THE MAIN CORRIDOR OF THE TEMPLE SNAKED AWAY FROM THE LIGHT of day, drawing its human contingent deeper into the bowels of the rubble-strewn building. Tisias indicated the stairwell, then led the women down into the choking gloom. Smoke from the torches had not cleared the air completely, and still, a musty smell remained. Creusa remained cryptically calm. Her priestesses mirrored her deportment. Xena felt the brief and intentional brush of Gabrielle's arm as they neared the chamber.

"Your circulation down here is pretty bad, isn't it?" Xena asked without needing an answer. Tisias nodded.

"It is, but there is some relief once inside." He stretched his arm out, indicating the lit room beyond the doorway. "After you."

Tisias entered the room last. The reliquary was sitting on a woven rug in the center of the altar, surrounded by all the gifts for the Goddess. Each of them went to one knee in traditional homage to a deity, bowed their heads and said a silent prayer.

"Please, arrange yourselves as I direct." Tisias began pointing and guiding. With the women arrayed around the altar, his attendants distributed the fruits, nuts and berries to each of them. Tisias poured a goblet of wine and set it on the altar. "Let me begin this exchange with the reciting of the history...."

As the Arbiter General repeated the story of the original conflict and its resolution, he took small amounts of herbs and leaves, and with obscure hand movements, deposited them into a bowl. Gabrielle watched him with interest, while Xena watched each face quietly, only her eyes making the smallest of movements. She tracked the Theronite's nervous determination, Creusa's growing relief, and the energies of the two young men as they swung from dutiful to prurient and back again.

Tisias's voice flowed over the memorized words in an almost hypnotic rhythm, creating a feeling of relaxation and serenity in the enclosed space. Everyone felt hidden hostilities and anxieties relinquishing their grip. Tisias altered his intonation subtly to cue the end of the narrative, and lifted a tiny packet in his hands. He tore the top of it off, and Gabrielle gasped audibly. Xena looked at her closely, her eyebrows arched and nostrils flared.

Not now!

Gabrielle knew all too well what that look meant. But how could anyone else here know Tisias just opened a packet of tansy? And given what the other components of the bowl appeared to be, this was all too familiar to her! Did Tisias himself know what he was brewing? She dared not interrupt him at this stage of the ritual.

One youth moved forward to pour the steaming water over the bowl's ingredients; the other stirred them slowly with a wooden spoon. Tisias signaled them away from the altar. "You are no longer needed. Await us above." The two young men bowed, then left the chamber. Tisias looked at Creusa.

"Are you ready to do your part in this Holy Exchange, Prioress Creusa, without malice and envy, and with a sense of faith and hope for your sisters of Delos?"

"Yes, I am ready to do my part without malice and envy, with only faith and hope in my heart for the peace of the Goddess herself." She held out her right hand, into which Tisias laid a silken pouch, embroidered with a gold and green stag.

"Then remove the Holy Token from its pouch."

Creusa loosened the drawstrings of the pouch, then removed a small, wood-carved statue identical to the statue at Ephesus. It was grotesque. Gabrielle felt Xena's glance sweeping along the edge of the circle and attempted to catch her attention, but got only a sharp visual warning. Tisias poured the ritual brew into six drinking saucers and gave each woman one of them, reserving the last for himself.

"We drink to the Goddess herself." He raised his saucer and swallowed its contents as each woman followed in his stead. The mists in the chamber gathered rapidly in spite of the tepid updraft. Tisias collected the saucers and replaced them on the altar top, then turned to Xena.

"Traditionally, it is a Priestess who accepts the Holy Token. Are you a functionary of the temple?" he asked, already anticipating the answer.

"Actually, I am." Xena said. "I was fully shriven in the Temple of Artemis at Amphipolis. Will that do?"

"Ah.... Yes. Yes, it will. Thank you."

Xena enjoyed the momentary surprise on the arbiter's face, but admired how graciously he recovered.

"Are you ready to do your part in this Holy Exchange, Xena, as a celebrant of Artemis, without malice and envy, and with a sense of faith and hope for your sisters of the Convocation House?"

"Yes, I am ready to do my part without malice and envy, with only faith and hope in my heart for the peace of the Goddess herself."

"Then take the Holy Token from Prioress Creusa."

The torches sputtered and dimmed behind Xena's outstretched arm. Creusa settled the doll-sized statue in the warrior's palm. The outline of the doll wavered in the low light of the chamber, then began shining brightly, as if illuminated from within. Creusa's face mirrored the surprise in Xena's. Neither made a move to withdraw her hand. Could they if they wanted to? The glow from the token increased until it was impossible to look directly at it. Gabrielle stared at the shadows of the two celebrants, watching their movements played out in surreal beauty. Abruptly, the white light closed in on itself, and the dimness of the room resumed. She risked a look.

Xena held a magnificent black obsidian knife. Its styling was evident to everyone in the chamber... it was a sacrificial blade used for human offerings. Someone gasped.

Blackness swallowed her eyes, leaving shapes dancing along the fringes of her vision. One of the young Theronites yelped involuntarily, then Gabrielle felt an aggravating loosening of her senses.

"Xena, here we go again!" she shouted aloud, but the words melted into candle wax and stiffened her tongue and face into a paraffin prison. She closed her eyes and felt for her partner's energy. Ah! Flames erupted above her head, and as they burned her down like a dried-out wick, she relaxed and allowed them to consume her without fear.

I can feel you, Xena. Can you feel me?

Yes, I can-how curious. Where are the others?

I don't know. I knew this was going to happen when I saw what Tisias was doing with that tansy, so all of us must be here in the dreamscape somewhere. But why?

