When In Greece Parts 12 -

"When in Greece..."

Part Twelve

Giving, Receiving...

The next morning, Xena and Mariah related what happened to Gabrielle.

Mariah told her story and cried again, this time in Gabrielle's arms, the young bard comforting her and telling her the same things Xena had said the night before, reassuring Mariah that she was a very welcome addition to their special family.

Mariah, looking at her friends, smiling, said, "I never had a sister, and now I've got two!"

"And she's going to play her flute and maybe sing for her sisters tonight, isn't she?" asked Xena of Mariah.

"You play the flute? And you sing? Why didn't you tell us? What else can you do?" asked Gabrielle.

Mariah thought for a moment, a small, wicked smile appearing on her face. "Oh, I have MANY skills," she said, doing a dead-on Xena impersonation in both voice inflection and facial features, including that famous raised eyebrow. Gabrielle looked Mariah, then at Xena, and roared with laughter, tears coming to her eyes.

Xena laughed hard as well, as did Mariah.

Gabrielle pulled herself together, wiping the tears of mirth from her eyes. "Hey, Mariah, maybe you and I can put an act together. You know, I'll do the bard thing, and you could play your flute, sing some songs..."

"Maybe," said Mariah. "But I never sang in front of a crowd of people before. And I'm still working on my flute fingering. Let me thing about it, OK?"

Gabrielle agreed.

That night, Mariah gave her first impromptu flute "concert" for her friends. She had a hard time starting as she wasn't used to playing solo in front of others, and she tried to beg off, but with Gabrielle and Xena's encouragement, she soon hit her stride. She played a selection of ballads and love songs from her twentieth century musical memories, the haunting lilt of the flute carrying far into the dark stillness of the night.

Xena and Gabrielle whistled and clapped when she finished.

"By the gods, you are *good*!" said Gabrielle. "You and Xena should do duets. You know, you play, Mariah, and Xena will sing."

Mariah looked at the warrior in surprise. "You're a singer, too?"

"Oh, you should hear her sing," said Gabrielle. "But she only sings when the mood hits her."

"I hope the mood hits her soon so I can hear her, too," said Mariah, smiling. She turned to Gabrielle. "Would you tell one of your stories?"

"Hey, you don't have to ask *me* twice," the bard replied, rising to her feet. "Do you have a preference?"

Mariah did. "Tell the story of how you met Xena."

Gabrielle launched into her story, skillfully weaving the events of that fateful day more than two years ago. Mariah closed her eyes, and in her mind's eye, she could see the eager young woman from Potadeia traveling with the then-lonely warrior whose life was just beginning to head down a new path.

Xena and Mariah applauded as Gabrielle finished her story and sat down. Mariah turned to Xena. "Your turn," she said with a smile.

The warrior thought for a moment. "I'll tell you what, Mariah. I'll make you a deal," said Xena. "I'll sing, if you sing that one song I always hear you singing in the early morning." The warrior hummed a few bars of the tune she wanted to hear.

Mariah looked at her warrior friend. "OK. You've got a deal." She rose gracefully to her feet, gently cleared her throat, closed her eyes, and softly began singing the ballad:

There are places I remember, All my life, though some have changed. Some forever, not for better, Some have gone, and some remained. All these places had their moments, With lovers and friends, I still can recall. Some are dead and some are living, In my life, I've loved them all. But of all these friends and lovers, There is no one, compares with you. And these memories lose their meaning, When I think of love as something new. Oh, I know I'll never lose affection, For people and things that went before. I know I'll often stop and think about them, In my life, I've loved you more.... Oh, I know I'll never lose affection, For people and things that went before. I know I'll often stop and think about them, In my life, I've loved you more.... In my life, I've loved you more.

When she was done, she opened her eyes, and was greeted with silence. She looked at her friends, and was surprised to see tears in their eyes, so moved were they by the depth of emotion in the song.

"Hey, it wasn't *that* bad, was it, was it?" Mariah tried to joke lightly.

