Charon's Troubles

by B L Miller

part 3

"You know, there's inflation and then there's swindling your customers." Charon said as he dropped dinar after dinar into the magistrate's outstretched hand. "Sixty dinars for gambling." he muttered.

"It goes up with each new offense, stranger. Next time it'll be a hundred dinars." the magistrate said, wondering if the strange looking man could afford that as well. It seemed like no matter what price they affixed to his fine, the stark white man with black lips pulled out enough dinars to pay. "I assume we'll see you tonight?"

"The way my luck is going, count on it." the ferryman replied. "Why, next thing you know it'll be a crime to cross the street."

"Only if you do it." Xena said as she stepped around the corner.

"Oh man, you again?" he whined. "Look, I've told you there's nothing you can do to get me back so why don't you just be a good little girl and go play with your sword or something?"

The magistrate took one look at the raven haired woman sporting armor and weapons and quickly pulled out his book filled with wanted posters. He flipped the pages until he found someone who appeared similar but when he lifted his head to get a better look, he found himself alone.

They entered the room to find a scowling Gabrielle waiting for them. "Charon, if you weren't immortal, I'd…I'd…well I would do something really rotten to you." she growled, shaking her fist for emphasis. Her head pounded and her memories of the previous night were fuzzy at best, but she remembered enough to know that he had spiked her food and drink. She had found herself half naked in bed when she woke up and prayed that the things she thought had happened were just hallucinations.

"Relax, Gabrielle. He's sorry, aren't you?" Xena said, pinching the skin on the back of the ferryman's neck. "Say you're sorry."

"Oww, why are you always trying to hurt me? Yes, I'm sorry." he muttered something unintelligible to the bard and received another pinch from Xena. The warrior leaned in close and whispered in his ear. "Charon, you'd be even more sorry if it 'did' work." she released her grip and motioned for him to sit down in one of the empty chairs.

Xena explained what had happened when she found the portal. While she was talking, Gabrielle found herself staring at her friend and trying to piece together the previous night's events. The dark circles under the warrior's eyes were testament to the lack of sleep, but Xena had said nothing when they woke up except to say that she had been under the influence of two different drugs thanks to the ferryman. Yet the bard noticed that Xena had taken a chair to sit in instead of joining her on the bed, giving rise to her fears that her memories of trying to fondle her friend had been real, that the drugs had caused her to act on long hidden desires. "…so we're at a dead end. Gabrielle, any suggestions?"

"Huh, what?" she said, startled out of her revelry. Xena flashed her an annoyed glance.

"I asked if you had any suggestions. Haven't you been listening?"

"Oh yeah…the portal. No, sorry, I have no idea." she said lamely.

"We have to figure out something. I passed a healing temple on the way back into town. They're overflowing with people that most likely should be dead but aren't. Obviously Celesta is still holding out on taking the good souls, but it won't be long before she'll have to avoid the wicked ones as well for lack of space." the warrior said. At that moment the bard's stomach announced itself as being ready for breakfast. "I guess the first order of business would be breakfast."

"Sounds good to me." Gabrielle agreed.

"I could whip something up." Charon offered, receiving warning glares from the two women. "Geez, no trust."

"I think we'll take our chances with the inn's food." Xena said.

Breakfast would have been a quiet, uneventful affair had not a scruffy looking man entered the place. With his short blond spiked hair and darker but equally short beard, Xena recognized him immediately. "Thersites." she growled, dropping her fork on the table. Gabrielle looked up and saw the Sumarian assassin as well, her hand reaching immediately for her staff. Had she had such a weapon when they first met, the bard was certain she would have beaten him senseless for climbing over her body while they hung precariously on a broken bridge. As it was, all she could do at the time was weakly pound on his body with her fist and hurl insults at him. "I'll handle this." Xena said as she began to rise.

"Let me help." the bard replied, visions of her staff connecting with his head a few dozen times filling her mind.

"No. Stay here and keep an eye on Charon. We don't want him running off."

The bard shot a look that told Xena exactly what she thought of that idea but she reluctantly sat back down. The warrior rose to her full height and turned her attention to Thersites. The other patrons looked from the well armed woman at one end of the room to the blond man at the other and decided that being between them wasn't a good idea. Thersites laughed as the throngs of people quickly left. "Xena, I still owe you for keeping me from getting the Sumarian treasure and now I intend to collect." without warning, a knife flew from a hidden spring attached to his wrist. The warrior twisted, caught the projectile, and whipped it back at him.

"You may find the price to be a little high." she said as she watched him duck the knife, the motion allowing her time to draw her sword.

"Ah, but I think it will be you who pays the price this time, Xena." he taunted, pulling his sword. "When I'm through with you perhaps I'll go after that little brat." the warrior let out her battle cry and somersaulted over the tables between them, landing her boots hard against his chest and bouncing back away from him.

While the two battled, Gabrielle and Charon failed to notice the brown haired woman slipping up behind them. Abrama took careful aim and slammed the hilt of her sword against the back of Gabrielle's head before repeating the motion a heartbeat later on the ferryman. By the time Xena was able to look in their direction and discover them missing, the female warlord had already loaded them onto a chariot and was racing out of town. The distraction cost Xena as Thersites sword found its mark, slicing a shallow cut across her left arm just above her gauntlet. "Ah, first blood." he said joyfully, raising it again for another blow. Xena pivoted, dropped to one knee, and brought her sword back, sinking it deep into his chest. Without waiting to see if he was really dead, she somersaulted to the far end of the inn. Her heart pounded painfully in her chest when she saw Gabrielle's staff lying on the floor. Xena raced out the back door and looked around but there was no sign of the bard, Charon, or whoever might have taken them. She heard a shuffling noise behind her and rolled out of the way just in time to avoid Thersites' last attempt to make her join him in the Underworld. As he fell to the ground, Xena rolled him over. "Did you see who took them?"

"Go to Hades, Xena. I'm not telling…you…nothing." he gasped as his mouth filled with blood.

Xena let his dead body slump to the ground and stood. "Celesta! Show yourself!" she yelled. A moment later she saw the beautiful form of Hades' sister.

"What is it that you wish of me, Xena?" the dark haired goddess asked pleasantly.

"Who took them?" the warrior asked urgently.

