The Xena Scrolls

By:  Gabrielle Bard of Potedia

Scroll#23:  Death Mask

August, 48 B.C.

     I sing of the wrath of vengeance.  Of how it began and of how it could end.  Gabrielle walked alongside Xena and Argo twirling her staff about.  She pondered the skills of the warrior princess with great intrigue for Xena’s warrior talents were extraordinary indeed.  The bard could only find herself dreaming of the possibility to master these skills herself.  As she imagined and tried to work through her mind how it was that the warrior princess could capture an arrow with nothing, but her bare hands.  Xena had never missed.  It was like she always somehow knew when danger was upon her.  Gabrielle found herself desperately trying to understand how the warrior princess could do this.  She came to speak her thoughts aloud.  The warrior princess found herself involved trying to explain to Gabrielle that there was nothing to think about.

      Instead Xena said that the bard must allow her body to listen for the enemy.  To feel its approach was how it was done and not to think about the process.  There was no time for thought in the times of danger.  Only instinct could seemingly save the warrior princess.  Gabrielle still did not understand for she wasn’t so certain that she herself had that warrior instinct.  Yet as the bard tried to listen she heard something not within her ears, but within her body for the first time.  It was from just beyond the trees on the path.  It felt like a crossbow releasing an arrow.  suddenly the bard’s body reacted as she thrust her staff in the air capturing the danger upon its contact with her staff.  Gabrielle found herself shocked that she had heard the danger from within the trees.  Yet there was little time to think for a battle was about to ensue.

     The enemy who had delivered the arrow into the bard’s staff revealed himself to the warrior princess as she flipped into battle.  Xena chose not to fight with her weapon for it was only one man.  She delivered thunderous kicks and blocked the enemy advance.  Then she punched back knocking the enemy to the ground.  As the bard took note of the warrior princess’s weaponless moves she found her body tuning into another intrusion of danger from behind.  Suddenly the bard whipped around behind her to find another approaching enemy.  He had a sword and the enemy was masked in metal just as was the other man Xena had been battling.  The bard blocked his advances with her staff though her enemy carried a sword.  She took the enemy down and then began to run, but the enemy did not stay down.  Instead he rose again to chase the bard down the path.  Gabrielle could feel his presence upon her heels as she prepared another move.  The bard suddenly knelt down and drove her staff into the ground.  Then she jabbed the opposite end up into the stomach of the approaching enemy.  He flipped violently overhead and landed upon his back.

      The bard rose again and prepared to strike again as the enemy struggled to rise once more.  Xena had ended her battle with the other masked man with the sword for he had escalated the fight unable to take her down without a weapon.  Despite his choice the warrior princess still one out for she was a true master swordsman.  Xena had heard the sounds of the battle between the bard and another enemy on down the path and followed those sounds to assist.  Yet when she arrived she found that the bard was doing well on her own.  The warrior princess watched in surprise to see that the bard was beating the tar out of her challenger.  And though Gabrielle was seemingly in control of the situation she reminded Xena that she was still not so certain or full of that warrior confidence.  Once Gabrielle was certain that she had come out of the battle the victor Xena looked down upon the masked victim.

     Her tone quickly changed into a serious one.  It was as if the warrior princess knew this man.  She then declared that he was wearing the mask of Corteese as was the man she had battled against.  When the bard asked Xena who Corteese was the warrior princess replied that he had been the warlord that had sent her down her path of vengeance.  It was Corteese who has sacked the warrior princess’s village so long ago and had taken the life of her beloved brother Lycious.  Gabrielle could see how much the invasion of her village had affected the warrior princess and she could feel the sorrow within the warrior princess’s voice.  The bard began to realize just what it was that had made Xena commit so many wrongs.  Xena was seemingly within a momentary trance as she thought about the distant experience.  Then she boiled over with anger realizing that this was now her chance to avenge the death of her brother who had been killed in the battle against Corteese.

       Suddenly the warrior princess delivered the wrath of her pinch upon the helplessly defeated man.  She demanded information about Corteese and his whereabouts.  The man’s fear overcame him quickly as he declared that Corteese was just down the valley in the next village.  He and his army were attacking there.  After receiving the information Xena quickly removed certain death from her victim.  Then she took off his mask and punched him the nose knocking him unconscious.  It was obvious that the warrior princess did not want to be followed.  Then Xena dashed off upon Argo riding into the village as Gabrielle sprinted behind hoping to keep the pace.

