Frau Hunter Ash
(Aka Dana Cooper-Kjarr)
*Disclaimers
Ownership: Repeat after me: I don’t own Xena,
Gabrielle, etc. I’m borrowing them for
entertainment purposes, please don’t bother to sue me, you wouldn’t even get
court costs.
Violence: major fight scene, character death,
attempted assault.
Subtext/Alt
Fiction/Sex: the story assumes a loving
and sexual relationship between people of the same gender and of the opposite
sex. If this offends you or is illegal
for you then please leave. Come back
when you are older, have an open mind, moved, or changed your laws.
Feedback: always welcome and responded to!
Storyline:
Gabrielle and Xena are about to leave Greece for their home in Germania when
someone has other ideas for Gabrielle.
Surprise guests!
The
story can stand on its own but it is part of a series and you might want to
catch some of the earlier parts to know exactly who is whom.
A Visit Home, an Awakening 1 * An Awakening, Discovery, 2 * Amazon Bonding, Awakening 3 * Healing, 4 * Trial of a Roman, 5 * Gladiator, Bard, Warrior, Mother; 6 * Reunited, 7 * Ides of March, 8 * Children of Gods, 9 * Even with Ares, 10 * Settling with Brutus, 11 * Darkness Awakening, 12 * Amazons North, 13 * Amazon Darkness, 14 * The Wild Hunt, 15 * Bard Scrolls, 16 * A God’s Twilight, 17 * Chakram, 18 * Death and Rain, 19 * Beowulf & Grendel, 20 * Night Stalkers, 21, * Blood Darkness, 22 * Aftermath, 23 * Here Comes Trouble, 24 * Northern Scrolls, 25 * Old Problems, 26 * Antony and Cleopatra, 27 * Love’s Return, 28 *
Part 1
Gabrielle tried to resist the tears forming in her eyes as she hugged the tall man tightly.
“You sure you don’t want to travel with us for awhile?” she questioned, her green eyes looking him over carefully.
Eli had made a quick recovery from the slave galleys of the Romans but her critical eyes thought that he was still too thin from the miserable diet of gruel and stale water. Getting a regular schedule of baths and his beard trimmed had helped his appearance greatly too. He was more like the Eli she had once traveled with in search of a chakram.
“Yes, I want to feel the sand of Judea under my feet again but I’m going to take the long way around, no more ships for me!” he grinned and hugged her again. Then he grew serious. “Walk with me?”
“Of course,” she agreed readily and nodded slightly at Xena as the warrior talked over something to do with the blacksmith, something about his business or other. Xena smiled and waved her mate on, she knew Gabrielle wasn’t dealing well with finding Eli after all those years only to part company with their friend so quickly.
“We haven’t had a chance to talk much,” he pointed out.
“No, getting away from Antony and Octavian’s forces as soon as possible seemed the best idea at the time,” Gabrielle smiled.
“I would agree with that,” he nodded. “Your heart is heavier than when I last saw you.”
“Yes, you always could read people, Eli,” Gabrielle commented.
“Want to talk about it?”
“A lot has happened,” she frowned, trying to put her thoughts in order.
“It weighs on you and Xena both,” he said softly.
“Yes, she blames herself for a lot of what happened and I totally take the blame,” Gabrielle smirked. “We both made mistakes, Eli, and it almost cost us both our souls and lives.”
Gabrielle proceeded to tell the mystic about the experiences with the monster Grendel and dying to save Xena, of coming back to life only to face Alti in the spirit realm and vampires in the physical realm. She ended the long tale when they reached the river behind the tavern and took a seat under a familiar tree. Telling him about facing Alti again and being tortured in Bacchus’ spiritual Bacchanalia until she gave in.
“And Asher?”
“I asked the Spirits of the Forrest from the North to help me when Xena fell victim to the umpiirs, the vampires, and they granted it - with conditions,” she began.
“They usually have conditions,” he muttered.
“They wouldn’t tell me what the condition was, I had no choice and agreed. We discovered after the Bacchanalia that I was pregnant,” Gabrielle continued explaining and saw the horror developing in his eyes and nodded. She got the same reaction from Hercules when she told him about her pregnancy. “I thought so too, I thought the child was Bacchus’ child and tried to kill myself.”
