Dryfius urged his mount toward the small cottage at the edge of the square. His eyes were trained on the slight woman standing quietly near the structure. He recognized the long, auburn hair, the slight, proud form. The arrogance in his manner rose as the armor of the men mounted behind him creaked in the early light of the day.
Absently his gaze passed over the other figures present near the small house. He recognized both as female, but relaxed at once when he determined they posed no threat to him. One, small and blond, was seated on the bench in front of the cottage. She appeared to be mending a wide expanse of thatch. The other woman was tall and beautiful with a long, flowing expanse of raven-colored hair. She stood in the doorway of the house, her arms folded across the slender waist of her blue dress.
Dryfius reined in his horse in front of the stone cottage. He fixed his most winning smile on his gloating face, and addressed the petite woman in the middle of the yard.
"Well, Lanessa", he began, his voice coying and sweet. "Are you ready for our journey?"
The tall woman in the doorway took a slow stride away from the opening. Her piercing blue eyes seemed to bore into his leather battle jacket. He tossed the woman his most intimidating glance. Then he looked back at the small woman standing in front of him.
"I don't think so, Dryfius." Lanessa said, her voice as smooth and gentle as always. "As you can see, I have guests." She motioned to the two women behind her. "I'm afraid you'll have to go on without me.", the small woman told him with a wide smile. Her vacant gaze seem trained on Dryfius' horse, a habit of hers that always unnerved him. She never seemed inclined to actually look at him directly.
The soldier's fraudulent grin quickly faded from his unattractive face. His impatience with the woman's condescending response was rapidly replaced by open hostility. From her perspective, Xena sensed the rising fury in the man; it was an emotion with which she'd had personal experience. She strained to keep her own ire under control.
Lanessa started to turn back toward the house when the angry snarl of the soldier cut across the open yard. "Tell your guests good-bye, Lanessa. You've got an appointment. With me." Dryfius leaned forward in his saddle and perched one gloved fist on his meaty leg. He glared at the woman's slender back as she turned back to face him.
The stillness of the morning wrapped around the event in the small yard. For a moment, the only sounds heard were made by the leather clothing worn by the Dryfius' riders, and the shuffling and prancing of the mounts on which they sat. Gabrielle held her breath as the obvious battle of wills began.
Lanessa drew in a slow, quiet breath. The bard shot a quick glance at the silent warrior. Xena stood absolutely still, her clear blue eyes trained on the scraggy face of the bully nearest them. The bard watched as the soldier glared at Lanessa, attempting to intimidate the small woman into complying with his wishes. It seemed like an eternity before anyone moved.
Finally Lanessa's voice cut into the steely silence. The gentleness disappeared from her normally docile tones. Gabrielle saw the woman's chin rise a noticeable degree.
"No, Dryfius. I will not be traveling with you." she told the glowering soldier. "And I think perhaps your mounts have changed their minds as well." Lanessa said. An odd sentiment in her voice seemed to spark a genuine nervousness in the rowdy thug in front of her.
Dryfius snorted at the woman's tone in an attempt to mask his obvious confusion at her remark. He cast an amused smirk toward the group of men behind him. They all seemed amused at the woman's empty threat.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Dryfius growled, his arrogance returning. His insolent laugh turned his leering face even more grotesque. Soon all the men were chortling in a confident, superior wave.
Without changing one particle of her position, Lanessa raised her fingers to her mouth and executed the shrill whistle Gabrielle recognized as the same signal Xena always used to summon Argo. Instantly, the animal appeared in the doorway of the small shed that stood next to Lanessa's cottage. The mare whinnied in acknowledgment to the woman's call as if to say, 'Did you call me?'
The bully on the horse seemed more than slightly disconcerted. He looked nervously from the woman to the horse in the door and back to the small woman again.
"Talk to these boys, Argo." Lanessa called to the mare. "Tell them what I mean."
The golden horse trotted out a few paces from the shed and pawed at the ground with her front hooves. She whinnied again, loudly and long, a strident voice in the quiet morning air. Then Argo snorted, shook her powerful head in an angry manner and reared up to pound the ground with her hooves once more.
In another second, the horses circled outside the cottage all began a frenzied dance. Some reared up to full height, flinging surprised riders to the ground. Others arched their haunches and began the bucking and stomping usually seen in horses not yet broken or tamed. Even Dryfius' own mount suddenly arched his body into a tight curl, whirling himself into a circle that had the bully fighting to maintain his seat in the saddle.
