10
Gabrielle walked over to the shaman and sat down beside him." How are you feeliing now?" she asked Theron gave her a weak smile." A lot better thanks to you and Kara's broth." he said licking the spoon." Do you know what happened after you were captured? " she asked him and he set the bowl by his feet and looked seriously into her green eyes." Micha took great pains to tell me of his achievments. He sent your friend into the void. I cannot help bring her back if that's what your going to ask I don't where she is." He said meeting her gaze matter of factly. That was a blow to Gabrielle and not what she wanted to hear." Ok but you can send Callisto back where she came from? " she asked uncertainly then felt relieved as Theron nodded." Yes but she will have to be close to the Orb." he said Gabrielle felt sick at the thorght of lureing Callisto, even for Xena it wouldn't be easy. If she was going to beat Micha she had to take Callisto off the scene." Then I will close the Orb." he said." If you did that Xena could never come back you'll trap her." her voice waivered Theron looked at the young woman." I have no choice I must, it's not just Micha it's the Orb it's tearing the fabric apart there's no telling what damage it will do." That only made Gabrielle sick feeling worse and she felt they were condemning Xena. " Please, you got to give her the chance. Can't you wait?" Theron shook his head." You don't understand." " Then tell me why I must abandon my friend?" Gabrielle said.
" The Orb is the link to time's fabric, it is not stable and we Guardians must protect and serve the fabric and keep it secure, there's no knowing what havoc it will cause. All time will merge and become one. No past, no present, no future. Eons could join together and there's no knowing what would come through, monsters would run amock through the ages and things not invented could come as well as people. Ancestors and decsendents could meet and affect each others lives and the weather won't know to be summer or winter and the crops will die. That's why I have to close the Orb as soon I can." he said and Gabrielle nodded accepting and feeling she was condemning Xena as she was doing it. She left the old man and went with Leia to check on the stores her mind in turmoil.
It was a stalmate and the day wore on as an uneasy peace desended over Urgit. The shimering Orb seemed to shudder and stretch in the centre of town as if being pulled as it gently hovered and slowly skimmed over the ground. So far it did no more than that slowly hovering as Micha's men patrolled around it and the temple. Behind the first line of houses the streets were manned by Deimos and his people watching out for any movement by the soldiers and the sun beat down over the stand off and in the heat everyone was waiting to see who would make the next move. Something had to happen just no one knew what.
Gabrielle joined Deimos standing lookout over the deserted street." Why don't they come and get it over with." Deimos growled." Because they are waiting for something, Callisto maybe. Frankly I'm glad they havn't I've been checking our supplies, a few days max and I doubt his are any better so Micha wont want to protract this much longer either he will want to get this done as quickly as possible." Deimos shook his head." So what do we do? we can't sit here waiting for the axe to fall. They could chase us all the way to the sea and we couldn't stop them."
" No we can't, I don't know I wish I did and truth is we're not ready for it, Callisto could come at us at any time." Their meager stones and farming tools were inadequate weapons and the odds were even more stacked against them than before. The fact that Micha's men were staying well back and out of reach only feulled her suspicions that when he did make his move Micha was going to use a much stronger force than his soldiers." I think we should move to a safer place, we can't fight them off here and..." Gabrielle turned to Deimos." There's something else, If Callisto attacks she will distroy the town. One fireball could set the whole town alight if the thatch catches. She doesn't give a damn or care about people or homes or anything, she'll fire on the town and we can't fight that and them at the same time it will be a slaughter. Our best hope is to get your people away and I'll try to lure her to the Orb. Theron will do the rest. I'm sorry I put you all at such risk." Gabrielle said and Deimos shook his head as Gabrielle sighed." You don't need to apologise for what Micha started." he said and he gave an afectionate pat on the hand." So you think we should leave?" Gabrielle nodded." I took the liberty of asking Leia to start things and collect the food we can take with us."
Leia was bagging up some of the grain of their stocks with Emma and Coral. Of the two storerooms in town it was well stocked though not full as they hadn't taken in the harvest yet and as Gabrielle had advised her to set some of the food aside should they have to leave Urgit in a hurry she had filled some bags to take with them. She was so bent on her task she didn't hear Callisto come in and stand by her side and then touch her arm and then for a brief moment she saw the woman smile before she flashed out taking Leia with her and the other women ran in panic at the sight of the demon.
" What's the matter Gabrielle?" Deimos asked noticing Gabrielle's sigh." Theron told me he couldn't bring Xena back and he says he has to close the Orb as soon as possible or it will break open and and cause all sorts of serious trouble, worse than you can imagine I didn't understand all of it but It's very dangerous, to everything, to the world but it would mean closeing off Xena's chance to ever come back. She'll be lost forever." Deimos nodded." Ahh I see, and you blame yourself because you've had to agree to it." " It's more than that Xena is my lover and cos of this I'm going to lose her forever." Gabrielle said and Deimos winced." What a tough call you've had to make between the one you love and the whole world. I don't know how I would be in your situation."
