Settling
With Brutus, An Awakening 11 (edited)
Ms.
Hunter Ash
ripperbard7@yahoo.com
frost29@post.com
Disclaimers:
I
don’t own Xena, Gabrielle, Argo, etc. This story is for
entertainment purposes and no copyright infringement is intended.
Sex/Subtext/Alt
Fiction: this story assumes a consensual loving and sexual
relationship between characters of the same gender.
Violence:
Major trauma to two continuing characters, it’s not graphic but it
is there. Some Romans die, it’s not graphic. We are dealing with
Xena and she’s not happy in some parts.
Joxer
alert: he’s here but not as obnoxious as usual.
Storyline:
Joxer returns after three years away on a job and Xena is forced to
catch him up on all that’s happened in her and Gabrielle’s lives,
including their marriage and birth of Sasha. Then Xena and Gabrielle
go after Brutus after he kidnaps Sasha, their daughter.
==============================================================
Cyrene
moved with the practice of a long time innkeeper through the dinner
crowd of the tavern with her tray of mugs. She silently cursed as
Torris dashed by with another serving tray of full mugs. Her one
serving girl had decided to run off with her boyfriend and Gabrielle
was off visiting her family.
As
she wiped her forehead with her apron, Cyrene gave a thankful prayer
that the bard was due back in a couple of mornings. It was summer
and Cyrene could use the help. Xena’s mother hoped that her
serving girl was going to be happy but she still cursed the fact that
the girl left her without adequate help. Cyrene gave her son a smile
of thanks as she moved to grab more empty mugs. He grinned a
lopsided grin and then lost it as the door opened. Cyrene glanced
over quickly and frowned.
Xena,
once the Destroyer of Nations and Warrior Princess, entered the
tavern with quick practiced glances, taking in all of the guests, her
mother and her brother. She smiled at her mother but ignored Torris.
Cyrene
again cursed under her breath. It had been months since Xena and her
brother had come to blows over her relationship with Gabrielle and
they still weren’t talking to each other. Cyrene was just grateful
they weren’t trying to kill each other. Not many people tried to
hit Xena and lived and no one except Torris had ever struck Gabrielle
and lived, Cyrene knew. It was only because he was Xena’s brother
that Torris had gotten away with only a broken nose and almost broken
jaw. It had taken Gabrielle more than several minutes to calm her
enraged lover enough not to kill her own brother.
The
siblings had settled on an uneasy truce since then. Torris didn’t
talk to Xena or Gabrielle and they responded in kind. Having to rely
on Torris for help around the inn didn’t help but Cyrene had no
choice. All the girls in the village were either married with
children or had jobs of their own already and Xena had a full time
position with the blacksmith.
Xena
settled into a chair at a table near the door, her back to the wall.
Cyrene smiled at her daughter’s habits. Even though Xena no longer
wore her armor, she still wore her gauntlets and sword, now at her
side for work, her mother didn’t think the warrior would ever lose
her training and instincts.
Torris
frowned but carried a dinner tray and mug of port to his sister
without a word and moved onto the next table demanding his attention.
Cyrene shook her head with an exasperated smile. Sometimes siblings
were harder to deal with than feuding families.
Cyrene
occasionally glanced over to her daughter, taking in the frown and
the warrior’s quick eyes. Xena’s mother hated it when Gabrielle
was gone, even overnight, it could send Xena back to her scowling
warrior days. Then the former Warlord’s face lit up brightly when
Solan walked in with Sasha in tow. Cyrene grinned at the sight of
her grandkids as well. The small child and growing teen were a
constant in the village and had won the hearts of everyone who met or
saw them. Except Torris.
“Momma!”
Sasha shouted and ran to the open arms of the warrior and Solan
grinned and sat down at the table.
“Thanks,
Mom,” Xena said as Cyrene brought their dinner and ruffled her
grandson’s hair.
“Sure,
how’s the training with the militia going?” she asked the young
teen.
“Okay,
I prefer the hunting, though.”
“My
son, thankfully, didn’t inherit my warrior lust,” Xena grinned.
“but he did inherit my tracking skills.”
She
smiled as he blushed with the praise. In truth, she was very proud
of Solan and his skills. He may not have inherited the blood lust
but he had his mother’s skill with a sword and was even better with
a bow than she was. He was kind, gentle and skilled, everything Xena
could hope for in a son. She knew his father, Borias would be proud.
In
addition to working with the local blacksmith, Xena also helped train
the militia of the village and the village guards. No one could
dispute the warrior’s skills in battle, tactics, and defenses.
Even Torris had to admit that she was a natural for the training of
their men and women.
A
candle-mark later, Cyrene smiled as Xena picked up a sleepy Sasha and
placed an arm around her son’s shoulder. The warrior gave her Mom
a smile as they headed out the door, heading home.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
“Xena?”
the warrior looked up from her work at the blacksmith shop and
blinked in surprise.
“Joxer?”
The
would-be warrior had at least replaced his homemade armor with a
decent quality Byzantine-type with a chainmail shirt and a leather
tunic vest over that. Heavy boots and an iron helmet completed his
armor. His sword was also now of decent quality and his shield was
of typical Roman design, wood and leather with metal reinforcement.
What
hadn’t changed was his goofy grin, which was huge upon seeing the
warrior female.
Xena
dropped the piece of iron she was working on and came around the
short wooden shelving that separated the working area from the
selling area of the blacksmith shop. She grinned and hugged the
young man tightly.
“Gods,
it’s good to see you!” she said easily.
“You
too, it’s been too long!” he agreed.
“What,
three years?”
“Yup,
I’ve been in the East, working as a guard for merchant caravans.”
“That
explains the upgrade in armor,” she grinned.
“Yeah,”
he looked around and then grinned at the warrior again. “Wow, I
had heard you were settling down but I couldn’t quite believe it.
Where’s Gabrielle?”
Xena
felt her stomach tighten, Joxer had been out of the country for the
last few years, odds were he didn’t know about the change in her
relationship with Gabrielle and she’d have to be the one to tell
him. This was not something she was looking forward to.
“She’s
visiting her family and should be back either today or tomorrow.
We’ve got a lot of catching up to do.”
“Yup,”
Joxer hesitated. “She didn’t get married, did she?”
Xena’s
face didn’t change expression, only by years of self-imposed
training of controlling her emotions and expressions as a warlord.
“Joxer,
wait until dinner. Go over to the inn and get yourself some lunch.
I’ll finish up here in a bit and we’ll head out to my place.
You’ll get to meet the Solan and Sasha.” Xena added with a grin,
a sense of playfulness coming over her.
“Solan
and Sasha?” he questioned.
“Yeah,
the kids.”
Before
the stunned man could ask any more questions, the warrior turned back
to the blacksmith work area. She barely controlled her grin as he
turned to wander towards the inn.
“Kids?”
she heard him mutter.
Xena
resisted laughing and then lost her smile. No, she was not looking
forward to telling Joxer exactly what had been happening the last
couple of years with her and his beloved bard. The one true love of
his life, Gabrielle. The same one true love of Xena’s life.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Xena
had to give her friend credit; he held his questions back over
dinner, even after the stunned expression on his face upon seeing
Sasha, with her raven hair and blue eyes.
The
warrior handed him a mug of port as they sat down next to the fire
while Solan put the little girl to bed with a story.
“Okay,
talk,” Joxer ordered.
“Gods,
where to begin?” Xena complained. Not only where to begin, how to
tell him everything?
“Gabrielle’s
married?” he demanded, eyes suddenly becoming bright.
“Joxer,”
Xena began, trying to sort out her feelings and thoughts, “Gods, I
wish Gabrielle was here, she’s better at the explanations.”
“You’re
here, she’s not,” Joxer snapped.
“Joxer,
Gabrielle and I were married in an Amazon bonding ceremony and a
public one three Springs ago,” she said bluntly.
Joxer
sat back in his chair, blinking in disbelief. Xena turned to watch
the fire, giving him time to absorb the news.
“You?!”
“Yes,
we finally admitted to each other how we felt about each other.”
“But,”
he stammered, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “Gabby doesn’t
go for females?”
