Chapter 6:

            For once the camp was eerily quiet as she entered it. All around people stopped and stared with jaws opening in surprise, while the more fearful disappeared into tent or dove for some kind of cover. Apparently a pony sized tiger was something to fear Xena thought with a little glee as she guided Chen towards Sun Wu's tent.

"The leader of this army lives in that," Chen asked in surprise as he looked at general Wu's command tent.

"Yup," Xena said, "I think I'll go in and smooth things over before he meets you." She nodded pleasantly to Wu's cowering bodyguards and slipped past the tent flap into the warm interior.

"Ah Xena, I am glad to see you back safely. How are things up on the plateau?" He asked and indicated with a sweep of his hand that she should sit at his table.

"Jenn has spies and small bands shattered up there, but they won't do much more than harass the army. I am a lot more worried about the fortress she has taken the time to build up there. It is large, has several layers of palisades and the ground outside is either well guarded or filled with sharpened stakes. Her guards are careful and as far as I could see there is easily room for a several hundred soldiers on the inside. My guess is that she has chosen to place the fortress over a well so if we don't brake down the wall quickly this could turn into a siege being fought in the middle of winter," she carefully explained, while indicating positions and places on Wu's map of the area.

"What about the valley? Is the dragon safe or should we worry that Jenn has already caught it?" He asked.

"Well honestly I don't think she'll recapture it. From the information I got from her men they haven't even set foot in the dragon's valley this time. But don't take my word for it. The dragon has sent a friend of his with some messages. He's waiting outside. I could call him in," Xena couldn't help smiling mischievously.

"Alright," Wu said.

"Chen, would you mind popping your head in here?" Xena asked out loud.

Wu heard fearful gasps coming from his guards then followed by a large head pressing its way past the entrance. His mouth fell open and he nearly choked on his own spit as an elegant tiger's head with jaws easily big enough to bite off more than half his body in one bite came into his tent. The tiger's golden eyes carefully looked over his tent until they came to rest on him. Involuntarily he swallowed a lump that had formed in his throat and then slowly began gathering his wits again.

"I am Chen the grandfather tiger. I come to you by request of my noble friend Chui-Lung the dragon that shares the valley with us. I am here to help and protect you as is the task of all great tigers," Chen explained in its growling imitation of human language.

"I see. I am Sun Wu, general of this army and all other armies that the Emperor sees fit to use against his enemies. I am honored to meet a noble protector such as you," Wu said and bowed deeply.

Xena observed that the tiger didn't seem comfortable with the honor bestowed upon it, but accepted it as if it was a part of a vital ritual. A thought struck her as her mind thought about how Jenn the witch had been incapable of entering the valley of the dragon. "How did you know that Jenn had sent out assassins?" She asked before thinking.

Chen studied her for a short moment, and then said: "We captured one of her leaders. He was convinced to share this with us."

"How, if I may, are you going to be helping us?" Wu asked almost meekly.

"I have lived and hunted in these lands for many ages of humankind. I will show you the ways in and out, I will tell you where your enemy is hiding and when the battle comes I will join you on the battlefield and destroy your enemies one by one," Chen explained.

"Right," Xena commented.

Wu gave her a cold look that she had often seen before in recently converted religious folk. She forced herself not to sigh.

"Alright now that I have all I need all that remains is for me to get this army up into those mountains and ready for an assault on that fortress," Wu mused and glanced over his maps.

"I am afraid you're must be quick about it. The winter is coming fast and even worse the spirits say that if you don't defeat the witch before three days have passed from sunset tonight then your victory is no longer secure," Chen said.

"What do those spirits base that on?" Xena asked.

"They are the spirits, they can see past, now and future. I do not question them neither does the dragon," it quickly explained.

Xena thought she had heard the intonations of a lie in the tiger's voice, but with it being a tiger she had no way of being sure and chose to let her suspicions stay unuttered.

"I'll set the preparations for our departure into motion and have the officers prepare the men for a forced march," Wu said.

"We still need to figure out how we're gonna get into that fortress," Xena commented.

"Yes, but I am sure we can figure that out as we go along," Wu said and rose. He left his tent after bowing to Chen and edging past his huge form.

"You don't approve," Chen declared.

"Nope, I think we should at least have a battle plan before we head into the area. From the stories I heard of Sun Wu he sounded like a very cautious man," she mused.

"I think you're right. I believe that general Wu already has a plan and that he doesn't trust either of us with it," the tiger suggested.

She considered it and realized that Chen was probably right. A man that had waited months for the right moment to strike in the middle of a bloody war wasn't as frivolous as he tried to appear right now. He either had a plan that he didn't want to share or he had been influenced from the outside. Nothing suggested that the latter was the case so she assumed that he already had a plan and let it be at that. "I think I'll go take care of Nike," she said and left Chen with his head still inside the command tent, while her mind silently added: "And then later try to find out what Wu is really up to."

