CRESCENT KING OF OLD
Xena felt her eyes snap open as she heard a loud banging hit her ears, she pulled herself up in bed, it was early in the morning and she had been sleeping. She turned to the door groaning as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. "Come in!" She paused only to hear the hammering again. "I said you can come in!" She turned as the banging came a third time she didn't think as she threw off the cover ignoring the cold air on her naked body as she grabbed her velvet robe pulling it over her shoulders. She moved towards her door damn to Tartarus who ever was making so much noise this early in the morning! She grabbed the door to her room pulling it open violently as she stepped outside. She turned only to freeze as she caught sight of Gabrielle who and had a hammer in her hand and bronze nails in her other. She could see the wonderfully crafted figure of her goddess it was painted up beautifully and now being put on her door in sections.
She rubbed her eyes. "Would you like some help?" Gabrielle turned eyeing the other woman in surprise. She half mumbled as she spoke. "No I'm good." Xena moved closer she slowly eased the nails out of her hand. "Ah, ha well let me give you a hand anyway." Gabrielle looked up slightly she saw no point to stopping the other woman Thaleia was still asleep. She hadn't gotten drunk last night just tipsy, but she clearly didn't drink very often and she didn't want to wake her up, she'd rather that she just slept it off. This morning she had woken up very early unable to sleep as she had wanted to read her scroll written in werewolf tongue over again to make sure that it sounded right. Xena turned putting the next nail through its hole watched as Gabrielle banged the final section in to place. She eyed the wood carving which was deeply detailed. "Your carving is very beautiful." Gabrielle looked up slightly eyeing her caving. "Its okay, it's better than the last one I made in the Grand City, never did like that one it was never detailed enough."
Xena eyed her for a long moment. "You made another one of these?" Gabrielle eyed the remaining nails as she lowered the hammer. "I did yes but I doubt it's around anymore, no doubt in my absence it's probably been stolen along with everything else I used to own." Xena blinked in confusion. "Why would they steal your things, you're a king?!" Gabrielle stepped away from the wooden carving which was now directly in the centre of her double doors and came apart when they were open and locked back together when the doors closed. "It's because I'm king that they'd take what's mine, they see it as piece of my soul, its an old myth in that they say what ever Horn Hind touches becomes lucky." She took in a deep breath. "So those who are down on there luck or who the council have punished may see it as something to give them luck. If they feel that way I have no hard feelings about them taking it all, if it gives them inspiration."
Xena leaned against the wall looking at the younger woman for a long moment she really did think with her heart. She'd give up all she owned for others and she didn't even feel sad about it, far from it she seemed to embrace the idea of giving to her people in some way or another. She paused looking up slightly. "What was your predecessor like? I remember you saying he spoke to you of his guilt after he brought you to his room after you let Iris go." Gabrielle breathed in sharply as she looked up she hadn't wanted to talk about this before, but now things felt different between them in a way she really couldn't put her finger on. The Empress was about to end the hunting law and she'd put her seal on her document, she put down the hammer and nails. She eased her pipe out of her pocket putting it in her mouth she lit it while eyeing the silver ring on her finger. "He was a decadent bastard." She eased the pipe out of her mouth breathing out the smoke in the other direction out of respect. "I've never understood why he wanted to talk to me, I wasn't special I was just getting punished for failing my mission. May be the truth was that he just felt guilty for all the pain he'd caused to half breeds like me, but the truth is I'll never know all I remember is that I wasn't nice to him." She breathed in her pipe as the vision of gold and spender entered her mind once more.
8
Gabrielle felt the pain as she was shoved in to the nearest chair she looked up eyeing the highly decorated room which was huge and filled with everything imaginable. Luxurious furniture and a huge bed there were many chests all filled with expensive items. Beautiful cream silk curtains hung down covering the walls there were jewel encrusted goblets along a wine jug on a small table in front of her. She could see fur skin rugs on the floor from bear and boar and a large open fireplace it was truly a room of a king. She breathed in painfully trying to ignore the stinging pain of her body watching as the two warriors who had brought her in left closing the double golden doors behind them. She looked up watching as the Crescent Hind entered the room he looked at her his brown eyes studying her over for a long moment before he walked over to the table pouring red wine from the jug in to one of the goblets. He breathed in deeply before spoke. "Did you know that my real name is Eleutherios? Very few people remember that now they just call me the Crescent Hind out of formality."
