Regrets Chapter 1
"We're not going to make it tonight, are we, Xena?" Gabrielle asked the question, already knowing the answer.
The sun was still high, and Xena knew Gabrielle would wear down long before the daylight ended. They had been traveling
three days non-stop in an effort to reach the Bard Competition in Acrimonius. Gabrielle had learned about it during their stop
in Phillipi a few days earlier. She hadn't decided whether or not she would be competing, but seeing her friend, Orion, and
hearing him tell her many of her other friends from the Athens Academy would be there, made her anxious to go. Xena had
approved of the idea heartily; feeling they both could use a break for a couple of days. She knew how much Gabrielle had
liked the young men; she spoke of them so often the Warrior Princess felt as if she knew them too. Gabrielle asked for very
little on the road, and if this one little side trip would make her happy, it was well worth it to Xena to get her there. They
didn't have a schedule to keep anyway.
"Should we just stop and camp here?" Gabrielle asked, her voice telling Xena she was more than ready to get some rest.
Xena sat up even taller than usual in the saddle of Argo, and surveyed their surroundings. They were traveling along the
outskirts of a large wooded area, and Gabrielle could see virtually nothing.
"There's a stream not much further ahead," Xena replied. "Why don't we camp there?"
Gabrielle shook her head, thinking a bath might help refresh her. The heat of the summer had all but sapped her normally
boundless energy, but Xena knew it was a temporary condition. It always was with Gabrielle. As a warrior, Xena had learned to conserve her energy, whenever possible, preserving it for those times it was really needed. She had given up trying to instill that lesson on her friend.
True to Xena's word, within moments they were beside a slow-moving shallow stream. Gabrielle realized she wouldn't get
that bath after all; the stream wasn't nearly deep enough, but at least she could wash the dust off her before settling in for
sleep.
Xena raised an eyebrow in amusement as Gabrielle plopped herself unceremoniously on a flat rock and began unlacing
a boot. "You get comfortable," Xena told her. "I'm going to check out the area and brush Argo down."
Gabrielle gave her a small wave with a free hand, and began working on the other boot. She had just settled her head
back on her folded hands, and was dozing off when she heard Xena calling her name. She blinked up at her tall companion..."What is it?"
"There's a village on the far side of the woods that looks like it could be in trouble. I spotted two men scouting it out,
wearing some kind of uniform I didn't recognize. I don't think they were there looking for a homestead."
Gabrielle had already sat up, and reached for her boots, but Xena held a hand up. "Hang on, Gabrielle," she said. "I don't know how long this is going to take or what it's going to involve. You just go ahead and stay here tonight, then head to Acrimonius in the morning. I'll take care of this problem and catch up with you."
Gabrielle considered it for a split second, then shook her head, continuing to put on her boots. "No, I'm going with you,' she said, her voice definite.
Xena sighed, knowing she had a job on her hands. "Gabrielle," she began patiently, "I-"
"No arguing, Xena!" Gabrielle cut her off. She realized that Xena might not respond well to that, and gave her an apologetic look. "I appreciate what you're trying to do, but I'm going with you. You might just need my help."
Xena considered it for a long moment. She didn't have to worry about Gabrielle taking care of herself; she had more than proven herself in many difficult situations. No, Xena just knew how excited her young friend had been at the prospect of seeing her friends again. If she was willing to give that up, who was Xena to try and talk her out of it?
"All right," Xena said, tossing her black hair over her shoulders. "Finish getting your gear on."
Gabrielle already had one boot halfway laced up, and in a moment, Xena was pulling her up behind her on Argo.
The adrenaline of danger completely restored Gabrielle's energy, and she listened eagerly as Xena explained to her what was going to happen.
If the scouts were still there, they'd tail them back to their camp, and stop the problem then. If the scouts were gone, however, they'd have to assume there was an impending attack, and warn the villagers to prepare to defend it.
"We're almost there," Xena told her in a low voice after a few minutes of travel. "Hop down and be ready."
Gabrielle nodded, and lithely jumped down from the tall horse, grabbing her staff from Argo's saddle simultaneously. Xena didn't dismount yet. Her head raised and she scanned all around her.
Gabrielle noticed immediately. She gave Xena a few seconds, then asked, "What do you see, Xena?"
Xena paused a few more seconds, all her senses at full alert, then glanced down at Gabrielle. "There's someone else out here," she told her in a low voice.
Gabrielle knew better than to doubt the owner of those bright blue orbs. "A scout?" she asked, moving closer to Xena, so she wouldn't be overheard.
Xena shook her head after a few more seconds. "I'm not sure," she replied. "I'm not sure even where they are...I just know there's someone out there." She finally dismounted Argo, and said, "It definitely isn't the scouts I saw earlier. They weren't smart enough to hide themselves so well. Let's go on into the village. Whoever it is will show himself soon enough."
The name of the village that was endangered was Valinis, and Xena and Gabrielle arrived in time to find the town's militia readying itself for battle. There were only about twenty men, but Xena found them to be well organized, especially for a village of such small size.
Xena approached the man who was clearly the captain of the militia, as he was the one giving out orders. He was a tall man, with blonde curly hair and a few day's old beard. He looked Xena up and down, then looked solidly at Gabrielle before returning his gaze to Xena.
"By Zeus, I don't believe it!" he finally exclaimed.
