A RARE AND MEANINGFUL MOMENT

Xena turned the corridor she was bored and she couldn't stand it anymore, she'd knocked on Gabrielle's door five times only to open the door and find that the room was completely empty. She'd had slightly too much to drink again but she was trying to ignore the slightly groggy feeling and press on regardless. She looked up seeing the stars in the sky as she walked out in to the royal gardens. She knew Gabrielle was here she'd watched her so many times walk this path though she wasn't sure where she went. She took in a deep breath looking around her she wasn't really used to going out in the dark. Apart from the fire torches which lit up the garden in places it was very dark.

She really wasn't used to this place at night and she felt slightly out of her element as it was so much easier to see things in the day time. She turned watching as Chara walked through the garden. She took in a deep breath walking towards her watching as she stopped the surprise spreading across her face. Xena raised her hand. "Hey." Chara blinked eyeing the taller woman. "Hello Empress…it's a surprise to see you here." Xena lowered her gaze. "I was wondering if you could help me." Chara blinked looking up at the taller woman. "In what way, Empress?" Xena felt a smile form. "Could you tell me where Gabrielle is?"

Chara raised her hand pointing towards one of the huge white marble lion statues. "She likes to lay on one of the lion statues normally the right one." Xena felt a smile form. "Thank you Chara." She paused eyeing her realizing that the other woman was dressed in much more decorative robes than normal clearly she was entertaining someone. She stood up slightly. "Are you going anywhere tonight?" Chara breathed in sharply. "I'm just visiting a close friend Empress..." Xena smiled as she stepped sideways allowing her to pass by. "Well I'm sure they will enjoy your company." She watched as Chara nodded awkwardly before walking towards the kitchen doorway which also led inside the palace.

She lowered her gaze sadly gods she missed that feeling of when she'd been able to bring presents to Julius Caesar's room. Like food fine wine or just a present she used to love those moments so much. Maybe that's what had made his betrayal all the more bitter tasting. She had done so much to try and please him and make him happy only to have her heart ripped out. Now she could only watch as others enjoyed there love lives and had a spring in there step as they visited there loved ones. She put her hand through her hair in frustration she on the other hand just seemed doomed to a life of loneliness. The notion of that just hurt all the more, it was as if she was cursed to be with out love for the rest of her life.

She breathed in catching sight of both of the lions which were empty, she turned leaning against one of them feeling the annoyance take over. So much for her plan to talk to Gabrielle she wasn't even here. She folded her arms only to freeze as she heard the light tapping of claws she turned sharply watching as Gabrielle appeared in her werewolf form, she calmly walking forward on all fours then sat down on the marble lion looking down at her. The green eyes opened fully reflecting in the darkness like cat eyes as they stared down at her as the younger woman's calm voice hit the air. "Are you lost Empress?" Xena blinked before stepping back. "No I wasn't lost…how is it I didn't see you?" Gabrielle tapped her clawed fingers on the stone lightly. "Because I didn't want you to see me" Xena raised an eyebrow. "So you can hide yourself when necessary?" Gabrielle breathed in deeply she wasn't sure where this was going. "When necessary yes, even golden fur can fade in to the background in the darkness." She eyed the dark haired woman feeling even more confused. "Was there something you wanted?"

Xena looked up slightly feeling the need to ask a second question as she gazed in to the reflective green eyes in the darkness. "How well do you see in this light?" Gabrielle looked up slightly clearly her eyes had to be reflecting which only ever happened when it was really dark and there was hardly any light. "I can see everything in perfect detail." Xena looked up slightly watching as her green eyes darted. "Must be nice to see everything that way, I mean at least you don't have the problem of tripping over your own feet in the darkness like the rest of us." Gabrielle blinked as she turned to look at her, was that a joke? In all honesty she wasn't sure she eyed the other woman for a long moment before speaking. "No I guess I don't." Xena turned clearly Gabrielle wasn't used to people joking with her or maybe to her it just wasn't that funny. She just couldn't tell which the green eyes were giving nothing away. She put her hands together. "I came here because I wanted to know what happened to you after the werewolves took you in."

