When In Greece...
Part Nine through Part Sixteen
by Lynn M. Price
Continued from Beginning to Part Eight
Part Nine
Xena In Action...
Dawn slowly approached as the morning sun peeked over the eastern sky.
Surprisingly, Mariah had a relatively calm night, the tossing and turning due more to sleeping on the ground than any tossing and turning in her psyche.
As she awoke, she again took in the peaceful surroundings. The quiet was almost palpable. It was strange waking up and not hearing the all-too-common noises of cars driving past her house, train whistles blowing as the tracked vehicles moved through the downtown area...
She sat up slowly, her head throbbing slightly, the pain considerably diminished. She wished she could say the same about the pain in her back. The muscles shrieked in protest as she moved her arms and shoulders about in an effort to loosen up her sore, aching muscles.
Looking around as she stretched, she saw Gabrielle, asleep, snoring softly. Xena was not there, nor was Argo.
Quietly getting to her feet so as to not disturb the sleeping bard, she walked over to the waterbag for a drink. It was getting low, so she decided to go down to the stream and fill it up. Mother Nature was calling her, so first she went behind the bushes to relieve herself.
After filling the waterbag and cleaning herself up in the stream, she felt the need to stretch her legs. She wasn't used to this much inactivity, and after returning the waterbag to camp, she decided to go for a short walk.
She took in the sights and sounds the forest offered her. It's so calm, so peaceful, she thought to herself as she walked, her bare feet catching the dampness of the morning dew upon the grass, her muscles loosening up from the walk. She stuck to the trail. There was no sense wandering off in some unfamiliar wilderness.
As she walked, she heard a new sound. Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh. At first, she couldn't describe it, and then she realized what it was: it was something moving, cutting through the air at a fast rate of speed. Curious now, she followed the sound and came upon Xena, alone, in a small clearing, wielding her sword.
Mariah had never seen anything like this, not even in the Hong Kong action movies she so dearly loved The warrior's movements were as graceful as any dancer's as she kept the deadly blade in a twisting, whirling, glittering, constant stream of movement. She makes it look easy, Mariah thought, the blade flashing in the early morning sunlight, but the teacher knew it was an ease born of many years of practice. Her eyes had a hard time following the blade as Xena worked through a range of motions and movements designed to keep the warrior at the top of her form.
As she worked on the movements, Xena knew that Mariah had been watching her for some time. No use hiding it, the warrior princess thought to herself, as she slowed the movements of the blade. If she's going to travel with us, she needs to get used to it.
When the blade was still, Mariah stepped out into Xena's line of vision.
"You wield a pretty mean sword, Xena," the teacher said with a smile. "May I?"
Xena stared at her, her eyes narrowing. "You know how to use a sword?"
Mariah shook her head. "No. I never was much of a fighter. Well, not in the *physical* sense, anyway," she said, as Xena carefully handed her the weapon.
"It's beautiful. It's heavier than I thought it would be," said the teacher as she hefted the sword. "I don't know why, but I always thought swords of this size would be lighter." She handed the weapon back to the warrior.
"Do you have weapons like this where you come from?" Xena asked.
"We have worse," the teacher said simply, and Xena let the subject drop.
It was then that Mariah noticed the golden hoop on Xena's hip. She pointed to it. "Is that your," she searched for the word, "chakram? Gabrielle mentioned it yesterday."
"Yes," the warrior said, sheathing her sword in the scabbard on her back.
Mariah looked at the frisbee-shaped object closely. It looked like gold, but she was sure it wasn't gold. It was unlike any metal she had seen before, and was beautifully engraved.
Xena looked at her, amusement reflected in her blue eyes. "You want to see how it works?"
"Sure."
"Well stand over there, and whatever you do, *don't* move."
In a flash, the warrior reared back and threw the chakram. Mariah watched in amazement as it ricocheted off five trees before it returned to Xena, who caught it on the fly and returned it to its accustomed place on her hip.
"Amazing," the teacher said. "I've never seen anything like it."
Xena looked at her. "You're up early this morning. How do you feel?"
"Better," she said. "The head is much better, thanks. My back and shoulders, now that's a different story."
"Did they stiffen up on you? I was afraid of that. Here, sit down."
Mariah did as she was told, tucking her bare feet under legs, Xena kneeling behind her.
First, the warrior checked the gash on Mariah's head, which was healing nicely. The stitches could probably come out in four more days, she thought She then had Mariah lean over while she gently massaged the tender muscles in the girl's neck, shoulders, and back.
Mariah sighed as Xena's fingers kneaded her aching muscles, wincing only slightly when the warrior hit an especially tender area.
"Mmmmm, that feels good." Mariah said, as her weary muscles loosened up. "You're a healer, a warrior, a philosopher, a masseuse..."
"Oh, I have MANY skills," Xena replied.
"I don't doubt it, Xena. I don't doubt that for a moment. Xena?"
"Hmm?"
Mariah wasn't exactly sure where to start. "Yesterday, Gabrielle told me a little about the two of you and the kind of lives you lead. She said that the two of you would show me how I could handle myself when a fight came along."
Xena didn't say anything for a moment as she continued to work on Mariah's aching back. "I always told Gabrielle 'words before weapons,' but it doesn't always seem to work out that way," she sighed. "Now that you're here, you *will* need to be able to defend yourself. Lone women make a tempting target. A *very* tempting target," she said grimly.
Mariah was quiet a few more moments. "Xena?"
"Yeah?"
"No offense, but I don't think I could use a sword. It's like what you told Gabrielle, that carrying a sword makes you a target. I won't go looking for trouble, but if trouble comes looking for me, I want to be able to deal with it."
The warrior laughed. "You're sounding more and more like Gabrielle. No, I don't think it *would* be wise for you to use a sword." Xena thought for a moment. "What about a fighting staff like Gabrielle has? It's a good weapon that doesn't look threatening."
