Less than half a candlemark on the road, the three woman came upon a small band of thugs. "Lookie at whats we got here, boys." The apparent leader said as he rubbed his grimy hands on his equally grimy red shirt.

"Boys, there are two ways to go about this. You move aside and let us pass and you don’t get hurt, or you don’t let us pass, we beat you senseless, and then we move on." Xena’s throaty voice purred. Gabrielle recognized the tone and instantly tightened the grip on her staff. Xena was in a mood to fight.

The four thugs broke into an uproarious fit of laughter. Red Shirt looked at the leather-clad woman carefully, noting the large sword strapped to her back. His laughter lowered down to a small chuckle, then complete silence. "Who are you?"

"Ahh, now you ask." Xena teased. "Does the name Xena mean anything to you?" She smiled in satisfaction as Red Shirt and his men turned noticeably paler. "So, do we pass without incident, or do we open you up and see if your blood matches your shirt?"

Allowing his brain to operate for a rare moment, Red Shirt moved to the side of the road to let the women pass. His men hesitated for a moment, then followed him. Xena urged Argo forward, making certain to keep herself between the men and Gabrielle. As she expected, Red Shirt reached for his sword just as they came within range.

"Ayiyiyiyi!" Xena somersaulted off of Argo, her feet landing squarely on Red Shirt’s chest. Gabrielle swatted Argo on the rear, sending the golden mare out of the way.

"Artemis! Take cover in the bushes." The bard yelled as she began to engage the thug in the blue shirt. Gabrielle’s staff whirled in the air gracefully, her mouth set in the same grim line that she had seen so many times on her companion. Unfortunately for her, Blue Shirt was skilled in fighting sword against staff and handily blocked her blows.

Green Shirt moved away from the sword wielding woman in leather and worked his way behind Gabrielle, intent on taking the small woman down. With all of her attention focused on Blue Shirt, she failed to notice the man sneaking up behind her. Only when she heard the whistling sound of an arrow and heard Green Shirt’s gasp of pain did she turn her attention behind her. The last thing Gabrielle saw was Artemis standing there, holding her bow. The arrow had imbedded itself deep into Green Shirt’s back, the crimson now flowing freely from the body on the ground. Blue Shirt swung hard, the flat of his blade connecting solidly with the side of Gabrielle’s head.

"Gabrielle!" Xena heard Artemis’ cry and glanced in their direction. She saw the huntress send an arrow into Blue Shirt’s chest. With a feral cry, Xena unleashed her anger at the two remaining men. Within moments, it was over. The warrior turned her attention to Gabrielle. Artemis had the bard’s head cradled in her lap as she stroked the blond hair, unmindful of the blood. As Xena approached, she heard the huntress murmuring softly to the dazed bard.

"Artemis, let me." Xena knelt down next to them and took the precious bundle from her. "You’re hurt, but not too bad.", she said, earning a small smile from the bard. The warrior let out a sharp whistle and was rewarded with the sound of Argo approaching. Cradling Gabrielle in her arms, Xena stood next to the warhorse. A different whistle and Argo lowered her front legs, then her hind ones, allowing the warrior to simply step over her and into the saddle. "Artemis, in the right front saddlebag there’s some bandages." Without a word, the huntress stepped forward and removed the bandages after struggling with the buckle, another new experience. It was only when she handed the cloth to Xena did the warrior notice the trembling in Artemis’ hands.

"Is she going to be all right?"

"Yes, but we’ll need to stop for the night. Artemis, take Argo’s reins, I need to concentrate on Gabrielle." A slight nudge from her knees sent the horse into a standing position. The bard rested her head against the strong chest, her chin touching the cool metal of Xena’s breastplate. "Relax, Gabrielle. I’ll take care of you.", the words were spoken so softly that she barely heard them. The next candlemark was spent in almost complete silence, interrupted only by Xena telling Artemis which way to go to reach a safe place to camp for the night. The huntress noted that the warrior’s blue eyes never left Gabrielle, not even to see where they were going.

