- Anything to do with Gabrielle is never easy, - she reminded herself with a wry smile.

It didn't take her long to get to the barracks and, in fact, she slowed down as she neared them giving her both time to continue thinking and to make sure her breathing appeared to be regular: the last thing she wanted was for the rebel Amazons to guess something was wrong. - No this visit to the barracks must appear to be perfectly normal, - she told herself.

Nodding to the guards as she passed them, Eponin entered the large building, checking the dormitories and finally the dining hall until she located the face she wanted. Then looked around for a couple of her most trusted warriors, "Kyana, Karrellie," she scanned the dining hall as if randomly selecting another warrior, "Yes .. and you, Jerri," she signalled, "Ephiny has a task that needs to be done and I think you three have the right skills between you. Get yourselves to her suite as quick as you can."

She watched as the women collected their gear and snagged Kyana's arm, as she passed by, to whisper some extra instructions that made the warrior's eyes widen before she nodded her understanding and called out, "Come on you two slugs. The Queen wants us and you dawdle as if about to go for a stroll through the park with your latest lover!" grinned the youthful Amazon.

That got some hearty chuckles and good natured ribbing from the rest of the occupants of the dining rooms, some of it so earthy that even Eponin felt some heat coming into her cheeks. She shook her head at her sister Amazon's and tried to remember some of the more outrageous cracks to tell Ephiny when she got her alone.. she definitely was not going to repeat them in front of Gabrielle!

With Jerushan on her way to be interrogated, she turned her attention back to gathering the information she needed to collect. A longer glance around the hall allowed her to pick out another three trusted faces, "Hakine, Cassie, Turra," she waved her arm to signal them to her side. She had known these three women almost as long as she had known Ephiny and she trusted them with her life .. - More importantly, - she silently acknowledged, - I'd trust them with Gabrielle's life. - Quickly leading the trio away to a private room, she explained the broad outline of the situation that had come to their attention .. omitting Jerushan's foray out to visit Caesar's palace, "Basically," she told them, "I need you to keep a tight watch on Tarelle and her bunch and make sure that you keep a close eye on those who talk to them .. even if in passing, and who those women are friendly with. We need to eliminate the problem within our own ranks or we're going to be in big trouble here." She warned them, conviction overlaying her solemn words.

A shadowy figure watched and listened to the preparations being made to identify and isolate the rogue Amazons. It made itself familiar with the known rebels so that it would be able to observe them at it's leisure, after it had finished the tasks it had set for itself this dark evening.

Pompey sat back in his chair, steepled his fingers and pressed them to his lips. Antonius, his aide, waited patiently before him, knowing that his commander had weighty problems to solve, grown heavier with the return of Caesar. That they'd been able to tweak their rival's nose by denying him a much sought after treasure, had caused his mentor great delight, but Antonius wondered if Pompey had been wise to hand Caesar's property over to the visiting Amazons, - But then again, we still have them tight within our grip here. None of them will leave without Lord Pompey's let. -

The silence was suddenly filled by Pompey's voice held down almost to a whisper, "The fools greeted him like he was some kind of divine saviour, and he revelled in it. You should have seen him, Antonius. He was in his glory and loved every minute of it." His eyes took on a rather distant look, "Well he can have his moment of triumph, but he better make the most of it, because I intend to win in the end."

"Sir?" asked Antonius not sure if he was being asked to respond to the quiet words, not knowing what he should say anyway.

Pompey looked up at the young tribune. Antonius was tall, broad shouldered with an athletes frame. He spent time wrestling and was proud of his prowess. His chestnut coloured hair was cropped into short curls and his eyebrows were so fair that they were almost invisible. His hazel eyes showed a sharp intelligence that the Magnus had found more than useful in his service and he had not, so far, regretted his inordinately fast promotion of this promising junior.

A grim look transformed Pompey's face as he spoke in a firm voice, "We are at war with Caesar. The prize is Rome and the Empire. I don't intend to lose either the war or the prize. That means I will use whatever tools come to my hands. At the moment our sharpest weapons are the Amazons and, more especially, the little haul of men and the one woman that we snatched from Brutus' grasp. The Amazons may have free access to come and go as they please, but everyone in that party, that was brought in from the country, stay in the palace unless I say otherwise. If any one of them attempts to leave here, I want all five of them locked up. Is that understood?" he demanded tonelessly.

