Of course, with a little persuasion from Universal Studios, I might let them borrow the story line?. *GRIN*

Quick Note: This is my first attempt at writing a lengthy Xena story, so please, go easy on me?

Violence/Sexual Contents Disclaimer : There is mention of rape, but nothing real graphic. If you can't handle a little violence, I find it hard to believe you watch Xena. As for Subtext, no more than in the show. You can look, but you won't find much.

Disclaimer: No Amazons were harmed during the writing of this fan fiction. However, one is in serious need of an attitude adjustment.

Comments:

Any and all comments or constructive criticism can be sent to:

Y02Mustang@AOL.com

Now, on with the story:

The young girl slowed her pace to a walk, and tried to urge her leg not to throb. The gash the merchant had made was very deep, possibly to the bone, and hurt like Hades, making it very difficult to walk. Glancing back once more to make sure the man had not followed her, she adjusted the bag on her shoulder, and shifted the position of the staff she held in her right hand.

Noticing a nice stream, the girl thought about washing her wounds in the clear water, but stopped when she noticed four fish on the embankment. Suddenly realizing how terribly hungry she was, the girl pondered taking just one fish. Not a thief, she would find the people who had caught them, and give them something useful in return, as she always did.

Approaching the fish, she knelt down, keeping her staff close by her side and the bag on her shoulder. She was ready to run, should the need arise. As she fingered the string, trying to figure out how to break it, she heard a shout behind her.

"Hey!" she heard a woman yell, and looked over her shoulder, as a girl with honey-colored hair ran towards her. Immediately assuming she had found the owner of the fish, and that the woman was not happy, the girl took off. Grabbing her staff she ran to her left, into the woods, and hoped to find a place to hide.

Running that hard and that fast caused her leg wound to re-open, and blood ran down her leg, but she tried not to stop. Finally, when the pain became too much to bear, she tripped and fell, barely catching herself in time to stop her face from hitting the dirt. Looking up, she saw a pair of boots, followed by shin guards, leather, armor, and a warrior woman with black hair looking down at her. The girl's hazel eyes met with the clearest, most beautiful pair of blue eyes she had ever seen.

"Are you all right?" the woman asked, offering a hand to help her up. Nodding, the girl accepted the hand, and balanced with her staff to keep the weight off her pounding leg. For some reason, the girl felt a pull to the warrior woman, and immediately trusted her.

Quickly, the girl with blonde hair rushed into the clearing, the same one who had chased her. Feeling safe with the woman warrior, the young girl didn't run - yeah, as if she could with the pain she was feeling. "She tried to steal the fish," the one with honey hair said, talking about the girl, but looking towards the warrior.

"Is that true?" the warrior asked. The girl didn't respond, she just hung her head. For the first time, the girl noticed that the blonde also carried a staff. Sighing, the blonde involuntarily brought the staff into a defensive position, a natural feeling for her. Thinking that the girl was angry with her, and may fight her, the one with hazel eyes did the same, and drew herself up to her full height.

The warrior noticed this, and told the green-eyed blonde, "I think she thinks you're going to fight her." The young woman nodded, and the blonde looked startled.

"Oh! No, I wasn't going to hurt you," she said. "Here," she said, and stuck the staff out, as if to give it to the warrior woman.

The young woman thought the blonde was going to hurt the warrior, and when the woman made no attempt at moving, the girl took the end of her staff and hit the blonde's, knocking hers into the air. Then, limping slightly, she took a few steps to her left and blocked the warrior, standing between her and the blonde.

To her surprise, the tall warrior chuckled slightly. "Now she thinks you're going to hurt me! It's all right," she said, and laid a hand on the girl's shoulder. "We're friends, she wouldn't hurt me. That's right, we're friends," the warrior repeated, her voice deep, rich, and calm. The girl glanced from the warrior to the girl and back again, looking at them, confused. Finally, accepting that the warrior wouldn't lie to her, the girl returned to her place by the warrior's right side, and made no further attempt at a fight.

"I'm Gabrielle, and this is Xena," the blonde said, introducing them. The girl looked at them both, and nodded her understanding, but remained silent. The warrior seemed to be looking for some kind of reaction in the young woman's face, and seemed relieved when she didn't find it. Xena had watched for recognition of her name, or hatred, to appear in the girl's eyes, and could not help but relax when she didn't see anything.

Noticing that the girl made no attempt to introduce herself, Xena said, "You can come back to our campsite, and Gabrielle can tend to your leg." Gabrielle nodded that she would do that, and the girl picked up her bag, and followed the friends to their campsite.

Once there, Xena motioned for the girl to sit on a nearby log, and she obeyed, grateful for the chance to relieve the pressure on her aching leg. As Gabrielle washed the wound, and did her best to sew it up, Xena took that time to look the girl over more carefully.

She didn't appear to be more than a few years younger than Gabrielle, and her light brown hair was about the same length as the bard's. The girl's hazel eyes had been the first thing the warrior had noticed; something in them told her she was trustworthy, and in need of some help, though from what Xena had no idea. The young woman wore a skirt that didn't quite reach her knees, and an overly large sack, that she had apparently cut holes in for her arms and head. Xena had noticed that she had straps of another top under the sack, and wondered what she was hiding.

Gabrielle started to bandage the wound, but the girl stopped her, shaking her head. "What?" asked Gabrielle. "You don't want me to wrap it?" The girl shook her head again, and then dug for something in her bag. Finding it, she gave the container to Gabrielle, and motioned for her to put the salve on her leg. "Are you sure?" Gabrielle questioned, not recognizing the odor of the ointment. When the girl nodded, Gabrielle sighed, and applied the salve to the wound. The girl flinched, but said nothing.

After the ointment had been applied, the girl took the cloth from Gabrielle and wrapped her own leg, and then replaced the salve in her bag.

"I'll go get some firewood. It will be dark soon," said Xena. "Will you two be all right?" When the girls nodded, the warrior left, saying, "I'll be back soon."

Without the warrior nearby, Gabrielle noticed that the young girl seemed slightly nervous. She waited for the girl to say something, hoping she was all right, but after a long silence she decided it was up to her. "Are you hungry?" Gabrielle asked, trying to make conversation and relax the young woman. The girl nodded, and Gabrielle smiled. "Yeah, me, too," she said.

"She's always hungry," said Xena, returning with an armful of wood. The young girl and warrior smiled, and Gabrielle gave Xena a hard glare before breaking into a grin. "Gabrielle, why don't you get the fish so we can eat?" Xena asked, and Gabrielle nodded, taking her staff and walking down towards the river. "You like fish?" the warrior asked, after Gabrielle had left.

The young girl nodded enthusiastically, and Xena smiled. "Good, because that's about all we have right now," she said, and started the fire. The girl watched with interest, and tried to figure out how the warrior kept the fire burning so long. There had been many nights when the girl couldn't sleep, because she was always tending to the fire so she wouldn't freeze.

Xena felt the young girl's eyes on her, and looked up to catch her gaze. "What?" she asked. The girl pointed to the fire. "Don't know how to get a fire started?" Xena asked, hoping for a real answer rather than a gesture. Instead, all she got was a sheepish shake of the head from the girl, indicating she didn't.

"Well," Xena explained, "use dry leaves and twigs. Stack them like this," she said, gesturing to her own fire, "and they'll last longer. Got it?" The girl nodded her understanding. Gabrielle came through the clearing, holding the fish, and Xena rose to meet her.

"Can she talk?" Gabrielle asked, in a whisper so low the girl had to strain to hear their words.

The warrior shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe you can get her to talk," Xena offered, and Gabrielle looked hopeful. The whispering over, they returned to the campsite, unaware that the young woman with the injured leg had heard every word.

The girl sighed. She was quite capable of talking, but no one had ever been interested in hearing what she had to say. Not only that, but most people were angry with her, and she only talked to people who were nice to her - she had learned to avoid arguments that way. Yes, she trusted the warrior, and maybe even her friend, but knew they would start asking questions, and she didn't know what would happen when she told them the answers.

The blonde began cooking the fish, and the young woman watched the food very carefully. When Gabrielle was about to take the food off the fire, the girl stopped her, and brought out a small pouch. Taking some of the powdered contents in her fingers, she made a move to put it on the fish, when the warrior grabbed her wrist, restraining her.

"What are you doing?" she demanded, and the girl shrank back. She shook her head, trying to tell the warrior that it wasn't poison. Taking a small amount, she put it in her mouth, and swallowed, then she smiled. Xena released her grip on the woman's wrist, and the girl sprinkled some of the herbs over the fish.

The three ate, and Gabrielle said, "Whatever you did, it sure tastes good!" The girl smiled, and her grin widened as the warrior agreed.

"Sorry about grabbing you like that," the warrior apologized. When she had seen the fear in the girl's eyes, she had immediately felt bad for frightening her. There was no reason for the girl to wish them harm. The girl smiled slightly at the woman's apology, and waved it off.

Gabrielle took a drink of water from the water skin, and offered some to the girl. "Thirsty?" she asked. The girl nodded, and gratefully accepted the water.

As she drank, Xena, who sat on her left, put her hand gently on her back and said, "There you go," as another small apology. With the touch, the girl stiffened and pulled quickly away.

Almost as if in pain, Xena thought. "Are you all right?" she asked, again. The girl simply nodded, and returned the flask to a concerned Gabrielle.

The girl yawned, and got up to leave. "No," said Gabrielle, "you can sleep here. You don't have to leave."

"Yeah, you can take my blanket," Xena offered. The girl shook her head, she wouldn't dream of taking the warrior's bed. "No, really, it's all right. I don't need a blanket, I'll just use my bedroll," she insisted. Seeing the determination on the woman's face, the girl relented, and nodded. "Good," Xena said, and moved her blanket to the side, next to her own bedroll. Xena would sleep between Gabrielle and the young woman, which was an idea she wasn't too fond of, but knew that for some reason the girl felt the need to be close to her.

The hazel-eyed woman was the first to lie down, and Xena and Gabrielle followed. The warrior in Xena couldn't help but smile at how the girl slept with her staff within reach. The girl was asleep soon, and Gabrielle wasn't far behind, but it took time for the warrior to fall asleep.

For some reason, the girl made Gabrielle uneasy. She seemed nice enough, but life with Xena had taught the bard to be cautious. Maybe it was the way she was so eager to help, or the way she never spoke, but something in Gabrielle told her not to trust the young woman completely; at least, not just yet. Still wary of the woman who slept on the other side of her best friend, Gabrielle slept.

The next morning, the young woman awoke to find that Xena was gone, but the soft snore told her that Gabrielle had yet to wake up. Hearing something not far away, the girl took her staff, and limped off towards the sound, glad that her leg seemed to be a little better. As she looked around, she saw the warrior woman practicing with her sword. She seemed very good. Clearing her throat softly, the girl made her presence known.

Xena spun around, ready to strike, when she realized it was only the young girl. "You shouldn't sneak up on me like that," she said. "Most people know that." The girl hung her head, and then lifted it, looking the warrior in the eyes. She held her staff in the defensive position, diagonal across her body, and slowly pushed it forward. The warrior raised an eyebrow, as she understood what the girl was asking. "You want to practice with me?" she asked, and the girl nodded.

The thought of having someone else to work with was interesting enough, but Xena wasn't sure if the girl could handle it. "Are you sure you're up to it?" she asked, pointing to the girl's injured leg. Nodding, the girl furrowed her brow, to show that she was still willing to fight. "All right," Xena said, "I'll go easy on you." This got a strong objection from the girl. "No? Well, then, we'll both fight our best, how's that?" she offered. The girl nodded, happy.

The young woman took a few steps forward, favoring her right leg, and moved towards the warrior, into the clearing. Gripping her staff tighter, she signaled she was ready to start. Facing each other, the two took a deep breath, and began.

Xena struck first, but the girl quickly blocked the blow that was intended for her left shoulder. Trying to catch her off guard, Xena swung for the opposite shoulder, only to find the move blocked. Two blows to opposite sides of the girl's ribcage were both blocked by the staff, and Xena drew back, thinking. The girl was better than she had thought.

Going for an overhead strike, the girl was forced to bring her staff horizontally above her. Xena continued the pressure, until the girl was forced to touch her left knee to the ground. Suddenly, in a burst of strength, the girl shoved her staff straight up, stood, and then brought one end of her staff up to hit Xena's sword. The blow struck the hilt, and knocked the sword out of Xena's hand, into the branch of a tree that towered over them.

Moving quickly, the girl brought her staff around and caught Xena's leg, sweeping her legs out from under her. Then, bending down on her left knee again, she pressed the end of her staff to Xena's throat.

"Very good," said Xena, raising an eyebrow, thoroughly impressed. She had been fighting her best, as she had told the girl, and the young woman had beaten her - quickly. "Now, what are you going to do about my sword?" she asked. The girl, never taking her eyes off Xena, motioned for her to stand. Keeping the staff near her throat, but never on it - showing she knew they were only practicing, the girl followed Xena until both women stood, face to face.

Taking her staff, she hit just inches away from Xena's neck, hitting the trunk of the tree, hard. Then, reaching out with her right hand, she grabbed the sword as it fell, and put it near Xena's throat, where her staff had been only moments earlier.

Suddenly, there was a cry from the bushes, and Gabrielle ran out. I knew I couldn't trust her, she thought, as she ran towards the girl. With all the force she could muster, Gabrielle swung her staff, and hit the girl in the lower back, knocking her down. The hit sent the girl sprawling to the dirt, and gave her a bloody nose as she hit the ground. Walking over to the form on the ground, Gabrielle forced the girl to roll over, and put her staff next against her throat.

The young girl's eyes widened, as she realized this was not part of the practicing routine. The pain that was sent through her body, due to her full weight being on her back, was enormous, but she tried not to show it.

"Gabrielle!" Xena shouted, when she had first seen Gabrielle strike the girl. "Gabrielle, stop!" she yelled, nearing the two.

"She was going to kill you, Xena!" Gabrielle insisted, not moving her staff.

"No, Gabrielle, we were just practicing. Now, let her go," Xena said.

Realization dawned in Gabrielle's green eyes. "Practicing?" she repeated, hoarsely, suddenly too numb to move her staff away from the girl's neck. Xena nodded, and approached Gabrielle. In just half a second, Gabrielle was flat on her back where she had once stood. Looking down to the girl, Xena saw that she had rolled onto her side, and now struggled to breathe.

Gabrielle recovered, and stood up again. "What did you do?" she asked, not knowing what had happened. The girl couldn't have answered if she'd wanted to, all the wind was knocked out of her, and her back hurt her too much.

The girl had finally reached her limit of pain, and knew she had to get off her back. Knowing she couldn't move with a staff against her neck, she reached down, grabbed Gabrielle's boot, pulled up, and then pushed out. It had the desired effect, and she was able to move.

Once she was able to breathe, the girl tried to get up, but found it difficult. Then, to her surprise, there was a pair of strong hands on her shoulders, pulling her up gently. Looking up, the girl saw Xena standing there, looking worried.

"You okay?" she asked. The girl brought her hand to her nose, saw the blood on her fingers, and shook her head. She was secretly glad there was another injury to blame her pain on, since she wasn't sure the two women were ready for her story yet, and explaining her back would mean explaining everything.

Xena had a feeling it was more than a bloody nose, but decided not to push it. "Come on," she said, "let's get you cleaned up." Xena walked the girl to camp, not failing to notice that Gabrielle was not following. Deciding to take care of the girl first, and talk to her friend later, Xena kept going. Gabrielle needed some time to think.

"Got any thing in that bag for your nose?" Xena questioned, as she wiped the blood from the girl's nose, and told her to keep pressure on it. The girl shook her head, but smirked when Xena's lips crept up into a smile. Satisfied that it had nearly stopped bleeding, Xena stood to leave and talk with Gabrielle. The girl put a hand on her arm, stopping her.

"It's okay," Xena said, "I just need to talk with Gabrielle. I'll be back in a little while." Again, the girl shook her head. She pulled Xena's arm, and made her sit down. Then, she removed the cloth from her no longer bleeding nose, and stood. Putting a hand on her chest, she motioned to herself, and then to the area where Gabrielle was.

"You want to go talk to her?" Xena asked, surprised. The girl nodded, and left. When she was gone, Xena said to herself, "But you can't talk."

The girl found Gabrielle quickly. The blonde was sitting on a rock, not far from where they had left her, with her head in her hands. Her head jerked up and her eyes opened when the girl put a hand on her shoulder. When she saw who it was, Gabrielle said, "I am so, so sorry. Are you all right?"

The girl nodded, and smiled, making a muscle and pointing to Gabrielle. "You think I'm strong? Well, thank you," Gabrielle said, when the girl nodded. "Still, I shouldn't have done that to you." The girl waved it off, as she had Xena's apology. Walking back towards camp, she waited patiently for Gabrielle to follow.

Xena was surprised when she saw the girl return so quickly, and rose, afraid that something had happened. Her surprise increased when she saw Gabrielle right behind her.

"Everything okay?" she asked, and both women nodded. Then, they all three heard a growl come from Gabrielle's stomach, and they grinned. "I'll get breakfast. Gabrielle, refill the water skins down by the river. We're almost out," the warrior said, not unkindly. "Will you be all right by yourself for a while?" she asked. The girl nodded, and sat down on the log.

The two women left, and the girl was by herself. Seizing the opportunity to be alone with their things, the girl limped over to the saddlebag that lay on a saddle, across the campsite. Opening it, she made a mental inventory of what the women had, so when she gave them their gift in return for helping her, she wouldn't give them something they already owned.

Before she knew what was happening, a man had run into the campsite, and shoved her up against a tree. What is it with people and my back today, she thought. If it wasn't for the excruciating pain in her back, she could have done something about her predicament, but she was in too much pain to even think clearly. The bark of the tree dug into her skin, and into her wounds, and the man leaning all of his weight against her torso wasn't helping any.

