Gabrielle awoke to the sound of birds chirping. She automatically reached for Xena but the warrior was missing. She surmised Xena was probably getting them breakfast and her stomach growled in anticipation. She got up to wash her face at the basin and reminisced about their previous night's lovemaking. Goddess, she had been brave. She knew Xena was hardly the most patient person in the known world and she was pleasantly surprised that the stoic warrior had let Gabrielle have her way with her. She was amazed at how aroused Xena's surrender had made her feel but in a way it was the best thing that could have happened to them. It made her feel like the bond between them was on more equal footing.
When Xena retreated into brooding silence after they encountered the Horde, Gabrielle had initially been unable to penetrate the fortress surrounding her heart. But when she finally did, they'd both come out of the ordeal with a richer and fuller understanding of each other's needs and last night was a testament to the deeper trust they shared. It was all Gabrielle could do to keep her heart from bursting with love. She sat and furiously began writing on a scroll.
A quiet knock on the door interrupted the bard's concentration. The door opened slightly and Xena stepped in. She carried a tray of food filled with fruit, cheese, bread, and two mugs of tea.
"I see you're finally awake, sleepy head," she smiled.
"Who could sleep?"
Xena laid the heavy tray on the small table, careful not to flatten any of Gabrielle's scrolls underneath it. She waved her hand in a grand gesture at the food on the tray.
"My Queen, are you ready to eat?" Xena questioned in mock subservience. She curtsied deeply, bowing her head to the Amazon Queen.
"Eat?" she nodded at the tray filled with breakfast goodies. "Oh . . . you mean food?" she laughed. "Are we going to pick up where we left off last night? Are you going to serve me?" She tilted back her head and held her mouth open.
Xena raised an eyebrow at Gabrielle's question.
"Yeah right!" they both laughed in unison and delved into the scrumptious food.
Between mouthfuls, Gabrielle asked, "So where are we off to now?"
"I don't know, no where in particular."
"I've got a great idea, Xena! There's a Summer Solstice Festival in Aulis. It's Apollo's longest journey of the year. I heard they're having a bard's contest. Can we go, huh? Please, please, please?" Gabrielle pleaded exuberantly.
For a moment Xena was caught up in the bard's enthusiasm. Then she groaned inwardly at the thought of another crowded festival. With people, lots of people. By the gods, she wondered, surely there must be somebody in dire straits that needed her to save them. Like, right now, in some quiet little village somewhere, anywhere. Nevertheless, she knew she couldn't deny Gabrielle her wish but it would come with a price, she thought mischievously. A wide grin spread across her face.
"Yesssss, Gabrielle, we can go to Aulis but first, I'd like to have my way with you. Come here, my precious bard." She held out her arms to gather Gabrielle into her loving embrace.
For an entire moon cycle, Callisto managed to enjoy the pleasures of Isiphae's favors. She catered to the woman hand and foot and in exchange for food and shelter, persuaded Isi to allow her to be her personal maidservant. Not that Isi really needed one, but Callisto convinced her that she could never do without and made Isi wonder how she had managed her entire life without the blonde girl's attentions. Callisto stayed out of Isi's way when she serviced her clients but never strayed far from the older woman's side during her free waking hours and comfortably filled the empty place beside her while she slept. Indeed, she had persuaded Isi that all she wanted was a roof over her head and slyly reminded her that the road could be a pretty harsh place for a young girl.
Callisto quickly learned that Isiphae reveled in her role as teacher and used that to wiggle herself into a spot in Isi's heart right next to Xena. To Callisto's never-ending surprise, Isi unleashed a wild fury inside her that needed only to be extinguished. It became a delightful little by-product that Isi happily fulfilled. However, the only thing that really mattered to Callisto was what clues she could divine from Isiphae to peer into Xena's soul. And being with Isi made her feel like she was somehow inside Xena's encampment, somehow inside the inner workings of her mind, and somehow inside Xena's wicked heart.
She queried Isiphae about the scar above her right breast. It was a simple "X". Callisto was certain that Xena had made that scar and not by accident. At first, Isi was evasive about its significance but Callisto was persistent and before long Isi was dreamily reminiscing about her days when she rode with the Warrior Princess. Callisto's heart was once again gripped by the duality of her emotions. She felt an intense hatred and jealously for Xena for having Isi as her lover and as well as a fierce envy that Isi was at Xena's side as part of her army. It took all of her self-control to reign in her emotions so that Isi would not see her true intention. Her intention to wipe Xena off the face of the earth.
Callisto left Isi soon after. She made some lame excuse that she needed to visit her mother but truth be known, she knew Xena would be back in Athens soon. Callisto did not want to encounter the warrior face to face. That could wait for a later time, when Xena would not know who she was or what she was up against. She informed Theodorus that they would be leaving in the morning. He packed their skimpy belongings and waited for her at first light.
"So what do they call this contest again?" Xena asked. She rode atop Argo while Gabrielle walked beside her. They had been walking all day in the bright sun and would soon need to find a campsite. Xena scanned the countryside looking for an appropriate setting.
"A round robin tournament," she answered.
"Robin? Like the bird?"
"Yes, like the bird. I don't know why they call it that, that's just what it's called. Bards compete against each other and one by one are eliminated, depending on how good or bad the story is. The last bard standing is the winner," Gabrielle patiently explained.
"But what's a bird got to do with it?"
"I don't know. Nothing, I suppose, but it's been called that for a long time." The bard was at a loss as to how to explain it further.
