Too Much To Ask by Kennedy Northcutt

Amphipolis

"Xeeeena!!!"

The tall warrior's dark head shot up with a start. "Ouch! Son of a b?" Xena hissed as she slammed her head into a ceiling strut so hard that she saw stars.

"Xeeeena!!"

The second screech had Xena on her feet and flipping down from the barn loft with battle-honed precision. She landed on her feet and raced for the barn door in time to collide solidly with a bundle of short-haired bard. Only Xena's quick reflexes kept them from tumbling to the ground in a heap.

"Gabrielle?" Xena managed as she held the smaller woman back by the shoulders and steadied her. "What's the matter? Are we under attack? Is something on fire? Is mother?" Each question came out in rapid-fire precision.

"Oh, good, I found you," Gabrielle panted and bent forward to catch her breath.

"What's going on, Gabrielle?" Xena waited for the bard to catch her breath, realizing the emergency wasn't quite that.

Gabrielle just pointed out the barn door. Xena glanced out into the bright sunlight in time to see a black and white blur charging straight for the barn at full speed. The blur was no taller than a large dog, but was on a definite mission

"What the?" Xena ducked outside and just managed to catch the lead of the animal that was bolting for the barn with a loud, angry bleat.

Gabrielle turned in time for an angry goat to butt her in the hip, rather than the butt. And Xena's quick yank on the lead rope was just enough to keep the goat from knocking the bard over.

"You wanna tell me what's going on, bard?" Blue eyes flashed mischievously at a pair of grateful green ones.

Gabrielle took a deep breath and opened her mouth to speak, but the words died on her lips as another woman flew around the corner in hot pursuit and pulled up short in front of the trio.

"Mother?" Xena glanced from her mother to the bard and then to the goat, who was contentedly munching on the bard's brown skirt. "Would someone tell me what's going on here?"

"Damned goat got into the new shed you just finished for me and devoured an entire sack of grain, as well as half a barrel of apples," Cyrene stood with her hands on her hips as she glared at the oblivious beast. "Are you okay, Gabrielle?"

"I'm fine," Gabrielle answered as she yanked her skirt from the goat's teeth and stepped out of its reach. She glanced at Xena, who was watching her with an upraised brow. "What?"

"My question exactly," Xena said.

"The goat hates me," Gabrielle crossed her arms over her green-clad chest and glared back at the taller woman. "What can I say?"

"Goats don't hate people," Xena shot back with a questioning glare, "unless there's good reason."

"I'm not good with animals, Xena," Gabrielle shrugged. "You know how well I get along with Argo. She hates me, too."

Xena scoffed. "My horse doesn't hate you. And this goat doesn't hate you either."

"Girls," Cyrene stepped between the two and wrapped an arm around each woman's waist. She grinned at Gabrielle and glared up at Xena. "The goat hates everyone, Xena. Gabrielle was just trying to get him away from the barrel before he finished off the rest of the apples. That's when he turned on her and took off in hot pursuit."

Gabrielle stuck her tongue out at Xena over Cyrene's head, to which Xena crossed her eyes and scrunched her face in imitation of an old crone.

"You two," Cyrene shook her head and swatted them both on the butt. "I have pies that need my attention," she said as she walked away without a backward glance.

"Brat," Xena chided the smaller woman when her mother was out of earshot.

"Just keep that goat away from me, Xena," Gabrielle moved a respectable distance away from both the goat and her partner. She rubbed her hip where the goat had bumped her with his horned forehead. "I swear I'm gonna have a bruise from that dumb animal."

"Ahhhh," Xena scooted closer to the bard, while keeping the goat on her other side and far enough away that it couldn't get a bead on Gabrielle. "Come on, Gabrielle. Want me to kiss it and make it better?" She leaned down and gave the bard a quick peck on the lips.

Gabrielle snickered. "Maybe later," she answered with a seductive gleam in her eyes. "After I entertain the villagers with a few stories and you glare down the idiots who try to get too close to me." She snickered.

Xena yanked on the goat's lead. "Gotta keep 'em in line, that's for sure. Men are pigs." She glared at the goat. "Goats, too, apparently."

"Goats, pigs, men?" Gabrielle glared at the beast that was eyeing her around Xena's leg. "They're all the same to me. Beasts, all of 'em. Can't trust a one of 'em as far as you can throw 'em." She snorted at her own joke. "Get it? You throw 'em?"

"Hardy har, har, Gabrielle," Xena deadpanned. "Please don't add that one to your extensive repertoire. It's not exactly one of the better ones you've come up with."

"Better than the one I tried on the crowd last night," Gabrielle frowned. "That one really fell flat."

"Villagers know absolutely nothing about Amazons," Xena said, as she yanked the goat's lead and started walking. "Come on, Blackie." She glanced over her shoulder. "You coming, Gabrielle?"

"No," Gabrielle shook her short-cropped head. "I think I'll see if your mom needs further assistance. Or maybe I'll head over to the new library and see if Draes needs any help with those scrolls he's been copying."

"Suit yourself," Xena shrugged and continued on with the goat walking amicably beside her. "Try to stay out of trouble, will ya?" She shot over her shoulder as she disappeared around the corner.

"I do not get into trouble," Gabrielle grumbled as she headed in the opposite direction.

***

Later that night the tapers were burning low in the main room of Cyrene's inn. It was standing room only in the spacious room, as villagers listened with rapt attention to Gabrielle relating another tale to the gathered throng.

"?and that's how Xena saved the lives of four innocent men and turned the tables on Ares, God of War," Gabrielle finished to rousing applause and a standing ovation from a certain tall warrior seated inconspicuously at the back of the room.

It was the third night the inn was packed to overflowing. Many of the room's occupants were well into their cups, while others simply wanted to listen to the bard's tales. Gabrielle was finally finished with her third tale and gratefully took a mug of cider handed to her by one of the passing barmaids as she approached Xena's table.

"Is this seat taken?" Gabrielle struck a pose and lasciviously eyed the seated warrior.

"It is now," Xena answered as she pushed the chair next to her back with her foot. "How's the throat?" She asked quietly into the bard's ear.

"Not too bad," Gabrielle answered as she sipped her cider and relished the feel of the cool liquid on her parched throat. "I think your mom's remedy is working wonders."

A dark brow rose above questioning blue eyes. "What remedy is that?" Gabrielle leaned close to Xena's ear and whispered something only loud enough for the warrior to hear. Xena snorted. "You're serious?" A nod. "I wouldn't put it past her to try that on the town crier. But you? I thought you were smarter than that."

"She said it would work and after giving it a try, I believe her," Gabrielle sipped her cider. "My voice hasn't cracked once since I got here."

"Huh," Xena leaned back in her chair and drained her ale. "To each her own, I guess. Not something I would try, that's for sure."

"You're not a bard," Gabrielle scoffed. "The only time you strain your voice is when you do your battle yell during a fight, and that only lasts long enough for you to knock the snot out of your first opponent."

"Ew, gross," Xena shot her companion a look of disbelief. "Must you ruin the moment with your crass language?"

Gabrielle choked on her cider. "Gods, Xena! Don't do that!" She coughed several times. "I think some of it went up my nose."

Xena patted the choking bard on the back. "Sorry, love."

They sat in companionable silence for several long moments and watched the revelry around them. It amazed Gabrielle that it had only been one moon cycle since these same people had been running for their lives. Amphipolis was the first village in the path of Athena's army and had suffered the most destruction. The village militia hadn't even bothered to take a stand against the army once the Amazon messenger arrived to explain the situation. The council quickly voted to flee into the surrounding countryside, and everyone just took what they could carry when they ran. It was a blessing that no one was killed.

Shortly after the army flattened most of Amphipolis, word quickly spread that the army's commanders were all dead. One of the lesser lieutenants found the men in the commander's tent shortly after sunrise. No one in the army would say who the assassins were. Every soldier's lips were sealed and the army quickly disbanded. There was no longer a formal command structure, so the bulk of the soldiers simply returned home.

Word reached Gabrielle and Xena that Potidea was spared from any major damage. A small group of raiders managed to burn several buildings in the village and there was some livestock reported missing, but no lives were lost and the village proper was intact. Gabrielle was sure her parents and sister had escaped unscathed and was looking forward to a brief visit to the family farm in a few days time.

Her thoughts turned to her Amazon sisters and she wondered how things were going in the village during her absence. She and Xena had only been gone a few weeks when word reached them that nearly all the warriors who had participated in Xena's scheme were pregnant. Gabrielle knew it was possible that a number of the women would be pregnant, but she never dreamed the number would be so high.

"How do you think Ephiny is faring?" Gabrielle asked.

Xena glanced at her blond companion. "Probably going nuts by now." She smirked. "Glad we're not there to share the fun. Amazons aren't the most stable people under normal conditions. Having that many women with child will only make things a whole lot more interesting. Probably start a civil war right there in the village. I'm sure Nissia is trying to figure out how to train the rest of the village to be midwives. She won't be able to take care of that many women when they all give birth at the same time."

"You know you're partially responsible for what happened, don't you?" Gabrielle glared at the amused warrior. "I can't believe you cooked up such a hare-brained scheme. What in the world were you thinking, Xena?"

Xena hid a smile behind her empty ale mug, as she pretended to take a drink. "You weren't there, Gabrielle," she finally answered with her stoic mask firmly in place. "I had to think of something that wouldn't involve wiping the Amazons off the face of the earth." She gave Gabrielle a raised-brow look. "Besides, you were the one who gave me the idea. So you're as much to blame as I am. Not to mention Eponin's part in making sure it went off without a hitch."

"Me!" Gabrielle exclaimed in a hushed tone. "What in Hades did I do or say to put that idea in your head?"

Xena folded her arms across her chest. "You said the Amazons needed a boost in their numbers. You know, new blood and all that."

"Not by prostituting themselves to a bunch of strangers, Xena," Gabrielle slapped a hand against her forehead. "I soooo have to watch what I say around you."

Xena shrugged. "Those warriors didn't seem to mind." She smirked. "Actually, I think they rather enjoyed the?um?opportunity to strut their stuff, so to speak. It was a welcome distraction from the day-to-day routine of drilling and patrolling."

Gabrielle narrowed her eyes at the smug warrior. "What?"

"Well, now they're part of one of your stories," Xena snickered. "They figured you could come up with an amazing tale of bravery and sacrifice centered on the pride of the Amazon Nation."

"Excuse me?" Gabrielle exclaimed. "Why?what?Xeeeena?"

"Hey, you're the one who comes up with all these far-fetched tales involving yours truly," Xena said. "I just talked up how much of an honor it would be for them to have their queen traveling the countryside and telling of their exploits. You are going to come up with a story about what they did, right?"

Gabrielle slapped her forehead and shook her head. "I can't believe I'm to be party to such a flagrant disregard for Amazon dignity."

"Hey, they're pregnant Amazons, not village whores," Xena added, while trying valiantly to hide her amusement at the whole situation.

"They're warriors, Xena," Gabrielle argued. "Warriors fight. They don't march into the midst of an army and sleep with the enemy."

"I really don't think there was much sleeping going on," Xena said under her breath.

"Hey, you two," Cyrene took that moment to approach the table. "What's going on?" She glanced from an obviously amused Xena to an equally exasperated Gabrielle. "Am I interrupting something?"

"We were just having a friendly discussion," Xena said with as much innocence as she could muster.

"Oh?" Cyrene tried to meet the bard's eyes, but Gabrielle's attention was elsewhere. "I enjoyed that last story you told, Gabrielle. I don't think I've heard it before. Is it new?"

Gabrielle let her irritation at her partner dissipate in the face of Cyrene's timely interruption. "It's one I've been working on for a while now," she answered in a congenial tone. "I call it 'The Reckoning.'"

Cyrene glanced at the taller warrior. "So, it's true then?"

"What?" Xena gave her mother a wary look.

"You interact with the gods more often than not?" Cyrene glanced at both women.

"More like they interfere in our lives more often than not," Xena scoffed. "One of the many byproducts of my days in Ares' shadow, I guess. Or maybe it's because Hercules helped me see the error of my ways. He is Ares' half-brother and the two are bitter rivals, after all."

"And let's not forget what my being Queen of the Amazons did to get the attention of a certain goddess?or two?or three," Gabrielle threw in with a wry smirk. "That last encounter of ours wasn't exactly something I'll soon forget."

"Oh?" Cyrene's interest was certainly peeked, which earned Gabrielle a glare from Xena.

"It's?um?a really long story," Gabrielle shrugged and then added. "Not very interesting, actually."

"No," Xena agreed and waved a negligent hand at her mother. "You don't want to hear about it right now. Besides," she shot the bard a look that begged cooperation, "Gabrielle needs to rest her voice after all that storytelling. She's been a little hoarse lately, and I don't want her to lose it."

Cyrene shot the bard a questioning look. "Gabrielle? Have you been using that remedy I gave you?"

Gabrielle cleared her throat loudly. "Um, yeah, I have. But," she shrugged, "I guess it can only do so much to keep my throat clear." She cleared her throat again and then added a yawn for good measure. "That's my cue to get off to bed. It's been a really long day and tomorrow will be just as long."

Cyrene gave both women a skeptical glare. "Mmhm, I see." She watched Xena and Gabrielle stand and stretch. "Oh, by the way, Xena?"

Xena waved Gabrielle to go on ahead and turned back to face her mother. "Yes?"

"When are you going to tell me?" Cyrene gave her daughter a knowing look.

"Tell you what?"

"That the two of you are sleeping together," Cyrene answered blandly. "Is it too much to ask that my daughter be honest with me? After all, I am your mother. I should hear these things directly from your lips, not have to go to the trouble of deducing it on my own."

Xena's eyes bulged before she caught herself and masked her expression. "What? Why?um would you?um?"

"Sit down, Xena," Cyrene patted the chair next to her, "before you fall down."

Xena glared at her mother, but took the seat anyway. She sighed heavily, "What gave us away?"

"I put you in a room with two beds," Cyrene said. "Only one bed has been slept in the entire time you've been here. I don't have to be Aphrodite to put two and two together, Xena."

Xena blushed and looked away. She knew this moment would eventually come, but wasn't quite prepared for its eventuality. Despite what most people believed about her, she wasn't always completely ready for any situation. This was certainly one of those times.

"Talk to me," Cyrene prodded.

Xena took a deep breath and turned to face her mother. "Okay, yes."

A dark brow much like Xena's rose on the older woman's face. "And?" Cyrene waited for her daughter to elaborate. "Oh, for Hades' sake, Xena, I'm your mother. Tell me what's going on between you two. Is it serious? Do you love each other?"

Xena felt like an awkward teenager all over again. She didn't know how to talk about her feelings with Gabrielle, but at least they were making progress in that arena. Now her mother was asking her to express what was in her heart? How was a warrior supposed to respond to such open interrogation?

"Mother," Xena couldn't help that her voice had just a touch of whine to it.

"Spill it, Daughter," Cyrene decided on a different tact. "I'm waiting for a proper explanation."

"It's not that simple," Xena said. "We're?I'm?It's just not that simple."

"Do you love her, Xena?" Cyrene smirked when the question made her otherwise stoic daughter squirm. "I take that as a yes."

"We?um?" Xena rolled her eyes and slumped in her chair. "Gabrielle is much better at this than I am. Why don't you corner her, instead?"

"Oh, don't think I won't," Cyrene shot her daughter a firm glare that quickly softened into a warm smile. "I guess I just wanted to hear it from your lips, though. After all, you are still my daughter. I'd like to know that you've found someone who makes you happy."

"Gabrielle has always made me happy," and then she blushed to her roots when she realized what she'd just said. "I mean?she?I?Oh, Hades' left nut, that certainly didn't come out the way I meant it to."

"Don't worry, Xena," Cyrene patted her daughter's arm affectionately. "I'm beginning to understand everything."

Xena rested her arms on the table and stared at her folded hands for a moment. Then she looked her mother in the eye and swallowed down her trepidation. "I love her with all my heart, Mother. We're very happy together."

"So, you're a couple?" Cyrene clarified.

Xena nodded. "We are."

Cyrene eyed her daughter and couldn't help but push a lock of hair behind Xena's ear. "Hm."

Xena watched her mother for a moment and noticed the thoughtful look in the woman's gray-green eyes. Cyrene wasn't exactly smiling, but she wasn't throwing anything in a fit of pique, either. Xena took her mother's hands in hers and the difference in their sizes didn't go unnoticed by either woman.

"I love her," Xena reiterated.

Xena squeezed the hands in hers and then got up and walked away. If she had glanced back, Xena would have seen the smile of triumph lighting Cyrene's features. But Xena just kept walking to the stairs that would take her up to the room she shared with her partner.

***

"Okay, what gives?" Gabrielle's calm voice broke the silence. "You haven't said a word since you came in here." She snuggled deeper into Xena's warm embrace. "Not that I'm complaining or anything. You always were a woman of action, not words."

"Mm," Xena uttered as she wrapped her arms tighter around the smaller woman. "Just thinking."

"About?"

"Life?love?the pursuit of?"

"Oh, give me a break, Xena," Gabrielle sighed in exasperation. "Tell me what's really going on in that thick skull of yours. And please don't deny that you have a thick skull. We both know the truth behind those words."

Xena snorted. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it," Gabrielle answered. "Now, talk."

"Mother cornered me," Xena blurted.

"That sounds ominous," Gabrielle said and then the realization of what Xena said hit her. "Cornered you? About what?"

"Us," Xena answered.

"Gods, Xena!" Gabrielle sighed exasperatedly. "Is it too much to ask that you just spit it out, so I don't have to wrestle these things out of you? Does she suspect something? What did she say?"

Xena pulled the bard with her as she switched their positions with a quick, room-spinning flip that had the warrior on top of her smaller lover. Passionate blue eyes locked with surprised green ones.

"I like wrestling," Xena lowered her lips to the bards and gave her a smoldering kiss that left them both breathless. "I like wrestling with you especially."

Gabrielle smiled up at the woman whose face was framed by her dark hair. "The feeling is mutual, Xena, but that doesn't answer my questions."

Xena dipped her head to the bard's bare cleavage. "I don't want to talk about my mother, right now. I'd much rather do other?things." She flashed a seductive smile.

Gabrielle rolled her eyes, but quickly gave in to the wonderful sensations coursing through her entire being, as Xena's attentions became more heated. She soon completely forgot what they were talking about as Xena took her to that place of utter bliss that only they could share together.

***

The main gathering room of the inn was relatively quiet in the early hours before dawn. It was far too early for the morning meal crowd that would arrive in a few candlemarks. But it wasn't too early for a pair of early risers, who were used to getting up and being on the road before dawn.

"That was so not fair of you, Xena," Gabrielle hissed as she traipsed down the stairs to the main room of the inn with Xena close on her heels. "You know I can't think straight when you?um?" Her words were cut short when she spotted Cyrene bustling around the room, cleaning up the last remnants of the evening's festivities. "You are so going to tell me what happened last night between you and your mother," she hissed over her shoulder, just as they stepped off the last step together.

"Speaking of," Xena muttered as Cyrene made a beeline for them.

"Good morning, you two," the innkeeper greeted them with a bright and cheery smile. "Ready to start the day with a hearty breakfast?" She glanced from her fidgeting offspring to the blushing bard next to her. "Something hot to keep you going throughout the morning?"

Gabrielle's blush deepened and Xena just rolled her eyes. "Mother," she growled as she brushed past the woman and headed out the front door.

"What? Did I say something wrong?" Cyrene looked to the smaller woman still standing next to her. "Gabrielle?"

"I?" Gabrielle shook her head and cleared her throat. "Xena doesn't do breakfast," she lamely explained. "We're usually already on the road by the time the sun comes up, so we just forage for nuts and berries along the way."

"Nuts and berries?" Cyrene gave the bard an incredulous look. "That can't be very satisfying." She motioned for the bard to sit at one of the vacant tables. "Sit down, Gabrielle, and I'll bring you a proper meal to start your day."

"Cyrene, I really don't?"

"Ah, ah, no arguing, now," Cyrene insisted as she ushered Gabrielle over to the table and made sure she sat down. "I may not be able to coral my own daughter, but at least I can make sure you eat something."

Gabrielle sat down and watched Cyrene wave to the only barmaid in the place. The innkeeper whispered something to the young woman and then sat down in a seat across from her with an expectant look that made Gabrielle's stomach sink.

"Now," Cyrene gave Gabrielle an appraising once-over. "Tell me what's going on between you and Xena."

Gabrielle swallowed down the sudden lump that instantly formed in her throat. "Uh?I?um?" she stammered at the unexpected and straightforward request.

Chapter 2

"Do you love her?" Cyrene asked as she gazed intently at the woman across from her.

"I?um?" Gabrielle was still at a complete loss for words.

Cyrene let Gabrielle stew for another moment before her expression softened. "Relax, Gabrielle," Xena's mother patted Gabrielle's arm affectionately. "It's about time my daughter found someone who is her match in every way."

Gabrielle's brows shot up into her hairline. "You're not?we aren't?um?" She ran a hand down her face in frustration and sighed in exasperation. Then she girded herself and met the woman's gray-green gaze. "She's the most important person in my life and I love her with all my heart and my entire being. Words can't even begin to express what Xena means to me and what she's done to make me a better person."

Cyrene considered Gabrielle's words thoughtfully for a moment. "Do you remember when we first met, Gabrielle?"

Gabrielle was a bit confused by the abrupt change of topic. "Yes, I think so. It was when Xena came back here to make amends after saving Lila and me from Draco's goons, wasn't it?"

"Yes," Cyrene smiled warmly at the memory. "You were very young, very idealistic. You followed after Xena like a stray puppy." She paused to let her words sink in. Then she pointed a knowing finger at the bard and said, "But you did something else that day that Xena showed up here and I rejected her attempts to apologize for who she became."

"I did?" Gabrielle thought back to that long-ago time.

She remembered how naďve she'd been when she'd followed Xena from Potidea to Amphipolis with the hope of being accepted as more than a simple village girl. She also remembered how devastated the stoic warrior was to have Draco's prediction come true. Being rejected by the very people who raised her, much less by her own mother, was simply too much for Xena. That was when Gabrielle first saw past the warrior's weapons and lethal combat skills to the vulnerable woman-child hiding beneath.

"You stood up for her," Cyrene said quietly. "It was the first time I'd ever seen Xena step aside and allow someone else to speak for her. And it was also the first time I noticed a real change for the better in Xena." She lowered her gaze then. "Unfortunately, I was too full of anger and hate to fully realize how special that moment really was."

Gabrielle put a hand on Cyrene's. "You two eventually mended your differences and forgave each other for all that happened."

Cyrene raised tear-filled eyes to Gabrielle's. "And I have you to thank for that, Gabrielle," she said. "You've made as much of a difference in her life as you say she's made in yours." She smiled through her tears. "I am very grateful to you for all you've done to give me back my daughter. And I want you to know that I now consider you my daughter, as well."

Tears sprang to Gabrielle's eyes, as Cyrene firmly grasped her hand and covered it with her other hand. "I don't know what to say," she finally said, as the tears spilled down her cheeks unheeded.

"Say you'll continue to love her, no matter what happens," Cyrene said. "I just want you both to be happy and to love each other, Gabrielle."

Gabrielle nodded. "I can certainly do that."

"Good," Cyrene gave Gabrielle's hands a last squeeze and then let go.

Both women were wiping away the last of their tears, when the barmaid returned with a large serving tray full of aromatic dishes. She set the tray on the edge of the table and removed several wooden bowls and platters. When she was done, she looked to Cyrene for further instruction.

"Thank you, Carlena," Cyrene said as she quickly heaped two plates full of food and set one in front of Gabrielle. "Tell Aris the food smells wonderful."

"I will," the young barmaid said as she tucked the tray under one arm and headed back to the kitchen.

"Mmm," Gabrielle savored the scrambled eggs and ham. "This is delicious."

"Aris is the best cook I could have hoped to hire," Cyrene commented between bites. "It's also nice that her three daughters are willing to work here for a little extra coin."

"Business is good, then?" Gabrielle lifted a mug of warm cider to her lips and savored the sweet brew.

"We're actually turning a profit?or at least we were before that army came marching through here and destroyed practically everything," Cyrene frowned. "Do you know their commander ordered his men to shout obscenities against Xena while they leveled the town? They were also praising the name of Athena in the same breath they were shouting those obscenities. It was rather disturbing."

Gabrielle's expression hardened. "No, I didn't."

"What I don't understand is why Xena had anything to do with it," Cyrene continued thoughtfully. "Do you?"

Gabrielle was caught with a mouthful of food that she had to chew and swallow before she could answer. "The army belonged to Athena. Athena and Artemis were working together to get Xena's attention on my behalf."

Cyrene looked at Gabrielle in confusion. "That makes no sense, Gabrielle. Why would Athena even give Artemis the time of day, much less work with her to get the attention of a couple of mortals? It's not like the gods to interfere in human affairs." Her expression turned thoughtful. "Unless Ares is involved."

"I'm Queen of the Amazons, Cyrene," Gabrielle answered, as if that explained everything.

"You are?" Cyrene watched Gabrielle nod soberly. "But what does that have to do with anything?"

"As Queen of the Amazons, it's my duty to choose a consort, a?um?a spouse," Gabrielle explained. "Amazons are women, so?" She shrugged.

Cyrene thoughtfully considered Gabrielle's words. "Amazons marry each other?"

"Men aren't allowed to live in the village. Actually, they aren't allowed in the village at all," Gabrielle continued. "If an Amazon marries a man, she either has to go to his village for conjugal visits or she has to leave the village and go live with him." She paused to let the words sink in. "The queen doesn't generally have the option of leaving the village." She shrugged. "Although, in my case, I appointed my good friend, Ephiny, as regent in my absence, so I'm not bound by that particular stricture."

"You could marry a man," Cyrene was still trying to grasp exactly what Gabrielle was saying.

"I did, actually," Gabrielle said. "His name was Perdicus and we were married for only a day before he was killed by one of Xena's archenemies." She shook her head when she realized she was probably just confusing the woman with each new revelation. "The point is?"

"You were married to a man, Gabrielle?" Cyrene couldn't help but be completely bewildered by the bard's convoluted explanation. "I didn't know that."

"We grew up together," Gabrielle couldn't keep the sad note from her voice, but countered it with a wry half-smile. "He was the main reason I ran off to be with Xena in the first place, actually. My father and his thought we would make a good match and betrothed us to each other when we were just babies. I didn't want to get married and spend the rest of my life as a shepherd's wife in Potidea. So, when Xena came along and did her warrior thing against Draco's men, I figured I would just follow her and see where I ended up." Her smile deepened and until her face fairly glowed with love. "It was the scariest and most exciting moment of my life, and I haven't regretted a single moment we've spent together since that day."

"Not a single moment?" Cyrene gave her a skeptical look.

"Okay, one or two or?" Gabrielle conceded with a shrug. "There was the time I thought I wanted to be a famous bard and ran off to attend the Athens Academy of Performing Bards. Then there was that other time I got really tired of fighting and just wanted to go home to Potidea, which I did. And then there was Britannia and Chin and everything that happened between us during and after that," her expression turned thoughtful. "Come to think of it, I don't really regret all that stuff, because it actually brought us closer than we'd ever been before. It also made us appreciate each other all the more." A blond brow rose as she rested her chin on a fist. "I guess we never did have that discussion we were supposed to have when I fully recovered. I'll have to corner Xena on that one."

"Gabrielle?" Cyrene lifted the younger woman's chin from her hand. "It seems there's a lot you haven't told me about your adventures with my daughter."

Gabrielle shrugged. "What can I say? We've been through a lot together."

"And you love each other," Cyrene nodded.

"We do," Gabrielle acknowledged with a warm smile.

"I look forward to hearing more about those adventures," Cyrene gave Gabrielle a knowing wink. "But, for now, I need to get back to work. I'll see you later, Daughter." She kissed Gabrielle on the forehead and headed for the kitchen.

Gabrielle sat there for a moment, just basking in the glow of Cyrene's acceptance.

***

"Yo, Xena," Cletus, the town smithy, greeted the leather-clad warrior. "Wha' brings ye ta my humble forge?"

He was a burly man with short-cropped blond hair gone black with soot that covered him from head to toe. His bare chest was protected by a sleeveless apron that he wore to keep the sparks from burning his skin. Sweat poured off him as he stood in front of the massive forge and slammed a hammer down on a horse shoe he was working on. He grabbed a pair of tongs, picked up the glowing shoe and dumped it into a vat of water. Steam billowed up into the ceiling and funneled up through a vent.

Xena ducked under the low roof and took the tall smith's arm in hers. "Thought I'd come by and make sure the roof is doing its job, Cletus," she said with a smirk. "Doesn't look like there's much smoke lingering in here anymore."

They both glanced up at the sloped metal ceiling with the air vent at its peak. Cletus smiled proudly as he stood with his massive hands on his hips and fairly rolled on the balls of his feet. The big man couldn't help but admire their handiwork.

"'Tis a marvel of pure genius," he said as he returned his attention to the woman before him. "Ye did a fine job designing it, Xena." He shook his head. "Can't figure how ye came up with such a novel idea."

"What? You think a warrior can't have a novel idea now and again?" Xena teased the man. "It isn't all about battle strategies and war, my friend. Besides, you're the one who built it and got the design to work."

"Yer too modest, Xena," Cletus amended quickly. "It ain't that I think warriors are incapable of doin' other stuff 'sides fightin'. Ye just weren't a one ta be thinking stuff like this up, 's all. At least not before ye went off and raised an army, conquered half the known world, became Destroyer of Nations and all."

"I have many skills, my friend," Xena rolled her tongue in her cheek. "Besides, I like a good challenge."

"Right ye are," Cletus picked up a rag and wiped his sweaty hands on it. "Join me for a cold mug of ale? I tapped a new keg just this mornin'."

"No, I think I'll pass," Xena said. "I have a few projects I need to finish today."

Xena stepped over to a low table full of various weapons and surveyed each one. She finally picked up a slim dagger and tested its weight in her hand. The double-edged blade was honed to a paper-thin edge and the handle would fit a much smaller hand than hers.

"Ye lookin' to add another weapon ta yer collection?" Cletus stepped up next to her. "I got some fine blades in the back that you can have for a steal." He chuckled at the double entendre. "I certainly owe ye for the roof design."

Xena held up the slim dagger between them. "You ever heard of weapons called sais?" She ran a finger along the blade and then moved her finger out a few inches to show an extension of the blade.

"Don't get much call for anything like that 'round here," Cletus answered, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "I heard they come from a distant land. Somewhere beyond the rising sun, ain't it? Had a weapons merchant come through here several winters ago. He carried an extensive collection of weapons from all over the known world. I think he even had a pair of 'em in his traveling wagon. Didn't buy 'em, though. Ain't worth the coin."

Xena nodded. "You know what they look like, though, right?"

Cletus nodded. "Truncheon so long," he held his hands out. "Two prongs on the sides and a slim handle with a knob on the end used for bludgeoning. Can I?" He waited for Xena to hand him the dagger. "You can hold them either this way," he pointed the blade towards Xena. "Or turn them and use the prongs as leverage for a good swing at an opponent's head, mid-section or?well, whatever." He shrugged. "Not a very effective weapon, except in close-quarter, hand-to-hand fighting. I sure wouldn't use 'em in battle. Give me a nice long sword any day."

Xena regarded the blade in her hand for a moment. "Can you make a pair with blades like double-edged daggers, rather than the rounded truncheons?"

Cletus regarded the dagger thoughtfully for a moment. "Not an easy endeavor, Xena." He finally said. "Like I said, I only saw the weapons the one time, and I didn't get a real good look at 'em then, either." His brown eyes met Xena's baby blues and he pointed at her sword and chakram. "You plannin' on tradin' those in on a pair of short daggers?"

"They're not for me," Xena smirked and placed her hand over the round weapon at her hip. "I'm perfectly happy with the weapons I'm familiar with."

His expression mirrored his confusion. "Who're they for, then?if'n ye don't mind my askin'," he said. "I'll need to take a measurement of the person's arm and hand ta get a decent fit."

"I'll bring her by eventually," Xena answered. "They're a surprise, so try not to let slip what you need the measurements for, will ya?"

He touched the side of his nose and winked. "Gotcha, Xena. Mum's the word."

She stepped back outside and gazed up at the roof. "I like that little piece you added to the top of the chimney."

Cletus nodded. "Yeah, thought it would keep the rain from streamin' in through the vent up there."

"Good idea, especially since we're due for some rain this evening," Xena smirked.

Cletus glanced at the cloudless sky. "Ye daft, Xena? There ain't a cloud in the sky," he scoffed as he went back to work with a shake of his head. "

"Don't say I didn't warn you, my friend," Xena said. "And say hello to Molly for me, will ya?"

"Don't be such a stranger, Xena," Cletus said as he raised his tongs and absently waved them at her. "Don't forget ta bring yer friend by for those measurements. I got a lot of work ta keep me busy, so I'll have to put in extra hours ta get your surprise done 'fore winter."

"I won't forget, Cletus," Xena said as she turned to leave. "Bring Molly by the inn some night soon. She can hear some good stories told by a real bard."

"A real bard, eh?" He called to her retreating form and received a quick wave of acknowledgement. "I just might do that!"

Xena headed across the town square and passed several merchant stalls on her way to her destination. She just happened to glance at the last stall and noticed something that caught her eye. She wasn't much for shopping, but she wasn't oblivious, either.

"How much for this?" She picked up a beautiful piece of handcrafted metalwork on a slim leather thong. Two intricately designed quills were crossed over a tiny open scroll. A small red ruby, like a drop of blood, sat in the middle of the crossed quills and glimmered in the sunlight.

"Fifty," the gruff, pudgy merchant barked, as he stepped up and adjusted his belt over his wide girth.

Xena eyed the man. "Ten," she countered and raised a dark, intimidating brow.

She wasn't the one who did the bartering. But she knew Gabrielle would give her grief for paying full price for something that could be bartered down to a lower price. Xena wanted to give Gabrielle something special as a promise of things to come. She knew the bard would love the gift and would cherish it for the sentiment behind it, as well as for the time Xena was willing to put in to barter for it.

The merchant picked up the small charm and held it up between them. "This ruby alone is worth more than the fifty I'm asking, lady."

Xena's brow quirked and she crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm not paying fifty dinars for a piece of cheap metal just because you claim that little piece of glass is a real ruby, old man."

The man sighed heavily. "All right, forty, then," he said. "It took the artisan several moons to carve those quills with such life-like precision. And did you read the inscription on the scroll?" He held it up for her inspection. "It says 'The gods bless and keep you'."

Xena snorted. "The gods rarely bless and keep anyone, especially me."

"Beg your pardon?" The man gave her a bewildered look. "You shouldn't speak so poorly of the gods. They might hear you and bring a bad omen down on all our heads."

"They bring anything down on me again and I'll chop 'em into little pieces," Xena growled and then caught herself. "Uh, on second thought, I don't think I want your trinket. Has a bad taste to it." She started walking away.

"Okay, okay," the merchant waved her back over to his stall. "I can go as low as thirty dinars, but that's it. As it is I'm losing money on the deal."

Xena pulled several coins from the front of her bodice and blew on them. "I'll give you twenty and that's my final offer," she said with a wry smirk.

The man hesitated for a moment and then sighed heavily. "Fine, it's a deal," he rolled his eyes in exasperation and took the money from her. "May I ask who I've had the pleasure of bartering with?" He asked as he dropped the necklace into a brown leather pouch and handed it to her.

"Name's Xena," she said as she took the pouch and tucked it in her cleavage.

"The Xena?" The man gawked at her in open awe. "The same Xena who raised an army right here in Amphipolis and conquered most of the known world? Don't they still call you the Destroyer of Nations?"

Xena leaned on his table and looked him in the eye. "It's just Xena." She gave him her most intimidating glare. "I don't do the warlord thing anymore, and I'd really appreciate it if you'd just forget you ever saw me."

"Oh, oh, most certainly," the man backed away several steps and wiped the sweat from his brow. "I?I really didn't mean to offend you. If I've done so, please accept my deepest and most profound apologies, Xena." He reached behind him and grabbed something off a nearby table. "Here."

Xena reached out and took the items from his outstretched hand. She looked down to find a pair of silver bracers in her hand. Two quills crossed over a scroll sat on atop the intricate silver tooling.

"Please," the man continued. "Take them as a token of my appreciation-completely free of charge."

Xena removed the pouch from its hiding place and looked at the twin bracers. There was no way they would fit in the leather pouch, much less between her breasts. "Thanks," she made to hand them back, "but these are really too much for what I paid you."

"No, no, no," the man held up a staying hand, took a larger pouch out and handed it to her. "I want you to have them, too. They're a matched set."

"Okay," Xena said. "Thank you."

"No, thank you, Xena," the merchant said with a grateful smile. "I'm in your debt for how you took care of my only son and sent him home to us with only a small scratch. He's now married and has given me six strapping grandsons." He glanced at the large pouch with the bracers in it. "That's a small price to pay for what you gave me, Xena."

"Your son was in my army? What's his name?" Xena asked, as she absently adjusted the pouch.

"Breniden," the merchant answered with pride. "Said he was one of your hoplites. Now he works the family farm and does some woodcarving in his spare time. His wife, Treis, bakes pies and sells them at market. Best pie you've ever tasted. Three of his boys are old enough now to do the lion's share of the plowing and harvesting. They also help me out when I travel to other towns and villages."

"I think I remember your son," Xena said. "As I recall he looked a lot like you."

"That he does," the merchant beamed. "The two oldest grandsons take after me, too." He proudly patted his protruding stomach.

"You must be very proud," Xena said. "I'm glad he made it home safely."

"'Twas thanks to you he came home at all," the man said. "The way Breniden tells it, ye were three days into a campaign when a crossbow bolt nicked his sword arm. He said the bolt was poisoned and nearly killed him. But you knew just what to do to cure him and save his arm. Once he was well enough, you sent him home with some coin to get him started on a new life. He bought a nice piece of farm land right here in Amphipolis."

Xena nodded. "I remember your son," she said. "He wasn't more than fifteen and bravely cut through an entire line of men, before I watched that bolt slice through his sword arm. Even after he was hit, he still kept his head and saved three men's lives before the poison took him down. We won the day and the men were singing his praises around the campfire that night. He was a hero and I rewarded him as such."

"You saved his life, Xena," he said. "I can never repay you for what you did for the wife and I. Breniden is our only son. It nearly killed Aris when he ran off to join your army against the warlord Cortese."

"I know your wife," Xena nodded. "She works at my mother's inn."

"Name's Plathos," he said as he held out his arm to her. "I also have three daughters who work for your mother. Nicest and most generous woman this side of the Peloponnese."

Xena took his arm and shook it firmly. "Sorry, but I didn't recognize you. Were you here?um, before?"

"Before Cortese?" He quirked a brown eyebrow at her and shook his head. "No, we moved here right before you formed your army. Maybe you've heard of Serres? It was several leagues to the north of here."

"No, can't say I've been there," Xena said.

"Well, that's probably because it hasn't existed for some time now," Plathos continued. "The village was leveled by a warlord. The name of the man escapes me now, but he was ruthless and gave no quarter. Destroyed everything in his path without any regard to those left behind, even burned the crops and slaughtered the livestock in their pens. Nasty business, that. We barely escaped Serres with our lives, much less the few belongings we could load into the wagon and take with us. We came to Amphipolis and your mother was kind enough to put us up in a back room of the inn for a few weeks. That's when she hired Aris as a cook. The girls were too young to do much more than get underfoot at that time, but one-by-one they started helping out in the main room-clearing tables, serving drinks and cleaning up. I think you were already living with that ragtag bunch you turned into your army, by then."

"Mother was always one to help out someone in need," Xena smirked. "Well, I really need to get some work done today, so?"

"Oh, my apologies for going on and on, when you're so busy with the rebuilding here, Xena," Plathos gave her a quick bow of his nearly-balding head. "I'll let you get on your way, then. Thank you again for your business and for all you did for my son."

"It was nice to meet you, Plathos," she held her arm out again and shook his. "Good to know things are working out for you and your family."

"If there's ever anything you need, Xena," he said as she started walking away.

"I'll know who to ask," she shot over her shoulder.

***

"Ow! Papyrus cut," Gabrielle exclaimed as she stuck a finger in her mouth and winced. "A battle wound is much less painful than one of these."

"Are you okay, Gabrielle?" An aged man in a gray tunic and brown trousers asked from across the long table.

"I'm fine, Draes," Gabrielle smiled at the white-haired elder. "I just have to remember not to unroll these scrolls so fast that I catch my fingers on the edges."

"You have done a fine job with that particular scroll," the Amphipolis scribe commented as he glanced up from a pile of scrolls rolled loosely in front of him. "I must say, we've made tremendous progress because of the work you've done to help me with this daunting job. I am eternally grateful for all your fine work, Gabrielle."

Gabrielle sat back and ran a tired hand through her short-cropped, blond hair. "We've done pretty well, haven't we?" She smirked proudly. "Some of it was drier than a desert," she glanced at a piled of freshly transcribed scrolls, safely rolled and stored in their vellum cases across the room. "But this one is well worth the effort." She held up the scroll she was copying and smiled tiredly. "Do you know who wrote it?"

Draes studied the script with pale gray eyes. His wrinkled gray brow quirked as he read the few words revealed to him. "I'm not sure," he finally answered. "What's the work about?"

"The Trojan War, I think," Gabrielle answered as she set the scroll down in front of her again. "It almost sounds like a story I once heard, but?" she shook her head.

"I believe it was written by a little-known bard who passed through here a few winters ago," Draes said. His expression turned thoughtful for a moment. "I don't remember his name, but I do recall that he was a very good storyteller. He stayed at Cyrene's inn for several days and shared his stories in the main room at night, just like you." He rubbed the stubble on his chin with one wrinkled hand. "He had this strange habit of closing his eyes when he told a story, as if he were trying to put himself right there so the words could more easily come to him."

"Closed his eyes?" Gabrielle asked with some surprise.

"Yes," Draes nodded slowly. "He told each of his tales with his eyes closed and didn't open them again until the last words left his lips. During this particular tale he had a number of the audience members in tears for the better part of the telling. We all felt like we were right there with him, seeing what he saw behind those closed lids."

"Huh," Gabrielle lifted the scroll and scanned its contents again. "I think I know him. I met him at a contest in Athens and we parted as friends."

"I asked him if he would write down the tale for our library," Draes continued. "He agreed. It's been one of our most popular scrolls-even more popular than the yearly almanac that comes from the oracles in Athens."

Gabrielle smiled as she traced a finger along the hastily scrawled letters. "He was in a hurry when he wrote this."

"Yes," Draes answered. "He was heading to another village and wanted to get there before the next moon. I believe he was looking for someone."

Gabrielle's head lifted and her eyes met the aged scribe's. "Did he say who he was looking for?"

Draes shook his head, wisps of white hair escaping from the leather thong he used to tie it at the nape of his neck. "No," he said. "He never said, but I think it was probably a woman."

"A woman?" Gabrielle's expression mirrored her surprise. "Why do you think he was looking for a woman?"

The man waved a negligible hand. "Isn't every young man looking for a woman?" He smirked. "This particular young man was very smitten. I could see it in his eyes when he mentioned the woman he was chasing. I think he said he met her in Athens." He looked away and shook his head. "Youth is wasted on the young," he clucked as he sifted through the scrolls in front of him.

He was so focused on his task that he completely missed the knowing smirk on Gabrielle's face. Gabrielle glanced out the window and saw by the position of the sun that it was after the noon hour. She rolled up the scroll in front of her and placed it back in its vellum case. She cleared her work space and set the scrolls back in the cubby holes where they were kept.

"I have to go," Gabrielle said when she was done.

"Leaving so soon, Gabrielle?" Draes' expression showed his disappointment.

"I have some things I need to take care of," Gabrielle answered. "I'll try to make it back tomorrow, but I can't make any promises. I think Xena wanted to take a ride over to the grain storage sheds west of town. They need help with the roof or something."

"I thank you for the help you've provided, Bard Gabrielle," Draes stood and bowed slightly. "Because of you, I have made considerable headway in getting things squared away here. I'll also be sending some of these copies to the Academy in Athens, where others will be able to share in our good fortune."

"I'm glad I could help," Gabrielle gave the stooped man a quick hug and then moved to the wooden doorway. "And it's just Gabrielle, Draes. I don't really do titles, not even as Queen of the Amazons."

"Queen Gabrielle, the travelling Bard of Potidea?" Draes gave her a teasing grin. "I think it suits you, my dear."

"Battling bard is more like it these days," Gabrielle grumbled as she paused in the open doorway and turned back to give him her best imitation of Xena's intimidating scowl. "Those words do not leave this hut, Draes. Or I will send a certain Warrior Princess over here to straighten you out," she finished the threat with a playful wink. "Good day to you, Draes."

"Good day to you, Queen Gabrielle," Draes waved to her retreating form.

***

"Queen Gabrielle, the Battling Bard of Potidea, huh?" Xena smirked as she caught up to her diminutive partner just outside the nondescript building. "I like it. It sure beats all the titles I've held or the derogatory ones some people have pinned to my name."

"Do not even go there, Warrior Princess," Gabrielle growled.

"Or, what?" Xena crossed her arms over her breastplate and continued to smirk. "You gonna beat the tar outta me with your little stick?" She wiggled her fingers in Gabrielle's face. "Oooo, I'm really scared, Gabrielle."

Gabrielle realized in that moment that she really hadn't been using her staff while they'd been in Amphipolis. As a matter of fact it was still leaning against a wall upstairs in their room, where she'd left it when they first arrived. Although she rarely went anywhere without the walking stick/weapon, she just hadn't felt the need to have it with her during their stay in Amphipolis.

"I don't have it with me," Gabrielle gave the taller woman a wry look. "Guess I left it in my other skirt." She gave Xena a quick hip-check and nearly fell over when the taller woman answered with one of her own. "Thanks for that."

Xena quirked a dark brow. "You rarely go anywhere without your staff, Gabrielle. What gives?"

Gabrielle shrugged. "I just haven't needed it for anything," she said. "We aren't out on the road, so I haven't needed it with me all the time. Besides, I don't want to lean it against a doorframe or wall somewhere and forget where I put it."

"Getting forgetful in your old age, huh?" Xena teased.

Gabrielle shot her taller companion a questioning look. "Have you been drinking?"

"No, why?" Xena chuckled. "Do I smell like an ale keg or something?" She smelled her arm pit and gave the smaller woman a satisfied smirk. "Nothin' too ripe there. Although, I could really go for a dip in one of the lakes nearby. Mom wouldn't mind having fish on the menu tonight."

Gabrielle rolled her eyes. "You're acting like a little kid, Xena. It's kinda weirding me out."

Xena did a little dance around her smaller companion with a childish grin. "Can't a woman have a little fun around ya without you thinkin' something's wrong?"

Gabrielle stopped with her hands on her hips and glared at Xena's back. "You aren't just any woman, Xena," she said quietly. "You're the one I've chosen to spend the rest of my life with, and you're also a seasoned warrior with lethal combat skills. You rarely act childish."

Xena approached the smaller woman and put her hands on Gabrielle's shoulders. "I'm comfortable here, Gabrielle," Xena looked intently into shining green eyes. "Like you, I don't need to put on the usual warrior airs that I use when we're out on the road." She glanced around at the familiar surroundings of her home village. Most of the buildings were brand new, but the place still reminded her of home. "I can relax my warrior senses here. These people know me and accept me for who I am, not for the warlord I became when I left all those years ago. They don't know Xena the Destroyer of Nations. They just know Xena, the kid who used to run around here and play with the other kids. It's kinda refreshing not to have them looking to me to solve their problems or kick someone's butt for them."

