What Happens Now?: Part Three (Death of a Nation: Book II) by Katelin B. For disclaimers... see Part One. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “Hey Cyrene! More ale over here!” “Hold on! I’m a little busy!” Cyrene wiped away the beads of sweat collecting on her brow and sighed, trying not to scream. The tavern was filled with people, every chair in the common room taken, and everyone wanted something. There were also more than a dozen people standing by the hearth or the door, waiting for a seat to open up, and as the tavern keeper bustled around, she wondered why it was so busy. Unfortunately for Cyrene, the tavern was the only place in Amphipolis for the villagers to meet and talk about the latest gossip. Though it was good for business, and she hadn’t seen such a profitable night in a long time, she was more than a little worried by the topic of conversation going on at nearly every table. And that was distracting. Word that the Amazons were at war with a King to the north of their land had reached Amphipolis the previous evening, but Cyrene had known about it long before that. The Amazon messenger had come for Xena three days before that, and the warrior had told her mother all about it before riding out with the escort. Cyrene hadn’t stopped worrying since. Nervous shouts from the doorway snapped the tavern owner from her thoughts and she glanced around for her son Toris, wondering if his temper had landed him in another fight he couldn’t win. When she spotted him near the kitchen pouring another round of ale for the noisy customer who had been bothering her, Cyrene relaxed, but only slightly. If it wasn’t her oldest child, then it was someone else causing the trouble. Curiosity finally got the better of her, and Cyrene abandoned the ale pitcher on the table she had been serving. She pushed her way through the gathering crowd at the door and stepped outside, almost running right into the tallest man she had ever seen. No, centaur, she silently amended, looking down at the hooves that stamped the ground nervously. “Be careful, Cyrene!” someone called to her right, a familiar but unrecognizable voice in the crowd of men that surrounded the obviously winded creature. “You are Cyrene?” the centaur asked, interrupting any thoughts the tavern owner had of replying to the voice in the crowd. “I am,” she replied warily, wondering why the centaur could be looking for her. “Mother of Xena?” he questioned and began rummaging through the small pouch buckled at his waist. She nodded slowly and the young centaur produced a sealed scroll, holding it forward in one powerful hand. The men tensed at his seemingly aggressive move, brandishing their knives and pitchforks protectively between the large centaur and the smaller woman. One overly zealous villager swung at the centaur’s outstretched hand, making him squeak in pain at the strike and sending the rolled parchment to the ground. “Crassus, that’s enough!!” Cyrene barked, giving his shoulder a slap, “He’s just trying to help!” She bent and quickly retrieved the message while the jumpy villager sputtered in his defense. “But he... I thought he was gonna hurt you,” Crassus pouted, looking much like a scolded little boy. Cyrene waved the scroll in his face before bopping him on the head with it. “How you dolt?” she snapped, threatening to whap him again, “By giving me parchment cuts until I bleed to death?” When Crassus failed to answer, merely looking down at his feet in contrition, Cyrene blew out an exasperated breath and broke the seal on the parchment, letting it unroll. Her eyes widened and she looked up at the centaur, having seen Gabrielle’s neat printing and not her daughter’s messy hand. “What happened?” she asked nervously, worried for her daughter’s safety. The centaur didn’t answer, and so she cast her gaze back to the bard’s message. Cyrene, (it said) Xena was gravely injured in the battle, and is now gripped by a raging fever. The healer can do nothing more for her and fears she may die soon. Please listen to Kraylor and come to Potedeia at once. I know she would you want you here as much as I need you here. Gabrielle. Cyrene read the note twice before looking up again, her pained gaze falling on the young centaur. She cleared her throat and swallowed around the newly formed lump there before daring to speak. “You would be Kraylor?” the tavern owner assumed. He nodded solemnly and Cyrene took a deep breath before continuing. “My deepest thanks then,” she added softly, reaching out to place a small hand on his brawny forearm, “For bringing this to me.” Kraylor bowed his head slightly and glanced at the message he had delivered, noticing with some surprise that Cyrene’s hand clutched it tightly, betraying the intense worry her expression didn’t. The young centaur jerked his chin to the crinkled scroll, meeting the tavern owner’s familiar blue eyes. “I have to take you back,” he said almost apologetically, “The Queen has so ordered.” There was a brief flash of confusion in those pained blue eyes, before it was replaced with a surprised understanding and he saw her nod in assent. “Not tonight,” she said, holding up a hand when Kraylor opened his mouth to argue, “You need rest young man, and I need to pack. We will leave at first light. Cyrene turned to regard the brash Crassus, fixing him with a withering glare. “Show my guest to the barn,” she added, her tone booking no argument, “And Crassus? Be nice.” With that final warning, Cyrene turned on her heel, ignoring the questions hurled her way by the surrounding villagers, and strode back to the tavern. Her son, Toris, had been watching at the open door for some time, and finally asked her what was wrong. Cyrene looked at him, tears misting her ocean blue eyes. “Xena’s dying,” she said quietly, and brushed past him, straight through the noisy common room. The tavern owner ignored the shouts for more ale and port, moving to the back room that was her own and set about hastily packing for her journey, all the time praying to whatever God was listening that she would not be make to out live another of her children. *** Dawn was just breaking in the little seaside village of Potedeia, and most of its inhabitants were still deep in slumber. Even the roosters had not decided it was time to do their job and begin the day. But still there was movement in