| The Warrior Princess stoked up the camp fire for the evening while the Battling Bard cleaned up the cookware they had used for dinner. Afterwards, the bard opened up a scroll that she had begun six weeks before, on the day that Xena had been brought back to life. She had been taking her time with it to be absolutely certain that no minor details were missed. Gabrielle read and then re-read the scroll. Satisfied that all was going well with it, she put quill to parchment and resumed her writing efforts. She had been completely engrossed in her story for about a quarter of a candle mark when.... "Gabrielle?" the warrior called softly. {That's it Xena, nice and sweet.} "Yes?" the bard replied innocently. "I... umm... we need to talk." There was a hint of trepidation in the warriors voice as she shifted nervously on the log she was seated on. "Ok, sure. What's on your mind?" Gabrielle rolled up her scroll and put the quill inside. "It's about..." The warrior took a deep breath, "...it's about my chakram." The warrior flicked her eyes quickly to the weapon clipped to the bard's belt. "MY... chakram," Gabrielle pointed out. "Go on." {Ok, I've been expecting this.} "I feel incomplete without it... and I was wondering if you would... {Oh Tartarus.} if I could have it back?" the warrior stammered out. {She's got that look.} "MY... chakram stays with me." the bard bluntly stated. {She IS NOT getting it back just yet... IF she gets it back.} "Oh, c'mon Gabrielle. Do you have any idea how much I've been through?" the warrior stated in disbelief. {A thousand men... and I had to LET them kill me...} "Yes. But do you have any idea how much I HAVE been through?" {Forget the dying thing, how about almost getting thrown off a ship in shark infested waters for "talking to the air".} "Yes, I heard your thoughts. I'm sorry." {I can't be any more sorry. What does she want... blood?} "It listens to me... it stays with me." the bard said in a subtle tone. {I bet she thinks this is punishment for leaving me. Ok, maybe it is... but she deserves it.} "Well... think about it?" the warrior asked pleadingly. She then murmured offhandedly and a touch too loudly, "I mean what's a Warrior Princess without her chakram?" {Oh, why did I say that? And when did I start talking too much?} "OH PLEASE!!" the bard began, "Are you going to sit here and play the 'Beaten Warrior' card now? Don't you dare, even for a second, act like you couldn't fight you way out of a parchment sack without it! I mean... do you honestly think you're not lethal if you don't have MY chakram?" {What angle is she trying to play here?} "I never said that. It's just that..." {Thank the gods I never finished saying what I was thinking.} "Just what? Xena, you left it to me. Now it's mine. Wait... how did Minya put it? 'You don't get that concept real well, do ya?'" "Well yes, I left it to you, but I'm not dead anymore either." the warrior stated, becoming a bit heated. {I want my chakram back!} "No thanks to you!" the bard said forcefully, then regretted her words instantly. She saw her words cut right to the quick. "Xena, I'm sorry. I didn't mean that...." {Oh Tartarus, Tartarus, Tartarus. I didn't mean it, I swear. I know that hurt her... where did that even come from? Uuhhgg, and I know she'll use it against me. Tartarus!} The warrior hung her head low for a moment, feeling the sting of the bard's words course through her. She heard the apology and knew that it was heartfelt, but the words rang true nonetheless. "Gabrielle, I really thought that I was doing the right thing. I know it hurt, and if there is any way that I can make it up... tell me." {I think I can use this.} "You're back," the bard said in a whisper. "That's good enough for me." She sincerely meant every word. {Ok, new angle}. "Listen, if you really intend to keep my chakram..." "MY... chakram. Go on." {Maybe if I correct her enough she'll begin to believe it} "YOU'RE chakram, then please be careful with it." {Ok, this has got to work} "What do you mean? I haven't had any problems with it." {It keeps coming back, I haven't hurt myself... or her.... the horse...} The bard mentally ticked off everything that Xena could possibly care about. "No, you handle it exceptionally well. {The compliment is in and...} The problem is... you kill everyone you hit with it. You have to learn not to. I don't like you killing so easily." The warrior spoke softly and sounded genuinely distressed. "It bothers me." She had a troubled look about her as she spoke. {I have been working real hard on this look... it has got to work.