"When shall we attack?"

Xena glanced up as Markis addressed her, pulling her out of her myriad of thoughts.

"Dawn, leave none alive" she said distractedly, studying the aged map before her. The rains of the last few days had made her plan to attack right away unfeasible but now they were ready, she was ready. "Is my other army in place?" she questioned, speaking of her larger army that now marched down the coast, it had already taken two villages and they would meet in Rome when the time came.

"Of course my lady, they sent word all is well."

Xena nodded. "Good, dawn tomorrow then" she repeated.

Markis bowed, "Yes, My Lady." He turned to leave but Xena stopped him with a gesture of her hand.

"You will be sure to tell me if…" She paused, knowing she was showing a small part of herself as vulnerable by asking this thing of him. "If you have another… feeling?"

Markis bowed again. "Of course, I want us to succeed and your safety is my utmost concern."

Xena smiled thinly and nodded. "Good. Be ready to move tomorrow."

Markis bowed once more and left her presence.

Xena wrapped her hand around the back of her neck and closed her eyes, massaging the taut muscles she found beneath her fingers. She was loath to admit it but the 'encounter' with Caesar had left her feeling on edge, nervous… She had become a little paranoid over the last few days, wondering what new trick he would play, what new means to hurry her death he would employ… what would have happened if she had not awoken from the dark spell? She shivered involuntarily at the thought, she was unused to supernatural attacks and also, she had surprised herself with the realization that she still detested him so violently, that he still fueled such hatred within her, hatred that even her ex-lover Borias had not instilled within her after his betrayal in Ch'in…

He had abandoned her to a tyrant; she had been hunted through the forest by hungry dogs, all because of his betrayal. She was lucky she had survived, her twisted legs had hindered her desperate flight and without the help of the powerful Amazon Shamaness Alti, she would not have made it out of that foreboding place.

And yet she did not hate Borias, she had forgiven him in a strange way. Alti had chided her for keeping company with him after what he had done and Xena had listened finally, after Alti had performed a miracle upon her, one that Xena had thought impossible, making her whole once more and ending years of pain by healing her legs, bringing them once again back to their former strength and splendor. Xena had disowned Borias, casting him out into the frozen wastes with nothing but a fur cloak as solace. If he lived or died she still did not know, nor did she care… she supposed she had loved him in her own way, but love was a fleeting emotion and power, power was forever. Alti had taught her many things about war and power, christened her Xena: 'The Destroyer of Nations'. They had parted ways only three years before, Xena longed for battle and victory while Alti longed for Amazon blood, the source of her great power. Xena knew they would meet again one day when Alti wished for something from her.

Xena pursed her lips, her hand clasping her mug of mead and drinking in the sweet liquid. She furrowed her brow in thought, she supposed the reason she did not hate Borias was because she felt she had gotten a lot more out of the situation than he had taken from it. She would not have been the great warrior she was today without Alti… but Caesar… Her thoughts drifted back to the young handsome, dark haired man of her youth… Caesar she could not understand.

She halted in her massage and narrowed her eyes, becoming aware that she was no longer alone; the familiar tingle up her spine easily told her who was there, even if she could not see him.

"Ares" she drawled in a disinterested voice.

There was a small burst of light and he appeared a few feet to her left.

"Hello Xena," he greeted, "miss me?" Ares grinned widely.

"Of course, how could I not miss your sneaking around Ares?" she said in a deadpan tone, her eyes mocking.

Ares gave a forced humorless laugh, "Amusing." He walked up behind her and removed her hand from her neck taking over the task himself, artfully kneading her tired muscles.

"You seem distracted" he commented.

"Hmm," Xena agreed, "Caesar has begun his little games."

"Oh?" Ares asked smirking.

"Using his sorcerers to send me bad dreams, not very imaginative, but then he never was."

Ares gave a silent snigger at the resentment in her voice.

"Did he now," he humored, "I assume he didn't succeed."

Xena glared at him from over her shoulder. "I'm here aren't I?!" she berated, her lip curling into a snarl.

Ares laughed, "When do you attack?"

"Tomorrow" Xena said darkly, her mood becoming displeased with him.

Ares bent, sensing the change in her, and laid a soft kiss against her cheek, letting his fingers work slowly down the side of her neck to the edge of the armor at her chest. Xena felt his touch and knew his mind; she was in no mood for his games tonight. She caught his hand with her own and flung it from her, then echoed the gesture with his other hand.

Ares' jaw tightened.

"I need to be alone" Xena stated, looking into her cup, avoiding letting her gaze fall upon him.

"Alone?" Ares asked, annoyance edging his voice.

"You know I always do before a battle" she reminded. "Come back afterwards."

Ares felt his blood boil at her flippant demand upon a God. "You're trying my patience!" he said, gritting his teeth. "Be careful how you speak to me!

Xena looked up, for the first time since becoming partners with Ares she could sense, see, the look of true anger upon his face and the thought crossed her mind that perhaps she had finally pushed him too far.

She casually rose from her seat and walked to him, parting his low cut shirt, letting her fingers brush against the bare chest beneath. She glanced up at him, a small smile flickering upon her lips as his eyes became half closed at the sensation. Xena buried her face against his neck, biting and kissing in equal amounts until she felt his body relax beneath her, all thoughts of anger melting away with her caresses. Her mouth found his and she kissed him deeply, feeling his lust for her rise as his arms encircled, pulling her closer to his body.

Finally Xena broke the kiss and glanced up at him, a smug smile replacing the sly smirk that had been there before.

"Tomorrow" she whispered, her hands gliding over the contours of his muscular back.

