Moonwind
Xena stood in a field, watching the road expectantly. A few feet away, the Strymon River rushed by under a strong bridge. She looked down for a second at the bug that she had rescued from the river. The large thing seemed to have endeared itself to her, and was slowly crawling up her foot. The sound of approaching hoofs interrupted her study of the bug, and she looked up. Her father was approaching, but he wasn't alone. Friends surrounded him. Xena recognized Anton, a roman trader who her father had known for as long as she could remember. She didn't recognize the other men, but Atrius seemed to know them. He was laughing at something that one of the men had said. The newcomers interested her. They all wore dark leather, and every one of them had a sword almost as big as Xena herself strapped to their backs. Anton spotted the seven-year old child first. He laughed and waved, then turned to Atrius. Her father smiled at her, but something sad flickered behind his eyes as he came nearer. The men in leather just stared at her silently, unemotionally, as they passed her. Then Atrius gathered her up, pulling her up onto Atropea, his gentle mare. All signs of sadness had disappeared from his weathered face. Xena snuggled up against her father's chest, then gave a small cry of happiness as her father nudged Atropea into a trot. Her father was surely the greatest man in the world.
Cyrene opened the door, looking a little surprised at the newcomers. She kissed her husband and youngest daughter, then stepped back to let them in. When she saw Anton, she smiled and hugged him, and then ushered him inside of the house. Xena had disappeared to Lyceus' room. The newborn boy cooed at his older sister, and tightly gripped the offered finger. "He likes you, doesn't he?" Xena nodded, not bothering to look up at Anton. He reached over her shoulder, and smoothed back the boy's hair. Lyceus grabbed at Xena's hair, ignoring the man's offered finger. "I have a son, myself."
