Paths Once Taken

by oldscout1011

Written During Season 3: After season 3, what could have happened to cause Xena and Gabrielle to go their separate ways and where would these new paths take them. Complete

2. Book 2 Searchers

PATHS ONCE TAKEN (BOOK 2: SEARCHERS)

by OldScout

IV. BETRAYAL.

1. RETURN OF THE MESSENGER.

Late the second morning after the wedding party left, Ipiphany returned half conscious from exhaustion. Her stallion fell dead as she reigned it to a stop in the Palace court yard. The woman was covered with cuts and bruises, her hair and body were matted with blood and mud. Every weapon the woman carried was gone. All that remained was the garrote. One end of the long knotted rope was wrapped tightly around her right hand, the rest just trailed out behind her.

Before Ipiphany could be revived, an expedition was already being formed to find the wedding party. Xena and Gabrielle took the girl into the palace guard's infirmary and were able to revive her. She had no sever injuries, except exhaustion. The story she was able to relate came out single syllables at a time.

The wedding party had actually left the celebration while the sun still shone in the western sky. So they were able to ride steadily for several hours, trying to out run the approaching darkness. They made a fast camp once they couldn't ride any more, then broke as soon as the sun lit the eastern horizon. The bridal couple were not meant to have their privacy until they got to the western palace. They continued to ride hard for most of the day. It had become a game, the Amazons and the King's Guard racing after the Royal couple.

As the evening sun starting shining in their faces, they became aware of people in the woods around them. At first they thought they were just passersby, but it was soon clear the wedding party was being shadowed.

After about ten minutes, the first attack happened. Two soldiers came charging out of the light cover of the woods. They rode silently directly at the party. They weren't even sure they were being attacked until at the last moment when the men drew their swords. These two brutes were dealt with quickly by the King's guard, but just as that altercation occurred, two more charged out of the woods. This time they just took swings at the guard and the Amazons then rode back into the woods.

This was a well planned and organized attack. Soldiers circled in the woods all around them and would occasionally rush in and attack the group. The Amazons' bows quickly made them back off to a greater distance, but they still came in for sporadic attacks. The attackers were extremely out matched by both the King's Guard and the Amazons, but they kept coming in. Sometimes they'd get caught in a real fight, but usually, they'd just try to hit and run. Their tactics quickly made it evident that they wanted the royal couple alive. They would never attack either of them.

The wedding party made a plan. They discovered they could choose their direction as long as they could shoot on the run and didn't run out of arrows. These troops always stayed just out of arrow range. The party turned south and started to circle back to the Palace. The terrain to the south, however, would make it a longer journey home.

Once it was dark, they sent for help. Ipiphany broke through the attacker's lines and rode directly to the palace. She made it, but had to leave a trail of bodies behind her.

Captain Lyons leaned toward the Amazon and asked if she recognized the men or their armor.

The woman looked around and pointed to the Queen of Catatona's Guard. "Their armor looked like that, but wasn't as well kept."

2. MAPS AND DECISIONS.

Xena looked at her men and counted only seven. "Where's your captain?" She demanded of a lieutenant.

He gulped, she had never actually spoken directly to him before. "Ah, my Queen." he stuttered. "The Captain was not in his quarters at first light. We have not seen him yet today."

"Take me to his quarters." The Queen of Catatona demanded. She was escorted to a stable size room with a bunk, table and chair in it. The man's bedroll was there, but nothing else. All of his gear was gone.

The Queen of Catatona examined the room briefly then turned to the lieutenant. "The Captain has deserted. Possibly he is behind the betrayal. If he is seen again, bring him directly to me. You are now Captain. Have your men prepare to join the expedition and have my horse readied." Her long black robes flared out around her as she turned and left the room.

A decision had to be made, follow Ipiphany's direct route back to the palace, or predict the party's southern route and try to meet them. Xena and Gabrielle met King Triton and Captain Lyons in the palace map room.

They spread out a map of the kingdom and Xena said "Show me where this western palace is."

Lyons was looking suspiciously at the Queen of Catatona. "Sir, what if this is a trick for her to learn our troop placements. How do we know we can trust her?"

Xena set her coldest stare on Lyons. "Because, little man, if I wanted these two countries, I would have taken them years ago. Don't you realize that I am the only person that stands between you and war with Catatona."

Lyons felt sweat break out on his forehead, then broke the stare and turned away from the Queen.

"Xena, we don't have time for this." Gabrielle said, laying a hand on her friend's shoulder. "We've got people dying out there."

The two men looked at the Amazon in disbelief, somebody had actually said the Queen of Catatona's name aloud and to her face.

To the men's astonishment, the Catatonan Queen relaxed just slightly. "Captain, we have work to do. This is no time for ungrounded suspicions." The King ordered as he turned back to the map. The King pointed to a village to the west. The western palace is here, it is more of a summer cottage."

Xena looked at the map. "Oh yes, I am familiar with the area." She pointed to the south. "Rough terrain and thick forests, that is definitely where the Amazons would head. They don't like fighting in the open."

It was finally decided that with the amount of time the wedding party had been heading south, it would still be quicker to follow them then to try to head them off. At the same time, they hoped to find who ever was responsible for this attack.

"I have a question." Xena said before they left the room. She pointed at the western province. "Who is in charge of security in this area? How did such a large force get such easy access? And How did they know where and when to find Victor and Terina?"

Triton saw Lyons suspicions raise again from the Queen's questions, so he replied before Lyons could. "My brother, Lord Winston, is in charge of the forces that protect the region. The western palace is in his custody, though he resides in his own Keep."

Images flashed through Xena's mind as she tried to place this Lord Winston. "Do you have a portrait of your brother?" she finally asked the King."

The four soon found themselves in the Royal family's private living quarters. One wall was a gallery of portraits of the Royal family. One had already been added of Victor and Terina together. None of them had names attached, by tradition, captions were on the back of the portrait. Xena immediately picked out Winston's picture.

"I've seen this man before." She said looking at the large painting.

"Not possible, he didn't come to the wedding." Lyons replied.

"No." Xena explained. "I saw him in Catatona, just a few weeks ago. He was coming out of Prince Orian's chambers with some of the boy's advisors. I didn't recognize him, so I followed them until I got a good look at him and heard his name."

"Argh!" Lyons screamed. The red of anger filling his face. He swung about and headed out of the room.

"The little man should learn to control his temper." The Queen of Catatona observed to the King of Calatonia.

"Come, we have work to do." was the King's only reply.

Gabrielle held Xena back a step and asked. "Why do you keep calling Captain Lyons 'Little Man'? He's actually taller then you are."

A smile crossed the warrior's lips. "I could see how it bugged him when I called him that the other day. If I can get under his skin, I won't have to worry about being imposing toward his men."

"Why not the King?" Gabrielle asked in disbelief of her friend's explanation. "You'd have the whole country responding to you if you got to him."

Xena put an arm around her friend and pushed her toward the door. "You've already done that, my friend. The King of Calatonia doesn't need both of us to emasculate him."

3. THE EXPEDITION.

Before they left, Xena met with Gabrielle, Ella and the remaining Amazons. She arranged for Ipiphany and one of the Amazon warriors, Serena, to take Ella back to Amazon territory. The rest would join them on the expedition.

It was a mixed group that set out after the wedding party and their attackers. Xena and her seven remaining guard, Gabrielle with her two guards and four remaining warriors, and Captain Lyons with forty of the King's Guard. Prince Julian rode as Lyons's second in command.

Before they even started out, there were problems. Gabrielle immediately deferred to the Queen of Catatona as the leader of the party, but Captain Lyons saw it otherwise.

"I am not going to have the Queen of Catatona commanding my troops. We are quite capable of handling these matters internally without her, or her guard's help."

King Triton tried to put an end to the problem diplomatically. "Surely you can work together," He said to Xena. "you are, after all, a foreign army. I don't expect you would allow Captain Lyons to command an expedition on your soil, would you?"

The Queen of Catatona smiled at her host. "I'm just here to help retrieve my friend's daughter and try to avoid a war between our countries. Debating a chain of command is wasting our precious time." Xena turned and signaled her troops; she, her guards, and the Amazons rode off, leaving Captain Lyons and his men still preparing their mounts.

4. FLIGHT.

It was going to be a long night. Ipiphany had left as soon as it was dark enough to give her cover. The rest kept riding, with the Amazons leading the way. They didn't see their pursuers anymore, but knew they were there. After another hour, the party stopped to discuss a plan.

The eldest of the two remaining Amazons was first to speak. She looked at Victor, Terina and the King's Guard. "This is a valley, and the only way to follow us. You five continue on, we'll wait for them here."

"No way." Victor commanded. "We stick together, I'm not letting us get separated."

"As a group, we're a big target." she replied. "If we split up, we can slow them down, or at least split them up."

"There's strength in numbers." Victor said. "We need every sword."

"Five or seven, it's not going to make a difference against a force like this. We can slow them down and buy you time." She turned to Terina. "Tell him, we know how to work in this terrain."

The young bride rode her horse along side her friend and hugged her. "Good luck, my friend." She whispered. "I'll see you back at the palace."

"Yes, we'll have our mid day meal together tomorrow."

Terina looked at her husband. "Let's go." she kicked her horse and galloped into the darkness.

The men had no choice. They followed, leaving the two Amazons behind. The two warriors jumped from their horses and chased them away. They had preparations to make.

The remaining five couldn't ride very swiftly through the unfamiliar woods in the darkness, but Terina had an uncanny sense of direction that kept them heading south. They continued on for several hours, then decided to wait for first light. They had come to a clearing that seemed to be the end of the woods so they waited in the tree line for dawn.

It was the end of the forest. They had been in a valley between two tall hills, now they stood to the edge of a great field that stretched down to a creek that headed south. The cliffs edging the creek were too tall to get the horses over.

"I know where we are." Victor said quietly. "There's a crossing not far to the east. After that, a clear open road to a village, we could be there by noon, if we ride hard."

The five started off at a fast ride toward the creek. They hadn't gotten a quarter of the way across when a yell came from the woods behind them. A score or more of soldiers appeared from the woods to the west of where the five had been.

"It's a trap." Terina yelled and kicked her horse to a run.

Just as they could see the crossing, a group of men rode up it from the creek. "How many arrows do you have left?" Victor called to his wife.

She had tucked the reigns into her belt and was notching an arrow. Another kick to her horse, surged her ahead of the others and she let the missile go. The closest rider coming from the creek flew from his mount. "Five." Terina yelled back and notched another.

The men were unable to keep up with the Amazon. She was headed directly at fifteen armed men, with only five arrows, and a sword she had never used before. She released another arrow, reducing the count by one more. When the woman rode into the group, she knew they would be trying to knock her from her mount, not kill her, so she just ducked. Terina gripped the bow, jumped out of the saddle, and slid down the side of the horse. Two men fell from their horses reaching for the woman who suddenly wasn't there.

Terina regained her seat just as the her horse emerged from the pack. She immediately turned in her saddle, releasing another arrow and taking down another attacker. The Amazon's passage confused the group long enough to allow Victor and his guard to hit them full force.

They had almost cut their way through when Victor's horse took a hit and fell. The prince was suddenly on his feet, surrounded by horse bound attackers. Terina quickly released her remaining arrows and rode back into the battle. The quarters were too tight, she couldn't get Victor into the saddle behind hind her. Someone struck Terina's horse, the horse fell causing her to join Victor on the ground.

