THE TWISTING ROAD TO THE FORGOTTEN HOME
Xena turned slightly watching as Cyrene came forward with their bags. Cyrene looked at the bags again. "Are you sure you've got everything?" Xena eased the bags from her hand easing them on to Argo's saddle. "We've got everything mother it's not a long trip it'll only take us a day to get there." Cyrene watched as her daughter adjusted Argos reins making sure the bit was comfortable in the mare's mouth. She folded her arms. "Yes but your going to Hecuba and Herodotus residence." She turned slightly. "I heard that Herodotus gave you a hard time last time you were there." Xena slowly moved her hands checking the saddle was secure. "He did yes." She stopped still for a moment in her younger days she'd have cursed him for that but now she didn't want to.
He was a father who was just worried for his daughter he had also wanted grandchildren and Gabrielle picking her as a lover had taken that opportunity away from him, it was little wonder that he was resentful. Her warlord past had never helped matters ether it had only made them worse she shifted her gaze in thought. "I'll be fine." Cyrene shifted slightly Gabrielle was still packing something inside the tavern. "I'm just worried you've never seen eye to eye with that man." Xena took a deep breath. "I probably never will mother, I can only hope that one day he comes around." Cyrene smiled slightly. "I never thought I'd hear you say that." Xena shrugged slightly. "Nether did I, I guess things change."
She turned watching as her lover appeared close by carrying the last of there supplies. "Everything will be fine mother you worry too much." Cyrene shook her head watching as Gabrielle smiled at her as she put the last of their supplies in the bags. "You both just be careful okay?" Xena smirked as she got up in to the saddle. "We'll both be fine." Gabrielle looked up slightly. "Everything will be fine." Cyrene pulled her in to a warm hug. "I'm sure it will but that doesn't mean that I won't worry about you both." Gabrielle smiled as she pulled away from the older woman's embrace. "We'll be back as soon as we can." She turned meeting her lovers gaze. "Won't we?"
Xena eased out her hand pulling her in to the saddle behind her. "Sure we will." She smirked feeling the younger woman fidget as she got comfortable. "We might even bring you back a souvenir from Mexica." Cyrene smiled as she watched her daughter turn the war horse around. "I'll just be happy if you both come back alive and well and with Lila." Xena tapped Argo's sides. "We will don't you worry about that." Cyrene watched as the horse broke in to a gallop heading on to the dusty Amphipolis road, she couldn't help but breathe in deeply feeling the sadness wash over her. Xena never seemed to stay long her daughter and Gabrielle were always being pulled away on some mission and every time it put a knot in her heart. The truth was she deeply feared that one day they both wouldn't return and somehow that feeling was odd to her because she had never felt so intensely until now. It almost felt like she'd had these feelings once before but she couldn't remember when or even place them. She sighed aloud time had somehow been rewound though maybe these odd feelings were because of that.
8
Xena turned Argo slowly down the beaten path she'd been up this road thousands of times and not once had it she truly looked at it the way she was doing now. She could see the first flowers of spring opening and she could see the wetness on the grass from the morning which had been slightly cold but was slowly getting warmer now. She turned Argo slightly as she caught sight of a very familiar place which was empty she pulled Argo's reins sharply. "Our ugly one eyed friend is missing." Gabrielle looked up sharply. "You mean the man eating Cyclops you blinded?" Xena carried on moving Argo forward. "Yeah him…." She turned slightly. "I thought he'd be here, he's always been…."
She pulled Argo's reins causing the warhorse to stop suddenly. Gabrielle turned slightly. "What, is it?" Xena breathed in sharply. "Guess you changing time didn't do any favours for him." She breathed in deeply looking at the huge skeleton stretching out on the floor close by. It was old she could see vines growing through the empty eye socket and mouth, all of the bones had darkened with age. She could also see the huge skeleton's hand on one side still clenched as if in pain but no sighs of any weapons sticking out. Or even cracks to the skull it looked like it had been a sudden and painful death, which confused her even more. Gabrielle shuffled in the saddle she didn't like this one bit, it felt wrong the blind Cyclops had always been here.
