Father of All Evil

Part V

The sun was about half way across the morning sky when a soft knock sounded. Nicias looked up from the piece of armory he'd just been working on and stood, finding his balance on the edge of his working table. "Enter." 
A blond head poked in. "Hi"
The weapons smith smiled in response. "Well, good morning young lady."
Gabrielle's body edged around the door and she crossed the space towards the small room Nicias was standing in. The smith immediately noticed the slight twitch. "Still a bit sore huh?" 
"Yeah." Gabrielle sighed, as she sat down in one of the chairs. "Only to be expected though… It's only been three days after all…"
"It's very brave of you to be on your feet after such a short time." Nicias stated, giving her a concerned look. 
The bard just chuckled. "Being on my feet is a relief Nicias, trust me… I'm really bad at sitting still as long as I have… Walking, though a bit painful, has never felt so good."
Nicias smiled, giving the bard's shoulder a friendly squeeze. "It's good to see you up Gabrielle. I was very worried for you…" 
Gabrielle shrugged "I've had worse…"
"So I heard. What was that about several poisoned arrows through your heart?"
A deep sigh escaped the bard. "Don't believe everything you hear Nicias… And pass that advise on OK? These crazy rumors are driving me insane."
The smith chuckled. "Sorry" 

"Talking about rumors… I heard something about armory of mine being finished?" 
"Ah, getting to the point, are we?" Nicias smiled, grabbing a cane that had been leaning against the table. "Follow me.. It's a bit of a stroll…" 
"No problem." Gabrielle smiled, getting up and following the older man out of the room. 

"You realize I had to make some decisions as far as the materials go… All the fancy metals, gold, silver, they're nice to look at, but not by far as strong as plain iron…." Nicias chatted conversationally as the excited the room and walked through several others, where boys were stitching leathers together and others were sharpening swords. "With the lieutenant's armory I try to balance the use of the materials. Your armory turned out pretty well that way." He continued as they entered what appeared to be a storing place. Piles and piles of leather outfits were neatly lined up on one side of the room, several swords, arrows, bows, staffs and javelins on the other side. "That's all the common weaponry for the troops. Not pretty to look at, but very affective, I guaranty." 

Finally they entered the last storage room. About a dozen shapes stood in a circle, all covered by large pieces of cloth. Gabrielle looked around with intrigued eyes. 
"Well, here we are." Nicias stated, as he led the bard over to one of the shapes, the pulled off the fabric. 

Gabrielle stared wide eyed at the shimmering armory for moment. The leathers were perfectly stitched together, covering the mannequin from high up in the neckline to where the knees would be. Settled over the leather was a iron armor, similar to Xena's in design, only the swirling design was closer knit together and in the center, clearly made out by the touch of gold, was the image of a phoenix, wings spread out wide as the head was cocked at the onlookers direction, bronze eyes blinking like fire. 
"Well." Nicias whispered, looking at her anxiously. "What do you think?" 
"It's… It's beautiful." Gabrielle managed to get out. "And trust me, that's not a thing I usually say about armor." 
Nicias chuckled relieved. "I'm glad you like it…" He said, fingering one of the bracers, that had several bronze flames on it. "I spend a lot of time on this one… It was a pleasure making…" 
"It's a true work of art Nicias." Gabrielle murmured, noticing the leather belt, tucked away just below the iron, that contained the four daggers she'd gotten from Xena. "Thank you." 
A dazzling smile crossed the smith's face. "I am very pleased you think so… It.. It's quite a bit heavier than you're used to I guess, but I tried as much as possible to keep the design light and still make it cover most of your body. I made a bit of a leather collar here, and adjusted the iron a bit, to avoid you having to use any sort of helmet or anything… I know Xena prefers things that way, to keep a better view on things, so I figured you would as well." 
Gabrielle smiled. "You're right, I hate helmets." She looked at the armor for another moment. "Can I try it on?" 
"By all means." Nicias told her, as he started to unclip the buckles on the left side of the metal. "It'd probably be best if you walk around in it for a while. You know, just to get used to the feel of all this. Do some drills with it and stuff. That way you can tell me if any part of this is uncomfortable, so I can make some adjustments." He stated, as he pulled the iron armor over the mannequin's headless form. "There's a booth over there where you can change." 

It felt odd. The armor was slightly heavier than Xena's, as it covered a bit more body. She bent down and placed the metal that protected her left shin in place, adjusting the leather straps that held it up. "There." She muttered, as she straightened the leathers, then pulled away the curtain that separated the booth from the rest of the room and stepped out. 

Nicias turned as he heard footsteps come closer. Gabrielle stepped closer, shrugging to place the metal in a more comfortable spot. She looked up into Nicias' shimmering eyes. "So… What do you think?" 
The smith eyed her critically for a moment, then a huge smile spread across his face. "Perfect."
Gabrielle chuckled. "Feels pretty good too… It's gonna take some getting used to the weight, but I'll manage." 
Nicias eyed his creation for another moment, smiling proudly, then he turned away and walked to a small table standing close to the door. "That brings us to the point of weaponry, Gabrielle." He stated, picking several items off the table. "I realize your staff will be your main weapon, but I made your some other ones, just in case you might need them." He turned then walked over and handed Gabrielle the two smaller items. They were daggers, slightly larger than the ones Xena had given her. They had no decoration at all, and were made of plain iron, glimmering dully in the sunlight that filtered in through the window. "They're to be put in the inside of your boots, hidden. Just in case you get into a problem…" 
Gabrielle nodded, then bent down and placed the two daggers where they belonged, one in each boot. She straightened, then stared at the last piece Nicias held in his hand. 
The smith took a breath. "Now, I don't know if you want this." He said quietly, as he extended is hands and showed her the scabbard, made of the same dark brown leather as her outfit, decorated with several bronze flames and a single silver feather centered in the middle. "It's more of a show thing really. You know, to threaten people of a bit… Swords seem to do that a bit better than staffs you see, so I figured…" 

"I know…" Gabrielle said quietly, taking hold of the hilt and then unsheathing the sword in a fluent motion. Imprinted on the metal was the same picture Nicias had showed her all those days ago: the phoenix' head, rising from the flames. The design was made with a mixture of gold bronze and silver and was laid into the iron.
"It's not gonna stay looking like this for long if you use it." Nicias commented in the silence that follows. "The gold will quickly be affected by any slash of an iron sword, so the imprint won't last long, but the iron is strong, so it'll stay functional…"
"Even if I could use it, I wouldn't… It's way too nice to look at." Gabrielle looked up at the smith and smiled. "Thank you so much Nicias, for all of this… I know you put a lot of effort into making these… Every second was worth it as far as I'm concerned. It turned out just perfect…" 
Nicias' smile broadened. "Thank you." He patted Gabrielle on the iron covered shoulder. "It looks good on you Gabrielle…" He turned and started to walk back. 
"Nicias?"
"Yes?" He asked, turning around and cocking his head at her. 
"Do you think you could show me Xena's armor?"
Nicias chuckled, and softly shook his head. "I really shouldn't…" He peeked up to stare in to pleading green eyes. "But I guess giving you a peek couldn't hurt huh?" 
He walked over to the shape next to Gabrielle's uncovered mannequin, quickly followed by a curious Gabrielle. Nicias took hold of the edges of the fabric, then lifted it up slightly. 
The bard stared at the armor for a while, then grinned up at Nicias. "Excellent." 

The metals jingled slightly as Gabrielle paced towards the training square. "This is gonna take some getting used to." She muttered to herself as she walked, self-conscious of the looks she was getting from the people she passed on her way. She walked across the nearly abandoned training square towards a large stone wall that separated the main square from a smaller area. The area had a large open space in the middle. Along the edges were several racks of weapons and on one of the walls were several targets, bright red dots glimmering in the center of various circles. 
She warmed up by a simple series of staff drills, noticing how the armor easily allowed her to do all the twists and turns she normally used. She redid the drill several times, to get used to the new outfit and the difference in weight she now had to compensate for with every strike, but finally she was pleased with her work and put her staff down for a moment, stretching to loosen up her muscles. 

As she stood again the red bull's eye blinked at her. She stared down at the sand for a moment, then sighed and reached for one of the hilts tucked away in the leather belt around her waist and withdrew one of the daggers from it's scabbard. Quietly she balanced the weapon in her hand for a while, staring at the shimmering iron. Then she lifted it and focused on the red dot a few meters away. With a swipe of her hand she send the weapon flying. 
It hit the target, but only managed to get stuck in the fourth ring from the middle, not even close to the red. 
Another dagger flew from Gabrielle's hand and now hit the edge of the third ring. 

The bard sighed and looked down, fingering another one of Xena's daggers from her belt.
"Don't even bother." A dark, awfully familiar voice rumbled. "Training is not gonna improve your aim." 
Gabrielle looked up and her eyes narrowed at the sight of the God of War that was standing, arms crossed, between herself and her target. 
"You know, it surprises me really, that your shot is so lousy." Ares said with a pensive look on his face. "I'd have thought you'd have been used to killing by now, you know… After Meridian, and your daughter, I would've thought …" 

A shifting of air and a small thump sounded. Ares looked down to see a X marked hilt sticking out of his chest. He looked up at the bard, who had dangerously green eyes fixed on him. He chuckled, then started clapping. "Bravo Gabrielle. Well done." He complimented her cheerfully as he walked closer. "I didn't think you had that killer instinct in you. But look what a bit of anger can do for a naïve little thing like you." He smiled sweetly, then grabbed hold of the hilt and pulled the metal from his chest. 
He took a few steps closer then reached a hand out and tucked a blond lock back behind the bard's ear. "You do realize were you are going, don't you? You know, Athena always says that war is such a beautiful thing. All glory and fame and honor… But we know better, don't we Gabrielle? We know it's nothing but blood and gore and violence and death." He spoke to her in a low voice, saying the last word with infinite precision. "And we know that all your little friends here can die, don't we? Alaran, Halys, that little king, even your precious Xena… Unless…" He was quiet for a moment, his brown eyes searching hers for a moment. "Unless you can save them…" He stated, holding up the dagger in his right hand. 
"What's your point?" Gabrielle grumbled from between clenched teeth.
The wargod chuckled. "My point, Gabrielle, is that there is no way you are gonna save your little friends with these shots. And you're not gonna improve your aiming in the few days you have left before departure, are you now?" Ares stated with a smile, stepping another inch closer. "Unless I help you." 
"You?" Gabrielle managed, almost spitting out the word. 
"Think about it Gabrielle." The god of war continued, placing the small dagger in her hand and then circling her until we stood behind her, still holding on to the hand that held the dagger. "A bit of help from me and…" He guided her hand and let the dagger go, making it smack straight into the bull's eye, deeply embedded in the red surface. 

The bard shrugged his hand off and turned, staring straight into the God's brown eyes. "And what do you want in return this time Ares? You wanna cut Xena's life thread again? Or do you have something else in mind?" 
Ares gave her a hurt look. "Do you think I'm doing this for my own benefit?" He placed his hand over his heart in shock.
"Spill it." Gabrielle grumbled. 
Ares smiled sweetly. "I guess I'm growing soft at my old age, what can I say... I just wanna do you a favor." He stated, staring at the bard in all innocence. "I've always had a soft spot for that pretty little face of yours and I do most certainly have a thing for armor." He smiled, glancing down Gabrielle's body. "So consider this a favor of mine…All you…"

A flash interrupted the wargod's speech. Gabrielle shaded her eyes from the bright light in which a woman's form appeared. 
Athena stepped up to her brother. "Leave the girl alone Ares. You have done enough harm." 
Ares lifted his hand in a warning gesture. "Stay out of this Athena. She's mine." 
Gabrielle blinked and was just going to interrupt when Athena spoke again. 
"No she is not. Xena is your chosen. You go sort your affairs with her."
Ares threw up his hands. "Oh yeah, right, like Xena's gonna help me out on this one." 
"Well, tough luck for you now, isn't it? You go and find some idiot to help you get into Persia and get the Hades out of here! Gabrielle and I need a word."
"But…" Gabrielle managed, but was cut short by a third flash brightening her surroundings. 