I have a feeling we're gonna find out real soon. Hold on, I can feel my hand burning.

A blinding halo of light turned the chamber iridescent with color, the blues and whites pulsing and struggling against the reds, yellows and oranges as the entire room spun around a blackness where the altar had been. An ear splitting howl rose up from the spiraling core, then just as suddenly, the chamber was still and quiet.

Are we under water? Are we dead, Mother? Gabrielle heard someone ask.

No daughter, we must have been summoned to the dreamscape to complete the ritual. Be quiet now, and await our Goddess.

Gabrielle tried reassuring them, but after a brief try it was obvious they couldn't hear her. She looked over to Xena, and her jaw dropped. There, with Creusa's hand a scant finger's length from her, the past several seconds of the exchange replayed themselves in a strange loop: Creusa sat the statue in Xena's outstretched palm and it shrunk, then melted into a pool of black liquid, which rapidly transmuted into an obsidian knife. Creusa placed the statue onto Xena's hand, and it writhed and twisted and blackened into an obsidian knife. Xena held her hand out and Creusa....

STOP!

Without warning, the loop froze in stillness, Creusa's empty hand poised over Xena's, the knife gleaming coldly, the only thing in the chamber that seemed to have life. A gobbet of crimson blood emerged from the blade of the knife and at the instant it hit the floor, the flow of time reset itself.

Tisias began intoning the next stage of the exchange, calling upon the goddess in all her forms, by all of her names and functions, asking that she tolerate no further hostilities between her equally devoted followers. Gabrielle turned his droning voice off and tasted the aura of the room. There was, indeed, a strange presence around the periphery of the chamber, almost as if blocked by the glowing circle of human beings, now all linked by the ritual. Xena still held the knife loosely in her hand.

There! Over there-- Gabrielle knew the cloying odor of malevolence... it was here, in the chamber, and also in the dreamscape. Were all of them still in the dreaming world? Or back to reality? What on earth was reality at this point?

Xena! Can you hear me?

A pair of wide blue eyes turned in her direction. Gabrielle saw her mouth twitch, but Xena resisted the impulse. Tisias droned on. Xena pursed her lips in frustration, then looked away.

Gabrielle! How is it you are talking to me without talking?

The same way you are, Xena. We're somewhere in between a waking state and hallucination, as far as I can tell. Do you remember how this world operates from your nightmares?

I think so, but this feels different. Can they hear us?

I don't think they can. I heard one of the priestesses talking to Creusa right after we got 'here', but I couldn't talk to either of them. I'm not on their wavelength. We're way ahead of the game... besides, does it look like they've heard a single word we've said?

Gabrielle watched Xena angle her head slightly so she could have a look at the rest of the party. Everyone's eyes were trained on the knife.

Yeah, you're right.

Gabrielle paused. Xena, I think she's here. Call me crazy, but you still haven't killed that crow off completely yet.

Okay. Okay, I've got to pay attention now.

Xena faced the altar, obsidian knife in her open palm. Tisias was concluding his recitation. "Once the ritual is completed, you will find your lips sealed for all time, under threat of a curse from the Goddess herself. I will record the events of today upon my return to Lebedaia , but will never speak of it again. Take good care that you follow this guideline." He took the knife from Xena's hand and laid it on the altar cloth. "Is this clear to all of you?"

Each participant, in turn, indicated her understanding. Tisias was satisfied. Next, each woman ate the remaining portions of food that had been distributed earlier. The youngest Theronite's face reflected some distaste for her berries. Gabrielle could hear her thoughts clearly.

Ugh! What in the Goddess's creation spawned this foul-flavored fruit?

The berries were nothing short of delicious. Gabrielle watched the woman's face contort in revulsion. Too late, she realized what was happening. She made a move to intercept what she assumed would be an attack, but a soft waxen skeleton grew over her feet and then her legs, making movement almost impossible.

In a halting, mechanical fashion, the junior priestess reached for her Prioress's neck with hands mutated into ugly, birdlike claws. Somehow her sister noticed the movement and dove between them. The claws sunk into her neck instead. She screamed, but it was quickly cut off, gagging on her own blood. The dark crimson liquid spurted down her attacker's sleeves; the sounds of agony and fear mixed and echoed against the cold stone walls.

Creusa did not flinch. Her attention was locked onto the knife, eyes wide and unblinking. Gabrielle realized numbly that Creusa was paralyzed somehow. A closer look revealed the Prioress's eyes darting back and forth in an attempt to understand what was happening. And where was Tisias?

Gabrielle shook a coating of newly formed wax from her limbs and twisted free to look around. Tisias also appeared frozen in a type of paralysis... but what of Xena? There was no evidence of her anywhere. The room was very dark, with wispy flashes of pale light haunting the stale updrafts, giving the impression of movement where there was none. The knife was gone from the altar cloth. Was it with Xena?

Creeping around in the dark with her real time senses was the logical way to find the knife. She felt sure it was the key to stopping Harpalyce. Down on all fours behind the far side of the altar, she felt along its base with her fingers. Nothing. She stood up and shook more congealing wax from her shoulders and elbows. Tisias and Cruesa now faced each other, their expressions rigid with fright. Gabrielle shifted into a flame and crackled across the floor to their feet.

She spread herself around them and climbed their ceremonial robes with delicate licks of magical fire. She reached their heads. The ugly smell was vivid in the air up here.

I know you're here, Harpalyce. Stop what you're doing, now!

There was a bitter laugh and a foul gust of air blew through Gabrielle's small, blazing wall of fire. She flickered and wavered, then grew stable.

