Part 2
Exl was waiting for Xena and Gabrielle at her grandfather’s house, they had asked to meet her there after all her errands, but they were already a quarter of a candlemark late.
“What’s keeping them? Where are they?” Exl said to herself pacing at the front door. She decided to go wait on the porch, at least there she could see them arriving. She opened the front door and immediately after stepping outside, she experienced something that felt like déjà-vu. She saw Alera, who was standing on the top most step, just like she was that night.
Without even realizing, she even asked the exact same question:
“Alera, what are you doing here?”
Alera walked closer and seemed very cool and composed, and that made Exl prepare for another barrage of shouting coming her way. But instead, a tiny mischievous grin grew on Alera’s face.
“Your friends couldn’t be here right now, so I came instead”, she said, stopping a few feet from Exl. At first Exl was baffled, but quickly realized what was going on.
“No, this was a ruse. To get me here with you.”
“I know. But it worked, didn’t it?” Alera stated. Exl should have seen this coming, knowing what the bard and warrior were capable of, but this time she was completely fooled.
“It definitely did”, Exl smiled shortly. She was really confused, this was the first time since arriving that Alera hadn’t been hostile towards her and seemed to have something in mind.
“To answer your question: I’m here because I wanted to hear what you have to say for yourself. I want to hear it all from you”, Alera said looking deep into Exl’s eyes.
“I… I don’t know what to say, or where to start”, Exl timidly replied with a small stutter. She turned away from Alera, trying to keep her composure.
“Okay, here goes nothing”, Exl said to herself before turning back to face Alera, like a warrior heading into battle.
“You wanted to hear what I have to say for myself, but in all honesty, I don’t know if whatever I say makes any difference. But I have to try, I have to get this off my conscience, because it has haunted me for so long”, Exl began with more confidence than before.
“You told me your list of reasons why you hate me, and I agree, they’re very good reasons.
So where should I begin, maybe it’s best to start from the top.” Exl was extremely nervous, but knew that this might be her only chance to tell Alera about everything and she had to be honest about every single detail.
“The day my grandfather died was one of the hardest days in my entire life. My cousins and I knew it wouldn’t be long before we’d lose him, but I just wasn’t ready for it and I’m still not. After he was gone, it was like a part of me was gone forever. I can’t really remember much about that day, but I do remember that I had to build the pyre for him, that was how I wanted to honor him. I didn’t really even notice that it started to rain, because for a while I thought it was all just my tears. I honestly don’t know how long I sat there and just stared at the fire, that’s why I didn’t fully understand that you were suddenly there. My grief had completely consumed me, it was like a spider web which I couldn’t get out of and it just kept getting tighter and tighter.
I thought my grief was mine and mine alone, that I had to endure it all alone. That’s why I pushed you away, even though you only wanted to be there for me in my hour of need. You always thought about me, you always wanted to help me and comfort me. You were being a true friend. I never should have pushed you away, I should’ve asked you to stay.
I’m also grateful that you did drag me out of that terrible rain and took care of me when I couldn’t take care of myself. I might not be here today if you hadn’t been there for me that night”, Exl narrated, and as she turned to look at an empty plot of sand in front of the house, she could very vividly remember how the heat of the pyre felt.
Then she took out her old Guardian pendant and took a very long look at it, just as she did many times when she wanted to remember her deceased, but never forgotten friends.
“You’re absolutely right, I’m an idiot for thinking that it was my fault that Caetim and Teme died, but it all just happened so fast. I kept thinking about what if I had noticed the signs of Caetim getting sick, maybe we could’ve prevented it entirely… or maybe I could’ve traveled to the ends of the Earth to find a potion, a cure, something to help her.
And when she died… it should’ve been Teme… she should’ve died in Teme’s arms, not mine. She asked me to take care of Teme and I gave her my word”, Exl said tearfully, she could feel her hands start to shake as she relived the moment of Caetim’s death in her mind.
“And then… I should’ve immediately noticed when Teme went missing and should’ve looked for him faster, better. Why didn’t I think of Lonely Man's Gorge, how could I be so stupid and not realize it? I should’ve been there for him, I should’ve been there to stop him. But I wasn’t.
