Disclaimer: I do not own Xena: Warrior Princess :)

Authors Note: Chapter two! I finally got time to sit down and write it, then came editing – which I started to get picky about and then by mistake I deleted a whole chunk out of the beginning, rewrite, edit again and here's the result. I would like to say thank you to the kind reviewers who left some encouraging words :) It's always a nervous task of posting that first chapter, so thanks for taking the time to review. Hope you enjoy this chappy…


"Get up!" Yelled a loud voice, gruff in the tone, "hey, you 'ere me? I said get up!"

Opening her eyes Gabrielle slowly sat up; although she wasn't actually asleep her body had refused to acknowledge the intrusion to the quiet that had surrounded her. An aged man stood near her feet, his eyes dull in colour and matching faultlessly was his silver tinted hair. Next to him stood a tall and younger man, bearing what Gabrielle could only think of as the world upon his shoulders, his face stern and eyebrows furrowed as though life had dealt him nothing but lemons over the many summers.

"Disobey me…" The older man grunted and raised his arm, a threatening move only, as he seemed to have no intensions of actually carrying out the assault. "Stand up little girl."

Refusing her mouth the satisfaction of dealing him a few one lined insults about calling her a little girl, Gabrielle slowly stood to her feet, careful not to wince in the company of the men. The younger man quickly grabbed her arm, pulling her roughly towards the door before giving her a sleazy grin.

"Fine piece you are, gotta wonder what a thing like you would be doin' standing against an army such as ours."

Giving the man a glare Gabrielle pulled against his restraint. Only to have her other arm firmly grasped by the additional guy, as she was roughly pulled down a dark and just as damp corridor she saw a familiar figure in an open viewed cell, her heart sped up for the brief moment she caught sight of him – hoping he'd see her, yet registering the pale unconsciousness that cover his skin.

"Perdicus…" She whispered and guilt flooded through her veins.


Although she was lead through many underground corridors and through a large camp site filled with similarly dressed soldiers, Gabrielle hardly noticed any of her surroundings, lack of sleep and the ache her wound emitted was causing her distress. After a few minutes of being pulled roughly by the two men, they suddenly stopped; Gabrielle vaguely noticed it was outside a large hut, two guards were situated outside – arms crossed and faces hard.

"Tell Xena we've brought the girl." The younger man ordered, and Gabrielle made a mental note of the name.

The guard nodded and disappeared into the hut; a moment later he emerged and tilted his head in gesture for the men to go in.

Hesitant to obey Gabrielle froze without her mind actually consenting to the lack of movement, this caused the older man to push roughly on her back, a motion that sent the bard stumbling as she was directed into the tented room. Xena looked up quickly from a map that lay upon a small oak table, the men seemed to almost brag as they pressed Gabrielle forward, like they were waiting for approval or praise.

"Leave…" Xena said looking at the older man only. "Let her go, leave me."

The men complied and Gabrielle was momentarily thankful not to have their strong hands gripping her arms. Although that soon left when Xena approached her, her blue eyes sturdy as they studied the blonde.

"Sit down." She ordered and without thought Gabrielle looked away, unwilling to obey someone she associated with as the enemy. "There's no point in disobeying me Gabrielle."

Still refusing to look at the woman in front of her Gabrielle stared at the ground, suddenly wishing she was back in the small prison. She heard Xena draw in a deep breath and from the corner of her eye saw her reach for something, "I suppose I'll just clean your wound while you stand then."

Looking up now rather quickly Gabrielle saw the white coloured cloth that Xena held, although admittedly shocked at the woman's words and a little hesitant she didn't move when the cloth was gently pressed against her forehead, slight pressure was applied and Gabrielle could feel the cloth was vaguely damp.

"Do you do this for all of your captives?" The bard asked, making Xena glance strongly at her. Any chance of her slight bravery diminishing at the intense stare, swallowing thickly she looked down.

Dabbing the cloth slightly Xena shook her head. "Only the ones I wish to get information from."

"Why do you think I'd have anything of worth to you?" Gabrielle inquired, wincing involuntarily from the slight discomfort that ran across her temple.

Xena ignoring this sat the cloth down as she grabbed a flute of ocher coloured liquid. "If I ask the right questions, I always get something of worth. It's a take process Gabrielle, all I ask of you is to give."

"Give you what you want right?" The bard asked, yet it somehow seemed more a statement then question.

Nodding Xena poured the ocher liquid onto a different cloth, "A smart girl like you shouldn't need to ask so many questions."

Watching as the dark haired woman rubbed the cloth together Gabrielle narrowed her eyebrows, "What is it you want to know?"

