"So how is she?" Wu asked the healer as they approached the tent where the still unnamed woman who claimed she was the friend of the Little Dragon rested.
"She is still a little weak, but she is recovering at an amazing pace. And she is also a very impatient woman. We are already having some trouble keeping her in bed. She was already asking questions about where she is and who we were, when I left the tent," the healer lamented.
"How soon will she be up and about?" Wu asked as they stopped outside the tent.
"Three days at best if she will listen to my advice," the healer explained and drew the tent flap aside to allow general Wu entry.
Xena looked up as a familiar Chinese man entered her tent. She remembered meeting him in Chang'an. He was the grand general the monk had mentioned in his tale of Gabrielle's life as a Chinese general. He had mentioned something about leaving with an army, meaning that she had somehow ended up with them. As they had been connected to Gabrielle, these people were all potential allies.
"I see that you have returned to the land of the conscious, my unnamed guest," the general said, and sat on a small chair previously used by the healers.
"Yes, General Wu. I will be using your beds a few more days, but then I'll be on my way," she said defensively, thinking he wanted her to not be a guest for much longer.
"You seem to have me at your advantage. You know my name, but I am afraid I don't know yours," he pressed.
"Oh…" Xena suddenly realized what he had meant. "My name is Xena," she offered her hand to the general. He however remained seated and unmoving.
"I had hoped you would be honest with me. We were both friends of Gabrielle. It is well known to us all that Xena the Warrior Princess has been dead for years," he finally said.
"I was dead, but my soul was returned to life by the gods," she insisted.
"I…" He had been about to repeat his lack of belief in the fantastic and then remembered where it had led him last. "Is there anyway you could prove it?" He looked at her and waited.
"Yeah, but it'll have to wait," Xena said when she realized that she didn't have the strength to make any big demonstrations right now.
"Of course," he said and rose from his seat. "We'll talk again," Wu said and turned towards the tent flap.
"Count on it," Xena added and dropped her tired body back to the bed.
A couple of days passed, while Xena contemplated how she had ended up in a healer's tent amongst a part of the Imperial army of Chin. She realized now that she had been trying to kill herself with neglect. She had let her grief and darkness overwhelm her once again. She had forgotten about the many months of pure survival in Mikaboshi's torture chamber. She had forced away the memories of her unending battle across the barren fields of the Underworld dodging the evil god's hunters. She had been oblivious to the fact that she still had a daughter to live for. Her egotism had barred her from dealing with her grief in a normal matter, just like it had when Lyceus had died.
As she again lay in a bed and had nothing to do but rest, eat and sleep, these things became clear to her. Gabrielle had always demanded from her that she should move on with life in case she died and not use it as an excuse for anything. Still, there was the matter of her promise to her bard. She would retrieve Gabrielle's body from the dragon that had taken it and return it to Amphipolis to rest in her family's crypt and wait for the day their souls were rejoined by reincarnation.
"I am fine," Xena said and gave the healer a glare as he examined her again.
"You need to eat more than usual for awhile," he explained.
"I am a healer too. I know how to care of myself," she said and began putting on her armor and weapons.
The healer watched her in silence then as her back was turned said, "What you did was intentional."
Xena didn't answer; instead, she left the tent. She cast a glance the camp around to get her bearing and maybe catch a glimpse of her horse Nike or general Wu, whom she planned to convince of her identity.
The warrior princess walked casually through the camp feeling just as much at home as if she had been in the middle of her mother's inn. But her senses weren't looking out for soldiers challenging her authority or enemies lurking in some corner. She was seeking the man that she intended to use to get back her friend's body. Like always, she found his tent by looking for the biggest one.
Being a keen judge of character, the looks of his tent and in fact the entire camp didn't change her mind at all about the general. He was an exceptional man with a powerful and disciplined mind. Fortunately for these lands, he chose to serve the empire instead of conspiring to bring it down a task he was more than capable of if she had gotten the right impression from his soldiers, camp layout, the discipline displayed by his men and the way he had been when he had visited her. Of course, the fact that her bard had befriended him also said a lot about him and she was sure that she would like him although for different reasons than Gabrielle. Xena stopped politely before his guards announcing her presence politely to him. She was sure it would go down better than stomping his guards into the ground, not that she had considered it… much.
"Xena," Wu said in greeting as he joined her outside.
"That is what I am here to prove," she asserted with a quirk of both eyebrows.
"Proceed," the general said and looked at her with curiosity.
