Chapter 6
Gabrielle galloped her horse straight up the centre of the long main entrance street in to the city of Amphipolis. People dashed to be out of her way as she thundered by them. Some screamed in surprise or anger as they narrowly escaped being trampled. But none opposed her. Her blonde hair streaming and bouncing in the air behind her as she went. One hand gripping the reins of her horse the other held out at her side as she tore through the streets upright in the saddle. Her sword and chakram bounced noisily at her sides and her horses hooves thumped in to the streets surface relentlessly. Getting close to a junction she eased her horses pace bringing it to a stop briefly. She looked in each direction down different streets then over her shoulder quickly. There was no sign of her pursuers, but she knew them to be not far behind her. Several curious and stunned city folk stood and watched her as she tried to figure which way would get her to her desired locale fastest. She spun her horse in a tight circle and went left.
“Yagh. Yagh!” She cried with adrenaline pumping through her. Her heels jabbed at the haunches of her mount to spur it on at a gallop once more. Her travel packs and saddle bags bouncing and thumping off the horses rump and sides. Casks clattering loudly. Dust picked up off the ground as she held the reins one handed still, her other helping her balance in the saddle. Surging off at speed through the ever-narrowing streets she ignored the shouts and protests of the people forced from her path.
Through the city entrance came the Thracian force she’d managed to engage in small skirmishes and in small numbers as scouting parties. Finally avoiding them when she had her chance at their camp and bolting for Amphipolis and the temple she now searched for. Regrouped the Thracian troops were now a serious threat to her and her objective. Knowing she would have little in the way of possible and realistic exits from the city and away from them, they drove forward at a casual trot. The people near to them backing away and making room for them to advance on the cities innards.
Gabrielle pulled hard on the reins and brought her horse to a stop outside the giant double doors. She looked them up and down as she dismounted and walked around her horse, ducking under its chin as she went. The old temple to Athena stood reaching far above her. Statues of the now superseded deity perched high up looked out over the city once dedicated to her. In a vain but hopeful attempt, Gabrielle leaned all her weight against the doors. They didn’t budge, not even an inch. She leaned in again, still no give. She kicked them out of sheer frustration. This was all slowing her down and there would be no other way in from the ground. She stepped back several paces and looked upwards, examining the walls of the old temple. Wasting no time she lunged forward and leapt slightly off the ground and grabbed the nearest outcrop of masonry. She hauled herself up and began her climb to search for any open or weakened point where she could gain entry to the temple. Almost half way up the side of the building she glanced down and saw her horse waiting patiently. She glanced over her shoulder, the city rooftops were in view. She doubled her efforts and clambered her way up to some buttresses in the walls of the temple. She paused for a brief moment searching for a place to grab hold of. A statue leg provided her with the hold she needed, and she grabbed it, hauling herself higher. Cautiously she managed to position herself with the statue. From here she took the time to look out over the city proper. People went about their business oblivious to the fact they were being watched from so high up. Something moving through the streets caught her attention. Thracians, though not all of them. They must’ve split up, she thought.
Reaching the same junction as Gabrielle, the commander of the Thracian riders divided his men. Under his orders some went right to block off any possible route across the city, others were to remain at the junction to prevent her leaving the way she’d entered, the rest went with their commander. Their horses hooves and tack and their armour noisily warning people in the street of their intention to get through. Some people rounding corners in to their path quickly as they could jumped clear or part fell part scrambled out of their way.
Gabrielle clambered her way behind the statue of Athena and examined the roofing there. What looked like a hatch rewarded her efforts. Applying some force, she managed to wrestle the old hatchway open. A service hatch allowing workers roof access for repair purposes, she guessed. It was dark on the other side meaning she would have to be careful as she entered. Getting down on her backside, using the statue for support, she then sidled forward putting her feet through the hatchway first. It wasn’t a large entrance but then she wasn’t the biggest person either. She moved forward some more, her feet looking for a ledge or steps in the dark. Eventually her feet found what she hoped was a solid surface. She breathed in, took her chances and went through the hatchway. The stone ledge under her feet was dusty and her movements echoed slightly in the empty temple. She crouched placing a hand on the inner wall and waited for her eyes to adjust to the darkness.
