Xena Warrior Princess; Sins Of The Past

Chapter Eleven

"Xena...." Draco smiled and turned to face her. "How was the homecoming?" He folded his arms across his leather chest plate. "Did they throw you a party?" His tone was mocking.

 Behind him, the Headsman was getting shakily to his feet. Xena walked slowly towards the warlord. "What do you want?" Gabrielle followed her in and stood to the side of the doorway, unobtrusively watching. "I want you... one way or the other." Draco's dark eyes were hard. Xena stopped in front of the warlord, her expression unreadable. Draco walked around her, unable to directly meet that burning blue gaze.                                                                                                                                                                                           " We could be great together." He stopped just behind her, his shoulder almost touching hers. He spoke close to her ear. "You must know by now that you can never escape your past." The warrior's blue eyes were narrowed. "Xena, celebrate your dark side... don't run away from it."

 A dark eyebrow twitched up. "Ride with me". Draco's voice was deep. "You said one way or the other..." Xena's voice gave nothing away. The warlord waited his face expectant. Xena turned her head slightly towards him. "It's the other." Draco's face closed, he walked around and stood facing her. "Choose the weapons." "You choose the weapons. I'll choose the conditions." Her tone was smooth. "Staffs." "On that scaffolding up there." She flicked her eyes to a narrow bridge suspended above the floor of the barn. "The first one to touch the ground dies."

 Draco turned to look at the scaffolding. It was constructed of two long poles running from one side of the barn to the other though there was a good space between the walls and each end. Short poles were suspended between the long ones length ways and a good dozen round pillars supported the whole thing. The warlord looked to his two archers. "Kill the first one that touched the ground." The archers readied their bows. "No one leaves until were finished." Draco walked forward. Two of his men arranged their hands to give him a boost. The warlord stepped up onto their clasped hands and launched himself into a somersault. Sounds of surprise came from the villagers at such a show of agility. Gabrielle's eyes widened slightly too but compared to what she had seen Xena do, Draco's move was not impressive. He landed steadily on the scaffolding, one of his soldiers, he had a tall helmet indicating his rank and a faded orange shirt under his chest plate, took a staff from his comrade and threw it to the warlord.

 The man in orange turned to Xena, hands on his hips, obviously not offering her a boost or a staff. Looking nonplussed she turned and grabbed a staff from a guard at the door, her glare daring him to protest. The warrior turned back to the man with the tall helmet. She walked up to him, her expression completely neutral then moving too quickly for him to react hit him in the gut with end of her staff. He doubled over clutching his stomach. Xena jumped forward, stepping quickly onto his bent back, stepping again onto the helmet of the nearest soldier and threw herself into a somersault. She landed opposite Draco on the scaffolding. Draco turned to her, smirking. "Show off."

 Xena tilted her head slightly, eyebrows rising, as if to say "you get what you give". "Shya!" Draco struck suddenly overhand with his staff. Xena blocked, the staffs clashed. "Iy!" The warrior let out a sharp breath. They exchanged blows, neither gaining the advantage, the sound of wood cracking on wood echoed through the barn. Draco ducked a blow to his head, and went to sweep Xena's feet out from under her. She jumped as it swept for her legs, allowing the length of it to pass cleanly through the air. The warrior knocked Draco's staff sideways with a strong blow, getting through his defenses, and jabbed him sharply in the stomach.

 "Hit him, Xena!" A villager suddenly urged from the crowd, Draco ducked another strike at his head. Xena blocked the next three blows, small splinters rained down from the force of the strikes. On the fourth, she kept her staff in contact with Draco's and pushed it up in a half circle, leaving his side exposed. She struck his leg, and then his face using first one end then the other of the staff.

 Draco surged forward in anger and knocked her staff aside, turned a circle and struck her back, making her loose her balance on the already precarious structure.