Copyright: The characters of Xena, Gabrielle, Argo, etc. are owned by MCA/Universal. I only borrowed them for a little while. No infringement was intended. The rest of the story is mine and I hold the copyright to it. Do not use any part of this story without my written permission. I may be contacted at [email protected].

Sex: This story contains scenes of two women making love. <smile> If this offends you, please don’t read my story. There are plenty of other wonderful stories out there.

Note: Yes, I know this is just a ‘she leaves her and then they get back together again’ story, but hey, I was bored and the keyboard looked inviting. B L

"Gabrielle, you’ve been so good for me. I don’t think I would ever have let myself feel the way I feel now about Ulysses if it wasn’t for you teaching me how to love." The words rolled over in over in Gabrielle’s mind as the ship rocked back and forth. They had left Ithaca two days ago and still had another day to go before they reached land. Her seasickness guaranteed that she would not be eating anytime soon. As it was, the only meal she’d eaten in the last week was a brief dinner within Ulysses’ castle shortly after Xena helped him restring his bow and thus reclaim the throne. She had hoped that Xena would wait at least one day for her stomach to recover. However, the warrior had insisted on leaving the very next morning. One candlemark after they embarked, the seasick bard’s breakfast also embarked. She was certain that the ship was rocking now more than when they were headed to Ithaca.

Now lying in the hammock, staring at the rafters, Gabrielle knew that her stomachache was nothing compared to the pain her heart was in. Xena had kissed him. She had shared an intimate kiss with HIM. Gabrielle blinked back the tears as she remembered them talking quietly, thinking she was asleep.

At that moment, she had never felt so out of place, so confused, so utterly heartbroken. Lying there, pretending to sleep, listening to Xena speak gently to a man that she described with the word ‘love’. Gabrielle wanted to jump up from the hammock and announce her presence to the two would-be-lovers, but she hadn’t. She laid there listening to their voices caress each other and the sounds of her own heart shattering against the deck of the ship.

The ship was rocking more pronounced now, every movement imitated by her empty and nauseous stomach. Gabrielle could hear the men laughing and joking up on the top deck. She listened carefully for the sound of Xena’s voice within the mix. The deep, throaty voice of the warrior was easy to pick out from the din. It had been at least three candlemarks since Xena had last checked in on her. The message that the absence carried to the bard spoke of a truth that she had previously refused to look at. Xena was tired of her and wanted someone else in her life. Gabrielle was unable to keep her tears in check anymore, letting them blur her vision as they rolled down her face. The life she had was ending, the future she hoped for was gone. As she cried herself to sleep, Gabrielle realized what she had to do.

Xena looked closely at the sleeping face. Yes, Gabrielle had definitely been crying. She gently brushed a stray lock of the honey hair off the bard’s forehead. Xena decided that perhaps a trip to Athens was in order once they reached land. She felt bad that Gabrielle had been so sick while they were at sea. Xena hoped that a few days in the city, with all its different food vendors, would help to raise the bard’s spirits. As much as Xena detested the big city, she knew that it was one of Gabrielle’s favorite places. The bard loved to visit with the students at the Bard Academy, reading the latest scrolls or sharing stories. Not to mention haggling with the merchants. Gabrielle loved to dicker, whether it was for something they needed or not.

Looking again at the tear-stained face, Xena felt a pang of guilt. She knew that Gabrielle had been hurt by the warrior’s affection to the King of Ithaca, but Xena wasn’t exactly sure why. Was Gabrielle worried that she would find someone and settle down? It couldn’t be. Why, the bard herself had said for Xena to follow her own heart and not worry about hers. It couldn’t be that. Then what was it? Ever since she had kissed the king, Xena had noticed the hostility that Gabrielle had exhibited towards him. At the time, the warrior thought it was because the bard was so seasick and blamed him for having to be on the ship. Thinking more about it now, Xena decided that it must have been more personal than that. Did Gabrielle see him as a threat? If that was it, then the bard should have been happy to be returning to the mainland. The multitude of tear tracks told Xena that the bard was just the opposite. There was more to those tears than just Ulysses and the kiss.

The instant the gangplank was down, the young Amazon shoved the men aside and ran down it. Her wobbly legs gave out halfway and she fell into the surf. Crawling on hands and knees, Gabrielle made it to shore. With a thank you to the gods, she kissed the sandy ground. She dug her hands into the dirt, saying how she would never leave it again.