They reached a small glen edged on one side by a gentle stream. Sliding down from Argo, Xena carried Gabrielle over to a soft patch of earth and sat down, laying the bard’s head in her lap. "Artemis, get me the waterskin, more bandages, and the needle and tread. I’m going to have to stitch the wound closed." Noting that the goddess hadn’t moved, she raised her voice and spoke in a more commanding tone. "Artemis, now!"

The tone and force of the words broke through the huntress’ paralysis, moving her into action. She quickly found the items requested and handed them to the warrior. The huntress watched as Xena quickly and expertly stitched the wound closed. Once finished, the warrior made no effort to release Gabrielle from her arms.

"I can sit up, you know."

"Suit yourself.", Xena said as she moved her arms out of the way. Gabrielle sat up quickly.

"Oh, my head." Her hand went to the throbbing temple, touching the bandage.

"I’ve told you never to turn your back on the enemy."

"Sorry." Her head was pounding and all she wanted to do was fall back into Xena’s arms.

"Don’t be sorry, just improve." The two women chuckled at their long standing private joke. "Guess you get out of making dinner tonight."

The thought of Xena and cooking was enough to force Gabrielle back into a sitting position, although much slower than before. "Oh no, that’s not necessary, Xena. I’ll cook dinner. I’m not in the mood for ‘burnt on the outside, raw on the inside’ tonight."

"Good, I wasn’t looking forward to trying to cook anyway." Xena looked up at the sky. "There are still several candlemarks of daylight left. Why don’t we go down to the stream and wash up?"

"Sounds good. Can I wash my hair?" Gabrielle asked. "I really hate the idea of all that blood dried up in it." Xena lifted the bandage and looked at the stitches.

"I’ll wash it for you."

"Okay." Gabrielle responded casually, although inside she was thrilled. There was just something about the way Xena washed her hair that made it seem less like a cleaning and more like a gentle massage. Gabrielle made a mental note to get Xena to wash her hair more often.

Both women were in the water and just beginning to wash up when Artemis appeared at the edge of the stream and started to remove her clothing. Averting her eyes, Gabrielle spoke up. "Artemis, I’m sorry but we aren’t maidens.", remembering the story told to her in her youth about the Moon Goddess bathing with young virgins.

"Well, that may have mattered as a goddess, but as a mortal, I’m dirty and need to wash up. I’m sure I can trust the two of you."

"Makes no difference to me." Xena muttered. "Come on, Gabrielle, let’s get the blood out of your hair." She had just stepped behind Gabrielle when Artemis removed her last vestige of clothing. Both women were totally awestruck at the huntress’ perfect features.

"By the gods..." Gabrielle gasped. Xena mutely nodded. Artemis smiled gently and immersed herself into the water. She swam until she was still within sight but just out of earshot before settling in to bathe. "Xena, she’s beautiful." The bard’s voice was filled with awe.

"Yes she is, Gabrielle.", she agreed. "But you have to remember that she is, or was, a goddess." Silently Xena thought that although Artemis had an exterior beauty that couldn’t be denied, it didn’t hold a candle to the radiant beauty of the young woman next to her. "Are you ready for me to wash your hair?" Gabrielle smiled and nodded, closing her eyes in anticipation. Unlike her ears, which Xena insisted were always dirty and in need of a good scrubbing, her hair was treated gently, as if it would break with the slightest amount of effort.

Artemis waited until both women had dried off and returned to camp before she exited the water. After washing all the dirt, grime, and blood from her body, she had spent her time in the water watching her two companions. The looks that she saw Xena giving Gabrielle whenever the bard’s back was turned confused Artemis. She had always disliked the idea of her chosen spending all her time traveling the countryside with the former warlord, assuming that Xena was just using Gabrielle. The look she saw when Xena was gently washing Gabrielle’s hair was that of pure love and devotion. From her angle, Artemis couldn’t see what the bard’s reaction to Xena’s touch.

Little was spoken during dinner, Gabrielle was too busy eating and Xena was her usual stoic self. The huntress noted, however, that the warrior’s attention was clearly split between eating her dinner and keeping an eye on Gabrielle. She also noticed that Xena only looked that way at Gabrielle when the bard’s attention was elsewhere. As the evening wore on, Artemis was convinced that Xena was in love with the young queen.