Athena looked up and her bright blue eyes flashed angrily. "How dare you show yourself here Artemis. After you betrayed me so badly. You realize I could kill you with a flick of my wrist, don't you?" 
Artemis glared back at her sister with defying brown eyes. "Gabrielle is my chosen. She is a true Amazon, by the right of caste of the princess Terreis, and therefore she belongs to me. You both have no claim here." 
"She is…" Ares started
"I do have…" Athena began

But a voice cut the all of them short. "Hold it!" Gabrielle shouted. A silence fell as she gazed from one god to another. "I'm not anybody's!"
"But chosen…" 
"Gabrielle…" 
"No!" The bard silenced them, having had quite enough from the threesome. "I do not 'belong' to either of you. I never ever asked for any of your interference and still you keep bothering me and I've had quite enough of it!" 
"Now Gabrielle…" 
"Can't we just sit down and talk about this for a moment…"
Gabrielle covered her face in her hands, desperately trying to regain her calm. She was just about to start another outburst against the three gods when another presence entered the space. 

"Out. Now." Xena grumbled, staring at the three gods. 
Artemis swallowed, then took a step towards the warrior. "Xena, you know I'm only here to…" 
"Get out." Was the rumbled interruption. A flash followed and Artemis was gone. 
Xena advanced dangerously towards Athena, who straightened as she approached. "Beat it." 
"Warrior, be careful who you oppose. I am the daughter of Zeus, king of the gods, and…" 
"You could be the daughter of a gorgon and a minotaur for all I care. If you don't get out right now I'm gonna go this little spot I know where a certain hind's blood dagger is hidden and I will stick this blade in your ribcage… Do you get my point here?" 
Blue eyes stared at each other for a moment, then Athena gave Gabrielle a look. "We will talk later…" And with a flash the goddess was gone. 

A few more steps and Xena faced the god of war. She lifted an eyebrow.
Ares raised his hands in defense. "Oh, I'm gone, don't worry. Me and hind's blood daggers, we don't mix you see." He smiled sweetly at the warrior. "I just wanna compliment you on your creation." He looked at Gabrielle, then let out a low whistle. "You know I always wondered what you saw in that girl, but I most certainly know now… What a bit of leather can't do huh?" 
"Ares…" The warrior's low voice rumbled, and blue eyes narrowed dangerously. 
"I'm gone." The wargod smiled, then wiggled his fingers. "Later." 

Xena sighed and rubbed her temple, then looked up at Gabrielle. "You OK?" 
Gabrielle just walked over and enfolded the warrior in a hug. "You just saved me from instant insanity, you realize that?" She sighed. 
Xena chuckled. "Don't let them get to you Gabrielle. They're not worth it." 
"I know." Gabrielle murmured. "They just get on my nerves, that's all." 
"Yeah, they have a tendency to do that, don't they." The warrior patted her friends back. "So, why were they here?" 
Gabrielle sighed. "They wanted me to help them get into Persia."
"Huh?" The warrior gave her a non understanding look. 
"For a god to cross the border between this country and the next, he will need some sort of ritual… you know, like Dahak did to enter into Greece." 
Xena nodded. "Right… figures…"
"Yeah, well, for some reason all the gods suddenly decided they wanted my help. They all suddenly thought they had claims on me." A sigh. "I don't get it Xena. Why do they have to pick me to annoy? Why don't they go after Alex, or Ptolemaios, or any other soldier in this army? What's so special about me, huh?" 
Xena chuckled softly. "Looked in a mirror lately?" 
Gabrielle frowned up at her. "What do you mean?" 
Xena rolled her eyes. "Gabrielle, this getting gods to cross the border thing probably isn't an easy task, you know. When a god has to pick a chosen to help him, they wanna get the strongest, most capable warrior they can think off." 
Gabrielle gave her a strange look. "And you're saying that's me? Come on Xena, I can't even swat a fly without feeling guilty." 
"Gabrielle, strength has nothing to do with an ability to kill, you and I both know that." 
Gabrielle sighed. "Yeah yeah." 
Xena smiled, then took a few steps back, regarding her friend. "That looks really good on you." 
"What?" The bard looked down. "Oh yeah, that… You think?" 
"Hades yeah…"Xena stated, tracing a wing of the golden phoenix. "How does it feel?"
"Pretty good." Gabrielle told her, flexing. "It's all a bit odd, you know… But I did some drills and stuff and it feels OK…"
"Hmmm…" Xena smiled. "You wanna see if you can handle an opponent in that stuff?" She asked, placing a booted foot under a staff that was lying on the ground and kicking it up. With one hand she grabbed onto the wood and gave the bard an inquisitive look. "Some one like say... me?"
Gabrielle chuckled. "I'd love to… on one condition…"
A dark eyebrow lifted in question. 
The bard smiled. "You dress up for the part."

Esta let out a grunt as sounds disturbed her well needed rest. She got up and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. "What the Hades…" The thuds of wood hitting wood echoed from the training square that the sleeping quarters she'd been placed in were close to. "Who would be crazy enough to… Oh, never mind…" She muttered as she saw a dark form spinning past in a flip. She walked closer and peaked out onto the square. 

Armour blinked in the sunlight as Gabrielle slammed her staff onto Xena's. A loud thud echoed across the square. Esta stared quietly at the two fully armored commanders launching off at each other, staffs rapidly flying through the air. "What the…" Esta murmured as Xena launched upwards again, spinning twice before landing before Gabrielle who had turned and taken a few paces back in the meantime. Another rattling of staffs followed . Esta leaned quietly against one of the walls, hiding in the shadows as she watched the two warriors fighting. 

Gabrielle suddenly reached out and grabbed onto Xena's staff with both hands, then turned and flipped the warrior over her back. 
Xena took a few paces back, then launched forward again, continuing the fight. "Nice move."
"I know" Gabrielle replied with a grin. 
Xena laughed, then pushed herself up, now landing on top of one of the walls. With a smile she motioned for Gabrielle to come up. 
The bard shook her head at the warrior with a sigh, then spotted a few crates placed close to the wall. She ran over, then hopped on top off one and jumped up and onto the wall. 
Xena grinned as she launched her staff towards the bard's head, finding her path easily blocked, before her staff was pushed back and the tip of Gabrielle's staff was aimed at her side. 

The blue eyes glinted, just before Xena pushed herself off again. But Gabrielle had read the warrior's intent this time and launched off the wall as well, pulling herself into a flip as she fell, before landing on the ground behind Xena. She chuckled as Xena looked up disorientated for a moment, then tapped the warrior on the shoulder with the edge of her staff, making her friend spin around. 
Xena raised an eyebrow at her, then suddenly ducked and tried a swipe move, which the bard barely avoided. "Not bad for an amateur." 
"Amateur huh?" Gabrielle chuckled, as she aimed for her friend's knee. 
Xena gave her a wicked smile. "That's what I said." 
Gabrielle shook her head quietly, then suddenly entered into a series of rapid staff moves, managing to hit the warrior in the stomach with the last swing. 
Xena took a few paces back, loosening one hand to rub over her belly. "OK, I take that back." 
Gabrielle chuckled, then parried the warrior's next blow. 
"So, how does it feel?" Xena started conversationally, as she lowered the pace of the hits slightly, starting to bring the duel to an end. 
"Not bad." Gabrielle stated, ducking under another swipe. "How about you?" 
Xena cocked her head in thought for a moment, then pushed herself upward, twisting in the air as she made three flips before landing easily on the ground. "Pretty much OK." 

Gabrielle rolled her eyes, as they entered the last few parries of they fight, then stopped. Xena smiled as she walked over, then wrapped an arm around the bard's shoulder as they walked towards a small bench in the corner that had two towels draped across it. "Nicely done Gabrielle… You gotta teach me that swipe thing you did there."
Gabrielle smiled. "You liked that one huh?" She asked, as she grabbed one of the towels and started to rinse the sweat off her forehead. 
"Yup." Xena stated as she laid the towel across her shoulders, ruffling her hair back. 
"I'll show you that one… On the one condition that you help me out with that move you showed me when we were training on horseback."
"The one that smacks the two riders off?" 
"Yeah… I can't seem to be able to get the hang of that one." 
"No problem. We'll practice that tomorrow."
"Deal." Gabrielle smiled as she sat down and leaned against the wall. "Phew, that was some workout…"
"I'll say." Xena smiled as she sat down beside her friend. "I really wasn't intending to take things this far… How's your wound feeling?"
"My…oh… Forgot about that completely…" Gabrielle grinned, then clicked her armor off and lifted it off her chest before pealing back the leather and revealing the stitched wound. 
"Looks good." Xena mumbled, a bit surprised. "That's healing really well." 
"Great." Gabrielle smiled. "Because I was not looking forward to spending another boring day in my room."
Xena affectionately ruffled her friend's hair, before leaning back against the wall again. 

"Well well, look who we have here…" She muttered as she spotted a figure walking closer. "Finally decided to show herself…"
"Huh?" Gabrielle murmured, opening her eyes again to see Esta striding over. "Oh… Hey Esta!"
The Athenian stepped closer. "I can't believe the two of you, you know that? Spend the whole night out riding and the next morning you're just cheerfully whacking staffs onto one another and doing flips and the gods only know what other impossible stuff like nothing's the matter." Esta sighed as she rolled her eyes. "Can I buy some of that energy off you guys?"
Gabrielle chuckled. "Sorry, as long as I'm traveling with the warrior princess over here I'm gonna need all the energy I can get." 
Esta gave Xena a pleading look, but the warrior just grinned. "If I had some left you could have it, but she tired me out…" She stated, pointing an accusing thumb at the bard. "Sorry…" 

Esta placed a hand over here eyes, then yawned. "Well, next time you're off on tiring yourselves out, try not to make so much noise in front of my bedroom door after an all knighted, OK?"
"Oops, sorry Esta." Gabrielle apologized sheepishly. "We didn't realize…" 
"I sorta figured you didn't." The Athenian stated as she rubbed her temple. "Children will be children…" A grin. "But it's OK… I always enjoy watching Xena work her magic, even at such a lousy hour." Another yawn. "Love the armor though." She stated, pointing at the dragon swirling across Xena's chest. "Fancy stuff." 
"Thanks" Xena smiled. "I'll tell Nicias you said so."
"Make sure you do tell him… whoever he is…" Esta replied , watching the iron shimmer dully for another moment. "Well, gotto go." She then said, before turning and staggering back towards her room. 

Xena shook her head softly at the retreating back. "Nuts."
"In the most pleasant kind of way I can imagine." Gabrielle agreed cheerfully. Then she stretched and stood, extending a hand down to pull the warrior up. "Come on, we gotto go catch a bath…" 
"I think I could use one." Xena muttered as she stood, then bend down and picked Gabrielle's armor up and swung it over her shoulder. 
"I can smell you do." Gabrielle muttered as they walked towards the gate.
Xena raised an eyebrow. "You saying I stink?" 
Gabrielle looked up at the warrior's outraged look, then grinned. "In the most pleasant way I can imagine." 
The warrior shot her a look, then gave the bard's shoulder a slight shove. She chuckled, then suddenly launched forward, racing towards the castle looming in the distance. "Last one there is a minotaur." 
Gabrielle sighed as she ran after Xena, who was rapidly disappearing in the distance. "Do you want me to start growing horns now, or should I wait until later?" 
A mere chuckle was her response.

