- Oh well, no good daydreaming about it. But when short, sweet and curly resurfaces, he and I need to have a l-o-n-g chat about ... things. - she sighed again with an almost imperceptible shiver of anticipation.

Casting her eyes over her ship, she saw Gabrielle escorting Ephiny down towards what had been her cabin, both women looking a little green around the gills. Malonda seemed to be organising some Amazon thing, as she gathered together a collection of warriors, and the deck watch seemed to be going about their business with the confidence of old hands. - Definitely need to ask some of those women if they fancy a life at sea, - she told herself.

Out of habit she swept the horizon for any sign of the Roman pursuit and was quietly pleased when she could see no other vessel within sight. The six days since they had left Ostia had been clear of any sign of Roman pursuit, but she doubted that Caesar's men would have given up that easily.

By the end of daylight, she intended to pull into a little cove close to the small port of Astakos. There she'd be dropping off four of the Amazons who, armed with a note from Xena, would make their way to the village of Tassos and collect a horse from someone called Kolianis and take it back to Amphipolis. It added a substantial amount of time to their journey, but the detour probably kept them off of the routes where they would be looked for.

A quick look at the sky to gauge the weather told her that the day was set fair for easy sailing and that she had no rough conditions setting in for at least the next few candlemarks. She smiled lazily at that as she let her eyes drift back down to the deck, - Nothing like good weather for a peaceful cruise, - she mused. Hey gaze found and stayed with the tall, raven-haired brother of the Warrior Princess. - Well, now. There's an easy sight for sore eyes, wonder if he's as much fun to play with as Iolaus? - She allowed herself a low chuckle and a contemplative sigh.

That thought brought another on its heels. - Maybe I'm going about this game the wrong way with Curly. Maybe if he thinks his .. interests are being threatened, he might stop being so backwards about coming forwards, - she mused. A gleam came into her eyes, - What can it hurt pursuing two interests? - she thought wickedly. - I surely do like a good chase, - she conceded. - But catching the prey can be fun too. - she smiled. - First I better make sure the watch rota's are set .. then we'll see if Stretch has got any of his sister's spark. -

Toris, at this time, was unaware that he'd just become a target for the pirate's games. He was concerned about his sister, - Not that she's ever been one for staying in bed when she's recovering from an injury or illness, - he reminisced. He smiled at the thought remembering the innocent trouble that his precocious sister had caused as a child.

- That time when she was five summers old and she had the fever that was plaguing everyone that spring. She was so ill and shaking so much she could barely stand! But it was Grampy's birthday, and she was determined to take him the present she had for him. - He chuckled at the memory of the pouch full of pretty stones she had painstakingly collected for him before getting ill.

- Damn little imp climbed out of her bedroom window, because she knew Mother wouldn't let her out of bed. How she managed to climb down the tree to the yard without breaking her fool neck in her condition, we never did find out. Mother was frantic when she realised that she wasn't in her room .. not that that wasn't an uncommon condition for Mother to be in, - he grinned. - Xena damned well gave her grey hairs long before her time! - He shook his head.

- It way Ly who knew where she was going. Mother, me and Lyceus scrambled out to Grampy's farm as quick as we could and sure enough the little rogue was there. Mother didn't know whether to scold her or wrap her up and cuddle her. When we found her she was drenched in sweat from the fever and shaking fit to come loose. She could have only just got there because Grampy was just opening the door. She just had time to hand the old man the pouch and wish him 'Happy birthday', when Mother swept her up in her arms. - A smile made a lopsided crease of his lips.

- Mother asked her father for a blanket and apologised for not staying and wished him a happy birthday, before bundling Xena up in the blanket and heading for home. I had to give Ly a piggy back because he'd got so tired. When we got home Mother made up a pallet for Xena in her room. There wasn't a tree outside her window and her door could be locked. Xena wasn't allowed out of that room for close on twenty days. - A speculative frown etched his brow. - That might explain why she hates being cooped up. -

He sighed and looked up towards the crowsnest, aware of the occasional shaving of wood that drifted down from there. - Always did go for the high places to hide, didn't you Xena? - he asked his rhetorical question silently. - Well it's time to get back in your bed now little sister, - he thought, - or Gabrielle just might explode. - He was trying to get the courage to climb the rigging so that he could confront his AWOL sibling. The trouble was that he wasn't confident with heights ... something that Xena had taken unfair advantage of all his life. - Some things never change, - he sighed.

