Part 3

Chapter 6 - (Continued)

Partnership with a Shade

It was just before noon when Xena's form slid into their room. Gabrielle had occupied herself with asanas poses and pranayama, breathing exercises, reading scrolls and writing. She had their food sent up and was wondering if she should send up for midmeal, though she wasn't hungry since she ate both portions of the morning meal. She had a lot of writing to catch up on, and it was a good way to keep her mind off worrying about Xena. Her morning meditation posses and pranayama didn't relieve her anxiety for long…but it gave her a lot of things to sort out about Caesar, and the two men that were taking over a city.

This time she felt Xena's presence before she entered their room and a smile lit her face as she stared at the balcony waiting for the expected appearance of her partner.

Xena smiled at the Bard as she pushed the door further open. Gabrielle had moved the table so that she could see out of the opened door to their balcony. She had a cloak draped around her as she wrote.

"Hey." She rose from her chair and went over to her companion wrapping an arm around her leathered waist and avoided getting poked in the eye by an armored breast swirl. "How did your rescue adventure go?"

Xena shrugged off her armor setting it neatly across the chair. "Fine." The warrior laughed softly. "I got all three into the cave. The cave looked great, by the way. They'll wake up and find your note…I blocked the entrance to the cave," she added.

"You…why?"

"They're not in any condition to protect themselves." Xena shook her head. "I don't want them to be wandering around until they get their own will back. Dorie said she would watch out for them

"Maybe we should…"

"No. The Satyr would smell our presence and find the cave." Xena guessed well what Gabrielle was going to propose. "Do you remember Agnes and Eleanor? The two are healers. They and Camila are the three I freed. The less movement on the outside of the cave, the safer they are."

Gabrielle nodded remembering the three only because she had refreshed her memory by rereading her scrolls while waiting for Xena's return.

"I found out from Dorie why you're here." Xena frowned. "Sounds like we're going to have company." She pulled her sword toward her and moved to the bed, snatching up a piece of bread to munch on. She stretched her long frame over the covers waving to Gabrielle to read to her. Gabrielle's soft voice read what she had written. Suddenly she put her scroll down.

"So, why am I here?" she asked unable to wait for when Xena thought it best to discuss it.

Xena raised her eyebrows in amusement. "Can it wait?"

"Well…what if you forget?"

Xena gave her an amused raise of her eyebrow as a firm rap on their door stopped their conversation. Gabrielle looked at Xena as she laid her quill down and walked over to the door to open it.

It was Alala, who looked tired in the daylight. Her eyes flickered over Gabrielle quickly and settled on Xena's reclining form on the bed.

"Good noon to you," she looked surprised to see Xena.

Gabrielle returned the greeting while Xena merely nodded.

"I hope you don't mind my interrupting but…a group of us were wondering if perhaps we could have a word with you."

Xena nodded to the woman and gave a small smile at Gabrielle. "Partner?"

Gabrielle smiled and nodded.

"We'll be down in a moment," Xena informed her. The woman nodded and then left.

Xena made a quick job of putting her armor back on and fastening her sword to her hip, where her cloak would not hinder her quick reach for it.

"I think she noticed Argo is gone," Xena told Gabrielle.

Gabrielle had caught the slight frown that crossed Alala's face when she studied Xena. She probably thought if Argo was missing so was her mistress. Wonder if she'll ask. Gabrielle was chuckling to herself thinking of how warriors ask one another a question that was broaching on 'none of their business' but they just had to know…at sword point?

In the common room were the same group of women and three men that were there from the previous night, Xena noted. A closed group. The others that were in the room were busy around tables gaming or laughing about something. The only difference from the previous day was that there were more people in the inn at this time. Nothing else appeared to be out of place. However, it was just that, which caused Xena to be suspicious of being watched.

A mug of ale was placed before Xena and a cider for Gabrielle. Xena watched the young server as she scurried back behind the counter.

"You wanted to see us?" Xena asked tersely, looking back at the group that stood around them.

An older woman stepped forward and slid into the bench across from Xena. "I'm Eirene…once the Speaker for the citizen's of Crometh," she added hesitantly.

"Ya still are ta us!" a young man slammed his palm on the tabletop causing some of the others to jump and look at each other uncomfortably.

"Be still Abrie," one of the older men admonished.

The annoyance in the younger man's face didn't go unnoticed by either Gabrielle or Xena.

"Ya wanted to see us?" Xena asked again, not bothering to introduce themselves.

"You're Xena, the Warrior Princess," Eirene stated. "We're askin' for y'er help."

Xena looked into her ale and then back up. "What kinda help?"

Eirene looked around at the others. "Let us be."

The others nodded and started to move away but Abrie seemed to find something to do near by. Alala's shadow fell over him and he moved away with a scowl with Alala and Hildreth herding him out the door.

Xena leaned back holding her mug of ale, extending a booted foot under the table, waiting for Eirene to start.

"This here is Theseus. He's one of the merchants that's been living in the city since he was a bit of a young one."

Gabrielle nodded to the man politely watching her partner out of the corner of her eye.

"We've a bit of a problem…it's been developing for about a year now." Eirene was looking at Xena, directly into her blue eyes and from the stiffness in her shoulders; she was finding it hard to keep eye contact.

She finally lowered her eyes to the table where her hands were fidgeting with an eating knife. Realizing what she was holding and the person she was facing she quickly let it drop.

"We hear you're having problems in the forest around here," Gabrielle offered quietly.

The old woman nodded towards her relieved. "That we are. Don't know why it is or if it's part of another problem we've been havin'…but a stop has got to be put to it before it's too late… when everyone gives up hope."

"Why aren't you the speaker for the citizens anymore?" Xena asked directly.

"General Gigantes felt he couldn't work with me for the good of the city's protection so he appointed someone more to his liking."

Xena raised her eyebrows.

"I thought the speaker was appointed by the city counsel?" Gabrielle asked puzzled.

"Not when a city is threatened by an invading force. A city counsel that is established in peace is not adequate under war conditions so another is voted in with half being nonsoldiers and the other half having the experience of being soldiers. But, the counsel elects who General Gigantes picks."

"Who is General Gigantes? I've never heard of him." Xena asked curious.

"He says he came from Troy," Theseus volunteered.

"Hmm." Xena couldn't remember a Gigantes from Troy, but she had not met all of King Priam's captains or generals, and not many had escaped the fall. It would explain why he looked familiar and how he got the ring. "Does he know I'm here?" Xena asked.

"I'm sure he does. He has spies everywhere. That's why we need to talk to you now, before he does…something."

"So, you think he is responsible for what is happening around Crometh?" Xena got right to the point.

"We don't know. Maybe he's just taking advantage of it." Theseus shook his head.

"Draining the life out of the city, is what he's doing!" Eirene hissed.

The old man patted her hand but said nothing.

"You have a stone quarry nearby?" Xena asked.

"Yeah. In the valley about half a days walk from here. His men keep the roads clear for the builders and the merchants but it seems only his merchants are getting through."

"So, he's a merchant turned General?" Gabrielle asked. She was trying to remember where she heard of the name before. Of course. When we were in Troy, Perdicus had introduced me to a merchant apprentice that had a pendant he wanted to show me, but he wasn't really an apprentice.

"Yeah. He was a merchant."

Well, Xena thought. So, that's where I've seen him. A merchant I didn't formally meet any merchants in Troy, but there were a few trapped in the city. Helen was talking about them creating a problem for King Piram because they wanted out thinking the Spartan soldiers outside would let them go since they were not residents of Troy. As soon as they had the information they wanted...they would have been assassinated. She frowned for a moment. She remembered one of the generals had mentioned some of the merchants had disappeared as they were setting up a barricade in the temple.

"So, you want me to find out what's going on in your forest?" Xena asked.

"Exactly."

Xena played with her mug still not drinking its contents. "We'll have a look."

"This trouble must be putting a dent in your economy," Gabrielle mentioned.

"Hmmph. Only those that the General doesn't like."

"I didn't see many merchants at their stalls," Xena pointed out.

"We haven't been getting many visitors for the last six moons. Some merchants have been sending their wares out on caravans. General Gigantes sends his soldiers to protect them, for a fee. Anyone he doesn't like he charges higher prices. He also taxes the merchants that try to make a go here. Only his select few can afford to stay in business," Theseus explained.

"Sounds more like a warlord than an elected official," Xena frowned.

"What happened to the priestesses?" Gabrielle asked curious for she had asked the maid who delivered their food where she could locate one and was referred to Alala, who was more of a warden in a temple, not an actual priestess, if she read her scroll right.

"They disappeared. One by one."

Xena raised an eyebrow. "Do you think the General had anything to do with their disappearance?"

"Well, they started to disappear before he came. Now, even visiting priestesses disappear. He doesn't say it, but he has hinted that the Muses have deserted us."

"He's definitely a foreigner," the old man snorted.

"No Greek would make the mistake to think the Muses would get involved in something like this," Eirene told the two women heatedly. "Now Athena, Aphrodite or Artemis… they would."

The old man looked as upset as Eirene as he patted her hand consolingly. "Completely out of their experience…since the city isn't dedicated to the other four, they can't be called in officially to help."

Xena restrained herself from rolling her eyes…all the rules of what gods and goddess can and can not do and still…they do what they want and when they want.

"What has he suggested to put in place of the Muses?"

"Well, he said we should pay homage to Ares until this problem has been settled."

"But we aren't! Once we change the spirit of this city…it will be forever changed!" Eirene angrily pointed out.

"You're right there. Ares won't be happy about giving up a new conquest or sharing with his siblings…that's for certain," Gabrielle remarked dryly. "He also takes a more hands on approach to cities that are dedicated to him…than say the Muses."

Xena was in deep thought. Why would Ares' help someone that is trying to steal her spirit? But then, if he knew what Caesar was planning would he make a secret pack with one of the partners? And…just to hedge his odds would he ask Athena to ask me a favor rather than him? But his involvement with Dahok…wouldn't his own siblings cut him off? The relationships among the gods are toooo convoluted for my tastes. I have my hands full with Gabrielle.

"What's preventing him from rededicating the city now?"

"Well, Alala, Athena's Priestess and Hildreth the Amazon, who represents Artemis."

"How did they come to help you?" Gabrielle asked curious.

"They and some of their friends had passed through last winter solstice. We thought they had found the problem and cleared it but once they had left, the problems started up again. We sent for them to return and about four moons ago five of the women returned. Three of them disappeared within a moon."

The old man shook his head. "Ya came at a good time, Xena. My cousin told me you and your friend had cleared out a bunch of thieves from the surrounding mountains near their village for them."

"Hmm. I was wondering why Alala, who is a priestess, hasn't disappeared" Xena asked, nodding at the compliment.

"She's not a spy!" Eirene jumped to her defense.

Xena held up a hand. "I wasn't implying that."

"We don't know," Theseus admitted.

"I betcha General Gigantes mentions that a lot," Gabrielle guessed.

"Yeah. He and his friends mention a lot of stuff."

