A couple days had pasted since Xena, Gabrielle, and Sabrina had left the Centaur lands. They were all walking down a road making their way to a near by town, when suddenly a group of men attacked them. Grabbing her chakram and sword Xena went into action. As she was fighting four of the men, Gabrielle had her hands full with what she thought was the rest of the men. The last man made his way out of the brushes and towards Sabrina, who was hiding beside a tree. He then pulled out his sword and grabbed her by the waist.
"Mommy help" Sabrina screamed out, as the men ran to his horse, still carrying her.
Xena and Gabrielle then turned around to find Sabrina gone.
"Xena this might be a good time to call for Ares" Gabrielle said, as she knocked out the last of men she was fighting.
"No, I can handle it" Xena replied, as she ran her sword through two of the men, after beating the other two.
Xena then ran off and mounted Argo II, then went after the man and Sabrina. Xena could hear Sabrina screaming for help. When she finally caught up to them, Xena tried to reach for Sabrina, but man suddenly jumped off the horse with Sabrina and ran past the tree's into the clearing. Xena followed them, then jumped off of Argo II.
"Let her go now and maybe I won't slice head off" Xena said, pulling out her sword.
"I think I'll hold on to her for now" The man replied, with a smirk.
Then out of no where what seemed like three dozen soldiers popped out of the brushes and trees. Xena was now surrounded and all alone. Seeing her mother in trouble Sabrina hit the man, who was holding her in the crotch, and tried to make her way to her Xena. But a warrior dressed the same way as the soldiers, but different colors, quickly grabbed her. Xena then began making her way towards them, but was stopped by a number of soldiers.
The warrior holding Sabrina then called out to Xena.
"Xena, drop your weapons, or else this little brat gets it" The man yelled, as he held a dagger to the throat of Sabrina.
Xena quickly dropped her weapons, and two soldiers grabbed her arms, restraining her.
"How does it feel to have finally been defeated, Xena?" The warrior asked.
"I don't believe we've met. And you would be?" Xena asked.
"Oh I am insulted, don't tell me you've never heard of me. Why I am the warlord Tracus. And after I kill you, I'll go down in history" Tracus replied, chuckling.
"How nice" Xena said, sarcastically.
"Any last words you would like to say to your daughter before I kill you?" Tracus asked, with a smile.
"Just one" Xena answered, grinning.
"And what would that be?" Tracus asked.
"ARES' Xena yelled.
With in seconds Ares appeared, hatred and angry building inside of him as he saw Xena being restrained, and a dagger at Sabrina's throat. With out any warning Ares began throwing lighten bolts in every direction. Before long all that was left of the soldiers were ashes. Tracus was only one left alive out of his small army. He was now on his back trying to get up, Ares then walked up to him.
"No one threatens the ones I love" Ares said, in a horrifying tone.
"Ares my great god of war, I beg for your forgiveness, I did not know what I was doing. Please spear my life, I am a devoted servant of yours and only wish to serve you" Tracus said, bowing his head to Ares.
"You are a devoted servant of mine, and for that I shall spear your life" Ares said, with a smile.
"Really?" Tracus asked, with a relieved expression.
"No" Ares replied.
Ares then lifted up his right hand, and suddenly Tarcus was engulfed in flames then vanished. After that Ares turned his attention to Sabrina, who was already in Xena's arms.
"Are you two alright?" Ares asked, putting his arm on Xena's waist.
"I think so, she's just a little shaken up that's all" Xena replied.
After making sure they had no injuries, which they didn't, Ares appeared back at the road with Xena, Sabrina and Argo II. Gabrielle was getting worried and was on her way to look for them, when she saw them appear.
"Thank the gods your okay. What happened?" Gabrielle asked, as she ran to Xena and Sabrina.
