- Well there's nothing wrong in that, - he mutely assured himself, - Even the King of Thieves can be concerned about a friend. - He smiled to himself as he edged circumspectly along in the shadows, - Of course, when that friend has hair the texture of fine silk, and a body almost as perfect as my own. - His smile widened at that thought, - And then she has the most divinely kissable lips, and her eyes ... -
That brought him up short as he pictured a pair of dazzling, but very cold blue orbs that could skewer a fly at fifty paces. He swallowed hard and ran a finger around his collar. - Well a little danger is worth a taste of the Elysian fields, - he told himself with an uncertain chuckle before adding, - Stop that, Autolycus. This isn't the time for those fantasies! - he told himself soberly. But a little voice at the back of his mind answered, - A man can dream, can't he? - and it was enough to bring a quirky smile to the thief's lips.
It was just fully dark when he reached Caesar's palace. He found a secluded nook that he could watch the drill-yard wall from, wanting to make absolutely certain that the guard routine still followed the pattern he had previously established. He took his time, not willing to take chances here, finally being satisfied that all was the same and that he would once more be able to slip over the wall and into the parade ground without detection.
Preparing to move from his place of concealment, his progress was arrested as frantic shouts went up from within the building, the guards deserted the walls with indecent haste, heading towards whoever had summonsed them. To Autolycus, it appeared as if someone had just stirred up an anthill with a big stick.
"And I just bet I know who's holding that stick," muttered the King of Thieves as he sprinted for the now deserted wall and made a rapid ascent to the parapet, dropping over the top to the guard walk. Huddling into the dark shadows, his intelligent brown eyes scanned the central yard and outer perimeter, finding them devoid of life, but located a large collection of soldiers gathering around the outside of the palace building, "Dammit Xena!" cursed the thief in a low whisper, "What in Tartarus have you done now?"
A brutal jerk on her neck brought her descent to a halt as one of the lead chains managed to wrap itself around some of the broken metal frame of the dome. She allowed herself the luxury of a grimace as she recognised the existence of pain in her abused neck and the ripped flesh on her elbows that had been torn as she had skidded down the sharp slope of the tiled roof.
- Gods damn it, Xena! - she mentally swore, - That was just another dumb action in a whole list of them that you've been doing lately. Must be old age making you soft in the head! That or you're so full of 'cabin fever' you've completely lost the ability to control your actions! - she chastised herself as she reviewed her rather precarious current situation. - For someone supposed to be smart, you do manage to get yourself into some real jams! Then of course there's those poor kids. But if I'm not here, there won't be any reason to hurt them. -
Sighing, she glanced down the length of her body to where her long legs hung out over the edge of the high drop. Her backside rested solidly on the brink of the roof and she was held, firmly enough for now, by the snagged chain attached to her collar. - Alright, O great Warrior Princess, first thing is to get safely back on the roof. Then we can think about getting rid of some of these restraints. -
Taking a deep breath, Xena slowly used her strained muscles to twitch herself painfully, away from the precipitous drop, slackening the choke hold around her throat as she did so. Turning carefully, using the beam to help balance her, she managed to get onto her knees and from there to her feet. She retraced the path of her slide until she reached the shattered dome and could unhook the chain that had saved her life.
Moving to the apex of the slanted roof, that the dome was set into, a quick glance around into the darkness of the night told her she was on the highest point of the building. Employing her excellent night vision, she picked out a path that would take her to a lower, flatter, extension of the palace where she could use a wall to help push the beam out from behind her arms and give her a little more flexibility of movement. Carefully she gathered up the long chains on her ankles and tucked them through her belt to stop them dragging. Then she curled up the chains hanging from her collar. She couldn't do anything about those suspended from the restraining spar, but they were not hampering her anyway.
Before hazarding the fraught trip across the sloping tiles, Xena listened carefully to the continuing commotion in the solarium below her. From what she could hear, the assembled guards were awaiting the return of some of their number with ladders so they could climb up and start the pursuit. The Warrior Princess was far from foolish enough to believe that the soldiers seeking to follow her through the dome would be the only ones that Flaccus would deploy on the rooftop, but they could be used to herd her into an ambush, because the centurion undoubtedly had a far superior knowledge of the structure's layout than she did.
Pushing such concerns aside, Xena set off intending to ensure that the Romans did not recapture her without a fight. She could smell freedom beckoning her and would be damned to Tartarus if she gave it up without a struggle .. a struggle her captors would not forget in a hurry!
As confused legionaries slid to a halt when they could find no sign of fighting or the woman they were supposed to keep secure, the centurion forced himself to bark out orders: he had to ensure that she couldn't get off the roof and that she was re-taken without too much fuss.
"You two!" he snapped, above the angry, frightened, chittering of Caesar's wife, "Go and get ladders and nets. I want thirty of you up on that roof and after her as soon as possible." As the two soldiers scampered off, he claimed the attention of a decurion, "Lucas, pick three good men and send one of them off to Centurion Titus to alert him and have the rest of the guard turned out. Send another to the Quaestor and have him turn out the palace guard to aid Titus in sealing off the building. If she gets off the roof anywhere, I want to know immediately. Have the third messenger sent down to the VIIth's barracks and tell them I want three cohorts up here on the double. Tell the messengers to use Caesar's authority if necessary," he ordered, but as the decurion turned to leave, Flaccus stopped him and added, "Oh and Lucas, make sure every fifth man is carrying a net. I want her back alive and as unharmed as possible."
As the decurion saluted and hurried off to carry out his orders, the senior centurion scowled blackly, - By the gods, you demon spawned harpy. I'm going to enjoy making you suffer for this .. eventually. - He looked up through the broken glass into the dark velvet night sky. "Enjoy it while you can, slave, because you're going back into your hole, where you belong, very soon."
- Well, Gods be damned! - he swore silently as his brain sorted the growing evidence and came up with the answer, - You're up on the roof! Xena, I don't know how you managed that, but I'd be no kind of friend if I didn't try to help you .. and if you're still wearing all those chains, you're going to find it a little bit difficult getting off there without my very specialised type of help. -
He ran along the neglected wall keeping tight to the shadows, making his way towards the building that held the guards barracks and the palace dungeon. Using his grapnel he shimmied up the thin line on to the roof of that building, and made his way cautiously across the top until he reached a gap between the barracks roof and that of the palace. It wasn't a full gap, of course, a smaller building existed between the two, obviously built as an after-thought, to enclose the drill-yard completely. However, as things currently stood, there was a twenty-five foot gap between the building Autolycus stood on, and the palace roof where he suspected Xena was .. and a thirty foot drop from his position down to the lower roof, while that of the palace was some twenty feet higher again.
"Never make things easy, do ya Xena," he whispered to himself as he worked out the relevant distances, whilst paying out the line on his grapnel.
The problem was that he didn't have enough line to reach the top of the palace from the lower roof. This meant he was going to have to throw his line across the gap and swing over to the other side hoping to brace himself against the impact and trust that the soldiers were making so much noise in the parade ground that they wouldn't hear any sounds that he made.
"Well, in for a dinar," muttered the King of Thieves as he swung the line across to the other roof and gave it a sharp tug to ensure the grapnel had set. He took a deep breath offered up a silent prayer before whispering, "Oh Xena, are you ever going to owe me big time for this! Just don't do anything crazy until I can get to you and help you out of this mess." Suppressing the desire to yodel out his trademark cry, Autolycus took a firm grip on the thin line and swung himself directly at the wall opposite holding his legs out before him to take the brunt of the impact, hopefully on his feet.
It worked .. well partially! He did slow the velocity of his movement, but not enough to prevent the rest of his body, and more especially his face, hitting the wall with regrettable force. "Ughhn!" he grunted, "I'm getting way to old for this heroic stuff!"
Once he'd caught his breath and assured himself that no one had noticed him, he shakily wiped away the trickle of blood that ran from his nose and cuffed away the stronger flow from a gash on his temple. Breathing deeply, he gathered his strength and painfully climbed the rope to the top where he stiffly pulled himself over the ledge onto the roof, "Don't let anyone ever tell you that hitting a wall doesn't hurt," he grumbled as he quickly retrieved his line and hook. "Now, my dear Warrior Princess, just where in Tartarus are you?"
There was a loud clatter as the wood and metal fell onto the roof, but Xena couldn't repress the grim smile that leapt unbidden to her lips, - Well one down. Only the leg irons, belt and manacles, collar and leg chains to go! - she thought sarcastically, wondering where she was going to find anything like a useable tool to work on their removal.
To be honest, she wasn't even sure that her skill would be enough to pick those locks. She hadn't had a chance to practice against them, because Patroclese had found and removed her hard won toothpick, and then the shackles had been changed after she broke free of the original belt. She'd had plenty of time to study the locks on the fetters and she thought that they'd be something of a challenge even for Autolycus with all his bag of tricks.
Stiffening, she was suddenly on full alert as her hyper-sharp senses told her someone was sneaking towards her. Maintaining her calm, so as not to alert whoever it was to the knowledge that they'd been detected, Xena waited until the intruder was right behind her before turning with an impossibly fast grace and delivering a crunching head butt.
"Ow!" moaned a distinctly unhappy voice as the Warrior Princess' victim's legs buckled to lay him sprawling at her feet.
"Autolycus?" hissed Xena in contrite surprise, "What in Zeus' name are you doing here?" she demanded, as she knelt down to inspect the damage.
The King of Thieves slapped her probing hands away and hissed back petulantly, "I came to help you, and this is all the thanks I get!" he grimaced pointing at the fresh blood pouring from his bleeding nose.
"I'm sorry, Autolycus," placated the warrior grudgingly, "But you should know better than to sneak up on me like that." She raised her hands once more to continue her medical inspection, noting the gash on the side of his forehead and the scrapes and bruises elsewhere, "What happen to you?" she asked, surprise evident in her voice, "I sure as Hades didn't do all this damage." She could see nothing life threatening so she stood back up and carefully checked the surroundings for any sign of Flaccus and his men, "Well?" she insisted when the thief remained silent.
Autolycus rose to his feet, straightened his tunic and muttered something that to Xena sounded suspiciously like, "I had a fight with a wall."
"What?" she hissed incredulously.
"Well it was the only way to get over here .. Do you know the whole palace and grounds are teeming with soldiers and just before I got clobbered by you, I caught sight of a whole host more heading this way."
"Flaccus has brought in reinforcements .. elements from the VIIth Legion most likely. We've got to get out of here." she added, rather unnecessarily Autolycus thought.
"You're not going far in those," he told her pointing to the shackles, "Let me have a look. I should be able to get them off pretty quick."
Xena looked agitated, "I don't know .. I don't like staying too long in one place. It gives them more chance to locate us and close in."
"A moment or two won't hurt," insisted the thief, "Just let me look ..." He groaned in annoyance.
"What?" demanded Xena, becoming more edgy by the moment.
"Hang on," Autolycus responded and with deft skill, quickly removed the chains from her collar and those on her ankles used by the soldiers to control her. "There's a problem with the leg irons and your manacles," he muttered in annoyance. "They've got a really complicated locks and I need some of my more specialised tools. The only problem is Brutus snatched them when he captured me and Joxer. Without them, it's going to take time to spring the mechanisms."
Nodding thoughtfully as she curled up a length of the chain freed from her collar, Xena replied, "Thought as much."
"Hey what are you going to do with that?" the dark haired man asked as he eyed the metal in the warrior's hand.
"I'm improvising," she told him with a feral grin, "If Flaccus wants me he's going to have to bleed to get me. This," she said hefting the chain, "Will make a useful weapon for now." She glanced around, "We need to find another 'safe' spot so you can have a go at those locks. Did you see anywhere that looked promising on you're way here?" she asked.
"Uh, yeah," replied Autolycus, "Follow me."
The pair made their way with stealthy speed across the roof of the palace towards a spot, which the King of Thieves had noticed earlier, that would give them some cover and several escape bolt holes if necessary.
Lucas presented himself before Flaccus and saluted, waiting for the grim centurion's nod to continue before he spoke, "The third, fifth and eighth cohorts of the VIIth have just arrived, a compliment of fifteen hundred men according to their commander, he's awaiting instruction on how you want them deployed. Also the squad on the roof, who went up through the solarium dome, have sent a report that they've found a collar chain, both the leg chains and the restraining beam, but there's no sign of the slave."
Flaccus pursed his lips as his mind worked quickly, "Who's commanding the VIIth's men?" he demanded abruptly.
"Tribune Aemilius Honorius, sir," responded Lucas quickly.
"Right. My compliments to the tribune, tell him that under Caesar's authority, I want his troops to surround the palace .. tight cordon, no one gets in or out without written and sealed permission from me. Oh, and Lucas."
"Sir?" responded the decurion.
"Make sure that the tribune understands that the slave must be taken alive, preferably with as little damage as possible. Got that!" snapped Flaccus, in full command mode. He glowered up at the top of the building as Lucas saluted and sprinted off. He knew that she was still up there. She wasn't going to get too far in leg irons and manacles and with Honorius' forces at his disposal, he could afford to take his maniple up there and root her out.
"Titus!, Scaurus! Horatius, Laertes!" barked the senior centurion calling for the junior centurion and his two most reliable Optio's, "I want our men split into five groups of twenty-five men. Make sure each group has five net carriers and that the rest of the group carries dart bows with the drugged darts, then each of you take your men up through the roof access' that I assigned to you previously and make sure that you catch the bitch. Secundus has got a group up there already. If anyone see's her, try and bring the other groups in and surround her. You know how dangerous she is, don't take any chances and above all, try not to damage her too much."
"Sir!" all four men executed salutes and turned to organise their troops.
"Get the boys together, Narda," Flaccus ordered his chosen Optio as he looked up to the roof to where he expected his quarry to be, "Let's get up there and collect our troublesome slave. I want the animal back in her kennel before the whole of this night gets wasted .. and half of Rome finds out that we can't keep one troublesome barbarian locked up where she belongs," he muttered angrily to himself.
Precious moments passed before they heard the sharp 'click' of the lock mechanism turning on the right manacle that had prisoned the warrior's wrist, "At last," grumbled the thief as the cuff dropped loose. He reached for her other wrist.
"Unlock one of the ankle cuffs," whispered the warrior, her senses telling her that their time was rapidly running out. She could feel the enemy closing in and she didn't want Autolycus caught, or anywhere close-by when the likely fighting started. - With luck, though, - she thought soberly, - I'll have a chance, thanks to Autolycus. -
A glance down into the grounds and she could see the men of the VIIth Legion beginning to deploy, "Out of time, my friend," she whispered. "Time for you to go," she told him firmly.
"C'mon Xena!" he hissed almost plaintively, "Just a few more moments and I'll have it."
Reaching behind her with her freed hand, she deftly unbuckled the leather belt and began wrapping it's length around her left forearm in a crude bracer, securing it with the buckles. It was heavy with the attached chain, but it gave her a freedom of movement that would allow her to fight.
"No time," she reiterated, "Get out of here while you can." She saw the stubborn look on his face, "I'll follow if I can, but the last thing I need is for you to get caught here."
"Xena ..." his face held an anguished look.
"I know, Autolycus. Thank you for trying." She swallowed hard, "Now get the Hades out of here."
The King of Thieves turned to reluctantly leave, before turning back, "Just in case," he said, "You better have a quick outline of what Herc and the Amazons have got planned." In a hurried whisper he explained what she was going to need to do.
"Okay, now get going!" the warrior told him urgently, her senses screaming that the enemy was on hand.
With a sudden movement Autolycus gathered her into an embrace and kissed her with a passion that surprised both of them, "I'll try to draw some of them off. Good luck." With a swirl of his cloak he disappeared into the shadows.
"God's be damned, Autolycus," she muttered not sure whether to be angry or flattered, in the end deciding that she hadn't got time to be either. Wrapping the length of chain firmly around her right wrist, Xena picked out a different route to try and complete her escape. The leg irons were going to hamper her, but at least, with her hands free she stood a fighting chance.
He'd spread the four new groups so that they could drive their quarry in towards the centre of the building, surround her and take her down, hopefully without losing any men in the process. That was the plan, but the senior centurion knew better than to count on it working, which was why he needed his men to be alert and ready for any tricks that the bitch might pull.
"Alright," he growled, "light the torches and move out." He'd debated with himself long and hard about using the torches. It would probably attract unwanted attention from the city, but he wanted every chance of spotting the escaping slave, and there were too many black shadowy areas for her to hide unnoticed in, so he'd made provision for light and would answer any query with the standard response of it being a training drill.
They moved slowly making sure that they searched every nook and cranny where the fugitive could be hiding. Flaccus knew that they had the grounds covered and that no one was going to get through the men staking it out, but he wanted his men to retake what they had lost. He hated the thought that the palace guards, or the men of the VIIth would make the capture .. it was bad enough that he'd had to call them in for support in this matter.
"Over there!" shouted a man towards the end of the line near the roof ledge. Flaccus looked to where he was pointing and saw a black cloaked figure bounding agilely across the hazardously sloping roof, heading for end of the building facing the barracks.
"Yodelayhehoo!" came the almost impudent cry as the dark form leapt from the top of the palace over the wide gap and down onto the flat barracks roof, landing with a controlled roll.
- Where did she get a cloak from? - the thought skittered quickly through his mind as he shouted, "Take her down with your darts. She seems to be free of her shackles!"
As the squad began to turn and signal the other groups, a deadly figure rose up from the shadows, a warcry erupting from her throat, "Aiaiaiaiaiaiai!" as she struck out with a chain and leather wrapped fist that sent an unprepared legionnaire screaming over the edge of the roof! "Aiiiiieeee!" the cry reverberated off the palace walls and was ended abruptly by the sickening thump as the soldier hit the paved ground below.
- Got to get their minds off Autolycus! - Xena had acted as she made the decision knowing that she couldn't accept her freedom at the cost of one of her friends losing theirs. Her fist lashed out smashing into another soldiers throat, killing him slowly as the blow destroyed his ability to draw breath.
"She's behind us!" shouted another soldier as he tried to defend himself from the blue eyed executioner that advanced upon him swinging a chain with deadly intent.
Flaccus looked from one shadowy figure to the other, before barking out the command, "Leave the one in the cloak! The boys on the ground will get him. We've got a slave to subdue. Narda," he growled to his Optio, "Signal the other groups that we've found her."
"At once sir," returned the junior officer, swinging his flaming torch in the pre-arranged pattern that would signal to the other squads that their quarry had been found.
As the soldiers tried to close in around Xena, the Warrior Princess deliberately backed off to the edge of the roof. She knew that they wanted her alive, and if they tried to dart her while she balanced so precariously, she would likely join the guard laying dead on the ground below. She allowed an evil chuckle to escape her as she swung the chain with skilled menace, keeping the growing number of soldiers at bay, "Come and get me boys!" she taunted.
"Don't use the darts!" shouted out an officer, "Just keep her surrounded."
When no one moved within range, she slowly began to move along the roof's edge, heading towards the place where she'd see Autolycus leap from. She doubted that they'd let her get that far, and even if she did, the guards below would have seen the thief's escape route .. at least she hoped he'd escaped .. and would have moved to block it off. Glancing across the swell of faces, she tried to pick out Flaccus. She had a deep score to settle with the hard bitten centurion and hoped she'd get her chance before this ended .. one way or another. Failing to see him, she pushed aside her desire to see him dead, and concentrated on keeping herself out of the soldier's clutches.
Flaccus realised what Xena was up to almost immediately. He left some hasty instructions with Narda and gathered up the first squad of men to reach them from other search areas, as it happened it was the group who had followed the slave up from the solarium, "You lot, come with me," instructed the senior centurion in a low voice, leading the group of thirty men away from the confrontation on the edge of the roof and down into the building below.
Grinning wildly, her eyes a blaze of azure blue in the light of the torches, the Warrior Princess continued her deliberate progress along the narrow ledge she had claimed, taking the occasional glance down to check her progress .. lashing out with the chain when one of the legionaries ventured too close. She'd already removed three more of her stalkers. One was nursing a broken arm, another was at least temporarily blinded having received a wicked slash across the eyes, while the third had had his neck snapped by the fast moving chain that was wielded with such power and accuracy. It hadn't reduced the odds she faced by much, but it kept them all wary and back away from her.
More Romans joined those penning Xena to the edge and soon they were thick about her so that further progress was no longer an option, "Give it up , slave," called Titus from somewhere in the crowd of faces. "You can't go anywhere .. except back to your pit. Don't make things worse for yourself."
Barking out a short laugh, Xena looked down once again, before making up her mind. "Roman, things couldn't be any worse if I spent an eternity in Tartarus."
"Enough games!" snapped Titus, "There's nowhere left to run, no more surprises left to pull. Just surrender .. NOW!"
She grinned at him, still swinging the chain to keep the legionaries back, "No surprises left, huh? Well, I'll bet this is one surprise you weren't expecting." So saying, she did a backflip off of the roof, twisting her body in mid flight so that it fell parallel to the building where she grasped the banner pole that displayed Caesar's personal colours. As the soldiers rushed to look down from the ledge, Xena swung on the pole to build a little momentum before launching herself through a dark window, into the building and away from the pursuit.
Chuckling to herself, she moved as quickly as she could across the room, her eyes quickly adjusting to the gloom. Hampered as she was by her leg irons, she knew that she had to move quickly because it wouldn't be long before they could gather the forces to renew the chase. Even so, she wasn't quite ready to throw all caution to the winds. At the door she stopped and listened for anyone in the corridor beyond. Hearing nothing, the Warrior Princess slipped out into the hallway and made her way down the thickly carpeted passage, looking for a way out that would give her a chance at her elusive freedom.
"There she is!" she heard the cry from behind her as five soldiers rounded a turn at the other end of the corridor.
The whining buzz of a dart registered in her mind after her hand had reacted to snatch it from the air, followed by a second that she dealt with in a similar fashion. A quick look told her that the other three men were preparing to fire as well. Being close to the turn in the passageway at her end, she elected not to chance missing one of the drugged missiles. Flipping along the carpet was quicker than struggling with the constrictions of the shackles, and she reached the turn before the darts could be launched ... only to be buried under three nets by the soldiers waiting for her there!
- Not again! - her mind screamed, as she thrashed to find a way out of the prisoning mesh.
"A good chase, slave!" snarled Flaccus from close by, "One you're going to be sorry for," he promised.
"Go stick your head up your .." She never got to finish her jibe, because a heavy baton crashed down on her head, knocking her senseless.
Flaccus looked down on her, a bleak smile on his face, "Get those shackles back on her and get her back to her pit." He watched as the nets were untangled and his men worked to carry out his orders, "Oh and find a chain long enough to lock to her collar and the pit grill. Let's make it a little easier to get her out of there when we want her."
The senior centurion watched as the unconscious slave was dragged away and his mind turned to the report that he was going to have to write on the incident, - First, however, I've got to see if the that damned intruder was caught and get rid of all the extra men we've got littering up the palace, - he thought sullenly. - I hope for their sakes that they didn't let the bastard get away! - He turned on his heels and stalked from the building.
Gabrielle's face was immediately cloaked in a worried frown, "It's got to be something to do with Xena," she said softly, almost to herself. "Oh gods! I hope Autolycus didn't get into trouble," she added in a worried tone.
"What's that about Autolycus?" demanded Hercules, realising that the swaggering thief was not there with them.
Gabrielle threw a look at the demi-god, then drawing a deep breath, standing straighter in her 'queenly' pose, and doing a good impression of one of Xena's 'looks', she answered, "I asked him to check and see if Xena was still at the palace. I needed ... need to know that Caesar hasn't taken her away somewhere ... or maybe killed her," she finished quietly.
"Hey, Gabrielle," Ephiny said moving to her side and rubbing her arm reassuringly, "you know that he's not about to kill her after all the trouble he's gone to capturing her and keeping her alive." She looked into her monarch's eyes and saw the uncertainty born of the knowledge that her best friend had already been close to death while in her enemy's hands. Ephiny told her firmly, "If he'd wanted her dead he's had plenty of opportunity ... for now he wants her alive. He might hurt her," she winced at the look of pain that flashed in the green of the bards eyes, "but he won't kill her. She's far too valuable to him."
"Yeah," muttered Gabrielle, her confidence returning a little as she fingered the slave collar at her own throat. "That doesn't explain where Autolycus is," growled Hercules beginning to pace back and forth in the room.
"Don't worry about him, Herc," grinned Iolaus from where he was sitting chatting with Toris, "You know that man's got more lives than a cat."
"Figure that turn out was for him?" asked Eponin as she flopped onto the sofa next to the blonde warrior.
Hercules stopped his pacing and looked at her for a long moment, "It could have been," he answered, worry tinging his voice, but I don't see why they would have been up on the palace roof ... not that I can see why Xena would be up there either," he admitted.
"He could have been chased up there," suggested Joxer from where he was sprawled on the floor with a pile of scrolls that Gabrielle had 'acquired' from Pompey's library. "Or he could have been doing some ... some thief thing and got caught at it,"
"Now that I could believe!" agreed Iolaus quickly.
"He wouldn't have," assured the bard although her confidence on the point seemed a little shaky.
"He would have!" said almost everyone else in the room in chorus.
Gabrielle threw her hands into the air, "Jeez guys! Cut him some slack will ya! He only went because I asked him to ... and he could be in trouble because of it."
Hercules stopped beside the small woman and gave her a hug, "It's alright, Gabrielle. We're concerned about him too."
"Speak for yourself, big guy," muttered Iolaus darkly and received a friendly punch in the arm from Toris, who frowned at the blonde, "Hey!" responded the warrior in mock annoyance.
"You know you don't mean that, so be nice," Toris told him dryly sounding so much like Xena that he drew all eyes to him. "What?" he asked plaintively.
Amidst much shaking of heads, the others turned back to their conversations, the uncanny resemblance between the innkeeper and the Warrior Princess impressed upon them yet again.
"How long has he been gone," asked Hercules, trying to judge whether there was anything to really worry about.
Gabrielle sighed and sat down on the unoccupied sofa with Ephiny next to her, "He left just after you did," she informed him.
Doing a quick calculation, the demi-god's brow creased with concern, "That's nearly six candlemarks. Apart from that first time, he's never been gone more than three before."
"Hey, quit worrying," Iolaus said again, but in a far less mocking tone, "I wasn't kidding when I said he's got more lives than a cat. If anyone can get out of that kind of fix it would be him ... you watch, he'll turn up before dawn like a bad dinar."
They had spent the rest of that night waiting for Autolycus to return, and discussing how their tentative advances towards Graccus were going. Ephiny reported that the senator had been discrete in showing his interest to the oblique ideas that the Regent presented to him. It was clear that the erudite man felt no love or loyalty to either Caesar or Pompey, believing that both were destroying everything good within Roman society. However, he was far from foolish enough to make his opposition obvious, knowing that such a stance would likely prove to be suddenly very fatal.
