"Is something wrong, Gabrielle?" The liquid smooth voice of the Warrior Princess flowed through the tense, heavy air.
The pretty bard stared at Xena, her verdant pools clouded with uneasiness, "We are now in the middle of one of the most important wars I have ever heard of," she spoke low and anxiously, "And you're asking me what's wrong?"
The other warrior stood up from her seat on a dusty crate, brushing unhurriedly at her leathers.
"From what I've heard, Jakkrin's army had just destroyed the Persian army, and are resting in the ruins of a wasted town." the warrior's sharp mind straightened out the information. Coming up with a precaution and unable to hide her worry, she spoke quickly, "A trap should be set around the village. Burning logs, greek fire. It's our best hope of winning."
Xena glanced sharply at the two other women at her last sentence, "I took a look-see," Eve grinned at her mother's interesting choice of words, "The village is in a valley, they must have been very sure of themselves to choose such an unprotected camp...we'll have to take advantage of that." The warrior shook her raven locks when Gabrielle opened her mouth to protest at the warrior's apathy.
"They chose that campsite, they bring this upon themselves," The Warrior Princess's steely pools burned deep into the bard's conciousness.
"All right Xena," the blonde woman was not going to give up so easily though, "What if I asked you not to do this?"
"No can do, Gabrielle," the hardened warrior shook her dark tresses once more, "They outnumber us, at least by half." That settled the matter for the Warrior Princess, and she moved onto another.
"Eve?" the loving mother knelt down before the slim girl, "Where will you be during all of this?"
"I'm coming with you," The Commander of Legions' stormy stare replied stubbornly.
Xena expressed her negation earnestly, "You might get hurt, and I cannot go through a fight for your life again, you should stay in the woods." The beautiful warrior glanced up at her soulmate, "Gabrielle, you should stay with her."
"No!" Eve was appalled at the thought of leaving her mother, perhaps to never see her again, "I have to stay with you, I'm a pretty good warrior too..."
The pretty blonde bard also disagreed with her best friend, "And I'm not going to abandon you either."
"No," Xena never had a chance to say more.
"Mother, listen to me, I am not leaving you," Eve gazed directly into her mother's eyes, a passable duplication of Xena's characteristic hard "look" upon her face, "I know I can't fight, mine is the Way of Love, but I cannot leave you, that would be going against my Way. I love you..."
Xena tried again, "But..."
Gabrielle grinned at Eve's determination, 'Like mother, like daughter...' the phrase surfaced in her mind. "And mine is the Way of Friendship, I will not leave you, friend."
The Warrior Princess groaned tiredly, admitting defeat to the two strong-willed women. There was no way out of it.
"Alright," she sighed, "But I don't want you getting too close to the fighting, OK?" When the girl nodded, the beautiful warrior pulled her and Gabrielle into a loose hug.
"Whatever happens," Xena whispered, "I love you both."
Straightening up, she started slowly for the fur covered door of the tent, "I'll go see about the traps."
**********
Late that night, Xena slipped into Ares' tent with the battle-plans she had just finished drawing up.
The god was sitting on the leader's bed-spread when the silent warrior slid in and set the plans on the dirt floor in front of him. Glancing up, Ares sent a questioning look at the woman.
"Three candlemarks." The icy warrior didn't waste any time. "I've already told the men to set the traps. There are four briar nets situated around the enemy, and I've posted guards over them. They've also hauled up the logs and the greek fire. Now we just set up the army around the enemy and we're all set."
Ares gazed approvingly at the Warrior Princess, 'Always the brilliant tactition,' he thought proudly, 'Perhaps she is my daughter...'
The god of War nodded his agreement.
"So now we wait?" he asked, already knowing the answer.
"Now we wait." Xena confirmed firmly.
In the stilted silence that ensued, Ares searched the warrior's chiseled features for any sign of emotion whatsoever at what she was about to do.
The woman shifted uncomfortably under the handsome god's intense scrutiny, but said nothing. For the first time she seemed to notice she was alone with him.
"Xena," he touched her cheek, "I want you to know, that whatever happens tomorrow..." to finish his sentence, he leaned over and pressed his lips lightly against hers.
She froze for a second, and then pulled back roughly.
"Xena," Ares reached for her.
The furious warrior slammed his hand away. "Don't touch me!" Anger seething through her entire being, the Warrior Princess began to stalk away, stopping only when Ares rushed to stand in front of her.
"Get out of my way." She growled menacingly as she tried to push past him. The god wrapped his strong arms around her leather clad waist, a trickle of the true fury inside pushing out.
"Just listen to me!" He pulled her slim form tightly to him, staring intensely at the angry warrior glaring icily at him.
