Brown eyes watched the events unfold from their perch high above in the tree tops. If only she had been allowed to bring with her bow, she would show them a thing or two. But no, this mission was too simple, there was no risk. Ha, she snorted. Even now she was tempted to attack the bastard that held her queen bare handed if need be, but she saw her queen's signal. She was right, of course, but that didn't make it any easier. To attack would be the same as handing herself over to be captured. That thought was reinforced as she saw the queen's guard's lay down their weapons and surrender. This way was best. This way she could track them and go for help. To see the faces of those men as an entire regiment of Amazons attacked...

First things first though. She had to let Cratia and Tonea know where she was. She let out a long low bird cry, one only Amazons would recognize amongst the normal sounds of the woods. Cratia looked up with an almost surprised look on her face. Before the redhead could respond, she too was knocked into unconsciousness, joining her queen and her fellow guard.

Lessa watched as her fellow Amazons were bound like animals and thrown in a heap into a cart several men had drug from deeper in the woods. The villagers were also thrown into the cart, but unlike the Amazons were not bound; the soldiers much more intimidating without the protection of the Amazons.

The man who had held her queen spoke, giving orders to his men. He was definitely in charge. Lessa eyed him carefully. He was a big man, who seemed as much bulk as muscle. He had very dark, almost curly hair that fell to just below his ears. His armor was well kept, as was the leather he wore beneath it. He held himself with a knowing authority and appeared to have actual military training. A lot of good it did him though. The men he commanded, though apparently faithful, were far from experienced soldiers. They were more like village bullies who found a common ground in each other. They knew how to fight, but they couldn't sneak up on a deaf man and couldn't hide their tracks to save their lives. This would come in handy for Lessa and her fellow Amazons.

"Make sure we're not followed," the large man ordered a slightly smaller one who nodded in return. Lessa smiled as she transferred to another tree limb. He would never even know she was there.

Lessa followed the man through the treetops for as long as she dared. She was careful to stay far enough behind as so not to be detected, but kept close enough not to lose him in the sometimes dense forest. When he reached a path that ran through a clearing free of trees, containing only bushes and thick grasses, she was forced to climb down from her safest vantage point.

From here on out, she would have to track him the old-fashioned way. Not that it was any harder, it was only that she was forced to stay even further back and lying low in the grasses could get uncomfortable rather quickly. Sweet Artemis, this man was slow! And it wasn't even as if he was taking the time to cover his tracks, they were still plain as day. She could probably track him in the dark. Looking up at the sun that now hung low in the sky, she wished that wouldn't be necessary. The more time she spent with this sorry excuse for a man, the longer her Amazon sisters would have to wait. That was simply unacceptable.

Gabrielle awoke to a very sharp pain in her head. The memory of everything that had happened flashed back to her in an instant. How could she have been such a fool? She should have known he was leading her somewhere. Instead, she thought it was her great fighting abilities were just that much greater than his. Well, this was one way to teach her not to be too self-confident. She kept her eyes closed, not wanting to let her captors know she was awake until she was ready to deal with them, or as ready as she could be anyway. She tried to sense her surroundings the way Xena had taught her to do. She was face down in a cart on top of a thin layer of dirty hay. Her hands were tied behind her back, and she could feel every rough bounce of the wooden cart as it traveled over rough terrain. Something was cutting into her side, and she realized that she was wearing her ceremonial belt that marked her as queen. She had though it looked better than her usual belt and was still a bit more formal; little did that matter now. She only hoped her captors did not know what it meant.

Slowly, she opened her eyes and was not so pleasantly surprised by the darkening sky she could just make out through a space in the board in front of her. Looking around her, she saw the women from the village huddled together in one corner of the cart. They looked scared, and she couldn't blame them. Unlike herself though, they were not tied up in any way. She turned her head to the other side, wincing slightly at the pain it brought to do so. She saw a pair of fierce green eyes meet her own. Cratia. Just beyond the redhead, she could see concerned gray eyes watching her every movement. Tonea. They were alive, but appeared to be tied the same way she was. She had to try to prevent herself from sighing; there was nothing they could do until the cart stopped, but by then it might be too late.

The young queen tried to smile reassuringly at her guards, but it didn't come out the way she planned. They got the message though, and she saw Tonea relax ever so slightly. She turned to give the same half-hearted smile to the villagers, and saw more than one visible sigh in relief. She wondered just how long she had been out. Obviously longer than either of them, which would explain Tonea's concern, but how long had they been out? And just what time was it anyway? The glimpses of sky she saw told her nothing other than it was later and probably getting close to sundown. Most importantly, she thought to herself as she tried to stretch her sore arms, when were they going to get out of this damned cart?

One of her questions was answered as the cart finally settled to a halt. She felt the wooden structure shake as the men stepped off. She tried to listen to the sounds around her, but all she got were muffled mumblings that sounded remotely like men talking. The smell of the old hay covered any scent that might identify where they were, other than the faint smell of campfires that wafted into the cart.

She turned her gaze back to Cratia, hoping the warrior might have some ideas on how to get out of this mess. Ever so softly, to the extent she could barely hear her though she was less than an arms length away, she heard the redhead whisper, "Act like you're still unconscious. We'll try to distract them, then you make a run for it." Before the young queen could protest, she added, "You can go get help and get the rest of us out, but the priority is getting you out first."

The queen nodded and closed her eyes, though she had a bad feeling about what would happen next. She heard the back of the cart open, then a gruff voice call, "Come on, get outta there." She felt the cart shake as someone got down, then again as another was pulled off. The cart shook two more times and she knew the villagers were now out of the way. "Get the Amazons," she heard a voice, was it the same one, shout out. The cart shook again as this time men jumped in.

"Come on," someone said, and she knew they were talking to her. She did not move. She felt a sharp kick to her side and fought not to gasp, keeping up her façade of being too out of it to notice. "This one's still out," she heard the man call to his superior outside.

"Bring her out," came the response, followed by a mumbled, "I thought Amazons were stronger than that." She felt herself roughly picked up, and made her body as limp as possible. Once again, she had to fight not to react when she was thrown roughly to the ground outside the cart. Through half-lidded eyes, she quickly searched for an escape route. Seeing the border of what looked like a forest nearby, she figured that was her best bet, especially since everywhere else seemed to lead deeper into the camp they were brought to. She quickly closed her eyes again as she heard someone coming closer. They stopped what she figured to be about seven paces away from her. She would only have that much as a head start.

She could hear Cratia and Tonea giving a half-hearted struggle as they were led from the cart. Once they were on even ground, she knew the fight would really begin. Four, three, two She heard one of them land a kick into what she hoped was a sensitive area of one of the men. He howled in pain and she heard another kick and another man howl. Now was her chance. She got to her feet as quickly as she could, which was not very easy as she was again face down and her hands were still bound behind her back. She ran towards the woods, knowing at least one man was right behind her. He was getting too close, so she turned around and kicked him as hard as she could in the shin, hoping to slow him down enough to give her a chance to get out. She turned again and managed to run only a few steps more before another man was upon her. This one was much larger and came at her from behind. She felt herself go down, not knowing if she would be able to get up again, especially with the new man now holding onto her. He dragged her up by her arms with one hand, pulling her head back in a fistful of hair with another. He let go of her arms for a second, and she struggled to get away, only to feel the cold metal of a blade against her throat. "Nice try," the man hissed into her ear. "But not good enough." She recognized his voice as the leader of the men who had held her in a similar position before. Her heart raced and it was pounding against her chest so hard she was certain he could hear it. She tried to bite back the panic welling up inside of her. She had to remain strong; to show weakness would be to admit defeat, and she was anything but defeated. She was queen of the Amazons, and by Artemis it was time she acted like it. She would not give in.

He dragged her back to where the others were still fighting and she saw one of the villagers cornered off in a small area throw a rock at one of the men out of the corner of her eye, though she hoped no one else saw it. "Stop or she dies," he shouted out. Cratia and Tonea stopped fighting, though they had been losing anyway. A look of terror flashed in gray eyes before it hardened into a look of determination. They had tried to hold the men off long enough for their queen to escape. They had failed. As soon as they stopped fighting, a man appeared at either side of each of them with a sword drawn and ready.

