"Xena's had a tiring morning, Patroclese," answered Gabrielle loud enough for her friend to hear. "She needs to rest at the moment. Maybe once she's had some lunch she'll take a nap." The warrior showed no visible reaction to anything the bard was saying. "But you might like to teach Joxer how to play, he could do with something to occupy him .. and maybe when Poni feels a little better you can teach her too ... it might give her something else to think about other than giving us a hard time."

Again she got no reaction from the blue eyed warrior, but Joxer piped, "I already know how to play, Gabby, but I'd love to play a game .. just to pass some time."

"Sure Joxer. I'd be happy to take you on. I haven't had a chance to play for a while so you'll have to take it easy on me, okay?"

"No problems!" grinned the wannabe warrior, "been awhile since I played myself."

Patroclese crossed the room to the injured man's side, collecting a small side table on the way and began to lay out the pieces as the cook entered the cabin carrying a basket full of bread and dishes, while her helper bore a large pot of rich smelling broth.

"Ah, lunch," greeted Sheraya who organised meals for her patients, co-opting Toris to feed Eponin. while Gabrielle took a large bowl of soup and a small loaf of fresh bread over to where her uncommunicative partner lay.

"C'mon Xena, sit up and eat this while it's hot," she said cordially as she sat beside the bed.

The warrior didn't move, in fact she failed to acknowledge that the bard had even spoken to her, keeping her dull eyes firmly fixed on a knot in the wooden wall in front of her.

Gabrielle tried again, "C'mon Xena. You need to eat to regain your strength so that you can get out of that bed. Now let me help you up a bit so you can eat."

Still the warrior remained unresponsive. The bard wasn't even sure that she was listening. It was just possible that she had withdrawn into herself and was subconsciously blocking the world out while she drew her hurt, pain and perceived failure around herself like a shroud.

"Look, Xena," insisted the younger woman with quiet, controlled frustration, "either you snap out of this and sit up and eat this of your own choice, or I'll get a couple of the Amazons in here to sit you up and hold you while I spoon feed you." - That got through to her! - thought the bard smugly, as she watched her friends shoulders tense under the threat. "C'mon Xena, let me help you up so you can eat and then I'll quit bugging you for a while, okay?"

A soundless sigh passed through the muscular frame as she turned her head away from the wall and began to force herself up onto the pillows using her good right arm, while biting back against the throbbing pain it produced in her wounded left shoulder.

Gabrielle adjusted the pillows and made sure that her friend was comfortable, before picking up the bowl of broth, dipping the spoon in and offering it up to Xena's mouth. Her thanks was a bleak glare from the pale eyes, but the bard was determined and so the warrior either had to capitulate and be fed, or be forced to speak her protest. She chose to allow the younger woman to feed her, although she had to stamp on the spark of resentment that Gabrielle had fanned into existence.

- After all. What right do I have to resent anything she says or does to me? - she told herself, - I got her into a situation she should never have been in and was because of that I was responsible for the hurt she received at Caesar's hands ... for her pain and the pain of those children. - She suppressed a grimace of self hatred and loathing, and concentrated on getting through lunch as quickly as possible. - You'd be better off without me Gabrielle ... everyone would. Maybe I can make you see that on this trip home. -

The bard knew that something was going through Xena's mind that she wouldn't like. She could tell by the way the blue eyes flinched every time they made contact with her green ones. She was determined to make the warrior see and understand that she hadn't failed either her, herself or anyone else .. that she wasn't the one at fault here. Straight out telling her was not going to work, it never did with Xena. She had something a little more devious in mind, and intended to enlist their friends aid in her schemes as well.

When lunch had been completed, Toris had offered to stay and help out for a while as Sheraya readied the final two Amazon patients, other than Eponin, for removal from the cabin. He watched as Joxer and Patroclese engaged in a game of chess, his keen intellect picking up the moves as he observed. Eponin drifted back to sleep, while Xena turned her face back to the knot in the wall that she'd studied for long candlemarks that morning. And Gabrielle? Well Gabrielle put the first phase of her plan into action as she headed off to gather the children for a story.

For the last few days, Gabrielle had taken a candlemark each day to tell stories to the freed slave children. She normally gathered them in the repaired ship's mess after lunch, but today she had assembled them on the stern deck, roughly above the point where Xena rested in her cot. She had already arranged that one of the small stern light windows should be opened to 'air' out the infirmary, and she had no doubt that Xena's keen sense of hearing would pick up not only hers, but also the piping voices of the children as well.

"Okay everyone. Settle down, and I'll find a story for you," grinned the bard, knowing that was the quickest way to get the children to quieten.

"Wotcha gonna tell us today Gabrielle?" demanded Phillipos a fourteen year old full of mischief and natural good humour.

