The next day, Xena stood on the docks at the port of Pylos, watching Gabrielle help the smallest children on board the boat headed North. The women and girls needed to start a new life, virtually impossible in the silent battle the people of Greece were waging.
As the Amazon group traveled to the busy seaport, they saw the evidence of the zealots handiwork around every turn. None were so destructive as what they had experienced, but when added up, created terrible chaos within the families of each town.
Charaxus had been right. His death did not stop the wave that was rolling over their civilization. In fact, word of Charaxus’ death had spread quuickly, elevating him to a status almost equal to Eli. Nobody knew who killed the false prophet, and no one was stepping forward to take the blame.
Suffering for the loss of a leader since the death of the gods, the Grecians were turning on one another. Every small difference was questioned or reviled. for the first time, Greeks were more fearful of their neighbor than of warlords, monsters or divine wrath.
Most fearful of all, as far as Xena and Gabrielle were concerned, is the focus on making women worth less than livestock, a fact brutally brought home to them on their journey when they found a man beating his wife for letting the cow go unmilked. Xena had stopped it, but not before it made an impression on the accompanying children in her charge.
The women had all planned to find another Amazon group, perhaps one farther east, who wouldn’t be persecuted by the zealots yet. But after watching their world fall apart and be rebuilt on unsteady footings, they changed their minds. The children had to be raised in the most stable environment possible, and it looked like the decline of the Amazon nation was emminent. So Xena found a boat that would take them far away, where they could lead peaceful lives for the foreseeable future.
Gabrielle stood on deck with Elicia wrapped around her like a little monkey. The child had become precious to her, and she was loathe to let her go. But she knew that for her to stay would only put her in peril.
“Come, little one. Time to get down and help Skye put your things below.”
The little girls face wrinkled up as she held on tighter. “Don wan to. Wanna stay wid Keen Gabille. Don maka me go.”
Gabrielle gently untangled her arms from her neck and set her on the deck. Large tears bubbled from her brown eyes as she watched Gabrielle kneel before her.
“Elicia, Skye needs you. all of your sisters need you. You don’t want to leave them now, when they need your help, now do you?”
The child sadly shook her head. Every Amazon, from the time they were in the cradle, learns that her individual duty is to her fellow Amazons. While only three years of age, Elicia understood her obligations. Which is why Gabrielle had used words that any other toddler would have ignored. Elicia softly kissed Gabrielle’s cheek goodbye, then took Skye’s hand as they walked away. Gabrielle stifled the sobs choking her, walking off the boat to stand at Xena’s side.
“We will always be grateful to you both for what you have done.” Valica called to them as she leaned over the rail. “Our children’s children will tell stories of our Amazon Queen and Xena, the Warrior Princess.”
Xena and Gabrielle smiled solemnly. “Safe journey, Valica.” Xena bid her.
Gabrielle added, “And take care of those girls. All right?”
Valica bowed her head respectively. “As you command, my Queen.”
They watched as the boat weighed anchor, bearing away the decendants of a dying era.
“Will they be all right, Xena?”
“I honestly don’t know.” she replied.
The fading sun cast a golden halo around the billowing sails on the horizon, and Xena and Gabrielle hoped it was an omen of better days ahead.
