Amazons of the North
Awakening, Part 13
Ms. Hunter Ash
ripperbard7@yahoo.com
frost29@post.com
Disclaimers
Ownership: I don’t own Xena, Gabrielle, Argo, etc etc etc. I’m borrowing them for my pleasure and, hopefully, the pleasure of others for entertainment.
Subtext/Alt Fiction/Sex: You bet. This story concerns people having sex, both with the opposite gender and of the same gender.
Violence: It is Xena and Gabrielle we’re working with here. Battle scene, some good fights and a blood lust. Nothing more violent than you see on the show.
Storyline: Xena and Gabrielle travel North to the Siberian Amazons to make amends for Xena’s past history concerning Alti and discover that things aren’t settled.
Feedback: always welcome and will be responded to.
================================================================
Xena pulled Argo to a halt and let Gabrielle move her horse closer to her.
"Why don't you take Sasha for a bit?"
"You're afraid of being recognized and attacked before we can say anything?" Gabrielle frowned as she began unhitching the small child from her harness at her mom's back and moved the child in front of her, taking the opportunity to hug Sasha and get a giggle from her adopted daughter.
"Something like that," Xena said, eyes darting around.
"I don't know why we haven't been challenged yet. It's been two marks since we passed the boundary markers. I know they're out there," Gabrielle complained, looking around the forest they were traveling deeper into.
"I know. You okay, Solan?" Xena glanced back at her teenage son on a horse just behind Gabrielle. Her heart always gave a painful jerk at the sight of the band of cloth covering his eyes.
"You bet, Mom," he answered easily but Xena could tell from his body that he was tense.
The family had only gone a few hundred yards when arrows landed in the ground in front of their horses. The women stopped their mounts and raised their hands in a symbol of peace.
"Solan, Amazons!" Xena said loudly and the boy followed the example of his mothers.
Several figures appeared from behind trees and out of them, surrounding the family with notched arrows and drawn swords.
The leader demanded something in a language Gabrielle didn’t recognize but Xena did and answered and the scout leader switched to Germanic, enabling Gabrielle to follow.
"Who are you? You know the Amazon sign of peace," the obvious leader of the Amazon scouts and guards demanded from behind her mask of leather and fur.
"I am Gabrielle, Queen of the Southern Amazons and this is my Consort and family," Gabrielle answered easily. "We wish to visit your village."
"The Southern Amazons were killed," the leader stated flatly.
"Not all of them, I am alive and so are two others of my tribe. They survived the attack by the Romans, Brutus and Antony," Gabrielle responded, slowly lowering one hand and reaching into the pack nearest her and pulled out her Queen mask, showing it to the band.
"We heard the Southern Amazons joined with the Wine Country Amazons and then went north and were still killed."
"And you are?" Gabrielle demanded.
"Svetlana, Scout Chief."
"I have identified myself as Amazon, are we welcome or not?"
Xena heard the frustration in Gabrielle's voice and resisted grinning. As an Amazon, especially as royalty, the Amazons should have acknowledged the family and extended a welcome by this point. Xena knew that her bard wasn't comfortable with the royal treatment her rank meant but this behavior was bordering on rudeness.
"If you are Amazons," Svetlana said sullenly.
"If?!" Gabrielle shouted and handed Sasha quickly to Xena as she leaped off her horse. "If?"
The bard stomped right into the face of the Scout leader and Xena bit her lip to keep from grinning as the smaller woman got right into Svetlana's face and the tall Amazon backed up two paces.
"I have identified myself as an Amazon and one of royal rank, either take us to your village and your Queen now or we turn and leave!" Gabrielle demanded, her green eyes flashing.
Svetlana slowly removed her mask, showing downcast eyes.
"I apologize, my Queen," the Amazon stammered. "We never get visitors from the southern tribes."
"Enough! Lead us!" Gabrielle demanded and leaped back onto her horse, grabbing up Solan's reins.
Xena resisted grinning as the Amazons quickly began leading them down the trail. A quick glance towards her mate's direction confirmed that Gabrielle was still fuming.
They were met inside the village by curious Amazons and Svetlana reluctantly led the bard and warrior into the largest wooden dwelling.
An older Amazon sat on furs and didn’t rise to greet them, both Gabrielle and Xena spotted the crutches next to her body and the thin legs.
“This is our Queen Arja,” Svetlana announced.