" Yes you do because your in love with Leia and fear for her." Gabrielle said suddenly Deimos coloured up and looked surprised." How did you? " Gabrielle smiled knowingly." The way you look at her gave it away. Have you told her the way you feel? " Deimos shook his head." I couldn't it wouldn't be right. Our society wouldn't allow it anyway. It was hard enough to get her accepted on the council. It's said her grandfather was a helot slave who killed his master with his own sword before running off to join any army who would take him and her father isn't known. Many didn't like the idea of a woman with such a dubious history to be elevated to the council as it was. I maybe headman but I cannot force people to change their attitudes. A headman marrying a low born woman they just wouldn't accept that." he said and Gabrielle sighed again." So you'd rather be dictated to by their high handed predudice and deny your love. That's not fair either on you or Leia." she said pithily and Deimos head sank as she turned back to watching the street where she could just see the soldiers moveing about. She'd seen that sort of attitude before, in her own village. Why couldnt people see that love had nothing to do with social standing or who your people were. At least she had known love and Xena had known she was loved before she left." Micha has already split the town and those who didn't agree with the council or are just plain scared have already joined him." He said.
" Stand fast you curs." Sargeant Onagru growled. He knew the men were eager to be off the leash and get some action. They were bored at waiting and angry they had been made fools of and they wanted to get back at the people who were laughing at them, most of all they wanted the women. Micha had told him to wait for his signal and he could feel the men's tension mounting as he had said they could take what they wanted. With them stood a few youths and men who had joined the ranks thinking they could get something for themselves out of this as well. Undisciplined bunch and he didn't like they were there but he'd had accept it. Suddenly a spout of flame rose above the rooftops at the edge of town and Micha nodded to him. That was the signal." Right men, advance and have some fun." he said.
Gabrielle looked left then right. Great, their going to hit us from both sides Micha from the front Callisto from behind she thorght." Deimos get your people out of here. Now." she said. They would be crushed between the two if they stayed and he said." The forest beyond the fields, there are caves I'll take them there." She nodded." I'll hold them off as long as I can and meet you there." Another spout of flame and a woman's scream made them jump to action and they split up at a run. Gabrielle joined the men at the makeshift barrier. We got to hold them she thorght to herself and then to her horror Callisto's form took shape beside the soldier a fireball in her hand. We can't hold that she thorght." Oh rats. Go get out of here now." she yelled at the men with her as Callisto threw it and Gabrielle felt the heat and force of the explosion behind her as she ran for cover and escape.
Callisto swore she saw Gabrielle and knew she hadnt hit her and she was pissed she had to give chase. Callisto walked through the street throwing fireballs at no particular target and laughing as the flames caught whatever they hit and reminding her of a dark memory of Cirra engulfed in flames. Men and women ran clutching children in their arms or the old and weak and headed for the forest beyond the ripening corn fields disappering into the cover of the trees. It was nothing short of a rout as Urgit began to burn and the Orb shimmered and shook reflecting the flames riseing around it. Onagru was set to go in after them but to do so would put them at risk Micha thorght and he ordered the men to wait as they reached the edge of town and watched the people getting away. Having lost their intended quarry of the women they took out their anger and frustration on their possessions as they began to loot the empty homes that were not afire yet smashing what they didnt take for themselves." I'll go after them and flush em out." Callisto said and Micha smiled." No don't bother yourself they won't come back and we got the woman. They won't do anything." " I havn't, I want Gabrielle." she shouted." No your to stay here." Micha said trying to keep firm and in control as Callisto fumed." You don't tell me what to do." she said fiercely and threw another at the retreating figures.
Gabrielle ran avoiding the flames as best she could and all around her people were running the same, trying to escape. They reached the edge of town and ran right for the forest by the open space between the two. Deimos kept them moveing pushing the people on. Her heart and lungs were pumping hard and she was puffing now but she knew she couldn't stop, the soldiers were not far behind and Callisto was still throwing fire around threw herself at the line of trees and fell into a bed of ferns and ran on not stopping to see if they were being followed. As she slowed to pick her way through the undergrowth she saw the people dotted amongst the trees all heading in the same direction. Thank goodness the soldiers had stopped at the burning town. Now they had lost everything and were homeless refugees and she wondered if Leia had chance to grab some food before they'd had to run for it. Slowly walking on they came to the ridge of rocks and the caves in the hillside. Many were already gathered there frightened and exhausted and they looked to her with a mixture of sadness and anger at the sudden quick turn of events they had suffered and she flopped down on her knees by Deimos and Theron." Did everyone get out?" she puffed." Everyone that could." Deimos said.
