May 2006
IseQween@aol.com
“I wish you
wouldn’t do that.”
“What?” Gabrielle nodded to herself. The downward motion definitely felt more
comfortable than straight ahead. More
force that way. “So it’s not
pretty. That a crime?” She shrugged innocently. “I’m doing the chore you gave me. To the best of my limited ability. There some special technique I’m supposed to
use?”
“You were
practicing. Stabs. Thrusts.
I asked you to clean the fish.
Not attack it.”
“Xena, must you see
violence in every little thing? Because
it’s your precious hunting knife?”
Gabrielle waved the bloody blade.
“You afraid I’ll turn murderer now?
In case you didn’t notice, my ‘victim’ was already dead.”
“I should. I killed it.” Xena cocked her head. “In
case you didn’t notice.”
“Like I could
forget.” Gabrielle cut her eyes at the
warrior. “That’s your job, right? The ‘important’ things?”
“If it involves
killing. Especially people.”
Gabrielle huffed in
exasperation. “What’s the harm? At least knowing about some kind of
weapon? I don’t have to use it. Or even carry one. I learned that lesson, thank you very much. But if I’m traveling with a warrior, what’s
the sense – .”
“Exactly. Not just any warrior. One who’s made a name as among the
best. Who knows where to find as good a
warrior to partner with.” Xena pursed
her lips. “If that’s what I wanted.”
“What about what I
want?” Gabrielle rested her hands in
her lap. “I told you why I followed
you. Not just for adventure. Maybe to become a warrior like you someday.”
“It’s your
life. I can’t stop you. But as long as you’re with me, I get some
say in it.”
“That’s fair.” Gabrielle grinned. “Like I have some say in yours?”
“This isn’t a game,
Gabrielle. My life kills. You’ve got
something inside that could die being with me.
You won’t know how precious until it’s gone.”
Gabrielle scooted
closer to the warrior. “Did you have
it? That ‘something?’”
Xena studied her
hands. “In the beginning maybe. Whatever, it lost out to something
else. Something I came to value more.” She raised her head, eyes cold. “And apparently still do.”
“The other’s
winning out now though, right? You hurt
people, but to keep somebody else from being hurt.”
“Lemme put it this
way. If Morpheus’ guys had found me at
your age? They wouldn’t have kidnapped
me for my ‘blood innocence.’”
“And that’s such a
bad thing? You want me to go around the
rest of my life hiding? Running? A tempting sacrificial lamb for zealots or
crazy gods or – .”
“You’ll learn about
defense being around me. You’ll see
enough killing to – .”
“Xena, I already
have. My sister Lila would’ve run home
screaming at the first scratch.
Something makes me stay. Maybe
something like the part of you that has to get physical.”
“There’s a
difference, Gabrielle. You –.”
“Have somebody to
teach me? Keep me from making some of
the mistakes you did?”
Xena rolled her
tongue in her cheek. “Assuming you’d
listen.”
“Oh, I would! I do!
I haven’t messed with your sword again, have I? Or your chakram?” Gabrielle scowled. “Or
that breast dagger you confiscated?”
“As if you had
anything to hold them.”
“Hey! No need to make little of my … modest …
endowments.”
Sighing resignedly,
Xena resumed sharpening her sword.
“I’ll show you some moves from time to time. No more sneaking, all right?
I can’t be worried you’ll –.”
“Deal.” Gabrielle wiped the knife in some
grass. “Sorry about – .”
“S’okay. You’ll get better at following my orders.”
“Um ….” Gabrielle screwed up her face at the mangled
corpse. “I was speaking more about this
poor fella. Forget his blood
innocence. He sacrificed vital body
parts to help us through this. Not to
mention his good looks.”
*****
The next day the
two stopped at a village for supplies.
They were loading Argo when a dozen or so horses came thundering
in. The riders dismounted in front of
the tavern. Half went inside. The other half swaggered through the market,
bullying merchants into free or reduced items.
“Xena?” Gabrielle
said with that “shouldn’t we do something” expression.
The warrior rolled her
eyes. “Stay here.” She strode to a platform, leaped atop and
stood with her arms folded.
“Ayiyiyiyiyi!” When she’d
attracted sufficient attention, she leveled her eyes at each of the
miscreants. “I’m not likin’ the smell
you boys brought with ya.”
The thugs gaped at
her. “You talkin’ to us?”
“I’m talkin’ to
anybody rotten enough to intimidate these good people. Which of you is the Big Stink?”
The men
snickered. They stalked toward
her. “Why’n’t ya come down’n find out?”