"I'm afraid I cannot help you."

"Celesta, if I don't find Charon and get him back to the Underworld you know what will happen. Please!" she made no attempt to hide her concern.

"I believe the fear you have is for your mortal friend and I wish there was a way I could help you but alas, I have no knowledge of this matter. I know all those you have sent to Hades but I'm afraid it would take too long for me to recite them." the goddess of Death said, her tone never condescending or judgmental. Xena sighed in agreement. There was no way she could figure out who took them by going through all the people she'd killed. She lowered her head and noticed the chariot tracks. Without another word to Death, the warrior turned and followed the twin lines.

Stopping to collect Argo, Xena continued her chase of the chariot tracks. Less than a league out of town, however, the trail stopped. She saw the chariot sitting on the side of the road, empty. There were horse tracks leading away but since it was the main road leading in and out of town, the tracks quickly became lost in the multitude of other hoof prints on the road. She came upon a fork in the road with fresh marks in both directions. Knowing that one road had to lead her to her quarry but unsure of which one, Xena stood there, indecisive for a few moments, before sighing and following the trail on the left.

Gabrielle awoke to find herself in the back of a wagon, her hands tied securely behind her back. Charon was sitting across from her in the same position. "Friend of yours?" he asked.

"Never saw her before. Any idea who she is?" the bard whispered.

"I can't remember the names of every person who rides my boat, but I remember her. She was one pissed off woman, as I recall." he stroked his chin. "Kept trying to tell me that it wasn't her time, as if I had anything to do with it. I'm just a ferryman, you know."

"Shut up back there!" Abrama growled from her seat in the front of the wagon.

"Must be her time of the moon." Charon whispered.

It was a good four candlemarks longer before they entered the burnt out remains of a town. Darkness had fallen long ago, only the full moon casting any light on them. Abrama stopped the wagon outside the only building that seemed to have survived whatever force had destroyed the town and roughly dragged Charon out of the wagon. "Hey, easy on the merchandise."

"Smart mouth for a dead man." the warlord sneered. They disappeared into the building, Abrama returning a short time later to collect the bard. "Let's go, Gabrielle." she said, grabbing the bard by the hair.

Once inside, Gabrielle realized that they were in what must have once been the local jail. They passed the cell that now held Charon and entered the next one. She saw the manacles on the wall and tried to remain calm. When Abrama released the ropes that held her wrists together, Gabrielle saw her chance. A quick elbow to the midsection knocked the wind out of the warlord. The bard raced for the door only to be stopped by the biting sting of a whip wrapping around her neck. "Oh no you don't, Gabrielle. I have plans for you…big plans." Abrama jerked the whip back and quickly wrapped her arm around the smaller woman's throat. Gabrielle's arms flailed helplessly in the air as darkness came over her. "This is called a sleeper hold. Before I'm done with you, you'll know all sorts of different holds. You think Xena knows something about pressure points? Wait until you see what I've learned." the warlord said before throwing the unconscious woman on the floor.

Gabrielle awoke to find herself chained to the wall. Her arms stretched out to either side of her, the restraints digging uncomfortably into her wrists. Her legs slightly more than shoulder length apart, the ankles manacled. "Ah, good to see you're finally awake. Now I can have my fun." the brown haired warlord said as she rose from her chair at the opposite end of the cell.

"Who are you?" the bard asked. "How do you know who I am?"

"Oh, tsk tsk, one question at a time, little one. I am Abrama, the worst terror the world had ever known before that bitch Xena cut me down. As for the other, well, I know all about you, Gabrielle of Poteidaia. You see, I've been in Tartarus for over seven summers thanks to that murdering scum you hang around with, so I've made it a point to find out all I could about her and about whoever she was with. She sends lots of souls to Tartarus, you know. I just have to mention her name and suddenly I have them falling all over themselves to supply me with information." she pulled a knife from her boot and pressed it against the bard's cheek. "Imagine my surprise when just a few summers ago I hear that she's turning on her own, fighting for justice of all things." she snorted derisively. "Then I hear that she's got a companion, a little brat with a big mouth and an even bigger heart. Well of course I wanted to hear all about that." she drew the blade down the side of Gabrielle's cheek, smiling at the thin trickle of blood. "Oh yes, Gabrielle, I heard many stories about you. In fact, some of the best ones came from someone near and dear to your heart. Tell me, does the name Callisto ring a bell with you?" the green eyes grew wide and Abrama laughed evilly. "Ah yes, she told me all about you, little bard wanna be. Tell me something…" she leaned in close. "Was Perdicus any good? Hmm, did you enjoy your one and only romp between the sheets with him?"

Gabrielle jerked hard against her restraints as she tried to lunge at the warlord. "Oh yes, Callisto warned me you were a bit touchy about that particular subject." she dug some dirt out from under her fingernails with her knife. "I guess it mustn't have been all that good, huh?"

"When Xena finds you-"

"Oh, when Xena finds me she'll wish she hadn't. I've been waiting far too long for my chance at her and I'm not going to screw it up like Callisto did. You know what that blond psycho's problem was? She was obsessed with Xena in every possible way. She had opportunity after opportunity to kill her and she just let them slip through her fingers. Not me, I never had a decent chance at her. I was injured and trying to recover when her band of murdering thieves raided my town and killed everyone. But now I have my chance at revenge and I'm not going to be as stupid as Callisto. Tell me something, Gabrielle…did you think that blond whacko was dangerous?"

"Yes."

"Well, compared to me, Callisto is just a little pussycat. She always went for the quick death. Not me, I like pain. Do you like pain, Gabrielle?" she brought the knife back to the bard's still bleeding cheek. "Hmm?" she pressed harder than before and dragged it down until she reached the jaw. The bard's teeth clenched tight to keep the scream inside. She didn't want to let her adversary have the pleasure of hearing her suffer. "Ooh, that's a nasty cut you have there. Better get that stitched up before you bleed to death." Abrama chuckled at her own joke. "So tell me, Gabrielle, are you and Xena doing it? Hmm, do you keep her warm at night? I bet it must be exciting, huh? Getting it on with a lying, murdering bitch like her. Tell me, does she make you scream?"

"We're not lovers." the bard said angrily.

