@Xenite Country
Dark Revelations
By Skkye Blue
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Shipper Fan Fiction @Xenite Country Dark Revelations |
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Webmaster Note: To make this story load a little easier in your browser, it has been split into several web pages. You will find the link for the part of the story below at the end of each page. Dark Revelations (Chapters 28 thru 31) CHAPTER 28 "Lycus was definitely wrong for doing it but I can’t help but laugh ...every time...I think of Joxer... climbing that tree...BUCK NAKED...trying to get his clothes...off that branch," Xena said in between hysterical giggles. "When he finally reached them...they fell out of the tree... on their own." "And when Joxer realized...how high up he was...he was too scared to come down...and you had to climb up after him," Cyrus giggled. "I guess Joxer...would have sat...NAKED...in that tree...all day...if Lysia hadn’t told us... where he was." Cyrus broke into uproarious laughter along with Xena and Cyrene. "After that humiliation, Joxer was afraid to take a bath for the rest of the trip," Xena said when the laughter died down. "Well, it certainly sounds like Lycus made the trip enjoyable for all, except Joxer," Cyrene said with a chuckle. "During the children’s stay, I will have to make sure I don’t end up the victim of such pranks." "You should be able to handle them just fine," Xena assured. "You have far more experience dealing with children than Joxer." "Oh, I’ll say. I’ve had plenty of practice dealing with children, who love to play pranks." Cyrene narrowed her gaze on Xena. "Oh c’mon mother, I wasn’t that bad." Xena took a sip from the mug she held in a hand. "So, Xena liked to play pranks too?" Cyrus asked with an intrigued look on his face. "She was always up to something and Lyceus right along with her," Cyrene replied. "Toris tried to keep an eye on them but they always managed to ditch him." "That certainly sounds familiar." Cyrus stared at his friend with an amused grin. "We never did any harm...just your typical childish pranks," Xena said. "But we did keep mother and Toris on their toes, wondering what we would do next." "Well Cyrene, get ready to be on your toes again because these two will definitely keep you there," Cyrus said. "If it was just Lysia, I could say it would be a smooth sail. But when you add Lycus and how he manages every time to coerce his sister into participating in his mischievous pranks one must be prepared for ANYTHING...and I truly mean that. But with your mothering skills and experience, I have no doubt whatsoever that you will be able to handle whatever those two throw at you." "Why thank you for the vote of confidence." Cyrene tapped her mug against the one Cyrus held before putting it to her lips. "I would say Joxer seems to have mastered child care considering how long they have been gone," Xena said. "And that means both kids should be bone tired when they get here, so we can just feed them and then send them off to bed," Cyrus said. "I think it’s time I got their belongings settled in their rooms." Cyrus rose from the table and retrieved the children’s belongings sitting in a corner of the kitchen. "When you go up the stairs, their rooms are at the end of the hall, the two doors on the right," Cyrene said. Cyrus departed the kitchen, headed for the children’s rooms. "Xena, when will you and Cyrus be leaving to meet with Ares?" Cyrene rose from the table and started to collect the dirty dishes. "When Joxer and the children return from the circus and we get them settled in here. Are you still worried about my alliance with Ares?" "I would be lying if I said no but knowing Cyrus will be working with you has eased some of my concerns," Cyrene replied. "I’m glad he will be working with us too." Xena rose from the table and headed for the kitchen door. "Where are you going?" Cyrene quickly asked. "Argo was favoring her right front leg, so I’m going to the stables to make sure it’s nothing serious." Xena wondered what had her mother so jumpy. "Is that okay?" "Oh yes...of course," Cyrene replied with a chuckle as she wiped off the table with a damp cloth. Xena eyed her mother curiously. Cyrene was definitely up to something, she was sure. But right now, she didn’t have the time to figure out just what and departed for the stables. "Was that Xena I saw leaving the tavern?" a man asked when he entered the kitchen a few minutes later. "Yes it was Castor." Cyrene deposited the dirty bowls into a bucket of water. "Well, did you tell her?" Castor anxiously asked. "No," Cyrene sighed. "We agreed to do it together." "How do think Xena will react when she hears the news?" "At first, she will probably be in shock. But then she’ll be so overcome with joy, there are no words to describe it." Cyrene had a huge smile planted on her face, as did Castor. "Considering what Xena is about to face, this is the best news she can get." ********** Phaedra strolled into the stables humming softly to herself. She had spent most of the day inspecting the sights, wonders and crowds that came with the circus which arrived in Amphipolis a few days ago. Phaedra had enjoyed the seclusion of Castor’s cottage deep in the forest but it was truly invigorating being around so many people. It also inspired her to write and that was the reason for her coming to the stables since it was the only quiet place in town. Four days ago, Phaedra arrived in Amphipolis with Castor in search of Xena, who both thought could help them find Hope and possibly help with the problem her mother wouldn’t share with them. Ever since Phaedra discovered the warrior woman from her dreams was indeed a real person, she was curious to meet her. But now her reason for wanting to meet Xena had taken on a whole new meaning. Considering she was the product of a union between a god and a half-god and had grown from a tiny infant to a young woman in a span of only three months, Phaedra knew she was quite unique. But two days ago, she discovered mysteries about herself, which completely overshadowed her unusual origins. Something happened to her that was so amazing; she couldn’t contain her feelings and had to express them in words. Phaedra opened the leather bag, which hung at her waist, gazed at its contents and smiled. She had just bought a fresh new scroll, a quill and a bottle of ink from a merchant and was all set to record her unusual experience to someday share with others. Phaedra decided the hayloft would be a comfortable place to write and was about to climb the ladder when a familiar sight caught her eye. Phaedra walked over to the golden horse with a white mane, standing in a stall next to two other horses. "If Argo is here, that means Xena is back," she said with a giddy smile as she approached the horse. "I wonder if you can tell it’s me even though I don’t look the same." Phaedra stood in front of Argo and held the mare’s face between her hands. "I never thought you liked me and only tolerated my presence for Xena’s sake, but did you miss me Argo?" She stared into the horse’s big brown eyes. Argo snorted and swooshed her long white tail. "I don’t know if that is a yes, but just the same, I am glad to see you." Phaedra smiled as she rubbed a hand down Argo’s golden face. "Well Argo, I see you’ve made a new friend." Xena stood by the stable’s doorway. "I was just admiring her golden coat and white mane. She is a beauty," Phaedra said nervously. For the past two days, she had longed for this moment, but Xena’s sudden arrival had caught her completely off-guard. "Don’t say that too loud, or you’ll give her a bigger head than she already has," Xena jested as she approached the mare. Argo whinnied in protest. Phaedra silently watched as Xena inspected Argo’s front right leg and walked the horse around some. "I guess it was just fatigue from the long journey. You appear to be all right now girl." Xena patted Argo on the side. "By the way, my name’s Xena. What’s yours?" "I’m...Phaedra." "Well, nice to meet you Phaedra," Xena said with a smile. She then proceeded to the stable’s doorway to leave. When Phaedra made her startling discovery two days ago and shared it with Castor and Cyrene, the older woman had requested to be present when Phaedra talked with Xena. But the young woman was so overcome with joy over seeing Xena, that she decided to share her discovery with the warrior woman with just the two of them present. "Wait Xena! You are just the person I came to Amphipolis to see," Phaedra anxiously stated. "Oh, really?" Xena halted her approach towards the stable door and now faced the young woman. There was a curious look in her eyes. "I guess I should start from the beginning." Phaedra nervously pulled on the strap of the leather bag, which hung from a shoulder. At that moment, if she could shake herself, Phaedra would have. For the last two days, she had gone over the moment when she was finally face to face with Xena countless times and now that the moment was here; she was actually having trouble finding the right words. "A few weeks ago, I started having horrible dreams in which I saw my own death," Phaedra said softly. "I also had visions where I saw you." Xena moved from her position by the stable door and now stood closer to Phaedra as the young woman continued to speak. "Castor…the dear friend traveling with me… thought the godly blood running through my veins was the cause for the dreams and the visions." On hearing Phaedra’s connection to the gods, Xena raised an eyebrow and had a look of intrigue on her face. "Four months ago, my mother brought me into the world with Castor’s help." Phaedra stared directly into Xena’s crystal blue eyes when she spoke her next words. "My mother’s name is Hope." Xena’s eyes widened with realization then took on a hard edge. "So, Hope survived the fall into the lava pit. I really shouldn’t be surprised. Gabrielle should have named her Phoenix." Xena began circling Phaedra like cornered prey. "That makes you the first of the dreaded destroyers." Xena looked Phaedra up and down. The young woman had an attractive oval face, olive complexion, straight nose, full rose colored lips, emerald green eyes and long curly auburn hair pulled back and tied with a black bow with a few curly strands framing her face. She was almost as tall as Xena and slender built. She wore a royal blue shirt, olive green skirt and black walking boots. She looked no different than any other village maiden. "You don’t look evil, but then again, neither did Hope." Xena stopped circling Phaedra and stood facing her. The hardness of her face revealed her intentions as she unsheathed her sword and pointed it at the young woman before her. Phaedra’s green eyes widened with surprise as she quickly stepped back to increase the distance between herself and the deadly blade. "I understand your angry feelings regarding Hope but you must hear all I have to say." "I have heard all I need to." Xena viciously swung her sword at the young woman’s neck. Phaedra quickly dodged the deadly blow; her eyes fixed on Xena, as she continued to move away from the warrior woman. "Did your evil grandfather send you here thinking you would be able to persuade me to join him?" Xena continued to pursue Phaedra around the stables, her sword held firmly in her right hand and ready for attack. "I’m not working with Dahak. I’m here because I want to help you defeat him." Phaedra was so focused on Xena and her drawn sword, she didn’t notice the pitchfork lying in her path directly behind her until she tripped over it. Fear was in her green eyes as she laid on her back and tried to move away from Xena who was steadily approaching her. But one of her arms was tangled in the strap of the leather purse and slowed her movements. "Do you really expect me to believe that?" Xena now stood over Phaedra’s fallen form. She raised her sword above her head and prepared to bring it down upon the young woman lying before her. Phaedra knew she had to stop Xena before she did something she would truly regret. Phaedra had never shown much interest in her godly powers but she did experiment with a few tricks. "Xena, DON’T!" Xena was bringing her sword down for a blow that would surely kill Phaedra when she felt a strong force yank her sword from her grasp. Her eyes widened with surprise as she watched her sword impale itself in the wall at the other end of the stables. No longer able to use her sword, Xena unhooked her chakram from her waist. But before she could attack the fallen young woman with the deadly round object, it too was pulled from her grasp and embedded in the ceiling of the stables. With her two trusty weapons gone, Xena was still determined to attack Phaedra, and approached the fallen young woman with a murderous gleam in her eyes as she desperately tried to crawl away from her. "Please Xena, STOP!" Phaedra used her powers to hurl Xena into a wall. Xena hit the stable wall with a loud crash then slumped to the floor. The collision