~ Little Bard ~
by Stardawn

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

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Xena let out a soft grunt as she claimed one of the barstools in the inn's common room. Syrus immediately acknowledged her by putting down the cup he'd been polishing and crossing over to her.

"What can I get for you?" he offered.

"Got anything strong enough to make me forget the last week or so?"

Syrus chucked, reaching under the bar and pulling out a bottle of clear liquid. He poured the warrior a small glass, and slid it in front of her. Xena didn't even blink as she picked up the glass and quickly downed it in one gulp. She then banged the glass back down on the bar and raised a single eyebrow, indicating that she wanted another.

The inn-keeper obliged, filling the glass, and watching her down it as quickly as the first. "Little one giving you a hard time?"

"You have no idea," Xena answered with a frown.

"You'd be surprised," Syrus commented. "I remember drowning my sorrows a time or two after having to discipline of one my sons. It's the hardest thing a parent has to do."

"I wasn't aware you had children."

"Aye, three boys. All grown and gone now, though. Two oldest married and have settled with families of their own, my youngest is a captain in the Athenian Army," Syrus replied proudly.

"I'd drink a toast to them, but I think I've had enough," Xena grimaced, feeling effects of the alcohol suddenly making her head buzz.

"It's good stuff, yeah?" Syrus grinned.

"Yeah," Xena echoed, her eyes traveling down to the empty glass on the bar. She ran her finger around the rim for a moment before looking back up at the inn-keeper. "Syrus, do you mind if I ask you a question?"

Syrus gave a slight nod, waiting for her to continue.

"When your sons were growing up, did they ever seem to act younger than their age?"

The inn-keeper blinked, and then couldn't help suppress a chuckle. "That's what children do. They always want to be older or younger than they really are."

"Yes, but how do you deal with it? When they are little and keep getting into trouble because they think they are older? Or the opposite, when they are older, but keep getting tripped up because of the emotional immaturity holds them back from acting their age?"

Syrus frowned. "It's not easy. My advice, be supportive and consistent. You need to set clear rules, and have consequences when she breaks them."

It was then Xena's turn to frown. "That may work for other children, but Gabrielle isn't a normal child."

"Every child is different, but trust me, she need you to set boundaries for her, or else she's going to end up getting hurt."

Xena shook her head. She knew that Syrus was right; with normal children, this made sense, but with Gabrielle all the rules were different. Then again, she'd been trying to treat the bard like an adult, and so far that hadn't been very effective. Maybe Gabrielle was no different than any other child. After all, if she was thinking like one, and being impulsive like one, perhaps she was also in need of being disciplined like one. "Well, you've definitely given me something to think about, but I really should be getting back upstairs. Would you mind sending up a tray with dinner? I'm afraid if I leave Gabrielle too much longer, she'll find some sort of trouble."

"No doubt of that," Syrus responded with a slight chuckle.

Xena managed a half smile at the older man's amusement. "Oh, and no ale, just water, and some milk for my Gabrielle."

"Of course," Syrus responded.

Gabrielle sighed dramatically as Xena snapped her fingers and pointed back at the corner. The little bard's eyes reluctantly returned to the wall. She strained her ears as Xena answered the door and had a muffled conversation with a male, who Gabrielle realized must be Syrus. After a moment she heard a soft clinking as Xena put a tray, which hopefully contained dinner, down on the table. Her stomach agreed, for it rumbled as the pleasant smells assaulted her nostrils.

With a sigh on her breath and a pout on her lips, her eyes studied the place where the two walls met. She was bored, but she had no choice but to wait out the duration of her sentence. After a while though, her mind started to wander. She shifted uneasily from one foot to another. Truth be told, she felt rather silly, and a little bit embarrassed to be in her current position. Earlier, when Xena had returned to the room, the warrior had again asked her how she'd cut her hand. After the display that Xena made with the moving of staff before she left, Gabrielle realized that Xena was on to her. She knew that Gabrielle had moved it -used it - but didn't know the details. Unrelenting, she'd pressed the bard until Gabrielle had filled in the whole story, including how angry she'd been when she picked up her staff.

After the confession, Xena had really gotten upset. The bard physically winced at the memory of the recent lecture. It was rare when Xena yelled at her, and practically unheard of for the warrior to express how disappointed she was in the bard's actions. Every word that Xena said only caused Gabrielle to feel smaller and more ashamed of the way that she behaved. Xena's words were painful, but they were also true. She'd messed up big time, and there was no denying that it was all her fault. If she hadn't let her anger get the best of her, she wouldn't have picked up her staff and broken that pitcher. She wouldn't have cut her hand, and that wouldn't have led to the rest of the day's events.

Worse yet, as Xena poignantly pointed out, she not only lied to the warrior, by conveniently leaving out the details in her first recount, but also broken one of Xena's cardinal rules. She'd picked up a weapon, with the intention of using it, without being prepared to accept the consequences of that action. Gabrielle knew, the second she touched the staff, that in reality there was no way that she could yield it with any competence, but she'd done it anyways.