Seeing the newly weds on the ground, the prince's guard immediately surrounded them, shielding them with their horses. It wasn't long before the three remaining guard were cut down, leaving the prince and princess standing back to back. The attackers pulled back and circled them. Twenty five remained from the two groups who had sprung the trap on them.

Finally, a man with better kept armor, and a finer horse then the others rode out of the circle and approached the royal couple. "Come your highnesses." he said. "We do not have time for this stand off. Don't waste your strength on fruitless battle."

"I recognize you." Terina replied. "Your the Captain of the Guard for the Queen of Catatona."

The man bowed slightly "At your service."

"Your Queen isn't involved with this." Terina said. "She'll have your head for this betrayal."

"The Queen is weak, sure, she knows how to build an army, but she refuses to use it." A look of disgust crossed his face. "A warrior queen who doesn't want blood on her hands is worthless to a nation."

Terina laughed. "I know your queen, and have heard more stories about her then you could imagine. No one betrays Xena and lives long enough to brag about it."

Now it was the Captain's turn to laugh. "I've heard those stories too, but they are just stories about a mythic hero with the same name. The Queen of Catatona is no hero, just a top rate general and a second rate ruler." He approached the two some more. "Now, put down your weapons, get on some horses and come with us. Remember, the longer you live, the better chance you have of escaping."

Victor and Terina looked at each other then dropped their swords. As soon as the weapons hit the ground, two soldiers rode forward and tied them up.

The Captain looked back at the woods in time to see three more men ride into open. "Where are the rest?" he demanded as they approached.

The three were disheveled and injured. Only one still had his sword. "The Amazons were waiting for us." One replied

"There were fifteen of you! You let three women decimate your ranks like that?" the Captain was furious.

"It was terrible." the spokesman said. "We never saw them, the men just started dying. Some even deserted when they saw what happened to the others."

"They are all dead now?" The Captain asked as he rode up to the trio.

"We got one for sure, I killed her myself." the man said with a smile. "And Cyrus over there put an arrow in another before she disappeared into the trees."

"Very well, Kleon." the Captain replied; then addressed the rest of the troops. "We must leave now. We've got to get these two out of here."

5. SLAUGHTER.

The expedition didn't ride as hard as they could have, allowing King Triton's force to catch up. Once the Calatonian forces were in sight, Xena pushed to a faster pace.

Late in the afternoon, they entered the area of the woods where they thought the attack took place. It was an open forest of old trees and conifers. The floor was covered with a thick layer of leaves and gently rolling hills. An Amazon riding ahead returned to the group.

"There's something over here you've got to see." She reported to Gabrielle and Xena.

"I smell a battle field." Xena replied an intense look on her face.

The scout shook her head. "Not quite."

Fifty assorted warriors converged on a campsite. The first sign of what was ahead was a dead guard. A man lay at the foot of a tree, sword still in its sheath. The only mark on his body was a rope burn around his neck, with a pronounced bruise on the front.

The guard's armor looked Catatonan but the accessories were clearly Calatonian. "Do you know him?" Gabrielle whispered to Xena.

"He's not one of mine." She said "There's more."

It was a good size camp, horses still stood about, some tethered where they had been left the night before. There was no other life, the soldiers soon found ten dead guards, some strangled like the first, some with throats slashed, others with just as quick and deadly wounds.

Xena dropped from her horse and examined a knife sticking from the forehead of one man. "Look familiar?" She asked Gabrielle.

"It's Ipiphany's."

"Over here!" someone called from the main camp.

All around the site, bodies still lay where they had slept the night before. Most were stuck to the ground by pools of the their own blood. Others were strangled the same way as the first guard they found.

"I count over thirty dead." Xena said to Gabrielle. "Most killed while they slept."

Captain Lyons approached the two women. "Who could have done such a thing?" He asked, not really expecting an answer.

Gabrielle looked like she was going to be sick and rode away.

"What's wrong with her?" Lyons asked.

"The Amazon Queen understands that there is occasionally the need to kill." The Queen of Catatona replied. "But she reveres life and tries to avoid needless killing at all possible costs."

"Surely she has seen bigger killing fields then this." Lyons replied. "What's different here?"

"The difference is, her own daughter did this."

A shocked look entered Lyons's face. "Ipiphany did ALL of this? How?"

The Queen of Catatona sighed. "Take out the guards first, quickly and silently. Then the sleepers, slit their throats and hold them still until they're dead. Didn't you wonder how she got covered with blood and dirt like that?'"

"It wasn't hers?"

"Her wounds weren't that severe, and if they were, she'd be dead. It probably took several hours just to take out the sleepers."

Lyons was still incredulous, but held his tongue.

Xena leaned toward Lyons "Now you know why Gabrielle wouldn't let her spar with my Captain." The Queen of Catatona rode off toward her old friend.

The blond Amazon sat on her horse quite a distance from the camp as the force slowly made its way through the slaughter. Her two guards flanked her, an ever present, quiet shadow. Xena rode up next to her.

Tears ran down Gabrielle's face. "I had no idea she was capable of this." She whispered. "I knew she had the skill, but didn't know she could actually bring herself to kill so many, like that."

"She knew that if these men lived, they would pose a threat to you and your people." Xena finally said.

"Who are they?" Gabrielle mumbled. "They had mothers, fathers, children, brothers, sisters; families that will never know what happened to them."

"They took that chance when they came on this kind of mission." Xena replied.

"Did they?" Gabrielle looked her friend in the eyes. "Or were they just following some leader's orders. I saw a boy over there who looked no older then Ella. They were somebody's soldiers and were sent to this slaughter."

"Come." Xena said. "We've got to get the expedition moving if we're going to find Victor and Terina."

Gabrielle wiped her face then tried to smile. "Looks like I'm going to have to send Ipiphany to stay with Hercules for a while."

"It couldn't hurt." Xena agreed with a grin, then slapped her friend on the back and the four women rode back to the rest of the force.

6. THE TRAIL.

Less then an hour later, they found what appeared to be the site of the initial encounter. Bodies of soldiers were scattered through the woods. Some dead of sword wounds others with Amazon arrows. If they couldn't follow the obvious trail from the fleeing horses, the bodies would have shown the way just as easily.

The trail headed due south, exactly as Ipiphany said it would. After a while, the signs of pursuit faded and the tracks they followed showed the wedding party's pace had slowed down considerably. The terrain had changed too, the forest was dense and the undergrowth thick. One of Lyons's men who had been scouting ahead came galloping back to the main party. The whiteness of the man's face told them he hadn't liked what he'd found.

"Sir," he reported to Captain Lyons. "We thought that camp site was bad." The man looked over his shoulder. "But what I've found up there is even worse."

Xena, the Amazons even Gabrielle were not as surprised by what they found as the men were. Hanging from the trees, were bodies of more soldiers. They had been strung up by their feet and hung at eye level. Most had their throats cuts, some had been shot with arrows or killed with swords. Some had even been gutted after they had been hung.

"What is the meaning of this?" Lyons asked as he approached the bodies.

"It's an old Amazon custom." Xena replied as she started cutting the bodies down. "They would hang intruders like this to scare off the rest of their enemies. It earned them a nasty reputation, real fast."

"No wonder that road goes around their territory." Lyons observed.

"Gabrielle put a stop to it." Xena continued. "They haven't done it in years."

Up ahead, a woman's voice rang out. "Quick, come here."

By the time Xena arrived, the Amazons had gathered around a body laying in the dirt. It was one of the Amazons. She had died with a sword wound to the back They could make out a muddy boot print above the wound.

"Quiet!" Xena held up her hand, silencing those around her. "I hear something." Her eyes searched the woods around her then she tilted her head listening for the noise she'd heard. Something caught her attention and the Queen of Catatona was galloping across a small clearing.

Reaching her destination, Xena reigned the horse to a sudden stop, using the horse's momentum to launch herself into one of the trees. Xena caught a lower branch, swung around and flew half way up the tree. Now she was totally concealed in the tree's new spring foliage.

Captain Lyons turned toward one of the Queen of Catatona's guards. "Your Queen is full of surprises."

The man stood there with his mouth hanging open. A slight nod, his reply.

"Gabrielle," Xena called out. "Your last warrior is up here. She's alive, but barely."

After a signal from Gabrielle, two of the Amazons rushed up to the tree. Instead of climbing directly, they threw thin, weighted ropes into branches and climbed the ropes, disappearing into the foliage.

Within minutes, the women had the limp body of their sister on the ground at the foot of the tree. Gabrielle was at the young woman's side, tending her many wounds.

The Amazon Queen looked around, the confusion in her face was hard to miss. "Xena." she whispered to her friend who had knelt beside her. "What do we do now, I have one dead, one injured, and my daughter missing. I can't leave these two here and I can't send them back without me; the other's haven't been trained to be healers."

Xena put an arm around her old friend and pulled the woman close. "Take them back, you'll have to move slowly to keep her alive, so take all your warriors. I promise, I'll get Terina back."

The Amazon shook in her friend's arms, trying to hold back a flood of emotions. "What happened?" she gasped. "This was a wedding, a time joy. Why are so many people dead?"

"I don't know." Xena replied softly. "But I promise I'll put an end to it."

A litter was put together and the Amazons were soon on their way back to Triton's palace. Gabrielle walked beside the litter, and another warrior walked at the front of the horse, keeping a steady pace. Captain Lyons assigned two of his men to escort the Amazons through Calatonia.

7. CONSPIRATORS.

Around the time the Calatonian expedition had found the injured Amazon, the raiders had been heading north west through the western province for most of the day. The Captain of the Catatonan guard pushed his unit of mostly mercenaries hard. He had a meeting to keep.

Several horsemen approached the group from in front of them. The Captain rode out to meet them, leaving his men far enough back so they couldn't recognize or hear the people he was meeting.

"What happened to my troops?" was the stranger's greeting. He kept the hood of his robe up, covering his face. But his voice was unmistakable to those who knew him. Lord Winston had a very unique gruffness to his voice.

"We lost some in pursuit." The Catatonan replied, "That's why we set the trap, and hired the mercenaries. We were successful, I have both Prince Victor and his Amazon wife."

"I gave you nearly a hundred men, and you return with what?" the man looked over the Captain's shoulder. "Maybe thirty."

"Don't forget the unit I left to the east, in case they doubled back." The Captain replied smugly.

Lord Winston leaned forward and hissed. "They are all dead, somebody did double back."

"All of them?"

The man shook with anger. "All of them, they were some of my better men too. Also, your queen is part of the expedition to find you. How are we suppose to get Triton to start this war if the Queen of Catatona is his main ally in finding those two."

"How was I to know that the Amazon Queen was her best friend?" The Captain replied. "She never talks about her past, or even her present. We were into Calatonia before she even told me where we were going."

"The play has been made." Winston finally said. "We will follow it through. Just remember, if this doesn't work your precious Prince of Catatona could loose everything."

"We have no choice." The Captain replied. "The Queen of Catatona must die in battle. Perhaps this will work out, if she is killed in the service of Calatonia, then we can avoid a war altogether."

"Just keep my name out of it." Winston demanded. "If Triton finds out I was involved in this, Calatonia will erupt into its own civil war."

"Once she follows us into Catatona, Triton's men will stop. Then we can trap her." The Captain assured Winston.

"How can you be so sure?"

