Once Bi Dan had left, the healer returned his attention to his patients. Both appeared to be in a stable condition despite their affliction and he was quietly optimistic when Gabrielle suddenly gasped in pain. Though unconscious, the bard clutched at her chest, in obvious physical distress.

 

He picked up Gabrielle’s hand, placing three fingers on her wrist to palpate her pulse—which alternated between being thready and strong. Baffled, he checked Gabrielle’s crystal but did not detect any change. He glanced over at Xena, thinking that the bard could be reacting to something that was happening to her soulmate. A flash of light on Xena’s aura monitor caught his attention and he instinctively raised his hand to shield his eyes as a searing white light suddenly filled the room.

 

When the light had gone, the bedroom appeared undisturbed. The healer checked on his patients. They were still unconscious. He first looked at Gabrielle’s aura monitor, then Xena’s. Then he checked them over once again without using the crystals.

 

He could hardly believe his eyes. The poison was gone. There wasn’t a single streak of black in either of their auras.

 

That white light must have purged the poison from their bodies. He thought. Did Xena use the power of Lao Ma to cleanse the poison?

 

Just then, Gabrielle stirred. The bard pushed herself up into a sitting position and appeared disoriented.

 

The healer moved over to Gabrielle’s side of the bed and said by way of greeting, “You’re awake.”

 

Gabrielle had to clear her throat a few times before she could get out the words, “I had the strangest dream.” She glanced over at her soulmate and remembered that she was supposed to be looking for ways to help Xena. She scooted over to the side of the bed and was about to climb out of it when the healer stopped her.

 

“You have been in a coma since last night. You need to rest.” He said.

 

“You mean it wasn’t a dream?” Gabrielle scrambled over to Xena’s side. The warrior no longer looked like death warmed over. Instead, she appeared to be in a deep but peaceful slumber.

 

Not wanting to wake her soulmate, she gently stroked the warrior’s face. Xena’s skin was warm and smooth under her fingers. She let out a breath she hadn’t realised she was holding and said, “Xena was going to use Lao Ma’s power to destroy the poison. I couldn’t buy her more time… but I guess it was enough.”

 

“It seems she was successful.” The healer said, pleased that his suspicions had been confirmed. “But I would like to monitor both of you for the next few days just to be sure. For now, get some rest.  I will ask the kitchen to send some chicken soup over.”

 

Gabrielle nodded absently, still staring at the sleeping Xena. “I rarely see her sleep so soundly.”

 

“She’s probably tired from using the power of Lao Ma.” The healer reassured her. “Rest, I will check on both of you tomorrow.” He bowed and left.

 

When they were alone, Gabrielle leaned down and kissed Xena on the lips. “Thank you.” She whispered to her soulmate.

 

Sky blue eyes blinked blearily up at her and Xena mumbled in response, “Couldn’t have done it without you.”

 

“You’re awake.” Gabrielle said in surprise.

 

“Had to make sure you’re alright.” Xena said.

 

Gabrielle took the warrior’s hand in both of hers, pressed it against her face and said, “Thanks to you.”

 

“You got hurt ‘cos of me.” Xena said, lifting her free hand to cup Gabrielle’s other cheek.

 

“No, you silly goose,” Gabrielle said, leaning into Xena’s hand then kissing it. “I’m alive because of you.”

 

“That’s something.” Xena agreed sleepily. Her eyelids felt weighted down with a dozen horseshoes and she was having trouble keeping her eyes open. Caught between sleep and wakefulness, she muttered, “I love you, Gabrielle.”

 

Gabrielle gave her soulmate a kiss on the cheek and said, “I love you, Xena. Sleep. I’ll be here when you wake.”

 

“Alright.” Xena mumbled before finally succumbing to the yawning exhaustion that had been threatening to swallow her up.

 

***

 

When Xena woke next, Gabrielle was nowhere to be seen. But she could hear the bard splashing around in the bath up front. She swung her legs off the bed, took a long pull from a wineskin that was conveniently hanging beside her, and headed towards the long bamboo screen that hid the bath from her view.

 

The bard was lounging against the side of the huge bath, submerged in water all the way up to her neck. Her eyes were closed and she was obviously luxuriating in the feel of the warm water jets against her skin. From the smell, it appeared that lavender bath oil had been added into the water. Gabrielle looked happy and at peace, a sight that brought a smile to Xena’s face. Moments like these—when they were not fighting for their lives or trying to overcome some obstacle that the world delighted in throwing their way—were rare.

 

“Want some company?” Xena asked.

 

“I was waiting for you to show up,” Gabrielle said, smiling contentedly at her soulmate.

 

Xena did not need a second invitation. She shimmied out of her linen shift, leaving it where it lay by the side of the bamboo screen and eased herself into the water next to her soulmate. Some of the stiffness left her body as the warm water jets worked their magic. She ducked under the water, holding her breath, and enjoying the warmth all around her until a hand reached down to grab her.

 

Gabrielle pulled her soulmate out of the water and back beside her. “Wouldn’t want you to drown.” She said drolly.

 

“Not a chance.” Xena retorted. Picking up the wash cloth from the side of the bath, she asked, “Want me to do your back?”

 

“Yeah, it probably needs a good cleaning. Been a while.” Gabrielle said. She pushed herself away from the side of the bath and moved in front of her soulmate. Xena immediately set to work with the wash cloth, scrubbing vigorously at the back of Gabrielle’s neck, then the top of her shoulders, and down her back.

 

“How long was I out?” Xena asked.

 

“Two days—you’ve been sleeping for two whole days. I was afraid you were gonna turn into sleeping beauty.” Gabrielle replied.

 

Xena rubbed behind Gabrielle’s ears then picked up a bar of soap and commenced rubbing it all over the bard. “Nah, you’re the sleeping beauty in this partnership.” Xena quipped, referring to her soulmate’s year-long sleep in the Norse Lands.

 

“Did you forget the 25 years we slept after Ares sealed us inside that ice cave?” Gabrielle said, fidgeting and giggling as Xena stuck the wash cloth inside her left ear to clean it.

 

“We weren’t asleep. We were frozen.” Xena said. She ran the wash cloth one last time across her soulmate’s back. Satisfied, she said, “Now, your hair.”

 

Gabrielle ducked under the water and resurfaced so that the warrior could work the shampoo into her wet hair. She let out a tiny moan of pleasure at the feel of Xena’s long fingers massaging her scalp. “I love when you do that.”

 

Xena let out a low sensual chuckle and whispered seductively in the bard’s ear, “I aim but to please—Ga-bri-elle.”

 

Gabrielle shivered at the feel of Xena’s breath in her ear. Ignoring the shampoo still in her hair, she turned around to face her soulmate. “Gods Xena, I have missed you.”

 

An arched eyebrow greeted her statement. Mischievous blue eyes full of mirth and life held her spellbound as the warrior leaned in close and murmured, “You mean you miss… this...” Xena captured Gabrielle’s lips with her own, causing the bard to turn into putty in her hands.

 

When they finally came up for air, Gabrielle agreed breathlessly, “That too.”

 

They locked lips again. Gabrielle ran her hands down the warrior’s body, feeling the toned muscles of her soulmate tensed and relaxed against her. A callused hand brushed lightly over her nipple, sending a lightning bolt of desire shooting through her body. She moaned into Xena’s mouth.

 

“So sensitive.” Xena murmured. She bent down and closed her mouth over Gabrielle’s other nipple, teasing it back and forth with her lips, tongue and teeth.

 

“Too much?” Xena asked when the bard shivered again.

 

Gabrielle’s normally forest green eyes had gone dark with desire. She arched her body against Xena, wanting more, needing more, and knowing that she did not need to say anything.

 

Xena lifted Gabrielle onto the edge of the bath. She kissed her soulmate again, their tongues duelling hungrily with each other as she cupped Gabrielle’s womanhood with her right hand.

 

Arms around her soulmate’s neck, Gabrielle bit down on Xena’s lower lip as she ground herself against the warrior’s callused hand. A moan escaped her lips when the hand glided across the entrance to her womanhood, one finger extended slightly so that it dipped—almost teasingly—within her folds.

 

At some unspoken signal, the soulmates began moving in tandem, a familiar dance that they had perfected throughout the years, building up pleasure and tension in equal measure. One moment, Gabrielle was as tightly wound as a badly strung harp, ready to snap at the slightest touch. In the next, she was pushed over the edge and freefalling. She screamed as the first orgasm ripped through her. And Xena was right there with her, echoing her pleasure.

 

The subsequent orgasms came fast and furious but the final orgasm caught them both off guard, seeming to last forever in a never-ending loop of positive feedback from Gabrielle to Xena and back again. When they finally rode it all the way to the end, the soulmates collapsed against the side of the bath, thoroughly spent.

 

“What was that?” Gabrielle asked once she’d managed to get her breathing under some semblance of control.

 

“Guess our soul-link’s still broken.” Xena said.

 

To Gabrielle’s unspoken question, Xena answered, “I felt your arousal, your orgasm. It was like—I was you and I was also me; at the same time.”

 

“Sounds intense.”

 

“You don’t say.”

 

“I only felt the one at the end. And that was intense. Are all your orgasms like that?” Gabrielle said.

 

“Was there a question in there somewhere?”

 

“Apparently not.” Gabrielle muttered. Louder, she said, “The clan healer doesn’t think our soul-link is broken, it just re-formed without the usual boundaries.”

 

“That’s not good.”

 

“It’s not all bad.” Gabrielle said. “He believes we’ll be fine if we put up some metaphysical shields to keep our soul-link under control. I spent the whole of yesterday learning how to do it.”

 

“Well, it’s not working.” Xena observed matter-of-factly.

