No Greater Love
by Lynn M. Price
Continued from Chapter 36
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Celebrate Good Times...
It was decided to hold the party outdoors as it was a warm starlit evening. As of the night of Gabrielle's celebration two weeks before, many torches burned to keep the darkness at bay.
The Amazon cooks outdid themselves, preparing some of Mariah's favorite dishes in her honor. The wine flowed as did the conversation. Many of the warriors came over to her after dinner to see the famous scar she earned defending their honor. She had to be careful showing it so they wouldn't see her cancer scars, and she was successful doing so.
Once the meal was over, the Amazon musicians came on to play. Salla wouldn't take no for an answer, and dragged a protesting Mariah up to dance with the warriors around the bonfires. After a little initial awkwardness, the flutist was soon holding her own with the other women. She didn't dance too long, though; she didn't want to wear herself out.
The musicians finished, and it was time to move on to night's other entertainment. Gabrielle took the stage and told several stories. After she finished and the applause rang through the night, she looked at Mariah who nodded her head and joined her on-stage; since the flutist's hand was healed, they decided to give the Amazons a treat. When the applause died down, Gabrielle spoke up. "Sisters! Tonight, Mariah and I have a surprise for you. We hope you enjoy it."
At Mariah's signal, the bard began telling the story of Xena and Hercules freeing Prometheus. As the bard related the events, Mariah punctuated the tale with music, heightening the tension and enhancing the experience for the audience. Cheers erupted when they finished, as did a demand for more. Gabrielle told two more tales accompanied by Mariah's music before she turned the entertainment over to the flutist.
Mariah decided to start the evening with a more upbeat program; soon toes were tapping and the women were clapping in time to the music. After she finished a short medley, she decided to introduce her new song.
When the warriors were quiet, she addressed them, a huge smile on her face. "My friends, tonight I'd like to honor one of you among us with a song. It's about a woman whom we all respect and care about very much. Now this is meant in fun, and I hope you like it." She took a deep breath and began to sing:
The Amazons clapped in time as Mariah sang. Gales of laughter were heard from Xena and the warriors during the playful tune that gently teased the queen. Gabrielle's cheeks grew pink as Mariah sang the ditty, and soon she laughed as well. When Mariah finished, the Amazons demanded she sing it again, which she did. After the second time, Mariah walked over to Gabrielle and gave her a small scroll containing the lyrics to the song. "For you, oh Queen, your very own copy of 'The Ballad of the Warrior Bard.' And always remember that some flutists, like bards, have a way with words!! May you enjoy it in the future as much as we enjoyed it tonight." The blonde stood up, still laughing, and gave her friend a big hug. She had never been the subject of a song before, and she got a kick out of Mariah's tune, as did Xena.
Mariah walked back onto the stage and the crowd once again quieted down as she spoke. "A week ago, I promised Salla that for her birthday present, I would sing a certain song. Well, we all know what happened on her birthday!" Mariah waited for the laughter to die down before she continued. "So tonight, at her request, I'll sing that song; it's called, 'Come On In Out Of The Rain.' Salla, this one's for you. Happy Birthday, my friend."
Mariah closed her eyes and thought of Myklos as she did every time before she sang or played the piece. Soon, the poignant lyrics rang out in the night as the flutist sang of love lost and love found. Salla, sitting in the audience, was moved by the piece, as were the rest of the Amazons; it was one of the best birthday presents she had ever received to hear her friend publicly sing the song she had come to love. Xena and Gabrielle too were touched by the sentiment in the song, understanding it better than most for they knew firsthand the trials and tribulations their friend went through before she married the merchant.
After the applause died down, the flutist had one final announcement. "Earlier, I sang a humorous song about our favorite bard. For my last number tonight, I would like to sing a song that truly reflects how I feel about both her and Xena. Gabrielle and Xena, my best friends, my sisters...this is for you."
By the time Mariah finished the song, there wasn't a dry eye at the party, including her own. She walked off stage as the applause washed over her and went to Xena and Gabrielle. They stood up, tears running down their faces, so incredibly moved were they by their friend's gesture. "By the gods, you didn't have to do that," Gabrielle said with a catch in her voice as she hugged her.
"I know. I did it because I wanted to," Mariah said as she separated from the bard and hugged Xena. "And I did it because it's the truth. I *am* everything I am thanks to you two saving my life and befriending me. And I'll never forget it as long as I live."
"Nor will we," Xena assured her, keeping a tight rein on her emotions, for it just wouldn't do for a warrior princess with her reputation to break down and cry in front of the Amazons.
Even if those tears *were* tears of happiness.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Building Bridges...
Mariah's time with the Amazons was more than half over, and her emotions were mixed; she was sad that she would soon be leaving their company, but glad she would soon be back with Myklos.
Now that her stitches were out, she resumed her normal activities, albeit slowly. It was difficult at first, especially dealing with the sensation that she would rip her back wide open, but that soon passed as her body adjusted to the new scar tissue. She worked out in the mornings with Xena, rode with Salla in the afternoons, and talked with Xena, Gabrielle, Ephiny, Eponin, Solari and Salla long into the evening hours.
Salla drew closer to Mariah; in fact, she regarded the flutist as a sister; Mariah felt the same way about her hazel-eyed friend. She hadn't felt that close to someone since she met Xena and Gabrielle. And the warrior and the bard were thrilled that Salla and Mariah got along so well together and warmly welcomed her to their nighttime discussions.
The Amazons noticed a change in Salla; she wasn't as moody and reserved. The red-haired woman opened up as the walls she had constructed to insulate herself from the world after the massacre crumbled from within. The warrior talked with a lot of people, but saved the deepest conversations for her friend from the future.
And did they have the talks! The two women discussed every topic under the sun, from philosophy to the future, from their dreams to their regrets. No topic, it seemed, was off limits.
Salla wondered if Mariah was truly happy living in the past, and often asked her about it. It was during one such discussion that Mariah told her what happened to her in the Dreamscape before she married Myklos.
"You mean Morpheus offered to send you back to your old life?" the warrior asked after Mariah finished her story.
"Yeah."
"And you turned him down?"
Mariah's laugh was short. "The price was *way* too high, Salla! Besides, I'm happy here."
Could Mariah *be* that satisfied in her new world? Salla had her doubts; her friend had left her world behind, had lost everything! How could she be that happy? A few days later during an afternoon ride, they dismounted from Scout and Mariah turned and saw her friend staring at her. "What's wrong?" she asked, breaking in on the warrior's musings.
"Just thinking," Salla said.
"About what?"
"You."
"Me?" Mariah's eyes widened. "I think you've been out in the sun too long, my friend," she said with a gentle laugh. "You want to go for a swim?"
So typical of Mariah to deflect the discussion away from herself, Salla thought, but she won't get away with it this time. "In a little bit. Let's go sit in the shade." The two women walked over and sat beneath a large canopy of trees, each leaning against a sturdy trunk. Mariah sat back and closed her eyes, soaking in the sounds of the day.
"Mariah?"
"Hmm?" she responded, her eyes still shut.
"Look at me." Mariah heard the note of gravity in Salla's voice and opened her eyes.
"Hey, what's the matter?" Mariah asked, her voice soft.
"Do you ever have any...regrets about the way your life has turned out?"
Mariah stared at the red-haired warrior. "Where's this coming from?"
"Do you?" Salla's voice was insistent.
"No," the flutist answered without any hesitation. "Do you think I do?"
"But you've lost so much; don't you ever *want* to go back?" Salla asked, and was startled to hear her friend's gentle laugh
"I haven't lost a thing," Mariah said. "And I told you, I don't want to go back; this is my home, my life. You're part of my family, as are Xena and Gabrielle. I didn't have that in my time. I didn't have Myklos." She leaned forward. "Do you know how lucky I am? I thank the gods every night for that slip on the ice, Salla. Yeah, there are some things I miss: my friend Sandy, my students, a good stereo system, butter pecan ice cream on a warm summer's day..." She sat back with a sigh. "But when all is said and done, I wouldn't trade my life for anything. *Anything*, my friend. I've found my peace."
Salla was silent for a few moments. "Gods, I hope I find mine one day," she said, her voice wistful.
Mariah stood up, walked over to her, sat down next to her, and put an affectionate arm around her shoulder. "You *are* finding it, Salla. You haven't seen the change in yourself since you've opened up. Finding that inner peace takes time; and when you least expect it, *that's* when you'll find it. You'll see." They sat together for some time just enjoying the quiet of the day until Mariah rose to her feet. "Come on.
Let's go for that swim."
Salla smiled and reached for Mariah's outstretched hand. Soon they were splashing in the cool waters of the stream, their laughter echoing across the sun-dappled afternoon.
