Double Trouble
By Briar
It was a slaughterhouse. There were dead people and animals all over the road. Xena and Gabrielle had heard the screams from far down the road, but by the time they could get here, it was all over. The crows were already gathering, and the unmistakeable shape of a vulture was slowly circling overhead. Xena had turned Eve so that she couldn't see what was before them. She stopped quite a ways back, and handed Eve to Gabby. "Hold her for a minute, please? I'm going to take a closer look. She dismounted from Argo, pulled her sword, and walked forward. There were tracks all over the area. Booted feet, horse hooves, and drag marks. The victims were all wearing soft shoes, villagers at first glance. Men, women, and children lay indiscriminately spread over a large space. The wagon had been torn apart, and belongings were strewn all around. She heard a faint whimper, and turned to locate the sound. It came from the crumpled figure of a woman wearing a large cloak. Xena cautiously approached. Using her sword, she pushed back the cloak. A small child was exposed. The mother was definitely dead, her head had practically been shorn from her body. Xena gathered the child up in her arms, keeping his head turned from his mother. "Mama?" he whimpered. She cuddled him, and walked back to where Gabrielle was waiting. "Mama's not here right now." Xena told him.
Gabrielle had a questioning look on her face. "They're all dead." Xena said. " Looks like bandits, but it could be a minor warlord. Booted foot and horse tracks all over. Looked like maybe twenty men." Gabby gestured at the child. "And...?" "We'll have to look for his people. They appeared to be coming back from getting supplies. They probably have a place up ahead somewhere." She lifted the child onto argo, mounted, and held him in front of her. They started down the road, making a wide detour around the carnage. With two small children to care for, they were going to have their hands full. They had to move slowly, and dusk fell before they had found anyone. They made camp in a clearing, with a small brook babbling nearby. Eve sat down with the boy, and held his hand. "He sad?" she asked her mother."Yes, he's sad, "Xena replied. "We're going to look for his family." "Good." Eve replied. The boy sat there with huge moist eyes, and watched everything. After a while, he stuck his available thumb in his mouth. The other hand was still being held by Eve. Gabrielle fixed some supper. Xena had soon come back with some fish, and with potatoes baked in the coals, and some carrots, they made a good dinner. The boy ate, but not much. He continued to stare at the three of them. "It's okay. My mama and auntie Gab will take care of you." Eve assured him. "I want my own mama." he replied softly. He cried himself to sleep, and Gabrielle wound up with him cuddled in her bedroll.
By morning, he was a little better. Xena got out a few toys, and he played with Eve for a while. They ate pancakes for breakfast, and he seemed to really enjoy them. Both children wound up wearing more of their breakfast than they ate. It took a while to get them both cleaned up. Then the adults had to clean up. "Baby kisses...bleah." was Gabrielle's brief comment. They repacked the horses, and mounted up. They rode side by side so that the children could see each other, for most of the day. Still no habitations. Just as it was getting dusk, Xena smelled woodsmoke. They pushed on until they came to a crossroads. There were only about a dozen houses in the village, but they did have a small Inn. The crossroad was the hub of the town, and apparently they got quite a bit of traffic here. They pulled their horses up at the Inn, dismounted, and took the children inside. The Landlord came to greet them. "Have you ever seen this boy before?" Xena asked. "No, I haven't." he replied, "Should I have?" Xena explained about the slaughter they had found, and that the people were headed this direction when they died. "I'll get the magistrate." he murmured. He quickly left the room by the front door.
It was only moments before he returned with an older man. The man examined the child, asked him a few questions, learned that his name was Jeb, and shook his head. "I don't have any idea who he is, nor do I know his people. There is a new village going in up in the hills. People are gathering from all over to take land there. Maybe someone there knows of him." That was at least a possibility. They would check it out. He gathered several men, hitched up a wagon, and headed out to clean up the scene and collect the bodies. Xena and Gabrielle took a large room with two beds. They ate in the dining room, and then went up to their room. By this time the two children were asleep on their feet. Each adult took a child into bed with them.
It was amazing how much Jeb looked like Gabrielle. He had the same color hair, but with baby blue eyes. He was only about a year and a half old, and Eve had decided to be big sister. She took him by the hand and led him everywhere. A look of importance on her small face. She was bigger, so she would have to take care of him. It would have been quite comical under other circumstances. The child was still silent most of the time, although he would occasionally whisper to Eve. He wouldn't sleep by himself, but had taken over part of Gabrielle's bedroll. He would place one small thumb in his mouth, and solemnly look at her for a while. Soon he would fall asleep. She wasn't as tall as his mother, and her hair wasn't as long as his mother's, but there was still a slight resemblance. He seemed to take solace in that.
The next morning they ate and headed out. Xena had gotten directions to the nw town, and it didn't take them too long to get there. Again, no-one knew the child. They returned to the crossroads, and went down another road. They had traveled for half a day down this road when they came to another small town. After many questions had been asked, they soon found that no-one was missing from their town, and no-one recognized the child. When they had asked what his mother's name was he had replied "Mama." and his father's name was "Dada." He was too young to know his last name. At each place they asked, they had left word to send any information that was learned to Amphipolis, to Cyrene's Tavern. It was getting late, so they spent the night in a clearing.
Gabby and the two children were asleep when a tingle notified Xena of the presence of company. She lifted her head and looked at him. He looked askance at the small blond body snuggled up with Gabrielle. "Is there something I should know?" he asked. "Well, yes, actually. Did one of your warlords attack a wagon full of people near here and slaughter everyone?" she questioned. "Not to my knowledge." he replied. "Does that have something to do with the child?" She looked at him for a moment, and nodded her head. "Something like that, he was the only survivor, and we're looking for his kin." Ares considered the matter for a moment, then decided he better check into the matter. It wouldn't do for Xena to get the idea that he had ordered that attack. "I will find out, and let you know." he said, and disappeared in a shower of blue sparkles.
He had returned to his temple, and gone to his chambers. There he took a seat in front of a large silver mirror. He waved a hand, and pictures began to form. He clearly saw the massacre, but didn't recognize any of the men who had perpetrated the deed. He continued to watch as the men left, and Xena entered the picture. He narrowed his eyes, as she approached with drawn sword. She was careful in every move, watching in all directions. He saw her turn suddenly, and approach a cloaked, blond haired woman. As her sword moved the cloak away, a small, frightened face appeared. The full measure of the damage also became obvious. The head was almost completely severed, laying face down, and with long blond hair covering the face. The body was on it's side, with arms sheltering the child. There was blood everywhere except on the child. The cloak had shielded him from not only death, but also it's bloody aftermath.
