Cecropes Gift
by AJ Marks
Part 2
Hercules paced around the perimeter of the defenses. He wanted to know what was going on. The sun had been up for over a candle mark now and there was no sign of either Hagest’s army or Gabrielle.
There was a cry that someone was coming and Hercules raced to see who it was. The sight that greeted him was something he was expecting to see. There a tall dark haired warrior was running towards them. Over one of her shoulders was Gabrielle. It was not Gabrielle that shocked him; it was the fact that it was Xena coming.
Xena ran through the defenses quickly scanning the layout for weakness where she could go after she took Gabrielle to the healer.
“Where’s the healer’s hut,” Xena said before Hercules could say anything. The large man mutely pointed in the general direction. “There about a quarter of a candle mark behind me,” Xena said then left to the healer hut carrying her precious cargo. She and Gabrielle would have to talk about what just happened after the upcoming fight.
Xena walked into the hut where there were several cots in the room. She walked over and place Gabrielle onto one of the cots. She had been careful with the arrow wound.
The healer walked over to where Xena was and bent down to offer his help. He had not heard any sounds of a battle and wondered if something had happened. “What happened,” he asked looking over the wounds that the young woman had suffered. It looked like she had been in battle for a while.
He watched in silence as the tall dark haired warrior woman pushed the arrow through the still unconscious woman. The small woman flinched as the arrow went through and he realized that she needed to cauterize the wound. He grabbed the small piece of metal that he used for such occasions and placed it in a fire to heat up.
Xena felt just like last time she had done this with Gabrielle. She sniffed the arrow in reflex and was relieved that there was no smell and it was a normal arrow. Her bard was still breathing and she figured that the blow to the head and blood loss was the most probable cause for Gabrielle’s unconsciousness.
The healer handed Xena the heated metal and Xena took the bard’s top off a bit so she could work. Pressing the metal made the smell of flesh burn in her nostrils, a smell she never liked even in her warlord days. With the help of the healer she was able to do Gabrielle’s back wound and hold on when the bard flinched.
“Ahhh,” Xena heard Gabrielle yell in her ear as she regained consciousness at the pain.
Xena looked into pain filled eyes and the clinched jaw that indicated that she was in pain. She glanced at the healer and asked if he had a certain herb. The man nodded and headed to his supply and returned with it mixed in some water.
Xena smiled a bit at the man as he handed her the herb, some water and some honey. He smiled at the warrior woman. Keeping her attention focused on Gabrielle and helping her bard through her pain she used her fingertips to measure out the herb and put it in a cup along with a drop of honey. After mixing it she handed it to Gabrielle and told her to drink it.
Gabrielle thought she must be dead. Xena was here and holding her, but the pain gave her mixed signals. She must be hallucinating, but the voice was defiantly Xena’s. There was something going on and she was determined to find out what happened.
“Xena,” Gabrielle asked afraid of the reply and that it was not her, but a look alike like Meg had been.
“Yes Gabrielle, it’s me, I don’t know how, but well talk about it after this battle,” Xena said realizing that she needed to go see Hercules before the battle. If they had any archers they would be the best defense against Hagest.
Cecropes walked over to where Hercules was standing wondering why the man had just been standing there for the past little while. Cecropes had heard that someone had brought Gabrielle back injured and that word was Hagest would be attacking soon.
“Hello Cecropes,” a voice said from behind him. It was a female voice that he knew, one that he thought they had said was dead. He turned around and found himself face to face with Xena.
“Xena, I thought they said you were dead,” he said wondering if they had been mistaken, but then Gabrielle had not mentioned anything and he thought with Xena here now that there had been a rift between the two women.
“”I don’t know anymore,” Xena replied turning to talk with Hercules. “Do we have any archers,” she asked getting a nod that they did. “Good, set them up there and there,” Xena said pointing to a couple of places. “Cecropes, you and Herc go get everyone to the west wall; Hagest is stupid and has ordered a full attack. They’ll use full force to barge through. Hagest doesn’t know how to use strategy.”
“And if they do attack from a different direction,” Hercules asked.
“Then the three of us will stop them,” Xena said calmly as she strolled off leaving Cecropes and Hercules looking at each other.
“I see she hasn’t changed one bit, always taking over,” Cecropes said.
“Yep, but in a way I’m glad. She has a way of looking at things and reading others in a way no one else can,” Hercules said then slapped Cecropes on the shoulder and they made their way to move the men.