"The Western forces are loyal to either the Prince or our cause. They will give us a wide berth. Everybody will be dead, the Queen, her guard, the Amazon and Triton's youngest pup. All killed by renegade mercenaries posing as Catatonan soldiers."

"What about the Princess?"

"That spoiled bitch?" the Captain laughed. "Once her mommy is dead, we can take her out at our leisure."

Winston shook his head then led his guards away from the road.

8. CAMP.

Night was falling fast when the expedition reached the site of the final battle. Amongst the bodies of the scruffy attackers, Captain Lyons found the three guard who had accompanied Victor and Terina.

"It ended here." The Queen of Catatona proclaimed after examining the bodies. She recognized the arrows that had taken out quite a few of the men. Ipiphany had left her bow with her sister. Terina was known as one of the Amazon's best young archers, she had made every arrow count.

"They waited for them in the creek bed and in the trees." Lyons finally proclaimed. "This battle was fought no later then early this morning."

"They have a day's lead on us." Xena replied. "We'll have to camp here and clean up this mess before we continue on."

"Agreed, there's a village not far to the east, down the creek. I'll send a couple of men to fetch wagons for the bodies. I need to send my fallen men back to the palace for proper burial."

In the fading light, Xena looked around the final battle site. "Has anyone seen the swords I gave to Victor and Terina?"

"Are you kidding?" Lyons responded. "The type of men we're dealing with would never let weapons like those behind."

The Queen of Catatona's voice was suddenly nothing more then a whisper. "Who ever is carrying those swords, I'll personally kill with them."

9. OLD PATHS.

A grove of trees above the creek made an adequate camp site for the Catatonan Queen. It was far enough from the battle ground and the Calatonian men to afford some privacy. The Catatonan Guard did not set up camp, they took guard stations around their Queen's site. They were close enough to guard her, but far enough to give her the privacy she demanded.

Xena built a fire, tended her horse, then sat against a large tree, wrapping herself in her thick cloak. She would only half sleep that night. Years on the road had trained her to sleep lightly and awaken quickly, she was always aware of everything around her. The night was dead quiet, only the faint babbling of the creek, and the sound of her running a stone along the edges of her own sword disturbed the quiet.

The arrival of Gabrielle and the Amazons had awoken so many old memories. Things were so different, how did they end up here, both leading such different lives then anybody would have predicted for each of them before they had met.

A phantom pain tingled across the old warrior's cheek. She traced a finger along the scar that adorned the right side of her face and ended stroking her fingers though the soft texture of the white streak of hair that highlighted her temple. She knew the wound was a turning point in her life, but was it a signal to change or a wake up call to changes that already been occurring. Xena drifted off and allowed the memories to come back to her.................

It had started out as a good idea, visit the Amazons. Allow Gabrielle time to visit her adopted nation, relax among friends and especially for Xena, skilled warriors to spar with. Whether it was a good decision or a bad one was hard to tell, the Amazons were in the middle of a territorial struggle against a provincial governor who was a skilled warlord.

The Amazons were in desperate need of Xena's skill at waging this kind of war, and Gabrielle's skills as a negotiator. Perhaps together they could convince both sides not to pursue a disastrous all out confrontation. Talking hadn't worked, the governor didn't recognize the Amazons as a nation, either they were a pack of savages or at most, a province under his jurisdiction that should be paying him taxes and supplying his armies.

Xena, Gabrielle and several Amazons, including Ephiny the queen regent, met with the man and his aids on a field of truce.

"Xena, hah?" The man said with a laugh. "I've heard of you, the Warrior Princess. Well, I don't put much stock in reputation and catchy nick names."

An icy grin was Xena's only response. She allowed Gabrielle to lead off.

"Please." Gabrielle said soothingly. "We didn't come here to trade insults. The Amazons have been a recognized nation for generations and we are willing to talk this problem through."

"Who are you, little girl?" the man responded with his best sarcastic tone. "I was expecting the person you people call your Queen. Go fetch her and hurry back."

Gabrielle didn't flinch, "Oh," she replied, "that would be me." She laid out a map in front of the man. "Now, unless I'm hugely mistaken, the actual border in dispute is only about ten furlongs wide and about fifty deep. I've been there, it's rocky and untillable, no roads, what is the significance?"

The man reached out with his riding crop and turned the map toward himself, slightly. "You are hugely mistaken. My charter clearly gives me possession of all unclaimed land north and west of my current borders. If you were even slightly educated, you'd be able to read it and thus consent to my claims."

Few noticed the flush of color that rose in Gabrielle's face, but Xena saw it, and tried not to grin at her friend's rising anger. "My formal education may not exceed yours." Gabrielle replied, switching from Greek to Latin. "But my informal education I'll bet exceeds your worst nightmares". She switched back to Greek. "Besides, this is all claimed territory, it is our land, not yours."

A slight smile crossed the man's face, but it never warmed. "I see these savage women have chosen their spokesman more wisely then it first appeared. Perhaps you will be able to convince them of the legality of my claim. Submit to my rule, accept my protection and pay your fair share of taxes, and your people won't see much disruption in their lifestyle. In fact, you'd be better off, your borders will be properly protected, your roads safe, trade will flow freely and safely." He paused for effect. "If you force me to impose my right of rule, I will have to extract extra taxes to pay for the forces I'll have to bring to bare, it's your choice."

Finally it was Gabrielle's turn to smile. "Protect us? From what? Our borders are closed. Nobody crosses Amazon territory without permission from the Amazons. Your own army refuses to come near our borders without large numbers. Even then, they flee at the first sign of a single Amazon warrior."

It was obvious Gabrielle had touched a sore spot. This time it was his turn to show the color of anger. "That my dear savage, is why I am here. These fools of mine are afraid of legends, they even quaked when they saw that washed up warrior friend of yours ride up here with you.

"YOU," he said the word pointing directly at Gabrielle, "have a choice, submit to my rule, and pay your fair share of taxes, or I march my army down your throat, and destroy the piles of sticks you call villages. Your so called NATION will be gone in one foul swoop. I offer you the choice of survival and to maintain a proximity of the way of life you have become used to."

Fists clenched, Gabrielle turned from the man and walked to Xena and Ephiny. "What's wrong with him." she whispered as Xena lead her away from the man. "Is he really that arrogant, or is he just trying to anger us?"

"Be careful what you do now." Xena returned. "We're on the brink of war here. If you can't talk him down, a lot of people are going to die on both sides."

"Gabrielle," Ephiny whispered. "we were on the brink of war when we walked up here. We thought there may be a way to negotiate a peaceful end. This man has no intention of backing down, he has no respect for any of us. You can't negotiate with an enemy like that."

The young bard looked at her somber friend. Xena just nodded her agreement. It was better coming from Ephiny, Gabrielle would have just thought it was Xena's darker side talking.

"Can you beat him?" She whispered to Xena.

"He is arrogant and sloppy," Xena replied softly. "but he has a strong army." She looked at the tall man standing proudly with his arms folded across his chest. There was a time when she would have taken him on just for a chance to cut him down a notch or two. Now her best friend's life depended on it. If they chose to fight this man, and lost, Gabrielle would be lost too. "We have a chance. But it will be bloody."

Gabrielle looked at her second.

"It's your call my Queen."

"Surrendering or losing would both mean the end to the Amazons." Gabrielle finally said. "I would never ask you to give up without a fight."...................................

A motion woke Xena with a start. The sun was just starting to warm the eastern sky. Stirred by the movement of her troops, Xena's horse, Astron, had wondered into her campsite.

10. NORTHWEST PASSAGE.

The new captain of the Catatonan guard approached his Queen as she packed her horse. "Ah, excuse me, my Queen." he had never initiated a conversation with her before, and didn't know how she would respond.

She smiled warmly. "Yes?"

"We have some field rations." he offered. "I didn't think you would want to waste time cooking this morning."

"Thank you." Xena replied and accepted the offered dried meat. "Are the men ready to move out?"

"The last are finishing packing their mounts now."

"Very good." Xena then looked at the man expecting him to return to his duties. "Is there something else?"

He hesitated. "Ah, I've just been curious." he finally said.

Xena leaned on her horse and looked across it at the young man. "Go ahead."

"Never mind, I was out of line." He said suddenly, trying to end the conversation.

"No." Xena returned softly. "Your my Captain now. I depend on you to talk to me, and be honest. Ask your question."

The man swallowed hard then said. "We've heard so many stories about you, about what you did before you came to Catatona."

"Yes, I've heard some of those stories too." Xena said with a grin.

"Well, it's just that some are about you as hero, traveling with a bard, and sometimes with an Amazon."

"Yes, that's right."

"They're both, the Amazon and the bard, Queen Gabrielle, aren't they?" He asked, finally finding an alternate question then the one he had originally wanted to ask.

"One and the same." Xena agreed. "Now, Young Man, ask me what you really wanted to ask me."

He blushed. He was cornered and he knew it. He swallowed hard again. "We've heard other stories." He began. "Stories about a warlord, a ruthless killer who marched an army through a large part of the Southern provinces."

A wicked smile crossed The Queen of Catatona's face. "I've heard those stories too. Don't believe them." she replied then motioned for him to step closer. "I was much worse." she whispered when he approached.

The man's eyes widened not knowing whether or not to believe her. Finally, she winked at him and jumped into her saddle. "Gather your men, the trail grows colder by the minute."

The Captain snapped to attention. "Yes, my Queen." He turned quickly, trying his best not to flee back to the others.

Xena paced her ride through her scattered troops so they had time to fall in behind her. Closer to the battle site, Captain Lyons was already up, and directing civilians with wagons. She had heard them roll by in the middle of the night, but hadn't allowed them to disturb her.

"Will your men be ready to move out soon?" Xena asked Lyons as she approached him.

After a quick scan of his scattered troops, Lyons looked back at the Queen of Catatona. "Twenty minutes." he replied. "I will leave some men to oversee the clean up."

"Very well." Xena replied. "We'll scout ahead and wait for you." Lyons nodded then turned back to giving final orders to his hired men.

Several hours later, the force pulled over after a signal from the Queen of Catatona. She turned to Captain Lyons. "We've been headed directly to the northwest." she stated. "Isn't this the road to Winston's Keep?"

Lyons pulled out his map and showed the warrior queen. "Five days hard ride from here is Antora, the city around Lord Winston's northern keep."

"If Winston is behind this betrayal, would he be foolish enough to have his forces report directly back to him?"

"The man is power hungry, and devious." Lyons replied. "But not foolish. I would be really surprised if we are ever able to prove that he is directly involved in this affair."

Holding the map out in front of her, Xena examined the parchment. It was surprisingly detailed. They didn't have anything this good of their own land in Catatona. "This road here." she indicated a northern branch. "Does this go where I think it does."

"It continues to the northern border, and to Black Hills." Lyons responded.

"If they're not going to Winston's, they're going to Black Hills."

Lyons nodded in agreement. If Winston kept his troops out of their way, Black Hills was their most likely destination. "If they cross the border." Lyons stated. "I'll have to leave most of my men behind."

"Understood." Xena nodded. "Let's pick up our pace, perhaps we'll be able to catch up to them."

11. RETURN.

Late the day after they had left the Palace of King Triton, Queen Gabrielle and the remaining Amazons returned with their fallen sisters. Gabrielle knew these young women well, they had been two of Terina's best friends when she was growing up. There was still hope for one, she clung to life stubbornly, but hadn't been conscious since they brought her down from the tree.