He returned to the clearing, and an anxious Xena, who quickly got up and moved to the other side of the fire. "What did you find out?" she asked softly. "I searched the area in my mirror, I found the site of the carnage, and none of the men were familiar to me. I saw you discover the child, and what was left of his mother." he related in a calm voice. "So you didn't know anyone at all?" Xena asked. Ares soon filled her in on the group. It had been 18 men, dressed in haphazard armor, and not acting with any real cohesion. Not the men of even a minor warlord. Obviously they were bandits. He offered to find out more, and Xena accepted the offer. She had to do something about those bastards. Ares was being awfully nice. She wondered what was in it for him. There was almost always an agenda of some kind. She'd worry about that later. Right now she had more important things to worry about. "Have you any idea as to the identity of this child?" she asked. "No, sorry, I don't keep track of small children. Other than Eve, of course." He grinned down at her. She gave him an appraising look, then shook her head and decided to let it pass. He waited for a moment for any further comments, then grinned again and disappeared..
After breakfast they backtracked to the crossroads again, and took the final trail. It wasn't too far to the nearest village, although it was another very small one, and again they found no further information. No-one had seen the child, and there were no missing members of the village. Apparently the murdered people had come from nowhere within the area. A mystery to be resolved at a later time. But.....wait! They hadn't checked the direction from which they came. There may be more information there. They began the slow journey back the way they'd originally come. Two small children sure could slow things up.
While the adults were doing chores, the children played. Sometimes, when it came time to move on, they continued on with their games. They would refuse to come when called, and would hide in the bushes, until Xena would start to become angry. When her voice became quiet and cold they knew she was fed up. About that time they both knew enough to call it quits. Two little bodies would miraculously appear from the bushes, hand in hand. They would smile up at her with innocent faces, and appear to be two little angels who could do no wrong. Xena and Gabrielle were usually amused, but would exchange exasperated looks, clean up the two children, and prepare to leave. It didn't seem to matter how many times they cleaned them up, they could get dirty that many times and more. Keeping up with clothes and diapers for two small children without laundry facilities was becoming a real problem. They needed to begin potty training. As soon as they found out something about Jeb, they would have to go to Amphipolis. There Xena's mother owned a Tavern, and had proper laundry arrangements.
They finally arrived in the first large town along their route. They had asked questions all along the way from people walking or riding along the road, with no results whatsoever. Their first move upon arriving in town, was to get a room at an Inn. They ate a quick lunch, then began circulating around the business area. They checked the various shops where supplies would have been purchased, and eventually found a merchant who remembered the group in question. "Yeah.... I remember them. They were three brothers with wives and children. The rest of their family had been killed in a raid some while back. They had heard of a new village down the road there, where land could be homesteaded. They were on their way to do that. How did you know about them?" Xena quickly filled him in on the story. Then asked "Are you sure there weren't any other relatives?" The shopkeeper replied that the family had been remarking the fact that they were the last of their line, and wanted to settle in a new place to continue their line in peace. "It looks like I have a permanent member of my group then." Xena said sadly. "I wish I could have found some of his people alive."
The pair stayed for the rest of that day, and spent the night at the Inn. While they were there, they did a considerable amount of laundry. They also purchased more clothes and diapers. By this time they each had large packs on the backs of their horses to contain all the children's belongings. It was amazing the amount of things it was necessary to carry in order to take care of two small children. Neither one of the women had experienced these problems before. Solan had been given up shortly after his birth. Hope had also been given up shortly after birth, so until Eve came along they had traveled by themselves. Eve hadn't been too much trouble, after they had gotten past the threats from the Olympian Gods, and had been a source of real enjoyment to them both. Spending all her time with adults had caused Eve to be very mature for her years. That is, until she got a playmate. Now, she was so involved with Jeb, that she had become much more playful.
The group that had slaughtered the three families had traveled hard and fast after they had completed the deed. They found a very small village up in the hills, and decided to attack. Big mistake! This village was the home of a warlord, most of whose men were stationed in a nearby walled valley, and he didn't take the attack very kindly. The sound of the attack carried to the sentries, and within seconds, they had brought reinforcements. The men of the village were all trained warriors with their families. The families had all been gathered into one place, and there were always men stationed nearby to keep them safe. That way they could raid without worrying about their own families being attacked while they were gone. The bandits never had a chance. This particular warlord's group paid homage to Ares, and he was instantly aware of the situation. They had immediately called upon the name of Ares. He had been scanning in his mirror at the time, had quickly changed the focus, and had observed the whole operation. He had recognized the attackers immediately, and grinned as he watched them wiped out. Xena would be interested, he was sure...!
Xena and Gabrielle had started for Amphipolis. They had resupplied from the same merchant that had given them the information about Jeb's family. They continued to travel slowly. The children needed to get down and run around every so often. Otherwise, they got fidgety, and fidgety children and horses don't mix. The horses would pick up the nervous energy, and begin to shy at everything. After about the third time Gabrielle's horse had shied (Argo was better trained.), they had given up and stopped for a while. They allowed the children to run around in a large clearing where they could keep an eye on them, and after the worst of the excess energy had been expended, they remounted the horses and continued on. They made camp that evening near a lake. They gathered firewood, made a fire, prepared supper, and watched the children play on the bedrolls. The children had several toys now, and were tossing a ball back and forth. There were approximately six months between their ages. At about a year and a half, Jeb would often become so excited that he would squeal with pleasure. Eve just giggled, after all, she was a big girl now. He was adjusting quite well, considering all that had happened in his young life.
