Chapter 26 – When you have to admit the truth everybody can already sees

Of course Yin had to see the sword herself before her completely believed Gabrielle's story. Her true motivation, which Gabrielle realized immediately, was to be able to touch the sword in question for the first time. She had never had that honor before which had been almost like a rude gesture toward a person like she, at least that was Yin's opinion.

After spending over an hour investigating every little curve of the sword Gabrielle was just about to fall asleep but her excited friend demanded to have a little sparring match against Gabrielle and Yonnaw. Shorter woman wanted to have the fight the next day but in the end she accepted the offer, mostly because she didn't want to argue with her friend and she wanted to try her ne2w sword, even though she didn't admit it.

It was already quite dark when they reached the outer training grounds. They decided to use the farthest and normally the quietest ring because for youngsters it was rare to see two black-ranked people spar so those training matches had more watchers than was needed.

"Have to admit I never thought you will be one of the legends when I first time saw you. You were just a kid who got lucky. When you did your first finals with kon I saw the first spark you have in there." Yin mentioned when they walked side by side to training area. Gabrielle had to admit five years ago she hadn't had a slightest how her life would change when she had laid on her bed first night she had slept in the academy. "A lot have changed in these years. When I came I was almost very young, almost a child. I had lived few years with Xena and learned a lot but still my ideologies were really childish. I still believe in greater good but not as blindly as I used to. Some people just are dark, you can't save them all."

"I think the biggest change is in your style. You are always so calm, you are able to snap your mask on and when that's on it's impossible to know what you are thinking."

"Master Ni taught me a lot mind controlling. Part of it is to learn how to control your emotions. It is not that hard after a little practice."

"Well let me give you some practice. I am sure it will be easy after few broken noses." They had arrived to the practice area and Yin was busy unclipping her weapon from its scabbard. "Hah. You should keep that little mouth of yours shut and focus licking yours wounds after I am done with you."

They took their own custom starting positions and started to circle each other. During the next hour they both took equal amount of hits and kicks. It was hard for both of them to get though other's defense: Yin knew Gabrielle's strengths and weaknesses and truly as Gabrielle knew Yin's weaknesses. When Gabrielle used her speed and flexibility to deliver quick attacks, Yin used her strength to slow down the deadly attacks and deliver few of her owns to be blocked by equal skilled and rock hard defense Gabrielle had created while training different weapons and techniques.

When they were both covered in sweat and the sun had set long time ago they decided to stop and get some sleep. "Not bad buddy. You have improved your movements in the month you spent up there", older woman praised her friend when they cleaned their weapons. After starting with swords they had switched to Gabrielle's favorite, Sais. After Sais they had changed to staffs which was still Yin's main weapon even though she was master in both kon and sword. They had even had few rounds hand in hand combat without weapons before Yin went with sword against Gabrielle's Sais and opposite. "Some last change training plus Yonnaw showed me some tricks our ancestors used", Gabrielle said using the same tone she used to report her process during kitchen duties. "Yonnaw showed you, the sword showed you?" she yelled and jumped in front of Gabrielle like a five-year-old. "That is unfair!"

"No big deal, it was mostly about history. Besides, it didn't teach me to fight but showed me some important fights from the past. All I received was images, memories of fights happened hundreds of years ago. It was like I was standing there and watching. No big deal. Besides, you beat me with kon. I think I didn't have a change at all."

"Always the modest one. I am going to miss these sessions we have had. We weren't the closest friends at the beginning but I have grown to see you as my sister, the one I never had."

-.-

When Gabrielle woke up next morning she felt extremely good. While doing her customary morning routine she thought how much she had grown during her years in china. The routine was a good example. She still remembered the one master Ni had forced her to perform. Back then she had thought nothing could be harder than that routine. The one she performed every morning was at least ten times harder than the one she had used back in those days. Nowadays, that routine could have been used as a warm up but because of the easiness of that routine she used a lot more difficult and complex as her warm up. The irony of the situation was enormous. Of course she understood she had been in a very bad shape when she had begun her training. 6 months in bed had made her muscles disappear almost completely: getting up from the bed had been very difficult and walking almost impossible task.

