Subtext: YES, though nothing explicit. Xena and Gabrielle, while still soul-mates and the very best of friends, are not a couple in the romantic sense of the word. They are joined to others as heart-mates.

Violence: Yes, but no more than you'll see on the show.

Language: Pretty tame, so far.

Spoilers: (so far) The Deliverer, Gabrielle's Hope, Maternal Instincts, Sacrifice I&II, A Family Affair, Livia, Eve, The God You Know, Path of Vengeance

Other: If you haven't read the previous instalments in this series, you may have difficulty following along with who's who.

Chapter One

Queen Melysë looked at the sword in her hand as if wondering how it came to be there. The priestess smiled, then chuckled, shaking her dark head. Her heart-mate, the warrior-queen, Xena, had handed it to her while she corrected a stance. Melysë was no warrior, but she knew the value of keeping up what little combat skills she had. Still, as she watched her young daughter, Neiromei, struggling to participate in her first training drill, Melysë felt only sympathy for the little girl. She herself had felt inept with a weapon in her hand, but as the daughter of Xena, the Warrior Queen of the Tribe, Melysë knew that Romy was under pressure to perform.

As the child whacked herself in the head with her little wooden practice sword for the fourth time, Melysë winced in sympathy, but was determined to show her support by remaining to watch and smile at her young daughter. Melysë looked to Xena and saw grim determination on the warrior's face. She heard Xena mutter to herself, "Some things never change." She knew that their daughter would never be a warrior – much to Melysë's secret relief.

Bad enough to always have to worry about ‘Ryn, thought the priestess. Unfortunately for Romy, her ‘other 'mother is the warrior. Tough boots to fill. Still, I think she'll be alright.

After drill, Melysë walked a dejected Romy home, while Xena remained to work out her frustrations doing sword drills on a practice dummy – as she always did the first day with a new group of younglings.

Neiromei shook her head. "No," said the little girl, sadly. "I sucked."

"Neiromei!" said Melysë, barely suppressing a laugh at the childish vulgarity.

Neiromei looked up at her mother, grinning. "Sorry," she said.

"My goodness, only one day as a warrior and already talking like them," said Melysë, shaking her head.

"I'm not going to be a warrior," said Romy, firmly. "I'm just gonna learn how to fight a little – like you, Meia – in case I have to. But I really don't want to fight. I'm not good at it."

"Sweetheart, you're only just learning," said Melysë, though privately she agreed with the child.

"No," said the little girl, matter of factly. "I'm not going to be a warrior. Xena-meia will be disappointed in me."

"Romy listen to me," said Melysë, stopping and kneeling beside her daughter. "Xena and I love you very much no matter what you do. You don't have to be a warrior, Love. Just be who you are because that's who we love."

"I know," said Romy, blessing her mother with a smile.

Xena came home later and went straight to the bathing chamber behind the cottage. Melysë knew that meant she had had an extra strenuous workout. The priestess left Neiromei in charge of the two youngest, Dylanda and Leilae and sought out her warrior. She found Xena sitting in the wooden tub, steam rising from the heated water and knelt behind the warrior, kneading tight shoulders.

"Tough day?" said Melysë.

Xena groaned. "Don't ask," she said. "Little kids have no business having weapons in their hands. I hate that it's still necessary."

"So do I," said Melysë, sighing. "But I have to believe that a day is coming when our daughters will no longer have to know how to fight."

"Yeah, but when?" said Xena.

"I don't know," said Melysë, frowning. "Unfortunately, it probably won't be until after you and I are long gone. I've been thinking."

"Uh, oh," said Xena, cracking open one eye.

"Oh, hush," said Melysë, grinning at her. "Maybe ‘Ryn should train Romy."

Xena laughed. "Why? Think I'll be too tough on her?"

"No, I think she'll be too tough on you," said Melysë. "I saw her out there."

"Yeah, I know," said Xena, smiling proudly. "She was the best one of the bunch."

"She was?" said Melysë, eyes widening.

Xena chuckled, and pulled herself out of the tub, taking the towel Melysë handed her.

"You didn't look at any of the other kids, did you?" said the warrior. Melysë shook her head. "I didn't think so. She's really good, 'Lysë."

"Romy, what is it?" asked the priestess.

"A man - in the kitchen!" gasped the child. Xena swiftly drew her sword and ran into the kitchen. The warrior looked around, puzzled, but saw nothing except the pile of rags Neiromei had evidently dropped before running out. Xena looked carefully, even bending to open the cupboards and the pantry, but saw no sign of any intruder. Shaking her head, she went back into the other room.

