Conqueror and Amazon: Echoes of Darkness
By romansilence
---------
Chapter Two: Journeying
After a short visit at the encampment of Xena's soldiers, they were riding the whole morning in comfortable silence due to the fact that Gabrielle almost immediately had fallen asleep on Xena, their long, practically sleepless night taking its toll on the younger woman. The blonde's arms were tightly clamped around Xena's waist and one of the warrior's hand protectively rested on top of them to keep her in place.
"How can she sleep like that? It looks awfully uncomfortable." The Queen asked.
"She learned to sleep whenever and how ever she got the chance but only a few moons ago, when she first learned what it meant to be free, then, your words would have sent her back to reality in the blink of an eye. That she's sleeping like this is a sign of her healing. Her body needed a lot more time to understand that her suffering is in the past than her mind did but finally it's taking roots even there."
"She will have the swirls of your armour imprinted on her cheek when she awakens."
"No, she won't, my Queen, Xena put a folded cloak under her head shortly after she fell asleep, as a pillow." Theano answered with a bright smile. "I always knew that you're a romantic at heart, little one, but you're developing into a real mushball where Gabrielle is concerned."
"You wanna tell me that I'm pussy whipped, old woman?" Xena said with a deep rumbling in her voice.
Theano only laughed and the tall warrior broke in a smile. The threesome fell silent and then the Queen asked. "Why do you call Xena 'little one', Theano? It's a somewhat odd name for someone more than half a head taller."
"Well, she wasn't always this tall." The Amazon lawyer answered with a grin. "Where I come from 'little one' is reserved for second daughters only. Actually I never told you how she came to be my 'little one'."
"I never insisted but I'm still curious. I never heard of an Amazon taking an outsider's child as a second daughter, not during the last two or three generations and even then it was very rare."
"The proceedings were registered in my home village, my Queen." The older woman answered with a hint of defiance in her voice.
"Theano saved my life when I first met her, Queen Melosa." Xena interfered to disperse the growing tension.
"You would have found a way, little one. Even as a child you were rather inventive." The Amazon answered with a smirk.
"Now, you two got me really curious."
"It was in my seventh summer." The raven haired woman answered. "There was a ravine next to Amphipolis. Since I first saw it some two or three summers earlier I wanted to see the other side, I wanted to stand on the other side but my mother and all the others told me that it was too wide to jump and too long to walk around in one day and that there was nothing different or exciting to see. They didn't let me return there on my own but I didn't forget, and I practised jumping, soon I could outdo most of the other children, even the older boys.
"One day during summer festival, I stole away from my mother's inn where the whole village seemed to mill around. I studied the chasm between me and the other side, then I took my chances, ran and jumped. As you can imagine, I missed the edge but nevertheless I was lucky. I landed on a ledge and everything went black. When I came to, my whole body was screaming in pain, something I never had to experience before. At the time it looked like a sheer cliff, impossible to climb. I tried to get on my feet but I couldn't. I tried to use my arms but I wasn't strong enough. I don't know how long I tried. – I was about to give up when the end of a single tail whip began to dangle in front of me and a voice told me to stand up and wrap it around my waist."
"At the time I was on my way to another Amazon village in the south," Theano continued with some hesitation, "crossing the ravine would have been fastest but there was no bridge, and I wasn't ready to risk my horse by trying to jump. The ground at the edge just didn't look solid enough. I was getting bored when my mare picked up on a rather unfamiliar sound. Some heartbeats later I heard it also. It was the voice of a child, yelling curses more suited to a tavern brawl than a peaceful country-side."
For a few heartbeats Xena's warrior mask gave way to a dazzling smile, her eyes glinting mischievously.
"When I finally managed to get her to the top she had a dislocated shoulder, bruised ribs and a broken leg. I'm still not sure how she managed to secure the whip and hold on while my horse was pulling her towards the edge." Sensing the tall woman's discomfort, a familiar reaction whenever someone close to her mentioned her extraordinary skills, the Amazon lawyer came back to the subject at hand. "I had to knock her out, not only to stop the constant expletives but also to set her shoulder."
"When I opened my eyes," Xena once again took over the story-telling, "I was looking at the sky, the clouds looked like a rooftop with a smoking chimney. They were slowly moving away from me. It took me some time to discern that it was me that was moving, not the clouds. I tried to sit up but I couldn't. I raised my head and saw the ground also was moving, that's when I became aware of the ropes binding me to the litter. I wanted to fight the ropes but the pain once again flooded my mind and I drifted off to a realm where it couldn't reach me."
"When dusk approached I made camp and tried to put her injured arm until then bound to her litter in a sling. Before I even was able to touch her the other hand was wrapped around my wrist. She didn't have the strength to keep me from doing what I had to do but the instincts were there, even then. I searched her face but her eyes were closed. I tended to her bruises and put her leg in a splint. I once again looked up and was captured by the most intense blue eyes I've ever seen."
After a long moment of silence Xena continued their tale. "It took more than four days to walk around the ravine and return to Amphipolis. I don't know how Theano put up with me. I was a real pain. I was hurting and I didn't want to show it. I also didn't take the painkillers she offered. And I felt sorry for myself for failing in my quest."
"I had more pleasurable journeys, that much is true but behind all her grumbling and ranting there was an intense passion for life I never before saw in someone this young.
"Half a day's ride outside of Amphipolis we were met by a search party. The men obviously never before had seen an Amazon and so were rather suspicious of me. Their leader was a man with more muscles than I've ever seen. He said 'thank you' and wanted to leave me to my own devices. He said something to the effect that this unruly child already had taken enough of my time and that this time she would be severely punished for her antics.
"I still don't know how she did it but before I could think of an answer, she was standing in front of him, with spread feet, totally disregarding her broken leg. Her eyes sparkled with anger and she told him that what she did never would be his business, and that he should go and try and scare someone else. She also told this bulk of a man that I was her friend and that her mother certainly would like to thank me personally for saving her life."
