Assassins by NiteHawk

The clearing was quiet save for the busy, feverish scratching of quill upon parchment. Outside the limited reach of the orange, flickering flames of the fire, however, the harmony of the forest creatures was in full swing.

The buzz of the insects crawling through the brush was steady, almost as much a part of the forest as the trees in its abundance. Small creatures fluttered through the dark, night landscape, either pursuing quarry for a midnight meal or being the pursued. The owls repeated their melancholy calls from the tall, regal-looking trees.

A loud scratching was heard as the young woman bard who had been working so fervently on her tale marked out her previous thoughts, and a short oath was muttered under her breath. Frustrated, she threw her writing implements down upon the ground and shifted in order to fully gaze upon the small, warm fire nearby. Her concentration on her work gone, she selected a twig lying on the ground close by and hurled it into the blaze, watching the sparks fly up in response.

Bored, she looked up into the pitch-black forest surrounding her and contemplated her writing. Gods, everyone thinks it comes so naturally to me to weave a fine tale, but it takes a lot more than talent. Determination, hard work, and a willingness to take as much time as was needed contributed more than its fair share. At the moment, however, none of that was working. She sighed audibly and stared out into the darkness.

As she sat there and looked into the mysterious woods, a slight movement caught her attention. Tense, she stared towards where she saw it and for a while saw nothing. After long moments, content that she must have been imagining things, she relaxed and leaned back, resting herself on her strong arms. But then she saw it again, another movement in the darkness, visible only in its contrast to the stillness of all else. The young woman sat up rigidly, transfixed to the spot; someone was out there.

Her mind worked furiously. Who could it be? It might possibly be her friend, returning from a survey of the area, satisfied that no danger or surprises were lurking under the black canopy of the forbidding forest. A slight snort and whinny from behind chased that thought away. If it was her friend, the horse surely wouldn't be so on edge. Meanwhile, as the young woman tried desperately to deduce who was stealthily stalking through the forest, the stranger was getting closer.

Fear gripped her tightly, but her hard-won experience overcame the increasing panic and she slowly reached behind her to grip her powerful Amazon staff. As her hand searched through the pile of soft grass, leaves, and pine needles to find her staff, the young woman kept her eyes on the silently approaching figure.

Her hand's search was futile; she could not find her weapon. Damn, where is that thing, she silently cursed. Quickly, she turned her head for a split second, spied the long wooden staff and grabbed it. She turned back to where the figure had been before but it was no longer there. She held the staff defensively, her breathing slow and deliberate as fear gripped her. If the stranger was friendly and was just seeking the warmth of a good fire, he would have called out to her instead of sneakily advancing towards her. And, of course, he certainly wouldn't have disappeared. No, this was trouble.

She tried vainly to hear or see any sign of the intruder lurking in the shadows, but to no avail. This set her nerves even more on edge. With the training her capable friend has provided her, surely she would have heard something. This person stalking through the woods must have been exceptionally good at stealth; he was no common traveler. Restless, she rose to her feet and slowly twirled in a circle, scanning the trees for the prowler and keeping her staff ready.

Suddenly, she heard and felt something behind her and she instantaneously turned towards the presence just in time to feel a heavy blow to her chest. She fell backwards onto the soft ground with a thud. She looked up and saw an intimidating figure standing threateningly above her. She raised her staff to protect herself from the black-clad stranger and looked up into his face. All that was revealed of his flesh was from a slit in his dark mask exposing his eyes; ebony clothing covered every other inch of his body. While she noticed this, the intruder, in one quick motion, kicked the staff out of her hands, sending it flying into the trees on the far side of the clearing.

Fighting back her alarm, the young woman jumped to her feet and swung out at the stranger. Her blow was blocked easily, and before she could blink the dark stranger slammed a fist into her chin, knocking her back into a thick tree trunk. Dazed, she looked up to see him pull a long, shiny dagger out of his boot and start advancing purposely towards her. Horrified, she sat in place, hypnotized, marveling at the bright firelight flashing off the blade. Gabrielle's mind raced furiously, thinking of a million ways to defend herself and escape. Unfortunately, the blow she had received had left her momentarily unable to take action. She could hardly keep her head up to look at her attacker, let alone fight back. She managed to tear her attention away from her thoughts and look into the dark, cold, calculating, murderous brown eyes of her assailant. So this is how it will end, she mused sardonically.

Time seemed to slow as he stalked towards her, his eyes gleaming. He was thrilled by the terror evident in the young woman's features. The two seemed to look into each others souls with a long, terrifying, unbreakable gaze, when a loud, familiar, piercing yell was issued from behind the young woman and a leather clad woman lurched out of the trees at the attacker. The two collided and the force of her body propelled both backwards. The man in black fell wholly onto the fire, smothering the only source of light in the small clearing. The last thing the young, terrified woman by the tree saw before complete darkness engulfed all was her friend rolling off the body of the intruder.

The sounds of a short scuffle ensued but ended soon with a sickening crack and, a moment later, the sound of a dead weight, someone's body, striking the forest floor. A little more noise followed, apparently the survivor searching for something, and then a few short scraping sounds came before sparks jumped up and rekindled the fire.

The young woman by the tree hopefully looked at the scene in the clearing and her face brightened visibly. Her friend was kneeling by the fire pit, flint and dagger in hand, restarting the small blaze. A few feet away lay the prostrate body of the intruder. The young woman sighed in relief.

Quickly the girl scanned her friend's body for any sign of injury. The warrior's face showed no discomfort. For a second the young woman just admired her friend's countenance. So beautiful were the warrior's ice blue eyes that peered out from a bronze-tanned face. Brilliant jet-black hair framed the magnificent visage. The sapphire eyes were set in deep concentration as the warrior finished tending to the fire.

"Are you all right?" the leather-clad fighter suddenly asked, looking up from her task towards the young woman, concern evident in her features.

"Y-yes," the young woman answered, startled. "It's a good thing you came when you did, though, or I wouldn't be."

The warrior just nodded her head, throwing some more fuel into the flames. Satisfied with the fire, she sat back and looked at her young companion. Her friend sat open-mouthed, eyes fixed on the fighter.

"Yes?" the warrior questioned.

"Xena, your arm!" the young woman cried out as she ran over to her friend. Xena looked down at her arm and saw for the first time the burn marks there. She frowned after a moment as she regarded the seared flesh. Then she gestured sharply with her head at the dead body.

"At least I'm not as bad off as he is," she said, chuckling morbidly. "I'd have liked to have kept him alive for questioning, but I didn't want to chance it in the dark. I had to break his neck." The warrior turned to stare at the corpse a while longer, studying him. "He's a professional. He could have done a lot of damage..."

Her friend's attention was solely on Xena's wound, however. She gazed upon the injury, gasping at how awful the singed arm already looked.

"Gabrielle, it's not that bad," Xena said, a crooked smile on her face. Gabrielle lifted her eyes and looked her friend sternly in the face. Xena sheepishly grinned in response. Gabrielle immediately went over to the saddlebags and started shuffling through the medical supplies before bringing a few things over.

She put some salve onto a shredded rag and started to dab at the burned flesh. Xena winced at the first touch but soon regained her composure. After Gabrielle had finished with the ointment and wrapped the arm in a clean, wet cloth, she returned the medical supplies to the bags and turned to look questioningly at Xena.

"So, any idea who that is and why he tried to kill me?" she asked.

"Now is the time to find out," the warrior casually announced. Xena shrugged and went over to the dead body to examine it, Gabrielle close behind. Xena grasped the black cloth mask covering the man's head and yanked it off, revealing his face.

Gabrielle gulped back her disgust and momentarily turned her head to look away from the hideous sight before them. The man's head was shaved, which in itself was insignificant. The main feature of his visage was the ornate pattern of scars carved onto his face. Intricate designs were cut deeply into the flesh, circling and decorating his entire head. There wasn't an untouched patch of skin left.

"Ugh, that's sick!" Gabrielle exclaimed. She turned to see Xena regarding the scars solemnly, her brow furrowed in concentration. "What? What is it?"

Xena didn't reply but instead reached down and ripped the dead man's black shirt open, revealing his chest. Tattooed there was a serpent curled around a short sword, its tongue darting out of its grotesque, hideous face. Xena sighed, and Gabrielle waited expectantly for her friend to let her in on the secret. Finally, Xena turned to face her young companion, her face not betraying any hint of emotion.

"Gabrielle, it looks like we've got ourselves a dead assassin."

"So you're saying these assassins have a guild in Megara?" Gabrielle asked as the two friends trudged down the dusty dirt road, Xena's horse Argo trailing along behind them.

"Yes," Xena replied. "They've got quite a set-up there."

"Amazing. I never even knew they had a guild for that sort of thing," Gabrielle chuckled, shaking her head in wonder.

"Well, it's not exactly public knowledge. Besides, warlords and royalty need somewhere to go to hire an assassin. You don't exactly make a public inquiry for that type of service."

Gabrielle cocked her head thoughtfully to the side, thinking this over.

"No, I suppose you wouldn't. But still, if you're going to need that sort of job done, why not keep an assassin around instead of going to hire a new one every time you feel the need?"

"And put him on the payroll as what, Gabrielle?" Xena grinned. "Besides, they do have people for the small jobs, but anything with a large risk requires outside help. What with all the spies in every camp or castle, it wouldn't work too well for someone associated with you to be caught in a failed assassination attempt. You just send one of your trusted assistants to Megara, presumably to check out some business in the marketplace, and end up having someone who cannot be linked to you carry out your dirty work instead."

"I guess you're right," Gabrielle admitted. She turned an observant eye towards Xena, deciding how best to approach the subject that had been on her mind all day. Finally, she decided to just be blunt and ask. "You sure do know a lot about this, Xena. Have you ... worked with them before?"

Xena turned her head to look Gabrielle in the eyes. She paused a moment before answering.

"No, I never hired any of their assassins, though I have had dealings with them before. A few times, while I was still leading my army, they managed to slip through my lines and get to me. None of them succeeded in their task, obviously."

Gabrielle turned her attention back to the gently sloping road before her, looking at the small puffs of dirt her scuffed boots kicked up.

"How do you know so much about it, then?" she asked, confusion evident in her voice.

"Well, let's just say it's common knowledge among established warlords. I had the opportunity to hire assassins, I knew how, I just opted not to. If I had a problem with somebody, I took care of it myself," Xena said earnestly.

"Oh," Gabrielle quietly said, and a long silence fell between the companions. Finally, Gabrielle felt the need to speak up again. "So if the guild has been hired to kill us, why are we going to Megara? Talk about the lion's den..."

"I want to find out who hired them and why. The only way we will be able to get that information is by going there."

"I guess that makes sense, but how exactly are we going to do that?"

"I don't know yet. I have an idea, but I'd like to wait until we get there to make any definite plans."

"I thought as much. So, how long until we get there?" Gabrielle asked, looking up at the rising sun and squinting her eyes.

"We should be there by noon. Not much longer now at all."

"Oh, thank the gods! Does that mean we can stop for lunch now?" As if on cue, Gabrielle's stomach growled, making the bard blush and the warrior laugh.

"Well, if you insist!"

The city limits of Megara were quite modest compared to many of the other cities in the region, consisting merely of a high, thick wooden wall and no gate at the wide entrance. The city had become quite popular, though, and many new homes and establishments had been set up outside the boundaries that had been built long ago. The lush green countryside was cluttered with hastily built huts.

A wide dirt road led through the buildings and into the thriving metropolis. The path, which was often busy and full of merchants' carts, was overflowing with pedestrians. This day, the Festival of Dionysus was at hand. Even at the outskirts of the settlement, the raucous sounds of the party could clearly be heard.

As a couple adorned in dark, dreary colors approached the festivities, it was obvious how out of place they were. Partygoers had spilled outside the city walls and had opted to amuse themselves by the entrance. The lively crowd was dressed in bright, colorful outfits, and their behavior was boisterous and carefree. Laughs and joyful shouts erupted from the men and women, many of whom were drunk, and they danced recklessly in circles and sang jovial songs with abandon. In contrast, the two foreigners were solemn, silent, and intent upon their business.

The taller of the two wore an inexpensive yet stately outfit consisting of a large, undecorated gray tunic and black trousers. Polished black boots extended up to the mid-calf, and an ebony helmet covered most of the head. A few strands of raven hair escaped from underneath it, matching the dark mustache and beard of the stranger. Deep blue eyes peered straight ahead, alert and focused.

"You know, Xena, you do look good in that," Gabrielle chuckled. "It's not as nice as the leather, but you still manage to wear it rather well."

"I'm flattered," Xena replied drolly, searching through the wild crowd for her destination. "Have I told you how lovely you look in your outfit? That dress certainly goes well with your dark dyed hair..."

Gabrielle stared at the back of Xena's head, boring holes into her. "Very funny," she dryly commented.

Still looking around, Xena's eyes lit up in amusement and a small smile tugged at her lips. "It's not that bad."

"Isn't it? Honestly, Xena, this thing is large enough to hang loosely on Argo." Gabrielle tugged on the waist of the forest green dress and sighed in disgust. Before coming into town, they had hemmed up the dress enough so that she could walk, but it still dragged down and felt awkward.

"It's Xenos, remember, and it's the best we could find." Xena spotted what she was looking for and started pressing through the dense throng, Gabrielle close behind.

"Whatever. Anyway, I guess it's a good thing that you knew that tailor outside of the town. At least we have something."

The crowd was full of drunken commoners intent on having a good time and entertainers eager to provide one. A few jugglers were scattered throughout the streets, hurling everything from fruit to razor sharp hunting knives into the air. Musicians set up in some areas and amused the people with upbeat, passionate renditions of bawdy ballads. Right next to Gabrielle, a tall, bare-chested man took a deep swig of alcohol and at once blew a stream of fire into the air with the aid of a torch. Surprised, Gabrielle jumped into Xena's back.

"Sorry, I've just never seen anything so ... exciting, so exhilarating! It's amazing Xena ... uh, Xenos."

"Yeah, sure it is," Xena murmured indifferently. She reached back, took a hold of Gabrielle's hand, and pulled her through the densely packed crowd. When she stopped, they were standing in front of a small tavern, "The Sleeping Serpent."

"Who would stay at a place called 'The Sleeping Serpent'?" Gabrielle asked incredulously before they entered.

When the door closed behind them, drowning out much of the clamor from outside, Xena and Gabrielle intently examined the room.

The tavern was significantly darker than outside, lit only by torches and the small fire in the hearth. It was much less crowded as well. Only a few quiet patrons were scattered throughout the establishment, eating and drinking in relative silence. They were all grim and dark, most likely soldiers with no time for such frivolities as the festival outside.

The bartender was a tall, slender fellow with only a small amount of white hair left on his head. His eyes were dark, sunken in, and for the most part, unfriendly. No wonder the party hadn't extended into this tavern, Gabrielle thought.

The barman was wiping off his counter with a tattered white rag, but when he heard the door open he moved to the near end of the bar. After a moment, Xena headed towards him with Gabrielle fast on her heels.

When she reached the counter, Xena leaned over and whispered something into the barkeep's ear.

Gabrielle strained herself trying to hear what was said but she was unable to make any of it out. After a second, the bartender nodded and headed into the kitchen. Xena propped an elbow up on the counter as she waited.

"Xena, what did you say?" Gabrielle whispered, upset at being left in the dark.

"Nothing much. Just the password to get us into the assassin's guild. He's going to see if we're admitted now," Xena quietly answered, glancing at all the customers in the tavern to make sure no one had overheard. Satisfied, she turned back to Gabrielle and added, "It's just a formality. We should be in soon."

"Great," Gabrielle murmured sarcastically. "I'm not sure I like this idea of walking straight into their hideout. I'd rather avoid them altogether."

"I understand, but this is the only way to find out what's going on." Xena looked reassuringly into Gabrielle's eyes until the young bard nodded her assent.

The bartender came out from the kitchen and waved them back. He led them through the cooking area, past the chefs and rows of fresh food that set Gabrielle's mouth watering, and into another smaller, darker room before leaving them alone and closing the door behind him.

The two turned in circles, examining the room. It was bare except for a heavy wooden table in the center of the floor. No chairs or anything else was present.

"Okay, this is strange," Gabrielle said.

"Yes, it is."

"So, is this where we're going to meet with those assassins?" Gabrielle inquired.

"I doubt it. There must be a secret passage somewhere in here. I don't think the guild would remain much of a secret if they were constantly walking around the kitchen out there with the cooks."

"Right! So ... where is the secret passage?"

"I don't know yet," Xena answered, inspecting the room fervently with her eyes.

Gabrielle turned to look at Xena and noticed that the fake beard was slowly peeling down her right cheek. Her eyes opened wide in fright as she heard the creaking of the trap door opening over by the table. Just as Xena turned toward the noise, Gabrielle hastily grabbed a hold of the warrior's face by each cheek and pulled her into a passionate kiss.

Xena was too shocked to move from Gabrielle's sudden display and she stood rooted to the spot, her hands hanging loosely at her sides. Gabrielle kept the kiss up long enough to smooth the beard back into place before pulling away. Looking up into Xena's eyes she saw the complete surprise in them and barely managed to suppress a giggle. She'd heard of an expression worth a thousand dinars, and this certainly qualified.

"You are the two in search of the guild?" the stranger interrupted, having fully emerged from the secret passage in the corner beyond the oak table.

Xena turned away from Gabrielle to face the masked assassin clothed all in black. Still reeling from the shock of Gabrielle's unexpected kiss, she stuttered a few times before Gabrielle cut in.

"Yes, my husband and I are in need of your ... services." She smiled and put her arm around Xena's waist while Xena just looked dazedly down at Gabrielle. Husband?

The assassin's deep brown eyes regarded the pair warily before he replied. "Come with me."

He went down the narrow, dark shaft first with Xena following down the ladder next. Gabrielle fumbled her way down in the heavy dress and luckily, with Xena's help, managed to make it down to the ground without injury.

The three were in a dark series of twisting stone passageways. The subterranean tunnels were lit by torches spaced out every twenty feet on the walls, the dark iron sconces adding to the dreariness and lack of color that pervaded the atmosphere. The flickering of the firelight provided an eerie, phantasmagoric display.

"Come," the assassin gruffly ordered as he set off down one direction in the passages, not bothering to check if he was followed or not. Soon, his heavy, echoing bootsteps were joined by two other pairs in hot pursuit.

The assassin turned often into adjoining tunnels, picking them seemingly at random. After a long while of following this confusing path, Xena realized that he was leading them in wide circles and that they were following passages that they had been in earlier. His mission was to disorient them, and Xena was sure that it often worked considering the unmarked, plain walls. She shook her head and inwardly smiled at the assassin's clever attempt.

After quite some time of this, the assassin led them down a short, dark corridor that led into a dimly lit room. The small, stone room was empty, the only distinguishing feature it held was a dark window barred with strong iron. The assassin pointed towards the window before quietly setting up guard in the tunnel they'd just exited.

Xena and Gabrielle slowly advanced towards the barred window, their footsteps resonating on the stone floor. When they were within a few feet, a raspy, strangled voice issued forth and stopped them in their tracks.

"You seek the services of the assassins' guild?" said the harsh voice from behind the window.

"We do," Xena answered.

"Who calls on us?"

"I'm Xenos from Gythium, and this is my wife..." Xena faltered, not knowing what to say.

"Lilla," Gabrielle quickly chirped in, covering Xena's slip. Xena nodded, relieved by Gabrielle's quick thinking.

"Who is the target?" the grating voice asked.

"Well, before that, we'd like to ask some questions, if you don't mind?" Gabrielle interjected. "We want to make sure that our identity is safe in this," she hastily added.

There was no answer forthcoming and Xena and Gabrielle became uncomfortable in the ensuing silence.

After a long pause, the rough voice answered. "What do you want to know?"

