Sapphic Voices Fan Fiction

Echoes of the Future

Part One

DISCLAIMERS:
Ownership:
Two disclaimers are needed for this Story. Firstly, Xena, Gabrielle and a few other characters (who shall remain nameless so as not to ruin the Story,) belong to MCA Universal, and any other parties who have a share in ownership of Xena: Warrior Princess. No copyright infringement is intended.
Secondly, some of the Story, (again I won’t mention which bits here so as not to ruin the fun,) is directly influenced by the great bard of the Xenaverse, Merwolf.
To both parties I owe a debt of thanks, without their vision and talent I would not have been inspired to write the Story below, one that I enjoyed immensely. For more specific details on what belongs to who, please e-mail me using the link below and I will be happy to give you the full details.
Violence:
There are some scenes of violence in the Story. If you are reading Xena fan fiction I am sure you will know roughly what to expect. If you are likely to be offended by this perhaps you should look for Teletubby fan fiction instead.
Subtext:
This piece of Work was written by an Author who believes in soulmates, a wondrous union that is a gift given without thought to gender. If you are likely to be offended by the idea of people of the same sex being in love I suggest that you find something else to read. Equally, if you are looking for some sort of lusty romp then reading this will disappoint you, however there are plenty of other pieces of Work that specialise in that.
Finally:
Enough with the disclaimers, I hope you enjoy reading my Work as much as I enjoyed creating it. It is my first venture into the world of writing so any comments will be gratefully received and can be sent using the link below. Happy reading!

Part One

The setting sun painted soft, amber rays over all in it’s path, creating a merry glinting in the tumbling water that chased its way over the small waterfall. The pool underneath spread outwards into a calmer area where smooth pebbles nestled together in the clear water. A small bird hopped to an overhanging branch watching the insects that skated on the water’s surface. Suddenly, a nearby sound alerted the bird to potential danger and it retreated towards a higher vantage point, watching as two figures, complete with golden horse, entered the clearing.

It was the tall dark-haired woman that broke the silence. "It is getting late, we should camp here tonight." The comment was directed at her shorter, fair-haired companion who had been trailing slightly behind her and carried a quill and unmarked parchment.

The younger woman looked up and briefly viewed the clearing. "It’s nice," she began in a rather unfocused manner. Her eyebrows knitted together as she took a deep breath and continued, "Would you like me to prepare a fire while you catch some dinner?"

The dark-haired woman nodded in response, setting down her luggage and producing her bow. Within moments she had melted into the surrounding woods as quiet and unobtrusive as any creature that would naturally be found there.

The shorter woman looked round the clearing with a manner of one experienced in the outdoor life. Having moved their travel bags to a dry patch of springy moss, stripped the horse and set it to graze, she began to systematically locate stones to build a fire ring. In a short time she had cleared a small area, lined it with the rocks and found enough dry wood to begin a neat fire. In fact, as she soon realised, she had collected rather a lot of wood, more than they would need to keep the fire burning throughout the night. As she slumped down on a nearby rock she ran her hand through her hair, pulling it away from her eyes and sighed.

"Look Gabrielle, just because Xena is a little quiet today, it does not mean that you have to start worrying to this extent," she told herself firmly. Xena had been quiet for more than just today, her brain reminded her, and preoccupied would be a better word to use than simply quiet. Gabrielle considered this, Xena was more than just quiet, and she did seem extremely preoccupied. Everyone was allowed a little distance Gabrielle reminded herself but it was far more disturbing when it was the usually attentive and observant Xena. They had become a lot closer in the time they had been traveling together and had gradually learnt to share all their problems. Gabrielle had to acknowledge the progress they had made in this even if it did take losing it to make her see it so clearly. "That progress took a lot of work," she thought "and I am not about to let it slip away that easily, think practically Gabrielle. When was the last time she was normal and what has changed since then?" Of course, the most drastic recent event was the friend’s ‘deaths’. Obviously, the situation had taken it’s toll on both of the friends but Gabrielle realised that things had worked out fine and the fact that they were together, both healthy and off on their travels again should outweigh the pain caused. "No," Gabrielle persisted, "there is more to this than I know about." She stood up purposely and retrieved her flints from her saddlebag, "Well, in that case I am just going to have to ask," she decided with a relieved sense of satisfaction at having established a plan of action.

Xena moved stealthily towards their camp and squatted as she placed the two limp rabbits down by her side. Through the foliage of the shrubbery she could see Gabrielle putting down yet another load of firewood on to an already generous pile. Xena continued to observe the scene, watching as the preoccupied look briefly left her friend’s face as she surveyed the pile of firewood. As Xena watched, she thought for the hundredth time how Gabrielle’s face would so easily mirror the thoughts behind it. Although Gabrielle was a very open person, Xena knew that it was their close relationship that enabled her to interpret the expressions so easily. That created a warm feeling inside her and an unconscious smile crossed her face. However, the smile soon faded as she watched the emotions her friend was expressing, frustration followed by concern. Something was bothering her friend deeply; the furrowed eyebrows and slightly in-turned lower lip were a testament to that.

Just as Xena was trying to mentally run through the potential causes, she saw Gabrielle’s eyes move unseeing to the warrior’s sword. It was her. Xena waited in her green sanctuary, unwilling to disturb Gabrielle in her musings. Xena knew that she had not been as communicative with her young friend as normal, another unconscious smile passed her lips at her use of the word ‘normal’, although she did have her reasons. "You need to either talk to Gabrielle about it or keep it buried deeper," she chastised herself, "it is not fair to worry her like this, she has hardly said three words all day and her scroll was as empty when we arrived here as it was when we set out this morning." The sounds of movement roused Xena out of her musings and she saw Gabrielle lighting the fire. The tilt of her friend’s chin confirmed that the look of concern had been replaced with one of determination. Mentally, Xena sighed theatrically because she knew her friend had devised a plan, however, it was a tender feeling towards her the blonde woman that spread through her as she emerged from the trees.

"Dinner." Xena reported as she held up the rabbits.

Gabrielle smiled and decided not to comment on the fact that there were two as she saw her friend’s eyes track to and away from the large pile of firewood. "Great," she responded, "Would you like some stew to go with the fresh bread we picked up this morning?"

"Only if we can take a bath while it is cooking." Xena answered, the thought of soaking off the days grime suddenly seeming very appealing.

"It’s a deal," smiled Gabrielle and they began working in a contented silence as Gabrielle prepared the vegetables and Xena skinned and diced the meat.

It was not long before their chores had been completed and they were stripping off and heading into the clear, inviting pool. The cool water was very refreshing and they each began to feel happier and more relaxed. They both laughed as they issued simultaneous sighs of contentment.

"This feels so good," remarked Gabrielle, "it is a pity we can’t always find camps as nice as this."

Xena considered this. It was true, although they both enjoyed their traveling lifestyle, after a long day of dusty tracks and hot sun it felt a necessity to be able to take a bath. "Would you like me to wash your hair for you?" she inquired. It wasn’t really necessary as they had stayed at an inn last night with a good bathing room which they had been able to take advantage of before they had set out this morning, however, it was one of those things Xena enjoyed doing and tried not to think too deeply about the reasoning behind it.

"Do you expect me to decline an offer like that?" Gabrielle grinned and floated over to her friend turning her back and allowing the warrior to reach more easily. She loved it when Xena washed her hair, it was something that would always make her feel special that someone whose hands could and had been so brutal and powerful could perform the most gentle and tender of actions when applied to her.

Gabrielle allowed her body to relax completely, floating gently in the soothing water. Her awareness of the outside world seemed to drop away, leaving her mesmerised by the magic the warrior’s long fingers wrought on her scalp.

"All done." Xena reported some moments later as she ran her hands down the long golden strands, teasing out the knots. When Gabrielle didn’t move straight away, Xena’s hands eased across to the bard’s shoulders, her thumbs gently kneading out the knots she found there. "Feels like you have been carrying the weight of the world on these today," she remarked. "Here." Xena took her friend’s hand and led her over to the small waterfall, manoeuvering Gabrielle so that the rushing water was gently pounding her shoulders.

"Now that really does feel good," smiled Gabrielle as she tilted her head back and felt the flow run over her scalp and down her back. "Mmmm," she murmured in appreciation. Xena just smiled.

The warrior broke the silence a few moments later. "Well, I can leave you there while I have some food," she offered, her twinkling eyes betraying the seriousness in her voice.

"Food? I’m there!" Gabrielle responded quickly, smiling at the familiarity of their long-standing joke at the expense of her appetite. Xena seems better now, she thought to herself as she turned to study her friend. It was true; there had been more conversation between them since Xena had returned from hunting than there had been all day. There were more frequent smiles on both of their faces than there had been for some time too. Gabrielle moved away from the cascading water and towards her friend. Their eyes met and locked for a brief moment. Xena had smiled but Gabrielle saw that those beautiful blue eyes were not smiling too, realising sadly that whatever was bothering Xena was still there; she was just making more of an effort to hide it. "Race you!" Gabrielle challenged, endeavouring to keep the mood light and they both sprang towards the bank.

It was not long before the friends had eaten their fill, drying themselves by the warm fire at the same time. The pair rose, moving around the camp to complete the final chores of the evening. Gabrielle began to wash the dishes in the stream, pleased as she found the mini waterfall made short work of the task. Xena was grooming Argo with steady strokes along the mare’s golden coat. Darkness had settled and the horse’s mane seemed to glow with life in the flickering firelight. Xena began to think deeply as she often did while performing the methodical task of grooming Argo. She and Gabrielle were back together after a time she thought she may never see Gabrielle again. Xena shuddered involuntarily as she relived the feelings that thought had induced and pushed them deeper down inside herself. Subconsciously, her eyes were drawn to the form of her friend, her heart directing the thoughts of her mind.

Gabrielle was her source, as she had told her before. However, that did not even come close to explaining the bond she felt between them. In a world that was capable of such hardship and cruelty, a world that sometimes seemed little more than a plaything for the gods, a world where she had learnt not to love because to love was to risk pain, there was Gabrielle. Gabrielle was her constant, the one thing she could always turn to for guidance, a spiritual North Star who continually guided her towards goodness and provided her with hope. Gabrielle had taught her that she was naïve to believe that she could choose to avoid love but who had also taught her that although to love is to risk pain, love could bring unimaginable rewards she had never experienced before.

"Enough of that," Xena told herself sternly. She already knew how important Gabrielle had become to her, she had grudgingly accepted that fact a long time ago. However, she was the only person that would ever know about it and daydreaming about it served no useful purpose. Back in her safe haven of practicality Xena inspected Argo’s coat. The dull amber glow reminded her of molten bronze, testifying to a thorough grooming which had cleared the mare’s coat of the dust and grime accrued over a long days traveling. Xena looked towards the heart of the camp, at the fire and the bard crouched beside it. Gabrielle held a worn, leather-bound volume open on her lap. To Xena’s relief the page bore writing, a reflection of a happier Gabrielle than the one who had traveled the same roads as her through the day. At that moment the bard looked up, a little furrow along her brow reflecting the creativity that was taking place within. Xena smiled at the familiarity of the expression and giving Argo a final pat moved towards the fire.

After her chores Gabrielle had settled down to update her diary. It was a task that she found immensely comforting, both in its familiarity and as an opportunity to clear her mind of the day’s stresses and worries. She knew that Xena felt the same way about grooming Argo. With Xena it had to be something practical, however, the ethos was the same. Tonight, Xena had been deep in thought, her brushstrokes had almost been hypnotic in their regularity and the usually animated horse had simply stood quietly while Xena completed her task. Gabrielle too had simply sat quietly. She had often found Xena to be a great inspiration and had composed some of her favourite pieces of work based on the warrior. Tonight, Gabrielle had let herself drift mentally, enchanted by her friend. There was so much about Xena that inspired her, the sultry confidence, the keen intelligence, the beauty that was evident in everything about her, from the tiniest muscle movements under the tanned skin to the deep blue eyes that she could never look at for too long. Those eyes were mesmerising, they conveyed to Gabrielle a great deal of Xena’s communication with an intensity the bard wasn’t sure even Xena was aware of. Sometimes she would just see those eyes and know everything would be alright. That would be when she had to look away.

"Hey."

Gabrielle started as a voice anchored her back into the present. She looked down at her diary and was surprised to see a page of writing, she shut the volume abruptly, both unsure and dubious of the content given where her thoughts had been for the last candlemark. She struggled to find a topic of conversation, not usually a problem for her but one that seemed to be happening more frequently, around Xena at least. Perhaps it was herself she should be worrying about rather than her friend.

"Argo looks shiny," she remarked. Argo looks shiny??? Gabrielle, you are supposed to be a bard, conversation and wit being your trademark skills. Argo looks shiny. Definitely top material there. Yeah.

Xena smiled, the horse certainly was gleaming. "How about a little sparing practice?" she offered, the prospect of a physical challenge most likely to concentrate her mind on more practical matters.

Gabrielle considered the offer. Sparring with Xena was something she had learnt to enjoy. At first it had been a chore, hard work to hone survival techniques. However, as time had passed Gabrielle had begun to improve and she realised that gaining the skills was similar to gaining freedom. The greater her skill level, the more use she could be in a situation that required action rather than conversation. She had also begun to enjoy the independence and self-sufficiency of being able to defend herself and not make Xena have to look out for both of them all of the time. Not that Xena had stopped looking out for her but Gabrielle could recognise Xena’s growing respect for her friend’s ability and that was the greatest reward of all. Anyhow, the more she improved the closer she came to her goal of dumping her tall friend on her backside in the mud. Gabrielle grinned at the thought, "You’re on!"


The moon was full and bright in a sky littered with stars. In the clearing the silvery light shone down on two figures and their staffs. The pair had loosened up as they circled each other, watching for hints of movement. Gabrielle was planning an attack, Xena merely watched as she let her instincts take over, trusting her finely honed reactions. Sure enough Gabrielle’s first strike met with wood. Xena took the advantage and swung her staff down for a gentle tap behind the knees. Gabrielle was improving though and she reversed her staff countering Xena’s attack. The pair circled again, the opening bout complete. Xena made the first move this time, a swing aimed at the bard’s shoulder combined with a follow through at knee level. The bard countered both moves, the concentration evident on her face. She ducked down with a decoy attack to Xena’s thigh but once close enough rose to attack her upper body. The blow never connected but Gabrielle knew that she was getting closer. She had realised some time ago that her more compact form gave her manoeuvering advantages over her taller friend and all she had to do was discover the best way to exploit these advantages. She didn’t have time to launch a second attempt because Xena lunged forward and engaged her in a rapid set of attacks and counters that soon had them both sweating freely.

Time and time again wood met with wood, only the occasional attack getting through either friend’s defences. Gabrielle knew Xena was going easy on her, recognising that the warrior was holding back. Although that always frustrated her in one way, in another it only made her respect Xena even more, Xena’s fighting skills were legendary but what people didn’t see was the self-control she displayed too, if she didn’t have such mental strength Gabrielle knew she would have been seriously injured a long time ago. Xena watched as the bard began to tire, the furrows in her forehead were deeper and her moves becoming less frequent and less precise.

Suddenly Xena stopped all movement and tilted her head as though listening. Gabrielle looked puzzled but followed suit aware of her friend’s sensitive hearing, a talent that had so many times given them a much needed advantage over surprise attackers. Xena made no sound as she quietly began to walk towards the pool, her eyes tracking the surrounding trees. She crouched as she reached a large boulder by the water’s edge, maintaining a constant vigil in the direction of the forest. Gabrielle crept silently towards her unable to sense the intrusion that Xena seemed to be preoccupied with. Then she realised too late that there was no intrusion, she merely saw a blur of action as Xena twirled around from the water, sending what seemed like half of the pool all over the bard.

"Xena!" Gabrielle cried indignantly "What did you do that for?"

"You looked like you needed a little cooling down," replied the warrior, her eyes dancing in amusement and her mouth trying to repress a grin.

"You, you..." Gabrielle could not think of a suitable insult so instead she charged towards the chuckling warrior, using body weight and momentum to propel the pair of them into the pool.

"Oh, that was mature!" Xena taunted when they both surfaced.

"Hey, I am not the one that started this you know!" responded the bard, pleased with the effectiveness of her attack. Although she had landed in the pool too she had been pretty wet to begin with and, oh dear, leathers did take so much longer to dry out than linen!

Xena put a reconciliatory look on her face and swam over to the smug looking bard. At the last minute she did a sudden surface dive, locating her friend’s knees and pulling them out from under her. She then raced to the shore and grabbing a piece of linen to dry herself off, dived down on to the sleeping fur closest to the fire, leaving a spluttering bard in her wake.