“Nah. That’s close enough.” Xena unsnapped and threw her chakram. It lopped off the ends of any blades pointed
at her. Undeterred, the ruffians rushed
the platform. When they reached the
bottom, Xena somersaulted behind them and kicked them into the wooden
edge. A couple slumped
unconscious. The others scrambled to
turn around, earning a fist in the face for their trouble.
“Get `er!”
The men in the
tavern spilled out to join their brethren.
Some of the villagers decided to even the odds, wielding brooms, pots
and whatever else they had to disable the enemy. Gabrielle ushered the children a safe distance away. Two older girls refused to abandon a stall
where one of the ruffians had crawled to regain his senses. The taller girl grasped a handful of her
friend’s blouse, trying to pull her away from banging a skillet against the
man’s skull.
“Talia, no! You’re killing him!”
“Get off me! He deserves what’s comin’ to `im!”
Gabrielle also
grabbed Talia. “Stop! She’s right. Look at him!”
Huffing and
puffing, Talia paused in her attack long enough to see the man lay motionless,
blood oozing from his forehead. “That’s
the one threatened my ma and pa,” she hurled at the other girl. “Why’re you always takin’ up for scum like
that.” She shrugged off the hands
restraining her. “See?” She pointed to where Xena stood surrounded
by bodies, engaged with two men determined to beat her. “She knows what oughtta be done.”
“That’s true. And she doesn’t hit people once they’re
down.”
Talia scowled at
Gabrielle. “How would you know?”
“Have you heard of
Xena?”
“The Warrior
Princess?”
“Uh huh.”
Talia’s eyes
grew. “Wow. That her? I hear she’s
the best there is. Takes no prisoners. Pulverizes anybody who crosses `er.”
“She’s
changed.” Gabrielle smiled. “Only pulverizes bad guys. Doesn’t kill unless she has to. I know because she’s my friend. I’m Gabrielle. I travel with her.”
“Awww, come
on.” Talia glanced skeptically between
Gabrielle and the woman who now faced a single opponent – the man who’d
ordered, “Get `er!” As if on cue, he
lunged at Xena in such a way as to force her to run him through. Talia snickered. “Changed or not, that’s one scumbag won’t be botherin’ us
again.” She kicked her victim’s
leg. He groaned. “But this one will. Happy now?”
She snorted in disgust at the man’s saviors before marching off. “Shows what you two know about being a true
warrior,” she threw over her shoulder.
“Hard head. Thinks she knows everything.”
Gabrielle
laughed. “Comes natural to warrior
types. I’m assuming Talia considers
herself a warrior type?”
“Yeah.” The other girl’s shoulders sagged. “Always calling me ‘chicken’ if I don’t get
excited about whacking somebody.”
“I didn’t catch
your name,” Gabrielle said, extending her hand.
Surprised, the girl
shyly shook the hand. “Amelea.”
“Amelea, whacking
isn’t the only way. Sometimes words and
brains work even better.”
“Don’t see
how. Not against bad people like those
men.”
“Would you believe
only a few days ago it worked for me?”
“It did?”
“Uh huh. Evil priests snatched me. They needed an innocent girl who hadn’t
killed. Problem is, they tried to make
me do it for their god, so they could sacrifice me to him.”
“Goodness! What did you do?”
“Well, Xena
deserves the credit. She’d given me
some advice earlier – try talking your way out first, then pitting opponents
against each other. If that doesn’t
work, run if you can.”
“That’s how you got
away?”
“Not
entirely.” Gabrielle chuckled. “Bought myself time until a certain
hard-headed warrior type came to the rescue.”
“Oh.” Amelea sighed her disappointment. “I thought ….”
Gabrielle steered
the girl to sit on a bench nearby.
“Xena says the world needs all kinds.
That fighting should be a last resort.”
She gazed thoughtfully at the warrior, who was helping truss the
ruffians who hadn’t made it to their horses.
“When we run into trouble? If
there’s time, Xena let’s me try getting folks to listen to each other first. Or she’ll consider an idea I have for
resolving it peacefully.”
“She does?” Amelea frowned. “Why not crack heads and be done with it? What if somebody escapes to do even more
harm, like Talia said?”
“From what I’ve
seen? She’d have to eliminate half the
world. Xena’s more a problem solver,
not so much into changing somebody. On
a good day she makes them think twice.
If not, they’re a problem for another day.” Gabrielle shrugged. “You
know, people don’t always fight because they’re bad. Many are basically decent, fearing somebody else’s way could be
bad. You can’t rush in taking out the whole lot. You could hurt somebody who
really doesn’t deserve it.”
“Didn’t those men
deserve it? Anybody could see they’re
not decent.”
