Riding Lessons
"Are you sure she'll be fine?" Xena asked. Cyrene nodded.
"Yes, darling now go get your son, I've got it all handled here." Xena nodded and kissed Allissia goodbye. Gabrielle kissed her goodbye too and they headed for the centaur village.
"Xena, I really want to go with you to reunite with your son, but I really think this is something you need to do on your own, I feel to much like I'm forcing you to go even though I know you wouldn't do it unless you wanted too." Xena nodded her understanding and hugged her friend to her surprise.
"I understand and you're right I do have to do this on my own. You're my rock but this is the one time that I have to count on myself not to fall." Gabrielle nodded. They hugged for several more minutes before Gabrielle took the road back to Potedia. She watched her sixteen-year-old friend walk until she was out of sight. Xena worried about her friend constantly when she left her alone. The young bard had a gift for finding trouble more regularly than Xena ever could at her age of course that was only eight years ago. Xena began to walk Southeast towards Cornith. As she walked she began to reminisce about her son who would be three years old in the two weeks it would take her to travel there. She got on Argo's back and they covered a hundred miles during the first week of travel. Xena knew they could have passed this point long ago, but she wanted to enjoy her time traveling alone even tough she was looking forward to seeing her son. She was even missing Allissia knowing she was probably missing her as well.
"Come on girl I think the sooner we get there the more time we'll have to find Solan a lovely present for his birthday and a present for your son as well." Argo neighed and nodded her head in response. Xena thought back to that winter solstice when Argo's foal stopped nursing. They couldn't afford to keep him any longer so after talking it over with Argo, she sent the horse to her son as a solstice present. She hoped he was enjoying the foal greatly. Xena sent Solan a present every solstice and every birthday. She could only pray to the god's that he forgave her for leaving him the way she did. They both knew she didn't forgive herself and missed him a great deal. She thought back to his second birthday when she bought him a Chinese lantern, so that he wouldn't have to sleep in the dark. She didn't want him to be afraid of the dark. It was just light enough not to disturb anybody in the room. Argo neighed startling her out of her reverie.
"What is it girl?" Xena asked as she stopped walking. She hadn't fought anyone in the week she had been on the rode alone and thought it was only a matter of time before she had too. But her sensed didn't sense anything human and for a moment she thought it was Ares whose eyes had just come to rest on her, but now she knew it was another god. "Show yourself!" Cupid, God of love appeared by the tree he was leaning against with an expression of happiness on his face.
"What?" Xena asked curiously. No god except Aphrodite ever looked at her with a happy expression.
"Xena, just the woman I wanted to see," Cupid said stepping forward.
"Why?" Xena asked suspiciously.
"Look some filithy ass stole my arrows and stole a bottle of hate from Ares' temple away from the priestesses."
"So," Xena said crossing her arms.
"Well he put it on my arrows so now instead of falling in love people are well you know." Xena nodded.
"I'm sorry to hear that, but can't you get Hercules and Iolaus to help you?" Xena asked. "I'm in a hurry and need to get there before the week is out."
'I'll transport you there later, and I would if the guy hadn't stuck them first. Who do you think tried to stop them in the first place, Senticles?" Cupid asked.
"Don't talk to me like I'm stupid because I don't have to help you at all, now where is he?"
"Thebes," Cupid answered before grabbing her arm and they were soon gone. They appeared just outside of Thebes.
"He should be in that little cabin right there." Xena nodded and went inside. She found the place disserted in her opinion. "Cupid!"
"Yes?" Cupid asked appearing thinking she had obtained the arrows fast.
"Does this look like a thief is here to you?" Xena asked. "Find the bastard!"
"Go look for him in the city, he must be there," Cupid replied disappearing before she could whack him with the blunt end of her sword. Xena sighed and headed into Thebes. All around people were fighting and arguing. The animosity they had for each other was just enormous in her opinion. After a night at the tavern and hardly getting any sleep from the sounds of fighting Cupid appeared.
"Well?" Xena asked him as if she had employed him to go on a mission.
"Discord took him to Persia." Xena sighed.
"Well than you're shit out of luck now aren't yah," Xena said walking pass him and heading for the stables.
"No, now come on we've got to catch them," Cupid declared. He quickly grabbed her arm and they disappeared. Xena hit him.
"Cupid I have somewhere to be, take me back to Greece right now!" Xena demanded.
"No, now let's look, I promise I'll drop you off exactly where you need to be when we're done." Xena growled at him.
