HONEST AND KIND SENTIMENTS OF FRIENDSHIP

They brought me gifts, why would they buy me gifts? Okay I won't lie I probably feel this way because ever since I became a werewolf I never celebrated anything I no longer cared for celebrations it was just a part of my life which was over, I haven't celebrated my birthday in years. So now to see all these wrapped gifts in front of me it feels confusing and disconcerting. When you get seriously wounded in battle and are at deaths door where I came from no one ever give you gifts, no they ask the Sharman or white werewolf of dreams to do a ritual on you to help you heal. Her family are the only werewolves in the Grand City to have pure white fur from head to toe it's quite rare to have white fur unless you're an albino. Yet her family aren't sickly they are all healthily, the family is very old as well they've been around ever since the first Horn Hind appeared and no matter what colour fur the partners have the full blood children have always been born with pure white fur.

The whole family is sort after to a great extent the Imperial Council and the Horn Hind has always come to their family as they can foresee the future. They are worshipped and highly respected and for the Horn Hind or the Imperial Council to hurt their leading Shaman or the family in any way is very much considered a sin. No one has ever been foolish enough to do so not in centuries and no one in their right mind would do so, the back lash from the people would be terrible. I met their head Sharman once her name is Jacinda I really wish that I'd been more polite to her she's a nice old woman but I didn't see it at the time. I was just so caught up in my pain that I didn't listen to her, I still don't believe what she said regarding my future but despite this I wish I'd been better towards her, she deserved it from me and I didn't give it to her and I deeply regret it.

If I ever meet her again I will kneel to her and show her my loyalty, I may be Horn Hind and a king but her and her family have been around for longer than I could ever imagine and they harbour no ill will towards half breeds, they treat them as equals just like full bloods. The family is there to guide those in power and they do it with honour and have never used their position to get what they want, they only want to help the werewolf race in any way possible. It was Jacinda's words that sent me to Corinth to kill the Empress but I couldn't go through with it and in a strange way I see the method in her madness, because I'm free now. The Imperial Council has no power over me in this palace, I am able to make choices for my people with out their interference and for that I'm forever grateful despite the pain I suffered in the pit.

Gabrielle eased up a little wrapped box eyeing it for a long moment. "Why did they give me gifts, I don't understand?" Xena sat down in the chair next to her looking at the items on the table. She adjusted her shoulder plate eyeing the younger woman who had, had a bath in her own room and was now fully dressed. Though she still looked a little pale she assumed it was because she hadn't eaten and once she got some food in her stomach she'd feel much better. She already sent word to Faolan to have him come up and bring a hearty breakfast with lots of meat and fish and bread. She knew the last time that food had been the thing that had perked Gabrielle up after she'd been shot with the crossbow. She felt a smile form. "Their get well presents, don't you have anything like this in the Grand City?" Gabrielle looked at the box. "No, nothing like this." Xena sat up. "What about birthdays, I'm sure you celebrate those don't you?" Gabrielle lowered her gaze. "Yes we do." Xena eyed her. "Well this is similar these gifts are to cheer you up now that your well again."

She moved her hand over taking hold of the younger woman's. "Now come on and open them I want to see what my staff brought you." Gabrielle eyed the small wooden box opening it watching as a silver Sovereign came in to view, she put the box down as she eased it out looking at it. Xena eyed the large silver coin. "That is from Thaleia and her mother it's a Sovereign coin it also far pre-dates my reign, which makes it quite rare these coins are considered lucky by some." Gabrielle eyed the coin. "Can they still be used as currency?" Xena felt a smile form. "Oh they can I still allow the use of the older Sovereigns as currency but I wouldn't use that one. Its rarer than most I mean it has king Lycaon's face on it's an antique and I can't imagine the trouble they both went through to get it."