Gabrielle sighed. "Okay," she said with a quick nod. "I guess I'm being a little too uptight, huh? I'm sorry." She gave Xena a conciliatory half-smile. "I must be ready to start cycling."

"Don't worry about it, love," Xena put a companionable arm around Gabrielle's shoulder and squeezed. "I think it's time we took a little break from all this fun." She wriggled her eyebrows and smiled. "Why don't you grab your staff and meet me in the kitchen. I'll ask Mother to pack us up a little something and we'll have a picnic."

"Okaaaaay, who are you and what have you done with the real Xena?" Gabrielle deadpanned with a quirked brow.

"Seriously, Gabrielle," Xena nearly bounced on the balls of her feet. "It'll be nice to spend the rest of the day together. We can do some fishing and?" She wriggled her brows again. "Maybe some other things. It'll be fun."

Gabrielle didn't have a chance to respond, as she watched Xena fairly dance away with such glee in her step that the smaller bard just stared in wonder. When Xena disappeared from view, Gabrielle still continued to stare after her in utter disbelief.

"Weird," she muttered with a shake of her head, as she slowly followed the warrior's path.

***

Chapter 3

"This is completely unacceptable, Eponin," Ephiny shook her curly blond head. "He's the-wait, how many have we caught so far? Ten? Twelve? I'm losing count." She shook her head again and the blond curls danced around her face. "We can't keep locking them up like this. Pretty soon we're going to run out of room in the stockade, and then we'll need to find somewhere else to keep them."

"Ephiny, it's not as bad as all that," Eponin gave her blond companion a wry half-grin. "Maybe we can cage 'em and hang 'em from trees at our borders, as examples to others who think they can get away with sneaking men in here. They know the rules, Ephiny. They just need a reminder that the treaties don't allow for men in the village."

"I have the council on my ass about this whole mess," Ephiny growled. "Leave it to Gabrielle to drop this in my lap and just saunter off on her merry way. Ugh!!! I could just?" She balled her fists and ground her teeth in frustration.

"Eph!" Eponin took the smaller woman's face in her hands. "Gabrielle didn't put those stipulations in the treaties. As a matter of fact, I think she was the one who protested the loudest against the procreation stipulations."

"You're right, Pon," Ephiny sighed heavily and rolled her eyes. "She's also not the one who came up with that cockamamie plan to get a bunch of our warriors pregnant," she sighed again and ran a hand through her hair. "But she did leave me to clean up the whole damned mess." She paced around the council hut for several long moments. "I can't believe we let Xena talk us into that stupid plan of hers."

Eponin just stood there with a smirk on her face and her arms folded across her ample bosom. "It wasn't Xena's plan, actually."

The regent stopped dead and turned to face the weapons master. "What?"

"I came up with the idea," Eponin shrugged. "Xena just went along with it when she found out she couldn't leave Gabrielle's bedside."

Ephiny faced Eponin with her hands on her hips. "Are you telling me you're the one I should blame for all these pregnancies and all this craziness?"

Eponin shrugged again. "We needed to do something to stop that army, Eph. It was either that or watch all our warriors go into a battle they couldn't win. I thought adding to our ranks was preferable to losing most, if not all, of our seasoned warriors. Xena knew it was a long shot, and she also knew you wouldn't go for it if she didn't take credit for the plan. So, she told me to keep my mouth shut until after they left."

Ephiny glared at the taller woman for a moment. "Urrrrgh!!!!" She exclaimed. "I can't believe you kept this from me all this time."

"I gave Xena my word," Eponin said. "Sorry."

Ephiny continued to silently rage for another long moment and then finally realized it wasn't worth the effort. What was done was done. The circumstances were what they were and there was no going back. She finally squared her shoulders and faced the weapons master with a nod of acceptance.

"Okay," Ephiny said in a calm tone. "I get it. I can respect that you gave Xena your word. But that still doesn't change the situation with the men who keep showing up unannounced in the village. We need a way to keep the idiots from coming here."

"Tell the women to limit their conjugal visits to the villages where the men live," Eponin answered.

"And what do we do with the men we have locked up in the stockade?" Ephiny asked. "Besides, I've already tried that one. For some reason they're ignoring my orders."

"Have the men escorted off Amazon lands and tell them to never step foot here again or risk an arrow to the heart or?" Eponin shrugged. "We can certainly double the guards for a full moon cycle-long enough to ensure we're not going to have anymore unwelcome visitors. If you want, we can use a few as examples." She removed the dagger from its sheath at her hip, raised a questioning brow and fingered the blade. "I know how to castrate bulls," she grinned slyly. "Can't be much different than turning a man into a eunuch."

Ephiny cringed and shook her head, then considered her options. "No, we can't castrate the local villagers. That would just set them all off and cause more problems we don't need right now." She paced a few steps and turned back to face the disappointed weapons master. "Oh, relax, Eponin. You can still double the guard and order them to shoot any man on sight. The question remains, what do I do about the council?"

"What about 'em?"

"What do I tell them? We have more than thirty pregnant warriors, all due at the same time," Ephiny reasoned. "What do I tell them when they ask me how we're going to deal with all those women giving birth at the same time next spring?"

Eponin smirked conspiratorially. "You could recruit them to lend a hand with all the deliveries."

"As if," Ephiny scoffed.

"Hey, they're the ones who were complaining about our dwindling numbers just a few moons ago," Eponin shot back. "Let 'em help bring the new blood into the world. It'll sure shut 'em up and get 'em off your back for a while." She met Ephiny's gaze. "Or you could send word to the dynamic duo and drop the problem back in Gabrielle's lap."

Ephiny's blond brow rose as she regarded the slightly-taller woman. "Where did they say they were headed?"

"Amphipolis," Eponin grinned.

"Hm," the regent uttered as she turned away from the woman and thoughtfully considered her options.

***

"I want their heads on a platter for what they did!!!!" A beefy fist slammed down on a wooden table, unsettling several cups and spilling their contents across the rough wood. A bearded man in tarnished brass armor raged at the other men around him. Spittle hung from his lower lip and his cheeks were flushed bright red in anger. He was a big man who looked more like a Viking than a Greek warlord. Blond hair flecked with gray and pale skin barely touched by the sun gave him a washed-out complexion that looked unhealthy and sallow. "They will pay for my brother's death with their very lives!!! This will not go unpunished!!! Do you understand me? They will pay!!!"

"Yes, Commander Kalgred," a short, stout man in rusted armor, with greasy shoulder-length hair that hung in his eyes stepped up to the table. "What plan would you have us carry out, sir? Do you have one in mind?"

Kalgred thoughtfully scratched the short-cropped blond-gray beard that matched the hair pulled back from his face. "You say they tricked my brother's men into complacency while assassins killed Varagus and his commanders?"

"Aye," the short man answered. "Not a warrior among 'em. Cowards, the lot of 'em."

"Malachae," Kalgred paced the length of the tent and returned to the table, glaring at each of the three men, in turn, before his gaze rested on the short, stout soldier in rusted armor, "order the men to prepare for a forced march to the land of the Amazons."

"A-Amazons, sir?" The man's beady brown eyes went wide. "I-is that really a good idea, Commander Kalgred?"

Kalgred grabbed the neck of the man's stained undertunic and nearly lifted Malachae off his feet. "Do not question my orders, Malachae!" He hissed into the man's face. "Or I will have your head on that platter, alongside those responsible for my brother's death."

"Y-yes, Commander," Malachae said as he was set back on the ground. He glanced at the other two men and noticed sweat pouring from both their brows. "H-how do you know it's Amazons that're responsible for?er?the general's death?"

"My spies tell me women penetrated the army's ranks that very same night," Kalgred answered. "The only women I know of who could have pulled off such a devious plot are the Amazons. So, it stands to reason that they are responsible for what happened to Varagus and his army."

"I heard Xena had a hand in it," a rail-thin man in plain leather armor-Illius-said. "Shouldn't we go after her then, too?"

"Do you have a death wish, Illius?" Kalgred growled. "Besides, Varagus knew Xena back in her warlord days. They did business together over a parcel of land a few leagues north of here. There's no way she would have gotten the jump on him. He had lookouts at every post, with orders to kill her on sight."

"She could have been wearing a disguise," the third man said. He also wore the plain brown leather of a common soldier, but his shoulder-length blond hair was well-kept and his armor was of a finer quality than his compatriots. "Xena's been known to dress the part when the situation calls for it. I have it on good authority that she's even managed to pass herself off as a beauty contestant and a member of a royal family."

Kalgred eyed the third man-Prageus-with suspicion. "And how do you know this, Prageus? Last I heard Xena was off conquering lands beyond the rising sun."

"Stories are circulating that she's a goody-goody now," Prageus answered confidently. "She no longer has an army, and she travels around doing good, righting wrongs. I've even heard tell she travels with a sidekick-an Amazon, if the rumors are true."

Kalgred perked up at the last. "Oh? You say she travels with an Amazon?"

"One of their queens, no less," Prageus added with a knowing smirk. "Rumor also has it Xena's sidekick is a relatively famous bard who briefly attended the Academy for Performing Bards in Athens."

"I heard Xena saved the woman from a bunch of horny slavers," Illius chuckled. "The girl now follows her around like a lovesick puppy."

Kalgred paced again, this time with a devious smile on his lips. "This could actually work to our advantage, gentlemen."

"You could send someone to capture the sidekick or even kill her," Malachae rubbed his hands together. "It would send the perfect message to Xena, as well as to those Amazon bitches."

Kalgred set his fists on the table and leaned forward. "Better yet, we could just kill them all."

They all chuckled, as they pondered the idea set before them by their commander. Kalgred was a man who enjoyed a good fight, but he was also calculating and cunning enough to survive when the need arose. At that moment, however, his main objective was to bring swift and calculated retribution against those responsible for his brother's death.

"Leave me," Kalgred ordered with a dismissive wave of his hand.

The men all snapped to attention and filed from the tent in quick succession. When Kalgred was alone, he glanced around his spacious command tent. His blond brow was furrowed as he took in the sparse furnishings around him. It may not have been much, by his austere standards-after all, he was a prince in his own right-but it would do for the time being. No need to put on airs, when he was playing the role of a humble army commander and brother to a deceased warlord.

"Can we use the information to our advantage?" He said, as if to no one in particular.

"We certainly can," the air shimmered and a mysterious hooded figure suddenly appeared in a corner of the tent. A floor-length, black cloak covered the individual from head to toe and the hood was big enough to keep the figure's identity completely hidden. "I will put out a call to arms immediately."

"As you wish, Goddess," Kalgred bowed low to the shorter individual.

A pair of gold-bracered arms emerged from the folds of the cloak and lifted the hood from Athena's crowned head. "I expect you to carry out your end of the deal without failure, Commander."

"Yes, Goddess," he answered with a quick nod. "Your wish is my command."

The redheaded goddess smirked. "I expect nothing less than complete success, Commander."

He merely smirked with a cunning gleam in his pale eyes.

***

"This is nice," Gabrielle sighed and let her eyes drift shut.

She was lying on her back with her head pillowed on Xena's bare thighs, while the warrior leaned against a small boulder. They were both basking in the warm sunshine, content to just relax for a few stolen moments alone. After playing in the lake and catching enough fish to feed an army, the two women had shared a quiet meal together. Cyrene had provided a veritable banquet for their picnic lunch. Pocket bread stuffed to overflowing with savory lamb slathered in a creamy sauce, kabobs of lamb and chicken with roasted vegetables, and mouth-watering apple turnovers for dessert were just a few of the items Cyrene had packed into the wicker basket.

"I'm stuffed," the bard muttered. "Couldn't eat another bite."

Xena chuckled. "Not surprised, after the three sandwiches you just devoured-not to mention the kabobs, half a melon and two turnovers that mysteriously disappeared when I wasn't looking."

"I worked hard today," Gabrielle said. "It takes a lot of brain power to copy scrolls. You have to pay really close attention to every word on the page or you might make a mistake that changes the entire meaning behind a phrase."

"Yeah," Xena snorted. "Taxing the brain is a lot harder than mending fences, putting up walls, and repairing a roof or two."

Gabrielle slapped the leather-clad stomach close to her right ear. "I didn't say you didn't work hard, too, Xena. We both worked hard today." She clasped her hands over her bare midriff. "Matter of fact, we've both put in a lot of candlemarks over the last moon. We deserve a break."

They were silent for a time as they soaked up the warm rays of the sun overhead. Xena's thoughts whirled around in her head, until she finally decided to share them with her content partner.

"We never did have that discussion," Xena ventured.

"What discussion?" Gabrielle absently asked with her eyes still closed.

"The one we were gonna have when you were ill," Xena answered and looked down into confused green eyes, as they fluttered open to stare up at her. "The one about what happened in Chin and Britannia and?"

Gabrielle sighed loudly. "Xena, we've been over all that a million times. Can't we just put it behind us once and for all? Let it rest? Move forward to a bigger and brighter future together?"

"I suppose," Xena's expression fell, which didn't go unnoticed by the observant woman in her lap.

Gabrielle shifted positions until she was lying on her side with her head propped on her hand. She gazed at the woman she loved and saw the uncertainty in Xena's eyes. "Okay, so let's talk."

"But?"

"Xena," Gabrielle scowled impatiently. "You want to talk, so let's talk. Please don't try to get out of it now."

"Okay, so?" Xena began with a slight shrug. "I don't think I ever really told you why I went to Chin and why I thought it best to leave you behind."

"No, but you did say you had a debt to repay," Gabrielle said. "I just figured it was something important that you didn't want to talk about."

"It was," Xena agreed. "I told you about Lao Ma."

Gabrielle nodded once. "She was your teacher, your?um?mentor."

"She was much, much more than that," Xena said. "She was the first one, besides Borias, to see beyond the façade of power and strength that I projected to the rest of the world. But she was also the only one who didn't want to tap into my dark side. Like you," she smiled into shining green eyes, "she just wanted me to stop raging against myself and accept who I really was." She sighed heavily. "Unfortunately, I really didn't understand or accept what she was trying to teach me at the time. I just couldn't let go of the hate long enough to see what she saw in me."

"Okay, so what does this have to do with your return to Chin?" Gabrielle prodded when Xena didn't immediately continue.

"I knew what I'd done to Ming Tien and how that would affect his relationship with Lao Ma," Xena continued. "I knew his father, Ming Tsu, was filling his head with lies about women and about his own mother. I also knew the man would use what I did to Ming Tien to foster more lies and harden the kid's heart against women, especially his mother."

"Wait, what did you do to Ming Tien?" Gabrielle interrupted.

"Kidnapped him," Xena answered. "Kept him in a cage and scared the crap out of him every chance I got." She blew out a breath. "I really hated his father and wanted nothing more than to take that hatred out on the kid."

Gabrielle was trying to understand. "Okaaay."

"I know," Xena shrugged. "The sins of the father, yada yada yada?"

"You were a different person back then, Xena," Gabrielle acknowledged. "It's not something you would stoop to today. I just needed to know the why behind your actions. That's all. I'm not judging you. Just getting a better idea of who you were."

"Fair enough," Xena nodded.

"Okay, so?"

"Ming Tsu was a bastard who didn't give a damn about anyone but himself. He wasn't above turning his son against the very woman who gave him life." She paused briefly to clear her throat. "When that message came about the green dragon, I knew Ming Tien had killed her. It broke my heart-tore it to pieces, actually-knowing that I was partially responsible for what he'd become. Ming Tien was a monster who had to be made small again. And that's what I did."

"So why didn't you take me with you, Xena?" Was Gabrielle's simple question.

"I wanted to protect you from him," Xena answered honestly. "I knew that if he was evil enough to kill his own mother, he wouldn't hesitate to use you against me. I was right."

"But you didn't know beforehand that he knew he'd killed his mother," Gabrielle said. "You told me so yourself, Xena. Why would you need to protect me against Ming Tien? He was no more a threat to me than?"

Xena swiped a hand down her face and took a deep breath. "Than I was?"

"Xena?"

"No, Gabrielle," Xena held up a staying hand. "You know what I'm capable of. You were there when Hope was born and I wanted to kill her. You've seen me in action and experienced my blind rage first hand."

"Xena?"

"I didn't care about what you were thinking or feeling when Hope was born. I just knew she-it-had to die," Xena continued. "I never stopped to consider how the death of that monster you carried inside you would affect you. I just knew that any offspring of that demon, Dakak, was a threat to all mankind. And I never stopped to consider that you deserved an explanation. I never gave a thought to including you in the decisions. I was always the one who made them, and you just went along with whatever I asked of you?until Chin?until Hope."

"Xena, I'm sorry," Gabrielle sat up and faced the taller woman with tears swimming in her eyes. "I should have listened to you, both times. I just?I thought I was doing the right thing in both instances. I just?" she shook her head as the words died on her lips, and she lowered her gaze to the hands in her lap. "I lied and I deceived you because?oh, gods?" The tears flowed unheeded down her cheeks.

Xena put a finger under Gabrielle's chin and gently lifted it until their eyes met again. "We both screwed up, Gabrielle," she smirked. "I should have trusted our relationship enough-should have trusted you enough-to tell you everything. You needed to know why I felt so strongly about killing Hope. But I also should have been more sensitive to what you were going through. Maybe if I hadn't shut you out?"

"Xena, you just said we both screwed up and you're right," Gabrielle put a hand on the warrior's wet cheek. "We need to trust each other enough to tell the truth, no matter how hard that might be."

Xena sniffed and swiped ineffectually at her tear-streaked face, then caught Gabrielle's hand in hers. "I will if you will."

Gabrielle used her free hand to wipe away the tears from her own cheeks. "I love you too much to let anymore lies come between us, Xena."

"Oh, get on with the kissing, already," an impatient and familiar voice huffed from behind them. "You two kids need to lighten up. There's just waaaaay too much angst going on around here for my tastes. Thought you came out here to enjoy the rays and have a little?" Her brows rose and fell several times, "?you know."

Aphrodite leaned against the boulder and looked down at the surprise on one tear-streaked face and the angry scowl on the other. Xena rolled her eyes and gritted her teeth, while Gabrielle merely finished wiping the wet from her cheeks.

"Aphrodite," Gabrielle finally said, as she got to her feet and faced the blond goddess. "What are you doing here?"

"Visiting my favorite girls," Aphrodite said brightly as she bounced on the balls of her feet. "I just wanted to come by and see how things are going. Make sure the vibes are still there."

Xena stood up and leaned her back against the boulder, crossing her arms over her chest as she glared at the goddess. "Just happened to be in the neighborhood, Aphrodite?"

"You bet your brass?um?" she glanced at Xena's breastplate and then absently flipped her hair. "Anyway, I just wanted to make sure Gabby's doing okay. Ya know, after all Athena and Artie put you through with that trial and all. Didn't want ya suffering any ill effects."

"I'm fine, Aphrodite," Gabrielle answered confidently. "No ill effects."

The goddess walked around the bard and surveyed her from head to toe. "Your appetite has certainly returned," she said as she slapped Gabrielle's bare midriff. "Did you gain weight?"

Gabrielle gritted her teeth and just kept herself from groaning aloud in irritation. "Probably just enough to replace what I lost when I was sick."

Xena moved to stand behind Gabrielle and wrapped her in a protective embrace. "What do you want, Aphrodite?"

"Want?" Aphrodite flashed the taller warrior a bright smile. "Why would you think I want something, Xena? I'm a goddess. Goddesses don't need or want for anything."

"Cut the crap, Aphrodite," Xena growled. "I know you didn't travel all the way down here from Olympus for a social call. What's going on?"

"Awwwwwe," the goddess put on her best pouty face. "Why do you always think the worst, Xena? Can't a girl just come by and say 'hi' to her two best mortal girl pals?"

"Aphrodite," Gabrielle patted Xena's hip in silent signal to let her handle the goddess. "Our last encounter with the gods didn't exactly go?well, you know," she shrugged. "You can understand Xena's trepidation."

"Oh, all right," the blond goddess shrugged. "I came by to let you know that Athena isn't happy about looking the fool in front of all those dead Amazons Artemis conjured at your trial. As a matter of fact, she's pissed."

Xena gave the goddess an incredulous look. "So what? She brought it down on her own head. We had nothing to do with all the idiotic theatrics."

"Athena also knows about the little white lie, Gabs," the goddess looked straight at the bard. "She wants revenge. What else is new?" She threw up her hands in consternation. "Where's the love, I ask you?"

"Revenge?" Both Xena and Gabrielle exclaimed in exasperation.

"What? A full moon spent recovering from that damned illness wasn't enough punishment for my little white lie?" Gabrielle exclaimed. "I almost died because of what those two cooked up in order to turn me away from Xena. Wasn't that enough for Athena and Artemis? Is it too much to ask that the gods just leave us alone and do their own thing for a change? What more does Athena want, anyway?"

"Blood," Aphrodite winced and held her hands up in surrender when Gabrielle tried to jump at her, but was held back by a pair of strong arms. "Look, kiddo, I'm just the messenger here. I don't want to see you two get hurt anymore than you do. Just stay out of Athena's way and try to lay low for a while. Let this thing blow over, and they'll eventually forget what all the hubbub was about in the first place. 'kay?" She looked up at the cloudless sky and her expression turned distant. "Oops, that's my cue. Gotta go, girlfriends. Catchya later." She held a hand up, but paused in mid-motion. "I expect some fireworks between you two while I'm gone. Got it?" And then she vanished in a spray of heart-shaped sparkles.

"Ugh!" Gabrielle relaxed in Xena's embrace. "What in Hades is going on now? Why can't they just leave us alone and let us live our lives without their constant interference? Is that really too much to ask?"

"On the bright side," Xena said as she wrapped her arms tighter around her shorter partner, "she did leave us alone."

Suddenly Xena straightened up and held a hand to her lips at the questioning look Gabrielle shot her. Gabrielle mouthed an obvious "What?" as Xena listened intently to the noises around them and filtered everything out until she could hear the one that had alarmed her senses.

"We have visitors," Xena whispered into the bard's ear, as she quickly reached down to grab her sword and chakram from the blanket.

Gabrielle just as quickly grabbed her staff, which she had remembered to bring along, just in case. She hefted the weapon in front of her with both hands in time for a dozen ruffians to charge from the trees with loud shouts of intimidation. The bard planted her feet and quickly found her center of gravity before the first attackers reached them. Of course, Xena issued her battle cry and charged forward into the fray with her normal aggressiveness. Her sword met three enemy swords in quick succession before she dispatched their owners with practiced ease.

Gabrielle was ready for the two that skirted around her partner and came toward her. She deflected one attacker's sword with a quick jab of her staff and swung around in time to catch the second attacker in the midsection. With a loud ooof! he went sprawling, leaving Gabrielle to face the first guy.

Meanwhile, Xena was in her element. She'd already dispatched six men with both sword and chakram and was working on the remaining four. She was a little surprised that none of the men had said a word while she faced off against them. She didn't even know which one of them was the leader, if they even had one.

"Stop!" Xena shouted above the din and was mildly surprised that all four men obeyed her command without her having to use the pinch on at least one of them. "Okay, now someone tell me what the Hades is going on here!" She held up her sword at the panting man to her left. He wore dark leather armor over a plain tunic and pants-nothing special that she could distinguish. "Talk and ya just might live. Keep fighting and you'll end up joining your friends in the Underworld."

The four men exchanged confused looks, and then the man to Xena's left shrugged. "We were sent to kill you."

"Sent by whom?" Xena glanced at Gabrielle, who was still fighting furiously against her one remaining attacker. "Gabrielle!!!!"

"Yeah, Xena?!?" Gabrielle shouted as she held her staff above her head in time to catch the man's blade before it hit her.

"Can you stop a minute and come over here, so we can sort through this whole mess?" Xena called out without taking her eyes off the four men in front of her.

Gabrielle blocked another attempt to get past her guard and managed to swing her staff around fast enough that her opponent didn't see the blow coming. The sound of wood connecting with the man's skull rang out in the silence as he dropped to the ground with a thud.

"What's up?" Gabrielle panted breathlessly as she stepped up beside the taller woman.

"These guys were just about to tell us why they're trying to kill us," Xena lifted her blade and pointed at the guy on the left. "Weren't ya?"

The guy scratched his stubbly chin and glanced at his three companions. "Better'n dyin' for no reason," he shrugged. "We were in Varagus' army, but when he was killed by those women?"

"Wait," Gabrielle held up a staying hand. "Who's Varagus?"

"General Varagus," the man to their right piped in eagerly. "Athena commissioned him to raise an army to destroy Amphipolis and Potidea several moons back."

Gabrielle leaned close to Xena, "Athena's dead general now has a name."

Xena arched a dark brow as she glared at the four men. "I thought the army disbanded after Varagus and his commanders died."

"We did," the first man answered with a nod of his bald head. "There's no profit in following a dead general, especially when none of us were willing to step up and fill his boots."

"So why are you trying to kill us?" Gabrielle rested her staff against a shoulder and wrapped both hands around it.

"Bounty," an oaf in the middle answered. "Commander Kalgred says he'll pay ten thousand dinars for the heads of Xena and her little Amazon sidekick." He grinned and showed off several rotted and missing teeth.

"Twenty if'n we bring the sidekick back alive and?um?kickin'," the shortest man, who had yet to speak, said with a chuckle that had all of the men laughing along with him. "You really queen of all them women? Ain't ya a little short to be queen of a bunch of giants?"

"Short, huh?" A blond brow hiked into Gabrielle's hairline. "I can't believe I've gone from your partner to your short sidekick in the span of only a few moons, Xena," she shot a wry glance at the woman beside her, then returned her full attention to the four men. "The way I see it, boys, you have two choices. One, you can keep fighting until, like Xena said, you join your friends in the Underworld. Or, two, you can be on your way-crawl back under the rocks you slithered out from under when this Kalgred person offered to pay you to die at the end of Xena's blade."

The men glanced around at their fallen comrades and then at each other, as they considered their options. Xena and Gabrielle looked on nonchalantly, as if the outcome was of no concern to either of them. Xena, however, was silently assessing each man's body language to gauge what they would eventually decide. She knew that if they decided to collectively attack in such close quarters, there wasn't room for Gabrielle to wield her staff against them. It would be up to Xena to fend off the attack.

Baldy lifted his sword and held it in front of him for a moment, before re-sheathing it at his hip and holding his empty hands up in surrender. "I'm not dyin' for a few measly dinars."

The other three considered the man's words and finally re-sheathed their own swords. They all stood there for another moment, before the four men grabbed up the few comrades who were starting to come around and walked away with disappointed grumbles.

"Well, I guess that went pretty well," Gabrielle glanced around at the bodies littering the ground around them. "Of course, I think our nice, peaceful picnic is ruined. And I thought it was going so well?"

She grabbed the blanket that was half-buried beneath one of their dead attackers, while Xena grabbed the discarded basket. Neither woman bothered to pick up the leftover food that was scattered around.

"Should we send someone over here to pick up the bodies?" Gabrielle asked, as she and Xena headed away from the scene.

"Probably a good idea," Xena answered. "Don't want the lake contaminated by a bunch of decomposing bodies."

Gabrielle stopped at the edge of the woods and turned back to survey the scene with sadness in her green eyes. "What a waste," she said and shook her head.

"Come on, Gabrielle," Xena put a comforting arm around her partner's shoulder and steered Gabrielle back towards the woods. "Let's get back to town before it gets dark." She glanced around them as they entered the woods that separated the lake from Amphipolis. "I don't really trust those guys not to lurk around here somewhere, waiting for a second chance to collect on that bounty."

***

"Are you sure you won't tell just one story tonight, Gabrielle?" Cyrene folded her hands on the table and stared intently at the smaller woman across from her.

"Moooother," Xena growled. "Leave Gabrielle alone, will ya?"

"Xena," Cyrene shot her daughter a familiar intimidating glare. "Stay out of this. I'm asking Gabrielle."

The remains of their shared evening meal still sat on the table. Dirty dishes were piled in the middle of the table, as the three women sat there nursing their drinks.

"I'm really not in the mood to tell stories tonight, Cyrene," Gabrielle gave the woman a half-hearted smile. "It's late and I'm really tired." She rose from her chair and glanced at her scowling partner. "I think I'll just head on up to bed."

Xena and Cyrene watched Gabrielle disappear up the stairs.

"Thanks, Mother," Xena sarcastically said over the rim of her ale mug. "I tried to tell you not to push her tonight."

"Oh, Xena," Cyrene waved a negligent hand. "I had to try. These people all came here expecting to be entertained with stories of your exploits. Now what am I going to tell them?"

"I don't give a rat's ass what you tell them, Mother," Xena said as she finished off the last of her ale and set the mug in the center of the table with the rest of the dishes. "If you'll excuse me," she continued as she rose to follow Gabrielle to their room, "I have a partner to take care of."

As the warrior passed her, Cyrene grabbed Xena's arm and held it for a moment. "Please take good care of her and let me know if you need anything, Xena. I love you both."

Xena's expression softened. "I'll tell her." She patted Cyrene's hand on her arm. "Love you, too, Mom." She bent down and gave the still-seated woman a kiss on the cheek, before she climbed the stairs to the rooms above.

A single taper cast eerie shadows in the hallway, as Xena knocked once on the plain wooden door to their room. A muffled "Come in, Xena," greeted her and she quickly ducked inside.

"You okay, Gabrielle?" The warrior said as she closed the door and stood leaning against it.

"I'm fine," Gabrielle answered distractedly. "Just tired."

Xena quickly divested herself of her brass armor and weapons, tossing them on the vacant bed. Gabrielle was busy folding a blanket and tidying up their sparse belongings, when Xena moved in behind her and wrapped strong arms around her. Gabrielle tensed up at the unexpected contact. She didn't know why she was acting the way she was, but something was obviously bothering her.

"I love you," Xena simply said, as she kissed the top of the blond head.

Gabrielle finally relaxed against the leather-clad woman behind her. "I love you, too," she said quietly as she placed her hands over the arms around her middle.

"So, you gonna tell me why you're so prickly tonight?" Xena asked as she rested her chin on top of the shorter woman's head. "'Cause I think Mom's gonna want an explanation in the morning. Not that you have to give her one, but?"

Gabrielle closed her eyes and just savored the moment. Then with a sigh, she said, "Not sure."

"Is it Aphrodite's visit?" Xena prodded gently. "I'm not exactly thrilled to be back on the gods' most wanted hit list again." She blew out a frustrated breath. "The bastards should really find someone else to pick on. I'm getting annoyed enough to do some permanent damage."

Gabrielle chuckled softly. "Yeah, that'll be the day." She quickly sobered. "I'm worried about them, Xena."

"The gods? Pfft!!!" Xena exclaimed. "Not a problem, love. We can certainly deal with whatever they throw our way. We've played their games fairly well up to this point. What's the worst they can throw at us after what they tried the last time? Huh?"

"No," Gabrielle shook her head. "It's not the gods that have me so prickly, Xena. I'm worried about Ephiny and the Amazons. Those guys called me an Amazon. What if that commander targets the Amazons to get to me?"

A dark brow shot up into Xena's hairline. "I'm pretty sure the Amazons can take care of themselves, Gabrielle. They did a good job of it before we came along."

Gabrielle turned in Xena's arms until she could look up into the confident baby-blue eyes that always made her knees go weak. "Most of them are pregnant, Xena. What if they're too preoccupied with all those cravings and mood swings to pay attention to a threat like the one those guys were talking about? What if that commander-what was his name? Kargus? Kalgon?"

"Kalgred," Xena supplied.

"Kalgred," Gabrielle said, as she wrapped her arms around her partner and rested her cheek against Xena's chest. "Wait, do you know this guy?"

Xena considered the question for a moment. "No, but I knew his brother."

"His brother?"

"Varagus," Xena answered.

"Wait, isn't Varagus the guy who headed Athena's army?" Gabrielle clarified. "He's the general that Eponin and Chilapa killed."

"Yeah," Xena stepped back enough to look in Gabrielle's eyes. "The guy was a real piece of work back in the day and sounds like he didn't change all that much over the years. I ran into Varagus when I first became a warlord. Thought I could learn something from someone with a few victories under his belt, so I accepted his offer to do a job together. Jerk tried to steal my men out from under me. Offered 'em all a place in his army if they'd turn against me." Xena stepped out of the embrace and ran a hand through her dark hair, as she sat down on the edge of their bed. "Varagus had no scruples and never reined in his men when they got out of hand. He let them do whatever they wanted with the spoils from their raids." Her gaze met Gabrielle's. "I talked to a merchant from Serres today. He said Varagus' army completely razed that village and killed everything in sight."

"So, do you think Kalgred's as bad as his brother was?" Gabrielle asked as she sat down next to Xena.

Xena shrugged and looked Gabrielle in the eye. "Don't know."

It was Gabrielle's turn to blow out a frustrated breath. "Why can't anything ever be simple and straightforward with us, Xena?"

Xena chuckled and put a comforting arm around Gabrielle's shoulder. "I ask myself that question almost every day, love."

Gabrielle let her head rest against Xena's shoulder. "Is it really too much to ask?"

Xena kissed the top of the bard's head and squeezed her shoulders. "Probably. You sure you still want to be my partner for life?"

"No doubt about it," Gabrielle wrapped both arms around the taller woman and continued to revel in the closeness. "I don't know about you, but I just can't seem to get enough of this." She lifted her face and was mildly surprised when a pair of soft lips met hers in a searing kiss. "Or that either," she smirked when the kiss ended.

"Me either, love," Xena said as she pecked the bard on the lips again. "Let's get some sleep and not worry about the cares of the world until tomorrow. Maybe things'll look a lot different with the dawn of a new day."

Gabrielle managed to push the taller woman down onto the bed and lean over her. "Good plan, Warrior Princess," she said as she launched an impromptu assault on Xena's bare skin. "I think? we're both? a little too overdressed?don't you think?" She said between kisses.

"Definitely," Xena agreed as her skilled fingers found the front of Gabrielle's green top and quickly worked the fastenings loose, until she could lift the article of clothing over the bard's head.

It wasn't long before they were both completely naked and reveling in the skin-on-skin contact. They explored each other, as if for the very first time. Their passionate lovemaking lasted long after the single candle burned out and plunged them into complete darkness.

Neither woman seemed to notice when a certain blond goddess discreetly popped in and stood in a dark corner across the room. Aphrodite silently clasped her hands in triumph and then gave the women a silent thumbs-up. She smiled proudly at the sight, before raising a hand and disappearing in a shower of sparkling heart-shaped lights that dissipated in seconds.

"Did you hear that?" Gabrielle raised her disheveled blond head from the pillow, as she stared into the darkness for a moment. Green eyes searched the dark room, while Gabrielle listened for the sound that had caught her attention. "I thought I heard something." She sniffed the air. "Why does it smell like?" she sniffed again, "roses?"

"I don't smell anything, nor did I hear anything." Xena didn't bother emerging from beneath the covers, where her lips were exploring the warm flesh of Gabrielle's belly. "Probably just a bird on the roof or something."

"Better not be that damned goat in the shed again," Gabrielle let her head fall back against the pillow as she gave in, once again, to Xena's expert ministrations. Her fingers plunged into Xena's hair, as she encouraged the warrior's complete assault on her body. "Mmmmm?"

Xena didn't need any encouragement as she worked her way down to the place she knew would bring complete bliss for them both. She poured all the love that filled her heart into every sweet moment, until she finally heard Gabrielle's unfettered cry of ecstasy. A feral grin split her features as she lightly kissed her way back up the satiated bard's lithe body and met a pair of expectant lips.

"Your mom's gonna kill us for making all this noise, Xe," Gabrielle panted breathlessly against her lover's lips.

"Don't care," Xena muttered and gave the bard another mind-blowing kiss that took both their breath away.

Gabrielle knew it was her turn to show Xena just how much she loved her. With lightning quick movements that surprised them both, the smaller woman managed to flip their positions until she was the one lying on top.

"My turn," the intent bard growled as she began her own assault and didn't stop until she had her partner begging for release. Without hesitation she complied with the warrior's wishes and soon Xena was crying out her release as loudly as Gabrielle had only moments before.

"We?are so?baaaaad," Xena panted breathlessly and wrapped her arms around the woman who had just taken her to a place of mutual bliss that only they knew.

"Mmmm," Gabrielle uttered as she rested in the crook of Xena's shoulder and let herself sink slowly into that place between waking and sleeping.

"G'night, Gabrielle," Xena kissed the bard's forehead one last time, before she too let go of the world around her and sank into the welcome arms of a dreamless sleep.

"'Night," the bard breathed against the creamy skin, as she let go and joined her lover in sleep.

Chapter 4

"Be sensible, Xena," Cyrene absently tossed a melon-sized ball of dough on the walnut table situated in the middle of the large kitchen. The table, which was used for food preparation, was currently covered in flour. The diminutive brunette slapped the dough onto the table, sending a cloud of white dust into the air around her. "You two can't expect to continue raising the rafters in that room up there without someone complaining about the noise. My guests aren't simpletons, Xena. They know there are two women staying in that room.

"Traedius and his wife just happened to be right next door and overheard everything you two did last night." Cyrene threw a hard punch into the abused ball and left a fist-sized imprint, as she folded the dough in half and roughly pushed the base of her hand through it. "They left this morning and said they wouldn't be returning anytime soon, despite Aris' exemplary cooking and the free mead I offered them. If you two stay here for much longer, I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to stop sharing that bed together."

"Mooother," Xena hissed loudly to be heard above the pounding of the woman's fists against the poor dough. "Please?"

The leather-and-arm-clad warrior was sitting on a pickle barrel in one corner and remembered well that she had spent many a candlemark in that same spot when she was a young child. If she hadn't been so mortified by her mother's blunt words, she might have enjoyed the moment.

Cyrene raised an accusing finger and waved it in her daughter's direction, sending flour flying in all directions. "Xena, I can respect that the two of you love each other and want to be?um?together intimately," she briefly stumbled over the words, but quickly recovered and continued on. "I just can't have you doing it so loudly under this roof. I have a business to run and customers who pay good coin to get a good night's rest."

Cyrene wiped her hands on the beige homespun apron that covered her dark blue dress, as she walked over and stood in front of her daughter. "I'm not so naďve that I don't know what you two are doing in that bed together, Xena." She put both hands on either side of her daughter's face and smiled warmly into the baby-blue eyes. "I accept that you love each other and want to share those feelings in?that way." Xena rolled her eyes and winced when Cyrene squeezed her cheeks. "Listen to me, young lady," the innkeeper suddenly became all business again. "I won't have my customers chased away from here, because my two daughters can't put a lid on it. Do you understand me, Xena?"

"Yes, ma'am," Xena nodded as best she could with her mother's hands still firmly clasping her cheeks. "I'll talk to Gabrielle about it when she comes down."

"Good," Cyrene kissed Xena's forehead, released her grip and smiled when Xena shook off the contact like an errant child. "How is Gabrielle doing this morning, anyway?" She went back to her dough with and finished kneading it with a much gentler hand. "Is she feeling better than she did last night?"

"Um," Xena considered her answer carefully, as a blush colored her cheeks. "I think she's a lot more relaxed than she was at dinner."

Cyrene didn't miss the blush or the amused look in Xena's eyes. "Oh, you," she waved a hand in Xena's direction, before shaping the dough into a loaf and putting it aside. "Did you ever find out why she was acting so strange last night?"

Xena shrugged. "She's worried about her friends in the Amazon village."

"Oh?" Cyrene grabbed another ball of dough and proceeded to work it less energetically than the last one.

"We ran into some trouble when we were there and apparently it isn't quite finished yet," Xena answered. "Gabrielle thinks the trouble might find its way to the Amazons again." She jumped off the pickle barrel and noticed it creaked much louder than it did when she was a kid. "Huh."

"And how do you know there's still trouble?" Cyrene asked absently and didn't bother to look up from her work.

"We ran into a bunch of guys who wanted to kill us yesterday," Xena absently answered as she lifted the lid of a pot on the stove. "You mind if I have some of this for breakfast? I'm starving."

Cyrene was suddenly right there next to her and slammed the pot lid back down with a loud clatter. "What?!? Xena, are you telling me you and Gabrielle had to fight for your lives yesterday and you didn't tell me?"

"Yeah," Xena shrugged, as she raised the lid again and stuck a finger into the white goop that was simmering on the back burner. "It wasn't a big deal, Mom. We both came out of it without a scratch?Ew! What is this, anyway?" Xena jumped when her mother swatted her bare arm. "Ouch! What was that for?"

"Xeeeeena," the shorter woman growled in a perfect imitation of her taller offspring. "You will tell me what happened, and you will tell me every detail this instant."

Xena watched her mother cross her arms over her ample bosom and knew she was in for it if she didn't do as she was told. "Okay, okay," she conceded as she waved the woman off. "But first I want to know what's in that pot."

"Porridge," Cyrene answered impatiently.

"Ew! I hate porridge," Xena winced as she wiped her finger on a nearby cloth. "Never could stand the stuff when I was a kid and still can't. It tastes like paste."

"Then don't eat it," Cyrene stomped impatiently. "I want to know what happened, Xena. Stop stalling."

"I'm not stalling, Mother," Xena said as she did a cursory inspection of the kitchen for something. "Don't you have anything else around here to eat besides porridge? What are you serving the guests for breakfast?"

"I don't start fixing breakfast for the guests until well after the sun comes up," Cyrene answered matter-of-factly. "You'll have to wait until then if you want something to eat besides porridge. Now tell me what happened."

Xena spotted the last remnants of a loaf of stale brown bread, tore off a piece and popped it in her mouth. As she chewed, she considered her next words. "It was after Aphrodite came to tell us that Athena and Artemis are still sore about what happened when we were staying with the Amazons."

"You were visited by Aphrodite?" Cyrene gave Xena a confused look. "And why are Athena and Artemis upset with you? Are you telling me you actually interact with the gods on a regular basis, Xena?"

Xena shrugged. "More than I ever wanted to," she answered with a wry smirk. "Ares comes around sometimes, too, but he's usually just trying to stir up trouble or get back into my good graces. Fat chance that'll ever happen, though. He only has one thing on his mind-himself." Her expression turned thoughtful. "Actually, come to think of it, he did try to help us out when Athena and Artemis took Gabrielle and me to that?place."

Cyrene's expression mirrored her utter bewilderment, but she managed to remain silent as her daughter continued with her outlandish and convoluted tale.

"Anyway," Xena continued after swallowing the last bite of bread and slapping her hands together to dust the crumbs off. "Where was I again? Oh, yeah, Aphrodite warned us that the other two are still up to their old tricks, and then we were attacked by a bunch of ex-soldiers from Athena's disbanded army. Their general is dead but his brother offered to pay them if they could take our heads to him. He offered to double the payment if they could bring Gabrielle in alive."

Cyrene stared at her daughter with her mouth agape, as she tried to digest Xena's words. "How?how did you find out about the bounty?"

"Oh," Xena nodded. "That's easy. I didn't kill all of them and got the live ones to tell me?tell us?" she noticed Gabrielle entering the kitchen with a sleepy yawn. "Hey, sweetheart," the warrior walked over to the bard. She put an arm around the shorter woman's shoulders and kissed the top of her head. "How'd ya sleep?"

"Pretty good," Gabrielle winced when she realized they weren't alone. "Hey, Cyrene."

"Hello, Gabrielle," Cyrene smiled warmly at the new arrival. "Would you care for a bowl of hot porridge?"

"I'd love some," the bard answered on another yawn. "You got any molasses and nuts to go in it?"

Caught ladling a generous helping of the gloppy substance into a medium-sized wooden bowl, Cyrene considered the question for a moment. "Yes, I think we have both in the pantry." She set the bowl on the prep table and went to a curtained doorway across the room. "Yes, here we go," she held a jar and a sack up with a triumphant grin. "I think I even have some brown sugar in there, if you'd rather have that in your porridge, Gabrielle."

"Mmm, I love brown sugar," Gabrielle suddenly perked up and rubbed her hands in expectation. "Did you have breakfast yet, Xena? Would you like me to fix you some porridge, too?"

Xena cringed inwardly at the bard's exuberance. "No, that's all right, Gabrielle. I ate a little something just now."

"Really, Xena," Cyrene chided with a knowing grin. "A scrap of stale bread can hardly be called breakfast. Why don't you let Gabrielle fix you a bowl of porridge, while I finish baking the bread for today?" She shot the bard a conspiratorial look. "Xena was just telling me about your adventures yesterday, Gabrielle."

"Oh?" The bard glanced at Xena and didn't miss the exasperated eye roll. "Please continue. Don't let me interrupt you, Xena," Gabrielle said sweetly, as she took the second bowl of porridge from Cyrene and proceeded to doctor it up enough to hide the taste that Xena hated. From the corner of her eye she could see that Cyrene was enjoying their light banter tremendously. "Come on, Xe. I'm sure your mom is anxious to hear all about our lovely picnic next to that breathtaking lake." She turned her full attention on the innkeeper. "I didn't get the chance to thank you for fixing that basket of food for us, by the way, Cyrene. Everything was perfect. There was enough food for a small army."

"Apparently," Cyrene nodded with a raised dark brow, as she glanced from Gabrielle to her daughter. "Xena?"

"Gabrielle's the storyteller," Xena pushed her spoon through her porridge like a petulant child.

"Eat and stop playing with it, Xena," Cyrene chided.

Xena took a tiny bite and was mildly surprised at the sweet and nutty taste that greeted her taste buds. "Mm, not bad," she said as she filled the entire spoon, shoved it in her mouth and grinned at Gabrielle. "I can't believe you made this stuff palatable."

"Stop offending your mother, Xena," Gabrielle chided in the same bland tone Cyrene used. "She makes very good porridge. I just managed to disguise the taste, so you don't complain so much."

"No lumps," Xena said through a mouthful.

"Don't talk with food in your mouth, Xena," Cyrene chided again.

"Eat my food, don't talk with my mouth full," Xena grumbled. "Wish you'd make up your mind, Mother."

"Oh, Xena," Cyrene chuckled and gently slapped the warrior on the shoulder with the back of her hand. "Just eat, so you can finish telling me about yesterday."

"What has she told you so far?" Gabrielle asked as she rummaged in a cupboard and came up with a pitcher of thick cream. She sniffed the jug and was satisfied that its contents smelled fresh.

"Carlena milked the goat just last night, Gabrielle," Cyrene confirmed that the cream was still good and watched as the bard scrunched her face in distaste. "Don't worry. It's not the same goat that chased you yesterday. Milly is our brown milking goat and she's a real sweetheart. Blackie is the little scamp who likes to cause trouble. Funny that he shares the same dark coloring as someone else I know." She shot Xena a knowing look and smirked when Gabrielle stifled a fit of giggles.

"Mother," Xena growled.

"Behave, Xena. Where are your manners?" Cyrene wiped her hands on her apron as she took a seat at the table with the women and turned her gaze on Gabrielle. "Xena mentioned something about Aphrodite, Athena, an army and?oh, I think Artemis was in there somewhere. Isn't Artemis the patron goddess of the Amazons, Gabrielle?"

Gabrielle nearly choked on a mouthful of porridge. "Um, yeah. Why?" She finally managed.

"Why would you two have problems with all those goddesses?" Cyrene asked.

"Don't forget Ares," Xena added with a scowl. "Seems we're plagued by the Alpha-Team of Olympus." Her expression suddenly brightened. "Hey, that would make a good title for your next story, Gabrielle."

It was Cyrene's turn to roll her eyes. "Your wit is astounding, Xena." She patted Gabrielle affectionately on the shoulder, as the smaller woman glared at Xena from across the table. "Remind me not to ask you to speak at my eulogy. I'm afraid my friends wouldn't understand your wry humor."

