From: daviderl31@yahoo.com   
      
                       Safe and Sound Back Home in Greece   
      
                               Chapter Four   
      
                     East to West, Then Back Again   
      
   As the Poseidon drew closer to the docks, everyone was looking for something   
   different. Captain Santilla was looking for the marketplace to hopefully   
   trade their load of sea bass for the needed supplies. The men were looking   
   for, hopefully, friendly young ladies to share the wine, and other   
   pleasures. Gabrielle was looking for solid ground (she never fully got her   
   sea legs, and seasickness was always just a pitch of the boat away). And   
   Xena was looking for trouble, which always seemed to come all too often.   
      
   Except for Gabrielle, they all were disappointed.   
      
   "Where is everyone?" Gabrielle asked as the Poseidon pulled alongside the   
   least damaged dock. "The village looks deserted."   
      
   "Right now, there's no telling," Xena answered. "But whatever the reason, we   
   need to be careful. There are signs of neglect, but no real damage as if   
   there was a battle."   
      
   "I'm thinking some sort of plague," Santilla theorized. "Killed everybody,   
   down to the last man, woman, child and slave."   
      
   "So where are the bodies?" Gabrielle asked. "They should be everywhere."   
      
   "Maybe the last to die buried their kin, and when they died, the wolves or   
   other predators dragged the bodies off," he replied.   
      
   "Xena, what do you think?"   
      
   "Could be disease. We'll know better after we've look things over. So,   
   Captain Santilla, you need to tell your men to be careful of what they touch   
   while they are looking for whatever is left that we can use. I'll go first,   
   and have them follow when I give the signal."   
      
   Both Xena and Gabrielle stepped off onto the shaky dock and slowly   
   approached the first buildings – the taverns.   
      
   "Left or right?"   
      
   "I'll go right, Gabrielle replied, and they separated, each drawing their   
   weapons.   
      
   Both women found mostly the same thing – dusty, overturned tables and   
   chairs, broken and empty wine bottles, and little else. They met in the   
   street.   
      
   "So how long ago do you think this town was abandoned?" Gabrielle asked.   
      
   "Half a year maybe. Let's see what the rest of the village looks like."   
      
   After some quick exploring, they returned to the docks.   
      
   "I didn't see any remains of funeral pyres, or new gravesites, so it doesn't   
   look like there was any kind of plague, or attack," Xena told Santilla. "I   
   did find the town's well, but we'll need a rope and bucket. Have your men go   
   through all the buildings to see if there is anything we can use."   
      
   They rolled all the empty water barrels to the well, but after bringing up   
   the first bucket of water, Xena knew why the town was empty. "It's salt   
   water," she said. "Either the sea has risen and fouled the well, or the land   
   has sunk. Either way, it's obvious the people of this village had to move   
   on. Gabrielle and I will explore farther inland. Maybe there's a stream   
   somewhere not too far away. Be sure to have the men look for any cisterns,   
   there may be some drinkable water left in them."   
      
   Well past midday Xena and Gabrielle returned to the village. The only thing   
   of any real value the crew of the Poseidon found was wood for the cooking   
   fires.   
      
   "We found a couple dried up stream beds," Xena told them. "We even dug down   
   as deep as my arm would reach, but there is no moisture. The leaves are   
   dying on the trees. This area has been in a drought for several years. That,   
   and the sea water in the wells, has made this part of the island unlivable."   
      
   "What will we do for food?" one of the crew asked. "All we have is the fish,   
   and they are beginning to spoil."   
      
   "Then tonight we will smoke all we have on board. We can't leave until   
   tomorrow anyway," Xena said. "There are enough old water barrels around town   
   we can use to trap the smoke. If we get started now, by morning we'll have   
   all the food we need, for a while. There are plenty of dried oak limbs on   
   the ground outside the village. I suggest gathering the smaller ones first."   
      
   By the time it was dark all the fish had been prepared and were being smoked   
   in the dozen or so barrels they found. They had knocked the ends of out   
   them, stacked them three high, and suspended the filleted fish by cords   
   inside. The smoky embers would do their job by daybreak.   
      
   "Xena, I have made a decision," Santilla said after the men bedded down for   
   the night. "We cannot continue to go west to navigate around this island.   
   Even if there was a strong wind at our backs the entire way, it would still   
   take 40 – 45 days. But if there is no water to be had, we will die of thirst   
   in one fifth of that time. We have no choice but to go back east, back to   
   Messina."   
      
   "But what about the Roman warships?" Gabrielle asked.   
      
   "We have to take the chance we won't be seen. And if we are, hopefully it   
   will be after we get close enough that there will be so many other ships,   
   they will leave us alone."   
      
   "Xena?"   
      
   "He's right, Gabrielle. We don't have a choice."   
      
   "What in Tartarus are you taking about? Of course we have a choice! Just   
   don't let him take us back where the Roman ships are!"   
      
   "I know you're not talking about a mutiny!" Santilla said threateningly.   
      
   "No, she isn't," Xena replied quickly. "Not at all."   
      
   "Fine, then we'll go overland to the southern shore and then find a ship to   
   take us the rest of the way to Greece!" Gabrielle exclaimed. "We can do it.   
   We travelled across the desert after we rescued Sara from Gurkhan. We don't   
   need him or his ship!"   
      
   "Gabrielle…."   
      
   "Xena, you KNOW what they do to runaway slaves! And even on the off chance   
   they let us live, I told you before -- I WILL NOT go back to Batiatus, not   
   after…."   
      
   And just before Gabrielle broke down, Xena took her into her arms, holding   
   her close.   
      
   "Give us a moment," Xena said quietly to Santilla, who nodded then left to   
   check on the fish.   
      
   Xena gave Gabrielle time to let the immediate trauma of whatever she was   
   remembering to lessen, then she had Gabrielle look her in the eyes.   
      
   "Gabrielle, I can't help but feel like all of this is my fault. I should   
   have protected you better, I know that. When we first started traveling   
   together I swore to myself that I would never let anything happen to you,   
   that I would never let you be hurt, but I've let you down so many times. And   
   I know this is just one more example. And I can't help but think that you   
   think so, too. And I am so, so sorry. But – do you remember when you were   
   shot with the poisoned arrow by that Persian spy? And we thought you were   
   going to die?"   
      
   Gabrielle nodded.   
      
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)