Chapter Two
Annie stared at the tall warrior. This couldn't be. This was not possible. "You...you" she pointed a shaking finger at Xena." You...you are...X...Xe...na. The....the Warrior Princess." She stammered. Her head was spinning so fast she had to put both hands on top of it to prevent it from flying off on it's own.
"This can't be. I must be dreaming. Yes! That's right, this is just some crazy dream."
Gabrielle reached over and slightly pinched the girl's arm to assure her she wasn't dreaming.
"Yaow! Ow" Annie screamed in surprise. It didn't really hurt that bad, it was just that she didn't want anyone convincing her that this was reality. Because it couldn't be. She could not be in Greece with Xena and Gabrielle.
She started backing away from them slowly to take a look around. Maybe she was at the set of Xena Warrior Princess. But how did she get here? Xena was filmed on New Zealand, not in Wisconsin. And where were all the people who worked on the set? Maybe someone was playing a joke on her.
Gabrielle approached her and put a hand on her shaking shoulder.
"It's ok. We're not gonna hurt you. Just relax."
Xena approached as well with a concerned look on her face. Annie felt how she got week at the knees. Xena grabbed her and lowered her safely to the ground just in time.
"Xena what happened?"
"She fainted, Gabrielle."
"She must be exhausted. What happened out there?"
"I saw her bumping up and down in the water. I thought she was dead at first, then I noticed she was breathing, I grabbed her and when we got here she had stopped breathing. Well, you know the rest."
Gabrielle nodded and put a hand on the girl's forehead.
"Did you notice the way she stared at us? She had obviously heard of you before. Maybe she doesn't know you've changed and thought we were going to kill here or something."
Xena felt a sting in her heart at the thought of someone thinking she was still a murdering warlord. She had changed. That was not her anymore and she was going to keep it that way.... forever. Gabrielle noticed the sadness in her friend's eyes and felt the guilt rise upon her.
"No, Xena. I didn't mean it like that. That's not who you are at all anymore and most people know that."
"It's alright, Gabrielle. You're not responsible for my past mistakes."
Xena rose to her feet and walked over to her saddlebags. Gabrielle watched as she pulled out a pouch and took some powder between two fingertips. Then she took a cup, filled it with water and dumped the powder in it. She used her finger to stir and gave the cup to Gabrielle.
"Here. Give her this when she wakes up. It will make her sleep through the rest of the day."
"She looks like she could use it. Where are you going?" the bard asked with concern in her voice.
"I just need to clear my head. I'm going for a quick walk. Stay here with her, ok?" The bard nodded as she watched her friend walk away. Xena was too proud to admit she hurt every time she was reminded off her warlord-days. Gabrielle wished Xena could see that she was no longer that woman. Gabrielle had seen the goodness from the first moment she lay eyes on the Warrior Princess.
The day passed by slowly. Xena returned and found the bard sitting on a fallen log. She had moved the girl to her own bedding and was now sitting watching over her. Xena smiled at the sight. Leave it to Gabrielle to do the maternal stuff. The bard looked up at Xena and smiled back knowing exactly what she was thinking without having to ask. Gabrielle knew Xena had it in her too. She had already given birth to one child, Solan. Gabrielle still carried a lot off guilt about what happened to Solan. She knew Xena didn't blame her for his death, but she did. But she didn't blame Xena for the birth of her daughter any more, she had left that behind her in Illusia. Xena sat down next to her.
"Have you eaten?" she asked.
"No, I was waiting for you." She took two plates and started serving them both some rabbit. Xena looked at the girl sleeping peacefully under a thin blanket.
"Did she wake up?"
"Yes, I did what you said." She returned and handed Xena her plate. They both ate as if it was their last meal. No one spoke, they just sat there and enjoyed the silence and peacefulness surrounding them.
Xena spent the rest of the day practising with her sword and relaxing in the sun. Gabrielle had just begun writing a new story which kept her busy most off the time. And that was the way she wanted it. She loved writing down the adventures of the Warrior Princess. She wanted others to see Xena the way she did. A good person with good intentions in life, and of course the best friend anyone could ever have. Xena would give her life for Gabrielle, and Gabrielle would do the same for her. She often put that into her stories, the sacrifices a person who had a friend like that could make just to keep her safe.
The bard looked down at the girl sleeping on the ground. Maybe this was the beginning of another great adventure. Where had she come from anyway? The lake? Naah. She wasn't a mermaid. At least Gabrielle didn't think so. Though she had heard fairy-tales about mermaids who could change themselves into humans when there was a full moon. There had been a full moon last night.