Xena closed her eyes and pushed her anger back down, "What?" Her threatening tone had not changed at all.
Ares looked her squarely in the eye, "Why do you keep denying us, Xena?" He relaxed his grip and moved his arms up her back, "Why do you never trust me?"
"Trust you??" the raven-haired woman asked incredulously, pulling away slightly.
"I don't always lie, Xena," the god of War protested angrily.
The Warrior Princess fixed him with an uncompromising glare, "You are Ares, you always lie. You've lied so many times, there's no way to tell it you're lying or not anymore."
Ares' darkly handsome features hardened, and he narrowed his eyes at the anger rising up in his throat.
"For all I know," the beautiful warrior continued, on a roll, "You could have been lying through all these past few days. You could have lied to me when you said you loved me..."
She suddenly noticed the man's hurt expression. Opening her mouth slightly, the unshakable, unfazable woman found she was totally speechless. The pain in his eyes seemed so genuine.
"I, I'm sorry," she stammered, astonished at the true regret in her heart, "That was rude, and mean. I, just..."
Xena trailed away distressedly, hating the lack of sensitivity in her speech.
The almost uncontainable fury inside the man subsided. Staring into the woman's sincere azure pools, he gave into the irresitable urge to kiss her once more.
After a long, confusing moment, Xena settled into the embrance. Then, a strange feeling started in her chest, something the warrior had felt before, but it was too long ago to remember what it was.
Frightened, the warrior eased away gently. With a thin smile at the disappointed War God, she slipped quickly out of the tense, make-shift shelter.
**********
A dark, shadowy figure watched intensely as the Warrior Princess hurried from the tent. It stood there, unmoving and still, until the woman disappeared into the black night. Then it glided swiftly towards the tent the warrior had just exited.
Ares turned sharply at the sound of a person's light footsteps coming into the tent.
"Xena?" he asked happily, but then he saw the figure entering the shelter was not the warrior. As he watched, the dark hood was slowly removed.
When the face was finally revealed, Ares was mystified.
"Uh, Eve? What's up girl?" What was she doing here?
Eve cocked her frizzy head at the dark God, and posed a question she had been wondering about for some time, "Do you really love my mother?"
Ares lifted his dark eyebrows, caught off-guard by the same no-nonsense style that he had thought was characteristic of Xena.
"I, I, yes, I do...I think."
The Warrior Princess' daughter narrowed her eyes curiously, "Then why are you lying to her? I saw the joy in your eyes when you looking at that battlefield. Yet you said it made you sick. Why?"
Ares stared at the girl, completely astonished. Had she been watching him closely all that time?
"I, it's the way I am," the god had no idea why he was telling her that, it was just slipping out, but he didn't have to tell the whole truth. "It's not that easy to change who I am. I'm trying, but for now I have to pretend. Someday, when it's true, I can really think that she loves me for who I am."
Eve shook her head, "You're still lying; you have no intention of changing. You like the blood, and the violence. For you it's a hobby, not an unchangable reality. You just want Mother to come to you, and then you'll show your true self."
"That is none of your business!" Ares was growing angry, "And didn't your mother ever tell you not to talk to War Gods?" He pointed at the door, "Get out, Xena's probably looking for you right now." Ares glared at the calm, unperturbed girl as she headed for the exit.
"Don't worry," Eve smiled gently, "I won't tell Mother. She might just kill you, and that probably wouldn't be good for the upcoming battle." With that, she ducked out the door.
"Oh gee, thanks." Ares said sarcastically to the empty doorway.
*********
The midnight blue sky had begun to lighten to another shade of blue in the East. Dawn was near. As the light grew increasingly brighter, the Army of War became visible, trekking towards the enemy camp.
Xena directed the army to split into three groups. One was ordered to tend the traps, and the other two were positioned at various hidden parts of the valley. Leaving Ares to oversee the traps, the Warrior Princess and the warrior bard each led an attack wave.
Ares took the girl, Eve, to a tent on the far edge of the ridge.
"You should stay here, so that Xena won't worry."
The pretty girl said nothing, but her eyes grew stormy and rebellious.
The god of War checked to see that the attack reserves were in place before he picked up a small flag. Then, at a flash from the sun glinting off the blade of Xena's sword, he held it high. It was red, and as fire arrows began raining down on the tents below, he smiled grimly. Time to commence.
**********
Jakkrin woke from his heavy, drink induced slumber when a man screamed outside his hut.
"To arms," another bellowed, "We're under attack!"
The warlord jumped up quickly, donning his armour as he dashed out of the cloth dome, which was hit by a fire arrow, luckily just after he had exited the tent.