"You stole my horse, you bloody thief!" the man shouted, and brought his knee into her stomach. He dropped his hands from her shoulders, and she was able to drop to the ground, glad that her back was no longer pressed against the tree, but finding it hard to breathe. She looked up just in time to see the hilt of his sword come up, and then down on her head, causing everything to go black.

The man kicked her in the sides two or three times before Xena arrived, and pulled him away from her. "What in Tartarus do you think you're doing?" she demanded, holding him by the throat.

"She stole my horse!" the man complained.

"You like beating women so much, try me!" she threatened. The man looked scared, and shook his head. Disgusted with the man, Xena threw him out of the campsite, barely holding herself back from killing him.

"Get out of here! Go!" she shouted. Thankful to be alive, the man ran, and never looked back. Turning her attention back to the unconscious girl, Xena went to her side, just as Gabrielle appeared with the full water skins.

"Gods, what happened? Is she okay, Xena?" Gabrielle asked.

Xena nodded. "She should be. Get me some cold water and a rag," she said, and Gabrielle scrambled to get the items. Handing them to Xena, the warrior wet the cloth, and began cleaning the small wound on the girl's head. Slowly, the girl moaned, and began to come to.

She opened her eyes, and focused on the worried pool of blue that looked down at her. "How you doing?" Xena asked. The girl brought her hand to her head, felt the blood, and moaned, softly. Then her eyes darted around, as she remembered what had happened. "It's okay, he's gone. And he won't be coming back," Xena said, trying to reassure the injured girl.

The young woman struggled, and Xena held her down, trying to get her to hold still. "Don't move, you'll only hurt yourself worse. I'll be done in just a minute," Xena said, but the girl kept thrashing.

The girl nearly cried from the pressure that was on her back, and the burning sensation told her that the wounds had re-opened, and were bleeding. Seeing no way of getting out of the pain without talking, she said, carefully, and with ache lacing her voice, "My back." The warrior didn't let go of her arms, so she had no other choice. Taking her hands, she hit the inside of Xena's elbows, causing her to loosen her grip. Then, she pushed up on Xena's shoulders, and pushed the warrior away from her.

Once able to move, she tried to sit up, but a wave of dizziness told her that a couple of ribs may be cracked, or at least bruised. Content to roll over, as long as she wasn't on her back, the girl did just that, and struggled to regain her breath.

"You spoke," Gabrielle said, softly. The girl coughed, calmed down, and nodded.

From behind her, Xena swore softly, "By the Gods! What happened to your back?" Knowing that she still had the sack over her, the girl assumed that Xena must have noticed the blood stains that had seeped through. She tried to sit up, so she would be more comfortable, but that just made her more dizzy. In an instant, Xena was by her side, helping her to sit.

Gabrielle wanted to talk to her, but knew that the girl's wounds needed to be taken care of first. Xena slowly lifted the sack over the girl's head, revealing her dark blue top, much like Gabrielle's. Looking at the girl's back, Xena had to bite her lip to keep from gasping out loud at the sight she saw. On the young woman's back, there were dozens of marks made by a whip, and almost all of them were bleeding. Xena noticed that one might be in need of stitches. Beyond the blood, the warrior took note of more than two dozen scars with the same markings - this was not the first time the girl had been beaten, but Xena swore to herself it would be the last, if she had anything to say about it.

"Your head will heal nicely, but I need to clean your back. It's going to hurt like Hades, so brace yourself," Xena warned, taking the wet cloth back into her hand. Before she started to sew any of the wounds, she needed to clean them out and make sure they weren't infected. Xena loosened the strings on the back of the top, so all of the wounds were revealed, and yet the girl was still covered. "Ready?" she asked. The girl bit her own lip, and nodded.

As Xena cleaned, she counted. Twenty-two (recent lashes) was the final number. To Xena's surprise, the girl had not screamed, although she had noticed several sharp intakes of breath from the girl. Despite their appearance earlier, none of the wounds required stitches.

"There," said Xena. "Do you want me to use the salve?"

"I need my bag," the girl said, weakly. In a flash, Gabrielle brought it to her side. "Thank you," she said, and dug through it. Finding the correct ointment, she handed it to Xena. Xena applied the salve to every angry red welt she saw, and when she finished, she retied the girl's top. Xena looked at her, and noticed there were tears streaming down the girl's face, although she had not made a sound.

In a motherly fashion, Xena gently gathered the weeping girl into her arms, and held her for a little while, stroking her hair to help soothe the girl. When she was done crying, the girl pulled away, and smiled at the warrior. Despite Xena's obvious concern for her friend, the girl never thought Xena would hold her like that.

"Thank you," she said. She reached for the sack, to put over her again, but Xena stopped her.

"It will be good if you let some air hit it," she said, and the young woman reluctantly agreed. Turning the sack around, she noticed the large amount of blood on the back, and threw it to the ground in disgust. She didn't feel like walking around with a blood stain, anyhow.

Looking down at her hands for a moment, the girl said, "Well, since you know I can talk, I'm pretty sure you have a lot of questions."

Xena held up her hand, stopping the question she was sure was going to come out of Gabrielle's mouth, and said, "Before anything else, I need to take a look at your ribs." The warrior was wondering how she could wrap the girl's ribs without hurting her back, when she got an answer.

The girl shook her head. "I'm all right, they're just bruised. I'll be a lot better by morning," she said. Seeing that Xena wasn't going to make any further comment, she said to Gabrielle, "You had a question?" When her words weren't soaked in pain, Gabrielle and Xena realized that the girl had a very nice and soft sounding voice, very calming.

Gabrielle jumped right in, glad for the opportunity. "First of all, what's your name?"

"Oh, I'm sorry! My name is Taleah," Taleah apologized. "I should have thought of that earlier. Before you continue, I have a question to ask." Gabrielle nodded, and Taleah turned to Xena. "I noticed you have a saddle. Where's your horse?" she asked.

That question seemed to affect the warrior deeply, and her eyes were enveloped in a shadow for a moment, before she answered. "I don't know. Five days ago, I woke up, and she was gone. I've been looking for her since, but? I'm staying here in case she comes back," Xena explained, and Taleah nodded.

"May I ask another question, now?" Gabrielle asked, anxious.

Taleah grinned at the bard's eagerness. "Of course," she said.

"What happened to your back?" Gabrielle asked, and Taleah sighed, her grin fading.

"That's a long story, but I'll tell it if you want to know," she said. Gabrielle nodded, and Taleah began her tale. "Well, yesterday morning, I found a merchant who was selling apples. I wanted one, so I took it." Seeing the look that crossed Xena's face, Taleah quickly continued, "Don't get me wrong, I'm no thief. I had found a handful of wild fruit the day before, and I knew they were worth three times as much as a single apple, but I was going to give them to the merchant in exchange for the apple.

"He didn't see me set the fruit on the stand, all he saw was me taking the apple without paying. He caught me, and tied my hands, quite loosely, and held them over my head. Then, he called one of his friends over, and told him to hold my hands. While the other man held my wrists, the merchant whipped me over and over again. For a while, I wasn't sure he would ever stop." The girl paused, a little nervous about her admission. When no one said anything, she continued, "But, eventually, he got tired, and stopped.

"Instead of letting me go, like I thought he would, he handed the whip to his friend, so he could do it. I didn't do anything to that man, I swear it!" she exclaimed, and Xena nodded, urging her to continue. "When his friend took the whip, he released my hands, I grabbed my staff, and I ran. It took me all of three seconds to get my hands free, but I kept running. I wasn't about to start a fight with a burning back. As I ran, the merchant threw his dagger at me, and hit my leg," the girl touched her leg softly, remembering. "I ran to where I had hidden my bag, and then I kept going, afraid he would follow me or send someone after me. I didn't get the apple, so I didn't eat all day. I saw your fish and I stopped. I was going to give you something for it, but then you found me, and I left," she said, looking towards Gabrielle. "I didn't stop until I fell, and ran into Xena," Taleah finished.

"What did that man mean when he said you stole his horse?" Xena asked, breaking the silence that had settled after Taleah's story.

"I didn't steal it, honest! It wasn't his! He had no right to own a horse, and I saved the animal." Seeing there was another story needed, Taleah sighed, again.

"It was three or four days ago, and I came across a man beating a horse. She was the most beautiful creature I'd ever seen, and it hurt me to see her whipped like that. I didn't want to start anything right then and there, so I waited until nightfall, and then I got her out of that awful place. It was strange; when she was around the man, she was mean and uncooperative, but when I was around her, she was gentle and kind, and offered no resistance," Taleah said.

"Once I was sure we were safe, I tended to her wounds. She only had a few, and they weren't bad, but the salve helped her with the pain. I stayed with her through the night, and the next afternoon, I let her go," Taleah finished, and shrugged it off like it was no big deal.

Taleah looked over at Xena, noticing the strange look the warrior had on her face. "What did she look like?" asked Xena, quietly.

"The horse? Oh, she was a beautiful golden color with silver hair, and a heart of gold!" Taleah gushed.

"How long ago was it that you let her go?" Xena asked, still speaking softly.

"Three days ago, I think. Why? Do you think it might be your horse?" Taleah questioned. Xena nodded. "Well, you were right to stay here. If it was her, I'm sure she'll find you," Taleah said.

The warrior sat next to her, and Taleah noticed that Xena kept rubbing her shoulder, as if it hurt. "Sore muscle?" she asked, and Xena nodded. The warrior had pulled it during an early morning drill, when she had overextended her arm.

Moving a little closer to Xena, Taleah moved Xena's hair aside, and started to move the leather straps down off her shoulders, when she felt Xena stiffen. "It's okay," she said, "I've got some stuff in my bag that will help."

After a few moments of thought, Xena nodded, and Taleah searched through her bag. Finding what she was looking for she brought out a small amount of the oil on her fingertips. Rubbing it into Xena's skin, and massaging her shoulders at the same time, Taleah was glad when she felt Xena relax. When the oil had been rubbed in completely, Taleah stopped.

"Thank you, Taleah," said Xena, but Taleah was on pins and needles. She wasn't sure what the warrior would think of the next part. As if on cue, Xena's eyes widened, and she glared at Taleah. "That's hot! What is it, Taleah?! What did you do?" she demanded, raising her arms as if to strike the young girl.

Brave as she was, it took nearly all of Taleah's courage to grab the angry warrior's hands, and keep them away from her. "Just wait," said Taleah. In a few moments, Xena's face softened, and she took her hands away from Taleah.

"It doesn't hurt anymore," Xena said, and Taleah shook her head.

"It's supposed to get warm, it helps relax the muscles so they aren't strained," Taleah explained.

"Taleah, I'm sorry, I shouldn't?" Xena began, but Taleah waved her off, again.

"No, it's all right. I should have told you what to expect," she said.

"Are you a healer?" asked Gabrielle.

Taleah blushed slightly, and shrugged. "I don't know," she said, modestly. "I just do what I can." She wasn't used to getting compliments, but it felt good in her heart.

"Have you ever thought of becoming an Amazon?" Gabrielle asked, and Taleah looked up at her, nodding.

"I'd like to, and I even went to the Amazon Village once. The only one I know of is three days journey from here, and I asked them about joining, but they said the Queen had to make that decision, and she wasn't there. I've been back a few times, but she's never been there." Gabrielle and Xena exchanged knowing looks, but let Taleah continue. "Besides," she added, "I don't think I'd be of any use to them. I mean, I don't think they'll like the means I go through to eat."

"But like you said, you don't steal, you trade," said Gabrielle. "Xena and I will take you there. I've heard that the Queen will be there, and you're an excellent fighter. I'm sure they'll let you in."

Taleah's eyes lit up. "You think so?" she asked, hopeful. Gabrielle and Xena both nodded.

"You'd make a fine healer, too," Gabrielle added.

Suddenly, Taleah frowned. Moving swiftly, she took the dagger from a startled Xena's boot, and stood, ready to throw it. She was facing Gabrielle, and for a moment, the warrior and bard thought Taleah might throw it at Gabrielle.

"That was a compliment," Gabrielle muttered, but Taleah didn't pay any attention to her. In a quick flick of her wrist, Taleah released the dagger. It sailed above the stunned bard's head, and went into a shrub about fifteen feet behind Gabrielle.

There was a cry of surprise from the man hiding in the bush, and Taleah strode over to the noise, reaching her hand in and withdrawing the would-be assassin. Holding him by the upper arm, one of the many pressure points she knew, she led the man over to Xena, and threw him on the ground by her feet.

Xena pressed her fingers into his neck, and said, "I've cut off the flow of blood to your brain. You'll be dead in thirty seconds unless you start talking. Who sent you?" she demanded. The man said nothing. "Who sent you?" she demanded, again. "Answer me, or I just leave you here to die," she threatened.

"No one," the man choked out, seeing that Gabrielle was going on twenty seconds. "I did it myself."

"Why?" she asked, angry.

"To get to you. Hurt worse if she dies, than if you die," the man said, blood trickling down from his nose. Xena knew that the man was right, losing Gabrielle would be worse than death for her. Frustrated, she released the blood back into his brain, and knocked him unconscious with her fist.

"Taleah, where's my dagger?" Xena asked, noticing that the man had no wounds on his body. Walking over to the bush, Taleah retrieved the loaded crossbow. The arrow was ready to be shot, but a dagger pinned it to the frame, stopping the release.

"You hit the arrow?" Gabrielle asked, finding her voice. Taleah nodded.

"But? how? I didn't even hear that," Xena said, amazed.

Taleah shrugged. "I don't know, I just? felt it. And as for the arrow, I could see part of it through the leaves, so I knew where to aim," she explained, as if she had done nothing extraordinary.

Aiming the crossbow down towards the ground, Xena pulled out her dagger, and the arrow shot into the dirt, splintering against the hard ground.

"Thank you," said Gabrielle. "You saved my life." There was no longer any doubt in Gabrielle's heart, she trusted the girl completely.

"Hey, I still owe you both plenty," Taleah said. When the two women gave her curious looks, she said, "You fed me, took me in for the night, helped me practice, and took care of my wounds. I owe you."

"Speaking of wounds, let me take a look at your leg, Taleah," Xena said, and the girl nodded. She took off the bandage, and let Xena examine the cut. "Well, it appears to be healing nicely, and if you don't open it up again, I doubt there'll even be a scar," she explained.

Taleah nodded. "There shouldn't be. The salve I have helps lower the chances of a scar," she said, and prepared to apply more salve on her leg. "I would have had plenty of scars all over my body if it weren't for that."

"But, then why are there scars on your back if the salve stops scarring?" Xena asked, cautiously.

"I can't tend to my own back, and no one has ever been willing to help me. Until you two," Taleah added. "You've got no idea how much I appreciate that. Anything you need, just ask. That reminds me," she said, "here." She handed the container with the salve, as well as the one with the oil for muscles, to Xena.

"I can't take this, Taleah," said Xena, and tried to hand them back. "They're yours, and you use them."

Taleah insisted. "That's okay, I can make more pretty easily. Besides, it's the least I can do, to start to repay you both for your kindness. Those should last you a while," she added.

"You won't let us leave without them, will you?" Xena asked, defeated.

"No way!" Taleah said, grinning.

Startling all three companions, a snort came from the bushes. Xena jumped up, recognizing the noise. "Argo?!" she exclaimed, and walked towards the sound. There, hidden behind some shrubs, was a dusty but healthy Palomino mare. "Argo!" she said, happily, when she saw her.

Gabrielle and Taleah followed. "That's the horse I helped. See?" Taleah said, and pointed to a very faint mark on the horse's flank. "That should be gone by tomorrow. How you doing, girl?" she asked Argo, and the horse nuzzled her, thankful. Xena hugged the horse around the neck, patted her on the nose, rubbed her ears, and Taleah was content just to pat Argo's back and shoulders. Gabrielle touched Taleah's shoulder gently, and motioned for them to leave. Nodding, she followed Gabrielle back to the campsite, leaving horse and owner to reunite.

"What are we going to do with him?" Taleah asked, nodding in the direction of the partially conscious man, still lying on the ground.

"I've got it," Gabrielle said, and walked over to the man. Pressing the staff to his throat, she growled, "You're lucky it's me talking to you and not my friend. Now, leave!" The man scrambled away, stumbling and tripping, but never once stopping.

"Where's our smelly little assassin?" Xena asked, returning from Argo, promising to brush her later.

"I took care of him. He left," Gabrielle added, and saw the scowl on Xena's face. Xena knew the scum had left alive, but she didn't think he deserved it. He tried to kill Gabrielle, for Zeus' sake! Trying to change the subject, Gabrielle asked, "Xena, where's breakfast?"

"On the way. Be back in a minute," she said, and quickly retreated to find their food. A hungry Gabrielle is not a good thing, she thought, smiling to herself.

"I still feel like I should apologize for knocking you down like that," said Gabrielle. "Especially with your back, I'm really sorry."

Taleah gave her a small smile. "Forgiven; don't worry about it. You were just worried about Xena, trying to protect her. I understand," she said.

"Where's your family?" Gabrielle asked, curious as to why Taleah had yet to make mention of any siblings. Or parents, for that matter. "Aren't your parents worried?"

Taleah looked down before she replied. She looks like Xena did when Taleah asked her about Argo, Gabrielle thought, but Taleah's response broke her thoughts.

"I'm an only child, Gabrielle. My mother died when I was very young, and my father died during battle eight summers ago. I've been on my own since then," she said, raising her head to meet Gabrielle's sorrowful gaze.

"Oh. I'm sorry," said Gabrielle. "Is that how you got so good with your staff?"