She paused. "I know king Lycaon was a tyrant but I think they got you this because it's a symbol of your heritage. Phrixus has been telling everyone about the first Horn Hind and how he overthrew Lycaon as he's just finished translating his story on the scroll." Gabrielle eyed the Sovereign feeling a smile form. "Which makes this coin from the Emerald Hind's time and that makes it very special." She put the silver coin down as her gaze drifted to an unwrapped carved bird made from a stone she picked it up looking at it. "Who is this from?" Xena leaned forward. "That's from Iona she said it was her new hobby to carve stone and she wanted to give this to you." Gabrielle gently put down the carved bird. "It's very charming." Xena leaned back in her chair. "It's nice to see that you two are getting along now." Gabrielle eyed the little stone bird again. "We had a talk sometime before the meeting with Adrienne and we cleared a lot of things up."

She moved to another small object wrapped in cloth she carefully opened it watching as a small ivory pipe came in to view which had carved birds on it she picked up looking at it, next to it was a wooden pipe with animal carvings. Xena looked at the pipes. "Those are from Evadine and Chara I did wonder why they combined their presents but after what you said this morning it's become very clear as to why that is." Gabrielle eyed both pipes. "These are beautiful." Xena raised her eyebrow. "Well you do need a new one in my opinion you're other one is looking a little old." Gabrielle looked up she knew that statement was true her pipe was old, but then the truth was that it wasn't her pipe. It had been someone else's and she'd taken it to remind herself of the terrible things that could come from doing as the Imperial Council's commanded. She shook of her thoughts as she looked up knowing her words weren't really true even as she spoke. "Yes its old it needs replacing." She moved to one of the other gifts unwrapping it watching as a boot dagger came in to view she raised it eyeing it.

Xena felt a smirk form. "That's from Demetrius he felt that you would like a brand new one, since you shoved your other one in to Adrienne's leg." Gabrielle raised both eyebrows. "I'll be sure to thank him for this as I did need a new one." She twirled the dagger between her fingers before placing it down looking at the remaining gifts she eased up the scroll opening it slowly. "This ones from Phrixus, isn't it?" Xena nodded feeling a playful smile form. "What gave it away?" Gabrielle felt a full smile form as she eyed the scroll which was the legend of the Odyssey but it was written in werewolf tongue. "He's really getting the hang of my races language this is a perfect retelling of the Odyssey." Xena carefully took the scroll from her hand eyeing it. "Maybe you could take me through this, it would be very helpful as I can read most of the letters but there are still some things I don't understand." Gabrielle took hold of the last box. "Of course I'd be happy to go through it with you."

She opened the box carefully catching sight of what looked like a bronze wrist torc which had wolf heads on either side. Both of the heads had globes in their mouths, she had heard of these but she'd never seen one for real one. She eased it up looking at it. "This is beautiful." Xena put down the scroll. "That is from Faolan and Tiara." She looked up sharply watching as Ceto opened the door so Faolan could come in as he was carrying two large plates with food. He gave her a smile as he walked in putting the plates of food down in front of the younger woman. "I heard that someone is wide awake and walking around." Xena raised her hand. "Gabrielle I'd like to introduce you to our new head cook, Faolan." Gabrielle stood up slowly looking at the older man whose clothes were Celtic, she knew very little about the Celts in truth. She only knew about the Norse and that was only because Adrienne was a Norse woman who had come to Greece at a young age with her parents, before they'd been killed by werewolves. She felt a smile form. "It's a pleasure to meet you Faolan I've had many conversation with your wife Tiara."

Faolan took hold of her hand. "The pleasures all mine I've wanted to speak to you for such so long but I have never had the courage of cause Tiara has said that I have nothing to fear from talking to you in werewolf form." Gabrielle looked up he was very much the opposite of his wife in that he was soft spoken and a little playful. "You have nothing to fear from me in ether form I promise you, I know my protruding teeth in werewolf form can really make people uneasy, but their just for show." Faolan raised his eyebrow. "Well not all for show I'm sure." Gabrielle let go of his hand. "Okay mostly for show." He eyed the torc in her hand. "I see you got mine and my wife's gift." Gabrielle raised the torc. "It's beautiful I want to thank both you and Tiara for this I've never seen one of these before, apart from in pictures on scrolls." Faolan eyed the torc. "It's from a Norse myth which I've always been very been fond off it represents Skoll and Hati the wolves that are always chasing the sun and the moon." Gabrielle looked up slightly. "It looks like they've both captured them though in this bracelet." Faolan felt his smile widen. "Call me sentimental but I just prefer bracelets that show the wolf getting what he or she desires."

