Chapter Four

A Secret Revealed

"Gabrielle, the Old Seer was the one who fired the arrow at you in the dungeon. There was no conspiracy involving Jobyna or anyone else in the castle."

"Xena, that's impossible. She blind! She's been blind since birth."

"That's what she's been telling everyone. It's a half truth. She's is blind, but in only one eye. With the other she sees almost as well as we do with two eyes."

Looking down at her, Gabrielle searched for the truth. Nodding slightly, the old woman opened both eyes fully, something Gabrielle had never seen her do before. One eye was pale gray, almost white. The other was a pale blue, with a small black iris.

"You can see?"

The dying woman nodded.

"But why did you try to kill me? Have I treated you so unkind or unfairly? Please, I have to know, why do you hate me so?"

"The Prophecy, it had to…." Before she could finish speaking a coughing spasm overtook her.

Eventually she stopped coughing and Gabrielle gave her water and she continued, "I don't hate you, my Lady. I have loved you like the daughter I never had. But the Prophecy — time was running out. Xena and you … had to be together … 'Two life forces, entwining and blending as the smoke from two separate fires, until you can no longer tell one from the other.' But Xena was to be flogged again. I didn't know if she would survive. I had to do something — something drastic. Something to postpone the whipping."

"But what if she wasn't able to catch the arrow? What if…?"

"I knew she would. Prophesy said 'Your enemy is your friend'."

"Yes, I know. You told me that."

"But I didn't tell you all. You bade me leave before I finished. Prophesy also said 'A tall, dark protector. With her at your side, your years will number more than seventy.' So you see, I had no fear that she would not stop the arrow. I added poison to the tip to increase the urgency. You were never in danger."

Another coughing spasm wracked the old woman. Gabrielle gave her more water and let her rest.