A QueenÕs Tale

Part 25

ÒSo what does it mean?Ó Gabrielle stood next to Xena, both of them regarding a set of moss covered stone steps warily.  ÒUs being here, I mean? You think weÕre being messed with again?Ó  She asked. ÒLike they canÕt even let us die in peace?Ó

Xena had her hands on her hips.  She glanced at Gabrielle, then shrugged faintly.  ÒProbably.Ó She conceded. ÒIt sort of felt like we were being yanked sideways before.Ó

Gabrielle frowned a little. ÒGoing through that gate thing?Ó

ÒYeah.Ó Xena returned her attention to the steps.  ÒLike we were on our way somewhere and got pulled here.Ó She pushed aside some bushes. ÒWe can start up behind this.Ó She indicated the stairs which had seemed to start far higher up the mountain until she poked around and found otherwise.

Gabrielle thought about the experience.  Had she felt the same thing? ÒYeah.Ó She said, in a mildly surprised voice. ÒI think youÕre right. Just after we stepped through.Ó She joined Xena at the bottom of the stairway. ÒWeÕre going up there?Ó

Xena sat down on the bottom step, resting her hands on itÕs surface.  ÒGot any better ideas?Ó

Gabrielle sat down next to her.  She looked around, watching the wisps of clouds around the edge of the meadow.   ÒWe could try to go down.Ó  She suggested. ÒMaybe weÕll end up É Ò She hesitated. ÒNo, I guess we wouldnÕt, huh? I donÕt think thereÕs anyone down there looking for ambrosia for us.Ó

Xena put a hand on her shoulder.  Gabrielle reached up to cover it with her own.  ÒXe, I donÕt like this.Ó

ÒMe either.Ó Her partner agreed. ÒWe can try to go down if you want to, but I think the fastest way out of here is going up there and finding out what the Hades they want from us.Ó

Gabrielle exhaled.  ÒWhy didnÕt they just poof us up there then?Ó She glanced up over her shoulder.  ÒThose steps look creepy.Ó

ÒHm.Ó  Xena leaned over and nibbled the back of GabrielleÕs neck, feeling the skin prickle under her lips. ÒWe could piss them off by just hanging out down here and making out.Ó  She suggested. ÒSounds more fun than climbing the stairs, huh?Ó

Gabrielle felt her body reacting to the touch, even with the thought of the entire panopoly of Olympus looking down on them.   It felt very earthy and intense and drew her attention away from what was happening to them.

She was conflicted.  It was hard to deal with the so sudden knowledge of their passing, and then the confusion they were currently in when it was contrasted by the almost matter of fact attitude Xena was displaying.

DidnÕt she care?  ÒXe.Ó  Gabrielle half turned and reached up to put her hand against XenaÕs face. ÒIÕm scared, and IÕm freaked out.  WhatÕs happening to us?Ó She asked. ÒWhatÕs going on?Ó

XenaÕs face twitched, then she frowned a little.  ÒIÕm not sure.Ó She answered honestly.  ÒWhat I am sure is that weÕre here for some reason.  We should find out what that reason is. Then maybe we can figure out whats going on.Ó 

It made sense.  ÒOkay.Ó  The bard said.  ÒYou think this has to do with the war?Ó

ÒBet on it.Ó Xena stood up, and held her hand out. ÒCÕmon.Ó  She started up the stairs and it was then they both realized they were barefoot.  ÒSlippery.Ó  Xena muttered,  as she took a careful step up.  ÒWatch it.Ó

Gabrielle took a firmer hold on her hand and joined her on the step.  It felt strange, and the cool moss under her toes was a little on the uncomfortable side.  The stairway wound itÕs way up the mountainside and as she followed Xena up another step, the rest of them became a little bit clearer.

Mount Olympus.   Despite her long association with the gods, the thought of being her chilled her.  Gabrielle understood theyÕd both been dodging literal thunderbolts for years in their interactions with Ares and the others, but that somehow had always been different.

On their turf, so to speak.  This wasnÕt and Gabrielle had an uncomfortable suspicion that their dual lifetimes of resisting the will of the gods might be coming home to them.    Maybe Tartarus wasnÕt the worst place they could have ended up after all.

What if they ended up like Sysiphys?  Rolling a rock up a hill through eternity?   The gods had been fickle in the best of times.  What if all their rebellions were about to come home to them? 

ÒHey.Ó Xena said, after a few minutes climbing.  ÒWanna do me a favor?Ó

ÒSure.Ó Gabrielle was glad of the distraction from her gloomy thoughts.  ÒAnything.Ó

ÒGot a story handy?Ó Xena indicated the stretch of steps. ÒGonna be a long climb.Ó

Gabrielle felt a certain stiffness in her shoulders relax, as she studied the wry look on her partnerÕs face.  Xena was as freaked out as she was, she realized,  but as usual was making a better job of hiding it.  Some things never changed and right now, Gabrielle found that enormously comforting.

Okay, so they were dead.  ÒI guess you donÕt want to hear the cow on the roof one, huh?Ó  The bard suggested.  So they were dead, and on Mount Olympus. Who knew what would happen next?

Xena cleared her throat.

Probably end up making a good story.  Gabrielle smiled. ÒOkay, I was working on a new one on the ride from Amphipolis. Wanna hear that?Ó

ÒSure.Ó

Assembling the story in her head, Gabrielle tried to set aside where they were and what theyÕd gone through and pretend it was as though they were just on another journey together,  walking in the sun, sharing their lives.

The hardest part was thinking about what and who theyÕd left behind. But Gabrielle knew for the moment maybe she should stop thinking about it, until they figured out really what was going on. There would be time, then to react.

Gabrielle studied the mossy stone they were climbing up. Was she just fooling herself?  Putting off the need to deal with it?

ÒHey.Ó Xena nudged her. ÒStory?Ó

ÒSorry.Ó Gabrielle said. ÒItÕs hard not to think, you know?Ó

Xena squeezed her hand. ÒI know.Ó She answered in a quiet tone. ÒI keep hearing Dori laugh.Ó 

It almost made Gabrielle start crying again. ÒLet me get to that story.Ó She squeezed her partnerÕs hand back as they mounted yet another of the apparently endless steps.  ÒSo I was thinking before we left about how the Amazons might have gotten started.Ó

ÒTwo women who got tired of their husbands and thought they might as well cycle together?Ó Xena suggested.

Gabrielle smiled.  Ò I guess we know who the bard in the family is.Ó

ÒThat was in doubt?Ó

ÒAnyway.Ó Gabrielle cleared her throat.  ÒI was thinking about how the Amazons might have gotten started so I was looking in the tribal archives to see what legends they had about it. You know what?Ó

ÒWhat?Ó Xena replied amiably.

ÒThey have no clue.Ó

ÒCould have told you that.Ó 

ÒXena.Ó

Xena chuckled faintly.

ÒSo I thought I would make up a story about how it might have happened.Ó Gabrielle plowed ahead. ÒYou know, how the first Amazon tribe came into existence.Ó

ÒGood idea.Ó Xena said. ÒTell it often enough theyÕll all believe it and weÕll meet up with some old crone someday whoÕll sit down and tell you back your own story as ancient Amazon history.Ó

Gabrielle was briefly silent.  ÒWell.Ó She said. ÒBut I guess no one will hear it now but you.Ó

Xena glanced at her, then she slowed and came to a halt. ÒWant to sit down for a minute?Ó She pointed at a rock nearby.   They sat down side by side on the rock and looked out over the clouds, the lower layer of which spread out to the horizon as far as they could see.

They had already walked a fair distance up the mountain, and Gabrielle could see the steps below them dwindling to invisibility, the green meadow tiny below them with wisps of cloud obscuring it.  ÒSteep.Ó She commented quietly.