Xena couldn’t suppress a chuckle as she watched the young bard. It was good to see Gabrielle happy for a change, instead of the sullen, ill person she had been for the last week. "Don’t eat it." Xena teased as she knelt down next to the bard.

"I’m so hungry at this point that the sand looks inviting." Her stomach growled in agreement. "Xenaaa…"

"I know, I know, you’re hungry. All right, come on. There’s a tavern about an hour away, maybe less if we walk fast."

"An hour?" She whined. "Xena, I could wither away to nothing by then." Gabrielle patted her firm abdomen as if to say ‘see? I’m just skin and bones’.

"All right, all right. I’ll get some food from the ship and we’ll eat here, okay?" Gabrielle’s eyes lit up and a animated smile came to her lips along with an equally animated nodding of the head. Xena chuckled and made her way back to the ship to get some food quickly before the bard whined again.

Xena’s suggestion of Athens was welcomed by Gabrielle. Their trip contained mostly silence, an unusual thing with the normally chatty bard. Although concerned, Xena decided that she was just tired, worn out from the strain of the seasickness. Gabrielle was under strain, all right, but not at all from the seasickness. Her mind was racing through different plans and options, analyzing each choice thoroughly. She couldn’t make any mistakes, take any chances. All the details, no matter how small, had to be looked at. Xena was much too clever to take any chances with. One stray clue would ruin everything. Gabrielle’s mind sifted through her choices, all the time remembering the words that killed her. ‘I don’t think I would ever have let myself feel the way I feel now about Ulysses if it wasn’t for you teaching me how to love.’ An ironic thought occurred to Gabrielle. She had been the cause of the destruction of her life. She had taught Xena how to love, not realizing that the warrior would look elsewhere for someone to share that love with. Shaking her head to disperse the thought, Gabrielle forced herself to concentrate on what had to happen when they reached Athens.

Gabrielle haggled fiercely with the stocky man behind the bar. He twice said it was his final offer, and twice the bard refused. Only when his face turned red and he lowered the price did she agree to a room, but only if he threw in a hot bath. He stammered and stuttered but finally agreed. After tossing the offered dinars into the jar, he stormed off to the kitchen to take his frustration about losing to a girl out on the poor, unsuspecting cook. Gabrielle didn’t take any joy in her victory. She wanted to save every dinar she could for Xena. She felt bad enough about the dinars that she would have to use just to make her plan work.

After a filling meal and a hot bath, both women quickly fell asleep. Xena was exhausted enough to have a relatively dreamless sleep. It was the bard whose night was filled with pain and sorrow. Her dreams revolved around the profound loss that was going to occur the next day when she left Xena.

"I’m going to go to the market for a little while, okay?" She asked as soon as the morning meal was finished. "I want to pick up a few things. Why don’t you go to the stable and spend some time with Argo? I’m sure she misses you, after all, she hasn’t seen you in almost two quarter moons." It was important to get Xena out of the inn without suspecting anything.

"Sounds good to me. Try not to spend all our dinars, huh?"

"Don’t worry, I won’t. I just want to look around." Gabrielle grabbed her staff and headed for the door.

"And, Gabrielle?"

"Yeah?"

"Try to stay out of trouble."

"Me? What kind of trouble could I possibly get into?" She feigned innocence. Xena arched her eyebrow, then lowered it and gave the bard a toothy smile. Gabrielle’s heart lurched at the sight of Xena’s smiling face. She hoped that she never forgot that look.

Once she was certain that Xena was at the stable, Gabrielle doubled-back to the inn and entered their room. Taking four rolls of parchment, her ink, and her quill out of the saddlebag, she sat down at the table and began to write. She had to force her hand to remain steady, lest her shaky writing give her away. Once her task was done, she returned the ink and quill to the saddlebag. She thought about taking something, even a spare pair of breeches, but decided against that. She could only leave with her staff. Any other missing item would tip Xena off too soon.

Gabrielle cornered the barkeep and made him a generous offer, one that more than made up for the low rate at which she had gotten the room. Although nervous, the thought of the extra dinars caused him to agree to her terms. Satisfied that he would do as she asked, she handed him one of the parchment notes, a leather pouch, and some dinars, then left.

Once in the heart of the city, it didn’t take Gabrielle long to find the messengers she was looking for. After selecting three, the gave them each a note along with instructions of where and when to deliver them. She gave two of them a few coppers for their trouble. The other messenger was much more expensive, since it required delivery to a place much further away than the inn.

