Chapter One: The Wolf

The Warrior Princess had been on the road for three days by herself at this point. Gabrielle needed to go to Potadeia for some time. Lila had been sick for almost a week by the time Sarah had gotten word to her. Xena understood Gabrielle's need to go immediately despite them making their way to Corinth to assist the local government in ousting a plan of treason and controlling a group of rebels. Xena quickly assured her companion that she could handle this on her own to alleviate any guilt the bard had in abandoning the plan. To help expedite her trip home, Xena let Gabrielle take Argo, but still it would take at least two days for Gabrielle to get her to sister and it sounded like there was no time to waste. By now, three days later, Gabrielle would have been there for a whole day. Xena's thoughts were with her friend and friend's sister, hoping for the best. She knew the pain of losing a sibling well and hoped this pain would be spared from Gabrielle for as long as possible.

Truth be told, Xena enjoyed the time on her own. Although it was usually a comfort to have her best friend around, there were times that she appreciated the quiet and solitude that traveling alone brought. This was her last night in the forest alone before arriving in Corinth. She was enjoying the sounds and sensations of the forest at this hour, just before midnight. It was not something she got to experience much with Gabrielle, who required much more sleep than she did and led to them often making camp early. When Xena was on her own, she could experience the forest at her favorite time – in the middle of the night – only needing a few hours of sleep before getting on the road again in the morning.

These were her surroundings now. Seemingly lost in a thick forest – though she knew exactly where she was and how long it would take to reach her destination the next day. It was dark, but by now her eyes had adjusted. The air was cooler, even damp. She moved carefully and slowly, not wanting to disturb the wildlife that becomes active at night. Besides the noises of these creatures, the forest was silent. This was her happy place.

The quiet and the stillness of the space around her only worked to intensify the sensation of his presence. It had been there in small spurts since they last saw each other at the Amazon village. Though since the Swan and the Scorpion departed then, he hadn't made himself truly present to her. She wasn't sure what to make of it. Was he regretting the way that situation played out and his alliance with Varia? Was he planning his next move? She could understand his preoccupation with needing to gain more followers and build his reputation again after his time away from Olympus. The brief moments that she was able to detect him around though assured her that he was still monitoring, checking-on her, for what she wasn't always sure of anymore. Since she and Gabrielle parted ways a few days ago though, his presence had been much more consistent. He was there now. She knew it, she always knew. He still didn't materialize though. She didn't ask him to or acknowledge it, not knowing where his mindset was since their last encounter. Besides, that was nearly a month ago. It seemed that this was becoming their new normal, his watching without appearing. She was trying to comes to terms with that.

The full moon was high overhead, casting an eerily bright light over the opening that she was approaching. She caught the scent of the pack before they fully came into view. Not wanting to scare them away, she stayed in the shadows of the trees, creeping along slowly in order to gain a view of them. She slowly lowered herself into a kneeling position in the brush. The wolves' ears perked momentarily as she did this. They heard the crunching of the forest debris beneath her. After several seconds, they must have determined that she wasn't a threat, as they didn't run and didn't pursue her. There were five of them all together. Four had the typical ombred coat of the local wild gray wolves. One though, stood out amongst the others. She was easy to spot with her completely white coat that shone in the moonlight. Xena admired her beauty and rarity.

"A breath-takingly unique creature," Ares whispered in her ear. He was suddenly there besides her, kneeling in the brush as well. Despite the sudden and silent appearance, it didn't startle Xena. She knew he was close from the time she picked up on his presence. He was so close to her that she could feel the warmth of him in the cool night air. Though he didn't touch her, his physical presence always worked to send a tingle across her skin. Xena only nodded slightly to indicate that she heard his words.

"Just like you," he continued as she didn't answer. Despite herself, she couldn't stop a small smile from briefly appearing on her lips. She quickly hid it though. She never liked to show him just how much he got to her. They continued to sit in the silence together, watching the wolf pack for several minutes. Then the canines lifted their heads and created a symphony of howls, before running off into the woods. Xena watched until she couldn't see the white wolf any longer, then she stood and brushed the leaves and twigs from her knees.

"You know," Ares started as he admired her. "Only 1 in 1000 wolves are born completely white. It was definitely special to just stumble across one."

Xena looked at him quizzically. She wasn't sure how to respond to that or why he finally materialized to her again just to talk about wolves. "I did not know that," was all she could think of to say.

Ares nodded, opened his mouth as if to say something, but upon having second thoughts, closed it again. He awkwardly looked down to the ground and pushed some dried-up leaves to the side with the toe of his warrior boot. Noticing that he seemed to change his mind on saying anything, Xena gracefully stepped around him and continued on her way through the forest.

"You're just going to walk away?" he asked, not in an angry way, as he fell in step beside her.

"You didn't seem to have much to say," Xena replied. "You haven't had much to say recently though."

"You're right…" Ares admitted. "I didn't know what to say to you."

"That's a first," her tone wasn't angry or bitter, just neutral.

"I was there though… I didn't say anything, didn't appear, but I was still there."

"I know."
"Then why didn't you say anything? You always used to call me out on that."

"What was there to say at that point? You made yourself clear. You're the Scorpion. I'm the Swan. We each do what we do and we both end up drowning when we try to work together." Xena stopped walking but she couldn't bring herself to turn and face him yet; not with that hanging between them.

"That's not what I meant when I told you that story," he whispered now, staring at her profile and hoping to catch a glimpse of her eye, a glimpse of what she was thinking.

"What did you mean then?" her question was out of curiosity, of wanting to understand their last encounter, wanting to understand him.

"I- I don't know…" he admitted. "I guess I was trying to figure out myself, who I am now - from god, to mortal, and back. It was a lot to take in; it still is. When I got my godhood back it became an obsession almost to gain worshipers again, rebuild. I got lost in it. Relating to the scorpion allowed me to pick up where I left off. It allowed me to excuse what I was doing, excuse who I was before and who I thought I needed to be again."

Xena shifted and faced him now. She watched his eyes for signs of manipulation, signs that she shouldn't trust what he was saying now. She didn't find any. She simply nodded; her expression soft as she said "I can understand that." They locked eyes and just took the other in for several long moments. Xena was the first to break the stare as she turned and started on her path again.

"What does that mean?" Ares called after her.

She stopped then and looked back at him, standing where she had left him. "It means I hope you figure it out… who you are now, who you need to be."

"Are you mad at me? For what happened," he wasn't sure if he was ready for the answer, but he asked anyway.

"No," she shook her head. "Not anymore."

"Can I come around again… to see you?" This question was quieter, more hesitant than his last.

She had a small but happy smile that was clearly seen due to the brightness of the full moon. "It's what you do."

They shared a few more silent moments, then she turned and was on her way again. Ares watched her until she was lost among the trees. "Yes, it's what I do," he whispered to himself. When he disappeared, he felt just a bit more hopeful than he had for the past few months.