Ahh, now we get to the blood and guts.

One last note: the military terms I've used are entirely and brain-breakingly anachronistic, but I wanted to use words that were immediately meaningful to everyone instead of throwing in random Greek words that would then need to be defined. Simple's better, yeah?

Part 2/3 – In Which There is a War

The land around Amphipolis was farm country, mostly flat. Two hours' walk away, though, there was something that was too big to be called a creek, but too small to be called a river. The people of Amphipolis never named it, but they did dig a channel to bring water close to their fields.

Willows hung over the banks, leaning heavily where the water had done some erosion work, and their fronds dangled nearly to the water's surface. On a bright day, sunlight dappled through the leaves and reflected back off the water's surface, throwing shifting patterns of light onto the underside of the canopy.

Xena and Lyceus had spent many a summer day here with a fishing pole. They'd been hiding from Toris more often than not.

The secret hideout was smaller than Xena remembered, now.

She ran a hand over the grass, which was as thick and spongy as ever, and saw the flash in the corner of her eye. She smiled to herself.

"Hey," said Ares.

"Hey, yourself."

He looked around. "This is nice."

"I grew up here."

Ares sat down beside her and stretched his legs out. His boots dangled over the edge of the bank and grazed the water, which broke and rippled, but continued to flow. "How's Cyrene's tavern doing?"

"It's good. Aliyah's a good housekeeper."

"She's the one who had an unhealthy fascination with Argo II, isn't she?"

"If you want to put it that way, sure."

"Are you going to be staying here for a while?"

"Not really. We were going to hit the road soon. The tavern's doing fine, and Gabrielle wants to go check on her sister."

"Ah."

Xena was looking at him suspiciously now. She started to say something, but he hopped to his feet.

"Hey," he said.

"What?"

"Let's spar."

Xena stood slowly. "Oh?" she said. "Got some... pent up energy to work off?" Her eyes drifted downwards.

Ares scowled. "What are you insinuating?"

"Oh, nothing."

He drew his sword and pointed it at her. "Now I'm really going to have to kick your ass."

"As if you could."

"We'll just have to see about that."

An observer might have noticed that two different conversations seemed to have occurred at the same time, and the matching smiles on their lips. A good observer would have run at this point, and narrowly avoided being caught in Xena's attack, all flashing speed and kicks.

Ares brushed the smudged bootprint off his shoulder. He gave his sword a twirl. "Huh. Decent. Not going to draw?"

"Don't need to."

His grin was fierce. "I'll make you regret that."

He lunged, and Xena gripped his wrist, lifted herself off the ground, and planted another kick into his chest as she jumped over his sword arm.

Ares laughed and attacked again.

One win —she'd drawn her sword after all—, one draw, and one forfeit later, Xena lay in the grass, gasping for breath.

"Told you I'd win."

Xena didn't bother opening her eyes. "How noble, God of War. You need to take advantage of a mortal woman's lower stamina to, as you put it, 'win'." She paused for a moment. "Yes, I know that could be construed as suggestive. Stop giving me that creepy look."

"You're not even looking at me!"

"I don't need to. I know."

Ares sat down beside her again. Suddenly, he turned and rolled directly onto her. "Hey," he said, grinning the grin of a fighter high on the thrill of battle.

Xena had raised an arm in time to protect her ribs from being crushed. She laughed and shoved him off. "What?"

He rolled back, this time careful to brace himself on his arms over her. "Hey," he said again.

"Hmm."

"I love you."

She didn't say anything for a while, and he smirked. "Speechless?" he said.

Xena didn't seem to find this as funny as he did. She reached up and ran her fingertips over his jaw, and his beard rasped over her the faint calluses on her hands. Ares thought—

Ares drew in a breath and swallowed.

Then her hands caught the edges of the collar on his vest, and she tugged.

He must have been—he didn't know—

It wasn't much of a kiss at first, just the simple contact of lips on lips. Then Ares shifted, tilted his head, and it was—

He felt filled to bursting, enveloped in her scent, her taste, her hands dragging through his hair and coming around to slide through his open vest. Her fingers were rough against his skin, and her mouth opened to swallow the little noises he heard himself making in the back of his throat. Ares—

Ares pulled back guiltily, and Xena's eyes opened a sliver. She made an inquisitive noise.

"Sorry," he said. "There was... Actually, I did have something I needed to tell you."

She gave him a sharp look.

"Well..."

"What is it?"

"Remember Arctureos?"

"Your buddy at Corinth."

