PERSPECTIVE PART 1
By D.virtue

Diana slowly turned away, and trying to slow her racing mind of all the things
that were now coming together about how Xena had acted, she noticed one person
not enjoying themselves.

Gabrielle had other things on her mind, but she didn’t want to spoil the day
for everyone, but Diana saw her sitting quietly by a tree, picking at what she
had on her plate, while Xena and Questra and the others were out swimming.
Although Xena watched Diana.

“ Gabrielle?”

“ Hmm?” Gabrielle answered Diana’s call, without looking up at her.

“ Are you okay?”

Gabrielle glanced up at Diana with a look of, you’ve got to be kidding.

“ Gabrielle, I know your mad at me for not telling you about Questra and me,
but I didn’t think you needed to know.“

“ Why?!”

“ Because I was just trying to protect you.” Diana stated.

“ See! See, that’s exactly why I’m mad at you!”

“ What?”

“ Diana I love you, and I am so proud of you,and grateful to you, but I am
sick and tired of you trying to protect me, how do you think it makes me feel
to learn that once again you suffered because of me, or because of any of
us?!!”

“ Gabri...”

“ NO! NO! I know you have this great need in you to protect those you love,
but your protecting is killing me!! “

“ Gabrielle....” Diana said as she went to her knees to talk at eye level
with Gabrielle and to touch her, but Gabrielle jumped to her feet and shouted.

“ JUST STOP! PLEASE?!!” Then, Gabrielle’s senses picked up a change around
her, when she realized it had gotten quiet at the lake, she turned to find,
that everyone was staring at her in complete confusion. She then looked down
at Diana who was looking around trying to hide her tears.

Gabrielle then ran towards the palace sobbing out of embarrassment and anger
and hurt.

“ Gabrielle?” Diana called weakly after her,but then when Gabrielle didn’t
stop she slowly looked back at the others and seeing Xena and Questra and all
of them heading towards her all with hurt in their eyes at their concern for
her.

Diana jumped to her feet and turned and strided rapidly away in the opposite
direction than Gabrielle had gone, then her paced picked up and then she was
in an all out sprint when Xena sprinted after her. Questra told the others
they could stay as long as they wanted, but she had to go and check on
Gabrielle.

“ We’ll be fine, you go, check on her, and if there is anything we can do
please let us know?”

“ Thank you Ephiny.” Questra then headed in rapid fashion back to the palace
to locate Gabrielle.

Meanwhile Xena was gaining on Diana, but she wanted her to stop.

“ Diana stop!” Xena commanded and Diana slowed and then stopped and went to
her knees crying and breathing somewhat hard.

“ Diana what’s going on?”

“ Xena....I’m so sorry, I seem to keep doing it?” Diana sobbed as she rocked
in Xena’s embrace.

“ Diana what are you talking about?”

“ Pain. I keep hurting the very ones I love, I am so sorry.”

“ Diana stop it, your talking none sense. “ Xena said assuming that her words
were enough to tell Diana that she was completely wrong with what she was
thinking, and that it was truly nonsense.

But what Xena didn’t realize was that Diana’s belief was deep and therefore
when she heard Xena make such a simple statement, she figured Xena thought
that she was just oversensitive or something, so Diana decided to play it off.

Leaning back from Xena’s embrace, she gave a small smile, and then leaned back
in and said, in a quiet voice.

“ Your right.”

“ Of course I am, now come on, let’s go back to the palace, it’s been a busy
morning and afternoon, I think you need to take a nap.”

“ But Xena?”

“ No, no buts, I want you to rest for the rest of the day.”

“ What are you going to be doing?”

“ Some of my Royal neglected duties, some of the prisoners I’m sure have
served their time without ever having a trial,as busy as things have been
around here lately. Then I know the advisors have probably a thousand things
that I need to sign, anyway, it will give you time to rest, and me time to
catch up on some of these things.”

“ What time will you be back?”

“ I don’t know, definitely before morning, Xena said half joking and half
serious, she did not look forward to being reminded of Diana’s physical change
as a result of the clone, it sent a rage in her that threaten to explore from
her, but she knew it was not Diana’s fault, so she did not want to take it out
on her, so the only thing she could think of was to avoid bedding Diana, until
she found a way to deal with her problem.

Diana knew instantly what Xena was doing, but she thought Xena blamed her for
the change in her body, and so she looked up at Xena when they had arrived in
their chamber and said with an understanding smile.