Taleah nodded, glad for a change of subject, no matter how slight. It was still hard to think about family? "Experience," she agreed. "Okay," she said, "my turn. How did you meet Xena?"

Gabrielle's face lit up, glad to do the part of the bard. "Nearly four summers ago, when I was still a farm girl from Potedia, a warlord named Draco attacked my town. They were going to take all the women for slaves, but Xena saved us. I was so impressed by what she did, I asked her dozens of questions, and even got a few answers!" she joked, and was glad to see Taleah smile. "The elders in my village didn't like having her around, they had heard stories of her warlord days, and didn't think enough to see that she had changed.

"When she left, I somehow got the idea into my head to follow her. I found out where she was going, and left the same night. I had my first run in with a Cyclops, but was able to get out of that safely, and find Xena. I arrived in time to stop her village from stoning her; it seems they had the silly idea that Xena was still working with Draco, and then I practically forced her to take me with her. I don't think she was very happy with me for a while, but she's learned that I'm not so bad," Gabrielle said, finishing her tale.

Xena walked in from the woods in time to hear the last part. "Learned how to tolerate her is more like it," she joked, giving Gabrielle a lop-sided grin. Gabrielle tried to glare at the warrior, but didn't want to jeopardize her chance at some of the rabbit Xena was holding, so she smiled.

Taleah laughed. "I find it hard to believe that a farm girl from Potedia forced anything on Xena!"

"Yeah, I need her around," replied Xena, grinning. "She's helped me out more times than I can count."

Gabrielle smirked. "No, she just keeps me around because without my cooking, she'd starve to death!" In response, Xena tossed the rabbit to Gabrielle. Wordlessly, Gabrielle began to cook.

Once again, Taleah watched the food, and when it was nearly done, she approached it with a pinch of seasoning. "Do you mind?" she asked, looking at Xena before she did anything. Xena smiled slightly, and shook her head. Sprinkling the herbs on the food, which once again improved the flavor, the three ate.

"How's your back feeling?" Xena asked, once they were finished eating.

"Better, thanks," replied Taleah. "It doesn't hurt nearly as bad as it did, and my leg hardly hurts at all."

"Feel up to a little practice?" Gabrielle asked, lightly.

Taleah smiled. "Sure!"

"Don't be surprised if she beats you, Gabrielle," Xena warned. "She beat me, fair and square." Suddenly, Gabrielle looked worried.

"Relax, Gabrielle. That was with a sword. When I'm up against someone with my same weapon, I don't always win," Taleah said, but a glance from Xena told her the warrior knew she was just saying that for Gabrielle's sake. Xena knew exactly how well she fought, staff or sword.

"Mind if I watch?" Xena asked. She wanted to see how much Gabrielle improved, and also wanted to see if Taleah had any new moves. Taleah and Gabrielle both shook their heads; Xena was welcome to join them.

The three walked to the clearing, the safest spot to practice, and Xena stood back, giving the two their space. The warrior noticed Taleah still had a slight limp, but not as bad as before. Facing each other, Taleah and Gabrielle nodded; the fight was on!

Gabrielle went for the left shoulder, the right side of the ribcage, and the left leg, but all were expertly blocked by Taleah. Gabrielle tried an overhead strike, wondering how Taleah would block it, but the girl was not stupid. Blocking horizontally would mean an open shot to her stomach from the other end of Gabrielle's staff, so she knocked it to the side, quickly returning the staff to it's defensive position.

All the while, Taleah was wondering whether or not she should let Gabrielle knock her down. There was a move she wanted to repeat, so she decided a short time on her back shouldn't be too bad. Deliberately forgetting to block the leg sweep, Taleah felt Gabrielle's staff hook her leg, and bring her down. As expected, Gabrielle stood, and held her staff to Taleah's neck.

Taleah grinned, an unsettling sight to the bard. One moment, Gabrielle was standing on her own two feet, and the next, she was flat on her back, and Taleah was back on her feet.

"How'd you do that?" Gabrielle asked.

"I'll show you," Taleah said, and laid back down, softly. "Stand like you were," she said, and Gabrielle mimicked her former position. "I reached my hand down, grabbed your leg, pulled it up, and then pushed it out," she explained each move as she did it, and by the time she said 'and then', Gabrielle was back on her butt. Taleah rose quickly, not realizing that so little time on her back could cause her so much pain.

"Can I try?" Gabrielle asked, and Taleah nodded.

"Sure, but I'd appreciate it if Xena would stand in for me, as I'm not sure my back can handle getting thrown to the ground right now," she admitted, and Xena stepped forward. "All pride aside, warrior, prepare to get knocked on your butt," Taleah warned, but Xena's expression did not change.

"Here," said Gabrielle, handing Xena her staff. Xena took it, and Gabrielle laid down on the ground, on her back. Xena positioned the staff near her neck, and stood beside her. Gabrielle did as Taleah had demonstrated, swiftly, and in a moment, Xena was on her back.

"Another thing," Taleah said, before Gabrielle could get up. She took her own staff, kneeled, and positioned the staff above Gabrielle's throat. "Now try it."

Gabrielle did her best, but could not move the girl. "I can't," she said.

Taleah nodded, and helped her up. "That's why I kneel," she said. Gabrielle nodded. Taleah offered a hand to Xena, who was still on her back. Xena gratefully accepted, and only Taleah noticed that she had had the wind knocked out of her.

"That's a good move," Xena praised, a subtle thanks that the girl understood, and Taleah smiled. "Care for a rematch?" Xena asked, and Taleah accepted. She knew this fight would be tougher, because Xena was experienced and Gabrielle was still learning, but she knew she could win. The question was, did she want to? Deciding to show one more move, Taleah knew before they even started that Xena would knock her off her feet - for only a moment.

Xena started out the same way, going for the shoulders, and the moves were blocked. The warrior made a jab for Taleah's stomach, but Taleah caught the edge of her blade with the side of her staff, held the staff vertical, and pushed to her left, diverting the sword. Taleah caught a slight smile on Xena's face, and knew Xena had been impressed by her quick thinking.

Taleah didn't want to land on her back, so she turned around as if to block a strike, and Xena pushed the inside of her left knee with her foot - not hard enough to cause damage, but enough to push her to the ground. Taleah caught herself, but remained on her stomach.

"Not going to hold the sword on me, warrior?" Taleah asked, looking over her shoulder. Xena was wary of a trap, but seeing the staff had been knocked out of Taleah's hands and lay a few feet away, and Taleah was on her stomach with her hands above her head, she didn't think there was much the girl could do. As Taleah watched, Xena moved around to her side, and stepped in the two foot space that separated her ankles.

Wanting to wait until Xena had both feet in the space, but knowing that a warrior took big strides, Taleah closed her legs and grabbed Xena's leg with her ankles. Turning quickly onto her right side, she twisted her body, and caught Xena off guard, twisting her leg back until she had no other choice than to fall - her knee didn't bend backwards. The warrior fell flat on her back. Taleah leapt up, grabbed her staff, kneeled, and positioned the staff by Xena's neck, again.

Taleah grinned, noticing that Xena had had the wind knocked out of her again, and didn't move the staff until Xena nodded. Gabrielle suspected no weakness in her friend, only that Taleah had left the staff on her neck longer than necessary. Taleah offered her hand to Xena, but made sure Xena had a good grip on her arm before she rose from her kneeling position - she was almost never caught off guard. Xena smiled her thanks, and released Taleah's arm.

"Good move," Xena repeated. "Who taught you all of this?"

"Me. I just learned how to survive, and made my own moves that seemed to work. Also, I pay attention to my opponents, and learn some moves when they use them on me," Taleah said.

Xena nodded her acceptance; the girl was young, and yet knew about as much as Xena. Taleah alternated between Gabrielle and Xena, and the three practiced until it was time for lunch. Taleah only taught a few moves to Gabrielle, not nearly all the moves she knew. Despite pleadings from Gabrielle to teach her how to do that "ankle-grab-thing", Taleah let that move remain a secret; it was solely her own, and she wanted it to remain that way. That was one thing she remembered her father telling her - never teach anyone everything you know, or they will be an equal to you; only teach them what you want them to know.

By the time Xena returned with three small fish for lunch, all three of them had time to cool down and relax. It had been quite a workout, and they were all glad for the full water skins. When lunch was over, however, Gabrielle was forced to refill them.

Xena left for about an hour, just brushing and spending time with Argo. Taleah felt good that she had been able to help Xena with her horse, even if it was unwittingly. She was also glad that she knew the horse would be safe; she had worried for a while, wondering if the man would catch Argo again. She was still slightly on edge; if the man could get her once, she thought, he could do it again.

With all of them too exhausted to practice anymore, the three spent the hours until darkness talking. Even Xena joined in a couple of conversations, but she asked more questions than she answered. When the sun set, Xena retrieved more firewood, but let Taleah start the fire. The girl did well, and remembered all that Xena had told her the night before, and the fire lasted for a few hours without having to be tended to.

When darkness began, so did stories from the bard. Xena stayed for one tale about The Warrior Princess, but then left to do a perimeter check - she was gone three hours, knowing how long Gabrielle could talk. The warrior returned, only to find Gabrielle asleep, and Taleah staring into the fire. She held back a smile, as she realized this must have been how she and Gabrielle looked almost every night - the bard snoring, and Xena finding comfort with the flames.

"She's been out for a half hour, now," said Taleah, not looking up - she knew it was the warrior. "Don't like her stories?" she asked, and Xena sat down next to her.

"It's not that! She's a very talented bard, but all of her stories are about me. She doesn't give herself enough credit, is what bothers me. Without her, I couldn't do half of the things that I do," Xena said, and Taleah nodded.

"Yeah, you two make a good team," she said. Then there was a minute of silence.

"Thank you," Xena said, finally, and Taleah looked confused.

"For what?" she asked, looking at Xena.

"For saving Gabrielle's life, and Argo's. And don't try to shrug it off," Xena said, stopping Taleah in mid-shrug, "because it is a big deal. If I lost Gabrielle, I don't know what I'd do. And losing Argo is the same way."

"I understand. You love them both, you'd do anything for either of them. They've become a major part of your life, and without them, you wouldn't feel complete," explained Taleah.

Xena looked at the girl, amazed. "Very wise for someone so young," she said.

"I've just been around a lot of people. My father used to tell me that I have a way with people. He said I can get them to open up, I can soothe them, and that I have an uncanny perception when it comes to people's feelings. I guess that's true, because I can usually tell what people are feeling, and I try to help them," said Taleah.

The warrior was quiet for a while, but then she said, "You would make a great Amazon. I also wanted to thank you for understanding when we were practicing today. I was surprised when I had the breath knocked out of me, and I appreciate that you let me recover," she said, smiling.

"Hey, even the biggest warriors fall," Taleah said. Then she yawned, and stood. "I'll sleep on the other side of the fire tonight. I know you didn't feel comfortable being in the middle last night," she said.

"You are good with people's feelings," said Xena, "but you don't have to move. If I sleep in the middle, I can protect you both."

Taleah grinned, but shook her head, and put her hand on the warrior's shoulder. "Thanks, but I can pretty much take care of myself. If I need anything, I'll wake up Gabrielle," she said.

Xena protested, giving Taleah a raised eyebrow. "No, don't wake her, wake me. Waking me up in the middle of the night is much safer than waking her," she said, gesturing to the snoring bard. Taleah smiled, and nodded. Moving Xena's blanket to the opposite side of the fire, she laid on her side, and was soon asleep. Xena watched the fire for a while longer, and then joined the bard, surprised at how quickly she fell asleep.

Two hours later, for some reason, Taleah awoke. She frowned, wondering what had caused her to awaken. Listening, she thought she heard something in the brush. Grabbing her staff, she went to investigate the sound, and was relieved to only find Argo.

"Hey, girl," she said, "you scared me." Despite the comfort of the company of the mare, Taleah could not shake the feeling of something being wrong. Suddenly, there was a restraining arm covering her mouth, and a knife at her neck.

"Make a sound, and the horse dies, got it?" threatened the voice, and Taleah shivered. She recognized the voice: it was the man who had beaten Argo; he had returned as she had feared! "Got it?!" he asked, roughly, when she didn't answer. She nodded. "Good, now leave your staff against the tree. If you don't cooperate, I'll kill the horse right now!" he said, when she hesitated. Taleah leaned her weapon against a nearby tree, and was pushed ahead of the man, his hand still over her mouth, knife still on her neck.

"We're going down to the lake so your little friends won't be able to hear you if you scream. I guarantee it, though, you scream, you and the horse die. And don't even try to escape or fight back, or you will be sorry," he said, and Taleah could only watch as they neared the water.

There was a large tree by the lake, and he moved her behind it. "Let's see," he mused, "how do we keep you from running?" Noticing the bandage on her leg, he grinned. Reaching down, he grasped her leg - purposely on the wound, and squeezed as hard as he could. "Not a sound," he reminded her, and she fell to the ground, whimpering softly. Satisfied that she wouldn't run, the man sheathed his dagger, and brought out the same whip he had used on Argo.

Taleah's eyes widened at the sight of it. "Oh, so I was right! The marks on your back are from a whip. Let's add a few more, shall we?" he said, gleefully, and proceeded to strike her with the whip. His torture was not limited to her back, he hit her stomach and even across her shoulder, catching her chest. The hit to the chest was only once, and even through her top, it hurt Taleah worse than any of the others. He didn't break any new skin, he just left many, many angry red welts all over Taleah's body.

Grabbing her throat, he dragged her roughly to her feet. "This is for stealing the horse!" he said, and backhanded her across her cheek. "This is for calling your little friends on me," he said, but was careful not to raise his voice too loud, in case Taleah's friend's did hear. He made a long list of things to blame her for, and many of them had nothing to do with Taleah. Each time he said something, he hit her face, until she had a split lip, a bloody nose, a bruised cheek, and a swelling eye. Seeing red through her good eye, Taleah knew that the man had reopened the wound to her head that he had given her before.

"This is for my wife leaving me!" he said, and hit her in the stomach.

"Smart woman," Taleah muttered, barely hanging on to consciousness.

Noticing she had spoken, the man punched her in the stomach, harder than before. "What was that?" he growled, drawing his knife to her neck again.

"I said, smart woman," Taleah repeated, in too much pain to care. He pressed harder on her neck, until a few drops of blood appeared. Then he stopped, and glanced up at the sky, putting the knife away. He determined it would be light in just two hours or so. Looking back to where Taleah had been, he saw her trying to limp away.

Taleah took her only chance, and slowly staggered away, but was quickly caught. The man pushed her to the ground, severely twisting her left ankle. She cried out in pain, and the man grabbed a handful of her hair, yanking her head up so she was forced to look at him.

"I told you you'd be sorry," he said, and kicked her hard in the side with the toe of his boot. "Once more," he said, and slapped her face again, before dropping her head and running off into the night. When the man left, Taleah did her best not to cry, but she failed. Tears of pain fell from her eyes, but only made the ache in her lip worse, as the salt seeped into her wound. Willing herself to stop crying, she took a deep breath, and tried to decide what to do.

Walking was obviously out of the question, since she couldn't stand on either of her legs. Looking down at her right leg, she saw that the cloth was soaked in fresh blood, and more ran down her leg. She didn't dare take off her left boot, for fear of what she would find. Finding that her arms didn't hurt too badly, she knew the only way for her to get back, was to drag herself.

Gripping the blades of grass, and struggling to pull her weight, she started to drag her body with her arms. The pain in every other part of her body was horrible, but she tried to ignore it, and concentrated on focusing her eyes, as she was seeing double. Only partly conscious, she continued to drag herself until she topped the hill that led to the lake. She hadn't realized how far the man had taken her, until she reached the top of the hill, and realized she was not even half of the way there. She didn't quite make it to the edge of the woods, when the pain became too much, and she lost consciousness, and lay on the ground.

Back at the campsite, the cold awoke Gabrielle, and she noticed that the fire had was almost completely burned out. Only a few glowing coals remained. She saw that she and Xena were the only two on that side of the fire, and figured that Taleah must have moved the blanket. Sure enough, on the opposite side of the fire, was Xena's blanket, but it was empty. Gabrielle thought that Taleah had left to get more firewood, but when she saw a pile of it not far from the extinguishing fire, she became alarmed.

Turning to face Xena, she said, "Xena, wake up. Xena!"

Xena opened her eyes and turned to face an alert bard. "Gabrielle?" she mumbled, half asleep. It had been one of the first good night's sleep she had gotten in a while, and wondered what reason Gabrielle could possibly have to wake her up.

"Xena, Taleah's gone," Gabrielle said.

"No, she's not. She just moved to the other side of the fire," Xena said, assuming Gabrielle had seen the empty spot next to the warrior. Turning back over, she closed her eyes again.

"Xena! She's not there, either. I mean, her blanket is, but Taleah's not," Gabrielle corrected, and Xena sat up.

"Taleah?" she asked, the urgency of the situation sinking in. Gabrielle nodded, and Xena stood up. Walking towards the clearing, Xena stopped when she saw Argo. "Have you seen her, girl?" she asked, and Argo snorted. Nudging Xena, she drew the warrior's attention to the staff that was leaning against the tree. "That's Taleah's," she said, recognizing the weapon.

Xena continued, calling the girl's name. Then, in the light of the moon, she could make out something lying on the ground, just beyond the edge of the trees. "Taleah!" she cried, when she identified the shape. Rushing over to the girl, Xena felt little hope that the girl was still alive, from the battered appearance of her body. The shallow rise and fall of her back, as the girl fought to breathe, told Xena she was alive - but may not be for long. She noticed the indentations in the ground, and realized that Taleah must have dragged herself. With her injuries, and just the ones that she was able to see in the dim light, Xena was surprised the girl had the strength to go as far as she did.

