"I don't think Hercules could survive your sessions." the ferryman replied, careful to temper his comments to avoid angering the warlord. One earlier comment by him had earned Gabrielle a slap so hard that the bard's head bounced off the stone wall.

"Well, perhaps we'll just have to pay him a visit next, hmm? Right after I get done killing Xena and her little slut." she left the room and returned a few moments later sporting a glove, razor sharp talons covering the tips. "It seems that Gabrielle no longer responds to my punches. Perhaps a sharper pain is in order." she placed the tips of the glove on the top of the bard's left shoulder and slowly dragged it downward until she reached the elbow, delighting at the fresh flow of crimson that ran down Gabrielle's arm and the renewed scream that was torn from her lungs. "Ah, nice to see you awake, little one. I suppose you're destined for the Elyssian Fields, hmm? You seem too nice to be a murdering scum like your friend Xena is. I suppose you wish you were there right now, hmm?"

The warrior was almost to the edge of the town when she heard the sound of an approaching horse. She hid in the brush until she recognized Linos aboard the stallion she had borrowed from the town. "What are you doing here?" she demanded as she stepped into view.

"I thought you might want some help. I found the horse tied to a tree and figured you had gone ahead on foot. He was rested enough by the time I got to him so I used him to make up for lost time."

"Good thinking." Xena admitted. "Tie him to a tree. We can't take the chance on anyone hearing us arrive." she kept her eyes focused on the burnt out remains of the village, knowing without question that Linos was doing as instructed.

"What's the plan?" he asked when he finished his task and moved to her side.

"There's fresh horse tracks leading in, but none leading out. You were right about this being the right place." she looked around as they moved closer. "See that building there? The one with the bars on the windows? It has to be the jail. It's made of stone, that's why it wasn't destroyed." she tried hard to remember but couldn't pick this village out of the scores that she had razed to the ground during her reign of terror. "If this woman is holding them, that'd be the most logical place." she looked around but couldn't see any way to approach the jail without being seen. Dusk was settling over the land, giving the warrior an idea. "It'll be dark within a half-candlemark. If we see any torches being lit inside then we'll know that's where they are. The darkness will give us cover as well." Linos agreed and the two headed for the safety of the brush to await nightfall.

It wasn't as dark as Xena would have liked but when she heard Gabrielle's strangled cries she couldn't hold back any longer. As quietly as they could, the warrior and Linos scrambled across the open area until they reached the old stone structure. The front door was closed and Xena had no doubt that if they tried to open it that the old rusty hinges would alert their quarry to their presence long before they could reach her. Linos looked up at the thatch roof and pointed. The warrior shook her head...there was too great a risk that the old straw and wooden cover would collapse under their weight. A quick check of the perimeter showed that every window was barred. "I've got it." Linos whispered, setting his sword down on the ground next to the warrior.

"No, wait." she hissed as he took off across the field. A few moments later she saw him coming back toward the jail, the stallion in tow.

"Hello! Is anybody here?" he shouted. Xena crept along the side of the building until she was within his sight but not visible should someone come through the front door. "Hello! My horse has thrown a shoe. Is anyone here?"

"What is that?" Abrama said, momentarily stopping her attack on the bard. She looked out the window and saw an apparently defenseless man leading a horse. "Oh for the love of Zeus." she cursed before picking up her sword and leaving the cell.

Xena heard the creak of the door opening and crouched into position, every muscle ready to spring into action at the sight of her adversary. Linos was only a few paces away now. "Hello there. My horse has thrown a shoe, I'm afraid I'm not from around here. Could you direct me to a smithy?"

"Go back the way you came. No one here can help you." the brown haired woman said, holding her sword menacingly. Linos let his hand drop to his side, the fingertips reaching under his belt for the hidden knife.

"Oh, I think you have exactly what I'm looking for." he replied, pulling the knife free and firing it at the warlord. At that same instant Xena vaulted out of her hiding place, throwing his sword to him in the process. Abrama used her weapon to deflect the flying knife and ducked back inside, slamming the bar down to lock the door.

The instant she saw the door close, Xena knew she had no chance to enter that way. She took a few steps away from the building, then turned around and ran toward it. With a mighty battle cry, the warrior somersaulted up in the air, coming down feet first onto the roof. As expected, the worn thatch and wood cover gave way under her weight.

