Two days after rescuing Nexa and unofficially adopting her into the family, the group of four finally made it to Amphipolis. Nothing had changed since the last visit that Xena and Amarice had made. The weapon shops were still where they always were and children still continued to play between the houses. Familiar scents of desserts wafted through the air, teasing the senses of the two youngest members of the group.
It was refreshing for the two older warriors to be in a familiar town while their worlds were changing. It seemed to balance out the chaos that their minds were in. It gave them the chance to reflect on the choices they had recently made, along with the decisions they were going to make in the future. At least, that's what they hoped they would accomplish while they were in Amphipolis.
"Xena! Amarice! You've come back!" the familiar voice of Xena's mother called from the tavern's entrance. It was actually luck that had brought the owner of the inn outside just as her daughter and Amarice came riding in to the area. She would have to thank Tara for not wiping down the dusty deck that day, since that was what had brought her outside in the first place. "Oh how I missed you two." she said as she approached the two warriors. "And who are your new... friends?"
"Well Mother uh... this is the adopted nephew of a friend of mine." Xena started, nodding in Solan's direction. "The blonde boy sitting in front of Amarice smiled shyly at the tavern keeper and quickly waved. "And this is Nexa." Xena said as she looked down in front of her where Nexa was supposed to be sitting, only to find an empty spot. 'Now where'd she go?' she wondered, although she wasn't worried. She had discovered early on that Nexa had a habit of getting out of the saddle without her noticing whenever they stopped. The stop in Amphipolis was no different. Now she just wondered how the little girl was able to slip by without her noticing. That, and where the little tyke had gotten to.
"Hi!" came the small voice of the little girl, who now stood in front of Cyrene. Xena raised an eyebrow when she saw this. She would definitely have to keep a closer eye on the girl, just in case she decided that she wanted to sneak off and talk to her mother. Who knew what embarrassing secrets and stories the older woman would tell the little blonde child.
"Hello there, dear." Cyrene returned the greeting, bending down so she was level with the girl. "What are you doing riding around with my daughter?" the older woman asked in a gentle tone. "Keeping an eye on her and making sure she stays out of trouble, I hope." she said before reaching over and playfully tugging Nexa's nose. The blonde child giggled at the feeling, wondering if that was how her Mama felt whenever Nexa did it to her.
"My mama wanted me to go with her." Nexa told the innkeeper before leaning forward. "But I can watch her, if you want. My Mama didn't call me her wawwior for nothing." she added on in a whisper. The innkeeper blinked, not expecting an answer like that from the little girl. She quickly shook off her surprise, however, and smiled at the blonde.
"You better, or I'll have to come chase you down." Cyrene mock threatened.
"Don't worry. Xena's a good girl, like me!" Nexa assured the older woman, a certain amount of pride in her voice when she mentioned how good she was.
"Oh really?" Cyrene asked skeptically, raising an eyebrow in her daughter's trademark fashion before looking up at said daughter, signaling that they would be having a serious talk sooner than Xena would like. "Amarice, you and... Solan was it?" The blonde boy nodded before she continued. "Why don't you and Solan take your horse to the stables? You know where they are. Xena and Nexa will join you shortly." Cyrene ordered them, even if it was under the disguise of a suggestion.
"Yes ma'am." Solan said with a smile, saluting the auburn haired woman.
"Don't get into too much trouble, Xena." Amarice teased her older friend, receiving a glare from the Warrior Princess as she dismounted Argo. There was no doubt that her mother wanted her on the ground for the conversation they were about to have.
"Amarice, if you don't go take that horse of yours to the stables now, Xena won't be the only one in trouble." Cyrene threatened the Amazon. Amarice visibly gulped before nodding and quickly riding off toward the stables. She had learned early on in their partnership that Xena's mother was not a woman you wanted to mess with. She did raise the Warrior Princess, after all.
"Now then, Xena. Do you think you could tell me why Solan and little Nexa here are really traveling with you and Amarice?" she asked when the other two were out of earshot.
"Mother, do you think that we could discuss this later, with Amarice present?" Xena asked, her face betraying none of the uneasiness that she was feeling. There were only two people that Xena knew that could make her feel uneasy, and they were Gabrielle and her mother. Cyrene seemed to think it over before acquiescing.