Gathering the girl into her arms, Xena cringed as a soft moan of pain escaped Taleah's lips. "Sorry," Xena apologized, but the only way for her to carry her was grasp her around the shoulders, which meant touching her back. The girl was unconscious, and Xena could only hope she didn't feel much pain.

"Gabrielle!" Xena shouted, as she neared the campsite. "Water and rags, now!" By the time the warrior had laid the girl on a blanket, Gabrielle had the materials ready.

"Oh, by the Gods, no," Gabrielle muttered, as she stoked the fire and the light illuminated Taleah's injuries. Even Xena seemed slightly taken aback, now that she could see the damage more clearly. The firelight made the girl's face stand out, showing her bruised cheek and the blood on her face, as well as her black eye. Not only that, but there was blood on her neck, that trailed down her throat. Ugly red welts stood out on her stomach, sides, and even her chest. Gabrielle was afraid to see her back, for she knew it could only be worse.

Noticing blood on the blanket that Taleah was lying on, Gabrielle saw that her leg wound had reopened, and was bleeding profusely. She also observed the angle of her left ankle, and winced at the pain Taleah would feel if she came to. When, Gabrielle corrected herself, not if, when.

Xena set to work right away cleaning Taleah's wounds. She started with her face, wiping the blood from her nose and lip, and then putting cold water on the bruises. She cleaned the concussion on her forehead again, relieved that while it had reopened, it wouldn't need stitches. Washing the cut on her neck, Xena was pleased to see that it wasn't much more than a scratch, and wouldn't need stitches. There was nothing she could do for the hand-print on her throat, so she was forced to leave it.

Moving on down, the warrior was angered when she saw the red mark that went from her shoulder diagonally down to her side, leaving a trail across the top of her breast. Oh, thought Xena, this is going to hurt even worse in the morning. She put cold water on all of the welts, hoping to keep the swelling down, and her breath caught in her throat when she saw the large purple bruise on her stomach. Feeling Taleah's sides, Xena deduced that two of her left ribs were cracked, but not broken.

Seeing the blood that oozed through the rag on her leg, Xena unwrapped it, and began to clean it. The stitches had been torn out, and Xena re-stitched the wound once she had wiped all the blood away, and stopped the bleeding. She removed both of Taleah's boots, only to find the right one soggy with soaked up blood, and the left one hiding a swollen ankle. Xena straightened the joint, and placed a cold rag over it, to hopefully stop further swelling.

Gently, Xena rolled Taleah on her side, so she could look at her back. Relieved that none of the wounds had reopened, she cleaned the numerous welts, and then put Taleah on her back, again.

"That's all I can do for her," Xena said, handing the rags and water to Gabrielle.

"But, she'll be okay, won't she?" asked Gabrielle.

"I don't know for sure. She's strong, but she's taken quite a beating," said Xena. Secretly, she was worried that Taleah hadn't made any noise since she had first found her, and that could mean it would be a while before Taleah regained consciousness. Xena took her blanket and softly laid it over the girl, before sitting on a nearby log to watch over her.

"Who did this?" Gabrielle asked, cleaning the rags.

"I don't know, but I hope she does," Xena replied, nodding towards the unconscious girl.

Xena kept watch through the night, but there was no change by dawn. A few hours afterwards, Gabrielle complained of being hungry, so Xena sent her down to the lake to fish, making sure she took her staff. Not long after Gabrielle left, Taleah started tossing and turning.

"Hey, easy there, little one," Xena said, moving to her side, putting her hand on her head. Just as Xena had feared, Taleah had acquired a fever. Wetting a cloth with cold water, Xena placed it on the girl's forehead, and stroked her hair. The girl calmed, and lay still, but did not regain consciousness.

The fever was most likely caused by infection, so Xena looked over Taleah's wounds again. Seeing the swollen red edges of her leg wound, Xena determined that that was where the fever was fueling. She washed it with cool water, and then double checked her sutures. Remembering the ointment that Taleah had given them, Xena searched through the saddlebag, and found it. Putting the creme on the wound, Xena hoped it would help fight the infection and bring the fever down, before the girl got worse.

Another hour passed by, and Taleah's condition remained unchanged. Xena had just gotten up to tend to the fire, when the girl moaned. The warrior was by her side in an instant.

"Taleah?" she asked, hopeful that the girl would come to soon.

"Argo?" she mumbled, obviously in distress.

"Shh? Argo's all right, she's fine," Xena said, and after repeating this several times, the girl seemed to relax. Feeling her forehead, Xena determined that the fever had lowered, but had yet to break completely. She replaced the cool rag, and then sat by Taleah's side, stroking her hair and trying to talk her into waking up.

"Anything?" Gabrielle asked, entering the campsite with two fish. It was nice to see Xena so concerned over the young girl.

"Not really. She's got a fever, but she hasn't come to yet. She muttered something about Argo a few minutes ago, but that was all," Xena said.

"Hungry?" she asked, holding up the fish. "I caught two."

Xena shook her head. "No, not right now. You go ahead and eat, though," she said, never taking her eyes off Taleah's flushed face.

"You need to eat," Gabrielle said.

"Not right now," Xena repeated, firmly. Gabrielle didn't take offense, she knew the warrior was just worried. The bard cooked her own fish, and ate it quickly. Xena never moved away from Taleah's side, somehow knowing the girl felt safe with her nearby, and also feeling peaceful around the girl.

"Gabrielle, will you refill the water skins, please?" asked Xena, wanting to replace the cloth on Taleah's forehead, only to find that they had no water. Wordlessly, Gabrielle collected the skins, and went down to the river.

"Mm," moaned Taleah, and opened her good eye, trying hard to focus.

"Taleah?" asked Xena. Taleah looked at Xena in response. "How you doing, little one?"

"Hurts," she whispered, her throat dry, and her lips cracked. It hurt to talk, so that was all she said.

"I know. I know it does," Xena said, soothing the girl. "Gabrielle will be back with water in just a minute, okay?" Taleah's nod was barely noticeable, but Xena saw it. Gabrielle returned shortly, and handed the water skins to Xena, who tried to decide how to get Taleah to drink it.

"I knew you'd be all right, Taleah," said Gabrielle, seeing that Taleah was awake. Taleah focused on the voice, and the corner of her mouth twitched, a weak attempt at a smile.

"Taleah, I'm going to raise your head to help you drink, okay? I'll try not to hurt you," Xena said, and Taleah gave another nearly imperceptible nod. Xena slipped her hand under the girl's neck, and supported her head, while touching the water skin to her lips. Most of the water dribbled down her chin, but some of it got into Taleah's mouth, and she swallowed. Xena withdrew the skin, and looked questioningly at Taleah, who nodded that she was finished.

"Hurts," she repeated, slightly stronger than before.

"What hurts?" Xena asked, handing Gabrielle the water skin.

"You name it," Taleah said, her mouth twitching again. Xena smiled at the girl's attempt for humor, she had a strong spirit.

"Let me rephrase that. What hurts the most?" Xena asked, still smiling.

Taleah was silent for a moment, as she thought about everything that hurt, and tried to pick the one that was the worst. "My stomach," she decided. The middle of her stomach was throbbing from the bruise, and her sides hurt from the cracked ribs. Each breath caused her pain.

"It hurts when you breathe, doesn't it?" Xena questioned, having experienced cracked and broken ribs many times.

"Yeah. Breathing's a silly little necessity," Taleah said, and immediately decided that laughing hurt much worse than breathing, and tried to control her jokes. Xena smiled again.

"You said something about Argo earlier," Xena reminded. "What did you mean?"

Taleah's eyes widened as she remembered what had happened. "Is she okay?" she asked, and was relieved to see Xena nod. "It was the man who had her before, he came back," she explained. "Said he would kill Argo if I didn't do what he wanted."

Xena cringed. Taleah had risked her own life for Argo's, again. "Did? did he do anything else?" Xena asked, wondering what the man had 'wanted'.

Taleah shook her head, then decided that made her dizzy, and stilled. "No, just this," she said, understanding all too well what Xena meant.

"Can you tell us what happened?" Gabrielle asked, softly.

"I'll try," Taleah replied. "I woke up in the middle of the night, because I heard something in the bushes. At first I thought it was just Argo, but then he came up behind me, and covered my mouth and put a knife against my neck. He said if I made a sound, he would kill Argo. Then he told me to leave my staff, and he took me down to the lake.

"He grabbed my leg, and squeezed my wound, to make sure I wouldn't run." Xena flinched, realizing how painful it must have been, the feeling of the stitches coming out one-by-one. "Then he whipped me," said Taleah, continuing, "on my back, and my stomach, and my chest. He grabbed my throat and pulled me to my feet, and he started hitting me, blaming me for every bad thing in his life.

"He hit me in the stomach when I made a smart remark, and then put the knife to my neck, and put pressure on it, but not a lot. When he checked to see how long until dawn, I tried to get away, but he knocked me down. That's how I twisted my ankle. He kicked me in the sides, and then he left," said Taleah. "I tried to get back to camp, but I didn't make it." Her throat was dryer than before, and she started coughing. Xena tried to support her, to try and lessen the pain, but each cough sent spasms of pain through her battered body.

"That's enough talking for now, little one," said Xena, unconsciously using the same nickname for Taleah that Xena's mother used for her. Taleah nodded, and tried to get comfortable. Deciding that comfort wouldn't be possible for a while, she closed her good eye, and was soon asleep. Talking had taken a lot out of her, and she was glad Xena had noticed, because she had no doubt that Gabrielle would have continued with her questions.

Taleah slept through the afternoon, and Xena was glad the fever didn't seem to be returning. Gabrielle pestered Xena to eat something, and she nibbled on the fish for a while. Usually Gabrielle was good at sitting still for long periods of time, and it was Xena who was restless, but the bard became fidgety. Taking one of her scrolls, she set out for the clearing, hoping a change of scenery would help.

Taleah awoke, and saw that Xena was leaning against a tree a few feet away, starting to doze off. She decided that sitting up might be a little more comfortable, so she braced her entire body for the shocks of pain that were sure to emit from her moving, and tried to get up. The first attempt sent a wave of nausea through her, and almost caused her to pass out, but she steeled against it, and tried again. Groaning, she supported herself with her arms, and was able to get her back two or three inches off the ground, but that was all.

Her sounds of pain awakened the lightly sleeping warrior, who was surprised to see Taleah trying to sit up. Xena went to her side, took her by the shoulders, and slowly assisted her. Eventually, after two more waves of dizziness and one of nausea, she was sitting up.

"Thanks, Princess," Taleah muttered. Xena raised an eyebrow at that title. "Gabrielle told me stories of the Warrior Princess. Do you mind?" Taleah asked, suddenly worried that she had offended the warrior.

Xena shook her head. "No, I don't mind. At least if someone calls me 'Princess', I'll know who it is," she said, smiling. Taleah did her best to smile, and while it was more recognizable than before, it was not a full smile.

"If I had a big sister, Xena, I think I would want her to be like you," said Taleah. She was able to identify the pull she felt towards Xena, now - she felt like a sister.

"Thanks," Xena said, moved. She was about to say more, when Taleah's face took on a strange appearance. "Taleah?" she asked, concerned.

"I don't feel good," said Taleah.

Xena nodded. "I know," she said, but Taleah shook her head.

"No, I mean, I think I'm going to be sick," said Taleah, and Xena responded quickly. Helping the girl to lean over, Xena held her and tried to comfort her as Taleah vomited. "Remind me," she said, finished, and sitting up again, "not to sit up on my own again."

"Just call me and I'll help you, okay?" said Xena. "You don't have to do everything on your own, you know."

"Okay, sis," said Taleah, and Xena grinned. "How's my eye?" she asked.

"Not as bad as it was. You should be able to see through it by tomorrow," said Xena.

"And my ankle?" asked Taleah, glancing down at her left ankle.

"That should be okay in a few days. The cold compress helped. Your leg should be better by then, too; that salve really helps," said Xena, and Taleah nodded.

"When can we leave for the Amazon village?" asked Taleah, hopeful.

"You're really anxious to get there, aren't you?" said Xena, smiling.

Taleah nodded. "Yeah, I want to meet the Queen, to see if she'll like me. Are you sure she'll be there?" she asked.

Xena gave her a knowing smile. "I'm sure. We'll leave whenever you're ready," she said, answering Taleah's first question.

"Tomorrow?" questioned Taleah.

Xena looked at Taleah, serious. "I don't know if you'll be ready to travel by then," she said. "You certainly won't be able to walk, and if you can't sit up, there's no way you can ride Argo."

"Oh, Argo's a gentle ride. I rode her bareback for a while before I let her go," said Taleah, in response to Xena's surprised look. "And I heal pretty quickly, when I have time to rest. I'm not used to getting this kind of treatment; this is a real treat," she said.

"Why didn't you talk before?" asked Xena, sitting beside Taleah.

"Most people don't want to hear what I have to say, and when I tell them what I do, they get angry. I've learned that if I don't talk, I don't get myself into trouble, and I won't be in anyone's way. At least," she said, remembering the apple and the fish, "I try not to be."

Xena sympathized. "It's hard convincing people you're not the troublemaker they think you are," she said, and Taleah looked up at her.

"You've had experience with things like that, I see," said Taleah, once again accurately reading Xena's feelings. "The warlord image can be hard to get rid of."

It was Xena's turn to look at Taleah. "How did you know?"

"Oh, I've heard of the mighty Xena, Destroyer of Nations," explained Taleah.

"Then why didn't I see any hate in your eyes, when Gabrielle told you my name?" asked Xena, confused. If Taleah knew what she had done, why wasn't she angry? Why didn't she react like everyone else?

"Truthfully, I didn't think it was you. I had never seen that Xena, and no one had ever told me too much about her, so I didn't know what to expect. I thought it was just a coincidence that you had the same name," said Taleah. "But, when I heard Gabrielle's stories, I learned that Xena died a long time ago. A few people still hear Xena and think warlord, believe me, but those people are getting less and less, thanks to your friend."

"So most people don't treat you like Gabrielle and I do, huh?" asked Xena, glad for a change in the subject. Her past had never been a very pleasant topic for the ex-warlord.

"Nah, I've got it good," said Taleah, grinning. "Most people wouldn't give me a second glance, much less take care of me the way you two have. Like I said before, I owe you," she added. Xena was about to protest, to say that she would always owe her for saving Gabrielle's life, when Taleah coughed violently. "Oh, not a good idea," she moaned, holding her sides after she could breathe.

"Enough, now. You rest, little one," said Xena. The warrior had connected with Taleah quickly, and thought of her like a younger sister. She thought nothing of the loving nickname.

"Whatever you say, Princess," said Taleah, and Xena helped her to lie down, an agonizingly painful process that had to be done. Once she was on her back, and as comfortable as she could possibly be, Taleah closed her eyes. Xena waited until Taleah's breathing steadied, before leaving her side to think about lunch.

After eating a little bread and cheese, Xena got up to check on Argo, as well as Gabrielle. The warrior found Argo peacefully grazing around the campsite, and patted her lovingly.

"You have no idea how much that girl cares for you, do you, Argo?" Xena asked, stroking the mare. "She's risked her life twice for you, now. I think she wants to ride you soon. Can you do that, Argo? Will you be easy on her?" she questioned. The mare snorted her response. The horse sensed that Taleah cared for her, almost as much as Xena did, and would be as gentle with her as she could. "Good girl," said Xena, smiling. Leaving Argo in the grassy area, she left to search out Gabrielle.

Xena found the bard, who was sitting on a stump, writing on her scroll. "Any luck?" she asked, and Gabrielle jumped.

"Gods, Xena, don't scare me like that!" she said, startled.

"Sorry," said the warrior. "Any luck?" she repeated.

Gabrielle nodded. "A little. How's Taleah?" asked the bard.

"She'll be all right. I found her trying to sit up on her own, which made her sick, but she's better now. She wants to leave for the Amazon Village tomorrow, but I don't know if she'll be able to make it. We'll have to see how much better she is by morning," said Xena.

"She still doesn't know that I'm the Queen, does she?" asked Gabrielle, smirking.

Xena shook her head. "No, not yet," she replied.

"I wonder what she'll do when she finds out. I mean, I'm bound to get a welcoming when we arrive, so she'll know then," said Gabrielle, and Xena nodded.

"Why don't you fish for our dinner?" asked Xena, glancing at Gabrielle, who nodded. It was only three or four hours past noon, but Xena knew that Gabrielle usually didn't have as much luck as she did.

"All right. This time, though, I'm not leaving the lake," she said, remembering the near theft before. Xena only nodded, and took the scroll that Gabrielle handed her, and headed back to camp.

Returning to camp, the warrior found Taleah sleeping peacefully, and decided not to wake her. Chances were, she'd be awake by dinner, anyhow. Deciding she had to do something, Xena got up to collect firewood for later in the night, and left Taleah by herself, making sure she was within earshot of the girl.

Hunting for firewood didn't do it's intended purpose; Xena still thought about Taleah's injuries. Xena had told herself she wouldn't let Taleah be hurt like that again, but she had been, and the warrior felt as though she had failed the young girl. For her to save Gabrielle's life, and Xena not be able to help her out in return, was taking it's toll on Xena.

She absentmindedly picked up twigs for an hour, before returning to check on Taleah. The girl was awake, and gingerly testing the limits of her injured legs. Her right leg seemed to be a bit better, but she could hardly move her left ankle without wincing in pain.

"How are you feeling?" Xena asked, setting the wood down by the would-be fire pit. Taleah looked up at the warrior, not surprised by her presence - she had just as good of hearing as Xena did.