Abrama ran down the hallway. As she stepped in front of Gabrielle's cell, she lost her footing on a pile of dinars scattered about. She fought to maintain her sword as the momentum sent her sailing past the cell door. "Oh, watch out for those dinars on the floor." Charon said gleefully as he watched the warlord slip. The delay was all Xena needed to reach her. She had heard the ferryman's comment and flipped over the pile of coins, landing only a few paces away from the warlord. The warrior made the mistake of taking a quick glance to the right. The sight of Gabrielle, beaten to a pulp and chained to the wall was almost too much for her to bear. She turned her attention back to her enemy.

"You're a dead woman." the warrior snarled, drawing her sword.

"Oh no, Xena. You obviously have mistaken me for someone who actually fears you." Abrama replied. Realizing that being between Xena and a wall was not a good place to be, the brown haired warlord launched herself into the air, flipping over the warrior's head to land on the other side. She lashed out with her sword only to have it blocked by the enraged warrior.

"Your acrobatics aren't going to save you." Xena said, jumping back to avoid a forward thrust.

"And your attempt at being a hero isn't going to save your little friend." the warlord retorted. "Look at her, Xena. Do you really think she'll survive another candlemark? Unlike you who likes to go for the quick kill, I take pride in my work." she taunted as they exchanged blows. "I find torture to be a most enjoyable hobby." she took another step back and ducked a vicious swing from Xena's sword. "Just ask Gabrielle, I'm sure she'll agree. Oh, I'm sorry, she's not really up for idle conversation right now. In fact, I believe that in a few candlemarks all she'll be up to is a one way ticket to Hades." Abrama let out a self-satisfied laugh as she saw the look of concern and fear flash over Xena's face before being replaced with pure anger and rage. "Oh, didn't like the sound of that, hmm? I would have thought you'd enjoy hearing that your little girl toy will be joining you. Oh, that's right, she's heading for one place and you're heading somewhere else, aren't you?"

Unable to get the door to budge, Linos sheathed his sword and began climbing the side of the building until he reached the roof. It took only a moment to find the spot where Xena had kicked her way through. Dropping down, it took him only a heartbeat to hear the sounds of swords clashing off in the distance and head in that direction. He rounded the corner and saw the two women fighting. Seeing his opportunity, Linos drew his sword, preparing to drive it through the warlord's back. Abrama heard the sound of the weapon being drawn and as he lunged forward, she dropped to the ground and brought her sword up, sending the blade deep into the blond man's chest.

Before she could pull her blade free, Xena was upon her. The blue eyes burning with rage, the warrior grabbed the front of the warlord's tunic, pulled her up, and slammed her against the stone wall. Xena drove her knee into Abrama's midsection, forcing the warlord to drop her guard long enough for the tips of the warrior's fingers to find the pressure points on either side of her neck. Letting the brown haired lunatic drop to the ground, she searched for the keys to unlock the cells. She had just opened the door to Gabrielle's cell and thrown the keys to Charon when she heard Linos call out. "Xena, no, don't let her die."

Thinking he was referring to Gabrielle, the warrior replied "I won't." and moved toward her friend.

"He means Abrama." Charon said as he turned the key to unlock his cell. Xena looked at the two men with disbelief.

"What? After what she's done?" she asked incredulously.

"Xena..." Linos wheezed. Reluctantly the warrior went to his side. "She can't die yet." he began coughing, the blood trickling out of his mouth. Xena held his head up and tilted it to the side so he could breathe. "I'll...I'll get the portal open."

"If she dies before he can get the portal open, she'll warn Sysiphus." Charon said, his normal sarcasm absent in light of the seriousness of the situation. Xena nodded and gently set Linos down before going to the warlord's side. Abrama's eyes were rolled up in their sockets, death imminent. The raven haired warrior released the pinch and in the blink of an eye slammed her fist hard against the side of the warlord's head, knocking the woman into unconsciousness. She heard the ragged gasp behind her and knew without looking that Linos was gone. "May Hades have mercy on your soul." she said softly.

"What can I do?" Charon said as he approached her side.

"Lock that bitch up." Xena replied, rising to her feet. She took a deep breath and steeled herself before entering Gabrielle's cell.

In all her time as a warlord, Xena had never inflicted, never even seen such abuse of another person. She stood an arm's length away and slowly looked up and down her friend's battered body. The golden hair was marred by dried blood, her face swollen and bruised, her lips and cheeks in need of stitches. The fingers of her left hand were broken and both arms required stitches. The right shoulder was dislocated and the warrior could only imagine the pain her gentle friend was in since it was clear that most of the bard's weight was being supported by her tortured arms. Uncharacteristically, Xena's lower lip quivered as she continued her visual examination. It seemed like there wasn't a spot on Gabrielle's body that wasn't cut or bruised. "By the gods...." the warrior whispered as she wiped a tear from her eye.

