The bard lay unconscious on the far side of the camp; it was early after their capture. Xena had awakened from a heavy punch in the woods to find herself unclothed and strung between two trees. One ankle hurt terribly; she feared it was broken, although she didn't recall how she injured it. She was bruised and battered, but otherwise unhurt. She had started to pull on the ropes when Kredo had threatened Gabrielle, forcing her to stand proud and silent. She glared at him, and he threw a right punch to her jaw that split her lip.

"Xena, Xena. Do you know what your men did in my village?" Xena couldn't answer -- her mouth was filled with blood. It dribbled down the side of her cheek. "They came and killed the young men. Hung them up to die, much as we have you. And they raped our women." He took Xena's head in his hands again, and savagely kissed her. He drew back and spat away the blood he had pulled from her lips.

"No," Xena said, "I... I... never let that happen." She shook the cobwebs from her head, trying to remember.

Kredo snorted. "The infamous 'but I never hurt women and children' plea, right? Wrong, Xena. Your men weren't any better than any other bunch of armed thugs coming through the villages. What do you think they were doing when you were out on the other end of a town, skewering some poor fool who tried to stop you? My sister has a daughter sired by some son-of-a-bacchae from your army! She lives on the outskirts of town, making do with what I can send her. You think any man wants the soiled goods your army left behind?"

His anger was so intense Xena could taste it in the blood in her mouth. What was worse, if what he said was true, then she could hardly blame him for his hatred. - The past is catching me, - she thought miserably. - But I'm not that evil warrior any more. - She thought she heard Gabrielle beside her, telling her she was a "good person." But was it now time for her to pay for all her misdeeds?

Kredo seemed to think so; he nodded his head and the ropes holding her wrists were tightened, pulling her straighter. Her body screamed at the unexpected jerks; Xena did her best to wrap her hands around the ropes and remain upright. She maintained her stance, but barely. Her ankle was not cooperating. But her strength ran strong and Gabrielle needed her.

Kredo walked around Xena's body, inspecting her as she hung before him. He felt an involuntary thrill run up his spine. He had captured the mighty Xena! He had taken a kiss from her, drawn her blood. And by the gods, she was a good-looking woman. "I tried to think what I could do to you, short of killing you, that would make you suffer," he said, moving close to her face. "I think the best I could do would be hurt your little friend...."

Xena jerked hard on the rope. The pain in her ankle fell to the back of her mind. Her eyes flashed and Kredo took an involuntary step back.

"...but I won't because she's worth more unharmed," he finished. "You, on the other hand ...." he shrugged and Xena knew what he meant. Bounties on her head were for "dead or alive" and as long it was her head, then it didn't matter how she was treated.

- If Gabrielle is safe, I can endure, - Xena thought. She watched Kredo warily as he ordered another rope put around each hand, doubling the power she would need to break free. She thought of what he had said. Had she really lost control of her army? Was she ever in control? - Stop it! - She told herself. Self-doubts wouldn't solve this problem.

Kredo caught her eye and smirked. He leaned in close to her ear... she threw her head back quickly and caught him in the forehead. He howled, then started to laugh. His one-eyed friend, however, jumped quickly to where Gabrielle lay, and held a knife in plain view, clearly showing Xena how the world worked at the moment.

"Your punishment should fit your crimes, we think," Kredo said, rubbing his head. "Every man here wants to hurt you as you did some member of his family. For a few, you are hanging just like you hung their brothers. For me...." Kredo grabbed Xena's neck and pulled her to him, kissing her again. ".... nothing less than what happened to my sister."

He bent and took her breast into his mouth, plunging his fingers into her womanhood as he did. Xena's eyes went black; the thoughts of a previous rape washed over her. She cursed; her right leg found freedom as she snapped the rope. Her knee went into Kredo's stomach, and he doubled over. The men watching surged forward, fists and sticks anxious to beat the body of the Warrior Princess.

Kredo raised up, a knife in hand, and slashed Xena across the cheek. Someone quickly replaced the rope around her ankle, and she was pulled completely off her feet by the ropes as the men tightened her spread-eagled position. She hung there, her shoulders and arms screaming with the unexpected pressure from the weight of her body, until she found her footing again. Another right hook from Kredo connected with her jaw, and her vision went dark for a second. She shook it off; this raping bastard and his men were not going to best her. The men stood back now, watching Kredo.

