Chapter 11b

"Unforseen Consequences"

The next two days were quiet. Gabrielle had no more dreams, even though the feeling of the approaching catastrophe was becoming stronger. They decided to relocate their camp to the lake where Xena had gotten her sunburn. It was a better location, and since they had no idea of where to go, it would do for now.

"We have to find that cave," Gabrielle had concluded. "That’s where we’ll find Dahak."

"You’re sure it’s Dahak?"

"I’m sure. The stronger this – I hate to keep saying ‘this feeling,’ but that’s what it is. Anyway, the stronger it gets the more it FEELS like Dahak."

"But wasn’t the cave just part of your dream? How do you know it really exists?"

"I just know. It has to exist. Dahak has to emerge from somewhere, and that’s the perfect place. It’s secluded and it’s dead, unliving rock."

"But you can’t locate it?"
 
"No. I’ve tried, time and again. But his presence has spread out everywhere. If it was concentrated just at the cave I could find it with no problem."

Gabrielle was silent for a while, mulling over the limited options. A couple of times Xena started to interrupt her concentration, but thought better of it; she had no new ideas to contribute.

The next morning, Xena was up with the sun. After waiting for Gabrielle longer than she thought she should, she nudged Gabrielle’s shoulder with the toe of her boot. "Hey! Are you going to sleep all day? How about some breakfast?"

Gabrielle blinked open her eyes. "You have to eat right now? You can’t even wait until I get my eyes open?"

"Your eyes should have been open when the sun came up. I thought you had a lot of thinking to do. Not that it’s doing us any good," Xena added sarcastically.

"You want breakfast? Fine! Here’s breakfast!" And with a wave of her hand, Gabrielle caused several large fish to come flying out of the lake and slap up against Xena’s face and chest.

"Fish? Is that all you can manage? I could do better than that by myself!"

With another wave of Gabrielle’s hand, Xena was pelted with the bloody carcasses of a half dozen rabbits, covering Xena with blood and entrails.