ÒYeah.Ó  Xena agreed. ÒTired?Ó

ÒNot at all.Ó  The bard said. ÒDo you get tired when youÕre dead, Xe?Ó

Xena remained quiet for a time. ÒI donÕt remember.Ó She finally said.  ÒI remember being in a lot of pain in Tartarus.  Fire. But it never burned you, just made you feel like it was burning.  Then in the other placeÉ  I donÕt really remember.Ó

ÒMm.Ó  Gabrielle took a deep breath. ÒDo you sleep?Ó

ÒNo.Ó  Her partner shook her head positively. ÒI didnÕt. I remember when Ares was mortalÉ down in the valley? He said something about sleeping being strange for him.Ó

ÒI remember that.Ó  Gabrielle murmured.  ÒAnd itÕs not getting darker here. Does it stay light all the time?Ó She peered around. ÒWe climbed all that way up, and it doesnÕt even feel like it to me. IÕm not tired at all. Ò

ÒMe either.Ó Xena said. ÒActually, thatÕs the one nice thing about the whole damn situation. ItÕs nice not to be hurting for a change. Been  tough couple weeks for me.Ó She flexed one hand. ÒEverything feels good.Ó

Gabrielle studied her profile. ÒBeen a while for that?Ó She ventured.

Her partner nodded.  ÒI realized the last couple days I really was getting older.Ó She said.  ÒMaybe thatÕs why I wanted so little part of this war.  ItÕs gettingÉ well, it was getting too hard.Ó She looked at Gabrielle, who was regarding her gravely.  ÒFeels good to be able to move without aching again.Ó

Gabrielle reached over to stroke her cheek gently, then moved the windblown hair from her partnerÕs eyes.  ÒSorry, Xe.Ó

Xena shrugged lightly.  ÒPart of life. Or at least thatÕs what my mother always says.Ó

ÒI know.Ó   The bard murmured. ÒBut.. itÕs different for you.Ó She kept up her light stroking, watching XenaÕs eyes flutter close.  ÒBecause we all depend on you so much.Ó

Slowly, the dark head nodded. ÒI knewÉ I felt like this whole thing was pushing me to put myself in one of those me against the army situations and I didnÕtÉ Ò  She fell silent.  ÒI didnÕt think I had it in me this time.Ó

ÒMm.Ó  Gabrielle gave her a little scratch on the back of  the neck. ÒYou hate losing.Ó

ÒI do.Ó  Xena agreed. ÒI didnÕt want to go out that way.Ó She lifted her head and regarded Gabrielle.  ÒI didnÕt want that to be the way people remembered me.Ó

Oh. Ow.  The bard winced herself, at the expression on her partnerÕs face.  There was a rawness there, a baring of the soul she hadnÕt really expected. ÒXe.Ó  She said, after swallowing the lump in her throat. ÒI wouldnÕt have let that be the way anyone remembered you.Ó

XenaÕs eyes dropped to the ground, and she studied the mossy rock for a long moment. Then she looked back up and smiled. ÒNo point in worrying about it now, huh?Ó

ÒNo, I guess not.Ó  Gabrielle kept watching the shifts of the muscles under the skin of her companionÕs face.  ÒWe both went in the service of the greater good, didnÕt we? Saving some crazy Amazons we barely knew and who tried to kill us.Ó

ÒWe did.Ó  XenaÕs smile turned wry. ÒAnd we never thought twice about it, Gabrielle.  It didnÕt matter those damn idiots were against us. Ò

ÒNo, it didnÕt.Ó  Gabrielle felt a smile tug at her own lips.  ÒAll our friends are going to say, can you believe those two nutcases?Ó  She exhaled a little. ÒBut IÕm glad, Xena. IÕm glad we died in idiotic selflessness.Ó

ÒReally?Ó

Now it was GabrielleÕs turn to study the ground. ÒWe all have to go sometime.Ó She said, after a long pause. ÒSo yeah, I am. ButÉÓ

ÒBut.Ó Xena put her arm around GabrielleÕs shoulders. ÒLeaving Dori hurts.Ó

Gabrielle clamped her jaw shut, and just nodded.

Xena was silent for a while, then she gave Gabrielle a hug.  ÒSheÕll find us.Ó She said. ÒAnd anyway, weÕre not in Hades realm yet.Ó

Gabrielle looked at her. ÒWhat does that mean?Ó

Xena returned her look with a mild expression. ÒItÕs never over till itÕs over, hon.   We got called to Mount Olympus for something.Ó

ÒHm.ÓA breeze puffed through the rocks, lifting locks of their hair and moving them.  Gabrielle leaned against XenaÕs shoulder and felt the warmth of her skin through the light fabric they both were wearing

Fabric that was still silky white, with no smudge of dirt to mar it. Gabrielle thought about how she felt, and decided it was like waking up at your own pace after a restful nightÕs sleep – that feeling of energy and peace with her body she didnÕt get that often.

It did feel good. She felt a little better,  a little more optimistic all of a sudden.

ÒWow.Ó Gabrielle finally said. ÒI wonder if you could sleep if you wanted to. Maybe just because it felt good. Like a nap in the afternoon.Ó She closed her eyes, and was aware of a little bit of fading out, and decided maybe you could.

Maybe they would find out.  ÒShould we head up?Ó  Gabrielle looked over her shoulder. ÒI think weÕre getting closer to those clouds up there.  IÕve never walked through clouds before.Ó

ÒSure.Ó Xena got up and offered her hand again. ÒI have.Ó She added, after they started walking up the steps again. ÒWalked through clouds.  I was in the mountains once and climbed up to the top of one, on the far side of Amphipolis. A storm rolled in and fog socked the mountain in solid.Ó

ÒMm.Ó

ÒI had to walk down through it. Weird.Ó  Xena said. ÒGoing through it was like taking a shower sideways.Ó

Hm.  Gabrielle looked up at the fluffy white cloud bottoms. ÒThat might be interesting.Ó She said. ÒSo. Back to my story.Ó

ÒHistory of the Amazons, by Gabrielle.Ó Xena agreed.  ÒYour theory doesnÕt have harpies in it, does it?Ó

ÒXena.Ó

ÒHow about a Gorgon?Ó

ÒXena.Ó Gabrielle had to chuckle a little, responding to her partnerÕs efforts to be funny.  ÒNo, no Gorgons and no Harpies.Ó

ÒI think thereÕs some big black crow in there somewhere too.Ó

ÒAhem.Ó The bard laced her fingers more tightly with XenaÕs. ÒOnce upon a time, there was a little girl who lived in the forest in a village with her brothers and sisters and mom and dad.Ó  She started on the tale. ÒShe had a lot of fun with her friends, but one day, soldiers came and ÉÓ

**

They stopped again just short of the thick layer of clouds.  The steps disappeared into it and beyond it they could see nothing.

Gabrielle turned around and looked down. They were so far up, she couldnÕt see the little grassy plateau theyÕd started from and now the world below them looked like just a long gray stretch of rock surrounded by clouds.

She turned back around. Xena was examining the clouds, sticking her hand into the fog and pulling it back out with an air of bemused studiousness.   Gabrielle leaned against the rock and watched her for a minute, the golden sunlight outlining her partner in a particularly pretty way.

Her hair had grown out a little and it framed her face, softening the sharp planes just a touch.  With the exhaustion of their recent trials erased, there was a simple beauty about her that gave Gabrielle a sweet pang in her chest no matter where they were or what had happened to them.

Xena looked up, sensing the attention.  ÒWhat?Ó

ÒNothing.Ó Gabrielle moved closer, and touched a bit of the fog with her finger. It felt cold and wet, but nothing more.  ÒSo what does this mean? Is it here to block us or just scare us?Ó

ÒBoth maybe.Ó Xena confirmed. ÒReady to give it a try?Ó

Gabrielle held out her hand. ÒLead on. Ò  She waited for Xena to take a firm grip on her hand and they started up the steps and into the cloud.  

It felt very strange. It was soft, and cold, and wet, and it smelled likeÉ   Gabrielle stuck her tongue out and tasted the fog.  It tasted a little brassy.  It folded itself around them as they climbed upward and blocked out everything.

