The air hung heavy with the sound of clashing metal. Cries and screams echoed through the battle zone as sharpened blades cleaved into flesh. The two women fought, side by side, protecting each other as they forged their way through the bloodied tangle of bodies, onward, towards the last line of defense. A wayward arc of a sword slashed downward to Gabrielle’s shoulder. Xena blocked the blow as Gabrielle thrust forward, disemboweling the hapless attacker. The tall warrior grinned devilishly through blood spattered features at the smaller woman. Gabrielle nodded, and with a battle cry, the two women increased their thrust into the enemy, hacking and slicing. After much blood shed, the men they faced disengaged, drawing back to the perimeter of the tree line, to safety. With a triumphant raising of her weapon, Xena looked around to find Gabrielle. They had done it, they had pushed a force, three times their number back. But Gabrielle was not by Xena’s side. The warrior looked about frantically, finding the fallen bard several paces behind her. She had propped herself on one elbow and was struggling for breath, the hilt of a sword projecting at an ugly angle from her chest. Xena collapsed by the woman and gathered her into her arms as dozens of feet ran by and cheers erupted from the victors.

"Gabrielle…" Xena trailed off, realising the extent of the bard’s wounds, "C’mon, we have to get you out of here." Xena tried to hoist Gabrielle into her arms, but the bard did not move to help her. "No Xena, not this time." She hissed as blood bubbled to her lips.

"But I have to try."

"Xena…no, it’s…fine," A shuddering cough wracked the bard’s body as Xena clung to her.

The warrior was shaking her head, "I should have been there."

"My choice, Xena."

The bard was finding it increasingly hard to breathe and dark spots swam before her eyes.

"No…"

"Not…this time," the bard repeated as her eyes fluttered and closed for a final time. "Noooooooooooo…"

Chapter One

"My father says your mother is a coward," the voice piped up.

"My mother is not a coward!" a child’s voice said, as it flung itself in the direction of the slanderer.

Two bodies wrestled in the dust, fists flew as anger fueled strength.

"Take it back!" one said, pinning the struggling figure of a small boy to the ground, fist raised ready for a lip splitting blow.

The boy shook his head, "My father said it, it’s true."

"Eve! Get over here, now!" Xena’s voice sounded stern as the two small bodies struggled to their feet, fight momentarily shocked out of them. Xena placed a heavy hand on her daughter’s shoulder, "What’s true?" The girl wiped at some of the dirt on her clothes before looking into her mother’s eyes.

"Torac says you are a coward," Eve said softly.

Blue eyes dulled slightly, "I see."

"But it’s not true, is it?" Eve pleaded.

"Go inside now." Xena said, pushing Eve slightly in the direction of their small house.

"See…told you-"

But Torac’s words were cut off as Eve broke free and charged the boy. Xena grabbed her daughter by the back of her tunic and held her firm, her arms flailing like windmills.

"Let me go!" Eve shouted, trying to beat at her mother’s arms.

"Stop it!" Xena growled, "Torac, go home."

The boy didn’t need a second telling as he scurried off down the street.

"You’re letting him go?" Eve asked as she stopped struggling.

"Eve, listen to me," Xena began as she squatted down and turned her daughter towards her. She searched Eve’s angry eyes and tried to smile, "Sometimes, you need to know when to walk away."

"But he-"

"I know Eve, but it’s not worth it, trust me," Xena said softly.

"How would you know?" Eve spat as she broke free and ran for home. Xena squatted there a moment, her elbows propped on her knees as she steepled her fingers under her chin. She swallowed and closed her eyes.

"What am I going to do with her, Gabrielle?" she mumbled.

"That girl needs discipline."

Xena looked up sharply and stood.

"Duris," Xena began, "What are you doing here?"

The old man smiled, brushing a few wisps of white hair from his eyes, "I came to see an old friend." His voice was kindly as put an arm around Xena’s shoulder and began to walk her home.

"I’m not that old."

Duris nodded and frowned, "But I mean it Xena, she’s eleven winters, and a vixen."

Xena snorted, "Like mother like daughter."

"You know that’s not true."

"I don’t want it to be, but…I’m afraid. If Gabrielle…" Xena trailed off.

"Don’t even think it Xena."

"You didn’t know her," Xena said as they mounted the few steps to the entrance of the small house she had built ten winters previously, after making the second great change of her life, living without Gabrielle.

"True, I did not, but I know of her," Duris said as he followed Xena into the main living area of the house and took a chair at the wooden table Xena had crafted.

"Don’t," Xena said, sounding weary.

"You have to let her go."

Xena shook her head slightly, "You want tea?" she asked, ignoring the statement.

Duris cleared his throat and stretched his legs, "You don’t have anything stronger…an old man’s bones, you know."

A shadow of a smile flickered across Xena’s lips as she moved to the pantry and removed a small wooden cask form the top shelf. She nodded and poured Duris a goblet of port.

Duris took a pleasing swallow and closed his eyes.

"Why did you come here?" Xena asked, taking a chair opposite the old man.

