And Then There was Two

GENERAL COPYRIGHT DISCLAIMER: Xena, Warrior Princess, Gabrielle, Ares, Argo and all other characters who have appeared in the syndicated series Xena: Warrior Princess, together with the names, titles and backstory are the sole copyright property of MCA/Universal and Renaissance Pictures. No copyright infringement was intended in the writing of this fan fiction.

All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the author (meaning Kharis and Syrinus belong to me). This story cannot be sold or used for profit in any way. Copies of this story may be made for private use only and must include all disclaimers and copyright notices.

VIOLENCE WARNING/DISCLAIMER: this story is based on the series and of course, what would Xena be but not the violent kick ass grrrl that she is! But violence has been kept to a minimum with very little actual bloodshed involved. That's for the next story. Muhahaha

SEXUAL VIOLENCE WARNING/DISLAIMER: This story insinuates a scene of sexual violence and a small amount of its aftermath. Some readers may be disturbed by this type of depiction and anyone who is sensitive to this particular issue may wish to read something other than this story. But I promise that there isn't any actual description of it, just the vague inference to it from one of the characters.

LOVE DISCLAIMER: This story depicts a loving relationship between two consenting adult women. If you are under 18 years of age or if this type of story is illegal in the state or country in which you live, please do not read it. If depictions of this nature disturb you, you may wish to read something other than this story.

If you can't stand the idea that two women can have a loving relationship then please keep your closed mind where it belongs and don't bother reading this story. 'Nuff said

This is my first attempt at XWP fanfic so please be gentile with this newbie. It is the first in the Sins of a God Series that will continue to grow with your support. Hopefully the other stories will be finished before you have to wait much longer. But, for now, enjoy what is below and remember...all comments, suggestions, and flames are welcome.

Waking up slowly, Gabrielle stretched luxuriously in the large bed, smiling at the sounds of morning birds. Turning over she found the spot next to her empty, of course. Xena always rose before dawn for her morning drills. Sitting up the bard continued as stretch and looked about the room. The furnishings were modest yet very ornate in their intricate carvings. Spying a rather complex design on the back of one chair, Gabrielle got up and walked over to it. Bending down to get a closer look she could make out a vast army at battle with another, many of the dead littered the ground. One army was obviously in control, led by a figure so familiar yet so foreign it took the bard a few moments to realise who was depicted on the engraving.

"It's beautiful isn't it?" a rich voice said startling the woman. Syrinus stood by the doorway with a large smile on his face.

Gabrielle turned back to the engraving, lightly tracing the image of her love; "When?"

Syrinus sat on the bed and looked at the young woman before him, "After losing Borias during the battle with the centaurs." Gabrielle nodded as she remembered the stories Xena had told her about Borias. "When she lost him and then gave up her son, she was devastated."

Gabrielle turned sharply towards the gentle man, shocked that he knew about Solon.

"Yes, I knew. I was her healer. How could I not?" he raised his hands slightly, palms turning upwards. "She had lost everything and had just discovered it after it was too late."

"So what happened?" the bard whispered, guilty that glimpses of her friend's dark past were coming from the healer instead of her friend. But knowledge was the key to deciphering the enigma that was Xena and Gabrielle was becoming an expert at obtaining the information.

"Syrinus brought me here to heal me," the sulky timber of the warrior princess pervaded the small space. Gabrielle turned towards her friend, embarrassed at being caught. Seeking bright blue eyes for forgiveness she was rewarded with a lazy smile that said 'I don't mind' loud and clear. Xena walked into the room and shook her glistening wet hair. The morning drills had gone so well the warrior rewarded herself with a nice leisurely swim in a chilling river byond the healer's house.

"I was suicidal after it all. Not caring whether my army or I survived that day's battle. Syr, here, decided that a certain warlord needed some downtime so he drugged me and kidnapped me from my own camp. The only one to survive my wrath, I might add." A low chuckle escaped from Xena's lips. "He brought me here and chained me to the bed that you just slept in last night. He kept me for over a moon. Talking to me, soothing me, arguing with me. Eventually I gave up and succumbed to his will and started to listen to him. Not enough to stop my wanton need for destruction, but enough to glimpse that life was worth living for, in some small measure. During that time I carved. There wasn't much else to do considering I was chained to the bed."

