Berries

Part 5

It was decided that Gabrielle would be allowed to visit only after she had eaten something. She used that leverage to talk her friend into eating something as well. This time it was Xena who brought up a tray laden with food, knowing that Gabrielle's famous appetite would be back, not to mention her own, and that it would be necessary to talk Hercules into eating something later on and having the food there already would make matters easier.

Though the bard hated to admit it, her jaw was still sore and it hurt to eat all but the softer foods Linus had to offer. Xena had expected that and had brought up a pot of soup and a side of soft bread for her friend and meats and cheeses for herself and the demi-god. She also added a mug of broth in hopes they would be able to get something into Iolaus, though she honestly doubted it. The picture of the great Hercules trying to spoon-feed his friend was funny though, and she couldn't help but smile.

"What are you thinking about?" Gabrielle asked, accepting another spoonful of the rich soup. She was perfectly capable of feeding herself with her good arm, but Xena had insisted and she had decided not to argue. The warrior was behaving like a mother hen, but the girl had to admit she sort of liked the extra attention. It was reassuring after all the dreams, and all the pain, that someone was there for her.

"Hercules trying to feed Iolaus," the warrior smiled, unable to keep the humor out of her voice.

Gabrielle chuckled lightly, surprised when the action caused no pain. "That would be something to watch," she agreed. "I wonder how hard broth is to get out of blankets..."

"Or leather," Xena added, imagining the mess the two men could make with such a simple task.

Gabrielle laughed again, this time a bit harder, and she had to stop herself as she felt it in her ribs. A brief fit of coughs overtook her, but she managed to control them and bring them down with a minimal amount of discomfort. Seeing the concerned look her friend gave her, she waved it off with a look of her own. "Okay, enough picking on them for a while," she smiled.

The two continued on with their meal, exchanging small talk and a few small jokes, both shying away from the more serious issues. Xena was happy to see Gabrielle finish off both the pot of soup and most of the bread before complaining of being full. To her it was a sign of recovery; if she could eat, she'd be fine. She also noticed a healthier glow developing in her friend's skin replacing the pale white that had set in with the sickness. Whether it was the food, medicine, or simply Gabrielle she did not know, but she liked it anyway.

"So," Gabrielle said, leaning her head back against the mountain of pillows she was resting on. "Should we go see how the little guy is doing?"

"Little guy?" Xena asked raising an eyebrow. She couldn't tell if this was her friend's warped sense of humor or the lingering effects of whatever she had. "Iolaus is bigger than you," she pointed out.

"Is not," the blonde protested.

"Do you want me to tell him you said that?"

There was a pause before Gabrielle answered. "Well, no..." she admitted sheepishly. "But he is smaller than most guys and is one of the few who is actually my size," she defended herself. Would Xena actually tell him? She knew he could be sensitive about his size sometimes, but she was just kidding around. Seeing the glint of humor in her friend's blue eyes, she knew she was safe. Thinking back, she remembered several times when Xena had made similar comments and knew she had retribution if the warrior decided to change her mind. Good idea, let's have him mad at both of us, she laughed inwardly.

Xena just smiled, pretty much knowing what her friend was thinking. It was so good to hear that playful tone in her voice again, to be able to joke around with her again. Gods, who was she kidding? She was happy just to be able to talk to her again. It almost made her forget everything that had happened, almost. One look at the bruises on her friend's face, the bandages on her arms, or the tiredness she could see in her eyes and the memories came flooding back again. She tried to hide the shadow that passed over her face, but knew she was unsuccessful. "Let's go see how much damage Hercules has done to the room," she suggested, changing the subject and trying to clear her mind of its darker thoughts.

"Just as long as there is a chair left for me to sit on when we get there," Gabrielle smiled. She started to push herself up and moved as if to get out of the bed on her own.

"Oh, you don't think you're actually going to walk over there, do you?" Xena teased, hopping off the bed and looking down at her friend.

"I was thinking about it," the bard admitted. Seeing the look of determination Xena wore, she had a feeling she was fighting a losing battle. "Come on," she tried. "Don't you think you carried me around enough? I have to walk sometime."

"This coming from the person who asked me to carry them up the stairs only earlier today" Xena rolled her eyes.

"I'm feeling better now?" Gabrielle tried with a smile.

"If you want to see Iolaus, you're going to have to be carried," Xena told her, crossing her arms in front of her and daring her friend to try objecting again.

"Fine," Gabrielle sighed dejectedly, but couldn't keep the smile off of her face at the warrior's motherly tone.

"I'll check to make sure it's okay with Hercules, you stay where you are," the warrior ordered, heading towards the door.

"Shouldn't I change or something?" Gabrielle asked almost shyly. Xena turned and raised a questioning eyebrow. "I mean, I am only wearing a shift, and it's not even mine. I don't want to embarrass them or anything," she rushed to explain.

Xena smiled, knowing it was not the men who would be embarrassed, but the woman in front of her. She had to stop herself from pointing out that the shift her friend now wore probably covered more than her usual traveling clothes, not wanting to get into that debate again. "Gabrielle," she sighed. "You have been wearing a shift for the past three days; it's not like they haven't seen it before." Seeing the look her friend gave her, she decided that was not the best line of reasoning. She also decided it was a good thing she did not point out that half the inn saw her in the shift that morning when Mekan tried to kidnap her. "Besides, with your ribs wrapped up like they are, nothing else is going to work," she tried. Gabrielle seemed to debate that, both knowing the warrior was right. "You look fine," Xena assured her, trying to move on.

"Really?" the bard asked, not sure if she believed her friend.

"Well, you could use a bath," Xena teased her. She easily ducked the pillow that flew towards her head as she laughed. "Watch it," she warned playfully before heading towards the door again.. She knocked softly, then cracked the door open slightly to peek in. "You up for some visitors?" she asked Hercules. Before he could answer, another pillow found its way through the air and off the doorframe. Xena glanced back, trying her best to look unamused, before returning her attention to the large man.

He looked at the pillow near her feet questioningly but she acted as if there was nothing out of the ordinary. "Uh, sure," he answered. "Xena?" he asked, looking back at the pillow.

"Oh, Gabrielle is wondering if you have enough pillows in here. It seems she has an ample supply," she explained with forced sweetness, glancing back warningly at the bard to make sure she wasn't getting ready to reload.

Hercules did not quite know what to make of her comment. "No, we're fine here," he answered.

"If you're sure," she checked, this time letting him see the humor in her eyes.

"I'm sure," he replied, catching on. He smiled at the playfulness between the two women. Xena was definitely in better spirits now that Gabrielle was on her way to recovery, he only wished Iolaus was okay so they could join in the fun. Soon enough, he told himself, soon enough. He had to believe that.

"We'll be right over then," Xena told him, still in her sickeningly sweet voice. She ducked out of the men's room and back into her own. Through the open door, Hercules could hear her voice suddenly change as she addressed Gabrielle. "You're going to pay for that one," she warned in her most threatening warlord voice.

"Yeah right," came the bard's giggled response. "And what do you think you're going to do to me?" There was a pause of silence before he heard her slightly worried voice again. "You wouldn't! Not to an injured woman..." The rest of the conversation was drowned out the sounds of furniture being knocked aside, various items hitting the floor, and intermittent giggling from the young woman. Finally, the two women seemed to recover and there was silence once again before Xena appeared at the door holding a rather ruffled looking Gabrielle wrapped in a blanket in her arms. From the warrior's own slightly disheveled appearance, Hercules had a feeling he came as close as anyone got to witnessing the famed Destroyer of Nations participating in a tickle fit. He sighed. Iolaus would never believe this one.

"Where do you want her?" Xena asked casually, as if delivering something far less precious than her best friend.

"I figured she would be more comfortable on the bed," Hercules answered, motioning towards the area he had cleared off.

Xena moved as if to simply toss the bard onto the bed. "Hey!" Gabrielle exclaimed, tightening her grip on the warrior. Hercules knew it wasn't necessary. If he had ever doubted the warrior's care for the young woman, the past few days had proved otherwise. As expected, Xena kept her grip on the girl and carefully lowered her to the bed. He couldn't help but smile at the motherly way the warrior tucked the blankets around her once she was comfortable. If someone had shown him this Xena when he first met her, he wouldn't have believed it at all. Now though, it just seemed right. Of course, he originally thought Gabrielle was nothing more than a simple village girl who liked to tell stories and wouldn't have ever imagined her growing into the woman she was today. It was amazing how much some people could change.

"So, how is he doing?" Gabrielle asked once she was fully situated. "Xena said he was having nightmares." She looked down at the man sleeping beside her. His face seemed tense, and there were small beads of sweat across his forehead, but he showed no signs of his troubling dreams.

"He was," Hercules agreed, sitting down in his chair again. Xena seemed content to stand at the side of the bed next to Gabrielle. "They seemed to have died down now. Hopefully they won't come back." Remembering the ordeal the young woman had gone through, he knew it was just wishful thinking. He had gotten through this bout though, so how much worse could it get. Besides, Iolaus was not going to get as sick as she had been. Isn't that what the apothecary had said? Or was it just him hoping? He couldn't remember anymore.

"Hopefully," Gabrielle repeated his last words. She couldn't help but feel that Iolaus would not be in this situation if it hadn't been for her. He was watching over her when he got hurt. He wouldn't have even had any of the berries that made him sick in the first place if she hadn't given them to him. Her eyes traced the bandages on his arm. Two of them. One was from the bite, holding the poultice on; she had two of those herself. So what was the other one from? She looked up to Hercules questioningly. "His arm?" she asked.

He had forgotten she didn't know about that. "He injured it during the fight in the courtyard," he answered her. Now the question was if she remembered the fight. Xena hadn't told him how much she remembered, just that she seemed to be okay. He didn't want to push the issue or bring up something that might be hard for Gabrielle to handle.

The young woman's face darkened. "So he was hurt twice looking out for me," she commented softly.

