Gabrielle refused to eat in the food hut, partly because she didn't feel like being sociable and partly because she didn't want all the Amazons to see her face and be reminded of what had happened to her under Xena's wrath. Trasis, the head cook, delivered a platter heaped with meats and cheeses to her hut. Gabrielle ate sparingly, her concern for the upcoming events overriding her hunger. She wrapped several pieces of food up in a cloth and headed for the jail.
Xena sat up when she heard the key turning in the door, but looked down at the floor when she saw the bard enter. Gabrielle murmured a few words to the guard, who nodded and closed the door behind her, leaving the two women alone. "You shouldn't be here." the warrior said quietly, refusing to look up.
"And just where should I be if not at my best friend's side?" the bard replied, sitting down on the bed next to her. Gabrielle noted disapprovingly that Xena was sporting a leg manacle. She reached over and fingered the chain. "Does this hurt?" the warrior shook her head. A heavy silence fell between them. The bard set the package of food down between them and unwrapped it. "I brought you some meat and cheese. I'm sure it's better than whatever they've been feeding you." she said, breaking off a piece of cheese and handing it to Xena.
"Thanks." she put the food in her mouth, careful of the split lip. To Gabrielle's delight, she took another piece.
"Xena, we need to talk. They're going to try you for what happened."
"I know." she said quietly.
"Then why did you come here?" she reached over and put her hand on Xena's knee. "Xena, they don't care if the gods were involved. They're going to go after you for everything. We have to come up with some kind of a defense for you."
"There is no defense, Gabrielle. I did it. The reasons why don't matter." she looked up at the bard's eye, the bruise now more yellow than anything else. "How can you stand to be around me after what I did to you?"
"Because I know it wasn't you, Xena. I know the gods were involved in this. The trick is to get the Amazons to believe us."
"There's no 'us' in this, Gabrielle. I'm the one who attacked Eponin and Solari, not you. You're a hero to them, risking your life to save two Amazon warriors from the evil warlord."
"Stop it, Xena." she said angrily. "I'm trying to help you here. The least you can do is try act like you give a damn about what happens." she rose and walked over to the granite slab, still sitting in the middle of the room, and leaned against it, her face away from the warrior. "They're going to put me on the stand, you know. They're going to make me testify about what happened. I have to come up with something that we can both agree on."
"Just tell them the truth." she leaned back against the wall, her left leg out straight because of the shortness of the leg chain and wincing slightly at the pain in her ribs from the attack. "I deserve whatever happens." she said quietly. Gabrielle spun around, her green eyes blazing with anger.
"And what do I deserve, Xena? Do I deserve to watch you give up? Do I deserve to watch them sentence you for crimes that wouldn't have happened if the gods hadn't been playing yet another one of their petty games with you?" she walked over and knelt down in front of the bed, putting her hands on Xena's shins and looking up at the multitude of bruises and cuts that littered her best friend's face. "I can't lose you, not like this. If I have to lie, if I have to give up my title, I don't care. Nothing matters to me except helping you get out of this mess."
"Gabrielle, do you know what the penalty is for lying on the stand? The Amazons will see that as treason." she scooted forward and took the bard's hands in hers. "I can't let you do that. You have to tell them the truth."
Gabrielle jerked her hands free as her eyes began to well up with tears. "There is nothing that the Amazons can do to me that will hurt more than losing you, Xena. You can't even remember what happened when you lost your memory. There's no justice in that. This is no different than when Ares killed those men and let you take the blame."
"The difference is that this time 'I' did the things I'm accused of, Gabrielle. There's no defense for that. There's nothing we can do except wait and see what punishment the Amazons see fit to give me." she had no doubt as to exactly what the severity of the punishment would be.
"That's where you're wrong, Xena." she said angrily. "We can fight this if you help me instead of just giving up." they were interrupted by a polite knock on the door. "I have to go. Don't say anything until the advocate gets here and I have a chance to talk to her. Somehow we'll find a way to defend you. I'll try and come back later." she rose and headed for the door. "I mean it, Xena." she said, turning back around to face her best friend. She lowered her voice so the guard wouldn't overhear. "I'll figure something out. I'd rather be accused of treason than face losing you."
