Chapter 3
Gabrielle pushed her hand under the long robe she’d taken from her travel packs and handed the money over. The stable master handed her the small piece of parchment with her stable number and horse name written on it the smiled and wished her a pleasant stay in Piraeus. Gabrielle simply smiled in return and left the block tucking the parchment in to the inside of her leather tunic. With her saddle bags stowed at the stables own stores, she just had her travel packs to carry. With them thrown over a shoulder she sauntered off to find lodgings for the next few days until her ship came in. Deciding to stay at a place somewhere halfway between the stables and the port offices seemed a logical step and easy to achieve. Being as large as Piraeus was lodgings that suited her needs were easy to find and affordable. Exiting the dark stables she paused just long enough to pull the hood of the robe over her to hide her face. She looked about to make sure no one was watching her. After her confrontation inside the port masters office there was no way the matter would be left there. Cautiously walking in the open, she tried to keep her examinations of her surroundings as discreet as she could. Given the way in which she was forced to move through the heaving crows was easier than she could have hoped for. Having to turn her head to look every way to make sure she wasn’t bumping in to people or even pick pocketed allowed her to check all around her as she went. Filtering her way through the crowd she made it to the tavern she’d chosen unseen and entered.
The place she’d decided upon was nondescript enough she thought to not draw attention of the likes of the port masters henchman, or men. No doubt he had more than just one in his employ. Entering the place she made straight for the stairs that would lead her to her room where she would stay until nightfall. There was no need to be putting herself at risk of being discovered. She still had several days left to wait. Spending the days sleeping and the nights exploring would serve two purposes. She would accustom herself to night prowling without fatigue from being awake all day and she would be able to learn the ports streets relatively undisturbed. Both would be invaluable when it came time for her to confront the trader over Xena’s armour. Trying to escape from a place the size of Piraeus without knowing some of the streets was a suicidal way to do things.
Opening the door to the room she pulled back the hood of her robe and closed the door behind her. She approached the rooms only chair, undoing her sword belt as she did so. Pulling it through the loops on her trousers and free of her waist. She did the buckle up at its front and hung it over the chairs back, the sword and half scabbard clattering a little as she left it alone. Next removed was her robe. The heat she felt in it walking just the short distance from the stables was uncomfortable to say the least. This she threw over the chair not caring how the heavy robe landed. She then lay on the bed and placed a hand behind her head and thought of Callisto’s words during her visit to her at the temple grounds. It had been such a long time since either Callisto, or Eli had manifested before her. She should have known something was in the works the instant Callisto had advised her to keep the chakram handy. It was with some disappointment that she found Eli not entirely willing to help either her or Callisto in this new task. She sighed, wishing the hole venture had his blessing. But, if Callisto were true to her word everything she did from here on in would bring her closer to Xena. She smiled, despite the aching feeling of loss and desperation to be with Xena again, the knowledge that they may soon be reunited served to bring back a flood of memories. The smile became mixed with fondness for her missing companion and lover. She sniffed and cleared a tear. Soon, she thought, soon.
Gabrielle steadied herself on the roofs edge. Above her the clear nights sky, below the streets of Piraeus stretched out like a dimly lit maze. While performing tasks for Eli and Callisto and their one true God, she’d been able to keep her feet on the ground most of the time. The years were gaining on her these days. No matter how much she tried to keep herself robust there was nothing she could do about the advancing of her age. Climbing unnoticed to the roof itself had been more difficult than she thought it would. She crouched, one hand grabbing the roof edge between her feet. Better get used to it Gabrielle, she told herself, there could be much more of this in your future. Looking down in to the street she now overlooked she spotted several dock workers returning home after drinking at the bar in the tavern she was staying at. A few guards entered the street from one end. She watched unnoticed and in silence as the groups went by under her position. She looked up now to examine the roof tops around her. Several were close enough to jump to, some maybe even just a leap with enough effort. She stood up and judged the distance to the nearest roof top. This wasn’t going to be a quiet crossing she thought as she looked down in to the street. But then escaping from would be pursuers would cancel out any need for stealth. Let’s just see if we can get across shall we Gabrielle, she thought.
