<- Introduction and Disclaimer - A Season 7 - Episode 7/01 - Trails of Unrest (1/2) - Lost Generation (2/2) ->

by Jürgen Anders

Introduction and Disclaimer

-

Trails Of Unrest

We freely speak of dreams

We marvel at what they conceal

But in my wonderworld

Each sleeping vision is so real

So I believe and hope that all the things I see

May one day bring such truth and peace as we can feel

Free from this breaking world

Deep in sleeps mystery

Wonderworld - Uriah Heep, Wonderworld, #1, 1974

Gabrielle did not really wake up, for she had not really fallen asleep. The faintest northeastern glow of a new dawn's early light shone through the blinds of the window and with it the cool calmness of a morning in the making drifted into the bedchamber. She felt detached from her surroundings as she drifted into an uneasy limbo, caught between not quite sleeping and drowsily resting. The nightly breeze picked up a little and the half shut blinds started to swing softly to a strangely perfect rhythm...

... flap ... flapflap ... flapflap ... flapflap ... flapflap ... flapflap ... flapflap ... flapflap ... flapflap ...

The light outside painted fleeting illusions on the walls of the room in tune with the movement, too faint to be seen by anyone but those who would as well have been away from any source of light for the long hours of the night. She was not sure whether her eyes were really open at all. The emptiness of her sleepy mind cast itself into a dream as she drifted away, hiding the shadows and the wind.

She was riding on Argo, sitting right behind the saddle as she'd done so many times back in another life. Argo was more floating than galloping across a wide plain of yellowish rye grass under a more than perfect blue sky. What a slow gallop it was as the hooves seemed to touch the ground only every other moment, two by two. She embraced the air in front of her, right above the saddle. As she held tight to the warm and cosy emptiness, a fresh and cool breeze of summer blew gently in her face and through her hair and she rested her chin on a strong left shoulder. Slowly, as if in trance, she turned her head and looked to the right. Xena turned towards her, her long dark hair flowing in the wind, slowly and calmly like algae in a clear stream in the mountains, one that she'd love to fish in, full of trouts and shining waterfalls. Only in her face the energy of a racing rider could combine so effortlessly with the calmness of a seasoned warrior. Xena's lips were opening slowly with that knowing smile of hers around one corner, and that cheeky twinkle in her eyes shone blindingly like the blue sky over the night's fresh snow on a clear and chilly winter's morning, as their heads turned slowly to one another.

Gabrielle fell through the dream, down to a darker, deeper, emptier, dreamless sleep. Only the far thunder of the gallop remained to flutter through the void. After a while, it ceased. Whether the storm of hooves had drifted away from her or she herself from it was not to be felt. Darkness. She felt the katana in her hand and tears streaming from her eyes as she rose the blade. As she looked down as slowly as she lifted the shining steel with both her hands, she saw a lotus bud floating on the water, as if it sat on a liquid table right in front of her, and on a plate of leaves like a water-lily. She looked up stirred by a movement behind the sounds and suddenly found herself looking deeply into Xena's eyes. Xena looked back in desperation, her eyes reddened by too many tears and her hair slightly ruffled, transparent like a shadow in the darkness that surrounded them. Only the lotus seemed to be lit by a pointed faint light from right above. Gabrielle's muscles bristled with energy as the blade was high above. Xena looked deep into her eyes. Gabrielle struck with all her power, and as the blade touched the flower, the two halves of the chakram crossed through that same point in time. Sparks erupted in a blinding flash and a shrill explosion of steel striking steel yelled through her mind like the blast of a god's fireball, as the bud was smokestained and sliced into six even pieces that began slowly to fall apart.

Gabrielle awoke with a deep shock of despair to stare at the ceiling. The unreal sound's echoes faded into the dark, behind the beating of her heart. Why wake up. Why now. Why me. What for. Why can't I even dream of her in peace. The pointless questions reverberated through her mind as the shock of awakening settled into a painful lump of lead in the pit of her stomach. The remains of the dream were sucked out of this world. She did not cry. She was beyond tears now, there were no more left to be shed.

The light outside was still hardly worthy to be called a dawn. Its greyish shimmer barely sufficed to rise the room from total darkness. Now she was fully awake, far too early and with a clearer mind than she'd ever been with in the mornings of the past. A strange feeling of readiness filled her body, as if every part of it quietly prepared for an impending battle. This was not an unknown feeling to her, but here there were no warlords approaching, no ambushes to be feared, no evil spirits on the loose. No danger within hundreds of miles. Only friends. Yet there was this urge to fight to right a great wrong. One that took her friend away, her feelings insisted. But her mind knew that it had been Xena's decision to remain while thousands of souls were free to move on towards peace, one decision that to the intellect sounded right and noble. But it did not feel that way, for it left one soul in that painful kind of freedom of having nothing left to lose.

Usually she would get up without hurrying it, hours before others got up there was nothing to be missed, nothing to be there for. Instead, left with only herself for company, she'd stretch and exercise a bit to clear her mind for the day and her body from the tiresome sleepiness which came with lack of sleep. Not the one that used to linger on for hours in the past, when she never seemed to catch up with her friend's early rise and shine thing. Now healthy sleepiness never really came to stay. She did not rise though, as she did not want to wake up the guardsman placed outside the door of her room. It was way too early in the morning, so early that it would have been unfair to the poor man who was snoring once in a while just to wake up to the embarrassment of his own noise. Not that she felt she needed any protection. Her host had almost insisted on it as a gesture of the utmost respect, for her ...and Xena. As she lay on her back and stared at the ceiling, the events of the last days unfolded before her minds eye.

She had spent a few more days in Japan after returning from Mount Fuji-San with nothing important to speak of. A torn battle dress, the sacred katana, the chakram and the urn with her soulmate's ashes and a desperate longing for her embrace that had so untimely vanished into the sunset. A life in shreds and eyes drowning in tears. Her grief was shared by the many of the townsfolk saved with hers and Xena's help as it was shared by the souls of their ancestors who had been released from Yodoshi's evil grip by Xena's ultimate sacrifice. The people of Higuchi had stopped the hard work of rebuilding their half-burnt town and the daily struggle of survival in it to honour the ashes of the ghost killer Harukata and Xena. Even the weak and the elderly, the deaf and the blind, the injured and the berieved spared no effort to pay their respect, often struggling on their last breath just to be there, sometimes carried by friends hardly less tired by the events. Mothers held up their babies and fathers lifted their children on their shoulders and told them to watch carefully and to forever remember the procession of the four saviours of their homes, the two who had passed away and the two who had barely survived the epic struggle with the dreaded demons to now carry their friend's ashes in the traditional ceremony. Then they joined in to follow them to the shrine much like the one that never recieved Akemi's ashes so many years before. The whole town assembled on the surrounding hills as Harukata's ashes were put to rest in his family's shrine. Kenji fainted during the setting to rest of Harukata's ashes, he was still very weak from the injuries inflicted to him by Yodoshi. Gabrielle and two monks carefully caught him in falling and sat him down to rest under a cedar nearby. It was almost a miracule that he had made it as far as the shrine without succumbing to his frail state of health. But everyone today would have gone as far as their feet would carry them. Gabrielle explained that her dead friend's last will was to be buried in Amphipolis, her familiy's home town far in the west, beyond the setting sun, and therefore, she was not to rest near the last battleground. She sincerely hoped it would not offend any of the warriors or the townspeole of Higuchi if she had to follow the traditions of her people in this case and she thanked all the people for their condolence and for honouring her friend. Earlier, she had offered Xena's japanese armor to the town's shrine as a gesture of respect. Then she took a handful of earth from the last battleground and put it into a small bag of leather and placed the urn on top of it to show her respect for the japanese tradition of burial to those of the many who could not hear her words in the distance. She closed the bag firmly by rolling in and tying down the top and tucked in the loose ends at the top to stiffen it for the long journey home. On the way back to Higuchi the most moving displays of sympathy and respect unfolded before her crying eyes as she helped to carry Kenji back to the hospice on a stretcher. People offered small gifts of respect and joss sticks as they went through the silent crowd. Then they would turn and join in behind them to follow.

The truth of the matter not to be spoken was that the tiny urn was the last bit to hold on to that remained of her tall friend. She desperatly wanted to hold on to something. Over the next days she walked across the devastation of the battlefield to soak up memories of the ground beneath her friend's last footsteps, the trees last touched by her hands and those blown apart by the destruction of the fire bombs intended to burn Higuchi to the ground, the arrows fired against the approaching armies. She tried desperately to feel with her hands, her cheeks, almost to smell, to inhale the firm grip of Xena's hands on her arrow's fins as she finally found three of hers stuck in the side of an abandoned cart. It was still there, her strength. She was not sure if she just so much wanted it to be, but it felt so much as if it still was. She carefully pulled them out of the wooden planks. The arrows deflected by her many skills, the arrows that had hit when there was nowhere left to duck for cover, the bloodstain of Marimoto's unspeakable and dishonourable deed. More she could not take home with her.

Summer, grass, all that remained of her warrior friend's dreams. And who else remained there at home to share her grief with?

After a few more days the first ship that had returned to the usually buzzing harbor of Higuchi after the siege was due to leave for the west. Though he had not yet fully recovered, Kenji accompanied her to the quay. There they stood, one barefooted in a peaceful monk's plain cloth and one in a short red skirt, rugged leather boots with sais ready to go on their sides, the chakram on her belt and a slightly too large backpack of the local brand strapped firmly on her back, and a katana. A bard lost for words. The captain looked a little impatiently towards them from the upper end of the gangway, but he was the master of his ship and he decided that he could well afford to wait a little longer, even though everything was stowed aboard and the tide was right. He was not to disturb the island of peace that unfolded in the hubbub of the busy quayside.

Kenji found his way to a few words first, »Gabrielle, you seem to carry more than what's in the backpack. Don't let the beauty that blossoms in your heart be buried under the load on your soul.«

Gabrielle tried to smile, as a tear rolled from her eye, »Yea, I ... I'll try. Life does go on ... somehow ... has to,« she tried to wipe away the tears without really succeeding, »Thank you for the backpack. It makes the carrying a lot easier,« she smiled.

»You're sure you don't want the roof? I can still get...«

»No, thanks. It's just what I carry that keeps me warm and comfortable. And I've travelled to the farthest corners of the Earth before. ... Though not alone.« The tears returned, ever more unstoppable.

This time, Kenji tried to chase them away gently, »Hey, you are still free and we are, again. Freedom is a gift, a gift to explore. Don't let the pain chain you down, promise me that? Let the love in your heart embrace the pain and conquer it, soothe it. There are so many more people in the world who can't share our freedom. Maybe the pain won't go away, maybe it will always be there. But maybe it is only the price for something that's far greater, something that you'll find along the way, within yourself.«

Gabrielle turned around to look at the captain who promptly tried to look away as not to disturb them. »I.. I think he wants to set sail soon. ... I hope I can find that kind of peace somewhen. I ... I know that the world is huge but... it was small enough for Akemi and Xena to meet again, and maybe... let's not say farewell, let's say goodbye. I don't think I'll survive another farewell now.«

»Gabrielle, in a way you'll never leave and Xena will never leave you. Look around, remember beautiful Higuchi. It would not be without the two of you.«

Gabrielle hugged Kenji for the last time, »Yes, ... I think that'll keep me going for a while. At least as far as up the gangway.« and then she turned to leave the islands of the rising sun where the sun had somehow set for another life.

»Gabrielle? Would you do me a favour?«

She turned around, a little more than half way up the gangway, »Sure. What is it?«

»Please say thank you from all of us to everyone you've met along the way that brought you here. It's the least thing I can think of.«

She smiled, »I will. Sure I will.«

»Oh, and one... uhm, just for me?« Kenji added a little more enthusiastically.

»Well,...« Gabrielle returned slightly bemused. He hurried up the gangway to Gabrielle before she could have finished an answer.

»Please, crying Free One, ... let your eyes shine again.«

With that they briefly hugged again and parted. As soon as Gabrielle was on board, the gangway was lifted and the ship was pushed free into the harbor. The breeze quickly filled the sails as the ship made to the west. As Gabrielle waved at Kenji, the whole quayside came to a standstill, and within a few moments everybody was waving as the ship sailed past the harbor's fortifications and out into the open sea. She stayed at the ship's starbord side for a long time, watching first the land recede as the ship made good progress towards the west, and then she was just mesmerized by the pattern of the waves, as the kami of the wind and the water played with one another. Whatever magic it had taken, be it the forces of nature around, the urn in her hands or Kenji's little ideas to ease the goodbye, for the first time in days she felt at rest with herself. The day filled and passed with the quiet beauty of the waves. From time to time the ship and its one lonely passenger were accompanied by dolphins while the other passengers and the crew busied themselves with their tasks, without disturbing the meditation of the lonely and without taking notice of the splendour of nature. As the sun was setting to the west and the winds got quieter in preparation for the night, she felt a hand gently resting on her right shoulder, and there she was. Xena, smiling quietly. Then she spoke and Gabrielle heard her words. Something in her mind said that this couldn't be, as surely as her hands held on firmly to the urn, but they were as loud and clear as ever, and her touch was as gentle and firm as ever. »Kenji was right,« Xena smiled, »your eyes shine so much brighter without the tears.«

»You are still with me...« Gabrielle was not sure if she'd said it aloud, surprised and filled with joy beyond words.

Xena put her arms around her, »Shhh... let's enjoy the sunset. I'll be there. Always.« she said very quietly, almost whispering.