"Good," the man who held her said. He pushed her forward slightly, and she stumbled closer to her companions. "I knew you would not try to escape without the blonde. Nice try though; she even got by one of my men." He paused, twisting Gabrielle's hair tighter in his grip. "She means something to you, and I'm going to find out what. I want to know exactly how much my slaves are worth." He laughed a deep laugh that she found completely devoid of humor. Seeing Cratia's eyes darken, she knew the Amazon's feelings on the situation, and knew they mirrored her own. Amazon slaves were worth much more than the standard village slaves, especially if they could be broken. If they could not, the slaver at least enjoyed the experience of trying and that was worth the price in itself. One problem, Amazons did not like slavers or the experience of being a slave. They would rather die, and usually did. Her thoughts were interrupted by the man's voice once more. "String them up," he called. She decided she did not like the sound of that.

As he forced her towards the center of the camp, she saw exactly where they were heading. She decided she did not like it at all. There was a large hut in the center of the camp which she assumed was the leader's. On either side of the doorway about twenty paces in front of the hut were two racks. Each consisted of two large wooden poles stood upright in the ground connected by a third pole across the top. Attached to the top pole were two ropes, one at either corner approximently two shoulder-widths apart. There was a total of four of these contraptions, with the two on one side facing the two on the other. Cratia and Tonea were led to the racks to the right of the hut from where they stood facing it, with two extra men stepping in to help take care of the Amazons, just in case they decided not to be cooperative. One man cut the ropes on Cratia's wrists while two men held each arm. They brought them upward and tied them in place. She did not fight; she only stared at the knife being held at her queen's throat. They did the same with Tonea before he moved Gabrielle into position on the other side, facing her companions. As soon as the knife was away from her throat, she tried to fight, but found two strong pairs of hands on either arm. She ignored the feeling of relief that came when they cut the ropes that held her arms behind her back and instead still tried to fight. It was useless, but it did manage to prove she would not be going along with his plan so easily.

As they tied her hands above her head, she saw her captor for the first time. He had dark, almost black, greasy hair that curled around his neckline. His eyes were a mixture of colors, running from brown to green with flecks of what looked like gold mixed throughout. They truly would have been beautiful had they been on anyone other than this monster of a man; the hatred and malice she saw in them outweighed any trace of beauty. He was large, as she had figured, and wore old, but well kept armor over black leather. He smiled without emotion at her and she saw the uneven and filthy edges of his teeth. He was definitely someone she did not want to get to know better. She tried to stand proud, even though she knew the ropes were drawn as long as they could go just so she could stand with her feet on the ground and she was dwarfed by his size. He took her chin in his hand, and she pulled back out of his grasp as far as the ropes would let her. "Yes," he said more to himself than to anyone else. "I should get some good money for a pretty little thing like you" She spit in his face just like Iolaus had taught her, doing her friend and her fellow Amazons proud. She would have smiled, but didn't have time to as his fist connected solidly with her jaw, the ropes the only thing preventing her from falling to the ground. She felt them cut into the gauntlets she still wore and was thankful that it was them, not her wrists, taking the punishment.

Cratia and Tonea strained at their ropes, trying to get to their queen. The man turned around briefly to watch, making sure his guards were ready on the off chance they broke free. "Very interesting," he said, turning back to his primary interest. "I punish you and it has an effect on them. I might not even need to touch them to break them. All I'll need to do is break you and they'll go right along. Then again, that would take away some of my fun." He smiled his dirty smile again and she was repulsed; his breath alone was enough to turn her stomach, had she anything in it to turn.

Another man appeared behind him. He was a bit smaller, but that wasn't saying much, and had sandy brown hair that hung just above his brown eyes. He too was dressed in black leather, though his armor was not quite as well taken care of and had a different design on it. "Well Aurilus, you seem to have gotten quite the catch this time," he told the larger man while he looked Gabrielle over carefully. He didn't even look at the other Amazons, and she didn't like the look in his eye or the way he studied her. "You know," he continued as he ran his fingertips down her arm and ignored her attempts to back away. "I could break this one in if you wanted me to. In fact, I think the experience could be rather enjoyable, for both of us." Just in case his commander didn't get his meaning, he raised his eyebrows suggestively as he laughed.

That was enough for Gabrielle, who could take less of this man than she could the first. She brought her knee up and connected squarely with the man's crotch, her eyes gleaming as he doubled over in pain. The man righted himself just enough to take a swing at her, and she flinched awaiting the contact. It never came as the big man's hand stopped his fist a handsbreath away from her face. "No," he said, letting go of the man's hand. "I want her conscious from this point on. I want her to know everything that happens; to watch and to feel everything." He smiled as understanding registered in the other man's eyes. He was still bitter, to be sure, but now he could at least have something to enjoy. The man he had called Aurilus turned to the two men who stood behind the small woman. "Tie her feet to the poles," he commanded, and they complied, taking the rope from the rack next to her to do so. She had no choice but to let them as each man grabbed a foot and tied it in place, stretching her spread-eagle on the rack. Her legs had a bit more freedom of movement than her arms, and her feet could still touch the ground, but it was far from comfortable.

The man walked over to his hut and picked up something from the doorway. As he came back, she recognized that it was her own staff he held in his hands. He tested its weight in his hand, then spun it carefully in front of him. He seemed to approve as he relaxed his grip and carried it in a more relaxed manner as he walked up to her. "Now," he said casually, placing one end of the staff in the ground and leaning against it. "I may have stopped Diomedes for the moment, but that does not mean that I am against the kind of fun he would love to have with you right now." He paused, smiling back at his second in command before continuing in a very matter-of-fact manner. "First, I am going to get some answers out of you, then you are going to hurt. How much you hurt depends on how much I like your answers. I intend to break you. I intend on hearing you beg for mercy. When you go, your friends over there will be going right after. Whether you live or not is not important to me. I could get some money off of you, but not nearly as much as I'll get off your friends. Besides," he smiled his ugly smile again as he chuckled. "I don't get as much for damaged goods."

He backed away from her slightly and began to spin the staff around again. "Tell me who you are and what your rank is." It was a command, and she was afraid of the consequences if she did not comply.

She swallowed her fear and answered the question. "I am Gabrielle of the Amazons."

He waited a moment before he realized she was not going to answer the second part of his question. Seeing his face contort in anger, she expected to feel the force of her own staff slam into her. Instead, he walked over to where her companions were tied and swung out at Cratia. That was a mistake on his part. Though she took the blow, she kicked out with her feet, landing solidly in his midsection. As he doubled over she came at him again, holding onto the pole above her for leverage as she came at him from above. He stepped out of her reach, only to step into Tonea's. She kicked at him from behind, bracing herself with the ropes that tied her, and would have got another good kick in if he had not managed to somehow get out of the way. "Tie their feet!" he commanded in ragged breaths, leaning on the staff for support. His men scurried to find the rope to do the job, then doubled up as they tied each leg to the poles, trying desperately not to be kicked by the angry Amazons. Once the job was completed, he stepped closer to the two women again. "You will pay for that," he spat. He turned the staff around with apparent ease before slamming it into Cratia's side. He turned it around again and slammed it into her stomach before bringing it up and coming down hard on her shoulder. As the proud woman fought to catch her breath, he sent a blow into Tonea's side for good measure, then returned to his new focus.

As he was about to strike out at the redhead one more time, Gabrielle called out, "No! Stop!" She was straining at her ropes, trying in vain to stop the assault on her companions.

Aurilus came back to her, trying to seem calm and collected though his ragged breathing gave his true state away. "Speak," he commanded. "Answer the question now, or I will continue." He noted with interest that attacking them had the same effect on her as attacking her had on them. He could definitely use this to his advantage.

"I am Gabrielle of the Amazons," she repeated her first answer. Seeing his eyes darken and his grip tighten on her staff, she added, "I am an Ambassador for my people. These are my guards. We were in Thonaly to sign a treaty agreement between our peoples." Always hide a bit of truth in a lie, Xena had told her. It made it more believable, and she could see him debating her answer.

He must have decided to believe her, at least for now. "You must be a pretty high ranking Ambassador to be dressed like that. I know enough about the Amazons to know the higher the rank, the fancier the clothing they wear," he commented, daring her to give an explanation.

She was immediately grateful she had removed her necklace and earring, not to mention the fancy armor-type piece she was supposed to wear on her shoulder. She would have to tell Cratia "I told you so" later, if nothing else it would lighten the mood. "I am Gabrielle of the Quill. We are high ranking Ambassadors among the Amazons, trained from birth in our skill. Those of us who excel are privileged enough to have guards to protect us on our journeys." She silently thanked Calliope for not failing her at her time of need. At least her bardic abilities were still in check. Glancing quickly over at Cratia and Tonea, she saw in their eyes that they would have been laughing if they had not been in so much pain or perhaps if they were anywhere other than strung up in a slaver's camp.

