Chapter Three
Lost In The Fog
Xena kept watch at the stern of the ship until sight of the cooking fires on the Roman ship was lost in the distance and shrouded from the sea fog that formed. A common occurrence this time of year when the air temperature was so much colder than the water vapor that evaporated from the warmer sea.
"It looks like we're safe for now," Xena said to Santilla and Gabrielle. "There's no way they can find us tonight."
"But what about tomorrow?" Gabrielle asked. "They still have oars, and we don't."
"It will depend on this fog," Santilla said. "It's getting thicker much faster than it should. I suspect it will be with us most if not all of the day. I don't like it."
"Why?" Gabrielle asked again. "If they can see us we shouldn't be in any danger."
"True. But I'm not familiar with this part of the sea. I was counting on following the coast of the island until we reached the Ionian Sea. Sailing so far from sight of land is like traveling with a blindfold over your eyes you have no way of knowing where you are going, or how to reach your destination."
"But you know where the sun rises; that's east. That makes south to your right, then we sail with the sun to our backs until it is overhead, then we follow it and go west, and south is on the left side."
Santilla laughed out loud, then said to Xena, "Your companion knows east from west and north from south very useful when you are on the land." Then to Gabrielle he said, "But what if the sun rises and it is so foggy you cannot even see the bright spot that is the sun? Which way will you travel then?"
Gabrielle opened her mouth to answer, then discovered she didn't have one. "I don't know," she replied, obviously a little embarrassed. She then looked to Xena. "And I suppose this isn't anything new to you."
"No. Back when I was with Borias, we traveled by ship quite a bit."
"Hmm. Well, I guess there's work to be done." And Gabrielle went to join the crew.
"She's a smart girl," Santilla said. "She catches on fast."
"Yes she does. But don't let her hear you call her a girl. She does have a temper, and can be kind of touchy sometimes."
The day passed slowly as the unseen sun brightened the fog to a gloomy gray-white -- a thick cold fog, heavy and wet, causing drops to fall from the rigging in a steady rain. The only good was that there was no wind to push the ship even farther off-course. But still they drifted with the tide and natural movement of the sea.
With no real work to do other than to bail water from the bilge, and to daub and re-daub those troublesome leaks, the crew more and more turned to the ever diminishing stores of wine.
"I'm beginning to think the supplies Captain Santilla was so worried about getting from Messina was more wine," Gabrielle commented as she and Xena sat together for warmth Gabrielle wrapped in Xena's arms, leaning against her chest.
"You're probably right. We do have a supply of fresh fish all around us, so we won't starve. But I am beginning to worry about water."
"But what about the barrels of water below? Won't that be enough?"
"It should last, but you never know. "
"Is it my imagination, or is it getting darker?" Gabrielle asked.
"It's not your imagination. This has been a long day. I'm almost glad it's over. Maybe by tomorrow the fog will be gone."
"What if it isn't?"
"Then we will spend tomorrow as we did today."
The day slowly turned to night, and Santilla felt it was safe enough to light fires for cooking and for warmth, but only on deck. Everyone appreciated the hot food, and plied with wine, spirits were high. Singing and laughter were heard for the first time since the Roman warship began its pursuit. Eventually the crew went below deck to sleep. But not all of them only to sleep. Muted grunts and panting could be heard as some of them paired off.
Xena and Gabrielle were back to their favorite position Gabrielle in Xena's arms, both wrapped in a blanket, listening to the waves lapping the sides of the ship, and to the noises coming from below.
"Xena, there's something I need you to know," Gabrielle said somberly as the night deepened, the cold air grew colder, and Xena held her tighter.
"I'm listening."
"It's something that happened, back there."
"You don't have to tell me anything, you know. Whatever happened is past."
"I know. But I want to; have to, for some reason."
"Okay."
Gabrielle took several breaths, trying to find the words she wanted to say, and finding it disconcerting that she was having so much trouble saying what she needed to.
"It something happened in Domina's bed chamber. She sent for me, and had me strip."
Gabrielle then hesitated so long that Xena thought she had changed her mind, but then she continued. "Domina has a very strong sexual appetite. And she she held my face to her crotch, forcing me to service her until she was satisfied. She held me so tightly I almost passed out from lack of air."
Xena waited, knowing when Gabrielle wanted a response, and when she didn't.
"I don't know why I'm telling you this now. I guess maybe because of what's going on below."
Again Gabrielle hesitated, and when she spoke, her voice was thick with emotion. "Xena, I have to ask you something. And I know in my heart what the answer is, but I still have to ask."
