Discovery
Discovery,
An Awakening II
part 1
part 1
Ms. Hunter
Ash
frost29@post.com
Disclaimers: Repeat after me: I don’t own Xena, Gabrielle, Argo - etc etc etc. I am only borrowing them for my own entertainment, and hopefully, yours. This story is written for entertainment only and no copyright infringement is intended. Warning to anyone wanting to sue: don’t bother, it wouldn’t be worth it.
Violence/Language: Hmmmm, this does have some hurt and comfort aspects of the main characters. Also, one bad word. Rated R
Storyline: This story answers a question put forth in the story "A Visit Home, An Awakening." I hope the story stands alone on its own but you might want to read A Visit Home first. I hadn’t intended on starting a series of stories but, there it is. It happened and I hope you like ‘em.
Gabrielle learns some truths about her past and some surprises.
# # # #
Gabrielle stood up from the small table in the room and began pacing again, parchment and pen discarded on the table. She knew it was going to be another sleepless night and it wasn't the first one of the week either.
Once again she
cursed the bandits who were causing all the trouble for her and her
mate, her beloved Xena. The bandits had attempted to take over two
villages and Xena had spent her time running back and forth between
the villages, building defenses, training the villagers and tracking
the bandits for over a week now.
Gabrielle had barely seen Xena in all that time
and never overnight. The bard was beginning to get a little more
than irritable from worry and lack of sleep. She also felt helpless
and that made her even more irritable than usual. No matter how
often it happened she just couldn't get used to being left behind
when Xena left for battle.
The bard looked out the window at the stars,
lost in thought. It wasn't that she wanted to fight, the bard knew
herself well enough to know that she couldn't kill. It was just
being left behind by Xena that was bugging her.
The reddish blond woman smiled to herself. How
many times had she and Xena fought over this very issue? How many
times had she disobeyed the warrior? Then she smiled ruefully to
herself, how many times had she gotten into trouble because of it?
She had reluctantly agreed to stay out of the
way this time. The bandits were hitting in several places at once
and no one knew where they were going to strike next. Xena hadn't
wanted to worry about her and everyone else at the same time. Adding
to the danger was that these bandits were slavers, a chill ran down
any woman's spine at the thought of being captured by this lot.
The bard practically flew across the room at
the soft knock on the door. She cautiously opened the door, hand on
her staff and looked into the hallway.
The dark haired warrior had knocked softly on the door and was
pleased that it opened almost immediately. It was late and she was
afraid the occupant would be asleep and she didn’t want to go
pounding doors down looking for the small figure that opened this
door.
She smiled and pulled back the hood of the cloak she was wearing to
let the woman see her face.
“Xena!” Gabrielle exclaimed and dragged the warrior through the
door. The bard quickly removed the wet cloak from her tall mate and
gasped. "Oh gods," she muttered.
Gabrielle had seen her mate after battle before but it was always a
shock when Xena came in from the field. The bard's eyes quickly took
in the torn leathers, dented metal, and slashed bracer. She gasped
at the vicious looking slash across the warrior’s thigh that was
bandaged with what looked like a two day old bandage. Blood was still
trickling from a wound on the warrior's sword arm and her left eye
was swollen and beginning to turn black and blue.
"Come on, love" Gabrielle coaxed the
warrior into a chair and began removing the dented and cut leather
armor. After the smaller woman removed the upper armor, Xena leaned
back in the chair.
"Missed you," she said softly,
closing her eyes.
"I missed you too, my love,"
Gabrielle responded, kneeling down before the warrior and began to
tug at the knee protectors and laces of the warrior's boots. With a
little more encouragement she got the warrior to stand and was able
to remove everything but the leather shift from the tall woman. Xena
barely opened her eyes as she let the bard lead her to the bathing
room.
Gabrielle quickly barred the door and pulled
the leather off her warrior and gently guided the battered body into
the tub. The bard was frowning as Xena sighed with pleasure at the
warm water. Gabrielle made a mental note to find and thank whoever
had the foresight to fill the tub when they saw the warrior come in.
Xena's head dropped forward almost immediately as Gabrielle grabbed a
sponge and began rubbing the tired body in front of her.
"Can't let you stay in too long, my love,"
Gabrielle said softly. "Don't want to open those wounds any more
than they are."
