GENERAL COPYRIGHT DISCLAIMER: Xena, Warrior Princess, Gabrielle, Ares, Argo and all other characters who have appeared in the syndicated series Xena: Warrior Princess, together with the names, titles and backstory are the sole copyright property of MCA/Universal and Renaissance Pictures. No copyright infringement was intended in the writing of this fan fiction.

Any other characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the author (meaning Kharis belongs to me). This story cannot be sold or used for profit in any way. Copies of this story may be made for private use only and must include all disclaimers and copyright notices.

LOVE: This story depicts a loving relationship between anyone who loves someone that is close to them. If you can't stand the idea that women can have a loving relationship with those that are around them or each other then please keep your closed mind where it belongs and don't bother reading this story. 'Nuff said

This is the second story in my Sins of a God Series. If you haven't read the first story, And Then There Were Two, some of the events and/or characters might not make sense, so check it out before tackling this one. As always...all comments, suggestions, and flames are welcome.

The Fates' Irony
by Crys
~ July 8th, 1999 ~
~ Revised December 13th, 2001 ~

PROLOGUE

Brilliant white light glowed upon every orifice of the majestic palace as pearls of teal, salmon, rose, and ivory assaulted the air. Splendid in its glory, the building sighed noticeably as its master paced back and forth within one of its great halls. A stark contrast to the palace that held it, the hall was bathed in darker, sombre tones as was befitting its station. A simple hall, with none of the gilding that was prevalent in the other rooms of the palace, it housed all that was needed for the God of Gods - a floor, a throne - both forged from the stars. Nothing more was needed, and nothing less.

Millions of brilliant stars shone down on the dusky hall, illuminating it in a spectral light as Zeus continued to pace back and forth in front of a kneeling Ares. Finally coming to a decision, the God of Gods stopped suddenly and sat upon his throne of stars as he stared down at the bowed head before him. Snorting once he cleared his throat. "My wayward son... how is it that the prophecy was unleashed this fateful day?"

Ares spoke softly, never raising his head to gaze into the eyes of the angry God before him. "I don't know, father. No god has ever spoken of it and no mortal knows of it."

"Your dear Chosen knows of the prophecy, does she not?"

"Yes, my lord. A small fraction of it, but not in its entirety."

Zeus pondered this for a fraction of a nanosecond before continuing. "Well, if it wasn't her than who? A mortal spoke it, and now it is set."

"But no mortal knows of it," the God of War whined.

"Ah, that is the crux, isn't it? A mortal did speak it and thus a mortal does know of it. How is that so? How is it so that a mortal knows of this when none of the Gods have ever spoken of it?" Zeus' voice boomed as his ire grew.

Ares shuddered visibly at his father's wrath directed at him and could only stay silent while he waited for the next tirade.

"We have lived for aeons with the prophecy's knowledge and have never broken the sacred covenant by voicing its destructive tones. Now a mortal has voiced it, and we are all held bound to its consequences."

A hand slammed down on the throne's arm as Zeus thrusted his body up and stormed to his kneeling son. Stopping just short of the God of War, Zeus pointed a lone finger at the god and continued. "You will discover how and why this has happened. You will make right what you have done wrong."

Ares looked up for the first time into his father's eyes, stammering, "Me? Why me? I have nothing to do with this. It could have been any of the other Gods' Chosens. Mine didn't even know the full prophecy. All that she knew was spoken as has been spoken before. Xena couldn't have known the rest of it."

Zeus' brows furrowed deep in his forehead as he glared down at his wilful son. "Your Chosen was the only one to know even that much. Your 'child' is the one that the prophecy bespoke. You are alone in this. Do you oppose my rule?"

Ares swallowed and shook his head. "No, father, I do not. But how do I discover which mortal instigated this?"

"Go see the Fates. They will show you all," the voice boomed as the God of Gods vanished in a heartbeat leaving the God of War in the empty throne.

"Bastard," Ares said as he stood up and flicked his hair over his shoulder before disappearing in a brilliant blue light.

CHAPTER 1

The path was well travelled yet still provided obstacles for the weary travellers. Three companions and a golden horse walked single file along the deer path deeper into the forest. They had been travelling for almost a week and had avoided any other travellers by staying within the protective cover of the forest. A tall, bronzed warrior lead the palomino on point, using her hypersensitive senses to pick up any signs of trouble while her smaller, lighter friend walked at the rear to watch their backs. Behind the honeyed mare walked a small girl, dark in looks and nature, grimacing as tired muscles screamed for relief from the long day's walking yet denied it due to pure stubbornness.

Xena looked behind her to Kharis' face and smirked. 'She won't give an inch. Wonder where she got that from?' Raising a brow she spied further beyond and caught Gabrielle's eye, a question plainly seen on the ex-warlord's face. Nodding silently, the bard smoothly closed the distance between her and the girl and placed a hand on the small shoulder.

"How are you holding up?" the bard asked sympathetically.

"Just peachy," the girl mumbled through clenched teeth.

Gabrielle sighed and called out to her friend. "Xena, I think I've had enough for today. Why don't we make camp?"

Xena forged on ahead. "Alright, Gabrielle. I know of a good spot just up ahead. We'll stop there for the rest of the day." The warrior knew that she would never get any admissions of weakness from the girl. Xena and Gabrielle had discussed ways of allowing Kharis to maintain her dogged pride over being weaker and less suited to the long travelling that they all had to do. Gabrielle calling a halt seemed to work best.

The past week had shown Xena how strong willed the girl really was. After their first day of travel Xena had called a halt, yet Kharis refused to stop thus forcing the warrior and bard to continue on. A candlemark later the girl collapsed from exhaustion, landing on her still broken hand. The pain mercifully rendered her unconscious and thus announced that the group was to make camp right there. Refusing to ride Argo had been an especially sore spot with the girl.

"I'm not riding that beast!" Kharis said emphatically.

Xena was getting madder by the second as her efforts to speed up their travelling time was thrown out to the wind by the bull-headed child in front of her. "Kharis, Gabrielle and I have been walking for years now. Our bodies are used to maintaining a fast pace over a long distance, yours isn't. If you ride Argo then we'll be able to keep that pace. With you walking, you'll only slow us down."

"Then I'll just have to walk faster, won't I?" The girl said defiantly.

Xena was once again surprised at the girl's abilities. She had indeed increased her pace, which enabled the trio to make better time than what Xena had originally thought. Calling a stop to the day's travel was another story. Never wanting to accept compassion Kharis refused to stop if the warrior suggested it, fearing that it was just a pity call. Gabrielle on the other hand was another story. Kharis trusted her completely and bent that will of hers to accede to the bard's demands. Whether it was to lie still while Gabrielle rubbed sore muscles, eat the meal that was set before her, or stop for the day.

Spying a break on the trees, Xena headed towards the sound of water that she had focussed on for the past few minutes. Coming through the trees onto a shady glen beside a small river, the warrior stopped and surveyed their new campsite. Pleased, Xena moved Argo to the side and began to unpack the mare of her saddlebags and tack.

Tired beyond belief, Kharis slowly walked to the river and stood wavering by its edge, wondering if she should collapse in the water and allow it to carry her away. Deciding that it would have delighted Xena to be rid of her Kharis began to collect firewood, muscles protesting to stop the assault.

A hand quickly snatched the small branches out of Kharis' arms as the bard's soft yet demanding voice ordered her to stop. "I'll do that, Khar. You go ahead and set up your bedroll. I want to see you in it before I get back. Got that?"

Relief numbed the girl's mind as she wordlessly nodded her head. Walking back to where Xena had left the saddlebags and their gear Kharis silently reprimanded herself for giving in so easily. She should have finished what she had started, but the bard's voice clearly said that an argument was out of the question. Surprisingly, Kharis couldn't find it in herself to argue with the woman. Despite her own internal protests she easily succumbed to the bard's authority time and time again since they began to travel to the Amazon's territory.

Grabbing her bedroll, the girl noticed where Xena had already set up a ring of rocks for the firepit. Looking for the warrior, and not finding her around, the girl quickly unrolled the soft fur and laid it down on the opposite end of the glade, away from the firepit. Her desire to be as far from the ex-warlord as possible was stronger than her need for warmth. Luckily she was her own furnace and easily slept through the cold nights with only the fur over her shoulders.

Flopping down on the roll Kharis quickly closed her eyes and concentrated on removing the pain from her legs and shoulders. She learnt very quickly that pain was something you could actually control, to a point. Hanging on the cross, bloodied and bruised, showed her that. The mind was a powerful thing and the girl was quickly learning how to use it to its full potential.

Slowly, ever so noticeably, she was gaining confidence in trusting her senses to allow her to survive. The minute sounds of the forest and its dwellers now screamed in her ears, where once before they weren't even acknowledged. The sharp pungent smells of her surroundings invaded her nose with such force at times that she had to use all of her strength to control the retching that would sometimes come unexpected. Her eyes picked up tiny details that where once overlooked due to inattention. All in all her whole being was becoming alive at such a fevered pitch that she was sure she would explode from it all. 'I wonder if this is what it's like when you're born? All of a sudden to hear, see, smell, or feel anything and everything all at once' It was a scary thought yet comforting in its own way.

Allowing her mind to wander, Kharis relaxed a fraction, shutting her mind out to the pain and everything around her, as she pondered what it would be like to be reborn. Not the rebirth she experienced that fateful night, but to actually become self-aware. Deep in her thoughts, Kharis never heard Xena enter the glade to stand over the small girl.

Xena looked down on the child and frowned when she saw the girl's leg muscles convulsing from exhaustion. The small, dreamy smile on the girl's face belied the pain that was obviously cursing through her body. Kneeling down, the warrior slowly started to knead the muscles as Kharis continued to daydream. The pain had been blocked out to such an extent that the girl had no feeling below her waist, which was fine by her, as she continued to imagine being born.

Gabrielle looked over to where Kharis had set up for the night and was startled to see the girl allowing Xena to touch her, let alone be within a ten-foot radius of her. Walking up to the two, the bard smiled down at the peaceful expression on the girl's face. 'Where is she right now?' Placing the firewood down Gabrielle sat down cross-legged and started to knead the other leg's tired muscles. The two friends worked quietly and efficiently until the muscles had stopped their spasms and had relaxed completely.

The smell of leather and armour brought Kharis out of her thoughts with such a jolt that panic suddenly set in to her brain. Flicking open her eyes abruptly, the sight of Xena touching her legs made Kharis' skin crawl prompting her to react violently. Kicking her legs from under the two woman's hands, the girl scrambled backwards until she was clear and free to bolt up standing. The look of primal fear clung to her eyes as she realised what had been happening.

Gabrielle reacted first to the child's fear. "Shhh, Kharis. It's all right. Your legs were cramping badly. We were just trying to calm them."

Xena sat back as a small smile started to cover her lips. The girl's reaction was expected and the warrior had no doubt that it would have happened much sooner if Kharis wasn't so good at blocking everything out of her mind.

"It's your own fault, Kharis," Xena said as she casually stood up. "You should have allowed some of your senses to continue to function here and now, instead of dragging them into your mind."

Dismay registered in Kharis' eyes when the warrior called her on her lack of awareness. The rebuff stung deeply for some strange reason. Anything the warrior had to say to the girl was usually in one ear and out the other, or so Xena thought. Despite herself, Kharis admired Xena with such zealousness that only visible disdain allowed her to maintain her composure whenever the warrior happened to say anything to her. Which, was thankfully, not very much.

"Don't you dare patronise me," Kharis rebuffed angrily.

Shrugging, Xena walked back towards the bushes where she had dropped the night's hunt to retrieve it. "I was stating a fact." Grabbing the three hares, the warrior strolled to the river and began to skin and gut the evening meal, leaving Gabrielle to soothe the girl's pride.

Recognising the torment in the girl's eyes, Gabrielle grabbed Kharis by the shoulders deciding that enough was enough, pulling her into a hug. Struggling to break free, Kharis tried to push herself away but the bard's strong, toned arms held the girl fast. Succumbing to the hug was almost painful for the girl; it was admitting weakness but the bard's light, yet firm touch around Kharis' shoulders was not to be argued with.

Small, subtle shaking began at first, as the girl relented to the warmth of the hug. Random thoughts of home, security, and peacefulness overwhelmed the girl as she started to cry silently. Giving in to the pain, Kharis finally surrendered her heart as the gentle bard, who whispered soothing tones into the girl's ear, held her.

"That's it. Let it out. I've got you and won't let anything happen to you," Gabrielle said as she stroked the ebony hair. Glancing in Xena's direction, the bard caught the warrior's eye and raised a silent question. Xena shook her head to the plea only to have misty green eyes close slightly as the face clearly said 'get over here'.

Xena was adamant not to interfere but Gabrielle's reading of the girl's mental state was dead on and the warrior grudgingly knew to trust the bard's instincts. Placing the gutted hares by the fire, the tall warrior silently moved beside her friend, towering down over the sobbing girl.

Gabrielle cautiously removed her arms from around Kharis' body while slowly pushing the girl into waiting bronzed arms. The girl went willingly, unable to control her body as it continued to release the pressure that had been building for over a week now. Stooping down, Xena picked Kharis up easily, gently cradling the girl in her arms. Small, yet strong arms went around the warrior's neck as Kharis buried her face into Xena's shoulder.

