Arjun smiled as he continued to gaze upon her. “Zara knows… what Zara wishes to know,” he stated as a sense of peace
kept a soft smile on his features, then pointed at her drawn sword. “Do you intend to hurt me with that?” He arched a
questioning brow as a slight smile crossed his face.
“Could I?” She asked with an inquisitive frown as she returned her sword to the sheath on her back, then answered her own
question, “No, I somehow doubt that thing and its pet would let me.” She looked with annoyance at the smiling ten-armed
woman standing near.
Arjun smiled softly. “She is not a ‘thing’, she is the great goddess Durga and no, she would never allow such a thing.” He
cocked his head. “But I do not believe that you are here to hurt me, are you?”
“Look, Arjun. I don’t really want to hurt anyone nowadays. I’ve done too much of that in my life,” Xena seemed almost
embarrassed as she glanced at the distant estate. “Gabrielle, that’s my soulmate, she called to me and I need to reach her.”
She looked at the prince and her expression was entreating. “P-Please. Can you help me?”
“And why do you wish to join her?” Arjun asked softly.
“What? I-I told you, she called me.” The raven haired spirit spoke low. “I have to reach her or… or else she’ll think that I’
ve left her, a-and I can’t hurt her like that.” Xena explained as she moved closer to him.
After a moment of thought, Arjun smiled at the spirit warrior. “But have you not already left her?” he queried calmly.
Xena seemed to think over his words, a melancholy expression crossing her features as she turned her gaze away from his
questioning eyes. There was a long moment of silence during which Arjun just watched her, waiting. At last the warrior
swallowed and her voice was troubled. “Yes. I-I have left her, I know and I’m beginning to regret it. It’s just that I-I…”
She shook her head like a horse trying to get the bit out of its mouth. “It-It’s very hard to explain…”
“Is it really so hard to explain?” Arjun’s voice held an air of patience.
Sensing that he would not drop the topic, Xena sighed as she began to pace. “There was so much I had to pay for… s-so
many debts owed… I… I had to…” her words trailed off as she found it hard to finish her thoughts.
“You had to die and leave the one person who meant everything in the world to you?” The petite Indian man’s words were
soft and compassionate.
With a sad smile, the Greek warrior looked at him and nodded, “There was nothing else I could see to do I-I… oh, gods…”
she shook her head dolefully as sorrow washed over her.
Arjun felt the spirit’s anguish. He could see the tremendous guilt weighing so heavily upon her shoulders and he understood
her selfless, if not idiotic, attempt to right some great wrong she thought she had committed. Without knowing the full story,
Arjun could sense that her motives were not outwardly harmful. Fatal for herself, perhaps, but not harmful to Arjun or any of
his people and he felt an impulse to help her. Despite this, his initial decision to wait until he learned more remained
paramount in his thoughts and he set the notion aside for the time being.
“Please. W-Will you let me go to her?” Xena’s hopeful voice asked.
“No, Xena. I will not grant you access… at least not yet,” he stated as he raised a finger to silence her argument. Before her
anger could take over, she heard his hopeful words, “Zara is my friend. She is my very best friend, almost … almost a part
of me. I wish to speak with your soulmate first. Then I shall decide if you will be allowed to join them during this time.”
Arjun began to turn away.
“Hey, what are you afraid of? Do you think that I’d hurt Zara?” The ghost’s voice was annoyed and the nearby Durga
stirred as the giant tiger looked up. Arjun turned around as Xena tried to calm herself and explain. “Look, I would never hurt
her! Zara helped Gabrielle when she didn’t have to. She’s got courage and honor and sh-she’s good for Gabrielle. I like
and respect her myself, I-I saved her life.”
His expression was calm and controlled. “Xena, even you know that physical pain is not the only thing that can damage a
soul. Zara is here to relax, to regain her strength after a hard time at sea and to be with Gabrielle. I will speak with Gabrielle
and Zara before I determine if your presence will harm my friend in any way.” He spoke softly. “If our positions were
reversed, surely you would do the same for your best friend?”
