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Chapter Four: Crossing the Heron's Path

Since Erva was absent, another maid was given the task to tend to Xena's needs. Gabrielle watched from afar, welcome in the bedroom. She wasn't surprised when the same plate of fruit and bread was brought to Xena. She thought to ask why the foods were so consistent, but that might disturb Xena's routine, so she kept her opinions to herself.

While picking at the food, Xena kept a focus on the map spread out on the bed. She made eye contact with Gabrielle sitting across the room in a chair and shared a smile. Licking her fingers, she motioned for Gabrielle to come to sit closer.

Guarded, Gabrielle approached the bed, and she was given a piece of parchment and quill. She took a seat in the chair beside the bed, unsure of whether to take the items.

"I want you to write down these locations for me," said Xena.

Another trust exercise? She took the quill and settled the parchment on her lap. Once again, it was a simple task that Xena could do herself, but she insisted on relying on someone else to do all the record-keeping for her.

"I trust you write well."

Gabrielle nodded.

"Excellent. Write down everything I say," Xena turned, smiling as she nibbled on the bread.

She went down the list of the several places that she pinned over the last couple of days. Gabrielle wrote quickly, keeping up very well word-for-word. She barely lifted the quill from the parchment, and very few times, she dipped the pen in ink to continue writing. Internalizing all of the locations, she took note of the sites that Xena wanted to pay close attention to.

In the middle of a sentence, a maid entered the room without permission. Xena scowled at the young woman, and Gabrielle looked over her shoulder, waiting patiently. Rushing over, the maid whispered in Xena's ear, and in less than a second, a smile appeared.

Xena rose from the bed, adjusting her posture, wincing in the process. Confused, Gabrielle wondered what happened in that split second.

"Come with me, Gabrielle," she said, hurrying out of the room.

Instantly, Gabrielle threw the parchment on the bed and jaunted across the room, following the brunette down the hallway. They briskly walked down the stairs and made their way outside of the villa.

Stopping abruptly, Gabrielle nearly bumped into her counterpart. Her mouth parted at the sight of Erva holding a man down with a blade. He knelt on the ground, clearly beaten. He looked like he put up quite a fight. Erva was deceptively very skilled with a sword. A check to mark off the list. Gabrielle wanted to know exactly what type of relationship Xena had with Erva.

"Who's this?" Gabrielle whispered.

"The assassin that was told to murder me," Xena said, sounding very sure of herself. "Kill him."

Gabrielle gasped and ran forward to stand in between Erva's sword and the supposed assassin. "Whoa, wait for a second!" she screeched, holding her arms out. "You're just going to kill him? You aren't going to question him? He could have information."

"What could he possibly offer me? His leader will just send another assassin my way. I don't need him." Xena waved her hand, curtly nodding to Erva.

Erva inclined her head then shoved Gabrielle aside. With a quick swipe of the sword, she decapitated the assassin. Gabrielle nearly collapsed, pacing backward. Clapping a hand over her mouth at the severed head, her stomach rolled.

Her eyes traveled to Erva, who was now cleaning the blade with a cloth. There was no hesitation on her end. She immediately did as commanded without giving it a second thought. Gabrielle clearly underestimated this woman. Erva was not a chambermaid. That had to be a coverup. She just couldn't be a simple chambermaid given the precision of that decapitation. She was versed with a weapon and also willing to do whatever Xena asked of her.

This action did not fit Xena's mannerisms thus far. Gabrielle studied this woman from up close and from afar. She thought that the assassin would've been interrogated, but no. He wasn't given a chance to utter a word now that his head was severed from his body.

Still fixated on the corpse, she hadn't realized that Xena left her alone. Whipping her head around, she saw Xena ascend back into her cave. She grunted, marching towards the villa, then snatched Xena by the arm.

Xena, dazed by the nerve of the blonde, scowled. She pulled her arm away with a hard yank, and her chest heaved.

"You could've used him. You could've questioned him. You didn't have to kill him."

"Why shouldn't I have killed him? He tried to kill me!"

"But you didn't have to!"

Xena guffawed, "my assumptions about you were right."

Gabrielle wrinkled her nose. She didn't know exactly what that was supposed to mean, but she was too miffed to question it. Another time, she thought. Her decision to stay here was a decision she began to regret.