"I wouldn't put it that way, but yes."

"And?"

"He found out you were behind the failure of his plans for Corinth, and he's coming here."

Xena pushed Ares up and rose onto her elbows. "You think I can't handle a warlord with a grudge?"

"He still has the army."

Xena's face closed up slowly. "I see."

"Yeah."

"And you will not take away the army you have given him."

Ares couldn't think of anything to say.

"Because you have a reputation to uphold," Xena continued. "You would lose followers."

Ares looked at his hands, fisting in the grass. "I'm sorry." He winced as soon as he'd spoken. That didn't come out right.

He was still hovering over her. Xena gave him a hard shove and rolled to her feet. She brushed a few blades of grass from her hair as she turned to leave.

Ares jumped up. "Xena, wait—"

She cut him off with a raised hand. "Don't. Just... stop." She looked away. "I can't believe I—" she said, and stopped abruptly.

"You... what?" Ares said cautiously.

There was a resigned look in her eyes that made Ares go cold. Xena turned and walked away.

Gabrielle was sitting on her bed packing when Xena returned. She looked up from the large bundle of scrolls she was attempting to fit into a small bag using creative geometry.

"Hey," said Gabrielle. "I'll be ready to head out in a minute."

She caught Xena's hesitation.

"What is it?" Gabrielle smiled. "Did you not get to punch a fish in the face today?"

Xena hummed distractedly, and Gabrielle put the bag aside to catch her arm as she paced by. "Tell me."

"The army that laid siege to Corinth is coming for Amphipolis."

Gabrielle's eyes widened. "Why Amphipolis?"

"Specifically, the leader's coming for me, but I'll be willing to bet that he'd happily raze this place to the ground if I wasn't here."

"You'll stand and fight, then."

"I have to." Xena knelt by the bed and clasped Gabrielle's hand in hers. "But you don't. After what happened..."

"Don't be ridiculous," Gabrielle said. "My place is beside you, always."

Xena smiled crookedly. "I was afraid you'd say that." Gabrielle grinned back. "But also relieved. Thank you."

"And Ares?"

Xena's eyes dropped away. "He's being Ares," she said, in tones that indicated the end of this vein of discussion.

Gabrielle was pretty sure she had a good idea as to what had happened, but she dropped the subject as she dropped her bag onto the bed. "What are we going to do about the villagers?"

Maphias was village head now, a position similar to a combination of magistrate, father, and spokesman. He seemed to hold court in the tavern these days, where Aliyah would happily provide him with as much fragrant ground nut brew as he wanted. It was jarring to see her childhood friend with grey streaked liberally through his beard and hair, but what made Xena feel inexplicably guilty was the way his eyes still softened when he saw her.

Fortunately, he was as practical as ever, and quickly let Xena get to the point.

"So... you want us to escape through the pass," Maphias said, after digesting the news.

"Yes. I can't lead the army away because the warlord Arctureos is operating on a personal vendetta. The village I was born in would no doubt be a target for him."

"You think he would attack us to get to you?"

"Yes." Xena frowned at the table beneath her hands and picked absently at a splinter. "I'm sorry," she said presently. "You're being dragged into this because of me. The least I can do is ensure the safety of the villagers."

"What about your safety?"

Xena looked up, startled.

Maphias took a calm sip from the mug in his hands. "How are you going to fight an army ten thousand strong?"

Xena had been thinking about this herself. "Corinth still owes me a favour."

"I know what Corinth's like," Maphias said grimly. "You'd be vastly outnumbered with inexperienced soldiers at your back."

"I could..." Gabrielle said. She paused and swallowed. "I could ask the Amazons if—"

Xena was shaking her head. "No. No, we can't. They've been through enough."

Gabrielle couldn't help the relief that crossed her face. She grimaced apologetically, but Xena only shook her head again with a smile.

"No," Xena said. "If I can take advantage of the terrain and be prepared, I think I have a good shot."

"Yeah, but the terrain's changed a bit in the past twenty five years," said a young man from behind her. She didn't recognize him.

"Yeah," said another. "We're the ones who changed it."

She frowned. The tavern was noticeably fuller now, crowded with villagers who watched her steadily. "What are you getting at?"

Maphias chuckled. "I think they want to help."

People nodded in the crowd.

"I can't let you—"

"The children have grown up hearing tales of you, Xena. You are a hero to them."

Xena's face darkened. "This is no time for heroics—"

She was interrupted again, this time by the young man who had spoken first. "We can't sit around passively, anymore. This is our land, Xena!"

