Standard Disclaimer:
The characters: Xena, Gabrielle, Eve, Ares, and Argo II and the backstory belong to StudiosUSA and Renaissance Pictures. No copyright infringement is intended. The story and all other characters are my sole property.
Anyone screw around with it, you answer to me.
I got sorta bored waiting for the 6th season to come around, so I thought up my own Season 6- Season Premier.
Huge special thanks go to my good friend Sherry Liu, who unfortunately had to move away from us. Without her unwavering spirit and support, and her belief in my abilities, I would have given up writing altogether, though it means a lot to me. So thank you Sherry, this one's for you. P.S. Don't worry, it's not that long.
And to anyone else who has chosen to read my "humble" try at personifying the wonderful characters depicted in this tale, I hope you enjoy it.
Rated: PG 13 || No sex, a little violence, squeaky clean language, as far as I remember
Mortal Bonds
By Atrophy
The raven-haired woman warrior sat slouching on the dark twisted log at the fire's edge. She stared through the flickering flames at the calm, serenely slumbering form of her troubled daughter. Her mind went back to the twenty-five long years Eve must have spent thinking that her mother had abandoned her.
"Gods," she thought, "if I could do anything to relieve her of her guilt, her pain, I would in a heartbeat."
She shifted her gaze to the other woman sleeping on another side of the fire. The vigilant warrior smiled gently at her friend, letting her guard down as she watched the golden highlights sweeping and dancing over the warrior-bard's sun-bleached blonde hair.
The warrior's calm face suddenly hardened when her golden mare whinnied as the soft sound of a twig cracking when someone steps upon it reached their sensitive ears. Her smile froze as she checked quickly to see if the bard and her daughter were still asleep. Then, assured that the intruder had not disturbed their rest, Xena stood up and turned to the sound. A gentle tugging at her insticts told her who it was. She took a slow step closer and forced herself to call gently, civilly, "Ares? What are you doing here?"
The dark war god, immortal no more, stepped out from behind a tree. Xena's heart lurched against her will when she saw his haggard expression.
Ares sagged against the tree behind him, his strength most gone. He gazed into the inquisitive sapphire pools of his beloved, and felt a strange rush of new energy.
"I was just checking to make sure you and your daughter are alright." He smirked tiredly, "wouldn't do to have her dying after all that I've done." The grin faded as his exhaustion made itself painfully known again. "But I'm so tired..." he whispered honestly.
Xena grabbed the arm of the man that saved Eve's life as he staggered forward. Carefully supporting him, she ignored mixed feelings about his heavy arm around her waist as she guided Ares to her former seat on the log. As he lowered himself onto the wood, Xena noticed that there was dark red blood staining one of his pant legs. She touched it gently, and then jerked her hand back when Ares hissed.
"How did you?..." She trailed off in realisation, remembering the crossbow arrow she had shot into that very leg.
"Someone shot the God of War," Ares replied sullenly, "the arrowhead's still in there."
The Warrior Princess grimaced guiltily at his non-commitable use of the word 'Someone'. With a very low "Sorry about that..." she turned around and put the pot of lukewarm stew back over the fire.
"Here, eat something first, then I'll have a look at that leg of yours."
"You're not MY mother, Xena," Ares retorted angrily, "I can take care of myself!"
The tall warrior turned a disbelieving and pitying look to the petulant face glaring hotly at her.
"Hey, don't feel bad," she said, unknowingly parroting something Ares had said to her, twenty five years ago. "Remember that you're a mortal now."
Ares looked away with a black scowl written across his dark features.
Xena shook her head and laughed lightly, turning back to the now bubbling pot. She picked up an earthen mug, and ladled some of the stew into the earthenware. Pulling out a spoon from a bag, she stuck it into the stew and handed it to the man.
Ares accepted the mug reluctantly and looked up at the Warrior Princess, into the azure orbs that were sparkling with suppressed laughter.
"Are you going to kick me away after you're done again?" He muttered sarcastically.
Xena's pale blue eyes hardened slightly, and she turned her back contemptously,
"We'll see," she said in her smooth, even voice.
The Warrior Princess rummaged through her saddlebags and got out her herb pouch. Selecting a particular herb, she crumbled it with her fingers and placed onto a small stone plate . Mixing it with a bit of water from her water pouch, she set the dish aside and started unwinding some cloth bandages.
When Xena turned back to Ares, she saw that he had finished the stew.
"More?" she asked, taking the mug from him. When he didn't answer right away, she refilled the mug and handed it back to him in one deft movement. Then she went back to her work with the bandages.
The man had finished the stew, and he stared at her, the most incredible woman he had ever met, and "ever" was a long time for him. He saw the love on her smooth tanned features as she glanced at her daughter, and he wondered if one day she would look at him like that too. When she turned back, and fixed him with that coldly distant stare of hers, he knew unquestionably that that day could be just a distant dream.
That was not acceptable. 'She seems to go for soft loving things,' the scheming man mused, 'What if, I become that way?' His thoughts were not visible upon his emotionless features. 'Well,' he thought, 'I guess from now on I'll have to show her a tame Ares...'
Xena lifted her usual eyebrow at him when she saw that the mug was once again empty, the unspoken query clearly present in her icy blue gaze. When Ares shook his dark head slightly, she took the mug and spoon, placing them none too gently on the ground nearby. Then, she silently picked up the dish with the medication, paused, and put it back down. The Warrior Princess glanced up at the God of War and then down at the clotting, messy wound. Taking hold of the frayed edges of the fabric, she ripped it open quickly.
Kneeling there on the ground, she filled another plate with water, using it to soak a piece of bandage she had cut off using her sharp dagger. Xena swiftly cleaned the blood away from the wound, all the while never loosing her proud athority. Seeing that the skin had closed over the arrowhead, she reached for her dagger. Sending a fast warning glance up at the tense man, she pierced the thin, swollen skin.