"I told you, to see a friend." Duris took another swallow of port.

"I am not stupid."

The old man nodded, "You are right of course, there is a reason."

"Then tell me," Xena prodded, leaning across the table.

Duris sniffed and placed his goblet of port neatly on the table. Her turned it a couple of times before meeting Xena’s eyes. "Perakles has raised an army. They plan to march on Amphipolis."

Xena straightened in her chair, "That has nothing to do with me."

"But your family…"

"I can’t help them."

"Xena-"

"No! I am not a warrior anymore…I’m not." Xena slammed her fist into the table and stood angrily. She paced back and forth before Duris. "I don’t fight, and I don’t kill." Duris watched her pensively. Where was the spark? Where was the fire that he had heard about? This tall, dark woman dressed in forest trews and tunic barely resembled the Xena of legend.

"You died with her, didn’t you?" he asked solemnly.

"Yes."

"And what about Eve? You let her run wild, a girl of eleven winters trying to defend your honour?"

"I have no honour to defend."

"What happened to you, Xena?"

"You said it yourself…I died with her," Xena turned to look at the man with a stricken gaze.

Duris searched Xena’s eyes briefly, "If you say so, but you know that’s not all."

"Kapolis," Xena nodded, "I did some…things. I broke my promise to Gabrielle."

"Promise?"

"Yes," Xena moved back to her chair and poured herself a port. She snorted as she held her goblet up, "I promised Gabrielle, a long time ago, so long…that if something happened to her, I would not become a monster. With Kapolis, I broke that promise," she downed the port in one.

"You were grief stricken."

"That’s no excuse, you know that Duris, what I did there…I…forgot myself in order to forget Gabrielle, but it didn’t work, did it?"

Duris nodded, "So now, you trap animals and sell their skins."

"It’s a living," Xena said after she refilled her goblet. She did not offer the same to Duris.

"But it’s not a life."

"Leave," the dark woman growled, her eyes glowing with intensity.

Duris sighed and scraped back his chair on the wood floor, "If that’s what you want."

"That’s what I want," she watched the old man walk to the door.

He half turned and spoke, "She deserves better, Xena. This isn’t the way for the daughter of the Warrior Princess."

"Go!"

Duris glanced Xena up and down a moment before shaking his head and disappearing through the door. Xena did not watch the old man leave. Rather she downed more of the port and stood, heading to the back of the house. She passed the accusing eyes of Eve on her way through as she clung to a doorframe. She waved the girl off with a hand. How much had she heard of their conversation? At the rear of the house, Xena paused and took a deep breath to focus her thoughts.

"Gabrielle…" she groaned as she headed to the woodshed and grabbed the axe from its position on the far wall. Clutching the tool firmly, she strode outside to the chopping block. She rested the axe beside the worn stump and hoisted a section of wood. With the axe held once more, she took a swing, splitting the block neatly in half. She re-adjusted one half and split it again. Xena worked methodically.

"You are a fool, Xena, a melancholy fool if you think you can be anything other than what you are. It’s in your nature to kill, to maim, to destroy."

"I’ve tried."

"Tried? There is no redemption. Do you think the dead have forgotten you, as you have forgotten them?"

"How could I forget?"

"But that’s the easy part, Xena, death is faceless, nameless."

"Gabrielle was not faceless."

"Ah yes, the bard…you killed her."

"I wasn’t there for her."

"No, you weren’t…Tell me, Xena, does it feel good to hate me?"

"Yes."

"You still need it."

"I’m different now."

"Not so different. Look at you. Now you fight blocks of wood…What are you going to do about Perakles?"

"Nothing."

"Make me laugh. What happened to the greater good you were always so desperate to fight for?"

"It died."

"Who are you trying to protect, Xena, Eve, or yourself?"

"Leave me alone!"

"I can’t."

"I will not listen to this."

"You have no choice."

"We all have choices."

"Perhaps, but not this time, not with me."

"I don’t need you."

"Tsk, tsk, not so easy is it, Xena? You can’t live with half a soul."

Xena embedded the axe in the chopping block and slumped over, hands on knees, breathing heavily. Sweat dripped from her forehead into her eyes. She blinked the stinging salt away. "Ares…" she whispered s she straightened.

"Mother?" Eve’s voice came from behind her.

"Come help me with this wood."

"Winter is months away."

"I know, but come help me anyway," Xena motioned with her hand.

Sulkily, Eve wandered over and picked up a couple of pieces, "I…I’m sorry about earlier," She said with a pout.

"You shouldn’t fight with Torac, no matter what he says," Xena said, collecting an armful of wood and heading to the house. She began a line at the base of the back wall. By winter, it would be roof high and act as good insulation against the chill wind.

"But he said bad things about you," Eve followed and dumped her load.

"Just words, Eve, they don’t mean anything."

"It didn’t feel like just words."

"Eve, sometimes people say things to hurt people, and if you let yourself get hurt, then they have won," Xena said as she headed back for more wood.

"So it’s not true, you are not a coward?"