After getting the injured warrior to the palace physician, Gabrielle turned to Serena, the warrior she had left behind to guard Ella and tend to Ipiphany. "Where is Ipiphany?"

"She is in your chambers." the woman returned.

Gabrielle entered her chambers quietly, not knowing if her older daughter would be sleeping. The scent of bath salts and steam rising from the large ornate tub told her the woman was soaking. Ipiphany was submerged, her eyes and nose barely cleared the surface of the bath and her arms just floated in the murky white water. A bench next to the tub offered Gabrielle a seat.

The young woman slowly opened her eyes and looked up at her mother. Ipiphany sat up enough to allow her head to clear the water. "You didn't get Terina." she stated after looking back down into the water.

"No." Gabrielle admitted. "We found Enara and Lusain." she looked past the young woman and out a window. "They are building a pyre for Enara now. I don't know if Lusain will make it back to us. She is with King Triton's healers."

Water shifted in the tub as Ipiphany leaned toward Gabrielle and put a wet hand on her arm. "Do you want me to go after her?"

"Your mission is already decided, the horses are being prepared now."

"I promised Terina I would always be there for her." Ipiphany said quietly. "Before you, she was the closest I ever came to a family."

Gabrielle put her hand over Ipiphany's. "Xena will bring her back to us." she replied. "Besides, Terina is part of Triton's family now and this is aimed at hurting him. If Xena doesn't make it right, King Triton will. We have to trust them to bring Terina back safely."

"If they don't..." Ipiphany started.

"If they don't, what?" Gabrielle asked. "Who will you direct your vengeance at? Lord Winston, Xena's step son? Who?"

"Who ever is responsible."

"If there is enough evidence for you to avenge Terina, then there will be enough for King Triton and Xena to do the same. This is a political matter, we must let these two countries work it out themselves." As she spoke she reached out and pushed some of the hair out of the young woman's face.

"Are you trying to convince me or yourself?" Ipiphany asked looking up at the older woman.

A forced smile crossed Gabrielle's lips. "Perhaps both of us." She lifted the wet hand from her arm and handed Ipiphany a large towel. "Come, we've got to get ready for the funeral."

Gabrielle watched the young woman lift herself from the tub and begin drying. Ipiphany's body rippled with thick muscles and little fat. She had darkly tanned skin that was marked with numerous scars and now fresh cuts and bruises. The scars were souvenirs from battles, training and childhood brawls in the Amazon camp. The oldest, though, were a set of lash marks across her back.

As the Amazon Queen watched her daughter dress, thoughts came back of a day, not so many years ago. Gabrielle had been acting Queen of the Amazons for no more then a year when something drew her into an orphanage she was passing.

12. THE ORPHANAGE.

The village was small, but it was on the out skirts of a much larger settlement. A woman on the edge of the village had started taking in children who had been abandoned, lost or orphaned. Her intentions were honest, but her funds were low.

Nobody noticed the young blond haired woman as she walked into the home. Her gray, hooded cloak hung loosely about her shoulders as she passed between the throngs of children.

"Can I help you." the owner finally asked as she emerged from a back room.

"I was thinking, maybe I could help you." Gabrielle returned with a smile. "It looks like you could use some."

The woman approached. "I'm Gerrene." she introduced herself.

"Gabrielle."

"Your a stranger here." Gerrene observed. "Just passing through I bet. If you want to make a donation I'm not to proud to accept it. This is hard work and anything you want to offer will put food in someone's mouth."

"I really don't know how I planned to help." Gabrielle said. "But I know a good person when I see one and I can't help but to try to offer something."

Just then a small girl, no more then four summers old, was standing next to Gerrene, tugging on her skirts. "Piphany says her back hurts again." the little girl reported.

The woman patted the little girl and said with a sigh "Okay, I'll come right away." She turned back to Gabrielle as the girl ran back to where she'd come from. "Do you know how to heal? I've got an injured child who needs skills beyond mine."

"I've had some field experience." Gabrielle replied. "I'll see what I can do."

In the back room, Gabrielle was led to a young girl maybe eight or nine summers. She was sitting on the edge of her pallet with a thin cloth covering her back and shoulders. Sitting next to her was the little girl quietly playing with a beat up rag doll.

"Ipiphany," Gerrene said "this is Gabrielle, she's going to take a look at your back for you."

The girl didn't say anything, she just looked Gabrielle up and down then nodded.

Gabrielle sat down next to Ipiphany and lift the cloth. Under it were deep lash marks. The shock was evident on Gabrielle's face. "How did this happen? Who around here would whip a child like this?"

"The baker did it!" the little girl immediately yelped out.

"Terina," Gerrene scolded "hush now, let the big folks talk."

"The baker?"

A defeated looked washed over the woman's face. "Sometimes I hire the older children out to some of the merchants. They let them work and we get some extra money to keep this place running." She looked at Ipiphany. "Apparently the baker took exception to something Ipiphany did."

"By the gods." Gabrielle said shaking her head, "What did your magistrate do about it?"

"About what, disciplining an orphan?" Gerrene laughed sarcastically. "The magistrate has more important business keeping the people with money happy."

"I have some herbs that help reduce infection." Gabrielle said. "I'll get them." She went to one of the windows and signaled to someone. A young woman wearing a similar hooded cloak was suddenly at the window talking to Gabrielle. She left then came back with a large leather pouch.

In a few minutes, Gabrielle had made a paste out of something in the pouch and was applying it to Ipiphany's back. By the expression on the girl's face, it was obvious the paste at least soothed the pain.

Gerrene looked out the window Gabrielle had used. Outside were two women dressed in similar hooded, gray robes and carrying swords and bows. "Who are you?" Gerrene asked Gabrielle as she finished up on Ipiphany.

"I told you, my name is Gabrielle."

"No, I mean who are you, the three of you. Your not just travelers, not with the weapons your carrying. What are you, priestesses from a temple somewhere?"

"No, we definitely are not priestesses." Gabrielle laughed.

"Then what?"

"We want to help. We would like to make a donation, maybe help out around here so you don't have to send these children out to work for men like that baker."

"How can you help, unless you want to donate some money, or adopt a child or two." Gerrene suddenly turned away ashamed of her out burst and frustration.

"We have a little money." Gabrielle offered. "But perhaps we can stay for a day or two and help fix things up ."

The three strange women spent the next two days fixing the orphanage. Steps were fixed, holes in the roof repaired, two meat smokers out back were put back together and one of the women even hunted up a couple of deer from the gameless country side. Gabrielle worked with the children, repairing clothes, fixing dinners, tending scrapes and other things. Through it all, Ipiphany always seemed to find herself across the room, or at the same table as Gabrielle.

On the day the three were preparing to leave, little Terina came out and looked up at one of the women in her leather skirt and short top. The three had discarded their robes as soon as they started working on the building. "Are you a Am'zon?"

"Terina, now hush, leave the nice ladies alone." Gerrene said quickly, gathering up the child. "I'm sorry," she continued, turning toward Gabrielle. "I don't know were this child comes up with such things."

"Piphany told me they are." Terina volunteered.

"Well, we'll just have to talk to Ipiphany."

Gabrielle put her hand on Gerrene's shoulder and turned her so she could talk to Terina. "Yes, Terina, we are Amazons." She looked at Gerrene. "I'm sorry, we should have made that clear from the beginning. I just didn't want you to do without a little needed help, based on some stories you may have heard about us."

"I figured you were, as soon as you removed your cloaks." Gerrene admitted. "But like I said, I'm not too proud to accept help. Besides, I've learned to judge people by what they do, not what they are."

"I was thinking," Gabrielle said absently. "you mentioned something about adopting a child."

"Did you do all this just so you could take some of these children?" Gerrene asked suddenly suspicious. "These children are not for sale."

"No, of course not." Gabrielle replied soothingly. "It's just that I have thought about having children, and seeing so many in a place like this, I just thought it might be better to adopt instead." she smiled "Besides, with my current lifestyle, it's kind of hard to meet someone..."

Gerrene returned the smile. "Of course, I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions. I assume you have a child in mind, or you wouldn't bring it up."

"I do, she should to be old enough to understand who and what we are. She also has to agree." Gabrielle replied.

"Ipiphany?" Gerrene guessed.

Gabrielle nodded.

"If she wants, I won't have any objection. She's a good girl but is always on the verge of trouble. I can control her only by the grace of the gods."

"I've never had any real family," Ipiphany replied when Gabrielle asked. "Terina's the closest I've ever come to family. Can she come too?"

"She's a little young to understand that the kind of life I offer is a lot different then anything she knows of."

"I promised Terina that I wouldn't abandon her like our mothers did." Ipiphany replied. "If she can't come with me, then I shouldn't go."

The little girl was suddenly standing next to Gabrielle, tugging on her skirt. "Can I be a Am'zon too?".

Gabrielle looked at Gerrene, the woman shrugged.

"Why not." Gabrielle finally said, and picked up Terina. "You and Ipiphany will both be MY daughters." she declared with a great smile. "And that means you really will be sisters now, too.

13. FUNERAL.

The Amazon funeral pyre was built outside the palace on the edge of a small lake. King Triton assembled his King's Guard to serve as an honor guard to escort the Amazon contingent. To Gabrielle's surprise, a large crowd of locals began gathering at a distance from the site. At first she thought they had just come for the spectacle. It wasn't often an outsider had a chance to witness an Amazon funeral. Their somber attitude changed her mind, word had reached them that three of their own had also been killed and the young prince and his bride had been abducted. This was just the first funeral for someone who had died protecting Victor and Terina.

After the young woman's body was placed on the pyre, her weapons were laid beside her. The setting sun shone orange across the lake, illuminating the tall pile of thickly packed wood. The Amazons maintained a distance from the body, and were backed by the King's Guard. The women all carried bows with arrows already notched. Standing with the Amazons, and causing a bit of a stir in the assembled crowd, was the Princess of Catatona. Gabrielle stepped forward and faced the lone body.

"Our sister, Enara." Gabrielle proclaimed loudly. "You have left us too soon, but the memory of your love and bravery will live on in the songs of three nations. Together we stand here this evening to commend your body back to the earth and the flame from which the Amazon nation draws its strength. As you walk the Eulasian Fields, remember to greet each of your sisters as we join you in our own time."

Gabrielle turned to her warriors and nodded. Each woman, lit her arrow on torches that stood before them, then fired at the pyre. In minutes, the huge pile of dried hard wood was engulfed in flame.

The Amazons stood quietly, as the Princess of Catatona voiced an ancient sad song in a dialect only her mother seemed to know. A single tear formed on Gabrielle's face as the pure, beautiful voice reminded her of so many old memories, both happy and very sad.

After the song, King Triton motioned to his men that it was time to leave. As they left, the King's guard filed past the somber Amazons. Some of the men offered compassionate nods or simple words of condolences. Gabrielle expected the locals to simply fade away after the King and his guard had left. Instead, a young woman came out of the crowd with a handful of flowers. She walked to the pyre, braving the extreme heat to get close enough to toss the flowers into the fire. The woman then approached the Amazons and nodded to them as she headed back to her home.

The gesture sparked the crowd. Slowly the town folk formed a slow moving line that filed between the Amazons and the burning funeral pyre. Some offered flowers like the first woman had, some just stopped for a breath and looked at bright flames. It was over an hour before the women found themselves alone with the memories of their fallen sister.

