"Xena, you know I believe in dream interpretation most of the time but sometimes it causes more trouble than good to spend all your energy thinking about it." Gabrielle said emphatically.
"I'm not spending all my energy" Xena mumbled.
"I'm glad that is what you got out of that." Gabrielle muttered back.
Xena stopped and turned around.
"Look Gabrielle, I know it was important, and I'm starting to forget more and more, the details are gone all that is left is the feelings."
"Ok and what were the feelings?"
"It felt…foreign, but not like India or Chin."
"Well then how so…?"
"I don't know, but I think we need to go there. Someone needs our help, someone connected to us in some way."
"Joxer probably got himself in some other situation."
"It isn't Joxer Gabrielle, you aren't listening to me."
"Xena I'm always listening to you. And I believe you…okay."
"Okay…" Xena said relaxing. Gabrielle wondered to herself if the Furies were at work, but this was different, Xena still had control she was just bothered by something that Gabrielle couldn't quite understand.
"Why don't we get some food, talk to some of the locals maybe they will know something."
Xena just smiled and nodded and they headed towns the tavern.
It was oddly quiet, usually there was always the token town drunk and his friends. It had become a game between Xena and Gabrielle to see how long one of their stares would make the drunk men who usually headed towards them decide to turn around.
They looked around for a moment taking in the stillness of it all.
"You sit down I'll get us some food." Gabrielle said.
Xena found the table closest to the fireplace and waited trying to put together all the feelings in her head, trying to remember any images but it was pointless.
"You Xena?!" A loud voice came from the bartender, Gabrielle looked surprised.
"Who's asking?" Xena said standing up.
"A man was in here three days ago, said you would be coming along right about now. Left some money, your meals and lodging are taken care of."
"Who is this man?" Xena asked approaching the bartender.
"I don't know, he was a stranger to me…"
"You sure you aren't forgetting something." Xena asked pointedly, raising her hands, fingers outstretched.
"Xena, no, he doesn't know anything." Gabrielle said stepping between them.
"Look I don't want any trouble I run an honest establishment."
"And we won't be any trouble" Gabrielle said with her honest smile. "What room did you say it was?"
The bartender relaxed and rooted around under the bar for a moment taking out a key and handing it over, "up the stairs, second door on the right you can't miss it."
"Thank you." Gabrielle said, taking the key from his outstretched hand. "I think we might just go relax there now, could we have food in about an hour?"
"Yes not a problem."
Gabrielle smiled before heading up towards the stairs with a gentle grip on Xena's arm leading her along.
"Xena, what is your problem you can't just put the pinch on everyone who doesn't have all the answers…some people just don't know everything."
"I know that" Xena muttered before looking up at the door and freezing in her step.
"Are you okay?"
"This door it is familiar."
"It is a door, a wooden door." Gabrielle said, starting to wonder if perhaps the furies were at work and had somehow changed how they manifested themselves.
"No, the grain, the way that second plank of wood is a little off set…I've seen this door before but I've never been here."
Xena stared off for a moment.
"What did you see it in your dream or something?"
"Perhaps…"
"Look I admit this is a bit odd, the whole showing up and having a room ready thanks to some mysterious stranger, but we haven't even been here for ten minutes yet, we will figure it out."
Gabrielle turned around and put the key in the door and swung it open.
"See, a perfectly normal room, one bed, a table and a chair."
"Yes" Xena said as if slightly under a trance walking over towards the table where a small rectangular piece of paper lay.
"What is that?" Gabrielle asked.
"It says Iris Brothers War Correspondent."
Gabrielle walked over to the table.
"You can read that?"
"Can't you?"
Gabrielle shook her head, "who is Iris Brothers."
"I don't know." Xena picked up the card and as soon as she did it felt like a hot sword was stabbing into her forehead.
She stumbled into the table and fell into the chair. Images flooded her mind, images that were new but somehow instantly recognizable. She saw a young woman growing up and she felt and connection to her and through her felt a connection to Gabrielle. Gabrielle, she could hear her screaming for her but it sounded muffled somehow. The images of the girl were gone and suddenly there were images of destruction, of death and dying brought upon by men. Xena instantly recognized those images as war but not like any she had ever seen. The weapons were different and there were not horses but large metal monsters.
"Xena" Gabrielle's was sounding further away and in a moment Xena knew what was going to happen.
"Grab my hand Gabrielle" Xena said calmly.
"What is happening?"
"We are going on an adventure."
Gabrielle put her hand in Xena's and suddenly a hot light engulfed them both.
Thanks for reading the intro. I alway appreciate comments good or bad.