Chapter 9

Sofi had been with Xena and Gabrielle for about a month and things seemed to be going fairly well. She had adjusted better than either of them had expected. Gabrielle had been working with her on reading and writing in Greek, which Sofi was very happy with. She had missed reading every night before bed.

With the efforts of the whole tribe, most of the huts had been repaired and were once again livable. Ephinys's was almost complete and ready for them to move their belongings into. Sofi was surprised to find out that she would have her own room within their quarters as most of the huts were only one or two rooms.

Currently Gabrielle was sitting in their tent with Sofi and working on her writing skills. She had struggled with using Gabrielle's ink and quill, so Xena had fashioned a pencil of sorts out of a burnt piece of wood. That seemed to be working out better as Sofi practiced writing out the unfamiliar Greek letters and numbers.

As the two were clearing up and getting ready for the evening meal there was a commotion out in the new village center. Gabrielle looked out the open flap of the tent to see Varia running over.

"Gab! You and Xena are gonna want to come see this!"

"What's going on?"

"Just come see!" She exclaimed with a grin. "You're never gonna believe it!"

"Okay," Gabrielle laughed. "Well Xena's over at Sara's right now."

"I'll go get her!" Sofi piped up.

Gabrielle smiled, "Thank you sweetie."

As it turned out, Xena was already headed that way and the three met there.

"Any idea what's going on?"

"Nope!" Gabrielle replied. "Varia came running in all excited about something. Said we both had to come see for ourselves."

Shortly thereafter a rider carrying an Amazon short sword was lead into the village center by two young guards.

"By the gods!" Gabrielle gasped.

Blue eyes suddenly swam with unshed tears and wide with undisguised surprise. "Eve!"

The brown haired woman slid from her horse and reached out for the warrior. "Mother!"

Xena wrapped her arms around Eve in a crushing embrace. "I can't believe it!"

"How did you know we were here?" Gabrielle asked as she took her turn greeting the young woman.

"Divine intervention!" Eve laughed.

Xena grabbed her daughter again and gave her another hug, kissing her cheek. "I'm so happy to see you." She whispered.

"Me too Mom."

They were interrupted by Varia, "As much as I am glad to see you, my friend...I am starving! Let's go get something to eat!"

Gabrielle had told me all about who Eve was and for some reason she didn't look like anything I had pictured in my mind. I knew she was champion for peace and the sword she carried threw me.

"She's a formidable warrior in her own right." She'd told me.

"I have to admit, your presence here isn't my only reason for this visit." Eve began. "I came across a group of women in the last encampment I was in, they seemed to be just tagging along unable to find a place to call their own."

Varia nodded, "We do need more women in the village…" She paused for a moment. "Are you sure they are willing to come here and completely change their ways of life?"

"Absolutely!" Eve was encouraged by Varia's possible acceptance of the women which she spoke of. "I have told them everything I know about the Amazons and life here."

Resisting the urge to raise my hand, I asked quietly, "Are there any girls my age?"

Eve smiled back at me, "I do believe so. In fact there's one girl who has been abused and needs a good home. I was hoping that maybe the Amazons would be willing to take her in?" She looked at Gabrielle with a hopeful gaze before continuing. "She wouldn't be able to fight like a warrior but I'm sure she could definitely be a productive member of the tribe."

"I'm sure she'd be just fine around here." Varia nodded. "How old is she?"

"Her name is Mya and she's about twelve, I think she said."

Varia nodded, "I'm sure that we can find a place for her here."

"Oh thank you!" Eve beamed. "The poor girl has struggled all her short life. She only wants to be loved and cared for."

"We'll have to call a Council meeting but it should all work out."

I listened to the adults talking for a while, excited that Eve would be bringing other girls here. Hopefully one that was closer to my age and maybe that I could be friends with. I had discovered, shortly after coming here, that all of the other girls here were either too old or too young.

I had been excited to really meet Eve and to get to know her. It would be like having a big sister of sorts, something I'd never had before. We had finished with the evening meal and were returning to our tent when someone called out to Xena.

"Let me go see what she needs," she said, kissing Gabrielle on the head. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Before bed?"

She smiled at me and ruffled my hair, "I'll try, little one."

It was finally moving day, I was excited and nervous at the same time. It had been a long while since I had slept in a room all alone. But both Xena and Gabrielle said it would be okay. Trying to be helpful, I ran back and forth between the new hut and the tent we'd been sleeping in. Grabbing my blankets from the cot, I turned to head back when I was stopped.

