For Disclaimers see ch. 1
Conqueror and Amazon: Towards a new life
by romansilence
Additional disclaimer: The following chapters contain graphic descriptions of physical violence and allusions to sexual abuse. I tried to make the story work without them but wasn't satisfied with the outcome, so please feel free to skip any scene offending your sensibilities.
Chapter Seven: All my trials and tribulations
Queen Melosa was in mid-sentence when the double-winged door to the council's hut burst open and two Amazons stumbled in forced forward by the ends of a fighting staff. Their legs were swept away and they found themselves in a heap in front of a grey haired but still well muscled elder. Xena towered over them, blood coloured the bandage at her thigh but her whole body oozed power and barely contained anger. Her eyes were almost black, and the surprised guards didn't dare touching her.
It was as if time suddenly stood still in the hut, the council members all but pinned to their seats, the Queen with her mouth still half open and the two Amazons frozen on the ground.
Eponin was the first one to regain her composure. She ordered the guards to back up and return to their posts and slowly approached Xena from her right. Having witnessed the taller woman's fighting skills some days ago, she knew better than to near her from behind or to try and overpower her. When she was already well in striking range of the staff she stopped.
"Xena, you don't need the staff any longer. Let me hold it for you."
Xena meanwhile had locked eyes with the Amazon elder in front of her and negligently handed Gabrielle's staff to the weapons' master. The emotions heating up her veins were clearly discernible in her voice.
"Najara wasn't the only one," was all she said, and all she had to say.
The council members knew about the real reasons for the Queen adopting an apprentice, and Najara's obvious treason during battle was all even the most reluctant among them needed to believe it.
Amazon values had been twisted beyond recognition, and suddenly all were talking at once. The two women on the floor tried to get back on their feet, and Eponin unceremoniously knocked them out.
Melosa now was standing next to the older Amazon. "Xena, I need evidence."
Xena still held the gaze of the gray haired Amazon, her voice now seething with anger and hatred. "Go to the healer's hut, Queen Melosa, there are three girls whose bodies carry all the evidence you'll need."
"I refuse to answer the pointless accusation of an unruly slave, my Queen." The older Amazon snarled without being verbally accused.
"You'll soon have to answer my questions, Yolica. Solari, I want six guards in here, immediately, no one is to leave the hut. Akyra, Novalia, come with me – and everybody else, just shut up, and sit down. I'll be back."
Despite the Queen's orders there was a lot of whispering going on, the council members were filling in their guests about the extend of Najara's crimes. The two women on the floor regained consciousness but were not stupid enough to try and get up a second time. Xena still held the eyes of the older woman.
About a candlemark later, the door once again burst open and in stormed Queen Melosa. Disgust and anger clearly written all over her face but her voice was calm and devoid of any emotion.
"Yolica, Umbra, Canara, evidence has been brought before my eyes that you are guilty of rape and child abuse. Your trial will be held tomorrow after dawn, and the jury will decide upon your punishment. Until then, you will be secured in the detention hut. – The council session is adjourned."
No one said a word when the three women were led away, and slowly one after one, elders and guests, left the hut. When only Eponin and the Queen were left, Xena knelt in front of Melosa and lowered her eyes to the ground.
"The law says that you have to be isolated until the elders decide upon your punishment but Anara needs your help in the healer's hut. So you will not leave it without my personal consent."
Xena nodded and limped away, squaring her shoulders when she left the hut, appearing as emotionless as everyone expected her to be. Melosa's eyes followed her with concern, and another set of eyes observed her entering the infirmary. There owners not only knew that she was really shaken up but that also another of her numerous emotional barriers had broken down.
-x-x-x-x-
Melosa meanwhile let herself sink in Eponin's arms, she was reluctant to go and do what now had to be done. The physical condition of the girls was more than enough evidence, and probably the testimony of Anara and the two other witnesses would be enough to satisfy the jury. She didn't want the girls to have to appear at the trial, they already had experienced enough hurt and humiliation. Still, the huts had to be searched, and it had to be done now.
When Queen and weapons' master left the council chamber news of the arrests and its reason had already spread and Solari had to deal with many very angry Amazons who were more than eager to take justice in their own hands. The guards actually had to protect the women in the detention hut, and they only quieted down after the Queen reminded her subjects that revenge wasn't the Amazons' way, and that justice would be satisfied, according to the laws.
Eponin stayed with Melosa but the Queen could feel the body of her lover getting increasingly tense almost every candledrop. Nonetheless, every time they found one of these horrid scrolls detailing the so-called punishments the weapons' masters arm was firmly tucked around her waist and she was pulled into a comforting hug – regardless of the three elders and four guards they had as witnesses.
Candlemarks later Melosa knew that tomorrow two of her subjects would die by an arrow to their hearts, the tip coated with a very potent poison designed to end their lives immediately and without much pain. To judge Yolica would be more difficult. The scrolls showed her as a very strict mistress and some of her punishments were unreasonably severe but there wasn't any evidence for rape or sexual violence.
-x-x-x-x-
This day the Queen did what she hadn't done for a long time. She went to Artemis' temple without any ceremonial issues in mind. When she left it a long, calming prayer later the craftswomen were preparing the funeral pyres for the five fallen Amazons, and she went to the healer's hut to ask Xena to sing the funeral dirge together with Ephiny.
But the former Conqueror wasn't were she was supposed to be. She had changed the bandage and re-stitched her wound. After some prodding from Thania and Gabrielle, she reluctantly had agreed to tend to the other girls. Anara told the Queen that she was rather stiff before but when she was sitting at one of the girl's beds something seemed to change in her demeanour. It lasted only for a heartbeat then she straightened up and told the healer that she would take her horse Argo and 'check the perimeter'. Two candlemarks ago Ephiny had sent a scouting party to track her down, they weren't back yet.
After the funeral ceremony, the scouts told her that Argo was back in the barn, still sweaty and with her saddle on, but there was no sign of Xena. The scouts were sure that she had returned with her horse, so now the village was searched. They didn't find her in Melosa's hut nor in the dining hall nor in the sweating hut nor in the infirmary.
Finally, Theano took a closer look at the barn, and there she was, in a dark corner behind two large bales of hay, tightly rolled in a ball. She didn't react when her name was called, she didn't react when Melosa touched her shoulder. Theano and Eponin recruited Gabrielle's help and lowered her to the ground next to the tall warrior, and slowly the soothing voice of her lover coaxed Xena out of her paralysis. Blue eyes filled with hurt and despair looked into loving green eyes, and led by Theano the Amazons left them alone.
