The conquered peasants sat huddled together in the dank dungeon below, shivering in the dark, dampness that engulfed them. They had seen their town destroyed, their friends and families murdered in cold blood and now they sat deep in shock and awaited their fate at the hands of the infamous, dreaded Warrior Princess. A child cried softly into his mother's chest and clung to her, knowing in his heart that she would make eveything alright in the end, but the mother wept silently in her helplessness, knowing in her heart that this was one situation she could not save him from.

A spear of light lanced across the floor as the heavy door at the other end of the room opened and a small figure stepped in, sending the captives scurrying to the far side of their cell. "It's alright," came the soft voice, "don't be afraid. I've come to bring you some food and water." Gabrielle moved out of the darkness and, taking a piece of bread from the large plate in her arms, held it out through the bars to one of the peasants. He looked up at her fearfully but, noticing the slave collar around her neck and deep compassion in her eyes, realised almost immediately that he could trust her and reached out to take the offered bread. "Thank you" he muttered as he huddled back against the wall and began to eat. Having handed out all the bread and the waterskins she had brought, Gabrielle made to leave but, feeling a tugging at her skirt, she looked down into the tear-stained face of a little boy. "Hello" she said, a gentle smile crawling over her lips as she slid down the bars to squat before him, "what's your name?"
"Andreas," the child informed her "what's yours?"
"I'm Gabrielle," she told him, "what can I do for you, Andreas?"
"I want to go home" he said sullenly, making her swallow at the lump of pity in her throat. The boy's mother had by this time come to retrieve him and said sadly "we all want to go home, darling, but we have to wait for a while." She picked up her son and stood up as Gabrielle rose to her feet, turning her eyes on young woman as she asked "can you tell us what's going to happen?"
"I'm afraid I don't know," the blonde answered kindly, "I'm just a slave, they don't tell me anything. I wish I could help but I....I'm sorry."

At that moment the door opened again and a deep voice boomed out "what's going on here?" as the Conqueror stepped out of the shadows. Gabrielle dropped her plate with a startled little cry and spun around to face her mistress. "I...I'm sorry, Princess, I was just..." but her explanation was cut short as a backhander knocked her to the ground and the Conqueror growled "I told you to feed them, Gabrielle, not have a conversation with them."
"Yes, mistress. I...I'm sorry" stumbled the slave as she got to her knees. Xena's shadow fell over the trembling young woman and she braced herself for another blow but a voice from inside the cell called out "no, please don't." Peering into the dingy area, the Warrior Princess saw the woman that had spoken to her, a little boy clutched to her chest as she continued "it's my fault, I asked her a question."
"Really?" asked the warrior warningly as she strode up to the bars, "and what did you ask her, my pretty, hmm?"
"I...I just wanted to know what was going to happen to us."
"And what did she tell you?"
"Nothing."
"Well then, let me tell you. First thing tomorrow, I'm going to sell you for a huge amount to the oriental slavers that will be passing this way. After that, who knows? You may live as slaves to rich masters, you may die. I really don't care as long as I make a mint out of the deal." She strode to the kneeling slave and looked down imperiously at her before continuing "as for you, Gabrielle, I'm getting tired of you, so if you care so much about these peasants, you can go with them."

Panic rose in the young woman's chest as she realised what her mistress was saying. She looked up, her startled gaze meeting the impenetrable black of her mistress's eyes. "No, please, Princess" she begged desperately, clutching at the warrior's trousers, "don't send me away, I beg you, please."
"If I don't send you away I will have to punish you for your disobedience."
"I know, I don't care."
"You will, Gabrielle. By the time I'm finished with you you'll wish you had gone with your friends, believe me."
"They're not my friends, mistress. Please, I'll do anything you want, I'll endure anything, just don't send me away."
Xena crouched down in front of her slave and grabbed her chin, pulling her head up so she could look deeply into the young woman's eyes. "I don't understand you, Gabrielle. You know how terrible my punishments can be, and I promise you this will be your worst yet. You'd rather suffer that than be away from me?"
"Yes," admitted the blonde desperately, the tears now pouring down her cheeks, "I'd die without you."
"You may die if you stay, or at least wish you could."
Gabrielle was afraid of the warrior's punishment but she was more afraid of loosing her and so she answered very simply "I don't care. Please."