As per usual, Gabby and the two children fell asleep. Also per usual, Xena wasn't yet sleepy. She was sitting by the fire when she felt the first faint tingle. She looked around, and spotted Ares leaning against a tree with his arms folded. He had a big grin on his face, and reminded her of an excited puppy. He was almost wriggling with anticipation. She know something was up, but wasn't quite sure what. She stood up, and walked over to stand beside him. "Now what?" she asked him softly. "He was still grinning broadly, and hesitated before he finally burst out... "You don't have to worry about those bandits any more." "Why not?" she asked. "Because they made one too many raids, and on the wrong people." he replied. He went on to explain all that had happened, and how the raiders had all been killed by one of his warlords. "I watched the whole thing..." he went on. "they dared to attack a village containing the men and families of one of my warlords, reinforcements were nearby, and they were wiped out to the last man. That was good news, and she was glad to hear it. She nodded her head in understanding, and replied "Thanks for letting me know, that's a load off my mind." He stood there still grinning, and then moved a little closer. She didn't appear to mind, so he moved even closer. He slipped an arm around her waist, and hugged her. She began to draw back, so he released her quickly. They continued to talk softly for a while, then she looked into his eyes. She saw all the usual things, arrogance, self confidence, etc. but there was more. She saw a tenderness that she hadn't expected. She moved a little closer. He was surprised at the move, but never one to look a gift horse in the mouth, he took advantage of the situation. Slipping the arm back around her waist, he slowly moved his mouth close to hers. He hesitated, waiting for her to make some move, and when she didn't withdraw he kissed her gently. He drew back, and searched her features for some reaction. She smiled softly, then reached up and drew his head back down. This kiss lasted much longer than the first one did, and their arms entwined until it ended. Then she reached both arms up and placed them around his neck, surrendering her body to his embrace. He groaned with suppressed desire, then led her to a nearby clearing. There stood the huge black canopied bed from his temple. She turned to look at him questionably. "Just thought we might as well be comfortable." he replied with a smile. He quickly swept her off her feet and into his arms. He walked the last few feet to the bed, wanting to make this moment last. After opening the sheets, he placed her on the bed. He sat beside her with his arm about her waist, and kissed her again, very slowly and gently. She returned the kiss with feeling. Reaching up with one hand she slowly began to stroke his hair. As the kiss lengthened, she entangled her fingers in his hair, and moaned softly into his mouth. His passion was reaching the point of discomfort, and with the wave of one hand they were reclining on the bed. Her armor had been left back at camp, and she wore only her shift and leathers. Both disappeared along with his leathers. Their ardor was increasing by the moment, and had soon reached the point where they felt that they would explode into flames. Just before that could happen, Ares moved into position. He looked deeply into her eyes, waiting for some signal, and was rewarded with a smile and a nod. That was what he had hoped for, and he soon had her writhing.
When she awoke, it was to find herself laying in her own sleeping roll. She hadn't even been aware of being moved. He was getting good at this. She lay there for a few moments with a lingering smile on her face, then shook herself and got up. As soon as she got up, there was movement in the other two sleeping rolls, and two small bodies crawled out and stood up. Gabrielle slept on. The children kept still, and gathered with Xena near the coals as she added tinder and coaxed the fire back. As soon as the tinder caught, she began to add wood. Soon the fire was crackling merrily. She got out a pan, poured water into it, and started some oatmeal, it was one of the few things she could cook well. The children waited patiently, and soon it was ready. By this time, the aroma had reached the other bedroll, and Gabby groaned and got up. "Good morning, sleepyhead." Xena greeted her with a smile. "You're in a good mood this morning!" Gabrielle replied suspiciously. "Yes, I am, I had an excellent night last night." was her only answer. They ate breakfast, did the dishes, cleaned the children, then straightened up the campsite and left.
They still had a long ways to go to get to Amphipolis. Was her mother ever going to get a surprise this time. Not one, but two small children, to get in her hair. Wait 'til she found out that they both weren't potty trained. She could see her face now. Like all journeys, this one eventually came to an end. They were greeted with enthusiasm when they arrived at the Tavern. Xena let Gabrielle take the children in with her mother, and she took care of the horses. When she entered the tavern with the two huge packs, she found her mother seated in a chair with two small chattering forms on her lap. Gabrielle had already finished the tale of the new child, and her mother was all smiles. They both were calling her grammy and trying to talk at once. She looked up at Xena, and shook her head. "I was happy with one grandchild, but I will gladly accept another." Jeb had taken to calling both women mama. He had finally come out of his shell, and was a happy, active child. Eve had always been active also, and now with the two of them they had double trouble. At least this was trouble they didn't mind having.
It had now been several weeks since Xena and Gabrielle had arrived at Cyrene's with the two toddlers. They had originally found Jeb at the site of a massacre. They had searched for days to find any living relatives, with no luck. They had, however, found a merchant who had told them that the men of the party had commented on being the last of their line. Nobody had chanced to think that maybe the women still had family. Xena had left word at all the places they had searched to send any info to Amphipolis, at Cyrene's tavern.
A man in dusty clothes, riding a tired horse, arrived at the front of the tavern. He enquired of a passerby if this was Cyrene's tavern. He was assured that it was, and slowly dismounted and hitched his horse to the rail. He took off his hat and entered the front door. Seeing a stranger in the room, Cyrene went over to greet him. "Welcome, how may I help you?" she enquired. "I'm looking for a Xena, who found a little boy named Jeb." Her heart sank, but she informed him that she would get Xena. Stepping out into the kitchen, she waved Xena over, and whispered. "Someone is looking for Jeb." Xena was startled and dismayed. "He's in the tavern. "Cyrene continued. Xena walked slowly into the front room, and looked around. She spotted him immediately. He was still standing just inside the front door. "I'm Xena, and I understand you're looking for Jeb?" "I certainly am, my wife's sister was the woman who was holding him. I was bringing some more things she had requested, when I heard the news. At first I heard that everybody had been killed, and I was heartsick. How would I ever tell my wife? She and her sister were very close. Then I met a merchant who informed me that there had been a small blond child who survived. Since my sister in law was the only blond in the party, I was sure that it was her son."