Going round the last corner before the old temple of Athena the Thracian commander spotted the riderless horse standing outside the double door entrance. He reined his horse in and dismounted, his men following suit. He gave the horse a cursory glance then ignored it all together. Making for the double doors instead. He stepped back from them and waved his men forward, his silent instruction for them to breach the obstacle.
Inside Gabrielle cautiously followed the ledge along the inner roofline until finding the stairs that would take her down in to the main innards of the temple. Keeping one hand on the wall she moved quick as she dared in the darkness. While light now streamed in from the hatch she’d broken open and other places in the dilapidated roof, it was still too dark to take silly risks by rushing. Her feet scraped and crunched in years of dust settled on the steps. Eventually she made bottom in a sanctuary behind the altar hall. Her feet suddenly stepping on to the same level surface was nearly enough to make her stumble as her brain expected her to keep moving downwards. She steadied herself and took stock of where she was and where the items she sought may have been hidden. Can’t be anywhere too obscure, the Thracians are looking too, she decided.
In the darkness split in places by thin streams of light, she managed to find an old torch still in its wall mount. She grabbed it as she heard what must be the Thracians trying to force the doors. She glanced in the direction the sound was coming from then ignored it, returning her full attention to the torch. She fumbled in a small pouch on her belt. She could scarcely see, but she managed to find the small cask of oil and her flints, used to light camp fires while on the road. Straining to see she placed the torch on the stone temple floor and poured some of the oil over the end. The smell strong even in the musty air of the temple. She wrinkled her nose and maundered. Placing the oil back in the pouch out of the way she then knocked her flints together over the torches oil-soaked end. Bright sparks glared in her eyes through the dark. Finally a spark hit where needed and the torch flared in to life. The sudden flare of flame and brightness made her instinctively pull away from the torch. As it burned on the floor she then replaced her flints too in the pouch before picking up the torch and carried on her search. Outside the Thracians continued with their so far futile attempts at breaching the temples doors.
Walking around the temple with her torch aloft she could just make out faded paintings on the walls. Turning small circles as she went trying to think of where her desperately needed items would be. The sanctuary would be the last place, Xena rarely sought sanctuary from anyone or anything, so being purposely cryptic Gabrielle moved from the room and in to the naos. As she entered her torch light reflected off the white alabaster legs of a statue of the Goddess Athena. She stopped to look up.
While nowhere near as big as the Athena statue in the Parthenon in Athens itself, this was still a rather impressive construct. She held her torch high as she could and slowly walked around to the front of the statue. Something glistened as she went around the right side making her stop. She lowered her torch and pushed it forward and looked between the calves of the statue to its left side. There, tucked tightly against the back of Athena’s shield, supported against her left leg and hand was what she sought. She rushed to the other side of the statue and reached in behind the huge shield. Her fingers touched the cold familiar bronze armour. She leaned on the statues dais and felt her finger scrabble over the metal.
Loud shouting and banging from outside the double doors of the temple made her stop for a second or two before lunging to throw her upper body on to the dais behind the shield. Grabbing the bronze armour tightly she then slid back off the dais and onto her feet. The bronze scraping on the stone in her hand following her. Smiling, pleased with her triumph, she held the armour in her hand and turned it slowly to examine it in the torch light. Repetitious banging on the temple doors brought her back to the here and now. She suddenly realised in her rush to get inside she’d not brought with her a means of carrying the armour out. Hurriedly she threw her torch on the floor and began to put the armour on over her leather tunic. It didn’t feel as loose as it had done so many years before when wearing it. But then she wasn’t wearing Xenas leather under it this time. Making sure the armour wouldn’t cause a problem with her movement she grabbed her torch and headed back in to the sanctuary and to the stairs for her way out. Able to move much faster this time she dared take some of the stairs two at a time. Reaching the ledge she ran half crouched along its length back to the hatch and the outside.