Gabrielle breathed in deeply. "Is this an order or a request Empress?" Xena took in a deep breath she closed her eyes for a spit second before opening them again as she looked up. "You can call me by my name which is Xena." Gabrielle tapped her clawed hand on the stone of the lion again, this was a surprise. "I was under the impression that only your friends call you that." Xena eyed Gabrielle for a long moment clearly despite there earlier conversations in which they'd made some head way she could see that the trust wasn't there completely. She could see it in the green eyes it was the look of suspicion and uncertainty. She eased up her hands. "That was part of our agreement and that agreement no longer exists."

She breathed in deeply. "You're also a royal so we both should be on equal footing." Gabrielle leaned forward keeping her voice even. "No offence but I don't recall hearing the royals who you had me dance for refer to you by your real name." Xena opened her mouth only to stop she couldn't deny that fact she paused realizing that only one thing needed to be said here and she had to say it. She took in a deep breath. "I would like to get to know you as a friend." Gabrielle blinked she was surprised by that answer in truth it was not the one she'd been expecting to hear. She looked down feeling the need to test the water slightly. "So you want to be friends with a werewolf and you're not bothered by how this will look to those who see me as a monster?"

Xena shook her head. "I don't care how anyone sees this, this is my palace and I've met a werewolf and I'd like to get know her for who she is and not who I perceived her to be." Gabrielle looked in to her light blue eyes seeing the open honesty in them, she raised her clawed hand. "You do realize that I have enemies just like you? They won't like our friendship at all in fact they'll probably want to assassinate us both." Xena narrowed her gaze that was an honest sentiment. The other woman was seeing if she was willing to walk down the path despite the danger. "Frankly if I knew I had someone as noble as you as my friend I wouldn't care about the danger." Gabrielle shook her mane. "Then tell me Xena what is it you want to know about my past?" Xena felt herself breath out sharply gods she had finally gotten the other woman's attention fully. She looked down for a moment before looking up again. "I really want to know what happened to you after you started your training you're clearly a very gifted warrior, who was it who trained you?" Gabrielle breathed in lowering her ears as she felt the memory flood her mind.

8

Damokles eyed the old captain for a moment he turned eyeing the fully trained recruits out of original ten only five now remained. That was the harsh and ruthless price of training forced up on them by the Imperial Council. In the first year they did nothing but train and go out and kill people as well as learn how to bite others and turn them. Because it was such a hard trail which involved raiding and looting armed wagons, not all survived some were killed but then that was how the council thought. Only the strongest and fittest should be able to adorn the adjustable bronze armour. Because they were half breeds the notion was that they had too much work harder than the full bloods to obtain this armour and join the higher ranks, it was both unfair and unjust in his view.

He breathed in deeply he was a seasoned warrior with more than fifteen years experience on the battle field but even he could think back to his training he had once been one of these recruits. His family who had been part of the Illyrian royal council but their villa had been broken in to by assassins he'd only been fifteen at the time. They had killed his parents and then they'd ripped his shirt open and sliced his chest over and again with a sword leaving horrific and bloody wounds. Ironically it was an old werewolf who had saved him by killing the two men then he had bitten him. He had been at deaths door and it had saved him from a very painfully death. The old werewolf had then been brought him here to train and like all the recruits he had not been given two weapons of his choose and simple adjustable leather armour. The wounds on his chest had never healed and had become permanent scars, he was sure that he'd carry them to his deathbed one day. He put a hand on his beard eyeing the five recruits who were practising. "Who's the best?" The old captain rolled his eyes. "They've all done the trails and passed in flying colours there all good at what they do."

Damokles unrolled his scroll eyeing it. "Which ones Gabrielle?" The captain paused then pointed to the blonde who was sparing with one of the young men. "That ones Gabrielle? She's been nothing but trouble." Damokles eyed the young woman who had to about eighteen and half. "What's wrong with her?" The old captain breathed in deeply. "She's a smart mouthed loner and she's clever just to top it off." He put a hand on his face. "She knows just what to say to get her self out of trouble. She also knows how to manipulate people, gods the amount of times she's gotten hold of things she shouldn't have has been so many." He eased up his hand. "She's gotten hold of velvet blankets, bronze cutlery and leather tankards all the things which only the higher ranking warriors should have, I don't even know how she gets them down here!"

