The Road
To Doriscus
Part 4
by Dani Sheldon
Disclaimer, warnings, etc.: see part 1
Xena
removed her chakram, placing it on the seat of a chair next to her sword and
various knives, and began stripping off her uncomfortable, sodden garments.
Gabrielle had already shed her damp clothes and had changed into a loose fitting wool robe provided by Adwen. She sat peering out from their second story window at the glistening inner courtyard, well lit by lanterns. Adwen’s house was large and constructed in a traditional design, living areas on the ground floor, bedrooms on the second and a small courtyard at the center.
“I
didn’t picture his home being this…” Gabrielle trailed off, searching for the
word.
“Nice?”
Xena offered.
“I
guess that’s it, ” the Bard replied after a moment. “I visualized something
much more rustic.”
“I’ll
be sure to tell him you thought he was a bumpkin.”
Gabrielle
turned to give the warrior a disapproving look and caught a brief glimpse of
her naked form before Xena slipped on her robe. The Bard’s expression altered
into an appreciative smile, one that did not go unnoticed.
“Let’s
not get distracted,” the warrior said, smiling.
“Easy
for you to say,“ Gabrielle told her with a frustrated sigh.
“Not
as easy as you think,” Xena assured her. “It’s time for the second item on your
wish list. I hope you don’t mind that we’re going out of order…”
“Not
at all,” the Bard answered emphatically. “I need to warm up.”
“Then let’s go,” Xena replied, slipping on some household sandals and heading towards the door. She slipped a dagger in the folds of the robe with her customary precaution.
Gabrielle
looked at her ruefully, following her onto the balcony and down the stone
stairs. A covered walkway on the lower level protected them from the rain as
they strolled along in the general direction they’d been given earlier.
Gabrielle
and Xena exchanged looks, Xena’s brow raised to its maximum, as a young male
servant intercepted them, gesturing for the two to follow. They trailed after
him, through a door with an ornately carved leaping dolphin at the center, and
stepped onto the cobalt and white tile floor, surrounding the round, sunken
bath inside. The lean, black haired man gestured toward several towels neatly
folded on a bench against the wall, then at a large bar of soap next to several
small vials, and last at the sponges beside the steaming water. He withdrew,
never having spoken a word, and shut the door.
“Chatty
fellow,” Xena said, staring wide eyed at the opulent bath.
Gabrielle,
seemingly transfixed, did not reply.
“Are
we waiting for something?” the warrior asked.
“I don’t think so,” Gabrielle replied, trying to
recover her surprise at the grandeur of the surroundings.
“Then
the last one in, is a one-legged Spartan,” Xena exclaimed with delight.
The Bard grinned, racing to beat her companion into the water.
xxxxxxx
“You
know what I was thinking?” Xena asked musingly.
“What?”
Gabrielle asked from where she sat on the other side of the large sudsy tub.
She had both arms stretched out along the edge, with her head back and eyes
closed.
“You
should decide what we do from here on out,” the warrior replied, squirting
water with her fist.
Gabrielle’s
sea green eyes opened and she lifted her head high enough to meet Xena’s
earnest gaze.
“What
we do?” the Bard asked, seeking clarification as she sat up and grabbed the
sponge that floated nearby.
“I think that you were about to discover your
true path before everything went to Tartarus in Rome and I want to regain that,
if possible,” Xena answered, stilling her hand.
“I
just want us to be together,” Gabrielle stated as if it were that simple.
“Of
course we’ll be together,” the warrior reassured her. “I’m talking about you
fulfilling your dreams, traveling and telling stories, staying someplace that
you can write them down, or continuing to journey and fight for the greater
good. It’s up to you.”
“Wait
a minute,” Gabrielle stated with disbelief. “Did you sandwich an offer to
settle down in all that verbiage?”
“I
guess I did,” Xena replied. She realized that she was willing to do whatever it
would take to make Gabrielle happy.
“Let’s
wait until we’re back in Amphipolis to make a decision like that,” the Bard
said with an uncertain grin and shake of her head.
“This
is exactly what I’m talking about… do you even want to return to
Amphipolis?” Xena asked. “We never even
talked about it, I just bullied you along as I so often do.”
