted, looking at Sustra with a guilty grimace.
"All I can say is I'm glad I'm here and not there," Sustra admitted.
"Me too," Gabrielle responded warmly before laying back and closing her eyes for that nap. Soon, she was sound asleep.
Sustra looked upon the Queen for a thoughtful moment, then smiled and proceeded to polish her sword.
Gabrielle woke to the sound of the Warrior Princess, who was humming as she strolled back from the forest. The bard yawned as she sat up, expecting to find the other Amazons following her warrior. When they didn't appear she looked over to Sustra, who shook her head and shrugged.
"Xena?" Gabrielle asked, watching her carefree warrior approach.
"Yes Gabrielle?" The Warrior Princess responded with a warm smile as she sat down next to her bard. As the warrior lounged back on her elbow, Gabrielle noticed how incredibly... relaxed...Xena was.
"Where is everyone?" She asked, her concerned eyes darting back at the forest. As the Warrior Princess opened her mouth to explain, Ephiny appeared.
Shooting a cold glare at Xena as she emerged from the forest, Ephiny silently passed them, clenching her aching right side with her hand. When she sat down next to Sustra, the smallest of moans escaped.
Gabrielle turned to Xena. "Xena?" Gabrielle asked, interrupting her Warrior Princess' tenacious inspection of her nails.
"Hmmmm??" Xena responded softly, looking up from her nails with a warm smile for the bard, who now watched Trayla emerge from the forest. The Amazon held her hand against her eye, using her remaining good one to coldly glare at the Warrior Princess.
Sustra started to giggle, successfully drawing the glaring eye towards her. Sustra's giggles were promptly extinguished.
Gabrielle's eyes widened. "Xena," the concerned bard once again started to question her warrior when she saw Eponin helping a limping Solari from the forest. "Solari! Are you all right?" Gabrielle gasped.
"Except for my sprained ankle, I've never been better," Solari responded dryly as Eponin helped her sit down. "...now that my ARM is fully healed," Solari snapped, her narrow eyes glaring at the Warrior Princess, who slightly cringed with a twinge of guilt.
"What a coincidence," Eponin relayed, rubbing her sprained left arm. "My arm has just started acting up," she mentioned, also glaring at the Warrior Princess.
As they rode towards Galisar, Xena couldn't stand the silence.
"I SAID I was sorry," Xena repeated to the bard. The bard responded with another sigh. "Gabrielle, they are warriors, they are used to getting a few bumps and bruises," Xena explained. "It keeps them on their toes...." Xena added to her defense.
Gabrielle looked over her shoulder at the Warrior Princess with an open mouth, about to respond, but then elected not to. Sighing, she shook her head as she turned her gaze forward to survey the damage riding in front of them.
Ephiny was leaning at an odd angle in her saddle. Solari's left ankle was wrapped and too swollen for her to bother trying to place her foot in its stirrup. Eponin held the reigns with one arm, the other wrapped in a brace, which the recently experienced Solari helped put on. Trayla continued to hold her hand to her eye.
"I said I was sorry..." Xena muttered.
As they rode in the front gates of Galisar, Gabrielle's family gasped at the sight of the group. "Gods, it must have been some battle," Lila blurted in amazement to Sarah. Gabrielle's parents looked at each other briefly before returning their concerned gazes towards the riders.
When the sisters called out Gabrielle's name, the bard smiled.
"What happened?!? Xena left a WEEK ago! We were so worried," Sarah blurted, watching her sister dismount with some difficulty. Lila noted the other Amazons also having difficulty dismounting.
"Nothing to worry about now, so how are the wedding preparations coming along?" The bard responded.
"What happened Gabrielle," her mother approached her and asked calmly. "Did you fight that Gurda woman?" She questioned, surprising Gabrielle, who looked at her sisters. They shrugged.
"Yes mother," Gabrielle admitted with a sigh, bracing herself for another lecture on the evils of fighting.
"Are you all right?" Her mother asked softly and reached out to squeeze Gabrielle's forearm gently. A surprised Gabrielle smiled.
"I'm fine, now," Gabrielle relayed, glancing back at her warrior, who sighed. Feeling more tired than she realized Gabrielle started to sway. Xena quickly caught the bard before she tumbled over.
