Chapter Sixteen: A Face with Many Masks

Well, y'all are probably going to hate me, but I'm extending the story by another chapter yet again! I didn't want to ruin the flow! I didn't expect this to happen lol.

Xena was alive. She is here right now.

At that moment, when the truth was revealed, Gabrielle felt like retching all over the floor. She worked so hard to get rid of that woman back in Rome. And now she comes to find out that Xena wasn't dead at all. For the rest of the day, Gabrielle sat in the shop, unable to process anything.

The women weren't concerned about her well-being. If Zenodorus was here, he'd surely ask if she was alright, but these women were different. Gabrielle observed that the female artists didn't show any malice towards Xena. They didn't fear her like the Romans did.

There were so many questions that Gabrielle had. Was Xena here in Edirne this entire time? Did she send an imposter to Rome? Was Gabrielle being watched by Xena the whole time? Did Xena know who she was? Had she come in contact with her while in Rome, or was Gabrielle hunted by the imposter?

Who attacked her? Was it Xena or somebody else? Did Xena actually come into the workshop looking for her? This was all a game, a very sick game, Gabrielle might add. If she didn't feel hunted before, she certainly felt hunted now.

She came to Edirne with the idea in mind that she was working for Augusta Sabina. Now that she came to find out that Sabina wasn't the one who sent her here at all, wracked her nerves. Or maybe Sabina didn't send her here. Perhaps it was Nero who asked her to come to Edirne because he thought Xena was dead.

If Xena wasn't the person who Gabrielle killed, then who was it? Was it the imposter? Or maybe these artists didn't know that Xena was dead at all. The imposter could be posing as Xena in Edirne.

No, that didn't make a lick of sense, Gabrielle thought. Xena had to be alive because the artists mentioned that she came by the shop just yesterday. If that were true, then the woman posing as Xena was burned on that pyre in Rome. Emperor Nero was so arrogant to think he could eradicate Xena.

Xena is highly intelligent. Gabrielle knew this to be true.

Thinking back at the riot in Rome, Gabrielle began to stitch the quilt of lies together. Xena wasn't stupid enough to reveal herself to be assassinated. She would've known people were out to kill her from the moment she set foot on Roman soil.

Yes, of course, that had to be it. Xena knew she was going to be murdered, so she sent someone else in her place. She wanted the world to think she was dead. That only gave Xena more time to devise a new plan to attack Nero again. That riot was a simple ploy to reveal the assailant set to kill her.

Gabrielle barely escaped death that day. She had the scar on her arm to prove it.

After going through all the scenarios in her head numerous times, she didn't come to a reasonable conclusion of what was true and what was false. She couldn't believe anything anymore. She felt she underestimated Xena. They all underestimated her.

Being stuck in a foreign land where she didn't know anybody put her in a terrible predicament. She most likely was lured here by the woman she was supposed to get rid of, yet here she was. She was the one who was going to be killed now.

Gabrielle thought of the worst possible scenario, which didn't make her feel any better. She begged for her first day in Edirne to end. She didn't even want to go to the villa where she was assigned to stay in.

When she entered the villa that evening, she checked behind every door. It was a nice place, and perhaps she could appreciate it more if it didn't belong to Xena. She was on Xena's turf now. Gabrielle was unfamiliar with her surroundings, and she doubted that she was going to be given a chance to explore. It wouldn't help anyway.

By the time it was time to lay her head on the pillow, Gabrielle's senses were heightened at every minuscule sound. The leaves rustling outside caused her to flinch, and the young men walking out late at night, throwing stones at the neighboring villa, made her heart race.

That's it. She decided she wasn't going to stay here. She just couldn't do it. This was a death sentence. She wasn't brave enough to play Xena's game. This was way out of her league.

Leaving wouldn't be easy, and it could be impossible, but she was willing to take that chance.

The following morning, Gabrielle strolled through the streets of Edirne, cautiously eyeing every woman passing by her. The description of Xena back in Rome could be wrong. Zenodorus claimed to have seen and even talked to Xena.

Xena wasn't so bold as to show her face. Gabrielle knew that now. That woman that Zenodorus met couldn't have been Xena. It was the stand-in. The image of the woman that she killed, that woman she thought was Xena, was burned into her mind.

Those lifeless hazel eyes staring right back at her. The olive-toned skin, long silky dark hair, narrow nose, and chiseled cheekbones. That was the image Gabrielle thought was to be Xena, but it wasn't. This meant that Xena didn't look like that at all. She could be blonde for all Gabrielle knew.

