Tempting Fates
Part 11
There was a light rain falling as the four of them crossed the open space between the buildings the next morning, waxed leather cloaks deflecting the drops in the quietness of just past dawn, hoods pulled forward as their boots sounded softly against the stones.
The courtyard otherwise was still and very quiet. There was no motion around the enclosure save theirs, lacking even any early morning servants hurrying across from their quarters to begin the work of the day. A light mist drifted across at knee level, wispy and ethereal.
Through the glade of trees, against the compound walls were makeshift shelters, those merchants camping overnight under hides stretched between the trees and the wall, fires dampened, wagons covered and wrapped securely standing by.
The door to the stables was propped open ahead of them, oil lamp light reflecting out across the rain darkened slate and here, at least, faint motion visible inside that marked the stable workers about their morning tasks. Alerted by the sound of approaching steps, one of the grooms stuck his head out and saw them approaching, quickly disappearing back inside.
“How late did they carry on last night?” Hercules asked, as they neared the door. “It’s quiet as a tomb around here.”
“Peribos said they were just closing up about a candlemark ago.” Iolaus answered. “Glad we didn’t wait it out.” He glanced at Gabrielle, who was walking quietly next to him, one hand clasped around her staff. “Especially since we ended up being the primary entertainment.”
“I was croaking like a frog when we escaped.” Gabrielle agreed, with a brief smile. “But I think we did a good job.”
“Definitely kept them interested.” Iolaus grinned.
“Definitely distracted everyone.” Hercules added, with a grin of his own. “Thanks.”
They entered the stable, surrounded by the scent of hay, and animals and the tang of burning oil. The stablemaster was hurrying forward, summoned by the groom who’d spotted them. “Good morning, m’lord.” He ducked his head at Hercules. “How can I be of service?”
“I’ll need two horses for me and Iolaus.” Hercules said. “We’re going to take a ride up towards the city.”
“Right away, m’lord.” He gestured to the groom and they hustled towards a set of square boxes on the far side of the space, where two horses were stabled.
Xena and Gabrielle had continued walking, moving towards where Spot and Tanto were peering over their ropes, watching them approach. “It would have to be raining.” Gabrielle sighed, as they reached the horses and moved inside the stalls.
“Hopefully this won’t take that long.” Xena spent a moment giving Tanto scratches behind his ears, and a treat from her belt pouch. “C’mon, kids. We’re going to have some fun.”
Gabrielle was already fitting Spot’s bridle on. “What is it you saw last night that’s making us do this?” She asked, after a moment fiddling with the fastening. “You didn’t say anything when you came back.”
“I don’t actually know what I saw.” Xena put Tanto’s saddle pad in place and then lifted his saddle up and into position. “I didn’t think anything of it until Herc mentioned something at dinner. That’s why we’re all going to take a look. They’ve been up there. We haven’t.” She got the girth tightened then half turned and pointed over her shoulder. “Can you open that..”
“Yeah, hang on.” Gabrielle reached up and worked the fastening off the flap in Xena’s cloak that exposed her sword hilt, pulling the leather around it and tucking it in. “That feel okay?”
Xena reached over her shoulder and tugged on the sword. “All good. Thanks.” She stood quietly as Gabrielle finished saddling Spot, her hands resting on Tanto’s neck, idly scratching it as she watched over his back across the breadth of the stable.
Two workers entered, giving Hercules and Iolaus an interested look before they moved on, going briskly to the storage area and walking past the occupied stalls, making soft, low sounds to catch the attention of the horses who poked their heads out.
Xena stepped forward and unhooked the knotted ropes, leading Tanto out as Gabrielle followed with Spot, walking the horses along the center of the stable towards where two of the finely bred town animals were being tacked up, while the stablemaster stood and made casual conversation with Iolaus and Hercules.
“Tis a wet morning, no doubt.” The stablemaster was saying. “But I think it will pass, and clear later on.” He glanced out the open door. “Maybe your errand could wait m’lord? It will be muddy.”
“No, it’ll be fine.” Hercules stepped sideways as the groom approached, leading the two horses. “Thanks, we’ll take good care of them.” He added, giving the closer horse, a tall bay with a neat white blaze down his face, a pat on the cheek. “Hello Adros, we meet again.”
Tanto made a whickering sound, his ears flicking back and forth, and the two town horses eyed him warily.
“Behave.” Xena walked him back a length and then vaulted up onto his back, getting herself settled as he moved sideways a few steps. She reached out and took hold of Spot’s bridle as Gabrielle finished getting her staff lashed into place along the mare’s side. “Mind sending someone out to open the gates. Not sure we want to be fence jumping in all this wet.”
“Yes, m’lady.” The groom responded promptly, handing Iolaus the reins of the second horse and taking off at a lope.
Gabrielle got herself into the saddle and settled her boots, fluffing out her cloak so part of it covered Spot’s shoulders. The town horses both had padded half blankets under their saddles, their coats short and trimmed close unlike the rougher, more wiry covering their own horses had.
They headed for the outside door to the stables and emerged into the rain and Gabrielle was glad of her cloak as she felt the chilled air coming at her back and ruffling the horses manes. The path to the gate was lightly running with rainwater, and they splashed through it, and through the gate leading to the up-mountain path where the groom was standing patiently waiting, his dark brown hair plastered down from the rain.
“Thanks.” Hercules gave him a casual wave, and he swung the gate closed behind them and ran back towards the barn. “At least there’s no traffic today.”
“Not yet.” Iolaus agreed, as they started the climb upward, moving into a faster gait. “Everyone was either spending the night drinking at your party or doing the same at the wedding. All those merchants’ll be heading up soon as they break bread though.”
They encountered no one on the ride up. The road was filling up with puddles in the low spots, but it wasn’t bad going and they let the horses pick their path, going past the fields and groves, the wind at their backs holding a hint of the sea, mixed with the rich scent of the earth of the harvest churned fields.
Gabrielle was looking forward to the top of the ridge, curiosity tickling her and as they reached the summit and scrambled the last steep turn she leaned and peered past Spot’s swiveling ears to see the land beyond. There were still wisps of fog but she could see the slope and valley beyond, a wide, well paved road continuing up the next ridge towards a significant cluster of buildings in the distance hazy in the rain.
Ahead of them was a short plateau, and a cart path going up in the other direction, along the back side of the escarpment above the town and moving off down the coast into the distance, a glimmer of water visible on the far horizon.
Past the plateau, the land started rising up again and a broad, conical mountain formed, its summit obscured in the drifting dark storm clouds.
“Well, damn it, Xena.” Hercules was saying. “Why didn’t we think about that?”
“Great question.” Xena had to admit. “We even live on a mountain.” She half turned and looked back at Gabrielle with a sheepish expression. “They said it was going to clear, didn’t they?”
“That is what the stablemaster said.” Hercules sighed. “And suggested we wait. Now we’re going to look like idiots going back there.”
Gabrielle guided Spot up next to Tanto, and the mare placidly started munching on some late season long grass just off the road. “We’re trying to look at the top of the mountain I take it?” She regarded the thick clouds. “Well, darn.”
Xena was leaning on her saddlebow, regarding the scene with a slight scowl. Then she straightened up a little. “Lets go see this city.” She suggested. “We can waste some time there, until it clears up. For what it’s worth, I agree with the stablemaster.”
“About the weather, you mean.” Iolaus clarified.
“Yeah.” Xena looked at the sky thoughtfully. “Clouds are moving fast. It’ll blow over here and then the wind’ll swing around from the north.” She said. “Lets go find some trouble.” She gathered up Tanto’s reins and nudged him to the right.
“Why would we need to find trouble if we have you with us?” Hercules sighed but turned his horse to follow. “There’s a lot of people up there who aren’t too happy with us. They didn’t like what I had to say.” He peered up the road to the city. “Today was supposed to be some big festival or something.. maybe they won’t notice us.”
He gave his horse a little nudge and it broke into a trot as he caught up with Xena a few horse lengths ahead.
“For the sun god?” Gabrielle looked at him, then up at the clouds, then at him. Her lips twitched as she stifled a smile, catching Iolaus giving her a sideways glare. “How do you get involved in these things Gabrielle? Most common question I get. It’s like the Fates chase you around, my mother-in-law says.”
