Chapter 20
Gabrielle's eyes opened into the faint predawn light. She smiled to herself and snuggled in closer against the length of Xena. She looked up and saw Xena's eyes opened and focused on something at the edge of the clearing. Gabrielle turned her head slightly and felt her breath catch in her throat. Callisto.
Xena squeezed the bard gently. Sky and forest bright eyes bore silent witness to the scene before them.
Gabrielle watched in amazement at the gentle caress of Callisto's fingers tracing Ankh's face. Ankh's own hands rested gently on Callisto's bracers, they were gazing deeply into each other's eyes. Callisto tilted her head and kissed Ankh. Dark hair mingling with blond as Ankh's hands moved along the sinewy arms and across the muscular back. The kiss ended and Gabrielle saw Callisto's smile. Not the demented smile she remembered from her nightmares, a sweet, almost innocent, smile. The women stood, holding each other and murmuring before Ankh shook her head slightly and tossed her head in the direction of the camp. Callisto glanced over at where she and Xena lay and then turned back to gaze into Ankh's eyes. Gabrielle would never be sure, but she thought she saw something almost pleading in Callisto's gaze. No more words were exchanged, they seemed to be communicating solely through the gaze they locked on each other. The communication ended in another kiss.
Xena nudged Gabrielle and they both closed their eyes when Ankh moved back towards the camp. The last thing Gabrielle saw was Callisto looking after Ankh before she disappeared in that shimmering blue light that the Gods came and went with. With her eyes still closed, Gabrielle could not tell when Ankh made it back to camp. She opened her eyes to see Ankh sitting beside the embers, tossing on a few bits of wood to revive the flame.
Ankh was gazing pensively into the struggling fire. Her gaze flicked over and caught Gabrielle's. She smiled at the bard, curled around the warrior.
"Feeling better?" She asked.
"Yes. Thank you." Gabrielle replied, feeling shy again, although not sure why. Was it seeing her with Callisto? Listening to Dhomb? Knowing that this woman's former allies were already plotting her demise? Maybe they were telling the truth and Ankh was not at all as she appeared.
Xena shifted and moved to sit up, still holding Gabrielle close. She could feel the tension that had crept through her lover's muscles as the scene between Ankh and Callisto unfolded. She couldn't really blame her, there was something unnerving about the way that Callisto looked at Ankh.
"And you? How was your evening?" Xena asked. Gabrielle looked up at the face of her lover and saw nothing, just mild inquisitiveness.
Ankh looked down at the now blazing fire. A small smile crept across her lips, "Fine. It turned out fine."
"Good. We should get moving as quickly as possible then. We need to make it to the next town before the others do." Xena replied, all business, even as she squeezed Gabrielle's shoulder quickly.
"There is no rush Xena. First something to eat and we will still get there soon enough. We are but three, they are an entire army." Ankh said as she moved towards the saddlebags for the dried grain and fruit. "Besides, Aillia is not really a morning person."
Gabrielle looked up at Xena who shrugged. Ankh was in better spirits undoubtedly, she could only wonder what had happened between Callisto and her.
"Did you see Callisto?" Gabrielle asked cheerfully, this dancing around all these doubts she had was going to drive her insane if they spent the day pretending this wasn't there between them.
Ankh came back to the fire, placing the small pot with the dried grain, dried fruit and water over it.
"I did...I think that outside Aillia's enthrallment, I am falling in love with her." She replied quietly.
Gabrielle and Xena both stared at her. Gabrielle was the first to speak.
"How...How could you fall in love with...with...her?" She tried to understand, she had even allowed herself to forgive Callisto as much as she could. Without her, she would never have realized that her true love was Xena, but that did not minimize all the things she had done merely for the sheer thrill of it.
Ankh did not answer, she merely raised one eyebrow as she glanced between Xena and Gabrielle, settling on Xena for a moment longer, before she went back to stirring the mixture in the pot.
"The same way you could love me Gabrielle." Xena answered quietly, struggling to keep her anger in check at Ankh's insinuating glance.
Gabrielle opened her mouth to argue, but wasn't sure what she could say. The Xena she knew wasn't like that...Except, she had seen Xena's darkness, had seen the cold empty eyes filled only with fury and hate. Knew first hand what kind of violence her lover was capable of. She sighed, frustrated and a little bit shamed.
"I am sorry. I honestly do not know what is going to happen, I only know that the equinox is tonight and Aillia will be making plans. Perhaps my feelings really are part of the enthrallment and once that and the geas are broken this will be a moot point. Or I could lose and be destroyed. That is for tomorrow's dawn to know. I have to get a sword when we get to town. My life will not be dictated by the venom of Aillia and my own guilt any longer."
"But do you know which side Callisto will be fighting on? You could be facing 3 women leading an army out for your blood." Xena asked, smiling despite herself.
Ankh laughed, "I do not know, but is that not every warrior's nightmare?" She shook her head at the image.
"I want to thank you both again. Certainly this has done nothing but inconvenience you. I am fortunate to have found you." Ankh said, ladling the gruel mixture into mugs and handing them over to Xena and Gabrielle.
"I don't know, it's almost refreshing to not be the central target of conniving Gods and angry Warlords." Gabrielle said as she took her mug.
"Gabrielle." Xena shot a 'look' at the smaller woman with mock seriousness.
"C'mon Xena, admit it, it's almost a relief." Gabrielle grinned up at the warrior.
"Aye, I would offer my...maybe I should be careful what I say since you never know who's listening. I'd trade places with you." Ankh agreed chuckling.