"What is his payoff for turning this place into an armed camp?" Xena wondered aloud. She was curious just how much the citizens knew and how much they would talk about. So far…they couldn't put what to her was obvious, the hostages and what was going on in the woods. Yerik and Gigantes can't keep Crometh's change a secret forever. Already caravan merchants are talking about something strange happening to the city. And then there's Hercules. He would come, once he hears something is going on…or will he be also effected by whatever is keeping the other gods out of the city? He is part god. And the water. Why aren't these people as docile as the rest? Of course, Alala knows so she would have tipped off her friends but not everyone or Gigantes would…would do what? The citizens outnumber his soldiers. Which is where the hostages probably came in. So can we trust these people? One of them is drugging our food.

Xena eyes narrowed as her thoughts returned to Ares. Was that why Athena didn't say exactly what it was she wanted Xena to do? Because she knew part of it would be doing a favor for Ares.

Alala and Hildreth who had left during the conversation burst into the room at that moment. "Empedon is leading a bunch of soldiers here. He's got them riled up again!"

Xena remained seated.

The others looked at Xena who calmly cupped her hands around her ale letting her eyes rest on Gabrielle who returned her gaze. Xena broke eye contact and returned her attention to her mug that had a bit of a leaf floating in it.

The door came open with a loud bang and soldiers poured into the room as if they were after an escaped prisoner. They pushed the patrons into a corner, with Alala and Hildreth separated from the group.

A tall overweight soldier dressed in ill fitting and dirty armor stepped in front of Xena who remained seated with the mug to her lips.

"Well, if it ain't the do gooder, Xena, Butcher Warrior Princess now Princess of the poor and down trodden," the soldier sneered. "Reaping what ya sowed," he leered.

Xena looked up at the soldier casually then looked around the room. "Well…if it ain't Empedon, deserter, thief and coward. Someone actually hire you?" Xena drawled. She lazily waved at the air in front of her as if Empedon smelled, which he did, of too much ale, unclean leathers and body.

The soldier drew back his arm as if to strike Xena but another soldier that had come quietly through the doorway halted his arm with his drawn sword point pushed into the back of his neck. He had saved Empedon's from a painful experience. If Xena hadn't seen that the new soldier would stop him in time, Xena would have sent a fist into his chest that would freeze his body's movements for a few agonizing moments.

"Empedon! What did I tell you about coming here?" The shorter dark haired captain demanded in a low voice. "You've been drinking! Aren't you on duty?"

"This here is Xena, trouble maker. Likely as the one causing all these problems," Empedon grunted. "I got some of the men gathered to bring her in."

Xena rolled her eyes. He hasn't changed a bit. Stupid. How on earth did he end up here and hired?

"Not likely. If you listen to talk in the inn, you would know she's been out of Greece for a while. Now…" he turned to look at Alala and Hildreth. "If you found out those two were involved. That I would believe." He smirked at the glare Hildreth gave him.

Xena noted the difference in the tall older Amazon that she had come to know as Lily over a year ago. She had favored chobos over a sword but now she merely had a knife scabbard in her waistband. She had discarded the Amazon jewelry for one solid gold necklace whose decoration was of Artemis that glinted in the indoor light.

"Get back to your unit and report to your captain." His voice had turned cold. Turning back to Xena he smiled.

"I'm Captain Herodes." He extended his arm to Xena.

Xena remained sitting with her fingers still casually curled around her mug of ale. He returned his arm to his side. "I've heard a lot about you," he remarked bravely continuing on.

"As I have of you." Xena didn't smile. Herodes under the direction of one of Caesar's generals had slaughtered an entire village looking for one deserter. She was also not happy that he knew so much about her whereabouts for the last year.

Who is keeping an eye out on me? The hairs on the back of her neck stood up. Caesar or Ares?

"Going to be here long?" he asked.

"We're here for the celebration of winter solstice," she told him.

"Oh…yeah…the Bard that travels with you…the Amazon Queen." The smirk on his face had Xena's hand twitching to pick up a nice ripe melon sitting on top of a nearby basket.

"Must be nice to have someone to record stories about you…and by an Amazon Queen no less." His eyes never traveled to Gabrielle. They remained on Xena. "Must drive that Amazon over there crazy that her Queen is waiting on you."

Xena appeared to take a sip of her ale calmly.

"Never saw a reason to celebrate something as worthless as solstice," he went on, not getting a rise out of her. "I'm more in for Bacchus' celebrations. They don't have much of that here, right now."

"I hear the satyrs are hunting for recruits around the forest. I'm sure you won't have long to wait if you took a walk in the forest," Xena mentioned casually. "But I hear your General would rather have Ares face in this city."

That got a laugh from the soldier. "This town is pussy whipped with all those goddesses. You'd think Zeus would put some…" He looked around uncomfortably and lowered his voice… "balls in the men folk. Now Ares, he wouldn't mind sharing with Bacchus."

Xena laughed to herself. He obviously didn't know anything about Ares. Ares was the most territorial of all the gods she knew.

"That would be like Ares lending out his leathers," Gabrielle snorted at the man's naiveté.

He suddenly turned to her as if noticing her for the first time. "Who are you?" His eyes looked at her hands then up to her breast where she had let the cloak open, showing her tattooed flowers.

"Gabrielle, the Bard…that Amazon Queen that travels with Xena. And, you know if you really believe what you just said about Ares…you're in for a rude awakening. Ares shares with no one and satyrs don't have a preference for partners in the festivals."

"What daya know about Ares or Bacchus festivals?" he sneered.

He obviously didn't know much about Gabrielle, Xena thought wryly. Whatever he saw before him didn't impress him at all. Come to think of it, that really was Gabrielle's intention.

"Traveling with Xena I get to meet all sorts of…memorable… personalities like Bacchus, satyrs and…Ares." She smiled at him with no rancor.

"Hmp!" he grunted unimpressed then turned back to Xena. "So, ya here for a few days?"

Xena hid the smile that threatened to work its way to her lips, as she watched Gabrielle roll her eyes at the soldier's breath.

"Trying to get rid of me?" Xena asked innocently.

"Trying to prevent trouble. There are a lot of people here that would like to make a name for themselves. I don't want anyone getting hurt."

"Your concern for your soldiers is…commendable," Xena returned unimpressed.

"The General will want to see ya, if ya stay longer than two days." She was informed in a harder voice.

"We're here for the winter solstice celebration. I thought it lasted for a week." Gabrielle objected.

The soldier looked like he was going to say more, but decided against it. "Two days." He repeated and left.

"What's with this 'two days'?" Gabrielle asked looking from one person to another that slowly moved back toward their table.

"Dunno, but…in three days we have this meetin' where we have to prove to General Gigantes' committee that there is no more need for his army and leadership," Theseus informed them.

"Up until six moons ago, General Gigantes had to prove why his military leadership was necessary. The last meeting he maneuvered the committee to say that it is us who must prove that there is no danger to warrant his protection," Eirene explained tiredly.

"He's been encouraging citizens that offer any resistance to his rules to leave…in various ways," Alala added.

"A small group of us had been away from the city for about ten moons. When we returned the change we felt was considerable…and I don't mean in just the addition of the outside walls." Hildreth spoke up, when Xena's glance fell on her. "Most of the people we got to know from our first visit here have disappeared. According to their neighbors they had packed up their belongings and left."

Alala nodded. "However, some of those people we know would not just leave. This is where they grew up and had invested their lives in what the city represents."

"What did the city represent?" asked Gabrielle trying to separate rumors from fact.

"Why…the Muses and the arts they bless!" Eirene reported surprised. "Of course we also have athletic competitions, games…we celebrate life! We have prosperous farms surrounding us that support our vision and dedication. The sacred groves in the east are carefully tended and thinned, everyone that was part of the city were interested in no other gods but the Muses. We even had three other goddesses visit, in disguise of course. We never had any complaints about where the city's business was focused. Our competitions are well talked about." She held her hands out in puzzlement at what had happened to their once great city.

"The Muses aren't the type to mettle in our affairs though the people that come here enjoy the atmosphere and give generously to the Temples and to the entertainment. We had it very good here," one of the others nodded sadly.

"Can you remember when you first started to feel that something was wrong in the forest?" Xena asked.

"Ya. That's easy. A little over a year ago our high priestess, Aerope, had gone out to the sacred groves right after the spring planting to give thanks and check on the plantings she had done. When she came back she reported someone had pulled all the new plantings out."

"From then on, all sorts of little things to the sacred groves and fields for the Temple started to happen. Then almost four moons later, it moved to more serious things. Aerope disappeared, then another priestess, and then it just kept agoin' on."

"Were these priestesses always alone?"

"No. They had the usual temple attendants around them. The women just disappeared without the attendants knowing what was going on."

"Are any of the attendants around so I can talk to them?" Xena asked.

"Well, there's only one left now," Eirene told her hesitantly.

"What happened to the others?" Gabrielle asked concerned.

"Left," Therseus snorted. "They probably got spooked. They weren't exactly the most reliable group to guard someone."

"Whatda ya mean?" Xena asked suspiciously.

"They were young girls," Alala explained. "Here the attendants are young girls. When they reach womanhood they decide whether they want to continue working in the temple or go to another trade the city supports. Training them in whatever trade they wish to venture into rewards their time spent working for the temple."

"Did their families move out?" Xena was suspecting that those might be the families Alala had said just vanished.

"Yea. Their families left shortly after they disappeared," Theseus nodded.

The others might be in the tunnels mining for General Giantes and his friends, Xena was thinking. Why no rumor? Hercules would have heard it. No, he's been out of Greece also and returned only a few moons before we had.

"Well, this isn't the usual warlord take over," Xena mused. "But someone wants this city… minus the Muses."

"Why?" Eirene asked frustrated. "We've been asking that ourselves. We aren't near any trade routes. Anyone visiting us is coming to be entertained. Our winter games are as challenging as the arts." She couldn't help smiling at that. "We're known as a fun city."

Gabrielle put a gentle hand on the woman's arm.

"We'll help you find out," she reassured her.

The old woman nodded and rose from her seat. "May the Muses guide y'er steps." Eirene told them gratefully. Their table cleared from most of the people with only Hildreth and Alala remaining. Hildreth had risen to let Eirene by.

"Would you two like to sit down?" Gabrielle offered. Xena had to stifle a chuckle. She knew Gabrielle was curious about these two.

Hildreth nodded and sat down before Alala could respond. The other sat down slowly as if not so sure she wanted to be here.

"I'm Gabrielle and this is Xena," Gabrielle introduced for Hildreth.

"My Queen." It sounded like a choke.

Gabrielle smiled. "Gabrielle will do. Thank you. You're far from home," she remarked innocently.

The tall Amazon hesitated a moment then answered keeping a polite face. "Ahh. Yes. I had received a message from some friends that used to live here."

"You were at Lesbos?"

"Lesbos?" Hildreth asked puzzled.

"Yeah. Are you not the Ambassador to Lesbos for one of the Amazon Nations?"

The tall woman's eyebrows rose to her hairline. "I had been, but I've been traveling lately and hadn't been back to Lesbos for almost two lunar years. I wasn't aware that we knew each other."

"Yeah. We met sometime last year just before the harvest season. You introduced yourself as Lily," Gabrielle told her trying not to look at what she knew was a Xena look from Xena resembling the rolling eye face.

