"Ready to go?" asked Xena, already seated on Argo. She reached down and helped pull Amarice up behind her. Amarice was amazed at Xena's strength, she practically lifted her with one arm! Xena took a last glance at Gabrielle and headed off.

Xena pushed Argo hard, she didn't want to lose the fading trail. Her eyes were fixed on the light tracks left behind by the vile sons of bacchae who had taken Xenon and killed those Amazons. An avergae person wouldn't have been able to spot the practicaly invisible trail at all. But Xena was no average person. It stood out bright as day to her.

"YAH!" she spurred Argo on, her face frozen in anger, even when her heart pounded in sorrow.

Amarice wasn't used to the jarring ride, and at the speed Argo was going, she had to hold tightly onto Xena or she would bounce right off. She tried to divert her attention from the cruel beating her bottom was getting by looking off to the side. Bad idea, she moaned. The trees were a green blur that wouldn't stay still. She quickly closed her eyes, feeling uneasy.

Xena's eyes frantically searched around, something wasn't right. She quickly brought Argo to a halt, completely forgetting about Amarice behind her. The momentum, and gravity, almost made them both topple over, but Xena steadied them. She quickly hopped down and ran back behind Argo. Amarice slowly crawled off, holding her stomach.

Crouching down, Xena saw the trail was still quite fresh. It branched off up ahead.

"What is it?" asked Amarice, her voice wavering.

"The trail. One horse, two paths." Xena looked around, smelling the air, but it was too late, the scent was gone.

"So they made two trails? How can they do that with one horse?"

Xena didn't answer, she was busy scanning the separate paths. One led into the thick trees to the left and the other continued down the dirt road. Amarice stayed quiet, admiring Xena's concentration.

"He's not working alone, someone was here waiting for him. Very smart, he's buying time." Xena studied the paths again. Very professional, she admired with her warrior's eye, both paths look identical.

Amarice frowned, "Buying time for what?"

"I don't know, but he knows we're coming and that's not good." Xena sighed and went back to Argo, pulling herself smothing into the saddle. Amarice groaned, not eager to ride again, but climbed back up behind her.

Xena's intincts told her to stick to the trail on the road. With the sun going down, she knew she had to hurry. Two paths, and time against her on two sides.

*****

Working silently and steadily, Gabrielle and Shelappa piled what they could salvage from the burned huts into makeshift funeral pyres. Large bundles of dry sticks were placed around them, waiting to be lit.

Hours later, they had over two dozen pyres. It was barely enough.They gently lifted each Amazon onto one, covering their faces with a piece of cloth. Usually, their dead would be bound and sown into a finely woven shroud, but all they had was one blanket that was singed on one side. It had to be ripped into many pieces so each sister would have the dignity of having at least her face covered.

Grimy with sweat and soot, Gabrielle and Shelappa went to bathe before starting the funeral ceremony.

*****

Amarice was still uneasy, but was becoming used to the constant speed of Argo. They had been riding for quite some time, and it was already getting dark.

"You can still see the hoofprints?" Amarice hollared to Xena over the heavy clomping of Argo.

"Barely," Xena wanted to say more, but she had to focus on watching the trail. It was becoming more and more difficult to see it. Amarice was getting tired from the hard ride and the rythmic sound of Argo.

Xena had to slow Argo down to a walk, it was getting too dark now. She could only see the trail if it was directly in front of her. Frustrated, she hopped down, and with Argo's reins in her hand, followed the trail on foot. Amarice jumped off, too, and walked along side her.

"Xena. Xena?" she could see the warrior's determination, but she also remember what Gabrielle told her. "Xena, we should stop and rest. We can search again first thing in the morning. Xena continued walking as though she didn't even hear her.

"Xena!" Amarice didn't know what else to do, so she ran in front of her and stopped. Xena paused and slowly looked up. It was so dark out, Amarice didn't see her tears until now. It shocked her to see this side of the warrior. "Xena?" she spoke softly as she stepped closer.

"I won't let anything happen to Xenon. I can't!" Xena's voice wavered. She felt so lost right now and wished Gabrielle was with her.

Amarice took the chance and hugged Xena, amazed to be this close to the Warrior Princess. "Xena, c'mon, we'll rest and head out in the morning." Xena nodded, and they walked off to the side of the road to make camp. Xena didn't want to rest, every minute she waited would be forever for that little boy, but she knew she could go no farther tonight.

*****

In the gently lapping waters of a nearby river, Gabrielle and Shelappa washed the grime and soot from their bodies. They were silent in their task, both with too many thoughts and emotions running through them to speak. But one thought kept coming back to Gabrielle and, looking over at Shelappa, she knew she had to ask.

"Shelappa?" she waited for the other woman to look at her. Looking into her deep ebony eyes, so full of sadness, she almost decided to let it go, but still she had to have an answer to the burning question in her heart. "Shelappa, there's something I don't understand. You were the new Regent. You led this tribe. How can it be that you were the one that came to us for help? I mean, well, I always thought that Amazon leaders, well, you know--"

"Died with their tribe?" Shelappa finished softly. She looked down into the water, memories of fierce fighting flooding her mind.