“Well, obviously that didn’t work, thankfully,” he grumbled.
“No, the Gods stepped in and Xena saved me,” she smiled. “We found out that the child was magically conceived to be from Xena and me from the Forrest Spirits, Bacchus has no claim on the child. Apollo says Asher didn’t inherit my blood lust.”
“May His name be blessed,” Eli muttered. “The child is Xena’s as well?”
“Yes, just like she was my husband,” Gabrielle grinned at the disbelief on the Hebrew’s face.
“Wow, this is truly a miracle!” he joined in her grinning. “You named him Asher.”
“Yes, I had a vision of you being taken by the Romans and Asher being led to the cross just before I went into labor with my child,” Gabrielle said.
“I am honored and Asher must be fuming in Paradise,” he laughed. “He really did like the both of you though.”
“That’s why he tried to put his sword through my chest,” Gabrielle grinned, remembering how awkward it had been when Eli’s religiously fanatic brother caught her feeding from Xena’s wrist in Bacchae hunger. Asher had suspected their relationship was against his religious beliefs but had ignored it since they were helping him and Eli. Seeing Gabrielle drinking blood, complete with fangs and yellow eyes, had totally unhinged him for a moment.
“That’s why he tried,” Eli laughed. “You confused him and made him doubt his thoughts and beliefs; he never did react well to questions he couldn’t answer with a quote from the Torah.”
“Like why he liked me as a person but was convinced I’m going to burn in some sort of demonland when I die?”
“Exactly,” Eli nodded. “He liked you, especially but you crossed sexual issues, which is a death penalty in our culture. The blood issue just pushed him over the edge.”
“I didn’t choose it, Eli,” she reminded him, losing her smile.
“I know and you didn’t choose to be tortured and driven nearly insane by your god Bacchus either,” he pointed out.
“No, I didn’t,” Gabrielle agreed.
“Then forgive yourself already, Xena has,” he encouraged her.
“I’m trying, I think it’ll be better when we get back home to our son,” Gabrielle said thoughtfully.
“You know your faith in each other is the greatest surviving miracle of all, your love is meant to survive the ages, Gabrielle,” Eli commented.
“Did I ever mention that we’re immortal?” Gabrielle asked ruefully. “That’s a long time to be playing hero.”
“You didn’t but I guessed it with everything you’ve been through, including being crucified twice,” he said calmly. “Not many people can survive something like that without divine help. As for being a hero for eternity, I think that should be left to the gods and the next generation. Take some time to be a family and a wife, be the bard that’s in your heart.”
“We try and something always comes up,” she complained.
“Send out word that you’ve died, change your names and get out Greece and the Empire. I see nothing but trouble for you if you stay. I think Octavian will be good for Rome but the Empire is too big to sustain itself forever.”
“You and Xena, trying to figure out what’s going to happen in the world,” Gabrielle smiled.
“I’m not good at that except for what is lying in the open and is common sense. I can predict that the Empire is going to have trouble out of Palestine and out of Germania,” Eli grinned, trying to keep a serious face as he made his ‘predictions,’ getting a grin out of Gabrielle.
“That’s easy! Your people are always stirring up rebellion and the Goths love a good fight and despise someone telling them what to do,” she agreed.
“Yes, and you’re already accepted up there and have a home,” he pointed out. “Get out of here and get home as soon as you can. You both need some time.”
“Yes, we both agree on that one,” Gabrielle nodded, leaning against the tree. “Sometimes I wonder if we can have a quiet life, even for a few short years.”
“Afraid that it’s the excitement and danger keeping you two together?”
Gabrielle frowned, thinking carefully.
“No, I don’t believe so,” she mumbled.
“Then what drew you to Xena?”
“Gods, what didn’t?” Gabrielle smiled, her eyes growing distant, remembering the first time she saw the warrior, taking on a band of raiders clad only in a shift. “She was magnificent. I convinced myself I wanted the adventure, the drama, all of it. I learned quickly that wasn’t what drew me to her. Damn, I’m a bard and can’t find the words to describe her and how I feel about her.”
“Sounds like love to me,” Eli grinned.
Gabrielle blushed and nodded. “She was so stern and unbending but I could see beyond it, I could see the wounded woman inside and how lonely she was. Xena needed me and I needed her,” the bard shrugged, trying to describe it.
