Ides Of March, An Awakening VIII
by
Hunter Ash
ripperbard7@yahoo.com
frost29@post.com
Disclaimers: As usual, I don’t own Xena,
Gabrielle, etc etc etc. For the suits and skirts, don’t bother
suing me, it definitely wouldn’t even be worth the court costs.
Subtext/Alt Fiction/Sex: The story assumes a loving and sexual relationship between people of the same gender.
Violence: Gladiatorial games and a rough description of crucifixion. No bad language. Warning! This story gets a little rough for our favorite characters and can be painful to read. It was painful to write.
Storyline: This is part of the Awakening series. I hope each one can stand on it’s own but you might want to start with the others and catch up.
Ides of March: the Amazons have been attacked and some
taken prisoner, Gabrielle and Xena must figure a way to get them out
of Rome before the Ides of March. There’s one problem, Caesar and
his crosses are waiting for them.
Iolaus frowned at the sound of a rider approaching. Xena and Hercules weren’t due back from hunting for another day. He put down the bucket of water and pulled off a glove and drew his sword. He waited in the light snow of the territory the Romans called Agri Decumates, Gaul.
The Greek felt his pulse begin racing and his stomach turn over when
the rider came into sight, a Roman soldier approaching at a trot. The
Roman spotted him between the creek and the cabin and stopped in the
clearing surrounding the cabin. The soldier approached the man slowly
with his hands up and palms extended.
The Roman’s eyebrows raised in surprise when the cabin door opened
and a small blond woman stepped out cautiously with a bow and arrow,
arrow notched. She was dressed like the blond man facing the Roman
with a sword, in a woolen tunic and trousers tucked into fur lined
boots.
"Are you the Roman citizen Brie?" The Roman
called, stopping in the snow.
Gabrielle cocked her head in
puzzlement and stepped further out the door.
"I’m Brie,
citizen of Rome." she answered, slightly lowering the arrow
while Iolaus moved closer to the cabin.
"I bring a
message from Brutus, aide to Julius Caesar." he indicated a
message tube in his belt.
Gabrielle lowered the bow and
straightened out of her stance. "Then you are welcome once you
drop your sword." Iolaus moved to the door with Gabrielle.
The
Roman’s eyes flashed with anger but he pulled his sword and
approached the two cautiously, hilt extended. Iolaus sheathed his own
sword and took the Roman’s.
Gabrielle moved aside and
motioned into the cabin to the Roman who went through the door
cautiously.
"I am Corin, Centurion." he said
simply.
"I am Brie and this is Ivar of the Northern
tribes." Gabrielle responded, indicating Iolaus. She sat down at
the table and the Roman joined her. Iolaus took up a position next to
the fire, always keeping an eye on the Roman. Gabrielle poured a
goblet of ale for the Roman.
"Thank you."
The
cabin was of simple Northern design. One main room with beds against
the walls, the main area being around the fireplace. The Roman
noticed the small child playing on one of the beds, staring at him
with frank curiosity.
Gabrielle opened the wax sealing on the
tube and pulled the parchment out and began reading, frowning. She
got up and handed the parchment to Iolaus and went to a shelf above
one of the beds. Grabbing a piece of parchment, pen and vial of ink
she returned to the table and began writing carefully.
She
noticed the Roman’s surprised look and smiled at him.
"I
was trained as a bard."
"I’m sorry, just
surprised. I know of you. Brie the gladiator, the only female to win
the wooden sword of freedom in the Arena. My brother was there and
wrote me of the match. He said you were astounding." the Roman
grinned and Gabrielle felt herself beginning to blush.
"I
was fortunate and more skilled that day," she said. "How
did you know I was the same Brie, the one that was in Rome."
"Caesar
sent word to the borders that you might return to your people and if
you were to return to Roman territory that he wanted to be informed
of it. When Brutus sent the message to one Brie of the northern
tribes who also is a citizen of Rome, I put two and two together and
got you." he grinned.
"Clever, you’ll go
far."
Gabrielle rolled the parchment up and placed it in
the message tube, lit a candle and sealed the end of the tube once
again. She handed the tube to the Roman who stood easily. Iolaus
handed him his sword without a word.
Gabrielle opened the door
for the soldier.
"Thank you for delivering the message."
she said simply.
"Thank you for the ale. By the way, I
didn’t see you if Caesar should ask." he grinned and mounted
his horse easily and turned with a wave, moving down the road.
Iolaus grinned and shook his head. "What is it with you?
Everyone you meet suddenly becomes your friend."
"Don’t
ask me." his blond friend complained with a smile. "What do
you think of the message?"
Iolaus unrolled the parchment
and began reading aloud.
