Chapter Eleven
Battling 'Xena'
Despite knowing the next few days were going to be hard ones – trying to catch up to Xena, Gabrielle found it hard to sleep. And well before sunrise she making preparations for the journey – making sure the water skins were full, eating more of the smoked meat to sustain her during the day. Autolycus, however had no trouble sleeping the night away. But finally not being able to stand it anymore, Gabrielle woke him up.
"Is it time go?" he asked, sleepily cracking one eye. "Where's the sun?"
"It will be up soon. I want to be ready to go just as soon as it's light."
"Okay," he replied reluctantly, and stumbled his way into the woods to relieve himself.
After he returned Gabrielle gave him breakfast and then refilled the water skin after he had drunk his fill. But even in the light of the campfire, he could tell there was something on her mind.
"Okay, spill. What is it?"
"I was just thinking," Gabrielle began. "You've done so much for me, and for Xena, but the next few days are going to be tough ones – riding hard all day with only one or two stops. And once we catch up to Xena there will be danger, a lot of danger, and you could be injured, or killed."
"Are you trying to get rid of me? Is it something I've done, or not done."
"No, it's not like that. I just – I just don't want anything to happen to you. I've grown rather fond of you and I'd hate to be responsible for…."
"I understand. But if you leave me here, in the middle of nowhere, just where am I supposed to go? Maybe if I had a horse, but I don't. And to tell you the truth, I don't even know which direction I should go, except where you're going – to Arethousa. So like it or not, where you go, I go. And when we finally catch up to her, you can drop me off a safe distance away and you can do what you have to do."
"Okay. Okay then. I see the sun is close to rising, and the horse is starting to get ready, so let's mount up and when he's ready we can go."
Once the sun peered over the horizon Gabrielle used her heels to start the horse galloping, headed southwest as far as she could determine, then let the horse run or gallop as he would. They stopped for a short break at midday then continued on, stopping earlier in the late afternoon than Gabrielle wanted, but she knew there had to be grass and water for the night. The next day was a repeat of the previous one.
On the third day they began to pass donkey carts and peddlers on foot, all going to Arethousa. It was just past midday when Gabrielle saw in the distance a lone rider, riding hard, and raising a cloud of dust. As if it knew, the horse increased its speed and it wasn't long before Gabrielle could tell without a doubt it was 'Xena.'
Despite her hope to catch up to 'Xena' without her knowing about it, it wasn't to be. Gabrielle saw her look back, then her hand went to her hip and her arm threw something. Of course it was the Chakram. Gabrielle lost it in the sun, but could hear its familiar singing. At the last moment she caught sight of it and barely had time to use the shield to block it, otherwise she would have been beheaded. Gabrielle not only heard but felt the Chakram as it bounced off the shield; the force of it almost knocked her from the saddle.
"Okay!" Autolycus shouted out. "This is where I get off!"
Gabrielle slowed the horse to half speed, which was good enough for him and he pushed himself backward off the horse to land hard and roll on the ground. Gabrielle immediately kicked her heels into the horses flanks and it took off, no longer burdened by the weight of Autolycus.
She was gaining again, and again 'Xena' threw the Chakram, but this time Gabrielle was ready for it, and just before it hit, Gabrielle leaned forward in the saddle, hanging onto the saddle horn with her right hand and put the shield between the front of the horse and the Chakram, thrown to try to cripple it. As the Chakram returned to 'Xena', Gabrielle urged the horse to an even faster pace.
Even though 'Xena' looked back a few times, rather than throw the Chakram again, she continued to urge the horse to an even faster pace, but slowly and gradually Gabrielle caught up to her. And coming up on 'Xena's' right side she used the shield to try to knock her off the horse; in her haste to escape from the Amazon camp, Xena only had taken the Chakram as a weapon. Twice Gabrielle swung the flat of the shield to hit her, but both times she was able to stay in the saddle.
Then in desperation, Gabrielle brought her right foot up to the saddle, then use it to launch herself at 'Xena', wrapping both arms around her and they both fell hard to the ground, rolling away from each other, both stunned and barely moving.