the square, where the town’s water supply was drawn from it’s only well. Jayla was already up and well into her long day, having been the healer’s temporary assistant in caring for the warrior princess. Xena had thrashed and moaned half the night, sending Queen Gabrielle almost mad with worry. Yarilis had ordered Jayla and the young queen to bathe the fevered woman with cool water, in an attempt to ease her suffering, and as a result, the dwindling water supply had been exhausted. The elderly healer had seen that the rags were drying out and sent Jayla to fetch more of the life saving liquid from the town well. Unwilling to leave her Queen’s side, it had taken a direct order from Gabrielle to get the young warrior to go. But finally, Jayla relented, and now made her way across the open ground to the unoccupied water source. The fierce little redhead hated being out in the open, so obvious a target, but she had her orders, and carefully approached the well, her eyes darting left and right, sharp and trained to spot any threat. Finally at the center of the square, Jayla took on last glance at the area behind her and set about her task, reaching for the latch on the pulley, and lowering the bucket quickly into the well shaft. Her keen ears picked up the sound of water splashing against the solid object and immediately moved over to the crank, slowly bringing the bucket back. Her muscles bunched and strained, the pulley being old and stiff, but finally the knot of rope that held the large bucket in place emerged from the lip of the well, and Jayla leaned over, reaching out with one hand for it. A soft bump behind her made Jayla flinch in surprise and she lost her tenuous grip on the crank, sending the full bucket back down into the darkness. A resounding splash echoed back to her and the little Amazon cursed angrily, whirling on her toes to gut the man who had dared to touch her. She came face to face with a very startled Lila, who recoiled in fear at the brief, but intense, look of homicidal rage on Jayla’s face, dropping the bucket she had been lugging, right one the unfortunate Amazon’s foot. Jayla grimaced in pain and cursed again softly, but didn’t move, abnormally contrite that she had frightened the girl. For a brief moment, she thought her foot was broken, but the panic left as quickly as it filled her when the little Amazon discovered she could still move all her toes. “Oh beloved Zeus!” Lila cried, silently cursing her clumsiness, contrite, not only for startling the warrior woman, but also for being dumb enough to drop the bucket. “I’m so sorry! Are you all right?” Lila reached out for the briefest of moments, then thought better of it and quickly drew her hand away. Jayla took a deep breath to center herself and mentally found compartments for all the pain before even attempting to answer. She didn’t want to frighten the girl by grinding out a reply through clenched teeth. “It’s okay,” she said quietly, forcing a smile, “No harm done.” The smile became more relaxed and natural when she saw Lila breath a deep sigh of relief. “What are you doing out so early?” Jayla asked, breaking the short but uneasy silence that fell over them, “I thought most everyone would still be sleeping.” “Oh, well, my mother is sick,” Lila explained, bending to retrieve the bucket from the Amazon’s feet, “She woke and wanted some tea.” Jayla nodded in understanding and gently took the village girl’s bucket out of her shaking hands. “Let me help you with this,” she said with a smile, “The crank is a little stiff.” She saw Lila’s shoulders shake with silent laughter and creased her brow in questioning. “What’s so funny?” Jayla asked defensively, a little hurt that the girl would laugh at her. Why does that bother me so much? she thought silently, unaccustomed to her emotions going out of control like this. “Oh, I’m sorry!” Lila exclaimed, seeing the confused hurt on the little Amazon’s face, “I wasn’t laughing at you! It’s just that this crank has been stiff all my life. You have to press the handle in for it to move properly.” Lila demonstrated, her small arms turning the winch with amazing ease. “If I try to crank it normally, I can barely move it,” she added, hooking the latch once the bucket had risen above the lip of the well again, “Didn’t anyone tell you?” Jayla frowned a little and dumped the retrieved water into Lila’s own bucket. “Yarilis was a little busy,” the Amazon guard said quietly, moving past Lila to lower the bucket again into the deep well, “I guess she forgot to mention it.” What she didn’t want to mention was that none of the villagers had been particularly welcoming to her group, and had basically ignored her all through the previous day. Lila senses her discomfort and changed the subject, stalling for time so she didn’t have to go home so quickly, and wanting to know the fierce little Amazon better. “How is your leg?” she asked, referring to the long gash she had sutured the morning they had arrived. Jayla smiled a little once again, grateful for the new topic as she cranked the water bucket slowly upwards. “It feels much better, actually,” she said, reaching down and idly touching the wrappings Yarilis had placed around it, “It’s not bothering me at all.” The little guard flipped the latch to hold the winch in place, and emptied the bucket into one of hers, knowing she would need one more life before she could return to her Queen. “You do good work,” she added, still smiling, and was intensely pleased to see Lila blush a deep scarlet. “Thanks,” Lila whispered, embarrassed, and helped the tiny Amazon draw up the well bucket one last time. She was grateful that the little redhead didn’t say anything else, giving her the much needed time to compose herself. She wasn’t embarrassed often, and wondered why this total stranger left her feeling so flustered. Without comment, the two women picked up their loads and departed the square, both heading in the same direction, walking side by side. At the end of the street, they stopped and regarded each other, not quite willing to part and head off to different ends of the side street. “Do you... um...” Jayla stumbled over her words, looking down at her feet, not noticing that Lila was doing the same, “I mean... would you um... like to join me for dinner tonight?” “Oh, well,” Lila said softly, finding something very