Gabrielle looked at the young teacher and said softly, "That was beautiful."

"Well I can't take the credit for it. These male musicians from," she thought for a moment, "Brittania wrote and sang that song. It's one of my favorites."

Xena pulled herself together and rose to her feet. "That *was* beautiful, Mariah," she agreed. "Thank you. And a deal is a deal." The warrior princess thought for a moment, and began to sing the lament she sang at her lover Marcus's funeral.

Shivers moved up and down Mariah's spine as Xena sang, and tears formed in her eyes. Gabrielle, likewise, was extremely touched by the song, as she was every time she heard it.

When Xena was done, she slowly sat down again. There was total silence around the campfire, nobody wanting to break the mood.

Argo whinnied. The tension broke. The three women looked at each other, still feeling the aftermath of the night's emotions.

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Part Thirteen

First Blood...

The women continued their travels, Mariah learning more and more about the life of her new world. She began talking more and more with other people they met along the way. One night, while staying at an inn, she even tried a little flirting with the male half of the population, much to Xena's and Gabrielle's amusement.

The young teacher also opened up more with her new friends as the walls and barriers she had built up over the years began to crumble and collapse, sharing her past, her thoughts, her dreams, her hopes, her fears, her flute, and her writings. Mariah even began composing some of her own music, music for the poetry she had written. She felt a sense of peace she had never before felt.

The traveling had been calm, peaceful. She began to think Gabrielle had been exaggerating about the fights. Circumstances would shortly prove her wrong.

It happened outside the village of Risa.

Xena, Gabrielle, Argo, and Mariah were walking towards the village, Gabrielle telling the story of how she had freed the Titans and how Xena, naturally, had saved the day. It was one of Mariah's favorites, and she never tired of hearing it.

Xena stiffened up as Argo whinnied. They stopped.

"What's the matter?" asked Mariah.

"We've got company and it could be trouble," Xena said softly, cursing her earlier decision to not train more with the teacher. "Mariah, try to stay out of it. Both of you, get your staffs."

Mariah had hers, as it doubled as a walking stick. Gabrielle pulled hers out of the saddle bag, quickly putting it together.

Five men met them as they rounded the bend in the road.

"Hello, ladies," said the tallest one, a thin man with greasy black hair.

"Hi, boys," said Xena. "Something we can do for you?"

"Oh, there's something we'd like to do for *you*," said the tall man, leering at the warrior. "We'd like to take all of your money off of your hands. And the horse, too."

"*Not* a good idea, boys," the warrior said, as she motioned Gabrielle and Mariah to fan out, their staffs at the ready.

The five men advanced, squaring off against the three women. The two with swords went for Xena; the two with staffs of their own went for Gabrielle. The fifth man, apparently unarmed, headed towards Mariah. Xena and Gabrielle were both watchful, on their guard as the men approached them and their untried friend.

Startled, Mariah heard Xena let loose with her war cry as she launched into her two attackers. She had never heard it before and the "A-YI-YI-YI-YI-YI!!" almost completely unnerved her. Mariah nervously palmed her staff. I can't do this, she thought. I'm no fighter. I haven't hit anyone since grade school.

Suddenly, that became moot as her man rushed her. Her eyes widened as she saw the knife he pulled out. Instinct and training taking over, she quickly swung the staff around, catching him painfully on the biceps, causing him to yelp in pain and drop the weapon. She put herself between him and the knife to prevent him from picking it up, waving her staff in a defensive motion. But he was angry at being hit by a woman, and determined to make her pay for it. He charged her. She turned her staff, lunging, one rounded end jabbing him viciously in the stomach. He bent over as the air whooshed out of his lungs. Thinking he was incapacitated, Mariah turned away to pick up the knife. Her naivete cost her. He recovered quickly, charged her again, hitting her in the back, knocking her to the ground, causing her to lose hold of her staff.

