Warning #1: This story contains love and sexual acts between two consenting adult women. If this offends you don't read this. But I would suggest that you seek professional help. So, if you re under 18, or what ever the legal age is in your area, do not read any further, just covering my backside.

Warning #2: This story contains violence. If this offends you don't read this; it's pretty graphic.

Note: This story immediately follows my story 'Dream A Little Dream'. It's not necessary to read that one first, but it might make a few things a little clearer. I can be contacted at I can be contacted at XWPScribe@aol.com. Please be nice!

"Gabrielle this is my oldest son Thaddeus. You haven't had a chance to meet because he usually spends most of his time tending his sheep. He has quite a large flock now and is becoming very prosperous. I'll let the two of you get acquainted." She smiled and maneuvered them closer before leaving.

"Sorry about that. Sometimes mother can be a little pushy." Thaddeus explained.

"It's ok, after all we are family now." Gabrielle asked if the two men knew each other and introduced them when the reply was negative.

"You're Xena's brother." Thaddeus smiled. "What was she like growing up? Is she as good as they say? What kind of things does she like?" Thaddeus guided Toris away from Gabrielle so he could have his undivided attention.

The bard shook her head and joined the warrior. "Who was that?" Xena asked as she moved a chair next to hers, for Gabrielle to use.

"Thaddeus, Manderon's older brother."

"I take it his mother was trying to fix you up."

"I think that's exactly what she had in mind, but it backfired."

"You mean he's more interested in Toris?"

"No, I mean he's more interested in you. He's grilling Toris about you right now." The bard laughed at the expression on Xena's face.

"Don't laugh too hard my lovely little bard, I've got some news for you too." Gabrielle looked sideways at the warrior. "I had a talk with my brother today and he thinks he's falling in love with you."

She took a sip of port just as Xena finish her news and started choking as she swallowed. The warrior slapped her on the back until she could catch her breath. "What did you tell him?" She finally managed to get out.

She told Gabrielle what had been said between them and also what her mother had said. She thought for a minute then added. "It almost seemed like he was challenging me for you."

"Do you think he knows about us?"

"No. But when we were kids, he was always trying to find some challenge that he could win. If I beat him he would come up with another one, then another one until he finally won."

"So, I'm a prize in a contest?" The bard rolled her eyes and groaned. "Oh gods, can this get any worse."

"I wouldn't ask that if I were you, they just might answer you." Xena cringed at the thought of the gods getting involved in this mess.

"My two favorite people. May I join the two loveliest ladies here tonight?" Salmoneus inquired.

"Yes!" They both almost shouted as they saw Toris and Thaddeus headed their way.

Dinner was followed by music and dancing. It was also followed by Xena and Gabrielle trying to keep one step ahead of their ardent admirers. Every time they saw them heading their way they would escape through the crowd to the other side of the room. This went on throughout the evening. At one rendezvous back at the fireplace Xena commented. "Maybe I should put my armor and weapons on, that might discourage him."

"Fine for you, what about me?" As Gabrielle replied neither noticed the two men converging upon them.

"Gabrielle there you are." Toris said. "I've been trying to track you down all night. How about a dance?"

"Dance?" Gabrielle looked to Xena. "I'm not real big on dancing Toris, but thanks anyway."

"I'm not taking no for an answer, come on you'll have fun." And with that he whisked her away.

"Xena?" She turned at the sound of her name. "We haven't been introduced, I'm Thaddeus, Manderon's brother and it's a pleasure to meet you." He had taken her hand and begun to shake it.

"Yes, Gabrielle has told me about you. If you'll excuse me." She said as she tried to turn away, but was jerked back.

Thaddeus still had her hand and didn't seem to want to release it. "What's the hurry? I thought you might want to dance. Toris said you loved to dance."