So far, other than the story about Xena she told Kendra and her three friends, Gabrielle had stuck pretty strictly to children's stories and some of the more adventurous well known tales, like parts of the epic about Jason and the Golden Fleece, but leaving out mention of both Hercules and Iolaus at the two men's request. Today, however, she intended to tell a tale about Xena .. probably the one about saving Prometheus, especially as two of the tale's heroes were around to answer questions. The bard refused, as always, to count herself as a hero in her own stories.

Smiling at the children, who were now free of their collars thanks to the combined efforts of both Hercules and Autolycus, Gabrielle gathered Kendra .. who had become something of a favourite .. into her lap and started, "I sing of Xena, Warrior Princess and Champion of the people, who with Hercules," she grinned at the big man who was waving his hands trying to stop her, "and Iolaus," she laughed as her blonde haired friend scowled, "rescued Prometheus from imprisonment and so saved mankind."

"Cor!" breathed Phillipos, his brown eyes wide as he drank in the bard's words.

"That's you friend, isn't it?" questioned Kendra right on cue. "The one the soldiers called 'The Animal'."

Symon, a rather sullen lad of the Israelite people remarked nastily, "She wasn't our champion! She got us beaten an I got the scars to prove it."

Gabrielle winced a bit at that. Not all plans were perfect and Xena would suspect a setup if all the comments had been sweetness and light ... which was why she had taken the chance and allowed this to be an impromptu airing of views, trusting that the good feelings would outweigh the bad and help to prove to her friend that even as a slave she made a difference.

"That wasn't her fault, Sy," refuted Mattin before the bard could intercede. "I know for a fact that it made her miserable that she couldn't stop the soldiers, and I also know for sure that she took far more beatings than any of us ever did, cos I got to see her back that day the mistress came down to the kitchens. I tell ya, it takes some kind of hero to take that and not give into the masters. I was proud to take my stripes. I mean .. what was three lashes compared what they did to her?"

"Yeah," affirmed another voice, "an did you see how afraid of her all them soldiers was. I heard Tellos, the stable master talking one day, and he was saying that 'that Xena woman was an example of how a slave should keep their dignity' an that's the truf!" insisted Fersan, a sprite like lad of no more than ten summers, who grinned at the general hilarity his impersonation of Tellos garnered.

"S'right," said Mattin again, wiping tears of mirth from his eyes. "I heard the cook saying that the only animals in the palace were them soldiers. She said that anyone could see that Xena had more honour and nobility than anyone there, even Lord Caesar ... but she said that last bit in a real whisper ... just in case."

Everyone nodded silently at that. They knew that such talk could get you whipped or maybe even your tongue torn out .. even the cook, because she didn't need her tongue to be able to cook for the master. You learned to talk real quiet and watch who you spoke to in a household's like Caesar's.

"G'brelle," piped up Kendra who had been quiet for longer than was usual for her, "When we gonna get to meet Xena? I wanna tell her that I fink she's a real hero, cos she gave lots of people back home someone to look up to ... and you know what I fink?" she asked seriously.

"No what do you fi .. umm, I mean think?" asked Gabrielle with a smile.

"I fink," said Kendra importantly, "I fink that we all ... all of us kids here .. owe your Xena our chance at being free." She nodded her head flinging her soft corn gold curls around, "Cos if she hadn't come to Lord Caesar's, Patroclese would never hav had somewhere to take us .. like this boat, and we'd have growed up as slaves like ev'rybody else back there. That's what I fink, anyhow."

Rumbles of agreement came from the other children, the youngest joining in because it seemed like the thing to do, but the sentiment was enough to have the bard surreptitiously rubbing a tear away from the corner of her eye as she prepared to finally tell her story about how Hera captured and chained Prometheus, which removed his gifts to mankind so that people were dying from wounds that wouldn't heal, as well as losing the ability to create fire so that people couldn't be warmed or cook.

She told how Xena had gone to an oracle and by risking her life had found out what she had to do to release Prometheus from imprisonment. Fighting off Hera's warriors, the Warrior Princess had collected the Sword of Hephestus, and she had eventually joined up with Hercules and Iolaus, together fighting their way through Hera's traps to where the bound Titan lay.

"In all the fighting, though, brave Iolaus had been injured and as the heroes neared the top of the mountain where Prometheus was chained, he collapsed unable to go any further," she told the wrapped audience, which by this time included several lurking Amazons as well.

"Leaving him with Xena's companion, the two carried on, each determined not to allow the other to strike the blow that would free Prometheus, knowing that whoever did so was sure to die as the magic of the sword was released."

"But they're both still here .. what did they do, chicken out," sneered Symon.

"Well obviously not," pointed out the bard to her heckler, "as we are still enjoying Prometheus' gifts today. Now where was I? Oh yes. As they prepared for the final climb, Xena used the pommel of her sword to knock Hercules unconscious."

Wide young eyes swivelled questioningly to the demi-god, "What can I say?" he told them with a shrug. "She's good and she caught me by surprise."

"Ha!" gloated Iolaus, "Seems to me you should have kept your mind on the mission and off the kissin'!" he chuckled.