Time passed quickly for Xena as she talked to Argo, filling the warhorse in on the events of the last dozen or so days. By the time she had returned to the inn, it was almost dark. The barkeep motioned to her. "Your friend said that she was going to spend some time with an old friend and that you shouldn’t wait up for her." Xena nodded and went upstairs. The barkeep smiled to himself. A few simple words, a note the next morning, and a handful of dinars to show for it.

After leaving the messengers, Gabrielle made a quick stop at Hermes temple to pray for a safe journey, then turned and left the city, trying not to scream out at the pain that stabbed through her heart. She had no idea where she was going, she only knew where she couldn’t go, Amazonia and Potodeia. Those would be the first places that Xena would look, if she bothered to look. Gabrielle knew deep inside that Xena would try to find her, at least for a little while. Eventually the warrior would realize that this was the right decision, Gabrielle was certain of it. Despite knowing where she couldn’t go, the bard had no idea where she would go. The world suddenly seemed empty and lonely, not really something to look forward to anymore.

Xena stared out the window at the dim night. ‘Where are you, Gabrielle? Are you safe? Who are you with?’ All those thoughts and more passed through her mind as she waited for Gabrielle to return. She had hoped to sit down and talk to the bard about what had happened since they had first set sail to Ithaca. Now Gabrielle was off gods-know-where, with gods-know-whom, and she was sitting there acting like a nervous mother. ‘When you get back, my little bard, you and I are going to have a serious discussion about the amount of detail that messages should have.’ Xena thought to herself as she started to pace the floor again.

With just her staff, Gabrielle was in no position to hunt for food, so she tried to satisfy herself with berries and nuts that she found along the way. Xena always insisted that they not travel at night, but she needed to get some ground between them, and quickly. She stayed off the main road, sticking to the trees that lined the side. It took longer to travel, but it was much safer, especially now that she was alone. Only when exhaustion threatened to claim her did she locate a thick tree and climb up to rest in the branches. There was no need for a fire. It’s flames could only warm her body, not her soul.

Xena went downstairs to see if perhaps Gabrielle had come back and decided on breakfast before coming upstairs. Her hopes were quickly dashed as her gaze revealed no honey-haired bard. The barkeep waved her over. "A message arrived for you this morning. I didn’t know you were up." He handed her the note that Gabrielle had left with him. Xena took it and immediately recognized the handwriting.

Xena,

I went to visit an old friend. She isn’t feeling well and asked me to stay with her until she feels better. I should only be gone for a couple of days. The room is paid for as well as Argo’s stable and feed. Don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine.

Gabrielle

She reread the note, not believing what she was reading. No location, no name. Gabrielle was going to be gone for a couple of days and didn’t think to let her know where. A thought flashed through her mind at a possible reason for the vagueness of the letter. Taking the steps two at a time, Xena burst into the room and reached for the saddlebags.

A thorough search revealed that nothing of Gabrielle’s was missing. Xena breathed a sigh of relief. Then she thought of having to spend the next two days sitting around, not knowing where Gabrielle was. She didn’t want to leave the inn in case the bard returned. Xena started to pace again.

Gabrielle’s stomach growled for the fourth time in a candlemark. There weren’t enough nuts and berries in all of Greece to satisfy her. She needed food. She leaned against a tree and took a deep breath as she decided how she was going to get some food. She didn’t even bother to take a dagger so she couldn’t catch any fish. Xena could catch them without any weapons, but she wasn’t as skilled. The sound of approaching riders caught her ear. Quickly climbing the tree and hiding in the leaves, she watched the horses approach. Her eyes went wide when she saw the familiar skirts. Without thinking, Gabrielle let out a squeal and started to climb down.

She was halfway down when strong arms grabbed her and yanked her down the rest of the way. She looked up to see two sets of Amazon eyes staring down at her. "Uh, hi. I’m Gabrielle." She put on her friendliest smile but knew better than to make a move, especially since there were two very sharp swords only inches from her neck. It only took a moment for them to realize who she was.

"My Queen, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize who you were." The dark haired Amazon helped the bard to her feet. "Why didn’t you use the peace call?"

"I’m sorry, I was just so excited to see Amazons." Gabrielle replied. "Besides, my mouth is so dry that I seriously doubt I could have made a dove call if I tried."