"Cupid, I swear if you're lying you will live to regret this forever, do you understand?" Cupid nodded seeing the menacing look in her eye. They went into the Persian capitol and found it in pure chaos if that was an accurate description of the Persian capitol. They searched high and low and he was not there. Cupid disappeared and when he returned he announced they were going to Rome.
"Yippy!" Xena said with false enthusiasm.
"Yeah, but not before we go to Chin, Japa, Ithaca, and then Rome." Xena sighed as they disappeared. Xena made note of all the damage as she searched half-heartedly knowing he had probably moved on. Finally the day before Solan's birthday they reached Rome. Cupid left to go find Discord. Rome was turning into utter chaos just like everywhere else. She walked through Rome and passed the Senate where she swore she heard Caesar's voice, but she knew he was in Gaul at the moment. Even if he was here she would resist the urge to assassinate him because getting to her son was much more important than that son of a bitch.
"Finally!" Xena exclaimed to herself when she spotted the thief. He had blond hair so greasy and dirty it was turning black, his face had dried dirt all over it, and his clothes had food and wine stains covering it as if he hadn't changed in years to match the mud on it.
"Eww," Xena groaned as she walked over and kicked his feet out from under him and stopping him from loosing yet another arrow.
"I don't know who the hell you think you are, but keep your filthy hands off of Cupid's property and out of his temple you filthy scumbag." The sun glared down over head blocking Xena's face from being seen. The man squinted at her, but growled at the same. A woman especially in Rome would not easily take him out where the men were definitely watching him.
"I don't know who the hell you think you are, but you will not defeat me so easily." He tried to kick her feet out from under her, but she merely back flipped out of the way with the arrows still in hand. He stood up and charged at her. They had a sword fight until she disarmed him and put her sword away. Than he chose to fight her in hand to hand combat, which she didn't break a sweat over. She was winning until he threw his whole body weight onto her. He crushed her until she punched him, rolled his over, and put the pinch on him.
"Nasty ass," Xena grumbled. " CUPID!" Cupid appeared almost immediately, but only to her eyes as everyone watched the man on the ground struggle for air.
"Here you are," Xena said. "Now…."
"No, you have to shoot them, here dip two arrows in my blood." He took out a vile and she did so. "Good now take this silver bow I borrowed from Apollo and shoot those two who were once a loving couple." Xena took very careful aim and just before she loosed the arrow she released the pinch on the man with a kick. He took a deep breath before passing out. The first arrow hit the man and than she followed it with the second arrow towards the woman. It was like the vomit effect when they fell in love again the animosity the man created was dispelled and the balance restored.
"Please drop me off by a river near Cornith so I can get his smell off of me." Cupid took his arrows and the bow. She put a hand on his shoulder and they both disappeared and reappeared in his palace on Olympus. It was the most quiet and private of all his temples.
"I said a river near Cornith not one of your temples," Xena said.
"I know, but you deserve to bath in the lap of luxury now please enjoy." Xena sighed and nodded. It would be nice to enjoy a real bath. She even got to bath in chocolate and strawberry extract. It made her want to drink her bath water. While her clothes were drying she relaxed in her bra, panties, and long maroon silk and Egyptian cotton robe. She heard the door open and shut. She knew the sound of Cupid's boots anywhere and the slight movement of his wings.
"Are my clothes dry?" Xena asked.
"Soon," Cupid answered, "I just came to repay you."
"Cupid you owe me nothing but a transport to Cornith," Xena answered as her beautiful blue eyes fluttered open.
"So you say, but I need to repay you in my own way, so please let me," Cupid said. Xena sighed as he pulled her to her feet as she prayed it wasn't something she neither wanted nor desired.
"What is it?" Xena asked. She was standing very close to Cupid and noticed he smelled like a fresh spring day that just made you want to smile no matter what.
"This," Cupid said in a husky voice obviously noticing the proximity of their bodies as well. He leaned forward and slowly planted a kiss on her lips and before Xena could even register for a moment what happened they both crushed the other's lips with a hot burning kiss. Xena could not even think as her system was overloaded with years of pent up lust for Cupid. She was tempted to say I love you, but knew she didn't mean it. Her hands worked quickly until she had freed him from the constraints of his clothing. Her hands explored every inch of his body as first her robe slipped over shoulders and than to the ground. It was soon followed by her bra, which was somewhere hanging off the wall along with her panties. She threw him back onto the bed of pillows and it was the best foreplay in her opinion.