Remember when we all were kids and we’d think about our future and what we would be like when we were grown up? Once Caetim just asked me if one day I would become her Guardian and I was so honored. Just like Caetim waited for her wedding day and her future with Teme, I waited for my chance to show how good of a Guardian I could be.
But I failed, I couldn’t help them. Can you blame me for thinking all those things and blaming myself? And I wasn’t the only one, Teme’s father was one of the people who blamed me for everything, it was so easy to have someone to blame.”
Exl held her old pendant in one hand and with the other she took out her current pendant from underneath her shirt. She glanced at both of them before showing them to Alera and continuing:
“But now I understand that none of it was my fault and that perhaps some greater power never intended me to become their Guardian. Because now I have the duty and great honor of being the Guardian of two wonderful, amazing and loving people. And I really think Teme and Caetim would be proud of me and the Guardian I’ve become.”
Exl put away her pendants and felt a tiny bit relieved, letting go of so much of the blame, guilt and self-hatred she had carried in her heart felt so liberating. However, there was still the matter of bringing up one of the toughest subjects yet.
“And then we finally get to that shameful night,” Exl began, starting to feel the anxiety inside of her growing, but she wouldn’t give in to it, not a chance.
“Everything that had happened, first losing my grandfather and then Caetim and Teme, I was distraught. It felt like everything had fallen apart and I just felt so lost. I really thought that leaving would make the pain and hurt go away and that the people who despised me could be at peace. I didn’t want everyone to see me leave with my tail between my legs or to see them gloat and ridicule me. I thought it would be easier for everyone if I just left under the cover of darkness.
I had to tell my cousins, they were the only family I had left, I knew how much they would worry if I’d just disappear. They didn’t want me to leave, but at the time I didn’t see any other choice. But why didn't I tell you… I don’t know if I can answer that question, maybe it was because I thought I would be sparing myself from more grief, but I was mistaken. It was never about you or your friendship not meaning enough or anything to me, it was just the opposite. It was about how I didn’t want to lose my dearest, truest friend. I didn’t want to say goodbye, because I didn’t know if I would ever see you again. Maybe I was just so scared of what was going to happen”, Exl tried to explain, both to Alera and herself.
“And when I left… I swear with all my heart and all my honor, I never meant to hurt you in any way. What I did, I’m not proud of it and it might be another thing that will haunt me for the rest of my life, but it was something I had to do. While a part of me couldn’t face the people who hated me, another part wanted to see what the world could offer me. On the other hand I had so many questions about the prophecy my grandfather had told me about, and somehow I knew that I wouldn’t find the answers if I stayed here. In actuality there were so many reasons why leaving made so much more sense than staying, but I didn’t know how to express them to you. I don’t know, maybe if I had turned to look back, maybe I would’ve changed my mind and my life wouldn’t be what it is today, because I might never have left. But you never should have suffered because of what I did.”
When Exl had left, she really didn’t know where the road would lead her, if she’d ever leave her homeland or how long she’d survive on her own. But apparently some greater powers had made plans for her, and the road she’d take would eventually bring her back home.
“The fact that I did return was as much a surprise for me as it must’ve been for you, because I had no idea if I’d ever return. I’m guessing that after that day you wished that I would never return, but I had to. When Nali wrote to me and told me that Swyther had died and made me his heir, I knew I had to come and face Zabor. I couldn’t let him become ruler, who knows what terrible things he would have done”, Exl said truthfully, hoping that Alera could understand it.
For the first time after Exl had began opening up, Alera had something to say:
“You’re right, I thought that I could go on with my life without you in it, and for a while I really thought that with enough time, it could be possible. But then, I heard that you had returned. I didn’t understand why, until someone told me that you were going against Zabor in the battle of Huntar. I couldn’t believe it, you were going to risk your life, you could’ve been killed. I saw the entire battle and while I stood there, I felt so many things at once. I was so worried about you, but I was also so angry at you, that I wished you would get what you deserved. However deep down I never wanted you to die, I swear. But then, once again, you left. I didn’t have a chance to come and see you, but I don’t know what I would have said to you.