"Oh, well then I guess she won't care if I do this." as she said the last word, Abrama brought her knee up hard between the bard's legs. While not as effective as it would be on a man, it was still more than enough to bring tears to Gabrielle's eyes and to cause her to release a whimper as the pain shot through her center. "Oh, did that hurt?" she repeated the painful move, this time with even more force. The bard was in agony and the feeling of helplessness only made it worse. She turned her head and locked eyes with the ferryman in the next cell.

"Hey, hey Abrama." Charon said. "If I can draw your attention away from your human punching bag for a moment, I might have something of interest to you."

"What could you, a lackey for Hades, possibly have that would be of interest to me?" the warlord said as she stepped toward the bars that separated the two cells. Charon thought quickly. He had managed to get her away from Gabrielle, now if he could just keep her away.

"I can tell you where you can find more wealth than you can possibly imagine. I can help you find an endless supply of dinars, make you the richest woman in all of Greece. After all, you certainly are the wickedest."

"What makes you think that I care at all about dinars, or wealth? Perhaps I just want to cut this little bitch here into lots of little pieces for Xena to find, then when the murdering scum is grieving over the loss of her little worshipper, I'll just sweep in and slice her throat." the warlord said.

"Then what? I mean, once you kill Xena, you'll need those dinars. If you let us go, I'll show you where to find them." faster than he could react, her arm shot out and grabbed him by the throat.

"If I could figure out a way to kill you, I would. Right now, shut up and leave me alone." she hissed, shoving the ferryman with enough force to send him crashing against the stone wall and into unconsciousness. She turned to look at Gabrielle again. "Now, as for you…" the warlord rolled up her sleeve as she approached the helpless bard.

Morning still showed no signs of either Gabrielle or Charon. Xena reluctantly accepted that she had followed the wrong trail. There was no way to cut across, either. She had to turn back until she reached the fork and then go in the other direction. "Come on, Argo…we need to keep going. I promise you an extra helping of oats when this is through." she urged the tired horse onward, hoping that the golden mare had enough hidden energy to help her get to Gabrielle, and soon.

Charon regained consciousness to the sound of Gabrielle screaming in pain. As he focused he saw the reason for the young woman's cries. "Oh, did that hurt? I bet Callisto never thought to break your fingers one by one. Tsk tsk, she just had no imagination." Abrama said as she gripped the bard's pinkie finger. "No, she didn't believe in torturing people for the fun of it, she wanted to see you suffer only when Xena was there to watch. Personally I find this much more interesting." with a malevolent sneer, she snapped the finger sideways until she heard the popping sound accompanied by the bard's screech of agony. "Ah, that's the idea…I like to hear my victims scream."

"Why don't you pick on someone your own size, like a rhino?" the ferryman said as he rushed to the bars that separated them.

"The only reason I don't kill you is because I haven't figured out a way yet, you creepy thing." Abrama snarled.

"You just wait until I return to the Underworld. I'll be more than happy to shuttle you across the river."

"Big words, little man." she stepped away from the bard and drew her sword, plunging it deep into the ferryman's chest.

"Oh, that tickles." he said as he backed away from the weapon. "I like being a pin cushion." he stepped up to the bars again. "Wanna try that again? This time aim a little more to the left."

"Arggh!" she growled. "You're just trying to distract me." without looking, she brought her booted foot up and slammed it into the bard's lower chest. Gabrielle's face was the picture of agony as she felt several ribs crack and gasped for air. "One more word out of you and I'll just run her through with my sword, do you want that?" the brown haired warlord pointed her sword menacingly at Gabrielle. "What do you think, little bard wanna be? You want me to just end this? Hmm? Come on, I want to hear you beg for your rotten useless little life." she rested her sword against the bard's thigh. "You know I have no qualms about killing you before Xena arrives. It makes no difference to me." she dragged the blade upward, slicing a fair gash up the length of Gabrielle's thigh.

"Please…" she begged as she tried to control her painful ragged breaths. "Please no more."

"Did you beg Callisto for your life? Did you beg her for the life of that useless impotent husband of yours?" she brought her knee up between the bard's legs again, striking with vicious force. "See, you know what the problem is, Gabrielle?" she spoke in a calm voice, as if it was perfectly normal to beat a person senseless and then try to carry on a conversation with them. "I don't need any reason to torture you. I don't think it even matters that you're a friend of that murdering bitch any more. I like torture. I like being mean and heartless. I enjoy hearing my victims scream like little children for their lives." she leaned close, pressing her fist against the bruised and cracked ribs. "But enough of this for now. I'll be nice and let you rest for a while. Perhaps we can have another session later, hmm?" she brought her right hand back and punched Gabrielle hard across the face. "You know…there's something I forgot to tell you." she swung her left fist, striking the bard against the right cheek. "I'm ambidextrous." she stepped back to admire her handiwork. "Ah yes, looking good. Well, if you'll excuse me, I think dinner is in order now. Nothing like a good torture session to work up the old taste buds." she cackled to herself as she left the cell. Once the door shut, Gabrielle's head fell forward, her tears streaming down her battered face and striking the dusty floor. Charon tried to reach her but the bars blocked his way. He wanted to say something, anything to make the young woman feel better but there were no words that would help. The ferryman knew that nothing would help save Xena arriving to rescue her. He hoped that Gabrielle could withstand the abuse that long. He knew that even though he was immortal, he didn't want to be around if the leather clad warrior arrived to find her friend dead.

Xena reached the fork and considered taking the right turn when she looked up and saw the town straight ahead. She dismounted and stoked Argo's nose. "You're not going to able to help any more. You've done well, now it's time for you to rest." she walked the golden mare into town and left her in the hands of the capable stable boy, taking the largest and fastest horse she could, using her palomino as collateral until she returned it. After giving the boy several dinars and instructions for her horse's care, Xena mounted up and headed back on the road.

She had been on the road for about three candlemarks when she came upon a lone man walking. The hairs on the back of her neck prickled as she moved closer and recognized him. "Linos." she said evenly, her hand lowering to her chakram while her eyes watched for him to reach for his sword. He made no move toward his weapon, rather raising his hands in surrender.

"I have no quarrel with you, Xena." he said, maintaining eye contact.

