Gabrielle: A Warrior's Journey

**Gabrielle: A Warrior's Journey**

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing (unfortunately); all rights and characters in this fic belong to their respective owners and creators. I gain no profit from this; it's purely for fun. I only own my OC characters.

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**Chapter 1: Legacy Continued**

_In a time of ancient Gods…Warlords…and Kings, a land in turmoil cried out for a hero…she was Xena. Her courage changed the world forever. Looking to atone for her past sin, she had many legendary battles with countless foes and immortals, saving many lives, yet never cared for thanks, as long as the people were safe. Enemies feared her; allies respected her…and everyone in the land and across sea knew of her. However hard she tried though, behind all the skill, behind all that strength, behind all that beauty was a person breaking apart because she felt she could never be forgiven for the pain she had caused others as a merciless, bloody-thirsty tyrant. The pain inside her heart was so great at time, she would have given up a long time before…if not for the inspiration of another woman she had crossed paths with…Gabrielle._

_A farm girl who yearned for adventure, joined Xena on her quests and she soon became a legend herself. Within the space of a few years, her skill in battle quickly matched Xena's. But that was not the only quality in her that was wonderful; it was her power to inspire. To encourage and change people for the better, to gather allies from all corners of the earth and Olympus. She had even inspired me to become something great._

_What is my connection to Gabrielle the Warrior Bard? Then rest easy around the fire, and allow me to tell you the tale of Gabrielle, and a Warrior's Journey…_

* * *

The people of Peloponnese rushed around for any salesmen that still had anything worthwhile; the rush had intensified to the point that the dust caused from the scampering of so many feet rose from the ground and into the air, giving the surrounding area a mystic, dusk-like aura. The shopkeepers and townsfolk knew that everything must be sold in this glorious time, because not only had a new summer begun, but also a special guest had arrived into their once quiet town. Once news had got out who was in town, everyone had journeyed and travelled just to even get a glimpse of the legend, and so shopkeepers did their best to _sell, sell, and sell _while they could.

One child in particular was excited to meet his hero, as he dashed around the many citizens that flooded the streets and alleys. Thankfully his small size allowed him to duck and weave his way through just about any crowd. Little stones jabbing into his dirt-covered feet with every step, and a stomach that looked almost caved in were not enough to stop this boy from meeting his hero.

Finally getting through all the markets in the streets, it was easy for him to come across a small, rundown children's home. It wasn't his own home, but it didn't seem to matter as people from all over were already there, whether they even be from this town or not. Once again, using his small size, he pushed his way through the legs of everyone standing by the front doors of the home. Making his way inside, he ignored the grunts of annoyances from anyone he might have had the misfortune to trip over, and listened in hoping to her this legend's voice…and it didn't disappoint.

''And that's when the second general drew his weapon, that faint sound enough to send chills down the spine of a giant. But Xena didn't back down, she never would, and faced her opponent!'' That was her voice without a doubt…Gabrielle was in town!

The little boy stepped forward and was now at the very edge of the stage that the warrior bard occupied, looking up at her like an angel sent by the Gods themselves, dressed in sleek blue Jappa attire, with a long steel katana by her side. A cheeky grin plastered on his face as he listened in on Gabrielle's tales of action and adventure. Without a moment's hesitation, the boy raised his arm hoping that she would even acknowledge he was there.

Not even a moment later, and without looking distracted, Gabrielle looked towards the boy. ''What were you going to ask?''

''Is it true that the second general in your story was the size of a temple?''

The response from the audience in attendance was to erupt in a fit of giggles, some because of amusement and others in embarrassment for the boy's sake. Gabrielle's look however remained warm and gentle as she kneeled down, so that she was now level with the boy. ''That part of the story has been exaggerated over time. But I will say this, even if the general were as tall as a giant, Xena would not have backed down. Because she was a hero that would always fight for good!''

''A hero like you?''

Gabrielle didn't answer at first, but thought about a good way to satisfy this boy's thirst for curiosity. ''Well…as long as there is good in your heart, and you do your best to share it with others, we're all our own heroes.'' She then reached out and ruffled her fingers through the boy's hair playfully before standing up and continuing with her stories, expressing them with a burning passion and desire for story telling.

Little did she know however, was that there was another in the crowd who kept a growing interest in her, but not because of the stories. The person in the shadows was almost on the move, edging past the crowd and sticking to the shadows. Long dark brown hair covering the face, and a black silk dress that did well to blend at the back without drawing any attention from Gabrielle. This person waited, patiently and silently, waiting for the time to move.

