Full Circle, a xena: warrior princess fanfic

Published at Amphipolis Cafe by jrpanther, Sunday, March 25, 2001 3:58 PM

FULL CIRCLE

by Jrpanther

DISCLAIMER: Xena: Warrior Princess, Gabrielle, Argo and all other characters who have appeared in the syndicated series Xena: Warrior Princess, together with the names, titles and backstory are the sole copyright property of MCA/Universal and Renaissance Pictures. No copyright infringement was intended in the writing of this fan fiction. All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the author. This story cannot be sold or used for profit in any way. Copies of this story may be made for private use only and must include all disclaimers and copyright notices.
NOTE: All works remain the © copyright (2001) of the original author. These may not be republished without the author's consent.

Author's Note: This story takes place somewhere between season two and season three. It contains no Joxer and Gabrielle getting together, but it does contain Joxer heroics, and it clearly demonstrates his unreciprocated feelings towards her. Thanks go out to Ramleaf who helped me out when I was in a writer's block!

Violence:	There is more violence here than in an episode, but not much.
Sex:	Near escape from rape.
Language:	Nothing worse than an episode.
Subtext:	Nada.

Callisto slouched lazily in the throne, one knee over the armrest, carefully cleaning and polishing her sword with a damp rag. She sighed. She was so bored with all this sitting around. The waiting was killing her. It was only a matter of time before her plan would come into action, and Callisto was like a child waiting for her birthday party.

In an impressive display of red and silver streams of light, the three Furies appeared before her. "I take it we have a deal then?" Callisto said, with a slight smirk.

"Yes," said Tisiphone, the avenger of murder. "We let you be the key in Xena's punishment, and we pardon you for your past crimes–" she shrilled.

"And you agree to spare the lives of those who have done nothing to wrong you," Alecto continued, leveling an icy look at Callisto.

"Yeah, yeah," said Callisto, waving her hand dismissively. It wouldn't be too hard to follow the rules, for now anyways. It was only a matter of time until she began working on the second phase of her plan. But first, she'd have to deal with the perpetual rock in her boot, Xena. She sniggered softly at the thought, caught herself, and sat up straight in the chair. She sheathed her sword, clasped her hands eagerly and grinned. "So, tonight it is, hmmn?" she asked, her eyes bright with anticipation.

Callisto didn't wait for an answer. She jumped up from her seat and curtsied deeply and gracefully to the Furies. "Love to stick around and chat, but I've got so much to do!" she said cheerily, and vanished in an explosion of flames.

The sun was setting. "So what's it going to be tonight, Xena? Under the stars, or a tavern room?" asked the blonde bard.

Xena considered the question. "Well we're already in town, and we aren't doing so badly for denars," she said. "Maybe a tavern room for tonight? My back is killing me. Might be nice to sleep on a soft bed."

Gabrielle nodded. They had been walking for a good six hours straight. She looked at the ground and began kicking a small stone, sending it further with each step.

It was getting dark out and the streets were crowded with young and old people alike. The rich folks were taking in shows at the local amphitheatre or eating a late dinner, and the poor folks were trying to appeal to the generosity of the former.

They arrived at a decent looking tavern, and took the most reasonable room in the house.

"I think I'm just going to go up and sleep for the night," said Xena, holding her hand against the small of her back. "I must have slept on it wrong last night, and I can't get the right angle to put the pinch on it," she grumbled.

Gabrielle nodded. "I think I'm going to hang around in the common room, perhaps have something to drink, meet some people. Maybe engage in some storytelling."

"Alright," Xena said. "Just don't go off in the alleys by yourself."

Gabrielle rolled her eyes and chuckled. "I'm going downstairs now," she said with a grin. Gabrielle turned around and headed down the creaking stairs.

Xena collapsed on the bed with a grimace. She tried in vain to put the pinch on her back again, but not surprisingly, she couldn't quite get the angle. She groaned and buried her face in the down pillow.

Gabrielle returned to the bustling common room. She found herself lost amongst drunken sailors, storytellers, and workers relaxing after a hard day.

A young man was seated in the corner of the room, skillfully playing the lute. Gabrielle observed him, thinking he would make a great character in a story. He had tanned skin with just a hint of an olive shade, and a curly mop of brown hair. She made her way up to the bar and ordered a mug of honey mead.

As her eyes scanned the room for a free seat, she noted a familiar pointy hat, its owner sitting alone at a table, listening to the entertainment. She carefully carried her overfilled mug of mead over to his table.

"Hello, Joxer," she said amicably, and embraced her friend.

"Gabby," he said, smiling at her. "It's been a while."

Xena stirred, and woke up when she heard pounding on the door. "Gabrielle?" she said, squinting, as her eyes adjusted to the darkness.

She sat up, rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and took her sword. She stood up slowly and opened the door.

Xena was surprised to see an unfamiliar old woman at her door.

"Come quickly–Your friend–she is captured!" she said, pointing to the window.

She dashed to the window and threw open the shutter. Gabrielle was struggling, bound hand and foot, strapped stomach down over the back of a horse. "Gabrielle!" cried Xena.

"Xena! Help!"

She threw on her armor and followed the old woman down the stairs.

Gabrielle's head snapped to the side as she caught sight of the leather-clad warrior pushing through the crowd towards the door.

"Xena?" she said, confusedly.

"Where's she off to?" Joxer mused.

Before he could finish his sentence, Gabrielle had grabbed her staff and disappeared into the crowd, after her friend.

Joxer managed to push through the crowd just quick enough to keep Gabrielle in view.

Gabrielle caught up with Xena and tapped her on the shoulder. "Xena, where are you going?"

"I don't know how you know my name," said Xena to the overweight, middle aged woman who had stopped her. "But I really don't have time to answer your questions." She turned on her heel and continued after the frail old woman.

She made her way through the crowd and disappeared out the door.

Gabrielle stood agape. "Huh?"

She grabbed Joxer by the arm. "Come on!" she said, as she pulled him through the door.

"Xena–where are you going?!" Gabrielle shouted after her. No response. She was out of earshot by now. "Well, I guess I get to go after her now and find out what's wrong. Want to come along, Joxer? I could use your help."

Joxer nodded. "Absolutely, Gab. Of course."

As Xena galloped in the direction the old woman had pointed her, her mind was racing to come up with a plan. But, she couldn't really come up with much of a plan without knowing where she was going or what she was up against. All she knew was that she was to take a trail that cut northwesterly through the forest, which led to the abandoned castle walls. Whether or not it led to the front entrance or to the back or to an entrance at all, she'd have to discover when she got there.