Xena was used to all kinds of reactions from people. Even before they knew who she was, men seemed to form an instant
opinion of her. Sometimes, they seemed amused to see such a tall, imposing woman dressed in warrior garb. Those were
the ones who quickly changed their opinion once they saw Xena in action, either against an army or them. Then there were
others who sensed she was as tough as she looked, and were intimidated by her. Xena hated that kind of man and usually
did all she could to avoid them at all costs. Then there were the ones who looked past the leather, the armor, and the
weapons, and just saw the striking face and voluptuous body of the woman who stood before him. Xena could use them
to her advantage the easiest. In her shaded past, we wasn't above using her beauty to achieve her goals, but now she
wouldn't go that route. She wasn't opposed to letting her good looks distract a man...that took no effort and didn't harm anyone.
But this man was looking at her for herself, and Xena quickly realized there was recognition in his eyes. "Xena, the Warrior Princess!" He exclaimed. "I've always hoped to meet you!"
Xena glanced at Gabrielle, who seemed as stunned as she was at the man's reaction. "You know who she is?" Gabrielle asked, finally finding her voice.
"Of course," he replied, "Her reputation precedes her." He gave them a warm grin. "I've been in Athens, Troy, Sparta,...they all talk about the legendary Xena and Gabrielle." Gabrielle absolutely beamed at being included in his statement. Xena didn't even have to look at the bard to know what expression her face would hold. "And besides," the man continued, "I saw your chakram." He offered his wrist to Xena and Gabrielle, who, in turn, shook with him. "I'm Colstas."
"Good to meet you, Colstas," Xena replied, a pleasant smile on her face. "We're here to let you know of the danger to your village, but apparently..."she indicated the troops, "you're already aware."
"Yes, we spotted their scouts two days ago, and have been trying to locate their camp, but haven't been able to yet."
Xena nodded. "Do you at least know who it is?" She asked.
Colstas shook his head unhappily. "No clue," he said. "I know you've got to be thinking we're idiots..." he began apologetically.
Xena put up a hand to silence him. "Not at all," she told him. "I saw the scouts and didn't recognize their banners. Give me a little time, and I'll find the camp."
Colstas smiled. "I have no doubts," he replied.
Xena's senses kicked in again, though, and her eyes pierced ahead. "Doesn't look like we're going to have to go looking for them. They're coming to us."
Twenty some-odd pairs of eyes followed her outstretched finger to see a procession of men marching toward the village.
"I want you to take command," Colstas said to Xena, bowing his head slightly.
Xena didn't argue with him, knowing it was probably for the best. "All right," she said, turning to look at the troops. They were a wide variety of ages and sported an assortment of weapons. She quickly directed the archers to where she wanted them, then arranged the sword carriers.
One of the men said nervously," They're in single file...there could be hundreds of them!"
"There's about thirty of them," Xena said calmly, not even glancing back.
A murmur went up from the men. "How do you know that?" a young soldier asked.
"By the amount of dust they are kicking up," came the confident reply. The men displayed their astonishment through a variety of ways.
The young soldier turned to Gabrielle. "She's amazing!" he exclaimed, his eyes shining with the familiar puppy dog look.
"Yes," Gabrielle replied, matter-of-factly. "But you get used to it after a while."
The approaching troops were within a few yards of the village by now. They fanned out as they neared, and there were twenty-eight of them. The men of Valinis suddenly felt a surge of confidence. Especially when Xena walked boldly out to stand before the opposing leader.
The leader took a few steps forward, his hand on the hilt of his sword. "Woman, I'd advise you to get out of here," he said, lowly.
"Funny," Xena drawled. "I was just going to say the same thing to you." The men behind her snickered at her blatant insult.
The man opposite her stood a good three inches shorter than her, with a bright red beard and a missing tooth or two. He blustered at Xena's statement, then drew his sword and bellowed, "Attack!" Simultaneously, Xena hollered out "Now!" and the archers fired their arrows.
The fight was brief, and not terribly brutal. The six archers took out their marks, and the swordsmen moved in. Gabrielle jumped whole-heartedly into the fray, and clubbed several heads with her Amazon staff. Xena never even bothered to draw her sword, and just used her fists and feet to discourage a few would-be attackers, puzzled the whole time as to why it was so easy. This wasn't making any sense at all.
After just a few minutes, someone called retreat, and the ruffians did just that. The other attackers scooped the few injured up, and they rode from the village at a full gallop.
"Aren't you going to signal for Argo?" Gabrielle asked, running to Xena. The girl's green eyes were shining with victory.
Xena was seemingly watching them leave the village, but when Gabrielle saw her stoic face, she realized Xena's eyes were elsewhere.
"No, I don't think so," she replied, absently.
Colstas approached them then. "One of the men took a bad cut to his chest, and another has lost part of his ear, but that's..." His voice trailed off as he too realized Xena's attention was focused on the hill that lay a half-mile north of them.
"What is it?" Gabrielle asked, not able to stand the suspense.
Xena arched an eyebrow. "Those men are riding west. But the rest of the army is due north."
Colstas and Gabrielle scanned the hillside, but couldn't see the army Xena saw. Neither doubted it was there though.
"What are they doing?" Colstas asked.
"I'm not sure," Xena mused. "Come on, Gabrielle."
A glint of metal shining in the sun flashed momentarily, and Gabrielle and Colstas saw it.
"Do you want some help?" Colstas asked, and several of his men stepped forward, eager to offer their services.
"No, thanks," Xena replied, slowly. "Those men may regroup and return. Gabrielle and I can handle this."
"All right." Colstas offered his forearm once again. "Thank you, Xena," he said, his voice full of admiration.
"You're welcome," Xena replied. "Take care."
She whistled then for Argo, who approached rapidly. Taking her bay mare's reins, Xena and Gabrielle headed out...west.
Chapter 2
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