Hildreth looked down at the tattooed hands that were casually wrapped around her mug of cider. She felt she would have remembered meeting with an Amazon Queen with tattoos on her hands. She couldn't remember anyone mentioning that any of the Queens had tattoos. And that would be something they would mention. Especially when they caused one to focus on her bare neck that had the tattoos in flowery loops going from one side to the other.

"I've changed a lot in a year," Gabrielle helped. "My hair's shorter and…" She touched the back of one of her hands. "I've added some body decorations."

Xena almost snorted at the description. They were more than that. They were a reminder of her own rededication in the search for a greater cause than her own life. Something Xena feared would mean she would give her life up to, and leave her to face the world and its cruelties alone. But so far, it hadn't been the case. All she had abandoned was her staff, not just her weapon of protection, but a staff that represented her position as an Amazon, keeping the symbolic head to the staff safely stored away at the Amazon Village in the Queen's hut.

There was an awkward silence as Hildreth tried to remember where she had met Gabrielle and she was sure she had not met Xena formally. The last memory she had of the Warrior Princess was when she was still a warlord and it was but a brief meeting, thank the goddess. She glanced at the tall dark haired warrior whose presence was considerable even when she seemed to be relaxed with her elbows resting lightly on the table with one hand curled around her mug of ale.

"Do you have a plan?" the tall Amazon finally asked turning to Xena.

"Yeah. I thought a walk in the woods would be nice."

"Mind if we go with you?" Alala asked.

"Not at all. You can show me where the priestesses have been disappearing."

Hildreth nodded. "We've been out to the different spots enough to know them by heart. You plan on staying past the two days?"

Xena shrugged her shoulders. "Gabrielle wanted to experience the winter solstice celebrations here."

"When would you like to go?"

"Unless you have something to do…right now would be nice."

The two women nodded and rose.

They didn't take time to trade for warmer coats, as Xena didn't think they would be out long. She just wanted to see where the two women would lead her and to see where the traps that the foreigners were setting were. The two dogs that had joined Gabrielle earlier accompanied them out side the walls. The two dogs romped along side of them, toward the sacred groves that were east of the city as if knowing where they were going.

"Jerid would not have left his dogs," Alala muttered as she watched the two snip at each other, dancing in mock attacks at each other.

"Jerid?" Gabrielle asked as she tried to keep up with the three women who were all longer in leg limbs than her.

"He was a young merchant I met when we first came to the city about a year ago. He trained dogs for guarding the city gates, homes, things like that."

"Maybe these belong to someone else."

Alala glanced at Gabrielle. "He didn't have any intention of selling these two. He gave them to his wife for her protection. She liked to go visiting the forest to gain inspiration. She wrote lyrics and songs for the temple as well as for the monthly competitions."

"She's one of the people that disappeared?" Gabrielle asked.

"I really don't know. Their neighbors said they moved out, taking their business to neighboring Pandestia. But we had passed through there before we came to Crometh and we would have heard if they were there. Jerid's skills in dog training would have been the talk of the town." Alala shook her head.

"He's that good?" Xena remarked as she looked about her as they entered the first part of the sacred groves.

"He is. He doesn't just sale anyone one of his dogs. He used to take trips to visit potential customer to make sure the dog would be treated well."

"Hmm." Xena ducked a low overhang to a tree that showed recent cuts. She walked around the tree studying the marks on the tree. "Looks like a satyr's been here." She squatted down to study the bruised bush next to the tree and the print that was hidden under the leaves.

"What are those marks on the tree from, Xena?" Gabrielle nodded to the bruised bark that was out of her reach.

"A satyr's horn," she muttered as she continued to look around the area. "Looks fresh enough to have been from last night. Usually satyrs don't move through sacred groves that are not to their patron."

Out of the corner of her eye Xena could see Alala give a guilty look toward Hildreth.

"Ahhh. Well…we had a meeting with Scion the leader of a small group of satyrs that have taken up residence in the woods on the other side of the sacred groves...last night." Alala admitted. "I guess he followed us back to the city."

Xena looked up at Alala, and then slowly straightened up. She continued to look around, pulling a tuff of rough hair from a branch over her head. "What was your business?" she asked casually, wondering if she would get a truthful answer.

"He's…holding some of our friend's hostage." Hildreth's voice quivered with anger.

"Are they priestesses?" Xena asked innocently.

The two women were silent for a moment. "Yeah…they're part of the problem the city has. There's…bad feelings from the last time we came through. "We found Scion, and some of his den mates were causing problems in the surrounding forests. We convinced him to move on. I guess it didn't stick for long," Alala finished.

Xena merely nodded and continued to look around, walking towards the cleared circle within the sacred grove that was for celebrations to which the sacred grove was for. If followed for another quarter of a candle mark it would take them to the sacred cavern that Dorie had said was where the village hostages were kept.

The women followed Xena quietly as she inspected the circle. Gabrielle was successfully hiding the smirk as she watched the three. Gotcha! She couldn't help but feel pride in Xena's casualness at her information gathering.

Suddenly Xena was gone! "Hey!" Gabrielle uttered startled.

"Hey, yourself." The familiar voice returned above her head.

"Xena!" Gabrielle had her hand to her throat as she tried to get her heart to slow back to a normal pace. "What are you doing up there?" she asked in a normal tone as possible.

The other two women were also taken by surprise, but Hildreth recovered quickly, and not to be outdone, joined Xena in the tree. Alala stayed below to act as a guard for Gabrielle, as if it were their usual practice.

Xena pointed to Hildreth marks on the branches. "Looks like someone had a net up here."

"Recently?" Hildreth asked unbelieving, studying the same cuts and knowing the answer to her question.

"No. Been a while. When was the last time someone disappeared in these woods?"

"Three moon's back when preparation for the goddess' visit to her followers is made. These days' people don't come into the groves."

"Hmm." From her perch Xena's eye caught sight of something in another tree and moved through the branches easily. It was a net…one of the traps Dorie had mentioned the foreigners were still setting.

She heard Hildreth softly curse under her breath.

"That's were we were going to collect herbs tonight for the Temple."

Xena nodded. She could see a nice collection of leaves below her that would yield a few taiga roots. She moved to the net and studied it. Pulling out her breast knife she cut some of the netting.

"That should be a surprise to whoever thinks they will be making a catch."

Xena felt a tremor in the tree. She looked toward Hildreth to see if she had felt it.

"What was that?" she whispered.

Xena dropped out of the tree and put both hands on the ground. She could feel small vibrations in the ground. Is there a tunnel running beneath here? "Do they have tremors around here often?" Xena asked.

"No…I haven't felt any until now. But it's possible," Hildreth sounded doubtful.

"What do you think it's from?" Gabrielle asked her as she stood next to Xena's kneeling form as she continued to study the trembling under her hands.

The priestess and Amazon exchanged glances. Hildreth looked back at the Amazon Queen and shook her head. "I don't know my Queen."

"It's Gabrielle," she smiled. She looked down at the woman whose body was warming her hand as it rested comfortably on her shoulder.

Xena finally rose. "Are there tunnels running under here?"

Alala shook her head. "Underground water tunnels are to the west of here. It's where the spring water comes from."

Xena frowned looking over the area. She moved forward following the sound of a stream. She studied the streambed then reached in and pulled out a handful of its bottom soil. She pushed the stones around as Gabrielle and the others leaned over her shoulders. Small gold nuggets lay amongst some of the other river settlement that her finger was pushing aside.

"Goddess!" Alala muttered under her breath.

Xena suddenly looked up. "We're going to have company if we don't get out of here," she warned the group. She let the loose pebbles drop back into the river.

She didn't wait for the women to make a choice as she herded them quickly in front of her, away from the river that showed one reason for the town being taken over.

Guards were waiting for the women when they returned to the Inn. Captain Herodes was seated at one of the tables watching while some of the clients were playing a board game. He rose quickly when Xena entered.

"Where've ya been?" he asked suspiciously.

"Why are you asking?" Xena raised an eyebrow at him.

"You have General Giantes attention. He doesn't need a reason."

"This isn't Rome, Herodes. We Greeks don't need to tell anyone why or where we go. Unless…Giantes thinks himself a warlord… and then…we would have a different situation here, wouldn't we?"

"The General isn't Roman and he isn't a warlord."

"He's not Greek either or he would know that taking a Greek city hostage tends to irritate the citizens to say nothing of it's Potnia," Xena told him softly.

Herodes snorted. "No one's a hostage here. Anyone who wants to leave…" he turned to the patrons…"should by all means…leave."

Xena smiled. She had decided to move things up a bit by letting them know, she knew. She could easily take their soldiers, but…that's not quite what she had in mind.

"The General wants to see you, without your weapons," Herodes turned to motion to the guards but didn't get far.

Xena had Herodes around the neck. "IF your General…wants to see me…HE…can come and visit…me."

She released Herodes pushing him into the small group of guards he had brought along. Herodes didn't challenge her but rather instead glared at her as he left.

"Is this trouble?" Gabrielle asked under her breath.

"Yeah. But we can handle it. I think he was taken by surprise and decided maybe I needed to visit the General. Let's see what the General has to say…though I don't think he would want to see me…not yet anyway. They are going to wait a few more days to see if I succumb to the water, wine, ale, food or what ever else he has drugged."

" He's not going to let that go," Hildreth mentioned worried.

"Yeah. I know his type well. I'm sure he's going to let Empedon do his dirty work." Xena turned to Alala and Hildreth. "How many people know about the drugged water?"

"Just the two of us." Alala didn't look surprised at her question. "We don't want to say anything until we can get past their guards and clean the water up." Alala informed her, "and get to the hostages they have."

"Hmm. I've already taken care of the water problem. But, if Gigantes suspects he may make a move against the citizens before the town meeting. Just to keep him off balance I'll stir the pot a bit."

Xena could hear footsteps approaching hurriedly. They weren't the heavy foot tread of soldiers.

Eirene, Theseus and some other people entered the Inn looking around. Spotting Xena, Eirene started toward her. She was angry by the set of her shoulders.

"What have you done?" she asked angrily.

Xena raised her eyebrows and pointed at herself.

"She told Captain Herodes to go play with himself," Hildreth told Eirene with a raised eyebrow.

"What?" Eirene paused for a moment.

"No. It had to be something else to get General Gigantes in a big huff!" Theseus shook his head.

"We went into the forest." Alala offered. "General Gigantes had ordered the people to stop going into the forest because he couldn't risk spreading out his soldiers to protect them and those working on the walls," she explained turning towards Xena and Gabrielle.

"Well, General Gigantes told us that if Xena leaves by tomorrow, he will not declare martial law and lock up the city," Eirene told them.

Xena watched the citizens for a moment. Why are they all of a sudden backing down? Did Gigantes find out I tampered with his water scheme? Or, is he putting pressure on the citizens that have family members as hostages to get me out of the city? Surely he knows that it would only strengthen my resolve to stay. Or…is he testing to see if the drug is taking effect on me?

"Captain Herodes told you that no doubt. But, no problem," Xena told her uncaring. "We'll leave tomorrow."

The citizens were uncertain for a moment, as if expecting some sort of argument, which they were sure they would lose. Then Eirene nodded and pushed against the others that were around her as she stomped her way out.