Ares gave her an exasperated look and then let his palm rest against her cheek. He nodded with a slight look of annoyance tingeing his gaze.

"Very well, I will be watching the battle tomorrow, perhaps I will return." He enjoyed the moment of not doing as she wished. "I have other pressing business to attend." He smirked in amusement at the slight crease that appeared upon her brow at his words.

"As you wish" Xena said as respectfully as she could manage.

Ares gave her one last teasing look before disappearing in his normal flash of light.

Xena turned, her thoughts drifting to sleep and what would come tomorrow. True, it was but a small village they would take, but wars always started with small gestures.

---

Xena awoke well before dawn; her excitement at the day that lay ahead was thrilling. She pondered how she had slept at all before rising from her pallet and pulling a large fur blanket around herself, warding off the early morning chill that invaded her tent.

She quickly called for one of her guards and demanded a hot breakfast. Before she had fully dressed a hot bowl of stew was produced and she ate it greedily, drinking down a good cupful of fresh water along with it. Once the food was gone she finished dressing, carefully but swiftly buckling her armor into place and fastening her sword at her side. When she felt she was ready she glanced once more around the tent before leaving it in certain strides, her adrenaline already making her heart beat a little faster.

Outside her men already awaited her, her horse was saddled and waiting to be mounted a few feet away.

Xena gave them all a callous grin.

"Today," she began in a clear loud voice, "we begin our march upon Rome and Caesar!"

The men about her roared in a deafening cheer.

"Rome and all its spoils will soon be ours!"

The men cheered once again, some banging their swords upon their shields.

"Today is ours!!! VICTORY!" Xena screeched, sending the men into a frenzy of shouts and bloodlust.

She mounted her steed and withdrew her sword, holding it above her head, drawing all of their attention once again.

The men began to chant the word 'victory' over and over and Xena smiled down at them, enjoying the sound, loving this moment of calm before chaos would rein and take over all movements and thoughts.

She gave a shrill battle cry and kicked her horse sharply into motion and her men eagerly followed.

The village didn't stand a chance against her vast army, in fact Xena found that it was a little disappointing and so ordered her men on to the next village that was only a few miles away. They had laid waste to it within hours and now bodies of Romans littered the ground by the hundreds, men, woman and children. Xena walked through the aftermath, taking in the burning buildings, her men looting, raping, and destroying.

She found a tattered old rag and cleaned off her bloodied sword: of course her blade had only killed men, she would only fight the strongest, leaving the rest for her men, she found no amusement in killing people that shrank and pleaded. She glanced at her sword as it caught the late afternoon sun, and wondered if that was in fact an easy way to avoid killing the innocent… letting her men do the work for her. She shrugged inwardly, what did it matter anyway, she ordered their killing, it was the same thing.

Markis was soon by her side, his face splattered in dried blood. He held out a flagon of wine to her and Xena gladly accepted it, taking huge gulps of the cooling liquid.

"A few of the women and children fled into the woods." He pointed to the place he indicated in his words. "Should we follow?"

Xena narrowed her eyes at the tree line before taking another drink. "No, let them go."

Markis looked slightly taken aback by her words.

Xena gave a low laugh, pushing the wine back into his hands, her expression calling him a fool. "They will tell Caesar we are coming and I want him to know."

"Is that wise My Lady?"

Xena laughed again, rose to her full height and faced him, her blood smeared presence commanding. "Wise men don't go to war Markis, those who can win do." She snarled and pulled the wine back off him, leaning in close. "Don't question me again."

Markis nodded stoically, "Yes, My Lady." He gave a curt bow.

Xena drained a little more from the flagon. "Have word sent to set up camp here, we move on in the morning to the next village, and then the next, until Caesar finally has the courage to come out of his hole and face me." Xena threw the wine down to the ground. "And find better wine, this tastes like horse piss!"

Markis again bowed and left her presence, sensing the growing foul mood that was quickly clouding around her. Xena sat back down, her mind feeling tired, she glanced around once more at the many bodies, the dying and she felt… tired…

Her attention was quickly drawn to a movement upon the ground, a spasm of a small, blood smeared hand.

She rose once more and walked over to the small limp body, a young girl lay upon the ground, breathing shallowly. Xena crouched beside her, her eyes widening a little. The girl was no Roman, her skin was dark, her hair tightly curled, and her clothing was of servants wear. Xena was suddenly struck by the similarity to her dear friend M'Lila, a girl that had stowed away on her pirate ship just before she had met Caesar. M'Lila had taught her the art of using pressure points for healing purposes and for causing great injury, even death. They had become great friends, the first true, loyal friend Xena had ever had, it had been because of M'Lila that Xena had been able to escape Caesar's planned death for her, and M'Lila that had treated her, brought her to an old medicine man and begun the healing of her shattered legs… and it had been M'Lila that had died protecting Xena from Caesar's guards.

The memories seemed to hit hard against her consciousness and for a moment Xena gasped from the weight they seemed to leave behind.

Xena hesitated, her hand still resting upon her sword, knowing she should finish the girl off but instead she returned it to its sheath and leaned closer to the girl, her hands checking for wounds. There was a small sword wound in her side but after checking, Xena felt sure that nothing important in her had been damaged.

Applying pressure points to her chest and stomach Xena relieved some of the pain for the girl, letting her rest in relative comfort.

"Markis!"

He was by her side in a moment. "Move this girl into my tent when it is erected and have her wounds dressed."

"My Lady?" Markis asked frowning

She gave him a sideways glance of annoyance but did not chide him.

"She's no Roman" Xena answered, as if this was all that needed to be said.