"But a bird? Why don't they call it a scroll tournament? Or a word tournament? What's a bird got to do with it?"
"Xena, will you get off the bird, already," Gabrielle said, exasperated. "It's a contest, a tournament, and the best bard in the end, wins."
"Well, why don't they just call it a word tournament?"
"Because . . . " Gabrielle started to stamp her feet in frustration when she realized Xena was toying with her. Sometimes it was hard to tell when Xena was teasing or not, and even now she wasn't sure how far back in the conversation the warrior had been kidding. Gabrielle stopped dead in her tracks.
"Xena, you know what? I know just the perfect story to tell that will win this contest for sure. It's about a warrior, high and mighty on her horse who carried a big sword, a lethal chakram and a deadly whip. She was known around the land as the Xena, the Warrior Princess . . . "
"Gab--ri--elle . . . " Xena knew this story was headed in a bad direction.
Gabrielle continued her tale. "Then, one day she met a tiny little bard, so fragile and petite and helpless, who eventually learned how to wield an expert staff, not to mention an expert lascivious tongue."
"Gabrielle!" Xena leaped down from her horse as the fast-talking bard sped up her words to race through to the end of the mock tale. Xena marched toward her in feigned anger.
"And the next thing everybody knew, the high and mighty warrior princess let this tiny little bard have her way with her and miraculously, overnight, she became Xena, the Warrior Wuss!" Gabrielle barked out the last word and hightailed it down the trail at breakneck speed knowing full well that Xena would have no trouble catching her. She was not disappointed.
Before Gabrielle had a chance to whirl around to see how far back Xena was, the warrior swept the smaller woman off the ground and swiftly had her draped over one shoulder. Gabrielle struggled to get down and her fists pounded on Xena's back, but it didn't matter. The warrior was much stronger and she'd taken worse poundings during any number of fights in her life.
"Put me down, Xena!" Gabrielle shouted, only half seriously. She loved it when Xena flexed her muscular arms and showed off her impressive strength.
"Tell me again, Gabrielle, what story were you going to tell everybody in the known world?" Xena asked calmly, a menacing tone colored her words. Argo obediently trotted behind the two women as Xena spotted a perfect place to camp in the green forestry.
"Nothing!" Gabrielle gasped, as she half-heartedly tried to kick her feet to get down but Xena held fast with ease.
"Funny, I remember something about a mighty warrior, or was that a wussy warrior and a tiny little bard. Hmm, tiny little bard with a libid . . . what was that word again? . . . lecher . . . no . . . lasciv . . . ah! that's right, lascivious tongue," she grinned. "Let just see how lascivious it is, shall we?" she said as the warrior strutted off into the woods with her bard flung across her shoulder.
A cloaked figure blended into the woods and soaked in the playful scene between the warrior and her bard. May the gods help us all, she groaned inwardly. Don't those two ever stop? she wondered. Go on, Xena, she whispered into the wind. Have your little fun with the little brat, but it won't be for long. Oh no, not for long, she promised.
Callisto and Theodorus had been walking for days. They had heard tell that Xena's army was headed due north so they traveled in that general direction not quite knowing what they would find. But the life of following Xena had become quite an adventure and Callisto cherished the fact that Xena had no idea she was being followed which she knew would make her revenge that much sweeter. How to catch her unaware was the biggest question. Xena had many guards not to mention an entire army to protect her. Even so, Callisto knew her own amateur skills were no match. After surviving nearly 19 winters, she knew she was still a mere babe in the woods. She was improving every day with her sword but that round metal weapon Xena carried was lethal and held at least one advantage above all else. She knew of no other warrior who possessed one let alone had expert skills with it. Somehow, she knew, she would find someone, anyone who could teach her.
"Callisto!" Theodorus shouted.
The blonde girl was snapped out of her reverie by the approach of a large man on a horse. He strutted with the confident air of a man who had found an easy prey. He dismissed Theodorus and lustfully eyed Callisto.
"Hey, little girl, why don't you leave that boy and come travel with a real man?"
A smirk crossed Callisto's face as she eyed the man on horseback. She squinted into the mid-day sun. "Ha! Let's see, choices, choices, choices. Hmm. You. A huge and ugly lecherous lout, or my friend here, a boy just barely schooled in the ways and wiles of a woman," she taunted as she imperceptibly readied herself to draw her sword.
Theodorus visibly flinched at Callisto's words. He knew they were being used as a weapon to disarm the much bigger and more experienced man but sometimes Callisto's razor sharp tongue was even too much for him, and he had known her all his life. He was hurt by her implication that he had no chance with her.
The large man's face reddened at Callisto's words even though he had no doubt he could easily dispatch of the boy and have his way with the young nubile girl. He had been on the road a long time and he couldn't remember when was the last time he had pleasured himself with such a succulent flower as this sweet thing. She had a foul mouth and a clear lack of respect to be sure, but he knew that after several rounds of pleasure seeking, he could fix that.
He dismounted from his horse abruptly and quickly knocked Theodorus unconscious with the hilt of his sword before he knew what hit him, then started after the blonde girl. Callisto glanced at her fallen comrade and a feral grin lit up her face. She instantly withdrew her sword and enjoyed the quiet assurance the familiar handle gave her.
"So, I see you want to play rough," she grinned and waved her sword menacingly in his direction. The two of them faced off against each other in defensive combat. Callisto had no doubt she could take the bigger man because she knew that she could use his weight against him. She wasn't surprised by the clumsy dismount from his horse and she'd be damned if she would let this idiot force himself on her.