After a few minutes of pandemonium, Lanessa whistled again and the horses began to calm down. Most were still prancing and snorting, but they eventually returned to a nearly normal state. Dryfius' men were hard pressed to regain control over their mounts. After some arduous attention, the animals were soon at least quiet enough for the men to remount them.
Gabrielle's eyes searched for the position of the warrior. She was surprised to notice that her friend was making an effort to mask her own amusement. She watched Xena subtly raise a slender hand to cover her own smile. The bard turned to study Lanessa's open expression. The woman's face showed the same gentle smile that the girl had come to recognize. The seriousness that had hardened her features a moment ago had all but disappeared.
After a few more minutes, Dryfius had regained his position on his horse, but the insolence in his manner had been replaced by red-faced embarrassment and furious mortification. He turned to his disheveled companions and barked an order for them to reassemble themselves into ranks. Then he turned a menacing glance toward Lanessa.
"No more tricks, woman." he snarled toward the slender figure. "I'll be back tomorrow and you will come with me." He glared at the passive face. "Or I'll turn this town into a scorched kindling." Gabrielle saw Xena's jaw tighten at the bully's threat.
"Tomorrow." Dryfius barked at Lanessa again, jabbing a dirty gloved finger in her direction. Then he turned his horse back toward the road out of town. "Let's go." he growled to his men. The surly group turned and departed.
Lanessa waited until the men had cleared the town square, then she turned toward the golden mare who still stood watchful in the yard behind Xena. The woman clapped her hands together and the horse trotted happily over to her. When the animal was within her arms' reach, Lanessa gathered the magnificent head in a loving caress. Argo neighed softly and rubbed her soft muzzle against the woman's face.
"Thanks, girl.", Lanessa crooned to the mare, as Xena approached the pair. "You were perfect." Gabrielle left the bench and walked toward the little group in the yard. She glanced at the warrior who was now shaking her head in quiet admiration.
As the two women watched, Lanessa spent a few more loving moments with Argo, chanting soothing phrases into the animal's powerful neck. Then she released the mare with a final pat on her chest. Argo calmly turned back toward the shed and trotted obediently toward the building, eventually disappearing through the open doors of the structure.
Lanessa put one hand on the arm of each of the other women. She turned her gentle smile first to one, than to the other. "Now, how about breakfast?" the small woman chirped happily. The warrior's surprise was clearly evident in her blue gaze. She stared at the slender form in obvious amazement.
Gabrielle burst out laughing at the shock on her friend's face. She tucked her arm around Lanessa small waist. "Let's eat." the bard chimed in. "I'm starving."
Lanessa's slim arm encircled the girl's shoulders and the two women started toward the cottage. Xena watched them go, then turned a wary eye toward the retreating group of men. The warrior's instincts were still tuned tight. She knew that this had only been one small victory. And she had a deep foreboding about what was to come.
Gabrielle turned to Xena, still standing alert in the doorway of the small cottage. From behind her, she could hear the sounds of Lanessa's activity at the hearth. The young woman placed the last earthen plate and mug on the table and quietly moved to where Xena stood.
The girl saw the tall woman's alertness taut in her face. The blue eyes searched the horizon where the group of riders had already disappeared. Gabrielle could tell; the warrior had not relaxed one muscle in her body. She knew Xena was still anxious about the bullying Dryfius and his boastful threats. Green eyes scanned the path in the distance.
"They're not coming back, are they?" the girl asked, not really concerned.
Without changing her line of vision, Xena replied, "No." She turned to glance quickly at the young face beside her. For an instant, Gabrielle saw the same fury that had glowed during Dryfius' visit. Then it faded as quickly as it had come. Xena turned back to the road.
"I think she's really confused him. But he's not going to back off that easily." the warrior said, her voice hard and threatening. Finally the piercing blue eyes met those of the bard. The glint in them made the bard jumpy. Whenever Xena's eyes turned that color, it meant she'd made up her mind about what she intended to do next. She turned abruptly away from the door and strode purposely toward the table. Lanessa was laying out the food for their meal when Xena caught one of the woman's small hands in her own.