"I’ll get you for that, you know that don’t you," Gabrielle warned as she emerged from the pool and flopped down next to the warrior.

"I am counting on it," replied Xena, passing another piece of linen to the sopping bard. "It is a good thing the weather is so good, such recklessness could have got us both a fever," she continued in a mock chiding manner.

Gabrielle just looked at her friend and started to giggle as she took a swipe at the wet leather-clad stomach by her side. The pair lay back on the furs as the warmth of the well-stocked fire began to dry them. The stars really were beautiful; it was one of the things Gabrielle most liked about their outdoor life.

Xena pointed upwards, "That looks like a horse."

Gabrielle grinned as she tilted her head to each side, "funny looking horse," she responded, "could be a whip though, you see, all curled out there," she concluded gesticulating.

Xena shook her head, "Well, you bards are supposed to have good imaginations" she replied. The warrior’s face assumed a more serious expression as her natural practicality re-surfaced. "We ought to get some rest now, we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

Gabrielle sighed. "Yes, you’re right, goodnight Xena."

"Goodnight Gabrielle," the warrior answered as she closed her eyes. She felt a sense of inner peace that had eluded her for some time. Since the visions had started in fact. But here and now everything was just right and if she waited just a little while longer...

Gabrielle’s breathing began to become slower and more even, reflecting the sleep she had rapidly succumbed to. Soon, in her sleeping state, she edged over to the warrior, draping an arm across the leather-clad stomach and nestling her head against her friend’s powerful shoulder. In the darkness a flash of white teeth and the glint of two very blue eyes could be seen.


The early morning sun shone down on two very awake companions. Xena had taken advantage of the nearby pool to take a brisk, icy dip. She had then launched herself into a set of warm up sword drills, partly to dry herself off and partly to warm up muscles she never knew when she would need to call upon. Gabrielle had enjoyed a more sedate start to her day. She had packed up their camp into neat traveling bundles and loaded up the waiting Argo. She had also done her best to ignore the scantily clad, toned warrior doing her early morning drills. Despite the droplets of water glistening on the tanned skin... and despite the sleek muscle movements extenuated by the damp linen clinging to the warrior’s body.

"It’s going to be a hot one," remarked Xena as she studied the almost cloudless blue sky, her eyes squinting against an already bright sun.

"Yes," the bard answered in reflex, slightly distracted. She shook her head, forcing her thoughts back to the less personal. "A perfect opportunity to work on my tan then," she continued, responding to her friend’s comment for the first time. Gabrielle was in a much more relaxed mood following the playfulness of the night before, she hummed quietly to herself to fill the silence that followed.

Xena smiled as she led Argo out of the clearing and towards the small track. They traveled on in silence for a while, each busy with their separate thoughts.

Gabrielle broke the silence. "Where exactly are we going Xena?" she asked suddenly. Usually she knew all about the mission, who was in trouble, why, who the bad guys were and so on. She had suddenly realised that nobody had really asked for help recently but still they were definitely traveling with a purpose.

Xena had been waiting for her blonde friend to ask this question as it saved her having to venture information unnecessarily. However, now that she had, Xena wasn’t sure exactly what she could say. "We are going to see Elkton," she answered in a matter of fact way.

There was a little pause as Gabrielle tried to place the name. She was great with faces, she could always place them but names always got a little confusing. After all, they did meet a lot of people in their line of work. Finally, the look of concentration lifted off her brow and she responded, "oh yes, the priest of Morpheus, I remember." She stated and continued, "the one who helped you to enter the dream passage to come and rescue me." Gabrielle winced at her own words, how often Xena had had to come and rescue her in the early days, sometimes she had wondered what the warrior would have done all day if she had never met this human trouble-magnet. "Is he in trouble?" She asked, "Did he send for us?"

Xena sighed mentally, she knew that she could never really have expected Gabrielle not to ask questions, this was Gabrielle after all. However, she had still hoped that she might be able to get away with it. "No," she responded, "I need to see him, I need his advice."

Gabrielle realised too late that this was one mission Xena hadn’t volunteered information about. Perhaps it was better that she just left it at that and waited till they got there to see what it was all about. On the other hand, Xena had been distracted recently and to have to be asking advice from someone meant she had a problem that must be pretty difficult. Well, two heads were better than one, perhaps she could help. She tried to think of a question that would get a lot of useful information, she had learnt long ago not to bombard the warrior with numerous, frivolous questions. Ask few but make them count she reminded herself. "Why Elkton?" she finally asked.

Xena had taken advantage of Gabrielle’s momentary silence to organise her thoughts. She knew the next question would be one that she could not avoid and would require a more detailed explanation. Gabrielle never asked pointless questions. "Ever since I we... died... I have been having visions, they were rare to start with but they have been getting more frequent..." she explained.

Gabrielle knew that, the vision where they both died on a snowy mountain top. It was something that she tried hard not to think about. However, she let Xena continue, if she wanted to find out more and to understand she knew better than to interrupt unnecessarily.

"You know about the mountain one," Xena continued, having searched for an easier way to make reference to that particular vision, "that one I had while fighting Atli. The others are different." The warrior paused with a distracted look on her face.

"There are others?" Gabrielle probed gently.

"Yes... they are not about us dying," Xena sought to reassure her friend, "they are about us but in places that are very bizarre. I have been having them since we were in Rome that time. I see these things both in visions during the day and in dreams at night. That is why I thought Elkton could help."

"As he is a priest of Morpheus, I understand," Gabrielle confirmed. However, there were a few things she didn’t understand. It was clear to her now from her friend’s body language and tone of voice that this is what had been causing the change in the warrior that she had noticed. She was glad because she finally knew what it was and could try and do something about it. However, all Xena was saying is that she had been having dreams about them. That was not surprising, they were traveling companions and spent all their time together. However, the warrior hadn’t sought out Elkton about the mountain vision and that was a dire one that had disturbed both of them. What was in these other dreams that bothered Xena so much that she had to seek advice? There was something that Xena wasn’t telling her. Well, there was only one way to find out. "So what are these other dreams about?" she inquired.

Xena considered the question, on the surface the answer was very simple, the two of them in strange surroundings. There was no sense of danger, often they were just together with nothing really happening. It was the tone of the visions that really bothered her, raising questions that Xena was afraid to find the answers to. After the first she had hoped it was just a one-off but the visions had kept coming, insinuating situations that Xena found terrified her in a way a battalion of armed minotaurs could not have. As any good warrior she had found comfort in action, the practicality of seeking out Elkton easing her nerves. Xena knew she risked too much by explaining to Gabrielle her reactions to the details of the dreams so she just decided on the simplest response. "Nothing in particular, just you and I in very strange surroundings." Xena replied, she continued on to give Gabrielle an answer to the question she was trying not to ask. "I want to see Elkton to see if there is anyway of stopping the daytime visions, if they start in the middle of a fight it may put us both in danger."

Gabrielle considered this. It was typical warrior reasoning. It was practical and sensible. However, she doubted it was the main reason for Xena seeking out Elkton and it also did nothing to explain her friend’s preoccupation recently. Gabrielle eyed the tall woman striding by her side. The forceful step and slightly jutting jaw told the bard that Xena was on the defensive, expecting and prepared for further questioning. Gabrielle knew her friend well and as much as she wanted to help she knew that Xena had said all she was going to on the matter, for the time being at least. "I understand," the bard said as she slipped her arm round a surprised Xena’s waist.

"So, who am I?" Gabrielle asked, starting up a familiar game of theirs.


It was more feelings that tangible events. She could feel Gabrielle’s presence very close to her. It was a world that was alien, full of strange noises and little open space. This time the surroundings seemed to sharpen, the murmurings evolved into voices, shapes took human form. Xena realised she was fighting. It was an odd sensation; the fighting was different to what she was used to. There was the normal anticipation and energy and the sheer enjoyment, they were all as familiar to her as old friends. However, this time competition replaced fear on both sides, she could see that in her opponent’s eyes. There were no weapons and people all around her were dressed in white costumes. The vision cleared further and her eyes confirmed what her gut instinct had already told her, Gabrielle was there, away from the fight, just watching. She was dressed even more strangely than Xena but there was no mistaking those green eyes. As the images started to cloud Xena found her attention drawn to a corner of the building where a shadowed figure lurked, a man. Xena knew the man, she cared for him and somehow realised that it was important to her that he was there. As she concentrated harder, squinting to get a clearer image, the surroundings began to fall away, replaced with a more normal environment and a familiar voice calling her name. However, it had not been before she had seen the man’s scarred face.


"Xena?" Gabrielle called again, concerned by the distant look in her friend’s vacant eyes.

"Sorry," Xena murmured, looking her companion in the eye and seeing the relief there.

"Another vision?" Gabrielle asked patiently.

"Yes," Xena replied. She paused for a moment before continuing. "It is as though there is something important, some kind of message that someone is trying to show me but as soon as I start to see anything the vision begins to fade."

Gabrielle recognised the frustration in her friend’s voice but decided to try and keep the conversation light, after all, Xena had not openly made any indication of how much these visions were bothering her. "Maybe it is that you should get more sleep," the bard joked. Xena smiled, trying to push away the feelings the visions always awoke.

The pair were sat in the shade of a large tree just off the side of the track enjoying a lunch of soft cheese and sun warmed bread. The dappled sunlight painted green twinges over their outstretched legs and the gentle noises of wildlife society dampened the silence. It had turned out to be a very pleasant day that encouraged a feeling of well being in anyone lucky enough to be outside to enjoy it. Xena eased back into the springy bracken behind her. Gabrielle followed suit, looking up at the brilliant blue sky and the occasional fluffy white puffs that crossed it.

A smile crossed Xena’s face and she moved her hand until she found a small rock that she threw directly upwards. Gabrielle jumped slightly at the sudden noise as the rock hit a branch and then watched intrigued as two objects tumbled back down to earth, lazily swiped out of mid air by a pair of tanned hands. Gabrielle rolled onto her side and raised an eyebrow at the smug looking warrior.

"Pick a hand," Xena instructed.

"That one," Gabrielle answered as she pointed. The warrior’s hand opened to reveal the small rock that she had originally thrown. "Ok," Gabrielle said, "the other one." Xena grinned as she opened her hand and passed a perfectly ripe peach to her friend.

"Ooh, of your many skills, I think I like that one the best!" the bard announced as she bit into the sweet fruit. Xena took the rock and threw again, this time capturing a peach for herself.

"So," Gabrielle began, "How long will it take us to get there?"

Xena paused, mentally traveling the route she had planned. "About two more days," she answered. "We will be traveling through Amazon territory for a while so we will have to be ready for anything."

"I never realised we were that close to home," Gabrielle commented as she tried to calculate the distances and directions they had traveled in the last few weeks.

"We aren’t." Xena confirmed, "We are further East than that. It is another tribe of forest Amazons. I haven’t had that much contact with them."

"An unknown quantity in Amazon form." Gabrielle summarised, "I can understand the need for caution. Well at least we know the principles of their society, if we do get into difficulties we know how best to approach them."

Xena looked unconvinced, "I still think total avoidance will be the best tactic."

Gabrielle had to admit that she was slightly disappointed. She found the Amazons she had met fascinating, their feminist culture being so different to anything else she had encountered. Plus they did have some interesting traditions. It would have been intriguing to meet another tribe, to see how the two differed and what similarities there were. Gabrielle reminded herself of why they were even in this area at all and decided that meeting Elkton should be the first priority. Maybe on the way back...


By the late afternoon the companions had found themselves leaving the leafy forest behind them and had watched as the surroundings they passed though had gradually morphed into rich farmland. Civilisation in the form of a small town had loomed on the horizon, offering the opportunity to get fresh supplies and indulge in a warm bath. Neither friend had needed much persuasion and by the early evening their chores had been taken care of and Gabrielle had even arranged to do some storytelling at the inn where they were staying.

The inn was fairly large, one of only a few in the large town. It housed about fifty tables and offered a wide selection of both food and drink. The innkeeper and his wife were friendly, down to earth people, their high standards and reasonable prices accounting for both their popularity and the success of their enterprise.

Xena had settled into a chair in a secluded corner, near a window that looked out into the courtyard outside the inn. Gabrielle was at the front of the inn, near the serving area, perched on a stool preparing to launch into a story. Xena smiled as she recognised the slightly nervous air about her friend. Despite the numerous times the bard had performed and all the totally positive reactions she had always received, the challenge of standing up in front of a room full of people and endeavouring to entertain them was something even Xena knew she would find secretly daunting. When you were fighting people and you were as skilled a warrior as Xena, the other combatant had no choice, all it took was time before you had them exactly where you wanted them. When you were trying to entertain though, now that was a totally different scenario. It was something you could not control, the crowd chose whether or not to be entertained and there was not a lot you could do about it. However, Xena had total confidence in her bardic friend and recognised that she had already undeniably won over the toughest audience she could ever face. Not that she would ever let Gabrielle know that.

Gabrielle had decided upon a well-known story to start off with. It was a good plan of attack, you proved to your audience exactly what you could do with a story they already knew and then when you did the same for one they didn’t know you could have them eating out of your hand. As Gabrielle launched into the tale of Odysseus and the Sirens she began to relax more. Her mind took over automatically and described the pictures she was seeing in clear language using voice control and facial expressions to add the excitement. The crowd was a mixed one, quite a few farmers, some traveling merchants and the usual local tradesmen. The town seemed peaceful and Xena allowed herself to relax, lulled by her friend’s voice and the inn’s very acceptable ale.

After some time Xena’s wandering thoughts were interrupted by the appreciative noises of the crowd. Gabrielle had finished her third and final story and was basking in the positive attention she was receiving from her audience. Xena watched as her friend gradually made progress over to the table she was sitting at, all the time answering questions, returning greetings and smiling in sheer reflex.

However, before Gabrielle could even reach the table Xena’s attention was diverted as her acute senses warned her of nearby danger. She quickly located the source of the alarm and studied the five heavily armed men approaching the entrance of the inn. They were obviously trained warriors, their armour and weapons were well kept and their attitude seemed focused. Xena rose smoothly and slipped outside to meet them.

Despite their purposeful attitude as soon as they saw the warrior heading towards them it was clear the men were looking for a fight. Xena sighed inwardly, a nice peaceful evening at an inn was all she had been wanting, why was it that trouble always seemed to find them?

The leader of the group spoke, "Xena." He stated.

"That’s right." She replied coolly, gauging the men as she waited for a reaction.
Xena’s lightening speed reflexes almost surprised even herself as her right hand suddenly swiped at the air in front of her chest and captured an arrow. Her eyes narrowed. The men hesitated for the briefest moment which Xena took advantage of as she drew her sword.


The first two men ran at her with their swords drawn, she dodged them then whirled round sending one to the dirt with a kick to his back. The other man turned and charged again, this time engaging the warrior in a set of skilled parries. Xena’s senses alerted her to another threat and she drew her chakram as she saw the archer load his bow for the second time. The disc flew through the air bouncing off a nearby barrel and splitting the arrow in two. Xena caught the returning weapon between sword thrusts as the first man rose and approached her again. Xena’s sword moved faster and faster as her mind emptied and she acted on instinct. A gap in her opponent’s defences allowed her to wound his sword arm and fell him with a roundhouse kick.

As the man approaching from behind was almost upon her, Xena spun round and slammed an elbow thrust to his throat, he collapsed back to the ground on his knees as he clutched his neck. The other three men all moved toward the warrior at once, Xena somersaulted in the air and temporarily felled the archer with a hard kick to his chest. One of the other men fell as a rush of blonde swiped his legs from under him with a staff swung at his knees. Xena was now left facing the leader and the archer who had recovered his feet. The leader was the greater threat because his sword skills were practised and moved with almost the same level of fluidity as hers. All these men were focused and they were proving to be a refreshing challenge.

Suddenly both men facing Xena changed direction and headed straight for Gabrielle and her now recovered original opponent. Xena knew Gabrielle was certainly very capable of defending herself but not against three trained warriors who seemed intent on doing serious harm without an obvious motive. Another somersault placed Xena at Gabrielle’s side, just in time to slip her sword into the archer approaching Gabrielle with a drawn dagger. The man slumped to the ground bonelessly.

Gabrielle was holding her own against her attacker, moving her staff rapidly in an impressive selection of both attacking and defensive manoeuvres. Xena concentrated on the leader, luring him into an imposing match of swordplay. The man sidestepped her thrust and returned one of his own aimed at her midsection. She smiled as she parried him, the enjoyment of the challenging competition evident in her eyes. He was a highly skilled swordsman and the pair fought with fluid momentum, each looking for a break in the other’s defences.