“Well, ya know...” Iolaus started to chuckle wryly.
“No no, we chase them.” Gabrielle pulled her hood a little further forward as the rain started to come down harder. “We absolutely do.”
**
The city gates were swung open, a wide gap inside tall, well-built walls of the same type of stone as the walls in the town. Rough and irregular but evenly spaced and built with evident skill, they surrounded the breadth of the buildings that were equally stone built, but with plastered veneers that were darkened in the rain but showed colors painted on them.
It was a respectably sized provincial state, with every evidence of industry and wealth, long rows of well-kept villas and courtyards, urbane and sophisticated. The town they’d sailed into was a rural hamlet in comparison, and Gabrielle comprehended more fully some of the attitudes she’d witnessed from the visitors in the market.
They were not challenged at the gates and rode inside along with two wagons they had caught up to, the guards observing them, but obviously regarding them as no threat, coming in as they had from the coast.
“If only they knew.” Gabrielle uttered under her breath. She turned her head from side to side as she rode along, judging that the place was about the same size as the port city they’d stolen their ship from, and like that place, there were large open spaces, and grand buildings, even an outdoor theatre in it’s classic half circle.
It smelled of citron, and some pungent spices, and the effluvia of humanity and as they got further into the center it started to also become crowded with citizens going about their business, most with cloaks furled around themselves or holding stiffened capes over their heads as they hurried through the rain.
The streets were stone lined, with a central trough that today had rainwater flowing down it, but the channel was stained with dirt and muck and the smell was still evident in what was an open stone sewage channel. Dotted across the path at regular intervals were stepping stones, which they carefully negotiated the horses around used to keep the citizen’s robes out of the wet.
“We can leave the horses over there.” Hercules moved his jaw in the direction of a walled enclosure. “They don’t let riders any further up.”
They dismounted next to the gates leading into the holding pen and Xena paused to look around as Iolaus went to talk to the man sitting on a wooden stool outside the gates. On either side of the road, on the first level there were simple rooms with a large square opening, and a counter, and behind that some type of cookfire.
Even as early as it was, there were many of them offering foodstuffs, and the workers of the city were clustered around them, trading small coins for portions of whatever it was they were selling, walking off with them and eating or standing a few steps away from the window and consuming the food.
On the second level there were square holes in the walls, open to the air and between two of the food stalls, there was a door opening with stairs just visible leading up. As she regarded it, a man came down the steps with a carrysack slung over his shoulders and a belt with woodworking tools around his waist. He paused on the road, looking up and back, then moved purposefully towards one of the food counters on the other side of the path.
“Okay, two dinars a piece.” Iolaus came back over. “Highway robbery, but it gets them water and hay.” He shook his head and muttered under his breath.
“Let me go talk to him.” Gabrielle handed her reins to Xena and pulled her staff out of its holders.
“Gabrielle, no please don’t.” Iolaus turned towards her and put both hands out in appeal. “He’s going to be rude to you and then Xena’s going to break his arm, and we’ll be stuck here all night.”
Xena leaned over Tanto’s withers. “I wouldn’t break his arm.” She protested mildly. “What’s his problem?”
“He lives here.” Iolaus frowned. “And we don’t.”
“I got it.” Hercules patted him on the shoulder and walked over to the man, digging into a pouch tied at his belt. A cluster of voices nearby drew their attention, and they all turned to see a group of men in pale saffron colored togas walking by, shielded from the rain by a canopy the men on the corners of the group were holding overhead.
They were angry. Two of them were speaking loudly and gesticulating with their hands, and the name of Apollo floated over, along with a rude expletive.
Xena looked at Iolaus in question, both dark brows lifting.
“Followers of Illumos.” Iolaus said, briefly. “The competition, I guess? There’ s a temple of Apollo two streets down. There are a dozen different cults around here, his is one of them.” He took hold of the bridle of his horse as Hercules returned. “Want to see it?”
“Mm.” Gabrielle grunted. “Not really. He’s not a fave.” She glanced down a side street. “He the only one with a temple?”
“Of the Olympians? Far as I know.” Iolaus kept his voice down, casually watching around them. “Plenty of others though.”
“Huh.” She wrinkled her nose. “I’d rather find some players.” She led Spot as they walked the horses through the gates the warder had pushed open, noting the sneer of dislike as he watched them walk by. Deliberately, she turned her head as she passed him, meeting his eyes steadily until he abruptly looked away, back down the street.
Why, she wondered? Just because they were from somewhere else? She followed Xena’s example and walked Spot to a sheltered area in the enclosure, ropes dividing animals somewhat haphazardly. The ground was dirt covered stone, and full of mud and animal droppings, but there were two young boys making a determined effort to push debris into a trough on one side with long brushes.
There were iron rings set into the walls, and they secured the horses to them, then walked up a sloping path towards a second, wider gate up into the city. Hercules pushed the gates open and they went through, into another square, with streets extending to either side, but here awnings
The food booths were there, but these had benches in front of them facing the central square and citizens were a bit more leisurely walking along, in pairs or small groups, most in robes or togas, noticeable embroidery visible and bits of jewelry.
They moved closer to the booths, where a canopy extended out providing some relief from the rain and pushed their cloak hoods back as they sauntered along, absorbing what there was to see.
They spotted the saffron robed men again, down one side street and took the turn towards it, attracted by the scent of freshly baked bread. Pausing outside a long counter window stacked with baskets full of round, brown loaves of bread, they waited for two tall women to finish their order and then stepped forward to catch the baker’s attention.
He was a relatively short man, with tightly curled dark hair sprinkled with silver and thick eyebrows and he spread his powerful arms out and put his hands on the counter as they arrived, cocking those eyebrows up in silent question.
“Good morning.” Gabrielle said, and got no further because just then, yelling broke out behind them and then the distinct sound of wood hitting flesh. Startled, she turned as the rest of them did and the baker stretched himself up on his tip toes, pushing up against the counter to see what was going on.
There was a sudden surge of people down the roadway, the space filled with men in togas and robes, of various kinds and markings, all rushing into a street fight carrying whatever they were holding and letting fly with yells of outrage and anger.
The men in saffron seemed to be the aggressors, attacking a crowd of other men wearing laurel leave circlets, standing on the steps of a colonnaded and white plastered building façade with copper capped wooden doors. “Ah.” Iolaus said, after a moment of silence. “Lets retreat. We don’t want any part of this.”
The baker snorted. “Smart man.” He said, in a surprisingly deep, almost bass voice. “The young idiots. Got nothing better to do than fight with each other.”
“What are they fighting about?” Gabrielle tore her attention away from the scrum, with some effort and asked him.
The baker shrugged eloquently. “Could be anything, lady.” He said. “Color of the piss on the street.”
Iolaus tugged on Hercule’s cloak. “We should get out of here.” He warned. “Let’s go over by the street near the forum. They have those lamb ribs over there.” He started moving backwards, latching on to Gabrielle’s arm. “Come, come come come come.”
Gabrielle grabbed one of the baskets with its loaf of fresh bread and tossed a dinar coin down on the table. “Hope that’s enough.” She called, as she was hauled somewhat unceremoniously backwards, just as the yelling got a lot louder.
The baker grinned at her. “Come back when the riot’s over!” He shouted over the din. “You’re lovely!”
Hercules exhaled, as he was moving backwards. “Yeah. Let’s go.” He turned and hustled Iolaus and Gabrielle ahead of him, as Xena brought up the rear, her brow creased and still a little uncertain of what exactly was going on.
She glanced behind her, seeing the crowd growing around the altercation, and then heard the clatter of well shod boots on the stone and a whistle blowing. “Definitely not our fight.” She put her hand on Gabrielle’s back as Iolaus pointed at a narrow alleyway, ducking under an awning as they hastened out of sight.
**
The rain was thankfully tapering off as they wound their way through the meandering streets, dodging carts and people hurrying past them with bundles and baskets and the occasional crate, keeping their boots out of the center drainage channel gathering the rain and rushing it down the slope.
As they walked, Gabrielle shared out her loaf of bread and they munched it as they went along, pausing to buy a skin of rough and tannic wine to wash it down with from a tiny stall.