“Do you ever doubt her love for you?”
“No, we’ve gotten distant a couple of times and had to work through the traumas, but I never doubted she loved me,” Gabrielle said firmly.
“Do you doubt your love for her?”
“No, never,” Gabrielle shook her head. “I sometimes doubt whether I’m good enough but not my love.”
“Remember that during your doubts,” Eli suggested and Gabrielle leaned over on his shoulder while they watched the river run by.
“Thank you, Eli,” she said softly.
“My pleasure,” he nodded.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Cyrene tried not to cry as she hugged Xena and Gabrielle goodbye once more and Xena tried not to notice that her mom’s hair was a little more filled with grey and not as lively a red as it once was. The warrior pushed back the observation that her Mom’s hands were hurting her more and more each year and how Cyrene was moving slower this year, noticeably slower.
“Don’t worry about me,” Cyrene admonished her daughter with a smile. “I’ll be fine. Torris and Despesia are taking over more and more of the Tavern and Reija drops by to check on things every season.”
Xena blushed, realizing her mom had known damn well what Xena was thinking.
“Mom, we can’t stay,” Xena said softly. “Especially if Artemis is still mad at Gabrielle.”
“I know, I’ve always known that you couldn’t stay,” Cyrene commented. “I was so glad you tried though when you bought that little place. I love you both but I know you’ll only keep running into trouble in the Empire.”
“We run into trouble no matter where we go,” Xena said bitterly.
“Take Gabrielle home and build a life with her, it’s long past time you two settled down for awhile,” Cyrene advised.
“That’s the plan, Mom,” Xena nodded and hugged her again as Gabrielle walked up to get in on the hugs.
“Take care of her, Gabrielle,” Cyrene said softly.
“Always, Mom,” Gabrielle smiled and the smile widened as she looked up into Xena’s blue eyes.
“Autolycus is traveling with you?” Cyrene asked as she handed Xena a saddlebag of food.
“Yeah, he wants to travel on land for awhile,” Xena grinned.
“That’s good, it’s been years since you’ve seen him,” Cyrene agreed. “Give my love to your family, Gabrielle.”
“Thanks, Mom, I will,” Gabrielle promised as they mounted their horses.
Xena glanced over at the pasture behind the stable and Gabrielle knew the warrior’s heart was breaking that it wasn’t Argo she was mounting. The faithful horse was watching them and whinnied in protest, watching Xena about to leave her behind again.
“We’ll take good care of her, Xena,” Cyrene promised, following her daughter’s eyes.
Xena nodded, not trusting her voice right then.
Autolycus kept quiet as they left Amphipolis, sensing the need for the two women to be with their own thoughts for awhile as they left their home and family once more, maybe never to see Argo or Cyrene again.
The ride to
Gabrielle’s family home was uneventful for once and they arrived two days later
on Lila’s doorstep. Briareus, Lila’s
husband opened the door with a smile as two children rushed past him and dashed
into the pasture next to the farmhouse.
“You must be Xena and
Gabrielle, I recognize you from Lila’s descriptions,” he greeted them.
“Yes, is Lila around?”
Gabrielle smiled and accepted his hug.
“This is Autolycus, a friend.”
“She’s over at your
Mom’s place, the next farm over,” he informed his sister-in-law.
“Is everything
alright?” Gabrielle asked with a frown.
“Yes, her husband is
ill and Lila is helping out around the farm while I take care of this place and
the kids,” he explained. “Please come
in.”
The three travelers
settled in around the dining table as Briareus brought watered down wine.
“How many children do
you have now?” Gabrielle asked as another child dashed out of the house.
“Four,” Briareus
grinned. “Two boys, two girls. One of
them is named Gabrielle after you.”
Xena grinned at
Gabrielle’s blush and smile of appreciation.
“And you?” he
questioned. “We heard from your mother,
Xena, that you both had children now.”
“Yes, you knew about
Sasha,” Xena smiled. “She’s fifteen
spring seasons now and Gabrielle just had a son, our son.”
“Then you are both
blessed by the gods,” he said simply.
“Thank you,” Gabrielle
smiled. “How is everything going?”
“It is well,” Briareus
grinned. “Everyone but Hecuba’s husband
is well. The children are growing like
weeds and the farm is doing more than fine.”
