As of this chapter we will now be dealing with entities other than Byzantines/Romans and Persians! Exciting, isn't it? I'm excited lol. Thank you for reading and following along, lovely readers :)
Chapter 40 –War of The Shahs: Part II
Sukow, Baltic Sea
Riding endless nights and days, the man named Tait, arrived to his tribe. Upon his arrival he received several unwelcoming glares from his people. His skin was burnt from the blistering sun and his body quenching for thirst from dehydration. Tait nearly fell from his horse and he wandered over to the nearest well.
The men surrounding him blocked the well. He scowled and then saw a drinking pool where the horses drank from daily. He dropped to his knees and dunked his head in the lukewarm water, slurping up every bit of water that he could.
A hand grabbed him by his long blonde locks and reared his head back. Water dripped down his chin and his eyes gazed up at the commanding officer of the tribe. He knew that he was going to receive more beatings the minute he returned home once his ruler found out that he failed in his mission. They all failed.
Radogost, a tall thin officer with stick straight golden hair that reached his navel, was one of the most important men in the tribe. He spoke for their chieftain and carried out every single message that went in and out of this tribe.
He bent over, glaring into the failed mercenary's eyes. "I wasn't expecting your return, Herleif. You should've killed yourself instead of allowing your capture." He pushed Herleif to the ground and others laughed about.
"I need to speak with the chieftain!"
Radogost let out a throaty laugh and others joined in. He kicked the mercenary in the gut and then drew his blade to strike.
"You have the gall to show your face after you failed to murder the Hun Empress," he stomped his boot on Herleif's head.
He saw his life flashing before his eyes and his face sunk deeper into the soil. "Eksama allied with the Huns!"
"Radogost!" the Chieftain emerged from his tent and the camp silenced. "Let him go."
The commanding officer withdrew and took a few steps back. He sheathed his weapon and folded his arms. The Chieftain approached the beaten mercenary and allowed him to get to proper footing. He cocked his head at the young assassin and smirked.
Herleif had never seen the chieftain before and felt immediately intimidated by the man's piercing blue eyes and strong build. He rubbed his sore stomach and straightened his spine out as best as he could without showing any sign of weakness.
"The Gepid Queen is an ally of the Huns," stated Chieftain Mezamir.
"Yes…yes sir."
Mezamir rubbed his wiry long red beard and nodded. "Prince Elemund failed to disclose this to us," he turned to his shamefaced commanding officer. "How did you come by this information, boy?"
Herleif spoke hoarsely, "she interrogated me, Chieftain. She's in the Caucasus Mountains with the Huns. They –they are fighting the Persians," he stammered.
The redheaded chieftain nodded slowly, examining the young man's brutal wounds. It was clear he'd been tortured for more than a couple of days. His body was covered in bruises and gashes that would soon turn into scars with time.
He whipped out a dagger from his belt and plunged it into Herleif's stomach. He held the mercenary's shoulder and continually stabbed him. Blood spattered on his leather armored vest and Herleif gasped for air and he slid down, holding onto Mezamir until he collapsed onto the ground.
With an arm wrapped around his gut wounds, he sputtered blood onto the grass. He looked to the sky and let out a heavy gasp which was his last and thick blood poured from his mouth and trickled down his chin and throat.
Mezamir spun around and wiped the blade clean with his palm. He smiled at Radogost and everyone in the camp gawked at him in fear.
"Send a message to Alduin. Tell him that we no longer need Prince Elemund."
Radogost bowed. "Yes, Chieftain." He parted a path for his ruler to pass. "What of the Hun Empress?"
Mezamir halted and sent a malicious glare to the blonde officer. "Let her come to us. We will have patience. It is too risky to send another assassin to Scythia. Her palace will be heavily guarded by now."
The Caucasus
Catapults or not, Shah Jamasp continued to attack for more than seven days straight. The Avars were spreading thin as more and more soldiers continued to injure themselves on the front line. The archers were stationed closer to the camp and continued to fire with minimal breaks to conserve energy.
Oran and Ebnedzar arrived a day after the stunt that Eksama pulled. They brought more soldiers from the Gokturk army and three catapults since it was all that they had. Even though the Persians kept attacking using brute force instead of their usual tactic using archers and skilled horsemen, Oran was unable to put the catapults to good use.
Xena stood behind the archers and observed how Jamasp was using everything he had to combat them. Unfortunately for them, the army kept dwindling despite the loss of the Persians' ballistic weapons legion. Of all of the Sassanians, Jamasp was the most prepared and he rivaled his family members, Hormizd and Peroz, who were deemed unstoppable for decades.
In Csaba's tent, Gabrielle recorded the events over the last couple of weeks. During the war she had an argument with Xena but she deduced that it was due to exhaustion and frustration of their immense loss of manpower which caused them both to bicker and snap at one another.
As she jotted down today's notes she sat at Csaba's desk and listened to him and Oran go back and forth. At first they were talking strategy but soon it turned into a full on argument and slew of personal attacks. Losing concentration, she slammed the quill down.
"Stop!" she yelled and grabbed their attention. "Stop fighting, both of you."
Oran and Csaba hung their heads shamefully and turned away from each other. With their backs turned, Gabrielle rose from the chair and ruffled her hair and let out a deep breath to soothe the angst swarming inside her.
"We need to retreat," she said.
Oran spun around. "What? No, we can't do that, Gabrielle!"
"We are losing!" she came to stand in between the men. "I haven't received a word from Navaz about Shah Kavad. Without that, it is pointless to continue this war with Jamasp. We're going to lose all of our men."
Csaba grimaced. "We have more men than he does. We can win this."