When she didn't answer right away, Gabrielle was suddenly sorry for bringing it up. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't ask you something like that. Please, forgive me Shelappa."

But Shelappa didn't seem to have heard her. She was looking into the water as if looking into the past, seeing the battle in the small ripples. "The sentries didn't see them until they were practically on top of us. We had little time to prepare. The army was so big they just smarmed all over. I tried to hold us together, but they kept coming and coming. Warrior after warrior fell. And the fires... there were great explosions. I don't know how they did it. How they could destroy so much so fast. My sisters were falling all around me. We made a good dent in the army, but it was clear we were outnumbered. Soon, it seemed I was the only one able to go for help. So many were dead, the rest wounded. It was the hardest thing I've ever done, leaving my sisters," she looked up at Gabrielle, tears brimming in her eyes, "but I had to! Gabrielle we needed help! I had to find someone, anyone to help before it was too late. Before..." her voice trailed off, not wanting to say what had actually happend. Before they were all killed.

Gabrielle quickly swam over to her. "Of course you had to go! I'm so sorry Shelappa!" She gathered the now weeping woman into her arms. "You did what you had to do. What any good leader would do."

They stayed that way for a few moments until Shelappa nodded and pulled away. "Well, if I couldn't die with them, I'm going to give them one hell of a send-off!"

Gabrielle smiled gently, relieved to see the sadness in her eyes replaced by determination. "Come on, I'm sure we're clean enough now to begin the ceremony."

They waded out of the water and quickly changed back into their outfits that had been scrubbed and left to dry.

*****

Xena and Amarice had set up camp and were just finishing off their late supper. Amarice grimaced while she nibbled on the last bit of her roasted rabbit. Now she understood why Gabrielle did all the cooking.

"Well, it's better than being hit over the head with one, I guess." She shrugged and threw the bone into the fire.

"What?" Xena was only paying half attention. She was thinking about Xenon, and deep down, about Solan, too.

Amarice licked her fingers clean, "Oh, nothing. So will the trail still be good enough to follow by morning?"

Xena hesitated, pushing the numbing tiredness out of her mind and concentrated, sensing which way the wind was blowing and how hard. "It should still be there by morning." Her heart ached, and she wished again that Gabrielle was with her. To have her emotional strength for comfort. Feeling alone and tired, she layed down across from Amarice.

"Xena? How do you know we're on the right trail?" The young Amazon was unconsciously digging lines in the dirt.

Xena couldn't explain it, it was a feeling deep inside. The same feeling she had when Ares was nearby or when Gabrielle was in danger. She really couldn't give a straight answer, so she just shrugged, "I just do."

Amarice wanted to know more. There was so much to learn from the Warrior Princess, but she had learned enough already to know she shouldn't ask any more questions when Xena was this tired. Shifting to get more comfortable, Amarice layed down and drifted off to sleep. Xena tried to relax, but couldn't close her eyes. Her body was exhausted, but her mind was busy planning and trying to anticipate everything that might happen. Knowing she needed her rest, she forced the rampaging thoughts away, and slowly fell asleep.

Xena gasped and sat up in her bedroll. She quickly scanned her surroundings, trying to figure out what woke her. Amarice wasn't in her bedroll. Argo was gone. She knew Amarice would never take Argo anywhere without her consent. Where were they?

"Amarice?" she sprang to her feet, her exhaustion refueled by fear. Something wasn't right. A closer look around made her realize she was nowhere near their camp, but in a totally different part of the forest.

"XENA!" a young boy's voice called from the surrounding trees. She quickly followed the sound, her heart aching inside. It was Xenon.

He continued to cry out, and she followed his voice to a small clearing. Her anger swelled up as she saw the centaur child bound to a tree by dozens of heavy chains. "Xenon!" she called out to him, but he just looked through her and continued to cry out her name. He didn't see her, he didn't hear her. He struggled against the chains, but couldn't move. Tears covered his face, though his chin trembled with the effort of trying to hold them back.

Xena ran toward him, but was stopped only a few yards from him, a force holding her back. She strained against it, unable to move, unable to help Xenon.

Suddenly a strange green glow began to envelope Xenon. She knew immediately this was not a good sign. Her struggle to free herself turned desperate. The glow burned brighter and brighter. "No! Xenon!" Xena screamed. The green glow burned so bright, Xena knew what was coming. She just knew. A chill slid down her back. "NO!" She screamed for Xenon until the glow exploded and sent her flying backward.

Xena gasped and sat up in her bedroll, her breath coming fast, her heart fluttering. She spun around and found herself back by the fire with Amarice. Argo whinnied softly, sensing her distress. Xena stared at the horse for a moment, trying to get her bearings. her body was so cold, dripping with sweat that froze in the cold winds. "That was no dream," she mumbled to herself. The image of Xenon was fresh in her mind. It had all felt so real. And familiar. She had been having visions of herself and Gabrielle. Visions of their deaths by being crucuified. That sickening feeling was common with both incidents, feeling far too real to be a dream. It felt more like Fate.