"Excuse me, my Queen, we didn’t mean to harm you." The blue eyed warrior said. "I am Vikki and this is Garnet. It is an honor to meet you." The women started to bow, but were stopped by Gabrielle’s hands on their shoulders.

"Please, there is no need for such formalities with me. And call me Gabrielle. Would you mind sharing your water?" She was already heading over toward their horses.

"By all means, your high…I mean, Gabrielle." Vikki said.

"Are you hungry, Gabrielle? We have some fresh meat and fruits." Garnet offered.

"Oh, yes please."

They pulled their horses off the road and escorted Gabrielle to a clearing. Garnet pulled out the food they had in their saddlebags and kept the queen company while Vikki insisted on patrolling the area to make certain they were safe.

"Gabrielle, why are you traveling alone? Isn’t Xena with you?"

"No, Garnet is it?" The Amazon nodded. "No, she isn’t. She’s in Athens right now."

"Well, we’re on our way to Athens. We can escort you, if you’d like." It was indeed a great honor to escort the Queen.

"I’m not going to Athens." Gabrielle said quietly. "I’m going in the other direction." Garnet knew better than to ask the question that her mind wanted answered. No matter how personable and friendly the young queen was, it was still considered inappropriate to ask personal questions.

"You are traveling alone then?"

"Yes."

"My Queen, I’m afraid I must insist that you have a properly armed escort. This isn’t Amazonia, you know." Garnet turned to see Vikki returning. "The Queen is wandering around with no escort." The blue eyed warrior looked down at the small queen with surprise.

"No one is protecting you? But I thought Xena…"

"Xena isn’t traveling with me anymore. She’s in Athens." Gabrielle said quietly. A murderous look came over Vikki’s eyes.

"She left you alone?" She said incredulously. Gabrielle held her hand up.

"No, she didn’t leave me, I left her. I’m heading west. I am not asking for assistance, I only wish that she not know where I’m headed."

"We can’t let you wander around alone." Vikki looked over at the dark haired Amazon for confirmation. "Wherever you’re headed, we’ll escort you."

"I’ll be fine, really. You’re heading in the opposite direction. I don’t want to-"

"We have no choice but to escort you, Gabrielle." Garnet spoke up. "You are our Queen. We have all taken an oath to protect you, with our lives if necessary. You have no weapon other than your staff. If we were to continue on and leave you without Amazon or other suitable protection, we would be violating our oath."

The Amazons waited quietly while Gabrielle pondered the situation. She hadn’t planned on running into any Amazons when she thought out her plans. She looked over at their horses. While strong and sturdy, as an Amazon’s horse should be, they were shorter than Argo. Shorter meant closer to the ground, a place Gabrielle held near and dear to her heart. Especially after her most recent adventure. Thinking of the ship brought back the painful memories. "Can I ride with one of you?" She asked quickly, wanting to be as far away as possible.

A note arrived on the third day. A frantic Xena had already been to the academy, the healer, and several times to the market. No one had seen Gabrielle. She was pacing again, wondering when the floor would wear out under her feet, when a timid knock came on the door. The barkeep had agreed to do what the little bard asked because it was a simple way to earn money. Now he wasn’t so sure. The tall, ferocious looking warrior had been bothering him every candlemark, asking him if he had received any word. The poor man was tempted to give up and hand the warrior the note and pouch when a messenger arrived.

Xena opened the door quickly, startling the barkeep. "T-there’s a message for you." His shaky hand held a rolled up piece of parchment. The scrawl was definitely Gabrielle’s. She snatched it out of his hand and slammed the door. He quickly went downstairs, put the note and the pouch on the counter, and hid in the basement.

The note was simple. Go downstairs. Xena bolted out the door and leapt down the stairs, missing most of them. No one was in the room, only a scroll and a leather pouch appeared on the bar. The scroll was tightly wrapped with a leather thong tied in a knot that Xena had taught the bard months earlier. The outside of the scroll said simply ‘read alone, away from other people’. Xena felt a lump in her throat as a fearful thought entered her mind and locked itself there. Fearing the worst, Xena frantically ran back upstairs to grab their belongings. She ran to the stable and saddled the horse in record time, urging the horse full force out of town, far away from other people.

Almost a full candlemark out of town, Xena found a quiet spot in the woods. The sun was just starting to set, a time when Xena was normally making camp for the night. She nervously removed the thong and unrolled the scroll. The length alone was enough to tell Xena the horrible truth. Gabrielle was gone. This was a goodbye note.

