© Copyright 1998 by Rebekah

© Copyright 1998 "The Legend of the Lady in the Moon" by F.S.

Xena: Warrior Princess and the names, titles, and backstory used in "No Doubt" are the sole property of Universal. The author intends no copyright infringement through the writing of this fan fiction.

This story may not be sold and may be archived at public sites only with direct permission from the author. Any archive must carry this entire copyright statement.

Standing painfully, she turned back toward the hut and silently went inside to find Xena sleeping peacefully. She picked up the pot of wine, a waterskin, a bag of vegetables, and her own bag, which she'd left near the door. After a short pause, she grabbed her staff before exiting again.

Gritting her teeth, she turned her leg outward, pulled the knife from the fire, and without further preparation plunged it straight into the festered wound.

She'd never felt such pain before -- it was beyond sound or tears. For a few moments, her world was blinding white light, a loud buzzing in her ears, and throbbing, incredible pain, burning and stabbing at once. Then she felt a warm stickiness ... blood and pus flooded her hand and leg. Shaking her head to clear it, she tried to focus on the wound.

"By the GODS!" she hissed through her teeth. "What a mess!" She pulled the knife out, creating another flood of infected fluids. "Hafta cut away the dead skin to let the air get to the whole wound ... ugh!"

She cut away the interfering tissue as Xena had taught her, allowing the gash to bleed freely and grinding her teeth at every cut. Finally finished, she cleaned the knife quickly on a rag with some wine and laid the blade once more into the flames. She flushed the wound with water again and again until only red blood flowed from it.

Holding her breath in anticipation, she took the wine pot and poured part of its contents directly onto the raw skin. The pain was so bad she was sure she would pass out, hoping only to fall away from the fire, rather than toward it. She groped blindly for the remaining cold water, wanting to wash the agonizing alcohol away.

"Leave it on until the stinging stops, Gabrielle," she heard Xena say.

"Xena?" Gabrielle queried. "Are you here?" No answer. "Great, now I'm hearing things. Wait, the stinging HAS stopped ..."

She peered again at the wound, which clearly was too large to be stitched successfully.

Suddenly, she straightened and drew one hand savagely across her eyes. With the other, she snatched the red-hot blade from the fire and pressed the flat of it firmly across the open wound.

There was no sound anywhere except the sputtering of hot metal against liquid. She sat staring at the smoking blade and smelling the burning flesh, only feeling the pain that went beyond burning when she heard rapid steps on the path and a voice calling ... calling something almost familiar.

"Young one! Gah Bei Yal!" Tik Li, with some of his retainers, had come down the hill to check on Tsi Na and bring some special supplies just in time to see her companion take a blade from the fire and brand her own leg. He began running without a further thought, leaving his retainers to clamber after him as he called the young one's name. "Gah Bei Yal! What are you doing? Stop! Remove the ..." He reached the cooking fire just as the young woman looked up at him, as if seeing him from a long way off. Now that he was closer, he saw she was treating an ugly, open wound.

"Here," the courtier said gently. "Let me help you ... it's time to take the blade away now." He guided her hand up and away from her leg, wincing at the brutalized area at first, but then realizing that the wound had festered and she had treated it herself, as well as any healer would, with no help and no pain killers. He took a clean rag, soaked it in what was left of the cold water, and laid it carefully on the now-cauterized wound. The woman shivered slightly, but made no sound.

"You should have asked for help, Gah Bei Yal," admonished the nobleman. The young woman seemed to come to herself slightly, then shrugged and, unbelievably, smiled up at him with the sweetest expression he thought he had ever seen.

"Thank you, Tik Li ... I'm glad you're here," Gabrielle said evenly, with no hint of pain. "You're right ... I do need some help."

"Of course," said Tik Li. "Allow me to help you into the hut ... you need to rest."

"In case some of Xena's admirers try to avenge her betrayal?" asked Gabrielle steadily. "Or perhaps, someone decides to destroy the last of the friends of Ming Tien?" She cocked her head and saw the courtier nod sheepishly. "That's a kind thought, Tik Li, and I accept the offer ... not for myself, but for Xena. She'll rest better knowing I have some help nearby."