She slowed to a canter. She'd lose a lot more time if she missed that trail.

Fear clenched her stomach like a fist. She hadn't felt this way since the hospice in Thessaly. Despite her fear, she rode on, keeping a keen eye out for the trail, and for any bandits that may be lurking in the bushes.

After a few hours of monotonous riding, Xena was becoming disheartened, thinking that maybe she'd missed the trail, until she spotted what looked like a gap in the brush.

"Eighty denars for both horses? Are you nuts?" said Joxer.

"Look, Joxer, I agree with you. We're getting ripped off, but we haven't got the time for this," she said, as she handed the coins over to the stable hand.

They both mounted their horses, and with Gabrielle leading the way, they galloped towards the city gates.

Callisto was just putting the finishing touches on her masterpiece.

It was an old chair, moldy in places. It smelled foul. On the arms and legs of the chair were secure leather straps, which she would pull so tight that even a fraction of a movement on Xena's part would cut painfully into her skin. There was also a leather strap that would go across her forehead, and one to go across the neck.

It was almost identical to the chair she sat in — nay, lived in — for half a year, when she was in prison. Xena had already gotten a taste of that one, but this time she'd taken precautions. She bought the strongest leather available, and the toughest locks to pick. The arms and legs were capped with iron. She spared no expense. There wasn't a way in Tartarus that Xena was going to get out of this one.

This was her moment, and by the gods, she was going to make it all that it could be.

Callisto took a step back and eyed her work of art critically. She conjured a fireball in her hand and absently tossed it up and down, as she sometimes did when she was thinking about something.

It didn't quite seem like it was enough. What am I missing? She closed her hand around the swirling flame and extinguished it.

She took a seat in the chair.

She leaned on the armrest and rested her chin in her hand.

She examined her nails.

She incinerated a rat.

A wicked smirk crossed her ironically angelic face, and she conjured herself a glass of virgin posca.

Gabrielle and Joxer rode for what seemed like hours. As they came over the crest of a large hill, they spotted a dark speck a ways ahead of them. Gabrielle squinted. "I think it's her," she said, as she dug her heel into the horse's side, imploring it to go faster.

As the speck came closer into view, they confirmed it to be Xena. "Xena, wait!" Joxer shouted.

"Oy, woman!"

Xena pulled Argo to a halt and turned her around at the gruff voice coming from behind her. "Yes?" she said baitingly.

A man and a woman were quickly approaching on horseback. He had filthy red hair, a crooked nose, and beady green eyes. His cheeks were puffed out like a chipmunk's, and he stank of posca. The woman was petite, but looked very agile. Her hair was long, greasy and tangled, and her face was streaked with grime. Her homespun breeches and tunic were stained and torn.

The dirty pair dismounted.

"I believe that horse and everything in those saddlebags belong to us," the woman sneered.

"Just try and take her," Xena said coldly as she dismounted, and lunged at the small woman.

Gabrielle's eyes widened as her friend charged towards her with her sword leveled. "Xena!" she cried, "it's me, Gabrielle!" Her instincts kicked in and she sidestepped the warrior princess' charge, escaping with only a shallow cut to her waist. She raised her staff defensively as Xena came down with a chop that could have left her without use of her right arm.

Joxer shakily raised his sword, and stepped toward the warrior princess. "Xena, it's us! Why don't you recognize us?"

"You and what army?" Xena spat, eyeing Joxer up and down with what looked like utter disgust. She pivoted on her heel and brought her sword down diagonally, slicing a gash in his arm. He howled and fell back. Xena again turned her attention to Gabrielle, who in the meantime had brought her stave down against the back of Xena's knees in an attempt to knock her on the ground. "Nice try, blondie," she said as she brought her sword around in a side strike. Gabrielle jumped back, narrowly avoiding disembowelment.

Her next shot wasn't so lucky for Gabrielle. Another powerful chop sliced a less than shallow wound in her right thigh. The blood began to ooze. Xena took advantage of her shock, and leapt over Gabrielle's head, landing just behind her. Before Gabrielle could turn around to defend herself, Xena raised the pommel of her sword and brought it down sharply against Gabrielle's head, stunning her and rendering her unconscious.

"Xena, what's wrong with you?" Joxer shouted.

Xena gripped her sword in both hands and brought it powerfully against Joxer's, knocking it out of his hands. The clang of his sword hitting the ground was deafening in Joxer's ears. He began to quiver violently as Xena approached him.

The thug's knees buckled in fear, and he fainted.

Xena hastily mounted Argo and continued on her way. She hadn't lost too much time with that little disruption, but it was enough to concern her. She didn't know how much time she had, so she didn't want to waste any.

She slowed Argo to a trot and took her west, through the small opening. Another hour passed before she came to the edge of the forest. There, looming before her, were the castle walls.

Callisto popped her head out the turret window. It was the middle of the night, now. Where in Tartarus is Xena? She sat back in the chair and sulked.

There was nothing to do now but wait. So Callisto waited.

Joxer sputtered awake, blinking up at the fat raindrops that pounded his body. He tried to sit up. He winced and clutched his arm.

The realisation of what happened washed over him with cold dread. Despite the pain that engulfed his body, he scrambled to his feet and over to Gabrielle, who was lying on her back, out cold.

Her lips were blue.

How long has she been unconscious? He raged silently when he noticed that all their belongings were missing.

Joxer knelt down before Gabrielle and assessed the situation. She had what looked to be a minor flesh wound on her waist, but a deeper, oozing wound on her right thigh. A large lump was forming on the back of her head. He was absolutely terrified that she was going to die. I've got to get her some place warm and dry, he thought. They were too far from any village to make it back with his arm in the shape it was.

Joxer took a deep breath, and then gritted his teeth. Pain ripped through his arm as he lifted Gabrielle, and placed her over his right shoulder. He looked around at his options. Squinting in the darkness, he could barely see a small trail leading into the forest. It would certainly be dryer in there than it is out in the open, he thought, and headed through the brush.

Just as he felt he couldn't take the throbbing in his arm anymore, he found a small nook up against a cliff. It was risky, it looked as if a rockslide was inevitable at some point. It's all we've got, considered Joxer. It was still cold inside, but at least it was dry. Waves of pain coursed through his body as he struggled with himself to place her gently on the floor of the cave.

The first thing she needed was heat. Luckily, in some parts of the forest, the canopy was so dense that the rain hadn't completely soaked everything that was beneath it. Joxer left her in the cave and was able to find some useable firewood relatively quickly.

