AN: just one more battle ;) spring break is nearing so my school work has lessened. Sorry for this two part nonsense but if I combined everything the chapter would probably be 15k words aha. Enjoy and thanks for reading everyone on this awesome journey.

Chapter 50 –The Fog Part I

Gabrielle came to the palace well into the night. She did not dare to stop along the wall since she was so close yet so far at the same time. She greeted the guards and ran into the palace. She needed to tell Xena about Eve, though she figured that she already knew because Eve was absent from the palace. She loved coming home to see her smiling face running up to them both after being gone for awhile. Now the fortress was quiet and it was a rather strange feeling. All the children were asleep and some maids were cleaning the floors.

She gazed up the long staircase and sighed. She saw a light coming from Xena's room. It was so quiet that she heard the crinkling of parchment coming from Xena's room. Bracing herself she tread up the stairs and creaked the door open to see Xena writing. There were scrolls sprawled across her bed and Gabrielle entered the room. Xena's eyes lifted to see her enter the room she set down the parchment and quill.

Gabrielle smiled weakly and came closer to the bed, fidgeting her fingers behind her back. Xena folded her arms. "So let me guess, it didn't work out between you two?" she smiled smugly.

"Xena..." Gabrielle sighed heavily. "I'm sorry, I should've believed you. I thought I could help her..."

Xena unfolded her arms and saw the discontent in her friend's eyes. She scooted to the edge of the bed and squeezed Gabrielle's arms. "Gabrielle you've helped so many people! She was just using you and put a distance between us." She smiled warmly.

She shrugged, "I'm really sorry. You were right and I ignored your judgment," she hid her eyes and Xena lifted her chin staring into her blue eyes.

"I forgive you Gabrielle, we have bigger things to worry about." Gabrielle nodded, noting that Eve was on her friend's mind. Xena raised an eyebrow at her, "what did you do to Tala anyway?"

Gabrielle smiled sneakily. "I broke her limbs and left her in the woods," she nodded, quite proud of herself. Xena's eyes widened and then she began laughing.

"Gabrielle, I'm shocked," she feigned surprise and then scooted back to allow Gabrielle to share her bed with her.

"That man that Tala met with in the forest...it was one of Phraates' men, she told me that he has Eve." She saw Xena's eyes narrow and nod her head for a final reassurance. "What does he think he is going to accomplish by capturing Eve?" Gabrielle frowned shaking her head at the situation they were in.

Xena snarled. "He wants me to come to him. I don't understand how this happened!" she threw her hands in the air and Gabrielle set her hand on her knee for comfort. "Solan said she went off to explore Athens, but then he didn't know anything after that." She grunted. "She probably got lost. This is all my fault," she buried her face in her hands.

Gabrielle shook her head, "Xena stop it. This is not your fault and it's not Solan's either. Eve wanted to assert her independence. Sounds like someone I know," she smiled and Xena lifted her head up staring into her green eyes.

Xena sighed. "I should have taken her to see the inner city like she asked me to so many times, but I kept saying no. Now she is in the hands of that Persian," her lip quivered just thinking of that man.

"We're going to get her back. I'll make sure Phraates doesn't put his hands on her!" Gabrielle smiled. Xena nodded solemnly. The blonde frowned as the silence thickened between them. She then grinned and started giggling. Xena eyed her with a puzzled face. "Do you remember Eve's fourth birthday in the gardens?"

Xena smiled nodding her head. "She invited all the students."

Gabrielle's laugh became louder and she slapped her knee alarming Xena. "And –and do you remember that day she ate so much watermelon she threw up all over you!" she laughed harder and it became infectious. Xena began laughing along with her shaking her head remembering that day perfectly.

"It was a bad day to wear white," Xena smirked as Gabrielle slowed her laughter. "After that she didn't touch watermelon for a whole year." Her smile died as she kept thinking about the absence of her daughter. Gabrielle caught glimpse of Xena and immediately knew what she was thinking.

"Hey, we're going to bring her back," Gabrielle said reassuringly. "When do we leave?" she grinned deviously, anxious to barge into Phraates' fortress.

Xena frowned, "by first light which by the looks of it," she looked to the window and saw the sun rising slowly. "...is approaching quickly," she smirked.