The warrior's face softened slightly as Xena held the small girl in her arms. The usual knee jerk reaction at being touched by the warrior was held at bay for the time being. Walking over to Kharis' bedroll, Xena sat down cross-legged and shifted the girl's position to rest more comfortably in the warrior's lap. Humming softly at first, the warrior began to slowly rock.

Visions of Solon danced in Xena's eyes as the warrior felt a pang of regret that she was never able to comfort her own son in this way. Never would. Sending the pain down into the dark, the warrior started to hum an old child's tune softly. Sensing that her voice was soothing the girl's sobs, Xena gradually started to sing the tune in her deep, clear voice.

Rest my child put your fears away
Mother is here to keep demons at bay
The clouds are out, the sun is awake
The day will begin, your dream will break

For every dream that has but fears
Mother will wipe away your tears
Hush my child I'm here to stay
The Gods above won't take me away

You're safe and sound within my arms
Strength will I give from Morpheus' charms
My sweet dear child, the love you feel
Will cleanse the fears, will help you heal

Sensing that the girl had stopped crying, Xena looked down into bright, flaxen eyes that searched the warrior's face wistfully. Recognising the look, Xena smiled down and allowed the girl to see the person behind the usual stoic mask of a warrior. "Feeling better?"

Kharis swallowed the lump that was still present and cleared her throat. "Yes. That was beautiful."

"My mother used to sing it to me when I was a small child."

"I can't imagine you ever being small," Kharis said with all certainty.

A low rumble of a chuckle escaped the warrior's lips as she lifted the girl off her lap and placed her down on the bedroll. "Oh, I was. But not for long." The sparkle in Xena's eyes was apparent and brought a small smile from the girl.

"I could believe that," Kharis said as she dashed a look in the bard's direction. Gabrielle had sat by the fire, cooking the hares, while Xena soothed the distraught girl. The song was one she had never heard before and brought a tear to the bard's eye as she watched her friend comfort Kharis in a manner that Solon was denied.

"Dinner will be done soon," Gabrielle said as she flipped one of the hares over on the frying pan. "Why don't you guys go and get yourselves cleaned up."

Xena sighed as she stood up, offering her hand to help the girl up. "Yes, mom."

Kharis laughed at the term of affection coming from the warrior and suddenly realised that all of her original perceptions of the warrior weren't even close to what the real person was. Accepting the hand, Kharis was lightly picked up and deposited on her shaky feet in one fluid motion. Kharis gasped at the sudden show of strength, making Xena chuckle again as she wrapped an arm around the girl's shoulder and took her to the water's edge.

The warm contact around her shoulder made Kharis feel safer than she had in a long time. Understanding finally that safety wasn't necessarily from your own hands or actions Kharis stayed as close to the warrior's body as possible while they washed their hands and faces.

Alarms no longer rang in her ears as she brushed Xena's bent leg with her hand. The hatred and fear she once felt was now replaced by a calm acceptance. She no longer had anything to fear from the warrior, that she knew at the bottom of her soul. Why she had distrusted the woman, who saved her life, Kharis couldn't remember and was ashamed because of it.

Sensing that something was wrong Xena playfully splashed some water in Kharis' direction to grab the girl's attention. "What's up?"

Kharis shut her dark mood back where it came from and gazed at bright, azure eyes looking her way. "I'm sorry for being such a harpy. I don't know what came over me."

"You've had a horrendous experience so don't apologise. It will take you quite a bit longer to get over it, if you do," Xena replied bluntly.

"That's no excuse. You saved my life and I've shown nothing but disdain and hate towards you. For that, I do owe you an apology. I just don't know what's happening to me. One minute I'm myself, the next I'm not. I just feel...feel..."

"Empty?" Xena offered.

"Yes!" the girl exclaimed, happy that someone might understand how she was feeling. "Empty but also full of..." Kharis didn't want to say, afraid that saying it would make it true.

Xena understood where the girl was leading. The warrior was prone to moods of darkness and could readily see it reflected back in Kharis' eyes, as if Xena had been looking in a mirror-glass.

Nodding, Xena stood up and gazed down the river's path. "Darkness. I feel it also, more times than naught. It's Ares' gift to us."

"How did...how is he...?"

Cerulean eyes darkened as the mask came back to Xena's face. "He's my father also," the warrior said plainly.

"When did you find out?" Kharis asked quietly, intuitively realising that this topic was something that the ex-warlord never discussed - but would for the girl's benefit.

"When I was driven mad by the Fates. They were punishing me for not seeking retribution over my mother's murder of my father."

"But I thought your father..."

"He is. But my mother killed the man who I thought was really my father. He was supposed to sacrifice me to Ares and mother wouldn't allow that so she took an axe to him. I was free from Ares hold and was with Gabrielle at the time that the Fates got involved. Ares encouraged them to drive me mad unless I killed my mother. I refused and was going to throw myself off a cliff when Ares showed up and said some things that helped me put some pieces together. I went back to the Fates and challenged Ares to a duel. I beat him and that proved I must be a demigod at least. With Mother and Gabrielle's help I was able to prove to the Fates that the man she had killed was not my real father - Ares was. And that was that."

Kharis stood silently by Xena as what was revealed sank into her brain. One thought forced itself to the surface and lay true to her heart. "How did you feel about it?"

Xena shrugged as she turned to start back to the fire. "I didn't. I ignore the fact as much as possible. As long as I'm not with him then it doesn't matter. I make my own way in this world now and no bacchae dunghill of a God is going to lay claim to me."

Kharis thought about what she was told before reaching up and lightly touching Xena on the arm to stop her. Pain was clearly evident in her eyes as she summoned the strength to ask the question that had burnt in her brain ever since she found out who her father was. "Why did he tell me?"

Xena was at a loss for words. How do you tell someone that the God of War already laid out her destiny? Because of him, the child was destined to be the One. Masking her apprehension Xena allowed an eyebrow to rise as she contemplated what to tell and what not to tell. Deciding that honesty was always better than not Xena took in a breath and gazed down into frightened golden orbs.

"Because he wants to claim you and prepare you to be his Chosen."

Kharis nodded at finally hearing what she had known all along. Darkness suddenly engulfed the girl's thoughts as she accepted the knowledge that she was a tool for a God and nothing more. Seeing the same darkness within the ice-cold eyes of the warrior before her, Kharis felt a kinship stronger than what she ever felt with her own brother. The thought made her feel suddenly invincible. If Xena was able to stay away from her calling as Ares' Chosen then so could she.

A feral smile quickly darkened the girl's face even more as a happy voice belied the appearance. "Then I guess he's going to have a fight on his hands."

Xena's own wild smile brightened, as a loud deep laugh emitted from the warrior at this proclamation. "Oh I'm sure he will."

Morning came too quickly for Kharis as she lifted her head out of the furs. The fire was blazing against the morning chill, which meant that Xena was already up and out. Snatching a glance at the warrior's bedroll and only seeing one lump hidden underneath, the girl smiled. Gabrielle was not a morning person, never rising before the sun was fully up, unlike the warrior.

Dashing down to the river, Kharis splashed ice-cold water on her face, fully awakening her senses. Cocking her head to the side, the girl listened for any tell tale signs that the warrior was within the vicinity. Hearing a faint whistle, Kharis started towards the sound, quietly making her way where Xena was doing her morning drills in a clearing away from camp.

Stealing up to a fallen tree, the girl slowly popped her head over its top to watch the magnificent woman before her. The dance was remarkable. A dance of death finely tuned to that of only the warrior princess' body. Each stroke, parry, and thrust was perfectly timed and evenly matched with the punches, kicks, pokes, and flips that were part of the ex-warlord's arsenal.

Kharis marvelled as Xena completed one set of difficult drills only to slide effortlessly into an even more complicated set. Punch, thrust, parry, flip, kick, flip, thrust, and swipe… motions that moved with unbelievable speed. Entranced, the girl peeked over the log even more, giving herself away to the warrior's trained eye.

Snatching her chakram from her belt, Xena threw the disc towards the girl while in mid-flight from an extremely difficult triple flip. Landing on the ground lightly the warrior stole a glance in the direction of the girl's semi-hidden presence to watch Kharis pick the chakram out of the air. Smiling to herself, Xena continued with her drills as Kharis stared dumbfounded at the shiny golden object in her hand. She only had a second to react at the deadly disc flying her way and grabbed for it before she even consciously knew that it was there.

Surprised that she had stopped its flight, Kharis stood up dazed as Xena finished her final drill. Breathing only slightly heavy, the warrior stood in the middle of the open clearing watching the girl's reaction to what she had just done. Xena knew she would catch it. A demigod's reactions are faster than those of any mortals and the girl was a demigod through no stretch of the imagination. Despite herself, Xena glowed at the girl's achievement. It had taken the warrior over a year to master the chakram's return catch. Kharis could do it without a thought.

"Kharis, come here," Xena called to the girl who stood staring down at the chakram in her hand.

Shaking her head to clear itself, the girl silently slipped amongst the dense underbrush until she was in the clearing.

"How?"

Xena held out her hand for the chakram. "How did I know you where there or how did you catch it?"

Kharis shrugged as she handed over the disc. "Does it matter really?"

"Actually it does," Xena said as she sheathed her sword behind her back. "When it's a matter of life and death, both matter. For the first, I'm always on the alert for anything, even when I do my drills. You should always be aware of your surroundings with your eyes, ears, and nose. I heard you moving up to the tree and saw you out of the corner of my eye during one of my flips."

Flipping the chakram up and twirling it on her finger Xena continued. "Now to explain how you caught it? That's one of Ares' gifts, as Gabrielle calls them. Considering that anything that comes from Ares should be considered a curse I guess you and I will have to accept them as gifts. You are already at the point where your body will react before you even have a chance to think, which is good. I just wanted to test how quickly you'd react. I knew you'd catch it, your own self-preservation dictates it."

"So is that why you can do what you just did?"

"To a small degree yes, but mostly no. That was from many years of hard work and practice. Which you are going to be starting right away," Xena said with a mischievous grin as she placed her chakram on her belt once again and drew her breast dagger. Flipping it over in her hand she handed it to the startled girl.

"I thought you've already decided I know how to throw one of these?"

"You're not going to throw it, Khar. You're going to learn how to fight with it," the warrior said as she unsheathed her sword.

Pale, yellow eyes looked down the sword's shaft before resting on Xena's face, uncertain whether she was right to totally trust the obviously maniac warrior in front of her. "You've got to be kidding."

"Nope," Xena said as she twirled the steel blade around her arm.

"How can a dagger possibly defend against a sword?" the girl asked as fear slowly griped her body inch by inch.

"Easy," Xena replied as she suddenly sent her blade slicing through the air towards Kharis' head. Instincts kicked in and the girl jumped back out of the way of the blade's deadly path. "You jump forwards, not backwards, and stab in the groin or stomach region. Depending on who you are fighting of course."

"That's not nice, Xena," Kharis chided as she calmed her fragile nerves. "You could have warned me first before you were gonna slice my body in two."

The warrior shrugged as she sheathed her sword and walked towards a small stand of trees. "I could have stopped the downward swing if you didn't move fast enough but I knew..."

"Yeah, I know, that I'd get out of the way. You know, you really are psychotic," Kharis said disgusted.

Xena smiled as she rubbed her body down with a towel that had been hanging on a nearby tree. "I've trained many men and have never been wrong in any of my approaches."

"So you do that to everyone you train?"

"Nope. Only you."

Kharis snorted. "I feel honoured."

Xena smirked as she motioned towards the dagger. "You keep that and use it when you have to. When we get to the Amazons we'll get you a sword and start you on drills."

Surprised at this announcement Kharis quickly became leery. "Why this sudden turn around? I thought you told Ares that you weren't going to train me to be like you?"

Xena laughed as she started to head back to camp, forcing the girl to jog up along side her. "I'm not training you to be like me. I'm training you to defend yourself. You're already too much like me as it is, so it's useless to leave you to just the Amazons for your training."

Kharis accepted the answer willingly as she jogged beside the warrior and her brisk pace. Xena looked down at the sable head bobbing beside her and sighed internally. 'The closer I have you near me the better chance I'll have at thwarting the prophecy. I don't want to see anything bad happen to you ever again.'

Realising that her emotions towards the girl had changed Xena smiled. She fought any desires she had to turn Solon into a warrior and thus allowed him to stay with the centaurs to make his own way. Kharis on the other hand, had no choice. It was her destiny to be a warrior. This, Xena realised, was the way of things and to try and change them was folly. The only thing the warrior could do in all good conscious was to stand by the girl and help her realise that there was more than one way of being a warrior.

Xena stopped just before entering the campsite, pulling Kharis around to face her. "Kharis, there are a lot of things from my past that I am ashamed of. I don't want you to become what I was. If I do help train you, you are going to have to promise me one thing."

"Anything."

"Promise me, that no matter what, you will do what I say. Even if it seems like I might be leading you astray or endangering any of our lives. Promise me."

