"Prolong the night, Goddess who sets us aflame!
Hold back from us the golden-sandalled dawn."
- Rene Vivien 1877-1909

Gabrielle walked into the room and looked at the bed and sighed.

"A bed!"

She couldn't remember the last time she and Xena had slept in a bed. Their constant travels had them sleeping on rocks, grass, dirt but mostly rocks, night after endless night. Not that she was complaining --the bard loved the open air and the starry sky. She loved their quiet times beside a camp fire and the tender conversations that helped to warm the chilly nights. She felt closer to Xena than any other person she had ever known, and Gabrielle knew that Xena had opened up to her more than she had to anyone else in the warrior's turbulent life. She wouldn't trade those nights under the stars for all the dinars in Athens.

However, here was a bed and tonight it was free and she wasn't about to turn down the opportunity. She sat down on the mattress without a second thought and, just as quickly, jumped back up to her feet.

"Owww!" she howled.

Her new belly button piercing pinched her mercilessly. Touching it tentatively it with a single finger, she noticed how red and irritated the tender skin appeared.

"Oooh!" She sucked in some air and tried to blow on it. Then she slowly attempted to sit on the bed, trying not to bend at the waist at all. Finding it impossible to sit without bending, Gabrielle let herself plop on her back onto the soft mattress. She sighed once more, enjoying how the mattress bounced softly and then slowly became still.

"Ahhhh!" Gabrielle chirped happily.

"Bellybutton hurt?" Xena said, watching her friend from the doorway with a grin.

Gabrielle popped her head up, but didn't try to move.

"Not at all," the bard lied and laid her head back down.

"Uh huh," Xena grunted, not believing a word. "Here. Let me have a look at it."

The tall warrior dropped down onto the bed next to Gabrielle, causing the mattress to bounce like a wave.

"Take it easy," Gabrielle complained. "Where have you been?"

Xena chuckled. "I've been discussing security arrangements for tomorrow with our Amazon friends. I'm glad they're here."

The warrior looked closely at the taut belly with appreciation and smirked. She noticed that Gabrielle was lying back with her eyes closed and took the opportunity to poke the tender skin right next to the navel.

"Owww!" The bard popped her head up and slapped Xena's hand away, "Take it easy, I said!"

"Doesn't hurt, huh?"

Xena stood from the bed and rifled through Gabrielle's amazon pouch, which had been laid carefully on a chair. She found what she was looking for and crossed over to a table. Taking a soft cloth and a pitcher of water, she wet the cloth and came back to the bed, dropping down once more upon the mattress.

Gabrielle glared at her with annoyance as the mattress bounced again.

Xena grinned and examined her abdomen carefully. She tenderly began to cleanse the bard's belly button and the skin surrounding it. Gabrielle sucked in a breath as the cold cloth touched her skin, and then relaxed a bit as the coolness began to soothe her discomfort.

"Hmmm, that feels better," she purred and closed her eyes.

Xena smiled down at her warmly. "You have to keep this clean, you know." The warrior's brow furrowed as she began to clean out the bard's navel. "What's this in here?"

Gabrielle popped her head up to see. "What's what?" She looked down her nose at her own belly button.

"Looks like nutbread crumbs to me!" Xena joked.

Gabrielle dropped her head back down with a laugh. Xena grinned and continued her ministrations. When she was satisfied that the area was clean, she took a dab of gel from the small jar she had removed from Gabrielle's pouch. Using her fingertip, she gently applied the salve to the ring and the area surrounding it. Xena smiled as her fingertip touched the bard's soft skin, and traced the contours of flesh in small circles around her navel. She spread the gel lovingly, taking the opportunity to watch Gabrielle's face as her fingertip ran along her stomach. The bard was hypnotized.

Xena's eyes became fixed on Gabrielle's face. She watched as the bard's mouth curved upward into a slight smile and part to allow her tongue to moisten suddenly dry lips.

The warrior's heart stopped beating, and she quickly drew her fingertip away, realizing with a start that she had been enjoying herself way too much. She jumped up from the bed and turned her back to hide the blush that was already tinting her cheeks.

"You should clean that and apply the gel at least twice a day," Xena advised stiffly, and then headed for the door. "I'm going to check on the guards. I'll be right back." With that, Xena left the room.

Gabrielle popped her head up from the bed, and slapped the mattress with the palm of her hand.

"Sweet Aphrodite," she whispered and let her head drop back down to the mattress in frustration.

Xena let the door close behind her and then fanned her already heated face.

"Sweet Aphrodite," Xena whispered hoarsely and shook her head to clear it. She headed down the stairs in angry frustration.

Sappho poked her head out of her room just in time to see Xena leave and fan her face. She heard the whispered curse and watched the warrior's tormented exit with amusement. The poet placed her palm against her cheek, and shook her head in wonder.

"They're going to drive each other crazy," she commented to herself, and then grinned wickedly. "Aahh, but what sweet torture."

Waiting until Xena disappeared down the stairs, she tiptoed out of her room and quietly opened the door to Gabrielle's.

The bard was still lying on the bed with her eyes closed. Gabrielle heard the door open and assumed it was Xena.

"That felt so good. Why did you stop?"

"I have no idea. If it was me, I certainly wouldn't have," Sappho answered with a chuckle and entered the bedroom.

Gabrielle's head popped up again in surprise. A deep blush colored her cheeks.

"Sappho. I thought you were Xena."

"Obviously."

"She was ... er ... rubbing my belly ... er ... I mean, putting salve on my ... ring," the bard stammered, suddenly at a loss for the words to explain.

"Is that all?" the poet queried surprised..

"Yes," Gabrielle insisted, jumping up from the bed indignantly. "You know, Sappho, Xena and I are not lovers. We are just ... "

"I know ... I know." Sappho put up her hands in defense. "You are just good friends."

"Right," Gabrielle agreed with a nod.

"So I see," the poet commented cryptically.

"Xena doesn't think of me in that way.

"She doesn't?"

"No," Gabrielle insisted.

Sappho moved closer to the bard, causing Gabrielle to take a step back uncomfortably.

"Gabrielle, do you know the difference between good friends and lovers?" she asked staring directly into the bard's soft green eyes.

Gabrielle shrugged, embarrassed to answer the question, but somehow finding the courage anyway.

"Sex?" she answered meekly.

The poet took Gabrielle by the chin and shook her head in the negative.

"No," she said and grinned. Gabrielle waited for the answer.

"Desire."

Sappho released Gabrielle's chin and walked away, allowing the bard to ponder the difference for a moment. She whirled around smiling, suddenly changing the subject.

"Are you hungry?" Sappho asked.

"Starving," Gabrielle answered, happy to change the subject. The mention of food could always bring a smile to her lips.

Sappho clapped her hands. "I thought so!"

She turned and opened the door to the room. "Come on in!" she yelled into the hallway.