"Lanessa", the warrior said gently. The small woman paused in her duties and turned toward the source of the voice. "Don't goad him. Don't humiliate him the next time. A man like Dryfius can't afford to loose the respect of his men." Xena waited as the petite woman considered her advice.
Gabrielle saw their hostess' gentle face became firm and decisive. Her chin rose a degree and she withdrew her hand from Xena's. "You're right, of course.", Lanessa said after a moment. The bard noticed a tone in the voice she hadn't heard before. She watched the slight form straighten a bit as Lanessa drew her shawl around herself.
"I promise to be more careful", the petite woman said evenly in Xena's direction, "if you'll put the chakrum away."
Gabrielle's eyes shot to the warrior. There was a look of total surprise in the bright blue gaze. The bard also couldn't help thinking that her friend's expression reminded her of a child who'd been caught sampling desert before supper. After a long moment, Xena reached under the shawl at the back of her waist and withdrew the round, metal weapon.
The bard covered her mouth with one hand. She clamped her teeth together to stem the hearty laughter she felt building inside. It seemed her dearest friend had finally encountered a will as strong as her own. And in this instance, she'd lost the battle.
Quietly, the warrior lowered the circle, but her eyes were still trained on Lanessa's open stare. Both women stood tensely facing each other across the table.
"You gave me your word." Lanessa's quiet voice seemed to fill the kitchen. Xena's jaw rippled under her chiseled cheekbones; Gabrielle could see the warrior battling to control her emotions.
"And I also said I wouldn't let him take you." The voice was one Gabrielle recognized as the most determined on earth. For another long moment, the kitchen air was static with the unwavering resolve of both women. Finally Xena's lean body relaxed as she took a stride away from the table. She turned abruptly and walked into the small chamber where she and Gabrielle had slept. She returned to the kitchen a moment later ... without the chakrum.
Xena stopped a few paces behind Lanessa's silent form. Gabrielle saw the look of apology in the warrior's blue eyes as she gazed at her old friend's angry frame. But neither woman seemed inclined to diffuse the confrontation. 'Both as stubborn as a smithy's hammer', the girl chuckled to herself. She looked from one willful face to the other. Still no signs of capitulation.
The bard slowly moved herself to a position between the two stiff forms. Then she forced a cheery tone into her own voice and smiled widely.
"Well", she said brightly, "now that that's settled, let's eat!" The young woman touched the warrior's arm with a gentle hand. She felt the muscles loosen under her fingers. Gabrielle watched as the blue eyes softened and then lowered contritely.
The girl moved to stand beside Lanessa. She could sense the woman's quiet anger. The girl nudged the slender shoulder playfully with her own. "Do I smell biscuits?" Gabrielle said, her impish tone bringing the return of her hostess' smile. Lanessa turned to the young woman and embraced her warmly. When she pulled back, the bard noticed the glistening tears in the woman's blank stare.
"With nutmeats", Lanessa said, her voice wavering slightly. "Pour the milk." She reached to capture Gabrielle's face in her hands for a moment, then turned toward the hearth. Her path took her directly in front of Xena, who still stood immobile where her own steps had ended.
As she approached the silent warrior, the petite woman stopped. Wordlessly, she took her friend's hand and held it a moment. Then she continued her path toward the fireplace. The deep emotion between the two women showed clearly in Xena's blue eyes. She drew a quiet, short breath and moved toward the table. Gabrielle was pouring the milk.
The warrior's gaze locked with the bard's. The look said, 'Thank you'.
By late afternoon, Xena's nerves were stretched tight. The angry episode with Lanessa still bothered her. She cared deeply for the woman and would have gladly treated Dryfius to her best fighting skills on her friend's behalf. But Lanessa's rigid determination required that she keep her word, even though doing so brought a knot of frustration to the warrior's stomach.
Xena's sense of honor had always controlled her conduct. Even during the years of fighting and conquest, she had admitted she felt a certain amount of respect toward an enemy who had shown a even degree of principle, however inverted it may have been. Since she didn't expend her own trust lightly, it's investment always included an undeniable reliance. She despised betrayal above every other misdeed. So she had always felt bound by the same integrity whenever she had given her word to another.
Those years of battle had also instilled a hearty skepticism in the warrior's concept of others. Until Hercules had opened her heart to friendship and then to love, she had not allowed any other access to her true, inner self. Then Gabrielle's gentle goodness and loyalty had, as Lanessa had said, 'healed' her heart and afforded her a growing peace she had never known with anyone else. Even so, she still didn't trust many others quite as easily.
