When Love Is Found part2

by wildbard

"Well Shadow almost morning and our little friend is still with us." She slowly pulls back the light cover she covered the girl with over night. Her skin was pale, covered in a light sweat, but her color wasn’t too bad as to start digging a grave yet.

" Lets get our friend here cleaned up. Looks like she broke her fever this mornin’……I hope that lump on the head isn’t as bad as it looks, cause if it is were in trouble girl." The older woman looked over to her fury companion as she continues to wash down her patient. Shadow looked at her mistress with a small whimper.

"Well girl, if she doesn’t wake up in a couple of days …… I’m afraid she never will." She pauses in her duties to gaze upon this woman and wonders how did such a lovely young woman wind up on that riverbank.

"Who are you?……I know you’re in there……Your going to be all right. You just come back to us." Putting her wash rag back into the bowl, she slowly lifted her into a slight upright position. This gave her an easy access to her hair, which was in dire need of being washed. A small tone was softly heard. She turned back quickly to see if what she heard was true. Looking intently at the girl as if trying to will it to happen again. It did.

"That’s it darlin’, come on I know your in there." With soft-spoken tones the young woman was trying with all her might to open her eyes, but the battle was lost. She mumbled one word, a name. That name sent the older woman’s blood to boil. As her temper was about to let loose, a wolf howled off in the back ground, making the woman snap her head off to the back left portion of the cave. A wolf stood on top the rock ledge back in the small cove. Her posture relaxed a bit. She drew in a long breath then slowly let it out, as the name hissed off her tongue.

"Xena." The howling rang throughout the cave once again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Time stood still for the raiders in the direct vision of this banshee. It was as if time stood still. The warrior stood frozen in her footsteps, drilling horror in to this poor excuse of a man. As they began to hear the beating of their hearts, as they pounded against their chest. A bellowing voice exploded through the air around them.

"Kill that bitch!"

Before the raider could understand what was said, horrifying pain exploded in his head, as the supply of blood was quickly shut off. His partner didn’t even have time to react, when a powerful fist slammed into his jaw, breaking it and sent him reeling to the ground screaming in pain. Loud voices sounded behind the warrior. Two very large men came at her like a couple of bulls. An ear-piercing scream torn through the air as the warrior flipped into the air, landing only a few paces in front of the first man. Swinging her left arm with such force that when it connected with his throat, it snapped. With quick reflexes she kicked the second man square in the chest knocking not only the wind out of him, but sending him into unconsciousness.

"It’s Xena…..I’m outta here." One panicked voice cried in terror while heading to the tree line.

The warrior snapped her head in the direction of the voice only to see three men running for their lives. Blue eyes locked onto the running men, targeting them.

" You messed with the wrong man Xena. I’m gone rip you apart." Crowl spat out as he pulled his sword from it’s home then advanced toward her. Xenas’ eyes locked on to his, pulling her arm out from under her cloak, she threw a weapon behind her as she advanced towards him. His eyes never left the direction of the weapons path, with in a split second of it being tossed, the three men she spotted heading toward the trees, suddenly collapsed. As if Hades himself came up and pulled them down to Tartarus, alive. Crowl was in total disbelief at the sight behind the fast approaching warrior. His heart began to pound as his palms started to sweat making it difficult to hold the hilt of his sword. ‘To hell with it.’Crowl thought to himself. He drew in a long breath and released a wild battle cry. His eyes became crazed as he ran toward the warrior; his sword aimed for her heart.

" I’m gonna cut you in half!" He screamed. Xenas expression never changed. Cold and vacant. Xena pulled her sword out of its home with little effort. With a twist of a powerful arm, Xena passed her sword across her body to her left, connecting with Crowl with such force he dropped his. Xena quickly spun following through with her swing, and slamming the hilt of her sword into his forehead. She really could have taken his head off, but had a better idea instead.

Crowl was rolling around at her feet holding is head as if his brains were leaking out.

Blue eyes slowly looked over at the smoldering wagon; two bodies lie frozen in their state of death. Mouths and eyes twisted in pain and frozen in time. An elder whose lower half was taken from him violently as a small trail of intestine led to his legs. A young woman stripped naked, beaten and raped by these monsters. Xenas eyes locked onto hers. Empty, frightened, yet screaming for help that never came. Her mind was twisted in rage and suffering. Slowly closing her eyes as if hoping that the scene would disappear when she opened them once more, but it wasn’t. They young woman looked like Gabrielle. Xenas rage snapped out of control just as one raider was almost upon her. Xena dropped her sword quickly pulling her breast dagger out sunk it home into the raiders neck. She could feel the warm blood flowing over her hand and down her arm. The air was so still she could hear his blood dripping onto the snow covered ground as she watched him die. The raider landed with a thud when she dropped him and slowly turned to a whimpering Crowl.