"I'll make a deal with you," she offered. "There's really no need to force me to do anything." She eyed him warily despite the knowledge that she had his undivided attention.
"OK, what's the deal, little girl?" he asked, amused by her pluck.
"Simple, we fight. If I lose, you do what you want with me. However," she paused, "if you lose, you make a hasty retreat out of here unless you want to meet Hades before your time," she threatened.
The man then made a fatal mistake. He threw his head back and roared with laughter.
"You're going to defeat me with that dainty sword of yours?!" he thundered. "You?!?!? A little girl?!?!?!" he roared.
Callisto was taken aback by his reaction, but any sliver of fear she'd felt immediately vanished by the ridicule that reverberated in her head. She did not see a scraggly and lone warrior before her, nor did she hear his jeering laughter as his own. All she heard was Xena laughing at her, Xena and her soldiers. Laughing and laughing and laughing. There was only one thing Callisto could do and before the man realized his error, Callisto had driven her sword deep into his beating heart. No longer would Xena's soldier laugh at her ever again.
The man dropped to his knees. He opened his mouth to speak, his eyes wide with astonishment and anger, so aghast was he that such a young girl would have the audacity to murder him in cold blood.
"Little . . . girl?" were the only words that managed to escape his lips before Callisto twisted her not so dainty sword with a vengeance. Even she herself was stunned by the vehemence with which she'd struck him. It was the first time she'd ever taken a human life and her face glowed with the power that invigorated her. She had often wondered if she would have the courage to actually kill the Warrior Princess and now she knew for certain. She would.
"Tell Hades, it was Callisto who sent you, not Xena!" she spat at the fallen man as she kicked his crumpled body for good measure. But the man didn't hear her; he had already departed for the River Styx.
Behind her, Theodorus groggily got to his feet. He saw the stricken man on the road.
"Callisto! Is he dead?" Theodorus asked in wonderment.
"Yes," Callisto answered calmly. "Let's go." She walked away in a daze from the bloody scene on the road, not bothering to wait for Theodorus to follow. In a way, she was glad that he lagged behind. She had just crossed over the threshold from blood innocence to the realm of the guilty and she knew it was a place from whence she would never return. Despite her best efforts to control herself, her entire body surged with a carnal lust and she knew that soon she would have to make a private trip to the woods so that she could release the hunger that promised to swallow her whole.
"Tell me again how she escaped?" Hades bellowed as he sat in his throne, not believing his ears. Hephaestus, master craftsman and God of Fire, peeked around the imposing God of the Underworld and out the window behind him. At the moment, the flames of Tartarus were a much more pleasant distraction. He wanted to look anywhere except into the furious eyes of his uncle.
"Ssshe . . . " Hephaestus stopped. He was ashamed that he had let Callisto escape his domain. She had easily tricked him and he was even angrier with himself than Hades. But Hades was more powerful than he was and maybe his uncle would have pity on him and get Callisto back. He was tired of being alone and considered a lesser god because he was lame. True, his expert metal work earned him a place on Mount Olympus but he was certain that having an immortal beauty like Callisto at his side would enhance his image.
"Look, Hephaestus, I tried to warn you. She has an evil heart. I've seen it with my own eyes. She was in Tartarus for a time, you know, and that is where she should go back to----"
"NO!" Hephaestus bellowed. "The Fates brought her to my domain when Xena sealed her in the lava. You can't make her go back to Tartarus now, she's a goddess. She should be with me." He didn't tell his uncle that when Callisto had been at his side, she informed him in no uncertain terms that she would much rather spend an eternity suffering the blazing heat of Tartarus than grant even one candlemark to Hephaestus. But what Callisto wanted right now didn't matter, eventually she would grow to love him. He was certain of it. He had to be. If only his uncle would help him. Hades had helped him once before, he could do it again.
Hades clamped down the rising fury inside him when he thought of how Hephaestus could be so gullible when it came to women. Everyone knew how his former love Aphrodite had played him for a fool. However, Callisto was another matter, Hephaestus was no match for the Goddess of Evil. Their original deal was that Hephaestus would make a golden necklace to capture Callisto under his spell and become his mate until the end of time. Before Hades liberated Callisto from the lava, he placed the medallion around her neck, but somehow the blonde woman managed to remove it and escape the lame God of Fire's domain. Hades surmised she had used her quick-silvered tongue.
"She talked you into removing the necklace, didn't she?" Hades queried. He demanded to know the truth before he proceeded.
Hephaestus only bowed his head and nodded, disconsolate that yet another woman had deceived him.
Hades contemplated his decision. He was skeptical that his naive nephew really knew what was good for him. Hades was certain his new request would only bring him heartache. The God of the Underworld heaved a deep sigh. He even felt pity for the lame smith-god who had forged many wondrous tools and weapons for the gods on Mount Olympus. Surely, that in and of itself was worth something.
"Okay, for now I will allow her to remain among mortals, even though she should be burning in the fires of Tartarus."
"Hades, don't, please," Hephaestus begged.
"Don't worry, for now she will be free, but . . . "
"But, what?" Hephaestus queried and waited for the inevitable favor his uncle would demand in return.
"Have you been following Callisto's actions since she escaped?" Hades asked.
"Yes," he replied with resignation. "She's been following Xena again."
"Yes she has, it's quite a remarkable obsession, actually. Callisto is nothing if not tenacious." On some level, Hades even marveled at the evil woman's single-minded determination. He supposed that it was that same single-mindedness that allowed her to break the necklace's spell.