"I'm supposed to believe that?" she scoffed. "I killed you four summers ago. You were released from Tartarus to kill me, you certainly don't expect me to turn my back on you."

"Do what you want, Xena. I'm not going to raise my sword to you. You don't know what it was like for me, all that time in the fiery realm of Tartarus. I had a lot of time to think. I thought about what my life was like, what it could have been, all those people I murdered senselessly. If I had it to do all over again, I'd do it differently. Now I have that chance. Sysiphus released me. Now I'm mortal and have another chance." he slowly raised his hand, making sure not to appear threatening, and ran his fingers through his blond hair. "I know Hades will send me back to Tartarus when I return but until then I have this chance to do the right thing. If you want to send me back now, do it." he lowered his hand and held his arms out. "All I want to do is try to make up for even a fraction of the things that I've done wrong in my life."

Xena moved her hand back to the reins. "You were many things when you were in my army, but a liar wasn't one of them." she noted that he visibly relaxed. "Tell me something, have you seen anyone come by with two people in tow? I'm looking for Charon and a small blond."

"Charon's pretty hard to miss, but I haven't seen anyone since I've been on this road." Linos said apologetically. "Have you run into Abrama yet?"

"Who?"

"No, you haven't run into her then. You'd know if you had. If you do, stay away from her. She's insane, worse than Callisto." he shuddered at the memory of the mayhem the two women caused while both were residents of Tartarus. "Sysiphus released her several days ago. She swore she'd get you."

"I don't remember her. Do you know anything about her?" she asked, hoping for any clue that might help.

"I was in the crowd of people hoping to be transported back across the river by Sysiphus. He asked if there was anyone among us who was certain they could destroy you and she spoke up. She said you destroyed her village a long time ago…that she took thirty of your men down before you killed her. Something about being home recuperating from an injury and not being up to form."

"The village, did she say the name of it?" she asked anxiously.

"No, I'm sorry." he replied, lowering his head. "I just know that she said it was seven summers ago. Perhaps that'll help?"

Xena racked her brain trying to remember the specifics of her life of terror so long ago. There were just so many villages, so many people who fell to her blade. She thought hard. Certainly someone who took out thirty of her men should have been memorable. "Linos, have you passed through any villages recently?"

"Well, nothing worth mentioning, just a burnt out husk of one about four candlemarks or so up the road. Nothing there, though…looks like it was burned to the ground long ago."

"Burned?" that triggered a memory. A village in flames, people running around. She vaguely remembered one battle where a woman was trying to defend her home and was pretty lethal with a sword. It took her chakram to bring the woman down. Could that have been it? "Linos, is it straight up the road?"

"Yeah, just keep going and you can't miss it. You know Charon had better return to his boat pretty soon. The dead souls are so packed that I heard that Hades was going to tell Celesta to stop sending them down."

"He can't get back." Xena explained. "Sysiphus has blocked the portal from the inside with some kind of magic. I can't get to it."

"No you can't. There's about a hundred souls waiting for you to arrive. They'd never let you get near it. Why can't you send him through the Alconian Lake?"

"He's immortal…they have a special portal further up the riverbank. Until that portal is opened I can't get him back." she gathered the reins. "I have to go find my friend and Charon. I wish you luck in your quest, Linos. Perhaps Hades will take notice of your change when it comes time for you to return." she urged her horse forward.

"Wait!" he yelled, running up behind her. "It's important that Charon get back. Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Not unless you can find him. I'm going to go check out that village."

"Let me go with you. If it is Abrama, you'll need all the help you can get."

Xena thought for a moment. "Linos, I'd appreciate the help but time is not something I have on my side right now. I need to get there as fast as possible. If you were to ride it would only slow this horse down. I can't afford the delay. Good luck." she urged the horse forward. Linos looked at the woman he once served, remembered the stories he had heard about her in Tartarus. How she had changed, no longer slaughtering innocents, how she fought for the side of good now. This is what he wanted to do. Without any indecision, he began to follow her on foot.

Xena pushed the horse as hard as she could, slowing only when she felt the stallion's breathing become labored. By her calculations, the village could only be about three candlemarks or so down the road. She dismounted and walked as fast as she could while trying to let the horse cool down. Once she was confident that the horse would be fine, she tied the reins to a low hanging branch and began to run toward the village, trying hard to remember whatever she could about this mysterious woman. What did Linos say about her? That she was worse than Callisto ever dared to be? Xena found it hard to believe that anyone was more deranged than her nemesis, but of course it was possible. Despite Callisto's obsession with her, the blond warlord wouldn't have hurt Gabrielle until she arrived. That was a pattern that Xena had counted on more than once. This Abrama woman was an unknown quantity. What if she chose to exact her revenge on the bard before she arrived? The thought was enough for Xena to find new energy reserves and pick up her pace.

"Oh come now, Gabrielle, I thought you were made of stronger material than this." the brown haired lunatic said as she grabbed the bard's hair and lifted her head. "No wonder Callisto never bothered to try and beat you before Xena arrived, she probably knew you were too much of a pansy to survive." she let the semi-conscious woman's head drop. "Why, I've only just begun to have my fun with you." that got a low moan from the bard. "What do you think, Charon? You think she could survive another one of my sessions?"

"I don't think Hercules could survive your sessions." the ferryman replied, careful to temper his comments to avoid angering the warlord. One earlier comment by him had earned Gabrielle a slap so hard that the bard's head bounced off the stone wall.

"Well, perhaps we'll just have to pay him a visit next, hmm? Right after I get done killing Xena and her little slut." she left the room and returned a few moments later sporting a glove, razor sharp talons covering the tips. "It seems that Gabrielle no longer responds to my punches. Perhaps a sharper pain is in order." she placed the tips of the glove on the top of the bard's left shoulder and slowly dragged it downward until she reached the elbow, delighting at the fresh flow of crimson that ran down Gabrielle's arm and the renewed scream that was torn from her lungs. "Ah, nice to see you awake, little one. I suppose you're destined for the Elyssian Fields, hmm? You seem too nice to be a murdering scum like your friend Xena is. I suppose you wish you were there right now, hmm?"

The warrior was almost to the edge of the town when she heard the sound of an approaching horse. She hid in the brush until she recognized Linos aboard the stallion she had borrowed from the town. "What are you doing here?" she demanded as she stepped into view.