"Get up!" Xena hoarsely snapped to him in a low tone. She watched him slowly gather himself off the ground. Wanting so much for this day to be over, not to mentions that her stomach was wanting to expel anything in her stomach. Her head was pounding with such force she thought she was going to pass out. Xena pulled her Chakram out of its holding place walked over to a crate and sat down. Crowl was a little confused but relieved that she hasn’t taken his head off yet.

" I want you to go and get your little friends out there and bring them back here." Xena instructed him with a flat tone as she pointed over to an area next to the smoldering wagon.

"But first, why don’t you get that fire up over there. Then go get the bodies. Understood?"

Crowl could only nod his head. He knew he wasn’t leaving this part of the land alive.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Voices were heard, somehow strange, maybe different language, but it was too hard to think. The pain was too great to handle. Everything hurt, legs, arms, ribs but something, somehow she felt safe. Using what energy was within; she pushed forward her voice.

"Xena?" Her urgent whisper woke her fury protector.

"BrRoo?" Shadow hopped up from his position only to see his mistress flinch at the name being called to. She slowly turned and gazed at the young woman in wonder. Wonder how half of her soul wants nothing but to kill this woman for speaking that name, when the other needs to know why. With no effort she stands and crosses the to her sleeping area to see if she can get this young woman to wake for just a moment. If only to get her name.

"Hey darlin." Softly she whispered to her, as she began to wipe off her brow from her fever. Intently she watches as green eyes slowly make their way into the light for the first. Eyelids flutter open and close. Low whimpers and moan are constant as she tries to regain consciousness.

"Xena……I…." Her battle is beginning to come to an end.

"SShhh…first my name isn’t Xena…Hey, Hey ‘nice move, idiot’…it’s okay relax I’m not going to hurt you." She quickly wrapped her hands gentle around the now struggling woman’s wrists so she wouldn’t move too much. But pain was evident on her face.

"SSHhhhh stop.. You’re only going to hurt more. " Finally the energy was gone and the tones of the voice were soft and low. " That’s it….see I’m not going to hurt you, I just want to help you honey." Gently she brushes her finger over her cheek. "See…your safe…. So.. Do you have a name?" Half-open green eyes regarded her, but her vision was blurry. Off in the background she could hear the falling rain; her mind began to spring to life.

"Gab…rielle…thi…rsty….please." She answered softly. With no reply she watched this cloaked woman move to a table, but is almost looked as if she was floating. ‘Ooo my head is playing tricks on me.’ She thought as the room began to spin slightly.

"Here you go…Easy not so fast. Wouldn’t want you bringing it back up." A smile flashed for a brief moment.

"Do you … have a …name?" She stated out of breath.

"Yes… my name is Luna."

"Luna… Where is …Xena." The question was unmistakable; this young woman was worried for the warrior. Her brow knitted briefly as she looked upon this girl who was fighting a loosing battle to stay awake. ‘Is it true. Did she really change? Bullshit, I should just……no…I need to see how much this bitch changed. Then I’ll kill her. Maybe Gabrielle too.’

"I’m not sure, but I’ll send a friend to look for her…Alright?" Gabrielle could only nod as her eyes rolled off into the back of her head once again. Luna pulled her hood back off her head, whistled once then proceeds to her medicine table. She picked up a pair of sheers then headed back to the cot where Gabrielle was asleep. Luna looks down at her, regarding her. Absent-mindedly she raised a hand to her right cheek and stroked it.

"Pretty face." Her tone was flat, no emotion. She bent over Gabrielle and snipped off a long strand of her hair and took it back over to the table. Off the left of a table was a silver-grey

Wolf, large one at that.

"Well Jasmine, I have a little errand for you to run." She looked up at her and replied with a low grunt. Luna was now cutting three strips of cloth; two from Gabrielle’s green top and a piece of leather from her staff. Braiding the two from the green top with her stand of hair in the middle and tying them up with the leather. Satisfied with her work she put them into a little leather pouch, with a note, placing it around Jasmins neck.

"Come here girl, one more thing before you leave." She crossed over to the hot spring and disappeared into one of the back opening. Jasmine was right on her heels following her friend. Luna pulled out a large chest, opened it and just stopped. The smell of old leather and metal filled her senses. Slowly she folded out a folded piece of cloth. Moving over to her friend, hold it out.

" Here girl, smell this." Jasmine sniffed the pieces intently, back up and snorted. " Yeah, I know. Now go find her, go towards the old hunting grounds. Understand?" Jasmine snorted once again and took off. "Good luck my friend." Hmm. could that story be true. Poseidon. Out here?

Xena’s eyes slowly watch Crowl as her brought the last of the bodies from the field over by the burning wagon. She still couldn’t get the image of the young girl out of her mind. All she could do is see Gabrielle. Eyes began to flood as her emotions were about to take over, but footsteps snapped her out of it. She straight her shoulders and the foot fell stopped. Xena spun around, put her sword home then proceed over to where Crowl stopped. Frozen by fear. Xena took two paces past him, looked at the wagon.