"We should stop," Xena said pulling back just before they went all the way.
"What for?" Cupid asked.
"I don't know," Xena said before grabbing him behind the next and pulling him down into another steamy kiss before he took her into a whole new world. He did her on the bed of pillows, the wall, in the air to her amazement, on his bed, and on the floor. He literally did her on the ceiling, sideways, backwards, forwards, and upside down, which was a new experience for her. Finally they made it to the dining room table. He drove her crazy making her black out from pleasure alone as he kept her from going over the edge. He had amazing stamina that just didn't exist in anybody else and she meant anybody.
"Oh my Cupid," Xena moaned in his ear. She was dangerously close to screaming out, but she refused to since they were on Mount Olympus and all would hear if she did. They both knew it was vital they not attract their attention. "Dear gods!" Xena wanted to bake him all kind of cookies, cakes, and pies. She wanted to sing for him too. All these things she did not do for a man especially since she usually couldn't cook and only sang when she was moved. He disappeared with her to the marble altar and that's where things really started to heat up and Xena just shook with pleasure constantly. She was grabbing the marble so hard that it was beginning to crack. Cupid found her ultra sensitive spot and all hell broke loose. She climaxed so hard as he hit the same spot over and over causing multiple orgasms that the marble under her hands turned to dust before it reached the ground. Through her pleasure and her legs, which were so far behind her head she didn't think they could come down, she saw Cupid reach his climax. His wings spread out and shook which only served to make her orgasm a little more intense.
Once they were done he lay on top of her with her legs down by his sides. When he exited her she felt like he was still there. Her lips were swollen and her hair was a sweaty mess. To her amazement she didn't smell like sweat but the chocolate and strawberry extract. Her face was so red she wondered what Gabrielle would say if she were returning to her right now.
" Where did you say you were going?" Cupid asked.
"Cornith," Xena answered as she bit her lip just thinking about all that had transpired. He dressed them and before he could stop himself he kissed her again as they disappeared proceeded to have a quickie with her.
"Psyche is a very lucky woman," Xena told Cupid after apologizing for scratching him so much down his back and his side that his immortality was taking longer to heal it.
"No, I'm the lucky one to know two beautiful women like you and Psyche," Cupid said before disappearing with yet another kiss and quickie. She was ever so dizzy with pleasure as she walked into Cornith brushing her hair and biting her lip. She shopped for a present seeing as she had all morning until she headed over to the Centaur village.
"What shall I get my baby," Xena wondered out loud to herself.
"How about a nice doll?" A vendor asked. Xena shook her head.
"My baby is a boy." The vendor sighed. All he had were girl's toys. Xena walked from shop to shop avoiding all the toy weapons. She got him a tunic, trousers, and new boots before looking for something more fun again. Finally she decided on a miniature chariot his Pony could pull and the proper harness gear.
"Come on Argo let's go see our boys," Xena said. Argo neighed and followed her to the Centaur village after she grabbed some food to eat on the way. Xena yawned, but the fruit she ate put off sleeping until much later. Before she was there she changed into a nice blue dress that stopped just above the knees and put on sandals. Her sword was strapped to Argo and her chakram was hidden in her skirts. The little chariot rolled along behind them with his clothes wrapped up in a brown package. She found that most of the village was out in the fields and finding Kaleipus hut was easy enough after a few directions. She knocked hesitantly as she took a few deep breaths. Kaleipus opened the door and she noted the black eye patch over his eye. She remembered that she was responsible for it.
"Kaleipus," Xena said.
"Xena," He said grimly. "What are you doing here?"
"We need to talk," Xena replied. He nodded. He came outside and shut the door. "First can I take Argo to see the Pony I sent him, it is her son." Kaleipus nodded and led them to the stable. She told him that the chariot was for Solan and she bought him new clothes and boots for his birthday as well as they watched Argo greet her son who greeted her back happily. He had grown big and strong.
"What have you come for, you usually have some one else bring your presents," Kaleipus said getting to the point. Xena was silent as she thought about what to say.
"I know we had an agreement, but now that my mother has found out and constantly reminding me I can no longer force myself to pretend as if I don't have a son most of the year. I've changed now, I have to realize that for myself if I am to stay off the path that forced me to give him up in the first place. But I love him and if I hadn't given him to you to protect him I might even just regret it."
"You will not take him away," Kaleipus said angry that she would even suggest it. Xena shook her head.