In paraded Laci, followed by Cleo, Alecto and Meager. Then came Erato, Polyhmnia, Urania, and Thalia. Not to mention Calliope, Eutrepe, and Clio. Followed closely by Melpomene and Terspichore. They were all carrying either plates of food or pitchers and glasses of ale.

"Let the games begin!" Sappho announced with a flourish.

Gabrielle gulped. Xena was not going to like this one bit. They filled up their room, placing the trays and pitchers wherever they could and sitting in any open spot available. They were obviously settling in for the evening.

Sappho sat in the only chair and crossed her legs.

"We were hoping you would tell us another part of the story," she said, explaining the sudden intrusion. "Actually, I was hoping to bribe you into telling us." She motioned to the plates of food and grinned.

Gabrielle bit her lip, torn between what she knew Xena's reaction would be to finding the entire troupe in their room, and the offer of limitless food. She regarded Sappho with narrowed eyes. The poet's dark hair hung wildly down around her shoulders in braids and wisps of loose strands. Her steel eyes sparkled with mischief, and her disarming smile conspired to make the poet absolutely irresistible. She could talk Echidna into selling her children. Add to this the wonderful smell of freshly cooked chicken and vegetables, and Gabrielle was conquered.

"Food will get you anywhere," Gabrielle answered Sappho with a laugh.

"I thought as much," the Tenth Muse smiled in return and handed Gabrielle a plate of chicken and wild rice. The bard licked her lips and accepted the bribe.

Xena headed back into the tavern after making yet another inspection of the newly erected stage and speaking one more time with one of the Amazon guards regarding security arrangements for tomorrow's performance.

The Amazon girl thought that the warlord was overdoing it a bit, having just gone over the very same arrangements with her a few minutes earlier. She wondered what prompted the beautiful warrior to come out of the tavern to talk with her again, and hoped perhaps it was something more than business. Xena, however, had simply reiterated her instructions and then mysteriously took a brisk walk around the block. When the warrior returned, it appeared as though she had dunked her head in a barrel of water, for her hair was dripping wet.

The Amazon girl shrugged her shoulders at another sister, and watched as Xena shook the water from her hair and walked back into the tavern. Whatever had heated her up, she seemed to be cooled off now. The Amazons snickered knowingly to one another as an obviously wet Warrior Princess marched by.

Xena walked slowly up the stairs, reluctant to go back into the room. She was getting entirely too distracted and not doing a very good job of protecting Sappho from her assassin. Silent, she berated herself for not concentrating on finding the killer.

She looked at the main dining room of the tavern. It was empty. Samthus made it a habit of renting an entire tavern wherever they went for however long they were there. He paid the owners enough to compensate for the lack of business. There would be no patrons other than the troupe in the inn for the remainder of their stay. It was good planning, and good for the warrior. She would sleep down in the dining room tonight and let Gabrielle have a good night's sleep in the bed. Maybe then she would be able to think clearly. Now all she had to do was tell her friend of her plan. She expected Gabrielle was not going to like it one bit.

The sound of flute and drums filled the second story of the tavern. The troupe had already started the evening's party. As Xena approached the top of the stairs, she paused briefly to look into Sappho's room. It was empty.

Xena cursed under her breath as she realized the sounds of the festivities were coming from her own room. She thought briefly of walking in and throwing them all out, but changed her mind. This would make everything easier for her. Gabrielle could keep her eye on Sappho, and she could guard the door to the tavern downstairs and get a chance to think. She wiped her wet hair from her forehead and smiled. Let her have a good time, the warrior thought to herself. She was about to leave, when she heard her friend's bardic voice fill the room.

"Now where was I?" Gabrielle asked the room.

Xena quickly pulled a stool out from Sappho's room and sat in the shadows of the hallway. Gabrielle was going to continue her story and he did not want to miss it. Tipping the stool back, the warrior leaned against the wall and stretched her long legs to the wall on other side of the corridor.

"The wolf let the mole live," Sappho said, "to search for his love, the owl."

"Right," Gabrielle pointed to the poet and smiled. "Now let's see." She tapped her chin and waited for the room to settle down.

Outside in the hall, Xena tipped her head back and laid her sword across her lap. She could hear everything through the wall. She closed her eyes and smiled. Her wet hair dripped a small puddle onto the wooden floor.

Aah yes, but now the mole had to cross the river to continue his journey and the search for his love. He fixed his gaze on the far shore. He had never been on that side of the wood. How it mesmerized him now, the stony bank sparkled, the dark trees whispered, and the gentle wind leaned on his back. How would he cross the river?

He foraged for a log, but the ground was smooth, layered only with leaves and sticks. He was ready to try jumping, when he caught sight of a tortoise basking in the sun. The mole crept quietly closer, knelt down and peered inside. The tortoise lay deep asleep, lost in his dreams. The mole rolled the tortoise onto his shell and pushed him towards the river.

The tortoise woke to find himself gazing at branches and blue sky. He withdrew into the home which was his shell, it being the only place he had ever known. After a while, curiosity got the better of the tortoise, and he extended his chapped face to find he was being pushed by another; he was being pushed along by a mole.

'You realize,' the tortoise said calmly, 'It will take me all day to crawl back to where I was.'

'Sorry' shrugged the mole, 'but I'm desperate and manners must go by the board.'

'A desperate mole?' the tortoise mused, pulling indoors. His view paused for a moment and settled on the water.

'You wish me to swim you across the river?' the tortoise asked, suddenly understanding the mole's intentions.

The mole nodded and rolled the tortoise over, then climbed onto his back.

'You might have asked' the tortoise sighed. Yet he felt a quiet awakening inside him, an ancient hibernation disturbed by an unexpected spring. Curiosity, which was not in his nature, found its way into the tortoise's heart. And so he pushed forth stiff legs and stood. The mole closed his eyes at the movement in fear and hoped for the best. After what seemed like a lifetime, the mole no longer felt the motion of the tortoise.

'You're across the river,' the tortoise said quietly.

'Are you sure?' the mole asked, opening his squinted eyes, 'Well, so I am. And so are you!'

'We are both across the river, for the first time.'

'It's only a first for my feet' The mole said, 'The rest of me has stood here for years.'

The tortoise shook his head, 'I admire your courage. But why were you desperate to cross this river? No mole has ever left the wood, and for good reason.'

The mole thought for a moment, remembering the words of the wolf.

'I'm not a mole.' The mole answered.

'Oh? What are you then?'

The mole pondered the question, eyes fixed on the horizon. 'I don't know anymore.' he said at last.

'Ah' sighed the tortoise, who thought he had reasoned the mole's purpose, 'Then you're leaving to find yourself.'

'No,' the mole answered, walking away, 'To find someone else.'

The mole moved down the long slope, parted tall grasses that stood high above his head, paused for a moment to wave at the tortoise, then disappeared into the field.