 

Gabrielle shrugged somewhat sheepishly. “I still haven’t gotten the hang of it. It’s more miss than hit at the moment. I’ll teach you and we can practice together.”

 

“I always have my shields up. But I obviously need to do a better job if you felt that last orgasm.” Xena said.

 

“I didn’t know you knew how to shield. Is that why I haven’t been as affected as you have?”

 

“Lao Ma taught me.” Xena replied. “After a while, it becomes as natural as breathing. It’s easy. I’ll help you.”

 

“Okay, my turn to do your back.” Gabrielle said, picking up the wash cloth where Xena had left it.

 

“You still have shampoo in your hair.” Xena pointed out.

 

“Oh.” Gabrielle ducked her head under the water and washed the remaining shampoo out of her hair. “Your turn.”

 

Xena lowered herself into a crouch in front of her soulmate, giving the bard easy access to her back. As Gabrielle scrubbed away at five days’ worth of filth, Xena asked, “How’s the plan coming along?”

 

“It’s not as if I had the time to move the plan along.” Gabrielle huffed, slapping playfully at the warrior with the wash cloth.

 

“Too long and they’re gonna forget about the Amazons. You ready for the second part of the story tonight?” Xena said.

 

“I’m ready if you are.”

 

“Gabrielle, you’re the one doing all the heavy lifting. I just… move things along…”

 

“I’m glad you appreciate my hard work.”

 

Xena turned and pressed a kiss to her soulmate’s lips. “Gabrielle, I always appreciate you.”

 

Gabrielle laughed, pushing the warrior away. “Xena, Stop that. Or we’ll never get out of the bath.”

 

“And that is a bad thing?” The warrior asked with a smirk and a raised eyebrow.

 

“Xena!”

 

“Fine.” The warrior grumbled, turning around so Gabrielle could finish washing her back.

 

***

“And that is how the warrior princess helped a peasant girl from Potidaea become the Queen of Amazons.” Gabrielle bowed to the audience and hopped off the stage to enthusiastic applause and cheers.

 

“I think that went well,” Gabrielle said as she took a seat beside Xena.

 

Xena gave the bard a one armed hug, then grabbed her flagon of ale and stood up. She raised her flagon high above her head and when she had everyone’s attention, she spoke loud enough so that the entire clan could hear her. “May I propose a toast to Gabrielle—Warrior Bard of Potidaea, Queen of the Amazon Nation, and love of my life!”

 

“Hear, hear!” The dragons chorused, coming to their feet and lifting up their own drinks in a toast to the woman who had saved their clan.

 

Gabrielle was so taken aback by Xena’s public toast that she remained frozen in her seat, like a deer that had been caught out in the open and did not know whether to stay or flee. Grinning broadly, Xena bent down, grabbed her around the waist and pulled her to her feet.

 

Blushing, Gabrielle grabbed her own drink and raised it above her head in acknowledgement.

 

“Hear, hear!” The dragons roared again and everyone threw back their drinks before slapping the empty tankards down on the table.

 

“Kiss!” Someone shouted from behind them.

 

Gabrielle looked startled. Xena laughed.

 

The clan members banged their empty tankards on the table in unison, chanting, “Kiss, kiss, kiss!”

 

Hands still around Gabrielle’s waist, Xena turned so that they were face to face. She bent her head towards her soulmate, her eyes already dark with desire and asked quietly, “Shall we?”

 

“We are so going to have words about this—later.” Gabrielle said, lifting herself up onto her tippy-toes and claiming Xena’s lips with her own.

 

Catcalls and hoots of approval sounded all around them but the soulmates ignored it all. Xena pulled Gabrielle against her so that the bard’s calves would not develop a cramp from holding the position for too long. Gabrielle had her hands hooked in Xena’s breastplate which she used to pull the warrior down to her.

 

When the kiss finally ended, Xena had a Cheshire cat grin on her face. Seeing the look, Gabrielle felt like a canary that had unwittingly flown within reach of a very hungry and very dangerous cat.

 

Xena swept Gabrielle up into her arms. “I’m just getting started.” She whispered to the bard, the tone of her voice promising a great many things.

 

Loud cheers and catcalls followed them as Xena carried a mortified Gabrielle in the direction of their bedroom.

 

***

They were sprawled out on the bed, naked as the day they were born. Xena’s armour was in a neat heap nearby while Gabrielle’s clothes were scattered all over the room. Their boots lay discarded at the side of the bed where they’d kicked them off earlier. Xena had a smug grin on her face while Gabrielle stared blankly into space—yet to recover her senses from the intense session she’d just been put through.

 

Xena rolled off the bed and padded across to the doorway where she picked up Gabrielle’s top. She retrieved an armband from under the bed then crept along the wooden floor like a spider, plastering herself flat on the floor in front of a chest of drawers. Reaching into the narrow space underneath, she managed to snag a vambrace using her index and middle fingers like a pair of chopsticks. The other vambrace was propped crookedly against the wall behind the bed. She gathered Gabrielle’s skirt from where it hung precariously on top of the bamboo screen, before going behind the screen to fish the bard’s soaking wet undergarments from the bath.

 

She draped the undergarments over a drying rack and dropped the rest onto one of the chairs. At the fireplace, Xena quickly started a fire, adding a couple of logs to keep the fire stoked. She moved the drying rack in front and was heading back to the bed when she spun around and carefully lifted the bard’s other armband off the tip of the fire poker. She deposited it with the rest of Gabrielle’s stuff then picked her armour off the floor.

 

After putting on her linen shift, she pulled up a chair and began cleaning her weapons and armour. As a warrior, her armour and weapons were her bread and butter. She always took good care of them, circumstances willing. And she definitely had time now. It would take Gabrielle a while to regain her senses.  Xena had made doubly sure of that. She finished attending to her sword and was cleaning her chakram when her soulmate finally stirred

 

“Wow!”

 

Xena smirked at the breathless wonder in Gabrielle’s voice but continued her cleaning routine. She raised the weapon to the firelight. Spotting a smudge of dirt on the handle, she twisted it apart and ran the cloth over both sides of the handle before carefully rubbing some oil on both halves. Once she was satisfied, she popped the two halves back together and started on her breastplate.

 

“Xena, have you seen my undergarments?” Gabrielle asked.

 

“They landed in the bath.”

 

“I should’ve known.” Gabrielle said, throwing her hands up in exasperation. “Xena, why do you always do that? You can calculate angles with one glance and throw your chakram with deadly precision but you cannot keep my clothes out of the water. I’m starting to think it’s not an accident.”

 

Xena used her breastplate to hide the smile playing on her lips. Aloud she said as way of explanation, “I had more important things on my mind.”

 

“Xena, I can hear the smile in your voice.” Gabrielle harrumphed. “You’re a rapscallion. But you’re MY rapscallion. Now… what am I going to wear tonight?”

 

“Look in the top right corner of the drawer.” Xena told her.

 

Gabrielle padded over to the drawer. Along the way, she passed the chair on which her clothes had been placed. “I see you found my clothes. Thanks. Saves me the trouble of hunting them down.” She pulled open the drawer and looked in the top right corner. And there they were—her spare set of undergarments—exactly where Xena said they would be. “Hmm… I could’ve sworn they weren’t there this morning.” She muttered.

 

“That’s cos I just put ‘em there. Xena said.

 

More comfortable now that she was dressed, Gabrielle pulled a chair over and sat down next to her soulmate. She too had grabbed oil and cloth and set about cleaning her sais and armour. She wasn’t as fastidious about her equipment as Xena but it was a habit they’d developed during their time in the dragon clan village. It reminded her of their days on the road, when they would sit around the campfire, Xena sharpening her sword while Gabrielle talked about whatever was on her mind.

 

“So… you planned this...” Gabrielle said.

 

“I figured we were gonna have another roll in the hay before the day was over.”

 

Gabrielle could not fault Xena’s logic. But, they didn’t just have a roll in the hay. “And the pony and horse show?

 

“What show?”

 

“Xena, don’t pull the dumb warrior routine with me. You know what I mean.”

 

“Is this where we have words?” Xena asked, checking the straps on her breastplate before carefully putting it to one side. She picked up one of her epaulets and examined it.

 

“Yes, this is where we have words. Xena, you can’t put on a show like that and expect me to say nothing.”

 

“I was just reminding everyone who you were.”

 

“You mean you were staking your claim... on me.” Gabrielle said.

 

Xena stopped rubbing oil into her epaulet, looked up at her younger partner and said with all sincerity, “Gabrielle, I’ve no claim on you. I was just—reminding everyone that you are the love of my life.”

 

“And why would you need to do that? Everyone knows we are soulmates.”

 

“Soulmates are not always exclusive.” Xena said. “Gabrielle, when you tell stories, you come alive. You’ve this glow that captivates people and draws them to you.” She fiddled with the epaulet in her hands, a nervous tic of hers that Gabrielle was very familiar with. “I saw how some of ‘em were looking at you.”

 

Gabrielle placed her hand on the warrior’s arm. “Xena, I don’t care how anyone looks at me—except you. Besides, don’t think I haven’t seen the looks you’ve been getting when they think I’m not looking.”

 

“You don’t have to worry about that.” Xena told her. “You are their deliverer. No one’s gonna touch your soulmate.”

 

“Xena, I wouldn’t have defeated the tyrant if you hadn’t stepped in to save the day.”

 

“You’re the Chosen one, Gabrielle, not me. As your soulmate, I’m off limits to the dragons, but you aren’t. Even before you started doing the bard thing, you already had many admirers, especially amongst the warriors. But I’ve earned enough of their respect that they’ll not make a move on you. Can’t say the same about the scholars though.”