Gabrielle clutched the veil close to her chest and narrowed her eyes. Staring at all the women in the square, she took a mental note of their appearance. Most had dark hair and fair skin. Only a few people here had golden hair like her.

Her mind kept reverting back to the hazel-eyed woman she murdered. She didn't assassinate Xena. She killed an innocent woman. That made her sick in of itself. There was something odd she realized, now that Gabrielle was able to process everything. That woman was fairly young. Gabrielle was probably around the same age as her.

Xena couldn't have been that young. She had to be older, especially since she established herself as the ruler over this sovereign province. That took a lot of time and dedication, not to mention self-perseverance. Xena must be a middle-aged woman by now. Not too old, not too young.

Gabrielle then scanned her surroundings, eyeing every single woman who didn't fit the description. She weeded out every young woman in the crowd. Xena must be tall, or at least Gabrielle thought she would be. There weren't many tall women here, and the few that were didn't fit the description.

Chewing on her cuticles, she felt a hand grab her shoulder from behind. Gabrielle squealed and turned to one of the artists.

"I'm sorry," she exhaled, "I didn't know you were standing there."

The only woman who spoke to her yesterday, named Fatma, seemed kind enough. She looked younger than Gabrielle, in fact, she looked younger than most of the artists in the shop altogether.

"I was going to buy some fruit. Would you like to come with me? I saw you walking alone earlier," Fatma said.

Gabrielle put a hand over her chest and smiled nervously. She walked with Fatma through the crowd, very wary of her surroundings. Several women passed by her, bumping her shoulders, which she thought was done on purpose, but her nerves got the best of her.

"How was your first night in Edirne?"

Gabrielle blinked, caught off guard by the question.

"Oh, umm, I didn't sleep very well." That was definitely an understatement. If only Fatma knew the nightmare she was stuck in.

"You'll learn to like it here. I'm sure life was different back in Rome. You said you did work for Augusta Sabina."

"Yes…"

"What is she like? Everyone always gossips about her, but I can't really believe any of it."

Gabrielle looked over her shoulder and rubbed the scar on her throat. "Umm, she's probably everything you would expect her to be."

"Conceited?"

"Oh, definitely!" Gabrielle chuckled nervously.

"Is she attractive?"

Gabrielle didn't want to talk about the Augusta, because she was too focused on Xena. She felt a pair of eyes were watching her every move since she arrived. She couldn't let her guard down now, but would Xena really strike in broad daylight? Why wouldn't she? Xena was capable of doing anything.

"She is, but her rotten attitude makes her less attractive, especially if you talk to her all day like I do."

Fatma smiled, nodding her head. She picked out a few decent sized apples and walked with Gabrielle back to the shop. She slung her bag over her shoulder and noticed that Gabrielle was a bit distant. She didn't want to call attention to it just yet, but the women they worked with weren't always easy to get along with. They gave Gabrielle the cold shoulder yesterday.

Once inside the shop, Gabrielle tried to seem less anxious than yesterday. She knew not to say hello to these women as they would just ignore her, but today they were more friendly towards her. A few of the women actually greeted her.

She sat down in the spot she claimed yesterday and stared at the blank canvases spread across the table. Frowning, she didn't think she could muster up the courage to paint today. She wanted to gather information on Xena while she had the chance.

She walked over to the table in the back of the room and laid out her brushes. Fatma was busy cleaning the fruit she just purchased, and her eyes drifted over to the brush set Gabrielle had.

"Those are very nice," she said.

Gabrielle lifted her head and emit a soft smile. "Thank you."

"They look expensive. You must be treated very well in Rome," Fatma smiled, setting the washed fruit in a bowl. "You should keep those away from the others. They will be jealous."

"Really?" Gabrielle suddenly felt the need to protect her prized paintbrushes.

Fatma laughed, "they won't steal your brushes, Gabrielle!"

"Oh…" her cheeks tinged pink.

"Stealing is against the law here. If you steal, you get your hands chopped off."

The color in Gabrielle's face drained, and then after a few silent moments passed, Fatma snuffed a laugh. Gabrielle tried to smile and find the situation amusing like Fatma did, but her loss of limbs wasn't all she had to worry about.

"That was a joke."

"Ah…I see."