She turned fully to look at him. He had thick blond curls and earnest blue eyes. She sucked in a sharp breath, remembering the last time she'd seen eyes like that staring at her beseechingly.

"What's your name?" she said finally.

"Lykus." He seemed to swell. "I was named for the man who fought against oppression."

Oh gods. Even the name...

"Can you ride, Lykus?" she said softly.

"Yes. I'm the best horseman in the village!"

The boy beside him snorted and punched his arm. "You bring milk on a cart. You're the slowest driver on the road!"

"I've never broken a bottle!" Lykus retorted.

Xena had been scribbling something on a piece of parchment. She handed it to Lykus now. "I need you to take this to the king of Corinth."

Lykus looked like the clouds had parted and angels had descended to dance for him. "I will!" He made a dash for the door.

"Hold on!" Aliyah called from the bar. She tossed a waterskin at him when he turned to look. "It's a hot day out. Wear a hat."

He waved the waterskin at her cheerfully and rushed outside.

"He's a lot like Lyceus, isn't he?" Maphias had seen Xena's pained look.

"Your brother?" said Gabrielle softly.

Xena's jaw tightened. She would not fail this time.

The barricades they had built twenty five years ago were in remarkably good repair. Time had compressed the wooden spikes and hardened them into something like rock. The villagers had replaced the rotting twine holding the spikes in place, and then buried the barriers around the perimeter of the village.

Xena rested a hand on a hard bar, and peered out through a gap. Lykus had returned that night, and several days later, the army of Corinth had appeared at the head of a cloud of dust, with the king riding—badly—in front. The man hadn't stayed, citing political tensions at home with which Hercules was helping so he didn't need the army around, but he instructed his general to obey Xena's every word.

Given the awestruck glaze on the general Belasius's face, he needn't have bothered.

Maphias had been right. The soldiers numbered only three thousand, and were inexperienced and eager to see battle. Xena didn't bother correcting them. They would find out soon enough. They were nearly all sons of farmers.

This, however, meant that the pits to be dug in the plains and traps to be set in the woods were completed quickly and with minimal fuss. An incautious army would soon find itself buried or pincushioned.

Gabrielle found her here, watching the empty land.

"Haven't we done this before?" she said teasingly.

Xena smiled back. "We've got to stop meeting like this. Barricades are hardly a romantic backdrop."

Gabrielle laughed, and turned her face to the afternoon sun. It was painfully bright through her closed eyelids, but the warmth washing over her skin made her feel like she was digging roots into the soil and growing taller in the light. "It's been three weeks," she said. "Arctureos must know we're ready for him by now."

Xena hummed in agreement. "He's either supremely confident, or he's preparing some sort of surprise that he thinks will win this for him."

"Neither bodes well for us."

"We'll just have to be careful."

"How's... everything else?" Gabrielle said. It didn't sound very subtle to her ears, either.

Xena gave her a dry look. She opened her mouth to respond, when suddenly, a flock of birds rose black against the sky in the distance, their shrieks audible even from afar. When she looked at Gabrielle again, her friend nodded, her face grim. "Let's go."

They found part of Arctureos' army milling around one of the larger pits they had dug.

Xena held up her hand quietly, and she heard Belasius snapping a few orders behind her. The men—she'd brought three companies, just under a full battalion—settled into formation obediently. They were in a small copse of woods that overlooked the major plain of Amphipolis. There was some gentle clanking and whispering. They had picked up on Xena's plan remarkably quickly, and each man had smeared green dye over their armour. They gleamed like particularly virulent plants in the sun, but in the shade, they melted into the dark green shadows.

Belasius rode up next to Xena and Gabrielle.

"Must be just the vanguard," he said. He was an old man she remembered as a lieutenant colonel from Iphicles's reign. He'd been much greener, then, but just as respectful. He grinned. "We've caught some flies in our honey."

Xena watched doubtfully as the men tried to lash together some rope to pull their fallen comrades out of the pit. "A lot of them are just idling."

Belasius looked thoughtful and nodded. "Probably just don't have any orders. You think this is suspicious?"

Gabrielle huffed a laugh. "Xena is pretty paranoid, but I've come to trust her instincts."

They watched for a while longer.

"They're really not going anywhere." Xena said. "No sign of scouts in the trees?"

"Negative."

"Alright," Xena said slowly. "I'm going to take one company and check this out." She touched Gabrielle's arm. "Stay here and watch my back?"

Gabrielle nodded, fingers tightening over the smooth wood of a longbow.