She landed painfully, slightly winded. He grabbed her, lifted her up, and holding her by the front of her shirt, backhanded her across the right side of her face. The pain rippled through her entire being; stars exploded in her head. But it didn't do what he intended it to do; namely to make her fear him. Instead, it made her angry. VERY angry. Recovering quickly, she brought up her right knee twice, catching him in the groin. Howling in pain, he doubled over again. She bent over grabbed her staff, and whacked him hard behind the knees, forcing him to the ground.

She stood over him, breathing hard, the right side of her face throbbing in pain, angrier than she had been in a long time. She could taste blood in her mouth where a tooth had cut her cheek. The anger almost overwhelmed her. "You should not go around picking on defenseless women," she yelled at him, punctuating her statements with short, vicious shots to his ribs and chest as he cowered from her attack. "You just never know," she continued, still hitting and jabbing him, "when one will fight back!" The man lay still, semi-conscious from his wounds, as Mariah calmed down.

Xena and Gabrielle appeared by her side, having dispatched their attackers as soon as they could. "Are you OK?" Gabrielle asked her, putting a hand on her shoulder, worry showing in her green eyes. She saw the blow her friend had taken, but couldn't come to her aid.

"Yeah, but he sure nailed me," Mariah replied, leaning on her staff, holding the right side of her face.

Xena carefully looked at Mariah's right cheekbone and eye. It looked like there would be no permanent damage to her friend's face.

"Well, you're going to have a nice souvenir of your first fight," the warrior said with a sympathetic smile. "A shiner. And it'll be a beauty, too. When we get to Risa, we'll stop overnight. There's an inn there. We need to unwind a little," she said, clapping Mariah gently on the back, a troubled look appearing on the warrior's face. "I've got something you'll want to put on your cheekbone to help keep the swelling down."

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Part Fourteen

Risa Days, Risa Nights...

Xena prepared an herbal poultice for Mariah's battered face.

"It'll help keep the swelling down and ease the pain, but you're going to have a black eye for a few days," the warrior told her as she laid it on the right side of Mariah's face.

Mariah gratefully accepted the poultice, wincing as it made contact with her face.

Xena sat down next to her and Gabrielle. "You know, you were lucky today, Mariah. *Very* lucky."

Mariah sighed as she thought back on the events of the fight. "Yeah. I know. I won't make *that* mistake again, Xena. Next time, I won't turn my back on an enemy."

Gabrielle chuckled. "You know, though, when you had that guy on the ground and you were jabbing him and yelling at him, *that's* when I could see the schoolteacher in you!" Xena said nothing, her face still showing that thoughtful, slightly troubled look.

Mariah laughed a little in spite of the pain in her face. "Yeah, I bet he never expected to get a lecture on how to treat women!" Mariah sat back and closed her eyes as the poultice began easing the pain. "You know what? I was terrified. I had never been in that situation before, and I didn't think I'd be able to actually hit someone. It wasn't until he pulled that knife..." she trailed off into silence.

"Hey, I was the same way in my first fight," Gabrielle said softly, sympathizing.

"Me too," said Xena quietly.

Mariah opened her eyes, looked at her two friends, and smiled. "Well, at least I'm in good company," she said ruefully.

Xena got up. "Come on, you two. Let's get to Risa while it's still light. I don't know about you, but a soft bed and a hot homecooked meal sound pretty good to me." Mariah and Gabrielle agreed.

When they arrived in Risa, Xena took Argo to the stable and got her settled in while Gabrielle and Mariah got their room at the inn. After they each took a long, soothing hot bath, they went down for dinner. After dinner, they nursed their drinks in the crowded inn. A local group of musicians played, adding to the noise level. The girls tried to talk above the din, but soon gave up.

A man came over to their table. He coughed politely.

"Yes?" Xena said, arching her eyebrow.

He blushed a bit, and looked at Mariah. "Would-would you like to dance?"

Xena and Gabrielle grinned at Mariah, who grinned back. "Sure." she said to her admirer. "Would you excuse me?" she said to her friends. She got up, and the man took her in his arms as they moved off, dancing to the music.