Mariah's words were more prophetic than she thought.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Rumors...
As week three of Mariah's visit ended, disquieting rumors began to circulate around the Amazon village. Several days' journey away, it was heard, an army of raiders looted and pillaged a number of towns. When they heard the rumors, Xena and the Amazons began to investigate for themselves whether or not they were true. As a precautionary measure, more sentries were posted and scouts were sent out to determine the veracity of the reports.
It was early one morning when Xena found out first-hand whether or not the rumors *were* true. She and Mariah were out for their customary morning ride. This morning, however, they decided to ride to the west instead of the east; they wanted to see some different country.
They rode out of the Amazon territory in search of new vistas to explore. The sun crept up out of the east as their mares raced across the countryside, Scout matching Argo step for step. The women pulled up to give their mounts a rest.
"Ramen did a great job teaching you," Xena observed. "You ride like you were born to it."
"Coming from you that's the highest of praise," Mariah said, her smile warm.
Both mares shied at the same time, their hearing more acute than that of their riders. "Hey, what's the matter, girl?" Mariah soothed the jittery Scout as the horse stamped around.
"Someone's out there," Xena said, her voice low.
"Where?"
"In the woods, off on the right," the warrior responded. Before Mariah could respond, Xena spurred Argo, and galloped off into the forest.
Mariah, caught flatfooted, took several seconds to react and follow on Scout. Argo pulled up to a sudden stop, and the 'A-YI-YI-YI-YI-YI' of Xena's war cry rang through the trees as the warrior flipped off her horse and attacked the two men attempting to flee the area. Soon, one of the men was unconscious, courtesy of a roundhouse kick to the head, and the other man wished he was; Xena had just put the pinch on him when Mariah halted Scout and jumped down from her. The flutist grabbed the reins of both horses and kept out of the way as Xena went to work.
"I've just cut off the flow of blood to your brain," the warrior told her victim. "You'll be dead in seconds unless you tell me what I want to know. Who are you?"
"T-Teppus," the man gasped.
"What are you doing here so close to Amazon territory?" Xena growled. Most people avoided the Amazons like the plague.
"W-we're scouts for Solomos." A thin trickle of blood ran from Teppus's right nostril.
Xena's blue eyes narrowed. "Solomos? The same Solomos from Corinth? What does he want?"
"You," Teppus groaned, "and the Amazons." The man was almost unconscious.
Xena released the pressure point and hauled Teppus to his feet. "Keep talking or next time I don't release it." She raised her hands towards his neck.
"Don't! I'll talk!" Teppus cowered.
"That's better. Now what does Solomos want with me and the Amazons?"
"He's still angry about what you did to him and his army at Corinth. Since then, he's rebuilt his army and he wants his revenge on you."
"That explains me but what about the Amazons?"
"He knows they'll fight if they're threatened. And he knows if he wipes them out, this land is his for the taking; they're the only force around here who's capable of stopping him. He doesn't like them, never has; he wants to kill them as badly as he wants to kill you."
"How many men?"
"About five hundred," Teppus said.
"Where's his army?" Xena wanted to know.
"They're about a day's walk due west of here." Xena raised her hands to his neck once again. "I swear it!" Teppus almost screamed the words.
Xena grabbed him by his shirt. "Now you're going to take a message to Solomos for me, Teppus. You tell Solomos to watch his back because I'm coming for him. You tell him he better keep looking over his shoulder because soon, *very* soon, I'll be there. And when I get him, I'm taking him back to Corinth. You tell him I said so. And you tell him if he doesn't want to lose anymore men, he'll stay away from the Amazons because they'll make the bloodbath *at* Corinth look like a picnic. You got that?"
Teppus's answer was a frantic nod.
"Good," Xena said. "Now get out here." She gestured at the other man, still lying unconscious on the ground. "And take him with you."
Teppus roused his comrade and soon the two men ran off to the west towards Solomos and his army.
Mariah walked up next to her friend. "Solomos will attack, won't he?" She hoped her voice didn't betray the anxiety she felt.
Xena looked at her, her face troubled. "Yeah. He's a slow learner, that Solomos. Most warlords would've learned their lesson at Corinth, but he's got a stubborn streak a league wide."
"You're going after him, aren't you?" Mariah asked.
Xena sighed as she answered. "Yeah. I owe it to the Corinthians. And they need to see him brought to justice." She put her hand on Mariah's arm. "Come on," she said. "We've got to get back and tell Gabrielle and Ephiny what we learned."
The two women mounted their horses and rode back to the Amazon village as fast as their mares would take them.
The Amazons needed time to prepare for the invasion.
And Xena needed time to work out a plan to capture Solomos.
Chapter Forty
Decisions, Decisions...
Xena and Mariah arrived back in the Amazon village, Argo and Scout lathered in sweat. As they dismounted, Mariah addressed the warrior. "You go tell Gabrielle and Ephiny what happened; I'll take care of the horses." Xena's eyes reflected her gratitude at her friend's consideration. She clapped Mariah on the shoulder as the flutist led the animals to the stables.
The warrior ran into the visitor's hut, surprising Gabrielle. "You're back early," the bard noted as she continued to dress; she then caught the look on her friend's face. "What's the matter?"
"We've got trouble," Xena told her. "Come on; we need to find Ephiny." Gabrielle finished dressing and the two women went in search of the regent, Xena filling her in on what she learned from Teppus. They found Ephiny at the armory with Eponin and Solari. The two women approached the Amazons.
"We need to talk to you," Xena said without preamble. She told them the information she gleaned from Teppus.
The regent looked at her queen. "Let's go to the command tent. We can plan our strategy there." The five women hurried there. In the tent was a large table map of the entire Amazon territory and the surrounding region. Xena plotted out where she and Mariah had run across Solomos's scouts and the approximate size and location of Solomos's army.
"I think we need to fight them, to defeat them here and now," Xena said by way of finishing. "If not, there's no telling how strong they'll become." She told them of her battle against Solomos's men at Corinth.
"He's stubborn, but he's also strong and shrewd. He fought well at Corinth and he will here, too." The four women listened in silence until the Amazon Queen spoke up with her decision.
"I agree with Xena; we need to make a stand as soon as possible. There are already five hundred men under his command. If they go unchecked, there'll be no stopping them," Gabrielle stated. "It's either fight now or fight later against an even greater force." The queen was quiet for a few moments as she mulled things over. "OK, they're a day's journey from here. And Teppus was right about one thing; we *are* the only armed force in this area that has a chance of stopping them. What's the best way of doing that?"
The five women stood around the map table and decided where to place the warriors so they could do the most good. "If we attack before dawn from the east, that'll be to our advantage," Solari said. "They don't know the terrain like we do, and they'll have the sun in their eyes."
Xena agreed. "They've got two things on their minds: killing me and killing as many Amazons as possible. That'll be to our advantage, too. Hopefully they'll be so focused on that that they won't see the forest for the trees. And there's something that I'm going to do," she added. "I'm going after Solomos myself. The fighting will provide the diversion I need to enter his camp and capture him. This time, he *won't* get away," she vowed, her blue ice icy. She outlined her plan, the women agreeing to it.
Ephiny looked at Gabrielle. "Some warriors will need to stay behind and protect the village, just in case they flank us and get behind us."
Gabrielle agreed. "Who would you leave in charge back here?"
Ephiny mulled it over. "Salla. She's my pick."
"OK," the queen said. "Salla it is. Let's get her in here so we can brief her." Solari nodded, and left the tent to get the red-haired warrior. She was back with her a short time later. Salla could tell from the look on their faces that something serious was happening.
Ephiny and Gabrielle outlined the situation. "Ephiny and I will lead the main force; we'll be supported by Eponin and Solari. You'll be in charge of guarding the village." Salla nodded, comprehending the situation and the inherent danger. Thinking quickly, she soon outlined a plan for protecting the settlement if it came under attack and told her queen and regent how many warriors she would need for defense.
Xena grinned at her as she listened to her speak. "Ephiny chose you well." Salla grinned back at her, appreciating the warrior princess's compliment of her expertise.
"Let's go," Ephiny said. "It's time to fill everyone in on what's going to happen tomorrow."
Xena and Gabrielle hung back and pulled Salla off to the side as the other warriors left the hut. "Salla, there's one more thing...I know you may not be able to, but try to keep Mariah out of the fighting tomorrow," Gabrielle told her. "She's never been in this situation, and..." the bard trailed off.
"I understand," Salla said, her voice soft. "I don't want to see anything happen to her, either. I'll do my best," she promised.
Xena clapped her on the back and they exited the tent at the sound of the bell.