“She
told me she’s always been attracted to females and males, mostly
females,” Xena said softly as he shook his head again.
“You?”
he muttered again and Xena resisted narrowing her eyes in growing
impatience. She reflected that she and Gabrielle had been together
three years, Joxer was just now finding out about it.
“I
can’t explain it, she loves me,” Xena shrugged.
“She
always did, I guess,” he admitted with a heavy sigh, trying to
blink away tears.
“Joxer,
we never meant to hurt you with any of this.”
“I
never had a chance, did I?” he asked bitterly.
“Joxer,
I’m not going to help you beat yourself up over this. Gabrielle
loves you very much and I care for you too.”
The
young man frowned and turned his eyes to the fire. Xena let him
brood.
Solan
came out of Sasha’s room and questioned his mom with his eyes, she
motioned for him to join them.
“Solan
is my son and Sasha is my daughter,” Xena began another track of
conversation. “When I was a Warlord, I had Solan. I knew that was
no life for him and I wasn’t fit to be a mother to anyone. I left
him in the care of the Centaurs. I knew he’d be raised well and no
one could use him against me or me against him.”
“Makes
sense,” Joxer agreed. “And Sasha? She’s younger than three
years,” he noticed with narrowed eyes and Xena blushed.
“When
Gabrielle and I were bonded,” she began, holding up her wrist to
show him the bonding bracelet the bard had given her and then opened
her left hand to show him the scar running across her palm. “The
gods themselves stepped in and gave their approval for a blood
bonding, a soul mate match.”
Joxer’s
head began reeling again. A blood bonding, soul match? Such a
bonding was rare and it was unheard of for the gods to show approval.
“Oh
gods,” he muttered, realizing the depth of a relationship required
for a soul mate and blood bonding.
Xena
and Solan let him struggle with the knowledge of the depth of her
relationship to Gabrielle.
“Ares
wasn’t amused,” Xena continued and smiled at Joxer’s goofy grin
in agreement. “He crashed the wedding and Hercules chased him off
after Solan here tackled him.”
“After
Mom threatened him with only.....” Solan yelped as the warrior’s
foot connected with his shin. He grinned but didn’t finish the
sentence.
“With
only a ceremonial sword, it broke. Hercules saved my life,” Xena
continued for her son, glaring at him. Joxer didn’t need to hear
that the warrior had stood up to Ares in the common yard of the
Amazon village dressed only in her wedding skirt, Gabrielle having
removed the tunic moments earlier. That was one image Xena didn’t
want roaming through Joxer’s head.
“Hercules
was there?”
“Yes,
and Iolaus. They were and are our Kumbada’s, godfathers to Sasha.”
“Go
on, about Sasha?”
“Some
of the Roman delegates poisoned Gabrielle at the wedding,” Xena
said flatly.
Solan
caught Joxer’s mug as the young man dropped it, sitting upright in
shock.
“Gabby?”
he muttered as Solan handed him back the mug.
“Yes,”
Xena looked back into the fire, tears springing to her eyes,
remembering. “She almost died, Joxer, painfully. I almost lost
her on our wedding day and for days after that,” she struggled to
keep her voice from cracking.
“She
recovered though,” he said, hopefully.
“With
time,” Xena answered and Solan reached out and held his mom’s
hand, his own face reflecting his own painful memories of that time.
“When she was well enough to stand, I escorted our families back
home. Along the way we ran into you.
Joxer
frowned. “Me?”
“I
thought it was you, but something was wrong. I was tired and not on
top of things. Your look-a-like and I dropped Gabrielle’s family
off and we stopped in the woods to make an offering at an old
abandoned altar to Artemis. The problem was it wasn’t an altar to
Artemis,” Xena looked away from his questioning eyes.
“It
was Ares,” Solan said softly.
“Ares?
Ares made himself look like me?” Joxer demanded.
“Yes,
he tricked me into giving an offering to him at one of his altars and
gave me enchanted wine. It made me forget the last couple of years.
I forgot Gabrielle, I forgot that I had changed, I forgot all the
good things.” Xena jumped to her feet and began pacing behind the
chairs.
“Ares
tricked her into attacking and almost killing Gabrielle,” Solan
continued.
Joxer’s
face went pale and the young teen heard a growl come from him as he
watched an agonized Xena pacing.
“What
happened?”
“Gabrielle
brought Mom back by their blood bonding and Mom told Ares to take a
hike. Because of her lost memory, Mom was with Ares for a couple of
days and Sasha was born later.”
Xena
was grateful to her son and his understanding, the warrior wasn’t
sure that she would have been able to finish that part of the story,
she still carried guilt over that.
“You
slept with him?!” Joxer demanded and Xena looked elsewhere,
brushing away tears. “Gabrielle accepted that?”
“Not
happily,” Xena muttered.
“She
knew Mom wasn’t herself,” Solan protested. “Gabrielle’s
sister, Lila, had followed them and saw what happened. Gabby Mom
thinks of Sasha as her own.”
Xena
placed her hands on her son’s shoulders to relax him and thank him.
“It’s
okay, Solan,” she said softly. “It takes some getting used to.”
“Ares
used me?” Joxer suddenly shouted. “After I’ve been devoted to
him? All those offerings and prayers and he uses ME to trick you?!
To hurt Gabrielle?” the young man was on his feet and had taken up
Xena’s position of pacing.
Solan
and Xena tried not to look amused. As Xena had pointed out to
herself again they had years to get accustomed to the situation,
Joxer hadn’t yet.
“Well,
his goal was to get me back,” Xena said, “but yeah, he sent me to
kill Gabrielle so she wouldn’t have an influence over me anymore.”
“I’ll
kill him!” Joxer threatened.
“Joxer,
calm down! Gabrielle and I have a beautiful daughter and found a way
to keep Ares out of our lives, mostly.”
The
soldier sat down with a frown and gladly held up his mug when Solan
offered to refill their mugs with port.
“Okay,
what else?” he muttered. “You know, you two may have settled
with him but I haven’t!” Joxer warned and Xena smiled.
“Okay,
I understand that.”
“What
next?”
Xena
felt her stomach tighten and her hands start to shake. Solan quickly
hugged his mom and motioned for her to sit down.
“Mom
and Gabrielle decided to get out of Greece when they found out Mom
was going to have Sasha. They were afraid of what Ares would do if
he found out about Mom being pregnant. Hercules and Iolaus went with
them, heading for the northern tribes, to try to get away from Ares
and Caesar,” Solan began explaining.
Joxer
noticed Xena’s shaking hands and was astounded; he had never seen
her shake before except when wounded. Or, when Gabrielle was in
danger.
“Iolaus
and Gabby Mom were attacked by bandit Roman soldiers,” Solan said
softly, watching his Mom as she closed her eyes in pain. “Iolaus
was crippled and Gabrielle taken and sold to slavers.”
“Romans?
Slavers? Gabrielle?” Joxer repeated in a whisper. Solan nodded.
Joxer saw Xena’s clenched jaw, hands clenched until the knuckles
were white, and her face gone pale. The young man had become a
soldier and knew what other soldiers were capable of, especially
slavers. It hit him like a physical blow. He realized what his
beloved bard probably went through and the soldier dived out of the
house at a run, running blindly in the dark to a tree.
When
he returned a few minutes later, his hands matched Xena’s shaking.
He sat down unsteadily and quickly drank the rest of his port and
held out his mug for more.
“What
did they do to her?”
“They
hurt her, Joxer,” Xena said softly. “Then she was sold to a
gladiator school and became a gladiator. She was branded, raped and
she had to kill,” tears began falling from Xena’s closed eyes.
Joxer
fought to maintain the rest of his dinner down in his stomach.
“Gladiator?
Gabby?”
“She
became friends with an Amazon gladiator trainer and became a
fighter,” Solan continued for his mom. “Gabrielle then won her
freedom in the Arena in Rome from Caesar himself.”
Joxer’s
head was reeling even more now. He shook his head to try and clear
it. His Gabrielle a gladiator? Fighting to the death in the Arena?
He couldn’t picture it.
