Scroll#75: A Good Day
October, 45 BC
The Xena Scrolls
By: Gabrielle Bard of Podedia
When does one know if upon awakening to the day if this day will be a good day, and when does one know if this day will be his last? Men make choices based upon what they believe in and what they believe to be the truth. This journey began with the bard asking herself these very same questions only to find out that maybe the answer was just as simple as the question itself.
Xena and Gabrielle had caught word that their homeland of Greece was in danger of being destroyed by the war of the Romans. As always Caesar was involved as was his greatest rival Pompeii the Magnus. This danger had never been able to come to pass until the day that the great Roman triumvirate had been severed when the Roman Crassus had been mistakenly beheaded before the citizens of Rome in an attempt for Caesar to save his own pride. Since that time Caesar and Pompeii’s armies had been fighting with one another viciously and had moved through the lands of Rome and many of the countries which surrounded it. Now the two had landed upon Greece bringing their differences to the homeland of the great Warrior Princess.
Upon receiving the word of this great tragedy Xena had decided that she must do something to prevent the destruction of her homeland. It was this destruction of her village which she had vowed to protect that had started her on her journey as a warrior the day Cortese’s army had changed the young warrior princess’s life forever. Xena worked in her mind the ultimate plan that would keep Greece safe and send the Roman vagrants back to the wasteland from which they had come. As always she was secretive with the bard as to what her actual plans were. The bard had learned that in time Xena’s intentions would be revealed and she would be instructed accordingly as to what her part in Xena’s plan would be. Gabrielle knew that no matter how small her role seemed it would always be just as important as Xena’s role in the forefront of all of their adventures for the greater good.
They soon came upon a small village hidden in the plush valleys just beyond the mountains along the coast. It was obvious to Xena that the Romans had already been there for the waste they had left behind. Xena hoped that she had not been too late, but realized that she may have been unable to save this village from Rome’s wrath. As the two quietly approached the village they could see that the Romans appeared to still be there. In the distance it could be seen that there were only a handful of them surrounding the villagers in the middle of the town square.
Then from just beyond the woods Xena caught sight of another Roman officer who appeared to be ambushing his own legion alone. At best his attempt would be merely a suicide mission. It wasn’t obvious as to why he would want to do this. Maybe he was in fact from the opposing army. Xena decided that they should follow him into the village yet keeping a safe distance behind. Moments later it was obvious that he and those soldiers who were already in the village were all from different legions of Caesar’s army. Xena realized that it had been Pompeii who had come and gone already. Luckily for the villagers he had only taken their food and supplies sparing their homes and lives. Caesar himself would have burned the village upon leaving to remind those who passed through that he had been there.
Once inside the village Xena and Gabrielle watched the incident quietly as the Roman soldiers harassed a young woman who appeared to be the leader in the village. She tried to explain to Caesar’s men what Xena had suspected all along. The woman was angered that these soldiers would come and demand the food and the supplies which had already been taken by Pompeii. Yet the men of Caesar did not take her word and they did not believe her. In fact, to Caesar’s men it was a crime to furnish supplies to the enemy, and as always, and in typical Caesar style the soldier leading the handful of other soldiers prepared to make an example of this woman. He was about to raise his sword to execute her when something unexpected happened. The officer that Xena and Gabrielle had been following stepped in to take control of the situation.
He pronounced his rank to the soldier and said that he was taking charge of the situation. This officer proclaimed himself the protector of this small village and ordered the men to stand down. But the one who had prepared to execute the villager ignored this commander proclaiming that the officer’s rank meant nothing for the officer was a Greek by heritage. The officer then prepared to fight against his own men to protect this small village. It was quite mysterious, but Xena did not take time to think about it. Instead she jumped into the situation as if on que surprising the officer. She flipped into battle beside him and introduced herself candidly to the man that she was about to fight alongside. He was shocked at the sudden arrival of the warrior woman, but did not question it for he needed all of the help he could get. Then the officer introduced himself as Phlanagus.