Xena stopped a moment, "What do you think?"

Eve grinned, "I think you are the Warrior Princess!"

Xena’s face became ashen, "Don’t call me that."

"But Duris…he said-"

"I don’t care what Duris said!" Xena said harshly. Eve’s shoulders slumped and her eyes registered shock.

Xena took a deep breath, "He’s an old man, he doesn’t know what he says half the time."

"But you were the Warrior Princess," Eve said, bending to retrieve a couple more pieces of wood.

"I was," Xena said solemnly, collecting more wood.

"What happened then?" Xena was silent. "It was Gabrielle, wasn’t it? She made you into a coward!"

Xena dropped her load of wood where she stood, "Don’t you ever let me hear you speak like that again," Xena said coldly, but it was pointless, Eve was off an running. Xena watched her daughter go. She’d be all right, she knew the woods around the house like the back of her hand. Xena had made sure of that, at least.

Slowly Xena ambled over to the chopping block and ripped the axe clear. Not caring where it fell, she threw it to the ground before collapsing on the block.

"Eleven years, Gabrielle. Eleven years and I never spoke about you. I couldn’t…I never told her," Xena whispered, her eyes bleary.

"Why not?"

The sound startled the warrior, "Gabrielle?"

"Hardly." The voice said as it materialised into a figure.

"Aphrodite."

"That’s me," for once, the Goddess of Love sounded vaguely serious.

"What do you want?" Xena said coldly.

Aphrodite smiled and smoothed her gown, "That bard of yours has been driving me crazy."

"You’ve spoken to Gabrielle?"

"No, she’s been speaking to me. All of Olympus sees your pain, Xena," Xena snorted, "We’re not all like Ares."

"Could’ve fooled me," she spat.

Aphrodite crossed her arms, "You didn’t kill her."

"I let her die."

"Believe what you will, it’s not my job to change your mind," Aphrodite said with a shrug.

"Just tell me what you want."

"Not me, Xena, Gabrielle wants you to protect your mother."

"You’re lying."

The Goddess seemed nonplused, "Go to Amphipolis, raise an army, defeat Perakles." "That is my concern."

"I don’t have to listen to you."

"No, but you’ll listen to Gabrielle," the Goddess smiled.

"That’s cheap."

"Call it what you will."

"What about Eve?" Xena questioned.

"Do not take her with you."

"She needs a mother…"

"And that’s what you’ve been? She needs to be safe."

Xena nodded, "I haven’t fought in nearly eleven years."

"Perakles is five days out of Amphipolis."

Xena did a mental calculation, "That gives me two days before I leave…It’s not enough."

"It’ll have to be," Aphrodite said, and then she was gone.

Xena stared at nothing. Amphipolis, home, or it used to be, before Gabrielle… "Gabrielle? Why are you doing this?"

Chapter Two

Xena pulled the worn leather case up from beneath the floorboards in her sleeping quarters. She sat back on her haunches and stared at the object. Inside was her old life…her life with Gabrielle. She hesitated as her hands ran over the wax seals she had created over the buckles. Nearly eleven years. With deft fingers she broke the seals and threw back the top of the case. She smiled ruefully as her fingers trailed over the scabbard of her sword, before she removed it and set it beside her. She pulled clear her armour and placed it beside the sword. Finally her leathers and boots surfaced from their resting-place.

"What am I doing?" Xena asked as she stood, collecting her gear and moved to the kitchen area. She dumped everything on the table and gathered a rag and oil. After a candle mark, eleven years of neglect had been cleaned from her leathers. A half candle mark after that, her armour gleamed.

"That was easy, Xena."

"Go away."

"I don’t think so. Didn’t take long, did it?"

"It’s not a matter of time."

"Ah…I see, what Gabrielle wants, Gabrielle gets. And you used to be so strong."

Xena unsheathed her sword with a violent gesture and glared at the dulled weapon. She found a sharpening stone and set to work.

"Do you honestly think that you can become the Warrior Princess in five days? No-one has heard of you in a decade. Xena, you’re dying."

"I can try."

"You tried to stop killing…and now you are going to fight a battle that is not even yours."

"What do you care?"

"Well, since you killed the bard, I’ve had to do something with my time, haven’t I?"

The sharpening stone stopped midway down the length of the sword, "If I could see you, I’d kill you."

"You think?" Ares asked as he materialised across the other side of the room.

The God of war sidestepped deftly as Xena charged towards him, half sharpened sword held up. Ares grabbed Xena’s wrist and spun her around, drawing her own weapon against her neck.

"Rule number one, Xena, never let anger mar your judgement," The God of War said as he held her back against his chest and whispered in her ear, "Anger kills, you know that, or you used to. One slice and you’re dead."

He pushed Xena from him, relieving her of her sword in the process. Xena stumbled forward and slammed into the wooden table.

"Again." Xena breathed.

Ares cocked his head to one side, "If I didn’t know different Xena, I’d think you wanted my help."

Xena straightened and raised an eyebrow.