14. DEPARTURE.

"I can ride at night." Ella said to Ipiphany. The women had gathered in the stable.

The messenger turned to Gabrielle. "The horse King Triton has given me is a fine animal." She said. "But do you think it wise we set off at night like this?"

"No, it is not wise." the Amazon Queen admitted. "That is why you have to do it. Anybody who may threaten Ella would not expect you to leave with her so soon after the funeral."

"And my weapons?" Ipiphany asked, holding her arms wide, indicating her empty sheaths.

"The King has offered you complete access to his armory. The Captain of Arms waits for you now. He will provide anything you wish." Gabrielle said the last bit reluctantly. It always frustrated her that Ipiphany felt the need to carry so many weapons. Most were traditional, but Ipiphany carried them so effortlessly. The assassins weapons the woman carried Gabrielle didn't even want to think about.

"And Ella?" Ipiphany asked.

"Do you know how to use a sword?" Gabrielle asked the young girl.

"Of course I do." The girl said with a smile, "Remember who I am."

"I know your mother better then anybody." Gabrielle returned. "And I would not have been at all surprised if she had not trained you."

"That's not what I mean." Ella replied. "I am the Princess of Catatona. My mother could not stop my training." The girl smiled. "So she made sure it was proper."

"Very well." Gabrielle relented and said to Ipiphany. "Find her some weapons that she can handle, and check her out on them. Be sure she can actually use them before you let her carry them."

The armory was well stocked with weapons forged on site, and items collected on the field of battle. Ipiphany was soon fully equipped with replacements for all of the blades she had lost, plus some. She had also chosen a fine old long bow, and a one handed cross bow. It wasn't hard to outfit Ella. She found a light but sturdy short sword, and a couple of daggers. Ipiphany didn't really understand the girl's desire to carry a long black whip she found, but the Amazon had always had an aversion to the things anyway.

Surprisingly, Gabrielle didn't question the whip, she even seemed to smile when she saw it. "Your horses are packed, Serena is waiting for you with them outside the walls." She told the two when they finally returned from the armory.

Before leaving, Ipiphany turned back and embraced her mother. "Get Terina back." she whispered softly.

Gabrielle returned her daughter's embrace, it had become rare for them to show affection to each other. "We'll do all we can." she said quietly. "I promise."

In the blink of an eye, Ipiphany was gone. A sinking feeling swept over Gabrielle. She was suddenly sure she would never see her daughter again.

V. RECKONING.

1. THE ZONE.

"Lieutenant Julian will take the bulk of our men to Antora and visit Lord Winston." Captain Lyons announced. The expedition had reached the cross roads to Antora, three days after leaving the creek were they found the final battle site. It was obvious that the raiders had continued north. "Perhaps he'll be able to find evidence of Winston's involvement in this treachery."

Conditions of the treaty that ended the civil war between Calatonia and Catatona, creating the two separate countries, also created a demilitarized zone between them. In some places it was narrow enough for the guards to trade insults. In others, it could take several days to ride from one border to the next.

The original treaty didn't allow either country to send troops into the treaty zone. As a result, a sub culture grew in the zone, a culture of criminals, outcasts and misfits. To help deal with the lawless elements taking refuge in the zone, an amendment was added to the treaty, allowing small forces into the zone from either country, as long as they didn't exceed ten people.

Black Hills was one of the larger outlaw settlements in the zone. It was built in the foot hills of the Black Rock mountains, and was the clearing house for all local mercenaries, assassins and other organized criminal elements.

"Pick your nine best to come with us." Xena advised. "With only eighteen, we'll look like easy pickings."

"Already considered." Captain Lyons replied.

Once the two groups were separated, and Lieutenant Julian was leading the larger force toward Antora, Xena surveyed, the remaining troops. She had been observing Lyons's men since they departed Triton's palace, and admired the discipline and skill they had.

In a couple of days, they would cross the Calatonian border into the treaty zone. If they were attacked by an organized force, they could be easily outnumbered. Xena smiled to herself, she had fought battles against insurmountable odds before. Memories of one of her last 'hopeless' battle began to occupy her mind as they continued north.........

2. OLD CROSSROADS.

During the "negotiations" with the arrogant governor/warlord, it became apparent to the Amazons that the man never had any intention of negotiating an end to his campaign. He really seemed to think he was entitled to the Amazon territory and nobody could convince him otherwise.

"We are a sovereign nation." Gabrielle announced as soon as she returned to the governor. "The Amazons have been recognized for generations. We will not allow a dictator to impose HIS will on us. Crossing our borders uninvited with an army of any size will be considered an act of war, and dealt with appropriately."

The man smiled broadly. "Fantastic!" he proclaimed. "I was beginning to fear you little girls would fold in the face of a real threat. Very well, Amazon Queen, if it is a war you want, it is a war YOU will get. Let the blood of the Amazons be on your hands."

Without a word, the women mounted their horses and all except Xena rode off. She hung back, looking at the arrogant warlord, her horse, Argo, dancing nervously beneath her.

"What do you want, Warrior Princess?" he spat the title.

"I was just thinking." Xena replied casually. "How much better you will look with your head on a pike." She saw the red rise in the man's face, so she turned Argo and slowly walked away.

"Kill her." she heard him command one of his men. He had been flanked by several men, one carried a crossbow.

"But, sir." came a nervous reply.

"Give me that!" then a snap and a whoosh.

The crossbow bolt headed directly at Xena's back, but she leaned to the right at the last moment and the shot missed. She turned and faced the stunned warlord, and held up the bolt.

"Did you loose this?" she asked with a wicked smile. Then let the weapon roll off her hand to the ground. A nudge to Argo's sides and she was galloping after the Amazons.

"I will kill you first, Warrior Whore." The man yelled at the receding figure..................

3. BORDERLINE.

"We cross the border early tomorrow." Captain Lyons reported.

Xena looked at the setting sun. "Perhaps we should stop here for the evening." she suggested. "It will allow the men time to re-pack their equipment and ready their weapons."

"My thoughts exactly." Lyons agreed.

The two groups had stopped traveling as separate forces since they split with Lieutenant Julian. Xena and Lyons had assumed dual leadership roles. The men from either force acknowledged both as capable leaders, but generally deferred to Captain Lyons since he was the representative of the crown. Lyons at the same time recognized Xena as the superior leader and strategist, he made a point of conferring with her on his decisions.

As usual, Xena made a solitary camp away from the others. Her guard set up several sites surrounding her at a distance. This night was different, Captain Lyons approached and took a seat next to her fire.

The tall woman sat on a small log, stirring the fire with a short stick. A small rabbit was roasting on spit hanging over the burning embers. She nodded toward the game. "Want some rabbit?" she asked as the man sat down.

"When did you have time to hunt?"

"You just have to be faster then the rabbit."

Lyons carved a piece of meat from the roast and tasted it, nodding with approval. "Have you ever been to Black Hills?" he asked.

The Queen of Catatona tore a large piece of meat off the rabbit carcass and chewed on it. "Never had the pleasure." she replied between bites of rabbit. "But the place has been a thorn in my side practically since I came to this fine corner of the world."

"It is rough and one of the biggest dirt holes I've ever seen." Lyons said. "They delight in attacking our patrols and hiding the criminals we chase there."

"We have the same problem." Xena acknowledged. "With the ten soldier limit, it's impossible to mount a worth while patrol of the whole zone."

"But neither country would ever agree to a change." Lyons stated.

As they spoke, Xena had finished her meal, tossing the bones into the fire. Then she dug into her bags, bringing out sharpening stones and polishing clothes. Lyons thought she was going to sharpen her sword, instead, she reached back under her robes and produced a large metal ring. The thing had a diameter just smaller then her forearm, and had dull, gold and green designs adorning it. She began to polish the edges with a rough cloth she had with the stones.

"Is that some kind of weapon?" Lyons asked, fascinated by the device.

The Queen of Catatona smiled. "It has its uses." She replied and saw the curiosity in the man's eyes. "Here, have a look." She held the weapon out to Lyons. "It's called a chakram. Take care, its edge is sharp."

Captain Lyons took the weapon, grabbing it by its inside edge. He still cut himself. "How do you handle this thing?" he asked, inspecting it gingerly then handing it back to Xena.

"A lot of practice." Xena looked around. Her guards were all watching her. They had seen the chakram before, and were always fascinated when it appeared. She smiled again. "Want to see how it works?"

"What's its use?" Lyons was suddenly very interested in the exotic weapon.

"Come." Xena said and stood up. She lead Captain Lyons to the edge of the camp site. "Now, see the tree on the far side of the clearing, the log I was sitting on, and the rock on the other side of the campsite?"

Lyons nodded. "What about them?"

"Don't move." The Queen of Catatona commanded with an authority Lyons wouldn't dare question. Then she launched the chakram with an under handed throw.

Lyons watched dumb founded as the weapon bounced off the tree, headed toward the ground, skipped off the log, angled up and ricocheted off the rock then headed directly at him. Just before it would have hit him, the Queen caught it and quickly stowed back under her robes.

A smile played across Xena's face. "One of these days I'm going to miss it." she declared and headed back to her fire. "How's your sword arm?"

This time it was Lyons's turn to smile. "I am one of the best swordsmen in Calatonia." he declared.

"What do you say we test your metal." The woman suggested, dropping her long outer cloak off her shoulders.

Underneath her cloak, The Queen of Catatona wore a long black robe with leather highlights, it was cinched tight by a wide black weapon's belt. Attached to the belt were a dagger, a whip, the chakram and other pouches and sheaths Lyons could only guess the contents of. Over the robe, she wore what could best be described as a bodice of dark brown leather and bronze armor.

"And your sword?" Lyons asked. Looking at the weapon laying on the ground at her feet.

Xena lifted her knee quickly. Her foot caught under the sword and it flew into her hands. She grabbed the hilt and let the sheath slide to the ground.

"I've heard stories of your skill with the sword." Lyons said, drawing his own.

A smile crossed the Queen's face as she spun her simple weapon. "It's rare that I find a capable opponent to spar with." She admitted. "My own Captain was sufficient but he thinks himself much better than he is."

"Don't worry." Lyons returned. "I was there when you taught him not to underestimate an unknown opponent."

"His mistake when he crossed me, was that he underestimated a known opponent."

Xena held out her sword, and Captain Lyons met it with is own. It was a simple salute to start the match. The two began to swing at each other. Xena fought with one hand, easily matching Lyons's swings with blocks and thrusts of her own. After each attack, Xena would swing her sword around her hand, step back and allow Lyons to regain his footing.

Captain Lyons had been trained by some of the best sword masters. The man maintained form and posture, but when the Queen of Catatona attacked, it took all of his skill just block her blade. She moved with a speed and force he had never encountered before.

Then Lyons noticed something, a smile had formed on the Queen's face, and her eyes had opened wide, like a child looking on wondrous site. The woman was truly enjoying herself, there was no menace in her face, just joy. Lyons allowed himself to relax, and enjoy it too. The sword fight turned from a sparring match, to a dance. They fell into a rhythm, Lyons using every precise, well rehearsed move he had, and the Warrior Queen adjusting her own style to stay within her opponents skill range.

