Note: I do not own Xena.

Friendly Caution: Massive wall of text incoming.

III. Coming Home / Familiar Stranger

The smell of Greece graced Gabrielle's nose as she decided to go back to land. She has, time and time again, acknowledged that a life at sea was not in any shape or form the pleasant experience others made it out to be. She inhaled the smell of grass; inhaled the memories that she held so very dear to her heart-a life filled with adventures, the unknown, even the inevitability of death. She has long ago accepted the consequences of her life with Xena when she turned her back on her village and even her family, in the desire and hope to become like the woman she so admired from the very first moment she saw her in action and heard that war cry that would scare even a troll a valley away. She was prepared to face anything so long as they did it together. Now, she can't help but feel a profound emptiness as she passed by a worn-out sign that read, "Amphipolis." She held the urn closer to her as she rode on. She remembers this pass well despite the changes in the landscape-forest now overgrown after the many seasons she no longer cared to keep track of.

"We're going home, Xena," she paused as she smirked. "Well, you're going home. As for me, I don't know what I should be doing yet. We planned for that trip south to Alexandria, didn't we? I don't know if they are still advertising for a girl with a chakram, I'm gonna have to check up on that. You always believed in me but," she tried to choke back the tears, "…without you I don't know if I…" Dammit, I have to be strong. It was not an issue of dependence. She has grown to be her own, almost Xena's equal when it came to battle. After all she learnt from the best. But accepting death in its certainty was an entirely different matter. She was finding it hard to let go.

Her thoughts were momentarily disrupted though as she felt a sudden shift in the wind. She has grown accustomed to the necessity of being alert all the time over the course of her life with Xena. She reached for her sais. As the horse came through the bend, a group of thugs came down the trees. They were ready and waiting as Gabrielle's horse panicked and reared. She held on for dear life but her horse was too strong and the motion too sudden. She fell to the ground. The four of them started ganging up on Gabrielle as she tried to find her footing. They certainly did not waste time for introductions.

One of the thugs who had an ugly tattoo on his forehead and a sort of a nose ring swung his long sword at Gabrielle. She managed to block it just in the nick of time with her sais. He was strong. She could feel the cold of his sword as it inched closer to her naked skin. It did not help, too, that her balance was off to start with as her left knee almost buckled underneath his weight. It took her a while to finally push him off with her trusty sais. With one quick action, she grabbed his arm and twisted it behind his back. He winced in pain. She delivered a quick and strong blow to his neck to immobilise him before he could find an advantage. He fell unconscious to the ground. The others were not deterred, however. They were all too eager to get a taste of the Battling Bard of Potideia it seems. Her resolve now fierce, her confidence now soaring high, she motioned her sais on the offensive. They were about to get a full dose of the Battling Bard. "You want to dance! Let's dance!" she shouted. The boorish men were not intimidated, they almost anticipated it. They eyed each other as if planning, strategising on how to quickly take down the small blonde warrior before them. Gabrielle looked at them curiously. These were not just your ordinary thugs out to take advantage of hapless journeymen. The smallest one of the men approached her slowly as she tried to match his rhythm. He had a wide scar that ran from his left temple to the edge of his lip. Gabrielle can't help but grimace at the gory sight. He smiled as if basking in the attention. She concentrated on him. With a blink of an eye, however, he faked a left step. She followed suit but it was a little too late before she realised her mistake. A momentary surge of panic seeped in.

Listen to what's behind the sound.

She closed her eyes, feeling the wind around her, listening to its gust. There was no time to lose but she had to concentrate. She opened them again just as he attacked on the right. She managed to fend him off. Barely. She felt a pang of pain on her right arm. She eyed the open wound. Annoyed. But the two others did not waste time, they were already surrounding her, making a small circle around her. She looked around, studying her opponents. Two of them carried short swords that seemed to sparkle in the sunlight. They were of silver made, she concluded. While the small one carried with him a dagger. This, too, was made of silver. But adorned with signs foreign to her. He licked her blood off it menacingly.

Gabrielle scoffed and went for it towards the smallest one. He sidestepped and evaded the attack. The other two struck behind Gabrielle's back, her arms moved fluidly as she blocked both of their advances off. Just as the clacking of metals was heard, she realised too little too late the mistake of leaving her front wide open as a small figure moved in quick and delivered a strong blow straight to her gut. She dropped her left sai as she writhed in pain. Now on her knees, she managed to roll to one side just as one of them motioned to implant his short sword through her chest. But the small man already made his move and trapped her as he pinned her to the ground. She struggled to free herself from his grasp but he put on his full weight over her. For such a small frame, he was surprisingly heavy. He motioned to strike. His dagger ready for the kill as he traced her collar from one side to the other almost languidly. Gabrielle looked at him straight in the eyes. She saw no remorse nor a hint of hesitation. As if she was just another one of his prey. She almost felt she saw excitement. She felt no fear, however. Only disgust that one could kill so readily and without any semblance of conscience.

"Make it quick," she sneered defiantly. He cocked his head to one side as if amused.

Just as he was about to strike, one of the other men fell abruptly to the ground; an arrow implanted in his chest. This was quickly followed by a second sudden thud on the ground. The other one, too, had an arrow firm in his chest. There was a third 'whoosh' sound as another arrow made its way through the leaves, but the man was far too quick and far too alert. It only managed to gnash a layer of skin on his neck. He eyed Gabrielle curiously one last time as he ran for the bushes. She took it to mean "Till we meet again."

She caught her breath as she took a moment to lie still on the ground. Still reeling from the fight and the suddenness of it and the inevitable end were it not for the stranger who shot down the mercenaries. She was unsure if she felt grateful for the timely save or regret that an opportunity to be with Xena was taken from her. (Whichever plane of spiritual existence Xena was in now.) She felt indifferent to life; confused as to what she should feel. She did not want to disappoint Xena; live life for both of them but at the same time all she wanted was to be with her. She heard someone moving through the bushes. She closed her eyes and sighed as she took in the warm spring sun. She felt depleted and tired finding almost no reason left in her to go on. She inhaled again. This may be the last one she will be able to physically enjoy, she thought.

"Hey there," a feminine voice started. It was not too heavy, it was smooth but firm. "Are you okay?" her voice was laced with concern. Gabrielle opened her eyes to greet the stranger. She had a hand held out to help her up. It sure was a nice change of pace to meet someone friendly on the road. She could not make out her features in the direct sunlight only that the stranger was wearing some kind of a rounded hat with flaps on both sides that covered her ears. It almost reminded her of someone. Just as her vision was clearing, Gabrielle's eyes widened as she realised who it could be.

"Najara?" she blurted out lividly.