Gabrielle snorted loudly and just managed to keep from spewing porridge across the table. "Oh, that was priceless, Cyrene. Now I know where Xena gets her sense of humor?or lack thereof."

"Watch it, bard," Xena growled.

"Well, you certainly didn't get it from her," Gabrielle pointed her chin in Cyrene's direction. "She's actually pretty funny."

"Why, thank you, Daughter," Cyrene moved to Gabrielle side and gave her a quick hug. "I'm glad you think so, because Xena has something she needs to discuss with you when you're done here. Don't you, Xena?"

Gabrielle exchanged an ominous look with the warrior. "Are we in trouble?" The words came out barely above a whisper.

Xena nodded slightly and mouthed, "Last night's..." she finished with an eyebrow hike and clasped her hands together on the table in front of her.

The beat-red blush that suffused Gabrielle's cheeks did not go unnoticed by anyone, including Cyrene. "Are you done eating so you can finish your story, Xena? Or should Gabrielle finish it for you?"

"Let her tell it," Xena nodded in Gabrielle's direction. "She gets all the details right."

Cyrene looked expectantly at Gabrielle. "Well?"

"Where did you leave off?" Gabrielle looked to the warrior for a clue.

"Aphrodite paid us a visit, then those guys showed up to crash the party," said the warrior blandly. "I may have omitted a few details before all the excitement started."

Gabrielle blushed again, but cleared her throat in an effort to get her composure back. "Okay, then. Aphrodite came to warn us that Athena is pissed because Xena stopped her army?"

"Let's not forget your little white lie, Queenie," Xena inserted with a smirk.

"You lied to a goddess, Gabrielle?" Cyrene's incredulity knew no bounds at this point. "Why in the world would you do such a thing?"

Gabrielle shot Xena another glare. "Artemis wanted to put me to death for loving your daughter," she answered simply.

Now Cyrene was completely baffled. "Wait, I think you need to start at the beginning of this convoluted tale, Gabrielle. It seems my daughter neglected to fill me in on all the pertinent details."

Xena just scratched her temple and shrugged. "I told you I wasn't the storyteller in this relationship. According to Gabrielle, I'm just along to provide muscle and keep the riffraff away."

"Muscle?" Gabrielle scoffed. "You are such a goof."

Gabrielle proceeded to fill Cyrene in on all the details of their adventure with the Amazons and the army that was camped on their southern border. She didn't leave out a single detail of the encounter with the gods or her illness or the treaty negotiations. But she didn't mention a word about how her relationship with Xena blossomed or that they started sleeping together as a couple once Gabrielle was strong enough for limited physical activity.

"So, when Aphrodite came to visit and those guys attacked us, we weren't really all that surprised to learn that the gods are still out to get us," Gabrielle finished.

Cyrene sat in stunned silence for several long moments, as she tried to process everything that Gabrielle had told her. It was one thing to hear the bard tell a story about some faraway adventure, but quite another to have the tale hit so close to home.

She was still trying to reconcile the fact that the army had nearly laid waste to Amphipolis and would have killed everyone in the town if the Amazon messenger hadn't warned them to leave. An unconscious shiver raced up her spine at the thought that the two women at the table with her were somehow partially responsible for what had happened.

"What will you do?" Cyrene turned her gaze on her silent daughter.

"Nothing at the moment," Xena shrugged and exchanged a glance with Gabrielle. "We don't know exactly what Athena is planning. She might just eventually forget about the whole thing and return to Olympus, where she belongs."

"We also don't know where this other army is, yet," Gabrielle added. "For all we know this Commander Kalgred is just another overstuffed windbag with a serious death wish. Until he does something besides send a bunch of has-been soldiers after us, there's really nothing to do except continue doing what we're doing."

Cyrene slapped her hands on the table. "You can't just stay here like a couple of sitting ducks and wait for bad things to happen, Xena. Why aren't you trying to find out who this Kalgred fellow is and why he's so intent on killing you?"

"I know who Kalgred is, Mom," Xena answered. "At least, I knew his brother. Varagus was the general who led Athena's army. We had a bit of history together, but that was a long time ago," she glanced at the bard, "long before I met Gabrielle."

Silence reigned around the table for several moments, until Cyrene remembered something that had been bothering her.

"We should send some men to the lake with a wagon," the older woman said. "Those bodies can't just sit there and rot. They'll contaminate the lake and the stench will eventually make its way here."

"Already taken care of, Mom," Xena said. "I had Cletus round up several men for burial detail first thing this morning."

"You did?" Cyrene said with some surprise.

"Yes," Xena gave her mother a raised-brow look. "Contrary to popular belief, I have learned a thing or two over the years."

"Apparently so," Cyrene smirked. "You never used to clean up after yourself when you lived here."

"Times change," Xena shot her mother a droll look, "and so do people."

Gabrielle could see that the two women were gearing up for another round and decided to intervene. She shot her partner a look that said 'Let's go' and motioned with her chin toward the door.

"Thanks for breakfast, Cyrene," Gabrielle smiled warmly at the innkeeper, as she made her way toward the door. "We'll be by later to see if you need any help with the noontime meal."

Gabrielle didn't wait for a response as she yanked Xena out into the main room and continued on outside.

"Where's the fire?" Xena commented as she was practically dragged from the inn into the dusky light of the new day.

"Is it too much to ask that you two get along?" Gabrielle asked as she continued on toward the village square. "She is your mother, after all."

"We get along just fine," Xena easily caught up to the shorter woman and kept pace beside her. "I can't help it that she still thinks I'm that little girl who used to run wild around here without a care in the world."

Gabrielle stopped and stood with her hands on her hips. "Did you really?"

"What?" Xena stopped a few steps away and turned to face her partner.

"Run wild?"

Xena hung her head, then lifted her gaze to meet sympathetic green eyes studying her intently. "Yes, I did. Drove Mother nuts, because I didn't act like the other girls. I think she wanted a daughter who would eventually share the responsibility of running the inn. Turns out I was a real disappointment in that arena."

Gabrielle closed the distance between them and looked up into sad blue eyes. "You're not a disappointment to her, Xena. She loves you for who you are, not for what you've done or what you became. Accept it and stop needling her."

Xena swiped an impatient hand across her chin. "Still, I'm not the daughter she wanted."

Gabrielle put her hands on the warrior's leather-clad hips. "No, you're not. You're the daughter who associates with gods, travels the countryside doing good for others and who learned to clean up after herself." She smirked. "You are a wonderful person and a fantastic kisser." She rose on her tip toes and sealed the words with a quick peck on the taller woman's lips. "And I love you." She patted the warrior's hip.

Xena pulled the smaller woman against her and gave her another kiss, this time lingering over the soft lips against hers, as she enjoyed the moment. "Mm, speaking of which," she said, then stopped and cocked her head.

"Xena!!! Yo, Xena!!!" A man's voice made both women turn toward the town square.

The burly blacksmith rushed up and stopped in front of them. Xena shifted positions, until she was standing next to Gabrielle with a casual arm slung over the smaller woman's shoulders.

"Hello, Cletus," Xena greeted the man with a friendly smile and a shake of his arm. "Thought you'd be at the lake taking care of that little job I asked you to help me out with."

Cletus ran a beefy hand over his bald head. "Weren't nothin' ta take care of," he said and then glanced at the smaller blond standing next to Xena. "'lo there. Haven't had the pleasure. Name's Cletus," he held out his tree-trunk arm to Gabrielle, who clasped it in her much smaller one. "I'm the town's blacksmith."

"Gabrielle," she smiled at the big man as he held onto her arm for a few moments longer than was customary. "I, um, travel with Xena."

"Ah," the man's brown eyes suddenly lit with realization, as he glanced at Xena and saw the slight nod she gave him. "Ye got a fine grip, there, Gabrielle. Are ye a fighter like Xena?"

Gabrielle shook her head. "I don't use a sword, if that's what you mean. My weapon of choice is the staff."

He nodded sagely. "Good weapon for a beginner. Are ye any good with it?"

"She's very good with it," Xena put in with a proud smile. "Now what's this about nothing to take care of at the lake?"

Cletus crossed his arms over his chest. He wore a tunic of dark blue homespun that barely covered the muscles bulging all over his massive chest. "Me and the others got there and searched the entire perimeter. Weren't nothin' there. No trace that anyone was even there recently. You sure there were dead bodies near that lake?"

Gabrielle and Xena exchanged a questioning look.

"I'm sure," Xena answered. "I killed 'em myself."

"You think the army sent someone back to pick them up?" Gabrielle asked her partner.

"Not likely," Xena answered with a concerned frown. "Not likely our four friends came back to collect their comrades, either. There wasn't enough time."

"Then who?" Gabrielle's expression mirrored the uneasy feeling that was suddenly creeping up her spine.

Xena gave her the 'Not now' look and turned her attention back to the smith. "Thanks for taking the time to go to the lake, my friend," she held her arm out to the man and he took it.

"No problem, Xena," he said as he gave her arm another quick shake. "I have what I need for that other project ye commissioned, so I'll be getting to it, then."

"Thanks again, Cletus," Xena said, as she let go of his arm and waited until he was out of earshot. "Smells a little fishy to me, Gabrielle."

"Pisces?" Gabrielle agreed. "You think Ares is somehow involved?"

Xena sniffed the air. "Could be his stench I'm catching on the breeze. It sure isn't dead fish or soldiers I smell."

Gabrielle licked a finger and tested the air. "Not much breeze blowing right now."

"Enough for me to know that we're being played," Xena growled. "I really don't want to have another discussion with him. Every time he comes around he makes my skin crawl."

"I'm glad I'm not the only one," Gabrielle agreed with a shudder. "He's never completely up front and honest with us. Makes me wonder what he was doing taking your side during that?um, trial thing."

"This whole thing reeks of something that I know I'm not gonna like," Xena scoffed. "Let's go see if Jace and the others are working on the grain storage shed yet this morning."

"Okay," the bard agreed.

***

Chapter 5

Neither woman wanted to contemplate what the gods were up to at that particular moment, so they just put all thoughts of the deities out of their minds as they headed down the road that would take them to their destination. Some hard manual labor was what they both needed to put all thoughts of gods and armies completely from their minds.

"Hey, Jace!" Xena called to a group of men standing next to the framework of a large building.

"Yo, Xena!" The older blond man turned and waved at the two approaching women. "Good to have you here to help us today," he said as he held an arm out to her.

Up close, Gabrielle noticed that the man's blond hair was peppered with gray. His skin was tanned by the sun and he wore the customary clothing worn by most of the villagers in Amphipolis-rust-brown pants and a dark-blue tunic with a lighter blue sash around his waist to hold his tunic in place.

Xena took Jace's arm and shook it, then glanced at the others with a quick nod. "You ready to get those walls up today?"

"It'll be good to finish this job," the man smirked. "The council members are grumbling that the rebuilding is taking far longer than it should. They're not happy that the grain is being stored in those old root cellars scattered around town."

"If they would help, instead of sitting on their butts in their nice, new council chambers, it would go a lot quicker," another man stepped forward and offered an arm to each woman. "Name's Breniden," he said with a wary half-smile. "Jace said you would be joining us, Xena."

A dark brow rose at the man's words. "Nice to meet you, Breniden. I had the pleasure of meeting your father just yesterday."

Xena took in the man's appearance. He looked like any other villager, except for the slight remnants of something in his eyes that Xena knew all too well. It was the same wistful sadness that she'd seen in the eyes of some of her men after a difficult campaign. Many never lived long enough for her to know if it was permanent or not. Now she knew.

"Father mentioned it," he nodded. "He also said he thanked you for what you did for me. I wanted to thank you, too, Xena. Things turned out better than I could have hoped for." He then returned to the group milling about near the unfinished shed without another word.

"We'll raise this wall after we get a few more supports cut to the size we need," Jace said. "Once we have all the walls up, we can get to work on the roof. I'm hoping to be done with most of it before dusk."

"Shouldn't be a problem," Xena said. "We'll help out wherever you need us. I'm pretty good with a hammer and Gabrielle?"

"?has a thing about heights," the bard chimed in quickly. "I'll do anything you need, as long as I don't have to get up there," she pointed to the framed roof high above. She caught Xena's questioning look. "It's why I never asked the Amazons to teach me how to fight in the trees."

"Huh, learn something new every day, I guess," Xena shrugged.

Jace glanced from one woman to the other. "I'll let you two sort out what you want to do, then," he said and rejoined the other men.

"Maybe I should just go see if your mother needs help," Gabrielle said.

Xena turned to face her partner with a raised brow. "Since when are you afraid of heights, Gabrielle?"

Gabrielle glanced up at the sloped framework high above. "I am not getting up there, Xena, no matter how much you argue with me on this."

"Why not?" The warrior glared at the smaller woman. "What's so different about being up there than being down here? Are you afraid?"

"I'm not afraid," Gabrielle countered. "I'm just not willing to put my life in the hands of a bunch of farmers-turned-carpenter. How do we know that framework will hold when we start climbing around on it?"

"You are afraid of heights," Xena reiterated.

"No," Gabrielle shook her head. "I'm just not getting up there." She shifted positions.

"Bad experience from childhood?" Xena deduced with a knowing gleam.

Gabrielle hesitated, then shrugged. "I hid in a tree once to get away from some kids who were teasing me about my stories," she finally said. "I climbed up higher than I'd ever climbed before, in the hopes that they wouldn't see me."

"What happened?" Xena prodded when the woman didn't continue.

"The branch I settled on broke," Gabrielle absently rubbed her backside. "I fell all the way to the ground and landed on?well, you know," she patted her butt. "Hit every branch on the way down and was bruised from head to toe for half a moon. Had to sleep on my stomach longer than that because I broke my tailbone. The kids teased me unmercifully after that. Called me all kinds of names, including Graceful Gabrielle."

Xena tried hard to keep the laughter from her voice with her next words. "So, you don't do high places."

"I'm fine with lofts and ladders," Gabrielle admitted. "I just don't do really high places. And I definitely don't do trees. I tried to climb a tree once, after I had fully recovered from the fall, and got so nauseous that I had to stop before I'd reached the lowest branch." She shook her head and sighed in exasperation. "Haven't tried to climb one since."

"Maybe you should try," Xena eyed the nearest tree. "You can't keep giving in to fear, Gabrielle. It'll just paralyze you when you least expect it to."

"Speaking from experience, Xena?" Gabrielle shot the tall warrior a wry smirk.

Xena shrugged. "I'm as human as the next person."

"So, what puts a chill of foreboding down your spine?" Gabrielle asked. "I don't think I've ever seen you scared of anything."

"Rats," Xena answered with a shudder. "Hate the little bastards more'n anything. But I don't let 'em get to me anymore."

"Anymore?"

"Got locked in a cellar once," Xena continued.

"Let me guess, there were rats in the cellar?"

"You got it," Xena nodded once. "They'd eaten all the grain and were looking for their next meal."

It was Gabrielle's turn to shudder. "Ew, please don't tell me you were it."

"I didn't have anything on me that I could use as a weapon to keep them away," Xena said. Her eyes took on a faraway look as she remembered that long-ago time. "I was in there for two days and three nights before someone finally came looking for me."

"So, what happened?" Gabrielle asked. "With the rats, I mean."

"I killed 'em all," Xena said. "But not before they managed to bite and scratch my entire body. They chewed holes in my clothes while I slept and chewed right through my leather shoes. Mother was pissed about the shoes, because they were brand new and cost her most of our meager savings at the time."

"How'd you get locked in the cellar in the first place?" Gabrielle asked curiously.

"Hide and seek," Xena said, as she grabbed a hammer from the ground and walked toward a pile of rough-hewn lumber. "Lyceus, a bunch of the boys and I were playing at dusk, despite the fact Mother was calling us in for the evening meal. Numerous cellars were dug beneath the buildings to hold grain and other goods. This particular one was located under the house of a man who had died the previous winter. No one even knew it existed, until Mother launched a full-scale search when she found my bed empty the next morning. Lyceus finally told her he hadn't seen me after we all hid from him. I guess he just assumed I'd camped out in one of my favorite tree forts or something."

"That doesn't explain how you got locked in, Xena," Gabrielle said as she took one end of a board and helped Xena carry it to over to where a wall was being put together on the ground.

"The cellar was really small and the only reason I knew about it was I'd seen the trap door in Parseus' floor when we'd visited him before he died the previous winter," Xena said as she went to work hammering the board alongside the others that would eventually form an outside wall. "I saw the outline of the door beneath a rug he'd haphazardly thrown over it. Anyway, when I went to hide I had no idea the latch could only be opened from the outside. So, I pulled the door down once I was inside and?snick, the thing latched and I was trapped."

"With the rats."

"With the hungry rats," Xena nodded as she hammered in the last nail and returned to the pile for another board.

"It must have been awful for you," Gabrielle said as she helped Xena carry another board.

"Wasn't a picnic," Xena agreed. "Can't help but cringe when I see a rat run by in an alleyway, even today."

"But you conquered your fear," Gabrielle said as she lowered her end the board next to the others. "How?"

Xena went to work hammering the board onto the crosspieces. "When I see a rat and that feeling comes over me, I just tell myself that it can't hurt me. Sometimes I have to repeat it a few times, but eventually the fear subsides."

Gabrielle raised a skeptical brow at Xena's bowed head. "You will your fear away? Just like that?"

Xena looked up and met the skeptical look with a confident smirk. "Just like that," she shrugged nonchalantly. "Works every time."

"I don't think it would work like that for me, Xena," Gabrielle shook her head.

"Why not?"

"For me it isn't just a cringe that races through me when I try to climb higher than a few steps up a ladder," Gabrielle answered. "I actually become physically nauseous to the point that I know I'm going to retch if I don't immediately get my feet back on the ground. My palms get all sweaty and my whole body shakes so badly that I can barely move."

Xena jumped to her feet and stood there with her hands on her hips. "Sounds like we have our work cut out for us, then."

The warrior returned to the lumber pile and hefted one of the long, heavy boards onto her shoulder without waiting for Gabrielle to help her. She carried the board over to the nearly-completed wall and tossed it next to the others.

"I'm not climbing any trees, Xena," Gabrielle finally said. "I am very happy to keep my feet firmly planted on the ground, thank you very much."

"We'll see," Xena said as she just continued her work.

***

Olympus was surrounded by a bank of fluffy clouds as Athena stood defiantly facing her darker half-brother. Despite her smaller stature and lighter coloring, she was a perfect match against the brooding God of War who had his arms crossed over his leather-clad chest.

"I won't tolerate your interference again, Ares," Athena said with a glimmer of anger in her sparkling blue eyes. "You got in our way the last time we went up against Xena and her little friend. That fiasco cost us dearly."

"Her name's Gabrielle, Sis," Ares corrected. "And I didn't really do anything when you and Artemis put on that little farce you call an inquisition. If anything, Gabrielle put you both in your place in front of all those dead Amazons."

"She lied," Athena groused. "No mortal lies to me and gets away with it."

Ares snickered. "Gabrielle did."

She glared daggers at him. "Knock it off, Ares. She hasn't gotten away with it, yet. I can still use what she did to my advantage."

"Are you gonna bring up that whole consort thing again? 'Cause I don't think Xena or Gabrielle cares what we think about their relationship anymore. Aphrodite's seen to it that they've cozied up real nicely together. Ugh! Makes me sick just thinking about all that lost potential."

Athena rounded on him. "What did you just say?"

"What?" He shrugged in confusion. "I said it's too bad Xena's hooked her claws into that little?"

"No, the part about lost potential," a faraway look came into her eyes as she looked past him. "That's exactly what we need to harness. Those two have more potential combined than any mortals we've yet encountered. But, so far, none of us has thought to use the Queen of the Amazons to our advantage."

"Artemis tried," Ares shrugged.

"She doesn't have half my cunning in matters like this," Athena gave him a sly glance. "She was thinking only of stopping Gabrielle from making Xena her consort. She never looked beyond that to what lies ahead for both of them-and us-if Gabrielle did just that."

"Oh, please, not you, too," Ares rolled his eyes. "You're starting to sound like Aphrodite. Next thing you'll be going all gaga over them and watching them when they?um?" His eyebrows hiked at the sudden realization that hit him. "On second thought?"

"You're not allowed, Ares," Athena shot a droll glare in his direction. "You know Father won't allow you to get within a league of Xena or Gabrielle after what Aphrodite told him about the little part you played on that mountaintop. He still blames you for what happened to Xena and Gabrielle in Illusia."

"He has no sense of irony," Ares groused. "He thinks all I want to do is bed the wench and produce an offspring who will take over Greece in my name."

"Isn't that exactly what you want?" Athena's auburn brow rose as she looked at him matter-of-factly. "Xena wouldn't be your conqueror, so now you're convinced that a child between the two of you will be just the thing to carry out your twisted plan. Isn't that right?"

"Well," he shrugged and set a hand under his chin as he rested his arm on the other crossed over his chest. "You could certainly deduce that?"

"Oh, give me a break, Ares," the goddess rolled her eyes in exasperation. "It's no secret that you've been hatching a plan to get Xena with your child, so you can use that child to carry out your plans to conquer the civilized world in your name. You're after more followers. What better way to increase their meager numbers than with a child you can bend to your will. And what better mother for said child than the very woman who almost conquered the known world and who has the power to stand against the gods."

"How about her protégé?" Ares smirked.

Athena's brow rose into her hairline. "You're serious?" She asked skeptically. "You're not after Xena at all, are you? You're now targeting?Gabrielle?"

Ares' expression went blank. "Let's just say I'm keeping a close eye on her, for the time being. You never know what she might eventually become, given the proper motivation and training."

"Ugh! Ares, you can't really believe that Gabrielle would ever betray Xena," the goddess exclaimed. "You know how mortals are when they fall in love with each other. They become loyal to a fault?at least the ones who discover what Aphrodite calls 'true love.' She says the love that exists between them is just that-true love. Ugh! Just the thought of it sickens me."

"Not my concern," Ares said with a confident grin. "I've managed to get around that little detail on more than one occasion and with very satisfying results, I might add." Athena shot him a confused look. "Oh, I know what you're thinking."

"I'm sure you don't," she answered drolly.

"You think I'm going to use that tired old trick that Dad uses all the time to spread his seed throughout the mortal world," Ares said and watched her interest peek. "Of course, I haven't been above using it when the situation-or a beautiful woman-called for me to step up to the challenge." He adjusted his belt proudly. "There are a number of lucky women out there who've been blessed with a child who vaguely resembles me, at least in deed, if not looks. But that's not what I have in mind this time around."

"So, what are you cooking up in that scrambled brain of yours, little brother?" Athena glared at him with her arms crossed over her ample bosom. "Please don't tell me you're going to try to turn Gabrielle to your illustrious cause."

"For me to know and you?well," he shrugged. "You'll eventually find out, I'm sure." He turned away from her and then glanced back with a wink. "Don't be surprised if my plan works and yours falls flat. After all," he shot over his shoulder, as he walked down the pristinely white hallway of the palace of the gods, "I know Xena better than you ever will."

Athena stood there in brooding silence as Ares' words echoed off the marble walls around her.

***

"Can't we just do some staff practice, instead?" Gabrielle fairly whined as Xena stood behind her. "It would be much less painful for both of us, I assure you."

"Not today, love," Xena said as she put her hands on the smaller woman's waist. "Just trust me, will ya?"

"I have serious doubts here, Xena," Gabrielle answered. "Staff practice is so much more?beneficial. After all, wasn't it you who said I needed to increase my stamina? That lung infection really sapped my reserves."

"Your reserves were replenished weeks ago, Gabrielle," Xena countered. "Matter of fact, you've improved a lot with all the conditioning and the workouts we've been doing every morning. I shoulda thought of that long ago. Now, trust me in this, too. Time to face your fear."

"Xena, this is a really bad idea," Gabrielle protested vehemently, as she reached up and grabbed hold of the gnarled branch above her head. "We just ate a big noon meal. I really don't want to revisit your mom's venison stew anytime soon."

The warrior helped boost the smaller woman up until she was able to pull herself onto the low branch. "It's not that high, Gabrielle. Stop complaining."

"I'm not complaining," Gabrielle groused as she settled on the branch with a death grip around the trunk that turned her knuckles white. "I just don't want to throw up. I hate throwing up, even when my stomach hurts so much that a good upchuck is the only option for relief."

The warrior sprang deftly onto a nearby branch and stood there in triumph. "You have to conquer this unreasoning fear, Gabrielle. Sitting up in this tree is the best way to do it."

Gabrielle closed her eyes tightly against the swaying of the tree, as Xena settled on the branch across from her. "I-I can't look. I'm gonna be sick."

"Open your eyes, Gabrielle," Xena ordered in a gentle tone. "We're not up that high."

"High enough," Gabrielle stubbornly kept her eyes shut tight.

"Not much higher than the first two rungs on a ladder," Xena prodded. "You managed that without even flinching just a few candlemarks ago."

"It wasn't a tree," the bard remarked. "I told you I don't do trees, Xena. What about that don't you understand?"

"Ladders were trees once," Xena tried a different tact. "You're not afraid of ladders, so you shouldn't be afraid of trees."

"Ladders don't have branches that break when you sit on them," Gabrielle countered and peeked one green eye at the woman near her. "They aren't trees after you cut 'em down and shave off all the bark and leaves."

"Okay, fine," Xena sighed. "You win." She jumped easily from the branch and landed on her feet. "I give up."

"Xena?" Gabrielle said when the silence stretched on far longer than she was comfortable with. "Xena, are you still there?"

"I don't know, Gabrielle, maybe you should open your eyes and find out," the warrior deadpanned.

"Please don't leave me up here by myself, Xena," Gabrielle pleaded in a timid voice.

"It's gonna be a long night for you, bard," Xena shot over her shoulder as she started walking away. "Enjoy the night air."

"Xena?" Gabrielle's voice was suddenly filled with panic. "You cannot be serious that you're going to leave me up here!"

Xena stopped and turned back with a heavy sigh. "Okay, fine. But first you have to open your eyes and look at me."

"Not gonna happen until my feet are firmly on the ground," the bard argued.

Xena crossed her arms over her chest. "Then you're gonna be spending the night on that branch. Hope you enjoy having splinters in your?"

"Xena, please!!!" Gabrielle pleaded more vehemently.

"Open your eyes!!!"

"No!!!"

"Open 'em, or else," Xena softened her tone, but kept the firmness in it. "I'm waiting."

"Okay, fine," Gabrielle huffed as she opened both eyes and glared daggers at the woman standing a short distance away.

"Now, that wasn't so bad, was it?" Xena grinned triumphantly as she walked back to the tree.

"It's Hades on earth, Xena," Gabrielle gritted out. "Now, get me down from here."

"Okay," Xena said as she moved closer to the tree, but not close enough to be within easy reach. "Come on. I'll catch you."

"No," Gabrielle shook and shut her eyes again. "You need to be closer, Xena."

"Gabrielle," Xena said. "You can't stay on that branch all night. I know you. You'll eventually fall fast asleep up there and then take a header and break your neck. I just happen to love that beautiful neck of yours and don't want to see it all mangled."

With a blush, Gabrielle opened her eyes and peered down at Xena's outstretched arms. "Closer, Xena, or I'm not doing this."

"Oh, for the love of?" Xena moved close enough to touch the bard's booted foot. "Is this close enough for you? You are such a chicken about this, Gabrielle." She did a reasonably good imitation of a clucking chicken and added a rooster call for good measure.

Gabrielle took a deep breath, opened both eyes and let go of the rough bark. Her utter trust in the warrior's ability to catch her was never in question as she pushed off from the branch and dropped into Xena's outstretched arms. When she felt those arms wrap protectively around her, she breathed a sigh of relief.

"Good catch," Gabrielle whispered against Xena's ear. "You are such a brat, though."

"Nice jump," Xena said, as she slowly lowered the bard to the ground and took a step back to allow the bard some room to breathe. "The first step is always the hardest, Gabrielle."

The bard glanced behind her and noticed something. "You moved."

A dark brow rose matter-of-factly. "You jumped."

"I dropped," Gabrielle countered. "You moved."

"You're safe," the warrior conceded with a wry smirk. "That's all that matters."

"I?" warm lips stopped any further protest. "Okay, so it wasn't so bad after all," Gabrielle finally conceded when the kiss ended. "I guess I can try again tomorrow."

"We're heading to Potidea tomorrow," Xena said as she started back toward her mother's inn.

"We are?" Gabrielle said breathlessly when she finally caught up to Xena. "I thought we weren't going there until we were finished with the rebuilding. Why the sudden change in plans?"

Xena continued on in silence until she was standing at the back door of the kitchen. She turned to face the smaller woman. "My mother."

"Your?Xena, what does Cyrene have to do with this?" Gabrielle looked around and realized she'd never been to this door before. "And why are we back here?"

"Privacy," Xena stated flatly.

"Why?"

"The couple in the room next to ours complained about the noise we made last night," Xena stated. "Apparently it's not the first complaint Mother's had while we've been here."

Gabrielle blushed to her roots. "Oh."

"It seems we were a bit?um?too loud and boisterous for their tastes," Xena said. "They left, but not before complaining about what they heard." She did her level best to keep her expression completely neutral. "Mother cornered me this morning and told me in no uncertain terms to knock it off, before she loses more business because of it. She wants us sleeping in separate beds from now on, but?"

Gabrielle eyed the silent warrior who wouldn't meet her gaze. "But?" She prodded.

Xena stepped up to Gabrielle and took her hands. "I can't?I don't want to sleep in separate beds. But I also don't think I can?um?" Xena looked away and wouldn't meet the smaller woman's expectant eyes.

Gabrielle tried to catch Xena's gaze and could sense the uncertainty in her partner's body language. "What can't you do, Xena? Talk to me."

Xena blew out a frustrated breath. "I can't sleep in the same bed with you and not touch you, Gabrielle," the warrior ground out as she ran the backs of her fingers against the bard's cheek. "I just can't do it. And I don't want to sleep in separate beds, either. I like cud?I enjoy holding you in my arms. But I also don't think I can hold you without?um?well, you know. It's become so natural between us that I just don't think I can do without it. And when we're doing 'it' I just can't stay?um?quiet. You drive me wild."

Gabrielle smiled. "And by 'it' you mean sex?"

Xena rolled her eyes and sighed. "Yes, that's exactly what I mean." She lowered her eyes.

"You are so cute when you try to talk about sex, Xena," Gabrielle said. "Speaking of which, do you really think my parents are going to have less of a problem when they find out we're lovers?" Gabrielle asked quietly as she leaned into Xena's touch. "You know how my father feels about you as it is, Xe."

"Uh," Xena raised startled blue eyes and met laughing green ones. "Guess I never gave that a thought."

"Yeah, not something I've given much thought to, either," Gabrielle agreed. "I still haven't figured out how we're going to tell them that we're a couple, much less that we share the same bed or bedroll. They're not exactly the most open-minded and progressive people I know." She shrugged. "I mean, if I'd been able to bring Perdicus home to them as my husband, they'd have been thrilled. But?" She couldn't finish the thought.

"I get it. I'm not exactly ideal spousal material," Xena finished with a wry grin.

"You're perfect spousal material, Xena," Gabrielle rose on her tiptoes and was mildly surprised when Xena met her halfway, as they shared a stolen kiss. "I love you more and more each day and count myself truly blessed that I had the courage to chase after you when I did."

Xena pulled Gabrielle into a hug and reveled in the feel of the woman against her. "Same here, love." She kissed the top of Gabrielle's head. "So, what are we going to do about the parent issue?"

Gabrielle snorted against Xena's breastplate. "I vote that we avoid the issue altogether."

Xena considered that option for a moment. "Probably not the best solution you've come up with, bard."

"I'm not the one who comes up with the solutions to our problems, Xena," Gabrielle replied. "The pigskin's in your hands on this one."

"I don't play that game," Xena chuckled. "You'll have to show me sometime."

"Not my area of expertise, either," Gabrielle pulled back enough to see the gleam of mischief in the warrior's eyes. "I'm a bard, remember?"

"Maybe we should put our heads together and come up with a solution together, then," Xena put her forehead against Gabrielle's. "Two heads are better than one, you know."

"Unless those two heads are attached to a huge dog's body," Gabrielle snorted, "a dog that belongs to a certain God of War, who shall remain nameless, lest he make an appearance and ruin this special moment."

"Or a hydra," Xena added with a wry smirk. "Okay, I guess it was a bad analogy all the way around. The point is we should be able to come up with a solution of our own."

"We could stick around here and just set up camp somewhere nearby," Gabrielle suggested. "The weather hasn't been too bad lately." She glanced up at the wispy clouds overhead. "At least the rain stopped."

"It's gonna rain again tonight," Xena added. "I'm not a big fan of spending the night outside in the wet."

"Oh, not such a good idea, then."

"No," Xena agreed. "I finished the last of the repairs to the roof in the hay loft above the stables. We could stay up there. It has nice, soft hay for us to sleep on and the roof shouldn't leak."

Gabrielle considered the idea. "That has definite possibilities," she smiled up into expectant blue eyes. "I don't think anyone would hear us up there."

"And if they did hear something, they would just think the horses were?um?uh?" Xena winced.

"I get the point, Xena," Gabrielle let her partner off the hook. "Any noise we make will just be attributed to horsey antics."

"Yeah," Xena chuckled. "I've been called many things in this lifetime, but a horse hasn't really made the list yet."

Gabrielle shifted until she could look at Xena's backside. "I don't see a tail."

"Hardy har har," Xena playfully swatted the bard on the backside. "I'll tell my mother that she won't need to worry about her inn's precious reputation."

"You want me to tell her, instead?" Gabrielle gave the taller woman a raised-brow look. "I mean, you're not exactly a woman of words, Xena."

"I can tell my mother that we're staying in the loft, Gabrielle," Xena said. "It's not like I'm telling her that I'm pregnant or something."

Gabrielle snickered. "As if," and then she sobered. "You never did tell her about Solon, did you?"

The stoic mask fell instantly in place on the warrior's face. "Do not even go there, Gabrielle."

"Xena, she has a right to know," Gabrielle continued soberly. "He was her grandchild, after all."

"He's dead and his soul is in the Elysian Fields, where it belongs," Xena said. "There's no reason to bring up his existence to my mother. She has enough on her mind these days."

"He would want her to know, Xena," Gabrielle said quietly when the warrior turned away in an effort to end the discussion. "It would make him happy to hear his grandmother's thoughts, even in the Fields."

Xena stood with her back to Gabrielle, as the words sank in. She finally nodded slightly. "I'll tell her when the time is right. Please, just let me do it on my own, Gabrielle."

Gabrielle moved forward and wrapped her arms around Xena from behind. "I promise I won't say a word to her until you do."

Xena turned in the bard's embrace and smiled. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," she answered and welcomed the smoldering kiss that they shared with a promise of things to come. "Can't wait to see what it's like making love to you in a hay loft. I don't think we've ever done that before."

A dark brow rose as Xena considered the bard's words. "No, I believe you're right about that. I guess we can mark this one as a first."

"You're keeping track?"

"Always," Xena answered and they both chuckled.

Chapter 6

Xena and Gabrielle both turned at the sound of the latch on the door behind them. The door swung open and a large woman filled the doorway. Her eyes went wide at the sight of the two women in each other's arms.

"Gods on Olympus!" The portly woman gasped and nearly dropped the heavy bucket of garbage she was carrying. "What are ye doin' back 'ere?!? No one's allowed back 'ere 'cept?"

Xena stepped back from her smaller partner and turned a raised-brow glare on the woman. "Except Cyrene's daughter?" She asked with hands on hips.

"Cyrene's da?" Sudden realization dawned in the woman's gray eyes. "Oooohhh," she said as she lifted her load into both arms, holding the bucket like a shield in front of her. "You're Xena, then."

"That's right, she is," Gabrielle piped in. "And you are?"

"Aris," the woman said. "I'm the cook 'ere at the inn. And ye would be?" She shot back with a glare at the smaller woman.

Xena's expression softened as she placed a hand on Gabrielle's shoulder. "This is Gabrielle."

It took a moment for the name to register. "Ah, you're the bard what tells stories 'ere after I leave for 'ome."

"Yes," Gabrielle nodded.

"Xena and Gabrielle," the woman repeated the names, as if she were committing them to memory. "Xena, the Warrior Princess and Gabrielle, the famous traveling bard. My Plathos mentioned 'e met ye just yesterday," Aris' eyes took in the tall warrior in leather and armor. "Said ye bought a trinket off 'im and bartered 'im down 'til 'e lost good coin on the deal." Her eyes twinkled with mischief, as she glanced from one woman to the other. "Guess those extra pieces 'e threw in weren't a total loss, considerin' what ye did for our son. Thank ye, Xena."

"No problem," Xena answered.

Gabrielle glanced at Xena with more than one question in her shining green eyes, as Aris shuffled over to a burlap-covered mound in a corner of the yard, lifted an edge of the burlap and dumped the garbage from the bucket onto the pile. The stench that wafted up from the uncovered mound was enough to make both Xena and Gabrielle grimace and move over to the door of the inn.

"How about we go inside and see what Mother's cooking up for the evening meal," Xena said, avoiding eye contact with her smaller partner. She didn't wait for a reply as she opened the door and ducked inside.

"Oh, Xeeeenaaaaa?" Gabrielle called sweetly as she followed in the warrior's footsteps.

"Nice ta meet ya, too," Aris muttered after the two retreating figures, but knew they didn't hear her through the closed back door.

***

Gabrielle was slowly chewing and savoring a tasty bite of fresh fish baked in a spicy butter sauce. The dish was a special treat from Cyrene, who wanted to thank both Gabrielle and her daughter for the work they were doing around the village. Both women were surprised when the innkeeper approached their table and set the trenchers down in front of them. One of Aris' daughters set a loaf of nutty brown bread between them with a sweet smile. The buxom blond looked more like her mother than the other two Gabrielle had seen. She now knew their names were Daisy, Aerilis and the youngest, Carlena.

Aerilis was the one currently serving them. She kept their mugs full of Cyrene's special spiced mead, which the innkeeper said she'd been keeping for just such a special occasion. Gabrielle couldn't help wondering what was really going on. She knew there were a number of people involved in the rebuilding, many of whom were already finished with their own repairs and were lending their neighbors a helping hand.

Gabrielle glanced sidelong at her silent partner. Xena hadn't mentioned a word about the conversation with Aris, despite the bard's insistent prodding. Gabrielle was beginning to wonder if the sumptuous meal and Xena's silence were going hand-in-hand.

"Did you tell your mother yet?" Gabrielle asked conversationally, as she washed the fish down with a mouthful of sweet mead.

"Not yet," Xena answered, as she absently pushed the last of her fish around in her trencher. "How's the fish?"

"Delicious," Gabrielle answered. "I've never tasted anything like it before. I'll have to get the recipe from your mom and try making it myself sometime."

"Not sure that's very practical while we're on the road," Xena said as she kept a watchful eye on the people shuffling into the main room. They were all eagerly awaiting a performance by the 'Famous Bard of Potidea' and apparently word was spreading fast. "We don't exactly carry an oven with us."

Gabrielle considered that for a moment. "No," she answered. "But I think I can do one of those small pits beneath the campfire and create the same results. I'll run it by Aris and Cyrene, see what they think."

"You do that," Xena answered absently, as she watched Plathos enter with his entire family.

The rather large group took up an entire round table, while Plathos stood behind his wife, Aris. The man glanced in Xena's direction, met her gaze and nodded at her with a reserved smile.

"Xena?"

"Hm?"

"Are you even listening to me?" Gabrielle already knew the answer, but hoped her question would at least bring the warrior out of the distracted mood she was in.

"I'm listening, Gabrielle," Xena met her partner's expectant gaze. "You said you wanted to get the recipe for the fish and try making it while we're on the road."

"Okay, then," Gabrielle continued, now that she had the woman's attention. "You want to tell me what Aris was talking about earlier? She mentioned something about a trinket and you bartering for it." Her expression mirrored her skepticism. "You don't barter, Xena. As a matter of fact, the only time I've ever seen you shop by yourself is when you're in the market for a new weapon or something we can use to help save someone's life. I've seen you buy rope, knives, a dagger or two, even those disguises we've needed on occasion, but I've never seen you shop for a trinket. And I have most certainly never seen you haggle over the price of?well, anything."

Xena did her utmost to keep her expression completely neutral, as her mind whirled with possible answers. "I?"

"Xena, Gabrielle," Cyrene greeted them with a cheery smile and got Xena off the hook, as she sat down at their table. She glanced at Xena with an expectant look, before her gaze rested on the bard. "Are you ready to tell a few stories, now that I've filled your stomach with my finest cooking and tapped a new keg of my best mead?"

"The fish was delicious, Cyrene," Gabrielle said with a gracious smile. "I really want that recipe."

"Tsk," Cyrene waved her off. "It's an old family secret passed down for generations." Her eyes met Xena's. "If my daughter had taken an interest in the family business she would know how to prepare the dish." Her expression softened. "Thank you for catching those fish, Xena. It was just the thing I needed for the dish. Dish, fish?" She chuckled jovially at her joke and received two questioning looks.

"You're welcome, I think?" Xena answered, not sure if her mother was really thanking her or chastising her for not being the daughter she'd always wanted. "Mother, have you been drinking?"

Gabrielle shot her partner a chastising glare and then softened her expression when she looked at Cyrene. "Please tell me you're not going to take the recipe to the grave, Cyrene," Gabrielle said expectantly. "It's too delicious to be lost forever."

Cyrene placed her folded hands on the table in front of her. "No, I think I have just the person to share it with," she smirked, but remained tight-lipped. She glanced from one woman to the other and then slapped a hand on the table. "Time to get the girls out here with that mead. We have so much to celebrate tonight." She rose from her chair and moved away before either Xena or Gabrielle could comment.

"Is there something you want to tell me before I go up there and start telling stories, Xena?" Gabrielle glanced at the taller woman expectantly.

"Nothing comes to mind, love," Xena answered as she tilted her chair back until she was balancing on two chair legs and leaning against the wall behind her.

Pale shafts of moonlight streamed intermittently through the window to her right, as a break in the dark rain clouds revealed the glowing orb. Xena glanced around the room and caught movement from the corner of her eye. She looked in that direction and saw Cletus standing against the wall opposite her. She nodded in acknowledgement of his quick wave and noticed he had an arm around a petite woman dwarfed by his immense size.

The woman had pale brown hair and her clothes were the plain homespun of the other villagers, but there was a sparkle in her eyes as she looked up at the man towering over her. She glanced in Xena's direction and smiled, then nodded once as Cletus whispered something in her ear.

"Any requests?" Gabrielle asked hopefully, pulling the warrior's attention back to her. The bard knew she would spring a new story on the crowd this night, but wanted to start with a few old standards before the grand finale. She was so preoccupied with her inner thoughts that she completely missed the silent exchange between her partner and the smith. "Maybe something romantic? Or one of our more comical escapades? What do you want to hear tonight, Xena?"

Xena considered her options for a moment. She knew Gabrielle's entire repertoire by heart. She also knew the few tales that didn't involve her exploits that the bard often used to warm her audience up and peak their interest.

"You could tell them the one about our time with Princess Diana, when we met up with Meg," Xena smirked. "That one's always a real crowd pleaser."

Gabrielle gave the warrior a skeptical glare. "You hate that one, Xena."

"I don't hate it," Xena scoffed with an uncomfortable half-smile. "It's just not one of my personal favorites. But it's always good for laughs," she grinned, "especially the part where Joxer mistook me for Meg."

Gabrielle snickered. "He was pretty terrified that you would get back at him for that kiss he planted on you."

"I still just might do that the next time he comes clomping around in that stupid outfit of his," Xena crossed her arms over her chest and lifted one corner of her lip in a pretend snarl.

Gabrielle chuckled. "Seriously," she sobered quickly. "You want me to tell the Warrior?Princess?Tramp story?"

"Is that what you're calling it these days?"

"If the shoe fits?" Gabrielle shrugged.

"Works for me," Xena finally answered. "At least it's better than that tale about my antics in that stupid beauty pageant Salmoneus cooked up. Incidentally, what are you calling that one?"

"Here She Comes?Miss Amphipolis," Gabrielle answered with a teasing grin.

Xena rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Oh, you have got to be kidding me."

"Nope, not kidding," Gabrielle said. "I think it has a good ring to it, actually. Someday someone is going to actually make that a legitimate contest. You just wait and see."

"Well, that story's definitely off the list while we're here, then," Xena said with a look of disgust. "I have a reputation to maintain, you know."

Gabrielle patted the warrior's bare arm. "Don't worry, Xena," she said and unsuccessfully tried to hide the smile in her words. "I wouldn't want to tarnish your austere reputation here in the bosom of your hometown." Xena shot her the annoyed lip curl snarl again. "That one doesn't work on me anymore, either, honey." Gabrielle patted a muscular thigh this time. "I've pretty much seen all those intimidating expressions in your vast repertoire, Xena."

"Go on, then," Xena motioned toward the raised area that Gabrielle used as a stage. "Your fans await your unflappable bardic talents."

"Wish me luck?" The bard turned pleading puppy eyes on the stoic warrior.

In an uncharacteristic display of public affection, Xena gently took Gabrielle's face in her hands and planted a searing, mind-blowing kiss on the surprised woman's parted lips. The kiss lasted far longer and was far more intense than anything Gabrielle would have ever dreamed. And the very idea that Xena did it in front of a crowd of onlookers was beyond reasoning. When Xena finally pulled away, all Gabrielle could do was stare in stunned silence.

"Work for you?" Xena smirked down into wide green eyes. "Knock 'em dead, sweetheart."

"Um?uh?" Gabrielle stuttered, as her cheeks flamed beat-red and her legs suddenly threatened to buckle. "I?uh?"

"Get up there, now," Xena shooed the woman away impatiently. "There's plenty more where that came from when we're nice and cozy in our new digs."

Gabrielle made her way to the stage on shaky legs and in a complete haze. The unexpected kiss, coupled with Xena's tantalizing promise of things to come was almost too much. Her entire body was tingling in anticipation, and she didn't know if she would be able to find her voice again as she stepped up on the raised platform and faced the hushed crowd.

Torches cast a warm glow around the packed room and Gabrielle felt beads of sweat break out on her brow and upper lip. She hadn't been plagued by stage fright in a really long time and didn't know if Xena's unexpected display had something to do with the butterflies fluttering wildly in the pit of her stomach.

"H-Hello everyone," Gabrielle greeted in an unexpectedly timid voice. The answering greetings worked to calm her nerves slightly, as she surveyed the packed room and caught sight of Cyrene's beaming smile. "Are you ready to hear a few stories?" She asked in a much stronger voice. The answering roar from the crowd shook the rafters above her head. "I'm glad you all came out on this rainy night to share some of Cyrene's fine food and spirits," another roar drowned out any words she would have said, so she just waited for the noise to die down again. "Well, as all of you might know by now, I travel with a rather famous?"

"Infamous is more like it!" A dark-haired man near the front roared with laughter that was shared by several others near him, as he raised his mug high above his head and tottered on his chair.

"Okay," Gabrielle put her hands on her hips and glared down at him in imitation of her best Warrior Princess glare. "I guess there are some who might consider Xena's early exploits as rather infamous," she was quickly warming up to her audience, as her initial trepidation quickly slid away. "She was deemed the Destroyer of Nations, once upon a time. But I'll bet you a handful of dinars that you've never heard the tale of how she saved a young boy's life when his father tried to sacrifice him to an angry and vengeful god?"

And with those opening words, the stage was set for the bard to launch into a tale of a brother's betrayal, a father's bitter choice, a mother's unconditional love and a loaf of henbane-laced nut bread that nearly ended a young boy's life and had a certain young woman leading a choir of imaginary singers.