The soldiers had just settled down when the call came out that the attackers were on their way. Xena unsheathed her sword and readied her chakrum. She had gone by Gabrielle’s room and picked up her sword and had retrieved her chakrum on the run back to the village.
The archers in the high parts of the village began to open fire. Their positions allowed them clear views of the battle and the opened fire as soon as they were able to.
Xena felt the battle lust rise in her as she spied the first of the attacker. A feral smile came to her face as she swirled her sword a few times to get herself loose. She glanced over to Hercules and gave him a grin. He had no sword but a staff and Xena knew that he was more dangerous with the staff then most people were with a sword.
“Aiaiaiai,” Xena yelled as they rushed into battle. Xena’s blade twirled in a deadly dance around her as the attackers fell to her blade. Several lost their nerve and began to run when faced with the grinning laughing warrior woman that was opposing them.
Hagest watched as the small village army defeated his army. He began to make his own retreat away from the battle. He was defeated and he had to remake his army if he was to become governor of Greece.
Xena scanned the battlefield as she soon as she noticed the attackers retreating. They had suffered heavy loses, many by her own hands. She then saw who she was looking for as the man tried to calmly walk away in another direction than his army was going.
Lifting her chakrum she let it fly hitting Hagest in the head and dropping him to the ground. She walked over as Hercules and Cecropes wondered what she was up to.
“Hello Hagest, I have some friends that I know you’re dying to meet,” Xena said and Hercules and Cecropes wondered if she was going to kill the man. Instead she roughly picked up the man, then with a vicious right hand knocked the man out. “Put him in a dungeon with guards, a group of Roman guards lead by Tildin will be here in a couple of days. Give him to them, they’ll understand.”
“Ah, Xena, what’s going on,” Hercules asked.
“It seems like this was all a set up from some senator in Rome to overthrow the current Emperor,” Xena said with a bit of disgust. The Roman’s played games and it cost the live of hundreds just so they could find a winner.
“That’s why we weren’t getting any support from the Roman Legions in Athens,” Thedious said as he walked up to group.
“I’m glad to see you made it Thedious,” Hercules said turning to Xena. “Xena this is Thedious, Iolous’ son.”
“I know, Iolous says he’s proud of you,” Xena said watching as his eyebrow went up. “He also said that it wasn’t you fault Herc, it was just his time that’s all,” Xena said putting a hand on Hercules’ back.
“That’s what Erin said as well,” Hercules said.
“I want to apologize to you for Gabrielle’s behavior,” Xena said and Hercules looked a bit perplexed at the statement. “I allowed the greater good to once again hurt the person who I love the most the greatest pain.”
“What happened,” Hercules asked curious as to what had happened.
“I was killed in Japa, and I had a chance to come back,” Xena said as they made their way to the healer’s hut. “All Gabrielle had to do was spread my ashes into the sacred pool and I would have been revived, but at the cost of thousand of souls. It was something that I could not take.”
“If you died, then why are you here now,” Cecropes asked curious about the reason why she was back.
“I don’t know, but that’s something I want to talk with Gabrielle about first. I think she deserves to be in on the conversation,” Xena said reaching the healers hut. She walked in to see Gabrielle still asleep with a bandage around her chest and appeared to be comfortable.
“Anything I can do to help,” Xena asked the old healer. He motioned to a group of soldiers that were lying on the cot. Xena noticed that a few needed to be stitched up and went to work with some needle and thread.
Hercules went with Cecropes to help rebuild whatever had been destroyed in the attack. They had been fortunate that not much had been destroyed. There were a few building that had some damage, but most of the damage was human lives. They had lost ten men; two were local farmers along with dozens injured.
Hercules was not afraid to admit that with the addition of Xena in their forces that it prevented many more deaths. He did not doubt Gabrielle’s skill, but Xena did something that both he and Gabrielle tried not to, and that was killing.
“I wonder if we’ll get the entire story,” Cecropes said as they repaired a bit of a barn that had been near the focus of the battle. There was a hole in the wall that he and Hercules were repairing.
“I don’t know Cecropes,” Hercules replied. He liked the man, his heart was in the right place and not at all like the stories he had heard. “I guess only time will tell.”
“Well, I’ve got forever,” Cecropes said and Hercules thought he heard something in the tone of the other man’s voice, but did not know what.
*****
Xena worked on several of the injured men while staying close to Gabrielle. Xena had come back and was determined not to lose her bard.