with the wall left her severely dazed as she tried to stand only to collapse to the floor again. Her glazed over eyes tried to focus on Phaedra as the young woman finally rose to her feet again. "I didn’t want to do that Xena, but you left me no choice. You have to LISTEN to me." Xena only groaned and rubbed the back of her bowed head with a hand. "Let me tell you how I die in the nightmare I mentioned earlier," Phaedra said. "I am falling and heading straight for bubbling lava. The lava is in a pit and as I look up, I see you kneeling by the edge of the pit and you yell out to me one last time...you say my name...Gabrielle." Ignoring the ache in her head, Xena quickly raised her bowed head and stared at Phaedra. "I know my words come as a shock to you Xena. I was in shock too when I discovered my true identity," Phaedra said. "Two days ago, after waking from that same horrible nightmare yet again, memories of my life flooded my mind...Potidaea, my parents, Lila, Perdicus, even Joxer but most of all you." Phaedra’s emerald green eyes stared into Xena’s crystal blue ones. "You can’t be Gabrielle," Xena said hoarsely. "Hope and Dahak drove her to her death and she is gone forever." "I am her Xena and I can prove it," Phaedra pleaded as she stared at the fallen warrior woman who rolled her eyes and let out a snort upon hearing her words. "I remember your last words to me before we went into Dahak’s temple. You didn’t want me to feel guilty when you were gone." "Lucky guess," Xena said nonchalantly as she finally stood and began to brush away the straw clinging to her limbs. "You said a lot had happened to us over the past year and there were times when we were both confused," Phaedra said softly. Xena had stopped brushing the straw from her person and now stood staring at Phaedra struck by her last words. "But you still thought I was the best thing that ever happened to you and I gave your life meaning and joy..." Phaedra lost her voice and just stood there staring at Xena. Xena’s mind absorbed Phaedra’s last words. She thought of all the mornings she would awake wishing the tragic events of Dahak’s temple just a nightmare and her beloved Gabrielle was still alive, sleeping peacefully in the bedroll next to hers only to be hit with the cold reality of the bard being gone forever. Now she stood face to face with a young woman who had just recited the last words she spoke to Gabrielle the day the bard died. And to top it all off, Phaedra was claiming to be Gabrielle. Was it the truth or the art of deceit inherited from her evil grandfather? Throughout her many travels, Xena had seen many unexplained wonders and supernatural fetes so Gabrielle being brought back to life was fathomable but could something she secretly prayed for have actually come true? Xena stared hard at the young woman before her. Her appearance was completely different from Gabrielle’s but Xena had to admit there was a familiarity in those green eyes she hadn’t noticed before. "Gabrielle...is it really you?" she asked, her voice starting to crack. "Yes, Xena...it’s me," Gabrielle said with tears of joy in her eyes as she started to approach Xena. "Oh, Gabrielle," Xena sobbed as walked to meet her in the middle of the stables. All was quiet in the stables except for the sobs of joy pouring from the mouths of the two women, as they stood in the middle of the stables, tightly embracing each other. Then, abruptly, Xena broke their embrace. A large smile was planted on her face stained with tears of sheer joy. "This is the happiest day of my life...you’re alive Gabrielle," she said. "YOU’RE ALIVE!!!" she shouted as she began to playfully spin them around the stables. As they spun around the stables, Xena shouted "You’re alive!!!" again and again. Gabrielle’s joyous laughter mingled with the shouts of her friend. She had never seen Xena so emotional before and truly liked it. Argo glanced up from the hay she was nibbling to stare at the spinning women for a few moments before returning her attention to the tasty hay. Both women were starting to feel dizzy from the spinning and collapsed on a large pile of hay in a corner of the stables. Both were laughing hysterically as they lay on their backs in the pile of hay. Xena flailed her arms around, tossing some hay in the air, which landed on them both. They laughed so hard, their sides were aching and when the laughter finally ceased, they gazed into each other’s eyes. "Oh Gabrielle, how I’ve missed you." Xena pulled her friend close for a tight embrace. "I missed you too Xena." Gabrielle tightly hugged her friend back. CHAPTER 29 The search for the twins was well into its second hour and Joxer was starting to panic. He was so sure he would have found them by now after speaking to the vendor at the dart-throwing booth and several in the crowd gathered around it. When Joxer had given a description of the twins, all had immediately recognized them as the boy who was an extraordinary dart player and the little girl who held his toy winnings. They had abruptly run off only a few minutes before Joxer arrived at the booth. He had quickly taken off in the direction they were last seen headed. But the crowd had grown so large due to the show about to get underway at the big top, so it was like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Joxer was beginning to think he would never find the twins. And to make matters worse, he could feel a headache forming in the back of his head. Joxer hoped this one didn’t bring along that angry voice. Once this mess with the twins was settled, he would definitely make an appointment with the town physician to find out what was going on inside his head. Joxer thought maybe by some small chance, the twins had made their way to Cyrene’s tavern and that’s where they were right now. The little harpies were probably sitting around a table laughing at how they had ditched him and made their way to the tavern by themselves. He decided to head for the tavern and hoped Lycus and Lysia would already be there. When Joxer arrived at the tavern, it was filled with people who had just left the show under the big top. Chatter about the amazing fetes just witnessed could be heard throughout the room as people satisfied their thirst and filled their stomachs. Joxer’s brown eyes quickly scanned the room, looking for the twins among the crowd but didn’t see them. They may be upstairs, in their rooms, he thought. Joxer was making his way through the crowded tables, headed towards the stairs when he heard a familiar voice call out to him. "So Joxer, I see you survived your outing with the twins at the circus." Joxer hesitantly turned in the direction the voice had come. He saw Cyrus, with a mug in his right hand heading directly towards him. "Yeah, I made it back in one piece all right," Joxer said when Cyrus stood before him. "We all had a great time. The kids were really no trouble at all." "Well, that’s good to hear," Cyrus said with a pleased smile. "Where are the twins?" "Oh, the kids are upstairs, checking out their rooms." "But how can that be when they don’t even know which rooms are theirs?" Cyrus narrowed the gaze of his hazel eyes. "So where are the kids really Joxer?" "Nothing gets past you does it? " Joxer chuckled. "What I meant to say was that the kids wanted to check out their rooms and ran off looking for you so you could tell them which ones are theirs. They are somewhere in this crowd." Joxer stood tiptoed and scanned the crowd like he was trying to locate the twins. "You don’t know where they are, do you?" Cyrus calmly asked. "Of course I do," Joxer chuckled. "They are in this tavern...somewhere." He continued to pretend to be searching for the twins among the crowd. "It’s okay Joxer, you don’t have to pretend anymore, I know the twins are not here." Cyrus put a hand on Joxer’s shoulder. "I should have warned you something like this could happen. Lycus loves to ditch adult supervision so he and Lysia can explore by themselves." "Uh, now that you’ve mentioned it...the twins did ditch me when I tried to break up a fight," Joxer admitted, slightly bowing his head. "I have been trying to find them for the last two hours. The vendor at a dart booth and others remembered seeing the twins but nothing after that. It’s like they vanished." "They haven’t vanished Joxer, they just don’t want to be found. We better go find them. It will be dark soon." Cyrus put his empty mug on the bar, then departed the tavern with Joxer. "Since they are hiding from us, how will we find them?" Joxer asked as the pair started walking down the street. "Lycus and Lysia know I don’t tolerate these pranks, so when they see me, they will know the game is OVER," Cyrus firmly replied. Despite the sun descending in the sky, the streets of Amphipolis were still filled with people. The circus was putting on an evening show under the big top and people were preparing for it. Joxer took Cyrus down the street, past the dart vendor and through an alley. They ended up on the street that took them directly to the makeshift campsite of the circus performers located behind the big top. "Do you really think the kids would come back here?" Joxer gazed around at the many wagons. "There’s nothing back here that would catch their attention." "They might have if they figured it was the last place you would look for them." "That’s true, and I never did search back here," Joxer admitted. The pair decided to check the wagons to see if any of the performers had seen the kids and split up to cover more ground. Cyrus went down to the last row of wagons alongside some cages. He didn’t see any of the circus performers in sight as he approached a cage containing a tiger. The large animal paced back and forth and let out a growl when Cyrus approached the cage. On the ground, by the cage, was lying a gray sack. Cyrus picked up the sack and inspected its contents. The sack contained many stuffed toy animals along with a wooden toy soldier and an Egyptian princess doll. Cyrus remembered Joxer recounting for him, his conversation with the dart vendor who had said that Lycus had won several prizes at his booth, all toys. Cyrus gazed at the dirt around the cage and noticed several footprints the size of children’s walking boots. There were also the prints of an animal, probably a dog. Cyrus was sure the prints were those of the twins and the bag of toys was probably theirs too. The children wouldn’t just leave the toys and had to be close by, maybe in one of the wagons. Holding the sack of toys firmly in a hand, Cyrus started walking down a row of wagons, hoping he would find the twins in one of them. Joxer was walking down a row of wagons, when he saw a young woman, come out of a purple tent on top of one and proceeded to hang what look like several costumes on a clothes line. She was petite, with long brown hair and a slender athletic body. Joxer figured she was probably one of the acrobats performing in the circus. "Excuse me miss, can I have a word with you?" Joxer asked when he stood on the other side of the clothesline, facing her. "What’s this about?" The woman hung the last costume on the line and then gave Joxer her full attention. Joxer crossed under the clothesline and now stood before her. "I was wondering if you had seen some kids back here...a boy and a girl...dark hair, tan complexions, about so tall?" "As a matter of fact, I did see some kids like you described but that was at least an hour ago. I was in my wagon trying to get some sleep...I have a show to do tonight...when I heard yelling. I looked out my tent and saw a little boy and girl chasing a dog down the row of wagons. I just figured it was kids being kids and went on to take my nap." The woman noticed the disappointed look on Joxer’s face. "Sorry I can’t be of more help but I do hope you find them." The woman retreated into her tent atop the wagon to get ready for the night show under the big top. At least he now knew the twins had indeed made their way to the makeshift camp, so Joxer wasn’t completely disappointed. If one person had seen them, maybe others had as well, and maybe they were still in the camp, in one of the wagons. Cyrus was exiting a wagon after talking with a circus performer who hadn’t seen the children and about to head for the next wagon when he realized he had reached a dead end. The wagon he had just exited was right up against a stone wall of a large building. Cyrus was about to head back the way he had come when he noticed again, footprints the size of children’s walking boots in the dirt near the wall and the wagon. Cyrus was in a crouch position over the small prints in deep thought. The children had indeed been back there, but where were they now? The children had to know he had joined Joxer in the search for them, so why were they continuing the prank? As he rose to his full height, Cyrus had to admit he was starting to worry about the twins. The dead end prevented Cyrus from checking more wagons so he headed back the way he came. He had only