Disclaimers in Part 1
Whew! Now, on to our story.....
4
The citizenry had banned together to fight the besieging army. After the city wall was breached, it seemed all was lost. But somehow, the citizens and the knights fighting for Lord Chrétien had prevailed. They had driven the foot soldiers and mercenaries from the city. Men, women, and even children of all classes had pitched in and rebuilt the breach in the wall. A strange sense of normalcy had pervaded the city; to an outsider, the only sense that the city was under the constant threat of imminent invasion and destruction was the sight of several large wooden catapults that stood near the city walls. A brigade had formed to ferry rocks and boulders to the "cats." Men and women alike took turns operating the machinery in an attempt to keep the French army at bay.
She made her way across the central market, her dark gray cloak wrapped about her body, the hood hiding her face from passers-by. She knew this was futile, as those not bent on their tasks invariably noticed her as she walked by and curtseyed or bowed in acknowledgement. She gritted her teeth and walked faster, cursing her height and the torches that surrounded the market. She was almost at the postern gate of the castle when she heard her name.
"My Lady-- N'Alexandra!"
She recognized the voice, stopped, and turned to see the city blacksmith walking hurriedly toward her. The muscular man stopped before her and bowed.
"Luc."
"Lady, I saw you at the city gates. I wanted a word, but you walk so quickly." The blacksmith grinned. "I know that you have business to attend to at the castle, but if I may--"
N'Alexandra nodded. "Yes, of course, Luc. Are the supplies adequate at the western gates? Are we in need of more men?"
"We're fine for the moment, Lady, but--"
The woman raised her hand, momentarily silencing him. "Luc, before you continue, I wanted to thank you. It's been chaotic for the past few weeks and I never had the opportunity to thank you for saving Na Gabrielle-- for helping her back to the castle. And for saving my life. I owe you a great debt. If there's anyth--"
"No, Lady. Your thanks is reward enough."
N'Alexandra gestured to the postern gate and they continued toward the castle.
"My Lady, is there news of Avignon? Have the French taken the city?"
"No news yet, but our sources believe that, like us, Avignon is still besieged."
"Does Lord Chrétien have plans to break the siege? Confront the army?"
"No, I don't believe so. The best option for us is to wait it out. Siege warfare is a game of patience, Luc. If we try to make a move against them, it will only give them another opportunity to breach the walls. We must wait it out, try to anticipate what they may do next, and stop it if we can."
The blacksmith nodded silently and followed as the tall woman headed to the castle gates. As they entered the castle and walked toward the Great Hall, Luc spoke once more. "Are you meeting with En Chrétien this evening, Lady? I'd like to volunteer-- to go into their camp or try to get information from Avignon."
N'Alexandra's eyebrow rose behind the hood which hid her face. She nodded softly, and raised her voice over the noise they encountered as they entered the Great Hall. "Yes, I'll see him later tonight and I'll let him know of your offer." She gestured toward the gathered multitude. "But for now, warm yourself, get some food, and rest, Luc. He'll speak to you later this evening."
---
1226 AD, Week 7 of the siege (Ormarc/Languedoc)
She leaned against the stone walls as she listened to Na Gabrielle's voice echo throughout the Great Hall. She let it roll through her frame, the meaning of the words lost for a moment as she took comfort in the pitch and undulation, the gentle rise and fall of sound. She closed her eyes and tried to memorize the gentle cadence, storing it in her memory as she had done for the past few weeks. She sighed, opened her eyes, and stared out at fire in the center of the Hall. Nobles and commoners alike crowded the room, silently listening as the noblewoman concluded her tale. She smiled as she recognized the story.
"As the battle ensued, Xena tried all she could to avoid the sword as she and her kinsmen fought against the warlords. With skill and bravery, the warrior knocked her enemies unconscious, aiding her allies without killing their foes. Her brother, seeing her tactics, cried out in frustration, 'Arm yourself, sister! Don't fight destiny!' Hearing this, Xena turned and witnessed the sight of her friend thrusting a knife into her former master. The warrior woman recalled the counsel of the Fates: spill as much as a drop of blood in rage and all would be undone. Her mind traveled back to all that she had seen: the joy-filled face of her brother, the tomb where her mother had lain, the presence of warlords that she had vanquished in another life, and the face of her friend twisted in hatred and bitterness. With a whispered goodbye to her brother, the warrior woman grabbed a sword and plunged it into her nearest foe. Suddenly, she was taken back to the battle by the Temple of the Fates. She turned to see the boy lunging for her. Instead of killing him, she grabbed him by his sword hand and threw him to the ground. Surprised, the boy looked upon Xena's face. The warrior said, 'Go, you have a second chance at life. Swear that you will not waste it by killing.' With that, the boy left and Xena turned to see her friend. In joy, the warrior woman grasped the bard to her and both turned from the Temple to continue their journeys."