"I think he will help us, so long as he isn't seen to do so," summarised Ephiny. "He's extremely smart and has survived a long time in this cesspool of a city, so he won't commit himself openly. But if we do things right, I think we'll be able to count on him coming up with the right offer at the right moment. I just need to prime him a little more ... but carefully. He won't risk being openly supportive of us when he knows there is likely to be trouble from such support."
They argued back and forth about the best ways to achieve what they wanted from Graccus, until the sun began it's daily ascent, and they knew that Autolycus wouldn't be returning ... at least not until darkness fell once more. The thief would not risk trying to get back into Pompey's well guarded palace in broad daylight.
With nothing else to do they adjourned to their beds for some much needed sleep. It was necessary to keep their strength up and their wits about them, if they were going to be able to execute the rescue they had planned. They also needed to find out someway of discovering what had happened to Autolycus.
If that had been the good news, the bad news was that they had been totally unable to get any word about Autolycus. There was nothing to be learned about him on the streets, at least the Amazons could not pick up his name in any of the gossip that was always rampant among the masses. Oh there was plenty of talk about the events up at Caesar's palace, but although everyone speculated about what had really happened, the official line had been that it was a training exercise to deal with any potential assassination attempts. Even Nebula had not heard anything about the capture of the King of Thieves, and if anyone within their company was going to hear something, it would most likely have been the pirate.
What they were aware of was the increased presence of troops loyal to Caesar around the city. Getting into the docks had proven difficult because everyone was closely scrutinised, as the legionaries searched for someone ... the group had little doubt that the search was for Autolycus.
Their other problem was Pompey. Generally he left them to themselves, secure in the knowledge that no one would be able to enter or leave his residence without being apprehended by his guards. However, once a day there was a cursory head count to make certain that no one had gone missing without him realising. So far they had managed to avoid the detection of the missing body, by using Merayne, a tall Amazon guard, who had short black hair and a slim boyish build. By appropriating a lock of Toris' hair, they had fashioned the woman a moustache and goatee beard and, with a little slight of hand, had managed to keep their gaoler ... er host ... from realising the deception.
Things were tense amongst the small group. Gabrielle fretted alternately between Xena and Autolycus, whilst the others worried similarly to an only slightly lesser extent. The little that could be accomplished, was being done by Ephiny and although that allowed her, Eponin and Hercules to get away from the tense atmosphere of the palace suites, more often than not, the demi-god elected to remain behind where he could act as a moderating influence on the tempers of his friends. Besides, within the sanctuary of their rooms was the only place that he could talk.
The evening torches had long since been lit, their steady flames casting long shadows around the sitting room of the men's suite. Gabrielle sat telling Ephiny, Toris and Hercules the story of Xena's affliction by the Furies at Ares' instigation, while Iolaus and Joxer sat throwing dice in a complicated game that they were inventing and refining as they went along to pass the time. Eponin was still with the warriors, sorting out guard rosters and making certain that weapons practice was being maintained to her rigorous standards. She would come up to the suite when she had finished.
- All in all, - thought Autolycus blearily as he stood unsteadily in the dark shadows of the bathroom doorway, - quite the domestic little scene. - He coughed loudly, unable to still the hacking assault that gripped him momentarily. Instantly all eyes flickered towards where he stood hidden by shadows.
"Autolycus?" questioned Gabrielle's sweetly concerned voice, moving quickly towards where he stood, but not quick enough to beat Iolaus, who had rushed to the thief's side and held him with a steadying hand.
"Thanks, Curly," the usually dashing thief said appreciatively, leaning heavily on the smaller man's shoulder, "I could use a 'little' support," he added weakly with a feeble attempt at his normally cutting humour. For once Iolaus didn't rise to the bait. The King of Thieves ... his sometimes friend ... was in poor shape and he needed help more than he needed banter. "Not going soft on me, are ya, shorty?" asked Autolycus, just before he keeled over unable to hold himself upright any longer.
Iolaus braced himself, using his surprising strength, to stop the thief from falling, then swung the larger man over his shoulder and moved across to the empty sofa and gently laid his burden down. Once into the light, everyone could see his puffy, battered face, the ugly gash on his temple and, most especially, the fletchings of an arrow that stuck out of his chest below the right shoulder, "Dammit, Autolycus!" swore the blonde. "What in Tartarus have you been doing to yourself."
"Hey! You should see the other guys!" he protested weakly, beginning to cough once more.
Gabrielle shoed Iolaus out of the way and laid the back of her hand against his brow, wincing at the fever she felt there. Taking a deep breath, she said, "Eph, I need that medical kit from our rooms, I think that's got everything I need in it. Hercules, I'm going to need you to push that arrow through ... I'm sure you know what to do. Iolaus can you find a poker to heat up ... use a torch ... get Joxer to help you. Toris can you get me a bowl of water and some linen that I can use for cloths and bandages."
Everyone went quickly about their assigned tasks as the bard and demi-god worked to get the thief's tunic off of him so they could clearly see what they were dealing with. "I thought I told you to keep clear of trouble," Gabrielle rebuked mildly trying to hide her wince as she viewed the heavy bruising across his chest, "What part of that didn't you understand?" she questioned.
"When did she get so authoritative?" Autolycus asked the big man beside him.
"Must be the queen thing," Hercules replied half smiling at the look of chagrin on Gabrielle's face.
"You didn't answer my question," insisted the honey blonde.
"I was being careful, Gabrielle. At least until tall, dark and deadly got herself into major trouble."
Toris returned with the water and cloth. The bard quickly began to wash the dirt and grime away from the arrow wound and the cuts and abrasions on the thief's face, "You can tell us all about it when we get though fixing you up," Gabrielle told him gently. "How's it going with the poker, boys?" she asked.
"It'll be ready when you are," Iolaus responded.
"Hey! ... Ouch! ... Mind what you're doing with that, it's hot!" protested Joxer.
Gabrielle looked at the demi-god, "I wish Xena was here. Not just because she's better at this than me, but she'd be able to take some of the pain away with that pressure point thing she does."
"It'll be fine," assured Hercules, his blue eyes showing confidence in her ability, "He's pretty strong ... a bit of pain won't hurt too much."
"Hey! That's me you're talking about. Me and pain don't ..." Autolycus gasped as the big man snapped off the fletchings of the arrow, "... mix ......" he finished as he lapsed into unconsciousness.
Hercules quickly pulled the shaft out from the exit wound and made room for Iolaus to apply the red-hot poker to cauterise the flesh. Autolycus writhed from the pain but didn't awaken. The bard took the time to apply a healing slave to the wounds then bound them firmly, before checking that his recently healed broken wrist hadn't received any further damage. Seeing that all was well in that area, she turned her attention to his injured face. With gentle hands she applied an astringent to cleanse the wounds and deftly inserted five stitches to hold the wicked looking gash together.
Autolycus began to show signs of coming around as she began to run her hands over his body checking for damage to his ribs, "You keep doing that," the thief mumbled with slurred words, "and I'll start to think you have designs on my body," he told her with a lascivious grin ... well one that he intended to be lascivious, it actually barely made wounded puppy dog! "Not that I can blame you," he added, "Ahh! The stories I could tell!"
"Be nice," Hercules told him.
"Don't worry," Gabrielle told him. "He's not the only one who can tell stories. Have I ever told you the one where Xena tricked him into stealing a lump of rock sugar, then hunted him down and caught him before he could escape?"
"Ah, Gabrielle ... I don't think they need to know about that," Autolycus responded, his voice beginning to return to normal as he recovered some of his strength.
"Or the time that Xena caught him disguised as an old woman after the golden statue of Pax was stolen ... or when he had himself captured and chained up so he could get a chance at stealing some diamonds from a mine," she continued with a twinkle in her eyes.
"Sheesh! Cut me some slack here. I'm an injured man. A victim of Caesar's goons .... Ow!" he finished limply looking for sympathy.
The bard patted him on the arm a mischievous smile playing over her lips, "I'll play nice if you will," she told him. "Look I'm going to mix you some herbs to help fight that fever and any infection you might have picked up. When you've drunk that, if you feel up to it, perhaps you can tell us what happened. We've been frantic with worry for you and Xena."
"Sure," answered the thief with none of his usual bravado. "I don't know a lot of the details, but I'll tell you my part of it and what I saw happening ... although I really could do with something to eat ... I don't think I've had anything in days."
Sending Joxer down to the kitchens for some broth, something that wouldn't cause any trouble because the palace staff had become used to the 'guests' requiring food at odd times, Gabrielle quickly put together a concoction that Xena had shown her how to prepare and got Autolycus to swallow it down, "By the gods! That's the most awful thing I've ever tasted," he complained.
"You should try some of Xena's other remedies. I don't think she believes they do any good unless they taste foul." the bard grinned. They waited for Joxer to return and allowed the thief to eat his meal in peace, before asking him to relate just what had happened two evenings previously.
Autolycus, relaxed as he lay back on the cushions that had been nested around him on the sofa, feeling comfortable and at ease for the first time in a couple of days. He replayed events in his mind before launching into his story, "I headed out for Caesar's and watched for my chance to get in. The guard routines were still in pattern, so I knew it would be an easy job to slip over the wall, same as I did before. I was just about to start when all Hades seemed to break loose and all the guards were pulled off the wall. It was obvious that something was going on, so I took the chance, climbed the wall and hid to get an idea of what was going down. The guards were spread all around the palace and it looked like someone had thrown a hornet's nest amongst them. The grate to Xena's cell was open and there was no guards there, so I figured whatever was going on must have something to do with her.
"I watched a while before I figured out that everyone seemed to be looking at the top of the building. It seemed like a dinar to a duck's feather that our Warrior Princess had slipped the leash and was up on the palace roof doing her best to avoid the Romans." He stopped his narration and took a long drink from the goblet of water that Gabrielle offered him, "Thanks I needed that. How'd you know?"
She shrugged, "I'm a bard. I tell stories ... a lot. I know how thirsty you can get."
"Sheesh! Should have guessed," grinned the thief looking more than a little tired.
"Hey, you okay? Do you want to leave this until after you've had some sleep?" Gabrielle asked solicitously.
He gave her a calculating look and swung a glance over the others who had been eagerly devouring his words, "Thanks for the thought, Gabrielle, but I'll sleep better for knowing that you lot aren't gnawing your fingers off with impatience."
"Very virtuous of you, I'm sure," the bard grinned openly at the relieved sighs from several of the others. "Just don't over tire yourself, 'kay?"
"My protector," smirked the thief as he settled back into his cushions and resumed his story. "Well with everyone's attention on the roof of the palace, I was able to slip along the wall and up onto the barracks roof. >From there I was able to get across to the main building's roof ...."
"Hey, that's a pretty large distance to get across without being seen," remarked Ephiny, visualising the layout of the drill-yard compound.
"Yeah, well ... I had to take a few risks and knocks," admitted Autolycus with a reluctance that didn't really fit his normal bravado.
"Oh, I get it," grinned Iolaus, "that's how you got those bruises."
"Only some of them, Shorty," the thief snapped in return.
"Well what happened?" demanded the blonde warrior, "How'd you get them?" He grinned, pleased to see that his 'friend' was looking better for his treatments.
"I ran into a wall," answered Autolycus almost too quietly to hear.
"You what?" pressed Iolaus, his grin getting wider.
"I misjudged the impact and hit the wall," snarled the King of Thieves, "Satisfied now?" he asked snarkily.
"Oh that's choice," laughed the short man slapping his knee in delight, "The professed King of Thieves running face first into a wall."
"It wasn't face first," protested Autolycus, touchy about his prowess being questioned, "my feet hit first."
As Iolaus continued to laugh, Ephiny gave him a rather annoyed look and explained tersely, being the only one other than the thief to have seen the area, "The gap between the barracks and the palace must be, what? twenty feet?" she directed at Autolycus.
"Twenty-five," he corrected uncomfortably.
"Right, so maybe a twenty foot difference in height between the two buildings," she asked and got a nod from the thief, "And a thirty foot drop from the barracks down to a lower roof?" Again she got a nod for the correctness of the estimate. Ephiny shook her head in disbelief, "So you swung across the gap?" Another nod, "You're mad!" she told him as the other looked on somewhat shocked at the thought of the velocity that he must have hit the wall at.
"I'm sorry," Iolaus apologised, "I shouldn't have said what I did."
"Hey, it's only what you heroes do all the time," smirked Autolycus basking in their unfeigned admiration. "Anyway," he continued, "once I was up on the palace roof, it wasn't too hard to find Xena, although she very nearly plastered my nose across my face for my trouble," he groaned as he was reminded of the painful bruising and two beautiful black eyes he was sporting, and just thanked the gods that nothing had been broken and ruined his perfect looks.
"You should know better than to sneak up on her!" admonished Gabrielle.
"Hey! It was dark and I wasn't certain it was her," protested the thief. The quickly changed the subject back to his narration of events. "So, she'd already managed to get free of that wooden spar they use to restrict her, and we decided to move to a different spot, before the Romans located us, so I could have a crack at her shackles ... you know Caesar must have a really good locksmith working for him, because those were some of the hardest locks I've tackled."
"But you managed to get them open, right?" demanded Toris.
"Weeell," the thief waggled his hand from side to side, "I got one of the manacles undone, before Xena told me time was up. Someone had got the authority to call in half a legion, which meant they could surround the palace and mount an extensive search of the roof. With the leg irons still in place, she wasn't in much of a position to move fast, so she ordered me out of there."
"You didn't stay to help?" asked an incredulous Joxer. "Joxer the Mighty would never have left a friend in distress," he informed them proudly puffing out his chest, trying to look the part of the warrior.
"Listen, Master of Morons, when was the last time you won an argument with Xena? Any of you?" he challenged, then added an exclusion for Hercules and Gabrielle, "You two don't count."
"He's got a point," muttered Toris, scratching his ear, "I haven't been able to best her in any type of dispute since she was about five or six."
Still feeling proddy about the perceived smirch on his honour and bravery, Autolycus continued, "So I told her the plan, kissed her and got my butt out of there, because she was adamant that my getting caught would make things even worse for her."
"You what?" demanded Hercules incredulously with a dangerous glint in his eye.
"Got my butt out of there," replied the thief apprehensively, replaying what he had just said in his mind. - Oh Zeus! - he cursed as he realised what he'd let slip. He hadn't meant to mention that around the demi-god, - He's going to kill me! - "Umm, c'mon Herc. It was just a ... " he swallowed hard "...friendly kiss. Just to let her know she's not been forgotten."
Hercules glared at the thief for a very long moment, "We'll talk about it when you're feeling better," he rumbled ominously.
"Umm, sure, big guy." He swallowed again convulsively, "Anyway, I headed back out the way I came in. I figured to jump from the palace down to the barracks roof. I also tried to distract the search parties attentions by yelling as I went. Trouble was they're carrying these dart crossbows that carry some kind of knock out drug and when Xena realised that they were going to shoot at me, she let out one of her battle cries and began attacking them like a demon possessed."
"Whoa! Back up," interrupted Iolaus. "You jumped the gap between the buildings?"
"Well, ah, yeah. It was the quickest way off, and like I said, I wanted to distract the guards to give Xena a chance to get away."
"But you already got banged up crossing that gap once?" protested the blonde man, an unexpected respect beginning to kindle in his mind.
"Yeah, well, I was moving from higher to lower ... and I rolled on impact and only banged up my ribs a little bit more ... no big deal," he said with true modesty for once.
Gabrielle, leaned over and lightly kissed him drawing jealous looks for the thief from Iolaus and Joxer and, surprisingly, from Toris. "You know, Autolycus?" grinned the bard.
"Aw, don't say it, Gabrielle," winced the thief in embarrassment.
"You've got a good heart," she smiled gently caressing his cheek. "Now what happened next?"
The King of Thieves gave a nervous look around the room. Every man there was looking daggers at him, "Hey it's not my fault women find me irresistible," he protested with a slightly smug grin.
"Don't push your luck, Slick," advised Ephiny with a firm squeeze on his good shoulder, "Just get on with the story."
The thief smirked with his usual cocky arrogance until he caught the withering look he was getting from Hercules. Clearing his throat he continued, "There wasn't anything else I could do to help her, I saw her take down two or three soldiers, one fell off the roof. It was obvious she wanted me out of there so that I didn't get caught, and the ground troops were beginning to tighten the cordon. If I hadn't left then, I'd have never got away," he told them plaintively.
"'S'okay, Autolycus," the bard assured him a sad look in her eyes, "You did what you had to do."
"Anyway, I had to cross the length of the barracks to the walkway and then over the wall. Nearly all of the guards' attention was focused up on the roof ... Xena was kind of doing a balancing act on the edge, daring the soldiers to come and get her. They couldn't dart her in case she went over, and anyone foolish enough to get close to her ended up dead real quick from the chain she was swinging." He gave the bard a sympathetic look as she blanched when he mentioned the balance on the edge of the building. He'd forgotten her fear of heights.
"Unfortunately, " he continued, "not all of them kept their eyes on Xena's show. I'd just made it to the wall, when some bas.... um, archer got a luck shot and winged me." He grinned at himself for avoiding the coarser language, "I made it down the wall, and scrambled away, but a squad of soldiers were hot on my tail. As I made a corner, I caught sight of movement on the roof and I saw Xena jump, but I couldn't hang around because the posse was just to damn close behind me." He gave a reassuring look to the bard, and hid the fear he had felt when he'd seen the Warrior Princess launch herself off of the building, "She'll be alright," he told Gabrielle with a certainly he tried hard to believe in himself, "She wouldn't have jumped without a reason. She probably had a way out of the tight spot on the roof ... you know what she's like."
"I know," agreed the bard softly, patting the injured man's hand, then changed the subject, "So what took you so long to get back here?"
Autolycus snorted with disgust, "That damned goon squad stuck to me like sh... , um, fleas to a dog," he adjusted nimbly. "I had to hole up in an a warehouse for a day ... I was hoping to get to the ship the next night, but they'd got the docks cordoned off and there was no way I'd have been able to slip past them with that arrow sticking out of me. So I spent that night and all of today in that warehouse, and slipped back here tonight, although it wasn't easy. There's a screen of Caesar's troops all around this area. They're being discreet about it but they're there. That's about everything there is to know," he concluded, taking a long drink of water and finally allowing the exhaustion to wash over him.
They discussed the news between themselves, and how it affected the situation, for some time. No one allowed themselves to think for a moment that Xena could have died from jumping off the roof ... rumour of that would have spread considering the animosity felt towards the dark haired warrior by almost everyone in Rome.
It helped that Xena was now aware of what they were trying to achieve and that they were working towards her freedom, but uncertainty still hung in the air like a cloud and continued to do so for another two days until Caesar returned to his city ... quietly this time, without the pomp of the triumphal entry shared with Veranius.
For four days she had watched it happen, before being thrown back into her cell, each night, with the additional irritation of having a long leash from her collar, secured to the pit grate. She felt seething anger and frustration at her impotence in being able to either escape, or help the children being savaged as a lesson to her. She was further tormented by the knowledge that, if it wasn't for the fact she was needed fit for the fight against Hercules, Flaccus would have happily inflicted the punishment upon her, and maybe the children would have been spared.
Squinting up at the sky, she judged it to be about mid-afternoon, which meant that she had at least five more candlemarks of rock hauling to go. She stopped and shifted her grip on the stone and was shoved sharply from behind to get her moving once more causing her to stumble against the short chain that tethered her ankles together.
Since her escape attempt, the tight security surrounding her had been further increased. Her leg irons had a bare eighteen inches of chain, making each small step an exercise in concentrated effort. The manacles on the belt had been shortened to give her only just enough play to lift and carry the rocks ... eating and drinking was now a humiliating trial. Water was lapped like an animal, food was eaten directly off the plate, not being able to raise her hands high enough to manage in any other fashion. Ten guards surrounded her at all times, thirty stood guard on the walls with dart bows, ready to shoot her at the slightest wrong move.
She dropped the rock and carefully turned and made her way back to where the other pile stood, concentrating on moving without falling flat on her face. She glanced up at the window of Caesar's office. He was there watching as she knew he would be ... she'd felt his eyes upon her for some time now, and had known he was back, from the gossip amongst her guards. It was only a matter of time before he demanded her presence.
Flaccus had been with Caesar many years. He prided himself on his loyalty to the man who had been his commander for more than ten years. He knew that he was a highly valued soldier, but he was not stupid and so knew that he was not irreplaceable ... the wrong words here could be the death of him.
On the other hand, he'd never been afraid to speak his mind to any man and he suspected that his blunt truthful manner was part of the reason that Caesar valued him. So, drawing a breath, he answered, "With respect, sir, I think you should have made that clear to your wife. She invoked her authority as your wife, and I had no option, but to follow her wishes. I took what precautions I could and as soon as the escape attempt was made, I acted to ensure that it wouldn't be successful. However, I accept full responsibility and await you judgement."
Caesar studied the centurion with calm impassivity for several heartbeats, knowing that Flaccus felt uncomfortable under his scrutiny. Finally he responded, "The responsibility was yours, centurion ...." he allowed it to hang for a moment, "but it was also mine. You did well to retake her ... unharmed I hope?"
"A few bruises ... nothing dangerous. She killed five and crippled two," Flaccus reported the butcher's bill.
"What of the other figure on the roof?" Caesar questioned intently.
"He was reported as wounded, but the squad from the VIIth lost him," reported the centurion in disgust.
Caesar hissed his annoyance. He wanted to know just who the mystery figure was, although he did have his suspicions, "I think it's time Xena understood what I want from her," he said at length, "With this fight in two days, I want to satisfy myself she's unharmed. I don't want anything addressed to her while I'm with her. If she speaks out of turn, discipline her, but don't speak to her. We've tried treating her like any slave and it hasn't worked. From now on she'll be treated like any other animal I own .... maybe she'll learn to accept her place as a slave after a while," he speculated, willing to patiently try any variety of approaches to break her spirit and sure that being degraded to non-human would cause a reaction within her, perhaps something they would be able to work on to weaken her ... eventually.
She sat back on her heels, ignoring the bruising inflicted by the cobbled ground, waiting for the children to be brought out, terrified and sobbing in pitiful expectation of the painful beating that awaited them out in the drill-yard. The warrior's stomach knotted at the memory of the familiar event that she was powerless to prevent. She willed her fists not to clench, demanded that her body show no trace of the emotion that roiled within her gut. She knelt with apparent patient indifference.
After about half a candlemark had passed with no sign of the children, Xena began to allow hope to emerge, that their torment was over. Another candlemark passed and the Warrior Princess resisted the growing urge to shift her weight from her sorely aching knees, knowing that the guards would be heavy handed in their attempts to discourage movement.
It was now fully dark, the torches and braziers had been lit to illuminate the parade ground and still they waited. Unable to resist any longer, Xena shifted her position and received the expected blow from the baton in return. As if that had been a signal, life stirred within the doorway to the palace and Caesar appeared flanked by Flaccus and Titus.
He stood before her ... she ignored his presence, expecting threats or abuse from him. However, after closely examining her for injuries, he ... in his turn ... ignored her, turning to Flaccus and remarking, "She seems sound enough. You handled the situation correctly. See that she spends tomorrow with the Coliseum trainers. The whole day. The day of the fight she is to spend bathing and under the hands of the masseurs. Make sure she eats well, have her fed and watered by one of the kitchen slaves ...."
"Son of a bacchii!" swore Xena, "I can feed myself!" she growled not ready for that indignity and despising the way he spoke of her like an animal, some favourite pet to be groomed and cared for by handlers.
A casual backhand blow from Flaccus snapped her head to one side and left her spitting blood. Other than the blow, both Caesar and the centurions continued to ignore her as the Roman ruler outlined his plans to his subordinates, "We'll fight her for maybe another two years ... just matches against high quality opponents, and I'll give you a chance to break her between matches. When we finish fighting her we'll have her tendons cut ... that will ensure that she won't be able to run, then we'll see about breeding her. A few whelps from her and some good bloodstock should give me a decent stable of gladiators for many years."
Xena attempted to lunge forward, but was held firmly in place by her guards as Caesar swept back out of the yard and into the palace. Flaccus waited until his superior had left before turning back to his men and snapping, "See she's fed and watered, then put the animal back in her cage ... and make sure she doesn't get out." He watched as Xena was pulled to her feet and manhandled towards the kitchens.
- As soon as this fight is out of the way, slave, we'll see just how many sessions on the wheel it will take to break you! - he thought with anticipation.
Sitting on the sofa in the women's suite, with her legs curled under her and busy fingers rummaging through the box of delicious sweetmeats on her lap, she told Gabrielle and Eponin, "I think he's getting desperate," she grinned smugly, "Since he's been back, I've avoided him like Zeus avoids Hera .. so he's resorted to sending me these," she held up the box of confections as illustration, and then gestured at the forest of flowers that had invaded the sitting room.
"Eph, if you keep stuffing those sweets, you're gonna need a front door wide enough for a centaur when we get home," pointed out Eponin wryly, snagging a marzipaned nut as the box whisked past her hand.
"Ha!" scoffed the Regent as she jerked her box away from the Weapons Master and directly into the path of Gabrielle's nimble fingers, "You've got room to talk, Poni. Don't think I haven't seen you sneaking in here to snaffle some of these for yourself .. Hey!" she yelped as she realised that the bard had managed to grab a solid handful of the prized candy, "Didn't your mother ever teach you not to steal from your friends?" she demanded with mock sternness.
The bard gave her a long look before poking her tongue out and crossing her eyes at the blonde Amazon, grinning mischievously and throwing a treat over to the widely smiling Eponin, "Here ya go Poni, I'm sure her mother taught her it was polite to share with friends!" she commented with a nasty smirk.
"You'll get stuck like that if the wind changes on you, Gabrielle," warned Ephiny with a feigned seriousness that was intentionally comical.
The Amazon Queen popped a sweet into her mouth, produced an ecstatic look on her face and replied, "Old wives tale, Eph .. or Poni would have been stuck with a face like a centaur having constipation, years ago." she grinned, ducking the cushion that was thrown in her direction.
"Har de har har!" growled the dark haired Amazon as she made another grab for the jealously guarded candy box.
Ephiny slapped her hands away, and huffed, "If you want more, go find your own Roman and get him to fall in love with you."
"I think I'd rather give birth to a centaur," grumped Eponin.
"Been there, done that .. and believe me, charming a Roman into giving candy is a lot easier and far less painful!" She thought of the wild afternoon of passion spent with Caesar, "Well mostly," she corrected herself. It went somewhat quiet for a few moments before Gabrielle filled the silence with a quiet, "Ephiny ..." but got no further before the Regent and Weapons Master answered in unison.
"No!"
The Regent looked at her young Queen and, modifying her tone, explained yet again, "Gabrielle. It's far too dangerous. We'd have trouble hiding that damned collar, and all it would take would be for Caesar to recognise you and everything goes to Hades on a handcart."