* * *

''We here at the children's home cannot thank you enough Gabrielle,'' A frail old woman spoke to Gabrielle. It has been a few hours now after the stories had finished and the drinks were shared, all the children were outside playing and the adults were back to their own lives, leaving the owners and carers of the children's home to express their gratitude to the blond warrior as she helped them clear up the mess in the room. ''With the money raised for this children's home alone, as well as the money the town will be making from travellers who have come to see you, we may be able to get through at least three more summers.''

Gabrielle smiled back at she helped clean up any broken glasses or pieces of cloth that had been ripped and discarded to the floor. ''It was my pleasure! I love sharing the art of stories! If you ever want me back, just send a letter and I'll be here. I know what it's like to have nothing, so I'm always happy to help.''

Before the caretaker could thank her again, a commotion was heard at the door. Gabrielle and the caretaker turned, greeted by the sight of four little children rushing in, one of them being the boy who asked Gabrielle the question earlier. The caretaker was about to address something to the children, probably annoyed at their rudeness of barging in without acknowledgement, but Gabrielle raised her hand to stop her. ''Is everything alright?'' She asked them.

It was as if actually coming face-to-face with her knocked the wind right out of them, all becoming shy. They fiddled with their fingers and suddenly the floor become more interesting than the person before them. After a moment of silence, the caretaker looked ready to lead the children out when the little boy from earlier stepped forward. ''We…we just wanted…to see your sword and…disk thing.'' He stuttered.

Gabrielle just looked at each child, her face appearing emotionless at first, as if testing to see if the children really wanted to know more about her, or if their curiosity was just making them too head strong. As the boy raised his head to look at Gabrielle face to face, a smile slowly formed on her face as she slowly brought out her sword.

The children watched with awe, everything about the weapon was beautiful to them. From the whistling-like sound it made, to the shine of the metal, and the way it seemed to be nothing more than an extension of Gabrielle herself. ''Now this is called a Katana! A special sword from the land of Jappa! Not easy to find one of these, and for good reason. They're just as dangerous to wielders who don't know how to use one, as to the opponents who face a skilled master.''

''It's amazing.'' One of the children whispered.

''I'd love to become a great warrior with a sword like that, and go to fight bandits and criminals!'' Another child spoke with great enthusiasm.

Gabrielle retracted her katana back into her belt, the sound getting the attention of the children. ''I learnt a long time ago that a great warrior doesn't go looking for trouble. Creating violence isn't what makes you strong, but compassion.''

''I don't get it.'' Another child responded.

Gabrielle was about to try and explain to the children, hoping to teach them a little something, when the first boy spoke once again. ''You mean it's not when we attack we are strong, but when we defend?''

She couldn't help but smile at the boy, he appeared to be the youngest of the group, and he wasn't in quite a healthy physical state from the looks of his bloody feet and slim waist. Yet he seemed to ask all the right questions, and had his fair share of good answers. ''Something like that, yes.''

''Isn't this touching!'' A new voice growled mockingly from the doorway. Gabrielle looked forward towards the front door and the smile on her face disappeared seeing the five heavily armed soldiers stroll in like they owned the place.

The calming atmosphere in the room seemed to evaporate altogether as the warriors walked ever closer to Gabrielle. Fearing what this might lead to, Gabrielle looked back to the children, trying to stay warm and friendly for them. ''Can you all do me a favour? Can you go with the caretakers behind me, I'll talk to them.'' The children were young, but they knew the reality of the situation, especially when they saw the soldiers imposing armour and weapons by their side. Knowing not to argue, they did as she instructed and walked towards the caretakers to leave out the backdoor.

Gabrielle allowed the soldiers to do what they pleased at first, letting them slowly surround her. Each of them gave her a howl or whistle, as if trying to intimidate her, but she was more of a mixture between disgusted and unimpressed. Their armour didn't appear to be too strong, and their swords were rusted with cracks around the edges. But the look in their eyes made it clear they were ready for a fight.

The main soldier that stood right in front of her took a few steps forward. ''I'll make this quick. We're in a bit of a money rut. We need some gold, but just can't seem to get a lucky break. That is until we hear that Gabrielle, the warrior who succeeded Xena, was here in this quaint little town giving cute bedtime stories. This could be our big chance, a lot of people would pay through the roof for your head.''