"I guess I have never been in this good shape", she said aloud when she stood in front of the mirror. Her body was indeed in a very good shape. Hours and hours of training outside had given her a great tan, her muscles all around her body were very visible, not too bulky but large enough to make impress. Years of stretching and yoga exercise had made her very flexible which had only a positive effect to her overall. She was not very strong but she replaced her weakness with speed and flexibility.

Some of the scar she had gained had either faded or healed completely. There were still places, like her angle or nose, were you could see they were one broken but she had years ago learned to not notice those spots. The scar on her face was still big and visible but it was also become part of her body. When she looked her reflection she didn't see it anymore. She did see it, of course, but it didn't steal her attention like it had at the beginning. Her back was also full of long tiny scars you barely were able to see which she had received when Xena had dragged her behind Argo. She had no idea how long or to where Xena had dragged her but she only imagined who far that had been, her estimation based on Xena's anger.

She had kept her hair short for years. It was not because she didn't like it long but mostly because of the practical side of the issue. Keeping it short was not so bad anymore, at the beginning cutting every other moon had been frustrating. She had used to cut it and lately had been able to create a decent looking style.

A sharp knock pulled her up from her thoughts. She made a sound to let the person outside her room she was coming and quickly pulled some piece of clothes to cover her naked body. She still looked like a mess when she opened the door and found T'ing Mai standing in front of her. "Did I wake you?" He asked when he noticed how exploded she looked like. "No, no you didn't. Please, come in if you'd like." She moved back a bit to let him in. In Gabrielle's eyes he was still her hero, her savior.

"I talked with master Ni. He said you wanted to announce the news yourself but he decided to tell me beforehand." Gabrielle walked back to her bed and began organizing the clothes she decided to wear that day. "What you think about it?" She asked when she heard T'ing Mai sat on the bench next to her big window. "To be honest I have been wondering how long it takes before you go back. You stayed longer than I thought you would. Your life before was so different. You lived on road and loved that. It is quite a change to stay one place over five years."

"I know. I wanted to go months, years ago but I had this feeling I was not ready. I wanted to graduate from master Ni's school, if you can call it that, before going back. I am also a bit scared: what if she still hates me and wants to kill me. I am not sure if I am skilled enough to defend myself longer than ten seconds. I know I am good but she is the best."

"What if she feels guilty and starts to cry when she learns the truth. What will you do?"

"I haven't thought that much. I think I will choose the path I see in front of me when that moment is present. I can predict the future so I am not speculating."

"Still you always see Xena as a person who will come after you and kill you."

"Humans seem to see thinks like they were when they last time saw those. I admit I do that too but when you leave something to somewhere you don't think someone might move your item but when you came back you think the item is where you left it. Same goes with relationships, you see them like they were, not like they could be. I admit I am weak but I have studied human mind and made my discoveries."

"My young friend. Every time I see you act more and more like master Ni. You have truly inherited his legacy."

"I only try to follow the footsteps one great man has left behind but never will I reach the place where he will fall."

-.-

After taking a long walk with T'ing Mai, Gabrielle felt better than days. She had been afraid how people would see her leaving but the healer had been able to convince she was doing the right choice. Those who had found the academy hundreds of years ago, two brothers from the family of Ni which was the same Pong Ni's roots landed, their idea had been to create a place where orphans were able to grow up and bond with people who sincerely loved them and wanted to help develop their natural skills. Later, those who had been adopted to academy when they had been young started to teach the youngest ones what they had learn and so on. During the decades the academy had stand next to the mountains different programs had been made and the orphan house had become a place where you learned to be the best healers, warriors or philosophizes that walked the paths of Chin. They didn't took in everybody who walked outside the gates and wanted to learn but they took those who really needed the help.

That's why it was not extraordinary to leave when you felt you had learned enough or you wanted to seek your roots. Some came place permanently, other only few times, or less, a year. It was not uncommon to move away which made Gabrielle feel slightly better.