gotten halfway down the row, when a blinding bright light suddenly appeared before him, which he immediately shielded his eyes from with his hands. When the brightness dimmed, Cyrus removed his hands from his eyes. He was still shrouded by a haze but the outlines of the wagons on either side of him were visible to view. Cyrus had slowly started walking down the row, when he suddenly saw a tall dark figure moving through the haze towards him. At first, he couldn’t see a face, but as the person moved closer, the features of a face slowly came into view until Cyrus knew exactly who was approaching him. "Ares...why am I not surprised this is your doing?" Cyrus shook his head in disgust. "What are you up to now?" The former Watcher’s hazel eyes suddenly widened with realization. "The children! What have you..." Cyrus’ question regarding the children was cut short when Ares’ right fist made hard contact with his jaw, knocking the former Watcher back several feet, right into the stone wall, which he slumped against, unconscious on the ground, the sack of toys he had held lying next to him. The circus performer Cyrus had been talking to just a few minutes earlier, heard the commotion, peeked out his tent, saw the strange haze, didn’t like it and retreated into the safety of his tent again. Ares now stood over Cyrus’ unconscious form with a scowl on his face, which masked the anger boiling just below the surface. With one hand, he lifted Cyrus by the collar of his shirt, off the ground. The war god stared with contempt at the unconscious face of the former Watcher a few moments, before they both vanished along with the haze. ********** "I am so sorry I tried to kill you." Xena’s face riddled with guilt as a hand softly caressed her friend’s left cheek. "It’s okay Xena," Gabrielle assured. A hand now held onto Xena’s which was caressing her face. "I had essentially just told you I was the destroyer, so your actions were understandable. Besides, I was never really in any danger." There was a confident smile on Gabrielle’s face. "Oh, I’ll say. You handled yourself rather well indeed." Xena rubbed the back of her head. "I tried to be as gentle as I could," Gabrielle sheepishly stated. "But I haven’t been comfortable with the powers that came along with this body and don’t use them very often, so I guess I’m kinda rusty." "From now on when you use those powers, just make sure I’m not the target." "I promise," Gabrielle said with a faint smile. "Now, could you please remove my chakram from the ceiling?" "It would be my pleasure." Gabrielle gazed up at the chakram embedded in a wood plank of the ceiling. A moment later, the chakram dislodged itself from the ceiling and floated down to land in the hay next to Xena, who hooked the round metal object to her waist. "So, who do I have to thank for this welcomed miracle?" Xena’s crystal blue eyes sparkled as they gazed at her best friend. Both were now sitting crossed legged on the pile of hay, facing each other. Gabrielle took Xena’s hands in hers and squeezed them with affection. "Hope is the one who saved me." She stared into her friend’s eyes waiting for her reaction. "Hope?" Xena whispered as she removed her hands from Gabrielle’s grasp. "You are telling me that Hope brought you back to life after you tried to kill her for the second time?" Xena had an eyebrow raised in disbelief as she leaned back on her hands. "I know it’s a surprise considering her history, but she’s the one who actually brought me back." "Well, I can’t wait to hear this," Xena snorted. "After I plunged into the lava pit with Hope, we were both falling, then we hit the boiling lava. I lost sight of Hope. My screams of pain practically ruptured my eardrums as the lava consumed my flesh." Gabrielle saw the look of sympathy in Xena’s eyes as she listened to how she died. "Then, I must have died because all went black and I didn’t feel the burning pain any more. After that, I was bombarded with all these emotions, anger, rage, jealousy, loneliness, bitterness...and it was so dark and so cold. I was afraid I had ended up in Tartarus, then I heard Hope’s voice call out to me. She told me my body had been destroyed by the lava but she had captured my spirit and it now resided in her." Xena’s head rested on her hands as her bent arms rested on her thighs. She was thoroughly entranced as she listened to Gabrielle’s tale. "Hope’s body now housed both our spirits. I could see, feel and hear things again but through her body. We were still in the lava, weightlessly floating. The lava could not destroy Hope’s body since she had taken on immortality after her rebirth," Gabrielle said. "What I experienced was so incredible, that the only thing I can compare it to was the time your spirit entered my body and we shared a consciousness. Being that close to Hope finally allowed me to see my daughter from a completely different perspective. On the outside, she appeared to be a grown woman but on the inside, she was still a child...a very scared and confused one at that." Xena rolled her eyes, but remained silent. Hope was the one person on which they would probably always have different opinions. "All those emotions I felt earlier were coming from Hope and the most powerful one was jealousy. Hope was very jealous of you." Gabrielle stared into her friend’s crystal blue eyes. Xena had a look of genuine surprise on her face. "Hope always believed I loved you far more than her, my own daughter. I abandoned her in Britannia, I poisoned her after she killed your son Solan, then I tried to kill her again and myself when I plunged us both into that lava pit so you could live. And in Hope’s mind, everything I did was because I loved you and hated her," she said, slightly bowing her head. "In the centaur village, I told Hope that I loved her and I meant it. What I hated were the acts she committed in the name of her father and that’s why I had to stop her." Gabrielle had a look of agony on her face with her last words. "My mother felt the same way about me," Xena softly stated. "She hated the horrible things I did as a warlord but she never stopped loving me." "Hope didn’t believe that’s how I truly felt about her until we shared the same consciousness. Just as I could feel her emotions, Hope could feel mine and was finally able to believe that I did indeed love her," Gabrielle said. "This discovery had a profound effect on Hope, so much so, that the Destroyer still growing inside her was in danger of dying." Xena had a perplexed look on her face upon hearing this. "The child fed off Hope’s dark emotions...jealousy, anger, fear, rage. These emotions made it strong...gave it life. When Hope realized I loved her, the power of those dark emotions started to fade and with it, the life force of the Destroyer. The child was near death when Hope transferred my spirit into the body of the dying destroyer. With no dark emotions on which to feed, the spirit of the Destroyer died but its body remained unharmed and it became the new home for my spirit. The Destroyer would have been male and a hideous monster but the goodness of my essence altered the sex and the appearance," she said. "After I entered the body of the destroyer, all the memories of my life faded and didn’t start to return until my rapid growth spurts. The last one put me at the age you see me now and with it, came all the memories of my life as Gabrielle." Xena had never heard such an amazing story and was truly in awe. "I always knew you were the stronger one and after hearing what you went through, there’s not a doubt in my mind that is true," she said. "You said earlier that you came to Amphipolis with a friend. Is Hope here too?" "Hope left us over a month ago so I don’t know where she is. That was my original reason for coming to see you. Castor and I thought you could help us find her. But since then, Castor has filled me in on what Hope told him about her reasons for leaving and I can only assume she is with Dahak." Gabrielle bowed her head. "The unique experience you shared with Hope strengthened your mother-daughter bond but I’m afraid her bond with her father is much stronger...maybe even unbreakable." "No Xena, I refuse to believe that," Gabrielle firmly stated, as she stared at her friend. "Castor and I were there when Hope left and she was truly broken up about it. And now I know the only reason she left was to protect Castor and me from Dahak. She is no longer consumed with her father’s plans for this world." "Well, for your sake Gabrielle, I pray that you are right." "Cyrene will probably be mad that I told you I’m alive without her. She wanted to see the joy on your face when you heard the news, so we agreed to do it together." "I think she will understand that it worked out for the best with us being alone when you told me. These last two days must have been hard for you, not knowing when or if I would show up." "I was pretty anxious to see you but I had Castor for support. And your mother did a good job of passing the time by telling me what happened during my absence. She told me all about your confrontation with Dahak and her finally revealing to you that he is your real father. You could have knocked me over with a feather when I heard that one." "I didn’t want to believe Dahak when he first told me about our ‘connection’ but by the time mother admitted his words were indeed the truth I had pretty much prepared myself for that possibility." Xena rose from the hay and leaned against the wall of a nearby empty stall. "At least now I know why I was so good at being evil." A slight chuckle escaped her lips. "C’mon Xena, this is Gabrielle, your best friend, back from the dead, so you can tell me how you really feel about this news concerning Dahak." She had also risen from the hay and now stood facing Xena. "There really is nothing more to say about that subject." Xena saw the skeptical look etched on her friend’s face. "I will be just fine Gabrielle. I really haven’t given much thought to Dahak being my father and have focused all my energies on killing him." Gabrielle knew discovering Dahak was her father had to be tearing Xena up inside. The bard also knew she was the one person who could get Xena to share her true feelings regarding this shocking discovery. But she also knew with all that was happening, the timing was not right to get into a deep discussion about her friend’s father and decided to just drop the issue for now at least. "I see Cyrene was not exaggerating when she told me how determined you were to stop Dahak despite recent discoveries. From what I understand, you are so focused on defeating the One Great Evil that you have even allied yourself with someone who should be your enemy." "I see mother has filled you in on my alliance with Ares, and from your tone, I take it you share her sentiments that this alliance is a big mistake." "Yes I do," Gabrielle firmly replied. "I understand and wholeheartedly support your decision to be in the fight against Dahak. But I don’t understand why you have to team up with Ares to do it. You know he can’t be trusted." "I teamed up with Ares because the other gods are oblivious to Dahak’s return and won’t help," Xena said. "And Ares has in his possession scrolls which will lead us to a sword that can kill Dahak. And I happen to know the one person who can translate those scrolls and lead us to that sword." "I know all about your friend coming to Greece to help in the fight against Dahak and I think it’s great but it doesn’t erase the concerns I share with your mother regarding this alliance with Ares and when I think of what’s happening between you two and..." Gabrielle’s voice trailed off as she bowed her head. "What do you think is happening?" Xena moved closer to her friend. "My mother told you something, didn’t she?" "It’s nothing, just forget I said anything," Gabrielle quickly stated, a blush forming in her cheeks. "What did my mother say?" Xena held Gabrielle’s chin and forced the bard to look at her. "C’mon Gabrielle, out with it." "Cyrene is afraid you will go back to Ares." Gabrielle removed her chin from Xena’s grasp as she avoided looking at her friend. "And what reason did my mother give you for thinking this?" The bard continued to avoid her friend’s gaze and remained silent. The red hue painting her face deepened in color. "I’m waiting for an answer to my question Gabrielle." Gabrielle fidgeted a little before finally answering Xena’s question. "Cyrene told me you...you slept with Ares." The last part was barely audible but Xena was able to hear every word. "I can’t believe her!!!" Xena slammed a fist against the stall wall. She turned from Gabrielle and started walking around the stables. "You certainly weren’t exaggerating when you said my mother told ALL that happened during your absence." Gabrielle’s eyes followed her friend as she angrily stalked the stables. Xena now stood by her sword embedded in a stable wall, which she dislodged and placed in the scabbard on her back. "And silly me assumed you two