Jerking her head up at Ares' noticable flinch, she saw that he was perspiring heavily, and his face was twisted with pain.
Unimpressed at his attempt to be silent, Xena took a piece of cloth and pressed it against his forehead. When he reached up for it, she pulled away and returned her attention to his oozing wound.
Using the leather bound dagger, she carefully pried the bloody piece of flint from his flesh, trying to block out any thoughts about how much pain that must have been causing him. When she had finally worked the arrowhead in question out, she dropped it casually into the mug he had used. Taking the soaked bandage, she washed the wound once more, and bound it, to Ares' consternation, extremely tightly with the poultice she had made.
As the warrior washed all signs of the operation away, Ares inspected his leg. The excruciating pain seemed to be ebbing away slowly, and when Xena directed him to a bed spread, presumably hers, he was able to sink into a restless sleep, still planning untruthful ways to win her trust.
**********
The Warrior Princess awoke early the next morning propped up against a tree at the edge of the clearing to an insistant pulling at her arm, and a cherished, urgent voice whispering "Mother...". Opening her slightly clouded sapphire pools, she caught sight of her daughter kneeling next to her. Bolting up at once, she sat stiffly upright and glanced about in concern. Gabrielle was also up, but her attention was focused on the still unconcious form of the War God. Glancing back to Eve, her blue eyes now clear and alert, she asked gently "Is he bothering you, Sweety?"
Eve ignored her mother's question and asked one of her own, "What's HE doing here??"
Xena leaned back against the tree and gazed into her daughter's searing, stormy eyes, "He was hurt really badly, Eve, and he can't take care of himself very well," the warrior in Xena could not be detected in her soothing voice, "So I'm letting him stay with us for a while...Is that alright with you?"
It was not alright, and Eve made sure her mother knew that, "Is it alright with me for a selfish, conniving, bastard to..."
"Eve," Xena cut her off in a reproving tone, "He saved my little girl's life," She glanced over tenderly at the bard, "and that of my best friend. I at least owe him a hand at getting back on his feet."
"You don't owe me anything," the god's voice startled them all, "I'd rather leave myself..." He sat up and stared at the Warrior Princess. "But that would mean I would have to leave you..." he shook his head in mock-sadness. "What a dilemma..."
Then, his voice faded away, and he stared down in discomfort, picking at his bandage. But unbeknownst to the droll woman warrior, this was partly a phase of his plan, if he is to be presumed changed, he could at least act vulnerable.
The three women gazed at each other in unbelieving amusement, and then burst out laughing, prompting the truly embarrassed man to look up sharply.
"Imagine that," Xena strode over and plopped down beside him, "Ares shy..." she smiled teasingly.
"You should stay, I wonder what else you're capable of now." Her lovely grin faded away, "Ares, you know that numerous wars have sprung up all over the land in the uneasiness without the gods."
Ares smirked at her, "I guess the people still think of the God of War." The uncontainable sneer was wiped off his face very quickly by the icy hard shade of steel the warrior's blue eyes had become.
"Sorry," he said quickly, and raised his hands in the universal sign of "don't hit me".
Xena turned her unnerving stare away from the man. "We have got to stop it," her azure gaze darted between the two most beloved women in her life, "and for that, we need him."
"Whoa whoa whoa..." He who was above mentioned laid a hand on the arm of the beautiful woman beside him, "Don't I get a say in this?"
"No you don't," Xena swung her raven tresses about to face him, but then she relented at his pitiful expression, "Alright, will you help us?"
Ares cocked his head and stared Xena in the eye mockingly.
"Ares..." the Warrior Princess' threatening tone usually works like magic.
"We'll see how it goes," then, at the warrior's shift in position, he spoke hurriedly, in true nervousness, "Alright, alright, I'll work with you."
Eve tried unsuccessfully to smother a chortle, making the War God's dark features redden again. Barely restraining his explosive anger, he jumped up and stormed away, limping badly, in the direction of the fresh running stream he had seen earlier.
Gabrielle and Eve silently congratulated Xena on making him miserable, while the clever Argo laughed in her own horse voice.
When Ares returned later, he noticed that the three women had packed up their gear and seemed to be waiting for him, and rather bored while they were at it. Xena was still holding something though, which Ares eventually recognized to be the poultice she had used on his wound, and a wad of bandages.
"Well finally," Gabrielle grumbled impatiently. "Come on," she prodded Xena, "Switch the poultice and let's move."
"Hold your horses Gabrielle," Xena replied calmly, pushing Ares down onto the log by the fire's ashes again. "I have to check to see that it's not infected."
As she was speaking, the Warrior Princess had already unwound the rusty, blood-coloured bandage that had been used the last night.
"It's healing nicely," she observed, applying the fresh poultice and bandage.
Ares endured her inspection quietly, and then spoke up.
"How do you plan on stopping those wars? Against my better judgement of course."
Xena didn't deign to look up at him. "You are going to command the armies to live in peace."
"Now why would I do that?"
"Because," Xena looked up slyly, and replied, happily pulling the bandage extremely tight again, "You, are the God of War, and you, will order them to stop fighting."
"That might work," Ares gasped, "but what happens if you cut my leg off with that bandage?"
Xena smiled winningly at him.
**********
The God of War swallowed the triumph rising up in his throat as he scanned the blackened fields ahead of him. Parts were a lovely shade of red, from the stinking blood that had been poured willfully upon it, and from the rotting carcasses being torn to pieces by carrion birds, as they baked under the burning sun.
"Pretty sight isn't it?"
Ares glanced at the raven-haired warrior at his side. He was being supported by her lean sinewy frame as he walked.
He shook his head, and continued on in his charade, "You'd think that after all those people I've killed, I'd enjoy this battlefield."
Eve glanced sympathetically at the dark-haired man leaning heavily against her mother from her high seat on Argo.
"How do you stand it, all of you?" Ares grimaced at the foul smell as he continued.