Xena listened raptly to the tale with an amused half-grin gracing her full lips. She knew the story well and could almost hear that choir belting out its off-key tune, as their blond leader kept time with a silent beat that only she could hear. She remembered the exact moment that a youthful Gabrielle, high on the henbane-laced nut bread, turned to her, fell into her arms and exclaimed how beautiful she was.

"A drachma for your thoughts, Xena," Cyrene nudged her mesmerized daughter with an elbow, as she sat down in the chair next to her.

"Just remembering something," Xena answered, as she absently leaned forward and set the two front legs of her chair back on the floor.

"She's an excellent bard, Xena," Cyrene watched the bard wave her arms in time with her words. "She knows exactly how to spin a tale in such a way that the audience is riveted and stays on the edge of their seats throughout the entire telling."

"She practices a lot when we're out on the road," Xena commented. "It never ceases to amaze me that she can use gestures and facial expressions so effectively. It just seems to come to her so naturally."

Cyrene turned her attention to her daughter as she studied her intently. She saw the open awe in Xena's pale eyes and noticed something else, as well. "You really do love her, don't you?" The question was more of an affirmation than an actual question.

Xena turned her head and met her mother's sincere gaze. "Absolutely."

Cyrene nodded. "When are you going to ask her to officially become part of our family, then?"

A dark brow lifted, but that was the only sign that Xena was caught off guard by the unexpected question. "Are you asking me if I intend to marry Gabrielle?"

Cyrene shrugged. "Truth be told, I'm not exactly sure how it's done, Xena. Gabrielle is an Amazon, so I'm sure there's some sort of ceremony for a joining of?um?like this."

"We're a couple like any other, Mother," Xena said drolly. "We've already pledged to spend the rest of our lives together. We don't need a ceremony in front of a bunch of strangers to express how much we love each other."

"No, that's true," Cyrene conceded with a quick nod. "Call me old fashioned, Xena, but I think it might be good for both of you to at least put some kind of official stamp on your relationship in front of your closest friends and family."

"Mother," Xena sighed and rolled her eyes. "You don't know what you're asking."

"I'm not asking anything, Xena," Cyrene prodded. "I'm just saying you should seriously consider having a joining celebration or?whatever you call it. I'm more than happy to close the inn down for a few days in order to hold the festivities right here."

"I don't know, Mom," Xena said, as her excellent hearing picked up on the fact that Gabrielle's story was coming to a close. "I'll discuss it with Gabrielle and see what she has to say about it. I'm not sure she wants a joining ceremony. She hasn't even told her parents about us yet."

Cyrene patted the warrior's arm. "Just let me know what you decide, Xena. I want what's best for both my girls."

The room suddenly erupted in thunderous applause, as Gabrielle bowed low, before launching into another tale that Xena knew all too well. This particular tale was a recent addition to the bard's repertoire and had the crowd in stitches within just a few moments. Xena was mildly surprised that the bard was actually sharing a tale centered on Gabrielle's misfortunes with the scroll the Goddess of Love enchanted. Xena remembered well how that story eventually ended and just sat back to enjoy the telling.

***

"Damned gods still piss me off," Xena muttered as they walked through the mud toward the stables. She had an arm draped over Gabrielle's shoulders, as the bard remained silent and walked in step with her. "You okay?"

"Fine," Gabrielle answered and let her head rest against Xena's breastplate. "Just basking in the glow of another successful evening of storytelling."

"I liked that last one, by the way," Xena remarked as they entered the dim interior of the stables. The smell of horses, leather and hay permeated the still air, as Xena closed the door and proceeded to light the lamp hanging on the wall. She held the lamp up and illuminated their surroundings. "Ah, home sweet home."

"You're such a goof," Gabrielle smirked at the playful warrior. "Why don't you show all those people out there this playful side of you? You'd sure quell the rumor mill with a few well-placed grins and remarks."

"Never gonna happen," Xena said as she checked the ladder to the loft and proceeded to climb up it without missing a beat. When she was up in the loft, she thrust her head over the edge and looked down at the bard with a teasing grin. "I have a reputation to maintain."

"Not around here, you don't," Gabrielle shot back as she slowly climbed the ladder without looking down. She reached the top and quickly moved away from the edge. The sight that greeted her made her gasp in surprise. "Xena, it's perfect."

"A bed fit for a queen," Xena said as she watched Gabrielle climb atop the pile of blankets and furs she'd been able to confiscate. "Please tell me you're not going to remain fully clothed up here."

Gabrielle couldn't help the frown that crossed her features. "What if someone comes in here while we're sleeping, Xena?"

"No worries," Xena said as she joined the bard in their makeshift bed. "I took care of that."

"How?"

"I paid one of Parthos' grandsons to keep watch for the next few nights," Xena smiled in triumph. "He'll warn us if anyone approaches, passes by or otherwise looks shifty-eyed."

Gabrielle gave Xena a skeptical look. "Do you really trust this kid not to sneak in here and spy on us, instead?"

"He won't," Xena said with confidence. "I paid him well and promised him extra coin to remain a safe distance away. I even taught him a bird call, so he doesn't have to come close to this place. He'll just warn us if he sees anyone out and about."

The bard quickly removed her clothes and climbed beneath the topmost coverlet. An amused warrior watched her antics and rolled her eyes.

"He'd have to be on the roof to see you naked, Gabrielle," Xena said as she took her time undressing. "Besides, I can hear everything within fifty paces of this place. There's no one out there." She glanced up at the ceiling and smirked. "And the only thing on the roof is that stupid goat who loves you so much."

Gabrielle snorted. "Maybe he'll fall off and break a hoof. I wouldn't mind some fresh goat stew for dinner tomorrow evening."

Xena blew out the lamp hanging above their heads and crawled in next to Gabrielle. It was a relatively balmy night, despite the rain, and the heat from the horses below them was enough to keep them comfortable, even without covers.

"Your feet are freezing, Xena!" Gabrielle nearly jumped out of her skin in the semi-darkness.

"My boots got wet on the way over here," Xena said as she settled back with her arms behind her head. "Sorry."

"Step in a puddle?" Gabrielle couldn't help the snicker that escaped. "Your eyesight going in your old age, warrior?"

"No thanks to you," Xena answered as she shifted slightly and then reached underneath her. "What the???"

"What?"

Xena held something up to a pinpoint shaft of moonlight streaming in through the roof above. "I think it's a?I'm not exactly sure what it is."

"I can't see anything, so you're on your own," Gabrielle moved into the crook of Xena's shoulder and settled down with a long sigh. "It's actually kinda nice up here. Smells like fresh hay and?um?"

"Horses?" Xena supplied.

"Potatoes, actually," Gabrielle answered.

"Aha! That's what that was," Xena nodded sagely. "Wait! Why are there potatoes in the hay loft?"

"Farmers sometimes grow two crops at the same time," Gabrielle answered with a yawn. "They call it?um?oh, I don't remember what it's called. All I know is that potatoes and hay are compatible crops that nourish each other? or something like that."

"Like parasites?" Xena wrapped her arms around the smaller woman and pulled her close.

"What's a parasite?" Gabrielle mumbled sleepily.

"They live inside other beings and feed off them," Xena answered.

"Ew, that's gross," Gabrielle lifted her head and stared into her partner's dark eyes. "Are you serious?"

"Horses sometimes get 'em," Xena nodded. "I've even seen some really ugly ones inside cows and pigs. You were raised around sheep. Didn't you ever see parasites in a slaughtered ewe or lamb?"

"No," Gabrielle put her head back down. "Father didn't let us get close to sick or slaughtered animals. He always kept us away from anything that wasn't?um?normal."

"Did you ever see the rams and ewes during mating season?" Xena asked curiously.

"Of course," Gabrielle scoffed. "I wasn't that naďve. If my father ever learned that I snuck off to the mating pens when his back was turned?well?"

It was Xena's turn to snort. "So you're an expert, huh?" Xena asked as she began to slowly and gently stroke the bard's bare back.

"Hardly," Gabrielle relaxed into the gentle touch. "I'm not an expert at a lot of things concerning livestock. Just because I'm a shepherd's child doesn't mean I know everything there is to know about sheep."

"Just like I don't know a lot about running an inn or cooking or?"

"I get the idea, Xena," Gabrielle she snuggled against the warrior's with a tired sigh. "Can we just forget about sheep and mating season and parasites and?well, everything? I'm really tired. I just want to lay here with you and enjoy the peace and quiet."

"Works for me," Xena shrugged. "I just thought?"

"That was your first mistake, Warrior Princess," Gabrielle interrupted. "Don't think. Just?shhh!"

"Parasites, potatoes, and procreation," Xena muttered quietly. "The three p's." she couldn't help but snicker at her joke.

"Warrior-Joker," Gabrielle groaned. "Maybe you should go entertain King?"

A pair of warm lips cut off any further thoughts, as Gabrielle gave in to the renewed sensations awakened by Xena's earlier public display. The warrior trailed kisses down her jaw line to the pulse point at her neck and sending exquisite sensations throughout her entire being. As Xena's ministrations continued lower, Gabrielle felt her world spiraling out of control. Every nerve ending ignited with desire as an inferno raged at her very center.

Xena knew she was driving her lover to the very brink with every kiss, every touch. The bard's breathless pants became increasingly more urgent, as strong hands pushed her lower. The warrior knew exactly what to do and where. She'd been patient for candlemarks, anticipating the moment when they were alone in their loft retreat. She tasted the exquisite flavor that was Gabrielle, reveling in the sweet ambrosia the bard alone could provide.

When Gabrielle could stand it no more and was begging for release, Xena obliged with all the expert skill of a seasoned lover. She took her lover over the brink and plunged her into the abyss with a cry that fairly shook the rafters above their heads. And then the warrior gently held her as Gabrielle slowly returned to earth.

"I got ya," Xena whispered against the bard's ear.

"That was?mmmm?" Gabrielle managed, as she relaxed into the warrior's embrace.

"Horses didn't seem to mind the noise," Xena chuckled quietly and received a playful slap on the belly. "Ouch!"

"That did not hurt," Gabrielle said and decided to give as good as she got.

It wasn't long before the horses were hearing a cry of release from another of their two-legged roomies. Argo simply stuck her head out the window of her stall and bellowed her frustration to the sliver of moon that peeked out from behind the breaking clouds. The other horses soon joined in the call of the wild, until they finally settled back down and let the cricket song continue in their stead.

The chirps of crickets were soon joined by a pair of light snores, as the human couple let sleep take them to a place where dreams flourished and peace reigned.

***

"Ow!" Gabrielle dropped one end of her staff and grabbed her stinging hand. "I can't believe you got past my guard?again!"

"You keep dropping your shoulder, Gabrielle," Xena waited patiently for her sparring partner to shake off the sting of yet another blow. "I told you to keep that shoulder up, like this," she demonstrated by raising her own staff and holding her shoulder at an exaggerated angle. "If you drop it like you're doing, some thug is gonna get past your guard and chop your fingers off with his sword."

Gabrielle sucked on the knuckle of her middle finger and then shook her hand out. "Not if he's using a staff, he won't," she grumbled.

"Are you done babying those fingers?" Xena quirked an expectant eyebrow at her partner. "Let's finish this and maybe later I'll give your fingers the attention they deserve." She gave the bard the eyebrow dance and smirked.

Gabrielle didn't need to see the warrior's expression. She heard the meaning behind Xena's words and blushed profusely. Their lovemaking the night before had certainly been a memorable experience. The excitement level in the stables when the horses added their own loud whinnies to Xena's cry of release was enough to cause the goat on the roof to seek entertainment elsewhere. It certainly made for a nice, peaceful, dreamless sleep afterward.

"Come on, Gabrielle," Xena urged. "Let's do this. There's lots of work to do today."

Gabrielle wiped the sweat from her brow with her forearm, as she took up her staff in both hands. "I won't be doing any work if you insist on breaking my fingers, Xena."

Xena cocked her head and waited for the bard to make the first move. "Ahhh, poor baby. Did I hwert your widdle fingers?" She stuck out her lip in a mock pout and watched the anger ignite in the bard's eyes. "Control that anger and use it to your advantage, Gabrielle."

With a loud yell, Gabrielle launched a series of quick strikes against Xena's staff. The warrior deftly met each strike without flinching and added a few offensive strikes of her own. Sweat ran down Gabrielle's face as she continued her assault and Xena countered each strike with practiced ease.

To those without a practiced eye the two seemed evenly matched, but Gabrielle knew Xena was holding back. She also knew that one word from her would be enough for the warrior to unleash that hold and put everything she had into the session.

Gabrielle knew she was ready. Her strength had returned and she'd increased it with the daily workouts. She knew their sessions had become more intense and their moves faster than they'd ever been before. Her staff whirled and spun with blurring speed, as did Xena's. Every time their staffs connected it was like two rams butting heads-the noise rang out loudly in the clearing. Gabrielle's iron grip on her weapon was surer than ever before-except when Xena got past her guard and slammed her staff down on the bard's exposed fingers.

Muscles bulged as Gabrielle spun around to deliver a side blow that connected loudly with Xena's staff. The answering counterstrike from the warrior was met with a combination of strikes that had the two dancing to a silent song that only they could hear.

The sounds of the two staffs rang so loudly in the clearing where the two had been doing their morning sparring since their arrival in Amphipolis that it drowned out the ever-present birdsong. Anyone passing by the secluded clearing would have thought the two combatants were fighting a match to the death. But Gabrielle knew differently and so did Xena.

In a split second of indecision, the bard missed her target and felt her center of balance falter. She braced for impact and was surprised when the blow never came. Gabrielle opened eyes she didn't remember shutting and stared into blue eyes just inches from her own, as she panted from her exertions.

"You missed," Xena smirked.

"I screwed up again," Gabrielle swiped a hand across her brow. "Can't figure out how I always overbalance when I try that move on you." It was Gabrielle's turn to smirk. "Thanks for pulling up short before you clobbered my fingers again, by the way. It would've really hurt."

"You dropped the shoulder again," Xena said as she stepped back. "When you drop the shoulder your midsection overcompensates and your hips shift just enough to throw you off. You need to keep that shoulder up, like I keep telling you." She grinned as she crossed her arms over the staff against her chest. "And you're welcome. I like your fingers whole and hearty, especially when you use them to?"

"Okay, then. I think we can call it quits for today. Don't you?" Gabrielle spun her staff like a propeller in front of her and then did a few quick around-the-back maneuvers that Xena had taught her.

"Show off," Xena quipped as she did some more difficult staff spinning of her own, including a quick around-the-neck maneuver, a toss into the air and a behind-the-back catch that had Gabrielle's eyes bulging in awe. When Xena was done, she grinned triumphantly at the frowning bard. "Now, that's how it's really done."

"And you call me a show off?" Gabrielle said as she used her staff as a walking stick and left Xena standing in the middle of the clearing.

"Tough audience," Xena muttered as she followed Gabrielle back to town.

***

"Yo, Xena," Cletus greeted the warrior's approach. "What brings ye to my neck of the woods?"

"Just checking on that project I gave you the other day, Cletus," Xena said as she grasped the man's outstretched arm.

"Comin' along nicely," he said with a smirk and a quick wink. "Saw ye at the inn last night."

"I know," Xena nodded. "Was that your wife with you?"

"Molly? Yeah," the man answered with a grin that made him look years younger. "Thought I'd take ye up on yer offer to listen to a real bard." His expression turned conspiratorial. "Yer bard's a real looker, she is."

A dark brow lifted. "Don't let Gabrielle hear you say that. She prides herself on making her stories the center of attention, not herself."

"Oh, don't get me wrong, Xena," Cletus held up a hand. "I was mesmerized by those tales she was weavin'. It was almost like being right there with you, especially that beauty contest one." He smirked. "Woulda paid a pretty drachma to see you with blond hair, prancing around like a prized horse."

Xena crossed her arms and glared at him. "You wanna tell me how the project's coming? Or should I just drop kick you right here where you stand?"

"Whoa there, Xena!" Cletus backed up a few paces, even though he was twice her size and could probably at least give her a run for her money in a fight. He just didn't want to do any scrapping with someone of Xena's reputation. "No offense intended. I was just sayin'?"

"I know what you were saying, Cletus," Xena continued to glare and secretly reveled in the chance to intimidate someone. "Let's just cut straight to the update. I've got a lot to do today."

"No problem," he said as he ducked through a bead-hung doorway and emerged with a cloth-wrapped bundle in both hands. "I still have some polishing to do, but here's what I have so far."

He unwrapped the contents to reveal a pair of sais that resembled long daggers. Xena lifted one and examined it closely, before setting it back down with its twin.

"Nice work, my friend," she said with a satisfied grin. "I'm looking forward to presenting them to their new owner."

"Gabrielle?" Cletus gave her a knowing smirk.

"Yeah," Xena nodded, as he rewrapped the bundle and tucked it away. "I know she isn't ready for weapons like those, just yet. She's still too worried about killing someone. But eventually the staff is going to be too remedial a weapon for her skills, and then she'll need something that has more of a?um?"

"Kick?" Cletus supplied with a nod. "I know what ye mean, Xena. 'Twas the same with my little brother, Thomas. He couldn't kill a flea on a dog, much less a man when he was young. When Cortese came here that first time?" He shook his head. "Thomas raised a pitch fork against one of Cortese's men. The idiot didn't think Thomas would use the weapon, the kid was shaking so badly. But the man continued forward and Thomas stood his ground. It nearly tore Thomas apart to shove that pitchfork into the man's chest. But Thomas eventually got past that first kill experience and trained to be a soldier in the Athenian army."

Xena nodded. "What happened to him? Is he still in the army?"

"He's been dead goin' on two summers, now," Cletus rubbed the back of his neck. "Got a commendation for fighting against the Spartans and was promoted to lieutenant, then died the very next summer from a fever."

"I'm sorry to hear that, my friend," Xena said.

"Thank ye, Xena," Cletus nodded. "The point I'm makin' though is that he eventually got past the prick to his conscience. Gabrielle seems like a really strong woman," a gleam entered his eye. "She's a perfect match for a certain ex-warlord-turned-hero I know. She'll eventually need a weapon that is extremely versatile in a fight. Sais are good weapons for her, especially with the modifications you asked me to make. She'll be up to the challenge of guarding your back in no time."

"She already does a good job of guarding my back," Xena corrected.

"Ye sure 'bout that?" Cletus' brow lifted skeptically. "Didn't sound like she has as much confidence in her abilities as you do, at least that's what I got from them stories she was tellin' last night. Ye might have all the confidence in the world in Gabrielle, Xena, but yer a touch blinded by the love in yer eyes." He shrugged. "I'll have the weapons finished in a few days time. Not much left to do but sharpen the blades and polish 'em up 'til they shine." He turned away and went back to his forge. "I'll send word when they're ready."

Xena nodded and left the blacksmith's place without a backward glance. Her long strides quickly took her to the stables, where she needed to check on Argo and make sure the mare received a good brushing. Xena also needed some time to sort through all the errant thoughts racing through her head, not the least of which was the smith's declaration.

Xena couldn't believe the conversation had taken such an odd turn. One moment they're discussing weapons and then the smith is counseling her on blind love. It was certainly something that she hadn't really given much thought to before. Did Gabrielle have misgivings about her role in a fight? Was that why Gabrielle rarely put herself in the midst of one of their stories? Of course, she had told the one about Aphrodite's enchanted scroll. But Xena also knew the story wasn't really one of the many battle tales that centered on Xena's exploits.

"Hey, girl," Xena greeted her Palomino as she stepped inside the stables. Argo nodded and stepped up to the waist-high half wall until her head was in Xena's hands. "How're you doing in here? You want to get outside and take a run?" The mare nodded her blond head again, this time more enthusiastically. "Okay, we'll do that, then."

Xena made quick work of saddling the mare. As she put the leather bridle in place she heard a strange noise that caught her attention. She listened intently for the sound to repeat itself and, when it didn't, she merely shrugged. Her deft fingers quickly buckled the straps into place. She unlatched the stall door and led the mare out into the bright sunshine.

"Here we go, girl," Xena said as she patted the mare's neck and then mounted. She settled herself more deeply into the saddle, before taking up the reins and giving the mare a nudge with her legs. "Let's go, girl. Hiyaaaah!!!"

As soon as they reached the outskirts of the village, Xena gave Argo her head and kicked her into a gallop. They left the main road into town and galloped cross-country. The light breeze whipped blond mane and black hair back, creating a picturesque contrast of dark and light.

Argo never missed a step as she blazed across green fields teeming with wildflowers. Xena never saw the flowers as she reveled in the feel of her horse beneath her. Muscles bulged and soon Argo was breathing hard in time with the pounding of her hooves.

"Whoa, girl," Xena finally reined in the lathered mare and patted her neck affectionately. "How was that?" The mare blew out a breath and nodded. "Glad you enjoyed it."

Xena steered the mare around a large boulder and then dismounted. She looped the reins around the saddle horn and gave the mare another pat on the neck. Climbing on top of the boulder, Xena sat there in the bright sunshine and reveled in the feel of it on her skin. Argo took the opportunity to graze on the sweet grass beneath her feet and only moved a few paces away.

Xena's thoughts turned to what Cletus had said earlier and she couldn't help agreeing with the smith's assessment. She hadn't really thought about why Gabrielle was so adamant that she not kill anyone again. Before Britannia and Gabrielle's encounter with Meridian, the bard hadn't really been against killing. Then again, she hadn't really been for it, either. Xena knew Gabrielle was struggling with her identity in relation to Xena's. The two were compatible in so many ways, but Xena's skills as a warrior far surpassed Gabrielle's, despite the fact that the bard was a quick study.

"So, why won't she give up the staff and take up a weapon more suited to the kind of fighting we do?" Xena mumbled to herself.

Argo's head shot up and she stared at the warrior for a moment, before she returned her attention to the grass beneath her. Xena lifted her feet onto the boulder and wrapped her arms around her knees.

"Is it really as simple as a lack of confidence?" Xena muttered as her gaze took in the scene before her. "I can't believe, after all this time, that Gabrielle could still feel like she isn't good enough to fight with me."

She sat there for a while longer, enjoying the quiet and allowing her horse to enjoy some prime grazing. There was time enough later to worry about what was going on inside Gabrielle's head.

***
Chapter 7

"Gabrielle, are you sure about this?" Cyrene gazed up with hands shading her eyes against the intense glare of the sun high overhead. "You don't have to do this, you know. You can wait until Xena comes back and let her get that damned goat off the roof."

"It's fine, Cyrene," Gabrielle slowly climbed the ladder, careful not to look down as she neared her goal. "Xena and I do this kinda thing all the time. It's not a problem."

Truth be told, the bard was anything but fine. It was one thing to climb up into the hay loft or onto the lowest branch of a tree. This was higher than she'd climbed since childhood, and she could feel her stomach roiling from her stupidity. She realized how stubborn she was being, but was not about to let fear get the better of her. Xena was right. She had to conquer the unreasoning fear before it conquered her.

She reached the eaves of the sloped roof and peered around in search of her query. The black and white goat was nowhere in sight, which meant he was on the other side of the peak-probably sitting right above where she and Xena slept. Girding herself for what she was about to do, Gabrielle clenched her teeth against another wave of nausea and climbed the last few rungs. She pushed the fear from her mind as she stepped onto the roof and slowly ascended towards the peak of the weather-beaten, shingled roof.

"Are you okay, Gabrielle?" Cyrene called from the ground.

"Just peachy," Gabrielle muttered without unclenching her teeth. Her jaw was starting to ache, but she just pushed that to the back of her mind and plowed onward. "I'm fine!" She answered loudly.

She reached the peak, but didn't want to scare the goat or have it come charging toward her. So she got down on her belly and scooted up enough that she could peek over the top of the roof.

"Where are you, you little spawn of Ares?" The bard muttered as she scanned the down-slope until black fur caught her eye.

The goat was standing near one corner of the roof and staring back at her with those white-gray eyes. His gray-tipped ears were twitching ever so slightly, and his gray and black tail was wagging back and forth like the beast didn't have a care in the world. He was also absently chewing on the other end of the coarse rope tied around his neck as he straight at Gabrielle. The end in his mouth was frayed where he'd managed to chew his way to freedom the night before.

Gabrielle blushed to her roots at the mere thought of what the animal had heard the previous night. She knew she'd been extremely pleased by her lover's ministrations and had let go of all restraint during their lovemaking. And Xena's cry of release was louder yet. It was a good thing they hadn't stayed another night in the inn. Cyrene would be chasing her around with a broom, rather than waiting patiently for her to come down from the roof.

Gabrielle's eyes narrowed at the animal, as she scooted forward enough for her whole head to be visible. She wasn't sure what the goat would do, but was convinced he still hated her enough to do something unexpected. His ears continued to twitch sporadically as he eyed her and chewed lazily.

"You wanna come over here, so I don't have to go all the way over there to get you?" Gabrielle said in an even tone. "Come on, Blackie," she pleaded. "Gabrielle just wants to get you down from here, safe and sound." She smiled sweetly. "I'll give you a nice?um?" She couldn't think of what a goat might want as a treat.

She rose to her knees and felt the rough wood of the shingles cut into the bare skin. Her entire body was shaking as she put a leg over the roof's peak and straddled it. There wasn't much to hold onto and if one of the shingles should let loose?well?Gabrielle swallowed down the bile that rose in her throat and tried to breathe evenly to dispel a sudden wave of nausea.

"Come on, Blackie," Gabrielle waved the goat toward her. "Come to Gabrielle, so we can both get off this damned roof."

The goat just glared at her as he continued gnawing on the rope in his mouth. His ears twitched and he shook his head.

"Are you still okay up there, Gabrielle?" Cyrene's clear voice broke the silence.

"I'm fine, Cyrene," Gabrielle lied as she put her hands down on the peak and swallowed down another wave of nausea.

"Maybe we should try something else, Gabrielle," Cyrene suggested. "I don't want you to get hurt."

The bard squared her shoulders and tossed her head in defiance of the fear that was gripping her. "I will not be afraid. I will not be afraid. I will not?"

Those words of her mantra had no sooner left her mouth than the goat suddenly bolted toward her with his head down and his small horns leading the charge. Gabrielle jumped to her feet and planted them firmly to meet the eventual head-on impact. Adrenaline suddenly replaced her fear of falling, as the goat's fleet hooves scrambled up the slope toward her.

Gabrielle knew she had two choices. One, she could meet the charge and try to stand her ground. Or, two, she could sidestep the goat and let his momentum carry him past her. There was no telling what the second choice would yield, but Gabrielle wasn't prepared to explain her failure to catch the goat and bring him safely back to the ground.

In seconds, Blackie was bearing down on her. Gabrielle braced for impact, just as the animal let out an angry bleat and?

Gabrielle and the goat tumbled down the roof's slope in a tangle of arms, legs and fur. The bard felt splinters pierce her shoulders and back, as the goat's momentum carried them toward the edge of the roof. She knew a brief moment of panic just before she was free-falling toward the ground below. And then everything went mercifully black.

***

"Hey there," a familiar voice said.

Gabrielle struggled to open her eyes and was finally able to clear her vision enough to gaze into a pair of worried baby-blues watching her intently.

"Hey," the bard answered. "What happened?"

"You saved Blackie from a gruesome death," Xena's smirk mirrored the teasing in her tone. "You broke his fall."

Gabrielle struggled to sit upright and realized she was lying in bed. She glanced around and noticed they were alone in a room about the size of the one they'd shared in Cyrene's inn. The place was sparsely furnished, but the bed she was lying on was covered with a beautiful quilt in all the colors of the rainbow. She glanced around, as she leaned back against the carved headboard.

"Where are we?" The bard ran a hand through her short-cropped hair. "How long was I out?"

"We're in Mom's room and you were only unconscious for a quarter candlemark," Xena answered. "How do you feel? Anything broken? You've got some nasty splinters in your back that'll need attention. I would've done it while you were out, but Mom suggested we wait to make sure nothing's broken first."

The realization suddenly hit Gabrielle that she'd fallen off the roof. She remembered sliding on her back with the goat perched triumphantly on her stomach. She even remembered the sudden free-fall and the feeling that she was flying. But everything after that was a complete blank.

"Where's that damned goat!?!" Gabrielle tried to shove past the taller woman, but Xena held her firmly back by her shoulders. "I'm gonna kill that little?"

"Take it easy, Gabrielle," Xena kept a firm grip on Gabrielle's shoulders, careful not to touch the splinters. "Come on. Just settle down, will ya? The goat's locked in one of the old root cellars down the way. He isn't going anywhere and you can certainly take your anger out on him later. I promise. Just settle down so those splinters don't embed themselves deeper in your skin."

"He tried to kill me, Xena!" Gabrielle exclaimed. "That goat is possessed! I'm telling you. I think Ares has cast some kind of spell on him or something. He came right at me, like he wanted to kill me!"

"Mom says it looked more like you lost your footing and just fell backwards," Xena couldn't keep the smirk off her face. "She said the goat tried to catch you."

"That stupid goat is the reason I fell onto my back and slid off the roof in the first place!" Gabrielle sat back against the headboard and winced. "Ouch!"

"Careful," Xena said as she moved the bard to the side and checked her back. "Yep, you sure did a number on your back. Mom went to fetch some supplies. She's also boiling some water and getting her tweezers. She sent one of the girls over to the healer's to get a salve to use on the wounds after we get the splinters out."

"She doesn't keep that stuff lying around here?" Gabrielle's tone was a touch sarcastic. "You'd think she would have something like that on hand while you're here. You do tend to collect more than your share of cuts, scrapes and splinters."

Xena glared at the bard. "Watch it, Gabrielle," she growled and then realized the bard wasn't buying it. "I know you're a little?um?prickly, but?"

"Oh, hardy har har, Xena," Gabrielle rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Like I didn't see that one coming."

Xena sobered. "Can we just get back to the matter at hand?"

"Okay, fine," Gabrielle pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them.

"You wanna tell me what you were doing up on the roof with the goat in the first place?" Xena watched the woman look anywhere but at her. "The last place I expected to find you was on a roof."

Gabrielle sighed in exasperation. "I was?I thought?" She sighed again and met Xena's expectant gaze. "I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it. I know it was stupid?"

"It wasn't stupid, just a little?um?unexpected," Xena smirked. "Mom said she tried to talk you out of going up there. She feels a little responsible that she failed. I coulda told her how stubborn you can be sometimes."

"It's not her fault," Gabrielle nodded. "She did try to talk me out of going up there. But, like I told her, I am perfectly capable of getting a goat off a roof by myself. And, I succeeded?mostly."

Xena placed a hand over one of Gabrielle's. "You could have waited for me to come back and help."

Gabrielle turned her head away and stared at a carved wooden chest near the wall. "I wanted to do it by myself, Xena."

"Why?" Xena gently grabbed the bard's chin and turned her head back. "We always work better as a team, Gabrielle. Why didn't you wait for me to at least make sure the goat didn't try to make a break for it?" Gabrielle mumbled something unintelligible that even Xena's acute hearing couldn't pick up. "Come again?"

"I said," Gabrielle raised her voice louder than necessary. "This was something I had to do without your help, because I'm never going to conquer my fear of heights if you're always there to catch me when I fall. Okay? Is that what you wanted to hear, Xena? Are you happy now? You won't always be there when I need help, so it's high time I learned to do things on my own."

Xena was stunned. "Okay, didn't see that one coming."

"No, I'm sure you didn't," Gabrielle felt the wind leave her sails at the hurt look in Xena's eyes. "But it's something I've had niggling in the back of my mind for some time now."

"Really?"

Gabrielle nodded. "I love you with all my heart, Xena," she said as she locked fingers with Xena's. "But if Britannia and Chin and our other adventures have taught me one thing, it's that I can't always rely on you to save me from things that happen when you're not around. I really need to learn how to figure things out on my own."

"But?"

"No, Xena," Gabrielle shook her head and felt the tears spring to her eyes. "We do work well as a team. But we're not joined at the hip. There are going to be times when the only way to solve a problem is for us to go at it from different angles. And that means we might not be able to be in the same place at the same time or even in the same vicinity together. You can't always have that doubt in the back of your mind that I'm going to get into trouble and need saving." Gabrielle's expression softened as she used her free hand to stroke Xena's cheek.

"As much as I like having you there to save me when I do get into trouble, Xena," the bard continued. "I also need to learn to figure things out for myself. I'm not a child. I'm your partner. And it's high time I started acting like an equal member of this partnership." She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that I want to move forward in our relationship, as your equal, not as your trusty sidekick." Gabrielle caught a tear that escaped and ran down Xena's cheek. She swiped the tear away with her thumb. "I don't want you to always think you have to save me, Xena. It's about time I learned to take care of myself, so you don't have to worry so much."

Xena snorted softly. "I'll never stop worrying about you, Gabrielle. That comes with the territory, I'm afraid." She smiled and blinked away her remaining tears.

"Okay, but at least if I know what I'm doing out there," she motioned toward an open window with her chin and returned her attention to the warrior, "then you won't have to worry that I won't be able to handle what comes our way." She sniffed back her own tears. "Can we work on improving my skills, so we can at least move forward as more than just the hero and her trusty sidekick?"

Xena smirked. "You don't like having me as your sidekick?"

"I'd rather we were equals, Xena," Gabrielle couldn't help the grin that lifted one corner of her mouth.

"Okay," Xena conceded with a nod. "Equals it is, then. But it means you're gonna have to get over this annoying animal problem that's plaguing you, so we can get you a horse of your own. I think Argo needs a companion to keep her company. She was also a little miffed this morning that we got some action last night and she didn't."

Gabrielle abruptly pulled away and winced when her back touched the wooden headboard. "Ouch!" She exclaimed as she sucked in a pained breath. "That really hurt." She eyed the warrior. "You want me to ride a horse?" At Xena's nod, Gabrielle sighed. "Okay, I think I can do that."

"You're also gonna have to be more honest about when you're either sick or you're hurt," Xena gave the bard her best chastising glare. "No more holding back in order to spare my feelings."

"Okay," Gabrielle nodded. "I can definitely be more honest in that arena."

"So," Xena continued, "are you gonna answer my earlier question?"

"Which one is that?"

"Is anything broken?" Xena asked.

"No, just a few bruises, I think," Gabrielle tested her arms, legs and back, just to be sure. "It was a lucky thing I fell off that side of the roof and not the other side where the hay loft is."

"It was also a good thing you landed in that pile of dirty hay," Xena smirked.

"I did?"

"Yep," Xena answered. "Any farther to the left and you would have ended up in the manure pile, instead. Then we'd have a whole different issue to tackle."

Gabrielle scrunched her face. "Ew."

"Yeah, I don't think Mom would've been so quick to offer her bed, that's for sure," Xena chuckled as she glanced around the room. "Hasn't changed much since I was a kid, at least not that I remember."

"It fits your mother perfectly," Gabrielle commented. "She's just the kind of person who keeps things neat and tidy. This room has a homey, comfortable feel to it-everything in its proper place."

"She's not one for a lot of frills and extras, that's for sure," Xena agreed. "She always said hard work, relationships and hospitality were more important than possessions. Besides, possessions get lost or stolen. She never placed much stock in collecting stuff." The warrior picked a piece of invisible lint off the colorful quilt beneath them. "This was the only thing she brought with her from her own childhood. Her mother made the quilt for her when she was a girl. It was part of her dowry when she married my father."

"It's beautiful," Gabrielle ran a hand over the worn blanket. "Do you think she misses him? Even after?" She let the words hang, knowing what she knew about Cyrene's part in the death of the man Xena considered her father.

"I think she misses having someone around that she can talk to," Xena said. "She has Aris and the council members, but?" she shrugged, "I don't think it's the same as having a close friend or companion."

Their eyes met and for a moment they just stared at each other. Then Xena took Gabrielle's face in her hands and was about to kiss the bard's lips when a knock suddenly interrupted the moment.

"Come in," Xena called with a hint of irritation.

"I managed to convince Greta that?oh," Cyrene entered the room, only to stop when she saw Gabrielle sitting up in her bed. "Hello, Gabrielle," the woman's face brightened as she set some items on the nightstand next to the bed.

"Hello, Cyrene," Gabrielle couldn't help the blush that colored her cheeks. When she glanced at Xena and saw the conspiratorial grin on the warrior's face, she just swatted her.

"Did I interrupt something?" Cyrene glanced from one woman to the other, not missing the guilty blush on Gabrielle's face. "You two look like a couple of kids caught with your hands in the cookie barrel."

"I?uh?" Gabrielle stammered and looked to Xena for help.

"Don't look at me," Xena said softly. "You're the one who wanted to solve a few problems on your own."

"Xeeeena," Gabrielle growled low.

"Gaaabrielle," Xena mimicked the woman with a teasing gleam in her baby-blue eyes.

Then they glanced over to find Cyrene standing there with her hands on her hips and a look of exasperation on her face.

"If you want me to leave, just ask," Cyrene huffed. "I certainly don't want to be accused of being insensitive."

Xena motioned for Gabrielle to stretch out onto her stomach. "You're not, Mom. We were just talking."

Gabrielle did as Xena silently asked and propped her upper body up with a pillow. "Yeah," she agreed, as she stared ahead at the carved headboard in front of her. "Xena and I were just talking about your quilt."

Cyrene snorted. "Right," she glared skeptically at her daughter. "Tell that to someone who didn't bring three children into this world. I know an interrupted moment when I see one." She handed Xena a pair of small metal tweezers and a cloth she'd dipped into the steaming bowl of water. "I know it as assuredly as I know all three of my children were conceived and birthed right there in that bed."

Xena had been leaning close to Gabrielle's right shoulder and had just managed to grab hold of a small splinter with the tweezers, when Gabrielle suddenly jumped. Xena sucked in a breath, but managed to pull the splinter free, while Gabrielle turned startled eyes on Cyrene. Xena's mother was standing next to the warrior's shoulder and met Gabrielle's startled gaze with a look of complete innocence.

"What?" Cyrene asked.

"Maybe we should do this somewhere else," Gabrielle said as she squirmed out from under Xena's hovering presence and managed to get to her feet on the other side of the bed. She glance down at the colorful quilt and then up at the women watching her with a mixture of surprise and satisfaction. "There really isn't all that much light in here, anyway. And I really?" She moved toward the door and didn't hesitate as she said, "I need some fresh air."

Cyrene and Xena exchanged a glance, as the bard hurried from the room. A smirk played at the corner of the innkeeper's lips, as her daughter glared daggers at her.

"What'd I say?" Cyrene shrugged innocently.

Xena just rolled her eyes. "Mother," she chided as she grabbed the water and followed her partner out the door.

"Really, Xena," Cyrene said as she followed the taller woman out of the room. "It's not like I don't know why you two suddenly decided to move your things from the room I put you in, especially after that talk we had. I know you're sleeping in the hayloft for a reason."

"Mother," Xena rounded on her parent. "Just let it go, will ya?"

"Really, what did I say?" Cyrene grinned up at the taller woman.

Xena put a hand on her eyes as she tried not to offend the woman who, as Cyrene had so bluntly put it, gave birth to her. "Please," she held up a staying had, "just give us some space and let us work things out on our own. Gabrielle isn't really comfortable talking about our relationship with other people, and you're just embarrassing her when you bring up the whole sex thing."

Cyrene crossed her arms over her chest and stood her ground. "It's not like I?"

"Mom," Xena stopped her protest. "Please, just let me take care of her right now. I need to get those splinters out of her back so they don't embed themselves further and become infected."

"Okay, fine," Cyrene turned away and ducked into the kitchen without another word.

Xena walked through the nearly-empty main room and outside. She glanced around and noticed Gabrielle leaning over the rail with her back to the inn and an arm dangling in front of her. Argo had her head in one of the bard's hands, as Gabrielle affectionately rubbed the mare's face.

The sun was glinting off of two blond heads and turning their hair golden. They both looked like they were at peace, even though the warrior could see a tense set to Gabrielle's shoulders. The sight was enough to bring a tear to Xena's eye, but she quickly sniffed it away as she walked up to the pair.

"Hey," Xena said. "Told you my horse doesn't hate you."

Gabrielle turned at the sound of Xena's voice and met concerned blue eyes. "Not today, anyway," she answered as she wrapped an arm around the mare's head on her shoulder and continued rubbing the long nose.

"I'm sorry about what Mom said back there," Xena apologized. "I don't think she really understands how much that kind of teasing affects you."

"You don't have to apologize for her, Xena," Gabrielle said with the hint of a smile in her eyes. "I know she enjoys teasing us about our relationship."

"Then, why did you storm out of there like your skirt was on fire?" Xena asked in confusion.

"It was just a little too much to take, I guess," Gabrielle shrugged and winced. "Mm, not a good idea to do that until after we get these splinters out of my back. They're really starting to get on my nerves."

"Come, sit on this barrel," Xena patted a low barrel. She waited until the bard was seated, then went right to work removing the small splinters of wood from Gabrielle's skin. "Most of these aren't too bad," she commented absently as she continued to pull the slivers of wood out one at a time and then clean the area with the cloth. "Only a couple of 'em are big enough or deep enough that we'll have to keep an eye on 'em."

"Stings," Gabrielle hissed when Xena pulled out one that was the size of a small blade of grass. "Ouch!"

Xena hid a smirk behind the bard's head. "Don't say I didn't warn ya."

"I won't," Gabrielle answered through gritted teeth. "I'm sorry about running out on you like that. I hope your mom didn't have a problem with it."

"She thought it was her fault for teasing us about the quilt," Xena answered as she finished with the tweezers and applied a fragrant salve to the bard's skin.

"It wasn't her fault," Gabrielle said. "I'm just not really?" She swallowed down the lump in her throat. "I can't give you a child, Xena."

"What?" Xena said as she finished her task and wiped her hands on the damp cloth. "Is that what this is all about?"

Gabrielle nodded. "She wants grandchildren, Xena," Gabrielle said with deep sadness in her green eyes. "We can't give that to her and I'm afraid?I'm afraid she'll blame me for loving you, when I can't give you the children you deserve."

"I frankly don't care what my mother wants," Xena said as she slung the cloth over one shoulder and dumped the water on the ground. "If she wants grandchildren, she'll just have to get Toris to come back from Athens and provide them for her. It's not up to me to do it. I'm not a brood mare."

A blond brow lifted. "You're her daughter, Xena."

"So?"

"So, you could have another son with those gorgeous eyes of yours," Gabrielle answered with a slight smirk. "Look how handsome Solon was."

"And a little girl with your green eyes would be just as beautiful," the warrior leaned in close and swiped a finger on the tip of Gabrielle's nose, before she placed a quick kiss there. "It's just not meant to be, Gabrielle."

Gabrielle nodded. "I know."

"Mom will have to be satisfied with another daughter," Xena smirked. "She thinks of you that way, you know."

"I know," Gabrielle agreed.

"Well, then, don't worry about my mother and her thoughts on grandchildren," Xena straightened up and tossed the tweezers and cloth into the empty bowl. "She can figure that one out on her own. My work here is done, at least."

Gabrielle glanced at the sun. "You still want to go to the lake and check out the area around it?"

Xena nodded. "Let me run this back inside and then I'll meet you out here."

"Sounds good," the bard answered with a grin. "I'll just keep Argo company while you're gone."

"You do that," Xena shot over her shoulder.

Chapter 8

"So?"

"So, what?"

"So, did you find anything that'll clue us in as to who came and took the bodies away?" Gabrielle asked when Xena was finished examining every square cubit of ground in and around the lake.

"Well," Xena said as she stood with her hands on her hips and surveyed their surroundings. "It looks to me like we were just imagining things."

"How so?"

"There's no sign that we were even attacked," Xena answered with a heavy sigh. "No footprints to indicate that those guys were here, much less that their bodies were here." She pointed to the spot near the boulder where they'd laid out their picnic supplies. "Our footprints are all over this place, as is the imprint made by our blanket and the picnic stuff. But there isn't a single stray footprint, other than ours."

Gabrielle nodded. "Then it was one of the gods who came and cleaned up the mess."

Xena sniffed their air and glanced around again. "It wasn't Ares, that's for sure."

Gabrielle's brow furrowed in confusion. "How do you know?"

"He leaves a very distinct odor of rotten eggs behind after he disappears," Xena answered as she examined something more closely near where Gabrielle stood. "I can usually smell him days after he's been somewhere, especially when he uses magic on other things besides himself."

"Huh," Gabrielle nodded and tentatively sniffed the air. All she could smell was the pine trees and water that surrounded them. "I don't really smell anything."

"Me, either," Xena said as she stood up. "But I did find a few obscure pieces of damaged foliage that tell me we weren't imagining that fight. It did happen and those guys were here. Someone just did a really good job of erasing all traces of what happened."

"Athena?" Gabrielle suggested.

Xena shrugged. "Could be. She's a lot more careful, and I don't really have a bead on what traces she leaves behind when she's been someplace. I haven't had as much contact or interaction with her as I've had with Ares." Xena absently wiped her hands together to get rid of the residual sand on them. "I don't really have much experience with any of the other gods. It could be any one of them who cleaned this up. It could also be more than one."

"Great," Gabrielle breathed out a sigh of frustration. "So we're back to square one."

"Yep," Xena nodded.

"But why?" Gabrielle said as she gazed out over the sun-dappled lake. "What do any of them have to gain by getting rid of a bunch of dead soldiers?"

Xena shrugged again. "I don't know. All I do know is that they went to a lot of trouble not to be discovered."

"I thought you said you found traces of the fight," Gabrielle said.

"I did."

"Then they didn't do that great a job," Gabrielle pointed out. "Not if you found evidence that something happened here."

"I don't think whoever did this was worried about what I'd find," Xena gave Gabrielle a raised-brow look. "I'm not the one they were hiding this from. Only a trained tracker would look as close as I did at a bunch of plants."

"Okay, so that still begs the question-who?" Gabrielle reiterated. "Why go to all the trouble of hiding this if they knew you'd come looking anyway?"

"That's a question for the person-or god-who is responsible for the disappearance of those bodies," Xena said.

They stood there in companionable silence for a few moments. Xena's eyes continued to scan the area around them, as she worked out the puzzle in her head.

"You have an idea, don't you?" Gabrielle caught the gleam in Xena's alert eyes.

"I do," Xena nodded. "I just don't know why or who he's working with, yet."

"He?"

"Hades," Xena put a hand on the bard's shoulder and squeezed.

"Hades?" Gabrielle snorted. "Doesn't that break your whole Alpha-Team of Olympus scenario?" She threw her hands in the air at the unexpected addition of another culprit in their godly troubles. "Besides, what would the Keeper of the Underworld gain by making a bunch of dead soldiers disappear? I'm sure he had oodles and oodles of dead soldiers down in the Underworld to play with."

"Those particular soldiers were no longer associated with an army," Xena said matter-of-factly. "Maybe he thought it would be best if they just left this earth without a trace."

"They probably have families who still care whether they're alive or dead, Xena," Gabrielle argued. "It's not like they left no one behind. Someone has to know who they were."

"Not if they were conscripts," Xena said. "If Athena's general, Varagus, forced those men to join his army in his usual way, then there isn't anyone left to care whether they're alive or dead. As far as the world is concerned, those men died the day their villages were razed to the ground and their families were sent to the Keeper of the Underworld."

"Okaaay," Gabrielle considered the warrior's words. "So what does that have to do with Hades? Why would he want to wipe their existence off the face of the earth? He gains nothing by their disappearance."

"Because someone else has a use for the bodies," Xena answered cryptically. "Or maybe he just cleans up after himself."

"Xena, that makes no sense," the bard answered, as they left the lake behind them and started back toward Amphipolis. "What use are a bunch of lifeless bodies?"