Mariah, in the stables attending to Argo and Scout, worried about what she and Xena had learned earlier.
An attack on the village? Her bowels almost turned to water at the thought of it.
She had never faced this kind of fight before and she was scared witless. Her past battles had been more psychological than physical. The 'flight or fight' reaction kicked in while she worked; part of her wanted to flee, to jump on Scout and run from here as fast as she could.
And then it hit her like a bolt out of the blue; she had never run away from a fight in all her life, and she *wasn't* about to start now, not when the chips were down. Pushing back her fear, she thought of all the women who befriended her here: Salla, Ephiny, Solari, Eponin...she thought of Xena and Gabrielle; if they were going to fight, she would fight alongside them. It was the least she could do. *This* was a battle for the greater good.
She had just finished ministering to the horses when she heard the bell. She ran out to find out what was going on.
Solari rang the bell that called the Amazons to the village common. They hurried from all directions, wondering what was so urgent.
Gabrielle, flanked by Ephiny, Eponin, Solari, Salla, and Xena, stood where she could be seen by everyone. She raised her hand, and a hush fell over the women as their queen addressed them.
"Amazons!! Tomorrow we fight an army of raiders who want to destroy us, to destroy this area. We need to stop them now before it's too late. Eponin will take charge of the armory. See her if there's anything you need. Salla and a group of warriors will stay behind to protect the village. We need to be in place an hour before dawn; a morning attack will be to our advantage. Solari, Ephiny, and Salla will tell you where you will be stationed. Fight well, my sisters!"
The warriors cheered their young queen. They then scattered to prepare for the upcoming battle. Mariah walked up to her friends. "What do you want me to do?" she asked them. The women looked at their friend in some surprise, well knowing her views on fighting and violence. "Hey, you accepted me in your village and in your lives." Mariah reminded them. "You think I'm going to cut and run at the first sign of trouble? What kind of friend would I be if I did that? It's like you said before, Gabrielle; this is a fight for the greater good. And I'm with you, every step of the way."
Xena grinned at Gabrielle, quiet pride showing on both their faces. And she thinks she's not a warrior, Xena thought to herself. The raven haired woman stared at Mariah. "You know what we're up against, don't you?" Xena's voice was gentle.
"Yes." Tenacity was written all over Mariah's face; she placed her fear on the back burner. For now.
"Are you sure you? You could get Scout and leave..." Gabrielle began.
Mariah shook her head, swallowed hard. "I'm staying."
Xena looked at Gabrielle and they made up their minds; Xena turned to Salla. "You think you could use her somewhere?"
"Oh, I'll find a place for her," Salla assured the warrior, remembering their earlier discussion. She was determined to keep her friend as far out of harm's way as possible, and Xena and Gabrielle both knew it.
"Good," said Gabrielle with an understanding smile. "We'll leave her in your hands then." She motioned to Ephiny, Eponin, and Solari. "We're going to get to work. We'll see you later." The Amazons and Xena dispersed to ready themselves for the fighting. Salla and Mariah stood alone in the village common.
"Come on," Salla told her as they walked towards the armory. "Here's what we're going to do..."
Miles away, Teppus reported to Solomos and his lieutenants of his encounter with the Warrior Princess.
"This is perfect," Solomos said, rubbing his hands together. He turned to Panas. "Gather the men; it's time to tell them why we're here."
Panas saluted and left the tent to gather the raiders. When he returned, Solomos exited the tent; a hush fell over his soldiers.
"Tomorrow we get our revenge for our defeat at Corinth! Tomorrow, we go after Xena and the Amazons. And once we wipe them out, this land will be ours for the taking!! We *will* be victorious!" The raiders cheered their leader. "Break camp. Double time quick march." The men left and rejoined their squadrons for the journey and further instructions.
Panas and Solomos reentered the command tent. "Leave fifty men behind tomorrow in camp as my personal guard. I have no intention of going back to Corinth with Xena! And I have a special job for you tomorrow, Panas," the warlord told his second in command. "Here's what I'll need you to do to ensure our victory..."
The second in command listened as Solomos detailed his plan; it was a good one.
The warlord and his men couldn't wait until tomorrow.
Chapter Forty-One
Just In Case...
Salla organized her warriors and Mariah together and explained her strategy. "We must get ready now," the red-haired woman said. She told them what she needed done, and the women went off to work; they labored hard all afternoon preparing the ambush sites as Salla directed. Mariah was glad for the work; it kept her mind focused on something other than the upcoming battle. She was still afraid, but Salla told her the fear was normal.
"We all experience fear before a battle," the warrior confided. "Just don't let it get the best of you." Mariah vowed she wouldn't.
It was early evening before all the preparations for the next day's fight were completed. The women cleaned up before the supper; the meal was a quiet affair, everyone dwelling on the 'what ifs?' that could happen the next day. After dinner, Mariah returned to the visitor's dwelling and decided to write Myklos a note...just in case:
Gabrielle entered the hut and sat down on her bed as Mariah finished her letter. The flutist was so absorbed in her work that she didn't hear the bard come in. Mariah jumped when Gabrielle cleared her throat.
"Gods, you scared me," Mariah said, her heart rate returning to normal. "I guess I'm a little on edge."
"Well, you're in good company," Gabrielle told her, a soft smile on her face. "We're all a bit edgy tonight. That's normal considering what's going to happen tomorrow."
Both women sat in silence before Mariah worked up her courage to speak. "Gabrielle, I have a favor to ask."
"What is it?" the bard asked, her emerald eyes concerned at the somber tone she heard in her friend's voice.
She gave the scroll containing Myklos's letter to the little blonde. "If-if something happens to me tomorrow..."
"Hey, *nothing* is going to happen to you tomorrow!" Gabrielle interrupted, her voice urgent.
"Humor me, OK?" Mariah's eyes were bright with unshed tears. "If something *does* happen, see that this gets to Myklos, would you?"
"What's going on?" said Xena as she entered the hut.
Gabrielle explained Mariah's request. The warrior walked over to Mariah and put a hand on her shoulder. "Gabrielle's right; *nothing* is going to happen to you."
"We don't know that," Mariah said, shaking her head, her voice intense. "If there's one thing I've learned in my life, it's to be prepared; you two keep telling me that I'm some sort of warrior. Isn't this one of those things that warriors do? Prepare for the worst just in case it happens? Tie up any loose ends before a battle? Gods willing, nothing *will* happen, but just in case it does, I want my letter to get to Myklos. I don't want him torturing himself, wondering what happened to me. And hopefully, by this time tomorrow night, I'll be burning that damn scroll and he'll never know of its existence." She fell silent and looked down, thoughts of her husband running through her head. Silent tears fell from her eyes and hit the floor.
Xena sighed as she looked down at the flutist. "You're right, my friend. And if something does happen to you, Gabrielle and I will deliver it to him ourselves. That's a promise," she finished, her low voice gentle.
Mariah straightened up and wiped her eyes. "Thanks." She rose to her feet. "If you don't mind, I think I'll take a walk before I turn in. I'll see you later." She exited the hut.
"Xena, do you think we should get her out of here? Send her back towards Tyldus with an armed escort?" the bard asked after several moments passed.
Xena mulled it over. "No, she's made her decision; she wants to stay. And we can't spare the manpower. We'll just have to hope Salla can protect her; the village *should* be the safest place." She peered at her friend. "Don't worry too much; Mariah wrote that letter more for her own peace of mind. She's never been in this situation before, she doesn't know what to expect. If it helps her deal with what's going to happen, then so be it."
Gabrielle nodded, understanding written on her face. The warrior and the bard readied themselves for bed, each quiet with her own thoughts as they waited for their friend to return from her walk.
Mariah made her way over to the stables to check on the horses.
"Well, Scout," Mariah began, "the day I always feared would arrive is finally here." Her laugh was short with no humor in it. She stroked the mare's muzzle. "You're staying in here tomorrow, girl, where you'll be safe." The mare nickered at her. "Jeez, I just hope I don't do something stupid and get myself or someone else killed."
"You won't," the voice behind her said.
Mariah knew it was Salla without turning around. "I thought I'd find you here; Xena and Gabrielle said you went out for a walk."
The flutist said nothing as she continued to stroke Scout. What could she say? She was frightened, more scared than she had been in a long time, but she was damned if she would show it; that wasn't her style. Salla came up and put a warm hand on her shoulder. "Hey, it'll be all right," the hazel-eyed woman said.
"I hope so." Mariah's voice was almost inaudible. "Salla?"
"Yeah?"
"Have you ever...killed anyone?"
