Path of Forgiveness
folder
S through Z › Xena
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
19
Views:
3,347
Reviews:
8
Recommended:
1
Currently Reading:
1
Category:
S through Z › Xena
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
19
Views:
3,347
Reviews:
8
Recommended:
1
Currently Reading:
1
Disclaimer:
I do not own Xena, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
Forgotten Memories
[ A/N: I suck, I know. It's been like, a year. I'm gonna try to finish up some of my unfinished storied though. But I'm not going to make any promises. ]
CHAPTER FIVE - FORGOTTEN MEMORIES
“How could we have let this happen?!” Xena bellowed to the Amazons around her, slamming her fist against the table, making it splinter underneath her strength. Gabrielle put a hand on her shoulder, wether to calm her or support her was unknown.
Varia sat at the head of the table, her head in her hands, rubbing her temples from the first signs of a migraine. “They called a retreat, I thought it was because of us, not because they had taken her.”
“They have my daughter, and we’re going to get her back.”
“We will. We just need to regroup, a lot of my sisters were hurt in this battle. The Roman’s are tough, but we are ultimately stronger.” Varia replied, taking her head out her hands and looking at Xena with determination. But it faltered as she went on, “I just don’t understand why she was even there in the first place. She’s a liability now, she should have never come along.”
Xena glared at her, “She was there for you, Varia.”
“For me?! Look I understand her wanting to help and all but for her to carelessly run into battle unprepared and unwilling to even lift a weapon–“
“DO NOT CALL EVE CARELESS! SHE’S TEN TIMES –“
“Xena,” Gabrielle said, holding her back from advancing on Varia. “This is going to get us no where, just let it go, we’ll deal with this later. Right now let’s just get Eve back.” She turned her head to look at Varia, “And you... you need to open your eyes a little wider, and realize what someone is willing to sacrifice for you. Stop being so thickheaded and stubborn.”
Varia opened her mouth as if to retort, but thought better of it and closed it again as she sighed and crossed her arms across her chest. Xena looked around at everyone, tightlipped, and said calmly. “You all have two hours to get prepared. If not, I’m going in alone.”
“Xena...” Gabrielle started, but Xena turned and left the hut without a word. The Romans weren’t going to take her daughter from her... again.
**********
The room was fuzzy, and my head was pounding like the steady beat of a war drum in my temples. I realized I only had one eye open, but when I tried to open the other I found it difficult. It seemed like it was stuck together. Groaning in pain, I rolled my head back only to have it connect with a stone wall. More pain shot through my head like a lightning bolt, and I opened my other eye out of shock. I could feel it ripping as I opened it, and I knew it was coated with dry blood. What had happened? Where am I?
I seemed to be in some sort of tent filled with many different sized crates. My head felt like it was splitting open from the contact with the wall, but in the distance I could faintly hear voices. I closed my eyes and tried to remember what the last thing I did was. Everything seemed fuzzy and confusing and I couldn’t focus on one real memory. It seemed as if my brain had just been wiped clean.
Of course that was impossible. And I still remembered all the necessary things; how to mend clothes, how to fight, how to cook. But... I couldn’t seem to remember who I was, or what I was doing here, or who anybody was. That realization hit me all of a sudden, and fear gripped my chest tightly. I needed to get out of here, wherever I was.
I tried to stand but found my arms and legs bound. Well, that’s just great. Now what was I supposed to do? Who in the name of Eli did I make so angry that they would tie me up and leave me here to starve to death?
Almost as if to answer my question, the tent opened and in came a Roman General. I coughed a little and spit out some blood onto the ground, and the man threw back his head and laughed. My eyes lifted to connect with his, and I glared.
“Well well well...” he said smugly, looking at my beaten form beneath him. “I see you’ve awaken.”
“Obviously,” I said dryly as I tried to shift my weight so the way I was sitting wasn’t so uncomfortable.
“I suspect the Amazons are planning a rescue mission for you right now as we speak. This time, we’ll be prepared, none will leave here alive.”
My eyebrows knitted in confusement. “The Amazons?” I couldn’t remember what I had to do with the Amazons. Was I one of them? Judging by my outfit, I didn’t think I was.
