The Golden Harp by Cheeya

Comments/ Constructive criticism to [email protected]

"Oisin, I told you that Gabrielle and I work alone!"

Xena squared up to the tall man once again.

"And I told you that I don’t trust you, Xena. I’m coming with you!"

"Like Hades you are!" the Warrior Princess growled with a menacing stare. Oisin threw back his head and laughed.

"Still trying to threaten people into backing down. You haven’t changed that much."

Xena perched her hands on her hips and scowled but then she shook her head and smiled.

"It never worked on you, did it? Alright, Oisin, you can come but stay out of the way."

"I’m invisible," the man replied and followed Xena to where Gabrielle was standing.

"Oisin’s coming with us, Gabrielle."

"Oh, fine. We should get going then."

The Warrior Princess hefted her back higher on her shoulder and smiled at her partner.

"Yep, we should be there by tomorrow evening."

The trio left the Fianna’s base camp and headed out onto the road. Gabrielle and Xena walked together with Oisin a little behind.

"So you talked to him, right?" Gabrielle asked.

"Yes, I did. He’s still holding a grudge and I can’t blame him for that. He doesn’t trust me…" Xena replied absently, her piercing blue eyes watching constantly for danger.

"And that hurts," Gabrielle finished for her.

The warrior glanced sharply at her and then looked down, idly kicking at a small stone.

"I never realised how much trust means to me until I saw it in you. Oisin has that look in his eyes that makes me want to reach out to him but I know it’s pointless."

"Are you sure about that, Xena?" the bard replied with a tiny smile.

"I… um… I don’t need his forgiveness, Gabrielle."

"Xena, I think that’s exactly what you need, whether you realise it or not. I saw the look on your face when you saw him for the first time. You were scared, weren’t you?"

At first, Xena was indignant, but when she saw the understanding look on her soulmate’s face, she nodded and sighed.

"I guess I was," she conceded. "I didn’t know how he was going to react to me. I’m not the woman I was when I first met him and not knowing what he was going to say was tearing me apart."

"Xena, can I ask you something?"

"Of course, anything."

"Why did you come here?"

"What?"

"Why did you choose this place over every other country in the world?"

"I don’t know what you want me to say, Gabrielle" Xena replied in a low voice.

"I want you to tell me the truth, Honey."

There was a long silence between them and then Xena took her hand, entwining their fingers.

"I had to come back, Gabrielle. I’ve been thinking a lot about this place lately and the more I thought about it, the more I needed to make things right with the Fianna. What I did was the worst thing that had ever happened to them and I wanted to change that, to restore to them something that means as much to them as my chakram means to me. I gave the Tuatha De Dannan an unfair advantage over them, an advantage they haven’t been able to even out. If I return the Golden Harp to the Fianna, it will restore them to their proper position as the greatest warriors in Hibernia."

Gabrielle nodded slowly as she digested this admission from her partner.

"Xena, why didn’t you tell me all this before we came? I would have been happy to help you get the Harp back."

"I didn’t… I mean… I wasn’t… I didn’t want you to be disappointed in me."

The bard’s mouth dropped open with shock.

"Xena, I would never judge you like that. I know about your past and I’ve been with you through the darkness but I love you. I would never do that to you."

"I know but letting you down is unthinkable to me."

Gabrielle held her lover around the waist and looked up at her.

"Funny, that’s what I’ve thought since the first day we met. I felt like I was always letting you down with my naivety and inexperience but one day I realised that, in thinking I was letting you down, I really was because you had faith in me through everything."

"Gabrielle, you’ve never let me down. You never could because you follow your heart in everything you do and your heart always leads you in the right direction."

"Thank you, Xena."

They camped overnight beside a river and the next morning, Gabrielle caught them some fish for breakfast. She cooked it over the campfire and made some tea. Oisin was sharpening his sword quietly and when Xena left to scout the area, Gabrielle moved over to talk to him.

"Oisin, you don’t have to stay over here on your own all the time."

He glanced up at her and then resumed his task.

"Xena told me to stay out of the way," he replied.

"I don’t think she meant it quite that way. She meant that when we go into a fight it’s better if you don’t get in her way. Believe me, I’ve learned that. I almost got my ear sliced off with her chakram once."

She chuckled at the memory and then looked back to Oisin, who was staring intently at her.

"What?" she asked, a little uncomfortable under his scrutiny.

