A BARD DAY'S NIGHT
Chapters 11 - 15

"Beautiful!" Sappho whispered as she looked upon the small lake and the rolling meadow spreading out before them. "Xena, you have outdone yourself!"

Gabrielle took in the freshness of the grass and trees through her nostrils and closed her eyes as a cool breeze whipped wisps of red locks back from her forehead. She looked up at Xena and watched her wild black hair flip around in the errant wind.

Xena pulled a stray strand away from her face, ignoring the beauty of the landscape. Instead, she looked critically around for the best place to secure the wagons and horses, set up camp, and arrange sentry for the night. It was an open area. That could be good, or that could be bad. The warrior never really liked camping in the open. In this case, however, she did not have to worry about an attacking army, but rather stealth from an intruder within. She squinted her eyes against the sun and assessed her choices.

"Xena?" Gabrielle prodded her friend. While Xena was deep in thought, Gabrielle had been commenting on the beauty of the lake. Obviously, the warrior was not listening to a word. Xena looked down at the bard briefly and patted her shoulder.

"Yes, it's very nice." She answered flatly, clearly thinking of something else entirely. Gabrielle grunted and walked to Sappho.

"She never stops to enjoy the beauty around her." Gabrielle complained.

"That's because she's spent so much time surrounded by war and death. Everywhere she looks, she sees danger." Sappho commented, waving her hand to indicate the meadow and the lake. "Even here."

Gabrielle turned her head to watch Xena walk away, taking long slow strides across the wild grass of the meadow. The warrior was heading back to Argo and the wagons to lead them to the campsite.

'She looks tired.' Gabrielle thought to herself.

Her senses ever keen, Xena seemed to feel Gabrielle's gaze upon her back. The warrior halted her strides and turned her head to look back at the bard. The wind whipped her hair, hiding her features for a moment. When Xena wiped them from her face, Gabrielle could see that she was smiling.

Xena stared at Gabrielle for a moment, taking in the picture of the bard standing in the wild grasses looking back at her. The wind was making Gabrielle's hair dance, golden red fire against the sky.

"You're beautiful." The warrior said aloud before she could stop herself.

The wind took her words, so Gabrielle could not hear them, but the bard thought she had read the meaning on her lips just the same. Gabrielle smiled back.

"What did she say?" Sappho asked, not able to hear the warrior either.

"She said: 'It's beautiful,' I think." Gabrielle repeated to the poet, turning her head to answer.

"You see, she notices these things after all." Sappho commented, and walked towards the lake.

Gabrielle turned her head back around to look at Xena, but the warrior had resumed her long strides through the grass. The bard pulled the hair out of her eyes and watched her walk away in wonder.

"Well what do you know!" She whispered to herself.

They camped near the lake, by a large tree. The mood in the air was very light, as Sappho seemed to be unusually happy. This surprised Gabrielle a little. She thought back to the poet's drunken depression earlier and the events that followed.

The sun was setting, splashing an array of colors across the sky. A large fire had already been started and dinner was cooking. A few of the chorus singers were actually dancing and singing. Xena and two of the Amazon sentries were securing the wagons and the horses in the field on the opposite side of the tree. There were only six wagons left and eight horses, but four of the stage hands had elected to continue following the troupe, loyal to the core. Some danced along with the performers; others helped with the cooking. Samthus was working with Laci and Cleo helping to bring over the supplies to set up the evening's feast. If nothing else, this troupe ate well.

Gabrielle raised her eyebrows as Samthus rolled over a keg of mead. She was arranging their bedrolls on the far end of the fire, where she knew Xena would like to sleep - away from the others. She had just finished when she noticed Sappho motioning for her to come over. She rose and walked around the fire.

"Are you hungry?" The poet asked with a grin.

"STARVING!" The bard answered back.

"Thought so. We're going to have a great feast tonight!" Sappho was obviously pleased with the campsite. The poet took a deep breath and spread her arms to the sunset, "I needed this! I have a feeling this is going to be a special night!"

Gabrielle nodded in agreement. Sappho took the bard by the arm and led her towards the tree.

"Where's Xena?" She asked quietly.

Gabrielle shrugged, "Over by the horses I guess, taking care of Argo."

"How long will she be there?" Sappho asked with the tone of a conspiracy in her voice.

"A while." Gabrielle narrowed her eyes suspiciously at the poet, "Why?"

Sappho's eyes widened in innocence, "Oh, no reason. Just wondering." She tugged on the bard's arm, "Come on." Gabrielle was pulled over to the dancing chorus.

Calliope, Thalia and Melpomene were sitting in the grass. Terpsichore, Alecto, Meager and two Amazon guards, Rumi and Melania, were banging on small drums and dancing near the fire. Sappho pulled Gabrielle over to the group in the grass. The poet nodded to them and winked at Gabrielle.

"Now for the magic!" Sappho whispered to the bard, tugging at her to sit. She did, but not without suspicion. She eyed the poet warily, wanting to find out exactly what she was up to.

Rumi, a very tall and pretty Amazon, walked over with a stick lit by fire on the tip. She handed it to Calliope and sat down to join them in the circle.

Gabrielle watched curiously as Calliope lit a pipe with the firestick and drew a deep inhale from the stem. She held the smoke in her lungs for several seconds before blowing it out in a big white cloud.

"What are they doing?" Gabrielle asked, turning to the poet for an answer.

"What?" Sappho asked.

"What are they smoking?" Gabrielle asked again, pointing to the pipe which was now being passed to Erato.

"Me next, please!" Sappho said, taking the pipe and the stick of fire from Erato for herself. The poet lit the pipe anew and took a long, hard drag. She held the smoke in her lungs and passed the pipe to Gabrielle. The bard knotted her eyebrows together.

"What is it?"

"Cannabis. Try it, you'll like it."

Gabrielle looked at the pipe being offered with uncertainty. Sappho waved it at her, impatiently waiting for Gabrielle to take it.

"What will it do?"

"It will light up the night. Trust me, Gabrielle, just try it. It won't hurt you."

"I don't think it's a good idea....."

"Oh, it's just a little smoke. Even Xena's probably done it before. Everyone has. Here, I'll call her over. I bet she'll want some for herself. It would mellow her out, that's for sure." Sappho said, laughing to the group. They all laughed and nodded in return.

"Trust me on this Gabrielle. You'll love it! Just try a little."

Gabrielle was losing her resolve. She hesitantly reached for the pipe and then pulled her hand back suddenly unsure.

"Come on," Sappho urged, "It's not a big deal. It'll be fun."

Gabrielle thought about this a minute. If Xena had done it before, it probably couldn't hurt.

