—OOO—

Chapters 3-4

Chapter 3

"Everything in place as we planned, Nennius?" Lucius spoke confidently, as if knowing the reply beforehand.

"Aye, sire." The captain looked about him, crossing to gaze over at the pentekontor which had just come into view from under the quinquireme's stern. "Atilius and his complement of soldiers are aboard over there and ready to follow up when we act."

"You have a plan ready, Lucius?" Xena strode to the Roman's side and looked him in the face. "You knew this was coming!"

"Something like it, Xena." He nodded in reply. "Not the exact details, or what ships would appear; but substantially we planned for a pirate attack somewhere around here. And here they are!"

"But if there are three ships out there, Lucius, then there must be about 700 men or more!" Gabrielle paled at the thought as she looked from the large heavy bulk of the Roman, then out to sea and back. The early morning mist was just clearing from the wavetops and the horizon was still pretty much invisible from their present vantage, though the lookout could see over the low-lying vapour.

"True! But separately, in three ships; and there will be their downfall!" Lucius was dismissive of such a force against him. "Remember there are 300 rowers here, who have also been trained to fight efficiently; as well as another 250 soldiers I brought aboard. A bit of a squeeze, I admit, but 100 of them are now with Atilius on the pentekontor! Two ships full of well-trained troops; against a rabble of pirates who, in a few minutes will realise their lives are worthless! It will be easy!"

"Tell us what you intend!" Xena was terse. She wanted information, and quickly. She wasn't used to being left out of the loop where planning was concerned. It made her uneasy.

As she spoke Bremusa ran up to join them. She already had her sagaris in her left hand; and over her shoulder bore Gabrielle's sword in it's scabbard. Gabrielle took this gratefully and stood back to throw it's leather straps over her shoulder.

As she secured it in place and Xena put a hand up to loosen her own weapon there was a quiet, but discernible, hubbub from those others of the crew and soldiers assembling on the long deck, and glancing out to sea they finally saw their enemy. Three bireme ships; long and slender, cutting through the sea swiftly and efficiently all in line ahead.

"It's rather a complex plan, if written in a scroll." Lucius carried on, undisturbed by the sight. "What we have in mind- By we I mean Nennius, Atilius and I! -What we mean to achieve is a three step advance on the pirates. The first ship—you will notice they have indeed decided to attack in line, the fools!—will be disabled by catapult and Atilius on the pentekontor will board it; then we ram the second, after which the third will be a sitting bird just waiting for us to destroy it! Simple, but certain!"

Xena had to admire his composure. For the first time she noticed that under the light toga he was wearing Lucius was dressed in long leather leggings and a loose shirt of linen. Heavy boots covered his feet. As he explained things he took the wraps of his toga and flung them back over his broad shoulders, freeing himself from the cumbersome material, letting it slip to the deck, and standing before them in all the panoply of a fighting man. He even had his sword already secured at his waist. Xena made a mental note to stop being so naive in future, as he turned to Nennius to give further orders about the soldiers waiting on deck.

"Gabrielle! Bremusa!" She too was thinking fast. "Let's go back to the prow. There are bowmen there we can join. We're going to board the third ship, Lucius?"

"Yes, that's the plan." Lucius nodded to Xena. "I shall accompany the soldiers aboard the vessel and subdue the crew before retreating to let it sink. Be ready to climb over into it when we draw alongside; you should be able to jump onto it's decks! Remember to hold tightly to something when we ram the second ship. The impact will be tremendous!"

The whole of the maindeck was alive with soldiers going to their appointed positions and the three women made a fast pace through these. Gabrielle glanced at the heavy wooden beams of the first catapult as she passed; the arm in a semi-restrained position and already loaded with a rounded stone as it's crew worked busily around it. As they reached the forward catapult, fully as powerful as the other, she noticed it was still out of commision.

"Aren't they using this one too, Xena?"

"No, Gabrielle. We're going to ram in the next few minutes." Xena called over her shoulder. "It'll be too dangerous for the catapult crew, and our sailors, to use till then. Too near the point of impact. Take a look at the prow ram."