Another staff swing at her opponents knee’s felled Gabrielle’s attacker and this time when he got up he stumbled off as fast as he could. She prepared for further confrontation as two more of the fallen men rose but they simply chased after their companion. The bard then watched as her friend fought the leader. Xena attacked with a thrust to the man’s midsection then swung a roundhouse kick to his chest as he defended against her first move. He fell to the ground from the force of the impact and Xena pounced on him, jabbing his neck in three swift movements.

"I have just cut off the flow of blood to your brain." The warrior informed him as she regarded the wide-eyed man in front of her. "You have thirty seconds to tell me who you are and what you want."

A small trickle of blood ran from the man’s nose as he contemplated his situation. Gabrielle walked over to join the warrior. "Twenty seconds." She announced, receiving a subtly amused look from her friend.

"I came to kill her." The fallen man spluttered as he stared at the bard.

Gabrielle felt a chill travel up her spine. Xena’s eyes narrowed and bore into him like two ice chips. "Why? Who sent you?" She demanded.

"The Master..." the man spluttered, "the Master sent me."

Xena’s voice dropped an octave. "Who is the Master?"

The man’s eyes were bulging and he was struggling to breathe. He gasped for air, "The Master... is..." the man was stopped from completing his sentence as two arrows embedded themselves in his throat, sending a spurt of blood down his neck and taking his life with it. Xena spun round to see the archer she had felled earlier collapse. By the time she had arrived by his side he was already dead.


The candlelight that flickered across the simple inn room illuminated the two inhabitants, painting them in dancing stripes of orange and red. However, even the softness of the glow could not lessen the hardened features of the warrior, her hands violently striping a piece of wood with her hunting knife, her eyes cold and remote. The bard was sitting on one of the two small pallet beds, her hands clutching a cold mug of tea. A tense silence hung over the room as each woman thought of the earlier attackers.

After the fight Xena had been left with two dead bodies and too many questions. The town’s law enforcement workers had arrived and both friends had had to answer numerous questions about the men and the fight. The moon had been high in the sky and the streets of the town deserted before they were allowed to return to the inn. However, once there, neither had made any pretense at needing to sleep and they had sat down in the positions they still held now.

Xena had been thinking about the warriors and the fight. It was something she usually did to analyse any falters in her defences or particularly effective attack moves that her opponent had made that she could use herself. However, this was more than just her usual post fight analysis, it was personal. The men had been challenging opponents, they were all skilled fighters and their level of focus was rare. Xena had admitted to herself that it had been one of the most challenging battles she had fought in sometime. She had admitted too that she was afraid. It would not have been the same if the warriors had been seeking her out, however, the bard had a hidden enemy, one powerful enough to send out quality warriors to kill her. Warriors that were so well trained that one would use his last moments of life killing his comrade to protect a secret. Who was the enemy? Why Gabrielle of all people? Xena’s mind was a minefield of crucial questions.

The tall warrior looked over at her friend sitting in silence on the nearby pallet. Gabrielle looked so pale and drawn, her eyebrows knitted together in worry and total silence replacing her usual cheery chatter. Xena realised that however much she may be worried Gabrielle would see that and right now her friend needed her strength and support more than ever.

"Gabrielle?" The warrior’s low voice broke the silence in the room. However, there was no response from the bard, her eyes not loosing the faraway gaze they held for one moment. Xena rose and heated some water, she always felt better when she took action. She mixed up some tea and poured the hot water over it, adding a generous amount of honey to complete the concoction. She moved across the small room and seated herself next to her friend, holding out the offering.

Gradually the bard returned to her surroundings and looked up at Xena. "Oh, thank you, I guess this one is a bit cold now." She gazed into the existing cup before taking the replacement from her friend. "Xena, who have I hurt to earn this?" she questioned, her eyes searching the blue ones opposite her.

That was so typical of Gabrielle, the warrior thought, she has a bunch of half-crazed warriors sent to kill her and instead of thinking about herself she is wondering about how she may have caused pain to someone else. The warrior’s hand lifted to the bard’s chin, holding it firmly and forcing continued eye contact. "Now, you listen to me Gabrielle," Xena commanded, "every person you have come into contact with in your life has gained only warmth and happiness from knowing you." She paused for the words to sink in, letting the depth of her own feelings for the bard shine in her eyes. "I do not know who these men are working for but I know the attack was tactical, not personal." The bard’s eyes searched her friend’s with a deploring hope for the statement to be true. "Gabrielle," the warrior purred, "I will never let any harm come to you, I would die before I would let that happen, you know that." Xena urged earnestly. Her response was a fierce hug that secretly gave the warrior as much comfort as it did her companion.


Two very bright blue eyes greeted the grey, pre-dawn light. Although the warrior had tried to rest, her mind had been doggedly trying to unravel the puzzles of the previous evening and combined with the fact that her senses had been on overdrive since the attack, Xena had not slept at all. However, the time she had spent thinking had relaxed the warrior a little. Well, either that or the night spent with a bard wrapped round her, Xena both sighed and smiled in a moment of self-knowledge. Gabrielle chose that moment to move even closer although Xena would not have thought it possible. Again, she smiled and this time closed her eyes, allowing herself to rest a little longer, lulled by the steady breathing of her companion.


Until her senses cleared, all she could see was blue. Eventually, the fogginess dissipated and shapes began to form. Xena realised she was under water. As she sought and located Gabrielle she realised that although they were both underwater, she could breath as though on land and Gabrielle seemed the same. There was a heavy weight on her back and she was wearing odd clothes which included some kind of mask over her eyes.

Gabrielle had swum over to her and was pointing at a passing fish. It was bright yellow with vivid blue markings, one she had not seen before. Gabrielle had held up a black box she was wearing round her neck towards the fish for a brief moment, then she had turned and smiled at Xena with a look of pure happiness and... something else that Xena couldn’t name. However, it was a something else that sent Xena’s stomach somersaulting and prickles traveling up her spine.


Xena opened her eyes, her senses quickly reconciling her to being back in the inn room with solid sunlight pouring through the open window. A subtle check confirmed that Gabrielle was still asleep, her limbs securing her companion to the bed and her blonde head tucked into the warrior’s shoulder as usual. Xena smiled and leant back, her mind tracking back to her recent vision. The visions were strange, different to dreams because the images were clearer and when she awoke she could remember each detail perfectly. It was more like a memory but the environments were always so alien and she knew that she had never experienced them. Also, she didn’t have to be asleep to see the visions, that was one of the reasons behind a little nagging voice that told her the trip to see Elkton would not give her the answers she sought. However, it was a starting point and she would rather take action than sit around and wait for a possible answer.

Xena’s ponderings were halted as Gabrielle began to stir and two sleepy eyes peeped out at her. "Morning" she smiled, watching as her friend realised where she was and what she was hugging so tightly. However, this morning, unlike normal mornings, Gabrielle didn’t spring away and make mumbled excuses, she just lay where she was and greeted the warrior in return.

"Good Morning," the bard smiled back. Gabrielle had contemplated moving but had decided that her human pillow was far too comfortable. She realised how much better she felt after a good rest and recognised that a lot of that was down to Xena and the security she felt being so close to her. Mentally she thanked Xena for her tolerance, she usually seemed to end up lolling all over her friend at night but last night she knew that it was something she had really needed. The bard rolled over and peered out of the window, her eyes squinting against the bright light. "Looks like it is going to be another hot day today," she announced.

Xena considered the prospect, it mean that hopefully any potential attackers would leave an attempt till it was cooler and they didn’t have the disadvantage of the heat to contend with as well as her. The warrior had grimly reconciled herself to the fact that there would almost certainly be another attack but had decided that it may well give her the chance to discover more about their hidden enemy, an opportunity which was crucial to removing the threat all together. She had decided to keep her concerns to herself though and try to play down the situation to Gabrielle as much as possible. Keep it light and relaxed, the voice in the back of her head told her.

Xena stretched out her long fingers and tickled the bard’s ribs, "Well, it won’t make any difference if you don’t get up!" she joked.

Gabrielle shrieked at the tickle-attack and squirmed to try and get free. "Xena, stop it!" she begged between giggles, "it is too early for tickling!"

"It is never too early for tickling," Xena responded, "that is warrior rule number 487."

Gabrielle responded with the tools of her own trade. "Well, how am I supposed to get out of bed if you keep tickling me?" She gasped, impressed with herself for producing such a valid, logical argument while she was so distracted.

"Fair point," grinned the warrior as she released the bard and watched as she scrambled to her feet, giving her taller friend a dire look.

The two traded companionable banter as they washed and dressed. They were just packing up the last of their belongings and making the final preparations for the day’s traveling when a soft knock came at the door. Gabrielle froze and Xena’s hand went automatically to the chakram at her side. "Yes?" She called out.


The door was pushed open slowly and a short, grey-haired man poked his head round. Both friends relaxed as they recognised him as one of the law officers they had talked to the night before.

"Morning ladies." The man greeted them, getting a raised eyebrow in response from the taller of the two. He continued hurriedly, "I am sorry to call in on you so early but I wanted to catch you before you left."

"No problem," Gabrielle responded, "how can we help you?"

The man smiled at her, she was less daunting than her friend and seem to have a lot better developed social skills. "Actually, it was something I thought might help you." He answered and opened his hand to reveal a small object as he continued, "we found one of these on each of the bodies and one in the dust. Looks like it was torn off in the fight." His gaze turned to Xena and he shifted a little.

Both the friend’s moved closer to the man and his outstretched palm. The item was a small vial with a long strip of leather attached to it, confirming that it would have been worn around the neck. Xena retrieved the vial and unstoppered it revealing traces of a red liquid inside. She lifted the container to her nose and sniffed but even in her wide experience with herbs from many different lands, the mixture in the vial had contained ingredients that even she did not recognise.

"What is it?" Gabrielle asked.

"Some kind of red potion." Xena responded, "it has been taken but there is a small residue around the inside of the vial. I don’t recognise any of the ingredients."

The man nodded in conformation. "That is the same conclusion we reached," he explained. "We just thought it was a little odd that they all had the same thing." He paused, scratching his jaw in thought. " I suppose it might give a motive for the attack though, if they had unusual herbs in their bloodstream’s who knows what might have been going on in their heads."

Xena didn’t particularly agree with this reasoning but decided to keep this to herself as the last thing she wanted was to have to stay in the town and discuss possible motives. "Thank you for letting us know." The warrior said in a matter of fact tone. Gabrielle softened this with a smile and the man bade his farewells and left them in peace.

The bard seemed fairly contented with the possible explanation the man had given them and Xena decided not to ruin this until she had any other possible explanation to offer in its place. "Time to collect Argo and hit the road," the warrior said gathering her equipment and holding the door open for the bard to pass through.


The peaceful little glade, usually so full of chattering birds and scuffling wildlife was now gripped in an eerie silence. Only one creature inhabited the clearing, it prowled over to the serene pool nearby and peered into the water. A beast glared back, similar to a large wolf in appearance with a black shaggy coat, although it walked on all fours it would still have been hip height to an average man. The beast issued a throaty growl, it’s cruel, elongated muzzle displaying savage white teeth. It moved away from the pool and stalked around the glade, hungrily chasing the residual scent of the quarry it was pursuing. It’s eyes held a red tinge to them as it calculated it’s prey’s movements around the ground. The scent was particularly strong on the flattened area of grass near the remains of a fire. Satisfied it was drawing closer to it’s quarry the creature prowled out of the clearing and towards the nearby track, the smell of it’s soon-to-be victims lingering in it’s nostrils...


The friends had made good progress that morning, quiet roads and good traveling conditions allowing them to cover a greater than average distance. Xena had ridden Argo, the additional height giving her a better vantage point to detect potential danger sooner. Gabrielle had walked by the tall horse’s side, a little quieter than usual but more positive than Xena thought she may have been.

The pair had settled down for lunch by the side of a small brook in the shade of several large trees. As usual, Argo had been allowed to wander freely and had found a patch of luscious grass in the shade. The road had reached the top of a small slope, allowing the pair to see quite a distance away.

"The roads are quiet today," remarked Gabrielle as she broke off a chunk of bread. "Probably because of the heat," she reasoned.

"Yes," Xena responded as she located an apple from their travel packs.

After several moments of contented silence as the pair ate, Gabrielle looked over at her friend, "Xena?"

"Yes?" the tall warrior replied.

"Do you remember when we went to India and had to use the Mendi to stop Alti?" The bard asked.

Xena thought back, their travels in India had been an important part of the healing process after some difficult times they had both been through, times that had threatened the very fabric of their friendship. She shuddered briefly as she thought back to that period of their lives and all they had come so close to loosing. "Yes," she replied simply.

Gabrielle continued, "do you remember how the personification of the Mendi explained that our souls would go on and on into the future even though we would leave our bodies behind?" She paused slightly before she continued, "remember, you marked your foot so that I could recognise you?" Gabrielle had smiled at the memory, a simple action that had proved to her how Xena had felt about her and their friendship.

Xena smiled too, the thought of their bond surviving time even when their bodies did not gave her a reassurance which she had clung to in many a dark moment. It had also given her the courage to continue fighting when both women were put in life-threatening situations so often in their travels. It was ironic really, before it had been a lack of interest in her future that let her face death fearlessly, now it was a belief in a greater future. "I remember," she confirmed.

The bard’s brows furrowed in thought. "Well how can that happen when we know the Elysian Fields and Tartarus exist, we have experienced them first hand after all, that is where people go isn’t it?" she asked.

Xena pondered this question, her friend had a very valid point. "I don’t know," the warrior answered honestly. She rummaged in the travel bag and retrieved her sharpening stone, de-sheathed her dagger and set to work, her eyes distant and brow furrowed with concentration.

Gabrielle leant back and surveyed the landscape, she knew her friend well enough to know that Xena was pondering the question and in time would respond further. The little brook determinedly burbled past her and in the distance she could she a glinting of the river it was rushing to join. Suddenly, she remembered the page of writing that had suddenly appeared in her diary whilst she was watching the warrior groom Argo the night before. She fished in her travel bag, her hand easily locating the small, leather bound book. She opened the pages to the most recent entry, reading the neat words written in her own hand.

The Flame

It started as just a flicker,
Growing to a small flame,
Buffeted by the winds of life,
We sheltered it with our hands,
Our eyes meeting, reflecting
The flame dancing at our union.

Rains fell, heavy, threatening drops,
The light spluttered, erratic in the peril.
Our hands stumbled,
The flame guttered,
Only the tip held the hint of a glow,
But our souls still believed.

Gently we blew,
Nurturing the pin prick of light.
Our fingers intertwined gently,
The flame recovering,
Growing steadily in the cold darkness surrounding it,
Bringing renewed hope in its life.

Now the flame burns strongly,
It’s life no longer to be threatened.
Once again, the light dances in our eyes,
This time it cannot be extinguished.
The flame is eternal,
Unbounded by the constraints of time.

The bard smiled, reflecting that she seemed to write some of her favourite pieces of work when she was not concentrating on the specific words. It tied in nicely with the conversation they were having at the moment too. Her thoughts were interrupted as she heard her friend take a breath, ready to break the recent silence.

"Perhaps," Xena began, "the afterlife is a place for souls to go to recover for a while before they become mortal again." She paused and looked into the distance. "Or maybe people have a role to fulfill in the world and they are reincarnated until they fulfill that role, then they retire to the next world."

The bard considered this, both were plausible explanations, integrating both spiritual futures they had experienced in their travels. "It was just curiosity, I know that whatever really happens, you and I will always be together, it is just the way it is, my gut instinct tells me, just like it told me to follow you in the first place." Gabrielle paused and then reddened a little, although it was true and something she had known for a long time she hadn’t really meant to say it out loud. She stole a subtle look at her friend and bit her lip in anticipation of the reaction her words would get.

Xena’s mind seemed to be fuzzy, it was taking a long time to process the words her friend had spoken. Her stomach had jumped instantaneously and a warmth had crept up and covered her whole skin. She looked over at the bard and nearly laughed out loud at the barely concealed anxiety her friend was exuding. Then suddenly it wasn’t funny, it was invigorating and awesome and joyous, a solid conviction in a companionship that would outlast their physical capabilities. It was an articulation of the desire that had sometime become the most important to her but that she had held for as long as she could remember.

Xena moved over and sat by her friend, gently resting her arm over the bard’s shoulders. Gabrielle quickly responded and wound her arm around the warrior’s waist and for some time they just sat in silence, looking over the suddenly beautiful landscape in front of them, together.


The girl leant over and gazed at her reflection in the water. A large bruise was starting to form over her right eye and blood was flowing freely from her lower lip. She pressed some cloth against it and sat back in the long grass. A large black and white dog came and sat down beside her, it’s pink tongue hanging out as it panted in the hot weather.