I will not allow this exchange to happen, girl. This is between these Theronite bitches and me. Once I kill this woman and have the token taken away from here, the Accord will be irretrievably broken and my patroness will continue her support of the Asklepiae indefinitely. You just happen to keep getting in my way. A real pity I haven't killed you before now.

I don't get it. What's in it for you? Is doing someone else's dirty work that appealing to you? You murdered a young woman in cold blood! And speaking of killing, aren't you dead? Xena killed your crow form.

Yes, indeed she did! I am now bound into the dreamscape, reliving my murder over and over. Oh yes! A sentence of madness for most, but I intend to make this my very own realm. Gods and Goddesses do not venture here... they do not truly dream... but ah, the mortal mind and subconscious! What a fertile netherworld of passion and seething emotion just waiting for me! I will find a way to live here forever. I am lost to the real world now, but I will pay the debt I owe to the High Priestess Diotima.

Diotima! She hired us to come here! She's the most powerful woman in Greece, the High Priestess of the Temple of Delos.

Exactly, you stupid girl. One and the same. Are you always so good at verbalizing the obvious?

But you're dead now! What does it matter, this debt? Call it off! It ultimately caused your death, didn't it?

Gabrielle got no response, though the heavy odor in the air remained. Harpalyce! Listen to me! The agreement you had with Diotima is no longer valid. It ended in your death and entrapment, so why continue on with this?

Creusa's lips contorted in a mechanical fashion, but it was Harpalyce's voice that rasped out. Why? You ask why... you display your insipid nature proudly, don't you? My debt did not cause my death. Your partner, Xena did. I will find her and kill her as many times as I relive my own death. Mark my words this day, girl.

What about the High Priestess? Gabrielle noted the struggle going on within Creusa as she attempted to fight off her invader. Xena needed time, whatever she was up to. What does she want from you?

I will bring an end to the Theronites and their movement! Their power to sway the olive farmers of the hill country and influence the wheat growers in these high mountain valleys will come crashing down once it is believed they broke the sacred covenant! The blessing of the olives can be assumed by the true priestesses of Diana, and the Delian League will not be bothered any longer by a worthless bunch of religious zealots preaching separatism and the sanctity of the earth above the needs of human advancement and civilization.

Keep her talking, keep her talking... Harpalyce, you know the olive farmers can't use the olive pits to grow new stock! They need the blessing of the priestesses of Potnia Theron for keeping their way of life intact, and that means the blessing of the branches.

Harpalyce forced her words through clenched teeth. They don't need to be blessed by Theronites! Those imposters stand in the way of progress. Just like the flood waters in spring sweep away the useless debris of winter, so shall these fools be thrown aside to make way for those who can direct the farmers in better directions.

Gabrielle shifted to her right. You're just another pawn in this game, then. You've gone to all this trouble for what?

I may never lead the Asklepeia now, but I will be revered as a martyr for their cause, and Priestess Diotima will be satisfied. She has no idea how much power I will be able to wield from this place once she is my tool. I will be Diotima's equal, and eventually, her superior. She will be my gateway into the waking world. For now, all she knows is that I have appeared to her and assured her that I can accomplish what was promised. She believes I am even more useful to her here... she paused ...dead. A contemptuous laugh burst through the Prioress's strained lips.

It was easy for Gabrielle to move behind the altar by stretching through one arm of flame while Harpalyce struggled to speak using Creusa. There was still no sign of Xena. Gabrielle sensed her vague emanations nearby, but couldn't pinpoint her physical location. The further she stretched her fire creature body, the harder it became to concentrate.

Harpalyce, you can't maintain your possession of Creusa for much longer. Stop what you're doing. Maybe Xena and I can find some way to help you. We can talk to your fellow Asklepeians-

A roar from the mouth of Hell itself swept through Creusa's mouth and stormed into the chamber, slamming Gabrielle's ethereal form to the floor.

How dare you... you who are responsible for my death! Let the Asklepeia be damned. I am no longer one of Them!

Creusa looked on the verge of collapse. Gabrielle gathered herself once more, and resumed her search for the knife. It was obvious now that Harpalyce wasn't able to track her movements in the chamber, so she intensified her efforts. Clearing her mind was the first order of business. Where and what was this sacred object?

Images of a bloody hand and a knife slashed across her visual awareness, and screams filled the air. The sounds of death and sated blood lust burgeoned in her rib cage; she was sure she would explode. Xena's face swam through the picture, bearing a hideous smile... one of hatred and bottomless thirst. Thirst for blood.

NO! Gabrielle screamed, then choked on her tears. That's not Xena! Stop it! There was no other sound in the chamber, not even a word from her adversary. Now sobbing, she rubbed her eyes as though she could remove the grim pictures from them by force alone. The red receded gradually, and she knew she'd have to open herself again if she wanted to find the knife. The thing did not exist solely in the real world, so the search needed more than grubbing in the dark on her hands and knees. Calming herself with a few deep breaths, she slid into a relaxed posture, brushed her cheeks dry and listened.

Echoes of countless death rattles filled her ears, marching in waves, rolling endlessly, first loud, then muted. The bloody knife reappeared, but Gabrielle remained firm. She concentrated on her most loving thoughts of Xena and forced them through the uncontrolled madness floating in the dreamscape. This is the Xena that is... this is her... Xena is real, she is not a madwoman, this is Xena... The blood cleared from the knife and the blade became as reflective as a hand mirror. She could see the Spartan priestess with Xena's eyes reflected unmistakably in the shining metal. No! Stop!

