A/N: Heya everybody! :) Sorry that I haven't updated in a couple of days. I've been ill :( BUT! I managed to get this chapter done. Because my writing skills haven't been up to par because of my sniffles I'd appreciate it if you could PM if you find any spelling errors and such :D I found some myself and uploaded this edited version... Anyway, Happy Reading folks! :)
Xena noticed something was different as soon as she opened her eyes. She felt full of energy; her mental awareness was sharp again and her head was free of throbbing and cloudy thought.
She pushed herself out of her bed, sliding on her arm and wrist bracers as she went over to the window. As she pushed aside the thin curtain sunlight spilled in from the sky; it was bright and warm and heated her face as well as filled the room. She was surprised to see as she gazed outward people moving around outside. Not just one or two dotted here and there. There seemed to be a small throng of townsfolk setting up a modestly sized market outside.
Unsure what to make of it, she left the window, grabbing her sword and sheathe and boots and left her room. There was a noticeable feeling of excitement from the people moving around in the corridor. Many of the people were actually smiling. After everything she had encountered so far, the new attitude didn't make her feel any better and she failed to share their enthusiasm.
After sliding on her boots and adjusting her scabbard on her back, Xena knocked lightly on Gabrielle's door. A few moments later a yawning Gabrielle answered the door, rubbing her eyes.
"Xena?" she said tiredly. "What time is it?"
"Morning," Xena noticed the darkened semi circles under her eyes and frowned. "Have you slept at all?"
Gabrielle stopped suddenly, standing straight. "Yes, I just...had a tiring night." She looked up and down the corridor, noticing how full it was. Her eyes widened in surprise. "Is something wrong? Why are there so many people about?"
Xena shrugged. "I don't know, but I'm going to find out. I'll meet you downstairs. I need to talk to Selena to see if anything is wrong."
Gabrielle nodded, disappearing into her room briefly to grab her boots and staff while Xena left to push her way gently through the busy crowd, knocking on Leandros's door as she passed.
Shutting her door gently, Gabrielle pulled on her boots, smiling awkwardly as some people closest to her watched her hop about on the spot trying to get her boot on. Seconds later Leandros's door opened and he peered out, looking down the corridor. When his head twisted around to look at her he smiled.
"Good morning, Gabrielle."
Gabrielle couldn't help but smile back. "Morning." She pulled on her other boot properly and approached him. Thankfully, he was dressed in his dark material trousers and long sleeve dark tunic, but she still remembered what he looked like beneath his clothes. She stepped back when he left his room and closed the door behind him.
"Was it you that knocked on my door?" Leandros asked, turning to her.
She shook her head. "Xena. She went to talk to Selena. We should probably catch up."
With a nod, Leandros gestured for her to go first and followed behind her. The corridor was packed with people; they were talking amongst themselves in clusters and looked almost…happy. As they passed them Gabrielle thought the change was strange, almost as if they weren't the same people that had been in the tavern before she'd gone to sleep.
Gabrielle felt Leandros following close behind her. With the limited space they hardly had room to keep from knocking into people and each other. She felt a strange rush when his arm brushed against hers.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to get in your way." He apologized when he realized he'd knocked her. He stood back enough to give her space to breathe.
She shook her head. "It's alright."
They managed to get past everybody in one piece and descended the stairs to the main part of the tavern. After a quick look around Gabrielle saw Xena and Selena talking over near the fireplace. As she and Leandros approached, Selena smiled, noticing them.
"Good morning, both of you. I trust you had a good night's sleep?" she said cheerfully.
"Yes, thank you, Selena." Gabrielle said.
Xena noticed Leandros standing quietly beside Gabrielle. "Leandros? What about you?" when he looked up at her she saw a look in his eyes that concerned her. She kept her face straight. "I heard a bang last night and a noise that sounded like talking coming from your room. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?"
Leandros felt his blood turn to ice and refrained from reacting to her words. Had she heard? Had he and Ivan not talked quietly enough to keep from being discovered? His breathing became shallower as Xena approached him. What would she do if she knew? Would she spare him? He felt his resolve crumbling under her penetrating stare. He would tell her and she would kill him. He was sure of it.
