At Xena's words, Gabrielle suddenly doubled over in tremendous pain, as if a sharp knife had pierced her. The pain was so overwhelming that she felt she might collapse at any moment. Xena caught her in midair with a quick reflex. Perhaps this was the kind of pain Shahmaran had spoken of. Xena's speech had caused Gabrielle to writhe in agony, and she looked into Xena's eyes with fear-filled, pained eyes, unable to comprehend what was happening.

"My back!" Gabrielle murmured.

She was once again in Xena's arms, in the place she had been waiting to be for years, but she had never imagined it would be like this. She continued to gaze at Xena as if expecting her to keep talking, still waiting for an explanation. After a long silence, Xena, who had been short on words, barely whispered, "Gabrielle, my talking will hurt you. Forgive me."

Gabrielle screamed in pain and twisted in Xena's embrace. It felt as if the same knife had stabbed into her belly this time. She pulled her legs toward her abdomen, every bit of her pain clearly visible. She lacked the strength to stand up. Xena swiftly lifted her into her arms. There was nothing she could do to ease Gabrielle's suffering. She held her tightly against her chest, then walked slowly to sit on a rock with Gabrielle. She continued to hug her firmly, unsure of what else she could do. Gently, she rocked back and forth, trying to comfort her. It was unbearable to see her in this state.

For a while, Gabrielle continued to groan in pain, but gradually her sounds of distress began to subside. Eventually, she calmed down little by little and stopped moaning. Xena still held her in her arms, with Gabrielle lying silently, her eyes closed. Xena studied her face, which bore a mature expression despite the henna-dyed strands of hair that indicated her age. Although the years had matured her, they hadn't stripped away her pure beauty.

Xena longingly traced every curve of her body. She gently kissed her forehead and slowly caressed her cheek. A tear rolled down Gabrielle's eye. Xena was so sad for causing her pain, but she had no choice. She decided never to speak to her again to avoid seeing her like this. White Hawk perched on a rock in front of her, as if to show she was with Xena. Xena looked at her and smiled gently. They had suddenly come to this situation without being able to hold her beloved son tightly. Before long, Xenia appeared in the distance. Seeing her mother half-conscious in Xena's arms, she hurriedly raced down the hill to join them. She was out of breath. With an anxious voice, she asked, "What happened to my mom?"

"..."

"Why am I asking? You won't be able to answer anyway."

Then, she leaned down with concern towards her mother.
"Mom? Mommy? Are you okay?"

Next, she looked at Xena.
"You didn't do anything to her, did you?"

"..."

"Mom, mommy."

When Xenia touched her mother's cheek, Gabrielle opened her eyes.

"Mom, what happened to you? Who did this to you?"

Gabrielle tried to sit up but felt pain. Grimacing, she stood up.

"Don't worry, sweetheart, I'm fine. No one did anything to me, don't worry."

"Mom, you don't look fine at all."

"I said I'm fine, honey; stop worrying."

"Tell me what happened! Who did it?"

"My baby, no one did anything to me; just stay calm. I'll be okay. Let's go to the others now; we need to get going."

Xena and Gabrielle locked eyes. Gabrielle now understood why Xena wasn't speaking. Xena was remaining silent to avoid causing her harm, but what was the reason behind it? If Xena didn't talk, how would they resolve the question marks swirling in Gabrielle's mind? Would it always be this way? There had to be a solution; otherwise, simply thinking about this reality could drive someone mad. Living with these questions was impossible.

The group was preparing to set off. The air was chilly, and there was a breeze. Xena wrapped her cloak around herself to keep warm. She checked the food and water of her horse tied under a tree not far away. She glanced at Gabrielle from a distance but hadn't mustered the courage to approach her. This was particularly strange; she, a warrior princess who had fought against armies and thousands of people, now found herself unable to act. It was an unfamiliar feeling for her.

Gabrielle, too, was wrapped in the wool shawl given to her, feeling a strange chill. She was sneaking glances at Xena but didn't want her to see that she was watching. Gabrielle was saddling one of the horses alone, evidently still angry because she hadn't resolved her lingering questions.

"She has every right to be angry. I'd be angry too if I were her," Xena thought.

She felt helpless, unable to express what had happened. "I wish I could talk to you freely, Gabrielle. I would do everything I could to make that happen, but I really don't know what to do."

