"When in Greece..."
Part Twenty
Questions And Answers...
Xena sat by the campfire that night trying to keep a lid on her
surging emotions. Galvous! Why, after all these years, did he have to
show up now?
She thought back to when they rode together, years before. At
first, she though they were alike, Xena and Galvous. Over time, however,
Xena noticed he had streak of cruelty she never before suspected. She grew
tired of it, his mind games, and him. When she decided to end their
partnership, he attacked her. She left him lying in the dirt, the edge of
her sword leaving a long furrow on his left cheek. He swore revenge; she
walked away in disgust, taking her army with her.
Now, he was getting his revenge, she thought to herself grimly.
All Xena could do was wait until tomorrow. And pray.
Darvos was behind some bushes relieving himself.
She picked up Gabrielle's saddlebag containing the bard's scrolls
and Mariah's twentieth century journal. The journal! Xena dug it out of
the bag and held it in her hands. Galvous could not get hold of it, could
not find out about her friend's dangerous secret. Hurriedly, her heart
breaking as she worked for she knew how much that book meant to her friend,
she ripped out pages, throwing them into the fire She tore and ripped and
shredded until all of the pages and finally the book itself were feeding
the flames of her now-roaring campfire.
Darvos entered the camp. "Hey, what are you doing?" he cried out.
"The fire was a little low," Xena answered nonchalantly. "I was
just getting it going again."
Darvos looked at her suspiciously, but the warrior's face told him
nothing. "We better get to sleep," he told her finally. "We've got a bit
a traveling to do tomorrow if you want to see your friends again."
Xena said nothing as she watched Darvos settle in for the night.
She herself wouldn't get much sleep, she knew. She could only hope that
Gabrielle and Mariah could hold their own until she arrived. Especially
Mariah.
----------
Mariah and Gabrielle were in Galvous's tent finishing up their
meal. Even though they were hungry, it was almost impossible for them to
eat, nervousness making the food sticking in their throats as they tried to
swallow. The water and a rather decent wine helped wash their meal down.
Galvous watched them silently as they ate and drank. They
intrigued him, fascinated him, especially Mariah. He peered in on them
several times while they were unconscious. He knew about Gabrielle; how
could you know about Xena and not know about the spirited blonde bard who
traveled with her? Darius had briefed him on what little he had seen
during his observations, for it was almost impossible to get close to the
three women. No, Galvous thought to himself, this new girl was the unknown
element. Why was she traveling with the warrior and the bard? It was time
for some answers.
Galvous leaned on the table. "Who are you?" he asked Mariah.
"Where are you from?"
Gabrielle looked at the teacher, her face not showing the fear
running through her. How would her friend answer? This was not something
they had discussed.
Mariah looked at Galvous as thoughts whirled through her head. She
was not the best of liars, as she was an honest person. But as a
successful twentieth century high school English teacher, she did have a
bit of the actor inside of her. More than one student had told her that!
Well, here goes nothing, she thought, putting on her best poker face.
"I'm Mariah. I'm from Athens."
"What part of Athens?" Galvous asked.
"I live over by the Academy for Performing Bards," she lied
smoothly, silently blessing Gabrielle for telling her about that place.
Galvous sat back. He studied her blue eyes to see if there was
something she wasn't telling him.
Mariah matched him stare for stare. She knew her life and
Gabrielle's could depend on these next few minutes. Her hands in her lap
grew sweaty with the strain.
Galvous turned his attention to the bard. "Why does she travel
with you and Xena?" the warlord asked Gabrielle.
Gabrielle was ready for him. "We met her in Athens the last time
we were there. She's a musician; she was playing at the inn where we
stayed. We started talking, and found we had a lot in common. She asked
if she could travel with us for a few months. You know, get out and see
the world, that sort of thing. We said yes. We travel, we meet people, I
tell stories, she plays the flute," Gabrielle finished simply.
Galvous looked at his captives as he thought over what he heard.