Fatma raised an eyebrow. "You seem a bit on edge. Is it the women? They're not that friendly, I know, but don't worry, I'm sure you'll fit in soon."

"No, it's not them." Though, she wished it was that simple. "You said that Xena –the Conqueror," her breath hitched, "came by yesterday. Does she stroll the city often?"

"Well, I didn't see her. She sent her envoy out into the city, that's how I know she was here."

Gabrielle furrowed her eyebrows. "Her envoy?"

Fatma nodded. "The Conqueror doesn't actually come out of her home," she whispered, "I don't know if she ever leaves her home, but I heard she strolls the city incognito."

Oh great. So, she's a master of disguise at all times, Gabrielle concluded.

"You mean to tell me that you don't even know what she looks like?"

Fatma shook her head, unaffected by the oddity of the question.

"That isn't strange to you?"

Xena, what sort of woman are you? You hide even in front of your own people. Is this how you instill fear into everyone around you? Is this why Rome was so fearful of you? Because they couldn't see you?

Gabrielle was beginning to become more and more confused by Xena's approach to life. Everything Xena did was a secret, but she exposed herself so openly that nobody gave a second thought about it. Gabrielle's original idea of Xena being in Edirne the entire time didn't seem so far-fetched now.

"Does everyone in the Roman Empire know what your Emperor and Empress look like?" Fatma asked.

"Well, no, but –"

"My point exactly."

Gabrielle huffed. "That isn't the same. You live in the same city as Xena –I mean, the Conqueror! Everyone in Rome knows what Augusta Sabina looks like. She walks around all the time, yet you can't put a face to your leader's name."

Fatma could see the anger seething through Gabrielle.

"You sound like you really hate the Conqueror."

"I…I don't know her. I don't hate her."

"She's not a terrible leader, Gabrielle. She treats us well here, but I wouldn't want to be on her bad side. I heard that she executed a few people last year who didn't pay their taxes."

Gabrielle's eyes enlarged. That was going to be her if she didn't leave this place.

Normally, she wouldn't be painting right now. She would've been out in the city, scouting and searching for clues. Gabrielle managed to put her mind at ease and finally pick up a paintbrush. She sat for hours, painting the image of the city she absorbed so far.

This was the only way she could get herself to relax. She wouldn't mind slugging down an entire bottle of wine right about now. While humming, trying to paint, her tranquility was interrupted by Fatma hitting her lightly on the thigh.

"There she is," Fatma whispered.

Gabrielle spun around in the chair so quickly that she nearly toppled over. She searched in the crowd and frowned.

"Where?"

Fatma pointed to a woman with quaffed chestnut-colored hair, wearing a black and gold robe draped over her willowy pants. Gabrielle raised an eyebrow, studying the way the woman was talking to the citizens.

"That's her envoy."

Ah, so this is the woman that Xena sends out to spy on the public. This meant that Xena probably wasn't far. You're hiding in the crowd, aren't you? Gabrielle wanted to go outside and scout the area for herself, but that would just make her a target. If Gabrielle was correct, Xena already knew she was here, and she probably saw her walking in the square this morning.

Gabrielle inhaled sharply when she saw the brunette walking towards the shop. She swiveled in the chair and pretended to act busy. Fatma averted her gaze and dipped her head downward, suddenly finding herself very busy rummaging in her satchel.

All the chatter in the shop quieted down as soon as Erva walked inside. She smiled at everyone and waltzed around leisurely, inspecting all of the work painted on the canvases. She halted in front of Gabrielle.

Gabrielle kept her eyes glued to her canvas and gripped the brush tightly until her knuckles turned white.

"Hello," Erva said aloud. "You must be new here. I don't recognize you."

"Ah…" she lifted her eyes, staring at the thin brunette. "I just arrived yesterday."

"Where from?"

"Rome."

Erva nodded, "a very nice city, I'm sure. And what is your name?"

"Don't you already know…" she muttered.

Fatma's mouth parted slightly, gaping at Gabrielle, worried for her safety. There was a certain confused look about Erva, yet she remained composed in front of everybody. Nobody else in the room heard the conversation and continued talking.

Gabrielle lifted her eyes and stood up from the chair. She grabbed her bag and left the shop in a hurry. Erva stood, folded her arms, and cocked her head as she continued staring at the petite blonde walking through the streets.

"She has a temper," Erva said.

Fatma smiled anxiously. "I'll go with her…just to make sure she doesn't get lost."