would have had plenty to talk about with your resurrection and Dahak’s arrival. But those two topics obviously were not as stimulating as I thought because you two felt the need to delve into the recent developments of my sex life." Her words dripped heavy with sarcasm. Xena now stood inside an empty stall, facing Gabrielle, with one of its walls between them. Her hands firmly gripped the top of the wall. "Cyrene only told me Xena because she knows just like I do, how much you despise Ares and for you to...to sleep with him is a definite sign you are not thinking clearly." "You know, I expected this kind of reaction and that’s why I never wanted either of you to know." "Since you already knew how your mother and I would react, this tryst with Ares being a HUGE mistake has crossed your mind too?" "Yeah, the thought did cross my mind but only for a brief moment…and despite your and my mother’s certainty that my actions were those of a woman with a clouded mind, sleeping with Ares was the first clear-headed decision I made after your death." "Xena!" Etched on Gabrielle’s face was a look mixed with fear and shock. She didn’t believe that Xena really meant a word of what she just said. Gabrielle figured she was just being stubborn because she felt like her mother and best friend were ganging up on her. "I’m not trying to scare you Gabrielle," Xena sighed. "We haven’t talked much about my past with Ares but I know how perceptive you are so you probably figured out some time ago that we are former lovers." "Yeah, I did figure that out quite a while back," Gabrielle admitted. "After your death, I tried to continue helping people like you would have wanted but I felt myself reverting into the evil person I use to be. I thought coming back to Amphipolis would help me regain the focus I needed to stay on the right path but it didn’t. I was so afraid that I wouldn’t be able to keep the promise I made to you and become a monster again." Xena gazed at the sympathetic look on Gabrielle’s face. "In shark smelling blood fashion, Ares showed up and delivered his same old pitch about me joining him but this time he threw in Dahak’s arrival and us working together to defeat him." Xena leaned against the stall wall between them. "For the umpteenth time, I turned him down but he refused to take no as my answer so we ended up crossing swords. What happened after that was totally unexpected by either of us." A chill went down Gabrielle’s spine as she thought about her friend letting a snake like Ares touch her. "When Ares first kissed me, I knew it was wrong and resisted. But when he kissed me the second time, it brought back memories of what it was like being with him and a lot of those memories were actually good," Xena confessed. "I know this will sound like a contradiction, with Ares being a war god and all, but I always felt safe and at peace whenever he held me in his arms." Xena stared intently at Gabrielle’s face. The bard’s eyes were filled with confusion as she listened to her best friend explain recent intimacies with the god who was always causing trouble in their lives. "I guess the best way to describe what was happening to me is to declare it a war...the person I am now, thanks mostly to you versus my old evil self. I was afraid the old me might win so I was desperate to find peace and as shocking as it may sound, being with Ares actually helped me find that peace and I was able to keep my promise to you." Both women now stood in silence facing each other. Gabrielle knew Xena was anxious for her to say something. After hearing Xena’s explanation of these rather shocking events, Gabrielle had to admit that maybe her friend’s brief tryst with Ares wasn’t as bad as she thought. "This is something I never pictured myself saying but if being with Ares helped you stay on the hero’s path, then maybe, it wasn’t so wrong after all." "I know my mother will always see it as wrong but I am glad that at least you see it my way," Xena said with a faint smile. "After everything you told me…yeah…I guess I can see it your way," Gabrielle admitted. "I would have loved to have seen Ares’ face the morning after, when you told him you were going to continue helping people." Gabrielle now had a devilish grin planted on her face. "Talk about major disappointment." "No, Ares was not too happy when I told him. But knowing him like I do, he only sees this as a minor setback and is already concocting yet another scheme to get me back." "No one would ever say Ares lacks persistence," Gabrielle snickered. "He probably sees what happened between you two as a partial success since he did manage to get you back in his bed." "Gabrielle!" Now it was Xena’s turn to have the color of her face deepen to red hues. "Oh, c’mon Xena, I have seen the way Ares looks at you," Gabrielle teased. "He does not just want you back to lead his armies. He wants you back as a lover too." "Really, Gabrielle..." "And we can’t leave out that massive ego of his," the bard interjected. "The conceited bastard probably thinks that with the right seduction ploy he can get you horizontal again, and this time around, he will be irresistible and you will finally come back to him." Gabrielle now had a very proud look on her face. She hadn’t known Ares as long as Xena but she felt she had known him long enough to figure out how his mind worked and was confident with her speculations regarding the war god’s next move to try to win Xena back. But she was completely oblivious to the uncomfortable look on Xena’s face, which clearly indicated she longed for a conclusion to this topic that she wished had remained private. "But Ares will soon discover that any romantic intention he has towards you won’t get any further than the fantasies of his diluted mind. What happened between you two was a one time thing which you have no intention of ever repeating." Gabrielle finally looked at Xena and saw the uncomfortable frown on her face. At that moment, a sickening thought entered her mind. "Oh gods Xena, please tell me what happened between you and Ares was a one time thing." The moment of silence seemed to last forever before Xena finally spoke. "Well, what happened was really a two time thing." Xena avoided Gabrielle’s gaze as she started picking at splintered wood protruding from the top of the stall wall. "TWICE!!! You slept with him TWICE!!! Gabrielle turned her back to her friend and plopped down on a block of hay, situated on the other side of the stall wall. A long exhausted sigh escaped her lips. "I guess you are back to siding with my mother again?" Xena no longer stood inside the stall and was now facing her friend. "Gee, what part of my reaction gave it away?" Gabrielle snorted as she folded her arms across her chest. "Oh for Zeus’ sake, it was just sex...and it’s not like I’ve never done it with him before!" Xena just wanted this subject to die already. When she dreamed of Gabrielle’s miraculous return, this was the last thing she pictured they would be discussing. "How can you say that Xena? We are not just talking about some plain ol’ harmless mortal man. We are talking about Ares, the god who threatened to kill you if you didn’t come back to him, put Callisto in your body and sent you to Tartarus, had the Furies punish you with insanity and his most recent stunt which we can be sure won’t be his last was to have the Fates cut your life-thread if you killed Hope." "I don’t need to be reminded of how Ares has tormented me." "Well, I think you do need reminding because on two separate occasions, you willingly had sex with the god who is responsible for so much trouble in our lives." Gabrielle stared hard into the crystal blue eyes of her friend. "Xena, do you want to go back to Ares?" "No, of course not," Xena quickly replied. "Even if it’s just some small part…waaaay down deep inside that wants this you could tell me you know...because now…it’s pretty obvious to me that some part of you must still be attracted to him despite all that he has done...for you to do what you did with him." "Oh, all right Gabrielle, I will admit it. A part of me is still very much attracted to Ares," Xena confessed in a weary tone. "The attraction has always been there and for a long time, I did a pretty good job of suppressing it...until recently." Xena saw the color drain from Gabrielle’s olive face as she spoke her last words. "I truly believe the first time had a purpose beyond pleasure and that was keeping me on the path I traveled with you...helping people. After the second time, I knew continuing to give into this attraction would lead me right back to Ares and my old life which is my past and has NO place whatsoever in my future." There was a firmness to Xena’s voice that matched the determination in her crystal blue eyes. "You don’t know how relieved I am to hear that," Gabrielle sighed while staring up at her friend. "I hope you know the only reason I keep harping on such an intimate topic is because I only want the best for you, which in my mind clearly ain’t Ares. What he has done to you...to us...is burned into my brain and I don’t want to see you get hurt." "It’s okay Gabrielle," Xena sighed as she let a hand brush back a curly auburn strand hanging in her friend’s face. "I know what you said was out of love and concern for my well being. I would do the same for you." Xena took Gabrielle’s hands in hers, squeezing them affectionately as she stared into the bard’s green eyes. "But I don’t want you to worry about me and Ares anymore. The only thing between us now is this alliance to defeat Dahak and once that is accomplished, things will go back to the way they were." "I’m saying a lot of things today I thought I never would but I’m actually looking forward to the same old, same old because working alongside Ares will be downright bizarre," Gabrielle said with a smirk. "And since he never liked me, I can’t wait to see his face when he discovers I’m alive." "No, he won’t be happy. And it will really tick him off that you were saved by using the body of his own child. But that’s his problem and I really don’t care if you being alive bothers him. I’m ecstatic you’re alive!" Xena pulled Gabrielle to her feet and gave the bard a tight hug. When they broke the hug, there was a large smile planted on Xena’s face. She ran a finger down Gabrielle’s left cheek. "Your new look will take some getting use to and you’re almost as tall as me now but I will adjust." "My new look will be a lot easier to adjust to than when we thought you would be stuck in Callisto’s body," Gabrielle said with a sly smile. "That’s true," Xena said. "And wait ‘til Joxer sees you. He’s gonna flip. And wait ‘til you see him, he really has changed and for the better." "Cyrene told me he has become very skilled with a staff. I may be kinda rusty and might have to spar with him to get myself up to speed again." "I know Joxer would love that," Xena said. "And when we tell Joxer about this welcomed miracle, we’ll make sure mother is present to make up for her missing when I was told." "Let’s go tell him now, Joxer’s at the tavern right?" "He took the kids traveling with us to the circus but that was a few hours ago, so they should be at the tavern by now." "Kids? Cyrene didn’t mention anything about children traveling with you." "That’s because they originally weren’t suppose to be coming with us but there was a last minute change," Xena said. "The children are Cyrus’ wards. They are six year old twins, a boy and a girl to be exact and they really are two great kids." Xena’s eyes were sparkling and a smile was planted on her face as she spoke of the twins. "I can see you have taken pretty quick to these kids." Gabrielle couldn’t help but notice the sparkle in her friend’s eyes and the huge smile on her face. "You will be too when you meet them," Xena said, still smiling. "They are friendly, funny, loving, smart and oh so cute." "Well, these kids have definitely captured your heart, which I know is not easy to do so let’s get back to the tavern so I can meet the children who accomplished such a fete," Gabrielle said with a wicked grin. CHAPTER 30 There was a clear sky on this autumn night. Large torches lit up the streets of Amphipolis as some residents enjoyed the various games offered by circus vendors while others hurried through the streets to attend the last big event of that day, the evening show under the big top. "I can’t believe that this could happen to me twice in one day," Joxer muttered. "First the twins and now Cyrus." He had spent the last hour wandering up and down the rows of wagons which made up the makeshift camp of the circus performers searching for the missing twins and Cyrus who appeared to have disappeared as well. Only a few of the performers Joxer caught in their tents remembered speaking with Cyrus about the twins but none had seen him since. And none recalled seeing the children. Most of the performers seemed to be in a hurry to prepare for the evening show under the big top and not willing to give Joxer’s questions