The bard slumped back into her seat and pouted, "You have no idea how hard it is just to sit here and wait for news. At least you get a chance to get out there and do something!" She tried the puppy dog expression that usually got her anything she asked for, "I just need to see her .. see for myself that she's alright ...."
"Forget it Gabrielle," Ephiny told her firmly, hardening her heart against the pleading that she saw in her friend's eyes. "It's just too dangerous, so forget it and have another sweet," she offered forcefully jamming the box under the bard's nose. Willing to sacrifice even her precious candies if it got her some respite from the incessant pleading.
Whirling away from the demi-god in frustration, Toris stalked back and forth making angry gestures, before he turned back to face the adamant tawny haired giant, "Look! She's my sister. Surely if I'm disguised as an Amazon there won't be any problem? All I want to do is see her with my own eyes to make sure she's alright."
Hercules took a deep calming breath and counted to ten before explaining calmly and patiently, at least outwardly, that the other man going along to Caesar's palace would be utter madness. "Look at it this way, Toris, if everything goes as planned you'll be able to spend plenty of time satisfying yourself that Xena's fine on the trip back to Greece. Taking you into the enemies lair would be like putting a burning torch to a jar of oil ... Do you really want to risk everything for an early glimpse of your sister?"
Toris looked at him and wanted to loudly declare 'Yes!', but he knew that the demi-god was speaking sense and that he just needed to be patient for a little while longer. He ran frustrated fingers through his long black hair and replied disgruntledly, "I suppose you're right .. but you should try and see it from my point of view. She's my younger sister. I've never been as good at anything as she is, and I've never been a lot of use to her. She always tried her best to help me .. even when I didn't want her help. Now I can do something to help her, or should be able to, but I'm shut up in this mausoleum and it's driving me nuts!" He slammed his fist against the wall, "I'm no use to her, I'm no use to myself! How do you think that makes me feel!" he almost shouted.
Iolaus came up from behind him and put a comforting hand on his shoulder, "Hey buddy. Don't let it get to you. We're all feeling pretty useless right now. We'll get our chance to do something soon," he reminded his friend.
"Yeah, yeah," muttered Toris who had told himself the same thing many times over. It didn't help. For the first time in his life he had the chance of being able to help Xena, maybe earn some of her respect, and he was frustrated at every turn. He slumped down in a chair and stared moodily off into space.
"He's just got to be patient," shrugged Hercules, trying to understand the dejection that the other man felt.
Iolaus looked over to where Toris sat, "He knows. It's just ..."
"Just what?" asked the big man who really didn't understand the frustration being exuded by Toris.
The short blonde drew in a deep breath, "He feels he needs to prove himself," he said quietly.
"To who?" returned Hercules, although he presumed it was Xena for whatever reason.
Iolaus could see the lack of comprehension in his best friend's eyes, and so tried to explain it, "He wants to prove himself to Xena .. and to her friends. It's like he's got this larger than life sister who does things that no mortal should be able to do and walks through the world like some giant. In the past .. when she was doing the evil Destroyer of Nations thing, it wasn't so bad .. he could disown her and never needed to match himself to her. But now that she's this great hero, righting wrongs and performing superhuman feats, he needs to feel he can measure up to her .. have some respect in her eyes at least."
The demi-god looked at him blankly, "Oh c'mon Iolaus. Toris is a grown man, not some jealous kid."
"You know, buddy," the short warrior retorted, "Someday you ought to sit down with Iphiclese and ask him how he feels having a brother who's a legendary hero."
Hercules gave him an amused glance, "Iphiclese is just fine, Iolaus. He doesn't walk in my shadow. He's a king in his own right."
"By default," the blonde reminded him sharply, "Jason offered you the crown first, remember."
A frown descended upon the demi-god's brow, "Are you certain?" he questioned his friend, and winced at Iolaus' nod, "I suppose when all this is over, I could take some time and visit with my brother," he said glancing over at the dark haired man who sat brooding across the room from him.
"Sounds like a plan," agreed the blonde. "Mean time, try to understand how hard it is for Toris, huh? This is not easy for him."
- Firstly, Caesar had stolen the people's hearts and loyalty. -
- True, they could never stand up to my hardened legions, but if I march on Rome I lose any chance of gaining popular support. Besides, Caesar has brought his own loyal troops into the area making the prospect that much more difficult. -
- Secondly, Caesar's keeping the loyalty of Rome by 'buying' them with expensive extravaganzas that keep the mob entertained and out of the politicians hair. -
- That he's managing to do by using Xena's fighting skills to win huge wagers for him. Without her his easy access to dinars dries up,
- Thirdly, he's got his money making warrior so tightly under wraps, it's going to take a minor miracle to break her free, - he estimated.
- The Amazon's are undoubtedly working on something. All this trade negotiating with Graccus is cover for some kind of ploy they've cooked up. The old fox is really too smart to get involved, but someone in his circle could be looking for a way to rock the boat in order to see who falls out and what advancement could come from it. -
- Finally, Caesar's hot after the Amazon Queen. My sources say that he's had a taste of her and wants more, while she's playing hard to get. Luckily he still hasn't got her to his bed, as such or I'd be losing a legion to him! -
- Obviously that was some part of this deep plan on Ephiny's part to free the Warrior Princess. The trouble is with this game, there's too many players each chasing their own ends. I think it may be time to withdraw from the arena so that I can be in position to make a challenge when the bloodletting is done.
- So, what about the five hostages? - he quizzed himself.
"If the Amazons manage to free Xena," he said to himself softly, "Then they can take all their friends and leave with my blessing." He lifted the goblet and considered the contents thoughtfully, "Because if they can do that, they weaken Caesar on several fronts and it will give me my chance!" He made a silent toast to himself and the Amazons, before swallowing the last of the wine down.
Crossing to his desk, he picked up a small bell and shook it. The musical chime, brought a scribe slave hurrying through the door. "Take my compliments to the Amazon Queen. Relay my regrets that I cannot join her at Caesar's this evening as I have been called away on urgent business."
The slave bowed deeply and hurried off on his errand as Pompey finally relaxed into a chair and allowed a variety of scenarios, all of which he won, play out in his mind's eye.
The treat was unmistakable. She knew that she was useful to her husband, but apparently his obsession with the barbarian slave was more important to him. She allowed a little sigh to escape her, before looking up at the slave that stood waiting patiently for her to notice him, "Yes? what is it, Damastocles?" she asked with feigned weariness.
"Mistress, the florists want to know where you want the arrangements?" the slave answered her, and reached to take the lists that Pompeia thrust in his direction as she stood and stalked from her private sitting room out into the grand hall, where an anxious looking florist stood waiting, shifting nervously from foot to foot.
"Master Thiudoricus," she spoke tartly, "You were given specific instructions about both the arrangements and the placements."
The poor florist shifted uneasily again, drawing a frown from the haughty woman that pinned him into uncomfortable immobility, "Beg pardon, ma'am," he ventured servilely, "But we were given the decoration instructions ..."
"Then why waste my time on this matter?" she demanded, not giving the man a chance to finish.
"Um, sorry ma'am, but .. ya see .. um, we never got the instructions on where you wanted the arrangements put ... ma'am."
Pompeia gave him a look that made Thiudoricus want to look for a rock to crawl under. Without taking her eyes off the florist, Caesar's wife held out her hand towards the vigilant slave who returned the sheathe of parchments to her with a promptness born of the knowledge that failure to do so would result in 'chastisement' as dereliction of duty.
Taking her eyes from the unhappy florist, Pompeia flicked through the lists, until her fingers stopped over one that lingered near the bottom of the pile. Throwing a glare at the hapless slave, who inwardly cringed, the woman put on a winning smile and turned to Thiudoricus, handing him the relevant parchment, "Here it is, master Florist. I'm sure that you and your able men, will do a fine job as always." She dismissed him with a flick of her hand and stalked off towards the next area that required her attention, a subdued Damastocles trailing behind her, knowing that he would shoulder the blame for his mistress' humiliating oversight.
"The kitchens next, I think," murmured Pompeia heading off towards the cook's domain, unaware of the scurrying slave rushing to warn the kitchen staff that their mistress was about to grace them with their annual inspection .. which she always timed for the busiest moment in their calender.
"We can do this indefinitely," the senior centurion told her, "It's going to get old and tired for us, and painful for you .. but we can do it this way. Or you can stop acting like a barbaric savage and eat your food like a good girl. Either way, you will eat," he assured her.
Xena glared at him, but reason told her resistance was futile and pointless, however humiliated she felt about it, "I'll eat," she told him, venom dripping from her cold words. Flaccus smiled his deaths head smile and signalled the guards to back off and let the kitchen slave attend to his duties.
Two meals later, Xena was seated in the small room, off the kitchen, that the slaves used as their dining room. Ten guards were crammed into the space, standing around the wall edges, four of them with firm holds on the lead chains that remained attached to her collar and ankles every moment that she was out of the pit now.
Before her a plate of half finished roast beef, boiled barley, carrots, turnips and a hefty wedge of bread, all cut into small pieces so that no knives needed to be in the vicinity of the dangerous and violent woman, was being spooned into her, washed down with a cup of red wine and a mugfull of water. The food was plentiful and filling, if a little unimaginative, and the resentment of being hand fed had faded as she recognised that it was probably far less humiliating to eat this way than how she had been.
With the main meal finished, the slave removed the plate and spoon, taking them out to the scullery, before detouring into the kitchen and returning with several slices of moist, fresh, nutbread. The look and aroma of the desert made Xena immediately think of her bardic friend, her image springing easily to her mind, bringing with it, as always, a feeling of peace that she treasured for it's rarity.
- Gods, Gabrielle, - she thought as she bit into the slice and chewed slowly, - I hope they're feeding you my bard. -
It was at this point that a hurricane of obsessed activity struck the kitchens. Xena observed the organised chaos that suddenly erupted with an impartial interest; she knew that whatever was causing the fuss was not going to be allowed to interfere with either her guards, or more especially herself. Caesar had made it abundantly clear that no member of his household had any jurisdiction over his personal slave or the men he used for her security.
- It seems they are expecting a visitation by one of the gods, - a small smile quirked onto her lips as she considered that concept, chewing another bite of the offered nutbread. - But, nah! It's far more likely to be a state visit by the mistress of the house, - she told herself as she tried to move her awkwardly restrained wrists enough to work some of the ache out of her elbows. When they had shortened the chains on the manacles it had left her unable to fully straighten her arms.
She was finishing off her mug of wine, when Pompeia swept into the kitchens on her tour of inspection, wanting to be certain that everything would be in readiness for the night's festivities. Xena slowly chewed on the remaining nutbread, as she caught glimpses of movement through the open door, and heard the variety of compliments and complaints that emanated from the volatile Roman matron. She had just polished off the last of her desert, and had taken a long swallow of water to wash everything down, when she became aware of the kitchen's sudden silence, but more especially another pair of hostile eyes upon her.
Ignoring the presence of Caesar's wife, Xena grinned at the kitchen slave and said, "Thanks Mattin, that filled a hole."
The youth grinned back after a nervous glance at his mistress who stood motionless in the doorway, "No problem, Xena," he whispered as he stood with the empty plate and collected the mugs off the table, "Hopefully I'll get you something good for last meal," he added before scurrying out of the room, moving carefully past Pompeia who appeared to glide in.
The small, elegant woman, stood before the fettered, unconquered, slave and glared at her until the guards yanked on the chains and forced Xena to stand before the mistress of the house. As Pompeia examined the Warrior Princess with a disdainful look on her face, Xena cocked her head to one side, arched an eyebrow and returned the inspection smirking disrespectfully.
"So ... I finally get to have a long look at my husband's infamous slave," sneered the green-eyed woman.
Blue eyes fastened on the Roman lady's conveying the icy cold of death and a barely contained menace. In a low, dangerous voice, Xena told Caesar's wife, "In his dreams!"
Folding her arms, Pompeia allowed her eyes to flick from the shackles binding the warrior, to the guards surrounding her, and reluctantly back to the blue eyes, "How then would you describe your situation, here?" she asked sarcastically.
Shifting her wrists slightly, making the shortened links clink together, Xena quirked a smile and answered, "How about unwilling guest?"
Pompeia scowled. She really resented this confident, dangerous and intelligent woman who so obsessed her husband's thoughts, - Julius might not be bedding her, - she admitted sourly, - but it's only because he's scared spitless of what she'd do to him if he tried it! - "I think, Slave, that you are merely denying the obvious." She reached out boldly and touched the body heated metal that was locked around the warrior's neck. "My husband defeated you and now you're nothing but a trained animal kept to fight on command ... like you will tonight."
Xena suppressed the burn of anger that she felt in the pit of her stomach and remained outwardly at ease, projecting a sense power and control that was at odds with her current situation, "He never defeated me. He set up an ambush and it took near enough two hundred men to take me and it will take more than he's got to keep me," she told the other woman with unshakable confidence.
After long moments, "What's that saying?" She paused for a heartbeat for effect, "Ah, yes .. All's fair in love and war! I think, slave, that your pride is keeping you from recognising your situation. I believe you need to be humbled."
Snorting in derision, Xena retorted, "Your husband has never loved anyone except himself, has never beaten me except for tricks and treachery .. and my pride? Well let's just say, there's not much in my life that I'm proud of, but at least I have the courage to admit it and face that .. unlike your husband or, for that matter, you."
A guard deciding that she was being far too disrespectful to his general's wife, hit her across the back with his baton. The warrior princess showed none of the pain she felt, merely twitching her shoulders as if to shrug the blow off .. she was used to it and worse, and she wouldn't give Pompeia any satisfaction in seeing her register the existence of pain anymore than she would have Caesar.
"You'll pay for that remark," the Roman woman told her with deadly intensity.
Xena grinned nastily at her, "You'll have to take a number and get in line for that," she laughed, "I think they're drawing lots who get's a piece of me first! Of course they'll make certain I'm safely chained before they try it .. I think they're scared of me," she smirked as she shifted her feet and had the satisfaction of seeing each of the guards grow extremely wary and grip their batons hard ready for immediate use, "What do you think?" she laughed without mirth.
Pompeia blanched white, acknowledging to herself that she too was scared of this woman .. and that made her angry! And it made her furious to realise that the slave knew she was scared. The insolent grin on the woman's face informed the noblewoman that she knew exactly what effect she was having on her owner's wife, and just how little she cared for the realities of their relevant social positions. "I'll see you whipped!" Pompeia promised grimly.
"Been there," answered Xena with an aggravating grin, "And it won't be today. Julius wants me to fight for him tonight .. and I can hardly do that if my back has been cut to ribbons again, now can I?"
Moving behind the disdainful slave, Pompeia instructed a guard to lift the short grey tunic from where it was tucked into the belt and skirt she wore. A lattice of white scars, vivid against bronzed skin, was revealed. The sight was impressive, the Roman woman didn't think she'd ever seen a slave who had taken such abuse without it breaking them ... if they survived of course. She ran her fingers over the smooth flesh, watching as the warrior's muscles tightened and rippled away from her touch.
The feel of the skin elicited another frown from Pompeia. The bite of the lash always left hardened ridges of scarred material on the victim, yet this slave's skin felt silky and showed every sign of eventually healing so that it would be difficult to trace the marks. "When was this done?" she demanded of one of the guards.
He shrugged, it was a much considered topic of conversation amongst the maniple who found it disconcerting how fast and completely the woman could heal, "About a moon ago, your Ladyship," he answered. "The animal took fifty lashes on the ship from Gaul after she attempted to escape and kidnap Lord Caesar. The very faint lines are from the twenty lashes she took whilst in Narbonensis for attacking my lord just after she was taken, and another twenty-five that were given for an escape attempt in Gaul." He considered a moment, "That was almost two moons ago."
The Empress was stunned. The slave had taken ninety-five lashes, - And who knows how many other beatings, - she thought as she eyed the purpling flesh across the shoulders where she had been struck just a little time ago, and her spirit was still unbroken, "No wonder Julius has a fascination with you," she purred, motioning the guard to allow the tunic to drop as she moved around to stand before the taller woman again. "You, I think, are his ultimate challenge. He enjoys a challenge, you know, and I think you are going to afford him many, many long hours of pleasure as he amuses himself in slowly taking you apart."
Xena quirked an eyebrow at her, but said nothing.
"It will be interesting to see how long you can withstand the pain. I think I will enjoy seeing you broken ... you really are far too .. arrogant. But I think I may be able to help my husband to remedy that. Men rely much too heavily on inflicting pain. There are more subtle measures that I will suggest to him." She smiled dazzlingly at the warrior, "Purely the duty of a good wife helping her husband to .. umm, shall we say train? .. his property."
She watched her 'preys' face for some moments, then, getting no verbal or physical response from Xena, the mistress of the house swept from the room leaving the captive warrior alone with her guards, who were relieved that the strange confrontation was ended.
"Come on you," snapped the decurion, tugging on the collar chain he held, "Let's get you down to the baths."
Xena shuffled quickly to keep up with the pace of the guards, her movement hampered by the shortness of the chain between her ankle cuffs. - Another enemy, - she told herself, - I really need to talk to Gabrielle about how to win friends and influence people, - she mentally smiled. - Then again, I'd settle for talking to anyone friendly .. even Joxer. - She shook her head at that thought and found herself whistling his impossible theme song as she headed for the baths, leaving the surprised guards to wonder what had put their difficult charge into such a good mood.
Eponin, Malonda and nearly all of the Amazon contingent attended her, along with Hercules, of course, which meant that if there was any trouble, or their plan went wrong, they'd be in a position to fight their way clear. Hakine had been stationed in the palace grounds ready to make a dash back to Pompey's and get the other's to the ship should the situation deteriorate, and Nebula had been warned to be ready for a swift evacuation.
The Amazon party, therefore, looked suitably impressive as they swept up the long marble steps into the huge hall that was functioning as a buffet dining room for the occasion. With Hercules on her left, Eponin on her right and a guard of six Amazon's trailing them, Ephiny signed the rest to disperse around the edge of the room and watch for any signals she might make.
Meandering around, Ephiny took tidbits from the trays of slaves as they were offered to her, and accepted a goblet of wine. The others of her immediate entourage refrained from partaking in any of the bounty that they were offered, making it very evident that they were there as guards, not guests.
Music played in harmonic reels from various hidden galleries. The gently soothing sound of rippling harps giving a solid background for the heavy buzz of conversation to lay against. Spotting one of the younger Roman Senators, that Ephiny tentatively liked for his cutting wit, the Regent glided over to engage him in conversation, seemingly oblivious to her ever present escort.
Caesar, it seemed, had waited until all of his guests had arrived before making his entrance with Pompeia on his arm. After a suitable delay, so that it appeared that he hadn't been waiting on the Amazon's arrival, trumpets blared a fanfare and the ruler of Rome and his wife entered arm in arm.
That was the signal for the dance between Ephiny and Caesar to begin. As the Roman tried hard to manoeuvre his quarry into a situation where he could engage her in quiet conversation, the Regent used all her skills to ensure that the closest he got was to wishing her, "Good Evening," while she was part of a large group in the centre of the hall.
Senator Graccus, who was by nature an observer of human foibles, watched the dance with growing interest and respect for the skills that the Amazon 'Queen' was showing. - It's not often, - he chuckled to himself wryly, - that I get to see the prey avoid Caesar with such nimbleness and grace. - He could see from the participant's faces that the Regent was thoroughly enjoying herself, whilst Caesar was looking progressively broodier and far from happy with the situation.
After almost two candlemarks of trying, he finally cornered her, along with 'Heston', her head guard and the six bodyguards, by the indoor fountain that was spouting red wine in place of water .. only to be interrupted by his major domo making an announcement at a pre-ordained time.
"For the entertainment of all, The Great, Julius Caesar, presents to you his personal property and slave, Xena!" He waited as the woman was hustled into the crowded room by ten guards, six of whom held onto the restraint chains that controlled her movements. As she shuffled reluctantly forward, the major domo continued to recite his parroted lines, "Once known as the Warrior Princess and The Destroyer of Nations, this savage woman has been conquered and brought to heel by the Lord Caesar for the safety and glory of Rome."
By the time that the rehearsed speech had been finished, Xena stood before Caesar and Ephiny in a scene that parodied her own first sight of Verchinex. Her arms flexed against the restraint of the beam that it had been deemed prudent to use once again, and her eyes became icy fire burning all those who chanced to meet them.
Caesar threw the major domo a vexed look, before he recovered his suave charm and smiled at the Regent, "I believe you know my slave, your highness," he began smoothly, ignoring the deadly eyes that bore into him, "I thought it only fair that you should get a look at her now that she's fit once more .. after all, the last time you had a close view of her she hardly looked capable of giving your man much of a fight."
Xena threw a look at Hercules who's attention seemed to be fixed somewhere off in space. She returned her focus to Caesar as he continued to speak once more.
"Are you sure that you want to risk that huge sum in your wager?" he asked in a gentlemanly fashion, "She has never been beaten you know?" He lifted Ephiny's hand to his lips, only to have it snatched from his grasp at the last instant as the Amazon moved forward in a slow, considering circle of the chained warrior.
Suppressing the urge to laugh at the exasperated look on Caesar's face, Xena was struck by yet another coincidence linking this to the last time she stood in this room. Hiding the thought, and the laugh that was looking for egress, she focused her senses on Ephiny's slow perambulation until her friend stood before her once more.
Stepping forward, Ephiny was greeted by an almost amused arch of the Warrior Princess' eyebrow as she watched the Regent fight to keep the grin off her face. The effect was to produce a kind of twisted snarl, that she used to good effect when she grabbed Xena's face turning it to one side then the other .. actually looking for any sign of the wounds that had been so prevalent on the warrior before .. seeming to inspect the slave contemptuously.
"I think my wager's safe," Ephiny said at last. "I don't expect this scum to give my man any trouble."
"Amazon, you wouldn't know what to do with a real man!" growled Xena with lewd disrespect.
Glaring at the warrior for a long heartbeat, the Regent hauled off and threw a right hook that connected solidly with Xena's jaw, snapping her head to one side. Slowly, the Warrior Princess turned back to face her friend and then spat full in her face, "Amazon's are just like Romans!" she snarled as the guards struggled to hold her in place, "Neither race has got any balls, and both like their enemies chained when they attack them." She knew that Ephiny would forgive her for the insult, but she saw Caesar's knuckles whiten at her jibe.
"Take her down to the cells until it's time for the fight to begin," he instructed the guards.
As Xena was wrestled from the hall, the major domo began a fresh set of announcements, "A programme of fights has been arranged for the edification and entertainment of all guests interested. There will be seven bouts in all, culminating in the match between The Lord Caesar's slave, Xena, and the Amazon Champion, Heston. The programme will begin in a half candlemark."
Throughout the entire exchange, Pompeia had stood to one side carefully watching her husband's obsession and the current object of his desires, interact with each other. Her eyes hardened as she was sure she detected some wordless exchange between the two women that was at odds with their public display. - There's something other than the avowed hatred between those two, - her sharp mind told her. - That .. that .. Amazon creature is up to something! I can feel it! however much they seem to look daggers at each other! -
By the time Caesar turned back to talk to Ephiny, the Regent had immersed herself back into the social whirl. He sighed as Pompeia approached him and began to disclose her suspicions to him. His natural inclination was to laugh it off as jealousy .. but his wife did have a very keen mind, and she was an astute observer of human nature. So ....
The arena was excavated, fully twenty foot down from the spectator level, and measured in the region of twenty-five foot by forty foot. At each corner of the pit, on the gallery level, was a guard box each capable of holding two men, Ephiny's glance registered the presence of soldiers in the background armed with dart crossbows, obviously intended for when Xena came into fight. She also registered the fact that at least twenty more soldiers, carrying thick, heavy, batons, stood on guard at the back of the gallery.
Caesar watched as the Amazon Queen settled back to observe the combat being played out on the sandy floor of the pit. He knew her eyes had wandered over the security precautions readied for Xena, but then almost everyone else around the pit had too; the steps he's taken were unusual, elaborate and bound to attract attention, Ephiny showed neither more, nor less, interest than anyone else. Thinking of Pompeia's words once again, he made the decision to shrug them off. The punch the Amazon had delivered to Xena's jaw had been anything but friendly!
Allowing her eyes to drift back to the contest between two muscular gladiators, the Amazon failed to notice Caesar lean over, until he said softly, "Why have you been avoiding me?"
Ephiny fought the urge to shy away from him and shudder, instead she made her tone cold and hard, "You seem to have all your time occupied with Politics and that murdering savage you call your slave," she told him cuttingly, "I'm sure that I didn't want to get in the way of your passions."
"How could you possibly think that?" he asked with plaintive artfulness, "As a ruler you know that sometimes the affairs of state must take precedence over our personal preferences."
She turned and looked at him fully, "State duty is one thing, Lord Caesar ..."
"Julius," he prompted with a smile that made Ephiny's flesh creep.
Ignoring him, she continued, "... but an obsession with the Whore of Greece is something else again." She gave him a cold look, "Do you know why she's known by that name to the Amazons?" she asked him bluntly. He shrugged his shoulders and sighed, "I'm sure that you're going to tell me, beloved," he purred, although his spies had long ago furnished that information.
"Because she's laid waste to more Cities, villages and men, than any other woman in history. If she commands more of your attention than I do, especially when hot from our passions, I really see no future in continuing this liaison."
The crowd roared as the fight below them came to an abrupt conclusion. Ephiny had sent Eponin and two of her guards down to the gladiator cells with Hercules in preparation for the coming fight. Her four other Amazon bodyguards were posted outside the two entrances to the private box, alongside the Emperor's personal guards. The rest of the Amazon contingent were scattered amidst the guests with pockets of them close to the Roman soldiers in case there was any trouble.
"I think, perhaps, Lord Caesar," she pointedly used his title, "that we should concentrate our attention on the coming contest .. there is much at stake on it," Ephiny told him with hidden meaning.
"That's true," he agreed, "But perhaps we should stake something of even greater value," he urged ardently.
The Regent looked at him coolly, "And what might that be, Lord Caesar?"
"You passion .. and mine," he smiled, gently brushing a stray wisp of hair from her face. "If my slave wins then we start our 'friendship' again, laying all animosity aside," he told her.
"But what will you give when my Heston wins, as he surely will," she demanded.
"Whatever your heart desires," he told her with a gallant half bow from his seated position. She was very tempted to ask for Xena, but he recognised the flare in her eyes for what it was, "Except for her. I'm afraid she is too important to the people of Rome for me to risk losing on a wager."
Ephiny sighed, "Then your forfeit, should you lose, will be to publicly praise Pompey for all the good he has done for Rome," she grinned ferally, knowing that such a bargain would irritate her tenacious adversary, but since he had proposed the additional wager, he could hardly back out from it.