Eve was put into a very uncomfortable outfit today. She was tired of dressing up and wished she had her black pants and blouse right about now, but no. She wore a green skirt and a skin tight top to match. Phraates' servant girls curled her long hair and put a gold headband atop of her head. She groaned as she walked through the long hallway. The pointed golden shoes were beginning to become a nuisance to her and cut into her heels as she walked. Hastily, she took off the shoes and threw them at the wall and continued onward with bare feet. Smiling she felt a lot better without those horrid shoes on her feet.

Samuel saw Eve wandering through the halls alone and noticed she was barefoot. He smiled and approached her grabbing her hand. Eve swiftly turned around with a grimace. "What did I say about the touching?" she reprimanded the young prince and he let go of her hand apologizing immediately. She kept walking and felt his presence behind her. She frowned and turned around again. "Why are you following me?"

"My father told me not to let you out of my sight," the prince said with a beaming smile. He matched Eve's attire, donned in green harem pants, gold shoes and bare chest.

"Wonderful," Eve mumbled. They tread through the long halls with her shadow following her. They came to a large room filled with pillows, ornate rugs and water pipes. She peaked in the room and Samuel blocked the entrance. She was a bit taken aback and folded her arms.

He shook his head, "we're not allowed in there. That's my father's room where he conducts business."

Eve smiled mischievously and peered over the boy's shoulder. "My mother has a room like that too!" Samuel was very persistent at blocking the way and she frowned then pushed him out of the way entering the room. The prince gasped and ran in after her. Eve picked up a chalice filled with old wine, leaning in closely she sniffed the wine and crinkled her nose.

"I told you we're not allowed in here!" Samuel yelled at her in a hushed tone. Eve turned and smiled at him, shrugging her shoulders.

"Your father has bad wine. In Athens we have much better wine," Eve said, speaking like an adult. Samuel blinked and he touched her shoulder. She immediately gritted her teeth. "Touching again!" he removed his hand and she smiled.

After walking around the room Eve became immediately bored with this place. She turned to leave and Samuel was thankful that she was finally leaving. "What other forbidden rooms do you have?" she inquired. Samuel raised a brow at her. He was beginning to think he was with a troublemaker and she was really strange, walking around barefoot.

He followed her as she walked through the halls nonchalantly as if she owned the place. He snickered, "you're really weird, you know?"

Eve halted and frowned at him. "Why am I weird? You're the weird one! You keep touching me!" she folded her arms and found a very peculiar room. She walked inside and it was filled with statues and scrolls. It appeared to be a library and her face beamed. "Wow this library is amazing!"

Samuel never saw a girl intrigued by a bunch of useless documents in his life. All the girls in his life were usually shy and kept to themselves but Eve was not like that. She stood on a stool and picked a random scroll out of the shelf and hopped down to sit on a chaise lounge. Samuel rubbed his neck as he saw her completely engrossed in the scroll.

"You can read Persian?" he asked curiously. Eve nodded and kept reading. "That's impressive!"

"Shh!" Eve said and he sat next to her as she read. Her eyes trailed over to him being so close to her. She scooted away a bit from him and went back to her reading. Samuel looked over her shoulder and she frowned. "Do you mind?" she smiled tightly.

The young prince stood up taking a few steps back from Eve to give her some space. "Don't you want to do something fun? Reading isn't fun, Eve. It's for boring scholars," he chuckled. Eve set the scroll aside and challenged his idea.

"Do you have a training room? Maybe I can beat you up since you're so bored," Eve smiled and left the library. Samuel's mouth gaped and he ran after her.

"You can't beat me up! You're a girl!" he spat and Eve felt herself become enraged at that comment. She balled her fist up and punched him square in the face, knocking him down on the ground. He touched his nose and saw blood on his fingers. "I'm bleeding!"

Eve laughed vivaciously. "Who's the girl now?!" she slowed her laughter and lend her hand out to help up the defeated prince. He pushed her hand away and she shrugged her shoulders. "Fine, be a baby then." She began walking off and felt a tug on her long hair and she fell on her backside. Samuel stared down at her with a smug smile. Eve growled and tumbled backwards into a standing stance.