''Worth more than spending the rest of your lives behind bars,'' She taunted back, but the seriousness returned and she tried to reason with him peacefully. ''This is a charity to help children, I don't want to fight, especially not in here.''

The lead soldier chucked darkly. ''What? Fight outside? Where you're going to have all that space to run? I don't think so. You're outnumbered; you have no place to negotiate…'' He stopped himself, stroked his chin, as a thought seemed to occur in his head. After a few seconds of thinking about something, he chuckled darkly at Gabrielle. ''A charity huh? How much gold did you raise?''

''None of your business!'' She responded bitterly.

''Hey you're the one who wanted to negotiate! So how about this? We'll forget we ever saw you…if you hand over whatever money you made today!''

''Not going to happen.''

''It's either the money or your head! And if you don't come to a decision quickly, we might take both!'' He grinned madly, showing the decay in his teeth, at least with the few that were left hanging in his mouth. Thinking about getting a double lucky break, the other soldiers laughed maniacally as well.

Gabrielle wanted to negotiate with them; she didn't want to fight in a place like this. Then again, if she did try to take the fight outside, there was a good chance they would try to take a hostage. Lowering her head, knowing that she had little other option, she inspected each of the soldiers once more. ''Five against one, not exactly a fair fight!''

The lead soldier smirked at her. ''Then just close your eyes, and pretend you're about to fall asleep.'' Once he finished his threat, he reached for his sword ready to draw it out. Before he could though, Gabrielle kicked forward and hit his arm, forcing his sword back into its handle.

_**BAM! **_With that momentum, she spun around and kicked the soldier right in the gut with her other foot, sending him flying backwards. ''I meant fair for you!''

Just realising what was happening; the other soldiers finally jumped into action. Two from behind swung their swords aiming for her neck, Gabrielle leaned her body backwards, evading the swords that sliced just above her and drew her katana faster then anyone could blink. _**SLASH! **_She leapt backwards, managing to cut one of them down already.

The other from the side charged at her and engaged in a short-lived duel as Gabrielle was clearly the faster, stronger and overall more superior swordsman. The soldier lunged forward; Gabrielle sidestepped him and kicked out at his arm, forcing him to let go of his sword. _**BAM! **_She punched him in the stomach, the force enough to send the soldier crashing into the wall and through to the other side.

The lead soldier was back up, and he along with the only other soldier that was still able to fight both attacked Gabrielle at the same time. _**CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! **_She blocked every single one of their attacks, even when they seemed to strike simultaneously. It was like watching a beautiful ballet, mixed with the carnage and wrath of violence. No matter how close the soldiers seemed to get with their strikes, Gabrielle would dodge them effortlessly.

The lead soldier struck from above, but Gabrielle grabbed his arm, stopping his attack. While the other aimed for her mid-section, she merely had to raise her knee and intercepted his attack before the sword came too close. Holding them in place, she jumped up. _**BAM! BAM! **_Double-kicked both of them either side of her, both crumbling to the ground in a heap.

Settling her katana back into place, Gabrielle approached the lead soldier, who attempted to get back on his feet, but not without a few choice words for the warrior. ''You bitch! I'll get you!''

''You talk to your mother with that mouth?'' She mocked while kicking his weapon away from his reach, making sure he was no longer a threat to anyone here.

That's when she heard a shriek of terror, followed by muffled screaming. Gabrielle turned to see the soldier that had been sent crashing through the wall, stepping through it with one of the children in his arms as a hostage, holding him close with sword nestled by her neck. ''What are you going to do now?'' The soldier hissed mockingly. ''Cry for Xena's help?'' He shook the boy in his arms, trying to get his point across more thoroughly. The caretakers and other children wanted to help the little boy, but they were powerless against someone who could strike them down and kill the boy with no trouble at all.

Gabrielle's steel-like glare almost made the soldier want to let go of the hostage and run for the hills, but he believed he had the advantage now with something as protective shield. That's when she noticed the hostage was the curious boy who asked her the first question. Trying to keep the soldier in supposed control, Gabrielle took her katana out and slowly kneeled down to place it on the ground, as a sign of her surrendering. The soldier was so busy focusing his attention of Gabrielle's katana that he didn't notice that she could secretly reach for her Chakram behind her back.

