Xena looked at the ships in the harbor longingly. Passage on any one of the north-going vessels could have her to Amphipolis in as little as three days, but Gabrielle preferred avoiding the high seas when possible. So, they had decided on making the journey to Thrace on foot. Truth be told, Xena wasn't sure how well her stomach would fare on a rocky ship either. Normally, she thrived at sea, but with her morning sickness causing daily somersaults in her belly, Xena thought sticking to terra firma might be in her best interest too. The overland route would still require a ferry crossing at Agiokampos but that would have them on the water for only a couple of hours.

"You're quiet this morning," Gabrielle called up to Xena who was mounted on Argo.

"Lookin' forward to going home," Xena answered. She knew the Amphipolis of her youth was long gone but it was still the place where she felt closest to her mother and brothers. And for the longest time, her father. She'd since let go of her nostalgic feelings for her dad, since learning that he'd tried to kill her as a child. But the memories of how he'd made her feel when she was very small lingered making it was hard to despise him completely. Near Amphipolis, as well, was her grandparents farm. Xena missed them dearly and it saddened her that her family never got to know any of her children. The only exception being the few days of turmoil that Eve had spent in Amphipolis as an infant. She would love to be able to bring this baby up on the farm, that way at least it would have some kind of connection to the people that had nurtured her.

"It'll be good to be back North for a while," Gabrielle agreed. She knew Xena would be looking for a place to nest with the baby coming. She hoped this delivery would be a peaceful one, one without the gods trying to kill them all, like they had been when Eve's birth was imminent.

"What's it like up North?" Aleta, who was walking alongside Gabrielle, chimed in.

"Elysian Fields on Earth," Xena sighed as she thought about the golden fields of wheat that rolled near her grandparent's farm, and the thick pine forest that separated the countryside from Amphipolis.

"It's sheep country," Gabrielle added. "So it's not baaaaaed."

Xena groaned at the corny joke. "Stick to the bard thing, won't ya.."

"Hey!" Gabrielle barked in playful defense.

"Is for horses," Aleta punned.

"Not you too," Xena groaned.

Gabrielle and Aleta chuckled. Xena smiled along with them but wondered how much of their goofy wordplay she was going to have to put up with along their journey to Thrace. "You could always sing for us and then we wouldn't have to make jokes, Gabrielle suggested.

"Yes, Xena, please sing us a ballad," Aleta encouraged.

"Wouldn't you rather have Gabrielle tell you about our time in Troy? You know Helen, the horse, and all that?"

"You were at Troy?" Aleta's eyes widened. "Was she as beautiful as the legend says?"

"Well, as they say, beauty is in the eye of the beholder," Gabrielle answered and started recounting their journey to Troy. "I sing of Perdicas, an unlikely soldier. . . ."

While Gabrielle talked, Xena put a few paces between herself and the other two women. She'd heard the story in it's various editions more times than she could remember. Gabrielle was an engaging storyteller, to be sure, but Xena needed some time to work on her current dilemma. How was she going to tell Ares about the baby? Was she going to tell him about the baby? Did she even want to have the baby? What were her options if she didn't want the baby? What would the nature of their child be like? Would it be determined or fated by the gods somehow, or would it have free will like humans? As a demi-god she guessed it could go either way. Would it have special abilities like Hercules? What would Ares be like as a parent? He ignored the existence of most of his other demi-god children. It wouldn't be that way with this child. He'd see way too much potential. He'd see an heir, a protege. Her replacement? It was a very real possibility that her child with Ares would be an ultimate warrior, the likes of which might make even Xena seem like an amateur in Ares' eyes. Xena shook off her thoughts, she was getting ahead of herself. She had many skills and not all of them were related to warmongering. She could teach her child lots of useful things outside of war. And if she nurtured the babe with healthy, peaceful things, it was quite possible the child could grow up to be a great diplomat. But first, she was going to have to talk to Ares. Or leave Greece altogether. There were few places on Earth to hide from him. But she'd known Ares long enough to know that he didn't make it a habit to encroach on the lands of other gods. He let humans do the work of invasion and usually only went into places where people worshipped him. There had been exceptions, but normally he didn't interfere in areas that weren't inhabited by Greeks who looked to him as one of the major deities.

