Chapter 23
Gabrielle snuggled closer to Xena's flushed body, "You are so beautiful Xena." She whispered into Xena's ear.
"Uhmm." was Xena's reply as she turned her head to capture Gabrielle's lips with her own.
The two lovers kissed, rolling back into each other. A light knock on the door startled them both.
Xena reached for her sword and called out. "Yes?"
"Pardon me, but it was asked that we let you know when the moon crested the treetops." A young woman's voice said.
"Fine. Thank you." Xena replied, releasing her sword.
"Ankh is very thorough isn't she?" Gabrielle giggled, then grew serious. "Do you think she will survive?" She asked, looking up into the magnificently more than blue eyes that had captured her heart so long ago.
"If we have anything to do with it she will." Xena tried to reassure the woman in her arms. In truth, she wasn't sure what the morning sun would reveal.
Gabrielle leaned up and kissed Xena again, wrapping her arms tightly her. They pulled apart reluctantly.
"Xena. About what has happened between us. I..."
"Gabrielle, I know. I would apologize to you every waking moment of the day that we spend together if all those words didn't sound so empty and hollow. All those times I tried to protect you..And the monster you needed the most protection from - was me."
"All the things that have happened to us. But it is Ankh that has been the one to help us build a bridge back to one another. I've missed this Xena. Can we truly deny Callisto a chance at redemption? Do either one of us have the power to make that judgement? I would die if you were to be judged and then condemned forever to be away from me. I have grown up and you have too. The love I have now..." Gabrielle's voice trailed off.
"The love we have now." Xena replied, not wanting to move from her current position.
"We should get ready." Gabrielle said as she half-heartedly tried to move off the bed. Xena held on for a moment and the two women snuggled together before they each sighed and slid out of the warm bed.
They dressed as quickly as pausing for kisses and lingering touches allowed.
Down the hall, Ankh and Callisto were doing the same. Callisto felt like she had finally begun to live again. Ten years in her self imposed hatred, then the numbing emptiness and now she had found some reprieve. She moved, acutely aware of the woman beside her.
Ankh moved to where her new sword lay, she picked it up gingerly and tested it for balance, swinging it once or twice before she resheathed it.
"You handle that well." Callisto murmured as she moved towards her, helping Ankh adjust the position of the sword across Ankh's back so she could draw it swiftly and smoothly.
Ankh turned shadowed eyes to Callisto. "No matter what happens, I hope that you will always hold this evening in your heart." She said, her voice filled with sorrow.
Callisto cupped Ankh's face in her hands. "How could I ever forget? Tonight, you gave me back my soul and stole my heart."
Ankh grasped Callisto's wrists, wishing that her words were true, and that once this was over, she could come back here with this woman and spend a thousand days and nights discovering answers to the mystery that she was.
They met again in another sweet kiss and broke apart with regret. Ankh turned and opened the door.
They saw Xena and Gabrielle just heading towards the stairs. The dark haired warrior and the strawberry blonde bard waited as they caught up.
"Thank you Ankh." Gabrielle said as they moved down the stairs.
"You are welcome. It was the least I could do to repay you." Ankh replied, smiling at the younger woman.
Callisto gave a cursory glance during this short exchange, but kept quiet. Walking behind Xena, she felt the flicker of rage threatening to ignite and blaze across this happiness she felt. She knew it was more habit than anything, she quelled the anger by focusing on Ankh's face as they walked.
They all stepped out into the cool night air. Ankh crouched down in the street and drew out their plan of attack. In a brief time, they agreed upon a strategy based on Ankh's information regarding past battles. Once their consensus had been reached, they moved through the quiet streets silently, their path illuminated by Artemis's grace. The nearer they got to the temple, the heavier the night air felt. Xena and Callisto both reached back for their swords. Gabrielle and Ankh both noticed the other noticing the eerie synchronization of their movements. Green eyes met silver in acknowledgement of the strange position of the other. Gabrielle raised her staff and Ankh fell back into a fighting stance.
From silence to chaos, the air filled with leaping figures and they found themselves surrounded by soldiers wearing dark armor. Ankh's lips curled back into a sneer, her crest had been bastardized to include Hecate's emblem. Very nice Aillia, she thought. The soldiers moved in, swords glistening in the moonlight.
"Aaai yi yi yi yi yi." Xena's sword flashed as she deflected an oncoming blow. Her cry was echoed by Callisto's rage filled shriek as she too moved forward, her sword piercing the gut of the soldier that rushed towards her while her other hand glowed and ignited a soldier foolish enough to attack her other side.
Ankh ducked her first attacker, her leg flashing out and breaking the knee and then up into his chest, propelling him back into the soldier behind him. Gabrielle staff arced clocking two soldiers across the temples.