"I was just… um… When I first met you, Gabrielle, no offence, but I really didn’t know what Xena saw in you. You’re beautiful and all but I didn’t realise who you were. You’re the Warrior Bard of Potedaea aren’t you?"

"The what? The Warrior Bard of Potedaea? Where did you hear that?"

"About half a year ago, a merchant came to Dubhlinn to trade goods. I was there at the same time and he told a story about the Warrior Princess and the Warrior Bard of Potedaea… it was something about the Greek Gods… I can’t remember exactly now… but he said that Xena and her partner had gone up against the gods. You are the Warrior Bard of Potedaea, aren’t you?"

Gabrielle’s nose wrinkled in amusement.

"I didn’t realise that stories about us had come this far, I mean, Xena is known all over Greece and some people know me because I travel with her, but I never knew that I was called that."

"The Fianna have great respect for you. More respect than they have for Xena."

"And so they should," said a voice from the trees and Xena suddenly stepped into view. "She deserves it."

"Xena, I don’t…"

"No, Gabrielle. You’re a skilled warrior. You’ve proved that on more than one occasion. In fact, you rise to every occasion."

The bard blushed slightly and looked down.

"Thank you," she replied.

"Xena’s right," Oisin went on. "I have yet to see you in battle but from what I’ve heard, it’s a sight to behold."

"That it is," Xena agreed. "She kicks butt when she has to."

Gabrielle looked up gratefully at the warrior’s words.

"When I have to," she repeated with a firm nod.

An hour later, they were back on the road but Xena seemed wary as she walked.

"What is it?" Gabrielle asked in a low voice.

Xena’s blue eyes darted from side to side and then above them.

"We’re being followed," she murmured. Then she turned to Oisin, who was once again walking behind them. "Hey, Oisin. C’mere a minute!"

The man strode up to them and nodded as Xena told him what was going on in a whisper.

"Gabrielle, I’m going to scout the area. Keep going and I’ll catch you up in an hour or so," she said loudly.

"Ok, be careful."

"I will," the warrior replied and ran off into the trees, leaving Oisin and Gabrielle to continue the journey. They were aware of the rustling coming from the brush on either side of them but pretended not to notice. Gabrielle launched into a story, keeping tabs at the same time on the locations of their stalkers. Half way through the story of ‘Death in Chains’, they rounded a bend in the road to find themselves faced with twelve men, all of whom were half the bard’s size. Gabrielle perched her hands on her hips and shook her head.

"Who are they?" she asked Oisin.

"They are the Tuatha De Dannan. They’re fairy folk who possess magical powers. This is their natural size but they can make themselves bigger when they go into battle. That’s how they defeated Xena and her army ten years ago. She wasn’t expecting them to grow."

Gabrielle closed her eyes and extended her senses, trying to pinpoint Xena’s location. At first she couldn’t but she suddenly heard a low bird call float to her on the breeze. She was careful not to look but knew exactly where the warrior was. She took Oisin’s arm and kept walking, talking to him as if they were a couple in love and giving him little pecks on the cheek now and then. They laughed together and smiled as they approached the Tuatha.

"Good afternoon," Gabrielle greeted them.

"Who are you and where are you headed?" one of them asked gruffly.

"My name is Gabrielle. This is… uh… Salmonius. We’re on our way to Dubhlinn for our wedding ceremony."

"You’re not from around here," the smallest man pointed out.

"No, you’re right. I’m from Greece. Salmonius and I wanted to get married in your beautiful country so we came all the way from Greece. Of course Salmonius is coming home. He’s a native Hibernian and…"

"Stop babbling Woman," the bad-tempered one growled and Gabrielle clamped her hand briefly across her mouth. Come on, Xena.

"Gods, I’m sorry. I’m just so excited about being here and the wedding… " She spotted Xena creeping up behind them and decided that enough was enough. "…and the fact that if you don’t give us back the Golden Harp, my friend Xena, is going to kick your butts."

The men began to laugh and Gabrielle chuckled with them, watching the tense set of Oisin’s jaw. She put a calming hand on his arm and shook her head. "Trust me," she whispered.

"Xena hasn’t been seen in these parts for eleven years now. She ran from us like a coward and we took the Golden Harp fair and square," a dark-haired Tuatha De Dannan replied.

"Fair and square, huh?" Gabrielle said, nodding slowly. "I think that maybe Xena would have something to say about that. Right, Xe?"