Caesar ground his teeth in annoyance, "Very well, should your man win, I will give praise to Pompey in the senate," he agreed reluctantly.
Both, turned their eyes to the pit and the entrance of the two final contestants.
The one good thing about it was that she got to play act with Ephiny. She'd seen the sparkle in her friend's eyes, when she leant in close, and knew that the Regent was pleased to see her looking so well. - Gonna have to have a few words about that right hook of your's though, Eph, - she told herself, her jaw still aching from the impact of the blow. - Although, to be fair, you did owe me at least that after what I did to your arm. -
Once Caesar was finished with her at his party, she was escorted to the holding cells beneath the palace and close to the fighting pit. There, she was taken past the barred, cages where the rest of the evening's entertainment were waiting their turn to perform, to a small stone cell, where Flaccus waited.
Standing docily while the wooden restraint was removed from behind her arms, she moved, as directed, to the centre of the cell and sat on the straw covered floor whilst the centurion locked the lead chains from her collar and ankles into four separate ringbolts.
"That should hold you until it's time for the fight," he remarked looking down on her, "By the way," he added, "just in case you were thinking of throwing the fight, you better know that those young slaves will receive ten lashes each."
Intense blue orbs snapped up to hold his grey ones, "Thought you'd say that," she said quietly. "Besides I have no intention of losing to an Amazon," she filled the word with contempt, "concubine!"
"Just so long as you understand the stakes," Flaccus said in an offhand manner.
"How long until I get in the pit?" she questioned, as he turned to leave.
He seemed to consider whether he should discipline her for speaking out of turn before deciding to answer her instead, "There's six matches before yours .. depends how long they take."
She made a barely perceptible nod, before allowing her eyes to drift closed as the cell door shut blocking out most of the light from the corridor beyond. She'd take the chance to doze until it was time for her to perform.
Hercules, Eponin and the two Amazon guards were shown down to the gladiator cells by one of Caesar's personal guards. They were passed into the hands, figuratively speaking, of the elite maniple that had taken over the security of the pit holding cells.
"You can put him in this one," a decurion said, holding a cage door open for Hercules.
As the demi-god looked around the cell area in an unfocused way, Eponin took his arm and steered him to a bench next to the wall opposite the cage that the guard was motioning them towards, "S'alright, thanks. Heston, doesn't need to be locked up. He won't cause any problems. Fact is he'll sit here good as gold until the fight rolls around."
"He the deaf mute we bin hearing about?" the Roman questioned sneeringly. "Can't see how such a no-account freak of nature has managed t' survive this long when he walks around in a dream world all day."
"Heston can pretty much take care of himself," Poni assured him, wondering if all Roman's were such imbeciles and decided to change the subject before she got angry enough to deck him. She glanced down the wide corridor to where a dozen guards sat outside a heavy metal door. Jerking her chin towards them she asked, "That where you got the she-devil?"
"Yeah. Your retard is gonna get his ass kicked by her. I ain't never seen anyone or anythin' that can match her. That's why she's penned down in the secure cell. They got her chained to the walls by her slave collar and those ankle cuffs we use to hold her ... don't always do much good, mind. She's a double handful and no mistake."
"I know all about her," Eponin told him. "She's death's twin sister ... well seems that way sometime. Why, I saw her tear through our best warriors, cutting down whoever stood in her path, and she didn't even get scratched!"
"Well, she's sure been scratched while we've had her," he grinned, "Damn woman's taken more beatings than the rug at my old Granny's home. She's got guts though!"
"Who? Your granny?" asked the Amazon being deliberately obtuse.
"Nah! The bitch from Hades! Flaccus and Lord Caesar are determined to break her. I hear that she's gonna be taking some rides on the wheel when this fight is over. A few trips to visit the torturers should cause her to start rethinking her attitude. Heard they got one man to swear his mother was cavortin' with a centaur! Ha! I ask ya? Who's ever seen a centaur?"
"Know what ya mean, bub!" answered Eponin grimly, suddenly hoping fervently that everything went safely to plan.
As the penultimate pairing were returned to the holding pens, the decurion nodded to Eponin as he took a bite of apple and mumbled, "Your guy's up. C'mon, I'll show you down to the pit, might as well avoid the crowds when monster woman gets brought along."
Poni touched Hercules' arm and motioned with her head to follow to both him and the two attendant Amazons. She glanced down the corridor and saw a hard faced officer, wearing centurion insignia, approaching the guards from the other direction. Recognising Flaccus, the Weapons Master turned after Hercules and the others and followed them away from the cages.
Time passed leaving her cocooned in her solitude, until she finally picked out the unmistakable footsteps of Flaccus. Her eyes flicked open as he entered the cell, followed by the coterie of guards assigned to escort her. She watched silently as Flaccus moved, unspeaking, to unlock the restraints from the ringbolts, making sure each one was firmly in the hands of a soldier before moving to the next.
"Alright, slave. Time to earn your keep," he sneered, nudging her thigh with the toe of his boot.
In one graceful, fluid motion, Xena was on her feet, Well lets be going then," she quirked a half smile at him, "We wouldn't want to keep those jaded sons of bacchii waiting, now would we?" she questioned with an arch of her eyebrow.
Flaccus was not amused, "Keep it up, animal, you're just storing up more pain for when this fight is out of the way with," he promised.
Sparing him a condescending look, Xena said quietly so only the centurion could hear, "Know what your trouble is Flaccus? You think that pain is something to fear. You should welcome it, because it let's you know that you're alive!"
Glaring at her, the officer replied in a gravelly tone, "Oh believe me, animal! You're really gonna know you're alive when we get through with you."
"Can't hardly wait, Flaccus," she grinned impudently. "You wanna stand around here talking, or do you want to get on with this?" she questioned.
Glaring at the raven haired warrior, Flaccus signalled his men to move out. Xena shuffled her feet quickly in the short leg irons, producing a kind of trotting gait that was far from comfortable, but which she had perfected with recent practice.
It was a relatively short distance down a pair of wide corridors to the pit entrance. Already inside, sitting on the sandy floor, Hercules waited for his opponent to arrive. He watched with mild seeming interest as Xena was escorted into the arena, and both of them were aware of the sudden increase in expectant conversation from the spectators above them.
The Warrior Princess looked up and scowled impartially at everyone there, although she reserved a particularly dark and threatening look for Caesar and, of course, Ephiny. The demi-god watched the performance and had to suppress the urge to applaud his friend, although he was well aware, that apart from Ephiny's case, it was not an act.
Flaccus came into the pit last and busied himself with unlocking the shackles that bound the dangerous slave. First he removed the chains and leg irons, before unbuckling the thick leather belt and unfastening the manacles. Finally he removed the chains leashed to her collar, before gathering in guards and leaving the two combatants alone.
Xena regarded Hercules curiously as the demi-god sat unmoving in the centre of the arena, his eyes focused somewhere above them, on a point that was probably located some distance above the roof of the palace. She walked around him slowly, easing the kinks out of her stiff muscles, even practising a few small flips, just to make sure that everything was working right. All the while she could hear the excited chatter and speculation from the packed galleries, and a glance at Caesar's box, revealed not only him there, along with Ephiny, but also some of the more prominent and favoured senators.
When she finally got back to her starting point, Hercules hadn't moved and she was tempted to sit down opposite him and just wait and see what the reaction would be. But then Caesar had stood and using his 'I-am-the-ruler-of-the-Empire' voice, had commanded, "Let the combat begin!" Which left her little choice in the matter when the vision of eight beaten children arose in her minds eye.
Knowing that Hercules was well able to take care of himself, she pivoted with incredible speed, catching the big man with a side on kick as he began to stand to engage in the battle. Her foot connected solidly with his ribs, and that, coupled with his upward momentum, unbalanced him and would have sent the demi-god sprawling if he hadn't converted the force into a forward roll that brought him to his feet some distance from the Warrior Princess. He turned, grinned, and wagged his finger at her.
She returned the grin with a lopsided one of her own, before swinging a right hook, that he easily ducked, followed immediately by a short left to the ribs that the demi-god failed to anticipate, eliciting a startled grunt from him that didn't stop him from delivering a backhand slap that cracked solidly against the raven haired woman's left cheek, spinning her around.
She turned to face him in a fighting crouch, shaking her head a little to stop the bells ringing, - Steady on, Herc! - she thought to herself, - I could do with getting through this without major injury! - A glint sparked in her eyes as she caught the surreptitious rub he gave to his side where she'd caught him with a punch. - Well, maybe I should hold back a bit too if he's gonna feel those! - her mind snickered.
Their eyes locked and a silent message passed between them as they moved forward to engage once more. In a dazzling display of attack and block, using all four limbs each, the pair managed to entertain the watching spectators without once landing a telling blow. Xena feinted with her left, only to find her fist snared by the demi-god's big hand and, before she could compensate, he twisted and threw an elbow at her gut that sent the air rushing from her lungs.
She staggered backwards taking deep breaths as she kept her eyes fixed firmly on her opponent as he moved forward. Screaming out her ululating battlecry, that eerily echoed around the enclosed arena, she did a back flip away from Hercules, bending her knees as her feet came in contact with the pit wall, before springing forward, over his head, landing behind him where she delivered a powerful, thrusting kick that propelled him into the stone wall in front of him.
Hercules had to bite down hard to stifle the groan that threatened to escape from him as he slammed, at some velocity, into the wall. He could swear that he bore the imprint of Xena's foot in the small of his back. Well aware that they needed to make this look as real as possible, he couldn't help wondering if his friend wasn't overdoing the realism just a tad. - Damn it, Xena! - he cursed, as he pushed himself off the wall to one side, just in time to avoid another stomping kick that landed just about where his head had just been. - I kind of thought I was supposed to survive this little shindig so we could get together later. -
Xena used her contact, with the pit wall, to spring back and land in the centre of the small arena. Chucking wickedly, she held her hands out before her and beckoned him on, "C'mon, big guy! Show me what you've got," she invited.
Advancing warily, Hercules was prepared for the sudden attack, but couldn't avoid an elbow in the ribs, before she danced away and stood waiting for him, bouncing on the balls of her feet to bleed off a little of the adrenaline that flooded through her in any combat situation, "Guess I'm too fast for ya!" she teased knowing that he couldn't respond to her playful taunt. She waited until he started moving forward, before she let loose another blood curdling cry and flipped over him in a forward tuck .. only this time he was ready for her. When she landed she was met by a fist the size of a frying pan that slammed in hard under her ribs, doubling her up and allowing him to drop to the ground and swing his lower body to sweep her from her feet. She landed with a heavy grunt, but rolled away before Hercules was able to take advantage of her.
Climbing to her feet, the Warrior Princess smothered the grin that threatened to split her face, producing instead, an intimidating scowl. Not waiting for Hercules to complete his own rise to his feet, Xena launched herself into a handspring that landed a double footed blow to the big man's chest, knocking him back a few steps while she bled of the momentum of the impact in a flip away from him.
Rubbing the spot that he felt certain, once again, had taken an imprint of his friend's booted feet, Hercules watched carefully as the warrior sought to manoeuvre herself into a position to make the winning attack. When she threw a punch at him, he caught her fist in one of his large hands, then snagged the other in the same fashion. Falling into a backwards roll, he pulled the Warrior Princess off balance and catapulted her over his head, to land flat on her back, whilst using the speed of his fall to continue his roll, so that he ended up sitting astride the raven haired woman, with her hands still safely snared in his own.
"You're enjoying this!" she accused him in a hissing breath that disguised her words even though she doubted that anyone would be able to hear her above the roar that was being made in the gallery.
She jerked a knee up, slamming it against the demi-god's back, propelling him forward so that he lay over her and was close enough to her ear to whisper, "No more than you are!" he declared, "This wasn't supposed to be fun, Xena. By the way, Gabrielle sends her love, as do Toris and the others." He felt his control slipping, as the warrior jackknifed her body and then threw him off. He rolled to his feet ready to confront her again. As Xena came in with a crunching right fisted blow to his gut, he swung his arms wide and pulled her into a bear hug, once more giving them the chance to exchange a few words.
"Did Autolycus make it back alright?" she questioned concern clear in her tone.
"Don't worry. He's got more lives than a cat .. took a quarrel in his shoulder, though and didn't get back to us until the third night after," he told her quickly.
Xena groaned as he tightened his grip, "Hey, not so damned hard!" she growled.
"It's supposed to look real," countered Hercules.
Squirming her arms out of his grip, the warrior clapped them over the demi-god's ears, making him release her at the sudden intense pain that accompanied the action. As he bent over shaking his head, trying to clear it of the ringing that had taken up residence, Xena leapt, trapping his neck between her ankles as she used her bodyweight to flip the tawny haired man in a somersault that brought him crashing to the ground once more.
"You sure this plan's gonna work?" she asked receiving a nodded confirmation. "Well I guess it's about time we finished this off then," she told him as she gave a quick glance around to judge their proximity to the wall of the pit. Seeing that they were fairly close to the end beneath Caesar's box, she asked, "You ready?" receiving his nod as she rolled to her feet, allowing the demi-god to rise, somewhat shakily, also.
As Hercules staggered, Xena backed off, obviously preparing to administer the coup-de-grace. She launched herself at the big man, flying through the air, arms outstretched, her intent to plainly carry the demi-god back into a slamming impact with the wall and knock him cold in the process. But then everything seemed to fall apart!
With the Warrior Princess flying towards him, Hercules seemed to lose the contest to retain his balance, and kind of flopped to his knees, leaving Xena to fly over him, crashing head first into the unyielding stone wall, and crumple to the ground as her eyes slowly glazed over. Hercules struggled to his feet to see his friend laying unconscious, giving him the victory!
Her sister, Artemis, frowned at the Goddess of Love's exuberant display, as she carefully continued to watch proceedings play themselves out in the scrying bowl. As Hercules lurched a little precariously from the arena and Flaccus entered with his guards to claim the prone body of the unconscious, Warrior Princess, the Moon Goddess asked softly, "'Dite, you do remember just what we're trying to do here, don't you?"
Aphrodite stopped her wild victory dance and gave her sister one of those 'Course-I-Know-What-We're-Doing looks accompanied by a, "D'uh! Getting Xena and Gabrielle out of mean and moody Caesar's clutches," she replied under the other goddess' intense stare. She looked closely into the scrying image at the Roman Emperor and a frown of concentration appeared on her fair features, "Hey! You know, Arte, If Caesar went blonde and had a pair of wings he'd be a dead ringer for Cupid, ya think?"
Artemis found herself considering the notion for a moment before she shrugged it off and tried to return to the matter in hand, "Oh for Zeus' sake, 'Dite! Can't you concentrate on what we're trying to do rather than playing the fool and acting like you just won a bet!" When the expected retort didn't fly hotly back at her, Artemis turned to face her sister to find her looking uncomfortably guilty. "What? Are you trying not to tell me you did win a bet?" she snapped.
The Goddess of Love shuffled her feet a bit and then muttered a few words that sounded suspiciously like, "Well sort of."
Staring at her flighty sister, Artemis pinned her to the spot and growled, "What!"
Lightly flushing at being caught out, Aphrodite jumped into the breach and explained quickly, running her words together in her haste "ItwasonlyalittlebetwithHermes!"
The Moon Goddess gave her an exasperated stare, "But you already knew the outcome, 'Dite!"
"I know!" agreed the blonde with a characteristic smirk, "but Hermes didn't and he was sooo sure that deadly, dark and dangerous would win."
"That is really low, 'Dite. How can you reconcile the love thing with such trickery?" snapped Artemis without really thinking.
"Puh - leese!" retorted her sister, "That's totally not true! No one ever said that Love was fair!" A malicious gleam appeared in her eyes, "And, like, Hermes is the God of Trickery amongst other things ... so like, what goes around comes around, ya know?" She smirked a bit and then asked artfully, "Oh yeah, sweet cheeks. What was that whisper I heard about some wager you had going with Apollo?"
It was Artemis' turn to feel the flush of embarrassment upon her cheeks, "Now that's different, 'Dite," she protested.
"As if!" snorted the blonde.
The lithely muscular goddess shook a finger and snapped, "Yes it is! Apollo's my twin and even though I love him dearly, he's got this blind spot about Hercules and really needed a lesson." She pulled herself up to full height and tried to look calmly dignified as she added, "It's my duty as his sister to offer instruction where it's needed."
"Chill will ya! I'm just saying that I'm not the only one here who likes to play .. besides I think half of Olympus was taking bets on the outcome." snickered Aphrodite. They both settled down to watch the exchange between Caesar and Ephiny in the bowl once more, "So when do we get to take a more active role, huh?"
"Soon, 'Dite, soon," promised Artemis as she proudly observed her Regent manipulating the Roman, "Where's Ares hiding himself?"
"Well, like he was real bummed out when Xena blew him off again, and there was like this major war going down somewhere," she shook her hand in a vague direction, "So he took off in a huff, figuring that once the warrior babe got fed up of being Caesar's untamed pet, he'd get a call from her to get her out of there and back to his side what she belongs .. go figure!" the blonde replied.
"With luck, then, he'll stay out of the way .. he did his part anyway, and if he hangs around he might blow this for us." grinned Artemis, not realising that her War God brother was at that moment observing his sisters in his own scrying bowl.
Taking a guarded look at the Emperor of Rome, Ephiny had noted his fixed stare and the clenched muscles in his jaw. She hadn't been certain which of their wagers it had hurt him to lose the most: the loss of dinars would hurt his pocket and curtail some of his lavish spending aimed at bribing the acquiescence of the fickle people, but the requirement that he publicly praise Pompey, his most ardent rival, before the senate would sting his pride and might just damage his political position.
Allowing him to stew in his own juices for a while, the Amazon Regent had watched as Heston had been escorted from the pit by Eponin, and the Roman soldiers had come in and securely chained Xena, once more, before dragging her limp body out of the arena. She had made a note to herself to praise Hercules for his fine acting as he had staggard unsteadily from the scene of his victory, knowing that the show would only further bait the trap that she had so meticulously laid.
Another glance at Caesar told her that it was time to stoke the fires of resentment and humiliation that she saw smouldering in her host's eyes. Leaning closer to the Roman and speaking words soft enough so that only he would hear, Ephiny said, "It seems that you owe me one million dinars, my Lord." She had artfully allowed a small smile to creep onto her face as she added, "And a speech that praises Pompey's worth to the senate."
She had deepened the smile as she saw his knuckles clench white around the arms of his seat, "He won by a fluke, madam!" Caesar grated out angrily, "All here could see that my slave had him beaten. If he hadn't staggered when he did, Xena would have finished him."
That had been their biggest worry .. that Caesar would recognise the artifice they had used to 'create' Hercules' win. However, the Roman seemed to have accepted the evidence of what he had seen as truth and had taken to heart that his 'slave' had only lost to a fluke accident that would never .. could never ..happen again.
Mentally clenching her teeth, Ephiny had extended a light touch to his arm and laughed softly, intimately, "Come now, my Lord! Surely you aren't such a poor sport as to take this loss in bad part? I had heard that Romans were sanguine about such affairs. I should hate to be disappointed in your generosity of spirit in this way." The words had tasted like ashes in her mouth, but she knew that they would force Caesar to, at least publicly, accept his losses in good grace. However, she could see his fertile mind working to try and minimize the extent of his defeat as any good general would.
"Not at all, highness," he had responded with as much gallantry as he could muster, "I was but disappointed that we could not see a natural outcome to such a fine match. I have no doubt that you will admit to as much disappointment as I that we did not see a true finish, merely some mockery of an accidental ending."
She had given him a bland stare for several heartbeats before she had forced an enchanting smile onto her face and replied, "Of course my Lord. A fight such as we have witnessed was far to good to have been ended in such a manner." She sighed with elaborate, fabricated, distress, "Unfortunately, a true ending is now denied to us and, for good or ill, my poor Heston has won his victory and my wagers!"
Caesar struggled hard not to glare at the Amazon, or shout angrily at her flippancy, "But surely, my love, we can arrange a re-match, perhaps a double or nothing wager to sweeten it? and maybe we can adjust those more private wagers to compensate for the sad ending of such a noble contest, too?"
Ephiny hesitated seeming to consider the Roman's offer for several long heartbeats before assuming a disappointed face and responding in a placating tone, "I'm truly sorry, my Lord, but unfortunately my time here is running short. My nation needs me home and my people and I will be leaving in a mere seven days .. and I'm afraid that my available time is fully occupied between now and then."
Caesar looked far from happy at that particular piece of news, "Ephiny, I had no idea that you would be leaving so soon ... we've had so little time to get to know each other," and the thought was clear to read in his mind, - And I need time to arrange another match and win back those wagers! -
"Parting will be such sweet sorrow, Julius," she got the name out without choking on it, "But I'm sure that you understand that I have responsibilities to my nation. Being a ruler, you must know how easily things can get out of hand," - Never a truer word, Eph! - she told herself, thinking of Tarelle and her cronies, "when you are not there to oversee things for yourself. I know the Amazon nation is small in comparison to your Roman Empire, but I'm certain that the principles are the same."
Caesar almost looked desperate, "But surely we can arrange a re-match before you leave!" he almost seemed to plead, clutching her hand as she withdrew it from his arm. Getting a grip of himself, the Roman had forced himself to a calmness he did not feel, "I would hate to think that we could not find the time to resolve the many issues that lay outstanding between us."
The Regent had appeared to think for some while about this heartfelt pleading, yet all the while Ephiny's stomach was churning, - This has to be done right, - she told herself. - We can't let him think that I'm giving in to this too easily or he could suspect collusion .. go steady here, Eph. Let him force the issue. - "I could not in good conscience break any of my engagements, my Lord .. but if a re-match could be made at one of the social engagements that we both will be attending over the next few days, I'm sure that my Heston will be eager to accommodate your wishes." She answered weakly, letting him see her reluctance. She almost smiled at the eager anticipation in the Roman's eyes, "In the meantime I will have my guards collect my winnings from you .. and as for the speech .." she saw his brown eyes go flinty before she unhurriedly continued, " ... perhaps we can renegotiate our little side bets to our mutual satisfaction."
Caesar had tried hard to hide his look of relief, but Ephiny's sharp eyes detected it anyway, "You have a soul made of honour, Ephiny .. I am sure that we'll be able to accommodate our mutual interests," he had promised with a smug look that told her he had regained his composure and confidence. It had been time to leave before he pushed his pursuit of her too far.
Explaining that she had a tiring day to look forward to on the morrow, Ephiny had made her excuses, gathered her entourage, and left Caesar's palace, hoping that the Roman Emperor and Graccus would do their part in the final workings of the delicate plan that had been concocted and hatched in her group's fertile minds.
He gingerly felt the bruising that covered his ribs. It had not been a performance when he had staggered from the pit. Once he was out side in the corridor, he had been forced to lean on Poni's offered shoulder (for once not accompanied by the Weapon's Master's normal sexual innuendo). He'd seen the look of shock on her face as she realised that Xena had actually managed to hurt him and it was echoed in the other two Amazon guard's eyes. Allowing himself to be guided to a bench that lined the wall of the corridor outside the door to the arena, he'd sunk down grateful for the chance to rest, get his breath back and clear his head a little.
All four of the Amazon contingent watched as Xena's unconscious form was dragged, none too gently, past them and away to some unknown destination. Eponin had spat in the Roman's direction, clearly unhappy at the treatment of a woman she counted as a friend .. but luckily, the supposed animosity, between the Warrior Princess and the Amazons, was well known and the chuckles from the legionaries suggested that they approved of the Weapons Master's sentiments.
With the soldiers gone, and Hercules somewhat recovered, Poni had growled, "Let's get Eph and get the Hades out of here," stalking down the corridor in the direction she knew would lead her up to the main hall where she could join up once more with the Regent.
When Ephiny had taken her leave of him, Caesar had sat and brooded about the culmination of events. His mind kept returning to dwell on the acidic words of his wife, Pompeia, "All is not as it seems. Your slave and the Amazon know each other .. there is something between them more than the hatred they pretend."
Shaking his head in frustration, he had hauled himself from his seat and, without bother to excuse himself from his guests, he had headed to the chamber where Patroclese' usually practised his medicinal arts upon the slaves; it was where they would have taken the injured Xena. He strode with an angry, purposeful step that had his personal guards scuttling to keep up with. He wanted to know exactly the extent of his warrior's injuries and satisfy the nagging doubt that told him he was being played for a fool.
It didn't take him long to reach the room which was heavily guarded by Flaccus' men, who were taking absolutely no chances with the Warrior Princess; they had learned the hard way not to accept anything to do with her at face value. The flogging of fifteen of their number after her last abortive escape attempt had seen to that. The door to the windowless chamber was opened hurriedly by one of the men standing sentry and Caesar had marched in without slackening his pace.
Inside the room was crowded with guards, a quick head count revealed at least twenty making the small room cramped and uncomfortable. Catching Flaccus' eye, Caesar snapped, "Get everyone out of here, except four guards and they can take post in the corners out of the way."
With the soldiers removed from the room, the Roman ruler was at last able to see that Patroclese was not yet in attendance, and that Xena had already been prepared for his inspection .. Flaccus taking advantage of the woman's unconscious state to have her stripped down to a brief loincloth, and then chained down on the marble slab table. Allowing his eyes to linger over her bronzed flesh, Caesar could see the collection of painful welts and bruises that she had earned in her latest fight.
Moving across to the table, aware of the guards and Flaccus watching, he ran his fingers over the soft, naked, flesh of his slave, feeling the heat of the damaged skin, examining the mottling colours that purpled and blackened as the bruising made itself more evident. Licking his lips he ran his hands across the woman's breasts aware of the stiffening flesh tightening responsively under his gentle touch .. he lingered there almost longingly, dreaming of that which he could not have.
Forcing his hands to move on he reached her face which sported a nasty looking contusion on her forehead that oozed blood from the scraped skin. Turning the slack head from side to side, he tried to determine whether the Warrior Princess could possibly be faking unconsciousness. Nothing from her responses betrayed her if she was, but then he was well aware that Xena had many skills. Flipping back an eyelid told him little, and he was just about to attempt striking her, when Patroclese bustled in through the door.
"I wouldn't do that, my Lord," advised the healer as he realised what his master was about to do, "If she has a concussion you could do serious damage .. maybe even kill her," he warned, knowing that the thought of losing his prized slave would stay Caesar's hand where other arguments would have failed.
Without taking his eyes from the woman before him, Caesar demanded, "I want to know if she's shamming, Patroclese."
The healer moved to his patient's side, annoyance showing in his eyes about the way Xena was being treated once more. Her leg irons were secured to a ring at the base of the table and her hands had been drawn above her head, secured to another ring. Placing his satchel, that carried his medicinal tools and compounds, upon the floor next to him, he felt for the pulse point in his patient's neck and identified the slow even pace that he normally associated with unconsciousness. However, having been exposed for some time to Xena and her phenomenal abilities, he checked the condition of her eyes, as Caesar had done, but recognised the unfocused, glazed, appearance for what it was.