Xena waited until she was certain that Gabrielle was gone before summoning the guard. "I want to talk to Ephiny." she said. The Amazon motioned for the other guard to fetch the ruler. Xena sat back and thought about what her best friend was planning to do. Moments later the blond ruler arrived.
"Leave us." Ephiny said to the guard before sitting down on the bed next to the prisoner.
"What's the penalty for treason?"
"Death or banishment, it depends on the severity of the act. Why?" Xena didn't answer, choosing instead to stare at the granite slab. She had no doubt the bard would lie to try and protect her or minimize her punishment. If the Amazons discovered her lies, there was no telling what they would do to her. 'You've suffered so much at my hands, Gabrielle...' she thought. 'I can't let you sacrifice everything for me. I can't let you be punished because of my crimes. I love you too much to let that happen.' she closed her eyes momentarily as she made her decision.
"Ephiny, I want to confess. I plead guilty to all the charges brought against me. There's no need for a trial." she said without emotion.
"Xena, are you sure you want to do that? Gabrielle tells me that the gods were involved. If you can find a way to prove that..."
"There's no way to prove it without having her testify. I won't put her through that." she said firmly. Ephiny's eyes widened with understanding. "Gabrielle was going to lie to protect you, wasn't she?"
"Just promise me that you'll be there for her." she said, refusing to answer the question.
"I'm not the one she wants by her side, Xena, you are." she waited for a comment from the dark haired woman. When none came, the blond ruler sighed. "I'll need a full confession. You'll have to tell the tribunal exactly what happened, what you did to Gabrielle as well as Ep and Solari."
"Whatever it takes to keep her from testifying." she said solemnly.
It was almost dark when Ephiny approached Gabrielle's hut. Xena's confession had taken less than one candlemark, but the lack of detail in her statement caused the tribunal to ask her question after question in an attempt to clarify some of the points. The whole matter took over four candlemarks before the members of the tribunal were satisfied. Ephiny knocked gently on the door. "Come in." she entered to find Gabrielle sitting there looking over several scrolls. "I thought if I could just find something in the laws..." she stopped when she saw the look on her friend's face. "What's wrong?"
"There's not going to be a trial, Gabrielle. Xena confessed to everything this afternoon."
"What? She couldn't...I told her not to do anything until I had a chance-"
"She was afraid for you. I think she believed that you were going to lie on the stand to try and protect her." she sat in the chair opposite the queen at the small table. "Gabrielle, I thought you said she didn't remember anything."
"She didn't. She told me that she didn't."
"Well, she did. She answered every question put to her and the account about the fight in the tavern agrees with what Eponin and Solari said." she reached across the table and put her hand on the bard's forearm. "Gabrielle, she remembers everything. Are you certain the gods were involved?"
Gabrielle stood up, walked over to the bed, and pulled the wooden lamb out from under her pillow. "I'm certain." she said, gently stroking the toy as she sat down. Her mind swam with the new information and the ramifications of it. "Ephiny, what happens now?"
"Now is the sentencing. The advocate should be here tomorrow and the hearing will probably take place the day after."
"What happens then?"
"All the interested parties will testify in front of the tribunal. The advocate will plead for leniency and the prosecutor will plead for the most severe punishment possible. It'll be up to the tribunal to decide what will happen to her then." she didn't fail to catch the glimmer of hope in the bard's green eyes.
"All the interested parties? So anyone who has feelings about this can speak?"
"Yes, but they're put through the same procedure as the trial. They have to take the stand and answer questions, but the advocate and prosecutor can bring things up that have nothing to do with the facts in the case."
"So they can ask about her past? They can ask about all the good things she's done?" she asked hopefully.
"They can also ask about the bad things too, Gabrielle. It works both ways. For every town she's helped, there's ten more that she's destroyed. For every person saved, there's a dozen she's killed. It doesn't work in her favor." Ephiny cautioned. Gabrielle pulled away and looked at her.
"Then I'll just have to figure out a way to make it work." she said. "I'm not letting go of her without a fight."