"What about it?"
"She still carries the necklace with her and I have a feeling she will try to capture Xena with it."
"Hades, what are you saying?" Hephaestus was taken aback by the implication. "If the necklace is placed around Xena's neck . . . " his voice trailed off and he broke out into a wide grin when he thought of what a prize Xena would be at his side. Either way, he couldn't lose.
"Exactly, Hephaestus. Xena would be unable to resist just like any other mortal woman. On the other hand, if Xena gets it back around Callisto's neck . . . " he paused, "either way, you will have your wish." Hades didn't bother to mention to Hephaestus that if Xena somehow managed to ensnare Callisto with the necklace, he had no intention of letting the woman escape the Underworld again, goddess or not. An excellent solution began to develop in the back of his mind.
Nestra awoke from a deep slumber in the hour before dawn. Apollo had yet to peek over the horizon. She and her lover, Brissea, had been riding horseback for three straight days in order to catch up with Xena and Gabrielle, barely stopping to eat or relieve themselves in the woods.
After their midnight chat with Callisto, the newly created Goddess of Evil wouldn't let them rest. Somehow their former friend had managed to first escape from the Underworld not once, not twice, but three incomprehensible times. She had to be a real charmer with the gods, Nestra mused. This time, she came back as an immortal goddess after Xena confined her to the fiery lava. Miraculously, Callisto managed to escape that destiny as well. She had returned with more powers than anyone ever dreamed imaginable. She now enjoyed the natural gifts of a goddess and like all goddesses, possessed the gift of knowing a mortal's thoughts. Nestra didn't want to think about that for very long. Sure, she knew Callisto had crossed over to well beyond the threshold of insanity long ago, but what she didn't want Callisto to know was that she was sure Xena would find a way, any way to defeat her. And Nestra was certain she would prevail. The dark warrior knew she would endure a painful death if Callisto knew she was even thinking such a thought but she couldn't help herself. In her mind, it was the unmistakable truth.
Nestra gazed unseeingly at the open sky as hues of purple and blues began to color the vast landscape. It would be another hot day but at least much of their time would be occupied with conspiring against Xena and her little companion. She sighed inwardly, again troubled by her part in the shadow dance Callisto had already begun with Xena.
Despite the nagging doubts Nestra had about Callisto's triumph over Xena, she didn't really feel like she had a choice. Many winters ago, Callisto had actually been her friend, however, over the years, her obsession with Xena had deteriorated into a vector from which Callisto could not escape and Nestra had watched with a growing realization that the blonde warrior would never be free.
When Nestra and Brissea first met Callisto, she intrigued them. The blonde warrior told the horrific tale of how Xena had destroyed her entire village and killed her mother and sister in the ensuing fire. Callisto's hardship struck a deep chord within Nestra as she had lost her own mother when she was just past her 13th winter. Even though her mother had accidentally drowned in a river, Nestra always blamed Artemis for allowing it to happen. Artemis, the protector of the Amazons, was supposed to protect. She remembered how her burgeoning hatred eventually turned into a bitter distrust for any god and a disdain for the many rules and rituals assigned to the gods by the Amazons. She couldn't have left the Nation soon enough at the beginning of her 17th summer. She had been lucky that Brissea followed her even though she had yet to survive her 16th winter. The two of them had been inseparable ever since.
Several moon cycles passed before they met Callisto and her budding legion. She remembered with a laugh how Nestra and Brissea had naively admitted to the blonde warrior that they wanted to join Xena's army. At the time it didn't seem as hilarious.
"THEY WANT TO JOIN UP WITH XENA!" Callisto had roared and doubled over with laughter for several minutes as her men, about twenty of them, joined her in loud guffaws. Nestra had been taken aback by Callisto's apparent disrespect for the infamous warrior.
As an Amazon child, Nestra had looked forward to meeting the legendary Warrior Princess for what seemed like her entire life. Xena had been a brave heroine in the eyes of many Amazons, especially during the war against the Centaurs. She was a bit of rebel, too, Nestra noted. She had always wondered why Xena wasn't an Amazon. In her mind, the legendary warrior had the heart and soul of a true Amazon and yet she remained apart from them.
Then one day, her perspective on Xena changed radically and Nestra would never forget the imprint Xena left on her that momentous day. Shortly after Nestra and Brissea banded with Callisto, the blonde warrior recruited Nestra for an intriguing stealth mission. They were to observe Xena's camp at close range, nothing more. After what she saw, however, Nestra never wanted to accompany Callisto on one of her secret excursions ever again.
They silently hid amongst the trees that overlooked Xena's encampment. Callisto had become an expert at stealing past the scouts and found a discreet locale in the dense foliage to watch the activity undetected. Callisto's intention was to gather information on Xena - her strengths, her weaknesses, what Xena ate at each meal, who her lovers were, when she visited the relief tent, and other little details that would fulfil Callisto's promise to destroy the Warrior Princess. At the time, Nestra was just beginning to discover the full scope of Callisto's deadly fixation and frankly, it scared her. But no matter, she would do what Callisto asked.
