Chapter Eleven
Final Preparations
“You will need these,” Thor said, handing Xena peasant clothes (a skirt and blouse), fur lined boots, and a fur lined leather coat with an over-sized hood on it. “You don’t want to stand out among the followers of this god.”
Xena took the items, grateful for the coat - the others didn’t feel the cold, but she did, but didn’t want to sound like a whiner.
“And we must do something with your hair.”
“What’s wrong with my hair?”
“It is dark. As you see, women of this land have light hair. Your hair must also be so in order for you not to be noticed. Fortunately your eyes are of the right color.”
“And just how am I supposed to do that? Wear a wig?”
Thor handed her a clay bottle with a cork stopper.
“This contains a liquid that will make you hair a lighter color. The longer you wait to rinse it out, the more blond it will be.”
Trying not to drop anything, Xena asked, “And just where am I supposed to change clothes and to do my hair?”
“Gunnhildr!” Thor yelled out, and very blond, very attractive girl in her early teens ran up to them from somewhere. She bowed low, almost to the point of falling over.
“I am here, Odin-son. What is your wish?”
“Xena needs privacy to change her clothes. And you will assist her with her hair.”
“It will be done,” she said, never looking up. Then turning to Xena she said, “If you will follow me.”
“Lead the way,” Xena said, with a last look at Gabrielle.
“And what about the rest of us?” Gabrielle asked. “You said we had to make plans. So what are they?”
Again, Thor smiled at her, one that could be described as showing a lot of affection.
“Heimdall will be, as I said, keeping an eye on Xena. He has other duties, so he cannot watch her constantly. Hercules and I will be on the mountaintop creating boulders to fill the crevice as soon as Xena has taken over as head priest and has led the followers away. You and Sif will be nearby in case Xena is discovered and needs rescuing.”
“SIF? Me and Sif? She hates me! There is no way she and I can work together.”
“Sif will do as I say. She recognizes the danger to our home, and to the rest of the world.”
“Why does she even need me? She so much stronger than I am. And she’s a true goddess.”
Thor looked at Hercules then back at Gabrielle. She knew something wasn’t quite right.
“I’m waiting. You two know something; I know you do. And you know I do.”
“It was my idea,” Hercules said. “There is a chance that Xena could be controlled by this god, and we just thought that if it happens, maybe because you and Xena are so close, you might be able convince her, or force her if necessary, to come back here, away from its influence.”
Gabrielle looked back and forth between them several times, then said, “And Sif knows all about this.”
“She will when she returns.”
“That’s great. Why not let me tell her? I know she’ll love that.”
“If you think that will be best,” Thor said.
“No! I don’t think that will be best. Don’t you know sarcasm when you hear it?”
Thor smiled, and Gabrielle realized he knew she was being sarcastic. She wanted to be angry, but she couldn’t; his smile was too warm.
“Okay, how do I look?” A familiar voice behind Gabrielle said.
Gabrielle turned around to see a very blond Xena dressed as the Viking women she’d seen.
“That was fast,” she said. “That must be some really potent hair coloring.”
“Just a quick lather and rinse,” Xena replied. “Love these clothes - nice and warm. But I’m having a problem trying to keep my Chakram hidden.”
“You won’t need it,” Thor said. “And it would be better if you didn’t carry it. Anything that might allow the priests to suspect you are not who you pretend to be could be dangerous. Take this instead.”
Thor handed Xena a dagger one and a half times the length of her hand.
“All women carry a knife; it is a multipurpose tool.”
Xena slid it into her belt and closed the coat.
Just then Sif returned carrying two coats similar to the one Xena was wearing. She handed one to Gabrielle.
“I don’t need this,” she said sharply. “I’m not cold.”
“You will need it so you can walk among the villagers without being conspicuous,” Sif retorted.
“She is correct,” Thor said. “There are those who are in league with this god, and others have yet to fall under his thrall. But there is no way to know who may be who.”
“Fine,” Gabrielle said, taking the coat and putting it on, as did Sif.
