another Xena story chapter 5

[David]

Safe and Sound Back Home in Greece

Chapter Five

Messina, and Home


The day passed uneventful but still everyone was uneasy, they all were
scanning the horizon looking for the tell-tale red-sailed ships of the Roman
navy.

But no ships were sighted until just before dusk, explained by the relieved
Captain Santilla that they had been off the main trading routes. Luckily,
the ship was not a Roman warship, but a Roman trading ship Santilla
recognized as one that regularly travelled between Napoli and Messina.

The next morning more ships were sighted: some Greek, some Roman, and some
from Egypt, returning home after delivering wheat needed to help feed the
teeming Roman citizenry. All were funneling into the Strait of Messina,
loaded down with goods to be traded in their home ports. But they all
stopped at Messina for whatever reason – to restock before travelling on; to
trade; to provide relief and respite for the crew; or to renew alliances
with traders from other countries.

And there were the Roman warships, there to keep the peace and to ferret out
"pirates and spies." But the Poseidon was able to pass through the strait
and make its way to the docks of Messina unhindered.

"How long are we staying?" a nervous Gabrielle asked.

"Not long," Santilla replied. "A day, maybe two. I need to find sailors to
fill out the crew. It's been too hard on them, as I'm sure you know."

"But what about being stopped, and boarded, and arrested as pirates?"

"The farther we get from Italia, the less we need to worry about. Plus
there will be other ships, so the odds are with us."

She still wasn't convinced there was nothing to worry about, and she only
left the ship twice to eat a hot meal at a tavern, then returned to the
Poseidon to stay below and out of sight.

By the morning of the second day Santilla had hired six sailors to replace
the ones who had abandoned him in Napoli. There was not much of a tide in
the strait, so leaving port was only a matter of waiting until the wind was
right to travel north or south. At noon they cast off and the Poseidon was
heading south into the Ionian Sea, and in two days they were able to turn
almost due east, then slightly north, on course to Prevaza.

"Seven or eight more days," Santilla said. "and we'll be back home again."

"And not too soon to suit me," Gabrielle answered. "We seem to be making
good time."

"That we are. The new men I hired pray to Poseidon at dusk and dawn. I
believe he is listening to them, and is pleased."

Gabrielle shot a knowing look at Xena, suppressing a smile, but said, "You
could be right."

x….x

Midafternoon of the seventh day the harbor of Prevaza came into view. And
just before dark, the Poseidon was tied to one of the many docks and the
crew was offloading the bales of wool and amphorae of wine and olive oil.

"Thank you," Xena told Captain Santilla as they left the ship.

"No, thank you. If it hadn't been for you and your weapon, we would be in a
Roman prison somewhere, or worse."

"But you will still return to Italia."

"Aye. The profit is just too good," he replied with a grin. "You two take
care, and who knows, maybe one day we'll be traveling together again."

"Not if I have anything to say about it," Gabrielle said.

With a final farewell, both Xena and Gabrielle walked from the waterfront to
find a room for the night. And after spending the rest of their money on
supper and the room, they enjoyed each other's company throughout the night.
The next morning they headed northeast, in the direction of Amphipolis.

"The air even smells better," Gabrielle was remarking as she continued her
nonstop comparisons of the evils of Italia versus the delights of Greece.

"No argument from me," Xena agreed. Then she stopped and pulled her sword,
as Gabrielle took the sias from their loops, ready to do battle. Then Xena
seemed to relax slightly.

"Alright, show yourself," she said as she slowly turned in a circle. "I know
you're there."

And with a silent, reddish flash of light, Ares appeared.

"Well, I see you're back," he said. "So, when you escaped, how many guards
did you kill? Ten? Twenty?"

"What?" Xena asked.

"No matter. I have the PERFECT army for you."

"What are you talking about?"

"Now that I've re-whetted your appetite for death and destruction, I know
you can't wait to get started."