"Gabrielle, I hope this finds
all of you well and safe. A friend of ours has learned
where you and your family are and would like to see you. A
reunion at this time probably would not be good so I suggest waiting
to see him after the spring snows melt. I know he’ll be
disappointed if you move north beyond his traveling ability but
things will be different in the Spring and I hope all
of you can return home in the Spring without worry. Be well, vale.
Signed Brutus."
"Caesar knows where we are and is
planning on moving against us." Gabrielle commented, moving back
towards the cabin and suddenly grabbed a running toddler as Sasha
attempted to rush by her and out the door. She lifted the dark haired
child above her head, getting a responsive squeal of delight from the
child. The bard swung the child around and jumped into the snow with
her mate’s daughter, both of them laughing and tickling each
other.
"How did Caesar find out?" Iolaus frowned and
then grinned, watching his friend and child playing in the snow.
Gabrielle shrugged her shoulders and launched a snowball at him,
catching him at the chest, sending snow down the front of his
tunic.
"Hey! That’s cold!" he yelped and began
dancing away down the path to the creek to retrieve the water
bucket.
When he returned a moment later Gabrielle had Sasha up
and moving back inside the cabin to warm up.
"I don’t
know but he did. Maybe he threatened Brutus once he found out that
Brutus actually owned me and knew who I was."
"Gabrielle,
gladiator and citizen of Rome. That still feels weird." he
smiled and sat down by the fire and removed his arm from it’s sling
and began working it back and forth, stretching the almost useless
muscles.
"Try being on this side of it," Gabrielle
grinned back, pulling Sasha’s wet boots off.
"What do
we do?"
"What else can we do? We go north and hope
that the Spring does bring some changes in Rome." Gabrielle lost
her smile. "I want to go home, Iolaus. I was missing for so
long, my family must have gone crazy!" The Greeks had moved
south at the first sign of Spring in the North, barely getting
through the March snow, hoping they would be able to sneak into
Greece without Caesar or Ares knowing about it. They all wanted to
see their families and their homeland again.
"Over a year
without knowing where you were. It drove all of us crazy. Your
family, Xena’s family, all the Amazons, everyone looking for you.
We just didn’t think to look in a gladiatorial arena." he
teased.
"I certainly didn’t choose it!" she
managed to smile back but flinched, remembering the various faces of
the fighters she had been forced to kill in the Arena. She didn’t
think she’d ever get used to those memories.
"I wish
Herc and Xena would get back. If Caesar thinks Xena is here soldiers
are probably already marching." Iolaus complained.
"I
know. I don’t know if we should stay here and wait for Hercules and
Xena or chance moving North and let them catch up with us. I really
do not want to fall into Roman hands again."
"Me
either," he whispered, looking at his crippled arm and saw
Gabrielle looking at her scarred arms.
"We have Sasha to
think about, let’s pack." he suggested.
"I agree."
Gabrielle quickly began moving about the cabin. She stopped for a
moment and looked out the window, hoping against the odds to see her
mate and friend riding up. Open clearing and woods met her eyes.
"Come on, Xena, time to come back." she whispered, focusing
on her mate.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
A day later
found Iolaus pulling his sword again as Gabrielle grabbed her sais
from her boots, standing up on the seat of the wagon and looking back
down the road. Iolaus stopped the horses and waited for the bard to
give directions, fight or flight.
He was relieved when he saw
the bard sigh and put the sais back in their holders and leap from
the wagon. "It’s them!" she grinned and waited until the
two horseback riders approached a couple of hundred yards and then
ran to meet her mate, Xena, as the warrior slid from the back of Argo
and grabbed the bard into her arms.
"We’re fine,
Sasha’s fine." Gabrielle answered the main questions before
Xena could ask them and was rewarded with the warrior’s
lips.
Hercules grinned, watching from his horse as they kissed
and then, after a moment, coughed to break them up. They both grinned
and blushed at him.
"Sorry, Herc. Iolaus has missed you
terribly." Gabrielle grinned.
"Feeling’s mutual,"
he muttered and moved his horse towards the wagon.
Gabrielle
hugged her mate again. "Gods, I hate it when you’re gone!"
the bard muttered.
"Me too, little one. What’s going
on? We found the cabin wrecked and signs of a large group of riders
on horses. Good thing I knew how to look for your Amazon trail
signs."
"Brutus sent word that Caesar knew where we
were." Gabrielle answered as they began walking Argo towards the
wagon where Sasha was looking out the back of the wagon, a big grin
for her mom.
Xena grinned back and opened her arms as the
toddler struggled out of the wagon and ran the few feet to her mom.
The warrior lifted her daughter in her arms and hugged the blue eyed
child.
"So you got out of there." Xena
stated.
"Yes, we thought we’d take a chance on the road
rather than be captured by the Romans."