"Very cowardly of you, attacking from behind! Just like your father!" Eve smiled seeing the prince getting upset at her roasting. Samuel almost came at her but he stopped himself while she was in a defensive stance.

He shook his head, "I'm not going to beat up a girl," he admitted, touching his still bleeding nose. He walked away and Eve frowned folding her arms, a bit disappointed that he didn't challenge her.

"I don't like you!" Eve shouted at him and Samuel turned around with a knowing smile.

"You will learn to like me, princess." He disappeared looking for a medic to help him with his nose. Eve stood in the hall and she huffed annoyed at the prince's arrogant attitude.


A couple of hours later Eve was walking through another distant hall from the last. Phraates appeared in front of her and she gasped, taking a generous step back afraid to speak. He looked at her sternly and bent down eye level to her. "You broke my son's nose!" he yelled in her face and Eve blinked.

"He pulled my hair!" she replied defensively. Phraates snarled and grabbed Eve by her arm tightly and she squealed. They rushed down the hall and he opened a door and threw Eve inside. She fell to the floor and frowned. Her eyes scanned the room and she saw Samuel in the room with her. "I'm not going to stay here with him!"

The Persian King grinned, "oh but you are, princess." He closed the door before Eve was about to run out. She grunted, cursing to herself. Her eyes then went to Samuel who had a bandage around his nose.

"I hate you and this place!" Eve pouted and looked out the window through the sheer curtains. The sea was so beautiful but all it reminded her of was home and that's where she wanted to be.

Samuel smirked pointing at his nose, "excuse me but you broke my nose!" he grimaced. Eve turned around and scoffed. "You deserved it," she replied with a hint of mirth in her sparkling blue eyes. She was just in this room for a few minutes and she already wanted to get away from this prince.

She groaned, "how long is he going to keep us in here?" she went to the door and pulled on the handle, but it was definitely locked and tightly too.

The prince stood up and went over to a table where a chess board was. "Until we kiss and make up I guess," he teased as he began setting up the chess pieces.

Eve turned around slowly and made a face of disgust. "If you think I'm going to kiss you then you'll have more than a broken nose!" he shook his head and she saw a chess board. Becoming curious she sauntered over to the table. "Is that chess?" she smiled.

Samuel raised a brow at her. "You know it? girls aren't allowed to play here." Eve frowned and grabbed a pillow and sat down on the opposite side of the table. He eyed her carefully and she organized the chess pieces accordingly. He was impressed that she actually knew the rules of the game.

"I'll make a deal with you," Eve bargained. "If I win then I teach you how to fight."

Samuel scoffed and his cheeks blushed at this small girl's bargain. He seemed insulted. "I can fight! What makes you think I can't?"

Eve giggled, "no offense, Samuel, but you suck," she pointed to his nose. "I mean...you got beat by a girl, what kind of prince gets beat by a girl?" she teased. The prince nodded his head in agreement and smiled moving his first chess piece. She smugly smiled and tapped her chin making her first move.


Xena came up from below the ship and saw Gabrielle practicing with her Sais in the middle of the deck. She smirked and came over to her friend. "Practicing your moves?"

Gabrielle grinned and slowed her breathing. "Yes so I can take a good swing at Phraates," she was only half joking. Xena nodded and looked over the ship's railing at the open waters. There was certainly a lot of fog surrounding them so they moved slower than she liked. They would reach the Persian lands in a day or so at the rate they were going. "It's really foggy isn't it?" she leaned against the railing alongside Xena.

Xena quirked her mouth to the side. "Yes...indeed it is," she tapped her fingers on the railing. She wasn't stupid though she came with four other ships just in case Phraates was going to attack her. She knew that he wasn't the smartest of kings she had met in her life but he had Eve and he knew that she'd do anything to get her back, which was correct. She couldn't deny that.

"I hope he hasn't put Eve in some Harem," Xena said aloud and the very thought made Gabrielle's mouth turn sour.

"Do you think he would do that?" Gabrielle would hope not. Xena wasn't quite sure what Phraates was doing with Eve, but all she knew was when she saw him she was going to kill him. First, for taking Eve, second, for trying to start another war between their empires and third, just because he needed to go. A rain drop fell on Xena's hand and she frowned.