It meshed with Darius's reports of what he had witnessed. Something told
him, however, all was not as it seemed. They were hiding something; he was
sure of it. Their stories seemed too smooth, too perfect, too pat.
Perhaps it was time to break up their little party, he thought. He turned
to Krius. "Take the bard back to the tent. I want some private time
with...with the musician." Krius pulled Gabrielle out of her chair, and
dragged her from Galvous's tent.
Mariah watched in terrified silence as her friend was removed from
the tent. Her heart thumped painfully in her chest. She was alone with
the warlord. She clenched and unclenched her fists under the table. She
was frightened, but didn't dare show it. Galvous got up, picked up his and
Mariah's empty wine cups, walked over to a side table, and poured out two
more cups of wine. With his back to Mariah, he asked her over his
shoulder, "Will you join me in another round?"
"Do I have a choice?" she retorted.
Galvous smiled as he brought the cups back to the table, placing
Mariah's in front of her, and his in front of his own place setting. "My
dear, we always have a choice," he said smoothly as he sat down. "I just
want to get to know you better."
"Is that why you drugged and kidnapped us?" Mariah asked
sarcastically. "If that's the technique you use to meet women, Galvous, it
needs improving."
Galvous studied Mariah, liking what he saw. Those flashing blue
eyes. She was full of fire and spirit, just like Gabrielle. He sat back
and relaxed in his chair. "I thought the two of us should get to know each
other, Mariah," he said, drinking his wine. "That's all."
Mariah said nothing as she looked at the warlord and the scar
dominating the left side of his face. "Where did you get the scar?" she
asked him finally.
"From your friend Xena," he replied.
"Huh. I bet she gives you another one on the right side to match
it when you see her tomorrow," Mariah said nastily as she sampled the wine.
It wasn't too bad, she thought as she rolled it around the inside of her
mouth. A little muskier than she normally liked. She sipped some more.
Galvous's eyes narrowed as he watched her nurse her drink. "Forget
about Xena. I want to know more about you, Mariah."
She shrugged her shoulders, dodging the dangerous territory.
"What's to tell? My name's Mariah, I play the flute." She began to relax
a little as the wine wound its way through her system. "You know, nothing
special. Just an average, ordinary girl from Athens."
She was a tough nut to crack, but he would break her soon enough,
he thought to himself, amused. He liked the tough ones. He relished the
challenge. He enjoyed the struggle. Galvous looked at her. "More wine?"
Mariah looked at her cup, surprised to see it was almost empty.
"No," she said, "I've had enough."
Galvous stood up. "Then let's take you back to Gabrielle."
Mariah also stood up, and the room began to sway. She gripped the
table tightly and closed her eyes as a wave of dizziness swept over her.
Galvous came alongside of her, put an arm around her in support. "Feeling
strange, my dear? Yes, I suppose those sleeping herbs do tend to make one
a little woozy. But don't worry, Mariah," he said, his voice hardening,
his arm tightening its hold on her. "You'll soon tell me anything and
everything I want to know about you. And I do mean *everything*," he
hissed.
Mariah opened her eyes. Galvous's words burned in her ears. She
tried to push herself away from him as she fought the effects of the drug
coursing through her body. "You son of a bi--," she whispered as the drug
finally overwhelmed her. She collapsed unconscious against the warlord.
Krius reentered the tent. He had been waiting outside after he
removed Gabrielle. "This one will be out all night. Take her to the
interrogation tent and get her ready," he said, smiling cruelly as looked
down at the unconscious form he held in his arms. "Bring Gabrielle there
in the morning, too. For now, let her spend the night worrying about
what's happened to her friend. We'll have some fun with the both of them
tomorrow before Xena gets here." Krius grabbed Mariah's unconscious form,
hoisted her over his shoulder, and carried her out.
He would break them both soon enough, Galvous thought to himself.
And he would enjoy it. Immensely.
------------------------------
Part Twenty-One
Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down...
Galvous was right about Gabrielle. She spent most of the night
pacing, worrying about her friend.
