Nearly a month had gone by since Xena had left. In that time they had worked their way up the Italian peninsula and had stationed themselves in Capua. Even though it was painful for many of the men, Gabrielle could not pass up the defensive position of the top of the hill where the abandoned ludus sat in well enough repair. She insisted that the former gladiators stay in the main villa while her and Xena's men bunked in the old slave cells below. Crixus had nearly left the army at the idea of staying here, taking his Gauls with him. After a lot of diplomatic discussion she and Spartacus had agreed that while here the Gauls would maintain a leadership role while here.
Gabrielle sat in an old cell, hunched over a small writing desk she had had the men bring in. A small kick from her unborn child drew her attention away from her work. She lovingly laid both hands over her stomach and gently caressed, wishing more than anything that they had been Xena's hands instead of her own.
She let out a small sigh and put down her quill. In the last week she had gotten word that Marcus' men were in position. The plan had changed to make their final stand in Capua instead of attacking Rome. She had convinced the former slaves that it was because Rome was too heavily fortified and though they would be able to take the city, their casualty count would be too high. In a way it was the truth, but in reality she knew she wouldn't be able to control the men from ransacking the city when they took it; Xena's army was disciplined enough but there was too much bad blood from Spartacus' men. Not that she could blame them, but she couldn't justify the slaughter of so many Romans doing nothing wrong but living in Rome. Capua had been abandoned when they had seen the two armies marching up the road to them. So far she had beaten back assaults from Crassus but he had been quiet. Her spies informed her that he had pulled back and was waiting for Pompey, who was no more than two days away. He had thankfully marched right past Marcus and his troops who were following at a distance.
I really hope you come back in time Xena. Her hands moved over her stomach again. She kept hoping that if she put it back out into the universe that she'd be back before the battle; more importantly to her, Gabrielle hoped with everything she had that Xena would be back before the child was born. She knew it would be any day now. She hadn't slept in what felt like a month and could barely keep her eyes open throughout the day. Her back felt like it had been kicked by a centaur and she couldn't go an hour without finding a bush or latrine.
Her eyes were just starting to close and her chin dropped to her chest when Palemon ran in with Agron, both out of breath and wide eyed despite the late hour. Agron bent over resting his hands between his knees but Palemon clasped his hand to his chest saluting her. Discipline ran deep in Xena's army.
Luckily Xena's troops had fallen under Gabrielle's command without hesitation. There had been some worried looks and mutterings, especially among century leaders but still whenever she gave an order or command they didn't hesitate to obey. Gabrielle had mentioned to Palemon how well trained they were. He had said that though their training was a part of it, they followed so easily because of their respect for her as a leader. That had touched her but she didn't let it show. She did make sure that anytime Rome threw a few troops at them that she had been front and center.
Gabrielle turned her attention to the matter at hand, and gestured for men to speak.
"Commander Gabrielle," Palemon's voice came haltingly over an attempt to catch his breath. "Pompey is here much earlier than expected. He marched in early this morning and it doesn't appear he's stopping." A touch of fear came across his face. "We thought he'd make camp and give Marcus time to catch up but…"
"They just kept marching and Crassus' troops fell in behind him. They're nearly at the camp at the base of the hill." Agron finished, more panicked than Palemon.
Gabrielle nodded. "Well we've got the better position. Pull the base camp up to the top of the hill, behind the last barricade. Leave a detachment of a hundred archers at each camp but tell him to fall back before their overrun, we're trying to thin their numbers not ours."
Agron ran off without reply, already yelling orders as soon as he crossed the threshold. Palemon paused for a moment. Their eyes met and Gabrielle nodded offering a small smile. "As long as we can make it through the day we can win this war."
As soon as Palemon left to relay the orders to her army Gabrielle began to change. She had to have blacksmiths cobble together new armor for her, making sure her stomach was the most protected part of her. She had also outgrown the armor she had started the journey with at least twice now. She tucked her sais into her boots and then paused looking at the wall where Xena's sword hung. She had gone back to pick it off the road and had carried it with her the whole march. For the first time ever she prayed Xena would be here to carry it into this battle. She strapped it to her back and walked out onto the sands of the ludus.
She understood the former brothers hesitation to return to this place. Gabrielle could feel the pain and suffering that had bleed into the very earth they stood on. It left the same feeling in her stomach looking out over the training grounds that she had gotten when they returned to Amphipolis after waking up from the ice. The old redeeming factor was the view. The massive cliffs that dropped off right next the ludus commanded an impressive view. Her eyes focused on a small glare coming from the north trying to make it out. She was about to get closer to the edge when Lykos brought her horse around. With one last glance she rode out for what she hoped would be the final battle for Rome.
Late that evening Gabrielle staggered back into her room in the ludus, covered in dust, sweat and blood. Luckily very little of the blood was hers. She had suffered a minor cut to her bicep but it wasn't even deep enough for stitches. She had just peeled her greaves off when Spartacus ran in and dropped to the ground before her, retying what she had just untied.