"How did you know that she was still at the barn, Theano?"
"That's where she always took refuge when she was a child, my Queen." The older woman answered while taking the saddle off the warhorse's back and beginning to rub her down.
"The Conqueror simply would have gone and killed, and that's what I feared she would do when I heard she took Argo and left. It's a good sign that she came back without injuring someone else or herself."
"One of the mightiest warriors ever lying helplessly and almost catatonic in the barn, and that's a good sign?" Eponin asked in disbelief.
"Yes, she no longer is able to completely hide behind anger and violence, perhaps now she will accept my help.
"All these years I could do noting but watch and pray but now I begin to stand a chance. – I can see the questions in your eyes, my Queen, but I really would be grateful if you didn't ask them now.
"As soon as the trial is over, I will give you all the answers you crave. But I'll stand by my word, my concern and love for Xena won't impair my court performance."
-x-x-x-x-
Melosa spent the night with Eponin; they sat in front of the fireplace in the Queen's main room and held each other. Melosa couldn't help blaming herself and her lack of control for what had happened to the girls and the weapons' master. She still had a hard time to make her belief that it wasn't her fault.
Since the beginning the Amazon Nation had been built on trust and respect, respect for each other, respect for the law, and respect for the Goddess.
Eponin told her that it wasn't the first time in history that members of the nation had betrayed these virtues as well as the other highly esteemed values. It wasn't the first time in history that personal pride and lust for power dominated and blinded some individuals. She reminded the Queen of Velasca who more than four years ago killed one of her Amazon sisters to stop the peace negotiations with the Centaurs. Eponin told her lover that now it was her turn to trust her subjects and sisters, and that they would find a way to make things right, together.
The weapons' master as a rule wasn't one for words, she favoured a more physical approach to problems, but Melosa's body language clearly had told her that she was in great turmoil and needed to be reassured. That's what gave her the power to put aside her own helpless anger.
Her voice was low but without sensual undertones, a soothing balm gently applied to a beloved soul – and slowly, while the fire was burning low, the clenched muscles in Melosa's shoulders and back began to relax, and she drifted in a dreamless sleep.
-x-x-x-x-
Unfortunately, this wasn't a night for comfort and rest.
Less than two candlemarks later there was harsh knocking at the door, the door opened almost instantly, and Solari rushed to the Queen's bedroom door and once again knocked.
"Queen Melosa, there's been an incident at the detention hut. Open up, your presence is required."
"I'm over here, Solari. Tell me what happened." Melosa stood in front of the mantelpiece while Eponin was busy with rekindling the fire and lighting a torch.
Solari went down on her right knee and bowed her head. "My Queen, I apologise for the intrusion. I don't know how to say this, and I take full responsibility for what happened but two of the prisoners are dead and Yolica is severely wounded. She won't let Anara take care of her wounds. She wants to speak with you first, and Anara says that she will die if the bleeding isn't stopped soon."
"Eponin, go and get Xena from the barn, Anara will probably need her help. Hurry!"
-x-x-x-x-
When Queen Melosa entered the newly repaired hut, there was a lot of blood all over the place. The two bodies already had been removed, and the gray haired Amazon was sitting on the ground, leaning against the far wall, bleeding from a chest wound.
Her right hand held a dagger, the tip breaking the skin at the pulse point – only a slight turn of the wrist; and a little more pressure would be enough to end her life.
Anara was kneeling in front of her, she tried to reason with the woman she still regarded as a friend. When the Queen knelt next to the healer, the older woman tried to rise but didn't have enough energy left to do so. Her voice however still held enough force to carry outside.
"Queen Melosa, I'm no longer worthy to call you 'my Queen' because I failed you and I failed the nation. I want you to hear my confession. I am guilty of rape and child abuse. The punishments my apprentice had to endure were severe and more than once, they were without mercy but that's not why I'm guilty.
"Since Najara left the village I knew what my former apprentices were doing. I knew and I menaced them to change their ways but I did nothing to stop them.
"Most of all I'm guilty because my belief in corporal punishments made them what they became, women without a heart, selfish and filled with misguided ambition. I have long outlived the stories told about me. The only honourable thing left for me to do is to end this life now."
Yolica increased the pressure of the dagger against her throat, a small body rushed towards her, pushing the Queen against Anara's injured arm, a voice yelled "No!" and determined hands yanked the dagger back, creating a profusely bleeding gash a fraction of an inch in front of the jugular artery. The Queen was lying on top of Anara who had passed out from the sudden pain in her arm, and young pleading eyes were looking at the door.
"Please help her, Xena. You saved Thania, please save her."
The former Conqueror stood nailed to the spot. She knew the woman soon would die and then no one would ever be hurt by her again.
A deep voice reached her ear. "Help her, little one. It wasn't her, I give you my word of honour."
Xena worked in silence. The woman really had lost a lot of blood but the chest wound in itself wasn't life threatening, with time and good care she would live. When she told the girl, her eyes were lightning up with relief and joy.
"She will be very weak for the days to come, Piri. She will sleep a lot and whenever she's awake someone has to be at her side."
"I will care for her, I promise."
"Are you really sure that you want to do this? You don't do this just because you're afraid or something?"
"Please, Queen Melosa, I don't want to loose her. She's strict but she also is my best friend. I love her."
"You can stay with her as long as you want, Piri, but you don't have to do everything by yourself. You will have plenty of help in the healer's hut."
"Queen Melosa, it would be better not to move her yet, not for two or three days anyway. The stitches I put on her chest, there are a lot of old scars and the skin is very thin, it wouldn't be good if they were pulled. There may not be enough unmarred skin left to redo them properly."
"When will she be well enough to answer some questions? I still have to find out what happened with the others."
"As soon as she is settled on the cot, I'll give her some painkillers and sleeping herbs. I think it will be tomorrow around noon before she re-awakes. Could you find someone to help me with the cleaning of the hut?"
"I will see that the blood and gore are washed away, that's not your job. Instead I want you to check Anara's arm, make sure that the other patients are still settled and then come back with the healing tea."
Xena nodded and guided a slightly dizzy healer to her quarters. The sudden pressure had caused some bleeding but there weren't any stitches pulled, so the tall woman simply changed the bandage and put her to bed, with surprisingly little resistance.
The only way to calm down the other occupants of the hut was to tell them the truth about the night's commotion. The girls seemed relieved and one of them asked her if Piri's mistress really would get well again.