     As they approached the village Xena paused upon Argo surveying the situation below.  It was a cruel reminder of the beginning of a life of darkness and blood.  Yet the warrior princess looked beyond and then rode into the battle.  She drew her sword and began to combat against the men of Corteese’s army.  Most of them were younger than the usual army members.  They were well-trained yet were not accustomed to a challenge.  As the warrior princess jousted with the enemy upon Argo Gabrielle arrived over the valley.  She found herself looking down into the chaos of Corteese’s army.  Women were screaming, and men were being beaten by their wrath.  The bard scanned the scene looking to enter into the battle, but instead she caught sight of a little girl.  She appeared stunned with fear in the middle of the battle.  Her mother screamed for her to return into the shelter of their home, but the girl did not move.  Instead her eyes gazed out across the way to a doll which lied upon the dirt. 

      The little girl then glanced up at the dark enemy approaching upon horseback.  He charged forward toward the doll and Gabrielle knew what would happen next.  Quickly the bard dashed down into the village knowing that she had to save the little girl.  The little girl began to run toward her doll as the bard rushed to rescue her from harm.  Just before the horseman brushed behind the bard she grasped the little girl and rolled away to safety.  The young mother was filled with relief as her daughter had been rescued.  Gabrielle quickly began to engage in combat with her staff as the warrior princess continued to combat upon her horse.  Corteese’s men suddenly began to retreat at the command of their leader.  The bard looked up to see that a patrolling army was riding into the battle.  As she watched the last man from Corteese’s army disappear into battle the captain rode into the village.  Gabrielle shouted a command to the captain of the patrolling army for Corteese’s army was on the verge of their escape into the woods. 

      But the captain did not heed the command for he spoke of being restricted.  He said that his jurisdiction would not allow him to take his men in the woods.  The woods were the boundary and he noted that his army was already being well spent by the province which it was responsible for.  It appeared to the bard that their morale was destroyed and beaten down.  The warrior princess approached the captain as she dismounted from her horse.  He removed his helmet respectfully complementing the warrior princess on her fighting ability.  It was clear that the captain was impressed and could use the kind of help in his battle against the darkness. 

      Xena then asked of the captain more information about his operations and responsibilities to the kingdom.  The captain was obviously very loyal to his king and disappointed that he and his men had been too late once again.  It always seemed that they arrived after a battle against Corteese instead of before.  Corteese always had the upper hand and it was only getting worse.  The warrior princess decided that she and the bard would investigate further.  They followed the trail left by the retreating enemy.  As they walked Gabrielle was still thinking about the moment of impact when she had caught the arrow with her staff.  She was going through the motions of the fresh memory within her mind.  Her body had felt the blood rushing through its veins as if a burst of unsuspecting energy had taken it over.  Gabrielle was still very delighted as she continued to twirl the staff and reenact her proud moment. 

     The warrior princess was not as impressed.  She was barely excited as she tried to remind the bard that to acquire the skills of a brilliant warrior it takes a lot of trial and error.  Gabrielle found herself slightly offended that the warrior princess did not believe in her ability.  Then she held up a hypothetical challenge.  She asked Xena what the odds were if she were to take ten arrows from the warrior princess.  Gabrielle was certain that she would perform well under such a test.  And of course the warrior princess agreed that the bard would perform well; however, there was the reminder that her skills were far from perfect.  In fact, the warrior princess was confident that the bard would at least be able to capture nine out of ten arrows.  Yet if there was one arrow that the bard could not catch then that was one too many for it would be marked for her death.  And so the argument was won by the cunning warrior princess and her point was once again made clear to the bard.

     Soon the warrior princess and the bard spotted a lone masked warrior standing upon the hill near the trees.  He stood motionless as if he were about to strike yet he did not move.  Gabrielle inquired of the warrior princess of his intentions yet Xena was just as uncertain.  Then Xena asked the bard to wait as she approached the man for a confrontation.  The warrior princess pulled her sword ready for a duel, but received a great surprise.  This masked warrior from Corteese’s ranks unmasked himself upon the threat of being slaughtered at the end of Xena’s sword.  He then asked if it was the intention of the warrior princess to kill her brother.  Suddenly the bard found herself confused and intrigued for the warrior princess had told her earlier that her brother had been killed by Corteese. 