The arrow assault continued for another minute, until all the huts were burning. Then Ares lowered the red flag. As planned, normal, but deadly arrows continued to hail upon the bewildered enemy.
The War god raised another flag, this one green. On cue, dozens of burning logs came crashing down the hills, soaked in un-extinguishable greek fire.
The logs hit their mark, and the wailing screams of the bombarded army grew in volume. Some men dashed for the hills, but were stopped short by the briar nets. At that moment, Ares raised a black flag. Immediately, chilling war cries rolled out from the wooded areas around the valley, lead by the intimidating, unusual cry of the Warrior Princess.
The first wave poured onto the green and black charred floor of the valley, met by an enemy squad that had cut through the fences.
Xena hacked through the army, determined to make short work of the enemy.
Another wave of soldiers attacked, and deadly spears began rolling down the ridges, held by grim, smoke-blackened men. They had been the ones setting the traps in motion.
The enemy was hit hard, and in a few short minutes, Xena and Gabrielle had destroyed their line. It seemed like the battle was over, but unbeknownst to anybody but Jakkrin, a small girl's figure was climbing carefully down one side of the valley.
Jakkrin ran his sword through another man, and looked up at the girl again. He recognized her. She was Livia, champion of Rome, but now better known as Eve, daughter of Xena. The warlord grinned triumphantly at the Warrior Princess, he had found a chink in her armour.
Slipping away quietly, he even removed his armour so as not to attract attention. Reaching the astonished girl swiftly, he wrapped a strong, tanned arm around her slim, neck, and pressed his dagger tightly against her throat.
Xena had gone through another unfortunate soldier, and was moving on, when a smooth, smug voice pierced through her concentration.
"Oh, Mommy..."
Spinning around she saw the terrified face of Eve, and the menacing warlord standing above her, holding a frightening dagger to her throat.
The Warrior Princess's chiseled features hardened, and her icy pools flashed angrily. She glared at the still form of the tall, darkly tanned warlord, surprised at what she saw. He was taller than she, with neat, short cropped platinum blonde hair. He was naked to the waist, and his broad, muscled chest glistened in the morning sun. His handsome face, smooth and unblemished, stared blandly, emotionlessly at her. It was the face and form of a regular greek god.
Jakkrin stared steadily back at her, her piercing gaze having no effect on him.
"Surrender now Xena, or your little girl's gonna get a new haircut." Incredibly white teeth flashed in his dark face as he grinned suddenly.
"Pull back!" the warrior had no choice.
The Army of War disengaged with the losing enemy, and turned their attention to their general. Even Ares was silent.
Jakkrin giggled crazily, "If only that were enough," he smiled into Xena's suspicous expression, "You know, I could use a new second in command, now that you seemed to have killed him..." he smirked at the furious warrior. "I know you'd never want to work with me, but give me a moon, and see me work my magic," Jakkrin looked the stiff, silent warrior over appreciatively, "No need to be so tense, I won't hurt her, yet. Hee hee. My magic will work," he seemed to have changed the subject again.
"By a moon, I can probably get the great Warrior Princess to marry me."
Xena's lips curled up in a contemptous sneer, "You overrate yourself."
"Do I?" the man chuckled, "We'll have to see about that one."
The icy warrior struggled between her pride and love for her child. Glancing at the girl, she saw that Eve was staring pleadingly at her.
"No, Mother," the girl shook her frizzy curls, "Don't give up...uh..."
The last remark was the result of the sharp dagger digging angrily into her throat.
"Who asked you?" the warlord's darkly tanned features twisted in a furious scowl. When he looked up again though, his face was back to seeming friendly and unthreatening.
'This guy is some piece of work,' the Warrior Princess frowned unhappily, 'What should I do?'
"Well how about it, Xena?" Jakkrin grinned calmly at her, "A fair trade, you for your daughter."
"How do I know that you won't hurt her even if I surrender?" she spat out the last, hateful word.
"You'll just have to take my word on that...You have ten seconds, tick tock..." Jakkrin giggled madly, "Tick tock..."
After hesitating a moment more, she threw down her sword, to the horror of her entire army.
"Xena, don't do it!" Gabrielle grabbed her friend's arm, but the Warrior Princess shook her off.
"Gabrielle, get out of here," the warrior never took her icy stare from the warlord's face.
The warrior bard shook her head despairingly, "No..." she tried to dissuade the determined woman, but was cut off by the raised warrior's hand in front of her face.
"Let my daughter go." the liquid voice of the steely warrior was still threatening.
"But of course," the man replied, almost sanely. He gestured at the dark-haired woman standing motionlessly in front of him. "First, you come here..."
Ares saw that Xena was going to go, and a furious rage exploded in the man.