"Out to the world, my Lord," assured the physician. "If you will just bear with me for a few moments while I check the extent of her bodily injuries, I'll bring her around for you."
At Caesar's nod, the young healer ran knowledgable hands over the body he'd done more work on than any other since he had taken up his vocation. He knew every scar upon the muscular frame and it didn't take him long to come up with his diagnosis, "Heavy bruising to the abdomen and ribs, slight dislocation to three fingers of the right hand, nasty head wound that may have caused a concussion, which we'll know more of when I wake her up," he informed his audience as he bent down to rummage in his bag until he found the small bottle he'd been looking for.
Pulling a face as he eased the stopper off, he hastily held the container away from himself and waved it under the nose of the wounded warrior. Within a matter of heartbeats, Xena's face tightened into a grimace and her head began to roll from side to side as her unconscious mind sought to escape from the noxious odour. Finally she began to cough from the astringency of the fumes and her eyes flickered grudgingly open.
Patroclese forced the stopper back into the bottle and thankfully put it back into his bag. He noticed the looks of distaste that everyone in the room were wearing and shrugged his shoulders, "Sorry, but it's effective. I sometimes think it would bring a man, a week dead, back from the grave."
Coughing fitfully, Xena had tried to remember exactly where she was. She seemed to remember the young healer who was bending over her meticulously examining her eyes, but everything seemed fuzzy. She tried to sit up and was at first surprised, then concerned when her body wouldn't respond. She closed her eyes and forced herself to focus on her surroundings, becoming aware that she was almost naked except for a loincloth and the metal at her wrists, ankles and neck. Her eyes shot open once more at the discovery, - Where in Tartarus am I! - she demanded of herself, beginning to struggle against the restraints.
"Settle down, take it easy, Xena," came the soothing voice of the healer.
"What's going on?" she demanded, a slur to her speech, "Who are you? Where am I?"
She turned her head as a tall dark man stepped into view. A man she instantly recognised from the darkest heart of her memories, "You!" she spat at Caesar, straining her muscles in an attempt to break her restraints to get at him.
"Hello, Xena," he answered her smugly, and all the pain and anguish of the last few moons came crashing back with a suddenness that left her mind reeling. "Looks like she wasn't play acting," he grinned, seeing the anger and rage being displaced by despair before it was hidden once more behind her more usual stoic mask. Satisfied with his discovery and once more pushing his doubts and concerns to the back of his mind, Caesar locked eyes with Patroclese, "Well?"
"A mild concussion, my Lord," came the answer. "A few days rest and she'll be as good as new."
"Good, because she's going to have a return fight with that ape who beat her .. and next time she's going to win."
Frowning as she remembered the morning's conversation, Ephiny tried to think what she could have possibly have said to win the argument.
"Have you noticed that since Pompey left on his 'important business' .. no-one seems too worried just where me and the boys are?" Gabrielle had said casually, "We don't even get a headcount, and the guards aren't following us if we go down to the kitchens."
Ephiny broke her supervision of the final removal of the last of the huge load of dinars that she'd won betting on Hercules' fighting prowess, grinning as the big man himself hefted the chest without any apparent strain, "Yeah, I'd noticed," agreed the Regent, studying her Queen knowing that this was leading up to something.
"That means that the guys and me shouldn't have any trouble slipping out of here when it's time to leave," continued Gabrielle absently twisting a half filled scroll in her hands as she watched Hercules leave the room with his burden.
"And your point is?" asked Ephiny almost certain that the innocuous seeming line of conversation was guiding her towards something that she was definitely not going to like .. and that could mean almost only one thing.
The bard looked at her feet and nervously shuffled them as she went on, "The point is that we aren't going to have any trouble getting out of here. In fact, I think that if we were to use Amazon Warrior disguises, Me and Iolaus, Toris and Joxer could .."
"No, Gabrielle," interjected Ephiny forcefully.
The young Queen continued as if she hadn't heard her friend, " ... come with you to Graccus' and make sure that we get Xena away safely."
The Regent shook her adamantly, "Absolutely not!" the blonde Amazon growled, "We've been all through this before, Gabrielle, and the same objections still stand. It's too dangerous, you might be recognised, if you get caught Xena's chance of any escape is gone for good. End of discussion," she added beginning to turn her back on her friend.
The honey blonde bard raised her gaze defiantly. "That may have been true of the other times, Eph. I could see your point about needless risk. But this time we're going to get her free and I need to be there when you ... we do!"
The Regent slowly swung back towards her young Queen, "There is no need for you to be there, Gabrielle. The real need is for you to be safe."
Green eyes held brown in a struggle for control, "You're wrong, Ephiny. I do need to be there. Without me there, Xena may not believe that I'm safe ... the same thing goes for Toris and the others too. Without knowing that there's no telling what she might do. If I'm there she'll feel the need to make sure I get to safety and won't do anything that's going to put me into danger .. can you honestly say that she won't do something impulsively reckless if I'm not there?"
"Gabrielle ... " Ephiny tried to reason, but was interrupted by the quiet, calmly assured voice of the young woman.
"Besides. I'm not going to leave Rome without her. If this doesn't work I won't desert her. She wouldn't leave me ... and the gods be damned if I'll leave her."
The Regent's brown eyes bored into the resolute young woman, desperately trying to find a niche in the firm resolve that radiated in waves from the bard. Finally, the blonde Amazon threw up her hands in defeat and conceded, "Okay, okay. You win ... but the others ..."
"They need to be there as much as I do," assured Gabrielle.
The Regent's eyes narrowed, "Hey wait a minute, why didn't you include Autolycus in that little list of additional Amazons? He's up and about and it's not like him to want to miss out on the rescue .. especially where Xena's concerned."
The bard grinned happily, "Well actually, he's going to be busy on a special mission for me."
Gabrielle's problem slave collar had been heavily disguised with thick beaded necklaces and feathers, and several of the real guards were sporting similar decorations so that the bard would blend in. All four had been told to keep strictly in the background and keep their masks down at all costs.
Against all expectations, Ephiny began to feel that they might actually pull this thing off.
"Well whatever it is your body has, I wish I could bottle it for others less fortunate," grinned Patroclese as he dropped the tunic and tucked it through the thick leather belt at her waist, "If I didn't know better, I'd say those bruises were at least two weeks old, not just three days." When he finished straightening her garments he reached for her head and carefully examined the discolouration that was evident around the scabbing of the wound.
"Oh yeah, I'm really fortunate," muttered Xena half heartedly, although inside she was a bubbling cauldron of expectation .. with luck she would be free tonight and on her way back to Greece!
The healer gave her a sharp look. In so many ways he regretted his part in the capture and enslavement of the magnificent woman who sat on the table in front of him but, although his conscience bothered him every time he saw her, his logical and responsible thoughts assured him that this warrior was better off in custody for the safety of Rome and many of the peoples of the world, "If you just accepted your new situation, perhaps you could find contentment of a sort," he chided her gently.
The icy look from her azure eyes was anything but gentle, "Slavery's wrong, Patroclese. Not just for me, but for anyone. I could never accept being a slave, in any circumstances, let alone being Caesar's!" she almost spat with contempt.
"Tell me, Xena? Is your resistance worth being penned up like an animal? chained," he said fingering she shackles at her wrists, "unless being let off the leash to fight? Is it worth the punishment of those children for every time you balk? ... will it be worth their deaths, should you escape?"
Her glare intensified, pinning him with a coring light, "What exactly do you mean by that?" she demanded.
"I thought you knew. There are orders that should you manage to escape .. not just get loose, but actually escape .. not only will one in five of your guards be crucified, but those children will be too."
A faint look of anguish flickered through the warrior's eyes as the news sank in. - That's so typical of him! - she raged silently, - He'd do it knowing that I'd hear about it, knowing that I'd care! But, Gods help me, what do I do now. If I go ahead with Ephiny's plan, those innocent children will pay the price. If I don't, Gabrielle will pay, because she'll never leave here without me. -
It was a grim faced Warrior Princess who was led back to her cell to await the events of the evening. Her mind worked furiously as she tried to determine what her course of action should be.
Having time on his hands he took a slow perambulation through the rooms that they had occupied during their stay at Pompey's, to make absolutely certain that nothing of importance was being left behind. As he passed from the men's rooms to that of the ladies, he nodded to Tassi, one of the six Amazon guards still on duty there, and told her softly, "I'll be leaving shortly, don't bother looking for me when it's time for you to get back to the ship. I'll be making my own way there."
The short haired sandy blonde grinned and nodded in return, "Eponin said that might be the case .. you got anything that you want us to take with us when we go?"
"Nope got everything with me that I need," he returned.
"Well maybe you'll need some help stowing your gear later," she smirked appraisingly.
Autolycus allowed a charming smile to play around his lips, "We might want to take this conversation up on the way home," he answered suggestively as he brushed his index finger across his moustache.
"I'll count on it," agreed Tassi as she watched the thief stride down the hall and into what had been the Queens' suite.
Autolycus smirked happily to himself the trip back to Greece might just prove to be entertaining, - Providing we can pull this off. Otherwise I can see several of us staying here a while longer. -
He carefully searched through the women's apartments before deciding that nothing had been overlooked and that he could safely be on his way to his own appointment. To be honest, he'd been looking for a chance to slip away and perform this little mission before Gabrielle had cornered him and asked him for the favour. It was a task that he felt that only he would be able to perform, but he had the feeling that some of the others might have tried to stop him .... However, with the bard's backing, and both of them remaining tightly closed mouthed about his plans, the others never stood a chance.
-Ya know, - mused the thief as he swung open the balcony shutters, slipped over the rails and down the conveniently friendly growth of ivy, pleased to feel no adverse reaction from his recently healed wounds, - If Gabrielle ever gets tired of being a queen, bard or sidekick, she'd make a pretty good junior partner for me. - He grinned at that thought. - Sooner or later I'm gonna have to find someone to train to take my place. Still she's a bit old to teach some of the finer techniques, but she makes a damn good front man .. woman .. person. - As his boots touched the ground, he stealthily slipped away into the cover of the bushes and worked his way unseen, he hoped for the last time, away from Pompey's palace.
Upon reaching the street he had no intention of making his way directly towards his destination. It was still too light out, besides which this time he intended to go through the front doors. - There's no point in climbing walls if I don't have to, - he told himself, as he moved smoothly through the late afternoon crowds, keeping as much to the shadow edges of the street as possible. - Besides there are advantages in going through the front door .. nobody will be expecting it for a start off, especially with the disguise. -
He took special care to avoid Caesar's spies, - A really unimaginative lot that even Joxer could spot, - was the thief's contemptuous thought, as he glided past the final post on his route away from the palace. Once clear of the watchers, he meandered his way through the city, giving into the occasional impulse to 'lift' a particularly obnoxious Roman's purse, browse the pie and confectionary stalls in the market place, dally with some of the ladies of dubious virtue on a street corner, before distributing a good portion of his ill-gotten gains amongst the street urchins that had big eyes and looked half starved.
- Autolycus, you're going soft! - he chided himself. - It's a damned good thing that the others aren't here to see this, you'd never here the end of it! - He ruffled one lads dirty, matted hair, before clamping his hand to his pocket, - Why you little thief! - his mind yelled. Watching the boy disappear into the milling crowd he couldn't stop the grin from etching itself onto his face. - Boy's got talent. Good light touch, doesn't rush the mark, he deserved a reward for his skill .. almost no one else would have felt him, and it was only a little loose change .. not my main stash, - checking to make absolutely certain that his ill-gotten gains were where he'd left them.
Whistling happily, he proceeded on his round-about way to a rather seedy tavern down toward the docks area. He scanned the barroom carefully as he entered and selected a secluded table that gave him the choice of three exits .. the front door, the back door or the window .. should the need arise for him to get out of there fast. Sitting with his back to the wall, he waited until he attracted the attention of a pretty, although harassed young barmaid who braved the usual assault of pinches, friendly slaps and amorous grabs, as she deposited ordered drinks and made her way over to where Autolycus sat.
Smiling delightedly, Jocea's eyes sparkled as she squealed, "Steban! I didn't expect you tonight ... what's it going to be? Your usual?"
Keeping a charming smile on his face, Autolycus shuddered inwardly, - How can such a pretty woman have a voice like a braying piglet? - he asked himself yet again. "Jocea .. my pet," he greeted her warmly, "I just called in to see and hear you, my sweet." He beckoned her forward, producing a golden coin as if by magic, her eyes mesmerised by the sight, "Are my things still safe in your room?" he questioned softly.
"Sure thing, Steban," she nodded enthusiastically, "Just like you left 'em. I ain't touched them nor nuffing!" she grunted a laugh that made the thief cringe.
"Well, my sweet," he smiled encouragingly at her, "I'll just go and collect them," he said dropping the coin between her inviting cleavage, "and you can any drink your like on me," he added as he brushed his lips across hers and dropped another four of the coins to keep the first company.
Jocea shivered in delight, "Oh, Steban, you're so good to me .. are you coming back later?" she asked boldly .. "We could have some fun, maybe?" her voice held a promise.
"We'll see my sweet," responded Autolycus in a husky voice, "but don't be too concerned if you don't see me for a while ..." - Yeah like ever, - his mind added, "... I have business to attend to tonight."
A look of disappointment crept onto the girls pretty features and she looked about to plead with him, when one of the tavern's other patrons shouted out impatiently, "Hey Jocea! Where's my drink!"
She whirled and glared at the man and snorted, "Hold your britches Lycidas, I'll bring it in a minute!" She turned back to 'Steban' to entreat him to come back after she finished her shift, but the thief had already slipped away taking advantage of the distraction to do so.
- And of course they'd do that, wouldn't they? - she sarcastically demanded of herself. - Gabrielle and Toris would just say, 'Okay Xena, whatever you want,' and cheerfully leave you to rot here in his hands. - She threw the pebble she was playing with to hit, with unerring accuracy, one of the guards on duty outside of her hole in the ground.
"Hey, who's throwing things," snarled the victim as he clapped his hand to his neck where the stone had stung him.
"Settle down," she heard a decurion order from somewhere out of her range of sight, "You're supposed to be soldiers, not a bunch of whining babies."
"Well something hit me," grumbled the legionary.
"Quit grousing Hirrix," muttered one of her targets' fellow guards, "or we'll end up pulling double duty."
"It's alright for you .. you weren't hit," muttered the aggrieved man.
"Shove over .. I'll change places with you."
Picking up another pebble, Xena bounced it around in her hand as she grinned at the grumbles she could hear above her. During her time in Rome, she'd worked out a variety of ways to torment her gaolers without them realising the source of their woes. Most of the games involved small pebbles, of which she had an abundant supply in her earthen walled cell, and it helped her pass the time .. especially when she was, as now, locked up with nothing to do.
She squirmed around on her blanket trying to find a more comfortable spot and her thoughts returned to her problems. - There is no way that any of them are going to leave here without me .. so if I don't go through with this escape plan, I'm condemning my family and friends to Roman slavery, because it's a dinar to a flying centaur's butt that Caesar will hunt them down and use them against me. - A grin edged it's crooked way onto her lips as she thought, - Though I damned well like to see him try and keep Hercules locked up when he doesn't want to be .. or Autolycus for that matter. -
She sighed squirmed around a bit more being careful not to jostle the long chain that was fastened between her collar and the bars of the cell door. She didn't want to attract her guards' attention, that would spoil her game. She settled in place and her agile mind worked out the angles as she flipped her pebble cleanly through the grate to hit Hirrix in the neck once more.
"Gods damn it!" yelped the soldier, again slapping his hand to his neck, "If I find out who's throwing stones I'm gonna make them wish they hadn't been born!" he swore aggressively.
"Hirrix quit that bawling before I put you and your unit on report," snapped the unseen decurion. Muttered grumbles could be heard from the other soldiers standing guard around the pit all of them showing a distinct animosity for the luckless Hirrix.
Digging a pair of pebbles from out of the ground, the raven haired warrior turned her attention back to the question of what she was going to do about the slave children. - If I can't avoid going through with the escape because it will endanger my friends, then I'm going to have to work out away to get those kids out of Caesar's clutches .. maybe we can take them back to Greece with us. The girls could go to the Amazons and I'll find a good home for the boys somewhere .. maybe Mother would take one or two of them in. -
She bounced that idea around for a while. She knew plenty of good hearted people who would take in the children. They'd have a far better life in Greece than by remaining slaves in Rome .. especially given the shortened life expectancy caused by being remotely associated to herself. - Alright .. so we get them out of here and take them with us .. just how in Tartarus am I gonna manage to bring that off? -
Two of the guards shifted position, giving Xena a perfect shot as she winged the pair of pebbles to strike both men in the neck, - Bullseye! - her mind applauded as she drew the surprised yelps of pain from her targets.
"Damn you Hirrix!" shouted one of the fresh victims, "what you go and do that for?" he demanded belligerently, "We already told you it wasn't us."
"I didn't do anything!" protested the accused man, "Tell them Stephanos," he urged the guard who had changed places with him.
"He didn't fellas, I was standing with him the whole time," backed up Hirrix's friend.
"Yeah, you'd say that," growled one of the angry soldiers, "you two are always up to something."
"Hey you men!" shouted the seriously annoyed decurion who'd just about had enough of the bickering and sniping that had been going on. It was hot and the shift was due to be coming to an end. They had to get the slave ready to be taken across the city to Crassus' abode and now these imbeciles were looking for a fight and a taste of the cat because of it, "You're all on report ..now get back to your posts."
Xena couldn't see who threw the first punch, but within moments there was a major brawl taking place above her as hot, frustrated soldiers sought to let off steam totally ambivalent to the punishment they were going to be drawing down on themselves once everything was finally sorted out. A mirthless, vicious smile worked it's way onto her face as she considered the prospect, - Let's see how they like being on the receiving end for a change! - she smirked, closing her eyes to try and picture the scene taking place above her. Almost immediately they flickered open as she became aware of the scrutiny of a pair of hard grey eyes.
Flaccus stood at the edge of the grate above her, glaring down with a knowing look on his face .. he had no idea how she'd accomplished it, but he knew the slave was responsible for the breach of discipline that had erupted in the drill-yard. He had a squad quelling the disturbance with fists and batons, but he was well aware that he couldn't touch the real instigator until this evening's fight was out of the way, - But tomorrow will be different, slave. - He made a mental promise, - Tomorrow I start to break you, piece by piece. -
Reading his mind, Xena flashed him a dazzling, totally cocksure grin that was enough to make the centurion's blood boil. He glanced around the yard and saw that order had been re-established. The men picked for the guard escort tonight were assembling ready to leave and his junior officers awaited orders from him.
"I want the names of the men who started this fracas by the time I get back .. each will receive ten lashes in the morning. One of you get the animal out of her hole so we can get started."
Graccus' home had none of the showy flamboyance of either Caesar's or Pompey's residences. - In fact, - Gabrielle decided, - it's more comfortable and homely than palatial and ostentatious. - She craned her neck trying to see past the wall of Amazon warriors that had formed a tight cordon around her, Iolaus, Joxer and Toris, who were following Ephiny's orders to keep the quartet hidden amongst them as much as possible.
It had been something of a nerve wracking ordeal getting out of their loose captivity in Pompey's palace. Admittedly the security surrounding them had become remarkably lax in the past few days .. they no longer had to endure the daily head count, and trips to the kitchens had been accomplished without the normal shadow of a couple of their host's soldiers. In actuality, it appeared that since Pompey had removed himself from the city, he had ceased to care whether his 'captives' remained within his custody or not. Yet even with this lurking in the backs of their minds, it was something of a relief to clear the building's grounds, without the Roman General's men surrounding them and hauling them off into close confinement.
The trip through the city to Graccus' house had actually been a time of exuberance and enjoyment for Gabrielle and the men. For the first time in many days they had got outside the confinement of four walls and the sights and sounds, although vaguely familiar to the bard from her previous trip, were very new and interesting for her companions in captivity. To a certain extent, they were disappointed to finally reach their destination, as it meant once more relinquishing the open space of the outdoors to be enclosed (however temporarily) in a building. Yet, at the same time, the rising excitement of what they were here to do made them eager to get on with the show.
The home of Graccus was brightly lit and gaily caparisoned in readiness for the feast and entertainment arranged by the host and his wife. The soiree was packed with the neutral senators that favoured neither Caesar, nor Pompey, but would have preferred a return to the old system of rule under the senate itself .. they yearned for a return to the days of the true republic, away from the dictatorship of the military magnates who ruled with iron fists backed up by armed soldiers hardened in the service of the Empire. While men of this republican persuasion were in the majority here at this gathering, they had learned the hard way to guard their tongues and true feelings, for there were always those looking to cultivate patronage from either Caesar, or Pompey, by betraying a fellow senator.
The Amazon's arrival drew cheering from a good portion of the gathering guests, especially the younger set of both men and women. Although nearly all Romans considered the warrior women to be a backward and barbaric race, they still enjoyed the freshness that these visitors brought to a city that had become jaded with all the riches and sophistication that was common place to them. Gabrielle wondered just what these same people would think of the Amazon's after their evening's entertainment came to an end.
As Ephiny detached herself, Eponin, Malonda, Hercules and a guard of eight from the main bulk of her warriors, Gabrielle and the disguised men found themselves being discretely shepherded off to a quiet corner by about a dozen other warriors while the rest of the group dispersed into similar bunches around the hall, some engaging in polite conversation with the other guests, other groups assuming a 'back off' posture that kept any of the Romans from intruding upon their chosen space. Needless to say, Gabrielle's guards were one of the groups that 'demanded' to be left alone.
"Hey," hissed Joxer brightly, "any chance of getting something to eat and drink? I'm starved." his voice sounded oddly muffled behind the Amazon mask.
Iolaus scowled, even though the expression wouldn't be seen by his companion, "Knock it off, Jox!" he growled. "We can't eat or drink anything while these masks are down, and we sure as Hades can't lift them up."
There was a short silence as the wannabe warrior thought about that, "Oh!" he answered finally. "But can't we ...."
"No!" hissed Toris and Iolaus in unison.
"Look guys," warned Gabrielle sternly, "Just hold it down .. we're not supposed to attract attention .. right?"
"Right," agreed the three men with varying degrees of enthusiasm .. none of them appreciated being spoken to as if they were naughty boys. They were all well aware of the gravity of the situation and were prey to nerves. So attempting to look like Amazon warriors they stood and practised being stoicly silent.
Gabrielle turned away from them and muttered so softly that no one else could hear, "I can't wait to get this evening over with so we can get out of this gods forsaken city!"
The prospect that Xena would win tonight also aroused his desires. He loved to watch the woman fight, knowing she had no choice but to perform at his whim. His control over her, while not complete, left him lusting for complete dominance and he was determined that the mighty Warrior Princess would, in time, bow down and acknowledge him master, - Even if I have to break every bone in your body to get you to do it! - he snarled to himself. It was a prospect he looked forward to, and he hoped that Flaccus would be able to find some entertaining methods that could be employed to break the woman's spirit.
The smile slid off his face as Pompeia swept into his rooms without bothering to knock or to have herself announced, "Are you ready Julius?" she demanded brusquely, "I declare you take more time in your primping and preparations than that old whore Diamanta Petronius," she chided referring to a notorious madam of a house of ill-repute who continued to 'entertain' though reported to be well into her sixtieth summer.
"My position requires me to look my best, my dear" he answered as patiently as he could, 'It would hardly do for me to appear at Graccus' less than properly prepared."
She sniffed, "You are not going to take my warning about that Amazon trollop then?" she stated curtly.
Caesar turned and glared at her, "My dear Pompeia, since when have you ever cared about the women I chose to entertain me."
She laughed at him, "Oh please, Julius, the woman is little more than a savage .. I have absolutely no concern whether you rut with her or not," she sneered, "But I'm telling you that there is something between her and that slave of yours and I don't trust them. I'm looking out for your best political interests here, my dear."
Her husband sighed. They'd had this conversation ad infinitum over the past three days. No matter how many times he pointed out the battering that Xena had taking in the pit fight, she couldn't be shaken from the belief that the Amazon slut was conspiring with the slave to free her. He had gone over the fact that Ephiny had resisted his attempts at gaining a rematch between Xena and her man until his head spun from going around in circles and still she persisted in her stubborn belief. Angrily he turned on her and snapped, "The only thing that you're concerned about is your position as wife of the Dictator of Rome .. without me you are nothing! I think, perhaps you should remember that."
She glared at him, certain that she was right and he was wrong, but the more she pointed it out to him the more stubborn and hard headed he became about the situation. Finally, knowing that nothing she was going to say was going to make a difference she demanded, "Are you ready .. we're already late as it is."
"That's the prerogative of the ruler, my dear," he answered flashing his teeth at her. "Nothing can start until we .. I .. arrive, so I can take all the time I need." He checked himself in the mirror once more, brushing some impossible speck off of his robes before turning to his impatient wife and offering her his arm, "Shall we?" he invited.
Placing her hand on his, the pair exited the room and headed for the slave carried palanquins that would transport them to their destination.
Once inside, the King of Thieves made his way to the stairs that led to the upper apartments, where he knew he would find his objective. He moved with an arrogant assumptive air that spoke loudly of his unquestionable right to be there .. it was an attitude that had got him into .. and out of .. some of the most secure treasuries and vaults in Greece, and he was certain that it would serve the same purpose here. So when a voice called out to him, he did his best to ignore it.
"Hey! You .. messenger!" the voice insisted.
- Get lost .. find something or someone else to bother! - Autolycus' mind willed the man to go away as he continued his relentless march along the corridor.
"Hey! I'm talking to you!" insisted the voice again louder now.
- Damn, damn, damn, damn! - swore the thief who saw his only option was to swing around and confront the man, before he attracted too much attention.
Taking a deep breath Autolycus turned to face a tall fair haired young man wearing a plain white chiton. He had an air of authority about him, but was far from the standard military type he expected to see within Caesar's household, "Did you want me for something? I'm kind of in a hurry," the thief asked casually.
Blue eyes regarded the messenger somewhat suspiciously, "You're new here .. I haven't seen you before, yet your face seems vaguely familiar."
"Ah .. the curse of my family," responded Autolycus with a laugh, "Ten brothers and all of us looking close enough alike that everywhere we go we seem familiar to someone who knows one of us." He laughed and leaned a little closer, "Between you and me that little handicap has got me into more trouble than any that I could have got myself into. And I'm pretty good at finding trouble on my own."
The Roman stared at him, distrust still plain upon his face, "Where are you going with that?" He indicated the scroll that the thief was carrying.