"Gabrielle..." Xena began.

"No," she cut her off, her voice in the same quiet tone. "It's the truth." Her only emotions seemed to be resolution and a hint of sorrow. There was no self-pity, no anger in her words. She was simply speaking the truth. "He was trying to help me and got hurt because of it." She glanced briefly at the healing red mark on Hercules' own arm. "So were you," she added. "People were hurt because I was too stubborn to admit I was sick. I stayed out too long and wasn't able to defend myself when we were attacked. I got hurt and you had to protect me. I should have been able to fight that guy I never should have..." Frustration began to creep into her voice.

"Gabrielle," Xena began again, this time her tone making it clear she would be heard. "You were attacked because of me. The whole reason you got sick in the first place is because some warlord wanted to go after me so he attacked. I shouldn't have let us get separated. Then, I should have been with you in the courtyard instead of going off on my own. If I had, you might not have been hurt, or Iolaus, or Hercules. There are million things that could have changed what happened in a million ways. None of them happened though. We just have to be glad that everyone is safe, and alive, and on the way to recovery."

"I guess your point is that there is more than enough blame to go around, but it's not going to make one bit of difference," Gabrielle finished for her with a wry smile pulling on the corners of her mouth.

"Pretty much," the warrior agreed.

"That doesn't mean I have to like it though," she smiled.

"No, it doesn't," Hercules spoke up. "But, you do have to live with it."

She just smiled, adding it to the growing list of things she didn't like but had to put up with. Who knew life would be so complicated when it started out so simple? She shook her head, clearing it of its thoughts. She was still a bit too foggy to be trying to concentrate on such serious issues. "Can we talk about something a bit lighter?" she asked hopefully, receiving smiles from both warriors.

"Sure," the large man smiled. "Any suggestions?"

Gabrielle seemed to think about that for a moment before finally coming up with an answer. "No," she laughed. "Guess I'm not up to my usual imaginative self."

"How are you anyway?" Hercules asked, mentally slapping himself for not asking earlier.

"Oh, fine," the small woman tried to wave him off. Seeing the look he gave her, she knew he wasn't buying it. "My sight's still a little blurred, and I have a bit of a headache, but other than that I just hurt pretty much everywhere," she answered truthfully, but added a smile to lighten the mood.

"Didn't the apothecary give you anything for the pain?" Hercules asked, a bit surprised.

"Yeah, and Xena made me take some," Gabrielle told him, looking at the larger woman accusingly but still smiling. "Stuff helped, a lot, but it knocked me out," she complained.

"You needed it," Xena shot back, not a bit remorseful.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," the bard brushed her off. She knew the warrior was probably right, but she would have preferred to have a bit more choice in the matter. "Hey," she said, remembering something. "Speaking of needing something, you two still need to eat." The two warriors looked at each other and then the small woman, each trying to come up with an excuse. One for not wanting to, and the other for forgetting about it until now. "If I have to take that pain stuff, you have to eat," she told Hercules pointedly.

"That's not fair," the large man complained, still searching for a reason to talk his way out of it. Why should he be eating when his best friend was in the condition he was in? The guilt he had at not being able to protect him suppressed most of his hunger, and that which remained he was able to wave off by concentrating on his friend.

"Sounds good to me," Xena interrupted. She had to smile; Gabrielle had unknowingly solved two problems at once. Now she had a reason to make Hercules eat and Gabrielle take her medicine. "I'll go get the tray." With that, she disappeared into the other room.

Gabrielle looked to the large man across from her. He looked like he was carrying way too much on his shoulders, she decided. She was just going to have to lighten his mood. "I would go get it myself, but somebody has decided I'm not supposed to be out of bed," she told him, making sure she was loud enough for Xena to easily hear her in the next room. Hercules smiled at her comment. Well, she thought to herself. It's a start.

Xena came back with the food, placing the tray on the small table near the end of the bed. She handed Hercules a plate and commanded, "Eat." He just shook his head at her tone, trying not to laugh, but complied. He rose and filled the plate with some of the various meats and cheeses she had brought, making sure she was doing the same. He was not about to let her get away with not eating again. Surprisingly, she had no problem. She filled her plate and sat on the edge of the bed munching away without having to be coaxed into it. It seemed now that Gabrielle was feeling better, her appetite had returned. Either that, or she knew the bard wouldn't let her get away with it. He wasn't sure which.

As they ate, they talked. Or rather, Gabrielle led the two quiet warriors in conversation, forcing them to talk. Xena had no problem with the friendly banter once it began, but it took a while for her to get Hercules into it. Xena watched in awe as the bard got the large man to open up. By the time Gabrielle was done, Hercules was laughing outright and there was an empty tray of food that she knew she was not solely responsible for.

Iolaus stirred ever so slightly, focusing everyone's attention on the sick man. His eyes blinked open briefly, before floating shut again. "Iolaus?" Hercules called, unable to keep the frantic tone out of his voice. He was immediately at his friend's side, checking for any sign the fever had gone down. It had not. Hazy blue eyes slowly opened again, though they remained unfocused and it seemed like the man was both there and not there at the same time. "What do I do?" the large man asked Xena, though his eyes never left his friend.

"There's not much you can do," she answered honestly. "He's going to go back and forth for a while. I would try to get some of Antomeana's broth in him while he's alert enough to take it. He needs food and it will help with the fever some." The large man nodded his head silently in reply.

"Should I move?" Gabrielle asked. Not only did she not want to be in the way, but she also remembered their earlier conversation regarding Hercules trying to feed Iolaus. Xena bit back a smile and shook her head. Oh well, the bard thought. She needed a bath anyway.

Hercules adjusted the pillows to prop the small man up into what he hoped was a comfortable position. He then took the small bowl of broth Xena handed him and sat at the edge of the bed. He took a large breath to center himself. Come on, he thought to himself. You're just being foolish; how hard can it be? Even Xena could do it. With that he began what turned out to be a rather long process of feeding his friend the warm broth. He managed to get Iolaus to swallow most of it before the small man drifted back into unconscious. When he finished, he was quite proud of himself; he had barely made a mess. Great, he thought with a smirk. You're suppose to be a great hero and your greatest accomplishment is feeding someone. Yeah, that's tough. Whatever, he felt good about it. Besides, just the fact Iolaus was able to eat something made him feel better. If his friend was going to fight this thing he needed to keep his strength up, and he couldn't do that without food.

As he set the bowl to the side, he glanced over to the two women. Gabrielle smiled at him reassuringly, knowing what Iolaus was going through and that Hercules was doing everything he could to help. "That wasn't so tough now, was it?" Xena teased him, giving him a knowing look.

Looking at the amount of broth still in the bowl, he shrugged. "Let's hope it's enough."

Xena stepped over to his side and rested a hand on his shoulder. "It will be," she assured him. "As much as he's eaten in the past few days, he has plenty to draw on. It was more important to get the medicine in him than anything else," she explained.

"Are you sure it's going to help?" he asked, still needing that extra bit of reassurance.

"It worked with Gabrielle, it will work with him. You have to give him time though. Even with the medicine, this thing, whatever it is, has to run its course. That stuff Antomeana gave him just speeds up the process a bit. Don't worry about it," she told him.

"That's easy for you to say," he smirked. "You're not the one going through it right now."

"No, I'm not," she agreed. "But I already have been through it and have a pretty good idea of what you are going through," she reminded him. "The stuff works. If you don't believe me, just look at Gabrielle." She looked over to her friend, expecting her to agree. Instead, the young woman was sound asleep. "Gabrielle?" she tried softly, just to be sure. The girl did not move.

"She's out," Hercules told her, a smile on his lips. He watched her for a moment, enjoying the look of peace on her face in sharp contrast to the tenseness of the man beside her. Xena had made her point. Gabrielle was fine, on the road to a full recovery. Iolaus would be fine as well. He knew he just had to give it time, but that seemed like the hardest thing to do. Xena had done it though; in fact, she was still doing it. As much as she wanted her friend to be back to normal, and as obvious as that want was, she still had to wait.

"Should I move her?" the warrior asked doubtfully.

"No, let her sleep. She needs it," the large man replied. He didn't want to risk waking the young woman, knowing once she was, she would fight to keep it that way.

"And where are you going to sleep tonight?" Xena asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I hadn't exactly planned on getting any sleep," he answered honestly. He knew that was not the answer she wanted, but he also knew she would let him get away with it. After as many times as he had let her stay up at night with Gabrielle, it was the least she could do. "Why don't you go though?" he offered. "It's your big chance to get the whole bed to yourself. That should be nice after the past few days."

"Naw," she waved him off. "I'll stay here for a while and keep you company." She positioned herself on the floor, resting her back up against the side of the bed and her head against the mattress. She looked up at him expectantly, at the same time daring him to object. He did not.

Whatever, he thought to himself, not fooled for a moment. He knew there was no chance of her letting Gabrielle out of her sight until she was certain the bard was okay. Even then, it would probably be a while until she was comfortable with it again. Let her be. Though the great Warrior Princess would never admit it, he knew she had insecurities, and this was one of them. In fact, this was probably her biggest one. She had told him once that she never wanted to see Gabrielle hurt because of her. He knew that wasn't practical, and that it had happened before and would again. He also knew that didn't make the guilt she was feeling any less or make it go away any faster. Yeah, that he knew first hand. It appeared the two people sleeping on the bed were not the only ones who needed to heal.

Hercules lost the battle to one last yawn as he stretched the next morning. How in Zeus's name had he managed to fall asleep in a chair? Xena would never let him hear the end of it. Last thing he remembered was feeling a bit tired somewhere near three-quarters of the way through the night. Iolaus had another nightmare, but this one was much tamer than the last one; he hadn't even woken up the bard next to him. He had managed to calm the small man down, then Xena and he talked for a while. Next thing he knew, the sun was peeking through the cracks in the shutters.