"The whole thing was a trap, as soon as I got off my horse what look like three dozen soldiers came out of no where, and attacked me. They were being lead by this new warlord named Tarcus, I guess he wanted to make a name from him self by killing me. But then Ares appeared and lets just say I doubt we'll be running into him any time soon" Xena replied, with a grin.
"Auntie Gabrielle it was scary" Sabrina said, with a frightened face.
"Oh I know, but everything's okay now" Gabrielle replied, after picking up Sabrina.
"You know what I need to go check on something, I'll be right back" Xena said, before walking off.
"Okay we'll be here" Gabrielle replied.
"I think I'll go with her" Ares said, as he then turned around to follow Xena.
Gabrielle then nodded in comprehension.
As Ares was walking behind Xena, he expected her to turn around and ask him why he was following her. But she didn't even seem like she know he was behind her. After walking a good distance Xena stopped beside a tree, and with a sigh she leaned back on the tree. Ares then came up from behind her.
"Xena what's wrong?" Ares asked, standing in front of her.
"Nothing" Xena answered, as she turned her head away from him.
"I what is it? Just tell me" Ares said, walking closer to her.
"Nothings wrong. I just want to be alone" Xena replied.
"You know, you don't always have to be so brave" Ares said, as he brought his hand to her chin, and gently turned her head so that she was looking directly at him.
"I know" Xena replied, in barely a whisper.
"If it's what happened before that's bothering you, you do realize that Sabrina's okay" Ares said, as he placed his hand on her shoulder in a comforting way.
"But she wouldn't have been if you hadn't shown up" Xena replied.
"I wouldn't have shown up if you hadn't called me" Ares said.
"Yeah but, if I had just called you earlier like Gabrielle suggested, then Sabrina wouldn't have been in such danger" Xena replied, with a depressing expression.
"Look Xena you can beat your self up about what happened in the past until all of time ends, but will never change what happened" Ares said, with a caring expression.
Xena nodded softly but said nothing.
"We all make mistakes, deep down inside we're still just human" Ares said, as he wrapped his arms around her waist.
"Well most of us, except for you" Xena replied, with a small smile.
"Especially me" Ares said, with one of his irrespirable smiles.
Xena then made a soft chuckle before Ares lifted her chin and captured her lips with his, for a long adoring kiss.
"Mommy help" Sabrina screamed out, as the men ran to his horse, still carrying her.
Xena and Gabrielle then turned around to find Sabrina gone.
"Xena this might be a good time to call for Ares" Gabrielle said, as she knocked out the last of men she was fighting.
"No, I can handle it" Xena replied, as she ran her sword through two of the men, after beating the other two.
Xena then ran off and mounted Argo II, then went after the man and Sabrina. Xena could hear Sabrina screaming for help. When she finally caught up to them, Xena tried to reach for Sabrina, but man suddenly jumped off the horse with Sabrina and ran past the tree's into the clearing. Xena followed them, then jumped off of Argo II.
"Let her go now and maybe I won't slice head off" Xena said, pulling out her sword.
"I think I'll hold on to her for now" The man replied, with a smirk.
Then out of no where what seemed like three dozen soldiers popped out of the brushes and trees. Xena was now surrounded and all alone. Seeing her mother in trouble Sabrina hit the man, who was holding her in the crotch, and tried to make her way to her Xena. But a warrior dressed the same way as the soldiers, but different colors, quickly grabbed her. Xena then began making her way towards them, but was stopped by a number of soldiers.
The warrior holding Sabrina then called out to Xena.
"Xena, drop your weapons, or else this little brat gets it" The man yelled, as he held a dagger to the throat of Sabrina.
Xena quickly dropped her weapons, and two soldiers grabbed her arms, restraining her.
"How does it feel to have finally been defeated, Xena?" The warrior asked.
"I don't believe we've met. And you would be?" Xena asked.
"Oh I am insulted, don't tell me you've never heard of me. Why I am the warlord Tracus. And after I kill you, I'll go down in history" Tracus replied, chuckling.
