Gabrielle sat down at what had become their ‘usual table’ at the back of the room. She gave Minerva a wide smile when she caught the girl’s eye. The young waitress’ expression said she would take her order momentarily, so the bard settled herself patiently. While she waited for Minerva to come to the table, Gabrielle remembered her conversation with Musaeus concerning his sister’s noble attempt to support them. The girl’s gentle heart went out to the young woman, not very many summers older than the little blonde herself, she thought sadly.

‘Musaeus is certainly right about one thing,’ Gabrielle contemplated. ‘Minerva surely deserves something more.’

The redheaded waitress gave the young blonde a warm smile as she arrived at the table. "Are you going to wait for your friend?" she asked, casting an absent gaze at the door.

"No, but Musaeus said he’d be right along," the bard told her. "In the meantime, I’ll have some of that sweet cider you brought me the last time." The two young women exchanged easy smiles.

"OK," Minerva said. "Be right back." She turned and made her way back to the bar.

Suddenly Gabrielle remembered she had forgotten to bring the volume of poems with her from the hut. She had planned to study the verses while she ate her lunch, since she assumed she would be eating the meal without the company of the warrior who had not yet returned from her trip to the clearing. Besides, the girl had determined, if Musaeus decided to join her, the book would provide an easy distraction from the young man’s constant tales of ‘fame and fortune’.

Just as Minerva returned to the table with the mug of cider, the little bard stood up, giving the other girl an apologetic grin.

"I’m sorry, Minerva," Gabrielle said. "I forgot something. I’ll be right back."