"That's good! How? She wasn't much better than the others." Eponin's voice came from the back door.
Thania unsuccessfully tried to sit up in her bed and answered. "That's not true, Najara and the two others only were mean when she wasn't with them. They told us that she was too old to understand the wisdom of their methods."
Xena knelt next to Thania bed. "I understand, little one. It will take some time but Yolica will get well again. She feels responsible for what happened to all of you but the Queen will find a way to make things right again. Piri will stay with her Mistress, so stop worrying and sleep now.
"Akyra could you please keep an eye on them while I return to the detention hut."
-x-x-x-x-
The black eyed woman nodded and Eponin followed Xena who was well aware of the tension and anger emanating from the weapons' master. "The moon is still high, Eponin, are you up for some sparring?"
"I can't understand you. I saw your eyes in the council's hut and yet in there you practically turned Yolica into some kind of victim, why?"
"I am still angry with her. We'll talk after the sparring. We'll meet at the training grounds. I'm probably not up to hand-to-hand. You better chose some staves. Don't worry about the law, I already went against it once this morning."
The scent of blood was still discernible to Xena's sensitive nostrils but the obvious reminders of whatever had happened in the detention hut were gone. Melosa and Piri were sitting side-by-side opposite of the cot. Yolica's eyes were closed but the breathing rhythm told Xena that she was wide-awake.
"Yolica, here drink this."
The older woman opened her eyes. "I know you dressed my wounds, why? Only five candledrops more and I would have gone with honour."
"I have an Amazon's word of honour that you didn't harm the girls, and I'll never doubt her. I heard a lot of stories about you when I was still a child; stories I now know were true. You don't deserve to die – and now drink this and sleep."
-x-x-x-x-
Xena joined Eponin at the training grounds where big torches were set in a circle to chase the night away. Gabrielle was sitting in her wheelchair just inside of this circle of light.
The candlemarks in the barn with her love had done a lot for Xena to acknowledge and accept her memories and the emotional turmoil they still held. Now, she needed to vent her anger and helplessness as desperately as Eponin did. This Gabrielle knew for certain, but she wasn't too happy with the choice of weapon or Xena's injury. She knew Eponin was one of the best staff fighters in Amazon history.
The two warriors began to circle each other. Their movements were slow, thrust and parry almost tentative.
Eponin attacked first, a downward sweep aimed at Xena's knees was easily blocked. She used the momentum of the rebound to go for the taller woman's ribs but the staff only met thin air.
Xena's first attack consisted in a rapid succession of right and left thrusts aimed at Eponin's midsection, forcing her two steps backwards. The weapons' master finally ducked one of them, rolled out of the way and the dance began anew.
Many Amazons weren't able to go back to sleep quietly, so the circle of light soon was lined with spectators, Melosa and Solari at Gabrielle's side. The two of them went on and on for over two candlemarks, their bodies glistening with sweat, muscles trembling in the torchlight. Gabrielle and the Queen flinched every time when one or the other of their respective lovers was hit; but they also didn't miss that the grim and frozen expression on their faces slowly made place for an almost relaxed grin. They really began to enjoy themselves.
When their movements began to slow down the Queen sent them to the bathing area and ordered the rest of her subjects to get some shuteye. Xena and Eponin had a lot to talk about and the dawn was breaking when they finally returned to the Queen's hut where Melosa and Gabrielle were waiting in front of the fireplace.
The fire was burning low and their lovers were fast asleep. Xena carried the blond storyteller to her bed and gently tucked her in. She banked the fire, locked the chain to her slave collar, and snuggled next to Gabrielle. She was sure sleep would elude her but when she opened her eyes the sun was high in the sky, and Gabrielle regardless of her splints was comfortably draped on top of her.
-x-x-x-x-
The door opened and Eponin undid the chain. She told her that Anara didn't need her help at the moment and that she should stay in bed until Gabrielle came back to the land of the living. She also told her that the Queen at this very moment was in a meeting with the elders to decide upon her punishment.
"It's a rather long list of things I wasn't allowed to do. Perhaps it would be easier to just add them to the list of charges and deal with it during the trial. Are there any news yet about what possibly happened in the detention hut?"
"Nothing definitive. Solari has some ideas but she's not sure yet. Your prosecutor has offered her help. She seems to have experience with this kind of death. They're currently looking at the bodies."
"Theano is very good as a lawyer, and she also works a lot outside the Amazon borders. Please, tell Solari to take her advice seriously."
"I will, Xena."
"Open your eyes, Gabrielle. I can hear that you're not sleeping any more. Please don't be angry with Theano, my love!"
"Don't you dare taking her side! What she does is wrong. She will get you killed. She's a traitor."
"Gabrielle, please, don't talk about her like this. She's a friend; she's much more than a friend. She will do everything she can to save my life but she also knows that justice has to be satisfied. That's the first thing she ever taught me and it took me long enough to remember this lesson. Take some time and talk to her, please."
"I'll try – but I'm hungry first."
Xena knew that sudden changes of subject always meant that Gabrielle wasn't ready to talk yet, and over the moons, she had learned to accept these reluctancies. Talking was very important to the younger woman but she tended to always work things out for herself first.
"According to the monster growling in your stomach, you're starving, love. Let's go and feed the monster."
Before they could completely finish their morning meal two members of the royal guard escorted Xena to the council's hut. Melosa was standing in the middle of the room, the elders forming a half-circle behind her and like last time Xena knelt in front of the Queen.
"No, Xena, you will not be judged as a slave but as an Amazon warrior, please get up." The tall woman changed her position and now was kneeling on her right knee only. "Xena, you were accused of disrespectful interruption of a council meeting, using inappropriate violence against Amazons, usage of a weapon without permission, and disobedience.
"The council found you not guilty of the first two charges but you're guilty of disobedience by leaving the healer's hut. The usage of the staff in the morning was considered self-defence but the sparring match with Eponin can't be interpreted as such. Do you deny any of these charges?"
"Queen Melosa, venerable elders," Xena answered, her eyes locked with the Queen's, "I don't deny the charges and will accept any punishment."
"For disobedience you will receive ten strokes with a strap on your back and ten on your buttocks. For using a weapon without permission and life-threatening need you will spend the rest of the day in the barn, grooming and brushing the horses."
-x-x-x-x-
Around midday, the doors of the barn opened and Toris entered carrying a tray with bread, cheese, and a pitcher of plain cider. Never one for idle small talk her brother came straight to the point. "Gabrielle told me what happened yesterday, with the girls and all. Are you all right?"