The vision broke into fragments of glittering metal, then spun in circles, finally lumping together piece by piece. Gabrielle watched in awe. Another knife was formed. It was the obsidian knife from the altar! Without thinking, she shot forward and grabbed it out of the air. It was the one!

Her fingers became molten red with heat, but she felt no pain. Her forearm bore bolt after bolt of white heat from her fist, and her eyes could see everything all at once, in a startling unison. She could follow every separate time line of every human being in the room simultaneously, seeing their faces, hearing their breathing, knowing their thoughts and emotions. If she chose to, she could count each of their heartbeats at once, separately. With room left over. She imagined she ought to be amazed by this odd development, but a cool detachment ruled over her consciousness. The almost forgotten odor of the attar wreathed her head, and wan, unrecognized music floated amidst it all. She looked at her fist gripping the knife. It was no longer red. It was no longer hers.

She held the blade up close to her face, rings glittering, and should have been stunned, but somehow she knew... she was looking upon the face of the Goddess. Her goddess. The virgin goddess of fertility, of the animals, of the moon, the huntress-of the Amazon nation: Artemis. Yet she could feel herself as strongly as ever. She swiveled the blade in her hand expertly, and walked toward the frozen Creusa and Tisias. The faint smell of Harpalyce lingered in the air. Creusa was still locked in a struggle for her freedom from the Asklepeian witch.

She must die a soft voice resonated in her head in order to remove the evil one who has caused so much harm here. Both must die. Gabrielle saw visions of a nightmarish landscape with Harpalyce growing in power and destructive force. Slaughtered animals made trails into farmland; where fire-blackened trees dotted what had once been olive groves, and charred, smoking husks lay where wheat fields had once blown gold into the wind. The corpses of shepherds lay dead wherever they had been encountered. Do you understand daughter? It must be done. You must cooperate with me.

Gabrielle struggled with herself, comprehending fully what she'd just been shown. She dared not question the knowledge and wisdom of her goddess. But Creusa? She's been a dedicated servant, Artemis. You're a goddess. Can't you save her?

I've shown you the future. Now I ask you not to waste precious time. We must do this now. If Harpalyce kills Creusa before we do, we will not be able to find and isolate her so readily next time. She will escape, but only after she has absorbed all the strength and knowledge of her victim.

Gabrielle heard the inevitable truth of the goddess's words, but couldn't keep an argument from rising up in rebellion. She wondered briefly what Xena would do, then decided she too could try another way. She wanted Creusa to live without fully realizing why. It seemed the only right answer.

Her hand began to tingle again. It itched, then it stung. She sensed the goddess's attention turn to her hand as well.

You do need me, don't you, Artemis? Without my cooperation, this deed can't be done, can it?

No, Gabrielle. You are the only reason I'm here at all. Gods and goddesses can't enter the dreamscape; we don't dream.

Then how...?

You created a power bridge with your partner when the sacred knife entered your hand.

I created a power bridge? I don't get it...

Your joining did. Xena's essence is in the knife. I don't know how she's done it, but the fact remains nonetheless. She is in the knife. And this knife in your hand made my presence possible. The power bridge allows me to climb onto it, and to remain here, but as an observer, mostly. Look! she urged The struggle is almost over! Do what you have to! Think of the Greater Good!

Gabrielle looked at Creusa. It was true-she could sense the end. Acting on impulse alone, she lunged forward and held the knife out in Creusa's direction. The goddess gasped, then flushed with anger. She coiled her power reflexively, then watched in stunned silence as the prioress reached for the knife, but crumpled roughly onto the floor.

Gabrielle tuned her consciousness to the knife's harmony, tasting the salty tang of blood and sorrow, love and longing, sacrifice and exultation. Xena's utter devotion to her partner joined with the song of the knife, and an answering thread of consonance broke out in the voice of the bard. Their song filled the air, and was strengthened by the shockingly beautiful voice of Artemis a moment later. A paean to love and life and the richness of being vibrated in the knife, drawing the shade of Harpalyce to it. Like a lost child finding a beacon in a deep wood, she drifted directly toward the offered knife. Resignation and sadness filled her bony visage, softening her angled features and making her look more human than she had in many years. The three women waited-- she reached for the hilt with eagerness-then stopped their song. The chamber went silent. Harpalyce contacted the knife, and a bright flash blinded the room. When the light winked out, a moan filled the air, fading almost as rapidly as it had started. The stench was gone, leaving only the faint fruity tones of the goddess's attar.

She has been absorbed by the knife. came Artemis's soft voice. Quite possibly its last sacrifice. In spite of all your valiant efforts, the Accord has been broken. Let what will be, be.

Gabrielle felt a lessening of her senses... colors paled, emotions cooled, sounds became muffled.

Goodbye, Gabrielle. Thank you for allowing me to see with your eyes... and to feel with your mortal heart. There may be more to your people than I ever thought. Just remember this... all of you, no matter what you may call me, no matter how you worship me, no matter how you see me... are the pillars of my temple. You have my blessing. I am leaving now.

Artemis stepped back and out of the outline of the small mortal skin she'd worn. In the seconds before Gabrielle collapsed completely, she saw the shimmering figure in deerskin and gold, with a shining headband bearing the crescent moon upon her ashen blond hair. An ornately tooled, silvery longbow and quiver was slung across the rounded, muscular shoulders of a beautiful woman, her glowing skin toasted by the rays of Mount Olympus. The last thing Gabrielle saw as the goddess disappeared were her piercing gray-green eyes. She thought of the goddess's blessed crop, the olives, and their silvery-green leaves. All went black.



