Although Xena and Damian seemed to have calmed down, Gabrielle walked between them in case something happened again.

"Will you tell me what this was about?" she asked. For a while, the two were reluctant to reply then finally, Xena answered.

"We… hit a nerve."

"Hit a nerve," Gabrielle repeated. "Xena, your mere presence hits a nerve in Damian. I can't believe you'd provoke him further."

"He said some things then I said some things and… the fight started."

"I can't believe it. I thought you know better than that."

"Look, I didn't throw the first punch."

"But you escalated it with your deadly pressure thing!" said Damian.

"I just wanted to end it."

"Because you couldn't keep up?"

"Enough!" shouted Gabrielle. Damian smiled.

"I should be grateful. You caught me by surprise, but now I also know your technique. This will help thinning the scum of the Earth much more easily."

Gabrielle looked at him with sad eyes.

"When you said you let go of vengeance to save others, I thought you realized we should strive to preserve life, not revel in taking it. Do you think that's what Hercules would want?"

"I'm not living the life of Hercules. He inspired me, but I fight evil my own way."

Gabrielle sighed.

"I see."

She realized Damian turned from vengeance by channeling his rage toward others, more reachable than Xena. She was unsure if even Xena's death would extinguish it.

"Tell me," Damian asked suddenly, "have you ever felt real hatred? Did you hate someone so much it made your heart ache?"

Gabrielle glanced at him, then lowered her gaze.

"Yes."

"Really?"

"Callisto killed my husband, Perdicus."

Damian raised an eyebrow.

"Callisto?"

"You know her?"

"Only by reputation. If we could have crossed swords earlier, I…" He shook his head. "Doesn't matter. It is the past now."

He looked at Gabrielle.

"Then maybe you understand what I feel. My father, my village and all the other victims of the Destroyer of Nations… now that she's within arm's length, it takes great deal of restraint not to end her immediately. Tell me you haven't dreamed of snuffing the life out of Callisto."

"I have. But like you, I realized that I'd also destroy myself. Revenge won't give you peace or make your anger go away, only forgiveness."

Damian smirked.

"You forgave Callisto?"

"That's the only way to move on. Giving up the chase isn't enough. You need closure and you won't get it by killing others."

Damian watched her for a while, casting an occasional glance at Xena who also kept her eyes on him.

"Alright," he said finally. "I'll try it your way. From now on, I'll only kill when it's unavoidable and see how it works out. Won't make promises for shape-shifting monsters though."

Gabrielle narrowed her eyes.

"Really?"

"Yeah. I won't even use my swords, I'll switch to the staff. So, a little more training would be welcome."

Gabrielle shook her head.

"I'm not in the mood now."

"Oh. I hope I was a good student then. Since I won't use swords, it would be embarrassing to die from incompetence." Damian took his staff and held it awkwardly. "Uh, that's uncomfortable. I don't remember needing to bend like that to keep it vertical."

"Your grip is wrong," said Gabrielle.

"Which one?"

"I'm sure you know which one." She sighed and raised her own staff, showing the proper way to hold it. Damian kept making silly, intentional mistakes, lightening Gabrielle's mood until a smile crept on her lips.

With the earlier fight helping to relieve the tension, Xena could think more clearly. She thought maybe confrontation with Damian could have been avoided if she hadn't let him get under her skin. She knew how easy it was to get sucked into a life of reckless violence and blood yet how hard to turn away from it. Maybe it was not too late for Damian, especially if he was truly open to Gabrielle's way.

Damian stopped trying the staff and turned to Xena.

"I've just realized: we're on foot! We were supposed to get horses."

"We forgot about it in the heat of the fight," replied Xena.

"We walked too far to turn back just for the promise of horses. Did you do that on purpose, so you can delay our arrival?"

"I'm not trying to delay anything. If I wanted to, I would have shaken you off already."

"Perhaps your survival instinct is fighting your guilt," remarked Damian. "How are we supposed to handle that monster when we can't even get horses?"

"We'll manage. I've faced worse odds."

Damian narrowed his eyes.