"I thought you might want some help. I found the horse tied to a tree and figured you had gone ahead on foot. He was rested enough by the time I got to him so I used him to make up for lost time."

"Good thinking." Xena admitted. "Tie him to a tree. We can't take the chance on anyone hearing us arrive." she kept her eyes focused on the burnt out remains of the village, knowing without question that Linos was doing as instructed.

"What's the plan?" he asked when he finished his task and moved to her side.

"There's fresh horse tracks leading in, but none leading out. You were right about this being the right place." she looked around as they moved closer. "See that building there? The one with the bars on the windows? It has to be the jail. It's made of stone, that's why it wasn't destroyed." she tried hard to remember but couldn't pick this village out of the scores that she had razed to the ground during her reign of terror. "If this woman is holding them, that'd be the most logical place." she looked around but couldn't see any way to approach the jail without being seen. Dusk was settling over the land, giving the warrior an idea. "It'll be dark within a half-candlemark. If we see any torches being lit inside then we'll know that's where they are. The darkness will give us cover as well." Linos agreed and the two headed for the safety of the brush to await nightfall.

It wasn't as dark as Xena would have liked but when she heard Gabrielle's strangled cries she couldn't hold back any longer. As quietly as they could, the warrior and Linos scrambled across the open area until they reached the old stone structure. The front door was closed and Xena had no doubt that if they tried to open it that the old rusty hinges would alert their quarry to their presence long before they could reach her. Linos looked up at the thatch roof and pointed. The warrior shook her head...there was too great a risk that the old straw and wooden cover would collapse under their weight. A quick check of the perimeter showed that every window was barred. "I've got it." Linos whispered, setting his sword down on the ground next to the warrior.

"No, wait." she hissed as he took off across the field. A few moments later she saw him coming back toward the jail, the stallion in tow.

"Hello! Is anybody here?" he shouted. Xena crept along the side of the building until she was within his sight but not visible should someone come through the front door. "Hello! My horse has thrown a shoe. Is anyone here?"

"What is that?" Abrama said, momentarily stopping her attack on the bard. She looked out the window and saw an apparently defenseless man leading a horse. "Oh for the love of Zeus." she cursed before picking up her sword and leaving the cell.

Xena heard the creak of the door opening and crouched into position, every muscle ready to spring into action at the sight of her adversary. Linos was only a few paces away now. "Hello there. My horse has thrown a shoe, I'm afraid I'm not from around here. Could you direct me to a smithy?"

"Go back the way you came. No one here can help you." the brown haired woman said, holding her sword menacingly. Linos let his hand drop to his side, the fingertips reaching under his belt for the hidden knife.

"Oh, I think you have exactly what I'm looking for." he replied, pulling the knife free and firing it at the warlord. At that same instant Xena vaulted out of her hiding place, throwing his sword to him in the process. Abrama used her weapon to deflect the flying knife and ducked back inside, slamming the bar down to lock the door.

The instant she saw the door close, Xena knew she had no chance to enter that way. She took a few steps away from the building, then turned around and ran toward it. With a mighty battle cry, the warrior somersaulted up in the air, coming down feet first onto the roof. As expected, the worn thatch and wood cover gave way under her weight.

Abrama ran down the hallway. As she stepped in front of Gabrielle's cell, she lost her footing on a pile of dinars scattered about. She fought to maintain her sword as the momentum sent her sailing past the cell door. "Oh, watch out for those dinars on the floor." Charon said gleefully as he watched the warlord slip. The delay was all Xena needed to reach her. She had heard the ferryman's comment and flipped over the pile of coins, landing only a few paces away from the warlord. The warrior made the mistake of taking a quick glance to the right. The sight of Gabrielle, beaten to a pulp and chained to the wall was almost too much for her to bear. She turned her attention back to her enemy.

"You're a dead woman." the warrior snarled, drawing her sword.

"Oh no, Xena. You obviously have mistaken me for someone who actually fears you." Abrama replied. Realizing that being between Xena and a wall was not a good place to be, the brown haired warlord launched herself into the air, flipping over the warrior's head to land on the other side. She lashed out with her sword only to have it blocked by the enraged warrior.

"Your acrobatics aren't going to save you." Xena said, jumping back to avoid a forward thrust.

"And your attempt at being a hero isn't going to save your little friend." the warlord retorted. "Look at her, Xena. Do you really think she'll survive another candlemark? Unlike you who likes to go for the quick kill, I take pride in my work." she taunted as they exchanged blows. "I find torture to be a most enjoyable hobby." she took another step back and ducked a vicious swing from Xena's sword. "Just ask Gabrielle, I'm sure she'll agree. Oh, I'm sorry, she's not really up for idle conversation right now. In fact, I believe that in a few candlemarks all she'll be up to is a one way ticket to Hades." Abrama let out a self-satisfied laugh as she saw the look of concern and fear flash over Xena's face before being replaced with pure anger and rage. "Oh, didn't like the sound of that, hmm? I would have thought you'd enjoy hearing that your little girl toy will be joining you. Oh, that's right, she's heading for one place and you're heading somewhere else, aren't you?"

Unable to get the door to budge, Linos sheathed his sword and began climbing the side of the building until he reached the roof. It took only a moment to find the spot where Xena had kicked her way through. Dropping down, it took him only a heartbeat to hear the sounds of swords clashing off in the distance and head in that direction. He rounded the corner and saw the two women fighting. Seeing his opportunity, Linos drew his sword, preparing to drive it through the warlord's back. Abrama heard the sound of the weapon being drawn and as he lunged forward, she dropped to the ground and brought her sword up, sending the blade deep into the blond man's chest.

Before she could pull her blade free, Xena was upon her. The blue eyes burning with rage, the warrior grabbed the front of the warlord's tunic, pulled her up, and slammed her against the stone wall. Xena drove her knee into Abrama's midsection, forcing the warlord to drop her guard long enough for the tips of the warrior's fingers to find the pressure points on either side of her neck. Letting the brown haired lunatic drop to the ground, she searched for the keys to unlock the cells. She had just opened the door to Gabrielle's cell and thrown the keys to Charon when she heard Linos call out. "Xena, no, don't let her die."

