Chapter Nine: Hunting the Nightingale

Riding back to the villa was uncomfortable. Erva refused to make small talk, and Varinia was too focused on the cold weather to utter a sound, minus a few chatters of her teeth. Gabrielle peered over her shoulder at the soldiers following behind them. Something about those two didn't sit right with her, and she wondered if Erva shared the same thoughts as her.

"What were those bells for?" asked Gabrielle.

"Today was the last day of autumn. Each season, the bells chime throughout the entire Steppe region. There are bell towers in each province."

Gabrielle looked to Erva, contorting her lips. "And you need bells for that?"

They arrived at the villa, and Erva dismounted her horse, stalking over to the villa. Gabrielle sighed, shaking her head, and helped Varinia off the saddle. The soldiers gathered the horses and went ahead to tie them behind the large home. Varinia wrapped her arms around her thin torso and gawked at the villa. She was impressed but thought that Xena would've lived in a much grander place than this. It was also very close to the market.

Erva waited by the doors and snapped her fingers for the two to hurry inside. Gabrielle walked in first, glaring at Erva, and took the veil off her hair. The villa was extremely dark, and there was a glass of half-drunken wine on the table and an empty plate. Xena must've eaten downstairs. Gabrielle could see a knife in the kitchen from afar and a bowl of fruit.

Fruit and bread. Of course. Why would it be any different?

"Gabrielle."

She spun around on her heel to Erva lingering beside Varinia, almost possessively. She had a hand on Varinia's shoulder with the most menacing of glares.

"Go upstairs and inform Xena that we're here."

Gabrielle hesitated for a couple of seconds but hurried up the staircase. It was one of the few orders that were easy to obey. Erva waited until the area was clear, and she turned Varinia around with a swift hand.

"If you know what's good for you, do not mention Evander in front of her," she whispered.

Varinia drew her eyebrows together. "But she knows who Evander is."

"Do as I say."

Gabrielle emerged from the back of the villa, standing at the top of the stairs. "She's gone."

Erva walked forward, "what do you mean, gone?"

"She…I don't know! She's not here!"

Standing at the foot of the stairs, Gabrielle witnessed a behavior she hadn't seen from her brunette counterpart. Erva scratched her arms almost as if bugs were crawling all over her. Gabrielle wondered if Erva always felt this worrisome when Xena disappeared or left. She didn't even wish to imagine what it was like when Xena left for Rome.

Varinia wandered around the villa, looking at the adjoining rooms, not noticing what was happening behind her. She walked into the kitchen and found a tray filled with fruit. She hurried back into the foyer, clearing her throat loudly, which grabbed Gabrielle's attention.

"Can I have some fruit?"

"Go ahead," Gabrielle said, descending down the stairs, and approached Erva. "Should we send some people to look for her? I don't know where she would've gone unless someone took her?"

Erva mumbled, obviously cross, "I should've known she was going to do something like this. You should have stayed here."

Gabrielle cast a soft grin. "Stayed? You mean, babysit her. And that wouldn't set you off? You don't like it when I'm around her."

Erva tapered her eyes at the petite blonde. That was a can of worms that she didn't want to argue over right now. She was too focused on Xena. She didn't believe that anyone could come into this villa and kidnap her. Xena was too smart to be seized. The intruders would've been killed instantly. But, no, Xena had this planned out. She wanted to be alone so she could leave. It was another one of her plans—a plan that she didn't care to share with anybody else.

"I'll have Tariq and Demir search the area," she said, heading outside.

Gabrielle ran forward and blocked the exit, spreading her arms outward. If she was going to be pushed, she'd rather be pushed against the door than down the stairs. Erva looked ready to throw her across the floor at any second, but Gabrielle decided to take her chances.

"I don't think you should let them do that. I don't trust them. When I was waiting for you at the party, they weren't by the horses."

Erva smiled, humming quietly. "Yes, I know they're both up to no good, Gabrielle. That's why I want them to look for Xena. I'm going to follow them."

Nothing gets past this woman, Gabrielle thought. "Are you lying to me? Do you know where Xena is?"

"If I knew, why would I send soldiers to look for her?"