"I'll hold you to that."

During the night, Gabrielle sat next to the campfire, still working on Xena's defense while Damian made his bed. When Xena was ready to sleep too, Gabrielle went closer.

"I wrote examples that prove you have changed. The people of Lyros will have no reason to doubt you once we take care of that monster. Can you think of anything in your defense for your actions?"

"No."

Gabrielle grimaced.

"They may be more understanding if something clouded your judgement. Like, you haven't eaten in days or… had an infected wound…"

"Gabrielle, I've done far worse things under lesser pressure. Pillaging and killing was my way of life, making excuses for it is pointless."

"But––"

"Even if there had been any influence, I would have done the same without it. No reason to try justifying it."

"Xena… you sound like you want to be condemned."

Her friend didn't answer at first, but then looked at Gabrielle.

"I'm trying to make amends for my deeds. But I don't want to use it to escape justice. I'll go to Lyros and… face the consequences of my actions."

Gabrielle sighed and made her bed. It seemed Xena's defense fall entirely on her shoulder. She glanced at Damian; his eyes were closed and Gabrielle thought he was asleep, but their companion secretly listened to their conversation.

"Finally!" exclaimed Gabrielle when they reached the next village after a few hours of walk. It was much smaller than the previous town, but civilization nonetheless. "I'll have that hot bath now."

Xena looked at Damian.

"Go ahead if you want," he said to her, "but my all seeing eye will follow."

"I'll go after you, Gabrielle. That way, Damian will only be peeping on one of us."

Gabrielle hesitated. She remembered the last time she left them alone.

"I don't think that's a good idea."

"We won't slice each other up. Right, Damian?"

"Yes, I'm using staff now," grinned Damian, but Gabrielle was not amused. "Just kidding. We've had enough fun for a while."

"Alright." She gave in reluctantly. "Don't make me regret it!"

As she left, Xena turned to Damian.

"Did I give you any reason to doubt my intentions?"

"It's not your intentions that worry me. After your insistence to spare the life of that idiot trapper, I can believe you have changed. I just don't want to depend on your good intentions."

"I see."

"Once we take care of the monster, you'll stand trial and whatever the verdict is, I'll leave you alone, and consider the case closed. Just like this conversation."

Xena decided not to press the issue, at least for now. They looked around for horses, but unfortunately, the village had only mules. Damian cussed in frustration.

"You said a villager told you about the monster," recalled Xena. "How did he escape from it?"

"He told me he ran away before it could catch him."

"What if the monster allowed him to escape?"

Damian raised an eyebrow.

"Why would it do that?"

"I'm not sure. But I find it strange that after luring him away and changing form, it could not catch him."

"I see no advantage in that. If anything, it made the villagers of Lyros more cautious about wandering away."

Before they could have discussed it further, Gabrielle showed up in a much better mood.

"Good, you're talking. Talking's good."

"You should know." Xena smiled.

"I found a good bath over there," Gabrielle said cheerfully, and pointed to a house behind her. "Hopefully, it will help you two to relax a little."

She looked at their faces.

"Oh, who am I kidding?"

Damian persistently looked the opposite way while Xena undressed and stepped into the water. She began washing herself when she noticed the young man still standing there with crossed arms.

"Aren't you coming along?" she asked, although the tub was small for two, considering Damian usually kept at least twenty feet distance during baths.

"A few days and we reach my village."

Xena shrugged and turned away.

"If you don't mind stinking until then. I'm sure Gabrielle will be eager to practice with you," she added sarcastically.

Damian did not answer, but after a minute, she heard a splash. It took her some effort to resist smiling. He was within arm's reach, huddling up and staring at the water with a grumpy expression while cleaning his shoulder. Xena studied his build: while she aimed for balance, Damian clearly preferred speed and agility over strength. He had some muscle, and the heart-eating could have further improved his physique, but if they were to get entangled, he'd have no chance.

"Are you blushing?" she asked. Damian briefly glanced at her.

"It's just the water."

"I'm sure."

Damian stared daggers at her, so Xena decided not to tease him further.