Hardest part had been telling to Dao and Cheng. Their little one was growing every day and Gabrielle she would miss the little infant it she wasn't able to come back. After crying with Dao almost an hour and the rumor had spread all over the academy and people from all generations came if she was really leaving. She promised to visit every class at least once before she left which made her stay at least another three days. She didn't know nor did she want to decide when she took off so it was only good for her to delay it for another few days.

Yin wanted to spar with her again but this time they didn't care about the audience which was, in fact, large. Some other weapon masters joined them and before the nightfall Gabrielle had sparred whit almost everyone of the upper rank as she called the more skilled fighters. Years ago she would have laughed if someone had said she would enjoy spending hour after hour in ring taking match after match with different weapons or barehanded. Now she saw nothing weird when that happened.

After an eventful evening in the common hall filled with lots of laugh and good memories she walked alone to the room she knew by heart. It was the same where she had slept her first night when T'ing Mai had bought her there after the long journey to meet master Ni. After that night it had been her home every time she visited the main building. It was the place where she had experienced feelings she had never before felt but also a place where she had been able to retreat when she needed time just for herself.

Quietly she changed to her nightshirt. It was very warm and the attire was not really needed but she loved to feel the silk-like material against her skin. One thing she hadn't missed was strangely luxury. It was odd because she had loved to shop and bargain thing she didn't really needed. Although she still loved to shop and did that every time she had opportunity meaningless little items like beautiful pieces of clot or expensive jewelry didn't capture her attention like they had when she was younger and still living home. With Xena she had still loved to shop and spend hours at marketplace believing money just dropped to her hand from the sky when she needed that. She had always loved to bargain but only in her early twenties in China she had learned to appreciate the little she had and understood the value of items you really needed. Still, occasional, she wanted to feel luxury so probably nothing, except her thoughts of the subject, had changed.

Quiet knock startled Gabrielle second time that day. When she opened the door she was surprised when she found Dao-Ming standing on the other side. After getting married, she and Cheng had built own cottage next to the academy where they slept and spend time when they were not at the academy. "Is everything okay?" Gabrielle inquired because she couldn't find a reason why her friend was there. She had seen her retreating to their house with the baby almost two candle marks ago. "May I come in?" Dao-Ming's voice was quiet, almost too quiet for normal person to hear. Gabrielle stepped back and let her friend walk in. Something on the way new mother carried her body told Gabrielle this was not an everyday visit.

"I am going to miss you", Dao whispered after closing the door. "I want to say goodbye in my way", she continued and stepped a bit closer to her Greek friend. "Will you let me spend one more night whit you before you go?" She was now standing so close their noses were almost touching. "Cheng won't mind, I asked him before I left", she added when she saw a hint of regret in her friend's green eyes.

"You sure about that?"

"He knows there is something he can't give me but you can."

"You will always be special for me. no-one else can be my first one", Gabrielle whispered before she let her body and desire take control and steal every coherent thought from her mind.

-.-

In the end Gabrielle spent over a week saying her goodbyes in the academy. She attended every class possible, subject from chin culture to pressure point techniques, and chatted with everyone she knew by name which met almost everyone. Even Pong Ni showed how sad he was and how much he would miss her young but smart inheritor.

The day before she left she was surprised with a huge party. Even some of those she had known but who had moved to other places during her five years in Chin had come back to say their farewells. In the middle of the party Gabrielle was pulled to the stage and asked to accept everything they wanted to do for her. Gabrielle knew it was a custom so she promised without even thinking twice.

T'ing Mai who was now considered as a headmaster of the academy after Huan Lee's sudden dead less than year before stepped next to her and started to speak. "We are all gathered here today to honor a great friend of ours who is going to take another leap in her life and face the truth and fears she had been carrying for years. Today we want to give you, Xiàjiàng, Gabi Shi, Gabrielle, our last gift and goblet of luck before you walk thought our gates to the world you used to know but which may have changed a lot."