 

Gabrielle looked at her soulmate in surprise. Everything Xena had just said was news to her. “You weren’t just sparring for fun?”

 

Xena shrugged. “Started out that way. But when I found out how many of them thought it’d be an honour to bed the Chosen one, I decided to show ‘em who they were messing with.”

 

“So it’s about sex.”

 

“Isn’t it always?”

 

“Right.” Gabrielle said.

 

Having finished with her armour, Xena stood up and cleared everything away. She stood there for a moment, debating with herself before saying quietly, “Gabrielle, I’m sorry for earlier. You belong to yourself. If you want to take a lover, I won’t stand in the way.”

 

“I’m a little tired. I’m going to bed.” Xena said before leaving the bard still seated in front of the fireplace.

 

“What’s gotten into her today?” Gabrielle mumbled to herself. She put her armour aside and hurried after her soulmate. “Hey Xena, wait up.”

 

***

 

It was still dark when Xena snuck out of their bedroom. Dawn was a good hour away and the clan village was quiet. In a few minutes, the cooks and the early risers would be up. But until then, she could move around unobserved, as long as she avoided the guards on night patrol. The warrior headed for the back of the village, keeping as much to the shadows as she could before slipping into the surrounding forest.

 

Three weeks was a long time to be staying in the same place, especially for a nomad like Xena. She’d spent much of the time familiarising herself with the territory that surrounded the clan village. Now, she used that knowledge to locate the river, following it to the edge of the cliff where it tumbled down into a steep ravine.

 

Near the river was a huge tree that must have been thousands of years old. Xena grabbed hold of one of its roots and lowered herself over the cliff edge. When she reached the end of the root, she used her hands and feet to feel around for suitable handholds and footholds, making her way down the cliff much like a human spider would have. By the time she reached the bottom, the first rays of light had crept across the sky, dispelling the darkness of night. She dusted the dirt off her hands then thought better of it and went to wash them in the river.

 

The water was cool and refreshing. Xena cupped her hands together and took a drink. She hadn’t brought a wineskin with her and all that climbing was thirsty work. After she was done slaking her thirst, she headed to the nearby meadow. There, she easily found what she was looking for, a clump of dark purplish blue flowers swaying gently in the cool morning breeze. The Chin version looked very similar to its Greek cousin. Xena had no doubt she was looking at what the Chin called ‘fuzi’—what she knew as wolfsbane.

 

Using a stick, she dug around the plant, careful not to touch it with her hands. The plant was highly poisonous and any contact with her bare skin would be enough to poison her. Xena wasn’t interested in the leaves, or the flowers. She was here solely for the roots.

 

Once she had uncovered the roots, which looked like tiny brown carrots, she took out her dagger and cut them free, using the stick to avoid touching them directly. When she was done, she stuck her dagger into the ground and wiped it off thoroughly using leaves from a nearby tree. She glanced up at the sky, estimating that she had an hour before Gabrielle woke. If she hurried, she would be able to make it back to the village before then.

 

Less than an hour later, the extraction process was complete. Xena carefully poured the wolfsbane extract into the glass vial she’d prepared beforehand. After stoppering the vial, and ensuring that it would not accidentally spill its precious contents, she hid it in a small crevice near the back of a cave before heading back.

 

***

A gentle breeze rustled the leaves overhead. All around them, birds chirped away without a care in the world. Xena and Gabrielle were seated cross-legged in a small clearing a short distance away from the village. Both of them had their eyes closed and were taking slow deep breaths to help them achieve a meditative state.

 

“I’m ready.” Gabrielle said.

 

“Imagine building a fortress around you.”

 

“A fortress?”

 

“Or…” Xena hunted around for a better analogy, “Walls. Whatever works.”

 

“Like the walls I saw around our soul-link in your dreamscape? Okay. Walls… I can do walls.” Gabrielle imagined building a wall around herself. It was slow going, the stones materialising one by one around her. At that rate, they were probably going to be there the whole day. “Uh… Is there a way to speed this up?”

 

“Gabrielle, you don’t have to physically build the wall. Try having them just drop around you, like the curtains at the end of a play.”

 

“Right.” The familiar analogy helped speed things up significantly and Gabrielle had her walls up in no time. The thick stone walls hemmed her in on all sides. She felt as if she was trapped in a stone sarcophagus. “I hate tight spaces.”

 

“The walls are there to stop anything from getting out or getting in, kinda how walls work for a city under siege.” Xena said. “They don’t have to be close to you.”

 

Gabrielle thought of the wall she’d seen in Xena’s dreamscape. That wall had stretched as far as her eye could see and as high as the great wall of Chin. She mentally adjusted her walls to something more comfortable—like the ones that had surrounded her home town, Potidaea. “Got it.”

 

“Now hold them there. You want those walls to be permanent.” Xena told her.  If you can keep them up for the next half hour, we can move on to the next step.”

 

The two women lapsed into a comfortable silence—Gabrielle focusing on keeping her shields up, and Xena brooding over an entirely different matter altogether.

 

Under normal circumstances, Xena had no problems maintaining her shields. She was more concerned about how well her shields would hold up in certain situations. It was clear that her shields could slip when she was caught in the throes of an orgasm. But it wasn’t clear how they would fare if she was seriously injured or incapacitated. Given her fighting style, it was normal for her to take quite a bit of punishment, especially when she was up against someone who could whoop her ass. And injuries were a common occurrence. She couldn’t afford for her shields to slip whenever she sustained an injury or was severely beat up, because if that happened, it would distract Gabrielle.

 

The bard fought defensively. That was how Xena had taught her and it was also the style that suited Gabrielle best. Her soulmate was smaller than the average person and could not afford to take too many hits. By fighting defensively, the bard could avoid getting hit while taking advantage of her quick reflexes. But it also meant that Gabrielle could not afford any distractions. Distractions meant getting hit. Xena did not mind taking chances or risks when it came to herself but she was averse to doing the same when it came to her soulmate.

 

She took some comfort that her new and improved shields had held through their intense lovemaking session this morning. But she needed to make sure they held when push came to shove and they were neck deep in centaur crap. That was not something she was willing to leave to chance. There was little enough margin for error when they were on the road, they did not need their soul-link adding to the equation.

 

A marsh tit alighted on a branch above Gabrielle’s head. It hopped along the branch to a flower and swung itself over, hanging by one leg so that it could snap at an insect inside the flower. Following the little snack, it launched into a very loud and assertive call, “titi-zee-zee-zee”.

 

Xena opened one eye to stare at it. Alarmed, the marsh tit exploded into a loud "pit-chew pitz-its-its”. It repeated the call again. This time, Xena opened her other eye and glared daggers at the little bird. Having obviously had its fill of warrior princess for the day, the marsh tit gave another "pit-chew pitz-its-its” before finding a safer place to hang out. Satisfied, Xena closed her eyes and peace returned to the clearing.

 

When Xena gauged enough time had passed, she called to her soulmate through their bond. Gabrielle.

 

Xena? Gabrielle responded immediately. Her shields did not seem to be interfering with her ability to communicate via their soul-link.

 

Are your walls still up?

 

They are. Not even a wobble. Gabrielle’s pride at the achievement came through loud and clear.

 

Good. Now, think of something you feel strongly about. Don’t share it with me.

 

There was only one thing that came to Gabrielle’s mind. This morning—the thought brought a dreamy smile to her face.

 

Gabrielle… Stop thinking about sex…

 

I can’t help it, Xena. You know how I feel about… Wait… You weren’t supposed to know that. Oops. I didn’t see that door there. Guess I didn’t close it. Let me try again.

 

Make sure you think of something else this time.

 

How about now?

 

Nothing.

 

Guess I got the hang of it.

 

What were you thinking about?

 

Lunch.

 

How is that a strong emotion?

 

Xena, you know how I’m with food.

 

Gabrielle, I don’t think that counts. But at least we are getting somewhere. Now try it with your eyes open.

 

In the next two hours, Xena had Gabrielle maintain her shields and communicate through their soul-link while simultaneously running; trying to balance a peach on her head; doing handstands; executing a back flip; practicing with her sais; engaging in light sparring; taking on Xena in a full-on fight. All in all, the bard fared fairly well. She managed to hold onto her shields through all of the activities except the last.

 

“You’re doing well, Gabrielle. We’ll continue after lunch.” Xena opened the cloth bundle containing the food she’d packed for them earlier that morning. Compared to the fare they’d been enjoying at the clan village, this was fairly simple, more in line with what they were used to having on the road.

 

Gabrielle plopped down beside her soulmate and picked up a chunk of bread. She dribbled some olive oil on it then threw a hunk of cheese on top. “This brings back fond memories.”

 

“We will be back on the road before you know it,” Xena said, biting into the peach Gabrielle had been balancing on her head earlier.

 

“I never thought I would miss all the traveling, but I do.” Gabrielle said, picking up another chunk of bread.

 

“Kinda grows on you.” Xena agreed. She finished the peach and threw the pit over her shoulder.

 

Gabrielle broke off another chunk of bread and offered it to her soulmate but the warrior shook her head. “You can have it.” Xena told her.

 

“Xena, you ate a few olives for breakfast and now a peach for lunch? Are you on a diet or something?” Gabrielle asked, concerned. Her soulmate generally had a healthy appetite, not as healthy as hers, but still, this was a woman who got cranky if she missed breakfast.

 

“I just have a lot on my mind,” Xena said.

 

Gabrielle placed her hand on her soulmate’s knee and said, “You know you can talk to me about anything.”

 

Xena gave the bard a crooked smile. “I know. Now eat up so we can get back to work.”

 

***

 

Later that night, long after Gabrielle had fallen into a deep contented sleep, Xena slipped out of bed and got dressed. She could leave before the crack of dawn but the chances of Gabrielle noticing anything amiss would be lower if she was fast asleep when Xena did what she had to do.