Kharis looked up into fiery blue eyes and with all conviction promised. "I promise, or may Hades damn my soul to Tartarus."

Satisfied that the girl would hold the promise till the day she died, Xena pulled the girl into a large hug and laughed. "You know... I never had a sister before."

Kharis' muffled giggle carried to the warrior's ears. "Me neither. I've only had a brother."

"Same here. Two to be exact," Xena smiled as she released the girl. "Guess we're gonna learn together what being sisters is like, huh?"

A playful smile crossed Kharis' face at suddenly being acknowledged by the warrior as more than just Ares' other Chosen. "Does that mean I have to wear smelly leather and armour like you?"

A lone eyebrow rose into raven bangs. "Are you calling me smelly?" the warrior drawled, muscles lightly tensing for action.

Waving a hand in front of her face, Kharis beamed as she slowly backed away from the menacing warrior. "Well you do need a bath I think. From the drilling and all, of course."

Twin eyebrows were now hidden amongst the warrior's bangs and she slowly approached the girl, arms extended. "Well then I guess we'll both have to take a bath."

Screaming, Kharis took off at a dead run towards the sleeping bard. Counting down from three Xena waited until one, then released the tension that had been building in her legs into a double summersault that brought her landing in front of the bard. Running right into the solid warrior, Kharis gasped as hands quickly picked her up and hoisted her over the warrior's dark head.

Jogging to the small river with a struggling girl over her head, Xena quickly placed the girl down in front of her and held her fast with one arm. Scooping the other arm down in front, the warrior quickly started to splash water over the girl's face and head. Laughing hard, Kharis' hysteria was growing, as she was quickly drenched before she could even retaliate.

Finally freeing an arm, the girl quickly started splashing water over her head, aiming hopefully for the woman who was holding her down. A startled gasp was heard behind the two sisters as Gabrielle wiped dripping water from her face.

"Couldn't you two do that somewhere else? Such as away from me?"

Both the warrior and girl looked at each other and smiled as they read each other's mind. Looking at the bard in unison, Xena released Kharis and both rose from the water's edge.

Realising that she was their intended prey, Gabrielle started to back up and away from the water while waving her hands at the two dark bodies. "Now guys... come on... I just woke up. Be nice."

Kharis smirked up at Xena as she wiped her dripping hair from her face. "Did she say nice?"

"I think she did. Aren't we nice?" Xena smirked back.

"We'll just have to show her," the girl said as she leapt for the bard who by now had turned to flee. Missing an arm by a hair's breath Kharis took off after the bard while Xena leapt into the air, grasping an overhanging branch. Travelling hand over hand through the branches, the warrior moved in front of the fleeing bard's path and flipped down, grabbing Gabrielle and forcing her to the ground.

Gabrielle yelped as her arms were pinned over her head by her friend while Kharis slid to a stop and knelt down beside the now immobilised bard. "What shall we do to prove how nice we are?"

Xena smiled evilly as she nodded towards the bard's open stomach. "I think she needs a little tickle torture."

Forest green eyes opened wide as Gabrielle struggled to break free from Xena's grasp. "Now, Xena. You know that's not nice."

Kharis chuckled as her hand slowly, delicately, made its way to sensitive exposed skin. "Not nice for you, but nice for us."

Fits of laughter intermingled with screams floated over the campsite as the torture proceeded. First one, then another fell to the ground as each gained an upper hand on the other and proceeded to tickle who ever was within reach. Slowly, the laughter died as three bodies gasped for air, looking up at the clouds floating by.

"You were supposed to go for Gabrielle, not me," Xena said slightly miffed at the girl lying beside her.

Gabrielle laughed as she flopped over onto her stomach and tousled Kharis' jet-black hair. "That's my girl. Go for the strongest first."

Kharis sighed happily. "Well, sis, you presented too much of an easy target. I had to take the opportunity when it presented itself. Pay-backs are a bitch, aren't they?"

Xena grinned at the unconscious affirmation, 'Sis. I like that better and better.' Pushing herself up from the dirt, Xena got up and stood between Gabrielle and Kharis. Reaching down to grasp the two arms, the warrior hauled the light bodies up onto their feet effortlessly.

"We should eat then pack up camp. We have a long way to go before we're in Amazon territory."

Kharis looked over to where Argo was hobbled and sighed. "Guess you're gonna want me to ride that beast of a horse of yours, huh?"

Shaking her head the warrior stooped down and started to throw more fuel on the fire. "Nope. You're going to walk like us. Best way to build stamina. In the mornings you'll run with me and start basic drills with a branch until we arrive at the Amazons. Your carefree days of just walking and collapsing on the bed roll are over, Khar."

The girl snorted at that last statement. "Carefree, huh? I'll have to remember that when I want to kill you for just pushing me too hard."

Gabrielle giggled softly. "You'd have to catch her first though."

Kharis smiled deviously as a quick thought came to her head. "Oh that'll be easy. I'll just make sure she doesn't hear me when I approach her. I have many skills you know."

Both bard and warrior laughed instantly while proceeding to prepare the morning's meal, leaving a confused Kharis to figure out what was so funny.

CHAPTER 2

Xena slowed down along the forest path and motioned for Kharis to join her in the lead. The girl quickly moved up and stopped beside the warrior princess.

"What's up?" the girl asked as she opened her senses to discover anything unusual within the supposedly peaceful quiet of the forest.

"What do you hear?" the warrior asked.

"A group of people in the trees. Four figures on the right and five on the left."

"And?"

Straining to hear, whatever the warrior had heard, Kharis focussed her ears without being obvious. Suddenly realising that what she had been hearing all along was not her own heartbeat but drums the girl smiled at missing the obvious.

"And war drums beating in the distance along with a rabbit just in front of us."

Xena smirked at this new development. "Rabbit, huh?" Grasping the girl, Xena ruffled Kharis' hair while Gabrielle caught up to them. "Cheeky monkey."

"Why we stopping?" the bard asked as Kharis was able to squirm out of the warrior's grasp.

"Amazons," Xena answered as she raised her hands above her head in the sign of peace. Gabrielle followed suit as the warrior instructed Kharis. "Follow Gabrielle's and my lead and do everything we do ok? Now raise your hands over your head like we are."

"Ok," the girl replied as she copied her sister's actions.

From the tops of the trees dropped nine Amazons, encircling the trio and Argo. All dropped on one knee as the Amazons paid homage to their Queen. Gabrielle smiled as she lowered her arms and grabbed Ephiny by the shoulders.

"Stand up, Ephiny, and give me a hug," the bard said to her friend as she pulled the Queen's Regent into a fierce hug after removing the woman's mask.

"We couldn't believe the scout's reports that you were heading this way, so we had to come and see for ourselves," Eponin said as she clasped Xena in the warrior's handshake.

"With nine amazons?" the warrior drawled as Kharis stared at the group, astounded. Here, in the flesh, were real Amazons. Women warriors the girl never thought she would ever meet.

Solari chortled as she stepped up to accept Xena's handshake. "We thought your guest would appreciate some protection. Not like you aren't enough protection as it is."

Looking over at the bewildered Kharis, Ephiny smiled and offered her arm. "And who is this little one?"

Kharis grasped the arm offered to her firmly as her face quickly recovered from the blush of excitement.

"My sister, Kharis," Xena replied as she turned to face Ephiny.

"Sister? I never knew," Ephiny exclaimed as she studied the girl before her. Like Xena, the girl's burnished body was well defined. Midnight hair fell loosely about her chiselled face that bespoke a beauty already developed. It was the eyes that held Ephiny's gaze the longest. Pure gold, like burnt copper, blazed up at the Amazon. Like her sister, the girl's features were a blank mask but her eyes foretold a darkness that was obviously inherited. Ephiny recognised that and slightly shuddered to think that the world now held two of them.

Kharis allowed the Amazon to study her as she calmed her nerves and kept her face a mask. Never losing eye contact with the blonde woman before her, the girl struggled to convey through body language alone that she was no longer a child but someone to be dealt with respectfully.

Xena smiled slightly at the effect the girl was trying to impose. 'She almost has it but she'll need to grow another foot before she can carry it off right.'

Nodding her approval, Ephiny turned and grasped Xena's arm before taking Gabrielle's hand and leading them all towards the village. Solari and Eponin ruefully smiled and shrugged in unison as they followed behind their Queen and Regent. Xena and Kharis followed alongside the two Amazon friends while the rest of the troupe kept a watch behind their backs.

Solari stole a glance at the girl, walking alert beside the tall, imposing warrior, and shook her head. Catching Xena watching her, the Amazon smiled briefly as she mentioned what was on all of their minds at the moment. "So what brings you to these parts, Xena?"

"Amazon stuff," the warrior replied gruffly.

Eponin snorted as she trudged beside her companion. "Amazon stuff, huh? Then why drag this mite around for Amazon stuff?"

Kharis bristled at the weapons master's insult as a warm hand gently fell on her shoulder and squeezed lightly. Biting her tongue, the girl kept her promise and followed Xena's lead at silence. Realising that an answer wasn't forthcoming, Eponin snorted again as the group walked on maintaining their own thoughts.

Ephiny checked behind her a fourth time to make sure that everything was all right when Gabrielle called her on it.

"Ephiny, what are you worried about? Afraid Xena's going to decimate your royal guard?"

Blonde curly locks swayed as Ephiny swung her head back to the grinning bard. "Sorry, Gabrielle. I just worry about what could happen when Sol and Pony get together with that she devil."

"She devil?" the bard asked innocently.

"You know who I mean. She baits them with one sentence, and then leaves them hanging dry to stir in their own juices. That's all I need right now, two Amazons wanting to show your warrior princess up."

Gabrielle laughed as she placed an arm around the toned Amazon's waist. "Don't worry, Eph. Xena knows how to handle herself. She promised that she wouldn't cause any problems with those two while we're staying here."

"I'll believe that when I see it. So why are you here? Anything to do with the girl?"

Gabrielle closed her mouth before everything bubbled out. Xena had asked that nothing was to be said of neither Kharis' lineage nor why she was to be trained by the Amazons unless Xena said so herself. Deciding that brevity was the best approach Gabrielle smiled as she looked up at the forest's canopy.

"You'll have to speak to Xena about it. I'm just here to catch up on recent events and take a well-deserved breather from the road. Unless you don't want us staying here for a while?"

"No, of course not. We're very happy that you're here and are going to be staying with us."

"But?"

"But my curiosity is getting the better of me. Come on, Gabrielle. Can't you drop a small kernel of gossip my way? Or do I have to wait like the rest of them to hear what's going on?"

Gabrielle smiled innocently as she kept her mouth shut waiting for her partner to step right in and save the day.

"Leave her alone, Eph," a deep rumbling voice said from behind the Regent's ear. Spinning around to find the 'she devil' right by her back unnerved the Amazon more than being caught at trying to extract information from the bard. 'How does she do that?' the blonde warrior asked herself for the umpteenth time after being unable to hear Xena's approach.

"Right on time," the bard said sunnily as she moved back to walk beside Kharis while Xena filled in an obviously impatient Ephiny.

"So, Eph," the warrior drawled. "What do you want to know?"

The blonde Amazon was shocked that the normally reticent warrior was willing to talk. "Well, for starters, why are you three here?"

Xena's lip quivered as she tried to maintain her regular stoic mask; which was proving to be very hard to do with the normally regal Regent chomping at the bit for any morsel of information. Taking pity on the poor woman Xena dropped her guard and gestured to some branches up above. "Come on, we can talk up there while everyone continues down below. There are some things I need to speak to you about."

Leaping up and grasping one of the lower branches, both Ephiny and Xena quickly climbed up to one of the taller trees and started to run from branch to branch, leaving the small group below to only wonder at where the two warriors were going.

Gabrielle gazed upwards to see where her two friends had gone but lost them in the overgrowth of the tree's uppermost branches. Resigned to the fact that she would see neither of them until entering the village, the bard turned to check on Kharis only to find that the girl had disappeared also. Frantic at the girl's disappearance, the bard sounded the alarm. Both Solari and Eponin swivelled around to face their Queen as the rest of the royal guard rushed up to her defence.

"What's wrong, my Queen?" one of the guards asked.

"It's Kharis. She's disappeared," Gabrielle uttered as she franticly began to search the surrounding area.

"Hades' balls," Eponin muttered as she quickly organised the search. Grouping the Amazons in pairs, the weapons master instructed each group to split up between tree top and ground searches.

Solari was assigned to stay with the now extremely worried Queen. An unknown person of any sex in Amazon land was considered an enemy first and foremost. Calling out to Gabrielle, the Amazon trotted to where the girl was last seen and began to track her movements.

"What do you see?" the bard asked as Eponin also jogged over to where Solari was kneeling on the ground.

"She went though here," the Amazon tracker said and pointed to a very dense set of brush. Keeping her eyes on the ground, Solari followed the girl's tracks into the thick undergrowth as Gabrielle and Eponin kept close behind. Stopping suddenly, the tracker looked up as she scrutinised some broken branches.

"She went up there," Solari said as she pointed to a small tree.

"There? That tree couldn't hold her weight," Eponin replied as she also viewed the broken branches.