Xena used her chakram to destroy the spears of the enemy and to take out their swords. It was a quick move and it evened the odds. Gabrielle stepped in as the battle began using her staff to block the enemy from advancing upon the villagers. She instructed the women and children to get behind her as she prepared to protect them and get them to safety. This was a part of the bard’s role that she was familiar with. It had always been her job to seek refuge and to defend the weak and the innocent. Gabrielle was very comfortable with this role and leaving the major battling to the more experienced warrior princess.
As always Xena was passionate as she fought. It seemed that every time she was in battle it was the first time. Xena seemed to channel that energy that she felt when protecting her own village which made up her passion. This was why she would never give up no matter what the odds were and it was the reason that Xena usually won her battles. It was her love for her family, her home, and her country that made the warrior princess passionate about the greater good. She knew in her heart that her purpose as a warrior was to be the protector. Xena was okay with this even if it meant killing hundreds in a single day.
As the bard fought to save lives Xena fought to protect them, yet it was unclear as to why this roman officer Phlanagus would step in to protect this village when it was known throughout the world that Rome wanted to conquer all who stood in her way. Soon the battle between the Roman soldiers and the Greek protectors ended and the village was seemingly saved, but Xena knew in her heart that the Romans would be back for more. She knew that they wouldn’t leave until the village had been bled dry of any and all life which it possessed.
The officer Phlanagus proclaimed a happy victory and was greeted pleasantly with love from a small boy who ran into his arms joyfully. The little boy was Phlanagus's son and the brave woman whom had been under fire in the town square was his beloved wife. The woman and her child were overjoyed to be reunited with the man of the family and he too was full of joy. This was the moment that Gabrielle realized what the stakes had been for this Roman and why he too had fought so passionately for this village. It was his home, his family, and his life that he had been protecting alongside the warrior princess.
And though Gabrielle was convinced of Phlanagus's intentions Xena was not so forgiving. She was almost angry that a fellow Greek would allow himself to become a part of the effort which brought suffering into the world. He represented to her all that she fought to eliminate. Phlanagus read her emotions and feelings toward him immediately as he tried to explain himself. First he thanked her for helping him protect his home and family. He was full of joy that his battles were seemingly finally over, but the warrior princess reminded him of a harsh reality. She reminded him that the monster which he had fed would return for him and all that he valued despite what he had given to it.
Phlanagus realized how serious the warrior princess was and stepped aside with her defending his choice to join Caesar’s legions. He explained to the warrior princess that he had only joined Caesar to gain the power of the riches that are received by those who serve the cause of Rome so that he could take his family away from all of it. Phlanagus explained that he wanted nothing more than to protect his son from the realities of war. He wanted to raise his son in a place where war would not touch his life and take his innocence as it often will. Gabrielle could relate to this, but Xena was still not convinced. Phlanagus was aware of it and was disgusted with Xena for not understanding his true intentions. He ripped off his Roman helmet and explained to Xena that though he fought with the Romans and on the side of the Romans he would never take the life of a fellow Greek. That was why he had deserted his legion. He did not want to find himself facing a fellow countrymen.
In that moment Xena realized the sacrifice that Phlanagus had made for not only his family, but for his own life for she knew that desertion from the Roman army by Caesar meant death. She reached out to him as he inquired of her suspicions being in his uniform. Xena confessed to him that indeed it had been his Roman uniform that had created her prejudice. It was obvious that Xena’s name and deeds were well-known amongst Caesar’s legions.
Their happy truce was short lived as Xena immediately became focused on her mission once more. She explained to the disillusioned Phlanagus that she could use him in helping her with her plan to rid the Greek valley of the Roman enemy. Her ultimate goal was simple as she shared it with him. Xena simply explained that in order for the Romans to be truly defeated they would have to be at war with one another. The harsh reality of the situation was that though Phlanagus had thought Xena had come to stop the war in truth she had come to make sure that it happened. Her reasoning was that if she could force Caesar’s army into fighting Pompeii’s army within one big glorious battle then it would be inevitable that the ego’s of the two would end up being the thing that destroyed both in the end. This would indeed send the two back to Rome and Xena was certain that it would be a very long time before either one would be able to reach Greece with another army again. That would give her plenty of time to be ready to defeat them before it ever came to that again.
