Chapter 1

Of all the settings Robin had experienced so far, this was the most surreal. The crackling bonfire flickered across on the masks and painted skins of the warriors circling it, dancing silently to a single drum, in a clearing of the forest under a waning moon. And yet their intention, the fair trial of an outsider, represented the highest aspirations of civilisation. The mix of the cultured and the primitive had never been more apparent to Robin.

When the drum halted, the head of the council stood to begin the session. Gabrielle had pointedly left her seat at the council table empty, choosing to sit beside James. In fact, with the Regent, and the Queen's Champion also seated alongside him, the table was only half occupied, an occurrence that Danielle, the head elder of the council, acknowledged right away.

"As can be seen by the absences in the governing council, the emotions of the Nation are divided by this trial," she said. "No one will deny that many of us wish we were not here to pass judgment on the act of this man. But our laws are our nation, and we are directed to follow them.

"James, the Traveller, are you present to accept the judgment of Amazon Justice?"

There was a flurry of whistles in support as James stood. "I am."

"Daughters of Artemis, it is claimed that this man killed a sister Amazon on tribal grounds in direct contravention of our most sacred laws. Does the prisoner deny this?"

Gabrielle rose.

"My Queen, you wish to speak for this man?" Danielle stated formally.

For someone who had spent the last day in agonizing rehearsal for this moment, Gabrielle seemed remarkably assured. "I wish the opportunity to prove that the crime did not occur as described. I have several speakers, after which my defence will be made."

"Then begin." The head of the council rapped the table with her stave.

The Queen selected one of the peat stones and tossed it into the centre of the fire. Immediately, a green glow arose. Gabrielle faced the fire-lit assembly, while addressing her partner beside her.

"Xena of Amphipolis, this tribe acknowledges your outdoor skills and abilities. This respect has been validated by the fact that you have been asked to act as a trainer of many Amazons. Have you had the opportunity to evaluate James the Traveller in this respect?"

Whatever James had anticipated as an opening argument, this was not it. "What the hell...?" James blurted out. "Maybe I could mention that it was the BOY Scouts..."

Robin leaned forward and hissed into his ear. "Shut up. Unless you want me to do tongue surgery. Right now."

Xena caught a stone tossed by Gabrielle and flicked it into the fire. "Though he had certain basic abilities before coming to us, through my instruction and in the course of travelling with us, I would say that he is now as skilled in outdoor survival as any I have trained, and that would include tracking, and hunting."

Gabrielle nodded. James could see he was not alone in wondering what Gabrielle was doing, but he tried to take comfort in the fact that the confusion on the faces of most of the assembly was not mirrored in the expressions of his friends. Another stone was thrown. "Robin of the Royal Mount, would you describe the actions of the accused in thwarting the recent rebellion, and evaluate his actions."

Robin stood, and in her nervousness bobbled her catch of the stone, but Xena batted it into the fire with a slight move of her boot.

Clearly coached, Robin told of their night ride, how James had remained behind, going behind the enemy lines to signal the opposing force. She concluded as instructed: "I consider this to be a clear act of valour on behalf of the Nation," and resumed her seat. Gabrielle reached over to give her arm a squeeze in congratulation. Robin just sighed her relief and became occupied with looking anywhere but in James' direction.

"Eponin," Gabrielle continued. "Would you describe the events concerning the attempt on the life of a member of our tribe?"

Eponin stood, and almost casually told of James' leap to take the arrow intended for Robin, concluding, "I consider this an act of sacrifice on behalf of the Amazon Nation."

Gabrielle took a deep breath, for now came the hard question. "As Weapon's Master, have you had the opportunity to judge this individual, and how would you judge his abilities in the warrior Arts?"

Eponin looked to James and sighed. This was gonna hurt. "I wouldn't want a command filled with warriors of his... inclinations..."

Gabrielle had to restrain her foot from tapping. 'Come on Pony...'

"Yes?"

The Weapons Master bit the bullet. "...But I have nothing but admiration for the decisions and actions taken by the accused during the recent...unpleasantness."

"And....?"

Gods, was she really going to be forced to say this? "And IacknowledgehisskillsintheWarriorArts." Eponin glared at James, daring him to comment, and squatted down on the ground.

James hardly noticed, he was furiously running through the laws and regulations in his head, and still had not a clue as to where Gabrielle was going with all this.

"Solari, "Gabrielle called, tossing another pebble, "describe the events in the public baths."

This time the crowd was entirely silent as Solari recalled the death of Andrea. Solari finished by saying, "This was clearly a killing on behalf of the tribe."