"Her tracks stop here though and the broken limbs support that she moved up," Solari answered defensively.

Gabrielle examined the tree and agreed with the Amazon's best tracker. "She's right, Pony. Kharis is very light and would stick to trees that could only support her weight so that she couldn't be followed."

"Well, why did she run?" The weapons master asked belligerent.

"I don't know. She must have had a good reason though to leave us alone."

"And what good enough reason would there be to get herself killed if she is spotted by one of our patrols? They don't know who she is," Solari asked angrily as the child's foolish game could possibly mean her death.

"I don't think the patrols will spot her. She was able to sneak off without any of us seeing her or hearing her go."

"Well there isn't much we can do for now except get back to the village as soon as possible and send out scouts to inform the patrols not to kill the girl unless provoked," Eponin said as she started to head back to the path.

"Provoked? Why would she provoke anyone?" Gabrielle inquired.

Eponin shrugged. "Well she is Xena's sister isn't she? That type of personality must run in the family, right?"

Solari shook her head at her friend behind the bard's back, plainly telling Eponin to keep her mouth shut before she shoved her other foot in it.

Gabrielle's anger started to rise as the obvious notoriety of Xena's past was passed onto Kharis' shoulders as well. Marching up to the stocky weapons master the bard shoved a pointed finger into the woman's chest. "Look, Pony. When I'm not hear you can say anything you like about Xena. But when I am here I will not abide with you slandering my best friend in front of me! And that goes for Kharis also. You know absolutely nothing about that poor girl so don't speak about someone until you get to know him or her first! Got that?"

Eponin bowed her head in shame at the rebuke from her Queen. "I'm sorry, my Queen, for dishonouring your friend's reputation and name. I will accept what ever punishment you deem appropriate."

Gabrielle slowly exhaled as her anger quickly went away only leaving her exasperated. "No, Pony, I'm the one who should apologise. You're right. Kharis and Xena are very much alike in too many ways. If Kharis does run into one of the patrols she won't accede willingly to their demands. I'm just worried about her, but more worried about what Xena will do if she finds out that Kharis has taken off."

"Why don't we call a truce and head back to the village while it's still light," Solari suggested. "Maybe we'll be able to beat Eph and Xena there and then we can do a proper search for the child."

Both Gabrielle and Eponin agreed simultaneously. Calling the rest of the search party off, the troupe of Amazons quickly ran the rest of the way back to the village with Argo following behind.

Xena pulled herself onto a thick set of branches as she waited for Ephiny to catch up. Settling herself in, the warrior marvelled at the Amazon's abilities. Not too many people could keep up with the warrior princess either on ground or tree but Ephiny was one of the exceptions.

Gasping for breath, the Regent collapsed onto the small protective screen eyeing Xena and her lack of shortness of breath.

"How do you do it?" Ephiny finally asked when she was able to take a deep enough breath to speak.

"Conditioning. Many years of it actually."

"The Amazons go through strenuous conditioning also yet none of us are ever able to keep up with you."

"Your Amazons don't go through the kind of conditioning I do though."

Ephiny laughed despite herself. She should have been offended at the obvious dig at her Amazons; yet the warrior's bluntness was not condescending... it was the truth.

"So, what are we doing up here anyway? You said you wanted to talk but we could have spoken in private once we had reached the village. Why the need for this?" Ephiny asked as she waved her hands around her.

Xena leaned back against the trunk of the tree and started from the beginning leaving out only Kharis' real identity as Ares' daughter and any mention of the prophecy.

Ephiny sat in silence as she absorbed Xena's tale. Once the warrior was done with her story Ephiny stood up and walked out to one of the thicker branches before heading back to where Xena was now standing up.

"So you want her trained as an Amazon," it wasn't a question, only a statement. Ephiny shook her head a bit as she tried to reconcile the woman that was in front of her and the woman that could kill hundreds singularly. If this same woman's own sister possessed even half of the warrior's abilities than the girl would be too great of a danger to the rest of the village.

Sensing what was holding Ephiny back from agreeing, Xena cleared her throat as she smiled weakly. "I know. She'll be more of a hazard than an asset if she's anything like me right?"

"I never said that," Ephiny replied hastily.

"You didn't have to. I can see it in your eyes," Xena reasoned as she stretched her calf muscles. "Besides, I've thought the same thing. She is like me, more than I was ever like me."

Ephiny's brows furrowed as she tried to sort out what the warrior meant by that. "If you were thinking along the same lines I am right now, then why did you ask if you knew what my answer would be?"

"Because there is one thing I can assure you that would enable you to say yes."

"And that is?" Ephiny asked despite herself.

"I'm going to stay here until she is trained and will personally oversee the majority of it. With me guarding over her there will be a significantly less chance of an 'accident' happening when she's around."

Ephiny considered having the warrior princess in the compound longer than the usual few days. How would the Amazons react to having her live with them for months, even years? If the warrior could settle down for that long.

"Eph?" Xena asked softly.

"Hmm?"

"It should take no more than a few months, if that. And I did promise Gabrielle that I would be on my best behaviour so you won't have to worry about your Amazons having the dung kicked out of them on a daily basis."

"Not unless they wanted it," Ephiny laughed. For Xena to ask for the Amazons' help was a singular occasion and deserved a quick and honest reply. "Xena, I have my doubts about this but if you believe that you will only need a few months to train the child then you will have my full support. May Artemis have mercy on us all."

Xena's eyes sparkled as the first battle was won. She had doubted that Ephiny would actually agree but knew that at least the Regent would seriously weight every option before declining to help.

"Surprised you, didn't I?" Ephiny smiled at the look of relief on Xena's face.

"Actually, you did. If it was me, I would have said no. Why didn't you?"

"Because I trust your judgement and opinion. If you believe that the girl needs to be trained as an Amazon then there must be one Tartarus of a reason for it to be so. Plus, with you hanging around, maybe my Amazons will finally be able to learn the merits of that damn conditioning program you so love to rub in our faces."

Xena laughed at the jest. "I'll bet your Amazons won't be as happy when they discover that it'll take them years to be in the type of condition that I am."

"Probably not," Ephiny agreed as she swung out onto a lower branch. "Shall we?"

Xena jumped onto a lower branch and smile wickedly at the Regent. "Race you."

Ephiny laughed sharply. "Like that would be a fair race."

Xena shrugged as she flexed her leg muscles. "I'll even let you win when we enter the village."

"Oh no you don't, Xena. I'm not taking any charity win from you. You want a race, then we'll race fair and square."

"It's your pride that will be lost then. Ready?" Xena said as she crouched onto one of the more springy limbs on the tree they were in.

"Ready," Ephiny said as she prepared to leap forward.

"Go!" the warrior yelled as she stood up and watched the blonde Amazon run full speed along the tree's boughs. 'It never hurts to let someone else win for a change' Xena thought as she bobbed up and down on the flexible limb before allowing its momentum to spring her up and over the treetops. Flipping through the air, the warrior jumped from branch to branch, somersaulting over and over, until she was within an arm's distance of the fast moving blonde Amazon. Lightly landing on a more resilient branch the warrior decided that playtime was over and quickly joined Ephiny in a straight run. 'Then again, I hate losing.' Both warriors ran through the air, leaping from limb to limb with effortless ease, enjoying the freedom and the dizzying heights.

The mood was sombre as the royal guard and Amazon Queen finally entered the gates of the Amazon's compound. Dispatches were immediately sent to all patrol parties with a description of Kharis along with instructions to not apprehend her, only to follow her from a distance and report back with her location.

Gabrielle knew that none of the patrols would ever find her. The past week had shown the bard that the girl was becoming more and more adept at mastering the "many skills" that Xena possessed. Disappearing right in front of someone's eyes was a recent addition.

"Gabrielle, see if you can find me?" the girl asked one afternoon when the trio had taken a much needed break.

Gabrielle looked up into sparkling golden eyes and smiled at the girl's obvious playful intent. Once Kharis had reconciled herself to fact that she couldn't change neither who she was, nor who her family was, the girl's cold, aloof nature instantly changed to a more warm, playfully evil disposition that surprised even Xena in its intensity. Many practical jokes had been played on both bard and warrior, which helped ease the monotony of travelling on foot.

"Alright, Khar, want me to close my eyes?" the bard complied.

"No, never take your eyes off of me."

Gabrielle laughed sharply as she tried to figure out what the girl was up to. "How can you hide if I don't close my eyes?"

"I'm not going to hide. You'll just stop seeing me."

Looking over to where Xena was sprawled out on a bed of moss, Gabrielle raised her eyebrows at the audacity of what Kharis was implying.

"Just do what she says, Gabrielle. You'll see," the warrior drawled as she closed her eyes and revelled in the sun's heat.

"Ok then," Gabrielle said sceptically. "I won't take my eyes off of you."

Kharis smiled brightly as she started to walk towards some trees lining the small glade that the trio had stopped in. Turning around to face the bard, the girl's smile faded as she relaxed every muscle in her body. Gabrielle continued to watch the girl, wondering whether Kharis was going to jump into one of the smaller trees or dash into the undergrowth. 'Gods, I never know what random act of lunacy she's going to attempt next.'

A minute went by, then two as the girl continued to stand very still until suddenly she disappeared form the bard's sight. Gasping, Gabrielle jumped up and scanned franticly around her for any sign of Kharis' presence. About to run to the spot where she had last seen the girl the bard's calf was captured by a calloused, bronzed hand, forcing her to look down at the still reclined and very relaxed warrior.

"Gabrielle, she's still there," the warrior said patiently with eyes still closed.

"What do you mean she's still there? She's not there. I saw her...well...I don't know exactly what I saw but she's not there any more."

"Relax," the warrior said as brilliant sky blue eyes popped open. Releasing the bard's calf Xena sat up and turned her head to the spot where Kharis was still standing. "Trust me, she's still there. She's just blocked herself from your mind. Your eyes can see her but your mind isn't registering that fact."

"Xeeeennnnnaaaa," Kharis' voice floated across the glade prompting Gabrielle to glance up to see the girl in that same exact spot she was before. "Do you have to ruin all of my fun by explaining it to her?"

"How...how...how did you do that?" the bard stuttered.

"One of my new skills," Kharis beamed as she walked up to the astonished bard.

Suddenly slamming Xena's body back to the ground, Gabrielle straddled the now laughing woman, and held her fingers a hair's breath away from one of the warrior's most ticklish spots.

"You taught her that, didn't you?" The bard said menacingly.

Struggling to control her laughter a smug smile quickly played across Xena's face. "Yes, I did."

"Why didn't you teach me that trick?"

"Because you could never keep quiet for more than a minute. It's hard to block yourself from someone's mind when you're babbling on and giving your location away," Xena knew she would pay for that but the look on her bard's face was worth a few excruciating moments of torture.

Gabrielle immediately began to tickle Xena with a vengeance. Screaming in laughter, the warrior struggled to tickle the bard back but was unexpectedly attacked from the other side by Kharis. Realising that she had only one option, Xena summoned as much will power as possible and blocked the tickling from her mind as she reached for both bard and girl.

Grasping them both, Xena lifted the two off of her body and held them in the air overhead. Dismayed to find themselves airborne both relented and were set down on either side of the warrior, laughing till their sides hurt.

Throwing an arm over her soulmate, Gabrielle snuggled into Xena's shoulder and mumbled. "You will pay for that you know."

Xena closed her eyes again as Kharis also snuggled up to the toasty warrior for a nap. "I know."

"My Queen? Gabrielle?" Solari slightly shook the bard's shoulder as hazy green eyes focussed on the Amazon.

"Sorry, Sol. You were saying?"

"When the patrols report the girl's location, we'll head out with a small force to retrieve her once Xena and Ephiny show up."

"The patrols won't find her. Only Xena will be able to," Gabrielle said with conviction.

"Only Xena will be able to what?" a low rumble emitted from a tree by the group. Dropping down lightly, Xena paced up to the group, mask firmly in place.

"Where's Ephiny?" Eponin asked, looking above her for the Regent's presence.

"She should be here in a few seconds," the warrior replied gruffly. "What's happened that only I will be able to solve?"

"Well, you see Xena..." Solari started to speak just as Ephiny emerged from the treetops, jumping down next to Xena.

"I thought you were going to let me win?" the Regent said light-heartedly to the bronzed warrior. Recognising the tension around her instantly Ephiny turned to Gabrielle. "What's happened?"

Gabrielle couldn't meet Xena's intense gaze as she started to explain the events leading to Kharis' disappearance. Once the story had been told the bard finally looked up into cold blue eyes asking for forgiveness. "I'm sorry, Xena. I should have been paying more attention to her once you and Ephiny left. I never thought she would run."

"It's not your fault, Gabrielle. I shouldn't have taught her how to do it in the first place. There's no need to blame anyone. We just have to figure out why she ran," Xena said softly as she turned to the few remaining Amazons that were part of the royal guard.

"None of you saw her leave the path?" Xena seethed.

"No," a small stocky woman replied. "We were placing bets while maintaining the watch when the Queen announced that the child was gone."

Ephiny stepped forward, angry that her own hand picked guards couldn't keep an eye on an untrained youth. "You are supposed to be maintaining a watch on our Queen and guest. Not placing bets!"

