They stopped that night to make camp, Emma tended to Regina, getting fluid into her and a bit of broth from the stew they had for dinner. After things were settled Emma asked Xena to help her do sword drills, and with a crazed smile and a twinkle in her eye Xena adamantly accepted, "I LOVE swordplay!"
Gabrielle laughed, "No one would ever guess it, honey."
Emma was suddenly unsure of herself and mentioned that she was just a beginner, "I… uh…take it easy on me huh?"
"Grab Regina's bow, we can warm up with some agility drills," Xena suggested.
"I don't really know how to use this thing," Emma replied but still grabbed the weapon.
"That's okay, I'll show you. Longbow is super fun!" Xena said with a sparkle in her eye.
"When she says fun, she means deadly!" Gabrielle called after the women and Emma chuckled for the first time in days.
The two women came back to camp a couple of hours later, covered in perspiration, laughing over a story Xena was telling Emma, "...and then she was orchestrating an opera with the rocks in the cave!" Xena busted out laughing. Emma shook her head knowing exactly the episode she was talking about.
"The nut bread incident?" Gabrielle rolled her eyes. "Really guys? I was poisoned!"
Xena plopped down next to the bard and kissed her neck. "Yeah, it was painfully cute sweetheart."
Gabrielle scrunched up her nose and with a wicked grin, "Lest we forget my warrior, I record every moment of your life for posterity." She waggled her eyebrows teasingly.
Emma set her sword down along with her jovial mood then made her way over to Regina. She felt regret that the woman was missing out on this experience with her, if not still upset the woman was still in harm's way. She brushed a strand of dark hair away from her all too still face then bent down and whispered, "Regina. If you can hear me. Please. Please come back to me. I need you." She left a chaste kiss upon the woman's cheek a single tear rolled down her own she pulled back and got ready to go to sleep.
The group of women settled into a routine for the remainder of the trip and made good time. The last night of their journey they didn't make camp, but just stopped to attend to Argo and have a bit of dinner, then went back out on the road coming into the Amazon village a couple of hours before dawn. They were greeted by patrols on the outskirts and were chaperoned in. A scout was sent ahead to inform the regent Ephiny and wake the healer, Magdalus.
As they entered the central part of the village, Ephiny came running up to greet them. She excitedly scooped up Gabrielle into a fierce hug. The woman pressed her full body against the bard, her hand clasping the back of her head and the other the small of her back. Gabrielle seemed to hold fast to the wiry curly blonde as tightly as she was being held. When they separated the Amazon gave Xena a firm handshake, it seemed cooler than it actually was, Emma saw in the woman's dark eyes, respect and love of the deep friendship she had with Xena. Gabrielle introduced Emma and Ephiny's curly blonde head nodded at Emma's small wave.
Xena gave a quick summary of the situation and then lifted Regina and carried her to the healer's hut. Emma followed closely, feeling very uneasy all of a sudden. The whole place was surreal, she closed her eyes briefly to summon her inner savior and then listened carefully to the healer as she discussed treatments with Xena, who nodded in agreement. Emma didn't understand everything the woman said but trusted Xena.
After examining Regina, the woman spoke, addressing Gabrielle, "My Queen, the girl is lost and cannot find her way back. We need to find out exactly what poison was used. If there is a way to reverse the effects, it will be in the archives." Gabrielle nodded, "Thank you, Maggie." She took her subject's hand and squeezed her appreciation then looked to her friends. "That would be my queue. Xena why don't you take Emma and…"
"I'm staying here," Emma interrupted. She walked over to Regina's side and knelt down next to the cot the woman was on. She pulled the cotton blanket up over the brunette and took her hand.
"Alright," the bard conceded knowing it was useless to argue the need for rest to Emma. "Xena, would you mind going to the mess tent and getting us all some breakfast? If she isn't going to rest, she at least needs to keep up her strength by eating."