"To make a long story short. Theano and my mother quickly became friends. They have the same twisted sense of humour, and I was fascinated by the stories about Hypolita and Penthesilea and Artemis and Athena she told while my leg was healing. When she left I was determined to become an Amazon myself, one day. – She came to visit about every other season and each time she taught me more about Amazon history and lore. She gave me my first staff lesson and taught me how to train by myself, how to build up my strength and stamina."
"I know, my Queen, it still doesn't explain why I took her as a second daughter and why her mother didn't oppose it."
"I suppose you fell in love with her mother."
"Good explanation, and one in tune with our traditions but that's not how it happened. Actually I had a hard time convincing Cyrene, Xena's mother, that I didn't want to take her daughter away from her. Cyrene always was a very proud woman, she had three children to raise and ran the local inn all on her own after her husband's disappearance some five years earlier. She didn't have the time to cuddle her children the whole day long and she felt that they missed out on a lot of things because of this. But I'm ahead of my story. It was exactly one year after we first met when I once again returned to Amphi….
x x x x x x
She could feel the eyes of the villagers on her back, following her progress along the main street of Amphipolis towards the inn. Her back was straight and she wore her long dark blonde hair in a loose braid. The Amazon leathers were partly obscured by a light summer cloak. The single tail whip was coiled and rested on its hook at her hip, and her staff was secured to the saddle. She ignored the part curious, part hostile, part anxious looks she got, and was in the process to dismount when she heard the crying and cheering of children. At first she thought that it was just a game but somehow it didn't sound right. She changed direction and her mare brought her to the backside of the barn.
Most of the village's children seemed to be present. The younger ones were standing around a heap of bodies in the middle of the pasture. They were cheering and yelling indiscernibly. When she slid from her horse she saw that Xena and her younger brother were in the centre of the constantly shifting pile of arms and limbs, and that the village's teens obviously were ganging up on them. She let out a shrill whistle and cracked her whip over their heads. But most of them were too high pitched to react. The Amazon began to take them out, one after the other. For the most part it was enough to get a grip and yank them away from the commotion but some of them had to be knocked out.
Xena obviously sensed what was going on and began an attack of her own instead of only trying to keep them at bay. She was breathing hard, her sleeveless shirt was ripped and there was blood trickling down her temple but her eyes were sending lightning bolts towards her opponents. A quiet moan distracted her and a fist got through her defences and impacted with her stomach. She doubled over, avoided another blow by going with her body's momentum and a knife aimed for her chest sliced through her left shoulder. This definitively wasn't any longer an innocent brawl among children, and with renewed energy Theano strove to end it.
The girl was standing over the moaning body of Lyceus, oblivious to the blood flowing down her arm. Only one of the attackers was left, he was tall and muscular, more than two heads taller than Xena. In his right hand was a blood-dripping dagger, and he had a sneer on his face as he once again advanced towards her brother. She stopped his booted foot with her unprotected shin. Theano could see pain flickering across her face but instead of backing off she drove both of her fists in his stomach with all her might. He reacted and her knee found his chin. He dropped to the ground, unconscious.
The girl turned around and slowly knelt next to her brother but before she even could take his hand a low menacing voice brought her back to her feet.
"What by Hephaestus' anvil did you do to my poor nephew? This time your mother's influence won't safe your hide. You are an abomination of nature and a danger to every single child in the village."
Meanwhile his shouting had attracted a bunch of other villagers. The man, still wearing the apron of a blacksmith, advanced towards Xena who stood her ground. Her eyes were stormy. With the help of her staff, the Amazon woman stopped him before he could reach out and grab the girl. She could feel the anger radiating from the small body behind her and saw the surprise on the smith's face.
"This is none of your business, Amazon." He spat out. "She attacked my nephew, look at him. She could have killed him."
At this moment Cyrene and the village elders rounded the corner of the barn, let by a frantic boy, the slightly taller, male version of Xena. They wanted to know what had happened. "A moon ago I told you that this abomination has to be locked up. A girl has to learn that her place is in the house and in a man's bed, not running around in the woods, playing boys' games. But you all didn't believe me, and your leniency almost got my nephew killed today. That's what happened."
There was a murmur going through the ranks of the assembled villagers. Encouraged he continued. "She attacked him. She has to be locked up and purged from her sinful ways."
"If this only was between Xena and your nephew why are all the other kids here, why is my son unconscious, and why is my daughter bleeding?" Cyrene countered.
"I knew you would take her side but this time you won't sway the elders' opinion with your sweet-talking."
"The elders don't have an opinion yet, Castritius, don't try to make up our minds for us." The silver haired man now asked Theano what had happened and she told them what she had witnessed and what she had done to end it.
"I don't know how it began, venerable elders, but I know that Xena only tried to defend herself and her brother against an opponent much older and bigger than she is, an opponent attacking her with a knife he still holds in his hand. The wound in her shoulder was made with this weapon and if you don't mind I'll take her and her brother to the healer now."
One of the younger children tucked the old man at his tunic, he bent down and the girl whispered hurriedly in his ear. The elders then formed a circle and only three or four candledrops later the spokesman addressed the villagers as well as Castritius and Theano.
"My granddaughter just told me that the older boys attacked Xena's younger brother. She sent her older brother to get their mother and rushed to his defence but didn't stand a chance against the superior number of opponents. The Amazon woman arrived and stopped them one after one. Castritius' nephew was their leader, he cowardly came at her with a dagger and wounded her but she still managed to put him out. Xena is not the one to blame here.
"It only is fair that the attackers of today suffer the same fate as Xena did a moon ago when she was found guilty of striking one of her peers without a reason. Starting tomorrow the parents can make appointments with the council to ensure that there are at least two witnesses to the punishment.
"Castritius, your nephew not only goaded the others in this cowardly deed, he also used a weapon against a child. I don't want to know what would have happened if she hadn't been able to defend herself and if this Amazon warrior hadn't been here to interfere. Since he came here, one and a half moon ago, he caused nothing but trouble and bad blood in our village. You will keep him confined to your own property for at least three seasons or immediately send him back to his mother. We won't tolerate any more disturbances."
The tall smith growled but didn't dare to oppose the council's decisions. He dragged the still half unconscious teenager to his house, and the villagers slowly returned to their chores.