"Well, all right. I'll try some." She took the pipe. Sappho scooted over to show her how to hold and light it. The bard took a long draw from the pipe and swallowed the smoke. Her eyes popped opened and the smoke blew right back up and out her nose as she choked on the harshness. Tears spilled from Gabrielle's eyes as she coughed the smoke out from her lungs. Everyone laughed.

"Here, try again and don't inhale so much this time." Sappho warned, taking the pipe to demonstrate how deep a breath to draw in. Gabrielle nodded and tried again, her cheeks still flushed from the first attempt.

Gabrielle's second attempt was more successful, so she held the smoke in her lungs until Sappho told her she could blow it out. The poet took the pipe and passed it to Rumi.

"There. That wasn't so bad was it?"

Gabrielle shook her head, "Hurts my throat, though." she grabbed her own throat and stuck out her tongue as she gagged, "Tastes terrible."

"You'll get used to it. I love the way it smells, though, don't you." Sappho took a deep sniff of the air.

Gabrielle sniffed also and thought for a moment, "It does smell good," she agreed.

"Feel anything?"

"Not really." Gabrielle answered, shrugging her shoulders.

"Try some more when it comes around again."

Gabrielle nodded and smiled. Since she didn't feel any different, it probably couldn't hurt.

Sappho's cheshire smile spread slowly across her face.

"Here's to dessert!" She took the pipe as it was handed to her and raised it in the air.

Xena watched the lake quietly as the sun slowly disappeared from the sky; Helios' journey once again complete for the day. She brushed Argo's mane gently, careful not pull any tangles too roughly and cause the animal discomfort. The horse snickered happily and munched on the grass. The mare flicked her tail and shifted her hind legs impatiently.

"Oh, so you want your belly brushed, do you?" The warrior whispered. She moved over to the horse's stomach and brushed, watching the mare close her eye in bliss. "There's my girl."

Xena's thoughts drifted to their current dilemma. She was not at all pleased with how she had been handling the situation up until now. She had assumed that that the assassin was not one of them and had been following the troupe all along; therefore, she hadn't taken the necessary precautions to protect them from an internal threat.

She mentally counted their number and considered each one. There was Sappho and Gabrielle. The warrior was positive that Sappho was the victim and not creating her own drama, as Gabrielle had suggested earlier. And of course, Gabrielle was out of the question. There were the members of the chorus; nine of them in total: Calliope, Clio, Europe, Melpomene, Terspichore, Erato, Polyhmnia, Urania and Thalia. Then there were the drummers: Alecto and Meager, and the two instrumentalists: Euphrosyne and Aglia.

Xena was reasonably certain that she could rule out all of the performers. They were on stage when the arrow had been shot in Avlon, so they could not be involved. That would leave Laci, Cleo, Samthus, the four Amazons, and the four stage hands.

Xena trusted, so felt comfortable ruling out the Amazons, and it didn't seem possible that the stage hands would be able to get close enough to Sappho to get a hold of her scroll papyrus. However, they did have some access to her, so she couldn't rule them out entirely.

Not counting the stage hands, that left Laci, Cleo or Samthus as her most likely suspects. Any one of them had the opportunity and the means to do any of the attempts that had been made on Sappho's life. Laci wanted to be a poet, but was not very good at it. The notes themselves were written poorly. Cleo was obviously jealous of Laci's closeness to Sappho, of anyone's closeness to Sappho for that matter; even Gabrielle's. That particular thought brought an angry scowl to the warrior's features. And Samthus? Samthus was nowhere to be seen on the night of the fire, and when he did show up, he was clean as a whistle.

Xena decided to direct her attention to those three. She also decided to tell no one of her suspicions, not even Gabrielle. She wanted the assassin to think she (or he) had all the room in the world to maneuver. Whoever it turned out to be was going to walk right into the Warrior Princess. And it was not going to be pretty when it happened, Xena promised herself that.

The warrior finished brushing Argo's tail and gave the horse a pat.

"Thanks for helping me think this through, girl." She said affectionately. Argo lifted her head and snorted, then continued to eat. Xena stowed the brush back in the saddle bag, and turned to join Gabrielle for dinner.

A sudden shift in the wind brought a deep scowl to Xena's face.

"What is that smell?" Xena asked herself, sniffing at the sharp scent in the air. The Warrior Princess stopped in her tracks.

"What is that smell?" She repeated, not believing it could be what she thought she was smelling. The warrior sniffed at the odor again and her lips tightened as she recognized the unmistakable smell of cannabis floating on the breeze.

She hastened her steps back to the camp, and silently swore as she rounded the tree. The entire troupe was sitting in a circle, passing around a pipe, looking a bit dazed and slightly confused, including Gabrielle. Xena leaned against the tree and watched. No one had, as yet, noticed her presence.

"Now, let me make sure I understand," Sappho wheezed, trying to talk while holding the smoke in her lungs. She passed the pipe to Gabrielle, who took it with a thank you. Sappho blew the smoke out into the air.

"You don't believe the world is flat."

Everyone in the circle started to giggle. Gabrielle reached back and took a lighted stick from the fire. She flipped the light over to the pipe expertly and took a steady pull. Holding her breath, she passed the pipe along and smiled. Sappho waited impatiently for her to finish. Gabrielle held up a finger signaling for the poet to wait a minute. Then the bard puckered her lips and blew the smoke creating a series of perfect smoke rings.

Watching from the shadows, Xena raised her eyebrows in surprise.

The group followed the flight of the smoke rings up and watched in complete rapture as they dissipated into the air.

"Nope." The bard replied, watching her own smoke rings with a hazy smile, "The world is round, just like these smoke rings."

Gabrielle put her finger through the center of one of the rings, smiling as the ring dissolved and trickled around it.

"Wow! That was pretty!" Laci whispered softly, staring at the wisps with glassy eyes.

Sappho took the pipe back from Gabrielle, gesturing with it as she talked.

"So you don't believe what the scholars teach us; that the world is flat, with Delphi in the center as the birthplace of the universe?"

"Nope. Why would 'we' be at the center of this whole, big universe. Kinda egotistical of us to think so, don't cha think?" Gabrielle said, picking a piece of grass from her skirt and flicking it away.

"Well then, what do you believe?"

Hidden back in the shadow of the tree, Xena crossed her arms over her chest and chuckled. This theory was probably going to be just as wild as the bard's idea that all life had originated from the ocean. The warrior couldn't wait to hear this one.

"The world can't be flat. It doesn't make any sense. It would have to be round. Let's think about this a minute." Gabrielle whipped an errant piece of hair behind her ear and straightened her back. "Cecrops told us he'd been sailing around the world for three hundred years. If the world was flat, he would have sailed right off the edge eventually, right? And he didn't."