_**BAM! **_The shadows themselves seemed to jump out and attack as the soldier was sent crashing to the ground, leaving the boy to run out of harm's way. Once Gabrielle's eyes adjusted, she noticed a feminine looking figure stepping out of the shadows with dark brown hair covering their entire face.

This soldier knew how to get back up after a hit, because he was on his feet once again and tried to cut down this new warrior. The darkly dressed figure leaned to the side before pulling out a small dagger and struck the soldier right in the leg, causing him to cry out in pain, before using their strength to throw the soldier up into the ceiling and letting them crash onto the ground with a whimper.

Gabrielle kept her weapons close in hand just in case this new figure had anything else planned. Slowly standing back up, Gabrielle's eyes darted all over the figure, searching for any more weapons other then the one dagger…her curiosity was rewarded when the figure pulled out a second dagger, before placing both on the ground and raising both hands in the air to show a sign of wanting a peaceful talk. Going along with it, Gabrielle lowered her katana. ''Thank you for your help.''

That's when the real shock came for her…when the feminine looking figure spoke in the gruffest and one of the deepest voices she had ever heard. ''It was my pleasure Gabrielle!'' Hearing that kind of voice coming from someone in a dress was a little bewildering for Gabrielle, and it showed with her eyes widening and her mouth becoming ajar. Seeing her reaction, the person tried to explain. ''Oh no, this is just a disguise. Just so I wouldn't get into any trouble until I found you.'' He grabbed the long brown hair from the top of his head and pulled it off to reveal his true face. A man perhaps in his early 20's, strong facial features, a hint of a beard and short dirty blond hair.

Getting that out of the way, Gabrielle could feel a little easier about this stranger, seeing that he was being honest with her, but she still kept herself on guard just in case. ''And why did you want to find me?''

''Well I…um…'' He stuttered and stumbled at first, as if trying to not seem awkward and start this conversation respectably…well considering he was still in women's clothing, it couldn't get much more awkward. ''11 summers ago, my home village Kos, was attacked by the Minotaur Asterion. You came and defeated him, I was just a little boy when it happened, but you approached me and told me something that has stayed with me since, about us becoming our own heroes.''

The memories of her fight with the Minotaur washed over her like a raging flood, that day was one she would never forget, including the moment when she offered kind words and inspiration to a boy who didn't like his own name. As Gabrielle tried to picture the boy's face in her mind, she looked at the stranger once again, and that's when she noticed the startling similarities. It really was that boy, all grown up. A bemused Gabrielle could do nothing but gasp out the boy…now man's name. ''Achilles?''

Achilles nodded. ''It's an honour that you still remember me.''

''How could I forget? You were a little boy and now you're…well you're…'' She tried to think of something to say; he has without a doubt changed. She could still picture that face of the inspired little boy, but he was much more advanced in terms of age…as well as physically. Although considering he was still in a dress, it made it difficult for her to say any words to him about how he looked now, so she decided to say something else that she thought could finish the sentence. ''You're reminding me of how old I'm getting.''

Achilles laughed lightly, that only lasted for a brief time though as his face turned grim. ''Gabrielle, I've come looking for your help because I think you are the only one who can make a difference.''

Seeing the distress in his eyes and the desperate tone in his voice, Gabrielle asked. ''What is it?''

''My village has come under siege from a new warlord. His army is taking everything from our money to our crops. Our fathers as fresh meat for their wars, our children as slaves for labour, nothing is out of his grasp.''

''Haven't any of the other villages offered their assistance?'' Gabrielle asked.

''There are no other villages. This warlord has them all under his control; there is no one to help. I've tried to fight them but there are too many. If nothing is done quickly, my village could disappear into nothing, whither and die like flowers before winter! Will you please help me?'' He pleaded as if his very life depended on it.

It didn't take long for Gabrielle to walk over to Achilles, placing a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. Looking deep into his eyes, showing her the will of a true warrior. ''Of course! You have a horse with you?'' He nodded in response. ''Then we ride out now; you can fill in any details on the way. Let's go!'' She turned, ready to walk out the door with Achilles by her side, until she ended up walking right into the lead soldier that was still slumped on the ground, groaning in agony. ''Oh yeah, need to throw these guys in before we go.''

* * *

''Ah by the Gods, it feels good to be back in clothing fit for a man!'' Achilles exhaled gratefully as he rode side-by-side with Gabrielle. Admiring his newly bought clothing from one of the markets as they left the town. Everything from the pads in his shoulders to the soles of his boots, he enjoyed the feeling of.