"Riiiiigggghhhht," came a low growl from behind the men and they spun, drawing their swords and looking up at the dark-haired warrior towering above them. Gabrielle flipped over their heads and stood next to her partner, flipping her sais end over end and then spinning them in her fingers. Xena had her sword drawn and she held it out in front of her, pointing it at the tiny men.

"Tell you what. I’ll make you a deal. You give me back the Golden Harp and Gabrielle and I won’t kick your butts all the way back to your ring fort."

Bad-Tempered shook his head and snarled.

"No way, Xena. We’re never giving back the Golden Harp!"

"Well, I did try to warn ya," Xena replied with a feral grin and then beckoned to him. "C’mon Tiny!"

He ran toward her and she was forced to look up as he suddenly grew to a head taller than she was. She ducked his sword blow and then ducked under his arm, kicking him in the backside as he moved past her. Xena spun her sword in a figure of eight in her hand and shook her head.

"You can do better than that!"

She glanced to her right to see Gabrielle in combat with a man twice her size and weight but Xena grinned as Gabrielle rammed him in the stomach with her fists and then kicked him in the groin. He dropped to his knees and she head butted him, knocking him out. Bad-Tempered was advancing on her and Xena found herself wanting this battle to be over as quickly as possible. She threw herself into the fight next to Oisin and Gabrielle, and soon there was only one man left. Xena kicked him and he collapsed back onto the ground. She held his arms down with her knees and hit the pressure points on his neck.

"Alright, I’ve just cut off the flow of blood to your brain. You’ll be dead in thirty seconds if you don’t tell me what I want to know. Now where is the Golden Harp? Is it at the Ring Fort?"

He wheezed and coughed as he tried to catch his breath but Xena held his shoulders down.

"I’m not kidding. It’s a very painful death," she pointed out and eventually he nodded.

"The Golden Harp is in the Treasure Room. It’s well guarded. You won’t even get into the Fort, let alone the Treasure Room."

Xena released the pressure points and then punched him out.

"We’ll see," she growled and stood up to brush down her leathers. "We have our next stop. We have to go to the Tuatha De Dannan’s Ring Fort. Oisin, do you know where it is?"

"I have an idea. I’ve never been there. I’ve heard it’s near where the Great River forks to form the rapids to Corcaigh."

"That’s right," Xena confirmed. "I’ve been there before but I never got inside. It’s going to be hard but I think I have a plan."

"You think you have a plan?" Gabrielle repeated. "Uh, Xena, Honey, that doesn’t exactly sound good."

"Have any of my plans ever failed?" the warrior replied with a knowing grin.

"Well, not exactly… failed… uh… no."

"Good, well then what are you worrying about?"

"You," Gabrielle replied. "You know what would happen if anything happened to you, right?"

"Tell me again," Xena requested, knowing exactly what the answer was but needing to hear it anyway.

"I’d die too," Gabrielle whispered. "I wouldn’t want to live without you. Now come on before I start getting all mushy on you."

Oisin shook his head and walked on, letting the warrior and bard bring up the rear. They walked for a long time and eventually reached the fork in the Great River.

"See that ridge up there," said Xena, shielding her eyes from the sun with one hand and pointing with the other. "The Ring Fort is up there. It’s well hidden and it’s even better defended. It’s going to be hard to get in there. I think we should wait until dark and then try climbing the walls."

Oisin nodded and sat down in the long grass.

"Let’s rest here for a while and then make our way up to the ridge before dark."

Xena nodded and then took Gabrielle’s hand.

"Fancy a quick walk to check out the area?" she asked, a wicked glint in her eyes.

"I’d love to," Gabrielle replied, taking her hand and entwining their fingers. The headed off into the woods and she saw Xena’s shoulders relax and her body language become less guarded.

"Are you ok?" she asked as the warrior stopped to hug her.

"Yeah, I’m fine. Just wanted a few minutes alone with you that’s all. I feel uncomfortable touching you around Oisin. Sorry."

"It’s ok. I understand perfectly. He keeps looking at us when we’re talking and walking together. Xena, I think he’s jealous. He probably still wants you for himself."

"It doesn’t matter whether he wants me or not. You know who my heart belongs to… she’s a great Amazon Queen, bard and lover and she’s the most beautiful woman in the world."

Gabrielle grinned and pressed her body against her partner’s.

"Great lover, huh?" she said and captured Xena lips for a lingering kiss.

"Oh yeah," the warrior replied with a smile and lowered her partner to the ground, covering her body with her own. "I love you, Gabrielle," she whispered.