Mariah thought it over. "Sounds good to me. I'll give it a try."
"Well let's go see if we can find you one," said Xena as she finished massaging Mariah's back. "How does that feel?"
Mariah flexed her muscles. "Wonderful. Thanks. Let me know if I can ever return the favor. I've given a massage or two in my time."
"Oh, I don't doubt it, Mariah. I don't doubt that for a moment," Xena said, parroting what the girl had said earlier.
Mariah blushed, and Xena took pity on her new friend. "Come on," she said with a smile. "There's a stand of wood over there that might have what we're looking for." She whistled sharply, and Argo appeared from the woods. "And after we find you a staff, you and I are going to town," she said looking at the girl's bare feet. "You need some boots."
Gabrielle was slowly waking up when the two women walked in the camp, Argo trailing behind. Mariah was walking in a new pair of brown leather boots, Xena was carrying what looked like a staff. She turned a sleepy eye to Mariah. "Oh, great...I suppose *you're* a morning person, too," she grumbled good-naturedly.
Xena spoke up, smiling at her sleepy friend.. "You two work on breakfast while I smooth out this staff," she said, pulling out a small cutting knife. She sat down, whittling off small branches and notches, smoothing out the rough edges.
Gabrielle got up, restarted the fire, and put water on to boil while Mariah laid out the food. It was a cold breakfast of the leftover bread and cheese, washed down with hot tea. The three ate, Xena while working on the staff.
Afterward, the warrior got up, picked up the staff and tossed it to Mariah, who caught it easily. It was a little longer than she was tall,with both ends rounded off. She ran her hands down the shaft. Xena had done a good job smoothing it out, she thought. Then she noticed something.
"It looks more like a walking stick," she said.
"That's the idea," said Gabrielle. "Who would ever think you'd be a threat with a walking stick?" She got her own staff out, as Xena took a hold of Mariah's.
"But watch what you can do with it," she said. The bard began twirling her staff in a series of practiced, intricate movements. She then stopped and went into a defensive mode as Xena lunged at her in a simulated attack, Gabrielle deflecting blow after blow. Then they switched roles, with Gabrielle being the aggressor and Xena being on the defensive.
Mariah's eyes widened as she watched the two friends spar.
When it was over, Xena tossed the staff back to Mariah. She caught it and twirled it around a few times, a pale imitation of Gabrielle, and almost knocked herself upside her head.
"Take it easy," Xena cautioned. "For now, get used to the weight and balance. Don't try anything fancy until your head, shoulders, and back heal up more. When you're more comfortable, we'll take you through the movements, and show you how to defend yourself against an attack."
"Yeah, there's no rush," added Gabrielle. "We've got plenty of time, Mariah."
Yeah, Mariah thought to herself. We've got time all right...about 2,000 years.
Part Ten
Training Days and Mondays...
Time passed quickly, the days turning into weeks.
Mariah's head wound had healed up enough for Xena to remove the stitches. The first thing the young teacher did was go wash her hair, luxuriating in the feel of the soap and water on her scalp. Her back and shoulder muscles soon lost their soreness, helped by swimming and learning how to use the fighting staff.
It was hard at first, especially with all of the walking and the breaking in of new boots. It wasn't that Mariah wasn't in good shape. She had worked out faithfully in both the swimming pool and the weight room, but now she was using muscles she had never used much before. She knew enough to stretch often, keeping her muscles warm and limber, especially her calf muscles and her hamstrings. Xena and Gabrielle gave her some tips and pointers, too.
Mariah learned much during those weeks. She learned how to start a fire, what plants were safe to eat and which ones she needed to avoid, the art and science of outdoor cooking (courtesy of Gabrielle), and where/how to successfully forage for food. Xena and Gabrielle even taught her the fine art of haggling when they visited village marketplaces.
The young teacher was a sponge soaking up all of this information. Now that she had resigned herself to her situation, she decided to make the best of it. Mariah had never shied away from a challenge; to her, next to beating cancer, this *was* the ultimate challenge, and she intended to come out victorious.
Now and then, there were some hurdles she had to conquer.
First, there were her hands.
Her twentieth century world and lifestyle didn't condition her hands for the kind of life she had to live in this world. Her hands were soft, tender. In fact, the first time she had sparred with Gabrielle, the stinging shock of the two staffs colliding made her palms and fingers sing in pain. After that session, she had to soak her hands in the cold waters of a nearby river to get the swelling down. Her hands soon adjusted, and through the sometimes painful process of training and living, they began to toughen up, developing some much-needed callouses.
Her rings posed a second problem.
She found out early that wearing the rings affected her grip on the staff. If she gripped it too tightly, her ring fingers would swell up Gabrielle suggested they put the two rings on a long necklace she could wear, and she could tuck the rings under her top. "Just think of it this way," the young bard told her. "You're wearing them close to your heart." Mariah smiled at Gabrielle, who seemed to always know the right thing to say.
There was the issue of her clothing.
Try as she might, Mariah was having a difficult time adapting to the wardrobe limitations of ancient Greece. Unlike Xena, she didn't feel comfortable wearing leather, and, unlike Gabrielle, she couldn't show off that much skin due to her scars. She didn't want people asking too many questions. With her friends' help, the young teacher finally created an outfit that was functional, yet comfortable, an outfit that covered her entire upper body from shoulder to hip. She finished it off with a wrap-around, above-the-knee skirt like Gabrielle wore.
And then there were her two companions.
Gabrielle reminded her a great deal of her friend Sandy. Like Sandy, Gabrielle loved to talk, tell stories, and chitchat around their nightly campfire. Mariah was grateful that Gabrielle like to talk so much; that meant she didn't have to talk about herself. Oh, she told Xena and Gabrielle some things about herself and her life in the twentieth century; they both tried to draw her out, but she didn't tell them *too* much.