much attention. When the sky had blackened to night, Joxer decided to give up the search. Walking slowly, Joxer maneuvered his way down a crowded street, headed for Cyrene’s tavern. "Oh, my head is killing me," he groaned while rubbing the fingers of his right hand against a temple to soothe the building pain. Joxer had no idea how he was going to tell Xena he lost first the twins then Cyrus. When he reached the tavern, Joxer wearily walked through the door. The tavern was still pretty full with people. He decided he needed something to soothe his aching head before he talked to Xena so he headed towards the kitchen. Joxer had just reached the kitchen door and was about to walk through it when suddenly; he was grabbed by a shoulder and swiftly turned around to face the bar again. "It’s about time you got here. I thought we would have to send out a search party," Cyrene said with a huge smile before embracing Joxer in a big hug. "So, did you and the children have a good time at the circus?" "Yes, but..." "You can tell me all about the show later. There are some people you must meet." Cyrene’s eyes sparkled and a large smile was planted on her beaming face. She firmly held Joxer by the left elbow and dragged him through the packed tables to a somewhat quiet corner in the tavern. "Can’t I meet them later? I have to get something for this headache," Joxer pleaded as he rubbed his right temple with his free hand all the while being dragged through the tavern by Cyrene. "Spending the whole day with small children can do that to you when you’re not use to it," Cyrene chuckled. "I’ll get something for your headache. You just sit down at this table." Cyrene departed for the kitchen to get Joxer some relief from his headache. "I see you survived your excursion to the circus." Xena was seated at the table Joxer stood before "Did the kids have a good time?" "Yes, we all did…Uh Xena, about the kids..." "You can tell me about the fun you guys had later. There are some people I would like you to meet." Xena’s eyes were sparkling just like Cyrene’s and a huge smile was planted on her beaming face. Joxer noticed his friend’s glowing demeanor and thought these people must be something very special as he finally looked at the two individuals seated at the table with Xena. The first was a brown-skin man with curly black hair who Joxer had never seen before. Even from his sitting position the man looked very large. He was definitely someone Joxer did not want to have as an enemy. Joxer couldn’t help but stare when he let his gaze fall on the second person sitting at the table with Xena. It was a beautiful young woman with emerald green eyes, an olive oval face, and long curly auburn hair pulled back with a large black bow. Some stray curls framed her lovely face. Joxer thought there was something familiar about the young woman when he remembered what Agatha, the soothsayer, had revealed to him. So, the drunken old hag had been right after all about him meeting a beautiful young woman with auburn hair. As Joxer pulled up a chair to join the trio at the table, he hoped the large man with the beautiful young woman was not her husband. "Joxer, this is Castor," Xena said. "He was a warrior in my army but he had the good sense to leave that life long before I did." "It’s good to finally meet you Joxer." Castor gripped Joxer’s right forearm in a friendly gesture. "In the last two days, I have heard quite a lot about you." Castor’s words made Joxer all the more curious to know the importance of these two strangers seated at the table. "And this young woman sitting next to me is...well, I think I’ll let her tell you who she is," Xena said with a huge smile. As Joxer stared at the woman sitting next to Xena, waiting for her to introduce herself, he suddenly notice a familiarity about her green eyes but at the moment couldn’t pinpoint exactly what it was. ********** "You don’t know how many times I dreamed of this moment and here it is." Joxer’s voice was about to crack and his brown eyes were somewhat misty. "Someone, pinch me to make sure I’m awake." "Sure," Cyrene said. She had returned to the table and now sat with the four. There was a sly grin on her beaming face as she made a move to pinch a big hunk of Joxer’s arm as he sat next to her. "Whoa, I was just kidding." Joxer moved his arm away from Cyrene’s reach. "I know this is not a dream." Joxer gazed into the green eyes of the woman sitting across the table from him, remembering their familiarity, as he held her hands. "You really are alive." "Yes Joxer, it’s me," she said with a big smile on her face. "I know I look a whole lot different but I’m still the same Gabrielle you’ve known for two years." "I don’t care what you look like so long as you are back." Joxer had a huge smile on his face as he let a hand touch one of her cheeks with affection. "And to think that Hope is responsible for you being here...unbelievable." "Yeah, that one threw me for a loop too," Xena said. "But according to Gabrielle and Castor, Hope has changed and no longer wants to slaughter humanity for her father. In fact, it appears she wants to stop him just like we do." "That’s why I must find Hope and let her know she doesn’t have to fight Dahak alone and we can help her," Castor said. "And Hope could tell us exactly what Dahak’s plans are regarding those fallen Watchers you told us about Xena," Gabrielle said. "It would be good to have someone on the inside who could tell us Dahak’s timetable on freeing the others," Xena admitted. "But since we don’t know where Hope is, we have to concentrate on getting those scrolls translated and finding that sword which can kill him. Speaking of those scrolls, mother, have you seen Cyrus, I want him to meet Gabrielle and Castor?" "Come to think of it, I haven’t seen Cyrus in quite a while." Cyrene gazed around the crowd in the tavern. "Maybe he’s upstairs with the kids, getting them settled in their rooms. I would sure like to meet them before they go to bed." "Me too. C’mon Xena, let’s go upstairs so I can meet these kids you’ve been raving about," Gabrielle rose from her chair, along with Xena, Castor and Cyrene. "Uh, before you guys go upstairs, there’s something I gotta tell you." Joxer remained seated in his chair. "You better sit back down." "All right Joxer, did something happen that I should know about?" Xena asked after all had reseated themselves at the table. Her gaze was fixed on Joxer, waiting for him to reveal what he knew. "Cyrus and the twins aren’t upstairs," Joxer softly replied. "Then where are they?" Cyrene asked. "I don’t know where they are," Joxer quickly mumbled then he took a quick sip from the mug he held in a hand. "What do you mean you don’t know where they are?" The twins should have come back with you from the circus." Xena said. "Well the truth is...I lost the twins hours ago," Joxer stammered "What!?!?" the others at the table said in unison. Joxer was caught off guard by everyone’s reaction and spilt some of the mead out of the mug he held in a hand. "Joxer, tell me the whole story now," Xena ordered. Joxer set the mug he held on the table and cleared his throat before he spoke. "When I couldn’t find them by myself...I came back here and Cyrus went back out with me to search for them...said the kids liked to ditch adult supervision and should have warned me about it. We went to the camp of the circus performers...we split up to cover more ground. I talked to some who had seen the kids and when I went to find Cyrus to see how things were going with him...he-he was gone...I searched until sundown but did not find him or the kids...it’s like they vanished." "Why didn’t you say something when you first got here?" Xena asked, trying to stay calm. "I tried, but first I had to get something for my headache...and then Cyrene brought me over to this table...and I guess it slipped my mind with all the news about Gabrielle being alive," Joxer sheepishly stated as he slightly bowed his head. "I’m sorry Xena." "It’s okay Joxer," Xena assured. The features of her face softened somewhat as she gently placed a hand on his shoulder. Joxer already felt bad enough and she didn’t want to make him feel worse. "You know, the last show under the big top just got under way, I bet that’s where Cyrus and the kids are," Castor said. "You’re probably right," Gabrielle said. "From what Xena told me about these kids, it certainly sounded like they could be very persuasive. Maybe they convinced Cyrus to take them despite the running off incident with Joxer." "Why didn’t I think of that?" Joxer slapped a hand on the tabletop. "I’m going to the big top and see if I can find them in the crowd." Joxer rose from the table. "Wait Joxer, there is something else I want you to do instead," Xena said. "I found out that Hercules is visiting his brother King Iphicles in Corinth. I need you to go there and tell him he must come to Ares’ fortress in Macedon as soon as possible." "Sure thing Xena. I will get Otis ready and leave right away." Joxer departed for the stables. "Hey Joxer, wait up, I’ll give you a hand." Castor rose from the table and headed after Joxer. "Everything seems under control here, so I guess I will tend to those dirty dishes." Cyrene departed for the kitchen. "Boy, did I pick the right time to show up," Gabrielle said when she and Xena were alone. "So, Hercules is going to join us in having to put up with Ares. Are you sure this alliance thing will work?" "The world is at stake here Gabrielle so we all will have to make it work." Xena had a faraway look in her eyes as she rose from the table and headed for the tavern door. "Uh Xena, where are you going?" Gabrielle had also risen from the table and trailed after her friend. "I’m going to find Cyrus and the twins." Gabrielle felt something wasn’t right and closely followed her friend as they exited the tavern. ********** Ares gently brushed a long curly black lock off the child’s sleeping face then let a finger trace her jaw-line. A soft smile crossed his lips. She looked so much like Xena, the same nose, mouth, and chin. She even had her mother’s fire. He was very impressed with how she shrugged off her fear and charged him when she thought he had harmed her brother. Ares rolled up a sleeve of the child’s shirt and gazed at the birthmark on the little girl’s upper right arm. The star-shaped mark greatly resembled the star carved in the blade of the Holy Saber - the sword that contained unfathomable power and meant Dahak’s destruction. A soft chuckle escaped his lips as he ran a finger over the mark on the child’s arm. The ultimate power that he had craved for centuries would finally be his and he would owe it all to the very fruit of his own loins. Ares turned his attention to the child lying next to her on the lounge chair. He ran a hand through the child’s thick curly black hair. Just like the girl, the boy had inherited his hair. Ares gently held the child’s chin and stared at his sleeping face. Again, a soft smile crossed his lips. Darius had certainly been right when he said the boy was the spitting image of him. The child had his cheekbones, chin, mouth and nose. The boy had also inherited other traits from his father, which Ares intended to bring to the forefront in the child. He released the child’s chin and just sat on a side of the lounge chair, staring in awe at the faces of both sleeping children. Ares had often wondered about the kind of child he could have produced with Xena and he had been somewhat disappointed that there was none from the time when they were lovers. But a week ago, he discovered that was not true - and not only one child but two were born out of that relationship. Ares was anxious to meet these children that had been deliberately hidden from him, and started monitoring the movements of Xena’s traveling party as soon as it was made possible by their entrance into Olympian territory, looking for the opportune moment to grab both children. The moment came when Joxer volunteered to take the children to the circus. Ares used a little divine intervention to cause a fight between two men knowing Xena’s new "sidekick" wouldn’t be able to resist the urge to play peacemaker. From frequent monitoring, Ares had been able to pick up on Lycus’ love of mischief, so he whispered in the boy’s head, the idea of ditching Joxer, which the child eagerly did, along with his sister. Ares watched the activities at the dart throwing both and was very impressed with the boy’s skills with darts and now longed to get some weapons in his hands. Both children had great endurance and the power of telepathy. But those abilities barely scratched the surface of the children’s true potential. Ares knew there was far more and planned on testing both children to see the true extent of the godly powers they possessed. Ares rose from the lounge chair, went behind his throne and pulled a velvet rope hanging from the gray stone wall. A moment later, two female servants in black robes entered the hall. "Yes, my lord," the two