All she could see was Xena next to her.  Her partner was climbing steadily, but slowly, her free hand stretched out ahead and slightly to one side of her into the open space past the steps that fell away into the clouds.

It seemed dangerous, to be walking up into the unknown but after all, Gabrielle reasoned, they were already dead so what was the worst that could happen? Maybe if Xena stepped off into space theyÕd learn they could fly here.

You just never knew.  But in the mean time she was content to be on solid ground. The moss on the rocks had lessened, and now was just bare patches here and there and the wet stone beneath her feet seemed to be growing darker and more even.

There was still no effort in climbing. 

Now the fog had surrounded them completely and it had grown very quiet.   ÒThis is creepy.Ó Gabrielle said, to break the silence.

ÒCreepy and nothing but a pain in the ass.Ó  Xena agreed.  ÒBut yÕknow what?Ó

ÒWhat?Ó Gabrielle was just glad to hear another voice, the matter of fact tone in her partnerÕs even more welcome.

ÒGlad I have someone to share it with.Ó

Gabrielle responded with a grin.  ÒYeah, me too.Ó She said. ÒI would be freaking out if I was here by myself. IÕd probably still be down on the grass down there watching ladybugs.Ó  She fell silent for a few steps. ÒWho am I kidding? If I were here alone IÕd be curled up in a ball somewhere screaming.Ó

ÒIÕd be in the same shape back on the other side.Ó Xena said. ÒBut weÕre not, and weÕre here.Ó She added pragmatically.  ÒSo no oneÕs curling up screaming anywhere.Ó

ÒWe are and youÕre right, no one is.Ó Gabrielle confirmed.  ÒIÕm not sure how that happened but maybe IÕll get a chance to thank someone for it when we get out of this darn fog.Ó

Xena chuckled briefly. Then she blinked and peered upward through the clouds, trying to make out anything ahead of them.  ÒSomething dark up there.Ó

Gabrielle looked up and saw nothing but mist. ÒIf you say so, partner.Ó  She inhaled, and the fog felt strange in her nose.  It almost made her want to cough, just like it almost had a taste on the back of her tongue. 

Her skin was damp from itÕs touch, and the white tunic sheÕd found herself in was clinging to her body, having absorbed moisture from it.   It felt cool, but not cold, and not clammy as sheÕd expected. ÒThis is weird.Ó

Xena wiped the moisture off her face and licked her lips. ÒMore or less like I remembered from that other place.Ó She admitted. ÒA little less..Ó

They both heard a growl off in the mist and they stopped walking. ÒYou hear that?Ó Xena asked.

ÒYes.Ó  Gabrielle agreed.

ÒDidnÕt sound friendly.Ó

ÒNo.Ó

ÒHm.Ó Xena leaned forward and stared intently into the gray mist.  ÒHello?Ó She called out.

A growl came back in answer, louder this time.

Xena straightened up. ÒCÕmon.Ó She started up onto the next step.  ÒLetÕs go see what this is all about.Ó  She waited for Gabrielle to join her and they slowly moved upward.  ÒStay behind me.Ó

ÒAh heh.Ó  Gabrielle muttered. ÒEven when weÕre dead, nothing changes.Ó

ÒWhat?Ó

ÒNothing.Ó

ÒGabrielle.Ó  Xena sighed. ÒWhatÕs the problem?Ó

ÒYou think itÕs going to attack us? Whatever it is?Ó Gabrielle asked, as she stuck close to her partnerÕs side. ÒDoes it matter if it attacks us? Do you bleed if youÕre dead, Xena?Ó

That made her think of something, and she put her free hand up to her throat and felt her pulse point.

To her immense surprise, she felt a steady beat against her fingertips. ÒWhoa!Ó

ÒWhat?Ó Xena stopped and looked at her. ÒWhat are you doing?Ó

ÒMy heartÕs still beating.Ó Gabrielle said. ÒXena, why in Hades is my heart still beating? Ò

Xena stared at her in deep puzzlement, then she lifted her hand and felt her own neck, her brows creasing sharply. ÒHuh.Ó She reached over and put her hand on GabrielleÕs chest.  ÒWell, we still breathe, too I guess.Ó

Gabrielle moved closer and laid her head against her partnerÕs body, pressing her ear against the warriorÕs skin. After a moment, she grunted and then she moved away and shook her head. ÒThis is nuts.Ó

ÒWhatÕs nuts?Ó  Xena frowned at her.  ÒWhat are you talking about?Ó

ÒXena I donÕtÕ get it.Ó The bard said.  ÒWeÕre breathing, our hearts are beatingÉ heck. IÕm even hungry.Ó She lifted her hands. ÒWhat is the point of being dead if you have to deal with all that?Ó

Xena cocked her head, then started chuckling. 

ÒDoes this mean we still have to poop?Ó The bardÕs voice rose.

Xena leaned back against the rock wall and held her stomach, her laugh ringing out over the mountainside and through the thick fog.

ÒI mean, what the heck?Ó Gabrielle let out an exasperated grunt.  ÒSheeps! If that stupid thing attacks us I bet we bleed like stuck pigs all over this darn mountain!Ó

Xena covered her eyes with one hand and kept laughing.

After a pause,  Gabrielle started laughing too. She leaned against the wall next to where Xena was standing and they both finally let the chuckles wind down, as the fog swirled around them, giving the uncanny impression of being pissed off.

Xena rubbed her eyes and cleared her throat.  ÒNow my stomach hurts.Ó

ÒSorry.Ó  Gabrielle started laughing again.  ÒI donÕt really get why I think this is so funny.Ó  She sighed. ÒI think IÕm just going nuts.Ó

ÒStress relief.Ó Xena put her arm around her partner.  ÒI needed that. Thanks.Ó  She pulled Gabrielle closer and gave her a kiss on the top of her head.  ÒAll right. I donÕt know what the Hades is going on here either, but letÕs go see what that thing is. Ò

ÒOkay.Ó Gabrielle wiped her eyes and latched on to XenaÕs hand.  ÒItÕs just so weird, you know?Ó

ÒYeah.Ó  Xena crossed the next step and eased cautiously up one more. She could hear the growling getting louder, and the dark shape sheÕd seen from below was now looming over them.  

As they moved up one more step a wind swirled through suddenly,  whipping around them.  Gabrielle tucked herself instinctively behind her partnerÕs taller form and they both went flat against the rock wall, as the fog blew out of the area and they could see ahead of them.

Gabrielle actually wished it hadnÕt.   There was a huge stone gateway ahead, and in the center of it, a creature blocking the way.  It was huge, and it had three heads, and all three of them were growling. ÒUh oh.Ó

Behind the stone gateway, the fog was gone.  The stone lightened from dark gray to light gray and beyond that she could see white stone in the sunlight and clear blue skies.

She looked back at the creature.  ÒWhat is that?Ó

Xena was briefly silent, then she cleared her throat. ÒI think itÕs Cerberus.Ó   She said.  ÒWhich I guess would make sense.Ó

Gabrielle studied the creature. She could see the dog shape of the three heads, and behind them, whiplike writhing things that might have been snakes.   Cerberus was taller than Xena, and his spread heads blocked the entrance to Mount Olympus effectively.  ÒI thought he was supposed to guard the Underworld.Ó

ÒThatÕs the theory.Ó  Xena slowly started forward. ÒHeÕs supposed to let the dead in, but not out. Maybe he also keeps the dead from ganging up on Mount Olympus.Ó

Gabrielle stayed behind her, as they moved closer and the creatureÕs growls got louder.   She could see the heads now, big blocky skulls with a pushed in muzzle and small round ears.  ÒKinda ugly.Ó

ÒMm.Ó  Xena grunted softly.  Then she took another few steps closer, coming within range of the creature and standing up straight.  ÒHey!Ó She addressed the three headed figure.
ÒWhatÕs your problem?Ó

ÒXe.Ó  Gabrielle peeked past her nervously. ÒMaybe nowÕs not the time for the attitude, huh?Ó

ÒStay here.Ó Xena released her hand an walked boldly forward as the creature snarled hideously and bared itÕs triple heads worth of fangs at her.  