Gabrielle looked up feeling a knowing smile form. "Thank you, that means a lot to me." Faolan put a hand her shoulder. "I'm glad you approve." He stepped back. "Now I must get back to my duties they'll be missing me and the kitchen can't run itself." Gabrielle looked up at the taller man. "I hope we get to speak again, maybe I can show my teeth, the ones that are mostly for show." Faolan laughed as he looked up. "My wife was right about you, you are very charming." He stepped back feeling a knowing smile form as he turned to the Empress. "Cleary one of the many reasons the Empress enjoys your company." He moved towards the main doors opening them slowly then walked through closing them behind him. Gabrielle sat back down looking at the torc. "He's a really nice man." Xena put her hands together. "I agree and I think he really likes you." She watched as Gabrielle put the torc with her other gifts. "You should eat your breakfast you'll feel much better."

Gabrielle turned to her breakfast plate which was had fish, bread and thin cuts of meat as well as fruit and apple juice it all looked so nice and it smelt so good. She picked up her fork. "What does his food taste like?" Xena felt a smile form. "His food is." She looked at the younger woman's beautifully face. "Gorgeous." Gabrielle took a bite out of the fish feeling the flavour hit her tongue which was so good. She turned meeting the other woman's intense light blue gaze. "Oh this is so good, it's so much better than Kalika's." Xena nodded watching as the younger woman's full attention turned to her food which she started to eat with more speed as if she was worried that it might run away. She was clearly very hungry but that was no surprise she'd only drank water while being in bed and hadn't eaten anything substantial. She breathed in deeply. "I do have some scrolls to finish in my study." Gabrielle swallowed her mouthful not looking up. "I'll let you get on, I mean I can take a walk in the royal gardens while you're busy and come back later once you've finished, how does that sound?"

Xena nodded. "That sounds good." Gabrielle suddenly stopped eating she turned to the older woman realizing that she really needed to say something important as she put her hand on hers holding it tightly. "Thank you for saving my life, if you hadn't been there when I fell out of the window, I would be dead now." She breathed in deeply. "What you did means a lot to me and if there's anything you wish from me it's yours." Xena stood up slowly she moved forward putting a hand on her face. "I don't want anything in return from you Gabrielle." She was unable to stop her next actions as she leaned over kissing her very gently on the head as she spoke. "You're my best friend, my family, I love you Gabrielle." Gabrielle blinked feeling the surprise hit home she knew that wasn't her imagination. Those words had said it all but she had no idea how to even react to them her mind was struggling catching up. Xena felt her smile widen as she stroked the other woman's chin with her finger ignoring her eyes which were full of conflicted emotion as if she struggling to comprehend her words. "I'm going to go and do my scrolls I'll be back soon." Gabrielle watched as she walked towards her study she looked down feeling stupid as she spoke the only word she could get out. "Okay…"

8

I love you Gabrielle, she said that now I know that every word she said to me before today was not my imagination nor was every kiss. Thaleia words were true and as much as I try so hard deny them I can no longer lie to myself about her feelings and I can no longer deny the simple truth which is that she is in love with me. I've seen it for so long every time she touches it's a gentle caress and she looks at me so intensely I can not deny that's those beautiful blue eyes remind me of blue sapphire when its being struck by the sun light. I know that I even told her this before I passed out some time ago the memory wasn't very clear until now a lot has come back in to my mind since I woke up this morning. Yet even as I sit on top of my favourite stone lion in the garden I know the truth which is that if she sees for the monster I am she will never look at me this way again. She will never touch me that way again, she will tell me to leave.

Even though I may sleep better at night the nightmares that have haunted me for so long still haunt me I see the faces of all those innocent men and woman I killed during the androphonomania massacre, the screaming never leaves my mind even now. There is no forgiveness for this kind of sin and I've never been able to forgive myself so why would she ever forgive me for that? They say love defeats all and that it's the strongest force given by my goddess Ouroboros it has the power to destroy as well as create, to lead warriors to victory or surrender. It's said people will even die for their loved ones and most of this I know to be true but when I think about it despite that I've loved and lost. The love I had was not this legendary love that bards and scribes speak off the love of soul mates or so they call it. I'm forced to ask though can this legendary love if it exists be so strong that I could be forgiven for my sins during the androphonomania massacre?