Before he got the chance to act on his intentions, he felt a hand being laid upon his shoulder, "Hey stretch," husked a familiar voice. "Haven't seen you around for a while. You been hiding."

Toris tried not to tense up as Nebula moved to stand next to him, giving him a long appraising look. "I've been busy helping out in the infirmary," he reminded her neutrally. "Haven't had much time to be up on deck."

"That's a shame," smiled the pirate warmly, "a big guy like you needs room to move and fresh sea air to expand your .. horizons," she told him suggestively looking him up and down, allowing her gaze to linger just a moment longer than was comfortable on his waist and below. "Maybe you've been cooped up too long," she purred languidly.

"Lady, if you're trying to get a rise out of me, you're wasting your time," he shook his head as he spoke.

"Mister," she stepped closer to him so that he could smell the fresh sharp scent of her clear in his head, "if I was trying to get a rise out of you, you'd know it!"

As she began the line she moved her had forward with every intention of gauging his manhood, only her hand never got to the target, stopped short by a vice like grip around her wrist. She looked away from Toris into a pair of blue eyes almost the man's twin ... only these wore cold confidence like an old friend and were lit by a savage fire that were alien to the male's.

"I believe my brother declined your advances," rumbled a low menacing voice.

Nebula tried to shake the hand from her wrist but the grip remained firm and perceptibly tightened, drawing a feral grin on the warrior's face. "What?" sneered the pirate frustrated in her efforts to break Xena's hold, "Is he such a mamma's boy that he needs his sister to protect him?" - Damn, - she thought anxiously as her hand started to turn numb, - The only person I've met with strength to rival hers is Hercules, and she's not got his scruples about using it. -

"Just keep your hands off ... my family is not something to mess with ... ya got that?" growled the raven-haired woman increasing her grip until the pirate thought her bones were going to grate.

"Yeah .. yeah, sure," conceded Nebula, ready to say anything to get her arm out of the vice.

"Good," smiled Xena, although no humour could be detected in her face. "Don't go forgetting it." She released the wrist and turned away from the pirate.

Reputation is a funny thing. The Warrior Princess carried such a big one that sensible people would seriously consider playing tag with a tiger before antagonizing the ex-warlord. However others, conscious of their own reputations, deemed it a matter of pride and honour to test their metal against the Destroyer of Nations and try and take her down. Nearly every attempt had proven to be a failure .. the exceptions being when someone, like Caesar, could muster overwhelming force against her. Not for many, many years had anyone been able to best her in individual combat.

Nebula, was aware of Xena's reputed abilities, but she had a not inconsiderable reputation of her own to uphold, especially on her own turf, so to speak. If she allowed the Warrior Princess to get away with the stunt she had just pulled without at least attempting to take retribution, then she would fail herself in her own eyes.

So muttering a short prayer to the gods, she snarled, "Hey!" grabbing the warrior by the shoulder and turning her into a full fledged punch that rocked solidly into the other woman's jaw snapping her head to one side. As Xena slowly turned her head back towards her aggressor, the pirate shook out her fist wincing with pain as she realised, - By the gods! That punch should have laid out an ox! - She almost cringed at the cold flat look she was getting from the ex-warlord.

Xena allowed her eyes to bore into the pirate as she contemplated her. She could understand her reaction, it was just a question of where she should take the confrontation now. She resisted the urge to move her jaw around to see whether it was broken, she'd be damned if she'd give the captain the satisfaction of seeing that her blow had hurt.

The trouble was that she wasn't really in any shape to teach the pirate the lesson she seemed to be asking for. When she'd seen Toris come on deck, she knew he'd figured out where she was to be found and was just working up the courage to make the climb. Then when Nebula had accosted him, and seemed intent on extending her game with Iolaus to her brother, she knew that she needed to take some action ... Not that Toris wasn't able to take care of himself in most situations, it was just that she was fairly certain that her sibling didn't have the right experience to deal with the pirate's brand of predatory sexuality.

As Nebula had stepped in closer to Toris, she knew she needed to act fast. So without a lot of consideration, she flipped out of the crowsnest and down to the deck with a display of her usual athleticism. - The troubles is - she realised as she landed and her body screamed at her in protest, - I'm not really ready for this stuff yet! -

However, not willing to concede her body's current frailty, her hand had darted forward and locked like a vice around the pirate's wrist. She concentrated all of her not inconsiderable, if still far from total, strength and recognised the pain in the other woman's deep brown eyes. Her own problem was keeping the screaming pain from her back out of her own eyes, and to make sure that her legs didn't shake like a jellyfish giving her true lack of condition away.

