Eternal Spirit

Free Web Hosting Provider - Web Hosting - E-commerce - High Speed Internet - Free Web Page

Eternal Spirit

Part 19

Gabrielle brought her horse to a sudden stop. She gripped her staff in one hand and looked around nervously. “Did you hear that girl?” She whispered softly to her mare. “I know I heard something.” She took a calming breath and listened intently for any sound. She heard nothing. The moon shed light on some trees and overhangs surrounding her. Everything seemed peaceful and undisturbed. She slowly dismounted her horse and brought her staff before her. “Who’s there?” The echo of her voice bounced back to her through the winds. “Show yourself!” Still she heard nothing. The winds blew through the trees lightly. The sound of the leaves rattling on the branches and sweeping across the fields calmed the Queen. She could almost feel a pair of eyes watching her. Taking in her every move, every thought, and every fear. She turned toward her horse and stroked her head. “Am I hearing things girl?” The horse softly whinnied. Gabrielle smiled warmly and mounted her mare. She loosened her grip on the staff and sighed heavily. “We better keep moving.” She nudged her horse forward.

The lake was now in view. Gabrielle held her horse in a full gallop until she reached the edge of the lake. She was close enough to see the wind play on the water in ripples. Tears choked up in her throat as memories came flooding back to her. Draden’s voice spoke the same words over and over again in her mind.

“Even death couldn’t free you…”

She shook the memory from her mind releasing a string of tears. The lake seemed so tranquil. The reflection of the moon could be seen in the water. The breeze blew small wrinkles across its calm surface. At that moment, an old memory found its way back to the Queen.

Xena turned her attention to Gabrielle. "See how calm the surface of the water is? That was me once. And then..." She throws a stone. "The water ripples and churns. That's what I became."

"But if we sit here long enough it will go back to being still again. It will go back to being calm."

"But the stone is still under there. It's now part of the lake. It may look as it did before, but it's forever changed."

Gabrielle wrapped her arms around herself and whispered aloud. “I know exactly what you meant now Xe. I know exactly what you meant.” The sound of a branch snapping pulled Gabrielle from her thoughts. With her staff in hand she turned abruptly around on guard. “Who’s there? I heard you. Show yourself you coward!” She took a few careful steps forward. She caught a glimpse of a something moving about 50 feet in front of her by a tree. “Who…” Hurried footsteps were heard from behind her and within seconds a gloved hand covered the Queen’s mouth and she was being dragged backwards. Once out of view the hand released the Queen and pushed her forward. Gabrielle caught her balance and turned to face her attacker.

“My you are looking well Amazon.” A smile formed on his lips.

The Queen’s eyes narrowed slightly both in anger and in fear. She refused to succumb to the memories that tried to surface. She would not lose control this time. Her face-hardened. “Where is she Draden?”

“She is alive. That is all you need to know right now.” He began to circle around the Queen his gaze boring into hers.

Gabrielle clenched her teeth her eyes not leaving his. “Tell me where she is now! I am not going to play games with you.”

The warlord chuckled. “Games? I don’t play games my dear Gabrielle.” The Queen shivered at the sound of those words bringing a satisfied smile to his face. “Do you really believe you have any power over me?” He stopped directly in front of her and challenged her stare.

Gabrielle took a few steps backwards. “Don’t let him see your fear.” She commanded herself silently. “What is it that you want Draden?”

Draden laughed coldly. He unsheathed his sword and back flipped landing beside a tree several feet away. He swung at a piece of dangling rope slicing it in half. Seconds later something wrapped in a blanket fell from the tree and hit the ground with a loud thud. Gabrielle studied the blanket closely and could see the form of a person beneath it. She concluded by the slight rising and dropping of the blanket that the person was still very much alive. “Serenity…”

“You want this useless waste come get her.” He kicked the figure beneath the blanket violently once and then took a couple steps back. He stared at the Queen who was unmoving. “No? Don’t want her? Well let me put her out of her misery then.” He took a step closer to the blanket and raised his sword above his head.

Gabrielle placed herself between the body and the warlord and used her staff to block the blow. “Not today Draden.” She felt fueled by a rage she has never felt before. Her body moved without effort as if it was moving on its own. She kicked him fiercely across the face and then in the chest with such force it knocked him over. She quickly dropped to the figure’s side and began unraveling the blanket. “Serenity can you hear me?” She finally detangled the blanket and discarded it. Her eyes widened in horror at the face of the body before her.

Continued In Part 20