Usual disclaimers apply.

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Chapter 47

Looking at the people around the table Gabrielle took a deep breath before speaking. "First and foremost," she began. "I think we need to figure out what Daphne's expectations are while living here among us, and" she held up a hand towards Cyrene. "I also think that we need to know what you feel should be happening in regards to Daphne's training and why you are so set against her doing certain things."

"She just doesn't want me to have any fun." Daphne announced crossing her arms across her chest and sliding down in her chair. "She won't even let me start sword training. It's not fair."

"You don't need a sword," Cyrene replied. "You don't need to learn to fight if you don't want to, Daphne. You can do so many other things, be something other than a warrior."

"I know that!" Daphne glared at her mother. "I want to be a warrior."

"Daphne," Gabrielle's calm tone made the girl look at her and she reached across the table smiling when Daphne finally took her outstretched hand. "Are you sure about being a warrior?"

"I am," Daphne looked at Cyrene when she heard the deep sigh. "I know you'd like something else for me, Mom, but I want to be a warrior. I feel as if I can help others by doing what Xena, and Sam, and all of the warriors do. And it doesn't mean I can't have other things I'm good at or want to do within the tribe, does it?"

"It doesn't," Gabrielle assured the teen. "Look at Zivah, she's training to be a healer, but is a good fighter in her own right."

"I don't want to lose her," Cyrene's voice was soft and Gabrielle wasn't sure she had heard properly.

"Mom?" Green eyes searched blue and Cyrene merely sighed again. "Hey, Daphne, why do you go find Xena and the girls? I think they were heading out to Argo's latest pasture to see how her pregnancy is progressing."

"Really? They won't mind?" Daphne's eyes light up as she looked at her mother. "Could I, Mom?"

Cyrene nodded slowly, "Go on, but don't think we won't be discussing the tree flip when you get home."

It was Daphne's turn to sigh, "Okay, Mom. I'll see you two later!" She announced before running from the hut.

"Mom, are you really afraid of losing Daphne?"

"I never want to lose another daughter the way I lost Xena." The former inn keeper grabbed her daughter-in-law's hand. "I was blessed when Xena came back into my life, Gabrielle. I not only had my daughter back, but I gained another. I am so afraid that I will lose Daphne if she chooses the life Xena chose."

Moving her chair around the table Gabrielle pulled Cyrene into a hug, "You aren't going to lose Daphne like that, Mom." The blonde assured. "After all, she has a mother, two older sisters, and even an older niece that would be happy to kick her butt to Chin and back if needs it."

Wiping her eyes Cyrene pushed Gabrielle back and kissed the woman's forehead. "I guess that you're right, dear one." Cyrene smiled at the woman. "This doesn't mean Daphne is off the hook for what she did flipping out of that tree."

"No, it doesn't." Gabrielle agreed. "And you can tell her in no uncertain terms if she ever does anything like that again she's not just going to have to worry about you; the queen might make an appearance as well."

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Hearing Daphne's footsteps, I turned around and waved to her. "What are you doing here?" I asked as she reached us.

"Mom and Gabrielle told me to come and find you while they finished talking." Shrugging her shoulders at my questioning look Daphne moved closer towards Mama and the little girls.

"So Argo's babies are in her tummy?" Zoe asked.

"Babies?" I asked. "What do you mean babies?"

Looking up at me Emily smiled, "Argo is having two babies."

I looked at Mama and she nodded with a shrug, "They're right. I feel twins. I just hope that Argo has the energy to keep up with two little ones when the time comes. The gods know it's not easy having twins." Mama reached down to tickle Zoe and Emily and merely shook her head as they ran past her laughing.

"Mama?" Another voice made itself know from the other side of Argo.

"Yes, Trouble?"

"How did Argo get this scar?" Eve began to trace a faint scar on the mare that I had wondered about until I'd read one of Mom's books. Callisto had done that to Argo and by the intake of air, I figured that Mama didn't want Eve to know that yet.

"Somebody hurt Argo in order to hurt me," Mama finally responded rubbing Grace's back through the baby pack she wore. "We were lucky that Argo was found and could be nursed back to health."

Coming around the horse's side Eve looked up at Mama and took her hand gently leading her back to Argo. Eve then placed a small hand by Argo's shoulder, "I'm sorry, girl. I didn't have anyone to love me when I was Callisto, but now I do."

"How did you know?" Mama whispered.

Eve shrugged, "I just did. I'm sorry, Mama."

Shaking her head Mama handed me Grace and kneeled in front of Eve pulling her into a hug, "You have nothing to apologize for, Eve Bardos. Not one thing."

Smiling Eve pulled out of the hug, "Well, there is that matter of feeding my celery to Nasa. I mean, really, celery?"

"Trouble," Mama stood and tugged one of Eve's braids. "Let's go and see what trouble your sisters are in, shall we?"

Eve nodded and squealed in delight when Mama lifted her up onto her shoulders in one fluid motion. Bouncing Grace absently I was barely aware of Daphne now involved in a game of tag with the twins as Mama and Eve headed towards them. Wondering where Mama got the energy she seemed to have lately my thoughts began to wander and more questions than answers jumped into my head. Deciding I would write when I got home, I finally let go of the thoughts the best that I could and headed towards the rest of my family deciding that Grace and I couldn't let them have all the fun.

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Xena waved to a few of the younger warriors as she made her way across the village to the kitchens. After returning from checking on Argo, she had spent a fair amount of time talking with Gabrielle and had decided that it was time for her to have a sensitive talk with her mother; even if it killed them both.

Knowing that her mom would still be prepping for the mid-day meal, Xena decided that heading to the kitchens was the best way to talk to the woman before she lost her nerve or Daphne did something else to cause her mother to panic.