“What’s wrong with
Echemus?” Xena questioned.
“He had a broken leg
but fluid settled in his lungs, the healers aren’t sure he’ll make it,” Briareus
explained.
“We should get over
there and see Mom,” Gabrielle suggested.
“Why don’t you go on
over and see your mom and Lila. We’ll
stay here for the night, we don’t want to overwhelm your mom.”
“Okay, don’t let the
kids wear you out,” Gabrielle grinned and stood up to kiss her mate and hug her
brother-in-law.
“Take care, Little
One, and give your mom my love,” Xena said softly.
“You bet.”
Manic brown eyes
watched the bard mount her horse as Xena waved at Gabrielle from the doorway.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Hecuba and Lila had
been delighted to see Gabrielle and had insisted on a large meal. With plenty of time for Gabrielle to catch
them up on everything the bard had been through over the last few years since
they had seen her.
Like Xena, Gabrielle
tried resisting showing her surprise at the realization how much Lila had
matured and how much her mother had aged.
She knew that they realized it as well by their comments on her ageless
beauty and youth.
Even though Gabrielle
lightly brushed over the dangers she had been through with Xena, especially the
trips to the Spirit Realm facing Alti and Bacchus, she caught Hecuba and Lila
exchanging looks. Gabrielle knew they
were aware she was glossing some things over but refused to fill them in on the
details.
Then Lila and Hecuba
took turns filling Gabrielle in on their lives and the bard was delighted with
the news.
Briareus was getting
ready to take over his father’s blacksmith business in town. The farm was successful enough to hire
enough help to keep it going while Briareus was working in town during the
day. Hecuba and Echemus’s farm was
doing well enough to where they were comfortable and had a hired hand as well.
Despite what the
healers predicted, Gabrielle thought that Echemus would recover. She had been around long enough to judge
levels of illness and a person’s strength.
What she saw in Echemus was a great depth of love for her mother and a
stubbornness that his thin frame hid from the general world.
The stories continued
well into the night and it felt a little like old times for Gabrielle when she
curled up in a bed with Lila. Only this
time Lila looked like the older sister between the two.
“Are you happy,
Gabrielle?” Lila asked as they settled in the guest bed.
“Not totally,”
Gabrielle admitted. “We’ve been through
a lot the last few years.”
“You’ve been through a
lot before this, what’s different?”
“Maybe it all adds
up,” Gabrielle said, dodging the question for a moment. “No, the last few ‘adventures’ were
horrible. I was tortured, drugged,
crucified and raped by Bacchus and his minions.”
“Oh, Gabrielle,” Lila
cried and drew Gabrielle into her arms.
“That wasn’t your fault, obviously.”
“Doesn’t help my
feelings about it, with the torture, drugs, and wine, I gave in. My body enjoyed some of it,” Gabrielle
whispered.
“Gabrielle, you’ve
dealt with rape victims before,” Lila protested. “You don’t sound like you had any choices. Did you want to be there?”
“No, never!” Gabrielle
said firmly.
“Did you want to get
drunk and drugged?” Lila continued.
“No, they forced me,”
Gabrielle said softly, looking at her scarred wrists in the moonlight. “They beat me, whipped me and crucified me.”
“Did you want to have
sex with anyone but Xena?” Lila asked.
“No, never,” Gabrielle
said, fighting back tears.
“Then you weren’t at
fault,” Lila said firmly. “And I’m
betting that Xena doesn’t blame you for it either.”
“No, it did come
between us though,” Gabrielle explained.
“Is that why you’re so
anxious to get home, besides to see your son?” her sister asked.
“Yes, we need some
time to rebuild,” Gabrielle said. “This
last incident with Cleopatra and Antony was a mistake.”
“What are you worried
about? From what I hear from the merchants, Antony is losing,” Lila pressed.
“No, Cleopatra knows
that we were acting for what was best, even if it hurt her,” Gabrielle
explained, her voice thoughtful.
“Antony is no longer in power and won’t be able to take revenge against
us. No, it’s my patron Goddess that I
think might cause us some problems.”
“You mean Art…” Lila
was surprised when Gabrielle pressed a hand over her mouth.
“Don’t say it!”
