Gabrielle: Warrior Princess
Chapter 11
"The day that I finally knew that I was about to become a mother . . .no, no, no! It's terrible!" Gabrielle exclaimed, trying to write a new scroll. She couldn't get the words out right. She sighed and looked at Midnight. The horse was tethered to a post on this clear dark night. Gabrielle looked into the fire, and then down at her belly. "Can you help me? Of course not. You probably can't hear me."
Gabrielle smiled softly and rubbed her belly. She laid back on her bedroll, put her scroll and quill to the side and stared up at the beautiful stars. The cosmos. She closed her eyes and the silence of the night lulled her into a sleep filled with dreams of her friendship with Xena.
"It was just another village to conquer-- nothing out of the ordinary. The fire broke out-- and I don't know if it was one of my men or just an accident, but, there was a strong wind, and-- those flames just _swept_ through that town like a wave of death. But the people were huddled in their houses, 'cause they were afraid of my army. That was one time when my army was responsible for the death of women and children. And there was just a handful of survivors; obviously, Callisto was one of them."
"You know, she'll do anything for revenge."
"I don't blame her."
"Uh-- I do. When will this end? Look at Melas. I know that he's a good man, but, this hate is making him an obsessed killer. Somebody has to say no to this lust for revenge."
"That is so hard to do."
"You did it! When your village was destroyed, you were-- infected with bloodlust. But you overcame it!" X: "I was lucky. I saw what I'd become, and I was able to turn around. But if something happened to Mother, or Hercules, or you-- I might do just the same."
"No-- no look, you promise me. If something happens to me, you will not become a monster. There's only one way to end this cycle of hatred, and it's through love-- and forgiveness."
"Don't you go changing, Gabrielle. I like you just the way you are. Go get some sleep."
"No-- no, you promise me."
"I promise. Go-- go on."
X: "I'm so happy for you."
G: "I'm gonna miss you-- so much."
"Hey, it's not like we'll never see one another again. I'll visit you all the time."
"You promise?"
"I'll be knocking on your door so often, you'll be sick of me."
"Hmm-- never."
"You'll follow your heart-- and don't worry about me."
"You're part of my heart."
"Xena, do you remember what you told me when-- when Perdicus asked me to marry him? You said that seeing me happy would make you happy. I feel the same way."
"Gabrielle, you've been so good for me. I don't think I would ever have let myself feel the way I feel now about Ulysses if it wasn't for you teaching me how to love."
"Help me."
"Hey. Hey. I'm here."
"Xena."
"Yes?"
"You've got to take me with you-- teach me everything you know. You can't leave me here in Poteidaia. I wanna go with you. I've studied the stars-- spoken with philosophers-- and I have the gift of prophecy. I can be very valuable to you. Take me with you. I want so much to be like you."
"And I want to be like you."
"I made you leave the way of love. It was my fault."
"I had a choice-- to do nothing or save my friend. I chose the way of friendship."
"I'm sorry for all the times I didn't treat you right."
"Xena-- you've brought out the best in me. Before I met you-- no one saw me for who I was. I felt-- invisible. But you saw all the things that I could be. You saved me, Xena."
"I wish, um-- "
"What?"
"-- that I had 'a read your scrolls just once."
"You would have liked them."
"I know."
"Gabrielle-- if I only had 30 seconds to live-- this is how I'd want to live them-- looking into your eyes."
"Stop this. Stop it."
"Always remember, I love you."
"Why would you teach me this right now? I don't understand!"
"There's nothing to understand. I just wanted you to know everything I know. Let's go. We got a battle to win."
In the morning, Gabrielle awoke to the sound of hooves beating hard on the ground. She looked up to see that Midnight was spooked. She grabbed the chakram and stood. She waited in a silent stance.
"Yah!" a man yelled. Gabrielle listened. She could hear a soft whistling. Her eyes grew wide and she reached out, catching an arrow in her hands, just before it hit her stomach. She did a flip into the air, knocking the man from his horse. She did the pinch on him.
"You've got 30 seconds to tell me why you're here."
"You . . ." he gasped. "You're the new warrior princess. You must die."