Gabrielle looked at Xena. "I'd say she's fitting in pretty well, wouldn't you?"

"Yeah, she's doing all right for herself," Xena replied, as she moved her chair closer to Gabrielle. "But she scared the heck out of me today, though. I think we need to work on her reflexes."

"'We need?'" Gabrielle parroted at her friend.

"Yes, we need. She needs to react faster, Gabrielle. She's where you were at this time last year. Mariah knows how to use the staff; she doesn't really now how to *fight* with it."

"Uh-oh," said Gabrielle, realization dawning upon her. "It's going to be 'test Mariah time,' right?"

"You got it," said Xena. "It's for her own good. She needs to keep on her toes so we won't have a repeat of what happened today. So here's what we're going to do..."

Their conversation ended as Mariah returned to the table, her face pink from her exertions on the dance floor. "Whoo, I need a drink," she said, sipping at her ale, grimacing. "Ugh. This has gone flat."

Xena volunteered to get another round, so Gabrielle and Mariah sat at the table as the warrior wound her way towards the crowded bar.

"Mariah, there's something I've been wanting to ask you."

"Go ahead."

Gabrielle pointed to Mariah's necklace. "Your rings...you said they meant a lot to you."

Mariah untucked the rings from her top, looking at them, a softness appearing in her eyes. "You're right, Gabrielle. They do mean a great deal to me." She handled the gold one. "This was my grandfather's ring. My mom gave it to me on my sixteenth birthday. I never knew him; he died before I was born, but according to my mom, he was one of the nicest men you'd ever want to meet. You remind me of him, you know. My mom said he was full of wonder and stories and life...." she trailed off at the fond memories.

"And the silver one?" Gabrielle prompted after a few moments.

"Ah, that one is my high school class ring. You see, where I come from, it's a custom to buy a ring after you finish your first twelve years of school. This was a graduation present from my parents. I loved my school. In fact, I loved it so much that after I finished studying at the university, I went back there to teach." She leaned over and gave Gabrielle a closer look, showing her the inscriptions and the blue stone. "That school meant a lot to me, Gabrielle. I was a pretty shy kid when I got there, quiet and afraid. The people I met there helped me. I learned a great deal about myself at that school."

Xena returned with the drinks, and Mariah tucked the rings back in her top. "Drink up," the warrior said. "We should probably go to sleep soon, too. We've got another busy day tomorrow."

The two girls agreed. After they finished their drinks, they went upstairs to their room to go to sleep.

Two pairs of eyes followed them. "Xena?? Here?" one man said to the other.

She couldn't be, but she was. The second man broke into a grin. Wait until Galvous heard about this!! The men quickly finished their drinks. The second man, named Darvos, turned to the first and said, "You stay around here and keep an eye on Xena and her friends. I'm going to see Galvous. He won't believe this!!" The second man left the tavern, and rode off towards Galvous's camp, two days away. The first man, Darius, finished his drink, got up, and sighed. He had the difficult job, he thought to himself. How do you spy on Xena without her knowing it? He had to figure it out fast, too, before Galvous arrived...

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Part Fifteen

An Abject Lesson...

Xena was right about Mariah's eye. It bruised and blackened up nicely during the night, but thanks to Xena's healing poultice, it looked much worse than it felt.

Mariah looked at it in the mirror, grimacing. "It's a good thing I'm not a vain person," she said wryly.

The three girls breakfasted at the inn, collected Argo, and were soon on their way. After they had traveled for about an hour, Xena turned to her companions and said, "I'm going to scout ahead. Stay on the trail; I'll be back shortly." She jumped on Argo, and rode off. Gabrielle had a secretive look on her face; she knew what Xena had in mind.

The two girls walked and talked a bit. Suddenly, from high overhead in the trees, they heard a yell: "A-YI-YI-YI-YI-YI-YI!!!"