"Hmmm," he mumbled, apparently in deep thought. "It would explain why you are so much smaller; your group obviously isn't meant to fight like the others." He watched as she bristled at the comment, though she said nothing. "Diomedes," he called with a smile in his voice. "What's the going rate for an Amazon Ambassador?" Before the smaller man could answer, Aurilus spun the staff around and struck the young woman in the stomach.

Gabrielle reeled from the blow from her own staff, trying very hard not to cough up the few sweets she had before this little adventure began. "What was that for?" Tonea called from across the small expanse of dirt that separated them. "She told you what you wanted."

"True," the large man agreed. He turned around again and struck the small woman across the side with the staff. As Gabrielle struggled to breathe normally again, he walked over to the larger woman. "That was just for fun." In a blur, he smacked her across the side and the sound of wood hitting leather-covered bone filled the small courtyard. "So was that," he laughed as she struggled to stand upright again, using the ropes for support. "Know this," he called out loud enough for both sides to hear, as well as the small group of villagers still huddled off to the side. "I will do what I want to, when I want to. As soon as you stepped foot into this camp, you lost all control over your lives. I am in charge. You will do what I say, when I say it. Any disobedience will be punished; not only the person who disobeyed will be punished, but another from the group will be as well. I strongly recommend everyone obey, for your own sake as well as the sake of some innocent." He said the last word with a sneer, looking directly at Gabrielle. His meaning was clear. Anyone disobeyed and she would be punished for it. She was his ticket to controlling this bunch, and he wanted to make sure everybody knew it.

He looked around, making sure everyone understood exactly what he was saying. By the looks he was receiving from the villagers, he was certain they understood. He looked at the other Amazons and, though he received a distinctly different look from each of them, he knew they took his point to heart. "Throw the villagers into the cell," he ordered his second in command. "Give them their meal and water, for now."

"And the others?" Diomedes asked, waiting expectantly.

Aurilus looked to the smaller man with a smile. "In a bit. I'm not done playing with them yet." Both men laughed and Gabrielle rolled her eyes.. She had a feeling this was going to be a long night. It would give her time to think about things, like why she didn't listen to Xena when she said to be careful and just how she seemed to get herself into these less than pleasant situations. She had decided long ago that it was simply fate. Somehow she or one of her ancestors had annoyed the Fates and she was paying for it now. It was either that or they had a sick sense of humor.

Lessa felt her Amazon temper growing as she watched the villagers file into the stone cell near the main hut of the slaver's camp. It had taken forever to get to the camp, but eventually the man gave up searching for someone following him and sped up. Now she watched, hidden by a clove of trees above the camp on a small outcropping of rock. There were sentries stationed relatively near by, but they hadn't seen her or even looked in the direction of the outcropping since she came. She should be able to get out safely enough, but first she just needed to know her fellow Amazons were okay.

She came to her hiding spot in time to watch as her queen and her guards were being beaten. They were tied to large racks, not even allowing them the dignity of fighting back. She smiled as she saw that didn't stop them from trying.

For now the villagers were filed away safely, preventing any chance of their escape. Well, without the help of others, at least. All that remained were the Amazons strung to the racks, and the pig of a man using a staff to beat whomever he happened to feel like beating at the time. His attentions seemed focused on the guards, leaving her queen alone for now. She had a feeling he had something else in mind for her though. Something about the man just caused her blood to boil though she could not put her finger on it. The fact he held her queen and sister Amazons should have been reason enough, but there was something more.

Darkness had settled in completely by the time the pig finished having his fun. He signaled two of his men who had been standing behind the guards and they knocked the Amazons unconscious from behind. They then cut the two women down and led them to the same cell as the villagers. She noticed he left her queen where she was. He approached her one last time and said something to her, though she could not make out what. Lessa could not help wincing in sympathy for her queen as he punched her in the stomach, then left to the shelter of his hut. He apparently intended to leave her there for the night.

The young Amazon leaned back against a tree as she thought what to do next. She needed to send them a signal that she was there. She needed to let them know she was going for help. Her eyes traveled over to the nearest sentry and the bow he held at his side. An idea began to form in her mind. She would have to wait to make her move, but she was more than willing to right now.

She did not have to wait nearly as long as she thought she would. One of the other sentries signaled the one nearest her. Her sentry walked over to meet him and after a short discussion put his bow down and followed him to a large rock serving as a makeshift table and sat down. Several of the other sentries joined them and she watched as they began what she assumed was a nightly card game. Their discipline was severely lacking, she decided, though it was something she was not about to complain about right now. The bow lay no less than twenty paces from the group, which should give her plenty of room to get it.

She approached cautiously, careful not to make a sound as she lowered herself to her belly and crawled to within reach of the bow. She could make out the sentries' conversation as she got closer. "Shouldn't one of us at least be looking at the perimeter?" one of the men asked. She froze in place, terrified that she would be discovered. Her fear subsided as she heard the comment answered by laughter. "I've been working this side for the last four moons and haven't even seen a rabbit to shoot at!" another man laughed. Certain they were concentrating on their game once more, she grabbed the bow and a single arrow from the quiver and made her way back to her original hiding spot.

Now to create the signal. She pulled one of the leather ties from her hair and wrapped it securely around the shaft. She tested the weight and adjusted the feathers to allow it to fly properly with her addition. After testing the strength of the bow itself, she was ready. It was not nearly the quality she was used to, but it would have to do. She targeted the window of the stone cell and prayed to Artemis that no one happened to move into the arrow's path once she released it. The arrow glided safely through the barred window with no one on the outside even noticing it go by. She smiled at her success then made her way back down to the sentries to return the bow. Of course she made one slight adjustment to it first. She used her small dagger to slice the string nearly all the way through. It was unnoticeable to anyone who did not look for it, but if anyone tried to use it they would definitely be in for a surprise. She silently thanked Ephiny for showing her that little trick as she carefully laid the bow down next to its quiver and snuck back out to the main road. Now she needed to get back to the Amazon village where they could organize a rescue party.

Tonea looked up as an arrow embedded itself in the wall only a hand's height above her head. What now? she thought as she watched the village women scurry away in fear. Slavers weren't usually known for shooting at their merchandise. She tried to reach above her to pull it out of the wall, but her shoulder screamed in protest. As if her movements weren't hindered enough by the chains she now wore. One of the village women, the one who made those sweets for the queen she noted with apparent interest in unimportant details, approached and pulled the arrow out for her.

"What is it?" the woman asked as she handed the arrow to the warrior.

"An arrow," Tonea replied wryly. She looked it over and noticed the strip of leather tied to the shaft. She raised her eyebrow in surprise. "It seems Lessa is going for help."

"The girl?" the woman exclaimed softly. "But she's so young, what can she do?"

"She's avoided being captured so far, which is more than I can say for us. She also managed to get close enough to send us a signal. I'd bet you a dinar that she's on her way to get help right now, if I had one," the warrior told her. She sighed at the irony. Two of the best warriors are sent to protect the queen, and it's a little girl that ends up having to get help for them all.

Chains rattled as the figure beside her stirred. Cratia moaned softly as she slowly opened her eyes. Out of reflex, she brought her hands to her aching head, only to find them chained together. Her eyes followed the manacles to the chains that attached them to a large metal ring embedded in the wall behind her. She looked over to Tonea and saw she was in the same situation. "Are you okay?" the larger woman asked.

"I feel like I've been run over by a village of centaurs, but other than that, sure, I'm fine," the redhead sighed, leaning her head back against the cool stone wall.

Tonea smiled at the comment, knowing if she could make jokes, her friend was going to be all right. "Lessa sends her best," she said, handing Cratia the arrow the young Amazon sent.

The other warrior looked over the arrow, noticing the unmistakable sign that the arrow came from the girl. She was impressed. She might even have to tell the child that when she saw her again, if she saw her again. She awkwardly rested her head in her hands, and was not surprised to find blood there; she would have been more surprised not to find it. Her entire body hurt, and looking over at her friend, she could see she was not much better. The redhead had definitely taken the brute of the punishment; but then again she was the one to attack the man with a staff while she was tied up. Any injuries her friend had were as much her fault as the man's What was his name anyway? Like it really mattered; a slaver was a slaver. All she cared about was how much she wanted him dead. More conscious now, she looked around and noticed something very important missing. "Where's Gabrielle?" she asked, panic rising within her.