Applause followed and Na Gabrielle bowed in acknowledgement. As she walked from the circle near the fire, her eyes scanned the Great Hall, stopping only when she caught sight of a figure near the Hall entrance. The tall woman pulled at the hood of her cloak and quickly glanced at the noblewoman walking towards her. Na Gabrielle stopped before the warrior, her fingers reaching for the hood.
N'Alexandra shook her head, taking the woman's hand from the edges of her cloak. She shifted the sword in her left hand, resting the length of the blade against her leg. She spoke gently. "Don't-- I'll scare the children."
Tears sprung into the noblewoman's eyes, her free hand tugging at the hood of the garment. Her fingers gently caressed the scar that ran the length of the left side of the warrior's face. "Alexandra--"
The warrior's eyes closed at the sound of Na Gabrielle's voice.
"My love-- Please don't hide your face from me. The only thing that frightens me is the thought of you not returning--"
"Gabrielle, it is what I am, what I do." The warrior opened her eyes. "I am a warrior. A soldier. Gabrielle, I cannot guarantee that--"
Na Gabrielle placed her fingers against N'Alexandra's lips. "I know, love. I know it is a selfish thing for me to wish-- to wish to grow old with you."
The warrior placed a gentle kiss against the tips of Na Gabrielle's fingers. "There is nothing more that I'd want than to grow old with you. But people in my line of work rarely have that luxury." She sighed and placed her forehead against the noblewoman's. "I--I shall endeavor to try and-- and fulfill that wish-- to return and grow old with you."
Tears fell freely from Na Gabrielle's eyes as their lips met in a soft kiss.
The warrior broke the kiss and her fingers lingered against the noblewoman's cheek as she closed her eyes. She spoke softly. "I've written something. I-- It--It's-- It's not very good, but--"
Na Gabrielle smiled and gently kissed the warrior's closed eyelids. "Whisper it, so that it may ring loudly in my heart, my love."
N'Alexandra drew a soft breath and turned her head to whisper into the woman's ear. " 'The dawn comes. The watchman calls. My heart breaks for I must leave your arms. The lark sings and soon--' " She let out a small frustrated sigh and opened her eyes. "I'm-- I'm terrible at this. I'd never be a decent troubadour."
Na Gabrielle laughed softly. "It's a good start considering you've never composed an alba before." Her fingers gently caressed the warrior's scarred face. "And you would choose a time like this to finally take up poetry."
"When all of this is behind us, I shall compose a thousand albas dedicated to you. I may even sing a few."
The noblewoman smiled softly as she moved from the warrior's embrace. "See that you do return to me N'Alexandra d'Ormarc, if only to afford me the chance to help you improve your poetic skills. It will be another addition to the many that you already possess."
She glanced toward the Great Hall. A small group crowded around the large fire pit at the center of the hall, while others carried blankets and food from nearby storage rooms to other areas of the castle. "Are you on watch tonight?"
The dark haired woman shook her head. "No. It seems that someone convinced En Chrétien that I needed a few days rest before I try to take on the French army single-handedly." She smiled softly. "I tried to persuade him to the contrary, but--"
Na Gabrielle placed a gentle finger against the warrior's lips as she turned to face her. "Well, if Father has suggested you rest, I insist that you take his advice. Here--" She took N'Alexandra's hand into her own as they slowly walked through the large doorway. "At least let me take you to a quieter room and a proper bed."
---
"You've never told me why--"
"Hmm?"
"That tale-- the one about Xena being shown another path, another life--"
Na Gabrielle raised her head from the warrior's shoulder. She placed her head against her own arm while her other hand played against the woman's collarbone, her fingers lightly brushing against bare skin. "What about the story?"
"Why? Why did Xena choose to go back -- to become a warrior again? Surely she would have accomplished more -- would have served the greater good--" N'Alexandra blew out a breath of frustration, opened her eyes, and stared at the flickering shadows against the ceiling.
