Chapter Ten
Updated ages for this chapter as requested
Atalanta: 14
Hector and Thetis: 12
Isonoe: 11
Gabriel: 11
Peleus: 9
Xena and Hercules's baby: 2
Gabrielle's baby girl: 3
Iolaus's baby boy: 3
"Xena calm down you're pacing like a caged tiger," Gabrielle told her as they headed for Troy. Xena stopped and looked at her. "You look nervous."
"I'm not nervous I am furious, I've been so focused on my children, that I let time pass us by without Achilles, I should have dragged his ass home when Peleus was a year old and I was fit enough to go into battle."
"Xena when Peleus was one the people of the island needed you more and you took care of them in this time of war. When more supplies have to go to the army without a leader they would have starved with the harvest being bad for the past couple of years."
"Yes, yes if you argue it like that."
"I do." Xena growled at her.
"Don't frustrate me, one of my sons has never seen his father for the love of Gods, not once has he heard his voice or laid an eye on him. He's never held him or comforted him. It's going to be tense enough when I drag him back."
"Not to mention you've coddled him to no end." Xena rolled his eyes.
"I'm the only parent he's ever known," Xena told her justifying her coddling.
"I know, that but you still coddled him." Xena shrugged.
"I don't have to answer to you." Gabrielle rolled her eyes. "God I hope I don't screw up with my sais in battle." Xena looked at her alarmed.
"Don't say that, it's bad enough you made me teach you, now you actually losing confidence in yourself."
"Don't give me the third degree I know if I go in thinking I'm going to die, than I'm going to die." Xena nodded, but didn't point out Gabrielle had just finished giving her the third degree about coddling her own son.
"You know it is not like you haven't coddled Gabriel or Jason, and the one you had Annie."
"Girls are meant to be coddled, and I do not coddle the boys."
"Whatever."
"You're coddling little Amyntas."
"He's two, I can coddle him all I like."
"Whatever, though I must say he looks just like the son I pictured coming from you and Hercules. Hercules' dark hair, your blue eyes...."
"He looks just like Hercules, he has nothing of mine." Gabrielle scoffed.
"Xena he so has your eyes." Xena shook her head.
"All I see is Hercules when I look at him. Its kind of like when I look at Hector and all I see is his father, just a lot more love, and anger for his father." Gabrielle chuckled.
"Xena, Hector is the spitting image of you." Xena shrugged. "Now Peleus is the one that looks like Achilles."
"No, Peleus looks like me."
"Now you're just teasing me," Gabrielle told her, but she was no longer paying attention to her. She was looking at the landmass that was Troy. She took out her spyglass to look for the Greek navy, but the ships were no longer there.
"That's odd," Xena commented.
"What's odd?" Gabrielle asked.
"All the Greek ships are gone."
"What?" Gabrielle asked taking the spyglass and looking for herself. "But where would they go, we would have passed them all."
"Yes, I know, that could only mean one thing."
"Xena, I'm sure you're wrong, maybe he escaped into the country side or something." Xena nodded and smiled at her.
"Gabrielle I have faith in Achilles, I know he is not dead, I know that in my heart."
"I'm glad." Xena nodded.
"We'll dock at the port if the Greeks have really been defeated it'll be open."
"My Queen it would be better to go as a Queen," One of the men told her. She shook her head in disagreement and at the fact he had once again referred to her as my Queen. She could deal with my lady if they insisted on some form of respect, but Queen she didn't like but most refused to call her by anything else now.
"No, we don't know why the Greek ships have disappeared, we'll go as travelers, we can get more information. If I go as a Queen, and the Greek ships have really left they'll think it's strange that I have not seen my own husband on the way to get him." He nodded his understanding.
"Xena, where could they have gone without us seeing?" Gabrielle asked worried.
"I have no idea, we will have to see the mood of the city, that'll be key to figuring out what's going on." Gabrielle nodded and Xena made the soldiers change, she didn't want them identified as Greek warriors but rather innocent travelers. It was nightfall when they reached the shores of Troy or rather the docks. As expected there was no one at the docks as it would be too risky for them, and there can't have been much trade.
"You five watch the ships, the rest of you come with us." They nodded and followed her onto Trojan soil. They arrived at the city to find a giant horse practically blocking their entrance.
"Xena look it was so big they had to cut away at the gates." Xena shook her head, the gates were no longer impenetrable it would be all too easy for any army to break through.
"Have a drink, you should be celebrating that after ten long years we have driven the Greeks from our soil!" They all cheered and took drinks and watched the man dance away. Xena dumped the wine and they followed suit.
"Beware of Greeks bearing gifts," Xena told them as she lightly ran her fingers over the front legs of the horse she looked up and could feel someone watching her even if she couldn't see them.
"Xena, how are we going to find out what happen to them?" Gabrielle asked seemingly oblivious to the warning Xena had spoke.
"I have a feeling we'll find out soon enough come on, we need to be in a certain place." Xena turned away from the horse and walked off disappearing into the crowd. They followed closely behind. She had them gathering women and children and showing them out of a passage way. Soon however they didn't have long to wait as the parties died down and everyone began to pass out and fall asleep.