"You just get used to it, I guess." Gabrielle spoke hesitantly, remembering when she had once felt this way. "That's the way life is for a mortal, get used to it." She smiled gently at her soulmate. "Xena can probably help you the most."
The slender warrior shook her dark locks sadly, "It makes me sick, too." She confessed. "Ares," she addressed the man, "Now do you see why we must stop it?"
Ares nodded as the way to trap the Warrior Princess sank into his mind. "This is what you fight against?" He didn't wait for an answer, "I don't want to know." he continued hurriedly, seemingly upset.
He was about to say more, when the beautiful warrior laid a hand on his back and unknowingly scrambled his senses.
"Come on," she said, oblivious to the pleasure she was causing the obssessed god, "We have to hurry."
With Xena's prompting, they left the graveyard of corpses to rest in peace.
**********
Jakkrin chuckled menacingly as the remnants of a Greek army cowered in fear in front of him. He liked these War games that had started it seemed, when the gods had disappeared. Their reign was over, and now it was time for his.
Suddenly Jakkrin heard a man muttering softly. Searching the crowd, he swiftly pinpointed the soldier in question, and motioned to one of his men to pull out that man. When the soldier was kneeling at Jakkrin's feet, he pulled out his blood-caked sword. Running a filthy finger down the sharp, deadly edge, he crooned softly.
"Quite a rebellious one, aren't you? Now, if he were alive, I'd tell you to go show your spirit to Hades, but I guess he's not alive is he?" His manic ranting gave way to a depraved giggle, "I guess you'll be a lost soul, won't you, heh heh..."
With that, he pulled his sword up and hacked it down in a slashing arc, bringing the man's head to rest on the ground, alongside his writhing shoulders, and his twitching body.
Jakkrin sneered triumphantly.
He will win this war game, he decided, and it will be fun.
**********
Xena gently lowered Ares onto the black, jagged stone he had chosen to rest upon. Straightening up, she pulled her arms above her head and stretched out the kinks in her back. Ares watched the simple display, marvelling at the dark beauty and grace of whom he considered HIS Warrior Princess.
'I hope that this works,' he thought, staring at her leather-clad back, 'I don't think I can wait much longer.'
Suddenly aware of the scrutiny, Xena glanced over her shoulder and asked casually, "Can you walk now?"
Ares' dark eyes narrowed at the genuine stinging sensation he felt in his chest. He got the strong impression that the Warrior Princess was asking him that because she didn't want to get close enough to touch him any more than she had too. And he was partly right. "I think so," he replied, his voice smooth and emotionless. He slid carefully off the rock and took a few tentative steps. "Yes," he reported, while his brain sent the different message, 'This is going to ruin everything.'
Sensing a change in his manner, the warrior inclined her dark head, puzzled at the sudden change. 'Is something bothering him?' she wondered.
Dismissing the thought, she joined her companions a little further away.
"Ouch, that must have hurt." Gabrielle gazed knowingly at her warrior friend, while stroking the golden mare's silky coat.
"What hurts?" Xena asked in bewilderment.
"Mother, can't you see that he really does seem to, uh, care for you?" Eve chimed in after a glance to make sure the god had not heard her, "It's surprising, but he's not lying this time."
The dark-haired warrior gazed quizzically at her friend and her daughter.
"Saying something like that," Gabrielle continued in an exasperated tone, "'Can you walk now,' it's like saying you can't wait to get away from him."
"I never meant..." Xena protested.
"I know you never meant, but that's what it sounds like to him." The blonde bard narrowed her eyes thoughtfully, "I get the feeling you DON'T want to be around him anyways," she grinned, "He makes you nervous huh?"
Xena grimaced shyly. "It just feels, I don't know, weird, and I don't trust him too much anyways."
"You're talking about me aren't you?" Ares sank down beside Xena, favouring his injured leg. "I know you don't trust me, but someday, I'll get you to, I'll prove myself trustworthy." The promise though, was something the he knew could be a total lie.
"I'm gonna go scout ahead, get the latest news; be back soon as I find something," the Warrior Princess avoided the issue and stood up nervously.
"I'll come with you," Ares announced.
"No!" Xena blurted out, rather loudly, "I, I work better alone. Besides, you should rest that leg." She pivoted and quickly disappeared in the underbrush, ignoring the dark man's protest, "But if it's purely for reconnaitre...
The four figures left by the temporary camp site remained frozen until Ares spoke up once more.
"Why does she always turn away?" He sat down resignedly.
"She doesn't mean to," the soft, clear voice of the Warrior Princess' daughter sounded in the silent clearing. "She's just a bit apprehensive with you about. After what you did for us, she doesn't know how she feels about you anymore."
Ares smiled, a thin, false, seemingly grateful smile at the girl. "I wish she'd figure it out sooner, though," he stared down at his hands, "I hate waiting for someone, I'll probably do something I'll regret for the rest of my life," he paused thoughfully, "And I mean I'LL regret it."
Gabrielle laughed softly at what she presumed was the man's noble attempt at humor, and in doing so she found out that she was beginning to feel differently about this handsome god sitting there dejectedly.
'He just might have a heart after all, if he's so upset about this, situation.' she mused silently.
The bard, the girl, and the god settled down to wait, each thinking about a different part of the same problem.
**********
'Why does he make me feel like that?' Xena wondered as she rushed blindly through the forest.
After a while, the Warrior Princess came out of her private thoughts when she heard voices ahead. Cautiously, she crept through the greenery and settled under a bush to listen.
"That Jakkrin's sure to beat the Persian army."
A disembodied voice floated over to where the tall warrior lay.
"Hah, that Jakkrin's gonna beat any crappy army."
A second voice retorted loudly.
Xena narrowed her icy pools of sky. 'Jakkrin would be that powerful warlord they said was winning the wars' she surmised, 'he's must be the main player in this game.'