Xena tapped Argo lightly feeling the war horse slowly move on. "It sad I somehow expected him to be here." Gabrielle lowered her gaze. "So did I he's always been here when ever we travelled this way." Xena felt the younger woman's arm tighten around her waist. "It's odd though he looks like he died very suddenly." Gabrielle watched as a wagon driver moved past them sending up dirt in his wake. "May be there was nothing here for him to eat, I mean the last time I was here these fields were full of goats and sheep, now its all barley and wheat." Xena sighed aloud. "Maybe." She turned Argo slightly avoiding another wagon driver who came past. "Looks like the trade route to Potidaea is much healthier now."
She turned feeling Gabrielle lean against her. "Tell me more about Mexica you said the feathered serpent broke your ribs." Gabrielle looked up sharply. "Can't we talk about this some other time?" Xena turned sharply eyeing her. "No Gabrielle now is a good a time as any, I want to know what else happened to you there." Gabrielle breathed in she eased up her boot checking her new sai blades were firmly in place. Every part of her had wanted to avoid telling the rest of the story she was finding it more and more difficult to compose herself with every new part. The memories hurt and the retelling hurt even more because how far she had truly fallen.
8
Complete darkness apart from the sound of running water along with the feeling of numb pain and the feeling of someone touching the muscles along my body. Gabrielle felt her eyes open slowly which took great effort, she found her gaze floating around the room which she was in. Its four white stone walls were surrounding her. She could feel a fur skin under her body which was on the floor and even in the low light she could see a young woman moving around. She was wearing highly decorated robes with strange patterns with elaborate feathers. The woman leaned over for a moment her hazel eyes widening. Her long dark hair hung down over her shoulders as her gaze narrowed.
"She's woken up."
Gabrielle's eyes turned going out of focus for a moment as she caught sight of another priest dressed up with a blue and green feathered head dress. The only difference between him and the other priest was that he had a highly decorated staff lined with gold and feathers. He kneeled down as he moved his hand over grabbing her jaw and pulling it open. His old eyes and white hair could be seen in the low light. "Not that old is she? You wouldn't think that she'd be so capable of wounding your brother the way she did." He moved his hand putting it on her chest she was to weak to try and pull his hand away. Her gaze turned as she realized that all her clothes where lying in the corner with her only remaining sai blade.
Meztli shook his feathered staff as he eyed her. "Three broken ribs I'll have to reset them." Cualli kneeled eyeing the woman. "I guess we can't give her any herbs for the pain." The older white haired man raised an eyebrow. "No, too much of the other drug is still in her system, I'm surprised she's not completely delirious." The woman folded her arms. "I don't see why we can't just let her die." Meztli breathed in deeply. "We can't because your brother made a deal his soul is forfeit if the deal isn't carried out. The reason he lived is because the feathered serpent spared him." He moved his finger ignoring the woman cry of pain as he pushed the first of her broken ribs back in place.
He moved to other one pressing down hard only to hear the crack as it was repositioned. "If I were you I would be very grateful that his wounds were healed by Quetzalcoatl. She was on the brink of death but he wouldn't have made it." Cualli grunted in annoyance ignoring the sun haired woman's cry as her last rib was forced back in to place. "Those scars on his face are never going heal are they?" Meztli narrowed his gaze. "No they won't." He slowly wrapped the herb soaked bandage around the foreign woman's chest. "Your brother said that she fights like a Jaguar and that her weapons are her claws." Cualli hissed in anger. "Blood Jaguar more like…" Gabrielle blinked feeling a fur skin as it was put over her body. She breathed sharply only to watch as everything faded to black again."