“You
don’t bully me, Xena.”
“Don’t
I?” the warrior demanded.
“Well,
you did just now,” Gabrielle replied with a smirk.
“I’m
serious, Gabrielle,” Xena said, sounding exasperated.
“All
right, but what about you?” Gabrielle asked. “What about your true path?”
“I
can follow that no matter where we are,” Xena said with certainty.
“So
I’m just supposed to do whatever it is I please, and drag you along?” the Bard
asked, still unconvinced.
“That’s
exactly what I’ve done to you.”
“You’re being way too simplistic. If I didn’t want to be with you wherever you went, I could have left. You never took away my freedom of choice,” the Bard replied.
Xena sighed. “I’m twelve years older than you, Gabrielle, and, not to diminish what you’ve been through, but that has allowed me a multitude of experiences you haven’t had. I’ve had the opportunity to learn what I need and want from life through trial and error. Being with me and doing what I want, I don’t think that you’ve had the same sort of freedom to do that. You deserve the same opportunity,” the warrior explained.
“Is that what you think has happened these last few
years? I’ve been blindly tagging
along?” the Bard asked. “You’ve given
me the opportunity to see and do things that I never thought I’d be able to do
in my lifetime. More experiences won’t necessarily make me better and what
makes you think it would be any different just because I lead?”
It would be your choice, not mine. That would make it different,” Xena replied.
They both sat soaking in silence until Gabrielle
spoke. “Maybe we should talk about this more tomorrow. We certainly don’t need
to make any decisions tonight.”
“All
right,” Xena agreed. “I think we should tell Adwen that we’d rather go to bed
when we’re done here, Bard. You look pretty worn-out.”
“I
hope he doesn’t think we’re being rude for staying in here so long,” Gabrielle
said as if only just now recalling they were his guests.
“Don’t
worry about that, I think he realizes that we’ve been through a lot and
understands,” Xena said. “Now hand me that sponge, I never got your back.”
Gabrielle
handed her the sponge with a diffident smile and turned her back to the warrior.
xxxxxxx
“Someone’s
stolen our dirty clothes!” Xena exclaimed with mock horror as they re-entered
their room.
The
Bard simply rolled her eyes.
“What’s
that?” the warrior asked, walking over to the small table near the window.
“Smells
like dinner to me,” Gabrielle answered. “There’s a note.”
“What’s
it say?” Xena asked, as she sampled what looked to be roast lamb.
Gabrielle
picked up the note and read. “I figured you two would be awhile and being an
old man, I turned in. Left some clothes and took yours to be cleaned if that’s
possible. Ha. Hope this meal is sufficient. If you need anything else, help
yourself or just tell Bunny...”
“Bunny?”
Xena asked with a laugh, leaning over the Bard’s shoulder to read for herself.
“That’s what it says,” Gabrielle said, elbowing Xena in the ribs before continuing. “…And he’ll take care of you. Sleep well and see you in the morning. Adwen.”
“Do
you think that was Bunny at the bath?” Xena asked, amused. “He didn’t really
act like a bunny.”
“You’re
terrible,” Gabrielle declared.
Xena
gave her a false pout that Gabrielle leaned over and kissed away.
The
warrior stared at her. “That’s no way to curb terrible behavior,” she warned.
“I’ll
take the risk,” Gabrielle replied with a grin. “Now, I think our meal’s getting
cold.”
“You’re
right,” Xena concurred, moving to sit down while sliding out the chair next to
her for the Bard.
xxxxxxx
Gabrielle
walked out of the small adjoining room and made it only as far as the bed of
piled rugs and soft sheepskins. She lay down, politely covering a yawn while
pulling a soft wool blanket over herself. “I’m just going to close my eyes for
a minute,” she mumbled.
The
warrior, savoring the last swallow of wine from her cup, stood with a stretch
and went to take her own turn at cleaning up for bed. The Bard didn’t stir when
Xena returned, took off her robe and climbed under the blanket. She drew the
small quiescent blond close, kissed the back of her neck and relished the
feeling of being indoors in a comfortable bed. I really owe Adwen one,
was her final thought as she dozed off.
xxxxxxx
“Come
back up here,” Gabrielle said, trying to catch her breath while reaching for
the warrior.