ÒXena!Ó  Gabrielle bolted after her. ÒWhat are you doing!Ó She hauled up abruptly as the warrior stopped and pointed at the creature.

ÒSit!Ó  Xena barked commandingly at it.

Gabrielle wasnÕt sure if she should grab Xena and yank her back or start yelling. She opened her mouth and then shut it again as the creature glared at her partner for a long moment, then meekly sank down onto itÕs haunches.

ÒWow.Ó  Gabrielle exhaled.  ÒDead or not you sure still have that animal magnetismÓ

ÒGood boy.Ó  Xena walked forward and held her hand out to the nearest head, which sniffed her, its small round ears twitching.  ÒItÕs okay, Gab.Ó She said. ÒI remembered something Aphrodite once said, about Ares having one of CerberusÕs puppies.Ó She explained. ÒI figured this might be him.Ó

Gabrielle approached the creature, who was now sitting with all three tongues lolling, one head watching Xena and the other two kind of glancing around.   ÒOh yeah.  The bowls.Ó She murmured, keeping her hands away from the animals mouths.  ÒSo.. heÕs not trying to keep us out?Ó

ÒI donÕt know.Ó  Xena started to move past the gates guardian.  The heads swung around to look at her, then it edged aside and let her past.   ÒI guess not.Ó She said. ÒMaybe Ares sent him to meet us.Ó

ÒMaybe Ares sent him to scare the poo out of us.Ó Gabrielle muttered.  ÒNice dog.Ó

The animal blinked at her.

ÔCÓmon.Ó  Xena dismissed the creature and headed for the opening.

Gabrielle followed her, almost stopping when one of the heads turned towards her and she was looking into a pair of ageless golden eyes with a hint of a sparkle at the back of them.  The big nose twitched and she felt a shiver go down her spine, but then they were past him, and he was turning to walk after them.

Creepy.

She looked up as they approached the huge stone gate, feeling a sense of trepidation as they started through it.  Her body felt twitchy, and she felt a sensation on her skin of almost pain as she moved between the tall standing stones.  Quickly, she glanced at Xena, but her partner seemed unaware. ÒXe?Ó

ÒHm?Ó Xena looked at her.  ÒSorry I didnÕt warn ya. Ò She indicated the creature plodding after them.  ÒJust occurred to me as I was looking at him.Ó

ÒNo, itÕs..Ó Gabrielle winced a little as the sensation increased. ÒI feel weird.Ó She felt like bees were buzzing around her.  ÒOw.Ó She rubbed her arms.

ÒWhatÕs wrong?Ó  Xena touched her arm.  ÒYou okay?Ó

The feeling spread over her and she almost cried out.  ÒOh!Ó

ÒLetÕs go over there and you can sit down.Ó Xena focused on her, brow creasing in concern. ÒI donÕt feel anything, hereÉ over near that rock.Ó  She wrapped her arm around GabrielleÕs back, looking around to see what could be affecting her soulmate.  ÒDamn itÉÓ

ÒAugh.Ó Gabrielle felt like her skin was on fire. The next thing she knew she was being lifted up and cradled in XenaÕs arms  and she put threw her own arms around XenaÕs neck and hid her head in the warriorÕs shoulder.

They angled through the gateway and towards a bit of squared off stone, but as they did, Gabrielle felt the uncomfortable sensation ease. ÒOh.Ó Her shoulders relaxed. ÒOkay, thatÕs better.Ó  She said, breathing a sigh of relief.  ÒItÕs going away.Ó

ÒBetter?Ó Xena sat down on the stone, still cradling her. ÒGab? You okay?Ó

The sensation faded completely, and she felt normal again.  Gabrielle exhaled.  Well, as normal as sheÕd felt before it happened anyway. ÒYeah, IÕm okaÉ Xena.Ó  She looked past the warriors shoulder. ÒLook.Ó

Her partner turned her head, and they both went still for a moment. 

Behind them the stone gate was filled with blue fire, arcing from one side to the other and completely obscuring anything past it.   The three headed dog was seated nearby, paws crossed, apparently waiting for them.

ÒDid we walk through that?Ó Gabrielle asked in disbelief.  

ÒI guess we did.Ó Xena answered after a pause.  ÒHow come you felt it and I didnÕt though?Ó

Gabrielle looked up at her and after a moment, Xena met her gaze.  They looked at each other for several breaths, then Xena looked away.   ÒWeÕve always talked around it.Ó  The bard said, in a gentle tone. ÒBut I donÕt think we can do that here.Ó

She carefully worked herself out of XenaÕs grip and sat next to her on the stone as her partner stared at the rocky ground.   After a long silence, she rested her head against XenaÕs shoulder.

ÒNo, probably not.Ó  Xena finally said.  She leaned her elbows on her knees and laced her fingers together. ÒYou think my having godÕs blood got us through that?Ó She jerked her head towards the gateway.

It was shocking, even now, to hear Xena say it.  Though they both had known the truth of it for a long time, those words made her skin prickle.  ÒWell.Ó  Gabrielle said. ÒSomething got me through it.Ó

Of course theyÕd known.  Of course it had been obvious, from her coming back from the dead to her fathering Dori.  No true mortal could have done either one of them, not to mention the hundreds of other things Gabrielle had seen her partner do over the years.

Of course.  Xena for some reason seemed to believe if she didnÕt talk about it or acknowledge it then it wasnÕt real – but they both knew the truth. 

Xena shrugged. ÒHope itÕs good for more than that then.Ó She sighed.  ÒGot a feeling weÕre gonna need all the help we can get up here.Ó  She glanced at Gabrielle. ÒYou ready to keep going?Ó

The tingles were gone. ÒYeah.Ó Gabrielle stood up and dusted herself off.  ÒIÕm okay.Ó  She took XenaÕs hand again as she stood up and they started slowly walking away from the gateway.  The three headed dog got up and followed them.

The rocky surface slowly smoothed out and became lighter and the path they were on evened out and broadened into a lane that sloped upward.  The sun bathed everything in warm light up here, and the wind whispered past, cool but not chilling.

It was very quiet.  Ahead of them, she could see gates and walls, and if she tipped her head all the way back, she could see the colonnades of a large building rising above the rest at the very top of the mountain. 

It was hard to take in the fact that she was here. ÒXena.Ó

ÒMm?Ó Xena had been looking around, her head cocked slightly to one side to listen. ÒDonÕt hear much going on.Ó

ÒIs that ZeusÕs palace, up there?Ó

Xena looked up at the peak.  ÒI guess it must be.Ó She said.  Then she smiled a little. ÒYÕknow everything I learned about Mount Olympus I got from those stories you tell.Ó

ÒMe? Oh. The legends.Ó  Gabrielle spotted figures off in the distance, moving. ÒOh, look. ThereÕs some people.Ó

Xena nodded. ÒI hear voices.Ó She said.  ÒWonder how long weÕll have to walk around before someone figures out weÕre here?Ó

A loud horn abruptly broke the silence.   Xena and Gabrielle both stopped and waited, as the horn blast happened again, and again.     Then a glistening golden horse emerged from a gate in the near distance and headed towards them.

On the horses back rode a tall, golden haired man in the same brief, white robe they themselves were wearing.  He rode up to them and halted, staring at them down a straight bridged nose. ÒFollow me.Ó  He commanded. ÒZeus awaits.Ó

He turned and started back towards the gates, at a walk.

ÒOh great.Ó Xena muttered under her breath.  ÒI knew we should have just stayed in bed this morning.Ó

ÒYou can say that again..Ó Gabrielle said, as they followed the horse.  ÒAnd how.Ó

**

They climbed up sets of winding staircases that surrounded beautiful gardens.    Their haughty guide strode ahead of them, paying them little attention as they wound their way through what was a very large, very sprawling marble palace in the sky.