Xena considered her options and voted for honesty. "Yes, Toris, I am now. – Yesterday it was pretty tough but Gab took care of me, and the sparring with Eponin also helped. It was the first time I couldn't deny what happened, I don't feel the need to hide it any longer but I'm also not really ready to talk about it."
"Gabrielle was pretty shaken by what you told her, but obviously you didn't tell her all of it."
"No, I didn't. It may have contributed to who I am now but it wasn't necessary to explain why I reacted the way I did. I killed a man twice your actual size when I was eleven. How do you explain this? There are times I don't believe it myself."
"You did what you had to do, sis. – I also talked to Theano, she said you'll need more time to deal with it, and she said …."
He fell silent when he saw the guarded expression on his sister's face. He swallowed hard and then continued.
"How do you feel with her at the other side of the fence? Gabrielle really is pissed off at her, and though I don't feel any compassion for the things you did as a warlord I really don't want to see you dead. I don't understand her either but I never did. Perhaps I should talk to Queen Melosa about it. Theano certainly is prejudiced, so perhaps Queen Melosa will name a prosecutor not as good as she is."
"The Queen knows that there is a very personal connection between us. She probably doesn't know to which extend but she trusts Theano to keep both sides separated in this case. I already told Gabrielle, Theano will do everything legally possible to keep me alive. But Toris, you, and Gabrielle, you both have to understand that some of the most horrible things I did in my life I did to the Amazons. I betrayed them and the values they live by. I'm responsible for the death of the warriors of a whole tribe – and I'm ready to pay for my crimes. Year after year hatred and anger fuelled my actions but even then they couldn't completely silence the guilt I feel."
The dark haired woman knew Toris still didn't understand, so she added. "When I opened my heart to Gabrielle a lot of other feelings came back, and since I once again live with Amazons every day I understand better what I really destroyed all those years ago."
"You really aren't the Conqueror any more, sis."
"Oh, Toris, alas, it isn't this easy. I may no longer be the Conqueror of Greece and Rome but I'm still capable of killing in cold blood. You saw me on the battlefield. No one would have been able to stop me, neither friend nor foe, not even the God of War himself."
"So, it's true that you are Ares' Chosen?"
They were sitting on a bale of hay, the tray between them. She didn't answer and avoided his eyes.
"It's all right, Xena, I don't want you to feel uncomfortable with my questions. Gabrielle warned me that you probably wouldn't answer all of them."
Blue eyes looked into brown eyes. "No, Toris, you deserve an answer but I don't want you to talk about it to anyone else. Sometimes, I don't understand it myself. No, I'm not Ares' Chosen. I never swore allegiance to him. Yes, I am Ares' Chosen because he always showed great interest in what I was doing. He tried to influence my decisions and gave me lessons in warfare."
"Lessons, the God of War?"
"Yeah, told you it isn't easy to understand. It began after Cortese, well about two moons later. At first, I thought it was nothing but a dream. I had this odd feeling in the pit of my stomach, my skin was crawling, and there he was, telling me that one day I would rule the world and that war was the only way to save the future of mortal life. He told me that he would give me an army composed of the best and most ruthless fighters ever. At the time I loved the power ruling my man gave me but I didn't think twice about the future. At the time I didn't want to rule the world, I only wanted to keep Amphipolis save."
"You talked to the God of War? What does he look like? Why didn't you accept his help?"
"He's tall, about a half foot taller than we are, broad shoulders, black hair and beard, black leather clothing. Handsome for a man. He loves to hear himself talk, his stories taught me a lot about errors other warlords had made, sometimes fatal errors and for the most part, I avoided to repeat them. One of the lessons I learned was that it doesn't pay to rely on his help. There was this siege of a fortified village, he told me about, and it didn't go too well, so the warlord asked for Ares' help. The God he prayed to didn't help him. Ares told me that everyone who needed his help could ask for it but that the one's who actually did weren't worth his attention.
"I learned as much as I could from our little talks but as long as he was near me the feeling in my stomach didn't go away. I didn't trust him and tried to keep my distance. At least until he stopped coming himself, and sent the cloaked woman warrior instead. She always wore black leather and a black mask, she didn't tell me her name but the better part of my fighting skills I learned from her. She taught me how to defeat someone twice my size, gave me lessons in hand-to-hand combat, wrestling, archery and swordplay. And we talked about campaign strategy and how to lead an army.
"She was different, she didn't tell me what to do but taught me how to use my brain. Some of the things she said to me I didn't understand for years to come and there are a lot that I still don't truly understand. – I had a few sparring lessons with Ares but I'm convinced that she could have bested him easily. After Caesar she didn't come back but Ares reappeared when I took Corinth."
"Why do you speak so frankly about these things, Xena? Don't you fear his wrath?"
"That's one of the reasons I don't want you to talk about it, Toris. It's fairly safe to do so in Amazon territory. It's said that generations and generations ago Zeus granted a favour to Artemis. No other God is allowed to cross the Amazon borders except in Artemis' company or with her consent. Only Artemis knows what happens in the confines of this village and the forest beyond – and Ares never would be allowed to enter Amazon territory."
"I never thought of the Conqueror as one who really believes in the Gods."
"For a long time I didn't, Toris, and I still believe that we mortals forge our own destinies but somehow they keep dropping in and out of my life. So, I know they exist, and I know they can rely upon powers far greater than we mortals do but they also are far from perfect being ruled by their feelings just as much as we are."
"I definitively have to think about what you just told me, sis. There's another question I don't get out of my mind…." Before Toris could finish his phrase the barn doors burst open and Piri requested Xena's help, Yolica obviously had pulled the stitches in her chest.
-x-x-x-x-
When Xena ran over the Queen already had put an end to it. "Good timing, Xena. I came to speak with Yolica but first the bandages have to be re-done. I'll wait outside."
"Piri would you go to healer's hut and bring over some healing tea." Xena shifted her attention to the older woman. "It probably will hurt to take the old bandages off, Yolica, but I'll try to be as gentle as possible. Can you prop your upper body up on your elbows for better access?"
The Amazon elder did as she was told. The soft touches surprised her and the equally soft voice commenting on everything Xena did. Two of the stitches were slightly pulled and easily redone. There was no sign of an infection or inflammation.
While her upper torso was re-wrapped, the older woman asked. "Yesterday your eyes were filled with hate. Where did it go?"