"Fine. But I want the explanation by the end of the week; no later, young lady." Cyrene said in a tone that would not allow an argument, even if Xena could think of one. She was going to figure out what was going on in her daughter's head, whether the girl liked it or not. "And remember Xena: I'm your mother. I know when you're lying." she reminded her daughter before looking down at the blonde girl that had moved to stand at Xena's side. She would have to fix that. "How would you like to learn how to cook, Nexa?" she asked. The blonde girl's eyes lit up before she took Cyrene's hand and was led into the tavern.
Xena watched them go, a nervous feeling that she hardly ever got tying a knot in her stomach. Not only would she have to explain to her mother about Solan and Nexa, but the little blonde girl had become her mother's newest ally. That could not be good. The knot in her stomach tightened once more. She was definitely in trouble.
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Gabrielle gulped as she stared up at the judge from her kneeling position on the ground. The sun was beating down on her as she kneeled in her helpless position, one sword at her throat and another at the back of her neck. The heat coming from Apollo's treasure caused the heavy shackles cuffed around her wrists to burn her skin. The humming noise coming from the townspeople as they gathered for her judgement, coupled with the bright sun made her head hurt. There was no doubt about it; she was definitely in trouble.
The only thing that helped ease the twisted knot that had formed in her stomach since the day she had been captured was the fact that she had told the truth when she was forced to face the judge. It didn't help much, though, seeing as it was very unlikely that the judge would believe her story. He was a friend of Perdicas' after all.
"Gabrielle of Potidaea, daughter of Hecuba and Herodotus." he addressed her in an official tone before getting on with what everyone wanted to see. "Do you deny killing your husband, Perdicas of Potidaea?" he asked, his cold eyes boring into hers. Gabrielle momentarily found herself wondering how someone that looked so nice could have such cold, hard eyes.
"I don't deny it, but your honor, I did it out of self-defense. Just like I told you three nights ago." she said, trying again to get him to understand why she did what she did.
"Silence! Do not try to ruin Perdicas' name with your lies." he ordered her.
"Oh believe me. Perdicas doesn't need my help to dirty his name." she scoffed. "Like I told you before, Perdicas beat me. Do you really think I would this to myself?" she asked, wincing as she shrugged her injured shoulder. Before she could gauge the reaction from the audience, the judge continued his questioning.
"Gabrielle, is it true that you used to be a bard? That you even attended Athens' Academy of Performing Bards?" the judge asked, changing the subject. The blonde woman blinked at the quick change of topic before answering the question.
"Yes, but I don't really know what that has to do with anything."
"Is it also true that before you married Perdicas, you were an Amazon?" the judge asked. Now Gabrielle was suspicious. She hadn't even told Rosaline that, so she had no idea how the judge knew about that part of her life.
"Where did you hear that from?" she asked.
"Answer the question with a yes or no!" he ordered her as the guards holding the swords began to press the blades into her neck. Gabrielle bit her lip at the feeling before answering in the affirmative. "Much better." he complimented her with a sneer before turning his attention to the townsfolk in the crowded seating area of the small judgement square.
"My friends... Three days ago, this 'woman' came to me like all prisoners do in order to plead her case. And, like all today's criminals," he addressed them before turning to Gabrielle, "she lied to me." Almost immediately, boos and hisses erupted from the audience.
"I didn't lie! Perdicas was going to hurt Nexa!" she objected, trying to get the crowd to listen. "I wanted to leave with her. I just wanted to leave. I never wanted to kill him!" she told them, trying hard to keep her tears in check. She would not let them see her cry.
"Do not be sucked in by her lies! She nearly trapped me in her web of false words when she came to me. I actually found myself believing her after the guards came to take her back to her cell." he admitted before looking back down at Gabrielle. "Luckily, a messenger from the Gods warned me about her before I made a mistake." Gabrielle's eyes went wide. Why would a God be interested in her? The only God she had ever met was Ares, and from what she could tell about him, he was only concerned about things that affected him.
"You have to believe me. I didn't lie!" she protested once she overcame her surprise.
"You were a bard. Your whole job consisted of telling stories." the judge pointed out.
"Exactly! I told stories, true stories. Not lies." she said, thinking that she may be getting through to him.