The waitress nodded agreeably and stepped aside to let the bard pass. The little blonde crossed the tavern again, strode through the front door and headed back across the town square.

~~~~~~~~~

Xena entered the little hut, blue eyes scanning the interior for Musaeus. The cobalt stare settled on the young man’s figure sitting in the chair lost in private contemplation, an annoying gloat covering his smirking face. The warrior’s stomach tightened in controlled fury, but the chiseled features displayed the usual hard, stoic, uncompromising expression. She took a controlled breath and knocked loudly on the wooden door, enjoying a grim satisfaction when the young man jumped at the unexpected noise. He bolted out of his chair and turned to face her.

"Xena," he said, obviously startled. It took only a moment for the youngster to regain his placid manner. "Gabrielle is at the Inn, having lunch. I’m just on my way to meet her. Perhaps you’d like to join us." The young bard had turned toward the tall warrior, an ingratiating smile covering his face. He sat down casually on the edge of the table. "Is there something I can do for you in the meantime?"

Xena fought against her inclination to rake the back of one hand across the fraudulent grin. She walked slowly toward the young man, stopping an arm’s length from him, her body deceptively calm and relaxed. She leveled a steady glare at the freckled face.

"Maybe it’s a good thing Gabrielle isn’t here," the warrior began evenly. "It gives me a chance to talk to you alone. You might not want her to hear what I have to say."

In a single moment, any semblance of the friendly, charming, gracious young bard vanished completely from Musaeus’ polite expression and any vestige of the false respect he’d shown the warrior was transformed into clear, unbridled reprehension. The smile gleaming from the handsome face displayed a palatable hostility as the young man met the warrior’s hard expression with a conceited smirk. The brown eyes traveled over the leather-clad form, returning to challenge the steely blue eyes with a self-satisfied grin.

"I just wanted to congratulate you on your very clever plan," the warrior began calmly. The young male face contorted in apparent confusion, then returned to its previous insolent smirk.

"Plan?" he said to the warrior, a slight tremor traveling across the confident grin. "I don’t think I know what you mean."

Xena’s eyes were cool and disgusted, but the smile she showed the young bard was deceptively smooth.

"Oh, really? Let’s see if I have it straight, shall we? The warrior took a step to the end of the table, turning to face the young man’s smug expression. He followed her movements, keeping his eyes on hers.

"For starters, you send for Gabrielle because you know she’s dedicated enough to the idea of preserving these scrolls to come here and because you know you can count on her to keep her word, whether you deserve her loyalty or not." She paused to let her contempt for the young man show clearly across her expression.

"So, you get Gabrielle here to restore the scrolls after you get the Council to finance the project. Of course she’s doing all the work, but that’s OK, because the Elders are only interested in the completion of the project, not necessarily in who’s really getting the job done."

Musaeus’ gaze remained locked on the warrior’s.

"Then you discredit Gabrielle by convincing her to transcribe a scroll that you both know is incorrect. That way, all her work will be dismissed and you can claim all the glory of the restoration for yourself." The warrior paused, focusing a grim, lethal glare at the male face. "So that way, Gabrielle leaves Almiros in disgrace but the Elders get their new scrolls, with your name notably assigned to the work, of course, and all the visitors that arrive to see the newly-discovered prize pay homage to the resident scholar responsible for this very distinguished enterprise."

The young man’s arrogant attitude incensed the warrior even more. She turned her back on the detestable grin.

"And if that part of your insidious little plot weren’t depraved enough ...." She turned back to level a cold stare at the contemptible leer. "There’s the cave to discuss."

The young face sobered slightly.

"I mean, the real cave, Musaeus. The one with all the crates and boxes in it? The one hidden behind the stones? That’s the cave I visited today. The cave with all the evil in it." Xena enjoyed the slight constriction she noticed in Musaeus’ throat. She kept her eyes focused on the deceitful face and waited.

"I really don’t have any idea what you’re talking about, Xena. I honestly don’t. But, this tale of yours is getting better and better," Musaeus chuckled confidently. "Please, go on. I can’t wait to hear the end of this."

The warrior’s chuckle was as hollow as the young man’s had been. She threw him a contrived frown. "No, of course you don’t. And you don’t know anything about the band of thugs camped in the valley either, do you? The scum that seems to have complete access to that same cave and it’s very profitable contents?" Her face showed comical disbelief. "Of course, since you’re the one who supposedly discovered this famous cave, it wouldn’t necessarily follow that you maybe ... made a deal with them, would it?"

The young male face showed a sheen of pure loathing.

"Something like, you keep quiet about their little ‘collection of death and destruction’ as long as they stay away from the town and leave your precious scrolls alone?" Xena leaned casually on the end of the table.