"You can take more than one item at a time, Sofi." Gabrielle scolded and I felt my face flush red.

"Sorry Gab, I guess I'm just a little bit too excited."

Gabrielle smiled, "It's okay little one, I am too. We're almost done here. And then we can arrange things over there how we want them."

I nodded, "Alright." I picked up a bag on the floor and tossed it over my shoulder. "Anything else?"

"No," she shook her head. "Xe will be back in a moment and she'll help with the rest."

"Okay."

Back over at the hut, I dropped my stuff on the floor and looked around. There was a big fire place against the far wall with a door leading to the bigger sleeping room that would be Xena and Gabrielle's. Mine was a little ways down from theirs and had a smaller fireplace across from my new bed.

Suddenly I heard a noise coming from the window behind me, I spun around and crouched in a fighting stance ready to defend myself if need be.

"Whoa little one!" Xena stood there with an appraising look on her face. "It's only me."

I relaxed and shook my head at the woman in front of me. "Xena…"

"What?" She laughed. "I was trying to catch Gabrielle off guard, not you little one. But I noticed you had a quick reaction."

Hmmm…how to explain my modern martial arts training to someone when they don't exist yet in this time era.

"Well, I was taught how to defend myself by an instructor."

She nodded, "Well…. you'll have to show me sometime soon, huh?"

I smiled, "I can do that!"

Just then, Gabrielle came through the main doorway. "Xena!" She scolded, "I was waiting for you!"

She gave the bard a sheepish look, "Whoops! Sorry Gab."

"Evening meal will be ready here soon so we need to finish things up so we can go eat." Her stomach growled at that exact moment.

"Sounds like you're already hungry, Gabrielle."

"After we eat," Xena sat down on one of the chairs. "We'll need to go gather some firewood for the night before we go over to the main fire for a while."

Gabrielle sighed, "There's a short council meeting after we eat but it shouldn't take too long."

"That's okay, Sofi and I can handle it, right little one?"

"Sure!"

Gabrielle sat in the council meeting listening to the Elders discuss Eve's proposal. A few of them were unsurprisingly opposed to the idea of allowing strangers into their home.

"Our numbers are way too low for us to not take them in!" Varia argued. "And besides, since when do we turn away those in need?"

"The Queen is right," Shilpa shook her head, "We have lost too many, Trina. We need them as much as they need us."

Trina thought about it for a moment before taking a long breath and nodding her head. Those few who were originally against granting the women asylum, nodded their agreement.

"Finally," Varia grumbled to herself before raising her voice. "All in favor?"

A chorus of 'ayes' rang out. "Any opposed?"

She looked around the room one final time, pleased that there weren't any nay-sayers; "Good."

The bard sighed in relief, she had been worried that the Elders would end up disagreeing entirely. Sending a grateful look over to Varia, she headed out to join her family at the main fire.

I laid there in my room listening to all different sounds around me. It was strange being in my own room again, laying in a bed. I had gotten used to sleeping on a pallet across the tent from Xena and Gabrielle. The fire crackled and popped, heating up my room just enough to take the chill out. I could hear the two of them talking quietly out in the big room. Even though it had been a long day, I couldn't sleep. Tossing the blanket off, I climbed from my bed and quietly walked out to the main room.

"What's the matter, little one?" Xena asked quietly. "Can't sleep?"

I shook my head, "Uh uh."

"Did you have a bad dream?" Gabrielle pulled me up onto her lap. "Or did something scare you?"

"No," I sighed. "I guess I'm a little freaked out sleeping by myself."

"Hmm, I thought maybe." Gabrielle pulled me in closer and started rocking back and forth, humming softly. Whether it was the heat coming from the fire or the gentle motion, I wasn't sure but I felt my eyes closing against my will. "Shh...don't fight it sweetheart."

At some point, I realized that Xena was carrying me into my room to put me back to bed. I looked up at her through sleep filled eyes, "G'night Mama."

"Sweet dreams, Little One."

"Bri….she called me 'mama'…" Xena spoke quietly, while the two of them were settling into bed themselves after making sure all the fires were taken care of for the night.

"She did?" Gabrielle smiled. "Maybe you remind her of her own mother."

"Sofi did say a while ago that I looked like her relatives."

"It's a good thing, Xe." The bard snuggled up with her warrior as she yawned, "Don't worry so much."