The lecture became a blur as Gabrielle's mind fixated on those two points. She hadn't considered either when the events happened, and like so many other things that transpired since she got her memories back, she realized that she'd been operating on impulse rather than logic.

Suddenly the lecture switched gears, and Gabrielle found herself refocused on Xena. The warrior started using phrases like 'things were going to change,' and words like 'responsible' and 'discipline.' The change made the bard rather uncomfortable, but before she had a chance to protest, Xena grabbed her by the arm and escorted her to an empty corner. Gabrielle objected, but Xena had made up her mind, telling her in no uncertain terms, to stay put. It was clear that the warrior was irritated and Gabrielle knew she had no choice but to obey. The sudden rough treatment, however, confused and upset Gabrielle. The night before the warrior had all but ignored her, but today was the total opposite. She wasn't sure why Xena had suddenly changed, and was treating her so dramatically different, even if she did deserve it.

Gabrielle was so focused on her thoughts that the sudden touch on her shoulder startled her. She instinctively looked up, seeing concern on Xena's face.

"You ok?" Xena asked. "I called and you didn't respond."

"Sorry, I was thinking."

"Good," Xena half joked. "Think you can behave long enough to eat dinner?"

Gabrielle scowled, but any protests were cut off by a loud growl coming from her stomach.

Xena smiled, and shook her head slightly. "C'mon then, we can finish talking while we eat."

Gabrielle quietly followed Xena over to the table, where the warrior had already set a bowl of stew out for her next to a large chunk of buttered bread. There was a glass of milk for her and a similar set up for the warrior. There was also a pillow sitting on the table, next to the tray that had been pushed over to the side.

Xena chuckled, seeing the perplexed look on Gabrielle's face. She took a seat and then grabbed the pillow, tossing it across the room, where it landed on the bed. "Syrus brought that up, as a courtesy for you. I believe he was under the impression that it might make your dinner a little more comfortable."

"Why would I need a pillow to be…?" Gabrielle started, her eyes suddenly getting wide as she realized the meaning of the symbol. "You mean he thinks that you… as if you would ever actually spank me."

Xena raised an eyebrow. "I would," she paused, chewing on a hunk of bread, "if I felt it was necessary."

Gabrielle frowned, and slid into the chair opposite of the warrior. She'd suddenly lost her appetite. It had been a long time since she needed to sit on a pillow at the dinner table. The next few minutes were long and a bit uncomfortable for both of them. Xena managed to eat, but Gabrielle just moved food around her bowl, not even attempting any of it.

"Are you upset with me?" Xena finally broke the silence. "Did I go too far?"

"I don't think you're supposed to ask me that. You're the adult, remember?"

Not at all liking the sarcasm dripping off the little bard, Xena narrowed her eyes. "It's not too late to put that pillow to good use."

Gabrielle shook her head slightly and returned her eyes to her bowl.

"You know Gabrielle, I'm really trying here. Last night you were upset because I didn't do anything, and then today you are upset because I did."

Gabrielle didn't respond for a long moment. Finally she pushed herself away from the table. "I'm not hungry anymore, I'm going to bed."

"Gabrielle…" Xena started as the bard turned away and headed for the bed. Not getting a response she tried a second time, "Gabrielle?" Ignored again, Xena pushed her own chair away and made her own trek across the room. She grabbed the little bard's arm and spun her around to face her. "Don't you walk away from me when I'm talking to you."

The little bard narrowed her eyes. "Or what, Xena? You gonna spank me? Last night you ignored me, turned away from me, but I'm not allowed to do the same? Tell me how that's fair."

The words stung like a slap in the face, making Xena frown as she loosened her grip on the bard's arm. "You're right. It's not fair. I shouldn't expect you to do something I can't do myself." The warrior then sat down on the bed. "C'mere," she invited, patting the space next to her gently. "I'm sorry, Gabrielle. I never meant to lose my temper with you."

Gabrielle sighed, sitting down next to her warrior. "I'm sorry too, Xena. And for the record, I'm much more upset with myself than I am with you."

"Where does that leave us then? Maybe I should have asked you this a while ago, but how do you want me to treat you, Gabrielle?"

"I want to you treat me like you always do."

Xena raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that how we got into this mess in the first place?"

Gabrielle rolled her eyes. "Silly isn't it? But I guess that's not exactly what I mean. I do want you to tell me about your plans, include me, and trust me participate, but there is a part of me that needs you to protect me. I know that I can defend myself, or at least I could… before, but when I'm with you, I feel safe. I like that feeling.

"It's more than just that, Xena. Sometimes like tonight, I needed someone who can also put me in my place. I hate to admit it, but when you get angry at me, when you yell at and lecture me, then I know that you care. It makes me feel loved."

"I wouldn't do it if I didn't care about you," Xena agreed as she gently tucked a stray strand of hair behind the bard's ear. "And you know, when I keep things from you, it's not because I don't trust you. There are just times when less information makes it safer for you. There are times when I still need to do things alone."