Charon silently handed Xena the ring of keys. Kneeling down, she went to put the key into the lock and found she had to scrape layers of dried blood out of the keyhole. When she freed the ankle from the restraint, the shift in weight caused such a tortured groan from the young woman that Xena let out a small cry of her own and wrapped her arms around Gabrielle's leg to help support her. "Charon." the warrior said softly, dropping the keys to the floor. The ferryman picked them up, knelt down next to the other ankle, and waited for Xena to get a better hold on the bard before unlocking the manacle. With one strong hand on either side of Gabrielle's hips, the warrior nodded for him to release the wrist restraints. "It's going to be all right, Gabrielle. I'm here." she said softly in response to another groan from the bard.

Gabrielle slumped forward once the last restraint was released. "Her ribs!" Charon warned, but it was too late. In her attempt to assist, Xena's shoulder pressed against the cracked bones, causing another gut-wrenching groan. She set the bard down on the ground as quickly as she could but the tortured sounds still tore at the warrior's heart.

"I'm sorry, Gabrielle, I'm so sorry. I'm trying not to hurt you." she murmured, dismayed that the movement had caused the dried blood to crack and several of the wounds to reopen. Xena's jaw clenched as she realized that her saddlebags were still with Argo and thus she had no medical supplies with which to help stem the renewed flow of blood or ease the suffering. She needed cloth and she needed it fast. "Charon, give me your robe."

Xena used her breast dagger to slice the silk robe into strips and bandages, taking the briefest moment to recall she had gotten it from the bard so long ago. "Just hang in there, Gabrielle, just stay with me and hang on." she said as she began the laborious task of wrapping the most serious injuries. "No…" the bard whispered, unaware of who was touching her.

"Gabrielle, it's me, it's Xena." she said, leaning down to speak softly into the young woman's ear. "It's all right now, I'm here."

"Please…please stop." came the weakened response. Fresh tears leaked out of the swollen lids and were quickly matched with equal ones from the normally stoic warrior. Charon kept a respectable distance from them and watched on in silence. He never would have believed that the woman who once sent so many people to his boat was now the same one who apologized every time she had to move part of Gabrielle's body, who let her tears fall unashamed, who was working so hard to save one life.

When there was nothing more she could do at the moment for Gabrielle, Xena sat back and allowed herself a brief time to let her tears silently fall. Charon had gone to prepare the wagon to carry the bard back to Laconia. When he returned and announced that the wagon was waiting outside the door, Xena was faced with the problem of how to move the battered woman without aggravating her injuries or more importantly to the warrior, causing any more pain than absolutely necessary. The warrior's eyes settled on the woman who caused so much pain to the one person who meant more to her than anyone else ever had. The blue eyes burned with fury. Rising to her feet, Xena jerked the ring of keys away from Charon and stormed over to the cell holding the warlord. She set her weapons on the floor outside and entered the cell. With an anger she hadn't felt since her warlord days, Xena slapped the warlord awake. "You can't kill her!" Charon warned.

"No, I can't kill her…yet." the warrior agreed. "But there's nothing that says I can't make her suffer the way she made Gabrielle suffer." she grabbed Abrama's wrist and quickly twisted the brown haired woman's arm up behind her back. "Is there?" she continued to apply pressure.

"Go to Hades, Xena. You'll never make me beg the way I made her." the warlord hissed through clenched teeth.

"I don't care about making you beg." the warrior replied, slamming her knee into Abrama's back. "Only about breaking you into pieces, lots of little pieces." Xena twisted the captured wrist until she heard a satisfying crunch. "Do you know how many bones a person can have broken and still live?" she brought her foot forward and swept the warlord's legs out from under her, slamming Abrama's face into the stone floor. "Neither do I. Let's find out, shall we?" she jerked the brown haired woman up and threw her across the room. "I'll give you a sporting chance. That's a far sight more than you gave Gabrielle." every word dripped with anger. Xena ignored Charon's continued warnings as her fist connected with Abrama's face again and again. The warlord tried to fight back but Xena's rage and fury added strength to her blows, speed to her movements. "You see this blood on my hands?" the warrior screamed. "This is Gabrielle's blood, blood from wounds that YOU caused!"