Gabrielle threw a stone into the fire and turned to the front. "Elder Danielle," she said addressing the head table. "Please describe the ceremony at which James the Traveller received his pendant of free passage."

Puzzled, the older Amazon stood. "He received it during the initiation of last year's trainees, as was your wish."

"In fact," Gabrielle tossed in another of her stones, "Did he not also take the oath of fealty and loyalty to the royal mask with those trainees?"

Danielle nodded.

"And what is required of these trainees before they may be full members of this tribe?"

"There are so many requirements..."

Gabrielle interrupted. "I believe this is the complete list. The trainee must have completed their training by a recognised teacher in skills of the outdoors, including tracking, hunting and survival. They must be judged proficient by the tribe's Weapon's Master. They must commit an act of valour on behalf of the tribe, an act of some form representing a sacrifice on behalf of the nation, and kill or assist in a kill on behalf of the tribe. They must of course, swear their loyalty to the Nation in a public assembly. Is that a complete list?"

"Yes, but, this is foolish. He is not a woman, and as merit-worthy as his actions are, he cannot be a member of this tribe."

The Queen waited for a beat. "Well actually, the laws do not require that the trainee be a woman, only that they not be a man."

Xena leaned over and whispered to James. "Don't worry, I've been sharpening my blade all night," indicating it with her thumb and giving him a not very reassuring pat on the arm. James shakily returned her smile, but his lips weren't the only thing clenching.

Gabrielle continued. "The laws have allowed that there are many whose physical appearance and gender are not easily classified. There is no mention of what sorts of sexual organs are necessary to be an Amazon."

Xena whispered, "oh, well," in a dispirited tone. James tried not to let out the breath he had been holding too loudly.

"What the laws do, is describe the attributes of a man. They are quite long and detailed. I quote. 'They' referring to men, 'are deceitful, can never be trusted. Will never submit to Amazon Law, be a true friend or feel the pain of childbirth. Their sensitivity is of dust compared to that of a sister'" She paused, and tossed another stone. "It goes on in this vein ..."

The Queen then transformed into the bard, her tone and manner drawing her audience under her spell as she described the birth of her child. Then, once she was satisfied the audience was hers, she moved onto their very first meeting with James, the only interruption being the periodic toss of the peat stones into the crackling bonfire.

Chapter 2

The campfire had been silent. As had all the campfires since Britannia. Though Illusia had made them both recommit to the friendship, there were still too many apologies for inconsequential acts, too many long pauses that were no longer comfortable. Gabrielle looked over at Xena, alone, sharpening her sword in the moonlight, and felt such a sense of loss, that she thought her heart would break open.

At that moment, there was a popping sound and Xena collapsed with the weight of a body dropping on her from the skies.

There was an instant that Gabrielle had never seen before, where Xena actually froze, but then quickly the intruder was lying on his back with Xena's sword at his throat.

"I'm unarmed and alone," the intruder gasped out.

"Then you get to live for another breath. Who or what are you?" the Warrior growled drawing a line of blood along his throat.

"Xena?" Gabrielle gasped at her actions. Xena didn't even glance her way but answered, "Just need to see if he bleeds and how fast it heals."

The man on the ground said, "I'm not an immortal. Keep that up and I'll die just like a regular person. I promise!"

"How did you get here and who are you?" she demanded, still holding him at the point of the blade.

"My name is James, I'm a traveller. Somewhat like you, I journey to help those in need. As to how I travel, that's something I've never been able to work out. But I'm no magician, I have no spells or magic potions. And I swear by all that I do believe in, I am not dangerous to either of you."

"So, why are you here?" Gabrielle had stood up, and was examining their guest. Older than Xena but not by much. Short hair, in a colour similar to her own, moustache, average build, and brown eyes that seemed to be looking to her for help. "You help those in need. You think we need your services?"

"Yes, you're both in pain... you need help. That's sort of what I do."

Xena gave a strangled laugh and pulled her sword back an inch. "What do you know about our pain?"

The man swallowed, seeming to consult something, and began to recite. "Xena, Warrior Princess. The Lion of Amphipolis, Destroyer of Nations." Seeing this had no impact, he swallowed again, "Mother of Solon..." The sword was suddenly back and touching his throat. He gasped out, "Lifebond of Gabrielle..." and his eyes rolled back to catch the bard's.

Gabrielle reached out to hold Xena's sword hand. "And me?"

"Gabrielle, the great Bard of Potadiea, Holder of the Queen's rite of caste, Princess of the Amazon Nation... Victim of Dahok... Mother of Hope," at this his voice had died to a whisper, and Gabrielle's hand shook for a moment. Gabrielle looked directly into his eyes, held them for a long moment, then said to her partner, "Let him up, he can't hurt us."