"Cyrene, Xena, after what happened today, I apologise for what the council made you go through last moon. I now believe that you were provoked in slapping Castritius' nephew, and I'm sorry that I didn't know better." The old man continued.
"I never lie, and I'm still not sorry." The young girl said before her knees gave way and she hit the ground.
When Xena opened her eyes once again, it was dark outside, a candle was flickering next to her bed and her left arm was strapped to her chest. She tried to sit up. "Stay put, little one."
"Lyceus – I have to make sure that he's okay. They hurt him."
"Your brother is sleeping, Xena. He wasn't hurt, just the wind knocked out of him. You weren't as lucky. The dagger was dirty, it caused a small infection but your mother got it under control. She's a very good healer. You slept for more than two days. You both will be all right."
"I want to see him. He's my responsibility and I didn't keep him safe."
"I'll help you to get dressed. You'll check on your brother and then we will go down to the kitchen and get you something to eat. And then we will talk."
x x x x x x
"It was a very long talk and I didn't like what she told me one bit, most of it at least. But somehow she convinced me that being stronger and faster also meant having more responsibilities. I always felt responsible for Lyceus but she made me understand that I also was responsible for everyone not as fast or strong or bright as I was. I learned my lesson and she helped me to develop my natural abilities. This night Theano offered to become my second mother. She taught me how to fight and how to think, and she taught me not to take my skills for granted but to hone them. She taught me how to work for the things I really wanted, how to focus."
The tall warrior whose eyes until then fixed to the path they were following, now looked up to the older Amazon. "I'm sorry I perverted your teachings, my second mother, and I'm sorry I twisted the sense of what you really meant with responsibility." Her blue eyes were full of sorrow and once again cast to the ground.
"Look at me, Xena. Do you remember, the following evening when I told you about what it really means to have a second mother?"
It had been a rhetoric question but still Xena answered. "I remember. I didn't understand it then. It took years and years of darkness to finally accept in my heart that you really were sincere then. 'A second mother does not judge but guide. She demands no explanations but offers understanding. She is the voice of love and reason, she reminds of the things you're not willing to hear….'." Her voice trailed off.
"Hey, little one, you found your way back, that's all that counts." Xena gave the older Amazon one of those rare smiles usually reserved for the young woman behind her, and they once again fell silent.
What Queen Melosa just had learned explained a lot but she still didn't have the faintest idea why Theano took the tall woman as a second daughter in the first place. There would have been other ways to teach her and develop her natural skills. A strong part of her wanted to know more and wanted to know it now but there also was an equally strong part telling her that now wasn't the time and place to ask these questions. It was the priestess in her that cautioned her to take her time and wait. So, she decided to join Solari and Ephiny in the front of the line.
A rumbling noise let her reign in her horse, and a sleepy voice said. "I'm hungry."
"I know, my love. How about some trail bars? We'll take our lunch on horse back. There's a clearing about five candlemarks from here, with a small creek. We'll be there with enough time to take a swim and have something warm to eat."
For the rest of the ride there were no further in-deep conversations, just some stories and chatter. They had a mayor water fight while bathing after Xena caught a string of trout for dinner. Now they all were sitting at the fire place. They still were on Amazon territory, so there was no need for guards. Gabrielle was comfortably nestled between Xena's thighs, leaning against the tall woman's chest, and just about to finish the second story of the evening, dealing with Amazon spirituality.
Gabrielle's story told about a time long ago, a time when the Amazons believed that every Amazon had been gifted with a guiding spirit at the day of her birth by the Goddess herself. The guiding spirits usually appeared in the form of an animal and helped to find peace of mind and harmony. Once, so the young woman related, there was an Amazon warrior who wasn't at all happy with the choice of her guiding spirit for to her it took the shape of an ant, and so she left her sisters and began to search the known world for her true guiding spirit. She fought giants and dragons, men and nature but whenever she called upon her spirit only the ant appeared, and she kept on searching.
One day she found herself in the middle of a great battle. The enemy had withdrawn behind the gates of a well fortified city holding the inhabitants as hostages. They were stuck and camped in front of the gates. Every day five of the citizens were led on top of the fortifications, killed and thrown down. The first nights the Amazon didn't want to believe what her dreams told her but as day followed day she knew that she couldn't risk to not at least try. After speaking with the few refugees they were able to round up she found the entrance to a system of caverns and tunnels crossing beneath the acres and also leading towards the city. She nearly got lost with her soldiers but this time when she called upon her guiding spirit she did what the ant proposed. They ended in a cave full of wine near the city walls, were able to open the gates, and the enemy was defeated. She then returned to her home village where she was named weapons' master and died decades later as the leader of the council of elders.
"But that's ridiculous, an ant guiding a warrior." One member of the royal guard said.
"Really? I don't think so. Ants live in a very complex community. Every one of them knows what to do without being told, every one of them is able to carry many times their own weight, and every one of them values the community more than its own life." Akyra answered.
"I never saw it that way. But I still don't think that such a thing as a guiding spirit exists."
"Tell me, Kelara, did you never dream of running through the forest without exactly knowing why? And wasn't it much easier then than it is in reality?" The silver haired Amazon with the black eyes asked.
"No, venerable Akyra, but sometimes I dream of flying over the forest and the fields. I see the village and the temple and the training grounds from high above and I even see landscapes I never visited in reality. – Do you think my guiding spirit could be a bird of some kind? Would you help me to find out when we return from the Centaurs?"
"I'll tell you what to do but this is a journey you'll have to take on your own. I think we should call it a…."
The Amazon elder suddenly fell silent when Argo appeared out of the darkness and butted her tall mistress in the head. Xena slightly twisted her upper body and answered while one of her hands patted the tall mare's neck. "Yes, girl, I know."
"Don't tell me your guiding spirit is a horse, Xena." Ephiny said, amusement tinting her voice.
Xena's muscles immediately tensed at the teasing but Gabrielle's hand on her left thigh helped her relax and return the banter. "Okay, I won't tell yah." The tall woman answered, enjoying the confusion on the lawyer's face. "No, Eph, Argo has nothing of a spirit. She is my friend, and she came to let me know that there are three panthers out there stalking the other horses. I will go and bring them nearer to the fire."