Gabrielle hissed. “I have the favor of
Apollo and it’s keeping Her at bay right now but I’m not taking any chances. I walked away from fulfilling my blood oath
to the Amazons to kill Antony and She was pissed at me. I have to give up my Queenship to the
Amazons and I think she’s going to cause trouble over it.”
“What will they do to
you?” Lila questioned with a frown.
“Possibly demand my
death,” Gabrielle said calmly. “At the very least they’ll banish me.”
“Then don’t go back to
them!” Lila protested.
“I have to face it,
Lila,” Gabrielle insisted. “Just don’t
tell Mom and worry her. I’m probably
not going to the Black Forest until mid-spring or summer.”
“You’ll get word to
us?”
“Yes, no matter what
happens, someone will let you know.”
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Xena frowned as she
looked at the road once again and added a growl when she didn’t see Gabrielle
coming towards the farm. It was almost
noon and the warrior knew that the bard wanted to head home as soon as
possible. They were still unsure if
Apollo would zap them home or if they’d have to take the long way through the
first snows.
Briareus came over
from the stable and noticed her concerned look.
“Shouldn’t be any
problems, there’s been no talk of bandits around and it’s a short distance,” he
volunteered.
“I know, this is feels
so damned familiar,” Xena grumbled.
“When Gabrielle tried to come home for her father’s funeral she was
attacked and had to flee to the Amazons for protection. It was a mess.”
“I remember Lila
telling me about that,” he mentioned.
“We kinda pissed off
one of the Goddesses recently and she might have done something stupid,” Xena
explained.
“Then for your sanity,
go look for her,” he suggested. “I
think Auto is currently in a tree playing with the kids.”
“He’s a kid himself,
even after all these years,” Xena grinned.
“We’ll be back,” Xena
promised and headed for Hecuba’s farm.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Gabrielle lifted her
head from the forest floor with a groan.
The bard growled when she realized she couldn’t move her arms or
feet. She began to struggle against the
bonds holding her.
Shifting her body
around, she was able to take in the sight of her kidnapper as he tended a fire.
“Don’t bother, I
learned how to tie up a hostage from Xena,” he grinned. “I hope I didn’t hit you too hard, my love.”
“Draco, have you lost
your mind?” she snapped. “Let me go!”
“Well, I wanted a
chance to talk to you alone and I knew that Xena wouldn’t agree,” Draco
explained.
“Talk about what? I
haven’t seen you since that stupid incident with the Virgin priestesses,”
Gabrielle growled.
“Now, Gabrielle,” he
scolded. “Don’t knock that incident, it
was the moment that I realized I was in love with you and couldn’t live without
you.”
“Draco! It’s been 16 ˝
summers since that happened! You haven’t found someone since then?”
“Of course not, my
love!” Draco said cheerfully. “There’s
no one but you! It took me forever to find you after I got out… after an
unfortunate delay in looking for you.”
“You were in prison?”
Gabrielle asked, still working against the bonds.
“Well, actually,” he
hesitated and he knelt beside her and stroked her cheek. Gabrielle struggled to get away from his
touch. “I was arrested on an old charge
from when I was a bad guy, before I met you.”
“Draco, look at me and
listen carefully,” Gabrielle said calmly.
“I am not in love with you; I will never be in love with you. I am married to Xena, we have kids and I
love her very much.”
“I know you were mated
with her but I know that once you see how much I love you, you can’t help but
return my devotion and depth of love,” Draco said firmly and eagerly.
“Draco, Xena and I are
blood bonded, it was approved by the gods themselves,” Gabrielle tried
explaining. “You were put under a spell
by baby Bliss, he shot you with Cupid’s arrow and you saw me.”
“How can you say that
our love is the result of a spell or enchantment?” Draco protested, lying down
next to the struggling bard and pulling her body close.
“Draco, please!”
Gabrielle pleaded. “I can’t do this!”
Draco pulled back
slightly, noting the bard’s beginning tears.
“Gabrielle, my love, what troubles you? I know it’s been so long and
there’s some gray in my beard and hair but I’ve kept in good shape. My love for you has never waned.”
“Draco, please, I…I
was hurt,” Gabrielle whispered.
