Disclaimer: Xena, Gabrielle, Joxer, the O'Connell's, and any other
familiar characters do not belong to me. They are the property of
Universal, Renaissance, and Stephen Sommers. Any one you have not heard of
before belongs to me (
Author's Note: Please, please, please review. I realize I'm not the best writer in the world, but surely I'm not that bad. Also, I think the age difference between Gabrielle and Xena is exaggerated in this, but I needed it for artistic license. Sorry if it offends anyone, but, after all, Xena was a seasoned warrior with a rich past when she first met Gabrielle. Also, I've given Gabrielle the costume and haircut of the last two seasons. And the sais. Sorry, but they're just really cool.
MEANWHILE, ON AN ISOLATED ROAD IN GREECE
"It was really a strange dream, Xena. Far stranger than anything I've ever dreamed before. And he was."
"HE?" inquired the warrior, her eyebrow lifting in amusement. The bard blushed.
"No, it wasn't like that," she protested. "It wasn't romantic or anything, although he was certainly handsome. But really no more than a boy. Probably about 17 or 18."
"You sound so old and wise, Gabrielle. You're only 23 yourself, you know. Not that you're not an adult. Please don't get started on that. I was just stating a fact."
Gabrielle couldn't resist a barb in her friend's direction.
"No, you're right, Xena. I'm not as wise as you are. I'm a child compared to you. After all, you will be 35 next week."
Icy blue eyes glared at Gabrielle, who couldn't resist a grin, knowing that she had hit her mark.
"Thirty-four, Gabrielle. And I wish you'd quit rubbing it in my face. I think I look pretty good for being an old woman."
"I would say so," said a familiar voice behind them. Xena groaned and turned around.
"Ares, what are you doing here? I have better things to do than waste my time with you."
"Ouch! What a welcome. I just wanted to drop in on my warrior and her favorite Amazon. Nice haircut, by the way," he finished, gesturing towards Gabrielle. "Like the outfit, too," he added, grinning.
"Oh, that's too bad," she retorted. "Now I'll have to get a new one."
"First of all, Ares, I am not your warrior. Second of all, we are on our way to Athens to see a friend. So, to get to the point, get lost."
"I am aware, Xena, of where you're going. I know you're going to see Galen, though I don't know why. He betrayed me and you long ago."
"Wrong. He betrayed you. He saved my life. You just can't stand the fact that he's under Athena's protection. Now, if you're finished, we need to get going."
Xena and Gabrielle walked around the God of War, determined to just ignore him. Sometimes, it was the only way to get rid of him. But Gabrielle stopped at his next words.
"That was some dream you had last night, Gabrielle. Interesting people. Especially the woman."
Gabrielle turned, incensed.
"You spied on my dreams?!"
"Why not? Never know when something interesting may happen in that little brain of yours. Especially if it happens with me. Or anyone else for that matter," he grinned, winked, and then disappeared in a flash of lightning. Xena stepped up behind her friend.
"Now, what exactly happened in this dream of yours?" she inquired, her eyebrow raised again. Gabrielle turned around, irritated by the amused look on her friend's face.
"Shut up," she said simply. This further aroused Xena's curiousity.
"Seriously, Gabrielle, you can tell me. Go on."
"Nothing physical happened," Gabrielle sighed. "Oh, he was handsome. Dressed in sort of funny clothes, you know. And he seemed very mature for his age. We talked as if we knew each other well, but names were never mentioned. There were other people there, although I couldn't make out their faces. He was the only one I could see clearly. It was-."
She never finished her thought. At that moment, both women saw the flash of light up the road and heard the screams of a child. Xena mounted Argo and galloped off. Gabrielle followed, wishing she hadn't left her horse in the stable of the village they'd stayed in last night. But he had been lame, and she hadn't wanted to risk his hurt leg getting worse by walking to Athens. Instead, she quickened her pace, unsure of what she would find down the road.
