WARNINGS AND DISCLAMERS

Gabrielle moaned and shifted a little and it instantly awakened the warrior again. Xena immediately started to check Gabrielle to see if she was all right. Then she saw the most beautiful green eyes open and look around. "Gabrielle are you alright?"

"Xena… is that you?" the bard said in a cracked whisper.

"Of course it’s me. Here drink this." Xena helped her lift the water skin to her dry parched looking lips. "Are you in very much pain? I can give you something for it if you are?"

"Other than a raging headache, and feeling like someone has beaten me all over, I feel just great." The bard replied with a small grin working at her lips. "Xena everything is a little blurry." Xena sat silent and stared at the small women in her lap as she realized Gabrielle's head injury was affecting her eyesight. "Xena? Xena what’s wrong?" she had felt the warrior react to her question.

"Nothings wrong Gabrielle I just need to check on some of your injuries." Xena leaned forward and raised her hand to block the light from the bard's eyes and then moved it out of the way to see how the irises would react. They seemed to respond equally and maybe just a little slow, but it still concerned the warrior.

"Xena why haven’t you answered me and where are we? I got lost and it was so dark I couldn’t find my way back to camp."

Xena pulled the small woman up tighter in her arms. "Gabrielle I need to explain some things to you."

"OK… You have a captive audience," the bard said attempting to grin again.

"You will have to remain calm and listen to what I have to say. We are hanging off the edge of a cliff on a very small outcropping, so you can’t move around very much." Xena was still holding Gabrielle very tightly to her chest.

"Xena how in the world did we…" Gabrielle said sounding almost panicked.

"Gabrielle… right now that doesn't matter, you just need to be calm." Xena said trying to reassure the small bard.

"Alright." The bard said her voice trailing off in resignation.

"Gabrielle it seems that your head injury is affecting your eyesight, but I've checked and I think it will be all right in time, so don't panic on me." The warrior said with worry evident in her voice.

"Xena? Can I tell you something?" Gabrielle whispered to the warrior.

"Sure anything." Xena tried to put calm and optimistic sound back into voice that she just didn’t feel and was thankful the small woman couldn’t see her face very well.

"Xena… I’m scared of the dark." The small bard admitted.

Xena hugged her tighter, "Yeah, I know, but I’m here with you now… you’re safe. Gabrielle your arm also seems to be dislocated but I don’t have enough room to put it back until we get out of here and I’m going to need your cooperation to get off this outcropping and back to safety."

Gabrielle was now clinging to the warrior like she was her lifeline. "Just name it… I’ll do the best I can."

"I need you to stand with me very carefully and I want you to hold tightly to me while we turn around so your back will be to the cliff wall."

"Ok… I’m game if you are." The bard groaned through gritted teeth as Xena help her stand and turned them so that Gabrielle could feel the earth at her back. Gabrielle sighed a little when the movement finally stopped. She was thankful for Xena’s firm grip on her because her head was already spinning and making her feel nauseated.

Xena held Gabrielle a little tighter as she felt the bard sway against her. "Are you all right to go on?"

"Sure… what do we need to do now?" Gabrielle was dreading any further movement, but knew that it was necessary and would have to happen sooner or later.

"The top of the cliff is about even with your chin, so that’s not too bad. I’ll need you to put your good arm up around my neck and hang on the best you can. I’m going to put my hands around your waist and lift you up as gently as possible and sit you on the edge of the cliff." Xena laid out the plan for her.

Gabrielle raised her right arm and put it around Xena’s neck. The warmth of the warrior was making her skin tingle and was actually glad for the pain the movement caused… it helped distract the feelings she was having. Gods… to hurt like this and still have those feelings.

The warrior put her hands on the bard’s hips. "Are you ready?" Xena asked looking in the bard’s face for any sign of pain.

"I’m fine… let’s do it." Xena lifted the bard as carefully and quickly as she could and sat her on the ledge. Gabrielle's face had turned nearly white as she did so. "Xena… I think I’m going to be sick."

"Gabrielle I’m going to help you and I want you to lay back and see if that will help." Xena helped the bard lay down and watched her face for any more signs of discomfort. "Are you feeling any better yet?"

"That seems to have helped, thanks."

"Good… Now I just need you to try and do one more thing for me."

"OK." The bard replied quietly.

"Use your good arm and try to pull yourself a little to your right and I’ll help you as much as I can. I need to get off this outcropping without crawling over the top of you and hurting you." Xena helped the bard move just enough so she crawl up the cliff and sit down beside the small woman.

"Ok, at least we’re not going to drop off 30 feet to our death if we move. That’s a small improvement, but I still need to figure out a way to get you back to camp. You just lay here and rest and let me work on this a little while."

"Sounds good to me… I’m really tired." Gabrielle whispered as she felt the exhaustion sweep over her.

Xena cleaned a small area and built a fire just big enough to warm some water for some medicine for Gabrielle. She knew that there wasn’t any way to move her without it hurting and wanted to give her something for the pain before she tried.