"Wait!" Xena interrupted. "Are you telling me you had something to do with
us being slaves?"

"I must say you were magnificent. I knew you would have no trouble with the
first two gladiators. But I really thought Gaulus would give you more of a
challenge. He was my creation, you know. I guess I should have given him a
bit more intelligence, just to make it more - entertaining. But really, how
many guards did you kill? I know all about you and Caesar, and I knew when
you thought you were going to Rome you would do anything not to go."

"If you must know, Domina freed us rather than have her husband allied with
Caesar."

"YOU?" Gabrielle exclaimed. "YOU were the one responsible for us being
captured into slavery?"

"So, what do you say, ready to lead your army?" Ares continued, ignoring
Gabrielle.

And with both hands, Gabrielle threw her sais at Ares, who, with a wave of
his hand, dropped them to the ground.

"Whoa, ho!" he said with a smarmy laugh, "It looks like someone has an anger
problem."

In response, Xena drew her sword and with both hands and threw it dead
center at Ares' chest. But he caught it by the blade and tossed it aside.
She then unclipped her Chakram, ready to throw it.

"You get out of here – NOW!" she demanded, teeth clinched. "I know this
won't kill you, but I have a feeling it can hurt you more than anything
you've felt in a long time! And just so you know – I will NEVER lead an army
of yours!"

"Okay, I'll go. But I'll be back."

Xena looked over at Gabrielle, but was unable to read her. She saw rage,
more rage than even at Gurkhan. But there was more, something undefinable.
Her breathing was coming in gasps.

"Gabrielle," she said as she took her into her arms, trying to calm and
console her. And as she did, Xena saw a subtle flash of light.

"Hey, you two."

"Aphrodite," Xena said. "This really isn't a good time."

"I know," she replied. She then took Gabrielle from Xena's arms and held
her close, and Gabrielle's arms went around her waist.

"You should know," Aphrodite said to Xena. "Ares didn't tell you
everything."

"What do you mean?"

"Didn't you think it odd that you never tried to escape? He did something –
to your mind. He made sure you didn't want to escape. He made you want to
wait until the time was right, which, of course never came."

Gabrielle backed out of Aphrodite's embrace. "Are you saying you knew all
about this, but did nothing?"

"I'm afraid you're right. But he threatened me."

"But what could he do? You're a god, and his sister."

"I know. There's nothing he could do to me personally, but he threatened to
have his armies destroy all my temples, to kill half my worshippers, and to
make the rest of them think I had abandoned them. Do you know what it's like
to be a god, and not to be worshipped?"

"I don't know if I can accept that. I thought we were friends."

"I can't change what's been done," Aphrodite said, trying to make amends.
"But I can lessen the pain of what you endured."

And without getting Gabrielle's okay, she took her fingers, and starting at
her temples, ran them through Gabrielle's hair, a slight golden glow
emanating from her fingers. And as Gabrielle's head rolled back and her eyes
closed, Aphrodite said to Xena, "You might want to hold onto her."

The second time she ran her fingers through her hair, Gabrielle began to
collapse, but Xena was there to hold her up, then gently laid her down.

"What did you do to her?"

"I didn't mess with her mind, if that's what you're thinking. Well, not
much anyway. She will sleep until dawn. And when she awakens, those things
she had to go through will be like a bad dream. One that fades away until
the memory is barely there."

"I guess I should thank you. I don't know everything that happened to her,
but I do know I wasn't there to protect her from it."

"It's the least I can do. Gabrielle is the only mortal I know who likes me
for just being me."

"She's not the only one."

"Take care of her," Aphrodite said as she disappeared.

As dusk fell, Xena wrapped her arms around her soul mate to hold and protect
her until the dawn. As she did, she realized she probably would never know
what had so traumatized Gabrielle. And she decided she probably didn't want
to know – they were both safe and sound back home in Greece.

And that was all that mattered.

The End

[much shorter than ''Roman Gladiator'', by 13 chapters]
David