Thanks to Silvermoonlight GJ for her generosity of spirit and the cover.
Thanks to Zelwika for following. Disclaimer: I dont own any rights to Xena, she belongs to Universal/MCA
Note:This story may contain sex and violence and love between women.
2
Davos left Xena at the stables and went on with the new recruits to get them fitted and armed while she arranged with the stable owner for a stall and feed for Argo and after she saw the horse settled she went on to where the messenger birds were kept. She moved fast accross town and once she closed the door on the coop and was alone she could vent her feelings Xena angrily slammed the wall with her fists several times in furious rage. Panicked the birds flew around seeking to escape and Xena stood back and swallowed down hard and told herself to calm down and gradually the birds began to settle again. Xena hadnt and as she wote the message and gently captured a bird she was still seathing. What a total fuck, she hadnt done anything right just stood there like a looming vulture ready to pick over the bones or finish the job. She tied the message to the bird`s leg and walked up to the roof and let it go and It circled before dissapearing from sight and she turned for the steps. To the victor the spoils the claim of warriors, and Xena had even believed that, for a while. Now it wasnt even a decent excuse she had been a cruel petty tyrant.
She hadnt expected to see Patolis that had been a suprise and Boromia and Davos behaviour hadnt been unexpected she had scared them witless then and they were scared of her nuw, but seeing Jarred and especially Sara had sent a cold shiver down her spine. The shame of it all hit her as she remembered. She had used Jarred and the best looking men as bed slaves she wanted to control him because he wasnt afraid of her but Jarred was also a remarkable artist woodcutter and potter and Xena also wanted to make use of his talents. She had carefully avoided haveing serious relationships with anyone since they had all been bad mistakes of one kind or another. Betrayal, unwanted pregnancy, attempts to kill her, she had even been a whore to advance her ambition but it had all ended badly for her and now Xena was suffering another kind of problem, a lonely bed and acute frustration as her many sleepless nights were proveing. So, Xena decided she wanted only the best bits of a man without the trouble that went with them, and she ordered Jarred to make them. At first Jarred refused both of her proposals not realiseing Xena didnt accept refusals especially from someone like him. " I`m not your sex toy and I wont make any for you." he said defiantly but Xena didnt care she had already found his weakness, his lover Sara. Stung by his words Xena would make him pay for it and she threatened to have Sara raped by her men. It was enough to make him him comply to her demands and Xena took full advantage forceing him to satisfy her every wish. The story quickly spread around the town that Jarred was one of Xena`s `chosen` and felt ashamed at the ribald jokes and jibes he got for giving in so easily.
It wasnt long after Xena learned Jarred was rallying the townsfolk against her and there had been other incedents like nearly loseing her ship that angered Xena, furious she had him severly punished, and vengefully poor Sara was given over to her sailors. Oddly the young woman`s beautiful dark red silky hair had turned completely white as if to tell the world of what she had suffered. It was widely known that Xena had been resposible for that and there had been a lot of talk but after there were no more incedents and no banter about what went on behind the closed door of the Warrior Princess`s bedchamber. Xena spent the whole winter in Patolis in that time she repaired her ship and once the spring came she left, takeing with her the wealth and goods Patolis had amassed during the trade season leaveing it with nothing.
Xena groaned how could she have been so blind, how but how could she put it right? Nothing short of dying in battle. Xena thorght grimly but that didnt seem right either it was nothing but an easy way out. No there had to be another way, the Patolians had lived with this and she had to do something more than just die. But what? Then Xena was struck by another thorght. How was she going to explain all this to Gabrielle? The bard saw beauty and love in everything and didnt see how people could be so hurt they would want vengence, and she could just imagine who would want that. Xena knew Gabrielle wouldnt understand and would try to plead clemancy for her. She couldnt let her do that the Patolians had gone through enough without haveing Gabrielle speaking up for her it just wouldnt be right. But the worst of all this was going to hurt the bard. Wasnt there any way out of that either? she walked down the steps still lost in thorght and headed for the wall she didnt notice the people she passed bowing to her as she walked was a nightmare and it was of her own makeing.