"That way, the town enjoys all the new trade and commerce of the droves of visitors who come to see the new ‘Almiros scrolls’ and Phantaos and his slimy buddies ... yes, I recognized them ... have a steady stream of victims and they have a perfect cover for all the sleazy deals they make with other vile customers for the ‘items’ in the back of the cave. How’m I doin’ so far?" the warrior’s expression was deceptively amused.

"And Gabrielle says you have no imagination," Musaeus said, shaking his head in a blatant imitation of incredulity. Then he fixed a hard stare at his accuser. "But, you know, if you try to sell this ... fabrication to Gabrielle or even to the Elders," he chortled, bating the warrior, "are you all that sure they’ll believe you?" He fixed a confident glare on her face. "You’ve already made an incredible fool of yourself with Gabrielle twice. Do you really want to chance it again?"

Musaeus crossed his arms over his chest in an arrogant display. When the warrior didn’t react to his provocation, the young man smiled vainly. "I didn’t think so." A sarcastic grin contorted the rakish face. "And the Elders aren’t that convinced your new ‘warrior-for-good’ act is for real, either." The young face grew hard and defiant. "I doubt they’d take your word over a ‘native son’. Not very likely."

Xena moved a step closer to the contemptuous youngster, her blue eyes locked on the egotistical countenance. A noticeable tremor narrowed the brown eyes as the young male instinctively drew back from the sleek warrior’s nearness. Finally the woman spoke, her voice sounding with a lethal, deadly calm.

"Don’t ever underestimate Gabrielle, Musaeus," she told the self-satisfied face. "It may be one of the biggest mistakes you’ll ever make." She paused, her steely gaze provoking a wave of primal fear in the young man’s stare. "Gabrielle may seem gentle and forgiving, and in truth, she usually is." The warrior’s stony glare remained locked on the brown pools. She leaned forward slightly, bringing her face even closer to the young bard’s.

"But underneath all that sweetness and compassion, you’ll find a will of tempered steel. And she has more integrity and more pure, unquestioned decency in her smallest finger than you have in your whole, contemptible body." The warrior’s form straightened and she leveled her own smirk at the young man’s venomous glare. "Believe me, she takes a very dim view of anyone who uses lies and deceit for their own distorted purposes." Xena’s gaze swept lightly over the collection of scrolls at the end of the table.

"Gabrielle also treats her responsibility as a bard very seriously. If you try to compromise that principle," the warrior’s eyes grew hard and threatening, "dealing with me will be the least of your worry. She’ll take your head off and hand it back to you. So consider yourself warned."

Musaeus stared contemptuously at the tall warrior’s stiff form. After a moment, he regained some of his confident attitude. He slowly removed himself from the edge of the table and faced the leather-clad figure, meeting her piercing gaze with a prideful grin.

"And as for the Elders ... people like you always make the mistake of assuming the people they’re trying to trick are as stupid as they believe they are." She glared at the young man’s enraged scowl. "You may have another surprise coming when you find out they’re not as easily fooled as you think."

The warrior’s sleek body stood poised for a moment before she stepped back from the young man. After training a disgusted glance at the unresponsive male face, she turned and took a step toward the door of the hut. Then she slowly turned back to the loathsome face, the blue eyes sparkling with a feral gleam.

"By the way, the biggest mistake you could ever make is believing that there’s a rock or a tree or a hole in this whole country where you could hide from me if you ever hurt Gabrielle or threaten her integrity." The young man gulped convulsively. "You got that?" Her crystal gaze locked with his. Then the tall warrior turned and walked toward the doorway of the hut.

Just as she was about to pass through the opening, she came face to face with the small form of the bard. The girl’s green gaze lingered meaningfully on the warrior’s blue eyes and the soft face displayed a clear message. The tall woman blinked at the deep affection she read in the emerald pools as the young blonde laid a small hand on her friend’s muscled arm. For a moment, there was total silence in the room.

"So," the little bard said softly. "You two been getting better acquainted?" She looked first at the astonished male face, then back to the warrior’s stoic expression. "Good," the bard said, smiling. She leveled a steady gaze at the face of the young man, then turned to the tall woman standing stiffly in the open doorway.

"Since I don’t see any fish," she said gently, a teasing grin warming her young face, "I guess we’ll have to make do with another ‘special’ at the Inn." Gabrielle turned to Musaeus. "I’ll be back after lunch," she told him, a meaningful glint in the green eyes.

Musaeus’ eyebrows rose slightly as he gazed nervously at the little blonde’s open expression. He nodded wordlessly and walked back to the chair at the end of the table, his mind scrambling to restore order and control.

Gabrielle stepped closer to the warrior. "Shall we go?" she asked. The warrior met the emerald pools, the familiar dread returning to her stomach. She threw one last disdainful look at the shaken young man, then returned her attention to the young face of her friend.

