Pieces Together 7
I'm hanging from my wrists, unable to even hold my head up anymore. Blood drips down my arms from where the shackles eat into my wrists. I wasn't able to stand long; unable to put much pressure on my ankle, my body quickly gave out. Men groped and prodded at me until they went to sleep, leaving only the guards to leer.
Why do I always have to be bait? And who knows how long it will take Xena to realize she's been put on a wild goose chase? Caesar wants to force her hand, make her reckless in any rescue attempt. I know that if anything happens to me, she'll never forgive herself. I need her to live for Cleon because I may not.
Hours move by at a snail's pace, each second draining my reserve. It feels like days go by before the sun begins to rise over the hill. How long am I expected to be here? A soldier marches up to me, grabbing the back of my head to pull it up. He lifts a water skin to my lips and begins to pour until I begin to choke. Laughing, he drops my head and walks away. That little bit of water only caused my thirst to increase ten fold.
I begin to drift in and out of consciousness; I even begin to see Xena standing in front of me. But she comes and goes with my sanity so I know she's not real. The soldiers have taken to throwing things at me as they pass, somehow finding time to torture me in between drills. It feels like I've been hanging here by my wrists for weeks, but I don't even think it's been a day yet. God's I'm so weak; why'd I ever think I could travel with Xena?
'You're not weak.' Fake Xena says, crouching down in front of me.
'Yes I am. You could last days; I can barely last hours.'
'Some can't even last minutes.' Fake Xena gives me a small smile.
'But what good does that do me?'
'You have a son to live for.'
'I can't make it.'
'You have to make it.' Her face is serious.
'Where are you? Why did you leave?' Tears drip down my cheaks.
'I'm sorry; I never should have left. I'm coming. I'll be here soon.' Her hand reaches out, but just as it's about to touch my face, she's gone.
Oblivion. I'm somewhere in oblivion because I know this isn't Tartarus, and this definitely isn't the Elysian Fields. All noise has become a dull roar; all pain has melded together so I cant pick out what specifically hurts. I can't keep my eyes open anymore; my mouth is so dry I think my tongue is flaking. I can't make out what's going on around me anymore. For all I know they could be putting me up on a crucifix. At this point I hope they are; the end will come quicker.
Again Xena comes to me; her voice coming through the fog. I have to fight to open my eyes; I can barely manage. She's looking at me crying. I would cry too but I have no more moisture left in my body. She's talking, but I still can't make out her words through the din of noise. Focus. Focus.
'Gabrielle?' She's saying my name over and over. I'm looking up at her, which is odd because I shouldn't be able to. Her fingers are sweeping back and forth across my forehead as her tears fall onto my face.
'Why are you crying?' I can barely talk. My voice is dry and crackly; I barely make a noise. She gives a small laughs and cries harder, hugging me to her body. Suddenly, in my delirious state, I realize I'm no longer shackled. I don't think I'm even in the camp anymore. 'Am I dead?'
'No.' Her lips are pressed against the top of my head. 'We're in a wagon; I'm taking you home.' She squeezes me tighter and I don't mind the pain.
'Home?'
'I'm sorry.' She whispers. She should be, but I'm not angry right now. 'The whole way here, I prayed to you. I prayed that you could hear me.'
'I could.' My eyes can no longer stay open, my brain can no longer stay alert.
'I'm sorry.'
Bright light suddenly erupts before my eyes; causing me to jerk awake and turn away.
'Oow.' Everything hurts; from my ears to my toes. Wait, where am I? With horrible effort I manage to sit up and look around. I think I'm in a room, but one I've never seen before. This isn't the tavern, my house, the Amazons, or any number of places I've visited. Where the Hades am I? And what the Tartarus happened? I remember being shackled to a pole in the middle of Caesars camp. This is obviously not a pole in a camp.
I want to walk, but when I try to move my legs I find they are too stiff and sore to bend. Now I begin to notice the state of my body. My wrists are wrapped in rags, but the pain tells me more than enough. Bruises radiate throughout my body in varying colors and sizes.
'Hey.' They quiet voice brings my eyes up to the doorway. Xena is standing there in a simple dress.
'Where's all you're stuff?' Of all the things to ask, this is the first thing out of my mouth.
'Don't need it.' She's leaning against the frame, arms folded across her chest.
'Cle?' Somehow I know he's fine.
'Playing with Ignacious.' She can't seem to stop smiling and I can't seem to start.
'Start from the beginning.' My mouth is dry, my stomach is cramping; but I need to hear this first. She sighs, the smile disappears and her eyes shift down. After a while she moves from the doorway, sitting facing me at the end of the bed. There's sadness and regret in her eyes as she looks over at me.
'As soon as I left I regretted it, but then I found out it was a diversion. I raced home as fast as I could but….' She looks away, ashamed of her actions. 'I didn't know what to do. If I ran in to his camp I knew for sure that he'd kill you both. But I knew you'd die if I didn't get there quick enough. By some sheer stroke of luck, Hercules was on his way to visit. We managed to gather up a militia and with Hercules in the lead, they created a diversion at one end of the camp while I snuck in and got you out. I don't think Caesar would have fallen for it except for the fact he heard Hercules was fighting. He's a smug bastard.'
'And Caesar?'
'Moved on.'
'Where are we?'
'Hercules has a few hiding spots. This is one of them.' I'm looking at her, with her long black hair cascading down her shoulders, and tan skin glowing in the morning sunlight. I can feel the anger slipping away as I take her in, but not fast enough.
'You'll go after him again.'
'No, I'm done with that. It was a mistake; you and Cle are what matter.' There's a look of desperation on her face.
'If not him, someone else.' I watch a tear come to her eye.
'I'm sorry Gabrielle. I should have been there.' I know she's sorry. Her brow furrows as her mouth firms into a thin line. 'I love you. When I left to Britannia I almost immediately turned back. I knew it was a mistake right away.' My body is aching and memories of my short stay in Caesars camp are beginning to resurface.
'Will you hold me?' A small glint a hope shines in her eyes. She crawls across the bed and helps me to lie back down before gently wrapping her arms around me.