It was a fact that in Xena’s travels and experiences before meeting Gabrielle she had learned a great deal about strategy and about how to win. Her master mind was given to her by none other than the great master mind himself. Julius Caesar was indeed responsible for showing Xena how to outthink her opponent. It was probably one of his greatest regrets.
After convincing Phlanagus of the lurking threat beyond the valley she quickly moved into action. First he sent Gabrielle off to scout the surrounding landscape so that she could plan her own attack upon the Romans. The only problem was that she didn’t know how she would obtain a small army until Phlanagus had crossed her path earlier that morning. It was his responsibility to scout his village and those surrounding to gather the best army possible. Xena knew that with his experience and rank he would be able to train even the most inexperienced budding warrior. When Gabrielle returned to Xena with her report Xena was pleased to find that the surrounding area was full of underground caverns which made it even easier for Xena to develop her plan. As always Xena planned using her gift of spontaneity. Even given the worst situation possible Xena could always create a work of art even greater than any scroll that could be written by the bard herself.
It was amazing to watch how the warrior princess could take a simple run down village and become the commander of its hidden army. She knew that every village was full of warriors for she had once been a simple villager. Yet it was this harsh reality that saddened her for she knew the sacrifices these simple people would have to make. This was why building trust and morale was so very important. So as she continued building her army out of nothing Gabrielle helped Phlanagus recruit. As she moved through this village Gabrielle could feel the energy and the love of a people who were peace loving. It was such a simple existence and though she had fought so hard to leave it she often wondered why she had ever wanted to leave it. And then she was suddenly reminded of her young innocence and ignorance when she met a young enthusiastic archer named Temechula. Temechula was very eager to join this new army though he was only 14 maybe 15 at the most. For a brief time Gabrielle saw a reflection of herself before her own blood innocence had been stolen away. She tried to talk him out of his excitement, but realized that even she couldn’t be talked out of it the day Xena tried to leave her behind back in Podedia. Gabrielle had refused to miss out on the adventure and the glamour of it all. Temechula was no exception to these dreams and falsehoods.
So Gabrielle thought that if she couldn’t talk him out of joining the army at least she could protect him by placing him in a position that wouldn’t allow him to be exposed to the realities that she now knew. When she asked him what his talents were he proudly drew his bow and shot an arrow through a homemade contraption precisely piercing the apple just beyond. The bard was quite impressed realizing that even she had not been able to handle a weapon in her innocence. She decided that he would be perfect for sending messages with absolute accuracy. His role would be just as important as that of Phlanagus the seasoned officer in the field. Temechula was excited to be enlisted by the bard yet he thought of what it might be like to kill someone. It was ironic that he did not fear being killed, but he feared having to kill. Gabrielle realized that Temechula was much like herself and yet she was disappointed that he would even think of this. Her response was delayed yet serious for she wanted to be sure that he understood that once one decided to draw blood it would not only take a life, but it would take one’s soul.
Gabrielle still had much shame within for taking the life of an innocent on the alter of Dahok. It was something that she would never be able to forgive herself for no matter what day it was or how many others she had saved. She would always remember that one that she took. No other words needed to be said and Gabrielle knew by the look on his face that Temechula understood the burden that Gabrielle herself already carried. He realized that she desperately wished to protect him from that.