Xena picked her way to the foot of the wooded hills before turning to survey her men. A sea of green looked back at her. Some village boys had volunteered once the army had arrived. Xena hadn't been too pleased with the idea, but Maphias had made a speech about believing in the youth of tomorrow or something, and the boys had all cheered. She'd privately vowed to keep watch over them carefully.

With a sinking feeling, Xena recognized Lykus's beaming face.

"We are not going to do anything rash," she said to them firmly. "There are thirty or forty of them. We will circle around this hill, and if they do prove to be alone, we will attempt to capture them. Do not attempt any heroics. If they refuse to cooperate, we will kill them quickly."

Lykus's smile faded at her hard tone.

She tugged Argo around. "Move out."

The trek around the hill was uneventful, and Arctureos's men hadn't moved by the time they reached the treeline. Two thirds of them were still in the hole.

In retrospect, Xena should have realized something was strange before she spurred Argo into the sunlight, followed by the wildly yelling company.

Arctureos's men watched them approach for a good minute before turning and retreating, leaving part of their number in the pit.

With a sudden feeling of dread, Xena dragged Argo to a halt.

"They're running!" yelled a sergeant as he rushed by her. "Get them!"

"No!" Xena said. "Don't follow them!" She jumped off Argo and pushed her back toward the trees. Argo galloped off upon a smack to her rump.

Xena turned back to the soldiers chasing Arctureos's men. They were slowly spreading out from a clot in the centre, trailing a few stragglers.

Her vision flashed white.

The noise was so loud that she thought she felt a trickle in her ears.

She might have yelled something, but she wasn't sure. She couldn't hear herself.

Scattered explosions continued ahead after the main blast. Warped spears clattered to the ground along with blackened bodies and she could smell the sharp copper scent of blood amongst the smoke.

She could barely open her eyes, but she saw a blur of a form hunched over on the ground, holding its arms around its head. One of the stragglers, she thought.

Xena reached the man and helped him tug off his dented helmet that could only have been suffocating him, warped like that. Blond hair was quickly covered with soot. It was Lykus.

Xena dragged the boy to his feet. He stumbled, righted himself, and followed blindly as she pulled him back toward the hill. His eyes were closed and blood was trickling from his nose.

Another boom sounded close by, and Xena flung them to the ground, wrapping her arms around the boy's head. Debris pelted their bodies, and she felt a sharp sting on her right arm, just below the shoulder. When the shower subsided, she scrambled up.

They ran for the trees, and she never let go of Lykus's arm.

Xena's fist slammed into a table in the tavern, which had become an unofficial base of sorts.

Gabrielle winced. She'd heard a crack, and she wasn't sure if it was the table or Xena's hand.

Xena punched the table again.

"Black powder!" she roared. "Where the hell did he manage to get black powder?"

The few other survivors were in the corner, some on pallets. Villagers rushed by with water and bandages. There was a muffled scream from someone who was having shrapnel tugged from his flesh.

"Xena, please," said Gabrielle from beside her. She was holding a rag and a bowl of water.

Xena looked down at her arm, which was slick and red down to the elbow. She blinked in surprise. "It didn't feel that bad," she said. She let Gabrielle start rinsing the blood away.

Suddenly, she whipped around. Gabrielle made a wordless protest.

"Did you give him the secret of the powder?" Xena said through gritted teeth.

Ares looked as if he'd been sucker-punched. "No!"

"Then how?"

Ares waved an arm agitatedly. People swayed back, as if it were a weapon in and of itself. "I don't know! Last I checked, he hadn't even heard of it!"

"You're not keeping tabs on his progress?" Xena sneered.

Ares' fist clenched. He took a deep breath. "You know I would never help him," Ares said, deathly calm.

He and Xena stared at each other.

She looked away first.

"Sorry," she said shortly.

She let Gabrielle sit her down and continue washing out her wound.

Gabrielle winced. It was deep and jagged, and in the angry red, she saw a glint of something metallic. She pulled out a sai slowly. "I'm going to have to..." she said, and indicated the gash.

Xena took a deep breath and nodded.

"Give me some fire!" Gabrielle called to Aliyah.

As Gabrielle ran the point carefully through the flame of a large candle, Xena looked around. "I need something to..."

Ares offered her a small, flat slab of wood.

Gabrielle turned to her and nodded. Xena took a deep breath and carefully bit down on the wood. Gabrielle leaned in and braced her wrist on her other hand to keep it steady.

