Just Another Skill
The farmers returned from their fields carts full of the seasonal bounty, in a small hut near
the center of town a woman awoke yawning. As her eyes fluttered open she saw the sun
sitting on the horizon.
"Oh Gods! Cyrena and Xena are going to kill me!" Jumping out of the bed, Gabrielle
grabbed her staff. They had been in Amphipolis a week, Cyrena's message to them had
brought her daughter to her as quickly as Argo could gallop. Gabrielle had tried to get
Xena to tell her what was wrong on the trip, but as usual once the warrior princess had a
focus she rarely deviated from it, or for that matter spoke. Gabrielle had thought sure that
either one a warlord was about to attack Amphipolis or two Cyrena was gravely ill or
injured. She was surprised when they arrived to find her with only a broken arm, and a
smile. No warlords, no deathbed, only a mother calling for her child to help. Despite
herself Gabrielle had laughed, briefly, the look Xena gave her stopped it.
Here they were two weeks later, Gabrielle cooking, and telling stories in the inn, Xena
playing bouncer and keeping the peace and washing dishes. It had been a peaceful time
for the three women full of visiting, sharing memories and growing closer. Now she had
slept late, the evening meal wouldn't be ready for the patrons and she had no idea how to
apologize. As she ran into the tavern Cyrena was sitting quietly at a table near the kitchen
door, watching the crowd take their seats. She saw Gabrielle and motioned her to join
her.
"Have a nice nap?"
"Cyrena, I'm so sorry. I'll get right into the kitchen and begin the meal. I don't know why
you and Xena didn't wake me." She headed towards the door only to be stopped by a
mother's command.
"Gabrielle, SIT." Puzzled she sat beside the older woman who continued to speak. "Xena
has everything under control, she's cooking."
"Oh Gods!!! Cyrena you have to let me get in there. If Xena cooks, you'll loose all your
customers." Cyrena gave the troubled bard a questioning look, one eyebrow rising. 'So
that's where Xena got that from.' she thought. "Xena is wonderful as a warrior, healer,
and many other things but a cook she's not."
"She's not? Gabrielle, Xena doesn't like to cook. She can though and very well, but
usually to get out of it she will destroy a meal by overcooking it, under or over spicing it,
or just about any way you can think of, just so someone else will take pity on her and
cook."
"MOTHER!" Xena's exasperated cry came from behind the bard. "Why did you tell her
that? Now I'll never get out of cooking. Here." She thrust a bowl of stew in front of the
surprised bard. "Sleep well?"
Gabrielle nodded. Her eyes and nose feasting on the stew in front of her. Lifting her
spoon she took a tentative taste. "Ambrosia. Xena why haven't you ever cooked like this
for me before?"
Squeezing the bards shoulder she answered. "Then you wouldn't make me those
dumplings with the red filling, I'm trying to learn how you make them. Now eat. You
can play bouncer and wash dishes tonight. I'm getting dishpan hands."
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