Then, a weird thing happened some time after that. I had to travel to the next town to get some special supplies and when I got there, it was like an unbelievable dream. By some odd coincidence, I heard people preparing for the coronation of the new Queen, so I decided to see it for myself. And who should walk up on that platform? Of all the people in the world, it was you. I had no idea about that part of your past, that your father was King, but from what I could gather, neither did you. You know, I never believed what that shaman, Korago, claimed in the vision he showed. I knew that the good-hearted kid I had known for so long couldn’t have caused what happened to her parents.”
“You were there, both times? I had no idea”, Exl commented astonishedly.
“Yes, and both times something deep inside of me wanted to show you that you had all my support and that I wanted things going your way”, Alera responded, sounding very compassionate.
“I wish I had known…” Exl said gently, as she lowered her gaze feeling ashamed. How had she not noticed Alera amongst the crowd on either occasion?
Alera walked around the porch for a moment, she seemed a bit anxious, but soon stopped, took a deep breath and walked back to Exl.
“After those two events, I didn’t know if I could bear seeing you again the next time you might visit, because I was afraid that yet again you might be in some sort of trouble.
When the time for it was getting closer, I knew that you’d most likely return to celebrate Nali’s anniversary, but I decided that I’d do my best to avoid you. I was and still am hurt by what happened that night and seeing you the previous two times had felt so tough, I didn’t want to feel the same hurt again”, Alera explained.
“I understand. And then I get the great idea of trying to come talk to you, and there you were, looking straight into the eyes of the bastard that hurt you so much. Good job me”, Exl said, shaking her head with disappointment.
“Actually, I think I’m glad you did. It made me think and face my emotions, which I had tried to hide away. I’m also grateful to your friends, your Couple, that they didn’t give up and pushed me into talking to them and now to you”, Alera said surprisingly. On the other hand Exl hadn’t known what Gabrielle and Xena had done to help her, but then again, she should’ve known that her Couple would find a way to help her somehow.
“There’s one more item on your list I never had an explanation for. I haven’t told you about what I felt and what was going through my mind when you told me that you loved me”, Exl said, trying her best to find the right words. She had thought about this for a long time, and there was no turning back now.
“All of it, what you said and the kiss you gave me, it was all a complete surprise. I never imagined hearing something like that, and the fact that it came from you, I never saw it coming.
But how did it make me feel? In the midst of all of my pain and grief, it felt warm, somehow familiar and safe. For that brief moment, there was nothing and no-one else in this world except you and me. But I didn’t understand why you had those feelings towards me. I wasn’t anyone special, you could’ve had anyone else.”
“You’re right”, Alera interjectd.
“Ever since we were maybe 12 or 13 years old, there were so many guys who tried to court me, all of them thought they were “the one” for me”, she remembered with a laugh.
“Oh I definitely noticed, you had to constantly shoo them away,” Exl smirked.
“No matter how I tried to tell them I wasn’t interested, many of them just wouldn’t give up. Even after you had left, some of them were even more persistent than before. Can you imagine, I was even wooed by Fjarik”, Alera told.
“Wait, Fjarik? That really handsome guy, who practically every girl in the village had dreamed about, but who no-one could have?” Exl asked with amazement.
“Yep, same guy. You can only imagine the look on everyone’s face when after so much attempt from him, I just turned him down”, Alera said with a grin.
“Poor Fjarik, he must have been distraught. I bet he had eyes on the next girl in just a few days”, was Exl’s “sympathetic” reply.
“You’re right, he got over it amazingly fast”, Alera managed to say before starting to laugh.
They both laughed for a while, until Exl became serious and remarked:
“I’m sorry that you haven’t found happiness with anyone.”
“You silly thing, it’s not your fault that none of them have been even close to the kind of person I’d want”, Alera assured with a gentle smile.
“If I really and truly had known about your feelings or seen and more importantly, understood any of the signs, I think I would’ve handled everything differently”, Exl reasoned.
“It’s not entirely your fault, I could have done more to show you how I felt or been braver and tell you sooner”, Alera admitted, knowing that there was no way she could completely blame everything on Exl.
Exl had butterflies in her stomach, she had to be brave, just like so many times before a fight or something new or unknown.