Xena roamed almost soundlessly throughout the army camp looking for some hint or clue to what the illustrious general was really planning. At first she didn't have any idea then things began adding up. Here and there she found wooden beams and bolts that had been recently cut and made. She found coils of rope being prepared in liquid and a large supply of Greek fire bought from the romans if the labels were any indication hidden amongst the supplies. Wu had come here prepared for a siege and was readying to build catapults as soon as they entered the plateau. He hadn't told her instead opting to keep her out of the loop to avoid any risk of her being a particularly clever and brazen spy. She admired his skill and forethought, while also contemplating how best to use these catapults when they reached the witch's fortress. If she had any say in it.

She looked on with amusement as the large Chinese army began the long trip up the mountain towards the plateau and the witch's fortress beyond it. Xena sat casually on Nike and watched them go by, while Chen lay as a large lump of fur in the grass nearby. She was amazed that the tiger's presence didn't seem to upset Nike or any other horses anymore. Nearby general Wu and his staff discussed one of the many issues of moving an army along. Xena estimated that at the current speed it would still take two days before they could even think of attacking the fortress. Chen's deadline was fast approaching.

"So why are we in such a hurry?" She asked again.

Chen lifted his head and looked with his golden eyes. "I told you yesterday," he replied.

"No you gave a very mysterious answer about spirits. Honestly Chen if you want us to believe that you're really on our side and not some clever plant thought up by that witch then you need to tell us," she said and matched the unblinking stare of the tiger with one of her own.

"I can't tell you what I do not know," Chen finally said and rose from the grass. "We should get going. Or the army might have all the fun without us," he cautioned and gracefully began walking along the flank of the advancing army.

Xena's eyes narrowed. She was getting better at reading the tiger and it would seem that it just told her that it had been told what to say while hanging around the army.

The army slowed to a halt as they came closer to the fortress. A day and a night the army had marched across the overgrown plateau fighting to gain time and defeat the enemy before the deadline given to them by the tiger. Xena had followed along most of the time, but as the night had drawn closer she had ridden out in front and delved into the dense foliage looking for ambushes and in the end picked the campsite where the tired army was now settling down for some much needed rest in the hope that they could attack the fortress that now lay only a couple of thousand yards away on the other side of a calm sea.

Xena stood the shore of the lake and looked at the fortress through the morning mists. There was no chance that they hadn't seen them coming, but for once stealth might not be what was needed. Already those of Wu's men that had ridden in the back of the various wagon or felt strong enough were building catapults.

"You were right," Wu said as he stepped down from the rock he had been observing both her and the fortress from for a few minutes.

"I was right about what?" Xena turned to face him.

"Which way was the best to attack the fortress from," Wu walked up to her, a sense of relief radiating off him.

"You still have doubts about me. That's why you didn't tell me about the catapults," she said and moved a little of her long black hair out of her face.

"Yes. I am not as trusting as I make myself out to be. Not with you or with Chen," he said and again turned to look out over the sea.

"If not why did we rush here then?" Xena saw small figures moving along the battlements of the fortress. It was probably the witch herself out to look at her enemy in the first rays of daylight.

"My scouts have been reporting increasing signs of winter and this part of the land is feared for its sudden and prolonged snowstorms. If we don't finish this soon then come spring there will only be frozen bodies here to try and stop the witch," he explained, "In the end I get to keep the tiger happy and my men moving, while believing they're doing a holy duty on the guided by the spirits of heaven. It was the best solution."

"That fortress will be a challenge," she said still keeping her eyes locked on the remote figures that seemed to be staring right back at them.

"It is only wood. It'll burn nicely if it can't be conquered," Wu said with no glee or happiness in his voice. "That will however be the last option we take," he explained at the look of disgust that had spread involuntarily across her face.

"What is the current plan then?" She asked.

"I don't know. I have to deal with those spike filled trenches without getting my men killed by the archers on the battlements," he mused and looked back at the side of the fortress that lay opposite the road.

"If I could borrow some of strong men with some picks and shovels can I remove the spikes," Xena offered and looked at the Chinese general. This she knew was the moment of truth. If he shut her out of the planning now there was nothing she could do but find an easy trail into that valley and hope that the Chinese army was still there when she got back out with Gabrielle's body.

"Done," Wu said and called one of his men over.

Xena didn't know if she should feel happy or sad. She had gotten herself fully involved now and so she would once again for the first time since she had been freed from her coffin join a major fight. Her eyes turned back to sea and watched the mists dissipate in the bleak winter sun, while she warred with her emotions.

Wu looked out over his assembled troops as the rested men looked out over the trenches that were still filled with sharpened stakes. Siege ladders, battering rams and cavalry men equipped with rope and grappling hooks were ready. Their catapults weren't finished yet, but hopefully he wouldn't need them. At least he wouldn't need them if the promise Xena had made yesterday morning was fulfilled. She had left the camp with ten men and no one had seen hide or hair of them since then. Chen seemed content to remain at his side and often reminded him to trust the black haired warrior woman. She would come through on her promise that the tiger claimed was guaranteed.

