The Amazons´ Boy

DISCLAIMERS: The characters of Xena, Gabrielle, Ephiny etc. are the sole copyright property of MCA/Universal and Renaissance Pictures. No copyright infringement was intended in the writing of this story.

All other characters and the story itself belong to the author and may not be used without permission. The lyrics to the song "Indian Strings" by Suede and "Leave" by R.E.M. are used without permission and again, no copyright infringement is intended.

VIOLENCE WARNING/DISCLAIMER: This story depicts scenes of violence and/or their aftermath. Readers who are disturbed by or sensitive to this type of depiction may wish to read something other than this story.

SEXUAL VIOLENCE WARNING/DISCLAIMER: There are vague references to sexual violence in this story, but nothing graphic.

LOVE/SEX WARNING/DISCLAIMER: This story depicts love/sexual relationships between consenting adults of the same sex. Readers who are disturbed by or sensitive to this type of issue may wish to read something other than this story.

AUTHOR´S NOTES: This story can be said to take place at the end of the fourth season, but have practically nothing to do with any events of that season and therefore stands on its own. I´ve shamelessly messed up Greek history and geography with my own imagination to use for my own personal benefit, but since the show does that constantly, I guess it´s all right. I want to thank, MyWarrior, for all the time and patience she´s invested in this project. Her encouragement and comments have been invaluable. This is my first attempt at fan fiction and I hope you´ll enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it. Comments/feedback are more than welcome at dayze11@hotmail.com.

This one´s for Susan, who´s always in my heart.

The words kept running through Lykeas´ head again and again as he moved quietly through the thick, black forest, avoiding branches and shielding Rarjan from thorns.

He let the entire events of the last three hours run through his mind again, his eyes never leaving the shadows moving noiselessly ahead of him.

Xena´s plan had been far fetched, to say the least, but apparently just crazy enough to work. When night had arrived and with it darkness, Xena had left their small makeshift camp and, with the use of one of her countless skills, sneaked into the camp without being detected. Then she had picked out four of the largest tents furthest to the East and away from the hill and paid each of them a visit. As she had expected, the tents were all used for storing equipment and were all abandoned, except for one unfortunate resident, who learned the last lesson of his life; never to turn your back on a warrior princess at work. In each tent, she prepared a small fire next to the canvas. Close enough so that it would eventually catch fire, but with enough distance to delay the fire from eating its way through the canvas before she was ready. Then she had soaked the rough cloth with the contents of a skin she had taken from yet another unfortunate soul on her way to the first tent, the smell of alcohol so strong that Xena was glad she didn´t have to drink the stuff. Satisfied with her work, she had brought a small flame to life in each tent, and as she slipped away through the darkness, she had prayed, more for the Hades of it than actually asking for help, that her timing had been correct.

By the time she returned to their camp, everything had been prepared and they had waited in tense silence at the top of the hill, watching the plain below them with nervous anticipation. First it was only a small flicker of a flame, a faint light barely visible to the three pairs of eyes staring intensely in its direction. Then in the exact moment as Xena motioned them to follow, bright, roaring flames began to swallow up the tents whole. As they began to move forward toward the western side of the camp, people coming from all kinds of directions made their way to the East. The four burning tents lit up the sky and sparks flew through the air, endangering the work for the men, who tried to subdue it. For the shortest of moments, they had stopped, captivated by the sight of the dark silhouettes moving aimlessly around in front of the orange wall of fire. Then, almost simultaneously, they had broken the spell and mounted the quiet, but edgy horses. First they had moved slowly, constantly prepared to flight at the slightest hint of detection, but as they finally reached the outskirts of the camp, they had put the horses into a gallop, the cloth tied around the hooves efficiently reducing the thuds on the dry grass. A few minutes later they had been embraced by the forest, hearts hammering and muscles aching.

That was almost an hour ago and ever since then, Xena had let them in a merciless tempo along the fastest path to the Amazons.

Xena halted abruptly in front of him and raised her hands in an old, familiar greeting and Lykeas felt his throat constrict.

Three Amazons stepped out from the darkness so soundlessly that even Xena was impressed. She had been aware of their presence for quite a while, but had decided to let the Amazons take the initiative and reveal themselves when it suited them. The leader of the three, a slender looking woman let her eyes run over Xena and Lykeas before they came to a halt upon Gabrielle. She knelt in the grass with the two other Amazons behind her following suit.

She looked up and removed her mask, revealing smiling blue eyes and long blond hair held in place with a woven band.

"My name is Callias, and this is Phila and Areia." She gestured towards the two other Amazons, who were still wearing their masks, bending their heads.

"As representatives of the Royal Guard we were granted the honour by our Regent to escort you to the village."

"Yes, my Queen. We became aware of your presence the moment you put your foot upon our lands. We have been watching you to make sure you weren´t followed."

Xena snorted audibly and received a warning glance from Gabrielle. If they had indeed been followed, she would have been the first to notice. Callias ignored the looks exchanged between her Queen and the warrior and slowly rose to her feet.

My Queen, we should get going. I know our Regent is waiting impatiently to see you again, and..." She paused, looking first at Gabrielle then Xena.

"We know," Xena remarked. "We just spent the last hours trying to avoid those matters."

Callias nodded. "Yes, and when you have the time, you must tell me how you managed to get pass the soldiers, but first..."

"He´s coming with us," Xena said evenly, her tone clearly indicating that this wasn´t something up for discussion, and after receiving an affirmative look from her Queen, Callias nodded again.

When she caught the expression in Xena´s eyes, she quickly added. "It´s by the Regent´s orders. No man is to enter an Amazon village unless blindfolded and unarmed."

"Well, of course. As I said, we knew of your presence the moment you entered the forest."

"No," Xena´s low voice replied. "That´s not what I meant. Does Ephiny know, who the man is, who have been travelling with your Queen?"

Callias´ brow furrowed, "I don´t know what you mean. She hasn´t mentioned anything if that´s what you´re asking."

Xena eyed the woman in front of her, a thoughtful expression on her face. Then she tilted her head to look at the man in question.

He crossed his arms over his chest and stared stubbornly at first Callias then Xena.

"What!" Callias began and took a step towards him, but was abruptly halted by Xena´s hand on her arm.

She walked over to Lykeas and together they moved a few feet away from the four pairs of eyes looking questioningly at them. Gabrielle watched the two warriors stand face two face, their heads almost level, Lykeas being only a few inches taller than Xena. They spoke quietly, and even Phila, who was known for her excellent hearing, couldn´t make out what they were saying. The body language, however, was clear enough, both warriors using more and more urgent gestures in their attempts to persuade the other. Finally Lykeas´ hands dropped to his side and he gave Xena a small relenting nod. She, in return, patted him gently on the shoulder and whispered something more. He nodded again and began to remove his sword and then bow. He handed the weapons to Xena, who fastened them to Rarjan´s back before she returned to retrieve his daggers and knifes. She looked at the blades in her hands, then raised her head to look into his eyes.