"Better," Taleah replied. "That mark on my chest is actually the most painful thing right now. It's burning; but, then again, so is my back. My left ankle still hurts, but I don't think my right leg is quite as bad as it looks. Sorry," she said, seeing the pained look on Xena's face. "I usually don't complain like this."

Xena's eyes focused, she had been in with her own thoughts. "No, that's all right. I need to know what's wrong so I know what to do about it. I was just thinking, that's all," she said, to reassure Taleah that it wasn't her fault.

"Xena?" asked Taleah, gaining the warrior's attention.

"Yeah?" she replied.

"Can you hand me my staff? No, no, I'm not going anywhere. Are you nuts?! I just feel better knowing I can reach it," she said, noticing the Xena's reluctant look. Nodding, Xena brought the staff to Taleah, who grasped it gratefully and laid it by her side.

"How long have you been working with it?" asked Xena.

"Eight or nine summers now, I guess," replied Taleah. "Do you think Gabrielle will tell more stories tonight? She's a really good bard," she added.

"Yes, she is. You'll have to ask her about it, but I'm sure she will. She loves to tell them," said Xena, and began to stack the wood for the fire. By the time they had a good fire going, Gabrielle was back with three fish, holding them triumphantly.

"Dinner!" she announced, beaming. She cleaned them quickly, cooked them, and then added some of the herbs in Taleah's pouch. The spices once again enhanced the flavor, and they devoured the food.

"Will you tell some more stories tonight, please?" Taleah asked, sitting up, and leaning gently against a tree.

"Sure," said Gabrielle, smiling. "I know!" she said, and began her tale. Xena had left as soon as Gabrielle had agreed, claiming to do a perimeter check. Gabrielle knew how much Xena didn't like to hear about her own victories, so she wasn't offended by the warrior's exit.

Gabrielle told only one story, it was one she had been editing, before going to bed early. Xena returned two hours later, surprised to see Gabrielle already in bed, and Taleah still awake.

Xena sat down next to Taleah, even more surprised to see her with a tear-stained face. "Taleah, what's wrong?" she asked, putting a gentle hand on the girl's shoulder.

"Nothing," Taleah sniffed. "Gabrielle's story just made me remember some things." Drying her eyes, Taleah said, "I'm sorry, Xena."

"For what? For crying?" asked Xena, bewildered.

Taleah shook her head. "No," and she put her hand on the warrior's arm, "Gabrielle told me about Hope and Solan."

"Oh," was all Xena said. A cloud passed over her eyes, but didn't remain long, as Xena pushed the pain away until later.

"It's all right," said Taleah. "I know how you feel." Xena rose an eyebrow in skepticism. "I know what it's like to lose a child," she clarified.

"You have a child?" Xena asked, eyebrow lowering and face growing serious. She was whispering in surprise.

"A daughter," said Taleah. "Oh, don't look so surprised, Xena," she said. "Yes, I have a daughter. She'd be four winters old, now."

"Where is she?" she asked.

"I? I don't know," said Taleah, the tears returning. "I left her with some very good friends of mine, in a village not too far from here, where she would be safe. But I went to see her a month ago, and the village had been burned to the ground by raiders. There were no survivors, but I didn't find her body. So, I don't know what happened to her," she finished, and stopped crying when Xena asked her next question

"Why didn't you leave her with her father?" Xena asked, softly.

"I can't. I don't know who her father is," stated Taleah. Both of Xena's eyebrows rose in surprise, wondering just what this girl had done for there to be so many possibilities, that she didn't know the father of her own child. "No, not like that," she said, seeing Xena's face.

"It was four summers after my father died, and I needed warmer clothes. I found a man who had some extras, so I was going to give him the only thing I had with me at the time - my staff. He didn't want the staff, he said, but I told him I didn't have anything else to give him. He wanted me to? well, to give myself to him, and I wouldn't. The man got angry, and beat me, before he raped me. I never knew his name," finished Taleah.

"I'm sorry," said Xena, "I shouldn't have assumed. Does she? Does she know?"

"Yes, she knows I'm her mother. I spend a few days with her when I can, and then I tell her she has to visit her Aunt Leah and her Uncle Tormis. They're not really her Aunt and Uncle, she just calls them that. It's hard for her to leave me, not nearly as hard as it is for me to leave her, but it has to be done. We sacrifice anything for our love," said Taleah, and Xena nodded, mutely.

"Does Gabrielle know?" asked Xena.

"No," said Taleah. "She thought I was just crying because of the emotions in her story. And it was a very good story, but that wasn't why I was crying," she said. "Now, if it's all right, I'd like to get some sleep. I hope to leave for the Amazon Village tomorrow," said Taleah, and Xena nodded.

"Good night," she said.

"Good night, Xena," said Taleah. She laid down on her own, but Xena stayed right beside her, in case she needed help.

The warrior slept lightly, secretly a little glad that her nightmares woke her up, because it gave her a chance to check on her companions. She didn't want anything else to happen.

Once when she awoke, it wasn't because of her nightmares. She heard Taleah murmuring in her sleep. "No? no, you can't," she said, softly.

"Hey?" said Xena, just as softly. Xena had slept closer to the girl then the previous nights, so all she had to do was turn her head and sit up a little to see the girl. "Taleah," she said, putting a gentle hand on her shoulder. Giving it one light shake, the girl awoke.

"No!" she said, awakening with a start. "Xena?" she asked, willing her heart to stop racing as she realized it had been a dream.

"Yeah," she said. "That must have been some dream."

At this Taleah started to cry lightly in the remaining memories of her vivid dream. "He came back? and I didn't? and Argo? but I couldn't?" she babbled.

"Shh?" said Xena, "it's all right now. Argo's okay," she soothed.

"Have to see her," she said, and struggled to sit up, but a wave of pain caught her off guard, not so subtly reminding her of her injured ribs. "Ugh," she grunted, and laid back down, frustrated.

Whistling, Xena startled Taleah. A few moments later, Argo lumbered into the campsite. Nudging her new friend, she made Taleah smile as she blew a gust of hot horse breath into her hair.

"Hey, girl," she said, patting her neck as the horse bent down, "glad to know you're okay." Then the mare wandered over to where Xena was sitting, and nuzzled her. The warrior whispered something into her ear, and Argo snorted.

"Good girl," said Xena, petting the horse on the nose. Obediently, Argo stood next to Taleah, and stayed. Xena had asked the mare to stay in the campsite.

"Thanks," said Taleah, to both Xena and Argo.

"Will you be able to get back to sleep?" Xena asked, and at Taleah's nod, the warrior rolled back over, and attempted to rest.

Taleah awoke twice more with a nightmare haunting her. Xena heard the next one, as she wasn't yet asleep, and was able to stop it before it got too bad, but it was enough to wake Gabrielle.

"No, don't!" Taleah had said, and then she had raised her voice in a wail of pain. "No, please!" she shouted. That was what had awakened Gabrielle.

"Taleah?" she asked, groggily. "Are you okay?" Xena quickly woke the girl, and Gabrielle repeated her question, to which Taleah nodded her reply. Not much later, Gabrielle had fallen back asleep, and Xena decided to talk with Taleah, if she wanted.

"What happened?" Xena asked, a hand on Taleah's shoulder. The girl had seemed to be calmed down, but when Xena mentioned the horrible nightmare again, she broke down crying.

"Oh, Gods," she wept, unable to control her tears. She grasped to keep her voice under control, and was glad when it didn't wake the bard, again. Without thinking, she leaned into the support that Xena offered.

Xena, a little surprised by the move, recovered without a flinch, and wrapped her arms softly around the girl. "What is it, Taleah?" she whispered.

"My daughter," she muttered. "They took her, and me, and made me watch?" she said, letting her voice trail off as the tears wracked her body roughly.

"No," said Xena, "no. That was only a dream. It's okay, now." The warrior held the young girl and stroked her hair, until her breathing steadied. Then, lying her back down slowly, she let her sleep.

The last nightmare was not long after, another one about Argo. This didn't seem to affect Taleah as bad as the first one, but Xena still felt bad. Maybe if she had just searched more for her horse, none of this would have happened. With the last dream over, Taleah slept soundly through what was left of the night. Argo left a little before dawn, looking for her water down by the lake.

The next morning, Xena and Taleah awoke before Gabrielle - of course. "Morning, Princess," said Taleah, smiling perfectly. Her eye was almost completely healed, and she could see quite well out of it. The dreams were not forgotten, but she had more important things to think about now, and would wait until later to relieve the pain in her heart.

"Good morning," said Xena. "How do you feel?"

"Pretty good, actually," she replied. "I think I can stand, and with a little help, probably get on Argo."

"Well, if you're so set about it, I guess I'll saddle up Argo," said Xena. "You get the task of waking up the bard."

Taleah smiled. "I'll give it a try," she said. Xena walked into the clearing, to brush and saddle Argo, and Taleah tried to wake the still sleeping Gabrielle. "Gabrielle! Hey, Gabrielle, wake up!" she said, and Gabrielle moaned.

"Taleah?" she mumbled.

"Yeah," she responded. "Come on, time to get up!"

Gabrielle peeked out of one eye. "It's dawn," she observed, and Taleah chuckled.

"So? We're heading out for Amazon Territory!" she said, excited.

"Oh, all right. But if Xena told you to get me up at dawn, I'm gonna kill her!" she said, sitting up and rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

"You'll do what?" challenged Xena, leading a fully equipped Argo into the campsite.

"Nothing!" Gabrielle chirped, sweetly. She quickly got their things together, and loaded them onto Argo. Running down to the lake for a last minute refill of the water skins, she left Xena and Taleah at the campsite.

"All right, let's give this a shot," said Taleah, and Xena walked over to her side. Putting her hands on her upper arms, she gave support to the struggling girl, and Taleah leaned on her staff. Getting to her right foot wasn't so bad, but standing on the left one seemed to be painful.

Xena slipped a bracing arm around Taleah's waist, careful not to hurt her ribs or back, and draped one of the girl's arms over her broad shoulders. Taleah did her best with the staff, and finally made it over to Argo.

"Hey, girl," she said, patting the horse's neck, "I made it. Now, all I have to do is get on," she said. Xena took her gently by the waist, lifted her up, and Taleah pulled herself into the saddle by her arms.

"Comfy?" Xena asked, and Taleah grinned.

"Oh, yeah, I could just fall asleep up here," she said, sarcastically. Her left ankle throbbed from the prolonged time of being in one position, but other than that, she was doing fairly well.

"Ready to go?" Gabrielle asked, returning from the lake with full water skins. Taleah and Xena both nodded, and Gabrielle quickly cleaned the campsite. They started off, with Xena leading Argo by the reins, Taleah riding Argo, and Gabrielle walking next to Xena with her staff in hand.

Gabrielle spent the day talking with Taleah, and Xena just listened to their conversation, offering an occasional word or two. They made fairly good time, although with Taleah on Argo, it slowed them down a little. At this rate, with Argo unable to gallop with her cargo, it would take them longer than usual to make the trek to the Amazons.

Taleah was the one who spotted the campsite, and her choice pleased Xena. The area was almost hidden from view with trees and shrubs, and would do well to block the chilled wind that had picked up. The women entered the campsite, and Gabrielle immediately began to unpack the eating utensils - hinting that she was hungry and it was time for dinner.

"You refill the water skins," said Xena, to Gabrielle, "we'll get settled here, and then I'll find dinner. How's that sound?" she asked. There was no reply from the bard, who was already on her way down to the stream. "Okay?" drawled Xena, reaching up to take Taleah gently around the waist. Taleah swung her right foot over the saddle, and let Xena set her softly on her feet.

The trio hadn't stopped all day, so Taleah hadn't had much weight on her legs. With the sudden impact, however slight, her left ankle buckled, and she collapsed into Xena's arms.

"Whoa, there," said Xena, holding the girl until she could find her footing. "You okay?" she asked. Only when Taleah nodded did she release her hold.

"Thanks," said Taleah, brushing her hair out of her face. She helped Xena unpack; rather, she handed things to Xena, making sure she didn't have to move her feet, and they were soon finished. Then, leaning on her staff and Xena's arm, Taleah made it over to the side of a tree, where she would be most comfortable. She would sleep there, too, as she didn't feel up to walking around just yet.

Gabrielle came back in a few minutes with the water, and Xena wasn't gone long, before she returned with rabbit for dinner. They ate in a comfortable silence, each absorbed in their own thoughts. Gabrielle thinking of what story to tell, Xena thinking of her failure to Taleah, and Taleah thinking of her daughter. As soon as she was finished, Xena rose, and left the campsite for the evening. She needed time to think things through, and knew Gabrielle's stories would keep Taleah entertained.

Before she began, Gabrielle stoked the fire, as it was completely dark, except for the small amount of moonlight through the trees. Then, she told Taleah the story of Prometheus, and how Xena and Hercules rescued him. She was encouraged by Taleah's riveted look throughout the whole story, but proclaimed to be too tired for any more, and went to bed early.

Taleah didn't mind, she had things to think about, like her daughter's possible death, and her upcoming visit to the Amazon Village.

No, how about we just think about the Amazon Village, hmm? Taleah asked herself. No need to think about? the other, just yet. Focusing on the Amazons, Taleah wondered what she would have to do to get in. Maybe she could show her moves to an Amazon, before she talked to the Queen, so she would know if she even had a chance. If a warrior didn't like her, she knew the Queen wouldn't even want to bother.

Xena came back a while later, having cooled down after her workout. She had purposely exerted herself to her fullest extent, straining her hearing to pick up the slightest sound, still angry with herself for not hearing Taleah leave, or the man approach. She found Taleah deep in thought, and wondered what she was thinking about. The news of Taleah's daughter had been sudden and surprising, but Xena understood when Taleah didn't want to talk about it. She doubted Gabrielle knew, and Xena wouldn't tell her, unless Taleah asked her. Xena understood that secret.

"How are you feeling?" Xena asked, sitting next to Taleah, as she stared at the fire.

"Better," said Taleah. "I think I'll walk some tomorrow." Xena was about to protest, but then realized how much this girl was like her. No way would Xena just lie around, she would test her limits as soon as possible, and no one could tell her otherwise. She kept her suggested wait to herself.

"We'll get started early. You'd better get some sleep," said Xena, and Taleah nodded. The warrior helped her to lay down - or, more accurately, watched her, as Taleah insisted on doing it on her own - and then said good night.

"Good night, Xena," said Taleah, her eyes closed already.

Xena smiled slightly. The day had been hard on the girl, but only because the night before had been worse. "Good night," she said, and laid down not more than three feet from either sleeping girl.

Taleah hadn't been asleep for more than an hour, when she found herself in another nightmare. It was about her daughter, and the raiders. The raiders had captured them, and were forcing Taleah to watch, as they slowly tortured her little girl. No matter how much she screamed and fought, they wouldn't stop. She couldn't break away from their grasp, but at the same time, she found she couldn't turn her eyes away from the scene - for fear that something worse would happen if she looked away.

Surprisingly, one of the hands on her shoulders gentled, and she heard someone calling her name. "Taleah," said Xena, trying to wake the girl, "Taleah, wake up."

She awoke with a start, feeling the tears she had cried, both in her dream and in reality. "Xena?" she asked, and the warrior nodded. Taleah looked around, as if searching for the men and chains that had hurt her daughter. Finding them gone with her dream, she looked back to the warrior, and was glad to see understanding in her eyes.

Xena said nothing. She knew that Taleah's nightmare had not been about Argo, it had been about her daughter. The warrior had had enough dreams about her own child to recognize the anguish in the cries. She wished there was something she could do for the girl, but knew of nothing.

"It was the same," Taleah said, preparing to explain her nightmare to Xena.

"I know. You don't have to talk about it," Xena said, cursing herself for bringing the topic up and forcing the girl to tell her the day before. That memory had drudged up the nightmares, Xena knew, and just added one more thing for her to apologize to Taleah - and another way she felt she had failed.

"Xena," said Taleah, tentatively, as if afraid of a rebuff, "this is going to sound really strange, and you don't have to," Xena raised one eyebrow at this warning, but remained silent, "but would you just sit with me for a while?"

"Yeah," said Xena, softly. She sat next to Taleah, a gentle hand on her shoulder, while the girl remained lying down, trying to go back to sleep. It didn't take long for her breathing to steady, and Xena returned to her own bedroll, heart aching with her inability to help Taleah with her pain. But Xena knew there was nothing she could say to make it better - there was nothing any one could say.

Xena had to wake Taleah up once more from her nightmares, but it seemed to be the one that affected her the most. It had been about her daughter, Xena knew that, but it had obviously been worse than the others. The girl awoke soaked in a cold sweat, tears on her face, and her eyes wild with fear. Seeking comfort and reassurance anywhere, she had practically thrown herself into Xena's arms, weeping uncontrollably.

The warrior's nature took over, and she talked softly to the girl, just holding her. It took a while, but Taleah stopped crying, and pulled away from Xena. Xena offered her the water skin, and Taleah took a couple sips, before handing it back to the warrior.

"Thanks," Taleah said, her voice still quivering slightly. She glanced over at the still sleeping bard, and had to smile a little. "I still didn't wake her," she remarked.

Xena shook her head. "No, she can sleep through just about anything." Then she turned her attention back to the matter at hand. "Taleah, is there anything I can do??" she asked, her voice trailing off, not sure of how to finish her sentence.

"Yeah," answered Taleah, and Xena looked up, ready to help in whatever way.

"What?" asked Xena.

"Stop beating yourself up over this," she said, and surprise covered Xena's face. "You forget, I'm good with feelings. Even if I wasn't, I could see this one," she said. "Xena, I appreciate your concern, I really do, but my nightmares are not your fault. Neither was my getting hurt."

"You knew that, huh?" she asked, smirking a bit.

Taleah nodded. "Yeah, I knew. Now, please, you have enough to worry about without me adding to your list," she said. "Don't blame yourself for my problems."