With these thoughts, Xena observed Gabrielle from afar. Meanwhile, Gabrielle had already mounted her horse and was moving forward while chatting with Xenia. At that moment, a white falcon flew majestically past them, its wings spread wide, exuding a proud and noble appearance. Gabrielle looked at the white falcon, which circled around the entire group as if protecting them.

"Mum, that's Solan. Xena's son."

Gabrielle looked at her in shock.

"How do you know this?"

"What about you? Did you know?"

"Yes, I knew."

"The person I've known since childhood, who has protected me like a brother as an Enlightened one for years, was Solan. You knew this and didn't tell me?"

"Baby, it was a secret. No one could know but the three of us."

"Who else knew?"

"Me and Eve."

"Then Xena and I found out at the same time. That means a fourth person has learned it."

"So the punishment for this was to turn him into a hawk?"

"I guess so."

"That's so sad."

"And it's not fair at all."

"There has to be a solution for all of this. It can't continue like this; it's very hard. Xena can't speak. Solan can't have the happy life he deserves with his mother and family."

"Yes, there must be a way, Mom. It can't go on like this."

"But what can we do?"

"I don't know yet, Mom. But I will think about it. I will think and find a way. Trust me."

"I hope so, my daughter. I hope we can solve it. We deserve happiness now."

Gabrielle and Xenia moved silently at the front of the group for a while. Occasionally, Gabrielle would turn around under the pretense of checking the group, also keeping an eye on Xena. They walked on for a long time. Finally, the sky was beginning to darken. It would not be possible to continue in the darkness.

"The horses are tired. It will be very difficult for us to move once it gets dark," Gabrielle said.

"Then let's take a break by the riverbank just ahead. Plus, we can quench our thirst," Americe replied.

The white hawk flew up to check if there was any danger beyond the mountains. Its eyesight was quite sharp and it could see far even from a great height. They reached the riverbank before it was completely dark. Some soldiers were starting a fire while others were setting up tents made of blankets to camp. Gabrielle slowly dismounted her horse. The pain she felt was still not completely gone.

"Are you feeling better, Mother?" Xenia asked.

"Yes, I will be fine."

Gabrielle still couldn't admit that she was in pain, not wanting to upset her daughter.

"Come on, let's all gather by the fires." she said in a low voice. The soldiers did as Gabrielle instructed.

"How much food do we have?"

"Not much," said a soldier.

"But we have an army. Can it last until everyone leaves?"

"We can manage, Queen Gabrielle. Do not worry about us. You should focus on your health," said another soldier.

"Thank you."

Gabrielle looked at her soldiers with pride. She had a strong army made up of young, powerful, good-hearted soldiers. They all cared for her words, respecting and valuing her greatly.

"We have witnessed how beautifully you can organize and transform into a powerful army when needed."

"Xena is an excellent commander. She assembled the army and explained her plan."

"Did she explain it?"

Gabrielle glanced at Xena, who was quietly sharpening her sword with a stone not far away, a weapon she hadn't used in years. As Xena raised her eyes from beneath her hood, they exchanged a fleeting glance.

"Yes. She illustrated it by writing and drawing on a map. She was very disciplined. She turned our army into a strong one."

"Xenia is also very talented, Queen Gabrielle. She helped us all practice with her combat skills."

Gabrielle stroked Xenia's hair with pride.

"I always knew you would be a wonderful warrior one day because you resemble her so much."

"Who? Do I look like Xena?"

Gabrielle chose to ignore her comment. "We're really tired. We should rest now. Our journey is still long."

Gabrielle got up from her seated position. She went to the river to wash her face and drink some water. The soldiers were also exhausted. Everyone had a bit to eat and retreated to their tents. The moonlight created beautiful reflections on the river. Gabrielle was still sitting on a rock at the water's edge, watching the moonlight dance on the surface. Americe, Virgil, and even Xenia were nowhere to be seen. She was alone in the darkness of the night. As Gabrielle listened to the sound of the flowing water, she reflected on everything that had happened to her. She felt a strange sense of peace. After all, her other half had returned. It was as if she was now complete. She could face anything that came her way. She was no longer alone in this life. Suddenly, she felt a rustle among the bushes. Perhaps she wasn't alone after all.

"You taught me to listen for the sounds in the background, Xena. I know you're there."

She was right. Xena was there, watching her like a shadow. Upon hearing her words, Xena approached Gabrielle with heavy steps. Gabrielle stood up.

