Carefully checking over his torso, she found evidence of heavy bruising that was going to make him stiff and sore for a while, but nothing requiring treatment, other than a liniment to help draw the bruising out. She discovered that he had a break in his left forearm, but she judged it clean and would be easily treated with a splint and would heal well so long as he rested it.

Finally she carefully examined his head, finding a large knot on the back of his skull that accounted for his unconscious state. She checked his eyes and guessed he would have a heavy concussion when he came round, but all in all he was not in as bad shape as she had feared.

Pulling out a pair of long splints from her equipment, she swiftly set, immobilized and strapped the blonde haired man's broken arm and then motioned to the Amazons that he could be moved, "Take him to the captain's cabin. Eponin's already in there. Clear all the furnishings out and set up as many cots as you can. I have a feeling we're going to need them before this night is over."

The warrior's nodded and gently lifted Patroclese out of the way, then let two more of their number clear the remaining obstructions to the door, so that they were able to take the unconscious man down the passageway to the designated hospital area without hauling him through the hole in the deck.

As Patroclese was moved, Sheraya could hear the squeaking of the block as the rock that had pinned Joxer was lifted smoothly off of his legs. The healer took a deep breath before turning her attention to the harmless young man who, from the excited accounts of the children, had saved a six winters old girl called Charis from being crushed and almost certainly killed by the rock. The reward for his act of heroism could leave him a cripple for the rest of his life.

She waited until the stone had been manhandled away with the block, tackle and brace that had been used to lift it, before settling down beside the prone, unmoving body of the wannabe warrior.

A quick check of his upper extremities told her that she only had to be concerned about the damage to his legs. Turning her attention there, Sheraya surveyed the injuries seeking a place to start her ministrations. She winced as she saw the white of jagged bone sticking through the man's thigh. Blood pumped sluggishly through the wound to pool around his legs.

Taking her sharp knife, once again, she slit the seams of his trouser legs from ankle to hip, so that she could get free access to the area she needed to work on. Signalling three of the warriors over, she instructed, "Two of you hold him down, while you," she said pointing to third member of the trio, "pull his leg out with a strong and steady pressure .. don't let go of it until I tell you. I need to stitch the wound before I splint the leg."

Watching carefully as the three women did as she bade them, Sheraya repositioned the hands of the leg puller so that they had a strong grip around her patient's ankle. "Alright. Remember, now, a slow steady pressure and hold it steady when I tell you to."

She carefully observed the operation, watching intently as the bone slipped back within the encasing flesh and grated against it's broken half until Sheraya judged it to be in the correct position, "Now hold it while I stitch his leg up," she cautioned.

Working as quickly as she could, she removed some tiny fragments of splintered bone from the wound, before liberally dousing it with the cleansing fluid that Patroclese had been so appreciative of when he'd found it in the ships medical kit. Her unconscious patient tried to writhe with the burning fire induced by the potion, but was held too firmly by her Amazon helpers.

Once she was satisfied that the wound was clean of debris, Sheraya neatly stitched the gash and, after applying a healing salve, splinted the leg from ankle to crotch, immobilising it completely. She left the area around the puncture wound, made by the bone, free from the splint strapping so that she would be able to bandage the gash, and care for it without the splint having to be removed each time.

Turning her attention to the other limb, she found a lower leg break, halfway between the knee and ankle, that was much more easily dealt with. Her warrior assistants once more provided the muscle required to draw the bone into proper alignment and it was the work of a few moment to splint it securely.

Sheraya closed her brown eyes and rubbed a forearm across her forehead to wipe away the sweat that plastered her brown bangs to it, "Carry him .. gently," she warned, "down to the captains cabin and get him into a bed. Some of the others should have set it up as an infirmary by now. I'll be along in a few minutes to check on my patients. I just want to make sure that there isn't anyone else who needs attending to before I do."

She watched as Joxer was picked up and carried with a tenderness, usually reserved for a babe in arms, out of the damaged area of the ship and back towards the stern where the captain's cabin was situated. Feeling all of her forty winters, Sheraya sighed and made her way up onto deck to see if any of the warriors had been foolish enough to try and hide an injury that was more than they were letting on. - It's been done before, - she admitted wryly to herself, - and no doubt will be done again! Warriors can be more stupid than any other class of people I know! - She snorted derisively and stepped onto the deck, breathing in the fresh, cool air of the night.

