Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Xena charters so don't sue.
Lost and Found
Life is short and we never have enough time for gladding the hearts of
those who travel the way with us. Oh be swift to love! Make haste to be
kind.- Herri Frederic Amiel
The crackling of the fire filled the night as the flames themselves reach higher and higher to the heavens above. The sparks leaped off the flames jumping high into the sparking sky as if by will alone would aloud them to join the majestic stars above. Soon the sound of the crackling fire was drowned out by the sound of a sword being sharpen and a quill on parchment. A warrior with raven black hair that swept down pass her shoulders and sky blue eyes sat on one side of the warming fire, sharpening her weapon. While on the other side of the flames, sat a bard with strawberry blond hair and emerald green eyes, pouring her heart and soul into the story as it became a part of history being record on paper. An hour past of complete silent between the warrior and the bard (a thing that hardly, if ever, happen). Finally the bard put aside her story and looked across the flames to her warrior friend who was still sharpening her sword and wonder if now would be the time to ask her friend the question she had wanted to asks for many days now. Even though the warrior and bard had been traveling together for a little over a year the bard was still cautious on occasion for their friendship was still new.
"Umm..... Xena?" The bard said warily breaking the silence.
"What Gabrielle?" The warrior asked never taking her eyes off the sword.
"I was wounding if we .... Well that is if we have nothing planned.... That we maybe could go to Mandona?" Gabrielle answered Mandona was a small town just a five days walk from Athens. Ten days for where the two friends were at that moment in time. Xena stopped sharpening her sword and looked up at her friend in confusion.
"What's in Mandona" The warrior asked for as far as she knew there was nothing of great interest in the small town.
"Oh well nothing much" Gabrielle ventured in to the subject lightly for she knowing it was on something that the warrior held no interest in. "But there is this library. The library of Marque to be exact." As the words left the bards mouth she tried very hard to hold back the excitement that just the mention of the library brought to her. The Library of Marque wasn't the biggest library, not by far. But it did hold some of the rarer scrolls and it was rumor that within the walls of the library of Marque was held the most ancient scroll of them all, the scroll of the ages. So old that the language it was written in had long ago died out. With that in mind and the added fact that it was only a mere ten days away was just something a bard like Gabrielle just couldn't pass up.
A Library I should have guessed. Xena thought to herself, smiling in her head while not an emotive passed across her face. She already know she would say yes but held out a little longer to make the bard think she was giving it some serious thought. But the truth was that there was no harm in going to Mandona for a few days and letting Gabrielle read her scrolls. It would be a welcome break from all the fighting they had to do as of late. After what seem like an entirely to Gabrielle, Xena sighed.
"Fine, we can go." The warrior replied.
"YES!" Gabrielle yelled and nearly jumped up to hug her friend before she remembered just who her friend was and then just merely smiled widely. "I think I'll go to bed now." The bard said and lay down before Xena cold change her mind on their trip. The warrior just shook her head and pick up her sword and sharpening stone and got back to work on sharpening her weapon. Gabrielle fell to sleep to the sound of the sword being sharpen as an odd safe feeling fell over her.
Xena and Gabrielle were up and moving even before Apollo finish rising the sun with his golden chariot. For the first time since they met Gabrielle awoke without any promoting by Xena. So they headed down the road that would take them to Mandona Xena riding on top of Argo, a war horse, while Gabrielle walked beside the mightily steed. The warrior had offer the bard a ride but Gabrielle merely replied that when they started making the horses closer to the ground is when she would ride and so they continue on as they where. Xena on top of her horse ever looking for any trouble that may be coming their way and Gabrielle happily chatting on about nothing and everything. For once their travels were going peacefully up until mid-day. Just when Xena was about to suggest they stop for a bit of a rest she caught sight of five man walking down the way toward them. Each of the man carry a sword that Xena could see and the warrior expected that each man more then likely carry at lest one more weapon that was hidden.
Highway man Xena thought to herself. Highway men were people who roamed the roads looking for lone travelers and when they found a likely target they would kill said target and rod the dead person for anything of value. Xena doubted that they would just let her and Gabrielle pass by. Oh they were in for a fight.
"Gabrielle, we got company. Get your staff ready." Xena warned her friend as she jumped off Argo and got in forth of the bard. The highway men now just noticing the two lone women walking alone on their road pick up their pace thinking t hat then two would be easy picking for the five of them.
"Hello boys." Xena said with a smile knowing exactly what her new enemies were thinking and couldn't wait to prove them wrong. Each of the scum that call themselves male draw their long swards trying to scare the warrior and bard. With a smile still on her face Xena grab at her side for her chakram and with a great throw the sword were knock for each of the males hand and with just as graceful a motion the warrior grad the chakram out of mid-air. Two of the five Highway man seem to make a sudden life change at that moment and turn to run only to find two men coming to help the women.