Long moments later both women slowly recovered almost at the same time, but with 'Xena' coming to her feet first while Gabrielle was still on her knees. 'Xena' brought up the Chakram to strike a killing blow, but Gabrielle moved the shield to momentarily blind her with the sun's reflection, and at the same time pulled the Sword from its scabbard.
As Gabrielle came to her feet, they both circled each other, looking for an advantage. Then 'Xena' slowly went to one knee, putting her left hand to the ground, and slowly a sword began to take shape in the sand. When it was fully formed, Xena came to her feet and swung it in a wide arc, forcing Gabrielle to block it with her Sword, but when she did, the sword turned back to sand and Gabrielle was pelted with what felt like hundreds of stinging needles. She barely was able to turn her head to keep the sand particles from blinding her.
But as she turned back to Xena, a foot slid between the Shield and Sword, catching Gabrielle in the face, knocking her onto her back. In desperation, she swung the Sword wildly several times in front of her, keeping 'Xena' at a distance. Then keeping her eyes on her, Gabrielle made it to her feet, well aware that blood was running from her nose, over her mouth and was dripping off her chin.
Again, they circled each other, carefully.
"You know you can't defeat me," 'Xena' said with a confident sneer. "I don't care what kind of new toys you seemed to have picked up."
"New toys from a goddess," Gabrielle retorted. "From the goddess Athena to be exact."
There was a slight uncertain look on 'Xena's' face, then she hurled the Chakram high in the sky and when Gabrielle's attention was momentarily distracted, she attacked, trying to overwhelm her with her size and speed. But Gabrielle back stepped several paces and swung the Sword threateningly, knowing she couldn't risk fatally wounding 'Xena', not if she wanted to return her soul to her own body.
'Xena' made more threating gestures, but not really attacking, just waiting. From two different places, Gabrielle could hear high-pitched singing – the Chakram has split in two, each on its separate course. 'Xena' waited, an evil smile on her face, knowing in just a few moments one or both of the two halves of the Chakram would take out Gabrielle. But if they didn't, she would be so distracted trying to avoid them, 'Xena' would have a clear shot at her.
Gabrielle heard rather than saw the one on her left, and was able to block it with the shield, but the force of the impact knocked her to her right and she almost lost her balance. But as she sidestepped to keep from falling she saw the second half glint in the sun was just in time used the sword to block it, but not being fully ready for it, the half Chakram hit the sword and the sword sliced her forehead just above Gabrielle's right eye.
When she tried to wipe the blood away with her sword hand, 'Xena' was there with a solid kick to Gabrielle's chest, knocking her to the ground. She fell flat on her back, arms wide. From the force of the landing, she lost her grip on the Sword, and it landed too far from her to recover it before Xena could get to it.
And with a cry of triumph, Xena ran to the Sword to pick it up. But as she had witnessed twice before, Gabrielle saw the small lightning bolt crackle from the Sword to Xena's hand, and she was thrown backward to land hard enough on her back to knock her senseless. on her back. Releasing the Shield, Gabrielle ran to the prostrate Xena, the dagger in hand. She knelt down to the semiconscious Xena and using the dagger, cut open the front of the peasant blouse she had dressed Xena's body in, exposing the magically-healed wound from Odin's Spear. But there was still a small pucker, and it was there that Gabrielle put the tip of the dagger, watching for Xena to open her eyes.
And when they did open, Gabrielle saw they were black, and she plunged the dagger to the hilt. 'Xena' screamed out in pain, and tried to buck Gabrielle off her, but Gabrielle had her left forearm across 'Xena's' chest, her right leg across 'Xena's', holding her down as best she could.
For what seemed an eternity to her, Gabrielle suffered through 'Xena' pulling her hair and punching her in the face and body, trying to get her off. But slowly 'Xena's' strength left her and her arms fell to the ground. And when Gabrielle saw her eyes turn from black to blue, she immediately pulled the dagger out, not noticing that the wound healed itself; her eyes were only on Xena's.