Gabrielle looked at Xena who was calmly looking down at her clasped hands. "Well, there goes the reputation of the city," Gabrielle remarked dryly.

"Hmm. So far the stories I've heard are not as good as yours, my Bard," Xena teased as she placed both hands on the table and rose. "Well, it's near sunset."

"When is the festival going to start?" Gabrielle asked.

"By the looks of things, it will probably be done within private homes."

"So, festivals and celebrations are being forced indoors?"

Alala nodded. "Yeah. From what we gathered, about a month before we arrived, citizens who stayed out late into the morning hours would find themselves beaten and robbed. By the time we got here, it was an accepted practice that everyone was in their own home by two candlemarks after sunset, no matter the season."

"General Giantes?"

"Probably. The point is…the citizens believe it and they don't have the will to fight…" She shook her head tiredly. "You've just seen what usually happens. One day they work with us and the next…"

"It must be pretty difficult to try to defend a city from itself and at the same time save your friends. How did you find out about the water?" Xena continued.


Hildreth sighed. "It took us about two weeks. Alala and I spend a lot of time patrolling outside the city and the sacred forest, drinking from the streams outside, as well as fill our water bags out there. The other three that were with us, began to get real strange about the third or forth day. Since we all were busy when we first arrived, attending to the temples and trying to get a sense of what was happening to the temples and city together we didn't realize what was happening until it was too late for our friends."

"We keep hoping something will…turn around in our favor."

Xena looked at her with a smile. "I think it has. Tonight they'll probably make another move." She stretched her long legs out beneath the table. "You're scheduled to make a visit out to the woods to collect herbs for the ceremony tonight, so…just disappear towards the western part of the sacred groves. The city guards don't expect you to return. Your disappearance probably won't be noticed till sometime tomorrow. Just remember …satyrs use smell…so keep to the highest part of the trees."

"All right. Do you want to meet somewhere and make plans?"

Xena smiled. "I'll find you. Just be careful."

Xena looked at Gabrielle. "Shall we call it a day?"

Gabrielle nodded. They both rose from their seats and headed up the stairs to their rooms. Xena entered their room first warning Gabrielle to wait. After a few moments she called Gabrielle in. Xena was kneeling next to their packs.

"What happened?"

"Someone's been through our things. Looks like my herb pouch and food have been disturbed," Xena murmured as she touched pouches of various herbs pulling those that she felt had been removed by someone else, out of the saddlebag.

"Good thing we hid Artemis' fan." Gabrielle said in a low voice as sat on their pallet watching Xena meticulously go through each bag of herb.

"So…" Gabrielle looked at Xena hopefully. She was going to tell her what she had found out from her conversation probably with Dorie, for she didn't expect the guards she had dealt with would be of much help.

After she finished with her herb pouches Xena went over to their waterskins and emptied the water out without even sniffing the contents. Then sniffed the spout afterwards. She smelled the water from their pipes and nodding let it run into the tub, filling the skins back up

"Tonight we're going to check out this cavern that has the hostages. Tomorrow is when Gigantes will probably make his move on us. He'll want his drugs to do some of the work for him." She looked back at Gabrielle.

Gabrielle nodded silently from the bed. She would have to wait to hear what Xena had to say. She for one was tired and Xena most of all needed to catch up on some rest. She would put off asking her just what Artemis had in mind for her.

****
Chapter 7

The Sacred Caverns

Xena and Gabrielle watched the guards outside of the cavern entrance. Gabrielle had a déjà vu experience but couldn't remember why the entrance was so familiar.

The two women watched silently from a tree branch that was higher than what Gabrielle would have chosen to be roosted on. But the branches were bare and Xena wanted to be higher than the guards would normally look. The guards were satyrs also, so any breeze with their scent would give them away. Five of them were sitting around a small campfire rather than taking cover in the cavern, which by nature they would be more comfortable in.

Before they had reached the cavern they had weaved through a lot of traps that were set surrounding the area. According to Dorie, the only time others visited the cavern was once a lunar year for the Solstice Celebration when the oracle spoke for the City. Xena guessed the traps were to keep the Amazon from tracking the hostages to where they were being kept. Both women were surprised about the gold so Xena knew that the gold mines were kept from public knowledge. She could see why. Once the gold was known to be here, the city would no longer be associated with the Muses or their athletic competitions.

Xena had left Gabrielle safely up in a tree while she checked the rows of arrows set on a hair like trigger, pikes in a gully, nets, and something she couldn't discern in another pit but it moved around.

Taking them by surprise is out, Xena thought. If she took this way in, and escaped all the traps, which she thought she could, there was no way she could get by the ivy that was growing all around the cavern. From the breeze that was blowing by, there was a powder on the leaves that would render the person passing through it unconscious within minutes.

Xena tapped Gabrielle's arm and both silently withdrew. For the next candlemark Xena searched the surrounding area for any air holes into the tunnels. There had to be many in order for the hostages to still be alive under ground.

"Gabrielle, wait here and keep an eye on that area over there." She whispered close to Gabrielle's ear. Gabrielle brushed the ear that the warm breath tickled distracted for a moment by nicer memories of late nights they spent together in a forest.

Xena moved silently in the dark, guided by smells, sounds and dark shapes that loomed out of the darkness. Dorie said there were a lot of small air openings somewhere around here. If I can locate the different air vents I can control the type of air that enters the cavern. She smiled at what could blow in on a gust of wind.

The idea of using Gigantes own methods had a pleasing note to it. A strong smell came her way and she moved to follow it. It wasn't pleasant for it was from a lot of unwashed bodies and human waste.

"So, this is the exit to the air flow." The flap of wings interrupted her inspection as she watched the familiar owl settle on a dark form that in daylight would reveal the dark shadow to be a rock. The two regarded each other until the owl stretched her wings and took flight. Xena followed the gray shape as it sailed between trees.

The owl led her to an opening in the rocks that by the sound was sucking in air. The sounds from the wind moving through the naked branches overhead had covered noise. Xena walked around to locate a few others.

Satisfied she had enough located to do what she needed to do she turned back to join Gabrielle. On their way back to the city, Xena spotted two familiar dark figures moving stealthily further into the forest, using the high branches of the trees for safe passage.

They made it back into the city before the last star faded, managing to avoid the posted guards on the walls.

When both women were back in bed, Gabrielle snuggled against her favorite pillow; she finally broached the subject Xena had yet to discuss with her.

"So…are you going to tell me just what Dorie said about my need to be here?"

Xena chuckled and kissed her on the top of her head. "Hmmm. It seems…an Amazon Queen of golden and impeccable qualities is needed to help the spirit of a lost Amazon Queen find rest and direction to her rightful resting place in the Amazon land." Xena waited for a few moments to see if Gabrielle was going to say anything.

Gabrielle lifted her head up to look at Xena's shadowed face. "And…" she encouraged.

"Hmm Yeah…you also need to do some other stuff that a priestess needs to talk to you about. I'm…well…I want to hear just what all the rest is about. Dorie was a bit sketchy."
So…we need to get into the cavern before solstice."

Xena nodded.

"Thirteen moons of lunar travel, thirteen marks on a carved horn, darkest night and longest still, time to resanctify the signs will," Gabrielle quietly recited.

Xena looked down at her. "Where did you hear that?"

"It's in a scroll I read at one of the temples some years back. I didn't know what it meant then…I was translating for the priestess because it was in an old language. For some reason it just came to mind."

"Uh huh. In any case…we won't have to worry about the people here. I know the water is back to normal and the people should be getting some of their spunk back." She peered down at the figure that was resting comfortably against her. "I'm going to have to find out where they hid the golden girdle. I'll leave that for tomorrow night. So, what did you see while I was away?"

"Oh…yeah." Gabrielle rubbed her face against the warm leathered bodice then peered up into her partner's face. For a moment she was caught up in the reflection the dark blues were getting from the small light of the fire. Sighing she resumed. "There were some hostages that were watched by a few satyrs and men. I think they were grubbing in the dark. Strange to be looking for herbs at night if you're not a priestess. Some of them looked like they could have been soldiers. They looked like they once had nice bodies under the rags."

Xena glanced down at Gabrielle whose face was showing strain.

Gabrielle hugged Xena a little closer, using her to give her more than warmth from her body as she struggled in her mind at how to present a plan she knew would have crossed Xena's mind, but may discard it.

"Xena, why do both of us have to be arrested?" She raised her head to study the outline of a jaw above her.

"Who said anything about us getting arrested?" Xena's heart beat changed rhythm and her breathing slowed.

"It's the only way we are going to get into the cavern aside from killing a lot of satyrs and who knows what else," she told her matter of factly. "One of us has to remain outside, and you know it can't be me. I would be better working from the inside." She let her hand rub the arm that was wrapped around her, soothing and letting her know she knew this was going to be a difficult decision.

Xena sighed. Gabrielle had pretty much summed up what she had been planning. They needed someone on the inside but she was reluctant to use Gabrielle though she was the only good choice.

"We can't be sure that they will be taking you to the cavern or how they will treat you."

"Xena, you already said this was their plan. To take me as a hostage, send me to the cavern as a hostage, and have you, in a drugged state, wandering around the forest looking for me. So?"

She took a deep breath and decided, reluctantly, to let her faith in Gabrielle's ability to use her wits to keep out of trouble… Out of trouble, …Gabrielle? Ahhh ahh, don't go there Xena.

"Well…since you have your heart set on being a hostage…and they have their heart set on making you a hostage…whom am I to disappoint you all." Though she made light of it, she hugged Gabrielle closer at her unexpressed worry at what could happen to Gabrielle as a prisoner and her not able to get to her in time.

Xena let the fingers caressing her arm lull her into a sleepy and relaxed mood, now that the decision was made.

"Hmm. Do you think Gigantes will be surprised at the next meeting?" Gabrielle smiled at the question. She could feel a chuckle vibrating against her ear that was pressed up against Xena's breastbone.

"If things go as planned…his soldiers will be where the citizens are and the citizens where the soldiers are."

"Eeewww." Gabrielle squeezed Xena and rubbed her face on the leathered beast. "Hmm." Her voice suddenly changed.

"Hey!" Xena yelped when Gabrielle latched a set of teeth on the leather bodice where her nipple was covered.

Gabrielle giggled lifting a hand to brush the wet spot she had left on the leather cup, noting Xena's intake of breath. "Sorry. I just don't know what got into me…where was I before I was nicely sidetracked…oh, yeah. Those soldiers are not the cleanest group we've seen. Are you sure this city won't mind switching places with them? Whew! Over 1200 unwashed bodies in a city makes it a real small space."

"I doubt that has to do with the water…I mean…I think that's something they weren't taught when they were children." Xena mumbled into the blond head that was starting to nod off. After that nip…she wanted to do some nipping of her own, her arm gave Gabrielle a reflex squeeze.

"Hmmmm. That doesn't sound Greek to me…or Roman for that matter." Gabrielle let a yawn stretch her jaw. "I've never heard of a Greek that didn't like her baths. Remind me to thank both our mother's for being Greek," a muffled voice told her as it buried itself into the leathered bodice, this time to sleep.
****

Sometime close to daybreak, bright blue eyes sprang open alert. Her ears picked up unusual noise outside. Dogs barking, roosters crowing, and a large number of booted feet moving accompanied with low grumbling, metal scraping metal…she had already started to untangle herself from her sleeping partner and bedcovers, rolling off the bed and reaching for her weapons, armor, saddlebags and boots.