interesting about her boots, “I’d love to but...” She paused when she saw Jayla’s almost crestfallen expression. “I’m sorry,” the little Amazon interrupted before Lila could continue, “Your husband would probably be angry at you.” “My husband?” Lila repeated, a little confused until she realized the Amazon was referring to the bellowing done by her father the morning before, “Oh! No, I’m not married. That was my father.” She smiled at the nearly overjoyed look on the Amazon’s face. “I can’t promise anything,” Lila added, looking down again, “But I’ll try to get away.” “Great!” Jayla exclaimed, then calmed herself, “Um... I’ll meet you at the inn. How does sunset sound to you?” Lila looked up and nodded. “I’ll try to be there,” she said, then motioned behind her with a free hand, “I should be getting back. Mother will wonder where I am.” “Yeah,” Jayla agreed, adjusting the heavy buckets in her hands, “Me too. Yarilis needs this water. I guess I’ll see you tonight.” “I hope so,” Lila smiled, and turned on her heel, trudging off back to her parents’ home. Jayla watched her go, then set off back to the healer’s hut, smiling more freely than she had since leaving the Amazon village, days ago. She was surprised by the jovial mood she was suddenly in, not really understanding where it came from, but so taken by it that she failed to notice the steaming horse droppings that she stepped in, or that Tirin was watching her. A light snickering broke Jayla out of her daze and she focused on the tall blonde, still guarding the door of the healer’s hut. “What are you laughing at?” she scowled at her sister, but broke off when a gentle breeze wafted an offensive smell in her face. Jayla looked down and grimaced at the sight of her manure covered boot. “Oh centaur dung!” she cursed loud enough for Tirin’s ears to pick up, and began scraping the sides of her boot off against the rickety horse trough nearest to her. “No just plain old horse dung,” Tirin laughed, holding her sides at the stitch she was developing, “I guess you’re quite taken with that simple little village girl, eh Jayla?” She laughed even harder at the condemning blush that colored the little guard’s cheeks and neck. “Go piss up a vine, Tirin,” Jayla grumbled and stormed by her into the hut, trying to ignore the peal of laughter that followed her. “Yarilis?” she called, looking around the room and wondering where the healer had disappeared to, “I brought the water.” For a moment, Jayla considered checking the room occupied by Xena, but dismissed it just as fast, not wanting to invade Queen Gabrielle’s privacy. A sound to her left startled Jayla and she whirled around, nearly dropping the full water buckets she carried. It took a moment for her eyes to find the source of the noise, and finally she spotted Solari. Or, more accurately, Solari’s head, peeking out from the sheltering curtain where Ephiny rested. “Solari,” Jayla grumbled, willing her tense body to relax, “You scared the Hades out of me.” “Shhh!” Solari held up a finger to her lips and frowned a bit, “Ephiny’s still sleeping.” “Where did the healer disappear to?” Jayla asked quietly, her voice barely above a whisper. Solari gestured to the closed door with her chin. “Yarilis said just to leave the buckets in here,” the dark ,” the dark haired Amazon explained, “She’s changing Xena’s wrappings while she’s quiet.” Jayla nodded and placed the water down beside the table. The sudden silence made her uncomfortable and she mumbled something to Solari about relieving Tirin before hurrying out the door. The dark haired warrior watching her go, shaking her head slightly, until a soft whimper caught her attention. Whirling around, Solari let the curtain fall closed behind her and returned to her vigil chair as quickly as her sounds wounds allow. She saw the crease in Ephiny’s forehead and her pained features, knowing that the Regent was gripped by a another nightmare. Brushing back an errant lock of hair and tucking it behind her ear, Solari hesitantly reached out and placed a comforting hand on the sleeping woman’s shoulder. “It’s all right, Ephiny,” she whispered softly, not wanting to wake the woman, but unable to let her continue to suffer, “You’re safe now.” Her hand gently stroked the Regent’s trembling shoulder, trying to express through touch, her love and concern. “I’m here, Eph,” she continued after a moment of silent observation, watching her love’s expression, grow darker and darker, the further she slipped into the dream. Suddenly, Ephiny jolted awake with a gasp, her eyes wide and darting around for her invisible attackers. Her mouth opened on a soundly cry, and she thrashed around violently, several of the blows landing hard on a very startled Solari. Finally, one smack to the chest, brought the dark haired Amazon out of her shock and she moved forward, calling out softly to the frightened Regent, trying to calm her down. “Ephiny, please relax!” she cried after a moment, realizing that the injured woman was going to hurt herself even further if she continued thrashing. Solari darted forward, unable to continue merely watching, and grasped the Regent by the shoulders. “Ephiny!” she barked. The sharp voice and not so gentle hands reaching her at the same time, jolted the Regent out of her walk through the dreamscape with a strangled cry. Her eyes darted around frantically and her hands came up to try and free herself before reality came crashing back, along with her blurry vision. Images of the guard from Metreus’s dungeon, holding her down while he raped her, blurred and changed, then cleared. Solari’s concerned face came into focus, and Ephiny closed her eyes tightly, choking back a sob of relief and shame. The utter look of pain on the Regent’s face, tugged at Solari’s heart strings sharply, and she quickly pulled Ephiny into her arms, holding her tightly. “I’m here Eph,” she said softly, trying to soothe the injured woman, “You’re safe now.” Ephiny tensed at Solari’s sudden movement, but only until the melodic tones of her voice began. The Regent sagged gratefully against the familiar form of the woman she loved and let go her pain. Ephiny felt the first few sobs dragged from her throat painfully before the rest followed with easy through the broken dam. For her part, Solari held the blonde gently, rubbing her back, and cradling her in the such