Sappho thought about this silently as she took a drag from the pipe.

"And then there's the sun....and the moon." Gabrielle continued, "We assume that the sun rises out of the River Ocean in the east and sets in the west, moving over us across the sky. But what if the sun wasn't the one that was moving? What if the sun was in one spot, and the moon in the opposite spot, and we were the ones that were turning."

All mouths dropped open at this statement.

"We are sitting here where we are, and the world is turning round and round, and when we face towards the sun, it is day and then when we are facing towards the moon, away from the sun, it is night!" Gabrielle raised her hands to the night sky triumphantly.

Sappho suddenly started to laugh uncontrollably.

"That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard!" The entire circle began to laugh along with her.

"If we were spinning around, why wouldn't be spun right off the ground?" Laci asked, holding on to the grass just in case Gabrielle was right. She was not laughing.

"I don't know. Maybe the Gods make sure we don't fall off." Gabrielle answered, reaching for the pipe. Sappho looked down at her hand forgetting she was holding onto the pipe the entire time. She handed it to Gabrielle.

"Well, why don't we get dizzy with all this spinning around?" Laci asked, still gripping onto the grass in fear.

"Well, sometimes I do." Gabrielle squinted her eyes and looked closely at Laci, "Haven't you ever looked up at the sky and seen how quickly it moves by and get dizzy?"

"By the Gods!" Laci squeaked, becoming completely paranoid at the thought of a spinning world.

Sappho lost it completely. She stopped laughing to take a breath, took one look at Laci's paranoid face, and started laughing all over again, her cheeks turning red in the process.

"You don't believe me?" Gabrielle asked innocently, trying hard to disguise her chuckles but hardly succeeding. She was starting to laugh and couldn't quite manage to take a drag from the pipe in her hand.

"Wait a minute....wait a minute....." Sappho said, suddenly realizing something, "You said Cecrops told you he sailed all around the world?"

"Yup!"

Sappho raised her eyebrows, "You met Cecrops?"

"Met him? Xena saved him from his curse. She saved all of us!" Back in the shadows, Xena rolled her eyes. Sappho thought about this a moment.

"And he told you he sailed all around the world?

"Yup."

Sappho eyed the bard suspiciously, "Well, if Cecrops didn't sail off the edge, where did he end up?"

"He said he ended up right where he started. Right back here. That means he was able to sail all around the world. Get it. All 'around' the world. Round as in 'circle'."

Gabrielle was finally able to take a satisfied puff from the pipe and drew the smoke deep into her lungs.

"I'm surprised they didn't all fall out of the ship when they were hanging upside down at the bottom of the world." Xena commented dryly from the shadow of the tree.

Gabrielle choked on her smoke as she tried to quickly hide the pipe behind her back. A flash of blue eyes from the shadow told her it was too late, the warrior already knew what she had been smoking.

All heads jerked away from the bard and whipped towards the warrior. Laci was so surprised by Xena's voice, that she let go of her tight grip on the earth and peeped out a small scream.

"Bet the blood rushed to their heads, though." The warrior added with a smirk. Everyone was laughing as they pictured a shipload of sailors hanging upside down. Laci chuckled meekly once, but held on tightly to the grass just in case.

Xena walked out from the shadow and crossed over to hover above the bard. She looked down on Gabrielle's head with an amused grin.

Gabrielle looked slowly up at Xena and met the warrior's upside down gaze. Xena raised an eyebrow at the bard's red and glassy eyes.

To Gabrielle, it appeared as though Xena was towering over her, like a giant looking down about to stomp on her head. She threw the pipe hastily to Sappho, who threw the pipe to Laci, who threw the pipe to Rumi, who really looked guilty knowing she was going to have to pull guard duty so she threw the pipe to Calliope, who then tried to hide it hastily in her toga. The pipe was still hot and she jumped as it burnt her skin, so she had to quickly pull the thing out and throw it to Erato, who hid it behind her back and smiled at the Warrior Princess. Xena watched with a bemused expression.

The warrior sighed and looked at Sappho, "You know, it's been a long time since I've had any cannabis."

Sappho looked at Xena and blinked. Could it be possible that Xena might actually join them?

"Do you want some, Xena?" Sappho asked hopefully.

"Oh, noooooo." Xena said, shaking her head knowingly, "You have a good time reinventing the universe." She locked eyes with Gabrielle once again, flashing her an amused grin.

Gabrielle breathed a sigh of relief and then jumped when Xena suddenly kneeled down and placed her lips right next to her ear.

"We'll talk later." Xena whispered, her warm breath made the hairs on the back of Gabrielle's neck stand straight up. Xena gave the bard's shoulder a firm pat and stood.

"I'm going to get something to eat." Xena stated and quietly walked away.

Gabrielle licked her lips, "Ooooo, food sounds real good right about now."

Xena stopped mid-stride and laughed, "I bet it does." she commented wryly, and continued on her way.

Everyone jumped up to head towards the food, ready to join in the feast. Sappho took a few steps towards the platters and suddenly realized that Laci was not at her side. She turned to look for her, only to see her still sitting on the ground, clutching the grass and holding on for dear life.

"What's the matter with you?" Sappho yelled at her, causing the entire troupe to stop and stare as well.

"I'm afraid to let go! I'll fall off!" Laci whimpered. The group burst into howls of laughter.

Sappho rolled her eyes skyward, "Oh for Zeus sake! Don't get paranoid on us!" She lifted her friend by the armpits and pulled her up.

"With those breasts, you ain't goin' anywhere!"

Gabrielle slipped another piece of succulent rabbit into her mouth, closed her eyes and moaned, "Hmmm, this is soooo good!"

She quickly ripped off another bit and repeated the ritual, several times. The eating process was disturbed only after she realized that she had just swallowed her last piece of delicious meat and her plate was empty.

"Is there any more?"

"Gabrielle," Sappho chuckled, shaking her head, "You must have eaten two whole rabbits already!"

The bard closed her eyes dreamily and grinned, "Yes, and I could eat another one." She looked around for more, finding nothing left but a pile of bones. The bard grabbed a handful of trail biscuits and quickly popped one them into her mouth.

"Hmmmm, these are good too." She grinned as the dry biscuit made a satisfying crunch between her teeth.

Sitting on her bedroll away from the circle, but keeping Gabrielle in sight, Xena chuckled softly at the bard. 'She certainly seems to be enjoying those trail biscuits,' the warrior thought to herself. She picked up a cracker and regarded it briefly before popping it into her mouth. The biscuit was stale and dry and stuck in her throat. She rushed to take a big gulp of mead to wash the cracker down. Xena laughed again, thinking that Gabrielle was probably going to eat everything in sight before the night was through.