"And lose everyone in process? I don't think so, Csaba." She organized her notepad and stuffed it into her satchel. "I'm going to tell Xena to pull the soldiers back. I don't want any more arguments about this."
Just as the cousins were about to bicker, there was a series of explosions coming from outside and it sounded like they were coming from their side of the field. Gabrielle lifted her head calmly from her notes and her lip twitched. She turned on her heel and the two men stared at her with wide fearful eyes.
"I thought you said you weren't using the catapults," she said to Oran.
"I…I wasn't going to." his head throbbed. "I mean, I'm not."
She pushed her way through the men and exited the tent. Her keen ears didn't deceive her. The explosions did come from their side of the field. Xena was manning the catapults and instructing them to keep firing at the Persians.
"You've got to be kidding me."
She marched across the field and covered her ears from the loud explosion of the catapults going off. She grabbed Xena's arm and pulled her off to the side. Angrily, she glared up at Xena, her nostrils flared and cheeks flushed crimson.
"What are you doing? I thought we agreed not to use the catapults."
"And I've decided that we are," Xena folded her arms.
Gabrielle's fingers twitched and she was so close to losing her temper. She set a hand over thumping chest and exhaled calmly. "Tell the men to fall back. We aren't going to win like this especially if you're using all of our ammunition."
"Fall back?" she laughed. "Gabrielle! We aren't going to win by using archers alone either! This way, I can kill large masses to hold Jamasp back."
"Xena, no! Tell the soldiers to retreat," she advised. "You're making irrational decisions without consulting anyone. This is a team effort and you're acting alone. I'm going to ask you to stand down."
Xena's eyebrows rose and disappeared beneath her headdress. "Stand down?"
"This isn't personal, Xena. I'm telling you as your governor to take a step back. You're being impulsive and it's dangerous. You're going to cost everyone their lives if you keep doing this." Gabrielle said and Xena was rendered speechless. "And as your friend –your spouse –you're scaring me."
She trailed back to the tents and crookedly smiled. She mouthed, 'I love you' and gave an apologetic expression then darted back to Csaba's tent to keep writing.
Ebnedzar strolled into his sister's tent to check up on her now that the camp was quiet but incredibly restless. Finally, his son and Csaba stopped disagreeing with each other and there was a bit of peace round the campsite. He took a seat on a stool and Eksama failed to see recognize his presence, though he knew it wasn't her intention to ignore him.
He loudly cleared his throat and Eksama sharply turned her head. She shifted on the bed and slowly lifted herself up and swung her legs over the edge of the cot.
"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be outside with everyone?" she asked.
Ebnedzar shrugged a shoulder. "We pulled our men back. Xena was very hard to convince but she finally agreed."
She scratched the itchy wound across her flat abdomen. "She is very good at commanding an army."
"She's been doing it for a very long time. She doesn't always show the best judgment though." He leaned over and whispered, "don't tell her I said that."
Eksama grinned and set her eyes on her brother she hardly knew. "How long did it take for Xena to like you?"
"Seriously?" he snorted. "She still doesn't like me." He watched Eksama's eyes fade dismally. "I'm joking of course. I didn't exactly give a good first impression to everyone and neither did you. It takes her a very long time to come around but she will, eventually."
"I doubt that. She hates me."
Ebnedzar nibbled on his lip and smoothed his fingers through his beard. "You did try to kill Anastasia."
"I apologized for that!" she snapped back.
"Apologies sometimes aren't enough around here," he sadly admitted. "Time will be on your side, Eksama. If you truly want to assimilate with us you will have to make more of an effort. Giving Anastasia some serum to cure her loss of sight and apologizing isn't enough."
She slammed her palms on the bed and growled internally. "Then what will be enough?"
"Be more involved with the family. Show that you want to be a part of their lives. Get to know each and every single person of the clan. Going around apologizing isn't going to do anything but bring up painful memories."
She felt like there was a weight on her chest and the more she spoke the harder it was for her to breathe. She sighed and smiled at her elder brother.
"I think Ernak is the only person who likes me. He's always nice to me. He's been nice to me from the very beginning."
Ebnedzar arched his eyebrow. "Listen, Ernak is a huge softie. He loves everybody but I'll tell you this; he doesn't trust you and he'll never let you be khatun of the clan. He swore on Ellac's grave that he'd never allow that to happen."
She swallowed her pride and lifted her chin. "I realize I will never be khatun. I've come to terms with that ever since I found Elemund betrayed me. I am happy with being queen and commander."
He chuckled and wagged his finger. "If Kreka was alive, she would've beheaded you."
"I hear so much about this woman yet she was the one who knew about me all along," Eksama huffed. "She sent my mother an allowance for years!"
"Perhaps Kreka's heart wasn't so cold after all," he pursed his lips.
Oran darted into the tent, interrupting their conversation. He ran a hand over his hair and eyed his wounded aunt. He briefly flashed a smile at her then came around to stand in front of his father.
"Have you seen Gabrielle?" he whispered.
Ebnedzar stood with a furrowed brow. "What do you mean? She's not here?"
Oran hung his head. "Her horse is gone. Nobody knows where she is."
"Xena." He clasped his hands on Oran's shoulders. "Does she know about this? Did she send Gabrielle somewhere?"
"She's asleep in her tent."
"Fuck." Ebnedzar turned to his sister and then peeked out at the campsite. "Send scouts to search the area. She couldn't have gone far."
Oran gave a weary look. "Father, what about Xena? I don't want to be the one to tell her."
Eksama overheard their conversation and chimed in. "I'll tell her."
Oran laughed lightly. "Very funny, Eksama. You're wounded. Xena will just injure you further. You're staying here where you're safe."