"More than my own life," the bard replied.

An hour later, they walked hand in hand back to Oisin and found him sleeping on his blanket. Xena went to wake him while Gabrielle prepared a meal.

"Hey, Oisin," the warrior said, shaking him gently. "Wake up."

The man rolled over and before Xena could react, he pulled her down and wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly against him. Xena looked at Gabrielle and the bard started to laugh at the warrior’s predicament.

"Uh, Oisin," Xena said loudly. "C’mon. It’s time to wake up now."

The warrior squirmed a little, trying to break his grip and as he woke up, he let her go suddenly, causing her to lose her balance and topple backward, landing on her butt with a grunt. Gabrielle thought her sides were going to split open with laughter and Xena scowled at her.

"Yes, that’s very funny, Gabrielle. Oisin, get up and get ready to go," she said gruffly.

"Xena, I’m… I’m sorry about that," he stammered but the warrior shook her head.

"Forget it. Just get ready to go."

The Warrior Princess led her army of two to the ridge above the Great River. They looked down at the water and watched the reflection as the sun set, bathing the land in a pale orange glow.

"Xena, do you think the Tuatha De Dannan know we’re coming?" asked Gabrielle in a low voice.

"I don’t know, Gabrielle but we should treat this as if it’s a trap. It the only way to be sure that we won’t be caught off-guard."

"That’s true. How are you going to get in there?"

"You’re not coming in with me?"

"It’s easier to get one person in and out than it is to get two. I know that, so it’s up to you Warrior Princess. I’ll be here waiting for you with Oisin."

"Ok, I’ll try to get in as soon as darkness falls. If I get captured, don’t worry about it. It’ll mean that I couldn’t find another way in. I’ll get out somehow."

Gabrielle kissed her on the cheek and Oisin shook her hand.

"Be careful, Xena. I want my Golden Harp back!"

"Your Golden Harp?" asked Gabrielle in disbelief.

"Yes," Oisin replied. "I’m the only one who can play it in order to put the Tuatha De Dannan to sleep. I am responsible for it."

Gabrielle suddenly realised how much Xena owed Oisin at that moment and she was proud that her soulmate was trying to make up for her past.

Xena crept forward on all fours, moving silently like a panther. She paused at the wall of the fort and listened intently, pinpointing the locations of the guards. She tilted her head and closed her eyes, extending her senses and instincts but she didn’t find anymore guards. She moved forward again and found a crack in the wall to hold onto. She started to climb but halfway up, two guards walked along the perimeter right beside the wall. Xena froze and pulled her breast dagger from inside her armour but she moulded herself against the wall and breathed a sigh of relief when the guards passed without spotting her. She continued her climb and soon she was hoisting herself over the top of the wall. She dropped silently to the ground on the other side and took cover behind a wagon. Guards passed back and forward so she crawled under the wagon and waited for guard change.

"And thanks to Xena, the Bacchae were turned back into the beautiful women they were before…"

Oisin smiled as Gabrielle finished her story.

"That was good, Gabrielle, but how come you don’t have much about yourself in that story?"

The bard looked down sheepishly and scratched her chin.

"Well, actually, I was turned into a Bacchae and Xena saved me."

"You know, listening to the stories you tell about Xena is very enlightening for me but I have to admit that I’m finding it hard to reconcile the woman I knew with the woman here now."

Gabrielle sat closer to Oisin and lowered her voice seriously.

"Xena is so different now, even to when I first met her. I was afraid of her in the beginning but somehow, we managed to form an unbreakable friendship."

"So you weren’t always lovers?"

"No, not ‘til last year. After I almost died Xena and I finally admitted our feelings for one another. It was the most incredible day of my life. I had loved her for so long."

"I'm happy for both of you and I'm glad she changed," Oisin replied with a smile.

"Thank you."

Xena ducked behind a pillar as a squadron of Tuatha De Dannan soldiers marched past. She waited until silence had reasserted itself and then crept forward, her eyes darting from side to side. After a few minutes of searching, she finally came to the Treasure Room. Six soldiers guarded it and Xena frowned as she thought about how she was going to handle them. Finally, she settled on the straightforward approach and stepped into plain sight.

"Excuse me, could someone please tell me where the Golden Harp is?"