“Heimdall says several of the priests are gathering near the pillar of fire with, what looks to him, to be sacrifices. A handful of women, stripped of their clothing, are tied with ropes neck to neck to neck. With the sunset he surmises the will be cast into the opening,” Sif continued.
“Then it is time to act. Xena, are you ready?”
“Ready as I’ll ever be,” she replied. “I’ll go on ahead. Sif, I think you and Gabrielle should wait until I’m almost out of sight before you follow.”
Sif nodded.
Gabrielle gave Xena a quick hug and said, “You do what you have to do, we’ll be here if you need us.”
“Then let’s do this,” Xena said to everyone.
Chapter Twelve
Into the Fire!
As Xena made her way through the forest, followed by Gabrielle and the Lady Sif, Thor took Hercules almost to the peak of the mountain overlooking the plain where the fissure had opened. There was a level plateau where they had been breaking apart the mountain to form boulders that Hercules could pick up and throw down into the fiery opening, when the time was right, to fill it completely, sealing it up.
Xena finally walked out onto the barren land - what little vegetation that might have been there was gone, so it was not hard to follow Xena’s movements among the crowd; she stood almost a head taller than the women and at least half the men. Gabrielle and Sif stopped at the tree line, staying out of sight.
Xena slowly and gradually she made her way to the center of the followers where several priests were. She worked toward one in particular, the one who was orating about the days to come when the one true god would bring them all to a new day. He had to be the one in charge - the head priest; the one to take out first.
Moving through the crowd, Xena ended up behind the priest, but as he preached, he turned in circles, never having his back to Xena for more than a few moments. After letting him rotate several times, Xena slowly brought out her knife and when his back was to her, she made her move. And in one swift motion she rushed him, her left arm went around his neck as she plunged the dagger into his back, penetrating his heart, killing him instantly. It took but a few moments before the other priests realized what had happened and attacked Xena. But they were no match for her as she kicked, punched and slashed them, permanently maiming the ones not killed on the spot.
“What is she doing?” Sif exclaimed. “She was to only removed the priests surreptitiously, not attack them!”
“I have no idea what’s going on,” Gabrielle replied, equally mystified. “Maybe she thought this was the only way.”
By now the crowd had started to move on Xena, but her campaign of death and mutilation continued with them. In twos and threes they were slaughtered. Xena’s deadly battle skills were at their highest levels.
“We have to stop her!” Sif cried. “She is killing innocents!”
“For once, I agree with you,” Gabrielle answered. “That god must have found some way to control her!”
But before they could move, Thor landed beside them, coming from the mountain top. And slamming Mjölnir to the ground, everyone lost their footing, all except Xena, but it momentarily stopped the attack on her.
“We must go now,” Thor told them, but suddenly the pillar of fire began to snake its way toward Xena, and then it surrounded her and she was in its grasp. As her clothes were burned away, she was carried to the top the pillar of flame as fingers of fire weaved around her.
Seeing what was happening, Hercules began to throw down boulders, bigger around than he was tall, into the fiery fissure, being careful not to hit Xena. But it was as if he were trying to fill a bottomless pit: ten, fifteen, twenty five of the huge stones disappeared into the crevasse. Then the naked Xena was thrown to the ground as the fire disappeared.
“He did it!” Gabrielle shouted with joy, and started toward Xena, but Thor grabbed her arm, stopping her.
“What are you doing?” she asked. “I need to go to her.”
But then Xena got to her feet with a bloodcurdling roar as she threw her arms out wide, hands into fists; her eyes were a blood-red crimson and her hair, now black again and seeming to be cracking with electricity, was blowing wild even though there was no wind.
“By the gods!” Gabrielle cried out. “What has happened to her?”
“It seems this god has found his vessel. She is no longer the Xena you knew and loved.”
From his perch high on the mountain, even Hercules could see what had happened, and redirected his aim toward Xena. But as the first of the huge rocks reached her, she batted it away as if swatting a fly. It shattered into several hundred pieces, large and small, the jagged stones bloodying the people near her. Others she merely stepped aside to let them pass her by, and breaking apart, causing even more wounds to those who now were running away, trying to escape the danger.