"Wake up, Gabrielle." A tender kiss on her cheek made her smile. The proximity of warm skin, woman scent and breath, soft black hair tickling her neck...

"Xena."

"It's me, love. How do you feel?"

She opened her eyes. "I feel fine, believe it or not. How about you?"

"I'm okay, too."

Gabrielle looked around. The chamber was lit with torch fire once more, and Tisias was kneeling at the altar, head bowed, his back to them. She heard the voices of Creusa and a priestess in another area of the room. She sat up quickly.

"Oh please...." Gabrielle groaned. "Was I dreaming again?"

"If you were, sweetheart, then we all were. Together. But I don't think it was a dream, exactly. Look over there." Xena pointed to the two Theronites. Their cheeks glistened with tears as they gently stroked the face and body of their fallen sister. The dead woman's eyes had already been closed and her torso wrapped in a cloth to hide the blood.

Gabrielle loosened herself from Xena's hold and joined the grieving priestesses. She put a hand on each woman's back and felt a shiver run through them. They raised their faces to her. Even Creusa had abandoned the dignity and aloofness of her office in this moment, allowing her sorrow full privilege. Awed respect filled their faces.

"You are the goddess's Chosen One. We know what happened."

"No, please don't do this." They were attempting a bow in her direction. "Stay with your fallen sister. Her spirit should be sung to the goddess." A grateful glow lit in Creusa's eyes.

"Thank you."

Xena watched solemnly while Gabrielle retreated. When she got close enough, Xena wrapped a long arm around her shoulders. "Everyone really does worship you."

"Cut it out, Xena. This is no time to crack an old, worn-out joke."

"I'm not joking." She studied Gabrielle's face in the flickering light. "It's true."

"Xena, we need to get these people out of here. But I need to know... how did... I mean, what did... Artemis came, and you were in the knife-"

"I think we're gonna have to figure this one out bit by bit. How about we find our way to the surface first?"

Gabrielle nodded her assent.

"Okay, people. Time to get out of here. Let's go!"

Seldom did one find it within himself or herself to disobey Xena's imperative tone of voice, and this was no exception. One by one, the three remaining individuals shuffled out into the hall, following Gabrielle's torch, the warrior princess commanding the rear, the dead woman slung over her back.

When they emerged into the late afternoon sun, stunned, drained and unsuccessful, the whole landscape felt different. In some indiscernible way, each of them had experienced something uniquely personal and disruptive. Tisias's two young men attended him closely, noticing their mentor's unstable gait at once. The Theronite women kept a deathly silence, making eye contact with no one. They took their slain sister from Xena's back tenderly and began gathering branches for a litter as soon as she was laid carefully in a safe spot.

"We should see these women safely home to their temple."

Xena looked up at Gabrielle from her crouched position next to Argo. She stood slowly and sighed. "You're right. But will they allow us? I'm not sure they would want us involved in their affairs, or to know where they live. We were working for the opposition, remember?"

Gabrielle nodded. "Still, I'm going to try to convince them to let us. They've got a very heavy load to carry. How will they protect themselves?"

"I agree. So go convince them." Xena's tired face made room for a gentle smile. "You know you can." She watched her partner walk off in the direction of Creusa. The older woman acknowledged her respectfully, but with a closed expression. Xena watched the light of Gabrielle's eyes, the animation in her face and gestures. And all of this in spite the ordeal she'd just endured. Pride and love pushed aside her own exhaustion.

Creusa looked regretfully firm, but Gabrielle continued. Her right hand opened, palm tilted upward, fingers spread in her own special way, and she leaned ever so slightly forward. Creusa's eyes widened for a brief second, then became grim. She spoke a sentence or two to Gabrielle, then turned to resume her foraging.

"What did she say?" Xena asked when Gabrielle returned.

"At first, she refused. I knew she would. I used all the reasonable arguments with her... safety in numbers, help with their burden, but she wouldn't hear of it. Then I mentioned the fact that we had to bury Timandra. That's what bought us a ticket for the ride."

"Of course. They knew she'd gone missing. I'll bet they even knew she was dead. But how, and why, they wouldn't know. I thought you might play the "Goddess's Chosen One" but you didn't even have to."

"Hmm... that is a potent trump. Oh well, I can save it for another time." Her expression sagged, mirroring her physical and mental fatigue. "She agreed that we could escort them back, but only so far. At some point before we reach their Convocation House, she will ask us to turn back. I agreed in both our names. That seemed to satisfy her. I think it's fair."

"Absolutely. It'll give us enough time to answer any questions they have about Timandra, and we might even find out a few things we didn't know. When do they plan to move out?"

"At first light."

"They want to camp here? Can we get them to agree to go down the mountain a few miles before sunset? It'll be much warmer, and a lot less... spooky."

"I'm sure it'll be alright. Let me go speak with her."

Xena finished checking Argo from head to hoof and found everything perfect. She rubbed the mare behind the ears until she heard footsteps approach.

"We are ready. Lead on."

Creusa and her priestess stood staring at Xena, the litter bearing the dead woman stretched between them. From behind them, Gabrielle nodded.

"Okay then. Let's go."





THE LARGE FIRE BURNED FITFULLY, then sputtered into nothing more than a mellow glow, but not until the four women had exchanged courtesies and basic information about themselves over a perfunctory meal. Very little was said of either of their dead sisters; too much had transpired on this day. At moon's crest, the two Theronites excused themselves for prayers and then retired.

Gabrielle tidied the cooking gear while Xena prepared the bedding and packed for the morning's departure. When the fire had banked itself naturally, a mournful peace settled over the impromptu encampment.