Eponin looked away when she saw Gabrielle enter. "Come to apologize?" she said snidely.
"No. I came here to see you." she said, sitting down on the edge of the bed. "How are you feeling?"
"Better now that Xena has admitted her crimes." She glared at Gabrielle. "I'm going to be there at the sentencing and I'm going to speak my peace."
"I wouldn't expect otherwise, Ep. I know that you feel angry about what happened but there's nothing you can do about it now. You have to move on."
"Move on? Move on? What in tartarus am I supposed to do, Gabrielle? I was a warrior. I'm useless now."
"You may be many things, Eponin, but never useless. I'm sure there's something else you can do, something that doesn't involve walking."
"Like what? All I've ever wanted to be was a warrior. I trained since I was five summers old. I'm almost thirty. It's a little late to pick a new career."
"It's never too late. Is there something, anything that ever interested you? Some hobby perhaps?"
"Hobbies don't protect the village. Besides, the only thing I ever had any interest in was being a warrior. There never was time for anything else, not if I wanted to keep in top form."
"Well, it seems to me that you have plenty of time now." she pointed out. "I'm not here to ask you to go easy on Xena, I wouldn't expect that from you. I'm here because I care. I want to help you in any way I can." she smiled gently. "You know, Trasis was telling me that you've been in her kitchen a few times to complain about the food."
"That's because Trasis doesn't use enough spices. She's afraid to take chances." She shifted and adjusted the pillow behind her back.
"Like you? Sometimes the biggest risk is to not to do anything at all. You've been a warrior for so long that you're afraid there's nothing else you can do. You're wrong about that, Eponin. I'm not saying it'll be easy, but you'll never know until you try. Remember when I first tried to learn how to use a staff? I kept hitting myself in the head and I was certain that I'd never get the hang of it. But you kept encouraging me, showing me again and again until I learned. You didn't give up on me and I'm not giving up on you." she was rewarded with the closest thing to a smile that the stocky warrior had given in days.
Xena laid back on the cot and laced her fingers behind her head. She had been expecting Gabrielle to show up for candlemarks. The moon was now almost directly above and there was still no sign of her. Not even a message. The raven haired warrior sighed audibly. 'Where are you? Why haven't you come to see me?' One thought continued to race through her mind no matter how hard she tried to ignore it. 'I lied to her. I lied about remembering and now she won't see me.' she reached down and ran her fingers over the bruised ribs, hoping that the physical pain would overpower the emotional pain she was in. Nothing she did could tear her mind away from the thought that Gabrielle wasn't coming. She jerked her left leg in anger, causing the chain to rattle and the metal band to dig into her skin. The noise caused one of the guards to poke her head in to make sure the prisoner wasn't trying to escape. Xena closed her eyes and let the vision of the woman she loved fill her mind. Only then could she relax enough to let sleep finally overtake her.
After talking to Eponin for the better part of three candlemarks, Gabrielle walked toward the jail but found herself unable to enter. She wandered the village aimlessly, trying to sort out her conflicting feelings. She had lied to Xena in an attempt to protect her, but the warrior had lied to her simply to deceive. She wandered until she reached the river bank and sat down on the sloping ground. Time passed as she stared at the moon reflecting off the water. "Why, Xena, why?" she said out loud. "Why did you let me believe that you didn't remember anything?" she picked up a stone and tossed it, watching it skip across the water several times before sinking below the surface. "You let me sit there and go on with a pack of lies knowing full well what the truth was. Why?" she pulled her knees up and rested her arms on them. The cool night air blew her hair back and caused the tears to take a curved path down her cheeks. "I would have still tried to protect you. Don't you understand how I feel? Don't you realize that I can't live without you?" she thought back to the nights of passion they shared. "It may not have meant anything to you, Xena, but it meant something to me." she sniffed. "Don't you realize that you've held my heart hostage for as long as I can remember?" she never heard Solari come up and stand just behind a large tree. "How can the gods be so cruel? For so long I've wanted you to want me, to see me as more than just a young girl, to see me as a woman. And when you do, it's because you want to control me, not out of love." The tall Amazon didn't mean to eavesdrop, merely coming out for a late evening stroll, but the sound of her friend crying softly and talking to the night sky caught her attention. Gabrielle threw another stone angrily. "I hope you're happy, Ares. You got what you wanted, didn't you? No matter what happens, I've lost her. I can't stay with her knowing that she doesn't love me the way I need her to and never will. I can't look at her and not remember how it felt to be with her, to touch her in the most intimate of ways and to feel her touching me." she buried her head in her arms as the sobs began. "If they kill her, I can't stay here either. I can't live day in and out with the people who took her away from me. I can't go to Poteidaia either. I don't belong there, I never have." she lifted her head up and stared at the moon. "She's my home." she pounded the soft earth next to her. "Damnit Xena, why didn't you let me take you to Athens? You would have been safe there. Why did you come here, knowing what they'd do you? How many villages have we avoided because you were wanted there? Why deliberately walk into an ambush here?"