"She still has a lot of healing to do," Xena informed the older woman, who suspected Xena was not one for exaggeration and looked at her daughter with greater concern. Gabrielle sighed heavily.
"I bet you're going to still say that a YEAR from now," Gabrielle blurted, looking up at her warrior.
"Gabrielle, it's only been one WEEK since you got hurt," Xena responded with annoyance. "You're pushing yourself TOO hard" Xena blurted.
The Amazons shifted uncomfortably. Sarah and Lila looked at each other. Gabrielle's parents quietly watched the Warrior Princess and their middle daughter.
When Gabrielle opened her mouth in protest, Xena interrupted. "Don't argue," Xena snapped. "Now let's get unpacked and ready for dinner," Xena instructed her, grabbing their saddle bags then the bard's shoulder. "Come on," Xena quickly added as she pointed the bard towards the castle and prompted her along. "You should also take a bath."
Gabrielle's mouth dropped. Her mother and father silently looked at each other, then watched the two women as they left for the castle.
The youngest Poteidaian turned her curious gaze to the Amazons and ventured a question that weighed on her mind since she saw them dismount.
"What happened to you?" Lila asked Trayla, who's eye was now very puffy and taking on a rather unattractive hue of purple. The good eye glared at the youngest Poteidaian, making her uneasy. Lila felt relieved when that good eye turned on Sustra, who struggled unsuccessfully to muffle her giggles.
"Ambush," Solari offered with a casual shrug, shocking the Poteidaian family. Ephiny, Eponin and Trayla nodded in weary agreement. Sustra grinned.
"Well, Gabrielle has once again managed to arrive just before meal time," Sarah relayed to the Amazons with a grin. "You ALL are welcome to my table for a welcome back dinner," Sarah announced warmly.
The Amazons smiled.
"Of course, dinner will be AFTER you...ladies...freshen up," Sarah's mother relayed to them with a polite smile.
The Amazons' smiles were gone.
"I should take a bath? I should take a BATH?!?" Gabrielle repeated in irritated amazement as the Warrior Princess guided the bard to sit in a chair.
"Gabrielle, you should. So should I," Xena relayed nonchalantly as she knelt down and took the bard's boots off.
"Must you ANNOUNCE that to the entire kingdom??" Gabrielle blurted as she raised her arms as the warrior took the bard's tunic off. Xena grinned and checked the bandage. Gabrielle muffled a moan.
"Did it hurt you this bad during the ride?" Xena asked with concern, carefully touching the skin around the bandage yet evoking another grimace.
"Nah," Gabrielle responded with a shrug. "YeeeOW! Stop poking me!!" She blurted, swatting the Warrior Princess' hand away.
"I can't believe you! You should have said something," Xena scolded her as she went to her saddle bag for salve and an herbal remedy to ease the bard's pain.
"It's nothing...really," Gabrielle responded casually with a shrug and stood to take her skirt off. When she bent over, the jolt of pain in her back caused her to moan and start to tumble over.
"Gabrielle!" Xena caught her.
"OK, ok...it's something," Gabrielle gasped. "But it only REALLY started to bother me this morning," she admitted.
"Gabrielle, why didn't you tell me? Your wound may not be healing right..." Xena relayed with concern, helping her sit back in the chair.
"It looked ok when you looked at it yesterday, right?" Gabrielle asked as Xena checked her for a fever.
"Yes and thankfully it looks ok now," Xena admitted. "But I don't want you to take any more risks, Gabrielle. You should stay in bed until you heal."
"But..." Gabrielle relayed with annoyance.
"No buts, you need to stay in bed. Please don't fight me on this Gabrielle. You know I'm right." Xena responded, eyeing her and making the bard sigh.
"Fine, but what about that bath I so desperately need?" Gabrielle blurted.
"I'll give you a sponge bath," Xena responded as she retrieved a sponge and bowl. "Besides, your wound will heal faster if you keep it dry..."
"Really?" Gabrielle asked with interest, making Xena sigh and nod. Gabrielle's eyebrow raised considering she really wouldn't mind that.
"What about dinner?" The bard asked. "I'm famished," the bard admitted.
"I'll bring you dinner," Xena relayed as she came back to the bed with the bath supplies and a robe for her bard.