Alexander let his gaze drift over the circle of commanders sitting around the table. Slowly he settled back in his chair. "Report." 
Parmenios straightened slightly. "I've distributed the armory among the men. Everyone's got leathers, a dagger and the weapon of their choice. That's about 2000 bowmen, 3000 pikes and staffs, 3000 infantry and 2000 cavalry." Some murmurs ran across the room. "That's including the Athenians, of course." 
Esta nodded. "I've checked on the catapults. I've got ten men who can load and fire them pretty quickly. But the catapults are gonna slow us down on the way to the border. I suggest a small escort of cavalry to fall back and guard the weapons." 
Alex nodded. "Consider it done. Will 20 be enough?"
"Quite" The Athenian nodded. "We're in safe territory here, I don't suspect anything… It's just a safety precaution." 
Alexander nodded, then turned his eyes to meet Halys' 
Halys straightened. "Moral is good. The men are confident. I suspect a bit of a fall of the spirits when we entered enemy territory, but I don't think we'll have to worry too much…"
"Merchants are ready with their caravans." Ptolemaios stated as he looked across the circle. "We've got some blacksmiths, among which is Nicias, who insisted he'd come along. There's some tailors, bards, butchers, bakers, cooks… We'll have to get hold of most of our supply along the way from supporting villages." 
"We've got several cartloads of grains and vegetables, as well as some salted fish and meats for the first couple of nights." Alex said, checking the parchment lying in front of him. "I've sent some runners out to the villages that send word of their support to tell them we'll be coming."
"Which brings us to our little problem." Xena stated, leaning back in her chair and stretching her legs. "I've tried to get some info out of our little spy friend several times now, but to no result. He's not gonna talk. And the chance of us catching our last spy before we depart tomorrow is pretty small…"
Nods around the table. "What do you suggest?" Lucius asked.
"we have no choice really. We can't wait around till we'll catch spy number three, so we'll just have to hope for the best. I want everybody to make a thorough check of the number of men every day, so we know when someone suddenly disappears. If he makes a move to soon we can send riders after him, try to catch up with him before the border. If not, we just let him go. He'll be too late to call in reinforcements by then."
Everyone nodded, seeing no other option. Then they all fell silent… 

"Well…" Alex said finally, breaking the silence. "This is it then, I guess…" He looked down, then looked back up, meeting the eyes of every single person in his circle of commanders. "I'd like to thank all of you for this. You all know how much this means to me, how much this would have meant to my father. Thank you all for making this possible." Another moment off silence. "Well, I won't keep you any longer." A grin. "Get some sleep everybody, tomorrow is gonna be a big day." 

All the commanders saluted, then stood and sauntered out of the room. Gabrielle patted Xena on the shoulder, then walked out as well, leaving the warrior alone with the young king.

Xena stayed in her spot, leaning back comfortably and closing her eyes. Alex leaned his head on his left hand and regarded the warrior. "What do you think Xena?" 
"I think these chairs are pretty comfortable." The warrior murmured contently, not opening her eyes. 
Alexander chuckled. "You're right about that part. Too bad we can't drag these along to Persia huh?" 
"Yeah." Xena sighed, then sat up and leaned forward. "But thirty solid wooden chairs would be a bit too heavy I guess." 
"Sorta…" Alex agreed quietly. 

They sat together in a peaceful silence for another moment. "So this is it huh?" 
"Yeah." Alex stated, letting his eyes float across the room. "It's strange, you know… After tonight, I may never see this room again…" 
"Of course you will Alex." Xena told him, looking at him quietly.
"Maybe… But I'm not an immortal Xena, and this is one pretty big battle… The fact that I will die is something I'll have to take into account…"
"Alex, they'll have to go through me to get to you." 
The king smiled up at her. "I know Xena, I know…"A grin. "That means I'm about as safe as I can get huh?" 
A grin flicked across the warrior's face. "You betcha." 
They both chuckled, then Alex stood and patted the warrior's shoulder. "Thanks for everything Xena. I really appreciate you being here… I know…"A moment of hesitation. "I know I dragged you into this, but…" 
"Hey" Xena protested, standing and peering into his brown eyes. "I wouldn't be here if I didn't want to be here. You got that? You didn't drag me into anything, OK?"
"If it was someone other then me doing this… someone you didn't know… Would you be here right now, risking your life?" 
Xena seriously considered the question for a moment. "Yes." 
Alex's brows frowned. "Really?" 
The warrior smiled briefly. "Really. It's a good cause Alex." A breath. "And secondly, this battle is pretty personal for me. There's Xerxes of course… And I… Dahak hurt me, and more importantly, he hurt Gabrielle a lot. I never had a change to get back at him for that…"
"He died, didn't he?" Alex asked, peering up at her curiously.
"Yes… But I wasn't the one who killed him…"A sigh "Revenge is not a good thing Alex, but it is temping, and in a way… satisfying…"
Alexander looked at her, then nodded. "I know what you mean…" 
Xena looked at him, then smiled. "So to answer your question, yes, I would have been here." She ruffled the king's curly hair. "You don't owe me anything Alex. Understand that, OK?"
Alexander smiled back up at her. "OK." 
The warrior gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder. "Let's get some sleep, OK? We've gotta get up bright and early tomorrow morning after all."
"You're right… Thanks Xena." 
"My pleasure…" Xena stated as they exited the room. "See you in the morning Alex"

Gabrielle quietly stroked the black stallion's side as she tried to get some knots out of his manes. "You got these pretty tangled up Chilon." She commented to who horse, who snickered in response. "Yeah, laugh about it, why don't you… And who's the one who can spend hours on your hairdo? Well?" The horse gave her a look. "Yeah, that's right… Me…" Chilon gave a slight shove in the side, and looked at her with pleading dark eyes. 
Gabrielle sighed. "OK, OK, you win already…" The horse nuzzled her hand. "Suck up…" 

The bard continued her combing for a bit longer, hands moving restlessly, until there wasn't a single twisted hair to be seen. She patted the stallion's neck, then turned… But before she exited the box she changed her mind and walked back over. "How about going out and doing some more staff practices huh?" 
"How about no." 
Gabrielle looked at the horse's head, who blinked back at her innocently. Then her eyes trailed up to see Xena casually leaning against the open door. "Oh hi…" 
"Hi." The warrior smiled, taking a few steps closer. 
"I was just… uhm… brushing Chilon a bit…" 
"So I see…" Xena drawled, watching the stallion's black back shimmering in the soft candlelight. 
Gabrielle looked up at her sheepishly. "Overdid it a bit?" 
"Just slightly." The warrior chuckled. Then she looked up at the bard. "You should really get some sleep Gabrielle."
The bard closed her eyes for a moment. "I know… I… I just don't think I could get any sleep, even if I tried…" She threw up her hands. "Too much energy." 
Xena smiled at her. "That always bothers me too, before big events. And I've got the perfect remedy for that?" 
"You do?" 
"Uhuh." The warrior confirmed. 
"What?" 
A grin spread across the warrior's face "You'll see." She stated, before she turned and walked out of the box, patting Chilon on her way towards the door. 
Gabrielle looked at Xena's back for a moment, then shrugged and gave the horse a pat. "See you in the morning, Chilon." 
The stallion gave her a nudge and snickered before Gabrielle padded off after her friend, out into the night air. 

"You are brilliant." 
Xena chuckled as she slowly let herself sink into the warm water of the hot tub. 
Gabrielle leaned back in contentment, stretching out in the large castle bath. "Ugh, this is bliss…" 
The warrior dunked her head under water and surfaced again. "Feeling a bit more relaxed yet?" She asked as she grabbed onto a bar of soap and started scrubbing her arms. 
"Much more… Why didn't I think of this myself…?" 
"I won't comment on that." The warrior stated, then chuckled as the bard shot her a look. "Just kidding." 
"You'd better be." The bard stated, closing her eyes.
A snort. "Or what?" 
Gabrielle opened her eyes again, then swiped a handful of water in Xena's direction. 
Xena ducked barely avoiding the splash. She pointed a threatening finger at the bard. "Now don't you start that." 
A blond eyebrow edged up. "Why not?" 
"Because the point of this whole bath thing is getting relaxed and calm… Not to be active and toss water at each other. 
The green eyes twinkled. "Chicken." 
Xena crossed her arms. "What did you say?"
"You heard me." 
A grumble. "Gabrielle …"
"Pok pok pok"
Xena slowly stood and waded over to Gabrielle, crossing her arms as she towered over the bard. "Do I look like a chicken?"
Gabrielle looked up at her, considering this for a moment. "No, not really… I mean, you're missing the beak thing… and the feathers… Though that could be arranged if you joined the amazons though, they could just cover you in tar and then toss feathers all over you, and if you then sort off flap your arms around you might just… blub" The monologue stopped as Xena cheerfully dunked the bard's head under water. 
Gabrielle shook her head as she surfaced, scattering droplets. She gave the warrior a look. "This is war." She managed, before lunging in Xena's direction, taking them both down and into the water. 

"Hmmm…" Gabrielle muttered, her body now completely relaxed because of the exhaustion and the warm water. She pillowed her head against Xena's shoulder as they both leaned against the edge of the tub. "Why can't all wars be like this huh? How about we challenge the Persians to a water fight? We could make a really big pool and just splash everybody and whoever gets the wettest loses…" 
Xena smiled. "I'd like that…" She looked down at Gabrielle as the woman yawned. "I think it's bed time for bards."
"I'm not.." Another yawn. "..tired…" 
"Right… Very convincing." Xena drawled, then stood, hearing some grunts from the bard as she lost her pillow. "Come on Gabrielle, you're gonna regret it in the morning if you stick around any longer…" 
"Yeah yeah…" The bard muttered, then stood and hastily took the towel Xena handed her, wrapping it around her body. "Gods, I so hate getting out of hot tubs… It's so cold out here…" She muttered as she viciously rubbed her arms to chase away the goose bumps. 
"Aw, poor little you…"
Gabrielle gave her a look. "You don't wanna start a towel fight, now do you Warrior Princess?" 
"I wouldn't start that f I were you." Xena countered. "If someone walks in and sees us snapping towels at
each other in a bathroom in the middle of the night in our bare butts, there is no way we're gonna live that down." 
Gabrielle bit her lip. "You've got a point there." 
"Uhuh" Xena agreed. "Come on, lets go…" 
"Right behind ya…"Gabrielle muttered as she followed Xena out of the bathroom. 

Alex nervously gazed across the large clearing, where all his men were lining up. He watched the metal of the armors glimmering dully in the early morning light. Thousands and thousands of men, all under his command. He took a beep breath and let it out again, trying to calm his nerves. "Oh father, if you can hear me, please help… I so wish you were here… You were so much better at this than I am…" He whispered softly, closing his eyes.

Hoof beats made him look up to see Parmenios riding over, the Medusahead on his armor glimmering. He pulled his horse to a halt beside the young king and saluted. 
"Hi Par." Alex smiled at his former chief lieutenant.
"Hey. I've put 20 of my men on the catapult protection. They said we'll probably have to wait a day or so when we reach the border for them to catch up." 
"Good," Alexander nodded. "So… Everybody ready?" 
"Xena and Gabrielle are checking that right now… Ah, there they are…" Parmenios stated as two forms cantered towards them. 

Xena dropped into a trot then pulled Argo to a halt next to the two men. Chilon pulled up moments later. "All ready." Gabrielle stated as she tried to calm the restless Chilon. 
"Dito on the left flank." Xena added giving Argo a slight pat on the shoulder. "You say the word and we're outta here Alex."
The young king nodded. "OK." He turned to Parmenios. "You'd better get back to your legion Par." 
"But of course my liege." The lieutenant assured him over politely, getting a chuckle out of the king before he took off and rejoined his men. 

