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Chapter Nine: "Truths"
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Deerdra doesn't let any grass grow getting back to the siren. She doesn't even think about there being a water demon waiting for her, she just plunges in and torpedoes over to the cave opening. She doesn't anticipate having problems returning the bowl but just in case she pushes the bowl through first. The siren is waiting for her, but not to fight. She is in her human form lounging on a fur covered rock shelf like couch. "Welcome back." "I gather it worked?"
Deerdra tries to avoid looking at the beautiful and seductive woman by keeping her back to her while she places the bowl in the window. "Yeah, it worked."
"Puts a crimp in your plan, doesn't it?"
"For now."
"I am curious about something." "Why would Gabrielle go through all of this just to leave Xena for you?"
Deerdra turns around but averts her eyes. "You've heard of that saying 'Out with the old and in with the new?' "Now that Xena's returned, Gabrielle will realize that she's ready for a change for the better."
"In your humble opinion."
"She didn't run away after she saw me heal." "I take that to be a good sign."
"And after she learns the rest?"
Deerdra looks down at her and glares. "She'll stay."
The siren isn't intimidated. "You must be sure of yourself." "Why else would you leave the two of them alone for so long?"
"I did it so they can...shit." She darts to the watery entrance/exit and dives in.
The siren sing-songs. "Good luuck."
~~
After the hard ride, Xena and Gabrielle stop for the night and make camp. The two haven't spoken to each other since they left Deerdra. Now they are sitting next to each other near a large campfire.
Xena's silence is making Gabrielle uneasy. "Xena, aren't you happy to be back?" "You haven't said much since."
Xena pokes at the fire with her sword. "I'm happy." "I'm just thinking about this woman you've taken up with." "What do you really know about her, anyway?"
"Other than her wounds glowing as they heal, you mean?" "I know that she's had as rough a life as we have and that she has put quite the burden on her shoulders to honor her family."
Xena uses the tip of the sword to play with an ember making it glow hot orange. "She has, huh?"
"Yes, she has." "But I haven't--"
Xena puts her fingers to her lips. "Shh, someone's coming."
Gabrielle whispers. "It's probably just Deerdra."
Deerdra has been riding like a madwoman trying catch up to them. She slows her horse as they approach what she hopes is Xena's campfire. She comes to a stop and listens intently. Not hearing voices or anything for that matter raises the hair on the back of her neck. She unsheathes her swords and creeps toward the flickering light. She's greeted once again by Xena's blade. Deerdra raises her swords in an X and blocks Xena's blow. The two lock swords and glare at one another.
"That's a good way to get yourself killed, Deerdra."
"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" "Where's Gabrielle?"
Gabrielle steps out of the shadows. "I'm right here." "Put your swords down, you two."
They hesitate then slowly lower their weapons without loosing eye contact.
Gabrielle is flattered to have to people so interested in her, but the jockeying between these two particular people could turn deadly. She has to defuse the situation, now. "Good." "Now let's all go sit by the fire and calm down."
The two warriors comply and angle their way over to the fire. They sit down and position themselves next to Gabrielle, one on either side.
Xena is ready for some answers. "Okay, you've gotten cleaned up and returned the bowl." "Start talking." "What are you?"
Deerdra clears her throat and turns to Gabrielle. "My wounds glow because I'm immortal." "I can't die, not by conventional means anyway."
Xena leans over to look past Gabrielle. "What kind of immortal?"
Deerdra glances over at Xena and goes back to being flip. "One of Seven, apparently."
Xena sighs, deep and impatient.
Deerdra keeps going. "You're friend probably meant that I'm one of the seven immortals who have one of these. "She slowly reaches into her right boot and removes an ornately carved bone dagger. "It's made from the rib bone of one of the seven mysterious black stags." "One stag per immortal." "When two immortals fight, the one with the dagger plunges it into the heart of the looser, thus transferring his essence or strength to the other." "This essence builds up with each kill, supposedly to prepare us for the Final Battle."
Gabrielle is transfixed. "What Final Battle?" "When the remaining seven fight each other?"
Deerdra sighs. "I don't know what it means, none of us do." "We could fight each other or it could mean that it's that particular immortal's final battle."
That piques Xena's interest. "Your death." "It could mean you finally die."
Gabrielle spins around to Xena. "I could mean anything, not necessarily someone's death." She turns back to Deerdra. "So, are there only seven of your kind or are there more?"
"Oh, there are lots more all searching for the Old Ones--the ones with a dagger." "When they become immortal, a 'knowing' comes over them." "They know that they need to find a dagger but they don't know who has one." "A lot of innocent ones are going to get killed in the process." "We Old Ones found out by eating one white berry from a bush bearing only seven, before we killed the stag."
Gabrielle is confused "Wait, you can be killed without using a dagger?"