She glared in the direction of the dance floor. 'He's going to die.' She looked back at Thaddeus, who had a puppy dog look on his face and resisted her normal response. 'Gabrielle's parents already don't like me and I don't imagine it would improve relations if I beat up the in-laws.' Instead she responded. "Thank you for asking Thaddeus, but I don't dance anymore, it bothers my leg. Old battle wound." She extracted her hand from his grip and vanished into the crowd.

As the music was ending the bard spied Xena sitting at a corner table. "Thanks but I'm tired, I think I'll rest awhile." Gabrielle responded to his request for another dance. They joined Xena at her table. "Toris, would you mind getting us something to drink?" Gabrielle asked as he sat down.

"No of course not, back in a minute."

He returned with port for all three. When Toris would turn his head away from the table, the bard would pour most of the contents of her mug into the empty ones that had been left on the table by previous occupants. Then she would have Toris get more. Xena figured out what she was trying to do and after the third trip by her brother to replenish the empty mug and said. "Gabrielle don't you think you've had enough?"

"It's a celebration, she can drink as much as she wants." Toris challenged his sister.

The bard had started to slide down in her chair little by little and had started to slur her words. "Yessss a ssselebraseion." She had one eye closed trying to focus on the warrior, while her head bobbed up and down and wobbled back and forth.

"Gabrielle you're drunk and it's time for bed. Say good night." She said as she stood, picked the bard up and slung her over her shoulder.

"Whoa, Xena!" She let the warrior carry her to their room.

Xena closed the door and deposited her bundle on the bed. Grinning she said. "You're bad, very bad."

Gabrielle reached up and tried to pull her lover down. "You aren't complaining are you?"

"Nope, no complaints." She said as she kissed the bard. "Patience love, I have a feeling my brother will be wanting to check in on you." She removed Gabrielle's boots and her own and sat back to wait.

It wasn't long before there was a knock at the door. She winked at the bard and opened the door. She placed a finger to her lips. "Shh, Toris what do you want?"

"I just want to make sure Gabrielle's ok." He tried to peek around his sister's shoulder.

"She'll be fine. She just needs to sleep it off." Xena's statement was punctuated by snores coming from the bed. She had to bite her tongue not to laugh at the outrageous sounds emitting from the bard.

"Ok, I'll say good night then." He reluctantly turned to go.

She closed the door and the bard opened her mouth but Xena held up her hand to stop her from saying anything. There was another knock. The warrior opened the door to the bard's mother this time. "Why did you let her drink so much." It was an accusation not a question.

"Hey, it wasn't me. Toris was the one who said she should be able to drink as much as she wants." Xena replied.

Hecuba walked over to the side of the bed and looked down at her daughter. "Maybe she should sleep in our room in case she wakes up in the night." She said as she brushed the hair back from her daughter's face.

"Uh." Xena was trying to think of a reply. "I don't think it would be a good idea to move her, she might wake up. And if she wakes up she might get sick. I'll make sure she's taken care of tonight."

"Well, that might be best. But if she wakes up sick I want you to come get me." As soon as Hecuba had returned to the main room of the tavern, Xena closed the door and placed a chair against it, placing the back under the latch to keep out any uninvited guests.

"Well."

"Well what?" Xena moved toward the bed.

"You can't break a promise. Come take care of me." Xena saw desire burning in the bard's eyes.

"Two things first. One, we talk to my brother tomorrow." The warrior stated.

"Ok. Do we tell him the truth?"

"Only if the partial truth doesn't work. If we or mostly you can convince him that you're not ready for a relationship with another man we won't have to tell him about us."

"Relationship with another man being the truth part. And you said I was bad." Gabrielle replied with a grin.

Xena shrugged. "Whatever works." She smiled, then turned serious. "The second thing you're not going to like."

The bard fell back on the bed. "Let me guess, we're going to talk to my parents."

"Yep."

"We're not going to tell them the truth." She stated as she propped up on her elbows.

"No way in Tartarus are we going to tell them about us. But I would like them to understand that you want this way of life. That you enjoy what you're doing, at least most of the time." Xena explained.