8
Gabrielle felt her eyes open again only to see the same room come in to view once more. She could feel someone tugging on her arm her gaze moved to the three year old girl who was in colourful green robes. The girl's eyes were looking at one of the scars on her arm with interest. The little girl looked up smiling at her. "You, the Blood Jaguar aren't you?"
"I told you not to come in to this room Nene."
Gabrielle watched as the girl's mother who she remembered from earlier appeared. Cualli moved towards her daughter. She quickly turned her towards the other room. "You go out and play with your friends." Her daughter nodded as she ran out of the room. Gabrielle tried to move only to feel the stinging pain as her still wounded body rebelled against her wishes her head was starting to float again. Cualli eyed her. "I wouldn't move about your still not fully healed." She watched as the woman's green eyes narrowed as if trying to work out what was going on. "Yes your alive not that you deserve to be…" Gabrielle watched as the woman turned her eyes changing to light blue and her leather armour appearing in all its stunning glory. "Xena?"
Cualli turned sharply the woman was hallucinating, somehow that didn't surprise her. The pain killing herbs were known to give people hallucinations from time to time. She rolled her eyes as she came forward she didn't like the way the green eyed woman was looking at her one bit. It was partly with desperation and need as well as love. Gabrielle watched as her lover moved away slightly. "Please…please don't leave me, Xena. I miss the way your long dark hair feels when I touch it and how you skin feels when I touch it." Cualli blinked of all the hallucinations to have she was having one about a lover. She watched as her brother entered the room his eyes wandering.
Itzli eyed his sister. "Is she any better?" Cualli grunted as she poured a warm drink of cocoa. "If you could call having a hallucination getting better than she's doing just fine." Gabrielle watched as her lover took a long drink from the wooden mug. "Please I miss how it feels when I lie against your breasts and kiss your lips." Cualli couldn't stop herself from spitting out her drink she turned eyeing the green eyed woman who was trying to raise her hand towards her the desperate look in her eyes not leaving. "She's talking about a woman! Her lovers a woman!" Itzli shrugged as he ran his hand across the three slicing scars across the right side of his face. "Why does that surprise you Cualli its not uncommon even here…"
Cualli snorted in disgust. "It's only common in Xochiquetzal region and Centeotl's and there both weak gods." Itzli folded his arms. "More to the point though a dead woman, which is why she's here." Cualli turned trying not to show her anger. "You should have killed her! You shouldn't have let her live!" Itzli put a hand on his face. "I had my life spared by Quetzalcoatl I should be grateful. Our older brother wasn't so lucky I had to watch him die…"Cualli turned in anger she pulled the strange clawed weapon up to his eye level her gaze drifted to the green eyed woman. "Hence why you should kill her, right now! Our brother is dead is because of her!"
Itzli grabbed the clawed weapon from her hand. "I won't use the Blood Jaguars claws against her! There is no honour is killing a helpless wounded warrior those are the laws of war." Cualli felt her anger churn in her stomach. "Yes there Huitzilopochtli laws of war he's our god! Not Quetzalcoatl you betray our god by doing as that horrible serpent's commands!" Itzli watched as the clawed weapon hit the floor. "I have no choice don't you see that! I'm forced to serve her until she sets me free or otherwise. If I don't do so I'll end up the seventh hell!" He slowly took hold of his sister's hand. "I don't want to go there Cualli, as an Eagle warrior I should not fear death, but I do." He held her hand tighter. "I don't want to be flayed alive and I don't want to become part of the feathered serpent's skeleton army."
Gabrielle could feel the tears as they streamed down her face, she pulled up her hand only to feel the energy leave her body once more. She looked over at her lover. "Please Xena…I love you." She could feel her fingers shaking. "Don't leave me here all alone, I can't stand being alone anymore its hurts my heart." She coughed painfully feeling her body loose all its strength. Cualli breathed in deeply watching as the green eyed woman passed out once more. "Would your deal with Quetzalcoatl end if she were to die?" Itzli raised an eyebrow. "Possibly but there's no guarantee of it…she has to get him Xochiquetzal's godly item first." Cualli slowly took another drink enjoying the taste of the cocoa. "Then if the other god doesn't kill her, you should do so…by any means necessary."