Once the army was put together and the uniforms were sown by the village seamstress Xena was pleased to see that her plan was falling into place. The uniforms were almost a perfect match to the one Phlanagus wore. It would be difficult for either army to tell that Xena’s army belonged to neither of them. But the next part of the plan wasn’t going to be pleasant, and no one expected that they would be asked to do this. It was almost like asking a village to kill itself. Xena stood upon an old rickety wagon and announced to her new found army that it would have to commit its first crime. It would have to burn its home in order to prevent the enemy from gaining supplies. For a moment all was silent. Everyone in the village was appalled by what their new commander was asking them to do. They were getting their first lesson in the harsh reality of what it means to join that glorious army and go out into the field. These simple peace loving villagers saw that war was not adventurous or exciting, but ugly and destructive.
No one moved for a very long moment, but then one brave soul lit a torch and slowly walked to her home and burned it to the ground. It was that brave woman who had stood up to the Roman army. It was the woman who was married to the officer Phlanagus. Others in the village began to follow. They too reluctantly lit their torches and burned their homes to the ground. The people poisoned their livestock, and destroyed their lives as their commander had instructed them to do. It was an amazing sight as the bard watched in horror. The fires burned like a poison arrow through the shoulder in the hearts of the villagers. Their pain was unbearable. As the bard watched them she looked to Xena uncertain that this choice had been the right choice or the true choice. Gabrielle could see pain in Xena’s eyes as she recalled Callisto’s tragedy and how Xena’s army had burned Syra to the ground. Was this what it felt like watching your home go up in flames? It was so hot like catapults just before being fired. Then Gabrielle knew that this was what a true battle must smell like. It was something that she never ever wanted to experience again for she remembered the last battle that she had been close to. It was during the battle against the hoard which had eventually been resolved with not war, but one simple word. That word was the bloodline of life itself. It was water.
The next part of the plan was for Gabrielle to take the villagers through the pass to safety. She and the brave wife of Phlanagus then prepared a hospice as Gabrielle was certain that there would be wounded to tend to. This too was another familiar role for Gabrielle and it was one that she was comfortable with. Again she would be saving lives. And though there was much horror to be seen tending to the wounded it filled the heart with joy to be able to comfort those who suffered. For Gabrielle the hospice represented the place where the weary soul could reenter into the world of peace. Gabrielle hoped that this day might be the day that she could allow her own weary soul to rest and be healed within the walls of her hospice.
As soon as it was reported that everyone was safe Xena and Phlanagus began the first phase into battle. The first part was simple. Xena sent Phlanagus with part of the army and had them take the hill between the two powerful armies. Neither had taken the hill in the valley and Xena knew that both would want what the other one had already taken. Their egos were larger than Mount Visuvious could ever be. It was the perfect trap for the two men as the flag that claimed the hill had Pompeii’s symbol on one side and Caesar’s symbol on the opposite side. This would definitely force a battle. And while Phlanagus and his small legion took the hill, Xena and her small legion stole into Pompeii’s strong hold army and stole their artillery.
Xena’s plan was genius as she easily defeated Pompeii’s strong hold and she laughed all the way back to camp. Both legions had succeeded in doing their part. While Xena had stolen artillery the two powerful armies had been tricked into a minute battle. Pompeii was unaware, yet Ceasar easily realized the trick and quickly put together that Xena was behind it all. His only problem was in figuring out what Xena’s intensions were. He had already known why she was there. It was to settle the score for his betrayal of her as always.
While Caesar was trying to outsmart Xena Pompeii was clueless as to what was really going on until his badly damaged legion reported back to him the arrival of the woman who had taken his catapults. Pompeii had been quite amused yet intrigued for she had given a message to be delivered to Pompeii. The message was a simple one. It was for Pompeii to meet her in the forest when the moon was positioned at the highest point in the sky. Xena had known exactly what would happen once the information was passed on. She knew that the grapes would listen and everyone would hear loudly and clearly. Her plan was falling into place nicely, but there was just one more part to play out. The last scene would occur and the big battle would begin.