"I wouldn't hold my breath, but I guess it's worth a shot. Now if that's all, you've got a promise to keep!"

"And I never break a promise." She said as she moved just out of reach as the bard sat up on the side of the bed and reached for her. She grabbed Gabrielle's wrists and held them behind the bard's back as she knelt down in front of her. Holding Gabrielle's wrists in one of her hands she brought her other hand around and slowly untied the laces of the bard's top. Gabrielle's breathing had increased as her breasts were released. The warrior lightly ran her lips over the already hard nipples, alternating between the two.

The bard moaned. "Xena, I'm going to make you pay for this."

"Oh, I'm counting on it." She chuckled. She ran her tongue in circles around the bard's nipple, pausing every few revolutions to lightly take it between her teeth. The bard had closed her eyes and arched her back wanting her lover to take more of her. The warrior wasn't going to give in so easily. She further tormented her lover by running her hand up and down her inner thigh sending shivers though the bard's body as she barely touched her center.

Gabrielle had collapsed her head onto the warrior's shoulder and was moaning loudly. Xena could hear the music from the main room and knew no one would be able to hear the bard even if she cried out. Gabrielle placed her mouth against her lover's ear and whispered, "Xena if…I don't get…the rest…of these clothes off…I'm going to make…you wash…them tomorrow." She stated as she struggled for breath.

"Oh, ok." She released the bard's arms and stood up with her. She finished undressing her lover, leaned down and covered the bard's mouth with her own. Gabrielle's kiss took her breath away, gentle and demanding. Passionate and playful. Seductive and erotic. She suddenly couldn't wait any longer. She reached down to pull her tunic off but the bard stopped her.

"I want to undress you." Gabrielle stood on tiptoes and whispered in her ear, then spent a minute sucking on the earlobe. She proceeded to remove the warrior's clothing slowly. Payback had obviously started. She stood behind her lover and kissed her between her shoulder blades then ran the tip of her tongue down her spine and kissed the small of her back, sending shivers throughout the warrior's body. Still standing behind her lover she ran her hands up the warrior's hips and ribs. She then placed them on her lover's breasts and massaged gently. Xena leaned back into her lover. She reached her arms around Gabrielle's hips, grasped her buttocks and pulled her closer. "Xena, I'm on fire! I want you, I need you now!"

She turned around to face the bard. "Need you, too." She kissed her lover once more then led her to the bed. The warrior lay down on her back and instructed the bard to straddle her stomach. As the bard lowered herself, Xena almost lost control as she felt the incredible amount of moisture between her lover's legs. Gabrielle's hips slid up and down Xena's abdomen as if they had a life of their own. The warrior bent her knees so the bard could lean back against her legs. She placed her hand between her stomach and the bard. She inserted two fingers into her lover and used her thumb to massage her center.

Gabrielle leaned back against Xena's legs as she road up and down on the warrior's fingers. When the warrior felt the bard's body tense she pushed deep inside her lover. "Gods…Xena…yeesss!" Gabrielle cried out and collapsed onto her lover as the climax raged though her. Xena wrapped her arms around Gabrielle. She could still feel the bard's body pulsing. Still breathing hard Gabrielle turned on her side and pulled her lover with her. She placed her thigh between Xena's legs. As the warrior moved back and forth against her leg she placed her fingers on her swollen center and massaged.

That was all she needed to send her over the edge. She called out her lover's name as her body convulsed over and over again. When their breathing returned to normal, Xena tilted the bard's head up and kissed her once again. As they lay together, bodies entwined, a loan figure moved away from the window.

A short time later. "Xena are you asleep yet?"

"Yes, I am."

"Open your eyes. I've got something I want to ask you."

"I don't suppose it could wait until tomorrow?" She opened her eyes and look at the bard. The expression on her face was the answer to her question. "I guess that's a no."