"There's no one there now," she said.

"Romy did this man say anything to you?" asked Melysë.

"Yeah, he sort of knelt down and said 'Hi, Romy.' Then he smiled," said the child.

"What did he look like?" asked Xena.

"He was a warrior - I think," said the little girl, frowning a little in thought. "At least he was wearing some kind of armour."

"Have you ever seen him before?" asked Melysë, setting her down.

"No," said Neiromei, shaking her head. "He had a nice face, though. He looked sort of sad, but nice. It just scared me to see a man in the kitchen - no men are supposed to be this far in Amazon lands, are they, Meia?"

"No, Sweetheart," Melysë sighed. "Not even nice ones. Xena - "

"I'll post the sentries back outside the cottage full time until we find out more," said the warrior-queen. "Romy, can you tell us anything more about him?"

"I don't know, Xena-meia," said the little girl. "I just got scared and ran before he could say anything else."

"Come on, Romy," said Xena, taking the child by the hand and leading her back into the kitchen. "Where was he?"

"He's right there, Xena-meia," said Neiromei, pointing. With her warrior mother there, Romy wasn't afraid of the man who smiled and winked at her. Xena looked but still saw nothing.

"Neiromei, there isn't anyone here," said the Warrior.

"Right here," said Neiromei, walking up to the man, who again knelt in front of her, smiling.

"Melysë," Xena called. The priestess came into the kitchen. "Romy says he's right there."

The warrior nodded her head toward Neiromei, who was giggling and looking back toward her mothers. The priestess thought for a moment she could see a shadowy outline, but then it was gone.

"Neiromei," said Melysë. Romy turned to her mother, then glanced back toward the corner of the kitchen.

"Yes," said the little girl, nodding. "That's her. He says you're very beautiful, meia."
"Thank you," said Melysë, frowning in puzzlement. "Romy, who is he?"

"He's a friend of Xena-meia and tanti Gabrielle," said the little girl. "He was a great warrior, but now he's crossed over."

"Romy - what is his name?" asked Xena.

"He's the great warrior, Joxer the Mighty," said Neiromei, now solemn. "He says he has a very important message for Xena and Gabrielle from the other side."

Neiromei turned back to the man. "How come they can't see you?" she asked him.

"Well, see, Romy," said Joxer. "You and I have a special connection - I'm sort of your 'guardian angel'." Joxer's chest puffed out and his voice grew slightly deeper as he made this pronouncement.

"Really?" said Neiromei, her voice quiet with awe.

"You know, I really like you, Kid," said Joxer. "Yeah, so you can see me, but no one else can. I need for you to get this message to Xena and Gabrielle, okay? It's very important. Then I have to get back to the Elysian Fields. That's where heroes go when they cross over, you know."

"Amazon heroes go to the Land of the Dead," Neiromei informed him.

"Well, yeah, sure - Amazon heroes, but they don't let guys go there, do they?" said Joxer.

"Oh, I guess not," said Neiromei, nodding her head in agreement. "What's the message?"

"Tell them ... 'The Destroyer isn't dead.' Can you remember that?" asked Joxer, worriedly. "Gosh, I wish I could tell them myself - I miss 'em."

"I'm sorry," said Romy. "I know that they miss you, too. And I'll bet Terreis and Lilia would like to meet you - they're tanti Gabrielle's kids."

"Yeah, I know," said Joxer, wistfully. He looked at Xena and smiled. "Xena and Gabrielle were the best friends I ever had."

"Maybe, if I ask her to my meia would use some of her magic to let you talk to them," said Romy, earnestly.

"Maybe - but I don't think Persephone will let me hang around here long enough for that - she's in charge now that Hades ... well, anyway - make sure you tell Xena that the destroyer isn't dead, okay?"

"The Destroyer isn't dead," Neiromei repeated. She turned at the sound of a gasp behind her and saw Xena looking at her wide-eyed. Romy turned back, but Joxer was gone.

"Aw, jeez! He's gone!" Romy said, disappointed. "I like him."

"Neiromei, what just happened here?" asked Melysë.

"Meia, a man was here - Joxer the Mighty - he's my guardian angel - sorta," said Neiromei, proudly.

"Neiromei, what did he say about the Destroyer?" asked Xena, quietly.