At that moment Gabrielle entered the room. Cyrene had just informed her of the situation. "Gabrielle....?" the man asked. "Yes?" she replied. "How do you know my name, I don't know you." "You're right." he said, "But I know you. You're my wife's cousin. Her name is Janisse, and she's your cousin on your mother's side. I saw you in town one day, and Janisse told me about you. You were busy at the time, so we didn't disturb you." Gabrielle got excited, she hadn't seen Janisse in such a long time. Janisse and her sister Marda lived several towns away, and were rarely involved in family matters. She had heard that both were married, and that Janisse had several children, she had also heard that Marda had a son. "Do you mean that Jeb is Marda's son? she asked incredulously. "Yes, he is, and I'm so thankful that someone has been taking care of him! You and Janisse are the only family he has left." he replied. "I have several children of my own, I don't feel that I would be able to take care of another child properly. Could you keep him?" "I'd be happy to, I never saw the body, and might not have recognized her if I did. I haven't seen Marda since we were both children. Oh, I'm so glad to know who he is." She exchanged looks with Xena, and then with Cyrene, who had entered the room right behind her. All three faces were smiling with relief.
They had come to love the boy as if he were their own, and now they found out that he truly was their own. Jeb had found a permanent family, and they were thrilled. Cyrene quickly stepped out of the room, and soon entered with the child in question. "Unca Lem, unca Lem." the child shouted with glee. The man swept him up in his arms, and gave him a big hug. Jeb promptly tried to fill him in on everything that had happened in the last few weeks. He told him his mama was lost, but he had found two more mamas. He told him about the chickens, and the pigs, and everything else he could think of. Of course, a lot of it was unintelligible. He didn't have a very large vocabulary yet, but he got most of his points across. Lem looked down at him with a grin. "You haven't changed a bit, Jeb." he said gently. "You're still the same chatterbox you always were. I'm so glad." Xena told him about the period when Jeb wouldn't talk to anyone but Eve, and that slowly Eve had managed to convince him that he was safe. From that time on, he started to talk, and now he wouldn't shut up. She glanced at Gabrielle, and commented. "I should have recognized the family resemblance right away. They're both blonds, they have similar features, and they both love to talk." Gabby looked offended for a moment, then grinned. "Yeah, I guess you should have at that. We've often commented that he looked a lot like me, in fact that he could have been my son, the resemblance was so great.
After a few more candlemarks, Cyrene offered to put him up for the night. It was getting late. He was invited back into the kitchen for supper with the family. Cyrene had called in some help for the evening, so they had plenty of time to talk. Their conversation went on long into the night, with time out to put the two little ones to bed. After they were safely asleep, the conversation continued, with Xena describing the scene of carnage. Lem was grateful that Xena and Gabrielle had come along in time to save his nephew. He was also more grateful than he could say, that the boy had found a family that loved him and cared for him. Xena described how she had lifted the boy while his eyes were closed in fright, and held his face in her neck while she carried him to safety. The cloak had saved him from not only death, but also the scenes of death. Eventually they went to bed.
As Xena was laying on the bed, her thoughts turned to more pleasant things. As Aphrodite would say, she and Ares were becoming an item. She wasn't quite sure exactly what an *item* was, but she had a pretty good idea. At least once or twice a week, he stopped by to visit. Mostly they just conversed, but sometimes they let their fingers do the walking, and their bodies do the talking. He would whisk them off to somewhere private for either form of conversation. They didn't want any evesdroppers, or interruptions. One night, Ares had been kissing her passionately, when suddenly he raised his head, as though he were listening. "Oh oh!" he exclaimed. "Your mother just peeked into your room and found you missing. She's gone looking. I'll take care of that." With a snap of his fingers, she was clothed in her shift, leathers, and a soft pair of house shoes. A wave of his hand placed her on the bench outside the back door. When her mother opened the door, she was sitting there with one knee clasped in both hands, staring out toward the woods.
Cyrene gave a deep sigh of relief. For a few moments there she had been worried. Where was she, why would she just get up and leave, was there something going on that she should know about? The sight of Xena sitting there on the bench, relieved all those fears. Xena had done this since she was a child. She would become restless, and have to get up, do something. Often it had been to sit on this bench, listen to the night sounds, and feel the wind on her face. It always seemed to calm her. She sat beside her, and asked. "Couldn't sleep?" Her only reply was a shake of the head. They sat there in companionable silence for a few more moments, then Xena got up, stretched and said. "I think I'll go up to bed now. Good night mother." "Good night." Cyrene returned, then entered the house behind her. They walked up the steps together, and each nodded to the other as they entered their own room. Xena stayed there for the rest of the night, and her mother, peeking in very early the next morning, found her curled up hugging her pillow.
Their next interlude had gone much more pleasantly. He had taken her to a sunlit beach on an uninhabited island. There they had played in the water like a pair of children. Only leaving the water when their exertions caused them to become aroused. They spent the next period of time with other pastimes, of a more intimate nature, and fell asleep in the shade of a pair of palm trees. Ares had a good sense of time, and could awake at any time he chose. When it was nearly dawn in Amphipolis, he gently kissed her awake, and transported them to her room. He kissed her again, passionately, as a promise of things to come. Then he took one last look at her, smiled affectionately, and walked off into the aether.
The terrible twosome were doing better, no more than three or four catastrophes per day. A craftsman in the town had developed what he called a tallchair. It had arms and a belt with buckle, attached in back, that could hold the most active child securely in place. It could be pushed right up to the table, and made for a few less messes. Two of these tallchairs had been donated to Cyrene. Both children enjoyed their food, and usually managed to get quite a bit of it all over themselves. Both ate with their hands, but Eve was experimenting with a spoon. She had found that mashed potatoes could be flung with amazing accuracy when loaded on a spoon, held firmly with one hand, and pulled back with the other. When released, the food would fly. She had made several direct hits on Jeb, before the spoon was taken away from her. "We don't play with our food." Xena stated firmly. It took a while to get him cleaned up, although he didn't seem to mind the mess. He took one finger, scraped some of the potato off his face, and put it in his mouth. Xena gave an exasperated sigh, and continued washing.
Gabrielle had been teaching Eve her Alpha, Beta, Gamma's (The first three letters in the Greek Alphabet.), and she was doing quite well. She had already mastered Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, Epsilon, Zeta, and Eta, and could write them with chalk on a slate. Jeb had been observing these things very carefull. Gabrielle put the slate and chalk away on a shelf, and they left the little room they were using for school. It had a table, a couple of benches, and a wall full of shelves. Gabrielle had been using it to store scrolls for the last year or two. It had originally been used for a storeroom, but Cyrene had added a large wing at the back of the tavern, and moved the contents to that area. There was much more storage space in the new wing, and it was more convenient to the kitchen.