Xena had turned on her back. Gabrielle was on her side propped up one elbow, looking down at her lover. She lightly brushed the back of her fingers across the warrior's cheek. "Xena, will you marry me?"

She looked up at the bard and shrugged her shoulders. "Sure. Can I go back to sleep now?"

"XENA!" The bard punched her in the arm.

The warrior laughed, pulled her lover down and hugged her. "Gabrielle, there is no one else I would rather spend the rest of my life with. But you need to be sure about this. An Amazon Joining is for life. That's why there are so few actual ceremonies."

"I'm completely positive." She kissed her lover. "Totally certain." Another kiss. "Indubitably sure."

Xena rolled over trapping the bard under her and covered her mouth with a long kiss before more words came forth. As they broke from the kiss the bard grinned. "I knew you'd do that to shut me up."

"The only problem with short term solutions, is they're short. Maybe I ought to work on completely speechless."

"I like speechless." The bard saw desire in the warrior's eyes. "Speechless is good. Really good." Xena had disappeared under the cover. "Oh…yes." Gabrielle closed her eyes and moaned.

By the time the sun started rising, Toris had worked himself into a rage. He had not meant to eavesdrop at the window but when he heard voices he thought Gabrielle might have been sick. But as he continued to listen he knew what he was overhearing. He convinced himself that his sister had taken advantage of Gabrielle while she had been drunk, so that he wouldn't have a chance with her. In his alcohol clouded mind it made prefect sense. He decided to confront his sister in the morning.

Xena found her mother in the kitchen. "Morning. Have you seen Toris?"

"Morning little one. No, are you going to talk to him?"

"Gabrielle and I both are."

"Are what?" Gabrielle asked as she joined them. "Morning Cyrene."

"Going to talk to Toris. Why don't you explain it to mother. You could also tell her our good news." Xena said as she left the kitchen.

"And where do you think you're going?" Gabrielle glared after the warrior.

"Stables." Xena yelled.

"One of these days, warrior." She turned back to Cyrene who was patiently waiting. "She always does this to me."

"Morning Argo." She ran her hand down the horse's neck. "You ready for breakfast girl?" Argo turned her head and bumped her nose against the warrior's chest. "How about a run this afternoon, would you like that?"

"Xena." Toris entered the barn.

"Morning. We need to talk." She told her brother.

"Yes we do. Well more to the point, I need to talk and you need to listen." Xena crossed her arms and waited for her brother to continue. "When I first joined up with the raiders to get to Cortese there were some men there who said that they had ridden in your army. They had some interesting stories to tell. Some about battles, you know the usual kind of stuff. But the ones that I found unbelievable, of course everyone else loved them, were the ones about your…appetite."

"My appetite?" He didn't seem to notice that his sister was not amused.

"You know, all the men and women you've supposedly had. I knew none if it could be true. Silly me."

"Toris is there a point to this little narrative or are you just trying to put me in a bad mood?" She asked him sarcastically.

He was alternating between pacing back and forth, gesturing wildly with his arms, and standing in front of his sister pointing an accusing finger at her. "There are several points to make." He started pacing again. Then stopped and pointed at her as he continued. "You made mother believe you had changed." More pacing. He pointed again. "I believed you had changed. And you obviously have fooled Gabrielle." Pacing again.

Xena wondered which would happen first, would he wear himself out or would he say something that would really piss her off.

Pointing again. "But what you've done this time is more than despicable, more than contemptible. I don't have any word to describe it." More pacing.

She could not for the life of her, figure out what he thought she had done. 'Maybe he thinks I did something to what's his name, Thaddeus. No he knows I took Gabrielle to…oh gods! He somehow found out about us.' She started to say something but her brother stopped her.

"Don't interrupt." He was pointing again. "For you to take advantage of someone as innocent as Gabrielle while she was drunk."

"Don't go there, Toris." For a second he was taken back by the venom in her voice.