"What type of records do you keep?" Xena asked.

"We have few papers, all hidden of course. We keep only the records of current jobs, and after they are finished, the parchment is destroyed. Other than that, we have records of who we have worked with in the past, but the only things recorded are code-names. Only the chief knows the real names that go with the codes."

"And are you the chief?" Gabrielle impulsively asked.

"Lilla..." Xena warned, grabbing a hold of one of Gabrielle's arms.

"That is not for me to say," the voice answered. "Are you satisfied with our confidentiality?"

"Yes, yes ... very," Xena told him. "You have a very secure operation here."

"Shall we continue then?"

"Well, one more question. How much does a job usually cost?" Gabrielle asked.

"Anywhere from 10,000 to 1,000,000 dinars per person, depending on the status of the target."

Gabrielle's eyes opened wide in shock. That much? However, she did feel rather honored in a strange sort of way that someone had deemed Xena and herself important enough to shell out that much money.

"Oh, well, huh..." Gabrielle stuttered.

"Can we have time to think this over and check our funds?" Xena interrupted.

The voice paused but answered finally. "Very well. Decide soon, though." A clapping of the hands on the other side of the window brought the assassin out from the tunnel and back into the room.

"Come," he ordered. He led Xena and Gabrielle through the maze of tunnels and back to the small room in the rear of the tavern again before leaving them alone. Without saying a word, they went back through the kitchen and tavern and reentered the festival in the streets once more.

As they pushed through the crowd, Gabrielle thought back over what was said in the underground labyrinth. "I'm not sure whether to be flattered or horrified that someone paid that much money over us, Xena. It just feels so strange to think that someone went to all that trouble to have us killed."

"I guess so," Xena absentmindedly replied.

"Well, okay, it does to me then. I suppose after everything, you must be used to it."

Xena shrugged as she managed to find the city walls and escape the crowd to stand outside. When Gabrielle reached her side, Xena took a hold of the bard's arm and pulled her along towards their destination.

"Gabrielle, about what happened in there..." Xena's voice trailed off.

Gabrielle looked at Xena, confused. Then it hit her.

"Oh, that kiss!? I'm sorry, it's just that your beard was coming off and that guy was coming in ... It was the only way I could fix it without raising suspicion."

"Oh."

They made their way back to their inn on the outskirts of the area and entered the nicely kept-up building. They walked past the clean, busy dining area and up the stairs to their room.

As Xena closed the door, Gabrielle fell backwards onto the comfy bed and sighed, glad to be away from that den of murderers. The bard stretched out her arms before turning to lie on her side and look at Xena who still stood, deep in thought, by the door.

"So, now what's the plan, Xena? It doesn't sound like we have much of a chance of getting any information on who sent that assassin after us."

"Maybe not, but I'd like to try. I need to get back to those tunnels and search around a bit."

"Xena, even if you do find those records, which we're not even sure are even down there, you still won't be able to decipher them. Only the 'chief' knows who the code-names are for."

"Well I'll just have to find him and ... convince him ... to help me out."

"Okay, I just don't think we'll get anywhere, that's all." Gabrielle regarded Xena's stoic expression for a moment. "So, anyway, what now?" she quickly asked, bringing Xena out of her reverie.

Xena looked up toward her friend before realizing she had been asked a question. "First things first. You might as well wash that dye out of your hair and change. I'm pretty sure 'Xenos' and 'Lilla' were followed here and are being kept under surveillance."

Gabrielle groaned and put her hands over her face. "I wish that none of this was going on and we were just fighting a warlord or giant or something. I don't like all this sneaky assassin business."

Xena came over and knelt beside Gabrielle, laying a comforting hand on the bard's arm. "Neither do I, but the only way to end this is by exposing the person behind it all. If we just left the area, we'd always have an assassin lurking in the shadows, waiting for us. We have to fight back against whoever is responsible." Xena looked deeply into her friend's eyes before looking away guiltily. "I... I'm sorry I got you into this mess."

"You!? What makes you think it's your fault, Xena?" Gabrielle asked, sitting up on the corner of the bed and staring into Xena's sorrowful face.

"It always is. There's always someone out there who wants me dead. I'm just sorry you have to deal with that now too."

"Xena..." Gabrielle started, softly taking a hold of Xena's hand and gripping it reassuringly. "You have no reason to be sorry. I chose this life when I stubbornly decided to follow you, and I'd do it all over again, even knowing the consequences as I do now. Don't you get it Xena? I think the risk is definitely worth it just to be with you ... and to be considered your friend." Gabrielle smiled warmly at Xena.

Xena smiled gratefully in response, glad that Gabrielle was her friend. She wasn't sure she could have made it this far without the young bard by her side.

"Thank you," she whispered, fighting back the surge of emotions rising in her. After a few seconds, uncomfortable with the intimacy of the moment, Xena stood up and regained a commanding yet playful air of authority. "All right, Gabrielle. Now get that dye out of your hair already. I like you much better as a blond."

"Yes ma'am!" Gabrielle saluted, and she rose from the bed, picked up her regular clothes, soap, and a towel, before leaving the room to go to the baths.

Xena sighed and lifted herself onto the edge of the bed, thoughtfully gazing at the door through which Gabrielle had just exited. "Don't worry, Gabrielle, I'll stop these assassins no matter what it takes. They'll never get to you, I'll make sure of that."

When Gabrielle had gotten back to the room, she found Xena back in her leather outfit and sitting at the little table in the corner of the room. Two plates of food had been set up on it and two flagons of wine accompanied them.

"Lunch is served, m'lady," Xena said, smiling at Gabrielle's dumbfounded expression. Gabrielle stood in the doorway a second longer before the lure of the food forced her to throw her things to the floor, kick the door shut behind her, and bound into the seat across from Xena.

"Thank you, Xena!" she exclaimed before digging into the meal.

"Sure. Oh, and by the way, I thought we could maybe go to the festival for a while after this ... if you're still interested, that is."

"Yes, of course I'm still interested! Thank you!" Gabrielle smiled her appreciation at the warrior. Then the bard's face clouded over, however, and she thoughtfully looked at her friend. "Xena, are you sure we should go? Those assassins will definitely find out that we're still alive if we do, right?"

"Yeah, I'm counting on it. It's either that or we stay here in our room forever. Besides, I want to see what happens."

"You're not much for reassurances, you know that?"

"Does that mean you don't want to go?"

Gabrielle paused a moment to think it over. "Well, I didn't say that..."

"Oh, this is wonderful, Xena!" Gabrielle shouted over the din of the carousing throng. She smiled in joy, her laughter joining with hundreds of other merry voices.

"I'm glad you're enjoying it," Xena said warmly, her eyes watching the young bard in wonder as Gabrielle started dancing rambunctiously.

Gabrielle stopped her dance and looked at Xena. "Aren't you?"

Xena shrugged. "It's all right, I guess."

Gabrielle narrowed her eyes mischievously.

"That's just because you don't know how to have fun, you big grouch. I'll soon have you in the spirit of things, though!"

With that, Gabrielle grabbed Xena's hands and twirled her around to join in the madcap dance the bard had started earlier. Xena's eyes widened in surprise, and Gabrielle erupted into a fit of laughter.

After a few seconds of that, Xena chuckled nervously. "That's enough, Gabrielle."

Gabrielle stopped spinning around with Xena and eyed her friend wickedly.

"Had enough, warrior princess?" she asked, grinning slyly.

Xena's eyes narrowed roguishly as well, but as she opened her mouth to answer, loud shouts went up nearby and the two turned to see what was going on.

A young man had jumped up onto a stage near the walls and the crowd anxiously turned to see what he was up to. He was dressed in fine, bright silk clothes, and he had large sleeves that covered up his hands when his arms hung at his sides. He looked like a fool in his outfit, and the large pointed cap on his head added to that effect.

Gabrielle turned her head to face Xena for a moment. "And I thought my costume was bad," she joked before turning her attention back to the young man.

The fellow on stage pushed his sleeves back and held his hands toward the sky. Then he stamped his right foot and flung his arms out. A loud popping noise and a puff of purple smoke appeared momentarily, and when it cleared he had three sharp knives in his right hand.

"Oh, a magician!" Gabrielle shouted in excitement, and she grabbed Xena's arm and pulled the warrior up beside her.

"How nice," Xena dryly replied.

The magician started juggling the knives, occasionally stomping his foot again and having more knives appear. He stopped at six, throwing each shiny weapon high into the air before catching it. After a few more moments, he stomped his foot again and all the knives disappeared.

"He's pretty good, huh?" Gabrielle asked Xena.

"I guess."

"I bet you couldn't do that," Gabrielle teased her friend, looking playfully into the warrior's deep blue eyes before turning back to the magic show.

The magician had pulled off his hat and held it in one hand, showing the inside of it to the assembled audience. Once he was satisfied that they could see it was empty, he turned it upside down in his hand and with another stomp of his foot made a wand appear in his free hand. Then, with an entertainer's aplomb, he waved the rod over his hat before rapping it three times on the brim. He threw the wand into the audience and reached down into the hat with his now-free hand. He drew out a white, fluffy rabbit and turned towards the audience, bowing.

The crowd, loving the show the young man put on, erupted into applause and cries of encouragement. Gabrielle enthusiastically joined in the clapping while Xena did so reluctantly.

"Come on, that's the oldest trick in the book," Xena leaned over and whispered in Gabrielle's ear. "Even I could do better than that."

Gabrielle turned to look at her friend and stared at her breastplate.

"Yeah, well there's no telling what you've got hiding in there..." she chuckled.

Xena stopped clapping her hands and turned her friend's head to face the stage.

"The show is that way," she told Gabrielle, smiling roguishly.

"It doesn't have to be..." Gabrielle slyly commented. Xena just arched her eyebrow and forced her attention to the man on stage.

The performer had finished his short show, however, and he blew kisses out towards the audience. Loud cheers erupted from the assembled crowd, and with a snap of his fingers and the reappearance of the purple smoke, the magician disappeared.

"That was a short act. Guess he didn't have all that many skills," Xena chuckled.

"Do I hear a tinge of jealousy in your voice, Xena?" Gabrielle teased. Xena narrowed her eyes at the young bard.

"What do I have to be jealous of?"

"Oh, that outfit of his, of course!" Gabrielle laughed. "That and the fact that I happened to like his little magic act."

"Little is the word..."

Gabrielle laughed even harder at Xena's response and grabbed hold of the warrior's arm. "Xena, no matter what anyone else does, you're still the most amazing person to me," she said warmly.

Xena merely pulled her friend up to walk beside her as she strode through the dense crowd. She put her arm around the bard's waist, and muttered quietly, "I wasn't jealous..."

"Liar," Gabrielle replied playfully.

The two walked through the crowd for a while until Xena came to a stop and turned to face her friend. "Now what?"

"What do you mean 'now what?'" Gabrielle asked.

"Are we just going to walk around aimlessly?"

"Well, we could always look for some food. I am a bit hungry," Gabrielle admitted.

"Aren't you always?" Xena smiled and began to look around the courtyard for the food vendors. Gabrielle tried to look as well, but saw nothing more than partygoers' backs. She sighed in resignation and looked up at her tall friend who scanned the area.

"Must be nice up there."

Xena just smiled crookedly before she discerned the food stalls and headed off in that direction. Once she and Gabrielle had reached the row of merchants, she turned to Gabrielle. "So, what are you in the mood for?"

Gabrielle checked over what each vendor offered before deciding. "That venison sure looks good," she said, eyeing the meat as her mouth watered.

Xena pulled out a few dinars and handed them to Gabrielle. The bard went over to the meat seller and smiled, pointing towards the cooked meat and saying something that Xena couldn't hear. It was some time before Gabrielle finally handed the money to the man, and it was only half of what Xena had handed her. She could never pass up the chance to haggle.

As she watched her young friend obtain the food and moan in delight from the delicious smell, Xena felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand straight up. She knew immediately that trouble was coming, and she could tell that it was coming soon.

Xena lunged towards her friend, knocking her to the ground and landing on top of her. A five-pointed metal star sailed overhead, barely missing Xena's temple. The deadly weapon embedded itself in the meat vendor's neck, killing him instantly. His startled eyes remained wide open in shock as he tumbled forward and landed on the plates of meat arrayed on the table before him. The flimsy table collapsed underneath his weight, and slices of ham, venison and lamb went spilling all over Xena and Gabrielle.

The crowd in the vicinity erupted into fearful screams, and the people started running amok in terror. Xena turned her head to look in the direction from which the metal star came and saw three black hooded men about 50 feet away racing in her direction, swords drawn.

"Gabrielle, get up! Run!" Xena shouted, jumping to her feet quickly and helping the bard up. Another throwing star whizzed towards the warrior and she quickly tore a leg off the collapsed table and used it to block the weapon. Gabrielle picked up another table leg and stood firmly by her friend's side. Xena glared at the bard and shouted, "Gabrielle, I said to go!"

"I'm not leaving you like this!" Gabrielle returned, and the three assassins were quickly upon the pair. Xena swung her table leg in a vicious arc towards the nearest killer. The jagged edges protruding from the metal disc in the leg implanted themselves deeply in the man's skull, and he dropped dead onto the cobblestones.

Gabrielle's attacker swung his sword at her head and she ducked easily. While she was down, the man kicked her in the face and she flew backwards onto the dead body behind her. As the man moved in for the kill, Gabrielle saw her opportunity and struck out with her wooden table leg, hitting the man fully in the groin. He hunched over in obvious pain, and she swung up again into his chin, knocking him unconscious. His limp form fell backwards onto the attacker Xena had killed.

The third assassin was engaged in combat with the weaponless Xena. He tried repeatedly to stab her with his sword but she always ducked or jumped out of the way. He was just as unsuccessful with his kicks. Once again he tried to swing at Xena with his sword, but she blocked his arm's downward motion with her right forearm. Quickly she struck out into his chest, hitting a lethal pressure point and killing him instantly.

"Come on, Gabrielle!" Xena shouted, reaching her hand down to help the bard to her feet. Gabrielle took the proffered palm and the two turned towards the city exit, looking to make a quick exit before they ran into any more trouble. A troop of royal guards blocked their way, though.

Xena instantly went into a fighting position, and Gabrielle stood just slightly behind her friend, looking bewilderedly at the soldiers. The standoff lasted mere seconds, however, before an older gentleman pushed his way through the line of guards and stepped toward Xena and Gabrielle.

"Get them," he ordered the guards, but to Xena and Gabrielle's surprise they circled around the pair and went towards the bodies of the assassins. He walked slowly towards the two friends, aware of the suspicion in Xena's eyes and the battle stance she still held. "Don't worry, we don't mean you any harm." As the guards carried one of the dead bodies past him, he murmured, "Even if we did, I don't think there's much we could do anyway." He chuckled to himself.

"Who are you?" Xena asked curtly.

"Oh, I am sorry. I'm Julien, ruler of Megara. I really must apologize for all this," he said, gesturing towards the dead bodies. "You handled it all very well, though. May I inquire as to your names?"

Xena lowered her battle posture but still kept her eyes narrowed on the man skeptically. Gabrielle quickly answered the man's question. "I'm Gabrielle, and this is Xena."

"The warrior princess? The destroyer of nations? The Xena?" he quickly replied, his eyes widening in recognition.

"See, Xena? Your reputation is still strong. You don't have any reason to be jealous of some magician," Gabrielle joked. Xena kept her suspicious eyes on the man before her.

"What was this all about?" she questioned Julien.

"I'm not really sure. We don't usually get such disturbances during the Festival. Only minor incidents, usually. We do keep our security very tight for this event," he answered, eyeing Xena strangely.

"Oh, yeah. You kept up your security so well that there are only three dead bodies here today and still another unconscious assassin," Xena responded sarcastically.

"Assassin?" Julien raised an eyebrow at Xena. The warrior returned the gaze menacingly. "Well, I had no idea. I guess trouble just seems to follow you around, Xena."

"Yeah ? right."

A long, uncomfortable silence followed before Julien finally spoke. "I suppose I should let you get back to your business now. I don't see that there will be much need for questioning in this instance. Clearly, you are not at fault for this." He paused, considering something for a moment, before he continued with a slight smile. "Perhaps you would like to join me for dinner tonight? I'd be honored to share a meal with the famed warrior princess and her esteemed friend."

"We're busy tonight," Xena answered abruptly.

"Tomorrow, then?" he asked politely, ignoring Xena's rude tone.

"We'd love to," the bard answered quickly before Xena could get in a word. Gabrielle smiled at Julien, ignoring the menacing glare Xena directed at her.

"Tomorrow it is. And let's make it lunch. I can't wait. Just go up to the palace gates around noon, and they'll escort you to the dining room. I'll make sure they know we're expecting guests."

"Thank you. I'm sure we'll enjoy it as well." Gabrielle responded.

"Great. I'll see you tomorrow then. Good evening." Julien bowed slightly at the waist. He didn't bother to wait for a reply before heading back into the milling, curious crowd towards the palace.

"Why in Zeus' name did you agree to that?" Xena angrily asked Gabrielle.

"I don't know. It just seemed rude to decline."

"So what? I don't trust that man."

"Xena, don't worry. We're just going to have a short meal with him tomorrow, and then we never have to see him again. What could happen?"

"I can think of plenty of things, most of them unpleasant," Xena answered as the two wearily headed towards the city exit.

"Yeah, well, that's just how you are. Besides, we've got more important things to worry about now, all those assassins trying to kill us being at the top of the list..."

Xena closed the door to her and Gabrielle's room at the inn and leaned against it heavily, sighing in distress. That incident in the city today had been far too close of a call. The painful truth about it all, though, was that it was her fault. She had known that going to the festival was dangerous, but for a second there she had convinced herself that there was nothing to worry about. Xena squeezed her eyes shut tightly and saw the small metal star zooming in towards Gabrielle's head. She sighed again, trying not to imagine what would have happened had she been just a second slower.

"Xena, are you all right?" Gabrielle's quiet voice interrupted the warrior's dark thoughts.

Xena remained quiet a few moments longer before pushing herself away from the door and putting an encouraging smile on her face for the bard. "Yeah, I'm fine," she muttered, waving off Gabrielle's concerned look with a small shake of her head.

Gabrielle wasn't fooled, however, and she watched the warrior as she moved over to take a seat at the nearby table. "Really? You don't seem fine."

"Gabrielle..." Xena started testily, ready to tell her friend to drop it. Instead she just sighed again.

Gabrielle got off the bed, pulled a chair over, and sat next to Xena. She leaned forward in her chair and looked right up into the warrior's annoyed eyes. "Xena, I can tell when something is bothering you. What is it?"

Xena rolled her eyes and stood up, pacing back and forth across the small room. After a few moments of that, she stopped and turned to face the bard. "It's nothing. Just drop it."

"No."

"What?"

"I said no, I'm not going to drop it." Gabrielle looked up at the indignant warrior, got to her feet, and went over to her friend. She put a reassuring hand on one of Xena's arms and looked her sternly in the eye. "Xena, I want to help you with whatever is on your mind."

Xena looked right back down at her friend, trying her best under the circumstances to be intimidating. Finally, she chuckled and said, "I hate it when you do that."

"What?"

"Look at me like that. How can I say no when you make that face?" A large grin appeared on Xena's face.

"I don't make faces!"

"Yes you do. You just did!"

Gabrielle just gritted her teeth and forced a smile onto her face. She shook her head and attempted some light laughter, failing miserably. "Don't change the subject. Tell me what's wrong."

The smile on Xena's face dissipated and she took a deep breath, looking everywhere but at Gabrielle. Finally she answered. "Fine, I give in. Has anyone ever told you that your persistence can be annoying?" She turned her eyes back to Gabrielle and the bard disregarded the last comment. Despite what Xena had said, the kind smile on her face betrayed her feelings.