Alex spared a glimpse at the two women flanking him for a moment, both seeming very calm. Then he straightened and motioned for a younger boy who was standing a little way off, clutching a horn in his hand. The boy quickly scuttled forward bowing to his king. "It's time Leon." 
"Yes my liege." The boy nodded, then lifted the horn to his mouth. A deep hollow sound echoed across the plane. Thousand of heads looked up. 
Alex looked back at them for a moment, thinking of all the lines he'd wanted to say to these people, who were loyally going to follow him into war, then realized there was nothing to be said… Another breath as he spared a glance for his castle, his home, the sun painting the stone walls a dark red. Then he raised his voice. "Move out."
Loud yelling filled the plain as Alexander turned his horse and paced forward, heading south.

"Are you dead?"
Xena shook her head. "Nope." 
"Did you know you before you met you?" 
"Huh?" 
Gabrielle sighed, than repeated very slowly, pronunciating every word very clearly. "Did you know the person you are now supposedly being before you met the person you are now supposedly being?" 
"No."
The bard bit her lip. "Have we ever met you?" 
The warrior considered this for a moment. "No." 
"Are you a god?" 
Xena lifted an eyebrow. 
"No huh? OK… Are you famous?" 
A smile. "A little." 
"Did this person become famous while we were traveling together?" 
"Definitely." 
Gabrielle frowned in thought. "Are you… Homer?" 
"Nope." 
"Darn…" 

"Xena?" 
The warrior looked up as Alexander came trotting over. "Yeah?" 
"We'll be reaching the spot you showed us just before sun set. Do you consider it safe or should I send a scout team ahead?" 
Xena considered this for a moment. "I'll ride out there. Everything should be fine, but maybe we'll have to clear the road a little for the horses to get through." 
Alex nodded. "All right, take along who ever you need." 
"OK, I will. Gabrielle, let's go." The warrior stated, before pushing Argo into a canter. 
Gabrielle chuckled, then nudged Chilon forward as well. "Right behind ya." 

They raced for a while until Xena finally pulled Argo back. Gabrielle soon pulled up beside her. "Gods, I needed that…" She sighed happily settling back in the saddle. "You never told me this leading an army stuff was so boring." 
Xena chuckled. "You'll get enough action when we reach the border, don't worry." 
"Yeah, I guess so…" Gabrielle muttered, closing her eyes and soaking in the sunlight for a while. A moment of silence. "Are you a man?" 
"No." 
"Hmmm…"
Xena chuckled. "Just give it up Gabrielle, you'll never guess this one." 
"Hey, don't insult me, OK?" 
"I'm not insulting you, I'm just stating a fact." 
Gabrielle narrowed her eyes at her friend. "So you're a woman?"
"Yes." Xena drawled, settling back in her saddle. 
"A woman who's a little famous and became famous since we traveled together, but we've never actually met her?" 
"Yup."
The bard drummed her fingers on Chilon's neck. "Minya?" 
"We've met her and she isn't exactly famous, now is she?" 
"Who could it be then? I don't know any women who are a little famous." Gabrielle grumbled in annoyance.
"Sure you do… Give up?" 
"No!" 
Xena threw up her hands. "Suit yourself then." 
Gabrielle sighed. "OK, OK… Am I… dark haired?"
"Nope." A moment of silence. "Hey Gabrielle?" 
The bard looked up. "Yeah?" 
"You got your staff at hand?" 
"Why, we got company?" 
Xena nodded slowly. 
"Lemme at 'm." 
The warrior chuckled, then slowly pulled Argo to a halt and dismounted. She stood quietly for a moment, staring up at the trees. Gabrielle stepped up beside her, staff at hand. "How many?" 
"Two crossbows in the trees, four men left, four right. You ready?" 
"Always." 
"All right then." Xena stated, then grabbed onto her chakram and launched it towards the first tree. A soft thud sounded as the archer hit the ground. As men came jumping from their hideouts with a roar she pulled herself into a flip and snatched the arrow that was headed for Gabrielle's head out of the air, then threw it back up, right into the heart of the second archer. 

Gabrielle smacked her first attacker out of the way, then spun around and took the legs out of under another. She felt Xena step up behind her and focused on her three following attackers, all armed with swords. She deflected several blows before disarming the first and hitting the second in the head. "Hey Xena?" 
"Hmm?" The warrior murmured, as she deflected another parry. 
"Are you blond?" 
A chuckle. "Sort off." 
"How can you be 'sort of blond'?" The bard demanded, slamming her staff in the direction of an unprepared head. 
"That's not a question I can answer with yes or no." Xena stated as she slammed her sword hilt against the back of a head. 
Gabrielle shook her head. She heard Xena laugh behind her through the clanging sounds of metal hitting metal. "Are you short?" 
"Very."

Gabrielle saw the remaining attackers give them some odd looks, then they turned and bolted. 
Xena sheeted her sword. "Nice exercise." 
Gabrielle leaned on her staff. "So you're blond, short, we've never met you, but you've gotten a little famous since we've been traveling together."
"Yup."
"Xena, there is no one like that." 
"Sure there is." The warrior replied. 
Gabrielle let out a sigh, then pulled herself up on Chilon. "OK, OK, I give… Who are you?" 
A chuckle. "I'm you." 
"You're me?" 
"Uhuh," Xena nodded as she pushed Argo forward, slamming a foot against one of the trees, then catching her chakram as it fell down. 
"Xena! You said you'd never met you… You've met me, now haven't you?" 
The warrior waved a finger at her. "You asked if WE'd met you… And you haven't met you cause you are you." 
The bard threw up her hands. "That is so unfair." 
"No it's not, I answered the question correctly."
A sigh in desperation. "Forget it…" A moment of silence. "Xena?"
"Yeah?"
"I am NOT short."

"So this is it huh?" 
Xena let her gaze flick across the clearing, finding it mostly as she remembered it. "Yup. What do ya think?" 
Gabrielle eyed her surroundings. "Not too bad."
"Glad you approve." The warrior muttered, then hopped off Argo. She started to unbuckle the saddle. "We can start setting up camp, the others won't be in for a candle mark or so. 
Gabrielle nodded, sliding off Chilon's back. 

Moments later the horses were set free and Xena put their saddlebags down in the center of the clearing. "First things first" She muttered, sticking a finger in the air and measuring the winds. She walked east a few paces, then kicked a few rocks aside. "We'll put the tent here." 
Gabrielle blinked, then shrugged and picked up the rolled up sheet and walked over to her friend. "I have to tell you Xena, putting up tents is not one of my many skills."
Xena chuckled. "Don't worry, I think I'll manage." She stated as she unrolled the fabric, fastening it onto the ground with a few metal pins. "Just straighten those ropes and tighten them for me will ya?" 
"On it" Gabrielle muttered as she set to work. 

After a quarter of a candle mark the dark blue tent stood firmly. "Well, that wasn't too hard." Gabrielle stated, dusting off her hands as she looked at their temporary residence. "It's not a castle, but it's better then sleeping on rocks." 
"Can you hand me the bedrolls?" Xena's muffled voice sounded from inside the tent. 
"Just a moment." Gabrielle answered, picking up the items in question then ducking inside the tent. It was actually quite large, for a tent anyway, covering a space of four by four paces. It was about 1,5 times Xena's height, and was now completely empty, except for the warrior standing in the far corner. 
"Here." Gabrielle said, tossing one of the bedrolls in Xena's direction. 
"Thanks." Xena caught it single-handedly, then unfastened the buckles and unrolled it in the center of the room. Gabrielle quietly followed her example. "So, what's up after this?" 
Xena shrugged. "We wait for the others."
"That's easy enough." Gabrielle muttered, pulling off some of the excessive armory. She placed it next to her bedroll, leaving her in only a tunic, a small phoenix encrusted in the top left corner. "Leading an army is not as hard as it looks, you know?" 
The warrior chuckled. "Piece of cake, right?" 
"Right. C'mon." Gabrielle nudged. "We've got a game to finish. It's my turn. And you will never ever guess this one." 
Xena willingly let herself be dragged outside. "All right… Are you… A person?" 
"Yes." 
"Are you a woman." 
"No." 
Xena sat herself down in the green grass, folding her hands under her head. "Have I met you?" 
"Yes." Gabrielle stated, settling down beside the warrior and lying down on her stomach, supporting her chin on her hands. 
Xena considered this for a moment, watching Gabrielle grin smugly back at her, the bard obviously convinced Xena would never guess. "Are you…" Xena thought for another moment. "… The archer I nailed with my chakram in the last fight." 
Gabrielle turned her head and gazed at the warrior. "That is so unfair…" 
"Heh." Xena chortled, staring at the setting sun happily. 
"Ugh." Gabrielle sighed, shaking her head. "I'm not gonna play with you anymore." 
Xena glanced aside, giving the bard a sad look.
"No, it's no fun. You always win."
The look turned into a pout. 
A sigh. "You know I can't stand that look." 
A grin. "I know."
Gabrielle glanced aside, trying to give her friend a angry look, but failed miserably and just laughed softly before moving closer and pillowing her head on Xena's shoulder. 
The warrior smiled, stroking an errant lock back. "You tired?"
"A little." Gabrielle murmured, wrapping an arm around Xena's stomach. 
"I told you, you should've gone to bed earlier last night." 
"Yeah," Gabrielle yawned. "All that stress for nothing." 
A low chuckle rumbled through the warrior's body. "Get some sleep. It will be a while before they get here. I'll wake you, OK?" 
Gabrielle managed a nod before she slumbered off into the realm of Morpheus. 

A falcon cried overhead, flapping his wings. Gabrielle looked up at him, shielding her eyes form the blinding sun. The bird circled above them for a moment, letting out another shrill cry before he headed south, deeper into Persian territory. The bard looked around, seeing a group of ten soldiers riding behind her and Xena slightly in front. They were riding over a small mountain path, a huge depth beside them and a hillside to their right, slightly sloping up and covered in trees. The road turned slightly up ahead, bending out of sight. 
"Gabrielle? You OK?" Xena looked at her, raising an eyebrow in question. 
She smiled. "Fine. Sorry, just drifted off there."
"Don't worry about it." Xena reassured her, looking back as Argo turned around the bend. Not expecting the armed Persians, running towards her. Reacting too late to block the sword headed for her heart.
"No!" Gabrielle yelled out, but it was to late. The warrior grabbed for her chest, then lifted her hand, looking at the blood covered surface in disbelief. Then she looked up at her. 
"Gabrielle?"

"Gabrielle?"
The bard's head shot up as Xena lightly shook her shoulder. "Xena?"
The warrior frowned. "You OK?" 
Gabrielle rubbed her temples, taking a moment to clear her head. "Yeah…sorry… I'm fine." She managed a smile. 
Xena returned the smile, then patted the bard's cheek. "They're here." 
Gabrielle focused her attention on the place where the road opened into the large clearing, where now the first cavalry was starting to emerge. "So I see." 
Xena patted her on the shoulder, then stood, making her way over to Alexander's horse, saluting the young king and holding onto the reins as he swung his leg over the horses back.

Gabrielle stared ahead of her for another moment. It had been so real, she mused. So clear, every detail… Almost like that time when… She shook her head at herself. "Get your act together Gabrielle." She muttered, then straightened and walked towards the men and women that were now slowly entering the clearing. 

