Iolaus whistled as he walked along, trying to keep himself company. The truth was, he was already wishing he hadn't left, but he knew it wouldn't really have solved anything. He needed to figure out who he was before he went back to Hercules. He was thinking and whistling so deliberately that he missed the sound of hurried footsteps in the bracken and a loud "ouch!" that sounded somewhere in the vicinity of his left knee. He jumped a mile and quickly looked down to discern the source of the noise. Autolycus was lying at his feet, rubbing his shoulder and looking extremely annoyed.

"Hey, watch it, Curly. I'm walking here."

"Walking? Really?" Iolaus asked suspiciously. "Not running, perhaps?" Autolycus scowled but had no time for a reply, as six armed guards had suddenly materialized out of the forest and were charging towards them, swords drawn.

"I wasn't before, but I think I'll try it now," the King of Thieves quipped and disappeared into the trees with a somersault and a "yodel-ey-hee-hoo!" Iolaus rolled his eyes and leaned casually against a tree, watching curiously as Autolycus swung down from a branch and drop-kicked a guard in the back, who promptly fell on his face in the mud. Two others rushed him, and each simultaneously received a blow in the nose from a booted foot. Iolaus raised his eyebrows; that one took real flexibility. The three who were left exchanged looks and then bolted straight towards Autolycus, yelling with rage. The King of Thieves' eyes widened and he shimmied up the tree, throwing loose branches and crabapples at his attackers as fast as he could. "Hey, Curly! Little help here?"

Iolaus chuckled. "I think you've got everything under control," he smirked. Autolycus sighed and flipped out of the tree, landing behind the three men.

"How did I know you'd say that?" he groaned. He picked up a rock and shied it at the closest guard. It bounced off his helmet, and he collapsed with a moan. The other two charged with swords out, and Autolycus grinned. "Come and get me, boys," he taunted, and snatching Iolaus' pack, he swung it around and clocked the foremost guard on the back of the head. He swung around once more and swept the feet out from under his other attacker, and both ran away into the forest at top speed, following the fading sounds of their companions' retreat. The King of Thieves grinned cockily. "How 'bout that, huh? Bet I've got some moves you've never seen before." He furrowed his brow in thought. "That didn't come out quite like I planned."

Iolaus rubbed a hand over his face to hide his smile. "Autolycus, just give me my bag."

Autolycus looked down in puzzlement. "Oh, yeah, here you go. Sorry, force of habit."

Iolaus swung the pack over his shoulder and stared interrogatively at his companion. "Dare I ask what it was this time?"

"Trust me, you don't want to know. Let's just say it involved an engaged, but extremely unhappy princess and her very jealous, very rich fiancé."

Iolaus laughed disbelievingly. "First you steal his girl, then his horde of cash. I knew you were capable of one or the other, but I never thought you'd stoop so low as to take both."

"Hey. He got one of them back."

"Hmm, which one? No, no, don't tell me, just let me guess," Iolaus chirped in a tone of false wonder.

Autolycus gave a self-deprecating smirk. "Yeah, well, when I see a shiny, priceless woman who will keep me fed, clothed and entertained for years to come, I might choose her over a cartload of gold."

"I wouldn't bet on it," Iolaus muttered.

"What are you doing here, anyway?" Autolycus wanted to know. "And where's your bodyguard?"

Iolaus flinched. "He's... not here." He was surprised when Autolycus swallowed whatever it was he was about to say.

"Well... thanks for the non-rescue... guess I'll see you round." He was about to walk away when Iolaus spoke up, his voice strained from the effort of grinding his pride down into his stomach.

"Wait a second... where are you off to?"

The King of Thieves turned around, surprise scrawled all over his face, along with—Iolaus was mortified to discover—a little pity, but he quickly recovered himself and swaggered back in Iolaus' direction. "Miss me already? Or are you concerned for the welfare of the next unfortunate girly or coin collection to fall into my grasp?"

"It just so happens," Iolaus answered haughtily, "that I have nothing better to do at the moment than wonder, out of sheer morbid curiosity, what your next venture is."

"You gonna stop me? Or you want in?" Autolycus invited slyly. To his total shock, Iolaus hesitated.

"Neither. I just thought I might... travel with you for a while."

Autolycus couldn't hide his reaction to this one. "Wow. The big guy really did a number on you."

"Is that sympathy? Or are you gloating? On you they look so similar." Iolaus' self-pity turned to blind anger at the assumption that Hercules had effected the split between them.

"O-K," Autolycus ventured with a 'backing off now' expression. "You don't want to talk about it. Message received."

"Let's just hit the road," Iolaus sighed.

"Uh, hate to disappoint you, Man of the People, but I don't actually have a scheduled itinerary, so it'll be a little while until your next act of self-sacrifice."

Iolaus huffed. "Fine. I was heading for Corinth, so how about we keep to that plan." They traveled on for some time before something else occurred to him. "Oh, one thing, though: steal from King Iphicles and I'll nail your toes to the throne room rafters."

"Sounds uncomfortable. Ok, you got a deal. But I want you to know, you're costing me a fortune."

"Watch me cry a river of tears. Iphicles has enough people trying to steal his crown without someone trying to steal his treasury."

"What, you never stole from people with problems? You can't have been much of a thief."

"Look," Iolaus sputtered, "Iphicles is family, ok? Family, as in 'me and mine,' as in 'don't rip them off!'"

"I get the concept," Autolycus snapped. "I've never stolen from anyone who mattered to me."

It was a low blow, but Iolaus was in no mood to pass it up. "Yeah, well, if anyone mattered to you, that might be a little more difficult."

"Hey, pal, just because I don't go all weepy over people doesn't mean they aren't—significant to me," Autolycus retorted. "When did I ever steal from you? And you've got to admit, I've had plenty of chances." Iolaus looked up, shocked and repentant, and as inappropriate as it was at that moment, he wanted to laugh at the look on his companion's face; Autolycus clearly hadn't meant to say that. He suppressed the feeling with all his might and gave a small grin of understanding, then quickly searched for something to change the subject.

"Yeah, well, if I ever acquire anything of any value, I'll be sure to sleep with it under my pillow, just in case."

Autolycus smirked knowingly. "You do that. But I warn you, I've perfected the art of out-from-under-pillow stealing."

Iolaus laughed. "Ah. Hence the princess."

"You bet. Why they figure that's the safest place for it, I really can't tell you."

"I suppose they're under the mistaken impression that there are some depths even you won't sink to."

Autolycus laughed. "Morons."