"Hmmm," Xena mumbled.
Gabrielle frowned. It wasn't like Xena to
relax this much anywhere except maybe in a barred room in the arms of
her bard. Gabrielle couldn't say that she had ever gotten used to
Xena's heightened sense of alertness, brought about by years of being
a warrior and a target, but she knew it was in the warrior's nature
now and for Xena to drop off like this was unusual and worried the
bard.
A knock interrupted her and she carefully
unbarred the door to find the Captain of the Guards standing there,
helmet in hand, looking about as grime covered as Xena had been.
"I wanted to make sure she made it here.
It's over, the bandits have cleared out and both villages are safe.
She rode very hard to get here,” he told the bard.
"Thank the gods, can you send for the
healer, she has a bad cut on her leg," Gabrielle asked.
"Of course, I'll get her personally. Both
villages owe you both a great debt," Misenus
replied with a smile.
Gabrielle waved off his thanks. "Don't
worry about it, it's what we do."
With an answering grin he was gone and the bard
turned back to getting a nearly unconscious Xena out of the tub and
dried off. With another curse about bandits she got the warrior back
to their room and into bed.
Within a candlemark the warrior had her leg stitched up and both arm
and leg bandaged and was sleeping sounding in the bed. Gabrielle was
worried though; Xena hadn’t even awakened when the healer began
stitching the leg. Both Gabrielle and the healer looked at each
other and the healer moved up the bed and felt the warrior’s
forehead. The bard was instantly by her side when the young woman
swore under her breath.
“What’s wrong?” the bard demanded.
“Fever. It may just be from exhaustion. Get her to take some of
this herb with her tea and get some food and other liquids in her.
Rest is the best thing right now,” the healer ordered.
“Then she’ll get rest.” Gabrielle promised and the healer
recognized the stubborn set of the bard’s jaw. The healer knew the
fierce reputation of the former Conqueror of Nations but she had a
feeling that this smaller woman in front of her was just as stubborn
as the warrior.
“Good. No roughness, no fighting, no traveling. Her body needs
rest.”
Gabrielle thanked the healer and was surprised when the woman refused
payment. “The village Guard Captain said the village would pay for
all your keep and Xena’s care.”
Once the healer left, the bard felt
overwhelmingly tired. It had been a long week for both the warrior
and bard. She pulled off her clothing and changed into her night
shift. With a sigh the bard crawled into the bed next to her warrior
and wrapped her arms around the taller woman. For once Xena slept
soundly in the bard's arms instead of the other way around.
Xena woke up and groaned. Her body hurt everywhere all at once.
With experience of a hundred battles she assessed her condition,
feeling the bandages on her leg and arm and bruises everywhere. She
took in her surroundings and was glad to find herself in a solid room
with a solid bed. The warrior sighed; she began remembering making
it back to the village and to Gabrielle.
Another moan escaped her lips as she attempted to sit up. Xena
smiled a painful smile when the bard entered the room with a tray in
her hands.
“You shouldn’t be sitting up!” Gabrielle scolded.
“Why not? I’m not out of bed. I have a feeling you’re not
going to let me out.”
The bard smiled and placed the tray over Xena’s lap and then sat
down on the bed beside the warrior. She frowned and felt the tall
woman’s forehead.
“Still a little warm, you are definitely not getting out of bed
today,” the bard announced and Xena grinned.
“Does that mean you’ll be joining me?” she invited and
Gabrielle laughed as she suddenly darted out of reach of the warrior.
“None of that, my Princess. The healer said you were to rest and
rest you shall have,” Gabrielle giggled at the frustrated look on
her mate’s face.
“At least kiss me,” the warrior complained and the bard quickly
agreed by removing the tray and lavishing kisses all over the
warrior’s face, neck and almost to the warrior’s breasts. Xena’s
breath became rapid and shallow.
“Keep that up and you won’t get out of this bed either,” she
growled and the bard danced out of her reach again. “Gabrielle,”
the warrior threatened.
With a slight shake of her head, the bard moved further away and
stood by the bed, trying to catch her breath.
“Nope, rest you will have.” The small
woman couldn't resist an evil grin at her mate. Then the bard
sat down on the bed again, replacing the tray of food, encouraging
the warrior to eat. “Seriously, how bad was it?” she asked and
her quick green eyes didn't miss the look of
pain that passed over her lover's blue eyes. Xena's smile
disappeared and she looked tired again.
