That was quite the adventure. We went from hating to loving one another. Though the love never died. That's what we had to remember and hold onto.
That's why we could so easily move on to our next adventure. It was one where Xena would have to do the impossible. More than usual.
I truly faced death myself for the first time. Oh I'd been held at knife point and hung high above the ground and the like. But never had I had poison running through my body.
All this with an army, one of the strongest in the known world, on their way toward Athens. I know it was both physically and mentally draining on my wife. And after what we had just endured?
Xena squeezes my shoulder. She is busy carving little wooden soldiers. They are in quite some demand by the children of the village. Before she says it, my stories are in just about as great as demand as her soldiers.
I'll get back to the adventure at hand. I got to know Argo for a couple of reasons. My ankle and then my arrow wound. It was ironic how over the years we came to such an understanding. I loved that horse. Not as much as Xena. But in a respectful manner.
I'm all over the place with this intro. I think that's the way it's been since the beginning. I don't want to give too much away, yet I want you to know exactly what it was like. What each adventure did to us as a couple.
Some brought us closer together. Some nearly shattered us apart. In the end, it was two soulmates that would never be separated. Not even in death.
ONE AGAINST AN ARMY
Gabrielle was enjoying how to learn how to do the flips. It was something that would help in battles but would be fun to just show off with while telling stories.
Hurt herself? Gabrielle wouldn't hurt herself. She'd figured out all the mechanics. She knew exactly what the speed, the trajectory and the arc of the spin were.
What was the point? That Gabrielle had broken down the flip into its relatively simple steps. What did it matter which foot Xena started on. That just confused the issue.
This time Gabrielle wouldn't use the staff. Xena was a slow learner. After all, she had to use it the first three hundred times. No shame as the bard had been a slow learner when it came to basket weaving.
Just as Gabrielle was launching herself, she heard Xena say right foot. She knew she was in a world of trouble as she had launched herself off her left foot. Next thing she knew she was looking up at her soulmate.
Using her staff as a crutch of sorts hoping Xena wouldn't notice, Gabrielle kept telling her warrior that she was fine. That her ankle was fine.
Xena wasn't very good at this whole not going to say 'told you so' thing. She was saying it without say it. Still, Gabrielle's ankle really did hurt.
But it was nothing serious. The bard could keep walking on it. That's when Xena shouted to look out and hit the deck. That's exactly what Gabrielle did.
The dirty fink just wanted to use her chakram to slice her boot open. Why did Xena do that? To treat the sprain. Gabrielle, stubborn as she was, said she wasn't thirsty.
Gabrielle sat like she was told. But as she did, she made certain that Xena knew she was owed a nice pair of boots. And maybe a massage but the bard didn't say that out loud.
That was when a young man came up to them and told them to run for their lives. An army from ships laid waste to troops from Marathon. They were headed this way on a forced march to Athens.
Of course, Xena would recognize the ships. They were carrying Persian soldiers. Gabrielle inwardly shivered when her soulmate said they were the most ruthless army ever to take up weapons. And that they were going to stop them.
Spartans and Greeks fighting alongside one another? Gabrielle never thought she would hear that. And they were slaughtered by the Persian army. The bard shivered at the imagery of man-eating locusts that would devour Greece if they couldn't stop them.
Gabrielle outwardly groaned with the thought of having to warn the Athens. Her ankle really did hurt. There was Pheidippides. Thankfully he was willing to run the distance. As Xena said the young man had better pace himself in this heat.
While the situation was quite serious, Gabrielle had to attempt a little humor. Wasn't stopping an army something one attempted three hundred times before doing it for real? Xena's response was to keep the ankle elevated.
The bard knew they'd move a lot faster if she wasn't injured. Gabrielle was kicking herself for attempting the flip without the staff.
Xena didn't even seem to care about it. Gabrielle realized her soulmate was onto the next problem which was blocking the way to Athens from Marathon. That's when the pass at Thermopylae was said to be the answer.
The bard attempted to convince Xena to leave her behind. That she was only slowing her down. But there would be advance scouts and therefore Gabrielle would not be safe.
Once again, Gabrielle lamented attempting the flip. Xena was quick to point out if that was the worst thing that happened all day, she would be happy.
As they traveled, Gabrielle gave a suggestion. One was the power Xena had in Chin. But that took a purity of essence that she just didn't have at the moment.
There was the next issue. What if the rock slide only delayed the Persians? Gabrielle figured they would just go around the landslide.
