Chapter 6

They had been at sea for nearly a month when it happened. They saw a ship on the horizon, unmarked by any flag or banner. Kin called for them to circle around it with as wide a birth as possible, but the unknown ship came right for them. A few of the younger boys on the ship were sent below to hide, and the rest of the sailors went and got their preferred weapons. Xena had yet to find a chakram, and decided to sport a small frying pan on her hip instead, just in case. Hopefully the ship's cook would be a little more understanding than Gabrielle. This brought a bit of attention to her from the other sailors, though none dared ask her what she was doing with the cook ware. She didn't blame them. She thought she must look ridiculous, but it was the next best thing she could think of.

Before they knew it, the ship was upon them, and a well dressed captain shouted for permission to board the ship.

"Don't do it, Kin. It's a trap."

Kin looked at Xena, startled. "What do you mean? These people look like merchants."

"Then why do they want to board your sip? Why not continue on their business? Besides, I know a pirate when I see one. I used to be one."

Kin bounced uneasily on the balls of his feet. "But what if they need our help for something? Xena, I can't turn away a fellow merchant." The other captain repeated his request at the top of his lungs, and the wind brought his voice straight to them.

"Then have them dispatch a row boat, with only a few men if you must. But don't let too many on board. They're pirates Kin, I can feel it."

Kin Pondered this. Then finally, "Alright, Just a few." He called out the instructions to the other ship, and soon 5 men were climbing up from a small safety boat. Xena stared the captain down. He raised his eyebrows at the iron skillet she was sporting on her hip, then met her gaze unblinking. Finally however he had to look away to greet Kin.

His name was Samlock, and his problem, he claimed, was a low food supply and a bout of scurvy.

"Well I can't help you with the scurvy mate, but I do have a bit of extra dry meet. You're welcome to a case of it. That should get you by until the next port." Kin shook hands with Captain Samlock with a genuine smile on his face. Samlock returned his smile with grace.

"Could we join boats then, to transfer the meat? The last thing I need is more moldy food, and it's bound to get wet in that rinky dink thing we came over in."

"Sure, sure!" Kin chuckled jovially. He avoided Xena's gaze. She had her arms crossed and her lips pushed out aggressively, she wanted to make it very evident that she didn't like them.

Samlock took his men back to their ship and was soon connecting the two ships side-by-side. Samlock came over with a few men, then a few more, and before they knew it their ship Ryuu was overrun by Samlock's men. Xena stayed quietly in Kins shadow. He was getting a little fidgety now.

"So um… shall I show you where the meat is?"

"I think I can find it on my own thanks, after I've run you through of course." Even as he drew his sword Xena leaped forward and grabbed his hand, forcing the sword back into its scabbard and punched him in the face. Chaos broke out everywhere, and the clanging of steel against steel joined up with shouts and the sound of bodies hitting the floor. They were equally matched in numbers, but the pirates seemed much more gifted with their weapons.

Xena kicked a pirate in the head and he went out cold. Samlock had disappeared. She drew her sword and began cleaving her way through the fight.

"Follow me, kin! We're gonna lock you up in a closet somewhere."

"But my men!"

"You let me worry about them. But whoever survives is going to need you." She grabbed the front of his robe and forced him forward. "Lets go!"

Xena made her way through the fight in a blur of movement, leaving a wake of bodies that Kin had to step over gingerly. In no time they arrived at the Captains cabin, and Xena forced him inside.

"Now lock the door!" She slammed it shut on his face. She looked around. They were loosing terribly. She grabbed her frying pan and took aim. One, two, five heads it bounced off of before returning to her waiting hand. She hooked it back on her belt and jumped into the fray. She cut off one mans head, sliced through the kidneys of another, ran her sword through a third. Two pirates brought their swords down on her and just in the nick of time she unhooked her pan, and deflected one with the sword and the other with the pan. Its deep clang rang out, and before the note had ended both pirates were on the floor. As she had defeated all the nearby pirates she took a moment to look around for Samlock, and found him standing over a large form, his blade hovering above it. She drop kicked her sword and it landed, stuck halfway to the hilt, in the captains neck. She back flipped over to him and drew out the sword just as its victim fell to the ground. She glanced at the form and recognized it as a wide eyed and gaping mouthed Ryuichi.