Solari could stand it no more. She politely coughed to announce her presence and stepped out from behind the tree to see the young queen wiping her eyes. "Gabrielle, can we talk?"
"Uh, sure." she said, watching as the Amazon took a seat next to her. The injured arm was still in a sling and Solari was careful not to jar it when she sat down. The look on her face told the bard that she had been listening. "How long were you there?" Gabrielle asked, staring out at the water.
"Long enough to know that you're in a great deal of pain and could probably use someone to talk to."
"There's no one I can talk to, Solari. I'm surrounded by women who want to see Xena dead, including you, I imagine." the tall Amazon said nothing but looked out at the water. "I love her. I've loved her for so long that I can't remember not loving her. Now tomorrow I have to sit there and listen to all the reasons why she should die."
"They may not choose to execute her, Gabrielle. You can't give up hope."
"Hope?" she cried. "What am I supposed to hope for? That the gods will descend and make everything all better? That she dies quickly and doesn't suffer? That she escapes at the last moment? That I'll wake up and discover that this is all some horrible nightmare?" she looked down at her lap. "There is no more hope, Solari. I hoped that she'd someday love me the way I love her. Now I know that will never happen. I hoped that together we could find a way out of this mess and our lives could get back to normal. Even if some miracle happens, that dream is gone. Too much has happened." she rose to her feet. "If you'll excuse me, I have to get some sleep so I'll be ready tomorrow to watch my world fall apart some more." she walked away, leaving the Amazon sitting in silence.
It had been late when she returned the center of the village and she knew she was far too emotional to go see Xena. There was just no way she could face looking at the blue depths of the warrior's eyes and know that she would never see the love she needed there. She returned to her hut instead and spent the next two candlemarks reviewing the scrolls of Amazon law before giving up and laying down on her bed. Normally a sound sleeper, Gabrielle found herself tossing and turning in a vain attempt to settle into Morpheus' arms. Her body finally succumbed to exhaustion just before sunrise, but not before she had soaked her pillow with more tears.
It was mid-morning when Gabrielle was awakened by the sound of a knock upon her door. "Come in." she mumbled, sitting up to see Ephiny enter.
"The advocate arrived about a half candlemark ago. I thought you should know."
"Where is she now?"
"In with Xena." she walked over and put her hand on the bard's shoulder. "Gabrielle, the tribunal wants to start the hearing as soon as possible."
"I imagine they would." she replied. "What happens first?"
"The first thing they'll do is listen to a reading of Xena's confession, then the victims will take the stand and tell their side of the story and of how her crimes have affected them. It's at that point when Symra, the prosecutor, will ask questions followed by Luna, the advocate. After all the interested parties have spoken, Xena can take the stand if she wants."
"Sounds about right, everyone gets up there and paints the picture of the evil warlord and then she has to take the stand and defend herself. Tell me something, Ephiny, why even bother with a sentencing hearing? Why not just toss the rope over the nearest branch and be done with it?"
"Gabrielle, that's not fair and you know it." Ephiny replied, letting anger tinge her voice. "I understand that you're upset by all this but you need to realize that what she did was serious. We're Amazons, not mindless killers."
"Like Xena? Isn't that what you mean?" she shot back.