"Mr. Slaver has decided she needs to spend more time outside," Tonea answered her. Seeing her friend's panic rise even higher, she tried to reassure her. "It looks like we got the brunt of it. The villagers assure me she's fine, at least for now. Well, as fine as she can be considering the circumstances."

The woman who had helped with the arrow, approached again. "It looks like she'll have some bruises, but nothing too serious. As for your injuries, he seemed to be careful enough not to break anything."

"Of course, we're worth more this way," Cratia snapped sarcastically. She sighed again. "What happened to not damaging the merchandise?" she asked the air around her as she tried to stretch her sore arms. The woman came closer as if to help, but she shrugged her off. "I'll heal," she told her. "I'm more worried about our que I mean our Ambassador," she corrected just in case someone was listening.

Another woman walked to the window and peered out, standing on her toes to do so. "She's alone out there. It looks like he lost interest," she reported.

"I doubt that," Tonea commented, nodding to her in thanks. "He's probably just taking a break to eat. By morning he'll be interested again."

"That reminds me," the first woman said, hurrying over to where the other women still clung together. "We figured they wouldn't give you any food, so we saved you some." She brought over a bowl of a gruel-like substance and a mug of water. "It's all we could save, they didn't give us much."

"Thank you," Tonea told her, though the though of eating that slop right now repulsed her. She looked to her fellow Amazon and saw she felt the same. "I'm not that hungry right now," she lied. "Why don't we save it in case they let Gabrielle down tonight?" she suggested, trying not to hurt the woman's feelings.

"Okay," the woman agreed. "But at least have a sip of water, you must be parched." Tonea smiled at the motherly tone and complied. She had to admit it felt good. She handed the cup to Cratia, who took a sip of her own and sighed in relief as the cool liquid slid down her throat. As much as she knew she could drink more, she pushed the mug away, knowing that on the off chance they did let Gabrielle down tonight, the queen would need the water more than she would. Both Amazons leaned against the wall and looked at each other, sharing an unspoken message; it was going to be a long night.

Lessa crept carefully away from the camp, not wanting to risk the slim chance that someone would see her. She continued to do so long past where she last saw the sentries. If this had been Amazon country, there would have been more hidden high above in the trees. This, however, was not Amazon country and she managed to escape to the safety of the forest unseen. Once there, she traveled as fast as her legs would carry her. She knew there was a shortcut between where she was now and Amazon Territory that would cut some time off her trip. She also knew that she did not know that territory as well so it would be much harder to navigate in the dark, not to mention the fact she did not know where the bridge to cross the river was and she did not trust herself to cross it alone. She needed to get to her people. Getting washed away down the river wold not help matters. So she headed to the place she thought best, back to Thonaly. From there she hoped to pick up a horse and make it to Amazon Territory by late that evening if she was lucky. She would tell the Regent what had happened and the rescue party would leave the next morning. Or so she hoped.

She was less than halfway back to the village when a wave of fatigue hit her. She tried to fight through it and go on. Eventually though, she gave up. Her body needed rest if she was to make it to the Amazons. With the last bit of strength, she climbed up a nearby tree and found a safe spot where she nestled in. She could only afford a little rest, but from here she would be aware of any movement in the forest and would be safe from whatever else happened to be lurking out there. Closing her eyes, she willed herself to what she knew would be an all to brief sleep.

Cratia had drifted into a restless sleep, only to be awoken by a rather unpleasant noise. It sounded like bone hitting bone. She opened her eyes and tried to see the sky out of the small window. It was hard to tell, but it looked to be only about halfway through the night. She heard the sound again, and realized it came from outside her cell.

One of the women peered outside, then quickly ducked back down. "It's your friend," she whispered. "They're bringing her in." She quickly lay back down and faked sleep, as she knew the other occupants of the cell were also doing.

The door to the cell creaked open and the young queen was rather unceremoniously thrown into the cell. She rolled slightly to her side to take the brunt of the fall, but other than that made no move to protect herself. As soon as they heard the lock click into place, the cell occupants came to life. Two of the women rushed over and tried to help the young woman into a sitting position while the other two went to the corner where they had hid the food and water. Gabrielle leaned heavily against the women as they helped prop her against the wall.

"What happened?" Cratia demanded, forgoing all formality in this current situation.

"I fell asleep out there," The smaller woman tried to smile but found it hurt her jaw too much to do so. "He didn't like that much."

"You fell asleep out there? Standing up?" one of the women asked incredulously. "How in the world did you manage to do that?"

"It's a trick a friend taught me, never thought I'd use it though," the young woman answered, letting her head loll back against the stone wall.

Tonea smiled wryly, knowing just what friend she was talking about. She wouldn't mind having that same friend here right now; they probably wouldn't be in the situation they were in if she were here. "Are you alright?" she asked her queen, her concern evident in her voice.

"Sure, fine, never better," Gabrielle answered emotionlessly. "Though my arms are numb and my fingers are starting to tingle" She trailed off, obviously not quite with it at the moment.

"Quick," Cratia said, trying to move closer to her queen and cursing silently when her chains prevented her from doing so. "Get those gauntlets off her!"

"What?" one of the village women asked, not understanding. "Those are the only things that stopped her wrists from turning to dogmeat out there."

Cratia shook her head and bit back a remark, knowing the woman was only trying to be helpful. "All of the blood is rushing back into her arms and hands, making them swell. The gauntlets are cutting off her circulation," she explained a little more hurriedly than she had intended to. Sweet Artemis, it was her queen she was talking about, she had a right to be as hurried as she wanted to be.

"Oh," was all the woman said. She and another of the villagers set to work undoing the clasps and buckles that held the decorated gauntlets in place. Noticing the purplish tinge to the young woman's fingers, she sped up her efforts.

Gabrielle winced as the blood flowed freely once more and she felt the tension in her body go down at least two full notches. "Thanks," she said, her voice sounding harsh to her own ears. Gods she was tired.

"We'll put them back on before morning," Tonea assured her. It was a subtle reminder of what they all knew; he would come back for her. "We can try loosening them a bit, but that might not help against the ropes as much."

Before the young woman could answer, one of the villagers interrupted. "Here, drink this," she said offering her the mug of water.

She took it gratefully, thinking briefly of how they managed to save any when slavers weren't known for their generosity. She took a large gulp, letting the liquid wash over her dry throat, then tried to hand it back to the woman. "Thank you," she said.

"No," the woman protested, pushing it back. "You drink that up. Your friends over there might be able to get away with that, but I'm not letting you." The woman gave her a look that reminded her of her mother, so she accepted the mug back and took another sip.

She leaned back up against the wall, allowing her aching muscles a bit of rest. "The gauntlets aren't that much help now," she said, remembering what Tonea had been talking about. She set down the mug and held out her wrists for her friend to see. They were marred by red marks across the bottom on both wrists and the top on her left, a sign of the fletching glove that was attached to one of the guards she wore. She dropped them back down into her lap and closed her eyes.

"It could be worse," Tonea told her, thought there was a definite trace of sympathy in her voice. Gabrielle believed her, she just didn't have the strength to tell her right now, so she nodded her head silently.

"We saved some food for you too," one of the women told her. "It's not very good, but at least it's something." Gabrielle opened her eyes and looked at the cold gruel in the bowl before her. She tried to shake her head but the woman would have none of that. "You need to keep your strength up," she told her. "Now eat!" The young queen looked to her guards for support, but the looks on their faces told her there would be no help there. She took the spoon and played with it for a moment before bringing some of the cold mixture to her mouth. It was a fight to keep it down at first, but then her empty stomach called for more. She looked to Cratia and saw a small smile; she had proved once again that she could eat anything. At any other time, she would have laughed, but she couldn't even bring herself to do that right now. She finished the bowl and set it down, taking one last sip of water as she did so.

Tonea was surprised when after a bit, her queen still did not talk. She looked closely and her concern faded. Gabrielle was sound asleep. Good, she thought. She's going to need it. She turned to the woman who was now picking up the dishes and returning them to their hiding spot. "I'm sorry," the warrior said when the woman returned. "I never asked any of your names."