"Yesterday I looked at you, Yolica, but I didn't see you. I saw what I thought you did, I hated the woman capable of doing these things. Now I know better. Piri loves you and the other girls are really worried about you. Please don't try to harm yourself any further." The old woman just nodded. "I'll check on you again after dinner. Drink the tea when Queen Melosa is through with her questions."
Xena took Piri back to the barn after the Queen had promised to notify the girl as soon as her presence was required at the detention hut. Toris had left a note that he was off finding his son and would be back later. The tray still was sitting on the bale and so they settled down for a late lunch. The girl insisted on helping Xena with the horses, and when Gabrielle about two candlemarks later rolled through the still opened doors the tall warrior was brushing Argo's coat while Piri was perched on her back combing the mane.
Argo was the last horse to be done and so they soon took a comfortable spot in the hay to listen to one of Gabrielle's stories, the younger woman having largely profited of the Amazon's history and story scrolls since her recovery from the poison induced fever more than a moon ago. She already had a whole set of scrolls of her own filled with favourite stories and notes. Trying to write with her left hand at first was awkward and barely legible but Xena had frequently encouraged her lover and now she managed fairly well.
-x-x-x-x-
Meanwhile Chandala was in the council's hut nervously waiting to speak with Queen Melosa.
"My Queen, I know you don't have much time with the council meeting about to begin. It's the trial… The charge of deliberate murder against Xena of Amphipolis. I filed it. I'm no longer sure if it really was murder. I'd like to withdraw the charge, my Queen."
Melosa was surprised, only days ago the body language and also the eyes of the young warrior spoke clearly of her hatred and lust for revenge, now she seemed to be confused and rather insecure. Unfortunately now wasn't the time to dig deeper, and though Melosa more than approved of her request, the regulations didn't leave her any choice in the matter.
"Did you speak with Theano before you decided to speak with me, Chandala?"
"No, my Queen, I… I didn't want to disappoint her."
"You should have. She would have told you that it's far too late to change any of the charges. The trial was scheduled for a distinct date; changes only can be made a day and a night before this day. Xena's trial only was postponed; it's too late to change the preferral of charges. I'm sorry."
Upon registering the crestfallen expression on Chandala's face Melosa continued. "There's one thing you should keep in mind though you probably won't like it. The foremost duty of the defence lawyer is to prove the innocence of the client; they have to be biased. The prosecutor's duty however is not to prove the guilt of the defendant, her main goal is to find the truth. It's her duty to see that justice is satisfied. Think about it, and now send in the elders."
"Thank you, Queen Melosa."
-x-x-x-x-
At the barn Gabrielle was just finishing her second story when Toris and Lyceus joined them. The boy reminded Gabrielle that she had promised to tell a story to him.
"Yes, I did but I'll need something to drink first or I'll get a sore throat. What about you, Piri? You could check on Yolica on our way to the dining hall."
The girl cast a questioning look at Xena, received an encouraging smile, and left the barn.
"I'm sorry, we were interrupted earlier. Let's take a walk, I'm about finished in here and Yolica or the Queen won't need me until shortly before sundown."
Half a candlemark later they arrived in a small glen with a bubbling spring bathed in afternoon sunlight. They sat down and Xena asked. "Now, tell me what's the other thing that's intriguing you, Toris?"
Long heartbeats passed before the blue-eyed man removed his eyes from the yellow wild flowers next to his boots.
"The other day… I saw your back."
Silence, followed by a sigh. "Are you sure, you wanna know about it, bro?"
"I can accept what Gabrielle and Queen Melosa told me about the past moons. So, I can make sense of the things this other Amazon told me. Darphus was different. One would suppose that a man with his voice shouldn't speak all the time but he did. He babbled incessantly, about the things he would do in the future; and he gloated about all his past accomplishments. I didn't believe him then but since I saw your back I began to … well, doubt, sort of..."
"I can easily imagine what he told you. He was one of my commanders and along the way it became personal, very personal. You sort of were part of the final chapter of this story. I never really talked about it, so I'm not sure where or when to begin."
Xena focused on the swirling water of the spring but her voice testified of the fact that she was about to relate some rather hurtful memories.
"After I conquered Greece all I had to worry about was the security of our borders which was granted by numerous treaties and alliances. Five years ago Egypt rallied forces with Persia. My spies told me in time to make ample preparations and I… we were able to destroy the Persian army before they even had a chance to set foot on the Grecian soil. Left on their own the Egyptians backed off. When we returned to Greece we had to deal with a lot of wounded, slowing down the mayor part of the army considerably…"
x x x x x x x x x x
FLASHBACK:
It had been a rough campaign; some of Xena's most trusted commanders and lieutenants were dead or wounded due to the ruthlessness and cruelty displayed by the Persian army. More than once she had to deal with advance parties sent to destroy the crop, burn the villages and even kill their inhabitants, their own fellow countrymen just to spread hunger and disease along the path of her advancing army.
The journey back was even more tedious. Every day's progress had to be properly prepared, provisions had to be procured in advance, small bands of raiders and slavers taken care of, groups of Persian soldiers dispatched who didn't agree with their king's surrender and just continued harassing them to be dispatched.
For safety measures the dark haired warlord divided her army, the mayor part staying with the wounded and the heavy wagons under Palemon's command while Xena stayed with the smaller advance party of about five score with Darphus as her second. The better part of her time was spent with intimidating village elders to procure the supplies they needed. After everything the villagers just had lived through most of them considered that giving up a part of their provisions was a small prize to pay for their lives and limbs, even if some of them probably would go hungry in the upcoming winter. The little resistance they faced from time to time was quickly subdued.
They were at about a day's riding distance to the Grecian border when the brewing hostility between Xena and her second in command finally boiled over.
It had been raining four days in a row; everything was damp, the bedrolls, the blankets, and the tents, even the spare clothes. The provisions spoiled or tasteless, and the small fires Xena against all odds had managed to get going weren't all that helpful. Though this fourth day the weather began to clear around midday and the sun broke through the still clouded sky, her men were evil spirited and ready to tear into each other. Having made camp for the evening, the three scouts she had sent ahead in the morning came back with news about a middle-sized village situated in a sheltered clearing behind a ridge three candlemarks west from their encampment. There weren't any defences to worry about and the inhabitants mainly were composed of elders, women, and children.