"Orders to deliver it to the General's office and leave it on his desk," returned Autolycus smartly, "Actually, pulling this duty was a pain .. I only got it 'cause I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I was supposed to have met my girl nearly a candlemark ago, but I had to wait around for the scribe to finish writing the damned thing before I could bring it over .. you know how it is."
The blonde man nodded reluctantly. Everything the messenger said seemed to be perfectly ordinary, but there was something about him that seemed to set warning bells off in his head, "Very well," he said finally. "I won't keep you any longer." He risked a tentative smile, "Your girlfriend will be getting concerned."
The King of Thieves felt a strong wash of relief sweep through him as he grinned an answer, "Nah, she'll be okay .. she loves me." With that, he turned on his heel and hurried off to Caesar's office, grateful that he'd prowled around enough to know the exact location. He was aware of the inquisitive Roman's eyes on his back until he turned a corner in the corridor.
- Sheesh! The life of a thief gets more exciting every day .. and quite frankly it's the kind of excitement I could do without. Maybe I should retire? - He thought about that for all of a heartbeat, - Nah! I couldn't do that to all my adoring fans. -
It didn't take him long to reach the door of Caesar's study, and once inside it was the work of a moment to pull the sack from, where it had been hidden behind his flowing military cape, retrieve his own clothes and change into them. - Much better, - he smirked, - No wonder these Roman's are always in such a bad temper, wanting to pick fights with every other country. This armour they wear is enough to make anyone look for a fight .. just in the hope that they'll get injured and out of the damned stuff! -
A quick look over to the wall by the window revealed what he had come to collect. Smiling happily to himself, he expertly removed the items from the display stand and packed them carefully into the sack he had brought with him .. then on an impulse he arranged the armour he had discarded in place of what he had taken, - I love my work! - he silently chuckled.
Having had no intention of leaving the way he had entered, a determination that had been reinforced by his encounter with the Roman in the corridor, Autolycus took a quick look around to see if there was anything else worth his attention and snagged a pretty looking, jewel encrusted knife from Caesar's desk before slipping out of the window into the shadowy safety on the night, - Just a little something for my trouble, - he told himself.
He was breathing deeply when he reached the office door, unguarded because Caesar wasn't there. He pressed the latch and pushed on the thick oak wood .. uncertain about what he was going to do or say now that he'd got there. - Face it, - he sneered at himself, - you may be able to handle yourself fairly well, but against any of Xena's friends you don't stand a chance. -
Still screwing up his courage he slipped into the room intent upon confronting the King of Thieves .. only to find the study deserted. - Fool, - he told himself, - he probably wasn't even coming here in the first place. What on earth possessed you to believe that a man like him would tell you the truth? - That train of thought then posed the question, - So where is he? -
As he tried to work out the answer to that, his eyes idly scanned the room .. almost as if looking for inspiration. They flicked past the window, over the trophy stand where the Caesar had Xena's accoutrements displayed, and on to the far wall where the shelves were stacked with row upon row of scrolls.
- That wasn't her armour! - his brain suddenly screamed at him as he took long strides over to the stand where Autolycus had hung his Roman uniform in place of Xena's leathers, armour and weapons. - Damn! - he swore to himself as the full impact of this robbery sank into his wildly scrabbling mind. He took a few steps backwards and settled on the edge of the desk as he bumped into it. Staring at the display his mind chanted a litany over and over, - They're going to do it .. They're going to do it. - as he tried to work out what he should be doing.
By rights, he should get a horse and get to Graccus' house as fast as he could to warn Caesar that the Amazon's were going to try and break the Warrior Princess free. The trouble was, he had known that that was what they were here for, from the moment he'd heard of their presence .. how could he explain that fact to his master? Or explain the fact that he'd seen fit to conceal the information that the bard, Gabrielle, was also Queen of the Amazons and that Xena was her chosen Champion? - More to the point, why did I concealed it? -
He ran tense fingers through his short cropped hair and let out a sigh of exasperation, - Life just gets more and more complicated, - he scolded himself. He knew, deep in his heart, that from the moment he'd met the Warrior Princess, he'd fallen under a spell. She was everything he'd heard and more .. and far less? Yet essentially she had a core of goodness that seemed almost to glow within her. In the bard it was even more pronounced .. which was why he found it impossible to see what Caesar was doing to them as being right, and his omissions were his small way of protesting that fact.
- So what do I do? - he demanded of himself. - If I tell Caesar what I suspect, then I condemn Xena and probably Gabrielle, to a life of torture and misery. If I don't say anything ... who would know? Just me and I won't say anything. - He found it really easy to convince himself to say nothing and felt a burden lift from him as he made the choice. He was about to leave and go back to his own room when a thought struck him like a bolt from the blue! - Oh God's! ... The children ..what about the children? If she escapes they die! - and once more his troubles descended upon him leaving him in the grip of a desperate decision, one that could easily damn his soul forever.
"I just love it when a plan comes together," gushed the bubbly love goddess.
"Pull yourself together, 'Dite," smiled her sister, although she had trouble restraining her own excitement. Playing with mortals could be such fun. "Are you ready?" she asked the dizzy blonde.
"Like, since yesterday," assured Aphrodite.
"Then let the games begin," grinned Artemis as the pair disappeared in a cloud of golden, pink and green light.
Xena was the image of quiet composure as she sat motionless in the small, windowless, room surrounded by twenty guards. Flaccus had appropriated the large store room, that had a strong door which could be barred from the outside and was close enough to the pit to make it useful for holding the dangerous woman. She had been ordered to sit on the stone floor in the middle of the room, and half of her personal escort had taken up places around her when she had been locked in .. the remainder on guard outside the barred door.
As the soldiers settled in around her, Xena had allowed her far from calm mind to run over the problems she was going to face in the next few candlemarks, chief amongst them being, - How, in Hades am I gonna get those kids away from Caesar? .. more to the point how do I get them out of his palace? - It was the question that she'd been trying to solve for the last three days and as the time grew closer for the escape, she was no closer to a solution than when she started. Sighing inwardly she made the only decision she could, - I'll play it by ear. I'll work something out, but I'll be damned to Tartarus if I'm gonna leave those kids here to die! -
Ephiny was just as pleased that her avid Roman suitor was late. The idea of spending a whole evening dodging his blatant attempts to get her alone and seduce her once again, was not her idea of fun .. - Although I could promise him a night of passion once the fight is over, - she mused, a wicked little smile showing briefly. - That should keep him at bay, and he'll definitely get an evening of passion .. I should think Xena can almost guarantee it .. although it's not the type of passion he would particularly desire. I just hope that Gabrielle can keep Xena from killing him, - she accepted a goblet of wine from a passing server. - Getting out of Rome is going to be difficult enough without having an army and navy on our heels out to avenge the death of their leader. Even Pompey couldn't ignore that because it would be seen as an insult to the Roman people by a barbarian nation. -
That was only one of the Regent's worries. She was also more than a little concerned that Caesar just might be angered enough to attempt to take reprisals against the Amazon Nation. That was an event that she hoped never happened as it could just conceivably spell then end of her people. The only thing in their favour, was that none of the other Greek states would be too happy about an invading Roman force .. they all knew, too well, just how power hungry Caesar and Rome were. And, of course, Xena would be there and she had a proven battle record against Caesar.
Ephiny sighed, she had known that she was taking a chance coming after Gabrielle and Xena. She wasn't sure how many of the other Amazons realised that they could be faced with a war with Rome, but she hoped that none of them had thought of that possibility or she was in for a rocky time once she got back home. Tarelle would happily use anything, and everything, detrimental to come from this trip to Rome in order to weaken the Regent and, in doing so, Gabrielle's position within the Amazon society. She had few doubts about her ability to handle such problems, but it meant that she was hardly going to be able to take things easy when she got home.
She moved across to a table that had a variety of bite sized snacks that the guests could nibble as an accompaniment for their drinks. The Regent selected something that looked like its main ingredient was fish, popped it into her mouth and chewed appreciatively, savouring the smoky flavour as she cast her glance over to where Gabrielle and the boys were being shielded by the protective huddle of Amazons. Turning to Eponin, who seemed to be attached to her by a two foot invisible string, Ephiny said softly, "Well .. everything seems to be going according to plan. No one has given our newest recruits even a cursory glance."
"The real test will be when Caesar gets here," reminded the Weapons Master.
"Don't worry about him," Ephiny told her bluntly, "he'll be so occupied in trying to get me into a quiet corner that he won't have time to look at my guards."
Eponin's face made a slight grimace of distaste, "Yuck! Rather you than me .. but it wasn't him I was really thinking of."
The Regent selected another morsel of food, while shrugging and asking, "Oh?" before popping it into her mouth.
"You know that's grossly unfair," muttered the other Amazon who, with her mask down, couldn't indulge in the proffered delights. She shook her head, before continuing with her more important concerns, "It's his wife .. Pompeia?" Ephiny nodded her head, "Yeah, well the woman's ancestor must have been a ferret. She's got more informants than he has and a sharp mind to piece that information together .... If she should catch sight of Gabrielle and the guys ...."
"Poni, she's never even seen Gabrielle," the blonde haired ruler reminded her, "and the fellas look more like Amazons than some of our girls do." She bit back a sudden urge to giggle, "But don't you dare tell them that I said that!" she admonished sternly. Ephiny just knew her friend was frowning under her mask and she could hear that frown in the irritated tone that accompanied the woman's next words.
"Don't underestimate that one, Eph," she warned. "I heard her warning Caesar that there was much more between you and Xena than mere hatred. The woman suspects something .. she's got Caesar's ear .. and that makes her dangerous to us and our plans."
"She may have his ear, but his heart .. or at least his lust .. is mine. If I keep him entertained for the evening, he won't listen to anything that Pompeia has to say." She thoughtfully snagged another snack and nibbled it delicately as she added, "If you're really worried, keep an eye on her, Poni. Try and make sure she stays away from our 'girls'." she grinned.
"Fine," agreed the Weapon's Master, "I'll ride herd on the wife, you entertain the husband, but Eph?" she said with more than a touch of concern in her voice, "Don't suddenly come on strong to him or he'll smell a rat. You've been keeping him at arm's length all this while, to suddenly cave in under his assault would look very suspicious."
"Yeah .. I know, Poni, I'll play it cool, but I'll find a way to keep him so focused on me that he won't have time for anyone else," she promised.
Standing here, waiting for Caesar to show up, so that they could finally put their plan to rescue Xena into operation, was a severe strain on his endurance. For such a long time now, he'd had to school himself to learn patience. Time spent with Iolaus as they chased around the countryside of Narbonensis and Italia; time spent confined within Pompey's palace, waiting for this, their one chance, to finally break his sister free from the Roman monster's clutches. He took a deep breath and forced down his impatience, yet again, and concentrated on keeping his cool while the evening played out.
He glanced out into the body of the large reception chamber and noted that Ephiny was mingling socially, acting the part of ambassador for her people with aplomb. He was able to smirk broadly at Hercules following the Regent around like some kind of lap dog, secure in the knowledge that behind the Amazon mask he couldn't be seen. He made a mental note to tease his friend about just how cute he looked in just a lion-skin loincloth surrounded by predatory women. He just knew that the demi-god would really appreciate the observation .. his smirk widened to an extensive grin .. he just didn't understand why the situation hadn't fully struck him before. - Just nerves, I guess, - he thought. - Everyone handles them differently. -
Iolaus threw a look at Joxer who was slumped against the wall picking disconsolately at some of the feathers he was adorned with, and fought the urge to dig the other man in the ribs, "Joxer!" he hissed in his ear, "Straighten up. Amazon's don't slouch like that and you're gonna draw attention to us."
"Hey look guys," he protested quietly, "I can't help it if I'm a ma ... er warrior ... of action. These fists are deadly weapons," he demonstrated by performing a few uncoordinated moves accompanied by some sounds that reminded his audience of a cat with a strangled hernia, "I was made to be in the thick of the action." The disapproving silence from those around him was enough to quieten him down, and everyone returned to their pensive observation of the Roman gathering.
"Hey it's not my fault if my body needs action," he whispered plaintively.
"Joxer," hissed Iolaus.
"Yeah?" he eagerly replied.
"Shut up!" came the firm order.
Her whole body stiffened at the sudden blast of the triumphal fanfare to announce the arrival of the Emperor and his wife. As the strident sounds echoed through the high ceilinged room, Caesar appeared resplendent in Imperial purple, with Pompeia dutifully at his side in elegant white, and a martial looking Brutus at his shoulder. They looked full of the radiance of power and carried themselves with an arrogance that told all who cared to notice that they were a force to be reckoned with.
Gabrielle knew she was staring and that her gaze was full of hate filled resentment .. she just couldn't help it, and fervently hoped that the others weren't being too obvious in their animosity, although she could feel the heightened tension around her and, on impulse, shot out a firm hand to grab Toris' wrist as she felt the tall man begin to stir, "Settle down," she told him quietly. "It's not time yet."
"A gracious welcome, Graccus. I look forward to a momentous evening," he smiled coldly, knowing that the senator had as little liking for him as he had for his host, "I'm sure you will be able to find plenty to occupy my lady wife, Pompeia, with personally this evening," he smirked. - That should keep the pair of them out of my way, - he growled to himself. - Serves them right, they deserve each other's tedious company and it should leave me free to pursue Ephiny's favours. - He almost chuckled at his own cleverness.
As he proceeded to detach himself from his wife and host, he became aware of an almost intangible feeling of malevolence being directed at him. Brows creasing, he swung his gaze over the chamber's occupants, his eyes lingering upon a group of the Amazon warriors who were keeping to themselves in one of the far corners of the room. Nothing seemed out of place and, slowly, the feeling dissipated. He shrugged off a shiver of apprehension and advanced into the hall making a direct line for where Ephiny stood with her personal guards and her 'man', Heston. He sauntered across the crowded room trailed by Brutus and his personal guards.
When Pompeia noticed her husband's suddenly stiffened posture, she suspected that he had sensed hostility somewhere within the chamber, he seemed to have a knack for that. As she took the senator's proffered arm, she allowed her own keen senses to evaluate the sentiments of the room, and felt compelled to look long and hard at the group of Amazon's in a secluded corner .. the same women that her husband's gaze seemed to linger over. However, before she had the chance to examine and isolate the reason why this particular group, among so many, had attracted her attention, Graccus had politely, but insistently drawn her away towards a group of aristocratic men and women where they were soon embroiled in polite conversation.
- There is something going on here, - frowned Pompeia as she nodded politely at something a giggling woman had just said. She threw a glance over to the mostly concealed group of Amazons and bit her lip, - Damn Julius for not listening to me about them. I know they're up to something. -
"At last I have you alone," he purred as he stepped close to the object of his desires and brushed his lips across hers.
Ephiny did not pull away, but neither did she encourage him to go further. "I am sure, my Lord, that being alone with the guest of honour at a senior senator's party is not considered to be of good social grace," she chided lightly.
"Social grace be hanged," growled Caesar. "You've had me trailing after you like a ravening wolf after a sheep, madam, and it's time for you to stop playing games."
The Regent felt her heart-rate pick up at his words .. - Surely he hasn't worked out what we're doing? - She tried for a confident smile and gently traced a finger down his profile, "Games, my Lord?" she questioned huskily.
"Yes games, madam," answered Caesar, trapping her hand and bringing it to his lips and kissing it softly. "You leave Rome in three days time and yet you still play with my affections while time runs so incredibly short ... how can you be so callous?" he asked planting tender kisses on her fingers. "How can you be so cruel to a tormented suitor who wishes nothing more than to rekindle the magical passion of that afternoon we spent together."
Carefully extracting her hand, Ephiny conjured up memories of her husband, Phantes, producing a soft, smoldering glow in her eyes that she would never have been able to summon for Caesar, no matter how important it was to deceive him, "Our lack of time to spend together is .. regrettable," she purred silkily, "But you, my Lord, should never have presumed that the Queen of the Amazons was some kind of sex conquest to be loved or laid aside as the whim took you." She moved closer and breathed warmly into his ear, "I hope that you understand that now."
Lifting his hands to her face, Caesar rubbed his thumbs tenderly across her cheek bones and told her, "Madam, you have made that abundantly clear, and I'm willing to pledge myself your devoted servant for the final days of your visit. But say you'll forgive me and I will promise you paradise." He lowered his lips to hers, seeking to prove his sincerity and passion.
- Artemis! - thought Ephiny, mentally rolling her eyes, - this man is so arrogant. If he keeps this up I'm gonna puke! His touch revolts me! -
Breaking away from the kiss, the Regent smiled graciously upon her would be lover, "Your promises fill me with longing," she told him.
- Yeah, longing to get as far away as possible from you! - she told herself.
"Yet, I think perhaps that we should hold our passions until after my champion and your slave have finished their combat," she smiled enticingly.
- 'Cause with any luck I won't ever have to have you anywhere near me again, - she silently cheered.
"Perhaps we should have one final game .. a final wager," she suggested.
Trying to hide his disappointment, Caesar asked warily, "A wager .. what wager?"
Smiling seductively, Ephiny whispered huskily, "How about everything?"
"Everything?" he questioned, puzzled as to what exactly she meant.
"Everything," she re-affirmed. "All the money, and each other. If I win, you're mine to do what I will with for the three days before I leave for home. If you win, you get me ...."
- Oh yeah, you get me, Xena, Gabrielle, Toris, Hercules and all the rest, because if you win, we lose everything. -
"Are you sure you can afford everything?" questioned Caesar with a smirk pulling at his lips, he knew that Xena wouldn't lose this time, and he was fairly certain that Ephiny knew that, which meant she was offering herself for his pleasure, whenever and wherever he wanted her .. or at least that was how it appeared to be to him.
"I never make a bet that I can't honour," murmured Ephiny as she allowed her eyes to promise him the delights he'd been yearning after for so long.
"Then I accept your wager," he agreed readily.
"Well then, my Lord, I'd best send Heston down to ready for the match, and we had better return to the party before Graccus decides that I've abducted you for my own purposes," the Regent told him lightly as she slipped away from his embrace.
"Graccus would probably have a statue erected to you if he thought you could get me permanently out of Rome," he grumbled lightly, catching her hand and allowing her to draw him back into bright cheerful gathering beyond the relative quite of the secluded balcony.
Upon re-entering the chamber, they found both his and her personal guards arranged to keep others from intruding upon their privacy, so it was easy for Ephiny to call Poni over and issue her instructions, "Take Heston down to the pit and make sure he's ready for the fight."
Eponin nodded her acquiescence, touched Hercules lightly on the shoulder and moved off, picking up a dozen Amazons on the way with sharp movements of her hand, before locating a serving slave and dragooning him into providing an escort down to the holding area for the pit.
Hercules had spent the evening trying to go over the problems that they were going to encounter once things got started. This gave him a rather detached, far away look that fitted the character he was playing perfectly. However, the dreamy, outwardly peaceful, demeanor belied the agitated workings of his mind. One such concern was the guard unit that would be on duty outside the pit. Eponin and her section had orders to quietly vacate the area, once the fight started, hopefully finding some way to secure the exits from the pit area, thus confining a large portion of their main opposition out of the action.
Another concern was going to be the marksmen with the tranquillizer darts. With luck things would happen too quickly for them to be able to act before the Amazons took them out, and the same thing pretty much applied to any of the other guards that were up with the spectators. Then there were going to be milling, panicked civilians getting in the way of everyone. If things went as planned then a section of the Amazons would be free to coral them and keep them out of harms way.
That left Caesar's personal guards, who should be taken care of by Ephiny's (especially as they had the element of surprise) and, of course, their own unpredictable individuals. He knew he could trust Iolaus to keep out of too much trouble. They'd had a long serious discussion about likely outcomes and his blonde friend had promised to try and restrain Toris and Gabrielle from doing anything that could cause problems for the overall plan .. like getting too close to Caesar. Joxer he wasn't so worried about. The man had a happy knack of surviving and he sincerely doubted that the wannabe warrior would attempt to seek out the Roman ruler for a one on one confrontation.
Of course, the real question was, "What will Xena do?" Hercules knew in his heart that she was going to go after the man who had made it his business to torment her for so many years. In a way he couldn't blame her, but killing him would probably make an escape almost impossible, they were going to need him as their passport out of Rome.
With a start, he was jerked back from his reverie as Eponin touched him lightly on the arm. He looked down into her caramel eyes and she said softly, "It's time." He answered with an almost imperceptible nod, and followed after her as she collected the women chosen to accompany them on this difficult section of their mission.
"What are you up to 'Dite?" questioned her sister as she watched the Goddess of Love sprinkle some sparkling substance over a young couple.
"Just catching up with some work," she grinned, "You know how it is, you get involved with some, like, real heavy gig, and before ya know it your in tray's backed up with petitions." Her sister frowned at her, "Hey chill, Arte!" she suggested, "It's not like we have a lot to do for the moment."
The Goddess of the Hunt gave an exaggerated sigh and moved towards the balcony where she had just seen Caesar and Ephiny disappear, "C'mon, I want to see what happens out there," she told her sister, grabbing her arm.
"You got it sweet cheeks!" answered Aphrodite, just as eager as her sister to see how the Regent intended handling the Roman, they vanished heading for the balcony.
"You know, that guy's technique is really slick .. pity he's wasting it following Ares. Wonder if I could interest him in a change of career direction? I mean, with a little personal tuition he could rock the world big time .. and have a lot of fun doing it," she gave a shiver of delight at the thought.
"Forget it, 'Dite, we have other more important work to do," reminded Artemis.
"As I said, Chill babe. It never hurts to mix pleasure with a little business," she giggled.
"Oh get real, Aphrodite," snorted the huntress, "The only thing Caesar cares about is war and conquest!" A sly look stole over her features unnoticed by her sister, "Besides, I've heard him say that love is only any good as a tool to use to divide a target's emotions from their sensibilities, and that anyone who wasted their time serving love deities was just asking to be "screwed over" ... his words, not mine," she assured her sister.
"Oooooooo!!!!" screeched the Goddess on Love in angry frustration, "He said that, did he?" She turned her glare towards the door where he'd just re-entered the chamber, "Delinquent loser!" she yelled, "That does it, I'm talking big time retribution here. I've a good mind to hit him with ..."
"Hold it 'Dite," yelped Artemis, grabbing her sister's arm, "Don't do anything that's gonna foul this up ... you can play with Caesar anytime. Let's get Xena, the boys and my Amazons out of here before you start another game."
At Aphrodite's nod, they moved back into the room and glanced around to locate their quarry. As they did so, the blonde goddess' eyes fell upon Brutus, who had arrived as part of Caesar's retinue, "Well, well, well," she purred kittenishly, "Big bad Caesar's bestest buddy is about to come down with a severe case of jealousy," she wiggled her fingers and giggled.
"What did you do, 'Dite?" demanded Artemis, her green eyes flashing in annoyance.
"Oh just catching up on a little work, you know .. a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do," she grinned.
The huntress gave her a suspicious look but refrained from pressing the matter. Movement caught her eye and she could see Caesar and a crowd of spectators, along with practically all of the Amazon contingent heading towards the fight pit and the main event of the evening, and leaving just eight warriors to safeguard their line of retreat. "C'mon," she said winking out in a shower of silvery green sparks closely followed by Aphrodite's pink and gold.
She had guessed that they were in for more than just mild amusement when the first pairing brought together two women who were balancing feathers on their noses and had their hands tied behind their backs. The object of the contest was to remove their opponents feather by blowing at it, while trying to keep your own balanced. It was a close fought contest that had lasted much longer than she had thought would be possible, a testimony to the combatants skills.
The next entertainment had involved five youths and a greased pig. The efforts of the competitors to catch the pig, soon had the Roman nobles shouting and hollering encouragement, in between making heavy wagers with each other about just who was going to be victorious. She grinned as she remembered the end of the match .. it was, in fact, the pig who won, leaving five exhausted boys in its wake.
She threw a glance at Caesar. Of all the people here, he was the only one not enjoying the spectacle, even the soldiers had grins plastered over their faces! But as the laughter grew louder, the Emperor's face grew commensurately darker, adding immeasurably to Ephiny's enjoyment of the whole programme.
Turning slightly to get a look at Graccus, the Regent could tell he was getting as much pleasure from the increasing grimness of Caesar's visage as she was, and took that to mean that the whole show was arranged for just that purpose. The senator had 'obviously' not appreciated being coerced into staging the re-match of Xena and Hercules at his party.
Ephiny swung a careful eye around the gallery of the pit. Unlike Caesar's and many of the newer examples, this pit was just basically a hole, bordered by a railing. It had no fancy safety precautions for guards, making it very easy for her Amazons to get close to the soldiers on security duty, and there was no elaborate box for favoured spectators to take their ease in .. everyone just found a place to watch that suited them. All in all it couldn't be more perfect.
Her attention was drawn back to Caesar as he growled over his shoulder to Graccus, "When are these children's games going to be over .. I have a wish to see a real fight." He was certain that the old senator had arranged these fooleries to deliberately anger and humiliate him. He scowled at the thought.
Graccus smiled placatingly, "As soon as these 'fighters' are finished, my lord."
Scowling again, Caesar turned back to the spectacle with ill humour. He wanted this over so he could pursue a far more entertaining evening, with the Amazon Queen eager to service his every whim. He'd waited far longer, for the chance to properly bed her, than he had for any other woman. And now that the time was drawing close, he could almost taste her on his lips once again, and his blood sang in expectation.
Looking at Ephiny, who was glowing with mirth, he found himself stirring to an uncomfortable degree. She turned and looked at him with a raised eyebrow disturbingly reminiscent of his dark, dangerous, slave, "Soon my sweet," he promised, but whether it was an oath to the Amazon or to Xena, he would have been hard pressed to say.
"Oh yeah," responded the Regent with enthusiasm, but she had her mind on an entirely different scenario to his.
The dwarves finished their show and trooped out of the pit. Within short moments, Hercules entered the arena to be followed, shortly after, by the familiar, chained, figure of Xena and her guards. Ephiny's eyes swung towards where she knew Gabrielle and Toris were standing just behind her to her right, and she saw them eagerly crane forward to gain their first look at the woman in moons. She offered a silent prayer to Artemis that neither would do something rash, before returning her focus of attention back to the dark haired warrior, who stood quietly rubbing her wrists and stretching away the effects of the shackles.
When Xena looked up, she knew that there was going to be trouble. Her blue eyes blazed with icy hatred and determination. She shivered at the spectre of death that she saw there and felt, rather than heard, Caesar's sharp intake of breath. Then the woman's eyes had turned away, allowing her to breathe again. Worriedly, she checked on her Roman escort, - Does he suspect something? -
Thinking quickly, the Regent said softly, "That woman truly hates me."
Caesar turned to look at her, then cast a look down to where his slave limbered up, "Don't worry, my love. "She's not going to ever get anywhere near you. She might hate you, but she's in no position to do anything about it."