There was only one problem with this. Despite the success of earlier that day Xena was still unable to fully predict what Caesar’s response would be for she knew that he would figure things out before the battle would take place and be ready for it. Xena had to find out what his counter would be once he had figured her out. It was easy for her to break into Caesar’s camp with Phlanagus taking her as a prisoner for Caesar. Once inside Xena found out part of Caesar’s plan. He was planning on reserve troops to come out from the woods and take Xena’s army, but there was just one more part of the plan that his right hand Brutus was instructed to carry out. Yet there was one problem. Phlanagus had gotten himself cuaght before Caesar could reveal to Brutus the second part.
When Xena returned to the hospice Gabrielle was eager to hear the news, but it was clear to her that Xena was disappointed and uncertain. This was the first time that Gabrielle had seen concern within the warrior princess. Yet it was too late to turn back now. The battle was going to happen. It was just a matter of knowing what Caesar would do. Yet Gabrielle was confident that the warrior princess would have no difficulty in adjusting to any last minute moves that Caesar might make in the field. Then Xena’s face turned serious. She asked Gabrielle to come walk with her into the darkness of the evening twilight. Xena took the bard to the edge of the mountain and showed her the situation up close. As Gabrielle looked below into the valley she saw thousands of campfires. She began to realize the magnitude of what the warrior princess was up against and was relieved that it was Xena who would be in command and not herself.
But then Xena revealed the last part of her plan. She explained to Gabrielle that she would not be present at the battle for she had to take care of her meeting with Pompeii and Caesar. Xena did not want either of them present at the battle to witness the greatness of it. Though Caesar would not be there physically he had Brutus and she knew that Brutus was Caesar’s lifeline to his army. Pompeii would not be a problem, but Xena needed her right hand against Caesar out on the field as well. She began to explain to Gabrielle the reasons that Phlanagus was not a good choice to be in command. Though he had great experience in the field he did not know Caesar like she knew Caesar. Xena knew of only one other mind that could compete with that of Caesar. It was Gabrielle. Gabrielle knew Caesar the way the Xena did.
Gabrielle did not want to hear this. She did not want to face the truth that Xena spoke of for it meant that she would have to send men to their deaths and Gabrielle could not allow herself to make that choice. She solidly refused the warrior princess. Yet the warrior princess did not at all seem surprised by this. It was as if she had known that Gabrielle would refuse and so she did not argue with the bard. She left the bard standing over the valley looking down onto the battle field below. Gabrielle soon felt the loneliness a commander feels the night before she goes into battle. Yet she was comforted by the fact that it would be Phlanagus and not her. It would never be Gabrielle for Gabrielle would never allow herself to make that choice, and Xena had seemingly respected her wishes.
The night soon turned cold. It was like the feeling of death upon one’s shoulders. As Xena prepared to put the last part of her plan into motion her army prepared to force the world’s greatest battle ever. As the moon rose high in the night sky the great archer Temechula sent out the word directly from the commander herself who by now had both Pompeii and Caesar in the palm of her hand. Both had come with armed guards though only one had been formally invited. Caesar had crashed the party though it was hardly unexpected by the warrior princess. As soon as her command flew galiantly through the air both Pompeii and Caesar knew that Xena had led them away from their armies on purpose. Yet Caesar had expected this, but what he had not expected was to fall through the cracks into the caverns below. He found himself trapped with his two worst rivals.
As the command went out Xena’s army was led into battle by Phlanagus. The battle began in the early hours of the morning. One could hear the sounds from miles away, and the smell of the catapults was quite strong. Gabrielle found herself awaiting the flood of victims from the field for she was certain after what she had seen down in the valley that many would not even make it off of the field. Just before daybreak the sounds of the battle had stopped. Gabrielle had found that to be quite strange for not one person had returned from battle. She feared the worst for a moment until a few miles down into the valley as the sun rose she caught sight of Phlanagus and the rest of the army. She was amazed at how many of them were still standing, and they all looked like they were full of joy and triumph. Phlanagus came running toward the bard overjoyed at how easy it was to end the big battle. He shouted that Caesar had pulled out his army and they were retreating back toward the sea.
