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Xena: Choose Your own Adventure #2

By Allison

"No... it was so... real..." Xena insisted deliriously.

"It was just a bad dream - a nightmare. You'll be okay. Please, don't think about Solan right now. He's fine. You trust Kaleipus," Gabrielle said persuasively.

Xena nodded weakly and eventually fell back asleep. Gabrielle lay awake, staring at her troubled best friend. She pitied the beautiful warrior. Xena may have the skills, men, and knowledge of a goddess, but Gabrielle would never want Xena's past.

Gabrielle fell asleep, thinking of the nights' events.

"Wake up, sleepyhead," Xena said softly, looking out the small window. It was dawn.

Gabrielle groaned and rolled over. "Do I have to?" she whined.

Xena gave a small smile. That's when Gabrielle remembered what had happened a few hours ago. She sat up.

"Xena, are you okay... I mean-" Gabrielle started.

Xena shook her head as if to tell Gabrielle to forget about it.

"I'll tell you where we're going now," Xena said, quickly changing the subject.

"Where?" Gabrielle asked impatiently.

"Do you remember Darius? The man who saved me from that arrow? The one whose barn the warlord burnt down?" Xena asked.

Gabrielle's eyes went wide. "Xena, are you planning on-"

Xena knew what Gabrielle was going to ask. She was going to ask if Xena was planning on staying with Darius.

Darius was a man whom just recently entered and exited Xena's life. He was widowed, and took care of three children on his own.

Xena had saved his little boy, Lycus, from a falling house as soldiers came and ambushed the villagers rebuilding their community. One warrior had two of his men fire arrows at Xena. Xena caught both, but then the head warrior shot one and hit directly into Xena's side. Darius nursed Xena back to health, and that's when Xena saved the village from a monstrous warlord.

Meanwhile, Gabrielle had a crush on the warlord's son.

"I don't know if I'm planning to stay or not," Xena said truthfully.

"I understand," Gabrielle said hesitantly.

It didn't take long for Gabrielle and Xena to pack up their things and leave the inn.

Gabrielle slid off Argo, Xena's horse, to pick up a flower that she hadn't seen before.

"Hey, Xena! Look at-" Gabrielle was cut short as a scream echoed in the woods behind the tavern. Xena turned Argo around and motioned for Gabrielle to get up on the horse behind her. Gabrielle hesitated, but listened to her friend. She knew that it was not smart to question Xena.

Ever.

"Where is she?!" the yell echoed over and over. Xena galloped Argo around the long way around the tavern.

"Xena, should I go-" Gabrielle was quiet once again as Argo approached the woods. From a distance, Xena could see a caravan of what looked like a group of twenty or so traders. Alongside was a group of what looked like marauders.

"You will tell me eventually! I had a sister, and I promised her I'd find her one day! Now tell me! Our village was in three miles from here!" the female voice cried out demandingly.

Xena raised her chakrum as the take-charge female put her sword to an elderly man's neck.

"Xena, don't," Gabrielle pleaded. "I have this weird feeling that this is someone..."

Xena put the chakrum back and picked out her whip. Argo neighed impatiently.

The woods were quiet as the female approached Xena.

"Maybe you can help me," the woman demanded, commanding rather than asking.

"I am missing my sister. I haven't seen her in twenty years. We come from the village Cirra," the woman lowered her sword.

Xena raised an eyebrow and Gabrielle gasped quietly. Not quiet enough for the woman not to hear her.

"You've... heard of her?" the lady asked, eyes flashing. Her blond hair was straight and long, her body tall and slender, yet muscular in its own way.

"Uh... yeah, of course. I'm a bard," Gabrielle improvised.

"What was your sister's name?" Xena spoke up for the first time.

"Callisto," the woman answered dramatically, looking for unusual reactions from anyone.

Xena made none.

"My name is Danaka. An evil warlord named Xena burned my village and killed everyone. I thought my sister had died, but just recently I heard that Xena the Warrior Princess had killed her. I don't believe a word of it," Danaka finished.

"Believe it," a man whispered behind Danaka. Danaka immediately drew a dagger and killed the man. The crowd gasped, backing up a few paces. "Even so, I am out to find Xena or Callisto. If I find one, I will find the other."

Xena looked at Gabrielle and knew what she was thinking. This woman looked powerful, almost as powerful as Callisto. If Callisto was Danaka's sister, then Xena and Gabrielle had a problem on their hands.

"I have to go back to our camp. My husband is the warlord in these parts. His name is Keelikus - you've probably heard of him. If you people do decide to try anything stupid, like defend this village, you will be sorry," Danaka announced. She looked at Xena. Then at Xena's chakrum. Danaka stared at Xena and narrowed her eyes.

"The legendary chakrum..." Danaka hissed, grabbing at Xena's shotgrip.

"What? That?" Gabrielle boldly grabbed the discus-like weapon out of Danaka's hands. "This is a fish cutter! Watch! Oh, wait, I don't have any fish right now, but trust me, it's great for that! Anyway, what do you mean 'legendary'? I've never heard of a 'chakraw' or whatever you called it!" Gabrielle laughed.

Danaka's eyes practically turned red. She drew her sword. "I don't buy that-Xena!" Xena raised her head as the sword was pressed against her neck.

Gabrielle was still on Argo, too stunned to get off.

If Xena fights Danaka, go to chapter #4

If Xena keeps her mouth shut and lets Gabrielle do the talking, go to chapter #5