"How nice" Xena said, sarcastically.
"Any last words you would like to say to your daughter before I kill you?" Tracus asked, with a smile.
"Just one" Xena answered, grinning.
"And what would that be?" Tracus asked.
"ARES' Xena yelled.
With in seconds Ares appeared, hatred and angry building inside of him as he saw Xena being restrained, and a dagger at Sabrina's throat. With out any warning Ares began throwing lighten bolts in every direction. Before long all that was left of the soldiers were ashes. Tracus was only one left alive out of his small army. He was now on his back trying to get up, Ares then walked up to him.
"No one threatens the ones I love" Ares said, in a horrifying tone.
"Ares my great god of war, I beg for your forgiveness, I did not know what I was doing. Please spear my life, I am a devoted servant of yours and only wish to serve you" Tracus said, bowing his head to Ares.
"You are a devoted servant of mine, and for that I shall spear your life" Ares said, with a smile.
"Really?" Tracus asked, with a relieved expression.
"No" Ares replied.
Ares then lifted up his right hand, and suddenly Tarcus was engulfed in flames then vanished. After that Ares turned his attention to Sabrina, who was already in Xena's arms.
"Are you two alright?" Ares asked, putting his arm on Xena's waist.
"I think so, she's just a little shaken up that's all" Xena replied.
After making sure they had no injuries, which they didn't, Ares appeared back at the road with Xena, Sabrina and Argo II. Gabrielle was getting worried and was on her way to look for them, when she saw them appear.
"Thank the gods your okay. What happened?" Gabrielle asked, as she ran to Xena and Sabrina.
"The whole thing was a trap, as soon as I got off my horse what look like three dozen soldiers came out of no where, and attacked me. They were being lead by this new warlord named Tarcus, I guess he wanted to make a name from him self by killing me. But then Ares appeared and lets just say I doubt we'll be running into him any time soon" Xena replied, with a grin.
"Auntie Gabrielle it was scary" Sabrina said, with a frightened face.
"Oh I know, but everything's okay now" Gabrielle replied, after picking up Sabrina.
"You know what I need to go check on something, I'll be right back" Xena said, before walking off.
"Okay we'll be here" Gabrielle replied.
"I think I'll go with her" Ares said, as he then turned around to follow Xena.
Gabrielle then nodded in comprehension.
As Ares was walking behind Xena, he expected her to turn around and ask him why he was following her. But she didn't even seem like she know he was behind her. After walking a good distance Xena stopped beside a tree, and with a sigh she leaned back on the tree. Ares then came up from behind her.
"Xena what's wrong?" Ares asked, standing in front of her.
"Nothing" Xena answered, as she turned her head away from him.
"I what is it? Just tell me" Ares said, walking closer to her.
"Nothings wrong. I just want to be alone" Xena replied.
"You know, you don't always have to be so brave" Ares said, as he brought his hand to her chin, and gently turned her head so that she was looking directly at him.
"I know" Xena replied, in barely a whisper.
"If it's what happened before that's bothering you, you do realize that Sabrina's okay" Ares said, as he placed his hand on her shoulder in a comforting way.
"But she wouldn't have been if you hadn't shown up" Xena replied.
"I wouldn't have shown up if you hadn't called me" Ares said.
"Yeah but, if I had just called you earlier like Gabrielle suggested, then Sabrina wouldn't have been in such danger" Xena replied, with a depressing expression.
"Look Xena you can beat your self up about what happened in the past until all of time ends, but will never change what happened" Ares said, with a caring expression.
Xena nodded softly but said nothing.
"We all make mistakes, deep down inside we're still just human" Ares said, as he wrapped his arms around her waist.
"Well most of us, except for you" Xena replied, with a small smile.
"Especially me" Ares said, with one of his irrespirable smiles.
Xena then made a soft chuckle before Ares lifted her chin and captured her lips with his, for a long adoring kiss.