“I can finish up,” the old healer said walking up to where Xena was. He had been watching the warrior ever since she had brought the young woman into the room. He could see the concern in her eyes and knew where the woman wanted to be. “Go sit with her,” he said with slight nudge of Xena towards Gabrielle.
Xena looked around and realized that the man was right; they were on the last patient who just needed a couple of stitches. She had been using the work to try and figure out what had happened to her, who had she come back.
She walked over to where Gabrielle was sleeping and glanced down at the face she could never get enough of. Even with all the things that had happened to them the bard looked innocent to her. Her hair had gown back out and it reminded her even more of the girl who had followed her.
Xena replayed the events that had happened in the clearing when she had come back. She had gotten there in time to see the large man knock Gabrielle down. She could tell that Gabrielle was struggling to stay awake after the blow.
Xena remembered hearing Hagest ordering his men to kill Gabrielle. She saw the man raise the sword and she knew that at the angle it would behead Gabrielle. Something inside her had made her move to try and intercept the blade.
She remembered running into the clearing and wishing she had a sword and it just suddenly appeared in her hand. It was her own sword and without much thought she had tried to intercept the strike.
She did not know who was more surprised, her or the man when she blocked the blade. Xena realized that she could be seen and made short work of the man and got her bard out of there.
Hercules and Cecropes came walking into the hut to see Xena and see how Gabrielle was doing. Hercules noticed that Xena had not noticed their approach and that all her attention was on Gabrielle whose hair she was softly stroking.
“Hey Herc,” Xena said as they got to the bed. He was a bit surprised that she had seen them approach. He was sure she had been too preoccupied to notice.
“How is she,” he asked quietly.
“The herbs that I used should wear off in the morning, I’ll know more then, but it looks like she should recover fully,” Xena replied hoping that what she said was true.
“What happened to her,” he asked.
“She went out last night and set some traps, and used herself as a stalling tactic to allow you the time to finish the defenses,” Xena said as she realized that one part of her was very proud of her bard, the other wanted to shake the woman for what she did.
“It worked, I should have listened to her a bit more,” Hercules said realizing that Gabrielle’s plan was actually really good.
“She does have some good plans,” Xena agreed.
“She was not planning to come back,” Cecropes said bluntly and although Xena tried to deny the truth she knew that it he was right.
“No she didn’t. She was hurting so badly that she wanted to end it her way,” Xena said.
“Dinner is being served, you’re probably hungry and you need to eat for Gabrielle,” Hercules said using Gabrielle as a way to get the warrior to eat.
Xena warred with herself for a few moments as she knew that Hercules was right. She did not want to leave Gabrielle, but also knew that she would probably be asleep until the morning.
“Lead on,” Xena said.
Xena walked back into the hut after eating a quick dinner. She had not realized how hungry she was or how late it had become. The sun had set and she had eaten everything on her plate along with seconds.
Xena now realized that she was tired from the day’s activities and glanced at the cot that Gabrielle was sleeping on. It was not very big, but she was not about to deny herself the pleasure of sleeping with her bard.
Crawling carefully onto the bed she slowly positioned the bard so she would hurt her. With the comfort of her bard she fell asleep.
The healer walked into the hut in the morning and noticed the two figures on the bed. The dark haired woman was on her back with the younger woman curled up almost on top of the woman.
He quietly walked around checking on his patients that were still in the hut. He had no doubt about the condition of the young woman. She would live, and probably make a full recovery.
Xena heard the healer enter the hut but made no attempt to get up at all. She was very comfortable where she was right now and had no reason to get up.
Xena placed one of her hands on Gabrielle’s forehead to check on fever and relieved to find none.
“No fever,” the healer asked seeing the movement and knowing that the warrior was awake.
“No,” Xena replied.
“That’s good, my name is Detrime,” the healer said.
“Xena,” Xena replied watching as the man’s eyes lit up.
“Xena, as in warrior princess,” the man said
“Yes,” Xena replied wondering why the man was getting excited about.
“You and your friend Gabrielle saved my brother’s life against the Horde. He could not stop talking about you when he returned home to Athens,” Detrime said.
Xena let out a sigh of relief. She was afraid that he would be someone who wanted revenge against her for what she had done. She was still embarrassed when someone thanked her.
“Mmmm,” Xena heard coming form the sleeping form. She realized that Gabrielle was about to wake up.
Gabrielle slowly began to regain consciousness although she did not want to. She had been listening to Xena’s heartbeat in her ear and she did not want to lose that. She figured that she had not died, and was probably captured by Hagest.