She turned and walked back along her roof a few paces and then turned to face the gap. She rolled her head loosening her shoulders, shook her hands and made off with a skip jump and in to a short but powerful sprint. Her right foot, always the right foot as Xena had taught her, was slammed in to the roof. The leg bent and then pushed off from the roofs surface. Almost in slow motion Gabrielle left her roof and launched herself across the gap. Her arms circled at her sides as if trying to give her added momentum. Her left leg stretched out in front of her. With a sudden thud her left foot came down on the other roof across the gap. Her legs bent as she rolled across the new roof absorbing the impact of her landing. Finishing half crouched, her hands pressed to the tiles of the roof she looked back at the gap and the rooftop she’d jumped from. Her eyes widened. The gap had been wider than she’d judged it to be, but she’d made it. Noisily and rather cumbersomely but she’d made it. She stood up and looked about as she made her way to the other end of the roof. The ports maze running out in all directions. High above the moon cast enough light to silhouette her against the nights sky.
Peering out over the port she tried to make out the best route to the docks. Some buildings were just spaced too far apart to clear in a leap like she had just done, others she could see plainly that a good run up, much more than she’d given herself a few moments ago, would be needed. A little way in the distance stretched the market street she’d travelled to reach the docks and the ports masters office. Many of the buildings and market stalls were low roofed and would not provide her with much cover, but she noticed the route would be the fastest. She would have to hope she caused as little disruption as she could when the time came. But would that route be the best way in or the fastest riskiest way out, she thought. She moved slowly to the end of the roof on which she now occupied to get a better look and try to make up her mind. She folded her arms and studied the layout of the roofs. Well that’s my way out, way in needs to be higher, she decided. She glanced to her left and right studying the buildings leading to the docks and offices. Running the length of the market street behind the stalls on the right were a series of large square buildings. Looking about her surroundings she sought for a way to them. She leaned almost on tip toes to see over the right edge of the building she was on top of. A rooftop ran off to join another that would lead to access to the market street buildings she needed. She backed up the way she’d come and with a skip jump ran to make the jump.
Crossing the buildings between her and the market street she found herself confronted with a gap that no run up would help her cover. She crouched and examined the building she needed to reach. Not much in the way of handholds presented themselves to her. Only a number of wooden windowsills in deeply set windows and a sign post, jutting from the masonry almost on level with her, would provide any kind of purchase. She looked the building up and down trying to examine the sills and horizontal sign post in the moonlight. The post would drop her down a little way towards the street but also put her in a small jumps reach of the lowest sill.
She stood up and turned to walk away from the edge of the roof she stood on, looking over her shoulder briefly as she went. Happy that she was far enough to get the run up she needed she paused and took a deep breath. This wasn’t going to be easy, if she thought the first leap was one of faith in her own abilities, this was going to be a leap that would make or break her quest for Xena. It was only now that she noticed her limbs ached and her lungs burned slightly with her nights efforts. Down on the ground in combat or horse riding for days at a time was one thing but running and jumping from building to building was taking its toll on her fitness levels. Her age wasn’t helping either she admitted. At almost fifty-three years of age this sort of exertion was getting to be a bit more taxing than she would have liked or cared for. A fight she could try and control, finishing it on her terms, breaking the pace of the combat or speeding it up if she saw the opportunity. Spending days in the saddle just required her to be accustomed to long journeys, many of which she would again, control the pace of. But this, this was different. She would have an unknown length of time to reach the trader and an even more obscure time to make it out alive if things went badly.
She breathed out deeply. “Well, here goes.”
Gabrielle broke in to a run and launched herself from the roof to the sign post. Right foot first she went in to the air. She pulled her feet together as she travelled through the air to the post. Falling the last few feet she managed to get both her feet to the post in landing. Her legs bent at their knees and she threw her arms wide for balance. She wobbled some and leaned back trying to keep what balance she had. Bringing her body forward and her arms slightly circling in the air at her sides she stayed on the sign post. But only just. Her eyes widened a little as she realised just how close she’d come to falling in to the empty street below. Her heart racing, her lungs burning she sidled her way along the post to the buildings wall. She placed her hands against the wall to steady herself as she looked up at the sill slightly above her. She balanced herself proper on the post and made the small jump directly up to reach the sill. Her finger found purchase easy and she pulled herself up in to the deep window frame. Gingerly pulling a knee up next to her hands and then the other. She glanced down then up at the next sill. This may have been a mistake, she thought.
The next sill was reachable but standing on the current one would be tricky. While the sill jutted from the wall it wasn’t a very wide surface from which to launch oneself from. Two more, c’mon Gabrielle, she told herself. And she jumped directly up to grab the next sill in turn. On the next sill she rested momentarily. This was going to have to be her route in to the docks, there was no way this could be her escape route. She’d be an easy target for any archer if things went wrong. She glanced up at the last sill needed to reach the roof of the building. She steadied both balance and breathing and took the leap up. Her fingers gripped the wooden sill and she hauled herself up on to it. From there she made the roof and made across it to spy the market street below and the junction she’d ridden down to reach the offices. Between her and the junction lie only a few lower buildings all of which would be much easier to reach, and cross compared to the one she now stood on top of.