Kneeling at the hatchway she looked below herself and tossed the torch in to the sanctuary no longer needed. She watched it flurry its way downwards in a whoosh of flame. She squinted as she peered through the hatch in to the outside sunlight. Using both hands she pulled herself up and out on to the temple roof. Grabbing the statue of Athena as she stepped free of the dark interior she looked down to see the Thracians still trying to gain access. They were not far from their goal now. She looked along the roof that stretched out behind her. A long flat ledge, another worker necessity, would give her access to the back of the building’s roof. She let go of the statue and carefully ran the length of the ledge, her arms out at her sides for balance. The armour bounced slightly as she ran, rattling as she went.
In front of the doors the commander watched as the doors started to look like they were ready to give up the temple inside. As one joint force his men were shoulder barging the old wooden doors trying to force the lock to break. Unnoticed, high above them all was Gabrielle, running along the edge of the roof. Disappearing to the back end of the building.
Holding the spear of a statue of Athena on the back quarter of the roof Gabrielle looked down to inspect her way down. It was pretty much the same as her way up at the front of the building. With her feet searching for purchase and trying to see passed her own legs Gabrielle lowered herself on to the buttress and gently lowered herself further. Gradually she managed to make her descent. Tendons and muscles alike on fire in her arms and legs, her lungs forcing her chest to rise and dip as she touched the ground. Jumping the last few feet. Half crouched in the dusty back street behind the temple she spun and ran to the wall and peeked round. A few Thracian horses could be seen without their riders. As she waited and listened she could hear the Thracian troops shouting in time with their efforts to barge their way in to the temple. Having to wait gave her the chance she needed to catch some of her breath. Why didn’t I get to do this years ago when I was fitter, she thought ruefully. Suddenly there was the sound of wood giving under great pressure. The temple doors had finally succumb to the Thracian assault on them.
The Thracian commander drew his sword. If the woman was still inside he intended to stop her by any means from leaving with the armour. He’d paid a lot of money for information on where the trader had left the armour for him. Not that he wasn’t wary of traders and them of him, but having the armour secreted in a place no other party would look had seemed the only mutual agreement either side was happy with. The fact that this woman, whoever she was, had now taken it upon herself to steal it from under his nose was unthinkable. No doubt the trader had crossed him, committing the usual low standards of some of them by taking two payments from two parties for one item. If he couldn’t stop this woman from taking the armour he would certainly stop the trader from taking the remainder of his payment for the undelivered treasure. As the doors lock shattered inside the heavy wood of the doors his men stumbled inwards. The doors suddenly opening wide to them. Impatiently he roughed his way through his men and in to the temple.
Quickly and gingerly running along the side of the temple Gabrielle watched and waited for the Thracians to enter. Poking her head around the front just enough she could see they’d all entered to begin searching for the armour she now wore. She spotted her horse among those of the Thracians. Simply running out and screaming and shouting at the horses would do no good in depriving the Thracians of their mounts. They were war horses after all! She decided that simply fleeing the scene was her best option. But as quietly as she could. Carefully, so as not to disturb the horses she made for hers and took its reins. Slowly and vigilantly she guided her horse away from those of the Thracians. Reaching the end of the street she looked over her shoulder and mounted her horse. Digging her heels in she prompted her horse in to a gallop away from the temple.
Tearing along the streets of Amphipolis Gabrielle retraced the route she’d taken to reach the temple, eventually reaching the street with the junction she’d paused at. As she raced her horse in to the street some distance from the actual junction itself she could see a number of Thracian horsemen. She yanked hard on the reins of her mount.
“Whoa. WHOA!” She shouted pulling on the reins and leaning back in her saddle. Being forced to stop so suddenly at such speed her horse reared itself upwards. Its long front legs kicking up and out as it neighed loudly. Gabrielle now forced to lean forward to compensate, her free hand reaching out to her side for balance. The Thracian riders all turned in their saddles at the commotion. Not until Gabrielles horse once more touched ground with its front legs revealing her to them did they realise who it was upon the horse. Gabrielle eyed the riders at the junction she needed to be out of the city. Pulling on the reins she turned her horse in a circle almost entirely on the spot on which it stood, herself twisting in the saddle to keep the riders in view as long as she could. Her horse now facing the Thracians they all paused as if taking measure of their respective opposition. Part laughing, part sneering with adrenaline, Gabrielle then urged her horse forward at a gallop again. Surprised by the sudden show of near suicidal audacity from Gabrielle racing towards them, the Thracians fumbled for their swords and tried to turn their own horses to face her.
