But you know, no matter how many beating I received, I couldn’t stop telling stories. In fact, making up stories was the thing that kept me sane. I would hide in my fantasy world of adventure. I guess he finally gave up. The beatings stopped after my 12th summer. I guess I was spending so much time at Sophia’s home, that he worried that they would see the bruises. In fact, I realized that he would never hit me if I was over at Sophia’s or if Sophia was at my house. He was afraid of her; she was so different, and if didn’t help matters that she was part god. I guess he was afraid he would be struck down or something."

Anyway, when I was fourteen, my dad made this big announcement to the family that he realized that he and I should be closer, that he wanted to make up for the distance between us. So he told my mom that he wanted to take me on a fishing trip. He thought it would be a chance for us to get away, and make up for lost time. She agreed, and I went with him."

As Gabrielle told her story, her body language changed. Xena noticed at first Gabrielle she sat on the ground with her legs crossed. Then as the bard continued the story, her knees came closer and closer to her chest. Xena instinctively knew what Gabrielle was trying to tell her.

"The lake he wanted to get to was one days journey of horseback. After we got to the lake, he found a cave. And then, something inside of him snapped." She wrapped her arms around her knees, drawing them closer. "He grabbed me, and told me that I was evil. He said that I wanted to be evil, that I was stubborn." She slowed down and her eyes glazed, for she was reliving the events as she told them. "He said that he tried to beat the evil out of me, but it did not good. Then he said that I had placed men under my spell, including him." She began to rock. "He pushed me to the ground. And he…" She remembered to breath. "And he raped me." She did not look up at Xena, fearing that she would see disgusted in her eyes. "For two days he kept me in that cave, doing whatever he wanted. I was so afraid. Afraid for myself, afraid that he would do the same to Lila, afraid of what he would do to Lila and mom if I told, so when we returned home, I said nothing to anyone. And he did not come near me again. Of course, I made sure he couldn’t because I wouldn’t let Sophia leave my side."