Gabrielle frowned. "I don't understand why you can't tell me. I hate just not knowing. What if you get hurt, or … or something happens? How can I find you, if I don't know where you went or what you are doing?"

Seeing the hurt and concern in the little bard's eyes, Xena relented. "I'll tell you what, let's make a deal. I'll promise to be more open with you if you can promise me two conditions."

"Ok…." Gabrielle slowly drew out.

"First, if I need you to stay somewhere, then you won't use the information I give you to follow me, or interfere," Xena paused waiting to get a nod from the little bard. "And second, if you do, then you have to be willing to accept the consequences of those actions."

"Consequences?" Gabrielle raised a questioning eyebrow. "Like spending time closely studying the place were two walls meet?"

Xena snorted, followed by a small chuckle. "Like that did you?"

"Not really," Gabrielle scowled.

"Good," Xena chastised. "And yes, that could entail studying the place were two walls meet, or even needing a pillow at the dinner table. It could even mean that I'll stop sharing the information with you."

Gabrielle's frown deepened. "Don't I get a say in it?"

"Gabrielle, I've learned a lot in these past few days, including that I'm not willing to take chances with your life. I won't negotiate this."

"This doesn't sound like a deal you'd make with another adult," Gabrielle griped.

"I'm not making this deal with another adult," Xena argued. "I'm making it with you. And just for the record, this has nothing to do with how tall you are. That's the good thing about corners, one-size fits all."

"Oh, well then what about you?" Gabrielle asked, with a sudden smirk. "What happens if you don't hold up your end? Can I make you stand in a corner too? I mean, if we are making an adult deal, then it's only fair there should be consequences for you too."

Xena raised an eyebrow. She wasn't sure she liked the wicked gleam in the little bard's eyes, but she could hardly argue the point. "Uh, I supposed that would only be fair."

"Swear?" the little bard asked.

"Yeah, I swear."

The little bard then spit on her hand and offered it to the warrior in a binding shake. Xena smirked and returned the gesture. Then, as if suddenly realizing what she did, Gabrielle pulled back, shaking her hand in disgust. "Gods, Xena that has got to be the grossest thing we've ever done."

"You started it," Xena accused.

"But I'm mentally impaired right now!"

That earned a hearty laugh from Xena, to which Gabrielle was unable to resist in joining in. "That did sound pretty silly, didn't it? Come on warrior, I'm starved. Let eat. After we wash our hands!"

"If you say so, my bard," Xena agreed with a chuckle.

"Morning, little one," Syrus greeted as Gabrielle made her way down the stairs. It was earlier than the bard had awoken the day before, but waking up to an empty room again had spurred her out of bed and in search of Xena.

"Hungry?" Syrus prompted. "I have some fresh honey-rolls."

"Sounds wonderful," Gabrielle responded, accepting the inn-keepers invitation and hopping up onto a bar stool.

"You seem to be in a good mood this morning. By the way you hopped up on that barstool, I guess your warrior wasn't too hard on you last night," Syrus gently probed.

Gabrielle couldn't help the blush on her cheeks or the slight squirm in her chair at the older man's innuendo. She wrinkled her nose. "I've had worse, but speaking of Xena. Do you know where she is?"

"Aye, she went looking for work. I told her it wasn't necessary, but she insists on paying for all the damage you caused yesterday."

"Oh," Gabrielle responded, with a frown. "Did she leave a message for me?"

"No, but I'm sure she'll be back soon."

Gabrielle nodded, "Maybe there is something I can do, to help with the debt? Some chores you need done? I know I look like a kid, but I can be helpful."

"That's kind of you to offer, but I think my wife would have my hide if I let you cause any more trouble," Syrus chuckled. "This time it's best to let the grown-ups handle this. After all, you're helping yesterday is reason why Xena is looking for work in the first place. You don't want to make it any harder than it needs to be."

The subtle chastise made Gabrielle's blood suddenly rush to her head. She quickly looked down; so that Syrus wouldn't see her cheeks flush. She was embarrassed, but the words also made her angry, and she was trying very hard to control her emotions.

"Hey, now you don't worry about any of that. I'm sure you paid your price last night. Let the adults handle it from here. Now, why don't I get you one of those honey-rolls? I'll be right back, ok?"

Gabrielle's cheeks continued to burn as gave him a short nod, but when he returned a couple of minutes later, the room was empty, and there was no sign of the little bard.

Once clear of the inn, Gabrielle ran. She didn't care about the direction; she just ran as fast and as hard as she could. She ran until her lungs threatened to burst, and her body forced her to slow. Even slower, she continued to move, staggering through a maze of trees, until her feet refused to take another step. Finally, she stumbled, tripping over protruding root and fell. She hissed in pain as the root grazed against her knee and scraped off the top layers of skin. Now sitting on the ground, she pulled the knee close to her chest, and began to gently rock herself as the tears welled to the surface.

