Ares had heard his love call his name in the throes of passion and as hard as it was to ignore it, he did so for her benefit. If she had been ready to be intimate with him, she would have asked him to stay the night. But playing the gentleman was never his strong suit and resisting the urge to go to her had taken every ounce of resolve that he could muster. War, he knew, would preoccupy him. So, he decided that his best course of action would be to check in with Zandar and see if he was making any progress against Sarkon the Slayer.
Ares materialized in Zandar's war tent without a glimmer of warning. His lead warrior was discussing with his next in command the best way to draw the Slayer into a field battle. Both warriors went down on one knee when Ares flashed into the tent.
"Rise, rise, please, I told you that's not necessary in the privacy of your tent, Anyway, how goes it?"
"Well, my lord, my scouts have reported that Sarkon has turned back southward. I want to split the forces and trap him in the valley leading into Potidea." Zandar was confident that his plan would work. They would send a party along each ridgeline and then a platoon would follow behind the Slayer's men after they entered the valley.
Ares was satisfied that the maneuver would work and told Zandar to carry on as planned. His subconscious, however, kept telling him there was a better way to deal with Sarkon. But, until he formulated a better plan they would stick to the traditional flanking measures that his general proposed.
"How long until you plan to engage?" Ares asked.
"It depends on whether or not he keeps moving at the same pace and of course, I'll have to adjust the plans should he change direction again. He is a little unpredictable. His lust for murder seems insatiable."
"Very well. Keep me posted."
"One more thing my lord, it's been reported that some peasants have taken residence in your Amphipolis temple. I can dispatch a unit to remove them if it pleases you but I really need all my forces to take on the Slayer should the opportunity to move present itself."
Ares chuckled inwardly at his young general referring to Xena as a peasant. This kid had no idea that he'd never be a match for the Warrior Princess. Ares knew that if Xena was riding at the head of his army that Sarkon would have already been destroyed, her lust for vengeance had once been as insatiable as Sarkon's lust for murder.
"Leave the peasants alone, they are there with my blessing."
Zandar looked at his god curiously but replied, "As you wish, my lord."
As Ares disappeared into the aether he reminisced about a time when those words had been spoken through more delectable lips.
Gabrielle had set out for Potidea at sunrise. Malkus offered to give her a ride as far as his farmhouse which made Xena feel a little better. She knew Gabrielle was a capable warrior in her own right but with a maniac like Sarkon on the loose, she worried about her friend, nonetheless. Shortly after they rode off, Xena, Iason, and Mikal began tilling up the gardens. It was still early enough in the season that they should be able to get a serviceable garden put out. By noon, Ares hadn't shown up and Xena wondered if had decided not to visit after all. Although she couldn't help but be disappointed at the thought of him not dropping in, she knew it would be in everyone's best interest if he stayed away. The children had already warmed to him and she was afraid that he would only hurt them in the end.
In the early afternoon, they broke for lunch. Xena didn't want the kids slaving in the fields in the hottest part of the day. She told them to grab a bite and find a cool spot to relax for a couple of hours. After washing up, Xena went to Estor's shop and traded him some of the carrots that Malkus had brought them in exchange for a fresh loaf of bread. She had smelled it baking all morning, her mouth had watered and her belly had grumbled while she worked the soil. She cut the loaf in half, then divided the half-loaf six ways and doled out pieces to the children. The girls had finished hanging the wash and had joined the boys who were lounging at the front entrance to the temple when Xena returned with the bread.
"I'll be inside if you need me," she told the kids and took Amyntas from Kallias who had carried him in the sling while the girls had done the laundry. Xena was worried at how little he had grown in the weeks since life had thrust the children in her path. She carried him into the kitchen and grabbed the makeshift bottle that he hated and tried to get him to feed. He fussed and turned his head side to side to avoid the nipple.
"You have to eat something, little guy."
Xena carried him into the throne room and sat down with the baby on the couch. She cradled him and tried to squeeze some of the milk in his mouth since he wouldn't suck at the bottle. She was beginning to get frustrated and feared she would have to take him back to Greba when she felt a familiar current run through her veins.
She hated just how delighted she felt!
Ares appeared in a flash of brilliance but he was not alone. He was holding the hand of a lovely twenty-something blonde. Xena fought a twinge of jealousy. She had never seen this woman before. She wasn't one of his godly consorts, so who was she?
Ares could see the curiosity and jealousy in Xena's eyes. He toyed with letting her sweat a little but he had caused her enough pain.
"Hello Xena, I've brought you a gift," he gestured to the woman.
Xena looked at him cluelessly. He had brought her a slave? Did he really think she would use a slave?
He pointed to the woman again at her perplexed look.
"Meet, Lavinia,"
"Lavinia?" Xena asked.
"Yes, Lavinia, Lavina this is Xena, she'll be your employer."
"Just what will I be employing her for?"
Ares gestured again to the bombshell as if it should be obvious, "Xena, really? Look at those," he pointed to the swollen breasts, "she's your nursemaid."
"Oh, I see, this is your gift, your gift to me and the kids is another person?"