"Those bastards tricked us."
She sat stunned. The battle had gone well, they had held their own with minimum casualties until at nearly dusk Marcus men had marched up and surprised the Romans. They had called a hasty retreat and now were entrenched between the two armies. Gabrielle had planned to let them sweat the night and then go and demand surrender. Word was Crassus had been killed and she knew Pompey would rather save his own ass.
"What happened? Did they slip away in the night?" She wouldn't forgive herself if she had let them get away. Then they'd be on the chase and they'd be marched through heavily populated areas.
"No, a third army just joined them. They are camped behind Marcus' men, we have to try to take out Pompey now so Marcus isn't surrounded."
He stood and the two ran out of the room towards the camp. "What army. Rome's thrown all the generals they have at us, everyone else is out in the provinces."
"Not this one. Gabrielle this man slaughtered and enslaved half of Crixus' people. Apparently he left his second Brutus in charge of his main forces but still brought home nearly 8,000 legions."
Gabrielle stopped short, she almost fell over with the change of her center of balance. Spartacus turned around and looked at her. "Did you say Brutus?" Her voice was barely above a whisper and shook with fear.
"Yes, the general's name is…"
"Caesar," they said in unison.
"You've dealt with him before?" Spartacus looked confused. "Xena technically ruled Rome right? So of course you'd know him."
"Xena's empire was too big for her to just rule it all. She tended to let the people rule themselves day to day if they answered to her and paid their tribute on time." She let out a breath that felt like she had been holding it forever. "But yes, we've dealt with Caesar before but… there is no way Xena approved his rise to general. He must have had the senate keep it from her."
"Is he that bad?"
"He's ambitious, and he's brilliant and that Spartacus is one of the most dangerous combinations."
He nodded. "So what do we do?"
"We don't give them till morning. We ride now, take out Pompey. He'll never surrender with Caesar at his back. We have to get word to Marcus, sneak around, join our troops to attack Pompey. He can not get caught between them."
With that a massive cry when out beneath them. There was no mistaking it, it was the sound of a battle. Gabrielle linked her arm around Spartacus in what was the Amazon salute. He looked at her questioningly. "My people do that before battle, pledging a strong nation."
"To a free nation," his voice nearly broke. She put her hand on his shoulder hand then the two turned in unison and ran to join the battle.
There was smoke everywhere, the Roman's had set fire to her camp and Gabrielle tried to scream for a retreat but her voice caught in her throat. It was too scorched to yell. She gave up and ran off to find one of her trumpeters. It didn't take long but he was dead. The instrument still clutched tight in his hands, blood covering the mouth piece showing he had died doing his duty.
Not even having the moment to be sentimental she pulled it from his hands and sounded the retreat order herself. After the battle there would be time to honour him, if she was still alive then. She was glad to see her troops following the orders. Her men helping Spartacus' men along, retreating but still fighting every step of the way. Gabrielle made sure she was the last one up the hill, falling behind the gate in the wall that they had built.
Marcus stood by her, looking apologetic. Luckily Pompey's men had been weakened enough that most of Marcus' troops had been able to fight their way through to the main army. Not enough though. So many had fallen to Caesar's fresh troops that hadn't seen the battle earlier in the day. He came up to her and started to speak but she held up her hand.
"No Marcus, there was nothing you could have done. You played your part perfectly but no one saw Caesar's troops behind you, not all the scouts we had out in the country." She bit her lip a little as she said this and touched her hand to her belt. "You hold no blame in this and you and your men fought so bravely."
She turned from Marcus to all the troops gathered around her. "You all did. You can walk away from today with no shame because only a great army full of the best warriors could be trapped between three Roman armies and still be standing at the end of the day."
"But for how long?" The deep, gruff voice behind her made her back tighten. "You pulled us back here to die in the very place we would have died to never see again. Many of my men would have gladly died to escape here but now you've condemned us to the same fate as if we'd never fought!" He was panting, practically frothing.
"I didn't bring you back up here to die. I brought you back up here to live another day. Attempting to take this villa would be a suicide mission for the Roman's. Have you never heard the story of the 300 Spartans? Their numbers will count for nothing if they march up that hill to take us on up here and we have the high ground. They'd have to be suicidal and crazy to march on us in this position."
Agron looked over her shoulder. "Then they're suicidal because they're coming up now."
She spun to see he was right. Legion after legion squeezed shoulder to shoulder marching steadily up the hill. For a moment Gabrielle lost hope. She drew Xena's sword from her back and turned to face the enemy. In a moment Palemon and Lykos were at her side. She looked down the line and saw the men she had been fighting with for weeks squeeze into a tight formation mimicking her, drawing their weapons and waiting in stony determined silence. A small shuffling to her left drew her attention. Spartacus had stepped between her and Lykos. They held each other's eyes for a moment and then began to move forward.
Just as their lines were about to meet a familiar warcry hit her ears from the bottom of the hill along with the war cries of hundreds of women. Xena had arrived with the Amazons.