Xena
kissed her way up the Bard’s trembling body and lay on her side facing
Gabrielle, propping her head with one hand and using the other to pull the
blankets up to cover them both.
“Now
I know why I’m so much younger,” Gabrielle said, returning from the empyreal.
“Why’s
that?” Xena asked, laying her hand on the Bard’s flat stomach.
Gabrielle
took a deep breath and released it. “So I can keep up with an certain amorous
warrior,” she replied.
“And
if I ever catch you two together, I’ll skin them alive,” Xena rumbled with mock
ferocity.
Gabrielle
shook her head and tugged on the warrior’s hand until she got the picture. Xena
rolled onto her belly, sliding over to drape herself half on Gabrielle and
nuzzled the Bard’s neck.
“I
could go back to sleep.” Xena said smiling, her voice muffled by Gabrielle’s
shoulder.
“Well,
since you’ve left it up to me to decide what were doing from here on, I say we
take Adwen up on his offer to stay a few days and you do just that,” the Bard
said, idly stroking Xena’s back.
Gabrielle
thought perhaps she had fallen asleep, but after awhile the warrior mumbled,
“Why not?”
xxxxxxx
The
Bard dressed in the wool chiton that fit her best. It was much different from
her normal garb, but at least it was dyed a pleasant deep green. She slipped on
her sandals with an indulgent glance at her companion, amazed that the warrior
was actually still sleeping. As silently as possible she exited their room to
look for late morning sustenance and to visit with their host. By this time,
Gabrielle was certain that he must think them unbearably rude.
The
rain was gone and the sun shone with a particular clarity in its aftermath as
Gabrielle crossed the small inner courtyard, admiring well tended plants here
and there, buds poised to burst forth at any moment.
“There
she is!” came a bellow. Adwen sat with his dark haired servant at a small table
looking over what appeared to be some ledgers. “You see Bunny, my plan worked,
they had to come out for food eventually,” he exclaimed with a laugh.
“I’m sorry we’ve been such rude guests.”
Gabrielle apologized as she reached the table.
“Not
at all. Sit down please,” Adwen said, gesturing at a chair. “Are you hungry?”
“Actually
I am,” the Bard replied, smiling as she sat down.
“Put
these away, won’t you?” he instructed Bunny pointing at the ledgers. “And bring
us something to eat, I’m tired of counting sheep.”
“I’d
be more than happy to help,” Gabrielle offered as she half stood.
Bunny
shook his head at her, gesturing with both hands for her to stay put. He piled
up all the books from the table, and disappeared inside through the kitchen
door with just a slight limp.
“There’s
something unusual about him,” the bard said after he’d left.
“You’re
right. There is,” Adwen replied. ”Like myself he was captured by the Persians,
but he suffered far worse at their hands. Where I escaped, he was made a slave,
and they cut his tongue out so he could not tell his master’s secrets.”
“That’s
horrible!” Gabrielle exclaimed. “How did you save him?”
“Let’s
just say that there was a time that I didn’t miss a chance to hunt down those
who had harmed me,” Adwen said fiercely. “After I’d killed his master, I found
him cowering like a rabbit in the grass and I couldn’t get him to understand
that he was free to go. After I got used to the idea that he was going to
follow me no matter what, I brought him home. My daughter Aia named him Bunny,
after I told her the tale. It stuck, the poor fellow,” he finished with a
chuckle.
Gabrielle
leaned forward with interest. “You said that you were also a captive of the
Persians?” she asked.
Adwen
stroked his long mustache with thumb and finger. “It’s true, I was captured by
Persians from my home in Egypt. My people were slaughtered, or like me they
were enslaved.”
“How
old were you?”
“I
was eight,” he replied. “That wasn’t the end of it though. The Persians who
captured me ran afoul of some Norseman, who slew the lot of them and took me as
a thrall,” he continued with a laugh his eyes lighting with amusement. “When
their ship ran aground in Britannia, they were slain and I was taken in by the
Cymry.”
“Nothing
but bad luck came to those who tried to harm you, ” Gabrielle commented in
amazement.
“It
certainly seemed that way though the Cymry did me no harm. They placed me with
a kind couple that treated me as their son.”