Xena's earlier words echoing in her brain, she wondered what
*would* happen if Mariah told him the truth about herself? That she was
from the twentieth century? Would he believe her? Laugh at her? Kill
her? Torture her? The gods only knew.
The bard managed a few hours of restless sleep. The sun was
shining brightly when she awoke late the next morning. There was still no
sign of Mariah as the bard wandered over to the chamber pot to relieve
herself. That finished, she cleaned up and waited. She didn't have long
to wait.
Krius came in with another man. They both carried ropes as they
advanced on Gabrielle. Her eyes widened at what she saw. Try as she
might, the bard was no match for the men. Fighting for all she was worth,
the men pinned her down her writhing, struggling body, tied her arms behind
her back, and tied her feet together. Pulling her to her feet, she was
rudely thrown over the other man's shoulder and taken to the interrogation
tent. There, she was none too gently placed in a chair and tied tightly to
it. The men left her.
Gabrielle looked around, and saw Mariah lying on a table. Her
friend did not move.
----------
Xena was up before dawn that morning. She had spent most of the
night berating herself for not going after her friends, but she knew how
utterly vicious the warlord could be. He was more ruthless than she had
*ever* been. She gave Darvos a kick to wake him up. "Come on, sleeping
beauty," she said to him. "It's time to see Galvous."
Darvos tried to stall, but Xena was on to him. "Let's go," she
growled at him. "And no tricks. How long will it take us to get there?"
"We'll be there before the sun is at its highest," Darvos answered.
"Want to bet?" Xena asked nastily. "We'll be there long before
that, you little weasel." She mounted Argo and pulled Darvos up in front
of her where she could keep an eye on him. Lightly spurring her horse,
they galloped out of the camp.
----------
Mariah couldn't move. It wasn't for lack of trying.
Her head pounded as she slowly awoke. Getting drugged twice in one
day did absolutely nothing for her. She had always hated that empty, vague
feeling of returning to consciousness after being under the effects of an
anesthetic. She hated it when she had to have surgery, and she hated it
now that she was at the mercy of some crazed Grecian warlord. Lethargy
threatened to overwhelm her, but she fought against it as she had fought
the other battles in her life. Anger and rage began to build in her as her
strength slowly returned.
As she began to take in her surroundings, she realized she was
lying on some kind of table. She could move her head, but that was it.
Her arms, legs, and body were strapped down tight. She struggled against
her bonds.
"Mariah!"
She looked to her right. Gabrielle was sitting there, tied to a
chair, attempting to free herself. "Gabrielle?" she said.
"Just hang on," said the bard, feverishly working at the ropes that
bound her.
"Yes, just hang on," said a male voice in the doorway. "We'll be
with the two of you soon enough." Gabrielle swiveled her head in the
direction of the voice. It was Krius. The lieutenant exited to get
Galvous. Mariah closed her eyes and prayed. She prayed for the strength
she would need to endure whatever Galvous planned to do to her and her
friends.
"Mariah, what ever you do, you can't tell them the truth about
yourself," said Gabrielle urgently.
Gabrielle didn't know if her friend had heard her, or how long the
teacher could hold out. She prayed that Xena would hurry.
----------
Xena was hurrying, as fast as her horse could carry the double
load. She pushed Argo to the limits of her endurance. She spied a camp in
the distance.
----------
Galvous entered the interrogation tent and looked at his two
prisoners. Oh, this is going to be good, he thought to himself
deliciously. He walked over to the bard and checked her ropes. "Oh, don't
struggle too much, my dear," he said to her as he lightly stroked the side
of her face. "It'll be your time soon enough." Gabrielle pulled her head
away from him in disgust. He walked over to Mariah.
"Well, good morning, my dear. Sleep well? How are you today?" he
asked solicitously.
Mariah glared at him. "Oh, I'm fine," she answered sarcastically,
shifting into her battle-mode.