"Another assassin isn't going to come here, and you know it."

Xena, amused, grinned. "Oh?"

"You live in a secluded area. The only reason there was an attempt made on your life is because you left your home. And something tells me that you aren't going to leave any time soon."

The smile dissipated, and Xena furrowed her eyebrows. She wasn't sure how to respond to that, as it was indeed the truth. But, she wouldn't dare admit that, especially in front of Gabrielle. Those were probably the same exact thoughts that Erva had, but she wasn't bold enough to vocalize them. Gabrielle had no filter.

Perhaps, out of embarrassment, Xena left to go back to her bedroom of solitude. Gabrielle stood in the center of the villa, listening to the sounds of the assassin's body being dragged on the hard gravel outside.

She closed her eyes, and a surge of splintering shivers shot up her spine. Unable to listen to the sound any longer, she darted to her quarters on the second floor.

Plagued by lack of sleep for the last few days, Varinia woke with a churning stomach. Groggily, she rolled over onto her stomach, stretching her arm outward. Hoping to find a body next to her, she groaned when her hand glided across the cold sheet.

Opening an eye, she saw the unkempt side of the bed. She sat up, running her fingers through her hair, and sighed. Evander left again, and this time, he didn't tell her where he was going. Varinia didn't imagine their life would be like this after they left Rome. She was hopeful that their relationship would grow, but as the weeks passed, they seemed to grow further and further apart.

She couldn't fathom why. It was primarily due to Evander's inability to cope with Xena, most likely, positively, being his mother. Varinia knew it was true, but Evander refused to believe it. The two looked too much like one another not to be related.

Varinia yawned and slowly rose from the bed, making her way across the room. She halted at the table and saw a note written for her. Smiling softly, she picked up the parchment. A little glimmer of hope lingered within her. Evander did have the decency to leave her a note, but it just wasn't enough.

She crumpled the letter and tossed it at a wall. The more she thought about Evander's elusiveness, the angrier she became.

Walking out of the bedroom, she noticed a large box at the front doorstep. It was a box that was expected to arrive once every two weeks or so. The dreaded box that Evander hated, only because it came from Xena.

Varinia picked up the box and set it on the table. Flipping the lid open, there were dozens of pouches filled to the brim with coin. She understood why Evander why so fervent on accepting money from Xena, but she didn't know why he was so furious all the time. He could've used this to his advantage, but instead, he chose to wallow in his own self-pity.

Organizing the bags, she smelled something that her stomach didn't agree with. She sniffed around and spotted a bowl of potpourri. She immediately grabbed the bowl, pinching her nose, and tossed it out a window.

She gagged and clapped a hand over her mouth. Taking a few seconds to recollect herself, she waltzed back into the bedroom and snatched a gown off a chair. She inhaled and stuck her head out the window to breathe in some much-needed fresh air to calm her churning stomach.

Varinia stepped back inside, and she looked at the box on the table then at the dress in her arms. Frowning, she threw the dress on and grabbed a veil hanging on a hook, then stormed out of the villa, collecting a few coin pouches on her way out.

Weaving in and out of the crowd, she spotted Xena's men who were watching from afar. She flipped the veil over her hair and began to pick up her pace. The soldiers started to follow, so she bolted, running through the streets, trying to lose sight of them.

After cutting corners, Varinia breathed heavily, occasionally glancing back. She smiled when the soldiers were unable to catch up with her. She ran to the docks and pulled on a man's arm.

"Excuse me," she spoke in between labored breaths, "are any of these ships going to Edirne?"

He was taken aback by her disheveled appearance but pointed to a ship that was about to leave. "That one is sailing to Edirne."

Perfect, she thought. "Thank you!"

"Wait, ma'am! I wouldn't count on that merchant on allowing you to ride freely. You'll need to supply a lot of coin to even get on."

Varinia grinned. "I have money!" she hurried off, running across the dock.

Gabrielle hoarded herself up in her room for most of the day after that incident. She didn't want to speak to anybody, despite her going a bit stir-crazy. After a lot of contemplation, she finally exited her bedroom and went downstairs.

She passed a large open room, which she later found out was a place of gathering. It was a rather pointless room since nobody came to visit, and Xena never hosted events or parties. There, in the center of the room, sat Erva, writing.