"Ya know what I know? Two armies, then Jakkrin's the winner o' the whole game."
It was the first voice again.
One corner of Xena's mouth lifted slightly, she had found her target. Now, all she needed was the location of the army.
Sounding her identifying war cry, she stormed in on the startled twosome and knocked them both down with one mighty blow. Then she honed in on one man.
"I've just cut off the flow of blood to your brain," She said quickly, and then leaned forward to send another kick into the face of the man sneaking up behind her, knocking him unconcious.
"Thirty seconds, you don't tell me what I want, you die." She finished.
"Whaddaya wanna know?" the ruffian choked out.
"Where's Jakkrin's army located?" she asked, her tone hard as ice.
"They were last at the huge valley due north o' here, they probably headed East...please, that's the truth," he sobbed, though Xena had not moved, "I don't wanna die!" Shaking her raven locks with a contemptuous sneer, Xena released the deadly grip on his throat.
Gasping, the man collapsed immediately.
"If I were you," Xena threatened, "I'd probably make myself scarce, in case I decide to finish what I started." she stalked away without a second glance.
Having left the two soldiers behind, the Warrior Princess took a roundabout route back to the camp, planning her strategy with the information she had just gleaned, she almost didn't notice a guard posted up ahead in the direction she was going.
The warrior stopped in her tracks when she saw a soldier hiding in a copse of young treelings, trying to look inconspicuous. 'Obviously a guard,' she figured, and ducked behind a tree.
Quietly creeping up behind the unknowing guard, she swiftly slipped an sinewy arm around his neck and got him in an unbreakable choke hold.
"Well, I do believe that's Craxon's symbol," she whispered threateningly, fingering the unevenly embroidered gauntlet. "What's he doing around these parts, eh?"
"Uh," The guard strained to breath against Xena's strong arm, "We're gonna attack Jakkrin's army," he replied frantically, scrabbling at his throat, "He's just defeated the Persian army, if we stop him we win the Game."
Xena's lips curled up in a feral sneer, "Not you, you won't get to see that scum Jakkrin's defeated expression." With finality, she pulled out her short, deadly breast-plate dagger and slid it hard across the guard's bulging throat.
The icy warrior stepped away from the writhing form of the guard, ignoring the scarlet life-blood spouting from the gaping wound on his throat. Wiping her dagger on a leaf, she headed back to the other three and the horse, the dagger back in it's hidden place.
**********
Ares jumped slightly when the Warrior Princess slipped silently up to stand next to him. She touched his arm and announced assuredly, "We have a target, Jakkrin. He might be the untimate winner of this Game, if we stop him, we win."
She smirked at the startled face of the War God, "Guess what Ares, you get to be all high and mighty again." She transfered her grin to her female companions, "The god of war is going to win the war."
"Break camp," she commanded, and strode over to saddle Argo.
Astride the strong mare, Ares looked down at the raven mass of the warrior's wind-blown tresses as she led the steed through the forest, focusing totally on the mission ahead. 'How can she put herself through this so many times? Why doesn't she just walk away?' he wondered, 'Is she really that noble?'
Then, when the warrior glanced up at him with her steely pools of ice, he knew that the very existance of her determination was one of the reasons he admired her most, but at this point, that same determination was a problem. 'If she keeps this focus up, I could never get close enough to her.' Ares was extremely worried.
Using much willpower, he tried to push the maddening matter out of his mind, and straightened his back proudly, like the War god he was.
Xena explained carefully to Ares what she wanted him to say, but when his handsome features did not seem to register what she had just told him, she stopped the progression of the quartet and turned to face Ares.
"Ares," her voice was low and threatening, "Did you hear what I said?"
Ares jerked, jolted out of his angry thoughts, and stared into the warrior's pale, impatient eyes, "Did you, uh, say something?"
The annoyed Warrior Princess repeated the words slowly.
"When we get there, and I kill Craxon," Ares' lips lifted in a very slight, murderous smile at Xena's unperturbed use of the word 'kill', "You get off my horse and shout, "I am Ares, God of War, I am now the commander of this army.' Got it?" when Ares nodded interestedly, she continued, "Then whatever happens next, I will improvise, You keep your mouth shut. You hear me?" Ares nodded silently again, trying to keep an amused grin off his concentrated looking face.
"Kill?" It was Gabrielle, "Xena, don't you think that's a bit harsh?"
Ares had to strain to prevent himself from putting in the phrase: "I don't," Instead he just gazed at the Warrior Princess, trying to predict how she would answer.
"I'm sorry Gabrielle, but this is war," she grinned slightly, painfully, at the memory behind those words.
Ares crowed happily, it was nearly the exact words he had believed she would say. 'I really know her, mind and soul.' The victorious thought ran through his mind.
"Is there no other way?" Eve was slightly upset about witnessing another execution.
"Believe me, if I thought there was another way, I would have taken it." she smiled tenderly at the girl. "Eve, I know this warlord, and he is scum. I know it's not nice to judge people, but I truly believe he deserves to die." She swung her head around to stare ahead as they resumed walking, "There is no better way."
The warrior bard and the warrior's daughter shared a unsure glance at the finality of the last sentence, while the god of War gloated inwardly, silent and triumphant.
**********
Craxon was very nervous, 'This is it,' he thought, 'the final battle that will determine who wins the game.' It was especially hard on the nerves to be pitted against the force that had defeated even the powerful Persian army.
Drawing on his egotistic confidence, he reassured himself with the thought that his army had also defeated the Persian force, it had not been easy, but it had been done. So it was down to two warlords, each powerful, each having defeated every other army besides each other. 'This is sure to be interesting,' Craxon concluded.
Stepping out of his large tent, he began issuing orders.
"Euraedecles," he called in his harsh booming voice. The liutenant hurried quickly to his commander's side.
"Sir!" Euraedecles said stiffly, standing at attention.
"Are all the men armed?"