Xena
opened her eyes and watched the soldier struggle with the images and
knowledge. She remembered feeling the same, going through the same
struggle when she had learned where her beloved had been for a year
and a half.
“She
became a great fighter and got her freedom. The Roman, Brutus helped
get her and the trainer, Nikki, back to Mom, Hercules and Iolaus at
the northern border,” Solan finished.
“Sasha?”
Joxer reminded the boy.
“Mom,
Hercules and Iolaus traveled north with a tribe of Northerners, they
were adopted into the clan and Sasha was born in the north. Iolaus
and Mom stayed with them while Hercules and most of Greece was
looking for Gabrielle. Caesar had heard Gabrielle was missing and so
Rome was also looking for her.”
“Wait
a minute!” Joxer held up his hand. “You said Gabby won her
freedom from Caesar,” he protested, unable to tie all the threads
of the story together.
“He
didn’t know who Gabrielle was when he set her free. She kept her
identity hidden while she was a slave,” Solan explained.
“Wow.
So then you all returned to Greece?” Joxer questioned.
“No,
we took some time to heal,” Xena continued. “Gabrielle had been
gone a year and a half. Then we got word that the Romans had
attacked the Amazons and Centaurs.” this time the mother watched
the son’s face for the pained expressions of memories.
“Centaurs,
where Solan was?” Joxer asked.
“Yes,
some of the Amazons and Centaurs escaped but some were taken
captive,” Xena’s face grew hard again. “Gabrielle and I went
to Rome to settle with Caesar.”
“Oh
gods,” the soldier muttered, causing Xena to nod in agreement.
“Yes,
it was insane but we couldn’t think of any other way to save the
Amazons he had. I tried to assassinate him but he was expecting me
and I was caught,” Xena growled and started watching the fire
again.
“Gabrielle
traded herself for the Amazons,” Solan continued.
“What!?”
Joxer sat up straight again, spilling his drink. “You let her?!”
he demanded and Xena’s eyes narrowed.
“Do
you think anyone could have stopped her?” she snapped back. “You
know Gabrielle when she makes up her mind about something! We had
seen Brutus and found out that a large group of Senators were
planning on assassinating Caesar. She was counting on being
crucified and surviving long enough for Brutus to save us.”
“She
planned on being crucified!?” Joxer shouted in disbelief and Xena
nodded unhappily.
“Caesar
had them fighting in the Arena for the day and then crucified
Gabrielle in front of Xena to torture them both,” Solan said
softly.
“Oh
my gods,” Joxer began to cry softly, matching Xena’s tears.
“Brutus
got them out of Rome and back to the Amazons. Gabrielle made a deal
with the Senate of Rome to take the Amazons and few centaurs left to
the north where the Romans wouldn’t see them again. She forfeited
the Amazon and Centaur lands to get them out,” Solan continued.
“Was
she hurt bad?” Joxer whispered, wiping at his tears.
“Very
bad,” Solan answered, standing behind his mom and placing his hands
on her shoulders. “Recovery was fairly quick, though. Artemis
brought Gabby Mom, Hercules, Iolaus, Mom, Sasha and me here and
promised to keep Ares busy while everyone had a break.”
“I
heard that the Romans slaughtered the Amazons, though,” Joxer said
with a frown.
“They
did. Brutus led Marc Anthony’s troops right to their new home. No
one survived,” Solan said, choking back his own tears, not
mentioning the little girl and old woman Amazon that were now living
with the Germans. They had all agreed that no one needed to know
that even one Amazon survived outside of Gabrielle.
“What
about Ares?” Joxer asked.
Xena
grinned at that one. “Ares did find out about Sasha and I found
something out about my parents.”
“Like
what? Don’t tell me Ares is your father?!”
“No,
thank the gods! No, the goddess Hecate had a fling with Zeus awhile
back and asked my mother to bear the child, me,” Xena said simply.
Joxer
blinked several times again and Xena couldn’t help but laugh at his
expression this time.
“You’re
the daughter of Zeus AND Hecate?” he whispered.
“And
Cyrene,” Xena added.
“And
Gabrielle is the daughter of Apollo,” Solan threw in, getting in on
the fun part of the story.
“Gabby?
Apollo?”
“That’s
what saved her when she was poisoned and helped her recover so
quickly from the crucifixion,” Solan answered.
Joxer
shook his head, regretting either that he had too much to drink or
not enough, he couldn’t decide just yet.
“Ares?”
he whispered again.
“He
tried to take Sasha from me, he hurt Solan and me and set a trap for
Gabrielle. She killed his warrior priests and then kicked his ass,”
Xena answered with a grin.
Joxer
hung his head, moaning with information overload.
“A
gifting from Apollo and Hecate, we have the ability to injure Ares
and when he hurt Solan and me, Gabrielle lost it and fought him. She
injured him pretty good too.”
“He’s
been a no-show since,” Solan added with a grin.
“Is
there anymore?” Joxer whispered, almost afraid of the answers.
“No,
just that we’ve bought this place and have settled down here. I
work with the blacksmith and Gabrielle works at the inn with my
mother. Everyone helps with Sasha and Solan is an excellent hunter
and tracker.”
“I
think I need to sleep,” Joxer muttered and yelped in surprise when
Xena hauled him to his feet and kept him from falling over.
“Come
on, Joxer,” she said with a soft smile.
Fortunately
for his overworked brain, Joxer was asleep in minutes of hitting
Solan’s bed. Xena and Solan helped get him out of his armor and
boots, both grinning.
Xena
knew that probably wasn’t the last of the questions or outrages
from the soldier. It was a lot of information to absorb, especially
about his beloved Gabrielle. A lot of painful images to deal with.
Not
the least was that she was married to Xena.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Xena
glanced up from her hammering and frowned and felt her heart skip a
beat. Coming into town was a large group of Roman soldiers. The
ex-warlord watched the troops split apart at a trot, moving in all
directions.
“Xena,
quick!” Dex’s voice broke the warrior’s concentration on the
soldiers. She turned to find him at the back of the shop motioning
for her. Xena quickly grabbed up her sword from under the selling
shelf and moved past her friend and boss into the back room. He
quickly followed and surprised the warrior by moving several heavy
chests out of a corner.
The
large blacksmith took out his dagger and dug at one of the wooden
boards to reveal a trap door.
“In
here, quick!” he hissed.
Xena
rushed over and was surprised to find a fairly good-sized room under
the blacksmith shop.
“What?”
“I
keep the special weapon consignments in there. Get in, it’s well
known that you’re not a friend to Rome.”
Xena
grinned at that one and jumped in. The warrior fought down momentary
panic at the thought of being locked in a darkened cellar with a
heavy chest holding the only exit door down.
She
knew Dex was right; she and Gabrielle were wanted by Brutus and
possibly Marc Antony as well. Brutus wanted the warrior dead so he
could have Gabrielle and he wanted Sasha to gain the favor of Ares,
God of War, the father of Sasha.
Xena
growled to herself and sat down on a chest to wait. The warrior
didn’t want to take on 120 well-trained Roman soldiers by herself
without a plan and some backup.
She
only hoped that Gabrielle wouldn’t be caught coming back to the
village.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Gabrielle
had heard the clank of the Roman armor and had left the road leading
to Amphipolis. She hid her horse and took to the trees to get a
better look, Amazon style.
The
warrior bard growled and narrowed her eyes at the sight. Roman
Legionaries were setting up roadblocks while others set up a
perimeter around the town’s edge. Gabrielle moved silently through
the trees to get a closer look, and saw Legionaries rounding up
villagers into the village common grounds, next to the well.
A
quick scan of the villagers showed Cyrene, Torris and Dex in the
group but Xena was missing and so were Solan and Sasha. Gabrielle
figured the soldiers hadn’t reached the homes on the outer part of
the town yet where Solan and Sasha probably were for lunch. She had
no idea where Xena could be except to say a thankful prayer her mate
wasn’t among the crowd.
“All
right, Greeks,” the Centurion in charge yelled from his horse. “I
am under orders to arrest the following citizens of Amphipolis:
Xena, known as the Warrior Princess, her daughter Sasha and
Gabrielle, bard. Where are they?”