- How many more beds are going to be occupied down there tonight? - she wondered before setting about her task of checking the Amazon's wounds.

Ephiny and Malonda took crews of six each, to man the oars of the two boats and headed across the river to where Xena's party would be expecting to be picked up. The Regent debated with herself about what she should do once she got there. - Do I just wait, or should I climb up and see what's taking them so long? -

She snorted at herself in derision, - Oh yeah! Great idea Eph .. just got out of one cell and you want to walk straight back into another? -

- Give me a break! - She retorted to herself, - I'm not that stupid! - she shook her head, - I'll just take a peek over the battlements and see what's happening. If it's our people up there I can go and get a status report. -

- Oh yeah? And what if you're seen? - she questioned.

- Hey I'm an Amazon ... If I can't climb a wall and peek over it, without being caught by some flat footed Roman, I deserve everything I get! -

- And what about the featherheads with you? - she pushed herself relentlessly.

- I'll leave orders that they're to head back to the ship if there's trouble! - was the pious response.

- Oh yeah! Like they're gonna row off to safety abandoning their Queen and Queen Regent! - she snorted with disgust at herself.

- Malonda would! - she growled petulantly. Then allowed a puzzled expression to creep onto her face, - Now where the Hades did that idea come from? - she asked herself, although the argumentative side of her brain was ominously silent. - Damn! - she cursed as another worry forced it's way onto her list of concerns.

She jerked herself back to her present situation as the keel of the boat scraped over the stony strand that covered the area around the rocky base of the tower. She cocked her head to one side as a familiar sound drifted down from the parapet area and she recognised the clash of steel amid the battle cries and taunts of conflict.

"Malonda! Hold here while I check to see what the situation is up there," she ordered.

The Chief Scout frowned, "That should be my job, Ephiny."

The Regent stiffened and glared at the other woman, "You do remember how to follow orders don't you?" she demanded in a formal frigid tone. - What the Hades has gotten into me? - she chided herself. - That's Loni you're dressing down like a raw recruit! -

The scouts face froze as she stiffly replied, "Of course my Queen."

Ephiny sighed, "I'm sorry, Loni," she apologised, "I'm a little out of sorts and I shouldn't have snapped at you .. but I do need to see what's happening up there myself, so just bear with me, okay?"

Malonda looked as if she wanted to argue with her ruler, but after she too had sighed she finally conceded, "Sure Eph .. just be careful, huh?"

"You got it!" agreed the Regent with a grin, before she headed for the wall and began a rapid, nimble ascent.

When she clambered over the wall she was greeted with the naked steel of two swords. A pair of Amazon warriors stood before her, holding up a badly wounded sister.

"I didn't think I was that bad a leader," she chuckled when she recognised Kaylee.

"Damn, Eph! I think you about scared twenty winter's growth out of me!" huffed the Amazon. "I guess this means that the boats are here .. we were a little worried about that."

"What's going on?" questioned the Regent as her eyes flickered over to where another trio were heading towards them.

"Strategic withdrawal," came the warrior's reply .. It's time to get the Hades out of here .. we think the Romans are about to get inventive."

"Xena?" she questioned shortly.

"No sign of her or the Queen .. but Hercules and Toris are looking for them, and I can't see a few hundred Romans being able to stand up to the Warrior Princess and the son of Zeus for long."

"That many?" questioned Ephiny in concern.

"Probably not .. we thinned them out a fair bit with the catapults before they could get into the tower," she grinned. The warrior began tying a rope around her wounded sister, "Let's get the injured out of here. I'm not sure how much longer Turra will be able to hold them off."

"Alright. Get everyone down to the boats .. I'll go and give Turra a hand," announced the blonde ruler, heading off along the parapet walkway. - And try to figure out what we should do about our missing friends, - her inner voice insisted.

When she reached Turra's position, she could tell at a glance that there was no way that she could get down into the fortification from there. The courtyard was full of busy Romans as they readied for a four pronged assault using ladders, ropes and the blocked stairway.

Glancing over her shoulder, Turra caught sight of Ephiny and shook her head, "I've just called the retreat, Eph. Get out of here."

"What about you?" the Regent asked, not liking to leave any of her people there.

"I'll be right behind you," grinned the assault commander. "Are the others out of here yet?"

Ephiny threw a glance along the wall, "The last one's just going down," she replied.

"C'mon then! Lets get out of here before we have a load of Roman's down our throats!" suggested Turra.