When he returned, she was still unconscious. He quickly emptied the contents of his arms onto the floor of the cave, and built a small fire close enough to Gabrielle that she'd be able to feel its heat. He removed his armor and set it aside. Gripping the sleeve of his shirt between his teeth, he grunted at the pain as he used his injured arm to tear a few scraps along the seam to use as temporary bandages.

Using the first as a cloth, he dampened it as much as possible, using the droplets of water present on his armor.

He took a deep breath. "Gabby, I hope you don't get the wrong idea, but I've got to do something about this nasty scratch," he said, as he lifted her skirt just enough to gain access to the entire wound. "I'm not looking."

Using the dampened scrap of cloth, he cleaned the wound as best he could. He then wrapped a second swatch around the scratch, and tied it. He repeated the process on her waist.

Only when her wounds were tended, did he turn to his own aid.

Joxer took Gabrielle's unconscious body and wrapped his arms around it by the fire, to keep warm, lightly stroking her hair. He kissed her forehead and rested his cheek against hers.

Xena looked up at the looming castle walls. She breathed deeply and dismounted. "Stay here," she said to Argo. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

She scanned the area. The abandoned castle was ruined in parts, but an old window was located in a turret roughly fifteen feet above her. She located a spot that looked solid enough to wrap her whip around, and did so. She tugged on the whip, and it held. Climbing the castle walls was dangerous in this weather, bordering on downright stupid. I'll save Gabrielle or die trying, she thought to herself and began to pull herself up the wall, her feet struggling to find a hold on the wet bricks. She blinked as the rain came down on her face and rolled off her shoulders.

Just as Xena was nearing the ledge, her foot slipped on the slick surface, sending her crashing into the wall. After a short pause to catch her breath, she breathed in slowly, and continued the climb. Soon enough, she was within arms reach of the ledge. She threw her arm over it, and wincing, pulled herself up and over.

She coiled her whip and hung it against her hip. Probing at her knees with her fingers, she could feel that they were already beginning to swell. Nothing was broken, but she surely did hit them hard and she was feeling it.

The room was dark and cold. The floorboards creaked as she stepped lightly. Xena stopped in her tracks and listened. Confident that nobody had heard her, she kept to the walls, and crept around to the door. She opened it just a crack and looked through.

The halls outside were brightly lit with torch brackets in the wall. This is going to be risky.

Squeezing through the crack in the door, she bolted as quietly as she could to the end of the corridor, arriving at a T-intersection. Left or right? Peering down the left corridor, she could only see so far, as the torch brackets were out. The right wing was lit. It's like they're leading the way…well, that makes it easy, she mused, and sprinted right.

Arriving at the next T-intersection, both directions were lit for only a couple of feet. Might as well pick one and go with it. She went left this time.

Tisiphone transferred herself invisibly behind Xena. She extended her finger towards her, and summoned a surge of energy. Xena collapsed before she even knew what hit her, all in less than a second.

She crouched and placed her hand on Xena's shoulder. They both disappeared in an array of red and silver.

When Xena appeared in the brightly lit room, unconscious, Callisto squealed with delight. "She's here! I was beginning to doubt she'd show at all!"

Almost giddy with excitement, Callisto dragged Xena's body towards the chair. Things were so much more fun the old fashioned way.

Once Xena was positioned in the chair, Callisto began tightening the straps.

"Sweetheart, really," she said. "Your head shouldn't loll about like that. Let me help you out." Callisto shoved Xena's head roughly to the back of the chair, and brought the leather strap across her forehead. When she had the leather passed through the buckle, she yanked it sharply, and fastened it as tight as it would go. "Much better!"

The second strap fastened tightly around Xena's neck. Callisto furrowed her brow and nibbled on her nail. "You know what, dear," she began, "I shouldn't make that one too tight. I want you to live with the torture, after all." She loosened the neck strap, but not by much. "There, now put your tongue back in your mouth. Need a little help?"

Xena's arms and legs followed suit, the stiff leather straps pulled bitingly tight against her skin. Callisto clasped her hands and beamed happily. "Aren't you a vision! I've always thought you looked wonderful in leather." She turned to address the furies, all of whom had since appeared. "May I?"

They nodded in unison, and vanished.

With a high pitched shriek, Callisto let loose a string of blue lightning aimed at Xena. With a jolt, Xena's eyes snapped open. Shock registered on her face as she tried to move. "You."

Callisto crept up to Xena like a spider, her eyes locked on Xena's. Her serious expression broke, and she began to laugh maniacally. "I'm sorry, so sorry," she said, bringing her fingers to cover her mouth. "I shouldn't be laughing. I just can't help it. Look at you, Xena, the warrior princess, trussed up like a chicken!" With that, she burst into unbridled laughter.

Xena quickly realised that struggling was futile. "Gabrielle, you took her. Where is she!"

Callisto summoned her throne to sit facing Xena. She sat down, and with the grace of a cat, swung one leg to cross loosely over her knee. She rested her chin in the palm of her hand and looked up pensively. "I took her, did I?"

"Don't play games with me Callisto, where is she?"

A purple hued bubble formed in Callisto's hand and she blew it in Xena's direction.

Xena felt the mist as the bubble popped over her head.

Her field of vision instantly changed. First, it was pitch black. Slowly, a fire faded into view. Then, a blurry shape formed next to the fire. She blinked several times, trying to focus the image, but it was beyond her control.

As the image sharpened, it hit Xena like a ton of bricks. "Gab.. Gabrielle!" She fumbled for words. She was unconscious, or was she dead? It was hard to tell in the dim light. In any case, she wasn't moving. Joxer was there, too. He was holding onto her, taking care of her. She looked awful. Battered, bruised, cut…

Her vision was changing. She now was able to walk around in the scene. At least she could see now that Gabrielle was merely unconscious, and not dead. But would she wake up?

She reached out, trying to touch Gabrielle, but her hand passed noiselessly through Gabrielle's body.

"Joxer, what happened? Did Callisto do this?"

No response. He couldn't hear her.

She wrestled with the tears that threatened to fall. "Gabrielle!"

The image was ripped from her abruptly. Xena instantly pressed her eyes shut in reaction to the bright light. She opened them again slowly, leveling a look of sheer hatred at Callisto. "You did that to her, I know you did. You may have killed her!" she exclaimed, and struggled again.

