XENA STORY INDEX PAGE
Copyright Statement "THE GODMOTHER" (AUGUST 26, 1997) © Copyright 1997 by Ann Logan (wilma3), Manorville, New York
Xena: Warrior Princess and some characters used in "THE GODMOTHER" are the sole property of Universal/MCA Studios. The author intends no copyright infringement through the writing of this Xena fan fiction, her story.THIS STORY IS DEDICATED TO MARY RICHIE who past to the Elysian Fields MAY 8, 1997.
©_by Ann Logan (wilma3)
THE GODMOTHER
Singing robins tickle Gabrielle's imagination. How wonderful her Grandma Robyn would laugh and sing in her toils. The last five summers, she walked deep withing the Elysian fields. Gabrielle's stomach churns. Grandma's velvety brick-oven bread was the best. Her recipe for hot tangy smoked hams still enhances the winter solstice.Gabrielle smiles, rolling a sleeping blanket while Xena hunts. Every fall, her visiting Grandma rolled dough. "A little girl's helping hands bless the best loaves.
Gabrielle hugs the blanket, strolling to Argo's saddle. Grandmothers arms would opening to enjoy Gabrielle's childhood chortles. Sighing, Gabrielle tucks the blanket in a saddle bin. For many winters, Grandma spun her favorite tales to a lone awed audience. Gabrielle pets Argo's nose, wishing she would have been old enought to remember them. She cleverly smiles and touches her own stories slipped in a satchel that Xena made last spring. "I miss you, Grandma."
With a soothing westerly breeze, Gabrielle turns and sniffs a faint aroma of freshly baked bread. Her stomach ernestly groans forgetting her sated burnt-biscuit breakfast fashioned from spoiled goods. She surveys a white birch woodland around her, hoping for hints of chimney smoke or better, a stronger scent of that aromatic loaf.
Xena jumps from an overhead limb, tossing Gabrielle a headless rattler. "Think fast!"
Gabrielle freaks, leaps, and glares at her taunting warrior friend. "Another snake for lunch?"
Xena shakes her palm, hush, and dashes into the woods. "Stay here."
Within moments a petite elderly woman with sleepy dark brown eyes, tramples onto Gabrielle's campsite. "Excuse me, young lady. Can you help me find my godchild?" She is the tiniest adult, Gabrielle has ever seen. "Why are you gawking at me, child? Are you not well?"
Gabrielle flinchs. "Forgive me. I'm Gabrielle..." She waits for Xena to make a grand entrance but Xena doesn't return. "Where did you last see your godchild?"
The elderly woman's arm shakes as she points westward then vagely north. "In my youth, I road this trip in 7 days. Now, it's been so long. This world only appears to grow smaller as we get older, dear."
Gabrielle smiles. "The only town I know in that area is Amphipolis."
The elderly woman mildly smiles. "Yes, that's it! By the gods, you must be my good fortune. How I've missed you!"
Stepping to a dull campfire, Gabrielle politely chuckles and fans smoking embers into crackling flame. "You can rest here." Gabrielle tosses a fist of twigs. "Xena captured a large snake to smoke for lunch. But, it can make you a fine breakfast too."
"I'm Mary Godmother. Let me prepare that, Gabrielle. Perhaps you can find your lost friend. It's not safe for a young lady to wander around without escort."
Gabrielle giggles. "Xena takes great care of herself. What happened to your escort?"
Mary's eyes grin. "Nobody messes with this Godmother. Hurry now! Breakfast will be ready sooner than you think, dear."
As Gabrielle plods into the woods, Xena watches their latest curiosity. How does an elderly woman travel so far through the thickets and thieves, unharmed. As the Godmother skins her snake, she hums a childhood melody. For an instant, Xena envisions her first horse galloping round and around a friendly shadowy woman. It becomes so strong that Xena harmonizes with the Godmother tune and drops from her perch as Gabrielle returns.
"This is Xena, Mary." Gabrielle crouchs anxiously absorbing the exchange.
Mary smiles then pouts as she studied Xena's face. "Did you lose your horsey?"
Xena moves her hand over her chakram. "No, she's close. Where are you from, Mary?"