Xena strode along the front wall of the cottage. She felt nervous and jumpy, too tense to relax and too distracted to concentrate. She had a very bad feeling about Dryfius' next move and was consumed by a deep frustration at not being able to assume her normal plan of action. Being in the dress was beginning to make her uncomfortable. And being without her weapons made her feel, well, vulnerable.
She had already checked and re-checked every particle of the next day's planned encounter with the bully. There was nothing left to do except ... wait. It was her least favorite activity. Eventually the warrior found herself seated on the bench under the tree in Lanessa's front yard. She tried to calm her nervousness and settle the rampant apprehension that rattled her perceptions.
After a moment, the warrior became aware of another presence. Her eyes searched the immediate area for any sign of an intruder. They scanned the yard and the fenced quarter surrounding the shed where Argo was housed. Then, slowly and carefully, her gaze turned toward the tree above her. She half expected to find one of Dryfius' thugs, lurking in the foliage. What she didn't expect to see was the round, cherubic face that gazed back at her.
"Hello there", Xena said to the boy who straddled the large limb in the center of the tree. "Efron, isn't it?" The boy's face remained unresponsive, his large brown eyes trained on hers. The mass of copper ringlets around his face fluttered lightly in the soft breeze.
"What are you doing up there?" Xena asked, a gentle smile softening her lovely face.
The child's eyes turned defensive, his manner custodial.
"Lanetha told me I could climb thith tree whenever I wanted." the boy said. The note of defiance in his tone made the warrior's smile widen.
"You haven't answered my question." Xena said. "What are you doing in the tree, Efron?" She watched as he literally scampered from one limb to another, his footing sure and confident.
When he had transferred himself to his newest landing, he turned toward the warrior again. After another moment of proprietary attitude, the brown eyes again locked on the blue orbs trained on him.
"Watching", he said, almost daring her challenge.
"Watching for what?", she asked, enjoying the boy's lack of intimidation.
"That bad man who wath here thith morning." he said. Xena's throat caught at the youngster's courage and determination. "He wanth to hurt Lanetha."
The warrior's jaw stiffened with her own anger. She forced herself to lighten her tone. "Well, we won't let him do that, will we?" She stood up and extended her arms toward the boy.
"So you can come down now, Efron." Her invitation was met with a stubborn glare. Xena made an effort to conceal her amusement at the child's independent manner. She lowered her arms and folded them across her waist. "C'mon.", she told him, a gentle authority stressed in her tone. "It's almost time for supper. Your mother will be worried."
After another moment, the boy shifted his weight and began to maneuver himself along the limb toward the tree's sturdy trunk. He took a path which deliberately led him away from her. Xena watched the boy's nimble progress, impressed by his balance and grace. Finally Efron jumped down from the tree onto the bench she had vacated. His chin was raised willfully, his little fists perched on his slender hips.
"You do that very well", Xena said. "Lanessa would be proud of you."
Instantly the child's face beamed. An adorable dimple flashed in the middle of each soft cheek, and a proud twinkle glittered clearly in the round, brown eyes. Xena waited as the boy's glance traveled over her form.
"Lanetha'th my betht friend.", he announced. "I'm gonna protect her from that bad man." The brave tone in the boy's voice tugged at the warrior's heart. "Ith that why you and your friend are here, too?" he asked her, his tone solemn and firm.
Xena tried to keep her voice as serious as the boy's. "Yes", she said, meeting his earnest gaze directly. "That's why my friend and I are here, too." She watched as the boy seemed to consider this new information. Finally his gaze traveled again to her face. His brown eyes held her gaze and a tiny scowl narrowed the sun-bleached brows.
"Well, OK then." he said, pulling himself up as tall as he could. "If the bad man cometh back, we'll jutht .. make him go 'way." the child stated emphatically. He frowned menacingly, a determined jut to his lower lip. The warrior felt a giddy pleasure at his acceptance of her as his ally.
"That's right, Efron", Xena said, her tone purposely grave. "We'll make sure of it." She extended her open hand toward the youngster. The boy placed his small hand in hers and shook it firmly. Then his gaze turned in the direction of home. After flashing another dimpled smile at the warrior, he jumped down off the bench.