Arrived on the slightly raised foredeck the women swiftly took bows and quivers from the stacked bundles brought up by the well trained soldiers. Taking a few seconds Gabrielle leant over the low bulwark, now covered in bedding-rolls as some form of protection from splintering wood, and gazed down at the bow-wave of the rapidly moving ship.

The white water split on each side as the ship carved through the sea but she noticed there was also a curious bulge of water spreading out forward of the ship's bow. Looking closer she saw, underwater, the flickering image of the deadly ram. It was made of solid oak beams rooted strongly in the ship's bows and covered in copper sheaving. It had a rounded point and was about 12 feet in length with a breadth, as far as Gabrielle could tell, of about 3 feet.

Glancing back she saw the 90 oars on that side of the quinquireme rising and falling in astonishing rhythm. Forward-down-through-forward-down-through, in unpausing regularity. For the first time Gabrielle was aware of the full speed and unbelievable power inherent in this huge vessel that she was now a living breathing part of. She stood back hastily from the bulwark, nearly trampling on Bremusa's feet.

"By the Gods, Xena! This thing is monstrous!"

"Nothing more deadly made by the hand of Man." Xena agreed. "Those pirates must be mad to attack us!"

As she spoke the ship veered slightly in it's passage through the waves and the women saw the first of the pirate ships rapidly closing as the two vessels neared each other. For several seconds everything was quiet, enabling the three women to place themselves in readiness for what might occur next.

Bremusa and Gabrielle knelt on one knee, their bows ready in their hands. Xena chose to stand next to a line of bowmen a few feet away; she too was ready and waiting with her bow. Gabrielle gave her Amazon sister a smile of encouragement which Bremusa returned tight-lipped. As usual, on the verge of a battle, there was a fiery sparkle coming to life in the red-haired warrior's eye that boded ill for her opponents.

Gabrielle heard the ropes around them creaking under the pressure as the ship was strained in every sinew by the hidden ranks of oarsmen pushing the ship to the limits of it's speed. Again there was a slight alteration of direction; those on deck feeling the change in pressure of the planks under their feet. With another steady glance across the intervening water Gabrielle saw the pirate had come much closer; Lucius steering so it was heading along their port side at a distance of about a cable's length.

As she watched a sudden shudder was felt through the body of the whole ship, and a mighty crash came from the rear of the vessel. Looking over her shoulder in alarm Gabrielle realised the catapult had fired it's missile. She was just in time to catch the stone in flight and watch it's progress as it curved high in the air.

To everyone aboard, including Gabrielle and her companions, it was immediately apparent the missile had been aimed and fired with skilled precision; it was going to hit it's target without doubt!

She watched fascinated as the stone reached it's apogee, then fell out of the sky straight into the centre of it's target. Xena, staring intently, saw the whole body of the distant liburnian shudder under the impact then, a few seconds later as if not related at all, came the dull crash of it's impact.

"Veer starboard!"

Everyone on the bowdeck heard Lucius's cry and seconds later the quinquireme slid sideways until it was sailing parallel with the crippled ship some hundred yards away across the water. As they moved on Gabrielle saw the pentekontor in their wake steering a course across the intervening space, heading for it's victim with what seemed to the spellbound woman savage keenness.

The quinquireme too was closing the distance between it's prey. Soon there was no more than 100 feet separating them and a cry came from a Cornicen, a soldier to whom all the nearby legionaries were looking for orders, a few feet along the deck.

"Ready to fire on my word! Give them three volleys. Three only! Aim high. Got that!"

Raising their bows the women, amongst the crowd of other archers, waited for the command and when it came a breathless moment later there was a roar of noise as scores of arrows cut the air with a sound like a gigantic sheet being ripped apart. Gabrielle could see the mass of close-packed arrows heading away in an almost solid body, then she was intent on placing the next arrow in her bow and raising her eye to take aim at the nearby vessel once more.

Even as she fired a second time she glimpsed the first wave of arrows disappear into the distant ship. Again a ripping noise and then the scrapes and muttered oaths of those around as they prepared for the next volley. An arrow fell from someone's hand at Gabrielle's feet and she heard a foul mouthed comment as the soldier on her left bent to retrieve it.