Gabrielle let her arms drop to her sides and took a generous step to the side. The doors were pushed open, and Erva rushed down the stairs, whistling to the two soldiers who just put the horses up for the evening. Gabrielle closed the doors and ran to the window, peering from behind the curtain, watching the soldiers scatter to grab the stabled horses. As much trust as Xena put in her right hand, Gabrielle had a feeling that Erva knew more than she was letting on.

The probability of him running out of here alive was slim. He didn't want to upset Soner and deny the task, but he felt wedged in a tough spot. He had tried to kill Xena before, and that didn't work very well. Evander wasn't too sure what would happen if he did get close enough to kill Xena, but knowing how intuitive she was, he'd probably get captured by her again. She already had him very close to her.

There was something that he did know that Xena didn't. Some of her men were working against her and for Soner Bastillia. He recalled Yunus saying that the arrow was made and purchased once a year. Did that mean that Soner had been trying to kill Xena for several years? Or was he working for someone else? Evander now wondered how many hits Xena had on her. For sure, Emperor Nero had a hit on her, but he didn't know if Nero knew that Xena was alive.

And of all people to ask, Soner chose him. He didn't even know me that well, Evander kept telling himself. But he knew enough. And Evander knew enough about Bastillia to be thrown into the depths of the Bosporus.

"Why would you ask me to do that?" he asked, staring at the smiling man across the room. "You don't even know if I'm qualified to kill someone. All I do is make bows."

"It's very interesting," Soner stroked his chin and traced his finger along the rim of the wine glass.

"What is?"

Soner shifted on the sofa and held his palm outward. "You didn't refuse."

Mind games are not what Evander had time for. "I didn't agree either."

"You must have a connection with her."

Evander's stomach tightened, and his palms cupped his knees, digging his nails into the fabric. He chose wisely not to reply and keep to himself, though he thought maybe it wasn't a wise choice. If he said nothing, then Soner might pester him for more information. Or maybe if he outright denied, Soner's suspicions would arise. Either way, he couldn't win tonight. He was going to be coerced into this task whether he liked it or not.

Soner studied the quivering blue eyes opposite him and sipped some wine. He licked his lips and relaxed against the back of the sofa. "You talk to Xena's soldiers quite a lot, as I mentioned before. Wherever you are, they're there, keeping their watchful eye on you." He tapped a finger in the crevice of his eye and nose bridge.

Already under the radar, Evander knew his stiffness would be noticed and possibly acknowledged. He decided to copy Soner's body language and reclined on the sofa, stretching a leg outward and let an arm hang over his thigh.

"You're too young to be a politician," said Soner, tilting his head from side to side. "You could be a prisoner, but those people normally don't live very long. Unless you belong to some prestigious family and she's providing very generous hospitality."

Furrowing his thick eyebrows, Evander often thought of what his life would've been like if he stayed in Edirne. This had been on his mind ever since he arrived in Abydos. He could've had everything he wanted. He would've had a parent to take care of him. The more he thought about the possibilities of his alternate reality, the more apparent of Xena being his mother—being a part of him—was true. And he didn't want to accept that. Instead, he was raised by several Romans and labeled as an orphan.

But now, he had anything he wanted, and he was sure if he asked for something, he'd receive it. All he had to do was ask Xena, and she'd give it to him, no questions asked.

All I have to do is ask.

Evander's mouth quirked upward. "I know Xena. I've met with her a few times."

Soner nodded and set down his glass. "Yet you told me you didn't have a connection with her before. How do I know if you're telling the truth?"

"I can prove it to you. If I ask for something, she will send it to me. Whatever I want."

"Is that right?" Soner arched an eyebrow, and Evander responded with a smile. "Are you allies with her? You can be honest with me."

Evander wavered. Xena was no ally of his from the moment he was designated to end her life. Even now, their dynamic was odd and wasn't very stable. But he didn't consider her an enemy anymore.

"We don't have the best relationship. Our families haven't gotten along for a long time," he clenched his jaw as he forced himself to say words with slivers of truths woven in between.

"Interesting. She gave you a nice home to live in. Your relationship doesn't seem so stilted."