Mariah flinched at the sound, and raised her staff as the body came hurtling down towards them. Xena landed, spun, and easily kicked the staff out of the teacher's hands. Gabrielle stood off to the side watching the action.

Mariah looked stunned. "What was *that* all about?" she demanded of her friend.

"It was a lesson, Mariah," said Xena, her face serious. "If I were a real attacker, you would be dead by now. I don't think you know how much you scared Gabrielle and me yesterday. You know how to wield that staff; now you have to learn how to use it to defend yourself. Gabrielle?" The warrior motioned her head at the bard, and Gabrielle tossed her her staff. "Now come at me."

Mariah did, a little hesitantly, Xena easily blocking her swing. Suddenly, Xena launched into an attack of her own, wielding the staff with a flourish. Mariah blocked as many of the blows as she could, but a few got through, one catching her legs, sweeping her off of her feet. When she was down, Xena jabbed at her, catching her lightly in the stomach, as the warrior pulled back most of the force of the weapon. Mariah grimaced at the short, sudden pain in her gut. "Yeah, I see what you mean," she said, slowly getting to her feet with the warrior's help.

"I hope so, Mariah," Xena said as she tossed the staff back to Gabrielle. "And it isn't enough to be able to defend yourself; you're going to have to be constantly alert and on your toes, ready for anything." Blue eyes looked into blue eyes as Xena said softly, "We almost lost you yesterday, friend. And that's not going to happen again."

Gabrielle came over, putting her hand on the teacher's arm. "Don't feel bad, Mariah. You did better than I did when she pulled that stunt on me!" Mariah looked at the bard, staring into her green eyes. "You mean, you *knew* she was going to do that?" Gabrielle nodded, smiling at her friend.

Mariah thought for a moment, coming to a decision before she spoke. "Well, you better *keep* on doing it. Both of you. I won't get any better if you don't."

Xena looked at the teacher, amusement in her eyes, "Oh, don't worry...I can keep it up *all* day," she said with a smile.

"Yeah, I'll just bet you can," replied Mariah laughing, Gabrielle joining in.

And Xena did just that. Over the next few days, as Mariah's bruising eye faded to normal, the warrior princess and Gabrielle harassed and ambushed the teacher in a variety of ways. At first, Mariah's responses were slow and clumsy, the attacks providing valuable lessons for her. But after a short time, Mariah began to catch on, much to the her friends' satisfaction. Soon, Mariah was more alert, on guard, and watchful, just as Xena needed her to be. She didn't react quite as fast as Gabrielle, but she was learning to hold her own.

She would need that ability sooner than she thought.

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Part Sixteen

Galvous...

It was late at night when the man from the tavern approached Galvous's encampment. The outer guards refused to let him see their warlord until he said he had information about Xena.

The guards escorted him into Galvous's tent. Galvous was a big man, well over six feet tall. He had a long scar running along left side of face, courtesy of a run-in some years earlier with a certain warrior princess.

"Who are you?" demanded Galvous.

"My name is Darvos. I have information for you about Xena. She's in the area of Risa."

Galvous listened carefully, considering his options. "Does she still travel with that bard, the irritating blonde?"

Darvos nodded. "And that's not all. There's another woman traveling with them, too."

Galvous's eyes narrowed. "Tell me about her."

"She's a little bigger than the blonde. She has short brown curly hair, blue eyes. That's all I know right now, but I have a man following them. He'll learn more. I promise."

"You have done well, Darvos," Galvous said, tossing him a small purse full of dinars. "Keep following them. All three of them. And tell me what you learn. I'm especially interested in that new girl." Darvos smiled, bowed slightly, and left the warlord's tent. After he left, Krius, Galvous's lieutenant, entered the tent, waiting for instructions.

"I've got a lead on Xena," Galvous said his lieutenant. "The main force will remain here. Pick twenty men, Krius. We'll break camp in the morning and head towards Risa. That's where she is. And I want her."

"As you wish, Galvous," said Krius, as he exited the tent.