Mariah truly liked the young bard; it was almost as if she found a part of Sandy's soul in this young woman from Potadeia.
On the other hand, she had a hard time figuring out Xena.
There was the public Xena, ever alert, ever on guard, showing no emotion whatsoever; that Xena was one tough customer, Mariah thought. I'd hate to meet *her* in a dark alley. Then there was the private Xena, the one she had met that first night, the one who laughed easily around the campfire, the one who had helped her find a fighting staff and a good pair of boots. Mariah couldn't quite reconcile the two sides of this warrior woman. And so Mariah continually worked on the dynamics of the relationships with her companions.
And, while she was working things out, she found new loves in her new world.
She loved her staff.
Mariah loved the feel of the wood in her hands, loved working the intricate patterns and twirls, loved the sound it made as it cut through the air, loved the fact that it was her improving hand-eye coordination and reflexes that made it all come together.
The only thing she didn't love about it were the mistakes.
At the beginning, she made a lot of them, her body covered in the bruises of her mistakes. She thought she would never catch on, that she would only succeed in killing herself. Gabrielle and Xena were patient, repeating moves over and over until the teacher began to understand the movements and rhythms involved in wielding the weapon. She grinned triumphantly the first time she worked through a rather complicated pattern of moves and didn't hit herself once, Gabrielle cheering her on the whole time. Xena and Gabrielle didn't spar with her too much with her during this time; they wanted the young teacher to get familiar and comfortable with both the weapon and her new society.
So Mariah hadn't used the staff to defend herself. Yet.
Her favorite time to practice was the predawn early morning. This was her time of the day, the time when she could practice and be alone with her thoughts. She was usually the second one up; she wondered if Xena *ever* slept. The warrior's sleeping gear would be folded up and stowed away. Gabrielle would still be snoozing when Mariah would quietly pick up her staff and walk a short distance away so she wouldn't wake up the sleeping bard. There, she would stretch, warm up, and slowly start twirling the weapon, her muscles bunching and tightening, her body sweating, as the patterns she wove with the staff grew increasingly more and more complex. She practiced lunges, feints...practiced all the things the two women showed her. After, she would go to a nearby stream, clean up, and, if time allowed, go for a quick swim. By the time she returned, the sun was just coming in over the horizon, Gabrielle was waking up, and Xena was returning from her own practice and her hunting forays. The bard and the teacher would make breakfast and clean up the camp while Xena looked after Argo's needs. After breakfast, they would pack up and spend the day traveling to a new location. They would stop and rest during the day.
The young teacher found a second love--traveling.
This was unlike any traveling she had experienced before. And Gabrielle made it fun, the young bard talking a mile a minute about the many different adventures she shared with her warrior friend. Mariah, in turn, would tell the two women stories based on some of the movies she had seen and the literature she had read and taught. She had to change the stories around a bit so they'd fit the time. Gabrielle was especially fond of romance, and loved the story of *Romeo and Juliet* and *Gone With The Wind*, while Xena was more partial to the action-based stories of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table and *Escape From Alcatraz*.
Her flute was her third love.
One thing that Mariah missed tremendously from her time era was music. She had loved music, and had always found solace in her favorite songs. Songs from the Beatles, Celine Dion, Madonna, the Carpenters, her favorite movies...often, she found herself humming and singing her favorite tunes when she was by herself, or while she rested from staff practice.
One day early in their travels together, the three women came upon the village of Tyldus. It had quite a complete marketplace, so they decided to pick up supplies. It was there that Mariah spied the flute. It wasn't much to look at; about a foot in length, and a little bigger in width than her thumb. It wasn't much different from the one she had played while in high school. The merchant saw her eying it, and told her to try it. She put it to her mouth, her fingers exploring the holes, and blew. Her fingers moved along the holes as she continued to blow, testing the instrument and her ability to master it. She liked what she heard; it had a fine musical quality, but she put it down, a little wistfully. They were a little short on dinars, and the money had to be spent getting supplies.
The old merchant looked at her. "You like it?"
"Oh, yes," replied Mariah. "But I can't afford it right now." She sighed. "I guess I'll get one another time."
The merchant carefully studied his customer, and then made a decision. "Then you leave me no choice: I will give it to you, but on one condition; that when you travel through this area again, you must come back here and play for me."
Mariah protested. "But I may never be back this way again. And it-it's too much."
But the merchant insisted, smiling at her all the while. "Your eyes tell me you have a greater need of it than I do," he said gently. "Take it. I hope it brings some of the peace you seek." Mariah, tears in her eyes at the old man's generosity, gratefully accepted the gift, hoping she *could* one day return and play for him.
She often took the flute with her during her morning staff practice sessions, adding that to her predawn routine. It took her some time to remaster the instrument; she hadn't played the flute on a consistent basis in ten years. The merchant had been right. Playing it *did* give her a peace of mind. She searched her memory for her favorite songs, and was soon roughing them out on the instrument. She was reluctant to play it around Xena and Gabrielle, for she didn't want to disturb them. After a hard day's traveling, Mariah thought, the last thing they needed to hear was her fooling around on her flute.
The young teacher also rediscovered her love for writing.
For the past few years, she hadn't written as much as she wanted. There always seemed to be something that cut in on her time. But now, she made an effort to get back to her writing. Around the nightly fire, as Xena sharpened her sword, and Gabrielle worked on her scrolls, Mariah wrote in her journal.
At first she wrote of her fears--how would she survive, what if the cancer came back, how could she deal with the dangers inherent in her new life...all of the negative things she could think of.
But as time passed, she noticed her entries took on a different tone, one of acceptance and hope and understanding. Mariah also began to write poetry, something she hadn't done since she was in college.