"I am Morian," she said as she sat down, turning a motherly gaze on the sleeping woman. Tonea had to admit the woman looked like she had taken care of more than a few children in her time. "That is Joelle," she motioned to a slim blonde woman who lay in one of the corners trying her best to fall back asleep. "That over there is Ryel," she motioned to the other corner of the small cell where a young brunette had laid down. "And this is Grana," she finished, patting the woman who sat next to her on the arm. She was the cook they first met in the village and smiled a weary smile as she was introduced.

"Thank you, for all of your help. Thank you very much," Tonea told them emphatically. She knew they were supposed to protect the women, and they had failed. But obviously the women of Thonaly were strong-willed and survivors. Now they had taken on the role of helping out the warriors, and for that she would be eternally grateful.

"That goes for both of us," Cratia spoke up, surprising her newly introduced companions. Not only had she seemed hard to approach back at the village, but she had been silent for so long everyone had thought she had fallen asleep just like the young woman she seemed so worried about. "Thank you for watching over her." She motioned to the sleeping form of her queen.

"She seems like such a nice girl, and she got into this mess trying to help us," Grana answered. "But because of her, and you, our children are safe and for that we are the ones to be grateful." She offered another tired smile to the warriors.

"I'm sorry we have not treated you Amazons as you deserve," Morian spoke up. "In truth, I was afraid of you at first. But now Now I can see how truly good you are. You care for the girl, very much; you risked your lives to save her. I don't know what she means to you, but I know she's important. You are a very brave people, all of you, even the child. If she did what you say she did I need to apologize to her for how I treated her as well. I hope you are right about her going for help. This man, he is not so good. I am afraid of what he will do to your friend if your people do not get here in time."

"So am I," Tonea admitted quietly, looking back to her queen.

Cratia studied the large bruise that marred Gabrielle's face, and imagined the others that were probably still forming. "And you were worried about what Xena would do if she saw the split lip," she said wryly.

"Right now, I would take whatever punishment she offered if it meant she was here," Tonea sighed. "Because that would mean Gabrielle would be safe and we would be on our way out." She rested her head against the stone once more and closed her eyes, imagining any place but where she was now.

"Xena? The warlord?" Morian asked in surprise. "What would you want with that monster's help?"

"She's not like that any more," Cratia objected, though she knew the monster probably stilled lurked below the image of goodness the warrior portrayed. "She hasn't been for several seasons, now she helps people and goes against the warlords and slavers."

"She also happens to be the best friend of the woman you are watching over right now," Tonea added without opening her eyes. "And if she's at the village, she's our best hope out of here."

"Then let's hope your friend finds her," Grana sighed, looking out the window at the night sky. The young one before her certainly was a much more complicated woman than she seemed. But then again, that might just help her through this.

The sky was just beginning to lighten before sunrise when Lessa awoke. She stretched her cramping muscles slightly before climbing down the tree and prepared to begin her journey once more. Time was of the essence, so she did not bother to stop to look for food, only to make sure she was not being followed. Though she doubted she would be, she could not risk being caught. She hurried along the forest floor, not resting until she reached the spot where they were first attacked. There she sat down briefly, allowing herself to catch her breath and rethink her path to the village. She wondered how the warriors managed to do this all the time; sleeping in trees she could handle because she had been doing that since she was a child, but the running, tracking, covering their own tracks, not stopping for food or rest, and still being ready to fight part is what she could not figure out. It was something to ask about later, she decided as she stood up and started again.

It was not long before she reached the outskirts of the village. Looking up at the sky she saw she had made excellent time. Now if she could only keep this up She ran into the village, ignoring the surprised looks of several of the men and the damage that had been done to the buildings and homes. All that she cared about was that which stood in her way. She rushed into the inn they had been staying at to ask the innkeeper to prepare a horse for her only to find what appeared to be a town meeting going on inside. The small area was crowded with talking men, many with raised voices that all fell when they saw her.

"What are you doing here?" one of the men asked. She recognized him as one of the town leaders her queen was dealing with, but could not remember his name at the moment. "Is something wrong with the women?"

Before she could answer, several other men spoke up. "I told you we should have sent for them last night!" one of them exclaimed. "If something was wrong, why would they send a child to tell us?" another one countered.

"Why don't you all quiet down enough to let her speak?" another man spoke up. She did not recognize him as one of the villagers, nor did he dress like any of the other men. He was only slightly taller than her, with a mop of gold curls and wore the strangest purple vest she had ever seen. Satisfied that the townspeople were quiet enough, he continued. In a much softer, though not patronizing, voice he asked, "Why don't you tell us what happened?"

She took a deep breath before she began. She had not planned on having to deal with these people; she only hoped they did not delay her too much. "Your women are fine," she said, her voice wavering slightly. "Well, most of them." A murmur began to grow from the back of the crowd and the small man put his hand up to silence them again. Satisfied they were listening, she continued. "We were attacked on our way to the caves. Most of the women escaped to the caves with the men you sent. My sisters and my queen attempted to protect the others, there were four of them, but they were defeated. They were captured and taken to a slaver's camp where they are being held now. I am going to my people for help. Do not interfere or they may hurt the other women. My people can get them out if you let us." She stopped, completely out of breath and scared of what their reaction might be.

"We'll go!" one of the men spoke up. "We'll form a party and get them back. Send for your people if you have to, but we're going to get them out!" Several of the crowd cheered the idea, and the group grew loud again.

Before the small man could quiet them down again, another voice stood out in the room. "No!" Lessa shouted, successfully gaining their attention. "She is our queen, so we have jurisdiction! Read the treaty that you just signed yesterday and you will find it to be true. Your entire town could barely handle the small troop that you fought, and look at the damage that it cost you!" She motioned outside to the destroyed buildings. "We had only the few warriors and we managed to hold off four times the men before anyone was captured or harmed. Can you say the same? My people will come, and my people will fight. We will return your women to you, but you must not interfere!"

The crowd was taken aback by such a large temper from such a small child. Many did not know what to make of her, but one spoke up, pointing out the one thing she was most ashamed of. "How come you weren't captured, great warrior? If you ran and hid, how do we know the others won't?"

When Lessa answered him, her temper was barely under control, and even though she was small in size, several of the men stepped back. "My queen ordered me to hide. She did not want me to fight. It is because of these orders that you now know the fate of your villagers. It is because of these orders that I will tell my people and they will free them." She knew the men in the room could easily take her, but her hand rested on her small dagger and she fought to put on a façade of strength.

"Trust her," a voice said. It was the newcomer, and his hand rested on his own sword. "I know the Amazons, and I know what they are capable of. The fact that one this young survived should be testament to that. I don't know what that treaty of your says, but I suggest you look it up." He raised an eyebrow in a look all too familiar to the young girl. She began to wonder just where he knew the Amazons from.

"I am going to go up to our rooms and get my queen's belongings. The regent may want proof to what I am saying. If you would be so kind as to have a horse ready for me, I can make it to my people that much faster and we can get your women back to you that much faster," Lessa told them, turning towards the rooms so they would not see her breaking resolve. A path cleared for her and she marched up the stairs. Behind her, she could hear several of the voices continuing to talk.

"And she's only a kid? I'd hate to see a real Amazon mad!" one man exclaimed to a chorus of agreement. "Did she say queen? I thought it was just an Ambassador," another said. "Maybe she was just trying to make a point," came a suggestion. "Well, she certainly made it. Someone better go get that horse ready."

Lessa closed the door to the queen's room behind her and sat down on the bed next to the pouch of scrolls that lay across it. Gods, she was tired. But she had to go on. She folded up the queen's official skirt and placed it in a small bag that also contained her necklace, earring, and some more official Amazon scrolls. Not too surprisingly, she soon heard a knock at the door. "Enter," she called, expecting to see a messenger telling her the horse was ready.

Instead, she was met by the small man from downstairs. "Do you need any help with anything?" he asked as he stepped into the room.

"Only with keeping the people down there under control long enough for me to get out of here," she sighed. She picked up the scroll pouch and the other bag and headed for the door.

"Wait!" the small man stopped her, reaching for the pouch. She stopped him with a look. "That's Gabrielle's, I'd know it anywhere. She's the one you were with? She's the queen, isn't she?" he asked.

The small woman once again rested her hand on her dagger. "How do you know our queen?" she demanded.