"Obviously a little subduing is in order if things are to go my way," he said. He touched the scar on his nose. "Incidentally, this came from your whip while you raced by on your horse those many years ago."

He picked up her own whip. It cracked the air. Xena stood tall, watching, daring him. When the whip zipped through the air and slashed across the front of her legs, she did not flinch. It came down across her shoulders and she made no sound.

Crack!

Four times. Five.

Kredo stepped back, slapping it in his hands. He hated scarring such a beautiful body, really. Not that it mattered. She hadn't long to live anyway. He had to admire her bearing; erect, proud, her eyes not showing any sign of the beating she was taking. He would break her. He beat her again.

Nine. Ten. Fifteen lashes.

Blood ran freely down her back, down her thighs. He took the liberty of slashing her once across the chest. She did flinch a little that time, he thought. He did it again. She faltered a bit as the whip came toward her face and caught her neck. Kredo felt himself surging from the thought of possessing this woman at last; he wanted her even if he had to beat her unconscious to do it.

Each crack of the whip excited him that much more. He beat her across the back a few more times; one of the men shouted. "Huzzah! I saw a tear!"

Kredo reached around and kissed her swollen mouth again; she pulled away. Determined, Kredo took the whip to her back forcefully, waiting for some sign that he'd broken her.

Xena felt the slices of the whip and thought she deserved each lash, and with that thought the pain intensified. The ability to block out the pain could work in opposition to her, if she let it, and as her dark thoughts slipped inside her, Xena knew she would have to work extra hard to fight the desire to kill everything around her, if and when she was able.

Her arms screamed; her entire body cried out for solace. She concentrated on blocking the pain and not showing any emotion. When the whip lashed her chest, she bit the inside of her swollen lip to keep her eyes from flowing over as the leather bit into the tenderer flesh. Her strength was soon sapped by the loss of blood, but more by the dismay and depression seeping into her heart. Only the desire to save Gabrielle from a horrible fate kept her from losing consciousness.

She wasn't counting, but heard someone say, "Thirty-eight!" when, to her chagrin, a low moan rolled out of her throat. The air around her took on a roar as the whip landed on her body several more times and she began to sag forward. She was only dimly aware of the feeling of fingers entering her again, and then she was off balance and sagging into the ropes as Kredo pulled her down on him.

Her thighs were already spread open by the ropes pulling at her ankles; he guided his hot prick into her. Xena did not open her eyes; she refused to let him see her humiliation as he bounced her up and down once or twice before he came. He had left her hanging there until he threw water over her.

Now Xena feared it was all going to happen again, this time with Gabrielle's knowledge. The bard couldn't see her, but Xena knew she could hear. The whip whistled through the air again, and Xena cringed. This time she could not stop the moans that rose from her throat as the leather connected with her body. Nor could she stop the pleading, "No!" that came from her lips as other hands violated her feminine parts.

With Gabrielle tied and her own body betraying her -- she could not find the strength to break ropes that she thought she should otherwise be able to break -- she feared a mass rape and torturous beating before these men finally killed her. She had always known it could come to this, she thought, but somehow she had believed she could save herself from any situation.

"What are you doing?" The sound of another female voice caused the men around Xena to stop and look in Gabrielle's direction. Saska, one of the Amazons, stood next to the Amazon Queen while another woman undid her bonds.

Kredo, who had been watching the anguish on Xena's face with amusement, stepped forward. His eyes lit up at the bag the Amazon carried; weighted with dinars, he knew. He also knew that somewhere out in the darkness, the woods were full of Amazons, all ready to kill him if he took one false step. "Just having a little fun with your enemy." Kredo did not reach for the bag, but he moved a step closer. "That was our deal."

"I didn't know you were going to do that to her," Saska amended. Xena had not moved from where she hung lifeless between the trees.

Xena let all her strength flow into her limbs as she realized her chance had come. The Amazons would protect Gabrielle; now she had to free herself. She focused her mind on the ropes, seeing them snap in her mind. Suddenly, with a powerful "Ayi!" from her throat, she thrust herself forward.

The ropes broke! She was free.

She grabbed the first man who rushed for her and hurled him behind her. The next went headlong into a tree. Xena ignored the pain in her ankle as she grabbed a sword from the hand of the next poor soul who charged her. Her eyes flamed; this man's hands had her blood on them. He had touched her. She tossed him into the fire; his yell of pain echoed through the forest.