Drawing a mental sigh of relief, Ephiny hoped she had done enough to distract Caesar's thoughts from the warrior's unguarded look, - God's Xena, do you ever owe me for all of this. - she thought for at least the hundredth time.
Her patience was beginning to wear a little thin as she sat there waiting. She wanted this over with. She wanted her friends and family safely out of Rome, and she wanted Caesar dead. She shifted restlessly rattling her chains and drawing instant tension from her guards, "Relax boys," she smiled mirthlessly, "just easing my muscles a bit. I got a big fight to win for your boss," she smirked. Hands remained tightly gripping their batons until she settled in place again.
Once more she drifted off in her thoughts getting lost in good memories, although she was instantly aware of the bar being removed from the heavy door, and looked up expectantly as Flaccus entered, "Get her up," he growled. "It's time."
Before they could move to pull her upright, she had stood in a smooth, graceful flow and was ready to follow the centurion out of the room as soon as he motioned her forward. On their way to the pit door, they passed a group of laughing and clowning dwarves who were making something of a commotion as they were herded off towards the holding cell.
"I've got some tough act to follow," she called to the small men.
"We've warmed them up for you, Lady!" shouted one.
"What you do with them now is up to you," laughed another.
"Thanks fellas," she grinned.
Flaccus scowled at her, "Keep you mouth shut, slave," he snarled. "After tonight you are going to learn some proper behaviour ... one way or another," he promised.
Upon entering the pit, Xena found, as before, Hercules already there and waiting for her. She glanced at him and locked eyes for a moment acknowledging the silent question of 'was she ready' with a slight inclination of her head. Ignoring Flaccus as he removed her restraints, the warrior tried to block out the excited, good humoured, buzz of the crowd, to locate the presence she could feel staring at her. Her eyes intense, she homed in on the masked gaze of a figure she knew to be Gabrielle, and beside her was, to her eyes, the unmistakable form of her brother.
With a slight quirk of her lips, she acknowledged that she'd seen them, before turning her attention to where Caesar and Ephiny stood close by. Her eyes burned with the cold fire that she had kept hidden and banked whilst unable to find an outlet for it, but now they blazed with an intensity that the Regent had seen only once before and Caesar had learned to fear.
Cursing herself silently for giving him cause for concern, she returned her attention to stretching and limbering up her stiff muscles, wanting to be as ready as possible for the fighting to come. She was aware of Flaccus and his goons gathering up her shackles and leaving the pit, and she used those few moment to check on the positions of the sentries in the gallery and almost smiled to see the proliferation of Amazons gathered in strategic spots ready to take them out. Finally the noise within the small arena quietened down and Xena straightened up looking back towards Caesar.
The dictator addressed his fellow guests, "This evening you are privileged to see two of the world's greatest gladiators. Heston, Queen Ephiny's champion from Themiscyra, and my slave, Xena." That brought enthusiastic applause. "Enjoy the spectacle, for it will be some time before you see its like again, for Queen Ephiny and her Amazons return to their home in three days, obviously taking the noble Heston with them, and my slave will not be performing for a while ... she is in need of some long overdue attitude adjustment."
That drew hearty laughter from the Roman nobility. "Therefore, I suggest you enjoy the fight and have fun with your wagering on this contest, to make amends for the sorry sport we have so far had." He turned his attention to the pair in the pit as the spectators once more chortled at his wit, ignoring Graccus' frown of displeasure, "Now let the combat begin," he ordered.
Xena advanced on Hercules, and shot out a couple of soft blows, allowing him to pull her in close, "How do you want to play this?" she hissed, as he enfolded her in his huge arms appearing to squeeze her in a bear hug. Keeping his head well down he answered softly enough to be heard by her acute hearing, yet to be drowned else by the loud yelling around them, "When you're ready, let out a battle cry. That's the signal for the Amazon's to neutralise the guards, and I'll give you a boost up out of here."
She mimed a vicious pair of blows to his ribs, in fact barely touching him, but Hercules acted the part, releasing her and allowing her to flip away from him. They circled warily. Xena threw some powerful looking punches that actually had the impact of powder-puffs, appearing to double Hercules up, before allowing him to take an arm which he used to pull her over him as he executed a controlled roll backwards, then continued to roll backwards himself to land straddled across her waist.
"How are you going to get out of here?" she demanded.
"Iolaus has a rope," he whispered as he appeared to be trying to strangle her.
"It'll take too long. I'll boost you out of the pit .. it's no trouble for me to flip out of here .. it'll be safer for both of us that way."
"Xena ..." he started to protest.
"No! she hissed at him .. we do it my way." her eyes blazed in warning, before she broke his grip on her neck and slammed him in the back with her knees, shooting him back over her head.
They turned to face each other once more. Her eyes looked a question and he gave a nod in agreement. With a quick look around, Xena screamed out her battlecry, "Ai,ai,ai,ai,ai,ai!" but instead of hurtling forward to attack as everyone expected, Hercules charged her, lodging his booted foot into her cupped hand as she propelled him up and out of the pit. With another wild yell, she took a couple of quick paces and launched herself into a high forward flip that landed her just behind Caesar.
Two solid punches brought down the two closest guards, taken utterly by surprise, and before her main target could react and draw his sword, she'd jabbed her fingers into his neck cutting off the flow of blood to his brain, "Game over!" she snarled as she watched the blood begin to trickle from his nostril.
"Xena?" tried Ephiny, reaching out a tentative hand only to have it shaken away.
The Warrior Princess watched the progress of her 'pinch' confident that the Amazons would take care of the business of neutralising the soldiers, leaving her to watch Caesar die slowly and painfully from lack of blood to his brain. She estimated he had just under 60 heartbeats to savour his agonizing death.
"Xena!" tried Gabrielle as she came up behind her friend.
Without taking her eyes from her erstwhile tormentor, who glared back at her with defiance, the warrior answered with calm coldness, "No, Gabrielle. He has to die, or we'll never be able to live our lives in peace again."
The bard was about to protest when Toris stepped into the debate, "Xena, you once showed me that murder was not the path of justice. You've worked hard to leave the path he started you down .. by killing him he wins. You'll be the murderer he helped forge .. again. Please, for us .. but more especially for yourself, don't do this. He'll meet his just rewards eventually."
They could see the war raging in the Warrior Princess' blue eyes. She so wanted to snuff out the life of the man that had caused her such heartache and pain. Part of her was yelling that if she let him live they'd only have to go through this again and she really didn't want her friends and family to suffer because of her.
And yet!
And yet she knew that if she killed him things would no longer be the same with Gabrielle, with Toris or any of her friends. They would have seen her returning to type and would always wonder about her .. about when she would resort to the quick fix of killing to solve her problems .. and if one day they would be the problem that needed to be fixed.
Letting out a wild yell of anger, frustration and hatred, her hands flashed forward releasing Caesar for the 'pinch' , letting him slowly collapse to the floor. The whole confrontation had just taken moments, and there was still a bloody struggle going on between the Amazons, the soldiers and Graccus' guests.
Delivering a sledgehammer punch to Caesar's temple to ensure he wouldn't be going anywhere too soon, she relieved him of his sword, and decided to wade into the fray. She had a lot of angst to work out and beating up on her Roman guards seemed as good as way of doing it as any. "Toris keep Gabrielle and Ephiny safe," she instructed before diving into the broiling mass of humanity, "And don't let Caesar go anywhere," she called back over her shoulder.
He picked his way through the still busy streets, unsurprised at the activity even though it was now deep into the long shadows of evening. Ever cautious, he took a circuitous route away from Caesar's palace, heading south east to pick up the Via Triumphalis before turning north west past the Circus Maximus, once he was sure he wasn't being followed, ending up in the Forum Boarium and then taking the street that headed west down to the docks where Nebula's ship awaited him.
By the time he made it to 'Wave Dancer' it was fully dark and he was completely satisfied that no one had tailed him there. Still being cautious, he slipped through the darkest shadows around the docks, avoiding any of Caesar's watchers that were still in place looking for him after his part in Xena's abortive escape attempt. He had decided that the best way to slip onto the ship would be to shin up one of the mooring ropes and enter through the hawser hole.
Checking carefully for hidden observers, he finally contented his innate caution and scurried quickly out of the shadows and across the open space of the dock, expertly shining up the rope, his added weight pulling on the slack in it causing the ship to move sluggishly in it's berth and bump softly against the stone of the dock. Within moments he was safely aboard the vessel and was about to breathe a sigh of relief, when cold metal pressed tight to his neck making him freeze in place.
"Well, well, what do we have here?" growled an unfriendly voice.
He had often made use of the children before when he had need to collect supplies from various merchants around the city. He liked to get them out of the palace when he could to give them a chance to experience the world beyond their master's walls, and to get them away from harsh overseers. This excursion would appear a little unusual .. he had far more helpers than was normal, and it was a little late to be venturing into the city on a 'shopping' trip, but no one at the palace had any reason to be suspicious of his intentions and he was a highly trusted member of the Caesar's staff.
He had resolved to tell the children nothing of his plans, believing that if they knew about what he had in mind they would show too much excitement or fear. He had therefore explained to them, as he did to any guard interested enough to ask, that he had received word of a shipment of medical supplies that had arrived down at the docks and needed to be picked up.
When one overly inquisitive soldier had asked, "Why do you need so many brats for the job?" he had been ready with a glib reply.
"It's a large shipment and since all of our adult slaves have their appointed tasks, it's easier for me to take the children than it is for me to chase down overseers to find one willing to release their strong workers."
"What do you need the stick for?" growled the soldier pointing to the staff with his chin.
"There's a large box that's got to be collected. Two of the lads can carry it back between them if they sling it on this pole," Patroclese explained.
The reply had been a grunt and an admonishment not to be too late in getting back, "It'll be dark very soon and shepherding those brats in the city won't be an easy task. Do you want a couple of guards to go with you?"
Patroclese had smiled easily although his heart beat had suddenly felt like a hammer in his chest, "I doubt that any of you fellows will be happy traipsing around the city at this time, at least not with a bunch of slave kids .. no, I thank you for the thought, but the slaves are used to doing this task for me and I've never had a problem with any of them."
"Suit yourself," replied the guard in a bored tone, "Just don't come whining to me if you lose one of them."
The healer forced a natural sounding laugh at the prospect and waved a farewell, ushering the children before him encouraging them with, "Come on, the quicker we get to that merchant ship, the quicker we can get back to our chores here," and received a chorus of good natured groans in return.
Once away from the imposing palace, the children allowed their exuberance to come to the fore. All of them loved the chance to do work for Patroclese. The healer was never stern or harsh with them and frequently allowed extra time on outings, such as this, for the young slaves to let off steam and enjoy the tenuous feel of freedom from their bondage. On many occasions he had used his own coin to buy sweetmeats as a rare treat for them and had earned their trust, respect and love as no one else in Caesar's household could.
With the youngest of the slave children laughing and singing as they skipped along under the more watchful eyes of the older members of the group, Patroclese patiently ushered his charges down to the docks where he was fully aware that the ship, that the Amazons had arrived on, lay berthed.
He took a far more direct route than the one Autolycus had selected .. after all his business was legitimate, but due to the length of time it had taken to gather his 'helpers' and because he had no wish to hurry them and make this seem like anything other than a normal, if late, trip out, it was in fact well after darkness had fallen that they finally reached the ship he sought.
"Tempting proposition," came the reply and the knife seemed to tighten at his exposed throat, "Especially as I'm Nebula, so you can't be .. that makes you, along with being a liar, either a stowaway, a Roman spy ... or a thief."
Autolycus knew that she had deliberately misunderstood his previous words so as to prolong her fun at his expense, "C'mon Nebula we don't really have time for silly games," he entreated, swallowing hard as the knife continued to press against him and wondering how Iolaus ever managed to put up with the woman's harassment.
"Oh, I don't know about that, lover," she breathed huskily into his ear, "it's going to be some while before the others get here, and I'm certain I can have some fun with my captured Roman spy."
The King of Thieves resisted the temptation to squeak as he answered, "I'm not a Roman."
"Well that must mean you're a stowaway," she retorted with a chuckle and I have very special ways of dealing with those."
"Damn it Nebula!" he swore, beginning to lose his temper despite the close proximity of the knife. He was beginning to feel uncomfortable on his knees before her, and just knew there were a bevy of Amazons close by who were probably stuffing fists down their throats to stop themselves howling with laughter at his predicament.
"So if you're not a stowaway .. and you're not a spy," she said slowly as she drew the sharp blade over his exposed flesh, making him close his eyes and pray she had a steady hand, "that must mean you're a thief!" she growled, "and I hang thieves on principle!"
"Sheesh, Nebula! Cut me some slack here. I've just finished retrieving some goods from Caesar's palace .. at no little danger to myself, I might point out .. so I can do without the warlord/captive routine. Now are you going to let me up?"
"I just knew you were a thief," laughed the pirate captain, "Condemned from your own mouth and bound to swing from my yardarm."
"Nebula!" complained Autolycus in mortification as the Amazons finally couldn't hold in their laughter any longer.
"Oh, c'mon Autolycus," grinned Nebula as she finally let the thief up, "It was only a bit of fun."
"For you maybe," grumbled the butt of her joke. "But you weren't the one with a knife at your throat," he grimaced running a hand over his offended flesh in an unconscious act to check if it was still whole.
The pirate's grin just widened as she slapped him on the shoulder and demanded, "So just what have you been up to you thief?"
"Well I just went and collected some things that Xe..." he began but was interrupted by a shout from shore just as he registered the babble of childish voices.
"Hello the deck," called a voice that Autolycus thought he recognised, but wasn't sure just from where."
Nebula stepped over to the rails and called down, "Yes? What can I do for you?"
Patroclese glanced cautiously around him, knowing full well that there was likely to be at least one observer in the area, "Can we come aboard? I'd appreciate speaking to the captain without having to shout myself hoarse."
Nebula thought carefully about the situation. The man obviously didn't want to shout his message so that just anyone could hear what he had to say, and he hardly looked threatening, - At least not with a bunch of kids with him, he doesn't, - she decided, "Alright .. you can come ahead .. but leave the kids down there. I don't need my decks messed up by them." What she really didn't want was to have to keep track of a bunch of inquisitive children.
Patroclese nodded and gave a few quiet instructions to Mattin. As he watched, Autolycus finally remembered that the young man he was watching was the same one that had accosted him in Caesar's palace earlier that evening. As he watched the young man quickly scrambling up the gangplank, he leaned over to Nebula and whispered, "He was in Caesar's palace earlier. He wanted to know what I was doing there."
"What did you tell him," she asked quietly.
"That I was delivering a message," he answered, and in truth he had been. Just not one that Caesar would have wanted.
"Lets see what he has to say," the captain, suggested as the blonde man was conducted towards her by an Amazon escort, "That can't do any harm." She turned her attention to the visitor, "I'm the captain of 'Wave Dancer'. What can I do for you?"
"My name is Patroclese," he began and saw the immediate stiffening of Nebula's posture, and saw the Amazons reaching for their weapons, why they hadn't recognised him he didn't know. He presumed it was bad light, or maybe no one had taken much notice of him at Themiscyra, "I see you've heard of me," he commented with wry self-deprecation.
"We have," growled a belligerent Autolycus, from behind the pirate captain's shoulder.
"Ah yes," the healer quirked a grim smile, "I'm sorry we didn't introduce ourselves earlier, Autolycus. Is the lovely captain the girlfriend you were referring to earlier?" He asked politely, seeing an amused look appear on Nebula's face and a chagrined one on the thief's. He hefted the staff in his and a little before passing it to the thief, "You forgot this when you collected Xena's possessions," he informed him, "It's Gabrielle's."
"Just what is it you want here?" demanded Nebula.
Taking a quick look around at the scowling Amazon crew members who were scattered close by watching proceedings with interest, Patroclese took a deep breath and told her, "I know what you're planning. I know you intend to break Xena loose tonight."
He was met by a cold silence, "Just what makes you THINK that?" questioned the dark sailor with quiet menace.
"Because I know the ties that she has to the Amazons .. through Gabrielle being Queen and Ephiny and many others being her friends," he told them, aware that he was in real danger, especially as he recognised the threatening movements from the lurking Amazons, the tenseness of the ship's captain and the King of Thieves. "I never told Caesar what I knew," he hurriedly put in, "but with Autolycus taking Xena's things tonight, and there was a strange feeling of .. expectation," he tried to explain what he had sensed, "around Xena. I knew that you would try to take her from Rome tonight."
"Why should we believe anything you say?" insisted Nebula coldly, "everyone here knows that you've already betrayed our friends once. how do we know that you're not playing your master's game again," she almost spat the words out with contempt.
"Because there'd be a legion swarming this area. Do you honestly think that Caesar would risk any of you getting away if he was aware of what was going on?" the healer asked plaintively, "All other considerations aside, he would have made certain that there was no ship ready and waiting to get Xena out of Rome should she manage to get away from his guards."
"He has a point there," muttered Autolycus.
Nebula considered for a moment, "Do you think you could slip off the ship and scout the around to see if any soldiers have slipped into the area behind you?" she asked the thief.
"Please!" he answered, a note of disgust in his tone.
"Don't get caught," the pirate admonished as she watched Autolycus retrace his steps and exit the way he had come aboard earlier. She noted that he didn't even bother to respond to her quip .. unless you could call an outraged groan a response. Grinning to herself, Nebula turned back to the healer, "What's with all the kids?" she nodded her head to the slave children waiting patiently on the docks.
"I found out that Caesar had ordered that many of them would be crucified if Xena should successfully escape at any time. He's been having them flogged for any transgressions in Xena's behaviour and I know he'll kill them, purely because he knows it will hurt her."
"Does Xena know about this?" asked the seawoman, her tone hard.
"I told her a few days ago." Patroclese swallowed, his throat tense and dry, "Look, I can't stand by and watch innocent children die a horrible death. You've got to take them with you when you leave or Caesar will kill them."
"When did your stomach develop this tendency towards delicateness? It seems to me you weren't so compassionate when you were involved in the capture of the warrior and the bard," snarled Nebula.
The healer drew a deep breath, "Look," he said, "I was wrong. All I knew were the harrowing tales of a demon in the form of a woman who was hungry to slaughter anyone who stood in her path. At the time it seemed that I was doing the world a favour. I thought that removing one more blood thirsty warrior was a good thing."
"How did you justify the bard to yourself?" asked the pirate her voice laced with heavy sarcasm, "Let me guess. Gabrielle was Xena's friend so she must have been as tainted by blood as the warlord?"
"Essentially yes," agreed Patroclese. "But when I met them and began to get to know them I started having doubts."
"Not enough to abandon your master's plan, though," sneered Nebula.
"No," agreed the young man honestly. "I have served Caesar all my life. I have never before even thought about going against his orders."
"So why now? Just because of a bunch of slave children?"
"They are a big part of it," he conceded. "They have done nothing to deserve such a grisly fate other than being slaves. Xena on the other hand has earned her execution many times over, and even Gabrielle .. for collaborating with the Warrior Princess, could justly be considered to have earned being crucified under Roman law." He paused before saying, "But ...." and drifting into uneasy silence.
"But?" prompted the captain.
Shaking his head slightly Patroclese continued, "But both Xena and Gabrielle have earned my admiration and respect .. particularly Xena who I have spent a lot of time with over the past three moons. I have tried hard not to think this, but I can't help believing that both of them deserve better than what Caesar has planned for them."
"So you're turning traitor?"
He gave the barest nod and confirmed softly, "I suppose that is what I am doing .. yes." A rather haunted look appeared in his eyes as he looked down at the children, "Just take them with you. I know Xena won't leave without them .. she wouldn't abandon innocents to suffer in her place. I'll return to my lord's palace and await my just punishment."
Nebula frowned at the young man ready to sacrifice himself for his ideals. She began to speak, but stilled her voice when she recognised the thief's return once more, "Well?" she demanded curtly.
"Unless Caesar's soldiers have learnt how to make themselves totally invisible, he's telling the truth."
Nodding as if it was no more than she expected, she turned back to Patroclese and told him, "Bring them on board, but don't you go anywhere. I want to see what the others say before I let you run back to your master." She flicked her eyes at a couple of the Amazons to accompany him, not yet willing to trust the healer. "What do you think?" she asked Autolycus as they watched him move down to the dock and gather together the band of slave children.
"Gabrielle thinks he has a good heart," responded the thief.
Nebula gave him a long look, "That's not what I asked."
Autolycus gave the healer an appraising look before allowing his eyes to sweep over the kids as they scrambled up the gangplank, "I think that if Caesar has indeed threatened the lives of some or all of those children, nothing will make Xena leave Rome without them." He sighed, "All we can do is keep them here until the others arrive. If we get them below and feed them, the Amazons can keep an eye on them." He thought for a moment, "We could also send a message to Ephiny to let her know about this turn of events."
The pirate nodded her agreement, "That matches my thinking on it .. so you're not just a pretty face," she smiled assessingly.
Autolycus returned her predatory look with a roguish grin, "As Xena would say .. I have many skills."
Leaning on her borrowed staff, Gabrielle watched the fighting with a critical eye. She knew she struggled to write good fight descriptions when she chronicled their adventures, but she really wanted to do this one justice. A glance at Ephiny and Toris told her that neither one was happy with their instructions, but the presence of Caesar soon drew soldiers into their proximity and gave both the Regent and her partner's brother more than enough hostile adversaries to deal with to keep them happy.
According to plan, a squad of twenty warriors under Malonda's direction had concentrated on rounding up the civilian spectators, herding them into a guarded pocket near the gallery's entrance. A further ten warriors had secured that entrance against anyone attempting to leave .. or join the fight. If things had gone well, Eponin would have left four warriors to barricade the door to the holding pens, frustrating Flaccus and his men's attempts at linking with the rest of their unit, while the remainder of her command would sweep the house and detain all other guests and slaves so that word of what was going on didn't escape.
Keeping an eye on the situation around her, as well as checking now and then to make sure that Caesar was still unconscious, the bard began to take mental notes on how the fight was progressing. She easily spotted the towering form of Hercules who had teamed up with a short looking Amazon that just had to be Iolaus. Together they were wreaking sustained havoc, using their fists, wits and synchronised timing to bludgeon persistent soldiers into submission. She winced in sympathy when one luckless legionnaire was hoisted high into the air above the demi-god's head, and sent plummeting down into the pit below to land in a crashing tangle with a group of Flaccus' men who had found their exit from the holding area barred by a heavy, locked door courtesy of Eponin and her group.
"That's gotta hurt," she grinned as she watched the luckless soldier groan and collapse into the sand as his colleagues pulled themselves together and scrambled to their feet looking for a way to join the melee taking place above them.
Flaccus appeared below them and, efficient officer that he was, started to organise his men, sending several off on errands before standing and glaring up at the debacle taking place above him, "Legionnaires!" he bellowed, "Close formation! Find and protect the General!"
"Hera's heels!" cursed the bard as she saw his words begin to take effect and the disciplined Roman soldiers started to reform and attack in fighting wedges that the more lightly armed and armoured Amazons had trouble countering. A glance told her that Ephiny and Toris had been joined by ten Amazons determined to keep their Queen and Regent safe at all costs. So far they had managed to keep a tight cordon around Gabrielle and Caesar, but more of the Romans were trying to converge on the area and rescue their leader.
A frantic search showed that Xena was being hard pressed by soldiers as she stood over the prone body of an Amazon - No. Not an Amazon, - her mind informed her, "Joxer!" she said with quiet intensity.
Pent up rage fuelled her waltz through the enemy, cutting her off from the pain of the occasional scratch that made it through her defences for she knew that she could not afford to hold back the dark killer within her. These soldiers would not willingly surrender. The knowledge that should she escape meant that many of them would suffer death by Crucifiction for dereliction of duty, spurred them forward continuously: they faced death either way. Far better to die as a warrior than to be reviled and face the death of a criminal!
A familiar figure wearing Amazon clothing appeared in her line of sight. She had no trouble identifying the inept warrior as he did his best to prove his worth to his friends by helping with fighting .. a task he was supremely not cut out for. She saw him slip clumsily, luck taking him under the pointed thrust of his opponent, but before he could scramble away, the Roman forced him to his back and prepared to deliver the downward stabbing stroke that would be sure to end her friends life.
A wicked slash of her own sword tore out her opponent's throat and covered her with the hot stickiness of his fountaining blood. Without more thought the Warrior Princess threw herself into a dive that tackled the legionnaire, standing above the downed Joxer, shoving him back and away as he began his downward thrust with his weapon.
Xena felt the burning pain of the sword as it entered her back below her left shoulder. She had a moment to be grateful for the fact that the force of her body hitting the Roman's had thrown off not only the direction of the thrust but also the power. Instead of having two feet of steel shoved through her spine, she suffered a deep gash, painful and bloody, but not debilitating ... yet!
She felt the soldier pull the weapon back for another attempt at felling her and winced at the pain as she felt steel grate against bone. Not being in a position to use her own blade, she swung back her fist and smashed it into the soldiers jaw, her always thunderous blow given added impact from the weight of the sword hilt she held. As the punch landed she felt the disintegration of the man's jaw and knew that this particular Roman would not be rejoining the fray.
As she heaved herself upright she heard Flaccus' bellowed orders while registering the fact that Joxer had managed to get tangled in a couple of bodies that littered the ground around them, "You okay?" she demanded, as she fended off another attacker.
"F..fine," he managed as he struggled to get up.
"Then get off your butt and go help Gabrielle keep an eye on Caesar for me," she snarled as she parried the lunge of a soldier and swayed to her right to avoid another attacker.
"S..sure thing Xena." He at last managed to extricate himself and turned to head for the bard's position, before he looked back and said, "Thanks for saving me. It's good to have you back again."
"Not now Joxer," she growled as she ducked an impatient slash, "Later."
Nodding his agreement, the wannabe warrior made his way to the cordon of Amazons around Gabrielle, avoiding getting skewered with a series of trips, slips and accidental spins that provided the perfect ungainly counterpoint to the Warrior Princess' graceful movement.
Hoping that Joxer would be alright, but not being able to track his movements due to her adversaries who were doggedly demanding her full attention. A lighting thrust and vicious swipe sent the pair clattering backwards until she could yell her own orders, "Amazons! Regroup around the Queen!" She threw a look across to the other side of the pit and caught Hercules' eye, "You and Iolaus hold that side and I'll hold this!" she yelled above the noise of the battle.
Preparing herself as the Roman's organised into small mobile wedges of five men, she was startled to find a tall Amazon standing at her shoulder .. - No, not an Amazon! - she realised, "Damn it Toris! I thought I told you to stay with Gabrielle!" she swore as she picked up the fight once more, refusing to give ground to the soldiers before her.
"You can't hold this side alone!" he grunted back at her as he engaged a Roman, "And Mother told me to bring you home safe!" He grinned at the incredulous look his sister gave him.