"Yes," she said, moving through the open doorway as the bard followed. When they were a few paces away from the little hut, Xena turned regretfully to the little blonde. "But I’m afraid what I have to tell you may take away your appetite."

Gabrielle kept her eyes on the earth beneath their boots.

"No chance of that," she said softly. "I lost my appetite a few minutes ago." The warrior stopped stone still and faced the girl at her side. The bard looked up at her friend’s nervous expression. She touched the warrior’s arm.

"It’s all right," she said softly. "I trust your judgment. I always have."

The warrior swallowed hard around the tightness in her throat. She returned the bard’s gentle touch as a fragile smile warmed the sculpted face. The two women turned together and started toward the Inn. Gabrielle smiled, remembering the warrior’s words.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Enoch and the three Elders were waiting when they entered the tavern. Their faces were tense, their manner nervous. Xena strode through the room, acknowledged the smithy and motioned toward the back table with her head. The warrior gently guided the bard to the bench behind the table, giving the girl one last remorseful look as the men seated themselves around the fixture. The smithy assumed the same place as before, the edge of the wooden table nearest where the warrior stood.

When they were all settled, Hagen and the other two Elders turned an expectant gaze toward the warrior. She focused on the blacksmith’s serious expression for a moment, then met the bard’s green eyes. After a moment, Hagen cleared his throat and sat forward, laying one fleshy hand on the table.

"Well, warr... Xena," he amended. "Enoch said you have some news for us?" The blue eyes left the bard’s emerald pools and met those of the aged official. "We were right, weren’t we? Those men are a threat to the scrolls, aren’t they?"

Xena took a deep breath. "No," she said simply. "Those men couldn’t care less about the scrolls." The Elders exchanged surprised looks. The smithy’s brows knit together. The bard watched the warrior’s tense expression. When the murmuring between the men ceased, the tall woman continued.

"Their leader is called Phantaos. I once ...." she hesitated, revising her thoughts. "We’ve met before," the warrior said quietly. "He leads a band of ... thieves, bandits. The worst kind of vagrant. They prey on innocent travelers or sell their services to any warlord who wants to increase his numbers. They’re ... garbage." The tall woman’s bitter tone silenced the men at the table. Xena straightened her shoulders, the rising dread within her tightening her stomach.

"But, if they’re not after the scrolls," Hagen began, his gaze darting to the smithy’s quiet face, then back to the warrior’s. "What do they want, then? Can you tell?"

The warrior’s blue eyes turned to granite as the little bard swallowed hard. The green eyes were locked on her friend’s face.

"They’re after the cave," Xena said stiffly. "Or rather, what’s in the cave."

"In the cave?" Hagen repeated. "But there’s only the ...."

"No," the warrior said, sternly. "There’s another room, behind where the scrolls were found. And it’s filled with weapons. Lots of weapons." She turned to the bard. "More weapons than I’ve seen in one place since ... in a long, long time." The blue eyes sent an entreaty to the girl’s green gaze.

Gabrielle’s mouth opened slightly as she concentrated on her friend’s anguished face. A nagging, unsettling dread had begun to constrict the sides of her stomach. She watched the warrior’s jaw quiver as the woman’s cobalt stare locked on hers.

"What do you think we should do, Xena?" It was the smithy’s quiet voice. The warrior turned slowly toward the handsome face. She blinked at the brown pools and strove to regain her composure. After a long moment of tense silence, the tall woman answered, her voice tense and hard.

"Seal it up," she said coldly. "Seal the cave. It’s the only way to keep Phantaos and others like him from getting to those weapons."

The warrior’s jaws slammed tightly together when she heard the small gasp emitted by the young woman beside her. She dismissed the Elders’ stunned reactions, as well as their exclamations of disbelief. Xena’s attention was totally focused on the young blonde’s horrified face.

"But, that would mean burying whatever scrolls might still be there!" Hagen blurted, outraged.

"Oh, Xena!" the little bard whispered, her stricken tone quieting even the flabbergasted Elder. "Seal it up? For good?"

Xena took the bard’s hand. "Gabrielle, there are enough weapons in that cave to destroy this whole section of the country." The blue eyes were fervent on the bard’s. "I can’t let Phantaos get to those weapons. I can’t." Gabrielle saw the urgency in the bronze face. "Please try to understand."

"Surely there must be another way," Hagen blustered. "Perhaps you could ...."

The warrior’s head swiveled back to the stammering Elder. "No, there is no other way!" she barked, silencing the old man’s objection. "It’s the only way to be sure that Phantaos and any others like him never get their hands on those weapons. Sealing it up is the most certain method for keeping him from using them, or worse, bartering or selling them outright to any other warlord or lowlife scum who might offer him a handful of dinars."

The three aged men around the table sat dazed and bewildered by the frightening possibility presented by the warrior’s passionate speech. They glanced at each other, shamefaced and contrite. After a long, stilted silence, Enoch addressed the warrior again.

"How, Xena?" he asked, his voice quiet and somber. "How do we do it?"