fragile condition. Several minutes passed before Ephiny calmed enough that her sobs had quieted to whimpers, and the flood of tears that had soaked Solari’s top, slowed to merely a trickle. The Regent sniffled quietly against the woman she loved, feeling protected and unwilling to move. Solari too, had made no indication she was going to draw away, and so both women held their places, appreciating the few moments of touch they would have before the world intruded. “Solari,” Ephiny croaked softly, moving her head a little. Solari winced at how raw the Regent sounded and patted her shoulder lightly. “Hold on, Eph,” she said and twisted her body to retrieve a mug of water near the chair she had occupied until the blonde leader had begun thrashing, “Here, drink.” Solari held the mug, and tipped it gently to Ephiny’s waiting lips. She repeated the process a few times while the injured woman drained the last inch or so of water in the mug, then placed it aside. All the while, she kept a firm hold around the Regent’s shoulders, knowing she needed the caring touch to help deal with the recent events of her captivity. Ephiny looked at her questioningly for a moment, and the dark haired warrior shook her head. “That’s enough for now,” Solari said softly, settling into a more comfortable position. One that still allowed her to hold the Regent close. “Yarilis wanted to take a look at you before giving you any food or drink,” she added by way of explanation. It seemed to be enough for Ephiny, and she quieted for a few moments, resting in the gentle protection of the arms around her. She jerked suddenly as she remembered something, and darted her head up to look at the woman who held her. “Xena,” she said softly, worry coming through clearly in her voice, “Where is she? Is she okay?” Solari gently hushed Ephiny, not wanting her to get excited. “She’s in the next room, Eph,” she replied, rubbing the Regent’s back tenderly, “Gabrielle is with her. Don’t worry.” She hoped Ephiny wouldn’t notice how she neatly avoided the question. Solari didn’t want to worry the Regent needlessly. All the blonde should be concerning herself with was getting better. There would be plenty of time to worry about Xena. Besides, there were other serious matters that Solari wanted to discuss with the injured Regent. “Do you want to talk about it, Eph?” she asked softly, holding the blonde a little tighter when she tensed up. “It was just a nightmare,” Ephiny mumbled, her body still rigid. Solari sighed. “I know what the guards did to you,” she whispered, not at all surprised when the Regent started trembling, “It will help if you talk about it.” Ephiny had sucked in her breath the moment Solari had mentioned the guards, and let it out in a sudden puff. Gently but forcefully, she pulled away from the contact and was silently relieve that the dark haired woman let her go. “I don’t want to talk about it,” she muttered, folding her hands and looking down at them. There was a long silence before she spoke again, the lack of sound making her nervous. The silence wouldn’t seem so heavy if Solari’s eyes weren’t boring into her. “I think I’d like to be alone for a while,” she mumbled, no looking up, but knowing there was a hurt look on Solari’s face. She would try to hide it, but she never could fool Ephiny. There was another short moment of silence and then the cot shifting as Solari stood and silently stepped around the curtain. Ephiny was grateful she hadn’t spoken. Her resolve would have shattered. And Ephiny could have cited word for word, anything that might have been said. She already knew Solari would be there for her. It didn’t need to be said. Hearing Solari’s characteristic limp as she moved away from the curtain, Ephiny finally let go of the raging emotion inside her. Softly at first, then with more force, she started to cry. When the sobs could no longer be kept quiet, she buried her head in the pillow to muffle them. She cried for Xena, and Ipona. She cried for her own pain, and the memory of what she had let those men do to her. By the door of the hut, Solari listened silently to Ephiny’s agony, unaware of the tears leaking down her face as well. She wanted to race forward. To pick Ephiny up and cradle her, making the pain go away. She would have given anything to free the woman she loved from that kind of torment. It broke her heard, knowing she had to do something much harder. The only thing she could do. Wait. Wait for Ephiny to come to her. ***
	In the tiny back room of the hut, Yarilis puttered quietly, meticulously cleaning and tending to Xena’s wound. She didn’t have much space to move around in so close to the wall, and would have preferred to lay the warrior in the opposite direction, but was reluctant to wake Gabrielle from the fitful slumber she had finally dropped into. She had fussed and worried all night over the fevered woman in her care, and still wouldn’t leave her side. The elderly healer grunted softly at the sight of the wound she had cleaned every two candlemarks since her patient’s arrival the day before. She had to look closely, but she could have sworn that it looked better than last time. “Well,” she whispered, blinking rapidly, “I’ll be a centaur’s hoof.” “How does it look?” a soft voice reached her ears, and Yarilis glanced up with a jerk. She nearly toppled off her knees to the floor when she saw the warrior’s hazy blue eyes trying to focus on her. She noticed that Xena’s good arm wrapped gently around Gabrielle’s sleeping form leaned over the side of the bed, and soothingly stroked her hair. An unconscious movement, that settled the little Queen’s slumber just as much as her touch has soothed the fevered warrior earlier. Yarilis smiled and shook her head in disbelief before answering just as softly. “Looks a mite better, Warrior,” she whispered, reaching up in curiosity to feel Xena’s cheek for fever. She nearly cursed out loud when she felt cool skin under her fingers. Only Xena’s darkening look kept her silent. Almost as if she was silently telling her not to wake the little bard. “That be a mighty fine gift ye got, Warrior,” she added, drawing her hand away to finish cleaning the shoulder wound, “Durin’ the night, I was sure Hades’ sister would be visitin afore mornin’. I ain’t never seen a body heal s’fast. Certainly not from hurts bad as these.” Xena smirked