Tik Li's esteem for this young, foolish girl soared. He might never understand the events here between the two women, but he WAS beginning to understand that the younger one was an extremely intelligent, resourceful, unique person.

"Allow me to help you bind your wound," he offered hesitantly.

"Actually, I don't have a lot of healing supplies with me," Gabrielle remarked, reaching for the last clean cloth. "Xena always carries our ... Xena's healing supplies are with her possessions." She wrapped the cloth around her calf, neatly tying it off.

"That is one reason I am here," Tik Li said, holding a small bag out to her as if offering gold. "I brought this from the palace. It will help the Great One ... Tsi Na ... heal better and more quickly. It will give her strength."

"How kind of you!" Gabrielle said with genuine happiness. "I've been so worried ... what is this wonderful stuff?"

"It is called ginseng, and it is a closely guarded secret. Only emperors have it." He proceeded to describe how to prepare a healing tea from the root.

"Will you get into trouble for bringing it to Xena?" Gabrielle asked worriedly.

"No, young one ... no one will deny your companion its use, or me its offering." He eyed the young woman's now-bandaged leg. "I think you will take some of it, too. That was badly festered."

Gabrielle didn't respond to his last remark. "Say, you don't happen to have a ... candle? ... in that bag, do you?"

"Why, yes ... I brought one from the palace for you." He opened the bag and pulled out the candle.

"Great!" Gabrielle seized the taper eagerly and lit it from the cooking fire. "I need to check on Xena," she explained. "She's awake now. Will you come in?"

Tik Li felt confused. "I thought she was sleeping?"

Gabrielle smiled gently. "She was, but we woke her up." Gabrielle paused, then corrected herself. "Rather, YOU woke her up."

"How could I ...?"

"Oh, don't feel bad ... she just knows the difference between all the noise that *I* make and the noises that OTHER people make," Gabrielle replied. "Are you sure you won't come in?"

"No, I'll leave some guards and return tomorrow, as we had planned."

"Tomorrow, then ... and thank you for the ... ginseng, Tik Li. Thank you very, very much."

Tik Li nodded slightly and watched in disbelief as the young woman stood with no hint of discomfort and, using the strangely decorated staff he'd seen her carry earlier, walked into the hut with only a slight limp, carefully carrying the lit candle.

"Xena? It's OK ... it's me," she called softly into the dark silence.

"G-Gabrielle?" The voice from the sleeping pallet was low and tired.

"Yeah ..." Gabrielle entered the hut. "Tik Li brought you some special medicine. He's gone now, but he left a couple of guards. How are you feeling?"

"Tired still ... how long?"

"Oh, a couple of hours ... not long. Hungry?"

"Thirsty."

"Here, I'll bring the waterskin." She sat the candle on a low chest beside the pallet and knelt, setting her jaw against the pain in her leg and lifting Xena's head to help her drink. "Better?" Gabrielle peered anxiously at the warrior.

"Yeah, thanks," Xena replied, looking up to see Gabrielle's expression for the first time. "Relax, Gabrielle ... I'm feeling much better."

"Good ... I'm going to start steeping the tea Tik Li told me to make from this root."

"Root? What kind of root?"

Gabrielle held the bag out toward her. "He called it ginseng root."

Stunned, Xena let herself drop back onto the pallet, much to Gabrielle's consternation. "Xena? Are you all right?"

"Yes ... just ... surprised. You can't be serious," Xena whispered huskily. "Are you sure he said ginseng? Truly?"

"Truly! Xena ... is it that special?"

"Special? Think of the rarest, most costly thing you can imagine and double it. Triple it! Very few people even SEE one of these, Gabrielle ... it has amazing curative powers."

"Curative? Great! I'm making you some right away."

"Wait ... Gabrielle, are you telling me that you have an entire ginseng root in that bag?!"

"Yes! He said it was for you ... well, for us ... he said only emperors ..."

"Gabrielle?" The healer Xena came out of hiding. "Could I ... see ... the root?" Gabrielle shrugged and held out the bag. Xena took it reverently and dumped its contents onto her trembling hand. "It really IS ginseng ... I saw a picture of it once in a healer's scroll." She looked up into Gabrielle's strained features. "Do you ... understand its preparation?"