The sound of the squabble behind them faded, and as they got further away from the temple square the street traffic calmed down, trading hectic commerce sounds for a more sedate chime of bells and music and after one last turn they emerged from the alleyways into a wide-open square with the appearance of casual wealth.
There were colorful waxed awnings hoisted up extending deep into the square and along two sides of the space were tavernas, with benches and tables lining the space already filling with toga dressed patrons. Between the shelter of the waxed fabric Gabrielle glimpsed a brief view of the sky. “Clouds are clearing.” She noted, seeing a very brief glimpse of hazy blue.
Xena was a stride ahead of her. “Yeah, that’s good news.” She remarked, glancing up and pushing the hood of her cloak back off her head and running her fingers through damp hair. “There’s another opening there.” She pointed. “That way?”
“That way.” Hercules agreed, “I think we can get a decent
look across to the mountain, up there on the forum if we can just get past that
crowd up there.” He pointed, where the ground was sloping upwards perceptibly. “One
of the higher points of the city.”
They strode quickly across the square and into a long, wide passage just past it with two story white walled villas on either side most behind wrought iron and stone walls. There were scents of spice and flowers wafting into the street from them, and birdsong echoed softly from one set of gates with a sitar tuning from the next.
The crowd up there was a thick cluster of men standing at the end of the passage, surrounding a fine-looking cart where two men were standing in the bed displaying some kind of wares.
“Oh.” Iolaus said, with a sigh. “That’s Benalaus. He’s the caterer for the wedding.”
“Yeah, lets dodge this way.” Hercules took hold of his shoulder, and they slid between stacks of wooden crates and ducked under one of the awnings and around the corner taverna that was large and a hive of busy preparation. The alleyway led along a parallel street, and then they came to a corner and turned it, moving now unimpeded to the open, wide forum ahead of them.
“That’s better.” Iolaus grunted. “Didn’t want to bump into him. He’s mad we outbid him the other day.”
“For the party?” Hercules glanced at him.
Iolaus nodded, making a small face. “We got all the lemon tarts. He threatened to get us fined for obstructing commerce.”
Gabrielle frowned, glancing past Xena at him “Petty much?” She asked in a faintly disbelieving tone.
“Apparently they are the bride’s favorite.”
They pulled their hoods up and moved out of the shelter of the awnings into neatly tiled stone floor and a welcome breeze of fresh air coming in from the northwest. “Okay, here we go.” Hercules led the way into the center of the space and then he turned and looked to his left, and paused, going still. “Oh, damn it.”
Xena was next to him and her head tilted a little as she looked up over the colonnaded stone edifice at the edge of the forum and past it, where the clouds were moving fast but parting enough for them to see the long plateau to the west of the city slowly angling up to the mountain beyond.
Gabrielle took a breath and felt the jolt, watching Xena’s shoulders straighten as she came to her full height and went still herself, as Hercules had. Past them both, she could just see the summit of the mountain in the distance, a sharply vivid cone reaching into the sky, with a gray plume of darker smoke rising from it.
After a brief moment, Xena half turned to look back at her and their eyes met. No words were needed. Gabrielle could read everything in the widening blue eyes and feel the intensity of the emotion between them. She leaned on her staff and exhaled. “Here we go again.”
“What?” Iolaus stretched on his toes next to her to see past Hercules’s tall form.
“Nothing good.” Gabrielle moved forward and came to Xena’s side, bumping shoulders with her as the rain lightly misted their skin. “Trouble, huh?”
“Trouble.” Xena confirmed. She turned back and studied the mountain, taking in the uneven edge to the top of it, and the dipping tear pointing almost directly at the city, and the fluctuating emission of thick smoke. “You know what I’m thinking right now, Gabrielle?”
“You’re thinking what the Hades are we doing here?” Gabrielle pondered. “But I mean, Xena, if there’s a problem you know we walk right into it.” She said, in a mournful tone. “Don’t we?”
Xena sighed. “Yeah, but I’m thinking it’s high time for us to walk right out of it.” She said. “Not sure this is our kind of problem.”
On the far side of the forum there were two tavernas, one on each side of a massive statue. “Lets go talk.” Xena pointed at one, and started towards it, dodging two ornate, decorated carts that were making their way across filled with finely dressed patrons.
“Ah there he is!” A loud, male voice thundered. “I knew you were behind this, you Olympian cretin!” The carts suddenly swerved in their direction. “Stop him! He shouldn’t have been allowed into the city!”
A line of soldiers, who had been trailing the carts split around them and clattered across the stones and Hercules sighed and turned towards them. As the men closed on them Xena folded her arms across her chest and stood there with a relaxed pose, studying the oncoming troops.
“Oh.” Gabrielle said, after a brief pause. “It’s the jerk from the glassmaker’s stall.” She sniffed reflectively and checked the leather handholds on her staff. “This, on the other hand is our kind of problem.”
Xena chuckled wryly.
“Don’t you have something better to do today, Pelogas?” Hercules called out, putting his hands on his hips. “I didn’t bring rain, and that’s not the thing you people should be worried about right now anyway.”
Iolaus got ready for the looming fight to come, glancing briefly at Xena as he edged up on the other side of Hercules. “No kidding.”
The prospective groom was standing in the first cart – surrounded by six other men all dressed in fine togas with gold trim and two tall men in workmanlike leather armor, with gilded daggers and swords hung at their sides.
Behind them the second cart held the bride, dressed demurely in silk, a smoke gray veil obscuring her features. A thickset man sat next to her, with silver gray hair and a light blue cape draped around his shoulders, and behind them stood four other young men in saffron colored hooded robes.
“What are you going on about the mountain again?” Pelogas laughed, and the men with him joined in. “Well, we don’t need any of your doom and gloom here, we have a god now who will protect us.” He gestured to the men in yellow robes. “Our holy priest of Illumos has told us. This place is safe.”
“We need no old gods, or pretend gods.” The tallest of the saffron robed men said, staring condescendingly at Hercules. “We should take him and bring him to the temple.”
Hercules sighed. “You know, the irony of this kills me.” He muttered under his breath to Xena. “Here I am, representing my immortal family who would be thrilled to see me run off the top of this hill into quicksand.”
The soldiers reached them and started to surround them, pulling out weapons. “Come with us!” The oldest of them said, sternly. “We will do as the priest commands, and take you to judgement.”
“No you won’t.” Hercules responded. “But you know what? You don’t want a son of Zeus here?” He spread his arms out in a shrug. “Not a problem. We saw what we came to see. We’re leaving.”
“Oh no, you’re not in charge here.” Pelogas said. “Guards, take him.”
“Aren’t you supposed to be getting married?” Iolaus shouted. “C’mon, Pelogas – move along!”
The guard strode forward and drew his sword, and as he neared Xena casually reached over her shoulder and pulled her sword from its sheath in a whisper of steel against leather and flipped it in her hand, twirling the blade and reflecting a sudden spurt of sunlight across the forum.
The man stopped and stared at her. “Put that weapon down.” He barked, pointing the tip of his sword at her.
“C’mere and make me.” Xena replied, with a smile. She let her blade rest against her shoulder and waited, meeting his eyes and gently rubbing the edge of her thumb against the finely wrought hilt. “Bring your little friends with ya.”
Gabrielle stood quietly waiting just behind her, legs braced, her staff held against her thighs with an even grip. There were only ten of them. They weren’t in real physical danger. But they were deep within a city full of factions and guards and easily irritated men and it would be a job to get back to the horses and leave without something unfortunate happening.
She knew Xena knew that, thus this, for her, playful challenge. At best, they’d posture and back off. At worst they’d get rushed and have to put on a show.
“You let a woman protect you?” The groom laughed. “Is it so?”
Hercules didn’t even flinch. He looked over at the cart, his hands clasped calmly in front of him. “In any battle, having Xena on your side is an advantage.” He said mildly. “She can protect me anytime. So go on, buddy.” He added to the guard captain. “Try to take that sword.”
“If I were you.” Iolaus said directly to Pelogas. “I’d get moving to the altar. Otherwise, you’re gonna get married covered either in blood or manure.” He made shooing gestures with both hands. “Scoot.”
“No one asked you for your opinion, little man.” Pelogas retorted.
“I never wait to be asked.” Iolaus responded. “I’m just around to say I tolja so.”