Twice more Hercules threw down the boulders, then realizing how ineffectual they were, he picked up one that was twice the size of the previous ones, and shaped more like a potato - longer but narrowing down on one end so he was able to hold it. Then taking a short running start he jumped down off the mountain directly at Xena, holding it over his head.
His intention was crash it down on her as he got to her. But at the last moment, she turned and threw out both fists at the same time, completely destroying the boulder, creating thousands more of deadly stones flying in all directions. Hercules landed with one knee to the ground, but as he stood up, Xena’s foot caught him squarely in the chest, and he was sent more than five hundred paces away before he landed. His extra godly powers were wearing off.
Seeing this, Thor raised Mjölnir to throw, but Gabrielle grabbed his arm.
“NO! You can’t do that. You can’t kill her!”
But Sif grabbed her upper arms from behind and pulled her away, holding her tight enough to cause pain, but Gabrielle never noticed.
Thor threw the hammer as the-god-in-Xena’s body turned toward them, and as it hit her squarely in the chest, she flew backward a dozen steps and she hit the ground. But as the hammer returned to Thor, she regained her feet with another horrific, deafening bellow. And again Thor threw the hammer, but this time Xena only back-stepped half the way, and remained on her feet.
“She grows more powerful in the time it takes Mjölnir to return to me,” Thor said anxiously.
Suddenly there was a blur that passed by Sif and Gabrielle, then stopped next to Thor. It was Odin, and he was carrying Gungnir - the Spear of Odin. As tall as he was, the spear was fully a head taller, and like Mjölnir, it never missed its mark, and always returned to Odin’s hand.
“Throw again my son,” he said.
Thor did as he was told, as hard as he could; Xena barely recoiled. But before the hammer was a quarter the way from her on its journey back to Thor, Odin threw Gungnir. Its speed was twice that of Mjölnir, and it penetrated Xena’s chest, not stopping until half its length was sticking out of her back, shattering her spine.
First there was a look of surprise, then shock on Xena’s face. With a snarl she tried to pull the spear from her chest. As they watched, her legs buckled and she fell to her knees, still trying to pull it out. Slowly her eyes changed from red back to blue. And for a heartbeat, it was Xena again.
“XENA!” Gabrielle screamed. “NO!”
She struggled to get free from Sif’s grip.
“Let her go,” Thor instructed.
Just as soon as Gabrielle felt Sif’s hands loosen, she slipped out of the heavy coat, ran two steps then jumped almost all the way to her fallen love. But her powers, too, were wearing off, and when she landed, she stumbled and rolled and slid on the hard, rock and stone covered ground, scraping skin from her knees, shoulder, face and hands. But still she continued on until she got to Xena.
By now Xena had fallen forward, but was turned to the side when the end of the spear hit the ground. Using both hands Gabrielle tried to pull it from Xena but she wasn’t strong enough. Odin put out his hand and the spear backed out from Xena then flew to him. Gabrielle lifted Xena’s upper body from the ground, holding her and cradling her tightly, ignoring the blood that was covering both Xena and the ground where she lay.
“No. No. No. No. No,” Gabrielle repeated over and over through her tears, not wanting to accept that Xena was dead.
By this time Hercules had joined Odin, Thor and Sif.
“Was there no other way?” he asked Odin.
The king of the Norse gods sadly shook his head. “There was not.”
Both Hercules and Thor started to go to Gabrielle but Odin stopped them. “She needs to mourn. We can do nothing to assuage her grief. Let us return to Asgard. I will have Heimdall watch that that nothing, no one, will bring harm to Gabrielle.”
Odin and Hercules turned to leave, but Thor stayed. Sif put one hand on his shoulder.
“All-father is right. There is nothing anyone can say or do. If you would like, I will remain here, watching over her until she is ready for company.”
Thor touched her cheek, nodded his appreciation, handed her Xena’s Chakram, then followed after Odin and Hercules.
