~ Guess Who's For Dinner ~
by Katelin B.
Disclaimer: Okay? after 6 years and counting? you should know by now? not mine.. I wish!!! Farrah is my own though? just a cameo.
Character Death: Yep? somebody important to fanfic everywhere dies (kinda)? but don't worry.. this is the Xenaverse.. they don't stay dead long?.
Violence: Umm? not really. A burned finger, a burned hand, and flying amazons. It's complicated.
Sex: Nope? everybody's too upset? and then wayyyy too confused.
Notes: This story takes place immediately after Mirror Writing. It's the fifth installment in the What If? Series. You should probably read What If?, Little Surprises, Tender Moments and Mirror Writing first to understand this.
Comments as always can be sent to katelin_b@hotmail.com
What If: Part 5
"Dead? What do you mean, dead?!"
Gabrielle had turned pale and looked like she was going to faint. Tears of sorrow tracked down her cheeks at the Regent's news, matching Ephiny's own. Though it happened nearly two moons earlier, having to inform the bard of Solari's death brought the pain back full force.
"How?" Xena rasped, her own face pale. She wouldn't cry openly, as Gabrielle did, but the bard knew she would grieve for the death of her friend in private later. The warrior had felt that something wasn't right with the village since their arrival at the border, the guards being very formal and quiet with their friendly queen, but she hadn't expected this.
"A senseless accident," Eponin responded quietly, noticing Ephiny too busy comforting Gabrielle to answer, "She was out scouting for damage after that last big storm we had. She stepped on a branch that had been weakened by the winds. Farrah said it just snapped off under her weight."
Farrah was Eponin's second in command of the warriors, and Xena trusted her word. The dark warrior nodded grimly. "She will be missed."
Farrah had approached when she heard her name mentioned and laid a hand on Gabrielle's shoulder in support. "If it helps My Queen, please know that she didn't suffer." The stocky warrior meant well, and it touched Xena to know that she wished to ease the bard's pain.
She offered her arm to Farrah in thanks, and leaned forward when it was taken in a warrior's clasp, whispering; "I hope your blade ended it quickly for her." The words were just loud enough for Farrah to hear, but the smaller woman's shock only showed for a moment in ebony eyes before she nodded solemnly.
"Broken neck," the second whispered back, seeing Xena's eyes harden, "She wanted it this way."
"Thank you," Xena nodded, squeezing Farrah's arm a little tighter. She would probably have asked the same thing. Living without the use of your own body was a torment she wouldn't have wished on anyone.
By the time Farrah had moved off, Gabrielle had regained control of herself. She had already told Ephiny that their arrival wasn't a casual visit. Xena excused herself to tend to Argo, but promised to meet them in Ephiny's hut when she was finished. By the time she got through brushing and stabling her mount, the detailed explanation would be finished, and she could help in the planning of what to do?
A SHORT TIME LATER?
?"So after that it just stopped?" Ephiny was peering at the last story of the three, trying to understand what magic could have caused it.
"Yeah," Gabrielle nodded, and continued her pacing, anxious to see what they could come up with when Xena got back from the stable, "I've watched them every night, but nothing more since that story."
Ephiny brushed her fingers across the dry ink, finding it hard to believe that the words had just written themselves across the parchment. She found Solari's name among the words and traced the symbols, feeling a pang of loss, still very fresh in her heart. She only wished she had told the dark haired amazon how she felt about her, before it was too late; A regret that she would carry for the rest of her life.
The parchment warmed under her fingers, and Ephiny stilled, frowning down at the scroll. The heat surpassed her own, and she jerked her hand away with a startled cry, as it burned her fingertips.
"Ephiny!" Gabrielle rushed to her side as the Regent cradled her already blistering fingers to her chest and backed away from the scroll.
"Gabrielle," Ephiny whispered, a little frightfully, as black ink marks started to appear below the story, "You better get Xena in here."
The bard's eyes tracked where Ephiny was looking and she gulped audibly. "Oh, Gods, not again." A new story had begun?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
?Solari clutched tightly to Ephiny, cradling her scorched hand. Her owner had cried out in pain at the heat, just before her own hand burst into flame. Only the slave's quick thinking had helped, as she threw her cleaning rag over the burning flesh.
"What magic is this?" the bacchae hissed, her eyes glowing yellow with agony. Her entire body trembled from the shock and she sagged in Solari's arms. The slave had just finished telling her, what had been related by Gabrielle, when Ephiny decided to inspect the parchment for herself. But the moment she touched the parchment, it grew hot to the touch. Before she even had a chance to react, her hand was on fire.
"Ephiny, I'm sorry!" Solari sobbed, tears leaking down her face at the sight of her lover's charred hand. She kept reaching out, but drawing back, afraid to cause her owner more pain.
"It's not your fault, my little one," Ephiny forced herself to sound calm, despite the searing pain that shot up her arm, "Get mutton blood from the kitchen so I can soak the burn. Hurry now." Mutton was the most effective of animal blood for healing bacchae burns, though none of them, not even Baccus, Himself, knew why. But plenty of it was kept from the kitchen's slaughters, just in case of emergency.
"Yes, Ephiny," Solari whimpered, trying desperately to get herself under control. If her owner was so calm about things, surely she could stop crying long enough to fetch what she was commanded to. She kicked up dirt as she raced out of their chambers and down the corridor, not caring that she knocked over several slaves on her way, and a few lesser children of Baccus.
She stopped to catch her breath for just a moment at the door to the kitchens and held a hand out to steady the dizzy feeling that washed over her. "Oh, Gods," she gasped weakly as the world around her spun, "No. Ephiny needs?" A gust of wind through the normally still corridors, kicked up dirt, and knocked her to the ground; The little slave's last conscious thought, of Ephiny's burned hand, and the strange writing that detailed a mortal Ephiny, mourning her lost love?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
?A fierce wind kicked up the moment Gabrielle and Ephiny stepped out of the hut, blowing dirt and leaves across the village square. Women were looking around in confusion, some even running for cover, others drawing their weapons.
Shielding her eyes, Gabrielle looked toward the stable just in time to see Xena emerge from the doorway, sword in hand. "Xena!" she screamed, and started running. Surely the Gods were behind this, but Gabrielle didn't care, as long as she stood with Xena, everything would work out.
The bard was halfway across the square when a strong gust hit her from behind. Something heavy crashed against her, and Gabrielle went sprawling, dazed and coughing in the dirt. She groaned and tried to stand, but the heavy weight pinned her down.
"Gabrielle!" Xena bellowed, seeing the bard fall. The heavy object that hit her from behind solidified from a misshapen mass, into the form of a woman, limp and laying heavily across her back.
Just as quickly as the wind had risen, it died, leaving only scattered chairs and the unconscious form as evidence it had ever been. "Ugh," Gabrielle grunted, wiggling in the dirt and trying to get some leverage against what was holding her down.
Xena was by her side in an instant, along with several amazons, rushing to help their queen. Several had swords drawn as a few brave souls yanked the woman off Gabrielle and tossed her limp form roughly into the dirt. "Gabrielle, are you alright?" She helped the bard to her feet and checked her eyes for any sign of dizziness.
"I'm okay," she replied, dusting herself off. A collective gasp, followed by a few shocked curses, caught their attention, and both turned to where the amazons had surrounded the unconscious figure. A few steps, and the warrior and bard had pushed through the crowd to see what had shocked the nation.
Someone had turned her over, and brushed the long dark hair away from her face. What they saw was the last thing either of them expected. "By the Gods," Gabrielle whispered in awe, "Solari."
TBC?
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