"Aim for them in person, this time!" The Cornicen shouted to everyone around. "Pick your target, and take them down! Ready! Fire!"

Gabrielle had shifted her stance to a low crouch and, with only some 70 feet separating her from the other ship, could see the pirates on the deck of the smaller vessel as individuals for the first time. Caught up in the tension and energy of the action she picked out a large figure standing just ahead of the far ship's mast. He seemed to be wearing a sky-blue sash around his chest and it was this at which she aimed fixedly. As the others around fired she loosed her bow and gazed keenly along it's flightpath as the arrow sped across the water. With a suddenness that made her jump she saw it apparently hit the figure then something tugged at her side, her foot slipped, and she was down on the deck one hand beneath her trying to regain her balance.

When she recovered and looked swiftly at the distant ship it had moved on past the quinquireme and was now disappearing behind it, the pentekontor seemingly just about to make contact in it's turn.

"You OK, Gabrielle?" Xena's call brought her back to the scene around and Gabrielle nodded in reply. Looking behind her she noticed several arrows embedded in the wood of a low skylight set in the deck nearby. Touching her side she found a small tear in the fabric of her short tight jacket where one of these had obviously just missed her. In the tenseness of battle she had been completely unaware of the arrows coming from the pirates as they fought back. A quick glance at Bremusa showed her bending over her bow fixing the string, a set of arrows ready at her feet. Gabrielle too fitted another arrow in place then looked up and around to take stock of the activity about her.

Forty metres away on the stern, Lucius was in close consultation with Nennius as they stood by the ship's bulwark staring ahead. The crew administering the catapult just forward of the sterndeck had reset the long arm and it's new load; the rounded stone clearly visible to Gabrielle as it sat in it's wickerwork basket. She looked round to the bow once more and saw an indistinct dark mass ahead of the quinquireme resolve itself into the second pirate ship. This one, she noticed, was unlike it's companion in that it was lower in the water and did not seem to have quite so many oars on the side visible to her, nor were they rowing in a particularly even style. The thought ran through her mind that this was by far an inferior vessel, crewed by a far shabbier set of men, than the first opponent.

"Don't bother with your bow, Gabrielle." Xena stood at her side, smiling across at Bremusa too. "This is the one Lucius is going to ram. Sit back against that skylight and hold on tight. It'll be a shock and there might be some debris flying about, so watch yourselves!"

Intrigued; in fact almost hypnotised, Gabrielle stood and watched as the quinquireme set course for the second pirate vessel; closing rapidly with it's prey. Only then, copying those around, did she sit on the deck and grasp a corner of the small wooden frame against which she was leaning.

In what seemed moments the high skyward pointing mast of the pirate was discernible over the port side of the quinquireme; then there was a curious crackling sound followed by some kind of mist appearing through what little space remained between the ships. After which, instead of the sudden impact Gabrielle expected, there came an almost quiet slowing of the huge ship's speed followed by a jerk as all way was lost and the ship came to a halt. It all seemed an anti-climax.

But Gabrielle had already ceased taking note of these actions. The crackling noise Gabrielle had heard as the ships closed together was caused by the quinquireme scything through the liburnian's oars. There was a huge bang close against her right ear and Gabrielle felt something like dust spatter against her cheek. Looking round she saw, embedded in the side of the skylight not six inches from her head, a long piece of wood. It was about 18 inches in length, snapped off raggedly at it's end, and buried deeply in the skylight frame. Running a hand over her cheek she felt the scratches where tiny splinters from this missile had sliced out across her face. She looked down at her fingers and palm, wet with the evidence of her narrow escape.

Raising her head in what seemed slow-motion she saw, a few feet away, Xena too looking at her with fear etched across her features and mouth open in a stillborn cry. For what seemed long minutes, but was only seconds, both women were frozen in shock, unable to move or think rationally, or at all. Suddenly sounds from all round broke back into their conciousness and time seemed to jerk back into motion.

Taking Xena's arm Gabrielle staggered to her feet. Her friend was saying something but she could not make out the words; all she was interested in was the boat crushed against the quinquireme's bows. Glancing backwards she saw their own oars were already working in well-trained unison to pull them clear. The quinquireme put on way again; though this time in reverse, and Gabrielle noted that the huge ship had pulled in it's forward oars so they would not be damaged in the ramming. Now these were all being smoothly redeployed and in seconds the ship was backing off from it's opponent at almost full speed again.