This merely served to amuse Callisto. A cheshire cat grin formed on her face as she watched Xena struggle. "Interesting," she noted, as she formed a quill resting behind her ear. "You seem endlessly willing to make yourself look the perfect fool." She removed the quill and began to chew lightly on the end. "Oh, no, no! Don't stop, love. Keep going. Keep struggling. I find it entertaining. To answer your question, no, I did not do that to your precious Gabrielle."

"You're a liar," Xena accused. "You had her kidnapped, you had her beaten up and left for dead. If she dies, I swear–"

Callisto closed her eyes and held up a hand. "No, no no no," she said patiently, waving it dismissively. "I told you, I haven't touched her. See? Look," she said, blowing another bubble over Xena's head.

Again, blackness overcame Xena. The shapes began to form, this time quicker than before. She stood in the scene again, watching from the sidelines as she saw Gabrielle and Joxer approach her other self.

"Xena, it's us. Joxer and Gabrielle. Where are you going?"

"Just you try and take her," her other self snarled, and lunged at Gabrielle.

Xena looked on in abject terror as she watched herself nearly remove her best friend's arm. Out of instinct, she charged herself in an attempt to push her away and save Gabrielle, but like in the cave, she passed silently through her other self.

"But-" she stuttered. She furrowed her brow as the realization hit that she was the one who caused the wounds to Gabrielle, which could very well prove fatal. Not only that, she had to stand around and watch herself cause them.

"Xena, it's us! Why don't you recognize us?" Joxer asked in desperation, shakily raising his sword and approaching her other self.

"You and what army?" she sneered, as slashed diagonally down Joxer's arm, splitting his sleeve. The bloodstain was already beginning to form as he howled and stumbled backwards.

"Good girl!" cried Xena, as she watched Gabrielle bring her stave in a downward, sweeping arc towards the back of her other self's knees.

"Nice try, blondie," her other self spat, as she swung her sword around in a sidestrike that nearly disemboweled Gabrielle. As Gabrielle jumped back, Xena held her sword over her head and sliced downwards, opening a deep gash in Gabrielle's leg. Calling her warcry, she flipped over Gabrielle, landing just behind her, raised the pommel of her sword and sapped her best friend.

Xena's jaw dropped as she watched Gabrielle fall limply to the ground. "I-I…"

"Xena, what's wrong with you?" Joxer shouted. She watched herself knock Joxer's sword effortlessly out of his hands, and he fainted.

The vision left her more smoothly this time, the transition was almost unnoticeable. The thin line between her hallucinations and reality was becoming blurry.

"I told you I didn't harm her, didn't I?" Callisto said smugly. "You did. Slash, slash, slash," she said in a sing song voice, accompanying her words with swordplay.

"You're behind it, Callisto. I didn't see Gabrielle or Joxer. I saw a couple of thugs who wanted to steal my horse. Who's in on this with you? Who's helping you? I may have killed my best friend because of you," she said coldly.

"I don't know how you do it, Xena. You still manage to sound menacing when you're tied up like a lamb in a kebab shop."

"Let me out of here, Callisto," she said threateningly. "You'll regret it. If she dies because of this, I will never leave you alone. Trust me Callisto, you — will — regret — it."

Callisto hopped up from her seat and circled Xena's chair. "And then my sweet, you will be just like me!" she said sunnily, winking at Xena. "You barbecue my family, I try and ruin your life. You slice up your family, and then you try and ruin mine. We're coming back full circle- sort of," she added.

Gabrielle's eyes fluttered open. Her entire body felt as if it had been trampled by a particularly angry horse. She groaned and shifted a little.

Joxer grunted and woke. "Gabrielle, you're awake!"

"Where are we, what happened?" She had just barely enough breath to finish the sentence. Her voice was hoarse.

"You don't remember?"

Gabrielle thought for a minute. Her eyes darkened as she recalled Xena's attack. "Xena," she said. "Something's wrong with Xena."

Joxer nodded. "Someone's playing a trick on her. I don't know who, but I think it's safe to say that it's one of the gods. She didn't recognize us. She thought we were bandits."

"I remember," she said softly. Suddenly, she was very cold. She drew a quick breath and her teeth began to chatter.

Joxer scooted them both closer to the fire. "How are you feeling?"

"Like a million denars," she said dryly.

"What about your leg?"

"Two million denars."

"I suppose I shouldn't even ask whether or not you can walk," he said.

Despite her best interests, she tried to stand, but found the pain was too great. "Standing isn't even a possibility. Give it a day or so, I may be able to walk, slowly."

Joxer nodded. "We have to go save Xena, as soon as possible. Someone's making her hallucinate, leading her somewhere. Judging from the hoof tracks in the mud I saw while I was carrying you through here, I'm guessing she followed this path."

Gabrielle sighed. "I know we have to go after her. We will go after her. It's just," she pondered quickly before continuing, "who's to say she won't just attack us again?"

"I don't know. But don't think about that right now, just get some sleep. When you wake up, I'll try and change your bandages."

Gabrielle nodded, and laid her head against her arm on the cold, stone floor, and tried to sleep.

Xena found herself in a small house, playing with a pair of rag dolls in the middle of a warmly lit room.

"No, Mister Caesar. I don't want to buy your horse!" she said, shaking the doll on the left, and giggled.

"Callisto?" her mother called from within the kitchen.

"Yeah mommy?"

"Can you come here and help me out? I need a big girl to stir this cake!"

Xena sat her dolls carefully against a cushion. "I've got to go for a bit, guys. Mommy needs my help."

She stood up and skipped into the kitchen.

"I've got a surprise for you, Callisto," she said, and produced a soft red ribbon.

Xena's eyes brightened and she squealed with delight at the gift. "Help me put it on Mommy, please!"

Her mother circled behind her, and gently pulled her curly blonde locks into a loose ponytail, tying the red ribbon around it.

Xena climbed up onto the sturdy wooden stool and began to knead at the dough with her small hands.

"You're very good at that Callisto, you should be a baker when you grow up."

"I want to be a singer!"

"You can be a singer and a baker if you want, you know."

"Yeah!"

"That's enough, love," said her mother as she lifted the dough out of the deep ceramic bowl and shaped it into that of a round loaf. She sliced the top, filled it melted butter, and sprinkled it with sugar before placing it into the stone oven. "Now why don't you go play with your sister until the bread is ready? Then we can all eat it together."

Xena nodded. She hugged her mother's leg quickly, and after a quick kiss on the forehead and a playful ruffling of her hair, she picked up her rag dolls from their comfortable resting place and went out the door to look for her sister.

"Dieda?"

"I'm over here, Callisto," came her sister's reply.