They stared at her in shock for a few seconds, but when she drew her sword and spun it in her hand, they charged into action. Xena flipped over them, planted her feet halfway up the wall and flipped backward, knocking four of them over. They collapsed in a tangle of bodies and she snarled as she took on the two standing soldiers. She fought them both, parrying every sword strike and punched them out quickly. By that time, the other four men were back on their feet and she spotted a jug on a nearby table. She ran to it and took a mouthful of strong port and then grabbed the nearest torch from the wall. As the men ran toward her, she blew the port through the torch, spewing flames at them and setting their tunics on fire. They staggered backward, trying to douse the flames and she finished them off quickly with some well-placed kicks. Xena wiped some dribbles of port off her chin and sheathed her sword before running to the door of the Treasure Room. She pushed the door open and ducked inside, scanning the room for the prize she was seeking.

"That's it," she whispered and moved to the Golden Harp, which was sitting in a place of honour atop a pedestal. She lifted it carefully and carried it back to the door, peeking her head out and checking for guards before she ran back to where she had entered the Ring Fort. The warrior breathed a sigh of relief to find that the wall she had climbed was unguarded. She sat on the edge of the window, checking below before she began to climb back down it. The Golden Harp was hanging from her chakram clip at her waist and she was careful not to jostle it as she descended. Finally, she reached the ground and ran back toward the woods where Gabrielle and Oisin were waiting.

"Are you not worried about her?"

Gabrielle smiled, her emerald green eyes sparkling in the firelight.

"Yes, I am, but I know Xena. She'll be back soon."

Oisin shook his head.

"You have amazing faith in her, Gabrielle. What if she gets captured?"

"She won’t, Oisin. Xena knows what she's doing. If she gets captured, it'll be because she wants to."

"And why would I want to do that when I could stroll into the Ring Fort and get back the Harp with no problems at all?"

Gabrielle grinned and stood up when she heard her soulmate's voice.

"I was just about to say that," she replied and ran to hug the warrior tightly. "Are you ok?"

"Sure, I'm fine. Oisin, here ya go!"

She tossed the Harp at the Fianna warrior and he caught it, hugging it to his chest. His face was beaming and his smile lit up the dark camp.

"Thank you, Xena. Thank you so much," he said.

"You're welcome," Xena replied "but we should get out of here. They're going to know it's missing soon and I'd like to have some distance between us and them before they do."

They quickly broke camp and Gabrielle doused the fire with some dry dirt before shouldering her bag and following her partner out of the clearing. Four hours later, they stopped to get some sleep and Gabrielle sat down on her bedroll next to the tall warrior.

"Xena, did you have any problems?"

"Nope, did my fire breathing trick and got them a little hot under the collar!"

She raised an expressive eyebrow and Gabrielle chuckled.

"That was terrible," she chided and a quirky grin rose to the warrior's face.

"I've been hanging around you too long. Now, let's get some sleep."

Gabrielle snuggled up to her soulmate and they fell asleep in each other's arms. Oisin watched them and jealousy clenched his gut, not allowing him to sleep. He made the decision that he would try to get Xena back. After all, he loved her more than Gabrielle did. How could a girl like her, truly love the Warrior Princess, even if she was the Warrior Bard of Potedaea?

Gabrielle yawned and stretched her aching back, wincing against the bright sunlight. Xena had let both Gabrielle and Oisin sleep while she went to find something for breakfast. She returned twenty minutes later with a rabbit, smiling at her soulmate who was making some hot tea.

"Morning," she said, kissing the bard on the top of the head.

"Hi. You caught a rabbit?"

"Yep, we can eat now or save it 'til later. What do you think?"

Gabrielle's stomach warred with her good sense and was finally defeated.

"Later," she stated. "I've got some trail rations in my bag. We should get moving and eat on the road."

"Yeah," Xena agreed and went to wake Oisin. He got up slowly and packed up his gear, stealing looks at the warrior when she wasn't looking. They went back on the road and several hours later, arrived back at the Fianna's camp. Fionn came out to meet them.

"You did it! You got it back!" he cried.

"Xena got it back," Oisin replied. "Gabrielle and I were just there to enjoy the scenery."

Fionn laughed and shook Xena's hand, thanking her over and over for retrieving their precious Harp.

"We'll have a feast tonight in your honour, Xena. Thank you again."

Xena perched her hands on her hips and grinned at Gabrielle, who nodded her agreement.

"Thanks, Fionn," the bard said. "Xena and I appreciate it. A little fun will do us good. Now, excuse us while we go clean up."

Gabrielle took her partner's hand and led her to their hut.