"Now that I find hard to believe." he admitted with a forced laugh. "You told stories about Xena. Every one of them portrayed her as a hero. That's probably the biggest lie I've ever heard anyone ever tell."
"She is a hero." Gabrielle growled, not liking the way the judge spoke about her old friend. The former bard was surprised to find that she had no problem saying that. It was true that Xena was still a hero, but she was no longer her hero. She was no longer the person that Gabrielle could count on to get her out of trouble. The idea actually angered Gabrielle more than it saddened her, but she kept her emotions behind her mask so that the judge couldn't see what was going on in her mind.
"Xena? A hero? Little girl, you are deluded." the judge told her in a harsh whisper so no one else could hear him before addressing the public once more. "This is the bard of Xena: Warrior Princess. Using her skills as a bard, it is no wonder she was able to trick Perdicas into marrying her and then trick me into believing her." he announced.
"I didn't trick anybody!" Gabrielle objected, only to be ignored by the judge and the townspeople.
"No doubt using her skills as an Amazon princess, she murdered her husband. The wound in her shoulder was most likely received when Perdicas tried protecting himself from this murdering bitch." he concluded, grinning down at Gabrielle in triumph when the audience began yelling in agreement.
"I hereby sentence Gabrielle of Potidaea, murderer of Perdicas, to a life of imprisonment. Tonight she will be taken to the prison that I believe fits her crime." he announced, receiving a loud cheer from the crowd that had gathered. Before Gabrielle could object one last time, the guards were removing their swords from her neck and grabbing the chain that linked her wrists together.
As the two guards led her back to the jail while keeping angry villagers from assaulting her, the former Amazon could only think about where she was going to be sent. From what she could, the judge and Perdicas had been good friends. Gabrielle may not have known where she was being sent, but she was sure that wherever it was, it was going to be a living Tartarus. As she was roughly thrown into her cell by the guards, she was also sure that she was in more trouble than she originally thought.
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"God of War: 1. Irritating Blonde: 0." Ares chuckled as he watched the judgement get passed on Gabrielle. He had decided to watch it live, as well, just so he could enjoy the action without the annoying distortion from the wall that he fondly referred to as The Portal.
"Actually, Uncle... I do believe it's God of War: 2. Irritating Blonde: 1." Discord pointed out as she appeared next to him.
"Either way, I still come out on top." he reminded her with a scowl before continuing to watch as Gabrielle was dragged back to her jail cell. "What are you doing here, anyway? Shouldn't you be bugging Aphrodite?" he asked.
"Yeah right. That hag gets to be very annoying." she said as she combed a hand through her dark hair. "I am here for a reason, though. I do believe it is time for you to thank me for helping you with the little blonde brat." she told him as she focused on a strand of her hair. 'Is that a split end?'
"Thank you? Ha! I'm the one that did all the work." a new voice chimed in. Both Ares turned to find the dark haired figure of Strife strolling over to them. "I mean, I am the one that had to convince the judge that dear, sweet Gabrielle was a lying bitch, after all." he smirked, rubbing his fingernails on his leather armor before blowing on them. "So feel free to thank me any time, Uncle Ares."
"You know, I'm beginning to think I should just kick both your asses and not thank either of you. Then, I think I might go find some new underlings, that won't be as annoying and arrogant." he threatened. This caused both Discord and Strife to fall to the ground and begin groveling, no longer caring if they were thanked or not. "You two are pathetic." he told them, rolling his eyes at the sad display before disappearing into thin air, ready to go back to his temple and watch his Warrior Princess kick some more ass. Once he was gone, Strife and Discord glared at each other, both mentally shooting daggers out of their eyes.
"It's your fault he's mad, y'know." Discord told him as she stood up and brushed herself off. "If you hadn't shown up and acted so macho, he wouldn't be pissed off at us right now."
"You are delusional, Sis. You're the one that got him angry." Strife argued as he too got up, although he didn't bother to wipe himself clean. "'Oh Uncle Ares. I didn't come for much. Just for your favor so I can shove it in Strife's face.'" he imitated her, prancing around like a deer.
"Keep dancing around like that, Strife, and I'm sure you'll be able to make it big in dancing competition for sissies." Discord told him.
"You really think so? I... Hey wait a minute! That wasn't very nice." Strife whined. Discord just rolled her eyes.