"I'm not asking you to give him up, I believe that he can have us both, you have been his father for three years but he needs his mother too no child should have to live without his mother or father if they still walk the earth."
"Well in his life you don't," Kaleipus said. " He thinks you are dead and buried with Borias." Xena nodded as she sat down on a block of hay.
"Miracles happen," Xena told him letting him know one way or another she was going to see her son and he was going to know the truth. Kaleipus sighed knowing if the warrior princess wanted her son she would have no problem disposing of him and the entire village if she had too all for him.
"Come, he's sick and finding out his mother is still alive would make him feel a lot better." Xena nodded as she worried about her son. She grabbed her saddle bag with her medical kit in it and followed Kaleipus into his home. She walked into his room and noted the Chinese lantern she had sent him last year. He was so small, perfect, and beautiful. She sat beside him just taking in his sleeping face. She felt his forehead.
"How did he become sick?" Xena asked.
"He fell into the river a couple of days ago, I guess he didn't dry off as well as I had hoped." Xena nodded and she went through her bag.
"Make some tea and crush these herbs in, it'll help clear his lungs, he's got pneumonia." Kaleipus nodded and did as he was told. She helped him sit up and than held a large bowl under him while he coughed up everything out of his lungs. While he was doing that Kaleipus made willow bark tea for his fever.
"Is he done?" Kaleipus asked. Xena listen to his breathing which was much clearer and nodded. She helped him drink the tea before bathing him and changing his bed sheets and pajamas. Than she wrapped him up in a blanket securely and held him as she rubbed his back and sang to him just like she did for her sister and her mother did for her. Kaleipus noticed how much more relaxed Solan had become in his sleep. Xena watched over him constantly only getting up to take care of Argo and to eat when Kaleipus insisted upon it. On the fifth day after her arrival his fever finally broke.
"Good morning," Xena said when his eyes fluttered open to reveal blue eyes that matched her own.
"Where's Uncle?" Solan asked as he began to cry. Xena frowned and gathered him up into her arms.
"Your Uncle is making breakfast for you, he'll be right in." Solan relaxed as she rubbed his back soothingly.
"Who you?" Solan asked.
"I am your mommy," Xena answered after what felt like hours of silence.
"Mommy dead," Solan said.
"No, no mommy's right here, and I won't leave you again not like before." Kaleipus walked in as she hugged him.
"Uncle," Solan said.
"Good morning Solan are you feeling better?" He asked. Solan nodded.
"Is she my mommy?" Solan asked. Kaleipus nodded.
"Yes, she is Solan."
"Yay!" Solan exclaimed. "I have a mommy, I have a mommy!" He jumped up and down on his bed. Xena smiled as he wrapped his arms around her. She kissed his forehead and he smiled.
"I love you Solan and don't you ever forget it."
"I love you too mommy." Xena's smile widened. It did her heart enormous good to hear him call her mommy and say I love you.
"Now I think somebody had a birthday a week ago and is overdue for a party."
"Will you bake me a cake like Richie's mommy does for him?" Solan asked with wide eyes as he looked at her as if she had already said yes.
"I will try sweetie, Mommy is not the best cook in the world." Solan nodded.
"Now, I think its time you got some fresh air, so why don't we go for a ride if that's okay with you Kaleipus," Xena added the last part knowing not consulting him would result in conflict. Kaleipus nodded his head.
"If you think its good for his health." Xena nodded and let him open the package containing his new clothes. He put them on a long with his new boots. She carved a symbol into the bottom of his left boot so she could track him more easily. She brushed his blond hair until it was in order. Before she insisted he wear the fur lined cloak her mother had sewn for him, less he get sick again considering it was technically still winter even though the snow was starting to melt and the earth was getting warmer by the day. They had breakfast together as he told her about his friends.
"Uncle who bought me a chariot?" Solan asked seeing his name written on the side from a hanging sign. Kaleipus and Xena had both decided that it would be better for Solan if he painted it with her as a bonding experience.
"Your mother," Kaleipus answered. "She thought it would be nice touch to go with Flash, your pony, she sent him too." Solan smiled and hugged her.
"Thank you mommy," Solan said climbing into the chariot.
"Solan, there's still a lot of snow outside why don't we put off riding in your chariot until spring all right," Kaleipus said. Solan frowned he wanted to ride his chariot right now.
"I wanna ride it now," Solan cried as Xena led Argo out of her stall and began to saddle her.
"Solan no, I don't want your sickness to return in full. If you like I can ask your mommy to put you back in bed." Solan's tears started to flow as he jumped up and down. Xena came over and stopped him.
