Chapter 10: Grips with Reality
Gabrielle let out a puff of air, blowing a stray lock from her eyes. Her many days in the infirmary were starting to drive her a bit stir crazy and her body was feeling antsy. She had a day off today and she decided to visit the military training grounds, hoping to find some method of exercise. She dusted off her red travel outfit and pulled her sais from underneath them. All her travel clothes had been sitting underneath her pallet. Out of sight out of mind. She had recently been wearing the traditional garb to fit in working at the infirmary, but didn't desire exercise in a white toga. She donned her red halter, red skirt, and her boots. Her red halter and skirt felt a bit snug.
"I guess I've been eating well without exercise." she chuckled to herself. "Well, time to fix that!" she said as she sheathed her sais into each boot.
The palace had a central training ground where most of the hand to hand combat training occurred, for royalty and officials to observe. All be it conspicuous, it was quite impressive really. There were three rings situated within the field. Each was occupied with an instructor teaching at different levels of combat. There didn't seem to be any weapons in the area. She assumed the weapons training were to be held somewhere else, in order to keep the governing members safe from surprise assaults.
She watched as an instructor, a tall striking woman with long brown hair, brown eyes, and athletic build spoke to a large mass of soldiers listening intently. The woman seemed to command their attention in her deep melodic voice and her confident manner. Gabrielle would be lying if she didn't catch her attention as well.
The instructor demonstrated her lesson on a wrist lock take down, quickly dispatching of a student. She caught him in a wrist lock, pivoted to turn to her right, and had him on his back on the ground. She finished with both hands increasing the pressure. The student on the floor's face grimaced in pain from the execution of the move.
"Any questions?" the instructor asked, releasing the students when there were no questions. The instructor caught Gabrielle's gaze and nodded in signal of a visitor toward a man sitting observing the training. The handsome man stood in acknowledgement. He wore a wrap around his bottom half, exposing impressive muscular legs and an impressive upper body. Standing he was a head taller than even Xena, bronzed skin and dark blue eyes.
"May I help you? I am Bomani, what brings you to our training grounds Gabrielle?" the large man asked. Caught by the surprise of him knowing her name, she raised her brow in question.
"I saw you on the ship with Brutus, I was on the ship with Xena and Antony. Myself and Leona, who is the roman primus pilus of the legion stationed here, are the head instructors. I lead the Egyptian legion and oversee the training of both." Bomani answered.
"I see. It's my day off and I was just trying to find a way to get some exercise in. Would it be ok if I take part in the sparring?" Gabrielle asked.
"We would be honored, battling bard." He winked. Gabrielle hoped it was just a friendly gesture. Leona the primus moved out of her circle and towards the two, scowling.
"What do you want?" Leona rudely questioned. Having been a roman centurion, Leona was aware of the losses that Xena and the battling bard had delivered to her kinsman. Gabrielle rolled her eyes at the primus' bravado.
"Leona, Gabrielle would like to join the group for some exercise." Bomani informed. Leona squinted and hardened her face.
"You can, if you can keep up." She stated and shoved Gabrielle toward the ring she had just exited. Angered by the disrespectful shove, Gabrielle side stepped a second shove, performed a leg sweep, and kicked Leona in the rear on the way down.
Bomani laughed loudly and Leona glared at her from her spot on her knees in the dirt.
"Oh, I thought you meant with you." the blond said innocently, winking slyly at the primus. The students around the ring desperately restrained their smiles and laughs as Leona stood up fuming.
"Get up and run!" the brown haired primus growled to her students. Forming them into columns, she took lead and sprinted out of the training area with the mass of soldiers in tow. Bomani chuckled loudly at the turn of events.
"You either just made an enemy or gained her respect." the tall man informed her.
"Probably both," Gabrielle answered with a grin, as if neither mattered to her.
Returning from a nice day of sparring Gabrielle heard a knock on her door.
"Come in!" she responded. Amun the tracker, appeared shyly opening the door.
"Ms. You said to return?" He questioned afraid that he was mistaken.
"Yes, yes. I did not forget." she replied while urging him closer. She handed him some gold coins and a scroll.
"Put this in with your report." the blond stated. He smiled and nodded as he took the money and the scroll.
"Yes Ms." he added as he turned and walked out the door.
Xena lifted the thief by his neck, up into the air in front of everyone in the market. She grabbed his wrist tightly and squeezed until the man could not keep his grip. The jewelled necklace fell to the floor.