"Where do you put it all?" Laci asked in wonder.

Gabrielle looked down at her own body and shrugged, another biscuit disappearing behind her lips.

Sappho leaned back on her elbow and rubbed her belly.

"Hmmm! That was good! My compliments to the chefs." The poet smiled at Laci and Cleo. They bowed their heads acknowledging the compliment.

"Hmmmmm!" Gabrielle mumbled in agreement, her mouth still full.

"Now, what are we going to do?" Laci asked, always ready to get the party rolling.

"Hey, I have a great idea!" Gabrielle suddenly shouted with a mouth full of crumbs. "Let's go swimming!"

"What a great idea!" Sappho exclaimed, "Last one in is a rotten egg!"

The poet jumped up and ran at full speed towards the lake. The rest of the group scrambled to their feet and did the same. Gabrielle was the last to react. She swallowed her half-chewed, very dry trail biscuit quickly, wrestled to her feet, but then had to stop to hold her spinning head.

"Woa!" she breathed as the ground tilted slightly, "I'm feeling a bit strange right now. What a head rush!"

Shouts of laughter filled the air as everyone chased through the meadow. Gabrielle reached down, popped one last trail biscuit into her mouth and headed down to the water.

Xena was just taking a sip of mead when the entire group suddenly stood up and started running for the lake. She choked on the liquid and threw the goblet down.

"Now what?" She thought to herself, and looked around the camp ground. Two of the Amazon guards, Graeme and Danae, started to leave their posts to run after the troupe. Xena indicated to them that they should stay where they were. The warrior listened to Sappho's shouts and realized with a grin that they were going for a swim. She lifted her tired body slowly from her bedroll and sauntered down towards the water, planning to watch over the skinny-dippers herself.

Slipping casually through the grass, she spotted a tall boulder off to the side of the water. With a quick glance to the swimmers, she worked her way quietly through tall reeds, beyond the swimmers and headed towards the rock. She would be able to watch over them from the top and, after they were done, perhaps she could bathe. The warrior still felt as though she was covered from head to foot in soot.

Xena easily climbed the boulder and stood at the top. Looking out over the lake and meadow, she could see the group removing their clothes in the grass. They were laughing and falling down as they hastily pulled off boots and togas, anxious to get into the water. The warrior narrowed her eyes, searching for Gabrielle in the dark. She smiled when her eyes found the bard rolling in the grass, trying to pull off a stubborn boot. Sappho, already naked, ran over laughing to help her pull, but ended up pulling the bard along the grass; the stubborn boot refused to come off.

After a lot of grunting and pulling, Gabrielle managed to remove her boots and clothes. Xena chuckled as she watched the naked form of her friend run to the lake and screech when her foot made contact the water!

"Aaah! It's freezing!" She could hear Gabrielle yell. The happy screams and laughter echoed out over the water and bounced off of the rocks surrounding the small lake. Soon the sound of splashing mixed in with the yells and laughter. Xena stood quietly, happy to be able to watch over the bard as Gabrielle enjoyed herself.

Xena took count of them as they frolicked. She could see Gabrielle, Sappho, Cleo, Laci, and Calliope joyfully engaged in a water fight. Clio, Eutrepe, Melpomene and Terpsichore were taking turns diving for rocks. Erato, Polyhmnia, Urania, and Thalia were counting stars while standing in the water. Aglia, Thalia, and two of the Amazons, Rumi and Melania, were dancing and singing by the shore.

Xena could not find the four stage hands, and she could not see Samthus anywhere. She turned her head to look back at the camp, but it was hardly in view. There were, after all, two Amazons on sentry back at the camp, and she doubted that the stage hands had anything to do with the attacks. Samthus liked to sleep in the back of his wagon. She turned her head back to the swimmers; more than likely she was watching the assassin frolic in the water with Sappho and Gabrielle at this very moment. The thought of that made her growl and finger the edge of the chakram on her hip.

Sappho looked up and noticed a dim figure standing on a rock. She stopped swimming and stood to stare at the image. The moon was almost full and it hung in the dark sky just to the right of the tall, dark shadow.

The poet squinted her eyes for a better look. A goddess appeared to be watching over them, shadowed by the trees and outlined by the light of the moon.

Gabrielle followed Sappho's gaze to find what she was staring at and instantly recognized the silhouette.

"Xena!" She yelled waving her hand, happy to see her friend watching over them.

"That's Xena?" Sappho asked incredulously, "I thought it was the Moon Goddess!"

The bard smiled.

"Gabrielle!" Xena called back with a wave, "How's the water!"

"It's wonderful!" Gabrielle yelled in answer, splashing a bit of water around in the air.

"Why don't you come in!" Sappho yelled.

There was no answer from the shadow. Sappho looked impatiently at Gabrielle and splashed the bard with some water, "Tell her to come in for a swim."

Gabrielle splashed the poet back and laughed, "There's no way she'll come in."

"If *you* ask her, she will I bet!" Sappho insisted. Gabrielle thought about this for a moment, and then cupped her hands over her mouth.

"Xena! Come in for a swim." The bard yelled to her friend.

There was no answer.

"It's perfectly safe here." The bard continued.

There was still no answer.

"You can watch us from in the water, you know!" The bard reasoned.

Still no reply. The warrior stood on the boulder, a silent towering silhouette standing in front of the moon.

"You could rreeaaaallly use the bath, Xena!"

This final comment caused Xena to look down at her leathers and sigh. Gabrielle was right, she was a filthy, dirty mess and needed a bath. Xena raised an eyebrow and looked down at the swimmers. Everything appeared to be under control. She could take a quick dip and then clean her armor while she was watching them swim. It would save her time, rather than waiting for them to finish.

The warrior took her sword and sheath from her back, and placed it and her chakram down carefully on the top of the boulder. She looked down at Gabrielle and smiled.

"All right." She answered finally. The short reply barely reached their ears.

Sappho hit Gabrielle excitedly in the arm.

"She's coming in!"

Gabrielle grinned from ear to ear and watched as Xena undressed herself on the top of the boulder.

The boots, leg, and arm bracers were the first to come off. Xena untied each and laid them on the rock. Then the warrior unhooked her armor and removed it over her head. She placed it carefully down next to her sword and chakram. She stood and then pulled the straps of her leather tunic from her shoulders. Slowly slipping the leather down the length of her body, she stepped out of the tunic and placed it beside the breast armor. When Xena stood again, she was completely naked and looking out over the lake from atop the boulder.

"By the gods!" Sappho whispered, taking in the sight of Xena's naked shadow towering over them.

