Gabrielle tossed and turned at the oceans will. Still unconscious it seemed like she had lost all fighting chance to survive when a man in a boat floated by.

He winced down at the image of a young girl staring back at him and sighed. Not another one. He had seen deaths of younger people lately and was a bit distraught by it but he knew his job had to be done.

With one effortless pull he grabbed the young blonde's body into his little wooden canoe and placed her gently along the canoe's seats as if the canoe were her final resting place. He paused for a second to look at the damage her body had and lowered his head in shame. Whatever happened to you? And with that last thought, he stood at the bow of his boat slowly rowing to take the Bard away from this life.

A few hours had passed and he was nearing his destination when the young blonde stirred from her unconsciousness. He blinked back and was shocked at her earthly return. He dropped the paddle and came kneeling to her side.

"Are you okay?" He asked while reaching for her hands.

Gabrielle's body cracked with pain making the option of sitting up out of the question. Instead she tried making out the man who was being so kind to her.

He had shoulder length black curly hair, but his face was smooth and clean cut. His eyes were soft and blue, but not like Xena's. No, his eyes, they were the color of the oceans. And she thought it odd when his hands wrapped around hers with no blisters to be found from his continuous rowing.

Gabrielle closed her eyes after collecting the image of the man and tried to figure out why she hurt so much. And like a painful burn of fire she remembered her best friend, her soulmate trying to kill her.

A tear slipped from the Bard's eye as the memories surfaced. "If you plan to kill me...Just do it."

"Kill you? No, not I. But someone sure as Orbis Alius tried to kill you." The man gave a look reassuring the Bard that he wasn't there to kill her.

Gabrielle opened her eyes to the man once more and knew the phrase that traced his lips were not Greek. Then it occurred to her she had no idea where she was either.

"Who are you? And Where am I?"

"I am Barinthus. God of the Seas. Not just these seas, of course..." He opened his arms as if to embrace the seas with the love of being home. "But also the seas of Orbis Alius; the Otherworld."

Dammit. Maybe he's not killing me because I'm Already dead. That's just my luck. "So where am I?"

"We are tracing the edges of Gallia. But of course since you aren't dead we can return to Greece as soon as you'd like."

The young Bard contemplated the option. Am I really ready to go home? What if Xena is still there? She'll kill me. Wherever I am going now must be better than returning to Greece. I made such a mess...

"You know, I think I will be okay if you just drop me off somewhere. I don't think I could ever go back to Greece after what happened."

"Drop you off somewhere? Are you sure?" He asked with deep concern. He knew that it was not safe for a young girl such as herself to be wondering about. "I don't think that's really safe, especially in your condition. I will take you back home to your family. Surely, they will want to see you alive and well."

Still not sitting up, anger and sorrow danced on her tongue. "I can't go home and you will not take me there. By the Gods, I will drown myself if you don't take me elsewhere."

Barinthus sighed and knew that it was not wise to fight with the mortal. "Alright fine, but I am taking you to my dear friend and there you will stay until you are well, understood? I transport enough dead ones to not need another."

"Deal." Gabrielle sighed. She was interested in how she would make it without knowing a single soul, but it was something she felt she needed to do to get over the events with Xena. She never wanted to forget her former best friend and soulmate, but she knew that she could never look to the dark haired warrior ever again.

A few minutes later the canoe had stopped at a rough rocked shore. "We are here." He looked at the Bard figuring out a way to get her out of the boat without hurting her.

"Where exactly is here?" Gabrielle asked calmly.

"...We are at the border of Gallia but we must make our way to Germania before Ceasar's army sees us." Gabrielle's eyes widened as the name Ceasar rang in her ears. "I told you it's not safe, they've hit Britannia and they are said to be coming right back through Gaul and hitting westward after." He looked for a responding expression and continued. "...I will have to zap you over to Sirona, this may hurt, but it's better than carrying you all the way over to her."

Gabrielle nodded and braced herself for the transport.

When she opened her eyes again she was laying on warm grounds, and the area around her was filled with sounds of light water falls.

"Please help her. She insists on staying in this area but she is severely hurt." Barinthus stood tall in front of a frail but young woman. She had short red hair and her skin was as pale as moonlight.

Gabrielle made face at the serpent that was wrapped around the woman's forearm and started doubting her once brilliant idea.

As the woman named Sirona walked towards her she squinted one eye open at her.

"Hello, Gabrielle."

The sound of her name brought both eyes open and to attention. "How did you know my name?"

"I am a Goddess, you know." Sirona winked at the young Bard paralyzed on the ground. "Let's get you up to my table." And with one motion Sirona had brought Gabrielle to the table with a zap.

"Okay, that zappy thing; that is really starting to get to me...or maybe it's just all this pain." She said as she started to feel a fainting sensation overcome her body.

Little did she know it was because the serpent had left Sirona's arm and was now performing a healing ritual along side it's master. After it's lengthy body crawled effortlessly up the Bard's body it settled at her neck and bit down to secrete it's venom into her veins.

"Goodnight, Gabrielle." The voice of Sirona rang through her temple as the Bard fell into deep darkness.

Xena had Argo in a hard gallop. She was fighting herself to not stop, because if she stopped riding she knew she would have to face the pain of killing her best friend. The saddle was now making her legs raw, and she could tell that Argo was getting tired. However, to Xena, it wasn't a good enough reason to stop. "Come on, girl!" She yelled as she kicked Argo into a faster run.

