Disclaimer:  I own no rights whatsoever to any characters from
Xena:Warrior Princess,  I am only borrowing them for the length of this
story.   This story is for the amusement and entertainment of my friends
in the Ares and Xena Shippers club.  I promise to return the characters
intact when I am finished with them.  I am making no money from this
story.

                                   CHAPTER ONE

Xena was pregnant again, but at least this time she knew who the
father was.  The immaculate conception which had given her a daughter
had come as a complete surprise.  Later she had found a toddler in the
midst of a massacre.  She had taken him in as well.  As if the two of them
weren't enough, now she was starting to show with another one.  The
father of this one was none other than Ares, the God of War, and was he
ever pleased about it.  He had wanted a child from her for years, had
asked, cajoled, and threatened in order to get what he wanted.  None of
those things had worked.  It wasn't until she knew for a fact that he loved
her that she even considered the proposition.

They had become close, very close, in the past year.  While she was
still considering the idea she found herself sick one morning. The following
morning she was sick again.  By the time six weeks had passed, she was
over the sickness but she knew.  She had been through this before.  She
had been in a bitchy mood ever since.  At first Ares didn't know what to
make of her moods.  After several weeks of morning sickness, he began to
get the idea.  He finally asked her straight out if she was pregnant.  She
hemmed and she hawed, but finally she admitted the fact.  He was
rapturously happy about it.  At long last his warrior princess was going to
have his child.

Soon thereafter, he assigned a senior priestess to watch over Xena and
the child.  This priestess was extraordinarily powerful.  He placed the
pendant from about his own neck on hers.  This gave her even more
power.  She was armed with both a sword, and a spear.  The spear was
powerful in it's own right, as was the sword.  Both had been made by
Hephaestus, the God of the Forge, and imbued with great magical power.
These were not the personal property of the priestess, but were a symbol
of her authority.   Both were marked with the symbol of Ares.

Of course Xena wasn't at all happy about having a guardian.  She felt,
and rightly so, that she could take care of herself very well thank you.
Unfortunately that wasn't exactly true.  She didn't seem to have anywhere
near the energy or strength that she had shown with Eve.  This baby
seemed to be soaking it up.  She continued on with her everyday life, but
needed a short nap each afternoon.  A single candle mark was usually
enough to carry her through the rest of the day.  It was a good thing that
the children were growing out of their more serious mischief.

Speaking of the children, they had recently learned that Xena was to
have another baby.  They were full of questions, some of which had taken
some real ingenuity to answer without opening even more topics to be
discussed.  "Yes she had a baby in her tummy.  It was a gift from the Gods.
She didn't know if it would be a boy or a girl."  The questions went on and
on.  Ares had been amused to hear some of the questions and answers.  He
had a few of his own. "A gift from the Gods?  Which other god  was
involved?"  She had answered that they thought Aphrodite had something
to do with it.  He got a real chuckle out of that.  He'd have to tell 'Dite  that
one.  She would probably think it was funny.

When they received the invitation to a big family gathering in Potedaia,
Gabrielle was absolutely thrilled.  The family could meet Jeb, and he could
see his uncle Lem again.  The children were getting bigger, and were a lot
less trouble than they had been, but Xena was not looking forward to the
trip.  The fact that their guardian would undoubtedly be going also was no
help at all.  She seemed like a wonderful person, and she was very good
with the children.  They loved her dearly although they had known her for
only a few weeks now.  She was almost as old as their grandma, but also as
active as their mother.  She did sword drills each and every day, some of
which were very intricate.  She did flips, rolls, leaps and all the other things
their mother did, and did them well.

Ares insisted that if they wanted to go anyplace they had to take Agnes.
She was all packed and ready when they were about to set off.  Xena knew
that there was no way to stop her from coming, so she didn't even try.  Ares
had been most insistent about the matter.  She didn't know what the big deal
was, but she knew better than to argue when he was in that mood.  He had
told her that he would be busy with a couple of skirmishes along the border.
That he would try to make time to check in on them from time to time.  That
he knew she probably didn't need the guardian, but to please humor him.
She had finally just agreed so that he wouldn't fret himself into a dither.  She
had never seen him so worried.