"Seems to me that you had your mind pretty much on a certain bard, buddy," the son of Zeus growled back.

"Hrmmmpppphhhhh!" coughed the said bard unhappily. "Gentlemen ... the story?"

"Don't mind him Gabrielle," smirked Iolaus, "He has public intimacy problems."

"Ummm, sorry?" questioned the young storyteller, before shaking her head and hurriedly saying, "Forget it! I don't want to go there." All three adults blushed redly as the children tittered.

"Get on with the story, Gabrielle," suggested Hercules primly.

"Yeah. Right," agreed the bard, searching for the lost thread of the tale. "So the Warrior Princess climbed to the top of the mountain where she was forced to fight more of Hera's monsters. She was surrounded by them, and could have been in big trouble, if Hercules hadn't recovered as fast as he did and made the climb to join her. Spotting him, Xena threw her own sword to the hero and flipped away from her attackers, intent on rescuing Prometheus. Hercules had no option but to fight off Hera's creatures, while Xena pressed on towards their goal."

She had the kids totally enthralled in the adventure now and was revelling in her power to create bright images for her audience. "But Hera still had one final trick up her sleeve. As Xena ran towards the Titan, a giant eagle, one of Echidna, the Mother of Monster's, offspring, snatched her from the ground and flew high into the sky, bearing both Xena and the Sword of Hephestus .. the only thing that could free Prometheus .. away from the mountain."

The gasps of the children were rewarding in, and of, themselves and all the encouragement Gabrielle needed to continue, even without the pleading of young voices begging her to do so. "Xena knew that the eagle was intending to drop her to her death, but she outsmarted it by tying a rope around it's talon, so that when it released her she only fell the length of the rope. Then the eagle tried to get rid of her by flying her into mountain peaks, but Xena was able to spring off the rock up onto the eagles back so that she was riding it.

"It was a titanic struggle, but the Warrior Princess, rode that eagle and steered it back to where Prometheus was captive. When they were almost there, she drew the Sword of Hephestus and plunged it between the bird's shoulders, cutting through its spine. Then with a mighty shout, she launched the sword from the sky towards Hercules who lifted a boulder from the rock strewn ground and deflected the deadly sword into the chains that bound Prometheus, freeing the Titan and releasing his gifts to man!"

The 'Ooooo's' and 'Ahhhhh's' abounded as the children created the scene in their fertile brains.

"But Xena was far from safe," she told her listeners, "With the eagle mortally injured, the Warrior Princess was thrown from it's back down towards the mountain where she was certain to be crushed on the rocks. But Hercules saw her plight, and with his amazing strength, he caught the courageous woman and saved her, and she rewarded him with a passionate kiss."

"I don't remember telling Gabrielle about that ... and I'm certain that Xena wouldn't have said any such thing," grumbled the demi-god.

"Literary licence," grinned his sidekick. "Makes for the good end to a story."

Many little faces grinned up at the hero who suddenly remembered that he had some jobs to take care of. That made the grins even broader, but Gabrielle distracted them with the start of another story.

After eating her lunch, Xena had descended into that state of despondency where she was intent upon blaming herself for every bad thing to happen in the world since she'd been born. One part of her mind insisted that she was being childish and that she needed to pull herself together as she still had much to do with her life. Unfortunately, there were other parts of her that wanted nothing more than to wallow in self pity, while still yet another part insisted that she no longer had what it took to stand up against oppression and tyranny. The Warrior Princess was a very complex person.

She resisted the impulse to sigh.

A short time after Gabrielle had left the cabin to spend some time with the rescued children, Sheraya had decided that everyone might feel a little better for some fresh air, and in truth the salt tang of the sea did much to revive the warrior's spirits, even if she was stubbornly refusing to show it.

With her acute hearing she easily picked up the voices on the deck, so when the bard settled down to do her thing, she clearly heard every word the children had to say about her. Xena would have been suspicious that her friend had arranged everything with directorial skill if it hadn't been for the obviously barbed, heartfelt comments from the one boy. All in all, what was said did a lot to make her feel better about herself. - Not happy, maybe, - she grumped silently, - but I might not be ready to throw in the towel yet after all. - she conceded.

Looking over towards where Patroclese was just packing away the chess pieces, she called quietly, so no to disturb Eponin, "If you still feel like playing, I could enjoy a game now," she offered.

Patroclese turned and offered her a delighted smile, "I'd be honoured to be beaten by you yet again," he told her.

"Oh c'mon," she shook her head. "I don't beat you all the time."

"True," he agreed amiably, "but I believe you've won the last seven of our games."

Xena grinned, - It's the last eight, - she thought, - but who's counting? -

By the time Gabrielle returned to the infirmary, she found Xena and Patroclese engrossed in their third game of chess. The bard allowed herself a shared smile with Sheraya. There was probably some way to go with her friend's recovery yet ... but they had made a start and at least she had made the effort to come out of her self constructed shell.