They had been busy at other things, when someone noticed that Jeb was missing. He had been playing quietly in a corner of the room for quite a while, and no-one had noticed him slip away. They made a quick search, and found him in the school room. He had climbed up on a bench, and gotten the chalk from the shelf. He had then begun practicing his alphabet on the one blank wall. He had Alpha through Delta correct, but had then added Eta, and reversed Epsilon and Zeta after that. It was remarkable for a child so young to even begin to know his alphabet. At this rate he would be writing an opus by the age of ten. It seemed that Jeb not only had Gabrielle's love of chatter, he also had her love of writing. At least he had used a medium that was easily cleaned up. Every one chuckled before Gabrielle took a bucket of hot soapy water, and cleaned the wall with a rag.
Things had been going well between Xena and Ares. They had been carrying on a relationship right under Gabby's nose, and she hadn't caught on. Aphrodite, on the other hand, was in her element. "What's up, bro? Your little warrior babe been keeping you up?" This was said right after he gave a huge yawn. He grinned, but made no reply. She continued on. "You can spill it to me, I won't spread it around." *Not much!* she thought. He continued in silence, with a smirk on his face. She finally gave up, but determined to keep an eye on him for a while. They discussed other matters, such as the latest of Zeus' conquests, and the argument between Artemis and Apollo. Nothing had come of it, but tempers had flared for a while. Finally she left, and Ares gave a deep sigh. "Whew... that was getting too close for comfort." he murmured to himself. One of his priests had entered the room just as he made the comment. "You spoke my lord?" "It's nothing, just making a mental note." he replied. Then they got down to temple business.
The next time he called upon Xena they made another trip to that sunny tropical island they had visited before. He waved a hand, and a coconut appeared in each of his hands. The husks had been removed along with the tops. They were full of a whitish liquid, and made a pleasant drink on a hot day. He offered one to Xena who had never seen such a thing before. She wished she could take some back home with her, but she would have a difficult time trying to explain them. What could she say...Ares just popped in and gave them to me? That would only raise more questions. 'Why would Ares do that?' 'Is he in the habit of just popping in on you?' 'Just how often does he do that?' 'What else does he do?' To name a few. Both her mother and Gabrielle would become very suspicious. She much preferred things the way they were. She had the best of worlds, (well, almost) she had her family and friends, and she had Ares. What more could she want?
After the drink, and a swim, they retired to his quarters. He indicated that she should take a seat on one of the divans, then waved a hand to cause a meal to appear. He sat beside her, and they snacked for a while. They discussed the latest episodes of the terrible two, and Ares laughed uprourously at the pictures so clearly described. He could just see it. He was taking a real liking to Jeb. Of course he loved Eve, but he decided that he had room enough in his heart for another little one. He'd have to keep an eye on this one too! Double trouble, but it was an enjoyable experience. Xena's stories had been keeping him entertained for a while now. It was nice to think of something other than War and Duty for a change.
The conversation continued for a while longer, then Ares slipped an arm around Xena, and bent to kiss her. She welcomed the kiss enthusiastically, and one thing leading to another, they were soon in bed. His carresses were causing her to become somewhat heated. In fact, extremely heated. She decided to turn the tables on him, he was already aroused, but she was sure she could think of something that would exacerbate the situation. She was successful, extremely successful. He was soon completely out of control. This was a situation to her liking. He was normally in control at all times, except for his temper. That was one of his weak points. She was going to have to do something about that. Just what, she didn't know, but something was sure to come to mind sooner or later.
They were resting in each other's arms when there was a sudden shower of pink sparkles beside the bed. "Aha! I thought so." Aphrodite exclaimed with a wide smirk. "This is my department, and I'm never wrong about something like this." she remarked with a giggle. "Hey, studmuffin, I just caught you in the act, so don't try to deny it. The warrior babe has captured your heart." She giggled again, and waited for a reply. Ares gave her a disgusted look, and asked "Can't I get any privacy? I don't get any respect from my own sister!" "Oh, I respect you, studmuffin, you're a great God of War, and from what some of your priestesses tell me you're great in other departments as well." He groaned, it was just like his sister to go asking questions where she wasn't wanted. Discussing it in front of Xena, was strictly improper. She just might foul up everything he had gained over the last few months. Xena spoke up with a grin. "I'm already aware of those facts. I will happily vouch for his expertise in both departments." She glanced back at Ares, with raised eyebrow. "Isn't that so *studmuffin*?" she queried. He groaned again, just what he needed. They were ganging up on him.
This had gone on for quite a while longer, until Xena realized that it was getting late. "I'd better be getting home....please?" she looked at Ares, and he complied. With a wave of his hand, she was in her night dress and home in bed. She lay there for a while remembering the look on his face when she had gone along with Aphrodite's teasing. It had been priceless. He had been both embarrased and irritated. He did control his temper, though, she'd give him credit for that. Maybe this was what he needed. It was something to consider.
After the several escapades of the terrible twosome, the villagers of Amphipolis had gotten together and built a plank fence around the whole of Cyrene's back yard. This fence had a gate. The catch was on the outside, where only an adult could reach it. Hopefully this would help curb two inquisitive youngsters from escaping to cause more trouble. Each time the gate was opened, however, Eve watched very carefully. One day, while she was out with her mother, she looked the catch over in detail. She didn't try anything quite yet, but she had an idea. It would wait for a better opportunity.
Xena and Gabrielle had their hands full with those two. Every so often, Cyrene would get a smirk on her face, and remember when. They say, that eventually everyone will get their just deserts, and that seemed to be the case in Xena's situation. Xena had been a problem child, and her brother Lyceus was just as bad. She wasn't really bad...she was just full of mischief. One or the other would start something, the other would egg them on, and soon there would be problems. They would back each other up, no matter what. If some larger child started a fight with one of them, the other would get involved. Toris had been a quiet, obedient child, and she had really been unprepared for the other two. After the death of her husband, they had become somewhat obstreperous, and she had often regretted the necessity. If they had had a strong father figure, they might have been different. Oh, well, no use crying over spilled milk. Lyceus was dead, and Xena had turned out just fine! It was about this time that the children started talking about a new friend. At first everyone assumed that they were talking about Talitha, but that didn't turn out to be the case. The toddlers told their mothers that their friend was invisible to anyone else but them. Since an invisible friend was a common occurance with small children, no-one took it seriously. This went on for some time, and when they enquired what the name of the friend was, the children said it was a secret.