In a harsh whisper Xena attempted to wake her companion. "Gabrielle!…Gabrielle!" Xena had her hand on the door to the balcony before one sleepy pale green eye looked at her over the covers.

"It's started. Don't take chances! I'll be watching." Xena disappeared out into the predawn darkness. She pulled herself up onto the roof, noting that the archers hadn't even got into position yet. Hmmmm…too late…too dumb, she thought contemptuously.

Geeezze, I feel like a lover fleeing from being caught in the arms of her forbidden love. Xena sniggered and shook her head as she thought about Gabrielle's dramatics rubbing off on her. One Bard in the family is enough, thank the Muses.

She moved across neighboring rooftops putting her armor on between stops. While she waited for a small group of soldiers to move past her she laced her boots. She smiled as she noticed they did not have the same demeanor as they a day earlier.

"Must be something in the water," she humorously mused.

She moved to a rooftop that had a view of the official building General Gigantes was using as his office and residence. She was wondering if he noticed any changes in himself by now. If Yerik visited him, would he notice and say something…or use it to his advantage. Xena grinned. Without a doubt, he would use it to his advantage.

The soldiers marched out of the Inn behind Captain Herodes with a small blond figure wrapped in her winter coat. At least they let her put something warm on. The half asleep small figure stumbled and Xena nodded when a solicitous soldier put out a hand to steady her. Yep, must be something in the water. Definitely a different group that visited us the other day.

Xena waited just inside the protection of the forest for the guards to take Gabrielle to the cavern for safe keeping, after she made a side trip. She had set little traps in the barracks, rooms Gigantes used and where Captain Herodes liked to bathe…just so that Gigantes and the troops would think she was prowling around the city setting up diversions to free Gabrielle. On her first night she had set a few, just in case she would need a diversion, for what, she hadn't quite worked out. It now fit in just purrrrfectly with what she needed…misdirection.

From her treetop view she spotted a small group of soldiers exit out of one of the back ways from the city and push forward a smaller figure as they looked furtively around them. A smile curved her lips. Oh, so predictable.

Xena could feel Dorie's presence as she silently watched the soldiers enter into the shadows of the forest.

"Why did you let them take her?" the plaintive little voice asked.

Xena nearly jumped when the voice sounded so close to her ear.

"Dorie, it's okay. We planned it this way. She's going to work the inside while I work the outside. How are those women doing?"

"Well…the two that escaped from the satyrs, they found their friends in the cave. They heard them singing."

Xena pursed her lips…it also could be overheard by satyrs or the men with them.

Dorie shook her head. "The outsiders don't come around there. It's too far from anything they need…besides, I would chase them away."

"They know you are here?"

"No. They don't know what it is that makes trees shake, roots trip them, or animals attack," she smirked.

"Ahh. So, they were singing." That's a good sign. It certainly did ease some of the pain she felt when she sang over the pyres of fallen friends. For a moment her breath caught. A vision of her singing over Ephiny's pyre came to her along with the sorrow mixed with…anger at…Caesar! Xena straightened up with a hiss.

She shook her head and stared at the tree her hand was gripped around tightly.

"Are you all right?" the little voice asked her.

"Hmm Oh…yeah…so, these two let the others out?" She pushed the intrusive feelings of doom for the Amazon Regent out of her present awareness.

"No. They can't move the rock you put before the entrance. They're trying to figure that out. But they have whispered conversations with their friends."

"So the drug has worn off?"

"Almost. They have sore tummies. The one that talks to the birds, thinks you did it and you will return soon to remove it."

Well…I've got more important things to take care of right now. Do you want to come along or…"

If the shade had color in her eyes, Xena would have seen them brighten at the invitation. She had asked the shade to not go with Gabrielle and her to the caverns in case Yerik felt her presence, which Dorie had said he could. Now she could use her to further rattle Yerik's group that was outside of the cavern.

"I saw a map of the tunnels. There are a lot of them." Xena commented as the two moved after the group that was leading Gabrielle further into the forest.

"No. There are only three." The little face beamed. "They only think there are more, except Yerik. He knows because in the beginning he had explored the tunnels with lots of lights to burn and destroy as much as he could of the sacred objects in the tunnels, caverns and in the wall niches."

"Ahh." A part of her was wondering if Gabrielle would figure that out. Xena slowed as she noticed that the traps she had studied the previous night were rearranged. Probably to keep rescuers off balance, she thought to herself.

"They change them every morning. They make the soldiers from Crometh do it," the little voice whispered.

Xena nodded. Using military minds to imprison themselves. Must be funny to Yerik, Xena was thinking. Then she smiled. The pattern of the maze was from one of the games at the Inn.

Xena moved ahead of the group quietly, using the trees but dropping to the ground when it proved to be a faster way to where she was headed. Finally seeing what she was looking for…she removed her breast knife and placed it under one of the curling roots of a tree. She was hopping Gabrielle would see it before her guards did.

The way they are all stumbling you would think they were suffering from a hangover of still drunk. She pursed her lips as she wondered why Gabrielle was stumbling so much. Had they given her some of the drug already so she wouldn't be a problem?

Xena nodded when Gabrielle stumbled for what seemed like the tenth time and retrieved the knife with her captors none the wiser.

Xena and Dorie moved closer to the cavern entrance and watched the group approach the satyr guards. Dorie turned her head to look at Xena as she watched and heard the group handing over Gabrielle to the satyrs. When Gabrielle disappeared into the darkness Xena gave an inaudible sigh and nodded at Dorie.

"C'mon. I need to gather some herbs. There should still be some growing around here."

"What are you going to do?" Dorie asked as she assisted Xena in gathering the herbs she needed. Dorie was able to spot the necessary herbs faster than Xena and had collected more than enough in a short time.

"I'm going to burn some of this stuff outside of the vents to the tunnels."

"What does it do?"

"Well…it acts in the opposite manner to the herbs I found General Gigantes was using in the city. The thing is, if you are not under the influence of the other herb this is suppose to counter, then you get quite worked up. I'm betting that the satyr's don't go into the caverns. I certainly don't want to be stuck in a cavern with a worked up satyr. They were all on the outside, which is unusual for a satyr when there is a cave nearby…my guess is, is that there is something they don't like in there. So much so…that they stand quite a distance away from the entrance." Xena didn't look up as she mixed some of the herbs from her pouches with the ones they had gathered in the damp dirt, patting them into small squares."

"Oh. You don't want everyone to wake up."

"Right."

"Hmm. You still won't be able to get in and they still won't be able to get out."

"Why?" Xena had a look of concentration on her face as she formed a neat line of mud patties on the rock that was serving as a table.

"The symbols near the sacred pool. Even the goddesses can't get past."

Ahhhh. Now I get even a bigger picture. Must be the symbols Gigantes and Yerik were babbling about. "Just what is that?" Xena glanced up at the shimmering form next to her that was just as industriously patting mud into a flat shape, but not really contributing any finished patties to her growing collection.

"Some circles with little pictures in them."

Xena thought a moment. Shaman? She shook her head, Yerik didn't strike her as a shaman, but she asked anyway. "Is Yerik a shaman?"

"As a boy he worked for one in his village…but the old man died before he learned the craft. The statue he talks to…told him what to do, with the blood from living things…" she shuddered.

"Human blood?" Xena asked worried.

The little head nodded and added, "He used the satyrs too."

"That's interesting." Xena paused wondering what she got both her and Gabrielle into. She shook her head. She would keep to her plan and counter the effects of the drugs those in the cavern were being given and by now, including Gabrielle. She was hoping she still had enough sense to do what she had to do. Would she be able to figure out that pictures on a wall were preventing people from escaping? Well…she said that she saw some people being let out at night…and they had to do something to let her enter. She had to give Gabrielle a chance to figure things out.

Xena regarded her finished products. Seven little squares of mud mixed with herbs. When burned, the herbs would release their essence and the mud would harden and at a certain point burst.

"All right. Let's get these little patties bakin'," Xena whispered to Dorie.

********
Chapter 8

Gabrielle's Role

Bleary eyed with sleep, Gabrielle looked at her partner bending over her boots collecting them quickly and making it out to the balcony door. She stifled a giggle as the idea of a wanna-be suitor making an illicit visit to try out her purchase before taking ownership, was sneaking off before getting caught.

"Whaatt? She tried to shake the woolly feeling she had in her head. "How can anyone be bright eyed and bushy tailed before it's even light outside?" she grumpily mumbled to herself. "Squirrels don't get up this early."

The vibrations of a lot of heavy footfalls in the building brought her up and alert abruptly, groaning from the soreness she acquired from her previous night's climbing incident she swung her legs over the edge of the bed. Xena's hurried message trickled into her slowly waking mind. She dragged her boots on and was lacing them up when the door to their room swung open and soldiers surrounded her. Pale green eyes opened wide at the dull but pointed ends of many swords that were only a finger's width away from her skin.

"Morning," she spoke pleasantly. "Had a bad night?" she asked nervously as a hand reached though the swords and pulled her up roughly.

"Where is she?" Captain Herodes breathed in her face.

Gabrielle grimaced at the stale smell of onions, garlic and beer that bore down on her heavily, not to mention that he hadn't bathed recently.

"Well, I just woke up so…"

Herodes shook her so hard her teeth rattled.

"Where…is…she?" he asked again between clinched teeth. He had stumbled into one of Xena's traps she had set and was pretty shaken up. How in Ares balls did she know we were coming for her? He had no doubt she set the rack of lances to fall when a certain amount of lances were removed. He remembered something similar she had done to one of Caesar's troops when they took over one of the Greek fortresses near the port they had landed a scouting party at four years back. They were just testing the defenses of the Greeks. They had a rude awakening from thinking it was going to be easy once they took over their fortresses. This was very much like her work.

"I don't know," Gabrielle answered calmly putting a hand on the fist that was digging into her shoulder. "She wasn't here when I woke up."

Herodes pushed her into a wall hard, while he gestured to the soldiers to pickup their belongings. Gabrielle noticed Xena had taken some of their packs with her.

No more questions were asked her as her tunic and coat was tossed to her.

"A walk? Of course I could go with you on a morning walk. But why not wait for light…have a light meal first..." Gabrielle grumbled as she pulled the tunic over her head then wrapped her coat around her."Hey!" she objected as she was roughly grabbed and pulled out of their room.

On the stairs one of the soldiers pushed her in the back to move faster down the stairs. There was no one in the common as she was hurried out. She stumbled as she was caught up in a yawn and felt someone grab her elbow to keep her in line. A very distinct feeling of familiar eyes watching her caused her to smile behind a hand and another wide yawn. Gads! Warriors and their early hours! No wonder they're so grumpy. If they had a leisure morning meal maybe they wouldn't be as irritable as Hera's left foot. Gabrielle was referring to the tale of Hera's left foot that was reputed to have a twitch and how it got the twitch. That is another tale, and is left for telling as a warning to errant children.