But he continued anyway. "Just to take her away from me." He accused.

Gabrielle heard some of what had been said and came running into the barn. Toris stopped her by placing his hands on her shoulders. "Gabrielle, are you alright? Just remember it wasn't your fault. You don't have anything to feel ashamed of."

"GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME!" She knocked his arms down. He stood there with his mouth hanging open. "Let me make a few things perfectly clear. First, I am not yours to take away." She placed her hands on his chest and shoved him backwards a step. "Second, I was not drunk last night. I was pretending." She shoved him again. "Third, don't you ever try to hurt your sister like that again." Shove. "Fourth, I am not an innocent little girl. Gods, you sound like my father." Shove. "Fifth, you have a damn big ego to think that I'd fall in love with you just because you THINK you're in love with me." Shove. "Sixth, Xena and I have been lovers for almost a month." Shove. "Seventh," she calmed down and walked to her lover. "I love your sister with all my heart." She fell into Xena's arms and the warrior kissed the top of the bard's head.

He looked at his sister and the bard, then ran from the barn. "Toris." Xena called to him but he didn't stop.

"Let him go. Right now I doubt he would listen to you. I guess I was too hard on him."

"Gabrielle you probably saved both of us. I came very close to losing control. I could have hurt him badly."

"Then you would have beaten yourself up for what you had done to him. I only heard the last part, what else did he say?" Xena told her. "Now I don't feel like I was hard enough. I can't believe he would say those things." She thought for a minute. "Uh Xena, if we didn't tell him about us, then how did he know?"

"Mother would have said something this morning if she had told him. And I imagine Lila was a little preoccupied last night to say anything. He thought last night was the first time it happened, so I guess he overheard us in the room." She reasoned.

"Xena, we gotta get out of this place." They stayed in each other's arms a while longer. "Are you hungry?" Gabrielle asked changing the subject.

"No, not really."

"Too bad. You're eating anyway. I am not facing breakfast with my parents and Lila without you." She grabbed the warrior's arm and started dragging her toward the tavern.

'Great. This day is getting better and better.' She thought as she allowed the bard to lead her out of the stables and towards the tavern.

They joined Cyrene, Salmoneus, the bard's parents, and Lila and Manderon's mother. "Xena did you talk to Toris?" Her mother asked.

"Kind of, I'll explain later." She gave her mother a 'don't ask' look.

"Gabrielle tell another story, please." Her sister begged. Xena groaned.

"Ok but on one condition." She stared at the warrior. "You have to stay."

Xena stared back. "Ok, but I have a condition. I get to pick it."

The bard thought. Her sister pleaded. Gabrielle gave in. "Oh alright, which one?"

The warrior grinned. "Let's see." She wanted an 'embarrass the bard', story. "The one about the Titans."

"You mean the one where Zeus," she didn't get to finish.

"No I mean the one where 'Goddess Gabrielle' in her infinite wisdom, brought three Titans back to life."

"Goddess Gabrielle, this ought to be good." Salmoneus chuckled.

Her glare was enough to silence him. 'I'm getting better at this intimidation thing.' The bard took a bite of food as she thought about the story. "It all started with Xena chasing…" Xena listened closely to the story in case Gabrielle had inadvertently forgotten a part or two. "…then they turned back to stone." She finished. To the bard's credit she told the entire story no matter how embarrassing it was.

"Thanks Xena, that was a good one. Tell another." Her sister begged again.

Xena got up to leave. Before Gabrielle could protest she stopped her. "We agreed on one story, besides I promised Argo a run." She headed for their room to retrieve her armor and weapons.

It was lunchtime when Xena returned. She brushed Argo down and headed into the tavern though the back entrance. Gabrielle, her parents, Lila, Manderon, his parents and brother had started to eat. Cyrene was serving the other customers. "Mother do you need help?" 'Please. I really don't want to make nice with Thaddeus all through lunch.'

"No, it's not very busy right now." Her mother assured her.