Gabrielle watched as he pushed the goblet towards her with a clawed hand. "I've been around for a long time, it feels like to long." Gabrielle looked up as he sat in the chair opposite her leaning on his elbow. "I'm an old man now and I look back on my life and wonder if I've done anything right by my people." Gabrielle breathed in deeply eyeing him. "Why am I here?" Eleutherios looked down sadly. "You weren't born a werewolf were you?" Gabrielle breathed in trying to ignore the pain. "No." Eleutherios eyed her noticing that she hadn't taken the wine he'd offered. "Do you like it here in this place, or does feel like a prison to you?" He raised his golden ringed clawed finger with its red jewels which had the Horn Hind seal on it. "Don't lie to me, be honest." Gabrielle lowered her gaze. "Yes sometimes I feel trapped here." Eleutherios eyed her for a long moment finally someone who honest and saying how they felt rather than what he wanted to hear. "I heard about your failure in pursuing that escaped werewolf, you're apparently a very fast runner but you couldn't catch her."
He paused before speaking. "But you let her go didn't you?" Gabrielle shifted in her chair trying to ignore her stinging muscles. "Yes I let her go she told me her child would die because it was born human." Eleutherios breathed out feeling the pain in his chest. "Yes the human child would have died, you're right, it's an unfair law but then so are many of the laws made by the Imperial Council." Gabrielle turned sharply. "If it's an unfair law then why don't you change it, you're the king?!" Eleutherios smiled sadly. "Your young you know nothing of the pain of leader ship, you don't know what is to be a prisoner to very council who are meant to help you. I suffer and I can't change anything, no matter how hard you try." Gabrielle narrowed her gaze getting painfully to her feet ignoring her bleeding body. "That's the words of someone who's given up." Eleutherios lowered his gaze. "Maybe I have, but pray you never grow these horns the pain and the responsibility is a curse and a crushing burden."
He looked up sadly. "The only compensation is the luxury around me here." Gabrielle felt the disgust hit home she spoke unable to keep the sarcasm out of her tone. "So you choose to bask in luxury while young children die for no more reason than being human, you must be proud." Eleutherios sneered slightly. "I am not proud far from it, but I cannot escape this place it's become my prison!" He turned sitting back down. "Tell me what would you do if you were me?" Gabrielle looked at her clawed hand. "Make things fair for those born werewolves and those who weren't." Eleutherios smiled sadly. "A noble notion, but to do that you'd have to destroy the Imperial Council before they destroy you and get every werewolf to follow you and be loyal." He looked up slightly. "A monumental task, but then your young you have dreams and everything is easy in your eyes." He put a clawed hand on the table. "So tell me do you think I'm a good leader and that I've done right by my people?"
Gabrielle eyed him from her standing position. "No." He lowered his head. "That's all I wanted to know." He breathed in sadly he knew her words were the truth, she hadn't been corrupted by politics or lying behaviour. She had been created from pain and suffering, she was his legacy there were hundreds like her all who were prisoners of their own destiny. He had failed as a leader and a king he hadn't been able to rise up and fight the Imperial Council. Now he was too old and every day he was getting weaker, he wasn't strong anymore and he felt ill he was also coughing up blood just about every day. His appearance as a werewolf gave him the illusion of strength which wasn't there any longer in human form. He looked up he knew his time was now drawing to a close. All he had to show for sixty years was a bloody path of death and destruction, which stung his heart and gave him constant nightmares. He breathed in eyeing her for a long moment, he could only hope that the Horn Hind who followed in his passing would be as young and as honest as she was and would believe that they could change things in the way he hadn't he lowered his gaze to the floor. "You can leave now."
8
Gabrielle looked up slightly seeing the concern in the other woman's eye. "Its sad really I wasn't kind to him, but he had a point you can't overthrow the Imperial Council they have to much power over werewolf society and he was right when you're Horn Hind the Grand City becomes your prison. If I have known then what I know now I would have been kinder but I was young and I was still seeing the word as simple." She breathed out the smoke from her pipe. "He died a year later no one knew how sick he was he hid it very well. He died young as well he was only sixty one I've heard whisperings that maybe he was murdered, but no one has ever been able to prove it." Xena took in a deep breath. "Do you believe he was murdered?" Gabrielle breathed in her pipe. "Yes I believe he was." Xena stepped closer to her. "Who do you think murdered him?"