"Really?" Gabrielle asked with a grin as the Warrior Princess knelt down beside her bard. Xena looked up and nodded, then began her task. The long, slow strokes of the sponge over down her arm made the bard almost forget her next question.
"Can I write in bed?" Gabrielle asked with a raised eyebrow.
Xena nodded, continuing to diligently wash her grinning bard. Gabrielle gasped when felt the gentle sponge grazed over her sensitive flesh. Xena nonchalantly cleared her throat as she tried to ignore the two erect results of her touch.
"Hmmmm...I think I'm going to like this," Gabrielle responded in a sultry voice, making Xena look up find intense desire in those green eyes. With Xena momentarily distracted into inaction, the bard reached out and invitingly caressed her warrior's face.
Drumming all the strength she could, Xena grabbed the bard's hand.
"Gabrielle, there are many things you can still do in bed... but this is not one of them," Xena sighed, placing the bard's hand to the bard's lap.
"How do you know?" Gabrielle challenged with a sly grin.
"Not until your..." Xena was interrupted when the bard kissed her forehead. "...better," Xena blurted with a crack in her voice.
Gabrielle smiled and traced her fingers down her warrior's cheek to her lips. "You know Xena, it's amazing how much better I'm feeling already..."
With a frustrated sigh, Xena once again grabbed the bard's distracting hand. "Gabrielle, stop it NOW or I'm going to get your mother to give you ALL your baths," Xena threatened.
The warrior had no more trouble bathing the bard.
Waiting for the warrior to come back with dinner, Gabrielle had a few ideas she wanted to capture on parchment. She got out of bed to get her writing supplies. Looking around the room, she quickly discovered she couldn't find her bag, which she remembered leaving on the table. Perhaps it was in the other room, she questioned her memory, scratching her head.
"Gabrielle!" Xena barked upon her return, causing the bard to nearly jump.
"What!?!"
"What are you doing out of bed?" Xena placed the tray of food down on the table.
"Looking for my writing supplies...I could have sworn I placed my bag right here," Gabrielle responded, absently touching the table top.
"You agreed to rest," Xena reminded her coolly.
"You said I could WRITE. I was JUST looking for my ..." Gabrielle responded with annoyance.
"I'll find your bag," Xena interrupted. "Just get back to bed...please Gabrielle."
"Since you are SO intent on waiting on me hand and foot, I guess I should let you..." Gabrielle muttered as she returned to the bed.
"I'll check the other room," Xena sighed, leaving in search of the bard's bag.
The bard sighed as she laid in bed. A gust from the open window escaped from the drapes and sent a shiver through her. "Ughh," she moaned as she pulled the blanket up. Another gust sent a second shiver through her. "Gggods..." she blurted with annoyance. She flung the covers off her and got out of bed with a slight groan to shut the window.
Hearing the door open, Gabrielle's eyes widened. "Uh oh," she blurted. "I was ONLY..." The defensive bard turned towards the door.
"Mother!" the bard blurted in surprise.
"What a chill in this room!" Her mother complained, moving past her daughter to the window. "I can't believe SHE didn't make sure this was shut...you could easily catch cold," her mother complained as she shut the window.
"Mother," Gabrielle blurted with annoyance, heading back to bed as her mother straightened the curtains.
"There...much better," her mother relayed with a nod and turned towards her daughter with a content smile. Gabrielle grimaced as she climbed in her bed.
"Are you alright dear?" She asked with concern as she helped pull the covers up over her injured daughter. Gabrielle sighed at yet another overprotective person.
"Yes...thanks to Xena," Gabrielle noted.
"Thanks to Xena!?!" Her mother blurted in amazement as she sat on the edge of the bed. "How can you THANK her for THIS?" She asked incredulously, motioning towards her daughter's wounds.
"You are talking to me NOW because of her," Gabrielle bluntly informed her.
"It's because of HER you lead this dangerous life," her mother snapped.
"You're wrong mother," Gabrielle countered forcefully. "It's because of her I'm alive today," Gabrielle revealed.
"How many serious injuries like this have you gotten since you left Poteidaia?" Her mother challenged.
"You don't want to know," Gabrielle blurted truthfully, adding to her mother's conviction.
"Gabrielle," her mother sighed and took her daughter's hand, determined to reason with her stubborn daughter. "Don't you SEE how dangerous it is being with her...she's a warlord for Zeus' sake."