Evander's heart raced, though he exuded tranquility on the exterior. "I'm just her hostage. My family is from Rome."

Soner snickered, "well, that certainly makes more sense," he wiped his nose and picked at his nail. "I want to test what you say is true. Can you ask Xena to send you money?"

It was now that he relied on sheer faith if Xena would hold up to her promises since the day he got to this damned Steppe province.

"How much were you thinking?"

"I'm assuming you aren't here to kill Xena anymore."

Gabrielle lifted her eyes at Varinia, who sat on the floor, eating a large sum of fruit. She hadn't realized she was being stared at this whole time. Her mind was too fixated on where Xena could've gone and Erva following the soldiers. They could be here all night. Or Xena could show up in the middle of the night and act like nothing happened.

"Oh…yeah, I'm not."

Varinia pried open a pomegranate and scooped the seeds out. "Do you live with her?" she asked, and Gabrielle gave a small head nod. "And…she doesn't care that you were assigned to assassinate her?"

"It's a very long, long story. I'd rather not go into it if you don't mind."

Varinia smiled and finished off all the seeds of the fruit and then moved to grab another pomegranate. Gabrielle scrunched her nose, watching the small Syrian devour two pomegranates in one sitting. She'd never been one to like those, but she was surprised to see someone as little as Varinia eat, not one, but two.

"Eylül didn't feed you or something?" she jested, and Varinia kept silent, continuing to eat the fruit. "So…why are you here?"

"Well," she set down the half-eaten pomegranate. "I've been living in Abydos. Xena sent me there. She also gave me a place to live in. You should see it, Gabrielle! It's a very nice villa, although it's not as big as this one," her eyes glanced around.

Gabrielle sank in the chair on that note. A very noticeable game that you're playing, Xena. Not only did this woman conquer all of these regions, assign her ex-commander to eradicate enemies, but she also had a dispensable income. Xena was more willing to give houses away and spend more on others close to her than live in a luxurious home.

If only Varinia knew that this villa was also given to Gabrielle to reside in.

"How did you come to meet Eylül Bastillia?"

Varinia wiped her mouth after drinking an entire cup of water. "I took a ship to get to Edirne. Well, of course, I wouldn't know where to go, and I didn't know the port was so far from Edirne," she huffed. "Anyway, Eylül showed up, and she offered to take me to Edirne. Did you know she owns the port?"

Gabrielle drummed her fingers on the armrest. "Yes, I did. Those chests, are you sure they're Roman?"

"I'm positive! I told you I've seen them many times!" Varinia picked at the grapes. "You know, Eylül said something so bizarre…" she looked off in the distance, drawing her eyebrows in, thinking. "She spoke about Xena as if she'd never seen her. She thought Erva could be Xena."

That could explain why Erva was targeted at the party, but still, how would anyone there have known about Erva's presence? There were so many unanswered questions swimming in Gabrielle's mind. She couldn't get any answers, certainly not from Erva nor Xena. The more time she spent with them and the stranger things that kept happening, she had a gut feeling both women were harboring secrets. Perhaps, secrets from each other as well.

"Nobody in Edirne or the entire Steppe region knows what she looks like," said Gabrielle.

Varinia gasped, "that explains everything! Now that I've seen Erva, she looks nothing like Xena! By the way, where is Erva from? She looks like she could be from my homeland."

"Um," Gabrielle scratched her scalp, feeling very fidgety. "I think she said somewhere along the Tigris River."

"I knew it. Did she say which city? I bet she's from Baghdad. She looks like she could be from there. Only really wealthy people live there. I visited when I was a little girl."

Gabrielle sat, listening to her talk nonstop, and normally she'd engage, but she was too sidetracked. She tuned out the mouthy girl a few times, all while keeping her eye on the window where she could see if horses returned. Nothing.

There was a time to listen, and then there was a time to watch. Here, right now, it was time to watch and listen, up close and personal in the home of Eylül Bastillia. As another hour trickled by, there was far too much wine being passed around. A few bottles laid around the grand room, where the main focus of the celebration was. Many of the bottles were not from Edirne or any Steppe province.