Salla was quiet before she answered, her hand tightening on Mariah's shoulder. "Yes. Yes I have. I'm not proud of that, but it's a necessary evil during a battle. Sometimes it comes down to kill or be killed, Mariah."
"I don't think I could..." Mariah's voice trailed off.
"Artemis be praised, you'll never have to. It's a horrible thing to take a life; it never leaves you. And tomorrow, let's hope you won't be put in that situation.
Mariah looked at her friend and asked the question that was uppermost in her mind. "Before you...before you go off to battle, do you ever...do you..." She swallowed, unable to get the rest of the question out.
"Do I ever what?" Salla's voice was gentle.
"Do you ever prepare for the worst? You know...leave letters for your loved ones just in case you don't make it back?" Mariah asked.
"Always," Salla said. After her brief talk with Xena and Gabrielle, she was well aware of Mariah's missive to her husband. "I always feel it's better to be safe than sorry."
Mariah looked at her, grateful for her friend's reassurance. "Thanks, Salla." She hugged the warrior good night and returned to the visitor's hut.
Salla watched her leave the stable and then went back to her hut. She had a few letters of her own to write.
Just in case.
Mariah returned to the darkened, candle-lit visitor's hut and saw that Xena and Gabrielle were already in bed. She was quiet as she put on her sleeping shift, not sure if they were awake or asleep.
"Are you feeling better?" the bard's voice broke the silence.
"Yeah, I am," Mariah said as she sat down on her friend's bed. "Sorry about what happened earlier," the flutist began.
"No apology necessary," Gabrielle told her as she clasped her friend's hand. "It's only natural that you'd want to settle things. I should've told you that I did the same thing." The bard described the scrolls she left behind, detailing who would receive her Right of Caste; as Amazon Queen, this was a necessity to ensure a smooth transition in case of her death.
"Gods, you must think I'm some kind of over reactive ninny," Mariah sighed when Gabrielle finished. "How can you and Xena be so...be so," her voice trailed off.
"Calm?" the warrior spoke up. "Experience. Both Gabrielle and I have been in this situation before; you haven't. It's natural that you'd be a little rattled."
"A lot of rattled is more like it," Mariah muttered.
Xena chuckled in the darkness as she looked at her friend. "You'll be fine, Mariah. You'll see. The warrior in you will rise to the occasion if and when you need her."
"How can you be so sure?" the flutist demanded, the fears and doubts in her own mind driving her to distraction.
"Because we know you," Gabrielle said. "And we've seen you in action. You'll do what's right because that's the kind of person you are."
Silence reined supreme for several moments, each woman lost in her own thoughts. "We better get some sleep," Xena reminded them. "We've got to get up in a few hours." Mariah arose from Gabrielle's bed and went to her own bed, hoping against hope that she could grab a few decent hours of sleep.
It was the last good night's sleep she would have for several days to come.
Chapter Forty-Two
Battle-Mode...
Darkness covered the countryside as Mariah felt strong hands shaking her to wakefulness. Her eyes snapped open and she saw Gabrielle standing over her. "Is it time?" the flutist asked.
At the bard's nod, Mariah got out of bed, dressed, and grabbed her staff. Xena was at the stables saddling Argo. After visiting the latrines and grabbing a quick, cold breakfast, the women said their goodbyes.
Gabrielle hugged Xena, as did Mariah. "Good luck," Mariah told her as she mounted Argo.
"*You* take it easy," Xena cautioned her friend. "Try to stay out of trouble." Mariah and Gabrielle watched the warrior ride off.
Gabrielle turned to her friend from the future. "It's time for us to get in position." The Amazon Queen hugged Mariah, and left to join Ephiny in setting up the main attack force. Mariah joined Salla and the
other warriors who were assigned to protect the village.
All they could do now was wait.
Xena rode as far as she dared on Argo towards Solomos's camp. The Amazon sentries were accurate as always, Xena thought, when it came to gathering information on a group that threatened their territory.
She left Argo in the woods and made her way towards the encampment. Dawn pinkened the eastern sky as she came upon the first sentry. Two quick jabs to the neck activated the pressure points that would render him unconscious for several hours. Xena eased him to the ground and continued on her way.
Off to the east, as the sun crept up over the horizon, the main body of the Amazon fighting force was in place and ready for battle, the Royal Guard protecting both the queen and the regent.
They saw a large regiment of men making their way towards them.
The women warriors didn't have long to wait.
Xena was in the camp after incapacitating three more sentries. She took a quick head count of men remaining in the encampment and noticed at least forty soldiers milling about.
She began her search for Solomos.
The Amazons held their position as the men advanced upon them. Just a few more seconds to lure them in and...
"Amazons attack!!" Ephiny shouted. The warriors set upon the raiders, using the blinding eastern sun to their advantage.
Panas watched with a dispassionate stare as the raiders battled the Amazons. He turned and addressed his squadron. "It's time," he said. "Use the forest for cover and let's make our way to their village. We'll get behind them, cut them to pieces, raze their hovels. Let's send these bitches to Tartarus where they belong! And be careful!! Let's go."
The band of raiders did as they were told as they made their way towards the Amazon settlement.
Xena crept around the camp on her search for Solomos, quickly and efficiently taking out individual raiders as she went. Why battle forty-plus men at one time, she thought, when you can pick them off one at a time?
And that's exactly what she did.
She soon found what she was looking for.
Salla addressed her warriors. "Let's get ready! Get in place and wait for the signal. Don't attack before it! Surprise counts, and we'll use that to our advantage should we need to fight." The hazel-eyed woman turned and looked at Mariah. "I want you to go over there," she said, pointing at a stand of trees off in the distance. "You'll be safe there," she stated, cutting off Mariah's protests. "And I *need* you there; you're my extra pair of eyes. If anyone gets past us, give a shout. We'll come running."
Mariah argued long and hard, but Salla held firm. Grumbling, Mariah picked up her staff and made her way to the stand of trees, doing as she was told.
Salla hid her grin as she watched her friend leave the area. She wished Mariah *could* stay by her side and fight, but Salla knew the flutist wasn't up for that yet.
Besides...the warrior made a promise to herself, her queen, and Xena to try and keep Mariah safe. And she intended to do the best she could to accomplish that.
The battle between the raiders and the Amazons continued in earnest. Gabrielle and Ephiny, surrounded by the Amazon Royal Guard, waded into the thick of it, the queen using her staff, the regent slashing with her blade.
As they fought, they heard the warning call of an Amazon lookout.
And that call meant one thing.
Trouble.
Xena spied a tent surrounded by ten raiders. That had to be it, she thought. She pulled out her chakram and threw it. The whirring noise of the golden disc alarmed the soldiers. Not able to see it, they were helpless to defend against it. The chakram took out three men before the others could react, the weapon then returning to its owner.
A blood curdling "A-YI-YI-YI-YI-YI!!" split the calmness of the day as Xena launched from her cover and charged the remaining raiders. Pulling her sword from its scabbard, she went on the attack, the blade glittering in the morning sunlight. She stabbed one raider and rendered another unconscious with a roundhouse kick to the head. A third stabbed at where she had been scant seconds before; the warrior princess, anticipating the move, flipped up and over him, sending him to the ground with a swift, sure backhand shot to the temple.
Solomos came out when he heard the commotion. "Ah," he said, drawing his sword, "so you did come after all."
"Well, I always keep my promises," she drawled as she battled on against the warlord and the four remaining raiders. The soldiers were no match for Xena; in a matter of moments their bodies littered the ground as she faced the warlord.
"You're coming with me," she said, her voice flinty. "You have a date in Corinth."
"Come and get me," he taunted.
"Oh, I thought you'd *never* ask," she said, the smile not reaching her blue eyes.
Their battle began.
An Amazon runner reported the grim news to her queen at the battlefield. Gabrielle turned and saw who she was looking for. "Eponin, come on!" the bard called out. "A squadron of raiders is headed for the
village. Salla's going to need some help!" Gabrielle turned back to the runner. "Tell Ephiny what happened and where we went." The runner nodded and took off to find the regent.
The stocky warrior gathered a group of warriors together, and they, along with their queen, headed back to help out their sisters who had remained behind.
Panas and his men still made their way through the woods. The lieutenant held up his hand. "It's time," he said. "You six men," he gestured at the half dozen raiders closest to him, "you come with me. The rest of you continue on your way."
The force split up to carry out Solomos's plan.
The posted lookout sounded a warning as the group of raiders made their way towards the village.
"They're coming," Salla told the women. "Hold steady. Wait for them and then we'll spring the trap." The waiting was the hardest part; the warriors chomped at the bit to attack.
