XWP - Awakenings 06 - Gladiator/Bard 09/19/2020

Gladiator, Bard, Warrior - Awakening 6

Ms. Hunter Ash

ripperbard7@yahoo.com

frost29@post.com

Disclaimer: I don't own Xena, Gabrielle, Hercules, etc. etc. etc. This story is for entertainment purposes and it helps keep me sane (sort of).

Sex/Subtext/Alt Fiction: This story is a continuing story of two women in love and they have sex together but not in this one. Violence: the mention of rape concerning one of the major characters, several deaths, one graphic sword strike, ax blows and no bad language. This one puts X&G through some rough stuff.

Seriously - character trauma and injuries.

Storyline: I hope this story could stand on it's own. It is also part of a series I've ended up writing. I started out with one story in mind and who knows where this thing will end up at this point. You might want to read the other stories to get the entire picture.

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Iolaus slowly drew his sword and moved his horse forward slightly. "Look, I already told you, we are free citizens. We're not German, we're Greek. Leave us alone," he growled at the scruffy Roman soldiers blocking their way on the road. "When I move, ride like Hades and get out of here," he whispered to Gabrielle.

"I'm not leaving you!" she hissed.

"Get Xena and Hercules, the Roman camp can't be far from here, you can help rescue me. I don't think you and I can take all of them," he hissed back.

Gabrielle frowned but moved her horse a couple of steps away from his, ready to turn and bolt.

Iolaus cursed every mother of the bandit soldiers in front of them. He knew that they couldn't count on Xena or Hercules rescuing them either, they were still at camp further down the river. Iolaus and Gabrielle had been on their way to a nearby village for fresh supplies before the four of them crossed into Germania, determined to get a pregnant Xena out of reach of both Ares and Caesar.

Now this. Life definitely wasn't boring with his friends, Iolaus thought. Definitely not boring and definitely dangerous.

The Roman leader grinned at the two smaller Greeks. "I don't care who you are. Me and my men need some gambling money and your wife there will bring a very nice price with the slavers. You might even be worth a couple of gold pieces, little man."

Iolaus let out a yell of anger and charged forward with his horse and Gabrielle, with a frustrated growl, turned her horse. "Go, Gabrielle!" he yelled.

He heard her horse begin pounding away.

Iolaus ducked under a sword slash and buried his sword quickly into the ribs of the attacker and threw up his left arm to block another sword, wincing as the sword cut through his leather bracer, skin and muscle. He slashed out and caught another Roman at the throat and the soldier dropped his shield and sword to grab at his throat before falling off the horse. The Greek's horse pushed forward, looking for a way through the pack of Romans but Iolaus and his horse were both frustrated; the Romans kept in close, crowding the horse and the sword of the smaller man.

The bard shook her head, trying to clear the sudden fuzziness and realized that her horse had been arrow shot out from under her. She was trapped beneath the horse and couldn't even reach her fallen staff. The bard began pulling at her legs and pushing at the dead weight of the horse and looked over to her friend.

Iolaus cried out in pain and slashed heavily to the left and looked down to see his side bleeding heavily. His left hand came up to try and hold the wound closed and stay in the saddle but dodging another sword strike caused the Greek to lose his balance and fall from the horse, landing heavily. Iolaus yelped and quickly rolled to his hands and knees and dodged out of the way of several horse hooves aiming for his body.

"Iolaus!" Gabrielle whispered, not wanting to distract the man. She noticed three soldiers beginning to make their way towards her and cursed the dead weight holding her down.

The Romans dismounted and approached the Greek man slowly, most of them grinning. Five of them, terrific, he thought. He wondered if he should make a break for the river and risk freezing to death or drowning rather than the swords, then he glanced over and saw Gabrielle's horse fallen in the middle of the road and the little bard struggling to get her trapped legs out from under the dead animal.

"Gabrielle, no!"

With a shout he charged the soldiers beginning to crowd him. He quickly cut down two of the soldiers caught off guard by his charge but a third caught his left shoulder and Iolaus dropped his sword to grasp the wounded joint.

The three Romans reached the woman and grinned down on their captive.

