musicmaker, Thnx again for the review, muahahaha! you're funny!

Shastalily, I'm glad you like the new Callisto too, Dent has been of great help to her indeed. Thnx for the review

Chapter 4, The winter is over but it's cold inside

"You're on his death list? I'd love to hear this one."

"I'm sure you do," Camilla answered "let's just say it started long before I lived here. I stole from him, took his land and much more. He's been trying to kill me ever since and I'm sure he's doing much better now that I am retired."

Callisto chuckled "You think he ever finds out where you are?"

"Hope not, but you never know off course."

Callisto nods her head "I'm betting there are plenty of people wondering where that terrible Callisto is hanging out."

Camilla stood up lifting the empty soup cups from the table "I'm more wondering if Callisto is able to face these people now that she's changed."

Callisto eyed the dark haired woman "You think I'm going back to my old self when I leave you and Dent." It was a question but it didn't sound like one.

"I don't think anything, but I do know it's not going to be easy, I've been there." She paused shortly "After you've made you're first kill, you can feel the adrenaline floating through you're veins again. The smell of blood, the feeling of invincibility…it all comes back."

She stopped talking and carried the empty cups to a buckle of hot water. She took a short glance over her shoulder and saw Callisto was thinking deeply. It was not an easy road to travel, but if you keep strong there will come an end to the road. This was only the beginning and for now Callisto had a better start then she did.

One month later, end of winter.

"Are you sure you don't want to come?"

Camilla was about to go to a village for supplies. She had to travel longer this time because the other village was destroyed. She had asked if Dent and Callisto wanted to come with her.

"No we'll stay here and watch the house, right Dent?"

Callisto wrapped her arm around Dent and pulled him closer.

"Alright, I'll be back tomorrow."

Camilla waved them goodbye and motioned her horse down into the mountain's forest. It was still a long day to travel before she would reach Torus. Ten years had past since her last visit to Torus and it wasn't one with pleasant memories. She wondered if the people would still recognize her, let's hope they don't.

Even though she hates to go there, she knows there is no other option. Food supplies were needed. Off course Callisto had offered to go there, but Camilla had told her it was better to face her fears and to go to the village. On her turn Callisto neglected the offer to go there together.

After three hours she allowed her horse to rest. She'd stopped near a lake and told the animal it should get something to drink. The horse didn't have to think twice and immediately started drinking. It was still three hours traveling. The weather was changing, soon it will start raining so it was important to make it in Torus in time.

Ten minutes later she jumped back on her horse and started riding it down the hills again. They had to hurry the storm was nearing and by the looks of it, it's going to be a tough one. Only a few minutes before she would reach the village the storm razed over her. Rain streamed from the sky and thunder echoed through her ears. Then the village got in sight.

The village gate was closing, no speed up, speed up. She kicked her horse and forced it to run faster and just then the gate went open again. Seconds later Camilla had entered Torus.

A woman stood in front of her and helped Camilla from her horse.

"Follow me." She said and guided Camilla to the stables. "They will take good care of you're horse, I've let mine rest here as well."

She pointed at a light colored horse. Camilla nodded, removed her sword from the saddle and placed it behind her back.

"You were lucky, if you had come a few seconds later, I don't think I could have convinced them to let you in."

"Yeh well I wouldn't blame them, it's a nasty storm."

"And it's only just beginning." The woman answered "Can I buy you a drink?"

Camilla shrugged "Well I could use something strong yes thank you." This woman certainly doesn't remember Camilla, but then it looks like she doesn't come from Torus.

Camilla held her hand up "Name's Camilla."

The woman accepted it "well Camilla, I'm Xena, nice to meet you."

Everything inside Camilla's body froze, Xena? The woman Callisto told me about?

"Are you alright?" Xena asked and immediately brought Camilla back to the real world.

"Yeh, but I could use that drink you offered me."

Xena laughed and showed Camilla the way.

"So what brings you to Torus?" Xena asked. The women sat behind a table sharing a good drink.

"Supplies, I need supplies for me and my son." Camilla answered and saw Xena's eyebrow moving up. "We live in the mountains, it's not easy to find food up there, especially after the winter."

"If you live in the mountains you must have been unable to travel the entire winter." Xena replied.

"Correct, I stash a complete supply for the entire winter and always did that in Cira, but now it doesn't exist anymore I have to go here."

"Yes I heard, pour people, Callisto never knows when to stop does she?"