"Hey Moss," the girl said as she reached out her free hand to stroke the dog’s large head.

The dog licked her arm and raised it’s big brown eyes to look forlornly into hers. He panted at her.

The girl smiled at him. "No, it is ok, I have had worse, at least I have learned to run now!"

The girl moved slightly and gasped as she did so. She bent over a little and peered at her bare midriff where a large bruise mottled the skin covering her lower ribs. Gently, she lay back in the long green grass and stared at the sky. It was deep blue, only the occasional fluffy puffs of white traversing it.

Moss moved to lie down using her thigh as a pillow. The girl patted him again, reassured by his familiar presence. He was the one thing that made her happy, his loyalty, unconditional love and stability providing her with a reason to get out of bed in the morning and reminding her why she should get up every time she was knocked down. She often wished that it were just him and her in the world.

He had arrived a few summers ago, as her dream had foretold. She had dreamt that she was hunting in the forests that surrounded her home. She had been tracking a large white deer. It was a magnificent animal, almost as large as a small pony. It’s pristine white coat had seemed to shine in the dappled sunlight of the forest. The deer had stopped by a small cave and just looked at her. Then, out of nowhere, large angry wolves had appeared and formed a ring around her. She had been terrified but as they began to close in on her a large black and white dog had run out of the cave. It had fought the wolves and sent them fleeing back into the sanctuary of the forest. The white deer had almost seemed to nod before it disappeared and she woke up. Later that day Moss had arrived out of nowhere and had not left her side since.

It was the dreams that had caused her so many problems. She had always had dreams that had foretold important things, if her tribe were going to be attacked, if freak bad weather was going to spoil the crops, those sorts of things. The white deer was usually in the dreams. She used to tell the elders what she had seen. At first they had just said that she was a foolish child but as her prophecies had come true, usually with disastrous effects, they had accused her of causing it. Then they had punished her.

After one particularly bad attack where over half of the tribes best warrior’s had been lost the elders had turned on her. They had needed someone to blame, it was ironic that they chose the one person that had warned them. They accused her of possessing evil powers and had beaten her until she could barely breathe. It had taken days before she could see out of either eye and she didn’t honestly know how she lived though it. It had been just after that that Moss had befriended her.

Although she rarely mentioned her dreams now, people still got angry with her, most of the time she didn’t even know why. It was easier with Moss though, he listened and never, ever hurt her. She laid an arm across the dog’s back and closed her eyes, reveling in the peace and tranquillity of being on her own.


The afternoon’s traveling had lasted well into the early evening because the friends had continued until they had found a suitable campsite. As they had journeyed, Xena had pointed out to Gabrielle the subtle signs that they were skirting the outside of the Amazon territory that they had discussed earlier. However, the afternoon had passed uneventfully, much to both friends relief.

The camp was in a fairly rare wooded area, an unusual change from the farmland they had passed through for the majority of the day. However, it had offered shelter, fuel and water, the basics they needed for a camp. They still had a few supplies from their recent stay at the inn and had been able to create a basic but filling meal with minimal effort. Now, after a contentedly quiet evening the pair had settled down on their sleeping furs near the cheerfully flickering campfire. The physical exertion of the day had left both friends feeling satisfyingly tired. Gabrielle had fallen asleep almost as soon as she lay down but beside her two deep blue eyes were gazing up at the generous array of stars watching over them.

Although the warrior was physically tired, her mind was overactive, preventing her from the gently peace that sleep brought. Xena’s mind suddenly seemed to have been filled to bursting point with important issues that she randomly switched between with uncharacteristic distraction. There was the attempt on Gabrielle’s life, with the ‘master’ still an unknown enemy. There were her visions, unusual in their presence but also raising issues within her that Xena had been trying hard to subdue for what seemed like an eternity. Linked into that was the conversation they had had by the brook earlier. It had threatened a delicate balance she had forged for herself. She knew that the reference had been purely platonic but it was still a shock to her to have heard the level of conviction Gabrielle’s voice had held as she had spoken.

Eventually, Xena was relieved from her musings as she drifted off into a fitful sleep. Her dreams were vivid but meaningless and her always-alert senses were heightened following the earlier attack on her best friend. Her eyes moved rapidly underneath their closed lids, but finally she began to calm, sinking deeper into a restful sleep.


Gabrielle’s eyes opened and peered into the starlit darkness around her. Her hearing confirmed Xena’s sleeping state and Argo’s quiet presence nearby. She studied the sky and gauged there to be still be some time before even pre-dawn. Quietly, she extracted herself from her furs, sparing a fond look at her friend before she crept away from the camp, picking up a water flask on the way. She moved stealthily through the nearby foliage to a fallen tree trunk where she sat down, uncorking the flask and taking a long swig.

The bard did not know what had woken her, she clutched the flask and tried to relax, tuning into her senses the way Xena had taught her. Nothing in her surroundings seemed odd, the only thing that was unusual was her sixth sense being more actively present that normal. She just had a sense that something important was gradually taking place, it was nothing she could put her finger on but things seemed to be more intense than usual and events somehow pre-determined. She tried to consider the facts to establish exactly what was bothering her. However, her mind had other plans and as she looked up at the carpet of stars she ended up just spending some moments idling gazing at them.

Again, her senses distracted her, this time however she had been disturbed by a stealthily approaching form. Although her mind began to prepare for danger and chastise itself for leaving her staff by her furs, at the same time she felt there was no danger and was unsurprised when the figure morphed into her tall friend. That had been happening more too recently, Gabrielle realised. She had been able to locate her friend without looking, it was probably the amount of time they had spent together she reflected.

"Hey," Xena greeted her.

"Hey," the bard smiled back.

"Couldn’t sleep?"

"No, sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you."

Xena sat down on the trunk next to her friend and took the proffered water skin. "Feeling better now?" she asked after taking a swig.

"Yes, thank you," the bard confirmed.

"You should go back to sleep if you can, it is important when you exert yourself in the day to get a good night’s sleep. Anyhow, the good news is we should reach Elkton’s village by tomorrow evening if the weather holds."

"Great," Gabrielle responded, rising off the trunk and moving back towards the fire, followed by Xena.

As they settled back down, Gabrielle reflected that she did feel better. For the time being at least, her senses had calmed down and she felt a sense of inner peace settle over her like a warm blanket.

Xena watched as her friend relaxed and was soon captured by Morpheus’ realm. She too shut her eyes although she knew that she would not sleep again that night, her panic at finding Gabrielle missing still churning her stomach.


This had to be the most bizarre yet, the room they were in was large and airy but full of alien objects and smells, overwhelming Xena’s senses. Gabrielle seemed relaxed though, she was sitting on the floor, a large open chest open in front of her. She smiled as she saw Xena approach.

"Hey, I pulled out your Aunt’s old chest again, it is strange, it always seems so familiar, even the first time we opened it." Gabrielle mused.

Xena sat down by her friend and peered into the trunk. It’s contents filled her with so many emotions, battering her from all sides. It contained their belongings, but everything was dirty and some things damaged. She drew out her sword, it had not been maintained and needed both cleaning and repairing. Then she pulled out a small leather bound volume.

"Look, it is your diary, what happened to it?" She asked the blond woman at her side.

Gabrielle looked confused. "My diary? Are you feeling ok honey?"

Xena’s mind was filled with so many questions, so many things that didn’t make sense. She looked into those sea-green eyes and knew it was her Gabrielle, so why didn’t she recognise her own diary? Why were all their belongings in this chest in this alien place, so dirty and uncared for?

Suddenly, the picture began to recede rapidly. "Gabrielle!" she called, "Gabrielle," but the blonde woman could not hear her.


Xena’s eyes snapped open, her heart thumping in her chest as a feeling of total disorientation overwhelmed her. She concentrated her senses and realised that a creature was approaching the camp. It was too large to be an animal likely to be found in the woods. The threat helped her clear her mind, returning her to her present environment. The creature was in the dense ferns to the left of their camp, the side where Gabrielle was sleeping peacefully. The intruder was moving very stealthily, as though hunting prey. Xena’s eyes narrowed as her hearing allowed her to track the creature in the darkness.

It was a man, it’s bipedal footsteps gave it away. He was close to the camp now, he would be able to see the two figures by the fire. Xena closed her eyes and took deep, even breathes, feigning sleep. The sound of quietly scraping metal told the warrior that the intruder was drawing a dagger and her senses heightened to this new, potentially deadly threat. The man had stepped out of the ferns and Xena could hear his footfalls on the leaf litter in the open area around the fire. The man was taking his time, his movements calculated and precise. Xena realised that she was dealing with an experienced assassin.

The warrior mentally thanked her highly tuned senses and self-control as the man halted his approach right next to the blissfully unaware sleeping bard. Xena felt the barely noticeable change in air movement as the man drew his arm back ready to strike. She remained still as the man thrust his arm down with the dagger aimed straight for her friend’s heart. Then, as though uncoiling a highly-strung spring, her arm sprang out, gripping his wrist and snapping it sideways. The man cried out in pain and tried to free himself from this sudden attack but Xena thrust her hand back, pulling the man over both of their bodies and onto the ground the other side of her.

The warrior sprang up and landed on the assassin, pinning him to the earth with her knees. She sent three rapid jabs into his neck, relaxing slightly as the danger had been arrested, giving her control of the situation. Gabrielle had woken up and was staring at the man who had intended to take her life from her as she slept.

Xena reached around the man’s neck and pulled at a piece of leather, exposing the small vial attached to it. Two chips of ice bore into the man’s eyes. "Who sent you and why?" the warrior demanded.

The man returned her stare, making no move to speak. Xena moved her face closer to his, "You have no blood getting to your brain, if you do not tell me who you are working for, you will be dead in less than twenty seconds."

The man lay his head back on the ground and shut his eyes. Moments later his breathing stopped. Xena jabbed his neck to release the pressure points but the man had no pulse. The warrior looked over at Gabrielle, "He is dead."

Gabrielle looked shocked. "I don’t understand, I thought you said he had another twenty seconds?"

Xena looked at the body. "He did, at least." She confirmed. She leant closer to the man’s face, catching a bitter scent that was totally out of place. She opened his mouth and removed the remnants of some leaves.

Gabrielle just sat and looked at her friend, it was all so bizarre, her mind could not make any semblance of sense of the recent events. "What is that?" she asked.

Xena’s face was taut and still. "Poison." She responded simply, looking over at her friend. Gabrielle looked totally nonplused. "It is a deadly herb," she elaborated, "he must have had it in his mouth before he attacked. When I caught him he chewed it and it would have killed him almost instantaneously."

"Oh." The bard was still bewildered. "Why?"

"Probably to make sure he would not get taken alive and be able to divulge information." Xena studied her friend. The growing grey light of the pre-dawn allowed the warrior to see the pallor of Gabrielle’s face, she was shaking slightly, obviously shocked by the attack. Xena stood and moved to her friend’s side, gently wrapping her long arms around the bard.

Gabrielle clung to her friend as large tears rolled down her cheeks. This was the second attempt on her life in as many days and they still had no idea who was behind the attacks or why. The attackers had chosen to die to protect their master’s identity. Perhaps they would never find out who was behind it and the attacks would keep happening until Xena was just not fast enough or they were outnumbered or... Gabrielle’s body was racked with violent shakes as her body reacted to the shock and her sudden fear.

Xena stroked her friend’s hair, "Shhh, it’s ok, it is all ok now, you are safe" she soothed.

"What would have happened if you weren’t there tonight Xena?" Gabrielle asked, the answer clear to both of them.

"It’s ok Gabrielle," Xena soothed, "I was there and you are fine. We will stop these people, I promise you. We can ask around at the town tomorrow, see if anyone knows anything that might help us. It will be fine." She repeated, holding Gabrielle till her sobs subsided.


It was the forest again. She looked around but could only see dark trees, spreading their gnarled limbs all around her. She began to walk forward, reassured by the familiar weight of her sword on her back. A glint of white caught her attention, barely seen in the outskirts of her peripheral vision. She turned, watching and waiting. There was a slight movement in the shrubbery between two nearby trees and as she watched, the large form of the white deer appeared. For a few moments it just stood and regarded her in the dim light of the forest. Then, it turned and began to move away. The girl followed, recognising the creature as her guide.

It was odd, she reflected, she always had trouble keeping up with the animal but whenever she thought that she had lost it, it’s white form would somehow reappear and attract her attention and she would be able to continue again. This time the chase had led her along a heavily overgrown track, deep into the dark heart of the forest. The deer led her to a small glade, empty apart from a few large, moss-covered boulders. She looked around the glade, then realised that her guide had somehow disappeared again. She knew to wait, if she was supposed to continue, the deer would have led her. She moved to a darker area where the age-old trees had created an almost total cover to the sunlight above. Then she settled down to wait, slightly anxious about what, or whom, she was waiting for.

After a short while she could hear the approach of life. Moments later, two creatures entered into the glade, settling in the very centre. The first was a large, sleek black panther, its paws nearly as large as her own hands. It was a magnificent animal, powerful and lustrous giving her the image of cold, hard metal bound in velvet. The second creature was a fox. A lot smaller than the panther, it’s coat held a red, gold tinge to it. It moved with determined motions and it’s pricked ears told her of the intelligence and strong will at the centre of it’s small yet sturdy frame.

A rare ray of sunshine battled its way through the thick canopy overhead, highlighting the faces of the two animals. She stared in wonder as she was able to see their eyes. The fox had bright sea-green eyes, with sparkles of gold that skipped and danced in the sunlight. The panther’s eyes were a vivid blue, contrasting greatly with it’s jet black coat. The pair lay down in the centre of the clearing, and the fox began to clean the panther’s ears. The panther lay quietly but never for a moment did she doubt the alertness behind those clear blue eyes.

As she watched, she wondered who these creatures were. When she was in this forest she always saw people as animals, the way they were portrayed to her reflecting what was in their human souls. She knew that she did not know these people yet, although she looked forward to meeting them. Most noticeable to her was that even in their animal form she could see the bond between the two characters, it was extremely rare and she didn’t think she had ever seen one as deep and true as this.

Suddenly, two more creatures entered the glade. Neither the panther nor the fox seemed able to see them despite the danger that they posed. A large snake, one she recognised as poisonous, slithered unseen over the ground towards the fox. At the same time, the other creature moved towards the panther. It was a large bear, considerably larger than the panther with a shaggy black coat and eyes that glinted red in the near darkness.

All of a sudden, the bear pounced on the startled panther, pinning it to the ground with it’s greater body mass. Meanwhile, the snake struck the unsuspecting fox and as she watched she could see the small trickle of blood from the fox’s neck as it dripped to the hard ground. The fox collapsed, the poison from the bite taking immediate effect on its small body.

Then as quickly as the two intruding creatures had appeared, they vanished back into the darkness of the surrounding forest. The panther leapt to its feet and to it’s friend’s side, poking the limp body gently with its muzzle. However, there was no response. The panther lay down, it’s nose touching the foxes’ and as she watched, that glossy black coat seemed to fade and the sleek presence of the creature was reduced to a heap of fur.

She awoke with a start, the dream had been particularly vivid and her heart was still thumping rapidly in her chest. Moss looked up at her, his soft brown eyes holding a gently quizzical gaze. She pulled the furs back and swung her feet over the edge of the bed, planting them firmly on the cold ground. The barely lit window testified to the early hour but she knew that it would be easier to slip away unseen in the pre-dawn. She moved around the small hut efficiently, changing from her nightwear into her most comfortable pair of leathers and boots. She grabbed a travel bag and packed it with essentials including her flints, sharpening stone, basic healers kit, repair kit, some bread and cheese, and a blanket. She filled a water flask, which she fastened at her hip and slung her bow and quiver over her right shoulder, having already strapped her sword to her left.

Whistling for Moss to follow her, she had left the hut within a candlemark of waking up. She slipped out of the camp silently, knowing to avoid the guard huts strategically placed around the perimeter of the village. She knew this quest was going to be difficult, after all she was setting out to find people she had never met and had no idea where they were. All she knew was that she had to find them and warn them, the rest she would just have to wing, relying on her gut instincts to lead her. Despite knowing the punishment for disappearing from the village without permission, she looked at Moss padding along happily by her side and felt that if she were successful, this quest would be worth any punishment.


The sheep roamed around their pen desperately seeking a way out, conscious of the red eyes watching them from the darkness. The baaing grew to a frenzy as the beast slunk towards the pen, stalking the frightened herd. In one fluid movement it vaulted over the tall fencing landing firmly inside the enclosure. The fiend charged at the largest animal, planting its vicious jaws around the helpless sheep’s throat and tearing fleshing from bone effortlessly. It gripped the limp body in it’s bloodied mouth and clearing the fence for the second time, escaped into the darkness to feast on it’s latest prize...


