She walked quicky around the lake, eventually speeding up to a run.
Paranoid, she kept glancing back. The fourth or fifth time she looked back,
she was running around a clump of bushes. She ran right into somebody.
Hmm, wonder who it is? SHe thought, and looked up.
"Xena? Whoa, I'm sorry." she sputtered, stopping to pick up both of their stuff.
"Why are you in such a rush?" Xena asked her.
"I. . I . . have to get away from here, I can't stay here."
"No, wait, at least stay for breakfast." She heard a cheery voice comment. It was Gabby, Xena's little side-kick.
She wanted to run, but was very hungry, and so was Cerberus. "Well, okay."
~*~*~*~*
"So, why are you running?" "Wha'ts your name?" Xena and Gabby asked at the same time, while they all sat around the fire.
"My name's Daeonara, and I live across the lake. I'm leaving because of my stepfather. He likes to hit me, and beat me."
"Why does he do that?" Xena aksed, slightly surprised
"Because I don't like to steal for him, and even if I do, he's always drunk."
"Steal?" asked Gabby
"Ah, yeah, about that, Ares really didn't take your stuff, I did. He was telling the truith about returning it,"
"Well that's a first" Xena commented, giving a surprised look to gabby as she poked at the fire.
Gabby added "Usually Ares takes any opportunity to see her naked."
Daeonara couldn't help but feel a little lighter. She liked talking to girls. It was a pleasant change from horny drunken warriors. "What, does he fancy you?"
Xena felt nice too. "Has for years!"
They all three shared a laugh. Xena asked her, "What was Ares doing bothering you?"
Daeonara touched the pendant dangling by her heart, and thought. She answered her, 'He owes me a favor. 4 months ago I saved a friend of his at the battle of Corinth."
Gabby looked puzzled. "A friend of his? Why, were you a nurse?"
Daeonara thought this an absurd question, and laughed out her answer. "No, no, I fought in that battle."
"Fought for Ares?" Xena was astounded. "What are you doing associating with his sorry hide? How old are you, anyways?"
"I'm 17. I've always been a part of his Army. Biggest one for miles, he's tha god of our town. MAybe that's because its a town of mig, strong, drunk, sexcrazed men. I needed to get out out of the house, so I joined the army. I've been fighting since I was 12. First battle at 14. Now that I'm leaving, I don't have to fight anymore. Never really liked it at first. Now I've kinda started liking it. I'm gonna miss my men. All I've got is Cerberus, soime clothes, bread, mysword, and my fishing stuff."
Xena couldn't believe her ears. 14 years old? Killing at 14?
Gabby spoke up, obviously also stunned. "You could always sell that pendant, I'm sure it would come in handy."
Daeonara sat in silence for a minute. "What are you doing here, anyway?"
"Rumor has it that in 3 weeks theres an ambush planned on a little town. I'm here to protect them. It wouldn't be you guys attacking them, is it?"
"Oh, no." she was surprised to hear of an attack they didn't know about. "That's very brave of you, takig on such a task."
Xena seemd a bit flattered, so she changed the subject. "What happened to all your family? Surely your mother doesnt let you fight?"
"My mom dies when I was 12. Thats when the stealing, beating, and warring began. I've always been one of the boys. Sure they noticed I was a girl, a lot of them have made seeral attempts at me. But its all in fun. I've never done girl talk before. Except with my friens Mischa. She talked about her father."
Gabby perked up a bit. "Well we're your first girl talk session!!" she smiled perkily. "Xena and I talk constantly."
Daeonarea found it hard to believe that Xena did "girl-talk" but passed that off. She thought of something else, though.
"So are the rumors ture, about you two, being, you know, together?"
Xena and gabby looked at eachother. "NO!" "Sure we tried it once," Xena added, noticing Gabby blushing guiltily, "But its not for us, we're straight."
All of a sudden a yell arose from the other side of the lake. So, her stepdad was up. "Oh god, I have to go, but thanks for everything."