General Gigantes was standing in the shadows of his meeting room watching Captain Herodes pushing the small blond woman ahead of him. He frowned. It wasn't Perdicles' girlfriend, not as he remembered her. Squinting he looked closer. Yesss. There was something familiar about her. The way she tossed her head at something that irritated her.

The Captain pushed her towards him when they were within a few feet. "Xena wasn't there," he told Gigantes in clipped terms.

Gigantes looked down at the dagger he was playing with. He had been using it to cut fruit with and it was sticky with the juices. He looked back in the dark green eyes that were shinning from the little light in the room.

"You've changed a lot since we've last met," he told Gabrielle as she returned his stare. He studied the back of the tattooed hand that was holding her coat around her from the chill of the room they were in. The torches in the room flickered together, as the doors to the anteroom they were in were closed to cut the cold draft off.

"So have you. I take it you're no longer a merchant's slave."

Gigantes raised an eyebrow at her. His master had never treated him as one, nor referred to him as one…so how did she know that he really was?

"Where's Xena?" he asked instead in a terse tone.

"I don't know. I woke up to your soldiers…not a pretty sight, I'm telling yaooo.…upf"

Gigantes struck Gabrielle with the back of his hand angrily. Gabrielle maintained her balance and took the blow as Xena had taught her. She was lucky she had seen it coming so she could prepare for it, otherwise she would have been picking herself up from the floor. Her lip dripped blood from the cut he opened with the heavy gold ring he wore. One of the soldiers grabbed her roughly by the shoulders holding her in front of the ex-slave.

Not the listening type, Gabrielle surmised, as she waited for the pain from the blow, and from her arms being pulled up behind her to recede. Her legs instinctively sought balance from the uncomfortable position she was held in.

"Where is Xena?" This time he didn't wait for an answer, but struck her in the stomach. As the air in her lungs whooshed out, her legs gave out and the soldier's grip tightened holding her up with her limp legs dangling below her. She felt her body struggling for air while another part of her distanced itself from the withering part and hovering above her, looked around. Bored soldiers were standing in the room while Gigantes grabbed a handful of her short hair, pulling her head up and waited, leering at her bloodied mouth that was opened in an attempt to suck air back into her body. Her eyes were glazed as she gazed inward for the agonizing time it took for her body to recuperate.

"I'll ask one more time…"

Distantly, Gabrielle noticed he smelled a lot better than Herodes, as his pale face was up close to hers.

"I…." She felt a groan escape her lips as he painfully twisted her hair pulling her head back so her neck was exposed. Her body finally had its needed air back, and she was able to get her feet under her, taking off some of the weight from her arms that were held tightly behind her back.

"I don't know. She was gone…" another slap across her face rocked her back into the soldier, "when I woke up." She finished breathing heavily. She could feel her eye swelling. The whole right side of her face was numb. The gold ring on his finger was doing the most damage.

A commotion in the hall had both men taking defensive positions. Gigantes pulled a stumbling Gabrielle against him drawing the sticky knife up against her throat.

One of the soldiers came in with his sword drawn. "She's attacking us!" he frantically yelled gesturing with his free hand.

"Where?" Gigantes demanded.

"How?" Captain Heordes asked at the same time. Herodes suspected she had seen them drag Gabrielle into the building. He was nervous that she would get angry at them because Gigantes was mistreating her friend. He heard what she did to people that messed with her friends.

"A fire in the stables."

"Which one?"

"Ours!"

"Well, we don't have any horses there right now….so, what else?" he asked exasperated. "She's setting up diversions so she could get the Bard back," he muttered to Captain Herodes. Gabrielle grimaced from the chokehold around her throat and the knife that was pressed painfully against the skin at the bottom of her ear.

"She gets her back…and we'll be on Charon's vessel with an obol shoved up each of our asses," Captain Herodes told his General.

"Take her out the back to the cavern," General Gigantes told him hurriedly. He pushed Gabrielle over to Herodes. "Keep Xena busy, until you get her out, then we'll make a bargain." Gigantes grinned. Well, looks like she made the decision for me. She's going to be part of the hostage game. She's going to be able to get in those tunnels, sooner or later. But that's not going to be my problem. Two days is all I need to keep her busy…and she should be starting to feel the effects of the drugs.

He would have to get Herodes to face her and see if her eyes showed how far the effects of the drug were with her…then he would know just how much he could influence her…and if he dared to order her to his bed. His spy had said she had put enough of the drug in her ale to knock a horse out. And she wouldn't lie…for he had her daughter as a hostage.

Captain Herodes pushed Gabrielle forward into the arms of a soldier. By the time they had reached the underground tunnel that led out from the building under the two fences, her hands were bound securely in front of her, and around her waist with her mouth gagged.

Gabrielle could feel the right side of her face that had been numb was starting to hurt, especially where the gag pulled across her bleeding lip.

All right Xena, plan A is going just fine…with a few injuries, but nothing unusual, she thought silently to her friend, and hoped she wouldn't get a view of her face. Xena would keep to her plan, but seeing her injuries would distract her.

Gabrielle concentrated on what Xena had taught her when in situations like this, study their defenses and possible ways out and in. You did ask for this job…so, keep alert, she briskly reminded herself as she tried to balance herself without the use of her arms over roots, brush, and rocks that they weaved through like a drunken troop, which apparently, some of the men were drunk.

The soldiers kept glancing about them nervously, which caused them to trip over roots or run into low over hanging branches while they were looking the other way. But then, she would be too, if she were in their boots. No one wants a big bad ex-warlord after them, to say nothing of being a very pissed off big warrior princess, if she catches sight of her bruises. Gabrielle smirked. My hero, she thought trying to boost her confidence in herself.

Once they were well into the forest Gabrielle could feel that special connection the two women shared, vibrate the way it would when they were in close proximity to each other. Hey, she thought relieved, I know you can't hear me, Xena, but I want you to know, I'm okay.

She stumbled over whatever the unfriendly forest had on its floor, but not as much as the men that surrounded her, so she didn't feel so bad. Since her hands were tied securely waist level she had to keep turning her body to the side to prevent the further altering of her facial features. On her tenth trip to the forest floor she managed to lay her hands on a very sharp and familiar knife set in the roots of tree, that she had spotted glittering through her one good eye. By then her lip had stopped bleeding, but her eye was swollen closed. She tucked her weapon neatly into the folds of her tunic under her coat with flexible wrists, as one of the soldiers dragged her back to her feet, himself barely missing entangling his feet in dried vines near a berry bush.

No berries, she noticed from her quick look.

By the men's reactions in the forest she began to think that all of that nervousness wasn't just from Xena's reputation. I wonder if they've seen Dorie wandering around.

As the guard behind her pushed her forward, she could hear the men muttering under their breaths, as they slowed their pace. From what Gabrielle picked up the traps started and only one of them knew where it was safe to step…and he had a hangover. There was a lot of hesitating over his decisions.

Obvious they haven't traveled with a warrior princess who can see patterns even in ant tracks, and is a great teacher in such rudimentary skills. Should I volunteer to lead them to the cavern? Naaahhhhh. They may think I'm too interested in getting into their underground hideaway, to say nothing of their wounded pride.

The satyr guards were all standing by the time they reached the open clearing in front of the cavern opening. There was only one narrow path through the ivy, and she remembered what Xena said about the ivy so she made sure she didn't touch any of the leaves.

The satyrs gave Gabrielle a brief fright as they sniffed about her. She felt like a mare in season around a paddock of milling stallions…and it wasn't even during her moon time. She remembered Xena's comment about the satyr's runting season.

Xena, I know you'll remember to get me outa here before their festival begins, she anxiously reminded her friend mentally.

The guards merely laughed at Gabrielle's expression and made their usual crude remarks. She played in her mind what Xena's tart replies would be to them. Instead of comforting her, made her more uncomfortable, as it reminded her that Xena had a lot more than her quick wit to back her up. Xena was use to the rowdy lewd comments, and had told her she just shut them out when she didn't want to hear them. However, she wasn't Xena, and was not able to shut them out…so her face was burning with embarrassment to say nothing of being intimidated. They pushed her into the dark entrance. She stumbled forward from the sudden change from light to darkness. Her hands that were tied in front of her came in contact with the wall and so did her head. The entrance went forward about five strides then doglegged sharply to the left and downward.

Before her eyes could focus on the blurred swirls that were drawn on the wall her forehead rested on, another set of rough hands grabbed her elbow and dragged her down a sloping tunnel. She gave a weak attempt to shake the stars that were in front of her eyes clear.

Great, I'm going to be this one big bruise by the time we have this problem solved. Comparing bruises with Iolaus as side-kick to side-kick is not a trend I want to start.

Tiny lamps burning in small niches carved out about knee high from the bottom of the wall showed only where the ground was, but not much else. The person that was dragging her down the tunnel was difficult to see through her one good eye. His dress wasn't local and he hadn't bathed recently. She was beginning to wonder about the hygiene of the invaders. A turban covered his head with the bottom of the cloth covering his lower face. Something Gabrielle was wishing for, as the fresh air from outside was displaced rather quickly by the smell of unclean bodies, human waste, and the rotting of something Gabrielle didn't want to even guess at.

As her sight cleared and adjusted to the darkness she stumbled less, and was able to anticipate the steady downward slope of the floor. The journey abruptly was halted, as she was pushed into a small grotto, and then jerked downward to sit on the floor.

"Wait here." She was ordered.

With her hands tied in front of her and to her waist she wasn't able to prevent herself from landing on her face from the push. Her cheek felt scraped under the good eye. The problem with going after not nice people, was that accumulating injuries was a probability, and unlike Xena, she usually came away with bruises, cuts and sprains. She sighed to herself, as she reminded herself that it helped Xena keep her herb collection fresh, and her healing abilities sharp.

Gabrielle gulped as she could feel an unmistakable vibration coming from…no…it was even in the air. It was odd to feel the tingling in her whole body even to the ends of her hair. The receding footfalls told her she had been delivered to where she was supposed to be. Curling in a fetal position, she bent her head towards her hands, stretching the rope around her wrists as much as she could, finally getting numbing fingers on a piece of the cloth and pulling it out. The dry cloth had soaked up some of the blood from the cut on her lip, helping it to clot, and when she pulled it out the cut on her lip was reopened painfully. She thought about using the knife to cut the rope from her wrists to get the blood to recirculate in her hands, but it was too soon.

As the tingling feeling subsided she started to look around her. There was little light in the small grotto. Gabrielle rolled over and looked up at the ceiling of a low naturally vaulted room. Her eyes slowly wandered around the room taking in the small lamp sitting in a hollowed out niche that radiated little light. To her left there was the sound of dripping water and by the sheen on the wall a natural source of water was trickling down the wall into a stone bowl. Looking at it for a few moments she could see that it had been broken and the water from the bowl spilled out and ran down the side of the room trickling off to somewhere. Deep scratches in the stone floor with scattered rocks about looked like there had once been a detailed stone carving that someone had broken up and dragged off. Turning her head to look in front of her, she could see black smears on the walls with remnants of fabric barely hanging on their tacks. There were thirteen dark alcoves cut into the walls, and from the appearance of the deep scars cut into the stone floor something heavy had been dragged from them.