The guards shifted uneasily, edging forward, gripping their swords and glancing between each other and at their captain, who took a deep breath and moved forward a few steps.
Without really moving, Xena’s entire presentation shifted, all air of amused waiting gone in an instant, her body shifting up over her center of balance, her eyes narrowing and this almost indefinable sense of menace radiating from her.
Gabrielle, who knew this stance well, scanned the opposing guards and picked a target, imagining in her head the step and the swing and rotation of her body that would come after it, her breath coming a little faster, a flush of warmth surging down her arms as she prepared to fight.
Then she saw the shift in the guard captain’s face, and after a moment a second guard leaned over and whispered something to him. Slowly the guard captain stepped back and after a minute of enduring Xena’s glare, looked away and then sheathed his weapon. He looked back over his shoulder at Pelogas and just slightly, shook his head.
“Your cover is blown, hon.” Gabrielle uttered softly.
“They heard about that serpent probably.” Xena whispered back.
“Nah. That second one’s wearing a token of Ares. Tucked inside his dagger sheath.”
Xena’s brows lifted and she tilted her head. “Ahhhh… good catch, my love.” She wiped the rain off her blade with a fold of her cloak and reseated it in its sheath.
“If you are here when my wedding ends I will have you taken, no matter what whore you have defending you.” Pelogas, red faced, shouted. “Move on drivers! This is not finished!” He went and sat back down on the plush, padded seat of the cart and it started forward, moving slowly past them.
“Jerk.” Gabrielle said, her voice projecting loud enough for him to hear it. He turned his head and stared at her and she stared back at him, grounding her staff and relaxing as the guard backed off and went back into formation, gathering around the second cart that creaked into motion.
As it passed, the men pointedly ignored them, but there was faint motion as the bride, obscured behind her veil tilted her head just a bit towards them, keeping that position until the cart had disappeared into the main road at the top of the forum edge.
“Well that was fun.” Iolaus dusted his hands off. “What a bunch of chickenshits.”
Hercules snorted. “Perfectly glad they were chickenshits I’m not looking to fight my way out of the city, Iolaus.” He glanced around. “So now what. That mountain’s going to blow. They’re not going to be safe here.” He stared up at the mountain, which now was giving off a thicker, almost black plume. “No one is.”
Iolaus stared at the fire mountain. “How do we know?” He said. “It seems pretty far away.”
“It’s gone off before.” Xena said quietly, glancing around, but they were quite alone there in the middle of the forum, everyone else studiously avoiding them. “All of the black rock for the buildings and those glass bubbles down in the town. That comes from those things blowing up.”
“Are you sure?” Iolaus finally asked.
“Yes.” She replied briefly. “I’ve been to a place with one of those on it.”
“So have I.” Hercules added. “I knew.” He said. “About the stone and the glass. I just thought it was a long time ago thing.” He exhaled. “Not something that’s all of a sudden happening now.”
They were silent for a moment. “Herc.” Iolaus said, slowly. “This isn’t… I mean… you know.”
“My family being bored?” Hercules responded dryly. “Anything’s possible but I haven’t done anything to piss them off lately.” The rain started coming down harder again, and he nudged them back towards the lower part of town. “Lets find a place to talk.”
**
They ended up back at the baker’s stall, since the streets had cleared and everyone who was interested had gone to the temple of Illumos for the wedding festivities. The man was glad enough to see them and there was a small square table in the back of his stall they could settle around to wait out the storm.
The baker hustled around and produced a platter of mild soft cheese and sausage, along with another loaf of his excellent bread and then ducked behind his counter and put his back to them though, Gabrielle noted, by the twitching of his ears he was hoping to listen in.
His stall was on a corner, bordered by one busy alleyway and one major street, a crossroads. She smiled a little, thinking of Cyrene’s inn at home, in the same sort of crossroads in a much more rural location with her bartenders and servers the same sort of collectors of information.
People were the same, sometimes. She often dropped in for breakfast at her mother in law’s kitchen, and traded gossip from up the mountain to both of their benefit and she could imagine this baker, with his fellows in a nearby watering hole doing the same.
Xena was seated behind the table with her back to the wall, her arms folded over her chest as she looked out across the baker’s stall with a pensive expression, eyes slightly unfocused.
“Iolaus.” Gabrielle leaned forward, bracing her elbows on the table. “You don’t think this is something…directed at us?” She asked in a low tone.
“Not us.” Iolaus circled one hand. “Us.” He pointed to Herc and then to himself. “You just got here. You haven’t done anything but tell cool stories about them and from what you told me, gave their rep a boost on your way.”
“Hasn’t mattered before.” Xena said, in a dry tone.
“No, he’s right.” Hercules propped his head on his fist. “But we really haven’t done anything either. We’ve just been..” He shrugged. “Living? But could they just be like I said, bored and figured they’d screw with me for fun? Sure.”
“Make an entire mountain blow up just to make you uncomfortable?” Gabrielle’s fair brows knit together over her eyes and echoed the disbelief in her tone. “Really?”
Herc shrugged again.
“Maybe someone took a bet.” Xena’s lips twitched wryly. “Now that’s happened before.” She added, as Gabrielle leaned back in her chair, her hand coming up to cover her face in visceral reaction. “Your uncles might still be ticked off.”
Gabrielle lowered her hand and laced her fingers in front of her, gazing thoughtfully at them. “Any way for us to find out?” She asked. “Because lets say it is a thing about someone being pissed off or whatever, and it is about us, any combination of us, we can solve this by leaving.”
There was a brief period of silence as the other three regarded her solemnly.
“I mean, right?” Gabrielle said. “I know the easy answer isn’t usually the right one but maybe we can get lucky for once?”
Hercules leaned back in his chair and folded his brawny arms over his chest. “Hm.” He glanced casually around, then tipped his head up and looked at the ceiling of the stall, which was stained dark with smoke from the baker’s ovens. “Well that would be a first, Gabrielle.” He said. “But there’s no harm in asking.”
“Isn’t there?” Iolaus spoke up. “Do we want to put ideas in their heads?”
Xena chuckled dryly. “I was just thinking that.” She admitted. “You said there was only a temple to Apollo here?”
“Only one I ever heard of.” Iolaus agreed. “There might be some private shrines.” He added. “You know how that is.”
“We do, given we have two of the largest ones in the region on our doorstep.” Xena got up and edged out from behind table, giving Gabrielle an absent scratch on the back of her neck as she moved past and headed for the baker’s workbench.
The baker looked up as Xena approached him, his hands covered in flour, a rich golden brown tincture that smelled nutty and pungent as he mixed it on the marble countertop. “More bread for you, lady?”
Xena leaned her elbows on the counter between them, reducing her height advantage. “You make good bread.” She agreed, with a smile. “My mother’s an innkeeper, she’d love to be able to buy some.”
The baker’s posture relaxed, though his hands continued to knead the dough in front of him. “Not around here I take it.” He remarked. “I know you for a traveler.” He added. “By your garb if nothing else. Ladies here do not dress as such.”
“No, border of Thracia, up in the mountains.” Xena agreed. “Much smaller place than this, where things are different.” She said. “Living can be tough, weather’s cold.” She paused. “Skill at arms is expected.”
Now he paused in his motion and turned his head to regard her. “Far and different indeed.” He said, after a moment. “You keep high company for an innkeeper’s child.” He glanced past her to where Hercules was seated, watching them. “Friends I hear.”
Xena chuckled lightly. “Long story.” She didn’t disagree with the statement. “We walked a lot of roads together.”
The baker went back to shaping his loaves, dropping softly rounded pieces into metal rounds that showed many years of wood smoke on their surface. “Ah well, but times change.” He said. “New ways, new thoughts. We look for other paths now.”
There was truth to that, Xena considered the statement. It’s what they had heard on their whole journey here – that times were changing. The people were changing. Lives were shifting to a new way of thinking. Of believing.
“Are there any around here that still keep the old ways?” She asked, watching his profile, seeing the muscles in his jawline shift and his throat move in a swallow. “Looking for some place to make an offering.” She added casually in explanation.
Now he watched her from the corner of his eyes. “You have seen, surely, the temple to Apollo around the corner.”
“I have.” Xena left it at that, without embellishment.