"The guards will see to the safety of the horses, Xena, stay." The Queen's words stopped her attempt to get up from behind the blonde.
"So, you know what the horse is thinking?" Akyra who was sitting to her left wanted to know.
"No, not really. There's a lot of tension radiating from her body, her heartbeat is slightly faster than normal and her ears are twitching. So all I had to do was observing and listening." She answered and then continued much quieter, so only Akyra and Gabrielle could hear her. "What ever you may make yourself believe, I am no shaman and I never will become one."
The members of the royal guard took turns guarding the camp but the night was uneventful.
Long before the break of dawn, when the night is at its coldest and darkest, Xena extricated herself out of the bedroll she shared with her blond lover, donned her leathers, and stole away. As soon as she was out of sight, she began to run through the forest without making a sound. Half a candlemark and three leagues later she came to a stop in the middle of a small clearing.
Xena closed her eyes and knelt down on a knee, her hands rested lightly on her left knee. She waited. A few candledrops later, she heard them. They slowly entered the clearing and circled her. Two of them lay down at her sides, right and left, and the third sat down in front of her.
The tall woman could feel the hot breath on her face, and slowly opened her eyes, locking her blue orbs with the pitch black but vividly sparkling eyes of the animal in front of her. The panther was one of the biggest she ever saw. They almost were eye to eye. Her hands seemingly of their own accord left her knee and began to stroke the two smaller cats at her sides.
When the first hints of predawn began to colour the sky, she once again closed her eyes, and the formidable creatures left the clearing as soundlessly as they had come. She stayed motionless for another candledrop, and returned to camp after having caught three rabbits for the morning meal.
They had an early start and were able to cover a lot of ground. So, the Queen decided to let the horses rest and walk for a few candlemarks, soon Gabrielle was engaged in a friendly conversation with the guards and Xena brought up the rear. Half a candlemark later she was joined by Ephiny.
"You' okay? You seem awfully quiet today, even for you."
"Yeah, I'm good, Eph. No need to worry." The tall warrior looked at the curly head. "What do you really want?"
"This morning, I followed you."
"I thought it was Akyra, spying on me." The tall warrior answered shrugging her shoulders.
"It wasn't my intention to spy, Xena," Ephiny said slightly wounded, "but you left camp without your weapons. I was worried."
"I'm sorry, Eph, I didn't want to snap at you." Xena gave the curly haired woman a small smile and fell silent, arguing with herself if she should down-play the incident or tell the truth. The slightly younger Amazon lawyer had become a good friend of hers and Gabrielle's, especially after the trial. She deserved the truth but…
Her thoughts were interrupted when Ephiny spoke again. "I asked Akyra about it but she only smiled and sent me over. I never before saw someone treating one of the most dangerous predators around like harmless kittens. They could have killed you."
"They would have killed me, had I come with my weapons and armour. Not wearing them was a sign of trust on my part. Letting me touch her daughters was a sign of trust on hers."
There were a lot of questions pursuing each other in Ephiny's mind but one was more powerful than the others, and so she followed her instincts. "What did she tell you? The panther, I mean."
"She told me that there's danger ahead, and that I will need all my strength and all my weakness to keep safe the ones I love and care for. She told me that my past once again has risen to haunt me and that what I do about it now will influence not only my own future."
"You should warn the Queen, if it's this dangerous, maybe, it would be better to return to the village and postpone the meeting."
"I'll warn her as soon as we leave Amazon territory but I can't go back. I was told that more harm would come from avoiding the danger. I don't know what is expected of me but I can't afford not to find out."
Ephiny nodded, and they continued in silence but finally another question burst forth. "The panther is your guiding spirit as the lynx is Thania's, isn't it?"
"Yes."
"I always thought that one contacts them in the dreamscape or something. I never believed them to be real, living beings."
"Guiding spirits can speak to you through your dreams but they also can pop up in your mind during the day. Usually a guiding spirit isn't really a separate being. Once you accept it, it becomes part of you, of your soul. You simply know it's there. But you're right, usually they don't appear in flesh and bone." Meeting the inquisitive eyes of the lawyer, Xena swallowed the remainder of her trepidations and continued quietly. "Akyra probably would tell you that they only come to people with great spiritual powers, to a shamaness, a priestess or a Queen. But that's not the only answer. They can come when a young Amazon is just learning to find her way. The also can come when an adult has lost her path."
Xena fell silent. She didn't dare look at her bright eyed friend when she finally took a deep calming breath and said. "I think this is what happened today. – Years ago, I was proud to have such a powerful and independent animal as a guiding spirit. It carried me through a very dark and confusing time when I still was but a child. – When my soul lost itself in darkness I also lost my guiding spirit. I thought it never would come back. I think they came to let me know that I'm on the right path but that I also still have a lot of ground to cover."
This time Ephiny respected her friend's silence. She still had a lot of questions, actually now she had even more, but she also knew that Xena wouldn't answer any of them. In the past moon, she had learned enough about the raven haired woman to know that her openness today was a rare privilege; probably brought forth by the fact that the meeting with her guiding spirit still had her preoccupied and somewhat disturbed. The warrior could talk for hours about fighting techniques or battle strategies but apart from Gabrielle she seldom let anyone have a look in her heart.
Some candlemarks before dusk and still in the middle of the forest, they reached the edge of the Amazon territory. According to the peace treaty regulations with the Centaur Nation the border was unguarded by both parties. It was a sign of trust Queen Melosa had had real difficulties to get approved by the council. Ephiny, with the royal guards Siana, Kelara and the newly appointed Silea, was busy building solid lean-tos to ward off the heavy rains expected during the night. Meanwhile Xena told the Queen and the others about the warning she had received.
"You must be kidding, Xena. This whole thing with guiding spirits, it's nothing more than a children's story. You must have been dreaming." Solari, the captain of the royal guard replied.
"Guiding spirits exist, my unbelieving friend. Why do you think I have a squirrel in my crest?!" The Queen turned her attention from her speechless warrior back to Xena. "Apart from being careful and keeping our eyes and ears open for trouble, is there anything we can do?"
"I'd like to send Gabrielle and the elders back to the village to keep them out of harm's way."
