FAREWELL MY LOVER MAY YOUR SOUL EMBRACE THE HEAVENS

Xena eyed the afternoon sunlight which was now steaming through the studies window she carefully finished putting her armour in place. She'd heard that Gabrielle had been in the garden during what was left off last night digging out a large grave under an apple tree in the royal garden, which was where she wanted her dead lover to be buried. She hadn't spoken with anyone else last night and she'd only stopped because the sun had risen in the sky and she'd had to take back her human form. The rumour was that she was now sleeping in Thaleia's room as her own room had been destroyed and she had no where else to go. She had spent most of the morning rethinking where she was going to go from here on in terms of Gabrielle.

She now knew just what she was going to do she looked up watching as the door opened and Thaleia walked in the slight uncertainty in her eyes once more. She could see a rich blue and white dye on her fingers, she looked up slightly. "You've got paint on your fingers." Thaleia looked at her hands. "My deepest apologises Empress…Gabrielle wanted to make a paint dye it's for the ritual, I've been helping her to make it."

Xena raised her eyebrow. "Ritual?" Thaleia looked up. "Gabrielle didn't tell me much only that the lover of the dead person has to have their fur painted in these dyes in certain colours and patterns its all to do with soul being able to free it self from the body. Five fire touches are lit around the grave to guild the soul towards the moonlight, once it finds the moonlight it can drift on to the Elysian Fields." Xena look in a deep breath clearly werewolves had their own burial rituals which were very different to that of humans. She looked up slightly. "How is Gabrielle?" Thaleia blinked as she looked up. "She's seems very sad and she hasn't said that much, she was very out of sorts when she came to my room, I don't think she likes to impose on others."

She shook her head sadly. "Not that I blame her, I had no idea that the black mounted werewolf in the hall was her lover until I heard what had happened yesterday I thought he was her friend." Xena looked at her hand. "Has Gabrielle talked to you about her past relationships at all?" Thaleia shook her head. "No Empress, she's very guarded." She felt her eyes dart. "Chara told me about her dead lover yesterday as well as her liking both men and women, but this is all I really know." Xena leaned against her desk eyeing her. "Gabrielle's room was destroyed I'm going to move her to the interconnecting room that attaches to mine, the one that's never been used."

Thaleia breathed in deeply she'd heard about this room, the Empress had an empty room attached to her own they were only separated by a central door. This second large room had a smaller room which was empty as well as its own wash room. The Empress had made it in the hope that she'd one day find someone she loved who would be a part of her life, but even to this day it had never been used, it was an empty room. She stood up slightly clearly the Empress wanted to right her wrongs she could see it in her eyes and she wanted to spend more time in Gabrielle's company and really get to know her. "She might find it hard to be next to your room, with all that's happened between the both of you." Xena looked up meeting her dark brown gaze. "You know that what I like about you Thaleia, you're very honest just like your mother."

She folded her arms. "Which is why I called you here yesterday you told me the truth and I heard so much I didn't know about and I see it only fit to raise your status." Thaleia eyed her confusion. "My status, please forgive my rudeness Empress but I don't understand?" Xena eyed her for a long moment. "You're going to become Gabrielle's personal maid as you are one of the only people she trusts." Thaleia put her hand on her chest feeling the shock hit home. "Personal maid? But Empress I'm just a cleaner I don't have that kind of training." Xena raised an eyebrow. "Ceto is going to take you under her wing tomorrow and begin your training, it's already been arranged. You're going to learn about everything involved in your duty and like Ceto who only deals with me, you'll only deal with Gabrielle, you'll have no other duties other than her needs."

She looked up slightly. "Your high status will ensure that no one will ignore your words if Gabrielle wants something and you ask on her behalf your word must be obeyed. You'll also be moved in to the room next to Ceto's and if your mother wants she's welcome to have the empty room opposite. I'll also be giving your mother something very soon as a thank you for our talk."

Thaleia felt her eyes dart as she looked up. "I believe she would greatly appreciate it if you built her a schooling room for the palace children, she's been talking about one for many years now. I think though she's never had the courage to ask you as she feels that you have more important things which command your attention than something like this." Xena looked up sharply. "I'll see then, that, that is arranged for her, I'm calling in the builders tonight as they will need to do repairs on the throne room door, the two halls and Gabrielle's old room I'll ensure that this is added to their list." Thaleia nodded her head respectful. "Thank you Empress I'm sure that my mother will be most grateful for this gift."

Xena turned slightly tapping the desk with her thumb before turning to the younger woman. "There is one other thing that is important to me and I was hoping that you could help me with it." Thaleia looked up slightly. "What is that Empress?" Xena narrowed her gaze. "As Gabrielle's personal maid you'll be sworn to secrecy what ever she tells you in private must not reach the ears of the other staff unless Gabrielle allows it. As you probably know there has been a lot of gossip at late." She eyed the wooden Goldfinch which was sitting on her desk. "Some one in the palace is not who they appear to be, the royals should have never known that Gabrielle was here, clearly they knew because some one here has been leaking information beyond my walls. I want you tell me if you witness anything like this anywhere, I can not afford to have Gabrielle's being here to become public at this moment in time."

Thaleia eyed her feeling the confusion take over. "Why is that?" Xena turned to face her fully. "Only a few people know this including your mother but it will not be told to the rest of the palace until a later time. Gabrielle is a royal figure among her race she's their Horn Hind, the very word Horn Hind means king and it can refer to ether gender." She watched as the shock filled the other woman's face. "Gabrielle is by all accounts a king she's the seventh king there have been six before her, it's apparently a very ancient line. All these werewolves are special as they had the antlers of a stag, no doubt you might have seen the beginnings of her horn growths ether last night or when she was put in front of the royals."

