Path of Forgiveness

[ A/N: I finished the story, finally. Though I'm on crap dial up right now so I don't know how long its gonna be until the whole thing is posted ]

CHAPTER SIX - THE FIRST PUZZLE PIECES

I was awoken roughly when someone grabbed a hold of my arm, practically ripping it out of its socket. I let out a yelp as my vision went white from the pain. I was being taken somewhere, of that I was sure of. When my vision cleared I realized I was being dragged by two Roman soldiers out of the tent and into the middle of their camp.

“What are you doing?! Let me go!”

I could see from the corner of my eye the General laughing as I was dragged up a platform. “Relax. You’re being put on display, I’m sure it will anger the Queen and your mother enough, to see you tied up there... stripped of all your dignity.”

He laughed again, and I felt a sinking fear settle in my stomach as I was forced onto the platform, and tied to the plank that was erected from it. “No!” I screamed, as my hands and feet were bound tightly against it, rubbing my wrists even more raw.

He took one last look at me before turning to his men. “Strip her.”

“No!” I screamed again, though I knew it was futile. I fought as hard as I could against the soldiers rough hands as they tore my clothes from my body. Tears fell from my eyes out of shame as I stood there, my naked form on display for all of the soldiers. I tensed my lips and looked away from them, my eyes burning and my throat closing from anger.

“Don’t touch me!” I barked at a soldier, who was smirking at me as he raised his hands to touch one of my breasts.

But before his hand could reach my skin, there was a whooshing sound before suddenly the hand that was about to touch me was no longer there. The man stumbled back, screaming in agony at his lost limb. Blood had splashed itself onto my skin, and I tried to hold back my nausea.

A war cry filled the air as the soldiers rushed to form their defense as hundreds of Amazons burst into the camp, being led by the Warrior Princess herself, Xena. Following her was a blonde woman, my mother maybe? Next to her was the Queen herself, though I did not recognize her. She seemed mildly familiar, all of them did, but I still did not understand why me being tied her would anger her of all people.

The two armies stood across from each other, prepared for each commander to give their orders. I was more aware of my nakedness now in the eerie silence. Most of the Amazons eyes were on me, and my face flushed in embarrassment.

The Roman General smiled as he addressed Xena. “Good of you to finally join us, Xena.”

Xena had her teeth bared at him, and growled under her breath as she flickered her eyes in my direction. “You dare....”

“To publicly degrade your daughter? Yes, believe I do dare.”

My face registered in shock. Her daughter? Me? The daughter of the legendary Xena... the Warrior Princess? That couldn’t be right. She couldn’t be more than ten years older than myself. How can that be possible?

“You forfeited your life mearly by taking her, now you forfeit a quick death,” she growled as she unsheathed her sword and pointed it at him.

“If that’s what you think,” he said as he laughed. Then he turned to his troops, “Attack!”

The battle broke out in a flash. Swords were clashing everywhere as the Amazons and the Romans mixed to become one. Xena... my mother... was fighting the General, anger overtaking her face as she furiously fought to over power him. I watched the battle from my post, only shortly being distracted by a hand on my arm.

“Eve!” the blonde woman said, as she started to cut me free. Was that my name? Eve?

I looked at her, I didn’t know what to say, I didn’t even remember who she was, though she clearly knew me. As she cut my bounds she took my hand. “Eve, come on!”

“What...?” I asked, though I wasn’t sure of the question. The blondes eyebrows knitted in worry as she looked at me, she could tell something was wrong.

“Come on,” she said again, and I had no choice but to follow. She took me to a tent, and wrapped my naked form in a blanket. “Are you okay?” she asked.

“I...”

“Eve?” She took my face in her hands and looked me in the eyes. “Eve, what’s wrong?”

“I don’t remember.” I said.

“You don’t remember what’s wrong?” She asked, confused. I could hear the battle raging outside.

“I don’t remember... anything.” I said finally, looking away. It shamed me to have lost my memory.

“You...?” She looked at me in bewilderment, and then shook her head to clear it. “Okay, we’ll deal with that when we get back to the Amazon camp. But right now I promised your Mother that I would get you out of here.”

She took my hand again to lead me out of there, but I stayed where I was. She looked back at me, into my eyes. “Eve... I’m your Mother’s best friend. I promise nothing will happen to you.”

I looked back at her, searching her eyes for some sort of answer. I could tell she was sincere, but I was still afraid. But I knew I would be safer with her, with someone who knew me, rather than here or anywhere else. I nodded shortly, and followed her out of the tent.

As I exited the tent behind the blonde woman, I could see Xena’s anger blocking out her ability to fight rationally, and the General got the upper hand for a split second, knocking her backwards into a tree. I knew Xena’s reputation as a fighter, though I didn’t understand why I remembered that and not that she was my mother. But I knew that she would still defeat him, regardless. But the Queen stepped in when she saw Xena fall back, and in her blind rage, screaming, she took out one soldier and ran at him, her sword swinging down with such force that I knew the General had no chance because his focus was all on Xena. And in one swift blow, his head was disconnected from his body, flying across the clearing like nothing more than a child’s toy ball.

There was a silence as the battle stopped, and all eyes were on the Queen, her breathing heavy as she held her bloody sword. Xena looked at her in amazement, or maybe it was in disbelief that she took her kill. Either way, the battle had ended, and the Romans were defeated... for now.

As the Amazons rounded up the defeated soldiers, Xena ran over to me, wrapping her arms around my body. I tensed, and she could feel it.

She stepped back with her hands on my arms and looked at me quizzically, “Eve, honey, are you alright?”

“Xena...” the blonde woman said, putting her hand on Xena’s arm. “She doesn’t remember a thing.”

“What?” Xena said breathlessly, as her eyes searched mine. She looked back at the blonde woman, “Gabrielle, how could this have happened?”

“Must have been the blow to her head,” Gabrielle said as she touched the back of my skull. I winced in pain.

“Sorry,” she said, as she withdrew her hand.

Xena looked at me for a long time, with a hint of sadness behind her eyes before looking back at Gabrielle. “Lets take her back to the Amazon camp.... we’ll figure out how to get her memory back there.”

TBC....