      Then the warrior princess answered the bard’s sudden inquiry revealing that she had two brothers.  This was her brother Toris who did not die in the battle against Corteese.  There was something very awkward about the situation between the two siblings.  It appeared as if they were rivals.  Xena seemed irritated that her brother would ride with the enemy while Toris’s emotion was not so simple to understand.  Toris explained to his inquiring sister of his reasons for riding with Corteese’s army.  He explained that he had been with them for a short time after having searched for several years to find Corteese.  His plan a simple one.  Toris wanted to get in close with Corteese’s army and to gain their trust.  His hope was to one day be face to face with Corteese so that he could have his final revenge with the warlord.  It seemed a noble idea to the bard at first until she realized that Toris was overcome with vengeance.  Gabrielle was pleased that Xena was convinced that justice was a better punishment than blood.

     Yet as the three traveled together they set up camp.  Things were very quiet between the two siblings as Gabrielle started a fire and tried to cook the dinner that Xena had hunted.  It was obvious to the bard that neither party was eager to speak to the other for they held within them grudging actions.  Gabrielle could understand Xena’s disappointment within her brother because he was riding with Corteese, but she did not understand what Toris’s grude was about.  The bard tried desperately to get them to speak to one another.  She even tried to relate to their situation by comparing it to some of the monstrous rivalry she had had with her own sister Lilla.  Gabrielle’s point was that no grude was worth turning away a brother or a sister no matter what it entailed.  The warrior princess reluctantly caught onto the bard’s insinuations as she opened the conversation harshly.  She inquired of the assassin that her brother Toris had become.  He was equally enraged however.  He shot back blaming Xena for the loss of their brother Lycious.

     Toris blamed his sister for deciding to go up against Corteese’s army.  He had preferred and chosen to run away into the hills.  Toris could barely tolerate his sister’s decision to create an army out of their village in its time of need.  He blamed her for many of those who had been taken on that fateful day which obviously changed the course of both of their lives.  They had both loved their younger brother Lycious very much and each of them had mourned their loss in different ways.  Xena had chosen to move on and forward despite her constant venture to seek out and find Corteese and bring him to justice.  The bard very much agreed with Xena’s way for it was based upon the good.  Toris’s justice was built upon the darkness of vengeance.  As the two argued Gabrielle offered dinner asking Toris how he liked his meat.  The warrior princess interrupted the break in the tension adding that drumsticks were Toris’s preference.  It was obvious to Gabrielle that she was not able to break through the tension.  Yet she was very upset that she was unable to help her best friend and Toris mend their differences and their pasts.

     Then the warrior princess asked the bard if she would go check on Argo.  For a moment Gabrielle was disappointed that the warrior princess had asked her to leave yet she realized that it was best for the current situation.  Xena and Toris needed some time together to sort through their differences.  The bard headed toward Argo yet could not resist eavesdropping from beyond the trees and the brush.  She heard Xena ask Toris how close he had come to Corteese.  It was in that moment that her prideful brother revealed that he had not really been traveling with Corteese’s army for very long.  Although he was quite confident that he would soon be face to face with Corteese.  It was obvious to Xena that her brother knew little about the dealings of the warlord.  His vengeance would not be enough to defeat their common enemy. 

     The warrior princess was then told by Toris that he wanted her to stay out of it, but Xena would not allow it.  She was not at all afraid to face the warlord yet Toris was seemingly uncertain.  The warrior princess suggested that they go to Corteese’s camp together.  She wanted to investigate the situation further.  Although her brother was against it there was nothing he could do to keep Xena from her warrior way.  So the two went off to visit Corteese together with Xena posing as his prisoner.  When they arrived at Corteese’s camp Xena discovered just how little Toris had accomplished.  He had yet to win the respect of his surrounding peers let alone that of his commander Malik.  Malik was most certainly in control.  He would not allow Toris to deliver the warrior princess to Corteese directly.  Toris desperately tried to argue with Malik, but received little recognition.  He was treading upon dangerous waters and the warrior princess knew it.  She was taken by Malik as he prepared to have her for his own pleasures before he was to take her to Corteese. 