"I’m going to take another look around the perimeter.", Xena announced as she rose to her feet. Gabrielle looked up from her scroll and nodded.

"I’d like to accompany you.", Artemis said as she stood up and grabbed her bow. Xena scowled but the look that Gabrielle shot her silenced any argument.

"Fine, just don’t make noise and don’t get in my way.", no release tonight, Xena thought to herself.

They were well beyond earshot when Artemis asked to take a break. "I’d like to talk to you."

"We need to finish searching the area and then get back to camp, Artemis. I don’t have time for idle conversation.", Xena scowled as she started to walk away.

"You’re in love with her, aren’t you?" Those words brought the tall warrior to a halt.

"You don’t know what you’re talking about.", she protested, although she knew that the huntress was correct.

"Don’t I, Xena? I’ve been watching. I see the way you look at her."

"This is none of your concern, Artemis.", Xena’s voice carried a threatening tone. "All you need to worry about is finding your mantles and then you can go back to Mount Olympus and ignore us again."

"I have NEVER ignored Gabrielle, or you.", the huntress’ words were full of anger and hurt.

"Save your concern for Gabrielle. I don’t need or want it."

"You don’t think I care?", angry and upset, Artemis reached out and grabbed the warrior’s arm. "Xena, I have watched you. I’ve seen a young girl who sang a song as beautiful as the nightingale. I watched that young girl turn into one of the most fearsome warlords the world has ever seen. I watched you try to defeat my half-brother Hercules and lose. I’ve seen it all, Xena."

"Is there a point to all this, Artemis?", Xena asked in a bored tone.

"You don’t think I care, Xena, but I do. I watched you with her. I’ve seen the way you look at her. You love her so much yet you refuse to let her into your heart. Why?"

"Artemis, you were banished from Mount Olympus for interfering with mortals. Take a hint and stay out of my affairs.", she snarled. Before the huntress could reply, Xena stormed off into the thick foliage.

"Where’s Xena?", Gabrielle asked when she saw Artemis return alone.

"She went for a walk."

"Oh.", Gabrielle wondered if words had been exchanged between them. Xena was not known for her tact when it came to conversing with the gods. She rose and laid out her bedroll. "I guess we’d better get some sleep. It’s going to be a long walk tomorrow."

"Gabrielle, why don’t you ride with Xena or get a horse of your own?", Artemis asked as she laid out her bedroll, positioning it an equal distance from Gabrielle and from where Xena would most likely lay hers.

"First of all, we can barely afford to feed Argo. Secondly, horses and I aren’t always the best of friends. I had a pony when I was a child, but there’s no way that a pony would be able to keep up with Argo in a dead run."

"No, I suppose not.", Artemis agreed as she settled into her covers. Both women turned to see Xena stride into camp.

"Xena, how much longer do you think it will take to get there?"

"At least five more days, Gabrielle, possibly more. Now go to sleep.", she said as she banked the fire for the night and laid out her bedroll.

"Goodnight Xena. Goodnight Artemis."

"Goodnight Gabrielle." They answered in unison. Artemis smiled, Xena frowned and rolled over, wishing for this quest to be over with as soon as possible.

The next three days were quiet. Gabrielle kept Artemis entertained during the day with stories about the gods and mortals, doing her best to keep the huntress and the conversation away from Xena. She needn’t have bothered. Xena did her best to stay a fair distance ahead of them, remaining just within earshot in case of trouble. Meals and nighttime were quiet affairs, with each woman isolating into their own little worlds. Xena went through her hypnotic rhythm of cleaning her sword while Gabrielle retreated to her scrolls. Artemis sat quietly, gazing into the flames or meditating.

The fourth day brought more trouble down upon them. Xena had just enough time to warn them when six bandits came flying out of the bushes at them. Xena jumped off of Argo and engaged three of the bandits, leaving the others for Gabrielle and Artemis to deal with. Gabrielle swung her staff, deflecting a blow from one of the men. Artemis raised her bow, aiming at the man closest to her. With the lack of distance between them, he easily swung and knocked the bow out of her hands. The huntress fell back, feeling fear for the first time in her immortal life. Just as the sword was coming down at her, a whistling sound filled the air. Metal clanged against metal as the chakram connected with his sword. "Ayiyiyiyiyi." Artemis watched as Xena sailed through the air, her boots connecting with his chest. Within moments, it was over. Half the men were dead, the other half unconscious.