Instantly, Draco was
on his knees and pulled her into a sitting position. “Someone would hurt you?” he demanded. “Tell me who and I will rip out their hearts and show it to them
as they die!”
“It was Bacchus,”
Gabrielle admitted, hoping to take advantage of his feelings. Either he’d let her go, not wanting to hurt
her any further, or he’d go off bent on revenge for her. Going up against Bacchus, the odds were that
she wouldn’t see him again. Maybe she
would rethink that thought, as much as she was uncomfortable with Draco, she
didn’t want him dead.
“Bacchus hurt you?” he
demanded. “How?”
“You want details,
Draco?” Gabrielle snapped, her green eyes flashing with anger. “If you lift my shirt up you’ll find scars
from where he whipped me until my back was in ribbons. Check my neck, you’ll find scars from
bacchae bites. Look under my bracers
and you’ll find scars from where he crucified me!”
Draco fell backwards
onto his tailbone at the level of her anger.
“The scars you can’t
see are the worst,” Gabrielle said, feeling the tears falling down her
face. “How many times do I have repeat
this?” she asked softly. “I was raped,
Draco, by Bacchus and by his Bacchae, his Maenads and male servants.”
“Gabrielle, I will
spend the rest of our lives making this up to you, I swear it!” Draco promised,
getting to his knees.
“Draco, I was a full
Bacchae, only my love for Xena and her love for me saved me and brought me
back, I am meant to be with her,” Gabrielle tried to explain.
“We are meant to be
together,” Draco protested. “I never
felt emotions like this, not for anyone.
Not even Xena, this must be real and the destiny for both of us!”
“Draco, if you don’t
believe that I can’t love you,” Gabrielle tried again. “At least be reasonable!
Xena will kill you this time if you don’t let me go.”
“What for?” Draco
questioned, his voice sounding genuinely curious. “I’m not going to harm you.
I know it’ll take time for you to know me again and realize our love but
I’m willing to wait. She has to know
that it’s time to let you go now that I’m back.”
“Oh Gods,” Gabrielle
muttered, knowing it was useless to try and convince him.
“It is a good point,
though,” Draco said thoughtfully, gently stroking her hair and ignoring that
she was trying to bite him. “Xena will
be coming after us and no one can track like Xena.”
Draco reached into a
pouch on his belt and quickly gagged Gabrielle as she screamed and tried to
bite him again.
“We’ll have to move
fast,” he continued talking, as if to himself.
“I think we can slow her down and loose her by taking the ship I’ve
chartered. No one knows me after all
these years and it’ll be just you and me.”
Gabrielle screamed in
protest through her gag as he picked her up and threw her over his shoulder
like a sack of grain. She was surprised
when he carried her over to a horse and threw her over the saddle and jumped up
behind her.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Xena,
having visited Hecuba’s farm, frowned as she followed the tracks she had picked
up between the farms. She recognized
Gabrielle’s boots, both of them learning each other’s tracks whenever they got
new footgear just for this purpose. The
tracks were easy to follow and very plain, it was obvious that Gabrielle had
been heading back to Lila’s farm.
Then the warrior came
to a spot close to the woods where the footprints became scuffle marks and then
disappeared. In their place, leading to
the woods, was a set of larger boot prints, deep with weight, as if carrying
something heavy. Like Gabrielle, Xena
growled to herself.
She quickly made her
way through the forest and found where the mysterious boot prints stopped at a
camp. The experienced warrior could
spot where someone had been lying on the ground and there were lots of footprints
from the second pair of boots but not the person who had been lying down. Again the boot prints were deeper and led to
hoof tracks.
Xena growled, after
all this time, her heart was in a panic at the thought of Gabrielle being
kidnapped again. This time she was not
going to lose her mate.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Gabrielle began to
feel afraid. Draco led the horse over
rocky ground for over a candle-mark, doubling back, criss-crossing his trail
and brushing over it in parts. She knew
that he was well aware of Xena’s famed tracking skills and was doing everything
possible to throw Xena off the trail.
After the rocky
mountain they had crossed, he had doubled back to a small village. By then it was nightfall and no one came out
of their homes or the inn to challenge the stranger and he went directly to the
stable.
The bard was grateful
for the break to be off the horse when he pulled her from the saddle and
dropped her onto a pile of hay.