"Sir, a rider approaches," one of his commanders said.

Wu turned to see Xena enter the camp. She looked both tired and dirty, but unharmed. He walked back from the frontline to greet her as she jumped off her brown mare. "Is something wrong?" He asked incapable of masking his impatience. So far he had no idea, what the mysterious woman wanted to do about the many hundred stakes out there.

"No, nothing is wrong. Pull the men back a little bit and just watch the show. It should start any minute now," she said and smiled in a feral manner that he had never seen her do before.

He thought it over and indicated to Chang that he should order the men to pull back a bit and hunker down. His eyes darted over the tall woman. She was cover in a light layer of grime and dust that mostly reminded him of sand. Then he looked back up the side of the valley where she had come down from. The landscape around the small pass was almost like a funnel lead up to it and the fortress rested at the base. Suddenly he realized what the woman was up to and managed stand his ground like her as what had previously been the sound of distant thunder suddenly revealed itself to be a massive rockslide precisely aimed at this side of the fortress.

Hundreds of huge rocks followed along by tons and tons of gravels rolled through the stake filled trenches at high speed, leveling them on their way down into the sea. A massive cloud of dust rose into the air as the rockslide finally subsided and everyone could shake the shock off.

"Quickly get everyone ready. As soon as the men can we attack," he ordered his officers and drew his own sword, while heading towards his horse. Unnoticed by anyone Xena did the same and leapt back into Nike's saddle. She wasn't going to let these men attack that fortress on their own.

The clouds of dust barely settled on the ground before the over a thousand man large army set in motion. With resounding war cries the army surged forward towards the waiting enemy atop their safer battlements.

Xena batted an arrow away with her chakram, while urging Nike forward. Somewhere in front of her on the ladders had been toppled and a mass of screaming Chinese soldiers crashed down at her side. She forced her mind and soul to ignore their plight. She didn't have the luxury of time to take care of them. She batted another batch of arrows aside trying to keep her and Nike unwounded at least for a while yet.

She rode along the side of the wall tossing the chakram at any enemies that were foolish enough to show themselves. She hoped it would be enough until she could find a ladder to climb. Far in front of her a ladder still stood against a wall. Somewhere behind her she heard the noise of wooden breaking as Wu's cavalry tried to pull a hole in the palisades. Xena cursed herself for not directing the rockslide into the fortress. She could have saved many lives on their side if she had been willing to sacrifice the lives of many inside the fortress. She launched herself into the air and whirled to land on top of a ladder.

She flashed back to the battle amongst the burning houses of Higuchi almost hearing Gabrielle's voice urging her to go for the ladder as she dashed up towards the battlements and a melee where she could make a difference.

Xena landed on the wooden platform that was the Chinese only breech into the fortress so far. To her left and right several Chinese soldiers were fighting a losing battle against a numerically superior enemy. Carefully calculating her angles Xena tossed away the chakram right and then jumped over to join the melee on the left.

Xena landed behind the group of defending Mongols and jabbed her sword mercilessly into the back of one of the four soldiers. Only one of the remaining three disengaged from the fight with the Chinese soldiers to fight her. Xena didn't realize it, but she was smiling widely and her eyes shone with a wild abandon that unnerved the Mongolian soldier.

He swung his wide bladed sword at her from the left. Xena easily stepped blocking the sword with her own. She followed up with a full on haymaker from the left that sent the Mongolian careening of the platform and into the free air on the wrong side of the wall from his perspective.

Xena barely had time to see that the Chinese soldiers had dispatched the opponents as well when another group of enemies rushed towards them.

She pulled her sword out of the gut of another enemy that had obviously never learned not to try to make an overhead chop when your enemy was faster than you. Hearing its metallic scream she reached up in the air to catch the bloodied chakram. Suddenly she heard whirl and the sound of wood hitting a crossbeam. She had run out of enemies, but also of most of the Chinese soldiers. A fiery missile flew overhead. With chagrin she looked over the wall as the burning missile landed with a fiery explosion in the midst of the Chinese army. It would seem that the witch had some short range catapults of her own.

Xena looked out over the still mostly intact and unconquered fortress palisade and realized where things were going. As the second batch of fiery missiles passed overhead the call to retreat resounded all over the battlefield. She ran along the platform towards the ladder with several Mongolian soldiers in hot pursuit.

Xena stepped onto the ladder and kicked it away from the wall after ensuring she was the lone survivor of the troops that had made up onto the battlements. The ladder swung up and soon began its freefall towards the ground. Xena changed sides on the ladder and as it neared the ground she leapt off to the side landing almost ready for the mad dash as she headed for the forest and the place she hoped to find her horse again.

Hidden in a couple of bushes the tiger watched the Chinese retreat. "They failed…" It thought and remembered what it had been ordered to do now. "Now their lives will be in peril," it realized and sighed as it knew what would have to happen now. Chen turned and ran off towards the pass.