"No way, Xena," Akyra and Theano answered with one voice. Akyra continued for both of them. "I may be older than the stones, Xena, but I still can hold my own in a battle. Besides, if the threat you told us about is coming from the Centaurs, you young folk may need my help. I have more experience with fighting them than I care to remember."
Meanwhile the discussion had attracted the attention of the others, and as could have been expected Gabrielle also wasn't willing to go back.
"Please, Gabrielle, be reasonable. Your leg may be healed but it still isn't as strong as it was. I won't risk your life, not again. We'll send you back to safety."
"No way, Xena." The younger woman retorted angrily. "You have no right to talk about my health while you're still recuperating from the whipping. Do you really think I don't know that your back still is hurting with this heavy armour throbbing against your back all day. And you'd better not forget that no one has the right to order me around, Conqueror. I'm my own woman, and I follow my own command."
This said she stomped off towards the cover of the trees. Xena was stunned by the force of her partner's outburst, so she didn't pay attention to what the Queen was saying, telling everyone to keep their eyes open from now on and ordering a look-out constructed in the trees.
"What are you waiting for, Xena? I want the look-out ready in no more then a candlemark. You better get started."
"I have to follow Gabrielle." Xena's voice came from far-away, her eyes still fixed to the spot between two old trees where her lover had disappeared.
"Xena, don't force me to punish you for disobedience. Just get going. – Give Gabrielle some space to calm down. You can make your apologies later."
The tall woman visibly was fighting her instincts but finally she bent her head and muttered. "Yes, mistress."
Less than half a candlemark later, while the royal guards still were busy with the lean-tos, the look-out was ready, big enough to comfortably seat two warriors and with a solid roof of intertwined leaves and branches.
Xena found Gabrielle by hearing alone, following the sound of a staff hitting a tree trunk. When the young woman came in her line of view at the edge of a clearing barely big enough to be called thus, Xena took off at breakneck speed, jumped, and landed against Gabrielle, effectively bringing her sideways to the ground.
The big boar that had targeted her lover missed by mere inches. The tall woman barely managed to get them both back on their feet when the animal charged again. She shoved Gabrielle towards a stand of trees and told her harshly to hide. Her hand reached for her sword but it already was too late. All she could do was turn to the side to try and get out of the way but still the force of the onslaught took her to the ground, pinning her beneath his weight; the boar's big tusks dangerously close to her face.
Her sword was all but useless in such close quarters and the chakram was trapped under her own body together with her right arm. She tried to turn the tables but pinned as she was, she didn't have enough leverage to affect the infuriated animal. She somehow managed to press him backwards a few inches but that was all. Xena could feel one of his fangs grazing along her upper arm protector and then slicing through her skin towards the elbow, leaving a burning gash. She had a short glimpse into the small, beady eyes of the animal and groaned when another slice was made, crossing the first one and much deeper.
Blood was dropping to the ground, and time came to a stand-still. Her left arm was weakening. She knew she couldn't hold him off much longer. In her peripheral vision she could see Gabrielle slowly creeping nearer, staff at the ready. She took aim and slammed it as hard as she could against the boar's rib case.
Seemingly unfazed by the attack the boar slowly turned his head as if measuring his new target with his red rimmed eyes. He shifted his weight towards the blond woman thus freeing Xena's right arm and giving her the opening she needed. She wound her injured arm around his neck and pulled as hard as she could at his front legs with the other hand.
The beast toppled over, and Xena slit his throat with her chakram, holding it down with her whole body until it had bled out. She came to her feet and turned to the young woman, still breathing hard.
"You all right, love?"
"Oh, Xena. I'm sorry. I almost got you killed. Please forgive me," she blurted out when her tall lover wrapped her in her arms, "I'll go back to the village. You're hurt and it's all my fault. I'm so sorry."
"Gab, my love, it's all right. We're safe now. It wasn't your fault. You just saved my life. He would have killed me, if you hadn't diverted his attention. What you did was very, very brave, my bard, and …."
One of Gabrielle's hand sneaked up to her lips. "And incredibly stupid, I know. You're not angry at me for running away?"
"No, I'm not angry, just relieved that you're not hurt. You, my love, have every reason to be angry with me. I'm worried about your safety but I shouldn't have ordered you around. I'm sorry. I'll try and not do it again. Forgive me?"
"You're forgiven, my warrior. I love you." The young woman answered smiling but still slightly trembling. "Let me put something on your arm, you're still bleeding."
"Not yet, Gab. Let's wait another two or three candledrops. The bleeding will get rid of most of the dirt. This way there will be less risk of an infection." Seeing the worried frown in Gabrielle's face she continued. "Did I recently tell you that I love you, sweetie?"
"I'll never tire of hearing it, Xe, and I love you too, with all of my heart." Gabrielle snuggled closer to her, deeply breathing in the scent so specific to her lover.
Xena was about to field-dress the boar when her sensitive hearing picked up the sound of two warriors coming their way. She stood and issued a series of bird-calls that immediately were answered. Soon Kelara and Silea dropped out of the trees and helped them to get the huge beast back to camp.
While Gabrielle let all the others know what had happened and Theano tended to Xena's wounds, the others were cutting the boar to pieces. One part was designed for dinner and the rest set aside to smoke-dry throughout the night.
x x x x x x
Cyrene was riding at the point of the slowly advancing column of horses and wagons, together with the Commanders Palemon and Theodorus.
More than a moon ago, almost a moon and a half, the two men had appeared at the backdoor of her house in Corinth in the middle of the night, to save her life, they had claimed.
By now, she knew they had been right, her house having been burned down the day after her escape. The ruling council of Greece and Rome, as they called themselves, this day not only had announced the 'unfortunate, accidental death of Xena, the Conqueror', they also immediately began to try and destroy everything associated with her reign, declaring that now would begin a 'long period of peace and prosperity'. Her banners were taken down, the streets in the newly built quarters of the town renamed, and some of her laws revoked. Xena's sudden disappearance didn't cause any kind of riot or civil war, just as she had predicted. She also was right to assume that the people personally associated with her, be it by choice, by blood, or by rumour only would face some danger by the new rulers of Greece.