“Believe me, Xena
doesn’t trust easily. Her past is full
of bad people. So is her present,
because of her mission to right wrongs.
She ends up helping or sparing many she doesn’t like. Do they deserve to die because she doesn’t
agree with them? Because they stole a
ham?”
“She wants to be …
fair? Even to somebody who’s done bad
things?”
Gabrielle
smiled. “Uh huh. Talia’s right. Xena hasn’t always been so fair.
If people didn’t deserve a second chance, she’d be the first in
line. She usually warns them, like she
did today. When she called for the
leader? She hoped defeating him would
discourage his gang from causing more trouble.”
Amelea
snorted. “None of it worked. I didn’t see her run.”
Gabrielle
laughed. “Um, no. She’s kinda special. For her, running’s pretty much a last
resort.”
Amelea rubbed her
chin. “I have stopped a lot of fights. Between my friends. Even ol` hothead listens to me sometimes.”
“Bet it feels good,
huh?”
Amelea
grinned. “Yeah. Maybe one less wound to patch. Or somebody can get along with each other
again. I like that.”
“Me too.” Gabrielle noticed Xena searching for
her. She patted Amelea’s hand and
rose. “Remember that, next time Talia
gives you the evil eye. Imagine how
much sadder or crueler the world would be without people like us.”
Amelea stood. “I will.”
She ducked her head. “Thanks for
talking to me.”
Gabrielle patted
the girl’s shoulder. “Thanks for
letting me. Maybe did us both some
good.”
“Um,
Gabrielle?” Amelea spotted Talia
hanging around her new hero. “Can I go
over with you? You know – maybe meet
Xena?”
“Sure.
Come on.”
The two walked to
where Xena was once again preparing Argo for the trip out. She watched their approach with raised brow.
“Can’t resist
making a new friend, eh? Even on a
battlefield.”
Gabrielle surveyed
the trashed market area. “I wouldn’t
exactly call it a battlefield.” She
threw a wry glance at the hovering Talia.
“But then, I’m not a ‘true’ warrior.’”
Xena gave Talia a
bemused glance. “I take it
introductions are in order?”
“This is
Amelea.” Gabrielle beckoned the other
girl to join them. “And Talia. Amelea and Talia, I’d like you to meet
Xena.”
Xena nodded to the
girls. “My pleasure, I’m sure.”
Talia stared at
Xena, then Gabrielle. “Wow. You really are friends?”
Xena bit her
lip. “So she tells me. Surprising huh?”
“I’ll say! What ….”
Talia scowled. “You’re whomping
guys right’n left. She didn’t lift a
finger!” She cut her eyes at
Gabrielle. “Too busy helpin’ Amelea
keep me from doin’ it.”
“She deserves a rest sometimes.”
“A rest? From what?
Talking?”
Xena coughed. “Um ….
I meant, a rest from saving me.”
“Saving …you?!”
“Little while ago,
wasn’t feeling so good about myself.
Not sure I had it in me to be the kind of warrior I wanted. Next I know, I see this redheaded kid
mouthing off to a bunch of slave traders.”
Talia gawked at
Gabrielle. “Her?”
“One and the
same. Had to get out of my funk pretty
quick, to back her up. Felt good.”
Talia snorted. “Saving big-mouthed redheads?”
“Learning from her
example. Somebody willing to put her
life on the line for others. Armed only
with her convictions.”
“Yeah, well – .”
“I’m not
finished.” Xena’s eyes froze Talia into
silence. “I warned her away from
me. She trailed me to my home village
anyway. They tried to stone me for the
death and shame I’d caused them. My own
mother turned her back. Not
Gabrielle. She talked them out of
it. Gave them the chance to see I’d
changed. Gave me the chance to believe
I could. This time around with honor
and a conscience.” She held Talia’s
eyes. “A ‘true’ warrior.”
“She deserved a
second chance,” Amelea explained softly.
“Like she tried to give those men.”
Talia searched the
blue gaze for a shred of indulgence, the usual “wisdom” of adults who knew
little about practicing what they preached.
She saw instead unflinching honesty – as undeniable as it was open to
the possibility of doubt. She suddenly
realized how little she actually knew about being a warrior like this greatest
of warriors. That anybody could go
around whomping people, but only someone special would worry about why. She felt a surge of resentment, not quite
willing yet to lose her youthful certainty.
She stuck out her chin.
“A warrior has to
act fast. Bein’ polite and considerate
could –.”
“I can tell you
have a brave, good heart,” Xena said, her eyes softening. “After all these years, I’m still
learning. Made a lot of wrong turns,
not listening to those who saw me better than I could. If you’re lucky, you’ll have someone like
that. You’ll listen sooner.” She smiled at Gabrielle. “Ready?”