Each woman fought, focused only on the apparently never-ending onslaught of soldiers. Xena and Callisto grinned maniacally as they slashed and parried the onslaught of idiots with their death wishes. Callisto having a wider arc as the soldiers quickly realized that even if they did attack her, she did not bleed or seem to tire. Instead, she would turn blazing eyes upon them and incinerate them faster than they could blink. Gabrielle was driven back towards the center of their small circle, looking for an opening in her attackers onslaught. Ankh and Gabrielle stepped back simultaneously, Ankh stumbling over the bard's ankle and tumbling backwards. Gabrielle felt Ankh fall back and struggled to keep her balance and her attention on the soldier before her. The two soldiers attacking Ankh smiled. One went for Gabrielle, the other for her. Ankh tried to flip off the ground to stop both attackers at once, but her footing was wrong. Ankh saw one sword coming down towards her, the other swinging at Gabrielle. She caught the blade between her palms and saw a flash of silver as a dagger buried itself in her second attacker's throat. He staggered back, his sword falling from limp hands. The bard never knew of her imminent danger as she forced her initial attacker back. Ankh's leg connected squarely her attacker's groin, he groaned and fell forward, releasing his sword, Ankh slid out from beneath his falling form, turning the sword so he impaled himself.
She rose and saw a new batch of soldiers already rushing in to take advantage of her position, eyes half lidded, her hand finally went to the hilt of her own sword. She had no choice, in one fluid movement, she drew the weapon. Fingers gripped around soft leather, she felt the tingling from her fingertips to her groin as she fell into the familiar stance. Block, block, thrust, pull back, downward slash, arcing back up, there, slashing across the vulnerable point, an exposed throat. Block, block again, kneel, backfist, pull back, drive the blade deep into the foolish attacker behind her. The sword danced in her hand, oh the feel of it, it's weight, it's power, the sleek beauty in it's destructive force. The addition of Ankh's sword with the skilled prowess of her companions soon turned their attackers back. Gabrielle struck one last attacker and turned in time to see Callisto kick a soldier off her sword. Callisto looked over and saw Gabrielle watching her, she winked at the bard before whipping her head around to see if there were any other attackers. Gabrielle tried not to blanch at the smell of burning flesh mingled with the coppery smell of blood.
Gabrielle shook her head and located the familiar figure of her lover walking back towards her. The sound of swords clashing drew three pairs of eyes towards a battle between Ankh and one last attacker. She was forcing him back with one blow after another, it was too his credit that he was at least able to deflect her blows. She struck once, twice, then went for a side attack, as he moved his blade down to defend, she changed the arc and grasping the hilt in both hands, plunged it down into the hollow where his throat met his collarbone. Gabrielle turned her eyes away at the sheer force that she saw the sword go through and come out his back. Ankh's piercing gaze stared down into the surprised expression of the dying man's eyes, letting his own falling weight free him of her sword. She turned back to join the others, the sword still held ready in her grip, her body tingling, and her heart racing.
Callisto felt a new hunger rising in her as she saw the bloodrage that blazed in her lover's silver eyes. She wore the blood of those she defeated like new ribbons. Xena saw the blood and the fire in Ankh's eyes as well, she suspected that the reason Ankh gave up her sword was for more than she had stated. The child's death may have been the catalyst, but Xena guessed that if she was in such a bloodrage now, she may well have seen the child coming at her head on and not stopped the killing stroke. She felt her forearm twitch at the weight of her own sword. She knew what that bloodrage was like.
Ankh's body was alive, the blood singing through her veins. She barely registered the expressions on her companion's faces. She felt rather than saw Callisto's hunger devouring her with fierce eyes, Xena's expression revealed little, but her eyes were dark with shadows. When her eyes flickered over Gabrielle it was the young woman's expression that was like a splash of cold water in her face. There was a disappointment and almost fear in them.
Gabrielle who wasn't sure what to make of this woman walking towards her. She had thought of Ankh as a woman who knew how to fight in order to defend herself. The blood that dripped off her sword and the fire in those metal eyes told her this was not the case.
Ankh looked down, trying to clear her mind. She saw the dagger that had saved Gabrielle earlier. Using the action as an excuse to regather her thoughts, she bent down to retrieve it. Wiping it off she moved forward and joined the other women. She held the dagger out to Xena, "Here's your dagger."
Xena looked at the dagger and shook her head. "It isn't mine, it's Callisto's." She recognized the hilt pattern from Callisto's sword.
"I was wondering what had happened to it." Callisto smiled wickedly as she took the dagger and replaced it at her waist. She clasped Ankh's wrist with her other hand and pulled her towards her. She kissed Ankh quickly but passionately. "I like this side of you." She whispered as she pulled away from the stunned woman.
Xena could not read the expression on Ankh's face. She did not say anything, out of the corner of her eye she had seen how close Gabrielle had come to being seriously wounded or killed. Had it not been for Callisto's dagger...