Argo could tell that Xena needed to stop and face the music, and as she ran harder along a river she decided it was a good time for her master to get a good slap of reality. Even though Argo had a hard time trusting Gabrielle, she could still feel how much the Bard had cared for Xena and knew that Xena just had to get over the pain.

With one big halt Xena went flying into the air and landed in the river. Argo lowered her head towards the ground and let out a snort as Xena emerged from under the water. "What in Tartarus were you thinking, Argo!" She was mad but pulled herself out of the water and shook what she could out of her leathers.

Argo stomped her feet to show that she was making a statement. "I can't just get Gabrielle back! She's dead, Argo! You know that." Xena argued.

Argo looked down with a low neigh, she knew it was partly her fault for allowing Xena to drag her to her death to start with. Saddened Argo gave one last sigh and left Xena alone.

"Argo?" Xena questioned with slight hurt in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Argo! Come back girl!"

Unfortunately, Xena knew that she wasn't going to be able to find Argo until she was ready to be found, and placed herself on a rock nearby the river.

"By the Gods, what have I done?"

"Killed your best friend. Such a shame warrior babe. You're about as lame as my bro, if not more." Aphrodite griped along side Xena in her pink lingerie.

"Go away, Aphrodite. There's no love left in this heart." Xena looked at the ground afraid of how true the statement might be.

"Xena, babe. You can't lie to the Goddess of Love, Duh!" Aphrodite sat beside Xena and wrapped her arm around the warrior. "I hope you know, I never cared for you- but the little sweat pea, I really care about her, and I know you really care about her too. Nothing will change that feeling, not even the death of your son. You can hate her for awhile, but you'll love her for eternity whether you like it or not. And I'm pretty sure your little horsey is trying to get you to realize that too. Later babes." A pink cloud smoked around Xena and Aphrodite was gone.

Xena hated to admit it, but the ditzy Goddess of Love was right. However, it didn't help her situation at all. It only broke her down in realization, that she would never be able to tell her friend how much she truly did love and care for her.

The least I can do is get her body and give her a proper burial. Xena's eyes widened and she decided to trudge her way back to the ocean.

"Poseidon!" Screamed with all her might. "Bring me her body!"

The sea became uneasy as Poseidon rose to the surface.

"Xena the warrior princess, asking me a favor. I will not return anything to your wretched soul!" He splashed loudly trying to put fear into the warrior.

"Please, Poseidon...it's not for me it's for her. Gabrielle, never did harm to you."

"But you did harm to her and now you want her body? For what? To defy her like you do me?"

"Poseidon, Please!" Xena begged desperately and was on the brink of tears. "Poseidon, I know that I have done bad things. I know that Gabrielle should not have died by my hands...but she did, and by the Gods, I need to make it right."

Poseidon laughed so hard that the ground surrounding the sea began to shake. "This is a wrong you cannot right, Xena."

"What do you mean?" Xena became angry and lifted herself off the ground preparing to offer herself up if he wouldn't comply.

"I don't wish to help you, Xena. Even if I did, her body does not belong to me. It belongs to Barinthus." He laughed once more but it faded as he dispersed back to a still water.

"Barinthus." She mumbled to herself as her eyes searched for answers. "Who is Barinthus?"

"Ares!" Xena felt an unease in her presence.

"Xena...Xena. You're turning soft on me already. I thought you would hold on to that hate a little longer."

"Well it helps when I get a visit from the Love doctor." Xena winked and smiled with one eye brow raised. She held his gaze with a lustful blue one as she inched closer.

"That changes everything now doesn't it. Too bad Xena, I had hopes for us. Shame my sis had to come and ruin play time." He licked his lips and smiled.

"Enough, Ares. We both know that I'd never return to your side. Even with Gabrielle out of the picture it just won't happen." Xena held her lips inches from his. They could both feel the heat pulsing between them intensify. "Now tell me. Who is Barinthus?"

Ares laughed at the manipulative seduction scheme that Xena was trying to pull on him and he backed out of the lust lock.

"By the Gods, you're good. Trying to seduce me for information. Well- I'll tell you, just for humor's sake. He's not Greek that's for sure. So whoever has your precious little Gabrielle...I'm sure doesn't play nicely."

"Why would it matter if he was Greek or not?" Xena tried to put the pieces together. Her face scrunched up and then widened. "Unless..."

"He's a God?" Ares smiled "Oh, Xena, how will you ever right your wrong now? She's probably trapped in Limbo all because of her big bad Warrior Princess with a Tartarus of an attitude. I am telling you Xena, join me." And with that the tall, dark and handsome God vanished.

Xena felt even more lost than before. Her heart was now breaking away the deep hate that was being held within her.

"Solan," She spoke knowing he could hear her. "I am sorry for the pain and hurt that I have caused you. I hope you can forgive me and I hope that you understand what I must do now for Gabrielle..." She paused as tears fell from her baby blues. "It wasn't her fault. I was foolish and blinded by rage and hate...And I hope you can forgive her as well, Solan.

Argo nuzzled her nose on Xena's back

"Argo." She stood up with a teary smile. "Argo, I am so sorry for what I made you do and for how I have been acting." She hugged her golden horse tightly. "We have to go now, girl. Gabrielle is waiting some where, some place." Xena sighed and lifted herself on Argo. "At least her body is...I hope."

A/N: Chapter 2! and By the Gods! Thank you all so much for the reviews and feedback, keep them coming! Hope you all enjoy! :)