Realizing his mistake too late, the Greek couldn't bend to retrieve his sword before the others were on him. He kept close to them to keep them from using their swords and he utilized his many fighting skills and took another one down with a broken neck, even if he was fighting almost one armed. A sword strike to his back took the man to his knees and kicks, fists and hammering from sword hilts sent him smashing to the ground, bleeding badly and unconscious.

Gabrielle looked over to see Iolaus lying face down on the ground, blood flowing from his mouth and various wounds on his body. The Roman leader kicked the small man in the ribs and received no response.

"Throw him over into the river," he ordered.

"No!" Gabrielle screamed and lost sight of her friend as the three Romans bent down to claim her.

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Iolaus' eyes sprang open as he broke the surface of the water, sputtering and gasping for air. The cold shock of the water hit him like a hammer and the young man couldn't catch his breath nor fight the current.

He struggled to keep his head above the water and almost swallowed enough to drown when he was jerked suddenly to a stop. He realized slowly that his belt was caught on a half submerged tree stump. Remembering Gabrielle trapped under the horse at the mercy of the Romans, Iolaus summoned his strength and pulled himself along the tree, freeing his belt and let himself drift onto the small beach. Somehow the Greek pulled himself along until he was under the end of the beach at the tree line. He managed to pull himself up and over the embankment by some tree roots and then collapsed under the tree.

He closed his eyes, holding his side tightly.

Something pounded at his awareness and wouldn't go away. Iolaus opened his eyes and peered around the tree and blinked several times as his exhausted and blood starved mind tried to take in the scene in front of him.

The Romans had Gabrielle in the small clearing. One was examining Iolaus' sword while another two were dragging the bodies of their comrades off the road. The other three, including their leader, were holding Gabrielle and looking her over.

Iolaus felt a whimper escape his throat.

The bard was struggling but two of the Romans held her tightly by her arms. The leader grinned and ripped her tunic open from collar to hem, exposing her very lovely breasts and torso. Gabrielle screamed and struggled and the men laughed.

Iolaus, tears streaming down his face, fell back against the tree. After a moment, he leaned against the tree and used it to slide up to his feet. He grabbed the tree for stability as he turned and nearly screamed at the sight of his little friend's abuse. He bent down to grab a fallen tree limb for a weapon and fell forward onto the ground. Tears of rage and helplessness overcame the young man as he listened to his friend scream and he couldn't move.

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"Iolaus!" a voice insisted he pay attention. He decided to ignore it, easier to slip back into the darkness.

"Iolaus! Gabrielle!" another voice, higher pitched brought a frown to his face as he lay pressed into the ground. Gabrielle? Something important.

Iolaus raised his head but couldn't see who was calling and nothing came out when he tried to yell. His head sank back down to the ground and he closed his eyes.

"Gabrielle! Iolaus!" Iolaus grabbed the fallen limb and somehow began banging it against the tree that had once been his friend a couple of times and then darkness claimed him again.

"Hercules! Quick!" a voice shouted above him and Iolaus felt himself being turned over gently. He opened his blue eyes and found similar blue eyes. He attempted a smile.

He heard his best friend come pounding up and slide down to the ground next to Iolaus.

"Iolaus! What happened?" his friend demanded. Iolaus could feel someone tugging at his clothes and the sound of cloth tearing and then pain at his side.

"Hercules, keep the pressure on that wound," a voice commanded.

"Gabrielle," Iolaus whispered.

"Where is she, Iolaus?"

"Xena?" he whispered.

"Yes, Hercules is here too. Where's Gabrielle?" she asked, pressing another bandage on his shoulder wound.

"Took her, hurt her," he whispered closing his eyes.

"Iolaus! Who took her? Where!?" Xena yelled.

"Romans, sell to slavers."

"He's unconscious," Hercules choked out and the warrior nodded.

"I'll make a litter to drag him behind one of the horses. You keep pressure on those bandages. I'm going back to camp and get our stuff and blankets, he's soaking wet," Xena said quickly.

"We've got to get him to the village," Hercules insisted.

"Where do you think those Roman soldiers came from? If they see him they'll kill all of us before we can talk. We'll take him to the small tribe across the river, they deal with sword wounds all the time. Then I'm going to find Gabrielle," the warrior said grimly.