The clearing Palemon and Theodorus had let her to in the first place turned out to be an easily guarded valley where soon more than three hundred refugees were assembling – only a third of which were soldiers. Most of them were craftsmen with their families, workers and even some farmers. They now were headed towards a small fortified island Xena had prepared for her followers in case of an emergency, together with most of the soldiers of the First Order, Xena's personal guards and elite squadron.
Cyrene herself and about half a dozen veterans had started out to join Xena or as they called her 'the General' at the Amazon village, after a detour to Amphipolis where Xena's mother wanted to gather some medicinal herbs. They not only had found the herbs but also the first three of the wagons now trailing behind her. Word of their destination must have spread with lightning speed for almost every day they were met up by small groups of soldiers or other wagons loaded with goods, families or elders. Everyone of them seemed fiercely loyal to her daughter, and every single conversation she had with one of these newcomers left her disbelieving, bewildered and unsure of herself.
The feelings Cyrene had for her only daughter for a long time now were somewhat ambivalent and confusing. She never really managed to hate her child, not even in the darkest of times, and regardless of the things she voiced out loud. But she had been more than certain to hate the Conqueror. And now she on a daily basis had to deal with people who for one reason or the other defended most of her actions.
The new messenger they had encountered a few days ago didn't make things easier for her. He told them of a great battle fought by Xena and the Amazons against one of her former commanders intend on destroying the Amazon Nation and the frontier outposts Xena had established along the whole length of the northern border. He also told them about Xena's brother, Toris, and an Amazon girl saving the life of Cyrene's grand-son, and her daughter saving the life of the girl by some sort of strange Amazon magic.
The middle aged woman was jostled out of her musings when Palemon, a tall dark haired man brought their caravan to a sudden stop. When she looked up she saw one of the scouts advancing towards them at top speed. Immediately all the soldiers on horse back fanned out in a defensive pattern and the others readied their weapons. When he drew nearer he signalled that there were friends ahead, and the men visibly relaxed.
"Palemon, it's the children from Corinth and Cirra. They'll cross our path in about three candlemarks. They'll need food and some rest. The new leaders … they tried to kill them. Some of them are injured, too."
"Theodorus, take the others and set up camp at the end of the woods on our left. That's where the crossroad from Cirra ends. We'll need some more meat." The blonde man he had spoken to signalled that he would send out the hunters and also asked how many children they were talking about.
Palemon cast a questioning look at the scout who immediately answered. "Fifty to sixty children and about five adults."
"Damn bastards, the orphanage in Cirra alone had close to fifty children. – I'll take a score of soldiers and see what we can do to help them now. Cyrene…"
"I'll be with you, Palemon. Perhaps I can help." She kneed her horse into motion and soon they were on a fast canter along some sort of half overgrown forest path.
When they had to slow down to cut trough a denser part Cyrene asked him about the orphanages. "I know the children are the ones suffering most from war, so I can understand that Xena sponsored an orphanage for the children of her soldiers but surely there aren't enough of them to fill more than one."
The tall man looked at her as if she had spoken in a foreign language, then there was a shadow of a smile on his lips, signalling to her that her words once again had ventured in a realm she did not have the slighted idea of. He shook his head and answered. "You'll just have to wait and see for yourself, Cyrene."
x x x x x x
The following day of travel saw no excitement at all. To be on the save side Queen Melosa once again had a look-out erected and Ephiny, Solari and Chandala volunteered to take watch. They weren't the only ones going practically without sleep.
To everyone's relief the wounds on Xena's arm were healing remarkably fast, Xena herself, however, didn't seem to notice. She was surrounded by a cloud of dark brooding that even began to affect the easy chatter of her fair haired companion. Her answers to questions were monosyllabic at best and she didn't venture any comment of her own. After everyone had retired to their bedrolls she listened to Gabrielle's even breathing but this night it didn't give her the solace she longed for, the solace she had become accustomed to.
Xena's mind kept wandering back to her past, to her campaign against the Centaurs, and to how driven she had been by the need to find that damned stone. While signing the peace treaty more than four years ago she didn't feel the pull of the stone she wasn't able to ignore the first time. She could feel its rhythm, like her own heartbeat but the longing to possess it was gone, even then. Now – more than four years later –, she had a hard time to remember why it ever had been important in the first place.
Even Gabrielle's body snuggled close to her own, the familiar feeling of the younger woman's legs intertwined with her own, this night was not able to keep the nightmares at bay, nightmares born out of memories usually hidden in the deepest and darkest part of her brain. She needed all of her mental strength to keep her mind void, and one after the other played through all the meditation techniques she knew. Still she couldn't help her growing anxiety.
The night was still dark and cold when Xena couldn't stand it any longer. Once again she slipped out of their bedroll careful not to awaken her young lover. She donned her leathers, armour, and weapons and headed for a clearing nearby.
After some candledrops of stretching and loosening up her muscles she unsheathed her sword and began to swirl it in front of her in an easy rhythm. Soon her movements became faster and the simple figure-eights she had started out with grew into intricate patterns. When she was satisfied with her range of mobility she began to fight invisible opponents by adding the occasional jump and flip. When the sun started to rise her uneasiness had dropped to a manageable level, and she was pleased with the range of her abilities.
With a smooth movement she sheathed her weapon, suddenly knowing what it was that had her on the edge the whole night long; she turned around and growled. "Show yourself, Ares. I hope you enjoyed the show."
The morning air began to shiver, sparkling blue light morphed to a solid leather-clad body. One hand casually resting on the hilt of his sword, he was eye to eye with Xena. "Why do you always have to spoil my fun, Conqueror? Oh, I forgot, you no longer are the Conqueror. You're a lowly Amazon slave, wearing a collar like a good little lap-dog."
"So, why does the mighty God of War waste his precious time speaking with me, a lowly slave? What do you want, Ares?" She growled.
"I really don't know why I put up with your arrogance, Xena, but you still are my favourite mortal, and yes, I enjoyed the show. You're as lethal as ever. I came to give you one last chance. Swear allegiance to me, and you and your beloved little Amazons will live to see the harvest festival. Refuse me, and you all will be destroyed."