“ Okay, I am a little tired, I’ll see you later.”

“ Okay kitten, make sure you get in bed and go straight to sleep.” Xena
scolded gently, and teasingly.

Diana nodded her head and Xena Bent down and planned on just a peck, but Diana
wrapped her arms around Xena’s neck and kissed her deeply and devotedly. After
a few minutes, Xena broke the embrace and looked at Diana with some concern in
her eyes, but Diana smiled and that allayed Xena’s concern, and she smiled
back and then placed a sweet kiss to Diana’s lips.

“ Now go and get some rest kitten.”

“ Alright.” Diana then turned and headed into the bed chamber. Xena watched
her go, and then she turned and left.

Diana went into the room and immediately begun packing a few things, she
debated for a moment whether to take her pack with her that had all of the
futuristic things in it, but then she thought it would probably be saver with
Xena, so she took a few things, and then she cut through the servants quarter
and on through Questra’s and Gabrielle’s servant Quarters, and she listen at
the door to make sure that they were not in the immediate chamber, Diana heard
Questra tell Gabrielle she would be right back in one candlemark and they
would then continue their conversation.

When Diana heard the door close she entered into the chamber. Gabrielle turned
to look at her.

“ Diana?”

“ Gabrielle, I know your upset with me, but I had to still come and tell you
in person.”

“ Tell me what?”

“ First let me say this, I didn’t mean to hurt you, and I never intend to.
Gabrielle, I’m leaving, but I wanted you to know, I’m not leaving you alone, I
will always be here in spirit for you.”

“ Leaving? What are you talking about? You can’t leave? Diana I didn’t mean to
make you mad?”

“ Gabrielle I’m not mad, not at all.”

“ But your leaving because of me?”

“ No Gabrielle, I’m leaving because I have to, I have been feeling this way
for a while now, but I just kept trying to pretend things were okay, but I see
clearly that their not.”

“ A while, does Xena know how you feel?”

“ No, I don’t think so, I think I was good at hiding it with her, mainly
because of all the things that had happened.”

“ Diana you can’t just leave like this, Xena won’t allow it, and I can’t blame
her, your her mate, you two are one, you can just decide to just walk out.”

“ Gabrielle like I said, I’ve been feeling this way for a long time, it’s not
an impulse, if I don’t do this, then I will regret the rest of my life the
consequences of my staying here.”

“ Diana what are you talking about, I don’t understand?”

“ Gabrielle I don't have time to really go into it, suffice it to say, I
should have stayed where I came from. Anyway, I needed to tell you goodbye in
person, because I didn’t want you to think I was leaving you alone, I’m
leaving you in the most capable hands there ever was on this planet, and any
other. Questra’s and Xena’s, all I ask from you Gabrielle is that you not tell
Xena?”

“ Diana I can’t do that? She’s going to be worried sick about you, as all of
us will be. You can’t leave, please?”

“ Gabrielle I love all of you more than my heart can say. Please don’t tell
her?”

“ Diana she’s going to think you deserved her?”

“ Never would I do that to her, if she does think that, just tell her the
truth, my heart is always hers, I’m not leaving to go and find anyone else,
I’m leaving because of my love for all of you, especially her. I should have
been left in my time.”

“ Is that where your going back to?”

“ No, my place is here in this time now, no matter what happens, I will never
return there to live. I love you sis so very much, and believe me when I say
this is not in anyway your fault or anyone's, it’s just something I have to do
for me.” Diana then hugged Gabrielle and kissed her, and Gabrielle held
tightly to Diana and begged her not to go, but finally Diana managed to loosen
Gabrielle’s hold and kissing her again, she then picked up her things and
going over to one of the windows that faced an open area, Diana climbed up on
the ledge and just before she jumped she said, “ All of you are the best thing
that ever happened to me, I love you so much.”

Diana then turned and gauged the distance to the ground and then leapt out the
window, Gabrielle ran over to it and watched Diana steal her way away. Diana
made it to the covering of trees before she turned and threw a kiss back at
Gabrielle and a thought.

“ Take care of each other, I love you all.” She then turned and sprinted at
her full speed into the treed area, then Gabrielle saw a flash of light and
she recognized that Diana had used a traveller , but she didn’t see which way
Diana was facing when she used it. Gabrielle realized why Diana didn’t just
use it in the chamber, she didn’t want Gabrielle to be able to tell anyone
which way she went . All she would be able to say is, she went into the treed
area.