"Hurry, Xena, he's in bad shape."

"I know, lay next to him, cover yourselves with your cloak and try and warm his body up. The cold probably saved his life by slowing his bleeding but it will probably kill him in the long run. I don't know how he's alive now," Xena said as she stood up. Hercules nodded, acknowledging the impossibility of his friend still being alive.

"Gabrielle," Iolaus whispered.

"Easy, my friend. We'll find her," Hercules promised and Xena turned at a run towards the horses. "We have to find her."

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It was after dark when the warrior woman stepped out of the small cabin and started towards the horse line. She had her chakram up and at the throat of a shadow appearing in front of her. She slowly lowered it slightly when she realized it was Hercules.

"You can't go with me," he stated.

"Do you know what they've probably done to her?!" she hissed, not wanting to bring everyone else from the camp out.

Hercules jaw clenched and he lowered his eyes. "Yes, I know what they do to women, especially beautiful women. Getting yourself captured by Caesar isn't going to help her."

"I can't just wait here!"

"Yes, you can. Both of you can," he argued, placing his hand on the belly that was beginning to show signs of the growing life inside.

With a growl of anger Xena released the chakram, sending it flying through the trees and bouncing off cabins and past Hercules' ear into her hand again.

"You asked me to be your Kumbada, your best man and godfather, at your wedding. Let me do this."

"All right," she muttered, replacing the chakram as her side.

As she heard Hercules ride off Xena sank to her knees in the snow and looked to the sky with tears falling down her cheeks, her breath ragged in the cold chill.

"Please, I don't pray, you know that. I'm asking you, any of you, to bring her back to me. Please, I can't live without her," she whispered.

Receiving no answer the warrior began to weep.

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Xena moved quietly into the cabin of the head family of the local tribe and shook the snow off her cloak, hanging it by the door and stamping her feet free of snow. With a pang she remembered that Gabrielle always wanted to see the north in the winter. The warrior bit back the memories and moved quickly to the cot near the fire.

As she looked down at the warrior on the cot Xena thought how horrible he looked. Iolaus was extremely pale from the blood loss and cold. He hadn't regained consciousness since they found him and Xena's experienced mind told her that he probably wouldn't. It seemed that only the stubbornness of the Greek was keeping him alive.

She knelt down next to the healer as he heated another blanket in front of the fire and exchanged it with one on the wounded man. He noted the question in Xena's eyes and shook his head.

"I don't know, Greek. His spirit hasn't crossed over yet so there is always a chance."

Xena gently took Iolaus' hand in hers and brushed a curly lock of blond hair from his forehead.

"Hang in there, Iolaus, we need you," she whispered in Greek.

When Hercules returned hours later he found her still sitting with his best friend, not having moved from the spot. She was on her feet and in front of him in an instant.

He looked around and noticed that the headman of the clan had raised up out of his bed at the noise, sword in hand but, seeing it was his guests, laid back down.

It was a typical cabin for a northern tribe, Hercules knew. One room where everyone slept, cooked and lived, especially in the winter months. He wasn't sure he could get used to that.

Xena helped him remove his cloak and led him to the fire. Demi-god or not, he still could get cold.

"Well!?" she demanded as he sat down, checking on Iolaus.

"Any change in him?" he countered.

Xena's eyes softened. "I'm sorry, Hercules. No, no change."

"The Romans won't be kidnapping anyone else," he said softly and pulled out a bloody sword and reached for a cloth next to the bed. "They sold her yesterday while we were looking for her and Iolaus."

Xena closed her eyes and fought back tears and rage.

"Where?"

"Slavers heading south, they were already on the move. I'm going to follow them tomorrow morning at first light. You'll have to take Iolaus and move further up north while I'm gone."

"I'm not leaving the area until we find her!" she protested.

"Listen, damnit! I just killed an entire barracks of Roman soldiers!" he growled, turning his eyes away. Xena carefully touched her friend's arm and wasn't surprised to see tears falling. "I lost it, Xena. I just lost it and went mad again."

"What happened?"