He shook his head. "Then she sells them for money to the other recruits because she knows there's a loop hole in the rules which is that if items are passed on the person taking them can not be punished and nether can she as there not in her hands anymore." He breathed in deeply. "She was clearly well educated before she became a werewolf and likes to read and analyze everything." Damokles felt a smile form. "Interesting." The old captain sneered slightly. "She's been a good though in terms of the rule no sex until you hit eighteen, two of these five broke it once and got five lashes for it. Now that she's allowed she clearly likes to pick her men and women when it suits her." Damokles raised an eyebrow. "She likes both?" The old captain breathed in deeply. "Oh yes and she quite brazened about it, clearly she likes the open gender rule it works for her she gets to have a lot of fun now and try out new things." He felt his teeth grind together. "How she gets any sex with ether gender I'll never know, she's has no real friends and she's keeps herself to herself.

He shook his head. "Gods I'll be so happy when she's goes off to join your ranks I'm tired of chasing after her. She's been nothing but a constant thorn in my side. I can't believe when they started her training they thought she wouldn't last a month because she lacked the killer instinct. Despite that she'd already killed once before coming here." He folded his arms. "Out of all them though she's the most forceful, the most violent and the most relentless, she's excellent in two swords combat and in her other form she kills quickly, she never plays with opponent like some do it's always quick and clean. If she didn't have that smart mouth and that over analyzing brain she'd be the perfect warrior."

Damokles smiled as he stepped forward. "Well then I'll have to say hello and give her, her new orders." He walked inside the training room all off these recruits were going to be separated as the captains from the other army sections came to pick them up. As usual it was the Imperial Council who made the choices of who went where. Gabrielle though was going to be transferred to the Grand City the biggest of the ten underground werewolf cities where the werewolf king Horn Hind lived as well as the Imperial Council. It was a long walk from this place five days in fact. Her role now would be no longer looting but becoming a full fledged warrior who would kill and turn those who were destroying the werewolf race. She'd been picked because she had the highest bite rate and she'd turned more humans than the others recruits, at least that's what the scroll read.

Gabrielle felt the pain as her opponent's fist impacted with her face, she pulled back ignoring the stinging pain. She swung the swords around violently watching as her opponent narrowly avoided them. He raised his large axe which he swung past her leg narrowly missing her. She didn't think as she brought up her foot smashing it in to his face causing him to slam back first in to the ground hard. She stepped forward pushing her boot in to his chest forcing him in to the ground. She brought down her other boot forcing his weapon hand in to the dirt as she brought the two swords up crossing them against his throat. "You loose." The young man gave her a cold look as she stepped off him, he sneered as he spoke. "You're a cheater!"

Gabrielle twirled one of her blades. "No you're just a sore loser." She breathed in deeply watching as her stood up eyeing her in disgust. She knew all the recruits didn't like her they never had not through this whole year of training. She broke the rules and they disliked her for it but they were all hypocrites as they still brought the items she got down from the higher levels. The price of living cost most of her wage as she had to buy food, keep her leather armour maintained and look after her swords. So she'd started this little selling game to bring in more money so that when she finally got dispatched to her next point of call she could buy all those things she wanted.

"Gabrielle is it?"

Gabrielle turned sharply watching as a man who was dressed in bronze armour appeared beside her. He was clearly a captain and a highly ranked warrior he was a tall imposing man with medium length black hair and a short trimmed full black beard and bronzed skin. His eyes were a piecing light blue colour and he was in his late twenties. She put a sword across her leather armoured chest lowering her head out of respect. "Sir." Damokles smiled eyeing the young blonde woman whose hair was just over her shoulders she was half his height. He watched as she looked up, he caught sight of a diagonal scar on her right eye. He breathed in deeply as an old memory flash before his eyes from two and half years ago where he'd been sent to the Amazons lands just to ensure that the Amazons weren't plotting against the Imperial Council.

On the way there he'd run in to a group of slavers their leader had been torturing one young woman he remembered this one young women very clearly she had been scared across the eye with a blade. Despite being wounded she had forced the chains free so the other women could escape. He'd made a choice that night and had bitten her, because that was what the type of person the Imperial Council wanted as werewolf material. He met her green eyes which were the same eyes of that young woman who'd looked terrified as he walked towards her on all fours while she'd still been chained. She didn't recognise him at all it was clear by the look in her face even though he was her creator so to speak, he breathed in raising the scroll so she could see it. "Your orders."