She got to her feet and grabbed her sword resting against the tent wall. "I think I can handle it. She doesn't scare me."
"Well, she scares me," muttered Oran.
Gabrielle lurked in the trees in the Persian's camp. She saw Shah Jamasp talking with a few officers huddled in a circle. Coming here was probably the most ridiculous idea she ever had but she knew that nobody was going to allow her to do it. She left as soon as their camp settled in for the night and made sure that Xena was asleep.
She pulled out a scroll from her coat pocket and her heart raced. She didn't expect the Persians to be warm to her and she was alone. Also a dumb move, she thought. But this had to be done. This war was going to continue for another two weeks if she didn't put a stop to it. She couldn't look at Xena's face anymore. The war was consuming every bit of clarity Xena had.
After she saw Jamasp was alone, she trotted into the encampment. Soldiers immediately surrounded her in the darkness. Shah Jamasp hastily made his way over and looked behind Gabrielle to see if others were following her.
"I came alone," she stated and the Shah called his men off. "Nobody knows I've come."
The Shah snickered and stepped forward. "Governor, what a bold move. Have you come to plea for your surrender? I can't think of another reason why you'd bother coming here especially since I've killed over half of your soldiers."
Her fingers wrapped around the scroll, crinkling the parchment. If she was smart about this she could go back to camp unharmed and free from this war. She just needed to convince Shah Jamasp that she had confirmation that his father was freed from prison. She desperately needed this plan to work: a plan of coercion. She needed to dig deep inside her and bring out the confidence she claimed to have.
She was representing the entire empire at this point. If this failed her body could be met with the end of a sword. She chose to show complete serenity although her stomach was swimming and her heart beat rang in her ears.
"I've come to report that Shah Kavad has been released from Anosbord. He is on his way back to Persia and will dethrone you."
Jamasp's mouth parted. "Where is your proof?"
She extended her hand and he snatched the scroll from her. While he read over the document she forged, she turned and eyed the Hun camp on the west side of the mountains. There were several torches rapidly moving around. They must've figured out she was missing.
"Where is the seal?" he asked, drawing her attention back. "This letter was sent by Xerxes yet there is no royal seal."
Her heart sank and she swallowed deeply. He isn't as dimwitted as his ancestors. He's not falling for her scheme.
Jamasp made his way over to a fire and dropped the falsified letter into the flames. He held his hands behind his back and turned with a smile, glaring at the governor with fire-lit dark eyes.
"Coming alone was a huge mistake, governor. Writing a false document was also a mistake. Is this how Huns conduct affairs? With lies and coercion?" he snorted a laugh.
Running away was impossible now. She thought for a split second of escaping but she'd be shot down before even making if halfway across the field.
"Detain her," he snapped his fingers.
Balaam
In the middle of the night General Zolten informed Navaz that Persians were crossing the borders of northern Armenia. Navaz dressed and went outside and stood behind the Adame to greet the said Persians. He didn't know what to expect when he saw a cluster of torches approaching his home.
He armed himself with several Sabirs, Gokturks and Huns along the border. Communication was scarce with Tegin Irkin and he supposed that was to keep everything a secret from the other Sassanians. Once he wrote that letter to Arielle he didn't receive any correspondence from Tegin and the other members of the clandestine team.
The horde of Persians approached close enough that their faces could be made out from the moonlight and torches which they carried. Zolten ran forward to meet with the head horseman who was guiding all of the Persians. There must've been over fifty men.
Navaz waited patiently until their identities were confirmed. Impatiently, he was ready to go out himself until Zolten trailed back, a bit calmer than he was just a few minutes ago.
"It is Tegin Irkin and Officer Siyawush," the General confirmed. "They have Shah Kavad with them."
Navaz scanned the horde and furrowed his thick brows together. "Which one is he?"
Zolten hesitated. "They want entry into Armenia and then the Shah will reveal himself once he's in the Adame."
The king laughed. "Fucking Persians," he pushed his general aside and looked to Tegin who had now revealed himself, wearing a dark hood. "You aren't allowed into my kingdom until the Shah shows his face."
Tegin smiled at Navaz. "I sense you do not trust me, your highness."
"Call me crazy but I don't have a good relationship with the Sassan family. My people are at war with one of them as we speak. I won't allow anyone into my home until I see Kavad's face. Does he not trust me?"
Moments later, the crowd parted and the Shah emerged, wearing simple clothing just like everyone else. He lifted the veil off his face and bowed his head curtly at Navaz.
"You have seen me now, White Hun. Allow me entry into your land."
Navaz smiled and nodded to Zolten in the background. "You must understand why I did this. You are my ally yes but I don't trust your family."
Shah Kavad dismounted from the horse and walked alongside Navaz. "I understand. My son, Kawus, knows that you helped break me out of prison. He also knows my sister is involved. He will most likely attack my sister or imprison her."
"Did anyone follow you here? Should I expect Kawus to come knocking at my door?"
"It wouldn't surprise me but I believe he is going to Babylonia where my sister lives."
Navaz grunted. "If your sister is smart she will have left her home already. I have to write a letter to Gabrielle and tell her that you're in my custody now. I don't think they're fighting a winning war against your son at the moment."
It would be shameful to say he was proud of his son. Maybe if he hadn't been dethroned and imprisoned he could perhaps share some of that pride but now he wanted nothing more than throw his son into a cell to rot.
"Jamasp is an excellent soldier. He is almost as good as Xerxes."
Was that possible? Xerxes was an even better soldier than his tyrannical brother? Navaz couldn't imagine going to war with a person worse than Jamasp and he was surprised the Shah mentioned Xerxes. He thought of Arielle. A conversation for another time, he thought.