      Then Malik went back outside of his tent to deal with the unruly Toris.  He wanted to make certain that Toris knew who was truly in command.  Malik made it very clear to Toris that he was worth little to Corteese’s army and would not have the respect of anyone within it.  As Toris continued to argue with Malik Xena escaped her weak binds using her breast dagger.  Once she had freed herself she began to investigate the tent.  It was obviously a commanders tent yet there was no sign of Corteese.  Yet the warrior princess found something much more interesting.  She found three stool pigeons and royal notes which had been carried directly from the king’s castle.  Before she could seek more information she heard the argument between Toris and Malik coming to an end.  Toris was being expelled from camp and given an unltimatum not to return.

     When Malik returned inside the tent his passions were ready to for action to the dismay of the warrior princess.  She had concealed her free hands appearing as if she were still bound by the ropes.  As Malik prepared to unleash his lusts upon the warrior princess he asked that they not waste time.  The warrior princess then took advantage of his lustful passions knocking him with a bloody nose unconscious.  Then she returned to Toris who was still defeated and almost embarrassed by his failure.  But Xena would not allow him to pity himself.  Soon the two of them returned to camp where Gabrielle awaited their arrival.  They were arguing again, but it seemed to the bard that Toris was the one who was constantly raging.  He was once again scolding the warrior princess for leading their brother Lycious and many of their friends to their deaths against Corteese.   Yet the warrior princess seemed past that.  Instead she was focused on the formulation of a new plan.  Always focused the warrior princess was putting her emotions aside.  Gabrielle found the need to defend her friend if Xena would not defend herself. 

      She spoke up declaring that she would be practicing her staff moves despite Xena’s choice to have Gabrielle stay behind at the village.  Gabrielle wanted to go along with Xena and Toris to storm the castle, but she knew when to push Xena and when not to.  The bard demonstrated openly to Toris her dissatisfaction with being asked to stay behind for safety reasons for there was never a time while traveling with Xena that was safe.  She reminded the warrior princess of this.  Xena found herself slightly amused at the bard’s show of confidence and bravery.  but Toris was even more upset with his sister.  He feared that Xena had tainted the bard with her passions of the sword.  Toris argued with the bard that it wasn’t the truth of her own passions, but the bard felt differently.  Her confidence had come through all of the wonderful lessons that she had learned from the warrior princess, and there was never a moment in which the bard had felt that the warrior princess had faltered.  In fact, when she had asked Toris how many men Xena had to be up against to return safely to them he declared that there were at least fifteen.  Gabrielle had seen Xena go up against many more than a mere fifteen men.  She had been confident in Xena’s ability.  Gabrielle knew Xena well despite the dangers she always returned to her side, but Toris’s confidence was barely present.  The bard almost could not see the family relation except for the dark hair and the piercing blue eyes.  Soon Xena and Toris were off leaving the bard to return to the village alone.

      While at the village the bard made a new young friend and decided that she would practice capturing arrows with her staff.  Her new-found recruit was happy to shoot some arrows for training without their sharp tips.  And though the bard went through many hours of trial she still found herself unable to prove that the warrior princess had been wrong about the odds.  In fact, the warrior princess had actually given Gabrielle the benefit of the doubt to Gabrielle’s dismay.  Yet the bard was still determined to master the skill of capturing the flying arrows.  As she prepared to face another her body suddenly felt something.  She turned to face the arrows only to find that Xena had returned to with her brother.  Xena informed the bard of what they had found at the castle.  The revelation was shocking for they had discovered that the king was none other than Corteese himself.  She also asked that a gathering of villagers be put together so that she could announce to them all that she had found to be true of their king.

     Corteese was using the cover of his masked army to attack all of the villages within his own kingdom.  No one even suspected that they would be one in the same.  Not only that, but the king was taxing his people to death proclaiming that their taxes were going toward the war effort.  The kingdom’s armed guard was being exploited by the king himself for the sake of a profit.  Corteese was quite delighted with his accomplishments within his new-found power and with the warrior princess which he had so successfully created.  In fact, Corteese had plans for the warrior princess.  He wanted to exploit her as well so that he could build a bit of moral for his defeated army that could seemingly never capture the enemy.  Corteese’s business was excellent, but it was clear that Xena could not allow it to go on. 