“I am Gabrielle, Queen of the Southern Amazons and Wine Region Amazons, this is my Consort and Champion,” Gabrielle bowed respectfully.
"You are welcome, Queen Gabrielle, to my tribe and my home."
"Just Gabrielle, please," Gabrielle smiled, a familiar request whenever she was with the Amazons.
"I understand, please just call me Arja," the older woman smiled. "Why have you come to us?
"Several reasons, Arja," Gabrielle hesitated as another young woman entered the hut. Both Xena and Gabrielle figured the intense looking woman as the shaman by the way she was dressed in leather, bones, feathers and fur and her headpiece was of leather, beads and stag horns.
"This is Yakut, our shaman," Arja introduced.
Shaman and Greeks sat down on the furs, joining Queen Arja.
"I am Gabrielle of the Southern Amazons and this is my Consort," Gabrielle stated. She glanced over at Xena, noting the warrior's clenched jaw, and reached out to hold her mate's hand. "Many Summers ago my mate wronged your tribe. Since that time she has become a champion of the Amazons throughout the Southern countries but we haven't made amends to your tribe. That's one of the reasons we've come."
"And the other reasons?" Arja asked.
"There are two survivors of my tribe, they are with a friendly Northern family. I would ask permission for them to join your tribe. They are an older woman who is a trained baker and a small child. I would also ask an Amazon recognition and bonding ceremony for the child of my mate as my legal heir as an Amazon," Gabrielle said simply.
"You are not an Amazon, warrior?" Arja asked Xena.
"No, I've been asked to join several tribes over the years but that would always mean taking a Goddess as a patron and I'm not much for serving the gods." Xena responded.
Gabrielle resisted grinning at that understatement. Xena was notoriously known for her dislike of dealing with the gods.
"And how would you make amends, Consort?" Yakut asked.
"My crime against your tribe was great, maybe beyond forgiveness. I'll leave that to your Elder Council and my mate," Xena said softly.
"Your crimes are great, Xena, but you are protected by your status as Consort to a Queen. You would turn yourself over to our judgment?" Arja asked.
Xena's eyes dropped. "You know me."
"Yes, I was waiting to see your business with us," Arja said simply. "Your answer, Consort?"
"I submit," Xena answered.
"Xena," Gabrielle growled and Xena squeezed her hand.
"We knew there would be a price," Xena said softly.
Gabrielle turned to the Queen. "And what would that price be?" she demanded.
"That will be determined. The child you wish named as your heir is the daughter of Xena?" Arja asked.
"Yes, she is our daughter," Gabrielle stated.
"I know of you and your reputation as a Queen, Gabrielle. I will petition the Elder Council myself for this acknowledgment. It will also go far in your behalf, Xena," Arja stretched one of her legs out in front of her. "You have become a champion of our sister Amazons, would you protect us as well?"
"Yes," the warrior answered easily.
"Think carefully," Yakut advised. "We knew it was you, Xena. Even if Arja didn't recognize you, I saw of you in a vision and your journey here."
"You recognized me," Xena repeated softly.
"Yes, I was a seasoned warrior at the time. My legs were shattered when I fell to one of your traps in the trees that day you slaughtered most of the fighters and leaders of this tribe. I lived," Arja answered.
Gabrielle tightened her grip on Xena's hand as the warrior's head dropped.
"I know that telling you that I'm sorry for that isn't enough, Arja, but I am," Xena looked up, fighting back tears.
"I believe you and I accept that. I am no longer the same person I was on that day, Xena, and I believe that you aren't either. Others may not be as quick to forgive you though, understand that," Arja warned.
"You shouldn't forgive me," Xena said grimly, looking at the shattered legs of the Queen.
"Forgiving you is easy, Xena. Forgiving yourself will be the hardest for you, I think, if I read your character right," Arja smiled.
"You do, she has changed," Gabrielle stated firmly.
"You mentioned a vision, Yakut?" Xena prompted, anxious to turn the conversation away from her and the changes.
"Yes, Xena, there were two visions. The first vision was of you killing the Amazon leaders of this tribe so long ago and of their spirits. The second vision is of you fighting our greatest enemy and freeing them."
Xena and Gabrielle frowned. "What do you mean, freeing them?" Gabrielle asked.