His lips twitched faintly. “But no, that is not what you are looking for.” He set the rounds on a paddle and turning, opened the wood fired oven built into the wall, with its iron mouth cover and shot the loaves into the center of it, releasing a waft of hot fragrant air back to wash over them both.
He closed the door and turned, setting the handle of the paddle to the floor and clasping the shaft of it to lean against, almost like a staff. “I know not of what you are asking, lady.” He said, looking Xena right in the eyes, as she remained silent, waiting. “But there is a butcher and grillman, two streets over, who might.”
“Thanks.” Xena straightened up and opened her fingers, setting a coin on the counter and sliding it over towards him. “I appreciate the advice.”
The baker picked up the coin without hesitation and studied it, then looked up at her. “Far indeed.” He commented again, then slid it into the pouch at his belt and with the faintest of smiles, winked at her.
Xena made her way back to the table and took her seat, extending her legs out and crossing them at the ankles. “Found a place for lunch.” She remarked. “Might be able to give us a lead on a place to go ask your question.” She leaned back and put her hands behind her head, resting her shoulders against the wall.
“Oh boy.” Iolaus sighed. “Not Apollo’s temple is it? I’ve been in there. Its just a rabble rousing drinking house.”
“No.” Xena smiled. “I didn’t have that in mind.”
“Sounds good.” Hercules said quietly. “For what it’s worth, Gabrielle’s idea’s a good one. Lets find out either way.” He concluded. “Maybe we will get lucky for once.” He pushed his chair back and stood up. “Even if that means moving on.”
“Hear hear.” Gabrielle dusted the bread crumbs off her tunic and cloak. “Its stopped raining. Maybe we can shop on the way to lunch.” She stood up and took hold of her staff. “Be glad to know what’s going on before the wedding’s over and everyone’s in the streets getting drunk.”
**
The butcher was closed. His stall and storage space was covered over with a thick, copper tinted woolen blanket, with no sign of workers or wares, and on either side his neighbors were also shut down, the market sparse and half empty.
A few vendors, with fresh produce and ready made foods and wines were open, and they passed a narrow alley where several doors were propped open with the faint sounds of dishes and cups tinkling drifing out and the smell of acrid oils and spices along with it.
“So much for that.” Xena paused in the shelter of an awning next to one of the winesellers, who was leaning on his front boards with a bored expression. “Where is everyone?”
The man started a little, surprised at being spoken to. He turned his head and regarded her in silence for a moment. “Ah.” He said. “Travelers. You know not of our festivities.” He sniffed and straightened up, looking at the little party of non residents. “Many are attending a wedding, of one of our city patron’s sons this day.”
He looked down the road. “Those favored by the patron have left their shops to curry his favor and bring gifts.” His voice took on a note of dry sarcasm. “Those not so fortunate must wait for the celebrations to be over, then the crowds will return I suppose.”
He was a tall man, very thin and dark skinned, with tightly curled dark hair with reddish tints to it and his robes were a deep red color, well fitted with a intricately tooled leather belt around his waist. Now he looked at them with one arched dark brow lifted slightly in anticipation.
Iolaus moved forward promptly, looking past the vendor as he studied his available wares. There was a pungent under smell of grapes there, and the musky tint of leather from the skins hung up under the awning, each with tooled designs carved into the surface and finely etched silver tracing and chain.
The wine seller and Iolaus started a friendly bantering barter, and Hercules and Xena, standing shoulder to shoulder leaned against the stone wall of the shop and looked out over the market square, watching a group of children running across it, chasing a hide wrapped ball.
“Now what?” Hercules said, with a sigh. “I think we should head back to town. I don’t really want to deal with a couple hundred drunks coming out of that wedding looking for trouble.”
“Mm.” Xena’s eyes twinkled a little. “I dunno that sounds fun.”
“Xena.”
She chuckled under her breath. Then her attention was caught by motion at the far end of the market, and she turned her head slightly to watch as a group of young men, dressed in work robes and scuffed, worn boots wandered through.
They had plain gear, belts with workmanlike daggers and two were carrying shepherd’s crooks, and they were looking around the market with a mixture of anticipation and disappointment at its sparseness. A cheese stall that was open attracted their attention and they moved in that direction, one of them digging into a cloth belt pouch.
Two men in city guard half armor were loitering nearby, and one jerked his head at the other and they started in that direction.
Xena watched the two of them. Considerably older than the visiting farmers, both stocky and well-built with the jaunty swagger of experienced fighters. These were not the show guards of a patron, their movement spoke of experience – maybe they were retired mercenaries, or soldiers from another place come to a quiet landing.
“Be right back.” She pulled her cloak hood up over her head and moved out into the rain without waiting for commentary, feeling the light patter of the drops against her shoulders as she made her way across the almost empty market square, her boots making small splashes against the stone ground.
“Where’s she going?” Iolaus asked, half turned as Gabrielle was settling against the shelf next to him. “Oh, a cheese stall.” He brightened. “That’s more like it.”
Gabrielle suppressed a smile as she watched Xena stroll across and angle her steps to approach the two groups, seeing the slight bounce in her step and suspecting she was going after more than a snack. She noted the herders gathering at the cheesemaker, knowing them for what they were and seeing the stock canes clutched in their hands.
She turned her head a little to listen to Iolaus in his bartering and the winemaker’s half amused, half sarcastic answers. “See if he has any sweet wines, Iolaus. That goes good with cheese.”
Both men glanced at her, their banter briefly interrupted. Gabrielle returned the winemaker’s look. “What?”
“Saucy wench.” The winemaker said, but in a mild tone.
“You have no idea.” Iolaus tapped the board in front of him. “I like my wenches saucy. Now the wine?”
Gabrielle laughed, a light, musical sound and then she redirected her attention back to the square, where by now Xena had reached the cheese stall and the men there were turning as she walked up, their attention drawn by whatever it was she was saying.
Postive or negative, it was impossible to ignore Xena. Gabrielle knew this at a bedrock level. She had a distinct and compelling charisma and a presence that could express in either a very pleasant or equally unpleasant way depending on what her intent for you was.
She could see by the reactions of the men, their faces turned towards the wine stall, that at least their initial reaction was relatively positive, and the two older men gave her a once over, probably spotting the sword hilt visible over her left shoulder.
The herders were gawking at her. Gabrielle muffled a grin, as she folded her arm over her chest, her other arm curled around her staff. The cheese maker was listening with interest, and he’d picked up a small wooden tray and extended it out in invitation.
Far off, the thin, tinny sound of a horn rang out. “Ah. It’s done.” The winemaker commented. “Now the young whelp will disappear into his bedroom with any luck and I can get those not in his inner circle to buy my wine.” He sat two sacks down on the shelf. “Now for you, traveler. I suppose you want a taste?”
Iolaus produced a small collapsing cup from his belt pouch. “What do you think?”
The rain was tapering off, and Gabrielle pushed herself away from the shelf and went over to where Hercules was standing, leaning against the wall. She debated walking over to see what trouble Xena was getting herself into and had just raised her hand to lift her cloak hood in place to do just that when the air was rent with a booming thunder and a roar, and she could almost feel the vibration of it through the soles of her boots.
“Oh boy.” Hercules started to attention, looking around. He stepped out into the rain and looked back at the buildings and then with a step and a crouch he shoved off from the ground and grabbed the top of the awning of the building and swung himself up, grabbing the struts and shutters of the upper story and hauling himself towards the roof.
Gabrielle whirled in a circle, then instinctively surged towards the other side of the market, hauling up with a hop and a skip as she saw Xena heading back in her direction with a long, loping, urgent stride, the sudden wind across the opening blowing her cloak back to stream behind her.
“Let’s go!” Hercules had gotten to the roof and looked out past the winding alleys of the city, back past to the forum, back past to the cone shaped mountain, which was now ejecting visible, dark gray shot through with lighting material up into the sky. He ran to the edge and jumped off it, landing on the ground just as Xena arrived and got a hand on Gabrielle’s shoulder. “Its blowing. They’ll all know in a candlemark the trouble they’re in c’mon.”
Iolaus already had the wineskins swung over both shoulders and his cloak in place and they all headed for the street between the stalls and through the labyrinth of the upper city streets. As they hastened, they could hear the sound of voices in the distance and as they raced through the crossroads they could see crowds gathering.