"I'm alright. I'm alright!" Gabrielle spoke in answer to a cry from Bremusa who had grasped her shoulder tightly. "Just scratches!"

This time, as the quinquireme pulled itself free, there was a loud crashing and shuddering under their feet. They were all aware of the immense strength that had been necessary for the ship to successfully ram the smaller liburnian, and the creaking and juddering now was ample evidence of this. Going to the rail again Gabrielle saw the quinquireme's ram break free from the other ship, leaving a gaping hole in the side of what now seemed to her eyes a very small and weak opponent. Was it her imagination, or was it already lower in the water than before?

"Get ready for the third!" Xena called loudly at her friend's side. So loudly in fact it seemed she knew she had to penetrate Gabrielle's shocked mind. "We'll be boarding it soon. Remember, Lucius isn't going to ram it. He'll drop another catapult stone into it then come up alongside cutting it's oars again; then board! Keep undercover till we hit, Gabrielle! Remember the breaking oars!"

Gabrielle nodded in agreement. She crouched on the deck beneath the now badly scored bulwark; grabbing a stray blanket from the bedding rolls lying all around and wrapped it about her head. As she did so she put a hand over her shoulder to pull free her sword, grasping it tightly in readiness for the coming attack.

With her head covered and only a few inches of deck planking under her feet to look at there was an unnatural and disquieting pause as she awaited further developments. These came soon enough when the whole frame of the mighty ship reverberated to the enormous shock as the aft catapult once more fired it's charge. Within seconds Gabrielle distinctly heard the result as a loud crash came echoing over the water. She felt the stomach-churning change in pressure beneath her feet as the ship changed course once more under the impetus of the hundreds of rowers invisible below deck. Then another slight judder and the selfsame crackling noise heard earlier; only now she realised what it meant and kept her head well down, nearly touching the warm deck.

A cry, followed by several others came from either side and she found herself on her feet and grasping a rope to scramble onto the bulwark. A quick glance showed Bremusa, axe in hand, beside her with Xena over on her left; then below, instead of open water, the messy deck of the other ship. With a spring she was over and standing on the pirate vessel.

End of Chapter 3

—OOO—

Chapter 4

It was easy to tell pirate from uniformed soldier and she slashed at a passing figure in a loose shirt, feeling the impact as he rushed past. Then Gabrielle was in amongst a tightly packed crowd of mixed friend and foe.

For what seemed an eternity Gabrielle lashed out at whatever target she could see in the milling throng. At one point a huge figure towered over her with arms raised though she was unaware of what weapon he was wielding. She crouched slightly and swept a blow across his legs, hearing a scream and jumping aside as he fell. Somebody hit her back with tremendous force and she was pushed forward out of the crowd to stand in an open space near the midships of the vessel.

She ducked suddenly and instinctively, not a moment too soon as a swordblade swept over her head and turning she met her foe right up beside her. She leapt in and dealt a crashing blow against his jaw with the hilt of her weapon and as he tottered kicked him as hard as she could, darting aside as he collapsed.

A group of soldiers formed around her and they moved towards the stern of the vessel. The deck was covered in loose debris and ropes, making every step difficult and dangerous. A dagger came from nowhere and embedded itself in the mast as she passed, missing her by a hairsbreadth. Another pirate stood foursquare in front of her barring her way. Gabrielle slashed at him; ducked under his return blow, and stabbed forcefully in her turn. Finding her blade was caught she was twisted around and fell on the deck too as he collapsed.

It took her a moment to free her weapon then, as she staggered to regain her feet someone kicked her in the chest with a heavy boot and she was knocked a couple of feet backwards, completely winded for vital seconds. As she lay there a dark shadow loomed over her and the deep mighty yell that she knew so well rang out. There was a flurry of movement all round then a strong hand grasped her's and dragged her to her feet.

"Thanks, Xena! Nice one!"

"Come on! They need help over there!"