"Solan, don't throw tantrums or I will put you back to bed. Now your Uncle is right there's to much snow for you to go riding off in your chariot just yet, but you can still ride Flash."
" I don't know how," Solan howled through his tears. Xena grimaced and took a deep breath.
"Than I will teach you, now come on stop all this crying, you don't have too," Xena soothed rubbing his back. "Your chariot will still be here when the time comes to ride it, all right."
"Promise?" Solan asked. Xena nodded. She lifted him out of his chariot and held him saddle Flash while Kaleipus watched them silently as he grabbed a rope to attach to Flash's reins. Argo nuzzled her son affectionately that made Xena smile. Kaleipus helped Solan saddle his horse telling him he had to be gentle with the horse so as not to hurt him. Xena watched them wishing it were Borias who was showing him how to saddle Flash and not Kaleipus who was doing a great job.
"Solan why don't you wait for your mother outside," Kaleipus said intrusting Solan with the rope attached to Flash's reins. Xena entrusted him with Argo's reins and he happily led both Argo and Flash out of the barn.
"Yes?" Xena asked.
"I didn't want to say it front of him because he tends to get scared of these things after what happened earlier this year, but there are bandits around here who cause trouble for the children who always manage to get away. So make sure you take your sword just in case they venture farther into our lands like they did when they frightened Solan." Xena nodded.
"What was he doing out there a lone?" Xena asked picking up her sword that had remained in the barn her whole visit. She hated to think her son at such a young age was not being supervised.
"As leader you know that I can not always be around," Kaleipus started. Xena nodded. She had known that before she gave him to Kaleipus. "Well I left him with one of the village women, you heard her at the door a few times. She usually takes care of Solan, but I told her a friend of his mother's had come by and was handling things for now. Anyway him and his friends being the young boys were playing warrior and you know they wandered to far." Xena nodded her understanding remembering the games of her childhood.
"Kaleipus when we get back and after dinner we need to talk, not about this incident, but of other things I think we've put off for far to long now that we're pass the hardest part which was telling Solan." Kaleipus nodded and they walked outside the barn to see Solan was no where in sight.
"Where did that boy get off too?" Xena asked looking around before she looked at the ground. She and Kaleipus followed his distinct boot prints, Argo's horseshoes, and Flash's unshod hooves.
"You haven't put horse shoes on Flash's hooves," Xena commented. Kaleipus nodded.
"I was going to do it for his birthday so he could ride, but he got sick, I had forgotten until now." Xena nodded.
"I'll take care of it, I should have had him shod before he made the journey here."
"The blacksmith is out of town until next summer, you'll have to take him into Cornith." Xena nodded. They found Solan surrounded by a group of kids, Kaleipus went to attend to business seeing he was okay. Solan was telling them how she had given him the horse, which he hadn't been allowed to take out of the stables until now. He told them her horse's name about the chariot he'd gotten. They looked envious of him.
"Stop lying you don't have a mommy everybody knows that," An older kid said.
"That's not true, my mommy is with my Uncle right now."
"The kid has finally gone mental, can you believe it?" The others nodded and laughed. Xena frowned, but she noticed the jealous look in the kid's eyes.
"Solan," Xena called. He turned and smiled his tears immediately disappearing.
"Mommy!" Xena smiled and hurried over to him. She bent down and kissed his forehead.
"Hey are you ready for your first lesson?" Xena asked. Solan nodded enthusiastically. "Great because we better get going if we're to have the whole day to ourselves."
"Okay mommy," Solan said before turning back to the kids. "See I told you I had a mommy." He stuck his tongue out at them. The older boys were staring at her as if she had just dropped from the sky.
"Its like a vision of the Elysian Fields," They said together as Xena took Argo's reins and one hand and Solan's in the other. They walked out of the village. She tied the rope connected to Flash's reins to Argo before lifting Solan onto Argo and she sat behind him.
"It high, I scared," Solan said as tears started to well up in his eyes.
"Do you love me baby?" Xena asked. Solan nodded. " Than trust me not to let you fall off Argo, Mommy's got you, I am right behind you." Solan nodded as she wrapped her left arm around him and he leaned back against her. She kicked Argo into a medium paced gallop so that Flash could keep up beside his mommy. Soon Solan was laughing and enjoying the ride on Argo. Xena smiled down at him as they entered a lovely little open field where it was a perfect place for him to learn to ride. She got down and held out her arms for him.