"They are preparing themselves this minute, sir!"
"That is not good enough!" Craxon thundered, making the liutenant shake in fear, cold sweat beginning to run down his bone white face. "They should be prepared right now; the enemy could attack any second."
"A scout has been discovered near the east end of the valley," the man reported fearfully, dreading the warlord's reaction.
"Yes?" Craxon demanded impatiently, "did he report?"
"His, his throat was slit, sir." the soldier stuttered.
The ugly, squashed in features of the warlord became bright red with fury. "Why did you not tell me earlier? I have even less time to prepare now!"
The liutenant stood silent, shaking in his boots.
"That Jakkrin is smarter than I thought..." Craxon muttered quietly, "Tell the men to hurry up, double speed." he barked angrily.
"Yes, sir!" Euraedecles replied, indescribably relieved that he had been let off the hook so easily. He began to pivot, and then stopped in his tracks when a chilling, high pitched war cry drowned the anxious murmuring that could be heard throughout the camp.
Xena landed, perfectly balanced, just an arm's length away from the frozen form of Euraedecles. Stepping forward, she pushed the immobile body of the astonished soldier out of her way.
By this time, the warlord's grotesque face was livid.
"Xena!" Craxon snarled. "You killed my guard."
"Oh him," the warrior waved her drawn sword off-handedly, "He was such a coward, I did you a favour and terminated him for you." A corner of her mouth lifted menacingly.
Craxon growled, and pulled out his own blade, "Prepare to die, Warrior Princess!"
Blocking his blow easily, the swift warrior took a swipe at the man's legs. Jumping back heavily, the warlord swung his sword hard at the dark-haired warrior's chest. His own long, filthy dirt coloured hair fell over his eyes, and prevented him from seeing Xena duck behind him. Quickly dispatching a soldier trying to sneak up on her, she turned back to the overbalancing warlord, who was flailing his arms wildly, trying not to land on his already flattened facial features.
Since he seemed to be trying to stand back up, Xena helped him by steadying the man and spinning him around. He was still reeling though, so the Warrior Princess settled his problem by running her deadly sword through his chest. Twisting the sword, she gutted the man, and pulled the weapon out, stained furiously scarlet with the warlord's blood.
A trickle of red appeared at the corner of Craxon's mouth as he sank slowly to the hard ground.
The woman turned, a disgusted sneer marring her chiseled features as the dark War god swept majestically across the terrain on Xena's palomino. Stopping near the Warrior Princess, he swung himself off the rippling waves of muscle that was the magnificent animal, and proclaimed loudly, in his natural god of War way,
"I am Ares, God of War. I am now in command of this army. From now on, let it be known that this is the Army of War!"
The flabbergasted soldiers stared at the tall, confident form of the War deity as he spoke one last sentence, "All commands from me will be transfered to you by my second in command: Xena, Warrior Princess!"
Xena smirked at the god's overlordly attitude, and then turned to the soldiers.
"Let's hear it," she roared, "Who's army is this?"
"Ares, God of War." A few scattered voices responded.
"That's not good enough!" the Warrior Princess somehow managed to roar louder, "Who's army??"
"Ares, God of War!" the crowd thundered back, "Ares, God of War!!" it was repeated, as more soldiers caught on.
"That's right!" Xena yelled loudly, and glanced at Ares, who gazed back at her in a slightly unsure way. She pointed him to the commander's pavilon, and turned back to the army assembled before her, wondering if she had imagined that comtemptous sneer she thought she had seen on Ares' face a split second after she had turned to face him.
"To arms," she ordered, "We attack Jakkrin's force at dawn." There was a small pause as the order registered, then, "Dismissed."
As the Warrior Princess strode away, she caught a wisp of conversation. "I know why she's second in command," a soldier as telling another, "She's Ares' girlfriend."
The crowd froze once more as Xena spun around and stormed over to the soldier who had spoken. Her azure pools paled with fury, she thrust her still bloody sword through the man's abdomen, killing him at once.
As the lifeless corpse of the soldier dropped to the ground, she bellowed at the rest of the army, "Anyone else care to share their opinions about rank?" In the dead silence, she panned through the fearful crowd with her steely crystal glare, and walked away once again, leaving the relieved men to hurry away.
When Xena saw the troubled faces of her best friend and her daughter, she paused in mid-step, grimacing unhappily, "I'm sorry," the slender warrior carressed her daughter's soft chestnut tresses, "but we're too new to the army. To gain total control on such short notice is hard...it's the only way."
Eve nodded understandingly, for she could remember clearly how she had done that same thing many times in her past. Smiling gently at her tall mother, she reassured the beautiful warrior, "I know, Mother," She smiled gently. "I just hope this is over soon."
With a sigh, Xena led the twosome to the commander's tent to see about the women's accomadations for the short night ahead.
********** Gabrielle paced anxiously across the floor of the newly erected tent. Pushing at her short blonde hair, she sighed loudly. "Is something wrong, Gabrielle?" The liquid smooth voice of the Warrior Princess flowed through the tense, heavy air.
The pretty bard stared at Xena, her verdant pools clouded with uneasiness, "We are now in the middle of one of the most important wars I have ever heard of," she spoke low and anxiously, "And you're asking me what's wrong?"
The other warrior stood up from her seat on a dusty crate, brushing unhurriedly at her leathers.
"From what I've heard, Jakkrin's army had just destroyed the Persian army, and are resting in the ruins of a wasted town." the warrior's sharp mind straightened out the information. Coming up with a precaution and unable to hide her worry, she spoke quickly, "A trap should be set around the village. Burning logs, greek fire. It's our best hope of winning."
Xena glanced sharply at the two other women at her last sentence, "I took a look-see," Eve grinned at her mother's interesting choice of words, "The village is in a valley, they must have been very sure of themselves to choose such an unprotected camp...we'll have to take advantage of that." The warrior shook her raven locks when Gabrielle opened her mouth to protest at the warrior's apathy.