Gabrielle must be rubbing off on me, she thought wryly. It was her hope that one day she could even set some of her poems to music, when she remastered the flute.
Gabrielle was always eager to share her work, the bard having a wonderful talent for poetry and stories, but Mariah was more hesitant, more shy. She rarely shared, and Gabrielle did not press her, feeling the young teacher would share when she felt ready.
Mariah also found the most important love of her life--friendship, camaraderie, acceptance.
She didn't find that new love right away. It wasn't anything that Xena or Gabrielle did; Mariah was reticent, restrained around them as she was around many people. She knew these two women had been together for a long time, and were the best of friends. She was respectful of the relationship between the bard and the warrior, and didn't want to intrude upon their friendship. They had gone out of their way for her, had done much to make her feel welcome, and she didn't want to be the third wheel infringing upon their close friendship. Gabrielle was as open and free as the wind, but the warrior sometimes kept a fairly tight rein on showing any form of emotion, and it was hard for the teacher to get a read on her. Just as Mariah had developed her "battle-mode" for dealing with illness, Xena had developed a "warrior's face" for dealing with life.
But she saw just how close their friendship was that night in Popolis.
They had been traveling the better part of a month. It had been a long day, one of those hot, humid, sticky days without a breath of air. Argo's head drooped in the heat, and all three women walked tiredly, sweat streaming down their bodies. They had come upon the village of Popolis, and decided to stable Argo and spend the night at the inn.
They ate dinner after they cleaned up. It was good to have someone else have to make the meal for a change. They were relaxing, Xena with a cup of wine, Gabrielle with her mead, and Mariah with a cup of ale. The three women talked easily about their recent travels, keeping to themselves as was their habit. It was a slow night at the inn; the local musician who provided the entertainment was home sick. Looking to perk up his business, the innkeeper asked if anyone would like to make a few dinars entertaining the crowd.
Gabrielle immediately spoke up. They could use the dinars and she hadn't performed as a bard since Mariah joined up with them. The young blonde got up on the makeshift stage, and told the story Xena freeing Death.
Mariah had heard the story from Gabrielle while they were traveling, but here the bard told it with all of the skill and nuance of a trained professional. She's found her calling, thought Mariah, marveling at Gabrielle's performance and presence. She's a natural with quite a gift.
And then Mariah looked at Xena. There was a mixture of embarrassment and pride on the warrior's face: embarrassment at being the topic of Gabrielle's story, and pride at her best friend's ability to skillfully tell a good tale. Her eyes glowed as she watched Gabrielle work the room, wringing every bit of emotion from the story she told. Xena looks like a delighted mother or lover, Mariah thought to herself.
When Gabrielle finished, Xena was leading the applause. Customers tossed dinars at the young bard, yelling for more. Gabrielle told three more stories, and then begged off, saying she needed to get some sleep. As they walked up to their room at the end of the evening, their ears rang with applause, and their purse was full of money.
Yeah, it's quite a pair I've met up, thought Mariah. Lucky me. I would be dead by now if it wasn't for those two finding me. And now, they're stuck with me, she thought. They're stuck with a cancer-traumatized, twentieth century high school English teacher who's ill-equipped to deal with ways of ancient Greece.
So she did what she could to keep out of their way.
Xena greatly admired and respected the young teacher for dealing with the realities of a situation many would have found incomprehensible. The warrior saw a lot of herself in this stranger from the future. She liked Mariah, and thought of her as a friend. Xena knew what the young teacher was doing, and was appreciative of it. She may have been a difficult read to Mariah, but the warrior easily picked up on the young teacher's cues. She and Gabrielle had been on their own for some time, and the warrior knew how difficult it was to suddenly be an outsider thrown in with two people who knew each other so well. But Xena also knew that Mariah was all alone in this strange new world, and her only link to survival was her two traveling companions. She had to open up more; she had to learn to *trust*. A few days after leaving Popolis, Xena talked to Gabrielle about this while Mariah was out for a swim.
"Gabrielle, I'm worried about Mariah. It's like she goes out of her way to avoid us so she won't be *in* our way."
"You noticed it too? I thought it was just the bard in me being overly sensitive," Gabrielle said, smiling at her best friend. She was very fond of the teacher who told such great stories and who wrote such wonderful poetry, and she sensed that wall of reserve Mariah had built around herself. She wasn't too sure how Mariah would like her charging over that wall. "So what do you want to do about it?"
"We have to find a way to draw her in more, make her feel like she's a part of us." Gabrielle opened her mouth, but Xena gently cut her off. "No, it's nothing that either of us has done to her to make her feel like an outsider. I think, deep down, she's afraid."
"Afraid? Afraid of what?" asked the bard.
"She sees how close we are; I think she's afraid she'll ruin that for us by her being here. You know: two's company and three's a crowd. We've got to get that idea out of her head, Gabrielle."
The opportunity for doing just that presented itself that evening.
Part Eleven
Much Ado About A Lot...
It was a beautiful night. There wasn't a cloud in the sky as the stars shown down from the heavens.
It started like every other night. Gabrielle and Mariah cleaned up after dinner and laid items out for breakfast in the morning while Xena fed, watered, and brushed Argo.
After the chores were done, the three sat around the campfire; Xena with her sword, Gabrielle with her scrolls, Mariah with her journal. Mariah had a hard time focusing on her journal, and after getting angry and frustrated with herself because she couldn't concentrate, she decided to go to bed earlier than usual.
She awoke a few hours later in a cold sweat, shivering under her blanket, plagued once again by her cancer dreams. It had been a few weeks since she had had the dreams; she thought she was beginning to leave them behind as she left the rest of her twentieth century life behind. Gabrielle hadn't heard her, but Xena had. Mariah sat up and rolled herself in her blanket, and sat, hunched over, shivering with the coolness of the night air, her rapidly drying sweat, and her memories.