"Even if I caused them?" Xena asked.

"You didn't cause the nightmares, Xena. I hadn't had anyone to talk to in a long time, and you were there - you listened," she said.

"Yes," she said, "I listened, but I shouldn't have asked you those questions. They brought back the memories."

Taleah sighed lightly, seeing that she wouldn't be able to get anywhere with Xena's guilt. "How about this?" she asked. "Let's make a promise. Any time any one of us needs something, the other will be there for her. That should make up for any? mistakes," she finished, choosing her words carefully.

"What do you mean?" asked Xena, her brow furrowed. It was too late in the night for her to think about promises - they usually ended in trouble for her.

"I mean," said Taleah, patiently, "if I got in trouble, you would be there for me. Just the same, if you or Gabrielle got into trouble? or, needed my help," she said, and Xena smiled at her correction - there would always be trouble, "I would be there. No questions asked."

Xena thought about this for a moment. Trustworthy friend, reliable ally, formidable warrior? offering a promise to watch her back in a time of need, if she would do the same for her? "I promise," she said.

"I promise, too," said Taleah.

"What about Gabrielle?" Xena asked, gesturing to the still sleeping bard.

"Well, I can talk to her about it tomorrow, if you'd like. It could just be between you and I," she said, "as I doubt there will be a time when I'll send for you that Gabrielle won't come along."

Xena nodded. "All right, then. Just between us," she said. Then, she added, smiling, "Sis."

Taleah grinned. "In that case, good night, sis."

"Good night, Taleah," said Xena. Once the girl had fallen back to sleep, Xena muttered, "Sleep well." Turning in to her own bed roll, the warrior fell into a light sleep.

Xena was the first to awaken the next morning, and was glad that Taleah had slept peacefully through the rest of the night. Thinking of the conversation they had had the night before, Xena couldn't help but smile - the girl had seemed so wise, and so patient, that Xena had to remind herself that this girl was younger than she.

Taleah awoke a few minutes later, habitually stretching, and then regretting it as her ribs began saying bad names and dirty words to her. However, it felt reasonably good on the rest of her body. "Morning," she said, seeing that the warrior was already awake.

"Morning," Xena returned. Taleah made an attempt to sit up, and Xena moved to go to her side, but Taleah held up her hand, motioning for the warrior to stop. After pain flickered across her face for a few minutes, Taleah was able to push it down far enough to sit up. Leaning lightly against a tree, she grinned triumphantly at Xena, who had been watching.

"That wasn't so bad," Taleah lied, and then reached for her staff. Xena knew what she was going to do, and hand or no hand, she went to her side, in case she needed support. Wincing slightly as her legs protested at the movement, she rose slowly to her knees, and - leaning heavily on her staff - pushed herself upward with the strength of her right leg, deciding the left ankle wouldn't support her full weight just yet. That finished, she allowed Xena to check her ribs.

Gently, Xena probed with her fingers, and was pleased to find that one of the ribs was completely healed, and the other was very close behind. "Almost good as new," said Xena, and Taleah smiled.

"Told you I heal fast, when I have a chance to concentrate on my body," she said. Xena had to admit, even she was impressed by her capabilities. Not only were the ribs healing, but you could barely see the welts on her body from the whip, and her eye was completely healed. Removing the bandage, Xena saw that Taleah's leg wound looked much better, and decided to leave the bandage off.

Without warning, Taleah took a step forward with her left leg, and grimaced, but stayed upright. Trying a few more tentative steps, Taleah found that she had a very defined limp in her left leg, but was able to walk on it. Knowing it would hurt, but also knowing her ankle needed the exercise, she told Xena, "I'll walk some today."

"Just take it easy, all right?" Xena asked. "If you get tired, just say something."

"Okay," said Taleah. "I'll go ahead and mount Argo. You can wake her up, this time," she said, smiling. Xena shot her a look that said, 'Yeah, thanks!', but broke out in a grin.

"Come on," Xena said, talking to the bard as Taleah slowly made her way over to Argo, "time to get up." Gabrielle moaned, and turned her back to Xena. "Gabrielle?" Xena warned, her voice sounding very much like a low purr. When Gabrielle didn't respond, Xena gripped the blanket, and ripped it from the girl's body. With a yelp, Gabrielle awoke.

"Hey!" she exclaimed, shooting daggers at the blue-eyed, innocent looking warrior who loomed above her. "Not fair, Xena," she muttered. Xena just gave her an innocent smirk, folded the blanket, and loaded it on Argo. Finding Taleah already mounted - not to mention laughing at the scene, she waited for Gabrielle to collect and pack their things, and then they continued on their journey to the Amazon Village.

After a few peaceful hours on the trail, the serenity was interrupted by a group of five bandits.

"Give us your money, and maybe we'll let you live," the leader sneered, grinning a mouthful of ugly yellow teeth. Taleah noticed one of the men, recognized him as the man who had beat her and Argo, and gasped out loud.

Before Xena gave her smart remark, she heard Taleah gasp from atop Argo, and paused for a moment, following the girl's eyes. Seeing the man she was looking at, and placing his face with the one who had claimed Taleah had stolen his horse, her eyes narrowed.

"I've got a better idea," she said, frighteningly calm. "Get out of our way, and maybe we'll let you live." The men laughed, and, with a signal from their leader, charged the three women. Xena drew her sword, Gabrielle positioned her staff, and Taleah stayed on Argo, ready to help with her own staff.

Two men charged Xena, and two charged Gabrielle. That left one to sneak off and try to get Xena from behind - the man who had beaten Taleah. While the two women on the ground were preoccupied with their problems, Taleah was keeping a careful eye on the other. As he approached Xena, he didn't notice Argo obediently coming up behind him. With one swing of her staff, Taleah hit the man in the base of his neck, breaking his spine, and killing him.

He dropped to a heap on the ground, sword still clutched in his hand. Xena turned at the sound, leaving her previous two bandits to limp away, and noticed the dead man on the dirt next to her feet. Looking up at Taleah, knowing immediately that he was dead and why, she gave the girl a look that told her she had done the right thing.

Taleah, with the man not being her first kill - in self defense, was not really bothered by his death. She watched as Gabrielle dispatched the last two men, and then returned to where Xena, Argo, and Taleah were waiting. After checking them all for injuries, Xena took Argo's reins again, and led them slowly closer to their destination.

"Xena," said Taleah, as Xena walked silently ahead, "I'll walk for a while now." Xena halted the horse, helped Taleah down, and then made sure she was okay. She walked much slower than Gabrielle or Xena, but the two waited patiently, and matched her pace. As much pain as she was in, Taleah insisted on walking the rest of the day.

By the time the women reached the campsite, just a little before dusk, Taleah's walking had greatly improved. She could almost keep up with Xena's natural pace, and her ankle was used to the weight and motion. However, at the inviting sight of a large log, and the go-ahead from Xena, she sat down to rest for a few minutes.

"I'm going to check around," said Xena, returning from taking care of Argo. "Gabrielle, you can get the firewood."

"No, let me!" said Taleah, standing quickly. "I could use the exercise," she said, and smiled happily when Xena nodded.

"Then you can watch the camp," said Xena, to Gabrielle, who seemed quite content herself at not having to hunt for wood. Taleah went into one side of the forest, and Xena at the other. When they were gone, Gabrielle unpacked their things, and set up for dinner - which was bread, cheese, and an apple, seeing as Xena didn't want to hunt.

Xena walked around, doing a perimeter check. The woods were dense enough to hide in, yet clear enough to see through, and that pleased her. The floor seemed to be covered in pine needles and dried leaves, which meant that anyone trying to sneak up on them would fail - either Taleah or Xena was guaranteed to hear them.

As she finished her circular route, and prepared to turn back to camp, Xena heard a twig snap behind her. Spinning around quickly, and placing her hand on her sword, the warrior got ready to fight whoever it was. Imagine her surprise when a girl, not more than five or six years old, stared up at her with wide and frightened eyes.

The girl had dark brown hair, a little longer than her shoulders, and deep green eyes. Her face was gentle and young, with the innocent belief in all man's kindness, and the lack of worry. When she saw Xena spin around so quickly, it scared her, and she stumbled backwards, only to trip over her own feet and fall.

Xena immediately kneeled to be eye-level with the girl, lifted the child up, made sure she was all right, and then smiled. She was relieved when the girl returned the smile - she was no longer afraid of her. "It's all right," said Xena, just in case, "I won't hurt you. What's your name?"

"Sarah," the girl replied, looking directly into Xena's eyes. Her voice was soft and gentle.

"Where are your parents?" Xena asked, wondering what a young girl like Sarah was doing wandering around in the woods, and knowing how worried her parents would be if they found her to be missing.

"I don't know where my mommy is," she said, "and I don't have a daddy. But I'm hungry." Sarah said this last statement with the innocence, and bluntness, of a child.

Xena smiled, and stood. "Well, let's get you something to eat, okay?" The girl nodded enthusiastically. Sensing that she had made a new friend, when Xena stood, she softly slipped her little hand into Xena's large, callused one. The warrior did not remove the child's fingers, merely gave her hand a slight squeeze, and led her back to camp.

"Look what I found," Xena said, lightly, when Gabrielle came into view.

The surprise on her face was great, but it softened to adoration. "Hello," said Gabrielle. The child didn't seem to be in any trouble, or hurt, and Gabrielle was glad. She had heard rumors about a band of raiders lately.

The girl smiled at the woman, and noticed they had the almost the same color eyes. "Hello," she responded, politely. Gabrielle was about to say more, when Taleah returned.

"Hey, Xena," her voice rang out, and moments later her body appeared, "this is all I could? find." Her voice trailed off as her eyes locked on the child, whose hand was still encased in Xena's. Upon seeing the girl, Taleah's arms lost their hold on the small pile of twigs she had collected, and dropped them, forgotten, to the ground. Her hazel eyes widened, but her face was guarded. Then, she covered her mouth with her hand, and, despite the protests from her ankle, she dropped to her knees.

"Sarah?" she whispered, her eyes showing disbelief and hope and the same time, her stoic reserve threatening to crumble.

"Momma!" the girl shouted, releasing Xena's hand, and ran full force into her mother's arms, nearly knocking her over. For a split second Taleah seemed stunned, but then she wrapped her arms around the girl, her ribs sending a dull ache through her body, but her arms nonetheless threatening to never let go.

For a full two minutes, mother and daughter embraced. Sarah repeated 'Momma' over and over again into her mother's shoulder, and Taleah whispering terms of endearment to her little girl. "Oh, Sarah? my baby? my love," were just some that Xena was able to understand. Meanwhile, Gabrielle looked on in shock, and Xena with mild amusement and joy.

Finally, when Taleah could stand the pain no longer, she was forced to pull away, and stand. She made sure that her daughter's hand was securely in her own, before turning to face her two friends. "Xena, Gabrielle," she said, looking to each of them in turn, "this is my daughter, Sarah."

"Daughter?" Gabrielle asked, in wonder.

"Yes," responded Taleah, "my daughter. Sarah," she asked, turning to her daughter, and leading her to the log so they could sit and talk, "what happened to your Uncle Tormis and Aunt Leah?" Xena was glad to see that Taleah's limp was barely noticeable.

"Some bad men came, and Aunt Leah went with me into the woods. Uncle Tormis stayed with the others, and Aunt Leah said he would come with us, but he didn't," she said, looking at her mother. "Then, more bad men followed us, and Aunt Leah told me to run away. She didn't come either," finished Sarah.

Taleah had tears in her eyes, from the news of the loss of her friends, but asked, "How long ago did your Aunt Leah leave you?"

Sarah scrunched up her face, concentrating hard. "Eight days," she said, positively, and gave a sharp nod; proud of herself for recalling the amount correctly. She expected her mother to be proud of her, too, but to her surprise, her mother seemed upset..

"Eight days!" Taleah exclaimed, and pulled her daughter into her lap, cradling her. "I'm sorry, baby. I should have looked for you," she apologized, tears running down her face at the idea of her daughter alone for more than a week.

Sarah, sensing her mother's distress, left her mother's lap, and stood on the log. Beginning to run her finger's through Taleah's hair, she muttered, "Make Momma pretty."

Taleah rolled her eyes, but there was a huge grin on her face as she said, "Okay, sweetheart, you make Momma pretty." The girl began to braid her hair, and carefully separated each strand, until she was satisfied with the amount. Then, she started to meticulously intertwine the groups.

"She always does this whenever she thinks I'm sad," Taleah explained, to the amused faces of Xena and Gabrielle, who watched the whole scene with interest.

"Daughter?" Gabrielle repeated, recovering from her initial shock. "How old is she?"

"I'm almost five!" Sarah piped up, her eyes never leaving her project.

Gabrielle grinned. "When I was five, I had my own pony," she said.

"A pony! Mommy, I want a pony!" she said, dropping the incomplete braid to face her mother. Taleah shot Gabrielle a fierce look, but before she could explain to her daughter why she couldn't have a pony, there was a snort from the bushes. "My pony!" she shouted, taking off into the shrubs, running into the Palomino mare.

"I think she's just adopted Argo," said Taleah, laughing along with Xena. Not able to see her daughter, Taleah immediately and instinctively walked into the small grassy area where Argo was grazing, and found Sarah. After having just found her, Taleah wasn't about to let her out of her sight for even a moment, unless Xena or Gabrielle was with her. The girl was petting the horse's flank, and hugging her leg, as that was as far as she could reach. Argo snorted, causing Sarah to giggle with delight.

"She likes me!" she said, in between giggles.

"Her name is Argo," said Taleah, patting the mare softly.

"Ar? go. Argo," said Sarah, rolling the name around on her tongue. "She's pretty."

"Yes, she is," Taleah responded absentmindedly, checking Argo's flank for any trace of the wound. Finding not even the slightest scar, she smiled, and put her hand on her daughter's shoulder. "You hungry?" she asked, and Sarah nodded enthusiastically. "Well, let's get something to eat. I think Gabrielle's got dinner. You can come see Argo later, okay?"

"Okay," said Sarah, and walked back with her mother to the campsite. Her eyes lit up when she saw the bread and cheese that Gabrielle was holding, and she smiled widely when Gabrielle offered her a piece. "Thanks!" she said.

Looking up at Xena, she said, suddenly, "You're my mom's friends?"

Xena looked at Gabrielle for a moment, and then said, "Yeah, we are."

"If my Aunt Leah and Uncle Tormis don't come, does that mean you are my new Aunt Xena?" she asked, innocently. Xena looked over Sarah's head to Taleah, who was sitting on the log, smiling. Taleah just nodded, and had to bite the inside of her lip to keep from laughing at the bewildered look on Xena's face.

"Sure. I mean, I guess so," said Xena, slightly flustered at the awkward situation.

"And you're my Aunt Gabrielle?" she asked. Gabrielle nodded. "I have two aunts? Yea!" she shouted, and ran up to Gabrielle and gave her a hug. When Gabrielle returned the gesture to the small child, Sarah ran up to Xena and did the same. While a little surprised, Xena also hugged her back.

"Would you like to hear a story?" Gabrielle offered, hoping it would put Sarah to sleep, seeing the girl's eyes droop. Sarah nodded, and left Xena's side to sit next to Gabrielle. The bard began her story, and Taleah watched with motherly air about her, as if looking away would cause her little girl to disappear away from her again. Xena sharpened her sword, keeping an eye on the rest of her crew at the same time.

As the bedtime story ended, Taleah laid onto her blanket, and smiled when her daughter walked up beside her, and laid down with her head on her mother's lap. Absentmindedly stroking her hair, just for the contact, Taleah waited until her daughter had fallen asleep before speaking to Xena and Gabrielle, as they were sure to have more questions. At least, Gabrielle would.

"This is why you cried when I told you about Hope and Solan," were the first words from Gabrielle's mouth, as she walked over to sit beside Xena and Taleah.

Taleah nodded. "Yeah, she's why. That story made me remember her, and I thought about how it was a possibility that I might never see her again. It was a good story, but that's not why I was crying," she finished.

"You should have said something," said Gabrielle, gently.

"Gabrielle," said Taleah, just as gently and evenly; patient as ever, "that's not the kind of thing I like to talk about. You understand, I know you do."

Gabrielle nodded, and then turned to Xena. "You didn't seem too surprised. You knew," she said, and Xena nodded with a little hesitation.

"Yes, but only because I asked Taleah about it," she said, a look to Taleah telling her not to protest. "That's when she started having nightmares."

"Speaking of which," said Taleah, causing Xena and Gabrielle to turn to her, "I'd like to go to sleep now, if that's all right. Sarah's already out for the night, and I should be, too." Xena and Gabrielle both nodded, said their good nights, and laid down on their own bedrolls. Taleah was soon asleep, cradling her daughter lovingly and gratefully in her arms. Mother and daughter slept peacefully through the entire night - not a single nightmare from any camper, Xena included.

Taleah was the first one to awaken the next morning, and smiled down at her daughter, thankful that it had not been a dream - her daughter was really there. Her smile turned into a smirk as she realized she was the only one up, even Xena was still asleep. Smoothly untangling herself from Sarah's grasp, Taleah got up and prepared breakfast. The smell awoke Gabrielle.

"Smells good," the bard murmured, opening her eyes to look at Taleah.

"Thanks," said Taleah, stirring the fire so the food would heat quickly. Gabrielle glanced over to where the still sleeping warrior lay.

"Is she all right?" Gabrielle asked, concerned. Usually Xena was the first one up, and if not, she was definitely up before the bard. Unless she was sick? Gabrielle made a move to wake Xena, when Taleah stopped her.