Gabrielle led the warrior over to the bed and they both sat down on the edge. Xena shook her head slightly to get her thoughts in order before starting. "It's nothing important, Gabrielle. I was just thinking about what happened at the festival today."

"What were you thinking?"

"That none of that should have happened. Gabrielle, do you have any idea how close you came to being killed today? We shouldn't have even been there in the first place! That's my fault and I apologize."

"Xena, how is this your fault? I'm the one who wanted to go to the festival."

"I decided that it would be all right if we went. I'm the one who suggested it! It was my pride that put you in danger, and I'm sorry for that."

"Your pride has nothing to do with wanting me to be happy."

"What?" Xena asked incredulously, looking at Gabrielle with a dubious expression on her face.

"Don't think that I don't notice, Xena. No one could get you to go to some fair if you didn't want to, and I could see that you didn't want to be there. And I didn't believe your little story about wanting to see how the assassins reacted for a minute. I know you better than you think, miss warrior princess."

"Gabrielle..."

"Don't tell me that I don't know you. I know you've done a lot of terrible things in your past, and I'll probably never find out about half of them. But I know the real you, the one sitting right here beside me. The person who fights for the greater good, looks out for people who can't look out for themselves, the person who is my best friend. So whether you like it or not, I do know you."

Xena looked at the impassioned bard for a few lingering moments before smiling gratefully. "You know me better than anyone else ever has, better than I know myself sometimes." Xena paused for a second, debating whether or not to continue. Finally she started talking again, albeit slowly. "You believe in me when I don't even believe in myself. I ... well ? what I'm trying to say is..."

"You're welcome," Gabrielle replied quietly. She returned the warrior's small smile and put her hand on Xena's arm. Xena flinched at the contact. "Oh, Xena, I'm sorry! I forgot all about your burns. Let me have a look at your arm."

Xena sighed but relented to the bard. Gabrielle slowly unwrapped the cloth covering Xena's arm and looked at the blistered skin. "It looks better," she told Xena. "I'll just put some more of that salve on that wound and then put the bandages back on."

As Gabrielle went about her administrations, Xena watched the bard skillfully work. When Gabrielle was done, the warrior chuckled a little. "You really are getting good at this medical stuff. Few people can claim such a good personal doctor."

"I think I've got the best," Gabrielle responded, grinning.

Xena merely smiled at her friend's remark before turning her head to look out the window. "Looks like it's dinner time already. Hungry?"

"Do you really need to ask?" Gabrielle answered, already opening the door to go down to the dining room.

Gabrielle sat on the bed, diligently writing in her scrolls. This assassin business was definitely going to make quite a story. As night fell and the light in the room was reduced to flickering candlelight, the bard went about the task of setting recent events into a compelling narrative.

Xena, meanwhile, was trying to keep her mind from racing as she sat at the table. In her mind's eye she once again saw the tunnels of the assassins' hideaway. She retraced the route to the room with the barred window, counting footsteps, tunnel entrances, wall sconces. Every detail was replayed in perfect clarity. Xena went through her plans for the search that night. With any luck, she'd have all the information she wanted by morning.

As Xena planned her strategy, a faint noise from downstairs alerted her keen hearing. Immediately, she cocked her head to the side and tried to discern the sounds.

Gabrielle noticed the sharp movement of Xena's head and stopped her writing. Alarmed, she watched as her friend seemed to track something with her almost supernatural senses. Gabrielle set her work on the sheets beside her and leaned in Xena's direction, whispering, "What is it?"

"Shhhh?" Xena reprimanded quietly, keeping her attention tuned into the activity downstairs. The bar had closed down over an hour ago and everyone, including the innkeeper and his wife, had retired to their rooms. For some reason, however, she heard a splashing noise down below.

Knowing something to be very wrong, Xena silently got to her feet and went to the door. She opened it slowly so it wouldn't creak and poked her head out to look down the hallway.

Suddenly, Xena jumped back into the room and slammed the door shut just as an inferno raced up the stairwell and buffeted the door. The flames reached in from underneath the wooden blockade and singed the tips of Xena's leather boots. The warrior paid no attention to her feet and turned quickly to her friend. "We've got trouble," she told her simply.

Loud shouts erupted from the other rooms in the inn. "Fire!!" some people warned wildly while others loudly prayed, "Athena help us!!" Xena and Gabrielle wasted no words, but instead quickly packed their few things together as quickly as possible and tossed them out the window.

As soon as that was done, the two briskly tore the sheets off the bed. Working as a team, they adeptly tied the ends together and had a workable fire exit. Xena tied one end to a bedpost and watched over Gabrielle's descent to the ground. Once the bard reached ground, Xena grabbed hold of the rope and soon joined the bard outside.

Few of the other tenants of the inn found a rational way to escape the fire. Many, upon seeing the bright orange flames shoot under their doors, panicked and jumped out of the windows. Others who had had a bit too much to drink at the festival earlier in the day came crashing to the ground as the knots tied in their bed sheets by shaking hands came loose. No one had been very prepared for such an emergency, and the consequences were disastrous.

One woman who lay on the ground nursing a broken leg cried out mournfully. "My baby!!" she shouted. "My baby is still in there!"

Xena heard the woman's cries and hurried to her side; Gabrielle grabbed their things and followed close behind. The warrior quickly and impassively looked over the broken bone penetrating outwards from the woman's leg before she turned her head to look into the woman's deep emerald eyes. "Where is your child?"

"Oh, thank the gods! You'll save my daughter, won't you?" the woman loudly exclaimed, a slight smile overtaking her pain-wracked features. "Downstairs ... she went downstairs to find her baby doll that she forgot at dinner time. Please, you must save her!"

"Downstairs..." Xena muttered. "If she went downstairs, then I'm afraid there's not much I can do. The flames..." Upon seeing the stricken look on the woman's face, Xena sadly shook her head. The woman still maintained a glimmer of hope in her eyes as she pleaded with the warrior.

"Please ... she's all that I have left," the woman quietly sobbed, her voice cracking. Tears started to run freely down her cheeks.

"I ... I'll do the best I can," Xena finally answered. She rose to her feet and faced the burning inn, pausing for a moment before stepping towards it. A hand on the leg stopped the warrior, and Xena looked down into worried green eyes that shone brightly in the firelight.

"Xena, you can't..."

"Gabrielle, I have to. Look after her," Xena said, motioning towards the distraught, injured woman the bard kneeled next to. With that, the warrior disappeared into the now growing crowd of onlookers who came to see the spectacular, devastating fire.

Xena pushed her way through until she reached the edge of the gathering. She was only twenty paces away from the door, and the heat was unbearable. Still, the warrior princess set her jaw, steeled her resolve, and took off running towards the entrance.

She kicked the door in and jumped in a short distance, taking in her surroundings. The whole room was ablaze, a cavalcade of dancing reds, oranges and yellows. A pathway of fire led up the stairs, and the areas of extreme damage seemed to be spread out in several different places across the room. There wasn't much time for sightseeing, and Xena quickly went to the task of searching for the young girl.

After a few moments, Xena spotted her. The small form of the child lay sprawled out near the counter, face down. Crushed underneath her small weight was a tiny cloth doll, its charred yellow strands of yarn hair splayed out along the dark wooden floor. Xena ran over to the small child, avoiding a blazing, overturned chair, and tenderly lifted the girl up into powerful arms.

Xena turned to exit back through the front door, but a loud, deafening crash brought that option to a close. The second floor was collapsing, and the strong wooden beam that held up that end now blocked the exit.

Xena spun around to go to the back door but saw a large inferno surrounding the short hall back.

The two exits were unreachable.

Xena could hear the splintering beams and knew the whole second floor would soon be on top of her. While the sound filled her ears, the blistering heat relentlessly attacked Xena's skin. The warrior's mind, however, was desperately looking for a solution to the compromising situation.

Xena noticed some small holes burned through the wooden walls. If she could avoid the large thick beams that were supposed to hold up the second story, Xena figured she had a pretty good chance of breaking through the wall. It seemed thin enough to work, the heat had most likely helped to weaken the wood, and there weren't a whole lot of options left beside that.

Finding a good spot and position, Xena counted to three, holding the little toddler tight to her body. At three, she took off running towards the wall and, with a loud war cry, jumped at it, curling into a protective ball around the child. Xena could hear the massive groaning of the building collapsing as she left her feet. As she broke through the weakened wooden wall and hit the ground, rolling to a safe distance away, the whole inn was reduced to a one-story pile of rubble.

Xena was on her back, holding the child firmly to her body as sparks flew by from the inn. Xena erupted into a fit of coughing, trying to dispel the built up smoke from her lungs and take in more oxygen. She could feel the blood running down her face and neck from where she contacted the wooden planks of the wall, but she felt exhilarated just to have survived. Finally, the wracking coughs subsided and Xena regained enough control over herself to check on the child.

Xena brushed the dark strands of hair out of the child's face and looked at the soot stained features while she felt for a pulse at the girl's neck. The pale, cold lips of the child were curled into an expression of surprise and fear. They remained slowly open but they did not breathe. The smooth, soft skin on her neck did not pulse with life. The wide emerald eyes opened dully, lifelessly, and they did not blink. The child was dead.

Xena stared a few indeterminable moments more into the child's cold, dead face, knowing there was nothing she could do to help her now. "You have your mother's eyes," she finally whispered before reaching out and closing the girl's eyelids forever.

Gabrielle sat beside the distressed, injured woman and watched as the inn collapsed in a thundering display of flames. The woman immediately started screaming out in fearful panic, crying repeatedly for her baby. Gabrielle put a reassuring hand on the woman's arm and tried to soothe her with gentle words. Eventually the woman calmed down a little, but the wild eyes and tears still trickling down her cheeks betrayed her emotions. Gabrielle looked once again at the ruined inn, hopefully searching for her friend. Xena had escaped worse situations, but dread kept pulling at the edges of the bard's consciousness. Where was Xena?

As the fire died down slightly, people from all around wandered over to the remains of the inn to see what had happened. They stood as close to the burning ruins as they dared, until finally the crowd of onlookers grew so dense that Gabrielle could no longer see the ruins, and the light from the flames no longer reached her. She was left in the dark with the hurt, quietly sobbing woman, and her own fears.

After a short time, Gabrielle felt a somber presence hovering above her. She looked up into the tormented eyes of Xena. The warrior was covered from head to toe with dirty soot, and blood trickled down her face, mixing with the black ash. Her eyes stood out in sharp contrast and were the only distinguishable features in the darkness. They looked wearily into Gabrielle's face. As the crowd nearby shifted, some light fell upon the warrior's grim countenance and Gabrielle could see the emotionless mask that Xena wore. It spoke volumes to the knowing bard. As her gaze drifted downward, she understood why Xena appeared so defeated.

Cradled in the warrior's strong arms was a small child. The girl's arms dangled limply out of Xena's hold, her head hung listlessly to the side. The child was covered in a heavy coat of ash, and a few scorch marks were visible on her body. Even from this distance and despite the dim light, Gabrielle could tell that the young girl was dead. A few tears ran down her face at the sight before her.

Xena unconsciously pulled the child's dead body closer to herself in a protective embrace, her eyes speaking volumes. She tore her tired eyes away from Gabrielle and looked at the child's mother, struggling with what to say. After a few silent, tense moments, she spoke. "I'm sorry."

The mother immediately started shrieking in agony. Loud, mournful screams tore from her throat, and it was all Gabrielle could do not to close her eyes and cover her ears. Instead she just watched in dismay as the woman clawed at the dirt ground beneath her and howled in anguish.

Xena stood riveted to the spot, watching as the woman's melancholy cries eventually drifted into deep, wracking sobs. Oddly enough, she seemed to see it all as if from a distance. The piercing shrieks were nearly inaudible to her ears, and the torment of the young mother was seen through foggy eyes. She was detached from the whole situation.

Finally, a young man pushed through the crowd and took in the whole scene before him. He was dressed in dark black and purple armor, and the gold stripe that ran diagonally down his breastplate distinguished him as a lieutenant of the city guard. He had a small black helmet atop his head, but tufts of short brown hair protruded in various places. He was inherently handsome, but the features of his face were creased with steely resolve as he watched the young mother clutching desperately at the grass. He watched her quietly for a few moments before more soldiers dressed the same as he came up to stand around him.

After a short moment, he turned to the group of nearly twenty, and, quickly assessing the chaos surrounding the charred inn, starting giving orders to each of them. He sent some to get rid of the crowd, or to at least push them back to allow enough room for many of the other soldiers to work at putting the fire out. He pulled one out of the remaining group to help with the distressed mother, and the rest of the men went looking for anyone else in need of medical attention.

Xena and Gabrielle backed off a short way as the lieutenant and the other soldier went over to help the woman. Xena's eyes lingered on them for a few moments, while Gabrielle focused on her friend. Various cuts covered the warrior's body, and a large gash on the top of her head leaked blood all over her face. Gabrielle was more worried with the look in Xena's eyes, however. Xena seemed to have aged twenty years in the short time since she went back into the burning building. She looked completely spent, exhausted, and defeated.

Gabrielle put her hand on Xena's arm and Xena slowly turned to face the bard. "Xena, you did everything you could. She'd just been in there too long?" Gabrielle said, trying to soothe Xena.

"She didn't die because of the smoke or the fire, Gabrielle," Xena returned, her voice low. "Her neck had been snapped. Whoever set that fire killed her, and I'm pretty sure I know who did it."

"The assassins?" Gabrielle said. Xena nodded grimly, and Gabrielle's heart sank. Suddenly she felt very sick, and she was sure she was about to pass out. Her vision blurred and she wrapped her arms weakly around herself. "By the gods, she died because of us."

Xena moved closer to her friend and enfolded the bard in her arms. Gabrielle laid her head on Xena's shoulder, fighting back the surging anger, despair and guilt within herself. "Don't think like that, Gabrielle. It won't get us anywhere."

Gabrielle nodded imperceptibly, moving closer to her friend. She had no idea what to do or think, and Xena's comforting presence was the only thing keeping her sane. It hurt too much to think about how the child would still be alive if they hadn't been around.

"Excuse me?" someone said from nearby. Xena let go of Gabrielle, and turned wearily towards the voice.

"What do you want?" she responded icily to the lieutenant who had interrupted. She looked him straight in the eyes, her face impassive but somehow still threatening.

The man didn't even flinch, he just returned the gaze, his eyes somewhat softer than hers. "I heard about what you did here. That was a very brave thing to do, even if the results weren't what we would all hope."

Xena nodded slightly, acknowledging the compliment. "Is that all?" she asked.

"No, it's not. I was wondering if you'd seen or knew anything about what happened here. Was it an accident or was it intentional?"

"It was no accident."

The lieutenant looked troubled by her words. His eyes hardened and his hands trembled with anger for a second before he regained control. "Do you have any idea who did it?" he asked.

The warrior stood tall and kept the emotionless mask on her face. "No, I don't," she told the man. Anger once again clouded his features and he stayed immobile for a few moments longer, before nodding sharply.

"Thank you. And thank you for what you tried to do for that woman. Not very many people would have done what you did." The anger seemed to leave him after that, and he softened at the sight of her. "You should get some medical attention for that gash on your head. It doesn't look too good."

"I'll live."

"Yes. Well, that's all I need to know at the moment. If you remember or learn anything new concerning this, please come talk to me. My name is Malthus. I'm a lieutenant in the city guard, so if you do have something to tell me, I can be found in the barracks near the city gates." With that, he nodded and left to interrogate anyone else who might know anything.

Xena turned to look at Gabrielle. The younger woman was breathing slowly. She was pale, and she seemed weak.

"Are you all right?" Xena asked softly, putting her hand on her friend's shoulder.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," Gabrielle answered, snapping out of her mood. "I'm the one who should be asking you that. You're having quite a streak of bad luck now, aren't you? That man was right, the cut on your head doesn't look good. I think it's going to need stitches."

Xena shrugged indifferently. "It's not that bad."

"Well it's not good. Lean down so I can take a look at it," Gabrielle ordered. Xena sighed but gave in, her vision swimming a little as she did so. Gabrielle tenderly touched the area around the gash, and Xena flinched. "Not bad, huh?"

"It doesn't hurt when it's not being poked at," Xena replied.

"That's just because you've got a hard head. This is definitely going to need stitches. We've got to find some water so I can clean it up first."

Xena raised her eyes to look past Gabrielle for a water well, but what she saw instead convinced her that the wound should be taken care of later. She froze in place and stared at the figures in black lurking far away from the crowd, staring right at her.

"Gabrielle, this is going to have to wait," Xena said calmly.

"It needs attention, Xena."

"We've got company."

Gabrielle looked curiously at her friend, then followed Xena's gaze out into the darkness. As soon as she saw the assassins, her breath caught in her throat. "What are we going to do?"

"Gather up our things. Now is no time to fight. We're gonna get lost in the crowd."

"How?" Gabrielle asked, bending down to pick up their meager belongings.

"Magic?" Xena replied. When Gabrielle stood back up, Xena took her by the arm and led her quickly into the thick press of people gathered around the ruins. A few large groups were detaching themselves from the main gathering, heading in different directions. Xena and Gabrielle hurriedly joined one, getting into the center of the throng.

"Is this really a good idea? We're going right back into Megara," Gabrielle whispered.

"It's better than staying here. As long as we're in this crowd, they won't bother us. And if we have any trouble once we get to the city, we'll just find a way out of it."

Gabrielle nodded nervously. She really didn't think it was a good idea going back into the city, but as Xena had said, it was better than staying near the inn and waiting for the assassins to finally attack. As much as she hated this idea, she disliked being a sitting duck much more.

When they reached the city, the crowd dispersed. Xena looked around to see if they'd been followed, but she couldn't see anyone.

"Are they out there?" Gabrielle asked apprehensively.

"Probably. I don't see them, but that doesn't mean we've lost them. We have to get out of here," Xena said, still scanning the area.

"So what's the plan?"

"Follow me." Xena took a moment to gain her bearings, then took off down one avenue. Gabrielle wondered at how Xena was managing to keep going even with the head wound. Just another of Xena's skills, she guessed, and she started running after the warrior.

They ran down the increasingly narrow roads, twisting and turning through the complicated city streets and turning in a seemingly random pattern. After a while Gabrielle was started to feel fatigued but she kept up her speed, trying to keep Xena in her sight. As she rounded the next corner, she found no Xena. She ran hesitantly down the street a few more steps before she was pulled into a shallow alleyway she hadn't even seen. A hand clamped down on her mouth to keep her from yelling out in surprise, and Gabrielle tensed up, ready to deal with her attacker. Xena's face entered her view, a finger over her mouth to signify silence, and as soon as Gabrielle relaxed Xena let go of her.

Gabrielle searched Xena's eyes to figure out what was going on, but moments later she heard the sound of footsteps run past the alley. Xena kept her hand up until she was sure no one else was coming. She gestured for Gabrielle to move to the end of the lane with her.

"There was only one of them. That's better than I expected. Let's just hope he doesn't come back and find this alley," Xena whispered.

"How did you know about it?" Gabrielle asked just as quietly.

"I didn't. I ran past it, but as I turned around to make sure you were still coming up behind me, I saw it. You can't see it coming from the direction we came from, but it is visible from the other way."

"So what are we going to do now? We can't stay here."

"I'm not sure yet." Xena looked around the short, narrow passageway. On each side there were tall stone buildings, but the walls were too smooth to contain any hand or footholds. About ten feet above her head she could make out a stone window ledge protruding from the wall. A potted plant sat atop it. "Gabrielle, is my whip in your bag?"

Gabrielle fumbled through the disorganized mess thrown into the bag during the fire, but she finally found and pulled out the coiled-up whip. She handed it to Xena, who motioned for the bard to get against the wall.