She couldn't stay in that workshop anymore. She needed to get out of there. That woman was supposedly Xena's spy who commonly walked the streets of Edirne. It was clear that everything that woman did anything Xena wanted. These were orders directly from her.

Gabrielle was being spied on from the moment she arrived in Edirne. Xena was watching her from afar. That woman was Xena's eyes and ears. Xena was a woman who operated from behind closed doors. Gabrielle was slowly beginning to figure out just what type of woman Xena was. She was secretive, maybe a bit paranoid, cunning, and someone who was always a step ahead of everybody else.

It was no wonder that Rome feared her. She was a phantom in the world, yet she was very open to her intentions and acted without consequence. She had plenty of chances to be caught in Rome, but she planned meticulously so she would continue to hide in the shadows.

Gabrielle was no longer a mercenary right now. She wasn't hunting her prey anymore. She became the prey. It wasn't sheer chance that brought Xena's envoy into the shop. Clearly, Gabrielle's identity was known to the woman.

She was in the eye of the storm now. Gabrielle was inside Xena's territory, yet she was still alive. Xena hid from the public's eye, and she had no intention of showing her true self to anyone, not even to Gabrielle.

Fatma ran through the streets, circling around the square. Heaving, she finally spotted the small blonde wandering through the streets openly. Grunting, Fatma pushed her way through the crowd and shoved a few men who cursed at her under their breaths.

"Gabrielle!" she yelled, waving her hand.

She turned around at her name being shouted. Rolling her eyes, Gabrielle continued walking. She wasn't going to go back there as long as Xena's eyes were watching her every move. If Xena was out in the crowd, Gabrielle wouldn't know where to look or what to look for. She was lost.

"Gabrielle, stop!"

Fatma caught the blonde's arm, and with her chest rising and falling, she showed a small grin. "Why'd you run off like that? I don't want you to get lost, so I followed you."

"I can't go back in there."

"Why not?" Fatma coughed, barely able to catch her breath. "Are you worried about the Conqueror's envoy? She's harmless. She's never armed."

That bit of information wasn't of any use to Gabrielle. It didn't make her feel safe, but in actuality, her safety was always an issue, even back in Rome. But, at least in Rome, she could run and hide. Here in Edirne, she had no place to run or hide.

"We should head back now. I have a lot of work to do, and a client of mine is coming this afternoon."

Fatma held out her hand, and Gabrielle sighed, staring at the shop from afar. She couldn't play this game forever, but so far, Xena had to have known of her whereabouts. She was still alive. That was a good thing, but being continuously watched was bound to affect her sleep.

"Alright."

It was a relatively quiet night. Xena stood on the south balcony of her home, watching the city wind-down for the day. Her fortress was situated in a secluded part of the city, settled in the crevice in between two mountains. Her home was by no means the same size as Nero's lavish palace, but it was significantly larger than every other place in Edirne.

She did own several other villas across the provinces that she stayed in when she traveled. One being a villa that she allowed Varinia and Evander to reside in. At one point in time, she didn't always live so far from civilization. After Emperor Tiberius raided her territory, she moved away from the heart of Edirne.

Ever since then, her home was guarded and protected by mountains. The rough terrain made it incredibly difficult for enemies to ambush her. Sometimes she missed living close to her people. They used to see her regularly, but ever since her home was continuously raided, she chose to protect herself and relocate.

She was on such high alert that someone was going to attack her, or kill her, that she refused to walk in the city unaccompanied. Living alone for such a long time had damaged her in a sense. She never thought one could suffer so much from loneliness, but she found that out recently when she returned to an empty home.

At least, when Gölge lived here, she had someone to talk to daily. Now, she had nobody here, aside from the help, and they rarely uttered a word to her, perhaps out of fear.

Lingering on the balcony longer than expected, Xena turned around and jumped at Erva standing in the center of the room. She grumbled and frowned, grabbing the cup of water that had gone stale.

"Why are you standing there like that? You scared me."

Erva half-smiled. "I scared you? That's a first. You must be very distracted."

Xena held the water in her mouth, narrowing her eyes at the woman. She swallowed and set the cup on the table, then walked around the chambermaid.

"What do you want?"

Erva said over her shoulder, "I found her. She is in the shop with the others."

Xena paused, gawking at the hairbrush in her hand. She gripped the handle and sat down in front of the mirror, combing through her long locks. Her eyes locked onto Erva's reflection behind her and spoke coolly.