They had been waiting immobile in the trees for some time, the only comfort was that they were in the shade and thus sheltered from Apollo's beaming rays. Nestra's muscles began to ache and stiffen up in their cramped position. Suddenly, there was movement in the camp below. Xena strode purposefully out of a huge tent. A young woman ran after her shouting, "Please, Xena, don't! It's not her fault!" The woman was crying, her hair and clothes disheveled as if she had been in a wrestling match and lost. Incongruously, Xena's appearance was pristine. Her flowing black hair cascaded behind her as a breeze gently lifted both her hair and cape away from her muscular frame. In the bright sun, her black leather glowed darkly against her bronze skin, the contrast making the leather seem richer and smoother. The metal swirls of her breastplate reflected off the sun and Nestra's eyes were magnetically drawn to the tiny silver chains that hung from her wrists. The scabbard that protected her sword rested menacingly at her side, its presence an obvious comfort to its owner. She nonchalantly tinkered with a leather greave on her forearm as she confidently sauntered to the middle of the campgrounds. She did not bother to acknowledge the woman's frantic pleas.
Nestra was stunned. Her heart raced inside her chest and a light sweat covered her body. She struggled to control her breathing as the Warrior Princess exuded a majestic power that entranced her beyond anything she had ever dreamed. The calm control of Xena's body belied the murderous rage that shone in her icy blue eyes. They held no emotion save a blazing fury. It was her eyes that made Nestra involuntarily shudder. Inwardly, she laughed at herself for having the naive and preposterous notion that she could have simply walked up to Xena and volunteered to join her army. In that moment, she was certain that if she had been any closer to the raven-haired beauty, she would have simply dropped dead from the power of her gaze. If looks could kill . . . she thought crazily. Mesmerized by the vision before her, she completely forgot about Callisto and their secret objective and focused her entire being on the irresistible Warrior Princess.
Xena stopped. "Cretus!" she shouted. A man came running out of a tent and Nestra simply assumed it was her first in command.
"What is it?" he questioned.
"Where is she?" Xena asked flatly. She stood with her hands on her hips, her voice void of all emotion. The woman from the tent had followed her every step of the way but she no longer pleaded with Xena. Loud sobs wracked her body.
Cretus began to open his mouth to speak, then stopped. He nodded an acknowledgement to Xena then jerked his head to another soldier galvanizing a pair of soldiers into action. They ran to get the woman in question. Cretus stood silently at Xena's side.
Shortly thereafter, a woman was brought before Xena. She hopelessly struggled against the soldiers that held her arms as they forcefully pushed her in Xena's direction. The fear in her wide eyes was absolute and spoke of a foreboding certain death. Her face was as white as a puffy cloud in the high blue sky. No breath entered her lungs, as she seemed frozen in place by Xena's cold piercing eyes. At the sight of the struggling prisoner, the woman beside Xena began shouting and pleading again. Xena didn't flinch and indifferently ignored her.
"Xena! Please! Don't kill her! It was my fault! Please! My fault! My fault!" she babbled. Without concern for her own life, she grabbed hold of Xena's forearm with both hands and tried to hinder the warrior from getting to the restrained woman. This time, Xena stopped and turned. Her eyes met the overwrought woman's as they lidded over in a searing hatred. The woman jerked her hands away and stumbled backwards as if struck by an unseen force. Helplessly, she continued to cry in silence.
Xena slowly turned to the captive woman.
"Just tell me the truth, Maedea. Did you lay down with my Cela?"
Maedea began to open her mouth and speak but no words came out. Her silence answered Xena's question more than words ever could. Her vocal chords were sealed mute by the overwhelming knowledge that she would soon be a passenger on Charon's boat. Xena confirmed her fear.
In the blink of an eye, Xena deftly reached for her sword and in one swift motion plunged her sword to the hilt through Maedea's heart. After a meaningful grunt, she extracted the dripping blade and pivoted around to face her lover. Before the woman had a chance to register Xena's sudden movement, the warrior swung her blade in a backward arc and sliced a clean gash across Cela's abdomen. Instinctively, Cela's hand reached up in a futile attempt to hold on to her intestines but not before Xena had swiped her abdomen a second time in the opposite direction. Cela collapsed lifelessly to the ground, her hand uselessly clutched at her mutilated stomach. Xena took in a deep breath and stomped back toward her tent as her bloody sword led the way.
"Get rid of them!" she yelled over her shoulder.
Nestra cried out. Instantly, Callisto clamped her hand over her mouth but it was too late. Xena and her soldiers heard her and looked up in their direction. Quickly the camp was spurred into action to capture the intruders.
Callisto shouted at her to run and Nestra ran blindly through the trees as she followed Callisto's lead. Amazingly, she was glad to be able to run after witnessing the horrifying murders. She was certain that if she had stayed hidden in the trees a moment longer she would have vomited or fainted to the ground below. Running felt good. Running away from Xena. Running away from certain death. Running away from the Warrior Princess. Gratefully, she saw their horses where they left them as she and Callisto escaped the clutches of Xena's army by what must have been a mere stroke of good fortune.
Callisto and Nestra arrived safely back in camp. When the horses stopped, Nestra rolled off her mare and tumbled to the ground. Brissea raced over to help her as Callisto dismounted.
"What happened?" Brissea asked worriedly. She didn't like the pale complexion on Nestra's face. As if on cue, Nestra vomited without warning. Brissea held her and looked over at Callisto questioningly for an answer.
"What happened, damn you?!" Brissea demanded, an edge of fear crept into her voice.
Callisto laughed. "Xena, the Warrior Princess happened! Your role model. The 'true' Amazon. The one you two wanted to join up with. Well, I suspect after what happened today, you won't be volunteering anytime soon."
"Why . . . why . . . did you take me there?" Nestra spat the words out as she struggled to catch her breath. "You knew that would happen, didn't you!" she accused.