On either side, merchants were coming out into the street, hearing the commotion and they dodged men and carts as they headed back down to the lower city where they’d left their horses. As they passed the wide street that led to the temples, there was a huge surge of people that were emerging from the doors of the lurid hammered gold entrance and somewhere, far off, a woman screamed.
“This way.” Iolaus pointed down a narrow passage and they turned down it, finding what was obviously a service passage, piled with boxes and bits of harness, a broken cart, piles of refuse, lines stretched above with laundry hanging over the path flapping in the breeze, getting drenched in the rain.
It angled downward and there were random steps built into the ground and they rambled surefootedly down it, mostly silent and concentrating on not slipping on the slick stone steps when they encountered them. Around them they could hear the sound of boots running and then screams and as they passed a shabby looking door, the cries of children.
Ahead of them they could see the stockyard, and below that the wall of the city facing the coast. They could now hear the noise of animals reacting with anxious calls, and a mixture of cattle, goats and the scream of horses. “Oh boy.” Hercules exhaled.
Xena was now a pace ahead and as they reached the stockyard’s closed gates she reached out and grabbed the gate bar and hauled it out of its holders, giving the door a kick inward and shoving it open. ‘
“Hey!” A man’s voice bellowed behind them.
They ignored it and hastened inside, and found pandemonium. As though the animals sensed the danger across the plateau, they were all fighting their tie downs, kicking, bulls were lowing and slamming their heads against the stone and wood walls.
“Careful.” Xena dodged an ox half broken out of his traces, eyes rolling with their whites clearly in view. “This might not be easy.”
“Is it ever?” Gabrielle was right behind her, hand on her back, her staff crosswise her body and ready to fend off the charging stock. The bedlam was deafening and past two sheep she could see Spot and Tanto standing shoulder to shoulder pulling against their ties. “Hey kids!”
They got to the horse miraculously without incident and managed to get their heads untied, then were shoved against the back wall as a surge of animals came at them. Hercules got between the beasts and put his hands against them, pushing them back away from the horses with gentle strength. “Go!” He called over his shoulder. “Get outside, I’ll come after you and hold these guys back.”
Iolaus had one hand in each bridle as he led his horse and Hercules’s in a determined walk towards the outer stable door leading to the entry road. He caught the gate with one shoulder and shoved outward, swinging the gate outward and back against the outer wall, making clicking noises with his tongue as he led the two town horses forward.
There was less chaos here in the upper level and Xena followed him out with her fingers intertwined in the halters on Spot and Tanto. The stallion was shifting restlessly, his head flinging back and pulling against her hold, but she kept a grip on him, and as Spot cleared the door Hercules came out rapidly after her, grabbing the door and swinging it back into place.
The sky was filling with an ominous gray cover, and as they moved away from the stockyard and prepared to mount, a rain of ash started to drift in, sprinkling the awnings with debris.
Xena got up on Tanto and settled her knees into place, keeping hold of Spot as Gabrielle mounted next to her, getting her staff settled and taking control of the mare’s reins and then they heard another distant, booming roar and the horses started, shifting their hooves nervously.
Gabrielle took a precautionary hold of the front of her saddlebow and then they were moving down the slope towards the outer gates, against the crowd who was rushing in the other direction, heading for the forum and upper city to get a look at what was going on.
“Can’t say I won’t miss seeing Pelogas again.” Iolaus said, as he rode next to Gabrielle, the handsome well bred gelding he was riding flaring his nostrils nervously. “But I could have given this whole exploding mountain a miss.” He pulled his cloak around him as the rain started to come down harder, now mixed with the gray, ashy debris. “Ugh.”
“Ugh.” Gabrielle spread out her cloak to cover as much of Spot as she could, but the mare seemed unfazed by either the rain or the dust, her ears flicking backwards and forwards as she moved smoothy along the road. Ahead of her Tanto was being his stallion self, his neck arching and his feet crabhopping a little, only contained by Xena’s firm touch. “You doing okay hon?”
“Oh yeah.” Xena reached forward and scratched the horse on his neck. “We’re going, boy. Just chill.” She shifted her knees a little and they sped up as they reached the level stretch before the gates. To her relief, that area was relatively deserted, and the gates were propped wide open and as they swept towards the opening they sped up and by the time they passed through they were at a solid canter.
It was a relief to get outside the city, Gabrielle realized. She had felt, while they were there, as though there was something that was about to happen and now that they were out and heading back to the down, despite the clouds and the rain and the ash mix now covering them she felt her body relax.
Spot seemed glad as well. She tossed her head and shook it to rid it of the debris falling and her ears flicked back at Gabrielle as she leaned forward and tickled her on the side of her neck. “Yeah, I’m glad we’re outta there too, Spotty.”
They rode down the slope and paused as they reached the top of the escarpment edge that then led downwards to the town and by some consensus they turned and looked back.
The rain was now coming down in sweeping squalls that lashed across the plateau between the city and down, and beyond it they could just see the mountain in the distance, now once again covered in clouds. As they watched, a brief flash of orange light came from the midst of the clouds and then it was obscured.
They sat there in the rain for a moment. Xena regarded the view with a pensive expression, her face beaded with rain, wet dark hair curled around her face, the fingers of her right hand gently moving her reins around and her left hand resting on her thigh.
Gabrielle maneuvered Spot up next to her and leaned on her saddlebow. “What’s next, Xe?” She blinked against the rain. “We get the people down in town to evacuate?”
“Do we?” Xena mused. “Would they?” She glanced over at her. “Just pick up your stuff and start walking?” Her dark brows lifted in question. “Would they at home?”
“If you told them? Yes. If I told the Amazons? Yes.” Gabrielle responded in a mild tone. “Would they like it? No, remember what it took to get the Amazons to move up to the mountain.” She paused. “Hey our mountain isn’t like that is it?” She pointed at the horizon.
“No.” Xena smiled briefly. “If it was that pool outside our cabin would be heated.”
“Mm.”
“C’mon lets get out of the rain.” Hercules turned his horse. “We’ll think of something.” He started down the slope and they followed, taking care to let the horses pick their way down amidst the downward rushing rain heading towards the sea.
**
They made it back into their rooms without having to make any explanations, most of the town either was resting after the party or busy at work inside out of the rain. Xena untied her cloak and removed it, walking over to a wooden pole set in the wall and hanging it up to drip on the tile floor.
She turned and faced Gabrielle, who was pulling a dry overshirt on and running her fingers through her pale hair to pull it out from the collar and fluff it out. She untied the belt on her own drenched tunic and put it next to the cloak then she unlaced the front. “So.”
Gabrielle walked over to one of the chairs and sat down, extending her bare feet across the tile. “You know what Xena?” She picked up a cup sitting on the table and took a sip from it. “I think this is the first time since we’ve known each other that I just really don’t want to get involved in someone else’s mess here.”
“Hmph.” Xena put on a dry set of underwraps and a knee length woven tunic. “I knew if I waited long enough you’d come around.” She sat down in the opposing chair and gave her a nudge with one foot. “But yea I’m not feeling it.”
“Heh.” Gabrielle’s eyes twinkled a little. “Hercules said he’d try to talk the townspeople here into leaving. You think they will?”
“No.” Xena put her hands behind her head. “I think the people here, some of them, respect him. But some of them really want to be part of that city, and that city… “ She shrugged her shoulders. “They seem like a bunch of…” she paused.
“Jerks.”
“Sure.” Xena tipped her head back and regarded the ceiling of the room. “Do we have any connection to them? No. Do we owe them anything? No. Do they even treat our friends well? No.” She looked up and lifted both hands and turned the palms upright in a gesture of question. “Does Herc and Io even owe them anything? No – they came here and helped and gave people things.”
Gabrielle looked thoughtfully at the windows, where past the wooden lattice they could see the rain lashing down and smell it along with the crisp smell of the sea. “How long do we have?” She finally asked after a long silence. She saw Xena’s faint head shake. “Hours? Days?”
“I don’t know.” Xena said. “Days, maybe.”
“Do you think the gods are involved, Xe?” She mused. “Io does. He’s convinced that they just want to torture Herc, because he found a spot where things were okay, and they could settle down.”