“We lost a lot of good men. They just wouldn’t give in and it
turned brutal at the end.”
“Brutal?” Gabrielle whispered.
“You don’t want to hear this,” Xena protested.
Gabrielle felt a wave of love for her mate;
Xena was always trying to protect her. She placed her hand
over her warrior’s.
“Yes, I do. You’re wounded, exhausted and probably came very
close to being killed several times. I want to hear that it worked
out.”
“It did, but not before they hanged several of our men that they
had taken prisoner. They hanged them right in front of us.”
“Oh gods,” the bard whispered. Gabrielle was sorry on several
levels, she realized. The young bard closed
her eyes as she pictured the scene and felt the overwhelming sorrow
that the villagers must have felt. She was also angry, it was all so
damned senseless! For the men who died, for their families who
watched and for Xena who had to lead those men. Gabrielle feared
what that might have done to her battle scarred warrior's darker
side.
“Yes. We finally broke them. The remaining leaders will probably
face those same ropes when the villagers have tried them.”
“You didn’t.....”
Xena smiled at the unasked question. “No, I didn’t give into the
darkness, even when that happened.”
“I love you, Xena.”
“I love you, my bard,” Xena suddenly looked frustrated. “For
crying aloud - hand me my pack from last night. There
was a reason I was riding like demons were after me and I fell asleep
instead!"
"You were feverish, exhausted and in
pain," Gabrielle countered as she handed the warrior the pack
with a puzzled look on her face. She started to ask questions but
Xena held up a hand for silence while she rummaged through the pack.
With a worried look she pulled out a piece of parchment and handed it
to Gabrielle.
The bard turned over the folded paper several times, it had been
sealed with wax but bore no impression in the wax and no writing on
the outside.
“A messenger came yesterday with that from your family. I figured
I could move faster than he could after the battle.”
“My family?” the bard whispered. A look of concern overcame the
bard’s lovely features and she unconscious pushed a lock of hair
out of her eyes. Green eyes sought out the blue ones of the warrior.
“You won’t know until you open it, little one,” Xena
encouraged, feeling the same dread grip her own heart. Families like
Gabrielle’s didn’t hire messengers for simple letters to
relatives. It had to be important.
With a sigh the bard broke the wax seal and unfolded the parchment.
The little bard read the writing twice,
blinking rapidly. It wouldn't sink in. What?
"No!" she was trying to think.
Father?
With a cry she threw the parchment down and went to the window,
looking out at the rain. Xena carefully removed her breakfast tray
and picked up the parchment.
Dearest Gabrielle, Patronius, the healer is writing this for me. I
hope this finds you well. I must tell you that your father suffered
an accident two days after the Spring Full Moon and is gone. I do
not know if this will reach you in time for the funeral but it would
be good of you both to come home for a few days. I love you and you
are both welcome. Lovingly, Hecuba.
“Oh gods, Gabrielle, I’m sorry,” the warrior, ignoring the
advice of the healer, was out of the bed in an instant and took the
bard into her strong arms, letting Gabrielle finally break down and
cry.
The words finally sank in as she felt Xena's arms grab her and turn
her around. She slid into her warrior's arms as the tears began to
fall. With the last bit of confusion and strength she let Xena lead
her to the bed and let herself be enveloped into the warrior's
strength. She finally let go as she realized the impact of the words
her mother had written.
Her father was dead.
After awhile the tears had slowed down and Xena began to make out
words.
“Xena, I was so angry when we left! He thought I didn’t love
him!” Gabrielle wailed.
“No, little one,” Xena stroked the lovely, reddish blond hair and
held her little bard tight against her body. “We talked before we
left, he loved you very much.”
Gabrielle was confused. When they had left Gabrielle's home her
father had been in a rage.
“You talked? After all that shouting and ordering you out? You
remember his face when he found out I loved you!”
Xena smiled, she did remember his face. She also had a pretty good
idea what her own face had been like when he had ordered her gone,
Gabrielle to stay and challenged the warrior. Fortunately, Gabrielle
had stepped between them and calmed everyone down. Xena was now
grateful she hadn’t thrown him through a window like she had
wanted. Gabrielle wasn't sure if her father ever realized how close
he had come to being thrown through the closed barn door that day.
