Eternal Spirit

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Disclaimers: Xena Warrior Princess, its characters, and all related materials are the property of MCA/Universal and Renaissance Pictures. The other characters were created by me. No copyrights were harmed during the production of this non-profit fan fic.

Subtext: This story is based on the principle of two women in love. I do not have any graphic or explicit scenes but the theme of their relationship is current throughout the story. If this type of relationship bothers or offends you then I suggest you go elsewhere and come back when you have an open mind.

Violence: There is reference to sexual violence. There is nothing explicit or graphic in any way. This story does contain scenes of violence and/or aftermath.

This is my first attempt at writing not only fan fiction but a story so any comments you have are greatly appreciated. Please be gentle >=) Email: TexasBard24@aol.com (Please note: my email address used to be XenaFan22@aol.com. I no longer have this account so any of you that were on my mailing list for new updates you will need to re-email me as I no longer have your addresses.)

Eternal Spirit

Part 1
Written By: M.E. Joseph

The restless warrior eyed the bard who was sleeping safely within her loving embrace. She gently brushed the loose strands of blonde hair, still dampened with sweat from the last nightmare, from the bards' face. Beams of moonlight radiated through the window and danced upon the purple patches around her eyes. For a brief moment she seemed peaceful. The bard stirred slightly. Her body tensed and faint whimpers escaped her breath. "Shhh Gabrielle, it's alright," Xena whispered as she rocked her gently. The motion appeared to soothe her back into a contented sleep.

The bard had remained silent for four days, the only words spoken were those during the nightmares that plagued her. That day was still painfully fresh in Xena’s mind.

They had decided to visit with the Amazons for a few days after they received word of the death of one of the Queen’s sisters, Rajiah. Gabrielle needed to be there for her tribe and for the Amazon burial ceremony. After a long day came to an end, Gabrielle looked forward to the comfort of her lover’s embrace as they settled down for the night.

"If only I stayed holding you in my arms…" Xena’s voice trailed off as she looked warmly at her lover. She traced her finger lightly over the dark bruises that still dwelled on Gabrielle’s face.

Xena had awoken before Gabrielle, as she usually did. She saw how content she was sleeping and knew this was rest very much needed. To not disturb her, she very carefully slid her arm free from under her partner's head and quietly put on her armor. She bent down and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead and headed for the stables. She took advantage of this free time to take Argo for a hard ride. The mare had been lacking proper exercise for weeks now.

Xena shut her eyes tightly hoping it would push the thoughts of that day back. She can still hear sounds of a battle, swords clashing at each other, Amazons shouting. She released a deep breath, dropped her gaze to the rise and fall of Gabrielle’s chest, and concentrated on the sounds of her shallow breathing.

Xena had stopped by the lake so the mare could replenish with a cold drink. "That was quite a ride we had girl," Xena grinned at Argo patting her on the top of her head. The horse whinnied in response. Xena smiled. “I’ve missed you too girl.” A sudden outburst of sound caught her attention. She looked in the direction of the village alarmed. “That’s coming from the village. What in the name of the gods is going on?” Without a second thought she quickly mounted Argo and broke into a full cantor towards the village. "Ya Argo, faster girl!"

Xena took in the scene before her as she approached the village. “What is going on here?” She took note that the Amazons were outnumbered 3 to 1. She scanned the grounds for any sign of Gabrielle. A voice came from behind her.

“Easy pickings.” The man finished with a laugh.

Xena turned abruptly and faced him anger surging through her.

“Xe...Xen…Xena…” The soldier stuttered foolishly as he realized the identity of the warrior before him. An intense fear washed over him quickly replacing the smirk on his face.

The warrior shook her head at the soldier. In an instant she covered the gap between them and struck him in the back of the head with a forceful kick. She looked down at the hurt soldier, her face wrinkling in disgust. He raised his hands above his head in a pathetic attempt to block the blow Xena was about to deliver. “Please…spare me.” He mumbled helplessly like a child.

A tattoo of a snake branded on his hand caught her attention. Sudden acknowledgement flooded her face. Her eyes narrowed coldly and a hushed word escaped her lips. "Draden." She turned to the soldier hatred glimmering in her eyes. “Heeyah!” She kicked the soldier unconscious across the face breaking his jaw. “Gabrielle…” She began calling out her name. A familiar cry caught her attention. To her left she saw Ephiny pinned down by a soldier and his sword about to pierce her. "Heeyah!" She took a few steps towards the soldier and back-flipped knocking the sword from his hand. Then with the quick motion of her legs, she locked them around his neck and with a swift twist; the soldier fell lifeless to the ground. "Eph, are you all right?" Her trained eyes scanned the Regent for any injuries.

"Xena…he…took...her" her breath very faint. She struggled to speak. "Gabrielle…I tried to stop him…there were so many men...I…I…" losing her breath she fell to the ground tears streaming down her face.

Xena’s eyes grew dangerously cold. Her voice raged above the battle sounds "DRADEN!"

He came up to the top of the rise on horseback. A man with quite a large stature and dark brown hair that fell just above his rugged shoulders smiled heartlessly down at the warrior. Black metallic armor embraced him. His eyes, a piercing cold shade of blue, were slim and narrow. He bore a scar, about 2 inches long and ½ inch thick, just below his left eye. He grinned evilly, calling out to his men, "Retreat!" His men fled so quickly they seemed to almost disappear from the battleground. He looked at Xena, a cold smile playing upon his lips. "Do I have something precious of yours, Warrior Princess?" his laughter echoing as he rode off.

Xena rubbed her temples in an effort to stop the throbbing pain in her head. She could still feel the rage within her. Her eyes dropped down to Gabrielle’s face examining her expression intently. She brought her hand to Gabrielle’s face and caressed her cheeks softly. "Yes, very precious indeed," she thought to herself trying to hold back the tears. She pulled the bard closer to her tightening her arms around her. "I love you Gabrielle," she whispered into the sleeping bard’s ear. One silent tear found its way down Xena’s cheek.

Continued In Part 2