a bit, despite her weakness. “I have many skills,” she whispered, then swallowed reflexively, trying to wet her throat enough to stave off the coughing fit that she felt coming. Yarilis recognized the warrior’s movements for what they were, and bustled over to the door, pouring a bit of water from the nearly empty pitcher into a mug. Keeping her back to Xena, the old woman added a pinch of white powder, and watched it bubble and froth in the water before disolving. She walked back to the warrior and propped her head up a bit, raising the cup to her parched lips. “Here,” she said, tipping the cup a bit, “Swalla this down, warrior.” She squirmed a bit under Xena’s intense gaze, as the injured woman pinned her with a dirty look, then drank all the water obediently. “Next time,” Xena whispered roughly, letting her head fall back to the pillow, even the reflexive movements of swallowing exhausting her, “Tell me when you’re giving me something to help me sleep.” Yarilis blinked in shock for a moment, then chuckled, shaking her head. “Aye, Warrior,” the old woman grinned toothily, “I shoulda known ye would smell the powder.” Xena finally looked away from the healer and her eyes finally softened as she gazed at the sleeping red head. She could feel the gentle puffs of breath on her shoulder and focused on them, letting them soothe away the sharpness of her pain. She hadn’t thought she would ever see Gabrielle again. Now, she felt tears stinging her eyes, once again, knowing the joy of holding the bard close. “That girl be a strong one,” Yarilis spoke softly, breaking the silent moment, and smiling when Xena looked up at her, “She refused ta leave ye bed since ye arrived. Ye luckier than most, Warrior.” “I know,” Xena whispered, dropping her gaze back to Gabrielle’s sleeping form. Her keen hearing detected a soft rumbling, and years of experience told her instantly what it was. “Has she eaten anything?” the injured woman asked suddenly, not surprised when Yarilis shook her head with a frown. “Not surprising,” she added, looking back up to the healer, her eyelids starting to droop, “Please get her to eat something.” “Aye, Warrior,” Yarilis nodded, smiling, “Ye rest now, stubborn one. I’ll be shooin her off ta eat after the child’s had a few candlemarks ta visit wi’ Morpheus.” Xena yawned softly and let her eyes close. “Thank you,” she mumbled, turning her head to bury her nose in Gabrielle’s hair, and reflexively squeezing the bard more tightly to her. Yarilis watched the warrior drop off to sleep once again, and allowed a wide smile to cross her face. She knew that Xena’s coherency was a good sign that the fever hadn’t damaged her mind, and was secretly glad that the worst of the dangers had passed. Without a close examination, she couldn’t guess at how well the warrior would heal, but right now, she knew the bard wouldn’t have to face life without the one she cared for. Xena would live. *** Late after midday, when his work in the fields had been halted due to a broken buckle on one of the oxen he used to pull the plow, Herodotus strolled slowly through town, heading for Kalitar’s shop. He took his time, knowing there wasn’t enough light left in the day for him to finish the job even if he bought a new buckle and raced back immediately. That darkened his mood even further, just adding on the hostility he felt for the Amazons walking through town like they owned it. And it didn’t help that the shop owners were letting them in to purchase their wares. Herodotus couldn’t understand why the villagers were being so nice to a people he knew to be freaks. He made a face, and his stomach churned, remembering the day his mother ran off with the Amazons to be with her... lover. He still had trouble even thinking about that. The way that Amazon freak, Dori, had arrived and kissed his mother like only a man should kiss a woman, and whisked her away from her family. Herodotus had never forgiven her for that. Not even when she returned every year on the anniversary of his birth to bring him a present. Every year he threw the present to the ground and stepped on it. Every year he called her a freak and ran away. Still, it was only two years after Gabrielle was born that she stopped returning. Sometimes he wondered if she was still alive, then shook his head, and reminded himself that he didn’t care. She had deserted him. And Gabrielle had done the same. He hated the Amazons more than anything else in the world. Herodotus arrived at the open door of the blacksmith’s shop and poked his head inside, feeling the intense heat from the forge on his face. “Kalitar!” he called over the clanging of a hammer against metal, and waved when the huge man looked up, “I’ve got a broken buckle here. Can you fix it for me?” Kalitar smiled. “Let me take a look,” he said, setting his work aside and walking over to the cooler breeze, grateful for a break. he was hard at work fixing the bridle link the little Amazon had given him. It was taking longer than expected, because it was proving to be very stubborn, and just wouldn’t form properly. “I can fix this right up for you,” he smiled at the grouchy man, “Want to wait? It will only take a minute.” Herodotus nodded, and Kalitar waved him inside. “Long day?” the big man asked, putting the stubborn link aside to finish later. “Yeah,” Gabrielle’s father replied, wiping a hand over his dirt streaked face, “What else are you working on?” “Oh, that,” Kalitar said with a dismissive wave toward the still glowing link, “Just a little something that little red haired Amazon brought over yesterday. It’s not an easy fix.” Herodotus’s eyes went cold and he huffed. “Why would you be fixing their things?” he asked, almost angrily. Kalitar looked up from his task of stirring the hot coals around the broken buckle and realized he’d said something wrong. But didn’t know what. “Oh I dunno,” he replied, trying to make the best of the downhill conversation, “I don’t think they’re that bad. They haven’t caused any trouble, and most of the town likes them enough. Heck, I even saw Lila talking with that little hot tempered one on my way to work this morning.” As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Kalitar regretted them. He saw the dangerous look cross Herodotus’s face, just before he turned and stalked out of the shop, leaving the big man standing silent and