Chapter Seven

And the Rains Came

Early the next morning Xena reentered the village. The scene was like something out of a bad dream. Smoke still lingered, mixed with clouds of ash and dust raised by the winds. There was no color, only grays and blacks.

As Xena and a few of the villagers made their way through what used to be a town, they were stunned at the total devastation. Not one building was left standing – everything had burned to the ground.  The trees of the forest that had surrounded the village were burned to the point that the area of the town looked to be twice the size it actually had been. There were carcasses of horses, cows, goats and other animals, and human remains, all charred beyond recognition. And despite all of that, Xena’s trained eye noticed something odd – there was not one weapon or piece of armor anywhere to be found. The bodies had been stripped of all weapons, chain mail, helmets; anything that was used for battle. Even the farm implements had been taken.

“Hey!” Xena said to one of the dazed villagers. “The women and children – where were they when the attack came?”

The man gestured toward the trees. “Somewhere over there, I think.”

As he wandered off, Xena walked in the direction he had indicated. She saw only more charred bodies. She stopped and scanned the trees, looking for Gabrielle.

“Where are you, Gabrielle,” she said quietly. “I know you took them somewhere safe.”

She looked down at the bodies at her feet, wondering which were the villagers and which were the attackers. She was about to head into the woods when a gust of wind blew up ashes, swirling them around her and into her eyes.  As she blinked and rubbed her eyes, looking down, she saw the glint of something shiny and metallic. Xena knelt down to get a better look. It was a small bit of melted silver. And it was partially hidden in the burned hand of the body lying next to her. Fearing the worst, Xena gently opened the hand and the silver pendant fell to the ground. With a trembling hand she picked it up, not realizing tears were streaming down her cheeks.