Xena shrugged. "Not sure yet, but I'm certainly going to find out."

"Oh, goody, another mystery," Gabrielle deadpanned, as they entered the shade of the trees. "Wake me when it's over."

***

"Is everything in place, Malachae?" Kalgred stood in his command tent with his back to his shorter lieutenant. He was staring at a large parchment rendering of the land surrounding Amphipolis that took up one entire wall of his tent.

"Things are going as planned, Commander," the greasy-haired man answered. He was sweating profusely in his rusted armor, but didn't dare wipe the sweat from his brow in the presence of his commander. "Word reached us that a detachment of General Varagus' soldiers tried to take Xena and her travelling companion, but failed. Four of the men survived to pass on your message, and they are no longer able to speak. As ordered, their tongues were cut from their mouths, before they were sent on their way, sir."

Kalgred turned with a look of pure evil in his eyes. "Good." His beady-eyed gaze returned to the map. "Tell the men we march again at first light. I want to reach the outskirts of Amazon lands by midday tomorrow. We'll set up camp and proceed with phase two of my plans at midnight, when the moon is high."

"Yes, Commander," Malachae answered with a nod. "Do you still want them to work on those catapults you ordered completed by tomorrow?"

"Absolutely," Kalgred answered. "Those bitches won't know what hit 'em when fire rains down on them from the sky and their forest buffer suddenly erupts in flames."

His maniacal chuckle turned into evil laughter that carried out across the encampment and put a shiver of anticipation in the hearts of his men. Word quickly spread that they were finally about to carry out their commander's revenge on the Amazons.

Malachae bowed low before his commander and then left the tent without another word.

"You still here?" Kalgred muttered to a dark corner of the tent.

"I'm here, Commander," the air shimmered and Athena appeared in her black cloak. She threw the hood back and glared at the man standing boldly in front of her. "Your plan sounds like it will work perfectly. But I'm not interested in vengeance against the Amazons. They aren't the ones who made me look the fool."

"No," Kalgred nodded. "But they've already sent word to Amphipolis. It's only a matter of time before Xena and Gabrielle run to their rescue. And then?"

"And then I spring my own trap on that meddlesome pair and take care of them, once and for all," Athena nodded. "I like it."

"I live to serve, Goddess," the man tilted his head forward ever so slightly. "By this time tomorrow the Amazons will be a mere memory, and their queen will no longer hold any power."

"Carry on, Commander," Athena acknowledged. "I need to make sure there's no godly interference from anyone on Olympus. Ares has managed to steer clear of things, but Aphrodite's still poking her nose where it doesn't belong."

"Yes, Goddess," Kalgred nodded.

"Until we meet again, Commander," Athena nodded and vanished in a shower of gold sparkles.

"Is she gone yet?" There was another shimmer from the opposite corner of the room and another cloaked figure appeared. "I didn't think she'd ever leave. She's such a?hag, sometimes."

The hood of the cloak fell back to reveal Artemis in all her glory. Kalgred smirked and then he, too, wavered and transformed into Hades.

"I hate that disguise," Hades groused as he shook out his black robes and adjusted the gold crown on his head. "Why I ever let you talk me into this whole sordid affair is beyond me, Arty."

"Do not call me Arty, Hades. You know how much I hate that ridiculous nickname that Ares insists on calling me," the goddess growled. "Speaking of Ares?"

"He's cooking up something, but no one seems to know what it is," Hades absently said as he brushed invisible lint from his sleeve. "I'm guessing he's still trying to get Xena to help him conquer the world-again." He rolled his eyes in exasperation. "I'd better prepare the Underworld for another wave of mass casualties."

"Can it wait until after you help me save the Amazons from this convoluted mess Athena dumped them in?" Artemis untangled her cloak from the bow she has slung over one shoulder. "Why are you helping her, anyway, Hades? I thought you were helping me."

"I am," Hades adjusted his belt and paced in the cramped confines. "I only disguised myself as this Kalgred fellow to find out what plan she is hatching." He glanced around at the sparse furnishings. "Good thing the fellow died with his brother in that last debacle." He frowned. "Little did I know Athena would start hanging out here, eavesdropping on all the plans I've set in motion. I'm glad I discovered she was sniffing around these soldiers and riling them up against the Amazons. You owe me one, Sis."

"Yes," Artemis agreed. "I can't believe Athena went behind my back on this little revenge scheme of hers."

"Good thing I owe Aphrodite a few favors," Hades added. "Otherwise your Amazons would already be history and I'd have Xena running amuck in Tartarus. That is one scenario that just can't happen. We really need to get her hooked up with your Amazons." He turned a glare on Artemis. "Now. The sooner she's bound by Amazon law, the better for all of us."

"Would it really be that bad to have her in Tartarus, Hades?" Artemis gave him a raised-brow look. "She wasn't too hard on the eyes, if you know what I mean."

"What?" He turned on her in bewilderment that turned into exasperation. "Seriously, what is it with you and Ares when it comes to that woman?"

"I think it's the leather and armor," Artemis smirked. "What can I say? Xena has more sex appeal than any mortal I've ever encountered. No wonder Gabrielle can't keep her hands off the merchandise." Her expression sobered. "Why is Zeus pushing for Xena to go to the Amazon Hunting Grounds when she finally dies anyway, Hades? Not that I'm complaining, mind you." She smirked.

Hades just rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"Zeus wants a return to balance and order to his entire realm, including the Underworld. With Xena off my list Zeus ensures that she won't make a play for my throne when she eventually falls." He quirked a brown brow at her. "It's just too bad you, Ares and Athena can't see the bigger picture here. Xena isn't just a piece of prime meat to bed, Artemis. She's a real player with a very real chance of tipping the scales one way or the other. But all you and Ares seem to do is consider the sexual possibilities."

"Oh, please, Hades," Artemis waved him off. "Tell me you haven't once thought about taking her to bed yourself. She's the most?intoxicating mortal we've run across in a very long time."

Hades stood with his arms crossed over his robed chest. "My job isn't to bed the living, Sis."

"It's to oversee the dead," Artemis acknowledged, as she seductively approached and circled him. "But that doesn't mean you can't occasionally come up here and enjoy a little distraction from time to time." She stopped in front of him and put her hands on her hips. "We all dabble in the mortal pot occasionally, Hades. You should give it a try sometime."

"I'm too busy with the dead," Hades countered. "I don't have time to?"

"You had time for this little venture," Artemis approached him again.

"Back off, Arty," Hades chided and got the desired result when she stepped back with a pout. "We have a job to do. Let's just do it and stop dancing around our obligation. I have to return to my realm and make sure no one is wreaking havoc with the dead."

"Party pooper," Artemis grumbled.

***

"Where have you been?"

Ares stopped and turned to find a scowling Aphrodite glaring at him. They were in one of the smaller corridors in the vast chambers occupied by the gods of Olympus. This particular corridor was so far off the beaten path and used so seldomly that Ares knew Aphrodite was targeting him specifically.

"What?" He held out his hands to his sides in surrender. "What is it now, Dite? Did I rain on your parade and break up two long-lost lovers who were hard at it like a couple of sex-crazed weasels?"

"Where have you been, Ares?" The blond Goddess of Love was anything but ditsy at that moment. She was dressed in her usual sheer, pink baby doll outfit, complete with heels that clacked loudly on the marble floor when she walked, but her arms were crossed over her heaving bosoms and a scowl marred her features. "I've been looking all over Olympus for you, Bro. I even went to your throne room," she shivered in revulsion. "Must you keep all those bones around? It's disgusting." She shivered again, but quickly sobered. "You're supposed to be overseeing that thingy in?well, I don't remember where Daddy said it was."

"Cyprus?" Ares supplied in his best bored tone. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know what 'thingy' the old man wants me to keep my eye on. The question is why did he send you to find me? And why look for me here, of all places?"

"He said you dropped off his radar," Aphrodite stood with her hands on her hips and glared. "What are you up to, Ares? I really hope it doesn't have anything to do with a certain Warrior Princess and her blond?um?"

"Bimbo?" Ares snorted.

"Partner," Aphrodite shot back with an accusing glare. "Why do you have to be such a?"

"Fantastic guy?" Ares finished for her. "Hey, what can I say?"

"Jerk!" Aphrodite exclaimed. "What is wrong with you, anyway? You're acting like a jealous ex." Her eyes suddenly went wide and she gasped. "Oh, you are jealous!" She exclaimed excitedly.

"I am not jealous," Ares crossed his beefy arms over his chest and rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Pfft! As if."

"You are soooo jealous, Ares," Aphrodite taunted. "I can see it in your eyes. You're still stuck on the warrior babe, even though she's in love with Gabrielle now. You still think?"

"Pfft! Where do you come up with these ridiculous notions, Dite?" Ares rolled his eyes and turned away. "You been hangin' with the bard a little too much?"

"Ahhhh, Ares," Aphrodite put her pouty face on, but couldn't hide the smirk in her eyes. "It's okay to admit that you're not half the man that Gabby is." She chuckled at her jibe and watched his back stiffened.

He shot her a sidelong glare. "You're pushing it, Dite," he growled.

"And you're avoiding the inevitable, Ares," the blond huffed. "You know you don't have a chance at getting Xena back. Just leave her alone and move on to bigger and brighter things."

"I'm to follow the advice of a woman who wears frilly underwear all day, every day?" Ares snapped.

Aphrodite flipped the sheer outer gown over her pink bikini. "Not underwear, brother dear. I'll have you know this is the latest fashion trend on the beaches of Spiros." She waved a hand in his direction. "Not like that tired old black leather ensemble does anything to improve your image. You should try another color combo sometime, Ares. Maybe a nice blood red with black trim?"

He snapped his fingers and looked down at the red leather outfit, then up again. "Red just doesn't have the same effect," he said and snapped his fingers again. He adjusted the black leather that fit him like a second skin. "Perfect."

"Okay, so you're a god of limited imagination," Aphrodite tossed an errant curl. "I guess that's why Xena decided to head for greener pastures."

"Back to that tired rhetoric again, Dite?" He shook his head in exasperation. "I'm over Xena, okay? She's history." He held up his hands and wiped them together. "I've washed my hands of her."

Aphrodite eyed him skeptically. "So, then, where were you just a little while ago? I know you weren't up here. What were you doing?"

He crossed his arms defiantly. "I was taking care of?business." He shrugged.

"What business, Ares?" Aphrodite asked suspiciously. "Come on. You can either spill it to me or face Daddy and explain to him what you're cooking up in that pea brain of yours. You know he can tell when you're lying to him."

Ares considered his options for a moment. "Okay, fine," Ares conceded with a knowing half-smile. "I'll tell you where I was, if you tell me why you've been spying on Xena and her little toy every night for the past moon."

Aphrodite had the grace to blush. "I?uh?it's not what you think."

"Isn't it?" He tilted his chin down and gave her the feral look of intimidations he was known for. "Hey, I'm not against enjoying a little somethin' somethin' vicariously, but, Sis, please?"

"Ares," Aphrodite growled. "That is not?I'm not?UGH!!! You are sooooo exasperating sometimes!"

Ares actually laughed aloud at his sister's exasperation. "You are so hilarious when you can't finish a simple sentence, Dite." He laughed so hard that he actually doubled over and wrapped his arms around his middle. "It's almost as much fun pushing your buttons, as it is messing with Hercules."

"Ugh!!!" Aphrodite stomped away without a backward glance. "Have fun explaining to Daddy what you're up to, Ares!!" She shouted and then disappeared in a shower of pink and red hearts.

"Not likely," Ares muttered as he, too, vanished from the halls of Mount Olympus.

***

The sun was beginning its dip toward the western horizon when Gabrielle made her way through the trees toward her destination. As she emerged from the sparse undergrowth, she paused briefly and surveyed her surroundings. She took a steady breath and let it out slowly, as she watched Xena make her way down the ladder leaning against the tall building in front of her. The bard moved closer to the building and waited for Xena to hop off the ladder.

"The storage shed is coming along nicely," Gabrielle said as she glanced up at the nearly-finished roof overhead. "How much more work needs to be done?"

"Not much," Xena said as she wiped her hands together and tossed a hammer in a nearby pile. "I think it'll be ready for grain on the morrow."

"That'll make the farmers happy," Gabrielle said.

"Don't think anything'll satisfy that bunch," Xena commented under her breath.

"Trouble with the locals, Xena?" Gabrielle cocked her head and listened expectantly.

Xena smiled a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Just getting that itch."

"To leave?"

"Yep," the warrior put an arm over the shorter woman's shoulder, as they walked back toward the village.

"A little too much domesticity for your tastes, huh?" Gabrielle smirked.

"A little too much complaining and whining for my tastes," Xena frowned. "Why can't people just be happy with what life throws their way?"

"Need I remind you we have the gods after us-again?" Gabrielle chided.

"Yeah, but that's a whole lot different than worrying over crops and fretting over whether or not the prize bull will be able to produce an offspring worthy of its owner's austere lineage," Xena continued. "Like the bull cares one way or the other. He's only got one thing on his mind?"

"Simple people lead simple lives and worry over simple things," Gabrielle shrugged. "My father always worried that he wouldn't make enough coin off the wool to keep us fed during the entire year. That's why my mother did some mending on the side to make some extra that she could sock away for those meager times."

"And my mother worries that she'll lose guests because her daughter and her daughter's lover are too loud during?"

Gabrielle slapped a hand over the warrior's mouth just in time. "Please, Xena. Must you?"

Xena's eyes lit with a teasing gleam as she nipped playfully at the hand over her mouth. "Gotcha!" She smirked triumphantly when the bard pulled her hand away.

"You," Gabrielle smirked as she playfully backhanded the warrior's leather-clad belly. "Were you serious that you're ready to leave, Xena?"

"Dead serious," Xena deadpanned.

"Please don't say that," Gabrielle shuddered unconsciously.

"Sorry," Xena squeezed the bard's shoulders. "I forgot how much that still bothers you." She kissed the top of Gabrielle's head, as they cleared the trees and emerged into the bright sunshine of the late afternoon.

"Xena! Gabrielle!" A familiar, and totally unexpected, figure rushed toward them.

"Hey, Eph," Xena nodded a greeting to the blond regent of the Amazons.

"Ephiny," Gabirelle gave her regent a quick hug. "What in the world brings you to Amphipolis? Is everything all right back in the village?"

"I'm so glad I found you," the Amazon said breathlessly, her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath. "I asked about you at the inn and got the third degree from the scrappy little innkeeper. She's a real ball of Greek fire, ya know?"

Xena smirked. "You met my mother, then."

A blond brow quirked. "That's your mother?" Ephiny asked in utter disbelief. "No wonder you left home at such an early age, Xena. She could scare the feathers off our most seasoned warriors, not to mention what she could do to put the elders in their place. I wasn't prepared for a grilling and I came prepared for any eventuality."

Gabrielle put a staying hand on the warrior's shoulder before Xena could react. "Why are you here, Ephiny?"

"Problems," Ephiny smirked at the couple. "We flipped a coin and I won the honor and privilege of coming after you."

"And who is the acting queen in our absence?" Gabrielle tilted her head to the side.

"Eponin and Chilapa are sharing the responsibility," Ephiny smirked. "They send their best and wish us a swift return journey, by the way."

"So, what problems would bring you cross-country on a two-day foot journey to Amphipolis?" Xena crossed her arms over her chest and quirked a dark brow. "It must be important to have the queen's regent leave the pregnant warriors behind to protect the village."

"I seek the wisdom of our queen," Ephiny quirked a brow at Gabrielle. "You up to the challenge, Gabrielle?"

"You want me to return to the village for an unknown reason and deal with problems that you won't identify?" Gabrielle crossed her own arms over her chest. "I'm sorry, but you have to give me something more to go on, Eph."

"Men," Ephiny threw her hands up. "We're being overrun by a bunch of village men looking to hook up with Amazons who aren't already pregnant. I tried resolving the problem myself, short of letting Eponin castrate them. But they're more stubborn than a pack of mules-a pack of horny male mules."

Xena snickered and Gabrielle covered her mouth to keep from laughing.

"You want me to chase a bunch of men out of the village?" Gabrielle snorted. "You came all this way for that?" She shook her head. "I really don't think I'm qualified to deal with a problem of that magnitude, Eph."

Xena snorted loudly.

"That's right, laugh it up, warrior," Ephiny deadpanned and then her tone turned pleading as she looked to the smaller woman. "Please, Gabrielle? I really need your help. The stockade is full of horny men and Eponin keeps sharpening her dagger in the hopes of dangling a few of their balls on the trees near our borders. She says it'll deter any future pests, but I think it'll just incite the surrounding villages to raise arms against us. We could certainly handle a village uprising, except that all our warriors are busy with?other things."

"You're probably right about the uprising, Eph," Gabrielle agreed. "But I don't know what you want me to do about it. It's not like I carry around a scroll with all the answers to the world's most pressing problems."

"No," Ephiny said. "But you and Xena are pretty good at figuring out solutions to difficult situations-innovative solutions that no one else would come up with." She quirked a brow at the tall warrior. "Right, Xena?"

"We have our own problems to deal with right now, Eph," Gabrielle said. "The gods are still sore about what happened the last time we stayed with you."

"Which gods?" Ephiny asked.

"We're not quite sure yet, but we've had a visit from at least one," Xena answered. "Aphrodite warned us off Athena and then we were attacked by a bunch of soldiers."

"Attacked?" Ephiny's brows shot into her hairline. "Why?"

"They were soldiers from Athena's defunct army," Gabrielle answered. "Look, we really don't have time to travel all the way to the village to deal with a problem that you are perfectly capable of solving on your own, Ephiny."

"And, frankly, I don't want to deal with a bunch of pregnant Amazons," Xena added with a wry smirk.

"That, too," Gabrielle nodded.

"Oh, so you're just gonna send me back empty-handed?" Ephiny turned sorrowful eyes on them. "What kind of friends are you, anyway?"

"The kind who stay out of Amazon affairs," Xena shot back. She kept an arm around Gabrielle's shoulder and put the other over Ephiny's, guiding them toward the inn. "Now, why don't you stay the night at my mother's inn, enjoy her gracious hospitality, and tomorrow you can head right back to the village to tell them you were unable to convince their queen to come to their rescue."

Gabrielle smirked at the look of consternation on the Amazon regent's face.

"Are you two kidding me? 'Cause I'm not really in the mood to play games right now," Ephiny blew out an exasperated breath. "I just traveled all the way from?"

"We know where you traveled from, Eph," Gabrielle interrupted. "And we know you'll make it back there just fine without us."

"Oh, nonononono," the regent stopped suddenly and pulled away from the tall warrior. "I am not going back there to all those crazy, pregnant women and those?" her face turned three shades of red as her ire grew. "Do you have any idea what kind of mess you left me to deal with? The council elders are in an uproar and the warriors are eating us out of house and home!!! Not to mention Ignesia is rallying Velasca's supporters in a bid for control!"

Xena and Gabrielle exchanged wide-eyed looks and shrugged.

"You two dumped a whole load of centaur shit in my lap and then you just up and left me holding the feed bag!" Ephiny was on a roll. "It wasn't enough that Xena came up with that ridiculous?No! Wait! That was Eponin's ridiculous?No! Asinine is more like it! Who sends a bunch of Amazon warriors disguised as village women into a camp full of horny men???" Ephiny glared at both women. "YOU!!!" She pointed an accusing finger at the taller of the two. "You knew exactly what would happen and you let Eponin talk you into carrying out that cockamamie plan!!!"

They were standing just a few paces from the door to the inn and a small crowd was quickly gathering. Gabrielle glanced around at the onlookers and realized the spectacle they were making.

"Um, Ephiny?"

"WHAT?!?" The regent shouted and then realized Gabrielle was looking past her shoulder at something or someone behind her.

"Can we move this inside?" Gabrielle pointed toward the inn's entrance. "These people probably think we're a troop of actors putting on a play."

Ephiny glanced around at the onlookers forming a semi-circle behind her, obviously noticing them for the first time. The proverbial wind left her sails as she entered the inn without a word. Xena and Gabrielle followed close behind and paused just inside the doorway to let their eyes adjust to the dim interior.

"Better?" Ephiny threw her hands in the air and then turned a scowl on the pair behind her.

"Not so crowded," Xena cocked her head and folded her arms across her chest.

"I don't think the people of Amphipolis are quite ready to meet a scantily-clad Amazon warrior, much less the queen's regent," Gabrielle commented, as she glanced out the window to make sure the crowd was dispersing. "We'll probably have the militia down on us next."

"They'll live," Xena commented.

"Please," Ephiny gave the pair her best pleading look. "I really need your help." She suddenly got down on both knees before Gabrielle and folded her hands in supplication. "I'm begging you, My Queen. Please come back to the village with me and help us solve our man problems."

Gabrielle stared in shocked silence, while Xena just rolled her tongue in her cheek at the regent's ridiculous antics. It was at that point that Cyrene emerged from the kitchen. She saw the leather-clad figure kneeling before Gabrielle. She then glanced at her daughter and saw the amused smirk on Xena's lips. Cyrene didn't know who the kneeling woman was, but the scene certainly looked strange to her eyes.

"What in the name of Hera is going on here?!?" Cyrene planted her hands on her hips and glared at the trio. "Gabrielle? Why is that woman pleading for your help on her knees? She was over here asking about you a little while ago, so I sent her over to find you. Who is she?"

"Oh, this should be good," Xena muttered under her breath with an exasperated eye roll.

Ephiny hopped to her feet and turned to face the newcomer. She took in the woman's obvious authoritative stance and the no-nonsense way she looked at them.

"Xena said you're her mother," Ephiny stepped graciously toward Cyrene with an outstretched arm. "I'm Ephiny."

Cyrene took the woman's calloused hand in hers and gingerly shook it. A tentative smile graced her lips as she realized who the woman was.

"You're Queen of the Amazons," Cyrene said. "Gabrielle has told us some stories involving you and your people. It's very nice to meet you."

"Oh, really?" Ephiny glanced behind her and found that Xena and Gabrielle were right there. She was a little disconcerted, but quickly recovered as she directed her next question to the bard. "You've been telling stories about us?"

Gabrielle gave her a smug nod. "Not all the stories I tell are about Xena, Eph."

"How is your son, Ephiny?" Cyrene asked with an interested smile.

"He's?um?Xenon is good," Ephiny stammered at the unexpected question. She glanced over to find Gabrielle smirking at her. "You talked about my son?"

"She's family, Eph," Gabrielle answered. "Family generally talks about the people they care about with other family members." She shot Xena a confused look. "Did that come out right?"

"I understood it," Xena shrugged.

"So, tell me, Ephiny," Cyrene said. "What brings you to my inn? Or, rather, what brings you back to my inn?"

"These two," Ephiny answered. "They want me to stay the night and return to the village in the morning."

Cyrene glanced at Xena, who nodded, and Gabrielle, who shrugged.

"So you need a room?" Cyrene deduced and received a curt nod. "May I ask why a lone Amazon traveled all this way just to stay the night in an inn here in Amphipolis? Are you sure there isn't more to it than that?"

Ephiny shot a glare over her shoulder at the two women flanking her. "I came to ask our queen to return to the village and help with a?a little problem we're having."

Cyrene's gaze remained on Gabrielle, as she asked, "And would this little problem have anything to do with a number of pregnant Amazon warriors?"

Ephiny rolled her tongue in her cheek as she glanced at all three women in turn. "She knows?" Her glare settled on Gabrielle.

"Everyone in Amphipolis knows, Eph," Gabrielle smirked. "I did what you and Eponin wanted. I included the Amazons in one of my latest stories. The Amazons are now forever immortalized in the annals of history."

Ephiny nodded. "So, we're a laughing stock?"

"It was a very tasteful tale of bravery and sacrifice," Cyrene said. "She'll have to tell it to you sometime."

"I can't wait to hear it," Ephiny responded drolly.

"So, are you going with her?" Cyrene looked from Xena to Gabrielle.

"No," Xena answered flatly.

"No?" Cyrene eyed her daughter skeptically. "Just like that? No? I thought you were always helping those in need."

"Not this time," Gabrielle added. "It's not our problem."

"And why ever not?" Cyrene scowled. "Gabrielle, you're their queen. You should go help them. After all, isn't it your duty to be there for your subjects?"

Gabrielle cringed at the reminder. Xena just rolled her tongue in her cheek again and glared at her mother.

"Yeah, Xena's mom is right," Ephiny agreed as she put an arm around Cyrene's shoulders. "You do have a duty to your sisters, Gabrielle. We need your help and it's?"

"Ephiiiiiiny," the bard growled a low warning.

"Yes, My Queen?" The regent shot back with an innocent smirk. "How may your loyal subject serve you?" She bowed her head without taking her laughing eyes off the bard. "I am oh so willing to do your royal bidding."

Xena snorted and covered her smile with a hand.

Gabrielle exhaled loudly and glowered at the smug look on her friend's face. She knew Xena was enjoying the interplay immensely and vowed to make the warrior pay-royally.

"Okay, fine," Gabrielle conceded. "I'll return to the village with you, Ephiny."

"Yippee," Xena muttered under her breath. "Can't wait to kick some pregnant Amazon butt."

"Behave," Gabrielle swatted Xena's midsection. "We'll talk later."

Ephiny's expression lit with a triumphant smile. "I'll see you at first light, then?" She nodded to Xena and Gabrielle in turn. "Come on, Cyrene," she then turned to the woman who was her match in height, as well as in her powers of persuasion. "I'm ready to retire for the night in a nice, soft bed."

"I think I can oblige you there, Ephiny," Cyrene smirked, as the two women headed for the stairs. "A room with two beds just opened up yesterday, and I've been saving it for someone who will appreciate the peace and quiet it offers."

The two women disappeared up the stairs without a backward glance, leaving the warrior and bard alone in the main room. The room was empty of patrons, which was unusual. There was usually a full house at that time of the day, especially since Gabrielle's arrival and her nightly storytelling.

"Apparently my mother's found an ally against us," Xena commented, as she wrapped an arm around Gabrielle's shoulders and steered her outside into the waning light of late afternoon.

Gabrielle clasped the hand dangling from her shoulder. "It must be a mother thing."

"Probably," Xena agreed.

"Sorry I gave in so easily," Gabrielle said, as they crossed the distance to the stables in the last rays of the setting sun. She glanced up at the sky and noticed wispy orange and purple clouds high overhead. "The weather's perfect for a late-night ride. We could just slip away and leave Ephiny none-the-wiser."

Xena glanced sidelong at the woman next to her. "Seriously?" She considered something for a moment. "I think I'm more interested to know why you agreed to go this alone. That is what I heard, isn't it?"

"Look, Xena," Gabrielle turned to face the taller woman as soon as they were inside the dim interior of the stables. The earthy smell of horses and leather surrounded them both. "I know how you feel about the Amazons when the circumstances are relatively normal. They may not all welcome you with open arms, especially since they think you're responsible for all the warriors being pregnant. Why don't you stay here and continue with the rebuilding-maybe work some things out with your mother. I can go with Ephiny and see what solution I can come up with to deal with this stupid mess with the villagers. If I can't come up with anything, then I'll send word back here and let you know."

"You want me to stay here? Without you?" Xena gave her an incredulous look, even though the mere idea of not having to deal with a bunch of pregnant Amazons was secretly quite appealing. "You seriously think I'm going to sit around here while you jump into that hornet's nest all by yourself?"

"It's not like I'll be alone, Xena," Gabrielle's hackles were suddenly up and she stood with her hands on her hips in defiance of Xena's skepticism. "What? Don't you think I can handle the situation without you? Is this one of those moments where you think that anything you come up with will be far better than what I can? Is that it, Xena?"

Uh, oh. Xena suddenly realized she'd stepped in over her head this time. She could see that Gabrielle was gearing up to blast her with a verbal tirade and decided to just head it off at the pass.

"Okay, fine," Xena conceded with her hands held up in surrender.

Cletus' words rang through the warrior's mind, and Xena knew she had to give Gabrielle the space she needed to work through this problem on her own. It was the only way the warrior could see to help Gabrielle gain the self-confidence she needed to move forward as a warrior in her own right. Echoes of another situation rang clearly in the back of Xena's mind, but she pushed the memory of Gabrielle's abrupt return to Potidea away. This decision was made and she was willing to see it through.

Gabrielle crossed her arms over her chest and glowered skeptically at the taller woman. "That's it, then? You're just giving up without an argument?"

"I think you can handle this just fine on your own, Gabrielle," Xena said. "As a matter of fact, I know you can. So, just go ahead and I'll catch up with you in a day or two."

Gabrielle felt the niggling echoes of another similar situation, but just shook it off and accepted Xena's decision.

"Okay, then," the bard nodded with finality, as she turned to mount the ladder to the hayloft.

And then it dawned on both of them that they hadn't eaten anything since the noon meal. Gabrielle paused on the second rung and looked down at her partner.

"Dare we return to the inn and get an earful from your mother, just so we can have something to eat?" Gabrielle said from the second rung of the ladder.

"I'll sneak something from the kitchen," Xena said as she patted the bard's butt. "Be back before you get too cozy."

And then Xena was gone, leaving Gabrielle to climb the ladder with a shake of her head. It was times like these that the bard really appreciated having Xena around.

***
Chapter 9

"Are we there yet?" Gabrielle couldn't help but ask the question again with a playful smirk.

Ephiny shot the bard an annoyed glare. "Would you stop asking me that? You know exactly where we are, Gabrielle." She motioned towards the trees just ahead. "That's the border to our land."

"I do know where we are, Eph, but it's fun to see the look on your face?" Gabrielle stopped to sniff the air. "Do you smell that?"

"I don't smell anything," Ephiny answered.

"I smell smoke," Gabrielle added, as she sniffed the air again and shrugged.

"Probably just someone burning off the chaff from their fields," Ephiny explained. "The locals do that after they harvest the grain."

"Smells more like wood burning to me," Gabrielle said. "The breeze is coming from the south. It could just be a campfire down by that creek Eponin likes to hunt near. Xena's better at figuring out that kinda thing than I am. I usually can't smell anything until we're almost right upon it."

"Does her acute sense of smell go along with her superhuman warrior skills, her ability to fly like a bird and the supersensitive hearing that allows her to detect the sound of a fly buzzing twenty paces away?" Ephiny's tone was mildly sarcastic. "And how many times has she conquered death? Is there anything Xena can't do?"

"Cook," Gabrielle replied drolly. "She burns water. What's up with you? Did Xena do something to you before we left? Because your sarcasm is more than a little noticeable, Eph."

Ephiny rolled her eyes. "Two days, Gabrielle," she shot back. "We've been traveling for two days and all you've done is talk about how great Xena is. Can't you give it a rest for a while? Talk about the weather. Or, better yet, talk about what it was like for you to grow up as a shepherd's kids. Just talk about something else besides Xena and her extraordinary abilities. After all, she's a human being like the rest of us."

"I?" Gabrielle swallowed to hide the pain Ephiny's words caused. "I know she's human, Ephiny. No one knows that more than I do. I'm sorry. I just?I miss her."

Ephiny's expression softened. "I know."

"I?keep seeing that look on her face when I left," Gabrielle managed. "She wanted to come, but?"

"You wanted to do this on your own," Ephiny nodded. "I'm sure she understands, Gabrielle. Xena's a smart woman," she smirked at the admission. "Add that trait to all her other amazing abilities and you have Xena, Warrior Superhero. They should erect a statue or something."

They both chuckled.

"I'll try not to talk about her so much. I promise," Gabrielle said finally. "I just feel more connected to her when I tell those stories. It's like I can see her in my mind, like a piece of her is here with me." She touched a fist to her chest, above her heart.

Ephiny put a hand on the bard's shoulder. "You have it soooo bad, my friend." She squeezed the bard's shoulder affectionately.

"That obvious?" Gabrielle glanced sideways at the blond.

"As the nose on your face, my friend," Ephiny grinned and patted Gabrielle's shoulder. She lowered her hand and put her senses on alert as they stepped into the woods. "It's really quiet today." She issued a loud bird call to the trees and listened intently.

"What is it you're not hearing?" Gabrielle said as she lifted her staff to a defensive position. "Is something wrong, Eph?"

"Something's definitely not right," Ephiny continued on more cautiously. "There should be two guards nearby to answer that call."

Gabrielle looked around the nearly-silent woods. Sunlight streamed through the canopy above and touched random places on the ground. She could also hear a few birds singing nearby. She glanced up into the branches above and winced.

"Please do not tell me we have to climb up into those trees, Ephiny," Gabrielle said.

"Not yet," Ephiny answered and then glanced at her companion. "Why?"

"Nothing," Gabrielle shook off her trepidation and pushed the fear to the back of her mind. "I'm not really a fan of tree climbing."

Ephiny shot her a raised-brow look. "You're kidding, right?"

"Nope," Gabrielle answered. "You don't want to know what'll happen if you make me get up there."

Ephiny suddenly stopped with her hands on her hips. "You became an Amazon and you won't climb trees?"

Gabrielle stopped and leaned on her staff. "Not all Amazons fight?" She pointed up into the canopy above. "Melosa didn't. And, if memory serves, Terreis was shot on the ground, not in a tree."

"Haven't you noticed that trees are our best defense?" Ephiny argued. "We didn't choose to build our village right smack dab in the middle of a forest for the view it affords us, Gab."

"Are we just going to stand here arguing about the importance of tree fighting? Or are we going get to the village and find out what happened to the sentries who are supposed to be stationed here?" Gabrielle raised a hand. "I vote for the latter, by the way."

Ephiny just shook her head and looked over to find Gabrielle already heading up the path. The regent followed after Gabrielle and caught up to her in a few paces.

"Sorry," Ephiny apologized to the woman silently striding next to her. "I've just never heard of an Amazon who was afraid of trees. Guess we'll have to work on that. Add it to the list of things you need to improve on over the next few moons."

Gabrielle glanced at her friend and noticed Ephiny wasn't smiling. "There's a list?"

"The elders are keeping track," Ephiny said. "It's one of the reasons I needed you to come back with me. Ignesia and her cohorts are creating strong dissension in the council with a list of your inadequacies as queen. They're using my position as regent to keep me out of their sessions. They say that my loyalty to you has blinded me to your weaknesses and made me ineffectual as a regent."

"Has it?" Gabrielle glared at Ephiny.

"No," Ephiny answered with assurance. "I know you better than any of those old coots know you. I also know what you're capable of doing when you put your mind to it. You're a good leader, Gabrielle. There isn't a born Amazon I'd trust to guard my back like I trust you." She put a finger to her lips and smirked. "Shh! Don't tell Eponin I said that. She'd kill me."

Gabrielle chuckled at the woman's insolent remark, but smiled. "Thanks, Ephiny. I appreciate that you care enough to feed me a line of complete crap. We both know I haven't been around enough to give the elders a reason to believe in my abilities. I'm not agreeing with Ignesia's methods, but maybe she has a point."

"Not a line of crap, Gabrielle," Ephiny said in all seriousness. "And please don't side with Ignesia. She has enough support without adding you to the ranks. Xena trusts you and so do I. Give yourself a break and believe that you're capable of being a great leader of the Amazon Nation. Until you do, there isn't an Amazon in our tribe who will back you when things get really ugly. And when that happens, I don't want to be the only one standing beside you."

"You won't be, Eph," Gabrielle smirked.

"Okay, so now that we've had our sensitive chat," Ephiny continued. "Wanna tell me why you haven't slept well for the last two nights?"

"Dreams," Gabrielle answered curtly.

"That's it? Just dreams?" Ephiny glared skeptically at her. "Not nightmares or the fact that Xena's not here to keep you toasty warm?"

"Weird dreams," Gabrielle answered. "Really weird dreams."

"Involving?"

"Weird stuff," Gabrielle answered cryptically. "Nothing that I can really remember, or want to remember for that matter."

Ephiny eyed her with open skepticism. "Why do I get the feeling you're just not going to tell me?"

Gabrielle shrugged. "Because you're a good judge of character? That's why I made you my regent. That, and the fact that I trust you to do what's best for the Amazons, no matter how hard a decision that might entail."

Ephiny shrugged off the compliment. "I just do what I do, that's all."

"You do more than those crotchety old biddies give you credit for, Eph," Gabrielle smiled genuinely. "You're a great leader and a better queen than I will ever be."

Ephiny stopped and waited for Gabrielle to stop, as well. Gabrielle leaned on her staff as she faced the regent. Twilight was casting the trees in deep shadow and she didn't really enjoy being in the eerily quiet forest longer than was necessary. But she knew Ephiny wouldn't stop for no reason. So, she waited. She didn't have long to wait.

"Please tell me that wasn't a ploy to get me to accept your right of caste again," the regent said in all seriousness, as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Because I won't accept it. You're our queen and that's that. As long as you're alive I'll continue to act as your regent. But as long as you live that's all I want to be. You either fight them for the honor of keeping your mask or?"

"Or what, Eph?"

The regent looked away for several long moments. "Please don't give them the excuse to say they were right about you, Gabrielle. I've supported you through all of it, but I don't know how much longer I can continue to do so. You don't know what it's like when you and Xena walk or ride out of here and leave Eponin, Chilapa and me to face the dissenters without you."

Gabrielle approached her friend and looked her in the eye. "I'm sorry, Ephiny. I didn't know."

"You couldn't know," Ephiny smirked and lifted a hand to touch Gabrielle's cheek affectionately. "I'm not accusing you of being insensitive or anything. I'm just?"

"I know," Gabrielle took Ephiny's hand in hers and squeezed it. "You've been one of my best friends over the years, Eph. I'm really glad to count you among the few people in the world who actually knows me as more than just Xena's sidekick or as Queen of the Amazons."

"Please don't take this the wrong way, because I don't want to die at Xena's hand," Ephiny pulled Gabrielle in for a hug. "But I really love you, Gabrielle."

Gabrielle returned the hug. "I love you, too, Ephiny."

They stepped back from each other until the levity passed, then they both chuckled. Gabrielle was the first to recover. She put an arm around Ephiny's waist and started them walking again. Ephiny just put an arm around Gabrielle's shoulder and went with her.

"If I had met you before I met Xena?" Gabrielle began.

"We would never have met, let me tell you," Ephiny chuckled. "There's no way I'd be caught dead in a shepherd's village, much less let some shepherd's kid attach herself to me. No way."

"Okaaaay," Gabrielle glanced over to see the smirk on the woman's face. "What were we talking about before all this?"

"Dreams," Ephiny answered.

"Oh," Gabrielle's mood sobered instantly.

"So, I'm guessing those dreams of yours have something to do with Xena," Ephiny turned her attention to the path ahead. "Am I right?"

"Possibly," Gabrielle was glad the regent's attention wasn't on the blush that suffused her cheeks. "Maybe a little."

"When you're ready to talk, I'm a good listener," Ephiny offered.

"Thanks, Eph," Gabrielle said. "I appreciate that."

"That's what friends are for," Ephiny said and patted the bard's shoulder.

They continued on through the quiet forest in companionable silence for another candlemark. Each woman was lost in her own thoughts and they were both comfortable just travelling together. It almost reminded Gabrielle of her travels with Xena, except that she and Ephiny could look eye-to-eye and her occasional glances in the regent's direction showed her more than a shoulder.

***

The sun had set and the sky was glowing orange and purple with the last vestiges of the dying sunset when Gabrielle and Ephiny finally reached the northern gate to the village. They exchanged a quick confused glance when they were greeted by six masked women. The women immediately recognized the two travelers and bowed low.

"What's going on?" Ephiny asked the tallest of the six armed women.

"My Queen," the woman lifted her mask to reveal the young warrior, Chalinda. "Eponin ordered the border guards to return to the village. She also ordered that we triple the guard at each gate after the attack two days ago."

"The village was attacked?" Gabrielle stepped up next to Ephiny. "By whom?"

Another masked Amazon lifted her mask to reveal T'laia, a sentry who was usually out on patrol near the border.

"An army burned a path to our southern border," the athletic T'laia answered. "Three sentries were killed and two were severely injured. Daeria managed to return to the village in time to sound the alarm before she died of her injuries." T'laia swallowed back the tears that threatened at the mention of her friend. "The army had a catapult that launched Greek fire into our midst before anyone knew what was happening. They overran the village proper and managed to kidnap several of the youngsters before the warriors could muster arms and drive them back."

Intelligent dark-brown eyes wide-set in a chiseled face made her look more like a young boy than a woman of twenty summers. Short-cropped auburn hair with henna-bleached spikes gave her an even more masculine look. Ephiny knew that, next to Eponin, there wasn't a more capable warrior and sentry in the village.

Fortunately, T'laia hadn't been one of the warriors sent on the mission to waylay Athena's army. As a matter of fact, she'd been one of those who had adamantly opposed the mission. She was also bonded to one of the young artisans, Eustine. Their joining would be part of the spring festival, when Eustine was of age and was accepted as a full tribal member.

"What took the warriors so long?" Ephiny asked. "Never mind," she quickly amended with a quick shake of her head. "T'laia, I want a gathering of the tribe in the village center in one candlemark." She looked to Gabrielle. "We need to meet with Eponin and Chilapa and find out what's going on."

"The last I saw they were in the council chambers, My Queen," T'laia said. "They were arguing with the council about the best course of action to get the captives back from those bastards."

"Thank you, T'laia," Ephiny acknowledged the woman with a nod. "Please spread the word about the gathering."

"Yes, My Queen," T'laia answered with a quick bow, before she took off at a trot towards the village center.

"Another army?" Gabrielle pondered this latest turn. "It's probably that commander those guys were talking about."

"Which commander? Which guys?" Ephiny asked as they made their way toward the large hut where the council met.

"Xena and I ran into some soldiers who tried to kill us," Gabrielle replied. "She managed to get four of them to tell us who placed the bounty on our heads and why. It seems Athena's army general had a brother who is out for revenge against those responsible for the death of his brother."

"Oh, great," Ephiny rolled her eyes. "Another nutcase bent on revenge. And now he has hostages."

They reached the large round hut and weren't surprised that the door was guarded by four masked Amazons. The two closest to the door bore spears that they held crossed over the doorway. When the guards saw the two queens approach, they immediately stiffened to attention and the spears were pulled away from the door.

Ephiny didn't hesitate as she pushed through the door and entered the chamber. Torches blazed around the room filled with a cacophony of raised voices and angry murmurs. Silence descended on the large room almost instantly when Ephiny and Gabrielle walked into the center of the room.

Amazons fell to a knee and all heads bowed at the return of their monarchs. The hush was deafening in comparison to the chaos of just a few moments ago.

"Eponin and Chilapa?" Ephiny's voice carried over the crowd of bowing women. Two heads suddenly popped up in unison. "The rest of you are dismissed. Make your way to the village center for a gathering of the tribe." A collective uproar broke out as the women rose to their feet and several shouted angrily to be heard above the din. "SILENCE!!!" Ephiny shouted over the upraised voices and was satisfied when the noise level instantly dropped to a low murmur. "Queen Gabrielle and I will address the village as a whole in one candlemark. You may address your concerns at that time. DISMISSED!" She shouted and nodded to several guards, who stepped forward to herd the women out of the building.

"I am soooo glad you're back, Eph," Eponin breathed a sigh of relief, once the room was empty. The weapons master launched herself into the regents arms and hugged her, until she realized what she was doing. She pulled back and glanced around with an embarrassed flush. "Uh, guess this isn't the time?um?" She shook off her embarrassment and put her warrior's mask in place. "Didn't think you'd make it back in time to get those elders the Hades off my back." She looked at Gabrielle and smirked. "And I see you brought her nibs with you. Hey, Gabrielle."

"Hello, Eponin," Gabrielle replied. "Chilapa."

"Queen Gabrielle," Chilapa stepped forward and acknowledged them with a nod. "I'm very glad to have you back. You, too, Queen Ephiny."

"Okay, now that the pleasantries are over," Ephiny frowned at the weapons master. "Wanna fill us in on what's going on around here?"

"We were attacked two nights ago," Eponin answered. "Damned army came blazing in here tossing Greek fireballs all over the place. In the confusion we?um?" She blushed and turned her gaze down to her feet. "We kinda got caught with our leathers down."

"How so?" Ephiny crossed her arms over her chest and glowered. "There certainly weren't any festivals scheduled to take place during my absence."

"There was?um?we?um?" Eponin stammered.

"Ignesia called a meeting of the council to discuss?um?our current situation," Chilapa said when it looked like Eponin wasn't going to get the words out. "She didn't bother to let Eponin and me in on the meeting."

"Current situation?" Gabrielle's brows quirked. "Would that have anything to do with me being queen and Ephiny being my regent? Or is it that Ephiny left you two in charge while she went to Amphipolis to get me?"

"Um?kinda both," Eponin shrugged. "Ignesia's been shootin' her big mouth off about the decisions that're being made in the absence of-as she puts it-any real leadership. She says?well...um?"

"She says you don't deserve to be queen," Chilapa looked Gabrielle in the eye. "She wants you gone. Permanently."

Gabrielle considered that for a moment. "Okay, not our main concern right now," she said. "I want to know which Amazons were taken and where you think their kidnappers were headed."

"The reports that we've managed to decipher so far, Your Majesty," Chilapa answered, "lead us to believe?"

"It was the kids," Eponin blurted with an annoyed frown. "They took a bunch of the girls who were hiding together in the main eating hut. We hide 'em there since it's in the center of the village and we thought they'd be relatively safe." She glanced at Chilapa. "Guess we were wrong."

"Did anyone see the kidnappers?" Ephiny asked. "Were they soldiers? Raiders? Slavers? Who were they?"

"Aristellis tried to stop 'em and managed to take one down with her," Eponin said. "Aristellis wasn't real coherent when I talked to her, but she did say they looked like soldiers-but different."

"And no one else saw them take the girls?" Gabrielle interceded.

"Not that we know of," Eponin shrugged. "There was a lot going on at the time and no one was really payin' much attention. Like I said, we thought they'd be safe. The kidnappers got past our guard and just?"

"Disappeared," Chilapa put in. "They disappeared without a trace. It's like they just vanished into thin air."

Both Ephiny and Gabrielle looked at the brunette Amazon for more information than that and, when she didn't immediately oblige; they turned questioning gazes on Eponin.

"We don't know," Eponin shrugged. "It's like Chilapa says, they just up and?poof!"

"Show me," Gabrielle started for the door to the hut and didn't wait for anyone to follow.

Three Amazons scrambled after the smaller woman soon after Gabrielle left the council hut. They caught up to her just as she reached the square building where many of the Amazons shared the communal meal. The building was as plain and nondescript as the others, except for a telltale stream of smoke rising from a chimney in the back.

Gabrielle stopped at the entrance to the building and examined the ground.

"So, why do you say they just vanished?" Gabrielle rounded on the trio.

"We don't know where they went," Eponin squatted down and pointed at the ground. "There should be prints or something that indicate there were men in the village. We found the ones leading in, but we couldn't find the ones leading out, except for those the army soldiers made."

Gabrielle got down at Eponin's level and examined the ground, but couldn't see anything in the darkness. "Chilapa, can you bring a torch over here?"

"Yes, My Queen," the woman said as she quickly ducked inside the hut and emerged with a torch in her hands. "Here you go."

Gabrielle took the torch and held it near the entrance to the hut. She examined the ground carefully until she found what she was looking for. With torch and staff in each hand, she stood up and slowly made her way around the side of the building. She then followed her instincts as she continued on toward a small group of huts a short distance away.

"Who lives in those huts?" Gabrielle asked the three women silently following her. "Or what are they for?"

Ephiny glanced from Eponin to Chilapa. Neither woman had a clue and only shrugged.

"Not sure, Gabrielle," Ephiny answered. "They're probably storage huts used by the cooks." She did a quick 360 and realized she'd never really been in that part of the village very much.