Or killed.
Herdoctus had come to her later and apologized for his behavior and
for the way he had treated Gabrielle and Lila growing up. He was
willing to try and change. Xena cursed his stubbornness now, he
hadn’t wanted to approach Gabrielle and tell her that just yet.
Now it was too late to say it himself.
Xena told this and everything else to her bard as she held the
younger woman. The warrior tried to comfort as best she could, she
knew Gabrielle both loved and sometimes hated her father. Herdoctus
had been quick to use his fists too many times on his daughters for
Xena’s taste and the thought of anyone hitting Gabrielle could
bring the warlord back to the surface instantly, but she had tried to
be understanding for Gabrielle.
Gabrielle listened, stunned. Her father apologized for his behavior?
Xena went on to tell her that he admitted he hadn't been a good
father sometimes and regretted it. The warrior also blushed when she
told her mate how Herdoctus had questioned Xena about her love for
Gabrielle and how he made the warrior promise to make his daughter
happy.
"Why didn't he tell me?" Gabrielle whispered, tears
beginning again.
"He was too stubborn. He thought it was too soon after the
fight and he promised to tell you the next time we visited,"
Xena again held the bard as she began crying again.
Finally, Gabrielle felt like the tears had stopped, at least for
awhile. "I need to see my mother," she whispered.
“Of course, we’ll leave immediately.”
Gabrielle frowned and sat up on the bed, looking at her mate. With
careful eyes she noted the haggard look of her mate, the thinness,
the bruising and the flushed feverish look. "What are we going
to do, you can't travel with those wounds and fever."
“I’m not staying here!” Xena protested right back. “There’s
still bandits out there.”
“You can’t go right away either!”
Xena began muttering. Then she threw her drinking cup across the
room with a scowl. She knew Gabrielle was right, her leg was in
incredible pain just from crossing the room to the bard and she felt
as weak as a newborn.
“Feel better?” the bard asked with a smile. Xena scowled as
Gabrielle began packing her things. “I’ll take a horse and you
can follow in a couple of days. It’s a short ride and it’s in
the opposite direction of the fighting.”
“I am not amused!” Xena growled.
Gabrielle felt her heart grow heavy with the thought of leaving Xena,
of being separated again so soon and crossed over to the bed. She
reached out and gently stroked Xena's cheek and Xena nuzzled the
hand.
“I know, but I need to get to my mother and Lila. I also have to
stop in the next village and see my uncle. My mother left a
parchment for me to read if something happened to either her or my
father.”
"Parchment? What about?"
"I don't know, she said it would answer some questions I had
growing up and why my father sensed something different about me,"
Gabrielle moved back to packing.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Xena questioned, her own
curiosity awakened.
"I didn't want to think about it. You know how curious I can
get, I figured if I forgot about it I might be able to resist wanting
to know what it was. That and I didn't want to think about reading
it soon," Gabrielle turned and fought back another round of
tears. To read that parchment meant that her father or mother was
dead.
It was too soon!
“For once I need to leave you behind, my love,” the bard said.
The irony was not lost on the warrior, it was usually Xena who left
Gabrielle behind at some inn for up to a couple of weeks at a time to
settle some war or bandit problem, especially when she needed to move
fast. Gabrielle’s reluctance to ride a horse often meant her
staying behind. The bard continued packing.
“You hate to ride,” Xena mumbled.
“Yes,” Gabrielle agreed simply.
“You’ll be careful?” Xena’s voice suddenly sounded small and
the bard turned from her bags and threw herself into her warrior’s
arms, both crying.
# # #
Gabrielle did hate traveling by horse. She hadn't grown up around
horses and they made her nervous. After several disasters with Argo,
Xena had finally been able to teach the young bard how to care for
Argo but Gabrielle still hadn't gotten used to riding. Now, as she
approached her uncle's home she was feeling it all through her body.
Fortunately the stable owner had given her a very gentle mare and
Gabrielle had been grateful during the day's ride. Now, she just
wanted off the horse and a warm bed for the night.
The bard frowned as she stopped the horse outside the door of the
house. It was getting close to dark and there weren't any lamps lit
inside and no smoke coming from the fireplace. Gabrielle dismounted
cautiously, staff in hand and ready for any potential trouble. No
one answered her knocks and she entered slowly.