The Warrior sighed and shook her head in puzzlement. She was angry as Tartarus with this little slave, not for disobeying her but because of how close she was getting. Although she wouldn't admit it to herself, deep down she understood that the woman had a power over her and it scared her. She wanted rid of the whole situation and selling her with these peasants would be the perfect opportunity, but as much as she tried she couldn't really endure the thought of letting her go. Besides, she now remembered, she had once promissed to send her home if she ever got tired of her company. Well, if the girl was so determined to stay with her she would just have to make sure that she knew the score and that she understood her place, and if she died learning the lesson, well, that was one way of solving the problem. She sighed and pursed her lips decisively. "Alright, my little slave, if that's what you want. But you have been getting far too nosy and presumptuous lately. If you survive my punishment, things are going to change, understand?"
"Yes, Mistress, I understand," the girl assured her as a wave of relief washed over her body, "thank you...thank you."
"Don't thank me, Gabrielle. By this time tomorrow you'll be begging me to let you die. Go to my room, take off your clothes, and kneel in the middle of the room with your head down and your hands clasped behind your back until I'm ready to deal with you. I may be five minutes, I may be five hours, I may even be five days, but you will not move from that position until I tell you too, not for any reason, neither will you speak until I say so, clear?"
The girl nodded her understanding and got up to do her mistress's bidding.
Xena knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that, even with no witnesses to verify it, the girl would do exactly as she had been told.

* * * * * *

In fact, Gabrielle had been kneeling in the middle of the room for only half an hour when the warrior entered but she was already getting pins and needles in her legs. She did not dare look up without permission and so she stayed stock still while Xena circled her menacingly. After a couple of minutes of silently scrutinizing her slave, the warrior knelt behind her and tied her wrists together with a leather thong. "This is to help you maintain the position" she explained as she moved around her. "I have a meeting to attend which will take all evening and I wouldn't want you to think you can take it as an opportunity to relax." She worked a leather belt under the girl's knees and buckled it tightly over the tops of her thighs as she continued "if you were to weaken and become unable to maintain the position, I would have to punish you. You already have so much punishment coming to you that I don't think you would survive any extra." Next she clipped a cord onto the slave collar around the girl's neck and tied the other end to the belt buckle, forcing her head down further, bending her at the waist and making it impossible for her to straighten up. Gabrielle's nipples were almost scraping the tops of her thighs, but the warrior reached under and grabbed them roughly, attatching the strong nipple-clamps to them and bringing a gasp of shock from the girl's lips. With the hilt of her sword, she hammered two nails into the floor in front of the slave and tied the nipple-clamp chains to them tightly, stretching the little buds cruelly tight and leaving her slave moaning. "If you fall to the side through weakness or exhaustion, Gabrielle," the warrior advised, "I suggest you struggle up and regain your position as quickly as possible. Not only because it will hurt like Hades but because if I find you like that when I come back I will punish you doubly hard, whatever the consequences." Before the slave had come to her senses, the warrior was gone.

* * * * * *

Xena slammed her fist down on the table, making the plate perched on the other side jump and scatter its contents. "I don't care how many men it takes, Darphus," she bellowed at her lieutenant, "I want that bridge built in two days, is that clear?"
"Yes, Conqueror" the man acquiesed, all his arguments against the project evaporating from his mind as he tried to concentrate on how to achieve such a feat. It was ambitious, but he knew his commander was right, as usual, if their plan for conquest was going to work, they needed that bridge fast. Besides, if he failed, he had no illusions that he would survive the Conqueror's wrath, he would end up nailed to a cross, or strung up by his privates. He swallowed hard and tried to focus on the rest of the conversation.

The other officers delivered their reports. What with the previous day's two victories they were well stocked with food supplies, weapons and loot, and the army were enjoying the spoils that the fortress had to offer, especially the women that Astradon had kept on hand to help him and his army 'unwind'. "Would you care to try one yourself, Conqueror?" asked Darius, "There's a little blonde that I think may be just your type."
"No, thanks," smiled the Warrior Princess good-naturedly, "I have a little blonde of my own that I have to go and deal with soon. You have her for me, okay?"
Darius humphed lightly and agreed "of course, Conqueror, thank you."
"In fact..." she asked, sittting up and rolling her neck on her shoulders to work out the knots, "how long have we been at this?"
"about six-and-a-half hours, Conqueror" she was informed.
"Well, in that case, I think Gabrielle must be about ready to pass out by now, so if there's nothing else....?"