"Now!" Salla shouted. The women erupted from the cover and ambushed the squad of flanking raiders. Mariah, hanging back as ordered, chafed at not being able to help her friends. As she watched the skirmish, she caught a glint from the woods on the left. Unseen and unchecked, the small party of half a dozen soldiers led by Panas made their way towards the village.
"Salla!" Mariah yelled. "On your left!" The warrior dispatched her attacking raider with a quick sword thrust to the heart, and looked up at Mariah's cry. Her eyes widened when she saw the men. Damn, she thought in frustration. She made a quick assessment of the situation: the warriors were holding their own against the raiders here. She grabbed three of the closest women and they dashed after the smaller war party.
Xena played Solomos like a well-hooked fish as the warlord attempted to avoid his fate in Corinth. Tiring of the game, she found an opening and laid him out cold with a head butt. As he lay unconscious upon the ground, she whistled for Argo. The big warhorse appeared in the camp. She went over to the saddlebags, pulled out some rope, lashed Solomos's hands and feet together, and lugged him onto the mare. She grabbed Argo's reins and made her way back to the fighting.
In the distance, Mariah saw Salla and the three women break off and head her way. It wasn't possible that they could make it in time to head them off; the men had too great a lead. Mariah was the only one between the seven raiders and the noncombatants in the village. Time to lower the odds, Mariah thought. She grabbed her staff and worked her way towards and behind the raiders, her goal being to slow them down until Salla and her troops got there.
She had no idea how she would do that.
Yet.
Salla saw Mariah sprint towards the raiders unseen by them. Her heart lurched a bit; she knew Mariah was a warrior by nature, not by training. Fearful for her friend's safety, she picked up the pace.
Mariah, now behind the raiders, made for the rearmost man. Creeping up behind him, she twirled her staff, nailing him in the back of the head, the noise of the nearby battle covering the sound of her blow.
He dropped without a sound. She knelt next to him, feeling for a pulse. It was weak and thready, but he was still alive. She hoped he wouldn't come around for awhile as she had no rope to bind him and she couldn't bring herself to kill him.
She crept on towards the next soldier.
Gabrielle and Eponin appeared on the scene of Salla's ambush with a dozen warriors in tow. "Where's Salla?" the queen demanded.
"She took off towards the woods," one of the women explained. "Mariah found another war party and they went after it."
Gabrielle's stomach flip-flopped when she heard those words. "Ep, bring four of the women and come with me. The rest of you stay here and help out. Let's go!" The queen and her troops ran off after Salla and Mariah.
Xena stood high upon a hilltop overlooking the battling armies. Her battle cry once again cut through the day, this time catching the attention of both Amazons and raiders alike.
"Listen to me!! Solomos is going back to Corinth. Any of you bastards want to join him, you just keep right on fighting!"
Xena's appearance with the unconscious warlord had the effect she hoped for. When the raiders saw their leader was captured, they scattered, leaving their dead and carrying their wounded from the field.
A cheer erupted from the women warriors.
The day belonged to the Amazons.
Salla and the women came upon the man Mariah had knocked out. Not wanting him to get behind them, one of the warriors drew a dagger and finished him off.
They ran on.
Mariah decided to go after another raider from behind. She had her staff at the ready and brought it around.
This man was more astute than his comrade. Being a veteran of several battles, he had sensed someone was behind him. He drew his sword as he whirled around, and deflected Mariah's staff, the noise echoing through the woods. The flutist was surprised, but quickly recovered, going on the defensive.
Unfortunately, she now had to defend herself against six well-armed men.
Panas stared at the determined woman who confronted them carrying only a staff; he thought she was dressed strangely for an Amazon warrior...
"You want to get to the village, you have to get through me," Mariah stated, her voice low and dangerous.
He looked at his men. "Well? What are you waiting for? Kill her!"
Mariah assumed a defensive posture in an effort to hold them off until Salla arrived, her blue eyes glittering at the anticipated fight she had ahead of her.
Xena made her way down to the battlefield with an unconscious Solomos still on Argo. She saw Solari taking charge of the Amazon dead and wounded. Casualties, fortunately, were light; only twenty Amazons had been killed in the fighting, and healers were already hard at work on the injured warriors.
"Where's Gabrielle?" Xena wanted to know.
"The raiders got behind us," Solari replied. "She took a group of warriors to stop them. Now that we're done here, Ephiny's gathering a force to go help her."
Xena unceremoniously dumped the warlord off her horse. "Keep an eye on him," she told Solari. "And bring him with you when you finish here." The warrior mounted Argo and took off towards the village to help her friends.
Mariah swung her staff around in a series of defensive movements in an attempt to keep the men at bay. She knew she was no match for all five but if she could take out one or two of them...
The crashing noise of bodies hurdling through the brush startled all of them. Mariah looked over and a smile crossed her face at what she saw.
Salla and her troops arrived on the scene to see the flutist preparing to battle the advancing raiders. Panas looked up at their approach, too. This put an unexpected crimp in their plans and he knew it.
"Kill them! Kill them all!" he ordered. He was heartily sick of these Amazon bitches.
This new battle began in earnest.
Gabrielle, Eponin and the four other warriors were close on the heels of Salla and Mariah. They heard the sounds of the skirmish up ahead.
The odds were five to five as the women fought the raiders, Panas staying on the sidelines looking for an opening to kill any one of the women he could.
Salla, the Amazons, and Mariah were evenly matched, the sounds of the battle ringing through the forest. The red-haired woman tried to keep an eye on Mariah as she fought her opponent. Finding an opening, Salla soon finished off her raider, her blade skewering his heart, killing him almost instantly.
What she saw next made her heart skip a beat. She dashed over towards her friend.
Mariah continued to fight against the man she had tried to incapacitate earlier. She ducked and dodged the hissing sword, the blade almost making contact with her body several times. This guy's good, she thought as she defended herself, looking for a weak spot.
Panas saw her, and decided she would be his victim, this woman who attacked them from behind, slowing them down long enough to prevent them from completing their raid. Drawing his sword, he came up behind Mariah, his footsteps not heard by her over the sounds of the fighting.
Mariah, her back turned as she fought, never saw Panas coming, but Salla did. In desperation, she put herself between the soldier and the flutist to protect her friend; however, her sword failed to deflect Panas's blade. The warrior intercepted the sword thrust meant to impale Mariah. The former teacher heard Salla's gasp behind her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the glint of metal from Panas' sword as he pulled it out of the Amazon's abdomen. Clutching her stomach, Salla sank to the earth, blood running out between her fingers. Mariah brought her staff around in a vicious overhand blow that knocked out her assailant.
Mariah turned and stared at the man who had just stabbed her friend. Her blood ran cold, her blue eyes turned glacial. She dropped her staff and grabbed Salla's sword from the fallen warrior, murder in her heart.
"Mariah, no," Salla said, her voice weak. She did not want her friend to kill, did not want her friend to lose that part of her soul, but Mariah was past listening, that pure core of white-hot anger she possessed overriding her better judgment.
"You son of a bitch!" Mariah snarled. She raised the sword to strike at Panas.
Neither of them heard the twang of the bowstring or the hiss of the arrow as it sped towards them. Panas stood there, a stricken look on his face. His eyes rolled back in his head as he fell to the earth, dead, an arrow buried deep in his back.
Mariah stood there, sword in hand, staring at the dead soldier. She looked up and saw Eponin holding her bow; the stocky Amazon nodded at her and turned back to the fighting as the women warriors appeared on the scene to finish the skirmish. A wave washed over Mariah as the realization of what she almost did hit her. She dropped the sword and fell to her knees beside the injured woman.
"Oh, Salla, no!" Mariah wailed.
"Hey, I owed you...from that first night," Salla gasped.
Mariah sobbed as she tried to staunch her friend's bleeding and control her rampaging emotions. Stay calm, she told herself over and over, stay calm! Soon her hands were covered in Salla's blood. She tore off large pieces of her skirt and placed them over the gaping wound. Gods, there's so much blood, she thought...
"Mariah?" Salla's voice was even weaker.
"I'm here," Mariah replied, taking hold of her friend's hand while still maintaining pressure on the gaping hole in Salla's stomach. "Don't talk; you have to save your strength. You're going to be fine."
"Liar," Salla said with a slight smile that soon turned to a grimace as the pain washed over her.
Gabrielle ran up and dropped down next to them. It didn't look good, the bard thought as she helped Mariah try to stop the bleeding.
"Have...to...tell you," Salla gasped.
"Shh, it can wait until we're back at the village." Mariah soothed as she reached up a bloody hand and pushed that mane of red hair off her friend's face. She almost couldn't bear to look in those hazel eyes.
Gabrielle watched them, tears forming in her own eyes; it was too late and both the bard and Salla knew it.