"Xena, NO!" An unavoidably fast ball of deep blue fire spun out from the god's palm and sped towards the horrified warlord. While he was distracted by the fire, he never noticed the Warrior Princess pull out her chakram and fling it at him.
Her aim was true, and the dangerous weapon sliced through part of the warlord's hand, embedding itself into his gut.
A split second later, the streak of blue fire slammed into his naked chest. Miraculously, he was still standing, seemingly numb with shock.
Jakkrin stared, astounded at the bloody stub of his hand, at the scarlet covered round weapon seemingly growing out of his abdomen, at the blood pouring out of his gut, and at the horrifying, gory mess his chest had become.
Silently the mutilated warlord tumbled to the ground, never to work his magic again. He pitched forward, but he never felt himself hit the grassy ground. A widening pool of red appeared rapidly under his prone, still-warm form, painting the earth crimson.
Xena was first to begin moving in the devastated valley, where Time seemed to have stopped for a numbing eternity.
"Eve?" she rushed forward, her raven tresses flying out behind her. Pulling the girl into a tight, relieved hug, she laughed gently, truly, indescribably happy.
Around her, the army of War began cheering their unexpected victory, and the defeated enemy threw their weapons to the ground in despair.
Xena never noticed the cheering or the strangled cries as the enemy army was finished off. She hugged her daughter tightly.
"Don't you ever do that again," she admonished breathlessly, kissing the trembling girl on her smooth forehead.
The agony the distressed mother had felt was etched clearly across her chiseled features.
"Don't you ever, ever, do that again..."
Xena pulled the pretty girl in tightly again, closing her eyes to the two hot, salty tears trickling down her face.
After a long moment, the Warrior Princess felt Ares' hand on her back. Wiping away her tears, she turned her blue gaze to him.
"Why didn't you use your powers earlier?" she rounded angrily on him.
"I didn't think, I thought you would feel it unfair, and hate me or something, I..." He trailed off when he saw the warrior's icy blue glare soften slightly.
He took his hand away from Xena reluctantly, and then started when she caught it in hers.
"Thank you," the woman forced herself to whisper gratefully. "For saving my daughter," she continued, her arm still around the girl, "Again."
**********
Gabrielle stared at her soulmate apprehensively, her verdant pools reflecting her wondering at how the warrior was going to handle the victorious army.
"You have done well," Xena had started, all eyes on her, "but now that you've won, it's time to go home, live your lives the way they really should be, with your families." She laughed softly, "You now have a new story to tell them: you, were in the Army of War and you won the war..."
She stared down at the men, saw how their eyes were glowing with expectation of the honour they were anticipating. 'This is not a bad bunch,' she thought surprisedly.
"Go!" the God of War came up and commanded grandly, "This war, is over!"
At the crowd's roar, they stepped off the flat rock that had been the speech platform.
Watching the men disperse in twos and threes, the foursome were surprised when a former soldier came up to them, his head held high.
"The war of the Gods is over," he smiled menacingly, "Now, begins the reign of Dahak!"
He laughed thriumphantly into the horrified face of the Warrior Princess, his menacing roar remaining for a while after he disappeared in a dusty grey whirlwind.
**********
**Epilogue**
The hazy band of infinite stars gazed down on the reverent form of the Warrior Princess, outshining even the silvery moon. If this is what she was to protect from Dahak, there was no room for failure. She grinned fiercely, 'I won't fail,' then the smile softened, 'but that's tomorrow's business.'
At the moment, all she wanted was to know that her daughter is safe, her friend is happy, and the beautiful stars will keep shining in the sky through-out the time the day-star rests.
The woman rolled onto her side, her raven locks tossed over her shoulder. She saw with surprise that she was not the only one awake. Ares sat by the dying fire, mindlessly poking a twig into the twisting flames.
"Ares?" Xena sat up, her azure pools narrowed. Was there something on his mind?
Ares slowly stood up and stared hard at the woman. He loathed lying to her, but had he a choice?
He drifted over and sat down beside her.
It was time to play the game again.
"I helped you kill that man..." he whispered blankly, "I just killed him, and so many others, so many." he leaned his dark head against her shoulder, and wrapped a strong arm around her lean form.
"I know..." Xena lay down gently, her cheek resting lightly on his arm. He knew that one day she would find out his lies, and she would be angry, but for now, he was happy.
They each thought of their own thoughts, each wondering at the comfort of the embrance, each thinking of the future.
Xena gazed up at his profile, frowning slightly; and then she leaned in close, listening to the crackling of the fire, until they both slipped into an uneasy slumber.
The End, or the Beginning, whichever way you choose to look at it.