He returned her gaze defiantly at first, but then his expression changed and Xena felt her body stir with conflicting emotions. Her mind suddenly filling with the memories of a young, black-haired man walking towards her smiling... A hand reaching down to pull her up... Laughing eyes looking at her over a campfire.

She forcefully shook the memories away and stared into his eyes, trying to see inside of him, trying to read him and understand him like she had once before, so many years ago.

Callias came over and gave Xena a piece of cloth, which she gently band around his head, covering his eyes and abandoning him to a different kind of darkness than the night surrounding them.

With Callias in the lead, followed by Phila and Gabrielle, then Xena next to Lykeas, her hand on his arm guiding him forward and finally Areia leading the horses, they made their way toward the village. Rarjan had begun to panic when the brown-haired Amazon reached for the reins, and it had taken Lykeas several minutes of soft spoken words and affectionate caresses to calm the horse down enough to enable Areia to grab hold of the reins. Every once in a while she threw a suspicious glance back at the horse behind her, fully expecting to feel his teeth in the back of her neck any second, but nothing happened and they arrived at the village without further incidents.

In spite of the worry she was feeling, Gabrielle felt her heart fill with a quiet sense of peacefulness. A peacefulness she always associated with the Amazons, with her home.

Her face lit up into a brilliant smile when she saw Ephiny standing in the centre of the village, a huge grin plastered all over her face. The Royal Guards stepped forward, gently, but firmly clearing a way through the crowd for the Queen. Ephiny closed the distance between them, enveloping Gabrielle into a warm, loving embrace, the crowd around them cheering enthusiastically.

"A warm welcome to you, too, Xena." Ephiny spoke, smiling at the warrior. "It´s always good to see you."

"It most certainly has. Much too long in my opinion," she replied, gently nudging Gabrielle in the ribs before turning to the Captain of the Royal Guard.

Callias stepped forward. "No, Your Highness, no trouble at all. Her Majesty hadn´t been followed and the man agreed to your terms and came along peacefully."

"Since when does the Warrior Princess and the Amazon Queen need a man to help them win their battles."

She turned and the playful smile froze upon her lip, as her disbelieving eyes took in the sight of the man standing next to Phila.

Phila hurried to fulfil her Regent´s command and brown eyes widened in shock as she saw black eyes blink a few times, before focusing and staring directly at her.

For a moment time stood still, an uncomfortable silence filling the square, before eagerly whispering voices in the crowd, brought Ephiny back to reality.

The Regent had to force her eyes away and look at Gabrielle, painful confusion evident in her eyes.

Gabrielle had been shocked and dismayed by the scene unfolding in front of her, and, although she didn´t know the reasons behind it, she was pained by the distressed expression on her friend´s face. Xena began to step forward, but the bard shook her head, halting the warrior in mid-stride.

She began to lead the dazed Amazon away, giving Xena a meaningful look on the way. Xena saw them disappear into the Regent´s hut, before speaking out loud enough for everyone to hear.

Even the most dense Amazon, understood that disagreeing with the warrior could most seriously endanger their health, and one by one they slipped away until only Xena, Lykeas and Callias were left. The blond Amazon´s eyes darting from one face to another, her posture communicating both confusion and a thinly veiled threat.

Callias opened her mouth then closed it again, suddenly remembering her responsibilities. She straightened up and indicated a direction with her head.

"The guess hut next to the smithy is available. I´ll make sure it´s prepared for you."

"Okay," he said, taking the reins from both Argo and Rarjan. "I´ll see you in the morning."

Gabrielle opened her eyes and smiled at the feel of the strong arms around her, a warm body pressed up against her own. Closing her eyes again, she heard the sounds of the village slowly coming to life as people began moving around outside, voices speaking quietly, occasionally interrupted by laughter and shouted greetings. It all felt so familiar and she was filled with such a longing it surprised her. She was so happy here, surrounded by people, who loved and respected her, and whom she loved and respected in return. She felt Xena shift slightly behind her, drawing her closer and for a moment the bard felt guilty, wondering if Xena had somehow read her mind. She always tried not to think too much about the future, having decided long ago there was no reason to drive herself crazy and was content to live just one day at a time.

To avoid thinking more about it, her thoughts turned to the conversation she had had with Ephiny last night. Or perhaps she couldn´t quite call it a conversation, but more her asking a lot of questions and Ephiny answering hardly any. She had of course, due to her talk with Xena and Lykeas´ reaction when she mentioned the Amazon, understood that things between the warrior and the Regent were far from idyllic, but still she had been surprised at the strong reaction from Ephiny. Not that Ephiny had wanted to talk about it, she had just vaguely replied that she and Lykeas didn´t get along very well, that they never had and that they practically hadn´t seen each other for years. At Gabrielle´s question whether she had known Lykeas was an old friend of Xena´s, she had told that, yes, she did indeed know that, but hadn´t thought they still had anything to do with each other. When Gabrielle had asked her why, Ephiny had dismissed the question with a small shrug and instead asked why they were travelling with him. Gabrielle had briefly begun to tell the Regent about everything that had happened the last month and a half, but had been interrupted by a disbelieving Ephiny.

That had put an abrupt end to the discussion and after saying goodnight, Gabrielle had returned to the Royal hut only to find it empty. Their things had been there and Gabrielle could see that Xena had been there to change out of her armour, but now there was no sight of the warrior. Totally exhausted, physically and emotionally, she had gone to bed, but sleep had abandoned her and instead an overwhelming sense of restlessness had taken hold of her. Her mind had been filled with fragments of conversations and images, almost driving her out of bed. All the things she had avoided thinking about for so many weeks, came to her now, mercilessly probing and nagging, demanding answers. She´d had none.

After almost two hours of tossing and turning, she had finally fallen asleep. At what time Xena had arrived and joined her, she had no idea.

"Morning," Gabrielle answered smiling, before turning and slightly pulling away so she could look at the warrior.

"Oh, way too late," Xena answered closing her eyes and stretching lazily. "And I wouldn´t mind sleeping a bit more."

"So why don´t you?" Gabrielle leaned down and kissed the soft lips below her, then returned to her former position on her elbow.

Blues eyes opened slowly, a feral smile forming on the lips. The next second Gabrielle found herself pinned on her back with a very awake warrior on top. Dark hair caressed her face as the warrior bent down to capture her lips. The kiss was wild and passionate with an almost desperate urgency that took both their breaths away, before Xena slowly pulled away, reluctantly letting go of the bard´s lower lip.

"What?" The bard´s voice was raw with desire and she reached out to pull the warrior´s head down again.

Xena resisted temptation and managed to get out of bed and begin dressing in spite of Gabrielle´s protests.