Gabrielle looked over at the garden, her nose twitching as the scent of grass, and flowers and rich earth came to her nose.   She could see fruit trees and herbs growing, and spotted silent figures moving among them, tending to the plants. ÒXe?Ó

ÒYeah?Ó Xena glanced over at her.

ÒWho are those people?Ó She whispered, pointing.

Xena regarded them. ÒI donÕt know.Ó

ÒTheyÕre not gods, are they?Ó 

Xena frowned.  ÒI donÕt know. I guessÉ I never really thought about what went on up here. Maybe theyÕre servants.  You donÕt figure they all get their own cups of nectar and mix up their own ambrosia, do you?Ó

Gabrielle thought about that.  Did it make sense that the gods had servants?  ÒCanÕt they just snap their fingers?Ó She asked. ÒWhy bother having minions?Ó

Her partner shrugged.

ÒWhat if they want to make us minions?Ó  The bard asked. ÒWhat if they want me to sit around telling them stories for eternity?Ó

Xena kept walking a few steps, silently digesting this. ÒWould you want to do that?Ó

ÒNo.Ó

ÒWhy?Ó  Her partner asked, in a mild voice. ÒYou like telling stories.Ó

ÒI like telling stories that I want to tell, to people I want to tell them to.Ó  Gabrielle said.  ÒHow would you feel if they wanted you just so you could fight in a ring for them for entertainment?Ó

Xena grunted.

ÒSo seeing people having to serve like that forever bugs me.Ó The bard concluded. ÒNot that I think thereÕs much I can do about it.Ó

ÒWhat if they liked being here, doing that?Ó

ÒXena.Ó  Gabrielle gave her a direct look.

ÒRemember Alain?Ó  Xena replied, still mildly.   ÒHe was very happy to spend his whole time taking care of the horses, and sweeping the stable out.Ó She watched two women cross the path at a distance, bundles of herbs balanced on their heads.  ÒNot everyoneÕs like us.Ó

Gabrielle was about to continue objecting, then she paused and considered.  

Then she grunted. 

Everywhere she looked was beauty and order. The trees all grew straight and tall, and she could smell ripe apples on the wind.  The figures she could see in the distance working the land werneÕt being watched, and as far as she could see they seemed at ease, and untroubled.

Johan had once told her that there was nothing more peaceful than doing a days work, and resting at the end of it.  She remembered days when she and Xena had done their thing from sunrise to sunset, and that wonderful, satisfied feeling theyÕd had at the end of the day, resting in their campsite.

Sharing a cup of cider, and warming their toes.

But for eternity?  ÒMaybe they just do it for a while.Ó She temporized.  ÒThen they go somewhere else.Ó

ÒBack to Elysia?Ó  Xena suggested.  ÒMaybe.Ó 

Gabrielle felt obscurely comforted by that idea.  Then she glanced at her partner. ÒAm I being nuts?Ó

Xena smiled.  ÒYouÕre just being you.Ó She gave the bard a scratch on the back.  ÒNever stop asking questions. Gives me something to think about beside where this path is leading.Ó

Gabrielle looked up, to see the path, in fact, leading to the entrance of a huge temple – the one sheÕd spotted from below.  It stood alone and magnificent, and could only be one thing.   Their guide was leading them directly to it.

He stopped at the base of the steps going up. ÒEnter.Ó He  indicated the door. ÒAnd face your consequences.Ó   He studied them. ÒDo not dawdle.  He doesnÕt like to be kept waiting.Ó  He turned and walked off, letting out a whistle as he did. 

ÒNice.Ó  Gabrielle glowered after him. ÒGood to know you can always find a jerk up here too.Ó

The back moving away from them stiffened, but he didnÕt turn. He walked through a gap in the perfectly green hedges and disappeared.

ÒHappier now?Ó  Xena guided her up the steps. ÒCÕmon, lets get this over with.Ó  

Gabrielle didnÕt think her partner was really mad with her.   ÒSorry.Ó She rested one hand on XenaÕs hip, not willing to take any chances.  ÒI hate people like that.Ó

ÒMe too.Ó Xena tipped her head back as they walked up the steps and approached the entrance to the temple. It had no door, just a large opening, and beyond it they could see an endless span of marble and light. ÒHere we go.Ó

ÒHere we go.Ó Gabrielle repeated as they crossed the threshold and entered the temple. 

It was vast.  The center was an open path, but on either side were five huge thrones, bathed in golden light from the windows cut into the walls above them.  They were empty, and silent.

Spears of light crisscrossed the temple, and they walked in and out of them as they headed towards the rear, where large steps led up to a marble dais draped over with billowy white silk much like what they were wearing.

On the dais were two thrones, larger and higher than the rest, and on those thrones two figures sat, waiting for them.

It was intimidating.  Gabrielle felt her guts clenching, and her heart beat speeding up.   She could see the two figures bathed in sunlight at the end of the temple, a stern, broad shouldered man, and a tall, spare woman that she knew without recourse to her scrolls were the king and queen of all the gods, Zeus and Hera.

Oh boy.  She felt her throat go dry.  

There were a set of broad, shallow steps that led up to an open area, below the level of the thrones that right now was lit by two blocks of sun coming in from either side of the temple.   There was no sound but their bare soles on the marble as they walked up the steps and came to a stop on the platform, facing the two figures.

Gabrielle glanced quickly at Xena. Her partner was standing easily, her hands at her sides as she regarded the two gods.  She had no particular expression on her face, just a silent waiting attitude.  The bard squared her shoulders and tried to assume the same.

It was hard. She was scared.  She looked up at the tall figures, and took a deep breath.   Zeus was tall and broad shouldered, with a fully bearded face and thick silver white hair   His face was rugged, with strong planes she almost recognized from Ares.  

Hera was also tall, with a slender figure and creamy silken skin and the same silver white hair.  They were both draped in fabric much like what she and Xena were wearing, a shifting white with a hint of rainbow color that flickered briefly when the sun hit it.

Intimidating.  Gabrielle remembered being wary and a little afraid of Ares, and a little awed by Aprhodite, but this was something else entirely.

ÒSo.Ó Hera spoke.  ÒThese are the two that I have heard so very, very much about.Ó

Xena apparently felt that needed no answer. Gabrielle waited anyway, feeling the goddesses eyes firmly fixed on her.   After several awkward moments, she took a breath in, and wryly remembered their old bargain.

She fights, I talk. ÒI guess we could say the same.Ó  Gabrielle answered, projecting her voice into all that golden stillness.

XenaÕs jaw muscle twitched, and she glanced away, visibly muffling a smile.

Hera got up and walked down the steps to where they were standing.  When she reached the last step, she paused and remained there, instead of descending to their level.  Zeus remained where he was, watching frostily.

ÒYou have brought dissention among my family.Ó Hera said. ÒSo mortals  here on my sufferance should keep their tongues in their head. Ò

Oddly, Gabrielle felt her fear fading.  ÒMy tongue is inside my head.Ó She remarked, opening her mouth and displaying the appendage.  ÒWe didnÕt ask to come here.  What do you want from us?Ó

Hera raised her hand and before Gabrielle could react Xena stepped in front of her and a purple flash came around her partnerÕs body, stinging her skin as it went past.  Gabrielle gasped in reflex, and reached out to touch XenaÕs back, as the light faded.

ÒDonÕt do that again.Ó Xena spoke for the first time.  ÒYou brought us here. Answer the question. What is it you want from us?  If itÕs just to yell and send sparks, just blast us off on our way to wherever weÕre going to go.Ó

Gabrielle peeked past XenaÕs shoulder. She could see HeraÕs face tensing in anger, but a quick look up also showed her an unexpected smirk on ZeusÕ face.

Hera let her hand drop.  ÒSo.Ó  She said.  ÒWe have yet another bastard among us.Ó She looked up at Zeus accusingly.  ÒIs it not bad enough you have the entire family in disarray, you have to bring this creature in to rub the salt?