Another crowd of fighters suddenly enveloped them and she was once more fighting for her life. An eddy in the mass appeared and she glimpsed the mighty frame of the Roman Trierarch wielding his weapon in a professional manner; knocking an opponent's sword aside and cutting down onto the man's shoulder with his own blade beating him to the ground before striding on amongst the fighting.

Gabrielle was faced by another pirate, screaming insanely and swiping at her with a short sword. She darted in and out, keeping him at a distance and glancing over his shoulder suddenly saw three men advancing on the Trierarch. As he turned to deal with one the other two appeared to have the advantage but suddenly Bremusa appeared and stood by the Roman's side dealing out horrible vengeance with her glinting axe.

Gabrielle meanwhile ducked under her opponent's wild strike and swept up with a two-handed blow which finished him instantly.

A hand grasped her shoulder and Xena was at her side once more. "Come on! Lucius has given the order to return. Let's get back on our ship!"

A mad scramble ensued over the debris laden pirate deck, across the low bulwark and a swift climb to safety aboard the quinquireme again. Gabrielle stood gasping for breath as the other soldiers struggled back aboard in their turn all round her. Xena was holding her hand where they stood near the stern of the quinquireme, between the catapult and the sterndeck itself. She caught a glimpse of Lucius clambering over the side, then Bremusa was standing alongside them, laughing wildly and swinging her axe in ecstasy; an almost crazy glint in her eye.

"What a fight! That was a fight, eh! Gods!"

Both Xena and Gabrielle knew better than to attempt to calm the excited woman at this point; she would need several minutes to relax again. Meanwhile Xena had something more serious to consider.

"Are you alright, Gabrielle? You're covered in blood! I mean, everywhere!"

Gabrielle glanced at her tunic and arms, which were indeed badly stained and wet; her legs too were streaked with dark rivulets. She took a moment to bend and gasp for breath which, she suddenly realised, she badly needed.

"I'm OK, Xena. At least I think so! No pain. Just scratches. Somebody kicked me in the chest. I think a rib's broken. Aagh! I know a rib's broken!"

"OK, that ain't so bad." Xena's tender ministrations could be rather brutal and basic at times; though her words covered real tenderness.

As they stood recovering themselves and listening to the other soldiers swapping words and details of their actions there came another crashing and groaning of wood as the quinquireme slowly came to life and began moving away from the wrecked liburnian. While the women watched oars appeared from the huge ship's side again and quickly began moving in trained order, heaving the mighty vessel apart from it's victim.

A few seconds later the quinquireme began to swing round; leaving the pirate ship on it's starboard quarter, to point across the choppy sea in the direction of the far pentekontor and it's opponent.

"What's going on, Xena?" Gabrielle pulled herself out of a deep tiredness to watch what was transpiring. "Aren't we going to bring the pirates aboard as prisoners?"

"Apparently not!" Xena looked keenly back over her shoulder to where Lucius once more stood on the sterndeck gazing fixedly across the several cable's lengths separating him from the pentekontor. The women now saw the ship was still close up against the liburnian pirate, though on it's far side and pretty much obscured from view.

"Lucius is going to it's aid, I think!" She nodded as she spoke. "Yes. He thinks Atilius may need help to finish off the pirates. We don't want too many of our soldiers injured before we crush the foe!"

Gabrielle, now regaining some of her composure, turned to look over the wavesr at the ship they had so recently abandoned. It was low in the water and she could see scores of figures rushing about it's deck as the pirates struggled on the doomed vessel.

"What about them? What about them?" She said to no-one in particular; but was given no reply.

Turning to her friend Gabrielle saw a curious intentness in the warrior's stance and leant out over the bulwark to follow her gaze. For a few seconds nothing registered in any detail. In the distance the first pirate vessel, now very low in the water, was clearly visible with the mast and part of the pentekontor's

bow in sight behind it. Between this and the advancing quinquireme was a largish stretch of sea now covered in floating debris. Suddenly, as if in a bad dream, Gabrielle saw what had taken Xena's notice. Amongst the floating detritus of smashed wood and barrels were the dark points of people's heads. This was where the second pirate ship, rammed by Lucius minutes ago, had clearly now sunk; and among the debris were the survivors floating and waving their arms in hope of imminent rescue.