Gabrielle now was really stressed, but when she heard Questra coming back, she
quickly dried her eyes and moved away from the window and went and sat down.

“ Gabrielle, it’s getting late, I think we can finish talking about what
happened between you and Diana later, I think you understand what I am
saying?”

“ I do. I was wrong. May I go to bed now?”

“ Of course, it’s been a long day.”

Gabrielle turned and practically ran into the bed chamber. She changed out of
her clothes and jumped under the covers and tried to keep herself from crying
until Questra said her final good night to her.

Gabrielle cried quietly through the night until she fell asleep. Questra
thought she was crying because of what she had said to Diana, but she didn’t
realize she was crying for another reason.

Meanwhile it was near full moon and Xena finally decided to call it a night.
She stood up and stretched her long body and then after she dismissed
everyone, she strolled up the staircase, thinking Diana was asleep.

When she arrived in the chamber she walked quietly without changing her gait.
she went into the darken bed chamber, but because of her keen eyes she noticed
right away that Diana was not in the bed.

“Diana?” Xena called, as she scanned the chamber. She then lit a few candles
and looked around the chamber and then she went into the bath chamber to see
if Diana was there. Xena then went out onto both of the balconies that were
off of their bed chamber and the sitting area.

“ Dancea! Ludmilla!”

Both girls ran out into the sitting area of the chamber. Dressed in their
night clothes.

“ Yes My Lord You Called?”

“ Yes. I want to know do either of you know where Diana is?”

“ No My Lord, the last time we saw her was when she was heading towards Lord
Questra’s and Princess Gabrielle’s servants chambers.”

“ What?”

“ Yes My Lord, she cut through here and went through that door, into their
servants chambers.”

Xena then went to the other servants chambers and found out that Diana had
went into Gabrielle’s and Questra’s chambers.

Xena went into the chamber without knocking, but Questra had heard the talking
from her’s and Gabrielle’s bed and she got up to go and see why they were
still up.

“ Lord Xena? What’s going on?”

“ The servants said they saw Diana come into here, have you seen her?”

“ No, I’ve been here with Gabrielle all night.”

“ Oh.” Xena said as she looked around in frustration wondering where Diana
was, but not really concern in terms of thinking something has happened to
her, but more out of it just being so late and her not where she was suppose
to be, on top of the fact that it was strange for Diana to cut through the
servants quarters to go and see Gabrielle and Questra.

The more she thought about it the stranger it seemed to her.

“ Are you should Gabrielle hadn’t seen her?”

“ Pretty sure, although....I did leave for about a candlemark or so, maybe
Gabrielle saw her then?”

Questra sent the servants in to wake Gabrielle, which was a task in itself.

“ I hate to wake her at this time of night if it’s nothing, but I need to know
where Diana is, she wasn’t quite herself.”

“ Questra you wanted to see me?” Gabrielle asked wiping her eyes, to help her
clear them.

“ No, Lord Xena wanted to see you.”

“ OH! Xena? I mean My Lord?”

“ Gabrielle.” Xena answered with a studying gaze at Gabrielle, wondering why
she was behaving so anxiously. “ Are you okay?”

“ Yes. Why do you ask?”

“ You seem a little nervous?”

“ Oh, that, I’m just tired. What brings you here at this time?”

“ I’m looking for Diana, she’s not in our chambers where I left her, have you
seen her?”

Gabrielle lowered her head and shook it indicating she hadn’t. Both Xena and
Questra looked at her with suspicious in their eyes.

“ Gabrielle, Lord Xena asked you a question, I think you need to answer her
with your mouth?” Questra said pointedly.

“ No, I haven’t seen her.” Gabrielle said as she made sure not to hold eye
contact with Xena.

Xena’s eyes narrowed and she stepped up to Gabrielle. Lifting her chin she saw
the tears forming.

“ Gabrielle why are you lying to me?”

“ I’m not.” Gabrielle said trying to be convincing as she averted her eyes.

Xena was slowly losing her patiences as her instincts were telling her
something was wrong.

“ Gabrielle tell me where is Diana?”

“ I don’t know!”

“ So you did see her?” Xena asked still holding Gabrielle’s chin in her hand.

Gabrielle looked up into Xena’s eyes and held the eye contact as she answered
her.

“ Yes I saw her.”