The soft stroking of her hair was something she could not ignore anymore. Green eyes slowly opened not vary anxious to greet the day.
Her first sight was of a sleep shirt, and not her own. Then she realized that the heartbeat she had been listening to had not stopped. Risking a glance up she noticed blue eyes and her breathing stopped.
“I’m not dreaming am I,” Gabrielle whispered wishing that she was not.
“No my bard,” Xena replied moving her arms around Gabrielle filling her with a layer of protectiveness.
For Gabrielle the pain in her right chest faded away into nothing as she realized that Xena was here with her right now. Unable to stop the tears that started to fall she allowed them knowing that Xena would keep her safe.
Xena held onto Gabrielle and would allow the bard all the time she needed to recover.
“How do you feel,” Xena asked after Gabrielle had stopped crying.
“I think I ache all over,” she replied as she listened to her body. “My chest hurts where the arrow hit my, but now as bad as last time.”
“You’ll have to take it easy and regain your strength,” Xena said running a hand down Gabrielle’s side feeling the ribs as she did. “You’ve lost weight and have not been taking care of yourself.”
“I had no reason to,” Gabrielle replied honestly as her voice was still a bit horse from crying.
“Why don’t I go get us something to eat,” Xena said attempting to get up out of the bed. She would have been successful if Gabrielle had let her go. The bard was still hanging on to Xena and not letting go. Xena thought for a second then realized that her bard was afraid that if she left that it would be a dream.
Xena recalled the same thing had happened after she had come back form the dead the first time. Gabrielle had not let her out of her sight for the next couple of moons. Things were just back to normal when Britannia happened. This time Xena was determined that her bard came first from now on. They had sacrificed too much to the greater good.
“How about I take you back to your room at the inn,” Xena said. “We can have something sent up.”
Gabrielle nodded her head and felt herself picked up and cradled as Xena walked over to the inn. Hercules looked up as he realized that Xena had just walked into the room. She was holding Gabrielle as she walked into the inn.
Hercules had been thinking about Xena the entire night and could not get her out of his mind. There was something there that he just did not understand, something deeper than everything else.
“Hello Xena, Gabrielle,” Hercules said as the two approached him.
“Hello Herc, do you think that they could send some breakfast to Gabrielle’s room for two,” Xena asked her friend who nodded his head.
“Ah, Xena do you know where her room is,” Hercules asked for a second forgetting that Gabrielle was awake.
“I know where it is, I’ve been keeping an eye on her ever since Japa,” Xena replied knowing that a serous discussion was coming up between her and her bard.
After making sure that Gabrielle was comfortable on the bed Xena went over to the table to set the breakfast that had been sent up. She placed some fruit on a plate for Gabrielle and handed it to her along with some milk.
“I knew that you had been watching me,” Gabrielle said. “Why did you stop appearing after the boat ride back?”
“I could feel your pain Gabrielle, and I couldn’t take it,” Xena replied casting her eyes down. “Knowing that you could see me and no one else, I couldn’t even help you out, and that was hard on me as well.”
“But you stayed around, why,” Gabrielle asked.
“I couldn’t go on without you, and you would have done the same thing,” Xena said.
“I know,” Gabrielle said knowing that she would have waited for Xena as well.
“Will you being back affect all those souls in Japa,” Gabrielle asked.
“No, Iolous said they had all made it there, he was looking for me in the afterworld,” Xena said.
Gabrielle thought about that for a few moments before replying. “That’s right he passed away last year,” she said remembering that Hercules had mentioned it to her.
“When he discovered that I was dead he told me what happened and that he would wait for us on the other side,” Xena said.
“Xena how did you come back,” Gabrielle asked now curious about it. “I thought that I was going to be joining you, not the other way around.”
“I arrived at the clearing just after you had taken the arrow and been knocked down. I just reacted without thought like I always do when it comes to you,” Xena replied not sure how it had happened either.
“Well, I don’t care, you’re back,” Gabrielle said with a smile as she bit into the fruit.
They talked some more until Xena was satisfied that Gabrielle had eaten enough. It seemed like the role had reversed for now. She was the one making sure that Gabrielle was eating. She noticed that Gabrielle now looked tired again.
“Why don’t you rest some,” Xena said.
“You’ll be here when I wake up,” Gabrielle said in a soft venerable voice.
“I won’t leave the room,” Xena promised and knew that she would keep this one.
“All right,” Gabrielle said as she lay down and let her body heal and with her hand in Xena’s providing a connection for her.