“If I didn’t want to
make time, we would spend the night here and you could get to know me again,”
he said regretfully.
Gabrielle screamed her
protests through the gag and let him see the anger, not love in her eyes.
Draco merely laughed
at her struggles.
She watched as he quickly
hitched a horse to a wagon and threw his travel packs into the back of the
small transport. Gabrielle’s eyes
widened when he pried the top off a travel crate and grinned at her.
The bard screamed in
anger, pulled frantically at her bounds and kicked at him when he reached for
her.
“I know it’s a little
small and something like a coffin, but that way you won’t have room to kick and
bang against the sides,” he explained as he lifted her over his shoulder again
and dropped her into the box.
The bard shouted,
screamed and begged around the gag but Draco merely shrugged and nailed the lid
down.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Xena growled as she
lost the tracks on the rocks once again and it was getting dark. The warrior knew luck was turning against
her and for Gabrielle.
“Gabrielle,” she
whispered softly. “Okay, warrior, think
about this,” she scolded herself.
“All right, someone
grabbed Gabrielle and she’s probably still alive if they’re going to all this
trouble to hide their trail,” Xena muttered, sitting down on a rock. “They know someone’s tracking them; maybe
even know who she is and who will be coming after them.”
She frowned. It had been a long time since they had spent
any length of time in Greece and most of her old enemies were dead and buried
or retired. Even if Callisto had gotten out of Tartarus, this wasn’t her style,
the warrior thought.
The only real enemies
they had left were fighting a civil war with Octavian and were gods or
goddesses. Somehow Xena couldn’t see
this being the work of either Mars or Artemis, they would have just taken
Gabrielle and wouldn’t have left a trace or trail for her to follow.
That left someone who
wanted Gabrielle and didn’t want Xena following them. Xena knew that Callisto had twisted Joxer’s love for Gabrielle
but she felt they had made quite a bit of progress in healing those wounds
recently and Xena dismissed him as potential suspect.
Xena also didn’t think
that if Valesca got out of the lava like Callisto did, that the insane goddess
would take this much time just to throw Xena off the trail. The former Amazon would most likely just zap
her and Gabrielle to ashes rather than play cat and mouse with them.
That didn’t leave anyone, Xena
complained to herself. Most of them
were long dead or not interested any more.
Interested. Her mind clicked on that word. Who
would be interested in anything Xena and/or Gabrielle did after all these years
together?
Who could maintain a focus that long? Callisto, Velasca, Mars, Artemis, and
Ares. Someone obsessive?
Obsessive, with
Gabrielle.
Xena’s eyes
narrowed. Obsessive because of an enchantment? she asked herself.
“Draco,” she
muttered. Xena became very
concerned. A power crazed warlord she
could deal with. A love sick warlord
was another matter.
Love could make anyone
unpredictable. Even Xena, and she knew
it.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Gabrielle coughed and
rolled over onto her hands and knees as Draco cut her bindings. She pulled the gag out of her mouth and
closed her eyes as her stomach finally released its protest at having been on
the ocean, even for a short time.
When her stomach
finally stopped dry heaving, the blonde collapsed on the sand and rolled over
to sit up and look for Draco, automatically feeling for her missing sais.
The former warlord was
removing an axe from what remained of the small boat they had used to get to
wherever they were. Gabrielle realized,
with a feeling that went along with the sinking boat, that they could well be
trapped wherever they were.
Draco, satisfied that
the boat was no longer sea worthy and couldn’t be repaired, turned with a smile
towards the small blonde.
“Welcome to our home,
Gabrielle,” he announced. “It’s a small
island. Originally there were only a
few huts for the fishermen and an old abandoned villa at the top of the
house. I spent a couple of months
repairing it and making it worthy of you and your beauty. The fishermen are gone and a couple of
friends I met in prison are now here.
Fishing is easy here, there’s a few sheep and pigs, some olive trees and
such. A perfect haven.”
“Draco, you have got
to let me go!” Gabrielle snapped. “Not
only will Xena kill you but I’m getting damned close!”
“Ah, my love,” he exclaimed,
going to his knees in front of her. “My
gentle, non-killing bard, please just give the place a chance.”
“Draco…”
He held up his hand in
warning. “No more words, Gabrielle,
come see your home.”