Tears in her eyes Gabrielle didn't notice when Pong Ni had also stepped next to her. "My dear child", he began turning everybody's attention to him. "When we met you were shattered and lost. Pain and anger ate your soul. I knew it was not going to be easy for you to find your purity again but you amazed us all with your inner strength. It took time because your body had to be healed before soul and your body was not in a very good shape. It been a long time since someone surprised me but you certainly did that. Ten years ago, after a failure of my student, I swore I would never take another student but today I thank every power in life I broke that promise. You have been the most talented and dedicated student I have ever had and that's why I am proud to call you my successor."

Before anyone were able to say anything T'ing Mai continued to speak. "You may not be Chinese by birth but you certainly are Chinese by your soul my child. You studied our culture and our language. You know our history by heart and speak our language so good you can't say if you are native or not. You came from the culture so different compared to us but instead of trying to change us you decided to embrace ours. Anyone inside this hall would gratefully call you as a long lost sibling. You have taken your place in our family and we will always be grateful for that.

Today, you will receive the title you have always carried. As a successor of master Pong Ni you chose the path of martial arts. You were an excellent student but we all know you mastered the last weapon of four only few months ago. Rarely someone masters every weapon but did so. That's why it is our honor to give you the title of grand master in martial art, title only few people carries. As I sign of the title we have decided to give you the red cape. Your journey will be long so you will need something to warm you up once in a while."

While half of the audience cried and Gabrielle leaned to master Ni in order to not lose her consciousness and ruin the moment. She was very emotional after all and what she had just heard made her literally almost melt to the floor. However, it didn't stop Yun-qi when he stepped forward. He was a twin brother of Yin Lee and master of barehanded combat.

"My dear friend. I represent every one of the people you have learned to know during these years with us. We have follow your path and offered you support every time you needed that just like you did when someone needed your support. Your unselfishness is admirable. That's why we decided you need a memory from us to carry with you so that every time you see it you remember us and our love. When you arrived here you were young girl without real direction. Stories were your passion, they still are and I must say I have always loved the way you can wake up a story and bring it in front of my eyes. We didn't want to give you a scroll or ink so we studied the other things you have learned to love.

You always say you are not a warrior and that you won't have a change against real situation. Well, every one of us knows that is not true. You proved that when you gain the mastery of every weapon we use. I have seen you on action and I can truthfully say you are unbeatable, except against me of course. I will never admit someone is better than I. There is two kind of warrior and you are the better type. You are not arrogant or murderous. Your goal is to survive, not kill. You may not look like much but inside those tight muscles lays a heart bigger than our world.

After a long meeting we decided to give you something we think you need. You will receive our gift tomorrow so you don't have time to give it back to us. Please, don't cross words with us but accept your gifts as a sigh of honor. We honor you like you honor us."

Gabrielle didn't know what to do except wrapping her arms around Yun-qi's neck and hugging him senseless. She knew how much he hated to speak in front of hundreds especially in emotional situations.

"Thank you everybody. I will never forget any of you. It is so amazing you all care so much even though I have lived with master Ni most of the time. What I have learned here is something I can't even describe. You have taught me how to love again after being so deep in the shadows for so long. All of us have bad moments once in a while. I am so proud of every one of you because you showed me how to get up and back on track. If I have hurt some of you in any way, I want to apologize before I go. I didn't mean it but once in a while I was so deep in my darkness I didn't care about other at all.

Five and half years ago I came from a culture so different compared to yours. I couldn't communicate with most of you because I didn't speak your language. I don't know if I can say for my luck, but I use that term anyway because today I see this opportunity as a good thing, I had this need to leave everything behind and start again. You supported me even though I was stranger. Now I see you as my family and it feels so sad to leave you behind but I have no change.

My heart pulls me back to the place where I was born. I promise I will come back some day if I stay alive. Although Yun-qi Lee said I am invincible I am only human whose can make mistakes and trust me I have done a few big ones in my life. I don't know if I am going to stay Greece because it has change a lot, I know that for sure, so I have no idea what life will drop in front of me. Everyone I knew thinks I am dead and that's why they have move on. I bet no-one's waiting, maybe hoping but certainly not waiting, for me. I know it will be a shock for many people who knew me, some may be dead by now but always there may be new members in my friends' families.