Xena soon saw a group of people ahead. To her mind, only one looked menacing. A tall, dark man clothed in black and holding a sword. A woman stood nearby, holding a staff, but the other three men were not armed. At least, not with weapons she recognized. There were three children, all girls, one of whom was in tears. She clung tightly to the hand of one of the unarmed men, who was trying desperately to calm her. Xena assumed this group to be some sort of family and the tall dark man to be a thief or murderer. Without hesitation, she brought Argo to a stop and vaulted herself off the horse's back in a series of flips.
"Ai-yi-yi-yi-yi-yi-yi-chi-a!" came the battle cry. Puzzled, Ardeth looked up to see a woman flying above his head. She landed between he and Evie, facing him, a sword pointed at him. Danger radiated from her eyes and Ardeth was quite unprepared for the strike of her sword, but he managed to block it. Stunned, the rest of the group seemed paralyzed. The two warriors were quite evenly matched and the O'Connell's were in awe of this woman who had such skill in combat. Rick was the first to notice another woman running up the road.
Upon seeing Xena engaged in battle, Gabrielle had drawn her sais. But, as she got closer, it appeared she wouldn't need them. Xena seemed to have things well in hand. There seemed to be only one attacker, the rest being the victims. But she was surprised when the tall, fair-haired man grabbed the staff from the woman and took a defensive stance in front of Gabrielle.
Rick didn't know who these women were, but he wasn't going to let Ardeth have all the fun. Adrenaline pumping, he eyed the woman with the sais warily, waiting for her to make the first move. She seemed hesitant, unsure of herself. They circled each other, each waiting for the other to strike. Tired of waiting, Rick made the first move. To his surprise, the girl was quite good with the sais and he, who had been trained by Ardeth, had a little trouble defending himself. But he soon found his ground and the two continued their fight, each challenged by the other.
Evie was becoming frightened. First of all, no one had any idea where they were. Secondly, they didn't know these women. And thirdly, Rick and Ardeth were fighting complete strangers for what appeared to be no reason at all. At that moment, she heard Ardeth give a cry of pain and saw that the dark headed woman had cut his arm. Not badly, but enough to bleed. Anger overtook her fear and she grabbed the revolver Jonathan was carrying. With one shot, the fighting stopped.
(TO BE CONTINUED)
Author's Note: Please, please, please review. I realize I'm not the best writer in the world, but surely I'm not that bad. Also, I think the age difference between Gabrielle and Xena is exaggerated in this, but I needed it for artistic license. Sorry if it offends anyone, but, after all, Xena was a seasoned warrior with a rich past when she first met Gabrielle. Also, I've given Gabrielle the costume and haircut of the last two seasons. And the sais. Sorry, but they're just really cool.
MEANWHILE, ON AN ISOLATED ROAD IN GREECE
"It was really a strange dream, Xena. Far stranger than anything I've ever dreamed before. And he was."
"HE?" inquired the warrior, her eyebrow lifting in amusement. The bard blushed.
"No, it wasn't like that," she protested. "It wasn't romantic or anything, although he was certainly handsome. But really no more than a boy. Probably about 17 or 18."
"You sound so old and wise, Gabrielle. You're only 23 yourself, you know. Not that you're not an adult. Please don't get started on that. I was just stating a fact."
Gabrielle couldn't resist a barb in her friend's direction.
"No, you're right, Xena. I'm not as wise as you are. I'm a child compared to you. After all, you will be 35 next week."
Icy blue eyes glared at Gabrielle, who couldn't resist a grin, knowing that she had hit her mark.
"Thirty-four, Gabrielle. And I wish you'd quit rubbing it in my face. I think I look pretty good for being an old woman."
"I would say so," said a familiar voice behind them. Xena groaned and turned around.
"Ares, what are you doing here? I have better things to do than waste my time with you."
"Ouch! What a welcome. I just wanted to drop in on my warrior and her favorite Amazon. Nice haircut, by the way," he finished, gesturing towards Gabrielle. "Like the outfit, too," he added, grinning.
"Oh, that's too bad," she retorted. "Now I'll have to get a new one."
"First of all, Ares, I am not your warrior. Second of all, we are on our way to Athens to see a friend. So, to get to the point, get lost."