A while after the sun had set, Gabrielle noticed a crewman walking past her on the left side without looking. As she turned to the right, the feeling of the embrace vanished, as if she'd just held still for too long. Nobody around seemed to have noticed anything beyond the expected.

Xena had gone. And so had the tears, finally.

In a time of ancient gods ... warlords ... and kings, a land in turmoil cried out for a hero.

She was Xena: a mighty princess forged in the heat of battle.

Starring Reneé O'Connor

The power - the passion - the danger

Starring Lucy Lawless

Her courage would change the world

Xena: Warrior Princess

Trails Of Unrest

by Jürgen Anders

Gabrielle got up as the first noises of the daily life in the palace reached her ears. The bedroom was large enough to emphasize the loneliness she felt. As she washed her face with water from a bowl that somehow seemed to have concentrated all the coolness of the early morning, she mulled over what to do with that morning. Here she was on a summer morning, the most revered guest of the House of Koryu, enjoying all the comforts that life could probably provide, and yet she felt utterly useless. Her thoughts drifted back through the past days again.

Marie Matiko

The reception in the port last week was one that usually was only given to royalty returning triumphantly from abroad. As the merchant ship from Japan had sailed into the harbour, she had wondered who would be the recipient of the honours being prepared ashore. A lot of people were scanning the ship for something or somebody. She had stayed aboard even after the crew had started unloading all the goods, and had been leaning for quite a while on the ship's side in a very relaxed way to be in a better position to watch the show that was unfolding on the quay with all the sophistication of a royal procession. To her utter surprise, an official finally hurried up the gangway to talk to the captain. After a few words, he pointed towards her and no sooner the man ran towards her, bowed to the ground, and spoke, »I am sorry not to have recognized you immediately. I am your humble servant and...«

She was a little surprised to say the least, but also quite sure that there had been a mistake, »W..wait, please, would you get up again? What's this all about? I'm sure you mistake me for somebody else.«

The man got up again. There was a little too much glittering stuff on his garments for Gabrielle's taste. »I beg your pardon, you are not Gabrielle, the battling bard of Poteideia?«

»Wha.. Yes, I am.« Gabrielle answered even more surprised. On their way to Japan, they had taken the coastal route and had not stopped over at this port.

»The Queen of Koryu humbly asks the saviour of the tenthousands of Higuchi whether she would consider to honour her humble dwelling with her presence, and she would feel very honoured indeed if you chose to stay as a guest of the Royal Family for as long as you may wish to do so.« with that he bowed again, a little too quickly.

Not accustomed to this kind of praise at all, Gabrielle first blushed and then accepted politely, but still too surprised to fully take it for real, »Tell the Queen I, too, feel very honoured. I accept the invitation, and...«

Anthony Wong

The man suddely bowed again and receded to the left, towards the ship's centre. A woman stepped from the gangway onto the ship's deck and approached, but in a much more dignified way than the man had before. Her well controlled movements were very much like those of a warrior, but one accustomed to the battlefields of diplomacy, as well. But she was not as luxuriously dressed as were those who probably were her servants, or officials. Her traditional gown looked as if it could stand up to the forces of nature as well as to the demands of protocol. As she arrived, she welcomed Gabrielle with a little bow, barely noticeable by motion, but all the more respectful by intent, and opened up with a warm smile,

Special Guest Star

Michelle Yeoh

as Kija

»Welcome, Gabrielle, Queen of the Amazons... battling bard of Poteideia.«

Gabrielle could not avoid a very surprised and slightly suspicious look. The woman smiled understandingly, »Your fame and fortune have indeed preceded you. It has been a long time. You may not remember me, but I do remember you. When I heard of the women who saved the book of Lao Ma ... I was a child, living in Chin when my father was the ambassador, I could hardly believe you were still travelling, after all these years.« With that she stepped forward, grasped Gabrielle's hands, and added in a softer voice »I am Kija, Queen of Koryu. I would indeed be honoured if you'd accept my offer of hospitality.«

Mac Jeffery Ong

Gabrielle was flattered, »Thank you. ... I am honoured by your offer.«

Kija looked around, »Your luggage... has already been unloaded...?«

»No, ...« Gabrielle could hardly suppress a little laugh, »no, I travel light. Just this«, she lifted the hand slightly from the chakram, »and the backpack.« It stood next to her at the ship's side.

»So it is true what the merchants said, Xena sacrificed herself...« a genuine expression of grief entered Kija's friendly face, and she cast down her sight for a moment, »I am very sorry to hear of your loss. I still hoped I might at last meet both of you, but now... I know there's nothing anybody can do in this world to return your friend, but let at least my home be your home for the time being. It is the least I can do.« She put one arm around Gabrielle's shoulder and they started towards the gangway. Gabrielle picked up the backpack and turned to lift it on the other shoulder for the short way down from the ship.

»Please, let my men help you.«

Gabrielle smiled and looked at her, »Thank you, but I feel I have to carry that load alone. But I will gladly join you. You can no longer meet her, but at least,« she paused for a moment, to continue with renewed vigour, »At least I can still sing of Xena, the greatest of friends... that's the least I can do.«

A strange sound startled her out of her thoughts. A rider galloped into the court yard, and within moments, diffuse yelling and motion started to fill the buildings surrounding it. Gabrielle dried her face with one of the towels and moved towards the door as someone just started knocking. She opened it more quickly than the guardsman could have ever expected. Slightly confused he started, »I beg your pardon, but...«

»It's alright. What's going on?« Gabrielle asked.

»The army of Chin is moving towards the palace. Queen Kija...«

Her face darkened, »I'm on my way. Thanks...« Gabrielle patted him on the shoulder, »thank you for not hesitating to wake me!« she added, turning around to smile as she hurried down the corridor.

All that courtliness could be nice for some time, but sooner or later it was annoying to a travelling bard more accustomed to sleeping rough than wrapped in silk. The soldiers had long noticed that she wasn't just another spoiled princess on a state visit. There was genuine friendship, and what's more, she really had come to like Kija and her diligent, modest and dignified way of running her affairs, and those of her peaceful country. And both loved to listen to a good story as well as to tell one. This had made it so much easier to at least accept the past.

On her way, Gabrielle mused over the meaning of the message. It had been a long time since she'd been to Chin with Xena, although, with all the time lost in Ares' icy cave, it didn't feel that way. Why should the army of Chin advance on this peaceful kingdom? Certainly, the world had moved on in the missing past of her life, but was it caught in a drive to an unpleasant destination everywhere? So much had been lost since she first met Xena. Then, the Amazons and the Centaurs were two strong nations uniting in a common understanding after a long time of struggles, lost in conflict they found one another. Now, both were all but gone, and so were many of the old friends, too many. It appeared to her as if she had let them down, being caught for so long in the god of war's cold spell. She knew it was only 'as if', but knowing didn't make her feel better about it. Just as wasted potential is the greatest sin of all, lost opportunity is the greatest pain of all. Even though she hadn't lost them, they'd been taken away from her. And Xena. Where and whenever they might have been, the pain of the 'what ifs' was still there, lingering.

She arrived in the great hall. The palace itself was hardly what lords and rulers of other places would call one. It was more of a manorial mansion, closer to a large farmyard than to a royal estate. It didn't take much besides the gift of statescraft to run the affairs of a peaceful and dilligent people. Officials and servants were running hastily to and fro as the news arrived in bits and pieces, and then spread among them. Gabrielle soon found Kija in the flurry of activity that was unfolding around them.

»Kija, what's this all about?«

»Gabrielle, it looks like we're under attack. The armies of Chin are advacing from the north. They've already crossed the Yalu river. And we... well, we're not all too well prepared to face them.«

»I... can hardly believe it...« Gabrielle replied after a moment, still confused by trying to catch up with the scale of events, »I've been there, long ago with Xena... and Xena, she found her first inspiration there to turn away from the violence that beset her life... it's...«

»Look, Gabrielle,« a visibly tense Kija interrupted her, »I can't ask you to stay. You are always welcome here, I want you to know that. But I can't ask a guest, I can't ask you to risk your life here. It is still time to leave. You have a long way home to go, but we,« she looked around to make sure nobody paid too much attention, then continued more quietly, »we have to stay. The way things have turned out, my people have to retreat for the moment. It's not going to be an open battle but a long siege. And I'm afraid we might not last long enough. The harvest hasn't been brought in yet, and it's ... It's all a mess. But it's mine, not yours. You still have somewhere else to run to, and though the road is long... maybe it's best to start now.«

»No, I'd just have the road to run to. I don't know what's on the far end of it, but I know what's here. Home to me was always on the road, but being with Xena. Now, it's... just wherever I can lay my head and offer my hands. I'll stay. How can I help?«

Kija hugged Gabrielle suddenly, like a great load was lifted from her shoulders, »Thank you. Any help is welcome. Especially yours; it is so much more than I could dare to ask for.«

»I kind of figured that out, already. I'm getting better at that all the time... now,...« Gabrielle replied with a reassuring smile as they separated from Kija's unusual outburst of relief.

»But remember, you're always free to go. I don't want the road to end here, Gabrielle. Not for you, and not because of whatever is behind this trap we're in.« Kija added, again deflecting Gabrielle's line of thought.

Gabrielle's hands plowed vigorously through her short blonde hair, as if they tried to straighten out the confusion that had spread underneath, »I just don't understand... Why this invasion? What has become of all the wisdom and serenity of Lao Ma, and the ideals she'd bestowed upon her people with her book? Was it really that long ago, when...«

»Well, Gabrielle, perhaps you'll live long enough to ask her daughter. She's leading the assault.«

»Wha..?« Gabrielle did not quite trust her ears, and her expression didn't try to hide it.

»Right. Empress K'Ao Hsin of Chin is pushing very hard to get here, but I'm not sure if she's inclined to answer nostalgic questions.«

For a moment, Gabrielle was inclined to believe that Ming Tien or Pao Ssu had somehow risen from the netherworld, or had inspired somebody else to cross the river to war. But now she knew how to help, indeed by taking to the road, by running. Not away from the army but towards it.

»But... Kija, I know her. She'll remember, she'll trust me. Let me go and talk to her. I... I just can't imagine she could do this to anybody, she couldn't do it then, to ward off her evil siblings. Not even to save her mother's book. She was almost too good, too kind for this world. I'll try and find out what this is all about, the sooner the better.«

Kija took a deep breath, knowing better than to stop her, and said after a moment of hesitation, »Well... looks like we have to try everything and hope for the best. But remember, people can change, for better or for worse. And that there's no way I can help you out when.. if things go wrong. I can't spare anyone to accompany you out there.«

»A horse will do, if you can spare that.« Gabrielle smiled; the tension that had accompanied her in the past weeks had suddely vanished with a new task, a purpose to live. She was ready to rush off.

Kija held her back by the arm, »Take care. Don't get lost searching something that's gone. Head for safety, whatever the outcome. In time.«

»Don't worry. We'll meet again, soon.« With that, Gabrielle headed off for the stables. Depends on in which world, she thought to herself. A short while later she galopped out of the main gate on a black horse, following the best directions she could get, straight towards the approaching army, still several miles away. Now, her mind was occupied with the task ahead. As soon as she was out of sight of the palace, she let the horse settle into a more leisurely pace. Seeing a friend rush towards the enemy sure was a boost for the guardsmen's morale, but who knew how long this trip would take, so better save some stamina for when it might be needed. The countyside was eerily quiet. All the people had left their farms and had retreated to somewhere they thought safer. Goods and tools were left where people had dropped them as they heard the news. She pondered for a while which route to take. To follow the wooded crests of the hills would offer more cover and a better view, but only whenever there was a break in the forests. But she might also be mistaken for as reconnoitering or preparing an ambush. Or, even worse, run into a vanguard with exactly those things in mind. She decided to follow the wide open valleys with their rice paddies and meadows. Not being seen trying to hide signaled harmlessness, no sinister thoughts. It also meant being an easy prey for others' evil intentions. If there were any, she reminded herself. That, she didn't, she couldn't really believe. Not K'Ao Hsin. But then, returning first from Chin had started Xena's change towards the Greater Good. Was whatever was coming out of Chin now starting changes in the same direction? Not as far as the villagers here were concerned. She crossed another empty hamlet. As she left it behind to climb a shallow hill that was protruding into the valley, she was startled by a sound. Listen to what's behind the sounds... She left the horse at a group of trees, well hidden from the sight of anyone who might be behind the natural barrier ahead, and proceeded on foot towards the brow of the hill. Peeking around from behind the cover of a few bushes, she saw a small platoon just arriving at a narrow bridge across the stream which was running down the valley. As they arrived, their leader sent one of the men back with a message. He started to run for a few steps but then he settled into an ever slower walk. The leader apparently at first wanted to urge him to hurry up but then turned around with a gesture of indifference. He turned towards the rest of his men, and all of them settled down on both ends of the bridge, sitting down, resting with their backs against the guard rails' pillars. After a while, one of them fell to one side, as if he had fallen asleep. The man who at least seemed to be the leader went to him, but instead of a rebuff, the other got some water from his own canteen. Then the leader spoke to two others just before laying down flat on the pavement, right in the centre of the bridge. He too seemed to fall asleep as soon as he'd hit the ground. This wasn't exactly what a platoon securing a bridge ahead of an advancing army was supposed to do. She decided to make the first move and walked back down towards the narrow road, and then followed it approaching the bridge. The bridge was ridiculously small, hardly wide and strong enough for an oxcart, pretty much useless, one should think, for a whole army. But bridges were often built on a shallower stretch of a river, so a lot of the cavalry and men at arms could cross next to it while carts and supplies rolled safely across on the pavement. From the hill, she had seen that they didn't seem to have spears or longbows, only swords. She hoped there were no hidden crossbows there, or archers in the woods across the valley. But nothing had pointed to that, as the lone messenger had followed the dirt road away from the bridge, probably on his way to the nearest unit. He was still trudging along in the distance. She was already about half way from where the road turned around the hill to the bridge. They clearly must have noticed her. Two of the soldiers seemed to look towards her, but they showed no intentions of rising. Something was wrong, no sounds to listen to what's behind them. Apprehension congealed into a lump of lead in the pit of her stomach.