"We need to bring the sails down," she said immediately and waved her hand at her men to take the sails down. She grabbed one of the ropes and brought down the largest sail by herself. She then ran to the wheel and turned the ship to a steadier course. Gabrielle followed and soon it began sprinkling. "Come on Gabrielle we need to get below the deck. A storm approaches," she looked at the dark skies heading towards them. "Fabulous." She grumbled.

Hours later Xena sat on a large chest filled with weapons and Gabrielle on a hammock across from her. The swaying of the ship was not helping ease her stomach. Her cheeks paled and she gripped onto a pole for dear life. Xena smiled at Gabrielle and saw she was not faring well.

"I forgot how much you hate ships," Xena grinned and Gabrielle swallowed heavily. She laid down on the hammock on her back and stared at the wooden ceiling.

"Just tell me when it's over," Gabrielle groaned and Xena chuckled at her friend's demise. She glared over at Xena. "Well I'm glad you think this is so funny."

Xena got up and patted Gabrielle's stomach. "I'm sure by morning the storm will pass. I'm going up to the deck to check on the men."

Gabrielle gasped. "By morning?! That's hours from now! Oh gods...please," she felt the need to pray right about now that she wouldn't upchuck everything she ate in the past few days right now.


By morning Xena was right the storm has passed but Gabrielle's illness had yet to subside. She came up to the deck and saw Xena standing on the railing looking through a telescope. "Are...are we close yet?" she groaned and Xena ignored her and surveyed the entire sea.

She slammed her fist on the railing. "It's still so foggy. Such strange weather," she gathered.

Gabrielle covered her mouth and then threw up over the side of the ship. Xena smirked and patted her back gently comforting her ill friend.

Mid afternoon the weather had not let up and remained much the same. Xena sat in her room and overlooked a map of Phraates' kingdom. She had asked for these plans a long time ago though she never thought she'd be able to use them. Gabrielle laid down on a sofa and closed her eyes trying to calm her queasy stomach.

Yelling was heard from the deck and Xena frowned. She hastily ran up to the deck and one of her men pointed ahead, steering the ship to the left. The other ships soon followed their lead and Xena looked through the telescope's eye and saw a large black flag staring back at her.

"Steer the ships to the left!" Xena said and ran to the top of the ship climbing up as far as she could. She could barely see with the fog in the way but there was more than one ship. There were several, pushing through the fog. Her eyes widened.

Gabrielle looked up at Xena. "What is it?!" she called out.

"That bastard!" she whistled at her men below. "Raise the sail!" they commanded and the sail unraveled exposing a giant Greek eye staring back at the Persian ships.

"Um Xena..." Gabrielle stood at the starboard and saw many ships scattered in the midst of the thick fog. "There's too many of them! We'll never make it!" she shook her head and actually feared the situation at hand.

Xena jumped down and ran to stand next to Gabrielle. "Come on Gabrielle we've been waiting for this moment," she smiled and grabbed her helm. Her famous silver helm with the giant fan shaped plume she wore five years ago was going to be put to use once again, though a bit unexpected, Xena thought not. She knew that Phraates would try something stupid like this, but she didn't expect there to be an entire army of ships.

Gabrielle ran after Xena with wide pleading eyes. "But Xena we have only five ships, he has at least twenty! Maybe more!" she saw the empress grab her sword and sheath it behind her back and clasp her black cape to her shoulder bracers. "Are you crazy?"

Xena smirked beneath her helm. It was hard to make out her expression but Gabrielle saw that look in her eyes. "Some may say that, Gabrielle!" she ran to the captain of the ship and took control of the wheel. "Tell the others to spread out and steer in reverse! Give them the signal!" she turned the ship as fast as she could.

The captain ran below the ship to the men rowing the ship and they were drenched in sweat. "Xena says to reverse the ship!" all the men stared at him disbelievingly. They began rowing the ship in reverse against the currant.

Gabrielle almost fell backwards as she felt the ship slowly going in reverse. The other Greek ships were instructed to do the same and spread far apart as well. Xena smiled as she saw the Persian ships approaching very slowly and they were retreating.

