She and Gabrielle had both sought to secure good relationships with their neighbours, hammering out treaties and trade agreements that were beneficial to both parties. It had been good to stabilize their position in the area. The Amazon Nation had been in decline for several years, with many small factions being split off from the leadership of Themiscyra. Slowly, with patience and diplomacy rather than war, the problem was being addressed and the Amazons now had a firm foundation on which to build for the future.

That was why it hurt to see the angry reactions of people that hadn't even seen an Amazon war party in over thirty years. As she thought about it, though, it brought a wry half smile to her face, - Is this how Xena feels every time she faces people who know her reputation from her warlord days? Even the Amazons, tend to treat her like some half mad animal, and for the most part she's only ever been a friend to us! - She shook her head guiltily at the thought.

Apart from some hostile attitudes, they also had to deal with the excitement and interest that the Amazon cortege drew. The vision of an exotic group of one hundred women passing through a village drew out young and old, male and female in profusion to watch the unheralded parade. The knowledge that it was the procession of the Amazon Queen gave the whole thing a sense of being something from a fairytale. To see a queen in progress was something that would give many of these simple people something to talk about for many moons to come, and would undoubtedly take it's place in folk-lore as something to pass down from generation to generation. It was a genuine rarity in the drab lives of so many humble villagers.

Hercules found himself pleasantly ignored for a change. All attention was focused on the Amazons, and they were such an unusual sight, that no one really noticed him. He did attract some envious stares from young men who, evidently, had made certain assumptions about his role there, but for the most part he was an almost anonymous personage.

On the third day, the big, tawny haired man, strolled along at the side of Ephiny, "We've spoken about how to explain my presence, we've talked about the possibility of all of our missing friends still being alive. What we haven't discussed is just what we're going to do when we get to Rome, or how we're going to manage to get everyone back out again."

"Ah," acknowledged the Regent vaguely, "I thought that it might be better to thrash that out on the ship, once we put to sea."

Hercules shot an inquiring look at her. He'd felt a tension within the Amazon camp and had narrowed it down to a group of women that everyone else seemed to be careful around, "Is there a problem?" he inquired carefully, not wishing to offend.

"Amazon internal politics," shrugged Ephiny, "you know how that can be."

"No, not really," admitted Hercules, "but I guess it's something you don't really want to talk about."

"Believe me," returned the blonde sourly, "you really don't want to know about it."

"Could it cause us a problem in Rome?" he asked, wanting to get some idea of how the ground stood.

"It shouldn't do. I've taken precautions that should prevent anything from getting out of hand," she saw the concern in the pale blue eyes of the demi-god and, placing a friendly hand on his arm, she told him, "I'll let you know if anything happens to endanger our situation from that source."

"I can't ask for more than that," he answered with a soft smile.

They walked along in silence for a while, listening to the banter from the Amazons who marched around them. Every now and then, Ephiny stole the chance to look at the son of Zeus, trying to evaluate him.

"Is there something you wanted to know?" he questioned finally, when the silence between them had stretched to an uncomfortable length.

Ephiny started guiltily as she realised her covert examination had been intercepted, "Well," she began hesitantly, "I've wondered for a long time now ... if you don't mind me asking ... just why did you spare Xena's life when she was still such a brutal warlord?" It was something she'd never been able to figure out, and she really was intrigued as to just what his answer would be. Hercules seemed to look far into the distance as his mind sorted through his memories of the time. He was silent for such a long time that, at first, Ephiny didn't think that he'd answer her, "You know, it was kind of an intrusive question," she said suddenly feeling a little tactless, "please forget it."

The big man sighed, "Usually I get Iolaus to deal with things like this. He knows all the details of my adventures and he likes to talk about them. But even if he was here I'd probably have to answer this one myself. It was a painful time for him, and I think it took him a while to forgive me for giving Xena the chance to redeem herself."

This of course pricked Ephiny's, and not a few of the nearby Amazon warrior's, interests. All any of them knew was the barest outline of the story that Xena's army had turned on her for sparing the life of a baby, put her through a gauntlet, and that she'd gone after Hercules to kill him to use that feat to regain control of her men. Even Gabrielle hadn't been able to pry many of the details loose from Xena, and those she had she tended to keep to herself.

However, feeling that she ought to make some effort in the direction of not wanting to pry, the Regent said, "If this is too personal ...."

The big man seemed to start a little before allowing a quirk of his lips and replying, "No. Not at all, at least it really is a story that should be known, as it shows the incredible strength of will that Xena truly has. I seriously doubt if she'd tell anyone what happened, or just what she had to go through to bring about the change in herself. Anyway, even without that, it will pass some time."