"Yeah, first you grate ..." Gabrielle was fascinated to watch Xena hanging on her every word as she explained how to make the root tea. She'd never seen Xena in awe of anything before, except maybe the sword that she and Hercules had used to free Prometheus. "You know, that's the first time you ever listened to one of my recipes," she remarked as she left the hut.

Xena laughed as Gabrielle popped her head back in. "How bad will it taste, do you think? Every medicinal tea YOU give me tastes incredibly bad." She smirked. "Maybe it has something to do with the cook, huh?"

"Very funny," muttered Xena drowsily.

"Shall we have some vegetable stew while the tea is steeping?" asked Gabrielle, bringing the steaming pot in from the cooking fire. She looked at Xena. "You need something to eat." She dipped a bowl full of the stew, which filled the small hut with a mouthwatering vapor. "Here, do you need some help?"

"I'm fine, Gabrielle," Xena said testily as she struggled to sit up.

"I can see that," Gabrielle said dryly. "Here, lean against me." She positioned herself slightly behind and to once side of the warrior, steadying her hand as she lifted the bowl.

"Mmmm, I've missed your stew," Xena whispered between bites, making Gabrielle laugh, just a little.

"Everything OK?" Gabrielle asked finally.

"Except for the fact that YOU haven't eaten anything," Xena said pointedly.

"I was going to get your ginseng tea first," the girl protested.

"Now."

Gabrielle obediently got a bowl of stew from the pot and drank it down in three gulps where she stood. She took a longer time drinking some water from the waterskin, but finished quickly.

"Gabrielle," Xena growled in warning.

"What?! I ate ... you saw me! Now I'm getting you that tea!"

"It's just that I've never had quite such an expensive drink before, even back when ..." she stopped suddenly, and cleared her throat. "When I had lots of money." Gabrielle patted her ravaged shoulder gently.

"It's OK, Xena," she encouraged.

Xena closed her eyes as she drank the hot, fragrant liquid. "Don't worry, the taste isn't bad." She opened her eyes, quirked an eyebrow, and made Gabrielle laugh again. "Drink yours," Xena told her. "Come on, now."

"OK," Gabrielle said agreeably, trying to prepare herself for the "not bad" taste. "Hey, it really ISN'T bad!" she exclaimed after her first taste. "I thought you were kidding me again," she confided after she'd finished.

"No, too tired right now for that," Xena mumbled, fighting once again to remain awake. "Gabrielle, bring me the candle for a moment, will you?"

Quizzically, Gabrielle got up and handed her the candle.

"Now ... let me see your leg."

Gabrielle stood a moment, just looking down at the warrior. "All right," she said finally. She sat down by the sleeping pallet, removed the dressing from her calf, and looked up in time to see Xena's eyes filling in sympathy.

"Gabrielle," Xena gasped when she found her voice again. "You ..."

"Did I do it wrong?" Gabrielle asked anxiously. "I thought I ..."

"No ... no ... you d-did fine," Xena interjected. "It's just ... the pain. How did you ...?" She stopped again, gulping hard. "We don't have ANYthing for pain? Nothing?!"

"Nothing that I recognize. I'll be all right."

"Hey, this is me ... don't even think about it," Xena growled. "You ... you're in agony, you have to be." Her head snapped up. "Gabrielle, somebody's coming."

Gabrielle grabbed her staff and headed for the entrance to the hut.

Gabrielle looked at the soldiers in relief. "Xena, it's all right, it's Tik Li's men ..." she called back into the hut. Turning to the uniformed men, she said, "I didn't expect you to come back tonight!" She took the heavy bundle from the soldier. "Did you bring everything? Of course you did, what am I saying? Wait, where's her ..."

The soldier turned to his companion, who presented him with a sword ... Xena's sword ... her scabbard and her chakram. He eyed the strangely shaped weapon as he handed it to the golden-haired woman. "We think we found everything. If something is missing, we will go back tomorrow to find it."

"Thank you ... and thank your lord for us, also."

"It is well, Gah Bei Yal." With that, the two soldiers moved to talk briefly with their counterparts down the road who were acting as guards for the little hut. Gabrielle painfully but happily carried everything in to the hut.