She cried, letting herself go, and not noticing or caring about the passage of time. Everything from the last few days seemed to suddenly come to the surface, and her young mind was having trouble processing it all. The emotions were raw and too real, and try as she might, she couldn't control them. Through her tears she became angry. She was angry at being treated like a child, and being seen as if she wasn't good enough, or big enough, or old enough. The sobs turned into embarrassment, as she remembered how Syrus assumed that Xena disciplined her, and then the memories of getting stuck in the tree, and running away from Malissa as she let her fear get the best of her. The tears continued through the pain and the fear until it settled into a sense of hopelessness. The hopelessness was the worse, for she felt trapped, forever being seen as a child.

After a long time, the tears finally dried up. Gabrielle found herself just sitting and staring blankly off into the woods. She stared for a long time; she was numb, raw, and unable to bring up enough will to stand and head back. She could tell by the position of the sun that it was now past noon. Xena would have returned, and was probably looking for her. She knew that Xena would be angry, but the numbness prevailed, and at the moment she didn't care.

Gabrielle was brought out of her internal misery by the sudden snap of a twig. She froze, her instinct taking over. She half expected Xena to find her by now, but knew that the warrior would never signal her presence in such an overt fashion. Tuning her ears into her surroundings she listened for any other strange noises. Suddenly her blood ran cold as she picked up on another sound, the sound of a sword being removed from a sheath.

She tensed, ready to run, but her path was suddenly cut off by a man who stepped in front of her. She turned, to flee in the other direction, but was again cut off by a man who'd come up behind her. Before she could react the first man grabbed her, and although she struggled, she just wasn't strong enough to break free.

"Let me go! I don't have any money. I'm no use to you," Gabrielle cried.

The man holding her laughed, while the man she was facing only sneered. "That's where you are wrong," he said as he advanced toward her, leveling his sword at her throat. "You're Xena's brat. She'll pay handsomely to get you back."

The sword's presence forced Gabrielle to stop struggling, "She doesn't have any money either."

"I'm not interested in money. I want my brother back. I intend to trade you for Darnan's release."

Gabrielle's eyes flashed at the mention of the name. He was the leader of the group that Xena had captured a few days earlier. He was the one that had been shot with the arrow, and although Xena had ministered to his wounds she knew that he was still suffering with a fever from the ensuing infection.

Bringing her attention back to the men, Gabrielle started to feel a panic well up inside her. She took a measured breath, using a focusing technique that Xena had taught her, and was able to quell the fear enough to hide it. This wasn't the first time she'd been held hostage, and she knew the best way to escape was to remain calm. She either had to wait for an opportunity, or for Xena to figure out where she was. It was strange, but at the moment she realized that her best defense was to play up on the way she looked. These men never would expect that she was really an adult with years of fighting and strategy experience.

She was frightened, but in an odd way the situation was also very tempting. They really had no idea who or what they were dealing with. She forced her body to calm, as they secured her hands with a bit of rope, not even bothering to bind her very tightly. She hid a smirk, by biting her lip, for she knew that with a little effort she could free herself at any time.

"What do you mean she's gone?" Xena asked in a threatening tone. "Why, what happened?"

"I'm not really sure. She seemed upset that you were gone, but I'm sure she couldn't have gone far," Syrus explained, a bit nervous at the edge on the warrior's voice. "If you like I can assemble the boys, start a search party…"

"No," Xena cut him off. "I can find her. At least tell me she was wearing shoes."

After getting the affirmative from Syrus, and a better inkling of the conversation, which had apparently driven the bard away, Xena set off to find her. Of all the things that had happened in the last few days, this action alone upset Xena more than any other. From the brief conversation with Syrus she understood why Gabrielle had been upset, but for the life of her, she couldn't understand why the bard would run off, and not just return to the room, or come looking for her. It wasn't like Xena had gone far; she'd only been visiting the shops in the town square.

Xena spent the next hour circling the village before finally picking up on the bard's trail. It took another hour to discover the place that Gabrielle had been captured. The idea that Gabrielle was now in real trouble, only caused Xena's emotions to surge. The anger quickly turned to a worry, as she feared for the little bard's safety. She knew that never forgive herself if anything happened to Gabrielle, but also swore that if she found the bard unharmed, she'd make sure she wouldn't be sitting comfortably for quite a while. She'd given Gabrielle every opportunity to step up and start acting like the adult that she claimed to be, but her actions kept overshadowing her words. Xena was tiring of the games and decided that it was time to step up and show the bard some action of her own.

Xena studied the scene carefully. She discovered at least two others, probably men by the size of their boots, had confronted the little bard. With relief she also saw that the tracks were clean. Gabrielle had walked off, so it was unlikely she was hurt, and she'd also left a message. She'd drawn an "X" on the ground -probably with the toe of her boot- and then dragged her foot in the direction that she'd been taken.

The warrior quickly took off in the indicated direction, only pausing from time to time as she spotted another marking on the trail. For whatever reason Gabrielle's captors were allowing the bard to leave signs for her, making her doubt that Gabrielle was really in any trouble at all. Perhaps the bard had gone with them voluntarily, and the thought that Gabrielle was leading her on some wild goose chase only caused Xena's anger to return.