Camilla frowned "Callisto?" she said.

"Yes," Xena answered, "it was her who attacked the village."

"No honey it wasn't just Callisto, the worst was done by General Maxim and he took Callisto with it."

Maybe it was stupid of her to tell Xena this. Xena looked curious at her, she was thinking about something, but what.

"General Maxim? That brutal Roman?" By the sound of Xena's voice it sounded that she barely knew the man.

"Yes, he killed my husband in that village, I don't think Callisto would have used black powder, just not her style."

"You seem to know her pretty good."

Camilla was about to reply when two people approached Xena. A man and a woman, the man looked rather weird. Xena noticed them and smiled.

"Camilla, these are my friends. Gabrielle and Joxer."

"Hi." They said together and Camilla nodded at them.

"Well it's getting late, I'm going to get some sleep." Camilla stood up from her seat. "It was nice meeting you Xena." Once again she nodded and then left the three friends.

"What did we do?" Gabrielle asked and decided to take place on Camilla's seat.

"No, you did nothing. It was something I said." Xena answered.

"Well what did you say?" was another question from the blonde woman.

"We were talking about Cira, I blamed Callisto for what happened there but she blamed a Roman general, it sounded like she was protecting Callisto…strange…"

There was a moment silence and then Joxer spoke again "Beautiful woman wasn't she?" Xena and Gabrielle eyed him and then burst out in laughter, it caused Joxer to blush.

She had everything, clothes, food, drinks, enough for a month. It was time to go back home and with a little luck she would make it before nightfall. Camilla stood in the stables and was saddling her horse and tying the bag with foot supplies on the saddle when a voice sounded from behind her.

"Leaving already?"

It was Xena, together with, what was her name again, o yeh, Gabrielle.

"Yes, can't leave my son alone for too long." Camilla answered and finished saddling her horse.

"How old is you're son?" Gabrielle asked.

"Ten." Camilla answered on her turn.

"Ten years old and you leave him all alone in the mountains?"

"He's a big boy, now if you'll excuse me." Camilla was getting tired of all these questions and jumped on her horse

Xena and Gabrielle stepped aside "Have a nice trip." They said.

"Thank you." And with that said Camilla hurried herself out of Torus.

On high speed, even higher then her way to Torus Camilla led the horse back into the mountains. After three hours she took a break. Her horse took the opportunity to drink water from a stream. Camilla walked up the hill to get a good view of the distance between her and her house.

Smoke was coming in her sight, where was the smoke coming from? Quickly she hurried up the hill and was shocked of what came in her sight. The smoke was coming from her house. Rage went through her head and she ran back down, jumped on her horse and forced it to run faster then ever. It still took the horse more then an hour to reach home. The horse got to a halt and Camilla jumped of. By now the house was completely gone. But she didn't care about that she had to find Dent and Callisto. Camilla walked around the burned house and saw Callisto on the ground, there was no movement left in her.

She leaned down and tried to feel a pulse on Callisto. There was a faint one and she stood back up to find her son. Three times she circled around, there wasn't a single lead to Dent. Camilla started to get desperate, he could have been burned in the fire, he could have fallen down from the mountain, wait a second what exactly was the reason behind the fire. Her eye fell upon torches lying next to Callisto's body, but there was more. On the other side of Callisto was a knife, a knife covered wit blood. Camilla kneeled down and looked at it. Her eyes widened when they fell upon the handle of the knife. It had the form of a snake curled around it. There is only one person she knows who has that kind of knifes, General Maxim.

Callisto groaned, Camilla turned to her and checked the injuries on her body. A large gash on her forehead, several cuts on her arms and a cut on her upper back. The injuries weren't deadly.

"Camilla…I'm sorry…they…"

Callisto tried to sit up, Camilla helped her. "What do you mean Callisto? Where's Dent?"

Tears filled Callisto's eyes, her lips started shaking, she was looking for the right words to say.

"The General…ki…killed him…took him…I…"

Now it wasn't just Callisto who had tears in her eyes, Camilla too started to cry when she heard the words falling from Callisto's mouth.

"Are you sure…I mean…"

But the look on Callisto's face was clear enough. Camilla couldn't control herself anymore. She dropped into Callisto's arms and started crying, tears floated down her cheek. For the next fifteen minutes Camilla, known for her strong character, completely lost herself in Callisto's arms. Not a muscle was moved, not a word was said by the defeated woman.

A certain God will show up in the next chapter. Please R&R.