"He was talking to me last night, Xena." Gabrielle explained, stepping forward. She touched Xena's arm with a smile. "I heard the bang too and because his room is next to mine I went to see if he was alright."
Leandros saw Xena's eyes widen a little at the revelation. She looked from him to Gabrielle. "You two were talking?" she looked up at Leandros for confirmation and he nodded stiffly. She narrowed her eyes, not completely convinced. She trusted Gabrielle, but she got a strange feeling when she saw the unsure look in Leandros's eyes. He had looked shocked when Gabrielle had explained.
Selena smiled, putting her hands together joyfully. "Ah, it sounds like a midnight rendezvous." She stepped forward to stand next to Xena and nudged her with her elbow with a wink. "It seems they have made up after all. And you thought they would argue for days."
Leandros flushed at the tavern owner's suggestive words. "No…it wasn't anything like that."
Gabrielle stared at Selena wide eyed. She seemed happy at the thought of Gabrielle with a man. When the priest had spoken of Selena being a sapphist Xena hadn't denied it and last night when she brought it up, Xena didn't share much on the subject. From the look Selena was giving Xena she felt that she had more than an old fan on her hands.
"Right Gabrielle?" Leandros said, waiting for her to confirm it.
Gabrielle shook her head. "No. We just talked."
Selena's smile faded a little but it still touched her eyes. "Oh well, it's only a matter of time. Come, let's have breakfast." She said, gesturing over to the round table nearest the window.
As they sat, Selena looked up at the man tending the counter. "Silas! Breakfast."
Silas stood a head taller than Xena and looked twice as wide. He wore loose fitting clothes but Xena knew from the size of him that he was probably built strong beneath the material. As he raised his hand, his loose sleeve fell back revealing a strong arm. He looked like a cross between a warrior and a farmer. His short hair was black and streaked with white highlights, making him look older than he was; though if she had to guess, Xena thought that he only looked in his early thirties.
Silas nodded and began fixing their meal. As he was doing that, Selena faced each of them in turn, smiling.
Xena sat forward, leaning her elbows on the table top. "Selena? Who are all these people? What is going on outside?"
Selena put her hands together, her eyes lighting up. "There is to be a festival. The Caravans of Crete have come into town. Apparently they visit annually, bringing exotic wares that they have collected on their travels. They bring colourful clothes and fabrics, food, scrolls and jewellery that we wouldn't find in our country. I've only been here just over a year but they were here last time when I first moved." She sighed happily. "I can remember how I felt the first time I walked around the stalls. It was wonderful; the lights, the music, the dancing, the food. It was one of the most memorable nights of my life."
Gabrielle sat forward as well, interested in hearing about these people. "You said they fetch scrolls?"
Selena nodded. "Yes. Mostly they're stories that we wouldn't hear about over here because we live so high in the hills. I collect them whenever I can. Sometimes the scrolls have stories in them or epic poems that sway the heart and capture the imagination of those lucky enough to cast their eyes upon them." Xena noticed her eyes suddenly glazed over as though her thoughts were far away. "And other times they…have songs. Wonderful songs…"
Xena and Gabrielle looked at each other, noticing the strange expression that overcame Selena's features when she fell silent.
"What else do they bring?" Leandros asked, interested. He'd never heard of the Caravan of Crete. Being in Darius's army had excluded him from a life outside the army, and resorting to stealing hardly let him live a leisurely life and open opportunities to venture out.
Selena blinked. "Oh, nearly anything you can think of. They brought with them games, clothes and food that was so delicious you couldn't help but indulge in a second helping. There was an artist that came with them last year. I'm not sure whether she has come again, but we shall find out later."
"An artist?" Leandros asked, his voice becoming soft.
Xena looked out the corner of her eye and saw Gabrielle staring at Leandros as he gazed off into the distance, his thoughts his own. Gabrielle was looking at him, her expression a strange mix of wariness and curiosity. It seemed to Xena that even though they seemed to be on speaking terms with each other Gabrielle remained guarded, but not so much that she had completely closed herself off to him as she had done before.