Thinking he was referring to Gabrielle, the warrior replied "I won't." and moved toward her friend.

"He means Abrama." Charon said as he turned the key to unlock his cell. Xena looked at the two men with disbelief.

"What? After what she's done?" she asked incredulously.

"Xena..." Linos wheezed. Reluctantly the warrior went to his side. "She can't die yet." he began coughing, the blood trickling out of his mouth. Xena held his head up and tilted it to the side so he could breathe. "I'll...I'll get the portal open."

"If she dies before he can get the portal open, she'll warn Sysiphus." Charon said, his normal sarcasm absent in light of the seriousness of the situation. Xena nodded and gently set Linos down before going to the warlord's side. Abrama's eyes were rolled up in their sockets, death imminent. The raven haired warrior released the pinch and in the blink of an eye slammed her fist hard against the side of the warlord's head, knocking the woman into unconsciousness. She heard the ragged gasp behind her and knew without looking that Linos was gone. "May Hades have mercy on your soul." she said softly.

"What can I do?" Charon said as he approached her side.

"Lock that bitch up." Xena replied, rising to her feet. She took a deep breath and steeled herself before entering Gabrielle's cell.

In all her time as a warlord, Xena had never inflicted, never even seen such abuse of another person. She stood an arm's length away and slowly looked up and down her friend's battered body. The golden hair was marred by dried blood, her face swollen and bruised, her lips and cheeks in need of stitches. The fingers of her left hand were broken and both arms required stitches. The right shoulder was dislocated and the warrior could only imagine the pain her gentle friend was in since it was clear that most of the bard's weight was being supported by her tortured arms. Uncharacteristically, Xena's lower lip quivered as she continued her visual examination. It seemed like there wasn't a spot on Gabrielle's body that wasn't cut or bruised. "By the gods...." the warrior whispered as she wiped a tear from her eye.

Charon silently handed Xena the ring of keys. Kneeling down, she went to put the key into the lock and found she had to scrape layers of dried blood out of the keyhole. When she freed the ankle from the restraint, the shift in weight caused such a tortured groan from the young woman that Xena let out a small cry of her own and wrapped her arms around Gabrielle's leg to help support her. "Charon." the warrior said softly, dropping the keys to the floor. The ferryman picked them up, knelt down next to the other ankle, and waited for Xena to get a better hold on the bard before unlocking the manacle. With one strong hand on either side of Gabrielle's hips, the warrior nodded for him to release the wrist restraints. "It's going to be all right, Gabrielle. I'm here." she said softly in response to another groan from the bard.

Gabrielle slumped forward once the last restraint was released. "Her ribs!" Charon warned, but it was too late. In her attempt to assist, Xena's shoulder pressed against the cracked bones, causing another gut-wrenching groan. She set the bard down on the ground as quickly as she could but the tortured sounds still tore at the warrior's heart.

"I'm sorry, Gabrielle, I'm so sorry. I'm trying not to hurt you." she murmured, dismayed that the movement had caused the dried blood to crack and several of the wounds to reopen. Xena's jaw clenched as she realized that her saddlebags were still with Argo and thus she had no medical supplies with which to help stem the renewed flow of blood or ease the suffering. She needed cloth and she needed it fast. "Charon, give me your robe."

Xena used her breast dagger to slice the silk robe into strips and bandages, taking the briefest moment to recall she had gotten it from the bard so long ago. "Just hang in there, Gabrielle, just stay with me and hang on." she said as she began the laborious task of wrapping the most serious injuries. "No…" the bard whispered, unaware of who was touching her.

"Gabrielle, it's me, it's Xena." she said, leaning down to speak softly into the young woman's ear. "It's all right now, I'm here."

"Please…please stop." came the weakened response. Fresh tears leaked out of the swollen lids and were quickly matched with equal ones from the normally stoic warrior. Charon kept a respectable distance from them and watched on in silence. He never would have believed that the woman who once sent so many people to his boat was now the same one who apologized every time she had to move part of Gabrielle's body, who let her tears fall unashamed, who was working so hard to save one life.

When there was nothing more she could do at the moment for Gabrielle, Xena sat back and allowed herself a brief time to let her tears silently fall. Charon had gone to prepare the wagon to carry the bard back to Laconia. When he returned and announced that the wagon was waiting outside the door, Xena was faced with the problem of how to move the battered woman without aggravating her injuries or more importantly to the warrior, causing any more pain than absolutely necessary. The warrior's eyes settled on the woman who caused so much pain to the one person who meant more to her than anyone else ever had. The blue eyes burned with fury. Rising to her feet, Xena jerked the ring of keys away from Charon and stormed over to the cell holding the warlord. She set her weapons on the floor outside and entered the cell. With an anger she hadn't felt since her warlord days, Xena slapped the warlord awake. "You can't kill her!" Charon warned.

"No, I can't kill her…yet." the warrior agreed. "But there's nothing that says I can't make her suffer the way she made Gabrielle suffer." she grabbed Abrama's wrist and quickly twisted the brown haired woman's arm up behind her back. "Is there?" she continued to apply pressure.

"Go to Hades, Xena. You'll never make me beg the way I made her." the warlord hissed through clenched teeth.

"I don't care about making you beg." the warrior replied, slamming her knee into Abrama's back. "Only about breaking you into pieces, lots of little pieces." Xena twisted the captured wrist until she heard a satisfying crunch. "Do you know how many bones a person can have broken and still live?" she brought her foot forward and swept the warlord's legs out from under her, slamming Abrama's face into the stone floor. "Neither do I. Let's find out, shall we?" she jerked the brown haired woman up and threw her across the room. "I'll give you a sporting chance. That's a far sight more than you gave Gabrielle." every word dripped with anger. Xena ignored Charon's continued warnings as her fist connected with Abrama's face again and again. The warlord tried to fight back but Xena's rage and fury added strength to her blows, speed to her movements. "You see this blood on my hands?" the warrior screamed. "This is Gabrielle's blood, blood from wounds that YOU caused!"

Only when Abrama was too groggy to raise her hands in defense did Xena finally relent, letting the warlord fall limply to the ground. She left the cell and locked the door, taking a moment to let her rage dissipate before returning to Gabrielle's side. "Let's get you out of here." she said softly, reaching up to brush a stray lock of hair off the bard's face.