Syrinus laughed at the memory and reached over to Xena, pulling her down onto his lap; "And a good job you did at the carvings m'lady."

An elbow went into the large man's ribs as the warrior extracted herself from the bear hug, "Anyways. When I was finally let go my army had dispersed so I had to build another. Syr stayed with me during that time and eventually left me when Darphus joined up with me."

"No, I saw the light shining behind your darkness. I knew that eventually you'd find your way. And look what happened, I was right." the man smiled broadly as Xena got out of his lap.

Gabrielle looked pensive as she digested what she had just heard, "How did you know?" She directed the question towards the man.

Syrinus looked into the pair of sky blue eyes, waiting for some sign that it was okay to reveal the secret that they had been hiding from the bard. A slight line appeared around the edges of the woman's eyes as she smiled in support.

Syrinus held his breath, then let it out in one long exhale, "I can read people's auras. I know what type of person they are beneath all of the layers that they build to defend themselves against the world. I can read people."

Xena slowly walked towards a bench in the back and sat down, lifting her legs to rest on a stool while Gabrielle tried to comprehend what Syrinus was stating. It had taken the warrior a long time to accept the man's gift as true. And she used it to her advantage many times during battle. Which leader would be a coward in the heat of battle, which would fight till the death, which would run before the fight even started? It was amazing that he still considered her a friend after being used by her for so many years, yet there he always was and always would be.

"What do you see right now?" the bard asked suddenly, accepting what the man said as the truth.

Syrinus was taken aback at the pointed question but complied readily; "I see an aura shining so bright it almost hurts to view it. The golden hues radiating with such intensity that I'm surprised no one else sees it."

Gabrielle smiled at her friend's devotion in the bard's supreme goodness, "And Xena?"

"I see an aura so deep in purple it could have been mistaken for black but with a silver lining that has grown stronger and brighter each year," the healer smiled as he fondly looked towards the dark woman resting peacefully on the bench.

Gabrielle grinned at this known statement. It didn't take the Sight for her to see the good that was slowly overcoming the evil within her friend's soul. Sooner or later the silver lining would encompass the deep purple until only a small speck of the darker colour would remain.

Syrinus chuckled as he remembered what he had told her, "Well, I wasn't going to tell you that you were sweetness and light all dressed in white now was I?"

Xena stood up, stretching her leg muscles, "Yes. I want to know if that child is who I think she is."

The bard stared at the ex-warlord as Syrinus bowed his head in acknowledgement. Shrugging, the woman walked towards the door, "I don't want to say it out loud until I know for sure though so if you two are curious then let's get this act on the road."

The three figures moved into the small room that contained the tiny girl. Her face was grimaced in pain as the nightmare slowly unfolded.

The villagers had given up without a fight, praying to the Gods that their lives would be spared. Every man, woman, and child was taken to the centre of the town and held under guard until the army's leader arrived. Caesar was in his glory, astride his black war stallion, the golden armour shone upon his bronzed body as he slowly made his way to the villagers and his guards. Beside him rode his second in command. Her long, toned body easily moved as one with her golden war-horse. The jet-black hair blowing in the early morning breeze as her cold blue eyes surveyed their surroundings.

Coming upon the villagers Caesar halted is horse and declared to all, "This town is now under the rule of Rome as decreed by me, Caesar of Rome, and as decreed by the Emperor of Rome all tributes and allegiances will be bestowed upon me and my army. What say you people?"

A small, bent man stepped forward and spat in the direction of Caesar before being cuffed across the face by the soldier closest to him. Falling to the ground roughly a small child ran forward and placed her body over the man, as the soldier was about to run his sword through the old man's stomach.

"No, don't touch him!"

Caesar looked down at the dark haired girl and sneered, "And what do we have here? A small saviour of this village?"

The girl looked up at the man and shivered. She had only reacted and didn't realise the mortal danger she was in. Fighting down the urge to cry she offered up her voice to reason, "We did not fight you or your army and have willingly complied with your requests. Why kill one who is old and doesn't know his own mind?"

"Why should I offer him leniency?" the startled man answered back.

"Why should you not?" was all the girl could reply, defiance shining through her forest green eyes.