"I'm a bit tied up at the moment, though, but other than that, I'm just
great!"
Galvous chuckled at her. "I see your long sleep didn't diminish
your spirit."
"You wish," she shot back as she fought the restraints holding her
to the table.
Galvous looked at Mariah. She returned the look, rage and anger
turning her blue eyes into ice.
"Oh what a fire is in your eyes!" Galvous exclaimed as he walked
around the table.
"Get ripped, Galvous. I've had it with you and your little warlord
games. Why don't you crawl back under your rock?" Venom dripped from
Mariah's voice.
The warlord's eyes hardened dangerously. He unsheathed the dagger
he brought with him. Mariah's ears perked at the sound of metal grating on
metal. Galvous looked down at her and met her eyes. "You mocked my scar
last night...how would you like one of your own on that pretty face?"
Mariah stiffened up, her eyes widening, but she said nothing as she caught
sight the dagger out of the corner of her eye coming down towards her face.
She twisted her head in an effort to get away from the blade.
Galvous grabbed her hair, pinning her head and the right side of her face
to the table, exposing her left side. Galvous saw the four-inch surgical
scar on her neck. Mariah struggled against her restraints in both anger
and frustration.
"Oh, but I see you already have a scar," Galvous purred, tightening
his hold on her hair. He lightly traced the scar with the tip of the
dagger. "Such an interesting one, too. Where did you get it?" he asked
softly.
Mariah, breathing hard, head and heart pounding, scalp hurting, said
nothing as she felt the blade caress her neck. Gabrielle looked in her
friend's fear and anger-filled eyes.
"I asked you a question, girl. WHERE did you get that scar?"
"Piss off," Mariah hissed, the fear, rage, and anger boiling inside
of her.
"Such a stubborn girl...tsk, tsk, tsk." Galvous said lightly as he
released his hold on her hair. "I wonder how stubborn you'd be if it
wasn't your own neck on the line." Galvous turned towards Gabrielle, the
dagger still in his hand.
"Mariah, don't tell him anything!" yelled Gabrielle, still
struggling in the chair. "Don't tell him *anything*!"
Krius burst in. "Xena's here. She's coming over the ridge."
Damn that Darvos, Galvous thought to himself angrily, stopping
himself short.. This would have to wait until he was done with the warrior
princess. He then smiled to himself. The anticipation of breaking the two
girls would make the wait that much more enjoyable. He resheathed the
dagger, bent over, and lightly kissed Mariah on her forehead. "I'll be
back soon, my dear. Wait for me, will you?" He went to meet Xena,
laughing as he exited the tent.
------------------------------
Part Twenty-Two
Showdown...
Xena and Darvos dismounted from Argo. The warrior sent her horse
away as they walked in to Galvous's camp.
Galvous stepped in to view. "All right," Xena said to him. "I'm
here. Now where are my friends?"
Galvous called Krius over to him. "Bring them out here and tie
them up to those two posts." Krius motioned to another man, and they
entered the interrogation tent. Soon they came out with Xena's struggling
friends. The warrior said nothing, but her eyes narrowed as she watched
Gabrielle and Mariah dragged to the posts and tied tightly to them.
"As you can see, they're fine," Galvous said, watching her. "Which
is more than I can say for you."
"What do you want, Galvous?" asked Xena.
"Revenge. Pure and simple. I've waited years for this, Xena. And
after I'm done with you, I'll have some fun with your playmates over
there."
Xena's eyes hardened at that remark. "Oh, you're real tough when
it comes to picking on girls, aren't you? Why don't you have a crack at
me? You did once before, and I mopped the floor with you. What's the
matter, scarface? Are you afraid to try again?"
Xena's goading had the effect she hoped for. Galvous drew his
sword; Xena drew hers. "She's mine," the warlord said. "Nobody touch her
but me."
"Come on, Galvous," Xena taunted. "Come and get me."