“Thinking back to that moment: when I heard you say those words, I really wanted to say something, but… in all honesty, I had never thought about love, romantic love to be precise, and I didn’t really know anything about it. I was afraid to say the wrong thing and I guess that’s why a part of me decided it was best to say nothing, but it was wrong. You deserved an answer and you still do.”
Exl took Alera’s hand and looked deep into her eyes.
“Alera, you’ve been my best friend since I can remember. You mean so much to me and I care about you very deeply. I love you as a very dear friend, but because there’s so much about love and romance that I don’t fully understand yet and have a lot to learn about, I’m not ready to say those exact same words back to you. Not in the same way, not yet. But it doesn’t mean that it couldn’t happen someday. Please understand.”
Now it was Alera’s turn to stand there and look at Exl without saying a single word. Exl felt like this was fair payback for doing the same thing to Alera back then.
Then Alera let go of Exl’s hand and grabbed her friend into a tight, warm embrace, which came as a bit of a surprise to Exl, but she gladly hugged Alera back just as tightly.
When she heard sniffling in her ear, she let go of Alera and when Exl saw the faint tears rolling down from her friend’s eyes, she gently wiped them away and asked:
“Alera, what’s wrong, why are you crying? Oh no, I said something wrong, didn’t I? I’m sorry, I…” Alera shook head and a gentle smile appeared on her face as she replied:
“No, you didn’t do anything wrong. What you said, it was just right.”
“You’re not upset? But… in a way I turned you down?” Exl wasn’t sure if she really understood Alera’s reaction.
“No, I’m not upset. Well, maybe just a teeny tiny bit, but you were honest with me, you were honest about your feelings and I respect that completely. I understand that feelings are something very complicated and that figuring them out might take some time. But I can be patient and wait for those feelings to become clearer”, Alera answered benevolently.
“Even though there is the chance that they won’t be the same towards you?” Exl asked uncertainly.
“Yes, because that’s how much you mean to me. I’m here for you, as a friend or… something more. But you need to figure it out in your own time and on your own terms. You need to listen to your heart. That great, big, honest, loving, loyal warrior heart that beats in you”, Alera said, placing her hand on Exl’s heart for a moment. Exl felt relieved, she knew she wanted to figure out what her true emotions were, but also understood she wasn’t in any hurry and she needed time for this self-examination.
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The two old friends sat down on the porch and continued to talk. Exl told about her travels and how much her life had changed after she had met Xena and Gabrielle. In return, Alera told about what had happened in their village and it was as if they continued where they last left off. They barely noticed how the evening turned into night and before they knew it, it was early morning.
“The Sun is rising, I can’t believe we’ve been here for hours”, Exl said without taking her eyes off the gorgeous colors of the morning sky.
“I know, but to me, these have been some very important and eye-opening hours. And I’m glad I got to spend this time with you. Reminds me of the good old days, you know, the ones when we stayed up all through the night doing whatever and then sat down and watched the sunrise”, Alera said with a smile.
“Alera, there’s one last thing I have to say. After all that’s been said and done, I can only ask for your forgiveness. I’m sorry I tried to sneak away that night without telling you or saying goodbye. I’m sorry for leaving without saying anything after you told me about your affection towards me. And most of all, I’m sorry for breaking your heart”, Exl apologized wholeheartedly.
“Exl, I forgive you. Sincerely and with all my heart”, Alera replied with a sweet smile. She hugged Exl and gave the warrior a small kiss on the cheek. For a while they sat in silence and watched the sunrise, this was a new day and a new beginning for their friendship.
Soon they realized that it was the day of Nali’s anniversary and they both had a lot to do before the celebrations would begin. Alera hurried back home and Exl ran back into the village and to the Prince’s cabin to meet Nali. Xena and Gabrielle arrived there as well and when Exl saw them, she went to them and gave them one of the greatest hugs she had ever given them. Even though she said nothing, her Couple knew what was going on.