Xena’s brows were knitting together the more Gabrielle’s tears ran. she let go
of Gabrielle and asked her pointedly.

“ Where?”

“ Here, she came here to tell me something.”

“ What?”

“ Goodbye.”

Both Xena and Questra flinched at the statement. Xena actually stepped back.

“ Wh...what did you say?”

“ She came to tell me goodbye.”

“ Goodbye? What are you talking about Gabrielle?”

“Diana was leaving, she said she had to leave and that she had been thinking
about it for a while.”

“ Wait, wait a minute Diana would not just leave like that, what did you say
to her?” Xena asked wondering what was going on.

“ Diana said that she couldn’t stay because of some consequences, that she
couldn’t deal with if she did stay, she said she was not leaving because of me
or you or any of us, she kept saying how much she loved us and that we were
the best thing that happened to her, she said she was not going back to her
time, although she did say she should have stayed there rather than coming
back here she....” Gabrielle’s words choked off as a result of the large lump
that now blocked her throat as her regret choked her.

“ Gabrielle?!!” Questra yelled, “ How could you not tell us this? How could
you not tell Xena? How could you lie to her about having not seen Diana,
Gabrielle.....I....I am so....I’m stunned.” Questra gasped with disappointment
ringing all through her tone.

“ I’m sorry, she asked me not to tell you, please don’t hate me Xena? I told
her I had to tell you, but she begged me not to, I had no choice?”

“ Gab.....” Questra started but was choked by both hurt and anger at
Gabrielle.

Xena had tears running down her face, but her face was that of focus.

“ How could you think to do this to me Gabrielle, after all the things we’ve
been through, how could you even think to lie to me about something like this?
I have never been so disappoint with you as I am right now, I don’t know
Gabrielle, it was not your place to keep something like this from me, I would
never do this to you, and now Diana is out there all alone, hurting, and no
telling what else is going on with her. But I don’t blame you for all of it, I
should have seen it coming, Diana kept saying she wondered what our lives
would be like without her, I should have seen it. But right now I don’t have
time to think about that. Ludmilla, Dancea, Katrin, and Riza, I want all of
you to go and wake the captains of my guards and send them to me in My
chambers.”

“ Yes MY Lord!!” The four girls raced off to go and do what they had been
ordered to do.

Meanwhile Xena looked back at Gabrielle, who was now standing crying with her
hands covering her face.

“ Gabrielle?”

“ I’m sorry Xena Please forgive me?”

“ Which way did she go?’ Xena asked now focused on Diana and not Gabrielle’s
pleads of forgiveness which she was not ready to give by a long way.

“ She went out the window.”

“ Figures.” Xena said cursing, as she remembered each and everytime Diana
left. It was always through a window.

Xena walked over to the window Gabrielle pointed at and then she scanned the
terrain and then seeing the trees, she said, “ She went that way?”

“ Yes, but she didn’t go past the trees, she just went into them.”

“ What do you mean into them?”

“ She went far enough into the trees so that I wouldn’t see which way she
pointed the traveller.”

“ She had a traveller with her?!” Xena practically yelled.

“ Yes.” Gabrielle said as she stepped back away from Xena who now was glaring
at her.

“ Gabrielle I suggest you go to your bedchambers, before I truly lose my
temper with you.”

“ I’m sorry! “ Gabrielle cried as she raced into the bed chamber and fell on
the bed and cried somewhat loudly, although it wasn’t loud, but it was loud
enough for Xena.

“ Be Quiet! I don’t want to hear a sound coming from you.” Xena commanded and
Gabrielle immediately went silent as she crawled under the covers and buried
her head in her pillow and sobbed almost chokingly due to the overwhelming
guilt she felt.

“ Xena I know your angry with her, and you have the right to be, but Gabrielle
would never do anything to hurt you or Diana purposefully, she was just trying
to do what her sister had asked her to do, Gabrielle probably felt it was the
least she could do considering all the things Diana has done for her and us?”

“ Questra I know what your saying will probably make more sense to me when I
find Diana, but right now all I know is My Consort is gone, her sister knew
about it, and rather than tell me the truth knowing I would be worried, she
lied to me, and would have let me continue in that lie, knowing she knew all
along. I feel betrayed. I’m hurt, disappointed , pissed, and I feel really sad
right now, but I can’t give into that one, I have to find my mate.”

“ We'll go with you?”