The dark-haired woman had to smile at the sight of her frustrated lover and her almost pouting expression.

"I wish, but I´m afraid it´s true. I spoke to Ephiny last night and it was decided to have a meeting early this morning."

"Let´s not talk about this now, Gabrielle," the warrior interrupted, her voice tired and distant.

"There are more serious matters to discuss. Like what to do about that little army threatening your people for instance."

She finished dressing in silence, feeling Gabrielle´s eyes at her back. She turned and looked at the bard.

Xena walked out of the door and Gabrielle heard her exchange a few words with the guards outside before she continued and walked in the direction of the council. Without exactly knowing why she grabbed the nearest pillow and threw it forcefully against the wall.

It took Gabrielle slightly longer to reach the counsil´s hut than expected, due to all the Amazons wanting to greet their Queen and express their joy of having her in their village again. But Gabrielle loved every minute of it and pleased several Amazons by calling them by their names, which earned her some even warmer smiles in return. When she finally arrived at the hut, she paused to look at the village now buzzing with life, and she felt her heart swell with pride.

Gabrielle turned to see Callias, who had quietly come to stand next to her, a question on her face.

Gabrielle gave her a warm smile and for a second the Head of the Royal Guard looked startled, but then returned the smile.

"I know... I just wanted to-." She stopped herself, not sure of what she was trying to say.

Gabrielle exchanged another smile with the blond Amazon and was about to enter the hut, when a movement caught her eye. She turned and felt Callias tense slightly next to her. Lykeas was walking towards them, unarmed and escorted by a soldier in the Royal Guard. She recognized the graceful, brown-haired Amazon as Areia, one of the warriors, who had met them in the forest the day before. All over the village heads turned to watch the dark man walking casually towards their Queen, the younger Amazons staring with good-natured curiosity, while some of the elder followed Lykeas with obvious hostility. They came to a halt in front of the hut and Areia gave Gabrielle a small bow before turning to her Captain.

"Where there any problems?" Callias asked her soldier, her tone of voice almost expectant.

"Good. I want you to station two guards outside the hut as long as the Queen and Regent are inside."

All during the exchange, Gabrielle had felt Lykeas´ eyes staring at her, but not until Areia had disappeared in the crowd did she meet his gaze. To her great surprise he smiled at her.

"It´s Her Majesty to you!" The Captain growled before Gabrielle could speak and she reached out to reassuringly touch the soldier´s arm.

"It´s okay. I prefer people to call me Gabrielle anyway, and I hope you´ll do the same."

The Captain was quiet for a moment, an almost invisible blush grazing the beautiful face.

"Oh, I don´t know, Your Majesty... I think I´ll rather use your title if that´s all right with you."

Then she entered the hut, closely followed by Lykeas, who had a very determined Amazon Captain on his heels.

They were met by several pairs of impatient eyes and Gabrielle hurried to take her place at the end of the oval table across from Ephiny, whom she noticed didn´t look like she had closed an eye last night. To Gabrielle´s right was Xena and then Lykeas, who was politely, but coldly led to his seat by Callias, before the Captain herself went around the table to take the seat between the Queen and Erinya, the village´s weapons master. Lykeas turned to look at the brown-haired woman sitting between him and Ephiny, and couldn´t help but wonder if she hadn´t been seated there on purpose. The woman noticed his gaze and pale brown eyes stared directly into his.

Her entire manner radiated pride and arrogance and out of the corner of his eye, Lykeas saw Callias´ jaw clench slightly. He stored the information away for later use and turned his attention to Ephiny, who had just cleared her throat and with a quick glance at Lykeas begun to speak.

"Before we begin, I´d like to know, who this man is and what business he has at a council meeting."

"Actually, I´d like to know what he´s doing in our village in the first place."

"His name is Lykeas," Ephiny began, her tone calm and controlled. "And he´s here because together with Xena, he helped the Queen get here unharmed."

"I don´t have to remind you that we have an army practically lurking in our backyard, do I, Zelei? We don´t have time for this!"

"I still don´t see, why he has to be here. He´s done his duty and we´re all grateful, but that doesn´t mean he has to stay here," Zelei continued stubbornly. "We don´t need him."

"I´ve seen the army. Hades, I practically took a stroll through it and these men are not only well-trained, but also extremely well-equipped."

"Well, you managed to fool them, didn´t you?" Zelei looked defiantly at the warrior.

The two warriors stared at each other, before Xena dismissed the soldier with a small shrug and turned her attention to the Regent.

"The point is that if the army attacked now it would be able to do considerable damage to the village, but probably not defeat it completely."

"Which means that unless they intend to camp out there endlessly doing nothing, there is a reason why they haven´t attacked you yet."

"Reinforcements." Callias cut in before Xena could answer. "They are waiting for the reinforcements to arrive."

"So are we just going to sit and wait till it suits them to attack us?" The disbelief in the Captain´s voice clear.

Xena sighed and closed her eyes briefly. They had been discussing this for the last couple of hours, and frankly she´d had enough.

"No, Callias, that´s not what I said. What I said was that we have to wait and see what happens, and not rush out doing something that´ll only get us all killed."

"But if we wait any longer their reinforcements will have arrived and then what? Then we´ll be really in trouble."

"Yes, an envoy has been sent to the nearest village to request for assistance. If all goes well, we should have their reply within the next three days."

"They wouldn´t refuse, would they?" Gabrielle worridly looked first at Xena then Ephiny. "I mean, the safety of the village is at stake."

"No, they won´t refuse." Ephiny ran a hand through her blond hair and it became apparent to everyone in the room just how exhausted the Regent was.

"But they´ll only be able to part with a certain amount of warriors. There has to be enough left in their village to put up a decent defence in case..." She trailed off before continuing, looking straight at her Queen. "One village is important, yes, but the survival of the entire Nation more so and if necessary an Amazon will rather retreat than fight a losing battle."

"If sacrificing one village will preserve the rest, it´s a sacrifice that every Amazon must be willing to make. It may not be very heroic and it may not appeal to you, but that´s the only thing that prevented the Nation from being totally exterminated in the past, and it´s the only thing that´s going to prevent it from being it in the future. What do you think would have happened if the conflict with the Centaurs had spread to include more than a few villages? What would have happened if we had mobilized all our troops and the Centaurs done the same?"

"Or they would have destroyed us," came the quiet reply from Ephiny. "It´s a risk I´m not willing to take."

"What´s going to prevent the soldiers from trying to conquer the next village if they manage to grab hold on the first?" Callais´ voice had lost its frustrated edge and now sounded more resigned than anything else.

"Nothing, that´s why we have to make sure they don´t succeed the first time, no matter what it takes."

"Perhaps if you could trick them into entering the forest before the reinforcements arrive?"