"Lucius will need to stop to pick them up." Gabrielle spoke with a curious pleading note as if she already knew the answer.

"No, he won't!" Xena's reply was harsh and shocking to the woman at her side. "He isn't going to stop. Atilius needs his assistance at once!"

"Gods! Xena! Those men in the water. We'll plow straight through them! They can't get out of our way!" Gabrielle grasped the bulwark with white knuckles as she stared at the oncoming tragedy.

And as she spoke, so it came to pass. The quinquireme, all oars racing backwards and forwards at full power, came up to the ragged patch of floating debris and passed through and over it without pause, heading inexorably for the distant liburnian.

Gabrielle turned to Xena and buried her face in the other's bosom, feeling strong arms about her aching sides; but the awful noise still struck her ears as the note of the oars changed to a series of cracks and crashes as the ship swept through the debris left by the sunken ship. For fleeting horrible moments Gabrielle even thought she heard distant cries, before they were through and heading over the intervening clear water again.

As they approached everyone on board, including Lucius, could see that Atilius had pulled his pentekontor back and away from the pirate, leaving an appreciable distance between them, though the liburnian was still sending flights of arrows against it's opponent The pirate was clearly not beaten yet. But Lucius meant to deal with that at once.

Giving instructions as he walked the Trierarch moved across the sterndeck as the ship, at the same time, veered to port and slowed down. Even Gabrielle knew what was coming and, indeed, hardly had the ship reached it's new position than the catapult rang out with it's now familiar power. Again the thrown missile was expertly aimed and crashed into the centre of the pirate vessel, sending up a cloud of splinters visible to those watching 70 yards away. Then, it's oars slowing in unison, the quinquireme came to a halt and rested from it's labours!

To Gabrielle's jaundiced eye it seemed only seconds before the pirate ship went down, suddenly and with hardly any noise. One moment it was there; the next it had gone, leaving only floating barrels, bits of wood and a very few men struggling in the water.

"I don't suppose he's going to rescue those either!" Gabrielle's words were redolent with despair, and again no-one replied.

"He's moving round to rendezvous with Atilius." Xena's next words were spoken quietly. "To see that he and his men are alright. It's all over now."

Gabrielle released Xena's hand, which she had been grasping tightly over the last few minutes, and looked around. And what she saw was total devastation!

Far away across the whitecaps the first pirate ship on which she had so recently been fighting for her life simply did not exist anymore. Where it had been was open water with very little to show that anything had ever occupied the spot. Nearer to them was a patch of debris, now significantly less than it had been, and some floating objects which Gabrielle recognised for what they were with a sick feeling.

A few minutes later the quinquireme lay beside it's companion and Atilius jumped aboard with a wide grin to report to his commander. He made it clear that, though engaged in a terrific fight, he had sustained very few real losses to his force. At a word from a somewhat subdued Lucius he also reported that, of the pirate crew, he had managed to capture only 11.

After some discussion it became clear what the sum total of dead and wounded amounted to. Of those on board Atilius's pentekontor only 3 soldiers had been killed and 4 slightly wounded. Of an estimated 150 pirates only 11 survived. On the second pirate vessel; that rammed by Lucius, no-one had survived at all. And on the third liburnian, where the battle had taken place, Lucius had managed to bring aboard some 17 prisoners. Altogether there had been a frightful loss among the pirate band with neither the pentekontor or the powerful quinquireme suffering anything in the way of major damage. So it was a great victory for the Roman Trierarch.

"Give you joy of your victory, Lucius!" Xena came up to stand by his side, extending her hand. "This'll stand out amongst your many actions as a supreme triumph!"

Lucius swung on the tall women with a cold expressionless face, though he took her hand and looked into her eye without rancour.

"My many actions? Do you think I could survive more than one battle like this?"

Xena raised her brows as she reailsed this was the first major action the large Roman had been in. Even she was surprised.

"And I wouldn't have survived this," He went on in low tones. "if Bremusa there hadn't saved my life! I begin to wonder if any amount of treasure is worth such trouble and danger!"