Gabrielle had just fallen asleep when there was a knock on the door. She told them to enter and was not surprised to see Hercules walk into the room.
“How is she,” He asked as he walked in and sat down.
“Physically she’ll be fine in a couple of days, mentally that will take some time, but I’m not leaving her again,” Xena said.
“I don’t think that will be a problem, at least for a while,” Hercules replied.
“What do you mean,” Xena said.
“What happened out there,” Hercules asked. He sat and listened carefully as Xena described the best she could what had happened. He leaned back after it was all over. “I didn’t defeat an immortal Zeus.”
Xena was a bit confused at the turn of the conversation and wondered what it had to do with her. Her face showed the shock but she allowed Hercules to continue.
“Zeus gave me immortality before the fight, his immortality. He knew that he was to die, but Hera came to me after and said that I was to do so much good in the world. We talked like we never had. Zeus knew that their time was over, it was his way to preserve the best of our world,” Hercules said.
“By giving you immortality,” Xena said.
“Yes, and I think that you have it as well,” Hercules said. “I ‘m not sure which god or goddess gave it to you but you have it, otherwise you would not have been able to come back at all.”
“And when Gabrielle dies,” Xena said not sure she would like the answer to that.
“You will be separated again,” Hercules said.
“Then I’ll kill myself,” Xena said calmly.
“Xena, there is not hinds blood anymore,” Hercules said but knowing that it was a futile effort to try and convince her otherwise.
“It couldn’t be Ares, he gave his up to heal Gabrielle and Eve when I was fighting Athena,” Xena said thinking about the fight then thought of something.
“It was Athena,” Hercules said. “My half-sister was too smart to not know what was happening,” Hercules said. “She had a reason for it, but I’m not sure what it was.”
“But she did not loose her abilities and Ares did,” Xena said not sure what had happened.
“Ares healed two people, not one otherwise he would still have his powers, he would just be immortal,” Hercules said. “And remember that they knew how to heal themselves from injuries.”
“That’s what made it so tough, but why give me immortality,” Xena said a bit perplexed at the thought.
“You are like me, we fight for the good of the people,” Hercules said.
“I can’t do it with her,” Xena said looking down at Gabrielle’s face.
“We’ll do it together Xena,” Hercules said knowing that it was a tough uphill battle coming.
Neither one heard the footstep leading away from the room as a silent figure made his way away from the room to his own. He walked inside and sat down.
“I’ve never asked the gods for anything in a long time, I’m asking now, I need your help,” the man said.
A flash of light and a scantily clad woman appeared in the room. It was not who he was expecting but she could do.
*****
Xena watched as her lover steadily got stronger with the rest. The bard looked better than she had in a while now that she was eating again. Xena was pleased that her appetite had come back. She just did no know how to approach the subject of her being immortal.
She thought that Hercules might have been wrong, but had cut herself and was surprised at the healing rate. Within seconds it had been like there was not cut at all. She had asked Hercules about it and realized that he did the same thing when cut.
Yesterday the Roman legion had arrived at the town where they had told the commander, Tildis had been more than pleased with the information that he could return with to his commander. Hagest had not been pleased to have been captured especially since the Romans had shown up.
Xena was glad that she could now concentrate on her lover. She was trying to think of a way to inform Gabrielle that she was immortal without causing her pain. It hurt her to know that when Gabrielle died they would be separated again.
Gabrielle sat down next to Xena as lunch was being served. Thedious had been grateful to everyone for what they had done in protecting the village. Most of the mercenaries had left to go with the Romans, as they had promised them employment. Those who were against Rome had left after the fighting.
“What’s wrong,” Gabrielle asked seeing the mood her lover was in. She had noticed that Xena had been in that mood ever since she came back.
“You should tell her Xena,” Hercules said sitting down next to them.
“You have to leave again,” Gabrielle said getting worried about the silence from her lover and began to shake at the thought of losing Xena again so soon.
“No,” Xena said quickly pulling Gabrielle into her lap and encircling the bard in her arms.
“Then tell me,” Gabrielle said pinning blue eyes with her own green ones.
“I’m immortal,” Xena said watching as Gabrielle’s face expressed shock.
“Then I won’t lose you,” Gabrielle said with a bit of relief.
“No, at least not until you die,” Xena said.
Gabrielle thought about that for a second then she realized that Xena was right. When she died they would be separated again.