"Let her sleep, Gabrielle," she said. "She's fine, but I can tell this is the first solid night's sleep she's had in a long time. Am I right?" Gabrielle nodded, moving back to her own bedroll. "No nightmares, and she was even asleep quickly. Let her enjoy her rest."

Silently, Gabrielle packed her things, and waited patiently for breakfast to be served. Not long after, Sarah awoke.

"Mommy, you're making breakfast!" she said, happily.

"Yeah. Keep quiet, Sarah. Xena's still asleep," said Taleah, softly. The child looked to the peaceful warrior, then back to her mother, and nodded, putting a delicate finger to her lips. Taleah smiled, so did Gabrielle.

"Is it done?" asked Sarah a little while later, peering into the pot.

Taleah nodded. "Just about. Tell you what, why don't you go wake Xena, and tell her breakfast is ready?" she suggested. Sarah nodded, and walked over next to the warrior. Gabrielle started to protest, worried about how Xena's instincts might kick in if she was startled, but Taleah reassured her. "It's all right," she said. Taleah didn't seem to be worried, but Gabrielle kept a close eye on the two.

"Xena," said Sarah, "Mom says it's time to eat. Come on." Taking Xena's hand into both of her little ones, Sarah gently patted the warrior's hand, still talking softly to her. "Time to get up, Aunt Xena," she said. Gabrielle giggled at the title.

Xena opened one eye when Gabrielle laughed. "Watch it, Aunt Gabrielle," she said, and sat up. "Morning, Sarah," she said.

"Morning! Momma made breakfast," she said, and tried to pull Xena to her feet. Xena allowed the girl to pull on her arm, and let Sarah help her to her feet - or at least, Sarah thought she did. "I got Xena up!" she said, walking over to where her mother was dishing out the breakfast.

Xena smiled. "She's gotten you up before?" she asked, and Taleah nodded.

"Yeah. I've told her not to startle anyone, especially warriors. She understands," said Taleah, beaming with pride. Her daughter smiled up at her, and Taleah tussled her hair, lovingly. "Here you go," she said, and handed her a bowl of warm porridge she had made with items from her bag. Sarah smiled, knowing the treat her mother had made, and ate ravenously.

Taleah handed Xena and Gabrielle their bowls, before sitting down with her own. "This is good!" Gabrielle complimented, and devoured the meal. Xena did the same, as did Taleah, and soon it was time for them to go.

"Where are we going?" Sarah asked, as Xena packed the last of their things onto Argo.

"We're going to see the Amazons," said Taleah, and her daughter's face brightened.

"Really? Amazons? Wow!" she said, smiling with excitement.

"Sarah, would you like to ride Argo?" asked Xena, and the girl nodded happily. Lifting the child up gently, Xena set her in the saddle, and told her to hold on to the saddle horn. Sarah obeyed, and laughed with delight when they began to walk, and Argo moved beneath her.

Taleah walked next to Argo, wanting to be near her daughter as much as possible. Xena led Argo by the reins, and Gabrielle walked on the other side of Argo, telling stories to the fascinated youngster.

"Can I walk now?" Sarah asked, looking down at her mother who nodded. Helping her down, Taleah set her daughter gently on the ground. Sarah walked, rather stiffly, next to Xena, slipping her hand in the warrior's once again. The corner's of Xena's mouth turned up in a smile at the gesture, and gave the small hand a gentle squeeze.

As the day passed quickly by, Sarah began stumbling over obstacles in the road, and Xena's hold on the child's arm was often the only thing that kept her from falling. In one swift movement, surprising Gabrielle, Taleah, Sarah, and even herself, Xena picked the child up and held her. Balancing the girl with one arm, Xena continued to lead Argo with her free hand.

Sarah, glad for the chance to rest, curled up against the warrior, with her head tucked into the curve of her neck, and fell asleep in Xena's arms. Gabrielle grinned at the sight.

"How cute," she commented, sweetly. Xena shot her a look, but then smiled. Taleah seemed a little uneasy about the whole thing, but remained silent. It wasn't much longer until Xena spotted a campsite, and declared they were stopping for the day. Gabrielle set up the camp, and Xena laid the still sleeping girl on her mother's bedroll. While Xena hunted, Gabrielle searched for firewood, and Taleah kept a watch over the campsite and her daughter.

After dinner, which Sarah slept through, Gabrielle joined the child in slumber. Taleah sat next to her daughter, but didn't sleep - she wanted to talk to Xena.

"Xena," she said, as the warrior returned from her perimeter check and sat next to her, "I've been thinking."

"Oh?" Xena coaxed, nonchalantly.

"Yeah," said Taleah. "You and Gabrielle don't have to escort me to the Amazon borders."

Xena turned and looked sharply at the girl. "Now, what brought that on?" she asked.

"I just mean, since Sarah's here?" Taleah let her voice trail off, the rest left unspoken as she shrugged.

But Xena got the message. "Taleah, Sarah is not a problem. I know what you're thinking, and yes, it is hard. It brings back memories about Solan, and that part of his life I missed, and all the years I wasn't there for him.

"It also gives me a chance to be there for Sarah. I enjoy being with her," said Xena, easing Taleah's worries. "And if you don't mind, I'd like to extend that promise I made to Sarah, as well. If Sarah ever needs anything, just send for me. I? I kind of feel like a mother again," said Xena, hesitantly, and a little awkwardly.

Taleah looked Xena in the eye, serious. "I can't think of anyone else I'd rather hear that from, Xena," she said, and put her hand on Xena's arm, meaningfully.

"Thanks," said Xena, tears in her eyes. "Now," she said, taking a breath and clearing the sorrow from her face, "let's get some sleep, hm? We've still got about a day's walk ahead of us." Xena knew it was useless to calculate the distance otherwise, since there was no possible way Argo could carry all four of them.

Taleah nodded, and laid down next to her daughter. Holding her close, the woman fell asleep. She didn't have a single nightmare, and awoke the next morning in exactly the same position. Carefully extracting herself from Sarah's iron-like grip, Taleah arose, and stretched her protesting muscles.

Sensing a presence behind her and her daughter, Taleah grabbed her staff, and whirled around. Seeing it was Xena, Taleah stopped her staff in mid-swing, managing not to hit the warrior.

"Nice reflexes," said Xena, raising an eyebrow. "Glad you recognized me."

Taleah grinned, and shrugged. "Sorry about that. I'm more on guard with her here," said Taleah, motioning to Sarah. The girl curled up into a tighter ball, and sighed contentedly in her sleep.

"I know," was all Xena said, but her eyes told Taleah she really understood. The blue color of them seemed to be a bit brighter, and Taleah guessed the warrior was thinking about her son. The fact that they stayed that way when she looked down at Sarah, told Taleah Xena meant every word she had said the night before - she looked at Sarah as her own child, and would protect her as such. Taleah suddenly felt very secure with the well-being of her daughter; if anything happened to her, she could count on Xena to be there for the girl.

"Should we wake them?" asked Taleah, glancing to the softly snoring bard, and snickered as Gabrielle smiled broadly in her sleep. "Maybe we should let her sleep? she seems to be having quite a dream," she said, unable to withhold her laughter any longer.

Xena looked at Gabrielle, and couldn't stop the smile that reached her face. Wondering what the bard was dreaming, Xena shrugged. "We need to get going, but I guess we could wait until everything else is ready to go," she said, and Taleah nodded.

The two worked quickly, and in just a few minutes, the only things left to pack were the bedrolls that Gabrielle and Sarah were sleeping on. "You wake Sarah," said Taleah, surprising Xena, "and I'll wake Gabrielle." Xena seemed to consider the arrangement for a moment, and Taleah thought she might refuse, but the warrior nodded.

Kneeling next to Sarah, Xena whispered, "Time to get up, sleepyhead." Gently reaching over, she moved the girl so she was sitting up, and placed a hand on her back. The girl moaned, and opened sleepy eyes. "Come on, Sarah," she said, soothingly, "we get to see the Amazons today, remember?"

At this, the girl perked up, and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. "Morning, Aunt Xena. Are we really going to see them today?" she asked, excited green eyes dancing at the possibility.

Xena nodded. "If everything goes all right, we should be there by this afternoon," she said, and smiled. Sufficiently awake, Sarah struggled to put away her bedroll. After help from Xena, the youngster was ready to go, but not before telling her mother how she had packed her bedroll all by herself.

"Mommy!" she said, walking next to her mother, who was patiently trying to wake her Aunt Gabrielle. "I packed up all by myself! Well," she added, with a glance to the tall dark form that was her Aunt Xena, "Aunt Xena helped, too."

Taleah smiled. "Good job, Sarah," she said. "You want to help me get your Aunt Gabrielle up?" Nodding, Sarah looked to her mother, questions in her eyes. If you can't do it, how am I supposed to? Sarah silently asked. Fighting a smile, Xena kneeled down next to them, and whispered something in Taleah's ear, and then Sarah's.

All three women, now grinning from ear to ear, reached a hand out to the bard, and began tickling her. With a shriek of surprise, Gabrielle was awake. Nearly leaping out of her bedroll, she exclaimed, "Hey! Okay, okay, I'm up!" Finally, the torture stopped.

"You," Gabrielle said, waggling a finger in the direction of the warrior, "put them up to this, didn't you? Oh, I'll get you Xena, you just wait!" In response to the threat, Xena raised an eyebrow. "You just wait." When Gabrielle's voice dropped to a low growl, that the warrior - for some reason or another - found amusing, Xena laughed out loud.

Soon, all four were laughing. To Taleah, the giggles of her daughter were music to her ears. Taking her in her arms, and pulling her onto her lap, Taleah mercilessly tickled her daughter, until Taleah herself was laughing too hard to continue.

"Come on you two," said Xena, and Taleah looked up, only to find that Gabrielle, Xena, and Argo were waiting for them.

"Sorry," said Taleah, still smiling as she lifted Sarah from her lap.

"That's all right," said Gabrielle, also smiling. It had been a while since Xena had taken the time to relax, and despite the fact that she didn't like being ticked awake, it was good to see the warrior in such a good mood.

"Have you ever been to the Amazons?" asked Taleah, speaking to both Gabrielle and Xena, who nodded. Sarah was riding Argo, again, but Gabrielle had joined Xena and Taleah on their side of Argo. The bard walked next to Taleah, who was a little ways behind Xena, sensing that Xena knew the way better than she did.

"Yeah, we know them pretty well," answered Gabrielle. The bard had a strange grin on her face, but Taleah shrugged it off. "We've met them a few times."

"How are they?" asked Taleah, curious.

"Oh, they're nice. They stick to their customs, and are very adamant about their traditions," said Gabrielle, and she launched into a tale. She told of her first visit with the Amazons, however editing out the part where she became Princess. Xena, walking ahead, grinned to herself when she noticed the major part Gabrielle had left out. Apparently, she wanted Taleah to be surprised when she found out what rank Gabrielle held in the Amazon's royal family.

Sarah, who was listening intently, asked, "Do they wear feathers?"

Gabrielle smiled, and nodded. "Yes, and they climb through the trees," she said, and that got her going on another tale about the Amazons. Xena was amazed at how Gabrielle could cut out the main part of the story, not reveal she was Queen, and still make the story sound complete.

She really is a good bard, Xena thought. Then, speaking out loud, she said, "There's a shortcut up here. It should cut a few hours off our trip."

"And we'll get there even faster?" asked Sarah, from atop the Palomino mare.

"Yep," said Xena, and the girl giggled in anticipation.

Taleah and Gabrielle spent the rest of the day talking back and forth about the Amazons; Taleah asking questions, and Gabrielle answering them. Xena and Sarah listened quietly, Sarah absorbing the information and asking occasional questions of her own, Xena barely listening since she had heard it all numerous times before.

"I think I should show my skills to a warrior, before I go before the Queen," said Taleah, looking at Gabrielle. "I figured if a warrior didn't think I had anything to contribute to the Amazons, I wouldn't waste the Queen's time. What do you think?"

Gabrielle took a minute to think about her reply. Part of her nearly answered, "You've already shown your skills to the Queen," but she remembered Taleah didn't know. Out loud, she said, "I don't know, for sure. I guess that would be all right. Xena?"

Xena turned to look back at the two women, who were looking at her, anxiously awaiting her response. "I don't think it would hurt," was all she said, and shrugged, turning back to face the road so Taleah wouldn't see her smile. The girl was obviously nervous about seeing the Queen, and here she was talking with her like an old friend. That struck Xena as funny, and she chuckled, not realizing the others could hear her.

"What's so funny?" Gabrielle asked, quickening her pace to meet up with the warrior. Xena just swallowed her smile, and looked at Gabrielle, no expression on her face.

Glancing back, Xena saw that Taleah was occupied with her daughter, so she leaned over and whispered into Gabrielle's ear, "She's nervous about meeting the Queen, but she doesn't know she's been talking with her for the past five hours!" Understanding the humor, Gabrielle also laughed.

"What are you two laughing about?" asked Taleah, tapping Gabrielle on the shoulder.

"Oh, nothing," replied the bard, her mind racing for an answer. "Xena just reminded me of a story to tell." Then, spinning a tale of Cupid's arrows gone awry, Gabrielle covered the real topic, and Taleah forgot to be suspicious. Ahead of them, Xena was smiling again at the bard's quick thinking.

Coming to the edge of Amazon Territory, Xena said, "Okay, Taleah, we're here. Gabrielle and I will take Sarah around another way, and you can meet us there. If you want to show your skills to an Amazon, I'm sure one will be along shortly."

Nodding, Taleah gave her daughter a hug, a little apprehensive of letting her out of her sight. Then, remembering who she would be with, the woman relaxed. "Be good, Sarah. I'll see you in a little bit," she said, and Sarah nodded.

"Okay, Momma," said Sarah, and Gabrielle took Argo's reins, leading the horse - who still carried the child - to another path. Xena pretended to go along, but as soon as she was sure Taleah couldn't see her, she took off into the forest which surrounded the border, as well as both sides of the path. Following Taleah was the safest thing, since some Amazons didn't react well to a challenge, and Xena didn't know how Taleah would approach the subject.

Taleah walked along, very much aware of her surroundings. Tall trees lined the path on either side, and Taleah could see how hiding in the trees would work to surprise an enemy. The leaves were so dense, it was nearly impossible to tell if someone was hiding in them. As she walked along, she shifted the position of her staff, and brought it into her left hand, and then back to her right. It had been a while since she had practiced, but the movements came to her with the ease of experience. Her hands almost worked the weapon by themselves.

Suddenly, an Amazon jumped from the trees, landing near Taleah. She had black hair, and a sword strapped to her back. By the look of the muscles in her arms, and the grace of her landing, Taleah guessed she knew her place as an Amazon.

"Who??" she began, but then recognized Taleah's face. "Oh, you again. Look, the Queen's not here."

"I know," said Taleah, "but I've heard she's on her way. I was hoping I could show a warrior what I can do, and then find out whether or not I even have a chance." Almost reluctantly, the Amazon nodded. "Taleah," said Taleah, holding out her arm.

"Eponin," said the Amazon, briefly taking Taleah's arm. "Come on, you can come back to the village and I'll find a warrior to fight you." She began walking back to the village, and Taleah fell into step beside to her.

"I can't fight you?" Taleah asked, her voice level and smooth.

"Listen," said Eponin, with a bragging tone to her voice. She sounded like she was talking to a dumb child, and Taleah didn't like that at all. "I'm the Weapons Master. You don't want to fight me."

"Why not?"

This got an exasperated sigh from Eponin. "Because you don't need to be fighting me. There's plenty of warriors back at the village to test your skills."

"But shouldn't I test my abilities against the best warrior?" asked Taleah, her voice hinting at disappointment.

"I'm not sure you're good enough for that," said Eponin, bluntly.

Taleah visibly stiffened; even Xena, who was still walking through the forest, could see it. "And what gives you the right to make that decision?" she asked, now defending her honor.

"You're just a girl," said Eponin, tiredly, as if she was bored.

"Then you wouldn't mind fighting me? I mean," said Taleah, as she stopped in her tracks to face the Amazon, "if I'm not good enough for the best, then I'm surely not good enough for you to have anything to worry about."

No, Taleah, Xena's mind screamed, don't challenge Eponin! She doesn't take well to losing, and I have no doubt that you'll give her a run for her money. Making sure her hand was on her Chakram, Xena continued to watch from a distance.

Eponin's eyes lessened to slits, and she eyed the girl with contempt. "Are you challenging me?"

"No, I'm defending myself. You think I can't fight you, just because I'm younger than you, and I don't like being judged like that," said Taleah, looking Eponin calmly in the face.

"Choose your weapon," snarled Eponin.

"I've got my weapon," said Taleah, gesturing with her staff, her voice never changing pitch. "You choose the conditions." She had learned from Gabrielle's stories that when you fought with an Amazon, there were certain conditions agreed upon; it was not just a simple barroom brawl.

"Full contact!" growled the Amazon, drawing her sword.

As soon as Xena heard this, she jumped into the trees above the two women. Knowing Eponin's temper, she knew she might have to jump between them, and hovering above them, it was easier to do than having to take a running leap.

Bringing her staff in front of her, Taleah faced Eponin. Taleah was not afraid, but she knew she couldn't meet the conditions. If the Amazon was as overconfident as she seemed, Taleah could seriously hurt her by fighting 'full contact', and she knew it. Telling herself to think of it only as a practice session, Taleah's mind focused only on the sword in Eponin's hand, and she let her hands react to the thrusts.

Eponin swiped for Taleah's shoulder, but she blocked it with ease. Pivoting around on her foot, Eponin did a sweep for Taleah's foot, but her sword shook with the contact, when it hit solid wood instead of flesh. As she brought her sword back to her, feeling the tingling sensation in her hand, her eyes narrowed again.