Xena placed the table into the corner of one of the tents. The camp had been erected quickly enough, and now thousands of campfires were lighting up the clearing. . She'd advised Alexander to put several of the men on watch, just in case any raiders were foolish enough to steel from a ten thousand men army. The men had been counted and so far none were missing, which meant their Persian friend was most probably still among them. 
Xena walked over to her saddlebag, pulling out several pieces of folded or rolled up parchment and deposited them on the table. The whole army had just eaten. Standard army food, some stewy substance, contents unknown. The warrior grimaced as she unfolded one of the maps. It would take some getting used to again, the army life, she mused, placing small stones on the corners of the parchment to keep it lying flat. Of course, as an officer, there were lots of privileges, but Alexander had wisely decided not to place the lieutenants too high over the common soldiers, to keep moral up. 
Xena picked up a quill, tracing the red line Alex had drawn over the parchment a week previous. She circled the spot they were in now, then traced the line further up. It circled past Frontinus to their next stop at Galerius, one of the larger town in the area. The reeve of the township had send word to Alexander a while ago that he would send fresh supplies from the city when they reached the valley lying slightly west of the town. 
Then further south, past Lokris… The quill halted over a small red dot, two days travel from the Persian border… Amfipolis… Xena sighed and put the quill down, staring at the name quietly. "Hi mom, just thought I'd drop by. I'm leading 10.000 heavily armored soldiers into Persia, but don't worry, I'll only kill bad people this time." She muttered sarcastically, pulling one of two chairs in the tent closer and sitting down behind the wooden desk. 

"You shouldn't worry about your mother." 
Xena looked up at the familiar voice. Gabrielle pushed the tent flap further aside and stepped inside, walking closer to where Xena was sitting.
The warrior shook her head. "I'll walk in there fully armored with thousands of men standing at the gates Gabrielle… I don't blame her if she doubts me…" 
"Well I will." Blue eyes peered up at her. "Xena, she knows you better than that." 
"That's exactly why I won't blame her."
Gabrielle shook her head, settling on an edge of the table. "You think so little of yourself." 
Xena dropped her head, staring down at the grass under her feet. "I just know who I am." 
"Who you were." Gabrielle quietly corrected her, then leaned forward, touching the warrior's cheek and stopping any comment. "Xena, you may think you know yourself, but when it comes to judging who you are, leave it to the experts, OK?" 
The warrior smirked. "You?" 
"And your mom." Gabrielle stated, smiling back. "We've been around you long enough to see through all the big-bad-warlord bravado."
"Bravado?" Xena asked, feigning insult. 
"You heard me." 
Xena pinned the bard with one of her most intimidating looks. 
"See, that's exactly what I mean." Gabrielle stated, quite unimpressed. 
Xena rolled her eyes, then chuckled, patting the bards knee. "Thanks." 
Gabrielle smiled. "Just don't worry, OK? Everything will be fine."
"I'll take your word for it." Xena mumbled, leaning back in her seat. "What are you doing in here anyhow, I thought you were barding outside?" 
Gabrielle chuckled. "Actually, I came in here to get you to help me with a bet of mine." 
"Bet?" Xena asked, growing slightly suspicious. "What kind of bet?" 
"Well." Gabrielle started, a glint in her eyes. "I was telling the guys about how well you could sing, but they didn't believe me, so…" 
"Oh no you don't." Xena shook a finger at the bard.
"Come on Xena, don't be a bore." 
The warrior raised an eyebrow. 
"Aw… Please? You just have to manage a few in tune notes, that's all?" Gabrielle gave her a pleading look, but Xena just frowned at her. The bard uttered a sigh. "OK, OK, I'll let you share the prize." 
The warrior's head tilted slightly. "Prize?" 
"The guys promised to get me roasted quail for tomorrows diner AND baklava for dessert." 
Xena grinned. "Dessert?" 
Gabrielle nodded. 
"OK, I'm in."
The bard chuckled, then turned and headed out of the tent, the warrior following closely behind. 

"That took you long enough." Alaran's voice sounded as the two women walked into the large area in which several campfires were burning, the men all sitting in a circle around where Gabrielle must have stood moments ago. The men and women chuckled. 
"Well, you know how warriors get." Gabrielle retorted. "They're hard to convince you know." 
"Unless you mention desert." Xena added dryly, stepping into the circle. The troops laughed, all of them apparently well humored after some of Gabrielle's stories. 

Gabrielle sat down and watched the warrior step forward, easily soaking up all the attention of the crowd. Xena cracked her fingers in front of her, watching her audience. "I will now sing for you a part of the tragedy Oedipus, by Euripides. 

Xena tapped her chest, cleared her throat and then launched into her song, stilling all the muttering to a complete silence. Gabrielle listened with a smile as the warrior sang about the trails at the gates of Thebes, the sphinx and the riddle and how Oedipus solved it. As the song ended Xena let her voice softly drift off into the night sky. 

The silence lasted for a few more moments, then Alaran muttered a 'crap', then began applauding, soon joined by the rest of the group. 
Xena bowed several times at her audience, then walked out of the circle. "OK, if that was all, I expect my dessert to be served in my tent tomorrow evening." 
Another round of chuckles filled the clearing. 

Xena was just about to escape the crowd when Alexander blocked her path. "Heard you singing." 
The warrior looked down at him. "I tend to do that some times." 
"Not often enough." Alexander retorted, steering her back towards the crowd. Then he raised his voice. "Anybody up for some battle songs?" 
A cheer drifted up, mixed with Gabrielle's chuckle at seeing Xena's expression. A mug of ale was pushed into the warriors hands and with a sigh Xena sat down beside the still chuckling bard, giving Gabrielle an annoyed look. The bard only laughed, then wrapped an arm around Xena's shoulders, giving her a light pat. Xena shook her head, but smiled, then looked up at the group around her, raising her mug. "Who knows 'soldiers awaken'?" Immediately a low rumble of voice enthusiastically started the song, Alaran singing horribly off key. Xena chuckled, then joined in, letting her voice mingle with the others drifting up into the night.

"Alex?" 
Alexander looked up at the sound of Xena's voice, then motioned the warrior forward with his hand. "Come in." 
They'd traveled along for another two days and had set up camp early today, to let the troops practice some drills and to rest a bit. 
Xena stepped inside, walking to stand in front of the table Alexander was sitting behind. "I… uhm… I need to ask you for a short leave of absence." 

The young king looked at her for a moment, then chuckled. "That's not something you've ever had to ask for in your life I take it?"
Xena chuckled as well, perching down on the desk. "Not really no. I used to just do what I felt like doing. I have to admit that this being second in command stuff is quite weird for me." 
Alex smiled up at her as he settled back in his chair. "I understand that, and the leave of absence is granted, for both you and Gabrielle." 
Xena dropped her head, then looked up and grinned. "Am I that predictable?" 
"Yes." Alex grinned at Xena's indignant look. "And I figured, as you're probably going to Amfipolis, you could use some back up." 
The warrior patted him on the shoulder and stood. "Thanks Alex, I really appreciate this." 
"Don't worry about it. We'll manage. How long will you both be gone?" 
Xena shrugged. "Not too long. A full day, maybe two. We'll meet up with you here." She stated, pointing at one of the dots marked as a camping spot. 
"Very well." The king nodded. "Good luck Xena." 
"Thanks, I'll need it." The warrior stated, managing a smile, then she turned and walked out of the tent. 

"You know, I'm really starting to get used to riding." Gabrielle commented as Chilon cantered quietly beside Argo. 
Xena looked aside and managed a smile for the bard. They'd both decided to dump any excessive armory and Xena had switched into her old leathers, while Gabrielle had pulled on her tunic, tying it down with a belt around her waist. 
Gabrielle gave her a sympathetic look. "You shouldn't worry." 
"Sorry." The warrior muttered. "It's become a habit I guess. Every time I go back home I feel awkward."
"I know." Gabrielle said, leaning over and patting the warrior's thigh. "They know who you are now though. They haven't said anything bad about you since Draco, right?" 
"No." Xena admitted. "But you know how it is, there's tension. And I hate tension, unless it's in my advantage." 
The bard chuckled. "Unfortunately not everything can go the way you want it to Xena."
A sigh. "I know. I hate that about life." 
Another chuckle, then the bard pushed Chilon in the flanks. "Come on, race you to that tree over there." 
Xena smiled, then urged Argo into a faster pace. "Come on girl, let's show that ugly, hairy monster up there what we're made off, huh?" 
"Hey, don't you start talking that way about my horse!" Gabrielle yelled over her shoulder, trying to increase her distance. 
"Who said I was talking about the horse!"
"Oh, you are so dead now, Warrior Princess." Gabrielle threatened, turning completely in the saddle and pointing a dangerous finger at the warrior. 
"You just watch for any oncoming branches Smackbrielle." Xena answered, catching up on the two. 
"Funny, very funny." Gabrielle muttered back, pushing Chilon forward even more, making the stallion pick up speed. 

After much bickering they settled on a tie after finishing simultaneously and now both horses proceeded at an easy trot, towards the top of the last hill. Xena had grown quiet again, and all though Gabrielle had tried to reassure her several times the warrior was obviously still fearing the near meeting with her mother. 

As they reached the top of the hill they could look down into the valley. The houses of Amfipolis glimmered dully in the soft sunshine, the movement of people in the market square clear even from this distance. Gabrielle caught Xena squaring her shoulders and settling more securely in the saddle. "You OK?" 
The warrior nodded briefly. "Yeah. Come on, let's just get this over with." She stated, before pushing Argo on, heading into the valley. Gabrielle shook her head quietly, but followed shortly behind. 

It had been quite a while since she'd been here. Xena looked around at the familiar houses and shops. People. To her surprise most people actually smiled as she rode by towards her mother's inn, some even raised their hands in greeting and called out her name. 

She pulled up in front of the inn and tied Argo's reins around the wooden beam in front of the building. Gabrielle stopped shortly afterwards, doing the same. Xena straightened, gave Argo a quick pat and then moved forwards, pushing open the door to the inn. 

It was busy, as could only be expected at noon really. A young girl walked back and forth with large platters full of meats and vegetables. Xena quietly scanned the room, as was her habit before actually entering a building, then stepped forward and walked towards the counter. An older man ducked from the kitchen, then smiled as he spotted her. "Well well, the return of Xena of Amfipolis…" He looked at Gabrielle. "And her trusty sidekick of course." 
Xena smiled. "Thomas, it's good to see you." She greeted the man. "It's quite busy today." 
"Aye, so it is… But luckily the rush hour is nearly over." Thomas sighed, as he handed another plate to the rushing girl. "the problem is your mother you know, she cooks too well." 
A stumble came from the kitchen, then the door was pushed open and Cyrene emerged, an apron tied around her waist, white spots all over her clothes from the flour. "Thomas, would you mind…" The sentence got stuck in her throat as she spotted her unexpected visitors. 
Xena managed a nervous smile. "Hi mom." 
"Xena?" Then the woman quickly hurried around the counter and wrapped her daughter in her arms. 
"It's nice to see you too." Xena muttered. "Sorry it's been so long." 
"That's all right, my daughter, I know you have to save the world and all of that…" They both smiled, then Cyrene looked around her daughters form to find Gabrielle patiently leaning against the counter. She quickly walked over and infolded the young woman in a hug. "Hello Gabrielle." 
"Hi Cyrene." 
The older woman smiled as she leaned back. "You're looking very well." She said, touching the bard's cheek. "Very healthy. I hope my daughter has been taking good care of you." 
"Well…" Gabrielle muttered, frowning her brows and wiggling her hand. 
"Hey!" Xena feigned insult.
Cyrene laughed softly, watching the two. "Well, it's good to have you both here." She studied Gabrielle for a moment longer, only now noticing the odd choice of clothes. Her brows furrowed slightly. "That's the crest of Macedon, isn't it?" 
Gabrielle dropped her head, avoiding the woman's gaze. Xena sighed, then softly placed her hand on her mother's shoulder. "Mom… we need to talk."

