A/N: hello there my dudes, here's some more. Enjoy!

One week later...

Xena finally made it to Amphipolis without any trouble. Since she knew Argo was smart and very familiar with the village, Xena just jumped right off Argo and ran straight to her mother's inn.

Hastily, she bolted through the inn doors and made a b-line to the kitchen and there she was. Xena gave her mother an enormous bear hug that lifted her off the ground. Xena set her back down and pulled away an arms length.

"Xena, you're back, you're back and I think I'm going to cry I'm so happy to see you. My gods little one you must tell me everything. I want to know it all. Oh, and Toris, oh he'll be so excited to see you. We've both have missed you so much!" Cyrene spoke a million miles a minute while joyful tears came down from her eyes.

"Mother, please don't cry, you might just get me started too!" Xena told her.

"What does it matter anyway, you are home safe and everyone will be so excited to see you... Yes, that's it!" Said Cyrene.

"What's it, mom?" Xena was confused.

"We must celebrate, my dear!" Cyrene exclaimed. "Yes, and everyone will come and celebrate your return!" The mother hugged her daughter once more.

"Mother, where is Toris?" Xena asked calmly.

"Yes, that brother of yours." Cyrene thought for a second, "Yes, he's uh in the cellar. Oh how perfect, tell him to bring up some wine when you go down there and also try not to startle him."

"Why? What happened?" Xena became worried for her brother.

"Oh Xena. If only you were with him or if he was with you. You're not going to believe this Xena but I guess I'll tell you.

Four months ago...

On a very fine day with the sun shining brightly in the sky, Toris was out on a walk with his best friend, the king of thieves, Autolycus. On their walk they came across an empty cave on the side of a mountain. To both of them, the cave seemed harmless so, being the nosey men they are, they walked right in. Five minutes into the cave they had realized what a terrible decision they had made. Inside the cave was a sleeping bear.

As soon as Autolycus and Toris saw the bear they froze completely still in fear that they might accidentally wake the bear.

With suave, Autolycus said without moving his lips, "Toris... on the count of three, let's make a run for it."

Toris failed at doing so. Toris had unintentionally kicked by a rock with the heel of his boot. The bear's eyes opened and it looked angry.

Autolycus changed his mind, "Time to forget that one, or maybe just save it for later."

Autolycus, the man with a trick up his sleeve, slowly pulled out one of the many daggers he carried and got ready to throw it at the bear. The self entitled "king of thieves" didn't throw the dagger hard enough to penetrate the tough skin of the bear. Once again the bear got angry and began charged the men.

"Fuck! Toris run!" Autolycus shouted and took off.

Toris, unfortunately, didn't have a head start run like Autolycus did. As he turned around to to run the bear caught up with him and sliced his back to nearly shreds.

"That goddamned son of a bitch bear!" The thief exclaimed.

To stop the bear, Autolycus ran back as fast as he possibly could to save his friend. Pulling out the biggest knife he carried with him, Autolycus slit the bear's neck. Immediately, the bear released Toris. Autolycus managed to get Toris on to his own back and carried him out of the cave and had Toris lean over a rock.

"You just let it all out Toris, you cry, you yell and shout, do what you have to. Just try not to move while I clean up your back." Autolycus told Toris.

Luckily, the men were by a river, so Autolycus ripped up the already torn shirt that practically hung off of Toris.

"I'd like you to know that I am very, truly, deeply sorry for what is about to come." Autolycus said.

"Duly noted." Toris winced in pain.

He drowned the cloth in the river then applied it to Toris's back.

"HOLY SHIT!" Toris shouted.

"Yes, something like that buddy. But you're gonna be okay." Autolycus said hopefully.

Toris shouted again, "YOU FUCKER! GOD DAMMIT!"

Autolycus could only grit his teeth and it caused him pain as well to see his friend horribly injured.

After Autolycus decided Toris was all bandaged and cleaned up, Autolycus did his best to support Toris on his legs. And even if it did take all afternoon to get back to the inn.

Now...

Xena was truly shocked. Absolutely speechless. Cyrene could only comfort her daughter.

"He's alright now, Xena. Just don't scare him or put too much pressure on his back."

Xena nodded then headed to the cellar. Once she got there she stood silently in the door way. "Toris."

The man who looked so much like herself turned around, "Xena!" He was ecstatic.

They embraced each other with joy.

"You're back! And you're alive!" Toris said happily. "So?"

"So? I went to Athens you know that!" She grinned at him, "I'll tell you when we're with mom so I won't have to repeat my self too much," she laughed.