     Despite Toris’s determination to prove his courage and worth again he put the two in danger at the castle against Corteese.  Their weapons had been taken and Xena’s chackram stolen by Corteese, but they managed to escape through a window within Corteese’s well managed chambers.  The warlord was so ingenious that he had many secret traps and weapons hidden within the walls of his castle at his disposal.  It was amazing that the warrior princess and her brother had escaped alive.  Of course Toris was still arguing with the warrior princess over the issue of justice or vengeance.  Gabrielle once again stood up for the warrior princess and again demonstrated her willingness to be a part of what Xena wanted to accomplish in the face of danger.  Justice was the answer to this tragedy and not vengeance.  Suddenly Toris found himself overshadowed by a young peasant girl from Potedia and he felt defeated.  Then Toris stormed off leaving Gabrielle to wonder what the real issue was within Xena’s brother’s heart.  The warrior princess followed him closely for she needed his help now more than ever.  He could not give up now.  She aimed to encourage Toris that he had made the choices that were right for him and the choices that he thought were for the best.

      Before Xena could get through Toris’s deep emotional scars she was interrupted by an urgent message from the villagers.  When Xena returned to the village she found Gabrielle desperately trying to defend the warrior princess.  Gabrielle declared that despite their fears of being attacked again it was the warrior princess who had saved them all from devastation before.  Yet these villagers were not comforted by the fact that the bard and her warrior friend were there to defend them.  With the king declaring that the warrior princess be turned over to him it made the villagers uneasy.  Xena stepped into the conversation trying to explain to them that their king and Corteese were one in the same man.  Gabrielle declared that they would just have to stand up and fight, but Xena chose otherwise.  She explained to the bard that one must only stand up and fight when the time was right.  If Corteese wanted to duel against Xena then it would be at the castle and not within the village.

     Suddenly Xena was warned by the village messenger once again only this time it was a warning concerning her brother.  Despite the warrior princess’s efforts to convince him that his choices had been the only choices that he could have made within his past and within his present he was determined to prove himself.  Toris had  decided that he would go off alone and storm the camp and take control of Corteese’s army.  The warrior princess followed her brother’s path and allowed him to fall into his own mistake.  She realized that he would not learn unless he failed attempting his vengeance.  Xena desperately wanted to spare her brother from the mistakes that she had made within her own life.  Toris was tortured and beaten by Malik and the others and then tied to a tree covered with oil.  Xena knew that this was a trap laid out for her.  It was what she had expected of the army of Corteese. 

     When she arrived at Toris’s side he warned her of the trap, but she had already known.  Instead she tried to free him from his binds and comfort him and his heart.  She was no longer upset with him realizing that he was only as lost as she felt almost every day of her life since the loss of their brother Lycious.  As she prepared to free Toris she was confronted by Malik and his archers ready to shoot with their fiery weapons.  Malik returned to the warrior princess a blow that had given him a bruised ego.  Yet the warrior princess did not allow him to end with the satisfaction for she returned another blow just as nasty.  As Malik’s archers rose their weapons to fire he called them down for he was certain that Corteese would deal with them.  And so Xena allowed herself and Toris to be captured.

     Upon their arrival to the castle they were taken into Corteese’s dungeon.  Again Xena tried to comfort her brother.  He was so confused inside and regretting that he ever gotten Xena involved within his quest for vengeance.  It was in this moment that the warrior princess tried to explain to her brother the evils of vengeance and of how they had taken away so much of her own life.  She expressed great regret as she explained how it had all began.  Xena spoke of her dream to create the army that would defend their village forever from the spoils of hungry warlords like Corteese.  Yet somehow through all of that she had lost herself within vengeance and blood lust. 

     Then there was the problem of escaping the dungeon.  It had been very simple to gain passage into the castle.  Xena tried to enter her brother’s mind into a constructive plan of escape, but just when all seemed hopeless their opportunity arrived.  The captain of the king’s army was a very loyal and just man.  He had caught word that the two prisoners were to be executed upon the next day by fire.  The captain did not believe in such a punishment despite the crime.  He had come to let them know that he would be sure to make their deaths quick with information on where he could find Corteese.  The warrior princess knew that he would not believe the truth of his king so as she revealed the powers upon the throne Toris made his move taking down the captain with his free feet. 