"I am aware, Xena, of where you're going. I know you're going to see Galen, though I don't know why. He betrayed me and you long ago."
"Wrong. He betrayed you. He saved my life. You just can't stand the fact that he's under Athena's protection. Now, if you're finished, we need to get going."
Xena and Gabrielle walked around the God of War, determined to just ignore him. Sometimes, it was the only way to get rid of him. But Gabrielle stopped at his next words.
"That was some dream you had last night, Gabrielle. Interesting people. Especially the woman."
Gabrielle turned, incensed.
"You spied on my dreams?!"
"Why not? Never know when something interesting may happen in that little brain of yours. Especially if it happens with me. Or anyone else for that matter," he grinned, winked, and then disappeared in a flash of lightning. Xena stepped up behind her friend.
"Now, what exactly happened in this dream of yours?" she inquired, her eyebrow raised again. Gabrielle turned around, irritated by the amused look on her friend's face.
"Shut up," she said simply. This further aroused Xena's curiousity.
"Seriously, Gabrielle, you can tell me. Go on."
"Nothing physical happened," Gabrielle sighed. "Oh, he was handsome. Dressed in sort of funny clothes, you know. And he seemed very mature for his age. We talked as if we knew each other well, but names were never mentioned. There were other people there, although I couldn't make out their faces. He was the only one I could see clearly. It was-."
She never finished her thought. At that moment, both women saw the flash of light up the road and heard the screams of a child. Xena mounted Argo and galloped off. Gabrielle followed, wishing she hadn't left her horse in the stable of the village they'd stayed in last night. But he had been lame, and she hadn't wanted to risk his hurt leg getting worse by walking to Athens. Instead, she quickened her pace, unsure of what she would find down the road.
Xena soon saw a group of people ahead. To her mind, only one looked menacing. A tall, dark man clothed in black and holding a sword. A woman stood nearby, holding a staff, but the other three men were not armed. At least, not with weapons she recognized. There were three children, all girls, one of whom was in tears. She clung tightly to the hand of one of the unarmed men, who was trying desperately to calm her. Xena assumed this group to be some sort of family and the tall dark man to be a thief or murderer. Without hesitation, she brought Argo to a stop and vaulted herself off the horse's back in a series of flips.
"Ai-yi-yi-yi-yi-yi-yi-chi-a!" came the battle cry. Puzzled, Ardeth looked up to see a woman flying above his head. She landed between he and Evie, facing him, a sword pointed at him. Danger radiated from her eyes and Ardeth was quite unprepared for the strike of her sword, but he managed to block it. Stunned, the rest of the group seemed paralyzed. The two warriors were quite evenly matched and the O'Connell's were in awe of this woman who had such skill in combat. Rick was the first to notice another woman running up the road.
Upon seeing Xena engaged in battle, Gabrielle had drawn her sais. But, as she got closer, it appeared she wouldn't need them. Xena seemed to have things well in hand. There seemed to be only one attacker, the rest being the victims. But she was surprised when the tall, fair-haired man grabbed the staff from the woman and took a defensive stance in front of Gabrielle.
Rick didn't know who these women were, but he wasn't going to let Ardeth have all the fun. Adrenaline pumping, he eyed the woman with the sais warily, waiting for her to make the first move. She seemed hesitant, unsure of herself. They circled each other, each waiting for the other to strike. Tired of waiting, Rick made the first move. To his surprise, the girl was quite good with the sais and he, who had been trained by Ardeth, had a little trouble defending himself. But he soon found his ground and the two continued their fight, each challenged by the other.
Evie was becoming frightened. First of all, no one had any idea where they were. Secondly, they didn't know these women. And thirdly, Rick and Ardeth were fighting complete strangers for what appeared to be no reason at all. At that moment, she heard Ardeth give a cry of pain and saw that the dark headed woman had cut his arm. Not badly, but enough to bleed. Anger overtook her fear and she grabbed the revolver Jonathan was carrying. With one shot, the fighting stopped.
(TO BE CONTINUED)