Gabrielle had in fact already passed out once, but the pain of her nipples being ripped as she tumbled to the side had brought her round almost immediately and, having struggled painfully back to her knees, she had redoubled her concentration. Her feet were now completely numb and she couldn't feel her legs. Her spine and neck ached terribly and her diaphragm was cramping, making her breathing laboured. Her nipples throbbed and burned under the vicious bite of the clamps. When Xena came back into the room she found her slave sweating and shaking with the effort of staying alert and in position.

Gabrielle allowed herself a frisson on relief, surely now her mistress would release her from this torment and let her stretch, but the warrior silently removed her weapons, armour and clothes as if there were no one else in the room with her and, having washed her face in the bowl of water on the table, slipped into the great bed, bid her slave good night and blew out the candle. The relief flooded out of Gabrielle to be replaced by panic as she contemplated the thought that the warrior intended to leave her like this all night....and who knew how much longer. After a while the slave thought her mistress had fallen asleep but then she heard the deep voice floating over to her, penetrating her misery, asking "tell me, Gabrielle, can you still feel your legs?"
It was torture for Gabirelle to gather enough breath to answer but she managed to groan "n..no, m..m..ist..ress," the effort almost making her black out.
She heard the rustle of sheets and bare feet padding to her side and then a familiar voice whispering in her ear, "well then, you have a choice. You can stay like this all night, or I'll put you in a different position, which will relieve the pressure on your legs. Though you may not find it preferrable. What do you think?"
The slave thought about it. The new position may be even more uncomfortable, but then if she stayed like this any longer she may never regain the feeling in her legs. "I....I'd like...to...move...please, mistress" she croaked, heaving to get in enough breath for the request.
"Alright" the warrior agreed, and she she began to untie the young woman.

As soon as she was able, Gabrielle fell onto her side, but she found her knees had locked in their position and she couldn't feel them enough to do anything about it. Gently, the Conqueror rolled the girl onto her back and eased her legs down until they were flat against the floor. At first Gabrielle felt nothing, but very soon the pins and needles began, growing and growing until she was squirming and crying and clutching at the floor. Xena let her be, offering no comfort but not imposing any further restrictions until the girl was calm, then she reached down and ordered "come on" as she reached under the girl's back and began to haul her up. The slave couldn't stand and fell against her mistress almost collapsing back to the ground before she was caught. "I'm...sorry, Princess" she croaked, but the warrior only sat her on the edge of the bed and left her alone for a while while she arranged her next torment.

* * * * * *

Gabrielle stiffled a cry as she shifted. She had been trying to relieve the strain in her shoulders, but the movement had only intensified the pain. "I need my sleep," Xena had warned her before she had gone back to bed, "if you wake me up you will regret it" and so she had been forced to swallow the constant pain rather than express it out loud. Xena had once more tied the slave's wrists behind her back, this time with a rough rope, and then, throwing the other end of the rope up over a beam, had hauled the girl up until her feet were off the ground, and secured the rope to the heavy table. Gabrielle was light, but the warrior had strapped several weights around her ankles and the tension created had been sufficient to tear muscles and eventually dislocate both her shoulders. After a couple of hours of agony she had fallen into unconsciousness. Now, the morning light pouring through the window and falling across her fevered body had roused her and, not being able to lift her head, she hadn't known whether Xena was awake or not.

"Well, good morning," came the husky voice of the Conqueror from behind her, "I've been waiting for you to wake up." With a slash of her sword, the warrior cut through the rope that held the slave's arms aloft and she crumpled to the floor in a sweating, shuddering heap of pure agony. Xena untied the girl's wrists and turned her over, kneeling at her side and staring down into her suffering eyes. "Gabrielle, can you hear me?" she asked softly, stroking the girl's face and smiling as her gaze focussed. "Yes, Princess" came the whispered reply.
"I have to set your shoulders. It's going to hurt a lot, but it has to be done. Then you can rest for a little while." Taking a firm grip on the girl's arm, the Warrior Princess pulled on the joint and jerked it back into place. The little slave screamed in agony, her back arching off the floor and flopping down as she dissolved into sobs. When the warrior moved around to carry out the procedure on her other shoulder, Gabrielle almost begged her not to, but she bit her lip to stop the words and was grateful when, after the next shocking pain she felt herself once more slipping into unconsciousness.