Gabrielle broke the silence, »Hello, ...uhm, I'd like to cross the bridge...« none of the men moved, »If that's possible...« still nothing to indicate any interest, »when I come to it, that is,« she finally added with a wide smile. Not much of a reaction, besides one or two other heads turning towards her. She tried to look as friendly, calm and reassuring as a girl with a chakram on her belt, two sais at the sides of her boots and a katana on her back could possibly look like. The two on the near end of the bridge struggled to rise to their feet and grabbed their swords half-heartedly.

»That depends on .. what you're up to. The road is closed along that side,« one answered finally and pointed towards the far end of the valley, then to the end where Gabrielle had come from, »but you're free to move downstream. So?«

»You're from Chin, are ya?«

»And...?« , one asked slightly impatiently, apparently longing for some more rest after the inquisitive traveller had passed or returned, while the other grabbed the handrail to steady himself as he was hit by a bout of dizziness. These were tired men, wherever they came from.

»I have to talk to K'Ao Hsin. ...« Gabrielle shorted the proceedings.

The men suddenly seemed to have been struck by lightning, all but the old one who still had the canteen in his hands leapt to their feet and pointed their swords at her.

Gabrielle restrained her impulse to grab the sais, instead she moved her hands into a ready position at a less threatening distance, away from her weapons, »Urgently.«

»No way. Your attempt on her ends here. And you'll talk to no-one,« the man retorted angrily with contempt. Now she could see they were all covered with whatever sticks when sweat and dirt mix for too long.

»Listen, if I had evil intentions, I could have brought archers to that hill,« she pointed slowly but impatiently towards it, behind her without moving her hands too much, just turning the thumb, »or just have waited 'til you all fell asleep and cross the river somewhere upstream, or just wait until your man was out of sight and then finish you off in a surprise.« With that, she pointed towards the man in the distance. »Get the idea? I have to talk to her. As soon as I can. I know her from a long time ago, so long you'd hardly belive it.«

»And you think we would? After all what people like you have tried to do to her?« He shook his head slowly and determinately, »No. Not as long as we're here to stop you,« he affirmed with a voice full of defiance.

The one next to him moved closer to his neighbour to whisper, »Don't you think she looks too good to be one, I mean, just... look at her. Too...« he gestured helplessly, searching for a better word to express his idea, »healthy... I think, ... shapely, huh?«

Gabrielle frowned, not quite believing what she'd heard. Well, she thought, these soldiers sure had been on the road very much too long, but perhaps this was the break she was hoping for, as odd as it appeared. She decided to play up to it, »Well, thank you,« she smiled, »but I'm a bit in a hurry. Kija, Queen of Koryu sends her best regards.«

The first soldier angrily turned towards the other, »Remember what the Captain said? Don't trust no-one, not even yourself!«

He made a step towards Gabrielle, and two of the others were flanking out from the bridge to her sides. She moved backwards, just a little, and lifted her hands further to turn her palms towards them to show she had no intentions to strike first, as the other soldier questioned his orders again, »Uhm... we could search her. To see if she's got any ...balls, y'know what I mean?« after a short pause he added, »I mean, we're not at war with Koryu, not if we can avoid it.«

Gabrielle leaned forward, believing her ears increasingly less. The soldier's line rolled several times through her mind, and still she wasn't sure she'd heard what she had seemed to hear, »What?! ... Do I have .. what?!«

»Shut up! They'll take any excuse, Koryu or not, war or not. Trust .. nobody!!« the first one yelled, looking to the side a bit, but still facing Gabrielle with his raised sword, and then continued to hiss at his neighbour, »Stuff your ears with parsley next time so you don't get distracted by their wicked excuses.« He turned to Gabrielle once more in contempt, twisting his sword, »Those sweet little death balls you folks always eat when you fail. Take 'em now. ... Kill .. her. .. Now!«

Gabrielle grabbed the sais and got ready, »I don't have time for this. You don't really want that, do you?« she yelled quickly, with a touch of desperation.

»Hold! .. Hold!!!« the old man still sitting on the pavement, leaning his back at one of the pillars yelled with a strained voice, and the men stopped dead in their tracks. The first one turned around in disbelief, »Wha.. why?«

The older man tried to get up, but failed until one of the others arrived to help him, »You don't really need archers on the hill, young lady, do you?« He grabbed the handrail with one of his hands to steady himself, »Not if you're good enough to use that, ... if I am right in what I think it is,« and pointed to the chakram with the other.

Gabrielle's patience was wearing thin. Before she'd consciously realized it, she'd already thown the chakram and caught it again. It ricocheted off both the pillars at the near side of the bridge, throwing sparks in small puffs of dust there, as it went on to fly a nice triangle around the man who until a moment ago seemed to be the leader of the platoon, and back into her hands. Gabrielle was hardly less surprised than the men. She hadn't used it since that one time on Mount Fuji-San. Now she put on an urging look, as time was pressing on. The others were gaping like sheep who're shown a new gate for the first time. Except for the old one. Inexplicably, for a short moment the touch of a smile seemed whisk across the corners of his mouth.

»See? Boys, you'd all be dead by now if she was one of them. ... I've only heard of this once back in... military academy, I think. Uhm,... one of the veterans told us about that magic weapon... That, as far as I remember, there was only .. one .. warrior skilled enough to use the ...chakram, I think it was, right?... with such prowess. The legendary...«

»Xena. Right,« Gabrielle finished the sentence for him.

»I'm ... I can't express how pleased I am to...« he continued, shakily, just to be cut short by her, again.

»The name's Gabrielle. Xena w..is my best friend. She fell not long ago in battle. ... Besides, it's no more magic than your sword.« She wasn't perfectly sure about her last statement, but there was no time to ponder.

»Can I trust you with that bridge, lads?« the old man asked, just to answer by himself, »I think I can. Gabrielle, you don't have a horse left, by chance?«

»Sorry, got one, only. I'll get it. Take it easy,« she ran back towards the hill. A kingdom for Argo, she thought. The locally bred stallion didn't get the message until she'd landed on his back.

Whistling just got her a curious look at a time. She immediately headed back to the bridge. The old soldier waited there, ready to get on the horse, with a lot of help from Gabrielle above. These men were at their limits now, so much was certain. He shouted a few words, not to fall asleep, but try to get some rest back towards his men, when they finally set about to follow the road. As they overtook the messenger, he ordered him back to the bridge but told him to take it easy and only to hurry up if he'd spot trouble approaching his comrades.

As they arrived on the plain where Chin's mighty army had set up camp, Gabrielle couldn't believe her eyes. Beyond the guard post, thousands of soldiers in awfully bad shape, just as the men at the bridge, rested on the bare ground, but even more shocking were the women and children who were sitting encircled by and behind them, with no more protection than a few blankets. The lack of provisions was obvious, as was the look of desperation in their eyes.

As soon as she'd realized what she was seeing within the camp, still at some distance from the guards, she turned around towards the old soldier behind her with an angry flash of disgust in her eyes, »That's the way you treat pri...?«

»These are our families, Gabrielle, not prisoners. Leave your arms on the horse.«

»And face an invasion with bare hands?...« Gabrielle retorted mockingly.

»You face an army, alright, but of refugees. Besides, I'll leave my sword with the soldiers outside the families' camp, too. No-one is allowed to enter that area with anything that could be used as a weapon.«

The guardsmen ahead of them lifted long bamboo spears pointing towards the approaching horse and its riders. The lower ends were pushed into the ground by their feet to secure them firmly. If they had tried to break through the barrier of men, they would have ended up as shashlik. There were no other barriers or defences, only these long spears laid out around the camp's perimeter. They slowed down and stopped a few feet away from the sharpened tips. The grim look on the guardsmen's faces did not disappear as they saw one of their own approaching.

»Leave the horse and your arms here. Nobody will take it, although we're all hungry. You have my word.«

»Wait, let me help you down.« Gabrielle said, as she dismounted. The old man didn't need as much steadying as at the bridge, but he was still walking shakily. He approached one of the guards who searched him, as the others pointed their spears towards him, as if their tips were attracted by some kind of magnetism. Seeing this, Gabrielle slowly tied all her gear to the horse's saddle and followed him. Remembering the one soldier's strange suggestions at the bridge, she wasn't too keen to be searched by these men. But a few words from the old soldier saved her from the experience. There wasn't really enough room to hide anything larger than a toothpick beneath her dark red outfit, anyway.

»Let's go and see K'Ao Hsin immediately...« she looked at the old soldier, waiting for directions.

»Ahm, sorry. You said you know her. So you'll have to find her on your own. Or, better still, she'll recognize you. Can't take no risk on that one. ...Oh, and if you can't you won't leave the camp again.«

»Thank you for your trust and support,« Gabrielle retorted slightly annoyed. She had long noticed as they had approached, that there were no large tents or anything that resembled an obvious centre of command. Not even officers quarters. All there was, was one huge area full of women and children, surrounded by a cordon, sorts of, of tired soldiers resting or sleeping, some clearly too young, and many more too old to stand in battle, »I guess she's not with the men, then?«

The old soldier shrugged, »No word. I'll have to accompany you anyway.«

As they passed the cordon of men, he left his sword, sticking it into the ground, nodding at the exhausted man lying nearest to it.

Gabrielle thought she'd slowly grasped the concept, and proceeded towards the centre of the field filled with misery. After walking about half the way around the central area, somebody audibly huddled beneath a blanket spoke behind her, after she'd passed by, »That can't be... Is it you, Gabrielle? Is it really you or am I dreaming?«

Gabrielle turned around, looking at the greyish bundle of blankets sitting there. It jumped up to embrace her, and was reduced to bitter tears on her shoulder, »My prayers were finally heard, finally... at last!«

»K'Ao Hsin... it's been a long time...« Gabrielle carefully moved her back for a moment, to look into her face. It reminded her of first seeing Lila again, after all these years that had passed for almost everyone, now everyone but her. Then she in turn embraced her, »Whatever it is... what ever it is, and how long it will take, count on me, K'Ao Hsin. We'll make it.«

»Gabrielle,« a moved voice behind her opened up, »now I begin to believe I am truly awake. It has been a long time, and you look so much like you did then, back at home. Forgive me, for not trusting you, for not believing my eyes after all these years.«

Gabrielle turned around slowly, »Lin Qi...? I... No, please, forgive me for not... I had no idea. I...«

»It's the dirt and the tiredness... and the beard, alright. Makes me look much older than we are. But you.. you more than compensate for this... It's still hard to believe I'm not dreaming.«

»It's a long story, and it is hard to believe, too... believe me,« she smiled wistfully.

»Oh... did Kija send you? So she got the message in the end?« K'Ao Hsin interrupted, »We were desperately waiting for an answer, but none came and then there was no time left... to wait any longer...« her thought died away at the expression in Gabrielle's face.

»No, no she didn't receive any message. They all believe it's an invasion. We have to get back to Koryu as fast as we can.«

»Gabrielle, did anyone follow you?« Lin Qi asked.

»No... nobody, everybody has run for shelter there. They're preparing for a siege, and... on the way, the only people I saw was your platoon at the bridge.«

»Empress, there was no attempt on your life in the last... four days? I think we're finally safe now.«

»Li Qin, whatever has happened, we have to talk to Kija right now. She has to know.« Gabrielle interjected impatiently.

The army of refugees had only a few horses at its disposal, but two were quickly found, and they set off back towards Kija's palace along the route Gabrielle had taken earlier. Gabrielle speeded ahead, followed by K'Ao Hsin and Lin Qi closely behind. As they approached the gates, Gabrielle yelled for the guards to open them. They galopped through the opening gates, just to find Kija rushing into the yard. She approached Gabrielle, as she dismounted, »You're alright, Gabrielle? Who're they?«

»I'm alright, thanks, but little else is. And it's not at all what it...« Gabrielle left it at that as Kija turned towards the second horse.

K'Ao Hsin lifted her hood, »Kija, I'm so sorry. I sent messages...«

»Of what? To declare war on those who thought of you as a friend? To announce an invasion? What's become of Lao Ma's daughter in the long years since we last met? I think you have a lot of explaining to do and...« Kija burst out in anger, hardly concealed by her discipline.

»Wait,« Gabrielle held her back respectfully, »It's no invasion, they're all refugees. Their families are with them.«

Kija let go a deep breath, »Well, if it wasn't for you, Gabrielle, I'd... Let's go.«

»...and they're all hungry, Kija. I'll join you in a moment, I get us a good meal, and then we'll talk,« Gabrielle added.

Kija looked at the two as yet unwelcome guests for a moment, »Mmh... right. I've never seen such a pale chief of staff. Follow me.« Her anger was slowly evaporating as she turned to head for the main building, at least so it seemed. More likely, discipline had taken over again.

»Congratulations...« Gabrielle mumbled, with no little surprise.

Lin Qi answered with a frown, »Gabrielle, you know I'm no coward, but I'd rather be a simple farmer now. You'll see in a moment.«

»Right. I'll be there in a minute.« With that, she headed off for the kitchen.