Then they would be right where they wanted them? Gabrielle knew that Xena had weapons stashed all over Greece. She only hoped the ones in Tripolis were still there and in good condition.
There was the issue of two against an army. One that had a sprained ankle. But there was the Tripolis militia. Hopefully there were enough well trained to aid the bard and the warrior princess.
Suddenly there was a man dressed in Spartan armor attempting to take Argo. Gabrielle was amused as she knew that Xena didn't give her heart to just anyone. Wink wink. Nudge nudge.
Gabrielle listened. The man had been following them for the past half hour just for this? She also watched as Xena does her flip. Right foot first. And they fight which her warrior wins.
The bard, like Xena, finds it hard to believe that the Spartan actually fought at Marathon. That he was sent to find a fallback position. And that his horse came up lame and he had to kill him.
Moreso, besides wanting the horse to complete the mission, he wanted his wound treated. It didn't look good to Gabrielle, but Xena said it was but a scratch. Something she could treat easily.
Finally, Gabrielle watched as her soulmate got the coward to admit that he ran from battle. As the bard said, not everyone feels fear. But as her wife said, not everyone runs from it or there would be no home to run back to.
Gabrielle admired how Xena wanted the soldier to redeem himself. Or was it something else. There was something in those azure eyes. What good could three against an army do? It was all in the plan.
As was the bard in her, Gabrielle asked Dorian what village in Sparta he was from. He bragged how it was the most beautiful in the region. Xena supplied how it was famous for its seventy-foot tall waterfall.
The bard also help Dorian see that one could change. They didn't have to know about his one failure. Just don't fail again.
And here came Dorian's chance. Xena asked him to take Gabrielle into the woods and keep her there. Sun glinting off steel? Then that must be the advance scouting party. It didn't matter to her warrior she couldn't fight. Just do as she was asked.
Gabrielle watched as Dorian froze. He couldn't fight again. So the bard attempted to get to him. To make him snap out of it.
That was when Gabrielle felt the searing pain in her left shoulder. It didn't matter whose fault it was. The fact was the bard was hurt. Xena yelled at him to make himself useful and to make a fire.
It was not nothing as Gabrielle had said it was going to be. It was painful as could be. And to add to the extreme pain was the fact the arrow tip had poison on it.
More pain as Xena has to close the wounds both front and back. Why did Gabrielle come back for Dorian? Because she wanted him to see the waterfall and his son.
The bard was beginning to wonder why Dorian was so concerned with the plan. Even Joxer wasn't quite so concerned and usually just played his part.
Gabrielle once again asked if it wasn't better if it best if she were to be left behind. Xena countered with they still had time as the scouts always travelled a day ahead.
Now for the dreaded question Gabrielle had to ask. How bad was the poison? It didn't hit a main artery so that was good. And the poultice would help slow it down. There was the third thing of a serum in Tripolis. Plus, having a healer for a wife that were all in the bard's favor.
The bard was not about to die. She'd just gotten her soulmate back. They still had so much to make amends to one another for. No, Gabrielle was not going to die.
Gabrielle listened as Xena straightened Dorian out. It wasn't about how the warrior princess felt. It was about him living with himself.
Finally something one of Gabrielle's injuries helps with. Xena lied and said the passage was already blocked. That Dorian needed to run ahead to Tripolis and tell the militia to get ready for their arrival.
The bard told him to be careful and make his son proud as Dorian was on his way. She turned to Xena and told her she thought she had changed him.
When Xena didn't agree, Gabrielle said she didn't understand. It came out there was no landslide nor was there a waterfall.
The bard listened as Xena told how Spartans, from the age of eight, carried around a stake. They were constantly squeezing it to make their hands hard. When she helped Dorian up, there were only a few calluses on his sword hand.
Gabrielle found it difficult to understand how he was a Persian spy. How he could allow himself to be wounded so that his story was more convincing.
One thing they had to thank Dorian for, besides Gabrielle's wound, they didn't have to actually make the landslide. He would go back and tell the Persians himself. They could go and get the serum for the bard.
The village that was in shambles was Tripolis. Gabrielle had a bad feeling for finding the cure she needed. As Xena said, the people abandoned the village and the militia razed it to the ground.
The bard waited outside the physician's hut. She could hear Xena walking around inside. Sure enough, the warrior comes out with a broken bottle.