"All the Amazons who died that day are trapped in the Land of the Dead," Yakut answered. "They are unable to cross over into Eternity. Our most sacred word isn't enough to free them."
"Cyane?" Xena whispered.
"Yes, and those who were injured that day, when they die their spirits are also trapped," Yakut answered, looking at Arja.
"When you die, your spirit will be trapped as well?" Gabrielle asked, turning to Arja.
"Yes, so it seems," the Queen answered easily.
"Who can do this?" Gabrielle frowned.
"Alti," Xena whispered and Yakut nodded.
"Oh gods," Gabrielle muttered. "Didn't we have enough of her already?" the bard complained.
"You've dealt with her before?" Yakut asked sharply.
"When I went on a shaman journey Gabrielle somehow connected with me and we had to fight Alti in the spirit realm," Xena explained.
"Think carefully of this, Consort, would you fight to free our sisters?"
"I don't have to think about it, Arja. I caused this mess, I'll fix it," Xena answered easily.
"Xena, we'll fix it," Gabrielle corrected.
"Not this time, little one."
"Xena," Gabrielle growled.
"First things first," Arja suggested. "Yakut and I will approach the Elder Council with your presence here, Xena, and your agreement to help with Alti. Then we'll decide which comes first, battling Alti or welcoming your daughter as a member of the tribe and heir to Gabrielle."
"Just understand, Xena, some of us will accept your help but we will remember that it was you who put them there in the first place," Yakut growled and left the hut.
"Her mother's spirit is trapped in the Land of the Dead and is being used by Alti," Arja explained.
Xena nodded, understanding. After a moment she rose and helped Gabrielle to her feet.
"The guards will show you and your family to the guest hut. Your son will have an escort, even though he is blind, he is a male on Amazon land."
"Of course, Arja. He was raised by Centaurs, he understands Amazon custom."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The family was served dinner just after dusk by non-talking Amazon tribe members. Sasha chatted away about the wonderful fur and leather of the Northern Amazon clothing and Solan kept her occupied, as Xena was quiet and withdrawn. Gabrielle, knowing her warrior, merely curled up in her lover's arms while they waited.
It was a candle-mark after dark when Arja and Yakut entered the hut with three other Amazons, all armed with drawn swords.
Gabrielle felt her warrior growl behind her and squeezed Xena's hand reassuringly.
"Sasha, look!" Gabrielle said cheerfully, "They have swords like your Mom's. Solan, want to put Sasha to bed soon?" the teenager nodded, sensing the tension in the room and the reason for it. "Sasha, we're going to go visit with these Amazons for a little bit, okay?"
The youngster nodded and ran into Solan's welcoming arms. The small child accepted Gabby Mum's cheerful words but she had grown quiet and thoughtful, much like her mom.
Gabrielle stood up and lent a hand to her warrior.
"Gabrielle, only Xena is requested at the Council," Arja stated.
"You think I'll stay behind?" Gabrielle asked with a rueful smile and Arja nodded in understanding and stepped aside for the two visitors to join them outside.
Once outside the hut Xena turned and handed over her sword and chakram. Gabrielle raised her eyebrows in question to the other Amazon Queen.
"No, we don't need your weapons, Gabrielle," Arja answered the unspoken question.
"I've died for my Amazons before but that doesn't compare to what I would do for Xena," Gabrielle answered, handing over her sais. Arja nodded and accepted them.
Inside the meeting hut, the two women sat down on the furs indicated, facing a semi circle of grim faced Amazons.
While Arja and Yakut settled into their positions in the circle, Gabrielle took the chance to look around. The huts were made a little differently than in the South, she reflected. Of large chunks of earth, hides and wood, unlike the wood of the south. Circular in design with a smoke hole in the center of the roof, a fire blazing in the center of the room. Instead of chairs and tables, these Amazons preferred sitting on furs mostly, although some of the older women sat on small stools.
The tension in the room was thick and Xena shifted in her position. Gabrielle once again reached out and held her warrior's hand.
Xena looked over at her mate and gave the bard a small smile. Under different circumstances, the warrior would have trouble concentrating on anything other than her mate. Gabrielle had worn her Amazon royalty clothing, which always caught Xena's attention. The bard carried her mask, waiting to see if formality would be needed before donning it.
Arja sat down in the center of the semi circle and faced the two women.