     Xena disarmed him with her own kick and used her feet to free her from the chains which bound her wrists above.  With the sword of the captain between her feet she was able to escape and release Toris as well.  Once they had regained control Xena was warned by the captain that they would never leave the castle alive.  Yet the warrior princess was not planning on leaving the castle without what they had come for.  She declared that the captain tell them were they could find the king.  The captain was then reluctant as he told of the archery fields outside the castle walls.  Xena then sent Toris to take care of that matter knowing that the captain was not telling the truth.  Yet it diverted Toris from his chance at vengeance for the warrior princess was certain that Toris still seeked it.

     And so the captain took the warrior princess to the king’s throne where she found him basking in the glory of the chackram.  But there was only one true warrior that could tame its wrath and that was Xena.  With the reluctant help of the captain Xena was able to capture Corteese.  As she went outside she found that the battle she had intended was in full action.  Gabrielle had arrived just in time to battle within the action.  Once the bard had received word that the warrior princess and Toris had been captured she was on her way to the castle.  She battled alongside Toris who had discovered that Xena had distracted him from his vengeance once again.  She had also stirred things up bringing together the two biggest rivals within the kingdom.  Corteese’s army and the king’s army battled it out for the first time.  It was a fair fight and the king’s men were winning.

     Xena took advantage of the situation as she hoisted Corteese upon a post within the castle entrance as she instructed the captain to join the battle the battle with his men.  The warrior princess of course could not resist as she entered alongside her brother.  They began with swordplay mirror each other’s moves.  Clashing with the enemy they moved onto hand to hand combat against the true enemy.  They flipped in unison as Xena gave out her battle cry kicking their enemies and then reversing the move gracefully.  It was as if they had been alongside one another for years despite the absence in each other’s lives.  Soon the captain and his army were outside in the castle courtyard to fight, but did not know who they should be fighting.  All of the action suddenly stopped for neither army expected to see the other.  They had come to fight Xena from the messages by pigeons, but as their leader king Corteese hung helplessly in the castle foyer Xena declared that he ask his dark army to surrender their weapons. 

     Corteese refused Xena’s command.  He called out to his armies to kill Xena.  Xena then took two swords from the ground and hurled them in the direction of king Corteese.  They landed squarely into the castle walls one on each side of Corteese’s head.  The fear within his eyes was evidence that the warrior princess was truly in control.  Then she drew her chackram and made one last threat.  She told Corteese he had only one more chance before his life would be taken by her chackram.  As she pulled it up preparing to strike Corteese finally gave up his charade and revealed that he was the real Corteese.  When he gave the command for the dark army to drop their weapons all obeyed except for his commander Malik.  Malik was outraged and felt betrayed as he rushed forward toward the king.  He was prepared to have his blood and his vengeance, but was stopped short with a thrust by the captain’s sword through his stomach.  Although the captain had been betrayed by his king he still stood loyal protecting the king until his end. 

     Then Toris expressed his anger for the warrior princess had taken his vengeance from him with her justice.  Xena found herself frustrated with Toris’s uncontrollable emotional rage.  She decided to give him what he had been asking for.  The warrior princess then approached the helpless victim and took him down from his capture for execution.  There was fear within the warlord’s eyes.  He was about to receive vengeful justice for the murder of Lycious.  Toris then took a weapon and approached his victim from behind.  He raised the sword above his victim preparing to thrust it through the skull of the evil warlord.  Yet just before he was about to kill the helpless warlord Toris stopped.  He let go of his vengeance dropping his sword to the ground.  Xena then approached her brother and whispered in his ear assuring him that Lycious would have been proud.  And so Xena and Toris left Corteese with the captain for his final justice to be carried out.  It was now out of their hands.

     Toris found himself thanking the warrior princess for being there for him, and for showing him the truth in what was right.  He also expressed to his sister how much he had missed her in all the time that they had been apart.  Toris’s next adventure was to take him back home.  He encouraged the warrior princess to come along with him.  Xena had already decided that it wasn’t time for her to return to the peace of home for she and Gabrielle had so much more to do.  The warrior princess assured her brother that their mother would be happy.  Then she asked that he tell their mother that he had seen Xena.  Though Gabrielle knew how much the warrior princess wished to express how much she loved her mother.  There was still much shame within the warrior princess.  She had much shame for her own vengeance.  Yet she had been able to save her brother Toris from the terrible fate of a vengeance beyond control.  And though one sibling had made the right choice for himself to heal the other was still far from healing despite all the good that she has done.