The floor she had been unceremoniously dumped on was used in places for someone's watering post. The urine smell was especially strong over another smell that was burning her nostrils. Her eyes finally rested on the presence that was sharing the room with her. There was no movement from the seated silhouette but the yellow eyes that watched her gave her goosebumps, telling her that this was not someone Xena would approve of to have her left unchaperoned with. The eyes remained fixed on her and didn't blink. She heard no other sounds except the steady even breathing of her fellow occupant…and her pounding heart…and the building up of a headache. She realized in her fear that her mouth and throat were very dry, making it painfully difficult to swallow.

****

Chapter 9

The Watcher

Yellow eyes with large black centers, watched her from a darkened dais with a tripod chair that the pythoness sat on once a month for communion with her goddesses. It was the oracle's seat for the Muses. The spot had always been an area of power for many ley lines in the surrounding land converged at this point. Before the Muses the pythoness for Ge sat in service in the sacred grotto. Even now, looking at the tripod that held the chair, the mystical messengers to the oracle, snakes, could be seen weaving their way up the chair. Crometh had been built upon the foundations of even an older city, long since gone, leaving behind the base of their ancient spiritual power.

The shadowed form of the hermaphrodite could feel the power from the base of the oracle's chair stir as if the small woman's presence was summing it. Dark forearms rested comfortably on the chair's arms with a slight breeze moving his fine hairs, and bringing a much needed breath of fresh air into the desecrated sacred area.

When he had first sat on the chair, in his arrogance, he had thought Hermes, his mentor at one time, would see that he was not burned to a crisp, as the uncleaned and unprepared would have happen to them, if they even stepped upon the dais of the chair. And in a way s'he or someone else did protect him. The flameless fire burned the outer grossness of his body, the shell that housed his spirit, and cleaned his inner self from self-delusions.

Yerik had told him to stay away from the room that held the chair, but he had taken four others when Yerik had gone to the city, and in a maddened drunken haze, had smashed the thirteen statues; ignoring the increasing of the energy in the room. Arri was surprised to find himself alone, weaving on his feet, breathless from the exertion of destruction he and his soldiers had visited on the supposed power spot of the cavern. He was protected by Hermes, he had thought drunkenly. But when he had looked about him for his companions he was aware of an awful smell of burnt human flesh, and found small piles of something that was like sticky black tar.

Furious he had advanced toward the dais where the seat stood and challenged the unseen power that he was beginning to feel burn through his body. He was too drunk to walk back out, and too arrogant to recognize his danger. The moment he collapsed on the chair he knew he would never be the same.

Lights brighter than his eyes were meant to see seared his vision, fire shot up the chair into his body, shaking and rocking the very ground beneath him. His scream of pain was voiced in another place for he was not on the chair when he was unceremoniously dumped before something he could not see. The power that surrounded him was in whirling lights of various colors, burning his skin, and eliminating the hairs on a once hairy body. He was on all fours panting from shock…naked…breasts hanging with nipples hard and an erection that would kill a centaur with the most incredible power building in the base of his spine. It was a hurting that was blissful at the same time.

A voice spoke to him, within him. No words…they were sounds. He didn't know what was said, the origin of the sound, the gender of the messenger, or if it really mattered. The new fire that burnt through him was so painful his eyes didn't tear as he watched his body burn to nothing and another under the old shell was reformed. He knew what had saved him was because he was a hermaphrodite. Then his consciousness was dropped back into the body that was sagging in the sacred chair. He had something to finish before he could return to the presence he had but a short visit with. His heart nearly broke to be separated again from this force, but he knew this was not his time to cross over yet. And he willingly returned.

The body he returned to was damaged from the flameless fire, and with the help of the energy that was within the temple and in the ley lines that ran up the sacred tripod, he steadily healed what he could. On his return he forgot much of what he had witnessed, and when the visions started, as his outer body healed, he learned what he needed to know to complete his tasks. The priestess Aerope at that stage assisted to his embarrassment, for he had helped enslave her.

On Yerik's return when he had entered the cavern to look for him, he had been angry that Arri had sat on the chair. However, because he could not get near the chair, or anyone else without dying, he had to leave him there, ranting or mumbling. Water was left but at the doorway, for no one could enter the room. Arri had increased the power in the room to use for his healing.

It was after months of babbling nonsense to no one in particular, that he realized that the visions were not for the reasoning mind. That profound moment was like a huge door opened, and things he had previously not known, or even understood, surrounded him, as if he were in the library at Athens and merely had to touch a scroll and he would understand its contents. His shout of joy had echoed down the cavern's tunnels with only the hostages to shudder in their drugged state at the eerie echoes, for the soldiers hated to stay in the cavern for any length of time. For good reason too, for it not only smelled but the energy Yerik had sought to desecrate was very much alive, and running though out the tunnels giving those that were not prepared for entering a sacred place, unpleasant feelings. Arri laughed. All they had to do was change their attitude to kindness and their discomfort in entering the tunnels would disappear.

Unfortunately for Yerik, his brief time in childhood, spent with the old shaman, only gave him access to the magic statue, not to any worthwhile teachings. Arri knew where the energy from the statue was coming from. It was a mere spirit guide his former teacher had captured with a promise of release after a certain amount of time had passed. Arri smiled. The spirit was angry because Yerik didn't know how to release it, yet it was still bound by the previous owner's spells until that appointed time for release came.

Arri let his sight change so he could watch the light that emanated from the young woman's body change with her thoughts. The basic colors remained. She didn't have any of the tinges of uncleanness that most people had.

The shadow shifted his weight, as he watched the blond woman move into a position where she could view her environment. He shifted his sight to another level. She had the same kind heart as the priestess Aerope, and that steely inner quality that would help her through the many life ordeals she still had to live through. He knew he had to help her survive this lesson…just as he was doing for the Priestess, Aerope. To Aerope, he owed her his life and sanity, for she had guided him with her thoughts to mentally survive the visions.

***
Gabrielle finally managed to get herself righted. Frightened but with a firm resolve she asked the dark figure with the unblinking yellow eyes, "You don't happen to know where there is some water, do you?" she croaked. She winced at the sound of her own voice.

A smile formed on his face, unseen in the dark. He was aware that Abbas was returning with the drugged water for her. With the drug, a person in a matter of days…would become witless and without consciousness.

Gabrielle could hear the echo of steps and rolled herself until she came up against a wall, keeping a watch on the unblinking yellow orbs that followed her movements. As torchlight approached the interior of the room started to move from unknown darkness to shadows with only the dais wrapped in a dark shroud. The golden tripod glinted from the light. The guard placed the torch in a holder outside of the room. He had a gourd of water in one hand. He easily spotted Gabrielle still bound, but leaning up against the wall where a statue of one of the muses had once been.

Abbas nodded toward Arri and caught his slight gesture to bring the water to him. Abbas hated coming into this place for he kept thinking he would end up dead like the others, but Arri told him he would protect him. Carefully he made his way close to the dais, but not too close. He grinned thinking Arri was going to further frighten their new slave. It was all right with him. He had already told the others she was his. A new plaything to get rid of his boredom. He wanted her before the drug took effect. He was tired of the others who were too docile and offered no resistance or even interest in what he did to them or asked them to do.

Arri turned back to the woman propped against the wall and started to prepare the chains he had dangling in his other hand. Until the drug took effect, Yeirk wanted their captives kept in chains.

"I'm goin'a cut the ropes on yer 'ans. Ya run, I cut ch'a."

Gabrielle nodded she understood.

Arri smiled inwardly knowing Abbas' thoughts and plans. He took the water gourd in his hands and felt the energy from the chair run though his arms into the gourd. The young woman needed to prepare herself for she was the one he had foreseen to act as the vessel to contain the light that was to be used to revitalize the sacred ley lines around and in the sacred cavern. She was also the one to intercede with the powers to end the wanderings of her sister Queen. Into the water he sent a different type of energy, changing the structure of the water.

Arri cut the rope from Gabrielle's wrists, and then pulled at the coat around her, which by now was too warm for where she was. "Ya don' need this." Abbas pulled it off her letting his hands roam her body while he was pulling the coat off. Gabrielle's cold stare only made his grin wider, which showed that what teeth weren't missing, were blackened with rot.

"Abbasssss." A soft voice hissed.

"Arhhhhh." Abbas grabbed his throat angrily falling over sideways with the chains he still had draped over his arm. Frightened, Abbas scrambled to his feet angrily. "I was only playin! No harm done. Not like ya can do anythin'," he muttered the last statement more to himself.

"Abbasssss. Would you like me to prove to you….personally…that you are wrong?" The voice was soft but Gabrielle could feel the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. It was at that moment the ground under them trembled and the energy in the room sent more of the tingling feeling through her body.

"Now…finish with your job," Arri told the frightened man when the trembling ground stopped.

He moved quickly now. He clamped the wrist cuffs around her bruised wrists, and then guiltily, loosened them a bit, not hiding the quick smile at the tight lipped grimace on the woman's face. Yes, he wanted her before the drug took effect. Once she was under it's influence, she would not show any reaction to pain…or the pleasure he would give her. She wasn't going to be staying with the Captain long, only until he questioned her, he thought.

Next the ankles…he was going to remove the boots but stopped. He could do that later. He clamped the anklets around her and again pulled the chain to make sure they stayed locked. Then he returned to Arii's chair for the water.

Arri looked into Abbas' eyes as he lifted them to his to take the gourd, and without words pulled the man's mind to his will. "She is mine," he told Abbas. "No one is to touch her… do you understand?" His voice was so low that it was a mere whisper but Gabrielle and Abbas heard. To Abbas it was like a loud voice inside his head that threatened him indescribable harm if the order was not carried out.

Abbas was but a mere soldier whereas Arri, before he dared to sit on the chair, was the Captain of their small army, with Yerik their general. Their payment of gold and use of the hostages for their pleasure, with a few rules to follow, had kept the men from sneaking off to the neighboring villages and towns for amusement…for a while. But they were all tiring of the unresponsive slaves and the company of the satyrs. If they did not fear Yerik and now especially Arri, they would have deserted moons ago. The few that broke Yerik's rule of not killing or bruising the hostages where it could be seen, found he was harsh in his punishment. For killing a hostage the killer to the hostages place digging for gold, drugged with little hope of getting out. For those that bruised a hostage so the could see it when they viewed the hostage once a month, were handed over to the satyrs for a night's worth of entertainment.

Abbas nodded his understanding, wanting to leave the room quickly, as the fear that was running like a cold trickle of water up and down his spine was giving him spasms in his back, and making his bowels weak. Right now the thought of getting some fresh air outside was all he had on his mind.

Gabrielle listened to the whispered order and felt a fear of dread, though, not from the dark figure on the dais. Abbas gave her creepy feelings she would like to wash off.

Abbas took the gourd from Arri's hands and turning around, dropped it at Gabrielle's feet. "Stay in here," Abbas told her gruffly. "Until someone comes for you. If you leave without permission…there are some who don't care whose slave you are…" Abbas turned back to the dais. "And even he cannot protect you once you are in the tunnels."