Looking over to the where he last saw the warrior, he changed his mind about her reaction. She still sat propped up against the bed, but she too had succumbed to sleep. He knew all he needed to do to wake her was to make the slightest of sounds, which was precisely why he was determined to keep quiet. How much sleep had she gotten in the past few days? Not nearly enough. He couldn't help the smile that formed on his lips thinking of how the Fates seemed to have a sense of humor all of their own. They were in one of the nicest inns in this section of Greece, and were getting less rest and comfort than they usually did on the road. A sound from the bed drew his attention to the moving pile of blankets.

Gabrielle moaned softly as she attempted to stretch before remembering why that was not the best idea. How could such a simple action cause so much pain? Actually, she thought, analyzing how she felt, she hurt a lot less today than she had last night. She opened her eyes to see a still rather foggy Hercules watching her from where he sat perched on his chair. Probably hoping it was Iolaus, she thought with a small smile. "Hi," she said, settling back into the pillows.

"Good morning," he replied softly. Seeing her puzzled look, he added, "The other two are still asleep."

"No they're not," a voice corrected him. Xena stretched as she stood, seemingly wide-awake. The only sign she had been recently sleeping was her slightly tousled hair, which she pulled back from her face.

Figures, Hercules sighed to himself. Did he honestly think Xena would sleep through Gabrielle waking up? Did he honestly think Xena would sleep through, oh, say, somebody sneezing two towns away? He just shook his head. Even he wasn't that bad, was he?

"You okay?" Xena asked, looking down at her friend on the bed.

"Been better, but haven't we all?" Gabrielle quipped. From the look Xena gave her, she knew that wasn't going to cut it. "It still hurts, but not as bad as before. Forgot about everything when I first woke up and tried to stretch. Gotta remember not to do that," she winced, but smiled so her friend wouldn't worry too much.

"How are the eyes?" the warrior asked, noticing the bard changing what she focused on several times, or at least attempting to.

"Still sort of blurred around the edges," she admitted. "I don't know if it's from getting hurt or from just waking up. I think they are better than yesterday though." She blinked a few more times and tried to refocus on the concerned blue eyes watching her. Time to change the subject and get the attention off of her. "How's Iolaus?"

"No change," Hercules sighed. "He woke up a few times last night, but he was the same as before, not really there. Hopefully the fever will break today, at least that's what the apothecary said." He shrugged, trying to hide how much he wanted the old woman to be right, but knowing he probably didn't fool anyone.

"He'll probably sleep through most of the day," Xena commented. She knew Gabrielle had successfully changed the topic of conversation, but she also knew it wasn't going to last long. "There's not much else you can do about it, but wait. Even if the fever breaks, he won't be up to full speed for a while. You can't just expect him to get better over night."

"I know," he sighed. He looked up with a slight smile as he added, "But that doesn't mean I can't hope so."

Xena just smiled. Hope was what kept her going, gave her the strength to concentrate on her friend's needs. She knew how impractical it was, but part of her believed it was her hope for Gabrielle's recovery that helped get them both through this. With as much as she's seen in this world, anything was possible. She turned to look at her friend. Gods, she was a mess. The problem was that she was now conscious enough to be aware of it, and be uncomfortable about it. Maybe if Hercules and Iolaus weren't here, she wouldn't care so much. But they were, and she had to respect her friend's wishes. "So, Gabrielle," she began idly, as if she didn't know how much it meant to her. "Which do you want first, a bath or breakfast?"

"A bath? As in a real, honest to goodness hot bath?" The bard was unable to keep the excitement out of her voice. She felt like she had half the dirt and grime of the known world on her, even though she knew all of her injuries had been cleaned repeatedly. To simply soak in a hot tub of water would be glorious. "By the Gods, Xena, if you could do that I think I would love you forever!"

Xena could not help but laugh at her friend's enthusiasm. "I'll take that as a yes."

"Please?" Gabrielle begged. She pulled out all the stops, going so far as to give her the puppydog eyes that her own mother could never say no to.

"You'll have to be careful, and we'll have to take off the bandages around your ribs which will hurt, but I think I can get a tub from Linus," Xena warned, still chuckling at her friend's antics. She reminded her of a child on Solstice, begging to open her gifts early. It was such a refreshing change from all the other things going on, and she knew she could not say no.

"I'll be careful," the young woman promised. "Oh thank you!"

"Of course you know you're making poor Hercules wait for breakfast," Xena teased.

"Oh no!" Gabrielle exclaimed, realizing what she was doing. She looked over to the large man, who was still laughing at the women's conversation. "I'm so sorry, I mean, I didn't even think to ask If you want to eat first, I'll wait"

Hercules raised his hand, cutting off her rambling. "It's more than okay. With as much as we ate last night, I'm not hungry anyway," he assured her. "Go, enjoy yourself."

Gabrielle gave him a look of thanks as Xena swept her off the bed.

The large man held the door open while Xena headed towards the adjoining room. "Thank you," he said as she stepped over the threshold.

"For what? I didn't do anything any other friend wouldn't have done," she waved him off with a smile and disappeared through the doorway.

"Yes, you did," he whispered as he closed the door behind her, knowing the women needed their privacy. He knew he could have made it through the night without her help, but it would have been ten times as difficult to do so. He was beginning to understand what she had meant by him simply being there making a difference. Sighing, he sat back down in his chair, preparing for another fun filled day in Lathos.

"Are you done yet?" Xena asked exasperated, from her perch on the end of the bed. How long had that girl been in there anyway?

"No," came Gabrielle's contented reply. She smiled as she closed her eyes, letting herself sink even deeper into relaxation. Xena had been right, when she removed her bandages her ribs had screamed in pain, but now the warm water seemed to slowly lap away all the tension from her muscles and her mind seemed to wander into bliss for the first time in way too long. She learned, the hard way, that as long as she did not move in certain ways she was fine. Better safe than sorry, she decided, and once the initial washing was done she just sat enveloped in warmth, quite content never to move again.

"Isn't the water getting cold yet?" Xena mumbled, trying to think of a way to get her out of there. She had been looking forward to a warm bath herself, but the way it was going it didn't look like that was going to happen any time soon. She looked back to the tub of water; the perfect size for Gabrielle, Linus had made sure of that. Even without Gabrielle in it, it would be a tight fit for her, but there was no way both of them could fit. Of course, there was no way she would risk jostling the bard in any way while she was still recovering from her injuries, so even if the tub was ten times as big she probably would still be sitting off to the side waiting for her friend to get out.

"Nope," Gabrielle yawned in answer to her question. She knew the only reason it wasn't was because Xena kept removing buckets of the cooling water and adding fresh buckets of hot water from the small fireplace. If she really wanted her out so much, wouldn't she have stopped doing that? Gabrielle thought for a moment. It had been a while since Xena had added more water, may be it was time to get out. Feeling the warmth surrounding her again, she decided not. A knock at the door woke her from her thoughts. She peeked open one eye in mild interest.

"No, please, don't get up. I've got it," Xena mumbled as she pushed herself off the bed and wandered over to the door. As she passed the tub, she threw a large blanket over the top, just in case their visitor got too interested in the bathing bard. She opened the door a crack to see who it was, pleased to see the old healer who had recently become a dear friend. "Come on in," she told her, opening the door just wide enough for the old woman to shuffle through, then closing it immediately behind her.

"I see it's finally bath time," Antomeana commented, motioning to the tub as she put her bags down.

"Yeah," Xena agreed, sitting back down at the edge of the bed. "And if she has her way it will be for the next few days," she mumbled just loud enough to be heard.

"I'm comfortable," Gabrielle told her, closing her eyes again.

"That's nice dear," Antomeana said soothingly. "Now get out."

Green eyes popped back open. "I don't want to," the young woman said with more than a hint if defiance in her voice.

"I don't care," the old woman countered. She turned to the warrior on the bed. "You're bigger than her, and you're letting her get away with this?" She shook her head in a disparaging way. Xena just shrugged sheepishly, causing the healer to roll her eyes. She turned back to the patient in question. "Come on, get out of there so I can take a look at you."

"Can't you go look at Iolaus first?" Gabrielle whined, but, much to Xena's surprise, started moving slightly.

"He's probably sleeping, and will be most of the day. You're first, so get moving."

"I can't get out on my own," Gabrielle tried one last stall.

"Then it's a good thing you have this big, strong warrior here to help you, isn't it?" Anotmeana replied, not phased in the slightest.

Gabrielle sighed defeatedly as Xena got up from off the bed. Seeing the smug smile her friend wore, she warned, "Not a word."

After what seemed to Gabrielle to be ages later, Antomeana finished her exam and packed up her belongings to go check on their other injured friend. It was decided that, though Gabrielle was getting better, she was to move around as little as possible and get a lot of rest. In truth, the healer was surprised at how quickly the young woman was healing, but reminded them that all things take time, including her recovery. Her ribs were to stay bandaged for the next few days, and her wounds checked and cleaned daily, but other than that there was not much else to worry about. The fever was gone, as was much of the remaining blurriness. What did remain was fading away to be hardly noticeable. Her injuries still hurt, and would for a while, but the headache had gone down to practically nothing and should disappear with some normal herbs. For now, Gabrielle sat quite contentedly on a mountain of pillows, with soft blankets wrapped around a clean shift, still one of Xena's oversized ones, while the warrior finally got her chance at a bath.

"How long do you think it will be before Iolaus wakes up?" Gabrielle asked while playing with the hem of one of the blankets. She hadn't thought it was possible, but she was nearly as comfortable now as she had been in the bath. It had to be a sign she was getting better. Either that, or those herbs Antomeana gave her. The old woman swore they were just to fight off any infection from her injuries and nothing to make her fall asleep, but she had learned to doubt the contents and effects of anything the two women gave her. She felt better. Her energy was back, and her head was nearly clear. She wanted so much just to get up, walk around, do something. She would only play along with this staying put stuff for so long.