She pondered quietly to herself, thinking back to how Leandros had reacted before they'd sat together. He had seemed strained, as though in the past day something had changed. He seemed to unconsciously refuse to look her in the eye and had almost frozen when she'd asked him to explain the cause of the noise during the night. Initially, she had thought that maybe it would have been one of Darius's men, coming to claim Leandros back. But here he was, sitting with them.
Xena leaned forward so she could see him more. "What's wrong? Don't you like art, Leandros?"
Leandros jumped a little and turned to discover all three women's eyes were on him. He fidgeted. "I don't mind it. It's just; being a warrior…it doesn't leave room to appreciate art."
Selena reached over and touched his hand, smiling as she did. Leandros felt a cold chill run over his skin when she touched him but he did his best not to react to it. It could have been just that her skin was cold in the early morning. But then, the sun was out and it was bright. Even the warmth on the inside of the tavern was almost visible in the way that the occupants were wiping their brow with the back of their hand.
He looked up at her; taking in her sharp features. Her wide smile brightened her violet eyes greatly, making them sparkle in the light. She looked happy. Almost too happy.
"Then you will get your chance here. Seeing as you are here helping your companions, why not indulge in a little sight-seeing and exploration? Maybe you and Gabrielle could look around the stalls when they have set up; look for some scrolls or art? And then after you could watch a show? On the first night of the festivities they always hold a show."
Leandros smiled slightly, pulling his hand away carefully. "We'll see."
Silas came over with four bowl carried on a wooden tray. After placing a bowl in front of each of them he stood back, waiting. It wasn't until Selena flicked her hand silently at him that he turned and walked away.
"He seems quiet…and loyal." Xena noted as she watched him silently return to his duties.
Selena rested her elbows on the table, lacing her fingers together and then laid her chin on her joined hands. She looked at him too. "Yes, he is. He was opposed to me at first when he found out about me. But I brought him around." She brushed her long, fiery hair over her shoulder and smiled slightly. "He was as narrow minded as the rest of them but he eventually started seeing things as I do."
Xena looked at her friend carefully, noticing the curiously hard look in Selena's eyes. When she realized she was looking at her, Selena smiled and sat up, digging into her breakfast enthusiastically. "Eat up. Silas makes the best oatmeal in town."
~ X ~
It was midday; the sun was at its highest point in the sky blazing down with a noticeable heat upon the earth. Gabrielle sighed as she wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. As she cast her eyes around the outside of the tavern she could see heat waves rolling across the ground, making the plants and sand waver. The stalls Selena had spoken of over breakfast were near enough set up, but it was obvious that the people who had set them up weren't ready. The wares she'd spoken of and the people were nowhere in sight, though the small market looked lovely and brightened the dull town.
Many small stalls sat adjacent to each other, a red and purple silken banners weaving around the head of each one to combine them together and look identical to the ones assembled opposite them. Around the base of each one was a small torch-like stand with an iron casing around each head. She guessed come nightfall they would be set alight to illuminate them in the darkness. As she had recalled their last visit to them in detail, Selena had explained that the Caravan of Crete sometimes carried on through the night.
Gabrielle sat heavily on the bench outside the tavern and closed her eyes, letting her face soak up the heat of the sun.
"You look tired." Xena chuckled as she sat next to her.
Gabrielle didn't bother trying to open her eyes. She hardly had enough energy to lift her eyelids. "It's…so…hot." She sighed. She flinched when she felt something cold touch the bare skin of her arm and she finally opened her eyes. When she looked down she saw that Xena had pressed a metal tankard full of water against her arm. She took it gratefully and started drinking. "Thank you."
Xena smiled and sat back, thinking as she looked over the small market set up. The wooden stalls started a little distance away from the tavern and seemed to wind around, following the houses as they continued into the middle of town. After a little inspection earlier she noticed that they stopped before they reached the temple of Aletheia and seemed to give it a wide berth, much like the rest of the houses. She didn't recognise the colours or any of the symbols embroidered onto the banners that wound around the apex of each stall.
"Do you know when everything will start?" Gabrielle asked, resting the tankard on her knees as she directed her gaze toward the stalls again.
Xena shook her head. "No. Selena didn't say when they started…only that they finish when they feel they have accomplished something."
Gabrielle felt her eyebrows draw together slightly. "Accomplished something? Like what?"