He went on, not realizing how confused I was. “They might have Xena on their side, but she is just one woman, and Ares has prepared us on how to deal with her. He said taking you would be just the way to make her blood boil, and we’re counting on it.”
My head was spinning. Xena? As in the Warrior Princess? Why would she care about me? This was starting to make less and less sense, and here I thought this man might be able to give me some answers.
So many questions were on the tip of my tongue, but I kept them to myself. I was already a prisoner for whatever reason, and the last thing I needed to do was give them more leverage against me by knowing my memory had decided to split on me. So instead I opted to stay quiet and just glare at him.
The General laughed, and started to head out of the tent. “I’m sure it won’t be long now, Princess. And when your mother and friends are dead, I’ll be sure to execute you as well so you don’t have to live with the pain of losing them. I’m forgiving, I know.” He turned and left the tent, his laugh fading away in the distance.
My mother? Who’s my mother? And why is she with Xena and the Amazons? More and more I was starting to realize how very weird my life must have been. Here was I was assuming I was just a villager, and now it seems I’m some sort of... well, actually I’m not sure of what I was yet.
I had no choice but to just sit and wait for the Amazons arrival.
*******
Two hours had passed, and Xena marched up to the Meeting Hut in a wave of determination, opening the door and strolling in without missing a stride. Varia looked up from her conversation with another Amazon just as Xena said, “Are we ready?”
Varia gave a short nod and took in a deep breath. “Yes, everyone who is joining us is gathering their weapons and then we’ll be on our way. Do you have a plan?”
“They’re expecting us, and they know we know that. They’re going to be expecting something sneaky, so I say we give them a full frontal attack.” Xena replied as she fingered her Chakram on her waist delicately.
“They won’t be expecting that,” Varia agreed. “Alright, we’ll give a full frontal attack. You’ll lead?”
“Yes.”
“Then there’s nothing left to do but get Eve back,” Varia replied as she picked up her sword and reached behind her to sheath it.
The two women walked out from the hut side by side, and Gabrielle looked up from the sharpening of her sais to address her friend. “It’s time?”
Xena nodded and Gabrielle rose, putting her sais back in her boots. She looked Xena in the eye and touched her shoulder, “Let’s get your daughter back then.”
TBC....
“How could we have let this happen?!” Xena bellowed to the Amazons around her, slamming her fist against the table, making it splinter underneath her strength. Gabrielle put a hand on her shoulder, wether to calm her or support her was unknown.
Varia sat at the head of the table, her head in her hands, rubbing her temples from the first signs of a migraine. “They called a retreat, I thought it was because of us, not because they had taken her.”
“They have my daughter, and we’re going to get her back.”
“We will. We just need to regroup, a lot of my sisters were hurt in this battle. The Roman’s are tough, but we are ultimately stronger.” Varia replied, taking her head out her hands and looking at Xena with determination. But it faltered as she went on, “I just don’t understand why she was even there in the first place. She’s a liability now, she should have never come along.”
Xena glared at her, “She was there for you, Varia.”
“For me?! Look I understand her wanting to help and all but for her to carelessly run into battle unprepared and unwilling to even lift a weapon–“
“DO NOT CALL EVE CARELESS! SHE’S TEN TIMES –“
“Xena,” Gabrielle said, holding her back from advancing on Varia. “This is going to get us no where, just let it go, we’ll deal with this later. Right now let’s just get Eve back.” She turned her head to look at Varia, “And you... you need to open your eyes a little wider, and realize what someone is willing to sacrifice for you. Stop being so thickheaded and stubborn.”
Varia opened her mouth as if to retort, but thought better of it and closed it again as she sighed and crossed her arms across her chest. Xena looked around at everyone, tightlipped, and said calmly. “You all have two hours to get prepared. If not, I’m going in alone.”
“Xena...” Gabrielle started, but Xena turned and left the hut without a word. The Romans weren’t going to take her daughter from her... again.