"He said that it was very important to tell you and tanti Gabrielle that the Destroyer isn't dead," said Neiromei solemnly.

"Xena, what ... ?" began Melysë as her warrior rushed out of the cottage.

"Did I do something wrong, Meia?" asked the little girl.
"No, of course not, Romy," said Melysë, going to her. "Joxer is - was your tandos Virgil's father. He died a great hero - and he was very dear to Xena and Gabrielle. I think maybe Xena just got a little sad because he isn't here any more."

"He's sad, too, meia," said Romy. "He misses them very much - he told me so. Could you use your magic so he could talk to them again?"

"You know, Romy, I think that's an excellent idea," said Melysë, thoughtfully. Xena and Gabrielle need to know more about this Destroyer, the priestess thought. I haven't seen Xena look so scared since ... well, since never. There's something she's not telling me ...

The warrior stopped for a moment, shaking her head. This isn't like me, she thought. Running off in a panic. I need to think. Need to talk with Romy again before I spring this on Gabrielle.

The warrior began to walk back to the Queen's cottage but was intercepted by a sentry.

"Warrior Queen - I mean, Xena," said the girl, handing a rolled parchment to the warrior. "This just came for you - and one for Queen Gabrielle, too. The messenger left them at the post.

"Okay," said Xena, nodding. "Thank- you."

The sentry nodded and ran to carry the other parchment to the Lodge. Xena looked at the seal and shook her head, not recognising it. She tucked it away for later, then headed back to the cottage and walked in.

"Xena, what's going on?" asked Melysë. "What's this about the Destroyer? Wasn't that ....?" Her voice trailed off.

"Yeah," said Xena, with a sigh.

"Okay - refresh my memory a bit here," said Melysë, sitting in one of the chairs before the hearth. Xena took the other chair and a moment to collect her thoughts.

"There were supposed to be six Destroyers," said the warrior, her deep blue eyes growing darker and far away in memory. "According to Ares, these Destroyers were to be '-- insidious creatures with no souls, who eat of the living and the righteous, and lay waste to all gods.' They were to pave the way for Dahak to enter this world and do his 'grunt work' after he arrived."

"But Dahak is no more," said Melysë, frowning in thought. "And Hope is dead."

"It wouldn't be the first time Hope managed to come back from the dead," said Xena, darkly.

"But why? With Dahak gone, what could they possibly hope to accomplish?" asked the priestess, thoughtfully.

"Are you kidding?" asked Xena. "Hope would reign in her father's place." Xena shuddered.

"Hope was reborn as our little Ephiny," mused Melysë. "Well, not so little anymore."

"That's right," said Xena, brightening. "So ... what does that mean?"
"Well, I was just wondering," said Melysë. "Why Dahak didn't ... well, when he had Gabrielle, why he didn't just make a Destroyer - instead of Hope."

"And?" asked Xena.

"Maybe he tried, but Hope was born with a soul," said Melysë.

"So Hope was ... a sort of 'practice run'?" said Xena.

"Unless ..." said Melysë, deep in thought.

"Unless what, 'Lysë?" asked Xena, impatiently.

"Sorry," said the priestess, smiling. "Ares said that the Destroyers would be without souls - but who said they had to be born soulless?"

"Oh," said Xena.

It wasn't that Queen Thraso wanted her gone from the Tribe - not exactly. It was just that Anaxilea had been so restless that she was distracting to her foster mother, the Queen. Since finding her as a tiny newborn, left exposed on a hillside near the Amazon village, Thraso had loved and raised the girl as her own. It was hard to not love the golden-haired, bright blue-eyed Anaxilea. She had a sharp mind and learned quickly. There was something strange about her, though. Not just the odd-shaped birthmark on the inside of her elbow - that was eerie enough to the Amazons, but her whole demeanor was one of polite detachment.

Anaxilea trained as a warrior and won her sisters' pride and respect on the battle-field - none could match her in fighting prowess and it was Anaxilea who brought home the most "trophies" from war. This disturbed Thraso; it had always been the practice of her Tribe to bring home the skulls of the enemy warriors they had slain. The general practice was for the Amazon braves to only a bring a token few, not the whole of their "kill", but Anaxilea regularly brought ten or more skulls back from every battle. That she had killed each of these men - in fair combat, no less - was never in question; the Amazons had seen her fight and her skill and ruthlessness was well-known and a little feared by her Tribe. Nor was her honour in question, it was just that detached air with which she threw down the string of skulls and bowed before Thraso when she presented them. As if they were stones and not the remains of once-living human beings.