The poet's whisper caused all the bathers to stop their playful antics and look.

Like a dark statue, Xena stood against the backdrop of the infinite night sky. The moon did not illuminate her but, instead, softly colored her skin with caresses of tiny sparkles. They stared at her silently, only the sound of tiny waves rippling against the boulder disturbed the stillness.

"Wow!" Laci murmured, "Look at that!"

Gabrielle was barely able to breathe. She sat perfectly still in water up to her shoulders close to the shore, watching Xena's naked silhouette sparkle like a vision.

Suddenly, the warrior launched from the rock, somersaulted once in the air, and dove into the depths of the lake. There was hardly a splash when her body entered the water, straight as an arrow, but the resulting waves trickled out in never ending circles licking gently up against the bard's bare skin.

It was as though the lake had swallowed Xena whole. They waited what seemed like forever for the warrior to resurface. No one made a sound nor moved a muscle, but watched the spot where Xena dove into the water and disappeared. The waves had ceased; only the reflection of the moon floated, distorted by the slight movement of water.

Sappho turned her head to Gabrielle, and was about to make a worried comment, when Xena's head and shoulders came crashing up through the surface, shattering the moon into a thousand pieces. The warrior smiled broadly, as water flowed down her head and shoulders, and caught Gabrielle's eyes with her own. Xena took a graceful stroke forward and swam slowly towards the bard.

Gabrielle suddenly remembered that she had forgotten to breathe. She took in a deep breath, but could not take her eyes off of Xena. She watched in fascination as the warrior swam with slow, flowing strokes directly towards her.

Gabrielle blinked. When she opened her eyes, Xena was floating right in front of her. With their eyes still locked together, Xena smiled softly and reached for Gabrielle. Pulling the bard's arms out of the water, Xena placed them around her own neck and drifted back away from shore. She pulled Gabrielle along with her, smiling as she felt the bard's body floating along just above her own. The warrior's long arms made fluid strokes through the water, floating the two of them out into the center of the lake.

Xena stopped their movement and they floated, suspended for a moment, the bard's arms still draped around Xena's neck. Then the warrior wrapped her arms gently around Gabrielle. Pulling the bard in close, Xena closed her eyes and slowly lowered her head until she captured Gabrielle's lips with her own. Gabrielle closed her eyes and moaned softly as their lips touched. The contact was deliciously warm compared to the coolness of the water caressing their skin. Xena pressed their bodies together and deepened their kiss. Gabrielle's head began to spin.

Gabrielle blinked again. When she opened her eyes, she was back where she had been sitting, in water up to her shoulders, watching Xena gracefully swim towards her.

Gabrielle shook her head to clear her vision, "Sweet Aphrodite!" she whispered to herself, "Now, I'm hallucinating!" She hit her head with the palm of her hand to hopefully knock the water out of her brain and some sense back in. She looked at Xena again. The warrior was swimming towards the shore.

Xena swam by Gabrielle, amused by the incredibly strange expression that had crossed over the bard's features. The warrior floated next to her and stopped, barely an arm's length away. Xena stood up suddenly, sending a waterfall of moonlit droplets cascading over her body. She paused next to the bard and looked down at her friend with a smirk. Gabrielle was staring up at her with her mouth agape and the strange expression still on her face.

"What are *you* looking at?" Xena asked, staring down at Gabrielle and raising an eyebrow.

Gabrielle could only gulp and attempt a meek smile.

"Good dive?" she offered.

Xena chuckled and splashed the bard with her foot.

"Don't drown." Xena warned sarcastically, and waded through the water towards the shore with long, elegant strides.

Sappho and the rest of the group stared at the warrior's back as she left the water and stepped onto the grass.

"Wow!" Laci whispered again.

The moon was now fully illuminating Xena's body as she stepped out of the lake and slowly walked away.

Sappho's cheshire smile spread across her face and she looked at Gabrielle, who was still staring at Xena's moonlit back.

The poet jumped on Gabrielle and dunked her head under the water.

"I'd say you need to cool off!" The poet yelled laughing. The spell was broken and all the bathers gathered round to join in the splash.

Xena could hear the laughter and merriment continue. She worked her way quickly back to the boulder to retrieve her clothing and weapons.

She squatted at the edge of the water, washing off, first her tunic and then her breast armor. Xena smiled to herself as she scrubbed, keeping a watchful eye on the playful swimmers. She paused, contemplating the strange expression on Gabrielle's face.

"I think we're going to come back to this spot." The warrior promised herself and then set about the task of cleaning her armor.

The leather tunic was wet against Xena's skin, but the fire was warm and so the warrior sat, sharpening her sword. The rest of the group was sprawled out on bedrolls spaced at various intervals around the campfire as well. Gabrielle, as always, sat next to the warrior drying her hair.

Xena took another mental roll call. The only ones missing were Samthus, Graeme and Rumi. Samthus was sleeping in the back of his wagon; Xena had checked on him earlier. Graeme and Rumi had relieved the other two Amazon sentries shortly after they finished bathing. Xena had questioned Rumi closely before she took on guard duty, wanting to be sure that the cold swim had relieved the effects of the Amazon's previous indulgence. Rumi vehemently assured the warrior that she was perfectly fine. One final look warned the Amazon that she had better be certain.

Xena watched Cleo intently. The woman was combing her hair and watching Sappho. The poet was combing out Laci's hair. Laci was obviously ecstatic with the attention. It didn't appear to Xena as though Sappho ever combed her own hair, but then Xena rarely paid attention to hers either. Even now, she just let it dry itself and allowed it to fall whatever way it wished. Gabrielle would probably want to braid a few strands back later, once she noticed how disheveled the warrior had let it become.

Gabrielle grimaced and tried to pull her comb through a particularly stubborn knot of hair. She sighed and stared at the fire, feeling the hazy effects of the cannabis beginning to wear off. The only thing she felt now was dreamy and tired. She was going to sleep well tonight, she thought, pulling once more on the stubborn tangle.

Sappho laid on her bedroll and stared at the sky.

"Gabrielle!" She called liltingly to the bard.

Gabrielle turned her eyes slowly from the fire to the poet, almost afraid to ask what she wanted.

"Tell us a bedtime story......" Sappho almost sang, as she rolled over onto her side and propped her head up on her hand.

"Oh, Sappho, I'm so tired." The bard began, but Laci cut her off.

"Please, Gabrielle, tell us some more of the story......please!" The young girl laid down on the bedroll behind Sappho and draped her arm over the poet's hip. Sappho smiled and rubbed her arm. They both flashed Gabrielle their most winning smiles. Xena noticed Cleo's immediate reaction; it was not a happy one. The warrior silently wondered what Cleo's handwriting looked like.