"You probably won´t be able to get the entire army moving, but if you can get a couple of units lured onto Amazon territory, you shouldn´t have a problem with disposing them. After all..." He paused, smiling to no one in particular. "It´s no secret that Amazons are deadlier in forest than any other force."

"That means the soldiers are probably aware of that as well." The sarcasm in Zelei´s voice was unmistakable.

"True, but soldiers are soldiers and...well, we all know what soldiers are like after weeks of inactivity, away from their homes and no uh...diversions in sight."

The two warriors exchanged a smile that made the other occupants of the room feel like they had just witnessed two wolves circling in on their prey.

"Do you got a plan?" Ephiny´s voice broke the silence and it was clear she didn´t know whether to direct the question at Xena or Lykeas.

Although, the celebration that night was a very quiet affair compared to normal Amazon standards, nothing, not even a serious threat hanging over their heads, was going to prevent the Amazons from welcoming their Queen home in a proper manner. The centre of the village was filled with people, but Gabrielle noticed a considerable lack of regular soldiers, and a surprisingly high amount of warriors dressed in the blue colours of the Royal Guard. The guards at the outskirts of the village had been doubled, and the warriors patrolling the forest tripled. Callias had practically not left her side since the ending of the meeting, insisting that she should have an escort. Gabrielle had barely managed to talk her out of the four soldiers she had shown up with, and only grudgingly had the Captain accepted to number the escort down to one. A task she personally had decided to take upon herself. Gabrielle knew Xena would have found the entire scene amusing, that is, if the warrior had been there to witness it. But Xena had disappeared together with Lykeas shortly after the meeting, only stopping long enough to grab a bite to eat. That had been hours ago and there was still no sign of the warriors. She suspected they had gone into the forest to inspect the guards there, and probably check out the enemy camp as well.

Ephiny came to stand next to her, dismissing her own escort, also on the Captain´s insistence, with a small gesture and together they watched the dancing. Callias stepped away from them, but remained close by, her eyes never leaving the Queen. Gabrielle found herself tapping her foot, following the rhythm of the drums and Ephiny smiled at her.

For a while they just let the music flow through their bodies and chase away all worries from their minds.

She put her hand on Gabrielle´s arm and began to lead her away from the celebration.

Ephiny glanced back at Callias, who wasn´t looking too happy at the turn of events.

"It´s okay, Callias. I think, Gabrielle and I can go for a walk without being attacked."

"Promise me, you won´t leave the village, and call for assistance if you see anything unusual."

The Captain turned crimson and Gabrielle suddenly felt bad. She reached out and took the soldier´s hand.

The crimson didn´t disappear and Gabrielle could tell the Captain was feeling very embarrassed, but why she should feel that way, she didn´t understand.

"You take high pride in your responsibility and so you should. You do an excellent job."

"It´s my duty," Callias said, dismissing the praise, but Gabrielle could see she was pleased by the words.

That earned her a smile from the Captain, who nodded and then returned to watch the dancing.

They began to stroll through the village, both enjoying the warm night and the peaceful atmosphere lingering in the air. They arrived at a quiet corner, as far away from the celebration they could get and Ephiny gestured towards a bit of grass between two huts.

"No, it´s been so long since I last sat in the grass that I hardly remember how it feels."

They settled down and Ephiny took off her boots, relishing the feel of the grass against her bare feet. After a look, Gabrielle did the same.

"It´s just, you looked so sad there for a moment, and you had the same expression on your face back when we were discussing the army."

"Well, it´s not exactly an ideal situation, is it?" She gave Gabrielle a pale smile that didn´t quite reach the brown eyes. "I have a lot of things to think about, that´s all."

They sat in silence for a long time, the faint sound of drums filling the night.

Gabrielle searched her mind for something to say. She wanted to explain to her friend why she wouldn´t pick up a weapon anymore. She wanted to tell her that she loved the Amazons and would do anything within her powers to prevent them from being hurt. She wanted Ephiny to understand that she wasn´t alone with all the serious decisions, that she could lean on her for support, and that nobody would think anything less of their Regent if she didn´t have all the answers. When the blond Amazon finally spoke, her question caught Gabrielle by surprise.

Gabrielle tried to gather her thoughts and come up with an answer, but couldn´t think of any that would properly express her feelings.

"Well, it´s hard to say," she paused, her brow furrowing. "He´s...sometimes he just...I used to think...

"He´s hard to figure out," the bard elaborated, searching for the right words. "He can be so nice and considerate and...well, almost funny when the mood strikes him, but at other times he just looks at you with that uncanny expression in the eyes and you can´t help but wonder if he´s considering whether to cut your head off or not."

"He means a lot to Xena, though, and that´s why I´m willing to put up with his moods and his attitudes.

I don´t know why she never mentioned him before, and I don´t know why they went their separate ways all those years ago, but I do know that she was very happy to see him again. And, truth be told, right now that´s all that matters to me."

"I don´t know what about," the Regent hurried to say. "I just know they had a major fight over something and when they couldn´t agree, Lykeas left."

"Well, sort of... The subject came up once and she mentioned it...but that´s all I know."

"Well, it´s more than she ever told me." Gabrielle said in annoyance. "She practically hasn´t mentioned anything, and refuses to answer whenever I question her."

That brought out a grin on the Amazon´s face and Gabrielle could feel the corners of her mouth curl up. She was still feeling frustrated with the warrior, but had resigned herself to the fact that eventually Xena would come around and tell her what she wanted to know.

Gabrielle tried to catch Ephiny´s eye, but the Regent avoided her look, staring down at the grass instead.

"A lot of shameful things happened in that village. It was a disgrace to Artemis and every living Amazon."

"What happened?" The bard could tell her friend was very uncomfortable by the line of conversation, but she desperately wanted answers.

"They returned to their old ways and ended up destroying themselves. There was a fire... We never heard of any survivors."

A sudden outburst of laughter caused them both to look up startled, and they saw two closely intertwined Amazons walking past them a couple of yards away. Ephiny smiled.

They sat in their own thoughts for a while, a comfortable silence resting between.

The Regent shook her head. "No, I´ve been so busy lately and it´s hard...being the Regent and all. I have to be sure that... And there´s always so much to do, so many things to decide."

"Yeah, but let´s first get all this over with and then maybe... I must admit there is a certain black-haired scout, who´s rather cute."

They smiled at each other, and Gabrielle felt a bit of the worry she had felt for her friend fade away.

Ephiny nodded. "You know, it´s funny, but Lykeas is the spitting image of her. The same black hair, the same black eyes."

"Images, voices. I remember her laughter. She always made me laugh. Every time I had gotten into trouble and my mother would scold me, Lykeia would show up and make us both laugh and forget everything."

"She was," Ephiny sighed. "I loved her very much...and so did my mother. She was never the same after the banishment."

Gabrielle waited for further elaboration, but noticed a warning glance in the Regents eyes and decided to let it go.