ÒThanks.Ó Gabrielle whispered.

Xena draped an arm over her shoulders.  ÒIn for a dinar, in for a thousand of them.Ó She said. ÔJust stay behind me if bolts start flying, okay?Ó

ÒNo problem.Ó

Zeus lifted one hand and put it back down again.  ÒThis creature is none of my doing.Ó He said.  ÒIt is true, we have much discord and I have seen the root of it in these here.Ó He indicated the two of them with a finger.   ÔYou wished to have this discord end,  I made it so.Ó

I made it so.  Gabrielle felt a chill go down her back.  ÒAre you saying we were annoying you so you just killed us?Ó

Zeus stared at her. 

ÒAre you kidding me?Ó  Gabrielle felt anger replace the lingering fear. ÒLike it was our fault you guys had nothing better to do than start a war?Ó

ÒGab.Ó

ÒXena, I donÕt care. What are they going to do, kill me twice?Ó  The bard said.  ÒYouÕre darn lucky you guys decided to kill me because if I knew what I know now, and was still alive IÕd be spending the rest of my days telling everyone I knew why you shouldnÕt be worshipped.Ó

Now, she caught a faint smirk on Heras face.  The queen of the gods folded her hands. ÒDiscord indeed.Ó She said. ÒMortal, your presence here is suffered only because of this creatureÕs bastard blood. Do not push our good will.  There are worse pains to suffer than death.Ó

Xena cleared her throat. ÒWhat do you want from us?Ó She asked.  ÒBlood or no blood I didnÕt ask to come here.Ó

Zeus was still staring at Gabrielle.   With a visible effort, he turned his attention to Xena. ÒFour of my children squabble with out end over possession of you. Ò He said. ÒI will have an end to it.  No bastard creature is worth this disharmony.Ó

He clapped his hands, and six soldiers entered, stolid and stone faced. ÒTake these away and hold them until I call again for them. I will summon my children and we will see what we will do with them.Ó

The six soldiers advanced obediently.

Gabrielle looked at Xena and saw the smile appear, and she quickly got her center of balance up over the balls of her feet as the body next to her flexed and surged into raw animal motion. 

As the first soldier reached them Xena took his spear from his hands before he could react and tossed it to Gabrielle then she grabbed the man bodily and hurled him to one side, as the others rushed her.  

With a wild yell the echoed off the marble,  Xena slammed her elbow into a jaw and lashed out to kick the sword from the hand of another soldier.     She picked up the man by his crotch and his armor chest piece and lifted him, pressing him over her head and then throwing him against two of his companions.

Gabrielle dodged a reeling man and whacked a second with the spear, then knelt quickly as the man lunged for her, swinging the spear around and taking his legs from under him. She got up and slammed the end of the spear into a man about to grab Xena, knocking him backwards just as her partner took his arm and spun him around, leaning him over and yanking his shoulder out of itÕs socket.

He let out a hoarse yell of pain and Xena shoved him to the ground, turning  and going back to back with Gabrielle as silence fell.

Six men were on the ground, most of them still, a few groaning in pain.  They were standing alone on the platform, Zeus and Hera watching from their thrones high above.

Xena straightened up, lifting her head and staring up at Zeus. ÒTell us where to wait, and we will.Ó She said. ÒDonÕtÕ waste anymore soldiers.Ó

Zeus was watching her, with a faint, cruel smile on his face.  ÒYou intrigue me, creature.Ó He said.  ÒBehind that door at the end of the stairs is a room.  Go there.  Take what you are given.  Come when you are called.Ó

He waved his hand towards the steps. 

Xena stared at him in silence for a very long moment, then she put  a hand on GabrielleÕs back and guided her towards the doorway.   As they passed the last soldier, Gabrielle dropped the spear on the marble ground, making a sharp cracking sound that echoed after their footsteps.

They got to the door and walked through it, leaving the temple behind as they went down a hallway that seemed dark and dingy in comparison. 

ÒWeÕre really in big trouble huh?Ó Gabrielle asked, suddenly. 

ÒHard to tell.Ó Xena admitted.  ÒI think I might have either made it better or worse I canÕt figure out which.Ó

ÒWith the fight?Ó

ÒYeah.Ó

They got to the end of the hall and entered another chamber, this one with a low ceiling, and couches around the walls. There were two big openings towards the top letting in sunlight and there was a small pool in the corner, tinkling away.

It was empty.   Gabrielle was glad. She walked over to one of the couches and sat down, as her shaking legs were just about to give out on her.  

But they had gotten through it.  

Xena walked over and sat down next to her, bracing her hands on the couch and letting her legs sprawl out in front of her.  ÒDamn.Ó

Gabrielle leaned over and little and gave her a kiss on the shoulder. ÒThanks.Ó She said. ÒEven though IÕm already dead, thanks for blocking that stuff. I know it would have hurt.Ó

ÒAre you?Ó  Xena turned her head and studied her partner.  ÒAre we?Ó

ÒXe, weÕre on Mount Olympus.Ó  The bard said. ÒWe were in that waiting place. I remember that.  You remember that.Ó

ÒI know.Ó  Xena sighed. ÒBut Hercules is supposed to be up here too.Ó

ÒWell.Ó Gabrielle pinched the bridge of her nose and felt her ears pop just slightly.  ÒZeus is his father, Xena.Ó

ÒHe comes back.Ó

They were both silent or a while.  Then Gabrielle took a breath. ÒWell, maybe only one of us is dead then.Ó  She said, quietly.  ÒAfter all, IÕm just here apparently because you are.Ó

Xena frowned. ÒGabrielle, you know I can die. You saw me.Ó She protested. ÒI died and went to Tartarus.  That was real.Ó

ÒI know.Ó  The bard put a hand on her shoulder. ÒI know.  But you came back.Ó She felt the tall body next to her shift restlessly.  ÒXena even when you were dead, you werenÕt. You were here. I could feel you around me.Ó

Xena stared at the floor.  ÒI had help getting back.Ó She muttered.

ÒXe, cÕmon. This is no time to pretend.Ó  Gabrielle pressed closer.  ÒYou were there, you took over Autolycus.. you took over me. You remember that? You took over my body.Ó She said. ÒCould a normal dead person do that?Ó

Xena gave her a sideways look, and then she sighed. ÒI remember that.Ó  She said.  ÒHow could I forget that damn moment? Finding outÉ Ò She fell silent.

ÒFinding out what?Ó

XenaÕs lashes flickered a few times. ÒFinding out how you felt about me.Ó  She said. ÒTruly.Ó

Gabrielle felt her mental cart go off the road and into a ditch.  She blinked a few times. ÒYou really only figured that out THEN?Ó

Xena chuckled wryly.  ÒAnyway.Ó She said. ÒI donÕtÕ really give a damn what blood I have or whether IÕm really dead or not.  WhateverÕs going to happen is going to happen to both of us.Ó She ended the words with a decisive nod.  ÒThatÕs all there is to that.Ó

And sometimes, Gabrielle admitted, you just had to go with XenaÕs will.   Sometimes she could just make things happen. ÒIÕm all for that.Ó  She gave XenaÕs bare shoulder another kiss.  ÒNo matter what happens, I want to be right there with you.Ó

**

It took a while to relax.   The room was quiet, and filled with the peaceful light from outside.   Two women entered bearing a tray and a flask, and served them without speaking, offering them goblets and a plate of small cakes. They left once they were done, disappearing with the same silence as they had come.

Gabrielle studied the goblet. ÒIs it okay to drink this?Ó 

Xena sniffed the substance, taking a cautious sip and mouthing it. ÒTastes fine.Ó She said.  ÒLike fruit juice.Ó

ÒOh.Ó  Gabrielle took a sip and blinked. ÒItÕs good.Ó She swallowed the mouthful, aware of the cool liquid sliding down her throat and into her stomach. It was sweet, but not too sweet, and just a touch effervescent.