The cook opened the door to the hall. As asked for by Gabrielle, he brought a tray with a variety of choices of the local cuisine, more the decent than the extravagant selection, and it was plenty for the four of them. Kija thanked him as he apologized for the lack of sophistication due to the short time of preparation, although the four diners definitely didn't notice any lack as they enjoyed with their eyes what soon would tickle their taste buds. Two of them could hardly wait to sit down on the mats surrounding the low table. After the worst of their hunger had been chased out of the room, they set about to tell their story. With the food, the atmosphere became more relaxed. As they spoke, more food was packed and stowed, soon ready to be sent to the camp of refugees with the empress and her companion. This way, it would arrive well before nightfall, Gabrielle had taken care of that before she had joined up with the rest of them. Not that she'd told Kija immediately, but she would understand in time.

»Gabrielle, that's the first time you show something like appetite since I've met you,« Kija opened the conversation with a smile towards her neighbour.

»Well, from time to time it is good to be reminded of what you really have when you have something to eat. ... And it's been a long day.«

Kija lost no time to press on, »Indeed, now... what happened before you were .. forced .. to come here, in the first place? You have to understand, we have been through quite a bit of turmoil since dawn, as the first sketchy news of your .. arrival .. broke.«

K'Ao Hsin bent forward in apology, as she began to talk, slowly at first, »There are no words to explain how sorry I am... We sent messengers, but the way things have turned out, we have to assume that they're all dead.«

»Who would want to do this? After all I've heard, Chin has lived in peace with her neighbours ever since .. Xena and I last saw you, back then, right?« Gabrielle looked at the others, hoping they would fill in the gaps in her memory, if there were any.

Kija continued, »Well, that's certainly true, but .. it's also disconcerting after what happ... what we thought, happened. All roads from here lead to and through Chin, we only have that one land frontier .. and three bordering the oceans, if you like. So please understand our worries. Now that we all meet again after such a long time, I see you haven't changed. But who has?«

»Not all men serve their country with dignity and loyalty. ...« Lin Qi spoke for the first time.

K'Ao Hsin took over, »When you left, Gabrielle, Chin was a country full of armies, but suddenly in peace. The peace brought by the wisdom of my mother's book, the peace you and Xena helped to take roots and flourish. After all these years of war, of Ming Tien's reign of terror, all these men had been away from home, from their farms, their workshops, their families, for years. So many estranged people... if I had just sent them home, how should they feed themselves, where should they find shelter? So much had changed for them.« She looked down in thought.

Now it was Lin Qi's turn to continue, »So we offered those who still knew where to go the opportunity to do so, and many did. Everyone was free to leave simply when he desired to. The others, those without a home, without someone to turn to, got a new task. So much was destroyed in the wars, and... they all fought well for their leaders, one has to respect that, but there was no more fighting, but so much to be done, to rebuild,« he turned to K'Ao Hsin.

»And, imagine what would have happened, if we'd just sent them away, they fed themselves by looting farms and towns all these years; sooner or later, they would return to their old ways.«

»So we thought,« Lin Qi pitched in, »why not give them work to do, a reason to live in peace? And the land, the farmers could well support them, as long as they were sent to all parts of the country, instead of being like an army of locusts invading and devastating one valley after another. Like they did before. ... And it worked,« the memories of days gone by made him smile, »Everybody was fine, and with time, more and more found a place to stay, where they were welcome, not feared, where their skills were valued, not despised, and where they found peace and love, not war and hatred.«

Gabrielle wondered, »That's beautiful... how... in all the world, how could it go wrong?«

»Well, Gabrielle, most people think that way, but some lust for adventure, power, riches, fame... and war. Not all people see the beauty of peace, and some never find it inside their hearts nor in the world around,« he looked at Gabrielle for a little longer than he felt was appropriate. But, to him there was a living memory sitting opposite the table.

K'Ao Hsin went on to explain, »And after several years, those who didn't like or dare to settle down, roamed the countryside. Some continued to work for the people who welcomed them and had little more to offer than food and shelter, and good company. And others... well, they worked for the highest bidder, or slowly took the roads they had once built for food and shelter as their own, and started to demand toll from those who travelled along. Then, tariffs rose, and soon they controlled trade in what they thought of as their part of the land.«

»Why didn't you stop them?« Gabrielle asked in disbelief.

K'Ao Hsin looked into the void behind them for a moment, »I ... I don't know. Everybody enjoyed peace and freedom, but... it had lost the power. Perhaps I expected too much of the people... like to stand up against them, or at least ignore their demands, there weren't many in one place, after all, and no law was on their side. But the memories of the price everybody had to pay in war times must have faded away over the years, and the fear must have won... somehow.«

Gabrielle saw the despair in her face, »But you didn't forget about the price... and there was no stopping them?«

»It came like a bolt from the blue, Gabrielle.« Lin Qi was preparing the painful part, »Suddenly, all roads out of town were closed, we lost all contact with the country, and then the assassins came. One after another. Ordinary people could still move around and live their own lives, as if nothing had happened. The town wasn't under siege or anything like it, but they were too scared by what they saw to stand by our side. So far, they haven't succeeded in killing us, but many good people died, many good people who still remembered the price of peace gave their lives. It is heartbreaking. And we're helpless... failed.«

»Assassins? I ... But if you didn't have the power to bring the rogue soldiers to justice, why should they try so hard to kill you?«

»We've been asking this ourselves for weeks now... And finally, we had no choice but to flee. We hoped that you« he turned to Kija, »would offer us shelter. The only way we could still go was up the river, but... I think they expected your army to finish their job, when they killed the messengers.«

Gabrielle grew suspicious, »Or maybe they were set...«

The door opened and the cook entered to ask if he could clear the dishes. As he had walked about half way towards their table, Gabrielle was distracted by a strange motion at the edges of her vision. Listen to what's behind the sounds. The cook was a few steps from the table and bent over to pick up the tray of food, some of which still remained, despite everyone's healthy appetite. The guard posted in front of the door turned very slowly around its frame, as if to look towards the table. But the look in his eyes was a stare and his mouth was wide open, as he collapsed and hit the floor face down, lifeless. Blood was splashing on the raised wooden threshold of the door, as his head rolled into the room. The tip of a blade suddenly burst out of the cook's belly. There had been no fear on his face, not a trace, until it was filled by the complete horror of shock and disbelief. He looked down as if he didn't believe what his body felt and then fell away, as the blade cut itself free to one side and left him unconscious before he even had time to hit the floor.

Behind him, a ragged figure appeared, dressed in very few shreds of brownish jute and remains of what might have been other clothes, once upon a time. The man was spindly and pale, except for the dirt and mud on his skin and in his dishevelled hair and beard. If it hadn't been for the bloody sword and the crazed, empty look in his eyes, one would have thought that he was far closer to starvation than the refugees back out there, at the camp.

Gabrielle yelled as she rolled back from the table to grab her katana, which she had laid down neatly near the wall, together with the sais and the chakram, »Get back!! .. Stay away from the windows!!«

As she pushed herself away from the wall with both her feet to roll back and jump into action, the chakram in one hand, the katana in the other, she was surprised to see Kija ready with a sword of her own. Not a single moment too early, as the stranger leaped ahead to attack.

Gabrielle attacked the assassin from the right as he was already embroiled in a duell with Kija, who was a true master of the arts. But still, she had to retreat slowly, until with Gabrielle's help, she turned the tide. Lin Qi stood between them and K'Ao Hsin, his sword drawn and ready. He knew that he wasn't in good enough shape, save for one last desperate charge, should it come to that. He tried to shield his empress from view of the attacker as best as he could. Her back was well covered by two strong beams of oak that were a solid part of the building's structure.

With the assassin now retreating inch by inch towards the door, Gabrielle set about to prove the fame of the katana, as she chopped off the curved, wide blade of his sword in two strikes, turning hers right back to hit again in a double strike after the first had halved the blade's length. The second left only an inch poking out of the hilt.

Unshaken, the madman charged right at Kija with the still dangerous remains of his sword, oblivious at her strike which aimed to sever his hand, as she turned out of his way. Gabrielle was faster to kick the hilt out of his hand, so Kija redirected and aimed for his neck.

»Wait!« , yelled Gabrielle.

Kija's blade stopped dead in its tracks on the skin of his larynx. Before Kija could argue, Gabrielle had put the pinch on him, and he collapsed to his knees and fell over backwards, hanging limp to one side. Kija pulled back her sword in a fairly choreographed move to stand by ready to strike any time.

»I've cut off the flow of blood to your brain. You better talk, or these are the last seconds of your life.« she tried to look as scary as Xena, but being a foot shorter didn't help. Instead, she moved in closer, and hissed into his face, »Why?!«

He stank godsawfully, not just out of his mouth as he gasped for a breath.

»Bind him. Quick!« Gabrielle yelled at Lin Qi, who tore a rope from one of the curtains on the window and tied the assassins arms and legs together behind his back.

Finally, the stranger found words for what seemed to be his last seconds, »Get no food... starve .. if I don't...«

Gabrielle released the pinch as soon as he was firmly bound.

»Well, there was plenty... But you just killed the cook. Get some!« She kicked the tray into his face in anger. He was sprayed with rice and some sauce left over from the dinner that had ended in such an unpleasant way. »Eat... and don't forget to talk... while you .. look at him!« She hit him hard across the back and he fell forward, nosediving into a rice bowl, and then tilted to one side to face the remains of the poor cook whom he had sent to end in a bloodbath of his own. The assassin slowly scrambled back onto his knees supporting himself with his face on the ground. Something plopped softly as it fell on the wooden floor, then three or four similar noises followed.

»Push him away... Push!!« Lin Qi leapt forward, »Stop him!!«

»You don't want him to e..??« Gabrielle turned back, then the puzzle fell into place. Lacking time for gentler action, she kicked the assassin's shoulder back hard and sent him crashing on his back, away from the food. Too late.

Yellowish green goo was dripping, no, flooding, bubbling, splashing from both corners of his mouth, as he brabbled hysterically, his eyes racing from side to side, »There you die in my fireballs ... squashed like mortal ... gone ... bugs you are ... ride into my ... fear me fear ... heavens ... punishahahaharr...« The hysterical laughter gave way to spasms and ghastly distortions of groans of excitement, then both died away, as his body lost all life, and all of its openings lost whatever they held back in life. K'Ao Hsin turned around, sickened by the mess, and desperately tried not to add some of the delicious dinner to it. She almost failed.

»Ooogh! ... What the tartarus...?« Gabrielle felt a bout of sickness rising.

Lin Qi seemed to be used to the experience, but disgust still filled his voice, »They take poison, whenever they fail to execute their mission, Gabrielle.« He pushed a small bag to the side, which was attached to a thin string around the dead assassin's neck. It had opened, and two black balls, about half an inch across, dropped out and rolled across the floor after they hit it with a softly plopping noise, the one they'd just heard. »I don't know what it does to them, and, really, .. I don't really want to.«

Kija stormed onto the yard, the others following closely. The news of the incident had spread in no time and all the guards already had rushed to the ramparts surrounding the palace in a desperate attempt to fix the broken cup after it had slipped from the table. Kija raised her sword, »Hear ye! Hear ye! Hear ye!« she paused for a moment until most of the people had turned to listen, »An attempt on the Empress of Chin has just happened. These...« she pointed at the three behind her, »...are the only guests at the palace at this moment, and until further notice. ... If you find any other strangers inside the perimeter .. at .. all .. costs .. kill them .. at .. once!!«

She turned towards the storekeeper, who approached immediately, »Prepare three oxcarts with supplies for the Empress' entourage. They'll need basic foodstuff and blankets, first of all. We can send more, or different things tomorrow. They can't possibly return now, after what has happened, but Gabrielle will give you directions.«

»She already has, my Queen. We're ready immediately.« he answered without hesitation, »and there's a fourth cart with firewood and fresh water, ready too.«

Kija turned around and looked at Gabrielle for a moment, one look in her eyes that said you could have asked first, and then finally said, »Well done... stay ahead of trouble, huh?« , smiling for she knew now that everything would arrive before nightfall.

Gabrielle smiled archly, »There was no time left to lose,« she rose her eyebrows, as if to say, am I right or am I right, »and I knew you'd do the right thing. ... Speaking of staying ahead, where'd you get the sword?«

»Gabrielle, the best part of a good dinner is not what you eat, but with whom you eat it. .. Only sometimes, you don't know the menu. ... It's always clipped under the table.«

At first they returned to the hall briefly, but soon, as thoughts and worries about the future returned, they moved on to the library. Kija spread several maps out on the largest table. First, they found several places for the refugees to move to that were considerably safer, and easier to supply than the barren field on which they had set up camp now. They would start to move as soon as they had recovered from the hardships of the past weeks. Kija decided that they could well help to bring in the harvest and therefore, they were to set up camp between the palace and some of the nearby villages. The harvest was expected to be excellent, so there would be no shortages for the locals for the time being, especially if it was brought in more quickly with the help of the refugees. And after everybody would have heard and seen them for themselves, there'd certainly be no ill feelings towards the refugees. Hospitality was, after all, one of the most respected virtues in these parts.

Soon, they turned towards to the larger maps of Chin and Koryu. As if staring at the image of the land was the best thing to do to hide their helplessness.

»And all the provincial governors have taken their side?« Gabrielle asked.

»Unfortunately, yes.« Lin Qi admitted, »some had little choice, facing the soldiers who had taken up arms again, or controlled the roads and supplies to the cities. Others... well, we have a proverb. It says, 'The mountains are high and the Empress is far away.' So they went with the flood...«

»I still don't get why they all did it at the same time. There has to be something.. or someone behind it.« Gabrielle mused.