The heat of the day before had dispersed over night, affording more comfortable traveling conditions. Warrior, bard and horse walked side by side along the dusty track that would eventually lead to Elkton’s village. The surroundings had returned to natural woodland, which provided homes to a rich variety of native wildlife. Birdsong accompanied the travelers as they passed and small rodents scuttled out of the track ahead of them.

Gabrielle was feeling much happier than she had been in the early hours of the morning. Xena had made her a hot, sweet cup of tea that had calmed her heightened nerves whilst the warrior’s constant presence had soothed her enough to look at the situation objectively. Now, in the daylight and without a rude awakening or shock to contend with, problems seemed a lot easier to conquer. Firstly, the attempted assassin only got as close to her as he did because Xena allowed it. The close proximity had not meant that the man was any closer to taking her life than he would have been from the outskirts of the clearing. Secondly, she had every faith in her friend’s capabilities, it would take a whole army of men to outfight Xena and double that if she was protecting her friends. Gabrielle was sure that the warrior was good enough to hold off any more attacks that may be made until they were able to find out more information about who was targeting her and why. Then, when this was all over perhaps she could make a great story out of it.

"Are you feeling better now?" Xena had been keeping a close eye on her friend after the early morning’s events. Gabrielle had been in shock to start with but after a little time she had begun to relax a little. Xena had urged them to get back on the road, hoping the routine of the traveling would also help soothe her friend’s jangled nerves. Now the bard seemed happier, her cheeks held a pink tinge to them again and her eyes were beginning to recover a little of their usual sparkle.

Gabrielle turned and smiled at her tall friend, wondering at how Xena always seemed to know what she was thinking. Probably another side effect of spending so much time together she rationalised with a mental shrug. "Yes, thanks, I am sure the fresh air and exercise must really be helping!" she joked.

"Don’t knock it." Xena told her, "it helps you grow tall and strong." She eyed her shorter friend exaggeratedly, "Well...!"

Gabrielle thumped the warrior’s arm, "Hey, don’t knock short people, we have advantages you tall people could only dream about...." She mock whispered as she continued, "someday, we will take over the world you know!"

Xena snorted, "What sort of advantages, being able to take a horses tack off by just walking under it?"

The bard laughed at the mental image. "One day my friend, one day!" she waggled her finger at the grinning warrior walking beside her. "So, how do you reckon Elkton is doing these days?"

Xena thought for a moment, "He is a good man, he will have been a good leader to both the temple and the village people." She responded.

"You know, I don’t think I ever really thanked you for those tips on non-violent options, they saved my bacon back then." Gabrielle smiled and shook her head briefly as she remembered back to the naïve kid who had been so quick to pick up a sword. "It was a scary time but I certainly learnt a valuable lesson."

Xena considered this. "It is always better to try and resolve a situation non-violently, it is too easy to just pick up a weapon. I knew all the theories back then but really it was you who taught me how to put them into practice, you have taught me a lot too you know." Xena urged the bard.

Gabrielle smiled, "I think we make a great team." She paused and grinned at the warrior’s genuine, rarely seen full smile, "and it all makes for good stories too!"

The conversation lulled as the companions navigated a fallen tree trunk that was barring the majority of the track.

Gabrielle regarded the trunk thoughtfully. "Do you ever get the feeling that someone is trying to stop us getting to Elkton’s village?" She asked.

Xena looked at her, slightly surprised by the suggestion. "Why would they?" she asked simply.

"I don’t know, it is just everything started happening since we decided to visit him." The bard mused.

"I can’t see how the two situations are related." Xena replied honestly. "If you want we can turn around and head back?" she offered.

"No, even if they were trying to stop us we should carry on to find out why." Gabrielle reasoned, "Anyhow, are you still having the visions?"

Xena nodded, looking into the distance. "Yeah, I have had a couple since we last mentioned it."

"Are they still the same?" the bard probed gently, not really knowing what they were like before but wanting to show interest and offer help if possible.

Xena sighed, thinking back to the most recent ones. "The images are clearer, it is easier to make things out. Everything is still very strange though..." her sentence trailed off.

Gabrielle probed a bit further, "Do you see people in the visions or just things?" she asked.

"People," Xena started, quickly amending her sentence, "people I know and a few I don’t." Well, Xena reflected, it was sort of true and saved awkward questions, however, it would have been more correct for her to say ‘person I know and a few I don’t.’

Gabrielle’s mind was racing with possible contents of the visions, there was certainly something that her friend wasn’t telling her but what was it and why? It took a severe amount of self-control to fight her natural bardic curiosity and not to just blurt out a string of questions. Xena was obviously bothered by something that she was seeing but was reticent about voicing it. Perhaps after they had seen Elkton they may have some answers, then hopefully Xena would elaborate further. "How much longer until we reach Elkton’s village?" she asked instead, wondering if the events of the morning had delayed them at all.

Xena looked upwards. The weather was clear and dry and the sky suggested it would remain like that for some time, that was always a good thing. "Hopefully by nightfall." She answered.


The gradually setting sun spread its amber rays over the dying activity of the small village. Burnished figures moved around the simple wooden buildings, clearing tools and tidying up after a long days work. The inn doors were open, embracing the finally cooling air and allowing the enticing smell of freshly cooked food to drift into the dusty village streets.

A few people stopped their activities and turned to look at the two women entering the village. Travelers were unusual in this area, it was deep in the rural countryside away from the busier routes to the large towns. This was a devout farming community, rarely even visited by the traveling merchants who roamed the country to sell their wares. These women held a commanding presence, one likely to attract attention even if they were to enter the very centre of Athens itself. Riding a golden war-horse was a tall, alert warrior whose beauty contrasted greatly with her obvious talent as an experienced fighter. Then there was her shorter, blonde companion whose stride was confident and determined, her keen intelligence obvious in her eyes. The eyes of the villagers tracked them until they disappeared from sight, one into the inn and the other into the inn’s stables.

Xena walked Argo into the inn’ stables. They were basic, a little in need of repair in a few places, but it was clean and contained all of the basic equipment she required. She led the tall war-horse over to the water trough and stood as the mare drank. She looked up as the stable door was pushed open, revealing the familiar form of her bardic friend approaching her.

"We have a room." Gabrielle announced, "I booked it for just one night but they aren’t too busy at the moment so if we need to extend it we can."

Xena nodded and led Argo over to one of the several free bays. Gabrielle joined her and they both set to work at removing the tack and giving the horse a smart rubdown with some clean hay. Xena had used to do this all on her own but gradually, as Gabrielle and Argo had started to bond, the friends had begun to share the work. However, the bard was sensitive enough to realise when her friend needed to use the time as therapy and would then leave her in peace. Xena had to admit though, when all she wanted was to get in a bath and wash the day’s grime away, two hands made faster work. Gabrielle was one of the few people she would have trusted to help deal with Argo’s needs, she herself insisted on maintaining the best level of care as possible and the bard had always shared that standard, right from the start.

By the time the friends emerged from the stable, the sky was already beginning to fill with glittering stars. Argo had been fed, watered and groomed and a bed of fresh straw was laid out for her. The women entered the inn, their travel belongings slung over their shoulders. After a brief exchange with the innkeeper they climbed the wooden stairs, locating their assigned room and entering. Much like the stable, the room was basic, an empty fireplace with spare wood stacked on either side, two single pallets, a table and chair and a comfortable looking rocking chair placed by the fire. The room was brightened with colourful throws that covered the beds and a matching rug that covered some of the bare wood floor.

Gabrielle dumped her load and flopped down on the nearest bed with a contented sigh. "I love the excitement of the outdoor life but sometimes there is just no match for the creature comforts in life!"

Xena moved to her friend’s side, and grinned. "Well," she prodded the bard’s flat stomach, "with your appetite if you had creature comforts on tap you would be the size of a barn..." She agilely skipped to one side, just far enough to avoid the bards flailing arm.

"Hey, that wasn’t nice," the bard complained, consciously pouting her lower lip and looking up at her tall friend between thick lashes. "Anyhow, I have a quandary, what to do first, eat or get clean?"

Xena’s eyes filled with mischief, "I could always feed you dinner in the bath but I am afraid it may well threaten your modesty," the truth of the statement was immediately apparent as the bard turned an attractive shade of pink from the base of her neck to the tips of her ears. The warrior laughed out loud at the human lobster before her.

"Muhumm," the bard responded, trawling through her mind for a suitable change of subject. "So, when do you want to see Elkton, this evening or tomorrow?"

Xena smiled at the swift change of subject but humoured her still crimson friend. "I was hoping to see him tonight, that will give us more freedom in deciding what we want to do next."

Gabrielle nodded, the logic behind the statement concurrent with her own thoughts. "How about you find us some food while I go and wash?"

It was Xena’s turn to nod. "Sure," she responded simply.


The bard hummed softly to herself as she padded along the wooden corridor between the bathing room and the room they had rented. Perhaps it was just natural human psychology but she always felt so much happier after a bath. Hopefully, if Xena had been successful she would have some dinner waiting too, her stomach rumbled in reaction to the thought. She pushed open the door to their room and found both some food but also a dripping warrior.

"Why are you wet?" Gabrielle asked, checking the window to make sure there hadn’t been a freak rainstorm.

"I had a wash. One usually gets wet when one washes," the warrior answered pedantically.

The bard looked confused. "But I was in the bathroom all the time and you didn’t come in..."

Xena face was serious. "Yes, you were actually in the bathroom for a whole day, it is really tomorrow now." Xena could not help but laugh out loud at her friend’s momentarily wide-eyed expression. "Actually, I had eaten my supper and done my drills and you still weren’t out of the bath so I made alternative washroom arrangements..."

Gabrielle scowled at the tall warrior. "I was not in the bath that long, anyhow, you should be glad you travel with someone who knows the virtues of being clean..." She eyed her friend critically, "so tell me Warrior, where exactly did you wash?"

Xena moved to the window and pointed, "there."

Gabrielle followed her gaze to a wooden horse trough just outside the stables. "You washed there?" The bard looked incredulous. "Naked?!"

The warrior smirked, "I couldn’t wait till you had finished in the bathroom, I would have crusted over with the grime so much I wouldn’t have been able to walk!"

Gabrielle couldn’t help but laugh at the mental image her friend had presented. Unable to ignore her stomach any longer, she investigated the nice-smelling pots left on the table. "Mmm, what’s this, it smells great!"

"Chicken and vegetable soup," the warrior answered, "with fresh crusty bread."

What seemed like moments later Xena spoke up again. "Well, you were certainly quicker with that than you were in the bathroom..."

Gabrielle flicked the warrior’s thigh with the linen she had been using to dry her hair. "So, are we ready to go and see Elkton now?" she asked before her friend had time to counter attack.


The small hut was warm and inviting, a friendly fire crackled in the corner and liberally spread candles bathed the room with a gentle light. The friends were seated in simple but sturdy wooden chairs, taking in their surroundings with interest as Elkton made some tea. He had aged a little since they had last seen him, a few more sun carved lines showing on his weathered face and an extra peppering of grey in his short hair. However, his eyes were bright and almost danced with delight when he had opened the door of his small cabin to his surprise visitors.

He joined them near the fire, setting down a tray with three clay mugs and a large jug that was steaming promisingly. Pouring out the tea with a steady hand he passed around the beverages, serving himself last. Finally, he sat down in a large rocking chair, cradling his warm mug and beaming at his visitors. "So, how have you both been?" He asked.

Gabrielle and Xena exchanged glances, not really knowing how to reply. Their wandering lifestyle had taken them both on many adventures, some amusing and interesting, others brushing with the darkness of evil itself. "Busy!" The friends responded simultaneously.

The old man smiled knowingly. "You have both been through a lot, I know" he sympathised, "I always ask Morpheus to keep me updated with your well-being."

Gabrielle’s eyes suddenly welled up with unshed tears and a hard lump formed in her throat. Perhaps it was the compassion in his voice or the unexpected conversation dredging up memories she tried to avoid thinking about.

Xena spoke up, "Yes, there were some challenging obstacles to overcome but we made it." She answered, unsure herself it she could continue to honestly say ‘in one piece’. She looked over at her blonde companion, her heart clenching at the clearly marked pain on her friend’s face. "We came to ask your advice actually." Xena decided to get straight to the point and stop the reminiscing that was causing Gabrielle so many difficulties.

Elkton looked at her, one eyebrow slightly raised. "Ask away," he offered.

The tall warrior took a deep breath and tried to decide how to state the problem without making herself appear mad or divulging too many details. She had hoped that she would be able to visit Elkton on her own so that she would not have to censor every sentence before she voiced it. However, when Gabrielle had stood in front of her and offered to let her go alone she found herself declining, somehow comforted by her friend’s presence in such an alien situation. "I have been having visions," she stated simply.

Elkton’s brows furrowed as he considered the statement. "Can you give me any more detail?" he probed.

Xena paused for a moment, trying to think of relevant facts related to such personal visions. "I have about two or three a week and have done for the last two months. They started as just noises and blurs but they have transformed into situations I can see clearly. The environments are totally alien, unlike anything I have seen anywhere in my travels. They do not last long but will happen both while I am asleep and as daydreams while I am awake."

The old man nodded his greying head methodically, slightly twisting his mug around in his worn hands. For a few moments the cabin was filled with silence bar the comforting crackle of the fire and the sound of a gentle breeze in the darkness outside. Gabrielle had recovered from her unexpected mood swing earlier and was gazing into the fire, listening to the conversation as unobtrusively as she could.

Finally, Elkton broke the silence. "Well," he began, his hand running over the rough stubble on his chin, "if you have these visions both in your sleep and while you are awake, it is unlikely to be something I can give you any answers to. If it had just been in your dreams then it would have been different but from what you have said it sounds like there is more to this than any of us are aware of."

Xena could not help but feel disappointed, she had found it hard to deal with the frustration her visions left her feeling and had been hoping, perhaps irrationally, that a solution would be forthcoming as soon as she could discuss the matter with Elkton. Well, she would just have to find another solution but first she needed some sort of hint as where to begin searching next. "Have you ever heard of something like this before?" she asked, hoping this would be a good starting point.

Elkton shook his head. "We all know there are gifted people in the world who turn their visions into prophecies. Those people are extremely rare though and every single one I have heard about has had the gift since childhood, that suggests to me that your ‘gift’ is something different." He paused, considering the problem. He desperately wanted to be of help both out of friendship but also because of a favour long due. "Let me ask for Morpheus’ help, perhaps he can offer a clue that may be of assistance."

Xena was dubious about the likelihood of this, she had been the one to foil the god’s attempt at recruiting the young Gabrielle as his bride, denying him the sacrifice of her blood innocence. However, her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a bell ringing in the distance.

Elkton looked out of the window, noting the positions of the stars. "I am afraid I will have to leave you now, that is my cue for the midnight service." The friends drained their cups and rose to their feet. "I am sorry I could not have been of more help to you," he smiled regretfully at the tall warrior, "come and see me tomorrow though, if Morpheus has smiled upon me I may have something to offer you."

Gabrielle and Xena smiled at him, uttering thanks for both his attempts at help and his warm hospitality. Within a few moments there were outside in the crisp night air, returning to their simple inn room and their beds with tired anticipation.


The sun was high in the sky, bearing down with what would have been an intolerable heat had it not been for the soft but persistent breeze coming from upwind of them. They had been traveling for some time now but had not met another soul on the dusty track they were progressing along.

The young girl watched indulgently as her canine companion rampaged from one side of the track to the other, from in front of her to behind, sniffing at all of the enticing smells he found in the tall grasses. Moss certainly seemed to be enjoying their little jaunt even if they did not know if they were even traveling in the right direction. A flash of black and white whizzed passed her left hand side as the dog chased yet another phantom rabbit. Suddenly he stopped, his muzzle raised in the air and his paw held up off the ground. The young girl’s face changed from relaxed to concerned as she watched the small muscle movements around the dog’s nose.

"What is it Moss?" She asked as she looked at her traveling companion questioningly. The canine’s sense of smell had given her the advantage several times in the past when his advanced warning had told her of oncoming intruders.

Moss walked over to her, his ears were pricked but his tail hung low, a sure sign that it wasn’t a friend that was approaching. The young girl cupped her hands either side of the dog’s face and she looked him directly in the eyes. "Hide," she commanded, reiterating firmly, "hide." Obediently, her companion ran off into the thick shrubbery to one side of the track and after some brief rustling had disappeared from her senses.