"We of the Northern Amazons are honored to welcome Queen Gabrielle of the Southern Amazons. We are especially pleased to learn that your tribe is not dead and the spirit of the Amazons live on in you and that you wish to pass this along to your adopted child. We would be honored to assist in this and accept your mate's daughter as your heir and as an Amazon," Arja said.
"Thank you, Queen Arja, I am grateful for this welcome and your acceptance of my child," Gabrielle said carefully, not bringing Xena into it yet.
"Consort," Arja turned her attention to Xena. "You would normally be as welcome to our village and our tribe as Queen Gabrielle but you have a past history with this tribe that must be addressed."
Several of the women shifted on their furs.
"Many Summer seasons ago you committed the ultimate crime against our tribe by killing an Amazon."
Xena's eyes dropped.
"This was made worse by the fact that you killed quite a number of our leaders and best fighters. Normally, nothing could make up for this crime other than your death at our hands. To make the situation worse, we discovered that our beloved tribe members are held in limbo in Tuoni, the Land of the Dead and not permitted to reach Manala, the Isle of the Dead, Eternity. This is because of your slaughter of them for the evil shaman Alti and her power over their souls. Does this state the facts fairly?"
Xena looked up, the struggle evident on her face.
"Yes, Queen Arja, the facts are stated fairly," she said firmly.
"Since that time I have stated to the Council that you have changed drastically and this should be considered. Queen Gabrielle insisted on being here, so I would ask her to speak on these facts."
Gabrielle squeezed her mate's hand again and began telling the Council the shortened version of Xena's abandonment of the dark side of herself and her struggle towards the Light. Xena reflected that her mate was a truly gifted bard, her words having the power to enthrall most any audience, even the rowdiest of drunken soldiers.
Xena listened as the bard weaved her tale of a reformed evil Warlord into a warrior seeking redemption. From the first time that a young girl from Potedaia saw the Warrior Princess, when Xena saved Gabrielle and the other females of her village from slavers; from their exploits in rescuing Prometheus, and thus saving mankind; rescuing Death herself; stopping the war between the Centaurs and Southern Amazons, preventing many deaths and forming a new alliance between the two tribes; saving Helen from the fall of Troy; getting the Helm of Invisibility back for Hades; returning the sacred casket to the Children of Abraham.
Xena did note that her bard skipped over the telling of their first meeting with Callisto and agreed with her mate. Bringing up one of Xena's victims who had turned killer probably wouldn't help her case with the Northern Amazons, she thought.
The bard continued with how Xena had used her battle learned medical skills to help save soldiers and victims from both sides of a war and ended up stopping the senseless fighting; then fighting and defeating Bacchus, saving Gabrielle and risking her own soul in the process. The bard speaking eloquently about saving the Princess Diana from assassins and helping end slavery in that kingdom; helping Ares get his sword and his godly powers back and of Xena's death and her fight to return to Gabrielle, even before they were lovers. The bard especially focused on defeating the Goddess Velasco and saving the Southern Amazons again and of Xena risking permanent blindness in order to rescue Gabrielle. The tale of Xena facing her dark self when they faced the Horde.
Gabrielle gave a summary of all the bandits, slavers, and assassins they had stopped during their travels.
Then Xena heard the bard's voice catch and Gabrielle described how they had hid their feelings from each other, each afraid of rejection and pain. Especially of Xena thinking she would never be good enough for Gabrielle because of her past, no matter what she did to make up for it.
The Queen of the Southern Amazons went on to tell of their Amazon marriage and how Xena nearly went insane with berserker fury when Gabrielle was poisoned by the Romans and how the warrior resisted giving into the darkness even when Gabrielle was in agony from the poison.
Gabrielle hesitated again and looked at her mate for a moment and Xena nodded, sensing the question.
"When Xena was in the darkness, she belonged to Ares, our God of War and Chaos. When she left those ways he became enraged and has worked endlessly to get her back as Warlord. Like Loki of the North, Ares doesn't play fair. He has framed Xena for murder, hoping she would turn to him to get her out of the mess; he has disguised himself as her father to reawaken her warrior rage; he attempted to kidnap me the night of our wedding and kill Xena when she stood in his way; he has also tried to turn me to his cause. The worst was when he took the form of a trusted friend and tricked Xena into sacrificing at one of his old altars and gave her drugged wine. The wine was enchanted and my mate lost her memory of the last two winters and all memory of me."