»Sometimes, when everything hangs in the balance, it's enough to trip one small stone...« Kija said deeply immersed in her own thoughts, »and the whole row of dominoes is falling... The avalanche is rolling... And the unsuspecting are buried beneath.«

»Since it had started to roll,« Lin Qi continued the idea, »we hardly got any news from the provinces. But apparently it started in the west, far out in the barren plains,« he pointed at the area, »and then it just moved like a flood, encircled us, and that was it. We were squeezed out to Koryu... strangely, no-one harassed the farmers, or townsfolk. But everyone who stood by our side, many had attempts on their lives, and all the others were scared to death. They saw no choice but to flee, and so we all did, and...« he looked more and more desperatly at the map, »...and we lost it, I think. We lost it. But there was nothing to fight against. We all had something, everything to fight for, but... You know, after...«

»I know, I've seen it today.« Gabrielle tried to console him.

»It wont work,« Kija said suddely, »I'm sorry... but it's just impossible.«

»What?« Gabrielle asked, slightly confused.

Kija explained, »We can't feed all your people, at least not through the winter. For several months, yes, but ... even though there's a good harvest ahead and if it stays that way, it's just not enough. And I can't ask my people to ... well, starve with yours.« She turned to K'Ao Hsin.

»We have to return... that's what we all want to do, but... how? How can they ever feel safe again?« K'Ao Hsin asked in despair.

»Whatever it is, we have to find it. And end it.« Gabrielle spoke out what the others only dared to think.

»I never believed I would start a war. With my own people. In my home country...« K'Ao Hsin sank down at the monstrosity of the thought alone.

»K'Ao Hsin, the war has already started. Whoever did this to you, or sent these poor men to do it for him, what he or they, or it... what they want is Chin, and all its people. Everybody they can get. Otherwise... they haven't driven anyone else out yet, have they? Farmers, merchants, craftsmen?« she looked at Lin Qi.

»First reign, then rein in, then keep a short rein on them all... What could be more valuable than a whole country for the taking... all the food, the trade, the people and their everyday work?« Lin Qi got the idea, slowly at first, »But why... Why?«

»Greed, lust for power... anything you could think of. You said it yourself. These are the dominoes, and perhaps someone has just found the right one to trip.« Gabrielle observed, turning back to the map, »Now, all roads lead to Chin. Which one's best? Any ideas?«

»None.« Lin Qi stated matter of factly, »They've closed the Wall behind us.«

K'Ao Hsin spoke with bitter hindsight, »So the Great Wall the wise emperors of the past built to save them, and us, from being thrown into wars with the riders of the north, it has finally turned against their children... and shut them out.«

»And sooner or later those it should have protected, will lose their safety as well as their freedom. Seems to me, one can't sacrifice one for the other without losing both of them.« Gabrielle cast their situation into words, »Seems, too, we can win both if we're willing to sacrifice one for the time being... What's about the coast? I mean, is there any place to land...«

Lin Qi completed the idea, »Land an army? What for? How could they fight, and whom, without support? Besides, most of the larger harbours are pretty well defended, and the rest of the coastline is fairly rugged. Too steep to climb, cliffs... bays like traps.«

This struck a chord with Gabrielle, she was in no mood for sacrifices on a beach, counted in lives, »There's no-one there to help, no-one who suffers from the turn of events? I mean, sure, they want to be free again...« Gabrielle asked in disbelief.

»Well that's the point,« Lin Qi got a little more agitated, »nobody has threatened the people so far, except for those who've at least been willing to talk with us, of course, and why should they stick their neck out, if somebody might take away what's left of their freedom just for doing that? This fear keeps them down. Now, they could only lose. Unless, we win anyway... Are you that sure of yourself, Gabrielle?«

»No... and the governors?«

»They only win... you know, if we got any messages at all, they were like... well, in short: We wish you no harm, so better stay away... The turn of events forces us for the time being... and so on, all in diplomatese, of course.«

Gabrielle nodded, »Diplomatic ways of turning with the wind... Sounds like Roman politics to me...« , a thought that amused her, »probably works everywhere...« she added with a grin.

»But we have practised for one or two more millenia...« , Lin Qi observed, adding a grin of his own, and looked around, »present company excepted. I guess, I'm the only one who's not at least a queen, nor ever will be, am I?«

This broke the gloomy mood, and a few smiles and some tentative optimism entered the room. It was late at night, already, and so Kija suggested carefully, »We've got a lot of long days ahead, I guess. Let's get some sleep.«

K'Ao Hsin and Lin Qi were all too glad to follow, and Kija guided them to their quarters, well guarded, as was the whole compound now. Gabrielle stayed behind to mull over the maps, already getting her mind active on the tasks that lay ahead. Soon, Kija returned to the library.

»You should get some sleep, too, Gabrielle. It's been a long day...«

Gabrielle had moved one of the chairs closer to the table and sat on its back, with her feet on the seat. She had wrapped her arms around her knees to look at the maps from a higher position closer to the table, »True...« she said, deeply immersed in thoughts, without looking up from the maps, »I just want to ... get a perspective. You have a strange kind of maps here... Well, to me they are ...unusual. They make the terrain look more rugged than it seems to be,... at least to me.«

Kija stepped in closer, »We believe that the force of life, of the land, flows down from the high and sacred mountains to the north,« she pointed at one of them, called Paektusan, and continued in an unusually soft voice, »and spreads its goodness along the mountain ranges and ridges, like the blood flows through the ever finer veins to all parts of the body. And the mountains are like the bones as well, they hold the land's like the body's form and give it strength.« She moved her hands along the intermeshing tree-like patterns of bold brush strokes representing mountains and rivers on the map, »All the clarity and freshness, you can feel it on the mountains, you can see it, like you see the country below. My people like to climb up there, and meditate high on the ridges.« Then she pointed towards some of the towns in the valleys, and the rivers running along them. »And down in the valleys, all the chaos and confusion rests, being washed down like the water,« she said as her fingers traced the valleys in parallel towards the coastline.

»That's where we are... chaos and confusion,« Gabrielle stated with a sigh.

»...but they're also being fed by the spirits of life emanating from the holy mountains, at the same time. It's a balance of sorts, clarity and chaos, life force streaming in and decay flowing out, sometimes being flooded out, like the water flows to the sea.«

»That's beautiful...« Gabrielle smiled as she had followed Kija's hands across the map, »I never looked at it that way.«

Kija put her hand on Gabrielle's shoulder, »Now get some rest. The maps wont run away like the water runs through your fingers, but the night does,« and turned to leave.

»I'll just take a final look around, and then I'll leave. See you in the morning, Kija. Good night.«

»Good night, Gabrielle.«

Gabrielle turned back to look at the maps, as Kija left for her bedroom.

After some time, Gabrielle had arranged the maps of Chin and Koryu in a way to have the border regions shown in both of them aligned. The one of Koryu right in front of her, south up as it was painted, and beyond that, one of Chin. It covered most of the table. Although they were of different scales, it made the eyes' journeys across the land a little easier for the mind to retrace. She sat there quietly for a long while, on her elevated vantage point on the back of the chair, and only her eyes continued to move. With time, it became almost like a lookout from a god's perspective as the maps turned into a feeling for the land in her mind, almost as if the black and red brushstrokes on the parchment transformed themselves into the shapes they represented.

The associations were riding through her mind like rolling thunder from far beyond the horizon, and beyond conscious thought, too.

Forest, shrub, hill, plain, rice paddy, mountain, desert, river, beach, city, road, bridge.

Impassible, thorny, Helicon, rugged, coverless, swampy, cold, Helicon, thirst, flood, steep, Helicon, ambush, too long, Helicon, too far. Helicon, Helicon; Helicon. Helicon!

No end in sight. Before her mind's eye. No solution.

»I wish... I wish I was...« she whispered to no-one in particular, and held her forehead with both hands, elbows resting on her knees. She closed her eyes.

»What?« a voice echoed through her mind.

»...a princess with armies at her hand. Lots of 'em.« Gabrielle answered with a mocking, sudden sigh. Then she opened her eyes slowly, and realization kicked in, »Xena!« she whispered in despair and embraced her tall friend who stood by her side, to the left.

»You are. Even a queen, of the Amazons, as far as I remember, huh?« Xena answered nonchalantly, and then, too, put her arm around her friend's waist.

Gabrielle rested her head on her shoulder, »Xena, I'm lost without you... Not just here,« she pointed vaguely at the maps with her right hand, »everywhere in this world.«

»Remember when you got lost in Poteideia as a child?«

»Yea,... I was running in circles all the time, and I couldn't find the way to our house, until I turned around to ask Anax...« she jumped up from the chair and took both her hands as if for prayer, but with the index fingers across her mouth, again fully immersed in thought, »Turn around... the crossing, it was behind me all the time, and I had only seen it from the other side before... it was there, and I just hadn't seen it the way I was used to...«

Xena started to pace around to the left side of the table, »All it needed was a change in perspective.«

»And I was home in no time.« Gabrielle took over and started down the right side, »I thought about a long march around the Great Wall, but ... it's too long, with their families. They have to go with them... there's not enough food here through the winter...« she let one hand trace along the length of the wall on the larger map, »And there's no chance to tear down the wall as a shortcut, either.«

»I know. It's been built to ward off the raiders from the north... Me, myself and I... and Borias. The house of Lao and the house of Ming joined forces to build it against us... or to settle their petty differences behind it, without us annoying them.« Xena stated matter-of-factly, »The wall cuts both ways... and it hurts.« she added with a sorry expression on her face, looking at Gabrielle.

»Don't blame yourself... not any longer, Xena. These are sins from another life, now. It hurts, too, but cuts both ways just as well.« Gabrielle couldn't hold a lonesome little tear in her eye, as she embraced Xena again, this time on the opposite of the chair, as they met again on the other side of the table. It rolled down, as she rested her head on Xena's breastplate. Then they separated again and held each other by the arms.

»Hey, hey,... Gabrielle, don't you cry...« Xena smiled melancholically, looking into her eyes, »I've been walking around the seaside ...or was it the dust of the deserts on yours, that got into your eyes?« Both looked back at the maps, holding one another side by side.

»Seaside...« Gabrielle mused, as they both gazed at the huge scrolls, »Seaside! Look up here,« she suddely exclaimed.

Xena looked up at the far side, towards Koryu.

»...no, here, on the southernmost tip,« Gabrielle pointed at the portion of the map right in front of them.

»Ah! South up, ...of course.« Xena played over a short bout of confusion, »Just out of this world, and already forgotten how to read maps... nay, nay... will I ever make it anywhere? ... Aaaah, no. I'm dead.« she grinned, pushing her fists on her hips.

»Come on... stop kidding Xena. Here,« Gabrielle rested her left hand on the table as she pointed with the other.

»An Nam?«

»Level beaches, ... clear roads to the north, ... no big cities and harbours, ... no garrisons ...and most of all, right in their back, wherever they are.« It was on the opposite side of Chin, seen from Koryu, »They'd never expect it. It's not close, it's not the shortest way and...«

»Can't take their families.« Xena stated.

»Kija said they can't feed all of them through the winter. But maybe it's good enough without the warriors. And they could still play army here... deception. How's that?« Gabrielle continued, increasingly pleased with the flow of ideas.

»Who was just lost? Certainly not Gabrielle, Queen of the Amazons.« Xena added support with a wide grin, proud of her persevering friend, »Uhm, what about spies? If there's just a mock army here, somebody might like to find out...«

»That's a risk we'll have to take. But if Kija would go... for example, on a diplomatic mission to... somewhere south of here, along the coast,« she traced Chin's coast with her hand, as she completed her round of the table, »and take K'Ao Hsin with her... there's something they'd be much more interested in, I bet. ... And on a ship, we're safer. Not so easy to sneak up to on the way... so we'd be moving comfortably, like a fish in the water.« She looked at the maps, from Koryu's side again, and almost propped herself up on the table with both fists, balancing on its edge.

Xena followed her around the table, retracing her own path along the seaside of the maps. She tried to copy her friend's position, but failed as she pushed through the table, »Oops, still get the hang of this.« Instead she put her arm around Gabrielle's shoulders, »I love the way you're working. It's wonderful to watch you, believe me. Sometimes it's not what I would do, but... You'll do it your way. Trust yourself, Gabrielle.«

»Xena, it's just because I loved to see your ways so much when we first met,« Gabrielle embraced Xena at her side with both arms and held her close as their eyes travelled the lands together again, on the maps.

»I think we've given them something to talk about, huh?«

»Sure. .. We .. did.« Gabrielle asserted, and turned to look at Xena, »I love you. ... And I miss you.«

»Me too.« Xena sighed, and turned back to look at the maps, or maybe, a little through them.

After a while, Gabrielle turned back to ask, »Xena, what'd you think about going up that vall...« and looked into the air within her arms as the feeling in them was suddenly blown away and gone with the slow wind of the night's coolness. Like a dream within a dream, »Good night, Xena.« she whispered in a sigh of pity, and turned to leave the room. She blew out all of the candles on her way, deeply immersed in thoughts about the evening. Only an illusion?

Kija and K'Ao Hsin held their breaths as she passed through the door turning straight towards her bedchamber. They had heard somebody talking in the library and went there to check, Kija with her sword drawn and ready, and K'Ao Hsin to identify whether it was one of her people. They waited behind a wooden column in front of the library and had picked up the conversation going on, or half of it. As Gabrielle had closed the doors behind her, Kija whispered, »Either we've got more support than we could dare to hope for, or less than I would like to believe.« and sighed.