A firm grip fell on the Regent's shoulder as Xena stepped closer to the guard that spoke up. "What were you betting on?"

"Caesar and his army."

"What about him?" Gabrielle asked before her warrior could.

Swallowing hard, the guard focussed on her Queen instead of the foreboding warrior. "His army is on the other side of our mountain range. We were betting on whether he'd risk losing a good portion of it if he dared to enter our territory."

"Caesar is here?" Xena asked Ephiny sharply. "Why wasn't I told?"

Ephiny stepped back as a quickly raging Xena advanced on the Regent. "I didn't even think about it. There is no way for his whole army to move through the mountain passes safely so there was no fear of him entering our territory."

A sudden thought passed through Gabrielle's mind. "Xena? You don't think that Kharis..."

Fighting to control her anger Xena closed her eyes while releasing a long breath before continuing. "I do. She's gone after him."

Eponin snorted. "That little thing? She's crazier than I thought."

Xena whirled on the weapons master, grabbing the woman by the neck and lifting her up off the ground. "You had better watch your mouth when you talk about my sister. Got that?"

Everyone froze as an enraged Xena threw Eponin into the group of remaining guards "I'll need two others to help me retrieve Kharis. Solari and someone else I can trust," the warrior demanded of Ephiny while glaring at the now rising Eponin.

Sensing that to denying the warrior anything would be lethal the Regent only nodded as she stepped forward. "Take me. Gabrielle is here now to take over the bannership of rule. I'll go with you."

Nodding once, the warrior moved off towards the stables to find Argo only to be stopped by Gabrielle's body suddenly in her path.

"Now wait a minute," Gabrielle said as she walked closely to Xena. "You're not leaving me here"

"We need to move fast, Gabrielle," Xena reasoned. "And the best way is through the trees. Your fear of heights sort of precludes you from travelling that way, don't you think?"

"Fine. I'll stay here but you had better be travelling through the trees and not just saying that to keep from coming."

Xena grunted as she continued on her way to the stable followed by a still slightly miffed bard.

"Xena, Eponin didn't mean anything by what she said about Kharis. You should apologise."

"If she didn't mean anything than she shouldn't have said anything," the warrior replied, ice blue eyes still blazing in controlled fury.

"Xena!" Gabrielle shouted. "Stop!"

Slowly turning towards the bard, Xena forced herself to calm down managing to douse the fire in her eyes. "Gabrielle, I don't have time. I promise I'll apologise once we have Kharis back here safe and sound," she said so softly that only the bard could hear.

"I know you're worried about her. So am I. But you can't walk around picking up Amazons and throwing them around like rag dolls every time one of them says something that you don't like."

"I know, Gabrielle, really."

"Do you?" Gabrielle asked, searching her partner's now azure eyes for total comprehension of what the bard was implying. "We are going to have to live here for a few months after you bring Kharis back. Do you honestly think you can hold your anger at bay during all that time?"

Xena groaned as she realised that the bard was right. It was going to take every ounce of control that the warrior had to 'not' react to whatever affronts the Amazons might throw her way, whether intentional or not.

"I don't know. All I can do is hope that I'm strong enough to control the darkness in me."

Gabrielle walked over and gave her partner a hug. "That's all I can ask of you. Between the two of us we'll make it as uneventful as possible for you."

Chuckling slightly, Xena stroked honey gold hair as she felt her body relax from the close contact. "Won't that be a trip? You and me doing something uneventful."

Both soulmates laughed as Ephiny and Solari approached very cautiously. Seeing the look of fear in their eyes Xena mustered a smile to calm their nerves as she spoke over Gabrielle's head. "It's alright now. The lion has been caged."

"More like temporarily sedated if you ask me," the Amazon tracker said.

Releasing her hold from Xena, Gabrielle smiled as she stepped away from the warrior. "Sedation doesn't work well. Anyway, I like mine frisky."

Silence, then loud laughter followed the now blushing bard's statement as Xena reached for a final stroke of Gabrielle's hair.

"I can't believe I said that," Gabrielle said as she went an even deeper shade of red.

"I can," Xena purred into the bard's ear before continuing on her way to the stable, leaving a very embarrassed bard to stammer her foot out of her mouth.

"Sol... find anything?" a deep voice said from above. Straining her eyes to pick up Kharis' trail, Solari slowly moved forward through the dense branches discerning the marks of squirrel, bird, and other forest creatures on the tree's limbs and bark. Noticing a scuff that wasn't indicative of anything but human the Amazon exhaled with relief.

The group had been travelling for a few candlemarks and had been able to follow the girl's trail between the Amazon tracker's knowledge and Xena's acute eye sight. Many misleads had been followed, delaying the small group. The tracker's growing admiration for the girl was slowly becoming apparent to her travelling companions.

"Son of a Bacchae, how the Hades did she.... damn her to Tartarus, no one could...argh!" Solari softly cursed as she tried to decide which path the girl had taken.

"She fool you again, Sol?" Ephiny called down from a larger tree as the Regent and warrior princess lightly bounced on their respective branches.

"No," the tracker called back. "But she almost did."

Chuckling slightly, Xena scanned the distance through a break in the trees for any sign of Kharis.

"She's very good you know?" Ephiny said offhanded.

"Who? Solari or Kharis?" Xena asked as she focussed her attention back to the blonde Amazon beside her.

"Kharis. Not many people could hide a trail from Sol there but your sister has done it five times already. Any more and we might lose Solari to her own sword."

Blue eyes sparkled slightly before being doused as Xena swung up onto higher branches. Following the warrior's lead, Ephiny also began to climb until both women were on a large sturdy branch that supported both their weight easily.

"She's coming into her own despite herself," Xena mused as the two women patiently waited for Solari to return to them.

"Despite herself?" Ephiny asked.

"She's instinctively acquiring skills that by all rights should have to be learned through practice. I don't think she even realises what she's doing."

"Is that why you are the way you are?"

Xena quirked an eyebrow at the Regent. "And what is that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing really. It's just that you are probably the best warrior in all of Greece. Don't tell me that you become a warrior though instinct."

"No. I had to do it all the old fashioned way. Hard work and lots of practice." Xena laughed. "Now? Yes. I rely on my instincts to get Gabrielle and myself out of trouble. But a lot of that is just trusting my abilities and the hard work to do things that might seem impossible."

"Thank Artemis. I was afraid that you were some sort of demigod," Ephiny laughed jokingly.

A quick breathe from Xena forced Ephiny's attention to the cold, impassive face that the warrior now wore. Realising that what she said had hit a hidden spot with the warrior Ephiny was uncertain whether to probe for more information when Solari suddenly climbed up and sat down on the branch.

"Well?" Xena asked the tracker in a now cold, impassive voice.

"She's almost as bad to track as you are," Solari said angrily. "But I have her trail again. Looks like she's cut across the northern range."

"Hades' balls! She would have to have picked that route," Ephiny swore.

"What's wrong with the northern range?" Xena asked.

Ephiny glared in the direction of the northern range. "It's comprised of mostly new growth forest. A fire from a seven summers ago wiped out the old forest. There's nothing but smaller trees there now. Trees that your dear sister can stick to but we're too heavy to track her through."

Solari nodded in agreement as Xena pondered what their next move would have to be with this turn of events.

"Is there any way to get over the mountain quickly?" the warrior asked.

"Yes," Solari said as she stood up and pointed to a small cliff face showing against the mountain's side. "Beyond the rock there is a small chasm that leads though the mountain. We use it for reconnaissance and as a possible escape route if we ever need to leave the hunting grounds quickly."

"Thank Artemis, we haven't had to use that plan yet," Ephiny sighed.

"Good. Then we'll use it and hopefully come out by Caesar's army before Kharis does," Xena said as she planned her path through the cluster of trees they were in. "If we can get ahead of her then we can stop her. Ready?"

Both Amazons nodded as Xena led the way to the small cliff that would be their short cut 'By the Gods I hope we make it in time. If not...' Xena couldn't continue the thought. Surprisingly it hurt too much to think about the consequences if Kharis made it to Caesar before the warrior and Amazons could. Pushing the thought from her mind Xena picked up her pace as she ran through the forest's canopy.

CHAPTER 3

Kharis could no longer feel her arms, as she swung lower down through the branches of a young tree. Her body screamed for rest, begging with millions of tiny daggers that burned across her over-exerted muscles and hot skin. Forcing the pain, that had been building for over a candlemark, into the back of her mind had been become harder and harder for the ebony haired girl as she pushed herself to continue on.

Only stopping for water and some berries, she was able to traverse the mountain's top in a shorter amount of time than she had thought possible. Finally over the other side, the girl could hear the sounds of the army echoing in the large valley below.

Night had fallen and with it the natural sounds of the living forest that now resided in slumber. Staying up in the trees, Kharis discovered a nesting of soft branches and leaves that had intertwined through each other as they strove to reach the sun's motherly rays. Collapsing on the natural bed, the girl's heart pounded in her head as her oxygen-starved brain tried to recover from the exertion of the constant travel.

Only one thought had kept her moving despite the pain and self-doubt as to if she could continue on. Vengeance... vengeance on the man that violated her body. 'His life is mine' repeated over and over in the girl's mind as her mantra enabled weakened arms and legs to persevere despite the odds.

A soft murmur below the bed of leaves woke Kharis from unconsciousness into the morning's light. Straining to discern what the sound was brought on new pounding in the girl's head as she struggled to remain conscious. Stifling a sob that threatened to burst out, Kharis concentrated on her breathing. The irregular breaths came in short, silent gasps as the girl slowly relaxed her body and mind and focussed on the source of the pain. Finding it, she used what available strength was left and thrust the pain into a small box deep within her mind.

Relief quickly spread throughout her body as the world slipped back into focus. Muscles, exhausted beyond belief, were slowly recuperating; ears, now silent from the throbbing, started to pick up fine details of her surroundings; while eyes, free from the sharp white light, adjusted to the morning's glaze and were now able to discern the minute veins on the leaves of her bed. Smiling to herself, Kharis said a silent prayer to Ares for giving her the ability to recover quickly.

The soft murmur that had awoken her grew louder and louder as one of Caesar's patrols fanned out within the forest, heading her way. The men were in prime fighting condition and were highly tuned to any irregular sounds that might emit from the forest surrounding the army's temporary camp.

Staying as still as possible, Kharis lay in the tree and waited for the men to pass underneath. Confident that she was protected from observance by the dense overgrowth, Kharis strained to pick up what was being said below. Snatches of idle gossip and complaints filtered into her mind and were ignored until the information she was waiting for reached her ears.

"Caesar must be crazy to stay this close to Amazon land," one of the voices said.

"What's the matter, Persius? Afraid of some women?" another scoffed.

"You've never seen them in battle, Melinon. They are savage in battle and are worthy opponents in war."

Melinon snorted. "They are woman. What you hear about them is nothing but exaggerated tales told by some bards who have never seen an Amazon let alone met one."

"I tell you, you don't want to mess with them," Persius warned gravely. "We'll be lucky to survive this foray tonight."

"You worry about your own back and I'll worry about the patrol," Melinon said gruffly. "Caesar is sleeping like a babe right now because he is not worried about a bunch of woman attacking an army of men 400 strong. So if he's not worried then I'm not worried."

"He's not out here with us though."

"Thank Zeus for that. He wouldn't last a candlemark with us!" Melinon laughed as the troop continued on their way through the forest unaware of the danger that lurked above.

While waiting for the troops to be out of hearing distance Kharis allowed a small smile to come to her face as she silently stood up and stretched her stiff muscles. Pockets of mist slowly crawled across the valley shrouding the army and its tents in a delicate embrace as the golden sun rose in its majestic glory. It was a good day for death.

Climbing higher through the tree, Kharis was able to finally see the army's complete encampment. Situated in the valley with only two openings to defend it was perfectly placed. A small stream meandered through the middle of the camp providing much needed clean water for drinking and bathing. Temporary battlements had been constructed around the camp fortifying it from any unexpected attacks. In the centre was the commander's tent, Caesar's home away from home. Mammoth in size, the arrogance clearly cried out even from that distance. Grinning wickedly Kharis carefully planned her approach into the camp, eyeing gaps in the defence.

A few options quickly sprung to her mind as she watched the changing of the guard, noting the sun's position. Walking directly up to one of the patrols asking for help was the easiest, yet deadliest if she was recognised at all. Sneaking into camp was more plausible as the girl discarded many options until one finally fit perfectly in her revenge filled mind.

Resigned to the fact that she would have to wait till dark, Kharis moved silently through the light forest to find a temporary lookout that would enable her to watch the sentry changes yet be hidden from said sentries. A grumble in her belly screamed in Kharis' ears as she covered the betraying belly with her hand. Hunger had been something that she had pushed from her mind as her body continually demanded sustenance. Realising that she would soon need every ounce of strength she possessed, Kharis stopped and eyed the ground below her for bushes of berries. Finding a few likely candidates, the girl carefully climbed out of the tree and lightly jumped down beside one of the more prosperous bushes.