Xena steepled her fingers in front of her and tapped the tips against her chin. Her eyes went a little unfocused as she considered the question with complete focus, remembering his past, what they’d both been through, her own interactions with his half siblings. “Are they that cruel?” She looked across at Gabrielle who met her eyes for a very long moment. “Yes they can be. I’m just not sure they are this time.” She finally concluded, reluctantly. “It doesn’t… I just don’t think so.”
“Hm.” Gabrielle respected the statement, mostly because there was something in her gut that felt like a little chime when Xena spoke it, a synchrony that was bred in their history together. “Did you find out anything from those guys before everything went to Hades?”
“Oh.” Xena sounded a little surprised, as though she’d forgotten about the encounter. “Yeah, the two soldiers. They were retired mercs. They have a small shrine to Ares up there, on the far side of the city.”
“Did you know them?”
“They knew me.” Xena’s pale eyes took on a look of amusement. “I was about to get an invite to a party when all the noise happened.” She glanced up as a knock came at the door. “Speaking of a party.” She got up and went to the door and opened it, unsurprised to find Iolaus there. “Hey.”
“Hey.” Iolaus responded. “I have an idea. Wanna hear it?”
Xena stepped back and pulled the door open. “C’mon in. Unless it involves you dressing as a woman I’m all ears.”
“Xena.”
**
The rain finally stopped and Xena was glad of it as she walked across to the stable as darkness fell, the sky overhead a steel somber gray as faint scattered bits of ashes settled on the ground and the leaves.
Behind her, Gabrielle was patiently listening to Iolaus’s complex scheme, and Xena had used the excuse of checking on the horses to leave the talking him off the ledge to her. The ideas weren’t bad, Iolaus had a clever mind and years of experience but she couldn’t find it in her to muster up the desire to put that much effort into a plan.
At least, into a plan that expanded beyond getting herself, Gabrielle and the two men out of the town and far away from the smoking mountain whose rumbles she could faintly hear on the offshore breeze.
It was very quiet in the town tonight. After the loudness of the party the day before, the emptiness of the courtyard was a little eerie, painted in somber shadows with only the pungent orange of the lamps lighting the way.
Most of the inhabitants of the compound were in their rooms, each window in the upper levels lit with candles and somewhere in the lower level the smell of roasting fish. Xena drew in a breath and walked up to the doors of the stable, pushing the door open and easing into the warm light inside.
Many horses had left. There were only a handful left, the geldings that belonged to the compound, one or two finely bred animals owned by visitors and a quartet of work ponies stabled together munching hay. Two grooms were there forking out fresh bedding and they paused when they saw her, hands gripping the iron forks as they watched her approach.
“Evening.” Xena remarked mildly. She moved past then to where Spot and Tanto were sheltered, both horses hearing her voice and sticking their heads outside as she came here. “Hey kids.” She greeted them, supplying both with an apple taken from the bowl left in their rooms.
They accepted the treats, but both seemed restive, ears flicking backwards and forwards, eyeing her as if in want of reassurance. Xena studied them quietly. “You feel it don’tcha?”
Tanto pushed his head into her chest. Spot regarded her somberly.
“You do.” She gently sorted the dark forelock hairs on the stallion’s head. “Animals are smarter than people, you know that?”
She heard footsteps behind her, and she kept her hands on Tanto as she looked over her shoulder, to find the stablemaster approaching, his angular features shadowed from the lamps behind him. He paused a bodylength away from her and put his hands on the wooden partitions while she waited in silence for him to speak.
“Lady.” He said.
“I’m not.” Xena interrupted him. “My mother’s an innkeeper.”
He regarded her for a moment. “And your father?”
“Depends who you ask.” Xena smiled briefly. “What can I do for you?”
He shifted, his body language relaxing a trifle. “Word we hear is, something terrible is coming.” He said. “Something from the old mountain, up the way. You went there to see it, they said.” His eyes searched her face intently. “Beren came down from the city a candlemark ago. The mountain’s on fire, he said.”
Xena turned all the way around and leaned back against the partition, Tanto promptly putting his head over her shoulder as she scratched the underside of his jaw. “I saw it.” She answered. “Its shooting off smoke, and flashes of light. There’s a big cloud coming out of it. Ash.” She jerked her head towards the door. “You can see it outside.”
He nodded. “I saw. What does it mean?”
What does it mean? Xena pondered the question in silence. Did she really know what was going to happen? “Hard to say.” She finally said. “Could go off for a while and then settle down.” She watched him stare intently at her. “Could get worse. But why ask me? I’m not from these parts.”
“Because you know.” The stablemaster said at once. “You are like Hercules.”
Xena glanced past him. The two stable boys had crept closer, standing nearby with their ears visibly perked. Then she focused on the stablemaster. “I’m absolutely nothing like Hercules.” She stated flatly. “But I’ve been to places that have those mountains. I’ve seen what can happen.”
He smiled thinly. “To most here, you are just Hercules’s friend.” He said. “But not to all, Chosen.”
Ah. Xena felt the internal start at the title, and next to her, Tanto tilted an ear at the man. It surprised her to hear the moniker here, though often enough she heard it at home. It didn’t even bother her anymore, an acceptance of this truth about herself that was just part of who she was.
A door creaked softly and she looked up and past the stablemaster, to see a gathering of men, in work clothes and worn bits of leather armor, staying back a little, just watching, as the last echo of that word died out. She kept up her gentle scratching of Tanto’s broad gray cheek and just watched them all, letting her eyes pick them out, studying them, recognizing the universal and essential attachment to strength and power and blood.
“Is that really true?” The tallest of the newcomers finally said into all that silence. “What he said?” He paused. “But why would he chose a woman?”
Now Xena chuckled. “He has good taste.” She remarked dryly.
“Can you prove it?” One of the stableboys, daringly, spoke up.
“On your body? Sure. Want me to? Its gonna hurt.” Xena remained in her relaxed pose, crossing her ankles as she regarded this rag tag gathering of would-be acolytes and reflected on how there was so pervasive a common thread no matter where she traveled. Then an idea struck her. “Got a shrine anywhere around?”
The stablemaster had been watching her closely. “Many would say there is no need for that here.” He said. “We are farmers. We are herders.” He gestured around the stable. “But sometimes even men of the earth know when a spade needs to be sharpened.”
“We have one.” The tall man said. “Why?”
Xena leaned to one side and gave Tanto a kiss on the forehead, then tickled his nose. “Gonna invite me in?” She gave the group a sideways look, a visible twinkle in her eyes. “Maybe I’m in the mood for an offering.”
“We don’t..” The tall man started, but was silenced by a wave of the stablemasters hand. “But…”
“Tonight, after the meal.” He said, crisply. “Come here, I will guide you to the shrine.” He turned and strode off, gesturing with his arms at the group and herding them towards the back door of the stable, leaving the two stableboys facing Xena, their eyes wide.
“Scram.” Xena spoke up after the silence became unbearable. “I want some alone time with my horse.” She watched the two youngsters beat a rapid retreat, exiting through a side hallway where she imagined the tack room and their humble quarters were.
Once the far door was closed, silence descended, save the shift of horse hooves in straw, and the soft whickers and crunching and ripping of hay from the hay nets. “Y’know what, kids?” She exhaled, speaking into that sedate quiet. “I miss my army.” She studied the smoke darkened ceiling of the stable. “I miss my kid, I miss competent Amazons, I miss my mother’s ale.”
Tanto blew his lips next to her head and dusted her face and ear with saliva, scented with chewed grass. Then he started chewing on the edge of her cloak, pulling the waxed leather with a shake of his head.
She removed the cloak from his teeth and pushed away from the partition. “Lets go see if Gabrielle’s had any better luck.”
**
Gabrielle had her back to Iolaus, as she focused on slicing up the contents of the bowl of fruit that had been left in their quarters. “I don’t think we have time for all that.” She said, turning and coming back over to the comfortable seating are, putting the bowl on the table within reach and sitting down. “Did those people really come and ask Hercules to intercede for the town?”
“Sure.” Iolaus took a piece of slightly wrinkled pear. “I mean… makes sense right? That’s probably what that whole city is doing, making sacrifices and putting offerings onto whatever altar they can find space at.” He added. “Words already come down from there that those priests of Ilumos are going all over making promises.”