She took the next few rooftops with ease and made the junction more rapidly than she first thought possible. The narrow buildings leading to the docks, while looking high from ground level were much easier to navigate and she found herself overlooking the docks from a building at the end of the street. Here she rested up and sat cross legged on the rooftop. She breathed hard; she’d not pushed herself in this kind of exercise in a long time. Lifting her own weight had taken more from her than she thought it would. If she were going to do this route again she would not be carrying her sword. Not that she would miss the weapon. On the contrary, she looked forward to leaving it behind. Only the chakram and solitary sai would be carried when she did this again. The sound of her own breathing brought her out of her thinking. She was more out of shape than she realised. Despite all the hard toil she’d been doing for Eli and Callisto and their God over the past few decades her fitness had dropped considerably. A sudden realisation hit her as she looked at the ports masters office building. What of the trader doesn’t do the sale there?
A moment of panic rose in her. The thought of doing all this only to find she’d mistakenly assumed the trader would make the sale at the dock side or in the masters office almost crushed her spirit. No, no, the trader would make straight for the port masters office. The lousy bureaucrat would want his pay before letting the trader enter Piraeus to sell the armour. Her armour. Xena’s armour. There was no way the trader would be able to make such a sale without paying off the port master and his henchmen first. No doubt the buyer would have to do the same. Both parties at the short-term mercy of the port master as he raked in his ill-gotten gains from each. Feeling more assured of her decision to head for the docks and offices she relaxed and eased her breathing. All she needed to do until the ship docked was to run the route again and then scout the offices building the day it landed.
Almost lazily she laid back and looked up at the stars feeling the nights breeze waft over her sweat coated body. Her leather was damp and uncomfortable. Maybe not just the sword to stay behind then, she thought. Both would stay at the stables with her horse, packed and ready to go the instant she had the armour back in her possession. She sat up and looked at the buildings she’d crossed to get this far. Standing up she prepared to make her way back. Intending to head straight for the stables to make sure she would know the return route just as well as the approach. She loosened her arms and shook them at her sides, twisting her head several times. Sleep tomorrow Gabrielle, she told herself and set off across the roof tops once more for the stables.
The following day Gabrielle woke late in the day. Her arms, upper body and legs ached after the unusual amount time spent lifting her own weight the night before. She threw the thin sheet from herself and swung her feet from the bed. She eyed her clothing hanging over the end. After the exertions she put herself through last night she decided to leave the heavy leather behind. Instead she would travel light, this would allow her to be free of the leather in the days heat and give her a different appearance to that known to the ports master and his crony Oulixes. In fact, she thought, a light hooded cape might just be the best answer to that. Plenty of women wore them around the market, to protect from the sun though, not to infiltrate a smuggling ring.
“If Autolycus could see me now.” She said, smiling. “Now, did I pack it?” She asked herself still speaking out loud.
She moved from the bed and lifted a travel pack she’d brought with her from the stables. Or would she need to pay the stables a visit? She rummaged about, knowing she’d swapped some items from saddle bags to travel packs and vice versa. She just couldn’t remember right this instant if she’d swapped the item she now decided she needed. Several items were thrown on to the bed as she searched the pack.
“Aha.” She said in satisfaction and she pulled the material from the pack in one hand. Both top and skirt in one go. She lifted them and eyed them fleetingly. She’d not worn the outfit in many years. The heavier leather trousers and tunic being more protective yet leaving her enough ability to move freely when needed. She now turned from the pack and threw the top on to the bed. Lifting the small red velvet skirt in front of her she mused about the item still fitting her. She lowered it and pulled it up over her legs. She wiggled her hips a little as she pulled the garment the rest of the way up to her waist. She smoothed the soft material down with her hands as she examined the fit. She smiled, part relieved that the item still fit well enough to be worn after so many years and because of nostalgia. It would need a belt but her sword belt would suffice for the time. She turned to the top, optimistic about it fitting her too. She lifted it. On it went. Pulled and twisted in to place. It felt so much different from the clothing she wore these days. She also felt a little naked in the outfit compared to the trousers and tunic she wore. But, she thought, it would allow her to avoid detection even if only for a little while. Worn with a light hooded cape maybe long enough to properly observe the port without detection at all. And the chakram and her sai would be easy to conceal and carry under a robe. She sat on the bed and reached for her boots. Once laced she grabbed her sai and slipped it in to its loops and then grabbed the chakram and robe.