"No, that's not what I mean. Xena had the chance for a fair trial, she refused. If all we wanted was to see her dead we would have killed her in the field."
"I know, Ephiny." she sighed, running her fingers through her hair. "I'm just not looking forward to this."
The largest hut in the village was the food hut and Trasis and the other cooks worked feverishly to clean up after breakfast and turn the long rows of tables and benches into a makeshift courtroom. Every Amazon in the village wanted to be there to hear the proceedings. As it was, less than half could fit inside, the others were forced to listen through the bamboo walls or wait for friends to relay what was being said. Symra sat at the front table on the right, a pile of scrolls in front of her. Luna sat next to Xena at the left table, one nearly empty scroll in front of her. The raven haired prisoner gave her little information to work with, offering almost nothing to her case. Ephiny sat on the bench behind the flame haired Symra, waiting patiently for Gabrielle, who had stopped before entering the hut and insisted that she needed to return to her hut for a moment. Andro, the head member of the tribunal, banged her ceremonial gavel on the table in front of her. Symra nodded and rose to her feet and cleared her throat. She unrolled a scroll and opened her mouth to speak but was silenced by the collective gasp from the crowd. All heads turned to see Gabrielle walk up the aisle.
She was dressed in her queen outfit, the soft brown leather hugging the curves of her body like a second skin. Her hair cascaded over her shoulders and framed her beautiful face. Mouths dropped open and every eye in the room followed her progress toward the front of the room. Gabrielle saw the empty space next to Ephiny and stopped. She looked down at the regent before turning and taking a seat on the bench behind the defense table. A series of small murmurs swept through the crowd as they took it as a sign of silent support for Xena. The warrior herself was speechless at the bard's obvious defiance of protocol, although she noted that Gabrielle sat directly behind Luna and wouldn't look at her. Symra looked at the tribunal and waited for Andro to nod for her to proceed. "The purpose of this hearing to determine the punishment to be given to Xena of Amphipolis for the following crimes to which she has already plead guilty: the kidnapping, ransoming, physical assault and drugging of our queen as well as the assault on two of our warriors who were trying to protect her." the red haired Amazon looked around to make sure she had everyone's attention. "In the failed attempt to protect and rescue our queen, one of our greatest warriors, Eponin, suffered a crippling injury from which she will never recover." the crowd murmured again. Symra continued on, nonplused by Gabrielle's obvious support of her friend. "Xena once was called the Destroyer of Nations. Once again she tried to live up to her reputation as one of the most fearsome warlords in all of Greece. She turned on her friend, beat her mercilessly, even drugged Gabrielle to keep her from escaping."
"It wasn't like that." the bard whispered to Luna, who merely nodded and scribbled something down on the scroll before her. Symra frowned at the interruption before continuing.
"You all saw what Queen Gabrielle looked like when she was brought in. Unconscious, drugged, her face battered by Xena's own hands." she turned to face the crowd instead of the trio of judges and held her hand up in a fist. "Xena used her overpowering strength to beat a woman so much smaller than her into submission." she smacked her palm with her fist. "Imagine what it must have been like for Gabrielle." she brought her fist down again. "To be afraid for her life from the woman she once called friend, to wonder if she would ever see Apollo's chariot sail across the sky again, to no doubt have been bound and gagged..." she continued on but Xena didn't hear her. The warrior's head never moved but her eyes looked down at table before her. Only the tribunal members could see the immense sadness and guilt that stretched across her bruised face. Andro looked from the warrior to the bard and noticed that Gabrielle was whispering something into Luna's ear. "...and we ask that you pronounce sentence on the Destroyer of Nations, not just for the good of the Amazons, but for the good of the rest of the world as well. She's proven that she cannot be trusted to maintain a life of helping others, she's too selfish for that. This is our chance to stop the carnage that is Xena Warrior Princess, disciple of Ares. We ask for the ultimate penalty, death."
"And I have the sword." Gryne shouted from the back of the room, holding up the sword she had forged for Eponin. "She should die the way she has killed so many others." she was met with shouts of approval that raised in volume until Andro was forced to bang on the table several times to regain order.