Xena's lips curled in a smile that didn't reach her eyes when she answered. "You're really tenacious, Ares. But my answer is still the same. I didn't fall for your charms and promises when I longed for power and blood-shed more than for everything else. Why should I now fall for idle threats? Go, and search someone else to play with."
"Finish what you started almost ten years ago. Destroy the Centaur nation, find the Ixion stone and use it – then I will give the world to you. This is your last chance. The Centaurs will go down before this season is through. They will be easy pickings for my army. Fight on my side, and get the Amazons to stay clear of this war, and they will be allowed to live their boring little lives. If not, if they're stupid enough to side with my enemy, they also will be destroyed. So, for one time in your life, be smart, and lead my army."
"Thanks, Ares, but no, thanks. Besides, if I really would use the Ixion stone, the world would be mine even against your will. I'm not interested."
She turned around ready to leave the small clearing. A big hand grabbed her left shoulder. In a fraction of a heartbeat, Xena bent her knees, her strong fingers encircled the God's wrist and she pulled forwards with all her might, propelling the dark haired figure on the ground in front of her.
His astonishment quickly turned in a smirk. "Glad to see that you haven't lost all of your fire, Xena. I didn't plan on you leaving Amazon territory. But things will definitively get much more interesting now. For all the entertainment you gave me with your battles, I'll give you one last piece of advise. You soon will be facing my army, if you fight them you will die. That's what the Fates see in your future but if you can keep them from finding and using the Ixion stone, the Amazons and the Centaurs will have a chance to survive. Think about it." Without bothering to get to his feet he disappeared in another wave of red-blue light.
Breakfast was ready when Xena returned to her companions. She internally debated with herself if she should tell Queen Melosa about her discussion with the God of War, but then decided to wait and see what the Centaurs knew about this army and its commander or if Ares had only been bragging and pushing her buttons.
Only a few candledrops after their midday break, Solari joined Xena at the end of their steadily advancing column. "What will we do about our stalker?"
"What we did from the beginning, ignore him. He's just a child, I don't think that he poses any kind of threat. He kept his distance for more than two candlemarks but since our break he's trying to overtake us. He probably is planning some kind of ambush at the edge of the forest. We should just wait and see."
The Queen however had other plans, she ordered her Amazons to speed up their journey, and soon their stalker was left far behind. They returned to their former travelling speed about a candlemark later, and reached the edge of the forest at mid-afternoon, about two candlemarks early.
"We'll wait for the Centaurs to escort us to their village. Xena, please put your weapons away. We don't want to offend their leaders should the invitation be genuine."
Xena nodded, slid gracefully to the ground, and did as she was told while the others also dismounted. Her ears were still toned towards their stalker who once again had caught up with them. The tall warrior turned her back to her companions and waited for him to show himself. Soon he dropped out of a tree, brandishing a sword twice as long as his arms.
His unruly hair was of a light brown, with hints of blond in the summer sun. He wore a simple tunic and loosely fitting trousers. He was short of 5 feet tall and couldn't have more than ten or eleven summers. His shining blue eyes seemed oblivious to everything except the dark haired woman in front of him. He attacked wordlessly but Xena easily side-stepped his thrust. The momentum of his weapon let him lose his balance and he landed face first on the hard ground.
He quickly turned around and got back on his feet. "You killed my father, you killed the great Borias, and now you will die."
He renewed his attack, Xena just stood there, rooted to the ground, and didn't even attempt to avoid the oncoming weapon. Years of fighting experience kicked in and instinctively her right arm shot upwards, she stopped the blade with her bare hand. The boy loosened his grip and the weapon fell on the sun-bleached grass. He looked at the tall woman's bleeding hand with an expression of utter astonishment on his face.
When Xena knelt to retrieve the weapon, her sensitive hearing picked up on a group of Centaurs rapidly approaching. She also was aware of the scrutinising eyes of her Amazon companions. At the same time a frighteningly familiar tingling feeling coursed through her fingertips and her eyes found the ornate hilt of the sword.
"This was your father's weapon. It was a good choice to try and avenge his death with but it should have been maintained better." Xena balanced the blade on her right knee, almost caressing the hilt with her uninjured hand. "I didn't kill your father but I'm responsible for his death. You have the right to take my life, young man. I'll show you how to do it."
Xena turned the hilt towards him and he automatically took it. Then she sat down on her heels and opened the clasps holding her breast and back plates in place. She put the heavy brass pieces on the ground and once again grabbed the blade with her still bleeding hand. She put the tip against her chest, between her breasts, slightly to the left. The Amazons surrounding them seemed as mesmerised by her display as the child in front of her.
"The tip of your blade is still sharp enough to break through my ribs. Take care to keep this angle when you press down with your whole body. This angle will not only pierce my heart but also part of my lungs. This way most of the heart's blood will end up in the lung, there will be less blood on the ground. My dying will be quick."
Heartbeats stretched to candlemarks while they stood motionless. Xena's hand still was wrapped around the blade, the blood dropping from her palm colouring the hard ground. Her blue eyes locked with his. She almost could feel the boy's inner turmoil. Her hand went down to her side, and shortly after, the weapon once again fell to the ground. The child's whole body was shivering, and there were angry tears in his eyes.
"Killing someone in cold blood isn't easy, Solan, it never should be easy, regardless of the reasons. Every time you take a life, a tiny part of your own soul also dies. I don't want you to ever experience this kind of emptiness. Take your father's sword and return to the village, and one day I will tell you everything you want to know about Borias and me."
"How do you know my name?"
"Your uncle, Kaleipus, told me when I was in your village almost five years ago."
"I still am your greatest enemy, Conqueror." Solan picked up the sword, sheathed it, turned around, and was facing a group of six Centaurs and two humans.
"What are you doing here, Solan? No, I don't want to know. We'll talk later. Go back to the village and wait in your room." The tall, one-eyed Centaur now turned his attention towards Queen Melosa and Xena whose hand was quickly cleaned and bandaged by Gabrielle. The tall warrior unsuccessfully tried to ignore the more than disapproving gaze of her younger lover. "Melosa, Queen of the Amazons, why did you violate the peace treaty and bring her on our lands? Conqueror, you are not welcome."