In a cheerful voice she said, "Well, speaking of Lykeas. I wonder when it pleases him to return my warrior to me. I haven´t seen her for hours."

"Yes, they do. Xena is quite good at handling him whenever he gets into one of his moods. Most be some kind of warrior thing."

"Perhaps you shouldn´t... Perhaps it would be better..." Ephiny began, not certain if she should speak her mind. Then reaching a decision, she continued, "I´m not sure he´s good for her."

Seeing the worry in the green eyes made her reach out and take the bard´s hand into hers.

"We better get back to the celebration before Callias comes and personally drags us back by the ears."

The bard nodded reluctantly, wondering why it was she never seemed to be able to finish a conversation anymore.

They had returned to the celebration and spent a few hours there just relaxing and enjoying the festivities. Several Amazons, some more shyly than others, had come to ask their Queen to dance, but each time Gabrielle had tactfully declined, her heart still waiting for the warrior to show up. But, when a black-haired, slender Amazon named Terisa had managed to lure the Regent into joining her, Gabrielle had found herself feeling surprisingly lonely, and had turned to ask a very startled Amazon Captain for a dance.

Grinning, Gabrielle had pulled the soldier after her and together they had joined the dancing.

The blond Amazon had been a very rhythmic and graceful dancer, once she recovered from her embarrassment, and Gabrielle had found herself following the Captain´s every move without hesitation. They had made a very beautiful sight and several pairs of eyes had followed them throughout the dance. It wasn´t till the musicians grew tired, and people slowly began to leave and head home that they stopped, both with flushed cheeks and shining eyes.

Walking the short distance back to the Royal Hut, Gabrielle had been lost in thoughts and barely managed to suppress a small scream when a figure suddenly emerged from the darkness to walk beside her.

They had arrived at the hut and for some indefinable reason, they had both stopped outside, neither showing any intention of leaving.

He´d just given her his trademark look, followed by a small shrug. Gabrielle had felt an enormous wave of frustration wash over her, and had to resist a sudden urge to reach out and strangle him. Reading her face, Lykeas had only smiled.

Although he tried to hide it, the most truly felt smile she had ever witnessed from him briefly graced the dark features.

For a while they had just stood there, looking at each other. Then Gabrielle had leaned forward to plant a light kiss on his cheek, and to her great delight he hadn´t flinched, well...only a little. Then she had turned and walked to stand in front of the door leading into the hut, before looking at him again.

His eyes had lost their cold, and for a second, she thought he would say something, but then he began to walk away.

The next two days passed in a blur. Xena was busy with preparations for battle and Gabrielle hardly saw the warrior. She went to bed alone and when she woke up in the morning, Xena had already left to meet with the Captains and Lykeas. Gabrielle, herself, was tied up with work from early morning to late evening, and she had reluctantly acknowledged that being Queen wasn´t only about partying and issuing orders to have work done for you. She was filled with a noticeable, but satisfying exhaustion and it pleased her no ends to be able to relieve Ephiny of some of her burdens. They hadn´t experienced any trouble with the waiting army, no soldiers had entered the forest, and the third day, the reinforcements from the other village arrived.

25 strong, fully armed warriors had quickly been stationed to various parts of the forest and village. There had been quite a rowdy disagreement between, Callias and Zelei, about who was to be in command of the new warriors, until Xena had cut through and said, she would take charge of them. Zelei had been fuming, but Callias had accepted without protests. A nervous anxiety filled the air and took hold of every person in the village. The attack was to take place the next day, and everywhere warriors were cleaning and sharpening their weapons, while the healer together with her helpers were busy making preparations for the inevitable aftermath of battle. The plan was to lure as many of the soldiers onto Amazon land early the next evening, and then quickly take care of them with hopefully no casualties on their side. If they were successful that attack was to be immediately followed up with another, later that night, and if all went well, the sun would rise to shine on an empty plain, bereft of any enemy soldiers.

At least, no living enemy soldiers. Xena had quietly added in her mind, when she, in one of their rare moments together, had gone over the plan with Gabrielle.

Secrets are hard to keep in any village and it didn´t take long before everyone there was aware of who Lykeas was and of his connection to their Regent. Most of the younger Amazons treated him with a casual indifference or innocent curiosity, while those who were old enough to remember his mother and the scandal that had taken place all those years ago, either gave him the cold shoulder or sympathetic looks, neither of which Lykeas paid any attention. He spent most of his time with Xena, planning and preparing the attack or trying to convince Callias to return his weapons. Even when Xena had tried to reason with the Captain and later Ephiny, it hadn´t worked. The Regent had curtly said, he would be allowed to carry arms when the attack was to take place and only then. Xena had delivered the reply to him, but he had only given her a dismissive grin and said that he probably should consider himself lucky they would allow him to carry arms into battle at all. Initially Xena had felt rather guilty about dragging Lykeas to the village, and had decided to make it up to him by never leaving him alone for long, always aiming to keep him entertained, always judging his mood, trying to make him smile. That way, she quietly admitted to herself, she could also keep an eye on him and prevent anything from happening. She was prepared to step in if any situation should arise, well aware of some of the less than friendly eyes following him around. Lykeas behaved himself admirably, but she could tell by the occasional tightening of his jaw and half veiled gaze that even the smallest provocation was all it would take. She soon found that she enjoyed spending all this time with him. They rarely spoke about the past, both knowing it inevitably would lead to subjects neither were ready to discuss, but she realized that just being with him, talking about the upcoming fight, discussing weapons, tactics, horses or what ever came up, provided her with a quiet sense of joy she hadn´t felt for a long time. She knew, she should find more time to be with Gabrielle, but kept pushing the thoughts away, always taking refuge in the excuse that she couldn´t leave Lykeas alone.

Besides, she promised herself, We´ll have plenty of time to be together after this is over.

So Gabrielle spent most of her hours with the Regent going over a never ending flow of documents, while Xena spent hers never leaving Lykeas out of sight. As far as the warrior knew, Lykeas and Ephiny hadn´t spoken since the night of their arrival, and she had come to the conclusion that probably was the best solution for all people involved.

As she arrived at the practice field, she noticed Lykeas sitting on the fence surrounding the field, watching the training. She let out a breath she hadn´t been aware she was holding. It had been an hour since she last saw him, and she had begun to feel slightly worried.

Her eyes caught the sight of two staffs lying carelessly on the ground, and with a controlled tilt of her foot, she caught one, than another in her hands.

She lifted the staff in her right hand and delivered a swift blow against his head.

A hand shot backwards, a body turned and the staff was caught in an iron grip inches before his face.

He jumped down from the fence and watched as Xena in one graceful movement flew over the fence.

They made their way toward a deserted corner of the field, the staffs rotating lazily in their hands. They stopped, moved a few stances away from each other and were about to begin when a voice interrupted.