All the men were watching as she approached the steps to the walkway and as she ran up the steps and looked out toward the pirates she felt the wave of hate at her back. The men below were busy running to the forest and back with wood and she could hear them jokeing and laughing as they worked. Repairs, Xena thorght. A very fair skinned man stood apart looking to the town and she guessed he was the captain. He was talking to another who`s back was turned and she spun round to the militia aware that he would be able to see her." I know you remember and I can guess what you think of me." A low angry rumble from the men answered her and Davos turned to watch the pirates as he he saw now all eyes were on Xena and he thorght someone should be keeping an eye on them. Xena jabbed her thumb at the beach." But it`s not me you got to be thinking about right now, it`s them and what they`ll do to your wives, your sons, daughters and friends if they get in here." A grizzled old hand growled. " She`s right, like it or not we need her or we`re all dead." Another said." We`er all dead anyway we`er not fighters." Xena answered. " Yes we are dead unless we fight them." They looked at each other then one of them said " You think we got a chance ?" Xena grinned." There is always a chance but if you give in to them they will distroy Patolis and everyone here." she said and the men glanced at each other the worry and fear etching lines in their faces. Xena let her voice carry. " Were not going let those sons of Baccae take what they want. Your going to protect your families AND WERE GOING TO TAKE THEM OUT." She shouted and the men gave a cheer suddenly boyed up by her words. " They wont get in Xena. We`ll do em. Hail XENA." They shouted and the captain nodded to her. " What are your orders Princess?" Xena looked back to the men on the beach. " They wont bother us just yet that gives us time. When does the tide change?" The captain grinned seeing what she was getting at. " Not til late morning." Xena said. " Good, split the men to rotate duties every four candle marks one takes a rest and see that he is fed. We shall have to keep a watch on them. " He nodded. "It will be done." he said.
Gabrielle had taken a break from helping a team of some women cut strips of linen for bandages. She told Boromia she was going to get some air and as she past she saw the woman with white hair by the couldren boiling the linen and noticed she was a lot younger than she first appeared. Their eyes met and the woman gave her a look that would have frozen Tartarus. The woman knew she was friends with Xena and had seen her come out of the meeting hall with the warrior she made it plain she saw Gabrielle as an enemy. Thinking about that she walked a little way and then saw Jarred coming out of a tavern a little unsteady on his feet and followed him down the narrow streets until he came to a building amongst empty warehouses in a rundown area and went inside. Gabrielle pushed open the door and found she was in a shop. There were a variety of hand made pots, jars and statuettes of the pantheon carved in wood and painted handsomely in soft muted earthy colours and lifelike tones arranged along shelves. On the far wall were other lifelike figures, erect penis` and other erotica probably for Dionysis worship festivals and she blushed and moved on quickly. Ares also looked too real for comfort, then she saw Aphrodite and smiled at the figure. Gabrielle said to herself."She`d like that. " Jarred appeared from behind the workshop curtain and Gabrielle spun round almost knocking over the wares with her staff. He was handsome looking even with his hard expression. " Hey watch it, Special offer two for one on selected items five dena." his voice slurred a little drunkenly and Gabrielle handed him the coins without thinking and she pointed to the goddess." These are beautiful, did you make them?" Jarred shrugged and gave her a wrapped package and without looking at it Gabrielle put it in her bag." Much good it does me when no ships take my goods anymore and none come here except raiders. Like your friend Xena." he snarled the hated name." Call yourself a bard your lies are making her out a hero." he said and Gabrielle realised he knew who she was." I dont lie or do fiction." she said huffily." What I write about Xena is true, she helps people." Jarred laughed and clapped his hands in a parody of applause." Very good, she`s taught you well. Did she tell you I had to bed her and please her every whim. No? Or the women she had made whores of to satisfy the lust of her men? I suppose not well take a good look bard of Xena and write this if you dare." he suddenly didnt sound drunk anymore and pulled up his shirt and turned around. Long ugly white scars ran across his back, he had been whipped or beaten with a rod of some kind. " Not pretty is it. She fired our ships, we couldnt escape or get help and we were forced to submit to her will. The men she wanted she used for her pleasure and the women she gave to her soldiers and any who stood against her were "punished" and when she left she took everything we had of value." Gabrielle was horrified and for a moment she was stunned. "That`s horrible, I know she was bad and I can understand how you would want justice." Jarred sneered. " What would you know of justice?" Gabrielle looked him straight in the eye. " I know without it you can never be truly get over it but it seems to me you seem to only want revenge." Jarred grinned." Revenge yeah I like the sound of that." Gabrielle looked sadly at the man "Callisto went mad seeking revenge and it distroyed her in the end and she killed many people who had done nothing to her. I`m sorry for what happend to you but really revenge is not the answer at least with justice you can learn to forgive and get on with your life." Jarred snorted angrily. " How dare you I dont want to forgive her." Gabrielle turned and walked out the shop and she heard him shouting as she went down the street. " I WILL NEVER FORGIVE HER. I WILL NEVER FORGIVE HER."