Xena,

I’m sure you understand now what has happened. I had to leave. After watching you with Ulysses, it became clear to me just how much more you need in your life that I can’t provide. I know that you care about me and want me to stay with you, but it’s better this way. I realize now that you are a much stronger woman than when I first met you so long ago. You’re ready to share your heart with someone and have that love returned. It is utter sadness that I realize that the person you want to share that gift with is not me, and never will be.

If only you knew how many nights I laid awake by the campfire, listening to you sharpening your sword. I heard more than just a simple routine, a necessary habit. I heard the rhythm of your breathing, the temper of your mood. You didn’t know that, did you? I could tell what your mood was just by the sound of the whetstone against the metal. Soft and gentle, you were relaxed. Harsh and forceful, you had many things on your mind. I learned to read your moods because you so often chose to keep them private.

I foolishly allowed my heart to believe that we would always travel together. A childish dream that is now dead with the bright truth of the morning. Ulysses opened my eyes to your true feelings. I could no more continue as just a sidekick than I could look at you as just a friend. You don’t know how many times I wanted to speak up, to reveal the truth hidden deep in my heart. I held back because I was afraid of rejection. I was right to do so.

Please don’t come after me. In time you’ll realize that this is the right thing to do. I can’t handle the pain of seeing love in your eyes and knowing that it is for someone else.

Remember your promise to me, and remember always that I love you.

Gabrielle

Xena noticed several spots where the bard’s teardrops had fallen, blurring the words, but enhancing the meaning. Gabrielle was in love with her. All the confusing moods, expressions, and comments that she made during the incident with Ulysses now made sense. It was more than just the seasickness, it was jealousy and loss that had controlled the bard’s moods and actions.

She looked up at the night sky, trying to sort out her thoughts. The first thing she had to do was find Gabrielle. She thought about the different places that the young woman would go. The two most likely places were Amazonia and Potodeia. Amazonia was closer. As much as Xena hated traveling at night, the thought of Gabrielle out there alone bothered her more. Forcing her mind to not think about the letter, she mounted Argo and headed south.

Xena reached the edge of the Amazon territory late the next day, having driven Argo non-stop, ignoring her own need for sleep. She dismounted the tired horse and announced herself with a dove call. She was quickly answered in kind, then saw Eponin step forth from behind the trees. "I want to see Gabrielle."

"She’s not here, Xena." Eponin watched as several other Amazon sentries moved into position. Ephiny had insisted on not taking chances with the warrior. "Ephiny is expecting you."

"If she isn’t here, then how did you know I was coming?" The tone of mistrust was clear. "Eponin, if you’re trying to hide her from me, it won’t work."

"Xena, it’s not a good idea to threaten an Amazon." Eponin responded as she waved her hand. Two dozen sentries appeared from their hiding places. "As I said, she isn’t here. I’ve been instructed to take your weapons and escort you to see Ephiny." The dozen or so crossbows trained on her made it clear that the acting queen wasn’t about to take no for an answer. Reluctantly, she handed over her weapons.

Surrounded by sentries, Xena was escorted to the palace, where Ephiny was waiting. "Where is she, Ephiny?" Xena asked once she was escorted to the throne room. She noted grimly that the sentries had not left her alone with the acting queen. They considered her a threat, something the Amazons had never considered her before.

"I cannot tell you that, Xena. She has asked that we not reveal that information to you. I can tell you, however, that she is not here nor has she been here."

"Where is she?" Xena asked again, this time through gritted teeth and with more force to her voice. Ephiny remained calm but did cast a glance at a nearby sentry, who immediately put her hand on the hilt of her sword, ready for any sudden movement from the angry warrior. Xena noticed the movement too and forced herself to calm down. She didn’t want to get into a battle with the Amazons. "Is she safe?" She asked quietly.

"As far as we know, she is." Ephiny’s answer betrayed her own concerns. A soft knock at the door interrupted them. The acting queen nodded and a sentry opened the door. A young Amazon woman handed the sentry a note. Xena recognized the handwriting and moved to take the note away from the Amazon. Six swords were released from their sheaths and pointed at her neck in the span of a heartbeat. "Don’t think about it, Xena." Ephiny said as she walked over to retrieve the message. Reading it quickly, the Amazon breathed a sigh of relief. "She is safe. Two of our best warriors are with her."