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Everything in the village was ready for the anniversary celebrations, the entire village was decorated beautifully, lots and lots of food had been prepared and everyone was dressed in their best. When Nali and Exl exited the Prince’s cabin, they looked fabulous:
Nali had a gorgeous vermillion and light coral colored robe with iris and dark moss green decorations to honor her brother Swyther. Exl was wearing a new celeste colored short sleeved shirt, a cobalt blue vest with onyx colored decorations and a black baldric with dark moss green decorations.
As a present, Nali had given both Xena and Gabrielle cloaks which had been especially designed and made for them. Xena’s was hickory and taupe in color with copper decorations and Gabrielle’s was tan and ivory in color and it had forest green decorations.
All the villagers had gathered together to celebrate, musicians and dancers had created and rehearsed amazing performances which everyone greatly enjoyed. Nali and Exl were both touched when they heard the debut of “Prince Swyther’s song”, because his actions had set in motion everything which had led to this anniversary of his little sister’s reign.
Xena and Gabrielle were pleased that they had made the long trip to enjoy the wonderful celebrations, they had a great time and it was something quite different from for example the feasts the Amazons usually had.
Like most magnificent celebrations, they lasted long into the evening and soon it was apparent they would last the entire night, but no-one minded. Gabrielle, Exl and Nali had also taken part in the dancing, while Xena was happy just watching them.
After they returned back to their table to catch their breath, Exl noticed Alera walking past some of the dancers. She looked amazing in her mauve dress with her hair beautifully braided. She stopped and signaled Exl to come to her, to which the young warrior gladly complied. When she got to her friend, Exl smiled and said quietly how beautiful Alera looked, to which Alera only replied with a slightly blushed smile.
Then she took Exl’s hand and the warrior thought that maybe she wanted to dance with her. But instead, Alera pulled Exl behind her all the way back to Exl’s old home. Exl had no idea what was going on and when they got inside, she was simply amazed. There were several candles lighting their way to a beautifully decorated room. There was a beautiful scent of flowers in the air, and the candles gave faint light around the bed which was in the middle of the room.
“Alera, what are we doing here?” Exl asked astounded.
“I wanted to have a moment with you, in complete privacy”, Alera replied as she sat down on the edge of the bed and Exl sat next to her.
“I want to show you something I didn’t have the chance to show you before you left”, Alera continued, before moving closer to Exl and giving her a long, passionate kiss. It reminded Exl of the kiss on the night she left, but this time it wasn’t baffling her.
“Exl, I told you once that I loved you and I still do. And now I want to show you how you truly make me feel”, Alera whispered with a sensual and enchanting tone. At that moment, Exl felt her pulse start to race and blood rushing in her ears, she was experiencing several perplexing emotions simultaneously, but one which she did understand, was that she was loved. Usually she kept her guard up, but now she felt safe and decided to let go and give into the moment. She placed her other hand on Alera’s cheek and closed in to kiss Alera back, trying to express the same warmth and affection as well as she knew how.
Alera kicked off her sandals and slipped off the other shoulder strap of her dress before turning around revealing the sashes in the back of the beautiful dress and this was a clear sign to even the inexperienced warrior. Exl’s hands trembled slightly as she undid the knot, releasing the sash and without it, it was very easy for Alera to slip completely out of it.
Then she turned back to Exl, and with a gentle smile removed the warrior’s baldric and undid the decorative buttons of her vest. Only moments later, nearly every item of their clothing had formed a pile on the floor next to the bed.
As Exl lay on the bed, Alera gently touched and traced along the scars on Exl’s shoulders and arms. She wasn’t startled by them, on the contrary, to her each scar had a story, they were from moments Exl had lived through and survived. She gently caressed the left side of Exl’s face, before leaning in to softly kiss the scar over Exl’s eye. Alera knew that many feared the scar and how harsh it made Exl look, but in her eyes no matter how many scars Exl had or didn’t have, the warrior was just as handsome as always.
Alera smiled softly as she looked into Exl’s bright eyes and the warrior couldn’t help but smile back. Then Alera moved her hand to the back of Exl’s neck and tenderly petted the scruff of the neck, which nearly made Exl purr out of delight. When Alera finally stopped after a while, Exl tried to sit up, but was pushed back down by Alera.