Keeping all of her senses on alert, Kharis greedily shoved berries into her mouth as she broke fast. Two bushes later, with a stomach now satisfied, Kharis found a small hollow in the ground where a tree had been uprooted during a violent storm the previous summer. Undergrowth covered the majority of the small cavity and made a perfect hiding spot for the girl. Sighing from the lethargy that had now set in, the girl snuggled into the hole and covered her approach with the loose fauna that surrounded the opening. Satisfied that she was safe for now, Kharis allowed her mind and body to relax as she slipped into Morpheus' grasp.

If the sentries had looked up even once they would have noticed the three women clinging to branches high above, but not being aware of Amazons and their techniques the patrol moved on ignorant of Xena and her companions' presence. A signal passed between the women as they moved on quietly though the trees, closer to the army's encampment. Stopping as close as possible without being seen, Xena quickly searched the temporary base for any sign of Kharis. Not finding any, the tall warrior motioned for Solari to move within whispering distance.

"Sol, can you see any signs that she's already there?"

Scanning intently, the Amazon shook her head. "No. We should be seeing signs of her passage through this area soon. The trees aren't clustered as thickly as the others were so it should be easier to pick up her track again."

"Good. That's what I thought," Xena said as she felt a small amount of relief flood through her. Watching the camp and its occupants, the ex-warlord felt a sharp pang of pain as she remembered the old days of leading her army. The camp was set up well and was running like clockwork to her trained eye. A small amount of respective for Caesar's efficient army registered in her brain as she instinctively considered ways to demobilise the army and its defences.

Ephiny swung down by the warrior and fellow Amazon regarding the army. "Professional, aren't they?"

Xena nodded as she searched for Caesar amongst the throng of men below. Despite herself she desired to see him again. If not for anything than to rub in his face that despite his best attempts, she was still alive and kicking. Not finding him, the warrior started to search the surrounding trees for any sign that Kharis had passed through this way. A small broken twig caught her eye a few trees to the left.

"Sol," Xena whispered as she pointed to the broken twig. "I think I just found the bone you need to track with."

Viewing the twig, Sol grinned as she moved to the tree starting to trace the path that Kharis had taken. Moving lightly through the trees Solari carefully followed the girl's trail followed by the silent warrior and the blonde Regent. Pausing at the nest of branches that Kharis had used for a temporary bed the Amazon tracker continued on, certain that her prey was within reach. Reaching the end of Kharis' tree top path, Solari leaped down and continued to run until she came to a dead stop.

"What is it?" Ephiny asked as she searched for any trace of Kharis.

Parting some undergrowth from a small hollow formed from exposed roots, Solari smiled as she revealed the slumbering form of the dark haired child. Xena stepped forward and viewed her sister, fast asleep. Anger quickly filled her mind as she controlled the urge to snatch the girl out of her hiding spot and trash her within an inch of her life for running off.

Kneeling down, the warrior shook the resting child until golden eyes snapped open and focussed on orbs of azure within a foot of the girl's face.

"Nooo," the girl moaned as she realised that her quest to kill Caesar was now effectively halted.

Xena pulled slightly on Kharis' arm, coaxing her out of the root's cavity until the dark girl was free. Wrapping Kharis in a fierce hug Xena stroked midnight hair as the girl broke down and wept. "Shhh, Kharis. Don't cry. You were foolish to go off on your own. You should have waited for me."

"I'm... I'm... so sorry," Kharis sobbed between words. "I had to try. He... he... hurt me. He killed my... my... family. He has to pay for that."

"He will," Xena soothed. "I promise he will. But you would never have succeeded. You need time to heal and learn before you can go after him."

"No. I have to do this now. I might never get the chance again," Kharis lamented.

Xena sighed as she tried to get through the anger and reason with her sister. "Please, Kharis, trust me... he will pay. Some how... some way. But you can't be the one to do it yet. If you try you'll end up dead."

Stifling a sob the girl pulled away slightly as she looked up into clear blue eyes. "I don't think I can go on knowing that he's walking and breathing while my village is gone."

"Yes, you will." Xena said confidently. "Because I will be there for you. Along with Gabrielle and the Amazons. We'll all be there for you to help you become strong so that when the time is right, you can fulfil the promise you made to yourself on that cross."

Startled pools of honey fixed on the warrior's face as Xena smiled sweetly. "Yes, I know. I swore the same oath when Caesar placed me on a cross to die."

"Then why haven't you gone after him? Why is he still alive?" Kharis said as her crying subsided.

"Because I realised that revenge and death suffer a heavy price... a price that eats away at your soul until there is nothing remaining, but emptiness. It isn't a price that I want to pay anymore and you shouldn't either."

"I can't let it go. I won't," the girl swore.

Wiping away a stray tear Xena understood the girl's convictions. "I know. But for now you need to heal so that when you do confront him, you are absolutely sure that his death is what you truly want. Understand?"

Kharis nodded slightly as she composed her raging emotions and stepped away from the warrior. Turning to acknowledge the two Amazon women standing close by, the girl swallowed the lump that was still in her throat and apologised to the two women. "I'm sorry for all the trouble I caused. I shouldn't have done what I did."

Ephiny regarded the tear stained face before her. Deciding that now was the time to bond the girl to the Amazons Ephiny began to intone the pledges of an Amazon. "If you wish to live with us you must adhere to the rules of the Amazon tribe."

"I will," Kharis said simply, understanding that her life with the Amazons was officially beginning.

"You must promise never to leave the sanctuary of the village unless you are thus ordered so. Do you so promise?"

"I do."

"Until the time your bond is released you will obey Xena and the Amazons with no falseness or deceit. Do you so agree?"

"I agree."

Advancing on the girl, Ephiny gazed intently into the golden eyes. "Do you pledge to uphold Artemis' teachings with pureness of heart and steadfast will?"

"I do so pledge," Kharis replied as her forearm was grasped in the warrior's handshake.

Ephiny smiled as she shook the girl's arm. "Welcome to your new tribe, Kharis. May Artemis praise you with happiness, health, and prosperity."

Dark eyebrows rose under raven hair as Xena pondered the last promise Kharis had made. How would Ares react to having his daughter committing to Artemis? Tiny hairs stood up suddenly on the back of Xena's neck as she waited to find out the answer.

Materialising in front of the group, Ares stood glaring at the Amazon Regent as Xena stepped in his direct line of path shielding Ephiny from his murderous gaze.

"Go away, Ares," the warrior said menacingly.

"No, Xena. I didn't agree to this. I only agreed to your babbling blonde's suggestion that the Amazons would tutor Kharis. Not try to convert her into one of them."

"Ares, she is going to learn. But she has to be able to make her own choice on who she follows."

"Not if I have a say in it," the God of War said as he tried to step around his favoured Chosen, never removing contact with the proud Regent's eyes.

Grabbing an arm, Xena allowed a small portion of her darkness to come to the surface as the wolf was slightly released. "Don't make me embarrass you in front of Artemis' children," the warrior drawled savagely.

Smiling, Ares reached up with the held arm and stroked Xena's chiselled cheek. "Ah, Xena. If only you would truly embrace the darkness that you use so effectively."

"You and I both know I'll never do that again. So why don't you by a good little boy and leave Kharis to me," Xena said as she brushed his hand away.

"Fine. Just make sure she learns what she needs to learn before I claim her," the god said as he disappeared in the blinding blue light.

"And what was that about?" Solari grunted, slightly shaken yet impressed with Xena's bravado when dealing with the God of War.

"She is destined to be Ares' new Chosen," the warrior said as her fierce eyes blazed. "But we won't let that happen, will we?"

Ephiny swallowed as the sudden thought of exactly whom she had just welcomed into the tribe hit her. "You never told me she was to be his Chosen, Xena."

"Would it have mattered?" Xena asked.

"Yes, it would have. But for now I agree with you. She should be able to make her own choice on which God to follow. If the Amazons have any say in the matter, then she will be Artemis'."

"What if I choose neither?" Kharis asked unexpectedly.

Solari released a small chuckle that helped break the tension cursing through the tracker's body. "For some reason that wouldn't surprise me if you did that."

Laughing along with the Amazon, Kharis smiled as she caught Xena's eye. "Then I guess the Gods are going to have to prove to me that they deserve by servitude." Arrogance shone brightly in the flaxen eyes as Xena laughed along with the girl.

"Well, who ever you pick, little one, you will be welcomed as one of their children," Solari said in all earnest. "That I am sure. Despite being Ares' new Chosen"

"Well that will be for another day," Xena remarked as she scanned the surrounding area. "Right now we should find a spot to camp, far away from Caesar's army. Eph?"

Ephiny regarded both the warrior and her sister; a subtle thought beginning to nibble in her psyche as Solari's words rang in her head. 'One of their children... Ares' new Chosen.... Ares' children.' A sudden bolt of understanding hit the blonde Regent with such force that she staggered at the weight of the secret that stood before her. Kharis was Ares' child. Which meant that Xena was also... Unable to accept it Ephiny walked away from the women and girl as she struggled to control herself.

Calloused hands gripped Ephiny's shoulders as she was turned around to face a worried warrior. Cold blue eyes searched the blonde Amazon's soul and focussed on the knowledge that now lay exposed for the world to see. Xena frowned slightly as she released Ephiny's shoulders.

"Ephiny, what's wrong?" Solari asked concerned at her friend's sudden behaviour.

"Nothing, Sol. Just a bit spooked from Ares' visit is all," Ephiny said as she tried to tear her eyes away from the warrior's. Profound sadness filled Xena's eyes as she swiftly dropped her warrior's mask over her features, but not before the Regent caught anger and death blazing in controlled glory. Ephiny briefly understood what it meant to be the tall warrior and silent thanked Artemis for being an Amazon.

"If we are to make camp we should head out," Ephiny spoke as Xena broke eye contact, nodding for the Amazon to lead the way. Leaping up to grab a branch, Ephiny began to move through the trees, hand over hand, until she was able to pull herself up onto a sturdier branch. Solari followed suite as Ares' daughters stood regarding each other for a few moments.

Xena bent down a bit and exposed her back. "Grab on. You're still too weak to travel."

Knowing that Xena was right Kharis climbed onto the woman's back, nestling herself beside the warrior's scabbard. Feeling powerful muscles tense the girl held on for dear life as her world was suddenly turned upside-down when Xena leapt into a flip, landing on a branch ten feet above. Vertigo quickly replaced Kharis' dizziness as Xena ran over the limbs high above the ground. A strong hand adjusted the girl's position and then was gone as precise arms and legs of the warrior moved with efficient grace through the trees.

Kharis closed her eyes and allowed her body to pick up the nuances of her sister's muscles. 'Maybe some day I'll be just like her' the girl thought as Xena grabbed tightly onto Kharis and somersaulted higher up. 'Or maybe not.'

Camp was a cold affair as the three women and girl sat on the ground eating their trail rations. A fire was too risky so close to the army and its patrols so a makeshift shelter was erected to protect their bodies from the elements, along with camouflaging their presence. Despite herself, Kharis was famished and finished her meal faster than the rest, looking for more. Xena noticed the furtive glances at her food and smiled as Gabrielle's face swam into her vision with the exact same look the girl was giving the warrior. Handing over the rest of her meal, Xena smiled as the girl willing took it and began to finish it off.

"Gods girl, didn't you eat?" Solari said between mouthfuls.

"Just enough to get by," the girl replied as she finished the last morsel of food.

"It's a wonder you made it at all," the tracker snorted as she also finished her meal. Despite herself, Solari was really liking this contradiction of a child. Most fully conditioned Amazons wouldn't have been able to go as long and as far as the child did with no rations.

Sneaking a closer examination of the girl Solari noticed that Kharis was a lot like Xena in too many ways to believe. Both were bronzed with well-defined bodies, though Kharis' was much smaller and slighter in nature, yet still powerful looking. Bone straight ebony hair shone even in the dark on top of hard chiselled faces that betrayed no emotion unless they wanted to exhibit them. The eyes were the only distinct difference between the two, beyond just the difference in age. One had fierce blue eyes that denied anyone entrance inside while the other had brilliant golden eyes which mesmerised any who sunk into their depths.

Realising that those same gold orbs were now intently studying her, Solari shifted nervously and returned her gaze straight ahead, fearful that she had been discovered staring. Kharis smiled wickedly as she felt the shift in power play into her soul. One look and she could force someone as sturdy as Solari to glance away out of fear. 'Interesting'

"Play nice. They're still not sure how to take you," Xena whispered in Kharis' ear after witnessing the exchange. "They still don't know how to take me and they at least know me. So be good." Wide-open eyes focussed on Xena innocently as the small evil grin still sat on the girl's face. Chuckling, Xena grabbed the girl's head as she rubbed the top of it affectionately.

"Sooo," Ephiny said all of a sudden. "How did you expect to get to Caesar?"

Kharis pushed herself out of Xena's grasp and sat up straight as she addressed Ephiny. "I was going to float down the middle of the river at night. It's much too shallow for anyone like you to move through it unseen but I'm small enough that I could be fully submerged. Figured that once I was inside the camp, moving around it would have been no trouble," she said smugly, confidant in her abilities.