"Give it time," Xena told her from her position still soaking in the tub, both answering her friend's question and reading her mind at the same time. "Think of how long it took you to get this far," she reminded her.

"I know, it's just..." Gabrielle threw down the blanket she had been playing with in mild frustration. "If it hadn't been for me, he never would have gotten into this mess. I just wish there was something I could do to help him."

"Get better," Xena said as she ducked under the water one more time. Iolaus would want to know Gabrielle was well, and would want her to get better as soon as possible. When he finally woke, and she was certain he would, maybe just knowing his friend was on the road to recovery would be incentive enough for him to work towards it himself. It was just an added bonus that it would give her peace of mind as well.

"Easier said than done," the bard said, giving her friend a look as she resurfaced.

"Not if you would just stay still," Xena teased, splashing water towards the bed. She knew how much the young woman wanted to get up and get around, she could tell from the fidgeting alone, not to mention the comments, looks, and various attempts at doing things she really should not do yet. And that was just this morning, what were the next few days going to be like?

"Easier said than done," Gabrielle repeated with a sigh, sinking back into the pillows. She needed something to do, something to keep her mind from wandering. Between Xena and the old healer, she was barely allowed to move, let alone actually do anything. She was going to go insane, and no one here seemed to understand.

"I'm going insane," Hercules told the old woman. "Just sitting here, I can't do anything to help him, but I can't just leave him alone. What if he wakes up? What if he has another nightmare and I'm not there for him?" The large man ran his hands through his hair. "I know this sounds cruel, but I almost wish he would just so I would have something to do..."

"No, not cruel, human," Antomeana corrected him, looking up from her charge. "He'll get better, and soon. Before you know it you will have your hands full just trying to keep him in bed and putting up with his antics. Ask Xena, she knows," she smiled, glancing back at the door that separated the two rooms. She could still hear the young woman's voice in her head as she insisted she was fine and felt well enough to be up and around again, yet didn't want to actually move. She saw the winces of pain hidden behind the brave comments, and knew the warrior did as well. After meeting both Gabrielle and Iolaus, while they were actually conscious that is, she didn't know which one was worse. She was just glad that she wouldn't have to be the one putting up with them. Oh, they were sweet, and good hearted, but she would place good money on them trying to get out of bed and getting themselves in trouble again before they had the chance to heal properly. Let the warriors take care of them, it would serve them right, they would get a bit of their own medicine. Of course, seeing how much the two doted on their friends, she knew someone needed to be around who would actually be strict enough to enforce some kind of rules for their well-being. She had a feeling she was going to be that person.

"But when?" Hercules was saying. "When will he get better? When will he wake up? And how long after he does will it be until he is actually back to his normal self again?" He sighed and flopped down in his chair in a very unwarriorlike way as he watched her pack up her things. "I shouldn't have left him alone. I should have been there with him, just in case I could have done something to stop this"

"Do what?" the old woman turned on him. "Stayed by his side like a mother-hen driving him mad with your over-protectiveness? Killed every bug that happened to have the misfortune of wandering into the same town as him?" She raised a doubting eyebrow. "He was hurt. He is getting better. You're there for him now. Get over it." She had already told him basically the same thing several times already this morning as she looked over his friend. She had also told him that the other man's temperature had gone down noticeably and it would just be a matter of time before he woke up more times than she wanted to count. Yeah, big tough guy, she thought with a smile. At least Xena admitted to herself that she was worried.

Hercules smiled at her bluntness. Very few people had the nerve to be that way with him. He couldn't figure out if it was because of his size or, as Iolaus called it, it was one of those "son of a god things." Iolaus His mind drifted back to the figure on the bed. He knew she was right, his friend was going to get better. It wasn't a matter of which medicines he needed to take, or how much time he needed, he simply needed to get well. Hercules wouldn't stand for anything less.

Antomeana cleared her throat, bringing him back to the present and making him realize his mind has drifted off again. He looked up at the old woman sheepishly, and she smiled in understanding. "He should wake sometime later today. If he's anything like your other young friend, he's going to want to get up and around right away. Don't let him." She handed him a small pouch of herbs. "These should help with the last of the infection, as well as keeping him down for a while. Make sure he takes some in a broth when he wakes. I'll check back in tomorrow, but if you need anything before then, just send for me."

"Thank you," he said, meeting her eyes, his meaning deeper than the words he could say.

She smiled again, placing a reassuring hand on the large man's now completely healed shoulder. "Take care of him," she said, shuffling towards the door. "And yourself," she added, disappearing through the door before he had a chance to rise and open it for her. She shook her head as she closed the door behind her. Warriors...

"I can walk," Gabrielle whined.

"No, you can't," Xena replied. She was not referring to the bard's ability to walk, just her walking being an option at this time. She had finally gotten out of the bath and dried herself off. Now, the two were going to visit Hercules and the more than likely still slumbering Iolaus before the large man drove himself mad. Or at least that was the plan, it was just someone was not going along with what someone else wanted to do.

"I am perfectly capable of walking from this bed into the room next door," the blonde pouted, tenderly crossing her arms in front of her and putting on her best defiant look. It wasn't working.

"This from the person who couldn't get out of the tub on her own..." Xena mumbled under her breath, but loud enough for her friend to hear.

"That was different!" Gabrielle protested.

Xena raised an eyebrow. This should be good. "How?"

The bard hadn't thought of her actually asking how it was different. She hadn't really even thought of what she was saying, the words just came out and she hoped Xena would let her have her way. "Well, um," she began, her mind racing to find a reason. "I was sitting in the tub then and had to push myself out with my bad arm. I'm on the bed now so I don't have to do that." It was weak, but it was something.

"Try it," Xena told her.

Gabrielle did a double take. Was Xena actually going to let her have her way? The warrior gave her a look like she knew something the bard didn't, but Gabrielle could not pass up this chance. "Fine, I will," she said determinedly. She pulled off the layers of blankets and carefully pushed herself up into more of a sitting position, pointedly ignoring the smirk on her friend's face. She edged her way to the side of the bed, noticing it was taking her longer than she thought, but she was still set on proving Xena wrong. She swung her feet over slowly stood, using the side of the bed for balance. She was shaky, and the pain in her ankle reminded her how she got into all of this mess in the first place, but she was standing. She looked over to Xena with a smug smile of her own and she let go of the edge of the bed. Without the bed's help for balance she swayed wildly, the muscles in her legs weak from underuse, but she caught herself with her good arm on the bedpost before she toppled backwards onto the bed. "Not a word," she said through clenched teeth.

"Me?" Xena asked innocently. "I'm just waiting to see if you are actually going to walk, or just play around all day."

Gabrielle gave her a look to let her know what she thought of her comments, more determined than ever to prove her wrong. Slowly, she let go of the post, letting her body regain its equilibrium before she moved again. Finally, ever so cautiously, she took the first step. Her body swayed, and she had to raise her arms slightly for balance, but she did it. She moved to take another step, conscious of how each movement caused an arc of pain to fly through her ribs, and how that pain mingled with the lingering discomfort of her ankle and the growing fogginess of her head from doing something other laying down or sitting up for the first time in days. Slowly, ever so slowly, she made her way to the door. A door that somehow seemed to have moved several leagues away from where it had seemed when she was back in bed. She was going to do this though. Yes, she was stubborn, and yes it was purely pride driving her on, but that still was better than the look of victory on Xena's face.

Xena watched the girl's every move, knowing how much pain and effort she was going through just to prove a point. Where did she learn to be so stubborn anyway? Never mind, she had a fair idea of where, and knew it involved the only other person in the room. She tried to keep up the act of seeming aloof, but was ready to help if needed, or to catch her if her legs finally gave out.

After what seemed like a much longer time than necessary, Gabrielle reached the door to the men's room. Resting her hand on the handle, she looked up triumphantly. "Ha!" she said, trying to mask the fact she was stopping to catch her breath.

"Finally," Xena teased, rolling her eyes playfully.

Gabrielle set her jaw and prepared for the next bit of her journey. She started to push the door open when Xena stopped her. She furrowed her eyebrows, convinced Xena was trying to prevent her from walking again. What now?

"Knock," Xena told her, reminding her that they were entering someone else's room. The blonde looked up at her expectantly, and she sighed, rapping her own knuckles on the door.

"Come in," they heard a familiar voice call. Xena pushed the door open and waited for the slow, but stubborn, bard to enter.

Hercules looked up from his chair, expecting to see the warrior carrying her friend over yet again. He watched for a moment as Gabrielle continued with her tender steps. He looked over to Xena, who was resting comfortably on the doorframe, looking almost bored, then back to the bard as she continued on her way. "Um, do you want some help?" he offered.

"No," Gabrielle replied coolly, hobbling closer to the bed. She was getting better at keeping her balance, it just took time, that's all.

The large man looked back to Xena with an unspoken question in his eyes.

"We would have been here sooner, but..." Xena trailed off, motioning to where the young woman had finally reached the bed.

"Not a word," the bard reminded her warningly. She realized the flaw in her plans when she saw that Iolaus lay on the side of the bed closest to the door, meaning she had to make her way all the way around the bed before she could sit down again. She braced herself on the bedframe with her good arm, hoping Hercules didn't see the wince of pain as her ribs protested.

The large man did though, and looked to Xena to see if she had as well. What he saw was a glint of humor in her eyes, and perhaps a bit of pride, as she watched her friend shuffle along the length of the bed to the other side. He was not going to get involved, other than to be ready to catch the bard if she fell. He had decided he was never going to understand these two, and just added this to his reasons why. Xena was obviously concerned, yet she let Gabrielle get away with what she wanted, and even teased her in the process. Two women, both filled with pride, and both unwilling to admit they were wrong. Sounded sort of familiar, actually. He looked to the man still asleep on the bed. Yep, definitely familiar.