These bottles were directly from Egypt. The design of the bottle was instantly recognizable. The smell of the dry bitter alcohol tainted the air. It merely poured out of the guests' pores as they were in close proximity of each other. Guests came to this party from all over the Steppe region, but others didn't belong.

Romans, for one. Their clothing gave them away and the way they carried themselves. Those from Edirne were separated from others that resided from other provinces of the Steppes. That of their clothing distinguished citizens of Edirne from citizens, say, from Abydos. Eylül made it a point to send invitations to every province, inviting her closest allies, friends, and even enemies.

Out of all the people within the Bastillia family, Eylül had to be the most arrogant. She gave to charities throughout all provinces, yet she wouldn't pay her dues to Xena at all. Xena wished she could say she was surprised, but she'd dealt with the family for many years. Eylül was fairly young compared to her other family members, but not young enough to be ignorant or naïve. By her family's standards, she was too old to marry off, and maybe she wanted it that way. Certainly, there have been several men spotted coming to and from her villa.

Xena had kept her eye on the woman for some time, and despite how thorough she was with her investigations, she barely touched the surface of Eylül's plans. From what one of her men told her, there was an abundance of ships sailing to and from Edirne. While she had no control over many ports, she still liked to know what was coming into her land and what was going out.

And only one way to find out was to see the source itself. Xena stepped into the Bastillia home later than usual. She saw Gabrielle and Erva leaving the villa just as she making her way over. Her absence was going to cause a stir, which she anticipated some backlash when she'd return.

She walked through the ballroom, holding her breath from the bitter wine circling around her. When she decided to have Edirne wine shipped to Rome, she received a large sum for it. And when she blew up the ships, it was only because one of her soldiers told her that Eylül confiscated several wine cases at the Roman port.

Even from afar, Eylül managed to get her sticky fingers on items that didn't belong to her. Trapped in a mass of people, Xena never felt more invisible. Nobody recognized her, and she couldn't blame the mask for that either. She waltzed through the area as if she were a phantom. A few people bumped into her shoulder as she passed by. She wasn't powerful here. She was small despite her towering height.

Off to the side, away from segregated groups of guests, Eylül stood, chatting with a blond man. Xena raised her eyebrow, instantly distinguishing the host from the crowd. It was nearly impossible to miss her as she made herself very noticeable, wearing a very extravagant gown with a train that was begging to be stepped on.

Xena thought to approach Eylül but spotted an adjoining room with a door open. There were several men huddled together, looking to be in a deep conversation. On the floor was a huge box settled in the center of the men. Xena slipped by, eyeing the oblivious host, and briskly walked towards the small room.

Once she stepped over the threshold, a man blocked her path and placed his hand on her shoulder. She looked down at the hand upon her and lifted her eyes.

"You need permission from Eylül Bastillia to enter this room," he stated.

Xena grinned and slithered her fingers up his arms. She wrapped her hands behind his neck, causing him to relax. She pressed her thumbs on the nape of his neck, and he fell from her grasp slowly and slid down the wall. Her smile disappeared, and she stepped over his body, entering the room.

There were a few women here, but most were men. Xena, with her hands behind her back, sauntered around the room, eyeing the heavy chests scattered about. She peered over a man's shoulder, taking a look at what was inside one of the chests. It appeared to be the only one open.

Inside, hundreds of parchments were rolled and sealed—sealed with a Roman crest on the wax.

Hoarding documents from Rome? Illegal.

As she listened to the conversation while casually passing by, she took a glass of wine, pretending to mind her business. She looked around the room, subtly admiring the tapestries. The men talked of the various estates written in the documents given by Augusta Sabina.

Buying property? Very illegal.

Another man discussed the trading of Roman estates to other politicians across the Steppes. Xena's eyes widened, and she had to refrain from turning around, expressing her disdain.

Selling illegal property too? Imprisonment.

"What's happened here?" Eylül said by the entrance. "This is why I prohibit drinking on duty," she muttered. "Take him away and find Taris," she said to a servant behind her.

Xena hummed a quiet laugh and sipped the wine. She smacked her tongue against the roof of her mouth and stared down at the wine. Disgusting. That voice—that annoying voice was coming closer and closer. She couldn't run now. She was already inside the room. The irritating voice approached and even called to her, so Xena had no choice but to turn around.

