The following morning in an open field, not far from the campsite, Xena and Hippolyta were busy setting up the training grounds for the day's activities. Some wooden posts were driven into the earth and had apples resting atop them. Others had targets dangling from them that would be in motion. The idea being Cassandra had to learn to use a bow and arrow from horseback and hit a moving target she had to be better than an Amazon warrior.


Meanwhile back at camp Gabrielle was waking Cassandra up and getting her ready training for with Xena.

"Time to get up Cassandra" Gabrielle stated in a strident tone.

"Don't want to" Cassandra wined. wanting to stay in the comfort on her warm bed.

"You have till-the-count of three… then I use your mother's favorite wakeup call" Gabrielle stated with an air of authority.

Cassandra was still a little groggy so her thought process wasn't quite up to speed yet, it wasn't until she heard the water sloshing round in the bucket she recalled the story of how she used to wake up Gabrielle.

Gabrielle was standing over her about to pitch the bucket of cold water at Cassandra when she sat up yawning said, "What's for breakfast"

"That's convenient" Gabrielle muttered with a raised eyebrow, "Lucky you sat up when you did"

Smirking Cassandra said with just a hint of an arrogant undertone, "Luck had nothing to do with it I remembered mom's story, something about dumping you in a lake to wake you up."

"Xena told you about that, did she?" Gabrielle stated sarcastically.

"When I was little… mom would tell me a cleaned-up version of your adventures as bedtime stories" Cassandra admitted sheepishly.

Gabrielle just smiled and started to cook breakfast calling out, "Cassandra… you will need your longbow and both your quivers"

"Archery practice" groaned Cassandra "I can already match mom shot for shot"

Gabrielle's green eyes suddenly became hard and her posture changed Gabrielle's back straitened to the point of being ridged as her tone of voice became very serious and asking Cassandra "Can you match her shot for shot... from horseback Hippolyta is an expert Archer both standing and on horseback."

Gabrielle went to get her own weapons telling Cassandra, "As Queen you will have to face challenges to your rule... any Amazon can challenge the queen if they think you're unfit."


Twenty minutes later Gabrielle with Cassandra in tow arrives at the training ground. Cassandra took it all in not quite sure what to make of it. Her mother Xena strode up to them to explain the days training regimen.

Cassandra checked both her Quivers and made sure they were securely attached to Argo 2 , then slipped her foot into the makeshift stirrup "toe loop" and swung her hip and leg round and drawing her bow from the quiver in a single smooth motion.

Xena walked up to her daughter mount and said softly, "Use your legs to control the horse... just like I taught you"

Nodding Cassandra began her run biting down on two arrows between her teeth, holding a third in her hand as she rides down the length of the posts with apples placed on top, notching the first arrow, letting it fly with a schhwaff the arrow not only found its mark but also penetrated out the other side of the apple.

Letting the next arrow fly to find its mark

With each shot she drew another arrow sometimes two at a time with each draw from the quiver before taking another shot.

Hippolyta was about to call out that Cassandra, missed her last mark, when Xena said "Just watch Hippolyta"

Cassandra quickly lied back on Argo 2 syncing her actions with the gallop of her horse.

Shooting upside down as she lay on the back of Argo 2, Cassandra drew the bow past her chin until it was even with her sternum and held it there. As she loosed her arrow Cassandra felt the arrows fletching brush against her chin as it flew to the apple and out the other side with a flop.

"Your just full of surprises" Hippolyta stated as she watched Cassandra

Both Xena and Gabrielle rode up one on either side of Cassandra, who quickly switched to her second quiver of arrows made for close range work, with satchels sling over their horses taking out clay disks and tossing them in the air. Cassandra was notching arrows and hitting each clay disk the remarkable thing was she wasn't aiming she was drawing the bow and losing her arrow.

Cassandra hit and shattered clay target after clay target until there were none left.


Xena rode to the opposite end of the field and leapt from her saddle dismounting Argo. Her hand automatically went to her hip and her chakram. Astride her horse, Gabrielle stated, "XENA YOU WOULDN'T..."

Xena didn't say a word, as she flung the chakram at her own daughter. Mid horse stride, Cassandra heard the subsonic whine that she knew could only be her mother's chakram. Cassandra caught the briefest glint of metal out of the corner of her eye as of glanced off a nearby boulder. Reaching out with her left-hand Cassandra plucked the chakram out of the air before dismounting Argo 2 in a smooth motion, spinning around 180 degrees passing the chakram from her left hand to her right before flinging it back at her mother who like her daughter plucked it out of the air with ease.

Slack-jawed Gabrielle said in modulated if not stunned tone of voice "You knew"

"You forget Gabrielle... my daughter has the reflexes of her demigod father" Xena said as she chided Gabrielle.

What none of them knew was Artemis was watching from a discrete distance just inside the tree line.

"She is good!" Artemis said in a whisper, "She would make a fine companion... and she is an Amazon"

Stepping out into the morning light Artemis said, "Hail Amazons" Moving across the field Hippolyta recognized her at once taking a Knee saying, "My lady Artemis ..."

Xena, Gabrielle and Cassandra rode up one on the scene, Artemis looked at the three of them before focusing on Cassandra posing the question "Would you like to be my companion?"

Gabrielle spoke up saying, "Cassandra... it's, and honor to be a companion of Artemis ... however her penalties for breaking her rules are steep and the consequences can be lethal"

Hippolyta stated, "My lady Artemis … respectfully Cassandra is to be my heir"

"Cassandra" Said Artemis with a smile turning her attention back to the mother and daughter "I have long been revered by the Amazon's if you ever need me speak my name"

Artemis took Cassandra's bow in hand examining it she said matter of factly, "A Bamboo core, with a bone overlay... light yet powerful... a Mongol design"

Xena spoke up saying offhandedly, "Spoils of war... from another life Artemis

"Indeed" Artemis said

Looking at Artemis in the back of her mind Cassandra thinks You're my Aunt

Artemis picks-up on the stay thought as she took in her measure asking Cassandra "Who is your father child?"

Hesitantly Cassandra said in a strangled tone of voice, "H- Hercules... my lady"

Smirking proudly Artemis said sincerely, "You could give the hind a run for her money..."

Xena, Cassandra and Gabrielle were heading back to the campsite and Hippolyta was about to follow them when Artemis called out in a commanding tone, "Hippolyta… we need to speak"

The tone of Artemis voice told Hippolyta two things, first it was not a request, second Hippolyta would not like it.

"Yes, my Lady!" Hippolyta replied.

"Cassandra has grown rather fond of you" Artemis commented.

"Yes, she has my Lady." Hippolyta replied.

"Does she know that when your task is done you must go back to The Golden Mountain… to The Gates to Eternity?" Artemis asked Hippolyta.

"No… she does not" Hippolyta replied.

With that Artemis walked away and vanished.

That was not a discussion Hippolyta was looking forward to, she knew it would break Cassandra's heart.