The Caucasus
Csaba received a message from one of Jamasp's emissaries and he was not pleased by the message at all. With little sleep he was barely able to focus. He thought his eyes deceived him when he saw his grandmother marching through the camp, weaving in and out of the soldiers.
He grabbed his cousin's shoulder. "Hide me."
Oran saw Xena approaching at a dangerous speed and snickered. "You're on your own. Good luck telling her." he slapped Csaba's shoulder. "Hey if you need anything to help with your sleeping issues, just let me know," he winked and hurried away.
Csaba took in a deep breath and closed his eyes. Clutching the parchment, his eyes shot open and flinched at the close proximity of his grandmother. He scratched his trimmed beard and ran his fingers through his messy long hair. Stalling wasn't working as Xena's glare intensified.
"Where is she?"
He let out a nervous laugh. "About that," he began, "I would just like to say that I have nothing to do with this."
"Csaba…"
He let out the crumpled parchment. "She's in Jamasp's camp. He's holding her there until there's proof that his father is freed from Anosbord."
"Excuse me?" she snatched the letter from his hand. "She wrote a false document?" she couldn't believe what she was reading. How could Gabrielle be so careless? Why would she risk her life for a Persian?
Xena threw the parchment on the ground and stalked over to the edge of the camp. She laid her eyes on Shah Jamasp who arrogantly stood in the center of the camp. There, she could see Gabrielle's black horse tied to one of the posts near the Shah's tent. An incredibly overwhelming itchiness roamed across her skin. Persians alone made her skin crawl but the fact that Gabrielle was trapped there with no way out made her nauseous.
She did what Gabrielle wanted. She pulled back and allowed the ballistic weapons team to stop firing at the Persians. She obeyed Gabrielle and tried her best not to take the orders personally. It was difficult not to take orders personally especially when she disagreed but this time, she didn't argue. Could Gabrielle have wanted the firing to stop because she had this plan to stop the war?
"Gabrielle, what were you thinking?" she whispered.
Eksama was brave enough to tell Xena about the news and for that the men around her thanked her. She walked through the camp with labored breaths. She looked out at the Persian camp and several soldiers were getting ready to line the front of the camp with archers.
She coughed and dropped her sword. Ebnedzar craned his neck and caught her just before she collapsed. He scooped her up into his arms. With her limp body laden in his arms, he gazed at the Persian archers dipping their arrows in hot oil and igniting them.
"They're going to shoot at us!" he shouted to the camp. He hurried to the back of the camp to put Eksama back in bed.
Once inside the tent he gently laid her down and checked the bloody wounds across her torso. He tried to remove the bandages and retracted his hands as soon as he touched her bare skin. He crinkled his nose in disgust, unsure how to help her but the blood soaked the gauze. He felt somewhat uncomfortable that he was coming in incredibly close contact with his sister.
"God." He ripped the bandages and looked away. He reached for a blanket and covered her breasts. Once it was safe to look, he dabbed the wound with a wet cloth. "I need a physician!" he cried.
Outside, Oran ran to the front line where the archers were. He instructed them to load their bows and looked behind at Xena who stood completely in her own little world, glaring at Jamasp.
While the archers were preparing, he ran to Xena and nudged her arm. "Xena, what do we do next?" he asked.
She looked over to Oran and knew she couldn't lose her focus. She was already worried about too many people here in the field and in Scythia. She couldn't allow Gabrielle to distract her further. That would just incite Gabrielle.
The first wave of arrows soared across the field and wounded several front liners on their side. Xena frowned and marched back towards camp. She had her eye on a pile of burning wood and gazed up at the sky at a flock of birds that scattered from the treetops. With a raise of her eyebrow she smiled. Arielle's goose feather trick was ingenious and unlike anything she'd ever seen before which gave her an idea.
She spun around to Oran who was very flustered. "Do we have any bags of sugar?"
"What?" he puffed his chest out. "Xena, what the hell?"
"Sugar. Do we have any bags of sugar?"
"Well, I think so. Why do you ask?" he followed her as she weaved through the camp. "Xena! We're losing men left and right!"
"Shut up, Oran. I have an idea." She marched up to a few soldiers who were chopping logs of wood. "You," she addressed a young Avar. "I need you to shave all these logs into a fine grain."
Gabrielle paced back and forth in the Shah's tent. The moment she heard the arrows whistling in the sky she knew that their camp was scattering about. It didn't matter if she was here or there, the Persians were going to attack. Never had she ever seen such resilience from Persians before. Jamasp was nothing like Hormizd or Peroz.
Shah Jamasp entered the tent and smiled at the governor. "Your people are running for the hills."
He circled around her and took a seat behind his desk. He poured himself a glass of wine and offered her a glass.
"No thanks," she snubbed the offer and kept pacing, listening to the soldiers shouting to keep shooting.
"More wine for me then." He lifted the glass and sipped the alcohol leisurely. "We have a common enemy," he said and Gabrielle placed her hands on her hips. "Emperor Justinian. I saw what you did to his men. He is going to crucify every single Hun there is once he finds out you betrayed him."
"He betrayed us first," she spat.
"Byzantines," he shrugged. "They're no better than Romans. Different side of the same coin."
Gabrielle scoffed and turned her back to him. "You're going to lose, Jamasp."
"It sure doesn't look that way, governor."
"You have Huns, Avars, Gokturks, oh and, your own father working against you. Even if we don't win this war, there will be plenty more wars to be fought and you will ultimately lose." She peeked out of the tent at the Hun camp that was set aflame.
Jamasp swished the wine and clicked his tongue against his cheek. "But I have you. You're one of the most important people in the empire, right? I hear you're very skilled in several languages. I know Latin too, governor. I was taught by Roman tutors as a child."