“ No, you and Gabrielle stay here and handle the household until we get back.”

“ I understand.”

“ Good.”

“ Well I’ll come with you to your chambers to see what the plan is, and then
that way I can coordinate things from here if necessary.”

“ Hm.” Xena said with a nod of her head, she then turned and strided into the
bed chamber where Gabrielle had gone into.

Gabrielle startled by the sudden visit.

“ Gabrielle, you and I will have a long talk about this when I return, because
what you did is inexcusable. I’m leaving Questra and you here, Questra’s in
charge of course, I expect for you to behave yourself while I am gone, and
think about why you were wrong, do you understand?”

“ Yes.”

“ Good.” Xena then turned and strided out of the chamber and Gabrielle turned
back into her pillow and once again cried.

“ Miki, I want four search teams sent out to specifically use the travellers
and go in four different directions to every city, town, village or cave and
search for my Consort. I don’t want any of you to return to this place unless
you have either found Diana, or I send word that I have.”

“ You My Lord?”

“ Yes, I’ll be out looking for her until she’s found, Lord Questra will be in
charge here. We’ll leave in one candlemark. Meet me out on the south side of
the palace.”

“ Yes My Lord. My Lord?”

“ Yes?”

“ May I request that I be allowed to be on the team in which you will lead?”

Xena studied the soldier for a moment, and because of all of the things they
had been through she nodded her head in approval.

“ Thank you My Lord!”

“ Go and get your teams ready, all of you. Miki, I only want ten total on my
team, including myself and you.”

“ Yes My Lord.”

“ Questra, you are in charge of My Realm while I am away. I’ll send a message
why ever I am and let you know, that way you will know where to find me if
Diana shows back up.”

“ Very Good.”

Xena then changed her clothes, and met the teams in the treed area where
Gabrielle told Xena Diana had gone. Xena found Diana’s track, although they
were not visible to any of the others, Xena saw them. She saw how Diana
purposely turned around in one spot in a circle, so that her footprints if
found would not show anything either.

“ Damnit Diana!” Xena cursed to herself at Diana’s cleverness in hiding her
direction, Then Xena stood up to her full height and then, using her body as a
radar, she turned slowly with her eyes closed just feeling the residual energy
of Diana’s presence, everyone watched and wondered what she was doing.

Xena then stopped and a smirk came to her face. Then she opened her eyes and
said to three of the teams. “ Remus you use your traveller to go in that
Direction, Tava you and yours that way, and Finona you take your team that
way. Mike will will go this way.”

The three other team leaders all bowed and then turned in their respective
directions and threw out their travellers and went through. Miki then turned
to Xena and asked her question.

“ My Lord, you obviously know Diana did not go in any of those directions?”

“ I know she didn’t go in those directions from here, but who knows what she
did when she arrived at the other end?”

“ Aha, I understand My Lord, hmmm...she’s learned from the best, I should
expect no less.” Miki said praising Diana’s cleverness under Xena’s mentoring.

Xena pinched her lips and an ironic expression came to her face.

“ Yes, well maybe to well.” Xena then gestured for Miki to throw the traveller
and they all jumped on their horses and rode through, they came out at the
first village, but Xena simply used her body to tell her that Diana did not
stop at that village but instead passed over it.

Meanwhile while after days had passed and none of the teams had found Diana as
of yet, Diana had finally arrived out of the forest she had been hanging out
in, and she headed to one of the small villages in a province outside of
Xena’s realm, she did not know the area or the people, which met that they did
not know her either, so she felt safe to walk among them without fear of one
of them running back and telling Xena where she was.

Diana put the hood of her cloak over her head and covered herself so that the
cloak was covering every bit of her. She kept her hands inside of the cloak,
and only her eyes showed from under the hood. Her gait was not it’s usual
perky one, but instead one of determination, and yet sadness.

Diana saw an inn and started to head for it, but then she thought better of it
and instead seeing the tavern, she headed for it. Diana walked inside of the
tavern and stopped long enough to scan the interior, the clients were various
types, but she did not sense any danger from any of them, so she walked up to
the bar to order a drink.

“ What’ll ya have?” The bar keep asked, while cleaning a glass with his apron.

“ Water.” Diana requested quietly.

“ Water?! Hahahahahaha, okay, water it is.” The barkeep laughed out loud at
the request, thereby drawing unwanted attention to Diana.