Curious enough, Gabrielle entered the room, rendering a brief glare from the chambermaid. She inwardly scoffed at that –chambermaid, who is she kidding?

As if she didn't have enough to figure out with the other brunette down the hall. She also had Erva to investigate as well. That woman was even more elusive than Xena at times. Gabrielle sat, studying her from a distance. She is interesting, but also strange, Gabrielle deduced.

She's annoyed by my presence. Every step I take, she watches. She's around every corner, around every column. She's always with Xena, even when she isn't. She's also got some insane skills with a sword, yet I'm already on her bad side. What did I do to get put on that list of yours?

Erva tapped the end of her pen on the tabletop. "Is there something I can assist you with?" she asked, obviously peeved.

"No," Gabrielle grinned, "don't mind me. Keep doing what you're doing."

Erva drew her eyebrows together and continued to write, acting as if the blonde was not even in the room. Her concentration was broken when a loud scrape of a chair glided on the floor. She halted writing, waiting for the noise to stop. Once the chair stopped moving, she continued writing.

Gabrielle inched forward in the chair, coming closer and closer to the desk. She stopped when she received a glare from Erva and smiled. As soon as Erva began to write again, she scooted the chair on the floor until she was sitting barely two feet away from the desk.

Erva cleared her throat loudly. "Are you sure I can't help you with anything?" she asked politely, meeting the blonde's gaze.

"Well, now that you mention it, I have a couple of questions."

"Hmm." Erva dipped the quill into the inkwell. "I'm a little busy."

"Yeah, I can see." Gabrielle leaned over, trying to read the words, to which Erva covered up with another piece of parchment. "Are you…Xena's scribe too?"

Erva shifted uncomfortably. "No."

"You do an awful lot of writing not to be a scribe," she chortled. "You also wield a sword better than any chambermaid I've ever seen."

Erva groaned, pressing the end of the quill on the parchment, nearly breaking the utensil's tip. She was beyond aggravated and to top it all off, she had to deal with Xena too. She didn't even understand why Xena wanted this annoying girl to stay here. She rather liked the quiet, which was now bombarded with questions.

"I'm sure you've known Xena for a long time, given how much you care about her."

"Mhm."

"How long have you been working for her anyway?"

Erva lifted her eyes, perturbed by the question. "I don't work for Xena."

"Yet, you take care of her, tend to her wounds, change her sheets, bring food to her, write for her, chop people's heads off for her…"

Oh, I've overstepped my bounds here. Gabrielle could hardly keep herself from laughing at the horrible expression on the brunette's face. She looked so angry yet mystified all at once. How anyone could combine those two expressions, creating an entirely new expression, was hilarious yet astounding to Gabrielle.

She isn't going to stop until I answer, thought Erva. "I was once Xena's second in command in her army."

Now it was beginning to make sense. But someone who belonged to the military couldn't also behave as a nurse, caretaker, scribe, and envoy. Oh, no, Xena, this woman is all of those things, but this woman is your friend most of all.

"And you do all of this for her out of your own free will?" asked Gabrielle, genuinely curious.

"I am not forced to stay here. I, too, can leave whenever I wish."

"But, you choose not to."

Erva sighed, tapping the pen, displaying her impatience. "Just as you choose not to," she sneered.

Point taken, Gabrielle noted. "And you don't have a problem writing everything for her?"

Erva snickered, now intrigued with the incessant questioning. "I'm surprised she didn't tell you," she sighed, setting the pen down. "She seems to tell you everything," she mumbled.

"Tell me what?" Gabrielle ignored the side comment.

Erva leaned in closer, too close for the blonde's comfort. "She can't read."

In the back of the carpenter shop, Evander sanded down a few bows that Yunus made. He wiped the sweat off his brow, frivolously sanding the rough edges of the wood, and blew off the remnants. He heard voices from the adjoining room and leaned over.

Yunus was conducting a deal with a client, which Evander thought nothing of it until he saw the two walk out of the shop into an inconspicuous area. He got off the stool and walked through the shop, peeking around the corner. There was a small room that Yunus used mostly for valuables that no other should see.