The wood creaked in Xena's mouth, and she made a strained, desperate noise that lasted for a long time.

Ares winced at the sizzling sound, and he wished fervently that he still had the power to heal.

Later, stitched and bandaged, Xena lay exhausted on her side.

When Gabrielle stood to leave, bowl of bloody water in hand, she paused.

"What did you say?"

"Lykus," Xena repeated blurrily. "Is Lykus?"

Gabrielle relaxed. "He's fine. Just a few scrapes and his ears are ringing."

Xena subsided, and her eyes drifted closed.

Gabrielle looked at Ares, who was sitting at the foot of the bed, staring moodily at his hands. He looked up, caught her gaze, and shook his head.

Gabrielle shrugged. She wasn't going to protest if he wanted to sit there all night, as long as he was quiet.

She'd never seen him this quiet before.

The next morning, Xena was up and about. Her back was straight, and she walked casually, but Gabrielle could see the tight, white skin around the corners of her eyes and mouth.

"We need to take out that black powder," Xena said once she'd gathered Gabrielle and Belasius. Ares hovered behind her like a kicked puppy.

Gabrielle nodded. "I can infiltrate their camp and find out where they're storing it."

Xena began to protest.

"No," interrupted Gabrielle. "I will do it. You're hurt. You're acting like you're fine, but we can all tell you're trying not to move your arm." She smiled. "I'm an old hand at raiding black powder stores, remember? Trust me."

Xena was silent for a while.

"Fine," she said finally. "I will arrange a distraction and lead them out of the camp. If I lead them into the gorge, that'll force them to bottleneck, and I can pick them off." She turned to Belasius. "I will need two or three platoons. The more archers, the better."

Belasius nodded and headed out toward the common room.

"Xena," said Ares. "I want to—"

"No." She half-smiled, and began rotating and stretching her arm gently. "This is my business, remember?"

He looked suitably chastised. "I wish you wouldn't be angry anymore," he mumbled.

Then, Xena's hand was on his chest, and she pushed him until he backed out of the room. Just before they turned the corner, she shot Gabrielle an apologetic glance.

Xena stopped, and she looked at him fully.

"I'm not angry at you, Ares."

He frowned sullenly. "Don't lie to me."

"I'm not!" she said, exasperated. "It's just—this really isn't the right time for this."

"Right," he said sarcastically. "You've suddenly decided to prioritize fighting above everything else."

"For what's at stake, yes," she snapped. "There are some things more important than your romantic pursuits, Ares."

Ares flinched.

A tense moment later, he rubbed at the skin above his eyes wearily. "I'm sorry," he said. "It's like... you do something to my higher brain functions." He snorted. "I think it's making me crazy."

Xena huffed and laughed. "Don't try to blame me for that. You started out crazy." Her tight shoulders slumped.

"So... We're good?" Xena gave him a look, and he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Right, sorry. Bad timing."

She shook her head. "We'll talk once I get back, alright?" She put a hand on his arm, kissed him softly, and walked past him.

Lykus had slipped into the room after Xena and Ares left. Gabrielle looked up from where she was attaching various bits of weaponry to herself, startled.

"Lykus?"

He fisted his hands in his tunic, crumpling the material at his thighs. "Please take me with you!"

"... What?"

"It's my fault that Xena's hurt. I want to help you get rid of the black powder! Please!" Gabrielle was shaking her head, so he ploughed on. "Please! I'm good with a bow. I'll guard your back!"

"What about your family? Wouldn't they be devastated if something happened to you?"

He shook his head roughly. "I don't have any family. The village is my family. I just... I need to help you. Help them."

"Lykus..." Gabrielle stared at him, and then she sighed and handed him a couple of daggers. "Put these in your boot, and be ready to go soon." She waved off his fervent thanks. "Xena's gonna kill me," she said to herself.

Gabrielle lay flat on her belly under some flowering bushes near Arctureos's camp. She could see nothing but tents stretching to the horizon. She swallowed nervously and made sure her hand was clamped around Lykus's arm. He wasn't going anywhere without her permission.

"What will the signal be?" Lykus hissed.

"We'll know when we see it."

"What if we miss it?"

She slanted him a look. "Believe me, when Xena creates a signal, it's very hard to miss it."

"Oh."

She sighed when he started talking again.

"I always wanted to be a hero like Xena, growing up. Then everyone would know me and acknowledge me."

Gabrielle frowned at him. "Having trouble with bullies?"

He flushed visibly in the darkness. "N-no! Of course not!"