"I pounded them enough to tell me what happened with Gabrielle and where they had sold her. Then I saw this on the table." he pulled out a gold and silver bracelet from his belt and handed it to the warrior, her tears began to match his.

"Gabrielle's bonding bracelet." she whispered.

"Yes, then one of them told me what his fellow soldiers did to her and I lost it. I.... I killed all of them, Xena."

"You can't blame yourself for that!"

"I know they deserved it but now this family is in danger and so are we. The Romans will tear this countryside apart looking for us and its still winter deep! How can I tell Axel that I've just brought the Romans down on his house?"

A voice caught their attention, neither of them having heard the headman getting up out of his bed, wrapping a cloak around himself and joining them at the fire.

"This isn't the first time the Romans will try and take their anger out on us. We have family north we can travel to. Winter travel hard, ja, but I do not blame you for vengeance, my Greek friend," Axel said simply in broken Latin. "We will protect your friends."

"I can't ask you to do that," Xena protested.

"Hercules stayed with me once and saved my life. It's a small thing," he smiled. "He is family and he says you are his family - that makes you family."

"Thank you, Axel," Hercules smiled wearily.

"Clean up, mein freund, you have blood on your hands and face."

Hercules flinched and looked at his hands and back at Xena, who merely nodded.

"Do not trouble yourself so," Axel urged. "They earned this from you when they hurt your friend and took the little one."

"Yes," Xena agreed, her eyes narrowing. "I'm still coming with you, Hercules."

"No, all of the territory is looking for a warrior woman, they're not looking for me," he protested. "You have to keep Iolaus and Axel's family safe. I'll find her."

"Gods, Gabrielle," she whispered, closing her eyes.

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Gabrielle groaned and tried to raise her arm to block the slaps but whimpered with a flash of pain from her arm. The slapping stopped and she cautiously opened her eyes.

"Good, you're awake," a female bent over the bard. "Listen very quickly if you want to live another day. Do not, no matter how much they hit you, tell them your real name. You are known to Rome and your capture could mean the death of you. Do you understand? Do not say your name!" the female hissed, grabbing the bard's face for emphasis.

Gabrielle nodded.

The female moved back and seemed to be waiting. In a moment several men appeared in the dusty courtyard where Gabrielle realized she had been thrown. She recognized a couple of the men from the night before and couldn't stop the whimper from escaping her throat as she tried to draw back into herself against the wall, feeling very small and helpless. The chains at her wrists rattled and the collar at her throat clinked against the wall.

Gabrielle looked around and found several other slaves/prisoners lining the wall beside her. All of them were beaten, both physically and mentally.

"Greetings, slaves," A man stood before the others and faced the chained men and women. "I am Lycrassis, owner of this school and villa. When you address me or answer me you will address me as 'my Lord,' understand?"

Each prisoner/slave nodded. Lycrassis quickly yanked one slave to his feet and slammed him into the wall. Gabrielle and the others heard the man's head crack as it connected with the stone wall. Lycrassis released the body and let it slide down to the ground.

"I asked if you all understood," Lycrassis growled.

"Yes, my Lord," all of them responded quickly.

"Good, now let's see what the slavers and the law makers have brought me," Lycrassis began the long task of judging each prisoner/slave's potential and, in turn, their future.

Gabrielle waited at the end of the line. The female who had warned her earlier kept a close eye on the bard, Gabrielle noticed.

One went to the stables because of bad teeth. A small Egyptian was sent as a sparring dummy, Gabrielle had the feeling that this was a short lived job. Others were chosen for training and another for the kitchen. Lycrassis stopped in front of Gabrielle, who kept her head down.

The Roman lifted her chin to look in her eyes, noticing the beginning black eye and the dried blood around her nose. He grinned and she closed her eyes.

"A little small for training. Send her to the kitchen," he ordered.

"My Lord, may I speak?" the female who had whispered to Gabrielle before spoke up.

"Yes, Nikki, you may," Gabrielle opened her eyes as the Roman turned to look at the tall and muscular woman leaning on a crutch.

"I wish to train this one," she said simply.

"Why?" the Roman frowned and so did the three men standing with him.