"Face it, Bro. We both screwed up with Ares. Now we need to figure out something big to do before he finds someone to replace us." she said, taking a defeated seat on the ground, where Strife joined her.
"You don't think he'd really be able to find someone to replace us, do you? I mean, who could replace me?" he asked as his hands fidgeted nervously.
"Someone who doesn't whine as much, that's for sure." she glared at him before grabbing his hands, forcing him to stop playing with his fingers. "Now, come on. We need to go think of a plan." she said before disappearing in a flash of purple. Strife sighed before disappearing after his sister just as the sun was setting.
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"It's beautiful, isn't it, Sweetie?" Cyrene asked her daughter, joining the warrior out on the porch of the tavern as the sun painted colors across the sky. Xena simply grunted in response, earning her a light hit on the arm from her mother. "You had better answer your mother with full sentences, young lady."
"Sorry. I meant to say 'Yes, it is a very lovely sunset, Mother.'" Xena told the owner of the tavern sarcastically. She couldn't help it. It was the last day of the week time limit that her mother had given her and daylight was quickly fading. Cyrene smiled in return, though, choosing to ignore the sarcasm in the comment.
"That's what I thought you meant." she said before looking back out at the sky. "Xena, it's been three years. If you're not going to go back to her, you should stop holding on to her. It kills me to see you trying to hold on to the past." Cyrene advised her. "There are things that if you hold on to too tightly, they crack and break."
"Now I know where I get the small bit of philosophical talent from." she joked, shaking her head at her mother's words before looking back at the horizon. "It's not that... I'm happy, really." she assured her mother.
"Xena, I think I know what it is that's bugging you. You don't want to tell me about the children, do you?" Cyrene asked, although that was now obvious what the problem was, since it didn't have to do with Gabrielle.
"You're very perceptive, Mother." Xena said sarcastically.
"Don't take that tone with me, Missy." Cyrene told her, smacking her in the stomach to get her point across. "And I don't care how much it's bugging you; you're going to tell me about those two children in there before the night's over." she said before heading back into the tavern, leaving Xena to collect her thoughts.
The sun had already been set for hours by the time that Xena finally walked back into the tavern. She wanted to make sure that Solan was in bed sleeping before she told her mother and Amarice about him.
"So Xena... there was something you wanted to tell us?" Amarice asked as she followed Xena into her mother's room.
"Yes Xena, do tell us what it is you've been worrying about all day." Cyrene said from her bed. She had apparently been waiting there since she put the kids to bed. Xena sighed, before taking a breath to go into the story about leaving her son with the centaurs.
------
While Xena began to reveal the demons of her past to her mother and traveling companion, a very real demon in the form of an insane woman waited for her new cellmate to arrive. The guards had told her that if she killed this one outside of the ring, she wouldn't live to see morning. As much as she hated life, that was a prospect that did not interest her. There was still so much left for her to do; so many people left for her to torture. The guards did not disappoint her. Before the night was over, she had her new cellmate.
"Well, well, well. I never thought I'd see you in a prison." she admitted to the unconscious body that the guards had thrown into her cell. Getting up from her seat against the wall, she walked over to the prone form and turned it over onto its back. "You look a little different, but I'm sure you're her." she said, fingering a short lock of blonde hair. "What would your precious Xena say if she found you in here?" she chuckled, even though the unconscious woman couldn't hear her.
"You know... you're going to have a tremendous headache once those drugs wear off and you come to your senses." she warned the woman before noticing one of her frequent visitors making its way over to the newcomer. "Why yes little Ares, we do have a new visitor tonight." she said as she reached over and picked the black rat up by its tail, placing it on her other hand "We should give her a warm welcome when she wakes up, or Xena might be angry that we didn't treat her little friend correctly." she whispered to the rodent as she stood up and walked back to her place against the stone wall, stroking the rat as she went.
As the sun began to rise, the insane woman giggled as if she had just learned something incredibly funny. Perhaps in her mind, the rat had told her something, but that wasn't why she was laughing. No, the only thing that could make her laugh like she was, was the fact that for the rest of her life, she'd have Gabrielle to torment.
Callisto knew she was going to be one happy prisoner, whether the guards liked it or not.