Caesar was amused that such a young one would be so fearless in such dire circumstances. Looking over at his companion he smiled, "And what do you think we should do, Xena?"

Ice blue eyes scanned the villagers and then rested on the dark haired child, "Crucify them."

Caesar nodded in agreement and waved his hand at his soldiers as he headed back to camp. The villagers, now desperate, backed away from the advancing wall of soldiers; fear shining in their eyes as their doom cut off all hopes of escape. Woman and children cried as the soldiers began to run swords through the town's people before dragging them off for the crosses.

The small girl looked around her in shock as her friends and family were slaughtered before her own eyes. Rage burned brightly in her mind as she ran to the closet soldier, grabbing a dagger in his belt and shoving it into his heart before he even realised that the dagger was missing. Turning to her left she proceeded to run after a group of soldiers who were about to kill some of her friends. Coming to the one closet to her, she slammed her body into his back while slicing the dagger into his kidney. Swiftly leaping over his crumbling form, the child vaulted onto the back of her next victim, slicing his neck upon before leaping off to take on two soldiers who were intent on stopping her. Standing firm she waited till the last second then dove under the legs of one of the soldiers and quickly sliced upwards as came out from under him, his groin sliced open that suddenly pumped out his life's blood. Standing she turned to face the other soldier when she heard a whisper in the air behind her and felt a blow to the back of her head. Dizziness quickly invaded her vision as she turned to see what had hit her. The chakram returned to its dark master as the girl succumbed to oblivion.

The woman warrior replaced the disc on her belt and ordered the remaining soldier to bring the unconscious girl to Caesar's quarters. Turning her stead around, a sinister sneer was seen on her lips as she loped back to the camp.

Awakening with a splitting headache, the child was confused as she looked around her surroundings. A lavishly filled tent filled her eyes. Fear crept into her soul for the first time as she remembered what had just happened, confusion ringing in her mind as she tried to figure out why she was here.

Muted voices could be heard outside the tent's entrance but the girl's keen sense of sound easily picked up the trial of conversation.

"Why was she spared?" the man's voice inquired.

"She will serve a purpose for you tonight and then tomorrow she will be crucified along with the rest of them," the woman purred.

"You are pure evil, Xena," the man chuckled. "I never know what to expect from you moment to moment."

"That is why you love having me around," the woman said as she pulled the tent's flap aside and beckoned for Caesar to enter. The commander walked through the opening followed by the exotic woman as faced the child who was now fully awake and fearful for her life.

"So," he said seductively. "You're awake I see."

The girl looked into the hard brown eyes and shuddered involuntarily. "What are you going to do with me?" she whispered as she held his gaze.

"Whatever he likes my dear," the woman sneered as she stepped around Caesar into the child's view. "Whatever I want him to do to you more precisely."

"Why?" was all the girl could manage as her stomach lurched as horrifying thoughts ran through her mind.

Caesar just smiled as the woman answered for him, "Because he needs a catamite tonight and none are to be found, so you will have to do unfortunately."

The young child seethed as she turned her eyes towards the bronzed woman before her. Her image burnt deeply into the girl's mind as Caesar slowly advanced on the helpless child, slowly undressing.

"What is your name?" he asked.

"Kharis."

"Well Kharis, tonight you will become a woman for me. Tomorrow you will die for her," Caesar said as he finished removing his battle dress, his lust burning as he reached for the child's head.

Time stood still for the girl as she continued to stare into the eyes of the dark warrior while Caesar ripped the tunic from the girl's body. Forcing her down onto the bed he ravaged her while she held the gaze of the dark woman. A slow, seductive smile played across the woman's lips as the girl silently made an oath to the Gods that if she ever survived she would spend all her days avenging the deaths of her village and her innocence.

Groaning, Caesar rolled off the girl and shook himself as he rose from the bed. Stepping towards the woman warrior he grabbed her by her hair and draw her lips to his in a slow passionate kiss. Never taking her eyes off the girl's the woman ran her hands up his back and held him by his neck until he was satisfied.

The girl slowly came back to her body, which was aching from the misuse, as she watched the woman in apprehension. Her ordeal was not over she realised and prayed that she would pass out before her body was violated anymore.

The woman pulled Caesar off her lips as her eyes danced in cold fury, "Now leave us my sweet. I have more to teach this girl before tomorrow."