"You know you can ask me anything."
"When you were with the gladiators all those men, did you ever
did anything happen?"
Unseen to Gabrielle, Xena clinched her eyes shut, stemming the tears that were trying to fall, then she said, "I had offers. When I first joined them, Doctore told them I was not there for their pleasure. And I set a few of them in their places."
Xena took a ragged breath, hoping it wouldn't betray her. "But, no," she lied. "Nothing ever happened you need to worry about. I love you, and only you. I would never never betray your trust in me."
Xena felt Gabrielle sigh as she pulled Xena's arms even tighter around her. As she did, Xena felt the tears fall from her eyes. And she was ready to lie again if necessary, to tell Gabrielle they were tears of love, and not tears of deceit.
The next morning was a copy of the previous day cold, wet fog with no sight of the sun in the sky. As they awoke and came on deck, the men were grumbling and obviously suffering the effects of too much wine the day and night before.
"They are suffering now," Santilla was telling Xena and Gabrielle, smiling at their troubles. "Not only have they drunk most of the wine, but the wood for the cooking fires was all but burned up last night. Unfortunately, the dehydration they are experiencing is depleting the water in the barrels more quickly than I'd like."
"Not much I can do about the water," Xena told him. "But even without the cooking fire we can still eat. They caught more than enough fish yesterday."
"Xena," Gabrielle interrupted, "I know you're not talking about eating raw fish!"
"Why not? When Borias and I were sailing between Chin and Japa, I discovered some of them ate raw fish. It's not as bad as you might think. When it's fresh it has almost no taste. But the oddest thing was that instead of their fingers or the point of a knife, they used two slender pieces of wood to eat with. They called them chops."
"Do you know how to prepare the raw fish?" Santilla asked.
"Sure. I'll just need the fish, someplace to gut and fillet them, and a good sharp knife."
By the time Xena had enough of the sea bass ready to eat, most of the men had gotten over the morning hangovers and were hungry enough to try the raw fish, providing Xena, Gabrielle and Santilla did so first.
Xena carved several pairs of chops in case anyone wanted to try them. With ease, she popped several pieces into her mouth using them. Gabrielle didn't too bad with them; she only dropped the first two pieces. Santilla dropped three, then decided his fingers worked well enough.
Slowly the rest of the crew tasted, then ate the uncooked sea bass, ignoring the chops in favor of their fingers. About half of them were pleasantly surprised, while the others hated the taste and texture. But they mostly ate their fill. And afterwards, at Santilla's insistence, they all gave prayers of thanks to Poseidon for providing them food from his bountiful sea.
And as if their prayers were accepted, the sun brightened in the sky, the fog began to burn off, and an easterly breeze began to blow. A cheer went up from the crew and they all quickly manned the ropes to raise the sail as Santilla steered the ship with the massive oar at the stern. Slowly the ship began to move south/southwest, and by midday, the coast could be seen in the distance, south of their position where it needed to be. And as Santilla kept the ship on-course, Xena scanned the horizon in all directions, on the lookout for the red sail that indicated a Roman warship, or any ship that might be near.
"Xena," Gabrielle said as she rested from manning the ropes. "Do you really think Poseidon answered their prayers?"
"What do you think?"
"I'm kind of skeptical. I mean, after everything we've gone through with Ares, Zeus, Hades, even Aphrodite, I find it hard to believe Poseidon would care one way or another about a ship lost in the fog.
"Well, as long as our superstitious shipmates believe it, what difference does it make?"
"None, I suppose. But sometimes oh, never mind."
"Oh, no. You can't just start to say to something, then say never mind."
"It's just that sometimes I wish they did care about us, as humans, and not just as toys to be, well toyed with, then discarded like so much garbage."
"That would be nice, maybe. But except for Ares, who is always looking for that next incredible warlord, I doubt if they even care enough to toy with us."
As they talked, Xena couldn't help but notice they were drawing closer to land, uncomfortably so in her opinion, and directly toward a small fishing village.
"Captain Santilla!" she yelled out, always careful to use his title when the crew could hear. "Why are we heading to land?"
"We need water, and fresh food, and wine. I'm hoping we can trade for the fish we still have."
"Trading fish to a fishing village?" Gabrielle said to Xena. "Isn't that like trying to sell a horse to a centaur?"
Xena chuckled. "It is. But he's right, we do need supplies."
"But?"
"But? But what?"
"You tell me. I know that look on your face there's something bothering you."
"I'm just wondering where all the fishing boats are. It's been too foggy to put out to sea, but I don't see any tied to the docks. So where are they?"