“We have sometime to figure something out,” Gabrielle stated knowing that there might not be anything they could do.
“There are very few ways to kill an immortal Gabrielle,” Hercules said knowing it for the truth. Even the gods of distant lands were not sure how to do it.
“We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it,” Gabrielle stated not wanting to talk about it anymore.
“Actually there might be a way,” a voice said from behind them. They looked to see Cecropes come walking toward them.
“Cecropes,” Xena said greeting the tall man. They watched as he sat down across from them. He looked a bit different, like he was very tired and not from lack of sleep.
“What did you mean,” Gabrielle asked wondering what Cecropes was talking about.
“Xena, I’ve walked around knowing that my beloved is dead for a long time. The ache will never go away,” he said looking at her with knowing eye. Xena could see what she would look like when Gabrielle died.
Hercules watched with interest. He had many lovers and a wife, who was killed by Hera. He missed them but knew that his destiny laid somewhere else. It had just taken him a while to know it.
“I talked with Aphrodite last night, she confirms that you are immortal Xena, but that’s not what we discussed,” Cecropes said. “I asked her how to give up my immortality.”
The group looked at him with curious stares. They were wondering what he meant by what he had just said.
“I’m offering you my immortality Gabrielle,” Cecropes said.
Gabrielle sat there stunned for several seconds not sure what to make of that. She knew that if Cecropes did they would lose a friend of theirs, but she would be with Xena forever.
“I can’t ask that of you Cecropes,” Gabrielle finally said.
“You’re not asking, I’m offering it,” Cecropes said hoping that Gabrielle would take it.
“I don’t know if I can take it,” Gabrielle said.
“Of course you can,” A female voice said and they looked over to see Aphrodite standing there. “Hello Herc,” she said with a wink to the big man. “It was part of Athena’s plan.”
“What plan,” Xena said not sure she like this. Athena was dead, so she was not sure what a dead goddess had to do with her.
“My sister was not stupid, she knew that you would win, but the others persuaded her to join them. She told me before the last battle what she was going to do, but I could not interfere. She gave you her immortality. Cecropes is to give his immortality to Gabby babe here and you two will make a difference in the world. Cecropes goes home and everyone gets what they want,” Aphrodite said.
Gabrielle looked at Xena for a few moments. “We could do a lot of good,” she said.
“And we will be together,” Xena said.
“I could use some friends,” Hercules said not sure if it would sway them one way or another.
“What do I have to do,” Gabrielle asked.
“You’ll have to heal first; otherwise the transfer will go to healing you instead, like Ares did when he saved your life. If you had not been hurt you would have become immortal,” Aphrodite said in a no nonsense tone with was unusual for her.
“If you’re sure Cecropes,” Gabrielle said.
“More than anything in my life,” He said.
“Then I guess I just have to get well,” Gabrielle said.
*****
The car pulled up to the small inn in a village in Greece. They did not get too many visitors as there was nothing of real importance around the area.
A tall dark haired woman got out of the car and opened the door for her smaller companion. She had blonde hair that came to her shoulder blades.
“Thank you,” the blonde said with a smile as they walked into the inn together.
“May I help you,” the small man said. He had blonde hair at one time, but it had now gone grey with age.
“I have a reservation for Alex Xena,” the tall dark haired woman said to the man. He glanced down looking and finding the name. He gave them key to the room and watched the two women walk away. He was a bit curious as to what two woman were doing in the village but gave them their privacy.
He was not busy and decided to walk around the inn to check on everything. He rounded a corner and noticed the two women standing near the only thing in the village that was worth studying. He walked over and was going to give them the standard speech about it. It was a grave for a great warrior when he noticed them speaking in a strange language.
He listened a bit more and realized that it was Ancient Greek. He had learned it when he was younger by an old woman in the village.
“He was a good friend,” he heard the blonde woman say almost as if they knew the person in the grave.
“He’s at peace, we both know that,” the taller woman said.
They stood there for a long time at the site and he watched on with interest. They finally turned to walk away when he heard the blonde say ‘thank you Cecropes.’
It triggered something in his mind. It was something he had heard when he was younger and thought it to be a joke, but his grandfather said that every hundred years a warrior and a bard come here to pay their respect to a friend. He had even described them. One was tall with dark hair and cool blue eye, the other was shorter, with a shade of blonde to reddish hair and green eyes.
His grandfather had not made up the story; they were real and standing in front of him right now. He would have a story for his grandchildren as well, about a warrior woman and her partner a battling bard.
The End.