No serum? No Militia? Hmm. Things like that normally happen in threes. Gabrielle couldn't help wondering if that armory Xena spoke of still existed.
Xena started talking about moving on to Thessaly since they would have medicine there. Gabrielle wasn't having any of it. There were more important things than her.
Like Xena's plan. Gabrielle reminded her soulmate how Dorian would have told the Persians about the landside. How she promised to slow the Persians down.
Gabrielle knew enough to know that there was no way they could go and get the serum and get back in time to slow down the Persians. If they couldn't slow them down before the Athenians get set then Athens would fall. They would have to go to Thessaly tomorrow.
The bard was guided to a seat by her soulmate. Gabrielle didn't understand. She thought they were going to the armory. Surprise. They were already there. And by taking the shortcut they had made great time.
An army? Gabrielle didn't think she counted as an army but she would do what she could to help Xena stall the Persians, if not defeat them.
Gabrielle attempted to tell Xena of her last request but her soulmate wouldn't listen, not until they were old and grey. Seriously, she wanted her warrior to save herself to leave her behind. Of course, Xena wouldn't hear of it.
A little while later, Gabrielle found sitting up easier than laying down. The Persians were out there. Thirty to forty campfires with about ten men or so per fire. No trouble whatsoever. At least they had the element of surprise.
The bard was saying 'we' to everything when Xena was saying 'I'. Gabrielle understood why. There wasn't much the bard could do at the moment.
It was time to get Gabrielle settled somewhere out of sight. It meant that the bard was going to miss out on the fun. Another bit of humor. This was all just a clever way to make Gabrielle forget about her boots.
The humor fades fast as Gabrielle coughs. There's blood. The arrow must have grazed her lung. It means that she's just run out of time.
That didn't look like a weapon. Gabrielle knew exactly what her soulmate had in mind even before she said it. That Xena wasn't going to watch her soulmate die. And she understood.
There was what Xena had taught Gabrielle. The number one thing was the greater good. She had also taught the bard that there were things in life worth dying for. Things that hold a higher mean than our own existence.
When Xena shot back not Gabrielle's existence she had to ask why? Because she was her soulmate? Was that why? It was dirty pool, but it had to be done. Honor the bard's memory. It's what she wanted was to fight for the greater good.
Gabrielle awakens sweat drenched. It was quite the nightmare she suffered. She had to warn Xena. Even if it was merely a nightmare, she had to warn her soulmate.
Here we go again. Gabrielle had to argue again. Xena wanted to leave. If her soulmate's responsibility was to the bard then shouldn't she respect Gabrielle's wishes?
The bard had accepted the fact she was going to die. Why couldn't Xena? A long time ago Gabrielle had accepted the fact she could die during her travels with her soulmate. That she wasn't afraid to die.
Gabrielle didn't feel like the brave one. She was merely the one facing the consequences of their travels together. If this was their destiny, they would indeed see it out together. Even in death, Xena would not leave her.
It was nearly time. Gabrielle was beyond the pain. No more poultice. She couldn't fight. She couldn't be anything but a distraction to her soulmate.
That's when the bard learned something she never truly knew. Whenever Xena did anything impossible, it was because she had reached deep inside herself for her soulmate.
Gabrielle gets a lift up to the loft by her soulmate for a view of the fight. Her one job was to push the boiling oil over once they started up the ladder. The only objection was Xena would be down there. As the warrior said, if they were coming up, they got past her.
The bard hated to do it, cause mystics weren't always believed, but she had to. Gabrielle warned her soulmate of a man who comes through the roof with a double-edged sword.
There was one more thing that they needed clearing up, just in case. Gabrielle hoped Xena knew that what the bard did in Chin she did because she thought it was right.
Gabrielle was nearly in tears listening to her soulmate's response. It was in the past. All she wanted was to be with her bard. That she was her best friend, her family and that she loved her. The bard told her she loved her warrior. Until the other side.
***MASSIVE FIGHT SCENE***
Barely alive, Gabrielle asks if she was dead. Nope. And thankfully Xena has finished off the Persians. And best of all, the warrior princess has the antidote.
The bard now has to ask Xena if those guys were really all that tough. Must have been having an off day she responds. The warrior was hurt. Nah. Just needs sleep. After all, heading out in a few hours for Thessaly. After all, Xena owes Gabrielle a new pair of boots.
()()()()()()()()()()()()()
While Xena was all for Gabrielle learning new things, the flip wasn't one of them. Why? It meant she was becoming more like her. It was something she didn't want.