The sun rose to find the three woman laughing and sharing stories. Xena had to admit that this Ankh was much more pleasant to be around than the indecisive brooding woman. Once finished with their breakfast, they quickly broke camp and headed towards the town.
"Dhomb? Dhomb?" Zanten gently nudged the prone form of his lover, wincing at the bruise that flowered across his temple.
"Uhnh." Dhomb groaned, Ankh could still pack a mean punch. He owed her one, that was for sure.
"Dhomb, what happened? The shift change found the late shift tied up, I came here and find the girl gone and you like this." Zanten gently lifted the other man, pressing a cool rag against the bruise.
"Ow! Ankh came. Who else could have dispatched the guards, and known where they were? She nailed me before I could react." Dhomb answered, glad that he could keep his eyes closed under the guise of pain.
"Was she alone?" Zanten asked, noticing the rip in the side of the tent.
"I don't know, I didn't really have a lot of time to visit with her." Dhomb snapped his reply. Despite what was going on, he believed, and knew Ankh did too, that the 2 women who aided her should be involved as little as possible. He wouldn't set Hecate and Aillia loose on his worst enemies, much less innocent bystanders.
"No matter. Come, we need to meet in Sharia's tent. Do you need more time? I can excuse you. Everyone would understand." Zanten replied stonily, something was not right here. Dhomb was not a heavy sleeper, even if Ankh was as stealthy as a shadow. This was an exercise the two of them had played often. Zanten could not remember the times he awoke to Dhomb leaping out of bed and grabbing Ankh from behind curtains, down from the ceiling, from beneath their bed.
"No, no. I will be there in a moment. I just need to clean up a bit." Dhomb rolled off the bed and held his head for a moment. Least she could have done was remove some of the pain. He thought as he moved towards the pitcher and basin. Zanten watched him for a moment and then exited.
Dhomb splashed cool water against his face and patted it dry. He looked at his reflection. He took his hand and placed it over the bruise. He closed his eyes and felt the healing blue wash through his temple. "Ahh, better." He sighed as he shook the heat from his hand.
He ran his fingers through his hair and ducked beneath the flap to head towards Sharia's tent. He had traveled with Ankh on many a campaign and seen her make many a mistake when it came to matters of the heart. He struggled with his own doubt, was Ankh truly that changed here that he would need to fight against her with Aillia as an ally? He had wanted Aillia destroyed once and for all. Ankh had argued passionately on her behalf, as had the old witch. From that day, they had never truly been rid of her. Even Zanten would not discuss Dhomb's position to kill her. Arnaia had understood, having lived in her dungeon for several moons. She knew the horrors that AIllia could wreak. Yet, Arnaia did not seem troubled by this turn of events? Or was she?
A low scream pierced the air from Arnaia's tent. Dhomb broke into a trot when he saw Zanten come out from the tent.
"She's dead." He cried.
Dhomb, Sharia and AIllia all converged on the tent at once. Zanten led them back in. Sure enough, Arnaia lay on her bed, her throat slit from ear to ear. Dhomb stood stunned, Sharia let out a small scream. "How could Ankh have done this?" Dhomb whirled to face her.
"Ankh? What makes you think Ankh did this?" He retorted, something was definitely not right here.
They all turned to face him. "The girl is gone, you were attacked, and lucky to be alive obviously." Aillia said, nodding towards Arnaia's form. "You yourself said it was Ankh."
Dhomb looked into the hard center of those silver eyes, Ankh had not killed Arnaia. He suspected he was looking at her killer right now.
"Why would Ankh kill Arnaia? She had no cause too." He turned towards Sharia.
"Why would Ankh do anything she has done here?" Sharia spat as Aillia placed a reassuring arm on her shoulder.
Dhomb kept quiet. He knew that Ankh could not have killed Arnaia, she had not used an edged weapon since that incident with the sword. The sword that Aillia now wore at her side.
"Come, we'll go back to our tent and decide the best way to deal with Ankh." Aillia purred, guiding Sharia back to the entrance of the tent. Zanten cast a look across to Dhomb as he followed the two women out. Dhomb sighed and moved to cover Arnaia's body. He looked down at the still face, then covered it with the blanket.
"I am sorry this had to happen. It seems that we are but pawns Aillia's vengeance against Ankh and all any of us is doing is apologizing.." He murmured and then made his way to Sharia's tent.
"We have no choice but to attack Ankh the minute she makes her appearance." He heard Aillia's voice coming from behind the flap.
"It should not be a problem. She is a good fighter, but not against all of us at once." He heard Zanten's reply. Dhomb's heart sank. He wondered if any of them except Aillia would be standing when this was all over?
"You forget, Ankh has defeated us all at once." Dhomb said as he entered the tent.
"When she still used a sword. Ankh only fights hand to hand now, and we can defeat her. You defeated her yesterday." Zanten continued his line of reasoning.
"I defeated her because she was surprised to see me. I assure you, she won't be surprised a second time." Dhomb replied, not wanting to see the look in Zanten's eyes.
"What if she brings the Warrior Princess and the girl?" He added.
"What if she comes with her new lover?" Sharia snarled from her seat by the maps. Dhomb wondered if she would transform again, but it looked like she was keeping her anger in check. It did not escape him that Aillia had her hand at the back of Sharia's neck.
"I can handle any aid she may bring." Aillia smiled, massaging Sharia's neck. If nothing else ever happened, this was almost good enough. They were all undecided and distrustful of one another. Zanten was back under her influence, Sharia, there was never a question she could harness that unnatural rage. She had taken care of Arnaia. Now there was only Dhomb.