"Well…" Cyrene stared ahead of her silently. "I have to say, I expected almost anything, but not that…" 
Xena dropped her eyes, staring intently at the table's surface. "I'm sorry, mom." 
Blue eyes the color of her own regarded her. "Sorry for what? Helping a friend out?" 
Xena eyes lifted and looked at her. "Sorry for only dropping by when I'm involved in something big, sorry about leading a huge army and telling you two days before we head into enemy territory…" 
Cyrene quietly shook her head. "Xena, you don't have to inform me about your every move you know. You're a big girl now. I mean, of course I'd like to hear from you more often, but you're busy with things, I know that." 
"I know, but this was big… I mean, the last time…" 
"Stop it." Cyrene leaned over and took her daughter's hand. "This is nothing like that and you know it." Her mother quietly shook her head. "you have to stop thinking that I'll… I know that what you do now is right. Xena, every time merchants or bards pass by here, they tell me stories. About you, what you've done lately… And it makes me so proud." 
Blue eyes peeked up at her hesitantly. 
Her mother smiled. "The past will never be forgotten Xena, but it is forgiven… By everyone… Everyone except yourself…" 
The warrior sighed. "I know that mother… And every day when I save a life, I know it's right… But at night, the nightmares still haunt me…" She softly shook her head. "That will never go away." 
"Mine did." Cyrene chuckled softly as bright blue eyes shot up again. "Xena, you are my daughter, and I love you. In spite of everything I always have and I always will." Then she stood briskly, straightening her dress. "Now, enough of all this. While you're home I get a chance at spoiling you and I won't let it pass me by this time. Go get that friend of yours and I'll cook you up something nice…" 
Xena smiled then stood and wrapped an arm around her mother, hugging her. "Thanks mom." 
"Anytime for you honey." Cyrene smiled into her shoulder.
They broke apart and both looked at each other for a moment, then Xena straightened. "So, where did you send that friend of mine off to?" 
"Your old room." 
"My…" Blue eyes widened. "Please tell me you didn't…" 
Her mother chuckled softly, pushing the door open to the kitchen.

Xena sighed. "I can't believe this." She muttered, walking up the stairs, then turning left. "It's a conspiracy, it has to be…" At the end of the hall she pushed open the door on the left. 

"Hi." 
Xena sighed when she saw the smirking face of the bard posed on her bed, surrounded by stuffed animals and other toys. "Hi." 
Gabrielle chuckled, tossing one of the toys at her friend, who caught it single-handedly and gave her an angry stare. "Hey, you toss Mr. Panther again and you're dead, bard." 
Gabrielle raised an eyebrow. "Mr. Panther?" 
"Yeah, well, it sounded more suitable then Mr. Giraffe at the time." The warrior stated, trying very hard to keep the tough warlord act up as she positioned the stuffed black cat under her arm and walked over to the bed, seating herself beside the bard's relaxed form. 
Gabrielle laughed softly, then touched her friend's arm. "So, how did it go?"
"We're OK." Xena stated simply, fiddling with the panther's tail, then she glanced at the bard. "And don't tell me you told me so." 
"Wouldn't dream of it." Gabrielle stated, falling back completely in the multitude of toys with a smile. "You know, I wish I'd had all of this when I was a kid. The only thing I had was a rag doll but it fell in the well one day and I couldn't get it back…" 
"I would've jumped after it." 
Gabrielle glanced up at her. "Really?" 
Xena nodded determinedly, fishing a very worn down duck out of the pile. "I decided Ducky wanted to go swimming one day so I wandered over to the waterhole and tossed him in." 
Gabrielle snorted in laughter. 
"Unfortunately Ducky is a lousy duck, cause he sank like a brick. I had to jump in after him. Came home covered in mud. My mom was so mad." She chuckled herself at the memory. "But not half as mad as when Lyceus and me decided it was time for Feathers to learn to fly and Ly got stuck up in the tree in the town square." 
Gabrielle laughed even louder, grabbing onto the warrior's shoulder for support. "Oh my gods… I would've loved seeing that." 
"You would've loved seeing Toris boasting he was gonna save the situation, before getting stuck into that tree as well. Had to climb up there myself and get the two of them out." 
Gabrielle chuckled. "Always the hero huh?" 
"Nah." Xena shook her head. "Just the better climber." 
"Right." Gabrielle smiled, pillowing her head on the warrior's shoulder happily. "You know, I wish I'd known you back then." 
The warrior smiled down at her. "Yeah, me too…" 

They lay quietly like that for a moment, then Xena straightened and stood, extending a hand down to the bard. "Come on, mom told me to go get you. She's making us lunch." 
"Diner you mean." Gabrielle chuckled as she allowed herself to be hauled up. 
"Whatever." Xena conceded, making her way down the stairs. 

"Can I stay here forever?" 
Cyrene chuckled as the bard happily stuck another spoonful into her mouth. "Sure dear, anytime." 
"Oh you shouldn't have said that mom. You'll have no food left when she takes you up on that offer." 
"Mwy!" Gabrielle swallowed, waving her spoon at the warrior. "Shut it Princess." 
Cyrene laughed at the two, settling back in her chair contently. " Just ignore her Gabrielle." 
"Hey, you two teaming up against me?" Xena gave them both a hurt look.
"You're the tall intimidating one with the sword you know." Gabrielle countered, taking another bite of her nut bread. "Smot fwike Wef mufhfof a tweth." 
Xena chuckled. "Maybe not. But you are teaming up with my mother. She has the best ear pulling technique…" 
"Oeh…" Gabrielle looked up. "Teach me." 
Cyrene laughed. "All in due time, my dear, all in due time." They were silent for a moment as they all chewed on their late lunch. Then she looked at her daughter. "How long can you stay?" 
Blue eyes looked back at her. "Not long." 
"But we can stay for the night." Gabrielle immediately dropped in. A dark eyebrow lifted at her. "Hey, no matter what you say, I'm sticking around here for breakfast. Or would you rather have grub?" 
Xena considered this for a moment. "Good point." 
"Besides." Gabrielle continued. "I bet your mom and I could have some really nice chats." 
The bard and Cyrene shared conspiritual grins. 
Xena sighed. "I'm in trouble, aren't I?"

The sun was peeking over the hilltops when Xena led Argo and Chilon out of their stables. Chilon snorted as the warrior checked his saddle and tightened the girth. She patted the stallions neck as she heard footsteps come out of the inn. 
"Here, I packed you something for the road." Cyrene told Gabrielle as she handed the bard a paper bag. 
Gabrielle sniffed appreciatively. "Is that nutbread?" 
Cyrene chuckled, then pulled the bard into a hug. "You take care Gabrielle. I expect you to drop by when all of this is over, OK?" 
"You bet." Gabrielle smiled. "I'll make sure to get Xena back here for her birthday, OK?" 
Cyrene laughed and winked at the bard who moved over to her horse and mounted the large stallion. 

Her daughter stepped closer and she pulled the tall warrior into a hug as well. "Be careful, Xena." 
"I will." Xena replied, giving her mother a pat on the back. "Don't worry about me." 
"Of course I'll worry." Cyrene shook her head at her. "It's a mother's privilege to worry about her children, after all." A smile. "Good luck." 
"Thanks." Xena managed, touching her mother's shoulder. "Bye mother." 
"Goodbye daughter… Take care, of the both of you." 
"I will." Xena smiled, then turned and took hold of Argo's reigns, placing a foot in the stirrups. She gave Gabrielle a look. "Let's go." 
"Right behind ya, partner." Gabrielle smiled, then pushed Chilon into a canter and followed behind Argo, looking back and waving at the disappearing innkeeper one last time.

It was late that night when the two horses reached the army's camp. Xena pulled Argo back and stepped into the camp. She rode up to the tent that held the horses and hopped off, quickly followed by Gabrielle. 
"It's quiet." She muttered, leading Argo to her box, then taking off the mare's saddle. 
"It's late," Gabrielle shrugged, as she started to brush Chilon off. "Maybe they've all turned in for the night." 
"Maybe." Xena muttered, filling Argo's water bucket. She cocked her head for a moment, the resumed her work. "We'll know soon enough. Alaran's coming." 
Gabrielle chuckled and shook her head. "How do you always know who exactly it is? I can hear someone's coming, but never who…" 
Xena shrugged. "Echo of the footsteps, the pace, cracking of the leather… Variety of things…" 
"Right." Gabrielle sighed, giving Chilon a final pat as she exited the box. "In other words, I have lots to learn." 
Xena chuckled, then seated herself on a bay of hay as Alaran pulled the tent flap aside and stepped in. "Hey you two, heard you got back." 
"You heard correctly then." Xena replied, pulling a bit of hay lose and handing it up to Argo, who neatly scooped it out of her hand. "What's up?" 
"Alex has taken some of the troops and he headed for some place called Gordion or something. He said he'd be back within the day, but he's still not here." 
"Gordion?" Xena chuckled. "He won't be back for a while in that case." 
"Why not?" Gabrielle asked, digging some stuff out of their saddle bags. 
"Gordion is legendary for this really complicated knot that ties the chariot of the king of the place, Gordias, to a pole. They say that whoever will untie it, gets to rule over Asia."
Alaran shook his head. "Figures. You know, Alex is a great guy, but he's so superstitious. They say he's blessed by Athena though…" 
"Right, like that'll do him any good." Gabrielle muttered. Alaran gave her a non understanding look, but she just shrugged it off. "Never mind." 
"O..K.." He managed, then yawned. "Well, I just figured I'd let you know. Alex put me in charge while He and Parmenios are gone, but now that you're back, the two of you are, of course…" 
"Right." Xena muttered. "Did you count the men?" 
"Yup." Alaran nodded. "All here, except for the people Alex took with him…" 
"Right." Xena tapped her knee for a moment, then looked up at Gabrielle. "I think I'll ride up to Gordion tomorrow. Alex is really lousy at puzzles, I'm not planning on waiting for him to see the light on this one."
Gabrielle chuckled. "Well, I'll guess you'll be in charge for a while longer then Alaran." She smiled at the lieutenant. 
Alaran shrugged. "Sure." 
"That's arranged then. Make the army move up tomorrow, head towards the next camping spot, near Sofron. We'll meet you there." She turned to the bard. "Let's go Gabrielle, if we want to be up and running early in the morning tomorrow, we'd better turn in now." 
"Gotcha." Gabrielle stated as Xena stood and dusted some hay off her leathers. "Good night Alaran." 
"Good night. Oh, we put your tent up in the center, near the fire. Hope that's OK." 
"Fine" Xena nodded, before striding out of the stable and heading towards the center of the camp, where she could see the soft glow of a fire lighting up the dark skies. 

Alexander strode around the chariot again, stopping and peering closer at the twisted and tied up piece of rope. He shook his head and looked up at Parmenios. "We'll have to pull the chariot through the loop." 
Parmenios yawned. "Alex, do I look like a magician to you? Not even Zeus could get that thing through that tiny little loop, OK?" 
The king sighed. "You have a point there. But it's the only way… look, if we pull that end trough here, we could push that end through there…" 
"I'd love to look at that Alex,, but unfortunately, my brain sort of stops after 36 candle marks without sleep…" 
"Nag." Alexander muttered, circling the knot again. "Am I allowed to lift the pole?" he directed at a priest of the town, dressed in long robes, who was called in to judge if everything went fairly. The man nodded in response. 
"Shouldn't we be heading back, my king?" One of the soldiers offered tentatively. "We promised to be back yesterday evening." 
"I know that Kadmos, but this is important OK. I'm sure Alaran will forgive us for being a bit late…" 
"Alaran might." A low voice rumbled through the room.