Taleah's instincts were rebelling; they weren't used to being held back so forcefully. This woman was putting every ounce of her strength into the swings, and if Taleah missed, it could mean her death. She was supposed to fight back just as hard, but Taleah's moves were guarded. She was on the defensive, until something changed. She didn't want to hurt the Amazon, so she kept her trained reflexes in check.

Jabbing a well aimed thrust towards Taleah's middle, Eponin was surprised when the girl's staff knocked the sword away from it's target, and almost out of her hands. Deciding to end this, Eponin feinted with an overhead blow, before coming around on Taleah's side. She was infuriated when the move was blocked, and the girl remained uninjured.

Tired of so many close calls, and afraid she would lose control, Taleah easily swept Eponin's legs out from under her, and the Amazon landed hard on her back. She knelt, and held her staff at Eponin's neck for just a moment, before switching her staff to her left hand, and offering her right to the downed Amazon.

Snorting, Eponin turned her head, refusing the proffered hand. Sighing, Taleah stood, and turned from Eponin, planning to continue on to the village. Suddenly, she felt two hands on her back, and the next thing she knew, Eponin had pushed her face down into the dirt. Her staff rolled a few yards away, as the Amazon forced her to roll over onto her back.

"Not so good without your staff, are you?" sneered Eponin, her sword held in both hands. Taleah took the opportunity to lock her legs around the Amazon's ankle, and rolled back over onto her stomach, sending Eponin reeling.

Quickly getting to her feet, Taleah said, "I'm just as good, but it's over, Eponin."

"Full contact!" shouted Eponin, and leapt to her feet, sword in hand.

"Eponin," Taleah began, but was cut off when the Amazon made an attempt to run her sword through her side. Kicking the hilt, Taleah relieved Eponin of her sword. Almost immediately, Eponin drew her hands into fists, and prepared for hand-to-hand combat with Taleah.

Taleah, automatically bringing her right hand into a fist and her left hand open, placing her right close to her chest, and her left out in front of her, sighed again. Gabrielle was right, she thought, these Amazons don't give up!

As Eponin rained a series of blows with her fists, and Taleah blocked each one, Taleah was aware of the fury in the Amazon's eyes. Blocking a punch that had come precariously close to her head, Taleah ducked down, and attempted to sweep Eponin's feet again.

Eponin jumped over Taleah's leg, however, and grinned as Taleah's attempt failed. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Eponin landed a hard punch to the girl's back. That caused her to pause for a moment, and when she turned back around, Eponin got in a sidekick to the girl's still slightly bruised stomach.

Now on her knees, Taleah let her instincts take over, and she put all her strength into her fist, connecting solidly with Eponin's stomach. As the Amazon doubled over, Taleah stood, regaining her composure.

"It's over, Eponin," said Taleah.

"No!" she shouted, and reached for her sword. Taleah glanced at her staff, which still lay on the ground, and decided it was too far away. Clenching her hands into fists again, she prepared to defend herself with all her might, when there was a black form between her and the advancing Eponin.

"Enough," the figure growled, facing Eponin, and Taleah recognized the person to be Xena. Eponin immediately backed off, sheathing her sword. Then Xena turned to Taleah, and put a gentle hand on her shoulder. "You all right?" she asked, blue eyes looking worried.

"Yeah," said Taleah, "I'm fine. You saw?"

"Everything," said Xena, and then she smiled. "You did very well." Then, to Eponin, she said, "Let's go." Taleah retrieved her staff, and followed the two into the village, where they were apparently preparing for their Queen's arrival.

"What's going on?" Taleah asked, not quite understanding why there were a bunch of Amazons lined up on either side of a hut, making a pathway.

"The Queen's hut," Xena replied. "She should be out soon."

"You mean she's already here?" asked Taleah, and Xena nodded. "Where's Sarah?" Putting a finger to her lips, Xena nodded at the hut, and Taleah watched as the door opened. Out stepped a woman in brown Amazon garb, looking every bit an Amazon Queen. Then, Taleah did a double take, and gasped as she realized she recognized the woman.

Xena grinned at Taleah's gasp. "Gabrielle's the Queen?" she asked, thunderstruck.

"Yes," Xena said, looking down at Eponin, who was bowing as Gabrielle made her way over to the women.

"Bow!" said Eponin, roughly, and hit the back of Taleah's knee, causing her to fall. Regaining her composure just as Gabrielle reached them, Taleah kneeled respectively, and was surprised to hear Gabrielle's gentle laughter.

"Get up, Taleah," she said, softly. "You don't have to bow to me. It kind of makes me uncomfortable, anyhow." Immediately, Taleah was on her feet.

"I? I didn't know," was all she could stutter.

"Told you I knew the Amazons," Gabrielle grinned, and winked at the still astonished girl.

Eponin looked up, only then rising to her feet. "You know this girl, my Queen?" she asked, obvious disgust on the word 'girl'.

Gabrielle looked at Xena, whose face told her everything she needed to know. "Yes, I know her. She's a good friend of mine. And as for you," she said, directly addressing Eponin, "I want to see you in my hut in ten minutes." Eponin nodded, and Gabrielle motioned for Xena and Taleah to follow her.

"Sarah's in my hut," said Gabrielle, sensing Taleah's worry, as they walked towards her hut.

With this news, Taleah relaxed. "Thank you, my Queen," said Taleah, a little awkwardly.

"Gabrielle is fine," said Gabrielle, smiling. "Not many people call me 'Queen'. Well, unless it's a serious situation."

Taleah nodded, and as Gabrielle opened the door, Sarah came rushing towards her. "Hi, baby!" said Taleah, scooping her daughter up into her arms. "Tell you what, why don't you go outside for a little while? Gabrielle and Mommy need to talk for a bit, okay?" Sarah nodded, and Taleah set her down, smiling with undisguised pride as the girl scampered out the door.

"She'll be all right out there, won't she?" asked Taleah, suddenly worried that she had done something wrong.

"Oh, she'll be fine," said Gabrielle, putting a hand on Taleah's arm. "Now, have a seat." Gesturing to a nearby chair, Taleah obeyed. Gabrielle also sat down, across from Taleah, but Xena just leaned against the wall, content to stand. "I want to know exactly what happened out there with Eponin," she said.

Taleah nodded, and began to tell Gabrielle everything. She left nothing out, telling her Queen every word and every action, and when she was done, Gabrielle sat in her chair with her mouth open.

"Are you okay?" asked Gabrielle, Taleah's health her first concern.

"Yes, my Queen," responded Taleah. She figured it was a fairly serious situation.

"You had to stop her?" Gabrielle asked, looking over at the lean warrior leaning nonchalantly against the wall.

"Yeah. Eponin was going to take another run at her, but I stepped in," said Xena, eyes narrowing again as she remembered how Eponin's temper had nearly killed her friend, and then grinned inwardly as she thought of how careful Taleah had been with her moves. The girl would make a great Amazon.

"I'll speak with Eponin when she gets here. Now, " said Gabrielle, "about Sarah. If you don't mind my asking, where's her father?"

Taleah took a breath, about to tell her story, when there was a knock on the door. "Come in," said Gabrielle, and Eponin stepped into the hut. Immediately taking a seat, she sat quietly. "Continue," said Gabrielle, speaking to Taleah.

Taleah repeated her story, just as she had told Xena, and when she was done, Gabrielle felt great respect for the woman. Keeping the child that had been borne from as horrible a situation as that must have been a big decision.

Having nothing more to say about that for the time being, Gabrielle turned her attention to Eponin. "I want you're side of the story," said Gabrielle, an ever fair leader. Eponin told the tale, and Taleah's eyes widened with the accusation by Eponin that she had attacked her!

"Two days probation," was Gabrielle's immediate response, no hesitation as she knew Eponin's tendency to cover herself, even if it meant lying. "No border patrol, and no perimeter watch. You'll take the midnight shift tonight, tomorrow night, and the next. Dismissed." Silently, Eponin left the hut. Alarm bells went off in Xena's head, when she saw the evil smile Eponin had on her face, but she wanted to stay with Taleah and Gabrielle. She was also interested in Taleah's history, although she already knew some of what had happened.

Gabrielle started questioning Taleah about her past, and Taleah answered with no hesitation, and almost no emotion. Only a few times did she falter, but quickly regained her composure, and continued.

Outside, Eponin was searching for something. "Make a fool out of me, will you?" she muttered to herself. Finding the person she sought, Eponin approached the young girl.

"Hi," she said. "I'm Eponin."

"I'm Sarah," said the girl, smiling up at the woman. She certainly seemed nice enough, and Sarah liked the pretty feathers she wore.

"I'm a friend of your mother's," Eponin lied, and the girl's smile widened. "Sarah, do you know your daddy?"

"No," said Sarah, suddenly a little uneasy. Why was a friend of her mother's talking about her father when her mother almost never did?

"Did you know that your daddy didn't want you? He left your mother all alone, and she didn't want you either. You were just an accident. Do you know what an accident is?" asked Eponin, her voice so calm it was eerie and startling to the child.

When Sarah shook her head, and sniffled at the tears that threatened to fall, Eponin played her last card; the one meant for Taleah. "You ask your mother, she'll tell you," she said. Eponin watched as the child walked numbly to the hut, and opened the door. Smiling to herself, she sat down on a nearby stump, and wondered what Taleah would do?

As soon as Sarah walked in, Taleah knew something was wrong. "Sarah, what's wrong?" she asked, putting a hand out to her daughter, who took it with both of hers.

"Mommy, what's an accident?" she asked, looking into her mother's eyes.

"An accident?" repeated Taleah, and Sarah nodded. "It's when something happens that you weren't expecting."

"Is it bad?" asked Sarah, sniffling.

"It can be," said Taleah. "Why?"

"I was an accident!" she bawled, the tears coming non-stop. "You didn't want me! My daddy left me!"

Gathering her daughter into her arms, Taleah held her. "What?! No, that's not true, sweetheart. Mommy loves you. I'll always love you, and I thank the Gods every day they gave you to me," she said, hugging Sarah tightly. "Who told you you were an accident?" When her daughter said nothing, Taleah set Sarah on the floor and looked her in the eye. "Who told you?" she repeated, still speaking softly, but firmly.

"Eponin," she said, sniffling as she tried to stop crying.

Taleah was up and out the door, staff forgotten in her haste, before Xena had a chance to stop her. She strode quickly up to Eponin, grabbed her by the straps of her Amazon garb, and slammed her up against a nearby tree.

"What did you tell her?!" she demanded. Although the Amazon was taller than Taleah, Eponin was cowering slightly under the girl's fiery gaze.

"The truth," was all Eponin muttered.

As Xena approached, even she had to flinch. She had never seen Taleah in full blown anger, and hoped to never see it again. Her hands were clenched so tightly that her knuckles were white, and the muscles in her back were straining as she held Eponin, nearly lifting her off the ground. "Taleah," she said, putting a hand on the girl's shoulder.

Taleah shrugged Xena off. "I'll handle this," she said, gruffly. "You had no right!" she screamed, her attention back to Eponin.

Eponin didn't answer, and was glad when Gabrielle said, "Taleah, release her." Hesitantly, Taleah let go, and stepped back a few paces, still seething. Vaguely, the back of her mind acknowledged that there was another Amazon standing next to Gabrielle, but she was too upset to take any further notice.

"Eponin," the Queen said, also clearly angry, "you need time to think about how you control your temper. You will stay in your hut, with guards posted, until I say otherwise."

"And if it should happen that our Queen leaves before your punishment is sufficient, you will remain until you receive my direct permission," the blonde Amazon added. "Now go." Eponin walked off, head hung, to her hut.

"Taleah," Xena said, again, and Taleah turned to her.

"I'm sorry, Xena," she began, but stopped when Xena held up a hand.

"Don't worry about it. Taleah, this is Ephiny, the Queen's Regent. Ephiny, this is Taleah, our newest Amazon," said Xena.

As she reached out to shake the Regent's hand, Taleah looked over at her Queen. "My Queen?" she questioned, upon hearing that she was an Amazon.

"Yes, Taleah," said Gabrielle. "You are hereby promoted to Weapons Master."

Taleah, respective, bowed quickly, and then rose. "Thank you, Gabrielle," she said, smiling. "But what about Eponin? Wasn't she the Weapons Master?"

"That's true, but we need someone with patience to teach the warriors," said Gabrielle. "That would be you."

"Taleah," said Ephiny, "you've saved the Queen's life. The entire Amazon village would love to have you with us."

"It's an honor, believe me," said Taleah, still grinning. Suddenly, her smile faded. "How's Sarah?" she asked, looking towards Xena. To her surprise, Ephiny answered her.

"She's fine. She's in the Queen's hut playing with my son, Xenon," said the Amazon, smiling at the woman, who was obviously relieved.

"There's a celebration planned in your honor," said Gabrielle, and Taleah looked absolutely dumbfounded.

"M?My honor?" she said, flustered.

"You saved the Queen, and you're the new Weapons Master," said Xena, putting a hand on her shoulder. "It's only right that you give the rest of the Amazons a chance to meet you." Taleah nodded, and then made her way to the Queen's hut to talk to her daughter, while Ephiny talked with Gabrielle about the events concerning the newest edition to the Amazon family.

The feast that night, in Taleah's honor, was a great one. There was dancing, and eating, and drinking, and lots of new people to meet. All the Amazons were there, minus three: Eponin, of course, and the two guards posted outside her hut. (She remained in her hut, sulking, for nearly a week and a half, before Ephiny decided she had been isolated enough.)

Gabrielle told the story of how Taleah had saved her life, and of all the great moves she knew. By the time their Queen was finished, half the Amazons were lined up to speak with this woman, who seemed so outstanding, they couldn't wait to learn from her, and find out if it was really true. Taleah spent the entire night making new friends, and relating her tales to all who wanted to listen. By the time the night was out, Taleah had many women lined up for a training session with her the next morning.

The next morning, Xena and Gabrielle got ready to leave at dawn. Most other Amazons were asleep, sleeping off a hangover - Taleah found out that Amazons almost never turned down a challenge to drink each other under the table.

As Xena slung the last saddlebag over Argo's back, she felt a hand tug on her skirt. "Aunt Xena?" she heard a quiet voice ask, and looked down at the child her had her attention.

"What is it, Sarah?" she asked, patiently, kneeling to face her. The girl had, luckily, gotten over the scare from the day before, caused by Eponin. She didn't seem to be bothered by it in the slightest, and Xena was relieved. Had Eponin done any serious damage to the girl's emotional state, Taleah would have been devastated, as well as infuriated.

"Are you leaving?" she asked.

"Yes, Gabrielle and I have to go now," said the warrior, gently.

"Will you come visit?" asked the child, with pleading green eyes.

"I promise," she said, and hugged the child to her. "You be good, okay? Listen to your mother?" Sarah nodded, and clung tightly to her adopted aunt. Looking in the girl's eyes, Xena saw tears threatening to fall. Putting a gentle hand on the girl's face, Xena smiled, trying to comfort the child.

Sarah smiled suddenly, and gave Xena a quick kiss on the cheek. "You be good, too," she said, causing Xena to break out into a large grin. "Where's Aunt Gabrielle?" she asked, pulling away from the warrior, to search the stable.

"Right here," said Gabrielle, and Sarah ran to her. The bard enveloped the girl in a hug.

"Bye, Aunt Gabrielle," said Sarah, and gave Gabrielle a peck on the cheek, too. Then, remembering Argo, Sarah threw her arms around the mare's leg, and hugged her for all she was worth. "You be good, Argo," she whispered, and laughed as the mare playfully nibbled on her hair.

"Bye, Sarah," said Xena, and Gabrielle echoed. "Where's your mother?" the warrior asked.

"Practicing," came the reply. Then, waving, Sarah left to go see Xenon, her new friend. The two waved to the child, and Xena and Gabrielle walked over to the field, only to find Taleah and a dozen or so Amazons sparring. Taleah was teaching them some of her moves, and was in the process of explaining to them why she kneeled when she held a staff on someone.

Seeing Gabrielle and Xena, Taleah called a halt. "Leaving so soon?" she questioned, and Xena nodded.

"What are you doing up so early?" the warrior asked, smiling.

"Hey, these guys got me up at dawn, begging me to teach them some of the moves that they heard from their Queen," said Taleah, looking towards Gabrielle, who was grinning.

"She's good," some of the Amazons said, and the rest of them nodded. While the session was paused, they took time to compare bruises, and telling each other what each wound had taught them. Taleah was careful not to hurt the girls too badly, but some got careless, and she had to get them to pay attention to what they were doing.

Taleah beamed at the praise. "See you soon," said Taleah, bowing quickly before returning to the fight. She lightly tapped an Amazon who had tried to sneak up on her, scolding her gently at the attempt, and then showing her how to improve. Gabrielle knew she had made the right choice, and she felt a little better about the safety of her friends as she left..

Xena mounted Argo, reaching a hand down and pulling Gabrielle up behind her. They rode out of Amazon Territory, both noticing how quiet the forest seemed to be. Eponin was not there to patrol it, and Ephiny was too busy dealing with her to see them to the border. They were alone as far as Gabrielle could tell, and yet she waited until they were past the border to talk. She knew there were other Amazons watching out for their Queen in the trees, she just couldn't see them.

"Do you think Sarah will be all right?" asked Gabrielle, who had been too busy with Eponin to hear any news on the child's reaction to Eponin's cruelty. She only knew that Sarah had seemed to be okay when she gave her a hug.

"I don't know," said Xena. "She's got an Aunt Xena and an Aunt Gabrielle. What do you think?" she asked, chuckling.

Gabrielle laughed. "Well, she's sure to be well protected!" she said, and they rode off, leaving a very busy Taleah to fill some pretty big shoes, and try to live up to the reputation the Queen had set for her.