Gabrielle continued on without pausing near any of the huts. They were so small, anyway, that the bard just figured Ephiny's guess was probably right. When she reached the edge of a wooded area she held the torch up high and scanned the darkness, then turned on the three women behind her.

"They escaped through there," Gabrielle said.

"Wait just a minute, yer maj," Eponin stepped forward with her arms crossed over her chest. "I had one of our best trackers look for footprints back at the meal hut, and she came up empty. How'd you?"

"Xena," Gabrielle stated flatly. "She taught me to look for things besides the obvious." She lowered the torch to the ground near their feet. "Those prints you see there," she looked up to see if they were paying attention and smirked when they were. "Those are our young Amazons. They were marched through here in a single-file line, so you wouldn't notice how many there are." She then knelt and held the torch to a spot at the very edge of the clearing. "This print here," she pointed to an indention in the dirt, "was made by a woman wearing boots that weren't made by the hands of an Amazon." She stood up and faced the three. "Our kidnappers are women-or at least three of them are."

"What?!?" Eponin exclaimed. "You're saying a bunch of women came in here and took our kids?"

"I'm saying three women came and took our sisters," Gabrielle answered with a wry smirk. She glanced at Ephiny and realized the regent was silently nodding with a smirk of her own. "They escaped through these woods and probably had a group of soldiers waiting for them on the other side."

"Wait, I'm confused," Eponin scratched her head as she knelt down to examine the print that Gabrielle had indicated. "How do you know there are three? And how do you know they're women?"

"The size and shape of the boot prints indicates they're women, as does the shallower indentation than those made by men," Gabrielle answered. "And there are three because I found three distinct sets of prints at the meal hut. None of those prints were made by anyone in this village, and they certainly weren't made by the boots of soldiers."

Eponin stood up and turned to face Gabrielle with renewed respect. "Huh!" She looked directly at Ephiny. "Did you know she could do that?"

Ephiny smirked. "I'm finding out that Gabrielle is a woman of many talents."

"We need to send out a rescue party immediately," Gabrielle said to hide the blush elicited by Ephiny's words. "Can we spare a small band of armed warriors, Eponin?"

Eponin scratched her head as she thought about her answer. "We have more than twenty warriors who are pregnant, another twenty who were injured during the attack?"

"I just need ten good warriors," Gabrielle said. "And we need to send a messenger back to Amphipolis and let Xena know what's happened. She'll know how to handle the army."

"I'll take care of the messenger, My Queen," Chilapa spoke up. "I may just go myself."

"Take a couple able bodies with you, Chilapa," Gabrielle said. "We don't know if the army is still out there or where they are. Ephiny and I may have just slipped past them without their knowledge. You might not be so lucky."

"Yes, My Queen," Chilapa gave them a quick head bow and left them.

"There's somethin' yer not tellin' us, Gabrielle," Eponin dropped the formality and gazed expectantly at the bard.

"I didn't want to mention it in front of Chilapa," Gabrielle said, as they walked slowly back toward the more populated center of the village. "I'm a little concerned that something else is going on here, besides just the attack and the kidnappings."

"What?" Ephiny turned concerned hazel eyes on her friend.

"Xena has a hunch that the gods are involved somehow," Gabrielle blurted.

"What?" Ephiny rounded on the bard and stopped Gabrielle in her tracks. "You're kidding, right?"

"Nope," Gabrielle answered. "I wish I were."

"And what makes you think there are gods involved?" Eponin added.

"We were attacked near Amphipolis," Gabrielle replied. "Xena killed several of the guys who attacked us and we left their bodies where they fell. We sent someone the next morning to pick them up for burial, but Cletus came back and told us the bodies were gone. He also said there was no trace that anyone had been there. Xena and I went and checked it out ourselves. He was right. There were no footprints, except the ones we'd made while we were having our picnic. Xena was able to find a few minute traces that those guys had been there. She said, unless you were really looking for something specific, those traces would be overlooked."

"Leave it to Xena to find a needle in a haystack," Eponin snorted.

"Now you know who I learned my rudimentary tracking skills from," Gabrielle smirked proudly.

Eponin made an elaborate show of bowing low to Gabrielle. "I bow before Gabrielle, Queen of the Amazons and the best tracker this village has seen in ages. She is?" Ephiny slapped the weapons master's bare shoulder. "Ouch! Wadjya do that for, Eph?"

"Come on, kids, we have a village gathering to attend," Ephiny said, as she continued on toward the gathered throng waiting anxiously for their queens.

"Show off," Eponin said under her breath to Gabrielle.

"Jealous much, Pony?" Gabrielle handed the torch over to the weapons master, who took it without a word. "Maybe you and Xena should have a little competition to see which of you is the better warrior."

"And get my butt kicked? No way," Eponin answered. "I've seen her in action and I like my head right where it is. Besides, she's your champion for a reason."

They made it to the village center in time to hear someone shouting loudly to the gathered throng. Gabrielle couldn't see who was doing all the shouting, but she had a pretty good idea. Her hunch was confirmed by Eponin's next words.

"Oh, that's just great," the weapons master growled. "Ignesia's on her pickle barrel again."

The trio approached the center of the village and made their way through the crowd to a raised wooden platform that served as their dais. Gabrielle hopped onto the dais first and pounded her staff on the floor until she had everyone's attention. She was flanked by Ephiny and Eponin, who stood silent sentinel behind her.

"Ah, our esteemed queen has graced us, once again, with her austere presence!" Ignesia's words fairly oozed sarcasm, as she stepped to the front of the crowd with her arms crossed in front of her. "Nice to see you alive and well, Queen Gabrielle. Did you come to offer words of wisdom? Or were you just passing through?"

Gabrielle ignored the sarcasm and glanced around at the gathered throng. Her eyes took in the elders to one side of the crowd and she could see the women were watching her warily. Eponin's and Ephiny's words came back to her, and she realized she had her work cut out for her if she was going to retain the queen's mask. As she continued to silently gauge her audience, Gabrielle suddenly wondered if it was even worth it. Did she really want to remain queen of a bunch of women who didn't really want her as their queen in the first place?

"I'm here," Gabrielle said in an even tone. "And we have a situation to deal with. Eponin and Chilapa appraised me of the situation, and I?"

"Baaaaaaaaa!!!!" A loud bleat from the back of the crowd cut Gabrielle's words off in mid-sentence.

All heads turned and the crowd parted. But instead of an Amazon, the opening revealed a black and white goat chewing absently on its lead rope. The goat walked purposefully toward the dais and stopped. It looked up at Gabrielle and bleated again.

"Aww, the queen has a pet," Ignesia's words continued to drip sarcasm. "Isn't that cute?"

Gabrielle just glared at the goat. "What do you want from me, Blackie? Why in the world would you follow me all the way here?"

"Baaaaaaa!!!" The goat answered.

The crowd snickered and chuckled at the unexpected exchange between their queen and the goat. Gabrielle stepped off the dais and made a grab for the goat's lead, but Blackie sidestepped out of reach. She made another grab, but the elusive goat ducked under her outstretched arm and took off into the crowd.

"Damned goat!" Gabrielle let the goat go and returned to the platform. She glanced at Ephiny and shrugged. "What can I say? We have a history."

"Whatever you say, My Queen," Ephiny answered with a barely-controlled grin. "I think he likes you," she added for Gabrielle's ears only.

Gabrielle ignored the regent's last remark, as she returned her attention to the gathered crowd. "Where was I?" She muttered. "Oh, yeah," she nodded. "Eponin and Chilapa apprised me of the situation with the girls who were taken. I'll be leading a rescue party to go after them, just as soon as I have enough warriors to accompany me."

"Why should anyone do anything you say, My Queen?" Ignesia spoke up. She stepped forward and held her hands out as she turned to face the crowd. "This woman has done nothing to earn our respect and devotion. She's only here for brief visits before she's off traveling with Xena. She is no more our queen than the Warrior Princess herself."

"Silence, Ignesia!" Ephiny stepped forward. "Gabrielle is our queen and I stand by her."

"Me, too," Eponin stepped up on Gabrielle's other side. "You got a problem with our queen, you take it up with me or you issue a challenge. Otherwise," she glared daggers at the woman, "shut your Tartarus-be-damned trap!"

"Down, Pony," Gabrielle stepped between the weapons master and Ignesia. "I'm perfectly capable of speaking for myself." She turned her attention to the woman who stood a step below her and met her glare-for-glare. There was no question that Ignesia was a good head taller than the bard. "I'm not ordering anyone to do anything. I'm asking for volunteers." Her gaze held Ignesia's for a moment longer and then she looked over the woman's head to the gathered Amazons. "This isn't about my ability to lead the Amazons in battle, and it's not about being queen. This is about those girls out there who need our help. They're counting on us to come to their rescue, and I intend to be there for them. Now, who's with me?"

Silence reigned for several long moments. Gabrielle glanced at Ignesia and found the woman staring at her with a satisfied smirk. Gabrielle tried not to let Ignesia's attitude get to her, but the truth was she was annoyed at the woman-really annoyed.

"I'll go with you, My Queen," T'laia stepped forward and crossed her arms over her chest. "Eustine was one of those who were taken and I'll not stand idly by while some kidnapper puts his dirty hands all over her."

"I'll go, too," another Amazon-Selene-stepped forward. "As a member of the Queen's Guard, it's my duty to protect you, Queen Gabrielle." She glanced over and saw that Ignesia was glaring at her. "No matter what some people might say about you."

"I volunteer, too," Charila, the weaver's apprentice stepped forward. "I may not be a warrior like the others, but I can certainly be of use in a fight."

Chalinda stepped forward and glanced at Charila. "If she goes, I go," she said with a smirk. "Someone's gotta make sure the weavers don't lose a valuable member of their group."

"I'd also like to be included," M'Lina stepped forward. "Aestia was one of the girls taken. She's my sister and I want to help bring her back."

"I'd also like to go with you, Queen Gabrielle," Solari stepped forward with a mischievous grin. "I'm more than capable of keeping this group of misfits in line for you."

"And I, as well, your majesty," Draia, the scout, stepped up next to Solari. "You'll need someone to scout ahead and make sure those guys don't get the drop on us."

Gabrielle smiled warmly at the group of seven volunteers. "We leave in one candlemark, Amazons," she said. "M'Lina, can you make sure we all have horses?" She received a quick nod from the stable master. "And, Eponin, please make sure Charila has a weapon she's familiar with."

"Yes, My Queen," Eponin said with a glance at the young weaver.

"The rest of you need to be prepared in case the army shows up again," Gabrielle addressed the crowd. "I don't think they'll use Greek fire again, but you never know. Queen Ephiny is once again in charge during my absence." She looked pointedly at Ignesia. "I expect her orders to be carried out to the letter. That is all."

Gabrielle summarily turned her back on the crowd, especially on Ignesia. She didn't know what the game was that the tall Amazon was playing, but knew eventually it would come to a head. She just didn't want to give the woman the satisfaction of seeing any weakness from her.

"Ephiny, Eponin, you're with me," Gabrielle said as she stepped off the dais and continued on toward the Queen's hut.

Chapter 10

"So, whatdya think, Xena?" Cletus asked, as he unwrapped a leather satchel that contained two shiny silver sais.

Xena lifted one sai and looked it over with a critical eye. She then twirled the weapon around her hand several times in a blur of movement that Cletus could barely see. When she brought the blade around until her hand was once again on the hilt, she held it up to the light from the glowing embers in the forge.

"Very nice," she said and picked up the other weapon. "Expert craftsmanship, perfect balance, sharp?" She pricked her finger on a tip and watched with satisfaction as a drop of blood appeared. "You do excellent work, my friend."

Cletus beamed with pride at her words. "Had to shorten the prongs on either side in order to extend the blades enough to have a flatter surface here," he pointed to where the blades met the prongs. "If I'd left the blades as truncheons, like in the original design, there wouldn't be a need. But since you wanted blades rather than truncheons, there has to be a place where she can grab the prongs and hold on to use the hilts as clubs. She'll need to learn exactly how to turn the blades, so she doesn't slice her arms every time she wants to knock someone in the head or chest. I noticed she doesn't wear bracers. You might want to consider finding her a pair that will protect her wrists. Otherwise she'll be cutting herself every time she uses 'em."

Xena spun the weapons on the palms of her hands until the tips of the blades were pointed back at her. She noticed how sharp the edges were. But she also noticed that her leather bracers kept the blades from actually touching her skin.

"I think the silver bracers I got her will be just the thing," Xena said. "They have upraised ridges on either end and should do the trick nicely."

Cletus nodded. "They're a couple of the finest pieces I've ever created."

"You did a great job, my friend," Xena said as she pulled a small leather pouch from her waist and handed it over to him. "I know we didn't discuss price, but I think you'll find this more than covers it."

Cletus weighed the tied sack in his hand and nodded. "I trust you, Xena."

She patted his bare shoulder and extended her arm to him. "Thank you, my friend."

He shook her arm and watched as she put the sais in the leather satchel, then tied it with a thong and tucked it under her arm.

"It was a pleasure doing business with you," she said as she ducked back outside into the starry night.

"Pleasure was mine, Xena!" He called after her.

Xena made her way back to her mother's inn with the package tucked securely under her arm. A pang of regret suddenly hit her when she thought of Gabrielle. She paused briefly on the porch of the inn and glanced up at the stars overhead. She wondered if the bard had been able to resolve the latest problem plaguing the Amazons.

"You miss her, don't you?" Cyrene said, as she opened the door and stepped out onto the porch next to her daughter.

Xena nodded. "I should have gone with her."

"And why didn't you?" Cyrene raised a questioning brow. "There isn't that much more to do around here that the rest of them couldn't do without you, Xena."

Xena turned toward her mother. "She wanted it this way."

Cyrene frowned in confusion. "I don't understand. Are you saying it was Gabrielle's decision not to have you with her?" She put a comforting hand on her daughter's bare arm. "Is everything okay between you?"

"Everything's fine, Mom," Xena smiled reassuringly. "We're fine. She just wanted to solve this particular problem on her own?without my interference."

"Oh," Cyrene absently brushed a stray piece of lint off her blue sleeve. "I have a special treat for you after you eat your dinner."

Xena glanced at the shorter woman. "A treat?"

"I had Aris bake up some of those special cakes you like," Cyrene said. "You know, the ones with the cinnamon and nuts all wrapped up in a sticky, sweet, gooey mess that gets all over your hands."

Xena raised her nose and sniffed the air. "I thought I smelled cinnamon," she smirked.

"I figured it would be nice to share our meal together, for old time's sake," Cyrene added. "It's been a while since I had you all to myself. And, since there's no entertainment planned for this evening, many of the patrons are over at Trediak's, enjoying his famous venison and mushroom stew. I swear the man adds an entire barrel of ale to just one pot of stew."

"So, you're saying it'll be quiet around here tonight?" Xena asked.

"I'll be lucky if anyone actually stays the night," Cyrene said. "Come on," she put an arm through her daughter's. "Let's go inside and enjoy it while it lasts."

"Okay," Xena replied as she guided the shorter woman inside ahead of her. "Wanna eat in the kitchen? Or at one of the tables out here?"

"Kitchen's fine with me," Cyrene shrugged. "Then I won't have to make a fire in the fireplace out here. I can save a little on wood chopping."

***

"I really hate riding by myself," Gabrielle groused as she adjusted her seat in the uncomfortable saddle of the large black gelding. "Did M'Lina have to choose a monster for me to ride? No offense, big fella," she finished the last with an affectionate pat to the gelding's sleek neck.

She glanced over and found a smirking Ephiny watching her intently. The regent was standing with her hands on her hips as she watched Gabrielle adjust her staff tucked beneath her leg again.

"You're the one who decided to lead this mission," Ephiny said. "I didn't force you into it. And don't blame me if your followers are trying to impress you with the biggest and best horseflesh we have to offer."

"My followers?" Gabrielle readjusted her staff in it leather cradle beneath her leg again and wondered if it wouldn't just be better to carry the stupid weapon. "What are you talking about, Ephiny?"

Ephiny tried to hide a chuckle behind her hand. "Don't you know?"

"If I did, why would I be asking?"

"Those women didn't just volunteer because they want to save the girls," Ephiny explained. "I'd say at least a third of them are in love with you."

Gabrielle's mouth dropped open. "What?"

"Yeah," Ephiny snorted. "My sentiments exactly."

"They know I only have eyes for Xena, right?" Gabrielle recovered enough to say. "There's no way?Xena and I are?Ugh!!!"

Ephiny grinned from ear-to-ear. "A tongue-tied bard. I like it."

"Ephiny, it's not funny," Gabrielle chided.

"It is sooooo funny, Gabrielle," Ephiny shot back. "Can't wait til Xena shows up."

"Why?" Gabrielle asked hesitantly.

"The other third are in love with her," Ephiny answered with a snicker. "They'd do anything for just one glance from those baby-blues of hers."

"And the third third?"

"Oh," Ephiny sobered. "They're the ones Ignesia has in her corner. They basically hate you both for, as they put it, turning the Amazons into a bunch of weaklings with your treaties and your lack of effective leadership. Her words, not mine." Ephiny rolled her eyes. "I'm looking forward to Xena's arrival just so I don't have to listen to the woman's constant blathering."

"We really need to nip that one in the bud," Gabrielle nodded sagely. "Like Velasca, Ignesia isn't going to stop until she finally has enough support to mount a rebellion."

"She won't do it while you and Xena are here," Ephiny said. "She's too much a coward for that. Unlike Velasca, she'll wait until you leave and then try something sneaky and underhanded."

"Not gonna happen," Gabrielle said. "I've learned a thing or two in my travels with Xena. You can't let people like her continue to create dissension. They'll just keep spreading their lies and garnering more and more support until things get out of hand. But we have other, more pressing matters to take care of right now." She took up the reins of the big black gelding and adjusted her seat again. "Time to get this show on the road."

"Be careful, Gabrielle," Ephiny moved closer and looked up at the younger woman. "Please don't make me have to tell Xena that we sent you out on a rescue mission, only to have something bad happen."

"Don't worry, I'm not taking chances," Gabrielle reassured. "I have too much to look forward to."

Ephiny patted Gabrielle's booted calf. "I'm holding you to that, kiddo."

Gabrielle shot the regent an irritated glare, before nudging the gelding forward towards the gate where the others were patiently waiting. She neared Solari, who was watching her expectantly.

"Let's go, Sol," Gabrielle said.

"Yes, My Queen," the scout leader nodded to the others around her as their queen passed on the large, black gelding.

***

"I'm heading out at first light," Xena said, as she used a chunk of dark bread to sop up the last of the gravy in her trencher.

Cyrene's head snapped around at the unexpected comment. "You're leaving so soon?"

"I'm gonna do some scouting around the Amazon border, make sure things are quiet and no one's causing trouble," Xena answered through a mouthful of bread. "I also want to get a feel for how the surrounding villages are adapting to the new treaties."

"You want to see what solution Gabrielle came up with to that Amazon problem," Cyrene eyed her daughter knowingly.

Xena glanced sidelong at her mother. "That obvious?"

"Like the nose on your face, Xena," Cyrene answered with a nod.

"Let me guess, a mother's instincts?" Xena quipped.

"Something like that," Cyrene answered. "You want me to pack you something to eat on the road? If I know you, you'll ride all day without stopping. I can put together a few things that you can eat in the saddle. Maybe those pocket sandwiches you like so much?"

Xena smirked. "That would be great, Mom." She pushed her empty trencher away and sipped the sweet mead her mother had tapped just for their dinner together. "I'm thinking of asking Gabrielle."

"Asking her what, dear?" Cyrene replied.

"To?um?let the Amazons throw us a joining ceremony," Xena finished with her face in her mug.

Cyrene's eyes widened and a grin played at the corners of her mouth. She clapped her hands together in front of her and then suddenly realized something. "Wait! You're going to have the ceremony with the Amazons? You don't want to do it here?"

"Mom," Xena turned to face the woman seated next to her. "We can still have a celebration here. It's not like Gabrielle and I won't return here after we've settled things with the Amazons."

Cyrene's face relaxed. "Okay," she said. "Can you at least send word when you're ready to come home, so I can make plans and get things ready? Celebrations take time to plan properly."

Xena frowned and rolled her eyes like a petulant child. "Moooother!"

"Xena," Cyrene pointed a motherly finger at the taller woman, but her expression softened. "Please?"

"Okay, fine," Xena conceded. She kissed her mother on the cheek. "We'll let you know when we're ready to come back, and then we'll take a few extra days to get here in order to give you time to put something small together."

"Small?" Cyrene slapped her daughter's bare arm. "Xena?"

"Don't Xena me, Mother," Xena groused. "I know you. You'll throw a celebration to rival that festival Amphipolis throws every year at harvest to honor the gods for their generous bounty."

"It's not that big a deal," Cyrene scoffed. "Just a nice bonfire in the village center and some games, lots of food, plenty of drink?"

"You roasted two boar, eight suckling pigs and six whole stags last year," Xena argued. "Autolycus came through here and said there was enough food to feed the entire Athenian army for a week."

"Oh, he's such a sweet boy," Cyrene chuckled. "Okay, I'll keep the celebration to a minimum, Xena." She held up her hand, "On my honor." Her expression turned thoughtful. "Speaking of Autolycus and the rest of your friends, I really need to send messengers to deliver invitations. You should have as many of your friends around you as possible to celebrate this wonderful occasion."

Xena groaned. "Mother, please?"

"Nope," she shook her head to stave off any further protest. "I insist, Xena. The two of you need to start your life as a?What exactly will you be to each other after this joining ceremony?"

"We're already partners for life, Mom," Xena answered.

"Yes, but there has to be more to it once you go through this Amazon ceremony," Cyrene looked at her daughter expectantly.

"I'll be Gabrielle's?um?her consort, at least in the eyes of the Amazons," Xena answered. "We'll be just like any other married couple, except that the ceremony will be performed by an Amazon priestess, instead of a priest of the gods."

"Aren't the Amazons followers of Artemis?"

"Yes," Xena nodded, not sure where this was leading.

"Then your joining will be performed by a priestess of Artemis," Cyrene confirmed with a satisfied nod.

Xena gave her mother a raised-browed look. "And that's important, why?"

"Because I want to be sure my daughters are properly joined in the eyes of the gods," Cyrene said. "Is it too much to ask that you do this the right way, Xena? After all, didn't Gabrielle have a proper ceremony when she married that young man?What was his name again?"

"Perdicus," Xena said his name like she was sucking on a sour lemon. "But I don't know what he has to do with?"

"It's simple," Cyrene interrupted. "A proper joining will ensure the gods won't send you to separate?um?"

Xena eyed her mother when the woman didn't immediately continue. "What are you talking about, Mom?"

Cyrene took her daughter's hands into hers and looked her in the eye. "Xena, right now as things stand, Gabrielle is still married to Perdicus in the eyes of the gods. If she dies?"

"She goes to the Amazon land of the dead," Xena cut her off. "I already had this discussion with Ares."

"Are you sure?" Cyrene looked confused. "It's my understanding that once a person is married their soul is joined with the soul of their spouse."

"Gabrielle and Perdicus never?um?" Xena shrugged. "Gabrielle told me they never consummated the marriage."

A dark brow hiked into Cyrene's hairline. "They didn't? But I thought?"

"They shared a night together, but all they did was talk," Xena said, as she felt a telltale blush creep into her cheeks. "They never?um?you know?"

"Lay with each other," Cyrene finished when it looked like Xena wasn't going to. "So that's why Gabrielle will spend eternity in the Amazon land of the dead? Because she didn't consummate her marriage to Perdicus?"

"No," Xena continued. "She's Queen of the Amazons. When she dies-and I really hope that doesn't happen anytime soon-she goes where the Amazons go."

"And where does that leave you?" Cyrene eyed her daughter.

Xena considered the question for a moment. "If I want to go where she goes? Then I have to become an Amazon, I guess," she finished with a shrug. "I'm willing to go wherever she goes. It's as simple as that."

"Even if it means you'll spend eternity with a bunch of sparsely-clad, cycling women?" Cyrene added.

"An eternity with Gabrielle is worth any price," Xena said with conviction. "I don't care if we spend that eternity in Tartarus-although I'd certainly rather avoid that particular route. Been there, done that. Didn't like it a bit."

Cyrene smiled. "Okay, then. That's all I wanted to know." She patted Xena's hands in hers. "You still need to be sure your joining is blessed by a priestess of Artemis, though. Don't take any chances, Xena." She put a hand to her daughter's cheek and stroked it with a thumb. "I'll miss having you in the Fields with me, but I'll spend eternity at peace knowing you'll be happy together."

"Thanks?I think," Xena put a hand on her mother's and smiled wryly. "Like I said, I hope we both stay around long enough to enjoy a happy life together."

Cyrene pulled back and raised her own mug of mead. "Here's to a happy and long life together for my two daughters."

"Here, here," Xena raised her own mug and tapped against her mother's, before draining its contents. "Well, guess that's my cue to get off to bed, then." She rose from her chair at the center island in the kitchen and kissed her mother's cheek. "Goodnight, Mom. And thanks again."

"Tell me you're not going to sleep in the stables tonight, Xena," Cyrene shot after her daughter's retreating figure.

Xena stopped at the kitchen door and turned back to face her mother. "That's the plan."

"Are you sure you don't want to sleep in a nice warm bed tonight?" Cyrene asked.

"No," Xena answered with a shake of her head. "That hay loft is starting to grow on me, now that the goat's been locked away in that cellar."

"Oh, didn't I tell you?" Cyrene added.

"What?" Xena poked her head back in.

"The goat is missing," Cyrene said. "Draes went to check on him this morning and he'd somehow managed to escape the cellar. I asked around the village and no one's seen Blackie all day. It's like he just-disappeared."

A frown marred Xena's brow at the news. "You sure one of the kids just didn't spring him and hide him somewhere else?"

Cyrene shrugged. "Anything's possible with that stupid goat, Xena. For all I know he may have chewed his way out of that cellar of his and made a break for it all by himself. I've never seen a goat with such single-minded determination before."

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"Before you and Gabrielle showed up that goat was as normal as any other animal around here," Cyrene explained. "But he seems to have developed a special?um?attachment to Gabrielle that strikes me as a bit strange."

Xena's brow furrowed, as she continued to stand with her head in the doorway. "Are you saying the goat has a thing for Gabrielle?"

"I'm saying the goat is unusually attached to her," Cyrene replied. "Does she have that effect on animals?"

"Animals don't generally take to Gabrielle," Xena shook her head and then shrugged. "Oh, well. He's gone. That's all that matters."

"Go get some sleep, Xena," Cyrene shooed her from the room with a wave of her hand. "I'm sure the goat will turn up eventually."

"'Night, Mom," Xena said, as she ducked out of sight.

"Goodnight, daughter," Cyrene muttered with a tired sigh. "Time to get this place cleaned up for tomorrow."

***

Xena was just settling down in the bed of hay that she had shared with her partner only a few nights prior, when she suddenly felt like she was being watched. She opened her eyes and glanced around the dark loft, until she saw a shadow lurking nearby.

In a heartbeat she had her sword in hand and was on her feet. "Show yourself." She growled. "Better make it quick or you'll feel the prick of my sword."

"Relax, warrior babe," Aphrodite strolled forward and waved a hand to re-light the lamp hanging on the wall. "It's just li'l ol' me."

"What are you doing here, Aphrodite?" Xena asked in irritation as she lowered her sword and dropped it on top of the bed. "Gabrielle's not here."

"I know," Aphrodite said with a mock pout. "I noticed the two of you weren't?um?well, you know."

"You've been spying on us?" Xena's hackles were up.

"Weeeeellll," the goddess took a step back out of pure instinct as she caught the look of irritation in Xena's eyes. "It's not exactly like I hang out here while you two?you know. I just pop in, make sure things are ducky and pop right back out again. No harm, no foul."

"Still," Xena dropped her chin and glared at the blond goddess.

"I'm not here to talk about your rockin' sex life, ya know?" Aphrodite waved a negligible hand in the air. "Although, I will say the two of you are just?sendin' massive waves through the cosmos with?"

"Will you just get to the point of this unannounced invasion of my privacy, Aphrodite?" Xena gave the goddess her best glare. "I really need to get some sleep. I have a lot of leagues to cover tomorrow."

"Oh, chill, Xena," the goddess shot the warrior a glare of her own. "And you can drop the intimidation-times-ten glare. I'm a goddess, remember?"

"And I'm sick and tired?"

"Yeahyeahyeah, whatever," Aphrodite rolled her eyes. "I came to tell you to watch out for Ares. He's up to something and it involves Gabrielle."

"What's he up to now?" Xena cocked a brow and stood with her hands on her hips. "I thought Zeus told him to stay away from us."

"He did," Aphrodite said. "And I don't have a clue what he's cookin' up. Ares is impossible to read on a good day, but lately?" She sighed heavily. "He's being waaaay too cryptic for my tastes. I cornered him on Mt. O and all he did was sidestep around my questions. I couldn't get anywhere with him. All I know is he's got his eye on the Gabster this time around."

"Gabrielle's not his type," Xena deadpanned. "She's not a warrior and she's certainly too smart to fall for his 'Join me and we'll rule the world together' BS."

Aphrodite shrugged. "I have no idea. All I know is he was talking nonsense about offspring and not disguising himself the same way Daddy does when he visits his favorite mortals." Xena's head shot up and her eyes practically shot sparks at the goddess. "What?"

"Are you saying he's gonna visit Gabrielle in a disguise?" Xena asked.

"He said that's not what he's planning," Aphrodite took another step backward. "Why?"

Xena looked away as she rubbed a hand against her forehead. "That's gotta be it," she muttered absently. "The goat!" She looked up into the bewildered face of the Goddess of Love. "He's using the goat to disguise himself, so he can get close enough to Gabrielle to?Dammit!"

Xena grabbed her sword and armor, donning both in a blur of motion. She didn't say another word as she flipped down from the loft and landed near Argo's stall.

"Hey, girl, time to go," she said as she threw open the stall door and threw the mare's saddle on.

"Xena!" Aphrodite blinked out and reappeared next to the stall. "Where are you going in such a rush?"

"To warn Gabrielle," Xena said as she completed the last adjustments to the mare's tack in record time. "Thanks for your help, Aphrodite."

Xena led the mare out into the clear, crisp night and mounted. In seconds, horse and rider were galloping down the road leading out of town. Aphrodite just huffed in irritation, stomped a foot and disappeared in a shower of pink and red hearts.

***

They were hiding in the bushes that edged the woods, where the small army of well-armed soldiers was camped. Eight pairs of eyes watched the men meander through the camp and lounge around blazing campfires. A pair of bright green eyes watched the largest tent in the encampment and then tracked to the alert gaze of the woman next to her.

"I want to get closer to their command tent," Gabrielle whispered to Solari.

The scout took in the guards posted at strategic points around the encampment. They'd already passed three sentries with relative ease, but she wasn't sure about the rest. The encampment looked fairly relaxed, like the men weren't expecting anyone to spy on them, especially within a few paces of the clearing they'd chosen.

"I'm not sure that's a good idea, My Queen," Solari answered in the same hushed tone. "They'll be much more alert than the last army was."

"I just want to find out where they took the girls," Gabrielle said, as she quietly moved back into the bushes and skirted the perimeter.

The sound of a stick cracking nearby pulled Gabrielle up short and she immediately dropped to a crouch and remained frozen in place. She scanned the trees for any sign of what had caused the noise and watched in relief as a soldier moved back toward the encampment. He retied the drawstring of his pants and adjusted himself as he made his way back toward one of the campfires.

"Eh! Brewster!" The man called loudly in a gruff voice. "Ye got anymore o' that ale?"

"Not enough to satisfy yer thirst, Argus," Brewster called back with a loud chuckle.

"There ain't enough ale in all of Thrace to satisfy his thirst!" Another man shouted, to the answering guffaws of the rest of the men around the campfire.

"No, but I bet I know what would satisfy you, Praesus," Argus slapped the dark-haired man on the back. "Them sweeties what left 'ere at dusk, eh?"

Gabrielle's attention was suddenly wholeheartedly on the conversation around the campfire. She shifted positions enough to hear the men better. It wasn't long before she was joined by Solari, who crouched low next to her. Gabrielle held a finger up to her lips and motioned toward the men.

"'Twas a sorry shame the commander let 'em go off with them slavers," Praesus shook his head. "We coulda had some real fun with them younguns. Sorry, sorry shame, it was."

"Ye think that bastard, Salmoneus, will get good coin for 'em?" Another man asked. "Those girls were awfully young."

Gabrielle and Solari exchanged a glance, as they returned their attention to the men.

"Man was a weasel in sheep's clothin', if'n ye ask me," Praesus commented, as he downed the rest of his ale. "Slavers make me sick."

"Probably not above samplin' the wares, lucky bastard," Brewster spat into the fire, sending a shower of sparks into the still night air.

"Amazons ain't worth the effort," Praesus said. "From what I heard about 'em, they're more interested in stickin' with their own kind. Ain't a man around what could give 'em what they want. 'Sides, them girls was just girls. Not worth the effort."

Brewster stood up and grabbed his crotch. "Ain't a woman alive what could resist this package!"

The men roared with laughter. Gabrielle took that opportunity to slip back into the darkness and return to the group of waiting women. She waited long enough for Solari to rejoin them and then moved even farther into the trees. When she knew they were far enough away from the encampment, Gabrielle straightened and turned to face the others.

"Your majesty?" T'laia spoke up softly, once they were all away from the encampment.

"I got what we needed," Gabrielle said. "I know who took the girls."

"You know this Salmoneus?" Solari spoke up.

They were surrounded by trees that hid them from prying eyes, but Gabrielle knew they weren't quite out of the woods. There were still sentries patrolling the woods surrounding the army's encampment. She motioned for the women to keep their voices down.

"I know Salmoneus," Gabrielle whispered just loud enough for them to hear her. "Let's get back to the horses and I'll fill you in on what I know."

Seven shadowy heads nodded, as the women made their way through the trees in the darkness. They had gone no more than fifty paces when they suddenly found themselves surrounded by shadowed figures.

"Halt!" A man's voice pierced the darkness. "Who goes there?"

Gabrielle immediately ducked into her fighter's crouch, as the Amazons quickly armed themselves for battle. She had her staff with her and immediately swung it in the direction of the voice. A satisfied smirk played on her lips as the sound of wood connecting with bone rang through the woods. All Hades broke loose at that moment as shadowy figures suddenly erupted in utter chaos around her.

"I've got your back, My Queen," Solari's calm, cool voice sounded behind her.

Gabrielle took comfort in the presence of the scout at her back, but wished that it was another, more-seasoned warrior, instead. She especially wished Xena was there when it looked as if the skirmish would be won by the men in their midst.

Gabrielle jabbed her staff into the midsection of a tall shadow in front of her and was relieved when it was a man's exhale that greeted her ears. She raised the staff and brought it down as hard as she could on the man's head. Her hands easily absorbed the impact, as a loud crack rang out in the woods. When he dropped at her feet in a crumpled heap, she shifted sideways to meet the downward arc of a sword aimed at her head.

The sounds of wood and steel reverberated loudly through the woods, as Gabrielle thrust upward with her staff and followed the move with a quick sideswipe to her opponent's exposed chest. The man just managed to dodge her maneuver, however. Gabrielle could just make out his shadow in the darkness and swung her staff low in an effort to take out his legs.

She connected with something and was just about to put everything into taking him down. Unfortunately, she wasn't prepared to have Solari slam into her from behind. The Amazon knocked her off-balance enough that Gabrielle merely dealt her opponent a glancing blow off his boot. She heard Solari cry out in pain, but didn't have time to find out what happened.

Her opponent thrust his sword towards her with an angry grunt, and Gabrielle was barely able to recover her balance enough to spin away from the blade. Xena's advice rang clearly in her mind, as she lifted her shoulder and came around with a quick blow that connected with his head. She heard the loud crack and an oof amidst the rest of the fighting around her. She was sure he was down for good, especially when he slammed into a nearby tree and slid to the ground in an unmoving heap.

She turned to see how the rest of the group was faring and noticed that only women were still standing around her. She smiled and nodded in satisfaction, but quickly sobered when she remembered Solari.

"Status," Gabrielle said to the woman closest to her.

"I think we're all okay, My Queen," the woman-Selene-said breathlessly. "Just a few scratches and some bruises."

"Solari?" Gabrielle called quietly into the gathered group.

"Here, My Queen," the scout stepped forward holding her arm.

"Are you okay?" Gabrielle asked with concern.

"It's just a scratch, My Queen. I'm fine," Solari said as she pulled something from the belt at her waist and quickly wrapped it around her arm.

"Let's get back to the horses, then," Gabrielle said. "That noise is not going to go unnoticed by the soldiers back there-no matter how drunk they are."

They silently continued on through the darkness, careful to stay close to the trees and keep to the shadows as the sounds of pursuit suddenly pierced the silence behind them. The small group continued on until they spotted several large shadows and heard a horse snort nervously ahead.

"Easy, boy," Gabrielle said as she gingerly approached the largest of the beasts and quickly mounted the black gelding.

She patiently waited for the others to mount up before she nudged the gelding into a walk. They patiently made their way through the remainder of the woods, allowing the horses to pick their path in the inky darkness. The sounds of pursuit receded, as they finally emerged from the woods into the faint glow of a small sliver of moonlight.

Gabrielle kicked the gelding into a fast trot in order to put as much distance between them and the soldiers as possible. When she was sure they were a safe distance from the army, Gabrielle pulled her mount to a halt in a small clearing just off the road.

"So?" Solari waited expectantly for Gabrielle to speak.

"Salmoneus is a friend of mine," Gabrielle responded when she finally caught her breath. "He won't sell the girls as slaves. If anything, he'll take them someplace safe until he can figure out what to do with them." She smirked. "He certainly won't sell them on the auction block, if he knows what's good for him."

"So you trust this person, My Queen?" M'Lina asked.

"Let's just say, he's not the most honest businessman Xena and I have run across in our travels," Gabrielle answered. "But he does have certain scruples. He won't sell a bunch of girls into slavery, no matter how much profit he could gain off the deal. Salmoneus is many things, but a slaver is not among them."

"So how do we get the girls back?" Solari asked. "How do we find this Salmoneus?"

"Don't worry, he'll find us," Gabrielle answered. "Xena and I always seem to run into him at just the right moment."

"If you say so, My Queen," M'Lina's tone reflected her skepticism. "I'd really like to know that Aestia is all right, though."

"She'll be fine," Gabrielle put a smile in her tone to reassure the woman. "Let's get back to the village?"

"Not so fast, Amazon!!" A dozen men on horseback suddenly emerged from the trees and surrounded Gabrielle's smaller group.

Gabrielle knew Amazons were great fighters on the ground and in the trees, but they didn't have quite the same skill level on horseback. She decided to err on the side of caution and raised her hands in surrender.

"Stand down, Amazons!" She shouted, when they all went for the swords at their backs. "Let's see what these guys have to say, first." She turned toward the man who had addressed her. "What do you want?"

The man glanced at the man next to him with a knowing grin. "Do you lead these women?"

"I do," Gabrielle answered as she eyed the man cautiously. "Why?"

"I bring a message from Thadeus Salmoneus," he yanked a piece of parchment from beneath his armor and reached toward her.

Gabrielle nudged her mount forward to within reach of the man's outstretched hand. A prickle of warning raced up her back at the look in the man's eyes, but she ignored it. Her first concern was for the girls who had been taken. She hoped Salmoneus was taking good care of them. She also hoped he wasn't somehow mixed up in the whole mess with Athena's army and this latest army. Then again, Salmoneus was probably right in the thick of it and had somehow gotten in over his head-again.

"My Queen," Solari hissed a warning.

Gabrielle realized her mistake too late, when the man's other arm appeared from behind his back to reveal a small crossbow aimed at her chest. She merely straightened in the saddle and waited for his next move.

"Queen?" He quirked a brow at her. "I am truly honored, then. It seems my patience has paid off. I would presume I am in the esteemed presence of Gabrielle, Queen of the Thracian Amazons?"

"Who are you?" Gabrielle glared at the man.

"Let's just say I'm an avid admirer," he smirked at her and motioned for one of his men to take the reins of her horse. "Cooperate and no one dies-including you," he said, as several additional mounted men emerged from the trees with crossbows aimed at the Amazons. "Drop your weapons, ladies."

The Amazons all pulled their swords from the scabbards at their backs and threw them unceremoniously into a pile on the ground. A soldier quickly dismounted and collected the weapons, which he placed in a large leather pouch that he tied to his horse. Once he was mounted again, the leader nodded to his men to precede him with the Amazons. He waited until the last soldier and Amazon were clear and then turned his attention back to Gabrielle.

"Toss me your staff," he ordered and Gabrielle did so. "Now, shall we?" He motioned for the soldier holding Gabrielle's reins to follow the others, which he did.

Gabrielle sighed inwardly at her obvious stupidity, while outwardly she remained calm and indifferent to the men around them. She knew Xena would rub her nose in this latest fiasco and wasn't looking forward to the lecture she would eventually have to listen to when the warrior finally showed up to rescue them-if she showed up at all. After all, Xena had no idea what Gabrielle had gotten herself into this time around. That thought sent a shiver up her spine.

***
Chapter 11

Dawn was just breaking, as she entered the forest that bordered Amazon lands to the west and felt her hackles instantly go up. Xena had pushed Argo to the limits of endurance to get so far in such a short time. The horse was exhausted and so was she after their all-night ride. But still the warrior pushed on, albeit at a much slower pace now that they were in the dense forest. A chill gray mist still clung to the ground within the cover of the trees and Xena stifled the urge to shiver.

She knew where the Amazons usually patrolled and pulled Argo to a halt when she knew she was close enough to sense that she was no longer alone.

"Yo, Xena!!!"

Several masked figures dropped from the trees as soon as Xena held her hands above her head in the signal of friendship. She dropped her arms to her sides, but remained mounted on the mare, as one of the Amazons stepped confidently forward and pushed her mask back on her head.

"Hello, Eponin," Xena greeted the weapons master with a tired smile.

"Eph told us to be on the lookout for you, but we didn't expect you to show up so soon," Eponin said, as Xena slid tiredly from the saddle. "Did Chilapa make it there that quickly?"

"Chilapa?" Xena shook her head. "I didn't see her."

Eponin scratched the back of her neck. "Huh," she shrugged. "So, if you didn't meet up with Chilapa, why are you here?"

"Thought I'd?um?" Xena stood with her hands on her hips and tried to come up with a reasonable explanation for the strange feeling of dread that had plagued her for the better part of her journey. "Why was Chilapa on her way to Amphipolis?"

"Gabrielle sent her to find you," Eponin answered.

"Okay, Eponin, what's going on?" Xena decided to just cut to the chase. "Is something wrong?"

"We were attacked," Eponin answered. "Another army breached our southern border and burned a path right through to the village with that sticky Greek fire. They also kidnapped a bunch of girls who were hiding in the meal hut and then the army retreated like a bunch of cowards." She shifted her stance and crossed her arms over her ample, leather-clad bosoms. "Don't know what they were after, except the girls. Several of our huts burned, but other than that things are okay. We only suffered minimum casualties, too. It was the weirdest thing." She shook her head. "Gabrielle organized a search party and went after the girls. She left just a candlemark before the midnight hour."

A myriad of emotions shot through the warrior, but her mask of indifference remained firmly planted on her features. That churning in her gut suddenly erupted in a full-blown ache at the woman's last words.

"Gabrielle went after kidnappers?" Xena asked.

Eponin grinned proudly. "She's learned a lot traveling with you, Xena. She read the tracks, figured out which ones were the girls' and even figured out that three of the kidnappers were women." The Amazon crossed her arms over her chest. "Then she stood up to Ignesia's crap and even managed to put the woman in her place. Although, there was that goat?"

Xena's gaze shot to the weapons master's. "Goat?"

"Yeah, this black and white goat showed up and walked right up to her, like he knew her or something," Eponin shrugged. "It was even stranger than the attack by the army. Is there somethin' we should know about, Xena? This really stinks worse than a wet centaur."

"Let's go," Xena said and didn't wait for the Amazon escort party to follow her as she continued on toward the village.

Eponin managed to catch up to the warrior's longer strides. "Hey, is somethin' wrong, Xena?"

"Other than my partner is off on another one of her hair-brained rescue missions?" Xena shot back with a frown. "No. What could possibly be wrong?"

"You don't think?" Eponin considered the warrior's words. "Gabrielle said she could handle tracking down the girls."

"Well, I don't care what she said, something went wrong," Xena stated emphatically.

"How do you know that?" Eponin shot the warrior a curious glance, as she tried not to trip over the gnarled roots sticking up in her path. "Everything's been pretty quiet since that army attacked. Not a peep from anything or anyone."

"Except the goat," Xena muttered.

"What's with the goat, anyway?" Eponin asked. "He took off when Gabirelle made a grab for him and hasn't been seen since. It's like he just..."

"Vanished?" Xena answered without missing a beat. "Yeah, I figured out why that stupid goat made my skin tingle every time he was around. I also figured out why he wasn't around when I was. The goat is Ares in disguise."

"Ares? As in God of War? That Ares?" Eponin whistled in awe. "But what's he want with Gabrielle?"

"Not sure yet, but I intend to find out," Xena said and picked up the pace until Eponin and the others were jogging in order to keep up.

***

Gabrielle kept trying to loosen the leather straps that bound her, back-to-back, with Solari. So far, though, all she'd managed to do was tighten them to the point that she could no longer feel her hands. Grinding her teeth in frustration, the bard shifted her position against the tent pole and heard a grunt out of the woman behind her.

"Please, My Queen," Solari winced in pain again. "They're too tight as it is. You're only making them tighter by wiggling around so much."

"You got any better ideas?" Gabrielle hissed in frustration again. "I'm certainly open to suggestions, Solari."

They were alone in the small tent. The other Amazons with them had been taken to another tent when the group arrived in the army encampment. Gabrielle wasn't sure what would happen to any of them, but was sure the separation didn't bode well for her or Solari. She ground her teeth in frustration and tried not to take her mood out on the other woman. So far she wasn't succeeding. Neither was Solari. They were both prickly.

"Yeah, just sit still and wait for an opportunity to escape," Solari winced again when Gabrielle lifted an arm and pulled hers along with it. "I'm sure they'll untie us when they feed us. All your efforts really aren't getting us anywhere, My Queen."

"I'm not waiting around for someone else to decide my fate," Gabrielle growled, as she finally gave up. "Ugh! This is not working."

"No kidding," Solari groused sarcastically.

Gabrielle turned her head enough that she could see the Amazon out of the corner of her eye. "Do you have something you want to get off your chest, Sol?"

"Not a thing, My Queen," Solari answered.

"It's just Gabrielle, Solari," the bard sighed in exasperation. She glanced around the tent to see if there was anything within reach that she could use to help her escape. "I'm only queen when we're in the village. Okay? Out here on the road?" She glanced around the tent again. "Or, rather, in this tent-it's just Gabrielle."

"I'm sworn to serve you as our queen," Solari countered in an annoyed tone. "Calling you by your given name is a serious breach of protocol, My Queen."

"Yeah, I'm sure it is," Gabrielle replied sarcastically. "I guess that would be too much to ask."

"Speaking of asking," Solari said. "I've been meaning to ask why you fell so easily for their leader's little trick back there."

Gabrielle sighed heavily. "Character flaw."

"Excuse me, My Queen?"

"Have you ever wondered why I rarely put myself-my character-into the stories I tell about Xena?" Gabrielle explained.

"Artistic license?" Solari shrugged. "Because you're modest and don't like talking about yourself?"