Xena followed the sound of her dear sister's voice to the creek behind their small house, where she noticed Palmadius, the neighbour's boy, disappear into the bushes. Sometimes he played tag or hide and seek with her.

Dieda smiled at her and patted the tree stump next to her. Xena took a seat. "Mommy and I made some sugar bread. It's cooking now."

She gazed up at her sister. Dieda was thirteen years old. She sure felt a lot younger at seven. Dieda was already beautiful. Instead of the blonde hair from her mother's side, she was born with a light brown hair colour. She shared the same intense brown eyes that Xena herself had.

"Did mother give you that ribbon?" asked Dieda.

Xena fingered at the red ribbon holding her hair back, and nodded.

"I've got one too," she said pointing out the same ribbon as her own, only black.

"What were you doing with Palmadius?" asked Xena, her ever present curiosity tugging at her, like it usually did.

Dieda shrugged. "We were just talking."

"You talk to him a lot."

"Yeah, I guess I do. He's pretty nice, he doesn't tease me like some of the other boys do."

"Hey, I brought Caesar and Erya out to play," said Xena, offering Dieda her choice of the two dolls.

Joxer's eyes surveyed the area. They were almost out of firewood, and the dimly glowing fire was on the brink of petering out. He looked at Gabrielle, she was sleeping as soundly as could be expected. Should he risk going out for more firewood, leaving her alone in the cave?

He decided to wait it out, until he was actually out of wood. He leaned against the wall of the cave and watched her sleep. I wish her scrolls were here, he thought. He always enjoyed reading those.

Xena and Dieda decided to take a walk in the woods before dinner. "You two be careful, and stick to the road," their mother had chastised, but what she didn't know couldn't hurt her, right? They followed the narrow paths formed by many feet trodding through them. They eventually came to their usual spot, a large old hollowed out tree in the heart of the forest.

"What was it like when you turned fourteen?" Xena asked her sister.

"You remember my party, don't you Callisto?"

"Yes, I remember I wished that I was turning fourteen. And now I am," said Xena. "I wonder how many people will come," she mused.

"Oh, a lot of people will come. Auntie Melilia and Uncle Cedric, Grandmother and Grandfather should be there, the whole family. Palmadius will be there too," she added with a smile.

"What's it like being fourteen, Dieda?"

"Oh, I don't remember really, eighteen seems so far off. I remember that was about the time I realized that I wanted to see what was beyond Cirra. I want to go to Athens, I want to see the Parthenon. It's actually not much different from being 13, you just feel older. A year is a big difference at that age."

Xena nodded. Her sister was such a wealth of knowledge and experience, especially regarding the things that Xena herself was just beginning to go through. Dieda seemed to know everything about things like boys and being a grown up. She looked up to her even more than she did her own mother. She could only hope one day to be as beautiful and smart as Dieda was.

Dieda looked at the sun through the canopy of the trees. "You know, we'd better start heading back. Dinner will be ready soon."

Xena nodded. They both stood up and began on their way home.

The long walk felt like it breezed by in a couple of minutes, as she and her sister chatted about things that interested teenage girls.

They approached the small house, and Dieda opened the door and ushered Xena in. Her entire family was there, as well as her few friends. They all shouted "Happy Birthday, Callisto!" and began to sing, "For she's another year older…"

One by one, her mother and father, sister, uncles, aunts, cousins, grandparents and friends all kissed her and handed her a small gift wrapped in parchment.

Callisto sat in silence facing Xena, sharing her vision. Her eyes welled up with tears and her lower lip began to quiver, as she relived the memories of her family. Hurt and anger ripped through her like a torrent, but she didn't move a muscle.

It was nearing twilight now. Gabrielle had nearly slept the day away. The fire had gone out, but the cave wasn't as cold anymore, now that they were dry.

Joxer gently woke Gabrielle up. "I need to change your bandages," he said.

Gabrielle nodded and sat up. The pain wasn't so severe now. Her wounds were healing. She watched in silence as Joxer tore a piece from the bottom of his shirt to wrap around the more serious wound on her leg.

"It feels quite a bit better," she said. "I think I can stand up and try to walk."

"Wait until I'm finished with this," he said, as he tied the bandage. "There. You need something to eat. I didn't want to leave you while you were sleeping–"

"Joxer, it's ok. I'll be fine."

"I'm going to go out and look for something to eat," he said. "We need some more firewood, too."

Gabrielle nodded. "I'll be here," she said jokingly.

He stood up and exited the cave. He didn't have a lot of time before it became too dark to see. After about a half hour of careful searching and stalking, Joxer pounced on a plump young rabbit. He lay hunched over it for a minute while he caught his breath. The idea of killing the creature was abhorrant to him, but he knew it had to be done. He'd just rather have it done for him.

He took a deep breath. The animal was squirming beneath him. Might as well get this over with. Sorry, little rabbit, he thought, and swiftly broke its neck.

Finding the firewood was easier. He returned carrying the limp animal and an armful of kindling.

"Good news," piped Gabrielle. "I can limp!"

"You'll have to do more than limp when we go to rescue Xena," he said.

"I've been meaning to talk to you about that, actually," said Gabrielle. "While you were out, I was thinking."

"Uh huh," said Joxer.

"I think you should go. Xena needs help. I can't do anything in this state."

"No, Gabrielle. I can't do it on my own. You saw what she did to us back on the road. If she gets me on my own, then we'll both die out here. And I'm not going to let any harm come to you. We're sticking together."

Gabrielle wasn't in much of a position to argue. "I suppose," she sighed.

"Keep on that leg, but not too much. It needs exercise but don't overwork it."

"Yes sir," said Gabrielle, saluting Joxer. I can't believe the change in Joxer, she thought to herself. Put him in a crisis situation and he's far from being an ass.

Just weeks after her fourteenth birthday, Xena was on her way home from a long walk around the outskirts of Cirra. The precocious young girl was already feeling the same thing as Dieda had, the longing to see what was outside the small little village.

The sun would soon be setting. I should be getting back home, she thought to herself. Mother will worry.

It was already getting dark out when she arrived at the entrance of the little village. As she drew nearer to the village square, she heard screams coming from every direction. Her heart began to pound. What's going on?

Soon enough, she noticed a few large, dirty soldiers running in her general direction. She quickly backed out of view and hid under a hay cart. Xena watched in horror as Minius, the village local baker burst into view from an alley, pursued on foot by a soldier that was clearly much faster than he was. The foot soldier caught up with Minius, and before Xena's very eyes, he drew his sword along Minius' throat. Minius coughed up blood and collapsed.