Alexander's head shot up at the familiar voice.
"But I won't." Xena finished, striding into the room. "Alex, we're on a schedule here." 
The young king tossed up his hands. "Come on Xena, this is a matter of honor OK? If I untie this, victory will be ensured…" He leaned closer. "It'll lift moral too." He added in a whisper.
Xena rolled her eyes. "Well, then just get this over with and go back, OK?" 
"It's not that easy. I mean, look at it." Alex sighed, pointing at the knot in question. 

Gabrielle was peering at the situation with interest, touching the ropes. "This is very tricky." She muttered, tapping the side of her head in thought. "The chariot is supposed to go through here…" 
"Yeah, that's what I said." Alex stated quickly, walking closer to the bard. "But that's just impossible to get through… Maybe if we get the pole through this bit here…" 
"Nah." Gabrielle shook her head, looking at the loop. "That'll get you nowhere… Maybe if we twist the chariot sideways, then lift the pole and turn it like this…" Gabrielle reasoned, gesturing to the king. 
"Yeah." Alex's head shot up. "Yeah, that might work… We could…" 
"Ok, I've head enough of this." Xena's voice cut through his train of thought. "Move back." 
"But Xena…" Alexander looked up at her. " What…?"
"I'm not planning on sitting around here and waiting for the two of you." Xena stated. "You want the stupid thing untied? Fine…" Then in a flash she unsheathed her sword and with one blow cut the knot in half, then watched the rope unravel. "Done. Let's go." 

Alex stared at the cut rope, then up at Xena, then back down at the rope. Finally he lifted his eyes to meet those of the priest. "Does this count?" 
The priest blinked, the quickly leafed through his scrolls, finding nothing about cutting through ropes being illegal. "I guess so…" He then muttered, looking up at the king again with a shrug. "Congratulations. You are the future conqueror of Asia, by the will of the gods." 
"Great." Xena muttered, then urged the soldiers out. "Come on people, let's move. We've got an army to meet up with." 

An arm draped around her shoulder and she looked up to find Parmenios staring back at her. "You." He stated, pointing at her. "Are my savior." 
Xena chuckled, patting her friend on the back. "Sorry you had to suffer so long Par. Get the guys ready OK? We're moving out as soon as possible." 
"OK." Parmenios managed, then trotted off after his men. 
Xena turned back. "You two coming?" 
Alex looked down at the rope again, then looked up. "Yeah, we'll be right there." 
Xena rolled her eyes, then strode outside. 

Gabrielle looked up and met Alex' blue eyes staring back at her. "Our idea would have worked too, you know?" 
"Yeah…" Alex muttered, looking down at the ropes one more time, then turned and walked out of the room, quickly followed by Gabrielle. 

Xena strode into the tent, and dropped down her bag beside her friend's. Gabrielle was sitting crossed legged on her bedroll, balancing a scroll on her legs. "Watcha writing?" 
"Everything about today." Gabrielle told her, hastily dipping her quill in the jar of black ink beside her before she continued writing. 
The warrior gave her a look, then shook her head, sitting down beside her as she started rummaging through her bag. "Why?" 
Gabrielle looked up and lifted an eyebrow at her friend. "Xena, today was historical. I mean, the Gordian Knot got untied… that's big…"
Xena shrugged. "I cut through a piece of rope, so what's the big deal? I do it all the time…" 
Gabrielle shot her a sideways glance. "The big deal is that cutting through this piece of rope made you into the future Ruler of Asia." 
"Aw come on Gabrielle, you don't believe all of that, do you? That's just a myth." 
The bard waved her quill at her. "But myths often contain a bit of truth, remember?"
"Whatever." Xena muttered, finding her sharpening stone before reaching over for her sword. "Asia is about the only place I haven't ruled before, so that'd be fun." 
"Tch..." Gabrielle shook her head at the warrior, continuing her scribbling. "You wanna switch? I'll be the Ruler of Asia and you can be my trusty sidekick, OK?" 
Xena chuckled as she started sharpening her sword with rhythmic strokes. "Sure." A pause. "Just what exactly does an emperor's sidekick do?" 
Gabrielle shrugged. "Beats me… What did your sidekicks do?" 
"Didn't have any sidekicks." 
Gabrielle looked up at her with a shocked expression. "No sidekicks?" A shake of the warrior's head. "You poor thing, how did you survive all those years?" 
Xena chuckled. "It was a good thing you came along when you did, the sidekick less life was killing me. No one to cook me food, or to hit me with pitchforks, or to chatter me to death." 
"Hey!" Gabrielle gave her an outraged look and slapped the warrior on the shoulder with the back of her hand. "Ouch, darn, that armour's tough…"
"That's what it's there for, remember." Xena reminded her with a smile as she resheated her sword into it's scabbard. "So, are you about ready with the bard stuff?" 
"That depends on what you want me to do." 
"I was thinking about a little bit of training… Something like… you and me against a ten thousand men army?" 
Gabrielle considered this for a moment. "Yeah, that sounds like fun." She then concluded, standing up and then extending a hand down for Xena, who let herself be hauled up with a smile. "Come on, let's go." 

"Remind me." Smack. "To never." Smack. "Take you up on." Smack. "A challenge again." 
Xena chuckled deep in her throat, taking another on rusher out by swiping his legs out from under him. 
"Hey, you were the one who said it'd be fun." 
"Details, details." Gabrielle muttered, hitting her next attacker in the side. 
"Hey, I can't help it we're such great teachers." Xena reasoned, exchanging several parries with one of the soldiers. "You wanna take down Alaran?" 
Gabrielle shrugged, then nailed another opponent. "Sure." A rush of air behind her as Xena jumped up and flipped over her. She turned and slammed out her staff, preparing her muscles for the back blow as the wood collided with Alaran's staff. "Hi." 
"Hi." Alaran smiled, before lunging out again. 
Gabrielle parried the stroke, then pushed her staff aside and managed to hit another soldier in the stomach, before blocking Alaran's next blow. 

Meanwhile Ptolemaios had reached Xena and managed to hit the warrior in the side, before pulling himself into a flip and evading the return blow. The warrior gave him an impressed look. "Nice…" 
"Thank you." The Egyptian made a short bow before engaging her again. "It is an old Egyptian technique. Egyptian fighting is more suitable for chow bows than staffs though." He stated, ducking under a lunge from the warrior. 
"I should try that sometimes." Xena muttered, actually having a hard time fighting off the Egyptian's strikes. 

Gabriele hopped over Alaran's staff again, then made her move and stepped forward, turning the lieutenant around and pressing her staff against his throat. "OK, hold it!" 
The men stopped moving forward, some even staggering back, looking at her with wide eyes. 
"I've got your little lieutenant hostage here, back off!" 
"Hey, Gabrielle, what…?" Alaran gurgled, pulling in air. "Hey, easy on the throat, will ya?"
Xena watched her opponent back off as well and turned to give Gabrielle a pat on the back. "Smart thinking." Then she looked up at the men and smiled at them. "Drop the weapons, please?" 
Some muttering rose, then Ptolemaios chuckled, and dropped his staff, quickly followed by the rest. 
"We win." Gabrielle stated as she released Alaran, who immediately reached for his throat. 
"Piece of cake." Xena stated, sharing a high five with her fighting partner. 
"You cheated." Alaran stated, scrambling up. "Taking hostages is not allowed."
"Right." Xena drawled, leaning on her staff. "Will you hand the scroll of rules to the Persian's or will I?" 
Alaran sighed, and walked off, still rubbing his painful throat.
Xena chuckled, then turned to the men and women still lingering around. "Nice work people, well done… You actually made me break into a sweat this time." 
The crowd laughed then broke up, everyone moving back towards their tents with a quick salute. 

"Broke into a sweat huh?" Gabrielle chuckled. "And it only took a thousand men or so? Softy…" 
Xena laughed softly. "Look who's talking, miss dry and mighty." 
Gabrielle joined her as they walked towards their tent. "How about I get some towels and you find us some really freezingly cold pond to swim in?" 
"Know just the place." Xena replied almost instantly, making Gabrielle roll her eyes, before she ducked into the tent. Moments later she emerged again, carrying two towels over her shoulder and a bar of soap in her hand. "Ok, ready when you are." 


A toe tentatively reached into the water, then hastily pulled back. "darn it, that's cold!" 
"Well, you wanted it freezing, right?" Xena lazily commented behind her. 
Gabrielle shook her head as she stood on the edge of the pond, glaring into the dark waters. "There is no way you're gonna get me into this water." 
"Sure there is." Xena's voice purred into her ear, before an arm wrapped around the bard's waste and Xena jumped into the cold water, dragging Gabrielle down with her. 

With a splash Xena broke through the surface , tossing her hair back as she did so. Moments later Gabrielle surfaced as well, spitting out water as she did so. "Pah." Her teeth chattered as she looked up at Xena, who was grinning at her. "I'm gonna have to hurt you now." 
"Promises, promises." Xena chuckled, then dove under again, swimming away from the bard. 
"Brat." Gabrielle muttered, before hastily diving after her, the water's coldness forgotten. 

"You know, this water isn't so bad once you get used to it." Gabrielle
commented as she let herself float around lazily. "Why is that, that when
you're in a cold spot long enough, it's not cold anymore?"
Xena shrugged. "Just adapting, I guess." She commented. "Hey, where'd you
put the soap?"
"Oh, I forgot. It's over there, near our clothes." Gabrielle stated,
pointing towards the shore.
"Great." Xena muttered, then swam towards the edge of the water. She stood
as she could feel the sand beneath her feet and walked onto dry land,
towards the clothes they'd draped over a couple of nearby trees.

"Well well." A deep voice burred from close by.
Xena sighed, then looked up to see deep brown eyes twinkling back at her.
She gave the God of War a bored look.
"Hmm, I have to say Xena, I like the wet look on you…." Ares stated, letting
his eyes roam over her body for a moment. "Either this or that disheveled,
blood covered style of course."
The warrior raised an eyebrow at him. "Do you actually have a point to make,
or is this just one of your pleasant visits to annoy me?"
A low chuckle was her answer. "Oh, I have quite a good reason actually. I
wanted to congratulate you on the second part of your plan. Cutting through
that knot… " He tossed up his hands. "Brilliant…"
"Oh, shut it Ares." Xena turned away from him. "Don't even bother, OK?"
"But I like bothering." Ares replied with a smile, closing in on her, then
dropping his voice to a whisper. "You realize what this means, don't you?"
A grin. "I talked to the Fates Xena, this prophesy is real and it will come
true." A breath as he took hold of her shoulders and turned her around to
face him. "They said that either you take over Persia, or a nation will
fall." A sultry smile crossed his face. "You know the odds Xena. You're
outnumbered miserably… But you and me, together, we could overcome the odds
easily."
Xena crossed her arms. "No."
The God of War leaned in closer. "Xena, listen to me. You and me both know
that when you cross that border, you will condemn thousands to their deaths…
Do you really want that on your conscience?"
Xena looked at him for another moment, then sighed. "No. But there is no way
in Hades I'll produce a ticket into Persia for you, Ares, and you know it."
"Can't blame a god for trying, can ya?" Ares chuckled. "I'm just asking you
to consider my proposal. Give me a hand crossing the border, and I will help
you beat the odds and place victory in those lovely lethal hands." Another
chuckle. "Think about it." Then a flash lid up the dark skies and the God of
War disappeared.

