"After what she had done to you, how in the name of Zeus did you and Hercules, ever become friends with her?" asked Toris in bewilderment.

Iolaus smiled again, "It wasn't easy for me. But Hercules .. he sees things that I don't, although he wasn't too friendly towards her at first. He'd heard rumours of raiders in the Parthian province and had gone to help the people. He found villagers slaughtered and crucified, learned that your sister was responsible and swore to bring her to justice. As he tracked her he found an entire village that had been slaughtered. Men women and children. Nothing had been left alive before the place was torched. He said it was one of the worst things he'd ever seen." Iolaus said softly.

"Oh gods," choked Toris, "I'd heard of some of the atrocities that she'd done, but I'd always heard she spared women and children."

"She did," agreed his companion, "but this time she hadn't been leading her army, her chief lieutenant, Darphus, had and he was a butcher. Xena was away north with her scouts and returned to her army only after the village had been sacked. She saved a baby there, the only survivor of the massacre, and for that Darphus was able to turn her army against her and eject her as leader."

"So what did she do?" questioned Toris, "Surely that didn't make her change her ways?"

"Not quite," agreed Iolaus bleakly, "Darphus put Xena through a gauntlet. Her own men beat her with fists and clubs to within an inch of her life. No one had ever survived one before ... but she did."

"I'll kill him! If I ever find the murdering whoreson, I swear I'll kill him," cursed Toris his eyes alight with anger, "Whatever Xena once was, she's still my sister!"

"Xena took care of that a few years ago ... twice!" smiled the shorter man.

"Twice?" was the disbelieving question.

"Give me time and I'll get there," Iolaus told him. "After the gauntlet, Xena figured the only way to get her army back was to kill Hercules and take his head as a trophy."

"Whew!" whistled his audience.

"Yeah," agreed the blonde with a grin, "Anyway, she must have been hurting like hades from the beating she'd taken, but she tracked down Herc and challenged him one on one. Damn near beat him too, by all accounts .. even as beat up as she was."

"Then why didn't Hercules capture or kill her?" asked Toris in surprise.

Iolaus shrugged, "I told you Hercules doesn't like to kill and I think he saw something in your sister that even she didn't know was there."

"What was that?" wondered the taller man, "I'm her brother and even I could see she deserved to be tried for her crimes."

"Well Hercules told her later that he saw the goodness in her heart," answered Iolaus seriously.

Toris nearly choked on his last swallow of the tea, "What! C'mon Iolaus. My sister was a bloodthirsty, power crazed, murdering madwoman and Hercules saw the goodness in her heart? You have got to be kidding."

"No, straight up," he told him still seriously, "and if you think about it he's been proven right, because since then she's turned her life around and shown that goodness over and over again."

Toris shook his head as he tried to get his mind around the concept before asking, "Okay so what happened after she tried to kill him?"

"He let her go."

"He what?" the bigger man looked stunned.

"He let her go," repeated Iolaus, "He figured that she had some things to work out for herself, and he had to go and stop Darphus and her ex-army. She turned up later in the town of Parthia when Herc was in bad trouble, and Darphus looked like killing him. Instead she killed Darphus and helped scatter the remnants of the army. That's when she decided to stay with Herc for a while."

Digesting that, Toris suddenly realized he hadn't heard how Iolaus had managed to reconcile his differences with Xena, "So what happened when you found out about that, huh?"

Iolaus looked a little grim as he threw some more wood on the fire, "I heard about Xena rampaging through the area and came to stop her. I stumbled across Herc and his friend, Salmoneus, and exchanged some news. I told them I'd come to get Xena and Herc edged around the question saying that the real problem was Darphus," he saw Toris' puzzled look, "You see Ares resurrected Darphus on the condition that he kill Herc and Xena.

"I suggested that we should get both of them, and that was about when she turned up back in the camp. I tell you Toris, it made my blood boil. Here was the woman who had made a total fool out of me and tried to kill me and Herc, wandering around like she owned the place. I told Hercules he was a fool and I would have left if he hadn't talked me out of it. It hurt seeing her there .. and it hurt knowing that I was till attracted to her .. even after what she'd done!" He snorted in self contempt.