While the water was heating, Xena used her sword to cut some tree limbs to make a litter; there wasn’t any way Gabrielle would be able to walk very well for a day or two, not when she got nauseated from standing up for just a couple of minutes. Xena finished the litter and went back to check on the water. It was warm and Xena made some medicine that would help with the pain and hopefully keep the nausea down. She knew the bard wouldn’t like the taste, but it did work.

Xena took the mug and walked over to where Gabrielle was lying. "Gabrielle raise up a little. I need you to drink this for me before I try to move you. It will help you sleep and help keep the pain down some." Xena helped Gabrielle raise up and steadied the mug while the bard drank.

"Gods… does medicine that's good for you always have to taste that bad." The small woman complained.

"Yeah… I think that’s how you can tell if it’s good for you or not." Xena chuckled softly. "Gabrielle when the medicine starts to dull the pain some I’m going to try and put your arm back in place. I know it’s going to hurt, but it will make it feel better honestly."

Gabrielle looked doubtful but said, "Ok."

Xena sat down next to Gabrielle and waited for the medicine to start working before she moved her. "Gabrielle do you remember anything about what happen last night?" the warrior asked.

"Well, it was a few candlemarks after dark and you still hadn’t returned. I know you’d told me not to light a campfire but I was cold and just couldn’t seem to get warm. I lit the fire and then I laid down on my bedroll next to the fire to write in my scrolls to pass the time. I must have fell asleep a short while after that. That’s really all I remember until I woke, my head was hurting and bleeding. It was so dark I couldn’t see anything and I couldn’t tell where I was. I called for you, but you either hadn’t returned yet or you couldn’t hear me. I got dizzy when I tried to stand up so I’d tried to crawl back to camp. I guess I didn’t make it… huh?" The bard finished with a frown and tears starting to brim in her eyes.

"No… no you didn’t make it, but I found you and you’re safe now. So don’t think any more about it right now. There’ll be time later to talk about it if you want." Xena said realizing the bard was getting upset.

In about a half candlemark Gabrielle's breathing had evened out and her face looked more relaxed.

"Gabrielle I think it’s time to try and put your arm back now. I'm going to pinch off the nerve so it won’t hurt while I put it back. Are you ready?" the warrior asked.

Gabrielle only nodded her head slightly and waited. Xena gave her a slight tap on the neck and the bard could no longer feel her arm at all. Xena braced her foot against the bard’s side and pulled the arm toward her and Gabrielle could feel the jerk and heard it snap back into place.

Xena looked down at the bard worriedly. "Now comes the part that’s going to hurt. I need to release the pinch, but when I do you'll feel a sudden rush of pain. The medicine you took should help with that though… are you ready?"

Again Gabrielle only nodded her head slightly and prepared for the pain. This time when Xena tapped Gabrielle on the neck the bard let out a loud scream and blacked out from the pain.

Xena checked Gabrielle carefully and made sure she was all right then carefully picked her up and laid her on the litter. Xena picked up one end of it and started to drag it back toward camp.

When Xena arrived back in camp she gently picked the bard up off the litter and laid her on her bedroll. The warrior again checked her to make sure that she hadn't missed any injuries. Once she was assured the little bard was all right, the warrior went just a short distance from camp and set a couple of traps to try to catch something to eat.

It wasn't long and the warrior had caught a rabbit that she could make a broth out of for the bard. After the broth and taking care of Argo Xena sat down next to the honey-blonde and watched her sleep.

It was after sunset that evening before Gabrielle awoke again. She opened her eyes and looked around. "Xena?"

"I’m right here." Xena moved to Gabrielle’s side. "How are you feeling now?"

"Better than I did and my eyesight has cleared. The bard’s said.

"You had me worried… I'm glad that you're feeling better. I’ve made some broth for you. Would you like to sit up and try to eat some of it."

"I am hungry and it not only sounds good, it smells pretty good too." Gabrielle said letting a smile light up her face.

"Well, you just be still and I’ll get some for you." Xena walked over to the fire and put some broth in one mug and some tea in another. She walked over and sat down beside the bard. "Do you need some help sitting up?"

"I think I got it... would you mind staying to talk to me?" the bard turned her face up to the warrior and smiled.

"Is there anything that you would like to talk about?" Xena asked. Xena took a sip of tea from her mug and watched Gabrielle’s face intently. She had every intention of having a long talk with the bard but knew it could wait until she was stronger and felt more like talking.

"Nothing except that I want to thank you for finding me. And… I want to apologize for being so much trouble again. I was afraid you wouldn’t come…" Gabrielle’s face flushed slightly as she let her eyes drop to the ground in front of her.

"Gabrielle I want you to listen very carefully. I’ve told you this before… you are my best friend and you are my family. There’s no way that I would NOT come for you. Now finish drinking your broth and I’ll get you some more if you’d like."

Gabrielle had raised her head and was again smiling in the warrior’s direction. "Yes I think I would like some more… it's very good." She held out her hand with the empty mug in Xena’s direction.

Ó Copyrighted December 1997 by DelShannon