"Please stop talking," she said loudly.
Csaba ran across the camp and a soldier nearly rammed him with a bucket of water held over his head. He coughed from the black smoke filling the camp. Several of the tents were set aflame from Persian arrows and he just got the word that his grandmother was making a group of soldiers shave logs and pouring sugar into small leather pouches.
"Grandma!" he shouted and Xena turned with a menacing frown. "I mean…khanum," he coughed violently and covered his mouth. "What the fuck are you doing?" he gestured to the soldiers.
"Watch your mouth, Csaba," she waved her hand dismissively. "We're almost done here."
He struggled to find words to describe how furious he was. He spun around himself and gaped at the flaming tents, meanwhile his grandmother was completely calm about the destruction.
"My camp is on fire!" he screeched.
Xena took a quick glance around. "I can see that."
"W…what…aren't you going to do something about it?"
"What do you think I'm doing? Making cake?" she paddled his cheek. "Don't you worry, Csaba. I have a plan. I need Oran and Ebnedzar to ride into the Persian camp." She snapped her fingers to the soldiers to work faster.
Csaba's heart sank. "You want a head on attack? Jamasp is slaughtering us!"
"They're the best riders we have, Csaba." She grabbed an Avar who carried a basket with the leather pouches filled with wood chips and sugar. "Take those to the archers," she ordered.
"If you have a plan I need to know what it is," he came around to stand in front of her. "Is this some elaborate plan to rescue Gabrielle because I'd like to know!"
Xena smiled and cupped his cheeks. "You'll get to go onto the field too but don't tell your mother about this. She'd skin me alive. Get your horse ready." She slapped his arm and walked with the Avars to the archery line.
Despite the flaming arrows being shot right over their heads, Ebnedzar and Oran waited on their horses with Gokturk soldiers right behind them. Xena smiled at them and then instructed the Avars to tie the leather pouches to their arrowheads. Csaba quickly mounted his horse and joined his uncle and cousin. All three had looks of horror in their eyes, all gawking at each other nervously.
What seemed like hours later, the archers had tied all fifty pouches to their arrowheads. Xena inspected every single arrow one by one with a bubble of serenity encompassed around her. She was not the least bit frightened or disturbed by the flaming arrows shot directly at her or the front line.
Oran leaned over to his cousin, "your grandmother is nuts."
Xena walked over to the trio. "When I give the signal you all ride into Jamasp's camp. Get Gabrielle and then, if you can, detain Jamasp."
Csaba's cheeks went pale. "I beg your pardon?"
"Trust in me, tatlı çocuk." Her tone darkened. She went back to the archers. "Ignite the arrows!"
Oran chuckled. "She still calls you that." He teased.
"So does your mother!" Csaba combated and his cousin frowned.
"And fire!" Xena shouted and walked behind the last row of archers.
Their arrows hit center of the field and they didn't hit any Persian soldier. Csaba smacked a hand to his forehead. He normally was gung ho for his grandmother's plans but this was entirely insane. Flaming arrows were stuck in the barren field, not even in the Persians' range.
Moments later the fire withered away and ignited the leather pouches. The Persians kept firing and then suddenly the field was slowly filling with violet smoke. Less than a few minutes, the Persians stopped firing at the opposing side once the field was no longer visible.
Xena clapped her hands with a grand smile. "Go, go!" she waved her hand to Csaba, Oran and Ebnedzar.
A cluster of confused muffled voices from outside the tent alarmed Shah Jamasp. He set down his quill and walked in front of Gabrielle, quickly sending her a glare. He exited the tent to see what the commotion was since he could no longer hear his officers shouting commands any longer.
Gabrielle turned to the desk piled with documents. She got up off the floor and flipped through the stack of parchment paper while Jamasp shortly stepped out. She found a document pertaining to the future of the Persian Empire.
Her eyes widened at what she read and she rolled up the parchment that could possibly be used against the Shah and stuffed it down her blouse. While she was trapped in the tent she heard swords clashing and soldiers screaming at the tops of their lungs. Too afraid to look, she kept siphoning through the documents hoping to find something useful that she could destroy Jamasp Sassan with.
Oran rushed into the tent, covered in Persian blood. "Gabrielle!"
She recognized the familiar voice and peered over her shoulder. "Oran?"
"We need to leave, come on!" he didn't wait for a response and grabbed her wrist to drag her to his horse outside.
She grabbed the last document she had her hands on and stuffed that one into her blouse as well. The moment she exited the Shah's tent with Oran, her eyes burned from the violet smoke swarming in the air. After a short inhale and a heavy cough, she covered her mouth and ran with Oran to his horse. She played a game of hopping over Persian corpses.
He helped her board the horse and trotted through the thick purple fog. He kept his sword handy whilst holding onto the reins, trying to make his way through the distorted field.
"What is this?" she asked.
He spoke over his shoulder, "Xena's doing!"
After the smoke cleared and everyone reported safely back to camp, Xena waited on the front line for Csaba to return. She smiled upon seeing Jamasp bound by his wrists atop of Csaba's horse. She walked a few steps forward and Csaba threw the Shah onto the ground with a bag over his head.
Csaba ripped the black cloth bag off Jamasp's head and Xena leaned down, narrowing her eyes to slits.
"I win," she whispered.
He growled. "Your governor forged a political document!"
She pulled out a letter written by Navaz himself. Just moments after she set off the smoke bombs, Zolten rode into camp to a deliver the message that Shah Kavad had arrived safely in Armenia. She unraveled the parchment and forced the young soon to be dethroned Shah, to read the document.
"Your father has been released from Anosbord."