"If you need me, jutht holler." he said to Xena. Then the boy turned away and trotted toward home.
"I'll do that." the warrior said, making an effort to keep her expression serious. Xena watched the small form travel across the town square. She felt a genuine respect as she considered the child's brave heart. A smile softened the warrior's face. When she turned back toward the cottage, she found Gabrielle's warm gaze focused on her. The girl stepped from the doorway and strode slowly toward the warrior.
"Who's your friend?", the young woman asked, her green eyes twinkling.
"His name's Efron." the warrior said, her tone light. "He's Lanessa's 'best friend'". She turned to watch the youngster enter a house at the edge of the square. "And one of her many admirers, I would guess."
Xena sat down again on the bench, her emotions still uncentered. She let out a frustrated sigh. "I hate all this waiting around, doing nothing." she said. The bard sat down beside her. "It's one of my ..."
"Least favorite things", the girl finished with her. The warrior's blue gaze met those of her best friend. "You're terrible at it, as a matter of fact." Gabrielle said, a warm twinkle in her eyes. The two women exchanged a loving glance. The girl looked quickly toward the cottage, then back to the warrior.
"If I ask you something, will you tell me the truth?" the young woman ventured. Xena turned a slightly resentful expression toward the girl.
"Of course, Gabrielle. When have I not?"
The bard's eyes stayed fixed on the deep blue gaze of her friend, her head tilted barely to one side. One eyebrow slipped under the blond bangs.
"Well, when have I not when it was important?" the warrior finished lamely. "What is it you want to know?"
"What did you give your word to Lanessa about?" the young woman asked, lowering her voice slightly. Xena's eyes focused on the tails of the shawl in her hands. Gabrielle waited, her eyes still trained on her friend's face. "Xena," she said again, intrigued by the warrior's chastised expression..
Xena reluctantly raised her gaze to meet the girl's. Then she looked away. She swallowed carefully. "When Lanessa first told me about the problem with Dryfius", she began, a bitterness in her tone at the mention of the bully's name, "she made me give her my word." The warrior's jaw rippled in muted frustration. She took another deep breath and continued. "She made me promise I wouldn't use my weapons to solve it."
This time *both* of Gabrielle's eyebrows disappeared under her wheat-colored bangs. She watched Xena's face. She could see the struggle within the woman's conscience. The warrior side of her longed to settle the matter in the usual way; yet the girl knew her friend's honor would not allow her break her word, at least not completely.
"That's why she was so upset ... about the chakrum?" the bard asked. She met the blue eyes now leveled at her own.
Xena nodded silently. Gabrielle saw the regret in the crystal, blue eyes. The sting of Lanessa's anger had left it's mark on the warrior's spirit. The goodness of the intention to protect her old friend had become overshadowed by what seemed to be a betrayal of her promise to the other woman. The girl knew it was that aspect of the quarrel that troubled her gallant friend most
Gabrielle was certain that Xena's heart was ultimately true, and that she would never purposely recant on her pledge. It had been the warrior's loyalty to her old friend that had moved Xena to retain the chakrum, even though she knew Lanessa would ultimately be angry with her for doing so.
The girl placed a hand on the warrior's shoulder. "You know, she's almost as stubborn as you are." the bard said. Xena turned an annoyed look to the bard's open face. Then her gaze softened at the sight of her lovely friend. A quiet smile lit the woman's attractive features.
"Almost." Xena said, her blue gaze warm. The bard's eyes twinkled in return. Then the warrior's face became serious again. "In a way, I'd rather have Dryfius just make his move and then we can end this. Playing these games is making me ... jumpy." Xena's posture changed on the bench. Gabrielle could read the tension in the woman's body.
The warrior turned her attention toward the petite woman moving about in the small herb garden adjacent to the cottage. The bard studied the face she had come to respect above all others. There was a look of deep regret across the blue eyes. The young woman shifted her own gaze to the diminutive figure among the plants. Then the green eyes returned to the woman beside her.
"After the siege against Cortese", Xena began quietly, "many of the people in the village turned their hate for him toward me." Gabrielle felt her heart tighten for her friend's still-present pain. The warrior turned a sad gaze toward the girl. "Most of them lost people they loved, you see." she said in a voice weary with the memory.