The turned to see Callias stand next to a short, but surprisingly well-muscled woman. The woman´s hair was a fiery red and her green eye looked at them with an expectant, but friendly gaze. Xena recognized the woman as Erinya, the village´s weapons master, who also conducted the training of the younger Amazons.

Xena looked at Lykeas, who shrugged, "Sure, why not?" He looked at them, studying their physique and their hold on the staffs.

"I think," Erinya began in a beautiful contralto, "I think it should be me and Callias against the two of you."

The two warriors nodded, not really caring either way. Xena led Lykeas a few feet away, till they had their backs to the Amazons.

"Callias is a very good soldier, but there´s no doubt that Erinya is better skilled with the staff."

Lykeas let the staff spin faster and faster between his fingers, his arm never moving.

"Xena... I thought we settled this years ago. You´re better with the sword, and unless I´m having a very good day I won´t defeat you. Just like you won´t beat me at archery, and then again, I have no chance in Tartarus to even figure out how that shiny ring of yours works, but when it comes to the staff..."

He let the sentence hang in the air, increasing the speed of the staff till it was nothing more than a blur.

"When it comes to the staff, I´m your superior. After all, I´ve practically been fighting with a staff since before I could walk."

Xena opened her mouth to argue, then closed it again, shaking her head in good-natured exasperation.

Lykeas bit his lip, trying to suppress a smile, "Besides, I think Callias wants to fight you."

"Oh?" Xena looked past him at the Captain, who was talking quietly to Erinya. "Why do you think that?"

Lykeas looked at her in surprise, but when he noticed Xena´s genuine confusion, his face became expressionless again.

"Well," he said, dismissing the question. "Don´t they all want to fight the Warrior Princess?"

When Gabrielle and Ephiny finally decided to take a break, they didn´t waste any time getting out of the crowded and stuffy hut, where they had spent most of the afternoon. Walking through the village, they couldn´t fail to notice that something was going on down at the practice field. Pushing herself through the crowd, Gabrielle paused in front of the fence surrounding the field. Ephiny soon joined her and the loudly cheering crowd closed behind them. The sight that greeted her was breathtaking. Four warriors were fighting in the centre of the field. Their moves were swift and precise, hard and merciless. They circled and countered, retreating only enough to block, before delivering another furious blow against whatever exposed limb that was within reach. Their skin was glistening with sweat, clothes clung to their bodies and damp hair swirled in their faces. And there was absolutely no doubt in Gabrielle´s mind that they were all having a blast. Especially Xena. The smile never left her face as she jumped to avoid a blow aimed at her legs, regained her balance and forced her staff down hard against the Amazon Captain´s right shoulder. Callias cried out in pain, but never loosened her grip around the staff and with an impossibly quick motion, managed to bring it back up and block the next blow. Xena couldn´t help but feel just the slightest hint of admiration for the blond Amazon, and was about to say so, when she noticed the determined look in the blue eyes staring directly into hers. She frowned, not sure if she had read the look correctly and that distraction was all Callias needed to deliver a direct hit into Xena´s abdomen. Xena felt all air leave her lungs and she staggered a few steps backward. The Captain felt victory within reach and moved forward to deliver the final blow. She raised her staff, but suddenly felt her legs disappear from underneath her and she landed flat own her back with a triumphant Warrior Princess staring down at her.

"I think that´s enough for today. We all need our strength for the battle tomorrow."

She reached down and for a second she thought Callias would refuse, but the Captain grudgingly accepted her hand.

"You fight well," the blonde began, but was interrupted by the sound of two bodies heavily hitting the ground. Lykeas was sitting on top of Erinya, his staff pressing hard against her throat. The weapons master struggled and wriggled, but Lykeas pushed harder, locking his thighs around her hips.

The Amazon struggled some more, more for appearances sakes than anything else, before she went limp, grinning wildly.

Lykeas rolled off her, a big grin of his own spreading across his face. He reached down and pulled the Amazon to her feet, and for a while they just stood in front of each other, panting and grinning.

"What kind of move was that?" The weapons master finally managed to say, dusting off her hands. "I´ve never seen anything like it!"

"Well," Lykeas smiled, "I didn´t want to stay out here the entire day, so I had to put an end to it."

"Well," Lykeas said again, the black eyes shimmering with mischief. "I didn´t make you step on my staff, did I? You did that all by yourself."

They suddenly became aware of all the eyes following them and managed to compose themselves. Callias stepped over to Erinya and together they began to walk off the field. Xena looked at Lykeas, a crooked smile on her lips.

"She had it coming." He smirked, enjoying himself tremendously. "Blew her right off her feet."

Xena raised an eyebrow and put an arm around his shoulder. "It most certainly did."

Lykeas was lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling. His back was hurting slightly after the powerful dive he had made with Erinya earlier the day, but that aside he felt good. He could feel the familiar anticipation of battle enter his limbs, and he knew he wouldn´t get much, if any, sleep that night. Outside the hut, the village was quiet, most people having gone to bed hours ago. Suddenly he heard the sound of quiet footsteps walking outside and come to rest in front of his door. A gentle knock followed. He sat up and moved back to lean against the wall.

The person outside hesitated for a moment before slowly opening the door and coming inside.

The surprise on Lykeas´ face was quickly replaced by something else. "What do you want?"

The Regent stood for a moment, her eyes darting from one side of the hut to the other.

"That...that was a long time ago, Lykeas. Perhaps we could...perhaps we could move on."

"I have," the Regent began, swallowing hard. "I have no family left beside you and I thought-."

"I´m not your family!" The dark man rose from the bed slowly, his movements almost feline. "Didn´t we establish that once already?"

Ephiny felt the need to step away once more, to put some distance between them, but she remained standing, her eyes now staring defiantly into his.

"You´re my brother, Lykeas, whether you like it or not. Our mothers were joined and I know they would want-."

Her head flew back from the impact of the blow. He raised his hand to strike again and she closed her eyes, bracing herself for the second blow. But nothing happened. She opened her eyes and for an endless moment, they looked at each other. He lowered his hand to his side before putting it behind his back. First then he broke eye contact and looked down at his feet.

Ephiny was suddenly filled with an overwhelming sense of loss and she had to take a few breaths before she could speak.

"Is that all you have to say?" The question lingered in the air for a few heartbeats.

She almost ran into Gabrielle, who had to grab onto the Regent´s shoulder not to fall.

The Amazon removed a few blond strands from her eyes and gave Gabrielle an unconvincing smile.

"I´m fine, Gabrielle. Lykeas and I just had a small disagreement, nothing to worry about."

"No, right now, all I want to do is sleep." She gave Gabrielle´s hand a gentle squeeze. "I´ll see you in the morning."

Gabrielle watched as the Regent disappeared in the darkness before she turned to look at the door again.