When she came round she was outside, standing between two tall posts. Her widely spread legs were shackled to the base of each and her wrists were tied wide apart to rings in the top of the posts, above her head. Her legs still throbbed dully and her shoulders burned, and this splayed position would only make it worse. She lifted her head creakily and tried to focus on the group of soldiers on the other side of the courtyard, on the moss that grew on the wall behind them, on anything but her torment. The soldiers ignored her as she groaned at her various aches and pains, no doubt they had been told that if they looked too long at the Conqueror's property, they would lose their eyes. Suddenly a sharp, burning sensation began to run very slowly down her side and she cried out, shuddering through the waves of nausea and balling her fists. The pain stopped, leaving a stinging in its place, but was renewed on the other side of her body and she thrashed her head about as she moaned and hissed through it.

She saw the glint of the stiletto blade as the Warrior Princess raised it, this time to run it down the top of her slave's flexing arm. Xena was an expert at this. Her cuts were not deep enough to be dangerous but they left a thin trail of blood and a searing path of fire in their wake. She knew exactly how far and how fast she could go and presicely how to produce the maximum amount of suffering with the minimum amount of danger that her victim would die before they had learned their lesson or spilled their secrets. This was her preferred method of execution; it was slow, relentless and excrutiatingly painful. Xena could keep her subjects alive and fully conscious for as long as she disired, sometimes for days, and under her professional hand there was no escape from the torture until she decided to let you die. It was an excellent deterrant to others.

This, however, was not an execution. She had decided she was not ready to let her little blonde go just yet and so she was being even more careful than usual, not only to keep the girl alive and aware but also to use cuts that would not permanently scar the beautiful body. She didn't mind her lovers having a few minor scars but she didn't want to make the woman ugly, she was a pleasure slave, after all. This meant that she couldn't produce quite the level of agony she might have without these restrictions, but it would be more than enough to teach Gabrielle the required lesson.

The girl wailed in despair as the knife sliced through the soft flesh of her thigh and she tensed in her bonds. "Don't fight the pain, Gabrielle," Xena ordered her, "feel it, learn from it." She tried to obey, tried to relax into her agony, but it was impossible. Her body's natural reaction was to resist, to fight, and when she felt a neat 'X' being carved into her abdomen, she jerked and shuddered helplessly. Xena smiled wickedly at her victim and reassured her "don't worry, Gabrielle. We have a long way to go. You'll learn" and a broken, hissing sob was torn from the slave's chest as the 'E' was added.

As the warrior was about to embark on her 'N', a shriek errupted from the other side of the courtyard and she turned in surprise. "NO!" came the voice of the peasant woman from the previous evening. The captives were being led across the yard to await the arrival of the slavers and the woman had just become aware of the horrifying scene to her left. "Please!" she yelled, trying to run towards Xena, but prevented as a soldier grabbed her arms, "don't hurt her any more....it was my fault...please!" Xena strode forward and grabbed the woman roughly, pulling her back towards her helpless victim. "Oh, I'd have put you up there too, my pretty, don't worry about that. But it would devalue you and I intend to make a handsome profit from this pretty face." She ran a finger lightly down the woman's cheek, laughing at her obvious disgust and then grabbed her throat, squeezing slightly to make her point. "So, you get to watch instead," she grinned, "watch and learn, sweetie. Maybe it will teach you to do as your told and keep your nose out of other people's business. That's a lesson you're going to have to learn really fast if you want to survive as a slave." She dragged the woman forward to stand in front of the drooping Gabrielle and moved around behind the suspended woman. Carefuly she pressed the needle-sharp point of her knife into the flesh just below the left shoulderblade and smiled at the moan it produced. The watching woman winced in sympathy and averted her eyes but Xena growled "I said watch" and she was afraid to disobey. She saw the agony lock on Gabrielle's face as the blade was pulled slowly down her back, the twitching shivers in her arms and legs, the jerking of her body as it tried to move away from the source of its torment, the incredible tension in her spasming hands, and she heard the gasps and chokes that accompanied the sight. When Xena reached the end of this particular cut she watched the horror etch itself into her audience and smiled as she dug the knife in a little deeper and slowly twisted it in the muscle it had found. Gabrielle threw her head back and screamed at the intensification.

