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Xena: Choose Your own Adventure #2

By Allison

"Kaleipus, I’m going on my own. Send someone in if I’m not back in an hour," Gabrielle said.

"Gabrielle, how do you plan on—" Kaleipus asked.

"I just will!" Gabrielle said, racing into the woods.

With her staff in hands, she looked all over for the Horde. No luck.

There were weapons everywhere, but there were no people.

It was almost an hour when she decided to head back. Within ten minutes, she had raced the mile back to the village. She was terrified at the sight. And all she found was ashes. Walking over to Solan’s old house, now in ashes, she kept her mouth open, stunned.

"Solan..." her voice cracked. Where was Solan? Where was Xena?

"Ow!" a small voice cried out from the side of the road.

"Solan?" Gabrielle asked, worried that what she heard was just a figment of her imagination.

"Over here!" the boy cried from underneath a piece of wood. Gabrielle lifted the board up as Solan climbed up.

He hugged his rescuer. "Where’s Xena?" he asked.

"I still don’t know. What happened here?" Gabrielle had to blink to keep from crying.

"The Horde you were talking about - they attacked us and took most of our water. My uncle is... is... dead," Solan’s eyes welled up with tears. "He was trying to protect the village, but the Horde threw an ax in his back," by now, Solan was crying.

"I have to bring you somewhere safe," Gabrielle grabbed his hand. "I am going to look for Xena again," Gabrielle started to lead him away from the woods and out of the village.

"No!" Solan pulled away from the bard. "She’s my mother, I’ll help look for her!"

Gabrielle was stunned that Solan said this. Not being able to argue, she allowed the young boy to come with her.

Going through the woods and looking in every hiding spot there was, they turned up with nothing... until they heard a groan.

"Xena?" Gabrielle asked, disbelieving. The groan sounded again. Gabrielle and Solan raced over to the source. She was hidden under some leaves, very injured.

"Xena, what happened?" Gabrielle knelt by her best friend.

"The Horde... didn’t know who I was..." Xena said, groaning and wincing at her pain.

"Wait - nevermind, don’t talk. Just stay there and I’ll get help," Gabrielle said, holding her friend’s hand. She looked at Xena’s cut up body.

"Mom?" Solan said quietly. Xena looked up, almost scared. That name frightened her.

"Solan’s here? How could you let him—" Xena started to ask Gabrielle.

"He made me bring him. No, I didn’t tell him... you know what," the bard said quietly. Xena nodded and looked back at Solan.

"It makes me feel better that he’s all right. I was coming to warn you that the Horde was running towards the village," Xena winced as Gabrielle started to wrap a deep cut with some of her own pieces of skirt.

"They burnt the village to the ground," Gabrielle said quietly.

Xena was silent. She looked at Solan, her son.

It was a little while until Xena could stand, and when she could, they made no move to stay in the forest any longer. With Solan with them, they headed off to their next adventure, not knowing what would come next.

THE END