"No," Gabrielle shook her head and stared at the tent wall. "I was an active participant in everything that happened, but?"

Solari was listening intently, curious to hear this little tidbit of information about the woman who would lead their tribe, but who was never around long enough to do so. Her travels with Xena were the stuff of legend. But it always had Solari wondering why the bard was noticeably absent from her tales about the warrior she traveled with. Solari just figured it was artistic license of some sort.

"But?"

"Do you ever wonder how people really perceive you?" Gabrielle replied. "How you look in the eyes of other people?"

"No," Solari answered with a head shake. "I just figure I'm an Amazon. That's all that matters."

"What if that's not really what matters?" Gabrielle prodded. "What if what it matters more that you do the things you do out of honor, duty and a sense of what's right?"

"Much of that comes with being an Amazon, My Queen," Solari answered. "We are a very honorable people and our first duty is to the tribe. After that we are bound by our duty to our queen-which is why I can't call you by your given name. So what does this have to do with a flaw in your character, My Queen?"

"Everything, I'm afraid," Gabrielle sighed. "I tell those stories because Xena is a hero."

"Shyeah, now," Solari scoffed. "I've heard tales of the other Xena-the evil one who wanted to rule the world and destroy anyone who got in her way. The stories don't really paint her in a good and noble light."

"Exactly," Gabrielle nodded. "And when Xena and I encounter a situation that requires her to put her sense of honor and duty before all else?"

"You're her voice of reason," Solari finished. "But how is that a flaw, My Queen? I don't see your reasoning as being flawed."

"Would you see it that way if I tended to always see the tankard as half full?" Gabrielle said quietly. "Life is not always made up of black and white situations. There are numerous layers of gray out there and we encounter them every day, Xena and I. It's sometimes difficult to see all good or all bad. But my stories paint Xena as a good and noble hero. I have to tell it that way in order for people to trust that what she's doing is in their best interest. It's become my job to change the stigma of her past, by expounding on the great things she does in the present."

"Are you saying she doesn't always act in the best interest of those she's helping?" Solari asked hesitantly.

"No, I'm saying that Xena has a better grasp on the Greater Good than many people," Gabrielle replied. "It's just hard sometimes to know exactly why she does what she does or acts the way she acts. Xena isn't black and white. Nor is anyone that we've encountered, including the gods. Some people act out of selfish greed or self-preservation. Others just do what they're told out of a sense of duty and honor. And some just want to dominate those weaker than themselves. A very select few actually know what's best for people and act upon it."

"So, what's that got to do with you?" Solari ventured quietly.

"I generally believe that the majority of people act unselfishly," Gabrielle answered. "I want to think the best people. I want everyone to be good."

"And when they're not?" Solari prodded.

"I generally get caught with my skirt down, so to speak," Gabrielle answered with a wry smirk.

"You thought that guy was actually delivering a message from Salmoneus," Solari nodded.

"No," Gabrielle shook her head. "I knew he was lying."

"Then, why?"

"Things aren't always as they seem, Sol," Gabrielle answered quickly. "That much I have learned from Xena. This encampment-these people-none of it is what it appears to be."

"Okay, now I'm really confused," Solari rolled her eyes. "How did we go from talking about your character flaw to things not being what they are-or seem?"

"I was once a naďve young shepherd's kid," Gabrielle continued with a wry smirk. "That naiveté got me into more trouble than I will ever admit, even to my sisters." The smirk grew into a full-fledged grin. "But I've learned to trust in who I am and why I'm here. Not here, here, but here on this earth at this time, here."

"Huh?"

"My purpose," Gabrielle elaborated. "It may seem that I'm just the helpless sidekick who relies on the hero to save her from the evils of the world. But I'm not as helpless as I seem."

"Okay, now you totally lost me, My Queen," Solari said.

"Don't worry, things will unfold just the way they're meant to and all will be revealed," Gabrielle said and then went silent.

"You're beginning to sound like an oracle, My Queen," Solari commented when Gabrielle remained silent for several moments.

The silence stretched on for a while, as each woman pondered the conversation between them. Gabrielle knew without a doubt what she would do when the army commander played out his hand. She just wasn't sure yet how her actions would bode for the women who looked to her as their queen. She hoped her brief discussion with Solari would somehow bolster her esteem in the eyes of the Amazons, but held little hope that it would do anything more than paint her as the loyal sidekick to a murderer of their sisters.

***

Xena stood with her arms crossed in front her as she faced the Amazon council. Ten elders sat in their elaborately-decorated chairs with various expressions on their faces while Ephiny pleaded her case before them. The regent had already extolled on Xena's abilities as a warrior.

"We need to send more warriors after the rescue party," Ephiny said.

"We've no idea where they might be, much less if they're still alive," Kesstra said and received several silent nods of agreement. "Why send more warriors out into the unknown, when we have so few who are able to perform such physical duties any longer."

The outspoken councilwoman had a shock of gray hair on her head that belied her forty summers. Many of the councilwomen looked to her as their spokeswoman and she was more than willing to comply. Kesstra was often the voice of reason, where Ignesia was often the voice of bitter descent.

Ephiny just rolled her eyes. "The pregnant warriors aren't useless, Kesstra. They are more than capable of wielding a sword to protect the village."

"Then why didn't they when the army attacked the village?" Ignesia jumped to her feet and glared at the regent.

"The attack happened too quickly and ended too abruptly for any of us to mount a proper defense," Ephiny argued. "Many of the warriors barely had time to dress, much less arm themselves for the attack."

"We were too complacent," Ignesia raised a fist. "Those treaties lulled us into complacency, just like I argued they would."

"They did no such thing," Ephiny countered. "Besides, this isn't the time to go into that. We need to act for the sake of our sisters. I ask that we provide Xena with ten able bodied warriors who will go after the rescue party and bring them home safely."

Ignesia glared at the stoic warrior. "Xena is not an Amazon."

"I don't see what that has to do with it, Ignesia," Kesstra said. "Xena is a friend of the Amazons and has shown nothing but support for our queen. I agree with Ephiny's assessment and support her request."

Six of the ten councilwomen nodded their agreement, while Ignesia merely scowled silently from her seat. Hers was the chair farthest from the queen's throne to the regent's right. That seat was given to the member with the lowest status on the council and was usually held by the youngest councilwoman. Four council members would have to die or step down in order for her to take the seat closest to the regent, which then put her five seats from the place of honor. Only those of highest esteem, besides the regent, were granted permission to sit to the queen's left.

During the days of Melosa's reign, Ignesia's mother, who died two summers prior, had held the seat of honor on Melosa's left. That was when Terreis was princess and sat in the chair of highest honor to Melosa's right. Since Gabrielle's ascension to the throne and Ephiny's appointment as regent, the seat of honor was given to Pilar, head weaver and adviser to the queen. Ignesia's place next to the queen had been usurped by a commoner in the dissenter's eyes. Ever since Ignesia had openly shown her support of Velasca, she had been made to suffer the humiliation of losing her place of honor on the council. She was determined to eventually reclaim what she'd lost.

"I concur," Pilar added with a slight nod of her own gray head. "Xena has much experience dealing with armies and will know what to do if our queen has fallen into enemy hands. I give my agreement to allow her to take ten warriors and pursue Queen Gabrielle and her party."

"Is that a consensus, then?" Ephiny looked to the other council members and was satisfied that only Ignesia and one other refused to nod their agreement. "Then the matter is settled." She turned to Xena. "You may choose whomever you wish to take with you, Xena. I bid you good hunting." She nodded her head and waved a hand, as she sat down on her throne.

Xena nodded slightly and noticed the smile lifting the corners of the regent's lips. She knew Ephiny would wait for the rest of the assemblage to disperse before leaving. Xena had seen the slight lift of the regent's chin that was their silent signal for the warrior to stick around, but out of sight.

Xena walked outside into a moonless torch-lit night and paused just outside the hut door. She noticed Eponin lurking just to her right and snuck up on the weapons master.

"Boo," Xena said close to the woman's ear.

"Ahhhh," Eponin jumped and turned to confront her adversary, then lowered her arms. "Hey, Xena."

"You waitin' for Ephiny to come out?" Xena smirked at the woman who was trying valiantly to regain her composure.

"Somethin' like that," Eponin answered. "They take you up on your offer in there?"

"Somethin' like that," Xena nodded.

"And why didn't you just go after her maj by yourself?" Eponin asked. "We all know you don't have to answer to anything the council says."

Xena shrugged. "Turning over a new leaf, I guess."

"A new leaf?" Eponin scoffed. "More like a bushel of poison oak, if ya ask me."

Xena's brow rose. "You sayin' I'm an irritant, Eponin?"

"Nope," Eponin shook her head. "I'm sayin' you don't have to listen to the council. That's all. Not like you to ask permission to go after Gabrielle. You're more the 'Go get 'em and ask questions later' kinda person."

"Like I said, I'm turning over a new leaf," Xena smirked wryly. "Besides, Gabrielle's fine where she is."

That got a raised brow from the weapons master. Then Eponin's expression turned suspicious.

"Are you sayin' you know where Gabrielle is?" Eponin finally asked.

Xena crossed her arms over her armored chest and let the stoic mask fall into place. "I'm not saying anything."

"Does Eph know?"

"Know what?"

"Ugh!" Eponin exclaimed in frustration, before she realized the council members were slowly making their way out of the hut. "That's my cue."

"Hey, Eponin?" Xena called after the woman who was about to step inside the hut.

"Yeah?"

"Tell Eph I'll see her after all this is over," Xena winked at the weapons master and disappeared around a corner out of sight.

***

Gabrielle had given up trying to free herself from the leather bindings that held her and Solari. Her wrists ached from all her futile efforts and she was frustrated beyond belief. So, she just sat there listening to the activity outside the tent.

It was nighttime and several torches cast golden light outside the tent. She couldn't see much through the opening, but she knew the men were probably eating their evening meal. Her stomach chose that moment to make itself known with a loud growl.

"I'm hungry, too," Solari said. "Do you think they forgot about us?"

"Not likely," Gabrielle replied.

"Then why hasn't anyone been here to see us since they tied us up in here?" Solari added.

Gabrielle shrugged and was sorry she did when the muscles in her shoulders and arms protested the movement. "Honestly, I don't know."

"How do you think the others are doing?" Solari decided to continue the conversation, rather than sit quietly and ponder their fate. Those thoughts were just too much to bear, she realized. "Do you think these guys are taking better care of them than they are us?"

Just then they heard loud, raucous laughter only a few paces away from the tent they were in. The laughter was followed by a loud curse and then more laughter. A woman's voice said something unintelligible and then more laughter followed.

"Somehow I don't think so," Gabrielle answered.

"Gods, you don't think?"

"I really hope not," Gabrielle cut her off before she could finish the sentence. "The village is trying to cope with enough pregnant warriors as it is."

Solari shook her curly head. "Do you think?"

"Not likely," Gabrielle interrupted again. "You're tied up in here with me. They must know that you're someone of importance, or they would've thrown you in with the others."

They heard more raucous laughter outside the tent.

"I smell?"

"Good evening, ladies," a man suddenly pushed aside the tent flap and entered.

Malachae carried a large tray with various items on it and set it down on the ground near the women. He removed the wooden bowls and mugs from the tray and then glared at the two women.

"I'm gonna untie ye," he said. "Now, no funny stuff. There's two armed guards outside just waitin' for the chance to run ye through." He turned his attention fully on Gabrielle. "Do I have yer word that ye'll not try to escape, yer majesty?"

Gabrielle glanced up at the older man and frowned. "Do I have a choice?"

He shrugged. "Everyone's got a choice. Do I have yer word?"

"You have my word," Gabrielle answered. She was relieved when he untied her, but the relief was short-lived when the circulation returned and her hands tingled painfully. "Will you at least tell us why we've been kept here all day without so much as a word from anyone?"

"Commander's orders," Malachae answered, as he finished untying Solari.

Gabrielle grabbed one of the wooden bowls and sniffed its contents. It didn't smell too bad, so she took a tentative bite and realized it was some kind of stew. She didn't want to know what the men were hunting down to put in the stew, so she just ate it without comment. She watched out of the corner of her eye as the soldier moved just out of her and Solari's reach.

"Are you just a regular soldier?" Gabrielle asked when she'd finally filled her growling stomach enough to quiet its protests.

"I'm one of the lieutenants," he answered. "Name's Malachae."

"I'm Gabrielle and this is Solari," Gabrielle said with a nod. She grabbed one of the mugs and sniffed its contents, then took a sip of the heady brew. "So, who do we have to thank for our?" she glanced around the sparse tent, "luxurious accommodations?"

Malachae actually chuckled at the jibe. "Our commander isn't one for plush finery. He's a soldier, through and through. No need for a lot of extra accoutrements when you're fightin' the good fight."

"And is it?" Gabrielle glanced up from her food with a raised brow and waved her spoon in his direction. "I'm not sure I understand why your army is targeting my sisters or why they kidnapped our girls and sold them to a slave trader."

"It's what the commander wants," Malachae evaded. "He's right sore at the Amazons-at you-for what happened to his brother."

"His brother?" Gabrielle knew she was getting somewhere and wanted him to keep telling her what she needed to know.

"General Varagus was the commander's brother," Malachae replied. "Ye killed him. Sent a bunch of yer women in to slaughter him and his officers like a bunch o' sheep. The commander's incensed that his own flesh and blood got caught with his britches down."

"He marched on Amphipolis and destroyed it," Gabrielle countered. "He was about to do the same to Potidea, a village just a few leagues to the west of Amphipolis. My warriors did what they had to do to stop the army from decimating everything in its path."

"Weren't no one killed," Malachae argued. "The general was just doin' what he was ordered to."

"By whom?" Gabrielle cocked her head and glared at the man.

Malachae suddenly realized he'd said too much. He nervously rubbed the back of his neck. "Time for the two of ye to finish up. The commander'll be by in a little while. Ye can ask him all yer questions when ye see him."

Gabrielle blew out a frustrated breath as she turned her back to the tent pole. "Can you at least not tie our hands together so tightly? It cuts off the circulation."

Gabrielle felt the man's gruff hands on her wrists, as he looped the leather thong around both her hands and Solari's. She flexed her muscles and waited patiently for him to bind her hands to Solari.

"There ye go," Malachae tested the bindings one last time. "It won't be long afore the commander comes to visit. Don't go nowhere." The last was said with a gruff chuckled, as he stood up, collected the dishes and left the tent without another word.

"Wanna tell me what you just did?" Solari whispered.

"Not sure yet," Gabrielle replied as she relaxed her arms and tested the bindings.

The bindings were looser than they had been before, but she wasn't sure her extra efforts would yet pay off. Without a word she went to work on the rough leather in the hope that she could pull off a trick Xena had tried to teach her once. It wasn't something she'd ever done before, and she didn't know if it would work. But if it did?

***

Xena crouched low in the bushes at the edge of the army's encampment, not far from where Gabrielle and the others had been earlier that day. She could clearly see several tents in the middle of the encampment and was sure Gabrielle was being held in one of them. She'd applied the pinch to one of the sentries and learned that Gabrielle and her retinue had been captured. She'd also learned the fate of the girls who had been taken. It was all starting to come together.

Xena waited silently for the right opportunity to do what she needed to do. The men were already deep in their ale mugs, which meant it wouldn't be long before many of them succumbed to the effects of the alcohol. Her mind raced with possible scenarios. She also watched closely for any sign of that elusive goat. Xena knew he was there-waiting, biding his time. She also knew Ephiny and the others were just about to join her.

"Hey," Xena whispered and put a finger to her lips, as the regent came up next to her.

"Hey yourself," Ephiny whispered back and signaled to the others to stay low and out of sight. "You got anything yet?"

"They're here," Xena answered.

"Which 'they' are we talking about?"

"Gabrielle, Solari and the others," Xena said.

"Are you sure?" Ephiny asked and received a quick nod. "What about the girls?"

"They're with Salmoneus," Xena replied. "He's probably taken them someplace safe, where he can send word back that he has them."

"You're on a first-name basis with a slave trader?" Ephiny shot the warrior a skeptical look.

"Salmoneus isn't a slave trader," Xena said. "He's a businessman who dabbles in?this and that."

"Apparently 'this and that' also includes slaves," Ephiny shot back sarcastically. "He'd better not put those girls on a boat headed to the slave markets of North Africa or Alexandria. I'll hunt him down and kill him myself."

Xena snorted. "Hardly."

"I hope you're right," Ephiny conceded with a shrug. "So what's the plan to free Gabrielle and the others?"

"Not sure yet," Xena said as she kept her eyes on the encampment. "I'm working on it."

"Better work fast," Ephiny said as she motioned with her chin toward a group of soldiers headed toward one of the smaller tents. "Don't know if we can handle more pregnant warriors in our midst. We certainly can't afford to lose anymore of our numbers."

They watched as several of the soldiers entered the tent with raucous laughter and hearty guffaws from their companions. Two of the soldiers immediately flew back out of the tent and landed at their comrades' feet, much to the amusement of those in the vicinity. Xena and Ephiny couldn't hear everything that was going on so far away, but they knew things would eventually get out of hand. Xena just hoped Gabrielle was holding her own.

***

Gabrielle looked up when she heard the tent flap being pushed back. A torch preceded a man's entrance into the dim interior and she had to squint against the sudden brightness. Solari shifted behind her and Gabrielle could feel her bindings nearly fall free. She just stayed still and let the man move closer to her. As she watched him approach, she realized he wasn't very intimidating for a seasoned army commander.

"Gabrielle of Potidea, I presume?" Kalgred handed the torch off to Malachae, who stood just behind him.

"Who wants to know?" Gabrielle glared at the man.

Kalgred chuckled and absently stroked his goatee. "I must say, you're not nearly as?intimidating as I thought you'd be."

"Guess that opinion is shared by both of us, then," Gabrielle answered, as she stared at straight ahead at his crotch rather than crane her neck to look up at him. "Should I be impressed that I'm in the presence of the esteemed commander of this band of merry men?"

He chuckled again. "A witty response. I like that you have a sense of humor." He waved a hand and Malachae immediately bent down to untie the women. "My apologies for the rather crude accommodations." He looked around at the sparse interior. "I'm sure you understand we weren't expecting to entertain guests."

Gabrielle felt the leather thong fall away, as she glanced at the older man hovering mere inches from her face. They exchanged a knowing glance, but neither one spoke as she saw his expression mirror his surprise at the loose bindings. She merely smirked, stood up and glared at the man before her.

"Put her with the others," Kalgred waved a dismissive hand, as Malachae pulled Solari to her feet and ushered her out of the tent.

"Will she receive the same treatment as the other women you're holding?" Gabrielle asked defiantly. "We could hear what your men were doing to them, even from here."

"My men are easily amused," Kalgred regarded her with a critical eye. "Don't worry about the Amazons, they're fine. They know how to hold their own."

"Okay," Gabrielle conceded hesitantly and crossed her arms over her chest. "So?"

Kalgred motioned for her to take a seat on a low bench near a wall. "Please."

"I'm well rested, I assure you," Gabrielle merely stood her ground.

They were alone in the tent, but Gabrielle didn't feel the slightest trepidation in the man's presence. Kalgred was a big man and quite muscular, but there was something about him that teased at the edges of Gabrielle's consciousness.

Kalgred turned away from her and paced a few steps. "There is no more time for games, I'm afraid," he waved a hand and his appearance suddenly shimmered as he transformed right before her eyes.

Chapter 12

Gabrielle wasn't sure whether to gasp in shock or just stand there with her mouth wide open in reaction to the man's sudden transformation. So, she did the next best thing. She merely hid her reaction behind one of Xena's famous masks of indifference. The man-or god, rather-standing before her wore a gold crown and black and red robes. She recognized him immediately and was impressed that Xena had actually hit the mark on this particular score.

"Hades," Gabrielle said, as he turned to face her with a handsome grin. "So what do I owe this earthly visit? You don't usually grace us with your presence, unless something is awry in the Underworld. Last time you sent Marcus up here as a messenger. Thanks for that, by the way."

"Let's just say, I'm taking care of business for someone with a higher purpose," Hades said.

"Doing Zeus' bidding?" Gabrielle smirked knowingly.

"It doesn't really matter," he said as he moved to stand in front of her. "What matters is I'm nearly finished with the job that I was assigned to do here. Once everything is in place, I can return to my realm and continue overseeing the dead."

"So, what do you want from me?" Gabrielle eyed him speculatively. "I'm just a shepherd's kid and, last I checked," she glanced down at herself, "I'm not dead."

"And you're Xena's partner for life," he watched her brow lift at his words. "Yes, we all know how important you've become in the last few years, Gabrielle. So much so, in fact, that there are a number of parties vying for your attention."

"Aphrodite and Ares?" Gabrielle asked.

"Not just those two," he waved a negligent hand, "although Ares has become more devious in his dealings of late." His eyes rolled in exasperation. "I really don't see what he sees in you mortals."

"Me either," Gabrielle shrugged. "If you find out, would you clue me in?"

"Zeus himself has, however, learned how valuable you are in the greater scheme of things," Hades continued. "But I'm sure you have no idea what I'm referring to."

"Not a clue," Gabrielle slowly shook her head.

Hades paced several steps and turned to face her. "You know that by implanting his seed inside you, Dahak inadvertently made you into somewhat of an enigma to us."

Gabrielle was more confused than ever at his obscure revelation. She tried to follow his reasoning, but only came up with a complete blank where she and Dahak were concerned.

"Exactly what are you saying, Hades?" Gabrielle finally asked. "I don't see how?"

"Dahak's offspring, the one you named Hope, grew within you-no matter how short a time you actually carried that?demonic beast," his expression mirrored his disgust.

"It wasn't exactly a choice," Gabrielle glared at him in irritation. She knew he was a god, but his tone was accusing and it was wearing on her last nerve.

"No," Hades acknowledged. "But the truth of the matter is you were touched by the demon known as Dahak. Not only that, but you carried his offspring."

"I carried her for no more than a day," Gabrielle clarified. "It's not like we formed some demonic bond or a psychic connection. I'm not a demon, Hades." She glared at him in annoyance.

"No, you're not," Hades said. "But you were touched by the blood that ran through her veins, as much as she was touched by yours."

"She was pure evil, Hades," Gabrielle argued. "I'm not anything like her or her demonic?"

Hades stood in front of her and grasped her upper arms in a vice-like grip. "We know," he said with a gentle smile. "But we also know that your?um?experience with Dahak and Hope changed you in ways that you have yet to discover."

"What?" Gabrielle's gaze met his. "What are you saying?" She shrugged away from his hold on her and took a step back from him. "Are you saying?"

"I'm saying you have no idea what this could mean for both you and Xena," Hades interrupted. "You carried the offspring of a very powerful demon, Gabrielle. You nurtured that offspring, no matter how short the time was that your body bore that burden. You are now capable of much more than you could ever imagine."

Gabrielle's expression turned suspicious. "Why are you telling me this, Hades? What's in this for you? Why did Zeus send you here with this elaborate farce, just to deliver such an ominous message?"

"Do you remember when Xena had that encounter with the Fates?" Hades asked.

"Remember? She almost lost her mind because of what they tried to do to her," Gabrielle ground out angrily. "She also nearly killed her own mother in order to satisfy their supposed need for vengeance."

"And how did Xena respond to their claim?" Hades prodded with a knowing look.

"She told Ares he was her father," Gabrielle replied. "Wait, I don't understand what this has to do with?"

"Xena wasn't far off the mark, Gabrielle," Hades said. "She does have godly blood running through her veins. Not enough to give her immortality, but enough that she is able to pull off extraordinary feats which others only dream of."

"I still don't understand what that has to do with me," Gabrielle pressed.

"Your connection to Dahak's offspring makes you just as powerful as Xena, except in your own right," Hades explained. "That makes you an extraordinary individual and a mark for those who would use you for their own ends."

"Okaaaaay," Gabrielle said. "And?"

"The grapevine on Olympus is alive and well, Gabrielle," Hades continued. "Don't think the gods-we-are so secure in our place on Olympus, or in any realm, that we are above using mortals to accomplish the impossible."

"I'm not naďve," Gabrielle said. "I know those stories have some truth to them."

"And do you know that Zeus and Ares really have visited several women throughout history in the guises of their husbands?" Hades eyed her speculatively.

"So, Xena was right?" Gabrielle countered. "Is Ares her father?"

"Only Ares knows the answer to that," he evaded. "All I can say is that Xena's little confrontation with the Fates flustered him enough to have him seething in his throne room for days afterward."

"So, what are you telling me, then?" Gabrielle prodded.

He regarded her for a moment. "Sometimes a wolf in sheep's clothing is neither sheep nor wolf," he said. "Sometimes he is something else altogether."

"What does that mean, exactly?"

"I've said too much already," Hades replied and pulled away. "Suffice it to say, you need to be on your guard, Gabrielle. Like I said before, you are now a powerful person of interest, not only to mortals, but also to those in the immortal realms."

He didn't wait for her reply and simply straightened his shoulder before he vanished in a haze of gray smoke.

"Ugh!" Gabrielle waved a hand to clear the smoke away and muttered, "Can't they at least give a person some warning before they just up and disappear? Is it really too much to ask? I, for one, don't think so."

It only took Gabrielle a moment to realize she was alone and unfettered in the tent. She quietly snuck over to the opening and peered outside, relieved to see her two guards standing with their backs to her. She stepped away from the opening and peered around the dark space. She knew from the long hours spent tied to the tent post that there wasn't much in there for her to use as a weapon. Then it occurred to her that she could just crawl out beneath the tent wall at the back.

Gabrielle moved cautiously to the tent wall and felt down it until she was at ground level. She pushed on the cloth wall and felt it give slightly. Unfortunately, however someone had managed it, the wall was somehow attached to the ground. Gabrielle continued along the tent wall in the hopes of finding a weak point that would pull away from the ground. It wasn't to be.

When she finally reached the other side of the tent opening, she stood up and growled in frustration. She then ran her hand through her short-cropped hair and sighed. Now what?

"Hey, sweet pea," Aphrodite's voice behind Gabrielle made her jump.

"Aphrodite, what are you doing here?" The bard turned to face the newcomer, who was peering at her through the darkness.

"I came to see how you're holding up," the goddess answered, as she stepped into the dim light cast by the torches outside.

"I'm fine," Gabrielle shrugged. "Other than I'm now apparently a magnet for gods to pop in and out on unexpectedly now. It's really wearing on my last nerve, let me tell you."

Aphrodite gave Gabrielle her best empathetic look of sympathy. "Awwww, poor baby."

Gabrielle just rolled her eyes. "You want to pop me out of here?" Gabrielle asked hopefully. "That might give me some measure of peace, Aphrodite."

"Not what I'm here for, kiddo," Aphrodite shook her full head of blond curls.

"So, why are you here?" Gabrielle asked drolly, as she crossed her arms over her chest again. "Hades was just here. Are you going to feed me the same line of elusive gloom and doom that he just did?"

Aphrodite shot her a confused look. "Hades was here?"

Gabrielle just nodded. "Mmhm. He just left. Took the Olympus Express and left me standing in his smoke screen." She scowled. "Not a nice experience, incidentally."

The goddess glanced around until her gaze fell on the bench that Hades had indicated earlier. She walked over to it, dusted it off with a disgusted scowl and sat down in a flourish of pink fabric that wafted around her.

"So what did he tell you, sweet pea?" Aphrodite finally asked.

Gabrielle sighed heavily. She was tired of being held captive, tired of the gods and their interminable games-just plain tired. She walked over to the tent pole and gingerly slid down it until she was sitting on the ground with her knees pulled up and her arms resting on top of them. She let her head rest against the tent pole and just stared into the darkness until her eyes drifted closed.

"He said something about?" she thought about what he had actually said. Most of it was so vague that it made no sense. "I think he was trying to warn me about something. He talked about Dahak and Hope, then said I had some kind of power because of my connection with my daughter-my dead daughter, I might add." She opened bleary eyes and focused on the goddess. She could see that Aphrodite was silently nodding. "He mentioned Zeus and Ares and their penchant for disguises. Not sure where that was going. He was a little vague in the end." She waved a negligent hand and let her eyes drift shut again.

"No sleeping, sweet pea," Aphrodite suddenly piped up. "You need to stay awake until Xena has a chance to spring you from this place." She looked around and cringed. "Why do mortals think places like this are suitable for anyone?"

"Tired," Gabrielle muttered, as she tried to fight against the fatigue that was slowly pulling her down. It was so hard to stay awake after everything she'd been through. She sighed heavily, "Just wanna catch a li'l shuteye. Not too long. Jus'?"

The goddess watched the bard relax completely, until all Aphrodite could hear were Gabrielle's soft snores. The goddess looked around the tent and decided to take a chance. She knew Xena was close by, but she also knew there was something going on that she needed to take care of. With a last glance at the sleeping bard, the goddess raised a hand and waved it, disappearing is a flash of pink, white and red heart-shaped sparkles that quickly dissipated and plunged the tent into complete darkness.

***

Xena watched the soldiers finally settling down for the night. Campfires burned low and many of the men pulled worn blankets or furs over themselves to stave off the night's chill. Many of them just lay where they'd fallen in a drunken stupor and only a few stragglers were still on their feet.

One soldier headed right for her and his intent was clear, as he undid the clasp on the belt of his pants. Xena waited until the man was right in front of her and then reached up and yanked him off his feet. Without a single sound, she incapacitated him and left him in an unconscious heap on the ground beside her.

"Nice," Ephiny whispered, as she quietly approached the warrior and settled in next to her. She glanced over at the unconscious soldier with his pants partially open. "He a friend of yours?"

"Funny," Xena answered with a quiet snicker. "Are you and the others ready to get this show started?"

"And if we run into any of these guys that are still standing?" Ephiny shot Xena a quirked-brow look.

"Try not to make too much noise when you take them down," Xena smirked. "The less noise the better."

"Are you sure you wouldn't rather have a whole lotta noise?" Ephiny asked in all seriousness. "We're great at diversions-catch them off guard and really put some fear into them. Maybe we can scare them off for good." She motioned behind her and one of the Amazons handed her the regent's mask. Ephiny put the mask on and shook it out. "Amazons are experts at intimidation," her voice was muffled behind the mask.

Xena's smirked turned into a full-fledged smile. "Okay, but just remember there are only a handful of you against an army that outnumbers you twenty-to-one."

"Not bad odds, really," Ephiny shrugged.

Xena could hear the smiled in the regent's voice, even though her face was completely covered by the hand-carved wooden mask. Dried reeds and thatch stuck out from all over the edges of the mask, making it look even larger than it actually was. Xena glanced at the other women and noticed they were all similarly adorned. She shook her head and wondered at the wisdom of this plan. Oh well, she resolved.

"Let's get this over with and get back to the village," Xena whispered loud enough for the women to hear. "I just want my bard back."

Ephiny snickered. "Nice."

***

It was dark. Really dark. Peaceful. Quiet. Serene, but dark.

And then she saw a faint glow. No, she perceived a faint glow, as if someone were holding a lamp high overhead-very very high overhead. The glow didn't do much to illuminate the room she was in. It just made the shadows loom more ominously, like specters in an eerie nightmare. A dream. That's exactly what it was, a dream.

"Hey," a familiar husky voice said in a hushed tone, as she felt someone sit down next to her.

"Where are we?" Gabrielle cleared her throat. "What's going on?"

"Shh," a slender finger touched her lips, as a hand gently pushed her onto her back and against silk sheets that wrapped themselves around her like a second skin. "It's okay, Gabrielle."

The voice was familiar, but the feel was somehow?wrong. Fingers gently brushed her cheek and trailed down her throat. It was wrong, but it felt so?right?

"Why is it so dark?" She asked in a hushed whisper.

"Shhhh," soft lips met her lips and sent tingles of desire throughout her being.

It was like nothing she'd ever experienced and soon she was lost in exquisite sensations that coursed throughout her entire body. It happened so fast that she was unprepared for the intensity of it. Burning waves of passionate desire raced through her and ignited every fiber of her being. Her head spun as her lover's body covered hers. The fires quickly flared into a full-blown conflagration that threatened to consume her.

"No!" Gabrielle managed to call up just enough willpower to push the woman away. "This isn't?talk to me, Xena."

She gasped for breath and her thoughts became a confused jumble, but she still knew something?wasn't right. She had just enough sense left to know that the situation was absolutely wrong. She kept a hand up and felt a bare mound of flesh press insistently against it. What was happening?

"Gabrielle," the voice purred and another wave of overwhelming desire rolled over her.

She was suddenly floating on a cloud so intoxicating that she felt completely lost in it. Lost. She didn't want to lose herself-didn't want to lose her sense of self, her identity. Xena had never asked that of her. Why was she?

"Shhh, don't fight it-don't fight me," the low voice purred more insistently. "This is meant to be, Gabrielle. It's time?please?"

That feeling of pure unadulterated euphoria poured over her again and this time she couldn't fight it. Sensations she had never experienced suddenly brought every sense, every last fiber of her being, alive. Her senses were so heightened, in fact, that she could smell?

"Wait!" Gabrielle gasped breathlessly, as she pulled away again. "Why do you smell like?wet goat?"

Her lover grunted in frustration before resuming her insistent attentions. Gabrielle's mind and body cried for release from the exquisite torture that flowed around and through her with renewed force. Swirls of breathtaking lights in all the colors of a rainbow danced behind her closed lids, while a blazing heat coalesced in the very center of her being.

She opened her eyes and was amazed at the sparkling display of dazzling lights that wrapped around the two of them. Xena was aglow and her eyes shone with a lust for life that Gabrielle had never seen in their-brown depths? And then the dark head was moving down her body, as warm lips left a trail of tingling exquisite desire that was too much to bear.

"X?Xe-" Gabrielle gasped as her lover found her center and brought her to the pinnacle of the ethereal.

Their bodies melded together so perfectly, flesh-to-flesh, soul-to-soul?

"GABRIELLE!!!!"

Her name, shouted at the top of Xena's lungs, was like icy water pouring down on her head and brought Gabrielle instantly awake. She gasped for breath as the world around her suddenly flared in a blaze of torches. Xena's battle cry pierced the silence, as the warrior attacked with sword raised high over her head. But the warrior's efforts were in vane when a blazing fireball shot from the hand of the God of War and sent Xena flying across the room, where she landed in an unconscious heap.

Gabrielle looked up at the naked god towering over her and her stomach plummeted. Then she suddenly realized what he'd nearly done to her. Hades' words suddenly slammed through her mind with staggering force that sent a wave of nausea roiling through her.

The tent was suddenly filled overly crowded with people and gods, but all Gabrielle could do was seethe with an unreasoning rage.

"ARES!!!" Gabrielle screamed in frustration and anger, as she jumped to her feet and slammed her entire body into him with such force, and so suddenly, that he was taken completely by surprise.

The God of War staggered back several steps and wiped a smirk from his bearded lips with the back of a hand. He glanced around at those now standing in the tent, and his expression turned brooding. His fellow gods surrounded him and they were all watching silently with expressions that showed how much they disapproved of this latest stunt of his.

Athena was scowling and had her arms crossed over her ample bosom. Aphrodite looked far angrier than he'd ever seen her, and he briefly wondered if she'd try to harm him. Hades stood to one side and was nodding, but his expression showed he wasn't happy. Artemis was there, as were a number of others. Ares didn't care. He'd failed to complete his task and that rankled on him more than anything. He glared down at the woman at his feet.

"The cavalry arrives just in time," he shrugged and snapped his fingers. His clothes magically appeared on his body and he adjusted them casually. "Damn the Fates for their timely interference...again."

"I knew it!" Aphrodite shouted. "Ares! You son of a?" His angry glare stopped her cold and she just clammed right up.

"Caught with your pants down, eh, Ares?" Hades chuckled. "Can't say I'm not all that surprised." The Prince of the Underworld glanced at Gabrielle with a raised brow. "Don't say I didn't warn you, mortal." And then he disappeared.

"Zeus will hear of this latest betrayal, Ares," Athena seethed. "Don't be surprised if he doesn't ban you to farthest reaches of the earth for this."

Ares just rolled his eyes and snapped his fingers. He was suddenly standing before them all fully clothed and smirking proudly. His bravado returned and he turned a charming half-grin on the onlookers. He noticed Xena slowly getting to her feet to stand defiantly before them all.

"What can I say?" He shrugged and surveyed his fellow gods. His eyes met Xena's and his smirk grew into a full-fledged smile. "Can't blame me for trying, eh, Xena?" But before she could answer, he disappeared in a blinding flash.

Gabrielle turned her full attention on the warrior, as Xena approached her. She could see the hesitation in the warrior's eyes.

"I'm all right," Gabrielle said with a nod. "He didn't?" She let the words hang there.

The hesitation quickly disappeared, as Xena took Gabrielle into her arms and gave her a comforting hug. The two just stood there, silently reveling in the moment, until a throat cleared nearby.

"You two lovebirds wanna get out of here?" Aphrodite stepped forward into Xena's line of sight.

"Gabrielle," Artemis suddenly stepped up next to Aphrodite. "The Amazons need you." She glanced away and then back again. "They need your help," she glanced at Xena, "both of you."

It was then that Gabrielle heard a loud commotion outside the tent. Shouts from both men and women rang out around the tent and the clash of weapons could be heard. Gabrielle didn't let go of the taller woman in her arms, but put a possessive arm around Xena's waist as they walked to the tent opening. Both women peeked outside and saw that the Amazons were in a heated battle with the soldiers in the encampment.

Xena breathed out a heavy sigh. "I told her not to make a lot of noise," she growled, as she let go of Gabrielle and pulled her sword from the sheath at her back. "This just gets better and better," she muttered as she lifted the weapon high overhead and yelled her battle cry, "Chiyaaaaaaaaaaa!"

Gabrielle watched as Xena engaged two soldiers at once. The bard was at a loss. She didn't have her staff and couldn't see anything nearby that she could use as a weapon. She ducked back inside the tent and was slightly disappointed that it was empty. Not a single one of the gods was there to offer assistance and there was nothing in the tent to use as a weapon, either.

"That's just great," she muttered, as she shot back outside and waited for an opportunity to dash across the encampment.

Flickering firelight cast eerie shadows throughout the encampment. Gabrielle searched for a suitable weapon, while trying to stay at the perimeter of the main fracas. Amazons with swords charged their adversaries with single-minded determination. They all wore war masks that made them appear more intimidating than she knew they actually were. She smiled internally with pride, as she continued to hunt for a weapon.

"Gabrielle, here!!!" Someone shouted to her right. She turned her head in time to see the sword fly toward her. She managed to reach up and catch the hilt of the sword with both hands.

Gabrielle didn't have time to think about what she was doing. Three soldiers suddenly charged toward her with loud battle yells. She noticed they hadn't had time to don their armor. A rush of adrenaline welled up inside her, as she readied herself for the first strike. Each man wore a course overshirt and plain brown homespun pants. But the swords raised menacingly above their heads told her the men weren't concerned about their sparse attire. And their intent was clear. The sword in her hand made her an instant target. Xena's words from long ago echoed in her head, as she spun the weapon in imitation of her taller teacher.

Gabrielle met the first soldier's blade and deftly sidestepped away from the other two men. Her smaller size gave her a slight edge against the three men, but she knew they would eventually find an opening in her defenses. Her sword clanged loudly as it met one blade after another in a blinding flash of maneuvers that surprised even her. She put all her training with her staff to good use and tried to push from her mind that she was not actually using the wooden weapon.

Unfortunately, the sword was not a staff. The silver blade gleamed in the firelight, as one of her opponents slid past her guard and lunged toward her with his arm and blade outstretched. She didn't hesitate and plunged her own blade into his chest with bone-grinding precision. His momentum drove the blade to the hilt and it was all Gabrielle could do just to hold on with all her might. She felt another rush of something overtake her, as he dropped to the ground. She yanked the blade from his body with an angry snarl and turned to face the other two.

A tall soldier with dark hair swung for her head and she reacted just in time to stop the blade with her own. Long hours spent sparring with Xena were finally paying off, as she met her two remaining opponents' blades in turn. But a niggling doubt in the back of her mind gave her pause. What was she doing? Why did she suddenly feel invincible in the face of her enemies? And could she continue fighting with the strength and skill that suddenly came so easily to her?

She gripped the hilt firmly with both hands and met the dark-haired attacker's blade. Then she swung the blade around and felt it slice through flesh and bone. Much to her surprise, the man's head immediately separated from his shoulders. Gabrielle watched in astonished horror as the head went one way and the body another. The tangy scent of blood assailed her, and she felt a frenzied rush of satisfaction wash over her. It was intoxicating and?Then a searing pain in her side brought her up short, and she suddenly realized the other attacker was behind her.

An intense rage overcame her as she rounded on the man. She snarled loudly and swung her blade on instinct. The blade sliced cleanly through his midsection, spilling his entrails on the ground in front of her. Red-hot blood spewed from the open wound and splattered all over her, as the man glanced down in shocked horror. His expression would forever be burned into her consciousness, as his eyes took on a glassy look before he dropped to the ground and lay in a pool of his own blood.

Her senses heightened by the blood that clung to her, Gabrielle rounded on yet another adversary racing toward her. He yelled at the top of his lungs as he raised his sword to strike. She waited for just the right moment and then ducked his swing. Every fiber of her being came alive as she thrust her sword into him with more strength than she knew she possessed. The impact of his body slamming against hers didn't even phase her as she yanked the blade sideways and pulled it free. His momentum carried him over her and he, too, fell to the ground in a bloody heap.

But that wasn't the end of it. Gabrielle could feel her own blood surging insistently through her veins, as she looked for her next opponent. She spotted three soldiers ganging up on one lone Amazon and didn't hesitate to rush to meet yet another challenge. With another loud cry of outrage, Gabrielle jumped the man closest to her just as he was about to land a death blow to the back of the Amazon's head. Like a wild animal, she grabbed his hair, yanked his head to the side and bit into his ear.

The salty tang of blood on her tongue just instantly fed her sudden insatiable lust for blood. Even as he struggled to rid himself of the wildcat on his back, Gabrielle held on and continued her assault. Without a thought for what she was doing, Gabrielle bit clean through his ear and then ran her blade across his throat until she felt his body convulse against her. She put a hand to his slit throat and reveled in the feel of the blood oozing between her fingers, then she jumped free of him in time to go after another of his comrades.

Her next opponent had watched in horror as she killed his friend. Blood ran down her chin and covered her from head to toe, as she turned on him with a feral smirk. He shook with fear as he realized she was nearly unstoppable. She slowly stalked toward him with sure strides and licked the blood from her fingers with relish. He was terrified that she was about to spring on him.

"Wh-who are you?" He asked, as she continued toward him with deadly purpose.

"Your worst nightmare," she growled in a low voice that even she didn't recognize.

Somewhere in the back of Gabrielle's mind she knew what she was doing was wrong. The man backing away from her was little more than a young man, with a fresh growth of beard on his otherwise smooth cheeks. The fear in his eyes spoke volumes, but Gabrielle was too far gone to care. He was the enemy and she had to kill him in order to satisfy the uncontrollable bloodlust that was racing through her.

"I don't want to die," he whimpered, as a tear rolled down his dirt-streaked face.

"You shoulda thought of that before you attacked my friends," Gabirelle growled and raised her sword high above her head.

He managed to block her overhead attack, but was not so lucky when she swung the blade sideways. She managed to catch his upper arm and slice through his sleeve. He blocked her next strike and the one after that, but eventually left himself open to a thrust that pierced his side just below his ribcage. He grabbed the wound with his free hand and felt blood seep between his fingers, as he continued to fend off her blade with his own. But his efforts were no match for her. She found another opening and this time he couldn't sidestep enough to avoid the upward thrust she delivered through his stomach. His eyes bulged as the blade pierced all the way through and emerged from his back.

"Why?" He gasped into her face, as he gazed into eyes gone mad with bloodlust.

Gabrielle silently watched him fall and stood over him with a smile of satisfaction that quickly turned to abject horror, as the full impact of what she'd just done hit her and hit her hard. The sudden and inexplicable rush of adrenaline left her as quickly as it had come over her. She looked down at the dying young man and watched as blood bubbled up into his mouth and spilled down his cheeks. He coughed globs of it until his eyes suddenly became unseeing and he went completely still.

Gabrielle glanced at the bloody blade in her hands and it was her undoing. The world spun wildly and the wound in her side suddenly flared in agony. She felt hot bile rise in her throat and could do nothing more than double over in pain and anguish. Blackness suddenly threatened to send her reeling, but she managed to push it back with the last of her willpower. She glanced up in search of the one person who could help her and saw Xena turn toward her. In that moment, as their eyes met, the blind rage that had overcome her earlier dissipated completely and left her feeling weak and disoriented.

"Xena," the warrior's name on her lips came out barely above a whisper.

Xena saw the agony in Gabrielle's eyes, even from across the encampment. She was engaged in a battle with more than half a dozen soldiers, but her concern suddenly turned to the woman she loved. She yanked her chakram from the hook at her hip, hesitated for less than a heartbeat as she mentally calculated the disk's course and then let it fly. She didn't bother to wait around for the weapon to do its job and raced over to catch Gabrielle before she fell.

"I got ya," Xena's voice close to her ear did nothing to stop the rush of darkness.

Gabrielle was not surprised to find Xena right there with her just before her legs finally gave out. The darkness closed in until only a pinprick of light remained. And then she sank into a deep pit of darkness that took her breath and threatened to take her very life.

Chapter 13

It was dark. Peaceful. Quiet. Serene.

Gabrielle came instantly awake and shot up in bed. She looked around in panic, as the last vestiges of a dream made her heart thump frantically in her chest. She jumped when she realized she wasn't alone.

"Shh, it's all right, love," Xena's familiar voice next to her was a boon to her battered soul.

Gabrielle glanced at the vaguely familiar surroundings of the Amazon Queen's hut and relaxed. She glanced to her right and noticed Xena watching her with a mixture of curiosity and hesitation. The warrior was seated in a wooden chair and Xena stared expectantly at her.

"What happened?" Gabrielle asked. "How'd I get here?"

Xena smirked. "I brought you back," she answered. "Thought it would be better than remaining in the army's encampment for any length of time. Certainly has a much homier feel to it, don't you think?"

Gabrielle nodded with a hesitant half-smile. "Ephiny and the others?"

"Safe," Xena answered. "Ephiny left a little while ago. I think she is really worried you won't wake up." The warrior sighed. "I admit I was, too."

"I'm okay, I think," Gabrielle breathed a sigh of relief, then tensed again. "Ares?"

"Haven't seen his sorry hide since he bugged out on us the other night," Xena answered with a frown. "I'd sure like to wring his neck for what he tried?"

"Xena," Gabrielle said and turned frightened eyes on the warrior. "Can you?" she patted the space next to her in the bed.

Xena didn't hesitate and joined the bard. She wrapped strong arms around the shaking woman and held her, speaking soft words of comfort as she rested her chin on the bard's short-cropped hair. She was a little startled by Gabrielle's reaction, but was patient enough to wait out this emotional storm.

"I'm here," Xena soothed in a low voice and gently rocked the bard in her arms. "It's okay, Gabrielle."

Gabrielle buried her face in the familiar crook of Xena's shoulder and let the tears flow freely. Sobs wracked her body as she cried out all the guilt and sorrow she felt for what she'd done. Her jumbled thoughts raced, as memories from that night assailed her. Ares' attempted assault was so fresh in her mind that she wasn't sure if he'd really done something to her or not. She couldn't tell, but the prospect of it frightened her. And then there was that sudden, inexplicable rage that had overcome her?

"I'm scared, Xena," Gabrielle sniffed and finally found her voice again.

Xena pulled back and looked down into the tear-streaked face of the woman she loved. "Of what?"