'Great.' The warrior thought and headed toward the others.

Salmoneus hurried into the tavern. "Xena, thank the gods you're back." He was ringing his hands nervously. "There are about a dozen or so soldiers headed this way."

Gabrielle grabbed her staff and ran out behind the warrior with everyone following. Her parents caught up with her outside. "Where do you think you're going?" She ignored them and asked Xena, "Who are they with?"

"I don't know, they're not showing any marking." Most of the village had gathered, but were staying out of the way. The warrior's and the bard's families were standing behind them. Toris was watching from the kitchen window. "If a fight starts, try to keep them from getting hurt." She had indicated their family members with a nod of her head. She walked a few steps away from the bard. "Afternoon boys, looking for lunch or for trouble?"

Gabrielle had to stop Cyrene from moving toward her daughter. "She's going to get hurt, Gabrielle."

"You might get her hurt if you interfere Cyrene, now stay back. That goes for you too, Thaddeus." She warned him when he started moving forward.

"Neither, you see it's our commander's birthday and we thought we might find a present for him. And it looks like we did, doesn't it men." They all started laughing. "I'm sure he will be very pleased to have the head of the warrior princess as his gift. Get her!"

Two of the men attacked, one from each side. She jumped straight up in the air and kicked out to both sides. As her feet made contact with the men, she reached over her shoulder and landed on the ground with her sword in her hand. Four of the men that were standing about twenty feet away to her left were readying their bows. She heard Gabrielle yell archers and glanced that way. One of the men in front charged her as she grabbed her chakram in her left hand. She ducked his sword and smashed him in the face with the hilt of hers. She let the chakram fly and turned back to another man charging. The chakram deflected off a stone post and headed toward the archers. A roundhouse kick put the charging man on the ground. The chakram sliced into each man's cheek but the last one in line fired his arrow just before he was hit. She turned and caught the arrow that was flying toward her in her left hand.

Gabrielle heard a collective gasp from the crowd as Xena caught the arrow. She also noticed that the first two men Xena had rendered unconscious were beginning to revive.

Xena decided that these fools probably weren't going to give up until at least some of them were dead. She knew her chakram had deflected again and was headed back to her. Instead of catching it she ducked and let it fly into the chest of the man in front of her. He fell to the ground dead. She killed two more with one slice of her sword to their midsections. They had surprised looks on their faces as their watched various internal organs fall to the ground; they followed them and were dead before they hit.

Gabrielle moved forward so she would have room to swing her staff. The two men that had regained consciousness moved toward her thinking that she would be easier prey. The man on her right came at her with his sword above his head. She greeted him with the end of her staff in his gut. As he doubled over she turned her attention to the one on her left. He landed on the ground hard when she connected with her staff to the side of his head. She went down on one knee and swung the staff back around to connect with the back of the other one's knees. He landed on his back and she brought her staff back down on his head. Both men were again unconscious. She stood up and returned to stand in front of the people she was protecting. They looked at her with dumbfounded expressions on their faces.

The only man left standing was the one who had wanted her head as a present. He eyed her warily, his sword drawn. She pierced the air with her war cry, jumped and twisted in the air to land behind him. He turned and brought his sword down in an overhead arc. She blocked with her sword and connected with her knee to his gut. As he bent over, she brought the hilt of her sword down to the back of his head. She looked around, at least three dead, she wasn't sure about the archers. She retrieved her chakram from the chest of the dead man and wiped the blood off on his shirt. She walked back to where Gabrielle was standing, "Thanks for the warning. You ok?"

"You're welcome and yes. Do you think this was an accident or were they looking for you?"

"Don't know. We'll have to see if the leader wants to talk when he wakes up."

Their families circled around them, all talking at once. "Xena you're alright." Cyrene grabbed her daughter's face and turned it toward her.

"Gabrielle, sweetheart." Her parents hugged her.

"You can actually fight." Lila stated shocked.