"I can
understand that and I’m glad you did. We were frantic when we saw
the cabin and then realized that you had escaped. I couldn’t lose
you again, Gabrielle." Xena’s eyes became pained with the
thought of being without her mate again and Gabrielle smiled and
hugged both wife and daughter.
Xena watched as Gabrielle
climbed back up onto the wagon with a sad smile. So much had changed
with her mate. Gabrielle had been gone for over a year, captured by
Roman soldiers and sold as a slave. Xena shook her head in amazement
once again at what had happened to the bard.
Going from a
beaten and raped Roman slave to gladiator in the Arena and winning
her freedom with those deadly sais of hers. Just the thoughts of all
those men abusing her bard was enough to send Xena into a berserker
fury. Gabrielle knew that Xena still had to work a lot of it out of
her system and didn’t say anything when Xena disappeared into the
woods and came back exhausted and her sword needing sharpened. Sai, a
dagger like weapon that was absolutely dangerous in the bard’s
hands. It still amazed Xena at how skilled Gabrielle was with those
sais and with most any weapon put in her hands now. The warrior
remembered when Gabrielle hated to even pick up a sword, now she was
deadly. Watching the bard work out was a revelation, it was like
watching a dance, a dance of a deadly animal about to leap on it’s
prey. Dancer had been an appropriate name, Xena often thought when
she watched Gabrielle move now.
And Iolaus, the warrior
reflected, taking several sword hits and a good beating trying to
save Gabrielle from being taken. Losing the use of his arm and almost
all the strength in the hand for it. Over a year of nightmares for
all of them but particularly hard on Gabrielle and Iolaus.
It
had taken time for the healing to begin, even after Gabrielle had
returned to them. Time for Gabrielle to figure out who and what she
was and Xena wasn’t sure the bard had found all of those answers
yet.
The blond was no longer Gabrielle the bard, innocent
traveling storyteller and companion of Xena, warrior Princess. She
wasn’t Brie, Roman slave, either, nor was she Dancer, Roman
gladiator and now free Roman citizen. Gabrielle still woke up some
nights thrashing and would spend the rest of the night crying in
Xena’s arms.
Xena grinned at
the largest change in her life, Sasha. The small child of her one
night with Ares when the God of War had messed with her mind and
memories, causing the warrior to forget the last two or so years with
Gabrielle. She still cursed that night spent in his arms but not the
result. Sasha was a delight to her moms and her adopted dads/uncles -
Hercules and Iolaus.
Xena secretly thanked the gods for
Gabrielle’s acceptance of Sasha. The warrior knew she had been
fortunate. The bard had been upset, of course, Xena was upset about
the circumstances, but the bard had put that aside and accepted Sasha
as her own. Having raised Sasha for the first few months without
Gabrielle had been hard and Xena had been worried that Gabrielle
might not bound with the child but that had happened faster than
Gabrielle had gotten comfortable with her own self.
Sasha
grinned back and began chatting with her mom as the warrior rode
alongside the wagon, Gabrielle guiding the horses.
Gabrielle
yelped and Xena pulled her sword in reflex as a bright light filled
the road in front of them. Gabrielle attempted to slow her heart rate
down as she looked at Artemis standing in the middle of the road
where nothing had been a moment before.
"Artemis?"
she asked, eyebrows raised.
"Yes, Gabrielle. I’m sorry
to just drop in but its important." the goddess answered.
Xena
noticed the tense look and blood on the goddess’ hunting
leathers.
"What is it? How did you find us?" the
warrior asked.
Artemis smiled slightly. "Some of us have
been keeping an eye on you and keeping Ares from finding you. Now I
need your help."
"What it is? What’s wrong,
Artemis?" Hercules asked.
"Gabrielle," the
goddess choked and Xena jumped off Argo and moved next to the wagon,
closer to her mate. "The Amazons and Centaurs were attacked by
the Romans. The survivors are with the northern Province Amazons in
Belgica and need you." Artemis lowered her eyes.
Gabrielle
felt her head beginning to spin as a roaring filled her ears. She
wasn’t aware of Xena jumping onto the wagon and grabbing her,
holding her up.
"The
Centaurs, did any of them and their families get out?" Xena
questioned urgently.
"Some of them made it out with the
Amazons." Artemis answered.
"Ephiny? Solari? Eponi?"
Gabrielle whispered, tears beginning to flow down her cheeks. Xena
tightened her hold on the bard, feeling her own heart breaking.
"I can’t
say who. The Romans are planning on attacking the northern Amazons
next. Caesar knows that they can’t move north in the winter snow
and have no allies left in the Roman territories. He plans on wiping
them out and dragging the two of you back to Greece." Artemis
answered.
"Caesar will have traps waiting for us every
ten miles between here and there." Iolaus complained.
"Yes,
that’s why you’re not going that way." Artemis said through
gritted teeth. "If you agree to help."