**********
The room was fuzzy, and my head was pounding like the steady beat of a war drum in my temples. I realized I only had one eye open, but when I tried to open the other I found it difficult. It seemed like it was stuck together. Groaning in pain, I rolled my head back only to have it connect with a stone wall. More pain shot through my head like a lightning bolt, and I opened my other eye out of shock. I could feel it ripping as I opened it, and I knew it was coated with dry blood. What had happened? Where am I?
I seemed to be in some sort of tent filled with many different sized crates. My head felt like it was splitting open from the contact with the wall, but in the distance I could faintly hear voices. I closed my eyes and tried to remember what the last thing I did was. Everything seemed fuzzy and confusing and I couldn’t focus on one real memory. It seemed as if my brain had just been wiped clean.
Of course that was impossible. And I still remembered all the necessary things; how to mend clothes, how to fight, how to cook. But... I couldn’t seem to remember who I was, or what I was doing here, or who anybody was. That realization hit me all of a sudden, and fear gripped my chest tightly. I needed to get out of here, wherever I was.
I tried to stand but found my arms and legs bound. Well, that’s just great. Now what was I supposed to do? Who in the name of Eli did I make so angry that they would tie me up and leave me here to starve to death?
Almost as if to answer my question, the tent opened and in came a Roman General. I coughed a little and spit out some blood onto the ground, and the man threw back his head and laughed. My eyes lifted to connect with his, and I glared.
“Well well well...” he said smugly, looking at my beaten form beneath him. “I see you’ve awaken.”
“Obviously,” I said dryly as I tried to shift my weight so the way I was sitting wasn’t so uncomfortable.
“I suspect the Amazons are planning a rescue mission for you right now as we speak. This time, we’ll be prepared, none will leave here alive.”
My eyebrows knitted in confusement. “The Amazons?” I couldn’t remember what I had to do with the Amazons. Was I one of them? Judging by my outfit, I didn’t think I was.
He went on, not realizing how confused I was. “They might have Xena on their side, but she is just one woman, and Ares has prepared us on how to deal with her. He said taking you would be just the way to make her blood boil, and we’re counting on it.”
My head was spinning. Xena? As in the Warrior Princess? Why would she care about me? This was starting to make less and less sense, and here I thought this man might be able to give me some answers.
So many questions were on the tip of my tongue, but I kept them to myself. I was already a prisoner for whatever reason, and the last thing I needed to do was give them more leverage against me by knowing my memory had decided to split on me. So instead I opted to stay quiet and just glare at him.
The General laughed, and started to head out of the tent. “I’m sure it won’t be long now, Princess. And when your mother and friends are dead, I’ll be sure to execute you as well so you don’t have to live with the pain of losing them. I’m forgiving, I know.” He turned and left the tent, his laugh fading away in the distance.
My mother? Who’s my mother? And why is she with Xena and the Amazons? More and more I was starting to realize how very weird my life must have been. Here was I was assuming I was just a villager, and now it seems I’m some sort of... well, actually I’m not sure of what I was yet.
I had no choice but to just sit and wait for the Amazons arrival.
*******
Two hours had passed, and Xena marched up to the Meeting Hut in a wave of determination, opening the door and strolling in without missing a stride. Varia looked up from her conversation with another Amazon just as Xena said, “Are we ready?”
Varia gave a short nod and took in a deep breath. “Yes, everyone who is joining us is gathering their weapons and then we’ll be on our way. Do you have a plan?”
“They’re expecting us, and they know we know that. They’re going to be expecting something sneaky, so I say we give them a full frontal attack.” Xena replied as she fingered her Chakram on her waist delicately.
“They won’t be expecting that,” Varia agreed. “Alright, we’ll give a full frontal attack. You’ll lead?”
“Yes.”
“Then there’s nothing left to do but get Eve back,” Varia replied as she picked up her sword and reached behind her to sheath it.
The two women walked out from the hut side by side, and Gabrielle looked up from the sharpening of her sais to address her friend. “It’s time?”
Xena nodded and Gabrielle rose, putting her sais back in her boots. She looked Xena in the eye and touched her shoulder, “Let’s get your daughter back then.”
TBC....