"You fought well," she changed the subject. "And you learn quickly. Were you like that when you were younger?"

Damian waited for a while before answering.

"I had a talent for it. I suppose it got better with practice and the hearts of worthy opponents. Why?"

"Your speed and natural gift for learning combat skills… are you sure it's the ritual?"

Damian examined her face.

"What, you think I may be some kind of demigod?"

"Remember Gabrielle's story about the Furies?"

"When you convinced them that Ares is your father?" He realized what Xena was trying to imply. "Gabrielle said he takes the form of his warriors and… visits… their wives. I wouldn't say that my father was a warrior of Ares, but legends often get the details wrong."

A smile appeared on Damian's face, but his eyes remained cold.

"But if that's true and Ares visited your mother as well, that would make us siblings, doesn't it?" Xena remained silent, so he continued. "Don't worry, sister. Despite the jagged start, I think we'll eventually become very close. Very, very close."

"I know you're angry at me for my past crimes against your home. You have every right to be. But, for now, we're on the same side, so you shouldn't focus on retribution until we finish the job."

Damian pressed his lips together and turned away, staring at the water.

"Gabrielle said she forgave Callisto for killing her husband. From what I've heard, Callisto is the least deserving of forgiveness. Gabrielle is either the purest hearted person I've met or just terribly naïve. How could she make herself to forgive?"

Xena recalled the events after the defeat of Callisto and Velasca.

"She wants to believe that deep down Callisto regrets her actions."

Damian looked at Xena with a pitiful smile.

"Do you actually believe that?"

"No. But she might have been different if she hadn't met me."

Damian leaned against the tub and crossed his arms.

"Yeah, I've heard the two of you had some history together."

"I made her. When my army raided Cirra, fire broke out. It destroyed everything. Many died, including Callisto's family."

"Too bad you didn't learn from it back then."

"I can assure you, it haunts me," spat Xena. "I ruined the life of an innocent girl and created a monster."

"You have a real talent for drama," sneered Damian. "I bet you blame yourself for all the havoc she caused."

The woman narrowed her eyes.

"I created her. I'm responsible."

"Oh, you are, but that does not absolve her. It is understandable that losing everything made her resentful, and she wanted you dead for it. However, her rage made her even more ruthless than you ever were. You had your own deranged sense of code. But Callisto's hatred toward you lashed out at the innocent indiscriminately. Makes me wonder how innocent she actually was. Did you really create her? Or did you just awake the sleeping beast?"

"Even good people have their breaking point." Xena recalled the alternate reality where she didn't take up the sword, and Gabrielle was enslaved by Draco's men. That Gabrielle lost her innocence and idealism, and who knows what her fate would have been.

"Sure. But did Callisto even try to resist her frenzy? Because the way I see it, she used her victims to satiate her bloodlust and made the same excuse you do: that everything is your fault."

Damian shook his head.

"All the death and destruction she caused, she contributed to you, and it made her want to cause even more mayhem to spite you. At least, that's what I would have done if I had given in to mindless vengeance."

Xena fixed her attention on the rippling water. There were times when she thought about that too, but never went too deep. Ultimately, she cast Callisto down on the path to damnation.

"Of course," Damian continued, "compared to Callisto, maybe I got off easy. But I could have surrendered to my hate just the same. I can hate you for the path you led me to, what you did to my parents and Lyros but I walked the path on my own. I had the urge to hunt you down, yet instead, I focused my rage on those who deserve it and did my best to be a force of good on this Earth. Callisto chose comfortable denial, and for that, she had only herself to blame. So, don't disrespect your victims by playing martyr for all kinds of imagined crimes. You have plenty real ones to torture yourself with."

Xena had to admit that there was truth in Damian's perspective, although she was unsure whether she should feel better or worse about it. She had no idea what to say, and the young man did not seem inclined to elaborate further, so they turned their attention to bathing.

"You were quick," said Gabrielle and raised her eyebrow, turning to Damian. "Unless you bathed together."

"Don't let your fantasy loose," replied Damian.

They left the village and continued on foot. After a while, the awkward silence began to bother Xena.