"I catch you stealing again and I'll do more than break your wrist," she growled. She threw him a few feet in front of her where he fell backwards into the dirt, clutching his wrist. The people in the marketplace parted, making room for the throw and soon stood out of the man's way as he ran from sight. Xena picked up the necklace and handed it back to the woman she had witnessed the thief take it from.
"Thank you Xena!" the woman replied.
"Don't mention it." Xena grumbled as she quickly headed back to her Mom's inn.
It had been a moon since she'd last seen Gabrielle and Xena was not in a very happy mood. Since then, she had many revelations. Stewing in regret of her actions and treatment of Gabrielle, she had a short temper with herself and everyone around her. She had been disgusted by how she had treated Gabrielle. At the moment she was mulling over what could possibly be what Aphrodite meant about hiding things. The last time she and Gabrielle had hidden something from each other, the results were catastrophic. She knew in her heart though, no matter what Gabrielle was hiding, there was no way that she would stop loving her.
"I know what I was hiding," she sighed in helplessness, remembering her hopeless love sickness.
She strode into the inn and dropped the sack of potatoes she had purchased at the market for Cyrene into the kitchen.
"I'm back!" Xena announced. Eve, who was seated on a weaved rug behind Cyrene cooking at the stove, crawled toward her. Eve's eyes and face lit up in enthusiasm at seeing her mother.
"Hi honey, what have you and grandma been up to?" Xena asked, lifting her to her hip, as the infant yanked and pulled on her hair.
"Ow honey. Not nice!" Xena said, as she held Eve's hand and untangled her hair from her grip. Cyrene chuckled as she stirred the stew she had been preparing.
"So daughter, have you figured out Gabrielle's secret yet?" Cyrene asked. Xena had told her sunsets ago of what Aphrodite had told her at the temple.
"No Mother." the warrior grumbled.
"Don't you get cross with me young lady!" Cyrene responded, lifting a spoon in warning. Xena chuckled at the sight.
"Thanks Mom, I needed that." Xena smiled.
"I just have no idea what she could have been hiding. The last time it had been about her daughter being alive, but I don't blame her for hiding that." Xena sighed.
"Well honey, what are you hiding from her? Maybe it's similar?" Cyrene questioned without looking back at her.
"The only thing I hid from her was how I felt about her." Xena relayed, "Which, by the way, I'm sorry that I revealed that without any warning." the warrior said in apology.
"Oh honey think nothing of it. At first I was shocked about you being in love with a woman, but remembering how you looked at her, it all makes sense now." Cyrene soothed.
"Besides, you couldn't have picked a better woman to have crush on." Cyrene stated as she winked at her daughter. Relieved at her mother's acceptance of her feelings for Gabrielle, she relaxed.
"What do you mean by how I looked at her?" Xena asked curious at what had clued her in.
"You know that goo goo eyed, dreamy look? The quick etches of a smile at the mention of her name? The shy glances? Need I go on daughter?" Cyrene laughed.
"She used to look at you like that too you know." Cyrene smiled.
"Hmm?" Xena wondered, confused by her mother. "The last time you had come to visit..." Cyrene started, but was interrupted by a knock at the inn front door.
Xena headed out of the kitchen and toward the front door.
"We're not open yet." she said, but saw that it was the post.
"Scroll for Xena?" The post man asked.
"That's me." she answered, adjusting Eve to her other hip to receive the scroll. Eve grabbed at the scroll while Xena tried to unravel it. When it was unraveled a second scroll rolled onto the floor at her feet. She read the scroll that was still in her hand.
Xena,
I have found the woman whose nose crinkles, has blond hair, beautiful green eyes, and fights with sais. I found her in an infirmary, she tends the sick and works in palace. She is in good health. She is in Egypt.
Amun
"Mom! The tracker found Gabrielle!" Xena called to Cyrene in the kitchen.
Cyrene rushed out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on her apron and kicked the second scroll on her way toward the warrior.
"What's this?" Cyrene asked as she lifted the scroll off the floor.
"It fell out of the scroll." Xena responded, still shocked and absorbing the news that the bard was found.
"Where is she?" Cyrene asked as she unraveled the second scroll.
"Xena! It's Gabrielle's handwriting." she stated excitedly as she handed her daughter the errant scroll.
Xena's heart picked up pace as she received the scroll. Her stomach somersaulted at the sight of the familiar handwriting, unsure of what to expect.
To be continued in chapter 11