After a quick scan through the house she realized that no one was
home and hadn't been all day. She lit a lamp and went back to the
horse and retrieved a piece of blank parchment along with her pen and
ink.
She had decided to leave a quick note to her aunt and uncle and
continue onto the next village for the night. She didn't want to
impose on her uncle's home without permission.
# # #
Xena reluctantly stayed in bed for two days, having promised
Gabrielle just that. That didn’t mean she was happy about it and
on the third day she was ready to travel before the sun came up.
Argo, picking up on her master’s energy, stomped her hoof, ready to
be going as well.
Misenus met her at the stable door as she mounted Argo.
“Thank you, Xena. Any time you need anything you just have to ask.
I’ll always be in your debt.”
“Call it even for the healer, Misenus,” she smiled and grabbed
his arm in a warrior’s handshake.
The young man shook his head with a grin. “Can’t call it even
yet, warrior. My little sister was one of the women you saved from
those bandit slavers when you snuck into their camp by yourself and
freed them. Don’t think that I don’t know what risk you took for
that one.”
“We’ll call it even if you don’t tell Gabrielle exactly how
many times I risked my neck,” she grinned back.
“Nah, but I agree. Farewell, Xena.”
# # #
Movement caught Gabrielle’s eye as she walked out the door and she
instinctively flung her staff up over her head in time to catch a
sword blow. She felt the broken staff catch her cheek and blood
beginning to flow. She ducked back through the door but it crashed
inward before she could bolt it. She felt the table against her back
and grabbed for the lamp as her attacker was framed in the doorway.
With a growl she launched the lamp at him and was satisfied but
horrified at the same time when the fire caught his clothing. The
man screamed and fell back out of the doorway. Gabrielle ran to the
door to see him rolling on the ground, attempting to put the flames
out.
"Damn you, Gabrielle!" he cried out, batting at the flames.
Gabrielle stood stunned, looking at the man. A memory flashed to the
surface, her wedding.
"Mens?" Perdicus's brother? "What?"
"You're dead, bitch," he muttered as the last of the flames
went out.
Gabrielle looked in his eyes and saw the light of madness in them.
She quickly flashed on several decisions and tore at the necklace
around her neck, letting it drop beside the broken staff at her feet.
Then she bounded onto the horse, sending the poor mare flying down
the road.
"Gabrielle!" Menestratus screamed after her.
Gabrielle suddenly wished she were on Argo.
# # #
Xena made good time and was pleased to be entering Poteidaia by the
next evening. She had taken it easy on Argo and the horse had kept
up a good steady pace. She directed the horse directly to the house
where, just four months before, she had discovered the exact nature
of Gabrielle’s feelings for the warrior and had wanted to toss
Herdoctus out the window. Fortunately because of the family
confrontation, both the bard and warrior had been forced to admit to
each other the depth of their feelings and had bonded immediately as
mates.
Lila greeted her knock at the door and surprised the warrior by
hugging her tightly. “Whoa, little one. What’s wrong?”
“We were worried, the messenger said that he had reached you and
when you didn’t get here a couple of days ago we began to get
worried,” the teenager said, pulling the warrior into the living
area of the house where Hecuba rose from her chair and hugged the
warrior as well.
“Didn’t Gabrielle tell you I was following behind?” Xena asked.
“Isn’t she with you?” Hecuba whispered.
“What? She left me two days ago,” Xena said as Lila grabbed her
and pulled her over to a chair, noticing the stunned look on the
warrior’s face and the heavy limp.
“She’s not here and we’ve had no word,” Hecuba said softly,
looking to the warrior for answers.
“She said she was going to stop and see her uncle and then come
here for the funeral,” Xena told the two women. She stood up
quickly and winced at the pain in the leg. “Where does your
brother live?”
“Two villages over to the east. His name is Harpalion and he’s
the baker. Hurry, please.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll find her,” Xena promised, heading out the
door.
Lila followed her out. “Let me come with you,” she pleaded.
“No, your mother needs you here and I’ll travel faster alone,”
Xena quickly mounted her horse and leaned down and touched Lila’s
hair. “I’ll find her,” she promised again and urged Argo off
at a gallop.
# # #
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