"THE PRINCESS & THE QUEEN" series -SCROLL VIII: CONQUERING A BYGONE ERA

pt.14

With the weather now being far more accommodating for travel, a pair of horses trampled through the snow as Gabrielle and Ephiny ventured back to the secret village. Aurora was safely secured in the saddle and bundled up in front of Gabrielle as Arrian and Argo galloped between a series of trees.

GABRIELLE
Did they set the time for Xena's Execution before you left?

EPHINY
I think Clover was still going over the final details to make sure Xena couldn't get out of it. But yeah I'm pretty sure she had settled on when and how.

GABRIELLE
How long do we have?

EPHINY
I'm not gonna lie, Gabrielle, I'm really not sure how we can possibly make it back in time. Especially with the snow.

Gabrielle glanced over at Ephiny as they rode side by side.

GABRIELLE
Ephiny how long do we have?

EPHINY
A day. Two tops. Though I haven't been there so they could've changed it. But our timing is not looking good right now. And that's to say if they haven't gone through with it already.

Gabrielle gave Ephiny a look of pure determination.

GABRIELLE
Either way, we have to get back as fast as possible. Along with getting to Xena, we have to break whatever hold Alti has over Clover and the others and stop whatever she's doing.

EPHINY
How?  We don't even know what she's after. Plus I saw what she's capable of when we encountered her during the hunting trip. How are we supposed to stop someone with that kind of power?

GABRIELLE
She's been defeated before, so we can figure out a way to do it again. Even if she is supposed to already be dead.

EPHINY
(joking) I guess you guys must've been having an off day when you faced her before and didn't realize you hadn't finished her off. Though that is odd for Xena to mess up killing such an obviously dangerous opponent like that.

GABRIELLE
Ephiny Alti has been dead for a very long time.

EPHINY
Obviously not if she's showing up again.

GABRIELLE
No trust me, she's dead. She just doesn't exactly act like it. I mean you've seen what she's capable of.  Does any of that seem really like something a normal, mortal person could do?

Ephiny figured that Gabrielle had a point and sighed as she tried to wrap her mind around how they were possibly going to stop an incredibly powerful being who was apparently already dead.

EPHINY
(sarcasm) Oh great facing down a being that's apparently something beyond mortal. This isn't gonna be extremely difficult at all. How did you and Xena stop her before?

GABRIELLE
We destroyed Alti's remains. But obviously, we either missed some or that wasn't enough to completely get rid of her for good.

EPHINY
So how do we stop her now then? Is it even possible?

GABRIELLE
Honestly Ephiny, I have no idea. Hopefully, Xena will know what to do. We just have to make it back in time to stop Clover and the others from killing her first.