"Can't you just be grateful? I am paying her after all. I'll even throw in weekly rations if you can't afford to feed another mouth.
"Lavinia," Xena smiled at the girl, "you have experience as a wetnurse?"
"Yes, ma'am," the girl responded.
"Xena, just call me Xena," when the younger woman called her ma'am it reminded her of own advanced age and she didn't want to think about all the years she had on this young woman even if she hadn't been encased in ice for twenty-five damn years thanks to Ares.
"Xena. Okay, Yes, Xena, I've worked for kings and princes and served at the temple of Tethys.?"
"And just how do you know Ares?"
Xena knew the question would tip her hand to him, he would see the jealousy but she had to know if he had been banging this bimbo before she agreed to let her into her home.
"He found me this morning at Tethys' temple. The priestess said that I could take his offer if I chose. When he told me about these poor children, I knew that I had to help."
Xena felt bad that she had thought the girl was a bimbo. It was just that she was only used to seeing Ares with two types of women, warriors or whores, sometimes he ordered the combo and got both in one body.
Amyntas whimpered in Xena's arms.
"Is this Amyntas?" Lavinia asked.
"It is," Xena answered, surprised that Ares had remembered the child's name much less had the forethought to relate it to the girl.
Lavinia walked across the room and stood before the couch waiting to be invited to sit.
Xena looked at her oddly, not used to such formalities.
"Oh for Hera's sake, Xena, offer her a seat," Ares instructed.
"Oh sorry, I'm just used to people sitting when and where they want. Look, Lavinia if you are going to live here, you have to drop the formalities. I am no queen or goddess."
"But he said you were a Princess," It was Lavinia's turn to look at Xena with a confused stare.
Xena rolled her eyes, "I'm not that kind of princess and between you and me, he's delusional half the time," Xena leaned in conspiratorially and whispered the last part.
"I heard that sweetheart," Ares remarked.
"Here, do you think you can get him to eat? He hasn't gained any weight in two weeks," she unhooked the sling from her neck and handed the baby to Lavinia.
The wetnurse exposed her engorged left breast by unclasping a flap in her gown. She held the child to her bosom and Amyntas nudged around the tit before finding the nipple and latching on.
As Ares watched the hungry baby feed at Lavinia's breast he had to tamp down the old urge to see Xena suckling a child of their own. He had watched her with Eve and had been amazed at how effortlessly his warrior transitioned into a mother. He had never had the nerve to tell her that it in those tender moments with her daughter that he had found her just as desirable as he ever had with a sword.
Xena saw him staring at Lavinia's breast and gave him a "you disgusting pig" look.
He threw up his hands in innocence. Gods would she ever trust him again? Maybe he should just tell her he had been thinking about her and not lusting the blonde's large boobs. But he was afraid if he brought up Eve that he would just open up a whole other can of worms, so he let it slide.
"Where's Blondie?" He decided the best course of action would be to change the subject altogether.
"Not that it's any of your business but she's headed to Potidea to check on her sister and niece," Xena answered still miffed that she had caught him ogling Lavinia's tits.
"Oh Xena," Ares said with concern. At least she thought it was concern, he rarely exhibited that emotion when it came to Gabrielle.
"What? What is it?" She was almost afraid to ask.
"The Slayer, he's headed that way. Zandar's gonna try to trap in the valley leading into town. She could get caught in the battle."
Xena bolted from the couch and ran down the hall to her bedchambers. Ares followed on her heels. She stripped out of the work clothes in which she had been gardening. Her naked body wasn't anything he hadn't seen before, she told herself as she retrieved her leathers and armor from trunk at the foot of her bed.
"I'll get there before you, let me get her and bring her back," he pleaded.
"She'll never trust you, she'll think it is a trap," Xena slipped into the leather dress and slid the bronze breastplate over her head.
"I can give it a try, hey at the very least it will slow her down for you, I could always bring her back against her will," he answered as he stepped to her side to help her hook the breastplate to securely to the backplate.
"Ares, I've never asked for your help," She grabbed her bicep cuffs.
"And, you're not asking now," he handed her the leather gauntlets. "I'm offering and it's not really you I'd be helping, it's Gabrielle."
"Yeah, but you'd be doing it for me, just like Athena,"
"Does it matter why, if it saves your friend?" He turned her body and pulled her hair back and grabbed the hair tie from her bedside table.
"Tight enough?" He asked as tied the sides of her hair up with the cord.
She turned to face him. Thankful that she had him at her side right now, she reached up and kissed him sweetly on the lips, "Yes, and Ares, thank you."
She pulled back but let her hand linger on his stout chest, drawing comfort from his strength. She kicked off the boots she had been gardening in and surveyed the room for her riding boots.
"So it's settled? I'll slow her down." Ares helped her with the laces of her boots.
Xena was about to fold and agree to his terms but Mikal bounded into the room in a panic.
"They are headed this way!"
"Who?" Xena knew what the answer would be before she asked.
"Sarkon!"
Marta ran into the room with old Karina hobbling behind. "Xena, a half-dead rider just rode up to the temple to warn us that the Slayer is headed this way!"