"And has she been staying in the home I provided?"

"Yes," Erva nervously twiddled her thumbs. "She knows I work for you. I think one of the women told her who I am."

Xena smirked, "those women and their big mouths."

She set the hairbrush down and swiveled to meet Erva's dark eyes. Smiling, she draped her arm over the back of the chair.

"Eylül Bastillia is behind on her taxes again. I have a favor to ask of her. If she does this for me, then I will…" she swayed her hand, "forgive her debt."

Erva rolled her eyes, "Xena, that woman is unbearable. I absolutely do not want to deal with her."

"This is an offer that she can't refuse. She is up to her neck in debt," Xena grinned cheekily. "I think you can put your differences aside just this once."

Disliking Eylül Bastillia was an understatement. Erva hated talking to that pompous woman and actively avoided her. She never understood why the woman never paid her dues to Xena on time, considering her family was one of the wealthiest in Edirne.

Erva contemplated for a minute, even though she knew she couldn't refuse any orders. She desperately wanted to run from this impending disaster.

"Okay, but you owe me."

Three days passed since her arrival, and Gabrielle was starting to feel more at ease. She kept her ears and eyes open, but she hadn't seen anything out of the ordinary. That ugly feeling of being watched slowly dissipated as the days went by.

She was able to talk to the artists more, and though some of them were very prudish, she tried her best to act civil towards them. Her new-found friend, Fatma, was willing to show her around Edirne. Gabrielle was looking forward to scoping the city out, and it was rather large from her understanding. It was probably larger than Rome.

Outside the shop, just half-passed noon, Gabrielle sat with Fatma, eating apples, bread, and an assortment of dried fish. Gabrielle steer-cleared of the fish, but she enjoyed the apples. They were lusher than Rome's apples by far.

Fatma kept drinking small doses of wine, and Gabrielle couldn't think to drink that dangerous liquid so early in the day. The last time she drank Edirne wine, she was laid up in bed for two days with a mean headache and rolling stomach.

"How can you drink that stuff?" she asked.

Fatma lowered the cup from her lips and said sheepishly, "it tastes good?"

No doubt about that, but just smelling the wine made Gabrielle want to hurl. She had to turn away. As she scored the apple, she lifted her head and noticed a group of people parting a path for somebody, or rather, an entourage of people.

Emerging from the human pathway, a woman wearing a dark burgundy long-sleeved dress came walking through. She also donned an elaborate black and gold headdress decorated with gold beads that lay nicely across her forehead.

Gabrielle chewed on the fruit, raising a curious eyebrow. "Who's that?"

Fatma swallowed the last bit of wine and turned to see what her friend was talking about. She gasped, almost choking in the process. She fisted her chest and let out a throaty cough.

"What?" Gabrielle began to panic. "What is it?"

Hurriedly, Fatma began putting away the bottle of wine and stuffed the apples into her bag. She looked up and saw the entourage approaching the workshop. She grabbed Gabrielle's hand and darted back into the shop.

"Fatma!"

"She's coming!" Fatma announced to the artists. "Eylül Bastillia is coming!"

Everyone began to hurry and clean their stations while Gabrielle stood, watching the women scatter and scurry about. She crossed her arms, chuckling under her breath. Apparently, this Bastillia woman was a force to be reckoned with.

Suddenly the room fell silent, and all the women paused. Gabrielle swiped a thumb across her nose, giggling. She turned around and gasped, bumping into Eylül Bastillia. Her eyes drifted upward, examining the woman's soft pale features. She doesn't look that frightening, Gabrielle thought.

"Good day," Gabrielle greeted, smiling from ear to ear. She couldn't stop herself from expressing her inner feelings. She wanted to laugh so badly.

Eylül frowned and inspected the messy workshop. "Good day to you too," she said in her thick accent. "I want a commission for my home," she announced.

All of the women began making their way back to their stations. They all hung their heads, unwilling to work for the woman. Gabrielle could finally laugh now that this woman's back was turned. She clapped a hand over her mouth, inwardly laughing at how fearful these artists were.

Eylül heard the soft chuckles and spun around, glaring at Gabrielle, who cleared her throat, biting her lower lip.

This woman was like a Steppe version of Augusta Sabina. Gabrielle knew her type so well. She didn't know if it was the lack of sleep or nerves getting to her, but she wanted to burst into laughter again. Eylül had such a look of disdain about her.