"Can't you two go anywhere without getting in trouble?" The small of the two men asked.
"We only get in as much trouble as you two seem to Iolaus." Gabrielle answered. But now each of t he Highway men had pull out their hidden weapon readying themselves for the fight ahead. Two of the men simple had draggers but three had a second sword.
"Hercules" Xena said with a nodded to the second men who come to help them. "Ready for a fight?"
"Always." Hercules replied simple with a wide smile for fighting with Xena against some one was always interesting. And with that each of the four heroes attack the attackers. Iolaus and Gabrielle each took a man with a dragger. While Hercules took one of the men with a word and Xena took the other two. Needless to say the fight didn't last long. Within five minutes four of the five men lay on the ground in pain. The last man standing held his sword in his hand as the four heroes surrounded him. Xena really hated to admit it but the last fighter was pretty good and she figure that he was more then likely t he leader of the small gang on the ground. The last standing highway man looked around him and realizes just how hopeless it had become. It was in that moment that he knew that there was only one way he was getting out of there. Before anyone realize what he was doing the man had his sword up and with a quick slash made a long gash in Gabrielle left arm ranging from her shoulder all the way down to her elbow. The bard, who had been caught off guard by the thief sudden movement, cried out in surprise more then in pain. The other three heroes all turn to look to make sure that there friend hadn't bee seriously hurt and the thug took that moment to make a run for the woods. He disappeared between the trees before anyone was able to stop him. Xena figure that the highway man most likely made his living on this road and probably knew the woods better then anyone else there at the time so there be no way of catching him at that moment in time. But the warrior did make sure to remember the guy's face for she would make him pay for what he did. Though right at that moment there were more important thing to see too. She walk over to where Gabrielle was standing holding her injure arm close to her chest.
"Okay let's see it." The warrior told the bard holding out her hand.
"Its find Xena barely a scratch." Gabrielle told her friend but knew the warrior wasn't buying it. With a sigh the bard held out her arm for the warrior to look over. The cut the highway man had made was deeper then Xena had originally thought and blood was already seeping out of the wound covering the bard's arm in an eerie red color.
"Well this scratch is going to need snitches." Xena told Gabrielle as she brought a piece of cloth to the bards wound. "Hold this down."
"So to where are you two headed?" Gabrielle asked Hercules and Iolaus as Xena made her sit on a fallen log while the warrior herself started making a fire that would be used to make one of her herb mixes that help healing. The herb mix that Gabrielle just knew the warrior would make her drink and the bard face twisted up in disgust as she knew already that the herd mix would taste horrible.
Mandona" Hercules answered as he watched Xena in amazement. The Xena he had met not a year ago would never show the kind of caring that this Xena had for the bard. Hercules could tell just how much she had change by the way she carefully cleaned the blood from Gabrielle arm. So graceful her hands were and cautious not to put any undone pressure onto the open wound. Xena stopped her work for a second and look up at the half- god that was watching her.
"Did you say Mandona? That were we are headed too." Xena informed him as she pull out the needle and thread she would use to close Gabrielle's with.
"So you heard of the people disappearing huh?" Iolaus asked as Xena put the first snitch into Gabrielle skin. The bard was amazed that she felt the needle as in entered into her skin and the small amount of pain that came with it. She didn't think it was possible to feel anymore pain then she was already feeling at that moment. Needing to have her mind forces on something else she turned and looked at Iolaus.
"What disappears?" The bard asked. Iolaus and Hercules exchange looks then look back at the warrior and Bard in a little lost. "Apparently there been a good number of people over the years that just disappear. The lord who rules over the town wants it to stop now so he asked for us to come. If you didn't know about the people disappearing why are you going to Mandona?" Hercules replied.
"The Library of Marque." Xena said simple as she put the last snitch into Gabrielle skin and warp the arm. It was all the answer Hercules and Iolaus needed knowing full well the bards love for scrolls.
"Feel like solving an age old mystery while your there?" Iolaus asked the two friends as Xena gave Gabrielle a cup of the herb mix she had been cooking on the fire. Gabrielle looked down at the brownish/green mixer and wonder if it was at all possible to throw it over her shoulder without Xena noticing.
"Drink." The warrior order and watch the bard until she saw her rise the cup and swallow. Almost at once a disgusted look formed on Gabrielle face. Xena took the cup back and returned her forces to Hercules and Iolaus.
"Why not" Xena replied to Iolaus question "could be fun."
That all for now I'll write more only if I great review saying I should.