"What took you so long?" Gabrielle asked, still drifting around with closed eyes, as she heard Xena's strokes come nearer. 
"Couldn't find the stupid soap." Xena muttered, as she started to clean herself. 
Gabrielle opened an eyelid and peered at her friend for a moment, then closed her eye again and continued drifting. "Well, that definitely put you in an off mood." 
Xena sighed, looking down at the black surface of the water. "There's… there's just a lot on my mind…" 
"Wanna talk about it?" 
The warrior considered this for a moment, then shook her head softy. "I think this is just something I'll have to think about for myself… but thanks for the offer…" 
"Your welcome." Gabrielle replied, deciding not to push the subject any further. "You about done with that soap?" 
"Yup. Catch." 
Gabrielle blinked then looked towards her friend just in time to watch the bar of soap smash against her forehead. "Ouch." She muttered, catching the soap just before it sank into the depth, then lifting a hand to touch her forehead. She looked up and raised an eyebrow and Xena, who staring back at her sheepishly. 
"Sorry…" 
Gabrielle shook her head then started rubbing the soap over her forearms. "Next time, I'll get the soap, OK?" 
"OK." 

A falcon cried overhead, flapping his wings. It was that same place again, Gabrielle realized as she glanced around. The small mountain path, the soldiers riding behind her, Xena…
"Gabrielle? You OK?" Xena looked at her, raising an eyebrow in question. 
Gabrielle blinked again, then remembered where they were going… what was going to happen… "No, it's…" She talked on but the words got stuck in her throat. 
"Hey? What's wrong?" Xena asked in concern, staring at her, as she kept riding on, looking backwards as Argo turned around the bend. 
She pointed at the Persians that were running towards them, but Xena didn't respond. She kept looking back, looking back at her until it was too late and the pain seared through her features as the Persian blade edged through her heart.

With a shock Gabrielle woke up, blinking as the darkness of their tent registered. Quickly she turned to find Xena sleeping peacefully beside her. The bard took a deep breath, closing her hands over her face for a moment. It was nothing. It was nothing. She kept repeating to herself silently. Nothing… Another deep breath, then she settled back down into her bedroll, turning to lay on her side, facing Xena's slumbering form.
"Bad dreams?" 
Gabrielle's head shot up and her eyes quickly spotted Athena's slightly glowing presence as the goddess stood silently in the middle of the room. "Yes." She whispered softly to the goddess. "And if they're you doing, you can stop trying, cause they won't work." 
"Oh, they're not mine, I don't work in the dream territory." Athena raised her hand in defense, looking at the bard. "And you don't have to whisper. She can't hear you… or me, for that matter…" 
Gabrielle sat up crossed legged. "Well, what's your business?" She asked the goddess bluntly, keeping her voice low, just in case. 
"My business?" Athena walked closer and snapped a chair into the room, sitting down on it. "I guess my business is to look out for the well being of the Greek people… And that's including you, and Xena for that matter." 
"If you're here to ask me about helping you cross the border again, you can forget it." Gabrielle stated simply. 
"I expected as much." Athena nodded, smiling at her. "Though the decision is illogical. Gods might be annoying from time to time, but their powers do come in handy in wars…" 
"Maybe…"Gabrielle allowed, leaning her head in her hands. "But, no offence, they are a reliability as well. Sometimes it's nice to just deal with our own business, without godly interference."
"There will be gods involved, Gabrielle. Angra may initially stay quiet, but he will show his power if you get too close to your goal. And you are no match for him." 
"Neither are you." The bard returned, suppressing the shiver that past through her at the Persian God's name. "You couldn't handle his son, there is no way you can handle him on his terrain."
Athena stared at her for another moment, then laughed softly dropping her head. "You have a good point there." She stated, looking back up at Gabrielle with a smile. "But enough of this, I didn't come here to argue with you. I realized my pleas will do no good. I came to give you some advise."
Gabrielle cocked her head at the goddess. "What kind of advise?"
"I know some of the Persian gods personally." Athena stated, leaning back in her chair. "They will not be able to help you much, as they are very weak right now, because of Angra's strength. They are hiding in Ahura's palace now probably. Angra will be haunting them, trying to kill them."
"Can he do that?" 
"Oh yes." The Goddess of Wisdom nodded, "He takes what's good in people and destroys it. That cripples the Persian Gods. In that state, another god can kill them." A breath before she continued. "You should take this…" Athena held out her hand and a silver object appeared in her hand, then she handed it to Gabrielle. It was a necklace with a round coin sized pendant. As Gabrielle looked closer she could see the image of a winged man in the center, edged into the silver. "This is the sign of Ahura Mazda. It was given to me by Mithras, their god of justice, among other things. When you wear this, they'll know why you have come." 
Gabrielle nodded slowly, looking at the pendant for a another moment, before looking up at the goddess. "Thank you."
Athena smiled, then stood, the chair disappearing as she did so. "Good luck to you, Gabrielle. May faith travel beside you always." The goddess stated, softly touching the bard's cheek. Then, in a flash, she was gone.


In the same instant Xena shot up, her eyes flicking across the room. 
Gabrielle chuckled, patting her friend's shoulder. "Relax, she's gone."
"Who is?" Xena replied, still not at ease. 
"Athena." 
Blue eyes looked at her. "She was here?" 
Gabrielle nodded. "Yeah. She gave me this." 
Xena took the silver necklace from the bards hands and studied it intently. "That's Persian, right?" 
"Yeah." Gabrielle confirmed. "She said she got it from Mithras." 
"Didn't know they were close…" Xena muttered, giving the pendant one last look before handing it back to Gabrielle. "So this is to protect you?"
The bard shrugged. "Something like that, I guess."
Xena nodded, then stood and stretched before walking over to her armor. "Well, we'd better get this day started… We've got a long way to go today." 
Gabrielle stood as well, pulling her tunic over her head. "Our next camp is at the Persian border, right?" 
"Yup." Xena confirmed as she slipped into one of her boots. "Alexander says he's got people there working on bridges across the river and into Persia. They should be finished by the time we get there." 
"How about the catapults?"
"They're about a day behind now. When we cross the border we'll wait for them to catch up." 
Gabrielle nodded, before stretching and straightening her armor. "Well, lets see if we can survive breakfast." 
Xena chuckled, holding the tent flap aside to let Gabrielle exit before her. 

Gabrielle sat back in the saddle comfortably, lazily twirling her staff around Chilon's body. The temperature had risen over the day, and now, a few candle marks after noon, Gabrielle was glad she'd decided on light armory. The tunic was still warm though, and she missed her Amazon gear terribly.
How did Xena manage to walk around in her new leathers and not even break into a sweat? Gabrielle shook her head as she looked back to see the warrior ride along one of the battalions, leading them in a simple set of drills as they were walking.

Chilon snorted, the stallion suffering because of the heat as well.
"Tired too?" Gabrielle asked him, patting his neck softly. "Hold up." She pulled him to a standstill, then hopped off his back. She unstrapped the saddlebags and placed them over her own shoulder, then grabbed onto the horse's reigns, walking along beside him. "That better?"
Chilon neighed softly, nodding his head at her, scattering droplets of sweat out off his manes.

"Giving your horse a break, huh?"
Gabrielle looked up to see Halys ride over on a smaller light brown horse. 
"Yup." She informed the lieutenant as she pulled up beside her, then slid off her horse as well. "He could use a break…" A sigh. "So could I really…"
Halys laughed. "Well, that camp spot is supposedly not too far anymore, right?"
"Don't think so. Half a candle mark, at most."
Halys nodded. "I think we can manage that."
"I don't think we've got a lot of choice, with our pushy general dictating up there." Gabrielle stated with a grin, indicating Alexander, who was riding in front of the army on his huge white stallion.
"He can be kind of pushy, can't he?" Halys chuckled. "I respect him for it though. He's focused."
"Is that why you joined the army?"
"That and his father." The lieutenant conceded. "I was sort of lost back then, and going back to what I knew was a safe place… It was the only decision I had really. When Phillip was killed, staying on was only logical. Alex is a born leader, we all respect him. Every one I know would die to save him in battle."
Gabrielle let this sink in for a moment. "He's a lucky man to have so many friends."
"I guess he is." Halys agreed softly, staring up ahead.

"Hey." Xena's voice greeted them as she rode up as well. "I need some volunteers to ride up ahead with me, to greet our people at the river. Interested?"
"I am." Gabrielle agreed, patting Chilon's neck. "You up for it, Chilon?"
The horse snorted in agreement.
"I could take some of the men from my battalion." Halys offered. "I don't think they'd mind a bit of a ride."
"Yeah, that'd be good. Get me 20 people or so, that ought to do it." 
Halys gave her a nod, then saddled up quickly, riding up to a group of riders on the left wing.

"So what's the plan once we get there?" Gabrielle asked, cantering along beside Argo.
"Set up a basic camp, then scout around… This is gonna be the first dangerous camping spot. It's open territory, and close to the border. We'll have to defend the bridge in case the Persians consider taking it down before we can cross…"
"I think they're not just considering that anymore." Gabrielle pointed as they topped the last hilltop.

In the valley Xena could see the river flowing, the several bridges lying across it and on the other side the group of armed men on horseback, raging down towards the unsuspecting workmen. "Let's go!" Xena yelled, then pushed Argo into a full gallop, speeding down the hillside, soon followed by the
others. 
Gabrielle pulled back a little until she dropped in beside Halys. "When we get down there, circle them. Make sure none of our people down there get hurt."
"Gotcha." Halys stated with a nod. Then she lifted a hand so the men behind her could see it and lifted two fingers, indicating they should split up.

Meanwhile Xena had reached the bottom of the valley and steered Argo across the bridge. As Argo sped across the wooden construction, the surface under them moved restlessly. "Easy girl." Xena muttered, as Argo grew anxious. They managed to avoid one of the builders, who was running in the opposite direction. "Not far now." She muttered to Argo.
She could see the Persians had reached the other side of the bridge and one had jumped off his horse, pulling out his sword to cut through the ropes. He lifted his sword up high, then staggered and fell backward as her breast dagger hit it's target. A wild battle cry followed as she crossed the last
few feet, then drew her sword and raced at the Persians, who hastily armed themselves as well.

The first victim was to late however and lost his head before he could even reach for his sword. Argo reared and pushed a second Persian off his horse. 
Xena pushed herself off Argo's back, flipping up and over an opponent and landing behind him on his horse, snapping his head sideways with a painful crack. Moments later she reseated herself on Argo, in the center of the soldiers, booting another Persian in the side.
Around her she could see Gabrielle and Halys circling in, then engage the attackers from behind, catching them completely off guard.

Gabrielle smacked aside her opponent with one single swipe. He lost his balance, then thudded to the ground. She flicked her staff sideways, hitting another attacker in the stomach, then watched as one of the younger soldiers neatly closed in and brought his sword hilt down on the Persian's head, knocking him unconscious.

Xena watched all the Persians fall around her with a smirk. Gabrielle looked up, then rode towards her. "Nice going." She complimented the bard, who smiled back at her.
"Thanks. This was pretty easy huh?"
"Quite. We caught them off guard though. It won't be this easy next time."
"I know." Gabrielle nodded, then glanced around. "So what do we do with them?"
"Tie 'm up, bring them back with us to the other side… The once that haven't passed on to there on their own anyway." The warrior grinned, then hopped off Argo. "Halys, try to catch some of those horses if you can."
"On it." Halys nodded, then rode off to where one of the straying Persian horses was grazing, followed by two others.
Gabrielle let herself slide off Chilon as well, patting his neck as she touched the ground. She pulled a piece of rope out of her saddlebags, then walked over to one of the fallen soldiers and checked for a pulse before pulling both of his hands behind his back and tying them together.

Xena walked over to the first man she'd beheaded. The captain, judging by his armory. She lifted his head up by the hair, then walked over to one of the Persian horses and dropped it into it's saddlebag. With a slap of her hand she send the horse off, further into Persian territory.

Gabrielle walked up behind her, gazing after the horse as it galloped into the distance. "What was that for?"
An unpleasant grin crossed the warrior's face. "Just a message."

Continued - Part 6

Return to The Bard's Corner