Xena shrugged. "I don't know." She bit her lip.
"Did Selena tell you more about Theodorus?" Gabrielle asked, raising her cup to her lips. She savoured the chilled crispness of the water in the heat, but as she moved it to the side she felt the cold soothe the hotness in her cheeks. She closed her eyes, loving the feel of the cool metal against her skin.
Xena shielded her eyes with her hand. "Yes, but it was all very vague. She recalled the last time she saw him, which happens to be the last time she argued with him. She said after they argued he stormed off out of the town carrying his things. I asked a couple of the people inside of the tavern but they weren't much help. Some of them hadn't even heard of him."
Gabrielle frowned. "That doesn't make sense. You told me Selena had said he was the second richest person in town? That kind of reputation is bound to attract attention."
Xena frowned at the sun. "Exactly." When she looked at Gabrielle she recognized the same bemusement she felt.
None of this made sense. If he was who Selena said he was then near enough every person in the town should have known who he was or at least knew of his reputation. It confused her to think that there were some who had never even heard of him. It was a small enough town that everybody should have known of nearly everybody. Unless the people she'd asked had been living under a rock or were new to the town, there was no way that they couldn't have known of him. Especially when Selena had said that he was outrageous in his manners and personality. A person like that couldn't be missed in plain sight.
Gabrielle took one last sip and handed the cup over to Xena. "Do you think that maybe they're protecting him?"
Xena's hand stilled, the cup centimetres away from her lips. "I've considered that. But it still wouldn't make sense. From what Selena had told me he wasn't well liked by the people that did know him because he was bragged about his wealth. They wouldn't try to protect him." She sipped at the water.
Gabrielle pursed her lips as she thought. But it didn't matter how much she tried, she couldn't think of anything that would help them. So far the only people that seemed to definitely know of this Theodorus was Selena and the zealot priest from the temple of Aletheia, and she knew without needing to ask Xena that neither of them was in a rush to go back to the temple anytime soon.
Before Gabrielle could ask more about Theodorus, she noticed Xena sit up suddenly, lowering the cup to sit it on the wooden surface of the bench. She stood along with her when she heard the soft whinny of a horse and the sound of approaching hooves thudding against the gritty, sandy ground. Seconds later a horse appeared a little distance away through the arch. Astride the mighty silver mare was a figure clad in a thick purple velvet cloak, the cowl covering the person's face. They led toward the stalls and slowed to a trot when they spotted Xena and Gabrielle watching them. The rider stopped and slid off the side of the horse, brushing the mane before approaching.
"Hello, are you the welcoming committee?" came a soft, musical voice.
Xena and Gabrielle looked at each other. "No, we're just staying here for a while." Gabrielle said, smiling.
The figure pulled back the hood, revealing the face of a rather young and beautiful woman. She smiled as she unstuck her hair from where it had been cramped into the restricting space of the hood. "Oh, it's lovely to meet you anyway. My name is Juliette." She said, holding out her hand. Xena and Gabrielle shook it, introducing themselves in turn. Juliette's face lifted joyfully. "Gabrielle? As in Gabrielle the battling bard from Potidaea?"
Gabrielle blinked, surprised by the title. "Uh, yes. Do I know you?"
Juliette smiled widely. "No, but I know of you and your scrolls. I collect them when I can. Your stories are enchanting to read."
Gabrielle blushed at the compliment. "Thank you."
Juliette turned her smile on Xena. "And Xena, the very reason her scrolls exist. You are everything and a bit the woman she wrote. I feel a little underdressed to say that I'm in the presence of a two heroes and I dare say a legend."
Xena scratched her head uncomfortably. "I'm not a legend. I'm just a woman."
"Maybe, but the stories are what describe your exploits and tell people of how much you have changed and what good you are doing now."
Xena shrugged. It didn't matter how much people told her of how proud they were of her for the good she was doing, it made her uncomfortable to know that some people revered her as more than she was. She wasn't fighting evil to gain favour or fame; it was more to help make up for what she had done in her past. She knew that she could never erase the mistakes she'd made, but she wanted to atone or at least try before she died.
