A Ship Headed for, Then the Shores of Britannia, Don't Even Ask When (Tuesday Fandom Time)
Gabrielle hated ships. She really did. She was sure the scenery was nice; it was just that she spent most of her time hanging over the deck railing puking her guts out to notice. Xena and her encyclopedic knowledge of pressure points came to the rescue this time -- it was a long trip from Greece -- and their new friend Celeborn Khrafstar was nice enough to make sure Gabrielle stayed away from eating anything disgusting like raw squid in exchange for her teaching him the technique. (The unfortunate thing about the pressure-point solution was that it killed her taste buds.)
Xena had rescued Khrafstar just before Gabrielle's arrival; he'd been taken prisoner by a Roman legion before she stepped in. It'd been when he told her that he was recruiting mercenaries to aid Boadicea's fight against Caesar in Britannia that he'd really gotten her attention. Gabrielle had barely stepped out of her portal when Xena had hauled her and Khrafstar on board this ship.
"I'm not sure who hates the Romans more," Khrafstar had commented to Gabrielle earlier that day. "Boadicea or your friend."
"Xena doesn’t hate the Romans, just Caesar," Gabrielle had been quick to assure him. "She had a run-in with him a long time ago, and he, uh -- he betrayed her."
Whatever his opinions of Xena's vengeful motives on this trip, Khrafstar was just grateful for her help; his temple in Britannia was in the hands of the Romans, and he was worried they'd destroy it. He was a priest of a monotheistic religion, of a god whose name he said they weren't permitted to speak. Like David and Jonathan of the Israelites. Khrafstar spoke of his god with the same kind of idealistic fervor, and offered to tell Gabrielle more, but she'd assured him the gods she knew were trouble enough.
"It's hard for people to believe in something they can't see, or touch, or hear," Gabrielle argued; the shoreline of Britannia was in sight now, and she was relieved they'd make landfall soon.
"When was the last time you saw love or friendship?" countered Khrafstar. "You see its effect. You’ll see the effect of our god when he brings his kingdom to Earth."
It sounded appealing, but Gabrielle was still dubious . . . and saved from trying to come up with a placating response when Xena approached them, all focused, grim intensity.
"What's up?" Gabrielle asked.
Xena raised an eyebrow at her. "Does anything have to be up?"
"Xena, I think you have mixed feelings about this," Gabrielle persisted. "I mean, you say you wanna help a friend, but you don’t sound very friendly towards her."
"Boadicea and I were allies a long time ago in Gaul," Xena explained.
Dubiouslt, Gabrielle echoed, "You were allies?"
"In a sense. She thought I was a friend, and I just needed an army." Ah. So this must have been another one of those ten-winters-ago things. "So I let her think whatever she wanted to, until I took control of her men."
"You used her," Gabrielle concluded.
"I ordered her killed." Yep. Good old evil Xena, vintage ten-winters-ago material. "But she escaped, and then she and Persuticus joined forces. They attacked me, but I defeated them -- and they retreated north to Britannia. So you see -- I’m not the only one dealing with betrayal."
Gabrielle was about to make a comment about how Xena just couldn't have uncomplicated friendships when one of the mercenaries called Xena over. Caesar had ordered that no ships were allowed to land, and they were to turn around and go back to Gaul. Naturally, Xena said they'd turn around -- and then made landfall anyway, further north.
Where, of course, Roman troops were there to meet them. As were Boadicea's soldiers. Gabrielle was even more happy than usual to assume her role of escorting the non-fighters to safety -- it was just too soon after the horrific battle in Agio for her to wade in with her staff -- and fled into the woods with Khrafstar.
Which would have been just fine . . . if not for the handful of Roman soldiers lying in wait for them there.
[OOC: NFI/NFB for distance, OOC okay, to be continued. My sincerest apologies to anyone who loves history.]
Xena had rescued Khrafstar just before Gabrielle's arrival; he'd been taken prisoner by a Roman legion before she stepped in. It'd been when he told her that he was recruiting mercenaries to aid Boadicea's fight against Caesar in Britannia that he'd really gotten her attention. Gabrielle had barely stepped out of her portal when Xena had hauled her and Khrafstar on board this ship.
"I'm not sure who hates the Romans more," Khrafstar had commented to Gabrielle earlier that day. "Boadicea or your friend."
"Xena doesn’t hate the Romans, just Caesar," Gabrielle had been quick to assure him. "She had a run-in with him a long time ago, and he, uh -- he betrayed her."
Whatever his opinions of Xena's vengeful motives on this trip, Khrafstar was just grateful for her help; his temple in Britannia was in the hands of the Romans, and he was worried they'd destroy it. He was a priest of a monotheistic religion, of a god whose name he said they weren't permitted to speak. Like David and Jonathan of the Israelites. Khrafstar spoke of his god with the same kind of idealistic fervor, and offered to tell Gabrielle more, but she'd assured him the gods she knew were trouble enough.
"It's hard for people to believe in something they can't see, or touch, or hear," Gabrielle argued; the shoreline of Britannia was in sight now, and she was relieved they'd make landfall soon.
"When was the last time you saw love or friendship?" countered Khrafstar. "You see its effect. You’ll see the effect of our god when he brings his kingdom to Earth."
It sounded appealing, but Gabrielle was still dubious . . . and saved from trying to come up with a placating response when Xena approached them, all focused, grim intensity.
"What's up?" Gabrielle asked.
Xena raised an eyebrow at her. "Does anything have to be up?"
"Xena, I think you have mixed feelings about this," Gabrielle persisted. "I mean, you say you wanna help a friend, but you don’t sound very friendly towards her."
"Boadicea and I were allies a long time ago in Gaul," Xena explained.
Dubiouslt, Gabrielle echoed, "You were allies?"
"In a sense. She thought I was a friend, and I just needed an army." Ah. So this must have been another one of those ten-winters-ago things. "So I let her think whatever she wanted to, until I took control of her men."
"You used her," Gabrielle concluded.
"I ordered her killed." Yep. Good old evil Xena, vintage ten-winters-ago material. "But she escaped, and then she and Persuticus joined forces. They attacked me, but I defeated them -- and they retreated north to Britannia. So you see -- I’m not the only one dealing with betrayal."
Gabrielle was about to make a comment about how Xena just couldn't have uncomplicated friendships when one of the mercenaries called Xena over. Caesar had ordered that no ships were allowed to land, and they were to turn around and go back to Gaul. Naturally, Xena said they'd turn around -- and then made landfall anyway, further north.
Where, of course, Roman troops were there to meet them. As were Boadicea's soldiers. Gabrielle was even more happy than usual to assume her role of escorting the non-fighters to safety -- it was just too soon after the horrific battle in Agio for her to wade in with her staff -- and fled into the woods with Khrafstar.
Which would have been just fine . . . if not for the handful of Roman soldiers lying in wait for them there.
[OOC: NFI/NFB for distance, OOC okay, to be continued. My sincerest apologies to anyone who loves history.]