Tears were running down the other woman's face when Xena moved back to her side, and now she seemed unable to tear her eyes away from the shuddering woman between the pillars. "I think you've got the idea now," said Xena softly as she pressed the handle of her knife into the woman's hand, "why don't you have a go, hmmmm?" Horrified eyes looked up at her and the woman tried to push the knife away, but Xena held her hand fast around the ivory handle as she pushed her forward. "No," whimpered the woman, "I can't!"
"You'll do it, my pretty" Xena informed her softly, in her ear, "or I'll do it to your sweet little boy over there." Shock and fear danced over the woman's face and she stared into the Conqueror's implaccable features. She didn't want to hurt this brave young woman, but she knew it was no idle threat that the warrior had made. "Right here" Xena instructed, indicating the underside of slave's upstretched arm, and she guided the woman's hand to its starting point, a safe distance from the wrist. "Not too deep now," she urged, "we don't want to hit an arterey. Just enough pressure to part the skin." The woman steeled herself and, with a trembling hand, made her incision.

When the warrior had threatened the reluctant woman into producing several more cuts on various parts of Gabrielle's body, she took the knife back and pulled the woman around to face her. "I think she needs a little respite. The slavers will be here any minute and I need to make preparations. Stay here, my pretty. You can talk to her if you like." With that, the warrior strode away across the courtyard and the woman turned back to Gabrielle.

She reached up and gently raised the woman's lolling head, supporting its weight in one hand and stroking her cheek with the other in what she hoped was a comforting, soothing way. "I'm so sorry" she said, her voice husky with tears. The position Gabrielle was in was making her chest ache and it was hard to talk, but she wanted to comfort this woman who had tried to help her. "not....your...fault" she panted, the words coming in painful, halting chokes, "no...choice."
"I'm sorry about the whole thing" the woman replied. "It's my fault she's punishing you at all."
"No...no," came the shuddering answer, "nothing to do....with you.....with what h..happened...yesterday. Just....an...e..excuse."
"but...she's killing you."
"No...won't let me die. That...that would....s..spoil her...fun."
"Why?" breathed the woman exasperatedly, even as her caress gentled, "why do you stay with her!? She offered you a way out. Why would you want to stay?"
"I...have..to," Gabrielle explained, the effort obviously taking its toll, "I...can...save h..her."
"People like her are beyond salvation."
"No...don't b..believe that. H...have to t..try."
"Why? Why would you want to?"
"D..don't know. J...just know I...I must."
"But how can you ever forgive her this?"
"I f..f..forgive her."

The woman smiled gently through her tears and stroked Gabrielle's hair. "My gods, you are so strong" she whispered. Stepping forward and rising up on the balls of her feet she lowered the slave's head and let it rest on her shoulder, trying to give her what respite and comfort she could without making contact with any other part of the woman's tortured body. "Th..thank you," Gabrielle said softly, "thank you...for...c..caring."
The woman's face scrunched and her chest heaved as she supressed the tears that threatened to overwhelm her. "I wish there was something more I could do for you," she said, "what's your name? I'm Phoebe....of Linnaris."
"G...Gabrielle, of Potedeia" came the reply.
"Rest now, Gabrielle" she crooned, following with a string of soft, soothing nonsense words that always seemed to bring her son comfort when he needed it as she continued to stroke the slave's cropped hair. She stayed like that for a while, almost motionless even as her calves began to cramp from the strain of standing on tip-toe. She was determined to stay as long as she could though, it was the least she could do for the poor woman. Eventually Xena's call came from the other side of the courtyard, "You! get over here!"
Gabrielle raised her head slowly, helped by supporting hands on her cheeks, and smiled weakly, "go on," she whispered, "d..don't make her...wait". There was nothing more they could say to eachother, but the look that passed between them said everything that was needed. Phoebe gently lowered her new friend's head and planted a tender kiss in her golden hair before moving away.

* * * * * *

"Well, did you have a nice little chat with your friend, Gabrielle?" asked the Warrior Princess, "I must say she and her group made me an absolute fortune from those slavers. I'm very pleased." she grabbed a hank of golden hair and yanked the slave's head up, her eyes burning into the young woman mercilessly. "What on earth did you to talk about, hmmm?"
"I...I..."
"Oh never mind," the warrior let go of of her slave's hair, letting her head jerk down again, "she's gone now. So, let's see, where were we?"

