From: daviderl31@yahoo.com   
      
                               Safe and Sound Back Home in Greece   
      
                                                   Chapter Two   
      
                                                           At Sea   
      
      
   It didn't take long for Gabrielle to learn several important lessons about   
   working on a sailing ship. The first was to wrap her hands from wrist to   
   fingertips with strips of canvas. The hemp ropes used for everything was so   
   rough that blisters would form, then quickly rupture, and soon her palms and   
   fingers would be bloody and raw.   
      
   The second thing she learned was that the muscles that served her well while   
   on the road, and occasionally while battling thugs and warlords, were not   
   the ones used for pulling on ropes that raised and lowered the sails. She   
   had never experienced such a persistent aching in her back, shoulders and   
   arms.   
      
   She also learned that wooden sailing ships were not watertight, and that   
   bailing water from the bilge of the vessel was a constant chore. That, and   
   the need to keep applying and reapplying the black, sticky, oily and   
   foul-smelling goo to the places where water seemed to want to leak through.   
      
   And that even though the cold wind on deck cut through her coat and   
   leggings, below deck, below the water line, was almost as cold. But whenever   
   she considered the alternative – staying in Italia with the risk of   
   recapture and slavery, she did the work assigned to her without complaining.   
      
   The only real irritation she felt was that Xena rarely worked with her and   
   the crew. She spent most of her time conferring with the captain, either on   
   deck looking out over the water, or in his cabin. And if he hadn't been so   
   grizzled and unattractive, and if she wasn't so confident in Xena's loyalty   
   to her, Gabrielle would have thought there was something going on between   
   them.   
      
   But the winds were fair and they seemed to be making good time. More than   
   once Captain Santilla told them that they were ahead of schedule, and with   
   luck, they would be in Messina a day or two sooner than planned. But as dawn   
   broke on their fourth day at sea, in the distance another ship was spotted,   
   and it seemed to be heading directly toward them.   
      
   "Any idea who it might be?" Xena asked, deferring to Santilla's experience.   
      
   "Hard to say from this distance. She's a big ship, twice the size of the   
   Poseidon. If I were to guess, I'd say one of the smaller, faster Roman   
   warships. But until she draws nearer…."   
      
   They continued to watch, and as the ship gradually got closer to them and   
   details were easier to see, Captain Santilla began to worry.   
      
   "She's a fast ship, no doubt. Her speed is at least twice of ours. And the   
   red sail – Roman for sure."   
      
   "So we can't outrun it?"   
      
   "No. I'm not sure what we can do. Just hope when they board us they will   
   look around, decide we aren't smugglers, and let us go."   
      
   "You don't have papers, bills of lading, manifests?"   
      
   "I do, but if they decide they are forgeries…. Well, I guess we fight and   
   die, or are sold into slavery."   
      
   "No!" Xena declared. "That will never happen."   
      
   "What can we do? You have a plan?"   
      
   "Maybe."   
      
   As they watched the Roman ship get closer, many of the crew began to pray to   
   Poseidon to save them; Xena only shook her head. When the ship was close   
   enough that soldiers on board could be seen, ready to board the Poseidon,   
   Xena shucked off her coat and handed it to Gabrielle.   
      
   "Clear a path," she said to the men.   
      
   And as they spread out, leaving a clear path between Xena and the   
   approaching ship, Xena took her Chakram from its clip, eyed the ship, then   
   ran forward five steps and launched the weapon so hard she spun in a   
   complete circle at its release. And even though it seemed to disappear, the   
   loud singing of it could be heard.   
      
   "What…?" Santilla started to say.   
      
   "Wait for it," Gabrielle said, a smile on her face.   
      
   At first there was nothing but the faint singing of the Chakram, then they   
   saw the sail of the Roman ship began to fall – the ropes holding it had been   
   cut. Then the singing got louder as the disk returned to Xena, and when she   
   caught it, she spun around in another circle, and at the same time replaced   
   it on its clip. And as the Poseidon pulled away from the Roman ship a cheer   
   went up from the crew.   
      
   "Back to the ropes," Santilla yelled to them. "They still have oars!"   
      
   For once, Gabrielle stayed with Xena and Santilla, feeling her place was   
   next to her.   
      
   "Never have I seen such a weapon used so wonderfully," Santilla said to   
   Xena. "How can you throw it so far, have it return to you, and catch it   
   without   
   cutting your fingers off?"   
      
   Xena smiled at Gabrielle. "Shall I, or do you want to?"   
      
   "She has many skills," Gabrielle said to Santilla. "But I have to admit,   
   I've never seen her throw the Chakram so hard and so far."   
      
   "So, will they be able to catch us now?" Xena asked.   
      
   "It's still possible. I only see one bank of oars, but there are at least   
   twenty oars to pull. And they will be able to come directly at us, while we   
   will have to zig zag to catch the best wind. It will take them a while, but   
   eventually they will."   
      
   "They have that many slaves onboard?" Gabrielle asked.   
      
   "No slaves on a warship," Xena told her. "They will be using soldiers. It's   
   too risky to have slaves, they might take advantage during a battle and turn   
   on the Romans."   
      
   "So what happens when they get close enough to board us?"   
      
   "I'll think of something," Xena replied. "I always do."   
      
   As the day passed, the crew of the Poseidon worked the ropes, moving the   
   sail to best capture the wind, while Santilla manned the steering oar to   
   help turn the ship. And despite the cold, everyone was drenched with sweat,   
   including Xena, who knew being short more than half the crew was causing the   
   rest of them to do double the work. But despite their best efforts, the   
   Roman warship was steadily gaining on them, and before the sun set the   
   Poseidon would be within range of the archers, who would fire arrows with   
   burning tips into the sail.   
      
   "Any ideas?" Gabrielle asked during the brief rest before the sail had to be   
   readjusted.   
      
   "Still thinking."   
      
   Gabrielle nodded. "So, just how many soldiers do you think we'll be fighting   
   when they catch up to us?"   
      
   "Twenty. Thirty, maybe. Too many for this small crew and the limited weapons   
   to battle."   
      
   "Xena, I want you to know right now – I will NOT go back into slavery. I   
   will fight to the death before I let them capture me."   
      
   "I understand. But what if it comes down to the others being captured, or   
   dying because we refuse to surrender?"   
      
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
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