Part 11
A few hours later, we arrived in a clearing that would be suitable for the night. Every time I looked at my little baby, it seemed as if she'd grown. I knew that I was just imagining it, as every mother does, knowing that one day, she won't be little anymore.
At the campsite, Xena started a cozy campfire. I fed my newborn daughter, and Dawn ate some fruit and some bread and a little bit of meat, as did Gabriel and Ivy. Xena and I had already had dinner, and Xena was making sure the babies didn't get too close to the fire.
"Gabrielle." Xena said. I looked at her. "Is it just me or is the baby a little bit bigger than she was a few hours ago?"
"You see that?" I asked. I furrowed my brow. "I just thought it was because I'm her mother and I think she's already growing up too fast."
"Gabrielle, she looks bigger." Xena stated bluntly. I unwrapped the baby. I had put her in a loose white dress and little booties. The dress looked a big smaller on her.
"I don't understand." I said. The baby smiled at me a little bit, her green eyes nearly glowing in the firelight.
"She's the daughter of Dahak." Xena said. "She's bound to grow quickly, seeing as your pregnancy lasted, what, a day?" I nodded. "She's gonna grow up fast, Gabrielle. I don't think that's a good thing."
"What are you saying?" I asked angrily. Xena sighed.
"Gabrielle, I just don't think that it's a good idea to let her grow. I mean, her father is evil, she's obviously got something from him. She's growing. Her powers won't be mature until she's grown so, maybe she shouldn't be allowed to grow up."
"You won't touch her." I said. "My child will not die. She's my daughter, and I'm going to protect her no matter what." I made sure my Sais were in my boots, and I looked at Xena. "I'm willing to fight you if I have to. I will not let you kill her."
"Gabrielle. That's not what I meant. We can take her to the Fates. Take her somewhere to someone who has more power than Dahak. They can make sure that she never grows. Give her immortality. She'll have immortal infancy." I shook my head.
"That's not fair, Xena. She's just a baby. She can't hurt anyone or anything. She is most likely pure and good, and I don't want her to be a baby forever. It's not right." I said. I put the baby down next to my bedroll and stood.
"Look at you, Gabrielle. You look as if you haven't even been pregnant. Your abs are still there, your stomach is flat except for your muscles. That has to be weird." Xena said.
"Xena, this is how it happened when Dawn was born." I said with a sigh. She nodded.
"All right. You win." Xena said. "I'm going to sleep." She settled Ivy and Gabriel down and got them into their little bedrolls and Dawn hurried over to me. I got her into her bedroll and laid down in mine. Xena laid down in her bedroll with her sword still drawn. She put it inside the bedroll with her and closed her eyes. I sighed and tucked my sleeping newborn in and went to sleep myself.
A few hours later, we arrived in a clearing that would be suitable for the night. Every time I looked at my little baby, it seemed as if she'd grown. I knew that I was just imagining it, as every mother does, knowing that one day, she won't be little anymore.
At the campsite, Xena started a cozy campfire. I fed my newborn daughter, and Dawn ate some fruit and some bread and a little bit of meat, as did Gabriel and Ivy. Xena and I had already had dinner, and Xena was making sure the babies didn't get too close to the fire.
"Gabrielle." Xena said. I looked at her. "Is it just me or is the baby a little bit bigger than she was a few hours ago?"
"You see that?" I asked. I furrowed my brow. "I just thought it was because I'm her mother and I think she's already growing up too fast."
"Gabrielle, she looks bigger." Xena stated bluntly. I unwrapped the baby. I had put her in a loose white dress and little booties. The dress looked a big smaller on her.
"I don't understand." I said. The baby smiled at me a little bit, her green eyes nearly glowing in the firelight.
"She's the daughter of Dahak." Xena said. "She's bound to grow quickly, seeing as your pregnancy lasted, what, a day?" I nodded. "She's gonna grow up fast, Gabrielle. I don't think that's a good thing."
"What are you saying?" I asked angrily. Xena sighed.
"Gabrielle, I just don't think that it's a good idea to let her grow. I mean, her father is evil, she's obviously got something from him. She's growing. Her powers won't be mature until she's grown so, maybe she shouldn't be allowed to grow up."
"You won't touch her." I said. "My child will not die. She's my daughter, and I'm going to protect her no matter what." I made sure my Sais were in my boots, and I looked at Xena. "I'm willing to fight you if I have to. I will not let you kill her."
"Gabrielle. That's not what I meant. We can take her to the Fates. Take her somewhere to someone who has more power than Dahak. They can make sure that she never grows. Give her immortality. She'll have immortal infancy." I shook my head.
"That's not fair, Xena. She's just a baby. She can't hurt anyone or anything. She is most likely pure and good, and I don't want her to be a baby forever. It's not right." I said. I put the baby down next to my bedroll and stood.
"Look at you, Gabrielle. You look as if you haven't even been pregnant. Your abs are still there, your stomach is flat except for your muscles. That has to be weird." Xena said.
"Xena, this is how it happened when Dawn was born." I said with a sigh. She nodded.
"All right. You win." Xena said. "I'm going to sleep." She settled Ivy and Gabriel down and got them into their little bedrolls and Dawn hurried over to me. I got her into her bedroll and laid down in mine. Xena laid down in her bedroll with her sword still drawn. She put it inside the bedroll with her and closed her eyes. I sighed and tucked my sleeping newborn in and went to sleep myself.