"Oh really?" Solari taunted as she jumped at the bait the girl held. "And why is that?"

Xena laughed as Kharis suddenly stood up to demonstrate her newfound ability. Trying to stifle her laugh the warrior looked at both confused Amazons and shook her head. "Don't ask me. You'll have to see for yourself."

Both Amazons watched the girl walk out of the shelter and stand by its opening, slightly closer to the undergrowth that delicately tickled the back of the girl's knees. Stepping back once the girl allowed the warm embrace of foliage to slip away as she relaxed and concentrated on the two woman. Holding both of them in one hypnotising gaze the girl forced her will on their beings as she suddenly disappeared before their eyes.

"Holy Artemis!" Solari gasped, as the girl was no longer there. Unable to discern if the child even moved or not Solari searched around the opening of the shelter for any sign of Kharis.

Ephiny just sat shocked, aware that this was how the girl had escaped a royal guard's notice and slip away into the trees. Grimacing, the Regent suddenly realised that taking this girl into the Amazon tribe was a definitely now a kettle of worms.

Before either woman could get up and find the girl, Kharis suddenly reappeared right where she had been before, beaming at her sister for fooling two fully trained Amazons.

"Like I said," the warrior princess drawled. "You had to see for yourself."

Ephiny glared at Xena, as she demanded an explanation. "How?"

Ice blue eyes pierced Ephiny's as Xena's smile quickly left her face into a blank mask. "You wouldn't understand how. Very few people can master the control that it takes to accomplish it."

"Very few people or only Ares' chill..." Ephiny stopped her sentence as she almost expressed the secret that was not hers to voice out loud.

"This has nothing to do with Ares," Xena's cold voice hissed. "My teacher, Lao Ma, taught me that and I in turn taught Kharis."

Flinching back from the rage that was directed at her, Ephiny tried to speak but could only cough as her mouth went suddenly dry. Solari handed her friend one of the water flasks as Xena suppressed the building darkness within her. Both Amazons had experienced the sudden change to darkness from the warrior on more than one occasion yet were still unprepared for it when it happened.

"Sorry," Xena mumbled as she regained control.

"I should be the one to apologise," Ephiny countered. "I spoke without thinking. I was just..."

"Surprised?" Kharis asked as she sat herself down in front of the Regent.

"Yes," Ephiny nodded. "So that's how you did it?"

"It can come in handy," the girl smiled.

Solari turned to Xena slightly confused. "Why have you never done that?"

"I have, but not when Gabrielle is around," the warrior replied matter-of-factly.

"I don't understand," Ephiny said as she leaned back against a rock.

"If it was just me I would do it more often than not when it came to fighting, but with Gabrielle I can't. I have to be there for her."

"Then teach her too," Solari stated as if that was the answer to any other questions.

Kharis bellowed as Xena shot the girl a nasty look. "She can't keep quiet long enough to do it. Besides, her light shines to brightly to be forgotten easily."

"Is that true?" Ephiny asked intrigued.

Xena nodded. "Yes. You have to be able to empty your mind and soul of everything. Only through darkness can you achieve that. Thank the Gods Gabrielle doesn't have that in her, so she can't."

"And that's why you and Kharis can," Ephiny stated, finally understanding more than a few things about the warrior and her sister.

Xena nodded again as she rose. "I'm gonna go and check the perimeter and take first watch. You guys get some rest. I'll come and get you first Solari."

Solari nodded as she and Ephiny prepared to go to sleep. Kharis sat in silence as she struggled with herself to either go to Xena, and help with the watch, or stay and try to get some sleep.

Noticing the girl's turmoil and guessing what it was Ephiny reached over and squeezed the girl's hand. "Go. You can do first watch with Xena while Sol and I rest."

Grinning wildly Kharis stood up and rushed out leaving the two Amazons alone with their own thoughts.

"Interesting child, doncha think?" Solari mumbled from her furs.

"Definitely," Ephiny answered

"Are we doing the right thing?"

"I don't know, Sol. I hope so."

"But?"

Ephiny sighed. "But are we sure we should be doing this? One them was bad enough but now there's two of them. Can the Amazons adjust to that on a day to day basis?"

Solari poked her head out of her furs as she read her friend's worried expression. "She's just a child."

"I know that, Sol. And that's what scares me. She's already more Xena than even Xena is herself. And she IS just a child. What happens later on when she is a woman, fully trained?"

"By the time that happens she will be fully Amazonian."

"No, she'll never be one of us, despite what Xena hopes."

"You mean Xena wants her to be one of us? I thought..."

"No, I think Xena wants to foil Ares' plan and she figures this is the only way to accommodate his demands yet throw a wrench in them at the same time."

It was Solari's turn to be worried. "What do you think his plans are?"

Ephiny pondered the question over in her mind. Should she tell her best friend what she knows or what she thinks? Deciding that the secret was Xena's or Kharis' to reveal Ephiny stuck to what she thought.

"I'm not sure but I think he wants his warrior princess back. If he can't have Xena then he'll have Kharis instead. One way or another. He's already declared her his Chosen, and she knows it too."

Solari nodded gravely before a small smile quickly played across her face. "But I don't think she's gonna take him up on his offer."

"What makes you think that?" the blonde Regent asked seriously.

"Cause, if she's anything like Xena, then she'll have nothing but disdain for the Gods. Which means she'll throw that Chosen business back in his face."

Ephiny finally smiled at the thought of Ares' reaction to Kharis' denial of her calling. 'It would truly be the Fates' irony if she did.' Laughing now Ephiny gave her friend a quick embrace before turning over into her furs.

"G'night, Sol."

"Night, Eph."

Finishing up her rounds of the camp's perimeter Xena returned to the camp and found Kharis sitting on one of the larger rocks with fist under chin.

"What are you doing out here? You should be asleep." the warrior remarked as she approached the girl.

"I'm not tired and Ephiny said I could help you with the watch," the girl replied as she continued to stare into space. "Personally I think it's because she's afraid that I'll just disappear again and you're the only one who would see me go."

Xena laughed softly at the girl's acute perception. Ephiny was right to have the child with Xena as much as possible. Finding a dry spot of grass close to Kharis' rock the bronzed warrior sat down and began to sharpen her sword. The sound of stone against steel echoed loudly in the dark, as Kharis watched Xena's rhythmic motions.

"You're mad, aren't you?" Kharis asked softly.

"Yes, I am." Xena replied.

"I'm sorry."

"No, you aren't. You're only sorry that we found you."

Kharis mulled the statement over and found that her sister was correct. She was sorry they found her but guilt weighed heavily within her and only absolution from Xena would lift that weight.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. I couldn't help myself."

Xena stopped her sharpening mid action and looked up at the girl suddenly. "You can always help yourself. Every decision you make is within your control. There is always more than one choice. You chose badly." Lowering her gaze, Xena went back to her sword and stone as Kharis sat silently.

"You would have done the same thing," the girl whispered dejectedly.

"Maybe, maybe not," Xena replied as she remembered how it felt to be on the cross, hatred raging through her body for the one man that betrayed her in soul and mind. Revenge and a lust for death coursed through her veins because of him, which set her on the path as the Destroyer of Nations. If she had never crossed his path how would she have turned out? Would she still have led a trail of blood across two continents?

Not bothering to answer those moot questions Xena thought about Kharis and her desire for revenge. It was just as great as Xena's had been but for different reasons. The betrayal ran from the girl's loss of family and innocence. 'No, I would have still gone after him. Unlike her, I would have succeeded.' Xena sadly thought.

Gathering her strength to ask the one question that she hadn't asked of the girl yet Xena finished sharpening her sword. Sheathing it behind her and placing the whetstone down beside her the warrior laid her hands on folded legs as she took a deep breath.

"Kharis? Was it Caesar who took your innocence?" Xena asked softly waiting for the affirmation.

"Yes," Kharis whispered, as her face grew cold with hatred. "How...how did you know?"

"When I cleaned you up after taking you off the cross. You had wounds that weren't caused by fist or sword."

"So you know why I had to go after him."

"Yes, but I still think it was stupid," Xena replied softly as she played with a blade of grass. "You should have waited for me."

"So you could talk me out of it, right?"

"No. So I could help you." Xena stated simply as Kharis' head whipped around to determine if the warrior was telling the truth or not. Blazing cobalt eyes spoke volumes to the girl as she sucked in a sharp breath.

"Then let's go!" Standing up Kharis started towards the trees when a strong calloused hand stopped her dead in her tracks.

"No, the time has passed for that now," Xena said as she led her confused sister back to the rock and patch of grass. Sitting down cross-legged, Xena gestured for the girl to follow suite and sit directly in front of the warrior. Complying, Kharis sat down uncertainly.

"You have to understand something, Kharis. Killing in the heat of battle is one thing. It's self-defence. Killing for revenge is murder and I can't do that unless there is a very good reason for it. Specially now that I have Gabrielle by my side."

"But Gabrielle isn't here now," Kharis began to reason as Xena laid a hand over the girl's mouth.

"Let me finish, okay? No, Gabrielle isn't here, but her Amazons are. If you and I were to go out tonight and murder Caesar they would surely know of it, which means Gabrielle would find out. That would break her heart and faith in me."

"Does that matter so much to you?"

"Yeah, it does. She is my light, the best thing to happen to me. If it weren't for her I would have fallen back to Ares a long time ago. If it wasn't for her I would still be despised and feared as the Destroyer of Nations instead of accepted for who I am now, as just Xena."

Kharis understood what her sister was trying to relate to her but couldn't let go of her hatred and desire for blood. "I know what you're trying to say but I'm not you. I need this to move on."

Xena sighed as she took the girl's hands into her own, engulfing them as she tried a different approach. "You have a right to exact the blood debt. It is within your reach. But do you want to reach for darkness or light? Because once you kill him there is no going back. You will have embraced the darkness that is within you as it is within me. You will be one step closer to being Ares' Chosen. Is that what you want?"

"That's not a fair question. You know I don't want to have anything to do with him."

"Khar, it is a fair question because it is what you are destined to be. I'm afraid killing Caesar is the first step towards that."

Kharis thought about that as she looked down at the battle-scarred hands holding her own. A harsh life full of anguish and pain could be read on each tiny line that criss-crossed across the top of them. 'Can I let go of my hate and move on? Can I just let him live unpunished and be able to live with myself?' Shaking her head at her own thoughts Kharis shook slightly as a chill moved up her spine.

Sensing what the girl was thinking Xena squeezed her hands slightly. "He will pay with his life, along with Callisto. That I promise you."

Relief suddenly flowed through Kharis' body as she accepted the promise and started on the long road to healing. The girl hadn't really thought of the woman since hearing of Caesar's presence so close to Amazon territory. Another blood debt was owed and a promise was to be fulfilled... some day.

"So where do we go from here?" Kharis asked suddenly as the knots in her shoulders relaxed significantly.

"We take you back to the Amazon village and start you on your training. But for now..." Xena reached over and unsheathed the breast dagger tied to Kharis' thigh, startling the girl. Flipping one of Kharis' hands over, palm up, the warrior placed the edge of the knife across the skin slicing it open.

A strong burning sensation registered in Kharis' mind as the warrior sliced her own palm open in the same fashion. Clasping both hands together and allowing their common blood to intermingle Xena smiled.

"There. Now we are bonded by blood, as sisters should be. Where you go, so will I. When you are in pain, so shall I be. We are like one and will be so forever."

A lone single tear fell from Kharis' face as Xena willingly bonded her soul to her sister's. Feelings of love, safety, and light flowed throughout the girl's soul. As they threatened to overcome her so did the other feelings of anger, hatred, and darkness that coexisted in both woman and child. Then suddenly they were gone, buried away deeply.

Gasping at the strength of the sensations Kharis grasped that she was not just bonded to one person but now two. Sensing a presence far away Kharis' eyes opened wide as she struggled to speak.

Xena smirked knowingly as Kharis slowly started to feel the warrior's soulmate. Nodding at the girl's astonishment Xena let her hand go as the warrior proceeded to clean the knife on the grass and hand it back to the girl.

"Yes, I am bonded to Gabrielle and now you are too, indirectly. She has more than enough light for the both of us."

Kharis smiled as she shook her head. "No you will provide the light that will save me."

Xena snorted as she looked into the girl's serious face. "I don't have much of any light within me. What you sense is from Gabrielle only. But I accepted that when she accepted me for what I am."

Xena stood up and retrieved her whetstone as Kharis continued to shake her head. 'If only you knew my sister, you wouldn't say that.' Fractured memories stirred within the girl's head as words threatened to burst from her mouth.

And from the One shall come forth the Light... from which true darkness reigns so will reign the Light that neither men nor gods shall be kept asunder.

Kharis sighed as she unkowningly withheld that which would set Xena on a new path in her life. Now was not the time. 'It will happen because I spoke it' the girl suddenly thought as she scrutinised the mark on her palm. Blood, now congealed, formed a small line that ran across both the lifeline and heart-line, both tingling in joy. 'Forever bound'

"Come on," Xena said as she held out her hand to help the girl up. "It's time for Solari's watch. Let's get some rest."

