Well hello all! Long time, no see! I totally failed to realize just how long it had been since I had lost posted anything. I'm sorry for that! So to make up for it, here's Chapter 8 AND Chapter 9!

Thanks to Kiklia14 for the nudge! :o)

Happy reading ya'll! (Let me know what ya think).

xgxgxg

Chapter 8

The next morning I awoke to find Xena already awake and getting ready for the day. I yawned as I sat up, "Morning."

She looked over at me and smiled, "Well good morning sunshine!"

I found my shoes on the 'floor' and slipped them on, "Brr, it's chilly this morning."

"Yeah, it will warm up soon though." She nodded, "The sun is barely up yet."

I heard blankets rustling, then Gabrielle grumble, "Then why in Tartarus are you two up?"

"Because it's time to get up, Bard."

"We are not on the road, Warrior...there is no need to get up so blasted early."

I listened to the two of them banter back and forth for a little while longer, it was rather entertaining to watch how they interacted with each other. It was just like Solan had said and it only put me more at ease with them. When Gabrielle finally decided to get up, she helped comb out my hair and braided it for me.

"So tell me a little about yourself, Sofi."

I shrugged, "What do ya wanna know?"

"Whatever you want to tell us." Xena added.

I took a deep breath and thought for a few moments. What was there to tell? They wouldn't understand my life before coming here to their time. Maybe basics would be a good place to start. "Well, I'm ten years old, my full name is Sofia Grace but I don't like being called that." I shuddered. "I was named after my grandmother, so that made it 'okay' I suppose. I like music and I love to read - wait! Am I gonna be able to read here?"

"We'll make sure you can." Gabrielle reassured me, "I'll teach you."

I smiled, "Thank you."

"Is there anything you want to ask us?"

I shrugged, "I don't know. This is kinda new and it's all so different to me."

Just then a horn sounded from across the village.

"Morning meal is ready."

I laughed. 'Saved by the bell, Sof.' I thought to myself. "Good! I'm hungry!"

"Just like Gabrielle!" Xena shook her head, laughing.

We walked over near where we'd had the bonfire the night before. As we passed that I could see where their dining hut had once been. "Wow." I mumbled quietly. "What happened?"

"From what we were told, the village took quite a beating. Most of the buildings were burned to the ground."

"Is that why everything is in tents?"

"Mhmm," Was her quiet response; she continued after a few moments. "Only a few buildings were spared. Apparently they were able to save Sara's hut and most of the kitchen."

I nodded, "It's gonna take a long time to fix everything huh?"

"I'm sure it will but we are Amazons!" Gabrielle said quietly. "We have survived much worse."

It was a sobering thought. 'What a life this must be!' And here I was, right in the thick of it! Breakfast, or as they called it 'morning meal', turned out to be oatmeal sweetened with honey and a cup of apple juice. I looked around the tent at some of the others that were sitting on the logs serving as seating. There were a lot of the warriors from last night grouped together while what I could only guess were the 'elders' sitting together in an opposite area. Suddenly, everyone hushed their conversations as Queen Varia entered the tent.

"Oh knock off the formality!" She scoffed and waved her hand in the groups general directions as she made her way over to get her own meal. When she was done, she headed over in our direction. 'Oh horse poop!'

"Good morning!" She smiled brightly.

"Morning Varia." Gabrielle returned as Xena nodded her head in greeting. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, thanks." Varia nodded toward me. "I see we have a new junior in our ranks."

"We do." Gabrielle rested her hand on my shoulder. "Queen Varia meet Princess Sofia."

I looked up, shocked. "I'm no princess!"

Xena snorted in her cup. Gabrielle sucked in a breath. Varia just chuckled. I gathered I'd said something I shouldn't have. "Sorry."

"No, little one, it is okay." Xena recovered first and kissed the top of my head. "We should have prepared you for that. It is our fault."

"Varia," Gabrielle began quietly. "Perhaps this is a conversation for the Queen's quarters?"

"Indeed, I agree."

Once we were all finished eating, we walked over to another tent that I could only assume was serving at a temporary 'Queen's quarters'.

It felt very odd to be the topic of conversation and I wasn't sure that I liked it very much. I listened as Xena and Gabrielle told Varia about how I came to be here.

"It seems that Sofi here is somehow related to Xena." Gabrielle explained. "She will be staying with us from now on. Even though I am not an acting Queen, she will be my successor through Rite of Caste therefore, the title of Princess."

"What about Eve?" She frowned, "Didn't you do that when she was a baby?"

Gabrielle nodded, "That's true, I did. But you know as well as I do, she's not a warrior and would not wish to be Queen."

"Wait." I spoke up. "I'm confused, if Varia is Queen of this tribe...which one are you Queen of?"

"The same one." Varia and Xena muttered at the same time.

"How?"

"It's a long story, little one."

Gabrielle nodded, "I will tell you that story later on."

Varia cleared her throat, "So are you two planning on staying then?"

I watched as Xena looked over at Gabrielle and smiled, "Yes, it is time and I owe my Bard that much."

"Really Xe?"

"Yeah."

"Then we have some planning to do!" Varia grinned. "We've got rebuilding to do, what's one more hut?"

"I will not be here as acting Queen." Gabrielle specified. "I will leave that to you. You've earned it!"

"Then will you do me the honor of sitting on my council?"

Gabrielle thought for a moment, then nodded. "Yes, I will be glad to do that."

xgsxgs

After meeting with Varia, Xena took Sofi over to Sara's to make sure she was completely well. Gabrielle took a walk around the current village of tents then made her way over to where the original huts had been. Several were a total loss while others looked to be salvageable. Tears came to her eyes as she took in what would have been Ephiny's. Having no idea how long she had stood there, she was startled when Xena laid her arm across her shoulders gently.

"I miss them, Xe."

The warrior sighed, "I do too."

Sofi reached up to take a hand of both the bard and the warrior, "Who?"

"Our friends, the ones whom I began the journey of becoming Queen with."

"Would 'Ephiny' be one of them?"

Green eyes met blue in shock, Xena slowly knelt down to the child's level. "How do you know that name, little one?"

"Umm…before I was here, I was with her and a boy named Solan."

"Solan?" Xena whispered. "My son sent you?"

Sofi nodded slowly, "Yes. He and Ephiny kept me company until it was time for me to come here."

"How?" Gabrielle questioned.

"I don't know." Sofi looked at the ground. "I'm sorry."

Xena gathered the child into her arms, "It's okay, little one. It doesn't matter."

"He gave me a message for you, Xena." The girl whispered. "He said to tell you that he was with someone called Borias and his Aunt Eph."

Xena's eyes welled with unbidden tears, "Thank you for bringing me that message, it means a lot to me."