"Are we actually going up against Ares' army with only one hundred men?" I asked Elenies, choosing my words as wisely as possible in the attempt to avoid sounding like a lame coward.

She gave me an ironic enough glance in return to make me blush.

"Scared? "

" No. I'm just being cautious."

She just had to laugh at my line... I hated her for it. She was as self-conceited as Athena was. No wonder she was her Chosen.

" Ares' army is divided into three regiments. One of them is always located in Sparta- meant to defend the city at any time- and two are currently camped a few miles North and South of Megara. We will attack the Southern troops, and we'll make sure to move quickly enough as not to give the Northern regiment any time to intervene."

"Is that even possible? I mean that's only a few miles away…."

Once again , she laughed at my concern, glaring me with obvious, unmasked disdain.

"Everything's possible once you've set your mind on a goal."

"No wars have been won with philosophic retorts, Elenis!" I acidly replied, fed up with her patronizing attitude.

She paused a bit, taking her time to grin widely at my childish lack of control.

"Some people are just meant to work their lands, aren't they….?" she mockingly concluded, without bothering to give me a decent reply of course, riding ahead of the troop and starting a chat with one of the archers.

I couldn't help hating her even more when they both turned around to look back my way, sharing a laugh seconds later.

I just rolled my eyes at their ludicrous reaction and redirected my thoughts at what I was going to tell Xena once we met on the battlefield, hoping from the bottom of my heart that for once, she would be willing to listen to me.

XXX

I only met Ares one more time during that day, late in the afternoon, when he dropped by to take me to Megara- from where I was supposed to pick my men in order to carry out mt plan against the Hoard.

Needles to say, it had been a lousy morning, and to my much dismay, nothing seemed to tie up like it should have….I desperately tormented my brain into coming up with a new plan to keep Ares' army as far away from the Amazons as possible, but it was in vain. It was as if my every effort was useless...There was no bright idea to save the day, no stroke of genius to allow me breath a quiet sigh of relief, and the Fates of the entire Amazon Nation appeared to be sealed….They were doomed…..

By the time Ares returned, my feet were literally hurting from so much pacing back and forth in between those four walls.

"Are you ready?" he inquired , holding out his hand.

I just glided my hand in his, without uttering one word, and in a split second we were outside Megara, in a very familiar valley, surrounded from three sides by hills….I cast a long gaze around…There were guards standing on the top each hill, attentively scrutinizing the surroundings.

Under the dark grey sky, Ares' blood red war banners were waving right about everywhere, strategically placed in front of each tent. It only took me a moment to realize that there couldn't have been more than two hundred soldiers camped there. Most likely, the others had been stationed in Ephesus and Sparta. I didn't ask anything about it though. Didn't want to appear too interested in the subject.

The utterly powerful order he suddenly howled at the troops, forced me to leave all thoughts aside. His instant physical presence immediately caused a mortuary silence within a radius of at least two square kilometers.

" Attention!" his thundering voice echoed throughout the camp, and soon, all soldiers were standing upright, chin up , chest out, shoulders back, stomach in….the perfect posture.

"Meet your new Commander ! Xena, Warrior Princess!"

"Xena! Xena! Xena! " the impressive chorus of two hundred men could be heard slashing the air, and I just couldn't help closing my eyes at that particularly stimulating shiver travelling up and down my spine….Their voices, combined with the visible satisfaction engraved on Ares' visage was absolutely bewitching.

"Pledge your allegiance !" he once again shouted, and at unison, the echo of all those strong, spectacularly loud voices could be heard till Olympus and back, making the earth itself tremble beneath their feet.

"I pledge myself to you Xena Warrior Princess! My life is yours to command until Celesta comes to claim my soul! I swear this on the sacred name of Ares, God of War!"

"You gotta love their passion" he whispered to me on a bemused tone, licking his lips while his flirtatious gaze lingered on my own for a little while.

I just glanced at him wantonly in response…..Despite the considerable distance between us, I could almost physically feel his mouth on mine….It took me a couple of seconds to realize that I was biting my lower lip….I must have looked like a ridiculously aroused, inexperienced teenager….He seemed to like it though.

"Test them. Choose whomever you want. " he finally told me, and for once, after so many days, I could finally see that old sparkle of excitement in his eyes.

"Generals! Step forward! " I ordered, and as soon as the words escaped my throat, ten men broke the front line , closing in the distance between us with three firm steps….

I smiled, a contented smile. They all looked fearless and determined, and despite the fact that I had not even the slightest intention of going after the Hoard- killing everything in sight from women to children had been enough to quench my thirst for blood and vengeance- I couldn't help thinking that with those men alone I could have squashed ten Hoards, let alone one.

" I want each one of you to choose five of your bravest and more skillful men! You will be accompanying me in a fight against an old enemy, tomorrow!" I announced, silently imploring the Fates that Ares wouldn't keep an eye on me that night, thus leaving me enough time to put that completely unexpected plan hat had just sprouted into my head, into action.

"Yes Commander!" they all replied, turning around to fulfill their task.

XXX

…..Hours later, after a pretty tiring workout that was meant to prove to me that I had chosen the right men for the job, we were all getting ready to leave when one of the soldiers came running down the hill sounding the horn.

"We're being attacked!"

For one short moment, everyone froze in place under the threat of imminent danger, impatiently waiting for some additional news.

" Regroup!" I yelled at them, and in but a matter of seconds they were all in fighting position. One thing was certain: Ares' generals had done wonders in training them...

"How many?" I asked once the guard was close enough for him to hear me.

"About one hundred!" he hoarsely replied, closing in the distance between us. "They're carrying Athenian banners!"

"Gabrielle…." I murmured and I could instantly feel the blood turning into ice inside my veins, as an unnatural feeling of panic washed over me….

Hardly had my brain processed that thought that I could see her riding like a chimera at the head of Athena's warriors...This couldn't be happening...