Now she rode on a quest she had manufactured for herself. Anaxilea had no intention of returning to her Tribe. She knew they had tried their best, but they would never understand her. The dreams which had haunted her almost every night of her life told her this. Strange images of blood and death and fire, which only the mindless fury of battle could take from her - for a time. The more men she killed, the longer the dreams stopped, giving her a brief peace. She didn't know how she was going to keep the dreams at bay without battles to fight, but she was tired of the killing. Her soul felt heavy with the weight of the lives she had taken, even if those men would have killed her without a thought.

The most disturbing thing, however, was that recently, Anaxilea had noticed that the killing also brought her abilities - magical abilities - she had never had before - it frightened her badly. She didn't understand it, and didn't want to - she just wanted it to stop. She also knew that she was a danger now, especially to her sisters. Even though the Amazons had never understood her, they had accepted her as one of their own, given her a place among them despite her being different from them and Anaxilea loved them for that, even though she couldn't stay among them. By leaving, she was protecting the Tribe from herself, for Anaxilea felt the changes coming over her were not good. Not at all.

Suddenly, Anaxilea heard a disturbance just ahead. She reined in her horse and slowed to a walk, listening to determine the danger. She heard a group of men and one woman arguing. Quickly, Anaxilea rode to the scene.

The Amazon saw a young woman about her own age with dark eyes and black hair. She was pregnant and was fighting against the group of men, trying to pull her away into the woods.

"Leave me alone!" she screamed, struggling.

"Hey!" yelled Anaxilea, jumping from her horse and running into the centre of the conflict. She drew and her sword and put herself between the men and the young woman. To her surprise, the men dropped to their knees before her. Warily, the Amazon glanced back at the young woman and saw her rolling her eyes in disgust. "What's going on here?"

"Eli protect us!" cried one of the men.

"Eli?" said Anaxilea, looking cautiously around. "Where is this Eli? If he would help you, let him show himself!"

"He won't," said the girl. "He's dead."

"Lucina! That's blasphemy!" cried another of the men. "How dare you - ?"

"I dare because it's true," Lucina retorted. "Ares killed him years ago - you're asking for help from a dead man."

"Lucina, our holy scriptures teach - " began the first man.

"I know what they say - my mother wrote them," said Lucina.

"Wait a minute - you know these guys?" asked Anaxilea.

"Yes - they're trying to make me go back with them," said Lucina.

"You don't want to?" asked the Amazon.

"No - I hate it there," said Lucina, shaking her head.

"Okay," said Anaxilea, addressing the kneeling men. "Lucina here is going to go - and none of you are going to stop her, got it?"

"You cannot interfere with the will of Eli," said the first man.

"What does the 'will of Eli' have to do with me?" asked Lucina, disgusted. "The will of my mother is more like it."

"If you were to stay, your mother could explain all to you, Lucina," said the first man, solemnly.

"Oh, yes, my mother is so forthcoming," said Lucina.

"Alright, enough," said Anaxilea. "You men - get up and go before I run you all through."

"I would willingly sacrifice my life to save Lucina," said one of the men.
"If I kill you all, how are you going to save her from anything?" said Anaxilea, brandishing her sword.

The men reluctantly rose and left. One turned his head and spoke, "Lucina, I will pray for you."

The men were out of sight when Anaxilea leapt astride her horse.

"Hey!" cried Lucina.

"What?" asked the Amazon.

"Um, do you think that maybe I could go with you?"

"No," said Anaxilea, wheeling the horse around and making ready to ride away.

"Wait!" cried Lucina, grasping the Amazon's ankle. Anaxilea had to restrain her horse from rearing up and harming the young woman.

"What?" she said, impatiently.

"Why not?" asked Lucina.

"Hey, you ran away - didn't you have a plan? Like where you were running to?" asked Anaxilea.

"No," Lucina admitted. "I didn't think that far ahead - I just wanted away from them." Anaxilea rolled her eyes and reached down to pull Lucina up into the saddle behind her.

"Are you okay to ride fast?" asked the Amazon.

"As fast as possible from here, please," said Lucina with a shudder.

"Okay," said Anaxilea, shrugging. I'll drop her off at the nearest Amazon settlement I can find, thought the warrior. They'll either take care of her until the baby's born or send her home. Either way, it won't be my problem.