"Hello," Eylül flashed an uncertain smile. "I don't recall meeting you earlier. I was sure that I met everyone who came through this room…"

Xena forced a smile. "I just arrived. I received my invitation late."

"Oh, really?" Eylül looked more embarrassed but tried to hide that, though it was apparent to Xena's keen eye. "I sent all my invitations out at the same time. Surely, you should've gotten it."

"I received…an impromptu invitation from your cousin."

"Oh, which one?"

"Soner."

Eylül seemed to relax her stance and her smile enlarged. "Oh, Soner. So, you're from Abydos then. I've had some strange coincidences with people from there lately. I found this girl at the port. She said she was from Abydos."

Xena, tapping her fingers on the glass, said, "it's a very popular city."

Without given a chance, Xena was lead across the room to where the women were gathered. Another chest was filled with jewelry, which definitely was not from Edirne. It was clear that this room was specifically for a small group of people. It was a closed group, and Xena was lucky enough to know all the Bastillia family members. She couldn't kill every single one of these people to know what was happening here. She was more interested in what the men were talking about instead of these jewelry pieces.

"Those are very nice," she noted, picking up a green jeweled pendant. "These don't look like they're from Edirne."

"Because they're not," Eylül said. "They're from Rome—Augusta Sabina, to be exact."

Xena tried not to drop the pendant as if it were a piece of filth in her hand. She gently placed the necklace back into the chest and forced her way through a teeth-clenching smile. Her fingers wrapped around the glass so tightly, she feared it might shatter. What on earth did Erva and Gabrielle do here? They didn't stay long. Obviously, they didn't do their jobs correctly.

She choked out, "and the…Edirne Conqueror doesn't mind that you spend money on Roman goods?"

Eylül, along with the other women, cackled. "How long has it been since you been to Edirne? Xena never comes out of her home, but that has been proven to be a lie. I've been told that she went to Rome and stayed there for quite some time," she whispered, though everyone heard. "She even convinced the Emperor she died while in Rome!"

Xena clenched the glass, and the top broke off, spilling wine all over her hand. She hadn't noticed the blood and wine mixture trickling down her arm until Eylül pulled her aside, taking the broken glass from her grasp. Reluctantly, and almost in a fog, she was guided to the back of the room where water was poured over the cut on her thumb and forefinger.

"This is a lot of blood," Eylül muttered. "I will have someone grab bandages for you."

Xena grabbed the woman's arm firmly. "That isn't necessary."

She clamped a hand over the cut, stopping the flow of blood for a few moments. You could be dead right now, Bastillia, but there are too many people watching, too many witnesses, and with me, nowhere to run. Xena, with penetrating eyes, glared at the masked brunette. In a few moments, some maids came to service her, wrapping gauze over her hand.

Slightly squeamish at the amount of blood in the water basin, Eylül ordered it to be taken away. Xena looked down at her wrapped hand and tapered her eyes at the women ogling the jewelry. Unaffected by her new wound, she set a gentle—a very gentle—hand on Eylül's shoulder.

"So, you say the conqueror is dead?"

"She is very much alive, obviously," she snorted. "The Emperor was foolish to believe that little charade she put on for him. I'm surprised she went to Rome at all!"

Xena exhaled through her nostrils. "And how, exactly, do you know she's alive? What if she truly is dead?"

"I know she isn't, and now Rome knows too."

As the night progressed, Gabrielle grew physically and mentally tired, waiting for the two women's return. Ignoring Erva's original orders, she escorted Varinia upstairs to sleep in one of the bedrooms. It was easy to find clothes for Varinia to wear and get out of that decadent gown. Gabrielle thought it would be best to stick closeby to Varinia if something happened. She'd rather be close if an intruder came inside the villa.

But, even though the night was odd at best, nothing strange happened. Except, Varinia was up most of the night, emptying her stomach of all the fruit she ate hours earlier. Gabrielle could hear the retching from across the hall, and that lasted for a good half hour. She didn't bother to check on Varinia once she heard silence after a while.