"What do you mean? We know noth..."

"I mean, he literally can't hurt us. It would be like hurting himself. He felt the pain I felt at the mention of Hope, and Dahok. He's some sort of empath."

Xena stood back and Gabrielle reached her hand out to him to help him up.

James stood and stared at the Bard. "In the midst of your own grief, you could feel what I was feeling?"

Gabrielle gave a weak smile. "Strange, isn't it? I felt a sort of echo of... what I was feeling, and I realized you were hurting because of me."

Xena stomped around feeding the fire. "We don't need help, we only need time."

"I agree," said James, turning to her. "Just like you needed time after your death. But then there was Valasca, wasn't there? And Calisto, and so on and so on? Your life together doesn't seem to allow you to have the time you need to heal alone, so some kindly force in the cosmos sent me."

"Would this kindly force answer to the name of Ares?" Xena's smile did not reach her eyes.

"I travel all over the world, and to different times. I'm not sure where my abilities come from, but I know where they don't. This is my first visit to this Greece. All I know of Ares is a few lines in a book."

"So. How Do You Know. Of. My. SON?" Xena's demand was clearly emphasized.

"Part of my job. I get what I call a case file on the people I'm supposed to help."

Xena merely snorted in disbelief. She noticed Gabrielle evaluating the stranger. "You can't be seriously considering listening to this?"

Gabrielle ignored her. "What does this 'help' entail?"

"We sit. We talk. I go away and you two talk some more. Then we start over." James looked to the stew on the fire. "Ah...is there enough for three? Because I got pulled away from my dinner to come here."

Xena's eyes grew wider at this, and she threw up her hands when Gabrielle moved to get a bowl.

"This is really good," James said after the first mouthful. "I mean, I understood that you were a good cook, but I figured that it meant considering the conditions. But this is really good."

Xena had just about enough of this. But Gabrielle sat down and waited for him to finish.

"So we just talk, right?"

"Absolutely, and I don't come with guarantees. But, if ever I saw two people who needed some misunderstandings cleared up, it's you guys."

"Like what?" the warrior demanded.

James grinned. "OK. I see two people, standing at the base of the largest mountain on earth. At the base of the mountain there are cracks and garbage and graffiti. And for the moment, that's all these two people can see. On both sides pretty much the same garbage." His voice took on a casual singsong. "Both of you are worried about whether Gabrielle can be trusted ever again. Xena worries that she might crack again and kill you, or be responsible for your death. Right? You worry about how much of Gabrielle's innocence has been lost. Oh, and you both are scared to the pit of your souls how the other could go on if one of you died, regardless of the circumstances."

James took his last piece of bread and wiped the bowl clean, popping it in his mouth. "Really good." Both women stared at him stupefied.

"Just so you know, Gabrielle, that if Xena died, you'd survive. You have too strong a sense of responsibility. You have the Amazons and your family to keep you here. Of course, you'd be a shell of yourself, but you'd survive a while. Xena, on the other hand, would be dead in a week." He held out his bowl, "Is there any more?"

"What in Tartarus are you?" Xena growled, "Do you find this amusing? Or is there a point to this?"

"Of course there's a point. You have all these incredible reasons to be apart, every force on earth seeming to drive you away, and here you are together. In pain, but still together.

"That's the mountain. That's your love for each other. You two need to spend some time looking at that mountain instead of the damned superfluous junk lying around the base of it."

He looked at the women, both frozen on either side of the flickering fire, and stood up.

"Now, this is where I go for a short walk over to that rise, maybe catch up on my sleep. There's a sort of jet lag I get sometimes. You two talk about the mountain. And only the mountain. You got that? Nothing but the mountain."

And he left. And after some silence, as the shock wore off, they began to talk. For many hours. At first Xena kept a watchful eye on the sleeping figure on the hill, but she soon almost forgot his presence. There were no angry words, or silences. Each time a guilt would surface, one of them would say, "that's not the mountain."

Andafterwards, they slept beside each other for the first time in a moon.

To her own amazement, Gabrielle was up before Xena the next day. She looked over at the warrior beside her, and lovingly brushed the bangs away from her face. Xena had talked nearly all night! Her taciturn warrior had blurted out her feelings, and Gabrielle wanted to shout them out to the world. She looked up to the rise and saw James lying on his back, but awake, his face turned towards her. She slid out of her bedroll, and giving a contented kiss to her warrior, grabbed her staff, and went up to meet him.

"Nice day?"

Gabrielle sat down cross-legged beside him, and with a grin replied, "Great day!" wondering all the time why it was that she instinctively trusted this stranger. It was the same as with Lila almost...