“Oh
gods,” Gabrielle whispered. This was not good.
No
one answered or looked at each other.
“Just
tell us where they are, none of you fit the description, so where are
they?” the Centurion demanded.
Gabrielle
felt her heart swelling with pride. It would have been a different
story several years ago, she reflected. At that time the villagers
would have gladly handed Xena over without even being asked, now they
were protecting her and Gabrielle.
“All
right, who is her family? Where’s the innkeeper?” the Centurion
snapped.
“No!”
Gabrielle whispered as Cyrene stepped forward to stand at the edge of
the crowd. Torris quickly joined his mother, placing an arm around
her shoulder.
“Where
are they?” the Centurion demanded.
“Away
from town,” Torris answered.
“Who
are you?”
“I
am Torris, one of the Elder Council of this town and Xena’s
brother.”
Gabrielle
was surprised, given the state of Xena’s relationship with her
older brother; the bard was stunned he’d admit being related to
her.
“I
don’t believe you,” the Centurion responded.
“They
aren’t here, you’ve already searched the town, and they aren’t
here,” Torris responded.
Gabrielle
ducked further into the shadows at the sound of shouts off to her
right. The bard almost fell out of her tree when she saw several
Roman soldiers dragging an unconscious Joxer between them. Also
among the group was Solan and Sasha.
A
Roman soldier hit Torris across the back of the head and another
grabbed Cyrene as they both shouted and tried to run to the children.
The Centurion grinned at the older woman as she struggled in the
arms of two of his soldiers.
Gabrielle
fought very hard to control her emotions, trying to calm her
breathing as Joxer was dumped in front of Cyrene and Solan made to
kneel beside the unconscious soldier.
“Who’s
this?” the Centurion demanded.
“He’s
a friend of Torris’ and that’s a serving boy,” Cyrene answered.
“The
child is Xena’s.”
Cyrene
refused to answer.
Both
the innkeeper and Gabrielle could see several wounds on Joxer, blood
beginning to pool under his body.
“I’ll
ask again, where are Xena and Gabrielle?” the Centurion demanded.
Cyrene
and the villagers remained quiet. Gabrielle looked around
desperately, trying to think of a way to break through and get to
Sasha, Solan and Joxer. She knew that her bow couldn’t take down
enough soldiers before the Centurion would find her or take off with
Sasha. None of the villagers were armed and they were surrounded and
so was the village.
“Soldier,
take your dagger and blind the boy at my command,” the Centurion
ordered.
“No!”
Cyrene screamed and struggled against the soldiers holding her.
Several villagers surged forward but were driven back by the Roman
javelin spears.
“Then
tell me where they are!” the Centurion shouted.
“They
aren’t here! Xena left on business yesterday and Gabrielle is off
visiting her family!” Cyrene cried, desperately reaching for Solan.
Gabrielle
could see the young man trembling as soldiers tied his hands behind
his back. The bard couldn’t get a clear shot at the soldier with
the dagger on Solan.
“We’ve
been watching this village for three days and Xena did not leave
here! Blind him!”
Gabrielle
let her arrow fly just as Solan screamed. She had already notched
another arrow as the Centurion realized that he had an arrow sticking
through his neck. As the next arrow flew and buried itself in the
eye of the soldier who had just attacked Solan, the Centurion dropped
from his horse.
As
the Roman soldiers looked around, the villagers took advantage of the
distraction to rush the soldiers guarding them.
“Retreat,
reform!” a sergeant ordered, grabbing up Sasha as he grabbed the
reins of the Centurion’s horse.
He
kept the horse between him and the direction of where the arrows had
come from as he and the rest of the soldiers trotted towards the
north end of town, the ones in the rear keeping the unarmed villagers
back.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Gabrielle
dashed for the village, having to fight through three soldiers that
had been on the perimeter watch. They had proved no match for the
trained gladiator who was also enraged.
As
she skidded to a stop next to Solan, Joxer and Cyrene, Dex ran
towards the blacksmith shop.
“Oh
gods, no!” she cried as she saw Solan’s face. Cyrene quickly
took off her apron and held it to the boy’s eyes.
“Hold
that there, Solan,” she instructed and moved to Joxer. Together,
she and Gabrielle pulled the leather tunic vest and chainmail shirt
off of him and found that a Roman sword had managed to get through
the excellent protection into his ribs, shoulder and he had a bad
gash on his head. Cyrene quickly tore strips off the end of her
skirt, folding them into bandages. Several villagers ran up.
“They’ve
taken the child and are heading north,” one said, trying to catch
her breath.
“Get
a couple of the men and take Solan, my son and Joxer here into the
inn. Moria, get the healer, quick!” Cyrene ordered.
“Where’s
Xena?” Gabrielle demanded as she applied pressure to Joxer’s
wounds.
“I
don’t know, I was in the tavern when they came,” Cyrene answered.
The
bard breathed a sigh of relief as the warrior came running at full
speed, sword in hand. She quickly lifted the bandages up on Joxer
and then turned to Solan. Gabrielle’s heart wrenched almost apart
as the warrior turned pale looking at her son.
Several
other villagers moved forward to carry the injured into the inn.
Xena quickly cleared several tables and then she and the healer were
barking orders to several pairs of helping hands.
Dex
pulled Gabrielle aside, “I hid her in the shop,” he explained.
“What do we do?”
“We
make sure our friends and family will live and then we get Sasha
back!” she hissed, green eyes flashing brightly.
“I’ve
sent one of the militia to follow the Romans and leave trail
markers,” he said.
“Thank
you, Dex. They would have killed her.”
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
It
was a couple of candle-marks when Gabrielle looked up from her chair
to see a bloody and exhausted warrior standing in front of her. Xena
knelt down and buried her head in the bard’s lap, body shaking from
tears. Gabrielle held her warrior close, stroking Xena’s hair.
She looked up into Cyrene’s tired and suddenly aged face.
“How
are they?” she asked.
“Torris
will be fine, he’s already awake. A major headache but he has a
hard head. Solan is blinded, his eyes can’t be saved.”
“Oh
gods, no!” Gabrielle whispered, tears falling again.
“Joxer
might not live, Xena did everything she could and the healer is still
working on him.”
“What
happened, Cyrene?”
“The
Romans marched into town, rounded everyone up and demanded you, Xena
and Sasha. Apparently they didn’t know about Solan. He says that
Joxer fought the Romans and killed four of the soldiers when they
reached your house. Solan killed two, himself.”
“Joxer,
oh gods.”
“He
came in yesterday and spent the night with me and the kids,” Xena
said softly. “He’s been in the East working as a caravan guard.”
“He’s
awake!” the healer called.
The
three women quickly moved to Joxer’s side. Gabrielle took his hand
in one of hers and gently stroked his cheek. The soldier attempted
to smile when he focused on her.
“Hey,
your hair got short,” he whispered.
Gabrielle
smiled through her tears and looked at the healer.
“I
don’t know, Gabrielle,” he said with a shrug.
“Are
the kids okay?” Joxer whispered.
“Yes,
they’re fine. You helped save them,” Gabrielle reassured him.
“Guess
I did something right for you,” he whispered, closing his eyes
again.
“Joxer?”
“Let
him sleep now. I’ve given him some sleep herbs, the boy too,”
the healer instructed.
Gabrielle
laid the soldier’s hand back down and lightly kissed his forehead.
She reached out and grabbed Xena’s hand and let the warrior lead
her outside into the darkening village. She turned and buried her
head into her warrior’s chest as they held each other.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Gabrielle
raised her head from the table and looked up to see Xena’s tired
face, the warrior’s hand on her shoulder. Xena sat down in the
booth across from the bard. Gabrielle could see that it was early
morning and that Cyrene was asleep in a chair near the fire and the
healer was changing Joxer’s bandages.
“He’s
ready to be moved to a bed here in the inn, Solan’s already in one
and Torris went home,” Xena said simply.
“What’s
the plan?” Gabrielle muttered.