The tortoise watched a trembling path of sheaves move crookedly toward the horizon.

'We all need someone to help us from our shell,' the tortoise whispered as he watched the mole disappear into the wide world beyond.

Gabrielle paused to observe Sappho's expression. The poet had closed her eyes, silently envisioning the story as it was being told. She opened them slowly, suddenly realizing that Gabrielle had stopped speaking. The room was silent.

Outside, Xena's eyes were also closed. She, too had been picturing the tortoise watching the mole in wonder as he disappeared into the tall grass. Gabrielle had a way of making everything so clear. The warrior smiled and wished she had gone into the room, so she could look into her friend's eyes. Xena sighed and stood from the stool, deciding instead to go down to the dining room and get to work.

"No more?" Sappho said sadly, like a little girl who did not yet want to go to bed.

"Tomorrow," Gabrielle promised. "I'm tired. I want to get some sleep tonight."

"Sleep?" Sappho protested, jumping up from the chair, "Sleep? There's plenty of time to sleep when you die!"

"Uuggh!" Gabrielle grunted and fell back onto the bed. "Don't you ever stop?"

"Never!" Sappho said, grabbing a goblet and holding it in the air.

"I know ... I know," Gabrielle said, already feeling the headache she was going to have tomorrow, "here's to dessert."

Sappho smiled in agreement and drank.

"Let's sing!" Laci suggested to the room.

"Where's my lyre?" Sappho asked, suddenly concerned with its whereabouts.

"You are always losing your lyre," Gabrielle commented.

"Someone always finds it for me." Sappho laughed, pulling Gabrielle up from the bed and sending her out the door.

"All right, all right, I'll get it. Where is it?"

"It's in my room."

"Right. Your room. Of course." Gabrielle left the party in her own room to fetch the lyre.

Xena sat at a table and ran her hands through damp hair. It was dark and quiet, the only sound filling the room was the muffled music coming from the rooms above. She was tired. The warrior took her sword out of its sheath and removed the whetstone from its pocket.

Gabrielle smiled as she heard the sound of a sword being sharpened. She tiptoed quickly down the stairs and into the dining room with a papyrus roll and Sappho's lyre in her arms.

"Xena," the bard whispered to her friend across the room. Xena looked up and smiled.

"Where have you been? What are you doing?" Gabrielle asked, crossing the room to sit in a chair beside the warrior.

"Thinking."

The bard noticed that Xena's hair was damp. "Your hair is wet. You'll catch a cold."

"It's almost dry." The warrior shrugged. "It was dirty."

Gabrielle smiled, thinking of the stool and the puddle of water she found outside of their room.

"Why didn't you come in?" she asked, watching the warrior sharpen her sword.

"Too crowded."

Gabrielle caught Xena's eyes in her own, "Why did you leave in the first place?"

Xena stopped her strokes and changed the subject.

"What've you got there?" She pointed to the roll of papyrus with her whetstone.

"Oh, right. I came down here to show you this." Gabrielle put down the lyre and laid the roll on the table. She took a rolled up scroll out of her skirt top. "This is the threatening note that was attached to that arrow yesterday."

Xena took the scroll from her hand and nodded.

"Look at this roll of papyrus and look at the note."

Xena compared the two in the candle light and drew a breath.

"This note came from this roll?"

"Exactly. No two rolls of papyrus are alike. Slightly different shade. Slightly different wood fragments. That note came from that roll."

Xena nodded in understanding. "Where did this roll come from, Gabrielle?"

"It's Sappho's. It came from her scroll bag. I noticed it when I went in her room to get her lyre for her."

Gabrielle moved closer to the warrior and placed her hands on her arm. A worried look crossed her features. "What does it mean, Xena? Is Sappho writing these horrible notes to herself?"

Xena thought of that interesting possibility, but shook her head in the negative, examining the note against the roll of papyrus a little more closely.

"No. I don't think so. But what it does mean makes me just as worried."

"What?"

"It means that whoever is threatening Sappho, is close enough to her to be able to get hold of this papyrus."

"You mean it's one of us?"

Xena nodded slowly.

"The bastard's probably up in our room right now." Xena slammed the scroll down on the table in anger. She had assumed that the assassin was someone following the troupe. Someone from the outside. She should have thought of the possibility that the assassin might be someone within their ranks before this.

"Good work, Gabrielle." Xena placed her hand over her friend's and squeezed. "Good work."

A change in the air of the room caused both of them to turn their heads toward the stairs.

"What is that smell?" Gabrielle asked, crinkling her nose up in disgust.

"FIRE!" Xena shouted and jumped up from her chair.

A single plume of smoke drifted down the stairwell and into the dining room.

Xena grabbed Gabrielle, lifting her out of her seat and pushed her toward the door. "Get out of here and get some help!"

Gabrielle resisted for a moment, wanting to stay with Xena, but the warrior was adamant.

"Get help!" Xena urged and pushed her toward the door.

The bard realized that one of them had to get help, and it was probably going to be her. She picked up Sappho's lyre and papyrus. "Be careful, Xena!" she yelled and watched worriedly as Xena took the stairs two at a time, heading into the smoke. Gabrielle turned and ran off to find help.

By the time Xena made it to the top of the stairs, the hallway was filled with smoke. Shielding her face from the flames that spilling from Sappho's room into the hallway, she attempted to reach the door handle and close the door. The heat was already too intense. She went to the next room and kicked the door open.

The door flew in, interrupting the merriment. Sappho was about to complain when she saw the amount of smoke that entered in behind the warrior's tall body.

"Fire!" Xena shouted. "Get out of here!"

Sappho watched in amazement as Xena tore the door from it's hinges and used it to block the flames threatening to engulf their exit down the stairway. She held the flames back with the door and waited for them to pass. Sappho shuffled the troupe out of the room as quickly as she could. The poet hesitated, looking around the room, and spotted her own bag of scrolls and Gabrielle's amazon pouch.

"Hurry!" Xena grimaced as the door began to heat up, threatening to burst into flames in her arms. Sappho nodded and ran past Xena with her arms full.

The warrior could no longer hold onto the door and was forced to drop it into the fire, which had now spread well into the hallway. The sudden rush of air forced Xena to back away from the flames and into their room. She was now trapped inside.

"Get out of here!" she yelled to Sappho, who was watching in horror from the stairwell. The poet scampered down the stairs and into the street to get help.

Gabrielle had successfully summoned the owner of the tavern, who was running over with buckets of water. The town's fire alarm had sounded, and many people were rushing to the building to help. A line was forming from the well to the inn, and the fire fight was on.

Gabrielle glanced through the crowd nervously looking for Xena. She grabbed Sappho when she saw her.

"Where's Xena?" the bard yelled in panic.

"Gabrielle, she's still up in the room," the poet answered with worry etched all over her face.