Xena chimes in. "Anything can be killed, Gabrielle." She looks at Deerdra. "One way or the other." "So, you're an Old One." "How old are you?"
"Yeah and is Lor really your brother?"
Deerdra makes a swooping motion with her arm. "About as old as these trees." "I can't give you an exact year, but around a thousand or so, maybe more."
Gabrielle looks her over. "A thousand, wow." "And Lor?"
"Yes and no." "My brother's name was Lor, but the person you met at Lorrania is my nephew several times over." "My brother passed his hatred of me down through his bloodline." "After all this time, the reason why has faded." "All they know is that to uphold the family tradition they have to be angry at me for something." "This Lor is disgusted by my dating habits."
Gabrielle is amazed. "Your life is more complicated than I thought--isn't it Xena?"
Xena isn't moved. "Uh, huh." "Akimi said that we have a lot in common." "Care to elaborate?"
"You won't like it."
"Try me."
Gabrielle has had enough of the tension. "Hold on you two." "It's late and I've had my fill of drama for one day." "How about we pick this up tomorrow?"
Deerdra doesn't mind, she's enjoying yanking Xena's chain. "Fine by me."
Xena wants answers, but she is tired and she wants to be fresh of mind to be able to weed through Deerdra's b.s. "Fine, in the morning."
~~~
After a semi-restful night and a hearty breakfast of leftover bread and some non-hallucinogenic berries, the three break camp.
In the daylight, Gabrielle can see how far they rode last evening. "Huh, we're in between the siren's rock and the water nymph's river." "Do you think that we can make it to the village before dark, Deerdra?"
Deerdra examines the position of the sun. "Well, I wanted to stop in to see Margret before we left." Gabrielle clears her throat. Deerdra changes her plans. "But, yeah, the village is doable if we don't stop."
Xena mounts up then offers her hand to Gabrielle who grabs hold and slides in behind her. "Good, we'll ride and talk then."
Gabrielle wants her question answered first. "Before you two get into it, I'd like to know something." "How does someone become an immortal if not through the gods?"
"For me, you stop to brag about a kill in the middle of a battle, get ran through the heart by an enemy's sword, die, lie in state for two days, then come back to life." "It was Colin's clan we were fighting and he saw me fall." "When I all of a sudden wake up-- well, that just had to mean that me and my family were cursed."
Gabrielle shakes her head. "And you were run out of your own homeland."
Xena pipes up. "That's it?" "You died and came back--without any help from the gods?"
"Not as far as I know, they didn't."
Xena is skeptical. "Uh, huh."
Deerdra doesn't appreciate her tone. "I wasn't anywhere near Greece when it happened." "The gods are different over there."
Xena has a different perspective. "Gods are gods no matter where they're from." "If they want something, they get it."
Deerdra starts her chain yanking. "Does that mean Ares got you?"
Gabrielle stifles a chuckle but Xena doesn't answer, she just clinches her jaw and spurs the horse into a fast trot. Deerdra knows she touched a sore spot and grins as they bounce ahead of her
Gabrielle is in Xena's ear. "Don't let her get to you, she doesn't mean anything by it."
"I'm still having a hard time trusting her." "I don't feel like she is being completely honest with us."
"Then slow down and talk to her." "She said she would tell us your connection today."
Xena reins in the horse and Deerdra sidles up next to them.
"Sorry about mouthing off." "Your quick temper makes you an easy target, all that pent up anger and all."
"I'm not...are you ready to finish our conversation now?"
"And ruin a perfectly good day?"
Gabrielle admonishes her. "Deerdra."
"Okay, okay." "But you're still not going to like it." "It turns out that Xena's great, great, great, great, great--I think that's enough greats--grandfather lead the raid that killed my family."
Xena brings the horse to a halt. "What?"
"Yeah, your dearly departed grandpa was the S.O.B. that killed my parents."
Xena doesn't believe her. "How would you know that?" "Did he tell you his name?"
"No, but Atrius looked just like him." She spots Margret's house on the hill and knowing that the village isn't far, she spurs her horse into a full gallop. Not to race, but to leave Xena hanging.
It's Xena's turn to wave away a dust cloud.
Gabrielle is stunned. "That means--"
"That she knew my father." She gently kick starts the horse and eventually catches up to Deerdra just on the outskirts of the village.
Deerdra plays it cool. "Do you want to ride in the dark or shall we get a room?"
Gabrielle knows that this is the last time for several days that they will have an opportunity to sleep on an actual bed. The hammock in Deerdra's boat isn't terrible, but it is hardly comfy. "Let's get a room for the night." "The inn we stayed at was decent."
Xena agrees, with a provision. "As long as it's private because you are going to explain yourself."
Deerdra chuckles to herself. "Yes, Xena."
The three women enter the inn and Deerdra speaks to the innkeeper in German.