When they'd traveled about six miles, Gabrielle finally wrapped up the Trojan War story by recalling their farewell to Perdicas and by telling Aleta that she'd been surprised to find that she'd still harbored feelings for the simple farmer turned warrior who'd once been her betrothed.

"And you just let him walk away? Just like that?" Aleta who'd become enraptured by the re-kindling romance felt a little let down by the ending.

"That's a story for another day," Gabrielle replied. "But we did meet again. He's no longer with us."

"What? Gabrielle. I'm sorry."

"Me too."

"Did you ever find love again?" Aleta asked.

Gabrielle looked down the road at Xena. "I've had many loves and in unexpected places, but I think this," Gabrielle pointed to the open road, "this is my first love. It's where I belong. The adventures, the stories we create every day, that's home to me."

"Speaking of," Xena called back to the women, "Let's see if he needs some help." Up ahead at a crossroad, a peddler sat on the ground beside an upturned cart. Xena prodded Argo into a gallop and closed the gap between her and the merchant. "You okay?" She asked as she dismounted.

"I don't want anymore trouble," the man, in his late forties, held his arms up defensively to shield his head. From the knot forming along his receding hairline it was obvious someone had conked him good, Xena guessed with the hilt of a sword.

"I'm offering to help, not hurt you," Xena answered.

The man sized her up and looked past her to Gabrielle and Aleta who seemed less threatening than the warrior looming above him. He relaxed a little. Xena offered her hand to help him off the ground. He took it warily. "Bandits?" Xena asked.

"Highway robbers," he confirmed, "three of 'em. Nasty bunch. Got my purse, my food, a few of my more valuable items. And with two broken wheels, I won't be able to get my wares into Chalcis." He hung his head dejectedly.

"We can help you," Xena promised. She turned to Gabrielle who along with Aleta had caught up with Xena, "some thugs robbed him, knocked him around, they busted up his cart pretty good too. You think you could stay here and watch over his inventory while he rides into Chalcis for a couple of wheels?"

"No problem." Gabrielle smiled kindly to the man.

"Lady, I appreciate your help," the man said to Xena but didn't you hear, they took my purse. I've got no coin to buy any wheels. I'll just have to see what I can salvage and carry on the mule."

Xena fished into her saddlebags and handed the man enough dinars to cover the cost of two wheels in almost any city-state. The man looked at Xena like she was insane. Who gives a complete stranger that kind of money? Xena saw a spark in the man's eyes as he took the dinars. "Hey," she said and waited for him to look her in the eye, "don't get any ideas of making off with that coin when we are putting ourselves on the line for you."

"I wouldn't," the man answered but Xena wasn't sure if he meant that he wouldn't because he was an honest person or if he wouldn't because he was scared to be on her bad side. But she decided that either way, it didn't matter.

The man tucked the coins into the pocket of his dress and brushed the dirt off the front.

Xena started unhooking his mule from the wagon. "You'll make better time on him."

"You mean for me to ride the jackass?"

"It'll take you half the time."

"You don't know how stubborn he is," the man insisted, "might be twice as long."

"Suit yourself then." Xena tied the leads to a nearby tree.

The man picked his cap up off the ground, beat it against his dress, then situated it on his head. "I'll do my best to make it back by nightfall."

"One more thing," Xena asked, "which way did the bandits go?"

"They rode north up Mt. Kandili road."

"Three of them, you said?" Xena asked.

"Yes."

"All on horseback?" Xena surveyed the ground and found the tell-tale hoofprints heading north.

"Yes, they each had a steed."

"Okay, you best be on your way. Daylight's burning."

"Right," the man said and nodded to Gabrielle and Aleta as he started his trek southwestward.

"Xena, I don't want you going off after those bandits by yourself," Gabrielle knew her friend well enough to know that Xena would try to bring the thieves to justice. Or at least make them wish they'd never tangled with the peddler and think twice about harassing anyone else again.