Grasping the forearm, Kharis pulled herself up and quickly embraced the warrior. Lightly stroking sable hair, Xena smiled as she felt the new bond begin to deepen and strengthen as the minutes went by. Feeling the girl's release, Xena put an arm around Kharis' shoulder as she led her towards their sleeping roll, content that the girl wouldn't run away tonight or any other night from now on.

CHAPTER 4

"Do you think they'll find her in time?" Eponin asked Gabrielle as the two women walked away from the mess hall. Morning drills had already started with the younger girls as Apollo drove the sun higher into a cloudless sky.

"I do," the bard replied confidently.

"How can you be so certain? If that girl is as good as you say she is than even Xena might be too late."

"Why do you care, Pony?" Gabrielle was puzzled at the sudden shift in Eponin's opinion of Kharis. All morning the weapon's master had been listening to the bard babble on about the child when she suddenly started to field questions concerning the girl's welfare and training within the village. Questions that held a trace of grudging acceptance.

Eponin shrugged as they continued to walk across the compound. "I don't personally, but you do. I'm just worried about you. If something bad was to happen to her..."

"Nothing bad is going to happen to her. Xena found her and she is safe," Gabrielle smiled lightly at Eponin as they stepped up onto the porch of the Queen's hut.

"You can't be certain though," Eponin was starting to get really worried. Her Queen's faith in Xena was admirable but the warrior princess was only human and even warrior princesses can screw up eventually.

"Actually, I can when they're both sitting in the hut right now," Gabrielle beamed as she walked through the door and embraced Kharis. Dismay clearly registered on Eponin's face as she found Ephiny, Solari, and Xena all sitting at the Queen's table as if they had just finished a nice morning chat.

"How did you get in here unnoticed?" Pony blurted at the trio.

"We walked in," Xena drawled as she stood and clasped the weapons master's forearm. "Nice to see that security is up to standards."

"Xena, be nice," Gabrielle warned as she hugged both Solari and Ephiny in turn. A raised eyebrow followed the bard until the warrior finally received a hug.

"Aren't I always?" the warrior whispered in Gabrielle's ear.

"No. But that's why I love you," the bard whispered back before breaking the hug. Turning to the group the bard caught Kharis' eye and winked a bit, reading the look of apprehension on the girl's face. "So, what have you guys been up to?"

Ephiny laughed. "Oh this and that. Finding a young runaway, staying out of reach of Caesar's troops, discovering that your partner here is one Hades of a teacher. You know, same old."

"Teacher, huh?" a mischievous glint appeared in mist green eyes.

Xena smirked as she sat down on the Queen's bed cross-legged. "Sol and Eph were given a command performance of Khar's little disappearing trick."

"Oh really? So you two know how I felt when I saw that the first time. Scary huh?"

Solari shook her head. "Scary doesn't begin to explain it. Pony, you wouldn't believe it even if you saw it yourself."

"That so," Pony replied eyeing the young girl standing in the shadows of the room. Kharis had slipped back out of the way hoping that everyone would just forget about her. Her shame at being found was still burning deeply but the remorse at what she had done was greater.

Feeling Eponin's eyes on her, Kharis met the gaze, uncertain what type of reception she was getting. The girl knew that if she had to live in the village she was going to have to get along with everyone, including this woman. Realising that Eponin was sceptical about her, Kharis did the only thing she could. She disappeared.

"Sweet Artemis! Where did she go?" Pony exclaimed as she saw the girl vanish into thin air right before her eyes.

Loud laughter filled the small room as Eponin gaped from one person to the other trying to see what was so funny when the girl had obviously run again.

"Pony," Ephiny gasped as she tried to control the hiccups in her chest. "She's still there."

"No she isn't, she's..." Pony turned to point in the direction of the missing girl instead pointing at the child in question. "How did you... how the..."

Kharis shrugged as she approached the stunned woman. "It's one of my many talents I guess. I'm sorry if I startled you but Solari sort of implied that you wouldn't believe it unless you saw it so..."

"Well, I don't believe it but I saw it," Pony said as a small smile slowly grew. "So that's how you did it. After the reprimand I gave the royal guards I think I was a bit harsh."

"No, they deserved it," Xena said forcibly. "They are supposed to be the best of the best. That only works on the unfocussed mind and they should not have been tricked so easily. Especially when they should have been on alert."

Ephiny nodded. "True. But we're going to have to lay some ground rules involving Kharis now. We can't have you disappearing at will, Khar."

"I know," the girl said as she bowed her head.

"That would be a very useful skill for the Amazons to have," Pony said as she looked over at Xena. "Think you can teach some of our warriors that?"

Raven hair swayed from side to side as Xena rejected the invitation. "It takes a certain mindset to be able to master it. None of your Amazons have that."

Pony snorted and was about to contradict the arrogant warrior when Ephiny laid a hand on her arm. "Pony, she's right. She explained to Sol and I how it's done and we wouldn't be able to do that if our lives depended on it. Let's just keep this to ourselves, ok? As long as Kharis promises to never do it while here in the village, then we won't have to worry about any of the Amazons wanting to learn it."

"I can't promise that," Kharis replied quickly. "If something was to happen that it could save my life, then I won't promise."

"She's right, you know?" Gabrielle spoke up before Xena could jump into the discussion. "It's meant to help you escape if the situation demands it. I wouldn't expect her to promise that. Though I trust Kharis. She'll do everything in her power not to cause problems and that should be good enough for all of us."

A shy smile beamed in the bard's direction as golden eyes said thank you. Gabrielle smiled back as she continued on. "Besides, I think we should be more worried about a certain warrior who does that same trick."

A low snort issued from the bed as Xena quirked an eyebrow at her soulmate. "And what's that supposed to mean?"

"You know what I mean," the bard retorted. "I don't want any Amazons dropping dead from shock because of the intimidating warrior princess suddenly appearing before their eyes in menacing glory."

"Menacing glory?" Solari sniggered

Gabrielle raised her arms as she shrugged. "I'm a bard. What do you expect?"

Xena laughed as she uncurled her long legs and swung them down to the floor. "Ok. I won't go around scaring any of your fragile Amazons. At least not that way."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Gabrielle said as she swung around facing the warrior with hands on hips. An upward jerk of one toned shoulder was the only answer the bard would get.

Clearing her throat, a smiling Ephiny laid her hands on the table. "Ok. Let's get down to business. We've got to incorporate Kharis into the village's life style and training schedule without too much disturbance. How are we going to go about this?"

"When it comes to conditioning and sword training, I will handle that," Xena said seriously. "The rest of her training can be done by the Amazons."

"Will she be able to handle a sword?" Eponin asked as she scrutinised the girl's small frame before her.

"Yes," the warrior said as she stood up and walked towards Kharis, placing an arm around the girl's shoulders. "She's stronger than she looks, Pony. Make no mistake about that."

"I'll believe it when I see it," Pony answered non-committally.

"Like you always do, hey Pony?" Solari smiled at her friend's cynical attitude. Out of all the Amazons Pony was the most down to earth, disbelieving what was told her unless she could see it with her own eyes. It was one of her attributes that the Amazons respected the most about her.

"Ok," Gabrielle said trying to stay on topic. "So if that's settled, now we have to figure out where she's going to stay and initiation into the tribe."

"I thought I was going to stay here with you guys?" Kharis asked.

"You can't, Khar," Ephiny spoke up. "If you want to be one of us you are going to have to adjust living with us. And that means staying in one of the huts with the rest of the girls."

The girl groaned at that thought but held any comments that sprang to mind.

"It'll give you a chance to make friends," Solari offered, hoping that would entice the girl to the idea.

"Who says I wanted to make friends?" Kharis countered.

"Is she always this obstinate?" Solari asked her Queen.

"Oh yes, just like her sister," Gabrielle said as her brows knit in thought, ignoring the dark glowering look from Xena

"What are you plotting?" Ephiny asked the bard as an idea clearly registered on the Queen's face.

"Nothing really, just thinking. The small room at the back of the hut... is it still liveable?"

"Yesss," Ephiny replied slowly, trying to determine what the bard was leading to.

"What was it used for besides storage?"

"It used to be the quarters for the Queen's personal servant."

"Perfect!" Gabrielle beamed. "Since I don't have my own personal servant then Kharis will have to do."

"Have to do?" the girl in question asked menacingly, uncertain why she should have to be a servant to anyone.

"If you are my personal servant then you can stay in that room, essentially staying here with Xena and me. That will solve the living arrangement problem."

"It's a good idea, Gabrielle. It'll keep her close enough to allow us to train her without disturbing the Amazons yet still keep her part of the community," Xena said as she felt small shoulders under her arm relax a bit. 'Plus, it'll let me keep a closer eye on her, just in case' the warrior thought bleakly. Despite the promises that the girl had made, Xena knew that it would take a lot of patience from the girl to live in the village peacefully. Patience that the warrior would have to help provide at times.

"Good, then that's settled," Ephiny smiled as her belly started to grumble. "I don't know about you guys but I'm famished. How about we get some grub and meet back here in about an hour to decide on the rest?"

"I could go for something to eat," the bard said as she rubbed her belly.

"You just ate!" Pont exclaimed in mild amusement, shaking her head at the bard's ferocious appetite.

"Gabrielle's always hungry," drawled Xena as she started to lead her sister towards the door. "We'll see you guys in a bit. Kharis and I have to do some things first."

"And where do you think you two are going?" a slightly miffed bard asked at her soulmate.

"Warrior things," the warrior shrugged apologetically. "Don't worry, Gabrielle, you'll have me to yourself very soon."

"I'd better!" Gabrielle warned as she sprung forward to wrap her partner in a fierce hug. "Just be careful, ok?"

Xena smiled as she returned the hug and lightly kissed honey-coloured hair. "Aren't I always?"

"No, but at least I know you'll be safe with Kharis around," the bard winked at the girl in question as a low chuckle from the warrior reverberated through Gabrielle's body. Breaking the embrace, Gabrielle smiled as the warrior and girl walked out of the hut. Turning to face three pairs of amused eyes, the Amazon Queen snorted. "What are you guys looking at? Haven't you seen two people hug before?"

Solari held up her hands in defence. "Don't get upset with us, my Queen. We just think it's cute how she's totally different when around you."

"Cute?" Gabrielle giggled as she thought what Xena's face would look like if she had just heard what Solari had said. "I didn't think 'cute' and 'Xena' were even compatible words."

"Well she's certainly different when she's around you, I must say that," Pony grudgingly said.

"Coming from you, Pony, that's almost an insult," Ephiny grinned as the three Amazons started to make their way out of the hut. "She hears that and we'll have the silent, scowling warrior princess back in no time."

"Not if I could help it," Gabrielle said as she left the hut alongside her three friends. The four women laughed as they made their way to the mess hut.

Kharis silently followed Xena through the village, ignoring the curious looks that were thrown in her direction. Unlike her old village, the Amazon village was a bustle of continual activity. Women and girls walked here or there to their various tasks, practised in training drills, tended to their gardens and homes, or stood around talking about the week's events. The din from all of the activity alone was deafening to the girl's sensitive ears. Trotting up to her sister's side, golden eyes focussed on a break on the trees that Xena was leading them to.

"So where are we going?" the girl asked curiously.

"To place I know of that we can talk in peace," the warrior said coolly as they were approached by one of Artemis' priestesses. Slipping on the icy, stoic mask was second nature to Xena as she fixed ice blue eyes on the woman who was trying to intercept her. 'Gods, now what?'

"A moment of your time, Xena," Elysse said as she blocked the warrior from advancing towards the forest's break.

"What do you want, Ely?" Xena asked slightly perturbed at being stopped.

"It's about the Summer Solstice Festival."

"What about it?"

Elysse swallowed before speaking up. "You realise that this celebration is significant for more than one reason, right?"

Blue eyes bore into the woman. "Yes, I know. Your point is?"

"Well, I'm certain that nothing will go wrong but..." the priestess glanced down at an inquisitive Kharis wondering if the girl should be hearing this. Lowering her voice Elysse continued. "Are you sure you want to accept punishment for your crimes to the Nation?"

"Yes," the low voice rumbled as the warrior crossed her arms defiantly. "If I don't then there is no way that I can vouch for Kharis at her initiation. It has to be done. Does Gabrielle know?" Xena held her breath, hoping that her friend hadn't been told yet.

"No," the woman shook her head slowly. "She just spoke to me about the girl during the morning meal so I haven't had a chance."

"Good," Xena exhaled as a small glimmer of warmth crept into her eyes. "Please don't say a word to her. I'll tell her when the time is right."

"As you wish," Elysse said as she bowed before moving off towards the temple.

Xena frowned as she strode forward without a word to Kharis. 'Gabrielle won't stand it but I have to for Kharis. How am I going to make her see that?' Stepping onto the small hunting path, Xena followed the meandering trail deep in her thoughts as the girl jogged closely behind her. As the only living kin to the girl it was her duty to attest to Kharis' legitimacy of inclusion into the Nation. Even though the warrior was respected within the Nation, on an official level she was still reviled as a war criminal. Only through trial, and possible acquittal, would Xena's name be cleared for her to speak on the girl's behalf.

Passing two sentry posts, Xena and Kharis continued on unchecked until the path