When the slave's body was decorated to the warrior's satisfaction she stood back to admire her handiwork. Apart from her face there wasn't a single part of the slave's sweaty body that didn't bear a network of dainty, red tracery. "Hmm" mused the warrior, "I think I'll have to wash you before any of those get infected" she commented as she gestured a soldier over to her side. "Linaeus, bring me three buckets of stong salt water" she ordered and Gabrielle's eyes widened in fear.
"N..no," she breathed as she raised her head to look pitiously into her mistress's face, "please, no."
"I beg your pardon?" Xena asked sarcastically as she stepped up to the heaving woman and thrust her face forward so it was scant milimetres from her own, asking in a highly threatening voice, "are you questioning me, girl?"
"No," the girl assured her, her body quivering now more in fear than pain, "I..I'm b..begging you. P..please mistress, I...I can't..."
"Can't what, Gabrielle?"
"I can't...t..take any...more, please....please...no..more."
Xena grabbed her by the hair once more and pulled her head back, snarling in her face "Oh, you'll take it, Gabrielle. I'm not nearly finished with you yet. You'll take it until I say otherwise, understand?"
When no answer came, Xena let go of her slave's hair and producing another stiletto from her belt, pressed the point of a knife into the tip of each of the girl's nipples, slowly increasing the pressure until the springy skin was broken and they penetrated deeply in to her, leaving her writhing uncontrollably and screaming for mercy. Xena twisted the blades a few times and when she finally withdrew the needle-knives from the girl's nipples, the blood dripping from them onto the hard ground, she repeated "do you understand, Gabrielle?"
This time there was a shuddering, agonized reply, "y..yess..ss, Prin..cess. I..I'm.....s..sorry."

"Wait" said Xena as the soldier stood ready to throw the salt water over the trembling girl, "I have a better idea." She turned around and pointed to the trough across the yard, ordering, "empty that trough and cut a hole for her neck, I don't want to drown her. Then fill it with extra-strong salt water." When the trough was ready, the girl was cut down and her limp, trembling body carried over to it. Making sure her neck was resting in the specially cut hole so that her head hung outside, she was dropped into the water and held down so that her whole body was submerged. Though she was weak from her long ordeal, the pain was so sudden and so great that she began thrashing about almost immediately. She screamed and choked and cried out for it to end, begging and pleading with her mistress to make it stop as her body shuddered violently and jerked around, trying to escape the stinging grip of the cold, salty water. Her entire body felt like it was on fire, not only outside but in, as the salt seeped into the hundreds of cuts. She lasted a full fifteen minutes of scorching, searing agony before darkness overtook her and her body went limp beneath the restraining hands. "Leave her in there," Xena ordered coldly, "and as soon as she shows signs of coming round, add more salt."

* * * * * *

The Conqueror lazed in her great throne-like chair, one leg dangling over the thickly-carved armrest, a mug of ale resting on her lap. "How's my bridge coming, Darphus?" she asked casually as she knawed on her chicken bone and the man sat up straighter in his chair despite his confidence. "Everything's on schedule, Conqueror," he answered, "if we work through the night, it should be ready by tomorrow evening."
"Excellent," she smiled, raising her mug in salute, "you see, I told you you could do it."
"Thank you for your confidence, Conqueror" he said returning the salute.
"Well, you've never let me down yet" she observed, managing to leave the thought in his mind that if he ever did, he'd be just as dead. The Destroyer of Nations did not tolerate failure, not even in herself.

"How is your little slave, Conqueror?" asked Darius, drawing a suspicious look from his commander as she replied "sleeping, why?"
Realising that she might think him overly interested in the girl he clarified his enquiry. "Please don't get me wrong, Conqueror, I'm merely fascinated by your methods. How did you learn that cutting thing?"
"From an old friend. But it's not to be used lightly, it takes a great deal of detailed anatomical knowledge to get it right."
"I'm sure. If I may say so, Conqueror, I thought the salt bath was a touch of genius."
"Thanks. She didn't enjoy waking up in there, did she?" The men all giggled cruelly until they noticed their commader's completely deadpan face and stopped abruptly. "Listen," she said, sitting forward in her chair, "I'm not an indiscriminate sadist. I use pain as a tool and only as a tool, I don't inflict it for no reason at all. Believe me, it's much more effective that way."
"And in this case, Conqueror?" Darius enquired.
"In this case it is partly a punishment, but mostly a training method. I want her to learn her place, learn to obey me without question. Of course I don't expect any results yet, today was just the first stage." She sat back and, regarding their eager faces ready for more of her wisdom, she nodded and continued "it's a fine balancing act, judging when to talk, keep her thinking along the right lines, and when to leave her in silence, wondering what's happening or about to happen. If I just inflicted the pain with no psychololgy behind it, it would be useless either as a trainning method or as a form of coersion. The psychology of it is all-important, gentlemen, that's what makes the difference between me and a common-or-garden sadistic bastard like Astradon. I don't enjoy inflicting pain as he did, but I know it can be a valuable and effective tool. If any of you are thinking of developing your own methods or philosophies on the subject, I suggest you bear that in mind."
"Of course, Conqueror," Darius placated, "is it true that you were going to send her away and she begged to stay despite the consequences?"
"Yes, it's true" she acknowledged with a little gesture of her mug.
Darius laughed mirthlessly as he asked "why? She can't possibly enjoy what you do to her."
"I think" smiled the warrior amusedly, "she believes she can reform me!"