“I hope you’re ready warrior, because this is a night I guarantee you’ll never forget”, Alera whispered alluringly right in Exl’s ear. One by one the candles around them started to burn out, but it didn’t matter one bit, because for that single special and one-of-a-kind moment, neither of them needed anything else than each other. What they would experience that night was something pure and genuine, there was nothing or no-one that would come between them.
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The Sun had risen and was now starting to shine in the eyes of the sleepy young warrior, who slowly woke up and realized where she was and what had happened the previous night. She smiled and then felt something was touching her hand. She turned to see what it was, and her smile got even wider when she saw that it was Alera who was holding her hand. Alera was still fast asleep and Exl didn’t really want to wake her up, but she would eventually need her hand back, so she gently smoothed the back of Alera’s hand. This woke up the young woman and she yawned widely as she let go of Exl’s hand to do a few stretches.
“How do you feel?” she heard Exl asking her as the warrior sat up and moved to the edge of the bed.
“Amazing”, Alera replied shortly, and asked quickly in return as she herself realized the extent of last night’s events:
“What about you? I know that it must’ve been something you didn’t know to expect. Is everything okay?” Exl stood up, lowered her gaze momentarily, but then looked back at Alera with the same smile.
“I think so. It was… spontaneous, yes, but I don’t regret it. I just don’t know if I did anything right…” Exl said with the slightest of blush. Alera smiled back at the hesitant warrior and answered simply with:
“You were perfect.”
Both of them got dressed and headed back to their families, they were just in time to make it for breakfast. Gabrielle, Xena ja Nali were chatting about the success of the anniversary celebrations and exchanging ideas for future anniversaries. Exl kept on smiling, she was so happy to be there right then, with her dear loved ones, she was glad they had come back to her home village, or else she would still be carrying such a heavy burden on her heart.
Nali interjected by asking if Exl had enjoyed all aspects of the celebrations to which Exl responded by saying that everything had been amazing and that she would never forget any single thing about that day and night.
After breakfast they all went to help with cleaning up after the festivities as did the entire village. Everything was spick-and-span in no time, the villagers were truly great at working together, no matter the task. Afterwards everyone took the day otherwise quite slowly, so did Xena, Gabrielle and Exl. But they didn’t have much time to rest, for they had to start getting ready and begin packing soon, because they were leaving in only two more days.
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The next day, after Alera had finished her morning shift at the inn, she and Exl went for a walk together, and decided to visit Caetim and Teme’s grave to gather away the wilted flowers. Exl remembered Gabrielle telling how she saw an unknown figure, who later turned out to be Alera, leave a bouquet of flowers after they had left.
“You also brought flowers”, Exl said shortly.
“Yes, like I do every year. Bluebells to tell them how grateful I will always be for their friendship, support and love, and a little rosemary and blue salvia in remembrance and to tell them I miss them”, Alera responded, looking at their friends’ headstone.
“Gabrielle always tells me that the dead can hear our thoughts, so everytime we think of them, Teme and Caetim will know how much they mean to us”, Exl told, turning her gaze to the sky.
“That’s a beautiful thought. Even though I’m sad that they’re not here with us, I’m so glad that they’re together, somewhere on the other side”, Alera noted.
As they stood silently for a moment, Alera leaned her head on Exl’s shoulder and took a deep breath. Exl reached to gracefully stroke Alera’s arm as a sign of comfort. She knew what she had to say next wouldn’t be easy, but they both knew it had to be said.
“We’re leaving tomorrow, we’re heading back to Greece. There are people who need help, who need us. And we have family waiting for our return. I really hope you understand.”
“I do. It’s not easy for me to see you go, but this time, it’s different. Now I know that you’re not leaving me forever, that you’ll be back and that you’re leaving for a good cause.”
“I promise we’ll come back and visit, I just don’t know when. But you’re right, I’m not leaving forever. No matter what, I’ll always be here”, Exl said as she placed both Alera’s hand and her own on Alera’s heart.
“I still want to make sure that you’re all right with what happened the other night. I hope I didn’t overstep any boundaries, I know all of that is so new to you”, Alera recalled and genuinely showed concern and understanding.