It didn't take Xena very long to catch up with Gabrielle and her captors. The feeling of worry, however, returned when she saw who they were. She recognized one of the men from the glade where she was attacked; he was part of Darnan's gang. Cursing slightly under her breath, she took to the trees to better study her options.

Gabrielle frowned as her two captors lead her to a semi-defendable camp. There were four more men there, which significantly reduced her odds at escape. She was roughly pushed down into a seated position on the ground while the rest of the group congratulated the two that brought her in. Excited they began to chatter, arguing the best way to use the little girl to their advantage. Occasionally one of them would look over at Gabrielle, but they seemed disorganized, as she hadn't be secured further or appointed a particular guard.

The little bard watch them work, looking for her opportunity. She could have run, but with her hands secure it would have been hard to maintain her balance. She probably would end up tripping and be recaptured. She pulled on the bonds; they were getting looser, but not quite there yet. Time was ticking though, and she knew that the sooner she made her move, the more likely she was to get away. Wrinkling her nose in thought, she suddenly got an idea.

"Hey Mister!" Gabrielle called out.

One of the men that brought her in acknowledged her by turning his head.

"Please, I gotta go," Gabrielle explained, doing a little dance showing her urgency.

"Don't be daft, Bisim," another man scolded, whapping him on the back of the head. "Take her to relieve herself. Use those bushes over there."

Bisim grumbled, but complied. He crossed over to Gabrielle and hauled her up by the arm. Gabrielle did another dance of urgency, which seemed to speed Bisim up.

Once they arrive at the bushes, Gabrielle was really dancing. "Hurry," she whined. "Cut me loose, so I can go."

Bisim frowned, but the little girl was desperate, without giving it much though he spun her around and cut the binds. "Don't you go anywhere," he warned.

Gabrielle dived into the bush quicker than a scared rabbit. "Turn around," she ordered. "I can't go if you are watching me."

The man furrowed his brow, but with an annoyed grunt did her bidding. Smirking at her own cleverness the bard slowly back out of the bush. As soon as she was clear, she turned, and ran. Within moments the little bard had not six, but seven shadows hot on her tail.

She took every advantage she could find, slipping though branches and other obstacles that her larger pursuers got tangled up in or tripped over. Coming across a large outcropping of rock she saw an opportunity. She was able to squeeze through a crack, cutting through the middle, while the men had to go around the hard way, but instead of going all the way through she squeezed herself into a small alcove, hidden from view. Her heart was pounding in her chest, as she struggled to catch her breath. She willed her body to be still and quiet as she tucked herself into a tiny ball, and concentrated on making herself invisible.

Gabrielle listened to the curses and disgruntled yells of the men as they tried to locate her. They looked into the crack, but she was so small, and tucked into such a dark corner, they didn't see her. After a few minutes, they decided that she must have slipped past them and continued on. Gabrielle waited several more minutes before she dared to move again. Another several minutes passed before she deemed it safe to venture out of her hiding place.

Sensing they were gone, she blinked, stepping out in to the bright sunlight. She was rather proud of herself and couldn't help the huge grin on her face. She'd escaped and she'd done it all by herself. Doing a little victory dance she spun around and then stopped dead, her smile suddenly fading.

"If any of those men had any brains, you could be dead right now," Xena scolded. The warrior was sitting crossed-legged on the bolder right above the place that Gabrielle exited. With a soft grunt she stood and jumped down next to her bard.

"Hi, Xena," Gabrielle greeted, suddenly feeling very small as the warrior arched an eyebrow and crossed her hands across her chest. "Would it help if I said I was soo…"

Xena held a hand up, stopping the bard in mid-sentence. "Don't even bother."

"Pretty mad, huh?" Gabrielle asked with a grimace.

"Gabrielle, in all the time I've known you, and all the things you've done, I've never wanted to take you over my knee more than I do at this moment. You're just lucky I'm too angry to deal with you right now."

Gabrielle let her eyes drop to the ground. She chewed on her lower lip, for once not having any words. The warriors tone was scary, but she couldn't really argue against Xena's anger.

"Let's go," Xena ordered, as she turned on her heel and started heading back in the opposite direction. She only glanced over her shoulder once to make sure that the bard was following her.

Gabrielle grimaced once again at Xena's icy tone, as she struggled to keep pace with the warrior's longer strides. Upon immediate reflection she'd been making some very bad decisions as of late, and if Xena decided roasting her tail-feather's would make things ok between them again, the price just might be worth it. That is, if she couldn't come up with a better plan before Xena felt calm enough to talk. Gabrielle furrowed her brow in concentration, her mind turning almost as fast as her feet.

Warnings: This chapter is full of warning and threats and one little bard who very well may find herself needing a pillow at the dinner table. If this sort of thing offends you, well too bad… don't read it... You'll just have to miss the all the fun. It's fiction people… just go with it :).