A slow smile spread over Ares’ chiseled features as he tossed Xena her sword and she caught it.

"It’s about time," The God of War said, a sword appearing in his hands with a brilliant flash.

Crouching in a battle stance, Xena moved forward as Ares circled slowly. They came together in a conflagration of metal. Block, parry, thrust, block.

"Not bad, Xena." Ares said as their swords crashed together and the God pushed her away.

Xena nodded and the two of them advanced again, their movements almost like a dance. Xena’s sword lashed out but was blocked easily by the God of War. Ares followed with a slashing back handed undercut that would have gutted Xena had she not stumbled back from the blow. Xena felt the edge of the table behind her legs as she blocked yet another blow. Ares’ sword arced down, stopping at Xena’s groin, "Femoral artery, Xena…dead."

"Again," Xena said as Ares removed his sword from it’s killing position.

"If you say so." Ares backed up a couple of paces while Xena regained her fighting stance. Xena nodded and the two of them came together once more.

"C’mon Xena, you can do better than that," Ares said as Xena almost lost the grip on her sword and stumbled to her left. She righted herself in time to block a beheading backhand from the God of War.

"I want you to apologise to your-" Duris’ words were cut off as he opened the door to Xena’s house and he saw the embattled scene before him. Before he could stop her, Eve had launched herself across the room and plastered herself to Ares’ leg, beating wildly at his kidneys.

"You leave my mother alone!" she yelled as Xena glanced hurriedly in Duris’ direction.

"Well, well, what have we here?" Ares asked, picking Eve up by the scruff of her clothing and held her up to eye level. The child squirmed in his grasp, legs kicking out to no avail. Xena relaxed her sword.

"Eve! It’s all right."

At her mother’s words, Eve stopped struggling and Ares dropped her to the ground. The girl immediately ran over to her mother, her eyes wide when she noticed the sword in the woman’s hand.

Ares moved over and crouched down, "I’ve been watching you, Eve," he reached out a hand and played with a wayward strand of the child’s dark hair.

"You’re just like your mother," he looked up at Xena who gave him a cold glare.

"No I’m not," Eve said in a small voice, staring at the man.

"I think you are."

"My mother is a coward!" Eve shouted.

Still in the doorframe, Duris swallowed hard. Ares threw back his head and laughed heartily. Xena said nothing.

"A coward is she?" Ares could not help the smile that crossed his lips as he glanced at Xena again, "and that is why she was fighting the God of War when you came in just now?"

Eve’s jaw dropped a moment, then she sneered, "You’re not the God of War! Ares is fifteen feet tall and half as wide, with fangs for teeth and terrible battle scars all over his body," Eve sounded smug.

"Is that what you told her?" Ares asked Xena.

Xena shrugged, "I don’t know where she gets these things."

"Torac told me," Eve said defensively.

"And you believe everything this Torac tells you?" Ares asked. Eve looked between Ares and her mother a moment, her eyes resting briefly on Xena’s sword and then over to the pile of armour on the kitchen table.

She shook her head, "No."

"Good."

Xena cleared her throat, "Eve, why don’t you go with Duris for a while. He has some things to tell you."

She looked across to the old man and smiled. Duris nodded and held out a hand to the girl. Eve frowned a moment at Ares, as if assessing him, before moving to be ushered out the door by Duris.

Xena watched them go, "I should be telling her myself," she mumbled.

Ares ignored her musings, "Let’s take this out back…you seem to like the wood pile."

Duris walked with Eve to the stream that ran at the rear of the village. They said nothing during the quarter candle mark hike. The silence was pervasive as Duris eased his old frame down on a fallen log. Eve sat next to him expectantly.

"What was it mother wanted you to tell me?" she asked finally, picking absently at the bark on the log.

"That she is not a coward."

"That’s not much. Why did we have to come all the way out here for you to tell me that?"

Duris ran a hand through his thinning hair and sighed, "Because there is a lot more."

"The Warrior Princess," Eve said sullenly as she threw a chunck of bark into the stream.

"Yes," Duris paused a moment and squinted at the sun, "Your mother was one of the greatest warriors who ever lived."

"And then there was Gabrielle," Eve continued for him.

Duris nodded, "But she never made your mother a coward, quite the opposite. She just chose to…stop fighting when Gabrielle died."

"She loved her, didn’t she?" Eve asked, scuffing her feet in the grass.

"She did, more than you can understand now. Gabrielle had become your mother’s life. She’s lost without her."

"My mother killed Gabrielle."

"No," Duris shifted on the log, turning slightly to the girl, "There was a battle, a big battle. Your mother and Gabrielle were leading a force of around 600 against 2000. They were trying to protect a small village in the Peleponnese against Perakles, the same man who now threatens your mother’s village."

"Amphipolis," Eve jumped in.

"That’s right. So, Xena and Gabrielle led this small force and beat the warlord. Your mother always fought at Gabrielle’s side, and after the battle, Gabrielle was not there…she was dying."

"My mother didn’t protect her…" Eve said solemnly.