A letter was passed into Yunus' hand, and Evander narrowed his eyes. He tried to listen in on the conversation, but he wasn't close enough. He panicked when the two walked towards the door. Evander darted to the back of the shop, jumping over a table. He hurried to sit down on the stool and waited for the client to leave.

Yunus appeared a few seconds later, smiling. "Wow, you've done a great job here," he nodded, examining the sanded bows.

"Thanks. I've been practicing," Evander tried to hide his shortness of breath and surfacing cough that was caught in his throat.

"Say, you're here all the time. Don't you got a family?"

Evander's gaze drifted to the ground. "No, I…no, I don't have a family."

"Really? You don't have anybody? Not even a woman?"

Evander licked his parched lips. "No, no woman either."

He hated to do that. He did care for Varinia. A lot, actually. But his senses were heightened from living here and being watched by Xena's men too. He didn't want anybody to know where he lived or who was involved in his life. He couldn't let anything happen to him, and especially, Varinia.

Yunus shrugged a shoulder and walked back into the shop. Evander set a hand over his beating chest and then eyed the table where the arrows were kept. The peacock feather arrow was gone. He sprung up from the stool and looked over at Yunus, who was polishing a new arrowhead.

How could he have missed the sale? He was here all day, and yesterday when he came by, the arrow was here. It was right there!

"Did someone come to pick up the peacock feather arrow?" he asked.

Yunus leaned back in the chair. "Oh yeah, I forgot. That client came by when you stepped out this morning."

This man wasn't the brightest, Evander thought. He never stepped out at all. He'd been in the back, sanding bows the entire time. But now he was irritated with himself. His focus was completely lost.

"Evander, you don't mind running to get a few things for me, would you?"

"Not at all."

Yunus smiled, nodding his head. He grabbed a parchment tucked in his pant pocket and tossed it over to the boy. Evander caught it with one hand and opened the small note.

"That's a list of supplies I'm going to need. You're gonna need to get them on the north side of the city. There's a man named Yacob who has the items."

Evander frowned. "And how will I know who this man is?"

"Trust me, you'll find him. He doesn't look like your average guy."

She can't read.

Xena can't read.

But how was that possible? Had Xena gone all this time –all these years –ruling without learning how to read? Gabrielle refused to believe that, but it certainly did answer her lingering questions. She did think it odd that Xena asked her to read the message that the maid dropped off. Xena also asked her to write the locations off the map too.

Or maybe Erva was just lying. No, that isn't her style. She had no reason to lie about that, but why would Erva reveal this to her? Was it so she'd paint Xena in a way that could make her look bad? No, that couldn't be it. Erva was as much of a mystery as her superior.

Gabrielle knocked on the bedroom, and after hearing the call to enter, she stepped inside. She received a warm smile from Xena, who was dressing her chest wound. Her eyes drifted to the map and parchment of written locations on the bed.

"Do you need help?"

Xena wavered but permitted the offer by extending her hand. The blonde sauntered over and took the salve. Gabrielle spread the herbal medicine on the wound, gently dabbing her fingers. Their eyes met, and Gabrielle's cheeks soured.

"I'm sorry I snapped at you this morning."

Xena's muscles twitched as the medicine was being applied. "You aren't the one who should be apologizing."

"I spoke out of turn. I shouldn't have –"

Xena interrupted, "spoke out of turn? Gabrielle, you aren't one of my subjects."

At that, the blonde stifled a laugh.

"If you're worried about being decapitated, don't worry, your head will stay intact," she winked.

You're one for jokes too? Gabrielle swallowed, clearing her throat. "I guess I was wrong. Erva is pretty good with a sword." She waited for a response and received silence. You aren't going to tell me, are you, Xena?

You're coiling into your shell again. "She told me that she used to be your second in command."

Xena widened her eyes. "Erva told you that?" It wasn't like her to break character, she thought.

"Mhm. We talked for some time," a lie, but a good one. She saw the conqueror's mind ticking away. You are so paranoid, Xena.

"Really?" Xena said coolly. "What else did you two talk about?"

Gabrielle had to prevent herself from laughing or showing any sign of laughing. "Nothing important. She was writing a lot of documents for you. Does she do that a lot?" she hoped to pry the truth out of her.