"What about her? She's not exactly able to get up and do a jig." Charon said, pointing to the stunned warlord.

"Leave her there. She won't die anytime soon." Xena replied before gently cradling the bard in her arms and carrying her out of the room.

If the ride back to Laconia was traumatic for Gabrielle, it was even more so for the warrior. Charon tried to avoid the ruts and bumps in the road but there was only so much he could do. Every time the injured woman was jostled and cried out in pain, Xena felt as though a knife was being stabbed into her own heart with each cry from the bard and she apologized profusely even though there was nothing she could do to prevent it. Untold numbers of times the warrior chastised herself for not thinking to grab the saddlebags with the medical supplies from Argo when she switched horses, for taking the wrong turn in the road, for not being able to prevent the kidnapping, for the multitude of things that hindsight told her she could have done differently. She was glad it was dark so she couldn't see all the marks and injuries that covered the bard. Not that it made much difference, those that she did see in the cell were burned into her memory, adding to her personal Tartarus of guilt. By the time Charon pulled the wagon to a stop in front of the inn, most of Gabrielle's wounds had reopened despite Xena's best efforts, although thanks to the tightly wrapped pieces of silk, the renewed bleeding was minimal.

Using a saddle blanket as a makeshift gurney, they carried the bard in and got her settled on the bed. Charon covered his stark white body with Xena's cloak and went to the stable to collect the saddlebags containing the medical supplies while the warrior built a fire in the fireplace and lit candles throughout the room to give her the light she would need to work by. "Xena?"

"Right here, Gabrielle." she replied, moving to the bedside.

"I'm thirsty." she croaked.

"Okay, hang on and I'll get you some water." she got up and quickly filled a small cup. Holding the bard's head as best she could without touching any injured areas, Xena held the cup and let the injured woman take several small sips before pulling it away. "That's enough for now. You can have more in a little while, okay?"

"Thanks." she tried to focus on her blue-eyed friend but the swelling made it hard. She ended up seeing a blurry vision of the warrior but at least she knew she was finally safe. Charon returned with the saddlebags and several worn but clean sheets draped over his arm.

"How many do you have?" Xena asked.

"Four."

"Cut two into long strips and the others into squares for bandages. Then I need a couple of deep bowls, several buckets of water, two small flat boards to use as a splint for her hand, and a bottle of the strongest stuff they have at the bar."

"A please and thank you wouldn't hurt. I'm not some scullery maid, you know. Sheesh, show a little compassion and right away they think you're at their beck and call." he set the sheets down and went to get the other items Xena needed.

"He...he tried to help." Gabrielle said.

"I know. Despite being a horse's ass at times." she took a deep breath and her face became serious. "It's time for me to patch you up. I'm afraid this part's going to hurt a bit. Other than your hand, and shoulder, is there any other place that you think might be dislocated or broken?"

"Everywhere." the bard said, only half-joking. She inhaled deeply and winced at the pain. "My ribs." she croaked. Xena visibly winced at the memory of accidentally pressing against them.

"You're going to be all right, Gabrielle. It's just going to take some time." Xena said, although she wasn't sure if she was saying it more for the bard or for herself. Using a square of cloth and the remaining water, she carefully wiped away the mess surrounding the cut on the back of Gabrielle's head. "I'll start at the top and work my way down. You tell me if it begins to be too much for you, okay? I'll try and use pressure points whenever I can."

"I don't think I can hurt worse than I do now." she replied. Xena said nothing but knew that the bard would be in considerably more pain in just a short while.

Charon returned with the bowls, boards, and a bottle of strong wine followed by the innkeeper carrying two buckets of water. One look at the battered woman lying on the bed and the innkeeper knew that more buckets would be necessary. "I'll send someone up with more water. Is there anything else you need?" he asked. Xena shook her head. He nodded and shut the door as he left.

"Well, if you'll excuse me, I tend to get squeamish at the sight of cute girls covered in blood." Charon said, drawing a look from the warrior. "I'll be down at the jail if you need me."

"Why there? I'm sure you can get a room here."

"They have my room all made up for me. Nice one too. Great view of the alley. Mattress is a little lumpy though. Oh well, I guess I can't expect much from a little town like this. Besides, I have an ongoing card game going with the night guard."

Xena watched him leave, confident that he wouldn't try and disappear on them. While she probably could have used the extra pair of hands, she knew she wasn't in the mood to listen to his comments. She took the needle and thread from the saddlebag. "You ready?" she received a shaky nod in reply. Setting the suturing materials aside for a moment, she leaned over until her lips were next to the bard's ear. "I'll be as gentle as I can." she said softly.

"I know you will." Gabrielle replied. "It's okay. I know it's going to hurt."

"I wish I could put you out while I do this but I'm worried about that bump on your head." she said apologetically. "Looks like she got you pretty good."

"Mmm." the bard agreed. "I...I don't even know how many times. I just remember her doing it over and over and-"

"Shh...it's okay now." Xena interrupted. "She can't hurt you anymore."

The warrior decided to start by stitching up the multitude of cuts and gashes that littered the bard's body. One by one, she removed the wrappings, cleaned the area as best she could, and sewed it up with small, neat stitches. Gabrielle kept a brave face but was unable to keep the tears from streaming or to stifle small gasps whenever the needle passed through sensitive flesh. She lost count of the number of times Xena apologized for hurting her or how many times she reassured the warrior that it was okay. It took the better part of four candlemarks before all the wounds were finally sewn up, but to the emotionally drained women it seemed more like forty.

Xena washed her hands and tossed the towel into the rising pile of crimson stained cloths. The easy part was over. The next step was to put everything back where it belonged, starting with the dislocated right shoulder. "I'm sorry, there really isn't a good pressure point that I can use for your shoulder. This is going to hurt." she said, although she knew Gabrielle was well aware of that fact. Bracing her right hand on the bard's collarbone and her left hand on the upper arm, Xena used her powerful strength to pop the shoulder back into place. Gabrielle let out a shriek at the pain and needed almost a quarter candlemark of comfort from the older woman before she finally relaxed again.

Xena took a deep breath. She knew the next part would be hard. "Gabrielle, I have to set your fingers or they won't heal right, do you understand?" immediately the bard pulled her tortured left hand back, fresh tears forming in her eyes. Xena sat on the edge of the bed and pulled Gabrielle's hand onto her lap.