Xena nodded in agreement then the Queen informed, "I'm going to check out the archives, see if I can find the poison, hopefully, it is native to the area, and we can find an antidote." Emma had Regina's hand in both of hers, holding it up to her cheek as she had done for hours on end, every night, during their trip into the village. Gabrielle patted Regina on her arm and looked at Emma and said, "We'll get her back." Then turned on her heel and walked out of the tent.
Gabrielle looked through hundreds of scrolls searching for symptoms and availability in the area. After hours she was looking at the pile of scrolls she hadn't yet gone through, it was getting painfully small, and she was starting to think that maybe the poison was from outside their area. She sighed loudly thinking that she would go through the scrolls again but wasn't looking forward to it. Her head was starting to pound, and it was becoming more difficult to focus.
Ephiny entered the archive hut with a plate of food and a mug of ale. "Thought you could use a break." Gabrielle smiled at the act of kindness, "Thank you Eph."
Ephiny slid into a chair next to the Queen and asked, "So, how's it going?" Gabrielle sighed much louder than intended. "It's slow going. We searched the area but didn't find any ruminants of where he concocted the poison, so I don't have any visual characteristics. Basically, I'm basing my search on the symptoms alone." Ephiny contemplated this and nodded. Gabrielle continued, "Regina took a double dose, the attacker seemed to have covered the tips of the darts several times, there's a thick layer still on the tips." She didn't use the man's name for fear of upsetting her first in command. Ephiny was fiercely protective of her queen, and Gabrielle didn't want to tell her that Xena knew the man and it was just another case of them being in danger because of Xena's past. More so to avoid the argument they would no doubt have.
Ephiny looked skeptical, "So you don't know why this guy attacked you? She picked up the toasted bread and chewed slower than normal as she stalled for an answer. "No. It was probably a slaver though. Emma and Regina were dressed like I was, and as you know, Amazon's fetch a good price on the market."
Seemingly to accept the answer Ephiny bit the inside of her cheek, "So are they new recruits? Or?" Gabrielle shook her head then as she finished her late lunch, she summed up Emma's amazing story. Ephiny listened with her brow furrowed with intensity as she took it all in. "We saw this silver and indigo cyclone off in the distance, it appeared and disappeared so fast Eph, it was phenomenal."
Ephiny knew the bard had more of an imagination than she herself possessed, but the woman wasn't a liar. She believed that Gabrielle believed, and that was good enough for her. "Okay then. I'll let you get back to it." She placed a hand on the bard's shoulder, "I'm glad you are here. We've missed you."
Gabrielle, knowing full well she meant I've missed you and not we've missed you, smiled and said, "I've missed you too Ephiny." She covered her friend's hand with her own and gave her a knowing pat. Ephiny turned and left the bard to finish her research.
Xena brought the Sheriff some porridge from the mess tent, and by the time she got back, Emma was fast asleep kneeling next to Regina as she has been for the last week. Xena set the bowl down on the side table and checked Regina's vitals, "Still strong little one." She attempted to move around Emma to lift her into the bed next to her unconscious friend when Gabrielle burst in, "XENA! I think I've found it!" Xena pushed her finger to her own lips and directed the excited bard outside, leaving Emma to sleep on the floor of the hut.
Gabrielle could hardly contain her excitement while she explained, "And it's close! We could be there and back in three days!" Xena took in the information, the mineral Gabrielle spoke of was known to her and could do some miraculous things, "It just might work, great job Gabrielle. We should probably wake Em…"
The bard touched her forearm, "No. Let her sleep. I've given instruction to Eponin to cater to Emma's needs, and although I know, she won't use it, set up a hut nearby for her to sleep in. Maggie has also been instructed to let her stay in the hospice for now." Xena looked troubled, "She won't be happy we've left without her." Gabrielle looked thoughtful, "Well it is an impossible decision, help us where we are fully capable or stay with her queen. I'll be glad to take the fall for the decision, Xena, if you are afraid of the Sheriff's wrath." The bard threw a teasing smile and a wink as Xena scrunched up her nose.
"Fine. Let's get going."