"Yes sir," agreed Antonius.

"Take a head count .. one a day .. Antonius. It's your task to make certain that they remain 'safe'. Mars has given me the keys to victory, but I need to make sure that we don't lose them."

"What if the Amazons attempt to interfere, sir?" questioned the clever young officer who personally felt that the Amazon women were a far deeper menace than his commander was giving them credit for. And that silent slave they had with them, well there was just something about him that didn't quite add up and it had Antonius on edge.

"Amazon's are great warriors," Pompey told him, "But even their legendary battle prowess can be neutralized. They have only a hundred fighters, I have an entire loyal legion within easy access and there are even more troops available within Rome should it become necessary to subdue the Amazons." He smiled mirthlessly, "I suspect, however, that they will be far more valuable to me than half the senate, because I think that Caesar will be rather distracted by them ... especially their Queen, Ephiny. He could hardly keep his eyes off of her tonight, and I took a few minor steps to ensure his continuing interest. His wife, Pompeia, will be embarrassed yet again by her husbands lusts. It's just a pity he couldn't keep his lusts firmly focused on his groin and away from the political arena."

Antonius forced a 'natural' laugh at his commanders crude witticism, before seizing upon the opening that mention of arenas brought, "What of the Warrior Princess, sir?"

"Ah yes! .. Xena!" he almost purred, "You know, I really admire that woman. Her animosity for Caesar is so refreshing in this jaded city .. you could almost see it radiating from her in waves of heat. My dear friend, Julius, however," he barked with a short staccato laugh, "Would like nothing better than to prove his mastery over her between the sheets. Unfortunately, even with his .. ego .. he wouldn't risk that particular little foray. She'd rip his manhood off and feed it to him before taking him apart piece by piece."

Sighing heavily, Pompey stood up and moved across to the window to look out into the sculpted peacefulness of the palace grounds, "You know it's a real pity that she didn't just stick that dagger I gave her between Caesar's shoulder blades. Oh, I admit that her manipulation of Caesar was masterful and I really enjoyed watching him writhe when he realised that he was going to have to execute Crassus and that he'd lost both Verchinex and the Warrior Princess. But I could have forgone all that quite happily to have him dead."

"Wouldn't questions have been asked in the senate about your involvement if that dagger had been found in his back?" asked the tribune, who was politically astute enough to realise that although Pompey the Magnus was a magnificent general and leader of men, his grasp of politics had been called both a little petulant and naive at times.

The blonde haired soldier chuckled, "But that was the beauty of the whole scheme, my dear Antonius. Xena would have taken the dagger with her as a passport through my legions .. all my men would have recognised that dagger as mine. And the legion had orders to arrest the bearer and anyone along with them. I'd have been a hero. I would have captured the murderer of Caesar and could have had her crucified along with her friends. All Rome would have been at my feet."

Antonius swallowed quietly. It was a bold and carefully laid plan that showed a grasp of political manipulation that he hadn't realised his commander possessed. Now he felt even more certain that he had been right to fix his future to Pompey's ascendancy .. eventually they must all reap the benefits that would come from Caesar's fall, "What will you do with her now if .. I mean when, we get her away from Caesar, sir?" he corrected himself quickly.

For a while, Antonius didn't think his master would answer the question, so silent did he remain. However, Pompey finally shrugged his shoulders and replied, "In truth, I wish I could keep her as my own slave .. Caesar is right that she is too dangerous to Rome to be allowed to roam free. Yet letting her go would always give me a very powerful weapon to use against our mutual enemy .... Perhaps if I held the bard here against her co-operation?" he mused thoughtfully.

The tribune shuffled his feet waiting for his commander's nodded invitation to say what he was thinking, "If I might point out sir. The Warrior Princess is renowned for repaying debts of honour. However, I think if anyone held, or threatened, her friend, she might take that as a direct action against her and act in the aggressive mode that she is legendary for."

The blonde Roman General nodded his head thoughtfully, "So you think she would be safe to trust if we let them all go?" he questioned rhetorically, "Well maybe you're right, Antonius. But we have time to figure our actions out still, so lets not make any snap decisions, right?"