Xena nodded and unclipped the chakram from her belt. Wu's eyes narrowed in thought at the sight of the legendary weapon but said nothing. Xena drew the razor sharp ring back and tossed it forward.
The Chakram flew forward. It hit a tent pole, broke it and continued off at an angle. It hit a coal pitcher and lighted it with sparks. It clipped two spears. The Chakram separated on a breast plate, each half flying off in different directions. One flew a good way and bounced off a guard's helmet, the other flew a bit shorter ricocheted around between Wu's bodyguards then flew off and rejoined with the returning other half before Xena caught it casually.
Wu nodded. "Join me in my tent… Xena," his eyes revealed that his doubts had been somewhat allayed for now. She judged that she couldn't make too outrageous claims or demands yet, but if she worked with him a little he would soon believe the truth.
Xena seated herself in a chair that the general's unobtrusive attendant had directed her to. Four chairs surrounded a beautiful cherry wood table. Xena felt that the seating arrangements weren't typical of how she had judged this brilliant strategist. It reminded her lot more of someone, who wanted everyone to talk and share ideas as equals.
"It was Gabrielle's. The Emperor gave it to her as thanks for saving one of his ports. I kept it after her…" He looked into her eyes and Xena knew from the sadness in them that he blamed himself for her death. She thought that he deserved the grief and said nothing to comfort him.
"I want to bring her body home to Greece," Xena said with conviction and looked for a reaction in his expression.
"Why? She was carried away to rest in a holy place. The Dragon would never allow anyone to defile her grave. Besides, if the Dragon feels strongly that it should act as the guardian of her remains, it would be very dangerous to approach it," Wu rose and paced slightly.
"Gabrielle and I made a promise to each other. She didn't fail me and I don't intend to fail her again," Xena explained in a clipped tone of voice, not bothering to follow the pacing general. She figured he would explain to her what he was working up to in a few moments.
"There is another problem. And it is a bigger problem than any objections to your quest from the dragon. The witch Jenn formerly Temudjin's seer has taken control of a large remainder of the Mongolian army and has marched back to the valley of the Dragon. So far, they have for some reason not entered it or recaptured the Dragon, but I fear that it won't be long before that happens. Then we would be right back to the situation Gabrielle died to prevent. The Mongolian could rally around a new leader and we would be facing a new invasion sometime next spring. I wouldn't be bringing the army here on the cusp of winter otherwise," Wu sat back down.
Xena felt many different conflicting emotions war within her. She wanted more than anything to get her grim task behind her, but the thought of someone undoing the work that Gabrielle had been such a large part of just didn't sit with her. It lighted many fires in her soul and it appealed to her sense of justice to act. "If I may, I would like to help you," she offered.
"I don't know. If you really are Xena then I guess I couldn't ask for better help. But still, I just don't like to give command of my warriors to some stranger," he pursed his lips in thought.
"Why don't I make it easy for you? I don't want command of any soldiers. I will just make myself useful and give a little advice now and then," Xena said and rose.
"Deal," General Wu said and offered her his hand, which she promptly clasped in acceptance before leaving the tent.
Xena had barely walked a few feet when her keen senses detected someone watching her from afar. Deliberately, she turned her eyes and found herself looking at a handsome middle aged man dressed in typical high ranking officers' clothing. Atypically of most men, he didn't do much more than blink in surprise as her azure eyes locked with his brown ones.
As if resolving something, the man strode in her direction and stopped a few feet away. "I am Chang. I was a friend of Gabrielle… Xena," he said and bowed his head to her.
"How do you know who I am?" She could hear from his voice and see in his eyes that he felt no confusion about her identity.
"Gabrielle and I were very close for a long time. After her death, I spent a lot of time studying all the copies of her writings and spoke a lot with Master Fong about her. You were a frequent subject in both her writings and speech according to him," the young officer explained and smiled, although a tinge of sadness didn't leave his eyes.
"You miss her," she realized.
"I do. Her soldiers do. Fong does. Mai does. Wu does. Gabrielle wasn't the kind of person you could let into your life and then ever forget. I try every day to recall how her nose wrinkled when she smiled, even if that only happened rarely. How she loved to bathe. How she would savor any kind of food that she hadn't tasted before. And even how she could be in the middle of a battle with blood staining her clothes and still try to keep even the lowest of her troops alive. She is dearly missed by us all. But if even a fraction of what I've learned about the bond you shared is true, then the loss must be almost unconquerable for you. I came over hoping to offer a little comfort in these dark times," the earnest man stood aside and motioned for Xena to follow him.