Galvous smiled. "So, warrior princess, you travel with two women now...and once I have them both, I'll have you right where I want you."

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Part Seventeen

The Pinch...

It was the predawn morning of a new day. They were five days out of Risa, near the village of Nikos.

Mariah, as was her custom now, was training more and more with Xena and Gabrielle, working out with the warrior early in the morning and the bard in the afternoon. This was in addition to the sudden ambushes they threw at her. The teacher was getting better; her friends were impressed at her rapidly developing abilities. She soon would be able to hold her own if she got into a tight situation.

Xena, working with Mariah on how to better cover her back, decided to throw in a twist. When Mariah swept her staff back to where Xena was supposed to be, the warrior launched herself up in the air, flipped over Mariah, landing in front of her. Mariah, to her credit, recovered quickly, but not quickly enough.

"By the gods, Xena, how could I defend against something like that? asked Mariah, a little aggrieved. "I mean, come on, how many people can do that?"

"Enough," said the warrior. "And it would only take one." The warrior cut off her words, stiffening slightly. So did the teacher.

"I think there's someone's out there," said Mariah softly.

"Good. You heard him, too. Act like we don't know he's there. I'm going to get Argo and check him out. I want you to look like you're headed back to camp; luckily, it's in his direction. Meet me over there." Mariah said nothing as she begin to gather her things.

Xena whistled and Argo appeared. She jumped on her horse, and sped off to get behind their unknown visitor.

Mariah moved in the direction of the unknown person, her heart pounding faster and faster with each step she took. Her senses were alert, picking up the sites, sounds, and smells of the forest around her. As she entered a thicker part of the woods, she heard a noise to her left. Glancing quickly, she saw a man break out of the brush and run. "Hey!!" she yelled, running after him. When she got in range, she threw her staff at his moving legs. The staff made contact, tripping up the fleeing man. He fell and rolled onto his back, breathing hard. Mariah stood over him, also breathing hard, her staff back in her hands where it belonged. When he tried to get up, she hit him with the staff, knocking him back down. She stood over him, guarding him, until Xena showed up scant seconds later.

If the warrior was surprised at this scene, she didn't show it. She stalked over to the man and hauled him to his knees.

"Who are you?" Xena asked. "Why were you watching us?"

The man refused to answer.

To Mariah's surprise, Xena's hands lashed out at the man's neck, jabbing him in two places.

"I've just cut off the flow of blood to your brain. You'll be dead in thirty seconds if you don't answer my questions."

The man struggled against the pinch as he felt the life drain from his body. "Darius," his voice quavered. "I-I'm Darius."

"That only answered the first part of my question," Xena growled.

"Galvous," the man panted. "He heard you were around here. I was sent to watch you and your friends."

Xena grabbed him by the shirt, her blue eyes narrowing dangerously. "How long have you been watching?"

"Since Risa," Darius gasped, blood dripping out of his nose, near unconsciousness.

Xena stared at him for a moment. Her hand shot out, and she released the pressure point on his neck. Darius collapsed, but Xena didn't wait long for him to recover.

"Just where is Galvous?" she asked him.

Darius knew enough not to resist. "He's less than a day from here. I swear it!" he yelled as Xena made a motion towards his neck.

Xena hauled him to his feet. "Now I want you to take a message to Galvous, bright boy. You tell him to stay away from us if he knows what's good for him. I beat him once and I'll do it again. You tell him."

Darius nodded, fear in his eyes as Xena shoved him away from her. He ran off, stumbling as he moved. Xena had a troubled look on her face.

"Come on," she said to Mariah. "We need to get Gabrielle up and get on the move. Galvous may be closer than he thinks."

"But-how..." began Mariah. "What did you do to him, Xena?"

"Pressure points," the warrior said as she grabbed her friend's arm to pull her along. "I'll explain as we head back to camp. We've got no time to lose." She whistled for Argo, jumped on, helped Mariah up behind her, and rode back to Gabrielle.

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Part Eighteen

Slings and Arrows...