 

The warrior took a full wineskin from the foot of the bed and hung it on her belt. She then pulled a piece of parchment from her vambrace and placed it on the bedside table, weighing it down on the corners so that Gabrielle would see her note when she woke in the morning. Xena took one last look at her soulmate, grabbed her bedroll and an unlit torch and walked out the door.

 

Xena hadn’t been lying when she said she had a lot on her mind. But they were not the kind of things that she wanted to talk to her soulmate about. Years before, Najara had told her that hurting Gabrielle was her job. Najara had been right—she was forever making the wrong decision when it came to the bard. And Gabrielle always ended up getting hurt; even though that was never her intention.

 

Her decision to stay dead in Jappa had almost cost Gabrielle her life. It was true she hadn’t known about their soul bond. But even without taking that into account, she’d still hurt the bard. As evidenced by the nightmares that had plagued Gabrielle after Jappa and the haunted look on her face every time she was reminded of Xena’s decapitated body.

 

Then her attempt to sever their soul-link and save Gabrielle from dying at the tyrant’s hands had backfired. Their bond had reformed even stronger than before. Not only would Gabrielle die if she did, they were no longer in control of what they shared through their bond. As a result, Gabrielle had nearly died after succumbing to the poison Xena thought she’d successfully neutralised. Now she had to contend with not just her death, but also her injuries negatively impacting the bard. If she couldn’t find a solution, she wouldn’t be able to continue fighting. As a warrior, she could not afford to hesitate or doubt herself in the heat of a battle. That would be suicide.

 

All of that was before taking into consideration what she’d done when she thought she would never see Gabrielle again, in this life or in any other lives after. Now that she was alive, it was an added complication they did not need. She didn’t even know how to broach the subject with her soulmate. The problem was—Xena wasn’t even sure if she’d done what she thought she had. Was it any wonder then that her mind was so messed up?

 

Xena slipped into the shadows as the night patrol passed by mere inches from where she had been standing. Once they were safely past, she retraced her steps from earlier that day, making her way down the cliff face by feel alone. She entered the cave where she’d hidden the vial of wolfsbane and lit the torch. Retrieving the vial, she squeezed herself through a narrow crack near the back of the cave. It was a tight fit initially but the crack gradually widened before opening up into a small cavern.

 

The cavern was big enough for Xena to lay out her bedroll and still have space for her to walk around. She wedged the torch in between some rocks at the back of the cavern so that the light could not be seen from the main cave. She then laid out her bedroll and placed the wineskin next to it. Next, she unstrapped her scabbard from her back and placed it within easy reach on the right. Her chakram went under the blanket she would be using as a pillow.

 

She paused then stripped off her armour, placing them in a neat pile on the left. Chances were she would not have time to put on her armour if there was a threat. But Xena didn’t really need her armour, or her weapons. She’d brought them along because leaving them in the room would have only caused Gabrielle to immediately suspect something was amiss. No, her soulmate must never find out that Xena had come here to die.

 

Dressed in only her undergarments, she sat down on her bedroll, picked up the glass vial and examined it in the flickering light of the torch. There was enough wolfsbane in there to kill a grown centaur so there was definitely enough to kill her. She had been contemplating the best way to do this ever since she’d woken from her deep sleep the day before.

 

Her first thought had been to enlist the help of Ci Nu to recreate a scenario where Xena would be beaten within an inch of her life. It would arguably be the best way to test out her shields and the strength of their soul-link. But she had quickly nixed the idea. There was no guarantee that Ci Nu would keep her plans secret from Gabrielle. And getting beaten to a pulp would leave very visible signs—signs that her soulmate would be blind to miss. Xena would have had to explain them away and she could imagine how badly that conversation would have gone.

 

Next, she had thought of using the local fauna. Chin was home to a number of highly poisonous snakes, one of which—the Chin cobra—could be found within this very forest. Antidotes for snake bites were readily available. She could have easily gotten some from the clan apothecary or even from one of the nearby human settlements. But there was a little problem. Cobra venom caused necrosis of the flesh. If the antidote was administered too late, there was a chance, however minor, that she could lose a limb or end up permanently crippled. For a warrior, that was a fate worse than death. To prevent that from happening, the antidote had to be administered almost immediately, which would defeat the purpose of what Xena was trying to achieve.

 

Finally, she had looked to the local flora. She wasn’t as familiar with the herbs in Chin as she was with those back in Greece. But she had recognised the wolfsbane immediately when she’d spotted it on one of her exploration trips. The distinctive shape and colour of the flowers were a dead giveaway. She was well-acquainted with the plant. It was widely used in Greece as a poison.

 

Once upon a time, every spear, arrow, sword, and javelin in Greece had been coated with wolfsbane. Her armies had used it in her warlord days and she had been on the wrong end of the poison on more than one occasion. Two of those had come on the battlefield; one from a javelin that had barely grazed her thigh, the other had been an arrow she’d taken to her side. That second one had been a particularly nasty experience. The others had come from her enemies slipping the poison into her food and drinks in an attempt to take her out. Many of her army cooks had lost their lives in those failed attempts.

 

There was no antidote for wolfsbane. Exposure to enough wolfsbane was a death sentence—for anyone not named Xena. She had chosen the poison for a reason. She knew intimately how the poison worked and had even developed some resistance from her prior exposure. Most importantly, she had won more than one battle with the deadly poison—alone, with no one to help her and without an antidote to fall back on. Wolfsbane was her best chance of doing what she had to do and still come out at the end with her life. Plus, the poison would not leave any visible marks; nothing she would need to explain away.

 

Now, the only question that remained—was how? Should she ingest the poison or introduce it into her body through a cut? She was leaning towards the latter. She just needed to die, or at least come close enough to death so that she could find out if there was a way to sever their soul-link. Drinking wolfsbane caused nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea. In short, it would be messy. Xena hoped to avoid messy; again, less explaining to do. That left only one option.

 

She pulled out a small dagger from her boot and made a tiny cut on her left wrist. She unstopped the glass vial, pouring the wolfsbane extract directly onto the cut before wrapping an oiled strip of cloth over it. Carefully stoppering the now empty vial, she placed it to one side, blew out the torch and lay down. The warrior did not want to take the off chance that someone would enter the cave and follow the light to her. It was imperative that she not be disturbed. Furthermore, leaving the torch lit would only cause smoke to build up in the cavern. It would be unfortunate if she were to die from suffocation before she had time to do what she’d come for.

 

Almost immediately, there was a tingling sensation at her wrist. The poison was already taking effect. It was faster than she’d expected—probably because she’d erred on the side of caution and given herself twice the normal dose. The cut on her wrist felt as if it was on fire and the tingling crept slowly up her left arm, to her elbow, then her bicep, and shoulder. Before a minute had passed, the tingling had spread throughout her entire body followed by the feel of ants crawling all over her. A few more heartbeats later, the tingling had been replaced with an unpleasant numbness—kind of the way it felt when her foot got trapped under her body for too long, causing it to fall asleep.

 

She could no longer feel her arm, nor could she lift it. Her body broke out into a cold sweat and her heart squeezed so hard that she felt sure it was going to burst. It was getting harder to breathe, her lungs stubbornly refusing to inflate. Her heart fluttered in her chest like a trapped butterfly, the beating of its wings growing weaker and weaker. With her last gasp, she whispered “Gabrielle” reflexively, almost as a prayer. And then the warrior fell silent and still. Her chest no longer rose or fell and she had no discernible heartbeat. Xena, the warrior princess, was dead.

 

Barely an hour had passed since Xena had left. The clan village was quiet and Gabrielle was sound asleep. She twitched and as if in answer to a phantom voice calling her name, mumbled, “Xena.” Invisible to the naked eye and unobserved by anyone, her soul bond with Xena flickered, like a torch being buffeted by a strong wind. This continued for a few minutes before the bond dimmed completely. It flared to life and then dimmed; vacillating between the two until with an almost audible ‘pop’, it disappeared.

 

Perhaps sensing something was wrong, Gabrielle tossed and turned in the bed but she did not wake. Instead, she was caught in a dream—of Xena kneeling in front of her, blood streaming from her nose after putting the pinch on herself, those earnest baby blue eyes looking right into her soul, as if willing her to understand. “Xena… stop this… stop it. Stop… Please stop…” Gabrielle muttered in her sleep.

 

***

 

The sun was high in the sky when Gabrielle finally stirred. She sat up in the bed, leaned back on her hands and stretched her back and neck. Turning her head to one side, she popped the vertebrae there before repeating the action on the other side. She rubbed the back of her neck gingerly and wondered why it felt as if she’d been sleeping on a rock the whole night.

 

She climbed stiffly off the bed and stretched, trying to work out the kinks in her back and neck. Xena would be back soon from her early morning routine. Gabrielle imagined the feel of her soulmate’s long tapered fingers against her neck and smiled. There were definitely perks to having someone with many skills as a partner, in every sense of the word.

 

She puttered around the room, gathering her clothes and debating whether she should get dressed. It was no longer early and it was unlike Xena to be late. Her soulmate usually made it a point to be back in time for a little romp in the bed before breakfast. At the thought of breakfast, her stomach growled unhappily, an unnecessary reminder that it was past their usual meal time. Gabrielle slipped into her clothes and was in the process of putting on her boots when an unexpected sight gave her pause.

 

From where she was seated, she could see the corner where they kept their bedrolls. There was an empty space where Xena’s bedroll should have been. She jumped up, hopping awkwardly to regain her balance as her half-worn boot snagged on the floor and almost caused her to do a face plant. She pulled the offending boot off her foot and hurried over. Xena’s bedroll was definitely missing. There was no reason for the warrior to have taken her bedroll—unless she was planning to spend a night away.