Chang led her to a wagon and small enclosure behind his tent. A plainly dressed woman was feeding a perfectly white horse while humming a song. "That is Ghost, Gabrielle's steed and now in the faithful care of Mai. Wu had her brought on this campaign so that he could free the horse to roam in the valley that her body and spirit rest in. Mai is pretty much the only one other than Master Fong that could handle her and he is getting weaker by the day. Old age seems to finally be catching up with that old rogue," he explained.
The young woman that Xena recognized from Fong's story as Gabrielle's maid blushed a little as Xena intensely studied her and the beautiful horse. It seemed wiser and calmer than Argo and maybe a little smaller, but in the end it had probably been a perfect match for her little bard.
"If you want it, I am sure we can get Wu to release it to you," Chang offered.
"No, Wu was right. It would only be proper for a horse to be with its mistress. I think I'll be taking it back to Greece. It can stay in Amphipolis, where Gabrielle is going to be buried," Xena said with finality, more to herself than her audience.
"I would also like to give you these, milady," the maid whispered and offered Xena a heavy bundle wrapped in silk from inside her clothing.
Xena gave her a questioning look and an arched eyebrow.
"I also recognize you from your partner's stories. You are unmistakable. It makes me very sad that your bodies couldn't be reunited. But Gabrielle swore to me that your souls would be together forever," she explained.
Xena opened the silk bundle. A couple of pieces of silvery metal as well as some black leather fell into her palm. It was the crushed remains of Gabrielle's Sais. Saying nothing, Xena closed her fist around the cold metal and walked off to be alone.
Staring out at the slowly moving mass of soldiers as they slogged their way through the deep mud these last few days of rain had created, Xena had forced herself away from the dark memories of her times with Borias as they attacked Chin. She spurred Nike on when she saw Wu seated on his big warhorse come closer.
"You should turn south at the next crossroads and avoid that range to the northwest. It'll snow by the time we get there," she explained.
"I hate going into battle under these conditions," Wu muttered. "I'll give the necessary orders. Did you see anything else out there?"
"Nope, but I'll go out again as soon as I've gotten supplies," she said and looked off in the direction of the valley. It was less than two days riding from here now. The end of her travels awaited her in the near future. The list of tasks to finish before going home to her daughter was becoming shorter.
"We'll make camp out on that plain before pushing for the valley," he explained.
"Let me get the lay of the land and find out where Jenn has her base and troops," Xena offered and made Nike walk off in search of some quartermaster with some supplies for her next scouting trip. For all her apparent drive, each step of her horse reminded her of all the time she had spent in that saddle these last few days. Her body was tired and she felt in a way that it was good she was ending her adventures soon. She was feeling older by the day. She had felt it a couple of times after India but not until she had heard the news of Gabrielle's death had it struck home. She was getting old. Her bard would have entered her 28th year of life this week, if she had counted the days correctly. She was over ten years older than her and she could feel it in every joint and muscle as she continued riding through the cold rainy day.
While his servants were just leaving the newly-raised tent, Wu sat down to look at the old maps of the mountainous region he had led his army into. The region had never before been of much importance to either the Empire or the Mongolians until now, so the knowledge of the area was as sparse as the area was populated. He knew and had related to the alleged Warrior Princess the legends of those mountains and especially the valley that they sought to find and protect.
Legend told that the hills and forests of the mountains that towered on the northwestern horizon were the home of both dragon and many other minor gods and spirits in the shape of animals. The spirits were supposedly material instead of immaterial up there and according to one storyteller, there were many secrets hidden by the will of the heavens up there. Until a half a year ago he would have thought such claims mere tales told to scare and amuse children and to give treasure hunters a new mad quest to waste their lives on. Now, after having a good friend die because he had failed to heed her warnings and forcing her to take matters into her own hands, he had learned not to dismiss those tales anymore.
Even more so when he was now being accompanied by someone who according to all tales and stories told by credible source had died several times and had returned to life, like death was just a border that she could cross at will. He had explained the legends to the warrior and knew that she hadn't quite dismissed them nor quite believed them either. She like him needed to see to believe, everything else was just hearsay. He had found that trait quite admirable in her. Wu sighed and turned his eyes away from his daydreaming contemplation of the tent cloth and back to the maps of what could soon be a battlefield.