As they rode back to camp, something went wrong.

Argo threw a shoe.

The mare pulled up sharply. Xena and Mariah quickly dismounted, the warrior looking at the horse's rear hoof. "Damn!" she said in frustration. Thinking for a moment, Xena made a decision.

"I hate to split up but time is against us, Mariah. You go back to Gabrielle, wake her up, and explain what happened. I'm going to take Argo to Nikos to get her shoe fixed. You two meet me there as fast as you can. Don't delay! We don't know exactly where Galvous is, and we need to put space between us and him. It's me he's after; I don't want you two getting mixed up with him."

"Done," said Mariah, as she took off for their camp.

Xena watched her leave, and then turned to Argo, talking soothingly to her. "Hey, it's OK girl. Come on, we need to get out of here." She led the mare towards Nikos, going as fast as she dared with the horse's injured hoof.

Mariah ran into the camp as the sun was coming up out of the eastern sky. Gabrielle was still asleep. Mariah knelt down next to her friend, urgently calling her name and shaking her.

Gabrielle opened one eye and looked at Mariah's anxious face. "Hey, what's wrong?"

Mariah quickly explained about the man who had been spying on them and about Galvous being in the area. "And Xena wants us to meet her in Nikos. Argo threw a shoe and she's taking her there now," finished the teacher.

Gabrielle jumped up. "Come on. Let's get our gear together and get moving." The girls moved about the camp, packing their belongings as quickly as they could.

Mariah suddenly heard Gabrielle gasp. She turned and saw her friend clutching at a small dart sticking out of her thigh. Mariah ran over to her, catching the bard as she collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

Six men materialized out of the woods, including the one she and Xena had confronted earlier. Mariah stood up, her staff at the ready. "What did you do to her?" she demanded.

"The same thing we're going to do to you," replied one of the men. At that moment, Mariah felt a sharp pain in her leg as she too was struck by a dart. Her vision blurred and she stumbled as the drug took effect, the strength draining from her body. Strong arms grabbed her as the blackness overwhelmed her.

"Tie them up," said Krius. "Even though they'll be out of it most of the day, Galvous said to take no chances. You," he said, pointing to Darvos. "You wait here for Xena and tell her if she wants to get her friends back, she's to meet us at our camp tomorrow. You will bring her there. Tell her if she tries anything funny or if she shows up without you, Galvous will slit their throats. Darius, you come with us. Galvous wants a full report on what you've observed. The rest of you, cover our tracks. Take the time and do it right! And remember to cover them as we travel back to camp. I don't need to tell you what a good tracker Xena is."

The men rushed to follow Krius's orders. Gabrielle and Mariah were bound hand and foot. The men lifted their unconscious forms, carried them over to a nearby hidden wagon, and unceremoniously dumped them in. A blanket was thrown over the two sleeping figures to hide them from view. The area was carefully swept of any tracks or trails that might telegraph where the men and their captives were headed.

Krius smiled at his efficiency as he and his men journeyed back to their camp. Galvous would reward him well.

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Part Nineteen

Waiting Games...

Xena took Argo to the blacksmith's in Nikos where the horse was shod. Time passed. The warrior was getting impatient waiting for her two friends. They should *be* here by now, she thought to herself.

When Argo was ready, she rode back to camp, looking for her friends all the way. Instead she found Darvos sitting next to the fire.

"Who are you?" she said angrily as she quickly dismounted.

"I'm Darvos," he said, "and if you want to see your friends again, you'll listen to what I have to say."

Xena's eyes narrowed to icy blue slits. "What do you mean?" she said slowly.

"Galvous has them. He wants to make a trade; you for them. You come with me tomorrow to his camp, and he'll let your friends go. If not," he said hurriedly as the warrior advanced on him, "Galvous will slit their throats. Your choice."