Chapter 11
"The day that I finally knew that I was about to become a mother . . .no, no, no! It's terrible!" Gabrielle exclaimed, trying to write a new scroll. She couldn't get the words out right. She sighed and looked at Midnight. The horse was tethered to a post on this clear dark night. Gabrielle looked into the fire, and then down at her belly. "Can you help me? Of course not. You probably can't hear me."
Gabrielle smiled softly and rubbed her belly. She laid back on her bedroll, put her scroll and quill to the side and stared up at the beautiful stars. The cosmos. She closed her eyes and the silence of the night lulled her into a sleep filled with dreams of her friendship with Xena.
"It was just another village to conquer-- nothing out of the ordinary. The fire broke out-- and I don't know if it was one of my men or just an accident, but, there was a strong wind, and-- those flames just _swept_ through that town like a wave of death. But the people were huddled in their houses, 'cause they were afraid of my army. That was one time when my army was responsible for the death of women and children. And there was just a handful of survivors; obviously, Callisto was one of them."
"You know, she'll do anything for revenge."
"I don't blame her."
"Uh-- I do. When will this end? Look at Melas. I know that he's a good man, but, this hate is making him an obsessed killer. Somebody has to say no to this lust for revenge."
"That is so hard to do."
"You did it! When your village was destroyed, you were-- infected with bloodlust. But you overcame it!" X: "I was lucky. I saw what I'd become, and I was able to turn around. But if something happened to Mother, or Hercules, or you-- I might do just the same."
"No-- no look, you promise me. If something happens to me, you will not become a monster. There's only one way to end this cycle of hatred, and it's through love-- and forgiveness."
"Don't you go changing, Gabrielle. I like you just the way you are. Go get some sleep."
"No-- no, you promise me."
"I promise. Go-- go on."
X: "I'm so happy for you."
G: "I'm gonna miss you-- so much."
"Hey, it's not like we'll never see one another again. I'll visit you all the time."
"You promise?"
"I'll be knocking on your door so often, you'll be sick of me."
"Hmm-- never."
"You'll follow your heart-- and don't worry about me."
"You're part of my heart."
"Xena, do you remember what you told me when-- when Perdicus asked me to marry him? You said that seeing me happy would make you happy. I feel the same way."
"Gabrielle, you've been so good for me. I don't think I would ever have let myself feel the way I feel now about Ulysses if it wasn't for you teaching me how to love."
"Help me."
"Hey. Hey. I'm here."
"Xena."
"Yes?"
"You've got to take me with you-- teach me everything you know. You can't leave me here in Poteidaia. I wanna go with you. I've studied the stars-- spoken with philosophers-- and I have the gift of prophecy. I can be very valuable to you. Take me with you. I want so much to be like you."
"And I want to be like you."
"I made you leave the way of love. It was my fault."
"I had a choice-- to do nothing or save my friend. I chose the way of friendship."
"I'm sorry for all the times I didn't treat you right."
"Xena-- you've brought out the best in me. Before I met you-- no one saw me for who I was. I felt-- invisible. But you saw all the things that I could be. You saved me, Xena."
"I wish, um-- "
"What?"
"-- that I had 'a read your scrolls just once."
"You would have liked them."
"I know."
"Gabrielle-- if I only had 30 seconds to live-- this is how I'd want to live them-- looking into your eyes."
"Stop this. Stop it."
"Always remember, I love you."
"Why would you teach me this right now? I don't understand!"
"There's nothing to understand. I just wanted you to know everything I know. Let's go. We got a battle to win."
In the morning, Gabrielle awoke to the sound of hooves beating hard on the ground. She looked up to see that Midnight was spooked. She grabbed the chakram and stood. She waited in a silent stance.
"Yah!" a man yelled. Gabrielle listened. She could hear a soft whistling. Her eyes grew wide and she reached out, catching an arrow in her hands, just before it hit her stomach. She did a flip into the air, knocking the man from his horse. She did the pinch on him.
"You've got 30 seconds to tell me why you're here."
"You . . ." he gasped. "You're the new warrior princess. You must die."