As Gabrielle finally reached the other side of the bed, she realized the other flaw in her plan. She had gotten out of the bed okay, but could she sit back down without falling down, or disturbing the sleeping Iolaus? She was not about to let that stop her from gloating though. "I did it," she told Xena proudly.

"And it only took you half the day," Xena replied with a smile, expecting, and receiving, a look that spoke volumes. She watched as Gabrielle carefully lowered herself to the bed, knowing her friend was debating how to get her feet up on the mattress without falling backward or putting herself in some other embarrassing position. She decided to give the girl a break. She walked to the other side of the bed casually and nonchalantly fluffed the pillows where Gabrielle would lay. She saw her start to move, and knew she was about to lose balance, so she quickly grabbed her feet and swung them up, covering her with a blanket in one smooth move. Gabrielle knew exactly what she did, but decided not to comment. Instead, she gave her a little look of thanks, and settled back on the pillows, doing her best not to look as worn out as she felt.

"So," the bard began, hoping her voice didn't sound as tired to her two friends as it did to her own ears. "What's the plan for today?"

Hercules opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by the other warrior. "You rest, Iolaus wakes, we take a break, and the rest of the world goes on its merry way."

"In other words, not much," Gabrielle sighed. "Is there at least going to be some food involved?" she asked hopefully.

"It's not my fault you opted for a bath instead of breakfast," Xena reminded her. She had to admit though, that food was beginning to sound like a good idea.

"But now it's time for lunch?" Gabrielle tried with a meek smile. She was still recovering from her injuries, she reasoned, and needed her energy. Besides, some of Linus's lamb stew would be wonderful right about now. She knew if she pressed the issue enough, she would get her way. She also knew that it would be that way for as long as Xena thought she was not up to full strength, and possibly long after. Of course, the trade off to this was that Xena was going to be even more overprotective that usual and that she would barely be allowed out of her sight for probably the next six moons or so.

Xena gave her a look, knowing exactly what she was doing, and knowing she was going to let her get away with it anyway. Before she could say anything though, there was a knock at the door. She looked to Hercules with a raised eyebrow. Now who could that be?

The large man got out of his chair and made his way to the door. "Who is it?" he asked, still not opening it.

"Linus," came the reply from the other side. Hercules opened the door and the old innkeeper entered, carrying a tray of food. Looking around, he saw the two women in the room as well. "Good, you're here too. That means we won't have to go to your room." Setting the tray down on the small table, he motioned to someone in the hallway. "Don't just stand there, bring it in."

The timid young man who tended bar appeared carrying a tray nearly identical to the one Linus had just brought in. He set it down next to the first one, and quickly darted back out into the hallway.

"What is all this?" Hercules asked, motioning to the trays of food.

"Well, you didn't get breakfast, and I figured you needed lunch," the old man told him. "I'm not about to let my favorite guests go hungry."

"I appreciate the gesture," Hercules told him, still staring at the food. "But, this much?"

"One tray for you and your friend, and one tray for Xena and Gabrielle," Linus explained. "I spoke to Antomeana and she said he should wake up some time later today. I figured, knowing him the bit I do, that he would be hungry when he woke. And then she said Gabrielle should be able to eat solid foods starting today, so I had to bring her up some of her favorites as well. Plus some soup, of course, just in case she couldn't."

"Of course," Xena said with a smile, wondering just how spoiled her friend was getting to be. The thing was, she wasn't even actively trying, not really. People just did things for her because they liked her. She was simply that kind of person. Xena had often wished she had some of that trait. Oh, she had people do things for her all the time, but it was usually out of fear, not friendship. But not Gabrielle, she just attracted people to her. Those who didn't respond at first, she worked on slowly, melting their defenses. Isn't that why they became friends in the first place? It was a good thing she had learned to look out for that, otherwise Gabrielle would always get what she wanted.

"Well then, I should let you be," the innkeeper said, backing towards the door with a friendly smile. "I don't want to wake your friend, and I'm sure the rest of you need your rest and privacy."

"Thank you," Gabrielle told him from her perch on the bed. She smiled warmly at him to let him know his actions truly were appreciated.

"You're welcome," he smiled back. "You just get better now, you here? I've got guests already making requests for those stories of yours," he said with a wink before ducking out the door and closing it softly behind him.

"What are we going to do with all this food?" Hercules asked, still staring at the platters.

"I've got an idea," Gabrielle grinned. "Why don't you bring some of it over here?"

"You're not going to eat all of that, are you?"

"Well, I'd hate to see it go to waste," she laughed. Xena couldn't help but chuckle. It felt so good to see her laugh again, to see her smile and seem to forget her pain and everything she had been through, even if just for a moment. Gabrielle was getting better. It would take time to put this all behind her, but she was working at it, and with a stubbornness and determination that said she was going to succeed. Perhaps that is why she had insisted on walking. Not out of restlessness, but out of proving to herself that she could get past this. Xena had to admit she had more than a tinge of pride seeing her friend succeed. It proved to her once again what inner strength the girl had. Not that this meant she was going to tone down how much she tried to protect her, not at all. In fact, it gave her yet another reason to keep her safe. The world needed people like Gabrielle, and people like Gabrielle needed someone to make sure the world got what it needed.

She looked down at her young friend, who was trying to adjust her pillows to allow her to sit up a bit more to eat as Hercules filled a plate for her. She picked up an extra one off the floor and fluffed it, positioning it behind Gabrielle's back and propping her up into a full sitting position. The young woman smiled at her in thanks, and then nearly grabbed the plate of food out of Hercules' hands and dug in.

"Mmm, Xena, this is so good!" Gabrielle managed to get out around a mouthful of nutbread. "You've got to try some." She could still feel the stiffness in her jaw as she chewed, but the pain itself was gone and the thought of eating real food greatly outweighed any discomfort she felt. She was definitely going to have to thank Linus. Looking at the tray of food on the table, she saw he had managed to put just about every one of her favorite foods on it in some amount. There was nutbread, of course, meats, pastries, a bowl of something, and a mug of what looked like cider.

"You're not going to just eat sweets, are you?" Xena admonished. She looked to Hercules reproachfully as he was the one who had made up the plate for her. True, he had made it with what Linus had brought, but that was beside the point. He just shrugged with a smile, knowing she wasn't truly upset, and he was just doing what she probably would have done herself if she thought no one was looking.

They were catering to Gabrielle, both wanting to make up for what happened in some small way, and the bard knew it. She knew it wasn't their fault, and she knew they were just trying to make her feel better, but that didn't mean she was going to pass up nutbread for them. Besides, she noticed Xena had not turned down her offer and was picking at a piece of bread herself. "I thought about it," she said, in answer to her friend's question.

Xena just rolled her eyes, trying not to laugh at her friend, and not really succeeding. She wandered over to the table of food to see if Linus had brought anything of substance for her to eat. She smiled when she saw one thing that Gabrielle would not be able to pass up, and it was even good for her too. She picked up the small covered bowl and a spoon, and walked back over to the bed where Gabrielle was nibbling on another piece of bread. "I think you'll like this, but if you just want to eat sweets, I guess I'll be forced to eat it for you" she said as she uncovered the bowl.

The smell of its contents was unmistakable. "Lamb stew!" Gabrielle exclaimed, the pastries all but forgotten. "He read my mind!" She reached for the bowl, trying to find a way to position it without spilling it all over the bed.

"I take it you want it then?" Xena laughed, resting the bowl on yet another pillow on the girl's lap. As much as she was tempted to feed it to her again, she knew Gabrielle would have none of that. So, she simply sat down on the corner of the bed beside her and watched to make sure the stew didn't go flying out of the corner of her eye as she accepted a plate of food from Hercules. The demi-god sat back down with a plate of his own, half watching the antics of his friends, and half watching the sleeping form on the other side of the bed.

Gabrielle ate carefully, not wanting to spill the savory mixture. It was the first chance she had to feed herself since the whole thing began, and she was determined not to make a fool out of herself. That, and the meal was so good it would be a shame to see even a drop of it wasted. It was hard to balance it, since she could only really use one arm, and that she needed for the actual eating, but she managed not to topple the container over or anything. "Xena," she began when she was about halfway through with the bowl. "Do you think that later on you could get my scrolls for me? I mean, you're not really going to let me do much else anyway, and it would give me something to do." The truth was she wanted to work out her feelings on everything that had happened, and she had learned as a bard that the best way to do that was with her writing.

"I think you could handle that," Xena agreed with a wink, understanding her friend's true motives. She wanted to write. If ever there was a sign her friend was recovering, this was it. Writing let her express herself and work out her feelings. Even in the darkest of times, Gabrielle's writing helped her focus and move beyond whatever was troubling her. Xena could remember the countless times she had returned to their campsite to find the bard completely wrapped up in whatever world she was creating. It was as much a part of her as Xena's training was to her; without it, she was not whole.

A motion off to the side caught her attention. If there was any question as to where it came from, Hercules practically leaping out of his chair and appearing at the bedside answered it. A soft moan escaped the blonde's lips as blue eyes blinked awake, cringing slightly at the bright afternoon sun before working to focus on his surroundings.

"Iolaus?" the large man asked cautiously.

"Hey Herc," the other man greeted him, his voice rough from lack of use.

"Are you okay?" Hercules asked worriedly.

The small man smacked his lips together before he attempted to talk again. He looked around at all the familiar faces, figuring out just where exactly he was and why his head felt like he had gone ten rounds with a cyclops. Blue eyes met sparkling green, and he smiled. "I got to do this more often," he quipped. "When else can I wake up next to a beautiful woman and be surrounded by food?"

"He's fine," Xena said dryly as Gabrielle blushed and Hercules chuckled.

"You," the demi-god began, pointing a finger at his friend. "Had us worried. Don't ever do that again."

"I'll try not to," Iolaus solemnly promised. "If I knew what it was I did." He reached up and rubbed the back of his head, the pain in his skull and the pain in his arm confusing him even more. "What hit me?" He looked over to a very awake Gabrielle sitting in his own bed. "And when did she get up? And, why am I so sore? And, is it just me or does my voice sound funny? Hey, that food looks good, can I have some?"