alone, wondering just how much damage he had caused. *** Herodotus thundered home, furious that his daughter would disobey him. Several villagers darted out of his way, but he didn’t notice, his only concern, getting home. He had seen the little red head Kalitar mentioned on his way to the fields that morning. She had been standing guard outside the healer’s hut, looking menacing and very much the dangerous woman that she probably was. A red haze filled Herodotus’s vision as he thought about her, and he silently vowed that Lila wouldn’t have anything to do with her again, even if he had to hog tie his only remaining daughter in her room. Rounding a corner in the dirt road, Herodotus caught sight of his home, and noticed the chimney smoking lightly. He steeled himself for the shouting he was going to be doing against his baby girl, but knew it was necessary. The more he thought about the reasons behind his anger, the angrier he became. Lila should know better at her age than to disobey him, for any reason. Shoving the door open, Herodotus expected to see Lila standing over the cooking stove, and opened his mouth to begin yelling. His mouth slammed shut and his eyes widened when he caught sight of his wife, not his daughter, preparing evening meal. “What are you doing out of bed, wife?” he said, thoroughly shocked that she was well enough to be moving about. She turned around to answer him, a cooking spoon in her hand. Suddenly, his original purpose came back to him, seeing only two wooden plates set out for food. “Where is she!?!” he bellowed, his face turning red. “Hero!” Hecuba cried, more than a little frightened by his anger, “Calm down!” “Shut up!” he barked, stepping forward, his fists clenched tightly, “Where did Lila go?” His eyes burned into her, and Hecuba squirmed uncomfortably, wondering what he was going to do. “Lila wanted to have evening meal with a friend,” she said meekly, trembling in fright, “I told her to go, so I cooked.” She had seen her husband angry, and knew it well. Even watched calmly as he broke the chair after Gabrielle left with her Amazons. But she had never seen him so enraged. Herodotus growled and saw red, and spun around, stalking out the still open door. Hecuba called after him, but didn’t have the strength to chase him down, not even sure she wanted to if she could have. She flinched as he bellowed their daughter’s name into the night, heading for the inn, and offered up a silent prayer to the Gods that he wouldn’t hurt her. *** Jayla noted the sun just beginning to slip into the horizon and smiled, opening the door of the inn and stepping inside. She didn’t want to be so comfortable with idea of spending time with Lila, but couldn’t help it. The little warrior was just glad that her sisters were all busy and wouldn’t be around to gain fodder for teasing later. She looked around the busy eating area for the brunette, wondering if she had managed to get away from her parents. God I feel like a girl, sneaking away from my mother, she smirked, shaking her head. After a moment, she spotted the object of her search, and smiled in greeting from across the room, letting the door close behind her, and moving across the floor. Most of the talk quieted the moment she arrived, the villagers nervous as to why the fierce little Amazon had entered to begin with. Slowly, it began again, little by little, as she failed to notice anyone but Lila, sitting at the back of the room. Jayla didn’t notice the buzz of conversation change around her as she walked, the villagers gossiping already about why Lila would be meeting an Amazon for evening meal. Or anything for that matter. The entire town knew of Herodotus’s disdain for Amazons, and thought Lila was either very brave, or very stupid. “Hi,” Lila said shyly, over the din of the crowd, smiling a bit and offering Jayla a seat, which she took quickly. “I’m glad you came,” the little Amazon guard replied with a smile, then mentally kicked herself for sounding like a mooning teenager. “Me too,” Lila said, seemingly not noticing the crowd that had their eyes glued to them, “I told them to bring out the meal when you arrived. I hope that’s okay.” Jayla smiled and nodded. “Just fine. I’m starved.” was her response. The food arrived quickly, news of the Amazon’s arrival spreading through the inn like wildfire. Jayla took a bite of the warm mutton stew and smiled, happy to have hot food on the way to her stomach again and swallowed her mouthful before attempting to strike up a conversation. “How was your day?” “Good,” Lila smiled, still blushing a little, worried that Jayla was going to think it was a permanent feature, “Busy though. With mother sick, I have twice the chores, and I don’t have any spare time once I get everything finished.” Jayla nodded, understanding. Though her days were no longer like that, she had been pushed to the limit for several months when she first joined the Amazons. They had been testing her endurance and willpower to stick with it, rather than give up. And she had not disappointed them. It was one of the main reasons that she was a member of the royal guard, and also why she didn’t have to do any of the hard labor anymore. “How are your friends doing?” Lila asked after a short silence, then taking another bite of her stew. She hadn’t seen Gabrielle emerge from the healer’s hut since arriving, and knew something had to be seriously wrong with that Warrior Princess. Lila had never liked her, but knew her older sister loved the dark haired demon, and so she was worried. For Gabrielle’s sake, if nothing else. “Regent Ephiny is out of danger,” Jayla informed her quietly, taking a sip of port, “The healer doesn’t know how Xena is though. The Queen hasn’t left her side since we arrived.” What she didn’t say, was that she was worried about Ephiny’s mind. One didn’t have to be an oracle to understand what had happened to the blonde Regent simply by the look on Solari’s face after the healer had spoken to her. Lila sighed softly, wondering, not for the first time if she should take a trip over to see Gabrielle. Again, she decided against it. Not only because her father would blow his stack, but also, she was beginning to like Jayla. A lot. She didn’t know why, but she didn’t want the Amazon guard to treat her any different if she found out that Gabrielle was her sister. Something in