Gabrielle
turned to look in her mate’s eyes.
"You could stay here
with Sasha and keep her safe," Gabrielle suggested.
"No
way, little one. I was without you for over a year, we’re not going
to be separated again." Xena insisted.
"What about
Sasha, we can’t take her into the middle of a war?" Gabrielle
demanded.
"Look, I’ll be back in a candlemark, I don’t
want to attract Ares’ attention." Artemis said and was gone
with a flash.
The four adults looked from one to the other for
answers with frowns.
"I have a suggestion," Hercules
muttered, not looking at any of them.
"Yes?" Xena
urged.
"Have Artemis take Iolaus and Sasha to Eddvar’s
steading up north and we go to help the Amazons." he said
simply.
"I’m not leaving you, big guy!" Iolaus
protested and Xena frowned.
"Gods, this is not easy!"
Xena complained. "I lost Solan for so long because I sent him
away and was trying to protect him. I can’t take Sasha into the
middle of a fight and I can’t stay with her. I have to know what
happened to Solan!"
"I can still fight and sit a
horse!" Iolaus protested.
"No, my friend. Not in a
battle. Someone has to keep Sasha safe and you’re the best one for
the job now. Eddval, Axel and the family will protect both of you to
the death if need be." Hercules said softly, ruffling Iolaus’
hair and the blond dropped his head, acknowledging the logic, Iolaus
knew that Hercules was right about their adopted Germanic family. The
Northerners considered the Greeks family and had welcomed them warmly
and would go into a blood feud for any of them.
"Oh
gods," Xena muttered.
Gabrielle sat watching the ground
in front of the wagon while the others debated and discussed. Her
Amazons? Survivors? That meant a large number must be dead or
captured. Her friends, her family. The bard snapped up her
head.
"Artemis!" she called, surprising the arguing
Hercules, Xena and Iolaus into silence. The Goddess of the Hunt
appeared instantly. "How many did the Romans capture?" she
demanded. Artemis dropped her head and refused to answer. "How
many?" Gabrielle demanded again and the bard felt Xena stiffen
beside her.
"Twenty, including Ephiny." the goddess
said quietly.
"Gabrielle," Xena began, a warning in
her voice.
"Don’t even think of stopping me on this
one, my love." Gabrielle countered.
"I’m not going
to let you do this." Xena growled.
"Do what?"
Iolaus asked. Then he began frowning. "Exchange yourself? No
way! No!" he shouted at Gabrielle.
Xena saw that familiar
clenching of the bard’s jaw and shook her head. "No, Caesar
will just kill you and the prisoners." Xena continued to
protest.
"No, he won’t." Gabrielle said
simply.
"Why wouldn’t he? He can’t be trusted!"
Xena insisted.
"Because, my warrior, you’re going to
kill him."
"What?!" several voices questioned
at once.
"Artemis will take us to Rome where I’ll
exchange myself as Amazon Queen for my tribe. She’ll take Hercules
to the Northern tribe where he will help fight the Romans off until
we have a treaty with Caesar to leave Roman territory. Iolaus will
take Sasha to the north and, with the money I won in the Games, will
buy a good chunk of the most wild forest he can find from the tribes
and Hercules will move the Amazons and Centaurs north, away from the
Romans." Gabrielle stated evenly.
The other three Greeks
and goddess frowned.
"You’ve always been against
killing." Xena frowned.
"I’ve had to re-evaluate
that the last couple of years. He threatens you, Sasha, Iolaus and
Hercules and now he attacks my Amazons and the Centaurs, including
Solan. No, this war has expanded far enough."
"Damnit!"
Xena cursed, unable to find any other plan that had a chance of
working. "Caesar won’t sign a treaty if he already has
you."
"We’ll send word that he may have some of
the Amazons but that the survivors have joined up with another group,
are dug in securely and the Queen is willing to negotiate the release
of the prisoners. He’ll deal because he can figure to make a public
spectacle of my death and then go in and wipe out the Amazons
anyway." Gabrielle reasoned.
"I can’t let you do
it!" Xena protested again. "If something went wrong, you’d
still end up dead."
"I know that but we can’t just
walk away either. If we make a stand with the Amazons now everyone
will die, including Solan. The Amazons can’t fight Rome anymore.
You know that, Artemis."
"Yes, I was hoping you’d
plan this."
"Gods, keeping their plans to themselves
except when they need help," Xena muttered.
"Can you
get us to Rome, Hercules to the Northern Amazons and Iolaus with
Sasha to Axel?" Gabrielle asked.
"Yes." Artemis
asked.
"Don’t you gods lose power outside of your
territories?" Xena muttered, unhappy with the
situation.
"Sometimes, some of us Greeks get along with
the Northern gods very well. You should see Othinn on a Wild Hunt.