8
Gabrielle felt her eyes slowly open again the strange room once more came in to view. She breathed in slowly her chest didn't feel so heavy she put her hand down feeling bandages. Her eyes suddenly darted downwards as she realized that she was naked. She pulled the fur skin further up her body her gaze darted again as she heard someone breath in deeply.
"So glad to see you're finally awake…you're lucky a lesser warrior wouldn't have handled three broken ribs as well as you have."
Gabrielle turned sharply meeting the dark gaze of a warrior she instantly recognised his face more so by the scars made by her sai blade. She moved her hand sharply only to see that her weapon wasn't any where in sight. Itzli smiled as he raised the clawed weapon. "Looking for this? Of course you are what would you be with out your claws Blood Jaguar." Gabrielle sneered as she narrowed her gaze relaxing her body. "If you're going to kill me then just get it over with." Itzli laughed slightly. "I wish I could kill you…I wish I could take this weapon and rip your heart out with it." He walked forward until he was leaning over her. He moved the claws downwards, he smiled as he let go off the hilt.
The weapon slammed in to the floor. "But I can't." He folded his arms ignoring her surprise. "Thanks to you I'm now stuck in a service which I can't break." He kneeled down eyeing her intently. "Or don't you remember the deal you made with the feathered serpent?" Gabrielle blinked feeling the images return to her. "I remember." She eyed her sai blade which was embedded in the floor her gaze slowly narrowed she grabbed the weapon as she pulled herself up on to her knees. She kept the cover tightly wrapped around herself with her other hand. Itzli felt the clawed tips of the weapon as the suddenly pressed against his neck with lightning speed.
Gabrielle felt her teeth grind together. "You're that bastard who was going to sacrifices me, why should I trust you?" Itzli breathed in deeply as he met her hateful gaze. "I'm also the bastard who brought you to this place and got someone to stitch your wounds up and reset your broken ribs." He snarled aloud. "I saved your miserable life." Gabrielle kept her sai blade in place. "You shouldn't have I wanted to die." Itzli laughed slightly. "I guessed that, you seemed to just give up when my brother took you down in battle. You're so desperate to die but believe me you don't want to die here. The hell you'll go to here when you die is far worse than any you can imagine."
He stood still feeling her green eyes burn in to him. "My brother is probably there right now and it's all thanks to you." He raised both hands. "Like him you still might die though but ether way you still need my help. You have no idea where you or where to go and you won't find that godly item with out my help." He felt his smile widen. "With out me you won't for fill your deal and get your precious map." He felt the clawed tips pull away from his throat he watched as she slammed the weapon down hard her anger showing as her other fist clenched. "You must hate needing people almost as much as they hate needing you, no wonder your lover died…" He suddenly felt the pain as her fist slammed in to his face he yelped in pain as he fell back clutching his bleeding nose.
Gabrielle felt her lips form a cold sneer she watched as he looked up sharply. "Say that ever again and I'll kill you…slowly." Itzli pulled his hand away from his nose he looked at the blood on his fingers. He found himself smiling his sister was right she was a Blood Jaguar or to any one who didn't understand their language Eztli Ocelotl. She would bleed anyone because her own heart was bleeding from the inside and all she could do was strike out with her claws in her own self pity and sorrow. He smiled even though he hated her was looking forward to seeing how this would play out. He stood up slightly before turning to her. "You should get up you've been in out for three days…my sister doesn't like you being here." He turned slightly. "You've also got a long walk ahead off you and we need to get moving." He turned slightly he knew he was pushing his luck but he wanted to see the Blood Jaguars reaction. "Unless that is, you're still feeling to weak to move and you need more sleep." He watched as she snarled aloud her gaze narrowing he raised his finger. "Your clothes are over there."