Xena’s attention was focused on the bard’s astonished expression. As she watched, she saw the soft face register disgust, regret and finally settle into sorry resignation. The girl dropped her eyes from the blue crystals, scanned the table top, then returned to meet the warrior’s tense gaze. The blonde head nodded slightly as the soft face showed silent, loyal support. Xena drew a long, labored breath.

"I’ll do it," she said quietly, turning to the smithy’s steady gaze. The lean form straightened purposefully as the slender fists relaxed on the front edge of the wooden bench. "The whole interior is a series of wooden beams, braced and wedged tight. It’s just a matter of unseating the supports, then burning it out. "There’s plenty of oil there, too, to provide enough ...."

"Now, wait a minute, here," Hagen blared. "We have to present this notion to the entire Council before you go any farther with your ... plans." He turned a stubborn glare at Enoch’s critical expression. "This is much too important an agenda for us to make this decision on our own ...." He turned a challenging glance at the warrior. " ... on just your opinion." The tall woman’s face remained stony and unyielding. "I’m sorry. But we must make the Council aware and then hold a vote on this idea."

The aged official slid his heavy form off the bench and waved a commanding hand toward the other two old men . They shuffled to their feet. Hagen turned to Enoch with an imperious glare. "We’ll need your vote, Enoch." With that, he turned to leave.

"Don’t take too long," Xena warned sternly. "Phantaos and his men aren’t going to be content to stay in the valley much longer. He could decide to go after those weapons at any time."

Hagen returned the warrior’s level stare nervously. "We’ll let you know what the Council decides, warrior," he told her, pulling himself up proudly. The three elderly officials bustled across the tavern, chattering nervously.

Enoch pulled himself off the table and trained a serious look at the warrior’s stoic face. "I’ll make sure the Council hears your concerns and not just what Hagen thinks they should hear, OK?" The slender woman nodded. "Where can I reach you?" the smithy asked.

Xena glanced at the quiet bard. "I’ll wait here for you." The smithy turned to leave.

"Enoch," the liquid voice summoned and the tanned face turned back. "Don’t let them stew too long. We really don’t have much time. Understand?"

The blacksmith nodded supportively, then strode across the room and out the front door of the tavern. Xena focused again on the little bard’s unhappy face. She waited until the green eyes floated up to meet hers. Her heart lurched at the look of faith in the emerald gaze.

"You know I wouldn’t suggest this if I knew anything else to try, don’t you?" The bard nodded mutely. "Are you going to be all right?"

Gabrielle studied the worried face of her best friend. She knew Xena’s actions were driven by the warrior’s honorable code, but it didn’t lighten the disappointment in her chest very much. At the moment, however, she was more concerned with the look of contrition in the lean warrior’s blue eyes. She laid a gentle hand on the woman’s sleek arm.

"Of course I know that," the bard said to her friend’s penitent look. "It just seems so ... final. And so ... irreversible." She glanced quickly at the warrior’s clenched fists. "I’ll be OK," the girl said, returning the apologetic gaze. "Just be careful, all right? Don’t take any chances you don’t have to. That’s what I really want."

The golden face softened as the cobalt eyes traveled over the soft, young face. The warrior smiled quietly. "Yes, mother," she quipped, fixing the bard with a characteristic raised eyebrow. "Try not to worry, all right?" She covered the little hand with her own.

"Right. Like, ‘try not to breathe’, you mean?" the bard said seriously and the warrior’s throat tightened. "OK," the girl said haltingly. "I’ll try." The girl took a deep breath and closed her eyes tightly for a moment. "Well," she said eventually, "I guess I’d better get back to the hut. At least we’ll have the scrolls that were already found. Right?" The green eyes drifted back to the warrior’s steady glance. Gabrielle patted the slender hand covering hers.

"I’ll be OK. Just make sure you come back in the same shape, you understand?" The bard’s gaze was steady on the warrior’s piercing blues. "I mean it, Xena. Just do what you have to do and get back here ... in one piece." One little hand yanked insistently at the side of the warrior’s leather tunic. "Don’t stick around to teach this Phantaos any lessons, all right?" The sweet face gathered in a meaningful frown. "Just seal the cave and get your skinny butt back to me." The warrior blinked in surprise. "Understand?" Gabrielle said, giving the leathers another firm tug.

Xena found herself chortling in spite of the gravity blazing across the sweet face. She took the small hand grasping her leather bodice into one hand and touched the girl’s face softly with the other. "Yes, ma’am," she said into the earnest green gaze. "In and out, I promise." A warm smile crossed the tanned face. "I’ll be back before you know it."

The emerald pools glistened brightly, a sudden glaze of tears radiating from the girl’s fond glance. "Wanna bet?" she whispered quietly. After a moment, the bard pulled her hand from the warrior’s palm and straightened her shoulders, blinking hard to turn back her tears. She laid both hands flat on the table, stood up and took a step away from the wooden bench.

"Well, I’ll be at the hut. Let me know when you take off, OK? Just so ... so I’ll know when to expect you back." She smiled bravely at the warrior’s steady gaze. "Right?"