"You," she pointed to Gabrielle and sauntered over. "Can you paint well?"

Gabrielle licked her arid lips. "Yes, I work for Augusta Sabina in Rome. I've painted dozens of portraits for her."

"Fascinating," Eylül emit a sneer of a grin. "Tomorrow, you will come to my villa. No need to bring your supplies. I have plenty."

Well, this was unexpected. Gabrielle suddenly didn't find this situation amusing anymore. Now, she had a new client to work with, and judging by the artists' reactions, she wasn't an easy woman to please.

Bastillia exited quickly, and Fatma ran over to her friend, nudging her arm.

"Gabrielle, I wish you the best of luck! Eylül is the most difficult client in Edirne!"

"I gathered that…"

The following morning, Gabrielle woke up earlier than usual. It didn't really matter because she could hardly sleep anyway. Yesterday she was given an address to go to, and she thought it strange that she didn't have to bring any supplies with her, but this wasn't Rome.

Before the city was up and running, Gabrielle wandered the streets, looking for her destination. She wasn't given very explicit directions and had to ask a few people for guidance along the way. The weather here was a lot colder at the start of autumn than Rome. She realized she should've brought a shawl or light coat with her.

About two hours since leaving her temporary home, she came to stand outside a large villa decorated with ivy on the walls. There weren't any people to greet her, so she allowed herself in. Walking through the tall archway, she peeked around the corner and nervously dove further into the large building.

Gabrielle stopped in the middle of an atrium and spotted two people sparring with swords in an adjoining room. She raised an eyebrow and quietly entered the room, watching the spar from a fair distance.

One of the fencers was clearly a woman judging by her lean physique. Gabrielle ran her fingers along the strap of her satchel, genuinely intrigued by the mock fight. The male counterpart was having a difficult time keeping up. Both had masks covering their faces, and Gabrielle assumed that it was for mere protection.

The woman met her counterpart's height and easily knocked him down with a swift swipe of her leg. She knocked him off his feet, and he fell to the ground with an audible thud. She pointed the end of her thin blade to his throat, and then he raised his hands for surrender, dropping his sword.

Gabrielle clapped her hands, and the two turned their heads at the echoing claps. She nodded and then wrapped her arms around her, feeling a bit out of place here. The two fencers said nothing to her, and her cheeks reddened with embarrassment.

The male swordsman was helped off the floor, and he walked over to Gabrielle. He extended the sword to her to which she gawked at in bemusement.

"She wants to spar with you," he told her, whipping the mask off his head.

Gabrielle's stomach knotted. "Me?"

She began to think she came to the wrong place. She was supposed to paint for this Bastillia woman. Was she the one wearing the mask? Why would she ask her to do such an odd thing?

"I –I, you must have the wrong person. I'm here to paint. I –"

He shoved the sword into her chest and walked off.

Gabrielle fumbled and grabbed the blade before it dropped to the floor. She stared at the masked woman, twirling the sword around in the air. She set her bag on the floor and gripped the hilt of the sword, taking in a deep breath.

The female fencer waved her hand, gesturing for Gabrielle to come forth. Gabrielle walked down the four steps cautiously. She stood a few feet away and raised the sword with both hands. She studied the woman's stance of bent knees and elbows, holding the sword with one hand.

In less than a second, a sword thrust towards her face, and Gabrielle swiftly turned to evade the attack. The edge of the blade sliced her sleeve open and drew blood on her left bicep. She gasped and looked at the trickling blood seeping through her tunic's sleeve.

Gabrielle was barely given enough time to recover when the blade jumped forward again. She inhaled and curved her back, evading the tip of the blade nearly ramming right through her midsection. She wasn't skilled enough to handle one-on-one combat like this. It was one of the skills she had as a mercenary –to kill blindly –to stab people in the back when they least expected it.

She took a sharp inhale and turned to the right. Her opponent's sword slit her sleeve open. The sleeve attached her tunic fell to the floor. Now her entire right arm was exposed bare.

Their swords clashed, and Gabrielle bit her bottom lip. Her body was slowly lowering to the floor with the immense amount of weight applied to the sword atop of hers. She kicked her opponent in the shin and was able to take a few paces backward to compose herself.

She peered down at her right arm. There was blood drawn beneath the scar she obtained back in Rome.

"Your wound has healed nicely."

Gabrielle's heart stopped, and a chilling shiver traveled up her spine.