 

She looked around the room, searching for any other clues that she might have missed. Her eyes immediately lit on the bedside table where a square of parchment lay under her sais. The familiar scrawl and Xena’s trademark X at the bottom of the note left no doubt in Gabrielle’s mind who had written the note.

 

Gabrielle, I am sorry for leaving so abruptly. There’s a lot on my mind. I’m afraid that talking about it with you would only make things worse. I need some time alone to clear my head. Please do not try to find me or contact me. Give me a few days. I will be back. I promise. No matter what happens, remember this: I will love you forever.    —X—

 

After reading the note, Gabrielle wasn’t sure what to think. Xena hadn’t gone and left her behind, unlike the last time—when the warrior had gone north on a suicide mission. The note said that she would be back and that she just needed some time away.

 

There had been a time when Gabrielle would have been oblivious to her soulmate’s worries. Her hair had been longer then. And she’d been so caught up with her own struggles that she hadn’t really paid much attention to what was troubling Xena. Back then, the warrior had been more secretive, often choosing to keep her in the dark and Gabrielle hadn’t been any the wiser.

 

But this time, she’d noticed the signs almost immediately. The brooding silences, the disinterest in food. Xena had even come right out and admitted it. Gabrielle thought she’d done well to give her soulmate space and that the reticent warrior would talk to her once she was ready. Apparently, she had thought wrong. Her first instinct was to go after her soulmate. But Xena had made it clear that she wanted to be alone and she’d even used the magic word—‘please’. Gabrielle had to respect that. It was the least she could do.

 

Besides, with their soul-link, she knew where her soulmate was at all times. Xena had said not to find her or contact her. But she hadn’t said anything about not locating her using their bond. Gabrielle figured that as long as she did not physically look for Xena, there was no harm and hence no foul. She closed her eyes, checking that her shields were still up—they were. Then she cast her senses along their bond to search for her soulmate. It didn’t work.

 

Gabrielle dismissed her shields and tried again. Still no luck. It was like following a physical trail that had stopped in the middle of nowhere. Confounded, she called up their bond. It appeared, almost reluctantly. But when it did, it became apparent what the issue was. Their soul-link, like the trail she’d been following earlier, ended abruptly in mid-air.

 

Telling herself not to panic, Gabrielle focused on their bond. This wasn’t the same as what had happened after her fight with the tyrant. Back then, she’d felt only a yawning emptiness where Xena had been. But now, she could feel Xena on the end of their soul-link. This felt more like something was blocking off her access to her soulmate.

 

Could it be Xena’s shields? Gabrielle thought.

 

The more she thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. She knew that Xena had been concerned about the state of their bond and had redoubled her efforts to strengthen her shields. If the warrior didn’t want to be disturbed, it would make sense to cut Gabrielle off—temporarily.

 

With no way to locate Xena, Gabrielle would have to do things the old fashioned way. Or she could wait and give her soulmate a few days. But the bard had never been good at waiting. And she could not get rid of the nagging suspicion that she was missing something—something very important.

 

***

 

Summers in Chin were unbearable sweltering affairs. While the ambient temperature in Chin was probably the same as back in Greece, Chin was humid where Greece was dry. The high levels of moisture in the air meant Gabrielle felt the heat more intensely than she would have back home. Sweat poured down her face and neck, running in tiny rivulets down every exposed part of her body.

 

Sais in hand, she spun and whirled in the forest clearing, flipping her sais after a two-handed block to an offensive position for a strike, then back again for a block on the inside of her forearm. Her movements possessed a fluidity that was mesmerising to watch. With her sais pointed out, she twisted her wrists, trapping imaginary blades in them, her hands moving closer to her body, as if being pushed back by the momentum of the blades. She pushed off her back foot, throwing her arms wide at the same time she released the imaginary blades. She switched her sais into the defensive position and struck from her hip, landing four quick punches—right, left, right, left—with the head of her sais. Her right arm swung out to the side, striking the imaginary opponent there before following up with a pivot into a snap kick.

 

By the end of the session, Gabrielle was breathing heavily and her clothes were soaked all the way through. Using the back of her hand, she mopped the perspiration from her forehead and face. She picked up the wineskin where she’d left it in the shade and took a drink. The water was tepid but it slaked her thirst. When she had her fill, she perched on a nearby boulder and took out Xena’s note.

 

She had spent the morning and afternoon asking around if anyone had seen Xena. No one had seen the warrior after dinner last night. She had struck out similarly with the guards who’d been on night patrol duty. They reported that the night had been uneventful and they had not seen her soulmate leaving the village.

 

Gabrielle wasn’t surprised. The warrior obviously hadn’t wanted to leave any tracks, and that included making sure no one saw her. She hadn’t really expected to find any traces of Xena or where her soulmate had been headed. But she could hardly sit around and do nothing. All this waiting around was making her antsy. At least losing herself in a fight with imaginary opponents had done her some good. The physical exertion had helped take the edge off her restlessness and, in the process, cleared the fog from her mind.

 

She shook out Xena’s note and re-read the words that she had committed to memory.  Perhaps it was her heightened senses after the sparring session, or perhaps it was the newfound clarity she’d gained. Whatever the reason, the last part of the note leapt out at her. “No matter what happens, remember this: I will love you forever.” Gabrielle recited out loud.

 

“How did I not see this earlier?” Gabrielle berated herself. “Her public declaration of love the night before. Then this note—telling me to remember that she’ll love me forever. Xena does this every time she thinks it could be our final goodbye.”

 

“Dammit Xena! You better not get yourself killed! ‘Cos I’ll never forgive you.” The bard raged, crumbling the note in her hand.

 

As fast as it had come, the anger drained out of Gabrielle completely and she slumped over the note, muttering. “I didn’t mean that… I just want you back… alive and well...”

 

***

 

Sick with worry over Xena, Gabrielle had little appetite. She spent dinner pushing her food around her plate. This uncharacteristic behaviour drew the attention of more than one clan member. They came up to her, individually and in groups, expressing their concern and asking after Xena. Some even suggested that they would be more than willing to offer her comfort—in the privacy of their homes. Gabrielle turned them all down, saying that she just wanted to be left alone.

 

Watched by the entire clan, she left the communal dining area and headed for the back of the village, where it opened into the surrounding forest.  She could have returned to her room where no one would have disturb her. But the room felt empty without Xena and she could not bear to return to their bed or sleep, knowing that her soulmate was out there somewhere, possibly hurt—or dead.

 

She missed her soulmate so much that her heart physically ached. Xena’s note was still nestled in between her breasts. She had read and re-read the note more than a dozen times but she took it out now, looking at the words that Xena had scrawled across the parchment and running her fingers over them as if she could touch her soulmate through them.

 

“Where are you, Xena?” Gabrielle asked pensively.

 

Standing at the edge of the forest, Gabrielle looked up at the star-filled sky. The day was almost at an end and she was no closer to finding her soulmate. She didn’t even know where to start looking. Should she stay in the clan village and wait for Xena to return? Or should she ask around in the nearby human settlements? If the warrior had left clan lands, she could be anywhere by now. Without a general idea of where to start, how was she supposed to find her soulmate in a land as vast as Chin?

 

Gabrielle consoled herself that the warrior was probably out there somewhere, looking up at the very same sky she was. They used to gaze up at the night sky all the time, trying to find patterns amongst the glittering constellations. The last time they’d done so was before the fight with the tyrant. She had pointed out a series of stars that resembled a dragon. Xena, being Xena, had insisted it was a warrior, with those same stars making up the belt and sword.

 

There was one constellation they never argued over. And that was the fish that Xena had sent into the heavens as a dedication to her younger brother Lyceus. The fish reminded her of the North Star and a quirky conversation she’d had with her soulmate.

 

Xena: “I’m sending the North Star back to the heavens before nightfall. Hopefully, the power of the Mystic Diamond will help guide it home.”

 

Gabrielle: “But, it’s mine!”

 

Xena: “Well, just think, Gabrielle. Every time that people look up into the night sky and see that perfect star—they’ll think of you.”

 

Gabrielle: “Hmm.”

 

Xena: “It’ll be a symbol of your beauty for all time to come.”

 

Gabrielle: “It is too bad that the people can’t see the real thing. Guess a symbol of it will have to do. Fire away!”

 

“Are you looking up at the North Star and thinking of me? Only you would see it as a symbol of beauty… I miss you, Xena.” She said as a shooting star streaked through the sky. “Wherever you are, whatever you’re doing, I should be there with you. You should not be alone. You’re not alone.”

 

Footsteps sounded behind her—cloth shoes, not boots. Whoever it was, they weren’t trying to be subtle. She turned and saw that it was one of the scribes—a young male dragon named Ji Yu. Dressed in the standard white robes of a scholar, he had tousled sandy hair and a clean cut youthful look that would have made a younger Gabrielle swoon all over him. He held a folding fan in his right hand, looking like one of those rich young gentlemen she’d seen in Chin’s capital.

 

Ji Yu bowed, and asked, “Mind if I join you?”

 

Gabrielle shrugged and said. “It’s a free country.” She turned her back on him and returned her attention to the sky.

 

The young dragon stepped up beside her, close enough that she felt uncomfortable, but not close enough for her to make a fuss over it. He said, “I was observing you at dinner. You did not eat. You must miss your soulmate.”

 

When she did not respond, Ji Yu continued, “You must feel lonely, being all by yourself. I am willing to lend a listening ear, if you need someone to talk to.”

 

“Thank you, Ji Yu, but I’m good.”

 

Unfazed by Gabrielle’s dismissive tone, the young scholar blurted, “But it’s obvious you are hurting. I don’t like seeing you in pain.”