"They chose that campsite, they bring this upon themselves," The Warrior Princess's steely pools burned deep into the bard's conciousness.
"All right Xena," the blonde woman was not going to give up so easily though, "What if I asked you not to do this?"
"No can do, Gabrielle," the hardened warrior shook her dark tresses once more, "They outnumber us, at least by half." That settled the matter for the Warrior Princess, and she moved onto another.
"Eve?" the loving mother knelt down before the slim girl, "Where will you be during all of this?"
"I'm coming with you," The Commander of Legions' stormy stare replied stubbornly.
Xena expressed her negation earnestly, "You might get hurt, and I cannot go through a fight for your life again, you should stay in the woods." The beautiful warrior glanced up at her soulmate, "Gabrielle, you should stay with her."
"No!" Eve was appalled at the thought of leaving her mother, perhaps to never see her again, "I have to stay with you, I'm a pretty good warrior too..."
The pretty blonde bard also disagreed with her best friend, "And I'm not going to abandon you either."
"No," Xena never had a chance to say more.
"Mother, listen to me, I am not leaving you," Eve gazed directly into her mother's eyes, a passable duplication of Xena's characteristic hard "look" upon her face, "I know I can't fight, mine is the Way of Love, but I cannot leave you, that would be going against my Way. I love you..."
Xena tried again, "But..."
Gabrielle grinned at Eve's determination, 'Like mother, like daughter...' the phrase surfaced in her mind. "And mine is the Way of Friendship, I will not leave you, friend."
The Warrior Princess groaned tiredly, admitting defeat to the two strong-willed women. There was no way out of it.
"Alright," she sighed, "But I don't want you getting too close to the fighting, OK?" When the girl nodded, the beautiful warrior pulled her and Gabrielle into a loose hug.
"Whatever happens," Xena whispered, "I love you both."
Straightening up, she started slowly for the fur covered door of the tent, "I'll go see about the traps."
**********
Late that night, Xena slipped into Ares' tent with the battle-plans she had just finished drawing up.
The god was sitting on the leader's bed-spread when the silent warrior slid in and set the plans on the dirt floor in front of him. Glancing up, Ares sent a questioning look at the woman.
"Three candlemarks." The icy warrior didn't waste any time. "I've already told the men to set the traps. There are four briar nets situated around the enemy, and I've posted guards over them. They've also hauled up the logs and the greek fire. Now we just set up the army around the enemy and we're all set."
Ares gazed approvingly at the Warrior Princess, 'Always the brilliant tactition,' he thought proudly, 'Perhaps she is my daughter...'
The god of War nodded his agreement.
"So now we wait?" he asked, already knowing the answer.
"Now we wait." Xena confirmed firmly.
In the stilted silence that ensued, Ares searched the warrior's chiseled features for any sign of emotion whatsoever at what she was about to do.
The woman shifted uncomfortably under the handsome god's intense scrutiny, but said nothing. For the first time she seemed to notice she was alone with him.
"Xena," he touched her cheek, "I want you to know, that whatever happens tomorrow..." to finish his sentence, he leaned over and pressed his lips lightly against hers.
She froze for a second, and then pulled back roughly.
"Xena," Ares reached for her.
The furious warrior slammed his hand away. "Don't touch me!" Anger seething through her entire being, the Warrior Princess began to stalk away, stopping only when Ares rushed to stand in front of her.
"Get out of my way." She growled menacingly as she tried to push past him. The god wrapped his strong arms around her leather clad waist, a trickle of the true fury inside pushing out.
"Just listen to me!" He pulled her slim form tightly to him, staring intensely at the angry warrior glaring icily at him.
Xena closed her eyes and pushed her anger back down, "What?" Her threatening tone had not changed at all.
Ares looked her squarely in the eye, "Why do you keep denying us, Xena?" He relaxed his grip and moved his arms up her back, "Why do you never trust me?"
"Trust you??" the raven-haired woman asked incredulously, pulling away slightly.
"I don't always lie, Xena," the god of War protested angrily.
The Warrior Princess fixed him with an uncompromising glare, "You are Ares, you always lie. You've lied so many times, there's no way to tell it you're lying or not anymore."
Ares' darkly handsome features hardened, and he narrowed his eyes at the anger rising up in his throat.
"For all I know," the beautiful warrior continued, on a roll, "You could have been lying through all these past few days. You could have lied to me when you said you loved me..."
She suddenly noticed the man's hurt expression. Opening her mouth slightly, the unshakable, unfazable woman found she was totally speechless. The pain in his eyes seemed so genuine.
"I, I'm sorry," she stammered, astonished at the true regret in her heart, "That was rude, and mean. I, just..."
Xena trailed away distressedly, hating the lack of sensitivity in her speech.
The almost uncontainable fury inside the man subsided. Staring into the woman's sincere azure pools, he gave into the irresitable urge to kiss her once more.
After a long, confusing moment, Xena settled into the embrance. Then, a strange feeling started in her chest, something the warrior had felt before, but it was too long ago to remember what it was.
Frightened, the warrior eased away gently. With a thin smile at the disappointed War God, she slipped quickly out of the tense, make-shift shelter.
**********
A dark, shadowy figure watched intensely as the Warrior Princess hurried from the tent. It stood there, unmoving and still, until the woman disappeared into the black night. Then it glided swiftly towards the tent the warrior had just exited.
Ares turned sharply at the sound of a person's light footsteps coming into the tent.
"Xena?" he asked happily, but then he saw the figure entering the shelter was not the warrior. As he watched, the dark hood was slowly removed.
When the face was finally revealed, Ares was mystified.
"Uh, Eve? What's up girl?" What was she doing here?
Eve cocked her frizzy head at the dark God, and posed a question she had been wondering about for some time, "Do you really love my mother?"