She smothered a chuckle. "Xena was my hero, too. Then, I learned that I needed to be my own hero."

Lykus gave her a puzzled look. "Where did you learn that from?"

Gabrielle smiled faintly. "From Xena, actually. I think that's what really makes her a hero."

Just then, from the south, there were a few faint pops, a whoosh of a wall of flame, and a loud explosion, belching cinders and smoke into the air.

"What was that?"

"Our signal," Gabrielle said. Good old exploding ale trick. Xena was nothing if not flashy. She didn't loosen her grip on the boy's arm. "Now, we wait until the camp empties, and we sneak over to that tent."

"Why that one?"

"It's a bit far off from the main camp, and it's guarded. They probably thought that if it exploded at that distance, they would be fine."

"Won't they?"

"No, if that entire tent is filled with black powder, it would take out over half of their camp. That's partly why Xena is leading them out of here. It would be senseless to kill all of these soldiers when we could just remove their ability to fight instead."

Lykus looked impressed. "Even though they're the enemy?"

"The enemy has family, too. People who would miss them when they're gone."

Gabrielle's grip tightened painfully on Lykus's arm, but when he saw her expression, he didn't raise an objection.

"Come on," she said suddenly. "It's time."

Her warcry sounding shrilly, Xena flipped over two soldiers with spears and threw her legs out, knocking them into the cliff face behind her. There was the popping noise of a nose breaking, and they slumped to the ground with faint grunts.

Arrows whistled over her head, thudding into their targets.

She blocked a sword slash with a jarring blow that sent sparks into her vision and used her boot to flip up a discarded sword in time to block another attack from a different direction. Locking blades, she scraped the swords downward and stepped back smoothly, withdrawing at the precise moment that would send both opponents off balance and ploughing into each other. Their swords slid into each other's bellies with a small, slick sound.

She spun, sword in a back handed grip and threw her arm out. Another body fell to the ground while its head rolled to a stop in the grass farther off. It was getting slippery, Xena noted.

The sun beat down on her head, and her right arm was sending jolts of pain up and down her body.

Four more men burst through the opening at the end of the gorge. Two fell under a pinpoint burst of arrows, one with the fletch barely sticking out of his eye socket. Xena caught the third with a heavy upwards swing that slit his gut open.

She pivoted to pursue the fourth, only to find him impaled on the blade of white-faced young Corinthian.

"What are you doing down here?" she said, even as she stabbed another man.

"Running out of arrows!" he panted, tugging his sword free with both hands and sliding the soldier to the ground. "Some of us came down to help!"

Xena cut through another wave. The ground stunk under their feet, and it was getting harder to move without the threat of tripping over a body.

She gritted her teeth when her arm throbbed sharply. It was getting more frequent now.

There should have been an explosion of the black powder by now. They would have definitely heard it from this distance.

Gabrielle...

The arrow barrage had all but stopped. Several dozen more men joined her at the mouth of the gorge as Arctureos's men, emboldened by the lack of archers, burst through the opening and fanned out.

Xena attacked quickly, calculating each sword stroke to fell as many as efficiently as possible. A slash—a man staggered back, trying to cover the spurting gash across his throat—duck, follow through with a spin, throw sword out—a crunch of bone shattering—bring other sword up and lunge—

What had happened to Gabrielle?

She rolled and swept, toppling several soldiers who would not be able to stand on both legs anymore, and a shadow flickered over her face.

She looked up, shielding her eyes from the sun. Arctureos was standing on the cliff edge above the gorge. There was a flash of white teeth as he smiled and turned back toward his camp.

Xena looked around quickly. There weren't enough men. The main body of Arctureos's army must have retreated the camp, she realized with growing alarm.

Enough remained, however, to fill the gorge and surge outward. A strangled cry sounded beside her, and a Corinthian spearman fell, his mouth filling with blood.

Another was stabbed through the gut to her other side.

She was losing too many men. The black powder hadn't exploded, and most of the enemy were back at their camp.

The plan had failed.

Xena wrenched off balance a soldier who had his sword raised, ready to stab the Corinthian lying at his feet, and she thrust her extra sword through his chest.

"Retreat!" she called, leaving the sword in the soldier and pulling the Corinthian to his feet.

She slashed diagonally down the torso of another soldier who had tried to chase her. His collarbone crunched, and he crumpled.

"Retreat!"

Several more men picked up the cry, and they ran from the gorge, ignoring the jeers behind them.