»Kija... the loss, the loss...« K'Ao Hsin answered, slowly shaking her head in compassion.

»I can't blame her. Everyone has their own ways of coming to terms. Let's hope for the best. ... And remind ourselves, how lucky we are.«

They turned and went to their rooms in silence.

After a long drawn out breakfast, with plenty of food and even more enthusiasm on Gabrielle's side, as she went through the past night's ideas, the four of them set off for the harbour. They entered a former dockyard, guarded only by one old soldier, who doubled as caretaker. He reminded Gabrielle of the snoring soldier at the door of her bedchamber only yesterday, a long time ago, indeed, and therefore of peace. This added to the melancholy transpired by the appearance of the place, it seemed a little run down. Now, there was no time for relaxing, but the man got up and saluted his queen and her guests in a very sedate and dignified way, and then proceeded to open the gates to the small bay and the sheds on its side. They entered one of them.

»Gabrielle, few people have ever seen this. ...« she turned towards the caretaker, »Are they ready?«

There was a sparkle in his eyes, »Always, Ma'am.«

»We need them. Waste no time... How long?« Kija replied.

»A few days. A week at most,« the sparkle in his eyes widened to a proud smile.

»Go ahead. Get the boys!« the smile spread to Kija, as well, as he set off hurriedly towards the other parts of the harbor.

»What for? To dust them off?« Gabrielle asked snippily, and with a frown of disbelief.

»You just wait, Gabrielle... you just wait...« Kija smiled knowingly, »and pick one. The one you'll be leading. Lin Qi gets the other one. The boys will expect you to work here with them as long as it takes, and they'll tell you what to do. ... So you better choose quickly, and do your stretching fast, for all muscles will be called upon to serve, now.« She walked down a few feet between the ships, propped up on the bare ground that made up the shed's floor. Some dust and the odd cobweb got in her way, indeed, but not very much. She spread her arms out and pointed at the ships, »Gabrielle, Lin Qi... meet the turtle ships. ... Tiger,« she pointed to the one on the left, »and over here White Horse.«

»I grab the Tiger by the tail.« Gabrielle answered in without hesitation.

»You be careful, she won't stay crouched for too long.« Kija warned, and added »Lin Qi, saddle the White Horse, then,« as she walked back towards them, »K'Ao Hsin, let's take care of our ship. Gabrielle, which one was the merchant that brought you from Japan?«

»The Dragon, ... the captain is all right, Kija.«

»Let's go and talk to him.« Kija grabbed K'Ao Hsin by the hand, »Fancy a cruise down the coast of Chin?«

For the first time, the spark of enthusiasm flashed across her face, too, »This is getting real...« she turned around, still with some disbelief in her voice, »Lin Qi, we're going home.« She smiled as they left.

Moments later, the door opened again, and dozens of young men streamed in, led by the caretaker soldier, »My lord, my lady,...«

»Thanks, but the name's Gabrielle.« she said, still itchy about the title thing.

»I was getting to that...«

»Lin Qi.« he introduced himself to even the scores.

The old man lost no time, »...and I'm just the Admiral. The name's Ree Koh Ver, but Admiral will do. These fine men will be on the ships. As soon as we're on the beach, wherever, they're yours. On the water, everything's mine. Includes the two of you. Questions?«

»Fine.« Gabrielle allowed, slightly taken aback, »...just one.«

»Good. Ideas and suggestions are always welcome, and... never mind the introduction, we'll work out the division of labour as we go along. As far as I'm concerned, there's no pulling rank in here, unless .. I .. absolutely need to do it.«

»Great, I had no idea you were Admi...«

»I had no idea you were Queen of the Amazons, until Kija told me right outside the door, ... when I returned,« he cut her off politely, »but then, as I said, I don't care about rank in here.«

Gabrielle smirked, »Kija sure has her ways... Where'd you hide all your .. sailors? I've noticed no-one around, until now.«

»In the open. Why support a big navy and a bunch of bungling men at arms going idle when they can feed themselves and their families as fishermen, sailors, dock hands ...and so on... doesn't look that threatening. People at work don't suddenly go off to invade other countries... no pun intended, Lin Qi.« he added the last statement with the grin of an old warrior.

»Never mind,« Lin Qi returned the gesture, »but what about training?«

»Oh, you haven't been around for too long, have you?« , now he chuckled with a wide smile, »We wouldn't let the kids go outside on their own without teaching them to defend themselves first, would we?«

Gabrielle folded her arms, not impressed, »Ahum... would you?« , while something in his smile told her to stay on guard, »How?«

The ol' Admiral's eyes said 'try'. Gabrielle, who was still annoyed enough by his introduction to follow, took half a step to close in slowly and lifted her right arm, as if to scratch her ear. Her fist would have stopped short half an inch in front of his nose, had it not be deflected by a skilled blocking move. They exchanged a few more moves, but none of the kicks and punches got through to its practice target, a little short of where they would have hit in a real fight. After a short while, he stepped back two steps and bowed. Gabrielle mimmicked the gesture, not really sure what it meant. The men had gathered around and cheered madly, after the show. Now they had confidence in two of those who had to lead them into harm's way. Confidence in the third grew as soon as they learnt of the story he had to tell.

»I see you know the form... Uhm, well done,...« he was clearly far more impressed than his outbreak of wordiness suggested, »We call it the way of hands and feet, how do you call it?«

The three ships were ready within four days, and several more of the turtleships joined them, each with its crew and threescore of men, as they left to sail down along the shore of Chin. The Dragon, being faster and more manoeuvrable, stayed close to the shore, well in sight on her diplomatic mission, while the turtleships followed in behind and further away from the shore to stay out of sight. Gabrielle liked the Koryuan idea of staying defensive as long as possible, and had soon convinced Lin Qi to follow. After all, diplomacy might still succeed, and everybody might be able to return home in time for the winter. From time to time, all the ships met, usually after Kija and K'Ao Hsin had tried more or less sucessfully to get at least in contact with one of the provincial governors in the harbours along the coast. But no-one was available, not even lesser messengers, for fear of the assassins, and what was more disturbing, there were absolutely no news from the southernmost outposts in An Nam. K'Ao Hsin feared the worst, while Kija offered, that sometimes no news were good news, especially in times like these. Soon they would know.

The ships had met for one last time. Kija and K'Ao Hsin had returned to Gabrielle's side. They would ride on the Tiger for the last short leg of the arduous journey, while Lin Qi and Admiral Ree would take the White Horse to the beach.

»They follow us since the Dragon was within sight of the shore.« Gabrielle pointed towards the moving white specks that appeared from time to time at the edge of the forest that lay beyond the beach. Her apprehension and wariness had long since started to show.

»Too late. The cover is blown, Gabrielle. We're ready, and we have to go now or return forever,« Kija stated, standing right next to her at the ship's side. The patience and calmness in her face had given way to fierce determination. There was a trace of fear of the unknown, too, but it was well balanced by a touch of boldness, »but the decision is not ours, ... K'Ao Hsin, I request permission to send my warriors to Chin's shores alongside yours.«

K'Ao Hsin's expression was neither calm nor bold as she stood a step behind them, perhaps not really fearful, too. Perhaps she was just the only one to fully realize the weight of the task ahead, after all she knew her lands best, that stretched out so far that it had taken them weeks to sail along the coast. And she was the one who had experienced the danger ahead more than once. This had wearied her, as did the load on her shoulders now. She took her moment to consider, sighed, cast her eyes down, and then spoke, »What choice do we have? Can I ask their mothers, wifes and daughters to starve with us over the winter? Can I ask .. their .. sons, husbands and fathers to fall by our side? ... Is this really a choice? ... But,...« she took a deep breath, »If we advance, we will die. If we retreat we will die,« she suddenly looked up, with a strange mixture of fear, despair and detachedness, »... Sometimes it is better to advance.«

»Gabrielle, tell 'em,« Kija took charge of the events, »K'Ao Hsin, lets give the signal together.«

Gabrielle jumped down from the board that ran along the ship's side to its flat bottom. In the Tiger's spacious belly the men at arms waited apprehensively and turned towards her as soon as she'd left the queen of the most and the empress of the many others. Gabrielle was struck by the look on their faces, it was so familiar, and it raised goosebumps, as she began,

»There is a point of no return. We're now passing it. Until now, there was another direction, except for this one,« she pointed towards the ship's bow behind her, with her thumb over one shoulder, not by turning around and therefore away from the men, »and now, nobody can tell what's ahead. All we know is what's behind us, everything that brought us here. Everyone has their own memories, their own reasons to volunteer, as everyone of you did. Those of you from Chin, your families have stayed behind to face an uncertain future,« she started to look towards several of the men, one after the other, and pointed in their direction with an open hand,

»You've left a wife and three children while two families from Chin found shelter on your farm... You've seen the refugees when you took the first cart of supplies out to them on that fateful night, and from then on, there was no more turning away... You did not turn away when I asked for a little food, you turned towards the cauldron and the fire underneath, when K'Ao Hsin and Lin Qi were still hungry instead of welcome, on that same evening, when both of us, we didn't know that the last words the cook heard were those we casually spoke in the kitchen... You lost a brave friend on guard duty when the attempt was made on K'Ao Hsin's life, who's now here with us... and I've seen it happening. ... I have seen another thing, too, here. There's no bounty, fame, if any, won't feed your loved ones, and it may as well be grief that returns home to them, and if we return and if we are lucky, everything will just be as it had been before. ... And I have to apologize to you for not seeing it right away, when I first came to Koryu on the Dragon and you fastened her ropes on the pier side ... All of you have left what you knew well for the unknown, and nothing but. ...« she paused for more effect, and looked up determinately while the hand that had just casually pointed to one of them turned slowly into a fist at her side. All of them were listening quietly, apart from the constant splashing of the waves one could have heard a pin drop, as they followed Gabrielle.

»What I've seen here, is courage. You no longer have to prove it. The best we can hope to achieve is to stay alive and win a safer future for the ones we love. ... I don't know how many of .. you .. have seen war, some have, I know... and I have. I was here before, on a ship, feeling ill-equipped, unprepared, facing a beach like that, with a bunch of the bravest warriors you could find between here and there... on the far ends of the world, but yet so close... I bet, some of you have asked others to borrow you some coins, so with your luck you'll survive owing someone money...« a giggle rose from one corner of the group of men, »...and some have fed the fishes for other reasons than seasickness. And there've been a lot of prayers to the gods and the ancestors for help and support. But now, as we set about to land on a foreign shore, there's no certainty but what we've brought along within ourselves, the training, .. experience, .. care. Like to those fine warriors back then, bonded through a common way of life, a common goal of freedom, like to my people, the Amazon women,« a whisper of surprise as well as respect moved through the crowd, »... I can only say to you: Trust .. in what you've brought along with you, trust .. in the ones next to you, as we .. trust in you, and no-one will be left behind, this I can promise you. That's the certainty of being able to look into the face of the one next to us, the faces of the ones we love, whether we meet again at the end of the day on this shore ahead, beyond the sea, or another shore, beyond this world, and say with pride, yes, we did what we had to do, and we did it right.« with that, she nodded towards Kija and K'Ao Hsin, »Let's go.«

They hoisted the ship's flag, a snarling tiger, which unfurled in the wind towards the beach. Soon, the flags rose on the other turtleships, quickly followed by the sails. They moved in towards the beach like a dull triangle, the Tiger and White Horse leading the way, while the others followed on both sides, spaced by a ship's length to the side, and about one half of that behind the ship ahead. The constant training of the sailors on their own ships sure had paid off.

Now, the turtleships became true to their name. A set of wooden supports, shaped like giant longbows, was raised from its stowed position around the bow. They were put into evenly spaced holders out along the forward two thirds of the ships' sides, and were then fixed in position by several strong ropes that were tied to each one, and to the ships' structures at both of their ends. The whole installation mirrored the arrangement of ribs and stringers of the ship below. Next, they were layed with heavy shields, pretty much like tiles are layed on a roof. But the hostile rain they were to fend off would come from the bow, not from above. The shields' raised aft ends covered the front end of the next row of shields behind them, with plenty of overlap to each side. Together they formed an armor strong enough to hold fast as well as heavy projectiles. Everyone was safe, even the helmsman in the back had his own small shield to cover him, until they'd beached the ship.

Until now. The men already sat on the ground, but they almost fell over forward as it hit the sand hard. Some stretched out their legs to steady themselves until the crunching sound and the shaking of the planks had stopped underneath. Water leaked through some of the joints near the bow and on the sides. Only the flood could return the ships to the open sea now, where the Dragon had stayed behind with her crew. Gabrielle and Kija stood up in the centre of the last row, and the men to their sides followed.

Everyone took hold of the handle of a shield right above them, and Gabrielle looked at Kija and whispered, »I would give my life now, if I could have had even half a ship like that, back then...« and added a louder and determined »Ready?«

»Ready.« Kija nodded.

»Go! Go! Go! Go! Go! Go! Go!«

both of them yelled, as they pulled their respective shields down, and stormed down the alley of men and towards the gate in the bow. All the apprehension, foreboding and fear of the past weeks discharged into a single thrust of action.