Instead of an answer the Queen rummaged in one of her saddle-bags and produced the message they had received from the Centaurs. Kaleipus studied it curiously, and turned his head to the boy. "Solan, we have a lot to talk about. Leave us now."
"Kaleipus, please, don't punish him. He only followed the voice of his heart."
"You, Conqueror, have no right to tell me how to deal with 'my' son. He never will be yours." Xena swallowed hard but didn't object. "But I will try to honour his word. With signing the peace treaty you were granted a pardon for the things you and your army did during the war. But you can't enter the village without facing dire consequences for trespassing. I grant you freedom of movement outside of the village. You can stay in an old hut about one and a half candlemark's ride west for as long as the Amazons are our guests."
Xena could see that Queen Melosa was itching to interfere, and Gabrielle was literally bristling with indignation. She had to speed up this conversation. "Tyldus, Kaleipus, I knew the consequences when I entered Centaur territory. Please, tell the council of elders that I will submit to Centaur justice without questions or reservations. I will stand trial for illegal trespassing whenever they are ready."
For the first time the Centaur next to Kaleipus spoke. He was as tall as his brother with slightly darker hair, his left front foot inadvertently scraping the ground. "You are wearing the collar of an Amazon slave, Conqueror. As far as I know you don't have the right to decide on such things."
"Xena may officially be a slave to the Amazon nation but she also is one of our best warriors and teachers. As soon as her punishment for sacrilegious behaviour is completed, the collar will be removed for good and we will gladly accept her as one of our own. That's why I granted her the freedom to satisfy her obligations to the Centaur nation should the need arise."
Before anyone could answer, they all heard the sounds of rapidly approaching hoofbeats. Everyone turned their heads when a Centaur galloping at full speed quickly drew nearer. He stopped dead in his tracks when he recognised Xena, shook his head disbelievingly and scooped her up in a breath taking bear hug.
"Xena, so glad to see you. The Gods did hear my prayers. Thank you that you changed your mind, father." The young Centaur said to Tyldus.
"Calm down, Phantes. I'm sure you didn't come all the way from the village just for me."
Immediately the fair haired Centaur sobered up. "No, I didn't but my wife really needs your help. – Father, uncle, one of the advance scout is back. He has spotted a large army heading our way."
"How large and how far away?" Kaleipus and Melosa asked simultaneously.
"About two hundred on horse back and another three hundred on foot. They are well equipped and disciplined. They are about seven days of fast travel away but are advancing rather slowly. The scout estimates we have at least eleven or twelve days before they reach our border. Their progress is slow because they are thoroughly searching every single cave in the hills."
"So, Ares was right." Xena whispered quietly to herself but not quiet enough not to be over-heard by Solari.
"Did you just say Ares? As in Ares, the God of War?"
After two heartbeats of hesitation, Xena told them about her encounter with the dark haired God earlier this day, however, without mentioning his threats against her or what he had told her about the Fates.
"Why should Ares try to destroy the Centaur nation? They're great fighters. He should be pleased with their existence. It doesn't make any sense." Akyra said.
"Yes, it does. Centaurs fight to defend their homes and their families as do the Amazons. They don't fight for the sake of fighting, and they always refused to pledge allegiance to Ares." Xena answered. "Their searching the caves means that they are looking for the temple of Ixion. I really doubt that they'll find the stone there – and then their advance movement will speed up considerately. I know I was close when I stopped my campaign against your forces. So, my guess is that we'll have nine days at best."
The tall woman knelt and began to draw lines on the hard ground at the edge of the grass land with a short stick. "Here's the village, the mountain range begins here and drops down to a mere hill side about here. I suppose the enemy at the moment is about here." She looked questioningly to the young Centaur who nodded in agreement. "Good, I was about two and a half days march from the village when Borias began to get nervous. I put it down to other circumstances then, but now his behaviour begins to make sense. We'll have about four days before they'll find the temple. Enough time to find out more about the army and its leader. If he is any good, he will send scouts of his own to find out about our defences. You should double the sentries."
"This isn't your fight, Conqueror. We don't want your help." Tyldus angrily retorted.
"An army of 500 hundred men isn't something you can face alone, Tyldus," Queen Melosa replied, "the peace treaty also includes a mutual defence agreement – and Xena will fight with the Amazons. Just over a moon ago, we were able to defeat an army three times our size with her help. I sincerely hope that you won't disregard our assistance just because of the former Conqueror." Almost unconsciously the Amazons now were facing the Centaurs.
To ease the tension, Kaleipus took two steps forwards and offered his arm in a warrior handshake. "Queen Melosa, we'll gladly accept every help you and your warriors are willing to offer. These last years, I learned to trust your judgement. Do you trust your slave, Queen Melosa?"
"Yes, I do, with my life and the lives of my people." Xena couldn't entirely suppress the surprise flickering over her face at the Queen's statement. "She's living with us for over two moons now, we fought side by side, she saved my life and the life of many of my sisters, not only on the battlefield but also in the healer's hut. She isn't the Conqueror any longer, she's just a honourable warrior with a very dark past."
"Tyldus, the Con…, Xena's advice was sound. I may not like it but she is a great general, an even better fighter, and she knows these hills almost as good as our best scouts. We learned this the hard way, all those years ago. So, we would be foolish if we didn't accept her input." Kaleipus pleaded with his brother.
"I can understand your reasoning but I for my part won't turn my back on her, and she will not be allowed to enter the village, not without facing Centaur justice first."
"Father, please don't," the young Centaur entered the conversation. "Ter…, my wife needs her now. She is in labour since last night and the midwife doesn't know what to do. I never told you but it was Xena who helped her birthing my son. She needs her help. I don't want to loose her."
"Tyldus, please let me try and help. I will stand trial as soon as your daughter in law is out of harm's way. And I will submit to every punishment you and the council of elders find suitable. She is a friend and I owe her, please."
The tall Centaur nodded, Xena grabbed one of her saddlebags, mounted on Phantes' back, and off they went without even a single word of explanation to the other women.
------------
To be continued in Chapter Three: Daughters