"Can't...wait," She clutched at the flutist and drew her closer. "Mariah, I give you...my Right of Caste."
Mariah's blue eyes widened as she stared down at her friend. "No, no, you give that to your daughter when you have one."
"No," Salla's voice was stubborn and weakening with every breath. "Want...you...to have it. Say...you'll take it." She looked at her queen, and Gabrielle nodded in understanding.
"OK, I'll take it, now will you please quit talking? Gods, we've got to get you out of here." Mariah said, her voice urgent, the tears streaming down her face.
A sense of peace fell upon Salla's face. "I...see them," she whispered.
"Who?" asked a puzzled Mariah as she leaned in to better hear her friend.
"Erama...my friends...family. They're calling m--." Salla's voice stopped as her lids closed a final time over her hazel eyes. Her chest did not rise.
"Salla?" Mariah's voice was insistent. "Salla! No, dammit Salla, don't you give up! Don't you die on me!" She let go of her friend's hand and tilted the warrior's head back. Clamping Salla's nostrils shut, Mariah put her mouth over her friend's and blew into her lungs. "Come on, give me a sign!" She leaned over and continued her frantic lifesaving efforts. After several more breaths, she moved to Salla's chest and began CPR, all the while encouraging her warrior friend to keep fighting. Mariah did this for a few minutes, switching back and forth as she had been taught between CPR and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
Gabrielle watched her, shuddering a bit, thinking of that terrifying day in Thessaly when Xena had performed the same lifesaving efforts on her. But Salla could not return from Hades as the bard had done; the warrior's injuries were too great. "Let her go, Mariah," Gabrielle said, putting a hand stained with Salla's blood on Mariah's arm. "She's gone."
But Mariah wasn't ready to give up. She tried for several more minutes before she too came to the awful realization that Gabrielle was right. She took a hold of her dead friend's hand one last time and stared down at that face, peaceful in death. She leaned over and kissed her still-warm cheek. And then it hit her. Salla was dead. Never again would they go for a ride on Scout, never again would they share a laugh together, never again would they discuss their hopes and fears for the future.
Salla had no future now, at least not in this world.
The dam burst. Holding that forever-stilled hand, Mariah put her head down on Salla's chest and cried, the sobs ripping through the fabric of her very soul. She was dimly aware of Gabrielle sitting next to her, rubbing her back. Soon, Mariah found herself cradled by the bard, the blonde's arms tightly wrapped around her, comforting her, as the sobs continued to wrack her body.
Mariah didn't know she had that many tears inside of her.
The worst part was she knew those tears were just the beginning.
Chapter Forty-Three
Mourning...
It was some time before Mariah could pull herself together and take in her surroundings. Gabrielle, still holding her, issued orders to the Amazons standing around them. The warriors scattered to follow her commands. Xena, by this time, had appeared on the scene. She saw Salla's dead body, and Gabrielle cradling the emotionally exhausted flutist.
The warrior princess knelt down next to her friends and the Amazon's body. She put a reassuring hand on Mariah's shoulder. "Mariah, I'm so sorry," she said, her own eyes tearing up at her friend's anguish.
"Let's get out of here," Gabrielle said in a soft voice. Xena helped them to their feet, and enveloped them both in a hug. The three women stood there, holding each other, taking comfort from each other, the tears running unchecked down Mariah's face. Xena and Gabrielle led her away between them so she wouldn't have to see the Amazons wrap Salla's body for the short trip home.
"Now what?" asked Mariah, her voice dull, a part of her soul forever spent.
"We go back to the village," Gabrielle said, "and we give her and the other dead warriors a proper Amazon funeral." The bard was silent for a few moments. "And after that, you'll be initiated into the tribe."
Xena's head snapped around when she heard that. "What?" she asked, her voice surprised.
"Salla gave her the Right of Caste," Gabrielle explained.
Xena looked at the dejected Mariah. Fate once again made one of her friends an Amazon. She looked over her shoulder and nudged Gabrielle. "I think everyone's ready to go."
While the three women were talking, the Amazons had tended to their wounded and packed Salla's body on a litter to transport back to the village. One of them brought Mariah's staff over and gave it to Xena, who nodded her thanks.
The trip back to the village didn't take long, but it seemed like a lifetime to Mariah.
Upon arriving at the village, an Amazon led Argo to the stables while Xena took Mariah to the visitor's hut and Gabrielle tended to the aftermath of the day's fighting. Solari returned with Solomos; the warlord was under heavy guard in the jail. All Mariah wanted to do was curl up in bed, to forget this awful day, but Xena wouldn't let her. "Come on," the warrior said as she looked at her dirty, blood-spattered friend; she quickly gathered a few items. "Let's get you cleaned up. You'll feel better." Mariah allowed herself to be led by the warrior to the baths where the flutist stripped off what remained of her gory garments and was soon soaking in a tub, her stomach roiling as she scrubbed Salla's blood from her body.
Mariah sat back in the warm waters, her eyes closed as she once again thought of her now-dead friend. Silent tears oozed out; she was too tired, too spent, to do more than that. She climbed out of the tub and saw Xena standing there holding her grimy, bloodstained clothes. "Burn them, will you?" Mariah told her. "I don't ever want to wear them again." Xena nodded her head in understanding as Mariah dried herself off, donned a clean shift, and laced up her boots.
As they walked back to their hut, they saw the Amazon warriors constructing a number of pyres; the funerals would be held that evening. Xena wrapped a protective arm around Mariah and felt the shiver that ran through her friend's body when she saw the large stacks of wood.
When they arrived back at the hut, Gabrielle and Eponin were there waiting for them. The stocky warrior held two scrolls in her hand; she gave one to Gabrielle, the other to Mariah. "What's this?" the former teacher asked, confusion in her voice.
"They're from Salla. She wanted you and Gabrielle to have them..." Eponin's voice trailed off.
Gabrielle unwrapped her scroll. As she thought, it confirmed Salla's request that Mariah be given her Right of Caste and all that went with it.
Mariah took her scroll, sat down on the bed, and opened it. Xena, Gabrielle, and Eponin stood in silence while she read it. It was hard to see the words through her tears which fell upon the parchment:
Mariah's hands shook as she rolled up the scroll. Her heart and soul ached. She longed to cry, to scream, to wail, but she was too tired to even think clearly. Without a word, she curled up on the bed, faced the wall, and closed her eyes, trying to shut out the day's events that played over and over and over again in her tortured mind.
The three women stared down at her still form until Xena motioned them out of the hut. They stood outside in the bright afternoon sunlight. Eponin gestured towards the dwelling. "Will she be all right?"
Gabrielle heard the concern in her voice. "I'm sure she will, Ep. It's going to take her some time to work through it." The bard then noticed the bundle of bloody clothing in Xena's hands. "What's that?"
The warrior princess explained Mariah's request. Eponin held out her hands. "I'll take care it."
Xena handed over the clothes and watched the stocky warrior walk away. She turned and looked at Gabrielle. "When will Mariah be initiated?"
"I'd like to perform the ceremony tomorrow night, after the end of the mourning period," Gabrielle replied. "Gods, I hope she's up to it." The bard was silent for a moment before she continued. "I found out what she did today, Xena. She confronted that band of raiders on her own until Salla and the other Amazons arrived." The bard explained the events, how the hazel-eyed woman had saved their friend's life, and how Mariah tried so hard to save hers, to no avail.
Xena shook her head at what she heard. Just as Gabrielle finished her recitation, Ephiny walked up and greeted them. "Xena, what do you want to do with Solomos?" the regent wanted to know.
"I wanted to take him to Corinth as soon as possible, but after what happened to Mariah, I hate to leave her," Xena admitted. Corinth was many days away, and she was worried how the day's events had traumatized her innocent friend.
"Why don't you let us take him there for you? It's the least we can do. If you hadn't stumbled upon those scouts, the outcome would have been very different today."
Xena gratefully accepted Ephiny's offer. "Just let me write a quick message first." She turned to Gabrielle. "Do you have a spare scroll?" At the bard's nod, they entered the visitor's hut.
The women saw Mariah sitting on the bed holding Salla's letter. She glanced up when she heard them come in. Ephiny sat next to her while Gabrielle found a scroll for Xena, who scribbled out a hasty note for the city's leaders detailing Solomos's recent activities and his capture.
Ephiny looked at Mariah; the regent had heard of her actions and had also received a scroll from Salla detailing her bequest. "I want to thank you for what you did today," she began in a soft voice. "If you hadn't..." her voice trailed off.
"Maybe I wouldn't have gotten Salla killed," an embittered Mariah said, her own voice flat.