Xena jumped and nearly put her sword through Gabrielle when she appeared out of the shadow of a tree. She checked herself in time and sighed with relief.

"Are you alright?"

Gabrielle's face was tight and drawn. "I'm sorry, Xena. Lykus asked to come with me and help."

Xena felt cold.

"Lykus?"

"He was captured. I'm sorry."

Xena and Gabrielle crouched on the cliff overlooking part of Arctureos's camp. They'd sent the rest of the Corinthians back to Amphipolis. Xena had insisted.

There was a lot of movement in the camp. Xena scanned the tents and the milling soldiers, and her breath caught in her mouth when she saw Lykus be dragged out of a tent and pushed to the ground in front of Arctureos. Blood streaked his hair, nearly black against blond.

"Give me your bow," said Xena. She checked the quiver she held. Only a few arrows left. She took one, ripped a piece of cloth from her undershift, and started wrapping it around the head. "You said that one's the black powder tent, right?"

"Yes." Gabrielle's eyes widened. "You're going to..."

"Yes." She grabbed Gabrielle's shoulder. "You get Lykus. Sneak in. I'll take out the guards when you've gotten close enough, and when that happens, grab him and run. Don't stand your ground, don't try to fight them. I'll cover you."

"There aren't enough arrows to—"

"There's no time," Xena said. "Just go!"

She watched Gabrielle slither down the cliff path, dodging from cover to cover. She put the wrapped arrow aside and inspected a couple of rocks underfoot. She chose a particularly sharp one, and a rough one.

Xena looked at Gabrielle. She was edging around a tent right behind where Lykus was being held to the ground, curled over his knees.

Xena raised the bow and nocked an arrow.

She paused.

Lykus had seen Gabrielle first, it seemed. He'd reached into the sides of his boots, pulled out two daggers, and stabbed them straight through the boots of his two guards. The guards screamed and fell to the ground. He immediately ducked under a swing of Arctureos's sword, rolled, and windmilled awkwardly to his feet right where Gabrielle grabbed his hand and dashed toward the closest treeline.

Xena couldn't help but laugh.

Arctureos screamed something and pointed. Two soldiers rushed after Gabrielle and Lykus. Xena let the arrows fly, and they both collapsed, bolts through their necks.

Arctureos ducked behind a tent quickly, looking around. He yelled something else, and soldiers started spreading out. No doubt looking for her.

Xena picked up the arrow that had the cloth wrapped around its head and placed it on the rock in front of her. Then she picked up the stones.

She closed her eyes, still counting in her head. They should be far enough away by now.

She struck the stones together until a spark jumped to the cloth, and she blew on the tiny golden speck gently. The day was dry, and it caught with a puff, steadily licking over the coiled cloth.

Xena slotted the arrow into the bow, took a deep breath, and let it fly.

A few busy moments later, the explosion was like a supernova through her eyelids.

Screams filled the smoky air when she unplugged her ears. She edged over to the cliff and peered down into the small crater where the tent had been. The surrounding tents had been flattened as if a giant hand had scraped along the ground for a good distance in all directions. A giant, flaming hand. She could see bodies amongst the fire, their armour glistening in a way that could only mean they'd been cooked as if meat in a can. Xena's face twisted into a sneer.

There was movement.

Soldiers out of range of the blast had rushed in, now that the flames had died down to a steady burn. There was a rocky outcrop just below the cliff, Xena noticed, that had shielded the space behind it enough that the grass was only slightly scorched. There was a collapsed tent there, and as Xena watched, the tent shifted. Soldiers started pulling at the fabric.

If Arctureos had survived that...

Xena crept down the cliff path.

She watched in disbelief as Arctureos clambered unsteadily to his feet, pushing off a blackened body of a guard. Had he used a human shield? She was having trouble deciding whether to be impressed or reviled.

She must have been watching for too long. There was a shout from the side.

Xena whipped around to see three soldiers rushing toward her, drawing their swords as they ran.

She glanced back at Arctureos. Just when he was within reach, too. He saw her now and yelled something unintelligible, pointing at her. His face was red and black, heavy veins popping out of his neck.

Xena assessed her odds. There were at least thirty men between her and Arctureos, and several more were trying to surround her. Damn. Her arm wasn't in very good shape, either.

Someone yelled, and she drew her sword quickly, blocking a blow to her neck with the motion. She slammed it down onto another attack, pushed herself up, and used a kick to a soldier's face as leverage to flip herself over the ring of swords. Her back was to the cliff now, at least.

They tried to surge her, and she ducked away. Several swords hacked into the sides of soldiers in the mass.