Na Gabrielle pulled a blanket against her naked form and sat up. She ran a hand through her reddish blonde locks and turned to gaze at the reclining figure beside her. "Maybe Xena realized that although the life she led as a warrior had caused sorrow and pain, there was also a purpose in it. There was a reason why the Fates blessed her with the vision of what the world would have been had she not taken the sword. Both lives had their share of pain and regret, but. . . . Perhaps Xena realized that the greater good would better be served if she were a warrior, rather than an--"
Silence filled the room as Na Gabrielle watched the woman fall into a deep, dreamless sleep.
---
The sky was dark when Na Gabrielle awoke. The bed was empty. She looked up to find the warrior-- her hair spilling over her shoulders, dressed in a long white shirt and leather breeches-- standing by the window. The woman was staring out at the view of the surrounding valley--the campfires from the invading army twinkling like a swath of stars in the black night. The noblewoman rose from the bed, walked to where the warrior stood, wrapped her arms around the woman's waist, and buried her face against the cotton shirt.
"It's still dark, my love." She placed a soft kiss against the woman's shoulder. "Come back to bed."
The woman continued to stare out the window. "It will be light soon. The army will be on the march. We both know that I will leave with Peter and Luc in a few days. Try to get some sleep, Gabrielle. We both have duties to perform come daybreak. En Ezra and the others will need your help. As much as I--" She turned to face the noblewoman and gasped. "Gabrielle! You're-- you're--"
The noblewoman pulled away from the woman, a smile crossing her own face at the surprised look that etched across the warrior's features. "I'm what, my love?"
An eyebrow rose skyward. "You'll catch your death of cold." The warrior moved from the window, grabbed a blanket from the bed, and wrapped it about the woman's nude form. "There, much better."
A smirk crept across Na Gabrielle's face as she pulled the blanket tighter around her body, "That's only a matter of opinion, Alexandra." She sighed softly as the woman drew her into a hug. She felt a soft kiss against her hair. She spoke into N' Alexandra's shoulder. "Is there any chance that I can convince you to come back to bed with me?"
"Hmm." The warrior placed a hand against the noblewoman's chin, gently lifting it so their eyes would meet. "And what form of incentive shall my Lady provide?"
Na Gabrielle laughed softly and pulled the woman's face toward her own. Minutes passed and she moved from N'Alexandra's embrace. "Well?"
A mischievous grin appeared on the warrior's face. Before she could reply, Na Gabrielle spoke a hint of merriment in her voice. "Don't you dare mock me, Alexandra. You know very well that I can order you to--"
"Order me, eh?" The taller woman pulled the blanket from Na Gabrielle, lifted the squirming woman into her arms, walked across the room, and dumped the noblewoman unceremoniously onto the bed. She stood by the bedside and made a sweeping bow toward the naked woman who lay sprawled on the bed. She winked at her and stood at attention. "I am at your command, my Lady." she said in a half-joking tone. "Orders?"
Laughing heartily, Na Gabrielle grabbed the front of the warrior's long shirt and pulled her into the bed.
---
The day passed and both women found themselves in front of the cathedral. Its grand spires reached out into the night sky and emulated the sharp crags of the nearby mountains. It was empty and they passed through the massive doors into the sacred space. Torches illuminated the interior of the church and as they walked in silence, their footsteps echoed throughout the building and they cast large shadows against the stone walls. They stopped before the central nave.
"Father's great- grandfather built this cathedral, Alexandra. It was to commemorate the birth of his son. Grandfather celebrated his marriage here and the baptism of his own son. My father was married here, and celebrated Erec's baptism and mine too." She turned around, staring at the aisle wistfully, her eyes filling with tears. "Erec was married here and little Chrétien had his baptism here. Mother's funeral, Ghislane's funeral, Erec's --"
N'Alexandra gently drew Na Gabrielle into a hug. "I remember. He would be proud of you, Gabrielle. Ghislane too. They would be proud -- knowing that you're raising their son with such love. Your mother would be proud because you're running your father's house with such skill --that you honor all of them in your memory."
"Do you think that we'll survive this, Alexandra? That someday we'll see my nephew celebrate his own marriage here?"
The warrior placed a kiss against the shorter woman's hair as she stared at the stone columns. "I hope so, Gabrielle. I promise that I will try my best to make that happen."