From: daviderl31@yahoo.com   
      
   Happy 2021, if anyone is here. HAS to be better than 2020.   
      
   Another Gab  Dream --   
      
      
      
                                       Gabrielle's Third Dream   
      
      
   "Lila! Lila!"  Gabrielle yelled as she ran across the field of ripening   
   barley toward her sister.   
      
   Panting and out of breath, she struggled to speak, "Where ... where did you   
   ... you go? When I ... I got up you were ... you were gone."   
      
   "I know. Mother wanted me to go into town early with her to help her pick   
   out some material for the dress she wants to make to wear at your and   
   Perdicus' wedding. She said she didn't see any reason you had to get up."   
      
   "But I had another dream . . . ."   
      
   "I know - another dream about Xena. So what's new?"   
      
   "But this one wasn't just about Xena. It was also about the Amazons."   
      
   "The Amazons!" Lila laughed. "Don't you ever dream about real people?   
   Everyone knows they're just stories made up to frighten naughty little   
   boys."   
      
   "Maybe they are. And maybe they aren't. How do you know they aren't real?"   
   Gabrielle asked in defense.   
      
   "Have YOU ever seen any Amazons?"   
      
   "Well, no."   
      
   "Just like Xena, AND that Cyclops you dreamed about -- they're just figments   
   of your imagination."   
      
   Seeing Gabrielle's expression sadden, Lila said, "Okay. I'm sorry. Tell me   
   your dream."   
      
   "No. Never mind. It's not important. Besides, I've forgotten most of it   
   anyway."   
      
   As Gabrielle turned away to go back home, Lila put her hand on Gabrielle's   
   shoulder, turned her around and hugged her.   
      
   "I really am sorry, Gabrielle. Please, at least tell me as much as you can   
   remember."   
      
   "I don't remember much, but it seems like Xena and I were walking through   
   the woods when we were surrounded by all these Amazons. They just seemed to   
   drop right out of the trees. And then something else happened, but I don't   
   remember what. We weren't captured, but for some reason we had to go to   
   their camp or village or wherever they lived.   Anyway, we were all walking   
   along and then suddenly we were attacked by soldiers of some kind. They were   
   shooting arrows at us. Xena caught some of them with her bare hands, but one   
   of the Amazons, a young girl, was hit. And I fell over her trying to protect   
   her from getting shot with more arrows."   
      
   "Why did you do that?"   
      
   "I don't know. I think because she reminded me of you. She died anyway, but   
   before she did, she gave me her Right of Caste."   
      
   "Okay, I give up. What is a Right of Caste?"   
      
   "I'm not really sure, but I think it had something to do with a challenge to   
   be Queen of the Amazons."   
      
   Laughing out loud again, Lila said, "Gabrielle! You are TOO MUCH! First you   
   dreamed about being a warrior WOMAN, of all things! And now you want to be   
   the Queen of the Amazons -- anything to keep from marrying Perdicus. Why?   
   Why don't you want to marry him? I just don't understand."   
      
   Deliberately ignoring Lila's tiresome and often-repeated comments, Gabrielle   
   continued. "There was more to the dream than that, but I just can't remember   
   it all."   
      
   "Then why don't you write them down?"   
      
   "What?"   
      
   "You heard me. Why don't you ask Father to buy you some blank scrolls, and   
   then the first thing every morning you can write down your dreams. They   
   would make wonderful stories for your children someday."   
      
   "I suppose I could. It's too bad I can't remember all the details about the   
   first ones I had about Xena."   
      
   "Then just make something up."   
      
   "Do what? I can't do that! It wouldn't be -- honest."   
      
   "So who's to know? It's not like someone's going to find the scrolls a   
   couple thousand years from now and think this Xena, and the Amazons, and the   
   Cyclops were real."   
      
                                       THE END   
      
   David   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)