Xena's sword was up against Therius' neck in less than a heartbeat, drawing blood immediately.

"What did you do to Gabrielle?" she roared. Therius' smile was gone, he himself not very pleased about being cut and interrogated.

"She's alive, if that's what you're asking. I'm only using her for leverage-"

"Leverage?" Xena pressed her sword firmer to the warlord's neck, her eyes cold.

"You may not want to do that," he said. "You see, if you kill me, then they kill her and the princess dies as well." Therius' eyes swiveled around to look into Xena's. There was no fear. "Sounds like the definition of a lost cause, don't you think?" Xena's heart burned in anger, but her grip on her sword loosened a bit, just enough for Therius to get away from her.

"What do you want?" she asked.

"You already know the answer to that question. I want the princess, Xena. If I can keep her and get back the rest of the lot that you unfairly released not too long ago, I'll give you your little blonde friend back. It's really very simple-"

"I can't do that," Xena interrupted. Therius turned to face the warrior princess, ignoring the blood on his neck and the impossible sting from where it slowly dripped. He let out a sigh and shrugged.

"How unfortunate," he said with a small smile, and then turned away. "I'll give you until sundown to make a decision… Hopefully your friend won't have died by then."

By the time Gabrielle came into any sort of consciousness, Xena was already gone. The blonde didn't move, barely took in breath, in fact, and refused even to open her eyes; she knew where she was and that was enough. She too did not want to waste energy opening her eyes and looking in any direction in case she saw something that she might not be able to handle. She thought about the women she had sent off into the woods and wandered if they had successfully escaped. She hoped to the gods that they had, but her spirits were heavy. It was then that she remembered how she had gotten to the place she currently was in and she swooned. Her body swayed forward, caught only by the rope around her neck. Gagging, she tried to straighten up, but the flexing of her core muscles sent an agonizing pain through her. She cried out, although most of the cry was muffled deep in her throat. Tears ran out of the corners of her eyes and she realized that the arrow was still there. Clenching her jaw against the pain she did her best to balance herself, lowering her body's center of gravity by sitting on her lower legs. Without arms it proved to be somewhat difficult, and another wave of pain pushed through. Gabrielle slumped over, letting the rope around her neck hold her up. She figured that the discomfort from the rope was far better than the searing pain from the arrow, and if she blacked out like this at least she wouldn't have to feel the pain if she accidentally were to move. Slowly then, she felt her consciousness slipping away and the sounds from the camp, which had quieted down a bit some hours ago, grew distant. Gabrielle felt a fear in her heart but tried her best to ignore it, knowing that it wasn't going to do her much good. No, what she needed to do was come up with some sort of a plan, some kind of escape idea. Xena had showered her once how do deal with arrow wounds, and so she knew that if she could just get her arms and hands free… The sounds around her began fading more quickly, and the sun in the distance beyond her closed eyelids seemed to set at a rapid pace. Her lungs expanded and contracted irregularly and she felt her body slowly stop fighting. She inhaled slowly.

"Xena…"

"Most of his army is gone," Xena said, pacing back and forth. Her footfalls echoed against the marble floors and throughout the king and queen's chambers. "But he still has the princess and now he has Gabrielle."

"He has your friend?" the king asked. Xena looked at him and then at the queen and nodded, sure that their faces were reflecting her own. She looked back at the ground, fighting the moisture coming into her eyes. All she could see was Gabrielle slumped on the ground… There was blood, too much of it, and that bastard didn't even have the mercy to take the arrow out of her! Xena grew livid in mere seconds, verging on berserk, but did her best to appear calm to the monarchs not far from her. If Gabrielle died tonight, the brunette didn't know what she would do. For a while, she would be lost. But she knew that the rage would grow inside her until she finally could not contain it for another day. She saw herself rampaging across the lands, setting fire to everything precious and coveted. She saw violence and death, fear… She saw a version of herself that she already knew, and the image made a part of her heart sing. But then she remembered Gabrielle's face, near tears one night, begging her, pleading with her.

"If something happens to me you have to promise not to turn into a monster… You promise me!" Xena had promised. All that time ago, Xena had made a promise to Gabrielle, looking into the blonde's eyes, that she would not revert back to her old ways should something happen to her. It didn't matter how long ago the promise was made. It was a promise nonetheless and Xena knew that she had to keep it, not matter what happened. She couldn't go back to the old Xena… She also couldn't let Gabrielle die.

"Xena?" the queen called. The warrior came out of her trance and looked up.

"… Alright," she started. "I'm going to get your daughter back and I'm going to get Gabrielle, but I have to ask a big favor to do it."

"Anything, Xena, please," the king said. Xena looked both of them in the eyes, the dark ferocity in her own making them uncomfortable.

"I need full command of the Royal Army."