Kafourka was one of these self-relying villages not interested in the problems of the outside world. It was founded by Grecian farmers some fifty years ago and still didn't show any of the signs so typical for Persian settlings. They lived from farming, sheep, and horses; in fact, they were beginning to get rather famous for their pure breeds. On the way in, Xena had spent two or three relaxing candlemarks speaking horses with their reeve when they requested to be incorporated in the Grecian realm after the end of the campaign. She had promised to at least think about it, already contemplating the advantages to gain from the horsemanship of the villagers and the possibility of being able to rely on a continuous supply of trained horses.
She hadn't made up her mind yet but when the scouts had finished their report, she made a mental note to talk to the council of elders once again while they were waiting for the rest of the army to catch up.
"Sounds like a good opportunity to have some fun for the guys," commented Darphus, "those women would be good to release the tension, have a decent meal, a warm bed and some fun. What do you think, Xena? We'll find you a good-looking pal as well."
"The village soon will be a part of Greece, the inhabitants are not to be harmed. However, beginning tomorrow the men will be allowed to take some time off, not more than 10 or 15 men at a time and they'll better be on their best behaviour."
"It was a long campaign, Xena. Just once, show some sense. The men need to spend some of their pent-up energy. A good fuck or a good fight will do a world of good to them. Down there, they even could get both. You just keep too tight a reign. I don't care why they fight as long as they follow our orders. However, experience taught me that it pays to let them have some fun, once in a while. Helps to keep them in line. Hell, I need to fuck someone, myself."
The back of Xena's right hand landed on the right cheek of the sturdy soldier propelling him to the other end of the tent.
"Never doubt my orders, never again. You know the regulations about pillaging and rape. In the long run, it doesn't pay to kill the civilians. There's no leeway in this, and no discussion. We're soldiers, not barbarians. I don't like soldiers only acting out of greed or lust; I demand loyalty. I won't tolerate uppity, Darphus, not from the kitchen help and certainly not from my second in command. Consider yourself on probation – next time you'll end up as a common soldier. Well, if you're very lucky, that is. Understood?"
"Yes, General." The man was still on the ground, his eyes refusing to meet Xena's.
"Smart boy, I'll go for a ride, I won't be back until tomorrow morning. Then we all will do some sparring if you really think that the men have too much energy. I'll begin with a sword fight against you, just to set the mood for my men."
The Conqueror spent the better part of the night on the back of her dark gray mare, her hair flying freely in the night wind. From time to time, she needed the freedom of being all for herself to keep her temper. Most of the time, her outings ended with a long bath in a spring or stream, and she was more than ready to face another moon of sweating men, blood and gore, of worrying about strategy, supplies or all the civilian followers involved in a campaign like this.
Xena was lying in the middle of a small lake, and tried to find patterns in the night sky, bears and archers and balances and virgins, and Chasing Wolves or Pointed Arrows. Innumerable heartbeats later a red and yellow glow at the eastern sky diverted her attention. Dawn was at least three candlemarks away. So, there was only one possible explanation: a fire. Xena hastily regained the shore and donned her leathers. The mare snorted impatiently, obviously sensing the uneasiness of her mistress. On top of her steed she now could smell the raging fire, and only then realised where it came from.
x x x x x
The red glow of dawn mingled with the dying flames of the fire when the hooves of her mare thundered towards what once had been Kafourka. Without even bothering to stop, she jumped down and the chakram sliced through the throat of one of her men crouched over the inert body of a woman, his trousers at knee level. Another one was impaled by her sword, and most of the others had enough sense to jump out of her line of sight when she began to make her way to one of the few buildings still standing, following a grunting noise she recognised as belonging to Darphus.
Once again, her second in command found himself on the ground, struggling to rearrange his clothing in a semblance of decency. Xena knew at first sight the woman was dead but nonetheless checked her injuries.
"Darphus, you sick bastard, my sword will not be tainted with your blood." Xena picked up a kitchen knife the woman obviously had tried to defend herself with. "I'll gut you like the stinking pig you are."
Xena's arm was high over her head, ready to throw the knife when her attention was diverted; there was a sound, something between wailing and sobbing, coming from the neighbouring room. She sheathed the knife on the inside of her right boot, opened the door and found herself face to face with about two score of children, differing in age from babies and toddlers to teens.
They stared at each other; Xena could smell their fear. Candledrops stretched to eternity while she decided what to do. "Stay here, I'll be back to get you all to safety."
When she closed the door and turned, Darphus was gone but there were more pressing matters to attend to first. The bodies had to be gathered and burned, the last of the flames extinguished, the injured tended to, and she had to find the surviving relatives of the children. So, she took a deep breath, left the small house, and began to bark orders.
A quick count told her that about two thirds of her advance party hat joined in the raid. She wrote a message to the remaining third to break camp, and come to the village immediately. One of the older village boys delivered the parchment for her because she wasn't sure that she could trust her men this far. At the moment, they followed her orders but she didn't miss the covert glances they cast at each other nor the weary and hateful looks directed her way. So, Xena stayed on her guard.
The following candlemarks were spent mostly with tending to the few survivors, about ten women, half of them heavy with child and the better part of the council of elders, trapped in the cellar of the inn in the course of testing last years vintage when the raid began. Darphus obviously had made them believe that he was only following her orders, and she had a hard time to convince them otherwise.
Xena was in the midst of checking on the wounded in the makeshift infirmary that had been set up at the inn, the healer's hut having burned to the ground. Shortly after midday, the sound of thundering hooves filled the air and a small band of about fifteen riders entered the village, her messenger among them. Their leader was a dark skinned young man with shining eyes. During her stay in the Persian capital, he had been part of her personal guards and had proved himself being a skilled fighter with fast and gracefully fluid movements. His name was Marcos.
He told her that Darphus had incited all of them to descend upon the villagers in order to, as he called it, 'finally get some fun out of this Gods be damned campaign' and that they now would get what they deserved, what they had earned by their blood. Marcos and his men tried to make the others see reason but to no avail. Darphus had them bound and gagged. As soon as they were able to free themselves they sent a party of ten riders back to the main army, three scouts were following the hoof prints of Xena's mare and three more were trying to find the village's men.
Before Xena could make up her mind what to do with this small but loyal group shouting and crying called her to the other end of the village. She jumped on the back of her mare. When she turned the last corner she saw a sword ready to be pierced through a small crying bundle lying on the ground next to the inert body of a young woman. Her chakram stopped the attack. The momentum of the weapon propelled the middle-aged man to the ground without hurting him. Xena landed in front of him, picked up the now loudly wailing child, and at the same time drew her sword.