"Where?" Xena’s temper was quickly getting the best of her. Ephiny’s patience snapped.

"I’m not telling you, Xena, so stop asking! She wants you to move on and leave her alone." The queen walked back over and sat down.

"I can’t. I have to talk to her and work this mess out. She doesn’t understand."

"She doesn’t understand?" Ephiny roared. "What exactly is it that she doesn’t understand, Xena? Love? Hurt? What?"

"It’s a crush, Ephiny. She’s too young and innocent to understand that, but that’s all it is."

"How anyone can remain innocent around you is a something I’ll never understand. I do know that you’re wrong, however. If you’re so blind that you can’t see her love for what it really is, then perhaps she’s right to leave you." Ephiny picked up the scroll that had arrived by messenger the previous day and quickly reread some of the passages, again noting the spots that were marked by the young queen’s tears. "When they kissed, my heart shattered in a million pieces. I knew then that my life with her would never be what I dreamed of. Being with her and not being able to express my love is too hard for me." Ephiny read the passage aloud, trying hard to drive home the point to Xena.

"I have to go find her." She turned to leave, only to find the exit blocked.

"Your horse is in no condition to go anywhere, Xena. Argo looks like she hasn’t rested in days. You don’t look much better."

"You can’t keep me here, Ephiny. I’m not an Amazon that you can order around."

"You are a guest on Amazon land, therefore you are subject to my wishes and commands." Ephiny tried to keep the anger out of her voice. "You are welcome to stay for the night as a guest, or as a prisoner. It’s your choice, but either way, you are staying. In the morning, after your horse is rested, you are welcome to leave."

Sensing the direction the conversation was going, Eponin stepped in to ease the situation. "Of course she’s staying, aren’t you, Xena? She’ll be my guest."

"That makes her your responsibility, Eponin."

"No problem. You won’t give me any trouble, will you?" Xena glared at her, but nodded that she would behave. In the morning she could leave and find Gabrielle. Tonight she had no choice but to stay, and she didn’t really want to see what the inside of the detainment cells looked like.

Xena sat down at the table, helping herself to a tall mug of port while Eponin brought their plates over. "Xena, why is it so hard for you to accept Gabrielle’s love?"

"She doesn’t understand what she’s asking for, Ep."

"Doesn’t she? Xena, you know her. Has she ever made such a decision without thinking it through first?"

"That’s not the point."

"Do you love her?"

"You know I do, Ep. I would give my life for her, if need be."

"Then why do you fight so hard to avoid giving her your heart? Would it be so horrible to love her? You’ve been with other women before, why is it so different with her?" Xena took another sip of the port as she considered the question.

"I never really thought about her that way. Before, she was too young. Then, when she married Perdicus, well, I just figured that was what she wanted."

"And now? Now that you know she wants you, is it different?" Eponin stood up and finished her port. "You need to do some heavy thinking, my friend. If you can’t love her the way she needs to be loved by you, then stay away from her."

"Why can’t it be like it was before we met Ulysses?" Xena’s frustration was showing. She desperately wanted things to be the way they were, when both women were happy traveling together.

"Because you kissed him, Xena. Until then, Gabrielle thought she had a chance. That kiss destroyed her dreams. You can never go back to what your relationship with her once was. Gabrielle needs you as a lover. If you can’t give her that, then let her go. Anything less will kill her" Eponin pulled an extra blanket from a shelf. "Sleep on it, Xena. Give yourself time to think about what’s happened."

Garnet entered the inn first, making certain that it was safe before allowing her queen to enter. Vikki took up the rear. A kindly old woman was wiping down the counter when they entered. Her eyes lit up at the sight of the young bard. "Gabrielle!" Cyrene said happily. She looked at the women traveling with Gabrielle and the woman’s face became sad. "Xena?"

"She’s fine, Cyrene." Gabrielle said quickly. "She’s not with me, though."

"Why not?" She stepped from behind the counter and motioned for the trio to take a table. "Gabrielle, did my daughter do something to upset you?" Cyrene sat down next to the young woman that she considered her other daughter.

"It’s not something I can talk about right now, Cyrene. She didn’t send me away, I left." The strain of everything that had happened washed over the young bard as tears came unbidden to her eyes. Xena’s mother patted Gabrielle’s hand gently. Vikki decided that a trip outside was in order. Dragging her lover by the arm, she and Garnet left the two women alone to talk.