The gate fell open as a ramp onto the beach as the crewmen to its sides cut the ropes that had so far held it fixed to the ship's structure and under tension to keep it watertight. Kija and Gabrielle kicked it down as it just barely had started to fall and ran onto the beach first behind their shields, rammed them into the ground and knelt down behind them, some way up the gentle slope of sand. The others followed in behind quickly and together build a shield much like the one on the ship, but in reverse order of the rows. The ship was slowly pushed several more feet onto the beach by the sails and the strong wind as its load left through its bow. K'Ao Hsin was the last one to leave, shielded by two of the crewmen and the helmsman, for she was definitively not a trained warrior. One after another, the same show of strength and training unfolded in front of each of the turtleships as they closed in and beached themselves. Finally, all of them had discharged their cargo of a few women and many men onto the beach, accompanied by a howl of battlecries. The dense forest was only a few dozen yards away from the front row.

Nothing happened.

The silence was howling louder than all the sounds of nature and men combined. It was deafening. Every little rattling of armour, every scratching sound caused by a soldier adjusting his position, was multiplied by the sounds of others, caused by their apprehension, but triggered by their irritation and surprise at the slightest of events. The mere tilting of a grain of sand would feel like an earthquake, and the flap of a butterfly like a tropical storm, so it seemed. Tiny droplets of spray, driven in by the breeze from behind, joining with those of their sweat, formed a sticky flood, one that burned in their eyes.

Into the silence, a man stepped out of the woods, cautiously and slowly, at first peeking around a tree's trunk. He was old and wrinkly, dressed in something like a robe made of light coloured, thin cloth. He looked so harmless that some of the soldiers motioned for him to get out of the way, but he instead bowed and moved towards those who had landed first, towards Gabrielle and Kija, who crouched warily behind their shields. The man bowed ahead of them several times on his way, as if to greet them.

»I don't think he's one of them...« K'Ao Hsin suddenly spoke from the back of the formation, »So far, no-one even dared to approach us, up north... Everywhere along the coast of Chin.«

»A trap.« Gabrielle and Kija whispered in unison. Like everything worded in the unknown, it was a statement as much as a question.

»I am Tac... the chronicler,« he opened up, showing his scroll and brush, bowing several times in insecurity, »the children... would like to give you a little welcome present,« he motioned towards the bushes at the edge of the forest. Seven ear-to-ear smiling faces appeared, open-minded and curious like only children can be, very impressed and a little scared by the whole exercise, too. They suddenly ran out of their hiding place, their clothes, quite similar to Tac's dress, flowing in the wind. Each one of the girls and boys, perhaps three or four to twelve years old, carried several coconuts, which they probably had just picked up from the beach. The smallest of them, a girl, stepped forward most courageously with a single one that had already sprouted and proudly offered it to the amazed green pair of eyes that looked at her from underneath the armour of shields. She had a large blue flower in her dark hair.

Kija was ready to get up, when Gabrielle held her down softly, »If someone's got to stick the neck out, that'll be me,« she whispered, and then turned around to face the man behind her holding his shield above hers, »it's alright, but be alert.«

Gabrielle stood up as the man pulled back his shield to close the gap behind her. She was careful to keep her shield upright by steadying it with one knee, and took the coconut from the little hands stretched out towards her, »Thank you,« she smiled, »thank you very much. That's very kind of you.«

»You can eat it,« the little girl said, »and drink. It's yummy good. Who are you? My name is Phuong!« , she proudly exclaimed.

»I'm Gabrielle... I'll eat it for dinner,« she looked at the green sprout, »it looks nice. Mmmmh... wonderful.«

»It's... a little .. o.. old.« little Phuong explained, »because the boys want the fresh one, hum?«

»Just between you and me,« Gabrielle bent down to whisper, »Don't let the boys have everything they want, keep a fresh one for yourself, will you? ...alright?« A giggle or other could be heard from inside the turtleshell behind her.

»Ahum.« Phuong agreed with a huge nod, like little children do when the mysterious wisdom of the world suddenly becomes crystal clear in their mind.

»Fine... Have you brought anyone else to play with... besides your friends?«

»Yes.« she said firmly.

Gabrielle warily and carefully scanned the forest's edge without rising her head in a suspicious way, »Yea? Who? Are they nice?«

»Tac.« she turned around and pointed at the old chronicler, »He's nice. He don't let the boys pick on me.«

»Oh, that's a nice ol' man, sure. Anyone else?«

»No. We see your ships, and say to Tac c'mon lets look at 'em! He's nice.«

Tac had approached cautiously, »Not that I've noticed anybody else around. Our village is just behind the dune there. A small fishing village. The people were fairly scared at first, until they saw the flags on the one that's still out there, but, well, you know how children are, always curious... You're not from around here, are you?«

»Thank you, Phuong. You're a brave little girl. Thanks,« then she turned to Tac, »Most of us are from Koryu and from Chin, but I'm from Greece...«

»Oh, the mysterious wisdom of the west...« Tac was fairly surprised, and positively so, »you have to tell me about it, later... Koryu... that's a long way away, too. But you are in Chin here... You didn't get lost, did you?«

»No... not really,« Gabrielle answered, looking at the increasingly ridiculous situation, two armies armed to the teeth facing a polite old man and a bunch of happy children.

»Oh, so ... that's ... You know, we're a bit out in the boondocks here... and we didn't hear anything from all of Chin to the north in weeks... I mean, there's just some fishing down here, but every now and then a merchant comes down the coast, but there's been none in months now. We thought, the ship there perhaps was one. But there were no voyagers on the road, as well. ... The only thing we heard, was that the people in land, to the north,« he pointed towards the forest and the hills in the distance, »that they suffered a lot recently, because Kur Tsu went mad... Strange thing, though I know not much about that... but who should care... The Empress is far and the mountains are high, so we say around here,« he smiled politely, and perhaps a little embarrased, too.

Gabrielle tried to hold back a wide grin, »Well, maybe not as far as you think,« she had to really restrain herself, since just about everybody around knew that the empress of Chin was just a few feet down the beach away, in the last row behind Gabrielle, to be precise, »Not as far by far,« Gabrielle chuckled.

»So she has sent you to rein in Kur Tsu, the governor?« he asked almost in disbelief.

There was some motion behind Gabrielle, »Well, it's the first time I hear that name, but... probably. What's the problem with him, and who is he?«

»Oh, I'm not sure ... apart from that he is... or used to be the governor of this province, though most of it is to the north of here... there's nothing much anyway around here, so there's little government and less trouble... and the rumours are that he went mad and that he went into the high mountains in the forest, and enslaves people with a reign of terror of some sort. And this worries us, since there's been no-one here from the north in a long time, as I said, but apart from that... life just goes on in these parts...«

K'Ao Hsin showed herself, behind three shields held up by the men around her, and Tac looked up past Gabrielle in consternation, »Who are you, now?«

»The Empress, my good man.« K'Ao Hsin answered with a friendly smile.

He frowned, »Nooo... Here?!« and laughed, »out here?« , then turned to Gabrielle, with the question in his eyes.

»Yes, here, over the hills and far away.« Gabrielle reassured him, with an understanding smile, about to turn into an understanding grin, »in person.«

»Oh...« he chuckled, »to be honest, I wouldn't know you from any other beautiful lady,« he bowed slightly towards K'Ao Hsin while Kija started to chuckle behind her shield, »be welcome on our beautiful beach.«

Kija rose from behind her shield after whispering to the man behind her, »And I'm the Queen of Koryu. Pleased to meet you, Tac the chronicler.« she greeted him with a warm smile.

He bowed again, deeply this time, »Oh, so it's really true after a...« and fell dead to the ground. Three thin arrows stuck out of his back, and one in the hollow of his knee.

Gabrielle's eyes widened in horror. She seized little Phuong by the collar and yanked her up and pushed her down behind the shield. At the same time, all the other children, except for the oldest boy fell, too. The little girl had stood between Tac and her shield.

»Open fire at the forest!! All hands!! Now!!« Gabrielle yelled as the men pulled Kija and K'Ao Hsin down for cover. Then she herself ducked and covered. The nightmare had started.

One of the men of the White Horse's contingent jumped forward to grab the boy by his legs and pulled him underneath the turtleshell as the archers in the last rows let go a barrage of arrows into the darkness of the dense forest. Orders were yelled back and forth, as K'Ao Hsin crawled to the front, to Gabrielle and Kija, and little Phuong who cried madly in the pain of horrendous fear. Gabrielle tried to ease her. There, the four of them sat underneath the heavy shields and between a jungle of legs, speechless and sick of horror.

»Why... why?« K'Ao Hsin cried, »why not me instead?«

Kija peeked out to the right, to check for the boy, »They left one alive to tell the tale, but why didn't they simply pick us off once the trap worked?« she asked full of anger.

»I think we were all trapped,« Gabrielle stated after a moment of thinking, leaning with her back against her shield, and holding little Phuong, who continued to sob heartbreakingly, »and they weren't the bait. They're the game. We're the bait... no, the scarecrow.«

»What?!« Kija obviously couldn't believe what she'd heard.

Gabrielle continued, »That's what they always did, K'Ao Hsin? They need an enemy and a friend, us and the fear of us in people's minds. That's why there was no-one ready to talk to you in the ports along the shore. Everyone who'd have dared to talk would have died, save for the one to tell the tale, each time. ... We're fighting fear itself, the most formidable of enemies.«

»Hold fire!« Kija yelled, and then added more quietly, »Nothing has hit us, or did you hear anything?«

»No,« Gabrielle confirmed, »We have to bring them home. ... I suggest we move towards their village. One group should go there immediately, as fast as they can run, and get the people there to safety, take them behind the shields, if necessary. The rest of us, we'll clear the forest as far as we can do it walking side by side. Let's recover as many of the arrows as possible. We'll need them. This is going to be a long one.«

»Right. Let's go. K'Ao Hsin, would you take the kids... all of them, and Tac, with you to the village?«

»Best I can do to help...« she agreed in tears.

»We're stuck. Stuck in this village.« Gabrielle mused, »Almost a week, now.« She looked out across the bay towards the Dragon in the distance. A tempting view. All doors and windows to the other side were firmly shut and covered.

»At least we had no serious losses so far. These arrows don't penetrate armour well,« Kija observed, »only children and fine old men,« she added with disgust.

Gabrielle sighed and turned around to the table, »What'll we do? It's the same game every day. Daylight, and we clear the forests up to the foothills. It's safe enough for the villagers to go out fishing. But then... If we try and go up further into the mountains, our lines get spread out too far, one or two seep in and try to pick off people here from dusk 'til dawn. One foot into the forest at night, and ...pock! One or two of our men get hit in the chest or on their shields. I wonder whether it's just luck that no-one got hit where unprotected, in the face or the neck, so far.«

»It's almost like they try to make us look like we're not really in danger, with all the armour and our weapons...« Lin Qi offered.

»...Until the villagers are as sick and tired of us as the men are wearied each night by the flickering shadows of the torches. And decide to ask us to leave. ... They win.« Kija completed the line of thought.

»With these blowpipes,« Gabrielle looked at one of the only two they had found in the dense forest, so far, and trailed off into thought, »you could sneak up to anyone and shoot from a few feet and no-one would even notice. So quiet. The thick pipe at the end takes away the muzzle sound when the arrow leaves the thin one inside. Two bamboo sticks, and a few holes in the right places. You don't have to bring it with you, just make it where you need one, easy to hide, hard to find. A silent weapon. Deadly with heavier arrows, or poisoned ones... almost perfect. I'm impressed, I'm sorry to admit... but that's the way it is.«

»It's getting dark outside, again.« K'Ao Hsin looked out of the window, full of fear.

»And so the siege begins again... probably hardly anyone out there to besiege us... except for our own fear.« Gabrielle sighed in resignation, »That's what I fear most.«

»I'll go and light the torches,« Lin Qi got up, »unless anyone has a better idea, of course.« He didn't really expect an answer.

»I'll let you know as soon as I'm inspired.« Gabrielle let go in frustration, »Sorry. ... at least the torches work a bit, or so it seems.«

The torches were placed on top of the fence they had built around the village and lit the open area in front of it, and the first few feet of the forest. They were placed in front of large plates covered in white sheets, to reflect more light outward, and to keep the night vision of the guards. And they hoped, they would blind the assassins, or at least make it harder for them to spot targets of opportunity inside the village.

»Ahm...« Gabrielle suddenly stopped dead in her tracks. Kija looked up in surprise at her.

»No, won't... sorry, never mind. I'll join you, Lin Qi. I'll take the first watch.« she added quickly in confusion.

Kija had a strange feeling, as Gabrielle left after Lin Qi through the door. Perhaps everyone was a little weary now, overly sensitive towards the others suffering in the same way.

They had divided the night into three watches and took them as they felt best. Gabrielle tended to take the last one, early in the morning. K'Ao Hsin took the day watch, as they called it. She had to be there for her people, the villagers, during the day while the others cleared the forest. Now Kija had taken the last watch, since Gabrielle had taken the first. When she returned to her bed after Lin Qi had taken over for the midnight watch, she seemed to be very tired indeed and fell asleep even before she had hit the bed. Kija had just about noticed her returning, as she tried hard to stay asleep to be fit for when her turn started. Later, Lin Qi woke her and now she had been on the lookout for several hours with a few of her men, while the others rested. Sunrise was only an hour or so away.