"We're just getting in one another's way!" She heard someone call out in the back. "Go in waves!" Then it was all just wordless yelling.

Xena hopped up onto the shoulders of an unlucky soldier who got too close. While he staggered around, she swept her sword at the row of surprised faces. Some of their heads were still intact when they thudded on the ground and rolled underfoot of the next wave. She squeezed with her thighs, and with a crack, the man under her collapsed. She landed on her feet and flipped backward, catching a couple of soldiers on the chin with boots on the upswing. There was a flicker behind her, and Xena spun around to catch a blade heading for her back with her sword. Pressing a hand against the flat of her sword, she shoved upward. Sparks flew, and the edge bit into the soldier's throat under the strap of his helmet.

There was a sharp pain in her side. She shoved her elbow down, trapping the sword lodged just below her ribs, and spun. It clattered free to the ground, letting her stab through the disarmed soldier, aiming up through the belly to the heart. She kicked him off the blade to fall against two men approaching from behind him, and they collapsed under the sudden weight.

Xena blocked a downward blow over her shoulder, and her sword was nearly jarred out of her hand. She viciously damped down at the rising wave of panic. The fingers on her right hand felt limp and nerveless, and there was a horrible burning sensation spreading out from her shoulder through her chest. Swinging with both hands, she cleaved a charging soldier from shoulder to hip with a roar.

She backed away, trying not to notice the way her sword shook in front of her eyes as she held it up in a two-handed guard. She would not die here today.

Then, there was yelling in the amassed ranks. She frowned. She hadn't done anything. That she was aware of. Maybe. Gods, she was tired.

She hadn't. There was a tall man in a black cloak with the hood pulled far over his head despite the heat of the fires. He was tearing through the soldiers like a whirlwind.

She thought...

Xena stumbled, but she turned it into a roll under a slash of a sword aimed at her chest. She kicked out with a boot and was satisfied to receive a hoarse scream and a crack of bone. She left the man to collapse, took the opening, and ran.

The cloaked figure overtook her halfway through the woods, caught her about the waist as her knees buckled, and then there was light and an unpleasant tugging sensation.

When Xena opened her eyes, they were in the middle of the tavern in Amphipolis. Ares was yelling something in her ear. She turned to look at him. She winced at the volume and pulled the hood from his face. Yep, she confirmed, he was pissed.

Ares stopped mid-rant and blinked when she started laughing. She couldn't very well tell him it was the voices in her head making a joke, so she just closed her eyes, shook her head, and leaned her forehead against his collar.

It was kind of comfortable, she thought distantly.

Xena caught snatches of conversation as she drifted toward wakefulness.

"—decimated—"

"—at least five thousand dead—"

"—single-handedly—"

"Get out."

She recognized the last voice, at least. It was Ares again.

She fell back asleep in the quiet.

When she woke again, it was to the grey light of pre-dawn.

She sat up. Strained muscles protested with bursts of flame. Oh gods, she was going to be stiff. She took in a deep breath and hacked when her dry lungs practically crackled.

There was a mug in front of her face.

"Drink," said Ares, his voice frosty.

She studied him as she accepted the mug and took a sip of the lukewarm water. His jaw was twitching.

He waited until she'd drained the mug and put it down.

"What were you thinking? Were you thinking? You—"

She kissed him.

He pulled back. "Don't think you can—"

She kissed him again.

When he pulled back this time after a long moment, he seemed to deflate. He rubbed his brow lethargically. "You took at least a century off my lifespan today," he muttered.

Xena snickered. When she kissed him a third time, she licked a thin line along his mouth. His lips parted almost immediately. She grabbed his vest and pulled as she fell backward, narrowly escaping knocking her head on the wall behind her.

That was kind of dangerous.

His hands had dragged through her hair, down the sides of her thin shift—she'd gasped a bit—and were resting on her hips by the time she rolled them over and was crouched over him, pressed up against his chest.

He looked a bit dazed. His vest had gotten untucked somewhere in the roll, and the skin of his chest looked dark against the hand she had pressed over the cords of his muscles in the fuzzy, misty light. His lips looked swollen and so soft. Xena wanted to taste them again.

"Xena..." he said, and he frowned at her.

She sighed. "I have no intention of doing anything like what transpired yesterday again. I was mostly just trying to get away before you showed up."

He didn't look completely convinced.

"Just shut up and kiss me."

As lines go, that one was pretty much, more or less, overabused. It worked, at least.

To be continued.