"We'll get to that in good time, don't you worry, but right now I need you to shut your eyes." Advancing towards the younger woman Xena held the cloth in one hand, shaking her head Gabrielle shifted her gaze – a habit she seemed to be getting into when she disagreed with the situation. "This stuff packs a sting, its bad enough on skin and a real burden if it gets in your eye."

For a moment Gabrielle went to comply, although out of pure defiance she slowly took a step back.

"First I want to know why you sent your army to devastate my village." It was an attempt to get the upper hand, steal some control of the situation, because by the Gods Gabrielle felt very intimidated at the current moment. Although shrugging off her words as though they weren't actually spoken Xena stepped closer, warm fingers firmly touching the side of Gabrielle's face as she raised the cloth to her temple.

She was right about the liquid stinging and barely a candle flick later Gabrielle felt as though her skin was on fire, a prickling sensation swept across the length of the wound and unintentionally she found herself shutting her eyes tightly, hardly wishing to feel the impression of stinging and blistering hotness anywhere else.

"Good girl," Xena solidly whispered, it was almost appraising, "The discomfort won't last long, maybe an hour."

In Gabrielle's opinion an hour was too long already, although keeping this to her own she slowly breathed in a deep breath – the liquid had a certain type of sweetness to its odour, that of honey or maybe a summer berry.

"Tell me Gabrielle, what would make a young girl like you risk your own life to defend against my army?" Xena posed the question carefully and although Gabrielle still had her eyes shut, she'd no doubt that intense stare was studying her features.

"My village was burning before my very eyes, men and women I knew well became victim to the perils of war. My own father fell in the defeat…" Ending her sentence short as a sob dared to rack her body, Gabrielle opened her eyes, a stare consisting of anger and the painful reminder beheld her features. "He was a good man." She added and Xena nodded.

"I've no doubt that is true."

"A good man who deserved more than a soldier's sword, so too were the other people slain; I wouldn't have the strength to have forgiven myself if I had not defended what I hold dear, Potadeia wasn't just another village for you to indifferently destroy – it was a home to children, innocent farmers, women and men who did nothing but give to your army their lively hood."

Gabrielle was well aware of the tears that spilled shamelessly down her anger touched cheeks, she could feel the hot sting of more building behind her eyes and dared not try to stop them, one should, in a situation that depicts all traces of once life express their emotions somehow, alas, it was in front of Xena and Gabrielle could feel the slightest hint of embarrassment creeping to her face.

Clearing her throat as though in a process of thought the dark haired woman lowered the cloth from the bards head, "war is not something to be hated Gabrielle, for many it's a life."

Scoffing with what little composure she had left Gabrielle shook her head. "Then the people who live by a sword, I pity, for they have never truly lived."

"Tell me Gabrielle, did you not feel fear when retaliating against my men?" Asked Xena, seemingly ignoring the bards before words, "rarely do villagers strike back with the certain passion, such as you beheld."

"Would you not do the same if it were your family and friends under attack?"

Xena nodded, although it wasn't in understanding merely a gesture of reply to Gabrielle's words. Placing the cloth with the other one the dark haired woman smoothed out the map she had before been studying, her eyes momentarily lingering on the black inked parchment.

"You must be hungry." She stated in a low tone before flattening her palms against the map, "So too your friend."

At those words Gabrielle couldn't restrain herself from looking jarringly to Xena, her lips pursed in waiting for the woman to say something else.

"I should see to it that my men come collect you when the sun is low in the sky, you and your friend shall accompany me for a banquet."

"Perdicus…" Gabrielle whispered and Xena walked over to the blonde.

"I expect you to be in a giving mood tonight Gabrielle; I don't like asking twice for information."

With her words of slight warning spoken Xena clicked her fingers, for a moment Gabrielle merely thought the woman had done it as an involuntary twitch, although was verified wrong as two varied men, one's the bard had yet to lay eyes upon, walked into the hut. They both had similar looks of shabbiness about their profile and one wore what looked to be a broken chest plate, either it wasn't in fact broken, merely styled that way – or he cared little about his armour.

"Take her back to her quarters." Xena ordered and the men swiftly clutched Gabrielle's arms, pulling her closer with a violent motion as they nodded.

"Will do, Xena…" One of the men croaked out and for a moment Gabrielle thought she had heard the slightest bit of humanity in his voice, a cough saw him hardened and a smirk of malevolence dissipated anything that had been shown however. "Come on, little girl!" He grunted and again a great deal of restraint was needed to not lash out at the soldiers words.

"Your orders are clear Filippos." Xena snapped, quieting the man. "I'll have none of your lexis towards her, you need not speak to the girl…all I did ask of you was for you to take her back to her cell."

Nodding with a sort of apology the man now known to Gabrielle as Filippos pulled her from the tent, aided by the other man who seemed rather pleased that Filippos had been spoken to so sternly. Rivalry was ripe in the barracks Gabrielle mused.