The bard looked up at the rooms overhead. The shutters on the window to the right had already been burned away and flames where licking upward out of the window to the thatched roof above. The room on the left still had its shutters, but smoke was billowing from its corners. The room had to be in flames inside and the roof was threatening to collapse at any moment.

Gabrielle looked up in horror. "Xena! Xena!"

She started to run back into the tavern, but Sappho grabbed her and held her tight. The bard fought with all of her strength, until Sappho could hold her no more. She broke free and was about to run into the flames when a chair broke through the wooden shutters of the window above.

The shutters and the chair crashed onto the dirt and shattered into splintered pieces. Gabrielle could see Xena looking out from the window above. She could also see the flames advancing behind her.

"XENA!"

Xena took a quick look out of the window and saw what she was looking for. There was a wagon filled with straw right below the window. Gabrielle watched as her friend disappeared from view.

"NO!"

They heard Xena before they saw her next.

"AIYAIYAIYAI!!!"

Xena came catapulting through the window headfirst. She dove toward the wagon, flipping over in mid air and landing with a heavy thud, squarely on her back in the wagon. Pieces of straw flew into the air and floated on the breeze at the impact. And then there was silence.

Sappho looked at Gabrielle. They both heard Xena groan and ran over to the wagon. Gabrielle jumped in first and knelt beside the warrior who was lying flat on her back, covered in straw. The fall had knocked the wind out of her momentarily.

"Ugh! That's was harder than I thought it would be," Xena groaned.

"Nice dive," Sappho commented from the rear of the wagon. "Well executed."

"Are you all right?" Gabrielle asked, afraid to move her for fear of injury.

"I don't know." The warrior eyes suddenly bulged. "Gabrielle!" she whispered hoarsely.

"What's wrong!" Gabrielle placed her hands on either side of her friend's face in worry.

"I think I fell on a pitchfork!"

"By the gods, Xena! Don't move!" Gabrielle grabbed the warrior's shoulders and rolled her over carefully. Sure enough there was a pitchfork, just barely buried in her tunic. The newly repaired leather had protected her well; the pitchfork had not penetrated her skin at all. Gabrielle glanced at Sappho and smiled. She pulled the pitchfork out of the leather and threw it over the side of the wagon. Sappho watched it clank to the ground and then looked at Xena's back.

"Hey, we just fixed that leather. Now you have holes in it again."

Xena sat up and spit some straw from her mouth. She smiled at Gabrielle, who was still looking worriedly at the warrior for signs of injury.

"It smells like a cow in here," Xena said waving her hand by her nose. "I didn't land on anything else, did I?" She lifted her rump to check underneath.

Gabrielle threw her arms around Xena's neck, hugging her in sudden relief. The warrior hugged her back in return. "I'm fine," she confirmed, softly pushing the worried bard away from her. When she looked at Gabrielle, she saw that black soot from her own face had found its way onto Gabrielle's cheek.

Xena tried to rub the black from Gabrielle's face with her thumb, but her hand was also covered in soot.

"OOPS! I think I made it worse," Xena grinned. Gabrielle laughed and rubbed it with her own hand, inspecting the dirt.

"Now we'll both need a bath," Gabrielle said, standing and offering Xena a hand. Xena took it and smiled, standing over her friend in the back of the wagon.

A rumbling noise caused all to turn around. The thatched roof was ablaze and crashing in on the tavern.

"We better move back," Xena warned and jumped from the wagon. She helped Gabrielle down, and moved both the bard and Sappho to a safe distance. They watched in silence as the fire turned first the tavern and then the stage into a pillar of angry flames."

"Because you do not share in the roses
which are the Muses' gift,
You will be unnoticed and wander about
even in the house of Hades,
spreading your wings among the insubstantial ghosts"
- Sappho, circa 625 B.C.

City guards surrounded the line of wagons, straining to keep the crowds at bay. The atmosphere in the village center was a mix of anger and disappointment at the cancellation of Sappho's performance. Most, however, were really surrounding the charred remains of the tavern and stage just to get a glimpse of the famous poet. Then there were those who were more anxious for a look at the Warrior Princess of Calmi, the Destroyer of Nations, interested in seeing if the infamous warlord was as fierce as she had been described in countless bardic tales. She did not disappoint.

Xena was covered from head to foot in black soot and dirt, having spent the entire night fighting to keep the blaze from destroying the entire village. After that, the Warrior Princess spent the morning digging through the rubble trying to find some clue as to the fire's origin. Her mood was foul.

The fire had destroyed everything in its wake, leaving nothing behind but cinder and ash, most of which had found its way onto the warrior's newly cleaned leathers. The only thing left shining on the ex-warlord were her angry steel eyes. She stood by Argo at attention, staring coldly at the soldiers and the crowd. Covered in black, with angry eyes blazing, she looked every bit a creature sent directly from Tartarus. It was not an image many of the audience would forget easily.

Gabrielle grunted as she walked up, seeing the crowd stare in awe at the dark, frightening creature who was guarding the troupe from the onlookers. The city guards were probably not necessary at all. Xena was scary enough to frighten the Furies away. Gabrielle chuckled. Xena had many skills, and intimidation was one of her favorites.

She stood beside her friend, with her amazon staff in her hand, attempting to act as reinforcement. Xena glanced down but did not smile.

"Having fun?" Gabrielle whispered through the side of her mouth.

"Do I look like I'm having fun?" Xena asked, not amused.

"You *look* like a creature from Tartarus. You're scaring the children, Xena." Gabrielle's head motioned toward a small group of young children who were staring at the warrior with wide eyes. Xena looked at Gabrielle and followed her eyes to the toddlers huddled against the knees of their parents. The warrior smiled at the children -- the flash of her white teeth made them scream and hide their heads.

Xena chuckled, mostly at herself.

"I guess I'm a pretty scary sight." She looked down at her armor and groaned. "What a mess!"

Gabrielle hooked her arm around Xena's and gave it a tug. "C'mon. We're almost ready to leave. The guards are doing fine. Let's at least get your face washed."

Gabrielle smiled up and watched Xena's mood soften.

"Is my face that dirty?"

"It's that dirty."

"All right. If you insist."

Xena allowed the bard to pull her along. The crowd watched in amazement as the small, pretty blonde walked away, arm in arm, with the tall, dark creature from Tartarus.

They stopped at the rear of one of the wagons. There was a bucket of water, soap and a few rags waiting for Xena in the back. Xena smiled at Gabrielle, who laughed at the sight of her white teeth against her black face.

"Wash!" Gabrielle pointed to the bucket.

"Thanks." Xena replied sincerely, and splashed her face with the cold water.

"Did you find anything?" Gabrielle queried as Xena washed her face with soap.

"Not a thing." Xena answered in between rinsings. "Everything was destroyed." Rinse. "I know it started in the room next to ours, though." Rinse.