At one point, Lyons thought he had out maneuvered the woman when he took a quick backhanded swing after she had blocked one of his thrusts. She jumped back so he would miss cutting her then she jumped up. Captain Lyons sensed where she was going, he ducked and looked up at the same time. He watched the Queen of Catatona do a straight legged somersault over his head with her arms held out wide for balance. As she came down behind him, she did a twist and landed facing him. The woman stood up straight, flinging her long black hair out of her face. A great smile continued to light up her face as she brought her sword up to a defensive position. The woman suddenly looked twenty years younger.

"Your just playing with me." Captain Lyons said with a laugh, and put away his sword. "You could have disarmed me within minutes."

"Yea," Xena agreed, "but what fun would that be." Her smile continued.

"I've never seen anybody take such pleasure from fighting before." Lyons returned as the Queen picked up her scabbard.

Somehow, the woman's smile took on a sinister tinge. "I used to take even more pleasure in ending a fight." She picked up her cloak and draped it over her shoulders. "Thanks for the exercise, I was beginning to feel soft from all those days in the saddle." She looked at the troops gathered around her campsite who had been watching the match in the last rays of the setting sun. "We'll want to make sure we get an early start in the morning. Best gather your men back to their own camp."

Lyons looked at the crowd and frowned. They had allowed themselves to be distracted from their own duties. He would have to do something about that.

After the sun had set, the Captain of the Catatonan guard was approached by one of his men. They had come up through the ranks together and this man was now his Second. The two stood in the faint moon light talking.

"What is she up to?" the Lieutenant whispered. "In the three years we've been with the Queen, I've only seen the round weapon twice, and never seen her actually use it, let alone show off with it."

"And what about that fight?" the Captain whispered back, shaking his head. "I had no idea she could fight like THAT."

"Perhaps she's courting him." the Lieutenant whispered, almost inaudibly. "I've talked to some of the Calatonians, they say his wife died several winters ago and he hasn't remarried."

A noticeable shiver ran through the Captain's body. "If that were the case, the man wouldn't have a chance." he replied just as softly.

Suddenly a third figure was standing between them. The two men froze, immediately recognizing who it was.

In the darkness, Xena put her arms around the two soldiers and pulled them close to her. "You men don't need to worry about my motivations." she whispered. "If nothing else, I thought I should have taught you that much by now. Now, get to your posts." She let the Lieutenant go but held on to the Captain. "No wife?" she asked the young man.

The Captain nodded, "That's what they told the Lieutenant."

"Hm, interesting." The Queen said then winked at the man. "Thanks."

4. CROSSING.

"No riders have crossed the border in the past week, Sir." the guard reported to Captain Lyons. The Calatonian border guards in this region were troops sponsored by Lord Winston. Their uniforms were similar to the King's Guard, but quite distinct. The black leather armor didn't have the subtle guilded designs on the breast plates, and the men wore black jerkins under their armor instead of the red worn by the Royal Guard.

The man eyed the Catatonans. "Sir, what business do we have with Catatonans?" the man added arrogantly.

"We are searching for raiders who attacked Prince Victor and Princess Terina. We have tracked them to this crossing." Lyons responded through clenched teeth, seething at the man's insolence.

"We already told you that nobody like you described has crossed this border." a new voice said from beside the gate. It was the a very heavy lieutenant of the guard. The man looked way too old to still be a lieutenant.

"Nobody or nobody you saw?" The Queen of Catatona asked with a sarcastic tone.

"Who are you woman?" The lieutenant returned, his voice dripping with contempt.

The seven Catatonan guard behind their Queen didn't flinch or appear to notice the insult. They continued to sit still and straight, Xena had convinced them a long time ago that insults were not threats.

Xena dropped off her horse and approached the lieutenant. Captain Lyons had to scramble to get off his horse and join her. She looked down at the short, wide lieutenant and leaned over to whisper in his ear. "If you cross me, little man, I'll be your worst nightmare."

A cold sweat broke out on the lieutenant's forehead. "My apologies ma'am." he stuttered.

The guard turned to Captain Lyons "We were pulled out of this station two days ago." he said. "And returned last night. We were to patrol to the east for signs of new trails and breaks in the border barriers."

"Great." Lyons replied. "They could have marched an army through here and the fools wouldn't have a clue." He turned to Xena. "We might as well get going, we're wasting our time here."

"My thoughts exactly." Xena replied and jumped back on her horse.

Once they were through the gate, Lyons rode over to the Queen of Catatona. "Little Man." He said to her. "I thought that was my title."

"You've been upgraded to, Hey You." Xena said dryly.

5. ENCOUNTER.

"There's somebody in the rocks ahead." Xena announced as the group entered a hilly area. On cue, a single rock rolled down one of the hills. They had been in the treaty zone for several hours and hadn't seen any sign of life yet.

"I don't see anybody." Lyons said, riding up next to the Queen of Catatona.

"Oh, they're there." Xena turned to her men and made a hand signal. Four loaded their crossbows and the other three drew their swords.

The young Catatonan captain stepped his horse forward. "Do you know how many there are, my Queen." He said very quietly.

"At least a score." Xena said after making a show of sniffing the air. "But they're not too brave or they would have attacked us an hour ago."

With a simple gesture from their Captain, the Catatonan guard split up. The four with cross bows stayed back and spread out. The remaining two joined the Queen at the front.

Through it all, the Calatonians stayed in formation waiting for orders. Lyons turned and talked to his lieutenant, and distributed his men similar to the Catatonans.

"Okay, the game's over." Xena called. "Show yourselves and get this over with, or go find some other prey."

Figures started emerging from all around. The rocks and hills soon gave fourth over forty armed men. They were a rag tagged band of dirt bags. All were filthy with many days growth of beard and tattered clothes. They wore an assortment of discarded armor and carried large swords and crossbows.

The Queen of Catatona rode her horse forward a few steps and leaned casually forward on her saddle. "You boys look like your spoiling for a fight."

"I am Dolbon, this is my territory." a man announced. "You are breaking the treaty." the man added. He was bigger then most, and carried better weapons. "Your allowed no more then ten here at a time."

Xena looked over her shoulder, then back at the man. "You need some education." she said softly. "I see eight Catatonans, including myself and ten Calatonians, no more then what the treaty calls for."

Dolbon growled but didn't say anything.

"Now, that we the have the math lesson concluded." Xena said. "I say again, you boys look like you're spoiling for a fight, who want's to die first?"

Dolbon drew his sword and stepped forward. "Are you challenging me woman?"

"No, I just wanted a volunteer, I guess your it." Xena moved faster then any of them could follow, producing her chakram and throwing it at a large rock. The round weapon bounced off the rock, zipped past Dolbon, bounced off the helmet of one of his men and returned to Xena.

Dolbon dropped to his knees, gripping his neck where the ring had passed. Blood spurted between his fingers as his heart pumped his life out a slash in his neck. The crowd watch in shock as the man pitched forward, dying in a pool of his own blood.

Upon its return, the round weapon was immediately stowed back under Xena's robe. She continued to lean forward onto the front of her saddle. "Okay." she said in her best non-threatening voice. "Who wants to die next?"

Somebody yelled and a cross bow bolt was launched at the Queen of Catatona. She snatched it out of the air and dropped it to the ground. Once the first shot was fired, everybody attacked. Xena's archers immediately took out anybody with a cross bow. The man who fired on the Queen was dead with two bolts in his chest before Xena dropped his bolt.

The Calatonian archers joined the Catatonans firing on the bandits as the swordsman from both guard raced forward to meet the men rushing toward the Queen. The ground soon proved to be too rocky and uneven to fight from horseback, so the guard abandoned their horses to meet the attackers head on.

It was tempting for Xena to join the fight. Even Captain Lyons had jumped into the fray; but the Queen of Catatona had a different agenda. She wanted to see how these two armies would fight together. The bandits didn't have a chance, the royal guard from either country were the best trained warriors in the land. She knew that on this expedition, even the Calatonian guard would instinctively give their lives for her, even above Captain Lyons. They were trained to respect and protect any royalty in their care.

Xena watched.

The training method and style of the Calatonian guard was quickly apparent. They had been trained as Captain Lyons had been, classically, with emphasis on style and honor. Precision and technique was their call to order. If their opponent stumbled or miss stepped, they would wait until he regained his footing then continue the fight. To a man, the Calatonians defeated their opponents with well placed fatal strikes.

It was a different story for Xena's men. She had trained them with a different goal. Win the battle as quickly as possible. If the opponent stumbled, finish him and move on. If an opening arose to disable, take it and move on. The Catatonans finished off their opponents quickly, leaving behind men who had been wounded and maimed, but no longer a threat, while the Calatonians continued to duel their opponents. It only took a few extra minutes, however, for the Calatonians to finish off their poorly trained adversaries.

Captain Lyons found the Queen of Catatona still sitting calmly where she was when the fighting had begun. The hood of her robe had fallen from her head, allowing her long black hair to blow in the breeze. A smile played across the woman's face. 'What classic beauty.' Lyons thought to himself. He reached down and picked up the crossbow bolt she had dropped.

"Nice catch." He looked over at Dolbon, lying silently in his own blood. "Did you really have to kill that man?" A cold chill swept across his back as he realized how easily the woman had taken a life.

"We don't have all day to sit here and talk to these fools." Xena said. "Besides, I wanted to see what your men were made of."

"You started this fight on purpose?" Lyons couldn't believe what he was hearing.

Xena nudged her horse forward. "Let's go. We'll need all day to get to Black Hills."

6. OLD PLANS.

The battle continued to linger in Xena's mind, it stirred old memories that had been floating near the surface. It was a turning point in their lives, and neither Xena or Gabrielle had realized it at the time...........

After their confrontation with the arrogant governor, Gabrielle didn't know what to do. She had been an occasional Amazon, and had stood only briefly as their queen. Now they looked to her to lead them in a war against a strong outside foe.

Everyone knew, however, it wasn't really Gabrielle they looked to as their warlord, it was the Warrior Princess. Without Gabrielle, though, many knew that the odds of Xena being there, and willing to help them would be slim to none. So it was that Gabrielle, Queen of the Amazons officially appointed Xena as her top general in coming conflict.

"How do we fight an army like this?" Gabrielle asked as she and Xena sorted through sparse maps of Amazon territory.

It wasn't evident that Xena heard her friend, as she didn't look up from the maps or respond immediately. Finally she pushed the map aside and turned toward Gabrielle. "We run."

"What?" Gabrielle was astonished at the woman's reply. She had never known her friend to run from an enemy before.

"You can win a war without ever winning a battle." Xena replied. She spread out the maps in front of her. "Tell me, what makes up the Amazon Nation?"

"These are their, ah, I mean our borders." Gabrielle said pointing at the map.

The warrior put her hand over one section. "What if you lost this territory, would you still be Amazons?"

"Of course." Gabrielle returned.

"What if you lost everything and had to migrate over the mountains?" Xena pressed, taking the map away, rolling it up. "What would you be then?"
"We'd still be Amazons." Gabrielle said proudly of her adopted nation.

Xena unrolled the map again. "Now, tell me again. What makes up the Amazon Nation?"

A smile crossed the young Queen's face. "The Amazons do." Gabrielle said confidently. "As long as there are Amazons, there is a nation."

"Exactly." Xena said. "That's our advantage. People like that governor see a nation in terms of its borders, not in terms of its people." She turned the map toward her friend. "Now, if you could fight this war, and only lose the structures of your villages before the man gave up and went home, would you consider it a victory?"

"Of course." Gabrielle replied with a curious grin. "Xena, what do you have in mind?"