"You want to talk about it?" a quiet voice asked.
"Xena! I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you up."
"That's OK. I'm a light sleeper," the warrior said, getting up from her sleeping place and coming over to sit down next to Mariah.
The two women sat in silence, one upset and fearful, the other patiently waiting.
"Mariah, it would help if you talked about it."
"I-I don't know if I can. I've never talked about my dreams with anyone."
"Why not?"
Mariah was getting a little uncomfortable. "I always figured it was my own business, that I had my own private demons to deal with. And I thought I could handle it by myself."
Xena thought for a moment. "Mariah, how long have you been having these dreams?"
"For about seven years. Ever since," she stopped, swallowed hard, started again, "ever since I was first diagnosed with my illness."
Xena put an arm around her, pulling her close, not saying anything. Mariah, enveloped in the warrior's warm, solid arm, soon began to cry. Xena wrapped both arms around her, hugging her, rocking her, soothing her as she did Gabrielle in those horrible days and weeks following Perdicas's death. Mariah clung to the warrior as she wept for her pain, her fears, her anger, and mourned the part of her innocence that died when she was forced to come face to face her own mortality at so young an age. As she cried and mourned, she felt the burden of her illness begin to shift a little off of her shoulders. She felt better. She felt hope.
As her tears dried up, Xena was still there, holding her, rubbing her back to calm her down. Mariah, her face burrowed in Xena's shoulder, emotionally spent, said to the warrior, "I-I don't know what to say. Thank you doesn't begin to cover it. I know this sounds funny, but I haven't felt this good in a long time."
"No, it doesn't sound funny at all," Xena replied gently. "Do you feel more like talking now?"
Mariah was, but wasn't ready to let go of the comfort Xena provided. As Xena held her, she told the warrior what she had told no one else: told her of her struggles, her hopes, her fears, her anger. She began to cry again as she broke down and told Xena about the dreams. Xena held her tight. When Mariah looked up, she saw tears in Xena's eyes, tears running down her face.
"Oh, Xena, I didn't mean to get you crying, too!" said Mariah, sitting up.
"There's nothing wrong with tears, Mariah. Remember what I said to you a few weeks ago about healing the soul? Well, I think you began you're healing tonight. You know, you and I are a lot alike...more alike than I think you realize. We've both gone through some very painful times, and we've both thought that we could carry that burden all by ourselves. But being with Gabrielle has taught me something; being strong doesn't mean being alone. Being strong means having the courage to ask for help when you need it, sharing your joys and your sorrows, and letting people get close to you in your life. Gabrielle and I...well, we're the closest thing you have to a family. We *are* your family now, Mariah. And you're a part of ours."
"But Xena, I would never want to get between yours and Gabrielle's friendship. I mean, you two are so close..." Mariah trailed off, looking down. "I don't want to spoil that friendship," the teacher said softly.
"You couldn't, Mariah," said Xena, cupping the teacher's chin, lifting it so she could look in her eyes. "Stay with us as long as you like. Please. And when the day comes that you're ready and you want to set off on your own, you'll have mine and Gabrielle's blessing. And our love. And Mariah...never forget who *we* are....we are not just three people who travel together. We are more than that. We are three friends...three sisters."
Mariah looked at this woman who had given her so much. "Thank you," she said, unshed tears glittering in her eyes. She grabbed the warrior in a ferocious hug. "Thank you for everything...my sister friend."
Xena returned the hug, glad that she could help her friend begin healing the hole in her heart and the rift in her soul.
As they separated from their hug, Xena looked at Mariah and said, "Now when will you play your flute and sing for us?"
Mariah stared at her friend in amazement. "How did you know about that? I never sang or played around you or Gabrielle!!"
"Oh, I have MANY skills," Xena said with a big smile, arching her eyebrow. "One of which includes checking on a certain friend of mine who gets up so early every morning and goes off by herself." Mariah blinked. "Well, I have to see how you're coming along on your staff practice, don't I?" said Xena. "And we should start working with you more on defensive strategies. We haven't run in to any trouble yet, but you never know."
"But why didn't you say anything earlier?" Mariah asked.
"Sometimes, Mariah, we *need* to be by ourselves," the warrior said simply.
Part Twelve
Giving, Receiving...
The next morning, Xena and Mariah related what happened to Gabrielle.
Mariah told her story and cried again, this time in Gabrielle's arms, the young bard comforting her and telling her the same things Xena had said the night before, reassuring Mariah that she was a very welcome addition to their special family.
Mariah, looking at her friends, smiling, said, "I never had a sister, and now I've got two!"
"And she's going to play her flute and maybe sing for her sisters tonight, isn't she?" asked Xena of Mariah.
"You play the flute? And you sing? Why didn't you tell us? What else can you do?" asked Gabrielle.
Mariah thought for a moment, a small, wicked smile appearing on her face. "Oh, I have MANY skills," she said, doing a dead-on Xena impersonation in both voice inflection and facial features, including that famous raised eyebrow. Gabrielle looked Mariah, then at Xena, and roared with laughter, tears coming to her eyes.
Xena laughed hard as well, as did Mariah.
Gabrielle pulled herself together, wiping the tears of mirth from her eyes. "Hey, Mariah, maybe you and I can put an act together. You know, I'll do the bard thing, and you could play your flute, sing some songs..."
"Maybe," said Mariah. "But I've never sang in front of a crowd of people before. And I'm still working on my flute fingering. Let me thing about it, OK?"
Gabrielle agreed.
That night, Mariah gave her first impromptu flute "concert" for her friends. She had a hard time starting as she wasn't used to playing solo in front of others, and she tried to beg off, but with Gabrielle and Xena's encouragement, she soon hit her stride. She played a selection of ballads and love songs from her twentieth century musical memories, the haunting lilt of the flute carrying far into the dark stillness of the night.