Caesar looked down at the child and nodded, "Do what you like. I'll be organising the troops for tomorrow's march." Putting on his battledress, Caesar stepped out of the tent leaving the child to the mercy of the woman standing in front of her.

A smile chilled the girl to the core as the woman advanced on her, "What he showed you was frivolous. What I will do to you will be Tartarus."

The child whimpered at the statement as the woman reached down and grabbed the girl around the neck.

The next day the girl was tied to the cross, beaten and bloodied, and left with her fellow villagers to die. Her mind, in shock at what had happened the previous day, never broke as she repeated her vow to the Gods over and over till she passed out.

Xena reached down and applied the pressure points that would awaken the girl from her unconscious state. Stepping back out of eye's sight she watched as the nightmare played its way across the young girl's face only to be replaced by a sneer as the girl slowly came to. Fluttering her eyes open, the child's vision slowly cleared as she took in the small room, filled with only the bed and a stool, along with 3 figures that hovered at the edge of her bed. Trying to shake the sleep from her eyes the girl's head started to pound with its own beat from the days without consciousness. Slowly rising she focussed on the woman before her. Memories of rose blonde hair draping over her shaking body filled the girls' vision. Was this the woman who tried to soothe her?

Looking further upward, the girl saw a bear of a man with a sweet smile on his lips looking intently into her eyes. Shocked at the nakedness she felt in her soul, the child hurriedly snatched her eyes away from him and sought sight of the last figure standing in the shadows. Unable to make out anything more then form the girl sighed and lay back down to still her beating head.

Syrinus continued to smile but his heart grew heavy. The moment of eye contact revealed a soul so dark yet so light he shuddered to comprehend how such a tiny creature could encompass such raging emotions. Looking over at Xena he nodded and stepped towards the bed, bending on one knee.

The kind words echoed in the girl's head as she struggled to comprehend their meaning. Slowly taking in a deep breath the child's slight whisper of a voice replied, "I'm not well."

Syrinus chuckled softly, "No, my dear, you are not. Lie back while I attend to you and then we'll see about getting some meal and drink in you."

The man's quiet demeanour stilled the girl's quaking heart. She couldn't survive much more hurt or anguish. Relenting she allowed the giant man's hands to roam along her body, prodding gently to find any broken bones. Though her mind and body screamed in anguish she knew that, somehow, what this man was doing was not a violation of her body like the other ones committed, but an act of compassion.

Satisfied that her body was sound Syrinus looked into the girl's eyes once more to fathom what and who she was. Sensing that her soul was under attack the girl threw her hands at the man's neck. With one quick motion the man held her hands away from his neck as he continued to read the girls' soul. 'Such unusual eyes, almost like a hawk's. But filled with such rage and hatred.' Only one other person had made him wish he never had the Sight and she quietly leaned against the wall blending in with the shadows.

Releasing the girl's hands, Syrinus stood up and nodded down at her, "You are wise to defend yourself my dear but not against those of us that only want to help you. Rest now and I will bring you something to eat and drink in a few moments."

The girl shuddered at the peaceful voice that washed over her. Trying to fight was all she could do but his soft voice beckoned her fragile mind into accepting that what he said was true. The rage left her eyes as her body slowly eased back into relaxation.

"Well my child, you already exhibit the beauty that your name implies. Maybe later on you will grace us with your other attributes," Syrinus said as he lead Gabrielle out of the room leaving Xena still standing in the corner.

The warrior stared from the shadows at the young girl, wondering how and why she was here. Grace, Beauty, Kindness. 'Strange choice of a name for a child such as that.' Even the Gods loved irony at times. Watching intently, Xena waited for the girl's breathing to soften into slumber before she silently moved from her spot to the door.

Xena whipped around and faced the girl, a lone eyebrow rising a fraction as the raven-haired woman pondered the child's statement. Was the child talking in her sleep or was she still alert? If so, how did she know the warrior princess was still in the room? Should she question the girl now or wait until she heard what Syr had to say? Realising that the answer started with Syr, Xena turned and left the girl alone in the small room with the stool. 'I will claim you? What did she mean by that?'. Shrugging her well toned shoulders Xena knew she'd have to wait before questioning this young one; but she was patient.

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