Chapter 14

Gabrielle opened her eyes to find her hands and feet bound to a large pole. She surveyed her surroundings, muttering as she wrestled with the knots. "Water in the face, being told the new found desire for my lover is not of my doing, Callisto as Ankh's new girlfriend, being swiped by a large scaly creature, waking up with a headache. This definitely falls into the bad day category." She turned as she felt a draft blow in behind her.

She watched the tall blonde man stride in, eyeing him warily as he smiled down at her. "Easy for you to smile, you aren't the one tied up in the middle of the floor." She said sarcastically. The man frowned slightly as he settled back on his calves to look her in the eye. "I am sorry, there really isn't much we can do about that, for now. Until we know what your friend and Ankh decide to do."

"Uh huh. That would explain not a whole lot, I mean exactly what is going on? Why am I here?" Gabrielle said, only somewhat mollified by his apology, her patience already worn thin by the events of the day.

"That was a mistake. Sharia isn't exactly the most rational creature when she is in her rage frenzy. If she was half as surprised as I was about seeing Ankh defending slavers...Well." The man continued his smile saddening.

"You know Ankh?" Gabrielle asked.

"That I do. She is, was my dearest friend. She is Sharia's lover and a companion to all of us here. That is why we are torn in what to do. Honestly, that is why I am torn." The man answered, sitting cross-legged before the young bard. Why not speak to this open faced young woman, no one else in the camp wanted to talk about the situation they were facing.

"Let me understand this? You - you all are the ones that Ankh is supposed to rescue? Funny hah, you don't look like you need rescuing to me. I, on the other hand, definitely do."

"Rescue us?" The man's brow furrowed, "Why should she need to rescue us?"

"Good question, somehow, I don't think one of us has the full story." Gabrielle said as she leaned down to rub her head with her bound hands.

"Here, I can help you with that." The man reached towards Gabrielle, Gabrielle jerked her head back, glaring at him.

"Shh. This won't hurt, it'll help your head." He said as he placed cool palms across her forehead. "OK. Imagine cool blue light- sweeping over the pain. Like waves against the shore. There, washing it away." He murmured softly as the coolness seeped from his hands into her head.

Gabrielle felt a slight tingling sensation, as cool waves did seem to flow over her, taking her headache with it. He removed his much warmer hands and shook them out, flinging them away from him. "Better?" He asked smiling.

"Yes, thank you. How did you do that?"

"Just a little trick Ankh taught me. She has a bit of talent for casting, but doesn't acknowledge it. Insists that she is a warrior tried and true." The man laughed.

"Casting? You mean spells and such?" Gabrielle asked, a hint of disbelief in her voice.

"Yes. It appears at least that much is true. That we are not of your world, exactly. Much is the same, the Gods, some of the culture, but here you have lost touch with that force which hovers around everything. Casting is nothing more than energy being balanced. There really is no difference to casting a spell than performing a good deed." The man explained patiently.

"So when Ankh said that we were under an enthrallment, she wasn't kidding. And when she spoke of Hecate, she really was speaking of her as the Goddess of magic." Gabrielle said slowly.

"Yes...I suppose. Why did Ankh believe that you were under an enthrallment? What does Hecate have to do with this?" The man's voice tightened with some emotion. Was it fear or anger? Gabrielle could not be sure.

"Soldiers wearing Hecate's medallions attacked us, Ankh did not seem surprised. All she told me was that she had to get to Hecate's temple before the equinox to save all of you. That her sister was involved in this somehow."

The man's blue eyes widened, "Aillia? Aillia is involved in this?"

"I guess so. She really didn't say much beyond that. She really didn't say a lot this morning. It was a little tense." Gabrielle said quietly.

"Gods, where are my manners? You would think I had been raised in a barn. I am Dhomb -and you are?" Dhomb said, extending his hand to the young woman. His mind racing at the news he had just heard. Could Aillia really have done this? Set them at odds with one another? Maybe not alone, but with Hecate's help, most definitely. They were protected though, unless, that is why they were here...No the Gods were constant, if Hecate plotted against them here, then surely their protections would be intact.

"Gabrielle." Gabrielle replied, taking his large hand in both of hers, she really had no choice, since her hands were still bound.

"I am sorry. I am sure Ankh was trying to keep you out of harms way, not throw you in front of it." Dhomb smiled apologetically at Gabrielle, nodding down at her hands over his.

"So, any chance that you could let me go since you know that this is all a big mistake?" Gabrielle smiled her most winning smile at Dhomb.

"I, I can't. I don't know if Ankh told you the truth, if you are telling the truth. I need to speak to the others about this. Sharia is the one who has been leading us towards Ankh...When she saw Ankh, she immediately went into a rage..." Dhomb stammered as he stood. He gave her another look, one that she could not quite read and quickly left the tent.

"Great, yea, it was nice talking to you. Thanks for taking my headache away." Gabrielle called after him. "Something about traveling with stoic warriors could be a bard's undoing." She said to herself, settling back against the large pole.