"Mom?" Xena entered the village kitchen and waited until her mother turned around. "Do you have a few minutes to go for a walk with me?"

Watching as her mother wiped her hands on a clean towel Xena smiled when Cyrene nodded. "I always have time for you, Xena. Shay, be sure that the girls chop the vegetables smaller this time. The last thing I need is a repeat of airborne weapons from my stew."

"You got it, Cyrene." Shay waved to the older woman and chuckled to herself remembering the food fight Cyrene was referring to. "And I'll make sure that Trouble and her friends get bowls with pureed vegetables." She mumbled hearing the door to the kitchen close as Cyrene left with her eldest.

The women walked in silence across the village finally stopping near the far practice field which was currently filled with girls in Daphne's age group. "Xena what are we doing here?"

"I just want you to watch for a few minutes," Xena took her mother's hand and gently led her towards the field stopping only when she knew her mother could make out the form of her youngest daughter among the group of girls.

"But Xena…"

"Please, Mom." Xena nodded towards the field and Cyrene finally turned in the direction and watched the young Amazons. The girls were in various stages of training and Cyrene smirked when she noticed Daphne fall on her backside more than once trying to do a back hand flip followed by a front roll. "She seems to be having trouble with that move."

"Yeah, she hates doing back hand flips," Xena shrugged. "It's something that may serve her well. Most Amazons aren't trained the way our tribe is, Mom."

"What do you mean, Xena?" Cyrene asked as Xena took her hand and began to walk once more.

Heading onto a worn path near the tree line Xena was quiet as they walked. Finally leaving the noises of the training field behind Xena began to speak quietly. "Most Amazons aren't trained the way that our girls our," Xena stole a look at her mother as they continued to walk. "Gabrielle and I make sure that the girls can do more than just fight, just kill, just hunt. They are able to utilize fighting skills, that's true, but those skills are balanced with other talents that they may possess."

"I'm still not sure I understand, Xena."

"What did you see when you watched the girls on that field, Mom? Other than Daphne, what did you see?" Xena asked as finally stopped walking and sat down on a log waiting for her mother to join her.

Sitting next to her daughter Cyrene looked at the view in front of her and took a deep breath. "I saw young women training for battle, Xena. The way you trained when Cortez came."

"They were training," Xena admitted. "But not for someone like Cortez. For their heritage, their future, as a way to be safe if their sisters aren't around. Some of those girls will be warriors, but some of them will end up in your kitchen or with Cesya in the healer's hut. Others will help train the horses, or work in the library. The one thing that they will have in common is the ability to defend themselves and their family if it's ever needed."

"They all have a choice then?" Cyrene asked. "What if you have a girl who doesn't want to fight, who doesn't want to train?"

Xena laid her head on the older woman's shoulder, "Then she learns self-defense. After that she can chose her path, but she will always be able to take care of herself. Our girls need to be self-sufficient and strong, Mom. You must understand that. They are educated in a way many girls aren't, they have to be able to survive the changes that will come in this world. The foresight that Gabrielle and I possess…" Xena trailed off.

"I'm afraid, Xena. Afraid of losing Daphne the way I lost you." Cyrene finally admitted.

"You won't lose her, Mom. There is no Cortez," Xena took her mother's hand in her own and began rubbing it lightly with her finger. "Daphne wants to be a warrior, but that doesn't mean she'll be in battles non-stop. It doesn't mean that she's going to war. She's fourteen mother, Daphne won't be fighting for a very long time."

"And if our village, our home is attacked, Xena? What happens then? All those little girls you've trained to protect themselves, don't they become part of the defense?"

Xena sat up and sighed deeply, "Not in the way you're thinking, Mom. Unless a girl has achieved her warrior status or her first feather, the only fighting that would be done by them would be in self-defense. They would not be taken into battle."

"And Sam?"

Xena gave a wry chuckle, "We all know that Sam is too much like her mothers to not fight. However, her fight would be in keeping her sisters, her grandmother, her family safe. She wouldn't be allowed to fight either."

"As if you could stop her," it was Cyrene's turn to chuckle. "She and that horse of hers would be right behind you, Xena. You know that as well as I do and it would be all I could do to keep Eve away."

"Oh Eve would be with Hestia."

Laughing at the comment Cyrene nodded. "I think I'm starting to understand, daughter," Cyrene gently laid her hand on Xena's cheek. "My own fears over what happened with you aren't letting me see Daphne for who she truly is or may become. I don't like it, but I will allow her this path." Cyrene held up a finger silencing her eldest before she could comment. "As long as I have your word that we will do all we can so that she never walks your former path."

"You have my word, Mom." Xena said the words easily and put her head back on Cyrene's shoulder. The women sat in comfortable silence for a few moments before Xena once more sat up, "So, Mom?"

"Yes?"

"Now that we have the sensitive chat out of the way will you please tell me how you got Emily and Zoe to eat their cabbage? They've never touched it and nothing that Gabrielle and I do seem to make them want to eat it."

Laughing once more Cyrene stood and held out her hand to Xena, "I think I will keep that secret, little one. After all, I may need to use it again someday." Heading back to the village Cyrene chuckled and shook her head as Xena held mother's hand with a pout on her face.

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Hope this update was worth the wait.

Thanks to all the follows, favorites, and PMs.

-A side note: To Sylvia (guest)—Please PM me and I will be happy to answer your questions. If you can't do that except as a guest, then I will post your answers in the next chapter.

If you go to Hercules -xena. /wiki/Amazon (no spaces) that may answer some of your questions- add tribes to the end and that might answer some others.