Gabrielle looked around for the missing warrior for a moment as she called the woman's name to no reply.
GABRIELLE
She's gone.
JOXER
Mayne, she went to get some breakfast or something.
GABRIELLE
No. If she had, she wouldn't have gone that far. And look, Argo's gone too.
The bard thought for a moment before remembering something.
GABRIELLE
Wait a minute.
She walked over to where her satchel containing her writing supplies sat and pulled out the scroll she had been writing last, before opening it to read it aloud.
GABRIELLE
"Xena had gone...the lone warrior, Gabrielle...five
barbarians...she started twirling her trusty staff,
delivering kicks of such fury...deflected the thrust
of a sword with her mighty abs."
The bard paused to look up at Joxer.
GABRIELLE
I wrote this. Everything that's happened this morning is right in this scroll that I wrote earlier.
JOXER
Whoa, whoa, whoa, So you;re you saying, anything you write in there comes true? Excuse me while I laugh.
Joxer laughed at the ridiculous idea as Gabrielle gave him an annoyed look.
GABRIELLE
Okay. Then let's test my theory.
The blonde picked up her staff.
GABRIELLE
Here, catch.
She tossed her staff to the man who caught and looked at it curiously.
JOXER
What am I supposed to do with this?
GABRIELLE
Just hold it for a minute.
Gabrielle then moved to sit on a rock and layed the scroll over her lap to write something. Suddenly Joxer began to smack himself in the face with the staff several times before falling back.
JOXER
Ow!
He sat up, rubbing his forehead and looked at the staff still in his hand before quickly tossing it away from him and turning his attention to Gabrielle.
JOXER
Why'd I do that?
GABRIELLE
Because that's what I wrote you did.
The bard picked the piece of paper up from her lap and she looked at it in amazement as she realized what was happening.
GABRIELLE
I can write it comes true.
Gabrielle smiled as she lowered the parchment and her mind began to flood with countless Ideas for what she could do with this unexpected power that she now held.
GABRIELLE
I don't know where this magic scroll came from, but just think of all the good I can do with this. In the right hands this could be a gift to mankind.
Xena will be very proud when she comes back from fishing.
JOXER
Fishing?
GABRIELLE
I wrote that she went fishing.
JOXER
Okay but why'd you write to bring me here?
Gabrielle looked back at the paper and quickly scanned what she had written, not remembering mentioning Joxer in her story at all before returning her focus to the man with a confused expression.
GABRIELLE
I didn't.
JOXER
Let me see.
The bard handed over the scroll for Joxer to go over.
JOXER
Okay "Gabrielle, appeared with a guy with the heart of a lion, soul of a warrior, Xena had gone fishing and Gabrielle awoke with a jerk."
Confused, Joxer reread the last sentence.
JOXER
"Gabrielle awoke with a jerk." That's a funny phrase. Huh, I can't
find anything that mentions me in here. I guess I must've come here on my own.
(Talking to himself) Though I'm not sure why I don't remember coming here.
He handed the scroll back to the bard.
JOXER
Anyway, what do we do now?
Gabrielle took a moment to think.
GABRIELLE
Well, the best thing about stories is they can be anything we want them to be. Anything can happen. Even happy endings. Which now can truly happen.
Gabrielle smiled at the thought as a couple of women came walking by and the bard recognized them as being priestesses'
GABRIELLE
Excuse me. Are you priestesses'?
PRIESTESS 1
Yes. We're sisters of the temple of Gaea.
GABRIELLE
Is there anything we can do to help you?
PRIESTESS 1
We're collecting goods for our orphans, things we can sell in our shop in town.
Gabrielle moved to go through her pack again as Joxer began putting himself down for anything he could donate, but both came up empty-handed as the bard and Xena always traveled light and other than the warrior's weapons, didn't particularly keep much of real monetary value. The same being true for Joxer, the two looked at each other for a moment before returning their attention to the priestess as the bard got an idea.
GABRIELLE
Unfortunately, we don't have anything on us, but If you wait just a moment…
She grabbed her scroll and quill and spun Joxer around to use his back as a surface to write on as she quickly jotted something down.
GABRIELLE
I think you're going to get a surprise gift, right about… now.
Suddenly, out of nowhere an unknown man walked out of the nearby bushes and approached the priestess, giving them what was clearly a very expensive sword, leaving the women stunned as without another word, the man walked off.
PRIESTESS #1
This will provide for our orphans for years!
PRIESTESS #2
It's a miracle. Thank you.
Gabrielle smiled.
GABRIELLE
Don't mention it. I'm happy I could help.
With that Gabrielle and Joxer walked away.
WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW
Elsewhere, trouble began to stir as the man who had given the priestess the sword ran into several guards.
GUARD
You! Give me back my kinsman's sword!
MAN
I can't. I gave it away.
The man paused, suddenly baffled by his own actions.
MAN
Wait, why did I do that?
WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW
Meanwhile, not far away, the barbarians who had been run off by Gabrielle earlier were met with an unexpected guest as the goddess, Aphridite appeared before them.
APHRODITE
(Condescending tone) Aww did the little girl and her stick scare the big, scary men?
The leader of the barbarians scowled at the comment.
BARBARIAN LEADER
We are barbarians. We fear nothing and fight with the heart of a lion.
Aphrdite laughed.
APHRODITE
To me It looks more like you run with the feet of a chicken.
BARBARIAN LEADER
We are not chicken.
The goddess smiled as she knew she could get the men to do anything she wanted without even using any of her godly powers.
APHRODITE
Then why don't you prove it, and show the goddess of love just what you're capable of?
BARBARIAN LEADER
Yes, my goddess.
APHRODITE
Good. Now get back on your horses and go back after her.
With a quick salute and a "Yes ma'am" to the goddess, the group of barbarians rode off to search for Gabrielle once again. leaving the bard to very soon learn that the things she was writing, no matter how harmless or good-intentioned they may have been, were about to have some very unintended consequences.
TO BE CONTINUED…