“I’ve
been talking to some of the traveling merchants and catching up on
the latest news from Rome and the Roman Empire. Seems that Marc
Antony and Brutus are at war with each other. Brutus is in Macedonia
with Crassius and Marc Antony and Octavian are moving to battle them.
They’ll probably meet somewhere near the Macedonian border.”
“That’s
why Brutus wants Sasha, he wants to gain Ares’ favor before facing
Antony and Octavian,” Gabrielle noted and Xena nodded in agreement.
“Now
we’ve got to get her back before Brutus or Ares gets her. Then we
settle with Brutus,” Xena said grimly.
“We
can catch them easily on horseback.”
“They
doubled back and set sail on the morning tide. I have no idea where
they intend to land, I’m betting somewhere close to the Macedonian
border,” Xena said.
“Then
we have to be there when the ship lands,” Gabrielle said simply.
“Yup.
I’ve been looking over the maps of Macedonia and I know where I’d
want a showdown if I were Antony or Octavian. Somewhere near
Philippi, it controls a mountain pass that is perfect for a battle.
That’s where we’re headed, hopefully to head off the soldiers
before they can turn Sasha over to Brutus.”
“What
about Joxer and Solan?” Gabrielle asked, standing up and trying to
stretch out the kinks from sleeping in a booth with her head on the
table.
“Joxer
will live but it’ll take awhile and Mom can take care of Solan
while we’re gone. I just hope Torris doesn’t give Joxer or Solan
a hard time.”
“Xena,
there’s something you should know about Torris.”
Xena’s
expression was one of surprise after Gabrielle described Torris’
actions to the Romans.
“Wow,
he didn’t turn me in?”
Gabrielle
shook her head. “He tried to get through the soldiers to protect
the kids.”
“I
need to talk to him,” Xena said, standing up.
“I’ll
go pack our bags.”
Xena
found Torris in the kitchen helping two of the village women prepare
breakfast for the guests and travelers.
“Torris,”
Xena called softly and was pleased when he didn’t scowl at her. He
wiped his hands on the apron of one of the women with a comfortable
gesture. Xena suddenly remembered that the woman was widowed and had
been hanging around the inn quite a bit. Her brother approached her
cautiously.
“I
wanted to thank you for yesterday. Gabrielle says you tried to help
the kids and you had a chance to turn me into the Romans.”
“Xena,
I may not approve of your choice of gender when it comes to bedmates
but you are my sister and they are my blood. I’m your brother, I’m
the only one that gets to hit you,” he suddenly grinned.
Xena
found herself grinning as well. “Thanks, can you help Mom while
Gabrielle and I are gone?”
“Of
course,” he said with a shrug.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Compared
to other travels, the ride to Philippi was short but not fast enough.
Xena cursed for five minutes after finding the Roman maniple had
landed and already joined up with Brutus and Cassius’ forces on the
outskirts of Philippi. The curses were enough to even raise the
eyebrows of several of the dockworkers nearby as Gabrielle led her
warrior away.
“Okay,
he has Sasha, now what?” Gabrielle demanded, trying to get Xena to
focus.
“I
go in and get her out,” Xena said simply.
“Oh
no, I don’t think so,” Gabrielle protested as they walked along
the docks. “He’ll remember you tried to assassinate Caesar and
how talented you are. Sasha will be well guarded and they’ll be
waiting for you.”
“What
would you suggest?” Xena asked in a flat voice.
“He
wants me, trade me for Sasha.”
“Won’t
work,” Xena said simply. “One, he can’t be trusted, he’s
already betrayed our friendship. Two, he needs the blessing of Ares,
there’s a good chance Antony and Octavian can beat him and Cassius.
Three, I’m not letting you fall into Roman hands again.”
“Then
what do you suggest?” Gabrielle demanded, trying to keep her voice
low.
“I
help Antony and Octavian and let Brutus see me in battle. While he’s
distracted, you sneak into the Roman camp and get Sasha out with help
from some of Octavian’s troops.”
“We’re
siding with Octavian?”
“I’ve
been watching all of them. We owe Antony and Brutus for our Amazons
and Centaurs and I think Octavian is the best choice for Rome and
Greece. He’s young but a good choice. Antony is brutal and won’t
hesitate to kill anything in his way and Brutus is no better. Some
of Octavian’s ideas are good ones.”
“Even
if he is related to Caesar and Caesar’s choice?” Gabrielle smiled
a quirky smile at her lover.
“Especially
because Caesar picked him,” Xena smiled at Gabrielle’s raised
eyebrows. “One thing Caesar was always very clear about, Rome came
first and foremost to him. His problem was that he thought he was
Rome. I would trust his judgment in choosing a successor. Caesar
intentionally didn’t adopt Brutus or name either him or Antony.”
Gabrielle
shook her head, “Never thought I’d hear you praise Caesar for
anything.”
“I
may have hated him but I have to admit to his genius.”
“So,
how do we get close to Antony and Octavian?”
Xena
grinned.
“Uh
oh,” Gabrielle muttered.
“One
thing the Romans can be counted on, they are very predictable. I
could tell you easily which tent is Octavian’s and Antony’s
without looking at the camps.”
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Marc
Antony grabbed for the dagger under his pillow as a hand clamped down
over his mouth but found a heavy weight bearing down on his chest and
pinning his arms. He stopped struggling when he felt a blade at his
throat.
“Be
quiet and live, I’m not here to kill you unless you make me,” a
voice ordered him and he nodded around the hand over his mouth.
Someone
struck a light and then lit a lamp. Antony’s eyes went wide at the
sight of Xena, the warrior woman, straddling his chest with a dagger
at his throat. Part of him knew that he was dead and another part
was thrilled to see her up close and personal. She was magnificent!
he thought to himself.
Xena
held up his knife to inform him that it was no longer under his
pillow and sat back on her haunches and removed her other hand from
his mouth. She moved off of him and stood at the end of the bed.
Antony had no doubt that he would be dead long before his guards
could ever get in the door.
He
frowned when he looked around and saw a blond woman holding a gagged
and bound Octavian across the tent from him. She reached up and
removed the gag from the handsome young Roman and sat him down in a
chair.
What
was that she was holding on the other Roman? Antony questioned, some
strange weapon he hadn’t seen before. Still, it looked deadly in
her hands, even if she was a small thing.
Xena
snapped her fingers to get his attention again.
“I
didn’t have time to go through the usual channels to see you two.
Sorry about waking you both up in the middle of the night,” she
said easily. She stuck Antony’s dagger into her belt and held up
her chakram. “See this?” Antony nodded, “You know about it?
It’s my chakram; it can cut your throat and be back in my hand
before you hit your bed. Understand?” Antony nodded again.
The
Roman General was impressed, somehow the two women had gotten into
the Roman camp, kidnapped Octavian and got him across the camp and
into the second Roman camp and into Antony’s tent without being
seen. Very impressed.
“I
thought your war with Rome was over,” he stated. The first time he
had seen the Warrior Princess she was in the back of a wagon after
spending a day in the Arena and a night chained like an animal
watching her lover die. Was the blond the same woman? he wondered.
“Brutus
has a member of my family as a political hostage. I want five of
your best recon soldiers, in exchange I’m going to help you defeat
Brutus and Cassius,” Xena offered.
“You
have to tie me up and gag me for that!?” Octavian demanded, his
eyes flashing angrily.
“Quiet,
pup!” Antony snapped. “Why do you need the recons?” he asked
Xena.
“To
go with my friend and get my family out of the camp while we’re
slaughtering Brutus and Cassius.”
Antony
looked over at Octavian, both glaring at each other for a moment.
Finally, Octavian looked at Xena.
“I’ve
heard of you and your talents and I also know that you have no love
for Rome.”
“I
have no battle with Rome, that was with your uncle specifically,”
Xena corrected.
“Brutus
saved your life, if I remember right,” Antony commented.
“He
also betrayed us by slaughtering the Amazons,” Gabrielle spoke up
finally.
“I
was there too,” Antony said simply.
“We’ll
deal with you some other day,” Xena promised.
Antony
laughed. “How refreshing! An enemy who admits it! I like that.
I have your pledge that you won’t stab me in the back until after
Brutus is dead?”