* * * * * *

Xena entered her chamber quietly, her eye immediately falling on the pale, feverish body in the corner. Slowly she wandered over and knelt down beside the girl, laying her hand gently against her forhead and finding it burning hot. Gently she took the girl in her arms and lifted her, eliciting a semi-conscious groan from the slave. "Sshh, Gabrielle, it's alright" she soothed as she carried the woman to the bed and laid her gently upon it. Gabrielle felt the cool cloth against her burning brow and moaned in appreciation, her eyes fluttering open to find the warrior sitting over her. She stirred in alarm and winced as the fabric of the quilt brushed her lacerated flesh. "Lie still, Gabrielle," the warrior commanded quietly, "I'm not going to hurt you any more." Lifting a cup to the girl's lips and gently supporting her head she said "here, drink this. It'll help the pain and the fever." The mixture was bitter, but as soon as it settled in Gabrielle's gut she felt the pain and tension ease. "Thank you" she whispered with relief, a wan smile curling her lips, as Xena laid her head back on the soft pillow.

"You feel up to talking?" asked the warrior as she settled on the bed beside her slave. Smiling softly at the girl's answering nod, she propped her head up on her elbow as she ran a finger lightly down one of the miriad red stripes on Gabrielle's chest.
"Why do you think I did this to you, Gabrielle?"
The girl turned her head slowly and looked up into the dark eyes. "Punishment," she admitted weakly, "for talking to the prisoners."
Xena nodded slowly agreeing "yes, but was it just that? After all, I've punished you for disobedience before but it was never like this, was it?"
"I think...I..." it was clear the girl wanted to speak but was afraid and Xena smiled to herself before assuring her little slave "it's alright, go on. I want you to be honest with me. I promise I won't punish you for anything you say tonight."

Relaxing a little, the girl began again. "I think you wanted to make a point" she said quietly.
"What point?"
"I...I was getting too close, wasn't I? I think you're...."
"go on."
Gabrielle looked unsure of the wisdom of contiuing this train of thought as she asked nervously "you won't be angry?"
"Perhaps," smiled the warrior, "but I won't take it out on you, I swear. Go on."
Gabrielle took a deep breath and suggested "I think you're afraid. You think that loving someone, allowing someone to love you, would make you weak and vulnerable, or a least appear to be so." She shifted a little, laboriously raising herself to her elbows as she warmed to her subject. "But it's not true, mistress, it doesn't work that way."
"Like you're such an expert!?" the warrior snarled, a little sulkily.
"No, but I....it's just that I know you're unhappy and I want so much to do something about that. I just think...."
"Enough!" the Warrior Princess growled warningly, trying to curb her anger at the girl's words. Deep down she knew it was true but she couldn't allow herself to acknowledge that.
Unable to support her weight any longer, Gabrielle lowered herself carefully back down onto the bed. "I...I think," she continued sadly, "that you're trying to make me hate you."
"And do you?"
"No....I still love you, Princess."

Xena gazed down at the young face and shook her head in bewilderment. "I really can't understand you, Gabrielle" she admitted.
The girl just smiled and acknowledged "I know."
Xena continued, as if she hadn't spoken, "So many people hate me that have never even met me, but after everything I've put you through, you still don't. It doesn't make sense."
"I don't hate anyone, mistress."
"No one!"
"No."
Xena shook her head again and asked "is that a principle of yours or something?"
"No, it's just a fact."
The warrior took a deep breath and let it out loudly in a gesture of resignation. "You're an extra-ordinary woman, Gabrielle," she asserted, "I think you must be the only truly good person I've ever met." A sudden thought occurred to her and she eyed the girl suspiciously, asking "you're not one those followers of Eli, are you?"
"Eli? Who's that?"
"Never mind."

End of Episode Four

SW
30/11/02