"What the - ?" said the warrior to herself.

"What's wrong?" asked Melysë, entering the room.

"This is really strange," said the warrior, holding out the parchment and the feathers to the priestess.

"What ...?" Melysë's eyes glazed over as soon as she touched the things. She found herself walking toward the centre of the crossroads where her goddess, Hekate awaited her.

"Mother? Did you call me here?" she asked.

"What?" said Melysë, not quite understanding.
"Dylanda, Leilae, and Melosa must leave the Amazons - as soon as possible," said Hekate.
Melysë just stared blankly at the goddess for a moment. "Melysë, my child, they are in very great danger."

"Does this have anything to do with the Destroyer?" asked the priestess.

"Yes and no," said Hekate. "I cannot explain it to you fully without altering the decision you must make for yourself, but if the children remain among the Amazons, they will never fulfill their destiny."

"Their destiny is as the 'Hope of the Amazon Nation' - you said so yourself, Mother," said Melysë.
"How can they fulfill that destiny away from the Amazons? That just doesn't make sense to me."

Suddenly, the priestess was given a vision of a twisted ladder and she heard the goddess's voice in her mind.

"I have written the Amazon Spirit into their blood and their bones - it is as much a part of them as the colour of their hair or the shape of their noses," Hekate told her. The vision faded and Melysë saw the goddess seated before her once again. "They must leave the Amazons."

"Where am I to send them?" asked Melysë. "And for how long?"

"For good, Melysë, said Hekate, firmly. "And I have already made place for them to go."

"Mother, no!" cried Melysë. "Please, Mother - what must I do to keep them?"

"Melysë, you have done well with them - they are a credit to you and to Xena and to Gabrielle, but now you must give them to me," said Hekate, patiently.

"I have no choice?" said Melysë, stricken.

"You always have a choice, Melysë," said Hekate, gently. "You know that already. But if you do not do this, the Amazons will be lost for all time."

"That isn't much of a choice," said Melysë, suppressing a sob.

"No, it isn't, my daughter, and I wish I could offer you a better one," admitted Hekate.

"It isn't entirely up to me, Mother," said Melysë. "Xena and Gabrielle have a stake in this, too. I cannot speak for them."

"I know," said Hekate, sensing her Chosen was wavering.

"Mother, if you take them, I know they will be alright, but ...." said the priestess, biting her lip.

"I know," said the goddess, gently. "This will not be the first time you have been forced to give up a child."

"Or Xena either," said Melysë, softly. "But Gabrielle ..."

"Gabrielle has also suffered this heartbreak, my Daughter - and worse," said Hekate, darkly.

"Oh," said Melysë, remembering. "That doesn't make this easier, you know."

"Yes, I do know," said Hekate.

"How long do we have?" asked the priestess, fighting the tears already welling up in her dark green eyes.

"A little while, only, my Daughter," said Hekate, sadly. "When the time comes, you will know."

"It seems that I must trust you with this, Mother - despite what you say, I really have no choice, have I?" Melysë said, bitterly.

"Melysë, there is always a choice," said Hekate. "It's just that sometimes, the right choice is not always appealing for a queen."

"Especially for a queen," Melysë said quietly.

Melysë's eyes cleared and she threw herself into Xena's arms, weeping.

"'Lysë, what is it?" asked the warrior, alarmed.

"Dylanda ... Leilae ... Melosa ... they have to leave us," Melysë.

"What are you saying?" asked Xena. Melysë relayed Hekate's message and Xena grew very quiet.
"The Destroyer - he must be coming for them," said the warrior.

"No, Xena - if it were just that, it wouldn't have to be for good," said Melysë, miserably.

"Maybe it would - obviously, if the Destroyer is still alive, he's not easily killed - maybe it's impossible to kill him once and for all - he would keep coming for them ... " Xena's voice trailed off and tears welled up in her dark blue eyes. She pulled the priestess closer. "We have to tell Gabrielle - and I really need to talk with Joxer. I need to figure this out."

"Either way, it won't be easy for her," Melysë said to herself, watching Xena's usually proud shoulders drooping as she walked towards the Lodge. "For any of us."

"Where did you hear that?" gasped the warrior, calming from the evil dreams. Lucina shrugged.

"I don't remember," said Lucina. "I think maybe my mother must have sung it to me before ...."

"Before what?" asked Anaxilea, sitting up.