Gabrielle carefully focused her attention on the place where the two walls met. Xena had sent her up to their room about a half hour ago, and although Xena hadn't given her specific instructions, she figured that if Xena found her in this particular position it might earn some points toward leniency. She had to admit that she was nervous. Even after the almost two hour walk back to the inn, Xena was still too upset to talk to her. It was emotionally tearing her up, and at the moment she would have done just about anything to regain Xena's approval. In that respect, standing in the corner felt right, especially since the self-induced chastisement was the only thing keeping her from falling apart.

She suddenly stiffened as she heard the door click open. Her heartbeat started to quicken, as her breath caught in her throat. She didn't dare turn around, for she knew if she did she would have lost any sense of control and start sobbing -again.

An eternity passed as the little bard listened to the familiar sounds of her warrior. Xena set something down on the table, and laid down her sword and chakram. It was quiet, but Gabrielle could just make out the warrior removing her armor as well. She nervously shifted from one foot to the other, as she began to wonder if Xena was just going to leave her there all night.

"Gabrielle, please come over here and join me."

Gabrielle hesitated a moment, but turned around, surprised to see Xena sitting at the table, and a plate of food waiting for her. The scene was gentle, and the warrior no longer had that coldness in her eyes. It put the bard somewhat at ease as she slipped into the empty chair across from the warrior.

"Eat anything today?" Xena asked

Gabrielle gave her head a slight shake.

"You need to eat."

"I'm not really hungry," Gabrielle tried to explain, before getting cut off by a raised eyebrow.

"That wasn't a request. Now, eat," Xena commanded.

Gabrielle frowned, but picked up a piece of cheese off her plate and started nibbling on it. Satisfied, Xena gave her a short nod of approval, before returning her attention back to her own plate.

A few quiet minutes passed as Gabrielle managed to choke down the cheese, a piece of bread, and a handful of grapes. Her attention was split between forcing herself to eat and her nervous thoughts. Even though Xena's anger seemed to have dissipated, the warrior was too quiet. Gabrielle almost wished that Xena would just yell at her and get this over with. Since sitting down she'd kept her eyes on her plate, but eventually the silence got the better of her and she looked up. Green met blue, causing Gabrielle to squirm under the intensity at which the warrior was studying her.

"What I can't figure out is why you would voluntarily stand in the corner?"

Gabrielle shrugged. "Just seemed liked I belonged there."

Xena managed a half laugh, "Well I'm not going to argue with that. If I would have thought of it, I might have sent you there myself." Xena paused for a moment, watching as the little bard's eyed dropped back down toward her plate. "But regardless of your attempts at self-castigation, we're still going to talk about this."

"I know," Gabrielle sighed. "I know you're still upset with me. I wish you'd just yell at me, so we can go back to being normal again."

Xena shook her head slightly. "I seem to remember yelling at you yesterday. Yelling doesn't seem to help much."

Gabrielle scowled as she crossed her arms across her chest. "If you're not going to yell, then what? I don't really want to talk about this anymore."

Xena narrowed her eyes as the little bard's stubbornness showed its teeth. "Alright, if you insist." The warrior then bent slightly over. She pulled a small dagger out of the inside of her boot and slammed the blade down on the table in front of Gabrielle.

The little bard jumped at the sudden noise as Xena leaned in closer to her. "About thirty yards in back of the inn is an apple tree. I want you to take this blade and cut yourself a switch."

Gabrielle suddenly paled. "Come on Xena, you're not serious. I'm sorry… ok?"

The warrior raised an eyebrow. "I think I'm done talking too," she replied as she pushed the blade closer to the bard.

Gabrielle picked up the blade, nervously licking her lips. Green met an icy blue, but the little bard was given no reprieve. With a sigh she stood, knowing that Xena had made up her mind and there'd be no arguing about it.

Meeting eyes once again, Xena ignored the pleading look. "Go. Trust me. You don't want me to escort you down there."

As Gabrielle's left the room, her heart was nearly pounding out of her chest. Her hands were shaking, and she was forced to grip the handle of the blade tightly, so that she wouldn't drop it. She took a moment to compose herself and then wiped away a hot tear. Never in a million years would she have expected Xena to go this far.

She thought about running, or hiding, but knew that it would only delay the inevitable. It would also only serve to make Xena angry again, and right now that was the last thing she wanted to do. Willing her legs to work, she headed down the hall and then the stairs.

Xena waited until she heard Gabrielle's boots start down the hall. She let out a long slow breath, and then shook her head remembering the frightened look on the little bard's face. She had to push the image away, because she knew that ultimately this was for Gabrielle's own good. The little bard had pushed too far. It was now time for Xena to push back and force Gabrielle to see and accept the consequences of her actions.

The warrior crossed the room, and rummaged through one of their bags until she found what she was looking for. She then cleared off the table, placing her items within easy reach. The final thing she did to prepare was turn around the chair that Gabrielle had been sitting on, and move it forward a couple of feet, so it sat in the center of the room's empty space.