The square was swarming with soldiers, chasing after villagers she recognized, who were running to their homes for safety. One by one, she watched the soldiers bleed the life out of townspeople who had all in some way or another, impacted her childhood.

She held her breath. Ba-boom. Ba-boom. Ba-boom.

A soldier's feet rushed past the cart, dropping the body of Josephina the tailor. To Xena, the deadweight thud of her body was deafening. Josephina's unseeing eyes gazed up towards her, filling Xena with utter horror. She'd never seen a dead body before, and it was even worse considering the circumstances under which she had died.

A dark figure in a bronze helmet rode up on a charcoal black horse, and through the square shouting a curious warcry. Villagers scattered and cleared a path for her, and she swung her sword down when she had one within her reach, leaving a trail of the dead and dying.

Xena screamed as she felt herself being yanked by the hair out from underneath the cart.

"You're a pretty one," said the near-toothless soldier who had pulled her out. He picked her up and threw her over his shoulder.

Xena screamed and kicked as he carried her away. She saw Palmadius running through the square. He stopped dead in his tracks as he saw her. "Callisto!" he screamed.

"Palmadius, behind you!" she cried.

Just as he began to charge towards her, the foot soldier behind Palmadius lodged a pair of throwing knives in his body, one between his shoulder blades, and one squarely in the neck.

Through clenched shut eyes, tears were streaming down her face, and she continued her futile pounding and kicking against the soldier who was carrying her off.

It felt like they were running forever, before she was thrown roughly down onto a pile of hay. Her eyes snapped open. "Let me go!" she shrieked and attempted to get to her feet. The soldier threw his weight against her and pinned her to the ground. She struggled relentlessly as his hands coursed over her body, sending a wave of revulsion through her. He tugged at her dress so hard the buttons popped off.

His hands roamed indiscriminately over her exposed flesh. She screamed when he ran his hands roughly up her leg, all the way to the top, forcing them apart. His rank breath was hot against her face. He kissed her forcibly as he used one hand to undo his breeches. She took the opportunity and bit his bottom lip, as hard as she could, blood flowing freely into her mouth.

He screamed and took his weight off her, clutching his mouth. She scrambled to her feet and kneed him in the groin.

Where is my family, I must go home! Leaving her attacker in a fetal position, she bolted through the door, keeping her dress together as best she could with one hand. It was a miracle that she made it across the town square alive, but she did. She rounded the corner and came to the front gate.

"Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah, I am," said Gabrielle, taking a deep breath. "Where's my staff?"

"Uhm, Gabby," Joxer chuckled nervously and rubbed his forehead. "It was, uh, stolen while we were unconscious." Joxer coughed loudly.

Gabrielle sighed. It wouldn't be the first time she had to scrape the bottom of the forest for a half decent piece of wood to defend herself with. "What are you going to do? "

"I'll be using a stick too, I guess."

"A staff."

"Sorry, a staff."

"No time like the present to start looking," she said, and stood up. "Let's go."

Joxer followed her out of the cave. He could tell that she was still limping, but considerably less so than before.

Gabrielle was pleasantly surprised to find a couple of useable sticks relatively quickly. "Here," she said, offering one to Joxer.

"Quick lesson," she said. "Hold it with two hands, always. Spread your hands out like this. No, they're too close together." She leaned her 'staff' against a nearby tree, and repositioned Joxer's hands. "Better," she said, picking up her staff.

She brought the makeshift weapon around to an overhead strike at Joxer, but held her blow. "Raise your staff to block mine. Yes, like that. Now to your middle. Ok, good." Gabrielle's stave came sweeping towards Joxer's legs, knocking him to the ground. "Now, low blocking is just like middle blocking, just a little quicker cause you need more time to react. Hold your weapon vertically so that it crosses mine when they connect. Good.

"Offensively, well, we don't have time really for a lesson like that. Just hit, over and over, from different angles and you'll surely get one in at some point."

Joxer took a deep breath and nodded.

"Off we go then," said Gabrielle. "Lead us back to the path?"

"Okay," he said, and did so, secretly very amused with this take-charge, no-nonsense side of Gabrielle that he was viewing for the first time.

"Okay. Hoof prints were facing that way, correct?" Gabrielle asked, pointing northwest.

"Yeah."

She began following the trail, and despite her injury, Joxer was having a hard time keeping up. It wasn't long before the two of them came up to the castle walls. "Argo?"

Argo whinnied and reared. She was clearly quite angry.

"How long have you been here? Look, I'd give you something to eat if I had something, but I don't," she said apologetically to the understandably grumpy palomino.

Gabrielle tried to pet her along her neck and comfort her, but Argo wouldn't have it. She turned her head and snorted. "We've got go to I'm afraid," she said.

Argo looked at her as if to say, "figures."

"Well Joxer, there's no way in Hades we can scale that wall," she said. "We'll have to look for a more, er, central way in."

Joxer swallowed. "Okay."

It was a few minutes of walking before Gabrielle peeked around the corner and noted a footman guarding the entrance. Just one?

"Okay," she whispered to Joxer. "What are we going to do here. There's someone guarding the entrance, and we can't scale the castle."

"The same way we usually do, Gabby, just run up there and start busting heads."

"Perhaps that's your usual way of doing things," she said. "But it's not mine."

She leaned against the wall and started absently picking things off of her weapon. "Well, we need a cover story," she said, looking pensive. "I think I may have one. Here's what we do," she said, and explained her idea. "If this doesn't work, go along with everything I say."

Joxer nodded. "Alright."

"Ok, I'm ready," she said.

Joxer picked her up and she closed her eyes. He walked over to the guard, who grunted on their arrival.

"Good sir, my wife is very ill, we were attacked a few days ago. It is very serious and I will reward you and your superior well if you let us in just long enough to tend her wounds."

"You?" said the guard laughing. "What will you reward me with? Beans?" he said, and laughed.

Gabrielle's eyes opened and she jumped out of Joxer's arms. "I didn't think that would work," she said, accepting her staff from Joxer.

The guard ripped his sword from his sheath, ready for battle; he parried just about everything she threw at him. Granted, she wasn't at her peak, but castle guards like him were a sterce a dozen to her.

Without stopping her staff's spinning motion, she let loose with an overhead, forward strike, aiming for the guard's head. He swayed to the side, trying to avoid the blow, but the end of Gabrielle's staff struck him solidly on the shoulder. Joxer followed up with Gabrielle's favourite sweeping motion. There was not with quite enough strength behind the attack to knock the brute to the ground, but it was enough to drop him down to one knee. Gabrielle picked up the slack, pivoting at the waist and whipping her staff around in a powerful strike. A sickening *crack* sounded as her weapon connected with the guard's sword-hand.