"Anybody hurt?", Xena asked, although her attention was focused completely on Gabrielle, who nodded that she was okay.

"Artemis, are you all right?", the bard asked as she helped the huntress to her feet.

"Yeah, fine.", she replied as she dusted the dirt off of her clothes. "I don’t understand why they feel the need to attack us."

"Men just seem to have this thing for wanting to fight with Xena.", Gabrielle joked, drawing a look from her best friend. In a lower, more conspiriatory tone, she added, "I think it has to do with the leather."

"I heard that, Gabrielle."

"Did I mention that she has excellent hearing?"

"I see that.", Artemis chuckled as they resumed their trek.

Kiveron was a small mining town, nestled between two large mountains and bordered on the third side by a wide river. "I’m surprised that village hasn’t been sacked before.", Xena said as the trio looked around.

"Why is that?", Artemis asked innocently.

"It’s too easy a target. All an army has to do is come straight at them. With the river and the mountains, there’s no escape. This place is a warlord’s dream."

"Oh.", Gabrielle said, letting the subject drop. She didn’t want to bring up Xena’s past in front of the goddess.

"Let’s get into town and see what’s going on. Artemis, be on the lookout for your mantles. One of them has to be here somewhere.", Xena took one more look at her bard before climbing back on Argo. "And Artemis, it would probably be a good idea not to mention who you are."

Once inside the town, Xena headed toward the stables with Argo, leaving Gabrielle to deal with getting rooms and meals. Artemis followed the bard to the entrance of the tavern.

"Artemis, I think I should explain a few things to you before we go in there. Once inside, I want you to stay directly behind me. Don’t say anything to anyone, okay? The men in places like this are usually dirty and foul mouthed. Just ignore them and remain focused on me. If there is any kind of trouble, just stay quiet and let me handle it." Gabrielle didn’t want to sound so firm, but she knew what could happen if Artemis didn’t do exactly as she said.

As expected, the tavern was full of drunken men, most smelling as if their bodies hadn’t seen soap in weeks. Gabrielle spotted a table in the far corner. "Stay right behind me and don’t say a word." Keeping her staff at the ready, the bard led them through the gauntlet of leering men. Gabrielle smiled to herself upon reaching the table. It only took a few strikes of her staff to make their way through.

"Why did they bother us?" Artemis asked as she took a seat next to the bard.

"Because that’s what they do, Art…you know something? We need to come up with a different name for you."

"Why?"

"Because we can’t keep calling you Artemis." Gabrielle lowered her voice as so not to be overheard. "You know that mortals consider anyone who bears the name of a god or goddess to be cursed."

Artemis nodded in agreement. "So what name should I use?"

"I don’t know. Let’s think about it." She looked at the huntress thoughtfully, noting the soft brown hair, the deep, dark eyes, the creamy white skin. A bright smile came over her. "I’ve got it. We’ll call you Fawn, you know, like a deer?"

"You do know that the deer is my most sacred animal. Yes, I like Fawn."

"Well, then Fawn it is."

Gabrielle ordered three mugs of port and three dinners. Artemis and her sipped their port while waiting for Xena to join them. "So, tell me about how you and Xena met.", Artemis asked, although she already knew the story. She just wanted to hear the story from Gabrielle’s perspective.

"She rescued me from slavers and…", her gaze was drawn to a large brute of a smelly man that was headed their way. "I’ll handle this." She gripped her staff and glared at him, doing her best to imitate Xena’s intimidating stare.

"Ho’much?"

"Now look.", the bard smiled as sweetly as she could. "I’m sure that you think that there is something at this table that is for sale, but you are mistaken."

"Oh, I think you are the one who is mistaken, dear." He reached out and placed his meaty paw on Gabrielle’s shoulder. She brought her staff up, catching him squarely in the groin. A quick reversal connected with his chin, sending him backwards. He wiped the blood from his lips and snarled at the blonde woman. "You’re going to pay for that, you bitch."