I want to believe so badly but I'm afraid and it occurs to me that as strong as I am as brave and noble as I've seen myself, I've always been afraid to let people in to my heart. Because from the day I received this scar on my face all that I was shown was the worst of humanity and the worst my race had to offer. Pain slowly became a normal part of my life, in the end I just became cold to everything and now I want to open up and want to be the person I should be but I'm so scared of doing so because I fear that I might be seen as weak or foolish. By Ouroboros I wish I was stronger with my inner feelings I wish I had much more confidence in myself. I want to embrace my dreams for the first time in my life I want to truly hold them in my hands and put them to my chest. Yet I am so afraid of what might happen and what it will mean if I do and I'm even more terrified that if I do hold these dreams in my hands they will spill though my fingers like sand as they have done so many times before.

Gabrielle looked up catching sight of Phantasos he was coming towards her he came to a stop below the statue an uncertain look in his face as he spoke. "The garden is very beautiful today wouldn't you agree?" Gabrielle eyed him for a long moment it had been a long time since they'd last spoken and their last conversation had not been all that pleasant. Yet there was no denying the truth he had pulled the crossbow bolt out from her shoulder and he had saved her life by stitching up her chest. She jumped off the lion landing in front of him ignoring the slight twinge of pain in her knees she leaned against the statue speaking in a calm voice. "Yes it's very beautiful." She lowered her gaze to the floor. "It's been a long while since we last spoke hasn't it?" Phantasos nodded he hadn't expected her to speak to him at all. "Yes it has." He put his hands together. "I came here because I wanted to tell you that Adrienne has not woken up, the wound on her head still hasn't healed fully and she's now in a coma." Gabrielle eyed him for a long moment sadly she didn't feel a thing despite this news. Even though she knew that head wounds not healing on werewolves was a serious problem.

When they didn't heal it meant there was serious brain damage of some kind it also meant if Adrienne ever woke up again she'd ether heal up but remain sickly for the rest of her life or that she'd heal up and would have permanent memory loss. Yet nether filled her with any emotion of any kind she eyed the healer. "Maybe that's a fitting punishment for her, she always ruined the lives of others and this will now ruin her life in some way if she ever wakes up." Phantasos raised an eyebrow. "I assume if a head wound doesn't heal up on a werewolf it's very bad." Gabrielle nodded. "It's not good put it like that but if she ever wakes up again you'll know for sure just how much damage has been done." She looked up slightly wanting to change the subject. "I owe you a thank you both for taking out the crossbow bolt in my shoulder some time ago and for saving my life, if you hadn't taken that weapon out of my chest I would have died there and then." Phantasos breathed in deeply. "Thank you but I feel that I don't deserve your gratitude."

He looked up slightly. "You were right, I had no respect for you or your people I saw you as things I could study. All I wanted was my grand moment when I could show my research to the Grand Library in Athens and say that I was the first to study werewolves and to gain an even higher stature in the world of healing and this all started when your lover's dead body was brought in to the palace." Gabrielle raised a hand suddenly feeling the pain in her heat. "Look I mean no offence but I don't want to talk about this." Phantasos put a hand on her arm. "No please just hear me out, I did a bad thing I saw his body as a means to study and I didn't see it as a person, even though I saw something on his body which proved other wise." He put a hand in his pocket easing out a gold ring which was adjustable and had the Apollonia seal on it. "This was on his clawed hand." He took hold of her hand gently placing it in her palm. "I thought it was a mistake I thought it was my imagination I couldn't understand why a werewolf would put on a ring."