Plus, they were on their way to Thessaly. Xena didn't need an injured bard to take care of along the way. Never did she want to see an injured bard.
Mechanics? Speed? Trajectory? The arc of the spin? What did that have to do with anything? So Gabrielle had broken it down into its simplest steps. Xena had to ask which foot she took off from.
No staff? Xena had to practice the flip three hundred times with the staff before attempting it without it. Slow learner? Gabrielle was on one today. She was going to get hurt.
It's the right foot, but Xena would rather she not try it. No it probably wouldn't kill her but…And wrong foot landing hard on her backside plus hurting her ankle.
Even though the bard continued to say the ankle was fine, Xena knew it wasn't. Finally, Gabrielle allowed her to look at the ankle with her boot on. It supposedly didn't hurt, even though her soulmate kept saying 'ow' when it was touched.
Xena knew it would take some drastic way for her to treat her soulmate. She shouted to hit the deck and simultaneously threw her chakram splitting Gabrielle's boot open.
Why did Xena do that? So she could test a theory. Elevation and cold water for treating sprained ankles. The bard's response? She wasn't thirsty and that her warrior owed her a new pair of boots.
Suddenly a young man was there telling them to run for their lives. A huge army laid waste to the army of Marathon. They were headed this way. They landed in ships. Xena knew the ships. Tall ships with three masts and double rows of oarsman. The Persians. Over the mountain lay one of the most ruthless armies ever to take up weapons. If reached Athens, Greece was lost.
The Spartans were fighting alongside the Greeks and yet they had fallen. Xena was not surprised. The Persians were unlike any the warrior princess had ever gone up against.
Xena knew they would swarm through the land like man-eating locust. It didn't surprise the warrior the imagery of arrows so thick the sun was blocked out.
Someone needed to warn the Athenians. Xena asked Pheidippides if he would be willing to make the run. When he said yes, she told him to pace himself. A run like that in this heat could kill him.
And the jovial side of Gabrielle came out in attempt to relieve some of the stress. Wouldn't stopping an army be something you tried three hundred times before attempting it for real.
Gabrielle was going on about moving faster while Xena was thinking of how they could at least slow down the army. Then she remembered the pass at Thermopylae.
It was the shortest route from Marathon. Xena was certain it was the best place to stop them. Gabrielle wasn't so certain, especially being injured. She was merely slowing her warrior down.
Leave Gabrielle behind? Xena knew that was a dangerous and bad idea. The advance scouts traveled a day ahead of the army. They'd find the bard. Stupid ankle? Well if that was the worst thing that happened all day…
Xena wished she still had that power she had in Chin. It was a good suggestion, but she just didn't have the purity of essence that it took. Not anymore.
If the Persians go around the mountain, Xena would have them right where she wanted them. Tripolis. There was an armory that the warrior kept in the area. We, as in the bard, the warrior princess and the Tripolis militia would be ready for them.
Dorian chose that moment to attack. Xena didn't give her heart to just anyone. (Hint. Wink. Nudge. Nudge.) He had been following for the past half an hour. Why now and this move?
Xena does the flip over Dorian. Launches using the right foot. She and Dorian fight. It doesn't take much to defeat the young warrior.
Supposedly Dorian was a Spartan. His commander sent him to find a fallback position but his horse came up lame. Xena wasn't buying a word that came out of his mouth.
The warrior princess especially didn't believe Dorian when she saw the wound on his back. It was but a flesh wound that Xena could easily dress.
Xena knew Dorian was a liar and a coward. His blade didn't have a nick on it. He was deserter. His father must be proud.
Gabrielle attempted to console Dorian by saying everyone feels fear. Xena countered with not everyone runs. If they did, there would be no home to return to.
There was a way Dorian could redeem himself. Xena offered him to join up with them. What good would three against an army do? As Gabrielle said, the warrior princess had a plan and he fit into it nicely.
The bard, as always, did her interrogation thing which came in handy for Xena. When Dorian told which part of Sparta he was from, she added about the seventy-foot-high water fall.
Xena saw something. She asked Dorian, who of course wanted to know her plan, to take Gabrielle into the woods and keep her there.
The warrior princess fought off the attackers. When she turned around, Dorian had frozen again. Gabrielle had come to help him. And her soulmate had an arrow sticking out of her shoulder.