Mary slowly scours right through oak trees and left overseeing a valley, scratching her chin. "I'm not sure. But I'm heading for my godchild. Can you help me? I have promises to keep."
Gabrielle adds, "She says her godchild lives in Amphipolis."
Xena never whistles but Argo trots into camp stopping at the side of the elderly woman. She dodges her head as if answering the Godmother's secret questions. Xena glances a warning to Gabrielle and paces behind Mary, mildly gathering loose twigs for the fire.
"You're very good with animals, Mary." Xena notices a small tan pouch as Mary's only travel aid. "Argo seldom takes to strangers."
Mary cooks, adding spices from her mysterious tan pouch. "Oh the stories these horses can tell. Dee Da Dee, Da-Da, Dee Da Da Dee Dum."
For the first time, Xena sees Gabrielle eagerly sampling snake and oddly go for seconds as if it were pork. After Mary swallows her own serving, Xena nibbles a slice.
It is tender and tasty beyond their usual half-burnt meals. Gabrielle hurries for more. Xena glances to Mary smiling to the sky. Who is this stranger?
Mary nibbles at an infant's portion, patting her sleek stomach as if extended to the ground. All around, breezes please, the robin's sing, and the trio exchange comfortable conversations. But, comfort is a sly enemy to a survival expert like Xena.
Heeding her savvy in dealings with Ares, Xena studies for godly trickery. Gabrielle is too cozy with her usual curious sparkles from childhood fun. Slowly, Mary collects cooklery and haphazardly cut her index finger. Gods don't bleed. Xena strategically grins. "I'll get those."
"It's only a scratch, dear." Mary carries the cooklery to Argo.
"Don't you worry, Mary." Gabrielle helps Mary onto Argo's saddle.
Xena scouts a few steps ahead, noting Argo's shadow by her side. Something still tingles Xena's warrior concerns. She glances back, watching Gabrielle keep pace alongside to catch Mary swaying back and forth. She stands still, letting Mary and Gabrielle walk ahead.
Xena strolls several paces behind a gingerly trotting about Argo's leavings. Odd that the air sniffs sweeter than any normal spring's day. Xena peeks behind to ensure no surprises follow. Amphipolis waits 3 days journey under a clear ocean-blue sky.
As noon approaches, Mary sings another familiar melody. Xena playfully tosses her chakrum. She measures Gabrielle carelessly enjoying a normal response to new company. Strange yet nostalgic, who is this Mary Godmother?
A sharp mountain curve hides the road ahead. Xena jogs past Argo, oddly stumbling over a quickly tossed sand stone. "Hold!" She rolls to her feet, pulling her sword, and watching.
Mary shouts, "Are you hurt, dear?"
Gabrielle steps to Mary's side. As Xena studies a heathy limp tree limbs, tall bush thickets crackle without an obvious reason. "Gabrielle, I need a break."
Gabrielle pulls Argo's reigns to back-track a safe distance, then readies her staff to unknown adversaries. "You'll be fine, Mary. We do this all the time."
"Oh, professionals." Mary wriggles off the saddle feeling Gabrielle hands hurrying to guide her from falling. "I'm okay dear. Though, I think you and Xena could use a bit more fiber in your diet."
Gabrielle looks back and forth.
A swarm of arrows cascade across the road. Fifteen mercenaries charge at Xena. Gabrielle twirls her staff. "I'll protect you, Mary. Get back on Argo!"
"And who will protect Xena?" Mary pets Argo. "It's okay horsey, I'm here."
Winding her sword left and right, Xena backs towards the middle of the road. "YiYiYiYi Ya!"
Swords collide in clanking sparks. Best is Xena's sword circling and carving a wider kerf of win. She dances chains whipping at her ankles. With her chakrum slicing torsos, she disables 7 men.
"YiYiYiYi" Xena leaps over an colomn of charging barbarians.
More yell as they charge from a bundle of oak trees. Behind her, a new column of ten warriors roar with battleaxes eyeing Mary and Gabrielle for slaughter. Xena tosses her chakrum again.
"AYIYIYI" Spinning with her sword, Xena leaps over slashing collisions below. "This way you, bastards!" She ducks from a crossbow's arrow and thrust a deadly cusp in the largest opponent. Then, she hops on his carcus, teasing them. "Is that the best you've got?"