Only when Abrama was too groggy to raise her hands in defense did Xena finally relent, letting the warlord fall limply to the ground. She left the cell and locked the door, taking a moment to let her rage dissipate before returning to Gabrielle's side. "Let's get you out of here." she said softly, reaching up to brush a stray lock of hair off the bard's face.

"What about her? She's not exactly able to get up and do a jig." Charon said, pointing to the stunned warlord.

"Leave her there. She won't die anytime soon." Xena replied before gently cradling the bard in her arms and carrying her out of the room.

If the ride back to Laconia was traumatic for Gabrielle, it was even more so for the warrior. Charon tried to avoid the ruts and bumps in the road but there was only so much he could do. Every time the injured woman was jostled and cried out in pain, Xena felt as though a knife was being stabbed into her own heart with each cry from the bard and she apologized profusely even though there was nothing she could do to prevent it. Untold numbers of times the warrior chastised herself for not thinking to grab the saddlebags with the medical supplies from Argo when she switched horses, for taking the wrong turn in the road, for not being able to prevent the kidnapping, for the multitude of things that hindsight told her she could have done differently. She was glad it was dark so she couldn't see all the marks and injuries that covered the bard. Not that it made much difference, those that she did see in the cell were burned into her memory, adding to her personal Tartarus of guilt. By the time Charon pulled the wagon to a stop in front of the inn, most of Gabrielle's wounds had reopened despite Xena's best efforts, although thanks to the tightly wrapped pieces of silk, the renewed bleeding was minimal.

Using a saddle blanket as a makeshift gurney, they carried the bard in and got her settled on the bed. Charon covered his stark white body with Xena's cloak and went to the stable to collect the saddlebags containing the medical supplies while the warrior built a fire in the fireplace and lit candles throughout the room to give her the light she would need to work by. "Xena?"

"Right here, Gabrielle." she replied, moving to the bedside.

"I'm thirsty." she croaked.

"Okay, hang on and I'll get you some water." she got up and quickly filled a small cup. Holding the bard's head as best she could without touching any injured areas, Xena held the cup and let the injured woman take several small sips before pulling it away. "That's enough for now. You can have more in a little while, okay?"

"Thanks." she tried to focus on her blue-eyed friend but the swelling made it hard. She ended up seeing a blurry vision of the warrior but at least she knew she was finally safe. Charon returned with the saddlebags and several worn but clean sheets draped over his arm.

"How many do you have?" Xena asked.

"Four."

"Cut two into long strips and the others into squares for bandages. Then I need a couple of deep bowls, several buckets of water, two small flat boards to use as a splint for her hand, and a bottle of the strongest stuff they have at the bar."

"A please and thank you wouldn't hurt. I'm not some scullery maid, you know. Sheesh, show a little compassion and right away they think you're at their beck and call." he set the sheets down and went to get the other items Xena needed.

"He...he tried to help." Gabrielle said.

"I know. Despite being a horse's ass at times." she took a deep breath and her face became serious. "It's time for me to patch you up. I'm afraid this part's going to hurt a bit. Other than your hand, and shoulder, is there any other place that you think might be dislocated or broken?"

"Everywhere." the bard said, only half-joking. She inhaled deeply and winced at the pain. "My ribs." she croaked. Xena visibly winced at the memory of accidentally pressing against them.

"You're going to be all right, Gabrielle. It's just going to take some time." Xena said, although she wasn't sure if she was saying it more for the bard or for herself. Using a square of cloth and the remaining water, she carefully wiped away the mess surrounding the cut on the back of Gabrielle's head. "I'll start at the top and work my way down. You tell me if it begins to be too much for you, okay? I'll try and use pressure points whenever I can."

"I don't think I can hurt worse than I do now." she replied. Xena said nothing but knew that the bard would be in considerably more pain in just a short while.

Charon returned with the bowls, boards, and a bottle of strong wine followed by the innkeeper carrying two buckets of water. One look at the battered woman lying on the bed and the innkeeper knew that more buckets would be necessary. "I'll send someone up with more water. Is there anything else you need?" he asked. Xena shook her head. He nodded and shut the door as he left.

"Well, if you'll excuse me, I tend to get squeamish at the sight of cute girls covered in blood." Charon said, drawing a look from the warrior. "I'll be down at the jail if you need me."

"Why there? I'm sure you can get a room here."