"EX-warlord, mother...she has done more good in the past three years than most people do in a lifetime," Gabrielle responded with an obvious admiration.
"She has done more harm in her life than good," her mother argued, disturbed by her daughter's blind allegiance. Gabrielle exhaled heavily, determined not to lose her temper.
"She knows that, and it tears her up inside. But she is doing everything in her power to change that," Gabrielle informed her unimpressed mother.
"She has tortured...and KILLED so many Gabrielle, HOW can you possibly," her mother paused awkwardly. "...TRAVEL with... a woman like that?"
"Why don't you just say 'love' ?" Gabrielle asked with annoyance. "Because that's what it is, mother...it's LOVE."
"For Gods' sake Gabrielle...why?" Her mother asked, making the bard tense at that question.
"Why..." Gabrielle repeated that seemingly innocent word as she stared at the foot of her bed. Gabrielle started to smile warmly as she thought about her warrior. Looking up at her mother, her smile faded. "Unlike you, I KNOW her. Better than myself sometimes," Gabrielle responded, unflinchingly meeting her mother's gaze.
"When she looks at me with those blue eyes, I see her love for me, and I have no doubt of where I belong...I belong with her," Gabrielle spoke with conviction as she smiled warmly at her mother, who stiffened at the words she didn't want to hear.
"Her love for me is so deep, and so true, I sometimes fear sleep. I couldn't bear it if I woke to find this all just a dream," Gabrielle admitted to her mother, who had no doubt of her daughter's love for this warrior.
"She could have let her past destroy her future. But she didn't," Gabrielle spoke with great admiration. "Within her is this incredible strength...a strength which she needs to battle that past every day and move forward with her life. Most people would tire quickly of that constant battle...but then Xena is not like most people," Gabrielle grinned knowingly. Her mother sighed and considered she would have to agree on that point.
"She helps people," Gabrielle smiled broadly. "All KINDS of people, from peasants to Kings, from mortals to Gods. She helps, not because of money or glory, but because it is the right thing to do," Gabrielle spoke with conviction. Her mother sighed again.
"You asked me why I love her...I wish it was enough for you to know that I do. I wish you could just be happy that I am happy," Gabrielle relayed sadly. When her mother continued to sit quietly, the bard sighed and shook her head with disappointment.
"I really want to be happy for you dear," her mother finally relayed and got up from the bed and kissed her daughter's forehead.
As the older woman left the room, she passed the Warrior Princess, who entered with the bard's bag. They exchanged quiet glances, for there was nothing to say. After the older woman left, Xena walked over to her bard, who looked up at her concerned warrior.
"I think I'm wearing her down," Gabrielle relayed with a convinced nod and grin, confusing the warrior.
"Gabrielle...she didn't sound," Xena relayed, realizing she had just admitted eves dropping. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have been..." Xena apologized with embarrassment.
"That's ok," the bard grinned. "Saves me the trouble of having to repeat everything," she relayed warmly. "You got my bag!" Gabrielle blurted enthusiastically as she grabbed her bag and inspected it. "Where was it?"
"In the other room on the table," Xena relayed with a sigh. "Gabrielle...don't you want to talk about...."
"Do you want to talk about it?" Gabrielle asked the surprised warrior.
"Shouldn't we?" Xena questioned, wanting to provide the emotional support her bard needed. However, her bard was not making that easy.
"Xena...I would love for my parents to accept you as the person I love. And I'm not going to give up hope because I'm convinced that once they get to know you, they'll love you like I do," Gabrielle relayed confidently with a loving smile.
The Warrior Princess smirked and raised a questioning eyebrow.
"You KNOW what I mean," Gabrielle blurted with annoyance. Xena grinned.
"Where was I?" Gabrielle asked, rolling her eyes.
"You were saying to know me is to...," Xena spoke dryly.
"Yeah, well, until they do...I'm not going to let them interfere with my happiness. And for your information Xena, I am VERY happy," Gabrielle smiled warmly.
"Me too," Xena responded and leaned in, kissing her happy bard tenderly on the lips. When the Warrior Princess pulled back, the bard sighed with frustration.
"Did I mention I was very VERY happy?" Gabrielle offered with a familiar twinkle in her eyes.
"Gabrielle...."