Gabrielle twirls her staff and nervously checks Mary casually feeding Argo a handful of water. "Mary?" She spots two mercenaries exiting the thickets.
They raise broad swords, heading in their direction.
"Mary, get back onto Argo." Gabrielle jogs to the flank. "She'll keep you out of danger."
Mary places her foot in a stirrup. "You got it, Honey. Just be careful. Those boys aren't playing very nice."
"Yes, Mary!" Gabrielle whirls her staff to distance their assault.
Gabrielle enjoys their brief retreat. She leaps forward with a yell. A stone-weighted black net tackles Gabrielle to the ground.
She fiercely wrestles till she gasps at 4 warrior surrounding her. "Xena!"
Xena hones on Gabrielle's cry and leaps over a line of 5 charging ax-men. "Argo ride!"
Argo defiantly dotes her nose and stays with Mary waving from her saddle.
"Another one of those morning, eh." Xena parries with Gabrielle's attackers falling one by one.
A dark male voice shouts, "Hello, Xena." Draco jumps out of the thickets holding a dagger to Gabrielle's neck.
Xena squeezes her chakrum. "Let her go, Draco, and I'll let you live."
Draco half-chokes a chuckle. "Drop your weapons or watch her bleed" He yanks Gabrielle's hair, licking her cheek. Angrilly he gnarled, "Now, Xena!"
Xena tosses her sword and chakrum, clenching empty fist and hidden teeth. "What's this about, Draco?"
Draco's men walk Argo to him, but Mary is gone.
Draco snaps his fingers. "Fetch the old woman, she can't be far." He tosses Gabrielle to his soldiers fastening her hands behind her back and chains on her ankles. "Money, Xena. What else is there?"
Xena allows herself the same treatment, growling at a young soldier who ties her wrists too tightly. "We're to be slaves?"
Draco fondles Gabrielle's hair. "She might bring a fair price at that. But, another offer is much more satisfying for you."
One of his men interrupts as he returns from the woods. "There is no foot trail to follow and our tree scouts report no one crossing our camp."
Xena wryly grins. "Problems?"
Furious, Draco grabs his aid. "She's only a little old hag hiding in the bushes. Find her!"
Xena faintly hears another childhood melody in a breeze. "Have a heart, Draco. What bounty will traders offer for her?"
Draco unsheathes his sword with a white-knuckle grasp. "I'm in command, here!" Eyeing Argo, he lunges a deep thrust into the horse's side. "Bye bye."
Seeing Argo fall in fearful whinnies, Xena fiercely fights her bondage. "Defenseless animal and little ole ladies? You'll pay for that, Draco!"
Draco clubs Xena unconscious with his sword handle. "Hear me! I need eight volunteers to sell Xena's companion at the trading posts in Thessaly. I don't care what you get for profit just be quick about it!" He spits on Argo.
For many years, Draco dreamed of a being a greater legend than Xena, now lying at his feet. At the center of her family's hometown, he concocts a rite of passage: ridiculing her reputation, torturing her surviving family before Xena's eyes, and finally executing a broken warrior princess in a manner storytellers will preserve for all time.
He cackles with laughter befitting his notions to be king of the land. "Secure the warrior woman. We ride!"
Mary watches from a tree hollow as Draco's fifty men raise a plum of road dust. When quiet returns, she climbs from her hide and greets Argo harshly wimpering in the road. "Easy horsey, The Godmother is here."
Several hours from Draco's rule, a small company of his men purchase 4 barrels of port to spice a long warrior's shindig at the first supply town. Gabrielle sits in a cave, water drips from a limestone stalagmite over head.
Shortly after twilight, Gabrielle watches Draco's men howl songs of war. Moon beams flood the cave entrance, Gabrielle hopes to exit. Her numb wrists rub against a shale edge. Two warriors study Gabrielle wrestling, such a beautiful commodity. Boldy, one of the older warriors staggers to her. A young warrior raises his sword. "She's mine."
A sword fights begins with more warriors jumping into a fray. Suddenly, an eerie sound paralyzes the mangy group.
part 2 final ©_ 1996 logan_a@hotmail.com
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