“Well.” She leaned back. “So the idea is to make it seem he did ask, stage a scam?” She queried.
Iolaus nodded. “We make up a whole story, and he goes off somewhere for a couple candlemarks and comes back and we make up another story about what they might have said to him.”
Gabrielle pondered that in silence. “How does that actually help anyone?”
“It doesn’t, except it gets everyone off our backs.” Iolaus readily admitted. “I mean ,there’s no chance he’s going to try and get to Olympus to actually ask.” He chewed the bit of pear. “Last time he tried that, he ended up being target practice.”
“I remember.” Gabrielle murmured. “Yeah I know – I think that’s what Xena was angling towards. Finding a place she could just go to and do the asking. I think she figures her asking Ares is less…” She paused, her nose wrinkling up in a wry grimace.
“Yeah.”
“But does it really matter?” She asked suddenly. “If they’re doing it for a reason…” She lifted her hands and put them back down. “They’re doing it for a reason not sure it’s really helpful to know what that is. I think we just really need to make a plan to get out of here.”
Iolaus sighed. “Yeah. It just feels like abandoning everyone. Some of those people have been living here for generations. It’s home for them.”
Gabrielle did understand that. Convincing the Amazons to move from their long held territory, which had all of their history to some strange mountainous new area they had no experience with had been rough. A good part of the tribe hadn’t bought into it, and were still living in the woods, pissed off and struggling because everyone else had left.
Followed their weird, non Amazon queen and her dangerous consort with a dark past with them and just accepted whatever that would mean. She smiled briefly. And it had worked out for them, after a rough start. They now fully bought into their new home and even the most resistant of them had grudgingly accepted the good luck they’d fallen into.
“They’ve got a nice life.” She concurred. “It’s beautiful, they’ve got good land, people seem happy here.” She put her hands behind her head. “Can’t really blame them.”
“Exactly. They don’t want to move.” Iolaus nodded. “They don’t want to run and have to find new lands, which probably won’t be as nice as this is, and start over again. I don’t blame them either.” He said. “They welcomed us. I just want to..”
He fell silent.
“They want an easy way out.” Gabrielle concluded. “But people are like that everywhere aren’t they? It’s easier to get on your knees and pray to a god to fix your problems than to have to do it yourself.”
Iolaus looked at her for a long moment. “They’re not bad people.”
“Not at all.” She quickly responded. “They are completely in the norm to do that. We’ve traveled the length and the breadth of the land and that’s how it’s done isn’t it? Heck I do it.” She said. “If we come up on some crazy strange problem somewhere you think I don’t look to Xena to figure it out?”
He seemed to ponder that for a while. “She knows.” He eventually concluded.
“She does.” Gabrielle said, and felt the quiet resonance of the belief in that echo through her mind. “So I’m pretty sure she’s going to get back here, and tell us we should pack our stuff and take off.” A shake of her head. “Not worry about the people in the town, or in that city.”
Iolaus sighed and got up, giving his tunic a tug. “And she’d be right.” He admitted. “But you know, Gabrielle, you’ve got one big advantage over us.” He met her eyes. “You have no obligation to do anything but that.”
“Do you?”
“Herc’s convinced himself that he does.” A brief, wry smile crossed Iolaus’ expressive face. “Anyway he went to go see what the evacuation routes would be from here. Lets see what happens when he gets back. See you at dinner.”
Gabrielle watched him leave. Then she got up and went over to the windows, opening the shutters that the staff had carefully closed and folding them back so she could see out and down the slope to the sea. There were lanterns lit on the pathways down to the docks and she could see people moving in the shadows, as a haze started to settle into the twilight.
She could smell it in the air, on the fringes of the offshore wind a acrid tint, and as she breathed in that air she could feel a heaviness in it. The clouds overhead were drifting down ash and as she watched it dust the sill of the window she felt a sense of dread tense her guts.
They were running out of time. She blinked against the air. Did they even have another day?
Did they even have another night?
She turned and went to the window on the other wall that faced into the courtyard, looking out it and over the stone verge that yesterday had been filled with people busy about their day, enjoying the party, engaging in friendly rivalries over the baked goods.
Not so friendly rivalries sometimes. Her eyes caught motion across the courtyard and she felt a sense of relief as she spotted Xena emerging from the lower-level stables, closing the door behind her and striding across the ground, her head tilting up as she looked up and met Gabrielle’s eyes as she stood watching.
It was akin to a physical sensation. She drew in a breath as she felt the silent message and knew that Xena had that same sense of urgency she was feeling.
“Better get packed.” Gabrielle took a step back and then turned and hustled over to their gear, rapidly starting to assemble the items they’d left out and getting everything stowed away.
**
“Found the cult of Ares.” Xena said as she closed the door behind her. “Arranged a meet up after dinner but I’m not sure it’s gonna matter in the long run, since I don’t think they’ve got any part of this.” She pulled out a set of leathers and set them on the countertop.
Gabrielle continued her packing. “Iolaus wanted to run a scam because they came and asked Herc to intercede for them.” She remarked. “I told him I didn’t think we were going to have time for a scam.”
Xena made a low, chuffing noise in her throat as she dropped to one knee in front of her own saddlebags.
“I told him I thought you were going to come back here and say we need to take off.” Gabrielle responded in a mild tone. “So thank you for cooperating and making me seem prophetic honey. That was very nice of you.”
Xena gave her a sideways look and grinned, and in that moment, the gloomy atmosphere in the room lightened. She bumped Gabrielle’s hip with her shoulder, and they continued their work in companionable silence until Xena stood up and fastened the leather straps on her kit, lifting Gabrielle’s saddlebags up onto the counter next to them.
Then she turned and leaned back against the shelf, bracing both hands on it. “I went down to the docks. Figured I’d see if we could jump back on that boat we came in on.”
Gabrielle finished stuffing her things into her pack and laced the top of it shut. “Better that direction than towards the mountain.”
“Yeah, well, they’re gone.” Xena said. “Dockmaster said they took off four candlemarks ago, with a bunch of the patricians, along with horses, baggage, and chests of possessions.”
“Well.” Gabrielle turned and put her hands on her hips. “I guess they’re not all dumb, huh?” She made a wry face. “We did tell them we were going in the other direction last night, Xe.”
“We did.”
“Okay so it’s up the hill and out across the headland.” Gabrielle shrugged. “Should we go grab a meal? I’ll see if I can con some road supplies out of that kitchen.” She turned her mind to more practical matters. “I’ve got some coin. Maybe I can get some travel bread from that inn.”
Xena walked over and let her forearms rest on Gabrielle’s shoulders, gazing affectionately at her. “Can’t think of anyone I’d rather be in a disaster with than you.” She pulled Gabrielle into a hug, and they stood there in silence for a long moment, rocking slowly back and forth.
Gabrielle felt an appreciated sense of comfort, thinking about all of the times and all of the things that seemed to be so terrible and dangerous that they’d been through that they could now just sit here and chuckle about, the best and the worst of them fodder for her storytelling.
She felt the gentle pressure of Xena’s fingers kneading her back of her neck and for a moment she just wanted to close her eyes and rest there in the peace of their relationship. “Just another adventure, Xe. Something we can tell Dori about when we get home.”
“She’s gonna be mad she missed the sea serpent.”
“She would have wanted to bring it back with us.” Gabrielle thought fondly about their daughter. “So she could ride it in the Amphipolis river.”
Xena nodded. “I could see it.”
They released each other and both took deep breaths at the same time, and exhaled. “Dinner.” Xena said briefly. “Then a visit to a halfass forest shrine, then we get the horses, and go.”
Gabrielle nodded a little. “Sounds like a plan.” She replied steadily. “I’ll tell Iolaus what we’re doing and he and Herc can join us if they want to?”
“Absolutely.” Xena leaned forward and kissed her. “He’s gotta know there’s not much he can do here but point up the road.”
“Lets hope he does.” Gabrielle picked up her staff. “Maybe the town will convince him for us.”
They headed for the door, pausing to listen as a rumbling, soft, far-off thunder sounded, and beneath their boots, the ground vibrated. “Yeah lets hope.” Xena put her hand on Gabrielle’s back and guided her out the door, touching the wall as they walked along it as the building seemed to shift. “I think we’re outta time.”
**