"Right," the tall woman answered softly, returning the little smile. "I won’t leave without telling you first."

Gabrielle took a quick breath, turned and walked briskly toward the front door of the tavern. The small hands were clenched tightly, the soft chin raised high in a courageous tilt. The girl marched through the door, keeping her pace bright until she heard the wooden panel thump closed behind her. A second later, the rust-colored boots stopped abruptly as the small form came to a complete halt. The bard closed her eyes tightly, swallowing furiously to combat the large lump constricting her throat.

"Please! Artemis, protect her," the little bard whispered fervently. "Bring her back safe. Please!" The little blonde opened her eyes and slowly resumed walking. "Just bring her back safe, that’s all I ask," the girl chanted quietly.

Gabrielle was so engrossed in her quiet prayer she didn’t see Musaeus’ advancing form until she had nearly bumped into him. The young man took her arms to prevent her from bouncing backwards as he stepped into her path. The little bard looked up surprised. After a moment, she recognized her male friend.

"Oh, I’m sorry, Musaeus," she told him. "Guess I wasn’t looking where I was going."

Musaeus studied the girl’s nervous face. He could tell the blonde was upset and he had a very good idea why. He released her arms and moved to her side, one arm resting easily at the back of her waist.

"You OK?" he asked, feigning concern. "You look like you’ve just met Hades’ green harpies. What’s wrong?"

Gabrielle sent the young man a thin smile as she began to walk toward the little hut again. "Oh, I was just listening to Xena tell the Elders about what she found in the cave. It seems there’s another room behind the one where you found the scrolls," the girl said, noticing the ‘surprised look’ travel over the young male face. "Yes, isn’t that something?" Musaeus met the green gaze skeptically.

"Another cave?" he asked tentatively. "With more scrolls, you mean?"

Gabrielle shook her head. "No. It’s filled with all kinds of weapons. All sorts of nasty things, Xena said. Things that could mean lots of pain and lots of people suffering." The bard continued toward the little hut.

Musaeus relaxed at the young blonde’s words. He was relieved that the warrior evidently hadn’t mentioned her suspicions of his involvement in the second cave, but he was still unsettled by the possibility of the woman’s further interference in his impending triumph. He pulled his arm from the girl’s waist and put a hand on her slender arm . "So, what’s Xena going to do?" he asked.

The little bard halted her progress and turned to face Musaeus’ curious face. She took a quick breath and met the brown eyes openly. "She’s going to seal it up ... seal the cave around the weapons, so that these men and others like him won’t be able to get to them." The girl winced slightly at the look of horror on the young man’s face. She put a small hand on his arm.

"Oh, I know, I was shocked when Xena first told me but, Musaeus, it’s really the only way, don’t you see?" The green gaze was sympathetic. "It’s the only sure way to keep this Phantaos and any other creeps from using the weapons to hurt people." Gabrielle studied the young man’s expression. She began to notice something else other than the regret of losing any future scrolls in the handsome face; she would later realize, what she saw there was venomous hate. "Musaeus?" the bard said, drawing the brown eyes back to her face. "What is it? Something else wrong?"

Musaeus’ face showed a stormy insistence as he took hold of the little bard’s arms. "She can’t!" he blurted firmly. "You have to tell her she can’t do that."

Gabrielle straightened her arms against the young man’s grip. "Musaeus!" she barked surprised. "Take it easy! Calm down!"

The young man released her, his eyes contrite and seemingly apologetic. "Sorry, I didn’t mean to ...." He patted the air with his outstretched palms. "Sorry. But you can’t let her seal the cave, Gabrielle. She’s going to ruin the whole thing. We’ll ... we’ll never be able to get to anything else that might be in that cave, if she does that." Musaeus’ mind was scrambling to provide a believable argument without exposing the true reasons for his concern. "Don’t you get it?? She’s going to ruin everything!"

Gabrielle saw the panic in the young man’s face. She pulled at the boy’s arm, speaking evenly, trying to calm the hysteria in the male face.

"Musaeus, she has to do it," the girl said firmly. The brown eyes floated down to the determined green pools. The little bard watched as the panic in the handsome face receded slowly to be replaced by a cool resolve. She remained convinced of the value of her friend’s plan.

"It’s a shame we’ll have to lose any scrolls that might be discovered in the future, but ..." Gabrielle tugged at the arm of her bard friend. "It has to be done. Try to understand, OK?"

The little blonde focused on the firm jaw of the tall, handsome young face in front of her. Her senses, also honed sharp by her winters at the warrior’s side, were whispering quiet warnings to her, but the sincerity of the girl’s spirit were directing her perceptions elsewhere. She saw only the young man’s worry; his blatant, primal rage unfortunately escaped her.

After a moment, Musaeus calmly extracted his arm from the little bard’s grasp. He focused at a vacant spot across the town square for a time, then turned a shielded glance down at the bard’s honest expression. He patted the little hand solicitously.