" Ground is to hard to have you dig up graves, so your going to place them in the fire." Xena orders him with such an icy tone that Crowl was beginning to shake. He turned and headed to the bodies that litter the ground. One by one he put into the make shift funeral pyre. The smell of burning flesh was filling his senses making his stomachache. The smell of death was strong in the air. He looked from the fire to see Xena just standing there, motionless. Here eyes empty, her brow was angry, she was just bone chilling scary. He felt like a little kid after a scary story. Dread filled his very soul. He moved over to the finally body, the girl.

"No!" Xena commanded. " I’ll take care of her. You, go undress your men and toss there belonging into the fire." Xena didn’t even look at him, she moved past him and over to the girl. Crowl watch in amazement, Xena was wrapping this woman in blanket, then put her body at the edge of the fire. " Well?" Her voice snapped him out of his daze. Crowl quickly moved over to where the bodies were and began to remove their things but continued to watch her.

Xena knelt down next to this girl began to wrap her in a blanket she found near by the burning fire. Xena proceed to pick her up, walked over to the fire and place at the edge. Her heart began to ache, pulse quicken, blood boiled, tears began to fall as she let out a tormented scream aim high to the heavens. Crowl jumped out of his skin as the scream took him off guard. His eyes locked onto the warrior in shock. She was crying. The Warrior Princess was crying.’Well I guess the rumors were true…she’s nuts." Crowl looked to the trees, only about 20 paces away; Xena seemed to occupied to noticed. He look at her once more then bolted to the trees.

Soft crunches of snow caught her hearing bringing her mind back to the situation at hand, only to see Crowl making a break for the woods. Almost primal, her yell told Crowl she was coming. Xena sprung up and over the burning wagon then broke into a dead run when she landed. Now she was really pissed off. ‘Crowl, you idiot.’ Crowls lungs were beginning to burn from running, he never had to run for his life before, guess there is always a first for everything.

Heavy boots were catching up to him fast. He turned his head to see, but nothing was back there, nothing. As he turned to continue something snapped as his neck was suddenly jerked back and landed with the air being knocked out of his chest. All he could make between coughing and gasping for air, were a set of armored covered legs connected to one pissed off Warrior Princess.

"Fuck." Crowl coughed out.

"Yeah…your fucked alright…getup!" Xena snapped as she pushed him back to the road. "Stop there." Xena looked around, spotted Argo and whistled for her. Crowl wasn’t’ sure what she was doing, maybe she wasn’t gonna kill him after all. Xena mounted Argo, looked down at Crowl. "No since you really pissed me off…… take your cloths off."

"What??? I’ll freeze."

" That’s the idea…Take them OFF!" Crowl didn’t waste anytime he did as he was told then placed them into a pile, all but his socks. Xena looked at this man, well maybe not a real man. " Toss them into the fire or I’ll toss you. Now that’s would keep ya warm. Now wouldn’t it." She flashed a wicked grin, turned and moved Argo away down the road. Crowl was yelling every word at her he could think off, but she was paying much attention. Xena turned I her saddle to look back at the fire regarded it a while, finally she looked up to the sky. The snow was beginning to pick up, but she hardly noticed. Tears began to flow…’I love you Gabrielle.’

The moon was full as it cast shadows over the snowed cover path. Nightlife in the forest began to come out for the evening hunt for food. All was quiet; the snow fell lightly through openings in the forest ceiling as an uninvited guest interrupted the deer nearby a stream. Through a cluster of bushes exploded a large wolf in a full romp. The noise upset the balance of the night in these parts. The wolf paid no attention to other animals running around him, she had a mission to complete. Running along the stream was making it much easier then the snow filled road. Hoping over little streams, logs or just another animal that was in her way, she could taste the sent her friend wanted her to remember, it was also close by. She made it to a ledge that over looked the lower section of road that she was on before, her senses were buzzing as she pick up the trail. Jasmine looked around to find the safest way down without slipping. Walking over to a low slope in the ledge, she looked over. Sniffing the air to get her barings, just underneath her paws the snow began to crack. She looked down then forward and let out a small grunt as the snow gave way and down she went. Snow and ice pelted Jasmine in the face and she tried to slow her decent, but it was no use. Her paws were on nothing but ice and she slid all the way down landing in a large snow bank.

"Umph…Roo." Jasmin poked her head out of the snow. Growling to herself she climbed out, shook off the snow then sat down. Panting hard and still a little dizzy from the ride down the hillside. A slow breeze began to move around. The night air was crisp, clean, and relatively quiet, except for the running water. Jasmine picked up her ears. Slowly she moved to the sound just around the bend of the road, well there use to be a road here. A great abyss stretched out before her. Slowly she moved to the edge, sniffing everything around her when her nose detected a familiar scent in the area, and that sent was very strong.

"Br Roooooooooooooooo."

To Be Continued ...