Gabrielle careful took the scroll from his hand opening it. "My orders?" Damokles put a hand on his sword hilt. "You're to join my army unit in the Grand City there you'll be given your full armour and new weapons. All your old weapons and armour are to be given back to the scribes here so the newest recruits can use them." He breathed in deeply. "Your to pack up all your belongs now as you'll be leaving in three hours, there's just enough time to say your good byes to your friends." Gabrielle breathed in deeply eyeing the others they weren't her friends she'd never had any friends here. Oh she'd slept with one of the women and one of the men in the other training group, but even then they weren't her friends.

She breathed in deeply. "I'll go a pack my things sir." Damokles looked up slightly. "My name is Damokles, what ever they taught you here will not apply. In my unit I prefer to use names rather than titles though respect in mandatory and breaking the rules will not be tolerated." He raised his eyebrow. "And your captain has told me about your rule breaking." Gabrielle swallowed looking down. "Yes I have, I had my purposes." Damokles folded his arms. "Yes well in the Grand City if you do something like that the punishment will be more serious the Crescent Hind lives in the city walls as do the Imperial Council and we are to set an example to others." He eased out his hand. "Now go and pack you things, time is short." Gabrielle lowered her head again. "Yes Damokles."

8

Xena took in a deep breath. "Half those teenagers you trained with died?" Gabrielle looked down sadly. "Yes half, that's a normal number out of every ten young werewolves about five die in the first year some times even more." Xena lowered her gaze. "I'm sorry that you had to watch those people die around you." Gabrielle breathed in painfully. "Like I said I was a loner I never got attached to any of them other than sleeping with a few of them." Xena felt a sad smile form. "To not have any friends at all though and to not even get proper armour that's not right or even fair. I wouldn't do that to anyone trained in my royal army." Gabrielle breathed in deeply. "The Imperial Council doesn't know the meaning of fair, there vile bastards."

Xena turned fully to face her. "So Damokles was your commander?" Gabrielle nodded calmly. "Yes he was." Xena breathed in deeply. "He knew that he'd turned you yet he didn't say anything?" Gabrielle shook her mane. "He had his reasons for not saying anything and I was too young at the time, I didn't even recognise him I was still a teenager and my mind was on other things." She lowered her ears. "I thought going to the Grand City would be so amazing I thought I was lucky, but I didn't know any better." Xena looked up slightly she knew how the other woman felt. "Things don't always turn out the way we envision." Gabrielle took in a deep breath as she got up on all fours then jumped off the lion landing next to the dark haired woman. "No I guess they don't."

She paused before turning to the other woman she could see a deep sadness in her light blue eyes one which seemed all too familiar. "Would you like me to lead you back to the palace doors? You look tired." Xena blinked she put a hand through her hair truth she was tired and it was late she was normally asleep at this hour. "Yes I'd like that." Gabrielle moved forward slowly on all fours. "After all, I can see much better than you in the dark." Xena looked at her for a long moment. It wasn't a rude comment it was just a statement, she slowly followed the other woman as she began to walk forward in the darkness. "Gabrielle don't you sleep at night?" Gabrielle breathed in deeply as she carried on walking. "Not really, sleep never comes easy to me." Xena narrowed her gaze there was a slight catch in the other woman's voice even with the growling echo it was very noticeable. They came to stop opposite the back entrance to the palace where the fire torches were lit. Gabrielle stepped away from the light. "Here you are Xena, I hope you sleep well."

Xena took in a deep breath feeling the need to say another thing which had been playing on her mind for some time now she looked up as Gabrielle turned away "I'm truly sorry for what happened to your friend Seraphin, she didn't deserve to die the way she did." Gabrielle felt herself freeze in mid motion she turned slowly eyeing the other woman in the fire light watching as it bounced of her light blue eyes making them look like beautiful blue sapphire. She lowered her gaze ignoring them. "No she didn't, I just wasn't fast enough." Xena looked up slightly. "No you did everything you could." Gabrielle looked up feeling the pain as it hit her chest. "I don't believe that myself but thank you for the sentiment." Xena breathed in deeply watching as the golden werewolf with the growing velvet covered horns disappeared in to the darkness. It seemed as though they'd both finally come to an understanding. She now wanted to know more about what had happened between Gabrielle and Damokles.

End of part 35

Silvermoonlight

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