"How do you feel?" she asked, once they were settled on the couch together.

"I feel great. I think I've earned their respect."

"You have, Honey."

The bard kissed Xena and they lay on the couch together, feeling their bond bring them closer than ever before.

"Xena. Let's dance!"

Gabrielle grabbed the warrior's hand and dragged her out into the centre of the camp, joining the Fianna warriors and their wives in a traditional dance. Xena rolled her eyes but grudgingly enjoyed herself. She spun Gabrielle around and then drew her close, holding her gently as the drumbeats slowed down. They held each other tightly and got lost in the music until a shout startled them both from the hypnotic rhythm.

"THEY'RE COMING!"

Warrior and bard broke apart and pulled their weapons, as the Fianna formed a defensive position. Xena looked around for Oisin, but she couldn’t see him.

"Oisin!" she yelled but he didn’t answer her. She turned to Gabrielle and ducked her head to speak to her. "Gabrielle, find Oisin. He has to play that Harp. It's the only way we can defeat the Tuatha De Dannan."

"I'm on it!" the bard replied and ran toward Oisin's hut.

Xena took off in the opposite direction to join the Fianna in their battle.

"Oisin? Are you there?" Gabrielle pushed open the door of the man's hut and looked inside but it was empty. "Dammit, Oisin, where are you?" she muttered and then ran back out of the hut. She ran all the way to the nearby river but couldn't find him and she was thinking that he had left the camp when he suddenly appeared in front of her, the Golden Harp cradled protectively in his arms. Gabrielle skidded to a halt and grabbed his arm.

"Oisin, come on. The Tuatha De Dannan are attacking. You have to play the Harp." She tried to pull him with her but he resisted and she looked at him in shock. "What's wrong with you? Come on!" she yelled but he just looked at her with contempt.

"I'm not going anywhere, Gabrielle. Not before you promise to be on the next ship back to Greece… without Xena."

"What? Are you out of your mind?"

"No, I've finally realised what I really want. I want to be with Xena."

"You're crazy!" the bard spat and Oisin backhanded her across the face. Her head snapped back and she glared at him, wiping a trickle of blood away from the edge of her mouth. "Oisin! What the hell are you doing?"

"I'm taking my life in my own hands, Gabrielle. Promise me you'll be on that boat, or Xena and rest of the Fianna dies."

The bard shook her head in disbelief.

"You're asking me to give up the person I love more than my own life? I can't… I…"

"Then she dies," Oisin stated.

Gabrielle was torn. She couldn’t let Xena and the Fianna die at the hands of their enemy but she couldn’t just walk away. Finally, she realised that she didn’t have a choice.

"Alright, Oisin. You have my word. I'll be on the next ship back to Greece."

The man nodded and then ran back to the camp. The battle was raging and Gabrielle saw Xena slashing her way through the enemy soldiers. She was splashed with blood and her hair whipped around her as she spun, ducked, parried and attacked. The Fianna were outnumbered and were losing badly but suddenly, the sweetest music Gabrielle had ever heard floated across the camp. Oisin was standing on the platform that she and Xena had been seated on only an hour before, playing the Golden Harp. Xena was just about to behead a soldier when he suddenly stopped dead in his tracks and looked around him dazedly. She looked around her to see that the other soldiers had stopped too and were mesmerised by the lilting melody. Gabrielle ran to her, her sais raised but the two women realised the battle was over when the enemy soldiers sank to the ground and fell into a deep sleep.

"I've never seen anything like this," Gabrielle whispered and Xena nodded.

"It's almost the same as Orpheus and the Bacchae, only the music doesn’t hurt the Tuatha De Dannan. It just puts them to sleep."

She captured the bard's eyes briefly and frowned with concern.

"Are you ok?" she asked.

"Uh… yeah… yes, I'm ok," Gabrielle replied, unable to look the warrior in the eye.

"Gabrielle, I know you. There's something you're not telling me," Xena replied, holding her soulmate by the shoulders.

"I never could lie to you," the bard replied, a single tear running down her cheek.

The Fianna cheered and danced with glee at their defeat of the Tuatha De Dannan while Xena pulled her soulmate closer to her.

"Tell me, Gabrielle."

The bard sniffed back her tears and raised her eyes to the piercing blue portals to the warrior's soul.

"I have to leave here. I have to go back to Greece… without you," she said, her voice wavering with emotion.

"What? What are you talking about, Gabrielle?"