"So, you still claiming no magical powers?" she asked.

He answered her grin. "Nope. This was easy, it was all you guys .I figure you've been agonizing and apologizing everything to death, I just come along and give a little prod, and take credit when the good stuff pours out."

Gabrielle started to pump him about what he knew about his abilities, and James answered as best he could, both of them knowing that Xena was listening while pretending to be asleep. After a while, though, James lowered his voice, and speaking directly to the bard, said, "I meant what I said about the easy part. You know the problem goes deeper. Today, I've got a harder story to tell. And it's going to hurt. I need to apologize to you now, because, it's not something I want to do..."

"But it will help us?"

"I think it will."

"I trust you." And with that, she simply smiled and left to make breakfast. He stared at her for a moment, shook his head, and went towards the stream to wash up.

It was after breakfast that the mood changed. Both James and Gabrielle watched Xena expectantly, until she stopped ignoring their stares and sat down across from them.

"All right, what do we talk about now?" she said in half-meant disgust.

James took a deep breath and looked directly at the warrior.

"I want you to know, I'd rather crawl into a hungry tiger's cage and slap it around, than start this conversation with you, but... here goes."

Xena's face was impassive, Gabrielle reached across and held her partner's hand, but there was no change in her expression.

"Xena," James began, "there have been times when you have seen injuries or wounds that because of the way they were inflicted, they filled you with rage or guilt. But you knew… that as a healer, you had to focus on the job, not let your emotions keep you from dealing with the injuries." He took another breath.

"Now, there's been a wound that you have not treated properly, and when you realize that, you'll feel even more guilt and anger. But you can not. We need the healer, we need that cool mind, that cool assessment that confirms the symptoms, and evaluates the different treatments. You have to be able to do this."

There was still no movement from the warrior.

Glancing quickly at Gabrielle, who gave him a nod of encouragement, he began.

"Xena, I want you to think about Gabrielle. What she's been like, not what she's been through, but what she's been like, since Britannia. Now I want you to strip away all the horrors, forget about Hope, forget about who or what was responsible for her being there, forget about her blood innocence," Gabrielle was becoming more tense with each word.

"Again, think about Gabrielle, how she has acted, her reactions to you, to others, and then strip away all those horrors and realize, really realize, that Gabrielle… was raped."

The word seemed so loud, that James could have sworn the woods fell completely silent. He saw in Xena's eyes the shock, and then a thousand differing suffering emotions, each combating the next. He saw his own death there for a moment, but he spoke again.

"We need the healer now, Xena. No one but the healer."

She turned to look at Gabrielle, who was staring at the ground in pain, or shame, or a dozen emotions she could not, would not, have her feel, and she tenderly reached over and lifted her bard's chin, and looked into the tear-filled eyes.

She heard James say, "This isn't about you. Gabrielle doesn't need to hear you're sorry." And once again, he silently slipped away.

They broke camp the next day. As they packed up, James was just in the way of the efficient rituals that the two had created. Each job long ago delegated and swiftly achieved, so he stood aside and watched in admiration. When all traces of their camp had been erased, Xena faced him and asked, "Can you hunt?"

"Some basic snares...."

"Can you fight?"

He looked to Gabrielle, but the bard stood silent. "No," he answered.

The warrior made no visible judgment. James added indicating the darkening skies, "I can build a fire in damp woods... and though I'm a slow learner, I do learn. And I can follow orders."

Xena grunted, "That may keep you alive," and mounted Argo without another word.

Gabrielle smiled and with a flick of her head indicated he walk with her, and they set out.

It rained most of the next two days as the three made their way back to the Amazons.

During the day, Xena treated James as she would a slightly dim child, but he listened and managed to keep his tongue silent until the evenings. Then they would talk, Xena still resentful, James patient, Gabrielle eager. James slept away from their camp, but still under the warrior's suspicious eyes. But as each day passed, the mood lightened, and James was assigned the fire and some cooking tasks. One day Xena took him to hunt, and when they were returning with a buck, somehow both sensed danger to Gabrielle. Xena charged out of the woods chakram first, and there were three dead before James even arrived. He watched the two perform their deadly ballet, styles so different that they could not be compared, yet somehow complementary.

Gabrielle had forgotten where James was, she was too occupied by two of the raiders when she realized that she was out of position and a third was behind her. She began to force her two forward in hopes of giving Xena room to help her, when she heard a loud clunking sort of noise, and senses told her that the danger was gone. But when the last of the brigands had run off, she turned to see James still holding her frying pan, now badly dented. She nearly exploded and advanced towards him, only to be stopped by the sound of her love's laughter. She turned as Xena, helpless now, pointing at her outraged face and the fry pan. She wanted to keep her anger intact, but the warrior's laughter was something she had missed, almost more than her touch. Xena continued to laugh and moved to stand protectively between her and James. "I'm sorry Gabrielle, but we never explained to James that if it came to a choice between your life and the fry pan..."