Davos listened to Xena outlineing the plan and watched her fingering the map and nodded in agreement at the places she pointed out to him. When she had finished she looked up at him from the desk." Why did you say you didnt know what to do when you were pretty good at holding me off if I remember rightly." Davos reddened." You saw the men, too old or too young and inexperianced and those I`ve picked dont want to fight. I knew you could pull them together better than I could Princess." Xena winced, hearing her title was becoming a tad annoying but she held off from saying so." So you didnt want to be responsable and used me." she said. Davos grinned ruefully." I once heard you say if it works use it. So I did." Xena laughed." I get it if this fails you wont get the blame because I`m the one giveing the orders." she said. " That`s right Princess." the millitia man said.
It was almost dusk by the time Gabrielle got back to the work area she had taken two wrong turns and got lost in the rabbit warren of streets and now she was hot tired and hungry. She found a cook shop and bought four bread rolls filled with strips of grilled goat and peppers and large bunch of grapes. She didnt feel like returning to cutting up bandages and being stared at again by the other women and she groaned inwardly when she saw Boromia coming toward her with an older woman and couple of younger ones in tow carrying brooms and cloths." Your rooms are ready for you now." he said and the older one snorted." Yeah and a right job it was too." Boromia hushed her with a wave of his hand. " I can take you there if you want." he said and Gabrielle said. " Thank you I would like to take a rest."
He led her along the narrow streets until they and they came out into the square and then opened the door and climed the steps to the first floor apartment and opened that door into a plush and richly furnished reception room and he lit the logs in the firepit. " If that will be all I shall be getting on." he said. Truthfully he didnt like being around Xena, or her little friend much because he was frightened of the warrior and the girl friend for all her nice demeaner was a spy for her. Alone now Gabrielle grabbed one of the rolls and ate it quickly and then she explored the place. A pleasant bathing room complete with drying cloths ready for use in the best linens, three large bedrooms and in the best quality of furnishings and covers and the main room she had already seen it all looked fit for a King, or a Princess. There was just one thing about the place it smelled a little bit musty as if it had been locked up and left for some time. It was clean and the windows were slightly open to allow for fresh air but she knew that was very recently went back to the main room and sat by the fire ate her second bread roll and helped herself to a few grapes and stared into the fire and hoped Xena would come.
Xena had enough of watching the men on the beach they looked to be settling for the night and they had struck torches and fires in the darkness. Patolis was lit up as well so there wasnt any chance of a sneak attack but Xena told the men to stay alert. She was tired and hungry and most of all she wanted to talk to Gabrielle. When Boromia told her where the bard was she thorght she had ought to have talked to Gabrielle sooner. Xena entered the apartment with some trepidation and then found the girl curled up in front of the fire snoreing soundly. Xena ate the food hungrily then gently picked Gabrielle up in her arms and carried her to a bedroom. The talk will wait she thorght and laid her carefully on the bed Gabrielle mumbled sleepily." i love you Xena." Xena laid down beside her and kissed her lips " I love you too." Then they fell asleep in each others arms.