Duris shook his head, "By the time you were born, Gabrielle was a warrior in her own right, she did not need protecting. Did your mother ever tell you she was an Amazon Queen?"

Eve’s mouth dropped open, "My mother never speaks of Gabrielle," he voice dropped, "except to herself."

The old man nodded slowly, "Yes, an Amazon Queen and bard." "

She told stories?" Eve’s eyes lit up, "My mother never tells stories."

"I’m not surprised, she’s not very good at them," Duris chuckled.

"So why did Gabrielle die?"

"Fate…who knows. But those two had saved each other’s lives and had been given more chances than the Gods themselves. Maybe it was Gabrielle’s time. Everything happens for a reason, Eve."

"Then my mother didn’t kill her," Eve said as if she had made up her mind.

"No, but she believes she did. She always had Gabrielle under her wing, and sometimes the chick has to leave the nest."

"I want to leave the nest," Eve said strongly.

"You are too young," Duris shook his head at the notion.

"I’m going to be a warrior…like my mother."

Chapter Three

Cyrene slammed another mug of ale down on the tavern counter and turned to her son, "Toris, you can’t control this."

"If Xena was here-"

"Well she’s not, you know what she has become," Toris gritted his teeth, "What is it with you? First you hate her for her violence, and now…"

Cyrene ran a hand over her tired eyes, "She gave up, Toris. I didn’t raise my children to give up. I’ve lived too long to worry about her now."

"She’s your daughter."

"She’s a fool, a love sick fool in love with a dead woman," Cyrene said harshly.

"How can you be so cold?"

"Because it hurts."

"I know, but we have to think like her, be like her if we are to defeat Perakles. She did it," Toris said, grabbing a goblet and filling it with wine for some toothless patron.

"And Gabrielle died, before that you almost died, and before that, Lyceus died. I’m not going through that again."

"Mother…"

"Look at me Toris, I’m old, I don’t want to outlive all my children."

"So this town is going to curl up its toes for you. There must be others who are willing to fight," Toris slammed his fist down on the counter top.

"You find them. They are all as scared as they’ve ever been, except when-"

"Xena was here," Toris finished for her."

"Talk tactics, Xena," Ares said as his blade crashed against the warrior’s.

"Perakles has a strong force, " block, "and cavalry," thrust, "he’d be wise to use a pincer movement to trap our forward assault. Then use the cavalry to attack our rear." Parry, "But he’d have to choose the point of engagement, the land around Amphipolis is not very conducive to cavalry."

"You still have it Xena."

"My mind has not gone."

"Just some of your skills. Your dead," Ares said as his blade came to rest against her neck.

"This isn’t working," Xena said after Ares removed his blade.

"No kidding, Xena," The God of War said, sitting casually on the chopping block.

"My balance has gone. Tartarus, the last time I tried to do a back flip, I fell on my face," Xena threw her free arm into the air.

"Tell me about it," Ares shook his head, "I never thought I would see the day, Xena."

"Well, you have," Xena started pacing, "Does it make you feel happy that you could have killed me several times over today?"

"Once, maybe, but now…I just feel sorry for you."

"That does it! Get up!" Xena gestured with her hand. Ares stared at her and shook his head, "C’mon, get up and I’ll give you something to be sorry about!"

Ares shook his head again, but rose slowly to his feet. Before he was fully standing, he was confronted by a series of blows from Xena. Partially off balance, he still managed to block them before backing away to circle his opponent.

"That’s more like it!" he said, moving in to engage her.

"You want some of this, God boy? Come get it," Xena spat tauntingly as her sword flew in an arc, crashing into Ares’ weapon. Ares rolled his shoulder to take the blow, and backed up a pace. Xena grinned as Ares stabbed out with his sword. She swayed to her right and brought her sword down. The blade slammed against the guard of Ares’ weapon. Ares threw the assault off, rolled his wrists and followed with a slashing cut to Xena’s left shoulder. Xena dropped her shoulder as the God’s blade went hissing by. She spun, and delivered a back handed blow that came to rest gently

against the back of Ares’ neck.

"Rule number one," she gasped, "never let anger mar your judgement…unless it is to your advantage," she grinned and withdrew her weapon.

"Indeed," Ares said, lashing out with his right foot, hooking it behind Xena’s heel and tripping her. Xena went down hard, and found the point of Ares’ sword at her throat, "Rule number two, never drop your guard," The God of War sneered.

"I think you’re enjoying this," Xena grumbled as she rolled to her feet.

"What ever gave you that idea…Warrior Princess?" Ares asked, gesturing Xena forward with his sword.

"You don’t want to be a warrior, Eve," Duris cautioned.

"Yes I do!"

"Warriors die young."

"My mother didn’t," Eve frowned.

"She was the best, Eve, and she knew when to walk away."

Eve hung her head as her heels kicked against the log, "She said that to me today. What does it mean?"

"Ah yes, with Torac," Duris took a deep breath, "Some things aren’t worth fighting for. Torac is small. When the world grows old, do you really think what he said to you will matter?"