"Xena, what are we going to do? We can't go in reverse forever, they'll catch up to us," Gabrielle looked at the large Persian ships coming their way. They weren't anything like their ships, these were war ships.

Xena grinned, "you're right Gabrielle they will catch up to us. I'm counting on it." Gabrielle's eyes widened, she wasn't entirely sure what she was up to. The captain came up from below the ship and Xena looked ahead to see the Persian ships stop. The fog blocked their view and Xena's smile widened. "They can't see us. Tell them to stop going in reverse and we'll head for those rocks over there," she nudged her head and saw a large mass of rocks to the left and right of the ships.

Gabrielle ran up to Xena and put her hand on her hip. "What are you thinking?"

The empress put her finger to her friend's mouth. "We're going to ram their ships with ours."

"Excuse me?" Gabrielle furrowed her eyebrows.

"Gabrielle you see, Persian ships are weak in the middle. If we time it just right...then we'll destroy the main ships in the front line."

Gabrielle sighed rubbing her temples. "And if we don't time it just right?"

"Don't you worry about that," Xena said with a blank face. Gabrielle's mouth gaped and she began pacing nervously. "I should have expected something like this from him," Xena shook her head and steered the ship to the left as best as she could, furiously turning the wheel, the ship slowly turned in the fog. Gabrielle didn't mind battles or fights but fighting at sea was an entirely different animal –something she wasn't quite good at, not like Xena. She had years under her belt meanwhile Gabrielle could barely manage the rocking of the ship at sea for more than a day.


The Persian general stood in the center of all the ships and could no longer see the Grecian ships. He frowned and thought that Xena was too clever to go straight on into the battle, she knew that she was going to lose. He snapped his fingers and his right hand man came running to his side.

"Do you have the Greek fire?" he asked and the man nodded. He smiled deviously, "pour it into the ocean." The man did as instructed and yelled at all the men and they pulled giant ropes beneath the ship and out came gallons of Greek fire spilling into the water.

The Persian ships began reversing just as Xena did with her ships. The general pulled out his bow and lit the arrow on fire and once they were far enough from the leakage, he shot the flaming arrow into the water. The flames engulfed the water and he grinned as he saw the fire spreading throughout the water.


Xena sniffed the air and then looked over at one of her ships and the belly of the ship caught on fire. Her eyes grew in fear and she steered the ship far to the right, changing course. Men of the men on board of the ship jumped off, burning alive once they hit the water.

Gabrielle ran to the railing and saw the entire ship burst into flames from afar. "Xena! Are you seeing this?!"

Xena groaned, "yes Gabrielle!" she continued steering the ship far away from the flames and the other remaining three ships followed her lead. She shook her head as her men jumped off of the ship, dying a slow painful death. "Such a shame." She grumbled to herself.

Gabrielle ran and grabbed Xena's bow laying near the starboard and climbed up to the top of the sails. She was able to see the head of command of the Persian ship. She squinted her left her and pulled an arrow back focusing on her target. A smile came to her lips now that her target was locked.

She released the arrow and saw she had hit the general right through his heart and he fell down, clutching his chest. She climbed back down and Xena glared at her. "I hit their commander!" she yelled in victory.

Xena pursed her lips and steered the ship as far to the right as possible. "I suppose you didn't see Phraates on that ship?" Gabrielle shook her head. "Figures." She grunted as she halted the ship's course. She waved her hand at her other ships and they steered closer to her ship.

A board was set on her ship and she walked across to the next closest ship. She went to one of her lead soldiers and pointed to the flame engulfed ship. "The Persians have Greek fire!" she grunted. "I want you all to go full force once the flames dissipate in the waters."

The commander eyed her carefully. "You want us to ram our ships in theirs?" he questioned just to make sure that's what she wanted. Xena nodded with an evil smile.

"In the middle of their ships. It's their weakest part. If you don't hit the middle then it will all be for nothing," she nodded and exited the ship heading back to her own. "On my word!" she shouted and the commander nodded his head then ran off to tell the other men and surrounding ships.