“Yes,
we defeat Brutus and get my family back and we walk away,” Xena
agreed.
“What
makes you think that we need your help? Romans are experts at war,”
Antony countered.
“You’re
fighting Romans. Both of you need to think, how did I know where to
find both of you in the dark among hundreds of tents?” Xena urged.
Both
men frowned. “By the banners?” Octavian guessed.
“No,
you can’t read banners in the dark, even among torchlight we’d be
roaming around the camp forever trying to find you,” Xena shook her
head.
“Because
a Roman camp is set up the same every time, no matter where we go,”
Antony smiled.
“Exactly,
you Romans are very predictable. Once you find something that works
you stick to it until the end of time. Fortunately for you, no one
has figured out how to counter that.”
“What
do you mean?” Octavian asked, suddenly curious.
“When
you’re marching it goes something like this: cavalry and auxiliary
units scouting ahead, then comes the vanguard of a legion and
cavalry, then camp surveyors and pioneer troops up next. Next come
your baggage and mounts, then the two of you and your bodyguards.
Next come more cavalry and siege engines on mules. Senior officers
next, then the legions with their standard bearers and baggage.
Auxiliary cohorts and then the end of the column, both light and
heavy infantry and some cavalry. Bringing up the unofficial rear
would be merchants, common-law wives, slave dealers and prostitutes.”
Xena rattled off easily.
Octavian
snapped his gaping mouth closed and Antony grinned.
“She’s
right, she does know us,” Antony grinned.
“So
will your enemies eventually. Brutus and Cassius already know how
you will attack under each situation. I can be unpredictable.”
“Believe
her when she says that!” Gabrielle grinned.
“All
right, you’ve got my curiosity. What do you say, Octavian, want to
hear more?”
“Yes,
now untie me,” he ordered. Gabrielle looked over to Xena, who
nodded. The bard pulled out a dagger from her belt and cut the ropes
holding the Roman General. He glared at the young woman and crossed
the tent to the tent flap.
“Guards!
Bring my maps from my tent in the other camp and have my aides bring
my clothes. Don’t ask questions, do it!” he ordered.
With
the one lamp, the young Roman lit two other lamps at a table covered
with maps, documents and other such items. Antony wrapped his sheet
around him like a toga and joined the other General. Xena grinned at
Gabrielle and joined the Romans.
Antony
then moved to the tent flap.
“Guards,
bring food and wine, I have guests here. Also, wake my officers and
send for Octavian’s. We’re having a planning session,” the
handsome Roman ordered.
He
walked up to Gabrielle and smiled at her.
“If
you’ll hold up the blanket, I’ll get dressed behind it,” he
offered and laughed when the bard blushed but grabbed the blanket up.
A moment later a voice caught her attention from behind it.
“Are
you the same woman I saw in the wagon? After Caesar was
assassinated?”
“Yes,
I think so. Xena told me that you helped convince the Senate to
accept the proposal to move the Amazons out of Roman territory and
release Xena and me,” she answered.
“I
thought you had died from your wounds, Brutus said you had.”
“Brutus
wants me for himself,” she said simply.
“At
least he has good taste,” Antony said as he lowered the blanket.
A
candle-mark later and Gabrielle settled into a comfortable chair
after eating a wonderful selection that Antony had ordered brought to
the tent. She grabbed up the blanket Antony had dropped and pulled
it over her as she threw her legs over the arms of the chair.
By
the sounds of the arguments coming from various officers, Antony,
Octavian and Xena, it was going to be a long session.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
“Gabrielle,”
a voice brought the bard upright in the chair, sai in her hand.
“Easy, little one, it’s me.”
“Xena,
what’s up?” the bard asked as she looked around. It was just at
dawn and several officers and Antony were still debating over the
maps and Octavian was no longer in the tent.
“Let’s
take a walk,” Xena suggested, helping the bard to her feet.
Neither
woman was surprised by the activity going on in the camp at this hour
of the day. Everyone had a job and seemed to be doing it or getting
to it. Gabrielle was surprised that no one challenged their presence
in the camp as they walked along.
“Octavian
had the guards spread the word about our being here,” Xena answered
Gabrielle’s confused looks.
“What
was decided?”
“I’ll
lead several ambushes once Brutus and Cassius begin to move and then
Antony will lead the main battle while you sneak into Brutus’ camp
and grab Sasha and join me at the docks,” Xena said simply.
“Where’s
Octavian in all of this?”
“He’s
going to be very sick, he just doesn’t know it yet.”
Gabrielle
noted her warrior’s clenched jaw and placed a hand on Xena’s arm.
The warrior’s face softened and she smiled down at her mate.
“Octavian
and his generals couldn’t see it but Antony has set him up to take
the worst of the fighting. Either Antony is hoping that Octavian
will be killed or, at the least, most of his troops will be and he’ll
lose a lot of support he’ll need later when he and Antony fight.”
“When
they fight?”
“It’s
coming, Gabrielle, and everyone knows it. Two strong willed and
powerful men. They’ll work together for awhile, maybe even divide
the Empire among them but eventually one will break and force the
fight, probably both of them. Everyone knows that Antony desires
Cleopatra and Egypt,” Xena talked easily as they walked, careful
not to talk when anyone was close.
“But
Antony is marrying Octavian’s sister,” Gabrielle protested.
“Roman
political marriage. It’s more like a hostage situation than a
marriage. Antony ties his power with Octavian and they both tie each
other’s hands with the marriage, forming a stalemate. Antony wants
Rome, Cleopatra, and the Empire.”
“Will
he kill Octavian to get it?” Gabrielle asked with a frown.
“The
first chance he gets,” Xena said grimly. “He’s brutal and
wouldn’t hesitate to kill anyone. I’ve heard of his revenge
against Brutus and others involved in Caesar’s assassination.
Friends of friends have been killed in revenge. Distant cousins have
been killed because they might be related to the assassins.”
“When
will the battle take place?”
“First
thing in the morning.”
“Terrific,
a day with the Romans, just what I always wanted,” the bard
muttered and Xena wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulders,
noticing the bard trembling a little at the sight of all the Roman
soldiers.
Neither
of them had good memories about Roman soldiers.
“Do
you think Brutus already handed Sasha over to Ares?”
“No,
he’ll keep Sasha until after the battle to ensure Ares’
cooperation. That’s why we have to get Sasha out of there during
the battle. Ares will turn away from Brutus and it might turn the
battle to Antony and Octavian’s favor.”
“Count
on me,” Gabrielle said simply, reaching up to kiss Xena’s cheek.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Less
than 24 hours later found the couple separated and both tense as
stalking tigers.
Gabrielle
stumbled as she was shoved into the main tent of the Roman camp. One
of the soldiers pushed the bard to her knees. She looked up into the
hostile faces of Roman officers, her green eyes blazing.
“What’s
this?” one of them demanded.
“Lord
Cassius, we caught this woman trying to sneak into camp. Lord Brutus
said to watch for a tall dark haired woman or a shorter blond,” one
of the guards answered quickly.
Cassius
looked down at the bruised face and short blond hair.
“You
must be Gabrielle, gladiator, bard, Amazon Queen and Xena’s
playmate,” he grinned.
Gabrielle’s
eyes blazed but she kept silent.
“Brutus!”
Cassius yelled at the group of officers bent over the map table.
Gabrielle watched as Brutus approached slowly.
“Gabrielle?”
he muttered. “I didn’t think you’d actually try it.”
“You
killed my Amazons and kidnapped my daughter, what did you expect?”
she snapped.
“You’re
right. Unfortunately, I don’t have time for you. I’ll deal with
you after I kill Antony and Octavian once and for all,” he started
to turn away and then turned back with a frown. “Where’s Xena?”
“Go
to Tartarus!” the bard snapped.
A
fist from Brutus sent the bard to the ground. With her hands tied
behind her back, she had difficult time getting back on her knees.
“You’ve
already had a sample of our crucifixion punishments, Gabrielle, don’t
make me send you to the torturers, they’re very good at what they
do,” Brutus threatened.
Gabrielle
merely glared at Cassius and Brutus.