"Stand back, I've just found our way out." Before Gabrielle could blink Xena had snapped her whip up to wrap around the ledge. Xena yanked hard on the whip to make sure it was tight and wouldn't come loose. Once she was sure it was taut she handed the handle to Gabrielle.

"Climb up to that ledge and then get onto the roof. I'll be right behind you." Xena helped Gabrielle get started by pushing her up a little bit until Gabrielle was able to walk up the wall with her feet while pulling herself up with the whip. The climb was difficult, but the bard was soon standing precipitously on the ledge. She had to stand on the tip of her toes to reach the edge of the roof, but she managed to scramble up top quickly.

Despite all her injuries, Xena didn't take much longer to join Gabrielle on the roof. She coiled her whip back up and returned it to Gabrielle's bag. After quickly making sure they were safe where they were, Xena wearily dropped down to rest on the roof. Her head ached and her vision was starting to swim. Every single painful sensation in her body seemed amplified, from the various cuts and emerging bruises from the inn, to the burn on her arm from when this had all started. For a moment she drifted into oblivion and forgot about everything except how awful she felt. She snapped out of it the moment she felt Gabrielle's eyes on her, though. Now was not the time for weakness. She had to be strong for both their sakes.

Xena forced herself to keep her eyes open, and then turned to look back at Gabrielle. The bard watched her worriedly. As much as Xena tried to help it, her eyes couldn't stay focused. Finally the effort was too much and the warrior closed her eyelids tightly.

"Xena? How do you feel?" Gabrielle asked, watching the blood stained face beside her. Xena slowly opened her eyes to look at Gabrielle, trying to read the bard's mind.

"Could be worse," Xena replied. When she saw the incredulous look on Gabrielle's face, she added, "I may have a bit of a headache, but I'll get over it. We have to be moving soon."

Gabrielle sighed, not satisfied with the answer but not willing to push it. She moved closer to Xena so that she could lay her head on the warrior's shoulder.

"The sooner we're out of here the sooner I'll be able to stitch you up. As long as I think of it that way, I won't argue."

"Good." Xena and Gabrielle lay still for what seemed like a long time until Xena's well-trained ears picked up the sounds of someone in the alleyway below. She quietly moved over to the edge of the roof to look down while Gabrielle stayed back.

"There are two of them now," Xena murmured. She watched as the assassins searched the narrow side street for any sign of them. Finally they gave up and went to look elsewhere. As soon as Xena was sure they were far enough away, she got up to her feet.

"Come on, we're going now," she told Gabrielle. She pushed the pain into the back of her mind so that she could focus on getting the two of them out of the city.

Gabrielle stood up and looked around.

"How do you plan on doing that?" the bard asked. "We're not going back down there, are we?"

"Nope. We're gonna keep above them. Luckily the buildings aren't too far apart here."

"Oh," Gabrielle said quietly. If there was one thing she hated, it was heights. Then again, a bunch of assassins looking to kill her made the roof route Xena planned look like a cakewalk.

"Are you ready?" Xena asked Gabrielle, concerned. She knew how much the bard hated to be on top of tall horses. She could only imagine how much being on top of a two-story building would bother Gabrielle.

"Yeah," Gabrielle answered, as much to assure herself as Xena. "Yeah, let's go."

Xena quickly scanned the city. Unfortunately for the two of them, they were far from the city walls. There was at least 500 feet between them and the nearest part of the ramparts. Xena planned out the quickest route to that area, the one with the fewest roof jumps, and then grabbed Gabrielle's hand and took off.

They made jump after jump, landing as softly and quietly on the next roof as they could. Due to extreme caution and constant lookouts for more assassins down below, it took them the better part of an hour before they reached the end of the cluster of tall residences. There was still 200 feet between them and the wall, and the only buildings in that space were uneven in height. The only way to get to the perimeter was by ground.

"Well, it looks like the only way to go is down," Xena said. She checked out the area nearby. She couldn't see any assassins. She hoped that meant they weren't searching this area of the city. With any luck they were busy looking for them elsewhere, or hopefully not looking at all. Relying on luck was a risky thing, though. Xena decided to be extra cautious until they were safely out of the city.

Xena reached into Gabrielle's bag and pulled out her whip. She tied one end around her waist and then threw the other end over the edge of the building.

"Climb down to that other building. I'll hold things up on this end."

Gabrielle looked dubiously at Xena. Xena was covered in wounds, drying blood rendering her face almost unrecognizable. Gabrielle couldn't figure out how Xena was still managing to stand up, and the warrior holding someone else's complete body weight seemed impossible. Still, if anyone could manage, it was Xena. The bard was sure that the warrior wouldn't put her life in danger. If Xena didn't think she could hold Gabrielle up, she'd find a better alternative. The bard nodded, made sure her bag was secure around her neck and arm, then grabbed on to the leather.

As Gabrielle slowly moved down the whip, Xena strained to hold her up. Normally she would have no problems, but she was obviously not in as good health as usual. Xena braced her legs and arms until they ached like they never had before. Sweat was covering her brow, and her breath was coming in short bursts. Her head was pounding, but the thought of Gabrielle tumbling to the pavement below kept Xena going.

Finally, Gabrielle reached the roof of the lower building and the weight pulling down on the warrior let up. Xena breathed loudly in relief then hurriedly pulled the whip back up. She wrapped the whip around herself a few more times until it was secured around her waist like a belt. She peered over the edge of the roof to discern where Gabrielle was and also to get her bearings. She then stepped back, and, taking a quick moment to make sure she was physically able to, jumped off the edge of the roof. She landed in a crouch a few feet away from the startled bard.

"You could have warned me!" Gabrielle exclaimed, surprised. She rushed over to Xena's side as the warrior stood. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Let's go." Xena walked over to the end of the roof. It was only another ten feet to the ground. She hopped down and then turned to help the bard off the building.

Soon they were both back on the city streets. Xena looked around carefully, and then started jogging towards the wall, Gabrielle following. They moved in silence. Once they reached the tall wooden battlements, they turned around to look back into the city. No one seemed to be in the area. The city was still and quiet.

"Too bad Autolycus isn't around. This would be easier with one of his grappling hooks," Xena whispered. She took her sword out of Gabrielle's bag, and unwrapped the whip from around her waist. "I guess we will have to make do with what we have."

Xena tied the end of the whip around the hilt of the sword. She then looked up and studied the top of the wall. It was made of wide, thick wooden boards. Each plank narrowed to a triangular-type point at the top. The top of the entire wall was a series of stake-like points.

Xena stepped back a short way from the wall and started twirling her makeshift grapple around slowly. Finally she let go and flung it towards the top of the wall. The hand guard of the sword caught between the narrowing tops of the planks. Xena pulled hard on the whip to make sure it was stuck well in place. Once she was certain, she smiled.

"First time's the charm," she said smugly. "You go up first. I'll watch things down here. If you see anyone on the other side of the wall, come back."

Gabrielle nodded and then started the climb. She was exhausted after the long, difficult night, but she just kept her mind on moving up the wall, step by step. It seemed like an eternity before she caught sight of the crest of the wall. Finally she was at the top, and she grabbed onto the wooden planks to hold herself in place. Despite her arms trembling protest at all the physical abuse, she hauled herself even higher for a moment to look over the wall. The area was clear.

Gabrielle found a way to wedge her feet into the gaps at the top of the battlements so that all the pressure wasn't on her arms. She took a moment to steady herself, then let go of the wall with one arm for a brief second to wave Xena up. Gabrielle quickly moved her arm back into place, afraid of falling. That one glimpse over the wall was more than enough for her. She didn't want to look at the ground again until she was back on it. Instead she just gripped the wood tightly and hoped Xena would arrive soon.

It seemed like an eternity to Gabrielle before Xena got up top, but finally the warrior was beside her. Xena pulled the whip up behind her and then rearranged the sword so that it would support them as they went down the other side. She checked down below to make sure that no one had gotten below their position while she had been climbing up the wall. Once she was sure, she tossed the rest of the whip down.

"Do you want to go down first or should I?" Xena asked Gabrielle. Normally she'd go down first to secure the area, but her friend didn't look like she would be able to stay up top much longer.

"I don't know," Gabrielle wearily admitted. "I don't think I can climb the whole way down, and I'm not sure how much longer I can hold myself up here. How about I just throw myself over the side and hope for a good, thick patch of grass?"

"After tonight, I think it's best not to take any chances. I'll go down first. Then I can catch you after you climb down a little bit. How's that?"

"It's great. Just be quick before I end up falling down the side anyway." Gabrielle shifted in place so she could watch Xena take a hold of the whip.

Xena grabbed the leather weapon and slid down as far as she could before the pain that caused in her hands became too intense for her to ignore. Then she grabbed the leather tightly and hurried down the regular way instead. Before long she was on the ground.

"Come on Gabrielle. I'm ready."

"Gods, I'll be glad if I never have to climb another day in my life," Gabrielle whispered to herself. After a quick prayer to Artemis to keep her from plunging to her death, she took a hold of the whip and started her descent.

Despite all the pain in her arms, Gabrielle got halfway down the wall before she started to think of dropping down. It wasn't that she didn't trust Xena to catch her. She just kept picturing herself slamming hard into the ground. That image was too difficult to overlook for Gabrielle. Still, that was beginning to look good compared to her agony from climbing down the wall.

"Xena, is this far enough for me to go?" Gabrielle asked, gasping for air.

"Can you get just a few feet farther?"

"No."

"Well then that's good enough. I want you to push away from the wall before you let go, okay? On the count of three?"

"Wait a minute, who's counting?" Gabrielle interjected.

"I am," Xena answered, watching her friend struggle to keep the whip in her grasp.

"Okay, just be quick," came the pained response.

"One?" Xena started. Gabrielle straightened her legs out for a second then bent them quickly to push off from the wall. "Two?" Gabrielle propelled herself away from the wall, letting go of the whip in the process. Xena scrambled back into position to catch her friend. Gabrielle landed on top of Xena with a thud and the two went down in a heap.

"I didn't get to three," Xena choked out.

"You were too slow." Gabrielle groaned and then pushed herself off of Xena's body to lay next to the warrior.

Xena listened intently to make sure that no one had heard anything and come around. She didn't hear anything, so after a few painful moments she got slowly up to her feet and went back towards the tall wooden battlements.

Xena grabbed her whip and yanked hard on it a few times until the sharp tugs loosened the sword from the crevices on top of the wall. She gave it a little slack and then pulled it over, moving out of the way as the sheathed sword came clattering down near her. She untied the whip from around the sword grip, wrapped the whip around her waist again, then picked up the sword and moved towards Gabrielle.

"Let me guess, it's time to get moving again, right?" Gabrielle chuckled painfully while getting to her feet. "I'm going to be really happy when this is all over."

Xena put an arm around Gabrielle to steady her friend. "You and me both." The two moved off towards the forest, away from the city that was sure to be full of assassins looking to kill them.

Xena and Gabrielle had managed to get to the forest without any problems. They'd shied away from all the areas where they suspected assassins might be lurking, and luckily that had been enough to see them safely to the trees.

Once they were in the woods, Xena led Gabrielle through the darkened woods, unerringly knowing the way to where she wanted to go without even the guidance of daylight to help her. Finally they stopped in an open meadow a mile or so into the forest. Xena put her fingers up to her lips and whistled.

Before long a whinny could be heard in the distance, and soon after the sound of hooves trampling on the ground was also audible. Argo came bursting into the meadow from the foliage. The tall mare reared up a few feet away from Xena, then went back down to all four hooves. The horse stood by calmly while Xena reached up to pet her nose.

"Miss us?" Xena asked, smiling at her faithful mare. She rubbed Argo's nose a few more times before moving back to mount the horse. She pulled Gabrielle up into the saddle behind her, and soon they were moving slowly through the dark trees.

About half an hour later they were at a campsite in which they had left most of their belongings before they went to the city. A small stream ran nearby with trees arching over it protectively. A pile of wood lay near an already suitable fire pit, and a couple of bags of their supplies, including their bedrolls, were hidden in the branches of one of the trees. Xena checked quickly to make sure that nothing had been disturbed, then lowered Gabrielle to the ground. She then slowly dismounted herself, ignoring the blinding pain she felt in every limb.

"Xena, let me take a look at your head now," Gabrielle said as soon as Xena's feet reached the leafy earth. She pulled a medical kit out of her bag and motioned for the warrior to sit down next to the stream.

Xena sighed, but didn't protest. Usually she'd prefer to get the campsite ready before tending to her own needs, but right now she was too weak to bother. The fire could wait.

Gabrielle helped her friend over to the waterside, and then supported the warrior as she nearly collapsed to the ground in fatigue. "Guess we got here just in time," Gabrielle chuckled nervously.

Xena leaned back on the bard, unable to sit up straight. Gabrielle gently held the warrior up while she checked Xena's wounds. She was relieved to see that, although Xena was definitely not in the best possible state she could be, her injuries were not too serious. The only reason they seemed to be taking such a toll on her now was because of all the physical exertion she'd recently been up to. Gabrielle was sure that after a good night's rest, Xena would be back to her old self in the morning.

"Comfy?" Gabrielle joked as she cradled Xena's exhausted figure in her arms.

"Never been better," Xena answered, smiling slightly. She couldn't keep her eyes open, and she was very close to passing out. She had to admit, though, she was comfortable.

"Glad to hear it." Gabrielle shifted Xena over to one arm so she could get at the medical equipment with her free hand. Despite some difficulty, she managed to pull a clean cloth out of her kit, and she dipped it into the cold, clear stream. She squeezed out the excess water, then started to gently wash the dried, cracking blood off of Xena's head.

Gabrielle pulled Xena's body closer to her own so she could support the warrior better. With each soft touch of the damp cloth, the blood disappeared from Xena's face. Soon, Gabrielle could see the warrior's tanned skin.

"I knew you were in there somewhere," she chuckled quietly. She dropped the dirty cloth to the ground and cradled Xena's head in both her arms. Somewhere along the way, the warrior had drifted off to sleep. Gabrielle slowly set Xena down onto the soft ground, making sure she was comfortable. With one last tender glance at her friend, she hurriedly went about making poultices to tend to Xena's wounds.

When Xena woke, the sun was already in the sky. Birds chirped in the trees, and the quiet sound of the water in the stream trickling by threatened to lull one back to sleep. The early-morning sun gave off a yellowish glow that warmed Xena's skin. In turn, the low, steady breeze cooled it.

Xena stared up into the blue sky for endless moments. The still of the morning air calmed Xena. This was one of the things she loved about her life. She loved the solitude, the quietness of each morning that she wouldn't find in any town, the feel that she was the only one in existence at that moment. She felt like closing her eyes and drifting off to sleep again, and, for once, she followed that instinct.

Before Xena could completely fall asleep, however, a movement at her side awoke her. The warrior opened her clear blue eyes and turned her head slightly. Snuggled up to her side was the small blond woman who reminded Xena that the solitude she sometimes desired didn't mean she had to be alone. In fact, it was much better shared. Xena softly pulled the bard closer and then sighed contently. She realized, suddenly, that for perhaps the first time in her life, she was totally and completely happy.

The sun was nearing its zenith before Xena and Gabrielle again saw the city of Megara. And what a sight it was. The head of security for the town had apparently taken notice of the events of the past night. Beneath a sky partially dimmed by a hazy black smoke, the ramparts were busy. Guards were everywhere. Every 20 feet along the perimeter a purple and black garbed soldier stood at attention, suspiciously eyeing every passing civilian. Xena's trained eyes picked out many more guards among the crowd, disguised in peasant attire. Every person nearing the gates of the city was stopped, searched and questioned by a group of soldiers. The former festive atmosphere of the town was now one of oppressive fear.

"Halt!" warned the head soldier as Xena and Gabrielle approached the city entrance. "What business do you have in the city?"

"We're supposed to meet Julien for lunch in the palace," Xena told him.

"We'll have to check on that," the guard told her, narrowing his eyes suspiciously. He whispered something in the ear of a nearby soldier who then ran towards the barracks. Xena rolled her eyes and put her hands on her hips impatiently.

"He goes to all the trouble of inviting us to lunch at the palace and then doesn't clear it with the city guard. Smart guy," Xena commented icily.

"I'm going to be very disappointed if I got you all cleaned up for nothing," Gabrielle joked, trying to lighten the mood.

"I can think of better occasions to get cleaned up for," the warrior replied. She grinned wickedly at the bard, who chuckled in response.

The guard who had run off to the barracks returned a moment later with the lieutenant from the previous night. He looked at the pair of women momentarily, seemed to recognize them, and then waved them along towards the palace.

"Sorry you had to wait," Malthus told them as the three hurried through the streets. "Julien never clears things with us, and with the arson and murder last night security is being tightened. We have never had so much going on during the Festival."

"Murder?" Xena asked, suddenly intrigued. She looked up to see the serious, grim face of the lieutenant staring back at her.

"One of my patrols spotted the body in an alleyway just before dawn. His chest had been cut open and his heart removed. The lack of blood nearby probably means he was killed elsewhere and the body was just dumped. His head was deeply scarred, and it looked like he had a tattoo on his chest?" He paused, glancing sidelong at Xena, before he continued. "He also appeared to have burns on his hands. Our guess is that he was the arsonist."

Xena looked over at Gabrielle who seemed to pale at the news. "It's nice to know someone got the bastard," Xena casually admitted. Malthus stared at her suspiciously, before turning his attention back towards the street. Xena didn't miss the look, though.

Finally the trio arrived at palace entrance. It was, to say the least, impressive. The white marble structure reached up three-stories into the sky. Not a mark could be seen anywhere on the building, and the sheen it radiated was almost blinding. Thick columns decorated with polished gold were spaced every 20 feet or so. Windows dotted the face of the building, each being a small portal with which to look into the splendors inside. Imposing oak double doors decorated with gold trim took up a good amount of the front of the manor.

Two royal guards stood at attention guarding the thick doors in their impressive dark purple garb and gleaming silver armor. Their long black velvet capes flowed down to their knees, and purple and white feathers sprouted out of their shiny helmets. Lt. Malthus' outfit seemed poor in comparison, and the faces of the royal guards showed the superiority they felt over him.

"These two are here to see Lord Julien," Malthus told the guards, gesturing towards Xena and Gabrielle. "They said they're to meet him for lunch."

"Yes, we've been expecting them. We will handle it from here," one of the royal guards answered curtly.

"You may leave now," the other told Malthus. The dislike was evident in the eyes of all three guards. There was certainly no love lost between the two classes of soldiers. Malthus straightened, bowed, and murmured a farewell to Gabrielle and Xena before turning on his heel and marching back towards the city entrance.

One of the soldiers snorted in disgust before speaking to the women. "We will escort you to the dining room. Please, enter."

They each pulled open a door and after Xena and Gabrielle had stepped inside the guards took the lead. The carpets were thick and soft underfoot as the four walked through the corridors. The walls were covered with gold flakes and lined with expensive furniture, vases and paintings of various public figures.

The warrior and bard were lead up two flights of stairs and down to the end of a short hallway before the guards announced that they had reached their destination. They pushed open the double doors and waited for the pair to enter. As soon as Xena and Gabrielle stepped through, the doors were quickly shut behind them, and they were left alone.

A large dining table filled the center of the large room. The dark polished wood stretched long enough to allow comfortable seating for 30. A shiny, expensive silver candelabra stood in the center of the table reflecting some of the light from the various open windows on two sides of the room. The third side was the home of an expansive stone fireplace that appeared to have never been used from its cleanliness. The walls of the room were once again covered with neatly spaced, expensively framed paintings, and the corners held rich vases larger than Xena and furniture that would be priced in the thousands of dinars in Athens. In fact, the money spent decorating the room could probably buy half of that city.

"Can you imagine having enough money to buy all this, Xena?" Gabrielle asked, looking around the room in awe.