"Uh oh", she muttered as she rose to a standing position. As his fist moved toward her, another fist moved even quicker to smash against the side of his face.

"Can’t leave you alone for a minute, can I?" Xena drawled as she stepped over the unconscious man and took a seat.

"How long were you watching?", Gabrielle asked as she smiled and handed the warrior the third mug of port.

"Long enough."

The food arrived and all three ate heartily, Gabrielle explaining the name change between mouthfuls. "The barmaid said there is only one room available, but it does have two beds." Xena merely nodded and continued eating, her mind filled with visions of curling up next to Gabrielle without needing cold weather as an excuse. There was nothing they could do for the moment except wait and see what happened.

Artemis fell asleep quickly, leaving Xena and Gabrielle to perform their usual nightly routines. Xena leaned against the headboard, methodically sharpening her sword while Gabrielle leaned against the wall, writing down notes about their current adventure. It gave Xena the perfect opportunity to sit and study her friend. She watched the way the candlelight bounced off the smooth cheeks, the way Gabrielle’s lips moved silently as she worked. "What are you working on?", she asked softly.

Gabrielle looked up from her writing, catching an unfamiliar look in the blue eyes before Xena turned her face back down to concentrate on her sword. "Uh, just some thoughts about today. Hmm, that’s funny."

"What is?"

"You never usually ask me about what I’m writing." Gabrielle’s thoughtful look was answered with a small smile before the feelings became too much for Xena.

"I’m going to get ready for bed.", the warrior muttered as she rose and started to remove her armor. Gabrielle quickly set her scroll and quill down and moved to the edge of the bed.

"Hey, that’s my job, remember?", she joked as she moved Xena’s hands out of the way and began to undo the clasps that held the breastplate. "Did you get hurt in the battle today? You seem a bit stiff."

"No…I must just be tired.", she groaned at her lame excuse. The fact was that the young woman’s gentle touch stirred the passion in her. Xena concentrated on her breathing, silently praying that her bard would hurry up and end the sweet torture.

Once they were both down to their shifts, Gabrielle climbed into bed and moved near the wall. The bed was barely large enough for the two of them to lay side by side, so she rolled over onto her side, giving the extra room to Xena. Unable to resist the opportunity, the warrior curled up against her, wrapping her arm around the small waist. "Not much room.", she quietly explained. Gabrielle nodded and pressed up against the strong frame behind her.

"It’s okay. I don’t mind.", she murmured and snuggled closer. Xena relaxed and both soon fell into a contented sleep.

Artemis woke up to see the two women intertwined. She smiled softly and quietly rose from her bed.

"You don’t have to be quiet, Artemis. Gabrielle can sleep through a war."

"Oh.", she said. Xena sighed and slowly extricated herself from the softness of the sleeping bard. She quickly got dressed and put on her boots.

"I’ll go down and get breakfast for us. You stay here and don’t open the door for any reason until I return, you understand?", she took one last look at Gabrielle before leaving the room.

By the time Xena returned with the food, Gabrielle was up and dressed. "Oh, look at all the food!", she exclaimed as she watched the tray being set on the small table. The warrior chuckled at the wide eyed stare from the soft green eyes.

"I can’t believe you brought up all this food.", Artemis said as she reached out and grabbed a piece of fish.

"Considering how much food the two of you put away, I had to make sure there would be some left for me.", Xena teased as she took her seat.

"Did you find out anything?"

"No, Gabrielle. From what I’ve seen, everything is peaceful. There’s no sign of anything amiss."

"Maybe this isn’t the right place. Maybe the message had nothing to do with a place, maybe it meant something else.", she turned to Artemis. "Do you have any ideas?"

The huntress looked up from the food she was eating. "None of this makes any sense to me, Gabrielle.", she sighed. "Perhaps it does mean something other than a location."

Xena quickly finished up her breakfast. "I should think you two can find something to occupy yourselves while I look around town.", she rose and looked at her young friend. "Gabrielle, do me a favor, try to stay out of trouble, just this once?"