Xena crawled under the heavy furs and rubbed her hands together rapidly, not wanting to touch Gabrielle while they were still cold. "It sure did get chilly tonight." she whispered. "It smells like a snow is coming."

"Great." came Gabrielle's muffled, sleepy voice. "Just what we need to make this really fun."

Xena moved over to her partner and slung one long leg over her prone form. "Put your head on my shoulder... right here. Yeah, that's good."

Gabrielle buried her nose in the base of Xena's neck and felt the relaxation spread through her entire body. Though she didn't want Xena to know it, she felt like a tired and scared little girl. She knew that outwardly she'd pulled off a challenge worthy of the best warrior, but right at the moment, she didn't feel like one. She wanted to be safe, not to worry, and to sleep like a child. One of Xena's arms was curled over her own shoulder, completing the circle of security and comfort. With her last conscious impulse, she whispered into the heat of Xena's neck "I love you."





"I WISH THEY'D LET US HELP CARRY HER."

"Let it go. One thing's for sure: you can only offer so much help before you offend someone. Learn the limits in each situation and you'll do more toward helping them than any other thing you can offer."

Gabrielle remained silent as she stared at the Theronites several hundred feet ahead of them on the rough trailhead. Though they were tiring, they would not relinquish the litter under any circumstances. Even her vaunted third attempt had failed.

"How much farther do you think they'll even permit us to go? Let's not push too hard. I'd really like to see their Convocation House."

"I would too. But I think we're running out of time. We've got to be close, by Creusa's description. We left the road thirty minutes ago and only now got to the trail head." Gabrielle turned to Xena. "I was only trying to help. They know that." She sounded unsure.

Xena looked at the two women, then back at Gabrielle. "Sometimes your heart gets ahead of your head, but it's who you are. If they don't realize you meant them no insult now, they will later when they're done grieving. Don't worry." Gabrielle crinkled her eyes and smiled, then looked away into the cloudy sky.

They walked on in silence under the gray shadows of the forest's winter canopy, the first tiny snowflakes swirling in the air around them. Xena felt a flake hit her nostril and melt. It felt like a quiet spark of cold. A picture of Lyceus trying to catch snowflakes with his tongue made her smile, and for a brief moment, she thought she heard him laugh.

"I wonder if I could find him in the dreamscape."

"Did you say something?"

"Oh. No, nothing worth repeating. It was dumb. I didn't realize I was thinking out loud."

Gabrielle laughed quietly. "You know, the day before yesterday you were thinking in your mind and I could hear it. Mental telepathy. And now you expect some privacy in your thoughts? Forget it."

"Okay, I was wondering if I could find Lyceus in the dreamscape- but it was purely hypothetical. I don't care if I ever have another dream."

"Mmmm." Gabrielle mused for a minute or two, then said "I don't think so. I didn't see Perdicas or anyone else I recognized that has crossed over. Dreams are for the living."

"And for mortals, not immortals. How did Artemis get there? You're the only one that can answer that question."

"The answer to that is simple. I'll tell you what she told me-that you and I formed a 'power bridge' when the knife entered my hand. Somehow this 'power bridge' allowed her to come in and remain on 'it' but as an observer. I'm pretty sure she had all of her powers, but something about the dreamscape must prevent an immortal from using them. She needed me to use the knife to kill Creusa and trap Harpalyce. She showed me what the future would be like if Harpalyce escaped us. It was awful." Gabrielle described in vivid detail the destruction she'd seen from the goddess's vision, communicating her horror and dismay perfectly. Xena felt the truth of the story in her words.

"I'm glad it didn't come to that. Not yet anyway."

Gabrielle looked at her with a puzzled expression, but Xena motioned toward the Theronites. "They're stopping."

Creusa beckoned them forward, then bowed deeply in Gabrielle's direction. "Thank you, Chosen One. I hope you understand my reluctance to invite you into our compound. Please understand that we will need time and healing before any outsiders can visit." She flushed, but held firm. "Even though you are her Chosen, you are still Outside."

"I understand."

Creusa looked relieved. "Thank you." She nodded to Xena. "And thank you for the services rendered for our sister, Timandra. She was a valiant heart; dedicated to the order and to all of the Goddess's creation; and an able warrior. She will be sorely missed and impossible to replace."

Xena and Gabrielle waited silently.

"This, then, is where we part. In due time, we shall welcome you both back as honored guests. Until then, go in peace." Creusa picked up her set of poles, and the two Theronites receded into the tangled thicket.

"Where do we go now?"

"Funny, I was just wondering that myself." They stared at each other for a moment longer, then turned around and headed back for the road. Neither woman spoke for a long time, instead using the time for her own thoughts.

The road was empty of travelers in either direction. They stood in the dried weeds at the drainage rut on the side of the hard-packed surface without conversation. Argo whinnied.

"Sorry girl." Xena patted her neck.

"I know. We either get a move on, or we take her saddle and bridle off and let her graze."

"And you're not sure you're ready for a horse of your own? That's exactly what she meant."

"So... which way?"

Xena laid her index finger along her right cheek in thought. "Let's see... back to Lebedaia and the crowds, but if we go there-"

"We won't have to sleep outside." Gabrielle interrupted.

Xena wrinkled her brow in mock aggravation. "Yeah, but we might have to deal with some after effect of this broken Accord."

A small gasp escaped Gabrielle's lips. "I completely forgot about that aspect of it! I've been so focused on the fact that Artemis showed up, and so worried about the fate of Creusa and the rest of the Theronites that I let it slip my mind that the Accord has been broken."

"Let's not forget that High Priestess Diotima got everything she wanted, except getting rid of us."