That done, she found herself pacing back and forth, waiting patiently for Gabrielle to return, and wishing that the room's only window faced the back of the inn, rather than then the front. After scolding herself for being a mother hen, she finally settled in front of the window. At least when the bard returned, she'd have a moment to don her 'Warrior Princess' mask before she turned around to face her. This wasn't going to be easy, but if she pulled this off and forced the bard to realize the consequences of her actions, perhaps they would be a little closer to solving this problem for good.

The way back to the room was no easier than the way downstairs, in fact it was harder. Gabrielle had taken so long to return, she was sure that Xena was going to appear at any minute and haul her back to the room by her ear, but so far she'd seen no sign of the warrior princess. For whatever reason Xena was giving her time, a small condolence, but one that she was taking full advantage of.

Slipping back inside the room she paused, unsure of what Xena wanted her to do. The warrior, however, solved that problem for her. She quickly crossed the room and held her hand out. Gabrielle returned the blade first, and then handed over the wicked looking switch.

Xena tilted her head toward the chair in the middle of the room. "Go have a seat, Gabrielle."

The little bard swallowed, trying to rid herself of the lump that had just risen in her throat, but complied. Her eyes never left the switch that was now in Xena's hands.

The warrior carefully examined it. Using the blade that Gabrielle returned, she smoothed out of couple of notches on it. "You've never been switched before, have you Gabrielle?"

"No," Gabrielle meekly squeaked before jumping twice as Xena swished the wispy branch back and forth making a high-pitched wooshing sound.

"I can tell because you didn't clean it very well. These little nodules, where the buds attach, if they aren't smoothed down they leave a nasty little welt. And, trust me, you only make that mistake once," Xena added with a little chuckle.

Gabrielle nodded, involuntarily squirming in her chair. "Xena, maybe we should talk about this…"

"Oh? I thought you were done talking."

"Come on Xena, when am I ever done talking?" Gabrielle laughed nervously.

"Good point, best get on with this then. So ahead and stand up and remove your skirt and breeches," Xena matter-of-factly directed.

Gabrielle paled. "Why?"

"I thought that was obvious, but since you are new at this… I'd rather be able to see each welt, so I can make this as efficient as possible"

"I thought you said if the nodules were smooth, they wouldn't welt," Gabrielle asked in a nervous tone.

"The nodules no, but each stroke will leave a raised line. Although, you might get a few of the bigger welts when I cross the lines."

"Cross the lines?" Gabrielle echoed. The little bard was now white as a ghost and Xena feared that maybe she'd gone a little too far and bard might faint. The only thing whiter than the girl's face was her knuckles, from where she was tightly gripping either side of her chair. "Please Xena, you're scaring me. There has to be another way. I don't want to play anymore."

"Play?" Xena asked, her tone suddenly darkening. "I seriously hope you don't think this is a game."

Gabrielle's eyes went wide, "No, I didn't mean it like that. I mean... if there is any other way. I know I messed up, big time, and if the only way to show you I want to improve to is accept… this. I will, but I don't know how else to prove it."

Xena crossed the room, where she squatted down in front of the bard. "You don't know how? Tell me, why did you leave the inn today?"

"I was angry and upset," Gabrielle frowned. "I shouldn't have let it get to me, but what Syrus said... it just hit home. I was tired to being treated like a baby."

"So you decided to take a walk, by yourself, into the woods?" Xena asked.

Gabrielle shook her head, grimacing at the warrior's sarcasm. "No, I ran away. I ran until I couldn't run anymore."

Xena raised an eyebrow, waiting for the bard to draw her own conclusion.

"I know," Gabrielle quickly continued. "I should have faced my problems not ran away from them. That was the childish thing to do. I should have waited to talk to you, or talked to someone else."

"That's a start," Xena encouraged. "But you know what? I realized something, what's the one thing that you haven't done since Aphrodite put this spell on you?"

"Gone a day without you threatening to spank the Tartarus outta me?" Gabrielle joked, wrinkling the bridge of her nose.

"Well that streak is going to end tonight," Xena reassured her, causing the bard to suddenly frown. "But I meant write. It's what you do, Gabrielle, and it's the part of you that's been missing. You rely on your writing to keep you in check. It's where you express your feelings, your thoughts, your dreams, and work out you emotions. You're not a runner, Gabrielle, you're a writer."

Gabrielle blinked in surprise as the warrior's words sunk in. "You know I haven't thought about a scroll or an ink well in over a week?"

"I noticed."

"But I'm still in trouble." Getting an affirmative nod from Xena, Gabrielle signed. "Don't I at least get brownie points for escaping on my own?"

"Gabrielle, I was so damn proud of you when I saw that. Do you have any idea how much I admire your abilities to talk your way out of trouble? Not one person was hurt, and you found a way to elude them without any help."

The little bard couldn't help but beam at the unexpected praise. "How much did you see?"

"I caught up with you when you got to their camp. I was in the tree right above you when you made your move. I was impressed, that was quick thinking."

