"You know, sometimes you make it real difficult to like you when you're being such a son of a Bac-"
"Thaaaaaaat's not really necessary now, is it?" Gabrielle interrupted. She smiled at Xena who, after a moment of half-serious glaring, smiled back.
"A little bit, yes," she joked.
"Well, just as many like you better."
"I have a hard time believing that."
"Well, whether you believe it or not, it's true." Gabrielle paused for a while, letting her body and mind prepare for sleep. A silence settled in the tent, only the sounds of the night letting the blonde know that she was still awake. And in this thought about her consciousness, Gabrielle suddenly had a strong urge. "Xena?"
"Yes?"
"Will you sing me something? Please?"
"Gabrielle, I really-"
"Please. Xena? I don't get to hear you sing enough and you know how much I love your voice. It always makes me feel better." There was a bit of silence that slowly, softly, was broken by a single, quiet note. Xena held it steady for a few beats before continuing on, gently singing a song Gabrielle recognized. It was a favourite song of hers of the ones Xena would sing for her, and it quickly allowed her to relax. She closed her eyes and rolled onto her side, curling up against her friend. Her arm snaked across the warrior woman's abdomen, hooking loosely around her waist. To the song, almost a lullaby, the bard fell asleep, and it was admittedly one of the best nights of sleep she had gotten in a long time.
The next day started early, a demonstration day, for which Gabrielle was glad. Though these days meant that both she and Xena, along with their army, woke up before dawn, it also meant that the lessons ended earlier than any other day, giving the men and women time in which to spend their evenings however they liked. The blonde yawned on her way to the arena, stretching her arms individually in preparation for the work she was about to do. She saw Xena then a few paces ahead of her after rubbing her eyes, and ran to catch up.
"Hey," she said warmly, slowing to match Xena's stride.
"Hey," the warrior woman said. She glanced down at Gabrielle. "You're happy this morning." Gabrielle let out a quick breath, a laugh, and smiled.
"Well, it's Demonstration Day. You know I like them better than basic training-"
"Yes, I do. I know. But today there's a glow in you I haven't seen in a while."
"Maybe it's because you sang to me last night."
"Maybe." The two walked a little while, just able to see the path before them in the weak light of the rising sun. A few birds chirped from the surrounding trees, and in the distance behind Xena and Gabrielle the men and women of the army could be heard getting ready for instruction.
"Xena," Gabrielle started, "have you ever thought about teaching all of them the pinch? I mean, that would pretty much solve our problems." Gabrielle didn't have to wait to hear an answer.
"I've thought about it but I can't do It. The pinch is something to use when other tactics won't work, especially in getting information from the enemy. It's a great responsibility, being able to use that move, and you have to be able to know when to use it and when not to."
"But if you teach them to use it all they'll do is kill the enemy soldiers that are coming here-"
"Yes, they will. And then after the battle is over? Then what? Gabrielle, I can't tell them not to go around blocking off peoples' major arteries and expect every last one of them to listen to me. I know that a lot of the men and women here have good hearts and want to defend their homeland, but not all of their motives are purely for the greater good. If I teach them something that lethal and then after battle all in Tartarus breaks loose, all of the deaths that follow are on my hands… Like I said, it's a great responsibility." Gabrielle reflected on Xena's words for a few seconds, before nodding.
"I guess you're right," she agreed. "But it sure would be nice." Xena chuckled.
"Yeah. And it'd also be nice if we didn't have a reason to train an army in the first place." The two walked into the massive tent that housed the demonstration arena, the morning sun finally beginning to colour the land in a wash of oranges, yellows and pinks.
It didn't take long for the army to fill the arena, Gabrielle and Xena already standing on their instructing platform, waiting.
"Alright! Hey, attention!" Gabrielle called, and was pleased when the army settled quickly.
"Today Gabrielle and myself will be demonstrating hand-to-hand combat. For the past three and a half weeks we have been instructing you all how to use a multitude of weapons, and the majority of you have improved quite a bit, but it has come to my attention that a number of you are easily disarmed. This is unacceptable and is the easiest way for you to get killed in battle." Gabrielle stood by Xena quietly as the blue-eyed warrior spoke, her hand firm around her fighting staff, whose end touched the floor. "However, it is something that happens in the instance that your opponent is incredibly smart or incredibly talented, and that is why you need to learn to fight without your weapons as well as with them." Gabrielle and Xena turned to face each other, taking a few steps back, and assumed their individual fighting positions, Gabrielle with her staff and Xena with her sword. Gabrielle turned her head to she was looking out at the army.
"First, Xena will disarm me and then I will demonstrate how I can defend myself and execute an attack. After that, I will disarm her and she will do the same. We're both demonstrating the same situation to show how circumstances change based on what you're armed with, where your skills are-"
"And even your height." Gabrielle glared at Xena for that last sneaky comment, but smiled almost immediately after. A few soldiers laughed at the brief banter.
"After that, we will bring a couple of you up here to work with us, and then collectively run some drills. Is everyone clear? The army responded in the positive, and Gabrielle nodded without a smile. She reassumed her position, making eye contact with Xena. "Then let's begin."