Andro waited until the crowd settled down before nodding to Luna to proceed with her opening statement. The brown haired advocate quickly scanned the notes in front of her before rising to face the tribunal. "Um...Xena has done many things in her past...but we shouldn't judge her based on her summers of conquest and destruction...the issue before us today is only for the crimes she committed against the Amazon nation and its people." she looked down at her notes again. "Ah yes...she once saved this village from destruction at the hands of Velasca and helped to prevent a war. These acts should be taken into consideration when you pass your sentence." she nodded at the tribunal and sat down. Gabrielle looked at her, then Ephiny with disbelief. The blond ruler returned the look. Xena kept her attention focused on the trio before her that would soon determine if she would live or die.
"Is that all?" Andro asked, not believing herself that the advocate gave such a useless opening statement. Luna nodded and looked back at her notes. Gabrielle leaned forward and tapped the advocate on the shoulder.
"Why didn't you mention how she saved Ephiny's life three times?" she whispered. The brown haired Amazon leaned back.
"It's not important here. I can bring it up later."
"Not important?" the bard hissed. "You're supposed to be trying to save her life. Anything she's done in the name of good should be mentioned."
"It will, in time." Luna replied. She turned her attention back to her notes. Gabrielle looked over at Xena and was surprised to find the warrior looking at her, the blue eyes filled with guilt and sadness. The bard found she could not maintain the eye contact and looked down, her own feelings threatening to overwhelm her. She closed her eyes and prayed to Artemis for the strength to make it through the day without breaking down. Symra rose and began to read from the scroll that had recorded Xena's confession. Gabrielle listened intently, concentrating on every detail revealed by the warrior. She winced visibly a couple of times when Symra emphasized the beatings that Gabrielle received as well as the battle in the tavern. The bard noted gratefully that Xena had made no mention of their sexual activities. Whether it was to spare her or the warrior, Gabrielle wasn't sure.
"I call Ephiny, Regent of the Amazon nation." Symra said. The blond ruler rose and walked to the raised platform. Myrina, the shortest member of the tribunal, nodded and waved her hand at the empty chair. Ephiny sat down and took a deep breath. She hadn't planned on going first. "Ephiny, you have known Xena for how long?"
"Two summers now."
"And in that time, has she ever attacked you?" the blond Amazon shifted uncomfortably. "Remember that you are under oath to Artemis to tell the truth." the prosecutor said.
"Yes, once but-"
"Thank you, a yes or no will do." Symra said, cutting off her answer. "And isn't it also true that she once entered a battle to the death with the late Queen Melosa?"
"But that was to save the nation." she protested.
"Is it true or isn't it?"
"You know it's true." Ephiny replied, annoyed at the line of questioning even though she knew she should have expected it. The redheaded prosecutor smiled slightly at her victory.
"So in addition to her current acts against the Amazon nation, she engaged previously in attacks against Artemis' children, isn't that true?" Ephiny looked regretfully at Xena before nodding reluctantly. The warrior stared straight ahead, her face revealing nothing about her emotions. "I'm sorry, Ephiny, could you please say your answers out loud?"
"In the past she has engaged in combat with Amazons, but it was always for the good of the nation." she said quickly, refusing to let the prosecutor interrupt her again.
"Uh huh." Symra said sarcastically. "And do you think she was acting in the best interest of the Amazons when she beat our queen senseless and crippled one of our finest warriors?" she waved her hand dismissively. "There's no need to answer that question. Tell me, when she arrived at the appointed place and time to collect the ransom, she had drugged Gabrielle, isn't that correct?"
"Yes."
"No doubt to keep her from escaping." she stepped out from behind the table and approached Ephiny. "Eponin is one of your best friends, isn't she?"
"Yes, we've known each other since we were children."
"And in all that time have you ever known her to want to be anything except a warrior?"
"No."
"Now tell me, will Eponin ever be able to perform her duties as a warrior again?"
"There are other ways that she can contribute to-"
"That's not what I asked, Ephiny. Now I know you consider that animal a friend, but try putting your responsibilities as regent first. I'll ask again, can Eponin ever return to her former duties as a warrior and defender of the Amazon nation?"
"Not to her former duties, no."