Gabrielle snapped her
jaw shut, knowing it was useless. She
ignored his outstretched hand and got to her feet unsteadily. She finally accepted his arm until her legs
regained their strength.
The island was indeed
beautiful and small. Typical of a Greek
island, it was basically a large rock sticking out of the ocean with enough
dirt to make the land fertile and green.
The huts were, in
fact, well built homes. Gabrielle
barely took in the buildings as her eyes scanned the dock for boats, anyway to
escape this island. She was dismayed
not to see any boats anywhere.
The long trek up the
hill around the rocks stretched her legs and other muscles so that by the time
they reached the villa, she felt more normal and like herself.
“What about water and
supplies?” she asked, curiosity gaining the upper hand when they reached the
top.
“A pulley system hauls
water and supplies up the hills,” Draco said proudly. “Don’t worry; you’ll never have to haul water jugs up the hill.”
Gabrielle wasn’t sure
what she expected from Draco’s description but she certainly didn’t expect the
simple but beautiful villa that Draco had obviously worked very hard at fixing
up. The walls were freshly clayed and
painted, flowers were planted everywhere and the garden was making a comeback
from years of neglect. The furniture
was simple but comfortable looking.
There was even a highly polished piece of bronze for a mirror in the
main bedroom.
Gabrielle’s quick mind
noted the large bed in the master bedroom and the small, child size bed in the
other room. She definitely knew where
Draco intended on both of them sleeping.
She was not amused but impressed with all his hard work.
It pointed out the
depth of his obsession with her and how impossible it was going to be to dampen
it or convince him it wasn’t real.
“It’s very nice, Draco,”
she said, as she noticed his eager almost puppy dog like expression waiting for
her approval. “Draco,” Gabrielle knew
it was impossible but she had to try.
“I am not in love with you, I never have been. Didn’t you think it strange that Xena was so head over heels in
love with you for those couple of days and then was over it in an instant? Baby
Bliss had us all under a spell.”
“How can you say it
was a spell when I would gladly rip out my spleen and carve your name on it to
show my devotion to you?”
“That’s nice,” she
commented and gave up trying to convince him.
“I have a cook for us
so you don’t have to worry about anything today. Take some time, roam around the island, get to know the
place. I’m going to go down and talk
with my guys,” he said. “Don’t worry
about them, they know that I will personally yank their…their, uh, personal
belongings off of them very slowly if they even speak harshly to you and they
are loyal.”
“Draco, we cannot
spend the rest of our lives on this island, we’ll both go insane!” Gabrielle
protested.
“Well, after we hear
that Xena has given up searching for you, in a few years, we might start to
roam Greece again,” he promised.
“Draco, Xena will
never stop looking for me!” Gabrielle insisted and held up her left hand. “See that scar? That is from our wedding, we
were blood bonded together by the Gods themselves.”
Draco frowned and
refused to look at the scar.
“Hercules and Iolaus
were our Kumhdas at our wedding,” Gabrielle pressed on. “Representatives from all the tribes and all
the important kingdoms were there to watch the Queen of the Amazons marry her
Champion and Consort, Xena. Brutus,
Pro-Counsel of Rome was there, Draco.”
“It was a mistake
because I wasn’t around,” he muttered.
“Zeus, Artemis, Athena,
Aphrodite, Cupid, Hephaestus, Apollo, and Hecate, all of them were there and
gave their blessing,” Gabrielle countered.
“They said to the Amazons and our families that Xena and I were fated to
be together and it was a soul connection.”
“No, this isn’t
possible,” he growled, his eyes beginning to flash angrily.
“Please, Draco, just
take me back to land,” Gabrielle pleaded.
“Xena and I have been married for years and we have a daughter and a son
together. Let me go home to my child.”
“Children? How is that
possible?”
“Another blessing from
the gods,” Gabrielle said easily. She
certainly wasn’t going to tell Draco that Sasha was the result of Xena losing
her memory and sleeping with Ares. It
was the truth; after all, both children were gifts from gods.
Draco’s frown deepened
until he was scowling. He abruptly
turned on his heel and stormed out of the villa, slamming the door behind him.
Gabrielle sat down at
the kitchen table, trying to get her own thoughts in some sort of order.
“Xena, please, I need
a miracle,” Gabrielle whispered.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++