Gabrielle moaned and glanced over her shoulder at Xena. The warrior was lost in thought, staring somewhere else, as usual. Gabrielle took a second look at her friend's wild hair. She laughed to herself, making a mental note to get Xena to let her comb it out in the morning. She was too tired now, and it looked as though she was going to have to tell a story. She resigned herself to her fate. After all, she was a bard.

"All right!" Gabrielle watched as everyone shifted to get comfortable, "Where was I?"

"The mole crossed the river," Laci offered.

"With the help of the tortoise." Sappho added.

"Right." Gabrielle sat up, straightening her back, "The tortoise......"

Gabrielle smiled crookedly. Xena's eyes left Cleo and rested on her friend. She stopped sharpening her sword, placing it down flat in her lap instead and waited as Gabrielle thought for a few brief moments. The campfire crackled and sparked until the bard finally began:

Gabrielle stopped and dropped her hands to her lap. Everyone around the circle was sitting up at attention, staring at the bard waiting for the next words. Even Xena's gaze was fixed on Gabrielle, narrowing her own predatory eyes in anticipation of the attack. The bard smiled her crooked grin and remained silent.

"You can't stop here!" Laci yelled.

Gabrielle shrugged and began to spread out her bedroll. She stretched smugly and laid down onto her side, staring at the fire. She felt Xena's eyes on her back and turned to grin at the warrior, expecting her to ask for the story to go on as well.

Xena lifted her sword and continued to sharpen it. The warrior raised her eyebrows and glanced at her friend.

"I already know what's going to happen." Xena stated smartly.

Gabrielle lifted her head sharply, "Oh you do, do you?"

"Yup." Xena answered, scraping the whetstone across the sword's edge.

"How can you know?" Laci asked, looking at the warrior.

Xena examined the edge of her sword. Satisfied with it's sharpness, she placed it back in its sheath and returned the whetstone to her saddle bag.

"Because I know Gabrielle," she replied without looking up.

"Ha!" Gabrielle grunted. The bard laid her head down in a huff, "We'll see about that," she mumbled under her breath.

Xena smirked and folded her legs. The warrior closed her eyes, looking to Sappho as though she was going to meditate.

The poet played with the fine hairs on Laci's arm. Gabrielle watched the two of them and bit her lip. She was afraid to ask, but now was as good a time as any, so the bard ventured off into the unkown.

"Sappho?" Gabrielle asked softly from across the fire.

The poet looked up and smiled at the bard, noting how the fire reflected across Gabrielle's fair skin.

"Will you tell me about her?"

Sappho lost her smile and stopped her gentle strokes. She regarded Gabrielle thoughtfully for a moment, and seemed to come to a quick decision. The poet untangled herself from Laci's embrace and sat up, looking across the fire at the bard.

"One good story deserves another." Sappho said, nodding once in agreement.

Gabrielle flipped over on her back and scooted up a little to lean her head on Xena's leg. The sudden contact caused one of the warrior's eyes to peek open and look down at the bard. Xena lips curved into slight grin and she returned to her meditation. Although she appeared not to, the warrior was listening very closely.

"It was more than ten winters ago," Sappho began. Both Xena and Gabrielle raised their eyebrows at the length of time.

"That's a long time ago," Gabrielle commented.

"Yes, it is. It seems like forever yet just like it was yesterday, if you know what I mean."

Gabrielle nodded. Xena nudged the bard's head with her leg, a clear indication that she wanted Gabrielle to keep quiet so Sappho could tell her story. Gabrielle looked up at her, annoyed, and shifted to get comfortable again.

"All right. All right. I'll keep quiet. Go ahead Sappho."

"We met in my home village. I lived on an island that's about a two day boat ride off the coast of Athens."

Gabrielle nodded her head, "Lesbos."

"Right." Sappho confirmed and continued, "She came on a ship with other travelers, going to Athens to learn to be a healer. When we met, she decided to stay for awhile. I don't know why she decided to stay, but I was glad, needless to say. We had an instant connection the moment we met. She was very wise in her ways, and I was awed by how much she seemed to know. She had so many skills."

"Ha!" Gabrielle laughed once, looking up at Xena. The warrior sat in her meditative position, not acknowledging the comment, but she was listening to every word.

"We used to sing together on the beach at sunset. Her culture had a different way of phrasing and singing, and I borrowed from it, to tell you the truth. But she loved my poetry, and used to translate the lyrics to her own language. We would sing the same song, I in my language and she in hers. It would make us laugh." Sappho paused a moment, envisioning some private memory and smiling.

"We were together for over a year, until the day that ship came." Sappho frowned at this memory, picked up a piece of kindling and threw it in the fire.

"We could see it from the beach. We were singing together at sunset, as usual, and we could see the ship as it approached the island from far off in the distance, colored by the sunset." Sappho grinned at the bard briefly and then turned sad.

"We thought nothing of it. Ships arrived all the time. But in the morning, after it docked, they attacked my village. It was a slaver ship. Whoever wasn't killed, was carried off to be sold as slaves. I was left for dead. She was taken away. At least, I assumed she was taken, for I never found her body.....dead or alive."

Gabrielle sat up and looked at the poet, "You were injured?"

Sappho nodded, "Very badly, but I lived, as you see. My village was almost destroyed. I spent several years helping to rebuild my home and I waited, hoping upon hope that she would escape and return."

Sappho threw another piece of kindling into the fire, "She never did. I finally decided to set out and look for her. I planned to sing in taverns, just like you are probably doing, Gabrielle, to pay my way. I have gone everywhere in the world that I could think of going. I don't think there's been a village or a town or a speck in the road I haven't stopped at to look for her. I've been traveling for so many years, and have found no sign of her. I have grown famous in the process and that is all."

Gabrielle looked at Sappho as if she were seeing her for the first time. Gabrielle's own dreams of youth had always been to become a famous bard. Here she sat before the most famous poet in all of Greece who cared nothing for that fame at all, having never even sought it in the first place.

"Is Athens the end then?" Gabrielle asked softly.

"I don't know." Sappho barely answered.

"Do you think she's......gone?" Gabrielle asked carefully, unsure if Sappho was ready to accept this possibility.

"Do you mean....dead?" Sappho asked softly staring hard at the dirt. The poet's gray eyes lifted from under her tangle of wild and braided hair to gaze directly at Gabrielle hoping that the bard would offer any other explanation. The sympathy she found written across Gabrielle's features confirmed that there could be no other.

Sappho did not answer, but reached for her lyre instead and sang:

Gabrielle rolled her head away from Xena's leg and snuggled into her bedroll. There was nothing she could say to Sappho, but the poem touched her deeply and somehow she found her thoughts drifting to the warrior sitting just behind her. She turned to Xena.

