Title: Whispers
Time Line: Post Fin
Rating: PG-13
Arthur: Kitten a.k.a. Cat
Summary: The events after A Friend In Need II, from my point of view.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Xena Warrior Princess or Hercules the Legendary Journeys. I do however own the story line.
A loud voice cannot compete with a clear voice, even if it's a whisper... Barry Neil Kaufman
"Gabrielle I can't come back" she paused sighing "I have to remain dead to redeem the souls." She looked down upon her friend, her soul mate and watched the tears falling unabated "I am so sorry Gabrielle, but I do not know of another way." Xena wrapped her arms around the sobbing bard and held her for the last time as the sun began to set. In a low whisper for the bard's ears only "Please promise you will not give up on me."
Gabrielle's mind processed the whispered plea, but as she looked up to Xena as her form faded from sight, the sun had set.
Gabrielle was unaware how long she sat upon the mountain top in Japa after the sun had set and her friend vanished from sight. Finally after all her tears were spent, she gathered herself and began the journey down the mountain. Her trek was far more complicated by the lack of light than her previous climb up. But then her heart had been full of hope, hope that her friend would be back at her side soon. But all that was gone now. Now she was broken and her friends' remains resided in the small urn packed in her bag at her back.
Her mind was not on the trail, but on the betrayal she felt growing in her soul. She felt betrayed by Xena "How could she choose this over me and all the time we have been together" she bit into the air. Anger began to build and her vision was clouded by yet more tears, tears she thought she had no more of. She missed the stone and tripped. Attempting to catch herself she over stepped, twisting her ankle and tumbled off the path and down the mountainside. After plummeting down the mountainside for about twenty feet she managed to grab a root of a tree and catch herself. Now she hung off the edge cut, bruised and dirty hanging onto the root for her life. She managed to look over her shoulder to discover she was mere feet from death "Xena would say it was my dumb luck" she mumbled to herself as she began to pull herself back up the rough trail her falling figure had made. After a better part of a candle mark she was once again on the trail down the mountain. She rested long enough to make sure the urn was safe and to find a stick to support her injured leg.
Her progress made slower by her painful injuries. She looked down disgustedly at the swelled and purple ankle "Damn" she muttered as she leaned heavily against her now adopted walking stick "It will take me all day if not more to get down this blasted mountain" she continued her slow journey not letting her mind wonder back to her final moments with Xena. She had to get through this first and could try to think about Xena later.
Day had come and gone and yet the bottom of the mountain still eluded Gabrielle. She gave in and made a camp for the night. Luckily she had found a small stream to rest by. Carefully she peeled the wrapping off her ankle. It was swollen twice the size of normal and was almost black in color because of the bruising. Slowly and painfully she lowered it in the ice cold waters of the stream. To her relief it felt better rather quickly and the swelling came down fast with the coldness of the water. "Rest is what I need for this" she paused looking around at the strange forest surrounding her "I can see why you liked this place Xena, it is unique." After getting a rough bed made up she lay down with her foot elevated for relief, she closed her eyes and let exhaustion take over.
............Dreamscape..............................................................
Gabrielle is lying on the forest floor. She wakes to screams. Jumping up in a defensive stance she takes no notice that her ankle is no longer injured. Using the teachings of Xena she pushes back the noises to here the sounds behind the sounds. Beyond the screams an army marches and beyond that she hears rain falling. Coming back to herself she lets the noises fade away and begins to make out a whisper. She stands still listening trying to make out the whisper, but her concentration is broken by movement to her right. A bush rustles. She gives up the whisper and turns her attention to the bush. Her eyes narrow as she focuses in on the intruder "Come on out I know you are there" she is shocked at how much she sounds like Xena, pressing the force in her voice she steps closer "NOW!"
A small girl of maybe ten years steps from the bushes. Gabrielle now steps back "Who are you?"
The girls says nothing.
Gabrielle looks the child up and down. She is dressed like a Greek child in simple dress with her dark hair tied back in braids. Gabrielle stepped to the girls and raised her chin to better see her face. What meets her vision makes her drop her hand and step back again. "You can't be" she whispered as she stares at a pair of familiar sparkling blue eyes.
The little girl now reaches out and takes Gabrielle's hand "Don't give up on me" she whispered with a light voice "Take me home."
Gabrielle dropped to her knees holding her hand "Xena is this really you?"
The little girl looks around "We can't talk here" she paused again, this time to look over shoulder. When she turned back to Gabrielle there was fear in her eyes "You must get me home as soon as possible. I made a mistake and only he can help." She broke from Gabrielle's hand and ran to the forest again.
Gabrielle jumped up "Stop" she called after the girl. The forest surrounding her began to fade as she awoke from her dream….
Back in the Forest……………..
Gabrielle awoke on the forest floor. Immediately she was aware of the pain from her leg and the cuts on her body. "A dream" she said aloud. Her mind raced and now she thought back to the words Xena had said at the mountain top "There must be a way." She gathered her belongings and once again began her trek down the mountainside, but this time she held hope once again and her mind was clearer. "Yes I will go home and find a way" she lightly fingered the weapon at her hip "I will give this back to you my friend."
……………………….