("Good Evening, Sir." "I'm supposed to be asking you if you have a room available." "I don't want us to get that cozy so you and I are going to pretend that you said no, but we can ask the blacksmith if we can sleep in the barn." "Understand?" "And, yes, I will pay you for the unused room.")
He gives her a slight nod in agreement and answers back. ("Joseph will let you stay in the barn, but he will want a payment as well.")
("Thank you." "If you trust this Joseph, I will leave your money with him.")
He smiles. ("Yes, thank you." "I hope your stay is a pleasant one.")
Deerdra glances back at Xena and Gabrielle. ("Yes, it looks to be a promising night.") She turns to face them and translates. "Bad news." "He's all booked up but he said to ask the blacksmith about sleeping in the barn."
That burst Gabrielle's bubble. "Darn." "Looks like we're going to get to literally hit the hay tonight."
They return the horses then look over their sleeping quarters.
Gabrielle peeks in the stalls. "Good, they're empty, no barnyard smell to ignore."
Xena leans against a post and picks at her nails with the breast dagger. "You were saying something about my father."
"Just that he bore a striking resemblance to your great many times over grandfather."
Gabrielle walks up behind Deerdra and puts her hand on he shoulder. "Deerdra, no joking around." "Did you know Xena's father?"
"Not really."
Xena glances over at Gabrielle and has an 'I told you so' look on her face, until Deerdra elaborates.
"I helped Cyrene dispose of his body."
Xena stops picking her nails. "You what?"
"I had been on a little trip when a massive storm came upon me." "I wasn't sure where I was, but I did see a light on in a barn." "I ducked in to ask if I could stay the night and stumbled into a huge mess." "A little girl was clinging to who I assumed was her mother and the mother in turn was standing there holding a bloody dagger while a man was laying on the ground, dead."
Gabrielle looks at Xena and can just see her anger meter filling up. She whispers to Deerdra. "Is this the truth?"
Deerdra answers her then continues. "Yes." "I convinced Cyrene to let me dump his body and the dagger at an old battlefield I had passed on the way in."
Xena sits on her temper. "What did you get in return?"
Deerdra's too tired to yank her chain "Dinner and a dry place to sleep." "I didn't stay around for breakfast." "I left her twenty-three dinars then high-tailed it out of there and I haven't been back since." "Considering the people involved, I thought it best if I just disappeared and let them be."
Xena isn't sure about this bit of information. "Mother never mentioned that there was anyone else there that night."
Gabrielle tries to calm the situation. "Xena, it's possible that Cyrene blocked Deerdra out of her mind." "It was a pretty traumatic thing that happened."
Xena crosses her arms. "Maybe." "I suppose now you're going to tell us that you knew Gabrielle when she was a child."
Gabrielle looks at Deerdra hopeful.
"Sorry, Gabrielle, I didn't have the pleasure." "But we are related, in a way."
That lifts Gabrielle's spirits. "How?"
"I lived with Cyane and the Northern Amazons for a month and a half...before the war with the Centaurs heated up and she was mysteriously impaled." She looks at Xena who avoids her gaze.
Gabrielle likes this new connection with Deerdra. "Did they make you an honorary Amazon?"
Deerdra puffs up. "Nope, Cyane gave me her right of caste." "I'm a Queen."
Gabrielle beams. "Really?"
"Yep, just like you."
"Xena, did you hear that?" "She's also an Amazon Queen."
"Yeah, I heard and I don't believe a word of it."
Deerdra's feeling smug. "I told you that you wouldn't like it." .
"What I don't like is when someone lies to make brownie points with someone they claim to care about."
Deerdra is on a slow boil. "I didn't lie and I do care."
Gabrielle, ever the peace keeper, isn't ready to witness an epic battle between these two. "Okay, everyone, calm down." "True or not, we're going to be around each other for a few more days, so let's turn it down a notch." "It's late and we have more traveling to do, so shake it off and let's try and get some sleep."
The two glare at each other then agree. "Fine."
There won't be any snuggling tonight as they each sleep on their own mound of hay, and sleep they do until just before sunrise.
Deerdra is tossing and turning in her hay, mumbling. She bolts upright, pale and in a cold sweat. "Lorrania!" She hurries to gather her things and one of the horses tack. Xena walks up behind her.
"Going somewhere?"
"Home."
"We're already headed back there, what's the rush?"
Deerdra's in a near panic. "Something has gone horribly wrong and I have to get back, now!"
Xena is still groggy and doesn't feel any need to hurry, but they need to hit the road sometime. "Alright." "Get both horses ready and I'll wake Gabrielle."
Deerdra darts out of the barn as Xena walks over to Gabrielle and kicks the bottom of her boots.
"Huh?" "What?"
"Deerdra's got a bug in her britches about Lorrania." "We're leaving."
"Now?"
"Now."
*CONTINUED*
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