Thaleia breathed in sharply she had seen what the Empress was talking about last night when Gabrielle had come to her room in werewolf form but she'd had no idea what they were. "Yes I've seen those bone growths Empress I had no idea they were the beginning of horns." Xena took in a deep breath. "I don't doubt that Gabrielle's people want her back, but it's a very delicate situation and I need to sort things out quickly because if they think that I have captured their king they could declare war on this palace. After all Gabrielle was in the pit for two years I'm sure in all that time her people have been searching for her."

Thaleia blinked. "How do they know she's not dead?" Xena tensed slightly. "Because only when a Horn Hind is killed, does another werewolf unrelated to them grow the horns and take their place." Thaleia nodded as she looked up. "I understand Empress." Xena lowered her gaze. "I have a few things to do, so please go and see Ceto she has your new robes ready for you." Thaleia nodded as she walked towards the door. "Thank you Empress."

8

Gabrielle looked up the moonlight she slowly dragged Damokles's body in to the large pit she slowly eased it in taking in a painful breath as she looked at the ring on his clawed finger, before easing herself out. She began the slow process of pushing in the dirt with her clawed hand. She had, had the patterns painted on her body they were meant to represent the soul and were made up by long weaving lines which circled around each other. They'd been put on her arms, shoulders, face and legs as well as her back with Thaleia's help. They were also reflective and very intense due to the mixture which made them stand out in the pitch black darkness. She carried on working she knew that people were gathered some distance away, not that she really cared if they wanted to watch or not.

The Empress was looking down from one of the balconies the dark haired woman was dressed in black robes. The only person who was with her was Thaleia who was in also dressed in black robes. She had helped her out so much through out this whole ordeal and for that she was grateful. She eased the grassy earth back over the dirt forcing it down with her clawed feet. Hopefully once the rains came down the grass would grow here once more hiding the grave. Damokles had always loved apple trees she had many memories of him under them in summer and he'd even told her that he wanted to be buried under a great apple tree so he could be close to nature. She stepped back watching as Thaleia passed her the four torches which she forced in to the ground around the grave.

She took the fifth one slowly lighting the others watching as they sparked as they blasted up with different coloured flames burning in to the darkness. She breathed in deeply stepping back with the fifth torch there was a reason for the thick paint, it wasn't just decorative. She raised the touch lighting the patterns on her shoulders causing white and blue smoke to bellow outwards along with violent sparks of fire. She ignored Thaleia's shock as she lit all the other patterns on her body watching as fire and smoke drifted out from them. This would cause her to loose her top lair of fur but she had an under layer which meant it wouldn't burn her skin. Her fur would grow back anyway it wouldn't take long no more than two days three at the most.

She forced the fifth torch in to the ground, she had been so lost in her thoughts today and she had no idea what to really say to her lover it felt as though nothing would be good enough. She sighed speaking the only words that really mattered in her mind. "I love you Damokles and I'll never forget you…I hope you find peace." Thaleia looked up watching as the blue and white smoke burnt away leaving singed patterns in the golden fur. "I think he would be happy to know that you've given him a proper burial." Gabrielle turned to her raising herself fully on to her hind legs. "I hope so…I hope his soul finds the moonlight he always believed in that."

She lowered her ears. "I really appreciate your help and you letting me stay in your room last night." Thaleia looked up Gabrielle didn't really say thanks that much she looked at the burning torches. "Your welcome." She felt a smile creep across her lips. "I don't know if you heard but you'll be seeing me a lot more of me now, the Empress has made me your personal maid." Gabrielle eyed her for a long moment before turning her gaze to the Empress above. "Has she now?" Thaleia put her hands together catching the sharp edge in Gabrielle's voice. "She wants me to take you to your new room after you've finished here, she thinks you'll like it, it's much bigger than your last room." Gabrielle sneered unable to keep the sarcasm out of her tone as she spoke. "I'm flattered that she'd care so much."

Thaleia breathed in deeply. "She feels bad about what happened with the royals and she just wants to make things right." Gabrielle kept her eye on the Empress who was stared back at her the uncertainty in her eyes. "So long as my race is being hunted for our pelts, nothing will ever change between us." Thaleia stepped forward. "You shouldn't be so negative Gabrielle you have to give this a chance." Gabrielle eyed her for a long moment. "Where is my new room exactly?" Thaleia breathed in deeply. "It's opposite the Empress's room the two rooms are interlinked by a central door." She breathed in oh how wonderful that was the last place she wanted to be right now! Why would the woman want her that close, she didn't even like her?

She said she'd make it up to her but this seemed insane even in her mind. May be it was just guilt she doubted it was anything more than that, she'd done a bad thing and now she was just trying to make it up to her by giving her better things. Not that she really cared ether way she would have been happy to just go back to her other room when it was fixed. Maybe in the throne room when she'd put the other woman's sword to her throat they'd come to some form of understanding an understanding which hadn't been spoken. She narrowed her gaze looking at the flaming torches, not all understandings were ever spoken, that was one thing she knew very well.

She was happy though that her lover had finally been buried but it had now left her with a deep and hollow feeling deep down inside as it reminded her that she had no one who really loved her. She doubted that anyone would ever love the way he had before he had been murdered. After all that kind of love only came around once in lifetime. As for Bastiaan she would make him pay for what he did to her lover, he would not get out off this one she would make sure of that. She took in a deep breath turning to meet Thaleia's concerned gaze. "Take me to this new room." Thaleia moved forward watching as she went down on all fours slowly following. "It's this way."

End of part 31

Silvermoonlight