"Where are you going/"
" I have an idea, you were right Gabby, this pendant may come inhandy."
sShe dissapeared onto the path behind the bushes.
Hmm, wonder who it is? SHe thought, and looked up.
"Xena? Whoa, I'm sorry." she sputtered, stopping to pick up both of their stuff.
"Why are you in such a rush?" Xena asked her.
"I. . I . . have to get away from here, I can't stay here."
"No, wait, at least stay for breakfast." She heard a cheery voice comment. It was Gabby, Xena's little side-kick.
She wanted to run, but was very hungry, and so was Cerberus. "Well, okay."
~*~*~*~*
"So, why are you running?" "Wha'ts your name?" Xena and Gabby asked at the same time, while they all sat around the fire.
"My name's Daeonara, and I live across the lake. I'm leaving because of my stepfather. He likes to hit me, and beat me."
"Why does he do that?" Xena aksed, slightly surprised
"Because I don't like to steal for him, and even if I do, he's always drunk."
"Steal?" asked Gabby
"Ah, yeah, about that, Ares really didn't take your stuff, I did. He was telling the truith about returning it,"
"Well that's a first" Xena commented, giving a surprised look to gabby as she poked at the fire.
Gabby added "Usually Ares takes any opportunity to see her naked."
Daeonara couldn't help but feel a little lighter. She liked talking to girls. It was a pleasant change from horny drunken warriors. "What, does he fancy you?"
Xena felt nice too. "Has for years!"
They all three shared a laugh. Xena asked her, "What was Ares doing bothering you?"
Daeonara touched the pendant dangling by her heart, and thought. She answered her, 'He owes me a favor. 4 months ago I saved a friend of his at the battle of Corinth."
Gabby looked puzzled. "A friend of his? Why, were you a nurse?"
Daeonara thought this an absurd question, and laughed out her answer. "No, no, I fought in that battle."
"Fought for Ares?" Xena was astounded. "What are you doing associating with his sorry hide? How old are you, anyways?"
"I'm 17. I've always been a part of his Army. Biggest one for miles, he's tha god of our town. MAybe that's because its a town of mig, strong, drunk, sexcrazed men. I needed to get out out of the house, so I joined the army. I've been fighting since I was 12. First battle at 14. Now that I'm leaving, I don't have to fight anymore. Never really liked it at first. Now I've kinda started liking it. I'm gonna miss my men. All I've got is Cerberus, soime clothes, bread, mysword, and my fishing stuff."
Xena couldn't believe her ears. 14 years old? Killing at 14?
Gabby spoke up, obviously also stunned. "You could always sell that pendant, I'm sure it would come in handy."
Daeonara sat in silence for a minute. "What are you doing here, anyway?"
"Rumor has it that in 3 weeks theres an ambush planned on a little town. I'm here to protect them. It wouldn't be you guys attacking them, is it?"
"Oh, no." she was surprised to hear of an attack they didn't know about. "That's very brave of you, takig on such a task."
Xena seemd a bit flattered, so she changed the subject. "What happened to all your family? Surely your mother doesnt let you fight?"
"My mom dies when I was 12. Thats when the stealing, beating, and warring began. I've always been one of the boys. Sure they noticed I was a girl, a lot of them have made seeral attempts at me. But its all in fun. I've never done girl talk before. Except with my friens Mischa. She talked about her father."
Gabby perked up a bit. "Well we're your first girl talk session!!" she smiled perkily. "Xena and I talk constantly."
Daeonarea found it hard to believe that Xena did "girl-talk" but passed that off. She thought of something else, though.
"So are the rumors ture, about you two, being, you know, together?"
Xena and gabby looked at eachother. "NO!" "Sure we tried it once," Xena added, noticing Gabby blushing guiltily, "But its not for us, we're straight."
All of a sudden a yell arose from the other side of the lake. So, her stepdad was up. "Oh god, I have to go, but thanks for everything."
"Where are you going/"
" I have an idea, you were right Gabby, this pendant may come inhandy."
sShe dissapeared onto the path behind the bushes.