The rearguard trio, plus Ephiny sprinted along the walkway and reached the point where ropes had been left for them to use in their descent. With skilled expertise, the quartet rappelled down the lines and were back at the boats before the Romans had even reached the parapet.

"Loni," the Regent began, "Take all the wounded back to the ship and tell Nebula that I'll hold a boat just off shore here and wait for Xena and the others. The chain will be down before they get back to us, so tell her to take the ship through and wait for us. We'll row out to you once we've picked them up!" - I hope! - she added silently.

Seeing no way that arguing would do them any good, Malonda and the wounded, headed back to 'Wave Dancer', while Ephiny and her crew along, with Turra, Kaylee and a couple of others rowed away from the shore, but were close enough to effect a quick pick up if required.

Xena glared at the centurion as he announced with calm control, "Time to go back to your pit, slave!"

- I'd rather spend eternity in Tartarus! - she mentally snarled, as she raised her sword, ready to split the first man to come at her. Her face took on a grim cast as she looked silently back at him.

Men continued to file into the chamber behind him as Flaccus studied the two women who had caused him so much trouble. The bard hefted her makeshift staff with the confidence of an expert .. and he knew from personal experience that the Warrior Princess was entirely too deadly with any sort of weapon in her hands.

And yet, as he looked at her, he seemed to detect a weakness. Perspiration beaded her brow and there was a suggestion of a tremor in her knees and at the point of her sword. - Is it possible that the woman is below her normal fighting fitness? -

The rictus of a smile again appeared on the centurion's face as he reached beneath his cloak to unhook something from his belt. With an unhurried move, he tossed the hated leather belt, with the attached manacles, over to land at her feet. "Do this the easy way, slave. Save yourself a few bruises and put the belt on. If you don't, I can guarantee you and the bard a beating that will leave you wishing that your mama's had never met your papa's."

Xena glanced down at the shackles and poked them with her toe, "You know what you can do with these, Flaccus!" she growled. "Whatever happens here, there is no way that I'm ever going to be put into those again .. at least not while I live!" She heard a sharp intake of breath behind her as Gabrielle took in her declaration. - I'm sorry, my bard, - she mentally apologised. - But I won't go back to that living death again! -

"It's okay, Xena," she heard Gabrielle whisper behind her, only just loud enough for the Warrior Princess' acute hearing. "Neither of us will go back to being Caesar's playthings," she told her friend, almost as if she'd read the warrior's mind.

A lopsided grin briefly graced the warrior's stunning features, "I think, Flaccus," she almost purred, "that you should do yourself a favour and get out of here while you still have all your bodily parts." The grin deepened and became feral, chasing away the shakiness that had been present just moments previously.

The centurion smiled condescendingly at her. He waved a hand gesturing to the soldiers lined up behind him, "I hardly think you're in a fit state to take on me and my men .. I doubt that in your present condition that you'd be capable of taking on just me."

"Try me!" she gestured invitingly weaving her sword in a complex pattern before her.

"Don't think I wouldn't enjoy it, slave .. but you're wanted back alive, so I'm afraid we'll just have to do it the hard way." He gestured to his troops, "Take them."

The soldiers swarmed past the centurion, seeking to take the two women down under the press of their bodies. Xena met them head on, dealing out death as her sword snaked out before her with a speed that belied the eye. Beside her, Gabrielle stood her ground and dealt out her own brand of punishment as her staff flew through her hands, cracking any man who got within reach, on heads, legs and arms.

In truth the sheer amount of Roman soldiers hampered their own efforts as the crush they caused amongst their ranks allowed the two women to work their dangerous magic whilst barely taking any damage themselves. After the initial rush failed the Romans began to pull back to rethink their options.

"Use the nets!" ordered Flaccus as he saw his men repelled by their quarry.

Even as he gave the order, he became aware that something was wrong behind him. While his men once more went onto the attack, he turned to see two tall men working their way through the rear ranks of his troops. The first he recognised as the tawny haired concubine of the Amazon Queen and the other could be no other than the slave's brother .. the likeness was remarkable.

Seeing a way to end the heaving struggle going on around him, Flaccus drew his sword and advanced on Toris. - Take the man captive, and the slave is yours along with the others! - he told himself.

Xena was breathing hard. Her legs felt rubbery and she couldn't have explained how she had remained standing under the mass of men that pressed her. She knew that she was almost done for when a net had descended over her. Muscles in her injured back were screaming at her for the abuse she was giving them, and her arms was so tired that her sword felt like it was ten times heavier than it actually was. If it hadn't been for Gabrielle stepping up to cover her, while she fought her way clear of the mesh, then she knew that the Romans would have had her.