Turning, he once more busied himself with the necessary details of the battle's aftermath while the two warrior women made their way back to the bow where Bremusa sat with closed eyes and her back against a barrel.

"Are you alright, Bremusa?" Gabrielle's tone was warm and kind as she bent over the young girl, whose garments were almost as brightly stained as her glowing red hair.

"Yeah. Fine, thank you Gabrielle." There was a tiredness apparent in her voice as she spoke. Climbing to her feet she looked at her two friends. "I think I'll go and lie down in my cabin for a while."

—OOO—

A short while later Xena and Gabrielle leaned on the scratched and chipped bulwark; where all around many arrows still stuck in the wood and planks as mute testament to the ferocity of the recent fighting.

"Strange that we three have just fought to sustain the power of Rome against Greeks!" Xena rubbed her chin musingly. "Greek pirates, I admit; but still Greeks. I can't put my finger on it; but there's something mad about all this! The sooner Greek soil's under my boots again, the sooner I'll be happy!"

"Yeah! With no Romans in sight anywhere!" Gabrielle added, brushing a wet hand over her brow and sweeping some sticky strands of hair away from her eyes. "You know, Xena! I begin to hate the Romans almost as much as you! I killed men today. Half a dozen, I think. And the rest of their shipmates have joined them in Tartarus now, too. Courtesy of Atilius and Lucius. I've never seen such wholesale slaughter. Look! 3 ships—and maybe 700 men—now there's nothing but floating wreckage and a few bodies. And we helped this happen, Xena! I killed people here, today. I helped this slaughter. The Gods will seriously want revenge over this!"

"It's just a drop in the ocean." Xena regretted the simile instantly, too late. Gabrielle grimaced in pain and flung her arms wide for a moment as she looked out over the rolling waves.

"I mean," Xena continued. "the Gods will look on this as necessary. Remember, Gabrielle, we did this for Cleopatra. Oh, yes, Lucius believes the treasure is destined for the Emperor, though he's having second thoughts about his own involvement, I think; but we know Cleopatra has other plans for it. That's our motivation; our reason for doing all this; allowing this to happen."

"But it's so grotesque. Hades! Look at me, Xena. Look at us all. We're all covered in blood. I've tried washing already, but it still sticks. Did you see the decks of that last liburnian. It was pouring out of the scuppers like-like water."

"I've seen worse." Xena spoke bluntly; finally at a loss how to comfort her friend.

Gabrielle turned on her with real anger on her face and in her voice; grabbing the taller woman's hands by the wrists and literally snarling in passion.

"No, you haven't! No you haven't, Xena. Nothing could possibly have been worse than what we've just gone through. I'll never forget this as long as I live!"

Xena pulled her hands free roughly, making Gabrielle stagger back a couple of paces. Then Xena, in her turn, grabbed the small-framed warrior by her shoulders and shook her forcefully, making Gabrielle's head rock back and forth and forcing a cry of pain from her again.

"Gabrielle! See sense. You can't go on blaming yourself for other's actions. It was Lucius who was responsible for all this. He—and his ships—and his soldiers—and Atilius—and their Roman morality—lack of morality! OK—we killed a few of them ourselves. But that was in fair fight—face to face. We didn't slaughter them wholesale. Lucius and Atilius did that. Not you, Gabrielle!"

For several seconds Gabrielle stared at her friend blankly; then tears began flowing down her scratched cheeks. She raised her hands, holding them out to Xena beseechingly.

Xena instantly jumped close and gripped the weeping woman in a firm embrace, locking her hands behind Gabrielle's back to hold her safely. She raised one hand to run her fingers through the short fine white hair now streaked with dark stains, nestling her chin gently on Gabrielle's head. Xena closed her eyes; feeling only the frail body sobbing quietly against her chest and wrapped her arms closer, holding Gabrielle more tightly still, whispering gently.

"My Love—My Love! It's all over. All finished. I'm with you now. With you always. My Love—My Love!"

A few feet below the two engrossed figures waves, topped by sparkling whitecaps in the freshening breeze, lapped at the ship's sides as the choppy seas rolled on; ever disregardful of Human troubles.

End of Chapter 4

The End

—OOO—