Hercules sat back on his haunches and could not help but laugh. He could also not keep the look of relief off of his face as he looked at his friend. He was awake. He was better. He was going to live. He was everything Antomeana told him he would be. That old woman deserved far more than the thanks she would be getting, and he only wished that someday he would be able to repay her for what she had done.

Seeing that no one else was going to answer, Gabrielle decided that she, as the only other person who really knew what he was going through, should do so. "Something big, right after you were knocked out, you were bit after you were attacked, yes, but it will be better after some water, and you'll have to check with them," she smiled.

She watched as Iolaus tried to match up her answers to his questions, and then appeared to give up trying. Obviously he felt the same way she did when she first got up; it was not worth the effort. "Someone's got to explain this to me," the small man said, trying to blink away the last of the fuzziness he felt. "But can you wait until after I eat?"

"Sure," Hercules agreed, standing up to get his friend something to eat. Knowing his appetite, he wasn't going to settle for a cup of broth, even if that was all he was supposed to have.

Iolaus attempted to push himself into more of a sitting position, only to flop back down to the pillows as flashes of color obscured his vision and a wave of pain swept over his body. "Okay, remind me not to try that for a while," he grinned weakly.

"Are you okay?" Hercules asked, at his side in an instant. Not waiting for an answer, he continued. "Now, don't move, don't do anything without getting help first, do you hear me? You've been through a lot, so just rest and let us take care of everything else."

Iolaus just watched as his friend continued with his mother-hen routine, rearranging pillows and carefully lifting him to prop him into a sitting position. "You didn't have to put up with this, did you?" he half-whispered to Gabrielle when Hercules returned to his task of getting food for him.

"You'd be surprised," the girl whispered back to him with a giggle.

He looked over to Xena questioningly to be met with her stoic façade and raised eyebrow, daring him to make a comment. She didn't last long though, one look at Gabrielle attempting to look solemn, and she slipped into a smile.

The remainder of the afternoon went by quickly. Iolaus ate as much as he could handle, and his appetite hinting at his expected full recovery. Hercules did his best to answer his friend's questions about the sickness, relying on Gabrielle to fill in what he did not know about. True to her word, Xena brought in several of Gabrielle's scrolls for her to work on while the others talked, played cards, and generally speculated on why it appeared the Fates had it in for them. After a while, Xena brewed up some tea for Iolaus and Gabrielle, and though the bard questioned why Hercules and Xena refused to have any, drank hers down, appreciating the soothing effect it had on her still sore throat. Not long after, the two blondes began to slip further and further down into their pillows and the comforts of the bed.

"Hey, you tricked us," Iolaus yawned, trying his best to fight the effects of the sleeping potion.

"Yep," Xena agreed, tucking another blanket around Gabrielle.

"Never trust anything they give you when you're sick," the girl mumbled as she drifted off to sleep.

"Yep," Xena repeated with a smile before placing a kiss on top of the red-blonde head and settling back to make sure the two were truly asleep.

"They're better," Hercules said, his voice cutting through the silence after he was certain he would not wake his friends.

"Almost," Xena corrected. "But they're getting there," she added, bending down to pick up one of Gabrielle's fallen scrolls. She carefully rolled it before placing it on the bedside table with the others, never once looking at the words on the parchment.

"You don't read them?" Hercules asked, settling back in his chair.

"No," she answered simply as she put away the quill and ink.

"Never?" he asked incredulously. They seemed to share everything else, it only made sense that they would do the same with the bard's scrolls. "You mean to tell me that you have never once read her scrolls without her permission? Haven't you even been tempted?"

Xena met his eyes coolly and calmly, her expression relaxed and open. "They're hers. Anything she wants me to know, she tells me. Sometimes she'll read a section or ask me about something she wrote, but that's it. They are a part of her; they're a place where she can express her thoughts, her soul It's a safe place for her. I can't just take that away from her," she shrugged.

He just nodded, gaining yet another bit of insight in to the relationship of the two friends.

The two chatted for a while, the warrior being much more open than the demi-god had ever thought possible. It was agreed that Gabrielle should stay there for the rest of the afternoon, instead of Xena bringing her back to their own room to sleep. She would just want to come back for dinner when she woke up anyway, and this would save both of them the trip.

They cleaned up the last bits of lunch and Hercules gathered the trays and brought them back down to the kitchen. Knowing that Iolaus was going to be okay, he was much more willing to leave the room. In truth, he had been getting a little restless, but he would not leave his friend alone. Knowing that he was on his way to a full recovery, and that Xena would be watching over him for the short time he was gone, lightened his spirits more than he wanted to admit, even to himself.

On his way back from dropping off the trays, he could not help stepping outside for a moment of fresh air. Leaning against the doorframe, he watched some of the villagers passing by as they went through their daily routines. He also noticed something else, and that something else made his stomach uneasy. He returned indoors, knowing Xena would want to know what he had seen.

"How many?" Xena asked, her elbows resting on her knees as she folded her hand before her. She looked up to the large man from her position in his chair as he leaned against the bedpost. She was trying to gauge his reaction, and see if there was any real fear, or just surprise.

"I only saw three of them, but I think they were just scoping out the place for something bigger," he sighed. Had he really been expecting the true source of all of their problems to go away? He had been kidding himself to think they were just going to run away and not bother them again. They had come back before, and they would come back again, at least until this was taken care of once and for all.

"And you're sure it was them?" she asked, though she knew the answer. He would not have told her if he had not been certain.

He nodded his head. "They weren't in uniform, but I recognized two from the fight in the square, and the third was definitely the one who helped Mekan escape." Xena seemed to think things over for a moment, and as her gaze drifted back to the sleeping forms on the bed, he knew exactly what was on her mind. "Whatever they are planning, I'm sure it won't happen tonight. Tomorrow at the earliest, possibly later; they have to get everyone into position first."

"What won't happen tonight?" a sleepy voice came from the bed. Green eyes blinked open slowly as Gabrielle cautiously stretched.

"Nothing," Hercules answered, perhaps a bit too quickly. He did not want her involved, especially after last time

"Yeah, sure," Gabrielle said sarcastically, not believing him for a moment. One thing she had learned in her years on the road with Xena was "nothing" was usually something big. "Xena, what gives?"

Before the warrior could answer, the other sleeping form began to stir. Great, she thought, just what we need.

Iolaus looked up at the rather tense faces before him. He may have still been a bit out of it, but he knew trouble when he saw it. "What's going on?" he turned to ask Gabrielle, certain she would be the only one to give him a straight answer.

"That's what I'm trying to find out," she replied, pushing herself up into more of a sitting position, absently surprised at how much better her arm felt already. "Something's supposed to happen tomorrow, but they don't want to tell us what."

Xena sighed. So much for trying to protect them from the truth. They would have found out sooner or later anyway, she just wished it was later so she had time to think. She looked up to meet the two pairs of eyes staring at her from the bed, then glanced over to Hercules, who just shrugged. She was on her own here for how much she wanted to tell them. Might as well go for broke. "Hercules saw some of Mekan and Melnos's men scouting the area around the inn. He thinks they are planning for a full attack."

"Mekan?" Iolaus asked, truly confused.

It was then the others remembered he had been unconscious during the whole kidnapping fiasco. As much as she really didn't want to, Xena decided to explain. "Mekan works for Melnos. She claims he raised her after I attacked her village, but that's a whole 'nother story. She's the one who tried to kidnap Gabrielle"

"The maid?" Iolaus asked, interrupting.

"Yeah," Hercules answered for him. "We think it was one of her men who knocked you out, but we're not sure. You were already out when we found you, and that's when you were bitten." He tried to keep his voice level and cool, but his true emotions about the events were clear.

"Well, it wasn't her, that much I know for sure," Iolaus told him. "The last thing I remember, I was looking right at her, trying to figure out what she wanted. I still can't believe I let that guy sneak up on me..." He shook his still throbbing head in disgust.

"It's not your fault," Gabrielle told him softly, placing a reassuring hand on top of his own. "You were sick, and believe me when I say I know how you felt. You did your best, considering the circumstances. In the end, everything worked out and everyone is fine. What else can you ask for?"

"To get my hands around the neck of that..." Iolaus mumbled, but was cut off.

"Well, that's not going to happen," Hercules told him.

"You're not going to let me fight, are you?" the small man asked, indignantly. "I deserve my right to get them for what they did. You can't deny me that. How many times have I fought beside you, huh? I can more than handle my own."

"That was different," Hercules told him, hoping to stop him before his anger got the better of him. Seeing the defiant look he was given, he knew it was not over. "You can barely sit up on your own, how are you supposed to hold a sword, let alone fight? Huh? Did you even think of that?"

Gabrielle looked over at her know dejected friend. "Don't worry, I'll tell you everything that happens, okay?"

"And how are you going to do that when you're going to be inside right next to him?" Xena asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh no you don't," Gabrielle protested. "They've come after me twice, technically three times, and you expect me to just let that pass? We've been through this, Xena. I fight right by your side."

"Not while you're injured," Xena told her. "You're barely walking, and I'm not willing to take the risk of you getting hurt again. You need time to recover, and getting into another fight is not going to help that. I need you to promise me that you will stay here, okay?"

The bard looked like she was going to protest again, but stopped when she saw the pleading look her friend gave her. Xena rarely asked anything of her, and when she did, it tended to be important, or for her own best interest. After all the times her friend had given in to her own requests, how could she turn her down? "Okay," she relented, albeit reluctantly.

"Looks like we both get to miss out on the action," Iolaus told her, understanding her feelings on the matter.

"Yeah," she agreed.

They looked at each other and said in unison, "This sucks."