"That was Sappho's room," Gabrielle commented.

"I know." Suddenly Xena grimaced. "Oww!"

Gabrielle grabbed her arm. "Are you hurt?"

"No, just soap in my eyes." Xena's hand fumbled around for the rags. Gabrielle grabbed one and handed it to her. "Thanks. What happened at the meeting?" Xena asked, wiping the soap from her eyes.

"The Village Council said 'no show'."

"I figured as much," Xena commented, wiping her face thoroughly with the rag.

"They said the fire was a message from the Gods. A warning to the village that Sappho should not play. Can you believe it?"

"Why would they think that?" Xena asked, looking at the black soot on the rag. "Is my face clean?"

"Nope, still dirty. Wash again."

Xena scrubbed again.

"They think the Gods are angry at Sappho for not honoring them in her songs," Gabrielle explained. "They believe the Gods will punish any village that allows Sappho to play."

Xena rubbed her face with another clean rag. "Clean now?"

Gabrielle smiled. "Beautiful!"

Xena smiled back. "What about all the other places she's played? Those villages didn't feel the wrath of any of the Gods."

"That's what Sappho said, but they didn't care. You should have heard her. She made this incredible speech to the Council. 'The Gods may command from the heavens above, but love rules over us all!' she said to them. It was so beautiful. And they were appalled that she should say such a thing. They told her to be quiet before Athena heard her and punished them all. Then you know what she said?"

Xena dipped her dirty hands into the cool, refreshing water and washed. "No, what did she say?"

Gabrielle's crooked grin made Xena's eyes sparkle. "She said, 'Since you do not share in the roses, which are the Muses' gift, you will go unnoticed and wander about, even in the house of Hades, spreading your wings among insubstantial ghosts.'" Gabrielle's eyes twinkled with wonder. "Since you do not share in the roses ... how does she come up with this stuff? Incredible! And they didn't understand a word of it. They still refused to let her play. They said if she tried, they would arrest her and throw her in jail."

"Is Sappho upset?" Xena asked, drying her hands with the last towel.

"Very," Gabrielle said simply. "She's already started to drink."

Xena paused and looked at the bard. That means trouble, the warrior thought to herself. Gabrielle read her mind and nodded.

Xena threw the last rag down and looked at her armor. The normally clean bronze of her breastplate was covered in soot. She could only sigh.

"What you need to do is just jump in a lake, armor and all!" Gabrielle chuckled.

Xena raised an eyebrow. "Are you telling me I should go jump in a lake?"

They both laughed.

"Well, you'll be happy to know that there is a great camping spot between here and Arkarna. There's a beautiful lake and lots of fish," Xena informed Gabrielle.

"Great. I gather we'll be stopping there tonight?"

Xena nodded. "The faster we leave here, the quicker we can get there."

"I'll tell Sappho. Maybe it will lift her spirits."

Xena laughed. "I don't think we need Sappho lifting any more spirits."

"You're right about that!" Gabrielle said with a smile. "I'll go tell her anyway. Oh, and Xena ..."

"What?" Xena asked, smiling down at her friend.

"You missed a spot." Gabrielle pointed to Xena's breastplate. When the warrior looked down, Gabrielle swiped her finger up along the armor and flicked Xena's nose with her finger. It left a black smudge. The bard ran away with a happy chuckle.

Xena looked in the wagon for a clean rag, but there were none left.

"I'll get you for that!" she yelled at her friend as the bard scooted away in search of Sappho. The warrior wiped her nose with the back of her hand and chuckled, realizing she was no longer in a bad mood.

Sappho, on the other hand, was in a very foul mood, and it was growing worse with every sip from the wine skin. She sat in the back of the wagon, with her back to the crowd, staring at the charred remains of her stage. She took a long swallow of wine and let it burn down the back of her throat. The poet closed her eyes as a slight breeze caressed her cheek. If she drank enough, maybe she could pretend that the caress was other than the breeze; that the scent was not cindered wood, but fire on a beach and the crowd's milling voices were seagulls calling to the sea. If she drank enough, maybe she could feel her lover sitting down next to the fire and taking her hand; and if she started to sing, maybe she would hear their voices harmonizing together, just as it used to be.

The long journey was almost over and the stage had been burned to the ground. There was no place else to sing. Was the reason gone as well? The poet took another sip of wine and opened her eyes to find Gabrielle watching her closely.

"Are you all right?"

"Gabrielle," the poet whispered sadly. "Where is my tortoise? I need to climb on his shell for I cannot cross this river alone."

Gabrielle took her hand and slowly removed the wine skin from her lap. "Your tortoise is right here," she answered the poet with a smile. "Climb on board. I'll be happy to help you cross that river."

Sappho glanced briefly over Gabrielle's shoulder at Xena who was walking toward them, trying to wipe a smudge of soot from her nose.

"Well, here comes the wolf," Sappho whispered.

Gabrielle grinned knowing without looking that Sappho was referring to Xena, "The wolf will protect us both."

Sappho watched the warrior and then touched the bard's cheek. "You have such faith, Gabrielle. It shines so brightly, all around you." The poet dropped her hand and leaned her head against the side of the wagon.

"Why don't you lie down and get some sleep. We'll be leaving here. Xena says there's a beautiful lake where we'll be camping tonight."

"Really? Then let's get out of here. There is nothing here after all."

Samthus walked up behind Gabrielle and shook his head as Sappho seemed to fall off into a drunken sleep.

"Where's the warrior?"

"Right here." Xena said from behind Samthus. He climbed into the front of the wagon and took the reigns. "Let's get moving."

Xena nodded and climbed onto Argo. She lent a hand down to Gabrielle and pulled her up into the saddle.

"You're going to get dirty from my leathers. Sure you don't want your own horse?" Xena said, as Gabrielle wrapped her arms around the warrior's waist.

Gabrielle moaned at the question and ignored the black soot that was rubbing off onto her forearms.

"I like it back here just fine, thanks anyway." She leaned close against Xena, not caring if her top got dirty, but vowed to keep her face away from the armor this time.

Xena clicked at Argo, and led the procession out of town.

They were making good time out of Kapandrition. There were a few less wagons due to the fact that the stage had been destroyed. Samthus sold off the unneeded carts and horses, giving the proceeds, and then some, to the tavern owner. The man greatly appreciated the gesture.

They wound their way out of town, up and over a small hill pass and into the woods, following a well traveled road that would lead them to Arkarna. With one overnight camp along the way, at the lake, they would arrive in the city of the end of the day tomorrow.

Gabrielle hummed as she walked. She had gotten down from Argo as soon as they were out of the village, far preferring to walk than ride. Xena had laughed at the black spots on her arms and chest, but she was able to rub the soot off for the most part.

Gabrielle looked up at Xena with a sly grin.

"Why don't bears wear boots and socks?"