Gabrielle grinned seeing him checking himself out as they took their horses onto the path that lead out of Peloponnese. ''Why were you disguised in women's clothing anyway?''

''To make the disguise more effective,'' He responded bluntly as if that was the only reason possible. ''No one would recognise me.''

''Well I admit, you had me fooled that you were a woman for a moment.'' She joked, earning a stern but playful look from Achilles. Having herself a little laugh, Gabrielle turned to the young man. ''So what have you been doing with yourself since all those years ago?''

''I made a promise that I would journey across the lands and become my own man, my own warrior and hero! But I ended up staying on the farm with my mother. I guess I couldn't part with my home just yet.''

''You showed some good moves back there, when did you learn to fight?''

''I picked it up over the years; anyway I could from warriors who passed by, teachers that I could afford for a few nights, even learning how to read scrolls. I picked up whatever I could however I could,'' He reached for his belt, his hand brushing over one of his daggers. ''I was given these from a travelling blacksmith who liked my mother's fresh-grown herbs.'' Just talking about his mother, it was clear he tried to keep his voice from breaking thinking about the possible danger his mother could be in right now.

Gabrielle could sense this, she knew from all those years ago that Achilles cared deeply for his mother and the village; no ordinary little boy would try to defend his village from a Minotaur. While on this subject, Gabrielle thought that getting more information would be beneficial. ''So what do you know about this warlord?''

''Nothing else, he tends to stay in the shadows and let his army do his dirty work. Supposedly no one has seen him, nor even heard of a name. He's like a puppet master pulling the strings, not caring what life he takes.'' He gritted his teeth, and the distanced look in his eyes made them look almost as cutting-edge as his very own daggers.

That's when Gabrielle really noticed something else about the older Achilles; he still had that burning passion in him…but was the fire to great in him? He seemed to be holding back quite a lot of anger for this warlord, and it was easy to understand why, there was no denying that. She just hoped that his inner rage wouldn't jeopardise their battle. ''We're going to save your village Achilles, I promise you.'' She tried to calm him down.

Achilles turned to her and offered an appreciative smile back, understanding that she was just trying to ease the situation. ''So, what have you been doing with yourself?''

Gabrielle shrugged her shoulders. ''Just…stuff.''

Achilles chuckled at her answer. ''Just stuff? Typical that I hear more about you from stories around campfires than your own voice,'' Achilles muttered sarcastically. ''Do you have that special other in your life?''

''Oh, so now that you're all grown-up, you can ask me about my love life?'' She chuckled at him.

''I wasn't asking with _that_ kind of interest in mind!'' He defended himself, and Gabrielle almost believed him, until he continued. ''But…knowledge is always important in life.''

Keeping her eyes locked on the path ahead, Gabrielle didn't look back at Achilles, nor did her expression change. All she had was a sweet smile, and eyes that seem to wonder beyond the path ahead and onto something greater. Even though Achilles got no verbal answer, he could tell from the look on her face that she was probably thinking of that someone right now, and from all the stories that Gabrielle would tell…he had a good idea on who Gabrielle was thinking of.

* * *

They had journeyed for just over a day. Resting themselves and the horses for the night, sharing the warm of the fire they had built. During that night, as they exchanged more stories about their adventures in the years before, there seemed to be a contrast between the two. While Achilles looked forward, the path that would lead to Kos, and with him hopefully bringing someone that can help him save it. While Gabrielle looked in the other direction, back down the path they came, as if waiting for something.

The morning after, the sun rose high in the sky, creating a red aura that made the land seem supernatural as the two of them continued on the path. Once again both sets of eyes looking in the different directions of the path, with Achilles anxiousness to reach home growing, while Gabrielle would occasionally turn her head and narrow her eyes that gazed on the path behind them.

As they got closer, memories started flashing back to Gabrielle as she recognised more and more of what she was seeing, that's when she knew they were getting closer to Kos. Yet she would continuously look backwards a few times, her eyes becoming more fixated on what was behind than what was in front of them.

''This is it!'' Achilles spoke up as he halted his horse with Gabrielle doing the same soon afterwards. ''We can't get any closer without the risk of being caught.''

Gabrielle jumped off her horse, inspecting their surrounding area. It wasn't the most ideal vantage point; they were in a widespread open field with the forest not too far behind them. ''There's a hill, we can look out from there.'' She said, taking the lead now having a good idea of what was where.