He’s not bad for a male and he likes you." Artemis
grinned.
"Terrific," Xena muttered and then turned
to the demi-god son of Zeus, "Hercules," Xena pleaded.
"I
can’t think of a better plan right now either." he
muttered.
"Oh gods. Sasha, come here, my little one."
Xena turned and grabbed her daughter from the back of the wagon,
tears threatening to spill over her eyes.
Gabrielle bit her
lip and jumped down from the wagon, grabbing two sets of travel bags,
and walked over to Artemis while Hercules said his good-byes to
Iolaus and Xena tried to explain to her toddler that she was going to
be gone for a little bit but would be back as fast as possible.
Gabrielle looked over to Artemis with a silent prayer that they all
made it back, but especially Xena.
"After this is over,
you’ll take her to Sasha and not make her travel over land?"
Gabrielle whispered.
"Yes, my word on it. Gabrielle, I
don’t want you going into this planning on dying. I want you
alive!" the goddess hissed at her favorite.
"So do
I, goddess. Caesar won’t kill me easily." the bard
promised.
"Good! Stall for time with Caesar, politics are
boiling over in Rome and the ice is melting under that pot."
Artemis advised.
Xena jumped down from the wagon and carried
Sasha over to her mate and goddess and the two Greek men joined them.
Gabrielle ran back to the wagon and led Argo over to the small group
and hugged Sasha before handing the small child to her uncle Iolaus,
trying not to let the child see her tears.
"Let’s get
this over with." Xena growled.
In a flash Artemis was
gone with Iolaus and Sasha. Xena blinked, trying to fight back tears
as Gabrielle reached out and held her hand.
"I’m sorry,
Xena. You should have stayed with her."
"No, not if
you’re going to do this. According to your plan I’m the only one
who can get you out." Xena smiled grimly.
"You
always do."
Xena ground her teeth, trying not to remind
the bard that Xena hadn’t been able to find or rescue Gabrielle for
over a year and a half while the bard suffered whippings, beatings,
rapes and fighting as a gladiator. Xena wasn’t feeling as confident
in her abilities to protect her mate as she once did.
Artemis
appeared again and disappeared with Hercules.
"Gods, that
is so weird!" Gabrielle complained as they waited. "What
about the horses and our stuff?"
Gabrielle turned and
found the wagon and belongings gone.
"What?"
"They
disappeared with Iolaus and Sasha." Xena grinned.
"Gods,
I hate how they can do stuff like that!"
Xena managed to
laugh. "If you ever claim your immortality as the daughter of
Apollo, who knows what you could do." Xena teased.
"Oh,
I am not thinking about that! I don’t want that kind of power,
thanks!"
"Why not?"
Xena asked casually. "You could just zap the Amazons to safety
and kill Caesar."
Gabrielle frowned. "No one should
have that much power, not even the Gods. Look what it does to them.
Ares is a pain in the neck, causing all kinds of strife just for his
amusement, Aphrodite has been known to cause absolute havoc in
people’s lives and my own father goes around having numerous
affairs with women because he can get away with it."
Xena
grinned, "That’s my love. Just checking."
Gabrielle
punched her lover on the arm with an amused smile.
"Seriously,
little one. This isn’t going to be easy." Xena lost her
smile.
"When is it easy?" Gabrielle countered as
Artemis appeared before them.
"Where to, my
Chosen?"
"Just outside of Brutus’ apartment. Xena,
pull up your hood."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Xena was
impressed, moving through the streets of Rome after dark could be
trickery but Gabrielle was silent as a cat and blended with the
shadows almost as well as the Warrior Princess. They had waited in an
inn until after dark and then slipped out their window into the
streets towards Brutus’ apartment. Xena had made some discrete
inquiries and had found that Brutus and Caesar were in Rome and that
the Amazons were scheduled for execution on the Ides of March. Two
days away.
Xena quickly scaled a wall and leaned an arm down
to her mate and was further impressed with Gabrielle joined her at
the top without a sound. The warrior moved along the wall quickly and
jumped up onto the balcony of what Gabrielle had pointed out to be
Brutus’ bedroom. At Xena’s hand signal the bard followed and drew
out her sais quietly, watching the street and alley below while the
warrior slowly opened the doors and crept in.
After a moment,
Gabrielle heard a low whistle and slipped in through the doors and
shut them behind her.
"Strike a light," she heard
Xena whisper and quickly lit the candle she had in her pouch and
found a lamp on a small table by the balcony doors. When her eyes
focused in the light she could see Xena straddling Brutus with her
dagger at his throat.
"Xena! Gabrielle! Are you out of
your minds!?" he demanded in a low voice.
"Maybe."