Jamasp felt as if it was another ruse but noting the seal at the bottom of the document, it wasn't a forgery. He hung his head and cursed under his breath. He glanced over at Csaba with a malicious stare to which Csaba just smirked in response.
Xena nudged her head to the Avars beside the captured Persian. "Hold him in a tent."
Oran huffed. "All that damn work and we don't get to behead him?!" he shouted in annoyance. "What a waste of time!"
"It's not our job to punish him. We're going to let Shah Kavad do that." Xena decided and flashed Oran a smug smile.
It took a few hours for all the fires to be put out in the camp. The Persians were beginning to take down their weapon lines but they weren't ready to dismantle their tents. Stubborn, as usual. After sunset, Xena found Gabrielle sitting by a fire by herself with a blanket wrapped around her.
She smiled with hesitancy and sat down beside Gabrielle. She took off her headdress and gently set it down next to her boot. With a quick finagle of her fingers she smoothed out the fringe on her forehead and scooted closer to Gabrielle, crossing her legs.
"I was so worried about you," she admitted and took Gabrielle's hand. "Why did you do that?"
Gabrielle let out an exasperated sigh. "Because you wouldn't have agreed to let me go."
"Yes, I would have."
"Xena," she turned with a dubious look about her. "You wouldn't have. Let's be honest."
"Perhaps you're right," Xena said and wiped her nose, avoiding eye contact. "But why didn't you tell someone? Something could've happened to you. Jamasp could've killed you."
Gabrielle half smiled and returned the grip on her spouse's hand. "But I'm alive!"
Xena raised an eyebrow and looked into the mischievous jade eyes beside her. "And I'm very glad that you're alive. When I found out that you weren't here, I couldn't breathe. I didn't want anything to happen to you because then I'd blame myself."
"I was the one who left. Don't blame yourself. I hate it when you do that. Have you learned nothing over the last thirty-something years?" Gabrielle chuckled.
They sat together, admiring the fire and then Gabrielle pecked her wife's hand to which she saw Xena smile softly from the corner of her eye. Gabrielle then shifted on the grass and brought her knees close and titled her head to the side, creasing her brows together.
"I just have to ask one thing," she interrupted the stillness. "What was that purple smoke? What did you do?"
Xena raised her finger. "I channeled some of Arielle's crazy ideas," she said proudly, subtly giving praise to her granddaughter. "It was a mixture of sugar and wood. A spur of the moment idea. Pretty clever, huh?"
"Hmm, yes." Gabrielle rubbed her thumb along Xena's knuckles. "You should tell Arielle about that. It's a good trick." She leaned over and dug her fingers into her blouse. Xena peered over and raised an eyebrow. "I have a few tricks up my sleeve as well."
She smacked the documents down into Xena's lap.
"What's this?"
Gabrielle lifted her chin proudly. "I commandeered some documents from Jamasp's tent. I could've taken more if I had more time but I had to work quickly. Arielle could use these."
Xena skimmed through the documents. "Gabrielle," she inhaled sharply, "you sly woman. Did you plan to do that?"
"It was…a spur of the moment," she said teasingly.
"Ah, of course it was." Xena nodded and set the parchments aside.
Scythia
Due to the rainy weather over the last week, everyone was quarantined to the palace. Cera put herself up in the bedroom and decided to spend her time alone and far away as possible from her mother, sister, Yana, Inzhu; basically any female in this palace. She sat in front of her easel and sketched a still-life of her kamancheh.
Mirac entered the bedroom quietly, carrying a tray of food that he knew his wife was going to refuse. He snuck up behind her while she was super focused on sketching. He wrapped his hands over her eyes and Cera gasped.
"Gülüm," he came round and kissed her cheek. "Arielle told me to bring this to you. It's gozleme," he hovered the tray in her face.
Cera rolled her eyes. She wasn't surprised that her sister sent more food to her room. She ate an hour ago and had no desire to stuff her face. She was starting to think that Arielle was jealous of how much she could eat and hardly gain any weight. It was amusing but that still didn't make her want to eat an abundance of food.
Convincing Cera to eat was a moot point. He knelt down beside her and took her hand. "How is gülü?" he leaned over and kissed her belly.
"Who is gülü?"
Mirac flinched at the familiar voice. "Your mother is here?" he whispered. "Why didn't you say something?"
Cera apologetically smiled.
He stood up and smiled falsely at Anastasia who was in the back of the room, folding clothes. "Khatun, I didn't know you were in here."
"I didn't mean to harp on your alone time," Ana apologized and set down the folded dresses in a chest at the end of the bed. "Do you call my grandchild 'gülü'?" she pried.
Mirac's cheeks reddened. "I…um," he rubbed his arm.
"That's so sweet of you," Ana said, smiling. "Since I'm here and I really hate to tear you away, but Yana wants to fit you for your dress, Cera. She's with Pamira right now but I'm sure she'll be finished soon." She ran her fingers through her daughter's hair.
Cera sighed and looked at her unfinished sketch. She swiveled in the chair and looked up at her mother, tapping her charcoal against the wooden easel.
Anastasia nibbled on her lip. "I'll tell her we can reschedule. I know your measurements." She could see the relief on her daughter's face. "I'll leave you, Mirac and…gülü alone," she winked at Mirac who was blatantly embarrassed.
Once she left the room, Mirac knelt back down and grasped his wife's shoulder. "We are never going to have any privacy here and this palace can house fifty people."
Cera laughed lightly and faced forward to finish her sketch. With a few strokes of the charcoal on the canvas, she studied the instrument as her subject. It was hard to concentrate when she felt Mirac's hands all over her. She brought her lips to a firm line and looked down at the hands roaming across her stomach.