"Anyway, I stayed .. grudgingly. The atmosphere was very strained and I wasn't willing to see that she'd changed or give her the benefit of the doubt. It wasn't until she saved my life in a little skirmish with Darphus and his men, that I agreed to try and forget the past. Herc and Xena between them were enough to send Darphus back to Hades where he belonged, while Salmoneus and I tidied up the army. Since then, Xena's proven herself to be a good friend many times over. I'm glad we got over the problems we had at the start, she was worth saving then and is even more so now," he smiled, "She'd wade through fire to get me or Herc out of trouble, how could I do any less for her?"

"Hey," Iolaus prodded Toris in the ribs to get his attention, "You gonna sit there and dream all day?"

"You got any better ideas?" he asked gruffly.

"Well we could go and see about getting a room, a bath, some hot food, a mug of ...."

"Okay, okay," broke in Toris, "You've talked me into it."

They headed into Lugdunum and found a strategically placed inn with a room that gave them a view of both the Prefecture and the Garrison. They took a quick bath, ordered drinks and food to be brought to their room, and settled down to await the arrival of Caesar and his entourage.

It was late afternoon when the VIIth Legion arrived outside Lugdunum. As was normal, the army made camp outside the city, while the special duty maniple escorted the wagon, and Caesar, into the city to lodge in the Garrison. Toris and Iolaus had watched the arrival from the window of their room, but the canvass over the wagon had been drawn tight and they didn't get the hoped for sight of Xena. Still they maintained their watch on the barracks, and it was into the early evening when they saw a group of laughing legionaries heading away from the garrison, and into the city, obviously intent on relaxation.

"Not garrison soldiers," Toris pointed out.

"Looks like some of those that came in earlier," agreed Iolaus.

"Well some of them were given evening passes in Evignan," reminded the taller man.

"We could shadow them and see if we could pick up some news," suggested Iolaus tentatively.

"Risky," answered Toris sucking his teeth, then turned and grinned at his companion who was already smiling back at him, "Let's go."

They followed the six legionaries down into the city where the soldiers liked to carouse. It was an area full of gambling dens and whorehouses as well as cheap drinking establishments, that served barely drinkable wine. "What'd we come here for?" complained one man, as he grimaced at the taste in his cup, "We've got enough dinars to be somewhere where the wine is decent."

"Quit complaining, Marcellus," laughed another man slapping his friend on the back, "We've got everything here that we need for a really good night out, and we won't have to spend too much to enjoy it. I intend to keep some of my dinars so that I can invest it in some bets with the local grunts here when we get the chance."

"Shut up Quintus, you'll get us all flogged! You know that subject's off limits." growled a strapping soldier, a decurion from his rank badge.

As they drifted along behind the soldiers, Toris raised an eyebrow at Iolaus. It was the closest they'd got to anyone from the guard unit, and it was obvious that these men were part of that special maniple.

"Do you think we could separate a couple from their uniforms?" asked Toris in a whisper.

"Too risky. That unit's so tight they squeak. A couple of strange faces showing up would land in a cell before they could blink," answered Iolaus just as quietly, "but if we could separate one from the flock, and get him drunk enough, we might just find out something worthwhile."

Toris nodded his agreement, and they trailed after the six, waiting their chance to grab one of them. They went from inn to tavern, to gambling dive to tavern, until they finally ended up in a less than salubrious house of ill repute, where the legionaries intended to end their evening.

"Now what?" asked Toris as they stood outside the whorehouse.

Iolaus drew him around to the rear of the building and pointed to the verandah, "We need to get up there," he hissed, "If we can get inside, we can see where the Romans go and grab one when he's alone in one of the rooms."

Toris looked at him, "He won't be alone you know."

"What?" asked Iolaus not quite understanding what he meant, "Oh, you mean the girl. Don't worry I'll take care of her while you get the soldier."

"How come I get the hard job?" demanded Toris. "I thought of it first," grinned the shorter man, "C'mon." Toris boosted his companion up to the balcony, and grabbed Iolaus's hand when the smaller man offered it, managing to scramble up to join him. "Shhhh!" warned Iolaus pointedly with a finger to his lips.

They carefully made their way to an open window and listened for any sound of occupancy. Hearing nothing, they slipped inside a dingy, stale smelling room that had a heavy overlay of cheap perfume. Moving carefully, they crossed the floor to the door that opened up onto the landing.

Iolaus eased the door open and pressed his eye to the crack, "One of them's coming this way," he told Toris as he closed the door and moved back into the room.

"It's not that big decurion?" hissed the taller man plaintively, "Is it?"

"Nah," grinned Iolaus reassuringly, "It's Quintus."