The big woman Emma bowled over to them and Gabrielle felt her anger rise as she remembered she was the one who had thrown stones at her. She stopped by them and looked concerned as she said." We were in the stores when the demon came and took Leia away." " What? " Gabrielle and Deimos said together in shock." We saw her take Leia and then she set fire to the storeroom, we only managed to get out in time. I hope she's alright." Emma said and Gabrielle and Deimos looked to each other both thinking of the different permutations." She could be dead, injured. She could even be..." Deimos said his face belied the fact he suddenly felt scared." Tortured." Theron gulped and all turned to him." Micha knows she is my daughter. He will use her against me." he said flatly. Emma caught her breath but said nothing as Theron sighed." It shouldn't have taken place, shouldn't have happened. Clariss kept the secret and carried the shame of it even to the day she died." he said sadly." How did Micha find out?" Gabrielle asked." My confession and written promise to Gia in the temple library. Under pain of death I had to forswear all family ties and give myself to the goddess as a Guardian of the Orb." Deimos growled." Does Leia know this?" Theron shook his head." Micha threatened he would tell her, amongst other things he said he would do like kill her if I tried to stop him."
" Like you closeing the Orb for instance?" Gabrielle added and Theron nodded." I must do it though no matter what, you must understand that don't you." the old man said and his face showed all the devistating pain of what he was saying. He had not only abandoned Leia and her mother in order to care for the Orb he was condemning his own daughter to death to continue careing for it. Deimos swore and Theron got up and walked back to the cave mouth. He looked shattered and Gabrielle looked at the others." That's it I've had it up to my neck with Micha. This is outrageous we have just got to put a stop to him." Deimos raged." I hoped you would say that. When you are being pushed to the limit sometimes you have no choice but to push back." Gabrielle said.
Micha stared at Leia as he walked round her. She wasn't bad looking, no wonder Deimos had the hots for her he thorght." Why have you done this?" she demanded and he grinned, well she wern't no shrinking violet thats for sure and he had an idea joining in with the one he had originally thorght of." Let's just say I'm taking out a little insurance." he cooed." Against what, somebody standing up to you?"
Micha lost his grin and he snarled." You've got too much to say for yourself, being on the council has made you forget your place. Your just a whore's bastard, you don't even know who your father is." " Do you know who yours is." Leia retorted. " Be careful or I might forget myself and give you to my men, they know well how to deal with your sort and they were more than a little dissapointed that they didn't get a crack at some of you bitches earlier." His smile returned suddenly." Speaking of fathers, it so happens I do know who yours is. Would you like to know his name? I could tell you but I would want something in return. Guess what that would be? no do guess."
" Your sick." Leia said and she stared at him with undisquised defiance. Micha's grin widened." Take your time and think about it. Believe me it'll be a whole lot better than the alternative." he said turning to leave and he whistled a tune as he closed the door of the cell. Stubborn little bitch like father like daughter, I shall enjoy breaking her and I'll get back at Deimos and Theron both. He said to himself and he whistled as he walked up the steps. This was after all turning out to be a good days work and the possibilities were looking up.
" Can I have a word?" Gabrielle looked up at the dark shadow standing over her." I thorght I'd better before you go again." Emma said and Gabrielle nodded. What did she want? " I wish to apologise to you, for throwing you out of Urgit. I hope I didn't hurt you too much throwing those stones." Gabrielle smiled ruefully and motioned that she sit beside her." You did but you were right too. We had to make them believe it and they did, it worked though I admit I could have done without the bruises." the woman frowned." How can you go back in there? They'll be waiting for you." Gabrielle nodded again." I know and I've been thinking about that."
" Camoflage." Theron said coming back with an armful of ferns. He was covered from head to foot resembling a walking bush as he dropped the rest in front of her. " And we're going to need a whole lot more." Emma rose." I'll get it." she said and grabbing another woman as she went to find some more.
Two candle marks later and with the sun going down and in the fadeing light Gabrielle, Theron, Hector and Deimos who wouldn't be left out even though he should have stayed behind with the rest and a couple of others waited at the forest edge and the open ground between the fields and the town. There had been many volunteers but only a few were chosen as it was deemed a small force could move without detection better. Not just holding the foleage their faces, bodies and clothes were also muddied, only their eyes were distinquishable beneath their plastered hair. They watched the soldiers patrolling around at the edge of the town and they squatted down in silence and waited for full darkness to engulf them before moving closer. A thin line of bodies could on te seen on the road. A telling reminder of what was at stake. Each knew what they had to do, there was nothing more to discuss. This was last ditch, last chance and they all knew failure meant certain death for all of them.
Deeper dark desended and they slowly, gradually silently moved and crossed the open ground and spread amongst the ruined buildings. One by one the sentries were killed. A knife to the throat silencing them forever. Gabrielle hadn't liked that part of the plan but she knew it had to be done and they moved on to take up their positions with Gabrielle's small cashes of bombs she had carefully put in place a couple of days ago and they hunkered down to wait for the light of morning. The Orb hovering nearby reminded her this meant she was going to end Xena's chance of coming back to her and Gabrielle suddenly felt her eyes sting with tears. I'm sorry Xena but I got to do this she thorght and wondered if where Xena was she could hear her and forgive her.
My thanks to all who have showed an interest and are following and commenting I love you all.