"Look, Gabrielle, it’ll all work out, I’m sure," he told her absently, his eyes empty of emotion. "But I’m afraid I won’t be able to continue our work this afternoon. I have something else to do." He set the girl away from him and turned toward the stable. "I’ll catch up with you later." He moved toward the stable with a determined stride. Gabrielle followed the retreating form, a heavy dose of confusion knitting the wheat-colored brows.

"Yeah, sure," she answered quietly, certain her voice hadn’t registered with the young man crossing the town square. She pulled her hands onto her hips and shook her head briskly. "It’s not like we have anything pressing to do here."

Gabrielle trained her eyes at the door of the Inn. Her thoughts settled briefly on the leather-clad warrior, whom she assumed was still awaiting the decision of the Council’s vote. For a moment, she found herself hoping the Elders would refuse their permission to let Xena fulfill her plan. It was not the preservation of the scrolls that completely influenced the bard’s fleeting wish; she had finally acknowledged the taut dread that had invaded her stomach when she thought about the likely danger to the warrior in the execution of her own plan. The bard gulped instinctively.

"Just be careful, Xena," the bard murmured to the vision of her friend. "Please be careful."

Gabrielle took a deep breath and opened the door to the little hut.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Musaeus jumped to the ground as the horse he’d ridden into the valley scraped to a halt. He threw the reins in the direction of the dark-clothed ruffian in front of him and scanned the camp for Phantaos. When he found him, the young man moved hurriedly in the brigand’s direction. The pitted face registered a slight annoyance when he recognized the young male face.

"Whatta you doin’ here?" he growled at the young face. "I thought you said it wasn’t a good idea for us ...."

"Xena’s going to seal up the cave," Musaeus blurted roughly. "Her little friend told me she plans to pull it down and bury the stuff, so that you and ‘others like you’ won’t be able to get to it. She knows you’re here, too. She saw you and some of your men going into the cave the other day."

Phantaos’ grisly face hardened in a grim mask. "Xena? She’s here?" He glared at the young man. "Why didn’t you warn us before now?"

"I didn’t think she’d be any problem. It seemed like she was glued to the blonde’s side at first." Musaeus’ face contorted in a disdainful smirk. "I figured she’d never leave the little broad long enough to discover anything."

The leering bandit in front of him didn’t seem appeased by his explanation. Musaeus swallowed nervously. "She might not do it after all. She still has to convince the Council that it’s a good idea and I don’t think they’re exactly all that much in favor of ...."

Phantaos grabbed the front of the young man’s tunic, pulling him roughly forward. The young bard grimaced at the stench of the man’s foul breath. "Well, you better make sure she doesn’t get their ‘approval’, you understand?" He shoved the boy back savagely. "If she collapses that cave, it’ll be the last thing she ever does." He glared harshly at the young bard.

"I’m sure as Hades not about to let the Warrior Princess ruin all my plans for the lovely profits I’m gonna make from the stash in that hole," the ruffian spat at the youngster. "Not to

mention how it would kick the dung out of your lovely plot, eh, Boy?" the man taunted the young man. "All that fame and glory, thrown right into the cow pile."

The young bard glared at the craggy face with open contempt. He righted his tunic and gathered himself up confidently. "Well, I can’t very well try to change her mind without making myself look suspicious, can I?" Musaeus’ clever mind began to function in its usual, cunning manner. He watched the robber’s lumbering form react to the value of his statement.

He decided to present his own suggestion.

"Why not just set a trap for her? If she does manage to get the Council to allow her to try this, you could take her out of your way for good. You’d really make people notice with a move like that, wouldn’t you?"

Phantaos’ eyes narrowed as an evil, vindictive smirk traveled over the dirty countenance. The brigand’s chest swelled pridefully as he considered the young man’s proposal. He let his eyes sweep over the camp, consulting his cohorts. A low, guttural chortle began to rumble from the big man’s mouth. It was soon transformed into a vicious, raging laugh. Phantaos threw back his filthy, matted head and roared in spiteful glee. He took a step toward the young bard, clapping a heavy hand onto the boy’s wincing shoulder.

"You might be right at that, Boy," the bully guffawed. "Yeah, I like that idea better." Another raucous laugh escaped the wide, muscled chest. He turned to the man holding Musaeus’ horse’s reins and waved the ruffian forward. The man advanced, handing Phantaos the leather strips.

"Get your carcass back to town," he told Musaeus, dropping the reins into the boy’s outstretched palm. "Just play innocent. In fact, you better stay clear of her all together." Phantaos threw a wicked smirk toward his second in command. "We’ll take care of the Warrior Princess, eh, Gawl?" he snickered. The other ragged thug returned the depraved grin as Musaeus climbed onto his horse. Phantaos’ dark gaze met the young man’s brown eyes.

"Keep your mouth shut, understand? Just wait quietly for the ‘sad news’." The ruffian slapped the horse’s rump and the animal bolted under the young bard. Musaeus rode away from the camp, the sound of Phantaos’ evil laughter still pounding in his ears.