Xena agreed with a grin and pulled the dagger back slightly. Reaching
under his pillow she pulled out a long and sharp dagger and tossed it
to the bard, who caught it easily. Xena sat back on her haunches,
pinning the Roman to the bed.
"Why didn’t you go North?
Caesar will have you both on a cross!" Brutus demanded,
attempting to sit up but not having much success. He settled for
leaning on his elbows.
"You have my family members."
Gabrielle answered.
"Oh gods, I hoped you’d have gotten
far enough north before you heard." he muttered.
"Where
are they, Brutus?" Xena asked.
"In Caesar’s
dungeons and no one gets in to see them, not even me."
"Any
chance of getting them out?" Gabrielle asked her mate.
"No,
we might be able to trick one or two people out of there but not that
many. Damnit, Brutus! You knew the Amazons are our family!" Xena
hissed.
"Yes, I know that! Do you think I had a choice?
It was either that or my son on a cross for letting Gabrielle go!"
he growled back.
"No." the bard whispered and Xena
was up and by her mate’s side in a flash.
"This isn’t
your fault, Gabrielle. It’s Caesar’s!"
"Xena is
right, Gabrielle." Brutus agreed, sitting up in his bed. "It’s
Caesar."
"Well, we’ve got two days to stop him."
Xena smiled a smile that sent chills down the spine of the Roman and
then she frowned as he shook his head.
"No, he moved the
execution of the Amazons to day next."
"What? What
about the Ides of March?" Xena demanded.
"He’s
making a special announcement in the Senate. One he says will rock
the world." Brutus said bitterly.
"He wouldn’t
dare." Xena whispered.
"Yes, he would." Brutus
nodded his head and Gabrielle went pale.
"He’s going to
declare himself King or Emperor?" she asked.
"Yes."
"Rome
won’t let him." Xena frowned.
"The Senate won’t
let him." Brutus matched her frown. He wrapped a sheet around
his body and walked over to the two women and gently took the dagger
away from Gabrielle’s hands. "I need that for the Ides of
March."
"Brutus, you?" Xena asked, sitting down
at a small table as the Roman gestured to a chair, Gabrielle sat
between them. "He’s your friend."
"You once
asked if Caesar had any friends. I didn’t want to face that
question right then but I have to now. I think he’s planning on
killing me and Octavian and naming the child he has with Cleopatra as
his heir after proclaiming himself Emperor. I’m supposed to go back
to Britannia but he’s chosen my escort for me and there’s only
enough supplies packed for a one week trip."
"Not a
good sign," Gabrielle agreed.
"They’ll kill you,
Brutus." Xena said.
"No, I’m not the only one.
There will be many of us. The trick will be getting Marc Anthony to
listen to reason before he starts using that sword of his. If we can
keep him calm, we’ll live." Brutus said simply.
"What
do we do about the Amazons?" Gabrielle demanded and Brutus shook
his head.
"I don’t know. With the announcement coming
up, Caesar isn’t about to postpone or stop the execution. He needs
the spirits of the Roman citizens soaring and nothing does that like
a good day at the Games. He knows the Amazons are amazing fighters
and plans on having several bouts with them before crucifying them."
Brutus explained.
"Crucify?" Xena whispered and
Gabrielle fought back tears.
"Yes, either that or burn
them as torches in the Arena."
Gabrielle fought back from
losing dinner at the thought of Ephiny and her other Amazons on
fire.
Xena reached out and held the bard’s hand
reassuringly.
"Xena," Gabrielle looked into her
mate’s blue eyes and saw pain.
"No, Gabrielle. We’ll
find a way."
"Can you think of one?" she
whispered.
"What?" Brutus frowned.
"Gabrielle,
no, please." Xena whispered but the bard closed her eyes and
pulled her hand away from her mate and reached into her pouch. She
handed the Roman a message tube, her jaw clinched.
"Take
that to Caesar at first light and send a messenger back here with his
response." she told Brutus.
"What is it?"
"My offer
of a treaty with Rome as Queen of the Amazons. If Caesar agrees the
remaining Amazons and Centaurs will leave Roman territory for the
northern woods where, hopefully, they’ll never be seen by a Roman
again. It also offers a political exchange of prisoners." she
explained.
"Who would you exchange for the
Amazons?"
"Myself."
Brutus stood up in
shock and quickly grabbed at his sheet, blushing as he tried to
retain his dignity of being nude under the sheet. "No! I won’t
let you! Xena, you can’t let her!"
"I don’t have
a choice, Brutus. We can’t let our friends die."
"What’s
the rest of the plan?" he suddenly demanded and Xena’s eyes
narrowed.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"Don’t
try and toss me around, Xena. Neither of you would come here without
a solution, a way out. How can I help? What is it?"
"I’m
going to kill Caesar myself and Gabrielle won’t have to exchange
herself."