"Even think of killing the child and you'll be next to greet Hades. You're supposed to be soldiers but you act like a band of common thugs. You not only have disgraced yourself, Greece will be judged by the way you behave, and as soon as we're back at Corinth you will be dealt with accordingly."
Xena made a swift turn; well aware of the murderous glances the men sent her way. She returned to Marcos and his group. Now she knew what she had to do. She ordered the newcomers to escort the women, children, and elders out of the village. They were to escort them to a small valley a half day's ride to the southeast where according to the elders the able bodied men were chasing and branding this year's foals and fillies. The stretchers and wagons were quickly readied and Xena accompanied them to the edge of the village and followed them with her eyes as long as possible.
The raven-haired warrior turned her steed and sighed. She slowly regained the village square, equally determined to get her men back in line and to punish Darphus and his cronies.
END OF FLASHBACK
x x x x x x x x x x
"In the past I more than once had to deal with over-ambitious high-ranking soldiers. Darphus was just one more. He would challenge me, I would kill him, and everything soon would return to working order. Unfortunately Darphus was more cunning than most of them. – When I reached the central market place of the village the better part of the raiders were listening to his low, vibrating voice."
x x x x x x x x x x
FLASHBACK:
"Xena betrayed us all. Her coffers are full of Persian gold and jewellery but we will never see a single coin of it. On our way back, we could have laid waste to every single village along our way. We wouldn't have been forced to live on travelling bars and water. The cellar we just found is full of the finest wine, another one has meat and fruits that will last us a full moon, probably more. But Xena ordered us to leave them alone. We no longer will suffer the whims of a mere woman."
The already heavily drunk soldiers broke in a round of cheers and howling.
"We will hunt down the women and children, we will kill their men, and then we will return and celebrate the victory of the only true disciples of Ares."
Xena listened to his ramblings sitting astride her tall gray mare, and when his last phrase was finished, she broke in a full-throated laugh before the men could once again cheer their new leader.
"Ares never was known to champion wanna-be leaders and cowards, Darphus. Leadership is something that has to be earned, and you will have to fight for it."
"Oh no. Xena, I won't walk open-eyed into your trap. I won't fight you. My men won't allow it – yes, Gen'rl, my men. They don't follow your orders any longer."
Xena heard the distinctive whiz of at least three crossbow bolts heading towards her but not one of them penetrated her personal space. Instead, her trusty mare collapsed and she found herself lying on the ground next to her dying horse, more than a dozen swords pointed at her throat and chest.
Darphus jumped down the wagon from which he had delivered his speech. He looked down at her, his voice filled with malice and triumph.
"You will be the party entertainment, Xena. When we're finished you will be begging to serve me, and I'm not talking about your overestimated warrior skills. You will be my personal body slave and you will love it."
Once again, Xena laughed and the surrounding crowd fell silent. She seemed relaxed but her laughter held no warmth. Her mind was racing. First of all, she had to keep them from hunting down the villagers. She could try and fight them and she even had a chance to win. She also knew that fighting them she wouldn't be able to control all of her opponents. A score or so of them easily could get away and kill the women and children. She had to find a way to keep them all occupied, to keep their attention fixed on her and on her only.
Finally, Xena said. "There's only one way to get rid of me, Darphus. If you don't accept the challenge, you will have to accept a vote, a two third's majority. Or could it be that you're not too sure about the loyalty of 'your' men?!"
A cruel smile appeared on his face. "A vote is fine with me but we'll do it the old fashioned way. If the vote decides against you, you will leave my army the way every real warrior did for hundreds of years. You just signed your death sentence, o mighty warrior woman."
The men around her were murmuring, some of them shaking their heads, some of them obviously shocked. Running the gauntlet as a disciplinarian measure had been abandoned generations ago. It was considered too cruel and thus inefficient.
"We'll see who's going to die in the end." Xena was shaking inside, she knew as good as any of her men that her chances of survival were rather slim but it would have been totally against her nature to back out of this challenge. "Let's take this vote now."
Three of the older soldiers supervised the vote. It took them over a candlemark to find a small trunk with black and white beads in the still smoldering remnants of the council's hall. Every soldier would receive one of each; drop one of them in a big amphora and then the counting would begin. In the end, there were 23 white beans and 49 black ones. It was a rather narrow majority but all Darphus needed.
"Take her weapons and armour, don't forget the leather dress."
Since she had send off the wagon train more than two candlemarks had passed, not enough time to get out of the range of Darphus' men. She still needed to bind their attention as long as possible, so she didn't resist when two of the more adventurous men demanded her weapons. "I'll take them off myself."
Another half candlemark went by with the men taking their positions, evenly spaced across the whole length of the village square. The men were armed with thick branches ripped from nearby trees, leather belts, whips, riding crops, there were even some swords meticulously wrapped with thick layers of cloth. A big drum was brought to the finish line and one of the older men took his place behind it. Xena stared unblinking in the afternoon sun, knowing that she probably wouldn't see another sunrise, while her hands were tightly bound behind her back. The men weren't allowed to leave their assigned positions but as long as she was within the reach of their whips and other implements, they were free to strike as often as they liked.
Xena's face didn't show the fear she felt slowly sinking its claws in her heart, but she also didn't wear the impassable warrior's mask the men were used to. Her eyes were shining with hatred and her whole posture signalled disdain and revenge.
Darphus was on the other side and drew a line on the dirty ground. "This is your last chance to live, Xena. Surrender and swear loyalty to me and you may live as befitting a woman, at the feet of a real man. Choose now!"
This time Xena's laughter sent waves of chill and shudder through most of the men. "Do you really think I will do something to you I denied to the God of War himself? Besides, have you recently had a look in a mirror, I never would take you in my bed, not even if we were the last living beings in the world. No, Darphus, I will live as a free woman, and I will return to make you pay for what you did to this village. And now, let the drums begin."
Without awaiting Darphus' command, the drumstick fell on the taut deerskin and Xena took her first step forward. The sun disappeared behind a black cloud, tinting the whole scene with an aura of dark foreboding. A tree limb almost as thick as a battle mace hit her in the stomach and she tumbled back. She started again ducked the first blow only to be hit by the same weapon square in the back throwing her to the ground. The tip of a whip hitting her again and again while she tried to get back to her feet had something sharp tied in it, Xena could hear her shift tearing and felt her skin breaking. She was half way up when someone sliced through her bindings and pushed her forward.