"Yes, Oh but what title did you're scholar give you?" Toris asked.

Xena, with a gleam in her eye and a mischievous grin plastered across her face, answered his burning question, "Warrior Princess."

Meanwhile in Poteidaia...

Gabrielle sat next to the stream that ran a short distance way from the barn. She ran her fingers through the cold water and it felt nice since it was so hot that day. The blonde wanted to think but it just wasn't happening for her.

"How odd of me. Maybe I really am lost for words for once. Mmmm, but I don't think I mind it. There could be worse things to linger on but how ironic of me! I can't think of any!"

Gabrielle paused for a moment. She began to worry and when Gabrielle worried she was rendered useless until she cut it out.

"What if I'm stuck here forever? I'll turn into my mother, but I mean that's not exactly a bad thing even though I know some where deep down she once longed for adventure and to travel. In a way I am like her because right now I crave those things too. But what if I never leave this little po-dunk village? What would cause me to stay here? Marriage most likely. My goodness that would be dreadful."

Gabrielle rolled her head around and once hard enough to get her neck to crack. A warm and weak gust of wind came through causing her to move her hair out of her face. She looked down at the water running in the stream.

"I need to get out of here. I don't care how long or how soon it takes. I just need to. I have to."

Gabrielle stood up from where she was sitting and wiped all the possible grass off her chiton. She walked back home and tried to come up with a plan that would help her get away from Poteidaia.

A week later...

"Xena, you have a message here for you!" Toris called out from the kitchen in the inn. No response and no sound of footsteps. "You better get down here before I open it for you!" Toris threatened.

Xena raced down the stairs as fast as she could. Toris held out the rolled up parchment as Xena ran by to take it. Now that she had it she continued to run straight to the barn. Xena climbed up to the hayloft and opened up the parchment.

Xena,

I hope you're doing well. I know I am. Except for my extreme restlessness. Lately, I've been dreaming of leaving Poteidaia and traveling near and far. I was wondering how you did it. How did you end up in Athens studying everything in general and how to fight? What did you have to do?

I never thought I'd tell anybody that I'm desperate but I am. Desperate in the sense of getting away from my goat herding, donkey plowing life. It doesn't suite me. I know you and others here like Lila and my mother know that. My father can't take a hint unfortunately and I fear that one day he might find some man for me out of the blue. My women's intuition tells me it might happen eventually within the year.

So this is the end of my message. I can't wait to hear from you. Your life seems so interesting! Tell me everything because I would love to know.

Your friend,

Gabrielle

Xena continued to hold the letter after reading it. She folded it up and held on to it. Then she left the barn and went back up to her room at the inn.

In her room there was a bed with a chest at the foot of it, a desk that sat under a window and a dresser in the far corner of the room. Xena immediately searched her room for something to write on and to write with. Satisfied with what she had found, Xena began to write.

Always the one to think out her words carefully, the warrior princess tried to give her letter a special something so when Gabrielle read it, she wouldn't fall asleep from boredom.

An hour or so later, Xena had completed her letter for Gabrielle. She rolled up the parchment and sealed it tight. Then she went out to find Caius, the messenger man who happily delivered items and such to neighboring villages. Now all Xena could do was wait patiently.

Ten days later...

"I hope my message for Xena didn't get lost on the way there or something like that. No, no way. Caius is usually good about this sort of thing," Gabrielle said to a goat that sat down next to her.

"Do you think Xena wrote back already?" Gabrielle asked the goat couldn't respond. "Really? You're so optimistic. Well, all we can do is hope she did."

Since the goats were in their pen, Gabrielle freely left them to go back to her house. Gabrielle hesitantly went inside. There she found her mother sitting in the living room at her loom weaving a red and green himation.

Gabrielle passed her and went on into her room she shared with Lila. As soon as she sat down on her bed, her mother called for her. With a groan, she stood back up and went back to the living room where her mother was.

"Gabrielle, Caius is outside," Hecuba told Gabrielle.

Her daughter's attitude changed immediately. Gabrielle quickly made her way out the door. Just like her mother had told her, Caius was standing on the porch with an item in his hand.

"Gabrielle! It's so good to see you. It's not often you get letters therefore I don't see you as much." Caius joked.

"So you've brought something to me?" Gabrielle asked. Caius nodded and that confirmed her question. "Well come on! Hand it over!" She said playfully.

"Oh fine, fine. Here you go." Caius presented her with a rolled up parchment and Gabrielle politely took it from him.