Xena and Gabrielle whistled and clapped when she finished.
"By the gods, you are *good*!" said Gabrielle. "You and Xena should do duets. You know, you play, Mariah, and Xena will sing."
Mariah looked at the warrior in surprise. "You're a singer, too?"
"Oh, you should hear her sing," said Gabrielle. "But she only sings when the mood hits her."
"I hope the mood hits her soon so I can hear her, too," said Mariah, smiling. She turned to Gabrielle. "Would you tell one of your stories?"
"Hey, you don't have to ask *me* twice," the bard replied, rising to her feet. "Do you have a preference?"
Mariah did. "Tell the story of how you met Xena."
Gabrielle launched into her story, skillfully weaving the events of that fateful day more than two years. Mariah closed her eyes, and in her mind's eye, she could see the eager young woman from Potadeia traveling with the then-lonely warrior whose life was just beginning to head down a new path.
Xena and Mariah applauded as Gabrielle finished her story and sat down. Mariah turned to Xena. "Your turn," she said with a smile.
The warrior thought for a moment. "I'll tell you what, Mariah. I'll make you a deal," said Xena. "I'll sing, if you sing that one song I always hear you singing in the early morning." The warrior hummed a few bars of the tune she wanted to hear.
Mariah looked at her warrior friend. "OK. You've got a deal." She rose gracefully to her feet, gently cleared her throat, closed her eyes, and softly began singing the ballad:
When she was done, she opened her eyes, and was greeted with silence. She looked at her friends, and was surprised to see tears in their eyes, so moved were they by the depth of emotion in the song.
"Hey, it wasn't *that* bad, was it, was it?" Mariah tried to joke lightly.
Gabrielle looked at the young teacher and said softly, "That was beautiful."
"Well I can't take the credit for it. These male musicians from," she thought for a moment, "Brittania wrote and sang that song. It's one of my favorites."
Xena pulled herself together and rose to her feet. "That *was* beautiful, Mariah," she agreed. "Thank you. And a deal is a deal." The warrior princess thought for a moment, and began to sing the lament she sang at her lover Marcus' funeral.
Shivers moved up and down Mariah's spine as Xena sang, and tears formed in her eyes. Gabrielle, likewise, was extremely touched by the song, as she was every time she heard it.
When Xena was done, she slowly sat down again. There was totalsilence around the campfire, nobody wanting to break the mood.
Argo whinnied. The tension broke. The three women looked at each other, still feeling the aftermath of the night's emotions.
Part Thirteen
First Blood...
The women continued their travels, Mariah learning more and more about the life of her new world. She began talking more and more with other people they met along the way. One night, while staying at an inn, she even tried a little flirting with the male half of the population, much to Xena's and Gabrielle's amusement.
The young teacher also opened up more with her new friends as the walls and barriers she had built up over the years began to crumble and collapse, sharing her past, her thoughts, her dreams, her hopes, her fears, her flute, and her writings. Mariah even began composing some of her own music, music for the poetry she had written. She felt a sense of peace she had never before felt.
The traveling had been calm, peaceful. She began to think Gabrielle had been exaggerating about the fights. Circumstances would shortly prove her wrong.
It happened outside the village of Risa.
Xena, Gabrielle, Argo, and Mariah were walking towards the village, Gabrielle telling the story of how she had freed the Titans and how Xena, naturally, had saved the day. It was one of Mariah's favorites, and she never tired of hearing it.
Xena stiffened up as Argo whinnied. They stopped.
"What's the matter?" asked Mariah.
"We've got company and it could be trouble," Xena said softly, cursing her earlier decision to not train more with the teacher. "Mariah, try to stay out of it. Both of you, get your staffs."
Mariah had hers, as it doubled as a walking stick. Gabrielle pulled hers out of the saddle bag, quickly putting it together.
Five men met them as they rounded the bend in the road.
"Hello, ladies," said the tallest one, a thin man with greasy black hair.
"Hi, boys," said Xena. "Something we can do for you?"
"Oh, there's something we'd like to do for *you*," said the tall man, leering at the warrior. "We'd like to take all of your money off of your hands. And the horse, too."
"*Not* a good idea, boys," the warrior said, as she motioned Gabrielle and Mariah to fan out, their staffs at the ready.
The five men advanced, squaring off against the three women. The two with swords went for Xena; the two with staffs of their own went for Gabrielle. The fifth man, apparently unarmed, headed towards Mariah. Xena and Gabrielle were both watchful, on their guard as the men approached them and their untried friend.
Startled, Mariah heard Xena let loose with her war cry as she launched into her two attackers. She had never heard it before and the "A-YI-YI-YI-YI-YI!!" almost completely unnerved her. Mariah nervously palmed her staff. I can't do this, she thought. I'm no fighter. I haven't hit anyone since grade school.
Suddenly, that became moot as her man rushed her. Her eyes widened as she saw the knife he pulled out. Instinct and training taking over, she quickly swung the staff around, catching him painfully on the biceps, causing him to yelp in pain and drop the weapon. She put herself between him and the knife to prevent him from picking it up, waving her staff in a defensive motion. But he was angry at being hit by a woman, and determined to make her pay for it. He charged her. She turned her staff, lunging, one rounded end jabbing him viciously in the stomach. He bent over as the air whooshed out of his lungs. Thinking he was incapacitated, Mariah turned away to pick up the knife. Her naivete almost cost her. He recovered quickly, charged her again, hitting her in the back, knocking her to the ground, causing her to lose hold of her staff.
She landed painfully, slightly winded. He grabbed her, lifted her up, and holding her by the front of her shirt, backhanded her across the right side of her face. The pain rippled through her entire being; stars exploded in her head. But it didn't do what he intended it to do; namely to make her fear him. Instead, it made her angry. VERY angry. Recovering quickly, she brought up her right knee twice, catching him in the groin. Howling in pain, he doubled over again. She bent over grabbed her staff, and whacked him hard behind the knees, forcing him to the ground.