“You
know, I knew that I recognized your accent from Britannia,” she exclaimed,
smiling.
“Then
you’ve been there?” he asked with astonishment. “You have to tell me about
that.”
Gabrielle
looked down, distressed and sorry that she’d mentioned it. “I don’t talk about
it.”
Bunny
appeared with an enormous selection of cheeses, fruits, meats, and wine. He
arranged it on the table, working to squeeze it all on the small surface, and
returned inside. Adwen poured their cups to the brim, each of them focused on
sampling the foods and the awkward moment passed.
“How
did you end up back in Greece?” Gabrielle asked. She was feeling quite sated
and a bit tipsy to boot.
“I was attempting to return to my homeland,” Adwen said, pushing his chair back from the table a bit. “I learned my charioteer, smithing and siege skills as a lad with the Cymry and, as I journeyed I used them to make a living. I seemed to have a knack for it. Eventually I ended up in Greece and met up with your warrior, the then very different Conqueror, and here I stayed,” he said lifting his hand and gesturing at the house around him.
“Somehow I don’t picture that Xena in a place like
this,” Gabrielle said ruefully, glancing around at the beautiful courtyard.
“You may be right. The Xena I knew was too restless
to stay in one place for long. There was always more land to conquer or another
battle to fight, but I grew steadily weary of the killing and death. It seemed
like there was blood everywhere that I looked. Eventually I completely lost my
stomach for fighting and Xena let me leave her army, alive…” He shook his head
as if he still couldn’t believe it and stated, “I was always grateful for that,
because I had sworn a blood oath to serve the Conqueror until death.” Adwen took a draught of wine.
“She
would have put you to death for following your conscience.” Gabrielle said,
almost as if to herself.
Adwen
gave her a remorseful glance and the Bard looked pensive.
“It’s hard for me to imagine that she was ever like that, and I forget that her past was so dark, because I choose to focus on the fact that she now fights for the greater good,” Gabrielle stated. She saw the disbelieving expression on Adwen’s face. “I’m not so naive that I don’t know exactly what kinds of atrocities that she’s committed. But, if you could just see how much good she has done for so many people. …I’ve forgiven her and I’ve spent years convincing her to forgive herself.” She gripped her wine cup with both hands.
“I’ve
heard tales, no doubt stemming from you Bard, and I believe that she has
changed as well,” Adwen said quickly. “ And someone who can weave a tale as you
do is anything but naïve.” He leaned forward to pat her shoulder.
Gabrielle
ran a hand through her short blond hair and took a deep breath. “I’m sorry. I
just get tired of the assumption that I don’t know what I’ve gotten myself into
by involving myself with the former Destroyer of Nations. I’m not some ignorant
young damsel, for Artemis’s sake,” she said, taking a drink from her cup.
They
each gazed around the courtyard, watching as a small brown finch hopped here
and there, pecking at unseen morsels.
“So,
how did you end up here?” Gabrielle eventually asked.
“My
wife, Gaia,” Adwen replied, his expression reverent. “I met her in Doriscus
during the festival of Dionysus. After only exchanging a few words with her
next to the well, I knew that she was the woman for me. She had extraordinarily
red hair and the loveliest green eyes,” he said smiling at Gabrielle. “Not at
all unlike your own.”
“And
how did you manage to win her heart?”
“I
made her laugh when I tripped over and broke her water jug.” Adwen replied. “I
think she felt sorry for me, a one armed oaf, and pestered her father until he
agreed to let her marry me. This house, the land, sheep, cattle and everything
that I have now were his.”
The
Bard couldn’t help but laugh. “I don’t think a one armed oaf is what she saw.”
“No?”
Adwen asked.
Gabrielle
looked at him. “No, I think she saw a beautiful person with potential, trying
to seek out the greater good and leave behind the darkness.”
“I
think you’re confusing me with Xena,” he said depreciatingly.
“What
happened to your wife?” Gabrielle asked.
Adwen
opened his mouth as if to speak and shook his head.
“I’m
sorry, you don’t have to talk about it.”
“Another
time perhaps,” he said, wiping at his eyes.
“You
said I was confusing you with Xena. Has she changed a lot since you last saw
her?” Gabrielle asked, leaving the subject behind.