One day they came in the house with a tiny stone horse. It was of black onyx, and quite small. The workmanship was exceptional. "Our friend gave it to us." they chortled. "Isn't it sumpin? (something, in case you don't speak toddler.)" The fact that the toy was of black stone, had made Xena very suspicious. She didn't have the opportunity to do anything about it right at the moment, but she would definitely keep it in mind. Cyrene and Gabrielle had similar suspicions. Why on earth the God of war would lower himself to play with a pair of children was a very good question. Maybe he was entering into a second childhood. Yeah...right.
At the moment, the god in question had more serious matters on his mind. His latest warlord was a complete idiot. So what else was new? The last few had not had the brains in Xena's little finger. Oh, for the good old days. She had conquered every city she went up against. She had won one war after another. She had outplotted the most famous generals, and made them look like fools. He knew she wouldn't be back, at least not as a warlord, and he had come to respect that decision. As long as she continued to need and want him, he could live with her choice. Speaking of needing and wanting....he hadn't been to see her in several days now. He would have to rectify that oversight.
But first, back to business, the warlord. He discovered that there was a good man acting as lieutenant to the warlord. His name was Teris, and that name rang a bell. Wasn't that the name of the man who had aided Xena not too long ago? He had a good head on his shoulders. He was young, but time would soon change that. Ares decided that he could put up with the idiot for a while longer, but he was going to start giving Teris more responsibility. If he could handle it, he stood to make an excellent warlord. His men respected him, he had a good camaraderie with his men, and they would do anything for him. He was definitely a candidate.
Xena was starting to get twitchy. It had been several days since his last visit, and she wanted to get something straightened out. Was he the invisible friend, and if so, what was he up to? She had finally settled down in the bed, when that tingle started. She waited for him to appear, and then immediately started asking questions. "Is that any way to greet a guest?" he replied with a hurt expression on his face. The hurt expression didn't extend to the eyes, so she didn't feel sorry for him in the least. The eyes were twinkling with humor. "Okay, now, one at a time." he continued. She began with the stone horse, and he readily agreed that he was the *friend* who had given it to the children. "I need to get to know Jeb, so that I will be able to keep an eye on him. Eve is easy, she's a part of you, Jeb is much more difficult. And it doesn't have anything to do with the fact that he's related to the irritating blond. He's young, his thoughts generally unformed and I need to be able to identify him." She softly let out a breath she hadn't even been aware that she was holding. "Oh...that's different. That's perfectly all right then." She was so relieved to know that he didn't have any ulterior motives...at least she didn't think so. With Ares, there were sometimes motives within motives, and she would just have to trust him.
He transferred them to a local grove, where they sat on a log and discussed his problems with the warlord. He told her that he was going to start preparing Teris for more important things. She was glad to hear it, she had grown fond of the young man, and he really was a capable leader of men. Ares would have to wait for a while though, Teris was much too young to be in charge. Of course with Ares, time was not important. He could wait as long as necessary for whatever he set his heart on. He, after all, had all the time in the world,
She slipped one arm around his waist, and leaned her head on his shoulder. He wrapped both arms around her. She tipped back her head and he kissed her gently, then pulled her close as she laid her head back against him. They remained that way for a few moments, finally she looked up at him with raised eyebrows and a question in her eyes. He knew that look, and swiftly moved them to his bed. Their clothes were left on the divan. Clothes were not necessary for what he had in mind. A priestess was passing in the hallway. She heard the unmistakable sounds emanating from the closed doorway and smiled. Someone had gotten lucky.
For the last few weeks, Xena had been running a gauntlet of emotional states. Cyrene was getting suspicious. One day she'd be smiling and humming, but within a few days she was almost morose. The next day she would be fine again. Cyrene knew the symptoms. Xena acted for all the world like a woman in love. She hadn't been showing any partiality for any of the villagers, and that left only one....no, it couldn't be. She tried diligently to talk herself out of the thought, but it kept returning. Finally, she asked Gabrielle if she noticed any difference in Xena's behavior. "Actually, I have." Gabby replied, "And I don't like the idea that keeps surfacing in my mind." "Ares!" they both exclaimed at once.
The children had been playing in the yard all morning. It started to rain, and Xena called them to come in, she told them that she didn't want them to get their clothes wet. They were reluctant, but finally did come in. They played in the corner of the kitchen for a while. The three women began to prepare for the opening of the tavern. There was a lot of work to do each day, and with three of them it went much more quickly. They cooked, and baked, they cleaned and set up the tavern. They had been really busy for a long time. Finally they took a break. The sudden silence made them aware that someone was missing. Looking around quickly they discovered two small piles of clothes and shoes just inside the back door. The children had taken Xena's words literally. She didn't want them to get their clothes wet, so they didn't. They were out in the back yard without a stitch of clothing. The three women looked at each other and sighed, then grinned, as the humor of the situation struck. They had obeyed Xena to the letter. Their clothes were safely in the house, and were completely dry. The same could not be said for Eve and Jeb. They were not in the house nor were they dry. In fact they were dripping wet, and as happy as a couple of little pigs in mud. Cyrene raced out into the yard, and shooed them in with her apron. They were quite indignant. "But mama, we did what you said!" Eve said with feeling. "Yeah, me too!" Jeb said. He was giving her those sad puppy dog eyes again. Eve was standing there with both hands on her hips, as if to say that she wasn't going to put up with any more of this nonsense. The posture so reminded Cyrene of Xena as a child that she couldn't help grinning. Fortunately she was far enough off to the side that neither child could see her. "I just don't know what I'm going to do with you two." Xena said in frustration. "You know perfectly well that that's not what I meant. "But it's what you said." Eve grumbled." "Yeah." Jeb muttered. He always had to get in the last word.
They carried in a large wooden tub, filled it with water, added enough hot water to make it comfortable, and put the two of them into it. Xena scrubbed her daughter, and Gabrielle scrubbed Jeb. While they were doing that, Cyrene had gone in to open the tavern. People were actually waiting outside. The rain had stopped shortly after they had brought the children into the house, so nobody was getting wet. Several had already started to gossip as they waited. Cyrene was still chuckling as she opened the doors, and everyone knew what that meant. The children had obviously been involved in some sort of escapade. As she started to pour drinks and dish up food, she began to fill them in. "Naked?" one old lady asked. "Without a single stitch of clothing." Cyrene replied. "They'll catch their death!" the woman exclaimed. Cyrene assured her that the children had been given a hot bath and wrapped in towels. A few minutes later the miscreants came walking in with downcast eyes. They were fully clothed, but their hair was still wet.