"Why would I want that much money?" Xena returned. She slowly started to circle the room, looking at each painting and recognizing whom it represented. Achilles, Periander, Xenophon, Menelaus? picture after picture of the powerful. When Xena got around to the fireplace, she stopped and the disgust was evident in her eyes. "I really don't like this guy's choice in art," she said.

"What is it?" Gabrielle asked, walking over to Xena's side. As she looked at the painting above a stuffed raven on top of the hearth, she saw what had angered Xena.

"Caesar?" Xena said icily, the name dripping from her tongue like venom.

"He's a hero of mine," said an appreciative voice from behind them. "Such a powerful, commanding man."

"Such a ruthless bastard," Xena added, turning around to see Julien entering the dining room. Her face appeared neutral and emotionless, but Gabrielle could see through the facade to the anger beneath.

Julien laughed. "Show me a man with power and I'll show you a ruthless bastard. It's pretty much a requirement."

"And just how much power do you have?" Xena asked, eyeing the man accusingly.

Gabrielle let loose with a nervous laugh and grabbed Xena's arm tightly, giving the warrior a warning look. She then tried to change the subject before Julien could answer. "So, where's lunch?"

"It should be here any second," Julien replied, smiling and turning his attention to the young bard. "I'm sorry I was late but I had pressing business. I'm sure you've heard about all the problems that we had here last night. In fact, I'm told you two were caught in the middle of some. It appears you're a magnet for bad luck? this is the first time in years we've had so much go wrong in such a short time."

"Yeah, we do seem to have that kind of luck," Gabrielle replied, gently maneuvering Xena around towards the table. She placed her hand in the small of the warrior's back in order to calm her friend.

"Well then, it is quite impressive that you two are still here today. If recent events are any indication, you must spend every day in terrible peril." Julien smiled slightly at Gabrielle.

At that moment, the doors opened and a small assortment of people pushed through carrying platters of various foods. One by one, the servants set the sterling silver plates onto the table. Many different meats, fruits, vegetables and breads covered the tabletop, each looking more appetizing than anything Gabrielle had seen before. The final server pushed in a rolling table with several different wines on it.

"Please enjoy my humble offerings and be seated," Julien suggested. Xena took a seat next to Gabrielle, away from Julien who sat on the opposite side of the table. The server poured several glasses of wine for each person before being excused from the room.

"If you eat like this every day it's a wonder you can still move," Gabrielle mused to Julien.

"This is for my esteemed guests. Usually, I only have a small plate of fruit and bread for lunch."

"Trying to fatten us up, huh?" Gabrielle joked.

"Like pigs for a slaughter," Xena whispered under her breath. Gabrielle looked at her friend in annoyance, hoping Julien hadn't heard Xena's remark. Gabrielle surreptitiously kicked Xena underneath the table.

"Behave," Gabrielle ordered quietly.

Julien appeared to have missed the entire exchange between the two women, and he filled his plate with food from the table. Gabrielle put food on both her and Xena's plates before Julien offered up a toast.

"To heroes," he chimed in, lifting his glass in salute. Gabrielle lifted her glass as well, and with a small prompting nudge, Xena soon followed suit.

"To heroes," they replied, as Xena shifted her gaze from Julien to the painting of Caesar up above the mantel.

"I don't like him," Xena asserted as they left the palace after lunch.

"Really? Because I was having a hard time figuring that out," Gabrielle replied sarcastically. "Honestly Xena, you sure didn't try to hide it."

"I don't trust him. I don't think you should either."

Gabrielle just shook her head slightly in response. She knew that Xena was usually very perceptive when it came to people's motivations, but she still didn't like the snap judgments that Xena would make about people. "I know that he doesn't exactly have the best taste in personal heroes, but that's no reason to hate the guy."

"It's not the painting, Gabrielle, it's what it represents. If Julien has half the self-righteousness of Caesar, he's a dangerous man. People like that are not to be trusted."

"I know," Gabrielle admitted slowly. "I just don't see what we have to worry about. We're not here to deal with him. We've got bigger problems."

Xena nodded her agreement. She quickly turned her mind towards the larger picture. Her plans to infiltrate the assassin lair the night before had been interrupted, but tonight she was going to go through with it. Each day that Gabrielle and she were out in Megara was another day that either they or another innocent bystander could be hurt. Xena did not like the thought of another child being murdered because of her proximity.

"Tonight I've got some work to do. I'm going to find out who's behind this."

"What's the plan?"

"Right now, we should just stay low. I'll tell you more once we're somewhere a little more secure."

"All right," Gabrielle responded, gazing at her tall friend affectionately. "I just hope your plan doesn't include any more cuts or burns or anything. I'm going to start charging for all the medical attention you're getting. I'm not sure you can afford me."

"I'm sure we could work something out," Xena chuckled, glancing at Gabrielle. The bard always knew when to lighten things up. If it wasn't for Gabrielle, Xena would have spent most of her time in a terrible mood. It was nice to have someone cut through that and make time more enjoyable.

Gabrielle watched as a small smile tugged at the corners of Xena's mouth. It always made her feel better to see the warrior smile. Gabrielle smirked, glad to be the cause of Xena's grin. Life couldn't get much better, even if there was a band of crazed assassins after them. What else was new?

Xena and Gabrielle lie quietly side by side near the stream in their campsite. The sun was starting to set in the sky and Gabrielle watched as the colors turned from blue to orange, pink and violet. She was enthralled by the scenes that nature painted every day, scenes that she rarely had time to stop and gaze at. Usually Xena and she had pressing business to attend to before the light was gone from the sky. Now all there was to do was wait for nightfall. Suddenly, a bout of nervousness assaulted Gabrielle. Her mind started to reel at all the possibilities of what could happen that evening. What if Xena didn't come back from trespassing into the labyrinth of the assassin's guild? How could she go on without Xena by her side? Gabrielle shuddered at the thought.

The bard edged closer to the warrior, craving closeness to her friend. She nudged the taller woman's shoulder with her head, waking Xena from her slumber. The warrior's eyes opened slowly, looking up at the sky before turning her head to look at the young blond. She stared into the depths of Gabrielle's green eyes for a few seconds, and then she smiled slightly.

"What are you smiling at?"

"You."

"Care to elaborate on that?"

"Nope."

"Okay." Gabrielle shrugged. She remained silent for several moments, looking back up towards the sky. It was getting dark more quickly now, and before long the sun would be below the horizon. And after that?

"Aren't you worried?" Gabrielle finally asked.

"Not really," Xena replied.

"Okay, so you're breaking into a den of highly trained murderers and you have no feelings on the subject at all?"

Xena shrugged.

"Sometimes you're so aggravating." Gabrielle gave Xena a soft kick. A few leaves were picked up off the ground by the movement and settled on the unmoving warrior. Xena glanced down quizzically at them before turning her eyes back to Gabrielle.

"That was uncalled for. I don't see how throwing dead leaves on me is going to help."

"That was a byproduct of the kick."

"You kicked me?" Xena asked mockingly. "I didn't feel a thing."

"Oh really?"

Before Xena knew it, Gabrielle bounded up and jumped on top of her. A huge swirl of leaves flew around the duo as Gabrielle struggled to pin Xena's arms above her head.

"Don't make me get rough with you!" Gabrielle threatened laughingly. In the midst of the struggle, more and more leaves were being kicked up around the pair.

Xena looked up at Gabrielle, watching the leaves seem to circle behind her against the purple backdrop of the darkening sky. For a moment, Xena realized just what true beauty was above her and time seemed to slow down to a standstill as she watched Gabrielle fervently try to wrestle with her. In that moment, Xena stopped struggling and Gabrielle was able to pin the warrior's arms down against the earth. She hovered above Xena, looking down on the warrior as the leaves settled back around the unmoving women.

"So what are you going to do with me now?" Xena asked quietly, smiling up at the bard. Her heart seemed to be beating harder even though she was no longer fighting back.

Gabrielle paused a moment, her heart also seeming to pound faster than before. Slowly, she closed her eyes and leaned in to gently kiss the warrior on the lips. It seemed to last forever, or maybe it was just a few seconds, before Gabrielle slowly pulled back. Both Xena and Gabrielle's eyes slowly opened, looking into the others' for a sign. They said nothing, but their eyes seemed to say everything. Finally, the silence was broken by a far off neigh from Argo. Both women smiled shyly.

"You'd better come back tonight," Gabrielle finally said.

Xena crept up towards the walls of the city under the blackness of the night. Tonight was much quieter than the one before. With the recent events, the city guard was keeping a stricter watch over the city. Once the sun had set, the party was broken up and all revelers were sent home. The only people that would be out tonight would be soldiers or criminals.

Xena quietly approached the gates of the city. One guard was still on duty at the gates, but apparently he had spent his day enjoying the festivities. He was propped up against the stone wall, snoring quietly. Xena stealthily stepped past him into the city streets of Megara. She looked to each side of the main plaza, checking for guards, before she continued on her way to her destination.

As Xena came upon a corner, she felt a presence. She quickly drew her sword and as she turned the corner she brought it in front of her, ready for battle. She came face to face with another drawn sword and the young visage of Malthus.

"What are you doing here?" the young man questioned Xena cautiously. He lowered his sword slightly, not wanting to fight.

"I'm trying to find out who's responsible for recent events," Xena answered, slowly putting her sword away.

"Why should I believe you?" Malthus asked suspiciously. "Each time something happens around here, you seem to be in the middle of it."

"Because someone is trying to kill my friend and I. I'm not going to let that happen."

"What do you plan to do?"

"I'm going to find out who is trying to kill us. Then I'm going to stop him."

"Someone like that man we found in the street last night?" Malthus questioned, looking for an answer in Xena's expression.

"He's just a pawn in all of this. There's someone else behind it. Though I can't say I'm not glad he's dead."

"But you didn't do it?" Malthus responded, finally relaxing and putting his sword away.

"No."

"Then who did?"

"I'm guessing his superiors. He failed. Gabrielle and I are still alive."

"And all of the others who are suffering for it are just caught in the middle."

Xena nodded. "Unfortunately, yes."

The young guard shook a little in anger. His eyes clouded over with a terrible rage before he regained his composure and looked at Xena questioningly.

"What can I do to help you stop these people?"

"Right now, nothing," Xena answered quickly. Then she paused a little as if considering her next words carefully. "If something happens to me, though? please look after Gabrielle. Make sure she gets out of this alive."

Malthus nodded slowly. He didn't like the sound of that request as much as Xena didn't like asking it. If something happened to her, what would be the chances that he could stop whoever it was from trying to kill Gabrielle?

The two were disturbed from the ominous moment by the sound of boot steps in the distance. From the jangling noise that accompanied the steps, Xena could tell that it was a guard on patrol. She nodded her head in the direction of the sound. "You should get back to your patrol, Malthus. There are plenty of people in Megara that need protecting tonight."

"Good luck. I hope you find what you're looking for." With that, the young lieutenant turned and continued on his vigil. Xena did the same, quickly darting through the streets to her destination. There was no more stalling. The den of killers awaited.

When Xena got to the tavern, the lights were all out inside. The place had obviously been shut down for the night, and all patrons of the bar were at home, asleep. Xena cautiously looked in through a window. Seeing nothing, she quickly pulled out a slender piece of metal and picked the lock on the front door.

Xena pushed open the door slowly, making sure not to make any noise. Luckily the door didn't creak, and after stepping inside, she shut it quietly. She crouched to the ground and stayed there several seconds, getting her bearings in the darkness of the empty room as well as listening for any sounds. Satisfied that she was alone, Xena slowly stalked through the bar towards the kitchen. The kitchen was even darker than the bar area, and she slowly, stealthily made her way through the aisle. Mindful that every step brought her closer to the assassin's lair, she made absolute certain that no noise was created by her passage through the kitchen. Finally, she reached the door to the back room.

Xena stood by the door quietly for many moments. She listened through the crack to be sure that there was no sound. Hearing no breathing, no creaking from floorboards, she finally opened the door and went through it. Just as quietly, she closed the door behind her.

The room was pitch black. Absolutely no light penetrated this far into the tavern, so Xena had to rely on her memory as to where things were. She very delicately, deliberately stepped through the room until she was in the general area where the secret door was hidden to the assassin's lair. She slowly got to her knees, feeling her way in the darkness. She moved her hands along the floorboards slowly, feeling every small crevice in the planking.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, she felt a small draft coming through one of the small cracks. Xena moved her hands slowly around the area where the air was coming up from until she felt an indenture. There was barely room enough for two fingers to fit in on each side in order to lift up the trap door. She listened quietly at the gaps for many seconds, and finally she decided to go for it. She slipped her fingers into the openings and slowly opened the door.

Xena looked down into the dark abyss below as she settled the door into its open position. Lucky for her, there were no sentries below the door. Most likely, the assassin's guild was not worried about anyone trying to break in. The idea was crazy enough that even now Xena wondered what she was doing, but before she knew it, she had grabbed hold of the rungs of the ladder below and descended. As she quietly stepped onto the floor of the tunnels, Xena smiled to herself. The things we do for love, she mused.

Xena stealthily crept through the tunnels. Even knowing the way, the path seemed to take forever to Xena. She often would stop and listen. Each time she was both relieved to not hear the sounds of another person in the tunnels and at the same time alarmed. Surely by now she would have heard or seen signs of someone. The fact that she had made it this far without worried Xena more than she could explain. This was far too easy. Easy was never a good sign.

Finally, Xena got to the point in the tunnels where it branched off to the room that she and Gabrielle had gone to before. She figured it was as good a place as any to begin to search for a way into the back room from which they were spoken to by the raspy voiced killer. If it didn't turn up any entrance to the room, then at least she would know to start searching the tunnels instead.

Xena slowly approached the room. Again, despite much time spent stopping and listening, there was no sound to alert Xena. She entered the room and found no one present. Xena was very anxious now. The tunnels had been entirely deserted for as far as she could tell, and that was a troubling sign indeed. If the assassins weren't here, where were they?

Cautiously, methodically, Xena searched the room for any sign of a secret entrance. She found none. She looked through the thick iron bars to determine what she could see on the other side. She wasn't able to see much, but she did see two entrances illuminated by torchlights just past the doorways. One was to the right of where Xena stood, and one was on the far wall. Xena turned around, determined to find a way into that room.

Xena searched the tunnels a little while longer before finding a tunnel pathway that she had not been through before. She followed it until it came to a locked door. Xena knelt to see if she could see anything through the keyhole. She could not, and after much time listening at the doorway, Xena determined that she could not hear anyone on the other side. Finally, she picked the lock and opened the door. It opened into another short hallway, but unlike the others of the assassin's lair, this one had many doors. At the end was an entrance into what appeared to be the room with the barred window.

Xena walked slowly through the short hallway, listening and observing. She still could not hear the sounds of anyone else. If anyone was behind these doors, they were doing an excellent job of masking their breathing. Xena walked to the end and looked into the empty room. The barred window was at her left, and another entrance to her right at the rear of the room. She slowly walked to the back entrance. All that she saw through it was another series of twisting tunnels with no doors, so she turned and went back to the short tunnel.

There were four doors in this area, three on her left and one on her right. Xena deliberated quickly about where to start before going to the door on the right. She turned the handle and the door opened. All she could see inside were weapons. Apparently she had found the assassins' armory. She closed the door and turned to the first door on the other side of the hallway.

Xena opened the door and found a small desk with blank parchment and writing utensils on top. There were no drawers on the desk, and there was nothing else in the room. Xena closed the door and went to the next one. She opened it to find a large bookcase full of parchment. Third door is the charm, Xena mused.

The bottom shelves seemed to hold parchment that looked a bit older than the ones on top, so Xena decided to start her search on the top shelf. She went through several different documents before she came to the one she was looking for. On it were drawn headshots of Gabrielle and herself. It specified that both of them were to be killed by any means necessary, by order of the father raven. Xena tried to think of anyone who might possibly be the father raven, but it did not strike any chords within her mind.

Xena spent several more seconds mulling over the document before rolling it up and putting it into a pouch on her belt. She checked a few more documents just to see if there was anything helpful before deciding to exit the room. She went back out into the hallway and closed the door behind her. She walked over to the last door she had yet to check. She opened it quickly. All that was inside was a cot. A thick layer of dust lay on top of the sheets, leading Xena to believe the room had not been used in quite some time. Xena closed the door and decided to exit the tunnels. She had half of what she had come for. The only way to get the rest would be to find the chief assassin, a task she did not like her chances of doing at the moment.

Xena started back the way she had come, locking the door behind her. So far things had been far too easy, and she was beginning to worry about Gabrielle's safety. If the tunnels were void of assassins, they could be out looking for her friend. Xena quickly shook the thought out of her head, opting to think only about leaving the assassins' lair.

Before she made it halfway to where the exit was, Xena finally heard something. She paused and listened intently. All that the warrior could discern were two barely audible voices in the distance. Unfortunately, Xena did not know the tunnels well enough to think of a way around them. Lucky for her there were only two. Xena pulled her chakram, determined to end it as quickly as possible.

Quietly but quickly, Xena darted around the corner and pulled her arm back to throw her weapon at the men. What she saw stopped her dead in her tracks, however. There were two men nearer to her in the hall, but not thirty paces beyond them stood approximately 20 hooded assassins, waiting with weapons drawn.

One of the killers who Xena had heard talking turned when she rounded the corner. His eyes seemed to glint evilly as he spoke. "We've been expecting you."

With that, several assassins promptly threw daggers at Xena. She swatted a couple away with her chakram, dodging the remaining few. The black-clad men then started to run at her. Wasting no time, Xena turned and ran quickly down the hall she had just come down. When she got to a bend in the tunnel, she found another group of assassins waiting for her. She was trapped.

Xena turned around again, opting to fight her way through to the exit. She cast her chakram towards the group approaching her. It caught several men by surprise, and it killed a few people at the front of the group instantly. It took out a few more assassins before veering off a wall and flying down the tunnel. Xena quickly drew her sword and started running towards the assassins.

As she hit the main column of men, Xena started hacking her sword in a vicious circle. Unfortunately, the tunnels were not large enough for her sword to be as effective as it would be otherwise. She was able to cut into a few men at the front. They collapsed onto the ground, half-dead. Already, blood was starting to cover the stone floor making it slippery. Xena violently kicked one of the still conscious men on the floor before he was able to stab her in the calf with his knife. Another one of the assassins was able to grab her foot and pull her down, however. Several of the killers jumped on top of her and managed to wrestle the sword from her grip.

Xena kicked and punched at the assassins, knocking out two of the men who had knocked the sword from her. She reached out and grabbed a loose dagger from the floor. She swung to the side, stabbing in the neck a man on the floor as he tried to impale her with his knife. She twisted the blade before yanking it out. Still swinging with the dagger, she was able to fight her way back up to her knees.

All around her there were black-clad men. The group that had come from behind her had caught up, and she was now outnumbered about thirty-five to one. One of the assassins behind her swung at her with a mallet, hitting her in the back of the head and knocking her into several of the other assassins. Dazed, Xena stabbed one man in the stomach before jumping up to her feet. Her vision was starting to swim, and she realized as she momentarily looked down how many cuts she had endured without noticing. She grabbed the man that she had just stabbed and tossed him forward into another group of murderers. Several were knocked onto the floor, leaving a small gap for Xena to dash through.

Xena kept swinging out, hoping to hit anyone that might try to stop her. For the most part, however, she just ran. She plowed through a couple of men, knocking them to the side. One of them was able to give her a long cut on the side as she pushed him away. Xena slid a little on the large pool of blood beneath her. She quickly struck out and crushed one man's throat. As she slid past, she threw him back towards the men behind her. The distraction was able to hold them at bay momentarily. There were only two more men between Xena and a long, empty stretch of hallway.