"You need to sleep," Gabrielle said to her friend, who was still sitting with her eyes closed and legs crossed.

"I'm going to."

"Like that? Sitting up?"

"I've had to sleep like this many times before." Xena opened her eyes and smiled down at Gabrielle warmly, "Go to sleep. I'll be fine."

Gabrielle shrugged, "Whatever," she mumbled, too tired to argue with her friend. With a sigh, Gabrielle closed her eyes. Aided by Sappho's soft singing as she played her lyre, Gabrielle was soon in a deep, comfortable sleep.

Xena slept as well. The warrior's sleep was, however, neither deep nor comfortable. The need to rest even in the heat of battle had trained her to sleep in any position, be it sitting, standing, or riding on a horse. When Xena rested in battle mode, she was able to sleep so lightly, she could awaken to catch a falling dinar before it hit the ground. Such was her sleep now. She rested and that was all. Her senses were attuned to react to any sound in hopes of catching an assassin in the act. What she heard was Sappho's lyre and the gentle humming of the poet's voice, the melody once again throwing the warrior down into a tunnel of hazy memories.

Sappho ceased playing when she saw Xena's body jerk involuntarily as if in some kind of spasm. She thought the warrior was sitting in meditation, but now she appeared to be locked in the grip of yet another nightmare. The poet's eyes widened with concern. Xena jerked again and when her eyes flew open, they were filled with a combination of rage and fear. The warrior leapt to her feet, her breath coming in ragged gasps. Sappho did not move a muscle. Slowly, Xena regained some control and wiped the sweat from her face with both hands. She looked down at Gabrielle ensuring that she had not been disturbed and silently left the camp. Sappho watched Xena disappear towards the water with her head in her hands and her long strides slow and weary.

It was only a few moments later when Gabrielle lifted her head to look for Xena. It was as though the bard could feel her friend's distress even in her sleep. Gabrielle glanced around with worry etched across her features. She was just able to catch the dim silhouette of the warrior as she faded out of sight staggering towards the lake.

Sappho watched but said nothing when Gabrielle jumped up from her bedroll to follow. The poet picked up her quill and scroll and began to write.

Xena stared at the dark lake. Without the moon's light, it was merely a black mass, but the silence was soothing and the darkness fit her mood. Why was she having these dreams? And why did she feel as though it wasn't a dream at all, but really a memory? She massaged her forehead with a tired hand and sighed.

"Xena?"

Gabrielle walked towards her friend and whispered quietly, "Are you all right?"

"Gabrielle," Xena turned her head partially towards the bard, "I'm sorry. Did I wake you?"

Gabrielle stood beside Xena and placed a hand on her arm, "What's wrong?"

Xena did not respond for a few moments, but continued to stare out at the black water. Finally, she turned her head to look down at her friend's worried face. She managed a smile.

"It's nothing. Go back to sleep."

Gabrielle knew better, "You had another dream, didn't you?"

Xena didn't answer.

"You know you'll feel better if you tell me about it. You always do."

This earned the bard another smile. She squeezed Xena's arm slightly as encouragement. The warrior relented.

"I don't know if it's a dream so much as a memory. It's as if I'm trying to remember something and I can't quite get the place or the faces right. But it's always the same. I can't move. I'm attacked. Then someone takes an arrow in their back that was meant for me. I turn them over and......," Xena's words drifted off into silence.

"And?"

Xena shook her head and grimaced.

"And?" Gabrielle insisted.

"And I turn the dead body over, and it's you." Xena shut her eyes as if in pain.

Gabrielle let her hand drop from Xena's arm.

"Xena. It's only a dream. I'm right here and I'm fine." Gabrielle grabbed Xena by both arms and turned her around to stare at her face.

"You're worried about the attacks against Sappho and that you haven't been able to catch the assassin. And on top of this, you haven't really gotten any sleep in three days. No wonder you're having nightmares."

Xena pulled her arms out of Gabrielle's grip.

"It's not only that. There's something familiar about the dream. Something I need to remember, but I can't."

"Well there you go, then. If it's something you're trying to remember, then it's something that already happened. Since I'm still here, that means it wasn't me who you found dead. Thank the gods." Gabrielle gave Xena her crooked smile.

Xena returned the grin and thought about that for a moment.

"Then who was it?"

Gabrielle grabbed one of her hands and gave it a squeeze.

"Remember that, and then the dreams will probably go away, right?"

Xena gave a little nod in agreement. Gabrielle smiled and pulled her by the hand back towards the camp.

"Come on, I'm putting you in bed and you're going to get some sleep. Lying down this time!"

Xena allowed herself to be pulled along by her friend, with only a little bit of feigned resistance.

"Only if you promise to tuck me in."

"Don't I always."

They rounded a corner on the road and found themselves blocked by a long line of travelers and wagons waiting to get into Arkarna. The city guards were lined up at the entrance trying to keep some measure of order. The city was overflowing. The crowd arriving to see the famous poet was far larger than anyone had expected. Sappho peeked at the traffic jam over Samthus’ shoulder, trying hard not to be seen. She didn’t want to cause a problem before they even entered the city gates. Besides, Xena was keeping a wary eye on the poet at all times. The warrior rode Argo at the front of the procession, turning to glare at Sappho every time she raised her head a little too far out of the wagon.

"What? Does she have eyes in the back of her head?" Sappho grumbled to herself. Gabrielle sat in the back of Sappho’s wagon at Xena’s orders. She was there to make sure that the poet caused no trouble today.

"Keep that scraggly head down!" Gabrielle warned, pulling the poet by the toga, "I’m not chasing you through this crowd today! The city is jammed packed, Sappho! Where did all these people come from?"

"They probably all came after the last one was canceled." Cleo suggested. She was in the back of Sappho’s wagon as well, along with Laci. The four of them peeked out over Samthus’ shoulder to look at the crowd.

"Wow!" was all Laci could say.

Xena tugged on Argo’s reins to pull her in. As people were milling by, they were rubbing up against the war-horse making the mount very skittish. Argo stomped and snorted looking for a way to get out of the bustle.

"Easy girl," Xena patted her horse’s mane, "We’ve got to stay put. Easy now."

Xena’s eyes narrowed as she sighted an eight man patrol of foot soldiers running hastily in their direction. They were heading right for them; their leader staring directly at Xena with grim determination.

"This could be trouble." Xena commented to herself and glanced back at the wagon to check on Gabrielle. The bard noticed the small patrol heading their way as well.

The foot soldiers ran directly to Xena and stomped to attention. Their leader eyed the warrior warily, just as Xena eyed him back.