Xena let out a forced smile at her friends' antics. She knew Gabrielle would be upset with her, but she also knew it was for the best. As much as the two friends wanted to fight, she knew they were not up to the challenge. She did not know what she would do if Gabrielle got hurt, again, because of her. She was just going to have to see that that didn't happen.

"So," Hercules, said, interrupting her thoughts. "What are we going to do?"

"Everyone know what they have to do?" Xena asked. It was the next morning, and everything seemed to be set. Now all they had to do was wait for Melnos to make his move.

"Yeah, lay here in bed and don't get in trouble," Gabrielle mumbled, receiving a look from her friend for her efforts.

"We wait until we see Melnos and his men get into position. You two go down and do your thing, and we blockade the door and sit it out until you get back. We don't let anyone but you in, and everyone else gets to meet the business end of a sword for trying," Linus repeated back to her.

"Are you sure all of this is necessary?" Antomeana asked from her perch next to the bed.

"Unfortunately, yes," Xena replied. "Melnos is not going to give up unless he absolutely has to. I'm just trying to make sure no one else gets hurt in the process. Is everybody ready?" she asked, looking around the room to make sure everything was in place. They had moved all of their belongings into Hercules and Iolaus' room, including the extra chairs for their visitors, then barricaded the door that led to what had been Xena and Gabrielle's room. Antomeana was there to tend to Iolaus and Gabrielle, as well as to be in the safest place Xena could think of. She owed the old healer so much more than this, but at least it was a start. Linus was there for his own protection, as well as a last defense in case anyone got through the doors. He had already sent his people home and told them to stay inside until whatever happened was over. Iolaus insisted on having his sword at his side, even though Hercules wasn't sure he could even use it, and Gabrielle made sure her staff was within arms reach. Xena had to admit that it seemed rather strange, considering they were not supposed to be allowed to leave their bed, but it made them happy, so she compromised. She just hoped it did not come down to them using their weapons, for if it did, it meant everything, and everyone, else had failed.

"I just have one question," the old woman asked. Xena raised an expectant eyebrow. "Just how long do you plan on us being here? You've got enough food here to feed a small army." She motioned to the table by the door laden with fruits, breads, and pots of unknown contents.

"That would be my doing," Linus cut in sheepishly. "I just wanted to make sure everyone had enough to eat and all that. I won't have anyone going hungry on my account."

"But, that much?" Antomeana asked incredulously, shaking her head.

"Have you ever seen these two eat?" Xena deadpanned, hitching a thumb at the bed's occupants.

"We have to keep our strength up," Gabrielle agreed solemnly before breaking into a grin.

Antomeana just sighed. Warriors. Only they would joke around before running out to fend off some army intent on killing them. On the other hand, at least they were in a good mood. She so hated it when people sulked.

"Xena," Hercules called from his scouting position next to the window, never removing his gaze from the courtyard below. He motioned for her to take look outside as well, just to confirm his suspicions.

The warrior looked out from over the large man's shoulder, taking in the events of the village below. There was relatively little of the daily traffic, almost as if the entire town knew something was about to happen. She looked beyond the villagers, between the buildings and down the alleys, even in the tops of the few trees clustered around the main walkway. She saw a handful of Melnos' men ducking around and behind anything that would block her view from the inn and offer them possible protection. Common sense told her more were coming. Each time Melnos had attacked, he had used only a fraction of his men, and each time they were defeated. He wasn't going to take any more chances, he wanted a complete and total defeat. Xena knew the odds were not in her favor, even with Hercules at her side, but she also knew she could not allow this to go on any longer. She only hoped her plan would work; take Melnos out of the picture directly, one on one, and the rest of his men should scatter. That would lead her with only Mekan to take care of. As much as she did not want to hurt the girl, she was after all only a pawn in Melnos' plans, she was not going to let her finish her father's work.

"They're getting into position," Hercules said, stating what she already knew. She wondered briefly if it was for her benefit, or for the benefit of the room's other occupants who were eagerly watching her reaction.

"Then it's time we got into ours," was all she said, stepping away from the window. She looked back to the bed, and one occupant in particular.

"Be careful," Gabrielle pleaded, clutching on to her hand one last time before she left.

"Always," Xena swore, waiting until the girl released her hand before she meeting Hercules at the door. He shared one last look with his friend, each wishing the other luck in their own way, before heading out the door to meet whatever the Fates would bring.

"You get back in that bed this instant!" Antomeana nearly screamed.

"Shhh," Gabrielle hushed her. "I'm trying to see what's going on!" As soon as Xena and Hercules were out the door and Linus safely barricaded it, Gabrielle pushed herself out of the bed and hobbled the short distance to the window, using her staff for support. She positioned herself in the chair Xena had "accidentally" left there and fixed her gaze out the window.

"Linus," the old woman tried. "Will you please pick that young lady up and deposit her back in her bed?" Not for the first time, she longed for the times she would have been able to just do the task herself. Damned old age. The only thing it seemed to slow down was her body, but at times like these, that was more than enough. Where was a warrior when you actually needed one?

"Not a chance," the old man chuckled, twirling his sword in his hand as he tried to get a feel for it again. It had been many years since he had actually used one, but it seemed like it was only yesterday. "Have you ever seen her with that thing?" he smiled. He motioned to the staff Gabrielle still held in her hand as she leaned against the windowsill. Even injured, he had a feeling she could pack quite the punch. Besides, Xena had told him to expect nothing less of her. As long as she didn't actually leave the room or fight, it was fine. The way those two knew each other was almost scary at times.

"Iolaus," Antomeana tried her last chance, truly exasperated. "Will you please try to talk your friend into getting her injured self back into bed?"

The small man pretended not to hear her as he edged himself closer to that side of the bed. Hercules had been right, there was no chance of him standing or walking around today, but he would damn himself to Tartarus before he sat idly by, not knowing what was going on. At least from here he could better hear what happened. "Hey Gab, you're going to let me know everything that happens, right?" he asked.

"Of course," she nodded, her eyes never moving from their view. She shifted her arm to a more comfortable position as Linus appeared behind her with a pillow and blanket. She looked up at him questioningly.

"You might as well be comfortable," he shrugged, much to Antomeana's dismay. He positioned the pillow behind her back and threw the blanket across her lap as she smiled at him in thanks.

"Like you need to encourage her," the old woman grumbled as she unceremoniously flopped down on the now empty side of the bed and bit into an apple. If they were going to be comfortable, so was she.

"I think it's starting..." Gabrielle's voice floated through the now silent room.

The large man strode down the main walkway, confidence oozing out of him with every step. He had every right to be, he knew exactly where each of his men were and knew no one could get near him without stepping into the range of their bows. And if that wasn't enough, he had three men following him with swords already drawn and at the ready. To get to him, his attackers would have to get through them, and that's assuming they even made it through the archers. Not that he wasn't a capable fighter himself, not at all. In his day, he could have taken on the best, and probably even won. It was just that he knew his day had passed, and he was not about to take any chances when his ultimate victory was so close.

He stopped in the middle of the courtyard, smoothing back his shoulderlength graying brown hair before he spoke. "Xena!" he called out, his hand unconsciously fingering the hilt of his sword at the base of his silver breastplate. "I know you're in there. Why don't you come on out so we can get this over with, once and for all." He glanced behind him at his men, a smug smile on his face as he was sure in his victory. She may still be the better warrior, and could probably best him in a fair fight, but he never planned on being fair.

He set his eyes on the inn door, expecting her to make her appearance from there. After all, wasn't she still caring for that little friend of hers? What a pathetic excuse for a warrior, he thought to himself, remembering the times when something like that would have never slowed her down. This humanity of hers had always been a weakness, and it seemed to have grown in the passing years. Fortunately for him, it was a weakness he fully knew how to exploit.

"Hello, Melnos," Xena said as she stepped out of the shadows of an alley a mere twenty paces from where he now stood. He tried rather unsuccessfully to keep the look of surprise off of his face as she closed even that distance with her sword in hand. She stopped a mere ten paces in front of him, watching as his eyes darted frantically to various positions behind her, waiting for something that never came.

"Looking for something?" Hercules asked as he stepped out of another alleyway, depositing one of Melnos' men in a heap on the ground before throwing down a handful of bows and quivers, all previously belonging to the warlord's hidden archers. He leaned up against the corner of one of the buildings, crossing his arms in front of him casually. He was letting the other man know of his presence if he tried anything else, yet remaining a quiet observer for the time being.

"There was six of them, right?" Xena began casually. "With another four men armed with swords and pikes scattered around these buildings?" She motioned in a wide circle with her sword, pausing slightly at each man's former hiding place. Her eyes returned to focus on his, reading the anger he so barely hid. "I'm sure the rest are safely tucked away out of sight, but also out of range. My only question is where is that daughter of yours? Mekan, wasn't it? The one you supposedly saved from Tachas? Of course, we both know the truth about that, don't we?"

"She's around," he assured her, his confidence growing again as he thought of his star pupil.

"And are you so certain of her loyalty, that you would trust her even after she failed?" Xena baited, making sure her voice was loud enough to carry across the compound for all to hear.

"Of course," came the reply. "She is, after all my daughter." The sarcasm hung on his last word. "Saved by me from the evil clutches of Xena and her men after they destroyed her village and killed her parents." He laughed darkly at his own hidden joke.

"What would happen if she found out the truth? Would she be so loyal to you then?"

"What truth?" a voice cut across the courtyard. Xena did not need to look back to see who it was. Mekan approached slowly, her bow at the ready with an arrow already drawn back and ready to let loose, stopping only when both Xena and the man she called father were within her sights. "This is twice I have been told something is being kept from me. Once by a former lieutenant I passed on the way out of town, and now again by you. I will ask only once more; what truth?" She leveled her bow on her targets.

"The truth about who attacked your village," Xena told the girl, her eyes never leaving the widening eyes of the warlord. "Tachas was a supply base for me and my army, I had no reason to attack something already under my control. It was Melnos and his men who destroyed the city and torched everything in sight. It was the only way he thought he could get to me after I defeated him, again." She added the last word with an upturn of her lips.