At this point, Xena didn't care whose fault it was. All she cared about was that her soulmate was hurt. She yelled at Dorian to make himself useful by making a fire.
Causing Gabrielle pain was the last thing Xena wanted to do. But she had to remove the arrow. The bard bore the pain well. But the problem after the arrow was removed…The scent of poison.
More pain for her bard as Xena had to cauterize where the arrow entered both front and back. No this would not get the poison out it was already running through Gabrielle's system.
Xena would expect no less than for her bard to go back for someone. Dorian was more worried about the plan it seemed to the warrior princess.
There was no need to worry about the plan. The scouts always traveled a day ahead. Xena knew that there was more than that because of who Dorian really was.
How bad was the poison? Xena would never lie to her bard. Not after what they had just been through. It hadn't hit a major artery. The poultice would help delay the effects of the poison.
Xena wouldn't even consider Gabrielle dying. Dorian didn't matter to the warrior princess. After today, she would never see him again, one way or another.
With Gabrielle hurt it did change her plan. Xena needed Dorian to run ahead and warn Tripolis. To tell the head of the militia to get his men ready as there was a landslide at the pass at Thermopylae. There would be no stopping him, so he said.
Gabrielle didn't understand. There was no landslide. Xena did understand as there was no waterfall either. She went about explaining how Spartan children from the age of eight carried around a wooden stake to harden them. Dorian's hands were smooth except for a few calluses on his sword hand.
Xena knew nearly from the beginning he was a Persian spy. The wound was superficial that one of his fellow Persians gave to him to make his story more convincing.
Now Dorian was rushing back to his cohorts to tell them there was a landslide so Xena and her soulmate didn't have to do it for real. The army would be diverted to the militia and the bard and warrior princess.
By the time they got to Tripolis, it had been razed by the militia. Xena found the physician's hut. It was as trashed as the village was. In fact, the cure that they needed was gone.
Xena had had enough. It was time to save her bard. Her soulmate. If this wasn't a sign, she didn't know what was. Yet, she knew that Gabrielle would argue this point. And she would win. It would be onto the armory instead of Thessaly.
It didn't look like an armory and that's why hopefully all the weapons remained. Xena had Gabrielle sit down while she checked on the stores. She hid them here in case she ever had another army. The bard quipped didn't think she qualified as an army.
A last request? Xena didn't want to hear about it until they were both old and grey. After she'd slowed down the Persians, if Gabrielle couldn't make it to leave her behind. There was no way the warrior princess could promise that.
As Gabrielle said, we are all going to die eventually. Xena countered with not today. They had been through worse and survived. They would survive this.
Xena was concerned as her bard was coughing a little more. Yet Gabrielle was more concerned with the Persians. Yes they were out there. There were around thirty to forty campfires. Only ten men or so per campfire.
Even more troublesome was the fact that Xena knew this was the main cavalry meaning their best warriors. She needed Gabrielle to let her worry about bloodying their noses. She needed to find somewhere to settle her bard so she was as safe as could be throughout the battle.
When Gabrielle started saying how her chest felt heavy, Xena had a sinking feeling that the arrow had grazed her lung. There was blood when her bard coughed. Time had just run out for her soulmate.
Without thought, Xena made a litter. She was getting her wife out of here and to a cure. War and Greece be damned. Gabrielle didn't see it that way. The warrior princess hated shouting at the bard to be quiet but Xena was scared of losing her soulmate.
And haunting words echoed in Xena's mind. Was it that long ago that the warrior princess was saying them to a young fresh-faced bard? The greater good came first.
Gabrielle also informed Xena that she had been taught by her soulmate that there were things in life that were worth dying for. That there were things that hold a higher meaning than our own existence.
Xena had to shoot back not her bard's. Not just because they were friends. But because they were friends and lovers. Because they were everything.
Honor her memory. Promise Gabrielle that she would not leave this battle because of her. Xena had to agree. If only because she loved her bard so much.
As Gabrielle sleeps, Xena attempts to use the power that La Mao once showed her. She smashes the vase in frustration waking her bard.
Or has Xena awakened her bard fully? Xena was in tears as she hears the speech. The same one Gabrielle used in attempt to have Xena take her with her. The bard always did want to be like her. And Xena always wanted to be like her soulmate.
Gabrielle calls out to her soulmate. Xena was already readying to leave. They had decided. The warrior princess had changed her mind.
There had to be another way. It couldn't be too late for Gabrielle. Xena didn't accept defeat. She was done paying for her past mistakes. Her responsibility was to her soulmate.