"Why I had no idea!" Callisto giggled. "That was just a fortunate coincidence. She showed her true colors, though, didn't she? Red. Like blood. Her lover had no idea Xena would kill her too!" She threw her head back and howled with laughter. She noticed Brissea and Nestra did not join her. She furrowed her brow and frowned.
"I guess it's true what they say. Amazons really don't have a sense of humor, do they?" She sighed.
Nestra was shaken out of her reverie when Brissea opened her eyes and squinted at the sunlight. She looked around the campsite and immediately remembered where they were.
"Is it time to go yet, Nestra?" she asked.
"Yes it is, sweetie," Nestra answered and gave Brissea an open kiss on the lips. When the kiss ended, Brissea made no attempt to get up from their bedroll. Nestra remained in place as well.
"Nestra, are you as worried as I am?" Brissea frowned. In all their adventures on the road, she had never had such a bad feeling about something. Callisto being a goddess was beyond her mortal comprehension.
"Yes I am, but all we can do is let this thing play itself out. We do what Callisto says and she takes care of Xena. All we can hope for is that it stays between them. We lead Xena to the bait and that's it. I really don't think Callisto will trouble us after that. And besides, we were good friends not too long ago, before Xena killed her and, you know, all this happened."
"I know. Nestra, but when I think about it, it's very scary. I mean Callisto has all this godly power and she wastes it on Xena." Brissea shook her head sadly. "I just don't understand it."
Nestra squeezed her lover more tightly and kissed the top of her forehead. "Don't worry, this will soon be over, one way or another," she assured her. She sighed.
"We better get going, we want to catch up to them by mid-day."
"Wait, Nestra." Brissea stopped her from rising to her feet. "Let's make love before we go," she urged, "in case . . . you know." Brissea didn't finish her sentence as Nestra descended upon her lover with a fervor and desperation neither one had ever experienced.
Xena stretched her long legs and arms upon awaking at first light. She and Gabrielle were both naked and Xena was content to just lie there all day with Gabrielle's soft curves molded into her own. However, she knew that if they wanted to reach the festival on time, they'd have to get going fairly early. She squeezed Gabrielle one last time before she stood up and went to fetch some wood for their morning fire. They would need to break the night's fast before they began their journey.
When Xena returned from the woods, she ignited a small fire and lovingly stared at the sleeping bard. Her heart swelled with an almost painful joy. She couldn't remember a time in her troubled life when she had been so content and ease with herself. There was something about this gentle woman that brought out the best in Xena. It was a part of her she didn't even know existed until the vibrant young woman entered her life. No one would have believed that she was the same woman who had struck fear in the hearts of so many as the Warrior Princess and Destroyer of Nations just three short summers ago. She knew Gabrielle lead her away from that path time and time again and Xena had no idea why the Fates were gracious enough to cross her dark soul with Gabrielle's bright one. All Xena knew was that there was nothing she wouldn't give to follow Gabrielle wherever she led for the rest of her life.
Gabrielle stirred briefly in her sleep, pushing aside the blanket they'd shared when her smooth thigh escaped its hiding place. Xena grinned mischievously and licked her lips. She had an idea of how she would wake the bard up.
She hovered over the sleeping woman and whispered, "Gabrielle." She ran a strong hand along the younger woman's well-muscled thigh, massaging the taut skin until she found the sparse hair between Gabrielle's legs. The bard didn't stir one bit. Xena wondered how far she could go before Gabrielle awakened and she bent down to taste the fine hairs in between the bard's most private part. Xena's tongue made languid circles in Gabrielle's reddish triangle purposely avoiding the nether lips that she knew were already beginning to swell with arousal. Gabrielle moaned softly in her sleep and this tiny acknowledgement, albeit unconscious, spurred Xena to continue her oral assault voraciously.
"Xena . . ." Gabrielle moaned.
Xena wasn't quite sure if Gabrielle was fully awake, but no matter, she wasn't going to deny herself the taste of the young woman's sweet nectar. Her mouth eventually reached the bard's wet centre and she lapped up her essence in sheer amazement. If Gabrielle was this aroused in her sleep--Xena didn't finish her thought when the bard's hand entwined her fingers into the warrior's dark hair. Gabrielle pulled her closer and urged her on in a quiet desperation. Xena moaned deep in her throat when she knew that Gabrielle was fully conscious. The bard's hips began to move to Xena steady's rhythm. The warrior buried her tongue inside Gabrielle and relished the golden honey that flooded the hot opening.
"Oh Xena!" Gabrielle panted, her body contorted to the expert ministrations of Xena's tongue.
Xena groaned loudly. She never tired of the wondrous pleasure that indulging Gabrielle gave her. Working feverishly, Xena's tongue traveled deftly to the tiny bud in dire need of attention. She smothered it with her mouth as Gabrielle's hips rose off the ground to meet her.
"Oh Xena!" Gabrielle exclaimed again. "Let me . . . . . . .ah!" Words escaped her as Xena drove two strong fingers inside with frenzied abandon. Her digits matched the beat set by her skilful tongue. She brought Gabrielle to the brink and then let her topple over the edge in a delightful cascade of undeniable ecstasy.