"I'm fine Gabrielle."

"Yes, but you're-"

"A capable warrior," Xena interrupted before Gabrielle could bring up her delicate condition.

"Xena, I just think you should consider taking it easy."

"I'll take it easy when we get to my grandparent's farm," Xena promised.

"I can go with you," Aleta offered.

"No," Xena and Gabrielle answered simultaneously.

"I'm sorry. Am I that useless?" Aleta asked half playfully, but it was clear that her feelings had been hurt.

"It isn't that," Gabrielle reassured. "I remember my early days traveling with Xena, it's just easier for her to not have to look out for a second person. One less threat to have to factor into the equation."

"Oh, I didn't think of that." Aleta answered.

"Besides, someone needs to keep me company. And help clean this stuff up." Gabrielle had started picking up the peddler's wares from the roadside.

"Some of his fabrics are really nice." Aleta said as she picked up a bolt of linen dyed a buttery yellow.

"Hey look, there's a latrones set. When we get this cleaned up, we can play a game," Gabrielle handed the board to Aleta.

Xena looked at the wooden latrones pieces that were scattered on the ground where the board had been covering them up. The wooden men took her mind back to the boudoir in the island paradise she shared with Ares. Carnal memories flooded her. She couldn't think about him now. She had work to do. Xena clenched her jaw, gave her head one violent shake, took a deep breath, then put her foot into the stirrup and mounted Argo. "Be back soon," she called to Gabrielle, then urged Argo northward.

AXAXAXAXAXAXAXAX

Xena followed the tracks along the main road for about a mile and then the tracks veered off westward down a freshly-beaten path. Xena guessed the men had been using the little path for no more than a couple of weeks. She knew their hideout would be far enough off the main road so that travelers wouldn't hear them in the woods and be alerted before they could ambush them. She also knew, if they were any good at highway robbing, they'd have a lookout watching the main road from a high spot near camp. Which meant they likely already knew she was coming their way. She pressed onward anyway. The trail climbed over a small hillock and then down the other side. Then it curved and went under foliage so thick and low hanging that Xena had to duck to keep from hitting her head. Another curve brought her into a small clearing where the men had set up a small camp. Xena dismounted Argo and patted his haunches telling him to make himself scarce. A couple of bedrolls were rolled and propped up against a boulder. A ring of stones about a meter across served as their hearth. It smoldered with hot coals. An rack for smoking or drying meat sat empty on the far side of camp. There were no bandits in sight. Xena grinned because she'd already made two of them in the forest just beyond camp. Xena looked around with her eyes, keeping her head still and tuning her ears to pick up the slightest rustle. A flash of silver behind a boulder caught her eye. She tilted her head for a better look. She saw a silver chalice spilling out of a rough gunny sack. Loot they'd stolen from the peddler. Xena walked toward the bag. Still keenly aware of her environment.

"Is this everything boys? Or do you have more of the peddler's stuff stashed away somewhere else?" Xena asked as she reached with her left hand for the bag. She heard the scrape of the arrow coming out of its quiver and then the tension of the bow string as it was being pulled back. At the same time, out of the corner of her eyes, she saw two men encroaching slowly toward her, one on either side. Deftly, Xena unclipped her chakram and let it fly. In a flash, it split the arrow in two, the severed ends each found their way into the men who'd been trying to flank her, and her chakram buried itself into the skull of the archer. One down for sure! Xena glanced quickly at the two who'd taken the severed arrowhead. One looked seriously wounded, the other had already shaken off the graze and was pushing toward her with a short sword drawn. A fourth man came from deeper in the woods. From his size and swagger, it was obvious that he was their leader. Xena looked at him. "Good help is hard to find, ain't it?"

"Kill her," the leader belted to the man with the short sword and then drew his double-headed battle axe from his back, Xena knew the design well. "Ares kick you out?" Xena asked. "Or maybe you just stole that axe off a corpse on a battlefield." You look like more of a scavenger than a warrior." Now that the leader was fully out of the trees, Xena got a better look at his armor. He'd been in Ares' army at some point. The red tunic under his plate armor was threadbare and the armor itself needed a few dents knocked out of it. The silver skull that should have been attached to the right shoulder strap was missing. The left one looked like it was hanging on for dear life. He'd either been banished and forced, like her, to walk the gauntlet, or he'd deserted.