"I see we have a new cooking pot." She glanced inside their bag.

"Yes, when I saw it, I couldn't leave it there," Gabrielle nodded. "I'd appreciate if you wouldn't wreck this one on someone's head like the last pot."

"I'll try my best."

"That doesn't sound reassuring." Gabrielle narrowed her eyes as Xena smiled.

Later, when they stopped to make camp, Damian and Gabrielle wrapped rags around their staffs to limit bruises and spent some time practicing. The man could easily dance around Gabrielle's attacks, but she was also able to deflect most of his.

"I know you can dodge my attacks," she said finally. "It's good, but this time, try blocking them. The staff is excellent for defense and you won't tire yourself so much."

"You just want to finally hit me."

Damian resisted the urge to evade Gabrielle's strikes. He was fast with the staff, but his opponent's experience and technique let her slip through his defenses from time to time. After some hard tries though, he finally tapped Gabrielle's head.

"Boink!"

"Good. Try it again!"

After two failed attempts, Damian wildly spun the staff around his body, making Gabrielle step back cautiously.

"Afraid, are you?" he smiled. "You should be! I bet you can't do this little trick."

With a swift move, Gabrielle swung her staff and knocked Damian's from his hand.

"Umm…" He blinked, surprised. "Eh."

"Just stick to what we practiced. Avoid unnecessary, fancy moves." Gabrielle admonished.

Damian landed soft blows on Gabrielle more and more often. Xena thought it was more because of his speed and reflexes than technique, but still learned at an alarming rate. It would explain how he acquired matching skill with a sword so fast.

After eating a few bites and resting a little, they continued their journey, and Gabrielle told the story of Xena's death and eventual resurrection with the Ambrosia. At the end, Damian sighed and shook his head.

"I can't believe you destroyed all that Ambrosia! If I'd become a god…" He stared forward with a yearning expression.

"It is a power too dangerous for mortals to have," remarked Xena.

"Can't be worse than the gods themselves. Lyros respected them, we even gave them offerings, yet when you raided the village or when we starved afterwards, not one came to our aid. Some humans are much more deserving of that power than these Olympians."

"If you want to know what happens if humans get Ambrosia," said Gabrielle, "you should hear what happened next."

Damian was captivated by the story of Velasca and Callisto. He was listening with disbelief, and Xena hoped it was enough to make him understand why mortals shouldn't wield the power of gods. As Gabrielle finished, Damian brushed his hand through his hair.

"Well, whatever plagues my village definitely can't be worse than those two." He tapped the staff against his head, thinking. "I wonder what would happen if I'd eat a god's heart."

"I don't think we'll find out," replied Xena.

Damian didn't answer, but as they walked, he looked at Gabrielle, and his mouth slowly curved to a smile.

"What?" she asked.

"I have an idea." He put his staff on his shoulders, resting his arms on it. "It just hit me: you're an Amazon queen and we're getting quite friendly, so… I wanna be an Amazon too."

Gabrielle blinked at him, surprised.

"You? Want to become an Amazon?"

"I think I have the skills for it. I need to practice with the staff, but I'm quite good with swords and knives. I can throw javelins and hold my own in fisticuffs. I won't shame the tribe, I'll blend right in. Is there some initiation I need to pass to join?"

Gabrielle could not tell if he was joking or not.

"You do realize that Amazons are women?"

"I have nothing against women."

"Umm… an Amazon tribe is like a sisterhood. Sisterhood."

"Do I detect some discrimination here? Afraid that I look better in your outfit than you do?"

A mischievous smile appeared on Gabrielle's face.

"Maybe."

"So that's the real reason men can't join," grinned Damian.

Gabrielle smiled too, and shook her head then went closer to Xena.

"He's actually quite pleasant when he's not trying to kill you," she said in hushed tone. "Or not eating hearts. I think he can overcome his darkness."

"He's trying hard, and he likes you. That may help."

"He's a good man, I know. He has problems, but I believe he will do the right thing. Everything will be fine."

"Yes." Xena looked forward. "Everything will be fine."