The burning ship then burst into flames and debris went flying everywhere. Xena turned around and her eyes grew, anticipating the smoke to travel in their direction she shielded her face with her cloak and went to the wheel once more.


Eve stood in victory with her hands in the air. "I win!" Samuel grimaced and pouted like the child he was. A loud explosion was heard from outside and they both looked to one another. Eve ran to the window and saw many Persian ships at sea not too far from where they were. She squinted her eyes and saw one of the ships in the distance beyond the fog. It was a Greek eye on the flag and a hand came to her mouth.

"What is it?" Samuel squinted his eyes trying to make out what was going on.

"My mother's ships!" she gasped and saw one of the ships implode and black smoke filled the air. Her heart sank as she thought in the back of her mind that her mother and Gabrielle could be on that ship. Though she knew that they were both alive and well. Eve frowned, crinkling her nose and then shoved Samuel into the wall. "Your father is trying to kill my mother!"

She ran to the door and tried to open it, banging on it as hard as she could. She huffed and kicked the door. Looking around she found a three foot long candle stick and began hitting the door. Samuel folded his arms and watched the scrawny girl try to break down the door with a silver candle stick.

"That's not going to work, you know," he said and Eve threw the candle stick aside and scanned the room for something else. She ran to the open window and stood on the ledge. His eyes grew in fear at what she was about to do. "Whoa, what are you doing?!"

Eve grabbed one of the curtains and twisted it into a long rope. "I'm leaving that's what I'm doing!" she looked down and saw it was a long way down from where they were. Her breathing was labored and she stepped down on the outside ledge, her hair wiped in front of her face as she stood at least two stories above the ground.

Samuel leaned over the ledge and held out his hand. "Are you insane?!" he called out and Eve looked up at him with a grimace. "Eve come back in here before you hurt yourself!" she shook her head and held onto the curtain. He grunted, "what are you going to do, swim out to her?!" he couldn't believe this girl.

Eve looked down and her foot slipped on the ledge. She held onto the curtain for dear life and squealed. Samuel slammed his fist on the ledge and slowly put his foot on the outside ledge holding his hand out. "Eve come on don't be stupid!"

Eve growled at him, "I'm not stupid!" she teetered on the ledge and leaned against the wall. She looked at another curtain flowing in the breeze not too far from where she was and knew that was the window outside the door. She steadied herself and balanced on the ledge, trying not to look down. She scooted alongside the wall. "Just a few more steps..." she whispered to herself, closing her eyes breathing out slowly. Samuel watched her as she slowly made her way to the next open window.

After a few minutes Eve finally reached the window and death gripped the curtain, climbing onto the ledge. She peered back at Samuel with a devious smile. "Ha!" she ran inside the palace and saw the locked door where Samuel was still. She was not about to let him out as that could cause more attention than wanted.

Running down the hall she saw guards and slinked against a wall going unnoticed. She crept alongside the wall and slipped around the corner. She hummed a victory giggle and ran down the empty halls. She came to find a group of veiled women staring at her. They uttered something in their native language and Eve panicked. She began running down a separate hallway, crashing into a vase and nearly knocked over a woman carrying a basket of fruit. Her breath quickened as she ran faster down the hallway.

She looked behind her and saw two guards now running after her and suddenly she bumped into something and fell to the floor. Her eyes traveled up and saw a very large guard staring down at her. She nervously smiled and then kicked the man in his groin and crawled in between his legs, taking off once again. Don't look back, that's the first thing mother told you! Stupid! She reprimanded herself and looked for an exit but it seems that she was lost. This fortress was larger than she thought.

Phraates came to the door and unlocked it. he looked around and only saw his son in the room and no Eve. "Where's the princess?" he frowned. Samuel came to him and pleaded.

"She escaped out the window! I tried to tell her not to leave, father!" he got down on his knees and Phraates growled leaving the room. He snapped at his guards following his every move. "Find her!" he demanded. Samuel came out of the room, trailing behind his father he grabbed his hand.

"Father, you're not going to hurt her are you?" he said with pleading eyes.

The Persian King began laughing. "Do you like this girl? She's a monster just like her mother!" he spat and let go of his son's hold. "soon she will become an orphan!" he rounded the corner and his cape swayed behind him. Samuel frowned sadly, hanging his head lowly, feeling bad for Eve.