~~~~~~~~~

At the last table in the tavern, Xena raised her eyes to meet Minerva’s sad gaze. The young woman noticed that the tall warrior’s attire now included the same metal armor she had seen the first day she and the bard had arrived. The redhead gulped fearfully, a heavy sense of dread tightening her stomach.

A wave of regret swept over the blue crystals as Xena noticed the tankard the woman set quietly before her. For a moment, the two women silently studied each other. Finally Minerva’s wavering voice broke the uncomfortable silence in the back of the room.

"Musaeus is involved in this somehow, isn’t he?" the young waitress said. Her eyes were steady on the warrior’s azure pools. "He has something to do with what you found in that cave, I can feel it."

"Minerva ..." the warrior began, her voice even. "I can’t prove that he is." Xena met the girl’s hazel gaze openly. She felt a strong reluctance at causing the pain she saw in the young worker’s eyes, however inadvertent it might be. The stoic face softened minutely. "There isn’t anything I can find that ties him to those weapons, for sure."

Minerva’s eyes left the warrior’s to focus on the heavy wooden tabletop. "No," she said quietly. "There never is with Musaeus. He’s always very careful about that." She met the blue eyes again. "But, I want you to know. I agree with your plan." The warrior’s dark eyebrow floated upward. The waitress smiled sardonically. "You hear everything from behind that bar," she quipped bitterly. "I wasn’t really eavesdropping, I just couldn’t help it." The little smile faded quickly. "You just do what needs to be done and I’ll worry about Musaeus," she told the warrior, her tone quiet and firm. She favored the bronze face with another fleeting smile, turned and walked away.

Xena’s jaw tensed rigidly as her gaze followed the girl’s proud back. ‘Always the loyal ones,’ she thought bitterly. ‘Why do they always feel the pain for the trash?’

The warrior’s acrid contemplation was immediately dispelled when the front door of the tavern opened to reveal Enoch’s tall form. He strode purposefully toward the warrior, arriving at the table quickly. She sensed from his expression that the time had come to put her plan in motion and she stood up to meet his advancing figure.

"The Council wasn’t very happy about it, but ..." his brown eyes met the warrior’s evenly. "They gave their consent. They’ll stand behind whatever plan you have." Xena drew a deep, steady breath. The sculpted jaw rippled as the blue eyes left the smithy’s momentarily, then returned his steady gaze. "What do you need? I’ll help in any way I can."

Xena sent the tradesman a grateful look. "Everything I need is already there," she told him. "It shouldn’t be too difficult. I just need to get out there and get it done." The smithy moved slightly to allow her to move past him. They moved together toward the tavern’s entrance. As she passed the bar, Xena met the young waitress’ nervous gaze. She paused long enough to send the girl a confident look, then continued her progress toward the front door.

Once in the street, she quickened her pace. The tall smithy walked beside her, easily matching his stride to hers. After a few steps, the warrior’s eyes were drawn to the little, private hut across the square ... and the small, blonde form standing in the doorway. Xena slowed her steps and swallowed against the sudden tightness in her throat.

"I’ll meet you at the stable," she said quietly to the smithy, her gaze still locked on the young woman walking towards her. Enoch looked quickly at the approaching bard, then back to the warrior’s pained expression.

"OK," he responded quietly, touching the woman’s sleek arm momentarily. He strode toward the barn as Xena altered her path toward her best friend.

"I’m leaving now," the tall woman said as the little bard’s eyes held hers. "The Council agreed to my plan." She clenched her fists to stop them from trembling.

"I figured they had," the bard said quietly, "since you’re wearing your armor." The warrior flinched inwardly at the fearful concern she saw in the deep, green pools. The two women exchanged a wordless stare, each pair of eyes locked desperately on those of the other. "Just be careful, OK?" the little blonde said finally. She took a deep breath and forced herself to smile bravely. "I’ll see you before dark, right?"

"Right," the warrior said evenly. She touched the girl’s shoulder and gently stroked a strand of the soft blonde hair. Then the tall, sleek frame straightened purposefully. She dropped her hand and gave her friend a confident smile. "See you then," she told the bard. She turned and strode briskly toward the stable.

‘Just remember your promise, Xena,’ the young blonde woman pleaded silently to her best friend’s back. ‘That’s all I ask.’ Gabrielle turned and walked back into the little hut.

When she arrived at the stable, Xena noticed that Argo stood patiently waiting for her. She took a moment to wordlessly thank the smithy for his foresight. The warrior’s grave expression pulled the smithy’s eyes to her face. He sensed her apprehension about the upcoming mission was only partly due to the men she expected to encounter. He waited until the blue eyes rose from the ground between them to meet his.

Finally, the liquid voice interrupted the stilted silence. "There is one thing you can do for me, if you would," she said to the smithy. She studied the warm, brown eyes closely.

"Name it," the man responded, his eyes on the woman’s bronze face. She swallowed quickly as she met the man’s gaze, an ardent plea clearly shining in the brilliant blue eyes.

Continued - Part 7

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