"Hold that thought," Xena said and turned her attention to the short-sword bandit who was almost within lunging reach. Xena drew her own blade in time to parry the short sword lunge. Such a predictable move. "You were never with Ares," she said to the short sword goon. "You wouldn't have lasted an afternoon."

Her gibe angered the man and he hacked at her more ferociously. Xena laughed inwardly. This was almost too easy. Killing him would almost be murder. She countered each slash and then placed a boot in his solar plexus. He flew across camp and landed near the man who'd been more seriously injured by the arrow.

Fighting with him had turned her body so that her back was now mostly to the leader who had been steadily moving her way. She knew she wouldn't have time to turn when she felt his shadow over her. She felt the wind of his arms as he brought the axe down, but Xena managed to get her blade up over her head in time to block. Damn, he was strong. Pain seared her shoulders as she summoned every last ounce of strength to push back against him. When she'd managed enough clearance, she swiftly turned into a roundhouse kick that caught the leader in the jaw. He went down but Xena knew he wasn't out. Neither was short-sword, but he was still winded when he made his way back to her. Xena looked at him dead in the eyes. "Are a few baubles and trinkets worth your life? I'm leaving here with the merchant's things. You can still leave with your life." Behind him she watched as the wounded thug took his last breath. And as if he'd felt it, he turned and looked at his comrade. When he turned back, Xena could see pure shock on his face. This wasn't at all how he thought this day was going to go.

"Fuck that chatty cunt up, now. Or I'm going to fuck you to within an inch of your life," the leader called, as he finally was able to pick himself up off the ground.

Short-sword was torn. He knew if he kept attacking Xena that his life was forfeit but he also knew that if he walked away and his boss somehow managed to kill the harlot that his life was still over. Fuck the Fates. The man adjusted his footing and Xena knew he was going to make a charge at her again. "Suit yourself," Xena said, parried his move, twirled the sword, and buried into his gut. The leader was on her again and her sword was still in the other guys belly. Xena crouched low and back swiped her right leg taking the leader's feet out from under him. The move bought her enough time to dislodge her sword.

"Who in Ares' name are you?" The leader asked as he got up a second time.

"Names' Xena."

The leader's eyes went wide and then a look of complete dejection overcame him.

"Oh, you've heard of me?" Xena mocked.

"I heard you suck a mean cock. That's why Ares kept you around. You were nothing but an easy piece of pussy to him. I remember he used to say, you were good, for a mortal." Xena didn't want to believe the thug but something about what he was saying just rang true. Why would it even occur to this prick to use mortal as if it were some kind of slur? No, that was something a god would say. Did Ares find her deficient compared to the goddesses he'd fucked. Why had he never expressed that to her? The thug gripped his axe tightly. "You know, maybe after I kill you, I'll try that pussy myself."

Xena dropped her sword and ran straight at the warrior. When she reached him, she ran up his chest and straddle his shoulders, putting her pussy right in his face. "This is the closest you are ever going to get to my cunt," Xena sneered and with a clamp and twist of her thighs, she broke the man's neck. He fell below her and she back flipped off of him landing next to her sword. She picked up her weapon and sheathed it, then went to retrieve her chakram from the skull of the archer. When Xena had finished gathering all the peddler's belongings that she could find, she whistled for Argo, who trotted in from the nearby woods. Xena laid the bags across Argo's back and then looked back at the dead leader. His words about Ares rang in her ears. Is that why Ares wanted to make her immortal so bad, because he thought as a human she was somehow lacking? All these years she'd convinced herself that he wanted her immortal so he could keep her, but what if he wanted her to be a goddess so he didn't have to hold her in contempt anymore? Would he hold their child in the same contempt? Xena reached down and snatched the skull from the leader's shoulder strap. With a violence she hadn't felt in years, she flung the skull into the dark woods.