Why couldn't Xena accept that Gabrielle was going to die? Because her bard was her soulmate. And the warrior princess was known for doing the impossible. But if this was the way the brave Gabrielle wanted it played out, that's the way it would be played out.
Xena couldn't help but be honored to be in the presence of her bard. Gabrielle was always saying Xena was the brave one but look at her bard now. If this was how it was to go, they would do it together. Even in death, Gabrielle, Xena would never leave her.
Next for Xena was to get Argo to safety. Run Argo as fast as you can. No stopping for any stallions. She watched as her horse, who had seen her through so many battles, disappeared.
Thankfully when Xena returned, Gabrielle was still with her. She had moved beyond the pain and didn't want another poultice. What she thought was she was distracting her warrior.
Xena had to explain since Gabrielle didn't realize by now that her bard was her source. When she reached down deep inside and did things she didn't think capable of, it was because of Gabrielle.
Finally, Xena got Gabrielle situated in the loft where she would be the safest. And had a better view. The next set of instructions her bard didn't like. But if they were coming up the ladder, it meant they had gotten past Xena and the boiling oil was the answer for Gabrielle.
A man with a double-edge sword? Even a dream Xena would listen to her bard. Because she knew that Gabrielle was indeed always looking out for her.
It was an odd place to mention it. Chin was done and dusted as far as Xena was concerned. They both had done what they thought best at the time with the knowledge they had.
If she had her choice, all Xena wanted was to be with Gabrielle. So she told her so. She was her best friend, family and wife. She loved Gabrielle. And Gabrielle loved her. Till the other side when they'd be together.
***MASSIVE FIGHT SCENE***
Gabrielle asks Xena if they are dead. Xena answers no and orders her soulmate to drink the antidote. Both end up lying next to one another completely exhausted.
Xena knows those guys were tough. It took everything in her to fight them. She's never been so exhausted. But she plays along with her bard's game and says it must have been an off day.
No, Xena wasn't hurt, just exhausted. Instead of saying it, she tells her bard to get some sleep. That they'll be heading out in a few hours. The last word from Gabrielle…When they get to Thessaly, her warrior owes her a new pair of boots.
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The few hours became more. Even exhausted warrior princesses need their rest. Thankfully in the time that both Xena and Gabrielle were resting, Argo returned.
"I'm going to make certain the litter is tied securely to Argo. Then we'll head to Thessaly." Xena had awakened just before her bard had.
"I'm going to need help getting down, Xena." Gabrielle hated to admit just how weak she remained. "I know it's going to take a few days, but I hate feeling like this."
"Better than…" Their eyes met. Better than the time that Xena had died and Gabrielle had had to go on the quest to bring her back.
"This will take a bit to overcome." Gabrielle sighed heavily. If she could have just seen through Dorian as easily as Xena had. At least her soulmate had taken care of him.
"Just think." Their eyes remained locked. "Your sprained ankle can be healed this way." They both burst into laughter. It was much needed.
"I can't wait to get to Thessaly." Gabrielle was grateful when Xena helped her into the litter. Sitting up too long was tiring for the bard.
"There are a lot of shops there. But also some of the better story tellers. Not Athens where the academy is." Xena slowly started Argo. She was careful of the ruts.
"I'm looking forward to writing down this adventure and telling it." Gabrielle felt a stone and groaned. She couldn't help it. Her ankle barely hurt, but her shoulder still was quite painful.
"I'm sorry, Gabrielle." Xena steered Argo a little to the right. "Taking the main roads, it will take an extra day. But the roads are in better condition."
"It's all right, Xena." Gabrielle would attempt to muffle the moans and groans of little bumps in the road. "So, how did you know about the Persians?"
"I came across them in my pirate days." Xena hated talking of the past. Yet, with Gabrielle, it was nearly second nature for the warrior. "I saw their unusual ships and followed way behind. They attacked a land I attempted to plunder, but failed miserably. I watched from my ship. They made it look like they were fighting children. I thought if I ever came across them again…"
"But you've learned so much since then." Gabrielle knew her soulmate hated talking of the young, arrogant, naïve Xena. "And look what you did? You fought an army of them."
"Only because of you." Xena knew it to be true. If it hadn't been for Gabrielle, she wouldn't have fought half as hard. She wouldn't have done half the things she had done. She wouldn't have defeated the Persians.