Wounded

By

Tonya Muir

Short and sweet, isn’t that what they say? This story would most definitely satisfy that stipulation, though I’d file it under bittersweet first.

This was Tonya at her finest – wonderful characterizations of both Xena and Gabrielle, offset by this author’s unique understanding of the dynamics of the warrior and bard relationship. Set right after "One Against An Army", this vignette takes up and expands the emotions that ran rampant in the episode. Vulnerability and love are evident in each sentence as Xena tends to the wounded Gabrielle, attempting to make first steps toward both emotional and physical healing.

This is a fifteen-minute read folks, but it will make you want to rifle through your season II and III tapes and relive the magic all over again. (Sorry, I saw the Magic Kingdom commercial right before I sat to write this.) Seriously, if you are getting a bit nostalgic about the ‘good old days when a new Xena episode was on every week’, this story will just help you develop a full-blown post-Xena depression. It’s that good.

Sadly, writing a note of thanks to Tonya is not possible anymore, but she has left behind a wonderful collection of stories that will help us remember her fondly for years to come. Read this one, and then go indulge with the others.

Wounded