After that they had no time for more conversation as they battled against the frantic soldiers who were determined to rescue their emperor or die.
He'd nearly burst his sides holding in the laughter as he saw Xena catapult the demi-god out of the pit, and follow him out with one of her characteristic flips and a battlecry. He'd won several bets on that event, including one with Hercules who had insisted that he'd boost their friend out into a safe area and follow after. He had known that Xena wouldn't go for that, and he'd been proven right! - Ooops! Concentrate Iolaus! - he reminded himself as he felt the sharp graze of a sword slicing across his biceps.
He slipped back into the familiar routine of complimenting Hercules' power with his own speed and agility. With the Amazons snapping around the edges and the Romans disorganised and with no strong commander, they were making good progress towards bringing things to a speedy conclusion. It was at that point that a hard bitten, veteran soldier had issued loud, crisp commands to the men fighting along the gallery. There was a general disengagement as legionnaires reformed and advanced once more in organised formations that were proving difficult to counter.
He'd looked up when Xena had shouted out her orders and had seen Hercules nod his agreement. Then they were plunged into the thick of the fighting once again. The demi-god grabbed two of the closing soldiers, one in either hand, and swung them into each other in a clatter of armour stunning them, before hoisting them onto his shoulders and using their bodies to batter their comrades into submission.
Iolaus was not idle during this. Not having the brute power of his best friend, the blonde warrior relied on his speed and agility to duck blows, get out of tight scrapes, and deliver flashing attacks with fists, feet and if all else failed, his head. Between the two of them, they were making heavy inroads into their Roman attackers, with many of the vanquished soldiers being tossed over the edge of the pit into the growing numbers below.
Risking a glance across the pit, Iolaus saw Xena and Toris working together in bloody tandem as they fought with ferocity and uncompromising steel. The Warrior Princess was covered in crimson gore as she savagely pared down the ranks of the Romans. The blonde knew that most of the blood would be her opponents, but undoubtedly some was her own, yet if she was hurt it didn't show as her fighting skills remained undiminished.
Launching himself at three legionaries trying to break past them, Iolaus grabbed tightly to one man, while scissoring his legs around a second man's throat. He dealt with the one in the middle by the simple expedient of head butting him. "Ow!" he yelped as his forehead connected with the legionnaire's helmet, but the force was enough to daze the man. Keeping his legs tightly locked, he pummelled the first man into submission by repeatedly punching him in the face until he dropped unconscious. As he dropped the weight of his own body towards the floor, the blonde gave a sharp twist with his legs and sent the third man sailing out over the gallery railing into the pit below.
Bouncing to his feet, Iolaus couldn't help but grin. He enjoyed this and he hadn't had any decent action since his and Toris' little skirmish in Pisae. Thinking of Toris, he chanced another glance in the direction of the tall dark haired man and his sister. - He's good, - he acknowledged to himself as he saw Toris run an opponent through with an extended lunge, taking the Roman out as he was about to get a free shot at Xena. - They work well together, - he decided as he watched, - Xena takes most of the heat protecting Toris who works around the edges mopping up any danger to her. Seems to be a comfortable, well used combination. -
"Iolaus! Look out!" yelled Hercules as a soldier charged him.
Without conscious thought, the blonde twisted to one side, feeling the blade score a shallow gash across his abdomen as he did so. As the Roman was carried past on the momentum of his charge and thrust, Iolaus crashed a fist into his armoured ribs and when the soldier doubled up, floored him with a double handed downward punch. "Thanks Herc," he acknowledged, shaking his right hand which he'd bruised on the soldiers armour.
"Anytime, pal," came the reply, "Now lets get this mopped up so we can go home."
"Sure thing!" agreed the blonde, launching himself back into the melee.
As more and more of the legionaries went down, Ephiny despatched a couple of hands (the bard had learned that an Amazon fighting unit of a hand consisted of five warriors) to throw the battle's debris into the pit, knowing that it would frustrate Flaccus' efforts in trying to get out of there to join the fight, while having the added benefit of ensuring that neither Xena, Toris, Hercules, nor Iolaus, stumbled over downed men.
All of the civilians were in a huddled, cowed mass and were causing no problems that their Amazon guards couldn't handle. Gabrielle noted the rather wry grimace on Graccus' face as he observed the riotous shambles that his party had become. She couldn't stifle a grin and she wished she could invite him to a real Amazon celebration so that he could see what a real riot was! There were occasional complaints from the more outraged members of that penned group, but nothing that Malonda and her cohorts couldn't handle.
She had seen Eponin arrive at the doorway and she had given the thumbs up sign to signal that all was secured and that they had managed to prevent anyone from leaving. She couldn't fail to see the wistful expression on the Weapon Master's face as she enviously watched the combat taking place before recalling her own duties and heading back into the palace to double check that everything was under control.
It was becoming more and more obvious that the Romans were beaten and Gabrielle heaved a sigh of relief, knowing that they were one step closer to achieving what they had set out to do. But her intense interest in the fight going on around her almost led to disaster as she completely forgot about Caesar.
He cracked open an eye to try and get his bearings. From what he could see, from his prone position, his men were losing badly! The grunts and cries and howls that rang through the chamber made a tumultuous din that really intensified the ache in his skull, but he had little care for either that or his dying men as he wracked his brain for a way to regain control of the situation.
Looking up he recognised the presence of Ephiny as she directed her Amazons in several different tasks. She seemed more concerned with ensuring that her perimeter was secure than with watching over her prisoner, - Which means that someone else must have that honour, - he told himself.
Carefully turning his head he found an Amazon standing beside him leaning confidently on a staff. He tracked his eyes up the short muscular body to the back of her head .. her attention obviously on the battle around them .. and recognised the red/gold hair of the bard. - Bad mistake, Gabrielle, - he said to himself, - You should never, ever, take your eyes off a dangerous prisoner! -
Moving his hand slowly he inched towards one of the stiletto's he kept in his boots. Feeling a sense of relief when his hand closed around the hilt, he slowly pulled it from its sheath and prepared to move decisively. Once he had the blade pressed to the bard's throat he could call this farce to an end. Xena would be quickly put back in chains and the Amazon contingent could be dealt with. The thought of having Ephiny entirely under his control almost made his lick his lips in anticipation.
Judging that it was time for his move, Caesar tensed his muscles and forced himself from the floor, reaching for Gabrielle, knife ready in his hand. But as he gained his feet there was a dazzling flash of gold and green light and he found himself facing an intense seeming Amazon sighting down the length of a deadly looking arrow ready to fire at point blank range.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," she told him. "Unless you're looking to spend the rest of your life as a pig!" she quirked a mischievous smile, "Although that might actually be an improvement for you!"
The goddess gave the bard a grin, "Good to see you looking so well, my Chosen," she replied making Gabrielle flush with embarrassment. Caesar started to move, only to be threatened again by the huntress, "Back off, or you'll be sorry," she warned.
"Just who do you think you are?" snapped the Roman angrily. "You have no right interfering between me and my slave."
He received a burning look followed by the cold words of the goddess, "I'm Artemis. Gabrielle is my Chosen and Queen of the Amazons .. my people," she informed him tartly, "So that gives me all the rights I need to justify my actions to the other Gods. I do not need to justify myself to you, mortal!"
"She's the Queen?" he looked at Gabrielle with total disbelief. "But I thought Ephiny ...."
Smirking smugly the bard informed him, "Eph's the Regent of the Amazons. She rules in my place while Xena and I sort out the scum of the earth .. like you." She got a glare for that.
"I suggest that you order your men to surrender before they're all killed," instructed Artemis. "I want this over so that my Amazons can go home."
The sounds of hard fighting still echoed through the chambers, although it had considerably lessened and a quick glance was enough to inform Gabrielle that Xena and her friends had almost crushed the Roman resistance against them. She wasn't certain that Caesar had realised that yet, but she saw a calculating look spring into the Roman's eyes, "By all means .. take your Amazons back to Greece. You can even have the irritating blonde. But Xena is mine and she stays here."
"You have guts, I'll grant you that. Spilling them could be fun!" she told him coldly, "I haven't had a good mortal hunt for a long while, and I might just indulge myself if you persist in trying my patience. Do you have a preferred animal form, by the way, or shall I pick one for you?" she inquired with cold menace. A hog might be fun! I haven't been pig sticking for a long while ... then again a good chase after a stag is always entertaining, especially when the hounds rip it apart at the end of the hunt!"
Caesar had turned a pallid white colour. He had little doubt that the huntress was being entirely candid with him and he could almost image the fangs of the dogs as they ripped his throat out. He swallowed hard. He hated to be threatened and his ego wasn't about to cave in just yet, "You can't do that to me ... I'm the leader of Rome! The rest of the gods would never stand for such interference."
She grinned maliciously, "Yeah, well it would be too late for you by the time they got around to yelling at me. I'd survive. You wouldn't."
"I'm needed here," protested the Roman shakily.
"Well Xena is needed in Greece and she'll be going home with the Amazons .. it's up to you whether you still want to be alive when she leaves." Artemis informed him pointedly as she sighted the arrow between his eyes.
"You have no right to interfere with Xena's situation. She isn't an Amazon and Mars has agreed that she's mine!" snarled back Caesar.
"Ares is not exactly one of our Father's favourites at the moment, and two goddess' outrank one god," retorted Artemis acidly.
Looking pointedly around area, the Roman sneered and answered, "I only see one of you."
Before the Goddess of the Hunt could respond a burst of pink and gold heralded the arrival of Aphrodite who greeted the situation with, "Everyone needs to chill out! This whole gig's become a real bust." She blew into her hand and a shower of glittering sparkles burst forth filling the chamber. "There!" she smiled with satisfaction, "That should take care of things."
Artemis glanced around and could see all the fight going out of the situation, not only amongst the warriors (who appeared to have ended their resistance anyway), but also amongst the grumbling, angry guests of Graccus who had suddenly found something else to interest them. "'Dite? What did you do? I hope you haven't done anything to my Amazons?" the tone was mildly threatening.
"Don't be a muffin head, Arte .. I just laid a little lurve on the guys and Roman gals, ya know?" she giggled, "I didn't include stud muffin, here," she indicated Caesar, "but the rest of his toy soldiers are gonna want to make love not war for quite a while." The huntress gave her an amused look, "What?" Aphrodite demanded.
Taking a look around at what was going on, Artemis grinned wryly and answered, "There are gonna be some unhappy people here," she informed her sister cryptically.
Aphrodite shrugged, "Bummer! Not my problem."
"I'm making it your problem," growled a darkly threatening voice from behind her. "Un-zap my brother .. or else," snarled Xena, unamused that Toris had acquired a sudden urge to seduce and ravish any and all of Ephiny's Amazons. She held his neck in an iron grip ignoring his futile struggling.
"Sorry, sweet cheeks," smiled the Goddess of Love with reckless abandon, "Not part of the deal."
"Make it part of the deal, Aphrodite," growled a deeply masculine voice.
"Hercola," greeted the blonde goddess happily, "What's up?"
Moving into view, Hercules kept a firm hand on Iolaus' arm as his friend lusted desperately after the women around him, "Fix it!" he ordered flatly.
"Yeah!" snarled Gabrielle who was doing her best to fend off a very amorous Joxer.
"Aw! They look so cute! Especially Curly," she grinned at Iolaus.
"Aphrodite!" growled her brother warningly, while being deeply grateful that his demi-god status seemed to be protecting him from the 'affliction' conjured up by the Goddess of Love's power.
"Oh, that is so not fair!" she stamped her foot petulantly. "Try to do a favour and everyone ends up moaning."
"Just fix it, Aphrodite," commanded an adamant Hercules, noticing that Gabrielle was just about getting ready to brain Joxer.
Pouting, the Goddess of love blew sparkling kisses in the direction of Iolaus, Toris and Joxer. The first two blinked, shuddered, stopped struggling and were able to assure their respective captors that they were alright once again. Joxer, on the other hand, didn't stop his pursuit of Gabrielle until she struck him firmly on the head with her borrowed staff.
"Ow!" he complained, "What didya do that for?" he moaned as he rubbed the lump rising on his skull.
"Just knocking a little sense back into you," grinned the bard.
Caesar shook of his bewilderment at the latest turn in events and contemplated making a grab for the bard again. He fingered the hilt of his dagger, finding the metal a reassuring element in a world that had suddenly descended into madness. Everyone's attention seemed to be somewhere else for the moment, which meant that this could be his only chance.
"I wouldn't if I were you," growled Artemis, "I'm sure that you wouldn't like life in the sty!" She nodded to herself as she saw him relax, "Just accept you've lost and maybe you'll get out of this both alive and still a human." She made a motion of her head to Ephiny and the Regent assigned two of her Amazons to relieve the Roman of his dagger and hold his arms firmly. the Huntress relaxed the tension on her taught bow.
"You gods are not supposed to meddle in mortal affairs!" he snarled, frustration and anger blazing from him.
"Dah!" Put in Aphrodite, "Get a grip slick! That's, like, what we do! There has to be some perks to the job .. 'cause I'm telling ya that listening to endless complaints about love lives ain't no picnic!"
"Speaking of which," chimed in Ephiny with a frown, "I think you and I need to talk, Aphrodite."
"Later cutie. We've both got things to do now," squirmed the love goddess.
"Expect to hear from me," warned the Regent.
Ignoring the by-play, the raven haired warrior growled coldly, "Well, thank you for you help, ladies, but no thanks. We were taking care of this situation on our own and we didn't ask for you to interfere."
"Ex-squeeze me!" responded the pink clad goddess indignantly, "But in case you didn't realise, warrior babe, we just pulled your butt out of the fire."
"I think we managed okay without your help," came the Warrior Princess' retort, she hated owing anything to the gods.
"When? After you'd made shish kebabs of those guys and got yourself cut up in the process?" demanded Aphrodite.
"Like I said .. we were managing fine. Now if you'd excuse us, I've got some unfinished business with my old friend, Julius!" Her eyes were cold and uncompromising. She pushed past the loose fringe of Amazons and intended to brush past Artemis when the goddess' arm barred her way.
"Leave him Xena. It's not part of your destiny to kill him here," Artemis told her.
Glowering at the goddess the warrior snarled, "Forget it Artemis, I've let him run loose far too long. But I'll give him a sporting chance .. him against me in a fair fight to the death."
"Xena!" the bard interjected plaintively.
Not even looking at her friend, the dark brooding warrior returned, "No Gabrielle. If we leave Rome with him still alive we'll never be free of him. This way, his death .. or mine will finish things. It's the only way you and our friends are ever going to be safe."
"I can't allow this, Xena," Artemis told her calmly. "Many lines of fate are tangled here today. You cutting out one of the most important ones in not an option."
"I'm not asking for your approval, Artemis! Now stand aside, before I move you aside!" The warrior's tone had gone flat and cold, causing shivers to trail up and down many of the observer's spines.
"Herc!" hissed Iolaus urgently, "Do something."
Assessing the situation, Hercules considered what he could actually do here, and decided that he would have to wait for things to develop further, "Not yet," he told his friend, "Let's just see what happens."
Artemis turned and faced the Warrior Princess squarely, "Champion of my Queen .. you will obey my direction in this matter," she intoned firmly, allowing a faint glow to radiate from herself and engulf Xena. There was a feeling of compulsion as the glow touched the dark warrior's skin .. a feeling that Xena fought tooth and nail to shake off. "As Queen's Champion you are subject to my will in this matter," persisted Artemis, "and I will have obedience."
It felt as if a crushing force was being exerted upon her shoulders, trying to press her to her knees before the Amazon Goddess. Xena refused to submit to the pressure and beads of sweat decorated her brow as continued to stand and defy Artemis' will, "I am not your subject or plaything," gritted out the stubborn woman. "I kneel to no man or god .. not Caesar .. not you!"
On an instant the glow and the compulsion were gone to be replace by a grudging smile on Artemis' lips, "By Zeus' beard, you're arrogant, Warrior Princess. My Queen chose well when she chose you as protector."
"I'm so glad I meet with your approval," snarled Xena sarcastically.
Aphrodite leaned over to her sister and whispered loud enough for all to hear, "Told ya she was stubborn!"
Frowning, Xena decided to ignore that and attempted to move past Artemis once more, only to be blocked by her arm again, "This is getting old," she muttered to herself, "What now?"
"We still can't let you waste the guy, warrior babe," shrugged the blonde goddess, "Not part of the contract."
Caesar laughed mirthlessly, "Well Xena! Looks like when these ladies go home we get to play again!" He grinned at her scowl, "You might want to think carefully about becoming a runaway slave, or for that matter killing me. I have left very explicit instructions about the execution of those children you were getting to know at the whipping post each evening."
If he was hoping that his information was going to faze her, he was sorely disappointed, "I already know about it, Julius," she sneered, "You're going to sign a document of ownership over to Ephiny for them .. you just lost them in a wager."
He shook his head, "What incentive do I have to do that?" he queried, "After all, you've already told everyone here that you intend to kill me."
"That's true," she agreed, pressing against the obstruction imposed by the goddess, "What I didn't say was how I'd do it! Your choice, Julius. It can be quick and painless or long and very, very painful."
"Tut tut, Xena! That vicious warlord you pretend doesn't exist anymore, really is never far from the surface, is it?" he asked rhetorically. "As I see it," the Roman continued smoothly, "they're not going to let you kill me anyway. So I'll ask again. Are you going to abandon those poor innocent children to their fate?"
"You're a cold blooded bastard!" swore the warrior, still having no luck at pushing past Artemis. Anger glowing from her icy eyes, Xena stepped back a couple of feet as if giving in to the goddess' will before, startlingly, launching herself into a high forward tuck flip, that took her past the two goddess' and landed her directly in front of Caesar. "No more games, Julius," she growled, "You're mine!"
His eyes flickered with momentary fear before his gaze hardened on the sword she held menacingly, "Do your worst, slave, you'll live knowing that you condemned eight innocent souls to death with me."
"Xena! Don't!" pleaded Gabrielle, who could see the mad killing light in her friends eyes, a light that she had last seen when the Warrior Princess had attacked the Amazon village.
"Xena," warned Hercules, beginning to move forward.
"For the love of Lyceus! Don't Xena!" tried Toris.
None of them made any impression upon the Warrior Princess who had finally convinced herself that for her family and friend's safety, as well as for the sake of the world, Caesar had to be stopped .. here .. now! For the good of all, even if the act sealed her own fate and condemned her to Tartarus forever. Before Artemis, or any other, could move the dark warrior raised the Roman's own weapon against him, intending to deliver a killing stroke.
Time slowed to a crawl as the blade began to rise. Caesar watched it's blood crusted progress, unable to believe that his destiny would lead him to his death at this time on the end of his own sword. - It can't end like this! - he railed to himself in silent disbelief.
Gabrielle closed her eyes unable to watch the blow that would ultimately result in the final loss of her friend's soul. - If Xena does this now, we've lost her. - She shook her head in misery. - If the dark side, the destroyer, gains control here we'll never get the true, the good Xena back. - A tear escaped to run down a blanched cheek.
- Don't do this! - Hercules pleaded silently as he attempted to lunge across the intervening space to stop her, knowing that he'd be too late to prevent her from completing her deadly intentions.
Toris shivered seeing his sister, for the first time, as the dark destroyer that so many people feared. This was the woman who had rampaged far and wide bringing death and destruction to all who stood in her path. This wasn't the little girl who had grown up with him, teasing him and competing with him. Nor was it the incredible warrior who risked her life time and again for others against the oppression inflicted upon them by warlords and tyrannical rulers. No! This was the Killer. The heartless warrior that his sister had tried so hard to leave behind. He shook his head numbly not knowing what to do or say.
With an ear splitting scream of hatred, rage and loathing, Xena started the downward arc of the blade, aware of the indrawn breaths of all those watching her, knowing each face bore a look of helpless despair. Internally she fought a battle with her dark self for control and it was with almost superhuman effort that she pulled the blade at the last moment letting it shear across Caesar's armour raising a trail of hissing sparks in it's wake.
Silence reigned throughout the chamber until everyone remembered to breathe!
"That was a mistake, my sweet!" gritted out the Roman. "I do believe you've gone soft. Believe me, you'll regret not killing me. Because you'll never have another chance."
The warrior swung her icy eyes back to his, "Oh believe me, Julius. I already regret not killing you! But you see, there are some things in this life that are sweeter than revenge and that's the love of your family and friends. That's something you'll never know because you live your life in the shadows of power and conquest, away from the light and the warmth. So although I regret allowing you to live more than almost anything I've ever done, I think that if I killed you, I would regret a return to the shadow world more."
"Very well said, warrior," applauded a voice that emanated from a cascade of silver and gold.
"Bummer," swore Aphrodite, "What's old egg head doing here? Did you invite her to the gig, Arte?"
"As if!" grumbled her sister as she turned her unwelcoming gaze upon the newcomer, "What do you want here Athena? This is none of your business."
"And you two have every right to interfere here?" questioned the tall, elegant goddess of wisdom and War, "I think not."
"Technically I have the right because Xena is Champion to my Queen and Gabrielle was abducted," retorted the Huntress.
"Like she says," giggled Aphrodite inanely knowing that it drove Athena mad. Then seeing that it wasn't going to do she added, "I owed Arte a favour. No big deal."
"What's you excuse, Athena?" demanded Artemis a trifle acidly.
"If it's any of your business, Xena falls pretty much within my sphere of influence," returned the brunette.
"What is this?!" demanded the Warrior Princess, "The Goddess' convention of Rome?!" She glowered at the three deities, "If it's all the same to you ladies, I can sort out my own problems." All three goddess' turned long silent looks on the dark warrior, who returned their stares with a 'look' of her own, which wasn't going down too well with any of them.
Gabrielle tugged on Xena's tunic and hissed, "There's three of them Xena. Even you can't take on three of them. Just let them get on with what they want to do so we can get out of here."
Iolaus sidled up and added, "I've been around these three before. They're really bad news when they stop bitching at each other. Listen to what Gabrielle's saying, and maybe we'll manage to get back home without any more disasters."
"Alright, already," steamed the dark woman throwing her hands in the air in frustration.
"Look, I'll try and talk them into sorting themselves out," offered Hercules. "Why don't you organise the Amazons into lowering the rest of our captives down into the pit out of our way, then perhaps they can help Eponin with the rest in the building and get them down here too."
"Sounds like a plan," agreed Xena moodily.
Ephiny nodded her agreement and set about getting things sorted out into some sort of order. Signalling her warriors to begin dumping the live soldiers down into the pit, and instructing Malonda to work out a way of lowering the civilians down there too. That left Xena, Iolaus, Gabrielle, Toris and Joxer to keep guard on Caesar. Xena began relieving him of all his other weapons.
"Is your life usually so full of gods?" drawled the Roman laconically.
"When it isn't filled with murdering warlords and scum out to rule the world .. like you!" she responded tersely.
"Don't you find it irritating?" he questioned as he watched the family gathering taking place a few yards away.
"What? The warlords or the gods?"
"Lets stick with the gods since they've graced us with their presence," he said conversationally.
"Yes," she returned shortly.
"Yes what?"
"Yes I do find them irritating! Like I find this whole situation irritating. Like I find you more than irritating. Now just shut your mouth before I cut your tongue out." she glowered, not in the mood for smalltalk with her enemy.
"Get out of bed the wrong side this morning?" he jibed.
"Hey!" interjected Iolaus.
"What?" snarled Caesar.
"Shush!" came the blonde's simple order.
Caesar looked about to deliver a scathing retort, when the godly meeting broke up and Hercules, along with his sisters, returned to a moody fractious group.
"Well?" asked Xena coolly.
"We'll tie him up," Hercules pointed a thumb at their main captive, "and leave him here. The rest," he looked down into the pit with some interest, "are going to be busy for quite a while .. thanks to Aphrodite's, shall we say gift?"
Everyone took a moment to glance down at what appeared to be an incredibly athletic scene that would, in time, give rise to more organised lurid occasions which would become known in history as the Roman orgy!
"They look like they're enjoying themselves," commented Gabrielle as she watched one very enthusiastic pairing, wishing she had a quill and scroll to hand to take notes. "Isn't that your wife?" she asked a glowering Caesar, pointing to a woman that might just possibly have been Pompeia, but from the angle it was difficult to tell.
"I'm not going anywhere until we get those children. I won't leave them here to be butchered by him," snapped Xena glaring at Caesar.
"Already taken care of," smiled Athena. "A young man escorted then to the ship some time ago .. they're just waiting for your arrival."
"How do you know?" demanded the warrior suspiciously.
"I was watching," smirked the goddess. "Now, since everything here has been settled ..." she gave Xena an inquiring look, "You really don't want to kill him in cold blood do you?"
Shrugging the warrior replied, "I'd have already done it if I was going to."
"Good. Then I suggest you collect Artemis' Amazons and head for that ship. We three," she gave her sisters a look, "Have an appointment with Zeus, so you're on your own now."
"That suits me just fine," muttered Xena.
"Pardon?" questioned Athena.
Gabrielle jabbed her friend in the ribs and the Warrior Princess 'repeated', "It's good to be ... going home, it's time."
"Very well." She leaned over and gave Hercules a chaste peck on the cheek, "Good to see you little brother."
"Athena," he acknowledged a little embarrassed, as he watched her disappear in a shower of silver and gold.
"Keep my Amazons safe, my Chosen," smiled Artemis at Gabrielle, before following her sister.
"Hey slick," Aphrodite addressed Caesar. "If I were you I'd watch your back .. especially around the Ides of March sometime!" She giggled before vanishing in a puff of pink and gold.
"And you wonder why I hate visiting the family," muttered Hercules to no one in particular.
"What was that all about?" questioned Iolaus, cocking his head to where Hercules and his sisters had been standing.
"Family argument over precedence," he answered throwing a worried look at Xena. "Believe me, you really don't want to know the details.
Xena quickly and efficiently bound Caesar's hands and feet and was ready to go when Ephiny signalled that everything had been taken care of. She approached Caesar once more. "I'd like to say this has been fun, but I'd be lying."
"I've enjoyed it," sneered Caesar. "I'm sure we'll be able to take up where we left off really soon."
"If I were you, I'd back off," warned Hercules. "You've got off lightly for what you've done. Next time I doubt you'll be so lucky."
"Just who are you?" demanded Caesar.
"He's Hercules," Xena told him and then bent close to whisper so that only he could hear, "The next time you threaten Gabrielle, or any of my family and friends, I will kill you!"
"Ready to go?" smiled Gabrielle.
Standing, the dark haired woman allowed her gaze to travel over the pit one last time. Not seeing the sexual antics of the occupants, but seeking out the faces of the soldiers that she had been surrounded by for almost the past half year. Their images had been imprinted on her memory, especially the tall grey centurion who heeled Caesar like a dog. None of them would be forgotten.
"Come on," She said at last. "Let's go home."