Gabrielle was already one and a half miles into the forest. It had taken her about six hours to get as far, and now she was smelling one of the assassins. The first shadows of dawn started to appear in the moonless night, and she started to close in on the target. Killing him would be a farewell present, an unexpected one. The stench was distinct, but it took about an hour of motionless observation to exclude shadow after shadow. Finally, the tip of a blowpipe slowly separated itself from the darkness, leaning against the trunk of a tree. Next to it, there was an even more shadowy figure, sitting there without moving for long periods at a time. After another hour, the dawn was finally bright enough to strike. She left the backpack where it was, slowly pulled the katana from its sheath, jumped ahead the remaining fifteen feet and cut the head off right above the larynx in one clean cut. The blade stuck in the wood, and the head fell as she pulled it out. The body and the mouth on the rolling head started to twitch. The eyes popped open. It was a woman, skinny and greyishly pale like the assassin in Koryu. The remains of a black ball flowed out of the mouth on the ground. Gabrielle quickly found the small black balls of poison and removed them with the blowpipe and a bag of the small arrows. There were no other weapons, but one arrow like those used by the archers from Koryu stuck deep in the woman's left leg, the tip and at least half the shaft, which was poking out. The wound looked as if it had been several days old, and had absolutely not been taken care of. It was badly inflamed. Gabrielle lifted the leg to check whether the arrow had pushed all the way through. It hadn't, probably a chance hit from quite a distance. There were a few strange, fluffy seeds of a grass that didn't grow here, spread out on the ground around her. Gabrielle continued to walk deeper into the forest, due southwest, in land. After a while, she got to a small and clear river up in the mountains, not flowing towards the coast but southward, which she choose to follow.

Three days later it had flown into a wide and muddy, tranquil river that continued to flow to the southeast. There she turned to walk upstream on its side, through a wonderful landscape of rice paddies, with the small dams in between them, and many canals for irrigation. The fields were plowed by the farmers with the help of dark grey oxen with strangely curved horns. They sank in deeply in the muddy rice paddies and didn't seem to mind. Gabrielle though, in contrast stood out much too clearly for her own liking. So she gladly accepted to get on board a towed barge, when offered by the skipper, a dark, tall and quiet guy who had clearly spent some time on the water of the high seas, and who's oxen had overtaken her on the towing path she was walking on. She sat down, hidden among the cargo for the next few days, and hardly left the ship, even when he stopped to do business on the river's or canals' side. They didn't talk much, although he apparently was glad to have someone to talk to.

»What are you running away from? You don't talk much, so you have to. I can tell, I'm on the run, too.«

»Are you?« Gabrielle continued to look at the scrolls she had brought in her backpack, and the copies of the maps thereon she had made in the last days at the village.

»Yea, from the coast. I used to shuttle up and down there,« he said while looking at his oxen on the path, trying to steer them clear of a few bushes, »but then they closed all the harbours to small merchants like mine. The big ones still got in... but not little me.«

»How was that?«

»Dunno, I guess they had better .. incentives to offer... bribe their way in, y'know. Happens all the time, and the port officials get rich a little more, and check a little less. ... That's business.«

Gabrielle had noticed this in two of the ports the Dragon had tried to enter, but was refused to. The huge ships from Chin got in without stopping. She'd thought at the time, it was because of K'Ao Hsin, or their fear to be seen with her. Now she chose not to mention this, not to reveal her journey so far. He didn't need to know.

He was rambling on anyway, »And this whole Kur Tsu affair's been a mess, too. ...«

»What do you know about this?«

»You wanna get yourself into trouble?«

»No... just curious.«

»Ahh,... curiosity killed the cat! Watch out... Well, sorts of, he got mad and went into the forest, up where it's dense, and hidden in the clouds most of the time. Mountains, y'know. And whatever you hear, rumours 'n stuff... must be playing mad emperor up there, with some of the tribesmen of his former guard. Cut themselves off from the world, from time to time they burn and loot a village there. That's about all I know... and that you .. are .. looking for trouble.«

»Right. Can you get me there?«

»No. I can get you to the mouth of the Black River. Beyond that, it's their country. I'm the one running away from, not towards trouble, remember?«

»Just drop me off there. I'll buy some supplies then.«

»Ah, that sounds reasonable for a change. You'll get a discount for good company, but I won't wait there, and I expect cash, in case... well, no-one's returned sooo .. faaar. .. Yup.«

Gabrielle returned to her scrolls, and he to his oxen, quite pleased with themselves.

Several days later, they arrived. He even went as far as to venture almost half a mile up the Black River. It was black indeed, compared to the muddy waters of the canals and the big river, because its water was fairly clear, with a dark brownish tinge. One could see it flowing alongside with the lighter and opaque water several miles downstream before it mixed with and disappeared within it. There he stopped the oxen and Gabrielle jumped onto the embankment with her backpack.

»You sure you don't wanna go thattaway?« , he pointed downstream.

»No... thank you.« Gabrielle answered calmly.

»Well, good luck and goodbye then. I'm outta here,« he turned his animals around.

»Farewell.«

Gabrielle hoisted her backpack on her shoulders, waved at the skipper and turned to march upstream, into the unknown. She felt that she had to walk a while alone.

For some time, the forest alongside the river was dense, almost like a barrier. Gabrielle enjoyed the sunlight playing on the water, the sounds of birds and the lush green of the trees as they stood in the sunlight on the western bank of the river. She continued on northbound in the shadows. Everything seemed peaceful, like the Elysian Fields on Earth as she walked among the polished rocks and mossy stones by the river's side. The variety of leaves, their shapes and shades of green, the intricate patterns of their veins, easy to be seen as she walked along beneath them, and wonderful to enjoy. Sometimes, sunlight played in glades close to the river. They were filled with the bright and young green of sprouts and saplings, glistening in the sun, while the trees around provided shade that eased the sultry heat of this land without winter, as well as shelter from the torrential rain of the evening's thunderstorms. The wind ruffled the treetops and sent them rocking from side to side, gently during the day when the clouds were growing, and rougher at nightfall, when they discharged the water they had carried into the skies. Sometimes, more than the rain ran down from Gabrielle's face, when the sights of nature's beauty around were stained by tears. Tears of her heavy heart. Tears in memory of that one lonely morning, when Xena first came into her life, a world away in time and distance, in memory of her long dark hair flowing in the wind of the seasons, in memory of the darkness in her life that was blown away by the smoke of her camp fire when they first laid down together beside it, when the hopeless fight of a crazy little girl stuck in a village full of rejection had changed into the adventures of the big wide world by Xena's side. Her quest for peace at the side of the warrior princess on her own quest to make amends. The power they found in the two of them, not in the strength of numbers of villages, towns, armies, the passion that drove them in pursuit of the common goal of their different ways, to end the waste of life at the hands of some men, warlords, kings, even gods, the danger they surmounted, knowing they were not alone.

Now she was. Alone.

The river had long since narrowed down to a stream, still holding on to its clear and darkish brown colour. It was slowly devoured by the forest as she continued on upstream, the sun always behind her back, or at most at her side, only darkness ahead, as the treetops closed in above the river. The undergrowth had started to recede as there was not as much light left as on the wider river's banks. Now, she could look ahead for several yards instead of a few feet. But there were still enough plants with their broad leaves and bushes to hide behind. Nothing of all this was on the map she had brought with her. On it, the river ended, or rather started its own journey in the middle of a white spot. From time to time, she added a brushstroke to the known.

Now she was. There.

What remained of the Black River, hardly enough to cover the boulders in a riverbed a few feet wide and easy to cross at all places, split into two little brooks, and beyond the confluence, the terrain started to rise more steeply. It was still humid, but for the past few days it had become ever cooler as she went higher into the mountains. The clouds sometimes extended well into the forest and came down as a sweaty fog, so dense she felt she could cut it with the katana. Listen to what's behind the sounds. As she stood between the brooks, she suddenly realized that the sounds of nature, no, more precisely, the sounds of animals had ceased upstream. The hollow tunnel of leaves that covered the streams channelled the sounds in toward her. Wind in the leaves, the occasional rubbing of branches and twisting of roots, flowing water, they could be heard from each of the three directions, formed by the valleys and the water. But the flapping of wings, the calls of birds, small animals burrowing for grubs, wild boars rooting the soil, only down the river.

Now she was. Here.

Gabrielle put down the backpack for the last time on her journey. She opened it and took out a small ration of food, and the chakram and the sais, which she had left hidden for most of the journey. They were too easy to remember. Then she wrapped everything in it into sheets of oiled leather and filled half of the backpack tightly. Next, she took the urn into both hands, looked at it for a while in silence.

Then she whispered, with tears in her eyes, »Xena, I don't know where or when .. or if, but I will see you again.«

She kissed it for one long last time, wrapped it in, too, and stowed it safely at the backpack's centre to rest on the safest lair she could think of, and put the rest of her belongings on top of it to protect it. She closed the backpack tightly with all its straps and buried it above the highest watermark at the foot of the tallest tree around and walked up the ridge that devided the Black River within its larger and deeper valley that widened as she went on.

After a while she chanced upon a large clearing. On a plateau at its far end, there was something like a castle, but the forest had already taken it back in parts. It must have been there for centuries, for large trees grew out of its walls. She first went around the clearing once, very carefully, to look for any hidden positions. There weren't any. Then she carefully crawled onto the clearing to check out the surroundings of the castle. It had a wide ditch around its decaying walls, and a rampart beyond that. The ditch was filled by stinking muddy water, apparently fed by the rains and one of the brooks that crossed the forest here and there. She stayed well covered by the tall grass and the bushes that grew there as she worked her way back to the forest. Suddenly she heard sounds approaching from all directions. After a few moments, she spotted them. They closed in slowly from all edges of the clearing, from the forest only a few yards away from the bush she was hiding behind to the farthest edges beyond the castle. It was them. The grey paleness of their skin filled her with horror, as did the empty look in their eyes, if there was anything that could be called that at all. The Horde would have been a pleasant sight now, compared to the pale shadows of dirty human beings that were approaching step by step. She felt that they had seen her and jumped up, with her sais ready to strike. The clearing within the clearing that formed around her shrank as ever more of grey streamed out of the lush green of the forest. It crossed her mind that they drifted around her like the fog of clouds that had drifted through the forest during the past days. Finally, she was enclosed in a small patch that remaind open around her, just beyond striking distance. Whenever she advanced, they retreated like a shoal of smaller fishes from a fish of prey, leaving it caught in a bubble devoid of what it desires. They looked not at her, but through her.

He was salivating as he lifted the blowpipe. But not for any reason in particular. He just did.

Kija read the short letter again and again, during the days and nights after she had found it under Gabrielle's blanket.

Gabrielle turned around to push the bubble towards the edge of the forest, to try and get away the Amazon way, through the treetops, when she saw they were climbing up there ahead of her. Some only tried to, in vain for want of strength, but some succeeded.

»Kija, I have left to find out what's keeping us where we are, stuck and helpless. I don't know what lies ahead, but I will try everything to find the darkness that's behind our fears, and I will end it there and then. Since no-one knows what I'll have to face, I don't know whether I will return ...«

He rested the wider part of the pipe on one of the branches in front of him. Then he aimed and blew. The other one of his own who had blocked his view at Gabrielle fell down from the tree and took two more down with him, who tried to climb it but were to weak. Now he aimed carefully after loading another arrow.

»... or continue on my way. I want you to know that the time we spent together is more than just a wonderful memory to accompany my way, and to keep me going. It has returned a purpose to my life, again, after all the grief and despair. But my home was always on the road, by Xena's side. Now that she's gone, I have no choice but to follow...«

Listen to what's behind the sounds. Gabrielle turned around to see them almost flow through one of the small bushes. They didn't seem to care about the thorns that burrowed deep into their weak skin.

»... wherever it will take me. And wherever it will take you, my love and my thoughts are with you, and the friends I love. Gabrielle«

He blew.

Gabrielle saw three bright fluffy things pop out of the trees from the corner of her eyes. She spun around in realization, ducked away to one side, and to her surprise, caught the arrow in midair. It felt hot as it stopped dead in her hand. The grey mass around her receded for one or two steps, the bubble widened.

He let himself fall to the ground. On the way he crashed through several branches and broke a leg as he hit the ground. The bone stuck out, but he neither cared nor noticed as he tried again and again to get up, endlessly.

Gabrielle heard the sound, as a bout of dizziness rose within her. She looked at the arrow. It was covered in a reddish black slimy matter. Blood was dripping from her palm as she opened her hand. The arrow dropped to the ground. Losing control of her feet, Gabrielle followed. Pinpricking numbness closed in from her toes and fingers, advancing quickly towards her head. Her vision narrowed as did the bubble. It closed, first around her, then above, too.

Specks of the summer's sunshine played on the lush green grass in front of her nose. It looked lovely. Gabrielle drifted away, while her eyes stared on wide open.

Her lips moved for one last time, »I'll never look into your .. eyes... again.«

To Be Continued...

Gabrielle caught the full blow

during the production

of this scroll

Special Guest Credits go out to Joseph Conrad for the inspiration from another turn of the century; to Francis Ford Coppola for its translation in the quagmires of the last; to Tom Clancy Without Remorse; to Uriah Heep for the Lady In Black in The Park of Salisbury and a whole Wonderworld of songs; to Ken Hensley, When The Evening Comes and From Time To Time for the Rain on a Cold Autumn Sunday and a Fortune; to Jethro Tull for A Passion Play and little Milton's epic poem; to Basho for the remains of warriors' dreams; to The Doors for The End

- and to everyone involved in the creation of Xena: Warrior Princess for 'showing me the way to turn my night into day.'

all stories, elements, designs, and other products of creativity not previously copyrighted or otherwise documented

(c) J.A. 2002-2006

v.1.0.0.3

-

<- Introduction and Disclaimer - A Season 7 - Episode 7/01 - Trails of Unrest (1/2) - Lost Generation (2/2) ->

by Jürgen Anders

Introduction and Disclaimer