The beginning of the trip had gone just about as she had expected.  The
three women all rode on horses, with the two little ones up behind.  The two
took turns riding with Agnes.  She was very good at keeping them
entertained.  They made a brief camp for lunch, which was simply sandwiches
that had been packed by Cyrene.  There was also fruit, and some little pies.
The children played while they ate, but didn't leave the immediate area of
the campfire.  They soon had the site cleaned up, and remounting their
horses, they continued their journey.  That evening things began to change.
Agnes took her spear, jabbed it deeply into the soil quite some way from the
site of the fire, then dragged it along in a great circle which encompassed
most of the clearing they were using for a campsite.  Every member of the
group was informed that they were not to leave the circle, or disturb the
soil in the line she had created.  She finished the circle by driving the spear
back into the earth where she had begun the line.  She had been chanting
softly during the whole procedure, but Xena and Gabrielle hadn't been able
to make out what she was saying.

Gabrielle started the fire with wood they had collected before the forming
of the line.  Xena cleaned some game she had taken along the way while Eve
was riding with Agnes.  The Chakram had taken four pheasants at once when
a flock had come flashing out of the tall grass along their route.  Xena spent
some time with pulling feathers.   By the time she was done, she was all
over feathers, the soft fluffy down of the birds.  She put them on spits, and
placed them over the fire.  There would be enough meat here for tomorrow
as well.

                                    CHAPTER TWO

The night had been very peaceful, although once Xena had awakened
with the feeling that she was being watched.  Close observation failed to
find any prowlers.  She soon returned to her rest.  She had noticed that
Agnes had also awakened, had seemed to listen for a moment, then lay
back down again.  In the morning Agnes had taken the spear back in hand
chanted something softly for a moment, then went about the business of
breaking up camp.  Xena would give her this, she was a big help.  She
knew just what needed to be done, and never shirked doing whatever was
needed.  This might not be as bad as she had been thinking.

That day also went well, with occasional breaks for the children to use
up some excess energy.  Lunch was comprised of some rolls with pheasant
and cheese inside.  Travel was something uncommon enough in the life of
the children, that they were intrigued with everything.  Neither child had
done any traveling since Jeb had come to live with them at Cyrene's Inn.
They chattered constantly about everything, going from comment to question
and back again.  Each adult tried to answer any question directed to them.  As
it happened Agnes seemed to know about practically everything.  She knew
what all the plants were, and what they were used for.  She knew about all
the animals they met, how they lived, what they ate, where they slept.  It
was a real relief to Xena to have someone else to answer some of the
questions.  Between Gabrielle and Agnes, the children were well satisfied
with their day.   Both women told stories as they went.

They stopped early for camp again, with Xena and Agnes gathering
firewood.  Then Xena had spent a little time at the stream near camp.  She
had returned with several large fish.  She cleaned and scaled them, then
skinned and filleted them.  Gabrielle had put the big skillet on the coals, and
soon had them browning nicely.  The small skillet had been used to make
cornbread, which the children loved.  Agnes had taken time to gather some
wild herbs and greens for supper.  It was a meal fit for a king, as Gabrielle
was quick to point out.  She always did have a high regard for her cooking
abilities.  Since Xena was a terrible cook, she quickly agreed rather than
possibly insult Gabby and be told to do it herself.  They had been through
that a few times before.

While Xena and Gabrielle were fixing dinner, Agnes had again plunged
the spear into the ground, then formed the large circle around their campsite.
She always completed the circle in the exact same place she started, by
driving the spear into the same hole she had started with.  The spear remained
there for the night.  The children were tired after their long day, and were
soon asleep.  Gabrielle slept in the middle, with a child on each side of her.
Agnes and Xena slept on the outside ends.  With the two most experienced
fighters nearest the danger, and Gabrielle to stand watch over the children
in any kind of emergency, there was little danger.