"She's a friend of mine," the man answered earnestly. "I'm Iolaus. Hercules and I were going to meet up with her in a day or so. I passed this village on the way and saw they could use some help. If it's Gabrielle you're worried about, Xena's got to be with her. That means they're probably out of there already and on their way back here."

His story sounded truthful, and she knew her queen was planning on meeting up with some friends soon and one of them was named Iolaus, so she was tempted to believe him. "Xena is not with her," she said simply, though her voice was full of emotion. "They are not out of there, and they are not on their way back here."

"What? But Xena's always with her!" the man who claimed to be Iolaus exclaimed.

"Not this time," the girl replied sadly.

"There's something else, isn't there?" he prodded. "What aren't you telling me?"

She couldn't help it anymore, and tears streamed down her face. She tried to rationalize that it was from stress, hunger, fear, and all sorts of things, but she simply could not hold it in any longer. The man was instantly at her side, leading her to the bed where she could sit down and let it all out. Her heart told her to trust him; he matched what she had heard of the queen's friend and he had supported her this far. "It's that place! That awful, awful place! Cratia and Tonea tried to protect her, that I have to believe. But there were these racks and the man just started beating them again and again" She broke into tears once more at the memory.

Iolaus realized that beneath the burly image, this was only a child he was dealing with. An Amazon child, but a child nonetheless. "Did they hurt Gabrielle?" He tried to ask softly, but his voice cracked with anger.. She nodded silently, wiping the tears from her eyes, ashamed to have been seen crying at a time when she needed to be so strong. "Listen, I need you to tell me where they are. I need you to try to remember. I just need you to tell me, then go back and get help from Ephiny. May be she knows where Xena is and she can help. I am going to go there and see what I can do. I'll wait for the others if I can, but if I see any way to get them out, I'll try, okay?" Despite his anger he smiled, knowing she probably still doubted him, and added, "If you don't tell me I'm going anyway, but I figure you can help me out."

At the mention of her regent's name, her belief in the man solidified. Very few knew about Ephiny or her relationship to the queen and Xena. Those who did were trusted friends of the Amazons. She looked the man as she responded. "I will do better than that. I will draw you a map, including where the sentries were the last time I saw them. They aren't very good, so they should be in the same spot now. You have to promise not to tell anyone. I do not want to be responsible for their deaths if they get in the way."

"Agreed," he said, offering his hand out to shake on it. She gripped it firmly in a warrior's handshake, reminding him again of the strength of this seemingly small child.

She quickly pulled out a quill and one of the scrolls from the pouch. Unrolling part of it and making sure the section she chose had no writing on it, she tore off a piece slightly larger than the size of her hand. Looking up at Iolaus, she commented, "Under the circumstances, I don't think she'll mind."

He smiled at the comment, knowing just how protective Gabrielle could be of her scrolls. He then watched in amazement at the girl beside him drew one of the most accurate maps he had seen of the area in just moments. "Where did you learn to do that?" he asked incredulously.

"I don't know," she answered honestly, shrugging off the comment. "I just always have been able to." She then quickly pointed out where he should turn off the main road, which tree to turn at, how to get by the field, and where the sentries she had seen were stationed. He was truly impressed. He also noticed that it gave her something to focus on again and took her mind off of other matters. She handed him the parchment with an apology. "I'm sorry I did not take the time to be more accurate, but I'm in a hurry. I hope this is good enough."

"It's more than good enough," he assured her. "Thank you."

"I've got to get back to Amazon Territory and warn the others. I will tell them to expect you there." She quickly stepped out of the room, tossing over her shoulder, "Good bye, and good luck."

He looked at the map once more, shaking his head at what she called inaccurate. He rolled it up and tucked it into his gauntlet, just in case any of the townspeople got any ideas. She was a very brave girl, he decided. In her place at her age, he probably would have ran and hid, not gotten close enough to know where the sentries were, then gone for help. He also realized how tired she must be, and nearly hit himself for not making her eat or drink something. He ran downstairs to try to head her off and at least make her take something with her.

By the time Lessa reached the bottom of the stairs and the entrance to the main room of the inn, the men had settled down. Few remained in fact, but of those few all eyes were on her. "Is the horse ready?" she asked, ignoring their stares.

"Yes it is, little lady," the man tending bar told her. "She's the fastest one we could find. I also put a bit of food and a waterskin on her for you," he added, knowing the girl was probably willing to go without. He couldn't help it, the father in him told him to look out for her. "She's outside tied to the post."

"Thank you," she said politely, then walked out the door to where the horse and a crowd of men waited. They cleared a path for her; some were still grumbling, but it was clear they would not interfere for now at least. She untied the reins and mounted the horse. A few heartbeats later, the horse and the girl were traveling at top speed back to Amazon Territory.

Iolaus made it to the door just in time to see her take off. He never had a chance to stop her at the speed she was going. Walking back inside where he had left his own gear, he swore under his breath.

"What's wrong?" the barkeep asked, though he had a fair idea.

"The girl, did she?"

"I packed some food and water on the horse. There was no way anyone was stopping her," the other man answered his unfinished question.

Iolaus sighed. "Thanks," he said, running his hands through his hair, trying to think of the millions of things to do next. How was he going to get away when he had offered to help rebuild?

"If you leave out the back now, no one will even realize you're gone," the barkeep whispered to him. The small man looked at him in surprise. "Yeah, like I couldn't figure out what you were doing," the barkeep rolled his eyes. "Just bring your friend back safe."

The day came too early for Gabrielle and her companions. The sun was just barely peeking over the trees when the guards came for her. They brought enough men with them to handle any "disturbances" that might occur, though they doubted any of the village women would dare to challenge them. The young woman had still been sleeping when one of them kicked her awake. As she got her bearings once more, her heart sank; she had been hoping everything was just a bad dream though the pain in her side told her otherwise. Two of the men roughly pulled her to her feet, slamming her up against the wall as each grabbed an arm to hold her by. She noted with a bit of surprise that she was wearing her gauntlets once again. The villagers must have put them on her again while she was asleep, and she never felt a thing. Zeus, she thought, she must have really been out.

"Pig!" Cratia spat as she tried to kick out at one of the guards. Her feet may have been chained, but that didn't stop her from trying, or Tonea from joining in. Together they knocked one man to the ground and had another man wobbling before the other guards had their weapons out and at the ready.

"Do you really think that's going to help your precious ambassador?" one of the men asked, leveling his sword against Gabrielle's exposed stomach. "Nothing you do can change her fate! All you can do now is try to save your own lives." He motioned to the men trained on the Amazons. One of them stepped forward and smacked Cratia in the side of the head with the pommel of his sword, then kicked her hard in the stomach before she faded to unconsciousness.

Another man squatted down to Tonea's level where she met his gaze evenly without a trace of fear. He grabbed her throat with his free hand, tightening his grip to cut off her air. "You will not try that again," he told her, then slammed her head into the wall behind her. She was conscious, but dazed as she watched the men drag her queen back out into the courtyard.

"Well that was stupid," Morian commented as she tore off a scrap of her skirt to hold to Cratia's bleeding temple.

"We had to try," Tonea told the woman as her head lolled back against the stone. No one was going to say they didn't go down without a fight.

Gabrielle did her best to struggle, surprising them with the amount of strength she still had. She had been forced awake to find herself in the middle of a fight enough mornings to know how to summon the energy so soon after being sound asleep. Of course then she was with Xena and knew she would get a rest afterword, but she tried to block that thought from her mind and concentrate on the present.

She found that a bit easier to do as she was led to the beast of a man who was currently in control of her life. Or thought he was, anyway, she told herself. She would not give in, no matter what. He would have to kill her to make her break; though she really hoped she would get out of this place before that happened.

"Good morning, Madame Ambassador," Aurilus sneared as his men brought her to a halt before him. Diomedes appeared at his side. "I trust you had a pleasant night?" he asked, with the same dirty smile she had grown to hate. She did not answer. "Oh boys, it looks like our ambassador has decided not to speak to us today. Such a shame," he laughed. "Let's see if we can make her talk, or at least scream." With that, he punched her in the stomach, the guards holding onto her the only thing stopping her from doubling over in pain. "String her up," he ordered, stepping back to let his men do their job.

Gabrielle was tied back into the same position she was in the day before, her hands bound over her head and her feet bound to the posts below. It appeared they had learned their lesson. When they finished, Aurilus assumed his position next to her once more. He pulled a dagger from his belt and waved it slowly in front of her, back and forth, letting the sun glint off the blade. "You're going to entertain me," he told her, lifting her chin with the flat edge of the blade. "One way or another." He moved the blade to her arm, running the edge along the skin from her elbow to nearly her shoulder, leaving a neat red line in its path. She began to wish she had not removed the bracers from her arms as she fought not to scream.