"Look here." Xena pointed at the map. "Amazon territory is mostly thick forest, and steep ravines. Land you have gotten in many cases through default. Nobody else wanted it at the time so the Amazons moved in and claimed it. Our governor friend knows that he can't just destroy your villages, he must get you to surrender." Xena turned the map slightly. "He must march his army into your territory somewhere along your southern border, find your settlements and negotiate your surrender."

"Sounds reasonable." Gabrielle agreed.

"He'll be hoping to find you entrenched here in your village, defending your homes." Xena gave an evil grin. "But as he said, these are just piles of sticks, easily replaced. If he can't find us, he can't defeat us."

"So we just run and hide?" Gabrielle asked, becoming confused again. "and wait until he gives up and goes away?"

"No." Xena replied. "We use your strengths. Amazons are good at fighting in the thick forest, taking on their enemy one at a time. Your people also know this territory better then any map could ever chart it. So our strategy will be to run, run fast, run north, run south, run east, run west. You will become the fastest army around, able to flee from your enemy in the blink of an eye."

"What good will that do?" Gabrielle asked, still mystified by her friend's proposal.

"An enemy like his, draws its strength from numbers." Xena said carefully, knowing that Gabrielle had to fully agree to a plan before she would take it to the rest of the Amazons. "The faster we flee, the faster the invaders will have to march to chase us.

"The faster an army like this travels," Xena continued. "the more spread out it will be and the more vulnerable it will be."

A look of comprehension spread over Gabrielle's face. "So we double back and attack the back of the force?"

"Almost." Xena said. "We split our forces. The smaller force will take the lead, and continually confront the enemy. All they have to do is be seen, take a few shots, and keep the army following. The rest will wait, hidden in the trees for the army to pass. Once it does, we take out the stragglers."

A sick look came over the Xena's friend's face. "Your really talking about killing people here."

"Of course!" Xena said, half dismayed by Gabrielle's response. What did you expect? This is war."

"I don't know." Gabrielle responded, shaking her head. "I just thought you would come up with some trap and convince him it was hopeless. That way both sides would have minimal losses."

"I'm sorry, Gabrielle." Xena replied. "This is a real war and people are going to die. You must get used to it if your going to help your people survive."

"But what about when we fought the Horde?" Gabrielle asked. "It came down to a fight between you and their leader."

"That was the only way we could communicate." Xena replied. "We've already tried talking to this man. Perhaps once he has started losing his army, he will be willing to talk again before it gets too out of hand."

"I hope so." Gabrielle sighed.......................

7. BLACK HILLS.

The sun had just settled behind the hills on the western horizon when the expedition sighted the sprawling settlement called Black Hills. The place had started out as a hideout for local outlaws, but soon spilled out of its high box canyon onto the surrounding hills. Noise and stench wafted down the road from the town long before any buildings were visible.

"Leave the troops out of town for awhile." Xena said, turning toward Captain Lyons. "You and I will go in alone and see what we can find out."

"Do you really think that's wise?" Lyons asked, not sure of the Queen's motivation.

"If I didn't think it wise, I wouldn't suggest it." Xena returned sharply. "If our forces march into town, these people will never talk to us. That is, if we're lucky and a fight doesn't erupt immediately. If you and I go in alone, pretending to be travelers, we may be able to pick up some information about the prince and princess."

"And the guard?" Captain Lyons pushed, knowing they couldn't leave the men just standing around out here.

"We'll have two men follow us in to reconnoiter the town and find a place to hide the rest of the troops. They'll fetch them as soon as you and I pick an area to work."

"Agreed." Captain Lyons finally said after considering the alternatives.

The two leaders prepared themselves for entering Black Hills. Xena simply pulled her hair back and wrapped her cloak tightly around herself. She also moved her sword from its preferred position on her back to a more inconspicuous place under the long black cloak. Finally, she pulled her wide, draping hood up, covering her face.

More work had to be done for Captain Lyons to appear like a traveler in the zone. He removed most of his fine, well kept black leather armor, keeping only the vest. His heavy duty military leggings were replaced with a pair of rough cloth pants one of Xena's men was carrying. His final touch was also a long black cloak he carried for protection form the elements, but rarely wore since it wasn't standard Guard issue. Xena noticed a final detail, Lyons's saddle was well kept Calatonian issue. She removed some of the insignia, and had Lyons rub dirt into its shinier surfaces.

The two definitely looked like a pair. Lyons with his short "bowl" cut brown and gray hair was totally unremarkable and the Queen of Catatona hid most of her face under her hood. The odds were that no one would recognize her, but since many travelers to Black Hills preferred to keep their faces hidden, Xena would keep the hood up as much as possible.

The town of Black Hills had not been designed, it had grown haphazard over the past century. Rickety shacks, sturdy taverns and shops stood side by side. Some roads were so narrow two carts had trouble passing in the street. Many people slept in the street and relieved themselves on the sides of buildings. Rivers of raw sewage ran through many of the side streets. A cliff dropping off from the side road into town Xena Lyons used was covered with debris, including carcasses of dead animals and even decomposing bodies.

"I can't believe we've allowed a place like this to exist so close to both of our borders." Xena whispered to Lyons as they pushed through the human debris that walked the streets of the town.

"It's the by-product of an ill conceived treaty." Lyons mumbled back.

The pair had been wondering the town for more than an hour. Finally, Xena spoke up. "Look there." She said nodding toward one of the many taverns. Several men wearing old Catatonan armor were walking into the building.

"Looks like what we've been looking for." Captain Lyons observed while the two guided their horses towards the tavern.

The horses weren't fully tied up when a filthy but tough looking teenager approached the pair. "This here's a very rough town." the youth said in greeting.

"That it is." Xena nodded.

"Might not be wise to leave a pair of fine animals out here un-watched." the young man continued.

A smile crossed Xena's face. "I suppose your willing to watch them for us?"

"Sure thing." he replied. "I'll stand by them for up to an hour for say, one Cat or two Cals."

"Tell you what." Xena returned. "I'll give you a Catatonan five drachma piece, now and one when we come back."

His eyes lit up. "What? Ten Cats just to stand by your horses?"

"You hold them until we come out, no matter how long we're gone." Xena returned. "Let no one near them, and don't let them get in that filth in your streets."

The boy thought about the proposition for a moment. Ten Cats was a lot of money. Sometimes he didn't earn that much in a week.

"Deal." he said, holding out his hand to shake on the deal.

Xena produced a five drachma coin and gave it to the boy, then grasped his forearm to seal the deal. Instead of just the customary brief shake, Xena pulled the boy close to her. "If you're not here, and the horses same as we leave them," She hissed at him. "I'll hunt you down, cut your heart out, and feed it to you before you die."

The boy went sheet white, the woman's glare seemed as though it could crack marble. "NN..No pp..problem." he stuttered back. "You can depend on me."

"You'd better listen to her." Lyons whispered after Xena walked away. "You should have seen what she did to that stable boy who forgot to brush the horses in the last town."

8. THE TAVERN.

The tavern was not as crowded as Xena actually expected it to be. Four of the patrons wore old Catatonan armor. From its style, she could tell it was at least ten years old. She recognized it as auxiliary armor used for training new recruits. Once it was no longer serviceable, all Catatonan armor and weapons were suppose to be destroyed. Then it occurred to her that her former captain had been in charge of having the stuff destroyed, a function he was suppose to have completed months ago. So, this little adventure had been in the works for quite some time.

Other patrons stood at the bar or lounged at the tables and benches scattered around the room. Circulating among the men were some of the dirtiest and ugliest serving wenches ever to grace a run down tavern. Cast off food and garbage littered the floor, and rotted in heaps in the corners. A man wearing Catatonan armor stood in a far corner, urinating into a hole in the floor. The stench and filth of the establishment even made Xena's iron stomach complain.

Xena and Lyons each ordered an ale and stood leaning backward against the bar. Neither had the stomach to bring the cups anywhere near their mouths. As they stood there watching the room, men continued to filter into the establishment.

Finally, a noticeably loud and rambunctious group entered the fray. They wore newer but still poorly kept Catatonan armor. They immediately joined the other men wearing Catatonan armor. One of them was the center of attention. The man had a gleam in his eyes and a natural air of confidence about him. He was thin, with a good build and few days growth of beard.

9.THE SWORD.

"Lets see the sword, Kleon." a voice said from the crowd.

The man who had drawn everybody's attention produced a fancy sword from under his cloak. Those around Kleon backed up a few paces to give him some room to show the weapon. It was long and polished to a bright gleam. The dual edged blade appeared honed to a razor's edge and the designs etched into it reflected patterns onto the walls.

A few of Kleon's companions even had the courage to accept the sword for inspection. "This is the finest sword I've ever seen." one of the group declared.

"That, it is." Kleon agreed, taking the weapon back. "Now, a round of drinks, on me." he declared.

After Kleon had downed a few cups of strong ale and his companions had turned their attention to other matters, a shadow fell across the man's table. It was the woman who'd been standing at the bar. She was a bit older then most women who wondered into this place, and definitely a lot better looking then any of them. There was something about her, though, that made even these drunk brutes look elsewhere for companionship.

"That was a really fine sword you were displaying earlier." the woman said.

"Thank you." Kleon said with a lecherous smile. "I have the finest weapon anyone in here will ever see."

"Mind if I ask where you acquired it?" The woman asked, returning his smile, her beautiful blue eyes seemed to be shining in his face. She pushed the hood of her cloak as far back on her head as it would go without falling down to her shoulders; the dim light still obscured most of her face.

"It was a gift from the Queen of Catatona herself." He proclaimed with a great smile.

"Are you a member of her guard?" the woman pushed. "I thought I recognized your armor."

Kleon looked down at his armor, his smile grew even broader. "Yes, that's it! I'm the Captain of her guard, and this sword was a gift for a job well done."

"Can I see it?" the woman asked innocently.

The man hesitated, then said. "Well, why the Hades not? If my lady wishes to see my weapon, then who am I to say no?"

"The sword." the woman whispered with a soft, sultry tone that practically made Kleon melt.

"Of course." Kleon said and stood up. He reached under his cloak and brought the sword out, holding it up for the woman to see.

"May I?" She asked and held out her hand.

A look of hesitation swept over the man's face then he smiled broadly and handed it to the woman.

The mysterious woman held the sword straight up in front of her and looked at the intricate designs on the blade, then looked past it and focused on the Kleon. "Is it true," she asked with a sweet smile. "that the Catatonan Guard pledge their lives to the Queen?" She focused back on the sword, continuing to smile at the beauty of the blade.

"That's right." Kleon agreed. "We pledge our lives to the Queen of Catatona, to do with as she sees fit." he turned toward some of his friends. "And boy does she see fit sometimes." he said at the group with a wink.

A hearty chuckle from his friends was Kleon's reward for his wit.

"Where's the other?" the woman asked, the soft, luscious tone gone from her voice.

"Other what?" the smile started to fade from Kleon's face.

"The other sword, this was part of a pair."

"I think you'd better give that sword back." Kleon suddenly had a very bad feeling about this woman.

"The other sword, who has it?" the woman insisted.

"I don't know." the fake guard lied, "Now, I must insist you hand me my sword back."

The woman lowered the sword then thrust out with it. Kleon gasped and started to choke as blood rose up in his throat. He looked down to see the fine blade run through his abdomen.