"I had no choice. It was the only way I could get Oisin to play the Harp. I couldn’t let you die. I'd rather be alone than know I had caused your death."

Xena felt her anger rise and she shook her soulmate in frustration.

"Gabrielle, what the hell are you saying?" she growled.

"I'm saying that I love you but I have to leave you. In return for playing the Harp and saving you and the Fianna, I promised to leave here without you."

"No," Xena stated. "No way, Gabrielle. I'm not letting you leave here without me. I won’t lose you to him."

"You won’t and I promise I'll wait for you until you come back to me."

Gabrielle turned and walked away, leaving Xena standing with a shocked and angry look on her face.

"Gabrielle!" she yelled but the bard just kept walking, her heart breaking in her chest.

Oisin grinned wickedly as he saw Gabrielle walk away from the Warrior Princess, his Warrior Princess. He jumped down from the platform and approached Xena.

"So now that she's out of the way, we can go back to the way we were. I love you, Xena" he explained," and I know you'll be happier with me than you ever would be with her."

Xena turned slowly, feeling the darkness rise in her soul. It bubbled just below the surface of her calm and before she even realised what she was doing, she had grabbed him by the throat and was slowly choking the life out of him.

"You bastard," she spat, "I told you that if you touched a hair on her head, I'd make you very sorry. Now it's time for you to pay up!"

She squeezed harder and he grabbed at her hand, trying to free himself.

"Wait," he wheezed. "If you kill me, the Tuatha De Dannan will wake up and the Fianna will be slaughtered. Do you want that?"

Xena narrowed her eyes at him and spoke in a low controlled voice.

"I'll kill every last one of them if I have to."

"There are too many of them. Not even you can stop them all."

Despite her fury, the Warrior Princess knew that he was right and she dropped him, letting him fall onto his back on the hard dirt.

"I don't love you, Oisin and I never will. Don’t you realise that? Gabrielle is my heart and soul and no matter what you do to me, that will never change. You can't make me love you!"

"But I love you, Xena. I've always loved you," Oisin replied. "Maybe, with time, you could…"

"NO!" Xena shook her head. "With time, Oisin, I will only grow to hate you. Do you want that? Do you want to love someone who despises you?" She saw a flicker of understanding in his eyes and softened her tone. "It's time to let go of the past and move on."

"She's right, Son."

Oisin looked around and saw Fionn standing quietly behind him. He started to argue but he saw the look in his father's eyes and relented.

"Ok, Xena. You're free to go. I'll make sure the Tuatha De Dannan never wake up."

Xena reached out and squeezed his shoulder.

"You're a good man, Oisin. Don’t destroy everything you've accomplished by dwelling on the past. No one knows about that better than I do. Gabrielle taught me that."

The Fianna warrior nodded and looked down.

"Go to her, Xena. She loves you. You're meant to be together."

The warrior nodded.

"Thank you. Goodbye, Oisin, Fionn. I have to go."

"Goodbye Xena," Fionn replied and grasped her hand.

The Warrior Princess smiled and then ran after her soulmate.

Gabrielle wiped a shaking hand across her face and closed her eyes against the ache in her heart.

"I promise I'll wait for you, Xena. I'll wait as long as it takes," she whispered and then got up, shouldering her bag and going back on the road. She walked slowly, her legs barely carrying her in her exhausted state. Finally, she made Dubhlinn and waited on the dock for the ship to Greece to begin boarding passengers. Once aboard, she went straight to her cabin and lay down on her hammock, sobbing out her grief and pain as the ship set sail. She barely felt the movement of the ship and lay there, unable and unwilling to move. She just didn’t care about anything anymore. The door of the cabin creaked open and she didn’t even acknowledge the person that entered until a soft, gravel-on-silk voice rumbled around her.

"Is there room on that hammock for two?"

"Xena? XENA!"

The warrior moved to her soulmate and gathered her into her arms.

"Yeah, it’s me. I'm here."

"Oh gods, Xena," Gabrielle whispered and held her so tightly that she almost cut off the flow of blood to the warrior's brain. "How did you…? Did you kill…?"

"No, Love, I didn’t kill him. He let me go. He knew we were meant to be together."

"I love you so much," Gabrielle replied and buried her face in the warrior's chest, sobbing against her in relief.

"I love you too, Gabrielle. I'm never letting you go."

"Never," the bard repeated, raising her head to capture the blue eyes she loved so much. "Never."

The End