From her perch on a nearby tree, a blonde warrior observed the two lovers with godlike discretion. She silently mimicked the sounds and utterances that escaped the bard's lips. "Oh Xena!" she mouthed in feigned ecstasy. "'Oh Xena!' Oh, give me a break! You little brat," Callisto spat out disdainfully. Despite her wish to deny it, she was equally torn between wanting to be Xena's lover and wanting to plunge her massive sword into her heart. But first things first, she thought. Once again she toyed with Hephaestus' necklace as her face broke out into a feral smile. Dear sweet Xena would suffer exquisitely, she vowed.
"Xena? Do you think you could wake me up like this every morning?" Gabrielle asked hopefully.
Xena grunted and smiled in spite of herself.
"Your wish is my command, my little Amazon Queen, but I don't think we'd ever go anywhere if I did."
"Yeah, you're right," Gabrielle laughed.
"Come on, we better get going," Xena urged. Actually, she didn't want to move from the hollow of Gabrielle's neck but they had already wasted precious candlemarks indulging themselves in the open forest. Xena knew that if they wanted to reach Aulis by the Summer Solstice, they would have to pick up their pace. On the other hand, Xena mused, if they dallied here, Gabrielle would be forced to ride Argo behind her for the entire ride. At any rate, they had to get moving. With great reluctance, the warrior planted a final kiss on Gabrielle's lips. She rose to get dressed and began to gather up their belongings. They quickly finished and began their journey in the direction of Aulis riding one behind the other atop Argo.
Less than a candlemark later, Xena spotted two warrior women on horseback that looked vaguely familiar. She brought Argo to a halt and quickly dismounted. Gabrielle followed her lead.
"Gabrielle, get behind me," she warned. The warrior's hand immediately fingered her chakram and she prepared herself to withdraw her sword. As the women drew closer, Xena recognized the strong dark woman with the long braids and her companion, not much smaller but with pale skin and shoulder-length, light-brown hair. They were the warriors she had nearly killed back in the cave near Athens.
"Xena, aren't they the women from Athens?" Gabrielle whispered anxiously behind her.
"Yes . . . just stay close. I don't like this."
The women stopped their horses a fair distance between Xena and themselves, not quite sure if the warrior would hear them out.
"Xena, we have a message for you," Nestra began as she got straight to the point. "It's from Callisto!" she shouted.
Gabrielle quickly shot a glance at Xena. Both she and Xena knew that Callisto had been trapped in the lava pit alongside Velasca. How could anyone escape that? she wondered.
"Is that right?" Xena asked as she withdrew her sword from its scabbard. She wanted to hear more but she did not trust these two women even for the slightest of moments.
"Xena, we mean you no harm, we are willing to throw down our weapons as a show of good faith." Nestra nervously waited for an answer. The Warrior Princess was the best warrior in the land and could have already taken both of them out within a blink of an eye. But she had no choice except to believe that Xena's little companion would somehow exerted a calming influence on the volatile warrior.
"All right then, throw down your swords. Slowly," she added. With obvious relief, they both complied. "Now dismount and ease away from your horses," Xena ordered. "Careful, now. Any sudden movements and you're both dead," she cautioned. Both women dismounted as instructed.
As soon as the horses were well away from the warriors, Xena propelled herself into an acrobatic flip and landed in front of Nestra and in one swift motion rammed her against the nearest tree. Her eyes blazed in undisguised fury as she pressed her forearm hard against Nestra's windpipe. Gabrielle had her staff trained on Brissea to allow Xena's interrogation.
"Now you know and I know that Callisto's dead! So what's your little game? Do you want me to finish the job I started back in the cave?"
"No! I'm not lying! I swear it!" Nestra shouted, suddenly panicking that Xena would really kill them after all. "Ssshe's really alive! We saw her!" Thinking quickly, Nestra remembered added proof. "She said you were going to Aulis! For the Solstice!" Xena shot a glance at the bard and knew full well that only she and Gabrielle knew of such a thing.
"Let's say I do believe you, and Callisto is alive, what does that evil bitch want?" Xena pushed her forearm harder into Nestra's throat for emphasis. Nestra coughed and gasped through her rapidly closing windpipe. Well, if that isn't the frying pan calling the kettle black, Nestra thought with contempt. After seeing the colorful lives of both women, neither of them had a right to speak of evil. Nonetheless, she kept her perceptive thoughts to herself.
"She's got Isiphae!" she choked.
Gabrielle gasped audibly. This encounter was quickly deteriorating from bad to worse. A surge of jealous envy passed through her even though she knew the indisputable truth that Xena was hers and hers alone.
"Where?!" Xena barked.
"Back . . .in . . . Athens," she sputtered. "Xena, let me talk," she pleaded. Xena relented. With her skills, she knew these two women could be easily dispatched of, warriors or not. However, before she released the ebony warrior, Xena groped behind her leather garb and withdrew the woman's concealed dagger. She aimed the blade menacingly close to her throat.
"So start talking," she said.
Nestra took a few moments to breathe. "Callisto's holding Isiphae for ransom until you come to Athens. She says you two have some unfinished business."
Gabrielle snorted at that comment.
"How did she come back?" Xena didn't want to tell Nestra the full circumstances of Callisto's demise. She wanted to make sure that her tale had a ring of truth to it.
"I don't know, she only said the gods were kind to her." Nestra was clearly lying, but Xena saw no need to pursue this further. The fact that the gods brought Callisto back was all she needed to know. She may indeed be an immortal goddess.
"So are you saying she's a goddess now?" Xena queried, still not quite believing this fantastic tale, although many people were still in awe of the fact that she herself had come back from the Underworld.