Gabrielle wiped the tears from her cheeks in an effort to compose herself. "Of what happened the other night." She sniffed loudly and glanced at the open window. The sun was shining and she briefly wondered what day it was. "How long was I out?"

"We got back here early yesterday morning and you slept all day and night," Xena answered with a shrug. "Nissia came by yesterday and we managed to take care of the wound in your side. It wasn't deep enough to cause any real damage, but deep enough that you needed stitches. You're lucky that blade didn't catch you a little higher. I might have caught you between the ribs and then we'd really be in trouble. As it is there'll be a scar, but I don't think it'll be too noticeable."

Gabrielle glanced down at her usually-bare stomach and noticed a bandage wrapped around it. Her gaze rose to Xena's and she noticed a frown marring the warrior's brow.

"One of them got behind me after I?uh?um..." Fresh tears sprang to her eyes and she impatiently wiped them away. "I killed them, Xena."

Xena considered for a moment. "I saw you fighting with a sword," She said. "How'd that happen?"

Gabrielle nodded and sniffed. "I couldn't find a suitable staff and I didn't have mine with me, obviously. I think Ephiny tossed the sword to me when three soldiers were barreling down on me."

Xena's dark brow rose. "Ephiny was fighting behind me, Gabrielle. She was there the whole time. Said she had to guard my back 'cause you weren't there to do it for me."

"Oh," the bard considered that for a moment. "Well, someone threw it to me. It sure sounded like Ephiny's voice." She ran a hand through her already sleep-disheveled hair and frowned. "None of it seems real anymore."

Xena sighed and rubbed her face in frustration. "Can you explain what happened before I?um?we arrived in the tent?"

Gabrielle swallowed with difficulty over the sudden lump in her throat. "I?" she cleared her throat and looked away. "I think it was a dream?or, rather, a nightmare."

"And?" Xena gently prodded when the bard didn't immediately continue.

Gabrielle took a deep breath and let it out with a shudder. "You?I?" her eyes met Xena's and saw only trust and understanding in their baby-blue depths. She took another deep breath and let it out more slowly. "You came to me, but it wasn't you. I know that?I knew that. It felt?wrong." She shook her head as the intense guilt once again washed over her. "I tried to fight it-fight against what was happening to me-but?"

"Ares," Xena growled. "He uses his power to seduce you into doing his will. It can also have some nasty side effects."

Gabrielle nodded. "It seemed so real, and yet?I knew it wasn't you. I smelled?" she scrunched up her face in thought. "He smelled like wet goat." They both chuckled. "I can't believe I fell for it, even after both Hades and Aphrodite warned me that someone would try something."

"They warned you about Ares?"

"Not about him so much as they were warning me against letting my guard down," Gabrielle answered and shoved her hand through her hair again. "I can't believe I let it happen anyway."

"Don't beat yourself up over it, Gabrielle," Xena said. "When Ares decides to use his godly powers it's really hard not to give in to that seductive pull."

Gabrielle looked up and met Xena's gaze. "You didn't."

Xena smirked and nodded. "I did." She blew out a breath and looked away. "When he first came to me I didn't know how to fight against his seductions. Then again, I wasn't really trying, either. We?" She shrugged.

"You were lovers," Gabrielle finished the thought with an understanding nod. "I see now how strong his powers can be when he's after something."

Xena gently touched the bard's cheek and smiled. "I never wanted you to have to go through anything like that."

Gabrielle snorted. "Not an experience I want to repeat anytime soon, either. I don't know if I'm strong enough to?" She let the words hang.

Xena took Gabrielle's face in her hands and bent forward until their foreheads touched. "You are far stronger than you give yourself credit for, Gabrielle. You managed to pull away from him before he finished what he'd started."

"Only because you showed up to break the spell," Gabrielle said breathlessly.

They were sharing the same air and it was intoxicating to the bard in her vulnerable state. She didn't know what effects she was still experiencing, but she knew that Xena's closeness was sending shivers of unexpected desire charging through her. It was electric and all she wanted was to meld herself to the woman-become one with her. She reached for Xena and was a little put off that Xena was wearing her armor and leather.

"You're a little overdressed, don't you think?" Gabrielle chided breathlessly.

Xena's head came up and she listened intently. "Not really, no," she answered with an apologetic half-smirk. "We're about to have visitors."

Gabrielle was a little surprised when she heard the sounds of footsteps approaching several moments before there was a knock on the door to the hut. She glanced at Xena, who quickly jumped from the bed and stood next to it.

"Come!" The warrior called out in a clear voice.

"Am I interrupting anything?" Salmoneus said, as he peeked his head in the door. "Heeeyyy!!!" He gave them a broad smile that instantly lit up the room, as he stepped fully inside the hut and moved aside to allow Ephiny and Eponin to enter behind him. "It's so good to see you finally awake, Gabrielle." He glanced at Xena and smirked uncomfortably, as he joined the warrior next to the bed. "Xena here was really worried." He winked conspiratorially at the bard. "Didn't think she would ever calm down." Xena's answering growl made him jump, but he stood his ground. "Down, warrior."

Gabrielle snickered at the antics of her good friend. "I hear we have you to thank for rescuing our sisters, Salmoneus."

He actually blushed and lowered his head. "What can I say?" He shrugged. "All in a day's work."

"And it's gonna cost us plenty," Ephiny added.

Gabrielle looked from the regent to Salmoneus. "You're not charging the Amazons to rescue those girls, are you?"

"Nonono, nothing like that," he held up a staying hand. "I'm just proposing a little business venture?"

"He wants us to open the village up for a market day," Eponin glared at the balding man with her arms crossed over her chest.

"It's really a lucrative undertaking," Salmoneus defended. "Win, win all the way around." He flashed everyone his most winning smile, but they all could see the beads of sweat on his brow. "Hey, a guy's gotta make a dinar where he can, ya know."

Gabrielle, ever the voice of reason, piped in with, "Oh, I don't know. Maybe it's not such a bad idea. It might give the weavers and other artisans a chance to show off their talents and skills in a familiar setting. It would also show outsiders that the Amazons have nothing to hide."

"Gabrielle," Ephiny couldn't believe her ears. "We can't just open up the village to a bunch of nosey outsiders. The ramifications of that would be?"

"Security would be a nightmare," Eponin interrupted. "We already have enough on our hands trying to keep those damned horny villagers from sneakin' in here unannounced."

"You could just combine the two," Salmoneus, ever the master manipulator, chimed in with a hopeful grin. "Make it a festival and invite the locals to join in the festivities. You could make a boatload off the liquor sales alone. Not to mention what you could charge for?er?stud fees?"

Twin snorts and a snicker greeted his suggestion.

"You want Amazons to play prostitute to a bunch of?" Eponin choked the words out.

"No, I think he's actually suggesting we become brood mares," Ephiny shot an offended glare at the man.

"Not prostitutes or brood mares," Salmoneus quickly corrected. "You ladies would be in complete control of the?um? situation. And you could time it to coincide with your moon cycles. Badabing! Win, win situation."

"Okay, let me get this straight," Ephiny glanced at both Xena and Gabrielle, noting their amused smirks, before she set her skeptical gaze on Salmoneus. "You want us to hold a festival to the goddess Demeter? We already have one of those during the harvest. It's called the Thesmophoria. We honor the goddess with the fruits of our labor and our priestesses burn offerings to procure her favor."

"That's harvest time," Salmoneus waved a negligible hand. "What about the other eleven moon cycles of the year?"

"You want us to throw a festival every moon cycle?" Eponin couldn't believe her ears. "Artemis' left tit, man! You don't know what you're asking. Why, the security alone would be an absolute nightmare. Not to mention?"

"Down, Pony," Ephiny chided.

"Can I say something?" Gabrielle piped in again and received twin glares and another snort. She shot Xena a raised-brow look, before returning her attention to the two Amazons. "I don't think you would have to throw a festival every moon cycle in order to take advantage of what Salmoneus is suggesting. You could just start out small and work slowly until you have a more firm hold on the situation."

Salmoneus' excitement suddenly grew with Gabrielle's words. "Yeah, you could start small with just the market stalls and some food and spirits, then work your way up to a full-fledged celebration that would last for two, maybe three days. The marketing on such an undertaking would need an experienced hand?"

"Down, Salmoneus," Gabrielle quipped. "You're not an Amazon."

"No," he looked down at his brightly-colored robe and patted his belly. "I'm certainly not an Amazon, but?"

"The Amazons will need to decide whether or not this is a viable undertaking," Gabrielle added.

"It would need to be brought before the council and then a vote would have to be taken," Ephiny continued. "And the way things are going right now, it might take several moons before a decision would be reached." She turned a pointed gaze on Eponin.

"Uh, yeah," Eponin responded. "Didn't it take six moons to iron out all the details of those treaties with the villages?"

Ephiny nodded. "Yes, it did."

"Okay, so we've established that it would take a miracle from Mt. Olympus to get this going. I get it," Salmoneus shot the two Amazons a knowing scowl. "Don't say that I didn't try to extend the proverbial olive branch to you ladies."

"Can we just move on?" Gabrielle watched all eyes turn to her. "We've established that Salmoneus has a valid idea that needs work?and approval from the council," her gaze caught Ephiny's 'Don't-even-go-there' gleam. "Moving right along. What's been happening since I've been?um?" She shot Xena an expectant look.

"We laid waste to the army," Xena put in. "Those soldiers who weren't injured or killed?"

"Ran like the cowardly bastards they are," Eponin added with a satisfied smirk.

No one but Xena noticed the brief glimmer of sadness in Gabrielle's eyes. She knew the bard was remembering the soldiers she'd killed. Xena also knew it would weigh heavily on her younger companion's conscience for days-maybe even weeks-to come. She silently vowed to do all she could to soften the blow. But Xena still feared for her lover's mental state and the emotional toll those deaths would take on Gabrielle in the near future.

There was also something else niggling in the back of the warrior's mind. Gabrielle had mentioned that Ares had seduced her with his powers. Xena remembered her own early experiences with the War God. She also knew he had managed to somehow weave that power inside her in such a way that she would become overcome with bloodlust in the heat of battle.

Xena glanced down at the bard and saw a touch of something in the woman's expression that hadn't been there before. She couldn't put a finger on just what it was and decided to explore the topic further when she and Gabrielle were alone.

"Right, Xena?" Green eyes met startled blue.

"Hm?" Xena was suddenly caught flatfooted and looked at the expectant faces around her.

"I said, we should send an armed contingent of warriors back to the encampment to bury the dead," Gabrielle repeated.

"Oh, yeah, sounds good to me," Xena nodded and received a questioning look from Gabrielle.

Ephiny noticed the silent exchange between the two women and decided that was their cue to leave. "Eponin and I will take care of rounding up enough women for the job."

"I guess I should get back to my room at the inn in Thasos," Salmoneus said, as he sidled his way toward the door ahead of the two Amazons. "I'm glad you're okay, Gabrielle," he added as he left the hut. "Ladies," he gave Ephiny and Eponin a nod.

"Good to see you're doing better, Gabrielle," Ephiny added. "I'll drop by later this evening and fill you in on all the mundane business going on around here," she glanced at the warrior and said, "Xena." Then both she and Eponin left the hut and shut the door behind them.

Xena sat down on the edge of the bed, took one of Gabrielle's hands in hers and smirked. "Always a circus around here."

"Yeah," Gabrielle agreed with a tired sigh. "Salmoneus is the same as always. Never stops trying to make a dinar when he can get away with it."

"Yep," Xena nodded.

They sat there in companionable silence for a few moments, each lost in their own thoughts. It was Xena who finally spoke again.

"You wanna tell me what really happened out there the other night?" Blue eyes watched the bard intently.

Gabrielle hesitated while she gathered her errant thoughts. She knew exactly what Xena was asking, but didn't quite know how to put it all into words. Then she smirked at the ridiculousness of that notion, until she realized Xena was waiting expectantly for her to speak.

"We never really worked on more than basic sword fighting before," Gabrielle said. "Remember when Callisto killed Perdicus and I tried to badger you into teaching me how to use a sword?"

Xena nodded sadly. "I wouldn't do it until you poked me so hard that I knew you meant business."

"But I couldn't do it," Gabrielle shook her head at the memory of that dark time. "Even with all that anger welling up inside of me, I couldn't raise a sword or dagger against even Callisto."

"No," Xena agreed. "Not until Britannia."

"Even then," Gabrielle raised her chin defiantly. "Killing Meridian was more accident than anything. I don't even remember how the dagger got into my hands in the first place. It was just there and then?" She swallowed audibly. "Then so was she. I can still see the look in her eyes when the blade?" She shook off the memory of Meridian's shocked expression. "It happened again." She sighed heavily and leaned back against the wall behind her. "But this time it was a lot different."

"How so?" Xena prodded.

Gabrielle looked up into eyes filled with tenderness and understanding. "I didn't hesitate and killing those men wasn't an accident."

Xena's brow furrowed at the words. "You mean you meant to kill them?"

Gabrielle nodded and didn't bother to wipe away the tears that spilled down her cheeks. "I don't know what happened or who put the sword in my hands, but when I looked up and saw those men coming, I just?I felt something well up inside me, and then I was fighting them with everything you taught me-and more." She sniffed loudly and wiped some of the tears away. "I can't explain what happened or why. I just knew what I had to do and I did it."

Xena reached over and cupped Gabrielle's jaw, wiping the tears away with her thumb. "I'm so sorry."

Startled green eyes met watery blue. "What are you sorry for, Xena? If you hadn't at least taught me the basics, I wouldn't be sitting here talking to you right now. I had no business being there without a weapon in the first place."

"I just?" Xena sniffed away the tears that were threatening to spill from her eyes at any moment. "I never wanted you to become like me, Gabrielle."

"And what exactly does that mean, Xena?" Gabrielle's tears stopped instantly with Xena's words. "Do you see yourself as some kind of monster? You're a warrior, Xena. I admire you for the skills you've managed to acquire over the years. Why in the world would you say such a thing?"

"You don't use violence to solve your problems, Gabrielle," Xena explained. "I never wanted you to kill anyone, even if killing was the only way to save your own life. That's not your way. And the only reason I taught you the basics of sword fighting was because you goaded me into it. I knew you wouldn't actually use it on Callisto when the chips were down. Just like I don't think it's right for you to use one now."

"Oh, so it's okay for you to use a sword to kill people, but it's not okay for me to do it?" Gabrielle's hackles were suddenly up. "What? Do you think I'm better than you because, up until this point, I didn't fight like a real warrior and kill anyone? Am I supposed to believe that all those workouts and training sessions with the staff were never supposed to eventually make me into something more than just your trusty, mouthy sidekick?"

"Gaaabrielle," Xena blew out a frustrated breath. "That's not what I meant and you know it."

"Then what do you mean exactly, Xena?" Gabrielle shot back with an angry scowl. "Please enlighten me."

"You're a good person, Gabrielle," Xena tried to explain. "It's not in your nature to kill people."

"And you're not a good person, Xena?" Gabrielle countered. "When did it become ingrained in your nature? Hm? Were you a born killer? Or did Cortese make you that way? Or was it when you went off with Borias to conquer the other half of the known world? When did you realize that killing was the only way for you to get the job done?"

Gabrielle could feel the rage building inside her and didn't know how to control it. She'd never experienced anything so intense before and was sure it was a side effect of her encounter with Ares. She suddenly couldn't sit still. Jumping out of the bed, she paced like a wild animal, despite the painful pull the action caused to the stitches in her side.

"Gabrielle," Xena cautiously watched the agitated woman. "What's wrong?"

Gabrielle lifted both hands up to grab either side of her head and dug her fingers into her scalp. The rage within her was building to a fevered pitch and she lost track of everything around her. Each breath heaved in her chest and she wanted nothing more than to hit something-hit anything at that moment. The feeling became so intense, in fact, that she looked wildly around for something to take the aggression out on.

"Calm down, Gabrielle," Xena rounded the bed and stood several paces away from the bard. "You need to breathe deeply and let it out slowly." She moved closer and reached a hand out to touch Gabrielle's shoulder, but the bard drew back and looked at her with wild eyes.

"DON'T!!!" The frantic bard screamed and threw herself against the wall behind her in an effort to keep from hurting the warrior.

Xena saw it then and knew instantly what was happening. Ares' touch had awakened something more than just bloodlust in Gabrielle. That bloodlust normally remained dormant in the majority of the populace. Even combat-experienced soldiers seldom experienced it. But this was much more. It was much more intense than even she had experienced.

"Hit me!" Xena shouted to the wild-eyed woman. "Come on, Gabrielle! Hit me right here!" She pointed at her jaw and waited patiently for the woman to comply.

"NOOOOOO!!!!" The bard doubled over, as if in complete agony.

Xena knew Gabrielle's conscience and her pacifistic tendencies were warring with the uncontrollable bloodlust that Ares had unleashed within her. The warrior knew, first hand, what those opposing forces were capable of doing to the woman. She also knew there was only one way to release Gabrielle from the bloodlust's hold.

Xena grabbed Gabrielle's upper arms in a vice-like grip and shook her. "You have to let it out, Gabrielle! There's no other way!!"

Gabrielle felt the sweat pouring off her as the bloodlust took control and built to a fevered pitch. Her heartbeat was pounding so loudly in her ears that she could hear nothing else. And the moment Xena grabbed her she knew she couldn't hold back any longer.

With strength neither woman knew Gabrielle possessed, the bard wrenched herself from the warrior's grip. She then launched herself like a wildcat at the taller woman with a fierceness born of desperation. Every fiber of her being came alive, as she pounded her bare fists against the woman standing before her.

Xena knew what to expect, but wasn't quite prepared for the viciousness of the attack launched against her. Gabrielle's fists landed blow after painful blow in a tirade of unexpected proportions. The blond woman was no longer her lover, her partner in life. This being was something else entirely. Xena realized she couldn't do anything more than protect herself against the beast that had been unleashed. All she could think to do was let the bloodlust play itself out. But it took every ounce of self-control on her part for Xena not to fight back.

Gabrielle felt some part of her detach itself from the animalistic frenzy that overcame her. She experienced a degree of detachment as she dealt blow after blow to the woman she knew in the back of her mind that she loved more than life itself. But the mad rush of uncontrollable rage that coursed through her was in complete control of her actions and, despite her best efforts to regain control, she was caught up in its possessive grip.

And then they both heard the deep male laughter just before the God of War appeared in a blinding flash behind the bard.

"That's it, Gabrielle!" Ares hissed into the frenzied bard's ear. "Show her exactly who you are! Make her see how powerful you've become!"

Xena raised her arms to defend herself against the fury of Gabrielle's blows. Each punch, each impact of those small fists was more powerful and landed more painfully than the one before. The seemingly unending barrage was so fervid that Xena suddenly worried that the bard was actually going to beat her to death.

"Gabrielle, stop!" Xena managed to cry out, as the bard backed her into a corner. "STOP!!!"

"Don't listen to her, blondie!" Ares goaded. "You have her where you want her! She's yours! Finish her and take her place at my side!!!!"

The words penetrated the blood-red haze like a slap and suddenly Gabrielle realized what she was doing to the battered woman in front of her. She felt the rage flare again, but this time she managed to find the willpower to turn away from Xena and direct her aggressions to the imposing figure behind her.

Ares knew a brief moment of something akin to fear, as Gabrielle suddenly rounded on him and launched herself at him with all the fury of a rabid beast. Blow after blow, the once-docile bard was suddenly completely and utterly out of control. Ares raised his arms to fend her off, but only managed to give her the opening she needed. She ducked beneath his upraised arms and plowed head-first into him, knocking him back several steps.

"SON OF A?" He barely managed to get the words out before he toppled backwards and lay sprawled on his back. He didn't get a chance to say more, as he found his arms full of screeching, scratching and biting bard. "GET HER OFF ME!!!" He shouted and was just able to grab one of Gabrielle's arms in a vice grip.

Xena could do nothing more than slide down the wall behind her, as she tried to catch her breath in the wake of the bard's attack. She watched with a certain measure of satisfaction as Gabrielle turned her seemingly mindless bloodlust on the unexpected God of War. But when Gabrielle actually took Ares down-something Xena had never actually been able to accomplish-she stared in utter amazement.

"What do you want me to do, Ares?" Xena asked in answer to his shouted plea for help. "You unleashed the bloodlust within her! You should be able to fix what you did!"

"IT'S NOT THAT EASY!!!" He shouted, as he managed to grab the feral bard's other wrist. "THIS WASN'T SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN!!!"

"So you admit you caused this?" Xena shot him an accusing glare. "Your efforts to seduce her turned her into this uncontrollable beast, Ares! Only you can undo what you did!"

"I just?It wasn't?" He stuttered over the words, as he tried to come up with a reasonable explanation for the hellcat who was now biting ferociously at his hands. "This never happened with you, Xena!"

"I wasn't touched by a demon, Ares," Xena shoved off from the wall and gingerly rose to her feet. "You should do your research before you start dabbling in things you can't possibly understand." She smirked down at him with an 'I-told-you-so' smirk. "You'd better remove the enchantment you placed on her the other night or?" She shrugged.

Ares struggled to hold onto Gabrielle's wrists, as she continued to squirm and writhe in his grip. "FINE!" He finally conceded, as he closed his eyes and concentrated all his efforts on reversing what he'd done to the bard.

Xena waited with baited breath as vivid waves of light and color engulfed the still-struggling bard and penetrated into her very being. Gabrielle suddenly stiffened in the war god's grip and went completely still. Then she cried out in intense agony, as the swirling colors and light coalesced around and through her. Her arms flew out to her sides and her head fell back, as beams of white light shot from her entire body.

And then Gabrielle collapsed in a heap next to the prostrate god. The light disappeared and everything went completely still.

Xena glanced from the unmoving bard to Ares. "Is she?" She didn't wait for a response, as she dropped down next to Gabrielle and took her into her arms. "Gabrielle?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Ares rolled onto his side and got to his feet with as much dignity as he could muster. He waved a hand at the two women on the floor. "You're welcome, by the way."

Xena shot him an angry glare. "This was your fault, you stupid bastard!"

"Me?" Ares put his hands to his chest and shook his head. "How was I supposed to know she'd become an uncontrollable fiend? I can safely say there isn't a mortal alive-or dead, for that matter-who has ever reacted to my?um?charm so violently. She?" He pointed at the unconscious woman in Xena's arms, "is?that's not normal, Xena. Believe me. It shouldn't have happened like that. I swear."

"Have you heard enough?" Xena asked loudly to the air around her.

"Oh, I think we've heard more than enough," Athena answered as she magically appeared on the far side of the room.

Hades, Aphrodite, and Artemis appeared next to her and they all wore accusing glares as they stared daggers at the God of War.

Ares rolled his eyes. "Oh, that's just great," he sighed in exasperation. "I suppose you're all going to run to the old man and give him the lowdown on my latest little scheme to take over the known world."

"He might just take away your powers for a while as punishment for this latest stunt," Athena crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him. "It would serve you right, Ares. You've really overstepped your authority on this one."

"Yeah," Aphrodite stood with her hands on her hips. "Maybe he'll even take away your earthly privileges for a while." She glanced at Xena and Gabrielle. "At least long enough for my two babes here to have a little peace." She shot Xena a conspiratorial wink. "I think it's the least they deserve after all the crap we've poured on their heads lately."

Artemis shot the blond goddess a disgusted glare. "Oh, please, Dite. It's not like these mortals actually matter in the greater scheme of things. They don't, you know."

"Oh, really?" Aphrodite countered. "Since when do the Amazons not matter to you, Arty? Gabrielle is one of your queens, after all."

"Yeah, and there'll be another to take her place when she passes from this life," Artemis shot back. "We were all there when she lied so convincingly about passing on her right of caste. You really think I care what happens to her now?" She shot a smug glare at Xena. "I'm sure she's rectified that little oversight. Eh, Xena?"

"It doesn't matter," Aphrodite said. "Queen or not, Gabrielle and Xena are bonded by their love for each other. That's all that matters. And they deserve a chance to express that love in this lifetime. They deserve the chance to be together."

"Are you so sure?" The Amazon goddess shot the Love Goddess a raised-brow look.

"Do not mess with mortal love, Arty," Aphrodite cocked a hip and scowled at the redhead. "You do not want to find out what happens when you cross me. I have a whole arsenal of love potions at my disposal, and you have a village full of pregnant Amazons. Put two and two together and you get?mmmm?a population explosion?"

Athena stepped between the two goddesses and put a hand up to each of them. "That's enough!" She shouted impatiently. "We're not here to argue about the bard's status as queen of the Amazons or her standing as a mortal. We're here to pass judgment on Ares for his crimes against these mortals and for his failure to heed Zeus' warning to leave them alone." She lowered her arms and turned her attention to the leather-clad God of War. "Do you wish to speak up in your defense, Ares?" Then she scowled at him and rolled her eyes. "As if your pathetic pleas for mercy would fall on anything but deaf ears at this point."

Ares held his hands out to his sides. "I think I'll take my chances?" But before he could use his powers to disappear from their midst, a loud crack of thunder pierced the skies above.

The door to the hut flew inward with such force that it slammed against the opposite wall and splintered into a thousand shards. And then the god of all the gods was standing in their midst in a cloud of swirling white smoke. All eyes turned to the silver-haired god clothed in flowing silver robes that glimmered when he moved.

"Not this time, son," Zeus glared at Ares and held a hand up when the God of War tried to disappear again. "It's time for you to finally face the consequences of your actions. I've allowed you free rein for far too long. Not anymore."

The Father of all the gods raised his hand above his head and a bolt of sizzling lightning suddenly appeared. Without hesitation, he launched the bolt at the God of War and watched with a satisfied grin as Ares took the bolt in the center of his chest. Ares glanced down at his smoking chest and then up at the assembled gods with a look of pain. The air around him crackled with energy as his anger flared.

"I will never?" he ground out between clenched teeth.

"You will return to Olympus and await my judgment, Ares," Zeus glared sternly at the War God. "If I have to make another trip down here to locate you, there will be no end to the suffering you will experience at my hand. Do I make myself clear?" His voice remained calm and even, but his tone brooked no argument.

Xena remained completely still throughout the entire exchange. She could feel Gabrielle slowly stirring and hoped the bard would follow her lead. She glanced down and saw the bard's green eyes slowly flutter open. Xena motioned around her with her eyes and held her breath as Gabrielle slowly followed her gaze.

Gabrielle's eyes widened in surprise at the scene playing out above them, as she took in the fact that so many gods surrounded her and Xena. She knew from the descriptions she'd heard over the years that the silver-haired figure standing a few paces away was none other than Zeus himself. She shot a questioning look at Xena and accepted the warning look in the warrior's eyes and the minute, barely-perceptible shake of her dark head. Gabrielle didn't want any more confrontations and was too worn out and confused by her earlier exertions to care what was happening. Time enough later to get all the particulars.

Ares rolled his eyes and sighed heavily when he realized he had no other choice but to do as Zeus ordered. He glared daggers at his fellow gods, who were watching him with a mixture of amusement and satisfaction. Athena grinned smugly and shot him an 'I-told-you-so' nod. Ares didn't have to look at Hades to know the God of the Underworld was waiting impatiently to return to his realm.

"Fine," Ares finally said. "I'm outta here." He waited for a nod from Zeus before he disappeared in a more subdued flash.

Gabrielle let out the breath she hadn't known she'd been holding as soon as Ares was gone. She glanced up and caught Zeus looking directly at her. A shiver of fear raced down her spine and she shifted uncomfortably.

"You, my dear," Zeus said in an irritated tone, "have caused more trouble lately than any mortal we've run across since?" He put a finger to his chin and considered, then glanced at the other gods still loitering nearby. "Well?"

"Search me," Aphrodite shrugged. She walked over to him and kissed his cheek. "See you at home, Daddy. I got stuff to take care of."

He smiled uncharacteristically, as the Love Goddess waved enthusiastically at Xena and Gabrielle, then disappeared in a shower of pink and red hearts. Then Zeus turned his attention to the three remaining gods.

"Well?" His smile vanished and a stern scowl appeared. "What are you three still doing here?"

"Um," Athena stepped forward, glanced at Xena and Gabrielle, then shrugged. "Later." And then she, too, was gone.

"Don't you have a realm to oversee, Hades?" Zeus turned his glare on the God of the Underworld.

"Absolutely," Hades answered with a quick nod. "I think I'll make sure Toxeus and his cohorts are staying where they belong and not sneaking around causing anymore trouble." He glanced around at the others, "Always a pleasure, ladies." And then, he too disappeared.

Artemis knelt down on a level with Gabrielle and looked the bard in the eye. "I'm keeping my eye on you, mortal," she said and then vanished in a subdued shower of silver sparkles.

"You two have certainly managed to cause quite a stir with my children," Zeus returned his attention to the two women. "I'm not sure whether to be angry with you or to thank you." He shook his head and absently stroked his silver beard, then his eyes met Gabrielle's again. "Did Hades deliver that message I sent him here for?"

Gabrielle swallowed and cleared her suddenly dry throat. "He delivered a message. I'm not sure it was the one you wanted me to hear."

Zeus glanced from Gabrielle to Xena and waved an accusing finger at her. "Don't think that I haven't kept a close eye on you, warrior." One of Xena's brows rose. "You've been nothing but trouble ever since you managed to get caught in Ares' crosshairs."

Xena just glared at him. "It wasn't intentional, I assure you," she said drolly.

"No, I'm sure it wasn't," an amused smirk played at the corners of his mouth. "So, the question remains, what shall I do with the two of you?"

"If I may?" Gabrielle spoke up before Xena could launch herself at the imposing god. "I'd like to make a suggestion."

Zeus considered her for a long moment, like he would give consideration to an insignificant ant or a pebble in his shoe. "Go on," he finally said.

With Xena's help, Gabrielle managed to stand up and face the Father of the Gods without shaking too much. Her equilibrium still hadn't completely returned and she was feeling a little overwhelmed by the fact that so many gods seemed to be taking an interest in her and Xena. It was a little too much, but she managed to push it all to the back of her mind and concentrate on the here and now.

"Just tell them to leave us alone and we'll stay out of affairs that concern them," Gabrielle said in a clear voice that was far stronger than she would have anticipated. She leaned into Xena and rested her head on the warrior's shoulder in an uncharacteristic display of public affection. "We just want to be together and share whatever time we have left with each other."

A silver brow rose on the god's forehead. "That's all you want?" He skeptically eyed each woman in turn. "You don't wish for immortality? Or a chance to change the world?" His eyes met Xena's. "Are you sure you wouldn't like to rule the known world? Maybe you still think you can atone for all the grief you caused when you were gallivanting across the countryside as a warlord?"

Xena lifted a hand and shook her head with a smirk. "Been there, done that-didn't enjoy all the responsibility that went with it."

Zeus actually chuckled at Xena's jibe and put a finger to his chin again. "I'm not sure I can keep my children from interfering in your lives again. They seem to be very intrigued by the two of you, and I can only speculate as to the reason for that." He shot Gabrielle a knowing look.

"Could it be because we're both touched by the blood of the gods?" Gabrielle shot back with a knowing gleam of her own.

Zeus narrowed his gaze at her for a moment, as if he were trying to read her thoughts. "I'd say that's a distinct possibility, my dear. I believe I have underestimated you both, and for that I sincerely apologize." That got surprised looks from both women, as he raised a staying hand. "Oh, don't think it pleases me to apologize to mortals, especially two female mortals who are more trouble than they are worth. As Father of the Gods it is my responsibility to ensure that all creation remains on the path the Fates have decreed. You two have managed to disrupt that path so many times that the Loom is no longer a thing of order and tranquility. You have changed not only your own destinies, but the destinies of countless others who are now walking paths other than those set before them at their birth."

"We make our own destiny," Xena said with a wry half-grin, as she squeezed Gabrielle's shoulder and kissed the top of her blond head. "We don't wait for anyone to choose that destiny for us."

Zeus glared at her. "Yes, I'm learning that about you both."

"May I ask a question?" Gabrielle spoke up when it seemed the two were going to just stare daggers at each other.

"What question would you ask?" Zeus pulled his gaze away from Xena's and looked down at her smaller companion.

"Will you bless our union?" Gabrielle wrapped her arms around Xena and held her close, as she met Zeus' steady gaze.

Zeus' response was entirely unexpected and had both women frowning in confusion. He actually burst out laughing so hard that it looked as if he would not be able to recover enough to answer the question.

"If he does not, then I will," came another voice-this one female and as full of confident authority as Zeus' own.

Hera stepped up next to her husband with calm assurance, despite Zeus' continued amusement. She glanced from him to the two women staring in open awe.

"I don't know what he finds so funny," Xena commented with a brief nod to the newcomer. "Gabrielle merely asked a simple question."

"And one that does not beg a simple answer, I'm afraid," Zeus finally recovered enough to speak, then he sobered as he spoke his next words. "We did not create humanity as male and female so that two women or two men could unite. Do you realize how disruptive it would be to the greater scheme of the continuation of the species if we blessed such a union?"

"Artemis has blessed the unions of the Amazons for generations," Gabrielle sited.

"Yes, well?" Zeus crossed an arm over his chest and rested the other on it, as he absently rubbed his bearded chin.

"She's right, you know," Hera quickly added. "And there is an entire colony of women on Lesbos who have found love within each other's arms. They live in peace and harmony, giving aid to the needy and sharing their bounty with those who have nothing. I've even had the opportunity to hear some of their poetry and see the art they have created over the years. Impressive."

Zeus rolled his eyes to the heavens and turned on the Mother of all the Gods. "Must you bring that up just now?"

Hera merely smirked. "True love cannot be shackled within the bounds of a technicality, my dearest," she spoke to him directly. "Aphrodite has followed these two in their burgeoning relationship and has found that the love they share is as real and true as the love shared by any other couple. They have already pledged themselves as partners for life. How can we not bless them equally, as we would any other loving couple? Do they deserve any less, just because they share the same anatomical composition?"

"And their ability to produce offspring?" Zeus countered with a raised brow, as his gaze remained fixed on the two mortals standing silently before him. "We created sexual attraction in order that the species would continue to thrive and prosper. Two?er?females cannot produce offspring. It goes against the natural scheme of things. Human love was not meant to evolve in this fashion. It is an abomination. And until these two find a way to reproduce, I will not extend my blessing on their union. And I forbid you from doing so, as well."

Hera put a hand on Zeus' arm and looked imploringly at him. "As we have discovered, my love, human love is unpredictable. But, I assure you, the love that these two mortals share is quite real and runs quite deep. They are an enigma, not an abomination. Just because they can't reproduce doesn't mean we shouldn't bless their union."

Gabrielle was more than a little surprised to hear Hera, Queen of the Gods and Mother of All Creation, defend her relationship with Xena. She'd heard stories about the goddess' jealous wrath against those her husband found favor with. Hercules himself was a product of Zeus' insatiable lust for beautiful mortal women. It amazed Gabrielle to be in the presence of the gods, much less in the presence of Zeus and Hera. To have them arguing over her request went beyond anything she could have ever imagined.

Leaning more heavily on Xena for support, Gabrielle just stared in wonder at the deities and listened intently to their continuing argument. She tried not to give in to the exhaustion that was threatening to take her down again, but it was really hard not to. Her legs were unsteady and she could feel her muscles starting to shake with the effort it was taking to remain standing.

"Are you okay?" Xena's whispered question close to her ear was full of concern.

"Tired," Gabrielle whispered back.

Abrupt silence suddenly made both women look up. Both Zeus and Hera were watching them intently, with a measure of uncharacteristic curiosity rather than rebuke at their quiet exchange. Hera turned her ice-blue gaze on Zeus and one dark brow rose.

"See?" She said. "Theirs is not a superficial platonic relationship, my love. What they share goes far deeper than even we could fathom."

Gabrielle blushed to her roots. "Um, can we just forget I asked you to bless our union?"

"Why, my dear?" Hera stepped forward, placing a hand on her chest, as if she were deeply offended by the bard's words. "I don't understand why you would ask and then rescind the request."

"Because she's exhausted," Xena said. "Not only was she injured during that little ambush Hades and Artemis cooked up, but Ares infused her with his powers and awakened something inside her that even he couldn't control."

Hera gasped in surprise and shared a confused look with Zeus. "What are you saying?" She glanced down at Gabrielle. "What does she mean?"

"Uncontrollable bloodlust," Gabrielle answered. "His powers of seduction apparently had an adverse effect on me that even he didn't foresee. It unleashed?well, I'm not exactly sure what it did to me. I just know it was something I don't ever want to repeat again. I'm just glad he took it from me before I could cause more harm."

Zeus leaned in and whispered something in Hera's ear. A dark brow rose on the goddess' eternally youthful face. She glanced at him with an unspoken question shining in her eyes. He merely shook his head, as if to say 'We'll discuss it later.'

"We will talk to the children about their unnecessary interference in your lives," Hera conceded as she clasped her hands in front of her and returned her attention to the two women. "We make no promises, but we shall both endeavor to keep them from interfering in the future."

"Ares will be on a short leash for his part in this debacle," Zeus added with a scowl. "He knows better than to use his gift so carelessly. I assure you it won't happen again."

"Thank you," Xena gave him a concessionary nod.

"Yes, thank you," Gabrielle said softly.

"We'll leave you alone, then," Hera said, as she hooked an arm through Zeus'.

Not another word was spoken by the two gods as a blinding flash enveloped them and they vanished. A rush of wind blew around the room, repaired the splintered door and set it back in place, before all was quiet in the hut again. Xena glanced down at the woman in her arms and noticed the tired smile of relief. She easily picked the bard up in her arms and carried her over to the bed, where she deposited her gently. She brushed the hair from the bard's forehead and placed a gentle kiss there.

"Get some sleep, love," Xena said. "You've earned it."

Gabrielle snuggled down beneath the covers and eyed the warrior. "I'd sleep better if you were lying here beside me."

A dark brow lifted, as Xena considered the request. With swift movements, she quickly divested herself of her armor and leather, until she was only wearing her shift. She then gingerly climbed in next to the smaller woman, took Gabrielle in her arms and settled in for an afternoon nap with the bard tucked snuggly against her shoulder. As she lay there listening to the sounds of village life outside, it wasn't long before Gabrielle's gentle snores joined the other noises and lulled the warrior to sleep.

Epilogue

A seven-day later, Gabrielle sat in the shade of an oak tree and watched Xena and Eponin sparring in the open field spread out before her. The sun was high in the sky and its warmth cast the shadows from her heart for the first time since her encounter with the gods.

The bard was still having a hard time reconciling all that had happened. Xena had insisted she remain in bed for a few extra days, when the warrior had awakened to discover that Gabrielle's wound had reopened. The warrior had silently re-stitched the wound and then firmly tucked Gabrielle beneath a pile of blankets. The bard had almost gone crazy as the days wore on and she remained idle. Then Nissia had visited and declared her fit to leave her bed.

Gabrielle took a bite of the juicy red apple in her hand, as she continued to gaze at the two combatants. She noted that the weapons master's hair was plastered to her face and sweat was running in her eyes. Then Gabrielle looked at Xena and noticed the warrior wasn't even breaking a sweat. That brought a smirk to her lips.

"Dinar for your thoughts," Ephiny said, as she sat down next to the bard and grabbed the apple from her hand. "Or not." She took a bite of the apple and handed it back. "I'm sure you're marveling at the irony of that matchup."

"Not exactly," Gabrielle shook her head and continued eating her apple. "They're not exactly evenly matched, are they?"

"Not a bit," Ephiny grinned and shook her head. "Eponin's gonna be running herself to the breaking point in an effort to improve her skills after this little bout with Xena." She shot the bard an enthusiastic grin. "Can't wait to snuggle up with all those hard muscles, let me tell ya."

Gabrielle snorted. "It does have its advantages."

"Do tell," Ephiny brought her knees up and rested her chin on a fist. "I'm glad to see you out and about, kiddo."

"It's good to be out of that hut, let me tell you," Gabrielle nodded. "Not that I'm complaining, but it is in serious need of a decorator if I'm going to spend any more time in it. The décor is seriously lacking. There isn't even one of those colorful rugs on the wall to distract a person."

Ephiny considered the bard's words for a moment and then nodded. "I guess I have to agree with you there, my friend. We just weren't expecting you to spend as much time there as you have over the last few moons. You're usually not here long enough to use the hut for more than a night's rest. But I can see your point. I'll mention it to a few of the artisans and see what we can come up with."

"Thanks," Gabrielle said.

"So, you ever gonna tell me what happened to you and Xena the other day?" Ephiny asked.

Gabrielle shot the regent a questioning glare. "What makes you think something happened?"

"I came by and tried to wake you," Ephiny continued. "Xena told me to get lost. And you didn't bat an eyelash. I dropped by a candlemark later to bring you both some food, when neither of you showed up for the evening meal. You were both out. Neither one of you moved a muscle."

"You mean to tell me you entered the hut and Xena didn't take your head off?" Gabrielle asked in surprise.

"I even made some noise so she didn't think I was trying to sneak up on her," Ephiny added. "She didn't budge. It was really strange." Then a smirk played at the corners of her mouth. "You two looked really cute all snuggled up together, by the way."

Gabrielle blushed profusely. "Thanks?I think."

"You're welcome," Ephiny smiled. "So?"

Gabrielle shrugged. "You really don't want to know what happened, Eph. Believe me."

The regent studied Gabrielle intently for a long moment, as the bard watched the sparring match. "I know something happened to you, Gabrielle."

Gabrielle turned her gaze on the regent. "Oh?"

"I can see it in your eyes," Ephiny nodded. "There's something there that wasn't there before." She narrowed her eyes as she studied her friend. "I'm not sure what it is, but you're?different somehow-more mature, maybe? You're definitely not the same, unsure woman you were when you returned here with me from Amphipolis."

"Encounters with the gods will do that to you," Gabrielle shrugged off her comment.

Ephiny nodded and let her gaze rest on her friend a moment longer before she, too, turned to look at the combatants. "Maybe someday you'll tell me what happened."

"Maybe," Gabrielle acceded.

Ephiny suddenly winced when she saw Xena slip past Eponin's guard and deliver a blow to the unsuspecting Amazon.

"Ooo, that's gonna leave a mark," the regent commented. "Looks like I'll be delivering some tender loving care to a certain weapons master tonight." She winced again as Xena slammed the hilt of her practice sword into Eponin's midsection. "Okay, that's it," she said, as she stood up and marched over to the two combatants.

Gabrielle just sat there and watched the scene play out in front of her with a content smirk. She chuckled when Ephiny grabbed Eponin's arm and yanked the injured weapons master off the practice field. Then she glanced over to find a pair of laughing blue eyes watching her. Xena walked up and sat down next to her.

"Is this seat taken?" The warrior smirked.

"It is now," Gabrielle answered as she leaned against a bare arm with a grateful sigh.

Xena wrapped her arm around the bard's shoulders. "How're you doing?" She kissed the top of Gabrielle's head. "Not overdoing it, are you?"

Gabrielle shook her head. "Not a bit. I have a wonderful partner who keeps a very close eye on me." She kissed the bare skin of Xena's shoulder. "She keeps me in line and believe me when I say she has her work cut out for her."

"Sounds like a real stickler," Xena smirked.

"I think she just loves me," Gabrielle snickered.

Xena's eyebrow quirked. "Oh, she does, does she? I just might have to meet this woman and straighten her out. Sounds like she's honing in on my territory." She growled low in her throat.

"Why, if I didn't know any better, I might think you were the jealous type, Xena," Gabrielle shot the warrior a teasing smirk.

"Not a bit," Xena answered in all seriousness. "I just don't like anyone messing with my woman."

Gabrielle couldn't hold it in any longer and burst out laughing. She laughed so hard, in fact, that tears ran down her cheeks. When she finally got her laughter back under control, she patted Xena's leather-clad belly affectionately.

"You are such a goof sometimes, Xena."

"Takes one to know one, love," Xena replied with a teasing smirk.

"Yeah, I think I've heard that one a time or two," Gabrielle added with a wry smirk. "So, how much longer do I have to take it easy? I seem to recall being fit enough to travel after that little episode in Thessaly. And I actually died that time."

Xena considered the question for a moment. "I was thinking?"

"About?" Gabrielle turned enough that she could see Xena's face more clearly without straining her neck. She kept a firm hold on the warrior as she did so.

Xena stared off into the distance for a moment before shifting her gaze back to a pair of expectant green eyes. She absently rubbed her fingers against the bard's warm skin. "Oh, I don't know," she finally said. "Maybe we could stick around here for a little while longer," she shrugged. "You could do the queen thing for a while and I could?" a gleam of mischief entered her eyes. "I could teach these supposed warriors a thing or two about battle tactics, strategy?you know, warrior stuff." She glanced in the direction of the village. "Eponin and I still haven't finished our?um?"

"Your contest of wills?" Gabrielle shot her a chiding glare. "From what I could see, you kicked her butt, Xena. I don't think she'll be begging you for a rematch anytime soon. Ephiny certainly has her hands full commiserating with the poor, battered woman."

"Battered?" Xena scoffed. "You don't think I took a few good hits?"

Gabrielle rose up enough to meet the soft, warm lips and deposit a heartfelt kiss. "I'm sure you have a few, honey. I'll definitely have to check you over once we return to our hut."

"Okay," Xena said and then she scowled at the smirk playing at the corners of the bard's mouth. "Hey, I even managed to break a sweat."

A blond brow rose. "Oh, please."

Xena conceded the point, because she really hadn't exerted herself enough to perspire. "I guess I'll have to settle for the full-body exam, huh?"

"I'll be thorough, I promise," Gabrielle leaned up and placed another quick kiss on the warrior's lips.

"Can't wait," Xena smirked.

"So," Gabrielle resumed her place in the crook of Xena's shoulder, "you really want to stay here for a while?"

"It's a thought," Xena nodded.

"Okay, who are you and what did you do with Xena?" Gabrielle deadpanned.

Xena chuckled. "I'm right here, love. I just think we need to stick around and make sure things don't get out of hand with Salmoneus and that latest scheme of his."

"Seriously?" Gabrielle shifted positions again so she could look at Xena.

"No, not really," Xena shrugged. "I'm really thinking that we need to lay low and make sure the gods aren't going to come crashing down on our heads again. This whole thing has just been?"

"Weird?" Gabrielle finished for her.

"Absolutely," Xena agreed. She gently rubbed the backs of her fingers against Gabrielle's cheek. "That whole mess with Ares really had me worried."

Gabrielle leaned into the touch and let her eyes drift shut. "Mmm, me too." She opened her eyes and looked at Xena. "I didn't know what was happening to me and I couldn't control myself when that?feeling came over me. It was like I was trapped in a berserker's body and had to just watch myself do all those terrible things. I still have nightmares."

Xena wrapped her arms around the bard. "I know."

Gabrielle snuggled closer to the warm body. "I know you know. I'm sorry, Xena."

"Sorry for what?"

"For getting myself into this whole mess in the first place."

"You didn't disguise yourself as a goat, seduce yourself and then infuse yourself with Ares' godly charms, Gabrielle," Xena argued. "It's not your fault."

"No, but I went off half-cocked again," Gabrielle conceded. "And I almost tore you to pieces in that hut we're sharing."

Xena placed a gentle kiss on Gabrielle's head. "And I still love you more today than I did yesterday."

"Mushball," Gabrielle chided.

"Always."

"So, we're staying for a while?" Gabrielle asked with a touch more hope in her tone than she'd intended.

"I think I can live with that."

"Me, too."

And they watched the sun dip toward the western horizon as several pairs of Amazons continued to spar on the practice field before them. Neither woman wanted to move as they basked in the late-afternoon glow and shared a peaceful moment in each other's arms.

THE END

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