“Would
she join with Antony or Octavian?” Cassius asked, kicking the bard
in the ribs and sending her onto her back, painfully on the tied
hands. She resisted crying out as a guard pulled her back to her
knees.
“No,”
Brutus answered. “She hates us as much as some of those northern
Gauls. She’s probably sneaking into the camp from another
direction. Take this one to my tent and alert the guards. You
four,” Brutus pointed to the guards accompanying Gabrielle, “join
the guards in my tent watching this prisoner and the child,” he
ordered.
“Yes,
sir,” they responded.
Gabrielle
was pulled roughly to her feet and dragged out of the tent.
“Brutus,
I’ll see your head on a pike!” she yelled.
“And
I’ll see you in my bed!” he yelled back to the cheers of the
officers present.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Xena
and a small troop of Roman soldiers, from both camps of Antony and
Octavian, had been working all night under Xena’s direction. Now
she waited patiently on a mountainside, overlooking a pass. The one
pass Brutus and Cassius had to go through to reach the open fields to
meet Antony and Octavian.
Xena
shook her head when she saw the marching Romans in the distance.
This pass was perfect for a major ambush but Brutus and Cassius were
expecting to fight Romans. She and the other soldiers ducked out of
sight as the recon soldiers of the enemy Romans came through the
pass, barely looking up the sides for traps or the enemy.
Xena
and her soldiers let the scouts move ahead of them and waited until
the cavalry and foot soldiers came into the pass. Xena motioned with
her hand and was pleased to see the soldiers under her command move
quickly and efficiently.
The
warrior woman waited until the cavalry and foot soldiers were
directly in line with her and her troops and then let loose with her
famous battle yell.
The
startled Romans below looked up the mountainside in time to see
flaming logs hurling at them, picking up rocks and other debris as
they flew down the mountainside towards the troops. They looked to
the other side for escape only to find another set of flaming logs
coming at them from the opposite direction.
Then
began a rain of arrows that took out horse and man alike.
The
Romans began to run either forward or back. Those running forward
found their way blocked by falling trees and those running back ran
into their officers and more troops behind them.
Officers
were shouting conflicting orders, men and horses were screaming, and
the fire logs hit the pack of soldiers with an awful crash. The
screams became higher pitched and horrible.
Xena
raised her hand in a signal and her soldiers melted away. She
followed on Argo, face grim as the screams of the injured and dying
and the enraged officers filled the pass.
It
didn’t take long for Brutus and Cassius to regain control of their
troops once the arrows stopped and the logs were no longer falling
down the mountain. The dead, both soldier and horse, were tossed to
the side, the logs hauled next to their victims. The dying were put
out of their misery and the injured taken to the rear for transport
back to camp in wagons.
The
officers re-formed their troops and waited for Brutus and Cassius in
the pre-dawn hour.
“Brutus!
That war cry, that was female! Was it Xena?” Cassius demanded as he
rode up to his fellow Roman General.
“Yes,”
Brutus answered with a curse.
“Then
she’s joined with Antony and Octavian!”
“No,
this was probably her own attack. She could care less about Rome and
she despises both me and Antony.”
“I
hope you’re right, I don’t want any more surprises!”
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
When
Gabrielle was led into the tent it took her a moment for her eyes to
adjust but the first thing she saw was Sasha sitting in a Roman
chair. The child also saw her.
“Mum!”
the child cried out and ran to Gabrielle as the woman knelt down.
“Mummy!
I knew you’d come!” Sasha cried as she clung to Gabrielle’s
neck. Then Sasha noticed that her Mum wasn’t hugging her back and
looked at the tied hands. “They hurt you!”
“No,
it’s not bad, Sasha. I’m okay. Are you okay?” Gabrielle
reassured the child.
“Yes,
but they won’t let me see you or Mom.”
“I
know, but I’m here now. Let’s go sit down, okay?”
One
of the soldiers accompanying the bard reached down and pulled
Gabrielle to her feet roughly and shoved her towards the other three
guards.
“Lord
Brutus says we are to join you to watch the woman and child.”
“Good,”
one of the guards grinned as Gabrielle stumbled into him. He caught
her easily and looked her up and down. “Too bad we can’t have
any fun with this one,” he commented.
“I
don’t know about that,” Gabrielle muttered.
The
soldier suddenly looked pained and glanced down to find a dagger
sticking between his ribs. Gabrielle, with eyes flashing brightly,
twisted the knife while the other guards took out Brutus’ other
guards.
Gabrielle
swept Sasha up into her arms, hugging her tightly.
“Let’s
go see your Mom,” Gabrielle suggested, trying to keep the child’s
mind off the slaughter she had just seen.
Sasha
nodded eagerly as one of the guards handed Gabrielle her sais and a
sword from under his cloak.
The
warrior bard grabbed a cloak from near the tent opening and threw it
over her shoulders and Sasha.
“Sasha,
I need you to keep quiet until we get to the woods, okay?”
The
child nodded and laid her head on Gabrielle’s shoulder.
Gabrielle
nodded to the soldiers with her and they separated once outside the
tent, grabbing torches up and each of them began setting tents on
fire. Gabrielle waited a moment until they had scattered a good
distance in all directions and had dropped their torches.
“Fire!
Fire!” she began screaming. Within moments the camp was in an
uproar, especially with the soldiers away for a battle.
Gabrielle
began moving through the camp with Sasha as the guards rejoined her
one by one.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Brutus
cringed when he heard the dreaded war cry again and ducked
instinctively.
“Shields!
Shields!” officers were shouting as arrows began raining down on
the soldiers from both sides of the pass. In a moment it had stopped
and there was no sign of the enemy. Moans and screams plagued the
Roman General as soldiers scurried about, tending to the wounded and
the dead.
“Damnit,
Brutus! She’s slowing us up!” Cassius shouted.
“I
know, I know. Move the troops up, no delays, no matter what comes at
them!” Brutus ordered.
“Lord
Brutus! Lord Brutus!” a mounted officer was shouting as he rode
towards the two generals.
“Yes,
what is it?” Cassius demanded.
“At
the front, my lords. Our recon soldiers have been ambushed and
slaughtered. The officers have been crucified!”
Brutus
went pale and Cassius turned beet red. “Crucified?!” he
demanded. “She dared to crucify Roman soldiers!?”
“Take
them down, don’t let the main troops see them,” Brutus ordered.
“But,
sir, they are on exceptionally high crosses, it will take time to get
them down.” the officer protested.
“Then
cut the crosses down!” Brutus shouted and the officer turned his
horse back towards the front, shouting directions at several
soldiers.
“Damn
your personal war with her, Brutus!” Cassius cursed and moved his
horse towards the front of the line.
“I
probably am damned, I agree,” Brutus muttered.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Gabrielle
jumped down off the horse and let Sasha down gently. She looked up
at the four soldiers who had helped her.
“Thank
you. I don’t even know your names,” she complained.
“I’m
Cyprian, that’s Barita, Mikolaj, and Rianorix.” the sergeant
grinned, clasping Gabrielle’s hand in a warrior’s handshake.
“I’ll
remember those names. Xena and I are grateful.”
“Thank
you, MiLady. Vale!”
The
soldiers turned their horses back towards the battlefield.
Gabrielle
picked Sasha up in her arms and moved towards a tavern to get Sasha
and herself some food and wait for her mate.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Xena
watched the battle from the top of the pass, fighting the urge to
join the battle, reminding herself that this wasn’t her fight
except to ensure the death of Brutus. The warrior and her troops
moved down to the back of the battle when the day wore on and it
became clear that Brutus and Cassius were losing, in part due to
Xena’s planning with the generals of Antony and Octavian and some
in part to the demoralizing Xena and her small band of soldiers had
inflicted on the enemy troops.
Xena
and her band made sure their white headbands were in place. The
troops of Antony and Octavian knew that a small band of Roman
soldiers were fighting in skirmish actions without helmets and
wearing white headbands. Xena didn’t want her temporary soldiers
getting killed by their fellow soldiers.
With
a war cry she led the way into the battle with her small band from
the rear. Her strategy was simple, hit and run. Hit and retreat,
keeping the rear guard off balance and cutting off any escape route
for Brutus and Cassius.