The girl looked around, not knowing how much time the dog’s advanced warning had given her. She moved towards a tall tree and with practised ease climbed it, resting on one of the large limbs high off the ground. Her new location gave the girl a better vantage point and she was able to have a bird’s eye view of the track below as well as for some way into the distance.

It was not long before her straining eyes were able to locate a rapidly approaching shadow. As the distance between herself and the intruding shape lessened she was able to make out a large wolf like creature approaching. It had a dark shaggy coat and a huge muzzle. The creature paused regularly on it’s progression down the track and as it traced the scent it was tracking it began salivating heavily, causing it’s lethal white teeth to glisten in the sunlight. As the girl watched, her intrigue of the alien beast turned to fear as it raised it’s head slightly and she was able to see a red glint to it’s eyes that she had only seen one before.

Thinking quickly the girl accessed her healing kit, taking extra special care not to drop anything due to her unusual location. She located a pouch of darkly coloured leaves, carefully bound and stored well away from her other herbs. Ripping up the leaves the girl took an arrow from the quiver on her back, rubbing the sap from the broken vegetation onto the arrow’s sharp tip, all the time watching the progress of the rapidly approaching creature. Roughly estimating the mass of the beast the girl calculated the quantity of the substance she needed, covering the arrowhead until it was nearly dripping. The creature was almost directly below her now, she briefly spared a moment to thank whichever god was watching over her for the fact that the creature seemed unaware of either her or Moss’ presence.

Carefully she raised her bow and loaded the arrow, taking care for a precise shot. She held her breath as she drew the arrow back releasing it with an aim that proved true. The creature roared with rage and spun round to try and locate it’s mystery attacker. It writhed around, trying to free the arrow that was sticking out of it’s right shoulder but was unsuccessful. Still howling the creature retreated into the cover of the shrubbery to one side of the track, the loud trashing of vegetation testament to the distance away from the track it had traveled.

The girl spent a few moments in the sanctuary of her tree whilst she calmed down and was assured the beast was no longer an immediate threat. She excavated herself from the tree with natural finesse, landing on the ground with solid contact. Still hearing no signs of the recently escaped creature she put two fingers to her mouth and let out a loud whistle. What seemed like moments later a black and white creature bounded out of some bushes nearly bowling her over with his exuberance.

The pair continued along the track, this time their pace faster and more deliberate. "Hey boy!" The girl addressed the dog, "did you see that thing? It was just like the bear in that dream I told you about."

Moss looked up at her with intelligent brown eyes.

"That was poison," she responded in answer to his unspoken question. "I doubt it will kill it, that was some big beast, but it should slow it down enough to give us the advantage. I suppose one good thing is at least we know we are going the right way." Pausing for a few moments the girl considered her luckily successful encounter with the beast. She looked down at the dog pacing by her side, a grave expression on her face, "thanks Moss, I owe you one."


The early morning sun was greeted by two figures battling each other with staves. It would have been a spectacular image had any onlookers been present to observe it. The opponents were knee deep in a grassy meadow at the foot of a gently rolling slope that culminated in a small river. The bronzed gold of the sunrise caressed the skin of the two women, highlighting even the most subtle of curves on their bodies. The light danced as the muscles of the fighters shifted, complimenting the rapid yet fluid movements of their weapons.

Eventually the women allowed their staves to rest, their skin glistening with sweat from the healthy challenge. Moving down to the water they stooped to drink, enjoying the clean tang of the cold, fresh water. Briefly, their heads bent together in discussion then they both began to shed their clothing, laying it neatly on the ground by their weapons.

Gabrielle was trying hard not to look at the beautiful naked warrior she knew was standing just to one side of her. Certainly, she was more comfortable with being naked around her tall friend than she would have been with anyone else. After the several years of traveling together, modesty was impractical and neither were shy about their own bodies. Gabrielle smiled inwardly, Xena never had been, probably the result of looking at her body as a tool for her many fighting years. Gabrielle on the other hand had been shy at first, too self-conscious of her gawky adolescent body. After a few months she had decided to just deal with it and after that she had begun to relax. However, even now she had to try hard not to look at her friend whilst she was naked because she knew from embarrassing experience that she would stare. There was just something about her tall friend with her midnight black hair, the contrasting vivid blue eyes, the tanned skin that covered the finely sculpted muscles, which mesmerised the bard and always had done. She decided to concentrate on the water instead, trying to prepare herself for just how cold it was going to be. "I don’t know how you talked me into this when there are perfectly adequate, warm bathing facilities at the inn," she lamented.

"You will get used to it," the warrior consoled her, somewhat distracted. She was trying very hard not to look at the naked bard she knew was standing by her side. The warrior was aware that sometimes she wasn’t too talented at masking her thoughts and looking at her friend with an appreciative expression written across her features was not particularly subtle. Xena had begun to notice changes in her friend’s body over the time they had been traveling together. The bard had of course become fitter, gaining muscle from the physical nature of their lifestyle and loosing any remnants of ‘puppy-fat’ she may have had to begin with. As she had matured she had gained both womanly curves and the self-confidence that highlighted them perfectly. Instead, the warrior decided to focus on the water, moving towards it and taking a shallow dive.

The bard followed her in, the icy cold impact of the water against her exertion-warmed skin taking her breath away for a few moments. However, soon they were both acclimatised and enjoying the sensation of the cleansing water against their over heated skin as it washed away the sweat and any remnants of sleep still remaining.

She sun was high in the sky before the two women returned to the inn, refreshed and laughing. Their hair was almost totally dry, a testament to the heat of the sun and they were both feeling a healthy pull in their muscles from the challenge of the staff practice. They entered the inn and returned to their room, storing their staves and the spare clothes they had washed in the stream after the combat.

Gabrielle turned to her taller companion. "How about a hearty breakfast before we go and find Elkton?" she suggested.

The warrior grinned at her, "I would have never guessed my favourite bard would be hungry!"

The bard in question flushed slightly at the unforeseen but not unwelcome compliment. "Just for that I will let you off for yet another crack at my appetite. Come on!" She urged, already halfway out of the door.

The pair made their way down into the body of the inn, the lack of patrons emphasising the relatively early hour. They spoke to the innkeeper briefly, Xena requesting an extra large breakfast for her companion and ‘just’ a large for herself. They seated themselves at a large table near an open window, glad of both the fresh air and light.

Gabrielle broke the momentary silence. "Do you think Elkton will have anything new to tell us this morning?" she asked.

Xena pondered the question. "I think it is unlikely," she said, "I have never known a god to interfere when it would be helpful, plus," she continued, "I haven’t done him many favours."

The bard took a moment to realise she was referring to foiling his attempts to take herself as his bride. Still, she hoped that there would be something, otherwise they were back to square one, which was nowhere. Trying to maintain the light-hearted mood she simply responded, "well, we will just have to hurry up with our breakfast and find out!"

As if on queue, two large platters were brought out and set down in front of them. "Extra large?" the server inquired, raising an eyebrow at Xena.

"There please," the warrior smirked at she pointed to Gabrielle’s place.

The food was good in both quantity and quality. Gabrielle silently admitted that a large would have sufficed but decided to eat it all on principle. Anyhow, she justified to herself, they never knew when they were going to get a decent meal on the road. The pair ate in contented silence, washing down the bacon, eggs, toast and mushrooms with a light apple cider.

Xena grinned as Gabrielle pushed her knife and fork together on her empty plate with a faintly triumphant look at her companion. "Ready to go?" the warrior asked.

Gabrielle looked thoughtful for a moment before responding, "Well, I was considering seconds," she lied, "but I know you are keen to get this sorted. Come on!"

Xena shook her head slightly as she smiled but followed suit and left the table, heading out into the bright sunlight outside, a few steps behind her friend. They navigated the village efficiently, ignoring the unhidden stares of the natives. Arriving at Elkton’s hut Xena gave a short tap at the door which was opened moments later by a smiling Elkton.

"Come in, come in," he ushered, holding open the door and standing to one side to let them pass. "Have a seat, would you like a drink?"

The friend’s exchanged amused glances, "No thanks, we have just had breakfast at the inn." Xena answered.

"Of course," the old man smiled.

"So..." Gabrielle, ushered, putting aside her usual diplomacy in deference to her desire for an answer.

"Well," Elkton began, "I still do not have all the answers but Morpheus did hear my prayers and has given you a starting point." He paused before he continued, "seems like you ladies impressed him with your courage and intelligence, he must have remembered you!"

Xena and Gabrielle exchanged surprised looks, although each had different expectations of the success of Elkton’s attempt, neither of them had expected to be remembered by a god and certainly never in such a positive light.

"I had a dream," the high priest began, "I saw you, Xena, sleeping whilst a white deer came and stood by your bedside."

Gabrielle’s voice was high with excitement, "The Amazon’s say that Artemis often takes the form of a majestic white deer!" she exclaimed, thrilled at what was appearing to be a solid clue.

Xena nodded but looked puzzled. "Artemis? Why?" she questioned.

Elkton cleared his throat, "There is more if you would like to hear it."

Gabrielle spoke up, "Please, continue."

The old man took a deep breath. "The white deer was chased away, many times by something I can only describe as evil," his face was grave but he continued. "However, she did keep returning." He looked at each of the women in turn, "I think there is more to this than just your visions Xena."

Gabrielle’s excitement trailed away to be replaced with a grave understanding. "Xena, I think those attempts must be linked," she said, giving her friend a dire look.

Xena nodded silently. "Elkton, is there anything you can tell us about this evil force, anything at all?"

The old man shook his head sadly. "I am sorry my friends, all I could see was a shadow without form or colour, it was just the feeling I had when it appeared that let me realise it was evil." He paused for a moment, his eyes raising up slightly as he thought back to his dream. "The essence that I saw," he began, his words slow with consideration, "wasn’t there of its own accord, it is a creation of another and though the essence may be evil and cruel, it’s creator is slightly more balanced." He looked at the friend’s hoping his words may have made some sense to them.

Gabrielle was relieved. "Thank the gods!" she exclaimed, turning to her friend and quietly admitting, "I had wondered if it was Dahok..."

Xena too had considered the prospect and shared Gabrielle’s relief. If it had been Dahok, the essence of evil would have been the creator rather than the creation. However, they still faced an unknown enemy and the most likely possibility had been eliminated. She smiled and patted her friend’s hand, "Even if it had been him I would have fought for you Gabrielle." For a moment their eyes caught and locked, silently speaking of their mutually painful pasts and their painstakingly rebuilt friendship. The bond that had held them together had never broken though and now, in the sparse sanctuary of Elkton’s home, they realised it never would.

A gentle throat clearing interrupted their thoughts. Elkton smiled at them, his weathered face creasing around the corners of his eyes. "I hope that what I have told you will be of some use to you." He said, pausing as an idea struck him. "There is an Amazon village not far from here, a couple of leagues South of that is a large temple dedicated to Artemis, perhaps that should be the next place you visit on this quest."

Xena smiled and rose to her feet, "thank you Elkton, for all you have done for us." She clasped his arm in sincerity.

Gabrielle rose too and the pair bade their farewells to their renewed friend. Elkton watched as the companions strode away from his home and towards the inn to collect their belongings. His eyes twinkled and a genuine smile spread across his face as his instincts confirmed what his life experience had already suggested. He began humming quietly as he closed the door gently and began his daily chores.


Although the friends needed to travel back in the opposite direction they had taken to get to Elkton’s village, they had decided to take a different route to try and avoid any other would-be threats to Gabrielle’s safety. The new course would take them longer as it consisted more of winding footpaths that traversed the forest floor, many of the paths were overgrown too and painstaking effort had to be used to clear enough space for Argo to move through. However, both women though that any advantage they could get over their unknown enemy was worth a little extra effort.

It was cooler traveling in the sheltered protection that the forest offered. It was more peaceful too, although the dusty track they had used before had been fairly deserted, the forest was an illogical path to take and in the full days journey they had not encountered another soul. All in all it made for a generally relaxing time and both women were in a more positive mood thanks to the information Elkton had been able to give them.

"Were you surprised?" Gabrielle asked her warrior friend.

"What, that you managed to eat that whole extra large breakfast?" Xena responded, her face serious.

The bard laughed and slapped her friend on the arm. "No! About Artemis being the one behind your visions." The bard clarified.

"Ah," the warrior considered for a moment, "I guess so, yes. I had thought that maybe it was Alti somehow trying to drive me insane or something, visions are very much her style. When I found out it was Artemis I just felt confused, ‘for what purpose’ is the obvious question, especially since I am not even an Amazon."

The blonde had been thinking about that too but sill had not had any plausible ideas. "Well, you may not be an Amazon by birthright but you do have all of the qualities of one of the best Amazons that I know of at least." She returned her friend’s smile. "That may well be why she is helping you but it still leaves a lot of unanswered questions."

"We do not know she is helping though," Xena parried, "We do not know her motives so how can we assume her intent?"

Gabrielle sidestepped a large rock in her path. "I think she is helping Xena," she contradicted, "after all the deer kept returning to your side despite the evil presence. It gives me the impression that there is something important to require such persistence."

"Perhaps." The warrior responded simply, leading Argo around a low overhanging branch.

"I suppose we will just have to see if we can find out anymore when we visit the temple." Gabrielle watched as the dubious look returned to her friend’s face. "What is the matter?"

Xena shook her head. "Nothing, I just don’t think it will be likely that we will find out anymore information at a temple, what is she going to do, appear on the altar in front of my very eyes and tell me every minor detail including the colour underwear I am wearing?!"

Gabrielle couldn’t help but smile, "I think that may be a little unlikely but seriously, look at it this way, people have visions to tell them things, important things. From what you have said, all you have seen is a lot of alien shapes and fuzziness, and if you knew what it was all about we wouldn’t be traveling through this stupid forest." The bard’s voice had risen a little towards the end of the sentence as she had ripped her sleeve and grazed her arm on a patch of projecting brambles.

Xena stopped walking and reached out for her friend’s arm, peering at the broken skin. "Just a scratch," she pronounced. "You may be right," she allowed, "but I think I will reserve judgment for the time being."

A loud roll of thunder that sounded as though it came right from overhead interrupted the friend’s conversation. Xena looked up at the rapidly darkening sky. "We ought to find shelter before this storm breaks," she announced, "we will probably have to take cover until the morning."

Gabrielle nodded in agreement, slightly surprised by the sudden appearance of the storm clouds, especially given the hot, clear weather they had had over the last few weeks and the lack of the air tension they usually felt before a storm.

The friends traveled a short distance further, halting when they found a shallow cave in a nearby rock face. It was a little too close to the river Xena could just see through the trees but if heavy rains persisted they would just have to move on. In the short term at least it provided a secure shelter for all three of them and their belongings.


Trusting her gut instinct the young woman had left the sandy track they had been traveling along for the majority of their journey, cutting instead into the neighbouring forest. Moss had obligingly followed her and was finding the wildlife of the forest just as intriguing as that on the outskirts of the track. It suited the pair better as it offered richer hunting, a facility much needed due to their dwindling rations.

The girl carried her armed bow at the ready, hoping a little luck may allow an opportune rabbit to cross her path. A small rustling in the bushes ahead of them attracted her attention and she laid a hand on the shoulder of her excited canine friend to steady him. Stealthily she moved forward, carefully placing one foot in front of the other as she raised her bow. She signaled to the well-trained Moss and watched as he moved around to the other side of the bushes, making considerably more noise than she had done. A surprised rabbit hopped out onto the path and was killed instantly by a perfectly aimed arrow to it’s chest. The girl smiled, she liked it to be that way, instantaneous, she had no qualms about hunting to feed herself but she tried hard to avoid unnecessary suffering, even if it was only to a rabbit.

Moss skipped out of the shrubbery, his pink tongue hanging sideways out of his mouth as he panted with excitement.

"Well done Moss," the girl patted his large head and smiled at him, "how do you fancy roasted rabbit for supper?"

As the dog wagged his tail enthusiastically the girl stooped to pick up their prey. She paused and looked up as a loud rumble of thunder rolled around above their heads. She groaned inwardly, admitting that the nice weather had made their traveling a lot more bearable than it could have been. Deciding on a plan of action she progressed through the trees, collecting dry would as she passed. If they could get a fire started and the dinner cooking before the storm broke and the rains came, they stood a lot better chance at being able to share a decent meal. Pausing at a small glade she set down her travel pack and removing her sharp dagger, began skinning the rabbit. She diced up the meat placing it in the pan and turned her attention to the fire, building it for more intense heat rather than longevity.