Galvous's small force of men formed a semicircle around the two
fighters. Galvous lashed his sword out at Xena; their blades met in a
deadly duel of steel. Xena pushed him away; he came at her again. She
parried the blow. Mariah had never seen Xena in action, and it was an
awe-inspiring sight. The warrior woman fought with a strength and skill
Mariah had never before seen, her sword whirling, twisting, connecting,
flashing.
Galvous began to tire. His men, sensing this, closed the circle.
Xena whipped out her chakram, and threw it, all the while dueling with her
former ally. The chakram whirled around the camp and ricocheted off the
two posts, cutting the ropes holding her friends. Gabrielle and Mariah
reacted quickly when they were free. They each grabbed a nearby staff and
went to work on Galvous's men while Xena fought the vicious warlord.
Gabrielle and Mariah fought with all of the skill and training Xena
had instilled in them. Their staffs tripped men up, knocked swords from
hands, cracked ribs, thumped skulls. They never hesitated as they battled
the men who had kidnapped and held them prisoner. Gabrielle went after
Krius with a vengeance, remembering his rough treatment. Mariah, still
enraged at what these men had done to her and her friends, went after
Darius and Darvos, the men who spied on them. She took care of them in
short order, and battled on against Galvous's dwindling band of men, as did
her friend from Potadeia.
Xena, meanwhile, was still engaged in her battle with Galvous.
Blood streaming down her face from a lucky shot by the warlord, she also
had to fight some of his men who tried to intervene on their boss's behalf.
Galvous tried one final desperate charge at the warrior; to his surprise,
he found her blade embedded in his chest. He collapsed slowly, the life
draining out of his body. Xena stood over him, an unreadable expression on
her face, her blood dripping into the dirt.
This took the fight out of his men. When they saw their leader was
down, the soldiers fled, carrying their wounded comrades. Soon, the only
people in the camp were Xena, Gabrielle, Mariah, and the dying warlord.
Mariah and Gabrielle walked over to Xena and stared down at
Galvous. Xena looked at her friends. "Hey, are you two all right?" she
asked softly. She grabbed Gabrielle in a long hug, and after releasing
her, did the same to a still-angry Mariah.
Mariah looked down at the dying warlord, her face and body
quivering in anger. The fighting had taken much of the edge off the young
teacher's rage at being kidnapped and assaulted by Galvous, but she was
still upset. She knelt down next to him as he lay dying. "You know," she
told him softly, "we have a certain twelve-letter word for people like you
where I come from. But I promised myself I wouldn't introduce that word to
this world." Galvous's chest rose one final time, and then was still. She
stared at him for a moment, then turned away, her tensions easing as the
rest of her rage and anger left her.
Xena stood over her, the warrior's hand on her friend's shoulder.
"Come on," she gently. "Let's get out of here."
Tears came to Mariah's eyes as the stress and strain of the last
few days' events began to finally take their toll on her emotional state.
How many sleepless nights will *he* cause me, the teacher wondered to
herself as she got to her feet.
No other words were spoken as Xena put an arm around each of her
companions and slowly led them out of the abandoned camp.
------------------------------
Part Twenty-Three
Endings, Beginnings...
It was a few weeks after their run-in with Galvous and his warriors.
Their physical wounds were healing, as were their psyches. The bad
dreams and sleepless nights they all suffered began to leave as they
discussed the events of those fateful days. They reached out to help each other heal physically,
emotionally, spiritually.
Mariah, for some time now, had been thinking long and hard about
the direction she wanted to go with her life. The traveling, fun that it
may have been at one time, was beginning to wear on her; she wanted to
settle down for awhile. She needed a rest. The teacher made a difficult
decision; the hardest one of her new life. She decided it was time to move
on. The hardest part would be leaving her friends, her sisters. As she
reflected though, she knew she needed something else in her new life,
something other than her friends, who had already given her so much, could
ever hope to give her. And she wanted to return to Tyldus to fulfill her
promise to the kindly old merchant who gave her the flute. It was a
promise she fully intended to keep.
