Best Friends, Better Enemies, Chapters 7 & 8As Xena was awakening back at the inn, the entity was leaving town leisurely on a beautiful ebony stallion. The former owner of the horse had been quite reluctant to part with the animal, and Gabrielle could see why. But the old farmer and his family wouldn't be a problem, the entity wickedly recalled.
Looking down at the gold encrusted hilt of her sword, Gabrielle mentally castigated herself. Tsk, tsk. Must stop soon and clean the blade. All that blood is bound to corrode it.
Thumping rhythmically against the side of the horse were several saddlebags. Running her hand caressingly over the bulging leather, Gabrielle recalled her pleasure as the fat merchant had discovered her, under his window, unloading bag after bag from the concealing hay wagon where she had stashed it earlier.
"You! My money! Give it back, you little insect!"
His large body came thundering towards her, hands outstretched towards the bundles of jewels. But Gabrielle wasn't about to let the fat pig have his way.
Spinning about, she drew her sword and with two quick slices, the obese merchant fell to the ground, dead. Hurriedly now, so as to not be caught at the scene of a crime, Gabrielle finished loading the valuables and turned quickly away, unfeelingly walking over the dead body in her path.
Ah, yes. It feels good to be my old self again. A lock of golden hair blew before her eyes. He thought humorously, well almost my old self. At least this body is agile, he thought contemptuously. I couldn't have born it if I had been stuck in some old hag.
The forlorn sounds of sobbing echoed within the entity's mind as the real Gabrielle cried hopelessly.
"Oh, shut up, you twit. If you don't like it, take control and be done with it." he taunted cruelly.
Gabrielle sobbed harder. She had tried with all her might to overpower the being contaminating her, but to no avail. It's hopeless. Oh Xena. What are we going to do?
Chapter 8
After cleaning herself up as best she could, Xena left the inn to find a reign of terror had descended upon the hapless town. The villagers were awash with grief over the death of the local farmers family. Killed for their only true asset, a horse of amazing beauty.
More cries arose from the shopsmen when the body of the merchant was found. A small, pearl ring was found near his hand, and all knew that he had been trying to protect his property.
And finally, the one thing that almost broke Xena's hard fought control, a towheaded boy of 16 was found unconscious in his fathers armour stall. After he awoke, he told of a beautiful, blonde woman who had held a sword to his neck while he, his fathers apprentice, fashioned the finest leather and gold breastplate and matching skirt his young fingers had ever formed.
Pride shown in his eyes as he told his father about the quality he had crafted on such short notice. Yet fear could not be erased, especially when the evidence was a large lump on his head and a shallow cut across his throat.
Xena was more determined than ever to stop her one-time friend from harming anyone else. She wasted little time as she collected the balance of her supplies and found out what direction Gabrielle had taken.
But just as she was mounting Argo to ride in pursuit, a messenger, barely conscious and covered in grime, ran to the center of town and cried out in a loud voice, "Urgent message for Xena!"
She heard him. Was, in fact, going to ignore him. But seconds later her gut instinct told her to talk to the man. With her agony over her movements barely contained, Xena dismounted and waved to the exhausted man.
"Here. I am Xena."
He breathed a sigh of relief and rushed over to her.
"Thank the gods! I was afraid I'd be too late. And my master couldn't have tolerated that."
Xena said nothing, simply waiting the extra seconds as the messenger drew a deep breath and withdrew a small scroll form the inside of his cloak.
With reverent care, he handed it to her, saying, "From my lord Polyidus. He bids you come to him quickly."
Ephyre. That will take me several days out of my way. But after reading the scroll, Xena knew what she had to do. Answers awaited in Ephyre, so that was where she would go.