“You’re absolutely right, it is new and unknown to me, and even though it didn’t change the way I feel about you, I still feel a bit mesmerized about what happened. You’re right about what you whispered to me: that was a night I’ll never forget”, Exl said reassuringly. Alera smiled at Exl’s response and seemed relieved.
They walked back to the village together and Alera joined Exl, Nali, Gabrielle and Xena for dinner. It was fun for the two Greeks to hear more of the fun times and experiences the three younger ones had had growing up. They all raised a glass to friendship and those who couldn’t be there to physically join them: Swyther, Teme, Caetim and the cousins’ grandfather Eavan.
The next day arrived, and so would the ship the family had waited for. They had to get going, because the harbor wasn’t nearby and they wanted to get there at a good pace.
Nali thanked all of them once again for all their great help, wished them a safe journey back and welcomed them back anytime they wanted. Xena and Gabrielle said they were already waiting for their next trip and promised they would definitely be back. Exl reminded her that they could always send word to her, if something should come up, and she would be there as soon as she could. Nali and Exl hugged each other once more, and then the trio turned to leave the village.
As they reached the outskirts of the village, they all stopped to look back. Nali was smiling and waving at them, and next to her was Alera. She also smiled and gave a small wave, but her eyes were fixed on Exl. Exl raised her enclosed right fist to her heart and bowed her head, this time she wouldn’t leave without a proper farewell. Her heart wasn’t heavy leaving her home village, there was no guilt weighing her down or gnawing at her.
“This was a very nice visit, I’m very glad we came”, Gabrielle said as they were getting closer to the harbor.
“I agree, it was wonderful to spend time with family, both with Nali and just the three of us, in such a meaningful place”, Xena continued, looking at her bard and their Guardian. Exl had been deep in her thoughts, but snapped out of it and replied with:
“I’m happy too. I always love seeing Nali, she’s like a sister to me and even though it isn’t my home anymore, coming back always feels so special. It will forever have a dear place in my heart, but Greece is my home now, or wherever I am with you and I wouldn’t change that for anything.”
They finally arrived at the harbor, boarded the ship and waited for it to depart. Sitting in their cabin relaxing before turning in for the night, Exl had something to say.
“Gabrielle, Xena, thank you”, she said heartily. The couple looked at each other with a pondering look, as if they didn’t know what Exl was talking about. Exl smiled, chuckled and quickly continued:
“For helping me, for speaking with Alera. If it hadn’t been for you, I don’t know if we would’ve found a way to reconcile. I’m forever grateful.”
“We only did what we knew you would have done for us. It’s not just your task to take care of and help us, it’s ours to do the same for you”, Gabrielle answered with a big, heartfelt smile of her own.
“I’m glad you didn’t give up. You had more faith than I did”, Exl stated.
“There’s a lot of things the both of us have learned during all of our travels and encounters, but one of them is that things have a way of working out. Sometimes it might feel hopeless, but that’s exactly what friends and family are for”, Xena said with a warm and affectionate look at both her dear family members.
“Precisely. Besides, you once gave us the nudge we needed when it came to an important matter of the heart, so you could say this was us paying it back to you. At least that’s what I suspect happened after you disappeared from the party and returned the next morning looking like you experienced something magical”, Gabrielle said with a suggestive wink.
Xena gently nudged Gabrielle’s side with her elbow and quietly told her lovely bard to behave and not pry about something so personal. Exl started laughing, but couldn’t hide the faint blush which momentarily rose on her cheeks.
“An honorable warrior would never kiss and tell, but I have to admit, it was an amazing night”, she revealed. Xena and Gabrielle both seemed very happy, and before Gabrielle had a chance to enquire anything, Xena said for the both of them:
“That’s all we needed to hear.”
End of ”When Hearts Collide”
”The Guardian”-series will continue in ”Unsung Words”
A note from the writer:
Thank you for reading this story, it was another one that was several years in the making.
I felt nervous writing this, but getting out of my comfort zone has given me more courage to try new things, so I'm happy I gave it a chance.
Please, let me know how you liked this story and what you thought about it. Every feedback helps me improve as a writer and I'm always happy to hear from you.
To send feedback, write to: exl.theguardian@gmail.com