"Well, let's not jump to conclusions, either. We don't know she wanted to get rid of us. There could be several reasons why she asked us to be her temple's representatives." Gabrielle pulled her cloak tight against the rising wind.

"And we better lay them all out on the table now, before we decide which direction to head in."

"Okay, for one thing, she had it all figured out that Harpalyce would keep you from getting to Lebedaia and accepting the token; that makes sense. She didn't expect me to find a way to interfere with the dreamcastings. So, it stands to reason that if the mighty Warrior Princess couldn't make it for the exchange, then no one could. No blame on Delos in that case."

"So where'd that crummy excuse of a raiding party come from? They definitely were looking to stop the Delosian envoys."

"Xena, they weren't expecting us!"

"So? Do you think Diotima would be stupid enough to tell them who they were going hunting for? I don't. They were just one more roadblock to slow us down."

"I don't think she hired them. I think Harpalyce did. We already know she was thinking as much of how she was going to use Diotima as she was about paying her 'debt' off."

"You're saying that Diotima just used us to bolster her own alibi? I've already considered that and came away feeling that it would have been very useful for her to "lose" the two of us. Not that it's anything personal, no... but you, being an Amazon Queen, and my own ties to the old-fashioned Artemis, through my girlhood shriving, combined with our 'exposure' amongst the countryside, our traveling...."

"I see where you're going with that." She paused. "Then we really don't know her true motives at all. It could any of those, or a combination of them."

"Or something else entirely. One thing's for sure... we have no idea what the fallout of this broken Accord will be. Who will be the first to deliver the news to whom? Let's hope Tisias does, and let's hope he gives an honest report. If he can."

"But what if Diotima uses the dissolving of the pact as an excuse to try and exterminate the Theronites? Shouldn't we warn them if it comes to that?"

"You heard Creusa. Even you are Outside. They either don't want or don't need our help. Even Artemis said to let what will be, be. I won't be the least bit surprised if Diotima spreads some misinformation and propaganda against them. We can't do anything about it. I think we need to worry about ourselves first. It may be time to take that vacation I promised you."

"What vacation?"

"Astypalea."

Gabrielle narrowed her eyes thoughtfully. "Won't we have to go past Athens again?"

"We can do it."

"Then it's back in the direction of Lebedaia, I guess."

Xena nodded. "We'll just take our chances with lodging in the smaller villages."

Gabrielle groaned. "You're full of it, and you know it. The smaller the village, the bigger the splash we make. We're too well known to expect privacy, let alone anonymity."

"You've got a point. We could try to make the circuit through...."

"...the woods?" Gabrielle finished for her. "No way. I vote for Lebedaia and a warm bed. We can take the chance that no one who really cares will find out we're there until after we've already left."

"Okay, we'll try it. It's no worse an alternative than anything I can come up with."





DAYS TURNED INTO WEEKS, AND STILL THERE WAS NO OFFICIAL word from Delos about the broken Accord that could be gleaned from casual conversation, and a direct inquiry put to an unfamiliar source was out of the question. The two women had encountered very little trouble on their journey south, and nothing relating to their participation in the ritual exchange at Lebedaia. Xena was in no mood to let down her guard, however.

The days and nights of travel, while not taxing, were fairly boring and provided ample occasion for conversation and general reflection. The subject of the broken Accord and its consequences, a hot topic earlier in the trip, had grown cold after several days. Gabrielle still felt compelled by it in an unexplained way. Xena urged her to use the quill and scroll to work it out, but hadn't dismissed it from her own mind.

They stepped off of the plank leading down from the island ferryboat and checked their gear. The sun was blazing down on their backs, a welcome change from the winter's chill they'd left behind. After a cursory scan, Xena waved the boatman off. They had everything they needed-- for a vacation. She smiled.

The island's breezes playfully lifted the outer strands of Gabrielle's golden hair, and she unconsciously swept it away from her face as she surveyed the island. The tones of her skin were already waking to the sun's insistent caress.

"This is amazing, Xena. I can't believe it. This is going to be so great. And you say I don't even have to cook?"

"That's right. Where we're staying, you won't be cooking. Or sleeping on the hard ground."

"I'm liking this better and better the more I hear about it. So where are we staying? I know it's a surprise, but we're here. So 'fess up!"

"I have an old friend here, with a lemon grove that takes up half the island; as a matter of fact, the southern half, where the only docking facilities are private, and closely guarded. We'll have all the solitude we want."

"Sounds captivating." Gabrielle hefted her travel bag over her shoulder. "Let's get going then."

They passed through the small harbor town, relieved by the lack of obvious stares, and found the wagon driver waiting for them, as planned. Courteous greetings and Gabrielle's admiration of his colorful garb took a few minutes, then they climbed into the back of a wooden contraption eminently more suitable to transporting bushels of lemons.

"At least it smells wonderful."

"Yeah" Xena swatted a bee "and we're not the only ones who think so."

Gabrielle laughed delightedly.

"I know what you're thinking" Xena warned "so don't even say it!" and the laughter grew louder. A glow spread though her. The realization that Gabrielle was already absorbing the relaxation of the island made her almost painfully happy. She held her hand out, beckoning her partner closer. Gabrielle moved aside a few burlap sacks and a fistful of straw, then settled in next to Xena. She leaned against the warrior's shoulder and watched the gulls wheeling overhead. Between the sun's heat and the rocking jolt of the wagon, she drifted into shallow sleep. Xena watched her expression slacken and her limbs twitch minutely, enjoying the feeling of watching over her and being her safety and comfort. Somehow, it made everything complete. The wispy blonde bangs fell over her eyes, and Xena imagined how it might have been to see the little girl she once was, soundly asleep after a full day of playing in the sun; running, singing, and giving flight to her innocent imagination.