She walked to her own hut and noticed to her dismay it was still empty. Although she knew it was stupid, she couldn´t help but feel just a bit hurt by Xena´s continuing absence, and she wondered briefly where she could be. All plans for the attack had, to her knowledge, been made and she couldn´t think of anything else the warrior might be doing.

She smiled to herself and began to walk towards the stables. Xena was probably having a quiet chat with her beloved horse, and she better go get her, before the warrior forgot that other living creatures might want her attentions as well. As she passed the practice field, she noticed a shadow leaning against the fence, facing away from her. She stepped a few steps closer.

The shadow spun around and the moon revealed the beautiful face of the Amazon Captain.

"Your Majesty! What are you doing out here on your own and at such a late hour?"

Gabrielle smiled. "Probably the same as you, Captain. Enjoying the peace and quiet of the night."

She took a quick decision and climbed up to sit on the fence, and after a moment´s hesitation, Callias joined her.

"No, I can´t stop thinking about what´s going to happen tomorrow. What if something goes wrong? What if everything fails and people get killed for no reason? What if-."

Her words were cut off by Callias, who tentatively reached out to take the Queen´s hand.

"Don´t think like that, my Queen. You´ll only drive yourself crazy. We´ll fight because we have to and we all know that we might die tomorrow, but there isn´t a single Amazon here, who isn´t willing to die for her people, for her Queen...including me."

"Let´s hope it doesn´t come to that, Callias. I wouldn´t want a single Amazon to die for me...including you."

"I would die for you, my Queen," she said in such a quiet voice that Gabrielle almost didn´t hear her.

Gabrielle opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came. She eased herself down from the fence to stand in front of the Amazon Captain.

The Amazon jumped down from the fence, landing elegantly next to the Queen. The soldier slowly raised her head to meet Gabrielle´s gaze. Gabrielle saw the emotion surfacing in the intense blue eyes, and for the slightest of moments, she was captivated and unable to move away. Callias leaned forward, inch for inch bringing her face closer to the Queen´s.

"Callias, no..." Gabrielle breathed, feeling the heat radiating from the woman in front of her, and then she felt nothing, but the soft lips pressing gently against hers. For a second, Gabrielle´s mind went black, she just stood and let herself be overwhelmed by the powerful feelings the blond warrior invoked in her. She felt her heartbeat increase as the kiss intensified, and the Amazon gingerly began to explore her mouth with her tongue, her hands enveloping Gabrielle´s waist, pulling her closer. That awoke Gabrielle from her state of paralysis and she pushed the Captain away.

A mortified expression showed on the Amazon´s face and she took a few steps backwards.

"Damn! Damn! Damn!" Gabrielle whispered to herself, kicking the fence in frustration.

She let out a frustrated sigh and began to walk back to the Royal hut. She needed to be alone right now, to gather her thoughts and find a way to straighten things out with Callias. She was too engulfed in her thoughts to notice the dark silhouette standing in the doorway of the stable and the cold azure eyes narrowing, as they followed the lithe figure of the Queen be embraced by the night and disappear.

30 Warriors moved soundlessly through the thick forest. Another 20 were positioned in the trees only a small distance from the more open, bushy area that worked as a natural border between forest and plain. Further in, 50 warriors were waiting among the trees, invisible to anybody who would have passed. Lykeas and Xena were standing impatiently with these warriors, all quiet, all straining to hear what happened, all waiting for the signal to move. The remains of the Amazon force were camped closer to the village, but still inside the forest, waiting for the command to attack the surviving soldiers on the plain. The afternoon sun was warm and shining with an ever increasing red light, but none of the rays penetrated the dense roof of leaves, and the warriors shivered in the darkness. The forest was still, not a single bird or animal was heard and a feeling of nervous dread hung in the air, blending in with the strong anticipation of battle emanating from everybody in hiding. Lykeas absently caressed the hilt of the sword, subconsciously comforted by its presence at his side again. He turned to look at Xena and they exchanged a quiet smile before both returned their attention to the clearing ahead. Callias and her soldiers had arrived at the borderland. She ducked under a low hanging branch and took cover behind a tree. She raised a hand to halt the warriors behind her, and knew, without looking back that they had all melted into their surroundings. She carefully moved to look past the tree and study the scene in front of her. The enemy camp was calm and not a lot of activity was to be seen. Small groups of soldiers were scattered all over the area, some sitting around a fire eating, others talking or playing dice. However, groups of 5 were constantly patrolling the area, circling the camp and guards were positioned at the outskirts. The Captain noticed that every soldier, even those who were eating and gambling, all had their weapons within reach, ready to jump up and fight if necessary. She moved behind the tree again as a patrol walked by only a few yards away. When it had passed, she raised her hand again, signalling her soldiers to be ready. She took a deep breath and the shrill cry of hawk cut through the air, and instantly, as if one being, 30 Amazons moved and stormed through the bushes. Ear shattering war-cries followed and confusion in the enemy camp was total. Xena felt all her muscles tense by the sound and she had to force herself to remain standing in the shadows. She couldn´t see anything, but she could clearly hear the sounds of battle. Metal hitting hard against metal, the eerie sound of swords sliding down another and the groans and shouts of the soldiers. She more felt than heard the impacts of the blows, felt how the sharp blades sliced their way through armour and leather to enter soft yielding flesh. She could feel arms pausing, before pulling back, releasing streams of blood to mar the ground in the deadly colour of war. Then she heard Callias shout.

Her sword was in her hand before the Captain had finished the sentence and she began to move forward. Suddenly her vision was filled with Amazons rushing past her, and she stepped aside, taking refuge behind a tree. Then the warriors were gone and for a single second nothing was heard, then the angry shouts of men rang in her ears.

"No! Don´t! It´s against our orders! We´re not to enter the forest!," but the voice was drowned out by furious shouts and immediately followed by the sound of heavy boots entering the forest. Xena braced herself for what was about to happen, a predatory smile on her lips. Between 40-50 soldiers came rushing into sight, determined at first, but then slowly coming to a halt, looking hesitantly around.

She heard a whisper in the trees and, for a moment, she felt almost sorry for the men.

From everywhere arrows flew through the air, finding their targets with deadly accuracy. The shouted curses where quickly replaced by screams of anger and fear as the soldiers saw their comrades fall to the ground around them. Another wave of arrows followed, mercilessly continuing the bloody harvest of men.

From behind every tree and every bush, Amazons emerged with grim determination written on their faces. Warriors lowered themselves from trees, and arriving at the clearing was a unit of 50 soldiers with a savagely grinning Lykeas in the lead. The fight was bloody but short. 10 minutes later no enemy soldiers were left alive.

"Okay!" Xena shouted, bringing everybody´s attention to her. "We give it an hour to see what happens and if nothing does, then we attack the camp."