Xena felt Gabrielle's hand tighten in hers. She knew this was difficult to talk about, especially with strangers.
"He convinced Xena that I was sent by the gods to seduce her and turn her away from her destiny as ruler of the world at his side. He sent her back to me to assassinate me," Gabrielle smiled at her mate for a moment before continuing. "She wasn't able to do it. Even with her memories gone she wasn't able to kill me. Given the chance, I was able to re-establish our blood bond and her memories returned. Nine months later she gave birth to Sasha and I accepted the child as ours."
"May I speak?" Xena asked as Gabrielle hesitated. Xena could feel Gabrielle tense up.
"Yes," Arja answered.
"I lost Gabrielle while I was pregnant with Sasha. She was kidnapped by slavers and a good friend was crippled by them. The only thing that kept me alive was our blood connection, I knew Gabrielle was alive and I would find her. That and the birth of Sasha. I was almost insane with grief and worry but I still refused to give into the darkness. I credit Gabrielle with it always."
"I got back to Xena and accepted Sasha as my own. Then, even with all the sacrifices we made and the well made plans, our Amazons were killed. Even after we got them out of Italia," Gabrielle's head dropped as she fought back against the tears, remembering her friends and family: Ephiny, Solari, Eponi, Nikkita, all the others. "Xena was beside me during all of that, risking certain death to try and free our Amazons being held captive by Caesar. We went on a suicide mission to free them and she wouldn't turn away from it, even though it meant leaving Sasha without parents."
Gabrielle raised her head to look at the Elder Council. She slowly removed her leather bracers and held up her scarred wrists for them to see.
“I was crucified by the Romans to save my Amazons. The only way I had the strength to face that was because Xena was beside me.”
Gabrielle replaced her bracers and held Xena’s hand again.
"I ask the Council to consider all of this. I know Xena's past crimes are serious but I believe that she is making up for them every day that she resists Ares and the darkness that enveloped her for so many years. She has saved Gods, Amazons, Kings, Princesses, Kingdoms and common people since that time. She is also my Champion and my Consort and the mother of my adopted children. She's my life."
Gabrielle grew silent and wiped away a tear quickly.
"Thank you, Queen Gabrielle. I state that the Council will fairly consider all that you have said. Yakut has asked to speak on this as well," Arja said simply.
"You know me, my sisters. My mother was one that fell on a spiked tree branch and died painfully because of Xena. You also know I am your shaman and have found that the souls of our dead are not traveling onto their Eternity. They are being held in captivity in the Land of the Dead by Alti, the evil shaman that turned Xena away from being a friend to this tribe to its murderer. I publicly forgive Xena for her crime against my mother and our sisters. I also state that I believe Xena may be the only one who can help me free the souls of our sisters from Alti's control. I sense that Xena has shaman abilities, that's probably what drew Alti to her, besides her darkness."
"The Council knows that I became crippled because of Xena that day. I was one of the survivors. I also publicly forgive her this crime against me. I have discussed the situation of Alti and the warrior has agreed to fight against Alti to save the souls of our sisters, have you not, warrior?" Arja asked.
"Yes, no matter what you decide my punishment to be, I would ask that you give me time to face Alti and be given the chance to defeat her," Xena said firmly.
"You would face Alti at the risk of your life and possibly your soul to help us and then still face whatever punishment we decree?" one of the Council asked.
"Yes, I gave Alti the power to capture the souls of your sisters. This is my doing and I want a chance to free them and stop Alti. After these years she's gained a lot of power and needs to be stopped," Xena answered.
"And you, Queen Gabrielle? Would you face this danger for strangers?" another asked.
"Xena and I face danger for strangers all the time. This is even more important, as Amazons, you and those trapped are my sisters. I died once for my tribe and I'm willing to face that for this tribe and I'll face anything with my mate," Gabrielle answered strongly.
"The Council will discuss this and make a decision. Since you came willingly to face us, I suggest that the warrior be allowed to return to the guest hut with Queen Gabrielle to await our decision in the morning. I don't feel the need for chains or guards," one of the Elders spoke and the others nodded.
"Thank you for addressing the Council, Queen Gabrielle. Xena, thank you for facing this with the same bravery that Cyane once saw in you. I'm glad you're living up to the potential she saw in you," Arja said and Xena nodded, not trusting her voice.