Adwen
cleared his throat. “Seeing her now, I can’t imagine her as the brutal warlord
I once knew,” he replied, regaining his composure. “I hardly recognize her.”
“You
know, sometimes I don’t either.”
“What
do you mean?”
“I
mean she’s different now too, towards me, since… since Rome,” she replied.
Adwen
refilled both their cups, shaking out the last drops from the empty bottle.
“Since the crucifixion?”
“Yes,”
Gabrielle replied. “But I guess I’m different too,” she added, somberly.
“Not
sure I follow you,” he said, sounding confused.
Gabrielle sipped from her wine. “Xena has actually begun to communicate with me about the more difficult emotional topics... things that we used to just bury and hope went away. She also seems much more attentive to my wants -- what I want to do and where I want to go. I have never seen her so affectionate either. Everything is much more intense between us now, even the…” The Bard stopped, suddenly when she realized exactly what she was about to blurt.
“Sex?”
Adwen asked with a helpful grin.
Gabrielle blushed and squirmed in her seat. “Maybe,” she managed to get out in a small
voice.
“Everything that you’ve mentioned seem like good things to me. You’ve found someone that puts your needs first. What’s the problem?” Adwen asked.
“It’s not so much of a problem but . . . I mean . . . ” Gabrielle looked exasperated. “It’s just that it’s not like her. It’s as if she’s trying to be someone else but I want Xena to be just like she was before,” she blurted out.
Adwen hesitated a second. “Don’t you think it’s only natural, the experiences you’ve gone through would change not only you, but Xena as well?”
“I don’t know.”
“Don’t you? You both just went through an immensely traumatic event. You died and I imagine she thinks that it was her fault. Doesn’t it seem logical that she’d want to protect you and make sure you never, ever doubt her devotion to you?” he stated softly.
“She’s always done that and I don’t need her to prove
her devotion or anything else to me,” Gabrielle said almost irritably.
“Have you talked to her about this?” he asked.
“No.”
“Why not?”
“What would I say ‘Hey, Xena, I love what you do to
me but’ . . .” Her eyes grew big as
Adwen caught the slip. “I could really
use some water,” Gabrielle stated, terribly embarrassed and suddenly feeling
the effects of the strong wine.
“Bunny,
bring some water!” Adwen yelled.
Gabrielle
laughed.
“What?”
he asked.
“That just sounded bizarre,” she was at last able to say. She calmed down and brought her thoughts back to their conversation, mulling it over in her mind.
Bunny
brought a pitcher of water and filled a glass for the bard, which she promptly
drank. He filled it again, leaving the pitcher with a flourish and disappeared
for only a moment, soon returning with a new amphora of wine and refreshing
their assortment of food.
“Thank
you.” Adwen told him as he left, prying at the sealed amphora one handed.
Gabrielle
started to close her eyes, reclining back in her chair.
“Need
a hand?” Xena drawled, startling them both.
“Sure,”
Adwen replied, handing the uncooperative bottle to Xena.
“Gabrielle,”
Xena drawled, giving her a dazzling smile and stooping to place a lingering
kiss on her cheek.
The
Bard grabbed her water and took a long swallow. That, she thought, is
going to take some getting used to. The warrior was like a lodestone to the
flustered woman as she claimed the chair beside her.
“Are
you getting her drunk?” the warrior asked. She had dressed in a dusky purple
chiton that gave her an allure that armor could not, but her eyes held not an
iota of warmth as she gazed at her former engineer.
“I’m
getting drunk, Gabrielle’s just keeping me company,” Adwen said, laughing
uneasily. “You still know how to use that voice and those eyes of yours to put
the fear of Zeus into a man.”
“I
haven’t forgotten any of my other skills either,” Xena said, meeting his eyes
as she handed him the open amphora.
“I
don’t doubt that,” Adwen assured her. “Did you rest well?” He poured a cup of
wine and passed it to her.
“Absolutely,
it’s been a long time since we’ve had it this good.” Xena replied, taking an
appreciative sip.
“Xena’s
right, I can’t recall when I have felt this safe or rested,” the Bard added,
frowning a bit in annoyance at the warrior’s over-protective behavior.
