Disclaimer: Xena and Gabrielle do not belong to me, but the other people in the story do.
Violence: Well, of course.
Sex: OK, think about it. Xena is traumatized by her injury. Would that inspire you to have sex?
Language: Na da
The Warrior, The Bard, and the Bumbler
By RGK
Chapter 4
Gabrielle flung back the thick tarp covering the entrance to the healer's hut. The gruesome and horrific sight of seeing Xena lying on a cot, covered in blood, screaming like a banshee, begging and pleading for someone to ease her suffering, was almost too much.
The warrior twisted and turned every which way possible. Five Amazon women were holding her down, by the order of the healer. "Keep her still!" The older woman yelled, causing the younger women to hold tighter, cringing at the almost maddening wails from the cot. The older woman nodded at the queen, and then continued with her work.
Gabrielle walked cautiously towards the warrior. From past experiences, the bard knew how dangerous it was to approach Xena when she was in pain; even though five of her best warriors were trying their hardest to restrain the ferocious woman.
She nodded to the Amazon holding Xena's hand down. The young woman let go to allow her queen to stand in her place. Xena noticed the lack of resistance, cocked her arm back, and took a swing. However the arm was caught by a tighter hold. She looked up and growled, but soon relented when she was caught by green eyes.
Gabrielle tilted her head to the side and gave a sad smile, "Hello Xena."
"Gabrie…Baby?" All of Xena's anger and pain was released by the vision before her. However, the heart that sored fell into one that shattered. Xena screamed again. Her body thrashed about even more, "Gabrielle! My leg! My leg! Oh, Gods baby! Help me!"
"I am." Gabrielle said over the never ending screams. She reached her hand towards the healer. The older woman placed a soaked rag into her queen's grasp. Gabrielle looked at the tired women around the cot. "Hold her down as hard as you can." Gabrielle instructed watching each one of them put all their weight onto the warrior.
"Lara." Gabrielle nodded to Xena's arm. The young woman understood, and took the queen's position, holding the warrior's arm down as hard as she could.
Gabrielle knelt down beside her beloved friend. Her ears ached, but when she came closer to Xena's head, her ears felt like they were going to rupture. She cradled Xena's head into her arms, "I'll fix it love." She placed the cloth over the warrior's nose and mouth. Xena resisted with all the strength she had, but finally collapsed. The room fell silent. Each woman carefully released their hold, and stood up with sweat beading on their foreheads.
Gabrielle stood up, "We have to work quickly. Lara, you and Vivian get me a sword, a shield, and a torch." Each woman looked puzzled at their queen's request, but sprinted out of the tent.
"Malaya and Evelyn collect as much rope as you can find, three blankets, and a bucket of fresh water from the stream." The young women filed out of the room in quickly.
The last woman stood to attention waiting for her orders. "Jain, I need you to help Zoe to get some medicine." She looked into the eyes of the healer, "Zoe, we're going to need a lot of your healing salve. We need to stop the bleeding, so get plenty of that red powder and make a paste out of it.** Send Jain to find some clean white sheets if you don't have enough bandages. We need some pain powder too." The healer nodded, "Yes my queen." She took Jain by the arm, and walked into another room.
Gabrielle knelt back down. She stroked the hair back from the warriors face and brow. She tenderly kissed the suffering woman on the head, "I'm so sorry Xena. I wish there was another way." The bard wiped away a lone tear that made its way down the side of Xena's face.
"I know." Xena whispered. Her head fell into Gabrielle's hand, as a heavy drug induced sleep finally won out.
X&G X&G X&G
Joxer sat outside the healer's hut. He saw four women run out of the tent. After a few moments, he saw three move back in. The fourth walked quickly with Xena's sword hanging from her waist. He grabbed the young woman by the arm, "What are you doing with that?" He questioned pointing at the object.
She jerked her arm out of Joxer's hold, "The Queen of the Amazons ordered me to find a sword that was very sharp. Regent Ephany informed me that the Warrior Princess's sword was as sharper than any we have. Now, if you will excuse me, I have to get back to the queen.
Joxer stood there a moment, 'Why would she need to use Xena's sword?' He puzzled, then his eyes widened in horror, "Oh no." He dashed into the healer's hut.