Brutus shook his head. "I don’t think
it’ll work. If only we could delay the executions until after the
Senate meeting, then all of it would be ended. The Senate would
gladly accept the treaty terms if they can claim the land and the
Amazons leave."
"When would the executions take
place?" Gabrielle asked, frowning in thought.
Xena’s
eyes narrowed again.
"Depending on the fights, right near
sunset." Brutus answered, getting up and pouring wine for all of
them, still trying to keep his sheet around him.
"How
long can someone last on a cross?" she asked, not meeting Xena’s
eyes.
"Depends on if he has them nailed to the wood and
how badly they’re flogged before."
Xena’s fists
clenched tightly together. "Gabrielle," she warned with a
growl.
"How long?" Gabrielle asked again, ignoring
her mate.
"A day or longer, depending on how strong the
person is." Brutus answered with a puzzled look.
"Long
enough to survive past the Senate meeting and Caesar’s end?"
she asked.
"Gabrielle," Xena growled again and
Brutus went pale.
"No! I mean, yes, it’s possible, but
not for you!" again he jumped to his feet and began pacing.
"That would mean being on a cross from dusk to probably
noonday." he protested.
"You’re not going in
there! We can save the Amazons after Caesar’s gone, they’re
strong enough to last that long." Xena argued with the bard,
knowing what was going through her mate’s mind.
"We
don’t know that. Most of them are probably wounded and many more
will die in the Arena before the cross. They’re tired, hungry,
wounded and beaten and saw their families, friends and lovers killed.
They won’t last and you know it." Gabrielle argued back, the
jaw taking on that familiar stubborn set.
"Gabrielle, you
don’t know what it’s like." Xena whispered, tears in her
eyes.
"No, I don’t but I’ve been in the Arena and I
can hold my own in a fight in there. I’m also strong and, as you’ve
said, my love - I’m stubborn." Gabrielle attempted to
smile.
"I was crucified in the field, it’s different in
an execution. Brutus, tell her."
"No," the
Roman whispered, turning pale.
"Tell her, damnit!
Describe it for her!" Xena hissed.
The Roman sat back in
his chair and closed his eyes. "The prisoner is taken to a post,
his hands chained above him and his clothing ripped down the back. He
is then flogged with a whip that has small iron balls on the ends of
the strands. It causes massive welts with the first few strikes. The
next strikes rip the skin open and continue until the skin is hanging
in ribbons. Then the prisoner is dragged to the patibulum, the cross
beam of the cross and tied to it. Then 7 inch spikes are driven
through the wrists of the prisoner, causing intense pain through the
arm. If the prisoner is lucky and the executioner good, the bones can
be missed in the wrists."
Brutus took a
drink of his wine, beginning to sweat in the cold night air.
"Then
the cross beam is attached to the stipes, the upright beam, and the
legs are twisted around the cross so that the ankles are against the
sides. Uncomfortable and painful. The executioner then takes a small
piece of board and places it over the ankle and drives another spike
through each ankle."
Gabrielle fought to control her
stomach.
"Because of the position, the prisoner must
raise themselves up to be able to breath. Eventually they can’t do
it any longer and the lungs begin to fill with liquid. The body is
starved of oxygen and the heart begins to fight. A strong fighter can
last for two to four days, depending on how much blood they lose
during the flogging. Eventually the body stops breathing. Its painful
and drawn out."
"You can’t face that, little one."
Xena whispered. "No one can willingly."
"Tell
me how to save Ephiny and the others." Gabrielle said
simply.
Xena growled, jumping to her feet and beginning
pacing. Brutus looked helpless, unable to think of anything different
as well.
"All right, but only if I don’t come back
tonight." Xena bargained with her lifebond.
"Where
are you going, never mind, I know where you’re going."
Gabrielle also stood up and grabbed her mate in a tight hug.
"Xena,
I don’t like this. Caesar knows you’ll come for the Amazons."
Brutus protested.
"I know but I have to try. If I can
kill him tonight then Gabrielle won’t have to even think about
exchanging herself and you can get the Senate to agree to the treaty
and release the Amazon prisoners." She slipped her dagger back
into her belt. "Besides, that would remove the blood from your
hands and those of the Senate."
Brutus blushed
profusely.
"If you don’t come back?" Gabrielle
whispered, holding Xena closely.
"I’ll either be dead
or waiting in a cell for you to show up to join me." Xena
slipped off her bonding bracelet and left it on the table while
Gabrielle wasn’t watching. The warrior knew if she were captured
she’d lose it.
"You won’t be alone," the bard
whispered and kissed her tall warrior.
"I love you."
before the bard could respond the warrior was out the door and over
the balcony.
"Gods, she’s amazing." Brutus
muttered.