"Yes! She's definitely a goddess but she walks among us. I don't think they'd ever allow her a place on Mount Olympus." Despite the seriousness of the situation, Xena gave Nestra a half-crooked smile. She was absolutely right about that.
"Where is she in Athens? At the Wicked Wing?" Gabrielle's shoulders noticeably flinched at the name of the place where she'd sought out Xena the last time they were in Athens.
"No, she said we should accompany you into the City and when we get there, she'll give us further instructions." Nestra hoped this would be enough to convince Xena to go.
"All right, we're going. Start walking." Xena pushed her forward onto the road. She decided the two warriors would be easier to keep an eye on if they were on foot. Gabrielle and Brissea followed suit.
"What about our horses?" Nestra questioned. "We just can't leave them here."
"You'll stable them in the next village. I'm sure Callisto won't mind. If she's a goddess, like you say, she has all the time in the world." Xena handed Argo's reins to Gabrielle and took hold of the other women's horses. They would leave all three at the next village.
Nestra nodded agreeably and moved down the road. All the while she kept in mind that the most important thing for her and Brissea right now was to stay alive. Their horses were a small price to pay in exchange. She hoped that Xena hadn't detected her small lie, but the warrior hadn't seemed to notice. Later, if Xena resorted to using her pinching fingers on her, Nestra had a back up plan all ready as a confession for "the truth". Callisto had at least taught her that much.
Again she wondered how she and Brissea had been ensnared by the deadly dance Xena and Callisto played with each other. She had no idea what Callisto was up to but as far as she was concerned, she and Brissea were there to deliver a message and fulfil a duty. Nothing more. When that was done, she and her lover would depart as fast and as far away from Xena and Callisto that Hermes' winged feet could take them.
Just before darkness descended on the land, the four women prepared a campsite. The horses had been left at a village along the way as they continued their journey to Athens on foot. Xena took Nestra with her to hunt for small game, as she did not want the two warriors to be left alone with Gabrielle. Of the two women, she decided Nestra was more dangerous. Gabrielle and Brissea remained behind. They tended to the fire and arranged their respective bedrolls.
For a long while, the campsite was filled with an awkward silence, neither woman knew quite what to say. The last time they'd seen each other, Brissea had been an unwilling participant in the kidnapping of Gabrielle by her friend Leica. She avoided Gabrielle's eyes and focused on her immediate tasks. Eventually both women were drawn to the warmth and comfort of the fire. Brissea spoke first.
"So you're really the Queen of the Amazons?"
"How did-----," Gabrielle began but she knew it was no secret, however, she declined to go into further details. "Yes I am," she simply answered.
"We used to be with the Nation," Brissea stated wistfully. For the life of her, she wished she could have been in any other situation than the one she and Nestra were currently mired in.
"You were? What happened?" Gabrielle asked curiously. "Sorry, you don't need to tell me if it's too painful," she quickly added when she saw the look of despair on Brissea's face.
"No, it's not the Amazons," she said. "It's just this." She waved her hand to mean their current predicament. "The Amazons were actually good to me, I have no quarrel with them."
"So why did you leave?"
"Nestra," she answered. "When she left the Amazons, I had to follow her. She didn't want me to go with her, she said I was too young. But I knew what was in my heart; I had to go with her. She needed someone at her side. She needed me." Brissea allowed a small smile to escape her lips as she thought of her deep love for the ebony warrior.
"You and she are . . .um, . . . an item?" Gabrielle asked. She did not really want to pry but she was intrigued nonetheless.
"Yes, we are as one," Brissea confirmed.
Gabrielle grinned and nodded, "I know how that feels," she said, clearly thinking of Xena.
"Gabrielle----," Brissea started then stopped.
"What? What is it?"
"Can I ask you a personal question?" Brissea asked apprehensively.
"Sure," Gabrielle nodded.
"How do you it?"
"Do what?"
"How do keep such control over Xena?"
"Control?" the bard asked, confused by the question. "I don't have any control over Xena. She makes up her own mind and believe me, once she does, not even I can't stop her,"
"You stopped her back in that cave," Brissea reminded her, and still trembled at the memory of how close to death she had actually been. Both her and Nestra were as certain as the rising sun that it was the end.
"Look, I'm sorry about that, but Xena really wasn't herself that day. She was just going through a bad time and sometimes she just gets a little crazy when someone threatens to harm me. I'm sorry about what happened to Leica. Really, I liked her. She just caught Xena in a bad moment," Gabrielle said apologetically.
Brissea looked at her incredulously. "You really believe that? That Xena was just going through a bad moment?"
"Yes, she's changed. Really. I know there have been some bad stories about her, but that was a long time ago, she's trying to make up for it now. You should see all the good she's done since then." Gabrielle tried to sound convincing but inside she was desperately trying to rationalize Xena's actions. Sometimes she just couldn't and Leica had been one of those times.
Brissea just shook her head at Gabrielle's naiveté. No wonder Xena liked this little slip of a girl. Xena had her spellbound, and she swallowed it - hook, line and sinker.
"Did you and Nestra know Xena before?" Gabrielle asked even though she was afraid of the answer. Clearly, this woman had at least known about Xena in her warlord days.
"Well, not personally, but we've seen some things," she replied vaguely. She did not really want to tell Gabrielle what Nestra had seen Xena do to an unfaithful lover. It would serve no purpose to hurt the girl maliciously. Brissea didn't elaborate further and the bard didn't press her.
They sat and stared into the fire, each of them lost in thought, when they heard Xena and Nestra return to the campsite.