At that moment Gabrielle’s heart stopped. That was the second part of Caesar’s plan because Gabrielle knew that it was very unlikely that Caesar would ever retreat. She knew that he would risk an entire army before he would ever retreat back to Rome especially when Xena was involved. The bard’s voice was alarmed as she shouted out to Phlanagus that it was a trick and a lie. She was firm with him explaining that it was a mistake to think that it was over. And though she realized just how weary these men were she knew that if they did not go back out onto the field that all would be lost. Phlanagus paused for a moment realizing the seriousness of the situation. Then he proclaimed to the men that he had been instructed by Xena to trust in Gabrielle. But he did not stop there. He then handed the command of the army over to the bard.
Gabrielle was astonished and suddenly realized that Xena had planned for this moment all along. That was why she had shown her the valley the night before. Xena had known that Gabrielle would need to be prepared for what she would be up against. Now she had to make a choice. She could either choose to save her beliefs or she could choose to save her homeland and the lives of these village people. The choice was not as tough as one may have thought it to be. There was no comparison between one’s beliefs and the lives of thousands. Soon Gabrielle found herself in uniform and full battle gear ready to lead hundreds of simple villagers to their deaths. Not only was she leading them to die, but she was leading thousands of Romans to their own deaths as well. Though they were the enemy they all had families just like Phlanagus. Yet in war none of those things matter.
Xena’s right hand set up her army and then gave the command leading them back into the wrath of Rome. Her plan was simple. All she had to do was get the battle between Pompeii’s men and Caesar’s men to start back up and to finish. Now that the second part of the plan was revealed it would be simple. It didn’t take long to get the two fighting again and Gabrielle instructed her men that as soon as the catapults started firing up again upon command they would once again fallback and out of the battle. There was no need for them to lose their lives to fight.
While Gabrielle was in command Caesar then revealed to Xena just how much he had figured out about her plan. He revealed to her that he had known about her army and that he had made plans to eliminate it. The three had been fighting until near exhaustion all night long. Once Xena realized what Caesar was going to do she left Caesar and Pompeii to continue the futile battle against one another. She realized that she had sent her own right hand into a suicide mission. Xena had to get to the battle before it was too late. For the warrior princess it seemed as if it had been an eternity to arrive at the battle. She could hear the deafening sounds of the swords clashing and the explosions, but no matter how fast she ran it seemed as if she would never get there.
Suddenly, as the warrior princess approached she began calling out for her right hand man. Across the field miles away Gabrielle fought with her men to hold onto the battle. Though she had tried to retreat she saw that Caesar would retreat in response. His plan was even more genius than Xena’s had been. Gabrielle knew that she and her men would have to fight this one through until the end in order to succeed for Caesar would not allow them to withdraw without himself withdrawing. As the battle intensified all around the bard the sounds of the battle became silent like the sound of a battle the night before as death comes upon the shoulders of the lonely commander. Though the bard was responsible for leading her own men into death she could not kill the enemy. She fought the enemy with her staff for it would never deliver anyone to the hands of Celesta. As the field became silent she could feel her heart pounding. It was pounding so hard that if felt as if every time a catapult would explode her heart would beat.
The sounds could not be heard, but felt within. Her body was soaked with perspiration and it mixed with the blood of those who had perished around her. Its smell was strong like the passion between two lovers, but it was of a different kind of lust. It was blood lust that flowed through the veins of every man and every woman upon the field. Suddenly the bard felt dirty. She stopped for the lust that she felt within was a violation of the depths of her soul. And then suddenly she heard a familiar sound that slowly became audible. It was the sound of someone calling her name from a great distance. Or maybe it was the sound of the men screaming in pain and in agony. It was the sound of her own men falling all around her feet. The bard found herself in shock as she looked upon the battle barely able to move.