The man closest to Xena stabbed at her with his dagger. She dodged to the side, but he quickly pulled the dagger back around and slashed her on the arm. Xena grabbed his forearm as it came back around and forcefully bent it back, breaking his arm and causing him to stab himself in the chest. She pulled the knife from his chest and threw it at the lone man before her. The dagger dug into the man's neck, going in up to the hilt. He collapsed to the ground as Xena ran past.

The warrior ran as fast as she could, half staggering and sliding her way down the hall. The carnage behind her was slowing her pursuers. As they dug their way through the pile of bodies, Xena turned into a different hallway. Blood was pouring from her wounds and streaming down her limbs. She was running half as fast as she normally would. She had to keep herself upright by pushing against the stone wall, and her arms just could not withstand that much exertion. Her eyes were unfocused, her face was draining of color, and her vision was starting to black out. Still, she kept running.

Xena kept taking all the turns and twists she remembered to lead her back to the ladder into the tavern back room. Finally, she came upon the final turn that would take her there. She rounded the corner with the assassins in hot pursuit. When Xena looked down the tunnel she had just entered, she realized just how hopeless things had become. She stared right down into a dead end. Somewhere in her flight, she had taken a wrong turn. Now she was trapped.

She turned to face the killers behind her. They had now slowed to a walk, content to follow her as she backed into the dead end. Xena finally collapsed onto the cold, stone floor. Her back hit the ground with a loud thud. She continued to push herself along the hall with her feet, leaving behind a long trail of blood on the floor. Eventually, Xena came to the end of the hall. She gazed up, disoriented, into the faces of twenty or so assassins, standing over her, ready to finish the job.

"Gabrielle?" she whispered hoarsely before drifting off into unconsciousness.

The young bard stalked back and forth across the campsite for the hundredth time, kicking up dry leaves with each step. She listened intently to the sound of the crunching leaves under her feet, trying desperately not to think about other things. Noon was nearing and she still had not heard from Xena. A knot was tying in her stomach, and each step seemed to make it worse. Gabrielle felt sick. Something had happened to her friend, she knew it.

Finally, Gabrielle stopped her pacing. She wheeled around and swung her staff, striking a tall, thick tree in anger. She managed to crack her staff with the effort, but the tree stood strong. Frustrated, Gabrielle tossed her broken weapon to the side. She glanced sidelong at Argo. The mare seemed to stare back at her.

"I can't wait here all day. I'm going to town," Gabrielle said out loud before running out of the campsite.

If horses could shrug, Argo would have. Instead, the mare just turned and walked off into the forest.

Gabrielle got to the city just as the sun reached its zenith. She scanned the streets, looking for any sort of sign of her friend, any sign that something was out of place. There was nothing for her to see, however. Things seemed to be just as they had been before. Everyone else continued on with his or her business. It was only Gabrielle's life that had turned upside down.

She walked through the streets aimlessly. Guards seemed more prevalent than they had before, but that was all that Gabrielle was able to notice. All the festivities around her seemed less important than they had just days before. Gabrielle couldn't care less about street vendors or magic shows any more.

The bard struggled to fight back emotions that bubbled just below her surface. She didn't want to break down right here in the middle of the city. She had things to do. She had to find some sort of clue about what happened to her friend. Things just could not go on the same as they had before. Of that, Gabrielle was certain. She decided at once to go to the tavern where she knew the assassins had an entrance to their tunnels.

Gabrielle walked briskly through the crowds, darting between people in an effort to get to The Sleeping Serpent as soon as possible. Within minutes, she was at the doorstep of the tavern. She glanced through the windows briefly before pushing open the door. She barely took notice of the few patrons of the bar. She surveyed the establishment quickly, determining that she could find nothing out of place from before. Finally, she walked up to the bartender.

"Excuse me, do you know if there was anything? out of place? this morning?"

"How do you mean out of place?" the man asked skeptically.

Gabrielle struggled with her words. She certainly couldn't ask if he knew if someone had broken in last night, or if? Gabrielle didn't even dare finish her thought.

"I think I may have lost something in here last night."

"I don't think so. We didn't find anything last night or this morning. And I think I would remember if someone like you had been in here before." The bartender leered at Gabrielle, not even trying to hide the fact that his eyes were only on her cleavage.

"Yeah? maybe I was at another bar. Okay, thanks." Gabrielle glared at the man before turning around and leaving.

Unfortunately, other than this tavern, Gabrielle had no idea where else to look. She started to wander down the streets, looking around tensely. All she could do now was imagine what might have happened, and she did not like the way her thoughts were going.

Eventually, she drifted back towards the entrance to the city. Gabrielle glanced over towards the city walls and noticed the entrance to the barracks. She didn't know why, but she felt herself gravitate towards the door. If anything had been reported, which she doubted, the guards there would be the first to know. It was a very slim chance, but it was a chance nonetheless.

As Gabrielle entered the barracks, she felt the eyes of a hundred soldiers on her. Her glance flitted from man to man, unsure where to ask. Before she could open her mouth, however, a young man pushed through the crowd to the front.

"Gabrielle!" Malthus exclaimed, quickly jogging up to her. "How can I help you?"

"Have you seen Xena?" Gabrielle asked.

"Not since early last night."

Gabrielle's heart fell a little. "Oh."

"I take it you haven't heard from her."

"No, I haven't."

The young lieutenant's face seemed to cloud over. He stared off into the distance before continuing. "Let's go outside for a walk," he finally said, noticing all the eyes on him and the young woman. He opened the door and escorted her outside. They set off down a random street at a leisurely pace, the air heavy around them.

"Where did you see her last night?" Gabrielle finally asked.

"A couple of streets over. I'm not sure where she was heading, but she definitely had a purpose. Do you know where she was going?" he asked.

"Yes. I already checked there. I couldn't find her."

"Where?"

"The Sleeping Serpent." Gabrielle answered.

"The bar? Why there? It wasn't even open when I saw her."

"She wasn't looking for a drink," Gabrielle responded. She remained quiet for a few moments, thinking. "Malthus, how much do you know about this town?"

"As much as there is to know? I'm not sure what you mean."

"What if I told you a den of assassins was right underneath us at this very minute?"

Malthus screwed his eyes up in confusion. "I'm not sure I follow."

"I think there's a lot about this town that you aren't aware of," Gabrielle said coldly.

"My job is to keep the city streets safe from crime. Up until a few days ago we were doing a good job of that."

"Then all of a sudden you have an attack in the middle of a busy city plaza, an inn is deliberately set on fire, and you find the body of an assassin in an alleyway. All this just happened over night?" Gabrielle accused.

"Assassin?"

"You already mentioned the scars, but the tattoo on the chest? it was of a snake circling a short sword, right?"

"From what we could tell, yes? how did you know?" Malthus asked, suddenly intrigued.

"He was a member of the assassin's guild. They've been holed up in this city for who knows how long. They aren't new to these parts."

Malthus walked silently for several minutes, mulling over what Gabrielle had told him. Finally, he stopped and turned to face Gabrielle.

"Okay, if all that you are telling me is true, what does this have to do with you and Xena?"

"They sent someone to kill us not too long ago. We came here to find out what we could. We don't even know why they're after us."

"So last night she was going to break into the assassins' lair?" he asked incredulously. Gabrielle just nodded. "I guess it makes more sense what she asked last night then."

"What?" Gabrielle questioned.

"She asked that if anything happened to her, I should protect you and get you out of here alive."

"Sounds like Xena all right."

"I guess we should get ready to leave here..."

"I'm not going anywhere," Gabrielle responded quickly.

"But she said?"

"I never listen. Besides, I'm not going anywhere until I find out what happened to her."

"How can you find that out without getting killed yourself?" Malthus exclaimed, starting to worry immensely. He didn't know Xena or Gabrielle that well, but he knew he didn't want to break his promise to the warrior, and he didn't want to see anything happen to this young woman either.

"I don't know yet. I couldn't live with myself without trying, though."

Malthus stood and looked at Gabrielle for several seconds, considering her words. It was evident how much she cared about Xena. For a second, he started to wish that he could be as lucky as the warrior to have someone like Gabrielle in his life. Then he realized that, more than likely, Xena was dead. It was probably a gruesome death, too, and he thought it petty to be jealous of someone who had endured that kind of end.

"How can I help?" he finally asked.

Gabrielle smiled slightly. This young soldier was definitely a good man. It was rare to find that these days, at least it seemed so to her. She hoped briefly that she didn't lead him to some painful death.

"Just keep an eye and ear open. If you find anything, let me know." Gabrielle glanced briefly towards the gates of the city. "I think I'm going to go back out there? I don't know what more I can do here."

"I'll do what I can," the young guard promised solemnly. "I guess I will see you later. Be safe."

"You too, Malthus," Gabrielle responded. The young man lingered briefly before turning and walking back towards the barracks. Gabrielle watched him go. Suddenly, she felt a presence behind her.

"Are you Gabrielle?" inquired a deep, stately voice.

The young bard quickly turned around, surprised that anyone around here knew her name. A palace guard stood rigidly, waiting for an answer.

"Yes?" she said cautiously.

"I have something for you." He opened a large bag that he held at his side and pulled out a bloody chakram. Gabrielle's heart fell when she saw it, but then hope sparked up in her.

"Where did you get this?" she asked loudly.

"It was found last night. My lord Julien would like to speak with you about it."

Gabrielle quickly nodded her assent, and soon she was being lead back towards the palace by the guard. Her mind was reeling. A thousand different possibilities played themselves out in her head. She didn't know what to think. Briefly she thought it odd that a palace guard would have possession of the chakram and she wondered why Julien would want to discuss it with her. She pushed aside those worries, however, and focused on the one thing that she thought she had lost: hope.

As Malthus walked towards the barracks after his discussion with Gabrielle, his mind raced feverishly with all the new information she had brought to light. He had always thought that he knew all there was to know about Megara. He had grown up here, a hardworking barkeep's son in one of the poorer districts of the city. He had spent every day of his childhood exploring the many nooks and alleyways the city had provided, considering the city streets his maze to investigate. He had always considered himself lucky to have the city to spend his youth exploring, and he thought himself even more lucky that he had grown up to lead the city militia. It combined the best of both worlds for him. He got to spend all of his time in the city he loved doing the work he had always aspired to.

As he walked he furrowed his brow in thought. If everything that he had learned was true, he didn't like the idea of leaving Gabrielle to fend for herself out there, even if she was outside the city walls. Actually, especially if she was outside the city walls. At least inside here he felt that he could do something. Outside? there was no telling what kind of danger lurked. Malthus did not like feeling helpless, and he was determined to stick by Gabrielle until they could figure something out. He stopped in his tracks and turned back around to go find the young woman.

A bright reflection startled the guard as he looked towards where he had left the bard. One of the palace guards was standing in front of her, discussing something with her. He was holding something relatively shiny, but Malthus couldn't quite make out what it was. He squinted, trying to deduce what the man was holding and what they could possibly be talking about. Malthus never trusted anyone from the palace. In all his years as a city guard, he had not encountered anyone more bent on making his job difficult than Julien's palace guards. Even the criminals he met at least had some measure of decency in them that the palace sentries seemed to lack.

Soon after, it appeared that the palace guard convinced Gabrielle to go somewhere with him, and as they turned to leave Malthus was finally able to see what the man held in his hand. As the object was placed back into a large sack, he saw the familiar curved weapon that Xena had carried with her the night before. He knew well enough that it was not a common weapon. It had to belong to the warrior woman. And the red sheen that reflected off the distinctive weapon chilled Malthus's blood. Something was very wrong.

As Gabrielle arrived at the palace doors, it seemed to her that her breathing was getting more and more difficult to keep up. It took everything in her to keep from going mad. If there was any news about Xena, she needed to know. She couldn't wait. Waiting for news of her friend was the most painful thing to her. Agitated, the bard clenched her fists and wrapped her arms around her midsection. She felt like she had to hold herself back from flying inside the palace to find Julien.

The guard accompanying her nodded towards the guards at the front doors, stopping momentarily to discuss something with them. Gabrielle couldn't hear what he said, but she didn't really care. She just needed to get inside and find out what she needed to know.

The guard turned and smiled towards Gabrielle. She really didn't like the look of his smile, but she didn't really like the look of him at all. All of the palace guards seemed a bit more sinister to her than they had before. The hair seemed to stand up on her neck as a warning. Normally, unless she was given a reason not to trust someone, she would trust them. Something about these guards just gave Gabrielle an odd feeling, however. She tried to shake it off, and she told herself she was just worrying about nothing now. All of the energy she had spent agonizing over Xena's disappearance was probably just beginning to affect her.

"Our lord is waiting for you in the throne room," the guard told her. The other two men opened the doors, allowing them to pass, before closing the doors behind with a nearly deafening boom. The sound seemed to echo down the hallway as Gabrielle followed the guard. This time they were going in a different direction than before. She was led in a circle towards the back of the palace. On the way, Gabrielle passed an imposing, dark door that disturbed her. She felt a presence behind that door that she couldn't quite place. All she knew was that the entrance gave her a feeling of dread as she passed.

Not too long after, they reached a large, ornately decorated wooden door. The guard knocked twice on the thick wood, before reaching down to grasp the silver doorhandle. The door clicked open, and the man pulled heavily on it. The heavy door was pushed aside and held open, and the guard nodded for Gabrielle to enter. She stepped through a few feet. The guard entered behind her, closing the door with a loud thud.

Julien sat across the room, oblivious to the entrance of Gabrielle and the guard. He stared off into the distance, seemingly lost in thought. Finally, he blinked himself back to the present, and slightly turned his gaze towards the young bard. Unlike before, he stared coldly at the woman. Any warmth he had exhibited before was now a distant memory. Confused, Gabrielle just stared back expectantly.

"Do you know why you're here?" he asked quietly after a long period of silence.

"I'm looking for Xena?" she replied without hesitation. "Do you know where she is?"

"Young woman, that should be the last of your concerns right now?"

"Never."

Julien just looked at her for several moments. Eventually he sighed. He stood up, walked down the few short steps in front of the throne, and walked up to the young woman. When he was less than a foot from her, he stopped and stared into her eyes menacingly.

"Why did you come to my city?"

"We wanted to see the festival?" Gabrielle lied. His odd behavior did not lend itself to honesty.

"Oh really!?!" he exclaimed, disbelieving. He chuckled almost maniacally before twirling on his feet to start pacing back and forth. "Is that the only reason?"

"Of course it is?" Gabrielle replied, worry starting to creep up into her voice.

"Do you know what it takes to make a city like this run? To make a city like this thrive?" he asked, not expecting Gabrielle to answer. "I have to know exactly the right thing to do to make Megara prosper, and I have to know when the wrong thing is the right thing? You have to become someone you weren't before. Someone even you yourself may not like. You will have to do things that are difficult for ordinary people to do?"

Julien's voice trailed off as he paced back and forth. Gabrielle could see in his eyes that a million things were on his mind. Finally, he stopped pacing and turned to face her. His eyes seemed so empty and heartless.

"When you become that person, you can see the things that other people cannot. I know when I am being lied to. I know that you are lying to me right now? Now why don't you save us some time and cease. I have a very low tolerance for such behavior."

"I don't know what you're talking about?" Gabrielle replied, suddenly very alarmed. Maybe she had made a mistake by coming here...

Julien nodded to the guard behind Gabrielle, and suddenly she was struck a heavy blow on the back of her head. She fell forward onto her knees, her head lolling forward slightly. Her eyes lost focus momentarily, but as her arms were twisted behind her back, lifting her up to her feet, she regained her wits. Her head hurt like Hades, but she ignored the pain and glared angrily at Julien.

"I think it's time you start telling me what I want to hear?" Julien let his threat end there. He didn't need to tell her what would follow.

After hours of severe questioning, Julien finally gave up on Gabrielle. The bard was obviously not going to tell him what he wanted to hear. With every word he spoke, Gabrielle decided more fervently not to ever tell him the truth. She had no idea what he expected or wanted her to say, but she knew that she didn't want to give him the satisfaction of hearing it from her mouth.

Gabrielle's head pounded loudly in her ears. The entire world seemed to be spinning out of control. She closed her eyes tightly as the guards carried her out of the throne room and down a short hallway. She didn't even care where they were taking her anymore. She just wanted to be left alone somewhere with her thoughts and her pain. All she could even think about now was Xena. Somehow Julien had gained possession of Xena's chakram, and Gabrielle didn't even want to think about the implications of that.

The young bard heard a door being opened in front of her as her head lolled back. A cool gust of air came from the doorway, and soon after she felt the sensation of being carried down a flight of stairs into an increasingly cold place. Finally, they seemed to reach a level area, and Gabrielle was carried down another short hallway before a loud, metallic door was opened, she was tossed inside, and it was slammed shut behind her.

Gabrielle lay still for many moments, unwilling to move her aching body. Her head swam even staying motionless. For an indeterminable amount of time, all that Gabrielle could discern was the sound of her own breathing. Eventually, her ragged breath quieted and she listened to silence.

After a while, Gabrielle slowly opened her eyes and looked at her surroundings. She was in a dark, dreary cell. It was unusually cold. She had no idea how far underground she was, for there were no windows. The only light came from a flickering torch just outside the dark iron bars of the door. Beyond the short range of the orange light, she couldn't see much.

Gabrielle began to move her arms along the uneven stone surface of the floor, and as she did so she hit an object close behind her. Gabrielle sat up as quickly as she could, and she turned towards the thing she had touched. She couldn't really see what it was in the darkness, but as she moved out of the way of the torchlight, she let out a short gasp.

"Xena!" Gabrielle hoarsely exclaimed, scrambling over to her friend's side. She lifted her friend's head into her arms, holding her gently as she looked the warrior over. Xena's entire body was covered in cuts and bruises, and a layer of blood and grime covered her. It was hard to tell where one injury ended and another one began. As Gabrielle wiped at the dried blood on Xena's face, she saw through to the pale skin underneath.

Gabrielle turned her head and put her ear against Xena's mouth, listening intently. Faintly she could hear the warrior's breath. "Thank the gods?" she murmured.

"Thank them for what?" Xena's strangled voice asked. She coughed slightly before opening her eyes slightly to look at the bard.

"You're awake!" Gabrielle exclaimed. She pulled the warrior closer to her before she felt the larger woman cringe. "Oh, sorry? What happened? Are you okay?"

"I'm great," Xena whispered, chuckling a little. She cocked an eyebrow at Gabrielle. "You don't look so good, though."

"Look who's talking," Gabrielle deadpanned before regaining the concerned look she had before. "What happened?"

"It was a trap. They knew I was coming."

Gabrielle pondered this for a moment as she absentmindedly stroked Xena's cheek with her hand. She seemed to stare off into space for a few seconds before shaking her head in frustration.

"I don't understand? how does Julien fit into this?" Xena looked at Gabrielle quizzically. "We're in his prison at the palace. He sent a guard to me this afternoon with your chakram?"

"I lost that in the assassins' tunnels." Xena closed her eyes as she thought. Gabrielle just watched her friend quietly.

"What are we going to do?" Gabrielle finally asked.

"I don't know yet," Xena replied slowly. Her mind raced as she thought back on everything over the past few days. Somewhere, there had to be a reason, an explanation. One thing was for certain, she was going to find out what was going on. As the warrior watched the young bard get lost in thought, Xena made herself a promise. She had to do something, she had to protect Gabrielle.

The next few hours passed slowly as Gabrielle tended to Xena as best she could. She found a small bowl of water near the door, and she ripped a small piece of cloth off of her skirt to clean Xena with. Finally, she had removed as much blood and dirt from the warrior as possible with what she had, and she was finally able to examine Xena's wounds.