Mirac kept the smile on his lips and then stared up at his displeased wife. "Am I bothering you?"
She gave him a look of discontent and exhaled heavily through her nostrils.
"Sorry. I'm playing with little gülü." He tapped his fingers on her belly lightly. "Cik, cik, cik."
Cera tried not to smile at his silly behavior but she couldn't hold it in anymore and with flushing cheeks, she grinned. She turned in the chair to face him and pushed his hands away from her for a moment. Tears clouded her vision and Mirac's heart stopped the moment he saw her watery eyes.
"Are you crying? Why are you crying? Please, don't cry," he begged.
"What if something happens again?" her hands shook as she tried to express herself. "If something goes wrong…I don't know…" she dropped her hands in her lap and wept.
Mirac smiled and grasped her hands in his. "We made it past the halfway mark. Everything's been great so far, Cera. We have so many people to help us and the physician said you're in perfect health. Don't be sad, you're going to upset gülü."
He kissed each of her knees and gazed up at her with warm eyes.
Anastasia walked the halls and was able to make out a few people in the foyer. She got a little closer and a pair of arms waved at her. Overjoyed, she instantly recognized the outline of those far away. She darted down the hall.
"Mother!" she crashed into Xena and embraced her much like she used to when her mother was away on lengthy missions long ago when she was a child.
Xena stilted her posture and gently pat her daughter's back. "I wasn't gone that long."
"Long enough." Anastasia then wrapped her arms around Gabrielle, squeezing her tightly until the governor couldn't let out a single breath. "I missed you two! I had no idea when you'd both return. Is Csaba alright? He's not hurt, is he?"
Gabrielle coughed and rubbed her tight chest. "He's fine," she croaked. "He captured Jamasp. He's going to hold him at the camp until Shah Kavad returns to Persia."
"I want to hear everything. Navaz wrote that he's housing Kavad in Balaam. I should go get Arielle. She's teaching Aurora how to spar."
Xena puckered her lips and looked at the violent rainstorm outside. "In this weather?"
"Inside, mother. They're inside. We should get you both out of those wet clothes," she grabbed her mother's hand and tried to pull her forward.
"Anastasia," she let her hand slip away. "We brought Eksama here."
The khatun lowered her gaze to the floor and her lips turned into a frown, wrinkling the lines around her eyes. It had been several months since she met with Eksama face to face and when she did finally meet the Gepid Queen she couldn't make her out at all but now that all changed. She could see almost clearly when someone was within a few feet of her. Eksama was the cause of her blindness and yet also the curer of it.
Gabrielle grabbed Ana by the arm. "She was badly wounded in the field. We couldn't leave her there. She still needs a lot of medical attention."
Ana smoothed her hands down her dress and her chest rose and fell heavily. "Where is she?"
"We asked Kuba to take her to a room to be examined," Gabrielle studied the khatun's face to determine what kind of reaction was to ensue. She cautiously took a step back to stand by Xena. "She definitely earned the title of being crazy. She caused an avalanche with a catapult to stop the Persians!"
Anastasia's mouth twitched. "I am not surprised in the least."
"She won't hurt you, Ana," Xena reassured her.
"You trust her now?" Anastasia scoffed.
"I never said that."
"She tried to kill me!" she marched up to her mother. "Whose side are you on, mother? I can't believe you brought her here."
Xena rubbed her lips together. "Anastasia, she's trying her best to blend with everyone. It doesn't mean that I trust her but I couldn't leave her to die in the field."
"So, that's it? You're going to allow her to stay here until she recovers? She could be here for months!"
"Ana, I know you're upset but –"
"Upset?" Ana laughed. "I'm not upset. I'm furious! How dare you?" she jabbed her finger into her mother's chest.
Gabrielle stepped in between the two. "This isn't your mother's fault, Ana."
"You're on her side now?" Ana dug her fingers into her hair and trailed backward. "I can't believe you're both doing this to me."
"I'm not on anyone's side, Ana," Gabrielle calmly told the frazzled khatun. "Eksama is our commander. She fought on our side."
Ana nodded. "Oh, so that means we should just be one big happy family now?" she snarled. "I'm going to find Arielle." She marched out, muttering obscenities under her breath.
Xena smacked her wet gloves against her palm and sighed. She received a squeeze to her hand from her wife. She tried to smile only to please Gabrielle but all she could think about was the horrified and livid look in her daughter's eyes. While she anticipated a reaction like this, she wasn't prepared for it. Every time her daughter was in distress it broke a little piece of her inside.
"We did the right thing by bringing Eksama here," Gabrielle vocalized both of their thoughts. "Anastasia will come around. She has a big heart and she's stubborn, just like you."
Mild jests weren't enough to ease the ache inside her. "That doesn't make me feel any better. Did you see her face? She's really hurt."
"I know." She ran her fingers along Xena's hand. "It's a natural reaction. We should get out of these soaked clothes. I'm dying to take a hot bath. I could sit in it for hours!" she rejoiced. "I'll even wash your hair for you. I wonder if there's some of that cinnamon oil left." She waggled her eyebrows.
Xena's lips twisted into an off-center smile. "You want me to smell like a dessert?"
"No, I want you to taste like a dessert."
Soran stood by one of the windows and sat on the large ledge. He gazed at the circle of women from afar. He was the only male in the room since Mirac deserted him awhile ago to go spend time with Cera. He didn't mind spending time with the women but all the talk about dresses, parties and babies made his head ache.
Arielle came in holding Aurora's hand and she spotted her lonesome brother. She urged her daughter to go join the talkative women and went over to sit by her sulking brother. Soran briefly eyed her and she crossed her arms, leaning against the wall.