The question took Xena by surprise. "What?"

"Why don't bears wear boots and socks?" Gabrielle repeated impatiently.

Xena looked at her as though she were crazy. "Because they're animals!"

Gabrielle sighed at the warrior's answer. "Why don't bears wear boots and socks?"

Xena suddenly realized that Gabrielle was going to tell a joke. "Oh. I get it. I don't know. Why don't bears wear boots and socks?" she repeated.

Gabrielle grinned and nodded, satisfied. "Because they like to walk around in bear feet!"

Xena rolled her eyes and looked away.

"What do you call a mean tempered horse?"

Xena looked back down at her friend. "I don't know. What do you call a mean tempered horse?"

"A nightmare!"

Xena shook her head and chuckled. "Don't listen, Argo," she said, patting the mare's neck.

"What do you call a chicken crossing the road?"

"Gabrielle! Must you?"

"What do you call a chicken crossing the road?" Gabrielle repeated crossly.

"I don't know!" Xena yelled.

"Poultry in motion."

Xena moaned, but chuckled anyway. "Gabrielle, please stop."

"Here's one you should get." Gabrielle looked up at Xena. Xena stared back at her doing her best mock imitation of the great Warrior Princess 'you better not or I'll chop your head off' look.

Gabrielle was not impressed. "What sounds better the more you beat it?"

"Gabrielle, please!"

"Come on, Warrior Princess, what sounds better the more you beat it?"

"You! If you don't stop telling me these bad jokes!"

"Ok! Fine then! If you don't appreciate my jokes, I'll go tell them to Sappho. She'll like them!"

"You do that!"

"Fine then! I'll just do that!" Gabrielle flipped her hair at the Warrior Princess, leaving Xena chuckling to herself atop Argo. She stomped off in mock anger towards Sappho's wagon. Smiling at Samthus, she walked around to the back of the cart, and prepared herself for the jump in. The back was empty. The bard had a bad feeling about this.

"Ah, Xena!" Gabrielle yelled.

Xena didn't hear her. She yelled a little louder.

"Xena!"

Xena turned in her saddle and raised her eyebrows at the bard.

"I think we forgot to pack something." Gabrielle pointed to the back of Sappho's wagon.

"What?" Xena asked, her eyebrows knotting together.

"Sapph.!"

"What are you saying? This better not be another bad joke, Gabrielle."

"I'm not kidding. Sappho's gone."

Samthus whirled around and looked. Xena brought Argo to a halt. The procession came to a slow stop.

"Oh for the love of Zeus." Xena pulled on Argo's reins, bringing the horse around to the side of the wagon where Sappho should have been sleeping.

"She's gone," Gabrielle stated.

Xena stared at the empty cart. Then she looked at Samthus. He shrugged his shoulders. Xena rode Argo up and down the line of wagons, looking for the poet. She came back and stared at Samthus.

"Where did she go?"

"How should I know?"

"Kapandrition," Gabrielle stated.

"Knowing her. Probably," Samthus agreed.

Xena looked at Gabrielle with a question in her eyes.

"To sing," Samthus answered. "She's the most stubborn person in the known world."

"Xena," Gabrielle ran to her friend worriedly, "they'll arrest her."

Xena's lips tightened and her eyes flashed. "When I get a hold of her ... she'll wish she had been arrested. Stay here, Gabrielle! I'll be right back."

Xena kicked Argo and the horse broke off into an instant gallop; the hooves kicked dirt into Gabrielle's and Samthus' faces.

"Wait, Xena," Gabrielle yelled, ducking the flying dirt and very mad at being left behind once more. She watched Xena disappear down the road back to the village and hit the side of the wagon with her staff.

"I hate when she does that!"

Samthus wiped the dirt from his face and nodded in sympathy.

Xena flew down the trail that led back to Kapandrition. She was angry, but it felt good to run with Argo. She leaned farther into the gallop and urged her horse to go faster, enjoying the wind as it rushed through her hair.

"Yah!" the warrior yelled, exhilarated by the speed.

She might be enjoying the ride, but she was going to give Sappho a good spanking when she caught up with her anyway.

She brought Argo to an abrupt halt at the ridge over the town. The view told the entire story. Sappho was back there all right, and her unscheduled performance was about to begin. A large crowd was gathering in front of a Temple to Athena, and so were the city's guards.

"She would pick a temple." Xena pulled on her reins and she guided Argo down the hill.

It was a grand Temple to Athena. A large staircase led up to an ornate door and was bordered by rows of large marble urns on either side. Corinthian columns supported the marble roof, surrounding the entire temple at even intervals. On the roof, two statues of Athena stared with a regal air down upon the city's center, one statue on each corner. And in the middle of the statues, one small poet sat holding a very big lyre, her feet dangling over the edge toward the ground.

She looked down at the scene below and laughed in amusement. The guards were so busy trying to keep the crowd from stampeding the temple, they did not have time to deal with the poet. She would get her chance to sing - at least one song -- and that was all she needed. She stood up and was about to start, when she noticed Xena riding Argo into the center of the village, and working her way through the crowd to the temple.

"Its now or never," the great poet said to herself and stood. A hush came over the crowd.

"Don't you dare!" One of the council members stood at the bottom of the stairs and pointed his finger up at the poet. "Don't you dare sing a word!"

Sappho ignored him and strummed her lyre; the crowd applauded.

"Stop now or we'll shoot you down!" The old man shouted and motioned to the guard's commander. He yelled an order and the guards turned their backs on the crowd. A line of soldiers raised their bows and drew their arrows, pointing at the Tenth Muse on the roof of the temple.

Sappho ignored them and strummed her lyre.

"I tell you, we will shoot you down!"

Xena urged Argo through the crowd, but it was getting more and more difficult the closer she got to the temple. She could see the line of bowmen, and she could hear the shouts of the councilman, but she was still too far away. The situation was tense. She unwrapped her whip and cracked it in the air. That got the attention of everyone around her. They quickly moved out of the way to let her pass through. She brought Argo up, just behind a guard.

Xena glared up at Sappho and caught her attention.

Sappho ignored the warrior and strummed her lyre. She took a deep breath and sang out clear and loud. Her beautiful voice brought the crowd to silence and quieted the shouts from the council leader. The line of arrows faltered, as the soldiers reacted to her singing.

Sappho stood atop the Temple to Athena and sang her song. The audience became still as the melody washed over them, filling the village square as it floated outward on the wind.

She barely finished the first verse when the city council leader's voice erupted in anger. He pushed the commander to get his attention and issued his order.

"I said, shoot her down! Now!"

The Commander barked at the bowmen and they lifted their bows to draw their arrows once more, preparing to shoot. Sappho ignored them and continued to sing. The crowd was torn between watching the poet and watching the bowmen. Seconds later, they had something else to look at as well.