"They have my room all made up for me. Nice one too. Great view of the alley. Mattress is a little lumpy though. Oh well, I guess I can't expect much from a little town like this. Besides, I have an ongoing card game going with the night guard."

Xena watched him leave, confident that he wouldn't try and disappear on them. While she probably could have used the extra pair of hands, she knew she wasn't in the mood to listen to his comments. She took the needle and thread from the saddlebag. "You ready?" she received a shaky nod in reply. Setting the suturing materials aside for a moment, she leaned over until her lips were next to the bard's ear. "I'll be as gentle as I can." she said softly.

"I know you will." Gabrielle replied. "It's okay. I know it's going to hurt."

"I wish I could put you out while I do this but I'm worried about that bump on your head." she said apologetically. "Looks like she got you pretty good."

"Mmm." the bard agreed. "I...I don't even know how many times. I just remember her doing it over and over and-"

"Shh...it's okay now." Xena interrupted. "She can't hurt you anymore."

The warrior decided to start by stitching up the multitude of cuts and gashes that littered the bard's body. One by one, she removed the wrappings, cleaned the area as best she could, and sewed it up with small, neat stitches. Gabrielle kept a brave face but was unable to keep the tears from streaming or to stifle small gasps whenever the needle passed through sensitive flesh. She lost count of the number of times Xena apologized for hurting her or how many times she reassured the warrior that it was okay. It took the better part of four candlemarks before all the wounds were finally sewn up, but to the emotionally drained women it seemed more like forty.

Xena washed her hands and tossed the towel into the rising pile of crimson stained cloths. The easy part was over. The next step was to put everything back where it belonged, starting with the dislocated right shoulder. "I'm sorry, there really isn't a good pressure point that I can use for your shoulder. This is going to hurt." she said, although she knew Gabrielle was well aware of that fact. Bracing her right hand on the bard's collarbone and her left hand on the upper arm, Xena used her powerful strength to pop the shoulder back into place. Gabrielle let out a shriek at the pain and needed almost a quarter candlemark of comfort from the older woman before she finally relaxed again.

Xena took a deep breath. She knew the next part would be hard. "Gabrielle, I have to set your fingers or they won't heal right, do you understand?" immediately the bard pulled her tortured left hand back, fresh tears forming in her eyes. Xena sat on the edge of the bed and pulled Gabrielle's hand onto her lap.

"No." she whispered, shaking her head.

"Gabrielle, I have to. I'll cut off the feeling while I'm setting them."

"No…please." she begged, pulling her hand back again. She knew it would hurt worse once the warrior released the pressure point.

"I'm sorry, I have to put them straight. You know that. Please, Gabrielle…don't make this any harder than it already is." she pleaded, reaching out and grabbing the bard's left wrist.

"Please, Xena, don't." she cried, trying to break the grip. The anguish in her voice was almost enough to make the warrior lose control of her own emotions. This has to be done, she reminded herself. She quickly jabbed at a spot just above the bard's elbow, effectively cutting off all feeling to the injured hand.

"It'll all be over in just a few moments." she said as she pulled the bard's hand onto her lap. Using her forearm to hold Gabrielle's arm in place, she reached for the crooked pinkie, quickly snapping the broken finger into proper alignment. "There, didn't feel a thing, did you?"

"No." she replied, but the sound of her bones being moved about caused her stomach to do flips. In rapid succession, Xena moved the broken fingers back into their normal positions. She loosely wrapped some cloth around them to use as a cushion before sandwiching it between the boards of wood and wrapping the whole thing up with more cloth. "That's it, Gabrielle, it's all over now." she said, relinquishing her hold on the injured hand. She went to release the pressure point but the bard pulled her arm back out of reach. "Come on now, you know I have to." the warrior said, reaching for the arm again. Gabrielle shook her head and covered her eyes with her forearm.

"No, please...I can't take it." she cried. Xena pivoted off the bed and knelt down next to her. "I'm sorry, Gabrielle, I don't want to add to your pain but I can't leave that pressure point on any longer." she said while stroking the bard's hair. "Look, I know it's going to hurt. If there was something I could do to make the pain go away, I would. When I'm done I promise you I'll give you a brew that'll help make it feel better, okay?" she leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on Gabrielle's forehead. "Come on now, let's get this over with."