her tingled when Jayla was near, and she didn’t want that to change. Jayla saw the thoughtful look on the village girl’s face and opened her mouth to ask what she was thinking about. Before anything could come out of her mouth though, a bellowing roar erupted behind her, at the same time that Lila’s eyes widened with terror. “LILA!!” Jayla whirled around in her chair just in time to catch the back of a hand smashing into her face. Letting out a startled squeak at the sudden jarring impact, that sent her out of her chair and crashing to the floor. In less than a heartbeat, Jayla was on her feet again growling deeply with rage, focused on the stupid fool that had dared to touch her. She felt a trickle of blood moving down from the corner of her mouth, but didn’t even bother to wipe it away. Her belt dagger was in her hand before she even though about it, and she stepped forward, intending to send the man straight into Hades waiting arms. “No!” Lila cried, having bolted out of her chair when Herodotus struck the Amazon. She darted forward just as she saw the murderous intent on Jayla’s face, and stepped protectively in front of him. He had a violent temper for sure, but he was still her father. And she still loved him. Jayla stopped in her tracks and continued glaring at the man behind her. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t separate his head from his shoulders,” the little Amazon snarled dangerously, advancing again. Lila felt her father move forward again, and held him back, trying to ignore the soft growl he was making, though it filled her with fear. “Because he’s my father,” she said softly, her eyes pleading with Jayla to let it go. Jayla stopped suddenly and glanced over at Lila, shock clear on her face. Several long moments passed while the little Amazon studied the fearful look in the village girl’s eyes. None of them noticed that the din of conversation in the room had stopped, and dozens of eyes watched in astonishment. Finally Jayla realized that regardless of her actions, the damage had already been done. Something about the way Lila’s eyes pleaded with her hit the little Amazon hard. Her rage calmed with just a look at the frightened woman, and allowed her to think rationally about what she had almost done. If she killed this man, Lila would probably never speak to her again. The thought of that hurt Jayla more than she wanted to admit, even to herself. Not to mention that the entire village would probably be after her friends and the ensuing fight would cause more people to be injured. Jayla stepped back a bit and sheathed her dagger, but kept her hand tightly clenched around the hilt, radiating hostility at Lila’s father. “Your daughter is the only reason you still breathe,” she growled at him, baring her teeth in a snarl. She saw Lila relax visibly and turned to offer her a softer look, though the frown stayed on her face. “I’ll see you again, Lila,” she said, her voice becoming soft again. She turned and began moving away. “No you won’t,” Herodotus called angrily to her back, “You stay away from my family, Amazon whore!” Lila saw Jayla freeze in place, and immediately tried to hush her father, knowing she couldn’t stop the fierce woman from killing him a second time. Jayla growled softly under her breath, and started walking again, kicking the wooden door open and storming out in to the twilight. She muttered curses all the way back to the healer’s hut, suddenly wondering why she had even backed off. Yes she was realizing that she was attracted to Lila, but she had never backed down from a fight. Especially with a man. A man who had the nerve to strike her. The little Amazon’s rage increased as she walked, until she was ready to kill the first villager who crossed her path. When she arrived at the hut, so intense was her focus on that swine Lila had called her father, that she didn’t even notice Tirin looking at her in shock. “What happened?” the tall woman standing guard at the door asked, seeing the blood running down Jayla’s chin from her split lip, “And when’s the poor fool’s funeral fire?” “Don’t ask,” the red head grumbled, stomping up and trying to enter the hut to clean her wound. Tirin grabbed her arm and prevented her from passing. “I’m asking,” Tirin stated with a concerned frown, “You know Solari will hear about it. And if something is starting with the villagers, I need to know about it.” Her body tensed and she darted a look around, worried about an attack with the coming dark of night. Jayla looked up at her, and realized that Tirin was right. “It’s nothing,” she offered, resting a hand on the taller woman’s arm reassuringly, “That girl I was having dinner with. Her father showed up. He doesn’t like Amazons.” She fell silent, knowing that would explain. “And don’t worry,” the compact woman muttered darkly, “I didn’t kill him.” Tirin nodded and sighed, wondering for a brief moment what had stopped the small guard from slitting his throat. “I hope it ends there,” she said softly, releasing the little guard, “We don’t need him stirring up hostility here. There’s only three of us to defend Ephiny and the Queen with Kraylor gone to Amphipolis.” Jayla tilted her head slightly and gave Tirin a quizzical look. “Do you really think it would come to that?” she asked, her hand coming back down to finger the hilt of her dagger instinctively, “Even though Queen Gabrielle was born here?” “Perhaps,” Tirin muttered, still looking around carefully, “Can’t be too careful.” Jayla nodded, then gave Tirin’s arm a pat. “Let me get this cleaned up before the Queen sees it,” she said, touching her lip with a small wince, “Then I’ll relieve you so you can get something to eat.” “Thanks,” Tirin said softly, watching the nearby shadows. She didn’t turn as Jayla quietly entered the hut, hoping that nothing would be started before Ephiny and Xena were well enough to be taken back to the Amazon Nation. *** Cyrene hopped down from the young centaur’s back and stretched her back, wincing at the pops she heard. She groaned softly at how much her body ached from the full day of riding. They had left just after the sun rose, and hurried along as quickly as they could. Cyrene knew Kraylor had been taking it easy for her sake, and she thought it was very sweet, but encouraged him to quicken his pace a bit just after midday, when she realized what