Xena snatched her chakram from her belt and aimed. She leaned back in the saddle and gave the weapon a mighty throw that sent it careening into the nearest column. It hit the marble in a shower of sparks, which sent it flying at a ninety degree angle toward the village wall. It screamed just over the head of the council leader, causing the man to duck in fear, which shut him up nicely. The chakram hit the wall creating another shower of sparks and reversed its direction. It roared right by the noses of the first line of guard, neatly chopping off the points of all of the arrows in the bows held by the bowmen, landing in Xena's waiting hand with a solid thud.

The display shut everyone up, including Sappho. Xena took the opportunity to fill the village with her own song.

"AIYAIYAIYAI!" Her warrior yell echoed in the square.

Sappho raised her eyebrows. "Not bad," she mumbled from the roof.

Xena vaulted off Argo and flipped once in the air to land squarely on the steps leading up to the temple. She took the steps three at time until she came to the top. The warrior looked up at Sappho and snarled. The poet backed up a step and hastily continued to sing.

Xena snapped her whip out and up, sending the end winding around the waist of one of the marble statues of Athena. With a tug to secure it, she made quick work of climbing her way up to the roof of the temple.

Sappho gulped, but continued to sing. She knew she was in trouble now.

When Xena reached the top, she secured first one hand and then another onto the breasts of Athena's statue. They made perfect handles to help her onto the roof. The warrior swung her legs around the statue and landed safely next to the poet.

Sappho stopped singing and gulped. "Hi Xena. Fancy meeting you here," she said, offering a smile.

Xena did not respond.

The guards were fumbling to replace the arrows in their bows and Xena wasn't about to wait for them to finish.

"Show's over," she ordered, and then she picked the poet up and threw her over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

"Uughhh!" the poet groaned as her stomach hit Xena's shoulder guard. "How are we going to get down!" Sappho yelled, her braids now pointing straight down to the ground.

Xena swung around, causing the roof to disappear from Sappho's view. The poet was looking off the edge and to the ground.

Sappho almost lost her lyre and her lunch, but managed to hang onto both.

"AAHHHH!" Sappho screamed, and grabbed onto Xena's butt with her only free hand. The lyre was threatening to slip out of the other, but the poet held on tight.

Xena took a good hold of the whip with a her left hand and, securing Sappho to her shoulder by the seat of her pants, she jumped off the roof.

"AAHHHHHH!" Sappho screamed again as the ground rush up at her.

The whip went taut and swung them first out and then in toward the door. At the apex of the swing inward, Xena let go of the whip and landed in front of the golden entrance. The warrior dumped Sappho onto the marble floor, ignoring the poet's indignant protests, and turned to draw her sword.

Sappho landed onto the hard, marble entryway with a thump. She held onto her lyre, mumbled a few colorful, but nonetheless poetic curses at the warrior, then scooted behind a column to hide. Whether it was to hide from Xena or the approaching guards, she didn't know. She cowered in a corner just the same and tried to stay out of the way.

Xena glanced once over her shoulder to make sure Sappho was safe and then prepared herself for the attack. She flipped her sword in her hand once and smiled as a group of guards rushed up the stairs at them both.

The first one to reach the top caught a boot in the face for his trouble. It sent him flying back into several others, which sent them flying back into several others still. They tumbled down the stairs like so many bowling pins.

From her hiding place in the corner, the Tenth Muse laughed.

Another guard made it up to Xena and struck at her with his sword, or thought he was going to strike her. The warrior was suddenly not where she was supposed to be. He looked up to find her swinging from her whip and coming back at him with both feet. She knocked him off the landing, sending him rolling down the stairs.

The soldiers were hesitant to climb the steps again and stood in a nervous group looking up at the Warrior Princess. Xena looked down at them, grinning wickedly. They weren't going to come to her, so she decided to go to them. She swung her sword overhead, shrieked her warrior yell, and ran down the stairs to meet them in battle. The sight sent several of the soldiers running. The others froze like scared rabbits.

One brave soldier met her blade with his. She stopped it, flipped it around once and sent it flying to land at the feet of the council leader. He jumped back in fear, realizing that he could have been killed. A look from Xena told him that if she wanted him dead, he would be.

Xena sheathed her own sword with one flip, and lifted the now disarmed soldier by the shirt and the belt. She flipped him up and over, and threw him head first into one of the marble urns that adorned the stairway. The soldier's feet kicked angrily in the air.

Another soldier swung his weapon at the Warrior Princess. She ducked under it easily and lifted him the same way, throwing him headfirst down into the next urn. She did this with every soldier in turn, until urns on each side of the staircase were filled with upside down soldiers.

Sappho laughed at the sight of the now filled urns, the soldiers' legs like so many flowers kicking in the sunshine.

The audience began to laugh and clap. Sappho stood, her courage bolstered by the reaction of the crowd. Smiling proudly, she took a few steps out of her hiding place behind a pillar. That smile disappeared quickly, however, as the Warrior Princess turned slowly in her direction, the soldiers having all been neatly dispatched and planted in urns. Her angry blue eyes froze the poet mid-step.

Xena ran back up the stairs two at a time.

Xena showed her teeth to Sappho, but it was not a smile. "Let's go," she said, her voice low and angry.

Sappho chuckled nervously, flashing her biggest smile. "Didn't know you had a green thumb, Xe ..."

Xena grabbed Sappho by the front of her tunic and hefted her over her shoulder once again. The poet swallowed her words and resigned herself to her fate. Sappho's eyes popped as Xena planted a firm slap on her rump.

Xena ran down the stairs two at a time, each step down jolted the warrior's shoulder into Sappho's stomach. The poet grunted with every bump.

Somehow, but Sappho was never able to really explain how, the warrior leapt from the steps and managed to land perfectly in Argo's saddle. Sappho recalled seeing the stairs fly by as she hung down over Xena's shoulder. Next thing she knew, she saw the astounded faces of several guards and a few villagers staring up as they vaulted overhead, and then suddenly her nose was rubbing against a horse's ass. Sappho lost all air on impact, and her next breath was not a pleasant one.

Xena unceremoniously pulled the poet from her shoulder by the back of her tunic and flopped her across the front of the saddle. With an angry tug of the reins, she turned Argo around, leaving the crowd and village in a cloud of dust. The audience cheered as they watched the Warrior Princess spanking the Tenth Muse as they galloped away.

Gabrielle stopped pacing when she saw Xena canter up. The bard laughed at the sight of Sappho draped over the saddle, bouncing mercilessly up and down in rhythm with Argo's most uncomfortable gait.

"That's gotta hurt."

Xena's expression told Gabrielle that the warrior was enjoying every minute of it. She brought Argo along the side of the wagon and stopped.

"Are you OK?" Gabrielle asked the poet, twisting her head upside down so she could see Sappho's expression. She brushed back the strands of hair and braid to peek at Sappho's face. The poet was laughing.