"Are you Xena, Warrior Princess?" He asked, almost as a command.

"Yesss." Xena answered, in a slow and low drawl.

"And are you escorting Sappho and her performers?"

"Yes." Xena answered again, in not quite as threatening a manner.

"Good," the leader stated, looking at the line of wagons and spotting Sappho sitting in the back of one, "I’m glad we found you."

Xena raised her eyebrow and glanced again at Gabrielle, who silently breathed a sigh of relief.

"We’ve been sent to escort you into the city. You can’t enter through the main gate. The city is......well, overwhelmed with visitors in anticipation of your performance." The leader looked over at Sappho and smiled. Sappho flashed her smile back.

"You’ll have to follow us. We’ll lead you through a back way into the city. We heard what happened in Kapandrition, so we cleared out an entire tavern for your use , and a stage has already been built in the village square. We have been expecting you."

The leader bowed his head at the poet. Gabrielle and Sappho looked at each other and smiled.

"Now that’s what I call service!" The bard said smiling at the poet.

Sappho flipped her hand as if it was nothing, "You get used to it!"

The foot soldiers began to clear a way through the crowd and motioned for Xena to follow.

"This way!" The commander ordered. Xena pulled Argo to the left and followed their escort along the side of the city’s walls and away from the main entrance. Two guards remained behind to prevent unwelcomed tag-alongs.

Finally, they arrived at a side entrance. The leader of the armed escort signaled to a guard on the wall, and then he brought them to a halt in front of a small gate. The commander turned to Xena.

"Leave your wagons and horses here. We will take them to a secured stable. Take whatever you need into the tavern now. Once you’re inside, you will not be able to leave. The back entrance to the tavern is just beyond this gate. They use it for deliveries. When I open the gate, it would be best if you run."

Xena found it hard to believe that the situation would require them to run from the gate to the tavern, but she took the commander at his word. She swung a leg over her saddle horn and slipped down from Argo. Taking Gabrielle’s pouch and staff from the saddlepacks, she nodded to the commander in agreement. He took Argo’s reins and waited.

Xena watched as the entire troupe left the wagons and picked out whatever they thought they would need for the performance. Sappho carried her lyre and bag of scrolls. Gabrielle walked over and took her pouch and staff from Xena. Everyone else grabbed whatever instruments they could carry. When all was ready, Xena nodded to the Commander.

"Ready?" They all nodded in the affirmative. "Get ready to run."

Xena looked at Gabrielle, who shrugged. The guards swung the gate open.

What they saw ahead of them was shear pandemonium. The village was wall to wall people and the celebration had already started. There was dancing and carrying on the likes of which Xena had never seen. The rear entrance to the tavern was open and a fat, jolly man was waving his hand, gesturing for the guard to hurry.

Xena took one look at the scene, grabbed both Sappho and Gabrielle by the scruff of the collar and pushed them along ahead of her towards the tavern. The entourage followed. They didn’t stop until they were all safely inside and the door was closed.

"Welcome, welcome, welcome!" The jolly man bowed and gushed, gulped as Xena walked by, and then smiled in relief when he spotted Sappho. "Welcome, welcome, welcome!"

Gabrielle moved Sappho into the dining room and bowed her head to the proprietor, "Thank you!"

The bard took a look around the empty room. All the shutters had been drawn tight, making the inn dark and musty. She couldn’t resist a peek through a crack in the wood for a look outside into the village square. She could see very little. The rest of the troupe was placing their belongings down and getting comfortable. Gabrielle nonchalantly worked her way towards the front door and quickly swung it open for a better look.

Sunlight filled the dinning room and noise shattered the dark silence instantly. The village square was jammed with bodies dancing, bodies laughing, people drinking, couples kissing and every imaginable twist in-between. Gabrielle’s eyes widened as she took in the frenzied scene.

"Shut that door!" Xena yelled, just as a very festive drunk swung around to find the tavern door open. The drunk lunged at the entrance with a toothless grin. Gabrielle slammed it in his face and leaned against the wood.

"By the gods!" The bard swore and moved over to the warrior. "Xena, it’s crazy out there! Did you see it!"

"Keep the door closed." Xena warned her friend, but peeked out through a crack in a shutter just the same.

The jolly proprietor bowed to the poet, "Yessiree, it’s been crazy like this for the past three days! Day and night, hasn’t stopped for a minute. Business has been great! If you want to see better, there are balconies upstairs outside of your rooms! You can see great from........."

The innkeeper didn’t even get to finish his sentence. The entire entourage rushed by him and ran up the stairs. They filed into separate rooms, filling up the balcony outside and looked down upon Arkarna. Gabrielle had never seen anything like it in her life. She looked at Xena. The warrior shook her head in wonder.

"Looks like my army after the battle at Calmi." Xena whispered.

"Oh, really?" The bard commented, "Big victory celebration?"

"If that’s what you want to call it." Xena searched for and found the stage. It was in the center of the square and surrounded by a wooden fence. There were already soldiers guarding its perimeter. At least they had help in this city, Xena thought to herself. They were going to need it.

The square was overflowing with people. The taverns were overflowing with people. The windows above the taverns were overflowing with people. As far as the eye could see, there were people. It was obvious that a steady supply of mead was being provided by the local taverns, and everyone was indulging in the festivities heartily. There was plenty of music, as well. A cacophony of melodies from different corners of the village blended together in the air, creating quite a unique harmony.

Sappho covered her ears, "How are we ever going to be heard above all this?"

Xena’s only concern was how they were going to get to the stage and back, safely.

Gabrielle squinted into the sunlight and suddenly spotted a tall figure with long, dark hair dressed in very familiar leather armor.

"By the gods, Xena! Look! It’s you!"

Xena followed Gabrielle’s pointing finger and spotted the figure. The figure turned and was obviously a man in a very bad wig wearing over-stuffed chest armor. He raised a rubber sword and swung it over his head, bopping his friend once on the noggin.

Sappho snorted, and than spotted another. "Look, there’s another Xena!"

"And another!" Gabrielle yelled, pointing in the opposite direction.

The entire entourage began to point out a plethora of Xenas scattered throughout the square. Xena grunted, not amused at all by the impersonations. Gabrielle, however, was very amused. So was Sappho. They gleeful started to pick out all the ‘Xenas’ they could find.

Gabrielle grabbed Sappho’s shoulder and pointed somewhere else, "Look Sappho! It’s you!"

Sure enough, there were little, imitation Sapphos wandering everywhere as well. They were dressed in togas and sandals, and wore black wigs of wildly braided hair. Some were holding lyres, most of them were hardly able to stand , let alone walk.

Part 5