She stood over him, breathing hard, the right side of her face throbbing in pain, angrier than she had been in a long time. She could taste blood in her mouth where a tooth had cut her cheek. The anger almost overwhelmed her. "You should not go around picking on defenseless women," she yelled at him, punctuating her statements with short, vicious shots to his ribs and chest as he cowered from her attack. "You just never know," she continued, still hitting and jabbing him, "when one will fight back!" The man lay still, semi-conscious from his wounds, as Mariah calmed down.
Xena and Gabrielle appeared by her side, having dispatched their attackers as soon as they could. "Are you OK?" Gabrielle asked her, putting a hand on her shoulder, worry showing in her green eyes. She saw the blow her friend had taken, but couldn't come to her aid.
"Yeah, but he sure nailed me," Mariah replied, leaning on her staff, holding the right side of her face.
Xena carefully looked at Mariah's right cheekbone and eye. It looked like there would be no permanent damage to her friend's face.
"Well, you're going to have a nice souvenir of your first fight," the warrior said with a sympathetic smile. "A shiner. And it'll be a beauty, too. When we get to Risa, we'll stop overnight. There's an inn
there. We need to unwind a little," she said, clapping Mariah gently on the back, a troubled look appearing on the warrior's face. "I've got something you'll want to put on your cheekbone to help keep the swelling down."
Part Fourteen
Risa Days, Risa Nights...
Xena prepared an herbal poultice for Mariah's battered face.
"It'll help keep the swelling down and ease the pain, but you're going to have a black eye for a few days," the warrior told her as she laid it on the right side of Mariah's face.
Mariah gratefully accepted the poultice, wincing as it made contact with her face.
Xena sat down next to her and Gabrielle. "You know, you were lucky today, Mariah. *Very* lucky."
Mariah sighed as she thought back on the events of the fight. "Yeah. I know. I won't make *that* mistake again, Xena. Next time, I won't turn my back on an enemy."
Gabrielle chuckled. "You know, though, when you had that guy on the ground and you were jabbing him and yelling at him, *that's* when I could see the schoolteacher in you!" Xena said nothing, her face still showing that thoughtful, slightly troubled look.
Mariah laughed a little in spite of the pain in her face. "Yeah, I bet he never expected to get a lecture on how to treat women!" Mariah sat back and closed her eyes as the poultice began easing the pain. "You know what? I was terrified. I had never been in that situation before, and I didn't think I'd be able to actually hit someone. It wasn't until he pulled that knife..." she trailed off into silence.
"Hey, I was the same way in my first fight," Gabrielle said softly, sympathizing.
"Me too," said Xena quietly.
Mariah opened her eyes, looked at her two friends, and smiled. "Well, at least I'm in good company," she said ruefully.
Xena got up. "Come on, you two. Let's get to Risa while it's still light. I don't know about you, but a soft bed and a hot homecooked meal sound pretty good to me." Mariah and Gabrielle agreed.
When they arrived in Risa, Xena took Argo to the stable and got her settled in while Gabrielle and Mariah got their room at the inn. After they each took a long, soothing hot bath, they went down for dinner. After dinner, they nursed their drinks in the crowded inn. A local group of musicians played, adding to the noise level. The girls tried to talk above the din, but soon gave up.
A man came over to their table. He coughed politely.
"Yes?" Xena said, arching her eyebrow.
He blushed a bit, and looked at Mariah. "Would-would you like to dance?"
Xena and Gabrielle grinned at Mariah, who grinned back. "Sure." she said to her admirer. "Would you excuse me?" she said to her friends. She got up, and the man took her in his arms as they moved off, dancing to the music.
Gabrielle looked at Xena. "I'd say she's fitting in pretty well, wouldn't you?"
"Yeah, she's doing all right for herself," Xena replied, as she moved her chair closer to Gabrielle. "But she scared the heck out of me today, though. I think we need to work on her reflexes."
"'We need?'" Gabrielle parroted at her friend.
"Yes, we need. She needs to react faster, Gabrielle. She's where you were at this time last year. Mariah knows how to use the staff; she doesn't really now how to *fight* with it."
"Uh-oh," said Gabrielle, realization dawning upon her. "It's going to be 'test Mariah time,' right?"
"You got it," said Xena. "It's for her own good. She needs to keep on her toes so we won't have a repeat of what happened today. So here's what we're going to do..."
Their conversation ended as Mariah returned to the table, her face pink from her exertions on the dance floor. "Whoo, I need a drink," she said, sipping at her ale, grimacing. "Ugh. This has gone flat."
Xena volunteered to get another round, so Gabrielle and Mariah sat at the table as the warrior weeded her way towards the crowded bar.
"Mariah, there's something I've been wanting to ask you."
"Go ahead."
Gabrielle pointed to Mariah's necklace. "Your rings...you said they meant a lot to you."
Mariah untucked the rings from her top, looking at them, a softness appearing in her eyes. "You're right, Gabrielle. They do mean a great deal to me." She handled the gold one. "This was my grandfather's ring. My mom gave it to me on my sixteenth birthday. I never knew him; he died before I was born, but according to my mom, he was one of the nicest men you'd ever want to meet. You remind me of him, you know. My mom said he was full of wonder and stories and life...." she trailed off at the fond memories.
"And the silver one?" Gabrielle prompted after a few moments.
"Ah, that one is my high school class ring. You see, where I come from, it's a custom to buy a ring after you finish your first twelve years of school. This was a graduation present from my parents. I loved my school. In fact, I loved it so much that after I finished studying at the university, I went back there to teach." She leaned over and gave Gabrielle a closer look, showing her the inscriptions and the blue stone.