The guard screamed and dropped his weapon. He tried to straighten the obviously broken fingers in his hand. He bellowed in pain and stamped his feet before turning his attention back to Gabrielle.

"You stupid wench!" he spit through gritted teeth.

"That's not nice," Joxer said, and swung his stick clumsily at the guard's head, knocking him out.

"Good work, Joxer."

He smiled at the compliment. "We've got to get inside."

The two friends quietly entered the abandoned building. "Whoever this is is obviously very confident," said Gabrielle noting that the place was pretty much deserted.

The hallways were eerily silent as the two companions began the search for their missing friend.

The house was engulfed in flames.

Looking around frantically, Xena realized that every house on their strip was burning. She coughed, barely able to breathe through the smoke. In her efforts to make it home she must have simply not noticed.

"Mother? Father? Dieda?" she said helplessly, as she listened to the screams coming from her burning home. "Why aren't you coming out!" she screamed at the top of her lungs.

"Come out! Can't you see the house is burning?! Get out of the house!" The reality of what was happening slowly settled into her. Her family was dying.

As Xena began to sprint towards the house, a pair of arms circled around her and she screamed.

"Callisto, what do you think you are doing?"

She managed to turn herself around. It was Palmadius' father. "They–They're in there! I have to get them out! They're going to die!"

"Callisto, I'm sorry," he said. "It's too late. Listen, they're not screaming anymore. They're at peace."

"No!" she shouted, breaking free of his arms and bolting towards the house. He pounced on her, and picked her up.

"You are not going in there. Do you hear me Callisto?" he said, shaking her. She softened. He was right, they weren't screaming anymore.

They both turned around at the sound of clanging armor. "Callisto, run. Get out of here, now!"

"But you–"

"GO!"

She ran as fast and as far as she could. She cried freely as she ran through the forest, the tall grass and branches whipping and cutting against her skin.

She took refuge in the old hollow tree. She sat down, buried her head in her knees, and cried.

Callisto's rigid, stone appearance faltered as she again experienced the sacking of Cirra. Knowing that it was just a hallucination, and that Xena was experiencing it herself as Callisto for the very first time didn't even sweeten the bitterness of the affair. She slid limply off the chair and crawled into a dark corner, where she buried her head in her knees as she had when she had found quiet in that old hollow tree so many years ago.

The excitement Callisto had at the thought of forcing Xena to feel first hand what she had done to the young child had dissipated, and she was left with only an emptiness, a longing to end the perpetual torment that plagued her very existence.

For the first time since she had emerged from the tree, emaciated and empty of any emotion but hatred and anger, she broke down and let out a long, sobbing cry. She cried the tears she had been holding behind her façade of rage and revenge for over ten years.

Gabrielle and Joxer hurried through the hallways of the castle, cautiously sticking to the shadows to avoid any patrols. The place was deserted though and Gabrielle's need to find Xena got the better of her caution. She emerged from the shadows and started jogging down the well-lit corridor. Joxer followed closely behind.

"Gabrielle!" he called out in a hushed voice. The bard stopped in her tracks and looked back at him. "How do you know which way to go?"

She smirked. "I don't," she said, pointing her staff behind him. "But if you'd rather go that way…"

Joxer glanced behind him. The hallway was shrouded in darkness and a cold draft blew in his face. He swallowed and tightened his grip on his staff before turning back to Gabrielle.

"Lead on," he simply said and the two continued their search.

For several minutes the only sounds that they heard were their own footsteps as they jogged down the castle's barren hallways. Suddenly, Gabrielle stiffened and put her arm out to stop Joxer. She looked back at him and motioned for silence. Joxer nodded, wondering what Gabrielle was worried about when he heard it. A long keening wail broke the silence of the castle, sending shivers down his spine.

Gabrielle was filled with a sense of dread. "Xena," she whispered under her breath. There was no time to lose. She quickly motioned for Joxer to follow her and started heading to the source of the unearthly howling.

They shortly arrived at what appeared to be the source of the sound: the entrance of a room. The pair quietly crept to the door and peered inside. Gabrielle and Joxer both let out a small gasp as they saw Xena tightly strapped into a chair, heaving, struggling and sobbing, yet with a disturbingly vacant look in her eyes. The room appeared empty of anything else.

"Stay here," Gabrielle whispered. Joxer shook his head. No use arguing about this now, she thought to herself and the two of them quietly entered the room.

Callisto meekly raised her head from the hollow between her knees and said, "Enough." Extending her finger weakly, she conjured what she could in the way of an energy surge, emitting the same stream of blue electricity directed at Xena. "Enough."

She wasn't stopping to end Xena's pain. She was stopping for far more selfish reasons than that — even going through again what she put families through all the time wouldn't bring any kind of change to Callisto's nature. It merely reopened her wounds and fueled the fire that raged within her.

"Wakie wakie," Callisto said tiredly to Xena, who was crying openly at the loss of "her" family.

She turned her head as her eye caught movement. "Oh, it's you," Callisto said irritably.

"Callisto?"

"First prize to the pint size storyteller. Actually, I'm glad you've shown up. You can help me out."

"I will never help you."

"I'm afraid it's not up to you, dear," replied Callisto, reaching her sword from her scabbard and launching from her crouch at Gabrielle.

"Joxer!" she cried, tilting her head towards Xena's chair, just before jumping upward in avoidance of the keen blade that could have taken both her legs off. In a quick reaction, she jabbed her weapon at Callisto's chest, momentarily knocking the wind out of her. The unfinished edges pierced Callisto's skin. Once she caught her breath, Callisto smirked at Gabrielle as her wounds closed up.

Meanwhile, Joxer was at Xena's side, noting that the straps were locked, and he didn't have a knife.

"Joxer," heaved Xena, "take the knife from my breastplate."

"Uhm, ok," he said, swallowing hard. He reached carefully into Xena's breastplate and took the small bronze knife.

Callisto's sword whistled through the air aimed right at Gabrielle's neck. Gabrielle ducked, following up with a quick side strike to Callisto's waist. "Not at your prime right now, huh Callisto?"

Callisto shrugged. "It's been rather a rough day, honestly." Emitting a rage filled shriek, she charged towards Gabrielle with her sword leveled. Gabrielle stepped to the side confidently.

In the meantime, Joxer was frantically trying to cut the leather.

"Joxer, calm down," said Xena between sobs. Funny that I'm telling him to calm down, she thought bitterly.

