Sorry I've been scarce! I love you for getting on my case the last two weeks. I tried to kick my writing butt into gear today, and I think it worked :) As always, please do let me know what you think.


"You shouldn't have brought him here." Ephiny glanced back at the cluster of her sisters, and her eyes settled briefly on the boy in their midst. The amazon's disapproval was evident.

"I know," Gabrielle agreed, her voice pitched low so that the women at her back wouldn't hear her. "I wouldn't have, if I had any other choice. I've brought him this far, and I promised to keep him safe."

"Then you should keep moving," Ephiny urged. "Go inland, take to the hills, and hide there."

"I can't. Kyros is exhausted, and if I push the horses any faster it'll kill them. She's the Conqueror, Ephiny. I can't outrun her. She'll gain on us, a little everyday, until it's over. This is the only chance we have."

Ephiny shifted uncomfortably, folding her arms across her chest. "Melosa's already left with the scouting party. They've gone to meet the Conqueror at the edge of our lands. There's no one to make the decision."

"There's you," Gabrielle whispered fiercely. "You're her second."

"Gabrielle!" Ephiny hissed, taking her by the shoulder and steering her further away from the scouting party. "I may be in charge while the queen is gone, but what you're asking me to do… I'd be directly defying our alliance with the Conqueror!"

"I'm asking you not to tell her that we're here, that's all. We just need somewhere to hide. It doesn't have to be in the village, we can… I don't know, climb a tree somewhere and wait for her to leave."

Despite her disapproval, a hint of a smile tugged on amazon's lips. "You're going to climb a tree?" She repeated in amusement.

Gabrielle blushed. "Well, I could if my life depended on it. And it might. I don't know what she'll do if she catches me, Eph. She threatened to kill me once just for mentioning Kyros' name. It was the angriest I've ever seen her. And now…" She trailed off. They both knew that the Conqueror's wrath was as legendary as her conquests.

Ephiny studied her from a moment, and then turned away with a growl of frustration. She began to pace. "If it was only you, there would be no problem. But the boy? My sisters will never consent to shelter him. They're already furious that you've brought him onto our lands. They want to try him as a trespasser."

"But he's only a child!" Gabrielle said indignantly.

"A child who will soon be a man. How old is he? Thirteen summers? Fourteen?"

"Twelve," she replied testily.

"Twelve. Old enough to carry a weapon, old enough to-"

"Alright! I know, okay? I know it's a lot to ask, and I don't want to put you at odds with your tribe, but this is the only chance I have left. Please, Ephiny. I don't want it to end here, not after what we've been through, not after we've made it this far."

The amazon swore under her breath, and then turned back to face Gabrielle. "Alright," she conceded. "But you stay put, and don't let that boy out of your sight for even a moment. If the Conqueror gets so much as a whiff of your presence, we're both dead."

Gabrielle threw her arms around Ephiny's shoulders and pulled her close, letting out a sigh of relief and gratitude. The amazon tensed within the circle of her embrace, before slowly sliding her arms around Gabrielle and returning the gesture.

"Thank you," Gabrielle whispered sincerely, pulling back.

"Why do I feel like I'm going to regret this?" Ephiny said with a sigh. "Let's go then—we have to get you hidden, and there isn't much time."

…...

The hut Ephiny chose for their hiding place was an old bathhouse, which now served as storage for everything from blankets to chests of arrows that needed fletching. There wasn't much space to maneuver, but it didn't matter—all they needed was somewhere to wait while the Conqueror passed through. If things went smoothly, Gabrielle and Kyros would only have to stay there for one night; then the army would move on, giving the two fugitives freedom to travel where they wished.

Kyros made no complaints, but Gabrielle could tell from his countenance that he wasn't keen on being shoved in a storage hut. Whenever she tried to make conversation with him, he shrugged his shoulders noncommittally and stared at his feet.

"What if she finds us?" He asked suddenly. His voice was so quiet that at first Gabrielle thought she'd imagined it.

"She won't," she said firmly.

"But what if she does? She'll make me go back there, won't she? She'll lock me up again. She thinks I'm dangerous."

"Kyros. You're not going back there, okay? I promise."

Gabrielle wondered, not for the first time, whether there was more to Kyros than met the eye. She understood that he could be a political threat to the Conqueror, but why not just get rid of him? When she'd mentioned him that afternoon in the garden, the look in Xena's eyes… it wasn't just fury. There was fear too, and something else that Gabrielle couldn't put a name to. You have no idea what you've involved yourself in, Xena had told her, and she recalled it now with an unsettled feeling in her gut.

"Gabrielle."

She lifted her eyes to the hut's entrance, where Ephiny had drawn back the flap and was watching her with a small frown.

"She'll be here soon. I'd like to speak with you first." The amazon gestured for her to follow, and Gabrielle did, relishing the final opportunity to stretch her legs. They were far from the village center, and she could see the scattered light of the torches where the forest began to thicken, rising up like a living wall in the hazy twilight.

"You can still change your mind," Ephiny told her, placing a firm but gentle hand upon Gabrielle's shoulder. "Take your horses and leave now, before she arrives."

Gabrielle shook her head. "I can't."

"There's something else that you're not telling me. Why take this risk?"

"I… I'm turning around. Going north again."

"After you've come all this way?" The amazon looked skeptical. "Is your home there?"