"Husbands, sons, brothers. Gone or changed forever." The blue eyes glimmered with new tears. "Even mother...." Xena said. "When Lyceus died, something in her died too." The bard's vision was clouded by her own tears. She kept her focus on her friend's beautiful face, a face which even now showed the pain she felt at her parent's cold judgment..
"The only one who didn't blame me for what happened was Lanessa." Xena said. The warrior turned to study their slender hostess' form. "She understood what I had tried to do and why." The blue eyes returned the girl's gaze. Newly shed tears covered the chiseled features. The warrior wiped them away. "And she had more reason to hate me than anyone else, perhaps."
The bard gasped. "Why would you say that?" she asked the warrior. Gabrielle laid a protective hand on her friend's lean arm. "Lanessa? Hate you?" the bard said. "I can't believe that would ever happen."
Xena closed her eyes to dismiss the painful memories which punished her each waking day. She pulled her arms around her own slender waist. Finally, taking a deep breath, she turned again to the young woman who had won a treasured place in her heart for all time.
"If Lyceus had lived, if he hadn't fallen in battle", the warrior began in a halting voice, "he and Lanessa would have been married that summer." She watched the girl's eyes widen, then soften in sympathy. "I lost a brother, but she lost the love of her life." Xena put her fingers to her own temples. There were times when the crashing wave of guilt in her mind threatened to split her skull.
She sensed, rather than felt, Gabrielle reaching to comfort her. Abruptly, the warrior rose from the bench and stepped away. It was a primal reaction, one she had tried hard to control since Gabrielle had become part of her life. She knew the girl always meant to convey her affection and her support, but it was for precisely that reason that the warrior resisted the girl's touch at that moment.
This was a private fury, one she didn't want to unleash on anyone she cared about, least of all Gabrielle. Xena pulled in gulps of air to loosen the grip on her chest . She felt the paralyzing blame that invaded her senses during sleep and daily threatened to break her will and dissimate her reserves at every turn.
Gabrielle sat immobile on the bench, watching her friend's agony. She had seen the warrior endure this self-recrimination repeatedly during their time together. It always tore at the bard's gentle heart and filled her with numbing sympathy for the warrior's grief. Even though the young woman longed to comfort her most cherished companion and offer whatever peace she could, the girl also knew that, right now, her best friend vehemently required she be left alone.
Several minutes passed. Eventually Xena's manner grew more calm, her breathing returned to normal. The lean, muscular form relaxed and the warrior released her clenched fists. She took in a deep, ragged breath. As the tightness around her sternum began to subside, the woman regained her proud, confident stance. Finally she turned back to the girl on the bench.
Xena saw the tears in the girl's eyes, read the compassion in the young woman's expression. She swallowed hard and drew on the mantle of control that she'd honed sharp in the years of battle. Slowly the warrior returned to the bench and sat down beside the girl. After a moment, she took one small hand in her own. The two friends sat quietly a moment longer. Then the young woman spoke in a gentle tone.
"You've got to stop torturing yourself, Xena." the bard said. "You've got to absolve yourself for your past. It's your *past*. Let it go." The young woman covered the warrior's strong hand with both of her small ones. "If Lanessa could forgive you, why can't you forgive yourself?"
The warrior's blue eyes were focused on the town square. She returned the warm touch to the young bard's fingers and swept her own tears away with her other hand.
"Perhaps I will some day." she said to the sweet face of the girl. "Maybe one day I'll be able to silence the screams I hear in my head." The young woman covered her lips with her hand. Xena reached up to brush the girl's tears away. "Just don't give up on me, all right?"
A loving smile lit the bard's young face. "Not on your life." she told the warrior, regaining her composure. "Not for a wagon full of dinars." The twinkle returned to the green eyes. "Not for a silo full of ..."
A genuine chuckle emerged from the warrior's throat. She held up her free hand. "All right." she said her blue eyes laughing. "All right. You've made your point." She reached to tousle the blond hair. Then she gathered the slender bard into a tight embrace. Facing the sweet countenance again, she shook her head slowly. "And you say *I'm* the stubborn one."
The girl's eyes were kind, but her smile flashed impishly. "Hey, I always said, I learned from the best." She buried her head against the warrior's shoulder and encircled the slim waist with both arms. The two women held the embrace for an instant, then the warrior pulled back. Gabrielle released her knowing that the contact, although heartfelt, was still disquieting to the woman.