Chapter Thirteen
Aftermath
“I feel as if I failed my part against this god.”
“Hercules,” Thor replied. “You did as much as I and my hammer. Twas Odin and Gungnir that turned the tide of battle. I fear had he not arrived when he did, the Northlands would have been lost.”
“And the rest of the world as well, I regret to say.”
“But is not Zeus as mighty as the tales we hear?”
“My father is stronger and more powerful than all the Olympian gods combined, but when I saw how quickly this god in a woman’s body grew so strong and so indestructible, I don’t know if all of us, including Zeus, could have defeated it, once it strengthened to its full power. Maybe, if he freed the Titans, and they fought alongside us, we might have had a chance.”
Just then Thor noticed Sif approaching. “Sif, why are you not keeping watch over Gabrielle?” he asked.
“There is no need for my presence. Ares has come. He is with Gabrielle, and I gave him the Chakram. He says he wishes to speak with you.”
“Then I shall go to him. Hercules, will you accompany me?”
“Most definitely.”
“Sif?”
“If you wish.”
When the three of them arrived, Ares was standing over Gabrielle and the fallen Xena, her Chakram dangling loosely in his fingers. Gabrielle had not moved: she was still holding Xena tightly, rocking back and forth, mumbling something to Xena over and over.
“Friend Ares, you must know we all mourn the death of Xena. She was .”
“No need to say anything,” Ares interrupted. “When I put my hand on Gabrielle’s shoulder I read her thoughts about what happened. No one is to blame. She is an unfortunate casualty of a terrible but necessary war. But she was a warrior; she knew that one day it might take her life.”
“What has my father said about Xena’s death? Surely he knows,” Hercules asked.
“He knows. He, of course, is grateful that this god has been vanquished.”
“You will take her back to Greece, I assume,” Thor said.
“That is why I am here. Just as soon as Gabrielle is ready.”
They all looked down at her, but it was obvious she was oblivious of anything but her dead lover she held so tightly in her arms.
“It appears it may be a while,” Thor commented. “But evening approaches, and the nights are extremely cold. I fear with no fire and no coat nor blanket she may die. And Xena’s body will surely freeze solid. Plus, there are wolves in the forests that will come to the smell of blood.”
Ares was about to speak when Gabrielle looked up at him.
“Where is she?” she asked with a trembling voice.
“What?”
“Her soul, where did it go?”
“I don’t know,” he replied.
“Tartarus! She’s in Tartarus, isn’t she? I knew it. After all this, she would never be allowed into the Elysian Fields.”
“I can’t say. Only Hades can make that decision. But we are so far from Greece
.”
Gabrielle then turned to Thor.
“Then is she in Valhalla? Please tell me that’s where she is,” she pleaded.
“She is not. She lived as a mighty warrior and certainly would be welcomed there. But I cannot say where her spirit has gone.”
And once again tears fell from Gabrielle’s eyes as she pulled Xena’s cold body to her.
Thor turned to Sif, “Seek out Gunnhildr, have her bring blankets here.”
Sif hurried to comply.
“Ares,” Hercules said, “there is nothing more I can do here. Will you take me to Mt. Olympus? I would like to see our father, and give him a first-hand account of the battle.”
“I will, then I will return and wait until Gabrielle is ready to come home.”
Ares put one hand on Hercules’ shoulder, and they were gone.
Thor knelt down to Gabrielle and tried wiping the tears from her eyes, but she still shed them.
“Had I known what was to happen, I never would have come to you and Xena. There are no words to express my sadness - my sorrow and regret.”
“I know. But it was her choice to .”
Gabrielle’s voice broke and she could only sob.
Gunnhildr ran up with two heavy bearskin blankets and wrapped one around Gabrielle’s shoulders and covered Xena’s body with the second one.
“She should have something to sit upon,” Thor said. “The ground is as cold as the air.”