She ran her finger over Gabrielle's forehead to pull the hair back from her eyes. The sleeping eyebrows furrowed in consternation, and Xena watched more closely. She was dreaming. Resisting the urge to wake her and ask questions, Xena contented herself with cataloguing each facial and body movement. When Gabrielle coughed suddenly and opened her eyes, she was fully awake. The dew of sleeping in the sun covered her limbs.

"That was weird. How long was I asleep? Are we almost there?"

"You slept for ten minutes, and yes-we're almost there. What were you dreaming about?"

"You and the obsidian knife." She sat up and straightened her leather top. "I guess I'm still puzzling that one out."

"Well, I told you all I know. I was simply drawn to it. I can't explain it any more than I can the panther, but I can't deny it was me, either time. Was I choosing that vehicle in the dreamscape, or was it choosing me? There's no answer. I stopped wondering about it a while ago."

"I know. You explained all that. But it was you and the knife, or was it you as the knife that created the power bridge that allowed Artemis to show up?"

"How do you know it wasn't something in that concoction that Tisias brewed up according to his recipe book?"

"I never even thought of that. Oh well. Wait! She said it was you and I that created it. I believe her."

"Then it was you and I. What difference did it make in the end? She came, but she couldn't keep the Accord from being broken."

"True. I still worry about that, and about the Theronites."

"Maybe she knew it wouldn't work this time, and just wanted to be there."

Gabrielle frowned. "Do you really think so?"

"Yeah. You know, I've been thinking a lot more about this than I usually would, but it felt so...." Xena shook her head "...damn, I can't even describe it."

"Don't bother. I know exactly what you mean. Like we were in a moment in time that will be forever important. Like a turning point, a milestone."

"Yes! Exactly! Nothing is going to be the same with Greece from now on; or with the worship of Artemis."

The wagon rolled to a rocky stop and their driver offered to help them carry their bags. It was merely a gesture of welcome; nonetheless, they declined. It would have felt foolish to have the grubby little fellow haul two medium-sized leather shoulder bags to a beachfront bungalow less than a quarter mile away.

They waved to him and waited until the dust of the wagon wheels settled in the road, then resumed their conversation as they walked toward the beach. Gabrielle took her boots off and tucked them under her arm.

"I understand the political implications with the Accord being broken. I can see the Theronites losing their place in the blessing of the olive branches. But what makes you think the worship of Artemis will change that much?"

Xena paused, trying to gather the words in her head. "Remember how surprised you were to find out that Potnia Theron was another name for Artemis? Well, isn't Diana another name for Artemis? Times are changing, Gabrielle. Like it or not, Harpalyce was right about one thing: the Theronites stood in the way of progress, the 'advancement of human civilization.'" She cleared her throat and added "It was their time to give way."

"I can't believe I'm hearing you say that!" Gabrielle said.

"I didn't say I liked it, for crying out loud-- but not you, not I, not the Theronites... hell, not even Artemis can change the simple facts. The Delian League grows stronger and stronger every day. Navies get larger and more powerful. The colonization across the sea continues. Our world is slowly shrinking-or is it that we, as a civilization, are getting larger? Either way, it doesn't matter. This progress, like it or not, won't be stopped."

"Then what can we do? It seems so destructive to me."

"It is. The only thing we can do is admit that it's happening all around us and not ignore it. What kind of influence can we have if we pretend not to see it?"

"True. There would be no way to help shape the future if we ignore the inevitability of progress, or turn our backs on it. I know I want to... no, need to have a share of shaping the future. I can't live with the fact that Artemis's vision might come true. Don't you feel the same way?"

A brief, grim expression crossed Xena's face. "I'm trying to shape the future every day of my life. I have to... I twisted it out of its shape for too many years. I've been trying to do my part ever since the day I met you."

Gabrielle reached over and squeezed her partner's arm affectionately, and saw the blue eyes become as clear as the sky overhead. She smiled as she silently acknowledged the sway she had over this amazing woman.

"What about Artemis, then?"

Xena stopped in the sand, almost reverentially. "Her time, too, is limited. Our gods and goddesses have to grow up along with us, or be lost. It may be that she refuses, or it may be that she becomes this Diana. The real determining factor is how much she wants and needs the worship. I think we saw, firsthand, the beginning of the end of Olympus. When the gods cease to move us; when they can't toss us back and forth like objects, on a mere whim... they either change, or die out. Human civilization moves forward in this 'progress' that Harpalyce spoke of, and that force is as powerful as any Olympian."

"As we grow intellectually and culturally, they get left behind."

"Yeah. Exactly. I think that the concept of the Gods is ruled now by what they can do for us, and not what we can do for them."

"Goodbye, Artemis." Gabrielle whispered. The sadness of inevitability crept into her face and mouth. "No wonder you began leaving your Amazons behind, with no warning." The ocean thundered solemly in the near distance, as if in commiseration.

"We're here." Xena reached out and tilted Gabrielle's head up. "What do you say we forget all this talk about progress and religion and the immortals, and concentrate on this place and each other? I believe we've got a lot of lost time to make up for...."

She was startled by Gabrielle's sudden flight toward the bungalow, sand spurting from beneath her bare feet. She heard the laughter coming from over her shoulder and a fragment of a sentence "Lots of time for making...." and hesitated not a minute longer in following as fast as she could. She needed very little imagination to fill in the words left out, swallowed by the wind.