I'm just being stupid here, she's no mermaid´. She thought to herself. But it would have made a wonderful story if she had been.´
To be continued
Annie stared at the tall warrior. This couldn't be. This was not possible. "You...you" she pointed a shaking finger at Xena." You...you are...X...Xe...na. The....the Warrior Princess." She stammered. Her head was spinning so fast she had to put both hands on top of it to prevent it from flying off on it's own.
"This can't be. I must be dreaming. Yes! That's right, this is just some crazy dream."
Gabrielle reached over and slightly pinched the girl's arm to assure her she wasn't dreaming.
"Yaow! Ow" Annie screamed in surprise. It didn't really hurt that bad, it was just that she didn't want anyone convincing her that this was reality. Because it couldn't be. She could not be in Greece with Xena and Gabrielle.
She started backing away from them slowly to take a look around. Maybe she was at the set of Xena Warrior Princess. But how did she get here? Xena was filmed on New Zealand, not in Wisconsin. And where were all the people who worked on the set? Maybe someone was playing a joke on her.
Gabrielle approached her and put a hand on her shaking shoulder.
"It's ok. We're not gonna hurt you. Just relax."
Xena approached as well with a concerned look on her face. Annie felt how she got week at the knees. Xena grabbed her and lowered her safely to the ground just in time.
"Xena what happened?"
"She fainted, Gabrielle."
"She must be exhausted. What happened out there?"
"I saw her bumping up and down in the water. I thought she was dead at first, then I noticed she was breathing, I grabbed her and when we got here she had stopped breathing. Well, you know the rest."
Gabrielle nodded and put a hand on the girl's forehead.
"Did you notice the way she stared at us? She had obviously heard of you before. Maybe she doesn't know you've changed and thought we were going to kill here or something."
Xena felt a sting in her heart at the thought of someone thinking she was still a murdering warlord. She had changed. That was not her anymore and she was going to keep it that way.... forever. Gabrielle noticed the sadness in her friend's eyes and felt the guilt rise upon her.
"No, Xena. I didn't mean it like that. That's not who you are at all anymore and most people know that."
"It's alright, Gabrielle. You're not responsible for my past mistakes."
Xena rose to her feet and walked over to her saddlebags. Gabrielle watched as she pulled out a pouch and took some powder between two fingertips. Then she took a cup, filled it with water and dumped the powder in it. She used her finger to stir and gave the cup to Gabrielle.
"Here. Give her this when she wakes up. It will make her sleep through the rest of the day."
"She looks like she could use it. Where are you going?" the bard asked with concern in her voice.
"I just need to clear my head. I'm going for a quick walk. Stay here with her, ok?" The bard nodded as she watched her friend walk away. Xena was too proud to admit she hurt every time she was reminded off her warlord-days. Gabrielle wished Xena could see that she was no longer that woman. Gabrielle had seen the goodness from the first moment she lay eyes on the Warrior Princess.
The day passed by slowly. Xena returned and found the bard sitting on a fallen log. She had moved the girl to her own bedding and was now sitting watching over her. Xena smiled at the sight. Leave it to Gabrielle to do the maternal stuff. The bard looked up at Xena and smiled back knowing exactly what she was thinking without having to ask. Gabrielle knew Xena had it in her too. She had already given birth to one child, Solan. Gabrielle still carried a lot off guilt about what happened to Solan. She knew Xena didn't blame her for his death, but she did. But she didn't blame Xena for the birth of her daughter any more, she had left that behind her in Illusia. Xena sat down next to her.
"Have you eaten?" she asked.
"No, I was waiting for you." She took two plates and started serving them both some rabbit. Xena looked at the girl sleeping peacefully under a thin blanket.
"Did she wake up?"
"Yes, I did what you said." She returned and handed Xena her plate. They both ate as if it was their last meal. No one spoke, they just sat there and enjoyed the silence and peacefulness surrounding them.
Xena spent the rest of the day practising with her sword and relaxing in the sun. Gabrielle had just begun writing a new story which kept her busy most off the time. And that was the way she wanted it. She loved writing down the adventures of the Warrior Princess. She wanted others to see Xena the way she did. A good person with good intentions in life, and of course the best friend anyone could ever have. Xena would give her life for Gabrielle, and Gabrielle would do the same for her. She often put that into her stories, the sacrifices a person who had a friend like that could make just to keep her safe.
The bard looked down at the girl sleeping on the ground. Maybe this was the beginning of another great adventure. Where had she come from anyway? The lake? Naah. She wasn't a mermaid. At least Gabrielle didn't think so. Though she had heard fairy-tales about mermaids who could change themselves into humans when there was a full moon. There had been a full moon last night.
I'm just being stupid here, she's no mermaid´. She thought to herself. But it would have made a wonderful story if she had been.´
To be continued