"No." she whispered, shaking her head.

"Gabrielle, I have to. I'll cut off the feeling while I'm setting them."

"No…please." she begged, pulling her hand back again. She knew it would hurt worse once the warrior released the pressure point.

"I'm sorry, I have to put them straight. You know that. Please, Gabrielle…don't make this any harder than it already is." she pleaded, reaching out and grabbing the bard's left wrist.

"Please, Xena, don't." she cried, trying to break the grip. The anguish in her voice was almost enough to make the warrior lose control of her own emotions. This has to be done, she reminded herself. She quickly jabbed at a spot just above the bard's elbow, effectively cutting off all feeling to the injured hand.

"It'll all be over in just a few moments." she said as she pulled the bard's hand onto her lap. Using her forearm to hold Gabrielle's arm in place, she reached for the crooked pinkie, quickly snapping the broken finger into proper alignment. "There, didn't feel a thing, did you?"

"No." she replied, but the sound of her bones being moved about caused her stomach to do flips. In rapid succession, Xena moved the broken fingers back into their normal positions. She loosely wrapped some cloth around them to use as a cushion before sandwiching it between the boards of wood and wrapping the whole thing up with more cloth. "That's it, Gabrielle, it's all over now." she said, relinquishing her hold on the injured hand. She went to release the pressure point but the bard pulled her arm back out of reach. "Come on now, you know I have to." the warrior said, reaching for the arm again. Gabrielle shook her head and covered her eyes with her forearm.

"No, please...I can't take it." she cried. Xena pivoted off the bed and knelt down next to her. "I'm sorry, Gabrielle, I don't want to add to your pain but I can't leave that pressure point on any longer." she said while stroking the bard's hair. "Look, I know it's going to hurt. If there was something I could do to make the pain go away, I would. When I'm done I promise you I'll give you a brew that'll help make it feel better, okay?" she leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on Gabrielle's forehead. "Come on now, let's get this over with."

Xena waited several heartbeats before the bard reluctantly lowered her arm. The instant the pinch was released, Gabrielle screamed out from the sudden rush of pain, then groaned from the renewed pain in her cracked ribs. She thought she had no more tears to give yet they kept coming, rolling down her cheek and soaking into the pillow. Xena continued to gently stroke her hair and murmur words of comfort, ignoring the tears that spilled out of her own eyes.

Xena made tea brewed from several pain-relieving herbs and gave the bard far more than she normally would have even though she knew that it would barely touch the intense pain. She let Gabrielle rest for about a half-candlemark before moving on to the next step in the damage repair process, the bard's cracked ribs. Rather than forcing her to move that injured shoulder, Xena used her breast dagger to cut away the green half-top. As gently as she could, the warrior felt along the ribcage, verifying for herself that none were broken. "You're gonna have to sit up for me to wrap them." she reached behind Gabrielle's back to help her up.

"Ow ow ow, put me down, put me down!" the bard yelped before she was even halfway into a sitting position. At first Xena thought Gabrielle was complaining about the pain in her ribs until the warrior saw the bard's hands move down to the apex of her legs.

"What's wrong?" she asked as she tried to move the younger woman's hands out of the way.

"I...I can't sit up...it hurts too much." Gabrielle replied through gritted teeth. Xena's jaw clenched as her fingers worked at removing the leather belt and her mind filled with the worst possible thoughts. She felt the gentle touch of fingertips on her hand and forced herself to look up.

"It's not that." Gabrielle said, noting the look of relief that washed over the warrior's face. "She kneed me...hard."

"Oooh." Xena winced visibly in sympathy while unwrapping the leather skirt to reveal the bard's short breeches beneath. A few quick flicks of the breast dagger and they were out of the way, revealing the soft golden curls covering bruised skin. She got up and walked over to the remaining buckets of clean water, running her fingers through all of them until she found the one that was coldest. She soaked a cloth and returned to the bedside. "You're probably not going to like this but it will help ease the swelling and bruising." she held the cloth up so the bard could see it.

"You're right, I'm not going to like it." Gabrielle agreed, bracing herself. She jumped when the cloth first touched her skin then gave a slight whimper when Xena packed it around the bruised area. The large amount of pain killers that she had been given were kicking in and much to the warrior's surprise, Gabrielle let out a soft laugh.

"What?"

"Sorry, I was just thinking." she replied, a silly grin on her face. Xena sat back and arched an eyebrow, waiting for the bard to let her in on the joke.

"Well?" the warrior asked expectantly when it became obvious that Gabrielle wasn't going to tell her the reason behind the goofy grin.

"Well, it's kinda depressing, actually." she said. "I mean, it's been so long since anyone's been near there and now it's getting all this attention." she blushed slightly.

"I'm sure it's not quite the kind of attention you'd want it to get." Xena quirked. 'Or the kind of attention I'd like to give it.' she thought to herself.

"No, not quite." Gabrielle replied, her thoughts unknowingly running in a similar vein to the warrior's. She shifted slightly and groaned at the ache in her ribs.

"Let's get that taken care of." Xena said, secretly grateful for the change of focus.

Wrapping the ribs without being able to sit the bard up proved to be a long, drawn out affair. Xena had to use one hand to hold Gabrielle up high enough off the bed to get behind her back, leaving only one hand free to do the actual wrapping. The sun was beginning to rise by the time she finished. "I'll be right back." Xena said before going around the room, blowing out the candles and dousing the torches. By the time she returned to the bedside she found the bard sound asleep. Xena's first impulse was to wake her, concerned about the pounding that Gabrielle's head had taken, but when she looked at the peaceful expression on the bard's battered face she found that she just couldn't bring herself to do so. She covered the sleeping woman with the blanket and pulled a chair next to the bed to sit on. Xena spent long moments just watching the rise and fall of the bard's chest, listening to the even breathing of sleep, thinking about how lucky she was to have found Gabrielle before she suffered more damage at the hands of that maniac. "I love you." she whispered, leaning down and placing a soft kiss on the bard's forehead. She pulled back slightly then placed kisses on both closed eyelids before leaning back and settling into the chair for the long watch.

Continued in Part Four

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