Xena picked up a cake and bit into it without hesitation. ÒI figure theyÕd come up with better ways to get rid of us than giving us poison food.Ó She said. ÒAnd the only thing IÕve heard of that does anything weÕve both already eaten.Ó

Ambrosia.  Gabrielle took a cake and nibbled it. It tasted good, with a hint of spice to it she thought maybe was cinnamon.   Not at all like ambrosia.  She washed her cake down with the juice and wondered what was going on in the temple.

Had Zeus called in his family yet? Were they arguing?  ÒXena, is it true when the gods argue it thunders over Mount Olympus?Ó

Xena settled back with her goblet and another cake, extending her legs out on the couch and crossing them at the ankles. ÒNah.Ó She shook her head. ÒJust folk tales.Ó  She patted the spot next to her and waited for Gabrielle to settle into it and they relaxed shoulder to shoulder.

It was the first time since theyÕd É Gabrielle found herself wondering now about it, since Xena had questioned their dying, but still.   Since theyÕd died when she could just sit down and be still and quiet for a while and think.

It felt good. She wiggled her toes and took a drink from her goblet.  The drink had a hint of pear to it, and it felt nice on her tongue.  Then she paused. ÒXena, this isnÕt nectar, is it?Ó

Xena studied her cup. ÒProbably.Ó She admitted. ÒWhy, is there some story out there that says once we drink this we turn into rabbits or  something?Ó

ÒNo.Ó  Gabrielle said. ÒI mean.. I donÕt think there is. I never heard one.  I just neverÉ Ò She took another sip of the drink. ÒI never ever imagined tasting it.Ó

She never imagined sitting on a couch with Xena on Mount Olympus either, of course.   That made her think of other things. She watched her partner out of the corner of her eye, seeing the tensing of the skin around her temples and the motion as she bit the inside of  her lip. Usually that meant she was thinking serious thoughts.

Maybe she was thinking about being a demigod.  Gabrielle wondered what that felt like.  Xena  had always been so dismissive of the idea, so determined that her accomplishments should be her own.  Gabrielle didnÕt think that wasnÕt the case, after all she knew better than most people how hard her partner worked to do what she did.

She knew how much sweat went into those flips.  ÒHey Xe?Ó

ÒMm?Ó

ÒDinar for your thoughts.Ó

ÒYou donÕt have a dinar.Ó  Xena remarked. ÒUnless youÕve got more on under that thing than I do.Ó

Gabrielle spared her a wry look. ÒOkay, how about a kiss for your thoughts? IÕve got a couple of those in here somewhere.Ó

Xena sighed.  ÒNot sure theyÕre worth it. I was trying to figure out at what point in my life I could have stopping being of interest to the damn gods and not ended up where I am right now.Ó

ÒXe, none of this is your fault.Ó

ÒCÕmon. Of course it is.Ó Her partner says. ÒIf I wasnÕt who I am, we wouldnÕt be here.Ó

ÒIf you werenÕt who you are, we wouldnÕt be anywhere because weÕd never have met and IÕd be a slave somewhere or probably dead by now.Ó Gabrielle said. ÒXena, you canÕt help who you are. You didnÕt ask the gods to mess with you your whole life.Ó

Xena sighed again. ÒI know that.Ó She admitted. ÒBut maybe I could have decided notÉ  Ò

ÒNo to be a warrior?Ó  Gabrielle kept her shoulder pressed against XenaÕs, feeling a sense of discomfort from her.   ÒYou think you could have?Ó

Xena let her head rest against the gently sloped arm of the couch.  She studied the ceiling, her eyes flicking across the marble surface as Gabrielle waited patiently next to her. Finally she shook her head. ÒI donÕt know.Ó

Gabrielle nodded a little. ÒYou want to believe you could have changed that.Ó

ÒYeah.Ó

ÒXe. You know, sometimes people just are what they are.  Like you were telling me on the walk up here.  I didnÕt choose how I am. Ò  She put her hand on XenaÕs thigh.  ÒI didnÕt wake up one day and say, boy, IÕd like to be a storyteller. It was something inside me.  It came out even when all that got me was getting kicked around.Ó

Xena watched her, a thoughtful expression on her face. 

ÒI donÕt think I could have changed that.Ó Gabrielle went on.  ÒI tried.  That last half season before we metÉ gods I tried, Xena.  I stopped arguing with my father, I stopped telling stories.. I stopped all the things that got me slapped and beaten, and I did my damndest to be what he wanted me to be.Ó

Xena reached over and ran her fingers through GabrielleÕs hair. ÒHard?Ó

ÒI wanted to die.Ó  The bard met her eyes, gravely. ÒI felt like I was. Like I was killing the person I was.Ó

ÒHm.Ó

ÒThen I met you.Ó  Gabrielle leaned into her touch. ÒThen I met you, and aside from how I felt about you here.Ó She put a hand on her chest.  ÒYou were my salvation as a person.Ó

ÒGiven who I was then, thatÕs insane.Ó  Xena said, in a mild voice.

ÒYeah.Ó Gabrielle smiled. ÒBut itÕs true, Xe. You know it is. You didnÕt make me who I am, but you made it possible for me to become it.  Without you, even if there hadnÕt been slavers there that day, I would have lost my soul.Ó

ÒItÕs true.Ó  Xena replied.  ÒI always thought the biggest part of my redemption was you.Ó

Gabrielle felt a lump rise in her throat. They looked at each other in silence for a moment, then Xena reached over and gently wiped the tear that had escaped from her eye off with a fingertip.  ÒI think you are what you are, Xe.Ó

The pale blue eyes gentled and softened.  ÒI was born fighting. YouÕve heard my motherÕs stories. I donÕt think I could have changed that.  I wish IÕd changed why I was fighting a lot earlier though.Ó She exhaled. ÒI look back at some of the things IÕve done and IÕm just ashamed.Ó

ÒWell, you were really young.Ó Gabrielle said. ÒIÕve done some things IÕm pretty ashamed of too.Ó

They both looked up as they heard sounds outside, the first in what seemed a very long time.  ÒHuh.Ó Xena said. ÒLetÕs see whatÕs going on.Ó  She got up and extended a hand to Gabrielle, who took it. She pulled her partner up to her feet and they walked over to the square, open window and looked out.

Now there seemed to be activity around. There were groups of what were apparently servants crossing a big, sunlit grassy area in front of the temple, wagons trundling back and forth and men carrying huge silver and golden platters behind them.

They were all in simple linen tunics.  The style was more or less like what Xena and Gabirelle were wearing, but the fabric was plain and they had black hems at he bottom and along the openings where their arms emerged.

They were of all ages.  Some had bells around their wrists or ankles, and the gentle tinkle of them carried across the space to Xena and GabrielleÕs listening ears.

Two women walking along carrying pitchers caught sight of them, and turned their heads to look, nudging their companions after a moment.   The group they were in slowed a little, but didnÕt stop eyes shyly watching them as they went past.

ÒTheyÕre whispering to each other.Ó Xena noted. ÒSo I guess they can talk.Ó

ÒThe two that stopped in here sure didnÕt.Ó Gabrielle remarked. ÒI wonder why?Ó

The sound of footsteps behind them made them turn, to see another one of the servants entering, bearing a tray.    Gabrielle walked towards the woman. ÒHello.Ó

The servant jerked, as though sheÕd been stung.   She stared at Gabrielle with wide, alarmed eyes, and started to back up.

ÒNo, itÕs okay.Ó Gabrielle lifted her hands.  ÒWe wontÕ hurt you.Ó

Xena stayed where she was, leaning against the edge of the window.  She folded her arms over her chest and let her partner go to work, content to wait to see what was going to happen.

ÒItÕs okay.Ó Gabrielle repeated. ÒWhatÕs your name?Ó

The servant looked overwhelmed, she held the tray out in front of her, as though to keep Gabrielle away from her while she glanced around looking for a quick escape, since the bard had gotten between her and the small entrance sheÕd come in by.