"Where's Achilles?" Xena asked one of the men as she helped fight off a Trojan soldier who was not passed out.
"The palace!" Xena nodded and ran the Trojan through before throwing her chakram hitting several coming her way. She caught her chakram back flipped over some people and ran for the palace. It was utter chaos in the palace she came upon the dead body of King Priam of Troy and shook her head. "Dumbass, you should have counseled your son not to do anything that would give Agamemnon the excuse to attack. It's just as much your fault as there's we've lost ten years." She wanted to disgrace his dead body with a kick but that was no longer her way. She continued on wishing she had gotten to him alive for him to hear her words. She was not concerned with him. She hurried passed him and came into a courtyard shrine of Apollo. She spotted the first arrow go through Achilles weak ankle.
"NO!" She yelled as a two more arrows from their way into his torso. She black flipped down letting out her war cry. She caught the last arrow and threw her chakram destroying the bow, but Paris moved. She looked at him enraged as he drew his sword and she her own as her chakram embedded itself in a wall. She rotated her sword before he ran down the steps and charged at her. They fought fiercely, but he was weak and inexperienced he was no Hector that was sure. She almost envied Achilles for getting to fight such a legendary fighter. She'd heard about Patroclus death he was good man, and Achilles had avenged him in rage.
"Give it up woman," Paris told her. She glared at him and kicked the sword from his hands.
"Not all women are as dainty as you seem to think. This time Paris you've killed the wrong man." She kicked him in his throat, but not hard enough to kill him as much as restrict his breathing. With one swoop she cut his head off before turning around covered in his blood. Achilles was kneeling on the ground and a woman was rubbing his face. Xena gently pushed her aside.
"Xena," He whispered looking at her. It was as if he thought he would never see her again.
"Achilles it's going to be all right okay, you're going to be fine just hanging in there for us, your children." He nodded and passed out. "Help me get him somewhere safe." The woman looked at her for what seemed like forever before nodding and helping her move him closer to the altar. Xena got his armor off and used pressure points to stop the flow of blood. She wished he hadn't pulled them out.
"Who are you?" the woman asked.
"Xena," Xena muttered taking out a knife. "Go put the blade in a fire and bring it back when I motion to you, we'll have to cauterize these wounds immediately." The woman took the knife and immediately went over to a small fire and held the blade in it watching it get sharper as it heated up. Xena whispered something in Achilles ear as she applied pressure to the three wounds. They weren't very deep, but the blood loss alone would take his life. She motioned for the woman to come back and she did quickly. She cauterized the wounds and he did not even wake up. She didn't expect him too even without doing anything those wounds wouldn't kill him if it weren't for the ankle wound.
"Will he be all right?" She asked caressing his face. Xena looked at her suspiciously as her right hand gripped the blood shaft and her hand was covered in blood as she broke the front off and pulled the rest out getting a cry of pain. She used some cloth from the woman's dress to wrap his ankle it would have to be sewn up from properly. She used pressure points to slow the blood long enough to get him back to the ship.
"Yes, stay with him." Xena ran off and retrieved several Myrmidon's and the carried him back to her ship which she joined among the other Greek ships which had returned to the beach.
"Who are you?" Xena asked her.
"Briseis, Princess of Troy, I was a virgin priestess of Apollo."
"Was?" Xena asked.
"I was captured when the Greeks first landed, Agamemnon stole me from Achilles men who had arrived first. He..."
"He raped you," Xena said with disgust. Briseis nodded.
"Achilles saved me, and I remained with him until the death of my cousin, Hector."
"You're not distraught over Paris's death as you still are of Hector," Xena commented easily.
"All this death and destruction started because Paris had to fuck Menelaus's wife and if that weren't bad enough he actually spirited her away back here. I think of all the lives that have been lost in the last ten years and I shudder. My cousin was a good man, he had a son and wife he loved dearly and who loved him. And now she is forcing herself to be nice to Helen when she does not feel the love. Paris and Helen were selfish they did not think of others above their lust. Infidelity has led to the worst consequence, death."
"Did you sleep with Achilles?" Xena asked her. Briseis looked her in the eyes and shook her head. A different time and a different place once I would have given myself to him. But he loves you Xena never doubt that." Xena nodded seeing only truth in her eyes and words.
"We don't have much in the way of temples, but you're welcome to come worship at our temple of Apollo." She smiled and nodded.
"Thank you, but I think I'll travel to Delphi, I can work in the temple of Apollo where the oracle is." Xena nodded.
"Oh what I wouldn't give to slay Agamemnon as I would have Priam."
"He's already dead, I went for some things while you were taking care of Achilles. Agamemnon had raped Helen while Menelaus was still fighting stray troops. His wife arrived looking for him just as you came for Achilles. I saw her throw a net over him and stab him.
"And Helen?" Xena asked happy that Clytemnestra had killed him, he had after all slain her daughter for wind.
"Menelaus has her now." Xena nodded.
"Always beware of Greeks bearing gifts they're not all as innocent as you think." Briseis nodded before going to bed. Xena checked on Achilles and settled down in the chair beside him. They were not going anywhere tonight.