Xena had suffered quite a bit from her ordeal in the assassins' lair, and the lack of attention to her wounds was obviously not helping. Luckily, the blood had clotted enough to stop most of the bleeding, but there was no telling how much blood Xena had lost in the meantime. All that could be said was that it was a lot. Gabrielle couldn't remember ever seeing Xena this weak before. Unfortunately, with nothing in the way of medical supplies, there wasn't much that Gabrielle could do. Finally, she settled for holding the warrior close to her.

Xena had been quiet since the revelation about Julien, and early in her ministrations Gabrielle assumed that the warrior had fallen asleep. The bard tenderly rocked Xena in her arms, trying desperately to warm her up. Xena's skin was nearly ice cold to the touch. However, the sound of her quiet breathing and the feel of her soft heartbeat reassured Gabrielle.

"I'm so glad you're still alive. I don't know what I would do without you," Gabrielle whispered, finally giving into the pain and terror she'd been trying to ignore all day. Tears threatened to fall from her eyes as she remembered how devastating it had been that morning when Xena hadn't returned from her journey. The dread that had threatened to consume her for the rest of the day was nearly overwhelming. But Xena's here now, she's going to be okay. I won't let anything else happen to her.

Finally, Xena seemed to rouse from her slumber. Her eyes flickered open as she gazed at Gabrielle. Weakly, she moved her arms around her friend.

"I'm sorry I got us into this," she finally said quietly.

"Don't even try that anymore, Xena. We're in this together, we're going to get out of it together."

Xena finally lifted her head off of Gabrielle's shoulder to look at the bard. Xena looked at the cuts she had on her forehead and lip, at the bruises starting to form on her face. The green eyes staring back at the warrior were hypnotic, however. The determination there was alluring. Xena seemed to get lost staring into Gabrielle's eyes.

A loud sound from outside the cell broke their gaze. First they heard the sound of a door creaking open not 50 feet away. Then the sound of keys clanging and thick, heavy boots trampling on the stone floor appeared and became louder as a congregation of soldiers approached the cell door. They looked impassively at the two women as a key was put in the lock, turned, and the door was opened.

"You two are coming with us. Don't try anything," one of the soldiers at the front of the group warned. A couple of soldiers came in and pulled the women apart, chaining their hands and feet. A surge of anger rose in both Xena and Gabrielle, but they quickly suppressed it. They were both too weak to even think about fighting this group.

After the chains were secured, both women were yanked hard to their feet. Xena staggered, trying to stay on her feet. Gabrielle moved to help her friend, but she was forcefully pulled back. Instead, two soldiers grabbed Xena and half carried, half dragged the warrior out of the cell. Gabrielle momentarily stood there and watched, desperately wishing she could stop them. After a second, a guard gave her a jarring shove and she followed Xena out of the cell.

The guards escorted Xena and Gabrielle down a dark hallway lined with iron doors before they arrived at a flight of stairs. They were taken up the stairs and out of the prison before they were again taken to another flight of stairs. They went up to the second floor of the palace before being taken down a hallway. They went all the way down to the end to an imposingly thick, unadorned wooden door. The guards opened the door and brought the prisoners inside.

The room they entered was in fact an enormous, cavernous chamber. The ceiling was incredibly high, with several large crystal chandeliers hanging down. The room was full of tall, iron candelabras. The floor was made of stone, with a long, dark purple rug covering most of the center of the room. At the far end of the room was an ornate writing desk, covered in blank sheets of parchment with an inkwell and quill sitting nearby. A tall, lavish wooden chair was behind the desk. Two crudely constructed seats were placed in front. Xena and Gabrielle were forcibly pushed into the chairs, and the guards stood several paces behind, watching them.

Gabrielle looked around the room as they waited. It was not as richly furnished as what else she had seen of the palace. Other than some purple curtains hanging on the walls, there wasn't much more to see. The walls were simply plain, unadorned stone with a few narrow but tall windows cut into them, covered with wooden shutters.

After several minutes, Xena and Gabrielle heard the door behind them open. Xena kept her attention focused ahead of her, already recognizing almost instinctively who had entered. Gabrielle started to turn to look, but a guard stepped menacingly towards her and she changed her mind. Instead she looked off to the side towards Xena, and the warrior turned to return the glance. Grimly, they continued their gaze until Julien stepped past them and sat behind the desk. Only then did they tear their attention away to look at him.

"Well, this feels familiar, doesn't it? It wasn't so long ago we were in the same position, you two on one side of the table, I on the other. Of course, those were missing last time," he said, gesturing towards the chains that bound the women.

"You're a bastard," Xena flatly responded.

"Thank you?" Julien responded, grinning smugly.

"You know about them," Xena accused the jeweled man, eyeing him with disgust and hatred.

Julien cocked his head to the side, smiling in just such a way that both Xena and Gabrielle felt a surge of anger towards him.

"I more than know about them."

"You're one of them," Xena added.

"I rule them. Every organization needs a leader, just like this city..."

"Then why are you trying to kill us?" Gabrielle quickly asked. "We don't even know what this is about!"

Julien stopped smiling and just gazed impassively at both women for several moments. Finally he responded. "I believe you don't."

"Then why don't you tell us?" Xena challenged.

Julien's smile returned as he chuckled slightly. "And let you in on all of my secrets. Where's the fun in that?"

"We can't give you what you want if you don't tell us what it is," Gabrielle chimed in.

"Well, don't I already have it now? You two are here, in chains. You've been in my prison. With a snap of my fingers, I could have you both killed. Nobody would even know or care, and all of my problems would be solved."

"If that was true, we'd already be dead." Xena stared at Julien, daring him to refute that. He didn't.

"What is it you want?" Gabrielle asked again, her voice more calm now.

Julien pretended to ignore Gabrielle and instead started to fiddle with a large ruby ring on his left hand. Finally, after some introspective time, he looked up at the two women, turning his attention from one to the other before deciding how to continue.

"I grew up in these city streets, poor and alone and worthless. My parents deserted me; the townspeople turned their back on me. But one man did not. My predecessor in the guild found me, and unlike everyone else in Megara, he took me in. He taught me, trained me, gave me everything that no one else would. I was just a tool to him to safeguard his position, but that was enough for me." Julien trailed off for a few seconds, lost in thought. "When I was old enough, I killed him. I learned his lessons better than anyone ever could have. He taught me that trust is a weakness when you have power."

Julien stared blankly forward for several moments, seemingly lost in his thoughts of the past. He narrowed his eyes and starting tapping his fingers unconsciously on the desk in front of him.

"Finally, my talents brought me to this exalted position. As long as you put your mind to something, and you're willing to do whatever it takes, you can have anything."

"What's your point?" Xena asked, annoyed. Julien turned an icy glare in the direction of the warrior, but she refused to look away, instead returning his gaze.

"One thing about power is that there's always someone waiting, lurking in the corners, ready to take it from you. I like what I have here, and I want to keep it. Luckily, I have the resources to keep up on my adversaries?" Julien paused and picked up the quill on his desk. Slowly he twirled the instrument in his right hand. "Where were you before you came here? And don't lie to me. I will know."

"We were in Corinth," Gabrielle answered, looking slightly off to the side to look at Xena.

"Why were you in Corinth?" Julien questioned.

"We needed supplies. We were on our way to Athens."

"And you met somebody?"

"We ran into someone who used to know Xena," Gabrielle said, matter of factly. Xena looked at the bard quietly, wondering how much she would end up saying.

"I see. Was this someone that Xena met before or after her sudden change in heart? You spend so much time living an evil life, you're bound to know many? unsavory types."

"He wasn't a part of my army," Xena replied.

"Either way, anyone who would socialize with a murderous warlord has to have a touch of evil in them. That's irrelevant, however. He gave you something, didn't he?"

Xena and Gabrielle paused. They looked at each other, somewhat surprised that Julien would have so much information about the few hours they had spent in Corinth over a week ago. It hadn't even been that important, the meeting with Taenarus had been very brief, and he had just handed them a small green blanket with golden tassels on the edges. There couldn't be anything special about a blanket.

"Well, what did he give you?" Julien pressed, glaring coldly at the women.

"He gave us a blanket," Gabrielle finally answered.

"Why?"

"He asked us to take it to his sister in Athens." Gabrielle was starting to get annoyed at the line of questioning, and it showed in her voice.

"Where is the blanket?"

"Why should we tell you?" Xena demanded to know.

"Because your life depends on it."

"You'll just kill us anyway. Why would we give you the pleasure of getting everything you want?" Xena replied angrily. "Suffering is good for your soul."

"We can do this one of two ways. You can give me what I want and die quickly, or you can hold out on me and suffer a long, drawn-out, painful death. While you're slowly dying, you can watch her do the same. I guarantee you, it's not something you'll want to see."

Xena looked over towards Gabrielle, and the bard returned the look. Gabrielle was trying hard to hide her thoughts and feelings, but Xena could see through it. She was afraid. Xena wasn't exactly thrilled with the choice either. She could handle the pain and torture, but she couldn't let that be inflicted on Gabrielle. Xena's mind raced furiously, trying to find a way out.

"We'll have to take you to it," Xena finally replied.

"Why don't you just tell me? I don't trust you enough for this agreement," Julien said condescendingly.

"Because my horse isn't going to come to just anyone, and if you want this blanket that badly, you'll need me to get it for you. Besides, what can I do when I'm chained up like this?" Xena asked, lifting her bruised arms slightly to bring attention to the shackles that bound her.

Julien mulled over Xena's words for a few moments before nodding his head. "You can take us to the blanket, but she stays here." He motioned towards Gabrielle while he kept his eyes on Xena.

Xena had expected this. She hated the thought of leaving Gabrielle by herself in this place, but she knew that this concession would have to be made. Gabrielle would be safe as long as the blanket was still out of Julien's possession, and this little excursion would give Xena the time to figure a solution for this problem.

"Gabrielle's not going back to that prison cell. She gets a better room up here, with food and water and medical supplies for her wounds. And you have to guarantee me that nothing will happen to her while we're gone."

Julien smiled disparagingly. "Agreed."

Gabrielle looked at her friend, worried and wondering what plan Xena had going on in her mind. Xena smiled encouragingly at the bard. Gabrielle tried to return the smile, failing miserably. She did not want to be apart from Xena, but she accepted the reality of the situation. Besides, Xena had to have a plan, she told herself. She would just have to wait to find out what it was.

Gabrielle looked out of the small slit of a window at the faded last light of the sunset. The light filtered in through a thin, almost transparent white drapery, softly filling the room with muted orange and pink tones. The breeze gently pushed at the cloth, waving it back and forth. The air was starting to cool, and before long night would be upon the city. From her vantage point high in the tower, Gabrielle could almost see over the high city wall. She looked off into the distance, wondering where Xena was by now and if she was all right. She hated just sitting here and waiting, feeling useless, but there wasn't any more she could do at the moment.

Gabrielle stood up from her perch on the small bed and walked over to the window. Standing right up against it, she looked down into the city streets. The normally bustling town was starting to quiet down. There were very few citizens still walking about the pathways in front of the palace, and they all seemed to have the weary look of a hard day of work about them. They were probably heading home to their families for dinner, Gabrielle mused. She briefly wished that Xena were there for a quiet meal before she shook the thought off.

Trying hard to look straight down towards the palace doors through the tiny crevice in front of her, Gabrielle was unable to make out how many guards were down there. She hadn't seen Xena leave with the soldiers earlier, and she wondered how many had gone off with her friend and how many were left in the palace. Probably still too many to escape, she reasoned.

Gabrielle spent the next several minutes just watching the city life die down through the window. In the distance through a few buildings she thought she might have seen a city guard. She wished there were some way to get word to Malthus about everything she had learned since this morning. Of all the terrible things she had seen and experienced in this city, she really did trust him to be an honorable man. She believed that his heart was in the right place and he really did have a passion for protecting the citizens of Megara.

After several fruitless minutes staring out the window, Gabrielle finally sighed and went back to sit on the bed. She picked carelessly at the small plate of food she had been provided. She didn't even have the appetite to eat now. She spent the next minute breaking the bread into crumbs before pushing the plate away.

Restlessly, Gabrielle stood up and walked towards the door. She listened through the crack of the doorjamb for several seconds. She couldn't hear anything.

"Hello? Is anyone out there?" she probed. There was no answer, and after a few moments she tried to open the door. The wooden structure didn't move, however, and after a few jerks on the locked door she heard a voice outside.

"Knock it off! Just go to bed already!"

Gabrielle sighed and kicked the door softly. She turned around and went back to lie on the bed. She tossed the metal platter of food onto the floor before kicking up her feet and putting her head against the uncomfortable pillow. Gabrielle grimaced and punched at the pillow a few times before accepting that it was not going to get any better. She sighed again and forcefully put her head back down on the cushion.

"I hope you're all right, Xena. You have to come back to me," she whispered before slowly drifting off into an uneasy slumber.

Xena uncomfortably rode the horse near the front of a short column of soldiers. Julien had sent out six guards to go with her to retrieve the blanket. They all seemed wearied to be leaving so soon before sunset, but they grudgingly rode on towards the forest in silence.

"I'm surprised your ruler couldn't wait 'til morning for this," she said nonchalantly, trying to stir up whatever she could among the men. Everyone seemed to ignore her. They weren't happy to be doing this, but they were more interested in zoning out than in starting a discussion with their prisoner.

Xena looked out ahead of her through the hood falling down around her head. Before they had left, the guards had put a ragged gray cloak on Xena in order to cover the manacles and the identity of their prisoner. They had ridden out of the city with a few sidelong looks from people, but for the most part no one paid them much attention.

Of course, Xena knew better than that. Shortly after leaving the city walls she became aware of someone following them. She had no idea who it was or why they were tailing them, but she figured that any distraction to her escort could be handy later on. She hoped that the guards with her weren't as sharp and that they wouldn't notice anything until it was too late.

Xena started to whistle quietly to herself in another attempt to distract her guardians. She could almost feel their glares boring holes into the back of her head and she smiled slightly to herself. Other than the sound of her song, the only other noise was the soft jingle of the soldiers' armor and weapons and the occasional snorts of the horses.

After reaching the entrance to the forest, Xena started to wander through the trees, leading the guards in a confusing circle. After a few hours, she finally righted her path and came to the meadow in the forest that she meant to go to. She had managed to waste time and disorient them, and their boredom now seemed to be turning to sleepiness. The sun was gone now, and the trees blocked out any other light that may still have lingered. One guard next to Xena held up a torch, and all the others just followed the light in front of them.

"Okay, we're here," Xena told them.

"Then do what you have to do. I'd like to get home tonight," one of the guards responded bitterly. A few of the others murmured their agreement.

Xena had a hard time dismounting the horse with the chains, and when she hit the forest floor she reeled for a moment. She was still somewhat weak from her injuries. Quickly, though, she regained her balance and stepped forward a couple paces into the meadow. She turned her back towards the torch to look off into the darkness. After a few moments, when she determined the moment was right, she raised her fingers to her mouth and let a long whistle.

They stood in silence for a few moments, waiting. Finally they heard the sound of the horse in the distance, and before long Argo trotted into the meadow. The mare slowed when it got near Xena and she reached out tentatively and stroked Argo's nose. She looked into the horse's eyes for a few moments, almost telepathically communicating with the animal, before she smiled and whispered "Good girl."

"Wait a minute, that horse doesn't even have a saddle on right now, let alone the blanket?" one guard said, slowly coming to his realization. "What are you trying to pull?"

Xena turned to face the guards with an almost devilish grin. "What? Me?"

Before they knew it, Argo had jumped past Xena and struck the closest soldier from his perch atop his horse. The man came crashing to the ground with a loud thud and a short gasp of pain. His horse reared back, screeching loudly and scaring the other horses, some of which also started to kick up. This distraction lasted long enough for Xena to roll towards the downed soldier, knock him out and take his sword.

"Get her!" one soldier exclaimed, and as soon as the horses calmed down the men started to rush at Xena. As the horses neared, Xena wielded her short sword as best she could in her condition. At the last moment she jumped to the left, striking with her blade the leg of the soldier with the torch. He cried out in pain as the other men turned back towards their prey. The injured soldier swung out wildly with his torch, missing Xena entirely and throwing himself off balance. Xena quickly grabbed hold of him, taking the torch out of his hand as she violently threw him off his horse and onto the ground.

Argo again rushed out from the edge of the meadow towards one of the horses, scaring it into rearing up and tossing off its rider. The man fell backwards incorrectly and hit the ground head first, instantly dying as his neck broke. Argo again cantered off towards the trees.

At that moment two other men on horses flew into the meadow through the trees. The horses quickly galloped past Xena as the riders pulled out swords and attacked the soldiers. They palace guards were caught by surprise and promptly two of them were killed by the riders. The soldier on the ground quickly regained his wits and turned to defend himself. The other rode off frantically towards the trees, retreating.

"Don't let him get away!" Xena shouted, and one of the attackers quickly dug his heels into his horse's side and chased after the guard.

The soldier who was left held on desperately with one hand to his sword, his knuckles turning white. He clutched at his leg with his other hand, the blood pouring through his fingers. Seeing himself now outnumbered two to one and injured, he quickly assessed the situation and threw down his sword. He fell forward onto his knees, pleading for mercy.

"You'll get the same kind of mercy you've shown my friend and I," Xena responded, walking forward angrily. She dropped the sword from her hand, pulled her arm back and then struck the man solidly in the jaw. He fell backwards, unconscious, onto the leafy forest floor.

Xena turned to look towards the rider who had come in to help her. Malthus sat atop his horse, watching Xena quietly.

"You look like Hades," he finally said.

"Yeah, well? I've been better," she responded. Quickly, her thoughts turned to curiosity. "How did you know to follow us?"

"I didn't really. I thought maybe they had Gabrielle. I saw one of the palace guards take her to the palace earlier, and he had your weapon. Anyway, I figured something was up."

"Yeah, something's up all right. How much do you know?" Xena asked.

"Gabrielle told me something about assassins earlier. It was hard to believe at first, but I guess it's true?"

"Yeah. And good old Julien has his mark all over them. He's in charge of them," Xena told the young guard.

Malthus sat on top of his horse, mulling this over. Finally his face contorted into an angry, violent expression. "I can't believe it? all this time?"

"Believe it," Xena said impassively.

"Well? how is Gabrielle? Is she okay?" he suddenly asked.

"She should be. She was the last time I saw her, and I don't think they're going to do anything to her until this little party gets back," Xena said, nodding her head towards the soldiers on the ground.

"Why are you out here with these men?"

"Julien wants something from me. I'm supposed to get it for him."

Malthus quizzically looked at the bruised warrior, standing before him with chains on her arms. It was hard to tell what she was thinking from the expression on her face. All he could read for certain was determination.

"What are you going to do?"

Xena paused for a few moments, thinking. She kicked the soldier nearest her before looking back up at Malthus. "Do all of the palace guards know each other?"

"No, not really. He has a core group that has been with him since he took power, but the rest don't seem to last long. The new ones usually just? disappear."

Xena mulled this over, weighing the options over in her head. Finally, she decided on a strategy.

"I've got a plan. Feel like helping?" she asked, and the eager look in Malthus's face already told her the answer. "I'm going to give Julien what he wants."

It was the next morning before Xena returned to the palace entrance. As she approached the large structure, thousands of possibilities ran through her mind as she thought about what was going to happen. All throughout the previous night she had played out scenarios in her mind and planned for what might happen. There was nothing like finally putting a plan into action, though. Something unexpected always happened, and the key to success was being ready for it. Briefly Xena realized just how much she enjoyed dealing with such occurrences. It kept her on her toes and feeling alive.

Xena turned her head slightly to look at the men accompanying her. Malthus stood just to the side of her, dressed in the regal purple and silver uniform of the palace guards. Five other city guards in his unit had agreed, practically volunteered, to join him. Although the uniforms had been slightly damaged the night before, the men had done what they could to fix them up and the impairments were hardly noticeable now.