Gabrielle grabbed a staff from the nearest Amazon. Saska stopped her. "What are you doing? She's our enemy!"

"She's my friend!" Gabrielle cried. She swept a man off his feet. Another Amazon fell from the trees and landed beside her. "Ephiny!" The woman's arm was in a sling; Xena had done that bit of damage many days ago.

"Well, she might not be my favorite person at the moment but nobody deserves that," the Amazon Regent said. She took a sword in her good hand and fell into the fray. Other Amazons followed suit.

"Ye lying whores! All o' ye!" Istus cried. "Ye said we could have Xena!" He moved to the edge of the camp, watching. He was more of a cook than a fighter; besides, someone had to live to reveal the treachery of the Amazons. He turned on his heel and fled into the coming dawn. Kredo found himself in front of the Warrior Princess. She held almost all her weight on one leg; the blood on her body made her slippery and hard to grab. Even beaten and covered with dirt she excited him. - Her eyes, though .... - he shivered involuntarily as he looked into her eyes.

Her soul was gone, filled with a dark and over-powering rage. She struck down one man, then another .... she saw him. The man who had raped her, beaten her, left her hanging in the burning sun.

The Amazons and Gabrielle beat down the other men, who fled. Kredo turned to run as well. Xena found more strength. A cry, a flip, and she landed before him. He lunged at her, and she easily brushed him aside. She caught him up, and held him by the throat. - Gods, she is strong, - he thought. Even favoring one leg so badly, she could choke the life out of a man. He felt darkness in his temples as the air left his throat.

"Xena, don't, please," Gabrielle said. "Life is life. Xena?" The bard, panting, stood in front of her best friend. Xena's face held a look she had never seen before, a look of anger and something else. - Shame? Humiliation? What? -

The other Amazons followed their Queen, watching as the man in Xena's grip began to lose conscious. Xena did not respond at first. Then she suddenly snapped at several points on the man's stomach and inner thighs. He fell to the ground, holding his sex. "He'll never use that part again," Xena murmured. She moved forward and fell to her knees as her wounds caught up to her.

Gabrielle rushed to her. "Xena, he raped you?" Xena closed her eyes and nodded. There was a bit of muttering from the Amazons. No one had thought such a thing could happen to the Warrior Princess.

"He had you, I couldn't...." Xena didn't finish the sentence. The Amazons turned away, leaving Xena and Gabrielle alone. Gabrielle practically pulled Xena into her lap.

Ephiny grabbed Saska. "This is your doing. I told you to let it alone. I didn't press charges against Xena because I knew they would be friends again in the end."

Saska, her honey-colored hair flying in her eyes, pulled her arm from Ephiny's grasp. "Somebody had to make a stand for the Queen. I did it. I'm not sorry."

Gabrielle was half-listening, half consoling Xena. She didn't know what to say, really. In all of their travels, this kind of assault on her friend had never occurred, never even been hinted at. Gabrielle shivered when she thought of how Istus had placed his hands on her. If that made her skin crawl, then what did Xena feel?

One of the Amazons laid Xena's clothing beside Gabrielle. Another brought a bucket of water and some cloth. Gabrielle opted for the non-vocal form of caring. Once again she rinsed off the blood of the whip lashes and cuts. This time, though, the woman she was tending was conscious, and Xena shuddered involuntarily as the water found its way into the worst of the deep gashes in her body. Ephiny knelt by Xena's head, brushing the blood-soaked hair with her good hand.

"I'm sorry, Eph," Xena murmured. She gasped as Gabrielle touched the whip marks on her chest with a wet cloth.

"No, I'm sorry I didn't reign in Saska sooner. But I didn't find out about the mercenaries until they sent a runner demanding more money. I came as soon as I knew."

Xena rested for a few hours and then declared herself ready to travel. They couldn't stay at the campsite; too many men had escaped into the woods. Ephiny agreed it would be better to get deep into Amazon territory before taking a long rest. She and Gabrielle walked on either side of Xena, who could manage with a limp after she had braced her ankle.

Once they were safe, Ephiny and Gabrielle asked Xena if she thought Saska should be punished. Xena shook her head. "She was just trying to do what was best for the tribe."

Ephiny wasn't so sure, but she let it go at Xena's request. "But only if you let us care for you until you're well," she said. She looked fondly at the warrior. "Amazons have to take care of their own."