"You have a nice evening, Gabrielle. I have a whole cart's worth of items to deliver."

"Thank you, Caius. You have a good one too!" Gabrielle then stood perfectly still until Caius was almost out of sight and when he was, she ran to the stream she would visit very often.

Sitting in her usual spot, Gabrielle got comfortable and opened the letter.

Gabrielle,

It makes me happy to know you are doing well. It saddens me that you feel you cannot do the things you would like to do. Now, I know I'd probably say something like: what could be holding you back? But you answered that question in the letter you sent me, which by the way, thank you for keeping that promise.

You asked, in the letter, how I was able to go to Athens and do all the things I did. Unfortunately, before I left for home, my scholar had forbiddened me to write down how the situation came to be and what went about. But, I am allowed to talk about it face to face with people. You can gladly assume I am inviting you to Amphipolis. Now if that is a problem, I can help solve it. If you are unable to travel to my village, I will come to yours. And even better, I'll escort you to Amphipolis and back if you wish it.

Since I've been home, I have been helping my mother, Cyrene, with the inn she runs along with my brother, Toris. While I was away in Athens, I had realized I missed doing that kind of work and being around my family. Yet now that I am home, I also miss adventuring and letting my heart take me where it most desires. I also enjoyed my journey to and from Athens. I helped a lot of people with their troubles. At the same time, I fought a lot of them too.

Now that I am back working at the inn, I have still been able to encounter new people. For example, five days ago an older woman, all the way from Crete, came to stay here at the inn. Crete! Isn't that crazy? It must've been quite the boat ride.

So you wrote about having to be married off eventually in the year if your father finds a man for you. Gabrielle, I'm going to be honest with you. If I were in that situation, I would either run away, fake my death and live in the wilderness like a wild boar or if you have no choice, comply at first. Then I would go out and do lots of things "pretty young housewives" wouldn't do. I would push the man into wanting a divorce. But I must remind you, these are just suggestions. You should do what you think is right. You have my support. There are many young women in Greece just like us who do not wish to be set up by their fathers.

I wish you the best of luck and until we meet again, your friend,

Xena

That week, Gabrielle read the letter over and over again and each time she read through it, her heart grew fonder of Xena.

Meanwhile in Amphipolis...

Xena and Toris wandered around the village looking for things that needed to be repaired. While they walked, Xena asked Toris about his experience with the bear.

"So Autolycus was here huh? What was he up to?" Xena asked her brother.

"What? Is there something wrong with visiting close friends?" Toris said.

Xena gave Toris the: I call bullshit look.

"Oh alright, fine! You really want to know?"

"Well, I did ask." Xena admitted.

"He was here because he needed a place to hide his latest "find" and don't ask why he picked here because I truly don't know." Toris explained.

"I'm not going to ask, why he chose here. I'm going to ask you why you let him do that!" Xena was mad.

"He's like family to us, Xena. How could I say no? I wouldn't say no to you or mother."

"You have a point but what exactly is he hiding here?" Xena glared at Toris.

"Would you believe me if I told you that I don't really know? Xena, I know where it is but I don't know what it is or who it actually belongs to."

Frustrated, Xena nodded and believed Toris. "Take me to it."

Toris felt guilty telling his sister where the item was but he knew that with Xena it was the right thing to do.

"Xena, May I ask what you plan to do with it?"

"Knowing Autolycus, he probably stole it from royalty or even worse, he might've stolen it from a god and the last thing we all want in Amphipolis is a god."

Somewhere in the Agora of Athens...

"Oh Autolycus, my dear!" A female voice called from a large room.

Autolycus out of breath ran into the room, "Yes, lovely?" He placed a hand on the large door way to lean on.

The woman on the throne changed her tone, "Where is it?" She said that angrily.

Autolycus's eyes looked like they were going to pop out of his skull.

"Answer me dammit! And don't play dumb! You know exactly what I'm talking about!"

The thief tried to compose himself, "Aphrodite, I assume you're talking about your mirror." He stuttered.

"Yes! Now where is it?" The goddess was becoming very angry.

"I don't know." He said nonchalantly.

"Liar! You are a liar and I know it! You have one more chance to tell me where my mirror is before I do something to you that you really aren't going to like." Aphrodite was threatening him.

Autolycus, just as stubborn as he is, wouldn't answer her, "I don't know."

"Fine then, you want to act like an ass? Then why not be one!"

With the snap of her fingers, she turned the king of thieves into an ass.