Joxer slowed down, making more precise cuts against the leather. He finally released her right hand. She took the knife back from him and said, "Go help Gabrielle!", and began to cut against the leather binding her left hand.

Joxer did as he was told. Raising his staff, he approached Callisto as she was attempting to charge Gabrielle. He reached the charging goddess and awkwardly swatted at her legs. The blow connected solidly, but instead of sending Callisto sprawling on the ground, it merely caused her to stumble forward.

It was enough for Gabrielle. She stepped to the side and swung her staff over her head, quickly bringing down in an overhead strike, aiming for Callisto's sword. If I can't hurt her, I better do what I can to keep her from hurting us, she thought grimly. Her staff connected and Callisto's weapon was wrenched from her hand, clanging as it hit the ground. She finished Joxer's work and swept at Callisto's legs, causing her to land flat on her face. The bard retreated a bit to prepare for the next attack. Joxer was instantly at her side.

Callisto slowly got up from the ground. She let out a scream of frustration. How can I lose to these two …mortals? She thought to herself. Then she remembered. The goddess smiled sweetly at her assailants and casually tossed a fireball at them.

Joxer and Gabrielle dove in different directions as the floor at their feet erupted in flames. The concussive force of the blast stunned them and they painfully tried to get to their feet. By the time they recovered, Callisto had already retrieved her sword. She sauntered over to Joxer and kicked him squarely in the chest, knocking the wind out of him. "I'll deal with you later, dearie," she said as Joxer collapsed in a heap.

She turned her attention to the bard. Gabrielle was still on her hands and knees, trying to catch her breath. Callisto snapped her leg up, her foot smashing against Gabrielle's face. The force of the blow threw Gabrielle onto her back, gasping for breath.

"Having fun?" Callisto teased, an insane grin spreading across her features, "I sure am." The grin vanished from her face and she screamed, raising he sword for a final blow.

Xena's eyes widened as she frantically removed the last bind and leapt out of her chair.

A burst of crimson and silver light flashed and Callisto screamed again, shielding her eyes from the disturbance.

"Exactly what is it you think you're doing, Callisto?" asked Megara, the third Fury.

"What do you think I'm doing, you twit!" said Callisto, rolling her eyes. "Do I have to spell it out for you?"

"This is not part of our deal, Callisto," said Tisiphone. "You are not to harm those who have not wronged you."

"Gabrielle!" Xena cried, as Gabrielle began to sit up, but then collapsed. Xena was instantly at her side, analysing her wounds.

"You can take your deal," Callisto said calmly, eyeing her nails critically, "and shove it!" she shrilled. Releasing a high pitched, rage-filled shriek, she wielded her weapon again at Gabrielle, running towards her.

"Callisto!" Xena yelled. "You've done your deed," she said. "Gabrielle's gone. Are you happy now?" Xena picked up Gabrielle's limp, lifeless body and cradled it. "You killed her! You will regret this as long as you live, you heartless harpy!" She buried her cheek against Gabrielle's neck and cried.

Callisto broke into a maniacal titter. "I-I what?" she asked, hardly believing what she had heard. Her cheshire cat grin returned.

Xena rocked back and forth, holding Gabrielle, sobbing into her hair.

"You've killed another who has done nothing to harm you, Callisto," said Alecto. "You will be punished." Alecto pointed her finger at Callisto.

"Huh?" In a flash of light, Callisto was on the floor, unconscious and bound hand and foot with shackles forged by Hephaestus.

"She is yours, Xena, to avenge your friend's death," Tisiphone explained. In a multitude of red and silver hued light streams, all three Furies disappeared, leaving the unconscious body of Callisto, lying heaped on the floor.

"Gabrielle?" Joxer crawled limply, disbelievingly towards Xena, who was cradling the body of the innocent bard.

Xena quickly used her pressure points on Gabrielle. She frowned. "Gabrielle?"

Xena tried again. Neck. Chest. Heart.

"Wake up," she said.

On the third time, Gabrielle coughed and sputtered a bit, but woke. Both Xena and Joxer beamed at the return of their young friend. "Oh, gods," said Gabrielle, clutching her face. "Not again. What happened this time?"

"We don't have time to explain now," said Xena. "We've got to figure out what to do with her." She crouched, picked up Callisto, and slung her over her shoulder.

Gabrielle got painfully to her feet, and quickly raised her hand to catch the blood that was dripping freely from her nose. "Follow me, I know the way out of here."

Xena nodded, and walked beside Gabrielle and Joxer, letting them lead the way.

Epilogue

Joxer had left home for Athens, leaving Callisto in the capable hands of his two friends.

As Xena worked over Gabrielle, tending to her wounds, she related what happened to her while she was sitting in the chair. "You're going to have a nasty bruise on your face," she said.

"It's nothing."

"It's not nothing to me, Gabrielle. Look at you, you're scratched all over. I did these things to you--"

"No Xena, you didn't," Gabrielle interrupted. "Callisto did. The Furies did. Plus, you saved my life back there. Ironically enough, by killing me with your pressure points. Anyways, I'd rather have a couple scratches and bruises than lose my family, Xena. I suppose Callisto got her ultimate revenge."

Xena stared blankly into space, recalling again the horrible things she did to Cirra. "I guess she did," she said, her voice wavering slightly. "I want to let her go. I want to free her. I got a second chance, I want to give her one, too."

Gabrielle frowned at her friend. "No Xena. She is not like you. She will never change. How many more people will die? Innocent people?"

A giggle emerged from the bound goddess.

"How long have you been awake?" asked Xena.

"Oh, hours," she said. "It's a beautiful night. I can change Gabrielle, I can. You have so little… faith in me." Her shrill laughter continued as she sat up, attempting to scoot closer to the fire, but not having much luck. "You know, I've found that I've got quite a taste for blood. I don't need a reason to shed it, but doing it in your name," she continued, turning to the still warrior, "just makes it more fun."

Gabrielle shuddered. "That's enough, Callisto. Go back to sleep."

Callisto feigned sleep for a few hours, while the exhausted duo couldn't seem to keep themselves awake. In the silence of the night, her keen hearing had picked up the barely audible rush of a river to the south. Once she felt it was safe, she began the slow process of crawling on her belly towards it, like an inchworm. She had a good four hours or so before daylight.

She reached the edge of the river just before dawn. Her stomach and knees were raw. Xena and Gabrielle were probably just waking up now, wondering where she went. She cackled out loud, before lowering herself into the river, head first.

To Be Continued? We'll See...