As the meat cooked she searched the surrounding area for edible roots or berries she could use to produce a more filling meal. Luckily she had already collected a selection as she had passed through the forest earlier and with what she now found she soon had enough to provide for both herself and her dog.

The meal was basic but it served its purpose and the girl found it refreshingly sweet knowing that it had been provided by her own skills, independent from other’s interference. The storm had become steadily worse throughout the preparation and consumption of the meal and the first splashes of rain began to fall as they were just finishing. She had decided to continue moving for as long as they could as there was no obvious shelter nearby and the activity of the traveling would keep them warmer and dryer than they would be sitting still. Efficiently she packed up her belongings and whistled for Moss as she squared her jaw and set out again in the now heavy rain.

Hours later they had covered a good distance due to their increased pace. The rain was now pelting down, plastering her hair to her face and making visibility difficult. However, she smiled as in the distance she saw the looming shadow of a rock face and as they approached it, the large cave that offered a dry haven to spend the remainder of the night. Moments later she stumbled into the cave, Moss closely behind her as she fished in her travel bag and retrieved a piece of linen which she used to dry off the worst of the water from her hair and body. Utterly exhausted the girl knew it was senseless to look for any firewood as everything would be too wet to light. Instead she made do with curling up in a small ball under her blanket, her back against the tolerant Moss in an effort to share body heat. Her exhaustion alone allowed her to fall into a fitful sleep not long after.


Gabrielle peered out of the entrance of the alcove that had been their home for the night. The rain was sheeting down making it hard for her to see all but the closest trees. She was aware of the approaching presence as Xena moved to her side, surveying the view with a grim look. It was almost midday but neither of them would have known it from looking outside, only their well-adjusted body clocks were able to give them any idea.

"We should leave here soon," the warrior regretfully informed her friend, "we are too close to the river and the rain has been this heavy since just before nightfall last night.

Gabrielle nodded in understanding, she had been half-expecting this problem. "Where will we go?" she asked.

"If we try and head away from the river we may be able to find some shelter that isn’t so likely to flood."

In silence the pair began to collect together their belongings, strapping up the bags to keep as much water out as possible. Argo was addled at being surrounded by rock but at the same time was not keen to venture out into the sodden forest. Xena tried to calm the agitated mare, murmuring softly too her as she stroked her neck. When they were ready Xena took the reins loosely in her hands, they had already decided to carry their own gear should Argo suddenly bolt. With a deep breath the three ventured out into the open, bowing their heads slightly against the stinging rain and moving along the soggy path as rapidly as the conditions would allow.

They had not been traveling long before Xena’s heart sank and she realised that the path they were following had curved round and had brought them along side the swollen, rushing river. Normally she would have been able to have realised sooner as her bearings were usually very reliable. However, in these conditions she could barely see the sodden bard traipsing along behind Argo let alone enough of the surrounding area to monitor their direction successfully. She cursed violently and paused allowing the bard to draw up along side her.

"What’s wrong?" The bard shouted against the torrents of wind and rain battering her from all directions.

Xena pointed to their right, "River," she shouted in response.

Oh dear, Gabrielle thought, we were supposed to be avoiding the river. She peered through the sheeting water and located the river. Xena had been right, it was heavily swollen and the almost black water rushed by with a force and speed that made her shudder.

The warrior was trying to think of which direction to take to get them away from the river but without getting lost when something on the track ahead of them attracted her attention. She tapped her friend’s arm and pointed. Two very large figures were heading straight for them in a manner that set everyone of Xena’s senses into overdrive. "Trouble!" she shouted at her friend.

Gabrielle nodded in understanding, removing her staff from its resting place by Argo’s saddle only moments before the warrior sent her horse fleeing into the forest with a tap to her hindquarters with the flat of her sword. Gabrielle knew that Argo would seek out shelter and remain there until the weather calmed and she would be able to come and find them. Right now though they had a more pressing problem to deal with.

The approaching figures had closed the gap between them with disturbing speed. Both the warrior and the bard stood in total silence as a strong gust of wind cleared the visibility for a brief moment, showing the creatures that approached. Two minotaurs. Xena cursed, she had only ever fought one minotaur before and that had taken every ounce of strength and skill she had had. How was she supposed to defeat two in conditions like these?

The creatures paused briefly as one raised its thick arm and pointed to the bard. The other nodded and they charged towards the friend’s, swords raised.

Gabrielle crouched slightly to lower her centre of gravity, she knew she was going to need every advantage she had in this battle and her compact size and manoeuvrability where the obvious assets. Her opponent towered over her, his body mass at least double, if not treble hers. He swung his sword in a wide arc but the bard dodged, returning a solid thrust of her staff to his midsection. He grunted a little but it was as though she had hit a tree, she re-gripped her staff, dodging his attacks while she considered her options.

Xena raised her sword above her head, gripping it with both hands to defend against the downward stroke that crashed into it, sending sparks flying and shock waves down her arms and into her muscular shoulders. Again he thrust and again she parried, knowing she was going to have to think of another alternative and fast. The creature lunged forward, thrusting his huge sword straight towards her chest. Quickly, she unhooked her chakram from its resting place at her side and placed it in front of the oncoming weapon. The sword cleared the inside hole of the disk and clutching the rim of the loop, Xena used all her strength to pull the sword off its target. At the same time she thrust her own sword deep into the minotaur’s hip. The creature screamed with pain as blood mingled with rain in a pool forming at his foot. Xena was pleased she had slowed him down at least and checked quickly to make sure her friend was still defending herself successfully. Her smile faded as she suddenly realised how dangerous a predicament they were in as they were fighting uncomfortably close to the raging river.

Gabrielle was hoping to tire the creature out. Realistically, she had no chance against it because of the sheer strength it obviously possessed. She was dancing around her opponent, lightly dodging his attack moves. She ducked round to one side of him, putting all her strength into a hit to the back of his knees. The blow connected as she heard a loud crack and grimly acknowledged some damage had been done. She returned to her rapid dodge movements, waiting for her next opportunity to present itself.

Xena somersaulted backwards as her opponent lunged at her, pain and anger making him redouble his efforts. He spun to one side a little as he momentarily lost his balance when his thrust never connected. The warrior charged forward to take advantage but her opponent recovered unexpectedly quickly, she was vulnerable, within his attack reach and with her sword at an attacking rather than defensive angle. The creature had raised his own sword in preparation for another downward thrust; one the warrior would not be able to defend against. She just had enough time to shift slightly, hoping the blow would connect with her shoulder rather than her skull. Unexpectedly the creature reared back, growling in sudden pain. It was only then that Xena saw the athletic form of a female archer through the mist of the thick rain. Their eyes met and held for a brief moment before the battle forced Xena’s attention back to her opponent. The tall warrior took the advantage, angling a final thrust towards the minotaur’s chest. The sword connected, piercing the skin and passing through the thick upper body muscles straight to the creature’s heart. The minotaur slumped forward in death, knocking her to the ground, his body pinning her lower body and legs to the sodden earth, trapped.

Gabrielle had managed another couple of successful attack manoeuvres against her opponent. She had been aided by the unexpected arrival of a large black and white dog that hounded the creature, sinking white fangs into the minotaur’s shin. Between the two of them the creature had become increasingly agitated and was flailing it’s sword wildly in the hope of it connecting with something. Two arrows flew through the air, one piercing his right hand shoulder and the other his neck, spilling blood down his broad chest. With the last of his strength the minotaur gripped his sword with both hands and swung it in a solid arc to his left. Gabrielle dodged but felt her feet slide from under her as the ground she had moved to collapsed under her weight. The earth crumbled away from under her, sending the bard falling head-first into the freezing torrent of the raging river.

"Gabrielle!" Xena screamed through the pelting rain, desperately trying to free herself from the dead weight pinning her to the ground. "GABRIELLE!" There was no response and Xena just managed to see the slim form of the mysterious archer as she dived into the swollen river.


Finally, Xena had managed to free herself. The mysterious black and white dog had pulled at the dead weight of the minotaur’s body as she had pulled her own body the other way, eventually releasing her. Accompanied by the dog she had searched the river and its banks for any sign of either the bard or the archer but it was to no avail. She had eventually realised that until the weather abated she had little chance of success and only put herself in danger by continuing to be so close to the river’s edge in the present conditions. She was torn by her need to find her friend and her common sense telling her that she would be far more use alive and in one piece. As night fell she reluctantly returned to the alcove where they had spent the night before, a subconscious decision in reaction to her need to stay relatively close to the river.

The dog had remained with her throughout the evening and although he appeared agitated he had followed her back to the small cave. They had found Argo there too, nestling in the shelter the rocks provided.

"Hey girl." Xena greeted the horse sadly, "we have lost Gabrielle, she fell in the river." Argo nickered softly, nudging her warrior gently in consolation. "S’ok girl, we’ll find her tomorrow." Xena replied, the verbal reassurance more for her own benefit than the mare’s. The warrior sat down on one of the boulders in the alcove. The dog came and sat down by her side, receiving unimpressed whickers from Argo. "This is Dog," Xena informed the horse, "he lost his friend to the river too." Argo seemed to quiet and silence filled the cavern.

Xena got up and collected some of the dry firewood left over from their recent visit. With experienced movements she soon had a healthy fire going, providing them with light and heat at least. She rummaged in her bag and found some cheese and apples. She didn’t feel much like eating but knew that it was important she kept her strength up. Sharing her bounty with her two animal friends she sat on the boulder and stared into the mesmerising flickering of the fire.

It had all happened so quickly, the minotaurs had appeared from nowhere, then the battle... Xena spent a moment silently thanking the unknown archer whose allegiance had swung the odds in their favour. But then... one minute Gabrielle had been there and the next she had gone, swallowed up in that heartless river. For a moment Xena could not breath as her chest tightened painfully, what happened if she didn’t find Gabrielle? What would she do then? If she thought about a life without Gabrielle only one word seemed applicable. Empty. No one to share things with, no more of those unusual questions the bard so often presented her with, no more laughter. Her direction had been taken away in one fateful moment, the one person who had taken the time to really know her and who had accepted what she had found. The one person she had learnt things worth knowing from. There were so many things she could have already lost she could spend all night trying to list them and still fall short. Only one word could fully describe the loss she was facing, Gabrielle.


The bright light was painful against her sore eyes. She cracked one open and peered around surprised by her surroundings. She was lying in the mud by the side of a river. Moss was nowhere in sight. Her frown cleared as she remembered the events of the day before.

The rain had been sheeting down outside the cave, barely allowing her to see the forest outside. Moss had been sitting at the entrance just watching. Something had disturbed her and as she wondered what it was, the wind brought the sounds of a battle to her ears. She had leapt up, grabbing the travel bag she had used as a pillow and running out of the cave. Moss had followed her, his four legs easily keeping pace with her longer ones. They had sprinted through the trees, ignoring the pelting rain and heading toward the battle she could now clearly hear.

Though she was used to battles, the scene that had met her eyes had surprised even her, two huge beasts were wielding swords, their half man, half bull bodies dwarfing their opponents. It was the women that had caught her attention though, one was fairly short with blond hair. She was using her compact frame and manoeuvrability as an advantage over her opponent, the intelligence behind such tactics obvious. The other woman was tall with long midnight black hair. Her sleek body moved in testament to her great experience and skill as a warrior. She had turned to Moss and said "Looks like we have found our fox and panther!"

She had then thought practically, trying to decide the best way to help. Direct sword fighting would confuse the battle and that was when injuries were more likely to happen. Instead she had slipped unseen through the trees and emerged onto the path a little way behind the backs of the minotaurs. She had crouched next to Moss and pointed to the one on the left hand side, "Attack," she commanded, "attack." The dog had rushed off in the direction of the creature attacking the blonde woman. In the meantime, she armed her bow and sent an arrow into the creature attacking the taller woman. It had landed squarely between his two shoulder blades, embedding itself deep in the flesh. The warrior had looked up then and for a moment she stood entranced at a pair of mesmerisingly vivid blue eyes that she had only seen once before.

Moss had reached the other minotaur and was worrying it, snapping at it’s lower legs and prancing around it with a manoeuvrability that matched the blonde woman’s. She had re-loaded her bow, this time sending two arrows in quick succession. She had only just had time to see them find their target successfully before she saw the shorter woman begin to loose her footing. A quick glance at the dark haired warrior made her heart sink as she realised she was trapped under the solid weight of the fallen minotaur.

She had watched in horror as the bank had collapsed underneath the blonde woman’s feet and was helpless as she saw her fall into the water. The current had brought her towards her own location and she made her split second decision, silently apologising to Moss. She had heard the tall warrior call out but the sound of the rushing water that enveloped her had muffled the voice.

So here she was. She sat up in the mud and looked around her. The weather had cleared at least, the sky was fairly cloudy but the weak sun was fighting through and it looked as though she may be lucky enough to avoid any more rain, for the time being at least. She stood up and moved down to the now calmer river. She leant over slightly and scooped up some water, cleaning the worst of the foul-smelling river-mud off her face, arms and legs. She stood up again and looked around but there was no sign of humanity, in a blonde female form or otherwise. Knowing that the woman may well not have been as lucky as her, a grim expression crossed her young features. She dusted herself off and set off along the riverbank, "Fox!" She called, "Fox!"


She was so comfortable she almost didn’t want to open her eyes, as a compromise she cracked one eyelid open just enough to ascertain her location. Surprised, she opened her eyes fully, revealing a place she did not recognise. She was in a large room with many odd items scattered around. There was a persistent humming noise that sounded like some sort of machinery but she did not recognise it. A large bed formed some of the reason why so was so comfortable, it was an odd bed because as she moved slightly a wave movement echoed underneath her. Whatever it was, it was comfortable, she decided.

The other reason for her comfort was the figure wrapped around her. Blonde hair spilled over the pillow and her friend’s familiar face was relaxed in sleep. Xena always loved this, such close intimacy with Gabrielle when neither of them were bound by the awkward awareness of their waking time. This time was slightly different though, she gently wrapped her arms around the bard’s shoulders and smiled as the blonde moved in even closer. As Xena gazed fondly at her, Gabrielle’s eyes opened a little. Even now, having been friends so long, the warrior was still surprised at the depth and beauty of those sea-green orbs.

"Hey," Gabrielle greeted her, her voice slightly hoarse with sleep.

Xena smiled at her, deciding not to ask any of the logical, practical questions about their location and situation but to just enjoy the moment instead. "Hey," she answered.

Instead of moving away the way she normally did, Gabrielle slid her arm around the warrior’s waist. "You know the best thing about waking up in the morning?" The blonde woman asked.

Xena raised her eyebrow in question.

"Waking up with you." Gabrielle smiled, creases appearing at the edge of her dancing eyes.

Xena was not sure what to say, she was so completely enchanted with her friend’s comment. Instead she reached out her hand and caressed Gabrielle’s cheek. She knew the action combined with the look in her eyes was something that she would not normally do but somehow in this strange place it seemed to be ok to stop denying herself, just this once.

The response though, was something she had not bargained for. Gabrielle had smiled softly and leaning forward held placed her lips gently but squarely on Xena’s. It was different to anything the warrior had experienced before, the love and desire clear in her friend’s eyes. Xena was stunned, she had no idea that Gabrielle felt that way but all of a sudden she felt as though she had just been given the most precious gift in the world.


Xena opened her eyes, a smile still lingering on her lips. Bleakly, she realised that her present situation was very different to the one that she had occupied only moments before. She was sitting on a hard boulder in a damp alcove, staring into the remnants of a fire. Argo and the black and white dog were resting peacefully, and the grey light at the entrance of the cave told her that it would soon be dawn. Water was still falling but she realised it was in the form of drips rather than rain, which meant the weather had cleared overnight. The main thing that was different though, was the absence of her traveling companion, a change that left her chest tight and a hollow emptiness in her soul.

The warrior sighed and poked the embers of the fire with a long stick. Violently, she cursed the visions. It would have been awkward enough to have had that experience and then have had to come back to their familiar friendship but to come back to the knowledge that Gabrielle was not by her side and she did not even know if she was alive anymore, it was just too cruel a contrast. The warrior stood and began to prowl around the inside of the cave, hounded by her thoughts.

It was so frustrating, Xena could still smell the lingering scent of her companion and could also feel the feather light touches on her skin. The visions were so real, is that what it would have been like if Gabrielle had wanted her and if she had ignored her own dilemmas? Morbidly she thrust the stick deep into the heart of the fire, perhaps now she would never be able to find out. She corrected herself sarcastically, she would never have found out anyway. Xena mocked herself, she had so many ‘good’ reasons why she would never have allowed more than a friendship, most of them based on her own fears and no other reason.