“No,” Gabrielle told her. “I’m good. Just as soon as Ares returns I will have him take us to Amphipolis. That’s Xena’s home village. I need to see to her burial. She always said if she died she wanted to lie next to Lyceus. He is her brother who died defending Amphipolis.”
“Then let us wash her and dress her in our finest linen,” Gunnhildr said. “It is the least we can do to honor her sacrifice.”
Barely able to speak, Gabrielle nodded her thanks, then allowed Thor to pick up Xena to carry her back to the Great Hall in Asgard. He ignored the sticky blood covering her back, and now his arms.
When Ares returned, Xena was lying on a massive oaken table, wearing a white linen dress down to her ankles and calfskin shoes. A sheer linen sheet covered her from head to foot. Gabrielle had bathed and was wearing clean clothes.
After giving Thor and Gunnhildr grateful hugs, and a polite nod to Lady Sif, Gabrielle told Ares she was ready to go. And as he had done with Hercules, Ares put his hands on both Gabrielle and Xena’s shoulders and in an instant they were inside the small family mausoleum, with Xena lying on the stone slab cover of the unadorned sarcophagus where Lyceus was.
“Before you go,” she said to Ares, “tell me, why have you been so helpful and so cooperative? That is so unlike the Ares I knew.”
Ares paused before he spoke, then said, “I have to admit some of it was because of Zeus. After that little misunderstanding between Thor and myself a few months ago, Zeus instructed me to do what I could to make amends, especially since it was the Norse gods who would take the brunt of the battle against that other god.”
“And that’s all?” Gabrielle felt there was more.
“No, not all. I also was hoping that if Xena saw I was not the old, untrustworthy Ares she knew in the past, maybe she would think about rejoining me.”
“That would never happen. But regardless of your intentions, thank you for all your help.”
Ares nodded, then disappeared. Gabrielle then set out to make Xena as presentable as possible. She wished she had Xena’s armor and sword to dress her in, but then decided perhaps she would look less intimidating wearing the simple linen dress.
As she arranged the sheer linen covering, the dress, and hair in a way she thought was pleasing to look at, she wondered what to do with the Chakram. Should she place it on Xena’s belly with her hands over it? Or should she hide it away, in case someone might want it for himself? She finally decided to place it under the dress, under Xena’s calves, and out of sight. And despite doing all she could to keep from breaking down, Gabrielle stopped several times to sob uncontrollably.
When she felt everything was done that could be done, she went to the inn owned by Cyrene to break the horrific news. By nightfall, more mourners than she expected had passed by Xena’s body, some leaving a little something - a flower or some other item, in reverence and respect. Cyrene wanted to stay, but her sorrow was as great as Gabrielle’s and could not bear to see her daughter so cold and lifeless, and she returned to the inn.
Although Gabrielle only knew Cyrene, and none of the others of the town, the only one who looked out of place was a tall, handsome, well-dress man with dark hair and mustache. He obviously was not one of the villagers, and he hung around until everyone else had gone.
“Did you know Xena?” she asked him, slightly suspicious.
“You might say that,” he replied. “My name is Autolycus....”
Gabrielle stopped him abruptly. “The so-called King of Thieves! I’ve heard of you, and I know your reputation. But why are you here? There’s nothing worth stealing.”
Then Gabrielle stopped, retrieved the Chakram, and held it up threateningly. “You’re after Xena’s body, aren’t you? Is there a reward for her? Any warlord would pay handsomely for her body.”
“No! No, it’s nothing like that, I swear to you.”
“Then what is it like? And how do you - did you, know Xena? I’ve been with her for years, and I’ve never seen you.”
“Well, it’s complicated.”
“How about if you un-complicate it?”
“I can do that, but first I need for you to close your eyes.”
“Why would I do that?”
“Just - humor me, okay?”
“All right,” Gabrielle said slowly, now even more suspicious. She started to close her eyes, but first she put the Chakram behind her back and held it tightly with both hands - she still didn’t trust him.
After her eyes were closed she heard Xena’s voice:
“Gabrielle, it’s me. I’m here. I’m in Autolycus.”
The End
(for now)