Finally throwing off the net, she had taken a moment to check the progress of the battle and had seen two welcome faces above the seething huddle, hacking their way towards where she and Gabrielle were under siege. Taking heart from the sight, Xena waded back into the fray allowing the bard to catch her breath after her heroic exertions.

A wave of soldiers descended upon her as she over extended herself, losing her focus as she caught sight of Flaccus advancing towards her brother. "NO!" she cried as fists and clubs tried to batter her to the ground where she could be subdued and chained.

Seeking the dark strength that was locked deep within her, Xena roared out a primal cry and threw the Romans away from herself, giving her the moments respite that she needed to draw her chakram from her belt. With unerring accuracy, she let the screaming weapon fly to bounce off two of the chamber's walls before it spun to connect perfectly with the centurion's sword as he raised it to strike pommel down at Toris, driving the weapon from Flaccus' hands as the chakram spun on to strike a soldier's helmet and ricochet back across the centurion's throat before returning to the Warrior Princess' hand!

Time seem to stand still for the centurion as he watched the chakram careen from his sword, across a short space to strike a helmet and tear back towards him. He could do nothing but observe as the razor sharp weapon sliced deeply through his throat, drawing his life's blood with it's passage. Strength seemed to ebb from him with each pump of his heart, that spread his thick crimson life out in a small fountain as he stumbled unnoticed to the floor.

With the deadly disk clutched in one hand, and her sword in the other, the warrior renewed her battle with the Romans who continued pressing towards her with unabated fervour, no matter how many of their comrades she injured or killed. She didn't have the time to watch as Flaccus fell lifeless to the floor of the bloody chamber, there was still fighting to be done.

Gabrielle, struggled on too, uncertain how they were managing to prevail against so many. She could see that Xena was fighting on stubborn willpower alone, but she knew death was preferable to being returned to Caesar's tender mercies. She hadn't realised that Toris and Hercules had joined the party, until she saw where Xena sent her chakram flying across the crowded room. The sight of the two men gave her the heart and the strength to keep battling. - With Hercules here, we're gonna win! - she told herself as she rammed her staff into a Roman's gut.

She saw Xena make a little space for herself and once again spun the chakram into the fray. The spinning silver and gold disc, rebounded between Roman helmets, leaving the soldiers dizzy, disorientated and easy prey, before it spun away towards the mechanism for the chain boom, hit a lever and, to the whir of machinery, returned once again to the warrior's outstretched hand.

>From that point is was only a case of mopping up the last of the Roman's before the battle was over. The four Greeks stood breathing deeply amidst the carnage. Xena bent at the waist and took gulping deep breaths, the agony of the fight telling on her overstretched reserves leaving her feeling weak and unsteady.

The bard moved to her side and put a steadying arm around her friend, "Good to see you guys," she gave a tired smile. "I thought we were in trouble for a moment there."

"We still could be," answered Hercules. "There's plenty of Romans around, and it's only a matter of time before they find us."

"Time .. to get .. out .. of .. here," panted Xena desperately trying to push her way through the black pain that sought to drag her into unconsciousness.

Hercules stooped and pulled a couple of cloaks free and then a couple of Roman helmets. "Put those on," he told them. Maybe we can sneak out of the front door. We can be injured soldiers going to get assistance ... Zeus knows that there's enough Romans with wounds around here to make the story plausible."

The two women slowly did as the demi-god suggested. Gabrielle, although uninjured, was feeling the effects of the heavy fighting and was almost as shaky as Xena. Once disguised, the four made their way cautiously up the spiral stairwell and moved slowly through the tower, searching for the exit. Remarkably enough, no one thought to question them and so it was with something akin to amazement that they found themselves outside of the fortification.

"Head along .. the strand," hissed Xena. "There .. should be a .. boat waiting." She staggered and was only prevented from falling by Hercules' strong arm.

"I think we'll make better time if I carry you," he said tenderly as he scooped her into his arms. "You've put your body through more than enough for one day."

The warrior didn't have to strength to argue with the big hero, and with his strong protective arms wrapped around her, she finally allowed the darkness to claim her. Hercules smiled gently down into her pale, beautiful face and moved with sure footed strides along the base of the tower towards where he hoped a boat awaited them.