Eve ran out of breath and she found herself in a hallway full of rooms which she had no idea what lies in them. She was always good at hide and seek at home and perhaps she ought to use that game to her advantage. She opened one of the doors and found herself in a weapon room. A smile came to her lips and then crawled on the ground hiding behind a large shelf of weapons. "Words first, never weapons." She steadied her breathing. "just like Gabrielle said," she nodded to herself and grabbed a dagger and put it in between her teeth and crawled on the floor low to the ground.

Phraates went to his highest balcony to observe the battle at sea. He smiled and then Samuel joined him by his side. He placed a hand on his son's shoulder. "She has no idea what to do. She's just waiting there!" he began laughing and Samuel remained silent.

"Are you really going to kill Xena?" he asked and the king father frowned at his son and hit the back of his head.

"Of course I am! I have been waiting to do this for ten years!"


Gabrielle ran to the front of the ship and stood in a crouching position behind a few men, ready to attack. She looked back at Xena as she calmly looked at the calm waters. The fire had burned out by now and the remains of the ship were slowly sinking to the depths of the Mediterranean.

"Ready?" Xena smiled at Gabrielle.

She sighed, "if you are, then I guess yes..." she steadied herself on the railing of the ship, not daring to look down at the water below them. Xena narrowed her eyes and the fog thickened and the mix of black smoke was not helping. She steered the ship to the right as far as she could and nodded to her men on either side of her. Gabrielle closed her eyes, feeling her heart race faster as she felt the ship slowly moving.

Xena held up her hand and then waited a few seconds. All the men stared at her from the opposite ships and waited for her signal. She then held up two fingers and waved to the side, signaling them to move forward. The ship jolted forward and Gabrielle gripped onto the railing, fearing the worst. She was beginning to think that Xena was crazy. They only had four ships and nobody takes down an entire fleet with four ships, but apparently Xena thinks it is possible to do so.

Gabrielle looked ahead and felt the ship picking up speed as did her heart beat. She began to see the outline of a Persian ship and Xena steered the ship accordingly. She decided to stop doubting Xena and actually embrace what she was about to do, even if she didn't fully trust her.

Xena saw the Persian ship ahead at a standstill. She smiled and steered the ship, the sharp point of the ship would definitely break the weakest point of the Persian ship. She gripped onto the wheel and the silence of the sea was an ill fit for this battle. Hundreds of men were about to lose their lives because of Phraates' dumb choices and that thought would linger in her mind.

A few silent moments was all it took and Xena rammed her ship into the middle of the Persian ship. The men aboard her ship fell over onto the deck and Gabrielle held onto the railing for dear life. Her eyes grew as the front part of the ship cracked, the wood bowed and creaked as it continued diving into the Persian ship.

The Persian battle ship began breaking in half and the lower half began slowly sinking in the water. All the soldiers aboard scattered and Xena's men ran and jumped onto their ship in full force. Xena saw the other ships had crashed into the front line, crushing three other ships into one another creating a domino effect.

Xena jumped off the top deck and held up her sword. "Kill them all!" she shouted and Gabrielle looked back at her and saw fire in her eyes. She furrowed her eyebrows and jumped onto the Persian ship, immediately attacking soldiers. Some Persians came aboard Xena's ship and Xena swung her blade around slicing two men in half. Blood splattered all over her helm and she gritted her teeth. Her eyes went to Gabrielle and saw her taking out as many men that came in her path.

She saw a man with a spear come behind Gabrielle as she was occupied. Xena thrust her sword in an oncoming soldier and she kicked his body to the ground. "Gabrielle!" she yelled out and Gabrielle turned around to see a man behind her with a spear. Her eyes grew in fear and she ducked, sticking her Sais in his abdomen. Xena smiled at her and then jumped onto the ship back to back with her companion.

"I told you it would work," Xena grunted as she fought back some Persians coming her way. Gabrielle smirked and kicked another to the ground.

"I'll never doubt you again!" she took out a dagger from her boot and threw it at a Persian and blinded him immediately. The ship began sinking and she panicked. Grabbing onto one of the sails she swung over to the next ship. Xena remained on the sinking ship throwing men overboard if they came her way.