The warrior glared out of the cave entrance, willing the daylight to arrive sooner as it would allow her to resume her search for her missing friend. She stalked back to the edge of the fire, filling a cup with water from her flask and placing the cup into the heart of the embers. Making tea would at least kill some of the time before she could escape the darkness-forced inactivity she was finding so intolerable.


The setting sun hung like a globe of fire just above the distant horizon. It’s rays spread across all it encountered, painting trees and grassland in molten gold. The river too was decorated, the deep oranges and reds glinting on the surface of the smooth water. The weather had improved throughout the day, the clouds gradually blowing away to the East allowing the sun to spread it’s life-giving warmth to the sodden earth. The winds had dropped too, now only a gentle breeze blew, softly tousling the leaves of the tall, willow trees that grew along the river bank.

Amongst the beauty of the natural world a figure stood out in stark comparison. It was a tall woman, her disheveled midnight hair highlighting the dark rings under her eyes. Her body was covered in liberal scratches and cuts, dried blood was mixed with the black river-mud that caked the majority of her skin. Her amour was dull and unkempt, her leather garment underneath stained with more of the foul-smelling silt from the river. Her face was pale and pinched, a dark streak of dirt traveling down one cheek and a sadly lost look ingrained on her features. By her side was what looked like it should have been a black and white dog. Instead the creature’s fur was stained a dark brown all the way up its legs and patches of mud were splattered over it’s face and body. Both his ears and tail were hung low, his gentle brown eyes searching for something they could not see.

Xena once again mounted the tall Argo, unaware of the beauty the horse captured in the dying evening sunset. They had traveled an astonishing distance along the river in the direction of the now gentle current. However, the warrior seemed unaware of any achievements, she knew all she needed to by the fact she was still traveling alone. As she urged the horse forward a glint of colour half covered in mud caught her eye a little ahead of her.

"Gabrielle?" she whispered hoarsely, hardly daring to get any closer, she was not sure which she was more afraid of, that being her friend or not... whatever it was it wasn’t moving. She strained her ears, the gentle breeze seemed to caress her hearing with a familiar voice, could it be?

Xena rode the horse as close to the object as she could, dismounting and moving a little closer to it without taking her eyes off it for a moment. She thought she heard the sound again and began to move more quickly, suddenly sinking knee deep into the viscous mud that tried to suck her deeper. She waded further through the mud towards the object, even when her foot caught in a root and she fell, her eyes clung to the object in hope. As she neared the piece of colour, she realised it was only a coloured sack, one that would probably have been washed down from one of the villages up river. She felt this last blow hit her hard and beaten, she slowly waded her way back to dry land. Every inch of her was now covered in the black mud and as she walked along the path small blobs fell onto the sandy earth. Only one part of her was now skin coloured, a thin track from a single tear running from her eye to her jaw line.


The young girl had searched all day and now the sun was setting, she had not eaten since the day before and her heart hurt without the courageous Moss to walk by her side. She looked over at the other side of the bank, searching, when a movement caught her attention. A black figure, accompanied by a black dog and a golden horse were just visible in the distance. Excited by this sudden stroke of luck she whistled and shouted to attract their attention, moving back along the path she had taken, trying to catch up with them. However, fate was cruel, they could not hear her and despite her attempts the figure mounted the horse and began to move away, the black dog trailing behind her. The girl shouted again but the wind just returned her call to her own ears and she watched helplessly until the figures were reduced to mere spots in the distance.

She was torn, part of her wanted to charge after them, at least she would be reunited with her Moss. However, she knew that the blonde woman could have been injured and time was potentially too valuable an asset to waste. Sighing, she turned her back on the dots and resumed her course along the river path.

A little time later, as the sun had almost totally disappeared behind the horizon her efforts were rewarded. A silent figure lay in the mud ahead. "Fox!" the young woman shouted, running towards the body. As she neared she recognised the blonde woman she had seen battling the minotaur only the day before. Squatting by her side the girl felt the woman’s neck where a subtle flutter of a pulse made her heart skip with joy. She knelt down, gripping the unconscious woman’s arms and throwing her over her shoulders. It took the girl all of her considerable strength to rise to a standing position with their combined weights. However, she had set her mind to what she wanted to achieve and no minor point like physical limitations was going to stand in her way.

Slowly, using her powerful thigh muscles, the girl carried the unconscious woman away from the river, to a small clearing in the nearby woods. She laid the woman down, propping her up against a large boulder. Free of her burden, the girl moved efficiently around the area, clearing some room in the centre where she built a large fire. She spread her blanket out over a nearby branch to dry completely after its sudden drenching in the river. Regularly checking on the condition of her charge, she moved around, collecting lots of wood and stacking it neatly for use through the night. Leaving her belongings with the blonde woman she collected her bow and quiver, disappearing into the forest. A short while later, she returned with two rabbits and a large partridge. She skinned the rabbits and diced the meat, placing it in her cooking pot. She added some water and the root vegetables she had collected on her hunting trip. She placed the pot on the fire, allowing the mixture to cook thoroughly. She plucked and prepared the bird, skewering it with a long sharp stick and resting that over the now bubbling pan. Nodding in satisfaction she turned to the blonde woman.

Fox was covered in mud, her blonde her disheveled and matted. She had a variety of cuts and grazes, although nothing too serious the girl was pleased to note. The woman’s skin was cold though and held a slightly bluish tinge to it. It was probably the amount of time the woman had spent in the icy water the girl calculated. Taking the remaining water from her flask she began to clean the woman’s skin off with a soft piece of linen, gently rubbing away the foul-smelling river mud that clung to her. After several trips to the river to refill her flask the job was finally complete.

The young girl surveyed her charge. The woman was still unconscious, although her heartbeat and breathing had remained steady. Her skin was clean and her minor wounds dressed, however, her clothes were still heavily soiled and small pieces of river weed stuck out at random intervals. Making an executive decision, the girl began stripping her charge, placing the dirty clothes in a heap and collecting her blanket, which had now dried out completely. Carefully, she wrapped the woman in the blanket, finally returning her to her resting place against the boulder. She checked on the food as she left their camp carrying the bundle of dirty clothes.

A short while later the girl returned to the camp, bone weary. She laid out the now clean clothes over the branch she had used to dry her blanket. Checking the food again she collected her bowl and spoon, giving herself a generous helping of the thick, nourishing stew. She removed the cooked poultry, wrapping it in a piece of linen and putting it to one side to cool before she stowed it away in her travel bag. Collecting her stew, she sat down next to the silent Fox, and began to eat contentedly. The sky played host to a carpet of bright stars and as she ate she gazed up at their beauty. She began to wonder about her new companion, who she was and what she did. She didn’t even know her name. She was a warrior, that much had been obvious as she had seen the clearly toned muscles whist cleaning her tanned skin. Was she a professional warrior or was that just one of the things that she did?

The girl stood again and returned to the cooking pot to refill her bowl. This time however, she brought it and sat down gently at Fox’s side. Painstakingly she began feeding small spoonfuls into the blonde woman’s mouth, knowing a good meal was crucial in the healing process. Finally, when all the soup had disappeared from the bowl, the young girl felt her weariness begin to overtake her. She rinsed the bowl out and restocked the fire. Again she moved Fox, dragging her unceremoniously closer to the heat of the fire. She sat down on the ground next to her silent companion, straightening the blanket. The woman’s skin was still colder than it should be so the girl lay down beside her, wrapping one arm around the stranger’s waist and using the other as a pillow for herself. Gradually, she slipped into the realm of Morpheus, positive about the morning light of tomorrow.


Gabrielle opened her eyes slowly. Her head hurt. She was disorientated. Her vision told her that she was lying by the remains of a fire in a woodland camp. The birds were just beginning to sing and the sky was painted with streaks of pink overtaking the receding stars. An arm was wrapped around her waist and she was curled inside a blanket she didn’t recognise. Subtly she moved her head to one side.

The owner of the arm around her waist was a stranger lying on the earth next to her. Suddenly, the events of the battle and the river came surging back to her. That explained the absence of her tall warrior friend the bard thought grimly. Thinking practically, Gabrielle realised that she was clean and her wounds were tended. She peered under the blanket to check for more serious injuries. Her head flopped back against the earth and a slightly bemused look crossed her face.

Ok, I am naked, in a strange camp, Xena is nowhere to be seen and somebody I have never met before is lying with her arm round me. Gabrielle decided that if she had been drinking ale the night before she would be congratulating herself at being in such a position.

Gabrielle studied the stranger lying next to her. She was a young woman, probably eighteen or nineteen. From her clothing the bard guessed she was an Amazon and certainly by the care of both herself and the camp the girl had the right skill set. She had shortish blonde hair, that came down to her ears. Although not beautiful, her face was attractive and a splattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose gave her a slightly mischievous look. The bard was just guessing at what colour her eyes would be when they blinked open. The bard stared in surprise, her left eye was green but the her right was split vertically, the left half was a matching green but the right half was a deep, contrasting blue.

"Aarghh!" the girl shouted in surprise, scrambling backwards rapidly.

"Hey, its ok!" Gabrielle soothed, realising that waking up and having a stranger staring at your eyes would probably be a little unnerving.

The girl sighed, "Sorry," she said rather sheepishly, "you startled me a little."

"A little?" The bard questioned, a slight smile and raised eyebrow conveying the humour of her statement. The girl smiled shyly. "Hi," Gabrielle started again, "I am Gabrielle."

The girl smiled fully in response and held out her hand, "Sophea."


Xena had not slept in two days, her mind permanently distracted and sluggish. She had returned to the alcove, finding the knowledge that her friend had recently been there a great comfort. Now she sat, a couple of hours after dawn, clutching a hot mug of tea and trying to think practically to help decide what she should do next. She had searched as far down the river bank as she thought Gabrielle could possibly have traveled and even a little further to make sure. Obviously, the bard may be dead, that was an option she did not want to think about as she had done so too much already, although it had been involuntary. Gabrielle may have been injured and been found and taken to a nearby village. She may be healthy but unable to find Xena. That was a strong possibility, the warrior considered, especially since she had spent the time since it had happened traveling up and down the river bank rather than staying in once place. If that was the case, where would Gabrielle look for her? Possibly the alcove, the warrior thought, although it depended on where the bard had ended up. An idea suddenly occurred to her, perhaps Gabrielle would have traveled to the temple they were heading for before all this had happened, it was the next destination in their quest after all.

Xena swirled her now rapidly cooling tea around in her mug while she considered the options. Assuming her friend was still alive, the best ideas seemed to be to either make inquiries at the villages down river or to travel to the temple and see if there was any sign of Gabrielle there. The temple was only about one day’s travel away, assuming of course that she was able to avoid the Amazons and any other potential hazards on the roads. It would take her many days to travel between the villages down river. Making a decision, Xena decided to travel to the temple to check before she did anything else. She could always leave a message there should Gabrielle arrive after her and she had already been and gone.

Feeling more positive for taking action, Xena considered her current mud covered state. Gabrielle would flip if she saw her like this, a sadly amused smile flittered across the woman’s exhausted face. Better have a wash first.

Xena had trekked down to the riverside, finding a bit with a steeper bank which meant less of the mud she was going to endeavour to get rid of. She stripped her armour and leathers off, jumping into the cool water in just her undergarments. The cleansing water felt good against her dirty, itching skin. She washed efficiently, absently noticing how much quicker bath times were when there was no horseplay and no Gabrielle. Climbing back onto the grass she rubbed her skin vigorously with the piece of linen she had set to one side for the purpose. Removing a firm brush from her bag she proceeded to brush off her leathers, removing the dried-on mud and silt that covered them.

Donning the now clean leathers she noticed the dog that had been her companion for the last few days. The poor creature was also caked in mud and looking extremely dejected. "Here boy!" Xena called him, wading back into the river a little. The dog was regarding her, a faintly unimpressed look on his face. "Come on," she urged again, "we are going to go and find our friends and neither of them will be impressed if we turned up looking like this." The dog surprisingly seemed to understand and bravely waded into the river towards her. The warrior began rubbing his filth covered fur down with soap, allowing the cool river water to rinse him off. As she washed behind his ears she noticed for the first time that he was wearing a collar. She felt round the band, her long fingers finding a small wooden disk attached. She angled the disk out of the water and towards the light, reading the carved inscription.

"Hello Moss!" she greeted the dog. His brown eyes seemed to smile and his tail began to wag, showering them both with cold water. "Hey, cut it out!" the warrior exclaimed, deciding the dog was clean enough and moving back onto the dry bank. Moss followed her and she looked them both over approvingly. "Time to get moving." The warrior addressed both horse and hound. Swinging herself up into the saddle she pointed Argo in the direction of the temple and whistled for Moss to follow her.


The pair were sitting by the now small fire, clutching drained mugs of tea. Sophea had given a brief outline of how she had discovered her companion yesterday evening and how she had cleaned and tendered her. The young girl had flushed slightly when she had to explain that she had removed Gabrielle’s clothes to wash them but she relaxed when she realised that the older woman was nothing other than grateful for her help.

Gabrielle placed her empty mug on the ground by her side as she sat, still wrapped in the blanket. "Well," she began, " I ought to get moving, I was traveling with a friend before I fell in the river and I know she will be worried about me." The bard was very concerned about what her friend may be thinking and how she was faring alone.

"Yes, the tall warrior with the long dark hair." Sophea agreed.

"You know Xena?" Gabrielle asked the young Amazon, slightly surprised.

"Xena?" Sophea mentally kicked herself, she had heard enough about the heroic female warrior in the tales her Amazon sisters liked to tell around the evening campfire, she should have recognised her. Her eyes tracked back to her inquisitive companion, "Oh, well, not really," she began, not really sure of how much she should say. "I saw you two fighting the minotaurs, Moss was helping you."

"Moss?" Gabrielle queried, raising one eyebrow slightly.

"My dog," the girl explained, "the black and white one."

A smile crossed the bard’s face as she recalled the dog that had appeared from nowhere and had become her ally, giving her the advantage over her much stronger opponent. "He was very brave," Gabrielle complimented and she looked around the camp with a slightly puzzled look on her face. "Where is he?" she asked.

Sophea looked a little sad, "With Xena I hope."

The older woman’s brow furrowed with confusion, "Why isn’t he with you?"

"When your footing slipped," she began, "Xena tried to get to you but she was pinned to the ground by the body of the minotaur she had just fought." She paused for a moment trying to explain clearly events that had happened so quickly that her memory only held a blur. "I was standing a little further down the track, in the direction of the river current."

Gabrielle’s mouth went dry as her mind presented her with a possible action of the young Amazon that would make all the loose ends tie up...

"Moss was with Xena and the dead minotaurs," Sophea continued, "Xena struggled to get free but she could not stop you falling, she called after you," Sophea’s eyes welled up suddenly, the human anguish in that cry still fresh in her ears. "So, I dived in after you, leaving Moss to help Xena." She concluded simply.

Gabrielle was silent for a moment as she looked at the young girl sitting next to her. She had just been a stranger to her this morning but already she realised that she owed her life to her. Not only had the girl tended her and cared for her, she had also risked her own life to save her. A tight lump formed in the bard’s throat as her eyes met the unassuming green ones facing her. "Thank you," she said simply, her sincerity shining in her own eyes.

"Anytime." Sophea smiled, unsure of what she had done to deserve the gratitude her companion was exuding towards her, it was such an alien concept to her. "How about we go and find Xena and Moss?" she suggested.

Gabrielle was still slightly dumbfounded, so she simply nodded mutely.

"I will just go and get some fresh water while you, um...." Sophea nodded to Gabrielle’s now dry clothes hanging on the nearby branches.

Another nod from the bard.

Sophea stood, collecting her water flask and moving away from the camp towards the nearby river. When she returned Gabrielle was dressed and had packed most of the equipment away. It felt odd, Sophea reflected, that someone was willingly helping her. Knowing that her companion had made a full recovery and that they were off to find their friends gave the girl a feeling of joyous elation.

"So, do you think we should just head up river for a while till we find them?" she asked.

Gabrielle had been thinking about that while she had been getting dressed. She had been trying to think of what Xena would have done and where they might find her. "Yes," she answered, "lets try that, we can always change our plans if we need to." She watched as the girl nodded in response, settling her belongings on her back and stamping out the remainder of the fire. Then the pair headed back towards the river that had played such a great part in their lives over the last couple of days.

If you have enjoyed Lannilvr's "Echoes of the Future", then please be certain to e-mail her at  oxfreddie[at]hotmail.co.uk  and thank her for posting this Story.

Click here to continue on to "Echoes of the Future - Conclusion"

Click here for a list of all of Lannilvr's  Stories and Poetry at  Sapphic Voices Authoresses.