"That school meant a lot to me, Gabrielle. I was a pretty shy kid when I got there, quiet and afraid. The people I met there helped me. I learned a great deal about myself at that school."
Xena returned with the drinks, and Mariah tucked the rings back in her top. "Drink up," the warrior said. "We should probably go to sleep soon, too. We've got another busy day tomorrow."
The two girls agreed. After they finished their drinks, they went upstairs to their room to go to sleep.
Two pairs of eyes followed them. "Xena?? Here?" one man said to the other.
She couldn't be, but she was. The second man broke into a grin. Wait until Galvous heard about this!! The men quickly finished their drinks. The second man, named Darvos, turned to the first and said, "You stay around here and keep an eye on Xena and her friends. I'm going to see Galvous. He won't believe this!!" The second man left the tavern, and rode off towards Galvous's camp, two days away. The first man, Darius, finished his drink, got up, and sighed. He had the difficult job, he thought to himself. How do you spy on Xena without her knowing it? He had to figure it out fast, too, before Galvous arrived...
Part Fifteen
An Abject Lesson...
Xena was right about Mariah's eye. It bruised and blackened up nicely during the night, but thanks to Xena's healing poultice, it looked much worse than it felt.
Mariah looked at it in the mirror, grimacing. "It's a good thing I'm not a vain person," she said wryly.
The three girls breakfasted at the inn, collected Argo, and were soon on their way. After they had traveled for about an hour, Xena turned to her companions and said, "I'm going to scout ahead. Stay on the trail; I'll be back shortly." She jumped on Argo, and rode off. Gabrielle had a secretive look on her face; she knew what Xena had in mind.
The two girls walked and talked a bit. Suddenly, from high overhead in the trees, they heard a yell: "A-YI-YI-YI-YI-YI-YI!!!"
Mariah flinched at the sound, and raised her staff as the body came hurtling down towards them. Xena landed, spun, and easily kicked the staff out of the teacher's hands. Gabrielle stood off to the side watching the action.
Mariah looked stunned. "What was *that* all about?" she demanded of her friend.
"It was a lesson, Mariah," said Xena, her face serious. "If I were a real attacker, you would be dead by now. I don't think you know how much you scared Gabrielle and me yesterday. You know how to wield that staff; now you have to learn how to use it to defend yourself. Gabrielle?" The warrior motioned her head at the bard, and Gabrielle tossed her her staff. "Now come at me."
Mariah did, a little hesitantly, Xena easily blocking her swing. Suddenly, Xena launched into an attack of her own, wielding the staff with a flourish. Mariah blocked as many of the blows as she could, but a few got through, one catching her legs, sweeping her off of her feet. When she was down, Xena jabbed at her, catching her lightly in the stomach, as the warrior pulled back most of the force of the weapon. Mariah grimaced at the short, sudden pain in her gut. "Yeah, I see what you mean," she said, slowly getting to her feet with the warrior's help.
"I hope so, Mariah," Xena said as she tossed the staff back to Gabrielle. "And it isn't enough to be able to defend yourself; you're going to have to be constantly alert and on your toes, ready for anything."
Blue eyes looked into blue eyes as Xena said softly, "We almost lost you yesterday, friend. And that's not going to happen again."
Gabrielle came over, putting her hand on the teacher's arm. "Don't feel bad, Mariah. You did better than I did when she pulled that stunt on me!" Mariah looked at the bard, staring into her green eyes. "You mean, you *knew* she was going to do that?" Gabrielle nodded, smiling at her friend.
Mariah thought for a moment, coming to a decision before she spoke. "Well, you better *keep* on doing it. Both of you. I won't get any better if you don't."
Xena looked at the teacher, amusement in her eyes, "Oh, don't worry...I can keep it up *all* day," she said with a smile.
"Yeah, I'll just bet you can," replied Mariah laughing, Gabrielle joining in.
And Xena did just that. Over the next few days, as Mariah's bruising eye faded to normal, the warrior princess and Gabrielle harassed and ambushed the teacher in a variety of ways. At first, Mariah's responses were slow and clumsy, the attacks providing valuable lessons for her. But after a short time, Mariah began to catch on, much to the her friends' satisfaction. Soon, Mariah was more alert, on guard, and watchful, just as Xena needed her to be. She didn't react quite as fast as Gabrielle, but she was learning to hold her own.
She would need that ability sooner than she thought.
Part Sixteen
Galvous...
It was late at night when the man from the tavern approached Galvous's encampment. The outer guards refused to let him see their warlord until he said he had information about Xena.
The guards escorted him into Galvous's tent. Galvous was a big man, well over six feet tall. He had a long scar running along left side of face, courtesy of a run-in some years earlier with a certain warrior princess.
"Who are you?" demanded Galvous.
"My name is Darvos. I have information for you about Xena. She's in the area of Risa."
Galvous listened carefully, considering his options. "Does she still travel with that bard, the irritating blonde?"
Darvos nodded. "And that's not all. There's another woman traveling with them, too."
Galvous's eyes narrowed. "Tell me about her."
"She's a little bigger than the blonde. She has short brown curly hair, blue eyes. That's all I know right now, but I have a man following them. He'll learn more. I promise."
"You have done well, Darvos," Galvous said, tossing him a small purse full of dinars. "Keep following them. All three of them. And tell me what you learn. I'm especially interested in that new girl." Darvos smiled, bowed slightly, and left the warlord's tent. After he left, Krius, Galvous's lieutenant, entered the tent, waiting for instructions.
"I've got a lead on Xena," Galvous said his lieutenant. "The main force will remain here. Pick twenty men, Krius. We'll break camp in the morning and head towards Risa. That's where she is. And I want her."
"As you wish, Galvous," said Krius, as he exited the tent.
Galvous smiled. "So, warrior princess, you travel with two women now...and once I have them both, I'll have you right where I want you."
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