"You lie!" Mekan shouted, her bow moving as she focused her gaze on the Warrior Princess. "I saw the men who killed my parents. I saw my new father save me and kill them for what they had done."

Xena raised an eyebrow. So Melnos had killed his own men in this scheme of his... Of course, why should that surprise her? His men tended to stay with him out of fear of what would happen to them if they left as much as loyalty. He never had anyone he could truly trust as his second in command though, nobody he could be certain that he could control. He had obviously found a way around that. "Think back to that day," she told the girl. "Think of the uniforms those men wore. Were they brown and silver?"

There was silence as the girl seemed to contemplate what said. "Father?" she asked, tears in her eyes as she lowered her weapon slightly.

"She's trying to trick you!" Melnos shouted in frustration. "Of course she would know what color they wore, they were her men!"

"My men never wore those colors," Xena corrected him. "She never saw the colors of my men that day. We were marching on the neighboring village of Tolon." She focused her attention back on the girl. "Your 'father' may have changed his colors since then, but he has not changed his emblem. What symbol was etched in their armor?"

Melnos interrupted while the girl thought things over. "You can't turn her against me, Xena. As far as she's concerned, I'm her father. She would die to protect me."

"And then who would you leave your army to?" Xena baited, hoping her little plan would work.

"I can always save another. What's a mere village when I can ensure my army will live on?" he laughed. That laughter was cut short and his smug smile turned to a look of surprise as he gazed down at the arrow sticking out of his own chest.

"It was a dragon," Mekan whispered as she lowered her bow once more, her arrow lodged in the very symbol she spoke of. "Goodbye, father." She closed her eyes as the only family she had left fell to the ground, dead by her own hand.

The three men who had stood behind Melnos moved as if to attack, and Xena stepped up to block them, eyeing the other soldiers coming out of their various hiding places all over the village. She was more than ready for a fight, and seeing Hercules get into position, she knew he was as well.

"Stop!" Mekan's voice cut above the din. Her commanding tone caused the men to quell their advance, several in mid-stride, to hear what she had to say. Many had only seen Melnos go down, and not who it was that was responsible for their leader's death. Certain she had their full attention, she spoke again. "You have three choices. One, you attack and you die, either by the hand of Xena and Hercules, or by the town magistrate should you survive. Two, you can follow me. Melnos is dead, and by his own law, I am next in succession. Three, you can leave now and scatter across the countryside. I will not hunt you down, but if I come across you in battle, you can be sure it will be at the cost of your life. Make your choices now, for you will not get the chance to make them again."

There was silence as the men weighed their options, broken only by the mumbling as each made comments to the others on what would be the smart thing to do. Only after it was clear that every man had lowered his weapon did Xena relax her stance. She noticed several wander off to disappear into the nearby woods, and several more simply wander deeper into the village. The majority of men though banded together and stood, weapons lowered, facing Mekan and awaiting her orders.

"We recognize your authority as the new and rightful leader of Melnos' army," one man said, bowing stiffly before the small woman. "We await your command."

Mekan nodded slightly in acknowledgment of his salute. "Go back to camp and wait for me there, I will be along shortly. We have much to do, and have wasted far too much time already."

"Yes, sir," he said with a brisk nod of his head. He turned to the waiting men, and a few commands later they were marching away from the village without a scratch suffered by a single villager.

Mekan knew Xena waited patiently beside her. She turned to the warrior and simply stared for a moment, thousands of emotions washing across her face. Before her stood the woman she had spent most of her life hating. Behind her lay the man she had called father, killed by her own hand to protect that very woman. Her world as she had known it only moments before was now shattered, and would never be the same. And yet, of all the emotions she felt, regret did not seem to be one of them. Off in the distance marched an army, her army, sworn to follow her orders, whatever they may be. She just had to decide how she was going to use her newfound power. She knew she would never become the do-gooder Xena had become, but she also knew she could not follow in the footsteps of the man who raised her. She was questioning her beliefs, and knew she needed to make a decision. But for now that decision could wait. For what seemed like the first time in her life, she had all the time in the world.

"I was wrong about you," she finally spoke. If she was expecting a reaction, she didn't get one. She turned and looked out across the small village, people peeking their heads out of their homes now that they were certain it was safe. "All my life I have been hating the wrong person, and yet, even now I cannot truly hate him. Even after all of his lies, the truth is, he did save me, he did raise me. It was for his own purposes, yes, but I would not be who I am today if it had not been for him." She turned back to face the warrior woman. "You are far from innocent, I know. I remember how, even though your army protected us, we were never free. You used us; we were your supply base. As long as we served you, we were supposed to be safe. But you are not the monster I thought you to be, not the monster I nearly became. You never attacked the innocents, the women and children, and you left the injured alone. My fa-, Melnos did." She corrected herself, having to remember he was not the man she had thought him to be. That was going to take some getting used to.

"I'm sorry for what you have been through," Xena told her, her heart going out to the girl.

"And I'm sorry for what happened to your friend, but sorries don't change anything, only action does," Mekan responded. She glanced down for a moment, and when she looked back up she seemed to have a new determination in her eyes. "My army needs me, I must go," was all she said before walking off towards the woods, and the rest of her life.

"Do you think she'll change?" Hercules asked, appearing behind Xena as she watched the girl go.

"Maybe," she sighed. "There's no way of knowing what she will become," she shrugged, turning back towards the inn.

"But without Melnos in the way, at least she will have a chance," he tried as he followed her.

"Maybe," was all she said.

" And so the mighty Warrior Princess and the son of Zeus set out, determined to free Prometheus and return to man the gifts of fire and healing that they so desperately needed," Gabrielle was saying, her eyes aglow as she drew the audience even deeper into the tale, as much by her own emotion as by the words she spoke. She sat atop the small stage in the corner of the mainroom of the inn, weaving her tale for a house full of patrons. Her injuries seemed all but forgotten, though it had been only three days since the confrontation with Mekan and Melnos in the square. The only visible signs that anything had happened to her at all were the fading bruises across one side of her face. The injuries to her back and shoulder, though still sore, were now covered by a long yet simple dress of a rich forest green that had been borrowed from one of Linus' maids. She was walking on her own, though she still tended to use her staff for a bit of support at times, and now that she was physically capable of moving around, it was all she wanted to do. As much as Xena tried to get her to rest, she wanted to do anything but that. Finally, after much coaxing on the bard's part, and with a little help from her co-conspirator Iolaus, she had managed to talk her caretakers into letting her tell her tales to the waiting public. The conditions she had agreed to were simple; she was to behave herself all day, getting plenty of rest and taking any of the medicines Antomeana prescribed, and she would be allowed to go downstairs during the evening for a performance. As this was only the first night, she would only be allowed to tell two of her stories, but as she got better, she would be able to tell more. And, as Linus had predicted, the crowd loved it. With a bard to entertain and the memories of recent events to keep everyone in line, business was booming. When they weren't completely lost in the tale, they were ordering food and drink, and generally having a good time.

On the off chance that good time got to be a bit too good, a certain two figures in the back of the room need only to make their presence known, and things were under control once more. One of those figures was watching the bard intently, as if simply willing her to be there and to be safe made it so.

"You know, you can look away, she's not going to disappear," Iolaus whispered with a smile. He, like Gabrielle, was feeling much better. He was still a little slower than usual, and a bit stiffer than he would like to be, but was far down the road to recovery. Currently, he was sitting back at a table with Xena on one side of him and Hercules on the other, listening to the exploits of a certain group of friends. Though Hercules refused to let him drink the ale that was flowing rather freely around the inn for fear of how it would interact with the medicines he was still taking, he was having just as good of time sipping his cider and talking with friends.

Xena just smiled, but did not look away. Things were almost back to normal, or as normal as they got in her life, she amended with another smile. A warlord was disposed, part of an army disbanded, and that which remained had left the area under the command of a new leader, and Gabrielle was feeling well and telling her stories. Right about now, she was thinking life was good. If she could just find a way to keep it that way

Her mind drifted back to just what had turned the tide against Melnos, and changed Mekan's mind. The man she had run into on her way out of town had turned out to be Danilus, the same man who now sat at the bar laughing and joking with Linus. She recognized him from the days he rode as a trusted member of Melnos' army. She tried to convince him to join her and to finally have his chance at taking out the Warrior Princess. He refused, convinced Xena had changed after his talk with Hercules and Iolaus. He told her that things were not as they seemed, and that he knew the truth about the attack on Tachas as he was there. She had ridden off saying that she knew all the truth that she needed to know. Obviously not, Xena mused, or else she wouldn't have listened to her in the square. Perhaps some part of her knew the truth, the real truth, all along, but was just too afraid to admit it to herself. Xena forced her to do so. Perhaps one day she would be able to do the same for a certain Warrior Princess as well. With the help of her friends, it might just be possible

Of course, two of those friends would be leaving soon. Hercules needed to be in Corinth within the next quarter moon. He had been willing to postpone it, but now that Iolaus was up and around again, it was decided the two should go. Normally, it would not take that long for them to get there, but Iolaus was still not up to full speed, and Hercules was not about to push it. The two would leave the day after tomorrow, and take it nice and slow, and probably get there a day or so early. Gabrielle and Xena planned to stay on in Lathos for a few more days, until Xena was convinced she was well enough to travel. They already had plans to meet up again in two moons time, though it was decided they should do something a little less eventful next time, like stop a war or something. With the four friends' history, it was very well possible that they would do just that.

Whatever it was they decided to do, Xena had a feeling it would be far from boring. For the time being though, she was content just to sit back and listen to the story.

Done.

Yep, really and truly, that's the end And you thought there was none

Please let me know what you thought. Compliments will be savored and treasured forever, complaints and flames will be printed off and thrown at drunken frat boys.

Bye.

Cat.

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