 

“You’re sweet but you need to understand. My heart belongs to Xena.” Gabrielle told him.

 

“We don’t get to choose who we love.” Ji Yu agreed, nodding sagely. “Does she do this often? Go off without you?”

 

Gabrielle did not reply. She had no intention of talking to a stranger about her complicated relationship with Xena. And it really was complicated. When she’d first laid eyes on the warrior princess, that day so long ago, no one—least of all her—could have imagined that Xena would one day become her entire life.

 

For most of their time together, she’d been wary and afraid of Xena’s dark side. It was only after their crucifixion on Mount Amaro and their adventures in Heaven and Hell that she’d finally come to accept the warrior for who she truly was. Gabrielle had always prided herself on being this loving and accepting person. But she hadn’t understood what true acceptance really meant, until she’d met Xena and been exposed to the warrior’s unconditional love towards her.

 

Ji Yu took her silence for affirmation because he said, “If I were her, I would never leave you alone. Or have other lovers.”

 

”You are not her.” Gabrielle told him pointedly. “And she does not need other lovers. She has me.”

 

Ji Yu looked unconvinced. “I have heard about your soulmate and her many lovers. It is said that Ares, the god of war; and Hercules, son of Zeus, number amongst them.”

 

She took a deep breath and slowly let it out. The young dragon was getting on her nerves and she was trying very hard not to snap at him. It was abundantly clear that he had no intention of leaving her alone and she really did not want to continue their conversation.

 

“It’s late. I’m turning in. Good night.” Gabrielle said. She did not wait for a reply but turned on her heel and stalked off.

 

Unseen by anyone, the shooting star entered the territory of the Southern Forest clan. It flew through the forest and down into a ravine where it transformed into a tiny dragon the size of a ferret. The dragon stopped briefly at a meadow before continuing its way further back where there was a cave.

 

***

 

It had rained earlier that day, a passing shower that had given way to a sultry afternoon. Gabrielle hadn’t slept well the night before. She’d tossed and turned the whole night, coming awake at every sound. And the morning hadn’t improved her mood. Without Xena by her side, she’d been swarmed by concerned clan members and even had to endure propositions from her admirers.

 

Then Ci Nu had dragged her away to the communal dining area, refusing to let Gabrielle leave until she’d finished the lunch laid out before her. There had been so much food but she hadn’t been able to summon up any appetite, even though she was rightfully hungry. It had taken her nearly two hours to polish everything off; and she spent the hour after that being sick to her stomach.

 

Now, she sat in the clearing she often used for her sparring sessions with Xena. Gabrielle preferred it to the duelling arena. There was always an audience at the arena and sparring there felt too much like a spectacle for her comfort. Honestly, it was distracting. Xena never had that problem. Her soulmate enjoyed fighting wherever she could find it—in front of a huge crowd, in a secluded alley, out in the desert, in a quiet clearing in the middle of nowhere—it was all the same to the warrior.

 

She didn’t know what she was doing there. She wasn’t up to a practice session; not when her stomach was still distended from lunch. But she hadn’t wanted to stay in the village and deal with all the questions—or the persistent offers. Before Xena’s sudden departure, Gabrielle never noticed how many admirers she had amongst the clan members. The majority of them were male though there were also a few females. All her propositions had come from the former. The latter were more subtle, expressing their interest in ways that were more palatable.

 

Considering what Xena had said the night before she left, Gabrielle wondered if the warrior’s keen sense of hearing had clued her in to the general sentiment around the village. Knowing her soulmate, that seemed more likely than not. And of course—there were the looks. They weren’t as obvious when Xena was around but without her soulmate to act as a deterrent, it was impossible to ignore them.

 

Gabrielle let out a long sigh. “Xena, it’s been 2 days. Where are you?”

 

The crunch of a dry leaf nearby, as if someone had stepped on it, caught Gabrielle’s attention. She whipped her head up and caught a glimpse of long dark hair, a scabbard slung over the back, familiar brown leather armour, and brown leather boots.

 

Whoever it was, it looked like her soulmate and moved like her soulmate. Could it be her soulmate? “Xena?” Gabrielle called tentatively. At the sound of her voice, the figure fled. She immediately leapt to her feet in pursuit.

 

Sweat poured down her face, dripping into her eyes but Gabrielle kept on running. She dodged trees, leapt over exposed roots, and almost lost the mystery figure on a few occasions. But then she would catch a glimpse out of the corner of her eye and the chase would be on again. It was almost as if she was being led on a merry chase. But she couldn’t stop. If there was a chance, just a chance that it was Xena, she had to catch up to her.

 

She burst out of the forest and pulled up abruptly when she realised she was in danger of running off the edge of a cliff. “Xena!” Gabrielle shouted, looking around and finding no signs of anyone. She crept over to the cliff edge and looked down. Far below her, there was the silhouette of a person pressed up against the cliff wall; it was a long way down… Gabrielle shuddered—she didn’t do well with heights.

 

“C’mon, you can do this.” Gabrielle said, trying to psych herself up. She rolled her shoulders and shook her limbs out. “You can do this.” Taking a deep breath, she found an exposed root and grabbed hold of it with both hands. “Please let it hold.” She prayed before swinging herself over the edge.

 

The climb was easier than Gabrielle had envisioned it to be. She was stronger now, and had no problems hanging onto the tiny hand holds that she managed to find along the cliff wall. About three-quarters of the way down, her left hand started cramping and she was forced to wedge herself into a crack, using her feet to hold herself up until she could use her hands again.

 

When she finally reached the bottom, she was so happy she would have kissed the ground under her feet. Except, she’d taken too long on her descent and the mystery figure was nowhere to be seen.

 

“Xena!” There was no answer. She dipped her hands into the river to rinse off the mud before looking around. The ground was still wet from the earlier rain. If someone had come this way, there would be tracks. But there were none. Baffled, Gabrielle shouted her soulmate’s name again.

 

She spotted a glint of light reflecting off something metallic and headed in that direction, noticing the boot prints she left as she walked and how there weren’t any tracks in front of her. She was starting to wonder if she’d been led on a wild goose chase when she came across a cave. The cave was deep and it was dark. Gabrielle peered inside and saw what appeared to be a flickering light from within. “Xena?”

 

The possibility that she was walking into a trap crossed her mind. Whoever she’d been following had made sure to keep her on their trail; which meant they wanted her to follow them to this cave. Gabrielle didn’t know why. But whoever she’d been following looked suspiciously like Xena. And that was a good enough reason for her. Even if this was a trap, she needed to find out what was going on.

 

Once inside the cave, she couldn’t see anything around her, just the flickering light ahead. Sliding her feet forward carefully to avoid accidentally stepping into a hole, Gabrielle made her way cautiously towards the light. It was coming from a narrow crack in the wall. Being small in size, she fitted through the crack easily, following the passage until she stepped out into a cavern—where she was greeted by the sight of a familiar figure lying on the ground.

 

“Xena!” She dropped down beside her soulmate and was immediately struck by how quiet and still the warrior was. She reached out a hand to touch Xena’s face—it was stone cold. “No.” Gabrielle whispered in disbelief.

 

“No, no, no, no, no!” She threw herself at the still figure. Xena’s body was cold, stiff and unyielding—like a marble statue. Gabrielle curled up on top of her soulmate, her head tucked under the warrior’s jaw and her legs pulled up towards her own chest as she held the love of her life and sobbed.

 

As she cried, she muttered sporadically, “She’s not breathing… Her heart’s not beating… She’s so cold… How long has she been lying here…? If only I’d found her earlier…”

 

Up above her, the golden dragon watched in satisfaction as their soul bond flared back to life.

 

***

 

Xena had accomplished everything she’d set out to do. Her shields had held, except near the end, but that was only to be expected. After that, she’d succeeded in cutting her soulmate off from her side of their soul-link, utilising the same principle that had allowed her to merge her soul with Gabrielle’s previously.

 

Now, she needed to go back. The only problem was—she was lost; hopelessly lost. Cutting off her connection to Gabrielle meant she’d lost her only tether to the land of the living. Technically, she was dead, her link to her physical body severed the moment she’d taken her last breath. Without her soul-link, Xena had no hope in Tartarus of finding her way back. But she had to. She’d promised.

 

She tried focusing on their soul-link once again, hoping this time that it would spark to life and she would get a sense of where Gabrielle was. No luck. Well, at least Xena knew where she was—the land in between, where spirits lingered before entering into the afterlife. It was dreary and foggy, with neither landmarks nor signs to show the way.

 

The last time she’d been dead, it had been easy finding her way to Gabrielle. She only needed to think about the bard and she would know where to go. Here, that didn’t work. Thinking about Gabrielle produced the same results as thinking about life, or death, or pretty much anything—a whole load of nothing. She figured it had been their soul-link that had guided her then, not that she’d known about their bond at the time.

 

Where to start? I guess any direction is as good as any other. Xena thought. She snatched a coin out of thin air and flipped it. Heads. North it is. She turned north and started walking.

 

Xena had no idea how long she’d been walking when everything changed suddenly. She was crying—so hard that she was hiccupping. Her heart felt like it had been shattered irreparably. It hurt… It hurt so bad… She was cold, made colder by whatever she was lying on. Her eyes blinked open and she was staring at a linen cloth and a small scar on the top of a right breast.

 

“Oh no, Gabrielle… You weren’t supposed to find me.” Xena said. She’d recognised the scar instantly—it belonged to her. And that had been her soulmate heartbroken and crying over her dead body.