"Xena... I..."

Gabrielle looked at her. The moonlight illuminated Xena's face. She could make out her blue eyes.

"I missed you so much," she stammered, her lips trembling.

Gabrielle was overwhelmed with emotion. In an instant, Xena wrapped her arms around her tightly.

"I missed you too," she wanted to say.

It was so clear and understood that she didn't need to use words. Gabrielle underwent a catharsis from all that she had experienced. As tears streamed down her cheeks, she sobbed like a child.

"Please don't leave me again. Don't leave me..." Gabrielle said between sobs.

Xena gently stroked her fiery red hair, afraid to cause her pain. She wanted to comfort her, but she couldn't. They had both been apart for so long, longing for each other.

To soothe her, Xena held her close and kissed her over and over. Her own tears began to fall. No matter how tightly they embraced, this longing wouldn't cease. It was cruel how Gabrielle had been torn away from her, her head severed and body burned. Gabrielle had lived for years with that vision. The end of two people who loved each other so deeply, two legendary warriors fighting for the greater good, shouldn't have been like this. They deserved a better ending. They had never deserved to suffer such great pain. But now, there was a new chance ahead of them. Yes, the road they had to walk was not easy. But their path had never been lined with flowers, after all. But they had managed to overcome every difficulty in front of them thanks to their love and devotion to each other. They could handle this too. Now they were together, and there was no challenge they couldn't overcome. Both of them knew this.

Early in the morning, Xenia woke up with excitement.
"Mom... where are you?"

Xenia was very excited; she wanted to find her mother.
"Mom, are you here?"

She went to the riverbank, hoping her mother would be there.
"Where could you have gone?"

The day was just beginning to brighten. Everyone had not yet emerged from their tents.
"Mom, I have an idea I need to tell you"

She was anxiously wandering around the tents searching for her mother, but she couldn't figure out which tent she was in.
"Mommm!"

Americe woke up to her voice. "Hey, are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine."

"Then why are you so anxious?"

"I have a wonderful idea; I need to tell her; it's very important."

"I don't know where she is, dear."

Xenia was very impatient to find her mother. As she continued searching, she saw Solan.
"Solan, have you seen my mom?"

At that moment, a white hawk that had been perched on a tree branch suddenly took off, flying over the tents and landing on the large tent at the end.

"Are you saying my mom is here?" The hawk responded with a strange sound as if in agreement.

"Okay then, I accept to listen to you. I would be very embarrassed if I meet soldiers and my mom isn't in this tent."

Xenia took a deep breath and suddenly plunged inside the tent. "Mom, are you here?"

Yes, her mother was there. But she was not alone. She had her head resting on Xena's shoulder, wrapped in a blanket, sleeping with a peaceful smile on her face. As Xenia excitedly entered, her mother opened her eyes. She pulled the blanket over her chest, trying to cover herself.

"Baby, do you need something?"

"Well, I was going to tell you something important, but I can come back later."

Xenia hurriedly stepped outside to avoid disturbing them. But Gabrielle quickly came to her side.
"Are you okay, baby?"

"Yes, I'm very good, Mom, really."

"Well, Xena and I… we were just…"

"You don't need to explain anything to me, Mom. Have you forgotten? I'm not a child anymore."

"I know, sweetheart."

"Seeing you happy is enough for me. Didn't you wait for this woman for years?"
"Yes, I waited."

"She is your soulmate."

"Exactly."

"Then don't let anyone, I mean anyone, separate you anymore."

"No, I'm definitely not going to let that happen. I love her so much."

"She loves you too. Even if she doesn't speak, I can see it in her eyes. You see it too, right?"

"I see it very clearly."

"Believe me, if she couldn't come to you, there's a reason for that. Trust her, okay?"

"I have so many questions in my head, Xenia. I don't know how to overcome them."

"We will solve everything. I have a really great idea."

"Are we really going to solve it? How?"

"Eve…"

"What does Eve have to do with it?"

"She is almost a sage now. She's one of the leading members of Eli's cult. You know this."

"Yes, I know."

"She says if the Creator has given us a trouble, He has surely provided a way out as well. The important thing is to find that solution."

"Do you really think so?"

"I'm not saying it; she is."

"So, what are we going to do?"

"We will ask for help from Eli's sect to resolve this issue."

"This is definitely a great idea, my smart and talented daughter."