They were sitting around the campfire one night when she broke the
news to Xena and Gabrielle.
They didn't try too hard to talk her out of it; they knew,
had expected, that she wouldn't want to travel with them forever, but that
didn't stop the bard and the warrior from shedding tears over her decision.
They loved her as a friend, as a sister; they would miss her laughter, her
stories, her flute, her singing, and her courage in facing the difficulties
and challenges of her new life.
As she prepared to go on her own way, Xena and Gabrielle gave her a
few gifts. Gabrielle gave her a frying pan, and a small traveling case
with some blank scrolls. Mariah looked at them as Gabrielle explained.
"You know Xena had to burn your journal. One day when you're ready to
write again, you'll need something to write on. Use these to start a new
journal as you start a new life." Mariah hugged the bard close to her,
this bard who was so sensitive to the needs of those around her. Xena gave
her a beautiful cutting knife, flint for starting fires, and some valuable
words of wisdom. "Remember, keep a low profile, my friend. And if you
ever need us, send for us. We'll come right away." Mariah hugged the
warrior, this woman who had done so much to restore the faith she thought
she had lost forever.
Mariah had gifts for her friends as well. She pulled out two
necklaces, one gold, one silver. She had picked them up in a village they
had visited several days before. Strung on the gold necklace was her
grandfather's gold ring, on the silver necklace her high school class ring.
She gave the gold chain and ring to Gabrielle, putting the necklace on the
young bard. "I want you to have this, my friend. As I leave my old life
behind, I want someone who was like my grandfather to have his ring.
Someone who is full of wonder, stories, and life. I know you probably
won't be able to wear it much, Gabrielle, but I want you to have it as a
remembrance of our time together....a remembrance of how much you mean to
me." Gabrielle hugged the young teacher in gratitude, tears glistening in
her eyes. Mariah, tears in her eyes, then turned to Xena. "And
you...warrior, philosopher, teacher, healer, and, most important, friend.
I want you to have this." The young teacher draped the silver chain and
ring around Xena's neck. "I received this ring during a time in my life
when I learned a great deal about myself as a person. For you who taught
me so much, much more than you'll ever know, I give this to you as a
remembrance of our time together....a remembrance of how much *you* mean to
me." Xena looked at the ring hanging around her neck, reached out, and
hugged Mariah, greatly moved by her friend's gesture.
After Xena and Mariah parted, the warrior looked down at her
friend. "So where will you go?" she asked.
"First, I'm going to Tyldus. I have a debt to repay," she said,
and she explained about the merchant who gave her the flute. "After
that...I'm not exactly sure. One thing I do know is that wherever I go,
wherever I live, wherever I make my home in my new life, you two are always
welcome. I'll send word to you telling you where I will have settled. We
have a saying where I come from: 'Mi casa, su casa': my home is your
home. Remember that. Always."
"Oh, we will," said Gabrielle. "You can't get rid of us that
easily! We'll be around so often that you'll probably get sick of seeing
us."
"Never," laughed Mariah. "The door will always be open."
"And YOU remember, Mariah," Xena said, "if you ever need us, you
send for us."
Gabrielle had a thought. "What *will* you do, Mariah?"
Mariah was silent for a moment. "I'm not sure, Gabrielle, but I
want to stay lost to history. I *need* to. I may play the flute, I may
write, I may even try to teach again...but whatever I do, and whatever
happens to me, I know one thing: I'm going to live my life here to the
fullest, thanks to the two of you."
Mariah packed her gear and her gifts, grabbed her staff, and looked
at her friends. Would this be the last time she ever saw them, she
wondered to herself, as she hugged them one final time. Something in her
heart told her it wouldn't, that later on, there would be more adventures,
more learning, more sharing, more giving...
Xena and Gabrielle watched Mariah walk away until she was out of
sight. They too wondered if they would ever see their friend again. Would
they ever swap stories around the campfire, hear that marvelous flute and
her singing, listen to her roaring laughter....
Only time would tell.
THE END
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