 

As she thought of Gabrielle, it became clear that she’d been walking in the wrong direction. Xena quickly corrected her course and broke into a run. Unfortunately, returning wasn’t going to be as easy as it had been when she was a ghost. The moment she set foot into the land of the living, she was drowning. Doggone it! The wolfsbane. That was her last thought before the poison pulled her under.

 

***

 

Gabrielle had no idea how long it had been since she’d found Xena. It felt like no time had passed, and yet a thousand lifetimes had gone by. Her mouth was dry from all the crying, her hair was matted to her head, her eyes were glued shut, and her bladder was ready to burst. Not wanting to befoul Xena’s body with her bodily fluids, Gabrielle headed out of the cave to relieve herself.

 

The moment she stepped out of the cave, she was hit by the oppressive heat of the noon day sun. A new day had dawned while she’d been beside herself with grief. I must have cried myself to sleep. Gabrielle thought.

 

She found a suitable place to empty her bladder then walked back to the cliff. At the river, she took a long drink and proceeded to wash up. Feeling slightly more like herself, she looked up at the cliff face. It looked daunting. There’s no way I can carry Xena up that…

 

The dragons could move Xena, if I can get their attention from here somehow. But how are they going to get her through that narrow crack? Alternatively, she could put rocks over the crack to block it off and turn the cavern into Xena’s final resting place.

 

Gabrielle shook her head. It was too early to be thinking about tombs. She wanted to spend as much time as she could with her soulmate before it was no longer possible for her to do so. Who knows? She thought. Maybe I will follow Xena soon. Then the cave can be our tomb. And we will be together forever. The thought cheered her up immensely.

 

On her way back to the cave, she wondered about the mystery figure that had led her to her soulmate’s body. It couldn’t have been Xena. The warrior’s body had been stiff and cold when Gabrielle had found her. That meant her soulmate had been dead for at least half a day. The mystery figure had also left no tracks on the wet ground. All signs seemed to point to Xena’s ghost or spirit. But there wouldn’t be the need to play cat and mouse to lure her all the way out here. It was cruel. Xena would never do that to her.

 

Still pondering the question, Gabrielle re-entered the cavern. This time, she noticed the fireflies on the walls and ceiling. They were the source of the flickering light that had drawn her in the day before.

 

That’s odd. Fireflies don’t live in caves… And why are they only in here?

 

It was all a little too convenient. She would not have found the cavern without the fireflies. And without their light, it would have been too dark to see anything, much less Xena’s body. Things just weren’t adding up. There had to be more going on here than she had been led to believe.

 

Hope sparked in her as she allowed herself to entertain the idea that her soulmate wasn’t really dead. Xena had been dead before. And on all of those occasions, other than when Eli had brought them back, the warrior had returned for her. Even when they had been dead, Xena had always come for her, whether it was in Heaven or in Hell. Perhaps she’d been brought here for that exact purpose—to ensure that her soulmate would return.

 

She took a seat next to Xena’s body. The warrior’s face was deathly pale and a little waxen but her body was no longer stiff. Gabrielle took that as another encouraging sign. She lay down on the bedroll and snuggled right up against the warrior. It was probably morbid, and a whole lot of crazy to be sleeping with a dead body. But Gabrielle didn’t care. Touching Xena felt right, at a time when everything seemed wrong in her world.

 

As Gabrielle lay there, pressed up against the cold body of her soulmate, she began talking.

 

“Xena, I’ve never told you this story. Once, a long, long time ago, all people had four legs and two heads. And then the gods threw down thunderbolts, and split everyone into two. Each half then had two legs and one head. But the separation left both sides with a desperate yearning to be reunited—because they each shared the same soul. And ever since then, all people spend their lives searching for the other half of their soul.”

 

“I always thought it was just a story, to make people believe there was someone out there who’d complete them and make them whole. When I was younger, I desperately wanted to believe the other half of my soul was out there somewhere; that I’d find them and live happily ever after. Remember all the boys I fell for back when we first started travelling together? Every time I fell for one of them, I’d be convinced they were The One. But they never were.”

 

“I was so in love with the idea of being in love, I don’t think I understood what love really was. Do you know who taught me love? It was you, Xena… you. You saw me in a way that no one ever saw me. You believed in me even when I didn’t believe in myself. You accepted me for who I was—who I am. Yes, you bitched and moaned but you were always there for me when I needed you. You loved me unconditionally and demanded nothing in return. You made a dozen small sacrifices every day just to make me happy. And you thought nothing of sacrificing your happiness and your life for me.”

 

“Who would believe a washed up warlord like you could teach someone like me about love? But they don’t know you the way I do, Xena. They don’t see all the things you do when nobody’s watching. I do. When I first realised I’d fallen in love with you, I was afraid—afraid that I wasn’t enough; afraid that you’d never love me the way I wanted you to; afraid that you’d send me away. I was also afraid of your dark side; your propensity for violence; your passion for all things good and bad.”

 

“When you died in Nicklio’s hut on Mount Nestus, I wanted to hate you for leaving me. But the person I really hated—was myself. I hated myself for never telling you that I love you. Hated myself for not showing you how much you meant to me. Hated myself for not being able to love you the way you deserved to be loved.”

 

“I still remember the day when I understood my search for The One was finally over. I’d given up the search long ago. But that day, I realised that you had been right beside me all this time. How could I have been so blind for so long?”

 

“It’s like that story you told me before I left to pursue my dreams in Athens. Do you remember? The one about two orphans who decided to search the world for their families. You really need to work on your delivery.” Gabrielle said that last line with a chuckle, remembering how the warrior had skipped right to the end instead of telling the story in its entirety. “But it’s just as you said. And when the first man reached the end of his journey, he found himself at the beginning. The family he’d sought; the other half of my soul I’d sought; had travelled the world with me.”

 

Xena’s voice, hoarse from being unused for too long, interrupted her monologue. “The family you had ever known—ever needed—was standing right beside you. Yes, Gabrielle—I remember.”

 

Gabrielle pushed herself up from the ground at the sound of Xena’s voice and stared down at the warrior with her mouth hanging open.

 

“Have you been talking this whole time?” Xena croaked.

 

“Aren’t the dead supposed to hear when we think of them?” Gabrielle asked.

 

“Technically, I wasn’t dead. I didn’t hear a thing ‘cept that last part about the orphans. What did I miss?”

 

“You could’ve fooled me.” Gabrielle told her. “I thought you were dead.”

 

“I know.” Xena said. She cupped Gabrielle’s face in her hand and brushed a thumb over her cheek. “You weren’t supposed to find me like this.”

 

Gabrielle shivered at the chilly touch. She took the warrior’s hand in both of hers, rubbing it and blowing on it to warm it up. “Why are you still so cold?” She complained.

 

“S’okay. I’ll warm up in time.” Xena pulled the bard down against her chest and wrapped her arms around her. “Gabrielle… I felt your grief. I’m so sorry I hurt you. Seems that’s all I do… hurt you.”

 

“Well, I’m still angry with you—very angry.”

 

“I deserve that.”

 

“I’ll get over it.” Gabrielle said. “But I want you to tell me the truth; no more secrets. What were you doing here?”

 

“Clearing my head.”

 

“The truth, Xena.” Gabrielle reminded her curtly. “No one clears their head by dying.”

 

“It’s… the truth.” Xena told her. “After Jappa, learning you would die with me? I couldn’t deal with it. You know me, Gabrielle. I am a warrior. I do not fear death. One of these days, it’ll come for me. With the life I lead, it’s bound to come sooner rather than later.”

 

Xena took a deep breath, barely suppressing a wince at how much breathing hurt. As a matter of fact, her whole chest hurt. It would probably take a while before the effects of the wolfsbane wore off. She wrapped her fingers around Gabrielle’s and continued, “But I don’t want that for you, Gabrielle. I always imagined you going on to live a fruitful and happy life long after I’m gone. I couldn’t risk it… I thought perhaps…”

 

Gabrielle’s fingers tightened around Xena’s as she interjected forcefully. “No! I don’t want you to give up being you. I love you too much for that. I know what you want for me. But Xena, I could never be happy without you. This way, I can be with you in death as in life. After Jappa, I didn’t know how I could go on. I wanted to die, just so I could be reunited with you.”

 

Bitterness crept into Gabrielle’s voice as she continued, “But you wouldn’t let me. You’d rather condemn me to a life of misery than let me take my own life.”

 

Xena opened her mouth to argue but stopped herself. Her soulmate was right. She would not have stood by idly while Gabrielle took her own life. The bard was still young with many years ahead of her. In time, she would meet someone who made her smile, who made her happy in a way that Xena never had. And if that never happened, yes, Xena was willing to condemn Gabrielle to a life of misery—because as long as the bard was alive, there would be hope. That was her hope for Gabrielle. She’d never considered what her soulmate wanted. It had been selfish of her. So she only said, “I’m sorry.”

 

Gabrielle waved away the apology. “That doesn’t explain why you were cold and stiff when I found you.”

 

“I was testing a theory.”

 

“A theory…”

 

I need to know if I can cut off our bond before…”

 

“So you came out here to die—alone” Gabrielle cut in angrily, pulling herself away from Xena and putting some space between them. “If you’d told me this beforehand, I could’ve saved you the trouble and killed you myself.”

 

Xena pushed herself up in response to Gabrielle’s anger, the desire to placate her soulmate so strong that it temporarily overcame the weakness that the wolfsbane had left behind. Arms trembling with the effort, she tried to reach for the bard but her right arm gave out and she fell back. Luckily, Gabrielle caught her before she could hit the ground.

 

“I’ve got you.” Gabrielle said, shifting herself so that the warrior lay half cradled in her lap. “Now, you just stay still. And don’t move. I should collect some wood and start a fire. At least get you warmed up.”

 

“Nowhere for the smoke to go. We’ll die of suffocation.” Xena pointed out.