"Yes, she is." Gabrielle agreed. "She’s
only got a couple of hours to get in and get out."
"What
do we do?"
"Wait until after dawn, either she’ll
have succeeded or you’ll have word of her."
"Oh
gods, I hate waiting." Brutus complained.
"Well, you
might pass the time by getting dressed." Gabrielle suggested
with a smile.
Brutus looked down at the sheet he was still
tightly holding and blushed again. "I’ll be right back."
he muttered, grabbing a clothes off a chair and heading for a
dressing screen.
Gabrielle spotted the bracelet and fought
back tears.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Gabrielle
couldn’t believe that she had actually fallen asleep as she blinked
rapidly, standing in Brutus’ bedroom with her sais in hand in a
defensive stance. The pounding on the outer door continued and she
heard movement in the other room and went to the door of the sleeping
room. She saw Brutus crossing the marbled floors, dagger drawn to the
main door. Gabrielle couldn’t hear or see who it was.
After
a moment the Roman nodded and turned towards the bedroom. Seeing
Gabrielle at the door he motioned her into the room. She walked out
of the bedroom cautiously.
"I’ve given the servants the
day off." he explained as he sat down on a sofa.
"What
is it?" she whispered as she saw his expression and he ducked
his eyes. "He has her?"
"Yes, they were waiting
for her or you. Fortunately, he doesn’t seem to know about the
other plan. Maybe that’ll work to our advantage, he won’t be
looking for assassins in the Senate now that he has Xena."
Brutus said thoughtfully.
"And me." Gabrielle
whispered.
"No, I won’t let you do it!" he argued
again.
"Do it, Brutus! It’s the only way I can save her
and my Amazons!"
"Damnit! If this doesn’t work I’m
pulling you off that cross myself!" he promised as he stormed
out the door, grabbing the message tube with him.
Gabrielle
let the tears begin to fall silently as she took off her bonding
bracelet and placed it next to Xena’s. Then she placed her sais
with them. Either Brutus would get them back to her or she wouldn’t
need them.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Xena growled
and threw her head backwards, hitting a Roman guard in the nose and
was most satisfied when she heard the crunch under her skull. He
yelped and the three other guards dragging her along grabbed on even
tighter and the one with the broken nose punched her in the small of
the back three times. Xena gritted her teeth and continued the
struggle with a yell.
The warrior saw red filling her world
when she heard Caesar laughing behind her as his guards tried to drag
her down the stairs of the dungeon. She almost shook off her guards
when one had enough and crashed his fist along Xena’s jaw, stunning
her.
When her head cleared she was chained to a wall at her
wrists and feet. She stood up to relieve the pressure on her wrists
and looked at Caesar standing in front of her. She growled at his
smug look.
"Xena, you never learn."
"How
did you know?" she asked.
"You have one obsession in
your life and that’s me. Once I captured the Amazons I knew that
would draw you out if I couldn’t find that little bard of yours. I
was right. Rest up, Xena. Tomorrow you go into the Arena and you
won’t be coming out."
"Don’t bet on it, Caesar."
she hissed and the Roman laughed and continued laughing as he left
the cell area.
Xena looked around and wasn’t surprised to
see a large number of Amazons in cells, chained to walls and chained
to the pillars. It hurt her to see so many of them wounded and there
at all.
"Ephiny?" she called out and saw movement at
one of the cells. The Amazon Queen moved to the front of the bars and
Xena growled at the sight of her broken arm.
"Xena? What in
Tartarus are you doing here?" she demanded. Xena, looking around
realized a large number of familiar faces were missing. She prayed
they had made it out and weren’t dead.
"Do they know
who you are?" the warrior asked, ignoring the question.
"No.
Why?"
"Because your Queen has an idea that might get
all of us out of here, at least the Amazons." Xena grinned
around the bruised jaw.
"What’s she doing here!?"
Ephiny demanded, face turning red with anger.
"She’s
safe for now. Tell me something first."
"What?"
"Were
there any prisoners in here when you were brought in?" Xena
asked, looking around at the other women.
"Yes, one man
in for stealing, why?"
"Where is he?" the
warrior asked.
"In this cell with us." another
Amazon answered.
"How does he smell?"
"What?"
Ephiny asked and then her eyes narrowed as well. "He doesn’t."
she growled and grabbed one of the Amazons. Xena watched as the
Amazon unlaced her boot and wrapped the lace around her hands and
moved among the women crowding the cell. After a few minutes Ephiny
nodded to the warrior.
"It’s something I used to do in
my Conqueror days," Xena explained with a shrug.
"How
did you get here?" Ephiny demanded.
"I tried to kill
Caesar but he was expecting me."
"Gods, will nothing
stop that man?" Ephiny growled.
"If we don’t then
there is someone who might." Xena said grimly.