“We
were trying to hold out until Doriscus,” Xena added, looking at Gabrielle’s
expression and realizing what she had done wrong. I better get a grip on
that domineering attitude, she chided herself. The warrior repeatedly
nudged the Bard’s leg under the table to get her attention.
When
an exasperated sigh, Gabrielle glanced at her. Xena crooked her eyebrows with
her best sheepish expression.
“Doriscus
is a fair journey from here and obviously fate brought our paths together,”
Adwen replied.
“Fate,
how so?” Gabrielle asked distractedly. She rolled her eyes, but added a small
diminutive smile that told Xena that she was off the hook for now.
“I
hoped to ask for your help tonight in dealing with a problem that has developed
while I was away,” he said frowning.
Xena,
now forgiven, grabbed an apple, tossing it in her hand. “What problem?” she
asked, taking a bite.
“Apparently
a band of sheep thieves has made several raids on my herds while I was in
Sestus at my daughter’s wedding. I’m not so concerned about the missing sheep,
but one of my herdsmen had a son who foolishly tried to stop the men and was
killed,” he rumbled.
“I’m
sorry to hear that,” the Bard stated, giving the warrior an imploring glance.
Xena
saw exactly what Gabrielle wanted and she turned to Adwen. “To tell the truth
my friend, we were thinking of taking you up on that offer to stay a little
while. At least we would earn our keep if we helped catch these thieves,” she
stated, winking at Gabrielle.
His
frown faded. “Good, you’ve lightened my heart this day,” the older man replied,
obviously relieved.
xxxxxxx
The
courtyard was dark except for a few scattered lanterns.
“I’ve
been breeding sheep’s all these years,” Adwen stated, holding his cup a bit
unsteadily.
“Sheep’s?”
Xena sputtered.
They
both guffawed and Adwen pounded the table.
“You’re
too much,” Adwen said. “Actually it’s like you’ve become so much more. It
brings joy to my heart to see you so happy.”
Xena
inclined her head at Gabrielle. “It’s because of her,” the warrior gushed
drunkenly. The Bard was slumped in her chair under a blanket, eyes closed and
breathing heavily.
“Gabrielle’s
a delight,” Adwen assured her.
“She
is,” Xena agreed. “One I should take to bed.”
“I
certainly wouldn’t hesitate,” Adwen stated, slurring his words only slightly.
“And
that would be your last living act,” she assured him with a feral smirk.
“As
I am all too aware warrior.”
Xena
muffled a yawn with her hand. “So when do we head out?”
“Not
tomorrow, not after tonight!” he exclaimed. “Plus I have a few other
responsibilities to attend to… let’s say, first light the morning after?”
“We
can spend tomorrow getting ready,” the warrior assured him, standing.
Adwen
rose with a stretch and they looked at one another appraisingly. He wrapped his
one arm around her with an amazingly powerful grip. Xena bear hugged him in
return, not to be outdone.
“You
two take some time for yourselves too,” he said next to her ear and then
stepped back.
“We will,” she replied,
moved by his kindness.
“Sleep well,” he said,
strolling a bit unevenly away from her.
After a short distance Adwen
began reciting in a lovely, albeit drunken, bass voice. “Blessed is he who
escapes the storm at sea, who comes home to his harbor. Blessed is he who
emerges from under affliction. In various ways one man outraces another in the
race for wealth and power. Ten thousand men possess ten thousand hopes. A few
bear fruit in happiness; the others go awry. But he who garners day by day the
good of life, he is happiest. Blessed is he.”
His voice faded until a
smiling Xena couldn’t tell if he had stopped speaking or he was too far away.
Gabrielle raised her head.
“Euripides,” she muttered sleepily.
“Are you ready for bed?” the
warrior asked.
“Definitely,” Gabrielle
replied, standing with a stretch and a groan.
Xena draped the blanket
around her shoulders. “Did you have too much wine?”
“A little.”
“Me too,” Xena admitted.
The Bard glanced at her
sympathetically.
“Good thing we get to sleep
in tomorrow,” the warrior said, placing an arm around Gabrielle’s waist. The
two strolled arm in arm, across the courtyard, to the stairs and up to their
room.
xxxxxxx