"Oh Gods," muttered Toris feelingly, "The man's built like a ...."

"I lied," grinned Iolaus again, "It's the squirty one, Marcellus."

"Damn it Iolaus ..."

"Shhh!" the smaller man warned him, pressing himself back against the wall on one side of the door, with Toris on the other.

"C'mon honey," they heard a husky voiced woman say, "It's just in here."

"Take me to Elysium," they heard Marcellus reply eagerly.

The door opened and admitted the pair, arm in arm. Toris used the pommel of his sword to hit the soldier on the back of the head, while Iolaus grabbed the woman around the waist and clapped a hand firmly over her mouth. He bit off an oath as she kicked back at his shin and jabbed him in the ribs with a meaty elbow.

"Oooff!" he grunted as he lifted her forward and pushed the door closed with his foot, "Cut that out," he told her, "I'm not here to hurt you, we just want to borrow your playmate."

"Mmmph yrrrg rtt!" came back the muffled retort, before she bit his hand savagely.

"Ouch! " he yelped, as he tossed her on the bed, sat on her back and held her face down while he ripped a strip off the tatty sheet and used it to gag her. He heard Toris choking back a laugh behind him as he worked on tying the soldiers arms behind his back, "Do you want to come and give me a hand?" hissed Iolaus as he struggled to keep the woman still.

"Thought you wanted the easy job," answered the taller man as he ghosted to his friends side with a couple of rawhide strips. He quickly tied the woman's hands and feet, before Iolaus got off her.

"Zuuu crssee yrr ttt Hyydds" came the muffled yells of anger.

"You too sweetheart," answered Iolaus patting her cheek as he sucked the hand that had been bitten.

They pulled Marcellus up between them and ducked out of the window. Toris dropped down into the back courtyard where he caught the Roman as Iolaus lowered him, before the shorter man dropped down to join him. "Where are we gonna take him?" asked Toris.

Iolaus shrugged, "Back to the inn. If we wrap your cloak around him, no one will see his hands are tied, and if anyone asks we'll tell them he's a friend come to spend a few candlemarks drinking with us. Pull the hood up, and with you holding him one side and me the other, no one will be able to tell."

With their plan hastily made, they headed back to their room without mishap. Once they had Marcellus safely tied to a chair, Iolaus hurried down to the tap room and bought six bottles of good red wine, "Met an old friend," he explained, "and we've got a lot of catching up to do."

He shot back up stairs where he found that Toris had brought round their guest using the expediency of dumping a pitcher of water over him. He shook his head groggily and looked around the room with bleary eyes, "Where am I?" he asked sullenly.

"Oh no, no, no, my friend," answered Toris softly, "We ask the questions here."

"Who are you," Marcellus blinked, shaking his head to clear his brain, "Do I know you? You look awfully familiar."

"What have you got in the wagon that your squad so carefully guards?" asked Toris patiently.

"Don't know what you're talking about," came the answer.

"Yes you do," said Toris gripping the luckless Marcellus by the chin, "and you're going to tell us all about it." He smiled as the Roman shook his head free and watched as Iolaus handed the tall man a large tankard of wine, "Have a drink with us Marcellus."

It was some candlemarks later when the two men left their guest propped up against the barracks wall. Toris' dark features were grim, and even the normally sunny Iolaus looked bleak. They hurried back to their inn and tried to decide what they should do next. "How long can she keep it up?" Toris questioned Iolaus, once they were alone in the room, "Marcellus says she's had three pit fights on her way here, and has taken some pretty heavy beatings in the process."

"She's won so far," Iolaus reminded him, "That healer, Patroclese, seems to be taking care of her injuries, and you know ... she's tough, right!"

"Yeah. But Damn it Iolaus! He's turning her into a gladiator." snarled Toris enraged by the idea. "I know she's about the best fighter around, but even she's gonna get really hurt after a while. You know gladiators don't have a very long lifespan. If we can't get her free it'll break Mother's heart."

"Caesar will keep her fit," Iolaus tried to soothe him, "You heard what Marcellus said, she's making him a fortune. If he can get her to the big fights in Rome, he'll clean up."

"We've got to get her away from him, Iolaus," said Toris softly.

"I know, my friend," agreed the shorter man patting Toris's shoulder in sympathy, "I know." He thought bleakly about what the continuous fighting and being treated like an animal would do to Xena. He prayed to the Gods that it wouldn't strip her of her hard won humanity and turn her back to the monster she had once been.