?1
Quickly, over here.
?2
I got it.
?3
There's more bleeding over here.
?1
Well get another cloth on it and hold it until I'm done here. But be careful. I'm seeing a lot of serious bruising around the midsection.
?3
Broken ribs?
?1
Based on what I felt I'd say a couple at least.
?3
Anything punctured?
?1
Thankfully it doesn't look like it.
?2
These injuries are pretty serious. Especially the wound to the midsection. Be honest, do you think doing all this will actually make any real difference in the end?
?1
Honestly I don't know. But as of right now, it's not looking good.
Gabrielle watched the scenery pass her by while sitting behind Ephiny on the Amazon's horse as it carried the two women over the green rolling hills of the countryside. Elle rode with another one of the Amazonian women as a few others from the village accompanied them on their trip.
GABRIELLE
So is it really true that the Conqueror is an ally to your people like your queen said?
EPHINY
Yup.
GABRIELLE
But has she ever actually met her?
EPHINY
Several times. Though I wouldn't call them friends or anything. Their relationship is more built on a mutual respect between two powerful leaders. Although it didn't start out that way.
GABRIELLE
(Sarcasm) Some how that dosen't surprise me.
Hearing the comment, Elle shot Gabrielle an unhappy look from her place on another Amazon's horse. But before she could say anything Ephiny continued.
EPHINY
Well when someone is responsible for nearly wiping out a whole tribe of your people, coming face to face with that person is gonna be pretty intense.
ELLE
What do you mean? Her lordship would never just do something like that.
EPHINY
You know for someone that keeps telling your friend here that she doesn't know who the Conqueror really is, you seem not to know quite a bit about the woman yourself.
Elle shook her head in disbelief.
ELLE
That can't be true. If it was there would be no way that your queen become allies with her if she knew what the lord Conqueror supposedly did to her people.
EPHINY
It's true. The Conqueror admitted it herself. You can ask her if you don't believe me.
GABRIELLE
I don't get it. If she knew what happened to her fellow Amazons, how did queen Melosa go from being at odds with the Conqueror to becoming allies with her?
EPHINY
I don't know the details, but from what I've heard, the Conqueror had originally been allies with the northern Amazon's. But then she met an evil sorceresses who offered the Conqueror power beyond anything she had ever dreamed if she helped the sorceresses kill the Amazons.
GABRIELLE
Why did the sorceresses want the Amazons dead?
EPHINY
From the stories I've heard, she was an Amazon before she was forced out of her tribe after her last of power became too dangerous.
GABRIELLE
So the Conqueror betrayed that tribe because she was promised power by someone who had a grudge against her own people?
EPHINY
Pretty much.
GABRIELLE
Then why in Hades would queen Melosa trust that woman?! I mean what's to stop her from doing something like that again?!
EPHINY
Oh I don't think that that'll be a problem.
GABRIELLE
Why? How can you or your queen be so sure that the Conqueror won't one day betray you like she did to those other Amazon's?
EPHINY
Well for one it wasn't long after the fall of the northern tribe that the Conqueror and the sorceresses had a terrible falling out. I guess the sorceresses didn't deliver on her promises and then the Conqueror in retaliation put a stop to the sorceresses plans. So I guess queen Melosa doesn't think there's much of a threat of something like that happening again.
GABRIELLE
But how?
EPHINY
Because while the Conqueror may be a lot of things, foolish is not one of them. Being allies with the Amazon people is much more beneficial to her then spending an obscene amount of her time, money and other resources on a long, drawn out war that in the end wouldn't really have much benefit in winning anyway, when she still gets the same resources from our lands through the trade agreement that was set up shortly after she and our queen first met.
GABRIELLE
(Sarcasm) Oh wow how generous of her.
EPHINY
Yes well while she might not be the nicest and most morally upright people, we Amazons face far worse threats to our people from some truly evil people out there. That for all her faults not even the Conqueror would think of committing.
Gabrielle became silent as she caught the gist of what the Amazon meant. Both she and Elle became thoughtful as they each let the information they had each learned about Xena fully sink in. As both found that maybe this woman was a far more complicated and tortured soul that either of them had realized.
GUARD
Open the gates.
The gates slowly opened as the small group finally arrived at the Conqueror's keep. A number of guards then stepped out and greeted the new arrivals.
GUARD
Welcome. I was unaware that her lord Conqueror was expecting guests. Though I'm afraid that we're dealing with a situation here at the moment. So no one is allowed to enter the keep at the moment.
EPHINY
Actually this visit wasn't exactly planned. But we figured the lord Conqueror wouldn't mind a quick visit if we brought back a couple things that I'm sure she's realized have gone missing.
Hearing what the guard had said, Elle looked out from behind the woman she was riding with.
ELLE
Wait, what's going on? Was the keep attacked or something? Why isn't anyone being allowed in?
The guard saw Elle sitting with a woman on another horse wearing a look of concern on her face.
GUARD
Oh Elle, I didn't even know you had gone out. No need to worry, we weren't attacked.
The guards stepped aside to allow the group of women into the gates.
GUARD
We're just dealing with a situation at the moment.
ELLE
What? Is her lordship back yet? Did something happen in Amphipolis?
GUARD
I'm afraid I don't know details. My orders were to close off the keep until further notice and nothing more.
The guard turned his attention to Ephiny and the other Amazon's.
GUARD
So though I'm certain you've been traveling for a good while, I'm afraid I can't allow you inside at the moment.
EPHINY
That's fine. We had no intentions of staying anyway. We were just bringing them back that's all.
GUARD
I'm certain the lord Conqueror will be most appreciative of you going out of your way to do so.
Ephiny nodded slightly in a polite reply as Elle climbed down from the horse she had been riding with another one of the Amazons. Another guard came over to Gabrielle who reminded in place behind Ephiny to offer her a hand in getting down from the horse as he assumed that was why she hadn't dismounted. Lost in her thoughts, Gabrielle didn't notice the guard, as after everything that she had recently learned, she tried to mentally pieces together the terrifying and confusing puzzle that was the Conqueror.
EPHINY
Hey, stop daydreaming back there?
Ephiny nudged Gabrielle, getting her attention and nodding towards the guard who was still standing there waiting to help her down.
GABRIELLE
Oh, sorry.
Despite not being happy about being brought back to keep, Gabrielle knew that there wasn't any point in fighting it and took the guards assistance in dismounting the horse.
EPHINY
We'll be going now.
GUARD
Very well. Again we apologize for being unable to accommodate you at the moment. But please have a safe trip back and let your queen know the lord Conqueror sends her thanks.
EPHINY
Of course.
And then just like that Gabrielle stood and watched as the group of Amazons, including Ephiny turned away and rode off as they exited the keeps gates, before not long after riding out of sight as the guards closed the gate behind them. Leaving Gabrielle once again feeling trapped and unsure of what her future would bring now that she had been forced to return to the Conqueror. Who Gabrielle was certain would not be happy with her failed escape and after she had recently heard about the woman, Gabrielle didn't know what to expect from her once they were again face to face. And to be honest it was not knowing what Xena was going to do that was what scared Gabrielle most of all.
TO BE CONTINUED...