The Warrior and Willow
Chapter Four
A Magical Protector
After the morning meal was over and the excitement of Gabrielle and Xena's arrival had somewhat abated, the Amazons attended to their chores and duties. Xena took Gabrielle to Morgar's hut.
"You are wondering when and where we will find your Protector," he told them as soon as they came in.
"Something like that," Xena replied. "I filled Gabrielle in on everything on the way here."
"If things are as critical as she told me," Gabrielle said, "shouldn't this Protector already be here, ready to protect us?"
"Unfortunately, this Protector is a long, long way from here. And I needed to wait until you two were here before I, with Yakut's help, do the summoning."
"Something doesn't add up," Xena said suspiciously. "If this Protector is that far away, won't it take a long time to get him here?"
"And why did you have to wait until we arrived?" Gabrielle added.
"Because your Protector will be brought here using magic."
"That still doesn't answer my question," Gabrielle argued.
Morgar took a deep breath. "I had to wait until you came because you are an integral part of the spell that will bring her here."
"Her?" Xena and Gabrielle said together.
"Did I not mention your Protector was a woman? Ah -- you were expecting a mighty warrior, perhaps someone like Hercules! My apologies. I have been so concerned with the details of the spell, I neglected to tell you this Protector is a witch with powerful mystical powers. It will be her magic that will help defeat the evil that seeks you out."
"You said Gabrielle had to be here before you could summon her. Why?"
Morgar took another breath, preparing himself to inform them of disturbing news. "This Protector, this powerful witch, is not of this time." He held up his hand to fend off the questions he saw were coming. "Let me explain. With Yakut's help, my mind entered the Other World to search for the perfect one to defend you from this danger. It was not an easy search. There were shamans and shamanesses, and witches, and even demigods of other lands, but none had the power needed . . . until I traveled forward through time to a distant land no one of this world knows about."
"Are you saying you found this woman in the future?" Xena interrupted.
"That is exactly what I am saying."
"So, just how far into the future are you talking about?" Gabrielle asked.
"About 20 centuries." Morgar smiled at the shocked looks on both their faces. "The problem is that even with Yakut's help I cannot bring her here, physically. However, I can bring her spirit here. But in order to do so, it will have to have vessel to come into. It will need a body to reside in. And the life force in the body here will have to travel into the future to inhabit her body. Otherwise both bodies will die, as will their spirits."
Gabrielle looked at Xena for a moment, then the realization came to her. "So you're saying one of us will have to be switched with her?"
"That is what I am saying."
"Why not use one of the Amazons here?" Xena asked. "I'm sure any of them would gladly volunteer if it meant serving their legendary queen."
"Many did. But it has to be Gabrielle."
"Why does it have to be Gabrielle? Why can't it be me?"
"Because Gabrielle and this witch have similar . . . spirits. They both are caring and loving, yet can be hard and ruthless when necessary. Plus their bodies are comparable as far as size. This will be very distressing as it is. But to suddenly find yourself in a body that is much larger, or smaller, than you are used to will only increase the trauma
"So, just how will this work?" Gabrielle asked, not exactly delighted with the prospect of her soul leaving her body to inhabit another one. And a strange spirit in HER body.
"When the time comes, Yakut and I will join with your spirit and take it forward in time to this witch, leaving a most tenuous thread to your body in this time. Then almost immediately the exchange will be made and the witch's soul will be in your body."
"You mentioned trauma. Is there any way to lessen it? To make it easier?" Xena asked.
"I think the exchange should be done while both are asleep. So when each wakes up, it will almost be like a disturbing dream until the realization comes that it is no dream, but reality."
"Will we still know who we are?"
"Oh, yes. And that will be the problem when the witch awakens here. You will know what has happened and why, but the witch will not. So we can only hope Xena and I can explain what has happened to her before she uses her magic to destroy us!"
"She's THAT powerful?" Xena asked.
"She is. In her time, in a rage, she almost destroyed her world. So we must take pains to assure her there is nothing to fear from us, and no reason to use her magic to annihilate this place."
"She sounds nothing like ME!" Gabrielle exclaimed.
Morgar smiled. "Tell me this, when you and Xena traveled to Chin and faced the evil daughter and son of Lao Ma -- had you magical powers, would you have used them? Or when you and Xena went searching for your niece, knowing your parents had been beheaded, would you have used your magic to destroy Gurkhan and his kingdom?"
"He has a point, Gabrielle." Xena said gently. "As pure and as loving as you are, my influence has changed you."
"The question is," Morgar asked, "are you willing to undertake this ordeal to save your and Xena's lives?"
Gabrielle looked to Xena for guidance, as she often did, and suddenly the memory of seeing her soul mate beaten and bloody at the hands of Gurkhan's men came rushing back.
"It's your call," Xena told her. "Whatever you decide, I'm right there with you."
"If you have to take the time to consider this, I will understand," Morgar told her. "But the more time that goes by, the greater the chance this evil will find you."
"I don't need to think about it. Whatever it takes to keep anyone, or any THING, from killing Xena, I'll do it."