"Stuck in a hen house, huh?" she joked.
He blushed and nodded with a half grin.
"How come you aren't spending more time with Pamira? I've noticed you've been distant."
Soran felt the aching headache returning. "I'm…not very good with this baby stuff," he was embarrassed to admit. "I don't know what to do. Mirac is so helpful with Cera and I don't know if I can be that way with Pamira."
She snickered at her brother's coyness and pinched his arm. "Pamira's just as scared as you are. Just tell her how you feel. Be there for her. She'll appreciate it, I promise."
"I'll make more of an effort to be involved. Thanks, Arielle," he said sincerely. "Did…Bayan help you when you were pregnant?"
That man again. He really got under her skin but she was trying to forgo all of those negative feelings from her body and focus on her new relationship with Xerxes. She tried not to let the foul taste in her mouth become detectable to the eyes.
"He was too busy with the tribe." She twirled her hair around her finger. "I was alone most of the time. Ku was there for me when Bayan wasn't."
His blood boiled and he clenched a fist. "I'm sorry you had to go through that alone, Arielle."
She hid her glossy eyes and wiped her nose.
"When you have a child with Xerxes, I'll make sure he takes care of you," Soran promised.
Sourness lingered in her mouth and suddenly this conversation became a lot more awkward. She didn't want to discuss her love life with anyone especially her brother. It was too late. The conversation was happening and she couldn't do anything to stop it. She did admire her brother's protectiveness.
"We aren't even married," she mumbled. "I'm just getting to know Xerxes. I want us to be in a comfortable place before we even approach the subject of children."
Soran chortled at his elder sister's embarrassment. He was so used to seeing her at the top of the mountain being the mountain lion that she is. This side of her was odd but amusing.
"Well, if it does happen, he better treat you well or I'll disembowel him."
She shot him a look. "Please don't do that."
"Then Xerxes better behave." He wrapped an arm around Arielle and brought her close. All while she tried to resist Soran put her in a friendly choke hold and tickled her.
"Stop!" she begged, laughing uncontrollably. "Stop it!" she elbowed him in the gut and he finally released her. "You're lucky I didn't aim lower." She flicked her brother on the head.
"Arielle!"
She paused at the sound of her mother calling her name. She apologetically smiled at Soran and walked across the room to meet with her mother who was waiting in the middle of the doorway. Earlier, she was in a great mood but now from seeing the look on her mother's face, she was incredibly concerned.
"Mom," she grabbed Ana's shoulders. "What's the matter?"
"Your grandmother and Gabrielle just arrived. I think you need to speak with them." She spoke rapidly. "It's about the fate of the Persian Empire."
Arielle nodded. "I will. There's something wrong though. I can tell."
"I'm flattered by your concern, tatli kiz." She kissed Arielle on the forehead. "I think I will go to my room for awhile. I want to be left alone."
"Alright," her hands slipped off her mother's shoulders and stepped out into the hall, watching her mother drift further away. "Mother!"
Ana halted and turned.
"If you need anything just tell me. I could write dad and tell him to come here to see you."
With a smile, Anastasia continued walking down the hall without answering her daughter. The staircase looked so far away. Just a few more steps until she was in the clear. The sound of laughter filled the stone box she was living in. Her mood soured ever since she found out Eksama was staying here. She was tempted to go see her but that wasn't a good idea.
"Mother?"
She groaned and stood on the middle of the stairs. "What is it, Arielle?" she called out wearily.
"Please don't hide in your room. If something is wrong, don't keep it to yourself. If you can't tell grandma, you can tell me." She offered, nervous that her mother was going to lash out.
Anastasia raised an eyebrow, miffed by her daughter's kind words. She could count on her hand how many times she witnessed Arielle being overly nice and it was usually when she wanted something. Somehow, she knew this time was different.
She hesitated and clutched the stair railing. "Thank you, Arielle."
Mount Vesuvius, Italia
Alduin woke to the sun shining in his face through a ripped seam in the tent. He tried to lift himself up and forgot that his wife spent the night with him. Her arm was draped over his chest. Smiling, he pried her arm off him and gently placed it on the pillow behind him. Rising up, he ruffled his blonde hair and scratched his beard, letting out a lengthy yawn.
He reached for the unfinished wine beside the bed and downed the rest of it. There was a letter beside the empty wine carafe. He tried not to wake his slumbering wife and grabbed the letter. How long had this letter been sitting here? He shifted in bed and quickly dressed himself.
"Mmm," Rodelinda moaned sleepily. "Where're you going?" she opened her eyes and tousled her auburn braided hair.
Alduin laced his pants and tossed the letter at his wife's face. "I got a message from Mezamir."
The blanket fell from her body, exposing her tattooed breasts. Uninterested in the letter, she read only the main points that caught her eye then flung it aside and settled back into the goose feather bed.
"That hot head," she grumbled. "What does he want now?" she stretched her arms over her head.
"He wants me to kill Prince Elemund."
Rodelinda sprung up, suddenly very awake. "Does this mean we will have full control over Italia now?"
He knelt down and generously kissed her, leaving her breathless. He pinched her chin and touched cheeks with her as he reached across the bed to grab his tunic.
"That and then some," he whispered and threw the tunic over his head. "Once Elemund is gone, we'll have Italia and then we're going to make our way to Pannonia."
She kicked the blanket off her body and extended her legs, crossing her ankles. "Land of the Huns," she bit her bottom lip and traced her foot along his thigh. "I don't know if we can trust Emperor Justinian to keep his end of the deal."
"We'll just have to wait and see."
On to bigger things for the Avars/Huns!
Cera and Mirac are so adorable lol.