Xena seemed to contemplate his words and then with a sigh that was closer to a sob, she nodded her acceptance. As he was
turning to leave, the spirit warrior’s voice stopped him and he turned back. “Arjun, Zara and I are somehow connected.
Sometimes I can, well, feel her and now I haven’t for days. Is she all right?”
“Feel her? What do you mean, feel her?” The feminine man raised an eyebrow as he thought over the possible connotations
of that statement.
Xena’s cheeks gained a reddish tinge, but her voice was steady. “Maybe feel isn’t a good word,” she said carefully. “Let’s
just say that I haven’t been able to sense her presence since she entered your estate. If she’s all right, why is that?”
The prince’s painted lips made a large “O” as he suddenly realized what feel might possibly mean to his best friend. “My,
my…” he muttered under his breath with a chuckle, “Zara does manage to meet the most interesting acquaintances.”
“What?” The ghost looked questioningly at him. “I didn’t quite catch that.”
He cleared his throat and raised his voice. “Nothing, nothing. I can assure you that both Zara and Gabrielle are, um, fine and
in no danger.”
“Unless you count the machinations of that bitch, Shikha,” he thought with irritation. He shook himself and went on briskly.
“At any rate, you need have no worries on that score. It’s just that no one who is skilled in the mystical arts and who are
outside my estate can feel, hear or see anything from anyone inside and vice versa. It is a part of my magical protections
against spells and the like.” He spread his hands. “Was there anything else?”
Xena swallowed, then said softly, “A-Arjun, p-please, will you tell Gabrielle t-tell her…” The warrior’s voice trailed off into
silence as her gaze lowered and her brows furrowed as if she was unable to form her thoughts. At his penetrating gaze, Xena
turned away, sorrow crossing her features.
“Of course, Xena. I will tell Gabrielle that you did try to come when she called, but could not pass my protections. And yes,
I will tell her that you love her,” he smiled softly as he nodded.
Xena’s eyes filled and her voice was melancholy. “You’re a-a good man. I know you’re only doing what you think is right.
And for that, I thank you.” She sat down on a rock and put her head into her hands, the very picture of despondency.
Arjun watched her, waiting to see if she would speak again, but the ghost simply sat with her head down and said no more.
The prince sighed, then turned and made obeisance to the kind Durga and once more felt her warmth and love surrounding
him. He bid her farewell and closed his eyes as he willed his spirit to return to the vessel of his meditating body.
Arjun opened his eyes, his gaze falling on the colorful images that were painted on the wall in front of him. When he tilted his
head slightly, he heard the soft commotion of his guests. Knowing that he had little time, he mentally calculated what he would
wear and how long to allot to the endeavor of dressing for the evening. True, he would be fashionably late, but this was a
habit of his which his friends were always accustomed to, he reasoned. As he easily rose from his meditative position he
vowed that as soon as he was able to find a free moment, he would speak to his best friend’s latest lover. With a sigh of
compassion for his friend, he left his secluded room.
~~~~~~
After Arjun had gone, Xena sat brooding in silence for awhile. The prince’s words touched many nerves and she felt all of
them jangling like open wounds with salt poured on them. She knew he had spoken the truth about her and her soulmate and
the truth hurt. She did leave Gabrielle for what felt like good reasons at the time and now she was paying for it. For what
seemed the thousandth time, she mourned her hasty actions in Japa and then cursed with frustration. “What’s done is done,”
she muttered. “I screwed up and didn’t think things through far enough, but picking at it won’t make it any better.”
She sighed and looked up at the ten-armed Durga standing by smiling patiently beside her tiger and spoke hopefully. “I
suppose neither of you would feel like playing a game of twenty questions or Rock-Parchment-Dagger to pass the time?” The
goddess went on smiling but said nothing. The tiger rolled over on its back and made a grumbling sound in its throat. Xena
grunted. “I thought not. Well, there’s always this…” She pulled out her sword in a swift movement.