"Mommy I wanna ride Argo." Xena smiled and shook her head.
"No, not until you're much older," Xena said knowing he would be perfectly content to ride Flash by than. He let himself drop towards her. She unsaddled Flash. "Now if you are going to learn to ride than you gotta first learn to ride without a saddle. Solan giggled.
"Like I ride uncle until I fall." Xena laughed too and nodded. She took off the bridle and dropped it next to the saddle. She patted Flash and watched him nuzzle her getting use to her again. Or so she thought and than knew he was looking for an apple.
"Come pat him, get to know your pony," Xena said to Solan. Solan patted him a bit roughly at first, but than Xena showed him how too more gently and Flash bent his head down and nuzzled Solan. Solan giggled.
"I love you horsy." Xena smiled at them as she went to Argo and took off the saddlebags. She gave Argo an apple and patted the side of her head.
"Argo I think our sons were made for each other," Xena said. Argo shook her head in agreement amazing Xena yet again at her ability to comprehend.
"Solan, I think Flash wants a treat," Xena said holding out the apple. Solan ran over on his short legs and grabbed the apple before going back to Flash who was already following him. Flash started to go for the apple, but Solan dropped it in fright.
"Mommy he try and bite my hand off," Solan cried as she gave Argo another one who was nuzzling her for more apples.
"He's not gonna bite you Solan, see watch." Xena held out her hand with an apple away from Argo who was eyeing it with interest. Flash walked over and ate the apple from her hand. She rubbed the length of his nose once the apple was all the way in his mouth.
"He eat it?" Solan asked. Xena nodded loving the wonder in his eyes.
"You try it now," Xena said giving him and apple. Before he could cautiously walk up to Flash Argo bent down and ate the apple. He started giggling when he felt her tongue on his hand.
"That tickles," Solan laughed. Xena laughed too.
"Shame on you Argo that was for Flash," Xena mock scolded as she gave Solan another apple and watched him hold his hand out to Flash.
"Mommy I wanna ride," Solan said. Xena nodded and lifted him onto Flash's bare back. Flash had a long white main like his mother and the rest of him followed suit.
"Here grab a hold of his mane right here, but don't pull to hard." Solan nodded, but of course being only a toddler he did pull hard, but Flash didn't seem to mind. Xena taught him how to give commands just by using his knees and pats on the head. When he would fall off she made it a point not to catch him knowing it was a natural part of learning how to ride. Argo would often stop Flash and in this way the horse learned to pay attention to his master's whereabouts and return to him before nuzzling him a few times to see if he was ok. At lunch she hunted and they cooked rabbit. As they ate they watched Flash and Argo grazing together.
"Mommy where daddy?" Solan asked. Xena was silent a little surprised by his question.
"Oh baby I'm afraid your daddy is really in the Elysian Fields," Xena told him.
"He come back like you?" Solan asked.
"No, no daddy's not coming back, I'm sorry baby."
"Its okay mommy, it not yo fought." Xena nodded and hugged him as he hugged her.
"Well if we're going to get a pull day's ride in we better get to it." Solan nodded enthusiastically even though he had fallen and cried several times he was still ready to keep riding after encouraging words from Xena. He seemed determined not to fall off by the time they had to return to the village. She sensed centaurs coming and going all day to make sure she didn't run off with Solan. Though she would never take him unless he wanted to go.
"Come on baby I think its time we returned to the village and tomorrow I'll make you a birthday cake," Xena told him seeing he was tired. He was too tired to even argue with her as she took him off Flash. She saddled and put Flash's bridle back on. She used the rope to tie him to Argo before she picked up her son and they watched the sunset together. It would have been the perfect end for a perfect day when they were attacked by bandits who tried to steal Argo and Flash, but they moved out of the way. Xena placed a shaking Solan on the ground behind her and pulled her sword off Argo before she was too far out of reach. She fought them off and was very careful not to kill in front of him. She noticed immediately that the men she was fighting weren't bandits at all, but trained soldiers. Argo bit down on the back of Solan's shirt by the neck and carried him to safety so Xena could fight more freely. Solan had his eyes shut as he kind of curled up into a little ball and she disposed of the men quickly.
"Solan, its okay we're safe now." Xena rocked and soothed him. She rubbed his back with her right hand as her left held Argo's reins and supported him from the bottom. Solan clutched her neck fiercely as he cried into her neck at the same time. All she could do was comfort and sooth him as best she could.