"Well, yes, but I'm not going home. I'm going to Amphipolis." She said this with such conviction that she surprised herself. Gabrielle had been turning the idea over in her mind for some time, but now that she'd said it aloud she knew there was no longer any choice. She had to go.

"Amphipolis?" Ephiny's voice was more apprehensive than ever. "Isn't that where the Conqueror…?" Gabrielle nodded. "Hades, Gabrielle! What do you think you'll find there? What are you looking for?"

"I don't know," she admitted. "But I want to understand her, Eph. I know it sounds foolish, and it doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me either, but I have to try. There must be people there who knew her when she was younger. Maybe they'll be willing to talk to me."

"What about Kyros?"

"I don't know. I'll take him with me, I guess."

Ephiny shook her head in disbelief. "I don't think I've ever met anyone like you, Gabrielle."

"You think it's a bad idea?"

"It's not just bad, it's downright stupid." Gabrielle and the amazon stared at each other seriously for a moment, and then Ephiny's face split into a broad grin. Despite herself, Gabrielle found herself smiling as well, and then the two of them began to laugh. After a moment of indulgence, Gabrielle sobered herself once more.

"I appreciate what you've done for me Ephny, I really do. I wish I had some way to repay you."

"Just don't get killed, and I'll consider us even."

"Deal." Both women reached forward to grasp the other's forearm in acknowledgment.


Xena's POV

It was a quiet night. There was none of the celebratory feasting and dancing that had dominated my last visit to the Amazons, and for that I was grateful. I wouldn't have had the patience for it. Don't get me wrong, the Amazons are a proud and powerful people—but sometimes it seemed they spent more time dancing in dedication to Artemis than doing anything productive. After a few cups of something strong, it was enough to make your eyes spin inside your skull. That night, however, the mood was more subdued. I drank spiced wine, knowing as I did so that I'd probably feel like Tartarus in the morning. Sometimes, though, you just don't care.

Of my entire army, I alone was to spend the night in the village. It was a diplomatic requirement of sorts—you call in a favor, and you have to accept the hospitality that accompanies it, for the sake of formality. I would have preferred to spend the night with my own men, but here I was, sitting beside the fire and watching shadows dance on the dirt.

I unsheathed my sword and began to sharpen it. It was a habit of mine. It calmed me, gave me a sense of routine and familiarity. War, weapons, these things were my constant. It didn't matter where I was—put a blade in my hand and I would find safety in the familiar weight of it. It was like my own version of home. The rhythmic motion of dragging stone across steel brought me a sort of peace that even strong wine could not. My hosts evidently recognized my need for solitude, because they gave me a wide berth.

After a time I got to my feet, intending to seek my bed, when I realized that I hadn't been assigned one. I shrugged to myself, figuring I'd just poke my head in a few and find one that wasn't occupied. I passed by the Queen's hut and paused momentarily, listening to the voices within.

"You didn't think to tell me this earlier?" Melosa demanded, a cool fury in her tone.

"Forgive me, my Queen." It took me a moment to place the reply as the voice of her second-in-command.

"I'm disappointed in you, Ephiny. This is reckless beyond belief! Have you even considered the consequences?"

I smiled to myself. Even the proud Amazon nation was not above squabbling between the ranks, it seemed. I'd drunk far too much wine to even begin considering the source of their disagreement, nor did I particularly care about it. I moved on.

As I neared the edge of the village, I approached one of the huts. Drawing back the heavy hides that covered the entryway, I found the bed already occupied by not one, but two sleeping Amazons, and hastily made my retreat. I tried again, but this time when I pulled back the hangings I found myself staring at what could only be a mirage.

Gabrielle was turned toward me in sleep, her arms and legs curled against her body in an almost childlike pose. Her hair was cropped short, exposing the feminine curve of her cheek and the slope of her neck and shoulders. It had only been a matter of days since I'd seen her, but this Gabrielle looked older, and if possible, more beautiful.

Clearly I was more intoxicated than I'd thought.

I hesitated on the threshold, not wanting to part from this vision. I registered vaguely that this manifestation of my subconscious desire to see her—if indeed that was what inspired my hallucination—should have surprised me. It didn't. I backed out slowly, letting the coverings fall back into place. I was immediately struck by a sense of loss, and berated myself for my foolishness. I was drunk and seeing things, and that was it.

I didn't have time to ponder it further, because I'd only taken five steps when I heard a sentry call the alarm. Two amazons stepped out from the trees and shoved one of my soldiers to the ground at their feet. There were half a dozen arrows notched and aimed at him the instant his face touched the dirt.

"Conqueror!" He sputtered and tried to get to his feet, but a boot in the small of his back sent him sprawling again.

"Hold it!" I gestured for the Amazons to wait. This was no disobedient intrusion-the soldier was clearly terrified. "What is it, man?" I prompted, unmoving.

"Spartans!" He gasped. "Spartans, crossing the Pineios!"

The Pineios—two days from the Amazon Valley. I went rigid with surprise. The Spartans were taking the offensive, bringing the war to me before I could hit them first.

I glanced around at the gathering crowd of Amazons, feeling their eyes on me. They were waiting for my reaction. But there was one—Melosa's disobedient second—who was looking right past me. Ephiny's wide eyes were set on the hut at my back, the one I'd just emerged from. It was not a hallucination that I'd looked in upon, I realized; it was the real Gabrielle.