Gabrielle
blinked. “Ready? Um, yeah.”
Blushing a bit, she fumbled around in her carry bag as if making sure
she had everything. “I … uh ….”
“Nice meeting you,
Xena.” Amelea quickly hugged
Gabrielle. “You too, Gabrielle. I won’t forget you.”
“Likewise.” Talia threw Gabrielle a begrudging
smile. She regarded Xena with mixed
emotions. “Uh, great seeing you in
action. It’s been … um … interesting. I’ll, uh, you know ….”
“You’re
welcome.” Xena swung up on Argo. She offered her arm to Gabrielle. “Wanna ride awhile?”
Aware of two sets
of curious eyes, Gabrielle decided image was more important than reluctance to
climb aboard the picky Palomino.
“Absolutely.” She let herself be
pulled up. “Bye!”
“Bye!” Amelea waved at the departing women. When they were almost out of sight, she
turned to her friend with a smug smile.
“What’re you
grinnin’ at? Don’t go gettin’ any
ideas. I may be shorter’n you.” Talia smirked. “But not as soft yet as Xena.”
*****
The early afternoon
sun beamed down on the travelers, convincing them to rest in a shady spot
beside a stream. Xena washed off the
reminders of her run-in with the ruffians.
Gabrielle knelt nearby filling their water skins.
“That’s a nasty
cut. Does it need stitching?” Gabrielle
asked hoping she wouldn’t have to assist.
“Looks worse than
it is. I’ll put some ointment on. Keep it wrapped today.” Xena stretched the wounded arm out toward
Gabrielle. “Unless you want the
practice?”
Gabrielle rolled
her tongue in her cheek. “Um, I can
wait. No doubt you’ll give me plenty
more opportunities.”
“No doubt.”
The two continued
their respective activities. When
finished, they relaxed under a tree eating some fruit.
“You know, it’s not
true I do all the ‘important’ things.”
“What?”
“Killing our food. Bad guys.
That needs to be done. It’s not
more important just because I do it.”
Gabrielle stared at
the warrior. “Xena, what are you
talking about?”
Xena focused on the
apple in her hand. “When I said I’d
killed the fish? I only meant ….” She shrugged. “It’s what I do.”
“The fish?” Gabrielle’s mouth dropped when she realized
Xena was referring to their conversation the day before. It never ceased to amaze her how little the
warrior missed or how much churned inside that brain without any outward
sign. “I thought we’d settled that for
now. I’m not planning any more assaults
on –.”
“Do you really feel
that way? Like I don’t value you?”
Gabrielle frowned,
trying to recall exactly what she’d said.
She tended to spout off whatever popped in her head at the time. Her words often floated away, sometimes
blowing back to her or touching someone in ways she didn’t anticipate. She hadn’t been prepared for how often Xena
took them in, apparently dwelling on them long after she herself had breezed on
to something else. She did, however,
remember the feeling.
“I, um, think maybe
that was more about me.” Gabrielle
ducked her head. “You know, feeling
like a tagalong. Like I should do more
than stand around or get out of the way or ….”
“Clean up after I
do the ‘main’ event?”
“I don’t blame
you. I mean, what do I know about all
this? I can barely wake up when I’m
supposed to.” Gabrielle fiddled with a
water skin. “It’s not that you treat me
like I’m a nuisance or anything. You
actually seem okay with having me around.”
She snorted. “Not sure why
sometimes.”
Xena adjusted her
bracers. “Maybe what I want for you
really is more about me.” Her gaze
drifted to the stream. “Joy. Belief.
A heart clean of rage and blood.
Didn’t know how much I missed that.”
She smiled at Gabrielle. “With
you I’m reminded every day.” She
sighed. “What you want comes as natural
to me as breathing. Not that you
couldn’t do it. You’d be good at
whatever you set your mind to. It’s just
I …”
“Kinda need me more
as I am?”
Xena sucked in her
cheeks. “Mm. ‘Need’ is pretty strong.
How ‘bout ‘tolerate.’”
“Hmm.” Gabrielle cocked her head, chin in
hand. “‘Need’ is definitely
strong. Solid. Direct.”
She grinned. “Suits you
better. ‘Tolerate’ has a wimpy ring,
dontcha think?”
Xena growled under
her breath. A master of many fields,
she hadn’t been prepared for her young companion’s dominance on this particular
turf. It required the warrior to stay on
her toes for the simplest of chats. Be
alert for deceptively airy comments that somehow penetrated her defenses with
uncanny precision, lodging in her consciousness with surprising depth. And illumination.