When I came here I was young and naïve. When I leave tomorrow I have years of experience behind me. I have grown too and that's all because of you. Without you I might be dead by now. Like T'ing Mai said, I am not Chinese by birthright but I hope you consider me as a Chinese by heart. That's what I am now: my roots are now in two cultures, but I am proud of it. I will never forget any of you."

She still had much to say but during the little break for collecting her thought people thought she had finished and started to applaud. Gabrielle didn't mind, she was not in a condition to give a long speech. She had no idea what happened next but she found herself from the mass of crying Chinese hugging her and wishing good luck. Food was served and toasts were raised for every reason. All in all it was a pleasant evening full of joy but also yearning.

-.-

Gabrielle stood inside the stables going though her gear one last time. She had already checked the saddle packs, secured all the straps and buckles and fed Zhancibah. Everything was ready to go, she only had to rise to the saddle. The whole front yard was full of people sending her on her journey. She had decided to ride the whole journey because she couldn't even think the weeks she would have to sit in a ship and feel miserable because of her seasickness. It meant she had to ride though China, India and Persia before she was in Greece. She knew China very well and Persian culture was not far from Greek culture but India was going to be a whole new experience. It would also take months to reach Potedia where she had decided to go first.

She had decided to wear the gifts she had received. Yun-qi and Yin had knocked her door before the sunrise and delivered the gift Yun-qi had promised and which Gabrielle had already forgotten. As usually, she had tried to refuse but it had been pointless. They had decided to give her an armor made of leather and cloth. She had never even considered of owning armor but when she had first time tried it she had decided to like it anyway. It was not common Chinese one, half Chinese half Amazon. It was consisted of shoulder and wrist guards, a top that ended just under her breast and skirt which reached somewhere between her knee and mid-thigh.

The top had a dragon print on it. The tail of the legendary animal and protector of the Academy disappeared under the fold but reappeared from the belt and made a circle around her hip. Yin told her it was symbolic, it meant where ever she was, she was always protected by the people of Academy of Ni. Gabrielle had cried when she heard it and had promised for herself and everybody who had helped to make the gift to wear it just because of the symbolic worth.

There was also a down side of the attire she was not proudly carrying. By dressing like a warrior and carrying Yonnaw on her back she was labeled as a warrior. It took some time to process but Gabrielle realized by now it was not worth to fight against. Weather she wanted or not she had grown up to be a fighter, master of martial arts and deadly weapons. She had killed people without even thing about it and was able to steel her mind and act emotionless when needed. She had made her body to a deadly weapon by training many hours every day. First it had been because of hate and anger but later on because she had learned to like it. It was something she had known for years but admitted when she saw her reflection wearing her new armor and customary black cape with red lining as a sign of her new title.

When she walked Zhancibah out Cheng came to walk beside her. He was dressed in his robes that showed her status as a grand healer. He had received her status few months ago, at the same graduation where Gabrielle had mastered sword. Dao-Ming and Yin joined them also wearing their ceremonial dresses made for weapon masters. When Gabrielle looked around her she notice everybody had their ceremonial clothes on. It was their last sign of honor for her. Her friends walked her to the gates, hugged and kissed her before she turned and looked the two persons who had saved her.

Pong Ni and T'ing Mai waited her at the gates. Either of them didn't say anything, they only hugged her and moved from her path. It was all traditional and performed for everybody who left. When they stepped aside it was a mark to go. She had already said her farewells to her closes friends so she mounted her horse and turned to look the mass one last time. Before she went she thanked everybody one last time and made the hand signal of honor. Then she turned to face the road again and gave Zhanci the command to move forward. She felt the hot tears rolling down her cheeks when she listened the steady sound of Zhancibah's hoof hitting the stony surface of sandy road.

End of part 26

All mistakes are mine