Xena stopped in her tracks. Galvous had her, and she knew it. As she looked around the camp, she saw the signs that the area had been expertly cleaned so tracking the kidnappers would be next to impossible. She thought for a moment before she spoke. "OK Darvos, we'll play it your way. But if *anything* happens to my friends, and I mean *anything*, you'll wish you'd never been born. You and Galvous both."

The warrior prayed that Mariah and Gabrielle would be all right until she arrived at Galvous's camp the next day.

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In the twilight of that same day, Gabrielle slowly came back to consciousness. She was lying on her stomach. Her head pounded from the drug, her arms and legs ached abominably from being tied, and her thigh throbbed from where the dart struck her. It was difficult to swallow with the gag in her mouth.

Where am I, she thought to herself as she strained to look around. The bard spied another person lying on the ground near her. At that moment, a man entered the tent where she was being held. He walked over to the other prone figure, pulled out a knife, and slashed the ropes that bound its wrists and ankles and cut the gag from around its mouth. He then walked over to Gabrielle. "I'm going to remove your gag. If you scream, I'll kill you." Gabrielle nodded, and the man removed her gag. Pulling the bard to a sitting position, he cut the ropes that bound her ankles and her wrists. "You can't go anywhere, so don't even *think* about escape. You just sit tight until Xena gets here tomorrow. You can be comfortable or uncomfortable. It'll be your choice." He walked out before she could answer.

Gabrielle crawled over to the unconscious figure. It was Mariah. She tried to awaken her friend, but the teacher was still deep in the grip of the sleep-inducing drug. Gabrielle looked around, woozy, her eyes adjusting to the dimming light. She stood up, walked, stumbled, moving her aching arms and legs in an effort to loosen them up. She heard Mariah moan softly as the drug lessened its hold on her. The bard walked over to her, sat down, and cradled her friend's head in her lap.

Mariah slowly opened her eyes to see Gabrielle staring down at her. "Do I even want to know what happened?" she murmured dazedly.

"We've been kidnapped," said Gabrielle, still a bit groggy herself. "Xena's supposed to show up here tomorrow."

Mariah closed her eyes, the drug still affecting her, her muscles aching from their rough treatment. She fell into a light doze, her head still cradled in the lap of the bard. When she awoke an hour later, Mariah found Gabrielle curled up next to her, also asleep. It was night. Someone had come in while they slept and lit the oil lamps.

Mariah sat up, the muscles in her body crying as she moved. She looked at Gabrielle, and decided to let her sleep. Standing up, she winced at the pain in her head, shoulders, and arms. She looked around. They were being held in a tent. She noticed a chamber pot in one corner, and used it. Spying a washstand, she walked over to it, poured some water in the basin, dipped a towel into the cold water, and wiped off her face. The coolness of the water on her face felt wonderful. She also rinsed off her wrists, sore and raw from being bound for so long. She poured some water in a cup and drank deeply. Gabrielle stirred. Mariah poured another cup of water, and took it, the basin, and the towels over to her sleeping friend. Sitting down next to her, she began to sponge off the bard's sleeping face, hoping the cool water would do for Gabrielle what it did for her.

Emerald green eyes fluttered open. "How are you feeling?" asked Mariah quietly, as she began to gently clean the girl's bruised wrists.

"Better," replied Gabrielle, as she began to fully awake. She too was stiff and sore from their rough treatment, but she was feeling better thanks to her friend's help.

"Here. Drink this." Gabrielle slowly sat up and took the cup of water from the teacher. Water had never tasted so good, she thought.

"I wonder where we are," Mariah asked her friend.

"You're in the camp of Galvous." The two girls swiveled their heads at the sound of the man's voice. The man was tall, taller than Xena, and had an ugly scar on the left side of his face. Two men stood behind him. "I am Galvous. And you will come with me," he demanded, as the two men behind him entered the tent and pulled the girls to their feet. "We have much to discuss before Xena arrives. Take them to my tent and see that they are fed. I want them in good shape. For now." Mariah and Gabrielle, their arms pinned painfully behind their backs, were dragged, struggling, out of the tent.

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