Transgressions XVIII: Hard Lesson
A few drops of dew lingered on the grass as Xena dragged a spade across the yard creating a 10 meter square. Given their recent encounter with bandits in the forest, Xena had decided to give Kam a few lessons in swordsmanship. Ares had given the boy the day off. Apparently, matters in Persia had escalated to a point that Ares could no longer ignore the calls from his opposing generals. He'd promised Xena that it would take no longer than a day to sort things out. Xena had just rolled her eyes at him letting him know that she doubted that he'd be able to clean up as easily the mess that he himself had created in the first place. But Ares' absence and the fact that he and Kam had made so much progress on the perimeter wall and Ares' house meant that Kam had earned a day of rest. But rest wasn't what Xena had in mind for the boy because the time off provided Xena the perfect opportunity to begin some basic training.
Xena tossed the spade aside and walked around in the square tamping down the grass with her boot and making sure there weren't any errant rocks or holes to trip them up as they trained. A flock of quail took to flight in the hay field that edged along the forest to the east. Xena made a mental note to check the area later for eggs. "You'd like some of that extra protein, wouldn't you?" Xena asked as she smoothed her hand over her lower belly which wasn't yet visibly distended but had spread enough that it was beginning to make her leathers feel tight.
Sunlight glinted off of Kam's sword as he walked across the field to join Xena. She held out her hand indicating that he should hand her the weapon. She inspected it closely. Ares had gifted finer, more ornate swords, but this one was serviceable and the edges were sharp and the heft was good. It would do for a starter blade. Xena flipped the sword, handing the hilt back to Kam.
"Alright, let me see your natural stance," she stepped back to evaluate.
Kam squared up to her, holding the blade pointing directly toward Xena.
"Right foot forward more. And hold the sword like this," Xena demonstrated by turning her blade at a slight angle. "Good, good, you're getting it," Xena praised as she began a slow downward slash toward his weapon.
The swords contacted with barely a clamor. Xena repeated the motion, and each time, Kam met her blade with his. "Okay, now this time, after our blades meet, I want you to use the force of it to push me off."
Xena came down again but this time harder. The class rang across the field. Kam used his shoulders to push forward, bringing his feet up onto his toes. Xena used this against him by dropping her sword, pivoting, and swinging her leg down to trip him.
When the boy stood up and turned to face her, Xena wasn't sure if his face was red from exertion or embarrassment but she guessed it was a little of both. But she was heartened by the fact that he showed neither discouragement nor anger. Instead his face was marked by determination. It surprised her to realize that the boy had the potential to become a good warrior. Then she reminded herself that the goal was not to make him a warrior but to provide him with the tools to protect himself.
"Okay, let's try that again, but this time push me off using the strength in your legs. The push should start from your lower body, that way you are using maximum force but still remaining grounded, understand?"
Kam nodded, "I think so," and pushed hard against her but this time keeping his footing. When Xena dropped her sword and pivoted, instead of tumbling forward and being tripped by her move. He was able to step back
"You're a quick learner. And strong, all that manual labor is paying off."
Kam blushed. He wasn't used to compliments from ladies. Especially ones as dazzling as the Warrior Princess.
Xena saw Aleta coming toward them with two fresh water skins. The warrior realized that she'd been monopolizing the boy's free time. He had probably wanted to spend the day with Aleta. They were moonsick over each other. If they didn't watch it, Xena wasn't going to be the only one expecting a bundle of joy!
"Thought you two could use some refreshment." Aleta handed each of them a water skin.
Kam uncorked his and took a long swig. After he finished he recorked the skin, tossed it aside
Then,he curled his arm around Aleta's waist and pulled her in for a kiss. She returned it without embarrassment even though they had an audience. Xena wondered what it would be like to freely kiss Ares in front her friends.
.
When they broke off their kiss, Aleta turned to Xena smiling from ear to ear, "You made a warrior out of him yet, Xena?"
"The goal is to give him enough skills to protect himself. I'm not looking to make him a warrior." Xena answered and thought to herself. If I was making a warrior out of him, you'd be the first thing to go. The last thing a man in training needed was the distraction of a pretty face and supple body. Xena grimaced at the hardness that still lived inside of her. It pained her how easily she could shift back into her warlord mode. She shook her head trying not to give in to the despair the knowledge caused her.
Screams ripped through the air. Xena quickly bolted toward the farmhouse. Kam and Aleta followed as quickly as they could. More screaming pierced the peaceful she neared the porch, Xena realized that the commotion was not coming from the house but from the east. Greba!
Dammit! Xena realized now that whatever had roused that flock of quail wasn't just a fox on the prowl. She called to youngsters who were still trying to catch up with her.
"Tell Gabrielle to bring her weapons and hurry."
Aleta continued toward the house as Xena started moving east, Kam on her heels.
"No, Xena called. Stay here, watch the house." The boy had strength and was a fast learner but hadn't truly been tried in combat yet and Xena didn't know what they were going to be facing when they reached Greba's farm.
Another scream.
Xena raced toward the yelling woman. Running at a sprinter's pace, Xena jumped the fence between their properties and rushed toward the back of Greba's house. She could hear men in the front lawn talking.
"What have we here boys?"
Greba mistakenly played the widow card. "I'm just a lonely widow woman. Please, please. I can give you rations but this farm is all I have."
"Well, well boys, a lonely widowed woman," the leader bellowed.