Ephiny nodded and noticed the eager breeze of muttered anticipation that ran through the Royal Guard that marched around her an Hercules. Ephiny was almost tempted to tell them to spread out a bit, but a glance at Hercules told her that he didn't seem to notice the avid interest being displayed by the women he was surrounded by.

"About three and a half years ago, Xena decided that she could enhance her reputation if she could kill me. She hatched a plan to that end that involved seducing Iolaus, turning him against me and then getting me to kill him. She hoped that, I'd be devastated over killing my best friend, so I'd then be an easy kill for her. The plan would have worked, except my friendship with Iolaus was too strong for either of us to harm the other. It rather soured Xena and Iolaus' relationship for a while." he explained.

"What?" questioned the blonde walking beside him, "You didn't mind that she meant to kill you?"

"Oh, I minded," he admitted, "but at the time I was far more interested in getting my best friend back in one piece."

Ephiny grinned, "I can understand that," she agreed. "So what happened to Xena?"

"When her plan fell apart, she took off with what remained of her men, and I didn't hear anything of her for a while. Then about three moons later, I met up with a young cousin of mine who told me about an army threatening the area he lived in. He asked for my help and I agreed to go with him. Iolaus had gone home to Corinth to visit my Mother and make sure she was safe. I also think it was an excuse for a fishing trip," he smiled as he thought about the blonde man's second favourite pastime.

"Anyway, the army that was rampaging around the Parthia area was butchering men and setting them up on crosses and wheels as examples to others. One man left a note in his own blood that it was a woman warrior who was responsible. I guessed it was Xena and was determined to stop her, but it wasn't until we came across a village in which every living thing, man, woman, child and animal, had been murdered, that I knew that I had to bring her to justice or kill her." There was a grim look on the big man's face as he remembered the horror of that devastated village and his certainty that Xena had been responsible for it.

Ephiny let out a low whistle, "You let her free after that?"

"Well actually Xena hadn't been with her army. She was off to the north with her scouts. It was her lieutenant, Darphus, who was responsible. Xena only returned in time to save the last living survivor ...."

"A baby," butted in the Regent nodding to herself, "which is why she was put through the gauntlet."

"Right," agreed Hercules, "You know it can't have been more than a day after she'd almost been beaten to death that she came after me. It was a close run thing and she almost ran me through before I got the upper hand and held that sword across her neck. I really don't think I'd like to face her fully fit as an enemy."

"What made you let her go at that point?" Ephiny almost demanded. After what Hercules had been describing it seemed incredible that the demi-god should just do an about face and release the Warrior Princess. Her mind was also full of the images of Xena storming into Themiscyra and sweeping through some of her best warriors as if they weren't there. She knew exactly what Hercules had meant about facing her at full fitness.

"I looked down into those incredible blue eyes of hers," he answered softly, "and I saw all the hurt, anguish and pain in the world. Here was a woman who should have been in a sick bed. She comes out and comes close to whipping me, when she really didn't have any right to being able to stand. And when I looked in her eyes, I didn't see some vicious warlord murderer. I saw a vulnerable woman, hurt, confused, with a goodness deep within her that was just waiting to be given a chance to flower."

The Regent swallowed loudly. The sensitive tone of Hercules's words told her something about his relationship with Xena that she was sure that he never meant her to know, "So you let her go?" she prompted.

"I was certain that if she was just shown a little trust, she'd be able to turn away from the dark path she'd been following for so long. I'm glad I've been proved right. She saved my butt from Darphus and his army. Since then, well the road hasn't been easy for her. People don't want to believe she's changed. It's easy for them to see her as Xena, Destroyer of Nations. She's been hurt and betrayed so often, I sometimes wonder how she has the courage to continue."

That last was said almost wistfully as the demi-god's thoughts once again focused on something far away, leaving Ephiny to feel slightly ashamed of herself and her Amazons who seemed to have reinforced that final thought with their recent actions. The thoughts were sobering and it left her wondering just how she would have coped with the trials of the Warrior Princess's life.

They reached the outskirts of Acanthus in the late afternoon when the sun began dipping into the west in a sky decked out in scarlet, pink and orange glory. Unsure of how the port would take being invaded by a host of Amazon warriors, Ephiny instructed Eponin to set up a temporary camp while she, Hercules and an escort of ten went into Acanthus to make contact with the shipmaster they were to be sailing with.

Even in this much reduced group, the Amazon's continued to attract attention. Attention that was much more insistent, now that it was faced by smaller numbers. On several occasions the warriors were jostled as they made their way through the still busy streets and down towards the harbour.