It wasn't long before the remaining pirates realized their captain was dead, and when one finally spotted him on the ground he called out for a retreat. They ran like pregnant chickens back to their ship, heads stretched out, eyes bugged out, and bumping into one another as the tried not to be left on board with Xena. They hacked at the ropes that bound them to the Ryuu and sailed off, leaving their dead and wounded. Xena had jumped up onto the rail to follow them when she paused and collected herself. There was no point in slaughtering them all. She lowered herself back down onto her own deck and watched them go.

"You …saved my life." Kin had appeared at Xenas side.

"Didn't I tell you to stay put until I got you?" Her bloodlust was still coursing through her veins and she could almost taste the blood on her sword. Kin shrank back away from her.

"I- I heard the fighting stop."

"Of course. I'm sorry, Kin." She gave him a small smile. "Lets look at the damage we've got."

The pirates hadn't been able to take any goods, but the body count was heavy. About a fourth of their labor force was dead or dying, and most of the rest of them had small injuries. Except Xena, of course, who didn't have a scratch on her. The loss of men meant longer and harder hours manning the boat, at least until they could stop at a port and hire on new hands. But no one was grumbling about this. They were all simply glad to be alive. Suddenly, Xena had become their new favorite person. They still respected her need for space, and realized she needed it most right then, so they showed her their gratitude and respect by scurrying out of her way and casting her admiring glances. Except Ryuichi, who avoided her stare completely.

It went on like this for a few weeks. They were weeks during which she never had to wait in line to be fed, she got lots of peace and quiet, and somehow always ended up with the best jobs on the ship. The novelty of her help to them was finally starting to wear of when one day, while she was eating in her customary corner, someone dropped themself heavily into the chair opposite her. She glanced up, slightly annoyed. It was strange to dislike company so much, but she had become fond of being left to live in her own head, and found her thoughts merely mottled up whenever surrounded by too many people.

"I just wanted to say thank you. And… to apologize." Ryuichi cleared his throat.

"Thank you for what?" She said irritably.

"For saving my life!" He said, amazed. "I owe you… everything!" Xena shrugged.

"Just another day's work." She said casually, then paused. "But you're welcome." She went back to eating her food. She was getting tired of rice. It didn't matter what else they put in it, when you've eaten like she had with Gabrielle, everything seemed dull.

Ryuichi took the hint and left her to her food. After that Xena noticed that even as she stopped getting the better jobs, they would sometimes do themselves. It happened often enough that she couldn't write it off to their giver's miscalculation, and the puzzle didn't solve itself until one day she caught Ryuichi red handed, finishing up moping the deck; a job she herself had been given. His olive face turned slightly pink when he saw her.

"Sorry." He mumbled. "Just thought you could use a break."

"I'm perfectly capable of doing my own jobs." Her voice softened. "Aren't you supposed to be sleeping?"

"Well, I- I mean, yes and no. I only need 6 hours of sleep every day, so really I'm fine."

"Uh-huh. Why don't I pick it up from here. You don't need to thank me for anything, I've saved plenty of worthless scumbags who never showed an ounce of thanks before. I don't expect anything in return for anything. It's my code." Ryuichi flinched at the implied insult.

"I'm not a worthless scumbag, however, and therefore I expect more from myself. I will probably never be able to save your life, but there are small tokens of thanks I can give in return. This is one of them. Now go relax. I'll take it from here."

Xena sighed. "Alright, fine. I'll be right over there if you change your mind." She might as well do her forms. She hadn't yet practiced her fighting techniques today.

She thought it was strange that Ryuichi would give such small tokens of gratitude to ease his conscience about his debt. It reminded her a bit of Gabrielle…

The rest of the trip went by much the same. With her workload diminished she spent much of her time doing martial arts on the open deck and thinking. She was exhausted with puzzling over the same issues again and again, but she puzzled over them nonetheless. The only thing that changed was that she started seeking out the company of Captain Kin more and more. She found the man charming and as the days went by their relationship grew to a polite friendship.

One day, she was laying in her hammock fast asleep, thinking on memories of the past, when she heard the distant cry of "Land Ho!" She immediately dropped out of her bed and sprinted up the stairs. Sure enough, a grey sliver of land was growing on the horizon. Jappa, the Land of the Rising Sun. She had to find her answers here. This is where it had all began. Or had all ended, depending on how you looked at it. Finally, no more wondering at the truth, trying to guess at facts like reaching out and tying to catch thick strands of wind in your hand. Here there would be substance, a history of Gabrielle's past. And finally, Xena would find her trail and track her down, and they would be reunited for better or for worse. Again, this would be where it would all begin.