Xena waited several heartbeats before the bard reluctantly lowered her arm. The instant the pinch was released, Gabrielle screamed out from the sudden rush of pain, then groaned from the renewed pain in her cracked ribs. She thought she had no more tears to give yet they kept coming, rolling down her cheek and soaking into the pillow. Xena continued to gently stroke her hair and murmur words of comfort, ignoring the tears that spilled out of her own eyes.

Xena made tea brewed from several pain-relieving herbs and gave the bard far more than she normally would have even though she knew that it would barely touch the intense pain. She let Gabrielle rest for about a half-candlemark before moving on to the next step in the damage repair process, the bard's cracked ribs. Rather than forcing her to move that injured shoulder, Xena used her breast dagger to cut away the green half-top. As gently as she could, the warrior felt along the ribcage, verifying for herself that none were broken. "You're gonna have to sit up for me to wrap them." she reached behind Gabrielle's back to help her up.

"Ow ow ow, put me down, put me down!" the bard yelped before she was even halfway into a sitting position. At first Xena thought Gabrielle was complaining about the pain in her ribs until the warrior saw the bard's hands move down to the apex of her legs.

"What's wrong?" she asked as she tried to move the younger woman's hands out of the way.

"I...I can't sit up...it hurts too much." Gabrielle replied through gritted teeth. Xena's jaw clenched as her fingers worked at removing the leather belt and her mind filled with the worst possible thoughts. She felt the gentle touch of fingertips on her hand and forced herself to look up.

"It's not that." Gabrielle said, noting the look of relief that washed over the warrior's face. "She kneed me...hard."

"Oooh." Xena winced visibly in sympathy while unwrapping the leather skirt to reveal the bard's short breeches beneath. A few quick flicks of the breast dagger and they were out of the way, revealing the soft golden curls covering bruised skin. She got up and walked over to the remaining buckets of clean water, running her fingers through all of them until she found the one that was coldest. She soaked a cloth and returned to the bedside. "You're probably not going to like this but it will help ease the swelling and bruising." she held the cloth up so the bard could see it.

"You're right, I'm not going to like it." Gabrielle agreed, bracing herself. She jumped when the cloth first touched her skin then gave a slight whimper when Xena packed it around the bruised area. The large amount of pain killers that she had been given were kicking in and much to the warrior's surprise, Gabrielle let out a soft laugh.

"What?"

"Sorry, I was just thinking." she replied, a silly grin on her face. Xena sat back and arched an eyebrow, waiting for the bard to let her in on the joke.

"Well?" the warrior asked expectantly when it became obvious that Gabrielle wasn't going to tell her the reason behind the goofy grin.

"Well, it's kinda depressing, actually." she said. "I mean, it's been so long since anyone's been near there and now it's getting all this attention." she blushed slightly.

"I'm sure it's not quite the kind of attention you'd want it to get." Xena quirked. 'Or the kind of attention I'd like to give it.' she thought to herself.

"No, not quite." Gabrielle replied, her thoughts unknowingly running in a similar vein to the warrior's. She shifted slightly and groaned at the ache in her ribs.

"Let's get that taken care of." Xena said, secretly grateful for the change of focus.

Wrapping the ribs without being able to sit the bard up proved to be a long, drawn out affair. Xena had to use one hand to hold Gabrielle up high enough off the bed to get behind her back, leaving only one hand free to do the actual wrapping. The sun was beginning to rise by the time she finished. "I'll be right back." Xena said before going around the room, blowing out the candles and dousing the torches. By the time she returned to the bedside she found the bard sound asleep. Xena's first impulse was to wake her, concerned about the pounding that Gabrielle's head had taken, but when she looked at the peaceful expression on the bard's battered face she found that she just couldn't bring herself to do so. She covered the sleeping woman with the blanket and pulled a chair next to the bed to sit on. Xena spent long moments just watching the rise and fall of the bard's chest, listening to the even breathing of sleep, thinking about how lucky she was to have found Gabrielle before she suffered more damage at the hands of that maniac. "I love you." she whispered, leaning down and placing a soft kiss on the bard's forehead. She pulled back slightly then placed kisses on both closed eyelids before leaning back and settling into the chair for the long watch.

"Hey Linos, didn't take long for that bitch to get you, huh?" Toxeus said as he clapped the blond man on the back. "Got me a couple of days ago. So did you at least get a lick in? Thersites over there says he got her in the side but we all know what a bullshit artist he is."

"You watch your mouth, Toxeus." the assassin growled while some of the other men chuckled at the insult.

"Yeah, what are you going to do about it? It's not like you can kill me or anything."