At one point, a group of drunken ruffians, coming out of a seedy tavern, made a grab at Ephiny and two of the other women, "C'mon, darlin'" a large ginger haired brute of a man cried, breathing the raw fumes of cheap alcohol into the blonde's face, "Lets you an' me have a party. Am'zons like to party," he belched at her.

"No thanks," the Regent declined politely, not looking to start a scene here. She threw some looks at her guards to discourage them from doing anything rash, and nodded in approval when she saw Tassi and Malonda trying the same tactics to discourage the men pawing at them.

"Wassa matta?" demanded Ginger belligerently, "Not good 'nough for you harlots? Thought ya liked ya men bit rough."

Ephiny tried again, pushing away the pawing hands as she told the man evenly, "Thanks for the offer, but we have a meeting to attend."

"No damn harlot's gonna say no t'me!" he growled, making another grab for the small blonde, only to find his hand intercepted by a much larger, stronger one.

Hercules squeezed his fingers together and saw the pain in the man's face suddenly help in the sobbering up process, "I believe the lady declined your offer," he said softly, "If I were you, I'd act like a gentleman and accept her decision."

Ginger gaped at the big man that was suddenly in his face. He shook his head trying to clear it and demanded, "Who d'ya think y'are ... Hercules!?"

"Funny you should mention it," he allowed a grin to appear, "Now be a good boy and take your friends home," he suggested. He glanced around and saw that they were beginning to attract a crowd of more drunkards as they rolled out of the tavern to look at what was causing the commotion.

The drunk man pulled away from Hercules and stood staring at him and the woman who had turned him down, "Don't like for'ners comin' in here an' acting snooty. Think we mi' jus' teach ya all a less'n. C'mon lads! get the harlots an' the big bastard!"

"Oh boy!" muttered Hercules as he was descended upon by half a dozen drunken louts, "doesn't anyone listen to reason anymore?" he asked rhetorically as he backhanded Ginger gently across the street ... about thirty feet or so.

"Amazons," called out Ephiny in a clear commanding voice, "no swords. Defence only!"

And then the fight was on. The twenty or so intoxicated roughs who piled into the fight weren't really any match for Hercules and eleven highly trained Amazons. In fact the son of Zeus was more than capable of taking care of the whole business on his own. However, the Amazons felt that since it was their honour that had been insulted, they didn't see why a man, even if he was Hercules, should have all the fun.

With a fist to the stomach of a tough who approached swinging, the man was bent double and Hercules swung over his back to deliver two solid kicks to the chins of a couple more of the would be fighters, dropping them out of the game. Grabbing the luckless man he was using as a leaning post, the big man swung him round and sent him crashing into half a dozen more of his accomplices.

While Hercules got to work on the bulk of the opposition, Ephiny and the Amazons worked their own brand of mayhem on those imprudent enough to get too close to them. Men fell to sharp painful jabs from fists and feet. These women were the elite members of the Queen's Guards and more than a match for almost any other fighter, with one or two notable exceptions, one being the man who was fighting on their side. Ephiny was no mean warrior herself and quite capable of holding her own in this type of street brawl.

It was all over in very little time with Hercules applying a light kick to a retreating backside that sent the staggering victim flying after his running companions, "They never learn," he declared as he brushed his hands together to remove the dust from the fight, "Shall we continue with what we came here to do?" he asked the Regent politely.

"Of course," smiled Ephiny regally, "Please lead the way," she grinned.

It didn't take them too long to find their way the wharf where 'Poseidon's Treasure' was berthed, and Ephiny had to strangle a cry of dismay as she saw the ship she had contracted laying alongside the dock with it's mast down and ships carpenters swarming all over the hull as they worked to repair whatever had happened.

She caught hold of the sleeve of a scurrying sailor and demanded, "Where's Captain Jurdis?"

"You'll find him on the quarterdeck, ma'am," came the hurried reply, "'Scuse me but I gotta get to the chandlers or the first mate'll have me hide."

While Ephiny was getting that information out of the sailor, Hercules spotted a familiar face further down the wharf, "Excuse me for a moment, Ephiny," he said to the distracted Regent who was trying to pick out the ships master, "I'll meet you back here in a short while. I've just seen an old ... friend who might just be able to help us."

"What?" asked Ephiny, having only heard part of what the man had said, but registered him moving purposefully away, "Oh, right," she answered, as she gathered up her guard and headed for the quarterdeck of the ship and the unlucky captain who was about to get a full taste of an irate Amazon Queen.