"Her arm is broken, one of your men got a little rough last night and she'll be useless in the kitchen," Nikki answered. Gabrielle grabbed the chance to take in the female. She was tall, as tall as the bard's warrior, Xena, but with blond hair and gray eyes. She was built like a blacksmith, Gabrielle thought to herself, with muscles revealing a very strong body. The woman's face was stern but the bard thought she could sense laughter in the gray eyes that years in the Arena didn't seem to have touched. Gabrielle also noticed the crutch the woman leaned on, favoring her left leg.

Lycrassis looked at his men and one of them shuffled on his feet. "She bit me," he mumbled. Lycrassis turned and looked at the small bard again.

"Did she? Maybe she has some spirit after all. She's still too small."

"I don't think so, my Lord. She'll be fast in the arena and her body is very fit and I see signs of physical training already," Nikki said simply.

"Why are you interested?" Lycrassis turned to his trainer. Gabrielle kept the curiosity out of her face as well.

"I say she can be a good fighter," Nikki shrugged.

"Want to bet on it?" Lycrassis grinned.

"You have all my money, my Lord," Nikki grinned back.

Gabrielle felt her head reeling at the unreal feeling of the situation. Here were two vicious people wanting to bet on her future, which seemed rather bleak and probably short to the bard right then.

"How much would you bet on the little one? And why else do you want to train her?" Lycrassis demanded.

"I fancy her," Nikki admitted with a shrug.

Oh gods, Gabrielle thought.

"I thought so. Not many have ever interested you before. She is beautiful under all that grime and a tiger in bed when she's not willing. I wonder what she's like when she's willing. Nevermind, I wager this then, she's either an adequate fighter in three months, adequate enough to hold her own in an afternoon fight, or you lose."

Nikki frowned. Gabrielle knew that it took months, even years for a gladiator to be trained enough to live. Most of them didn't make it five years. Three months was impossible. The little bard also knew that gladiator fights lasted all day, the novice fighters in the morning and the experienced fighters in the afternoon for the crowd's desire for blood. Three months was impossible.

"The wager?" Nikki asked.

"I've set the odds rather high," Lycrassis conceded. "Let's set the goal high, shall we. I'm bored this week. If she's good enough to go into the ring in three months and survives three years, she can win both your freedom."

Freedom? Gabrielle suddenly had a ray of hope and then felt it dashed. Three years in the Arena? Very few of the best gladiators ever last three years.

"She's mine to train and develop totally, no one else lays a hand on her, day or night," Nikki bargained.

Lycrassis laughed at his trainer. "What is this, love at first sight?" The Roman looked back at the little bard and noticed the shining eyes. He approached the bard slowly. "What would you do, slave, if you had a clear shot at me and my men with a dagger?" he asked.

"I'd slide it in between your fifth and fourth rib, my Lord," she growled.

The Roman laughed heartily. He was also tall but not as tall as Xena and Nikki with black hair and dark eyes. Unlike Nikki, the laughter never seemed to reach these dark eyes. He reminded her of Ares, complete with short hair and beard.

"All right, I agree. She's yours totally, you can even bed her if you wish. I still think there's a tiger under there and I'm not sure I want her in my bed when she's up to strength. None of my men will touch her. She even knows where to place a blade. Are you as Sapphic as my trainer, slave?"

Gabrielle felt herself blushing and was confused. How to answer? Wouldn't kitchen duty be better than the Arena? But the female had warned the bard of potential danger. Xena's rule of life came to the little bard: trust no one, but Gabrielle felt honesty, up to a point, usually fared her well.

"Yes, my Lord," she admitted.

"Good, maybe you can tame each other. What are you called?" Lycrassis asked.

"Brie."

"She was taken prisoner from the North," one of the men stated.

"Germanic? You speak Latin well."

"I was a free servant to a noble in the north," Gabrielle answered easily.

"Good, then you know how to take orders," Lycrassis again laughed at the flash he saw in her eyes before she dropped her head. "Even when you don't like it. Take her, Nikki. You have three months."

Gabrielle's face blushed beet red as the tall woman grabbed her and threw the bard over her shoulder, walking out of the courtyard and the laughter of the men and Lycrassis followed them.

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