"C'mon", the bard said at last. "Lanessa's bound to have supper started by now." Xena scoffed and slapped one open palm against her forehead. She turned a playful scowl toward the young woman's smiling face.
"How can you *always* be hungry?!" she said, both hands outspread in astonishment. The bard raised her shoulders and attached a sidewise grin to her countenance.
"I dunno. But we all have our gifts, right?" Gabrielle rose from the bench and reached to take the warrior's arm. As she turned to face the cottage, Xena saw Lanessa's slender form in the doorway. The woman's gentle smile warmed the warrior's tired heart. She extended her hands to the two walking toward her.
"Ladies.", Lanessa said, her voice quiet and smooth. "Tonight we feast with the gods." The trio entered the cozy house.
The next day spawned a typical autumn morning. The air was clear and crisp, the sun shone brightly, the colors of the countryside blazed in muted, consolidated glory. Before the salmon light had spread in the eastern sky, the warrior princess was already awake. Not that she'd slept very much since the previous evening. She'd spent most of the time lying under the down coverlet in the small bedroom plotting this day's defense in her mind.
By the time Gabrielle's sleepy face became visible around her side of the covers, Xena had risen, dressed, and checked the various devices comprising the planned tricks for today's encounter with the boorish soldier. She'd been much too keyed up to eat, but she had enjoyed a mug of the refreshing ale left from last night's supper.
The warrior had also spent careful minutes skillfully concealing each of her weapons in the yard outside the cottage. Her promise to Lanessa not withstanding, she wanted her trusted gear handy and available, if necessary. 'I'll take her wrath, if I have to', the warrior told herself, 'if it means saving her life.'
Xena had just finished another inspection of the grounds about the cottage when she heard a rustling sound coming from the leafy tree in the yard. She peered carefully into the branches and noticed a familiar figure traversing the larger branches of the tree. The warrior's jaw rippled irritably when she recognized a small, red-haired acrobat among the green foliage.
"Oh, no", she said to herself. "Not today, Efron." She crossed the yard, her pace smooth and quiet.
"Efron", she called to the boy. "Come down, please. Now."
The child stopped climbing long enough to spend a friendly grin in her direction. "It'th OK", he told her. "I'll be able to thee better from up here."
"Efron", Xena said, her tone serious. "I don't think you should be in the tree today." Xena moved closer to the tall woody plant and the child climbing in it. "Maybe you should..." the warrior began.
"Don't worry", the boy assured her. "I brought Papa with me."
"Your father's here?" Xena said, surprised. "Where, Efron?", she asked the boy. "Where is your father?"
"Behind you", said a voice at the warrior's back. She turned around to address the sound and was caught completely offguard by the face which accompanied it.
"Mathius?" Xena said as she gazed directly into the countenance of her former childhood love. The warrior was speechless at the discovery. Her mouth drifted open and she could feel a warm, crimson blush cover her face.
The handsome face before her softened with a warm, open smile. His eyes traveled over her form. She had chosen another of Lanessa's offered outfits for today; a soft, lavender blouse with a scooped neckline adorned with ribbons of deep purple. The sleeves of the blouse fell loosely over her lean arms, then gathered trimly into delicately fringed cuffs at her wrists. The long, flowing skirt she wore was the color of polished silver. Over her shoulders, she wore a pale rose-hued shawl with subtle piping that matched the color of the ribbons on the blouse.
Mathius' gaze returned to the warrior's blushing face. "You're looking well." he told her, not unaware of her chagrin at his appreciation of her costume.
"Efron is your son?" Xena said when she found her voice again.
"Efron is our youngest." the man told her. "Althena and I were also blessed with two daughters." Mathius smile remained warm. "Perhaps when this is all over, you can come and meet the family." he told the startled warrior princess. "I know my daughters would enjoy that."
Xena was thoroughly unnerved by the encounter with the man. Her thoughts of Mathius had always been gentle and kind. Yet he had forever remained part of her childhood memories. He had not been a part of her assembled army, nor had he taken part in any of the defensive actions employed to repel Cortese and his villainy. Mathius had declined, without rancor or recrimination, when Lyceus had asked him to join them. The young man had elected to remain in the village to provide a mainstay to the defenses there.
The warrior swallowed her surprise and met the friendly smile with her own. "I should have recognized the copper curls." she said, referring to Efron's feathery locks. The man chuckled with her. "Althena?" Xena said then, feeling foolishly breathless.