This deeply puzzled Xena.  Of the two of them, there was no question which one was the less threatening.   What was the girl afraid of?  What did she think Gabrielle was going to do to her?

ÒIÕm not going to do anything to you. I just want to know what your name is.Ó Gabrielle said. ÒMy nameÕs Gabrielle.Ó  She added. ÒIÕm a storyteller.Ó

The woman stared at her.  Then she looked around cautiously, giving Xena a very wary glance. 

Xena stayed where she was, backing up a little in fact as she took a seat on the edge of the square opening and leaned back against the cool marble wall.

ÒItÕs okay.Ó  Gabrielle repeated. ÒHonest, neither of us is going to do anything to you.Ó She eased down onto one of the couches, though the woman was taller than she was by a hand at least.  ÒWhatÕs your name?Ó

ÒWho are you?Ó The woman whispered. ÒThey donÕt speak to us.  Everyone knows that. Just to the one in charge.Ó She slowly lowered the tray to the low table next to the couch, then she knelt next to it, carefully looking around again.

ÒOh. Well.Ó Gabrielle said. ÒWe justÉ I guess we just got here.  They wanted to É um. Talk to us.Ó  She looked uncertainly over her shoulder.  ÒThatÕs my partner, Xena.Ó

The girl looked over at Xena, then back at Gabrielle.  ÒAre you gods?Ó

ÒNo.Ó

ÒYes.Ó

Xena and Gabrielle answered together, then exchanged looks. ÒItÕs complicated.Ó Gabrielle finally said. ÒWhere are you from?Ó

ÒSparta.Ó  The woman whispered. ÒI died there, in an avalanche.Ó  She said. ÒI was in Elysia and they came and got me. Now I live here, and serve the gods. ItÕs a great honor.Ó

ÒItÕs better here than Elysia?Ó Gabrielle asked.

The girl moved the tray a little. ÒI liked being in Elysia.Ó She said.  ÒBut all you do there is wander around and talk to your ancestors, and enjoy how pretty it is.   Here, I have a purpose.Ó

Gabrielle slowly nodded, understanding that at a deeper gut level perhaps than the girl expected. ÒAre they nice to you here?Ó

ÒOh yes.Ó The girl nodded. ÒWeÕre all nice to each other but..Ó She looked over her shoulder at the entrance to the temple.  ÒThey donÕtÕ speak to us. We can get in trouble if they do. ThatÕs why.. Ò She gave Xena an cautious glance.  ÒI donÕt want to get into trouble. They may send me somewhere bad.Ó

She got up. ÒI have to go.  Please enjoy what I have brought you.Ó She slipped past the couches and disappeared into the small door sheÕd entered through, leaving Xena and Gabrielle alone in the waiting room again.

ÒHuh.Ó Xena got up and came over, sprawling on the couch and reaching over to examine the contents of the tray.  ÒLeast weÕre not going to starve here.Ó

ÒWhat did you think of that, Xe?Ó Gabrielle squirmed backwards and put her head in her partnerÕs lap. ÒWasnÕt it a little weird?Ó

ÒWhat the grapes?Ó Xena offered her one.   ÒI guess they had to get servants from somewhere. What she said sorta made sense.Ó  She admitted. ÒI always wondered what you did once you got to Elysia.Ó

Gabrielle tried to remember her very brief visit there.  She thought she recalled it being green and peaceful, a little like their walk up to the temple had been, full of sweet flowery scents and warm sunlight.

She remembered seeing her uncle there, and how surprised heÕd been at her presence.   She never thought about what it would have been like to stay there but now that sheÕd heard what the girl had said, she wondered.  ÒYou think people get bored there?Ó

ÒWhere, Elysia?Ó  Xena bit into a peach and munched it contentedly.  ÒNever crossed my mind.Ó She said. ÒNever thought it would be something IÕd have to worry about, to be honest.Ó She bit off a chunk and leaned over, feeling Gabrielle raise her head a little to take it from between her teeth.

Gabrielle chewed the bit of fruit and swallowed it.   It tasted wonderful.  ÒIf weÕd ended up in Elysia, you think weÕd have found a way to get into trouble?Ó

Xena smiled at her, a frank, sexy grin that lit up her eyes.

ÒYea, me too.Ó The bard chuckled.  Then she got up and went back over to the window, gazing out it again as more people walked by.  ÒWhy do you think they wonÕt talk to them, Xe?Ó

ÒThe gods?Ó  Xena came over  and peered over her shoulder.  ÒBeats me.  YouÕd think theyÕd welcome a chance to get a change in the conversation once in a while just talking to themselves.Ó

ÒIÕm sure theyÕve gotÉ well, people who sing and entertain them, right? Storytellers?Ó Gabrielle mused. ÒOr is that different?Ó She sat down in the marble opening and regarded the outside.  The waiting room they were in was at the top of a little slope, which then went down to the path the servants were walking on.  ÒHm.Ó

ÒGot a story you want to tell?Ó Xena eyed her knowingly.    She sat down on the opposite side of the opening and extended her legs across it.

ÒMe?Ó  Gabrielle mimicked her. ÒHow about I tell you a story. That work for you?Ó

ÒSure.Ó Xena watched her partner carefully position herself so that she was facing the marble wall outside, which would catch and bounce her voice out over the grass.  

As a bard, Gabrielle had grown to really know her business.  She had become savvy in the ways of gaining and keeping an audience, and understood just how powerful her spoken word could be if she really wanted it to.

They were already attracting attention outside.  The two of them sitting in the window was evidently an odd enough sight that even the men and women hurrying to their work slowed and paused, watching them.

ÒLetÕs see.Ó Gabrielle cleared her throat a little, idly catching a grape her partner tossed over at her.  ÒShould I tell the one about the Titans?Ó

Xena chuckled, low in her throat.

ÒI think I will.Ó  Gabrielle popped the grape in her mouth and made short work of it. Then she launched into the tale,  taking a parenthetical moment to introduce her erstwhile audience to the tale knowing full well Xena needed no such reminding.

Surely she remembered it. But the figures walking by wouldnÕt, and so she shaped the words to tell them about what the story was, and who it involved, and why theyÕd want to listen to it.

As she moved into the body of the tale, she focused her attention on Xena and watched her partnerÕs face, the blue eyes flicking past her as Xena watched the crowd.   

Her ears were cocked. She could hear footsteps slowing after a handful of minutes and she projected her voice a little more, watching the faint grin begin to tug at XenaÕs lips.

 ÒAnd then, before I knew what was happening, the Titans woke up..Ó

Xena had the best view.  She not only could see the warm sunlight on her partnerÕs face, she could see the crowd starting to gather, pausing to listen to the bardÕs words, and stopping as they rang out against the marble walls.

They were afraid. Many looked over their shoulders anxiously, but stood still anyhow shifting their weight from foot to foot.   A wagon stopped rolling and itÕs driver hopped off, coming over to see what the disturbance was,  meeting XenaÕs eyes as he edged through the crowd.

XenaÕs hair almost stood up straight as she realized she recognized the man, and after a brief, startled second, he recognized her.

His eyes lit up and he gave her a big grin.

Xena drew in a breath, finding herself shaking a little as the truth of where she was now really came home to her.   She gave Alain a little wave, her mind erupting with the image she still had of carrying his broken body to the pyre in what had been left of Potadiea.

Her skin prickled.

She felt as though she was waking up, after a long sleep.

Gabrielle cocked her head in question, then turned to see what Xena was looking at, her voice almost breaking as she, too, recognized her childhoodÕs old friend.

He settled in the grass cross legged, listening, and after a brief pause others joined him.

Gabrielle eased herself around to face them, pulling her legs up under her and addressing them directly as she kept glimpsing others pausing to listen and imagining she recognized more than a few.

She hoped she wasnÕt going to get everyone in too much trouble.

 

**

Continued in Part 26