Gabrielle eyed the ring she recognising it instantly. "This belonged to his father it was the ring to show that he was from a noble house in Apollonia." Phantasos lowered his gaze sadly. "I realize now that this was a ring adjusted to fit his hand it was a symbol of intelligence and I didn't want to see it or believe it. So I hid it from everyone even the Empress and looking back I truly regret doing so because I could have changed things. I could have made things better for your people I could have spoken to Phrixus about it and allowed him to make the connection between the ring and your scroll." He put a hand on his face. "But I didn't instead I said nothing I just wanted my study subject. I wanted the body I wanted to see what was inside and I carried on seeing a monster." He lowered his gaze sadly. "I came here because I wanted to say sorry for what I did to Damokles's body and how I treated you in the study room." Gabrielle looked up feeling her hand close around the ring. "You know its funny I never liked you because of what you did to him, I never trusted you again after I found out but I guess it's ironic if it weren't for mounting him and understanding his insides I wouldn't be standing here right now, I'd be dead."

She shook her head. "Clearly my goddess really knows how to twist my fate." She opened her palm looking at the ring again. "Thank you for giving this back to me, I realized after I buried him that I had nothing off his other than a gift I was never able to give him and it saddened me. Yet now I have this it's not much but it matters none the less, it means I'll always have something." She eyed the ring again. "You shouldn't feel so bad for not showing this to the others I don't think if you had they would have wanted to believe you, well Phrixus might have but it wouldn't have changed much." She put the ring away in her shirt pocket. "I think they needed to see a real werewolf in the flesh to make a difference." Phantasos shook his head. "Your right but I should have tried none the less." Gabrielle eyed the older man she could see the pain in his eyes which was very genuine. He had come here to reconcile as he clearly felt bad for everything that had happened between them and he just wanted to make it right.

She didn't want to feel this way any longer ether she didn't want to have hated or distrust anymore for anyone in this palace. This was her home and she was happy here, she had friends here and a surrogate family and it really meant a lot to her. She wasn't the same woman who had come out of that pit she knew that now so much had changed. All she wanted was to get on with everyone here he had made a mistake and she wouldn't hold that against him. She took in a deep breath as she looked up. "We all make mistakes, I've made enough my own to know that I wouldn't hold it against someone else for doing the same thing." Phantasos put a hand on his beard. "Very wise words it's clear as to why you're the king of your people." Gabrielle leaned over putting a hand on his shoulder. "Would you still like to bring your research to Athens on werewolves?" Phantasos blinked as he looked up sharply meeting her gaze. "I would but I realize now it may be seen as the wrong thing to do."

Gabrielle raised both eyebrows. "What if you could make it the right thing to do? By making your study not just about werewolf body parts and internals but about werewolf culture, couples, family dynamic and compare our race to your own, so it's a well rounded study, it'll put werewolves in the same position as Minotaurs and Centaurs and the other none human races." Phantasos eased up his hand. "That's a very good idea it would reflect your race better than my first idea." Gabrielle felt a smile form. "I'll tell you everything I know and you can put it in your notes then when the time is right and things are less heated between our two races you can present it to the Athens Library." Phantasos felt a wide smile form. "That's a very good idea I like the sound of that a fair study on werewolves and how they live, it means I can share notes with Phrixus as well." Gabrielle stepped away from him. "Well when ever you're ready to begin please come to me and we'll start work and you can finish your research on me, but only under the condition that you don't cut me or burn my skin." Phantasos took hold of her hand. "It would be my honour and I promise that I will not do any thing of the sort to you, I only wish to learn." Gabrielle gave him a half smile. "Thank you."

End of part 72

Silvermoonlight

Skoll and Hati were Norse wolves who chased the sun and the moon chariots horses Árvakr and Alsviðr.

A Sovereign is a pure gold coin which can be used as currency or kept as a collectable as its pure bullion, though in this AU they are made from silver as well. The word Sovereign derives from the large size and majestic portrait of the monarch, they were first issued in 1489 by King Henry VII

My apologises to the guest reviewer whose review was removed in the last chapter this was a mistake on my part and due to pressing the wrong button. To answer your question though about Xena becoming badass this will not happen in this story. Xena is not the Conqueror or the Warrior Princess she is the Empress of When Fates Collide who is a kinder and softer character. This story is a complete role reverse character wise and Gabrielle is the more powerful one and will remain so, this is not to say Xena will not fight though as this story is the warm up to a very heated sequel.