As Gabrielle neared them the first rider swung his rhomphaia flatly across her path. Unbelievably to the Thracian Gabrielle leaned back to flatten herself over the back of her horse. The sword, which would have cut her clean in two just below the chest, sailed over her harmlessly. The rider now left unbalanced in his saddle was left trying to stay mounted on his horse. Other Thracian’s were now vying for a position to strike at the blonde. Each one intent on being the one to deliver the killing blow that would gain them favour and advancement. Their efforts were wasted. By the time another rider had found a position to strike from Gabrielle was well away from them heading to the main street and out of Amphipolis. Like a group of blind rats leaving a sinking ship the Thracians only served to obstruct each other in their desperation to give chase.
Gabrielle yelled her horse on, kicking her heels in to the haunches to increase its efforts. Hearing her shouting and the hooves of her horse people ahead turned to see the pair hammering their way through the crowded street. People scattered from her path frantically. She spied the gates ahead of her and the long chain responsible for the rudimentary emergency closing of the structures. Grabbing the chakram from her hip she waited until she got a little closer. Then, with everything she had the chakram was launched from her hand. The weapon travelled straight and smashed in to the chain mechanism. Slicing clean through the chain links the chakram then bounced off the wall behind them and returned to Gabrielle’s upheld hand. The chain, now severed, allowed the huge weights recessed in the walls to one side of the gates to fall and begin their closing. As they fell they pulled the huge gates slowly closed she feared she’d got her timing wrong. Gabrielle screamed at the top of her lungs at her horse. Almost breathing in to make herself smaller her horse rushed them through the narrowing gap and off to safety. Behind her the Thracian riders sprinted their horses after her but were nowhere near enough to follow her through the gates.
Gabrielle had pushed her horse as hard as she dared for as long as she thought she could get away with. Instead of following the main road from Amphipolis she’d taken her horse from the road and in to the open country. Even when she knew her horse could take no more rapid pace she kept it at a slow walk to put distance between herself and the Thracians. They wouldn’t have been trapped in Amphipolis for long after her stunt with the gate closure. She smiled to herself, it had been a long time since she’d used the chakram and was pleased that she was still able to show such skill with it. Now, sat at the side of her campfire, she placed it and her sword on the ground by her feet. Her attention drawn to the bronze armour she held in her hands.
Even though Xena hadn’t kept the armour pristine it was always in better looking condition that it was now. It’s been under feet of dirt for almost twenty-five years, she thought, it was bound to be less than immaculate. She twisted the object in her hands inspecting it. It had felt unusual wearing it again. Even though it never fit properly the one time she’d worn it so many years ago. The fires light showed her the green corrosion that had crept on to its surface during its years buried. Fortunately, the corrosion hadn’t spread to cover every part. Given time and the right fluid she believed she would be able to restore most of its previous appearance. A good going over with quality olive oil should do it, she decided.
“Well.” She said looking about at the dark surrounding her little camp. “I have more it. The God Killers Armour.” She said as if to no one. There came no reply. Callisto had said once she had the armour they would talk again soon after. Perhaps morning would be her time to talk again? Maybe tomorrows night? Gabrielle shrugged. Callisto would show or talk to her when she deemed it right to do so. Eyeing the armour she stood and went to her horse. With one hand she deftly undid the ties on a saddle bag and lifted the armour to it. Rummaging about she managed to make space inside for the metal apparel. She secured the saddle bag flap then patted her horse along his neck.
“You did so well today.” She spoke soothingly the animal. “I pushed you too hard, I’m sorry.” She smoothed her the animals neck before checking its water placed earlier for it after being tested so relentlessly over such a long distance. She then glanced about at the dark country side outside of the fires light. Patting her horses neck for good measure she decided to turn in. Gently she lay herself in her bedroll by the fires side and made sure both sword and chakram were within easy reach. She stared in to the flames. Before long sleep had claimed her.
To be continued in Chapter 7