8
Gabrielle breathed in sharply feeling her lover's body tense up she watched as Xena light blue gaze slowly met hers. She wanted to say something but her throat felt dry and she couldn't find the words. Xena closed her eyes taking in a deep breath. "This Itzli sounds like a bastard, even if he did heal you." Gabrielle felt herself tense up sharply. "He had his reasons." Xena raised an eyebrow. "Fill me in on what they were?" Gabrielle put a hand through her hair she could see the moon rising in the sky. "He was as much a prisoner to the feathered serpents will as I was, but he had much more to loose than me." Xena grunted aloud. "His soul?" Gabrielle breathed in again. "That and his family the feathered serpent isn't known for mercy or feeling when it comes to his warriors families if they don't do as he says."
Xena turned Argo slightly she could see the fire lights of Potidaea coming in to view in the distance. "I assume he kills them for his own entertainment just like he tried to do to you?" Gabrielle laughed slightly but it was a sad and disheartened laugh. "You could say that yes." Xena turned sharply not liking her lovers tone. "What does he do to those who betray him?" Gabrielle turned looking at the torches as in the distance. "He rips their skeletons from their bodies when their still alive, these skeletons have their souls still inside them. He imprisons their souls in this skeleton cage and their forced to dance for him for his own entertainment. Xena felt her gaze widened. "By the gods that is awful what happens to these people after he's done this?"
Gabrielle shook her head. "It gets worse for them they become part of his skeleton army there's only one like it in Mexica and he owns it and the other gods hate him for it. "She closed her eyes. "A skeleton army which he can call at any time with over a thousand slaves who can do nothing but what ever he wishes. This un-dead army can burn towns to the ground, decimate temples and kill anything that gets in its way." Xena lowered her gaze. "If he's so powerful then why is it he didn't just use his skeleton army to get back his godly items?" Gabrielle felt her body tense. "His godly items aren't in Mexica." Xena slowly met her gaze. "Where are his godly item Gabrielle? Where did you hide them?" Gabrielle slowly eased up her hand pointing to the lower fields of Potidaea. "There right here…"
Xena pulled back in shock as she brought Argo to a halt. "You hid them here!" She turned sharply. "You hid them in Potidaea?" Gabrielle slowly pulled herself off Argo she felt the floor as her boots hit it. "I had to hide them somewhere! I thought this would be the last place anyone would look." Xena felt her gaze shift as she dismounted. "Do the Greek gods know there here?" Gabrielle narrowed her gaze. "No they don't and they wouldn't, believe me." Xena put a hand on her head as she snarled aloud. "I can't believe you'd hide the godly items in your own birthplace do you know how insane that it!" Gabrielle narrowed her gaze. "Yeah well I wasn't very sane of mind at the time! I just wanted to get rid of them for good."
Xena grunted aloud as she faced her fully. "I have to ask but were you drunk at the time?" Gabrielle felt her hand form a fist. "I was slightly drunk at the time…yes." Xena eyed her for a long moment. "What in Tartarus were you drinking?" Gabrielle felt her teeth grind together. "I was drinking away my sorrows because I was still missing you!" She pulled out her hand. "C'thulon didn't make it easy for me to find you! He also didn't change the world back straight away. He changed everything sometime after I returned to Greece." She breathed in painfully. "Then he brought you back and I had to find you. I spent days looking for you and at times I thought he'd lied to me." Xena pulled back sharply taking her lovers words in she breathed in trying to relax herself. She eased out her hand grabbing her lovers before she could move away from her. "I'm sorry Gabrielle." Gabrielle lowered her gaze slightly. "It's okay…" She breathed in painfully feeling the warrior grip on her hand tighten. Xena felt her lover run her hand through her hair. "Where are the items?" Gabrielle turned slightly looking out at the light of Potidaea, which stood out in the darkness. "I buried them in a field…near my parent's house."
End of part 8
Silvermoonlight.
Happy New Year All.
