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Xena: Choose Your own Adventure #2

By Allison

"It's all right, Xena, it's all right," Gabrielle repeated over and over.

"No, it's not," Xena got out of the bed and quickly put on her armor. She sheathed her sword and attached her chakrum to her shotgrip. Gabrielle watched, amazed. Xena never acted on a dream like this. Gabrielle got up slowly to see that it wasn't even dawn. Why did she have to do this now? Gabrielle thought

"Come on, I'll meet you at the stables," Xena informed Gabrielle as she slammed the door behind her.

Gabrielle sighed. Her luck. Regardless of her sleepiness, Gabrielle forced herself to get out of bed.

Gabrielle picked up her staff and headed out the door, taking one last glance to make sure that she didn't forget anything.

Heading to the stables, she worried about her best friend. Xena hadn't mentioned her son since she had last seen him.

Xena's son was named Solan, and she gave birth to him during a war. Then gave him to a centaur friend to make sure that he would grow up in a decent environment. The centaur Kaleipus took the child in and made up lies about how his mother and father died. Solan believed that Xena, the legendary Warrior Princess, killed his mother. When Solan and Xena met, Solan hated Xena until he later realized that she was a friend and didn't kill his mother. To this day, he had no idea that Xena was related to him in such a close way, let alone related at all.

Xena was already on Argo by the time Gabrielle had bought a loaf of bread for their journey. It was planned to be a long one. The two traveled for about a week, and then stopped at a village.

"She's terrible! We must evacuate the village!" a woman was raving at the tavern counter. Xena casually walked up to the woman.

"What's going on?" Xena asked toughly.

"The demon! She claims that she is Callisto's sister! She will kill us all if we don't find her the warrior princess! That's who killed Callisto!" the woman was close to tears.

Gabrielle put her arm around the shaking woman. She comforted her as Xena stood there, shocked.

"Xena, is this true?" Gabrielle whispered, out of the terrified woman's earshot.

Xena didn't answer. She just drew her sword and stood by the door.

"Gabrielle, round up everyone and bring them to the back room of the tavern," Xena ordered after looking outside. Her reflexes were alert and her sword was at her side. The door swung open.

"Well, well, well. I have given you three days, and I get nothing!" a woman shrieked. Gabrielle's jaw dropped as she peaked out from the back room. About twenty people were crammed in behind her. She could hear her own heart throbbing in her ears.

The woman at the door was tall and slender, and had straight blond hair. Her eyes were an icy hazel, and her thin lips were slightly parted, ready for a verbal fight as well as a physical one.

Xena took her chakrum and flung it to one side of the room, out of the blond woman's sight. That was Xena's trademark. She didn't want any clue of her identity given to this monster - yet.

The woman drew her sword and faced Xena.

"So, you're the only villager here who will dare defend yourself with your... armor and that sword?" the woman was disgusted.

"Guess so," Xena smirked.

"I am looking for Xena," the woman said. "My name is Danaka, and my sister, Callisto, was killed by that monster."

"A monster, eh?" Xena grinned evilly. Gabrielle's stomach turned.

Xena lifted her sword. "I'll tell you what."

Danaka raised her eyebrows.

"If I fight you, we can make a deal," Xena said.

"Like what?" Danaka showed interest.

"If I win, you leave this village alone and forget about Xena. If you win, we give you Xena," Xena decided.

Danaka thought for a moment. "Deal."

Xena backed up slowly, and then backflipped onto the bar.

"At this rate, I'll have you tired out before you can even touch me," Danaka laughed. The laugh was so familiar. Gabrielle turned away and tried to open the jammed door so that the villagers could escape without being seen. Xena kicked Danaka in the face as the blond woman ran towards her newfound enemy. Xena felt weird. She didn't even know this woman, yet she already felt hatred towards her.

Danaka screamed her own battlecry as she flipped up on the counter to be face to face with Xena. Xena thought about telling Danaka who she was, but then decided against it almost immediately.

Danaka swung her sword at Xena's head. Xena ducked, and threw Danaka off balance. It was obvious that Callisto had had more training than her sister, but Xena and Danaka were still pretty even.

Xena jumped off the counter and ran towards her chakrum. It was stuck on a rafter about five feet above her head. Danaka flipped over Xena's head and stood on the table directly below the chakrum. Danaka had no idea what Xena wanted. Danaka swung her sword at Xena, but she again lost her balance and came toppling to the ground - along with the table. Xena groaned. That was her chance of getting her most powerful weapon.

Xena kicked Danaka in the chest as Danaka regained her footing on the ground. Danaka screamed and sent her foot flying at Xena's face. That caught Xena off guard, and she was pushed backwards, her sword falling noisily to the ground.

Danaka picked up the sword and examined it.

"Nice sword..." Danaka narrowed her eyes and tossed the sword out of both womens' reach.

"Xena! Catch!" Gabrielle threw a long broom towards Xena. The warrior caught it, and stared at Gabrielle. Gabrielle shrugged. Xena knocked off the broom part and was left with a long staff.

"Yiyiyiyiyiyiyi!" Xena cried as she backflipped over Danaka's head. One end of the stick caught on a pole that held up the tavern, and the other stick was caught by another pole. Xena swung herself around and around on the pole, gaining momentum. She laughed playfully and let go. She was suspended in air and reached out for her chakrum. Once on the ground, she grinned as she looked at the shiny weapon.

"Missed ya," Xena hissed.

"Xena! No!" Gabrielle cried out as she brought up the rear of the escaping villager's line.

Xena's mind went blank as she threw the chakrum. There was a "thud" and then silence.

Danaka fell to the ground. The few soldiers that came in behind her earlier just stared at Xena. Xena picked up her sword and chakrum and followed Gabrielle.

Once outside, Gabrielle stood still, shocked at her best friend.

"How could you just... you didn't know if she was telling the truth or not..." Gabrielle's voice cracked.

"I had a feeling," was Xena's grim only answer.

Back on the road, Gabrielle ate some of the free food the villagers thanked them with.

"Xena, it's been two days, and you haven't eaten anything," Gabrielle said. Xena didn't answer. There had been little talking between the two for a while. Gabrielle figured Xena was nervous about seeing her son. Then they came to a fork in the road. One end led to a dark part of the forest, and the other led to a road along the coast of a lake. Argo slowed down. Gabrielle looked at Xena. Xena stared back. Xena was not sure if she wanted to do this.

If Xena goes the forest way, go to chapter #6.

If Xena goes the lake way, go to chapter #7.