Xena and Gabrielle marched them over into a corner, and sat them down. "Now stay there." Gabrielle said with feeling. The two then went about the business of taking orders. This corner had been arranged with two low chairs, a toybox, and a small table. The children proceeded to take out some toys, and played quietly. The corner began to get cluttered after a while. They would take out a toy, play with it for a few minutes, then take out another toy. None of the toys were put back. Finally they both reached for the same toy at the same time." Cries of "MINE!" "NO MINE!' emerged. Cyrene quickly arrived and took the toy from both of them. "If you can't play nicely with it, neither of you can play with it." There were a few sniffles, but they soon found something else to do. The little episode had not gone unnoticed. Almost everyone in the tavern had been watching.
When Xena finally got to her room that night she was feeling frustrated. Ares hadn't been to see her in almost a week. The room was dimly lit with a single candle, and she was in the act of taking off her chemise, when Ares arrived. He took in a sudden deep breath. The candle was behind her, and her body was in outline, as she lifted her arms. The sight was enough to take his breath away. The flickering light outlined her form, making shadows play about her body. She turned and looked at him briefly, smiled, and started combing her hair. She had lost all trace of embarrassment around him. She knew for a fact that she had nothing he hadn't seen before. She also enjoyed tantalizing him every so often. She was aware of the effect she was having on him, having heard the sudden indrawn breath. She continued combing her hair, while he gradually moved nearer. He began to massage her shoulders and neck. He had the most marvelous way of doing that. His hands were gentle but strong, and seemed to know exactly where she needed his ministrations. At the moment, she was needing them in a much lower area. He began working his way down her back, She leaned over to present him with as much area to work on as possible. He suddenly reached up in front of her, and wrapped his arms tightly around her body. He snugged her back against him, and murmured "let's slip into something more comfortable." She laughed softly, and agreed.
The something more comfortable he was talking about was his huge, canopied bed. It had fresh red silk sheets on it, and was extremely comfortable. They had spent quite a lot of time there lately. Sometimes he took her to someplace different. He had many temples, and also that huge palace on Olympus. This was his favorite temple however. It was the one in which she had taken her oath, and also the one in which she had spent the many years of her training. Of course, as Chosen of Ares, she had received special training...very special training. They spent several hours in intimate byplay, but finally she had to ask the question. "What are we going to tell my mother? And for that matter, Gabrielle." "Do we have to tell them anything yet?" He asked quietly. "Maybe not quite yet, but they're getting suspicious, I can feel their eyes following me around. There is a tense feeling sometimes, and they suddenly get quiet when I enter the room." she replied. "They know something is going on, but they haven't yet brought the subject up." He lifted his head suddenly, and shook his head.ruefully. "They're about to bring it up now." he commented. "They both just walked into your room, and they're sitting on the bed waiting." He replaced their clothes, and they prepared to face the music.
He lifted her into his arms, and they suddenly appeared in her own room. As he set her feet on the floor, he remained by her side with his arm about her waist. "And to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?" Xena asked the two seated women. They were sitting there staring at Ares. The question brought them back to themselves, and they both started to talk at once. "I had hoped I was wrong." her mother said. "Xena, how could you?" Gabrielle asked. "I am a grown woman, with the right to make my own decidions, am I not?" Xena asked seriously. "Am I in any way neglecting you, mother?" Her mother shook her head sheepishly. "Am I in any way neglecting my duties to the children?" she asked as she gazed at Gabrielle. She too shook her head. "Then I fail to see what business it is of anybody's what I choose to do with my own time." With that said, she turned to face Ares. Reaching up with both hands to clasp his head, she pulled him down to meet her, she then kissed him full on the mouth. He wrapped his arms about her and arched her body against his. The kiss lasted for quite a while and by the time she broke it, they were alone, and the door had been softly shut.
Xena had been living with the constant fear of discovery for several months now. She was really glad that everything was finally out in the open. Things had been a little strained for the first few days after the discovery of her relationship with Ares. Her mother had been disappointed and hurt that she hadn't shared the matter with her. Gabrielle was just plain agitated. She couldn't get over the fact that after all the things Ares had said and done, Xena had still gone and gotten herself involved with him sexually. She didn't yet realize that it wasn't only sexual, but also romantic. Ares had shown a completely different side of himself lately. He had shown caring, compassion, and even tolerance. This last was the most amazing. The God of war showing tolerance. Will wonders never cease?
Poor Ares, not only had the mortals discovered his secret, but somehow the immortals had also. He was being royally teased by several of them. Athena and Apollo were especially obnoxious. Hephaestus had sided with his wife Aphrodite, and said that If Ares cared for the woman, who was he to say anything about the matter. After all he had the woman of his choice. At this point he turned and looked fondly at Aphrodite. She got all in a dither, and wound up giving him a big passionate kiss, right in front of everybody. Zeus withheld judgement, and Hera had been furious. Who did this mortal think she was, taking over the affections of her favorite son? Ares had made a very smart move. He informed his mother, that Xena had indeed won his heart, but that his mother would always be at the top of his affections. The glare faded, and was replaced with a fond look. "Wheew!" he had thought to himself. "One serious obstacle overcome."
By this time Eve was almost two and a half. Jeb was just two. Now that they knew who he was, they knew the date of his birth. He was almost five months to the day younger than Eve. They still went everywhere together, hand in hand, but a few frictions were beginning to appear. Eve loved to tease him, and sometimes he took the teasing a little too seriously. The children usually played in the corner of the tavern, which had been turned into their own play area. It had a toybox, a small table, and two tiny chairs placed on a thick rug. It was the perfect place for them to be while the grownups were involved in the running and upkeep of a tavern. It was a family type tavern, which also served good wholesome food. Villagers of all ages came there to eat. They also served milk and juice drinks for the many children who came with their parents.