The moon rose to reveal a village that was quiet but yet alive with activity. Everyone there who had been left behind, whether being too old or too young to fight, had spent an anxious afternoon, then evening and finally night waiting for news of the attack. Gabrielle had been pacing the Royal hut till she couldn´t take it any longer and had gone outside, She immediately realized, she wasn´t the only one who couldn´t stand the confines of their huts as the village was full of people. Some were walking around talking quietly, others were standing at the outskirt, eyes filled with worry searching the forest. She found Ephiny among the latter, the Regent´s face unnatural pale in the moonlight.

"I should be there." She spoke quietly, not looking at Gabrielle. "I shouldn´t have let Xena talk me out of it."

"She needs you here," Gabrielle tried to reassure her friend. "She needs to know there is a strong leader ready to take over if anything should happen, and..." She felt her throat constrict at the next words. "And Xena knows I´m not capable of that."

"That´s not true, Gabrielle! You´re more than capable to reign this village and the Nation, and we both know that, and so does Xena."

Gabrielle gave her a sad smile, "In times of peace maybe, but when it comes to war and fighting, I´m afraid I´m terribly inadequate. I don´t-."

All over the village, faces turned toward the forest and soon after, shadows slowly began to emerge.

A rasping voice answered, "It´s not that bad, only about 15-20 and most aren´t hurt that badly, only a few..." The voice broke and Gabrielle recognized Areia. The brown-haired Amazon was bleeding from a deep cut above her right ear and her sword arm was wrapped in a makeshift bandage, but what frightened the Queen the most was the total lack of life in the brown eyes. Ephiny took a step forward, searching the soldier´s face.

Areia could only nod, tears filling her eyes. "She...she saved my life... She..."

The Regent put her arm around the soldier and gently led her away. Gabrielle felt like she was going to throw up, she took a few deep breaths, then the healer arrived at her side.

"About 15-20 and most shouldn´t be hurt that badly." She repeated in a desolate voice.

"A few;" Gabrielle whispered, then she pulled herself together. "I don´t know how many."

The healer nodded, "Okay, have the most seriously wounded sent to my hut and the others to Erinya´s. We´ll need all the room we can get."

Gabrielle nodded and the healer began to move away before Gabrielle´s voice stopped her.

The healer turned and for a second a sorrowful smile replaced the mask of professionalism.

Slowly the Amazon army returned to the village. Some could walk by themselves, others were half supported, half carried back. Gabrielle watched in silence as the endless flow of warriors passed her, and although one part of her mind told her that they had won, that they escaped with as small a casualty as possible, another part kept seeing the shocked, tearstained face of Areia. Some of the soldiers gave her small exhausted smiles as they passed while others acknowledged her presence by nodding briefly. Her eyes desperately searched for the sight of one warrior. At times she had to restrain herself from not running forward when she thought she saw a familiar figure, but every time her hope was crushed.

She almost ran to him and flung her arms around him. He stiffened immediately, but didn´t pull away. She released him from her grip, but held onto his arms. He was pale and his face was smeared with dirt and blood, but otherwise he appeared unharmed.

"She´s all right, Gabrielle." His voice was hoarse and he cleared his throat. "She´s still at the camp."

"It is, she´s going through some documents we found. She wants to know who they are...or were."

The last statement was accompanied by a smile resembling a sneer, and Gabrielle let go off his arms.

"Uhm, I don´t know... Phila and...and a small black-haired one, Terisa I believe it was. And then one or two from the other village, don´t know their names... and..." He wiped a drop of blood away from his nose, his brow furrowing some more. "And Callias, I think."

Gabrielle pushed herself forcefully through the crowd hovering outside the healer´s hut. A tall woman stood in the door blocking the way, but when she noticed it was the Queen, she stepped aside and let her in. The hut was buzzing with a hasty but controlled activity. People were kneeling besides pallets, washing away blood, bandaging wounds and whispering words of comfort. An almost perceptible quiet existed and only hushed voices and splashing water were heard. Kelife looked up from her position next to a pallet, the ground around it, coloured with blood. She barely acknowledged the presence of her Queen before returning to her task. Gabrielle let her eyes roam the bodies lying on the pallets, but didn´t find what she was looking for. Almost reluctantly her eyes came to rest on the person in Kelife´s care. Callias was deadly pale, her face white as a sheet against the blood covering her body. A steady stream of blood was seeping from a deep cut in her side.

A young Amazon rushed to the healer´s side, handing her the bandages. Kelife tore away Callias´ tunic to get more access to the wound, before pressing the cloth against it. Instantly the bandages were soaked and the healer let out a low curse.

Kelife looked up and her eyes searched the hut, but all of the helpers were occupied. She turned to look at her Queen.

It wasn´t a request, it was a command and Gabrielle obeyed without a second thought. She knelt down on the floor, on the opposite side of the pallet. She stared at the white, dirty face and couldn´t stop herself from reaching out and gently push a lock of blood stained hair away from the Captain´s forehead. Callias´s face was captured in a silent expression of pain. Her eyes were narrow slits and her jaw was clenched tightly together, pale lips baring white teeth biting down hard.

"I need to remove something from the wound. You must keep it free from blood, so I can see what I´m doing."

"Yes, I think it´s the tip of a dagger. It must have broken off inside of her."

The healer began to feel her way inside the wound while Gabrielle fought to wash away the blood that began flowing once again.

With a triumphant cry Kelife pulled out a long metal tip and immediately the wound began to bleed more strongly. Gabrielle looked for more bandages, but couldn´t find any. She tore a piece of cloth from her skirt and began pressing it against the bleeding. The healer looked at her, a respectful look in the grey eyes. Wordlessly, she got up and then returned with more cloth.

"Try and halt the bleeding as much as you can. Leda should be here shortly, we´ll have to seal the wound."

Gabrielle nodded without taking her eyes away from her task. Her knees were hurting and her arms were aching from the strain, but she didn´t give in. In her mind she kept seeing gentle, blue eyes looking at her in an unspoken question. She saw the shy smile of an embarrassed Amazon Captain before pulling her out to dance, and she saw the horrified expression of a young woman realizing what she´d done.

Gabrielle was awakened from her state of reverie and in a haze moved away from the pallet, allowing Leda to kneel in her place. She barely acknowledged the red glowing pair of tongs the helper held in her hand, before the hand was lowered and a sickening seething sound followed. A low guttural groan was heard for only a moment and then it silenced. The smell of burned fleshed mingled with the harsh smell of blood and urine and Gabrielle felt her head spin. She turned and ran out of the hut, through the people waiting outside, paying no attention to the concerned voices calling her name. She paused at the outskirts of the village, panting heavily. A nagging sense of shame claimed her now and she had to blink a few tears away.

She turned to see the most beautiful sight she had ever witnessed. A pale, tired and very exhausted warrior walking towards her. Her heart cried out at the sight of the dark blues eyes devouring her and the small smile showing on the full lips.

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