"Everything is set now. There's no turning back," Xena quietly told the men. A few grunted in response while Malthus grimly smiled at her. She could see the enthusiasm and fear in his eyes. This was obviously something he wanted to do. His fervor for justice was catchy, and she could tell that the men who worked for him also had the fire in their eyes. She was glad to have such a group accompany her into the palace for this final showdown with Julien.

As a ranking officer in the city guard, Malthus felt that he would be more likely to be recognized by the palace guards at the entrance, so he drifted into the center of the group. Instead, Trager, his second-in-command who had accompanied him the night before, took command of the group, moving to the front of the crew. He held the green blanket in front of him as he approached the large doors of the palace.

"We have the prisoner, and we have the blanket," he told the two men who guarded the doors. "Let us in to see Julien."

The two palace guards at the doors paused for several moments, glaring at Trager with distrust. They looked intently at him first, but then their eyes turned to the group behind him. They briefly glanced over the other men before their eyes settled on Xena, still chained, bruised, and hidden beneath her gray cloak.

"What took you so long?" the shorter of the guards finally asked.

"She tried to trick us and escape. We had to beat her into telling us where the blanket was. It wasn't easy."

The two palace guards looked at each other for a moment. Finally, the taller one nodded his head. "Very well. Julien will be pleased to see what you have. Leucas will take you inside."

The two opened the large palace doors before the smaller guard stepped inside and started down the hall. Trager was the first to follow, and the others quickly fell in line behind him.

They went down the hallway, up the stairs, and to the familiar room where Xena had last seen Gabrielle. Furtively, the warrior glanced all around her, taking in everything. No one else was in the room, and Leucas told the group to wait for him to retrieve Julien.

While Leucas was gone, Xena looked at the soldiers behind her. Malthus looked her in the eye a moment before nodding his determination. Xena looked at the other soldiers in the group. If they were at all nervous, it was not apparent in their eyes or body language.

Several minutes passed before Julien entered the room, Leucas and four other guards following close behind. The door was shut behind them, and two of the guards stood at attention on each side of the door. The other guards followed Julien as he went to sit at his desk. Xena immediately began to wonder at the sudden appearance of so many guards.

As Julien took his seat behind the desk, he briefly glanced at all of the soldiers behind Xena before looking at the warrior. He motioned for her to sit, which she did.

"Where's Gabrielle?" Xena quickly asked.

"Patience, patience? we have business to conduct first. She's all right, though. For now." Julien arched his eyes evilly and grinned. He wanted to see what kind of reaction he could get out of his captive. Unwilling to give him the satisfaction, Xena remained impassive. "Well then, I see you acquired the blanket. Let me see it."

Trager went forward and handed the blanket to Julien. Julien took hold of it intently, ignoring Trager. The soldier quickly went back to his post behind Xena.

Julien inspected the fabric for several moments, seemingly searching for something. Finally, he grabbed a knife out of his boot, placed the tip of the steel into the end of the blanket, and pulled it forcefully along the length of the fabric. The blanket peeled into two pieces, and after a large enough gap was opened, Julien grabbed each piece and ripped the blanket completely open. As he did so, a piece of parchment fell out of the inside of the blanket. Xena and the soldiers with her registered some surprise at seeing the document.

Julien carelessly tossed away the torn blanket and reached down to pick up the paper. He read over the words intently, and began to smile as he finished the words.

"Well, well? now all of the cards are on the table," Julien said, grinning as he set down the paper.

"What is it?" Xena asked.

"All of the information I need to flush out the traitors intent on killing me. I would include your old friend among that, but I'm afraid that he has already been... disposed of. I wish I could have been there to see his torment?" Julien shrugged. "But you and Gabrielle? that's another matter. It will give me much pleasure to watch the two of you die."

Xena stared at Julien. Her look would have caused fear in most other mortals, but Julien found it amusing. He laughed and motioned to Leucas. The guard saluted quickly before leaving to bring Gabrielle.

"I think she'll be the first to go, though it will be a long process. I want you to watch."

"When I kill you, it won't be quick," Xena told the ruler.

Julien smiled at the warrior before glancing at the soldiers by the door. Several moments passed before the door opened. Xena turned to see Leucas enter, pulling a chained and gagged Gabrielle. Xena was relieved to see her friend seemingly well. Gabrielle seemed nervous, though, and kept glancing behind her towards the door.

Within moments Xena realized the cause of her friend's alarm. Ten armed guards entered the room, weapons drawn. The door was quickly closed behind them, the sound of it booming and echoing throughout the room like a death knell.

Xena turned to look at Julien and saw that he had moved further away and was now close to the far wall. Two guards stood on each side of him, their weapons drawn and pointed at Xena and the soldiers with her. Quickly Xena turned again and saw that Gabrielle had a knife to her neck. Xena and the soldiers with her were surrounded.

"Now Xena, what did you do to my guards?" Julien questioned.

Xena glanced all around the room, searching for an advantage in what was soon going to be a bloody confrontation. She looked again at Gabrielle, trying to think of a way to get her away from Leucas before the attack. As Leucas started to press the knife to Gabrielle's skin, Xena's eyes met the bard's. A knowing look passed between them. Xena braced herself, and after a moment, jumped out of the chair.

"Now!" the warrior exclaimed.

Gabrielle's chained arms quickly shot up and pushed away Leucas's arm. Before he could bring the blade back down on her, Gabrielle elbowed him in the face, knocking him back onto the floor. Quickly she sprinted away from the guards and met up with Xena and the soldiers in the center of the room.

Gabrielle pulled the gag from her mouth as she and Xena assessed the situation. "Just fifteen guards? Should we be insulted?" she joked to Xena. At that moment, a portion of the stone wall opened up near Julien and ten black-clad assassins entered the room, closing the secret passage behind them. "I need to learn to keep my mouth shut," Gabrielle added while Xena glared at her.

Quickly, Malthus took out his sword and cut the chains binding both Xena and Gabrielle. Xena threw off her grey cloak and pulled a hidden dagger out from the small of her back. Malthus pulled a knife out of his boot and tried to hand it to Gabrielle, who refused the weapon. He stood with the two women facing the assassins at the back of the room while the rest of his men faced off against the palace guards at the other end.

A slow, tense moment passed as each side waited for the other to make the first move. The guards by the door inched forward slowly, spreading out in an attempt to surround the city soldiers. Some of the assassins by the back wall reached behind their backs, and very quickly pulled their arms back around and flung daggers towards Xena and her group.

Malthus and his soldiers ducked out of the way of the blades while Xena deflected a few with her own dagger. She managed to knock one of the knives towards the guards by the door, catching one soldier in the neck.

Gabrielle raced towards the side wall and grabbed a candelabra. She twirled it around, adjusting for the weight, before she swung it around into the face of a guard who jumped at her. He fell backwards and hit the stone floor, unconscious. His sword dropped out of his hand, and Gabrielle kicked it towards the center of the room. "Incoming!" she shouted, and Xena flung her dagger towards Julien before reaching down to pick up the sword. Julien ducked out of the way of the blade, and it clanged harmlessly to the ground.

Malthus's soldiers and the palace guards sprung to action, rushing at each other. The two groups of men clashed together violently. The room filled with the sound of blade striking blade. Gabrielle quickly ran back to Xena's side, and three of the assassins broke off from the group around Julien to attack the women and Malthus.

The assassin facing Gabrielle was swinging a chain with a spiked ball on the end. Gabrielle, wary of the weapon, stood back with her converted staff warily following the assassin's moves. After swinging the chain slowly for several moments, the assassin quickened his movements and swung the ball at Gabrielle's head. She ducked and swung her iron staff at the assassin's legs. The assassin jumped over the candelabra, twisting around in mid-air to bring the chain back towards Gabrielle's body. Gabrielle barely managed to put the staff between her and the chain. The assassin's weapon wrapped around Gabrielle's, and in that moment Gabrielle pushed the metal rod up at the assassin's jaw. The middle of her staff connected with the assassin, knocking him back forcibly. His body hit the ground, limp.

The assassin attacking Xena was armed with a pair of Kama blades. He swung each in an arc down towards Xena, who easily moved out of the way of each. He then started to swing them at her body in rapid succession, and Xena was forced to move back as she tried to block each swing with her sword. Xena remained on the defensive for several moments before the assassin changed up his swing. Xena quickly took advantage of a momentary lapse in the onslaught and thrust her blade towards the assassin's shoulder. The sword lightly cut the assassin, who swung wildly at Xena in response. She twirled around in place, ducking the Kama and slicing the assassin on the chest with her sword, killing him.

Malthus's attacker was armed with a sword. The two engaged in fierce swordplay for several minutes. Finally, the two being equal with swords, each stood back, watching the other. They circled each other, waiting for the other to make the first move. Finally, Malthus grabbed a dagger off his belt and threw it at the assassin. The black-clad man swung his sword to knock the knife away, giving Malthus just enough time to stab him, leaving him dead on the floor.

The fight between the city soldiers and the palace guards reached a standstill as the guards backed off. The city soldiers had managed to knock out or kill six of the palace guards despite being outnumbered almost three to one. While inflicting so much damage on the guards, they managed to sustain only a few minor injuries. The five remaining palace guards retreated towards the wall, warily watching the city soldiers. Leucas, still relatively unhurt but his confidence gone, nervously eyed the door behind him. Suddenly, an assassin threw a dagger towards the guard, hitting him in throat and killing him.

"Don't any more of you think about leaving!" Julien shouted at his guards. "Now kill them!"

Frightened more of Julien and the assassins than the city soldiers, the remaining men rushed forward, attacking the men haphazardly. Their confidence sky-high, the soldiers made quick work of the remaining palace guards.

After the fight between the guards and the soldiers was over, the soldiers got behind Xena, Gabrielle and Malthus, who watched the assassins over by the far wall. So far, the assassins hadn't made any moves against them, and Xena was still not fully recovered from her previous injuries so she was in no rush to attack. Now that the odds were better, however, Xena started to formulate a plan of attack.

The assassins had the same idea, however, and they started to fan out, getting ready for their own attack. The two guards who were guarding Julien remained by his side, however, ready to protect him. The soldiers followed the pattern of the assassins, matching off one to each, leaving one for Xena to cover. Gabrielle stood back, watching intently as everything unfolded.

In a moment, the room went from concentrated silence to furious action as all sides came together violently. The assassins, being better trained than the palace guards, were able to press the soldiers back until they formed a tight half-circle and had little room to maneuver.

Gabrielle watched Xena's fight with the assassin. They seemed evenly matched given Xena's injuries, and Gabrielle waited for a moment when she saw an opening and jumped in to help her friend. With both women attacking the assassin, he quickly was dispatched. Xena and Gabrielle, without speaking, both advanced on Julien and his guards while the fight continued on behind them.

Xena and Gabrielle each picked one of Julien's guards and attacked them. As they fought the guards, one of the assassins quickly slashed Trager on the arm and kicked him backwards onto the floor. The assassin then wheeled around and attacked Xena from behind. Xena barely had time to react, and then was forced to divide her attention between the assassin and the guard, keeping her off-balance.

Gabrielle quickly knocked her opponent unconscious. Ignoring Julien, she swung her heavy iron staff around, catching the guard fighting Xena by surprise and hitting him squarely in the back of the head. The guard lurched forward, and Xena had to jump back to get out of the way of the falling body. The assassin also reacted, swinging his sword towards Xena's midsection. Xena quickly blocked the weapon and regained her composure, now having to face only the one attacker.

Gabrielle turned her sights on Julien. As she turned to face him, she was surprised by a quick punch to the face. Julien's fist caught her on the side of the head and Gabrielle fell to the ground, blinded by pain. Before he could bring down another punch on her, Gabrielle rolled out of the way. Gabrielle blinked hard, trying to regain her wits. She swung her staff around blindly, causing Julien to jump back. Woozy, Gabrielle noticed brass knuckles on Julien's hands as she got back up on her feet.

As Gabrielle backed away a few steps from Julien, she began to regain her confidence. She thrusted the candelabra at Julien, making sure to keep him a safe distance away. Gabrielle figured that the long reach of the iron staff was all the advantage she needed. She twirled the heavy rod above her head quickly, and brought it down in an arc towards Julien's shoulders.

Julien brought his hands up right before the staff could hit him, and he caught it in his hands. Surprised, Gabrielle tried to jerk the pole away from Julien, but he held on tight and prevented Gabrielle from regaining her weapon.

Gabrielle was determined not to lose control of the staff, so she kept hold of her end of the staff while he tried to push and pull the weapon to shake her off of it. While he held onto the weapon, Julien cocked his wrist at an odd angle, and suddenly a dagger shot out of his sleeve towards Gabrielle. She reacted quickly and moved out of the way, but that was all the time Julien needed to gain control of the staff.

"You underestimate me, Gabrielle? I didn't gain control of the assassins through my charm," Julien taunted. He jabbed at Gabrielle with the candelabra, hitting her soundly on the shoulder. Gabrielle fell back hard onto the concrete floor.

Xena had just finished dealing with the assassin and turned her sights on Julien. Before he could attack Gabrielle further, Xena stepped in with her sword. Julien grinned wickedly before the two began a quick and violent exchange of blows. The air rang with the sound of the fight.

Gabrielle got to her feet and watched the fight for a short while before she turned her attention elsewhere. She looked for a weapon nearby, but couldn't find anything without a blade. Most of the assassins had already been dispatched and the fights were over, but she saw Malthus and an assassin fighting over by the writing desk. Gabrielle snuck up behind the assassin, pulled out the desk drawer and hit him on the back of the head with it. The killer fell forward, unconscious.

Malthus smiled and nodded his thanks to Gabrielle before going to check on his men. When everyone was determined to be okay, Malthus sent the men to search the palace for any more combatants. Then he turned around to watch the fight between Xena and Julien, ready to jump in if needed.

Gabrielle also watched the fight between Xena and Julien. She stood just a few feet behind Julien, looking for an opening to get in and help her friend.

Xena continued to trade blows with Julien, but she was beginning to tire. Julien was well-rested, however, and he pressed harder. Xena matched all of his strikes, and began to look for a way to end the fight quickly.

Gabrielle noticed that Xena was beginning to slow down, and at the first opportunity she jumped in. She reached around behind Julien and grabbed the staff, pulling him off-balance. She tried to overpower him and jerk the bar up into his chin, but Julien steeled himself and held the candelabra in place. While he was distracted, Xena slashed Julien across the stomach, drawing blood.

Angry, Julien leaned forward and pulled Gabrielle over his back, tossing her at Xena. Xena caught Gabrielle before they both stumbled back a few steps. Julien seized the opportunity and knocked the sword out of Xena's hand.

Not missing a beat, both Xena and Gabrielle kicked at Julien. Both hit him in the stomach, aggravating his injury and causing him to hunch over slightly. Xena punched Julien, knocking him down onto the floor. He dropped the staff and swung up with his fist, catching Xena in the leg. She staggered backwards.

Gabrielle pulled her knee up and caught Julien in the chin. He flew back and hit the floor. Gabrielle kicked out, hitting Julien in the stomach again. He grunted in pain, pushed himself a couple feet away, and then tried to get up. Gabrielle leaned down as she followed him, picking up the candelabra. She swung it around as he got to his feet. The metal pole hit Julien in the chest and knocked him towards a window. He tripped over his own feet, lost his balance, and went tumbling out of the window.

Xena and Gabrielle's eyes opened widely. Gabrielle dropped the staff and ran towards the opening, Xena right behind her. When they got to the window, they saw Julien barely holding onto a ledge less than a foot below the window sill. Far below his feet was the cobblestone road of the city. Several people in the street looked up, shocked, at the sight of their ruler hanging on for his life.

Gabrielle instinctively reached out to Julien. "Quick, take my hand!" she yelled. Xena put her hands on Gabrielle's shoulders, ready to help.

Julien looked at the street below before turning his eyes up to the women above him. He glared at the proffered hand, and also at the suddenly helpful faces of Xena and Gabrielle. He waited for several moments, his grip on the small ledge loosening. Finally, he reached up and took hold of Gabrielle's hand.

Gabrielle started to pull him up with Xena's assistance, before a glint in the sunlight caught Xena's attention. Suddenly, a dagger shot out of Julien's sleeve, heading straight for Gabrielle's head. Startled, Gabrielle let go of the ruler's hand. Xena hand quickly shot across Gabrielle's line of sight, and she caught the blade less than an inch from Gabrielle's face. She tossed the weapon away quickly, anxious to keep the knife away from her friend.

Gabrielle watched Julien fall. It seemed to her like he fell forever, and she wished she could somehow stop it. Right before he hit the ground, Gabrielle shut her eyes tightly. She heard the sound of Julien's body striking the ground, and suddenly felt sick for what had happened. Even though he had tried to kill her, she wished she hadn't lost her grip on him. Gabrielle turned from the window and fell to the floor. She brought her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, keeping her eyes closed the entire time.

Xena sat down by Gabrielle's side and wrapped her arms around her friend. She leaned the side of her head against Gabrielle's, staring off into the now mostly empty room. Malthus stood by the doorway, watching silently. When Xena's eyes met his, Malthus's gaze dropped slightly, and he slowly turned to the door, opened it, and walked out into the hallway. The door closed with a quiet click behind him, leaving Xena alone to comfort her friend.

"We searched all the tunnels, and everything is gone," Malthus reported. "Everything they didn't take, they burned. We don't know where the assassins went, but I don't think they'll be coming back here anytime soon."

Xena nodded. "I'm sure they're already set up somewhere else."

Malthus shrugged. "As long as they aren't here. I'm happy for the small victory." He waited for a second, looking around the city. "We've got a lot of work to do here, but we'll come out of this better than ever. Are you sure you don't want to stay a while? I promise a better experience than what you had."

Xena smiled, slightly bemused. "No, thanks. I'm kind of anxious to get out of here."

"Well, I wish you'd reconsider, but I understand." Malthus extended his hand. Xena did the same, and they shook hands warmly.

Malthus nodded at Xena before walking past her to say goodbye to Gabrielle. The young bard stood by the city gate, staring out towards the woods at the horizon. She absentmindedly stroked Argo's fur as she remained lost in thought. After a moment, she became aware of Malthus's presence and she turned her eyes towards him. She smiled faintly as he extended his hand for a handshake.

"I'm sorry for everything that happened here. I wish we could have met under better circumstances," Malthus told the bard. "But I'm glad I got to meet you. You're one of the most genuine people I've ever met."

"You're not so bad yourself. The people of Megara are lucky to have you looking after the city for them. I'm sure you'll have this place fixed up in no time."

"Well, you know if you ever need anything, just let me know. I owe you two a lot," Malthus told the two women as they prepared to leave.

"Just don't let the power go to your head. I'm sure you'll do a great job here," Xena replied.

Malthus nodded as he watched the two women get onto the horse. As Xena turned her attention to directing Argo out of town, Gabrielle waved goodbye to Malthus. Soon, the women were out of the city gates, past the outer edges of the town, and well on their way to another adventure.

Gabrielle rested her head between Xena's shoulder blades as the two made their way on the now wooded trail. Her arms were wrapped tightly around Xena's waist. If it wasn't for the fact that she was on a horse and it happened to be moving, Gabrielle would have dozed off.

"So, do you think they'll come after us again?" Gabrielle finally murmured.

"Who? The assassins?" Xena asked.

"Mmm hmmm?" Gabrielle replied.

"I don't know. It's a safe bet they'd like to," Xena took one of her hands of off the reins and patted Gabrielle's arms reassuringly. "But I'm not worried about it."

"Me either," Gabrielle slurred. "We've got better things to worry about."

"Like what?" Xena asked.

Gabrielle smiled wickedly. "Like when are you going to stop this horse and help me wake up?"

Xena arched her eyebrows, surprised. She thought about it a minute. Then, quickly, she turned Argo off the path.

Gabrielle just smiled.

THE END