servants said in unison. "Take the children to the rooms prepared for them." The two servants immediately went to the lounge chair; each picked up a sleeping child then exited the throne room. Ares had a wicked grin on his face as he thought about Xena. She would be in for a surprise when his messenger informed her of the changes he had made to her plans regarding the children’s stay in Greece. Now Ares had to check on the condition of his most recent guest. ********** Cyrus let out a low groan as he slowly opened his eyes. For some reason, his whole body seemed to ache. "It’s times like these that make me wish I had remained a Watcher," he muttered. He realized he was lying on a hard stone floor. Slowly and with much discomfort, he raised himself into a sitting position. Cyrus was seated on the floor next to a table with a set of chairs. Using one of the chairs for support, he slowly rose to his feet and immediately sat himself in the chair. Since his neck felt stiff, Cyrus maneuvered his whole body on the chair so he could take in his surroundings. He was in a stone walled room with no windows with many lit candles for light. Two of the four walls were lined with shelves loaded with numerous scrolls. Being immortal meant he couldn’t die but unfortunately he could feel pain if inflicted by another immortal. Cyrus let out another groan as he leaned back in the chair and began to rub his sore jaw as memories of what happened flooded his mind. He remembered searching for the twins in the wagon camp of the circus performers when Ares suddenly appeared before him in a haze of light. He had deduced that Ares was responsible for the disappearance of the children and proceeded to question him about them when the war god punched him in the face. Cyrus closed his eyes as he cradled his bowed head in his hands while his arms rested on the table. The fear Xena had expressed before their trip to Greece had unfortunately come true. Somehow, Ares had found out about the children. And now that they were in his possession, Ares would never let them go. Cyrus wondered if Xena knew yet that Ares had the children. When she did find out, he hoped she wouldn’t do anything drastic. Cyrus had opened his eyes and was raising his bowed head when Ares suddenly appeared standing in front of one of the scroll-covered shelves. The war god still had the same aura of darkness and danger, which encompassed his whole being as when Cyrus first met him over six years ago. The former Watcher also noticed the anger in the war god’s eyes, which was clearly directed at him. "I see you have finally recovered from that punch I delivered to your jaw." Ares let a slight chuckle escape his lips. "You are very fortunate to be immortal because if you weren’t, that punch would have instantly snapped your neck." "Where are the children and what are you up to Ares?" "The children are somewhere safe, sleeping peacefully. As for what I’m up to, I am only taking back what belongs to ME." "The children are not your property Ares." "But that’s where you are wrong Cyrus. Do I need to remind you of the laws of the country in which you reside that clearly state that children are the sole property of the father?" "I am quite familiar with the laws of Persia," Cyrus replied tartly. Ares now stood in front of the table where Cyrus sat and leaned his hands on it as he stared hard into the hazel eyes of the former Watcher. "How do you think Ahura Mazda will react when he finds out one of his closest confidants, someone he thought the epitome of honor and truth, looked him dead in the face and LIED to him?" "Ahura Mazda follows the letter of the law and I respect him for that but I did what I thought was right and would gladly do it again." "And who are you to decide that I should be denied access to my own children?" "It’s what Xena wanted and I agreed," Cyrus replied. "Xena was angry, confused and didn’t know what she wanted!" Ares snapped. "Yes, when Xena showed up on my doorstep in Persia she was all of those things which only increased when she discovered she was pregnant," Cyrus said. "In the months that followed, Xena did some soul-searching and made the decision to leave the life of war behind and start fresh, somewhere far away with the children. But that changed when you showed up in Persia. You just couldn’t let her go then and from what I understand you still can’t now. Why is that?" "Those reasons are my business and I don’t have to explain myself to you," Ares curtly replied as he rose to his full height. "You know Xena will never let you get away with this Ares and I will help her." Cyrus stared hard at the war god standing before him. "There really is nothing either of you can do since you don’t know exactly where the children are," Ares nonchalantly replied as he inspected the dagger he now held in a hand, longing to slice open the throat of the meddling do-gooder with it. "How do you expect us to all work together when you pull a stunt like this?" "Oh, you will find a way," Ares calmly replied. "I know how much mortals mean to you and Xena and you two would never let your anger against me jeopardize their fate." There was a confident grin on the god’s face as he sheathed the dagger on his person. "You know, if you weren’t so crucial to me destroying Dahak, I would already be tormenting you for meddling in my personal affairs but since that is not to be, at least for the moment, you might as well get to work on what you were brought here to do." Ares waved a hand over the table at which Cyrus sat and it was immediately covered with numerous scrolls. Cyrus picked up one of the scrolls and unrolled it for inspection. It was written in the language he spoke as a Watcher, Celestic. "This is just a fraction of the scrolls you will need to translate for us to find the Holy saber. When you translate these, I will make the rest available to you." Ares was through talking with the former Watcher and was ready to leave him to his translating duties. "Wait!" Cyrus said in a raised voice before Ares vanished from sight. The god stared at him with a hard look on his face. "I would like to see the children...make sure they are all right." Ares let out an annoyed sigh. "The children are fine Cyrus. They are now with their father where they should have been all along and your concern for them is no longer warranted!" With his last statement, Ares vanished in a blinding burst of silver light. ********** "Why are we going to the stables Xena when Cyrus and the children are probably at the big top near the edge of town?" Gabrielle asked as they entered the large wooden structure. "Cyrus and the children are not under the big top," Xena replied. "Then where exactly are they?" "I don’t know where they are exactly but I know who took them...Dahak." "Dahak!" repeated Gabrielle with true surprise as her mind began rationalizing the motive behind such actions. "So, you think Dahak found out about Cyrus, why he came to Greece and grabbed him so he couldn’t translate the scrolls that will lead us to the Holy Saber?" "Yes, I do." Xena now stood in the stall next to Argo and tightened the saddle on the mare’s back. "And I guess Dahak grabbed the kids to use as leverage to stop us from coming after him, which I think is really evil," Gabrielle said with a twisted frown. "Oh, it is more than just leverage he’s after," Xena said. "Lycus has been troubled by a nightmare about a horrible monster coming for him and I know Dahak is behind it." "Wow, that’s got to be frightening." Gabrielle’s arms were wrapped tightly about her as a creepy chill went down her spine. "But what could Dahak possibly gain by tormenting a little boy with nightmares?" "Dahak may be thinking of using Lycus in the evil he has planned for the world. But I think first and foremost he is trying to rattle me and figured this would be the best way, especially after what he did to Solan." Xena saw the puzzled look on Gabrielle’s face after her last statement. She turned her attention from Argo and now stood facing her friend, gently placing her hands on the bard’s shoulders as she stared into her face. "The twins are not just two orphans in Cyrus’ care...they are my son and daughter." Gabrielle’s green eyes widened as her mind fully absorbed what Xena had just confessed. "The children are yours? Why didn’t you ever tell me? Surely you knew I could be trusted with such a secret?" "It’s not that I didn’t trust you Gabrielle. In fact, I did plan on telling you about them but then we got caught up in Hope’s rebirth, Dahak and then… you died. I’ve always had to be very careful that the children’s existence remained hidden from their father." "Who is their father?" Before Xena could answer Gabrielle’s question, both women heard a strange noise on the roof of the stables. "What was that?" Gabrielle gazed up at the stable’s ceiling. "I don’t know but I intend to find out," Xena said. Both women walked over to the stable door and slowly opened it. The full moon provided enough light making the area outside the stables clear to view. The flutter of bird wings could be heard as both women were now shrouded in a large shadow. Within moments, the shadow was gone, exposing the area outside the stables to moonlight once again. "Xena, look!" Sitting on a wooden fence, some feet from the stables was a fierce-looking large bird. "It’s a vulture," Xena stated. "A vulture! There’s nothing dead lying around so why is it here?" Gabrielle tried to hide her fear. "This vulture isn’t looking for food." Xena started to approach the bird. "What are you doing!?!?" Gabrielle tightly held Xena’s left arm halting her approach towards the menacing bird. "It’s all right Gabrielle. I know this particular vulture. We go back a long way." "You know this...vulture?" "Yes, his name is Ibycus. He belongs to Ares." "Why am I not surprised?" Gabrielle muttered. "Ares’ choice of pets leaves a lot to be desired." "Ibycus isn’t a pet Gabrielle. He’s a messenger." Xena now stood directly in front of the large bird still perched atop the wooden fence. An amethyst stone hung from a silver chain around the large bird’s feathered neck. Upon closer inspection, Xena found a folded piece of parchment strapped to one of the bird’s legs, which she removed. She unfolded the parchment sheet and read its contents... Just thought I would let you know that Cyrus is here at my fortress in Macedon and at this moment, is translating those very important scrolls we need to defeat Dahak. I also have the children who came to Greece with you. I figured it was time they met their father. Ares "Oh Zeus, he knows!!!" Xena whispered with a wide-eyed stare on her face. "But how!?!?" Xena forgot about the bird and quickly went back into the stables, still clutching the sheet of parchment. Gabrielle followed Xena back into the stables, her mind paying close attention to her friend’s reaction to Ares’ letter. "We were so careful," Xena muttered as she viciously tore up the sheet of parchment, the shreds falling to the stable floor. "I knew it was a mistake to bring the children to Greece. I KNEW IT!!" "So, it wasn’t Dahak who took the twins but Ares and I guess he has Cyrus too, right?" Gabrielle asked in a slightly raised voice, which made Xena suddenly remember she was not alone and she turned to face her friend. "Yes," she replied softly, slightly bowing her head. "He’s the one you’ve been keeping the existence of the children from," Gabrielle stated with solid certainty. Her mind was quickly registering the shocking conclusion she knew her last statement implied and she found it difficult to voice her thoughts. "So, that means...that Ares...that the twins...that he’s..." "Their father," Xena finished as she stared into the stunned face of her best friend. "That’s right Gabrielle, Ares is the twins’ father." CHAPTER 31 For an autumn night, it was unusually mild. A soft breeze blew through the forest loosening dead leaves from partially bare tree branches to find resting places on the already leaf-covered forest floor. The beige colored full moon provided light that cast eerie shadows throughout the forest. Joxer was a lone traveler as he sat atop Otis who rhythmically trotted down the narrow trail. A shooting star soared across the black backdrop of the clear night sky and Joxer momentarily closed his eyes and made a wish. Joxer thought going to Corinth in search of Hercules would be relaxing after the day he just had. He hoped the twins had a nice time at the circus with Cyrus but also wanted them to be punished for the scare they put him through. Despite the medicine Cyrene gave him, Joxer could still feel a slight ache in the top of his head, most likely due to tension and the fact that he hadn’t eaten much since he spent most of the day searching for the wayward twins. He pulled out some beef jerky in a sack on the side of the saddle and ravenously chewed on it. Joxer’s day had been for the most part, very hectic but he did have to admit there was one bright spot and that was Gabrielle’s return. Just