From that point on, James might have still been a third wheel, but one that took some weight, and the warrior was more relaxed, less resentful of the prying he was forced to do at night. Then there was a finally a clear day with no clouds in the sky, and a beautiful lake all to themselves, when Xena was attacked underwater by a laughing bard who had somehow gotten right beside her without her being aware of it. And one night, a half-day's ride outside of the village, the two soulmates made love. And when they awoke the next morning, James had gone.

Chapter 3

Gabrielle stood before the assembled Nation. "This is my friend," she said standing behind him and gripping his shoulders. "On each of his subsequent visits he has placed his honour and his life in our hands, and committed himself to the survival of us as individuals, and as a nation.

"Are these the acts of one of the males described in our scrolls? He sits here, waiting for our judgment of an act that most of us applaud. A judgment that most believe means his death! Is this someone who would never submit to Amazon Law? Is this the male described as having no sensitivity, and incapable of being a friend? Will you call for the execution of this person, when our law clearly states that no male is capable of making such sacrifices?" The transformation from storyteller to Queen of the Nation was complete. She threw her last stone into the fire with intentional emphasis.

"My Amazons," and the pronoun was deliberate, " do you find that this person, my friend and our comrade, is a male as described by these laws?"

This was not a rational request for judgment. This was an emotional demand from their rightful ruler, and the Amazons responded to it.

"NO!!!"

Shouting above the calls and cheers, Gabrielle turned to the council table and hurriedly pronounced, "Then as Queen, I accept the decision of this assembly that no crime has been committed according to the definition of our laws, and I close this session of judgment."

For a moment, Gabrielle thought she might have overestimated her authority, as she saw Danielle struggle to get the attention of the delirious crowd. Failing that, she called to Gabrielle directly.

"Is it your intention to submit this...person... to be accepted as a member of this tribe?"

Gabrielle was gracious in victory. "This person has already been submitted, but like any other petitioner, it will be up to the council to decide...his...acceptability."

Robin had reached from behind and placed her arm around James' neck, and above all the hoorahs whispered in his ear, "Sounds like you better get measured for the leather."

James turned to face her and whispered back, "I have many fantasies, Robin, but none of them include wearing a leather bra."

There, at the very centre of the chaos that had begun the moment Gabrielle had demanded the vote, Robin realized that she was looking into the eyes of the love of her life... and saw fear. And before she could ask or question it, James quickly broke away to congratulate the Queen.

Chapter 4

In fact, as the evening wore on, the pattern became clear, as James seemed to thrust people between them and evade any attempt by her to be alone with him. During one escape, he nearly collided with Solari, and as the two watched him slip away, the Amazon raised her eyebrows to Robin. "What's with that? I thought you two were...?"

"Maybe I should have the Queen arrest him again?"

"Of course, being declared not a man, isn't the best way to start a relationship," the scout offered.

Robin frowned. "You think so?"

"Nah. You going after him?"

"Eventually. Maybe. Gonna think about it..." And she hoisted her glass.

High above all this, a Warrior and her Bard were stealing some private time in the crook of a branch directly over Robin's head. Sharp, but concerned blue eyes watched her, and then closed in feral pleasure.

"Gabri-elle..."

"Yes. Xena," a sultry but grinning Queen answered.

"If you don't stop playing with fire, I'll make you look down."

Gabrielle smirked and didn't remove her wandering hand.

"Gabri-ELLE."

Feather light caresses continued along the Warrior's inner thighs and she began to tremble slightly with repressed desire. "Remember, you, we...have an obligation...and we promised Ephiny...?" There was no response except that a cinch at the warrior's waist was loosened.

Somewhat desperate now "Gabrielle! You bet every dinar we have...that we would keep to the laws and stay celibate for a week until after the ceremony..."

The Bard slowed her movements slightly.

"They gave us TEN to ONE ODDS, Gabrielle!!!"

The Bard pouted and turned to sit in her warrior's lap. Xena tried to relax but found herself catching the scent of their arousal mixed with the perfume of Gabrielle's hair.

Gabrielle eyes settled on James and Robin, separated by half the clearing. "We're going to have to talk to them. We have to tell them what it's like..."

The Bard heard a strange strangled muttering above her head. It seemed to run along the lines of "You worry too much, Xena. It'll be great, Xena. We'll invite everybody and it'll be just a big party, nothing complicated, Xena..."

Continued in Part 6