Gabrielle fought off four men and climbed to the top deck and saw Xena struggling to fight off six or more men coming her way. "Xena!" she yelled out but she didn't hear her. She saw the ship sinking rapidly and Xena growled, releasing a loud way cry and fought off as many men coming her way.

A blade sliced Xena's arm and she winced in pain then her eyes narrowed at the guilty Persian. She smiled and thrust her blade into his chest and tossed him to the side. His body slowly slid off the side of the ship and into the crashing waves. The ship creaked and her half of the ship broke off sinking into the water. Gabrielle's eyes widened and she ran to the edge of the ship, the impending battle behind her seemed not to matter any longer. "Xena!"


Xena held her breath as her armor became heavy she was sinking along with the fallen soldiers and ship debris floating alongside her. She detached her heavy cape and it sank behind her. She desperately began swimming to the top of the water and felt a hand grab her leg. She looked behind her and saw a wounded Persian pulling her under. She grunted and kicked the man in the face with her boot and he did not resist instead he persisted and grabbed her thigh pulling her deeper into the water.

Running out of air she frantically squirmed in the man's hold and he grabbed her shoulder pulling her deeper into the dark sea. She lost grip of her sword and it too sank into the darkness beneath the little light they had. She grabbed his shoulders and head butted him with her helm. Finally losing consciousness he let go and he sank to the bottom of the sea floor. Xena felt her lungs filling with water and she swam as fast as her heavy armor would allow her to.

As she continued to swim she saw an arrow shoot past her cheek and her eyes widened. Many Persian men above on an opposite ship were shooting arrows into the water as they saw her fall, knowing she'd be alive. Xena swam to the belly of the ship where Gabrielle was, hoping to seek shelter and reach air.

More arrows shot past her and she dodged them as best as possible as she clung to the ship. An arrow pierced her shoulder and she gasped in the water, allowing what little air she had left in her. She grabbed the arrow and broke it off and swam to the opposite side of the ship and lifted out of the water. Gasping for air she coughed up some water and grabbed onto a rope, trying to climb on the side of the ship. Her shoulder now bleeding profusely.

Gabrielle felt her eyes swell with tears as she never saw Xena come up out of the water. A Persian came at her and she growled, grabbing a spear and pierced his heart. Her heart began racing and she heard a thud from the front of the ship and saw Xena, soaking wet and bleeding. Her heart sank and she raced over to her friend, kneeling down beside her she took off Xena's helmet and examined her shoulder.

"I thought you were dead!" she smiled and Xena smiled up at her, breathing heavily.

"I thought we agreed that I'd tell you when I was going to die?" Xena joked and Gabrielle shook her head with a weak grin. Xena saw tears in Gabrielle's eyes. "Don't cry. The battle is not over yet..." she winked.

Gabrielle helped her up and wrapped her arm around her body for support. "If I had a dinar for every time you got hit by an arrow I'd be rich by now," it was Gabrielle's turn to make a joke and Xena smiled clutching her ribcage, wincing. She removed her hand and saw blood seeping from her ribs. She groaned and Gabrielle frowned.

A Persian came towards them and Xena grabbed the nearest weapon and sliced his neck with ease, gritting her teeth, then doubling over at the immense pain in her shoulder.

"I don't have time for this!" Xena said and marched forward without Gabrielle and waved her hand at one of the commanders on her ship. She hopped onto a deserted Persian battle ship and Gabrielle jumped onboard as well.

"I need..." she tightened her lips and took hold of the wheel steering the ship around while the men remained fighting each other. "Must find Eve," that was the most important thing to her, despite her wound and this ridiculous impromptu battle.

She quickly forgot the pain and remained on the mission at hand that was to find and rescue Eve from Phraates. Gabrielle wrapped her arm around Xena and saw the blood seeping from her wounds.

"you're hurt Xena. Let one of the men take the wheel." She persisted but she wasn't getting through to her. "Xena!" she pulled her aside gently. "What good are you to Eve if you are injured?" she saw a change in Xena's eyes and her eyebrows creased, cringing from the agonizing pain in her shoulder and ribs.