"Never mind," said Lucina, shortly. She arose and began to build up the fire from the night before. "We might as well get an early start - I doubt either of us will sleep anymore."

"Sorry about that," said Anaxilea, quietly.

"Don't worry about it," said Lucina, offering a smile to her companion. "Everyone has nightmares sometimes."

"Yeah, well, you should probably know - I have them most every night," said Anaxilea.

"Really? How can you stand that?" asked Lucina, concerned.

"Just do," said the warrior with a shrug. "Hey, how much longer are you going to be able ride - you know - in your ...um ... 'condition'?"

Lucina laughed. "As long as I have to," she said. "Why? Do you have a destination in mind?"

"Why?" asked Anaxilea, frowning.

"I don't know what," Lucina frowned.

"Well, do you have anything against the Amazons?" asked Anaxilea, one eyebrow raised.

"No - after all, didn't an Amazon 'rescue' me?" said Lucina with a chuckle.

"Rescue you from what?" asked the Amazon rolling her eyes. "Those guys weren't exactly a threat."

"Because Elisians don't fight," said Lucina.

"Don't fight?" said Anaxilea, pulling Lucina up behind her on the horse. "How can they survive if they won't fight?"

"Well, my mother would say it's because Eli protects us," said Lucina. "I think we're just not enough of a threat to anyone - people just don't bother with us."

"Who is this guy - this 'Eli'?" asked Anaxilea.

"Eli is ... well, he's ... sort of hard to explain," said Lucina, frowning. "He was this wandering teacher and he preached that Love was the only weapon anyone needed to defeat evil. His 'Way of Love' got to a lot of people and they started following him around."

"It's a nice thought," said Anaxilea, quietly. "But it isn't very realistic."

"Well, actually, it is," said Lucina, thoughtfully. "If everyone followed it."

"Again - not realistic," said Anaxilea, feeling suddenly annoyed.

"You have a point," Lucina said with a sigh. "My mother is his messenger - only ..."

"What?" said Anaxilea.

"Mother embellishes his message," said Lucina, quietly.

"Huh," the Amazon chuckled. "I've found most priestesses - or priests - do."

"Mother isn't a priestess - not exactly," said Lucina, troubled. "She's Eli's Messenger - and she's wrong to do that. She given a sacred trust and she has betrayed that - for whatever reasons she may have, it is still wrong."

"You sound like an Amazon, talking of honour," said Anaxilea, quietly. "Is that why you left?"

"Partly," said Lucina. "I am escaping my arranged marriage."

"I see," said Anaxilea. "I assume that since you Elisians are non-violent, it's not because he beats you?"

"Hardly," said Lucina, rolling her eyes. "He's one of my mother's chief ‘advisors'. I can't stand him. He wasn't always so bad, but he thinks, just because he's married to my mother's daughter, that he should have all this … power. That's not what Eli was about. Mother listens to him too much and Eli not enough."

"Someone should do something about that," said Anaxilea. <Someone who gives a rat's tail,> the warrior thought to herself.

"Yes, but who?" asked Lucina. "The only ones who care enough are already mixed up - no one knows what message comes from Eli and what my mother has made up and just <said> Eli told her. Who can help us sort it all out?"

Anaxilea shrugged. "I dunno," she said, shortly, effectively ending the conversation.

"The Destroyer is alive - and Hekate wants my youngest daughter," the Bard repeated.

"Yes," said Xena quietly.

"Okay .... " said Gabrielle with a sigh. "Hekate said the children are in great danger. I am assuming that the danger is from the Destroyer?"

"We don't know," said Xena. "That would be the assumption, but ... I just don't know Gabrielle. If the Destroyer is alive, then we are <all> in danger."

Gabrielle sat with her eyes closed, rubbing her forehead with one hand. Suddenly, she leaped to her feet and ran out to the privy with a hastily mumbled "'Scuse me." Xena heard her out there, retching violently.

"Son of a Bacchae," said the warrior with a snarl. She waited until Gabrielle returned to the Lodge and sat back down, pale and shaking.

"Xena, I don't know what to do," said the Bard. "I don't want to give up Melosa, but if Hekate says that the children are in danger ... I just don't know what else to do."

"Neither does Melysë," said Xena, grimly. "I don't know, Gabrielle. I gave up one child - I'm not ready to just give up another."

"What can we do?" asked Gabrielle, miserably.

"I'll think of something," said Xena, frowning. "I have to."

Part 2

alt fic | xena homepage | what's new | amazontrails.com