Contrary to the evidence of the action, she had been prepared for Nebula's crunching blow .. which is why she had been able to ride it enough to remain standing, probably frightening the pirate more than when she'd nearly broken her wrist with the grip of her hand. That punch, though, had taken nearly all of her final reserves of strength to resist, and she wasn't in any real condition for a rough house brawl with the dark skinned woman. - I need to end this now! But in such a way that she knows who's top dog here. -

"That's one!" she growled. "I figure I owe you that one for the damage to your wrist ... but don't make the mistake of thinking you'll get another free-shot," she smiled with that feral cast to her face that was enough to scare grown warlords and Gods of War.

Whatever Nebula would have retorted was cut off by the loud arrival of Malonda and her search team. They gathered around the Warrior Princess, tense and ready to take their cue from the Chief Scout. "The Queen instructs you to return to the infirmary immediately," the Amazon growled with a cold smirk.

Xena gave her a flat look. There was something about Malonda that made her hackles rise whenever the scout was around her. So far she had resisted the temptation to explain the realities of life to the other woman, but the time was drawing close when a little Warrior Princess chastisement for manners would need to be administered.

Before she could speak, however, Toris stepped into the breach, recognising the fact that his sister was far from being as fit as she wanted others to believe, "Actually my sister had just agreed to allow me to escort her back there. She has had enough fresh air for today, and feels that it's time to let Sheraya check her recovery progress."

Nebula almost shook her head in disbelief, - What is it with these two? They play tag team in each other’s defence .. if one's hurt, does the other bleed? - She could see that the situation looked as if it could turn nasty. She had no need to be involved; after all, she'd just had a head-on clash with Xena and Malonda got right up her nose. - Yeah, but, - she told herself, - at least Xena plays by the rules. She could have stopped that punch, but she let it slide so I kept face as captain of this ship ... Malonda, well I don't think she knows what rules are. -

Coming to a decision, Nebula added her two dinars worth, "That's alright, Malonda," she purred, "We'd just finished our conversation and were heading down to the cabin." She smiled broadly, "Toris here was going to show me a real good game."

Xena cast a baleful glare in her direction as her brother coughed and muttered, "Chess .. I'm going to show her how to play chess."

"Yeah," smirked the pirate, "Chest!"

"CHESS!" barked Toris, colouring redly around his collar, "The game’s called chess!"

"You call it what you want, and I'll call it what I want," she retorted unrepentantly.

The Warrior Princess glared at both of them while reserving the greater part of her ire for the Amazon. She was annoyed at Toris for interfering, she wanted to remind Nebula to keep her hands off her brother and she really wanted to use Malonda's head for a deck mop and was struggling not to do so.

Seeing the budding evidence of explosion in his sister's tense stance, Toris carefully grasped his sibling's elbow and used his strength to get her started towards the companionway. Nebula grabbed her other arm and helped partially propel the fuming warrior off the deck.

"Now is not the time to confront Malonda," she said so softly that only Xena's acute hearing would have picked up the words. "She's looking for trouble and would delight in dragging you bodily back to that cabin. Now as I don't want to see the bitch get her enjoyment, why don't you do everyone a favour and act as if this is your idea, huh?"

Considering the words, Xena knew that the pirate was right. Malonda was spoiling for a fight, and as much as she'd like to oblige her, she really wasn't up to it. Relaxing between her two escorts, she ceased her resistance and walked as though willing to return to her confinement in bed once more. However she returned a soft whisper for the pirate's ears, "I think when I'm back to fitness, you and I ought to continue our discussion of a short while ago."

Nebula looked at her with stark incredulity, "What! D'ya think I'm nuts? No way." Both women grinned and were happy to lead the strange procession down to the infirmary, followed by Malonda and her warriors.

Once back in the cabin, Gabrielle took charge and the Warrior Princess was harried back into her cot which, if she was being truthful, she slumped into with infinite relief, leaving a frustrated Chief Scout, a bewildered party of Amazons (who weren't totally sure of what was going on) and a smirking pirate and innkeeper who were contemplating the intricacies of chest ... umm, ... chess.