Gabrielle breathed out the smoke feeling her self tense. "I believe he was murdered by the Imperial Council but I can't prove it, no one can. It's also very clear to me after you showed me that document on Damokles's body that he had also been murdered." She breathed in painfully feeling her hand form a fist. "Human's don't leave puncture wounds in the neck and his neck was broken, only werewolves do that, it's a move I was taught during my training. You grab a person's neck with your jaws and force it sideways, it breaks the spine and kills the person instantly, it's also very affective when used on other werewolves so long as you get a solid grip around the neck and hold it you can force the head backwards until the spine breaks." She eased the pipe out of her mouth breathing out the smoke once more as she felt her teeth grind together. "It takes a very well trained werewolf to do it right and my lover was a great warrior he'd knew how to handle himself, which is why I think the Imperial Council sent out one of there best. It's well known that they have loyal warriors who are trained assassins who do their dirty work for them."
She sneered slightly. "If they don't like someone or if they are threat to their power they silence them." Xena lowered her gaze feeling the guilt take over. "You mean people like Iona, don't you?" Gabrielle put the pipe back in her mouth looking up slightly. "If only they were like her, then I wouldn't mind them but sadly their not, they have no honour code of any kind, they get paid in gold and they do the job." She shook her head. "There not even known as part of the army, they are a secret but a dirty public secret every one knows they exist, but no one talks about them out of fear of winding up dead." She eased up her hand. "At least Iona is part of your army at least she's not your dirty public secret and though she's not the kindest person she wouldn't betray you for gold." She breathed in her pipe. "She only betrayed you over me and that was because she had prejudice and lacked understanding and that I can forgive, because if I'd never seen a werewolf before I'd feel the same way. I also don't believe she's evil I believe it's her job to kill and solve your problems and that's what she does because it's all she's ever known."
Xena raised her hand. "She'll be walking around soon they say she's getting better but she will never do what she did to you ever again. She'll report to Demetrius directly and she'll spend time with him until she regains her honour and does not try to use her position to accomplish her personal goals." Gabrielle slowly eased out the scroll which had been in her belt. It was the werewolf scroll written in werewolf tongue, she'd already but her signature and seal on it. "We all have personal goals Xena in my view she should have hobbies as she clearly lacking in them." She opened the scroll slowly so the other woman could see it. "Here is the scroll you requested, in werewolf tongue sealed and sighed by me proof that your scroll is for real." Xena breathed in as she took it from her hand. "You finished it?" Gabrielle nodded. "It took me most of yesterday but I had to reword it as I wanted it sound very serious you can have Phrixus check it over if you want though, to prove that I have no intentions of giving out any secret orders to my people and that I am not deserving you."
Xena eyed the scroll in truth she had no idea what it said but she had no intention of questioning the younger woman it was very clear to her that Gabrielle didn't lie she was also far too noble to go out of her way to cause trouble, it just wasn't in her nature. She looked up slightly. "No I'm not going to send this to Phrixus I believe that what you've put here is your word to your people that you are confirming my scrolls truth." She eyed the long scroll. "I'm going to take this to my room where I can seal it and sign it then I'll give it Chara she'll send it to the scroll makers in the city of Corinth. They have people who will dispute it to every city in my Empire." Gabrielle picked up her hammer and nails feeling the slight smile form again as that strange happy feeling came back but only for an instant before it vanished as she spoke keeping the pipe in her mouth. "Don't you need some sort of diplomatic council to approve your orders?"
Xena raised an eyebrow, watching as the faint smile vanished again from the younger woman face it was fleeting but it was there and it was close to a real smile. "I do have a diplomatic council yes but I hate their corruption one of their members betrayed me not long ago they stole money from my coffers which belonged to my people. The council is still around but I have had to limit their powers they are no longer allowed to stay in my palace and they can not change laws with out my permission. "She carefully rolled up Gabrielle's scroll. "All new reforms must be agreed by all of them so no single one of them has power and I spend no time with them. I don't want them bringing any corruption in to my palace I don't want them corrupting my staff or making me look vulnerable to anyone outside the palace in any way." Gabrielle nodded feeling understanding draw in. "I understand your point of view the Imperial Council brings nothing but pain to my people, you're just trying to protect yours." Xena slowly moved away from her as she raised the scroll. "Let me get this sorted out then maybe we can talk more tonight." Gabrielle nodded watching as she moved towards her room. "I hope we do talk Xena, clearly we have a few things in common." Xena felt a smile form as she opened her bedroom door. "Yes it seems that we do."
End of part 44
Silvermoonlight