"No but I can make your life in Tartarus far worse than you ever had it. All it takes is a little word in Hades' ear and your ass will be sitting in a firepit for eternity." the blond assassin said as he moved closer. Linos backed up out of the way of the two men. Blows were soon exchanged and the two fighting men were surrounded by the other souls cheering them on. Linos continued to back up toward the rock wall, trying to blend into the shadows. All he had to do was get past one large stone pillar and he would be able to slip away. He almost reached it and was beginning to think he was going to get away when he felt a strong hand slap down on his shoulder. "Linos you old dog. So come tell us how Xena got you." he turned to see the charred remains of Dagnine staring at him.

"Uh…sure." he replied, knowing there was no way out of it. The burnt warlord chuckled and led Linos back to a small crowd of men staying clear of the fight. "Hey guys, look who I found." within moments the newest arrival to the Underworld found himself relaying a believable tale about how the warrior princess managed to outsmart him and send him back. Linos knew that he'd have to bide his time and try to slip away later. 'Hang in there, Xena.' he thought to himself. 'One way or another I'll find a way to get that portal open.'

Xena looked out the window, noting grimly the presence of yet another undead looking for her. That made seven she had seen within the last candlemark. Obviously word had gotten around the Underworld that she was in Laconia and all the escapees were arriving in search of her. "I have to get her out of here. It's not safe." the warrior said quietly.

"Well, it doesn't look like she's going anywhere soon." Charon replied. "Why don't you just leave her here and head for another town? After all, it's your sweet ass they're looking for."

"I can't leave her behind." Xena growled. "And it's not just me they're after. I'm the grand prize but there isn't one of them that wouldn't take delight in killing her just to hurt me." she looked over at the sleeping woman. "There's no room for discussion about this. No matter what, she has to be kept safe." she turned away from the window and sat down on the chair next to the bed, taking a moment to make sure the blanket was tucked securely around Gabrielle.

There was a knock at the door. Xena motioned the ferryman away and drew her sword as she rose to her feet. She cautiously opened it to find a nervous innkeeper standing there. "What?"

"I..." he looked down at the floor and wrung his hands together. "I understand that your friend is hurt but you can't stay here any longer." he took a step back in fear even though Xena had already returned her weapon to its sheath. "Men keep asking if you're here. Of course I tell them no but...look Miss, I run a small inn. I don't need any more trouble. These men look like they'd just as soon kill me as to look at me. I've got a wife and kids...please, you must understand."

Charon stepped up and wedged his way between them. "You run a business, such as it is, what with having no dancing girls and all." he began, pulling out dinars from his pouch and dropping them in the innkeeper's hand. "Perhaps we can work something out?" he continued to put coins in the portly man's hand.

"I...I can't...oh my, that's quite a bit of money." his face showed his indecisiveness.

"Wouldn't that put quite a bit of food on the table? Certainly would keep your rather large family happy, wouldn't it?" the ferryman said, giving the innkeeper more dinars. Soon the portly man had to use both hands to hold all the coins.

"Uh...but those men..." he looked down at the pile of money. "Um...all right, but just for one more day. You'll all have to leave by morning." he dumped the coins into the pocket in the front of his stained apron and took a step back. "And no amount of money will change that." he said before quickly retreating down the hall, uncertain of who he feared more, the steady stream of dangerous looking men or the woman they were looking for.

Xena slammed the door shut, her face clearly showing her anger. "You just wasted your money, Charon. What difference is one more day going to make? If he even bothers to keep his word." she went to the table and poured herself a mug of port, draining it with several long swallows before slamming the empty container back down.

"Now look, my leather covered wonder woman, you needed some time, I bought you some time. What are you so upset about? Britches too tight?" he took a step back from the angry glare she shot at him. "Why don't you just go down and take care of those men and I'll stay here with sleeping beauty?"

"I can't do that, Charon. I have to take care of Gabrielle first. I need to get her to a safe place where she can recover before I can even think about dealing with the rejects from Tartarus." a low groan from the bed interrupted the warrior's ranting. Immediately she was at the bard's side. "I'm here, Gabrielle." she said softly, her voice devoid of anything other than concern for her injured companion. She knelt down next to the bed and without thought began stroking the golden hair in a comforting motion.

"Everything hurts." the bard croaked.

"I'll brew up a tea for the pain, okay?" she stood up to get the herbs but was stopped by the small voice calling to her.

"Xena?"