"Look, Xena!" she called. "They brought your things." She brought everything to the pallet and handed the warrior her sword, watching Xena almost visibly relax as her hand closed around the weapon.

"You know, I've never asked you ... does that thing have a name?" Gabrielle inquired wickedly.

"Ha. Ha." Xena retorted. "Find my bag of herbs NOW and fix yourself something ..."

"OK ... painkiller for me, feverkiller for you ... or do you think you need the fever to run its course?"

"Wait ... we can't do that, Gabrielle."

"Do what?" She stopped opening the bag and looked down at Xena.

"We can't take any other herbal teas ... I don't know how they would react in combination with the ginseng."

Gabrielle's good cheer diminished a little as she said, very quietly, "Oh ... yeah."

"I don't know why I didn't think of this sooner," Xena berated herself. "Gabrielle, come here and sit down beside me."

Finally allowing the pain to pierce her veneer, Gabrielle limped slowly to the pallet and sat down.

"Here, let me see your leg."

"Xena ..." Gabrielle started to pull away.

"Relax, will you?" Xena said irritably. "Describe your pain."

"I ... uh ... it's shooting, stabbing pain, mostly. Is that what you mean?"

"Yeah ... I ... didn't mean to snap at you." She reached down and pressed hard on the outside anklebone of Gabrielle's left foot.

"Ow! That's not funny, Xena ... that really ..." Gabrielle looked up in surprise. "... doesn't hurt anymore!"

"Damn, I was sitting here staring at your leg like I didn't know what to do about it!"

"Xena, you're not feeling very well ... it's OK."

"No, it's ... I should have ..."

"Uh ... Xena? Are you going to have to release this or something?" Gabrielle asked nervously.

"What? No ... it's like the one for seasickness ... you have to keep using it periodically to maintain the effect. And here, that reminds me ... give me your hand." She held out the smaller hand in front of its owner. "Look, right here ... this little point where the bones of your thumb and first finger meet ... see?" The warrior looked up to see a confirming nod. "If the pain changes ... goes from a sharp, shooting pain to a dull, constant pain ... press this point instead, OK?" She looked again at the wound on her friend's leg and winced. "I'm ... gods, Gabrielle, I'm so sorry I didn't think about ..."

"Xena?" Gabrielle interrupted. "You only saw this a few minutes ago. You're sick and hurt yourSELF ... you can't be in total control of ..."

"Don't TELL me what I can't ..." Xena exploded, then lost her momentum as she saw the look in Gabrielle's eyes. "You ... you're right ... I just hate it when you're in ..."

"I know ... same here for you." Gabrielle looked up pensively. "Hey! Didn't you want to hear how I learned my pitiful amount of Chin?" she asked.

"Are you trying to distract me, Gabrielle?" Xena snarled irritably. "I'm not a child!"

"No ... no, you're not," Gabrielle agreed, clearly crestfallen.

"I ... uh ... you ... you took a long time, I thought ... um, is everything all right? I mean, you didn't fall or ..." Xena's voice gave out, a victim to her physical and emotional exhaustion. Gabrielle smiled slightly as she picked up her bag and the last blanket from the corner and walked toward the pallet.

"Will my bag be high enough to rest my leg on?" Gabrielle asked. Xena nodded mutely. "Does 'Chu' really mean 'pig' in Chin?" she asked incongruously.

Xena's eyebrows shot up at the question's silly suddenness. Then she started to laugh. "Yes," she finally managed to get out, "it really does."

"Then why by Gaia would that man go by that name?" Gabrielle fumed as she settled at the edge of the sleeping pallet. "Isn't that as much of an insult here as it is at home?!" Xena nodded again, smiling this time.

"Dunno ... there's no accounting for taste," Xena said archly. "Of course, he might have done it just to prove it didn't matter to him what other people thought."

"Still, an insult for a name," Gabrielle said doubtfully as she stretched out beside her friend. "I think I'd find another mode of expression." She was silent for a few moments. "Speaking of insults ..." She smiled to herself as Xena nervously shifted around on the little pallet. "You told me you were going to teach me some ... shall we say ... less than noble words and phrases ... and I coulda used one or two of those a couple of times today," she finished indignantly.