He returned with her water and place it in front of her. she went to reach out
her hand to take it, but a group of men had been watching the figure since she
had come in, trying to determine if it were a male or female, they assumed it
was a female, but they wanted to make sure. So when Diana reached out to take
the drink, the men saw the delicate limb and they moved over to where she was
and one of them put his hand on top of her drink.

“ Well little lady, rather than drinking this benign little drink, why don’t
you let us order you a real drink, and loosen you up a bit, you seem a little
uptight, I know we can help you?”

If it weren’t for the fact that Diana was thirsty, she would have just left
the tavern, but as it was she was thirsty, so she brought out her other hand
and with a little pressure applied to the man’s hand on top of her drink, she
lifted it up off of her drink and then dusted off the top of the cup and drunk
down the water.

The man grimaced as Diana’s lifted his hand off, and then when she let go he
rubbed his hand as she drunk her drink.

“ Why you bitch!!” He roared snatching back the hood of her cloak to reveal
Diana.

“ By The Gods!!” They all gasped at seeing Diana’s beauty, and there was a
collective, WoW!” from the clients in the tavern.

Diana immediately covered her head and whipped around and headed for the door.
The men went after her and before she went out the door they surrounded her.

“ Hey anyone want to have some great fun with this little beauty?” The big man
asked of the whole group of clients, which to Diana’s chagrin they all said
yes.

The man started to reach for Diana’s cloak again but this time he didn’t touch
it. Diana grabbed him faster than he knew what threw him, and then with a few
quick jabs to the other men that were with the man she had thrown across the
room like a pile of dirty clothes. they all cried out in pain from the pinch
she had put on their shoulders.

Diana then flew out the door while the others in the tavern were awestruck.
Diana threw the traveller just as she touched the ground in front of the
tavern, and she ran through it, and came out in another place where she didn’t
know.

Diana traveled like this for months, never stopping to long in one place,
seeing how that was how Xena had found her the other times. At night Diana
would sleep up in the trees to avoid any unwelcomed guest, and during the day
she would go to one of the villages and get a supply of food and then return
to the cover of the forest and cook herself her meals.

One day when Diana had gone to get her supply of food for the week, a woman
warrior happen to see her, the warriors curiosity had gotten the better of her
because of the mystery way the cloaked figured carried themselves.

Diana didn’t realize she had been seen and noticed, so when she went back out
of the town and into the wooded area, she was surprised to be surrounded by
the warrior and her army of women.

Diana remained still as the woman circled to come in front of her and watch
her.

“ We’re not here to hurt you. Do you understand?” The warrior asked.

Diana didn’t answer her, she just watched her and with a sweeping motion of
her hands inside of her cloak she made her question known to the woman.

“ Oh, what is all of this then?” The woman interpreted.

Diana gave a slight nod of her head.

“ I was just curious about you, I’m assuming your a woman?” The woman asked
trying to figure out who she was talking to.

Diana didn’t say anything, she reasoned that the women were some type of
Amazons, and she didn’t know whether they knew Queen Ephiny or not so she did
not say anything, instead her fear of the news that she was spotted, would get
back to Xena, so with a move so quick she jumped into the trees and ran. The
women all startled at the move and then they split up and ran after her, with
the lead woman running the branches after Diana.

Diana saw all of them and especially the lead woman trying to catch her. Diana
was not worried that the woman would actually catch her, but she was concerned
with the fact that she had left her things back at the small camp she had, so
with a sudden jump to a higher tree she changed her direction and headed back
to the camp to get her pack.

The lead woman saw Diana change her direction and heading back towards her but
above her, and it dawned on her that the woman left something in the camp, now
it was a race that Diana was trying to win from the disadvantage of having
gotten so far ahead of the woman initially, the woman made it back to the
came, and saw the pack, she jumped down and picked it up just as Diana flew
out of the tree, and landed in front of her.

Diana simply put her hand out for it, and then woman shook her head.

“ First we talk.” The warrior said.

Diana shook her head.

“ Then I shall hold onto this until you change your mind.”

Diana thought about just taking it from the woman, but she really didn’t feel
like fighting, she just wanted to be left alone, but she saw if she wanted her
pack back without a fight she would have to endure the woman’s conversation.

Diana dropped her hands dejectedly, and wrapping the cloak tightly around
herself as a way of offering herself some comfort, she turned and went and sat
on the log she had sat on before her unwanted guest.

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