Death and hatred were everywhere. Not one soul wanted to be here and she could feel the suffering and the confusion. It was such an overpowering feeling like no other. Suddenly her acting had turned to a reaction. It was one of the very first things that Xena had taught her about being a warrior. She had acted and led the army into battle, but now she was reacting for she had stopped to think about everything around her. This was the commander’s fatal mistake. As she looked upon the battle field lost she caught sight of Phlanagus who had driven his sword into the enemy triumphantly. He had gone from being a loving husband and father to being an animal attacking its weak prey. His face was passionate as it lit up with the rush of the kill, and then suddenly he was the prey. From behind the enemy prepared to strike him down. The bard then acted and shouted across the field in warning. Phlanagus did not hear her through the sounds of the battlefield as she could not hear the desperate cries of the warrior princess crossing to rescue her friend from this awesome burden.
The enemy struck Phlanagus down, but the officer did not go down without a fight. He blocked the enemy’s first thrust, but was clearly exhausted from hours of fighting. The enemy was bearing down on his victim the father of a son and husband of a beautiful wife. Gabrielle could see before her that she had to act. She looked to her left and caught sight of a spear upon the ground. It belonged to the enemy who laid resting peacefully resting within this miserable tartarus. The bard picked up the spear and threw it toward the enemy, but did not intend to kill the enemy. Her hopeless attempt at saving a life failed as the spear did not come close to its target and the victim became the father who had sacrificed to give his son a life of peace.
Just after the enemy had thrust his sword into the chest of a father an arrow came from behind and struck the enemy through the heart. The shot had been precise. It had come from a well-trained archer. It had come from the young Temechula. Gabrielle’s eyes met the eyes of another whom had just lost his blood innocence for the first time. The guilt began to rise for she could have prevented the death of a father and the death of Temechula’s innocence if only she had chosen to kill. The battle was beginning to calm as the field was littered with thousands of lifeless men like Phlanagus. The bard ran to the officer and cradled his body and hoping to comfort the injured as he took his last breath on the battlefield. He never made it back to the hospice.
As the sounds of the battle faded into the smell of death and the loneliness of silence the bard was numb inside. It felt just like she had killed for the first time once again. Only this time it wasn’t one, but thousands. She had done it willingly once again. As she sat there with the dead officer and the stunned young archer Xena approached from the depths of the battle. She saw her friend distraught and realized that she had taken more from the bard than she should have. Xena sat down beside the bard as Gabrielle tried to reason. The bard tried to contemplate and to understand the purpose of what she had just
done and what had just happened. Xena could feel her pain and knew that there was nothing that she could do or say that would make things alright. Then the warrior princess hushed the shocked commander and consoled her. It was as if she were holding in her arms a child who had seen too much. Xena had been too late.
As the day passed and the sunlight began to set into the twilight of the night before Gabrielle was still stunned with pain and with guilt. She watched the funeral fires of the fallen men and tried to understand. The bard watched as the brave widow of the officer thanked Xena for helping to save her village and its people. The woman was grateful that the warrior princess had come to give her son peace. It was something that Phlanagus had not been able to give himself. Xena knew exactly how to comfort the widow. She told her that Phlanagus’s sacrifice had not been for nothing. It had been for that peace he had longed for himself and through his own life. It was his gift to his wife and child. And then the widow told Xena that when her son asked her about Phlanagus she would simply tell him that his father was a simple fisherman and nothing more.
The bard realized that every single man that fought and died today had been simple fisherman, farmers, husbands, and sons. That was all they had ever wanted to be, and somehow they had all found themselves caught up in the violence of blood lust and the spoils of an ugly war. And then there was Temechula who was still unable to cope with the loss of his own blood innocence as Gabrielle tried desperately to cope with the loss of her morals. Xena once again tried to explain to Gabrielle that there really is no answer to these burning questions and torments within. The only thing for certain is that we make the choices we make because they mean something. If our choices were wrong and our sacrifices were in vain then what would be the point for all life would be futile. So the answer to the bard’s choices of today had been simple. Today was a good day of fighting nothing more and nothing less. It had all been in the name and for the cause of something known as the greater good. It was nothing more, and it was nothing less.