Ares lifted his dark eyebrows, caught off-guard by the same no-nonsense style that he had thought was characteristic of Xena.
"I, I, yes, I do...I think."
The Warrior Princess' daughter narrowed her eyes curiously, "Then why are you lying to her? I saw the joy in your eyes when you looking at that battlefield. Yet you said it made you sick. Why?"
Ares stared at the girl, completely astonished. Had she been watching him closely all that time?
"I, it's the way I am," the god had no idea why he was telling her that, it was just slipping out, but he didn't have to tell the whole truth. "It's not that easy to change who I am. I'm trying, but for now I have to pretend. Someday, when it's true, I can really think that she loves me for who I am."
Eve shook her head, "You're still lying; you have no intention of changing. You like the blood, and the violence. For you it's a hobby, not an unchangable reality. You just want Mother to come to you, and then you'll show your true self."
"That is none of your business!" Ares was growing angry, "And didn't your mother ever tell you not to talk to War Gods?" He pointed at the door, "Get out, Xena's probably looking for you right now." Ares glared at the calm, unperturbed girl as she headed for the exit.
"Don't worry," Eve smiled gently, "I won't tell Mother. She might just kill you, and that probably wouldn't be good for the upcoming battle." With that, she ducked out the door.
"Oh gee, thanks." Ares said sarcastically to the empty doorway.
*********
The midnight blue sky had begun to lighten to another shade of blue in the East. Dawn was near. As the light grew increasingly brighter, the Army of War became visible, trekking towards the enemy camp.
Xena directed the army to split into three groups. One was ordered to tend the traps, and the other two were positioned at various hidden parts of the valley. Leaving Ares to oversee the traps, the Warrior Princess and the warrior bard each led an attack wave.
Ares took the girl, Eve, to a tent on the far edge of the ridge.
"You should stay here, so that Xena won't worry."
The pretty girl said nothing, but her eyes grew stormy and rebellious.
The god of War checked to see that the attack reserves were in place before he picked up a small flag. Then, at a flash from the sun glinting off the blade of Xena's sword, he held it high. It was red, and as fire arrows began raining down on the tents below, he smiled grimly. Time to commence.
**********
Jakkrin woke from his heavy, drink induced slumber when a man screamed outside his hut.
"To arms," another bellowed, "We're under attack!"
The warlord jumped up quickly, donning his armour as he dashed out of the cloth dome, which was hit by a fire arrow, luckily just after he had exited the tent.
The arrow assault continued for another minute, until all the huts were burning. Then Ares lowered the red flag. As planned, normal, but deadly arrows continued to hail upon the bewildered enemy.
The War god raised another flag, this one green. On cue, dozens of burning logs came crashing down the hills, soaked in un-extinguishable greek fire.
The logs hit their mark, and the wailing screams of the bombarded army grew in volume. Some men dashed for the hills, but were stopped short by the briar nets. At that moment, Ares raised a black flag. Immediately, chilling war cries rolled out from the wooded areas around the valley, lead by the intimidating, unusual cry of the Warrior Princess.
The first wave poured onto the green and black charred floor of the valley, met by an enemy squad that had cut through the fences.
Xena hacked through the army, determined to make short work of the enemy.
Another wave of soldiers attacked, and deadly spears began rolling down the ridges, held by grim, smoke-blackened men. They had been the ones setting the traps in motion.
The enemy was hit hard, and in a few short minutes, Xena and Gabrielle had destroyed their line. It seemed like the battle was over, but unbeknownst to anybody but Jakkrin, a small girl's figure was climbing carefully down one side of the valley.
Jakkrin ran his sword through another man, and looked up at the girl again. He recognized her. She was Livia, champion of Rome, but now better known as Eve, daughter of Xena. The warlord grinned triumphantly at the Warrior Princess, he had found a chink in her armour.
Slipping away quietly, he even removed his armour so as not to attract attention. Reaching the astonished girl swiftly, he wrapped a strong, tanned arm around her slim, neck, and pressed his dagger tightly against her throat.
Xena had gone through another unfortunate soldier, and was moving on, when a smooth, smug voice pierced through her concentration.
"Oh, Mommy..."
Spinning around she saw the terrified face of Eve, and the menacing warlord standing above her, holding a frightening dagger to her throat.
The Warrior Princess's chiseled features hardened, and her icy pools flashed angrily. She glared at the still form of the tall, darkly tanned warlord, surprised at what she saw. He was taller than she, with neat, short cropped platinum blonde hair. He was naked to the waist, and his broad, muscled chest glistened in the morning sun. His handsome face, smooth and unblemished, stared blandly, emotionlessly at her. It was the face and form of a regular greek god.
Jakkrin stared steadily back at her, her piercing gaze having no effect on him.
"Surrender now Xena, or your little girl's gonna get a new haircut." Incredibly white teeth flashed in his dark face as he grinned suddenly.
"Pull back!" the warrior had no choice.
The Army of War disengaged with the losing enemy, and turned their attention to their general. Even Ares was silent.
Jakkrin giggled crazily, "If only that were enough," he smiled into Xena's suspicous expression, "You know, I could use a new second in command, now that you seemed to have killed him..." he smirked at the furious warrior. "I know you'd never want to work with me, but give me a moon, and see me work my magic," Jakkrin looked the stiff, silent warrior over appreciatively, "No need to be so tense, I won't hurt her, yet. Hee hee. My magic will work," he seemed to have changed the subject again.
"By a moon, I can probably get the great Warrior Princess to marry me."
Xena's lips curled up in a contemptous sneer, "You overrate yourself."
"Do I?" the man chuckled, "We'll have to see about that one."
The icy warrior struggled between her pride and love for her child. Glancing at the girl, she saw that Eve was staring pleadingly at her.
"No, Mother," the girl shook her frizzy curls, "Don't give up...uh..."
The last remark was the result of the sharp dagger digging angrily into her throat.