"As you say sir," agreed the tribune.

The lurking shadow had been intensely interested in this particular conversation knowing that it had important significance on forthcoming events. Hanging precariously just beneath the balcony window, the shadow had listened with a practised ear to all the facts and nuances that were being exchanged by the two men within the room.

When there had been movement towards the window, the shadow had held it's breath, knowing that it would be deathly dangerous if it were caught there, and the repercussions into other peoples lives would be a harsh forfeit to pay for eavesdropping.

However the information gathered was worth it's weight in gold .. once it was delivered to the right ears. The shadow almost chuckled at the easy dinars that could be earned from some simple eavesdropping in the right quarters.

The guards, from Caesar's elite maniple, were tense and nervous as they settled into their new routine within their commander's Palace. Their task, however, remained the same; to maintain a vigilant watch over the erstwhile Warrior Princess and ensure that she neither got out, nor anyone else got in. Being in their home city, safe from barbarian rescuers, should have made this well worn duty more relaxing. But firm and explicit warnings, from the senior centurion, about just what fate would befall them, should he find any laxness in their watchfulness, had insured that the guard detail was on full alert and ready for anything.

The night was cold and clear with a full moon, and the heavens were alive with brightly shining stars. Anyone approaching the palace could be seen clearly by the alert sentries. Anyone trying to sneak close to the palace without being seen, would have to be very good to avoid detection. Anyone attempting to approach, unseen, the proximity of the enclosed drill yard would have to be a master of his or her trade as the guards excelled at their own trade and had been rigorously motivated for their task.

Twenty men patrolled the high walls of the enclosure that was brightly lit by many torches. High mounted braziers surrounded a barred pit in the centre of the parade ground, lighting the area almost to the brightness of day. Six more guards stood with their eyes trained on the hole in the ground, their gazes occasionally flickering around the open spaces that surrounded them, looking for intruders, but their eyes never left the pit for long.

No one could approach that pit without permission! The soldiers who guarded the slave held within it, knew that their lives depended upon their vigilance and ensuring that the woman, who they could hear groaning softly in her sleep, did not escape them.

Every quarter candlemark, one of the six men would approach the pit, with a torch in his hand to light the dim recess at his feet, to check that the woman was still there and, just as importantly, was still alive. None of the soldiers wanted to know what their fate would be if they allowed this particular slave to die.

For someone of the shadow's talents, reaching the enclosed drill-yard proved challenging, but far from impossible. Using the natural camouflage, of the patches of deep blackness thrown by the moonlit sky, slipping from one to another like a ghost through the night, it easily reached the high guarded walls of the parade ground. From there it was just a case of mastering the guards routine as they patrolled the walls. Luckily they were far more interested in keeping an eye on what was going on inside the compound than looking for anyone trying to gain access from outside the walls.

The shadow slipped over the wall and crouched in shrouded silence in the darkness offered by a watchtower. Breathing was suspended as a soldier passed by close enough to be touched, unaware of the intruder who blended in so well with the wall and blackness.

As the sentry passed, the shadow slipped noiselessly in the opposite direction and melted down the stone stairway, where it was able to find refuge once more from the artificial light that shone like the bright beacon of day within the parade ground. Waiting beneath the light eclipsed stairs, the shadow observed, minutely, the routines that all soldiers fell into when performing a duty that had been done on a regular basis many times before. The shadow admitted, to itself, that the routine was not likely to be settled here yet, as the guards had only just taken up possession of their new space. But the task was one they had now performed for many moons and a feeling of familiarity was almost tangible here.

The shadow watched for some time, maybe a candlemark, noting that never once did the six soldiers, that patrolled the pit area, move away from the lighted confines of their designated area. Approaching the pit - Is, - the shadow admitted, - seemingly impossible. - On an impulse, the dark figure picked up a smooth pebble and lofted it towards the grating.

The light 'ping' as the stone clipped a bar on it's descent into the hole, drew a grunt of surprise from the prisoner within, and immediate, alert attention from the six sentries, all of whom approached the hole with torches to ascertain that their captive was not attempting some impossible escape.

With attention firmly on the pit, the shadow slipped from it's chosen concealment and sped silently towards the palatial walls of Caesar's home.