"Come on," he said, taunting her. "You know you want to. Just let it all out." She decided at that point that she would not scream; no matter what her did to her, she would not scream. He lowered the blade to where her belt met her skirt. "You can do it," he told her, pressing the blade through the cloth and into her thigh. "Scream!" he commanded. She refused. He pulled the blade downwards in one quick motion towards her knee. The gash, while not deep, was painful. She could feel the blood dripping down her leg, but she refused to make a sound.

Aurilus backed away from her slowly, wiping the blood from his blade on her skirt as he did so. He turned to his second in command, the fury evident in his eyes. "Leave her here for now," he ordered. "Give the others their morning meal, and then come back to me. I'm thinking after breakfast I'm going to take in a little practice with the staff; but then again it's been so long since I've used a whip. I might need to brush up on that as well." He laughed his humorless laugh once again as he walked away.

Diomedes stepped up to the prone woman on the rack, his fist closing around her throat as he whispered to her. "You are going to pay for what you did yesterday, do not doubt that. All I have to do is wait for Aurilus to turn his back for one second, and you are mine." He let go of her and watched as she struggled for breath for a moment before he turned to follow his leader's orders.

Lessa rode as fast as she could for as long as she could. She knew the horse could use a break, but she didn't have time to waste. She gave the mare as much of a break as she could by slowing down long enough to take a healthy swig of water and found she wanted more. After satisfying her thirst, she was off again. There were few travelers on the road, and even fewer when they saw her coming; there was no doubt that nothing would stop her. She rode at the same break-neck speed for as long as she had daylight at her side, though let the horse slow as darkness covered the land and the road before her.

She forced herself to slow from her still rapid pace once she reached the borders of Amazon Territory; getting shot by the sentries when she was so close to her goal would do her no good. She brought the horse to a near stop and called out the distinctive birdcall that warned the sentries of her arrival. Immediately, a guard appeared from one of the trees above her.

"Lessa?" the guard asked, truly surprised. "Where's the queen? Or her guards?"

The girl did not want to waste time having to explain herself. "Warn the others that I am coming in. Have them open the gate for me before I get there," the girl commanded. "Believe me when I say this is urgent." With that, she kicked the horse into a full gallop once again, leaving a very confused guard rushing to start the signals to announce her arrival. The girl rode on past the outer, then inner sentries, hearing the warning cries only moments before she reached each post. She reached the gates just as they were being pulled open, and seeing the speed at which she approached, the guards hurried their efforts. She did not stop until she was fully inside the compound, and then only when she saw Ephiny running up to meet her.

"I'm telling you, I have a bad feeling about this," the warrior said as she paced the small hut.

Gray eyes watched her for a moment before speaking. "Xena, you've only been here for a day and a half. The delegation is not due back until at least tomorrow afternoon and that's if there were no delays. For all we know she had to stay to work out some minor detail of the treaty," Ephiny sighed. She knew she didn't need to mention the fact the warrior had come early on the off chance her friend was back already, or the fact that she had told her the same thing at least three times now. Normally she would have trusted the other woman's instincts, but this was different. Their friend, and her queen, had simply gone to a small village to negotiate a treaty. They had sent with her the best and possibly most intimidating warriors that weren't out on far patrol on the off chance that something happened. Ephiny could still remember the young queen objecting, but Xena insisted. Xena probably would have gone herself if she had not gotten a message from another village saying they needed her help. Even then, if Gabrielle hadn't insisted that she go, she would be in the small village of Thonaly right now, intimidating the town council into listening to the queen's offer.

The regent tired of watching the other woman pace, so she stood and stretched slightly before walking over to the window that looked out onto the main compound, now lit only by the small fires of the sentries. She watched her people go by, caught up in their nightly routine for a moment before turning back around to face her friend. Xena had obviously tired of pacing as well; she had thrown herself down into the chair the Ephiny had so recently vacated. The blonde wondered briefly if that had been her plan all along, to annoy the regent into giving up her chair. One look at the warrior's face, and she decided now was not the time to ask. It had been a long and boring day for both of them, and with nothing to do Xena had all the time in the world to focus on her worry and doubt.

"I know I am probably driving you nuts," Xena commented, idly picking at the wooden arm of the chair. She didn't look up to see the look her friend was giving her. In her mind's eye she could see the raised eyebrow, the crooked smile, and the little nod that told her she had a gift for understatement. She gave up trying to pick the chair apart and sighed, folding her hands in her lap. "It's just this feeling It won't go away. Something is telling me that something is seriously wrong, and until I know for sure that she is safe, I won't be satisfied."

"Look," Ephiny offered. "I can send an extra patrol out tomorrow if that will make you happy. Not all the way to Thonaly, but one to meet them on their way back. If there is any trouble, they will have more help than they'll ever need."

Xena smiled almost meekly. She knew her friend could see right through her. Both cared a great deal about Gabrielle, and wanted to protect her in any way they could. They just did so in different ways. Ephiny would send patrols and guards with the excuse of protecting the queen, and trust the others to do so. Xena preferred to be right there next to her in case anything went wrong; that way she knew she could stop anything bad from happening. Both knew Gabrielle was very capable of taking care of herself, but neither one of them wanted to take the risk. Besides, she though wryly, that young woman certainly had a way of getting herself into situations.

"Come on," the blonde urged, brushing some stray curls out of her face as she headed for the door. Xena needed to get out of the hut and into some fresh air, maybe that would relax her a bit. Or, she could always hold a few late night sparring matches to get out the tension; maybe two or three Amazons against the great Warrior Princess would lighten her up and get her mind off things. There would be no shortage of volunteers to go up against her; nor would there be any shortage for the extra patrol, she thought with a smile. She knew more than one Amazon who wanted a chance at defeating the warrior. As for those going on patrol, she knew how her people felt about the queen. Some protected her out of loyalty to her post, others for the fact she was a good friend that they did not want to see hurt. At least it wouldn't seem like they were being overprotective; she could think up an old law or two about the proper way of greeting a returning queen, even though no one had used such a law in all of her time in the village. If it was on the scrolls, Gabrielle couldn't complain.

The two friends had made it only a few steps outside the door before the sound of the warning calls echoed through the camp. "What's that?" Xena asked, immediately on the defensive.

Ephiny listened to the series of calls as she answered. "One rider Coming in fast Urgent Open the gates." The last part of the message registered with her. "Open the gates!" she shouted, running to the center of the compound to meet whoever it was causing such a ruckus. Several women ran to comply with her order, while several others rushed from their huts to the courtyard with their weapons at the ready in case the intruder had any plans. It was clear that several had been sleeping or on their way to, but that didn't stop them from going into full warrior mode in the blink of an eye. As the gates began to open, the Amazons could see in the firelight the lone rider and the speed she was coming in at. More people rushed to the gates to help push them open while others stepped back out of the suspected path of the horse as it became evident she would not stop.

Several guards surrounded Ephiny in an attempt to protect their regent. The blonde recognized who the rider was and pushed her way to the front. "Whoa!" she called as Lessa pulled the mare to a stop several paces away from her. The other Amazons who had gathered could now also identify the rider and relaxed their stances, though they still held onto their weapons. One took the reins from the girl as she slid off the side, barely righting herself before bowing to the regent. "Lessa, what's wrong?" she demanded, looking back and forth between the obviously fatigued girl and the frothing horse.

"I" the girl squeaked, still trying to catch her breath. Now was not the time for her voice to fail her.

"Get her some water," Xena ordered as she came up along side Ephiny. A skin almost immediately appeared in her hand. She handed it to the girl who took a long drought, then stopped as she began to cough. "Careful," she warned. "Slowly."

The girl took another, smaller sip, then looked up at the dark warrior with a look of relief that she was certain was not just from the water. The look quickly passed though, and was replaced with one of fear and urgency.

"Lessa, what's wrong?" the regent repeated her question, though in a slightly softer tone. She had to fight to keep a calm appearance, while inside her mind was screaming that Xena had been right and something terrible had happened.

"The queen Her guards" the child began. She took a deep breath to right herself and started again. "The village was attacked. We were taking some of the villagers to safety when we were ambushed. The queen and her guards were taken, along with some of the village women." The words came out rushed, but she got her point across.