Eve blinked at him, her blue eyes questioning, "It mattered to me."

"Of course. But the difference between wisdom and stupidity is seeing beyond yourself."

"So I shouldn’t have let it bother me that my mother was called a coward?" Eve asked.

"It can bother you, but it is up to you what you do with that feeling."

"What do you mean?" Eve turned towards him.

"You can either let it go, or you can hold on to it. But if you hold on to it, it will eat you alive, create hatred, maybe make you hurt people you love by your actions. Then you have not won, you don’t feel better, you’ve lost."

Eve nodded slowly, "You mean that if I hurt Torac, my mother would have been angry with me. I would have hurt her when I didn’t mean to, when I was trying to defend her."

"Something like that."

"But that’s not being a warrior," Eve persisted.

Duris smiled, "Come here," he gestured towards himself and Eve scooted over. He placed an arm around her shoulders. "Let me tell you a story. Many winters ago, when your mother was only a little older than you, a warlord attacked her village. Your mother was the one who motivated everyone to fight against this man, but your Uncle, Lyceus, died. Grief and anger overcame your mother. She became a warrior, a great warrior, but it killed her inside. Her hate grew so strong that she needed more. She had a massive army and could have ruled the world. Everyone feared her. She thought she was so strong, but her lust for power was terrible. They called her The Destroyer of Nations. Then one day in battle, she rescued a baby. Her generals and men thought she had, become weak, soft. They spurned her. They put her threw a gauntlet and she was supposed to die. But she survived. She had seen what she had become."

Duris paused a moment to look at Eve’s wide eyes and smiled, "That was the first time she tried to stop fighting. But then she met Gabrielle. She saved her from slavers, but they parted company. Your mother was going home. Only thing was, her home didn’t want her any more. They were afraid of her, they tried to kill her. But Gabrielle had followed your mother and stopped the village from stoning her to death. Gabrielle saw some of the good in your mother, even when she couldn’t see it anymore. That’s why it’s sometimes best to walk away. You don’t need a Gabrielle to find you if you never loose yourself, Eve."

"I understand," Eve said, scratching at her nose, "But I wouldn’t let that happen to me."

Duris shook his head, "Come on, we should be getting back, your mother will wonder where we are."

"Why are you helping me?" Xena asked as she ducked under the sweeping arc of Ares’ sword.

"Because I hate to see you wallowing in self pity," Ares said as he rolled his wrists, fending off Xena’s riposte.

"Tell me something I can believe," Xena sneered.

Ares backed away and held up his hands, calling a truce. He nodded, "Because it is in my best interests."

Xena raised an eyebrow, "Naturally."

"Xena, I’m the God of War…it serves my purpose to have you battle Perakles."

"So you want to see a fight," Xena crossed her arms, her sword resting on her shoulder.

"It’s my job," the God grinned.

"Why now?"

"Xena, Xena, appreciate the irony a little will you? A warlord who you defeated is now threatening your family. You’ve gone soft and helpless, but the thing is, this warlord, also happens to be the man who was responsible for Gabrielle’s death…I love it."

Xena flew at the God, her sword flashing from left to right. Ares parried the blows as best he could, being unprepared for the onslaught. He fell back a couple of paces and tried a disemboweling cut that failed miserably. He feinted to his left as Xena’s sword came down. He blocked the blow and tried to push her back with little success. The warrior broke away and circled, before engaging Ares again. A two-handed blow crashed near the hilt of Ares’ sword. Xena made a circular disarm with her blade, sending the God’s weapon flying. She slammed into him, sending him to the ground. In a moment she was on him, sword raised high.

"Mother! No!" Eve screamed from a distance as Xena plunged her sword deep into Ares’ chest.

Chapter Four

Xena glanced up, her daughter’s voice cutting through her anger. Eve was running towards her down the side of the house, Duris following more slowly after.

"You’ve killed him!" Eve panted as she came up to the warrior, still straddling Ares.

"Didn’t Duris tell you? That’s what I do, I kill people. But unfortunately," Xena stood, twisted her weapon and ripped it clear of Ares’ chest with a sickening sucking sound, "he’s not dead." She stepped over his body and kicked him in the ribs.

"Get up!"

Eve stared on in horror.

"Now look what you’ve done!" Ares accused as he rolled to his feet, "You made a hole." He stuck his finger through the neat slice in his tunic.

"Get out of my sight!" Xena hissed at the God of War.

Ares nodded and crossed his arms. "Think on it, Xena," he said before disappearing in a flash of light.

Eve blinked, "It’s going to happen again, isn’t it?" she asked.

"What is?" Xena grabbed a handful of grass and wiped her blade clean.

"You, Amphipolis, The Destroyer of Nations," Eve said in a small voice.

Xena glanced at Duris, who was leaning heavily against the back wall of the house. Her eyes softened as she crouched down beside her daughter and leant on her sword, "No, Eve, it’s not going to happen again."

"How do you know?" Eve questioned.

"Because this time, I have you to come home to," she smiled.