"You are incredible Xena." Thaddeus exclaimed.

From the kitchen window Toris commented under his breath. "She is amazing."

"Everybody get back." Xena said exasperated. "This isn't over yet."

The archers had tucked tail and run. The other men had started coming to their senses; Xena stood staring at the men struggling to their feet. The fear on their faces told her they wouldn't cause any more trouble. She made no move to stop them as they ran away. The man she wanted was just starting to come to. She moved to his side and knelt down. He sat up and leaned back propping himself with his arms. "You can save yourself a lot of discomfort by willingly answering some questions." The warrior explained.

He looked into ice cold blue eyes. "I'm not telling you nothin."

"Your choice." She made quick jabs with her fingers to both sides of his neck. He collapsed to the ground.

"What did you do to me?" The fear was showing on his face and in his voice. The crowd of people moved a little closer to get a better look and to hear what was being said.

"I cut off the flow of blood to your brain, assuming you have one that is. You'll be dead in 30 seconds unless I release you. Feel like talking now?" She asked smiling.

Toris looked at Gabrielle. "She's bluffing right?"

She hadn't noticed when he had joined them. "No."

The warrior didn't wait for the man to reply. "Who is your commander?"

"Kiril."

"Never heard of him."

"Neither had we until two days ago when he rode into camp and challenged Hesperos, defeated him and took over the army."

"Did he send you to look for me?"

"He knew you were here. He sent us to bring you back to him."

"Where are you camped?"

"The valley west of here."

The people watched, both fascinated and horrified at the same time. Xena had just touched him with her fingers, but the man couldn't move and blood was running from his nose and ears. They looked at her with more respect and a little more fear. The bard noticed this as she looked at the faces in the crowd. She also knew Xena felt it also. She released the man from 'the pinch'. "When the feeling returns you're free to go." She stood and turned to the sound of hoof beats. The man got to his hands and knees and crawled a few feet behind the warrior. The crowds scurried away as the horse was brought to a stop about where the archers had fallen.

The man sat atop a solid black war-horse. He was dressed in brown leather armor with a chain mail shirt. He carried his sword on his left hip. He had curly red shoulder length hair and a neatly trimmed red mustache and beard. Xena guessed that he was around her height. "Kiril, I presume!"

"I'm flattered that you've heard of me."

"Not until a few minutes ago." She replied.

He looked behind her to the man on the ground. "That's the problem I'm having, you see. Not many people have heard of me. I was hoping for your assistance in that matter."

"My assistance." Xena said laughing. "Well that's original, it's the first time I've heard it put that way."

Cyrene placed her hand on Gabrielle's arm. "What does he mean?"

The bard looked at the worry on Xena's mother's face. 'Gods I wish this weren't happening here.' "Cyrene," she paused. "He wants to kill her." Cyrene clutched the bard's arm tighter.

"If you wanted to challenge me why send your men?" The warrior asked.

"I had to make sure you had fully recovered after your vacation in the underworld. And it seems like you have, twelve men and not a scratch."

"Three men are…" The man behind her had grabbed a sword left lying in the dirt and risen to his feet. He stood at her back and raised the weapon. Xena unsheathed her sword reversed it in her hand and drove it underhanded into the man's stomach. She pushed down on the hilt causing a gaping wound and pulled the sword free. The man fell dead. She corrected her statement without skipping a beat. "Four men are dead just so you could see if I had recovered. You couldn't have just asked?"

"You know, I really hate to kill you my dear. But I'll get over it. To be known as the man who finally killed the warrior princess will have a great soothing effect on me I'm sure. Shall it be swords?"

"Suits me. You mind if I clean this first?" She said holding up her bloodied sword.

"Be my guest." He said as he dismounted.

She walked over to the bard who handed her a rag. "You really don't know anything about him do you?" The bard asked.

"No, I've never heard of him."

"Which means you don't know how good he is."

"He's very g