"There's something more," Ephiny prodded. As if kidnapping the queen wasn't enough, she thought to herself.

Lessa looked around at the crowd of Amazons surrounding her nervously. They were all staring at her, waiting for her to speak. She feared their reaction when they found out the truth. "Yes," she answered meekly.

Ephiny saw what was scaring the child and felt for her. The girl had rushed back, nearly running her horse to death, only to be faced with the scrutiny of a massive group of armed Amazons. "Come with me," she said, turning the child towards her hut. "Don't worry, I'll let you know what happened," she told the other Amazons before leading the girl across the compound. As expected, Xena was at her side. It was Gabrielle that was involved; it was not like she could cut the warrior out.

Once inside the hut, she had the child sit down in the wooden chair Xena had sat in not so long ago while the other woman closed the door securely behind her. If there was any question about interrupting them, Solari and Eponin took up posts outside the door, preparing to stop anyone from entering uninvited. They too understood the need to give the poor thing a break.

Ephiny pulled over another, smaller chair, and Xena did the same, putting themselves at the girl's level. "Now," the regent said, leaning forward and folding her hands in her lap. "I need you to tell me everything you know, everything that happened. Don't leave anything out, do you understand?"

Lessa nodded solemnly and began her tale. She told them about the raiders, and bringing the women to the caves. She told them about the ambush and being ordered to hide. She told them how she watched as the women were taken and then how she followed them to the camp. When she told them what she had seen at the camp, she couldn't help the tears that formed. She finished by telling them about how she sent the signal and snuck back out of the camp.

Xena could barely control her anger, but she knew not to frighten the child. She had done all she could do, and more. She held no fault in any of this. Ephiny spoke next, her own anger more in check than her companion's. "Do the people of Thonaly know what happened?"

"Yes," the girl nodded. "I went back there to get the horse. I told them to do nothing right now, that we would take care of it. They are willing to follow the treaty, but probably not for long."

"Good," the blonde woman said more to herself than anyone else. "At least we don't have to worry about them getting in the way right now."

"There's something else," Lessa said, albeit a little timidly. "There was a man at the village He wasn't from there, but was helping to clean it up. He claimed to be a friend of yours," she looked to Xena for a brief moment before returning her gaze to her hands. "He knew about the queen, and seemed really worried about her. He knew who she was just by her scrolls; I didn't tell him. He also knew about you and called you by name." Now she looked to the regent and actually met her eyes. "He insisted on helping, said he was going to with or without my help. He said the queen was his friend, and he knew so much about everything that I believed him. I told him how to find the camp, but he said he would wait for us unless he saw a way to get her out."

"Are you sure he was not with the slavers?" Ephiny asked.

"Yes," she nodded. "He definitely did not fit in with them. They seemed to know nothing about the queen or her rank, and he knew everything. He also didn't look anything like any of them; way too small and didn't have any armor, only a sword."

"Blonde curls, leather pants, and a purple vest-type thing, about this tall?" Xena asked, raising her hand to about Lessa's own height. To the girl's nod, she replied, "Iolaus."

"That's what he said his name was," the girl agreed.

"We were supposed to meet him in a few days; it makes sense that he would be around," Xena explained to Ephiny. "He's a good man, you can trust him. If he's around, that means Hercules should be too. I wouldn't mind his help taking on the slavers if there are as many as Lessa says there are. He likes them about as much as I do."

Ephiny knew that was quite an admission coming from the famed Warrior Princess. If she was willing to accept his help, so were the Amazons. Having a demi-god on their side couldn't hurt matters. "I'll send a scout to look for him. If he's around, he can meet us outside the camp before we attack," she nodded. Of course this meant finding the camp, she thought wryly. "Lessa, do you know?"

"I'll draw you a map," the girl assured her. She started to pull a scroll out of the pouch she still carried with her. "Actually," she said a little ashamed. "Do you have any parchment? I already used some of the queen's and I'd hate to use any more."

"I think she'll forgive you this time," Xena smiled. She had just risked her life to get help for her queen, and she was worried about using some of her parchment; she was definitely an Amazon, Xena thought wryly.

Ephiny went to her desk and pulled out several maps of the area along with some fresh parchment. "These should help," she said, laying them out across her bed for the others to look at. She lit a few more candles to brighten the room enough to see them clearly. "They go up to Thonaly, but do not include the village itself, is that enough?"

"There's a shortcut between here and the camp that you can use that doesn't involve going through Thonaly first," the girl answered, taking a closer look at the maps. "I couldn't use it because I didn't know where you built the new bridge and didn't think I should waste time looking for it at night. Besides, I figured I could get a horse and get here faster anyway." Ephiny smiled at the child; definitely a smart girl, and brave too. She knew how well she was with maps, both using and creating them. It looked like they got at least one break in this whole thing. Lessa continued to mark out a route on the map, leading to just beyond Amazon Territory and into a forest that they had not bothered checking for a long time as it was in the middle of nowhere and only used for hunting by a few of the neighboring villages. From there, she proceeded to draw a map of the short distance to the camp, then marked out where the sentries had been and the best way to approach just as she had done for Iolaus. "I hid here, in this little cliff-type area," she said, pointing it out. "It's far enough away from the guards that they can't see you, but you have a good view of the entire camp." From there, she drew what she had seen of the camp itself, marking what she suspected was the main hut and where the cell was located.

"Now," Ephiny said when she was done. "I need you to get something to eat and some sleep." Seeing the girl's objections, she added. "That's an order. From the look of it you haven't had much of either since this whole thing began. Besides, your mother is probably worried sick about you. You come riding in at top speed, causing several Amazons to cut a few years off their lives, telling us about an ambush and, no offence, but you look like you've seen better days."

"But I'm not tired at all," the girl yawned. Now that the excitement was over and she had done all that she could, the fatigue was catching up to her. As if yawning in front of the regent wasn't bad enough, her stomach chose that moment to make its needs known, and quite loudly at that.

"Go on now," Ephiny told her, shooing her out the door. "And make sure you talk to your mother before she leaves!" she called after her. Lessa's mother was one of the better warriors of the camp, and Ephiny knew she would need every one she could get to pull this off.

"You know she's going to want to go with us," Xena commented once Ephiny had shut the door again. One peek outside told her at least half the village was still waiting not so patiently. She was pleased to note that someone was leading the girl towards the main food hut and would probably stay with her until satisfied she had eaten enough.

"She's too young," Ephiny answered, sitting back down to look at the maps once more. She still had to plan out a strategy for getting into the camp once she got there; that would require talking to the first lieutenants, something she was not looking forward to. "Gabrielle was right to send her away from battle, she would have gotten captured or killed if she hadn't. I still can't believe she followed them though, or made it back here in one piece," she sighed.

"She's smart and she's brave. She knew she had to find a way to tell us, so she did. She went without food too long though, for a girl her age." Xena leaned in to take a look at the maps, including the new one Lessa had just drawn. The girl had looked like she was ready to fall over, yet she forced herself to help before she tended to her own needs. She had the makings of a true Amazon, stubborn as a mule but loyal to the end. "She probably figured the warriors did it so she could too, not knowing the warriors had years of practice. I would find a way to make her feel involved, she deserves that much."

"You're right," Ephiny agreed, marking a route on the map as she did so. "I was thinking of having her help set up the healer's hut. From the looks of it, at least three people for sure are going to need it, and that's not counting all the pig-headed Amazons going into battle. The healer can keep an eye on her and make sure she's all right while getting some help in the process."

Xena agreed and the two soon finished laying out a preliminary plan. The battle lieutenants were called in and the plan finalized well past midnight. It was determined that approximently two-thirds of the warriors from the village would go with to the camp. Of those, about half would scatter in the forest between the camp and the village, serving as extended sentries and lookouts. The other third would protect the village itself, with those in the forest helping if needed. The far scouts would stay where they were for now, one extra one would be sent to find Hercules, and two others would go to Thonaly to keep the villagers in check. The children would be sent to the centaur village until the rescue party returned and the centaurs would protect them, but not interfere in any other way.

Once the plan was set, they left to tell the crowd waiting outside. Everyone knew their places and exactly what needed to be done. Just after daybreak, the legion of Amazons left to save their queen, with a certain dark warrior leading the way at the side of the regent. The gods help whoever stood in their way.

On to Part 3

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