Eve pulled away, "You’re not taking me with you?"

"No, Eve. You’ll stay here with Duris," she glanced at the old man and he nodded, "A battle ground is not the place of a child."

"I’m not a child! I’m Eve, and I want to be a warrior!" she said as only a determined child could.

"Well, we don’t always get what we want."

Eve said nothing.

"Come with me," Xena stood and dragged her daughter after her into the house.

"Yes, but will she do it?" Perakles asked as he paced back and forth in his tent before the God of War.

"Oh, she’ll do it," Ares fingered his chest. "Admittedly she’s a little rusty, but she’ll be there, in Amphipolis, you can count on it."

"Excellent." Perakles’ dark eyes gleamed.

"Don’t worry, you’ll have your revenge," Ares said, moving to lounge on a pile of lush cushions that lay scattered about.

Perakles laughed, rocking back on his heels, "What about Gabrielle?" he asked.

"She’s too busy bothering my sister to be of any real consequence."

"And Eve?"

Ares picked at his teeth, "Oh, I think you are going to like her."

Perakles stopped pacing, a sly smile spreading slowly across his features.

"Don’t get any ideas, Perakles," Ares sneered, leaning forward on the cushions, "You get Xena, but the girl is mine, that’s the deal."

Xena pulled Eve into the kitchen, "This is my sword," she said, offering the girl the weapon. Eve stared at it as if it was a viper, "Go on, take it. You want to be a warrior, you’ll need a sword." She shoved the weapon into Eve’s hand. Eve slumped forward under the weight a moment before putting a second hand on the weapon.

"This is my armour," Xena dragged her metal breastplate across the table and held it up. "A warrior needs armour, you may as well take this too," she dumped the said material in Eve’s arms.

The girl stood there a moment, her arms laden. The muscles in her jaw worked as her eyes filled with tears.

"So, how does it feel?" Xena asked putting her hands on her hips.

"I don’t like it," Eve murmured as she dropped everything to the floor.

Xena nodded and bent to retrieve the fallen sword and armour. She placed the armour back on the table and sheathed her sword.

"Why don’t you show her the scrolls?" Duris asked from the doorway. Xena glanced up, a look of anguish on her face.

"But they’re Gabrielle’s, no-one’s looked at then since…"

"They are you, the Warrior Princess," Duris said.

Xena nodded and smiled at her daughter, "I have something to show you," she said, placing a hand on Eve’s shoulder and ushering her into her sleeping quarters. She settled Eve on her bed and moved over to the same area from which she had removed the case containing her armour and sword.

Xena knelt down, reaching beneath the floorboards. After a moment, she retrieved a worn leather sack. She dumped it beside her and dust billowed out in a choking cloud. Eve sat forward on the bed as her mother waved some of the dust away and opened the top of the sack. Inside were Gabrielle’s scrolls.

"These are very important to me," she said half to herself, lifting one clear and rolling it open, "Gabrielle wrote these about our life together. Everything we ever did, every battle we ever fought, every story of sadness, hope and joy is written on these parchments," she glanced across to her daughter and swallowed back any hesitancy she may have felt when she saw the look of awe on the child’s face.

"I want you to have them," she said finally, "I want you to read them, to look after them, to care about them. I want you to know who I was, who I really was, and what we meant to each other. Gabrielle could always tell it better than I could. Maybe that way, you can understand why I have to do this now, and why you can’t come with me."

Xena held out one of the scrolls to Eve, but the girl ignored it as she jumped off the bed and wrapped her mother in a leach-like embrace. They stayed that way for a long moment.

"I won’t be a warrior if you don’t want me to," Eve said in a voice verging on tears. Xena pulled back from the embrace.

"It’s not a matter of what I want, Eve, it’s a matter of what is right. You don’t have to be like me," Xena looked over Eve’s shoulder and saw Duris smiling in the other room. For once, it seemed, she had done something right.

Chapter Five

"Gabrielle, can you hear me?" Xena whispered. Her muscles ached from her dat’s activities with Ares, and her body was questioning her decision. She could not deny the bard. The warrior shook her head against her pillow. Despite her exhaustion, she could not sleep.

"I don’t know why you are doing this..."

Gabrielle paced and tried to block the thoughts of her once lover.

"Don’t...I can’t tell you. Please...don’t," the batd muttered, her fingers culing into fists at her side

"It’s more than my mother, isn’t it?"

"Don’t ask me that," Gabrielle hissed to herself.

"I’ve left her alone most of my life."

"I know," the bard could not help but respond.

"Why now? Why aginst Perakles? If it’s revenge you want. I’ll gladly hunt him down and kill him, but that’s not you."

"No, it’s not."

"Gabrielle...I’ll raise your army, but I’m not the Xena you knew. I can’t guarantee that I’ll..."

"Don’t think it, please don’t think it."

"...survive."

"Gods.."

"But if that’s what you want, I’ll fight for you."