Gabrielle sensed her friend's discomfort and reached for her, rubbing her arm reassuringly. "We aren't heroes." She said, aiming her statement at Juliette. "We're just travellers, right Xena?"
Xena smiled. "Yeah. And if we happen to come across people fighting and have to join in and help sort the problem, then so be it."
Juliette smiled at them both. "Heroes, travellers…it doesn't matter what you think of yourselves. There are those who consider you both the good guys." She stood straight, casting her eyes around the town with a rueful smile. "I don't suppose you've seen the rest of my caravan party have you? They rode ahead of me to set up and I got lost on the way."
Leandros yawed as he stepped out of the tavern. It had taken ages to get away from Selena as she talked about the possibilities that awaited him when the Caravan of Crete set up properly. He didn't mind talking to her but there was something about her that he didn't like, but he could pinpoint what it was.
He looked up when he heard talking and felt his mouth dry suddenly. Stood talking to Xena and Gabrielle was a woman he'd never seen before. Leandros thought as he watched flick her hair over her shoulder as she looked around the town that she was incredibly beautiful.
Standing the same full height of Xena, the woman's long, platinum blonde hair fell like a shimmering curtain around her, it's length reaching her elbows. She had plaids on either side of her crown that seemed to wind around and meet at the back. She had a sweet, slender face; her skin pale – almost as if her face radiated moonlight from within. A sprinkling of freckles dusted her cheeks; giving her the unmistakable look of a youth and making her nymphish in appearance. Whenever she smiled it reached her big brown eyes and lit up her soft features, making him want to smile in turn.
She seemed to notice him and turned her smile on him. Her voice had a soft, musical tenor to it, bringing a calming effect along with it as she spoke. "Hello, we haven't met yet. I'm Juliette."
Leandros had to fight to get his words out. "L-dros…hello, um."
Xena and Gabrielle watched Leandros struggling to talk to Juliette. Xena looked at him, raising an eyebrow. "That's a strange way to greet a woman, Leandros."
"Leandros," Juliette said, testing the name. "The Lion Man." She stepped forward and took Leandros's hand in hers, gently drawing her fingertips over his own. She hummed to herself as she traced the lines of his palm and followed them up to the sensitive skin of his wrist. "Fitting name for a man who is so young, yet possesses a heart filled with courage and has so much to prove." Her voice dropped an octave but retained its light, sweet lilt. "The shadow you stand in eclipses your very soul, but to escape you must follow your heart to break free." Juliette glanced up, her brown eyes sparkling.
The beautiful woman's words and smile both enchanted and worried him deeply, leaving him speechless. She was still holding his hand in her delicate one, pressing her smooth skin against his. His heart raced as images raced across his vision, showing him his fears and wants in a matter of seconds.
When Juliette released his hand, Gabrielle saw Leandros stumble back looking surprised and confused. He stared at the woman in wonderment as she stood straight with a smile and reached up to unclip her brooch. As she tugged her cloak from around her shoulders, the fabric fell from around her, revealing her outfit. Gabrielle had never seen clothes like it before. It was silver in colour and seemed to be made out of some sort of flowing, filmy material that wrapped tightly around her form, emphasising her feminine curves and assets. Along the edges of the cloth were small jewels that dangled from thin string and looked dangerously close to falling off.
Before she had time to ask where she could put her cloak, Leandros stepped forward to take it from her and hung it over his forearm, offering to hang it up for her.
She touched his shoulder, smiling warmly at him. "Thank you."
Leandros felt his heart skip a beat and he felt his face heat. "No problem." He scurried around near her massive horse. "Is there anything else I can do? Take your saddlebags perhaps?" he asked hopefully.
Gabrielle watched Leandros in surprise. She thought as she watched him fuss over the woman that he reminded her of a puppy excited with a new toy. She raised an eyebrow, unsure of what to think as she observed him reach up to try and unfix her bags. He was smiling broadly as he carried the bags in each of his hands, not caring about the fact that he was obviously struggling with the amount. He passed her quickly, disappearing into the tavern without a word to neither Xena or Gabrielle.
Juliette chuckled, amusement lighting up her eyes. "He's sweet. Wherever did you find him?"
Xena smiled too. "We didn't. He found us."