"The injury she suffered at the hands of Xena saw to that, didn't it? No more questions for you right now."
Symra sat down and Ephiny waited for Luna to finish looking at her notes. "I understand that Xena helped to deliver your son?"
"Yes, if it wasn't for her neither of us would have survived." she gave the warrior a small smile.
"So she has done things to help Amazons." she looked down, trying to think of what question to ask next. "And until this latest incident, she has always tried to help our nation?"
"Yes, Xena helped us avoid war and defeat Velasca. She gave us hope when there was none." the crowd murmured as they recalled the fierce battle with the sinister Amazon. "Do you feel that Xena should die for her crimes?"
"No." Ephiny replied firmly. For the first time since she took the stand, the blue eyes of the warrior focused on her. The room filled with whispers. In the time since Velasca's death, Ephiny had proven herself over and over to be a capable and fair leader and was respected by almost all of the Amazons. Her statement that Xena's crimes weren't worthy of execution carried a great deal of weight with them and many began to question whether in fact her death really was necessary.
"Thank you." Luna said before sitting down. Gabrielle and Ephiny exchanged looks of surprise at the brief questioning.
"Why didn't you ask her more questions? She's the best ally Xena has right now." the bard said into the advocate's ear.
"I think I made my point." Luna answered as the blond ruler returned to her seat. "There's no need to ask a thousand questions."
"No need?" Gabrielle raised her voice slightly. "This is Xena's life we're talking about. Ask ten thousand questions if it helps."
"Queen Gabrielle." Andro said in a warning tone. "I really must ask you to remain quiet."
"But she didn't ask the important questions." the bard said, rising to her feet to address the head of the tribunal. "She didn't ask her how she felt when we found her on the road in Thessaly. She didn't ask about the time Xena saved Ephiny from a Centaur."
"Enough, Gabrielle." Andro said firmly. "You are not the advocate in this case. Now sit down and remain quiet or I'll have you removed until it's time for you to take the stand." the bard glared but took her seat.
"How did you feel?" a voice from the crowd shouted. It was joined by several others who wanted to hear the answer. Ephiny stood and faced them.
"When I looked up and saw Xena standing over me, I felt a wave of relief. I knew I was safe then." she looked over and smiled briefly at the raven haired warrior. "I will always be grateful to her for saving me and my son." Andro pounded on the table. The hearing was quickly getting out of hand. "Trasis needs time to restore this room before the mid day meal. Rather than having her change it back again before dinner, we'll recess for the rest of the day and resume tomorrow. Take the prisoner away." two Amazons stepped forward and waited for Xena to stand. It was then that Gabrielle saw the reason the warrior had kept her hands under the table. She wore chains on her wrists and ankles which were connected to a band of metal encircling her waist. Obviously they still considered her an escape risk. They exited out the front, never allowing Gabrielle a chance to get near her. The crowd got to their feet slowly and a cacophony of voices filled the air as the Amazons made their way out of the hut. The young queen waited until almost everyone had left before turning and speaking to Luna.
"I can't believe you. You're supposed to be trying to save her life." she roared. Ephiny stepped up behind her.
"Gabrielle, let's go for a walk."
"No." she replied angrily, turning to face the blond Amazon. "What did you do, Eph? Find the most incompetent advocate possible?" she said, not caring if she hurt the brown haired woman's feelings.
"I am doing the best I can, Gabrielle. You need to be patient." Luna said.
"You need to ask better questions or they might as well pass the sentence right now." she felt herself losing control again and stormed out of the food hut, ignoring the dozen Amazons standing around outside. Ephiny watched her leave before addressing the advocate.
"Luna, she has a point. I could have done a better job than you did today. If you have feelings about this, let me know and I'll find someone else to defend Xena. If you're not up to this " she let the comment hang in the air.
"I've handled dozens of cases, although I'll admit this is my first death penalty case. I generally handle contract disputes, you know, disagreements about sales and goods."
"You mean you've never handled a criminal case before?" Ephiny asked incredulously. "I specifically sent word that I needed an experienced advocate."
"I am experienced, just not in matters of life and death. I generally deal with dinars."