 

“Couldn’t you have picked a better location?”

 

“Works for what I was planning.”

 

Gabrielle spotted the wineskin nearby, hooked the strap with her foot and pulled it towards her. She uncapped it and sniffed at the contents suspiciously. “This wouldn’t be some kind of poison, would it?”

 

“Naw. It’s just days-old water.”

 

“Good. Here, take a drink. I’ll refill it at the river later.” Gabrielle said, tipping the wineskin to Xena’s mouth.

 

The warrior tried to take the wineskin from her soulmate but her hands were trembling so badly she only managed to spill water on herself.

 

“Xena, I told you not to move. I won’t let you choke.” After her soulmate had her fill of water, Gabrielle said, “Next time you plan on dying, make sure you do it when I’m around.”

 

“Gabrielle, I can’t promise you that…” Xena said in exasperation.

 

“Well, at least don’t go off by yourself to die.” Gabrielle said. “What did you do? Ingest poison?”

 

“Wolfsbane.”

 

“Wolfsbane… Xena, there’s no antidote for wolfsbane.”

 

“That’s kinda the point.”

 

“You could’ve died. You should’ve died. That was a stupid thing to do—especially alone.”

 

“Gabrielle… You wouldn’t have let me take the poison. I couldn’t ask you to watch me do it and make you wait before administering the antidote.”

 

“I could’ve lived with that. Better than finding you dead and not knowing what happened.” Gabrielle said dryly.

 

“That reminds me. How did you find me? I’d my shields up. You shouldn’t have been able to locate me. And I didn’t leave tracks.”

 

“It’s funny. I thought I was following you. Then when I saw you were dead, I thought it was your spirit.” Gabrielle nodded at the light around them, “Have you noticed the fireflies?”

 

“I was wondering about that.” Xena said. “They weren’t here when I came.”

 

“Their light led me straight to you.”

 

“Hmmm…” Xena looked up at the fireflies thoughtfully. There was every chance that she would be well and truly dead right now if her connection with Gabrielle hadn’t been restored when it had. Someone or something must have brought the bard here to reactivate their soul-link. The question is—who or what?

 

***

 

Later that afternoon, Gabrielle was out catching dinner when Xena felt well enough to leave the cavern. She put on her armour, picked up her bedroll and was about to squeeze her way out when the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. She turned. The fireflies were no longer lining the walls of the cavern. Instead, they had clumped together into a bright ball of light which eventually resolved itself into the form of a tiny dragon. She stared at the dragon for a beat, her mind whirring as she realised it had been the sacred dragon who had intervened to save her life.

 

“Thank you.” Xena said.

 

For such a tiny creature, if that was even its true size, the voice that sounded in her head was a deep baritone. “Severing your bond will destroy everything you cherish. You must trust in your path and in your love.”

 

Xena was thinking of her decision to merge their souls when she said, “I could not stand by and let Gabrielle die.”

 

“That was born out of love. What is done out of love can never be wrong. This was born out of fear. You have never given in to fear. Why start now?”

 

Xena hadn’t really thought of it that way. Everyone had fears, even the warrior princess. But she’d never given in to them—until now. The golden dragon was right. This whole exercise had been born out of fear; fear that she would always be the cause of Gabrielle’s pain. It was Najara who had first planted the seed but over the years, it had festered within her. And she’d fed it with her doubts until it had blossomed into a full-blown fear that she could no longer ignore.

 

“Why do you give so much credence to the words of a madwoman? Words spoken out of jealousy should never be taken seriously.” The sacred dragon said.

 

“My job is to protect Gabrielle.”

 

“When you tried to defeat the tyrant’s curse, were you protecting your soulmate? You put her in harm’s way. If you hadn’t, would you be here today? Would your soulmate? You could have given in to fear then, when her life hung in the balance, but you did not. Instead, you gave in to…”

 

“Love. I trusted in our love.”

 

“Lao Ma would have been proud of the person you have become. Farewell, warrior princess.” The sacred dragon said before twirling in on itself and disappearing in a flash of golden light.

 

“Xena, I caught us some catfish.” Gabrielle’s voice called from outside.

 

“You hate catfish.” Xena said. She almost bumped into Gabrielle at the entrance as she squeezed through the narrow opening.

 

“Oh!” Gabrielle said in surprise, reaching out a hand to help her soulmate. “Are you sure you should be moving around?”

 

“Gabrielle, I’m fine.” Xena protested though she did not shrug off the bard’s hand.

 

“Xena, your definition of fine and my definition are worlds apart. Here, lean on me.”

 

“Alright.” Xena conceded. She was still a long way from being a hundred percent. Her body hurt like a herd of horses had stampeded over her and she was weaker than a child but she could make her way to the entrance of the cave under her own power. Letting Gabrielle help was more for the bard’s benefit than hers. Besides, there wasn’t anyone around to witness her moment of ‘weakness’.

 

Gabrielle sat the warrior down near the entrance of the cave where a pile of wood had been placed, together with four good-sized catfish still dripping wet from the river. “Sit here. I’ll get the fire going so we can cook these catfish.” She said, picking up some stones and arranging them in a rough circle where the campfire would be laid.

 

“You’ll need something to cook the fish in. I’ll go get some leaves. We can wrap the fish in the leaves and put ‘em in the fire.” Xena made a move to get up but was stopped by Gabrielle.

 

“No, you stay here. I’ll get some branches to skewer the fish. Let me get the fire going first.” Gabrielle said.

 

“If you won’t let me leave the cave, then let me start the fire and clean the fish.”

 

“Starting the fire won’t take me a minute.” Gabrielle said.

 

“Gabrielle…” Xena said, holding out her hands demandingly.

 

The bard shook her head helplessly at her soulmate. She knew that tone well enough to know that the warrior would not take no for an answer. Gabrielle handed over the stones and pushed the wood closer to Xena. “I won’t be a minute.”

 

Xena nodded, completing the rough circle before placing tinder and kindling in the middle. Next she took larger pieces of wood and built a small tepee around and above the kindling. Using flint and steel, she ignited the tinder then waited for the wood to catch fire before adding a few more logs to it. She then proceeded to clean the catfish; an easy enough task since catfish had no scales and they would be cooking the fish whole.

 

Gabrielle hated catfish, in large part due to its dirty muddy taste. If they had a pan, Xena would have filleted the catfish and they could add some seasoning to mask the taste. In the absence of a pan and seasoning, she cut off the fins and gutted the catfish, removing as much of the innards as she could reach and rinsing the insides with water from the freshly filled wineskin.

 

When her soulmate returned with the branches, she handed Gabrielle one of her daggers and said, “I’ll take two.”

 

The bard took the dagger and passed over two of the branches. “You’re being very… accommodating today.”

 

“Beats getting yelled at.” Xena said, nonchalantly. Using the dagger from her boot, she quickly stripped the bark from both of the branches and whittled the ends into a sharp point. She pushed the rough stake through the mouth of a catfish until it came out through the open abdominal cavity then stuck the stake into the ground so that the fish hung at an angle above the fire.

 

After Gabrielle was done with hers, she took a seat next to her soulmate and leaned her head on the warrior’s shoulder. In moments like these, she was glad of her height. If she’d been any taller, it would have been an awkward fit. They stayed that way in companionable silence as light gave way to darkness, leaving only the campfire to crackle and pop as it filled the cave behind them with their dancing shadows. When the smell of cooked fish started wafting in their direction, Gabrielle reluctantly got up and turned the fish so that they would not end up charred on one side and raw on the other.

 

It wasn’t long before the fish was ready. As Gabrielle picked at hers, she grimaced and said, “What I wouldn’t give for a little salt right now.”

 

Xena didn’t have any problems with her fish. After not eating for two whole days, she was famished. Besides, she’d had worse. To Gabrielle she said, “There should be some peppercorns nearby. That should mask the taste.”

 

Gabrielle placed her hand on her soulmate’s arm. “I’m not letting you wander around in the dark searching for peppercorns, Xena. This fish is perfectly edible. It’s just—you know how I’m with catfish. Maybe I should’ve taken the chakram and hunted something else.”

 

“I’ll get you a nice fat chicken for breakfast. Or maybe a plump hare?”

 

“We’ll see how you’re feeling in the morning. Let’s just finish dinner and get an early rest. The sooner you get better, the better I’ll feel.”

 

***

 

Bright and early the next morning, Xena woke up feeling more or less like her old self. The deep seated ache in her bones was gone and her heart no longer felt like an old labouring war horse trying to climb up a hill. Disentangling herself from her soulmate, she threw on her armour and stepped out of the cave.

 

Once outside, Xena took a deep breath of the cool morning air, feeling satisfied as her lungs expanded to their fullest extent without a twinge. After limbering up her body, she flowed into the various martial art stances that Lao Ma had taught her then ended her morning workout with a half hour meditation session. As workouts went, it was relatively mild but Xena didn’t want to push it. Her breath was growing increasingly laboured near the end. It would take another day or two before she was back to full strength.

 

By the time Xena finished her meditation, dawn was breaking. She popped back into the cave to check on Gabrielle, who was sleeping peacefully, before heading off towards the woods on the western side of the ravine where she’d previously seen a flock of wild chickens.

 

She returned with a fat hen in one hand and a bunch of banana leaves, herbs and spices in the other. She quickly dressed the chicken and stuffed it with herbs and spices before wrapping it completely in banana leaves. The recipe worked better if the spices were ground into powder and rubbed onto the chicken but Xena did not have a mortar and pestle with her and it would have taken too long to make one. She then brought the wrapped chicken to the river where she scooped up handfuls of mud and smeared it all over the banana leaves until it was completely encased in mud.

 

part 3

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