Xena and Gabrielle looked at each other in surprise and concern at Mariah's words. She thought she was responsible for her friend's death?
Ephiny grabbed the flutist by the shoulders and looked hard into her eyes. "By Artemis herself, that's enough of that kind of talk! You didn't get *anyone* killed! Yes, Salla died, but it was her time, Mariah, just as one day it will be my time, your time. You saved the lives of dozens of innocent people by slowing down those men until help arrived."
Mariah stared back at the regent. "That still doesn't take away any of the pain, Ephiny," she choked out. Tears welled up in her blue eyes at her words.
Xena finished her message and brought it over to Ephiny. The tall blonde stood and cupped a gentle hand under Mariah's chin, lifting up her anguish-filled face. "Only time can do that, my sister. Only time." She ran her hand down Mariah's cheek then turned and faced her queen and Xena, taking the scroll from the warrior. "Solomos will be out of here within the hour. I'll have to turn away volunteers who'll want to escort him to Corinth, so many Amazons'll want that privilege! I'll see all of you later this evening." She left the hut.
Xena and Gabrielle sat down on the bed next to their friend. "You should probably eat something," Xena told her. She and Gabrielle had never seen Mariah look so lost, and their hearts went out to her.
"I will," Mariah promised. She addressed Gabrielle. "Tonight...at the funerals," she stopped and swallowed hard before she continued. "I'd like to do something; is it OK if I play my flute? You know...as a tribute?" She wanted to perform some of her friend's favorite songs as her spirit made its final journey.
The queen smiled in understanding as she grasped her hand. "Sure it's OK. And there are some things we need to talk about before your initiation tomorrow night."
Xena rose to her feet, knowing this conversation was more appropriate for just the two of them. "While you two do that, why don't I take Scout out for a run?" She looked at Mariah. "Is that all right with you?" She figured her friend wouldn't yet be up to that task.
Mariah nodded her thanks. Xena went to the door, hesitated, and then returned, pulling a small scroll out of her saddlebag. "Here," she said, giving it to Mariah. "You probably want this back." It was the
letter she had written last night to Myklos; that seemed like a hundred years ago, Mariah thought to herself as she took the scroll, in a whole other lifetime...
A lifetime in which Salla had still been alive.
Chapter Forty-Four
The Die is Cast...
The two women watched Xena leave the hut for the stables. Mariah broke the silence first. "I can't believe she's gone, Gabrielle," the flutist said in small, stunned voice. "I mean, one minute we were fighting, and the next minute..." she trailed off, the memory of Salla's death still too fresh in her mind.
The bard wrapped a strong arm around her friend's shivering shoulders. "I know, Mariah. I know."
"I don't know if I can do this." Mariah said.
"Do what?"
"This Right of Caste thing. I mean, Salla was a warrior; in battle, she killed people. I know she said it was a necessary evil, and believe me, it doesn't make me think any less of her. I don't think I *could* kill, although I came too damn close to doing just that today. My conscience won't let me, Gabrielle. And if taking her Right means I'll have to kill if I'm ever in battle..." she trailed off.
"Hey, it's OK," Gabrielle soothed, understanding her friend's concerns. The bard remembered the time she came close to killing Callisto before she realized the price she would've had to pay for doing so. "You know it's the same for me. Terreis was also a warrior, and even though I'm now an Amazon warrior, I follow my conscience first. Killing people doesn't make a person a warrior, Mariah. You've lived here almost a month and you've seen there's a lot more to being an Amazon than fighting and killing. Don't let that concern you. And there's so much more to the Right than that."
The flutist bit her lip in an effort to not cry; she had shed so many tears already. "What exactly *is* involved with it?" Mariah needed to know.
"Salla gave you everything she was, everything she owned," Gabrielle explained. "Her line, her heritage, her status, all of her possessions. It's the highest honor an Amazon can bestow upon someone.
And tomorrow night, at the end of the mourning period, we'll have a ceremony where you'll be initiated into the tribe as an Amazon warrior."
"She called me that, you know," Mariah said, her voice distant. "That first night we met, when we were in the stables, she called me an Amazon warrior." The flutist shook her head at the thought of that fateful evening. "How damn prophetic." Her voice was filled with bitterness, regret, pain.
Gabrielle made up her mind; she took the scrolls from her friend's hands, put them on the bed, stood up, and helped Mariah to her feet. "Come on," she told her.
"Where are we going?"
"To Salla's hut," the queen said, her voice gentle. "It's time you take charge of her legacy. And yours."
Salla's dwelling was small, as she lived alone. The flutist was familiar with it, as she had often visited it while her friend lived. Gabrielle entered first, pulling a reluctant Mariah in after her. On a rack in one corner rested the warrior's personal weapons: various swords, daggers, chobos, a beautiful curved bow and many arrows, and a fighting staff. In another corner stood her ceremonial garments, worn for special occasions. Various other personal effects were scattered around the room, including her hawk mask and her everyday clothing. Tears welled in Mariah's eyes when she realized her friend would never again have use for any of this.
"All this is yours," Gabrielle told her. The bard watched as her friend walked around the hut; she had felt much the same way when she came into possession of Terreiss property and status: overwhelmed, unsure.
Mariah sat on the bed and buried her head in hands, fighting back the sobs. She wasn't ready for this, it was too soon.
She felt the bed sag as Gabrielle sat down next to her. "I can't do this," Mariah said through the threatening tears. "I can't do this! How can I be an Amazon?"
"You're honoring her memory," Gabrielle said in a soft but firm voice. "And she saw something in you, something all of us who know you and love you have *always* seen. Why can't you accept that?"
"Because that's not me!" Mariah almost shouted, afraid to accept how much she'd changed.
"Yes, it is!" Gabrielle argued, her voice growing louder. "Gods, girl, for someone as intelligent as you, you sure are stubborn when it comes to taking a good, hard look at yourself! You aren't just Mariah Evans anymore; you're Mariah of Tyldus: best friend, wife, flutist, songwriter, storyteller, teacher, warrior, and now an Amazon. You're all those things *and* so much more!"
"But what about the fact that I can't live here, that I'm going home in a week, that I *am* married? Won't that cause problems, hard feelings?" Mariah searched for an excuse, any excuse.
"No. They'll understand," Gabrielle said, softening her voice. "They're your sisters, too. They know you have another home, another life, but they'll want you to come visit them as often as you can, especially if you and Myklos ever have any children. They'll want to be a part of your and your children's lives."
"Gods, Myklos...what's he going to say when he hears what happened?" The flutist groaned as she stood up and paced the room. "I told him I'd stay out of trouble, and look what happens. I get slashed up in a bar fight, get involved in a war, see my friend get killed, become an Amazon..." her voice trailed off.
"He loves you. Give him some credit, Mariah. He accepted the fact that you're from another place, another time. He'll accept this, too. You'll see." The queen arose from the bed and pulled out one of Salla's leather and suede halter tops and a skirt and walked over to her friend. "And it's time *you* start accepting to the fact that you're an Amazon; this will help."
Mariah stepped back. "I can't wear that! What about my scars?" The flutist always kept her upper body and torso covered to conceal her cancer mementos.
Gabrielle's smile was gentle. "It won't matter here. Your sisters will keep your secret safe. Oh, they'll talk among themselves and wonder what happened to you; and one day, you may even want to tell them, but they will say nothing of it to outsiders." The bard helped Mariah out of her shift and into the halter, securely lacing the back. As Mariah donned the skirt, Gabrielle brought over Salla's armguards and bracers. She showed Mariah how to wear the accouterments, and then stood back to study her friend. The clothes were an almost perfect fit; the outfit looked like it had been made for her. "How do you feel?" the bard wanted to know.
"Like an impostor," Mariah said as she walked around in the unfamiliar garments. The only things of her own she wore were her boots, her wedding ring, and her gold necklace. Her scars stood out visibly. She looked down and saw her foot-long abdominal scar staring back at her. "This is too weird, Gabrielle."
"I know, I know. It takes some time to get used to the idea, my friend." She grasped her by the arm when she heard Mariah's stomach growl. "And you said you'd eat something; let's get some lunch."
The two women walked towards the kitchens and the eating area.
The meal was a quiet affair as many of the warriors reflected on the carnage of the day and of their twenty-one fallen sisters.
Mariah was extremely self-conscious as she walked with Gabrielle, the afternoon wind chilly on her exposed back and stomach. It was a new sensation for her to walk around, exposing so much skin, exposing so much of her past. Much to her relief, it appeared that the Amazons didn't give her outfit a second glance, word having already spread of the Right of Caste. What Mariah didn't notice were the surprised, surreptitious glances taking in her scars. Oh, she would be the topic of more than one discussion for many evenings to come! After serving themselves and getting their tea, they saw Xena sitting with Solari and Eponin; the warrior princess had just returned from exercising Scout.