"I need three torches put at the head of the bed, and one at the foot. Evelyn, you and Laura cut four pieces of rope, two for around her waist and chest, the other two for around her wrists. Tie the rest of the rope high above Xena from one end of the room to the other, and then throw one of the blankets over it. Make sure it is drawn down far enough to where she cannot see me." Gabrielle left each woman to their tasks. She lifted up Xena's injured leg and placed the shield underneath. Xena groaned, but did not wake.
"Gabrielle, what are you doing?" Joxer walked into the melee of the women performing their duties.
"Joxer, please wait outside." Gabrielle slipped on a white apron. "Zoe, cut off this tourniquet and replace it with another." She pointed down at the strip of leather that was covered in blood. Jain was washing away the dirt and blood that soaked the warrior's thigh to her knee. Zoe tied another strap of leather around the warrior's thigh, and clipped the other one loose. She looked down at the warrior's leg, and noticed the leg was bleeding heavily again, "My queen?"
Gabrielle turned and noticed the pool of blood growing. "We have to do this now!" Gabrielle looked around the room. Xena was restrained with the ropes and had two blankets tucked around her upper body. The drape was placed exactly where Gabrielle had told her young charges to hang it. The torches were placed in order that she had asked. The brighter light behind Xena and the lower light on Gabrielle's side of the drape would allow her to proceed with this, but without Xena actually witnessing it. Xena had told her what happened when she had to do this same procedure to a man in the Temple of Asclepius. The man was in horrible shock, and it took an hour for him to calm down.
Gabrielle picked up her friend's sword. She swallowed hard as she sterilized it over the flame of the torch. She raised the sword into the air, and swung down. Joxer caught the sword by the handle and wrenched it from the bard's grip.
Gabrielle stared at him wide eyed, "What are you doing?!" She demanded.
"I should ask the same thing! You cannot cut off her leg!" He yelled. He noticed the five young women reach for their swords.
"Stand down!" Gabrielle ordered without looking at the group.
"Gabrielle, you cannot just cut off her leg! It's not right!" Joxer exclaimed with a pleading tone.
She grabbed the sword out of the man's hand, "Its right if I'm saving her life." She looked at two of her warriors, "Get him out!"
Both women grabbed Joxer by the arms, and started to lead him out of the tent. Joxer stood firm and threw them to the floor. Both of them drew their swords. Joxer drew his in defense. Gabrielle jumped in front of her friend. She pointed the tip Xena's sword against his neck, "You have two ways of leaving this hut; by foot or on a litter towards a pyre; your choice."
Joxer put his sword away in his scabbard, "Please Gab, I'm begging you. Don't do this."
Gabrielle placed a hand on his shoulder, "Joxer, think about it. If I leave the leg alone, an infection will set up. She will not only lose her leg anyway by someone else cutting it off, but she may lose her life as well. Now please leave."
Joxer's shoulders slumped. He knew the bard, no the Queen of the Amazons, was right. He sighed, "At least let me help."
Gabrielle stroked his face. She noticed that he held a lot of strength, resolve, and sadness in his eyes, "Ok." She whispered out. "Go to the head of the cot, and hold her shoulder's down."
"They'll be no need of that." Joxer sidestepped the woman up to Xena, "This will make it easier for you my friend." He told the unconscious form of the warrior.
Gabrielle watched as he put two fingers together and gave a quick twist on Xena's neck. The warrior's breathing had become smoother, and she actually seemed relaxed.
"Do it." Joxer said back at the wide eyed bard. He looked at the woman with anger, "Do it!"
This brought Gabrielle out of her stare. With her jaw set straight, her eye on the mark, she held the blade over the torch again. She took a deep breath, and swung. The loud clang of metal against metal indicated that the cut was clean. Quickly the healer and the other women went to work with their medicines and bandages. The job was done.
Gabrielle's face took on an ashen color. She let the sword fall to the ground. Joxer strode up beside her. He placed an arm around his friend pulling her into a hug. She shrugged it off, "Cauterize the wound, Zoe."
The healer nodded, and grabbed the torch from a young warrior. In the corner of her eye, she noticed the queen had left the hut.
To be continued…
** The red powder that Gabrielle was referring too was Cayenne pepper. This has been known to stop bleeding. I do not know if it would ever work in a situation where someone would have to amputate a limb, but with times as it was back then, they really had to improvise. I got the cayenne pepper idea from a very informative website.
