Disclaimer: not mine.

Chapter 9

Not a candlemark had passed when Xena reached the mountain valley, now opening before her eyes, above the sea of clouds she'd crossed on her way up. Here the sun shone, but the altitude made the temperature cold. Xena took the pouch and drank some water, visually surveying the peaks rising in front of her, looking for one Cyane had described in detail.

West to the range in shape of a horse's back she was to find a different peak, one that stood alone, flat on its summit and impossible to climb. Its insides sheltered the cave. Finding the peak was easy, but Xena knew there was a catch. She needed to be guided there, and as far as the spirits were concerned, she probably still was the slayer of Amazons.

She closed her eyes and became very silent, opening her other senses to let the surroundings become familiar. Rockslides on the slopes, birds flying above her head, no trees swinging their leaves. Her ears searched for animals. Wolves and bears to avoid. Chamois to follow.

Nothing.

Xena contained a scream and calmed herself, opening her eyes again. No chamois to be seen. "Alright," she said to the wind. "I'll find it myself if I must." And started to walk, unsure but determined, towards the huge masses of limestone silently awaiting for her.

OOO

Solan smiled, proud of his work. "Hey, Xenan, look at this!," he said calling the little centaur, who came willingly with his usual smile, which faded a little when he looked at the egg with a frown.

"Solan, that's the same thing you've been drawing lately. 'S boring," he protested.

Solan chuckled. The poor boy had been shown all his drafts thinking, from the very first one, that each drawing was the real thing. "I was practicing for this one," he said showing him his work. "See? I've done it on a goose egg."

"I see." Xenan looked at him and blinked. "It's silly," he said before leaving, "you did it right the first time you drew them."

Solan smiled, knowing the boy's negative didn't come from anything else than childish attitude. What mattered was that it was not silly for him. He carefully placed the egg with the others, and sat, silently regarding them, those first eggs he had brought, thinking foolishly that he had saved the ducks. Each time he painted one he was paying tribute to the dead. The ducks. Sometimes, tears in his eyes, a centaur… With trembling hands, his mother and father, as Kaleipus had described them to him. But this had been the first time he had ever felt the need of painting alive people. And he had wanted to do it right, as much as he had done with his parents, and that's why he had practiced that much with Xena and Gabrielle, forcing his memory to remember, as much as he could, the little details, because the faces… he'd smile. Those faces were hard to forget, especially Gabrielle's smile and Xena's eyes. Because the warrior had smiled so little… She had been sad most of the time. But she had proved to him that she was not evil, at least not anymore, and had helped them, and they'd become friends, and…

Solan hadn't been able to explain it. He simply had felt the need to keep them in his memory, and honor their courage and generosity painting them.

Xena looked a little like his mom, he noticed.

OOO

Xena kept walking up the slopes of the mountains. There was a trail, she guessed, made by the amazons to carry their queens. The path was hard, with lots of grit that more than once made her battered body almost slip and lose balance.

But no sign of the chamois, and she didn't know what that meant. Putting all her fears aside, she kept walking towards the peak.

And suddenly, in the distance, she saw the animals. Just as Cyane had described them. Xena ran towards the end of the slope she was on, and stood at the edge of the small crest. A small group gathered near a patch of snow like the few she'd started to see as she gained altitude. She took a leap and descended the crest towards the last mountain valley that stood between her and the peak, and walked slowly never getting her eyes off the animals.

Then suddenly, they saw her and all ran away except for one. Xena froze and held her breath. It was the guide, the one that would decide if she was worthy of entering that cave.

Xena stood very still and very quiet as she saw the animal approaching, and then decided to kneel, slowly, careful of not scaring it, presented her weapons, putting them in front of her, and took off her armor too. And then believed. Believed she deserved to be shown the cave's entrance, because the woman she loved the most in this world was there, waiting for her, depending on her. And let her heart fill with that love, and cracked it open for the chamois to see.

And she cried silent tears when a surge of emotion hit her as if a wave had broken on her with full force, taking her breath away.

When she dared opening her eyes, she found the animal hadn't left, remaining right in front of her, dismissing the weapons, ignoring the armor, and looking at her. Seeing her.

"I need to save your queen," she whispered. I need to save my world.

The animal stood in that position for some moments, and then, suddenly, it backed a few steps. Xena held her breath and waited for the next move, pleading with silent eyes.

The chamois looked back at her, then at her weapons and stood there, waiting. Waiting for her!

Her whole body trembling with emotion, Xena gathered her weapons and armor and followed it towards the entrance of the cave.

There were not enough gods in the entire world to thank.

OOO

Amazon village.

The altar was meaningless now, and only one place seemed to make sense for Ephiny to pray to someone that her friends were ok.

She had never really noticed how accurately Solan had painted them in such a difficult support.

She had been able to keep the amazons at bay, as well as the council after her encounter with Xena. Nothing was clear on their fate now, but Ephiny kept her faith and returned to her hut, to spend the waiting time in there, with her son.

"Will they come back, mom?"

Only together. "I believe they will, Xenan."

I believe they will.

OOO

Gabrielle filled the time she had left with memories of them. After all, she had lived a hundred lives in less than three winters. Just like she had wished, from the very first day with the same enthusiasm as she had announced Lila she would go with Xena.

Lila. She hadn't said goodbye to her. Or her parents.

The crystals reached her throat.

Little time left now.

OOOOO