The two of them walked towards the edge of the hill, taking refuge behind three large boulders that could be good cover. They both looked over the boulders and had a great high-angled view of the Kos below. Gabrielle could tell that it was in a poor state; the trees were weak and dying, the crop fields near the village were dried up, and the livestock that use to popular the area were nowhere to be seen. Some of the houses appeared to be burnt to the ground. She shuddered at the possibility of people probably being in those houses when they were aflame.

It always sickened her to the core when she would see people being driven to this kind of state by others who sometimes just want more wealth or power. Evil was always going to be, even the Gods couldn't just take away evil, no matter how much she wished that suffering like this would just end. She could feel the growing rage fuelling up inside Achilles; his village must be in a worse state now than it was when he left, because his knuckles cracked as he clenched them tighter on the boulder. He looked ready to attack at anything that moved, something Gabrielle couldn't allow.

Wanting to keep him focused on the mission, she got his attention. ''So where would the warlord and his army be based?'' Achilles pointed beyond the village, that's when Gabrielle noticed smoke was coming from behind the hills. ''Okay, you go down to the village and make sure your family and friends are safe, I'll stay up here.''

Hearing that, Achilles turned to her, confused at what her strategy was. ''What? Why?''

Before he could get an answer, Gabrielle pulled out her katana and turned around, looking across the open-field to the forest they had come from with narrow eyes. ''Because we've been followed since we left Peloponnese!'' She answered as at that moment, Achilles looked back towards the forest and saw a dark figure emerge from the shadows of the forest and out into the open. This new figure had a long, black cloak covering his body completely, making him seem like a living shadow. As Gabrielle kept her weapon ready, she leaned closer to Achilles and whispered to him. ''Is this one of the warlord's army men?''

Achilles shook his head. ''No, I've never seen anything like him before.''

Unsure of what to next, Gabrielle decided to wait for this stalker to make a move. The two didn't have to wait long, as the shadow figure pulled up his hood to reveal his face. While it appeared to be human at first, especially from a long distance, there was one defining characteristic that made this person stand out…the two small horns on his forehead.

''A Satyr?''

''What does he want?'' Achilles questioned. He might not have picked up on it, but Gabrielle certainly did. The way this Satyr looked at her; the fire seemed to burn brightly in his eyes, and an electric force seemed to surge through them both. It was as if at that very moment, they were the God's only creation, standing on the last bit of earth in existence. Gabrielle had seen this look on others before, but never this strong, especially towards her.

''He wants a duel!'' She answered.

There seemed to be a look of understanding on the Satyr's face once Gabrielle clarified she knew what this was about. Achilles however, was not happy about this, drawing out his daggers. ''We don't have time for this!'' He then charged right at the Satyr despite Gabrielle's protests.

''Achilles wait!'' She called and tried to reach out for him, but it was too late. He had sprinted through the field and closed in on the Satyr, who hadn't moved an inch despite the young warrior's rage driving him into battle.

Just when it looked as if Achilles was going to strike, the Satyr reaches out and grabs both of Achilles's arms, stopping him from making any kind of strike. Achilles tried to break free of the Satyr's grasp, but he was too strong, the young warrior could barely move. The Satyr jumps up high in the air while keeping hold of Achilles. _**BAM! BAM! **_Then connects both of his hooves powerfully against Achilles's face, knocking the warrior back and out cold instantly. Looking to finish this annoyance off, the challenger pulls out a large blade and runs towards the downed warrior.

It looked all over, until a deafening sound filled the air. _**SWOOSH! CLASH!**_ Something hit the Satyr's sword, knocking him back a peg or two. The Satyr looked across the field, Gabrielle's Chakram rebounded back into her hand as she charged at him with her katana out and poised to strike.

_**CLASH! **_The Satyr blocked her attacks with his sword, both of them pushing against each other, trying outmuscle the other. At first, the shock of the Chakram seemed to have startled the challenger, and so Gabrielle seemed to be at an advantage…until the element of surprise was gone. Within seconds, the Satyr's strength returned, and now Gabrielle was on the back foot.

_**BAM! **_Swift like a bolt of lightning, the Satyr kicked at Gabrielle's leg, his hoof hitting with enough force to cause some serious damaged. _**BAM! **_He followed with a knee to her side knocking her back. She rolled along the ground as the Satyr gave chase, striking down at her, but as she rolled and blocked his attacks until she had enough distance to get back on her feet and continue the duel.