One day the children were playing in the corner as usual. Xena had taken them each a glass of milk, and the leftover bacon from breakfast. Being children, they didn't eat much at a time, but were always snacking. Xena was putting things in order behind the bar, and was out of sight of the children. Suddenly things got quiet, and Xena's mother instinct snapped into action. She quietly stood up and peeked over the top of the bar. She was just in time to see Eve take the last piece of bacon, wave it far enough over Jeb's head that he couldn't reach it, then turn her back to eat it. Eve said "Mmmmmm." as she did so. Jeb got this absolutely frustrated look on his face, then he suddenly grinned. He lifted his glass of milk, and poured it down the back of Eve's dress. There was a sudden scream, and then Eve cried out "YUCK, that's nasty." "Mama....Jed poured milk down my dress!" Xena shook her head ruefully. It never ended.
Xena then stepped out from behind the bar, placed a small chair in each of the two corners, and pointed. "Eve, sit there.....Jeb there." There were all kinds of recriminations, and each tried to blame the other. Jeb went so far as to claim that it was an accident. "It won't work." Xena replied. "I saw the whole thing. Eve, you started it by teasing Jeb with the bacon. And Jeb, that was certainly no accident. You deliberately poured that milk on her to get even." Eve sat there silently, but Jeb always had to get in the last word. He was too smart to argue, so he simply said "Aww rye." (All right) and sat down. Peace reigned for quite a while, until they became restless. "May we get up now? We'll be good." Eve asked. "Me too?" Jeb queried. Xena had finally let them get up and go out in the back yard to play. Maybe they could run off some of their excess energy.
Their days were so hectic now. Ever since Xena and Gabrielle had arrived with the two little ones, business had picked up. Other little ones came to play while the grownups talked and sipped their ale or mead. Tea was also served for those who didn't imbibe in liquor. It had become a real family oriented place rather than the standard male hangout.
The children were still in a pique at having been punished earlier. "I'm going to run away!" Eve stated after some discussion on the matter. "Me too." Jeb replied. Eve set her carefully crafted plan in action. She took off the long ribbon from her waist. She tied the center in a knot to make it heavier. Then she took both ends in her little hands, and flipped the center portion over the gate. The first attempt failed, but she tried again. This time her aim was more accurate. The knot caught under the latch, and afterJeb was urged to push the gate slightly ajar, she let go of the ribbon. The latch dropped again, but nowhere near the catch. The door swung freely open, and they proceeded to sneak out of the area. They took care not to be seen, and had traveled a long way before they were missed.
Catastrophe struck while they were walking along a rocky gully which had been created during the heavy rains they'd had last winter. As Eve was reaching to pick a pretty flower, the embankment gave way beneath her. Jeb cried out, but it was too late. He couldn't reach her. She lay crumpled in the rubble at the bottom of the slope. He began to cry. The sobs became more and more explosive as he realized there was no-one to help. "Mama....mama....mama!" he screamed repeatedly. Of course there was no answer. At last he had an idea. Whenever they had wanted Ares to come and play with them, they had always whispered his name. He had told them that he couldn't always come, that sometimes he was busy with grownup things, but that he would try. "Ares..?" he called softly. Ares appeared suddenly, looked about himself with amazement, and asked "What on earth are you doing way out here? And where's Eve? I can't seem to locate her. "Eve fall down and go boom. She down there." Jeb pointed at the nearby embankment. Ares walked quickly to the edge. There was Eve, in a pile of dirt and rocks, laying very still and silent. He immediately transported himself to her side. He held his hand over the small body, and scanned it carefully. "Hmmm...a nasty lump on her forehead, bumps and abrasions on arms and legs. A lot of bruising, but no broken bones and no internal damage." he mused. He lifted her in his arms and reappeared beside Jeb. He somehow gathered both of them into his arms and strode into the aether.
The tavern and village were in turmoil. The whole town had been searched very carefully, all the known places had been searched, including the pig farm. All to no avail. The three women were in a complete panic. Where could they possibly be? And why had they left? Had some other bright idea occured to them? There was a sudden shower of sparkles, and there were the children, bundled up in the arms of the god of war. He had a frown on his face as he looked at Xena, Jeb quickly got down and began to tell everyone what had happened. Xena wasn't really listening. Her attention was on the small body Ares still held. "Is she dead?" she asked fearfully. "No, only unconscious. She hit her head when she fell. She has lots of bumps and scratches from the fall, but she has no broken bones, and no signs of internal damage." She gave a huge sigh of relief, and moved to take Eve in her own arms. Ares disappeared. She took Eve into the parlor and laid her on the divan.She seated herself beside the small still body. Cyrene had stayed long enough to get the gist of the story from Jeb, and then took action. She gathered a small pan of warm water, soap and a clean cloth, and brought them to Xena with alacrity. They had Eve pretty well cleaned up by the time her eyelids began to flutter. She slowly opened her eyes, and saw her mother and grandmother bent over her. She got a sheepish look on her face, and said "I'm sorry mama." "Sorry just isn't good enough, young lady." Xena replied. "Just what in Tartarus did you think you were doing?" she asked hotly. After Eve had reluctantly told about the decision to run away, and how she resented being sat in the corner that morning, and other imagined slights, Xena asked her. "And did running away solve any of your problems? Or did it only create worse problems?" Eve finally decided that it had been a very bad idea indeed.
Several days later, Ares arrived at the house to check on the patient. He hadn't realized the time, but it was just at dinner time. He arrived just in time to hear...POOOT, and Jeb saying "Oops." Then Eve said "Eewww! Mama...Jeb farted." "We don't discuss such things at the table, it's impolite." was Xena's reply. It was about this time that his presence was noted by the whole group. The children grinned, and Eve said. "Look, it's our friend, hi...." And Jeb repeated "Friend, hi." He greeted both of the children, and enquired about the results of the fall. As he had told Xena, there was no permanent damage done.
The children were both seated on one long side of the rectangular kitchen table. Xena and Gabrielle were on each end, so that they could supervise the tots, and Cyrene had been seated next to Gabby. After a moment's hesitation she rose and began to set another place at the table...beside Xena. He accepted the unspoken invitation, and really enjoyed the meal. He had placed his left hand on Xena's knee beneath the table, and would squeeze it every so often. While they ate, they conversed about their day, just like an ordinary family. However reluctantly, he had finally been accepted into the family. He considered this day to be a major milestone in his life.
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