"Right here, what?" she said softly.

"I have to go to the pot." Gabrielle replied, the unbruised areas of her face blushing slightly.

"Oh." the warrior's face took on a decidedly uncomfortable look as she tried to figure out a solution to this newest problem. "Okay, just um...just hold it for a moment. I'll figure something out."

"Uh, make it quick, will you?"

The first thing she had to do was get rid of the ferryman. She knew better than to trust that he wouldn't turn around and try to sneak a peek. "Charon, you have to leave. Stay out of trouble and don't let anyone see you. Those men from Tartarus will surely recognize you."

"Not to worry, my dear, I have it all figured out." he replied, pulling the hood of the cloak up over his head, effectively hiding his face. "Now if you ladies will excuse me, I believe the Blue Bull is about to open."

Once the ferryman was gone, Xena looked around at the scattered containers in the room, finally settling for a wide bowl that wasn't quite as deep as the width of her hand. "This should do." she said, picking up the bowl and heading for the bed. "Gabrielle, I'm going to have to lift you up and put this under you."

"Oh gods, this is going to be embarrassing." the bard groaned as Xena pulled the blanket out of the way.

"It's okay, Gabrielle. It's only me." she said reassuringly. "Besides, I need to change your bandages anyway."

"It's still going to be embarrassing."

Xena slipped one hand under the bard's rear and lifted her up slightly, using the other hand to push the bowl underneath. When Gabrielle was finished, the warrior reversed the procedure and cleaned the bard up. "There, all done." she said as she took the bowl away and washed her own hands in the basin. She put a pot of water over the fire to heat up for tea and collected the bandages she needed before returning to Gabrielle's side.

"Xena?" she waited for the blue eyes to lock with hers before continuing. "I wanted to thank-"

"Shh." the warrior replied, putting her finger over the bard's lips to silence her. "You'd do the same thing for me and you know it." for a moment they simply stared at each other as Xena felt the softness under her finger and Gabrielle felt the tender touch on her lips. "Um...well..." the warrior said as she broke the contact and picked up a damp cloth. "Let's take a look and see how you're doing." she reached down and removed the bandages covering the gash on Gabrielle's thigh, trying hard not to think about the all too brief contact she had with the bard's lips or how much she wished it was her own lips touching them instead of just her finger.

Charon paid the stable boy to hitch up the wagon, then headed toward the north end of town. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted several men that he had previously transported on his boat. He pulled the hood lower on his head, making certain that he looked no different than anyone else leading a wagon through town. He pulled to a stop in front of a small house on the outskirts of Laconia. Two small children were playing in the yard while a young mother was busy hanging up laundry. In the distance the ferryman could see the father tending the fields. Charon stepped down from the wagon and waved the mother over. It took quite a few moments for him to convince her not to faint at the sight of his stark white face and black lips and that he wasn't there to commit murder, mayhem, or any other sinister acts. It also took pulling several dinars out of his pouch to get her to believe that he was serious in his offer and for her to go get her husband from the field.

"You want to buy my house?" the father, Matheos, said.

"Not buy it, just rent it for about three moons. I'll pay you handsomely for it." the ferryman replied as he continued to pull dinars out of his pouch and set them on the table. They were sitting in the kitchen of the modest home, the adults seated at the table, the children standing next to it, wide-eyed at both the amount of coins and at the strange looking man who owned the coins. "I'll give you more than enough money to go away. Just think of it as a vacation."

"A vacation?" the wife repeated.

"Yeah, a vacation, you know...no work, relaxing, having people waiting on you for a change." he looked at the woman, hands rough from a lifetime of work. "Well, I guess you wouldn't know about that. Imagine being able to spend time with Studley here and have someone else watch your brats-I mean your kids."

"Well, where would we go?" Matheos asked.

"You can go wherever you want. Just pack yourself and your family into your cart and head out. Go to Athens, visit a resort, take in a show or two, have the time of your lives." the pile of coins became too large and spilled over to the floor only to be quickly chased down by the children. "Ah, look at the little tikes. You'd think they never saw a dinar before. How touching." he said sarcastically. "So do we have a deal?"

"Mister, for that much money you can keep the house." the father said.

"Oh, there's just one more little detail I forgot to mention." Charon said. "You have to be gone by sundown. So hurry up and collect your clothes, pack your cart, and get going here. No time to waste. Chop chop." he grinned as the mother and children scurried to collect the items they'd need for their trip. "Oh, one more thing."