"Yes. Hermia's sister?" Mathius said, supplying another name Xena remembered from days long past. She nodded in recognition of the woman's history.
After a moment, the warrior's senses became alert to the present situation again. She turned a questioning glance toward the town square which opened across the road in front of the cottage.
"Mathius?" Xena began, her eyes taking in the crowded scene. "What are all these people doing in the square at this hour?" She referred to the large number of citizens who had suddenly appeared outside the houses and shops of the town.
Her companion cast a pointedly innocent expression in her direction. "Why, taking care of business, I would imagine." Mathius answered, a curious gleam in her eyes.
"At dawn?" the warrior asked with definite disbelief in her tone.
"You remember Amphipolis, Xena." the man next to her answered, continuing his unassuming manner. "Things get started early around here." He ventured a conspiratorial gaze at her clear, blue eyes.
The meaning in his words snapped to attention in the warrior's brain. She realized what his inference meant. The obvious intentions of the villagers set off warnings within her. She felt a fearful anxiety begin to disturb her.
"Mathius, maybe you'd better tell them to ..." Xena began. But her old friend was already ahead of her.
"Xena", he said quietly, taking her hand. "Last few times we had a bully to confront, you had to do it pretty much on your own." He watched the warrior's blue eyes grow remorseful. "This time, the Council thought you might like some help."
Xena was taken aback by the man's comment. She had assumed that, even if her presence in the village had become known, most of the citizens would much prefer to avoid, even ignore her, rather than offer their help. She stood quite still for a moment, letting Mathius' statement register in her head.
Then a nervous concern set off the warrior's senses. "No ... no ... no", Xena chanted. "I won't be responsible for getting someone else hurt. Not again." The hard tone of the warrior crept back into the woman voice. "You've must make them underst...", she began, speaking directly to her companion's gaze.
"Xena", the man said, a firmness now evident in his tone. "This is not a debate. It's settled." Mathius said, his gaze steady on hers. "We're staying right where we are." He watched as the blue eyes he remembered so well flash with defiance and determination. Deep within them, he man could see the headstrong, willful young woman with whom he'd fallen so deeply in love as a youth. He waited while the warrior dealt with her own confusion.
Mathius' statement prickled the warrior's pride and stirred angry resentment in her. She searched the face of the man at her side. As a young girl, she had treasured the youthful version of this face as the man who would become her life-long partner. Eventually, he had become a trusted friend, a gentle confidant. Today, he was not really either, yet his was still a sympathetic heart.
The man's eyes held the warrior's in a conforting gaze. Xena felt her anxiety recede. She tried to keep her voice even. "At least get the children somewhere safe." she told him. "Dryfius is very unpredictable. We don't know what he'll try to do."
"The children will be fine." Mathius said. "We'll look after them. You and your friend look after Lanessa." The man's face softened again. "That should keep you busy enough." Mathius smiled at her warmly. "What's she got planned for him today?"
Xena found herself smiling in spite of the tenseness she felt. "Watch the arbor",she said, the cryptic message in her voice making Mathius smile. Then she pulled the shawl around herself.
"You know she'll be furious if she finds out what you're planning.", the warrior told the man, refering to their mutual childhood friend.
Mathius chuckled softly. "Furious is putting it lightly." he agreed. "We'll have the Hades' own harpies to deal with later." For a moment, his eyes met the warrior's blue gaze in an unspoken statement of affection.
Xena felt the stiffness in her shoulders recede. Mathius' gentle strength had been one of the reasons she'd fallen in love with him so many years ago. For an instant, she pictured him with his own children. The image of a loving, nurturing parent warmed her and endeared the man to her again.
The warrior's reverie was broken by Efron's clear voice above them. "He'th coming, Papa", the boy chirped. "The bad man'th coming." the child said again.
Mathius' manner changed instantly. "Come down, Efron", he said firmly to the boy. The child responded immediately and began to climb down out of the tree. When he was close enough to his father, Efron jumped down into the man's arms.
"Go find your mother and sisters", he said to the child as he set him on his feet. "He'th crothing the valley", the boy announced. Then he raced off toward the villagers in the square. Mathius turned to address Xena, but found her already moving quickly toward the cottage. The man turned and followed his son.