"Who asked you?" the warlord's darkly tanned features twisted in a furious scowl. When he looked up again though, his face was back to seeming friendly and unthreatening.
'This guy is some piece of work,' the Warrior Princess frowned unhappily, 'What should I do?'
"Well how about it, Xena?" Jakkrin grinned calmly at her, "A fair trade, you for your daughter."
"How do I know that you won't hurt her even if I surrender?" she spat out the last, hateful word.
"You'll just have to take my word on that...You have ten seconds, tick tock..." Jakkrin giggled madly, "Tick tock..."
After hesitating a moment more, she threw down her sword, to the horror of her entire army.
"Xena, don't do it!" Gabrielle grabbed her friend's arm, but the Warrior Princess shook her off.
"Gabrielle, get out of here," the warrior never took her icy stare from the warlord's face.
The warrior bard shook her head despairingly, "No..." she tried to dissuade the determined woman, but was cut off by the raised warrior's hand in front of her face.
"Let my daughter go." the liquid voice of the steely warrior was still threatening.
"But of course," the man replied, almost sanely. He gestured at the dark-haired woman standing motionlessly in front of him. "First, you come here..."
Ares saw that Xena was going to go, and a furious rage exploded in the man.
"Xena, NO!" An unavoidably fast ball of deep blue fire spun out from the god's palm and sped towards the horrified warlord. While he was distracted by the fire, he never noticed the Warrior Princess pull out her chakram and fling it at him.
Her aim was true, and the dangerous weapon sliced through part of the warlord's hand, embedding itself into his gut.
A split second later, the streak of blue fire slammed into his naked chest. Miraculously, he was still standing, seemingly numb with shock.
Jakkrin stared, astounded at the bloody stub of his hand, at the scarlet covered round weapon seemingly growing out of his abdomen, at the blood pouring out of his gut, and at the horrifying, gory mess his chest had become.
Silently the mutilated warlord tumbled to the ground, never to work his magic again. He pitched forward, but he never felt himself hit the grassy ground. A widening pool of red appeared rapidly under his prone, still-warm form, painting the earth crimson.
Xena was first to begin moving in the devastated valley, where Time seemed to have stopped for a numbing eternity.
"Eve?" she rushed forward, her raven tresses flying out behind her. Pulling the girl into a tight, relieved hug, she laughed gently, truly, indescribably happy.
Around her, the army of War began cheering their unexpected victory, and the defeated enemy threw their weapons to the ground in despair.
Xena never noticed the cheering or the strangled cries as the enemy army was finished off. She hugged her daughter tightly.
"Don't you ever do that again," she admonished breathlessly, kissing the trembling girl on her smooth forehead.
The agony the distressed mother had felt was etched clearly across her chiseled features.
"Don't you ever, ever, do that again..."
Xena pulled the pretty girl in tightly again, closing her eyes to the two hot, salty tears trickling down her face.
After a long moment, the Warrior Princess felt Ares' hand on her back. Wiping away her tears, she turned her blue gaze to him.
"Why didn't you use your powers earlier?" she rounded angrily on him.
"I didn't think, I thought you would feel it unfair, and hate me or something, I..." He trailed off when he saw the warrior's icy blue glare soften slightly.
He took his hand away from Xena reluctantly, and then started when she caught it in hers.
"Thank you," the woman forced herself to whisper gratefully. "For saving my daughter," she continued, her arm still around the girl, "Again."
**********
Gabrielle stared at her soulmate apprehensively, her verdant pools reflecting her wondering at how the warrior was going to handle the victorious army.
"You have done well," Xena had started, all eyes on her, "but now that you've won, it's time to go home, live your lives the way they really should be, with your families." She laughed softly, "You now have a new story to tell them: you, were in the Army of War and you won the war..."
She stared down at the men, saw how their eyes were glowing with expectation of the honour they were anticipating. 'This is not a bad bunch,' she thought surprisedly.
"Go!" the God of War came up and commanded grandly, "This war, is over!"
At the crowd's roar, they stepped off the flat rock that had been the speech platform.
Watching the men disperse in twos and threes, the foursome were surprised when a former soldier came up to them, his head held high.
"The war of the Gods is over," he smiled menacingly, "Now, begins the reign of Dahak!"
He laughed thriumphantly into the horrified face of the Warrior Princess, his menacing roar remaining for a while after he disappeared in a dusty grey whirlwind.
**********
**Epilogue**
The hazy band of infinite stars gazed down on the reverent form of the Warrior Princess, outshining even the silvery moon. If this is what she was to protect from Dahak, there was no room for failure. She grinned fiercely, 'I won't fail,' then the smile softened, 'but that's tomorrow's business.'
At the moment, all she wanted was to know that her daughter is safe, her friend is happy, and the beautiful stars will keep shining in the sky through-out the time the day-star rests.
The woman rolled onto her side, her raven locks tossed over her shoulder. She saw with surprise that she was not the only one awake. Ares sat by the dying fire, mindlessly poking a twig into the twisting flames.
"Ares?" Xena sat up, her azure pools narrowed. Was there something on his mind?
Ares slowly stood up and stared hard at the woman. He loathed lying to her, but had he a choice?
He drifted over and sat down beside her.
It was time to play the game again.
"I helped you kill that man..." he whispered blankly, "I just killed him, and so many others, so many." he leaned his dark head against her shoulder, and wrapped a strong arm around her lean form.
"I know..." Xena lay down gently, her cheek resting lightly on his arm. He knew that one day she would find out his lies, and she would be angry, but for now, he was happy.
They each thought of their own thoughts, each wondering at the comfort of the embrance, each thinking of the future.
Xena gazed up at his profile, frowning slightly; and then she leaned in close, listening to the crackling of the fire, until they both slipped into an uneasy slumber.
Please e-mail the author of this story with your comments. xf_ihavenolife@hotmail.com
bleeding-heart[dot]net