A
rumble behind her told the warrior that the engineers assigned to her
had completed their task, a rockslide now blocked the pass and Brutus
and Cassius had nowhere to run. With a signal she pulled her troop
back and watched closely.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The
battle lasted well into the afternoon, the slaughter going on
forever, it seemed. Xena’s troops were better rested than the
soldiers they were fighting and they began making headway into the
rear guard troops and Xena was pleased with the skills of her
soldiers, they were good fighters.
The
warrior’s eyes narrowed as she spotted the fancy helmet of a Roman
General and realized it must be Cassius. Before she could move her
horse through the fighting she spotted Antony’s flashing helmet and
sword working his way to the other General.
Cassius
also saw Antony heading for him through the sea of soldiers. The
Roman General jumped off his horse and looked around him, seeing
defeat.
Antony
roared his rage when Cassius turned his sword to his chest and fell
on it. Xena merely watched, her face expressionless.
It
turned to one of rage when she saw Brutus, however.
The
Roman General turned very pale when he heard the war-cry of the
warrior woman. He had seen Cassius go down under his own sword and
knew his time was done. Either he’d be captured or killed by
Antony to face the executioner’s block in disgrace, or he’d face
the warrior woman.
Brutus
jumped off his horse and quickly turned his sword to his chest. He
heard Xena’s scream as he fell forward.
Xena
leaped off her horse and turned the general onto his side and glared
down at him. He was still alive but she knew it wouldn’t be long.
“Brutus!
Do you know what your soldiers did to my son?” she hissed, bending
over him. She vaguely noticed one of her soldiers standing at her
shoulder, holding off any enemy soldiers from her and Brutus.
“Son?”
“I
have a son and they blinded him!”
“And
I killed the Amazons and Centaurs and I kidnapped your child, don’t
expect me to be remorseful at this late time in the game, Xena,”
the Roman General coughed around the blood flowing from his mouth.
“You’d
better pray I don’t end up in Tartarus with you!” Xena growled.
“I
have Gabrielle and your child, ordered to be killed if I die. I’ll
see you in Tartarus, Xena.”
The
warrior screamed in rage as Brutus closed his eyes.
After
a few moments the soldier guarding her back placed a hand on Xena’s
shoulder.
“Listen
to me, Greek!” he shouted in her ear.
Xena
turned to look at him, eyes blazing in berserker fury.
“Can
you hear me?” he shouted again.
Xena’s
eyes calmed after a moment and she nodded.
“I
have orders to kill you, we all do, from Antony. All the soldiers
with you have decided to be elsewhere, get out of here before the
regular troops get here.”
“Thank
you, I expected something like this. What’s your name?” she
asked.
“Lycius,
warrior.”
Xena
was stunned but grabbed his forearm in a warrior’s handshake and
mounted her horse again. The same name as her beloved dead brother.
The Fates were strange, she thought, fighting her way past the
soldiers towards the mountains.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
It
was almost nightfall when Xena walked in the door of the inn, her
eyes bright from the battle. Her dented, dusty and bloody armor
hidden by her cloak. The barkeep and the locals quickly turned away
from the sight of the woman warrior’s eyes. They had all known of
the battle raging around them in the Pass of Philippi but most didn’t
care either way about it and decided that if this soldier was
involved, they didn’t want to know about it.
Xena
spotted Gabrielle and Sasha in a booth at the back and quickly made
her way to them, grabbing the small child up in her arms, the
warrior’s eyes softening for the first time during the day. She
frowned again when she took in the various cuts and bruises on
Gabrielle’s face and arms.
“I’m
okay, we had to make Brutus think I had put up a fight,” Gabrielle
explained, standing up. “I have a room and have ordered a bath and
dinner for us.”
“Good,
Antony will expect us to head straight for Amphipolis. We’ll stay
here overnight and travel by boat tomorrow at tide.”
“Brutus?”
Gabrielle asked, her eyes becoming as intense as the warrior’s.
“Dead
by his own hand but I was there,” Xena frowned.
“Let’s
get upstairs, away from eyes.”
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Once
inside the room both women began to relax a little and, after sitting
Sasha down in a chair, Gabrielle grabbed her mate for a rough kiss
and embrace that left both women breathless.
Both
could feel their hearts pounding, blood lust still lingering with
both of them.
“Oh
gods, Xena, I will never get enough of you!” Gabrielle whispered,
bringing a moan from her mate at the husky tones of her bard’s
voice.
“Bath,
food and bed,” Xena said simply.
“You
bet. Sasha, time for a bath! I bet your hair hasn’t been properly
brushed for days! Guess what? I brought your brush,” Gabrielle
said as she dug into her packs, smiling at the look of delight on the
child’s face. Sasha loved to have her hair brushed, especially
when Mum or Mom brushed it.
A
couple of candle-marks later Gabrielle watched the warrior and child
with devoted eyes. Xena was leaned back in a chair while Sasha sat
on the floor playing with a toy wooden horse and soldier Xena had
carved for her at Yule. Gabrielle smiled and Xena looked at her mate
with raised eyebrows.
“Just
thinking how much I love both of you,” Gabrielle answered.
“Back
at you, little one.”
“Was
it bad today?” the bard asked, having noted the condition of Xena’s
armor and leathers.
“No
worse than any other battle. Men killing each other on the orders of
men playing politics.”
“You
once lived for that,” Gabrielle mentioned.
“Yes,
I know but I couldn’t do that anymore. Not for power or politics,”
Xena said softly, watching Sasha play, grinning when the little girl
rubbed at her eyes with her fists, trying to hide a yawn.
“Was
Octavian sick today?” Gabrielle asked with a smile.
“Yes,
seems he has a sensitive stomach. Antony was forced to split the
victory with Octavian’s troops and take most of the battle himself.
He wasn’t happy that Cassius and Brutus both fell on their swords
before he got ahold of them. He probably wasn’t happy that I
escaped either,” Xena grinned.
“He
did plan on killing you,” Gabrielle was aware of Xena’s
suspicions and the warrior’s plans on leaving the battlefield
before Antony could get ahold of her.
“Yes,
only the troops he assigned to me decided to look the other way when
I rode out.”
“So
did my soldiers, I think Antony’s troops were ordered to kill me,
Sasha and Octavian’s soldiers.”
“It’s
hard to kill the mother of a child, especially with the child there,
even for some Romans,” Xena commented.
Gabrielle
grinned and picked Sasha up from the floor and dumped the child on
the bed, Sasha squealing with delight as Gabby Mom began tickling the
little one. Xena jumped up and launched herself onto the bed to get
in on the action. In moments the bed was a mass of giggling females.
Within
minutes Sasha was sound asleep between her two moms.
“Xena,”
Gabrielle whispered.
“Yes,”
Xena answered and untangled herself from the bedding and pulled
Gabrielle to her feet and into her arms.
Gabrielle
felt her knees go weak at her warrior’s lips on hers and Xena’s
strong arms holding her. She broke off the kiss with a gasp.
“Gods,
even after all this time, I still can’t stand when you do that!”
she muttered, nuzzling Xena’s chest.
The
warrior reached over to the bed and pulled a blanket off, still
holding tightly to her bard. She gently lowered Gabrielle to the
blanket, following the smaller woman down to the floor.
# # # #
Much later the
warrior somehow managed to lift Gabrielle in her arms and placed the
bard on the bed with Sasha and then crawled in beside her mate,
pulling the blanket up over them and wrapped her arm around
Gabrielle’s waist. The bard mumbled pleasantly and interlaced her
fingers with Xena’s and was fast asleep.
Xena
began to drift into sleep and noticed the pain at her neck. Curious,
she untangled her fingers from Gabrielle and touched the spot where
Gabrielle had screamed and bitten at the same time. The warrior was
surprised to find blood on her neck and some tender skin.
With
a frown she interlaced her fingers back with Gabrielle’s hand and
drifted into sleep.
Xena
decided that they needed to deal with other things first rather than
the bard’s sharp teeth. A wounded Joxer, a crippled son and a life
to rebuild.