} The bard furrowed her brow at the information she had just received from Xena. After thinking on it for a moment, she looked up at her friend and responded just as softly, "will you teach me?" "It's not something that can be taught. It comes from within. Eventually, with time and practice, you'll figure it out. You just have to be very careful until then." {It's mine, it's mine!} {Ooh, she is trying to play me! So much for that, Warrior Princess!} "Ok, I think I know what you mean. It was the same way the first time I threw it. I kind of told it what to do and where to go. I'll just think that way all of the time and work with it." {Tartarus! New tactic, new tactic....} Xena nodded her head in acceptance and allowed a few moments of silence fall between them. "I want an honest answer from you," she finally whispered. "Of course, Xena. What?" the bard said quizzically. {She does not give up!} "Are you mad at me for dying? I really need to know." The warrior ended in a hoarse whisper. {Take no prisoners.} {I knew she'd try it! Two can play.} The bard responded softly, "No Xena, I'm not. You have no idea how happy I am that you're back... but you're still not getting my chakram." "TARTARUS!!!!" Three weeks later... After the typically long ritual of poking and prodding, the bard had finally been awakened by the Warrior Princess and set about preparing their breakfast while the warrior began packing up. "Xena... breakfast is ready," the bard cheerfully called out. "I'll be right there, I just want to finish filling this last water skin," the warrior called out from the nearby pond. {I wonder why she's so happy?} A few minutes later, Xena returned to the sweet smell of Gabrielle's rabbit stew. "Mmm, smells good." {What is she up to?} "Thanks," Gabrielle replied, as she handed the warrior a wooden bowl, filled with a generous portion. "Hey... since when do you make stew for breakfast. You usually keep it simple. What's the occasion?" "Your birthday." "I never told you..." Gabrielle put her hand up to silence the warrior. "The last time we were in Amphipolis, just before we left, I went into Cyrene's room. I don't know, I just wanted to pay my last respects, I guess. Well anyway, I went into her desk and right on top was a parchment that had your birthday and your two brothers birthdays on it." "And you kept it a secret so you could surprise me. Right?" the warrior stated flatly. "Yeah, I did," the bard said with a lopsided grin. "Well this certainly is a surprise..." "Breakfast wasn't the surprise." The grin worked its way across Gabrielle's face. "Then what is?" "This..." the bard responded as she handed Xena her chakram. "Happy birthday!" "Thank you." Xena had a tear in her eye as she took the weapon from the bard and threw it into the woods. She watched with the joy filled wonder of a child as the chakram ricochet off of the trees in the forest around their campsite. It worked perfectly. She could feel when it was making its return. But the rose colored glasses fell from her eyes when it returned to the bard. Her jaw dropped at the sight. "I guess it likes me," the bard chuckled. "But here ya go." Gabrielle handed the weapon back to Xena "It may take some time, but you'll get used to it again. I think your throw was a little off." Gabrielle looked fondly at the warrior who stood stock still, staring at the weapon in her hand. "I noticed your angle was off by the second or third tree. Don't worry, it doesn't like me better, you're just out of practice." The bard gave Xena a reassuring squeeze on her shoulder and set about cleaning up after breakfast. Xena stood for a while stunned at the actions of the chakram. She spoke almost inaudibly to herself, "it had to be me... it's not alive, it's metal. But I never had to practice with it before. I hope she didn't break it. She said... how could my angle have been off? My angle is never off." Xena looked around and noticed that Gabrielle was down by the pond cleaning up the dishes. "Well, here goes nothing." And she threw her chakram once more into the forest. The End. Xena and/or Gabrielle's chakram was not harmed during the making of this story and no tree's received any permanent damage as a result of the chakram's test drives. |
| But it's Mine! |
| Disclaimer: The characters of Xena:Warrior Princess do not belong to me. I have merely borrowed them for a short time. The are the proud property of MCA/Ren Pics. This story is for entertainment purposes only. This is post FIN fic. (c) August 2001 Please feed the bard at [email protected] |
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