Sleeping on her stomach, wearing the clothes from the night before, Gabrielle had her arm hanging off the side of the bed. In somewhat deep sleep, she woke to a lot of ruckus coming from down the hall. She heard loud footsteps tracking through the hallway. Back and forth. And then a loud shatter jarred her fully awake.

Gabrielle, nearly falling off the bed, got up and rushed outside. She thought it might've been Varinia, but that girl was too small to make such loud footwork. She followed the noise and walked down the cold hallway towards Xena's bedroom. Fearing it might be an intruder, she tread cautiously.

She opened the door with a push of her finger and found it wasn't an intruder at all. It was Xena herself. And she was furious. The broken vase on the ground was the sound Gabrielle heard from the room. By the light shining into the bedroom, it was morning. Had Xena really been gone all night long?

Xena paced back and forth, a hand clamped over her forehead, obviously in a frantic state. Gabrielle stepped inside the room, which made Xena whip her head around. Gabrielle emits a shy smile and then became immediately horrified as Xena marched right up to her.

"Just what were you doing at the party? You and Erva accomplished nothing! And where is Erva? She isn't here!"

Gabrielle, choked-up for words, "she…she's out…looking for you. Are you okay?"

"I asked you to do one thing for me. One thing."

Gabrielle's fingers toyed with her gown to ease her nerves. "Where did you go? You—you weren't here when we came back."

"Avoiding the topic, Gabrielle. One of your best skills," she let a sliver of a smile creep up on her.

That smile was not one that she ever wanted to see on Xena's face. It was a horrible feeling to be trapped on the other side of that expression. And Gabrielle never wanted to be in this position. Not ever.

"I'm not avoiding anything. I was worried about you." Her eyes drifted to the bandages. "Your hand. What happened?"

Xena swiveled her arm to rest behind her back and continued glaring at the blonde below her. "You and Erva must love to waste my time. I went to the party to investigate for myself."

"You what?"

"I did. And you know what I found out?"

Gabrielle cocked her eyebrow upward.

"Go on, ask me. Ask me what I discovered."

"Xena…"

"Ask. Me."

Gabrielle held her breath and felt her heart beating through her ears. "What…did you find out?"

The eerie smile returned, and it was here to stay. "Eylül Bastillia has been a very busy woman. She's making illegal trade deals with your lovely friend, Augusta Sabina."

"Well, I—"

"Oh, wait, there's more," Xena raised her finger to the ceiling. "She knows I went to Rome. Oh and, Emperor Nero knows I'm alive. Oh, and wait," she wiped her nose, her smile widening, "she's been contacting Sabina this entire time!" she growled.

Gabrielle flinched, stiffening her entire body.

"Who knows what else she's been doing?" she threw her hands in the air. "She could be plotting to kill me. She probably knows where I'm staying," she panted, breathing heavily. "She's going to kill me!"

She dug her fingers into her hair, turning her back to the blonde. She closed her eyes, digging her nails into her scalp. Gabrielle, wide-eyed, stood in silence, completely aghast, and at a loss of what to do. Stepping forward, she grasped Xena's tense shoulder. In less than a couple of seconds, the shoulder which she held loosely trembled in her palm.

Gabrielle came around slowly and saw tears. Crying? She's crying?

She held out her hand, and moments later, Xena's eyes fluttered, batting her wet lashes, and stared at the hand. Gabrielle gave a warm smile, and Xena took the hand. They walked over to the bed and sat down together, sitting side by side. Xena shielded her face, wiping her cheeks with her palm.

"Nobody's going to kill you. I promised that I wouldn't let that happen. I won't let it happen, and neither will…Erva," she meekly added.

The vulnerability Xena displayed was a new side Gabrielle hadn't seen. Perhaps Erva was right. Xena was a labyrinth that had many twists and turns inside. With each passing week, Gabrielle saw something new, but this was the least expected. At this very moment, all that power that the citizens feared ceased to exist in this room. If her people knew how she truly was, they might not fear her so much.

You're only hurting yourself, Xena.

Gabrielle traced her fingers along Xena's arm and held the heavy hand in her own. She examined the bandages and blood seeping through the linen.