thinking about it, brought a huge smile to his lips. This was a happening that Joxer had prayed for---dreamed of the last few months---something he wanted more than anything---and it actually came true. And now that Gabrielle was back, Joxer would have to find the courage to tell the spirited bard how he felt about her. He had told her several times when he believed her spirit to be in the Elysian Fields, hearing his thoughts regarding his unspoken love. Those talks had been relatively easy but re-enacting them face to face was something that scared Joxer and most of all, what her reaction to his confession would be. Joxer did have the small comfort of knowing that Castor was not his competition. When he first saw Castor with Gabrielle and how close they were, Joxer was afraid the bard was in love with the reformed warrior. But that worry was erased when Castor accompanied him to the stables to help with preparations for his journey to Corinth. All the former warrior could talk about was Hope and how he had to find her. This was proof enough for Joxer that Castor was in love with Hope, clearing the field for Gabrielle entirely for him which he now had to put to his advantage before someone did come along and swept the bard off her feet. For Joxer knew that Gabrielle was a beautiful, funny, intelligent woman who could have any man she wanted. He now just prayed that she would want him when he confessed his love for her. Joxer had eaten almost the entire sack of beef jerky and was rather thirsty. As he reached for the water-skin, Joxer felt a sharp pain in his head. "Oh no, not again," he groaned. Joxer bowed his head, closed his eyes and sat perfectly still atop Otis who continued to trot down the trail. A few moments later, the pain subsided and Joxer finally retrieved the water-skin and the headache powder he had also packed. He had put the powder in his mouth and was going to down it with some water, when again, he felt a sharp pain in his head, this time far more intense. Joxer dropped the water-skin, spit out the bitter tasting headache powder as he held his aching head between his hands. He squinted at the road and the forest ahead of him but all looked blurry and began to spin. Joxer tried to remain upright on Otis’ back but the dizziness increased and he soon lost his balance and fell off the moving horse to the ground below. "What’s happening to me?" Joxer moaned as he clutched his aching head and began to roll slightly back and forth across the ground. "Give up Joxer! I’ve grown too strong and you can’t stop me!" A raspy voice yelled from inside Joxer’s head. "Who are you?" Joxer moaned as he held his head tighter. "I’m Talon and your body is now MINE!!!" "No...No...you’re not real...I must be losing my mind," Joxer moaned "Oh, but I am real Joxer, so stop fighting...you can’t win!" The raspy voice hissed. Joxer was still clutching his aching head between his hands as he began to thrash about the ground as if fighting an invisible foe. Otis whinnied as he stood nearby and watched his master’s wild movements. "Leave me alone...it’s my body...I’m Joxer and I won’t give up," he wailed as his body continued to thrash about the ground. Joxer’s eyes widened as the pain in his head increased to an intensity that felt as if it would explode. "NOOOOOOO!" he yelled in an ear-piercing scream. The thrashing suddenly ceased and Joxer lay on the ground completely motionless, his eyes closed. Otis let out a snort as he stared at his master’s seemingly lifeless body. The earlier breeze had ceased and Joxer’s shallow breathing was the only sound heard in the forest. A moment later, Joxer opened his eyes and abruptly moved into a sitting position. He stared at his hands then tentatively touched his face with them. He ran his hands over his chest and arms. A pleased smile crossed his lips. Joxer slowly stood and surveyed his surroundings for a few minutes before retrieving the water-skin lying in the grass a few feet from him. When he approached Otis, the gelding whinnied and backed away from him, somewhat skittish. "Easy boy," Joxer said in a calm voice as he cautiously approached the animal. Otis let out a snort, but remained still. When he stood before the horse, he gently rubbed his brown face to calm him. "I’m sorry that strange attack I had frightened you but it will never happen again," cooed Joxer into the horse’s right ear. Otis snorted and swooshed his long brown tail. Joxer was putting the water-skin in its place on the saddle when he heard a rustling noise from some nearby foliage. "All right, I know you’re there, so come on out," he said in a demanding tone, his eyes glued on the foliage. The bushes ruffled some more, then a moment later, an athletic and very attractive looking young woman with curly blond hair cut in a bob, emerged from her hiding place in the thick foliage. "I witnessed everything that just happened. I take it, I am now speaking with Talon?" The young woman approached the man before her. "I’m Talon all right," he said with a devilish smile. "And you are?" "Gwenyth…a priestess in the order of Dahak." "So Meta...I mean Dahak sent you to keep an eye on me?" Talon’s eyes raked over Gwenyth’s well-toned form scantily clad in brown leather. "He wanted to be certain you gained control of the mortal’s body," Gwenyth replied. "Well, I finally gained control. This body’s not bad." Talon ran his hands over his arms and chest and walked around like he was trying on new clothes for the first time. "I’m the one who obtained this body for you," Gwenyth said with a touch of pride. "Did you now? I was never one to back away from a challenge but this Joxer fellow was pretty tough and resisted my taking over his body for the longest time. I finally gained control because he was so worn down after the very stressful day he had." Talon let out a soft chuckle as he thought about the events of that day he witnessed through Joxer’s eyes. "I’m sorry gaining possession was difficult but it couldn’t be helped. Joxer is a very good friend of Dahak’s daughter Xena. She trusts him implicitly so that should make your job somewhat easier." Gwenyth handed Talon a bloated goatskin. Talon uncapped the goatskin and let a drop of its contents fall on his hand. The tiny droplet was crimson in color. A sinister smile crossed his lips. "When the time is right, you will know how best to use that. Did you discover anything I should report to Dahak?" "Boy did I ever!" Talon snorted. Gwenyth looked at him expectantly. "Before I say anything, there is something I want you to first do for me." Talon gazed at Gwenyth with a lust-filled look in his eyes. "I am a priestess, NOT a harlot," Gwenyth firmly stated as she watched Talon’s eyes rake over her body. "Oh c’mon Gwenyth, even back in my day, priestesses were sleeping with the gods they served. Don’t tell me that’s changed?" "I don’t serve Dahak that way." Gwenyth folded her arms across her chest. "And besides, you are not a god anymore. You are mortal just like me." "True, but I still have that godly sexual prowess." Talon suddenly grabbed Gwenyth and pulled her roughly to him. Gwenyth was pressed so tightly against Talon’s body, she could feel his arousal through her brown leather skirt. She tried to wriggle free from his tight embrace. "What in Tartarus do you think you’re doinmmm…" Gwenyth’s protests were muffled by Talon quickly claiming her pouty lips in a hungry kiss. When he met with the Dark One, Talon would have to thank him for sending this hot little priestess to watch over him. It was exhilarating to be flesh again! And what better way to break in this body, his new home, than an activity in which he excelled and the one he had truly missed the most during his many centuries of imprisonment in the earth’s heated core. His only company had been other disembodied entities like himself, filled with rage and longing for freedom. Well, that day had finally come and he had company more to his liking, a beautiful young woman. Her lips were soft and luscious, just like he figured, when they had earlier captured his gaze. Talon broke the hungry kiss and began to softly nibble on Gwenyth’s right earlobe. One of his hands was buried in her curly blond hair, holding her head steady. Her hair felt like silk and smelled like wild flowers. His eager mouth abandoned her earlobe to move to her slender neck. Her skin was so soft and tasted like honey. By all the gods of this world, it felt so damn good to feel the touch of a woman again! "Please, stop," Gwenyth gasped. Despite her words, she was actually aroused by Talon’s expert touch. "Let me go," she moaned. Her earlier wriggling for freedom was now reduced to almost non-existence. "You don’t really want me to stop Gwenyth." Talon was still kissing her neck and feasting off the sweet taste of her soft skin. "I don’t hear any conviction in your voice." His hands quickly undid the ties of her leather halter-top, then tossed the article of clothing in the grass. Talon reclaimed Gwenyth’s lips, which she surprisingly welcomed as his eager hands began exploring her naked flesh. As Gwenyth hungrily returned Talon’s kisses, she was surprised how aroused this horny demon had got her. The touch of his lips against hers and his hands exploring her body had ignited within her a passion unknown to her before. She had heard some of the female followers of Dahak speak of such passion after having the pleasure of spending the night with the Dark One in his bedchamber. Stories of his sexual prowess had Gwenyth anxiously awaiting a summons to the hallowed bed but none ever came. She did truly serve Dahak as a priestess only and that did somewhat disappoint her. But she was given important duties which the others never did, like the duty she had now, which she had almost let slip her mind due to the desire Talon had awakened within her. Abruptly, Gwenyth broke her kiss with Talon. "We really can’t do this!" she gasped through labored breathing as she completely broke free from Talon’s embrace. Gwenyth scanned the grass for her leather halter-top. When she found the piece of clothing, she turned her back to Talon and covered herself with it. "Just tell me what you uncovered which will be of interest to Dahak. Then I can be on my way, and you can pretend to be Joxer and warm up to Xena." Her hands were shaking as she tried to tie the leather strings around her neck. "I will gladly reveal all that I uncovered but first we have some unfinished business." Talon grabbed Gwenyth from behind and pulled her against him. "No, Talon," she said weakly. Gwenyth knew she had the training to easily beat the crap out of him but his touch seemed to drain her will to fight. "I respect your commitment to your duties and Dahak but you are also a woman, who has obviously neglected her own needs for quite some time." Talon nuzzled her neck. "I can satisfy those needs for you Gwenyth." A soft sigh escaped Gwenyth’s lips as a wave of desire raced through her body. Talon’s words were so true. She was so wrapped up in her duties to Dahak, that her personal needs had taken a back seat. It had been a long time since Gwenyth had felt the touch of a man. "It’s been so long for me too Gwenyth. I need this," Talon softly whispered in an ear. One of his hands had untied the leather strings around her neck and again tossed aside her halter-top. "And you need this." Once again, his hands explored her naked flesh but this time more slowly and with soft caresses. Gwenyth leaned into him and closed her eyes. "I was always a very skilled lover so I can guarantee you will be pleased." Gwenyth began rubbing her body against his. "You’re right Talon, we both do need this," she moaned. Talon abruptly removed his hands from Gwenyth’s body and turned her around to face him. He gazed into her light brown exotic eyes and saw the desire overflowing in them. Gwenyth stared at Talon’s face and had to admit she thought Joxer rather cute the first time she met him. And the devilish demon now residing in his body made him even more attractive. "You can tell me what Dahak needs to know after we finish our business," Gwenyth growled in a lust-filled tone as her hands reached for Talon’s face and pulled it towards hers for more hungry kisses. A few moments later, with moans and sighs of pleasure and hands frantically pulling at clothes, the two dropped to the grass below. ********** For some time now, Gabrielle had been sitting on a sturdy block of hay. Her green eyes were fixed on Xena who sat across from her on another block of hay. She listened to her best friend reveal the circumstances behind her stay in Persia six years ago, the birth of the twins, and how her friend Cyrus sent the newborns to India so Ares wouldn’t discover their existence. "When I looked at the tiny faces of those babies for the last time, I knew sending them away was the right thing to do," Xena said softly. "It hurt like Tartarus but I had to accept that I would never see the twins again." Gabrielle had a look of sympathy on her face. "I