From: daviderl31@yahoo.com   
      
                               Xena: Roman Gladiator   
      
                                   Chapter Eleven   
      
                               Xena and Gabrielle   
      
      
   The second day after the Games, Xena felt better than the previous day, and   
   she knew each day she would improve. Her uncanny powers of self-healing was   
   something she had always taken for granted, but now she was grateful for   
   them. She waited until everyone had eaten and were in the arena before she   
   left her cell. There was more food for her than she could eat, but she   
   appreciated what was left for her. After she ate, she walked to the edge of   
   the arena, watching as they all went through the same repetitive drills they   
   practiced day after day.   
      
   "Maybe it's time they learned something new," she said to herself, and   
   walked over to where Barsis and Philox were practicing – hitting each   
   other's shield in turn with the wooden swords. First one would strike, then   
   the other, over and over. But they both stopped as she approached.   
      
   After answering their inquiries, telling them she was better, she asked,   
   "Mind if I show you something?"   
      
   "By all means," Barsis replied, offering his sword and shield.   
      
   "Let's continue the routine, but a bit more slowly."   
      
   Xena hit Philox's shield and he struck hers in return. This went on three   
   times but on the fourth, when it was Xena's turn, she hit the shield high,   
   close to the hilt of her sword so the tip of it almost hit him in the head,   
   and he instinctively ducked away from it. Xena immediately turned to her   
   right, then caught the side of his shield with hers and spun quickly to the   
   left, pulling his away from  him, leaving his body exposed.   
      
   There she stopped, and said, using her sword to instruct, "You can now split   
   open your opponent's head, chop down on the top of his shoulder next to his   
   neck on either side, or run your sword through him from back to front."   
      
   Then handing the weapons back to Barsis, she added, "But if you try this,   
   you must be successful on the first try. Your opponent won't fall for it a   
   second time."   
      
   Xena then limped off the arena, having strained her wounds in the   
   demonstration. When she got out of the sun she turned back to see all of   
   them trying this new, unorthodox use of the shield. When she looked over to   
   Doctore, he smiled and nodded at her. She nodded back, then went to the tub   
   with it's cool water and got in after removing her bandages.   
      
   And seeming to appear out of thin air, the physician was standing over her,   
   waiting. This time she didn't need his help getting out of the tub. After   
   another examination, he decided she didn't need to wrap the wounds except at   
   night when she slept, with a caution to keep them clean and dry.   
      
   As soon as he left, Doctore came to her and said, "I have spoken to Dominus,   
   and even though he was in an unusual mind, he has decided you may see your   
   friend, but only from this side of the flat bars keeping us separated from   
   the rest of the villa."   
      
   "When!" Xena said excitedly. "Now?"   
      
   "Tomorrow morning after the others are in the arena."   
      
   "Thank you," she gushed. "You have no idea how much this means to me."   
      
   "You earned it. And if you should happen to have another trick or two to   
   teach the others, well, I'm sure Dominus would be happy to allow more   
   visits. So, eat and rest."   
      
   But Xena could do neither. The thought of seeing Gabrielle again caused her   
   to not only lose her appetite, but she wasn't able to fall asleep,   
   anticipating their meeting the next morning.   
      
   As was usual, Xena was up before anyone else, even before the house slaves.   
   She could often hear them, in the quiet of the predawn morning -- moving   
   around, preparing for the day. She could hear voices, faintly, but they were   
   never loud enough; she tried but she could never tell if one of them might   
   be Gabrielle.   
      
   This morning seemed to last too long, waiting for Doctore to rouse the men   
   for their daily practice. And waiting for them to finish breakfast to enter   
   the arena. And waiting for the physician to examine her healing wounds. And   
   waiting for Doctore to take her to the locked door leading to the living   
   quarters. And waiting for Gabrielle to come.   
      
   "You are to remain one arm's length from the bars," he instructed. "And   
   there will be no physical contact between you two if you decide to take the   
   risk to be nearer to her."   
      
   Xena nodded her understanding. Doctore then left her there, waiting for her   
   soul mate to come.   
      
   x………………..x   
      
   When Gabrielle awoke, she knew it was still too early to rise for the day –   
   everything was still quiet. But something woke her up and she slowly opened   
   her eyes. There was some light from the few torches on the walls burning   
   just bright enough one could find her way to the latrine area. When she   
   turned her head, she saw dark eyes framed by dark curly hair looking at her.   
   Gabrielle smiled.   
      
   "Good morning, Tia," she whispered. "You're up early. Is there something you   
   need?"   
      
   Tia smiled a shy smile but said nothing. Gabrielle sat up and put her feet   
   on the floor. Then unexpectedly, Tia crawled into her lap and laid her head   
   against Gabrielle's breast and Gabrielle wrapped her arms around her. While   
   she held the child, Gabrielle kept an ear out. She knew Domina would never   
   be up this early and would never come to the slave quarters without a good   
   reason, as when she had Marsa dragged off, but nevertheless, Gabrielle was   
   wary.   
      
   It wasn't long before she could tell that Tia had fallen asleep, so she   
   slowly laid back down, letting her sleep on her chest, and it wasn't long   
   until Gabrielle fell back to sleep herself, until Antea was waking her up.   
   She gently picked up Tia and whispered, "I'll put her back in bed."   
      
   Gabrielle nodded and watched as the two disappeared down a hallway that led   
   to other rooms. Then she saw Phaedra had been watching.   
      
   "I thought she wanted nothing to do with me," Gabrielle said.   
      
   "She didn't know you and didn't trust you."   
      
   "Then why…?"   
      
   "She knows what you did for Marsa and she recognized that you were no danger   
   to her. More than once she was strapped by Domina when she was younger, so   
   now, even at her young age, she is cautious of those she doesn't know."   
      
   "It is sad she has to be raised in such a hostile place," Gabrielle said   
   sadly. "Children should be free to run and play and laugh, not to hide in   
   shadows in fear."   
      
   "You are right, but it is what it is. We all try to make her feel as loved   
   as we can, and now there is another she can go to for comfort."   
      
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
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