Sappho shoved the lyre into Gabrielle's hands and jumped from Argo.

"That was great! You should have seen it!" Sappho yelled, clapping her hands in excitement and then wincing. She stopped clapping, and rubbed her butt instead.

Gabrielle looked to Xena, confused as to why Sappho's butt should hurt. Xena slid down from her mount and led the horse back to the front of the line.

"Xena was incredible! I would have never believed a word of it, if I hadn't seen it myself! She swung! She kicked! She fought! We flew!" Sappho carried on excitedly, as she sliced her palm through the air in front of Samthus' nose illustrating their flight. "She planted soldiers face first in urns!!" Sappho lifted imaginary soldiers and plunked them down.

Everyone raised their eyebrows at this. Gabrielle looked at Xena and smiled. The bard knew that every word was probably true. Xena ignored them all and was helping Argo to drink from a bucket.

"UUggghh!" Sappho moaned in frustration. "I wish I were a bard, so I could describe it better! Xena if we act it out again, maybe Gabrielle could write it down?"

This got Xena to whirl around in Sappho's direction and glare.

"Not unless you want another spanking." Xena warned, meaning every word.

"Spanking?" Gabrielle inquired incredulously.

"Maybe not," Sappho mumbled as she rubbed her sore butt again.

Gabrielle spun around to face Xena, staring at the warrior in disbelief. "I can't believe you spanked Sappho!"

"Well," Xena said, glancing sideways in Gabrielle's direction, "she sounded better the more I beat her!"

"Awed by her brightness,
stars near the beautiful moon cover their faces
when she lights the earth with her silver brilliance"
- Sappho fragment #23, circa 625 B.C.

"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 blew wisps of golden 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 studied the setting with a critical eye, looking 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 said softly 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 at the bard. The wind whipped her hair, hiding her features for a moment. When Xena wiped the dark strands from her face, Gabrielle could see that she was smiling.

Xena stared at Gabrielle for a moment, taking in the picture of her friend standing amid the wild grasses. 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 read the meaning on her partner’s lips just the same. Gabrielle smiled back.

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

"She said, ‘its beautiful’." Gabrielle grinned slightly at the small lie, but she wanted to keep what Xena had just said close to her heart and no one else’s.

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

Gabrielle turned her head 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.

"So are you," she admitted to the wind.




They camped near the lake, by a large tree. The mood in the air was gay, as Sappho seemed to be unusually happy and this surprised Gabrielle a little. It was only a short while ago that the poet was drunk and depressed and sitting in the back of the wagon with a snitty scowl on her face.

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 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."

Sappho glanced around the area covertly, 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 a mischevious twinkle in her eye.

"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 fire.

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 lead Gabrielle over to the group in the grass, and the poet nodded to them then 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. "What will it do?"

"It will light up the night. Trust me, Gabrielle, just try it. It won't hurt you."
Sappho waved it at her, impatiently waiting for Gabrielle to take it.

"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 chuckled and nodded vigourously in agreement.

"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. The laughter of the circle drifted along with hazy smoke into the night air.

"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 try 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 quietly watched the lake as the sun slowly disappeared from the sky -- Helios' journey once again complete for the day. She brushed Argo's mane gently, careful not to 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 narrow her attention to those three main suspects. 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 sight 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 saddlebag, 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 it was.

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, especially 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 and she couldn’t wait to hear it.

"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 the sun, it is day and then when we are facing the moon, away from the sun, it’s night!" Gabrielle raised her hands to the night sky triumphantly.

Sappho burst out in laughter uncontrollably. "That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard!"

Laci didn’t find the prospect funny at all. "If we were spinning around, why wouldn't be spun right off the ground?" she asked, holding on to the grass just in case Gabrielle was right.

"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 – she was so engrossed in the conversation, she had forgotten that she was holding onto the pipe the entire time. She handed it to Gabrielle with a guilty smile "Sorry, forgot".

Gabrielle took the pipe from the poet’s hand. "What was that? Bogart?"

"No, I said, sorry forgot."

"Bogart. Forgot. Who the hades cares when we’re spinning round and round like a top?" Laci asked, still gripping onto the grass in fear. "Why don't we get dizzy with all this spinning around?"

"Well, sometimes I do." Gabrielle squinted her eyes and looked closely at Laci. "Haven't you ever looked up at the sky and see 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 chortling to take a breath, took one look at Laci's fear-stricken 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 hide 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, her foggy brain suddenly registering an important point, "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.

"And he told you he had sailed all around the world … all the way around it?"

"Yup. That’s what he said … a – round, as in all the way."

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.

"Then why didn't they 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.

At the sound of the smooth, familiar voice, Gabrielle choked on her smoke and quickly tried to 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 to look at 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 they lost a lot of dinars out of their pockets," the warrior added with a smirk.

Laci chuckled meekly once, but resumed her hold on the grass just in case. She was tempted to check her pockets, but that would mean she would have had to let go.

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 Titan 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 innocently at the Warrior Princess.

Xena watched it all 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, nooo, thank you" Xena answered sardonically, "but, 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," she stated and quietly walked away.

The pleasant shiver was replaced by another equally sumptuous thought. 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.

With a brief drug-induced delay in reaction, everyone jumped up to head for the food, ready to join in the feast. Sappho took a few steps toward the platters and suddenly realized that Laci was not at her side. She turned to look for her friend, only to see the young girl 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 big 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.

"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.

"Hmm hmmm!" 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 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 for 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 for good measure and headed down to the water.

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

"What now?" she thought to herself, and looked around the campground.

Two of the Amazon guards, Graeme and Danae, started to leave their posts to run in pursuit, Xena held up her hand a signal 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 to the water, planning to watch over the skinny-dippers personally.

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 shore and cleared a path for 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 tripping 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 groaning, Gabrielle managed to remove her boots and clothes. Xena chuckled as she watched the naked form of her friend run to the lake, screeching when her foot made contact the cold lake water.

"It's freezing!" she could hear Gabrielle squeak. 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 her friend 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. Three of the musicians were counting stars as they stood 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 wasn’t clearly in view. There were, after all, two Amazons on sentry, 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 hanging against 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, her voice echoed once and then floated away.

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 argued.

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. She 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 carefully down on the top of the boulder. She looked down at Gabrielle and smiled.

"All right," she answered. 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 nude 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, instead it 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, "would you 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 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 surface. 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, dancing in the distortion of 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 toward 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 deliberately for 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 toward 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 for the shore.

Xena swam by Gabrielle, amused by the incredibly strange expression that had crossed over her friend'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?" the bard offered.

Xena chuckled and splashed the bard with her foot.

"Don't drown," Xena warned sarcastically, and waded through the water toward 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 that the laughter and merriment had resumed. Working her way quickly to the boulder, she retrieved her clothes.

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.

Continued

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