Gabrielle shook her head, "I don’t want you to fight for me Xena, you’ve done enough of that," but her words fell on nothingness, and slowly Gabrielle came to realise that the Warrior Princess slept.

"You have to be careful with that one."

The voice startled the bard. She turned to look into the harrowed eys of an elderly woman.

"What do you want?" Gabrielle asked, her eyes narrowing.

The woman smiled, her face cracking, "Do not tempt me, bard. If you do, she’ll die in her sleep tonight, and this plan of yours will be for nothing."

The creatures came that night. Black winged and horrible. They stood over the warriorr, their white teeth gleaming. Long fingers with pointed nails stretched out and hovered lightly over the sleeping Xena. This was no corpse to tear assunder, but it was the one they had been promised. The Keres hissed softly to each other as they watched the warrior, willing her to violence to protect this particular destiny.

The air grew chill and Xena shifted slightly in her sleep. One of the creatures recoiled as the movement almost caused contact. Xena mumbled something incoherent. The closest creature grinned, thin lips drew back in a ferrel snarl. It turned to its companions and sniffed at the air. The other creaturs skittered back and forth in excitment, their dark wings shivering in anticipation. It had begun.

Blood, rivers of it. It congealed in the warrior’s hair and stained her features. How many had she butchered? She didn’t know, she didn’t care. There weren’t any left now. They were all gone. Still the rage burned within her. Her boots sucked deeply at the muddy road that lead through Kapolis. People were stupid. They’d rather die than defend themselves against one woman. This idiocy fueled her hatred as she stalked through the village, seeking more victims to quench her blood lust, he anger, her grief.

She had gone there to die, after Gabrielle had been torn from her. Without her soul she had renounced her life as her right. Yet no-one had killed her. Still no-one came forward to challenge her. They all stood like lambs to the slaughter, petrified, willing to die. Some ran, but there was nowhere to run where the warrior would not follow.

She had discovered a family huddled in the back room of their house, a husband standing protectively in front of his wife.

"C’mon," the warrior has spat, "defend yourself!"

The man stood taller, but had made no move as the warrior shifted her blood smeared sword from one hand to the other and back again.

"Fool!" the warrior cursed as she moved forward. The man’s eyes grew wide the second before her blade slashed cleanly through his neck. His head teetererd there for a moment before thudding to the floor. The warrior looked directly into the eyes of the man’s wife.

"How about you? Don't you want to avenge your husband’s death?"

The woman clutched something to her and stared at the warrior.

"What have we here?" The warrior reached out and pulled a bundle of cloth from the petrified woman, "Ah...a baby," she said, throwing the swaddling cloths to the ground, "Not any more."

The warrior cruelly twisted the child’s neck to an obscene angle and disgarded the body on the ground.

The mother said nothing, merely stared at the corpses of her husband and new born before meeting the warrior’s gaze with vacant eyes.

"Now you want to kill me," the warrior said with a harsh smile, "I can see it in your eyes. Here...let me help you."

The warrior hoisted the blade and held it out to the woman hilt first. The woman dropped her gaze a moment, taking in the offered blade. She reached out a shaking hand and clutched hold of the hilt.

"Go on, kill me," the warrior whispered to the woman.

The woman did nothing.

"Don’t you want to kill me? I slaughtered your family!" she gestured to the fallen bodies, "Kill me!" she demanded, "Please...kill me."

The woman smiled then, "Everything happens for a reason, Xena." she said before turning the blade and impailing herself with one smooth thrust.

"No!" Xena screamed.

Her breath came in ravaged gasps.

"I never killed the child...there was no child."

"Mother?"

Xena threw her gaze to the doorway and met Eve’s frightened eyes with her own. The child stood there with a small oil lamp. It flickered absently, castining dark shadows on the walls.

"I didn’t kill the child," Xena groaned, pushing herself up on one elbow and sweeping her sweat dampened hair back from her face.

"I know," Eve said in a small voice as she moved across to her mother. She placed the oil lamp on a table beside Xena’s bed and hesitated a moment before climbing up onto the matress and wrapping her mother in a tight embrace. Xena returned the gesture, using her daughter as an anchor to settle her thoughts.

The day dawned sullen. Eve had nestled down by Xena’s side sometime during the night as if her presence could protect her from the demons. Xena opened her eyes and took a moment to orient herself. Her brow furrowed at the rememberance of last night. Carefully she extricated herself from her daughter and rose, making sure that Eve was still covered. She bent over and kissed her daughter’s forehead lightly. Xena washed quickly and dressed in her under clothes. She stretched and set her shoulders before walking to the kitchen area of the house. She stood for a moment, staring at the mound of leathers and armour on the kitchen table. Then with the methodical grace of a well practiced hand, she began to dress. With each piece of attire, each part of her armour, something settled over her, a calm façade, the face of the Warrior Princess. Finally, she secured her sword to her back and smoothed a hand over her waist. Her leathers were a little tight, but that was to be expected.

"Eve!" she called, her back to the bedroom door, "I’m going out now, and...I don’t know when I’ll be back," she finished softly.

To be continued in Part Two