Her arms were free and she was able to fight back. She never knew which one of her former soldiers freed her but it was the edge she needed to survive the ordeal. Wrestling with one of the whip-holders, Xena didn't see the sword coming. It hit her in the back and she once again fell to the ground. The weapon hit her with such force that it sliced through the wrappings around the blade and cowered her back with blood. Riding crops and sticks continued to rain blows on her and she was one breath away from passing out. Then her eyes found Darphus' face, his triumphant smile gave her all the motivation she needed. Fuelled by pain and hatred she continued on.
There were only ten or twelve feet left to master; Xena was on her knees. She didn't have enough strength left to fight her aggressors. She was way beyond pain, her whole energy fixed at the line on the ground. She didn't feel the blows any longer, her vision was blurring. Her legs gave way and she was drawing herself forward with the strength of her fingers and arms only. Her right hand reached over the line, the drumming stopped, the last two of the men stopped in mid-motion.
Xena slowly realised that it was over; she had crossed the line and she was still breathing. She reached deep inside herself, activating energy she usually only could tap into during a battle. She got on her knees and feet, sweat and blood pouring down her body, her eyes were dark, and the men next to her easily could feel the equally dark energy emanating from her. All around the square voices were heard calling what just happened 'a miracle', 'unheard of' or 'utterly unbelievable'.
Darphus voice drowned them all. "Kill her!"
The old man at the drums blocked his way. "No! Xena followed the rules, fair and square. She crossed the line and has earned her freedom. She is free to go, it would dishonour us all to kill her now."
Darphus knew that this soldier was speaking the others' hearts and he backed off. "Go and never ever return."
As only answer, she spat him right between the eyes and left the village casting a last regretful glance at her dead horse. The sun hadn't returned but her inner sense of time told her that it was about sunset. Marcos and the wagons any time now must be arriving at the valley.
Xena stumbled through the growing darkness, not exactly knowing where she was headed, nor caring about the clear trail of blood she was leaving. After what seemed like an eternity but only was about three or three and a half candlemarks, she reached the entrance to a small cave. She could hear water dripping inside and collapsed on the ground after having quenched her thirst.
x x x x x
When Xena finally regained consciousness daylight was filtering through the cave entrance. Her tattered shift was gone, and she was lying face down on a soft fur-lined bedroll. There was a wet piece of cloth draped all over her back and she could feel the controlled breathing of another human being, just out of her reach and observing her every move.
"Who are you?"
"My name is Terreis, General."
"You're the Amazon scout, the one without a tribe but with a lot of sisters."
"That's me, General. I was with the scouts following the footprints of your horse. She was beautiful, I'm sorry, she had to die."
"Me too. Help me up, I have an army to find and traitors to execute."
"No, General, not now. Your body needs rest, lots of rest. I managed to stop the bleeding for now but even the slightest amount of strain or pressure will it get it going again. I'll need your help if I'm going to sew you up. The permission to call a good healer would even be better. I'm not very good with herbs and all this stuff. Palemon will take care of Darphus and his men. I sent one of my companions to find him. I wrote a scroll telling him what happened. It doesn't go into details about the extend of your injuries but states that you're alive and will be joining with him as soon as possible."
"How did you know?"
"One of the older soldiers in the village gave me a resume. He also had your sword and your armour but I couldn't find the chakram. Darphus won't stay their leader for very long. He tried to send some scouts to kill you for good but the men insisted that you are to be left alone. They said that you have earned your freedom. The men also don't like that he insists on going after the villagers. Your trail was easy to follow; even a blind scout would have been able to find it. I erased your footprints and the blood."
"Do you always talk this much, Terreis?"
"Only when I'm nervous, General. I don't want you to hurt yourself by getting up too early, and what's more, I'm not really good with needle and thread and I never had to suture up gashes this deep and numerous."
"I'll tell you what to do, step by step. Did you also 'find' my saddlebags?"
"No, I didn't but the old soldier also gave your healer's pack to me. He said it probably would come in handy."
"Yeah, it does. At first, we will have to clean the wounds. The cold water was a good idea but it won't be enough." Xena tried to sit up but the sharp pain hitting her whole body like a tidal wave quickly brought her back to her prone position.
END OF FLASHBACK
x x x x x x x x x x
"We stayed another three days in the cave. Meanwhile Palemon and the main part of the army had fought and killed what was left of Darphus' men, the more intelligent of them ran off when it finally sank in that the main army undoubtedly soon would be after them. The bruises on my front were healing nicely but at the end of the first day riding and walking some of the stitches broke. Terreis had a hard time getting them cleaned and closed. I hurt for more than a moon. She was probably the only person that stayed totally unimpressed by my continuous bad mood. Afterwards I asked her how she could possibly stand my bitching. She answered that a lifetime spent with the very nation the words cranky and bitchy and moody were created for was a good school for dealings with niggling generals." Xena ended her long report in an attempt to lighten the mood.
"What happened to Darphus?" Toris asked.
"He fled his own army only candledrops before they were attacked by Palemon. It took almost a moon to track him down. He was brought to Corinth and sentenced to death for rape and murder. The day of his trial also was the anniversary of my reign in Corinth. That's why I spared his life but I also made sure that he never would be able to commit another rape. I personally cut his balls off and made sure that he stayed alive. – I should have killed him. Terreis was right. It would have saved a lot of lives, those of the men at the frontier fort, and all the Amazons and First Order soldiers who died during the last two battles."
"Sister, you're full of bullshit. Don't blame yourself. Darphus is the one to blame. No one forced him to attack your soldiers or the Amazons. It was his responsibility, not yours, and as far as I could see a lot of lives were saved because you fought on their side. – Do you think one day the scars will fade?" The tall man was clumsily trying to redirect Xena's thoughts.
"I don't know, Toris, but I also don't mind them anymore. At first, they were a daily reminder of my over-confidence and a severe lapse in judgement. There are moments I still feel this way. For the most part, however, I now see them as a reminder of the first time in years my actions were not fuelled by hatred and anger, the first time my actions actually were for the benefit of others even though they endangered my primary goal."
"Primary goal?" Toris voice held a whole range of questions.
"Yeah, you know: keeping Greece save, destroying nations, conquering the world, stuff like this."
The raven-haired woman's tone was deliberately light but her body was tense, and Toris was able to detect sadness and regret in her eyes. So he did what he never had the courage to do when they still were kids, he put one arm around her shoulders and pulled her in a big hug. He could feel the tension slowly ebbing out of her body and finally whispered in her ear.
"I'm proud of you, sis."
To be continued in Chapter Eight: Amazon Justice