he was doing. Now her old bones were complaining about that decision. “How are you holding up?” Kraylor asked sympathetically, stretching his own back out a bit. He wasn’t really sore at all, but didn’t want Xena’s mother to feel bad. She had been so kind to him already, feeding him a huge breakfast, and packing some sweets for the road, that they had shared for a moving lunch. The young centaur delighted in hearing the stories that Cyrene started telling him, knowing that not only was it making the trip pass a little more quickly, but also taking her mind off the news of Xena’s condition. The older woman had told him several funny stories about the Warrior Princess as a child, nearly making him trip and fall he was laughing so hard. The next time he saw Xena, he would have to hold back the laughter, knowing he would imagine her as a little child, running around with a slingshot and firing at the chickens in the yard. Kraylor quickly started a fire with little bits of wood and searched around the perimeter of the clearing he had chosen for more fuel. He chuckled softly while he worked, thinking of the mighty warrior woman trying to intimidate a two week old bull calf when she was only 6 winters old. That story had made Kraylor howl with laughter as Cyrene described Xena batting the calf upside the head, then turned around with a satisfied look of victory on her face. Only to have it immersed in mud as the bull calf ran up and bunted her in the rump when she wasn’t looking. Cyrene smiled softly, hearing the young centaur’s amused sounds. She hoped her daughter wouldn’t be too angry with her for telling of her childhood antics. The aging woman knew Kraylor was enjoying the stories and was silently grateful that she had the chance to talk proudly about her daughter. It had been so very long since she had been able to do that; most of the townsfolk of Amphipolis still a little wary of Xena’s change to the side of good. Cyrene shook her head and began pulling supplies out of her bags, wanting to start evening meal before the sun went down completely. It was already more than half hidden by the horizon, and the light was quickly disappearing. She wished they had the ability to move faster, but knew they were traveling as quickly as possible. Kraylor returned with an armload of branches and set them down by the fire. He awkwardly settled himself down so that Cyrene wouldn’t have to look up so high at him, and smiled reassuringly. “What’s for supper?” he asked brightly, already completely in love with the woman’s cooking. Cyrene laughed softly and tossed him a sweet roll to munch on while she cooked. She could almost hear his stomach rumbling from the other side of the fire. “Here, this should hold you over for a few minutes,” she chuckled, when Kraylor answered with a blush, “I’m just going to throw a stew together.” “I can’t wait,” the young centaur mumbled around a mouthful of the sweet bread, “You’re a great cook, Cyrene.” She smiled. “Thank you,” she replied happily, and began mixing dried meat and vegetables into the water she had placed over the fire in a small pot. “Xena has many skills,” Kraylor grinned, after gobbling down the rest of his treat, “But cooking isn’t one of them.” Cyrene laughed. “True,” she said with a wink, “I don’t know why she never learned. Though I did my best to teach her. That little vixen always ended up more interested in looking for where I’d hidden that Gods-be-Damned bow her older brother had given her.” Kraylor looked at her questioningly for a moment, and so she settled down to let the stew cook and told him another story. “Well,” she began, smiling at the memory, “Toris had given Xena a little bow for Solstice when she was oh, about 7 winters old, I guess. He even made her some arrows with little soft balls of leather on the end, so she wouldn’t hurt anyone if she misfired it.” Cyrene chuckled, remembering the first time she had caught Xena using the bow for exactly that purpose. “One day when I was coming back from the market,” she continued, much to the young centaur’s obvious delight, “I happened to see one of the chickens scampering around to the front of the tavern with bright red dots on it. At first I wondered what in Hades had happened to the poor creature, and then heard this wild laughter coming from the yard around back.” A knowing look at Kraylor. “Guess who it was coming from?” Kraylor held back a chuckle. “Xena,” he said with a grin, leaning forward, anxious to hear the rest of the story. Cyrene nodded. “There she was, crouched in the corner with three little bowls of paint beside her,” she laughed, “The little imp was dipping the ends of the arrows in the paint, then shooting the poor chickens with them. I asked her what she thought she was doing, and the poor thing lost her grip on the bow and the arrow hit her right in the forehead. As punishment, I made her walk around with that bright blue spot for three days.” Kraylor couldn’t hold it back any longer, and clutched at his sides, howling with laughter. Tears leaked from his eyes as he pictured a very adult Xena trying to explain why she had blue paint on the forehead. “Oh Gods!” he roared, gasping for breath, “I can almost see that!” Cyrene smiled and chuckled along with him, remembering just how embarrassed the young girl had been every time someone asked her what had happened. The older woman shook her head and checked the stew, pronouncing it ready. Kraylor let his laughter carry on for another moment, finally cutting it back to soft snickering to reach out and take the bowl of wonderful smelling food that Cyrene offered him. “Thanks,” he smiled, and politely waited for Xena’s mother to join him. She paused for a moment, staring down at her own supper with a slight frown on her face, and Kraylor knew the fun was over. But he had been expecting this. “Xena will be okay, Cyrene,” he said softly, trying to sound encouraging, “She’s strong.” The older woman forced a smile and nodded. “Yes,” she agreed, trying not to think about it, “My daughter is too ornery to die.” Normally she would believe the words, but for some reason, this time, she wasn’t so sure. Shoving the thoughts away, Cyrene turned to her food. The evening meal was mostly silent, and the two travelers bedded down early, agreeing to rest so they could get an early start in the morning. : Part Four