know giving up Solan was hard for you, but to go through that again and with two babies this time...I just can’t imagine it." "And what made it so worse with the twins was that I was prepared to keep them. When I had Solan, I was a self-centered kid and not ready to make the necessary changes and sacrifices that the responsibilities of motherhood would have required. Giving him up was painful but it was the best thing for both of us." Xena absentmindedly pulled on a strand of hay sticking out of the large block. "When I was pregnant with the twins, I was still pretty much wrapped up in myself but this time I was in Persia, far away from an army, battlefields and Ares. With Cyrus’ help, for the first time in a long time, I was actually able to believe I could have a normal life, be a mother to my children and leave the ways of war behind for good. I made all these plans and envisioned the life we would have but it just was not meant to be." Xena let a soft chuckle escape her lips as her eyes got watery. "I am amazed you were able to go back to Ares after that," Gabrielle said. "You had every right to hate him...want him dead even since you were forced to give up your babies because of him." "Oh, it was hard being around Ares all right." Xena quickly wiped away the tears that started pouring from her eyes. "Our relationship was strictly conquests and wars after that. But I couldn’t blame him entirely. I had willingly chosen to follow him after all and had to be prepared to accept the consequences whatever they might be." "But giving up one’s children seems like such a high price to pay, Xena." Gabrielle let a hand caress a cheek of her friend who sat across from her. "At least you got to spend some time with them, something you thought you would never do." "Yeah, being with them this past week has been great," Xena confessed with a slight chuckle. "Despite their infamous parents, they really are a couple of terrific kids." "You never did tell me why the children were brought to Greece," Gabrielle said. Gabrielle already knew some of the details behind Lycus’ nightmare regarding Dahak and her concerns for the boy’s safety. So she summarized Lysia’s connection to the Holy Saber through the birthmark the little girl had on her right arm which was an exact match for the four pointed star etched in the sword’s blade. "I had my misgivings about bringing the children to Greece but I was actually starting to believe we could defeat Dahak, then whisk the kids back to India without Ares ever discovering them but unfortunately I was wrong," Xena said in a somber tone. "How do you think Ares found out about them?" "I know when we entered Olympian territory, Cyrus and I agreed not to speak of the twins’ parentage because we figured Ares might be monitoring our movements, so that only leaves Persia," Xena replied. "Ares has made a point of having spies located throughout the other pantheons so he knows what’s going on in areas outside his jurisdiction. He probably had one of them watching us." Xena rose from the hay block, walked over to Argo’s stall and led the mare out by the reins. "I guess you are now going to wherever Ares has taken them?" "In the letter, Ares mentioned his fortress in the mountains of Macedon and that’s where I’m going." Xena put a boot in a stirrup and mounted Argo. "Are you coming?" "I really think we should wait until daybreak to go to Macedon, Xena." Gabrielle rose from the hay block and approached her friend sitting atop Argo. "Gabrielle, you do realize we are talking about two young children being left in the care of Ares? And who knows what he is going to do to Cyrus for the part he played in keeping the children from him." "You don’t have to remind me of what a snake Ares is but they are his children too, so I doubt if they are in any real danger," Gabrielle said. "And he may want to hurt your friend but he won’t since Cyrus is still needed to translate those scrolls. "For now, he won’t hurt Cyrus but I’m more worried about what he will say to the kids," Xena said. "Lycus is fascinated with warriors and warfare. Cyrus thinks it is just a phase but spending time with Ares may evolve it into something more." Xena closed her eyes, bowed her head with a hand resting on her forehead. "Oh Zeus," she softly groaned. "What is it Xena? What’s the matter?" Gabrielle tightly held onto Xena’s leg dangling down Argo’s side as she gazed up at her best friend. "Ares has probably told the children that he is their father and I am their mother. He will probably twist everything around and have them thinking I gave them up because I didn’t want them." She offered a hand down to Gabrielle to help her onto Argo’s back. "We have to get to Macedon right away." "Ares probably did tell the children who you two really are but even I don’t think he would turn them against you." Gabrielle backed away from her friend’s offered hand. "And rushing off to Macedon this instant isn’t going to remedy the situation." "But Gabrielle, that would be just like him. In his mind, it would be the perfect punishment for me keeping the children from him all these years. We were all getting along so well too. I don’t think I could stand it if they hated me Gabrielle." The bard had great sympathy for her friend as she gazed up at her face riddled with worry and pain. "Xena, even if we take off for Macedon right now and when we get there, discover that Ares has done what you fear, do you even know what you will say to the children to counter what he has told them?" Xena slightly shook her bowed head. "You just arrived in Amphipolis after a long trip from Persia. You’ve go to be tired and now you want to rush off to Macedon to take on Ares regarding the children and you haven’t given much thought to how you will do that," Gabrielle said. "I really think rest is in order. Once you’ve had some sleep, you should know how to best handle this situation with Ares and the children." "You’re right Gabrielle. I am exhausted." Xena let out a soft yawn before dismounting from Argo. Then she led the mare back into the stall. "What I tried to prevent has unfortunately come true and I will have to be at my best if I am to now deal with it." "I’m sure after a good night’s sleep, you will have a whole new perspective on this explosive situation." Gabrielle watched her friend get Argo settled for the night. "We will leave for Macedon at daybreak." "I’m still not a morning person, but you will get no argument out of me." Gabrielle gave her friend an affectionate pat on the back as they left the stables and headed for Cyrene’s tavern. ********** "You two were certainly gone for a long time," Cyrene said when Xena and Gabrielle entered the tavern. The place was empty of patrons. She was wiping down the bar and Castor was sweeping the floor. "So where are Cyrus and the children?" "They weren’t at the circus." Xena seated herself at the bar joined by Gabrielle. "If they weren’t at the circus, then where are they?" Cyrene asked. "By the gods, I hope nothing terrible has happened to them." On hearing that the children and Cyrus were not at the circus as believed, Castor now stood by Gabrielle, leaning on the broom he held in a hand. A concerned look was etched on his face. "No harm has come to either Cyrus or the children, mother." Xena grabbed two clean mugs sitting on the bar, placed them in front of Gabrielle and herself, then filled them with the liquid in a jug setting on the bar top. "Well, don’t keep me in suspense, where are they?" Cyrene asked. "Ares sent a messenger to inform me Cyrus and the twins are with him," Xena calmly replied after taking a sip from the mug she held in a hand. "Ares?" Cyrene and Castor said in unison. Both had perplexed looks on their faces. "Ares was really gung-ho on Cyrus getting to work right away on translating those scrolls," Gabrielle said with a chuckle as she took a sip from her own mug. "Oh, I’ll say," Xena added. "When Ares found out Cyrus was here, he couldn’t wait for us to meet with him later. So he transported Cyrus, along with the children to his castle in Macedon. Why as we speak, I bet Cyrus is very busy translating those scrolls." "It certainly would have been nice if Ares informed us of his intentions a bit sooner," Cyrene complained. "He had to know we would worry. But this is pretty typical for a self-centered god." Cyrene picked up a tray loaded with dirty mugs and disappeared into the kitchen. "But Ares did send a messenger," Castor reminded her. "A little too late if you ask me," Cyrene yelled from the kitchen. "Gabrielle and I will be leaving for Macedon at daybreak," Xena said in a loud voice. "Then you probably should be heading off to bed now," Cyrene said as she came back through the kitchen door. "Hey Cyrene, is there any of that stew left? I am starving," Gabrielle said. "I see you still have the same stomach," Xena muttered with a sly smile before taking another sip from her mug. "I certainly do and it’s growling to be filled," Gabrielle replied. "There is some stew left. You sit tight and I’ll bring a bowl out to you," Cyrene said. "Would you like some too Xena? I haven’t seen you eat much since you got here." "No thanks, I’m not hungry." Xena downed the last of the beverage in her mug. "I don’t know where you get the energy to fight the scum of this world when I hardly see you eat." Cyrene eyed her daughter curiously. "Is there something going on that I should know about Xena?" "No mother, everything is fine," she replied with a faint smile. Cyrene was convinced that all was not fine but decided to let it rest for now as she disappeared into the kitchen to get Gabrielle her bowl of stew. "Castor, we need to talk." Gabrielle hopped off the barstool, took hold of Castor’s right arm and led him to a table where the two sat facing each other. "I just wanted to let you know that me going off tomorrow to Macedon with Xena doesn’t mean I have forgotten about the search for Hope." Gabrielle affectionately squeezed Castor hands. "There’s no need for an explanation. You and Xena have been miraculously reunited and I completely understand you wanting to spend time with her," Castor said with a smile. "When you guys leave tomorrow, I guess I will be heading out pretty soon myself to resume the search for Hope." "Dahak and his followers are very dangerous, so please promise me Castor that you will be careful." Gabrielle let a hand caress his face. "I promise," Castor replied with a smile as he laid a hand over Gabrielle’s caressing his face. "You watch yourself too." "I will," Gabrielle replied while returning his smile. "And when you do find Hope, please let her know I remember everything. And that I love her very much." "I’ll do that," Castor said as the pair rose from the table and embraced each other in a tight hug. "Here’s your bowl of stew," Cyrene announced as she came through the kitchen door carrying a tray with a steaming bowl set upon it, which she placed on the bar. "I’ll devour this in my room." Gabrielle was standing at the bar. She greedily gazed at the steaming bowl sitting on the tray she held in her hands. "After I eat this, I know I will sleep like a baby." "Enjoy your sleep, but just remember to be ready to leave for Macedon at daybreak," Xena reminded her as she rose from her stool and headed for the stairs. "Oh, I’ll be ready," Gabrielle replied as she followed Xena up the stairs. ********** "I don’t think your mother fully bought that story about Ares’ reasons for taking Cyrus and the children," Gabrielle said when she stood outside the doorway to her room across the hall from Xena’s. "I don’t think she did either but we will be leaving at daybreak, so she won’t have any time to pry the whole story out of either one of us," Xena said with a slight smile. "Maybe, you should just tell her the truth, she is your mother after all." "It’s too long and too complicated Gabrielle," Xena wearily sighed. "When this whole mess with Dahak is settled, I will sit down with her and tell her everything." "Yeah, I guess you’re right," Gabrielle sighed. Both women opened the doors to their perspective rooms. "Good night Xena." "Good night Gabrielle." Gabrielle could hear the weariness in Xena’s voice and saw it too when she gazed at her face one last time, as her friend was about to close her bedroom door. "Oh and Xena?" "Yes Gabrielle?" "Please try to get some sleep." "I’ll try," Xena softly replied before closing her bedroom door. Gabrielle stood in the opened door of her bedroom and stared at the door to Xena’s. She knew her friend wouldn’t get any sleep and would probably be up most of the night. But in the morning, one would never know because she would look well rested. Gabrielle had always been baffled at how Xena could get by on so little sleep. She on the other hand would look like the walking dead and have the disposition of a bear if she got no sleep. Gabrielle chalked it up to one of Xena’s many skills and finally closed the door to her own room.
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