She usually
responded with gruff indulgence of course, as if the flow of words hadn’t sunk
in. Secretly she found them an
unaccustomed challenge. A rare impetus
for self-knowledge. One of the few
gifts she didn’t already have and couldn’t bestow on herself. She suspected Gabrielle sensed this. Yet most times the girl didn’t seem to
care. Not about impressing somebody or
for personal gain. Mainly about truth
for its own sake. Searching for
it. Examining it. Expressing it with faith it wouldn’t hurt if
it hit home. Xena welcomed the respite
from truth bearing chains, traps or sharp edges.
“I think you have
an interesting view of ‘strong.’
Considering your own ‘need’ to use blades on more than food.”
Gabrielle took a
swig of water. She wanted a moment to
drink in Xena’s acknowledgement. She
couldn’t show her pleasure too much of course.
The warrior did have her pride.
Was particularly skittish about inner stuff she guarded from public
view. Gabrielle usually found it best
to treat such issues lightly – let the chips fall where they may. Besides, as much as she admired Xena, she
couldn’t afford to be too clingy, too dependent on the warrior’s approval. She sensed Xena appreciated people with
minds of their own – fortuitous, considering the warrior’s tagalong certainly
had one and loved opportunities to explore it.
“Actually, I’m not
so keen on that anymore. Blades, I
mean.”
“Oh? You practicing listening to me for a
change?”
“Xena, I hang on
your every word.” Gabrielle giggled at
Xena’s expression. She ducked her
head. “I, um …. That was really nice what you told
Talia. You know, about … me.”
The warrior
shrugged. “She needed to hear
‘whomping’ folks isn’t the only way.”
“Huh. The listening thing? I’m thinking I should practice doing it more
with myself for a change.”
“Should I be
scared?”
“Xeenaa.” Gabrielle squirted some water Xena’s
way. “I had a talk with Amelea. Trying to cheer her up about not being so
fond of violence, like Talia. I ended
up realizing something about myself.”
“You’re not so fond
of it either?”
Gabrielle
nodded. “I know I have the potential. Funny, I think I valued it a lot like you do
what you see in me. I took for granted
not wanting to hurt people. My ‘blood
innocence.’ You’re showing me how to
bring the other out in a good way.”
“Riiiight.”
“Seriously. If I want to develop that part of me? There’s nobody else I’d trust more.” Gabrielle’s tone did not invite debate. “It’s more a curiosity now. Maybe a necessary evil for me later as a
wannabe warrior.”
“You’re okay with
staying out of fights for the time being?”
“I do have the
urge. You know – to be more
involved. Maybe bop somebody with a
pan.” Gabrielle grinned. “I guess I’m saying I appreciate the value
of not needing to. Why you think it’s
important. That I should listen to
what’s in my heart. Not worry so much
about what might be missing.”
Xena raised a
brow. “We’re still talkin’ your
heart, right?”
Gabrielle rubbed
her nose. “Well …. If the shoe fits ….”
“It doesn’t.”
“Or maybe you’ve
been wearing those boots too long? You
forgot how comfortable plain old slippers feel?”
Xena shook her
head. “And I’m supposed to be the scary
one.”
“Excuse me?”
“If you ever get
good with weapons, that mouth’ll mean double trouble.”
Beaming, Gabrielle
leaned back on her hands and gazed at the sky.
“Gabrielle: Savvy Sidekick. Or maybe Gabrielle: The Bopping Bard? Oooo, Gabrielle: Word
Warrior!”
“Note to self,”
Xena muttered. “Keep her away from
Amazons.” Sighing, she got up. “Come on, Pan of Peace, before your
imagination gets too far off course.”
“Who knows? Maybe I’ll rub off on you.” Gabrielle continued her musings
unfazed. “You’ll get better with
sensitive chats. Nonviolent
instincts. Come to be known as … as ….”
“That’s easy. Xena:
Warrior Who Oughtta Know By Now To Keep Her Mouth Shut.”
Gabrielle pulled
her head from the clouds. “What about
your pearls of wisdom? How’m I gonna
listen if you don’t talk?” She narrowed
her eyes. “Those ‘orders’ I’m s’posed
to get better at following? Lessons for
harnessing my dark side.”
Xena was tightening
Argo’s saddle. She turned with a somber
expression. “You realize what that
could mean.”
“What?”
“You’d need me as I
am.”
Gabrielle caught
the “that’ll teach ya” smirk Xena shot at her before focusing again on
Argo. She grinned with smug affection
at the warrior’s back. Bloodless
victories were indeed the sweetest.
Especially ones of the heart.
Even if they happened by chance, without fanfare, and the opponent
didn’t yet comprehend she’d whomped herself.
THE END