"Funny. Yup, you’re really funny, Xena."

"I know.", the warrior smirked. "Oh, and Fawn?", she looked at the huntress, "I don’t want to have to pull you out of any scrapes, either."

"Now look, Xena.", Artemis rose, her anger building. "I am not some child you can boss around. I am the Moon Goddess, protector of the Amazons. You may not like me, but you will treat me with some kind of respect."

"People have to earn respect, Artemis.", she turned and headed out the door. A long silence passed between the bard and huntress.

"Come on, Fawn. Let’s go shopping."

"Shopping?"

"You’ll love it.", Gabrielle said as she grabbed her hand. "I know how to get a bargain."

"What exactly are we looking to purchase?", Artemis asked as they strolled through the maze of carts and table that displayed the various wares that the village had to offer.

"Well, for one thing, we need more thread and some new needles. We’re constantly stitching either our clothes or our bodies. It’s a job hazard.", both women chuckled at the joke. "We also need a couple of knives and a small pot, she’s always denting mine, and more cloth for bandages and parchment and ink and…"

"Gabrielle, doesn’t your jaw ever ache?" The bard looked at her for a moment before realizing that she was being teased.

"Funny, very funny. Taking lessons from Xena?", she quipped as they approached a small table covered with several bolts of cloth. Gabrielle smiled and picked through them, shaking her head at the coarse cloth and again at the sheer, fine cloth. "We need something…absorbent.", her eyes fell upon a bolt of hemp. "Perfect." She looked up at the merchant. "How much?"

He smiled as he thought of the easy sale. "Ah, that is an excellent choice, my dear. It is very popular and I’m afraid that what you see is all I have left.", his smile became toothy as he prepared to close the deal. "I can you let you have it for, say…five dinars?"

"Five dinars?", she exclaimed. Artemis watched the exchange with interest. "For five dinars I can purchase the best room in town. The best I can possibly do is…", she looked around the table until she spotted the spools of thread. "…two dinars and that’s only if you throw in a spool of thread."

The merchant looked as though he was going to explode. "Two dinars? There is no way I can let this fine material go for so little. Four Dinars."

"Three.", she countered, her green eyes never leaving his as she stared him down.

"Four."

"Well…", she set the cloth down and started to turn away.

"All right, three dinars.", his voice carried the tone of his defeat.

"And the thread.", she reminded. He sighed and handed her the thread. Gabrielle grinned as she tossed him the coins.

"I can’t believe you talked him down like that." Artemis said as they continued on their purchasing spree.

"Oh, that’s nothing. I have a way with words." Gabrielle grinned. "Sometimes I can even get Xena to see things my way."

"You care about her very much, don’t you?"

Gabrielle turned her head toward the midday sun. "I can’t imagine my life without her. She’s my friend, my protector, my mentor. Xena would do anything to protect me and take care of me. She knows that I would do the same.", she gestured toward an empty bench and they sat down. "I know she doesn’t think much of the gods."

"No, she doesn’t. She blames all of us for Ares.", she responded, the tone conveying the hurt. Gabrielle nodded and placed her hand gently on the huntress’ forearm.

"It’s not just Ares. Every time the gods enter her life, trouble usually follows. As I was saying, I know she doesn’t care much for them, but I remember a time when she got down on her knee and prayed to you not to let the light go out of my eyes."

"I remember.", Artemis replied. "She didn’t know if anyone was listening. I was.", she lost herself for a moment in that memory. Her young princess in pain, on the verge of losing her blood innocence. The strong warrior bending down and praying for the first time in many winters. Bringing herself back to the present, she apologized. "I’m sorry, go on."

Gabrielle nodded and continued. "There is so much good in Xena, so much that she wants to do to help the world. She’s not the person she once was. There are times when I look at her and all I see is a woman who needs to be held and loved and other times when I see the only person I can turn to for comfort. I have no regrets about following her."

Artemis thought about saying something to Gabrielle about Xena’s feelings for her, but then the warrior came striding up to them.

"Let’s go. I know what’s going to happen.", she said firmly as the two women stood to follow her to the inn.