_**CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! **_They engaged in a fast-paced dance of the swords, that's when Gabrielle really got a sense of what kind of fighter this person was…someone who held nothing back, putting all his strength in every strike. Despite her best attempts to find someway out, or find a lucky area to attack, her opponent was far to quick and constantly forcing her on the back foot.

Gabrielle tried to jab straight down the middle, but the Satyr evaded as if she was attacking in slow motion, stepping to the side and grabbing her arm. _**BAM! **_He gave her a hard elbow to the face, knocking her back and forcing her to let go of her weapon. Stopping herself from falling to the ground, she hardly had time to react as the Satyr ran to her with two swords now.

She jumped back and had to use all her skill just to keep herself at a safe distance. Even with the double-weapon benefit, the Satyr held nothing back, in fact his efforts in trying to take her head home as a trophy increased. _**SLASH! **_He managed to draw first blood, cutting across her arm, not enough to cause serious damage, but the momentum was with him.

Thinking quickly, Gabrielle took this chance to grab hold of both the Satyr's arms, she wouldn't be able to hold on for long though with his strength, so she had to improvise. Using his strength, as he pulled away, Gabrielle hoisted herself in the air and kicked out with both legs. _**BAM! BAM! **_Landing a double-kick to his chest, kicking him backwards and lifting her higher into the air. At first this tactic seemed futile, she was now an open target…then the Satyr heard that screeching-like sound again.

Gabrielle reached for her Chakram, and not wasting another second, threw it towards the Satyr. He tried to dodge, and half-succeeded. _**SLASH! **_As the Chakram flew by, it left a nasty gash across his fur-covered leg. Taking this chance, Gabrielle returned to the ground and charged at him from behind, quickly snatching her katana back and throwing a punch at him…the same time he recovered and threw a punch at her.

_**BAM! BAM! **_Both blows had full impact, Gabrielle landing hers against his chest, while he connected right on her nose, the force was strong enough to give them both a bit of distance from each other. The Satyr kept a tight grip around the gash on his leg, trying to keep pressure on the wound. He was also trying to keep his breathing at a regular pace after all those hits he had taken to the chest. While Gabrielle held her now bloody nose while also trying to get her breath back. She hasn't had a fight this intense in years, this warrior certainly knew how to handle himself in a duel.

Even though they had injuries to deal with, they seemed ready to go at it again. That is until Gabrielle noticed Achilles rising back up onto his feet, and looking at her friend's weary and shaken body pushing itself back up, she remembered the whole reason why she had gone on this journey in the first place. There was a village right behind her that needed help, a friend beside her that was in need of some assistance. She couldn't let the thrill of battle make her lose focus. ''I respect your challenge, but now is not the time!'' She spoke confidently while walking towards Achilles and offering him a helpful hand.

It was at that moment, as she helped Achilles back onto his feet, that something came to Gabrielle's mind…why wasn't the Satyr attacking them? She was distracted, this was the warrior's chance to end it and claim his trophy. Instead, he just stood there and watched, he didn't look ready to attack while she was busy with her friend, nor did he look ready to call this challenge off, so what was he…

_**SWOOSH! **_Before anyone else could react, something came flying from above and landed right in the middle of the field, in between Gabrielle and her opponent. The three of them looked past the boulders that Gabrielle and Achilles were hidden behind before, and saw at least a dozen soldiers on horseback approaching them, more bows and arrows at the ready and with swords by their side. There was no time to retreat, as the soldiers surrounded them, some raising large flags with the symbol of a sword held up before a crescent moon.

''I'm guessing these are the warlord's men!'' Gabrielle said to Achilles, she didn't need to ask, she knew right away, especially when she felt the hatred emanating from Achilles beside her.

Some of the horsemen moved to the side, revealing another that approached slowly through the middle. The symbol carved onto his large golden armour. A smug look plastered on his face as he circled around the three of them, studying each of them carefully, however there was only one that kept his interest. ''Well, well, well…the successor to the once mighty Xena, Gabrielle! You must really be eager to join her in the ashes of Tartarus!'' He said smugly.

Gabrielle looked around, there were no escape routes, no obvious weaknesses to exploit, and the injuries from her duel were defiantly going to make things very difficult for her, as the soldiers drew their swords and others readied their arrows.

**To Be Continued…**


End file.