That seemed to ease her nerves a bit, and there was a noticeable breath of relief from Xena. "Yes, she's an excellent writer. She writes a lot of letters and treaties for me."

Gabrielle nodded, all while feigning her innocence. "Did she also write that letter that I received in Rome?" she asked, noticing the muscles beneath her fingers tense.

"No."

Oh, a lie. That a first from you, Xena. Now, you can't say that you've never lied to me, thought Gabrielle.

"So, she only writes some letters then."

Gabrielle noticed the lack of eye contact, and that was all she needed. Xena really can't read. And she knew that Xena was never going to admit that outright. It was too embarrassing for an intelligent woman such as her. It would definitely be a blow to her ego.

She finished dressing the wound, then began to wrap a fresh gauze over it. She pressed her fingers gently on the cloth and smiled down at Xena. Inches from one another, Gabrielle could feel the bobbing of Xena's knee hit against the side of her pant leg. You are nervous, but why?

"I was thinking of Eylül Bastillia's party," she said out of the blue.

"Have you changed your mind? Are you going to go?"

Once the gauze was tied by the shoulder, Gabrielle stepped backward, glancing down at the fidgety hands in Xena's lap.

"I want you to go to the party with Erva."

That glimmer of hope was smashed into a million pieces. You were almost there, Xena. Almost. It would take a lot for Xena to leave her home, and a simple party wasn't going to do it.

"Erva?" she uttered. "I don't think she likes me…" she repeated for the millionth time.

"What's not to like about you?" Xena said, emitting a feeble smile.

You're a woman of few words, a bit mysterious, aloof, withdrawn, but you are also a charmer too? What else lies in that Pandora box of yours, Xena? Oh, that's right, you're also a liar.

Without given a time limit, Evander wandered around the city for a bit. He kept his eyes peeled for anything suspicious, but it was nearly impossible to spot unusual people in this crowd. Since this was a port city, many people from different parts of the world came and went. He knew there weren't any Romans here. There was no way Xena would allow them to enter her domain.

He was ready to give up his search until his eyes focused on the man who came into Yunus' shop earlier. He flipped the hood of his cloak over his head and followed the man. He was close, but not too close. Evander wanted to keep his identity hidden from anyone and everyone.

The man turned around, and Evander lowered his head, turning the other way. He looked off to another area, he peered out of the corner of his eye to keep an eye on his target. When the man went down a separate path, Evander skipped ahead to catch up.

He waited behind an apartment building and poked his head around. Squinting, he could see the man passing off a peacock feather arrow. So, that's where that damned thing went, he thought. The arrow was given to one of Xena's soldiers.

Evander gaped and slipped away, heading in the opposite direction. He didn't want to risk being caught and kidnapped again. He did know that Xena wouldn't try that again. At least that was one thing he could trust Xena not to do.

But now, he had that man's face implanted into his head. If he came by the shop once more, Evander was going to follow him more closely. It was odd that a client would purchase a single arrow to be made, and it was even more strange that the single arrow was given to one of Xena's brutes, no less.

As he trailed through the city, he passed by a jeweler. He paced backward, staring at the ornate necklaces, instantly thinking of Varinia. He wore a lopsided smile, picking up one of the jeweled necklaces. His other hand indistinctively went to the necklace tucked into his tunic—a bittersweet reminder.

"That's a fine piece of jewelry."

Evander spun around to the voice and held his breath. The man whom he tracked down was standing right in front of him. He had to remind himself to remain calm.

"Yes…yes, it is."

The man picked up a pair of earrings, smiling at Evander. "Buying for your mother or a woman of yours?"

Evander awkwardly smiled, hiding the slight discomfiture plain as day on his face.

"A woman it is, then." He grabbed a pair of sapphire earrings. "What kind of jewelry does she like?"

Evander hadn't even thought of that. He had no idea what Varinia liked. He felt horrible for not paying near enough attention to her lately. He supposed he could blame Xena for that too.

"What color eyes does she have?"

"Green," Evander immediately answered.

The man grinned, "then these will most certainly compliment her eyes." He reached into his pocket, pulling out the necessary amount to pay the merchant.

"You don't need to do that," said Evander, embarrassed.

Once the earrings were packaged, he handed them off to Evander. "A gift from a stranger to another stranger," he placed a hand over Evander's.