The comment was followed by lewd grunts and laughter.
Xena peered around the corner. Greba was on the ground at one of the thug's feet. Xena recognized him from the encampment in the woods.
"Ransack the house," the leader ordered two of the men. To the tall man who Xena had recognized as the cook from the other morning at camp, he called, "You check the storehouse." He turned to the last man, "The stables."
When his other men were well out of sight, the leader looked back at Greba. "Well now, lonely widowed woman, what say you and me have a little fun?" He grabbed his bulge with his fat fist.
"What say you back off?" Xena called as she came around the house.
"What? And who's this?" The leader reached for his sword.
Xena smiled. Give me an excuse, she begged.
"Greba, run, run to my place," Xena ordered. Greba scrambled away from the man, crawling on all fours. When she got past Xena, she stood up and broke into a run.
The bandit wasn't about to let his prey get away so easily. He reached for the knife that was attached to his belt. His men must have heard new voices because the two who'd gone into the house came out of Greba's front door just as the leader pulled the knife free and hurled it at Greba's fleeing back. In an instant, Xena arced the chakram toward the flying knife. The contact changed the trajectory of the knife perfectly. The knife veered toward the front porch and struck one of the goons square in the forehead, he collapsed to the ground as Xena reattached her chakram at her hip.
"You'll pay for that bitch!" The leader roared and he and the second thug from the house charged at Xena. She blocked the slash of the leader's sword and spun away from him, letting the pivot propel her toward the second attacker. He was no match for her speed and skill. A quick diagonal across his torso sent him sprawling to the ground, a bloody screaming heap. She heard the leader approaching from behind. With trained patience, she waited the two beats that it would take to put him in optimal position. With the twirl of her wrist, she turned the blade backwards. His momentum worked against him. Before he could register that he needed to stop, he was impaled on her sword. Xena turned and with her boot pushed him off her crimsoned blade.
The commotion had interrupted the last two men's looting. The tall cook had come out of the storehouse with twin daggers at the ready. The last thug carried a mace. The two looked at their dead comrades then at each other. The gravity of their situation was evident on their faces.
"If I let you walk out of here, do you promise you'll leave this valley by nightfall?" Xena asked.
The cook looked like he was considering Xena's offer but the other cutthroat wasn't about to be bested by a woman. "Wench," he came toward Xena swinging his mace ferociously. The cook grabbed the pack, he'd plundered from Greba's stores and ran off over the hill.
"You spineless bastard," his abandoned friend cried after him.
"You wanted to dance?" Xena smiled seductively at the thug.
Gabrielle came around the corner of the house. But stopped on a dinar when Xena held her hand up. "I got this," Xena called.
Gabrielle knew better than to question Xena in the middle of a battle but she didn't like to see her friend putting herself in harm's way, especially now that she was a couple of months along in her pregnancy.
"Xena, be careful," Gabrielle held her sais at the ready, just in case.
"Xena? The Xena?" the man asked.
"What's it to you?" Xena sneered as the two circled.
"I was once in your daughter's army. Of course no one knew it then. We only knew her as Livia, the Bitch of Rome and the Whore of Ares. Oh wait, you were once the whore of Ares too, weren't you. Family trait?" he spat. "Imagine me, the man who finally kills Xena: the Warrior Princess. My name will go down in history!"
"Ugh, that again! Are you gonna fight or talk me to death?"
He swung his mace at her. Xena deftly dodged. She needed to draw him in again to get a better look at his attack position. She thought she'd seen an opening but it was going to take near perfect timing. He was good with his weapon. "That all you got?" She taunted.
He arced the spiked ball at her once again. Xena moved aside just in time.
What was she doing? Gabrielle wondered. She was being way too risky for the bard's liking. He'd nearly made contact on that last pass. Any closer and Xena would be mincemeat.
Gabrielle felt Kam sidle up against her. Hadn't she told him to stay put? "What are you doing here?"
"Greba said there was five of them. I couldn't let you guys face that alone. I thought I could help."
"She's already handled most of them." Gabrielle gestured to the bodies that littered the ground.
"This one's proving a bit more of a challenge."
"We should help her, I'll flank him." Kam asked and reached for the hilt of his sword.
"No, Kam, no!" Gabrielle cried but it was too late, he'd already entered the fray.
"Kam, get back," Xena called. The thug took advantage of the distraction and brought his weapon crashing toward Xena. Gabrielle heard the bone crack from ten yards away. Xena wailed in pain as the mace whacked against her left forearm. Kam panicked and charged at the bandit with his sword held at the angle Xena had shown him.
"No," Xena called. "He's got a mace not a sword, hold your blade. . ." but it was too late. The warrior had swept the boys feet from under him and with one swing, bashed open Kam's skull.
"No!" Gabrielle cried.
"He's just a kid! Murderer," Fury, hate, vengeance, and anger drove Xena forward. With her sword arm, Xena lopped off the man's forearm. Before he even had time to realize the loss of his limb, Xena was behind him, dragging her blade across his throat. With a kick to the middle of his back, he fell dead in a pool of his own blood.
Xena rushed to Kam's side, ignoring her own searing pain. He was dead.
Gabrielle joined her, holding up the boy's head. "Xena, Xena, it's . . ." The bard couldn't find the words. Pain gripped her heart for the boy they'd all come to know and love. Ares was going to be devastated.
"Aressss!" Xena called. "Areeeesss!"