The sword had cut through Kleon without effort, pushing out his back before he even knew he'd been stabbed. Xena pulled the blade free and let Kleon fall to the ground. She held the blade up in front of her again and watched the blood run down the blade, filling in the intricate designs. A chilling smile formed as she looked past the blade to Kleon's companions.

"By the gods!" a large man yelled and charged Xena.

It wasn't hard for Xena to side step the man's lunge. As he went by, she kicked him in the stomach , dropping him like a sack. She shifted the sword to her left hand and swung back handed at him. With a spray of blood, the man's body fell to the floor, his head rolling across the room, landing by the bar next to Captain Lyons.

10. FORFEIT.

"Lady," one of the fake guards said as he drew his sword. "I don't know who you are, but you're dead now."

"You suspect who I am." Xena replied. She spun the fancy sword around her hand, splattering blood from the blade on to the floor around her. "Else, you would have attacked me by now." A wicked grin continued to play about her face as she pushed her hood completely off.

"Now," Xena said and approached the group. "I want the other sword. Tell me where it is and I'll let you live." She took slow, deliberate steps, walking directly through the pools of blood forming around the two bodies.

A man who'd been in the tavern for quite a while brought his sword forward. "Lady, I have no idea who are, but I do know I'm going to cut you into very small pieces."

While the man spoke, Captain Lyons walked up beside Xena with his sword drawn. "My Queen." he said loud enough for the group to hear. "Do you really think this group worth the effort?"

"I haven't had much exercise recently." she replied. "I'm getting a bit rusty."

"If your really the Queen of Catatona," the new spokesman asked. "where is your much heralded guard?" As he spoke, he raised his sword to strike.

Out of the corner of her eye, Xena saw familiar figures coming through the door of the tavern and heard the sound of a crossbow firing. The bolt whooshed over Xena's shoulder toward the man approaching her. Xena snapped her hand out and caught the bolt as it passed. The man stopped dead in his tracks, realizing what she had just done.

"You guys have great timing." Xena looked over her shoulder as two of her guard, and three Calatonians rushed into the building. Three of the men trained crossbows on the patrons. She handed the bolt back to her man, who accepted it without a second thought.

"Now," Xena continued, turning back toward the mercenaries. "I asked you a question. Who has the second sword?"

"His name is Cyrus." one of the men who came in with Kleon said. "He continued north with the rest of the group."

The man's friends looked at him with contempt. "Hey," he mumbled. "I just met Cyrus, when I met Kleon, during this raid. I'm not about to risk my skin for him."

"You may have just saved yours and your friends' lives." The Queen of Catatona said. "Then again, you are wearing Catatonan armor, which means your lives are already forfeit to me."

First one, then the rest began to remove their armor and drop it on the floor. After the last had discarded their armor, Xena pointed the bloody sword at the door. "Now leave, but slowly, I have more men outside." She looked around at the rest of the patrons, including the bartender. "Everybody, out." she ordered.

No one hesitated, they filed out the door as quickly as they dared. The last to leave was the bartender, who grabbed his till before coming out from behind the counter.

Xena ripped a large portion of the cloak from Kleon's body before walking away from him. The robe would serve well as a cloth to wipe his blood off the sword. Her boots stuck to floor as she walked out of the blood and headed toward the door, leaving faint, dark red foot prints on the greased black planks of the floor.

11. THE BURN.

Outside the tavern, the Catatonan and Calatonian royal guard had spotted Xena's and Captain Lyons' mounts. The men deployed around the area to keep more people from entering the tavern. In the middle of the group, a young man continued to fiercely clutch the reins of two horses. All of the men held torches, illuminating the whole area.

For the first time, Xena got a better look at the neighborhood. The place was more decrepit then it had first appeared. The road was paved with garbage and debris and though it hadn't rained in days, there was a steady stream of water running down the middle of the street.

A familiar and obnoxious odor wafted through the crud and assailed Xena's nose. She leaned down and looked under the board walk she had just stepped off of. "Give me that." Xena commanded, pointing toward one of the torches. The light of the torch revealed a partially decomposed body discarded under the sidewalk. The corpse wore the shredded remains of a blouse and skirt, the remnants of its hair were long and dark. It was the body of a young girl who would have stood no more than a meter tall.

After all of the disgusting sights Xena had beheld in this blemish called a town, this one came the nearest to making her ill. What kind of depravity disposed of its dead, especially its children this way.

"What is it." Captain Lyons asked.

"The last straw." Xena replied, then leaped to her horse and stowed Kleon's sword in a scabbard on her saddle.

"What do you want us to do with the armor?" Xena's Captain asked.

"Burn it, burn it all."

"The armor?" The Captain tried to clarify.

"No, burn everything. I will not suffer this open wound so close to my borders any longer."

"What?!" Captain Lyons interrupted. "By what authority would you issue such an order."

"By MY authority." Xena hissed. "And the authority of that little girl left to rot under that board walk."

"I must protest." Lyons pushed. "You can't just burn a town because you want to. This isn't Catatona, you are not the Queen here."

Xena glared at him in the dancing orange of the torch light. "Oppose me, help me, or get out of my way." she snarled at the Calatonian. As she spoke, she drew her sword and laid it across her lap.

"This isn't right." Lyons said. "But my mission is to retrieve my Prince and Princess." He turned toward his men. "Calatonians," he ordered. "our mission in Black Hills is over." He looked back at the Queen. "As we leave, lets do our best to help spread the word of the fire so people may escape it."

None of the Catatonan guard had moved. Xena looked at her captain. "Why are you still sitting there?"

The man snapped to attention in his saddle. "Yes, my Queen." he turned toward his men. "You heard your Queen, burn it all." He then added. "Only defend yourselves against citizens who attack you. Let the people go."

The Queen of Catatona sat calmly on her horse in the middle of a narrow crossroads watching her men carry our her orders. Within minutes, the first block was a flame and word of the fire was spreading. Pandemonium broke out as the Catatonan guard spread the fire and cried warning of it at the same time. The Calatonians road the streets spreading the news of the great fire even before it had been started.

Five, six blocks burned, and a lone figure dressed in a long black cloak, face obscured by a large black hood sat on a pale horse watching it all. A fire storm soon spread the destruction out of the original district. Block after block caught fire, as winds drawn in by the growing flames fanned them to new heights.

Fire raged all around when Xena's captain approached her. "My Queen, we must go, soon all the roads out of town will be blocked by refugees or fire."

The Queen of Catatona looked from under her hood at the man, her face a mask of cold stone. "What is your name, Captain." she whispered.

"My family called me Forsete."

"I am Xena of Amphipolus," The Queen confessed barely loud enough to be heard above the roar of the fire. "I have done this before." She nudged her horse forward leading her seven guard out of Black Hills.

12. FROM A DISTANCE.

A day's hard journey to the north, a large group of soldiers looked at the orange glow in the hills to the south. "What is that?" a guard asked a companion.

"It looks like Black Hills." the other man said.

"Black Hills burns?" a third asked, looking out at the glow on the horizon.

"We were followed to Black Hills." a female voice said loudly. "You knew they'd come for us."

The men turned toward the couple tied up and laying on the ground next to the camp fire.

"Calatonians would never torch a town like that, no matter what the offense." One of the men stated.

"Your leader was the captain of the Queen of Catatona's guard." Terina said to her captors. "Do you think she will allow this betrayal to go unanswered."

"Must you goad them so?" Prince Victor whispered to his wife.

"Yes, Amazon," A new voice said. "must you goad my men so." It was the Queen's ex-Captain. He walked up to the young woman and kicked her sharply in the side. "I told you not to talk to the men. Must I gag you again?"

Terina didn't react from the kick, she didn't even flinch from the pain. It was a different story for her husband, Victor struggled against his bonds in fury at the Catatonan.

"You won't survive your treachery." the young Prince warned.

"Your friend, the Queen of Catatona, is not the great hero you think her to be." the Catatonan said with a laugh. "I should know, I was part of her guard for ten years. I've seen her walk away from so many insults and negotiate so many peace treaties, it made me sick. She knows how to build an army, but she doesn't have the stomach to use it."

The man glanced out at the glow on the horizon. "If Black hills burns, it is a fluke, the place was a tinder pile waiting for a spark."

"So you don't think she's following us?" Victor asked.

"Oh, on the contrary, I'm counting on it."

13. OATHS.

During the negotiation of the peace treaty, Catatona gave up a large section of western land to the treaty zone. They backed their border off to a river that would run a great length of their western border. The King of Catatona saw the river's ravine as a great natural barrier between the two countries. In the decades since the treaty, two bridges were built over the ravine to allow controlled traffic into the treaty zone and between the two countries.

After leaving the inferno that was Black Hills, the two groups of the expedition traveled through the night. They rode separately, but within sight of each other. With the rise of the sun, one of the bridges to Catatona came into view.

During the night, Xena had noticed a change in her young captain. In the first rays of the morning sun, she pulled her horse near him. "Tell me, Captain," Xena started. "had you ever killed anybody before this trip?"

The young man stiffened. "I've never killed a man directly." he admitted. "Even when we faced those bandits the other day, the ones I fought should have survived their wounds."

"But since last night," Xena said, "things have changed. I can see it in yours, and the men's, faces."

"Yes they have." the Captain admitted. "But I don't know how."

"Before, you and your men lived on reputation, behaving like puppets on strings, waiting for me to issue orders." Xena observed. "You were just going through the motions of being an army."

"If you say so, my Queen."

Xena pulled the hood off her head and shook her long, black hair loose. "Look at me, Forsete." she commanded.

He took a long look at the woman riding next him. "Yes."

"What do you see?"

"The Queen of Catatona."

"What else?"

"What else am I suppose to see?" The Captain asked.

"You tell me."

"I see a woman I thought I knew." he replied.

"But knew you didn't." Xena added.

"I suppose."

"Remember a few of days ago you asked me if the stories about me were true?" Xena asked.

"Yes."

"Well, what do you think now?"

The young Captain looked away. "I think anything is possible."

"You've changed, Forsete." Xena said softly. "You have the blood of what you see as an atrocity on your hands."

"Wasn't it?"

Xena reigned her horse to a stop, bringing the rest of her group to a sudden halt. "Black Hills was an atrocity." She said forcefully to them. "It was an open wound, festering in the shadows of two great nations. I've seen many terrible things in my life; I've done many terrible things, the likes of which you would never believe." She looked at her men, scanning the faces of all of them before continuing. "But one of the worst things I've ever done, was neglect Black Hills for so long. You men have come a long way since we left Catatona. Last night had to be done, but it was still terrible.

"Today, we enter Catatona, but we may not be home. If your former Captain was willing to betray us, then it may be a sign that our forces are realigning, choosing between me and Prince Orian." She scanned the men again. "Does anybody here offer his alliance to Prince Orian above me? If you do, tell me now, and you may leave me peacefully. If you are honest with me and follow what you believe is right, then you are not betraying me. If you lie and betray me, then your life will be forfeit, just like your Captain's is now."

The men looked at one another, then to their Captain. Forsete studied his Queen. "We have pledged our lives to the rightful ruler of Catatona, and to you, my Queen." he stated. "Once Prince Orian comes of age, we will then have to make a decision. Until that time, we remain your loyal servants."

"I want you to know." Xena said, starting the group moving again, "You are, without a doubt, the finest soldiers I have ever had the privilege of riding with. Thank you."

Continued in Book 3 (TRUTH AND CONSEQUENCES)