Arri smiled at the warning but said nothing. Abbas turned on his heels and left. Though she had more motion in her arms, the weight of the chains and cuffs pulling on her arms made it difficult to lift the heavy gourd of water. She struggled to balance it in hands that were partially numb nearly giving herself another bruise as the open end of the gourd hit her on the side of her lip that wasn't bruised. Greedily she sucked up the water feeling some of it drip down her neck and what made it down her throat soothing the parchness that was probably contributing to the burning in her throat. She patted some of the water over her partially closed eye and bruised lip, somehow feeling the warmth from the water was healing the bruises.

Finally she laid the gourd to the side and stared into the eyes that were still regarding her silently.

"Thanks."

Again, Arri smiled, unseen by Gabrielle, as his form was shrouded in darkness. He preferred the darkness for the burning had left him light sensitive. But then again, he used a different sight, which he felt was a lot more reliable for his immediate needs.

Gabrielle sighed. Whoever was watching her wasn't going to say anything. She closed her eyes for a moment to gather her thoughts, and to close out those eyes that seemed to draw her into them. In a few moments her breathing was deep and even, as if sleeping. It gave her a break from the awareness of how bruised and battered her body was feeling at the moment.

****

Chapter 10

Visions

Xena was cursing silently under her breath, as she watched the soldiers and satyrs dump then smear something at each of the places she had mentally marked as air passages into the cavern below. The big satyr lifted his bearded face and sniffed the air. Xena was hopping the wind wouldn't shift, bringing her distinct scent to the sensitive satyr's small flaring nose. This turn of events was changing her thoughts on her tactics already.

But where's the thrill without some improvising? Xena thought grimly as she watched the satyr look toward the rock she was hiding behind.

It surprised her that the great Satyr did not move toward her hiding place, for she felt he was aware of her presence. His lack of action told her a few things, one being that her presence here was expected and another, which gave her just as much worry, was that this was part of a trap.

Xena could feel Dorie's presence and it seemed very restless. Xena's stomach took that moment to go through one of those 'Gabrielle was anxious about something' type of twists. Xena was grateful she had finally worked out her body's method of communicating to her just what type of distress her companion was in. Otherwise she would have been rushing into a room every anxious moment the Bard experienced with sword drawn and ready to take head counts. She sighed. Since their return trip from India, Gabrielle had emotionally calmed herself a great deal, sometimes making it difficult for Xena to know when she was really in danger, but her body's sensitivity to the Bard adapted quickly. The twist in her stomach faded away, much to Xena's relief; otherwise she would have had to do one of those feats Gabrielle liked to turn into more than what they were. Getting past the satyrs at the cave entrance would be quite a feat to pull off, though she had no doubt she would be able to. It was not knowing what would happen to the other hostages that had her reluctant to be so bold.

Except…hmmm…Images of dancing maidens at the edge of the clearing, appeared in Xena's mind. And so close to their festival time…may do the trick… Remembering their reaction to Gabrielle's appearance had her smirking at what it would cost them. In their condition, one dancing maiden would be enough. So, I got a plan B incase this doesn't work.

Xena waited for the group to finish their work. A torch was set to the dry brush around the rocks, when they finished. She frowned at the slight breeze that brought the smoke from the burning mixture they had pasting around the rocks to her sensitive nose. They had the same idea she had but hers was to drop the burning patty down the opening so the smoke would get into the tunnels. There it would drop some where, with its slow burning incense odor would not be noticeable, and by the stench coming from the air ducts, anyone down there probably no longer smelled anything. She thought of Gabrielle enduring the stench, and how she would personally assist her to get rid of the smell from her clothes, and body when they were finished here.

"Hermes feathered codpiece!" Xena cursed softly to herself, as she realized what she had inhaled. It put a person into a mindless state of consciousness. It wasn't the same drug Gigantes was using, or what had been used on the three priestesses she had rescued. It didn't leave the observable subservient demeanor. And the victim usually didn't remember anything after it wore off.

Why coat the air openings? Are they running out of their other drug of choice?

"You need to get away from here," Dorie told her worriedly.

"Hmmmm?" Xena looked up and could see Dorie's small ethereal shape hovering above her. Her shape also looked….different….like a wisp of cloth caught up in a breeze and…

Part of Xena's mind informed her she had inhaled some of the mixture that was meant for her to inhale, and she had better get out of there before she was overcome with it.

"Come, please," the little voice pleaded.

Xena didn't know how she managed to sneak away, but she wasn't occupied with her own safety entirely, as she was looking around her with different eyes. Her world was taking on a different sight, and she was finding herself doing just as Dorie told her, biting back a giggle at the thought of the big bad warrior princess doing the bidding of a tiny child, and a shade at that. Her eyes narrowed however when the tiny figure wavered between wisps of a shade and that of a grown woman whose shape had her imagination running away with her. Oh, Oh.

Xena's progress to wherever Dorie was taking her was stopped now and again, as Xena reached to pick some leaves, or seed, as she studiously looked about her in an exaggerated demonstration of a grubber. It was funny how she recognized in the darkness the herbs she needed by senses alone. Her healer instincts were still in tack, and her instinct to survive was keeping a part of her from being subdued by the drug's entire effect, but it was taking an enormous amount of will power and concentration of movement to keep herself from falling under its haze.

Xena showed no surprise, as two women dropped beside her, only annoyance, as one of them dropped her heel on an herb she was looking for.

"Lily!" Xena growled dangerously.

Both women's eyebrows rose. It was a name Hildreth hadn't used for almost a full season.

"Get your muddy boots off that plant!" the tall dark warrior ordered in a low voice.

Hildreth looked down at her feet.

"Oh….ahhh…sorry. Hey!"

Hildreth stopped as she noticed she did not have the warriors full attention…in fact…she didn't have any of it at all, as Xena reached for the smashed foliage and disgustedly tossed it to the side. Her eyes caught sight of another one and she pounced on it like it was an edible delight.

"Ahh…Xena, since you're here. Do you think you can…Xena, are you alright?" Alala studied the woman closely. "Athena's tight leathers," she cursed under her breath as she caught a small whiff of the herb that clung to Xena's leathers. "Hildie, I think she got some of that stuff in…"

Xena suddenly straightened up, and with a glint in her narrowed eyes, she shook a plant and its roots, dirt and a bit of pebbles at them. "Ya got that right! But don't you worry…" She smirked at the two women almost breaking out into a mirthful laughter at their expressions, "I got just the right stuff here."

After a few more moments of scrounging around the rocks, and finding one more small bunch of leaves of the herb, Xena straightened up and nodded toward the clearing where the small cave she had stashed the three priestesses in.

"Ya sure ya wanta get them out?" She regarded the two with an uncharacteristic wild gleam in her eye. "They could be still under the influence." She waggled her brows at the two.

The two women looked at each other then back at Xena. "Do you want us to boil some water for you?" Hildreth indicated the mixture of leaves and seeds Xena's large hand was clutching.

"I got it." She held the herbs to her leathered body. "Why don't we clear the opening," she suggested. She needed something to put the herbs in and that would be in the cave. Hopefully the priestesses were somewhat recovered. She was getting weary from fighting the dullness that kept threatening to descend on her thoughts; knowing that if she succumbed she would be of no use to Gabrielle.

She handed the herbs and seeds to Alala. "Now, don't loose any of that…or you'll be looking for more," she warned the tall animal warden, Alala, who looked worried.

Xena didn't need to study how to unblock the entrance. She had stopped it and knew how to unstop it. She found a large fallen branch and leveraged it off center, and leaned her weight on the end. She had placed a second stone under the larger one so that it could only be pushed this way. She suspected that anyone else may think it was balanced and try to put leverage in the center.

The stone rolled back and Hildreth was the first to crawl in, cautiously for she did not know if the three women would think they were the enemy, and be ready to hit them.

"Agnes!" Hildreth called in a low voice. "It's Hildreth and Alala. We're coming in."

Hildreth dragged herself in and looked up to see Eleanor with a pan ready to bash her on the head.

"Hey, careful there," Hildreth told her as she dragged herself further in then stood up. The three women rushed to her and were still holding onto her in relief when Xena using all the control she could muster dragged her tall frame through the small opening then stood up breathing a sigh of relief that the cave was big and roomy.

Alala stuck her head in and handed Xena her herbs. "I'll keep an eye out here," she whispered.

The three women grabbed her hand and for a few moments held on. Then Alala disappeared back outside.

"Get up in the trees as high as you can," Xena told her as she withdrew. She was giddy with that brief effort to bring her thoughts into a tight focus.

"Do you have some hot water? Xena got some of that stuff in her," Hildreth told Agnes who was holding onto her.

The others nodded and went to the small fire they had going. Agnes took the herbs from Xena's hands that started to shake from the exertion.

"Come on. Get her over there. We have some herbs already going." Agnes was looking at what Xena had plucked and pulled. "Hmmm."

"This leaf we don't have." She added it to the already steaming brew they had steeping.

After a few candlemarks of sipping and Agnes massaging the muscles in her legs and arms that were cramping from the reaction, Xena was beginning to see a little more clearer. But not enough to go back to the cavern and face the satyrs.

"I take it…you're the one who got us in here," Eleanor mentioned to Xena as she placed another herb- laden cup of tea in her hand.

Xena nodded tiredly. She needed her herb bag to take another herb that would kick her system into a higher drive so she could fight the lethargy that was the after effects of the two drugs fighting each other.

"Thanks." Eleanor laid a hand on Xena's arm. Strong biceps contracted from the touch of a stranger.

"Sorry." Eleanor withdrew her hand.

"So…what's the plan?" Hildreth asked.

"Get the others out of the cavern," Xena told them quietly. She sipped the hot tea again. It was bitter, but she recognized some of the herbs, and one of them would soon be kicking in to give her that needed energy.

Blue eyes opened wide and looked around. She noted the cave was neat, the three women, who had once been mindless, looked a lot different…cleaned would be a good descriptive word.

"How are you three doing?" Xena asked.

Agnes smiled. "Well…after some of the fogginess cleared…and getting the scare of our lives when we heard Hildie and Alala chatting over our heads…"

Hildreth snorted. "You just about scarred the…" suddenly she turned to Xena. "Why didn't you tell us where they were?"

Xena's eyebrows rose. "You don't like surprises, huh?" She sighed. "If you went straight here…the satyrs that were trying to follow your trail would have found the place."

"We were followed?"

"Yeah. But…you went around in circles there for a while and confused them…"

Hildreth laughed. "Well, we kinda got lost. I don't know what it was but…one moment we were going this way and then another…" She raised her hand bewildered.

Xena had a guess Dorie had a hand in it.

"Well…this is a safe place, but to guard it…you need to have someone way up in the trees. It's kinda cold out there."

Hildreth nodded. "I'll go relieve her. How are you doing?"

Xena nodded. "Better." She turned to Agnes. "I think we need to prepare some stuff for the satyrs curious nose…do you think…"

Agnes' lips tightened. "I've dreamed up a lot of different things."

"Well…make it simple. We can put it around here and other places just so that they know…they aren't the only ones in this game."

Agnes nodded. Xena leaned back against the wall and started to make new plans. Her gut wasn't twisting so Gabrielle was okay…so, far. She needed to get into the cavern. All caverns had more than one entrance.

*****

Continued in Part 4.