"Thanks," Gabrielle beamed again. "But if you were there, why didn't you interfere?" Gabrielle wrinkled her brow. "Those guys would have been no challenge for you."

"True," Xena agreed. "But I didn't interfere because you didn't need me to."

Gabrielle slowly shook her head. "Then I don't understand why you are so upset. No one was hurt. I got away. I would have eventually found my way back…"

"Eventually," Xena temper started to rise again. She stood and grabbed the little bard's arm, yanking her up off the chair. With the switch still in the warrior's other hand, both of Gabrielle's flew to her backside in an attempt at protecting it.

"Xena! Don't! Please, you're scaring me again."

"Good!" Xena snapped, "It's no fun to be scared, is it?" She released the bard arm and then threw the switch to the ground. Taking in a deep breath she knelt back down so she was at eye level with the little bard. "Do you understand now? When you left you scared me. I didn't know where you were or what happened to you. Then I found where you were taken, and that just made it worse."

"I never meant to scare you. I just wanted to get away; I needed some time to think." The little bard paused. Her eyes suddenly went wide as a memory from just a few days ago surfaced. "Oh, gods, Xena. I broke my word to you," she continued barely above a whisper. "When I left and picked those berries, I promised that I wouldn't wander off again. I scared you then, and I scared you again. Xena, I'm so sorry."

Xena's eyes softened as tears started to well up in the little bard. "I totally deserve this," Gabrielle babbled. "And I don't deserve you."

"Hey," Xena cooed, pulling the bard closer to her and hugging her tightly. "We all mess up. What's important is that you learn from this."

"But I did it again, I didn't learn anything."

"That's why the consequences are tougher this time," Xena reassured her. "I told you that day what I expected of you, and we talked last night about consequences as well. If you want to grow up, you not only have to acknowledge your mistakes, but you have to be willing to accept the consequences for them as well."

Gabrielle was quiet for a long moment. She looked down and then back up, meeting clear blue eyes. "Ok," Gabrielle whispered. "I'm ready."

The tanning had been quick, but had definitely left an impression. Gabrielle squirmed a bit. Even after an hour she was still tender. Of course sitting on a hard chair wasn't helping any. When Xena pronounced the second part of her sentence, she offered the bard a pillow, but she'd refused. Once the initial tears had stopped, she was determined to show that she could take it, and do so like an adult.

Her eyes refocused on the words in front of her. Xena said she had to write at least one full scroll and this one was already half way there. Although, the way that the words were coming, she had a feeling that she'd probably go through the other two blank scrolls she had in her bag as well. So much had happened over the past week, writing about it was almost too easy.

Gabrielle's eyes then drifted to the switch lying across the top of the table. The warrior had left it there for 'inspiration.' Not that the warrior's hand hadn't been inspiration enough an hour ago, but she was glad Xena's hadn't opted to use it. After all the hype that Xena filled her head with, she was truly afraid of the thing, and would be eager to watch it burn after her little writing exercise was over.

Xena watched her little bard shift again in her chair. The whole day had easily been one of the longest in her life. Between the fear, anger, and worry and then having to follow through on her threats, she wasn't sure if she would make it. She never had a real intention to use the switch, only wanting to use it as a prop to scare Gabrielle as much as the bard had scared her, but she was prepared to if Gabrielle called her bluff. At least the bard had learned that much: Xena never bluffed. Of course the day wasn't over yet. If the little bard's bottom left that chair before she was done, that switch could still find some life, but the warrior seriously doubted that would happen. Gabrielle seemed refocused and more determined than ever and now it was only a matter of time to see if it was enough.

She leaned back and closed her eyes for moment. The headache she'd acquired earlier was finally starting to dissipate. The relative quiet and the dimness that dusk brought settled in, suddenly making her rather sleepy. Faintly hearing the scratching of Gabrielle's quill she allowed herself to relax and enjoy the moment.

When she opened her eyes again, she frowned. She silently scolded herself for falling asleep. She wasn't sure what time it was, but it was now fully dark, the room only lit by a flickering oil lamp on the table where Gabrielle was writing. Xena got out of the bed, stretched and then went to check on her little bard.

Upon seeing Gabrielle, Xena shook her head slightly. The bard was hunched over the table, her head lying across folded arms, fast asleep. Apparently Xena wasn't the only one who was exhausted from the day's events. She carefully picked up the small bard, letting the little girl snuggle up against her neck as she mumbled something incoherent.

"Xena?" Gabrielle mumbled as Xena tucked her into bed. "I'm not done yet."

"You can finish in the morning."

"But…"

"Go back to sleep, Gabrielle," Xena ordered softly.

The little bard smiled as she rolled over, hugging the blanket to her. "Xena?" she called out again. "I love you."

"I love you too," Xena answered, tucking the bard's hair behind her ear before bending over to lay a gentle kiss on her forehead. The warrior then trekked back across the room to blow out the lamp before returning to the bed and joining her bard. Pulling the little bard closer to her, she gladly followed her to Morpheus's realm.

Continued.

Stardawn's Scrolls
Index Page