"What happened here?"

Xena sniffled, peering at the bandages, "I broke a glass at the party," she mumbled, then looked at the jade eyes beside her, smiling crookedly. "It…was in my hand."

"Ah," chuckling under her breath, she took the bandages off and hissed at the wound. "That's pretty bad. I'll get some fresh gauze," she walked over to the bag of medicinal supplies. "Am I always going to be fixing you?" she teased.

In more ways than you know, Gabrielle.

She came to sit down and dabbed the wound with oil, causing Xena to wince. "You always cringe as if you've never done this before. We've done this plenty of times. Stay still, would you?"

Humming softly while cleaning the cut, she added, "I already know that Eylül is trading with the Romans."

Xena blinked, "you do?"

"Someone almost killed Erva at the party, and I saved her," she said, rather proudly, given her fluctuating tone. She lifted her eyes, and there Xena was, shocked as could be. "For Erva's safety, I decided to leave the party, but I brought back a lot of useful information for you."

Suddenly, a feeling of guilt washed over her, and she let her head hang, gazing at her feet.

"Oh…" Xena uttered. "I'm…sorry I jumped down your throat."

"You were upset," Gabrielle shrugged.

Xena grabbed the blonde's wrist, and their eyes met, inches apart. "But you didn't deserve it."

Turning away and unable to hide her smile, she continued bandaging Xena's hand and tucked the gauze underneath the bundle. She stared at the hand for longer than expected, inspecting Xena's long slender fingers with the small cuts on her knuckles. Likely from the shattered glass. Was there a part of her body that wasn't covered in old and fresh wounds, Gabrielle wondered?

Counting the suns that rose when she had moments with Xena had been very few so far.

"So, um," she cleared her throat and broken voice, "I found…an unexpected guest at the party. She's our information source."

Xena's eyebrows lifted into her fringe, leaning in close.

"I found…Varinia," she said and saw the color drain from the conqueror's face. "She's here, down the hall. She was very insistent on speaking to you. I tried to ask why, but she told me she only wants you."

Xena sprung from the bed and hurried out of the room. She looked in all the bedrooms upstairs and finally came to where Varinia resided. Opening the door, she stared, relieved, to see Varinia sleeping soundly with her curls draped over her chest and half of her face. All this time, she had been in front of their eyes. Now, Xena only focused on Xian. He was alone in Abydos and probably worried sick over Varinia's disappearance.

Wondering why Varinia wanted to speak with her in person instead of passing the message onto a soldier irked her. She jumped at the hand, rested on the small of her back.

Gabrielle smiled, letting her hand slip away. "She's been sick since last night. She ate almost that entire tray of fruit!"

"I'm glad to see that she's alright."

That made Gabrielle narrow her eyes for a split second. That wasn't the response she expected to hear. It wasn't the first time she heard the city's name, Abydos. Keeping secrets must be a common thing to do in this household.

"You were worried about her? Did something happen?"

"No…I'm just glad she's safe here. With me," Xena gave a weak smile.

"When I asked about Evander…"

Xena looked at the slumbering Syrian, curling her fingers into her palm.

"You said you didn't kill him and that he's safe. Does he…also stay in Abydos? With her…" she eyed Varinia, then looked up at Xena.

The silence was unnerving, and more than she could bear.

"It's a yes or no question, Xena. Is he living in Abydos with Varinia?"

"Yes!" Xena spat, clenching her fist. After a moment, she caught herself and relaxed her face.

"Why isn't he with her? Is there a reason she came to see you?"

Just at the right moment, at least for Xena so she wouldn't have to continue this conversation, Varinia awoke, groaning, stretched her arm over her head, and sat up. She sighed, rubbing her face, fluffing out her wild hair, and then turned to see pairs of eyes staring at her. With a great smile, she gasped and hopped out of bed, running across the room. Varinia gripped Xena's arms tightly, overly animated to see her.

"I finally get to talk to you! I've been trying to track you down!" Varinia wrapped her arms around Xena's stiff body. "I really need to talk to you…about…Evander," she whispered, eyeing Gabrielle, who stood by the door.