The two women sat down and joined their friends. Little was said as they ate. Mariah ate what she could, the horrors of the day not allowing her to eat too much because of the knot of pain in her stomach; she pushed the food around her plate. The women noticed. "Hey, you have to keep up your strength," Xena told her.
Mariah said nothing; what could she say? She choked down a few more bites before pushing her plate away. She fingered the unfamiliar bracers surrounding her wrists, the horsehair armbands representing her friend's clan encircling her biceps. An image of a smiling Salla popped into her thoughts, replaced by the picture of her dying, the blood staining the ground...
She closed her eyes; the image refused to leave her mind. "What will happen at the funerals tonight?" she asked as she opened her eyes, trying to clear her head.
"The bodies will be placed on the pyres, and after Gabrielle invokes Artemis's guidance, they will be lit," Eponin explained.
"Who lights them?" Mariah wanted to know.
"Usually a relative or close friend," Solari stated.
Gabrielle exchanged a look with Solari, Eponin, and Xena and made up her mind. "Would you like to light Salla's?" the queen asked in a gentle voice.
"Yes I would," Mariah said. "If that's all right..." she trailed off.
"It'll be fine," Gabrielle assured her.
Mariah stood up abruptly; there was something she needed to do before she lost her nerve. "Would-would you please excuse me?" Without waiting for an answer, she left the table in the direction of the visitor's hut.
The women watched her, concern on their faces.
Mariah entered the hut and saw the two scrolls still resting on the bed where Gabrielle had left them. Lighting a candle, she picked up her letter to Myklos and walked outside, setting fire to it, being careful to not burn herself. It was soon reduced to ashes. She reentered the hut and sat on the bed to reread Salla's letter. Gods, it still didn't seem possible she was gone...
She rose to her feet and walked over to her saddlebag. She pulled out a small scroll and a quill.
She had a letter of her own to write to Salla.
Xena entered the hut as Mariah finished her letter. The warrior was hesitant to disturb her, but the sun had set and the funerals would soon begin, and Mariah had been in the hut by herself almost the entire afternoon.
She stared at her friend; she could tell Mariah had been crying again. It didn't seem possible that this woman from the future, one of her dearest friends, was now an Amazon. Fate moves in mysterious ways, the warrior thought. Who would've thought this easy-going high school English teacher could've endured so much and blossomed as a result of those trials, trials which would've broken many others...
Mariah looked up and broke in on Xena's musings. "Is it time?"
"Yes," Xena replied coming out of her reverie.
Mariah looked over her letter one more time, satisfied it contained what she so desperately needed to express. She rolled it up as she got to her feet, and, straightening her shoulders, walked over and picked up her flute.
Xena watched her all the while, noticing her demeanor. Mariah, still wearing the revealing Amazon garments, wasn't as self-conscious as she had been at lunch; despite her somber face, her stance was now more confident, more self-assured. It was the bearing of a woman who persevered, a determined woman who dealt with both the difficulties and the great joys life threw her way. "Hey," the warrior said, her voice soft.
"What?"
"Did I ever tell you how proud I am of you?" It was a little difficult for Xena to talk around the lump in her throat.
Mariah almost lost it then and there. She looked at Xena, tears in her eyes, a small smile on her face. "Yeah...but don't ever let *that* stop you from saying it anytime you want."
Xena's arms went out and enveloped her in a tight hug. Mariah buried her face in the tall woman's shoulder; Xena felt her friend's silent tears soaking her skin, felt the strength in the arms that encircled her waist. Gods, she's been through so much, Xena thought as they separated and left the hut.
But those ordeals made Mariah the person she was.
A fiercely loyal friend. A tenacious fighter. A mighty battler. A strong survivor.
A warrior.
And her friends and loved ones wouldn't want her any other way.
Chapter Forty-Five
Tribute...
Torches lit the night and the drummers beat out a dirge as twenty-one dead Amazons prepared for their final journey to Artemis, the moon goddess. Twenty-one funeral pyres lined the ceremonial grounds, twenty-one remembrances of the battle and victory against Solomos.
Two warriors carried out each draped body on a litter and placed it on a pyre, Solari and Eponin carrying out Salla's corpse. They were gentle as they placed their friend's body on the stacked wood. Mariah stood next to Salla's pyre holding a torch; Amazons stood at each of the other twenty pyres, also holding torches.
When the last body was in place, the drummers stopped; Gabrielle, standing on the dais with Ephiny and Xena, addressed the hushed throng. "Amazons, we gather together to send our sisters on their final journey. May Artemis guide their way in death as she guided them in life." At her nod, Mariah and the twenty other women lit the pyres.
Mariah watched the fire consume the wood and Salla's remains. "Safe journey, my friend," she whispered. "Safe journey. I hope you find the peace you sought." She tossed the scroll into the flames, the letter she had written to the warrior. She bowed her head and said a silent prayer for the gods and goddesses to help her friend and the other warriors as they traveled to join Artemis.
Straightening up, she wiped the tears from her eyes and put her flute to her lips. The Amazon musicians, per their queen's request, would play after Mariah finished her tribute. Fingers trembling slightly, Mariah played a medley of her friend's favorite songs, the romantic, moving pieces the warrior enjoyed so much. Haunting, melodic music from *Rudy* and the Celtic strains of *Titanic* filled the night, as did "Come On In Out Of The Rain."
Mariah almost couldn't finish; she forced herself to maintain control over her fragile emotions, to not break down. She owed that to her friend and the other warriors. The tears flowed from her eyes, making it
difficult for her to continue, but finish she did, the notes quavering at the end. When she was done, the Amazon musicians played their own tribute to their fallen sisters.
At the music's end, the queen made a final announcement. "The mourning period ends at sunset tomorrow. At that time, a new member, Mariah of Tyldus, will be welcomed to the tribe. May Artemis guide her way in all she does."
Mariah stood by Salla's pyre, mesmerized by the flames, the intense heat causing her sweat to mingle with her tears. Her scars stood out against the fires lighting up the night sky. She didn't notice Eponin approach her until the stocky woman laid a hand on her shoulder. At the warrior's touch, Mariah turned and looked at her; she then remembered what the Amazon had done earlier that day. "I didn't have a chance to thank you for...for taking care of the raider who killed Salla," Mariah choked out in a soft voice.
"I'm just sorry I didn't get there sooner," a somber Eponin replied. "She was a fine warrior, Mariah, a credit to the Amazon nation, as you will be."
Mariah said nothing as she, Eponin, and the other mourners watched the flames light the way for the final journey of twenty-one Amazon warriors.
Chapter Forty-Six
Dream Weaver...
The mourners remained until the fires began to burn themselves out, a testament that the warriors were now with the moon goddess. Xena and Gabrielle came over to Mariah, still standing by Salla's smoldering pyre, and gently led her back to their dwelling. Once there, the women readied themselves for bed. They were quiet, none of their good-natured kidding around in evidence as they went to sleep.
Gabrielle and Xena were awakened several hours later by Mariah's screams. The flutist had tossed and turned before succumbing to an uneasy sleep. In her dreams, she replayed the battle over and over, seeing Salla get stabbed, watching her fall to the ground, her life fluids seeping out of her body...
The two women weren't surprised. They knew that Mariah had suffered a severe emotional shock, the dreams her body's way of coping with the trauma. But that knowledge didn't make it any easier to see her suffering. Xena jumped up and went over to her, Gabrielle close on her heels.
"Hey, Mariah, come on, wake up," the warrior urged as she shook her friend. But Mariah, held hard and fast within the grip of the dream, could not let it go.
"Wake up," Xena shook her even harder and was relieved to see the flutist's blue eyes shoot open. However, she still was locked in the throes of her nightmare.
"Why?" Mariah sobbed as she looked around sightlessly, seeing only the images playing in her weary mind. "Why did you do that? It should've been me!"
The warrior and the bard exchanged a worried glance. "Shh, it's all right. We're here with you. It's OK. Come on, wake up." Xena said as she cradled her friend, rocked her, brushed the matted hair off her face.
Mariah gasped, flinched, and woke up to find herself in Xena's arms, Gabrielle sitting next to her on the bed. Breathing hard, she looked around the candle lit room. Remembering her nightmares, the death of her friend, her emotions got the better of her and she began to cry.
"It's all right," Gabrielle soothed. "Let it out. You'll feel better."
And that's just what Mariah did. In the darkness, surrounded and supported by her best friends, she wept, her soul crying for the red-haired warrior who was no more.
Continue on to Chapter 47 of No Greater Love
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