"Then why did they send you? Surely there must have been someone else "
"No one else would take it, Ephiny. Once they heard that Xena, Destroyer of Nations was being accused of kidnapping and ransoming the queen, everyone figured it was an open and shut case with no chance of winning."
"And no one figured it'd matter if she got proper representation or not, right?" the advocate looked downward, silently confirming the regent's suspicion. "Well they were wrong, Luna, as I'm sure you see by now. This is much more complicated than just some raging warlord committing a crime. This is Xena, a friend and ally to the Amazons and the most important person in Gabrielle's life. She deserves every chance we can give her. If you can't handle the challenge then I'll suspend this hearing until we can find someone who can."
"I can handle it." the advocate replied. "Xena's not much help, you know. She barely answers the questions I put forth to her and when she does it's with one or two word answers. You know her, what can you tell me that will help?"
Gabrielle went to Saras' hut to get something for her pounding headache and was surprised not to find Eponin there. "Where is she?" she asked the grey haired healer.
"She went to the training grounds. Be back soon, I imagine. Even with the crutches, I don't think she can stand to be up too long."
"Thank you." the bard said, turning and leaving, her reason for being there forgotten.
She found Eponin leaning against the wooden fence of the training grounds watching a group of young girls practicing with staffs. Their lesson had ended a few moments ago but the enthusiastic youths were still hanging around trying to master their newly taught moves. "How are they?" the bard asked, leaning up on the fence next to the stocky Amazon.
"Not bad, Arissa is a good teacher. They don't pick it up as quickly as you did, but they're still young, they have plenty of time to learn." she replied.
"Hmm." they continued to watch as two girls no more than ten summers old practiced twirling the long staffs around their bodies. Eponin's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Wait." she called out, stopping them. She put the crutches under her arms and worked her way out to them. "You have to concentrate on how you hold your staff just as much as how you move it. Look you have a death grip on it. How can you use it as an extension of your body if you're holding it as though it were a wiggling eel? You have to hold it loosely in your hands, tight enough to control it but not so much that you can't move it freely." she balanced herself enough to release her grip from one crutch and reached out for the staff. The young girl handed it over to the older woman quickly, grateful for the extra lessons. Eponin twirled the staff effortlessly through her fingers. She showed them the proper way to hold it. "Like this " she changed the way she gripped it. " not like this. Try again." she handed it back and returned her grip to the crutch as she watched them repeat their motions, this time using the lesson learned from her. Gabrielle came up behind her and put her hand on the stocky Amazon's shoulder.
"You do that very well. You have a lot of patience when you're teaching, you know that?"
"They already have an instructor, Gabrielle. Besides, I can't teach them if I can't walk." she said sourly.
"Of course you can, you just did. Look at them, Ep. They're eager to learn."
"Like you were." she remembered. Eponin soon found herself surrounded by a half dozen young girls, all enthusiastically waiting for her to teach them another lesson. Gabrielle quietly slipped back out of the way and was quickly forgotten by the warrior as she concentrated on her new pupils. By the time Eponin looked for her, the young queen was long gone.
Despite her actions at the hearing, Gabrielle still found herself unable to approach Xena privately and retreated instead to her hut. She laid on her bed, absently stroking her wooden lamb and trying to think of what she'd have to say on the stand when she was called. She saw Symra in action against Ephiny and knew that she'd have her hands full when she finally had to speak about what happened. She went over all the possible questions in her mind and the answers that would inflict the least amount of damage to Xena's case. She was grateful that her face bore no more than the faintest tinge of bruises and those could only be seen from close up. That would help her to try and minimize the extent of injuries she'd received. She also thought about Luna and her style of defense. Gabrielle knew exactly what questions she wanted the brown haired advocate to ask in order for her to put Xena in the best possible light. Her green eyes lit up with an idea and she jumped off her bed and headed for the small table, reaching for a blank scroll and her quill as she did so. If Luna didn't know the right questions to ask, then she'd just have to supply her with them. Gabrielle lit several candles, giving herself plenty of light to complete her task. The candlemarks sailed by as she wrote question after question down, all designed to paint a picture of the Xena she knew and loved.