Crossing the customers area of the tavern she went practically unnoticed. Only the owner giving her a polite morning greeting as she went for the door and outside. Standing just away from the tavern entrance Gabrielle reached back and lifted the hood of her robe. Adjusting it so it covered as much of her face as she could manage without leaving her with too limited vision of her surroundings. She set off through the crowds unnoticed.
Eli moved to stand next to Calisto at the font. Its waters shimmered in its confines. Calisto noticed him and nodded acknowledgement and greeting to him.
“Well?” Asked Eli. “Have you set her on her way?”
“Indeed I have.” Replied Calisto smiling and sounding somewhat pleased with the result of her endeavours. “The first part of her re-union is within her reach. But…”
“But what?” Queried Eli folding his arms at his chest.
“The parts needed for her re-union have been split. A piece here, a piece there.” She tilted her head as she looked in to the font at Gabrielles image in the streets of Piraeus. “It would seem mortals are still as unpredictable as ever.” She looked at Eli. “Her search for what she needs will go on a little longer than anticipated.”
Eli took a breath. “She has time?”
“She does. She will make sure of that.”
Eli spied the image of Gabrielle in the font waters and turned to leave.
Gabrielle leaned against the wall of a building that faced out on to the dock side and the port masters office across the way. In the space between workers went about their daily routines of loading and unloading vessels moored at the quayside. Goods were stacked in varying places and counted and recorded before being moved inside the nearby warehouses for safe storage, and then distribution from there. Her eyes moved from the goods to the office on the other side. There had been no sign of the port master since her arrival in the street. If he’s as lazy as they say, she thought remembering the stall owners words to her. The port master wasn’t likely to show himself if he could help it. Taking advantage of the easy position he held to do nothing strenuous. Even Oulixes hadn’t shown his face. She rest her head against the wall and watched. Apart from needing to leave her vigil of the dockside and the office building to satisfy calls of nature and to feed herself, she only ever saw the occasional port worker enter and then leave again a few moments later. Either with or without paperwork. At least some ships and cargos were legitimate, thought Gabrielle as she watched the intermittent comings and goings. Even positioning herself in a different vantage point after returning each time she didn’t notice any changes.
It was nearing evening when the port master finally showed himself. The whole area had been lit with torches before the regular workers had left for the night. Moving to stand in the office doorway and turning to close and lock the door behind him as he went. She edged herself back in to the street behind her and hoped the darker street would help conceal her. She watched as the master walked away from the office building. Moving to the edge of her building again she leaned round the corner to check for any more people that may have been lingering after the days shifts were done. The area was clear, only the port master was visible to her and he was now making his way from her. She double checked over her shoulder and saw two guards slowly entering the street someway behind her. They hadn’t noticed her so she moved in to the dock area and followed the master. She hurried her pace not knowing if he were going to disappear down a side street or alley and she didn’t want to lose him. Knowing where to find him away from his office would be useful in case he’d lied to her about the incoming trader ship from Japan.
The further they went the more ornate the surroundings became. Streets seemed to change with every corner they took now. Buildings becoming more and more expensive looking, their size and decoration giving them away as part of a wealthier province of the port. Unfortunately for Gabrielle, the increase in wealth also meant an increase in guard activity to protect the wealth and those that had acquired it. Several times she’d been forced to look for a side entrance of alley to duck in to as guards first passed the master and then neared her. Even making use of a well-placed balcony every so often was needed to avoid detection by the guards. Though she was grateful that reaching the balconies was nowhere near as taxing as crossing the roof tops. Though waiting for guards to move away under her on the balconies slowed her down, forcing her to move quicker each time she needed to catch up.
Eventually she gained ground on the master again, leaving her space to watch comfortably as he entered one last street. She watched turn a corner and rushed to spy around the building now obstructing her view of the man. She pulled the hood of her robe down to allow a better view and peeked her head ever so slightly around the wall. The place beyond opened up in to a nicely maintained square communal area, low walls of white stone lined the grass and flowered areas with little paths running between. An olive tree in each corner reached up and spread their branches over the corners where little benches had been placed for occupants to take shade in the summer months. Her eyes darted about looking for the master. He was now climbing a small set of steps leading to a building that one of the small paths led to.
“Home sweet home.” She murmured to herself as she watched him go inside the building. Now sure of where to find the port master should he have lied to her she turned, lifted her hood once more and made her hurried way from the province. Tonight she would attempt the roof top run she had performed the previous night, but this time only lightly clad in her old velvet attire and carrying her sai and chakram. Another practice run would never hurt, she thought as she gave the nearby building tops a quick glance on her way.
To be continued in Chapter 4