Again Xena awakened during the night.  This time she actually got up to
take a look around.  She noticed that the spear and the circle were glowing
with a pale blue light.  It had a calming effect on her.  She knew that it was
some sort of magical protection, but wasn't sure exactly what kind.  Later
that night she found out.  There was a sudden squeal of fury coming from
the edge of the circle.  She quickly grabbed a brand from the fire and went
to see what was going on.  There was a large porcupine dancing around
outside the circle.  He tried again to cross the line. Blue sparks were the
result,  vibrant blue sparks that lit up the clearing.  She had to laugh at the
beast, he was so determined to cross that clearing, he must have a path he
usually used which was blocked to him.  He finally walked around the
perimeter, then shuffled off into the night.

She noticed that Agnes had only raised her head for a moment then
returned to sleep.  Xena finally got back to sleep also.  Morning was just
the same as usual, but this time Agnes left the spear in the ground until they
were getting ready to leave.  Then she walked over, grasped the spear
firmly in both hands, murmured some kind of chant and then lifted it from
the ground.  Xena wondered why, but was still reluctant to ask too many
questions.  The spear was strapped to the side of the saddle Agnes rode.

The morning ride had gone quietly until they got to a good sized stream.
They decided to stop for lunch, even though it was still a little early.  Gabby
mixed some of the leftover fish into a batter, and cooked it in little cakes in
the skillet.  They were surprisingly good.  Agnes seemed slightly agitated.
Xena found herself watching the guardian very carefully.  Agnes watched
one area of the woods, and stirred at every sound coming from that direction.
Something was definitely up, and Xena was going to get to the bottom of it.

Xena moved over to squat near Agnes, and murmured softly "What is
it?".  Agnes shook her head slightly and replied. "I'm not sure.  There is
something watching us.  They've been watching us for two days now."  A
snapping twig brought both of them to their feet.  Xena took time to say
"'Ware Gabrielle.".  Gabby grabbed both children and put them with the
packs.  She then stood over the children with sais drawn.  An old man
stepped out of the woods, he staggered a little as he walked, and came near
to them.  Both warriors had swords drawn, and were in defense postures.
Agnes started murmuring something, very softly at first, but becoming louder.
As she chanted the old man's form wavered, becoming cloudy, and finally
changed to the form of a robed figure.  More figures appeared from thin
air on both sides of him.  Then had been hidden in illusion.  The trick
hadn't worked thanks to the magical abilities of the guardian.

As they realized that they were exposed, the five figures began their
attack.  All were armed with swords, and from their postures and movements,
they knew how to use them.  If four unseen men had been able to sneak up
it might have been a different story, but they didn't have a chance.  Agnes
and Xena each took out two, and the fifth was quickly dispatched by Gabby.
The children were huddled up with the packs.  Two frightened little faces
were hidden in each other's necks.  Neither had seen the worst of the
fighting.  As they heard Xena call them, they raised their heads and looked
for her.  The three women had taken a moment to drag the bodies out of
sight before calling the children.  When they realized that they were safe,
they both came crawling out from between the packs.  Eve grabbed Jeb's
hand and they both came running over to the women.  Hugs from each of
the women soon eased their fear, and soon they were asking questions.
Since none of the five had survived, the women had no answers.

They were soon back on the road again, but all the adults were in full
sentry mode.  The slightest sound from the forest on either hand was enough
to get the unencumbered member of the party to check it out.  This was
either Xena  or Agnes.  They were the most experienced fighters.  The
two adults that remained behind with the children stayed in close proximity
to each other.  They remained nothing but false alarms throughout the rest
of the day.  By the time evening was falling, all three were exhausted.  They
made camp early.  Again Agnes and Xena gathered firewood, always
remaining within a short distance of the camp.  Later, Xena made a quick run
into the forest to see what she could get for dinner.  She came back with a
large tom turkey.  Agnes had, in the meantime, gathered more herbs and
some mushrooms.  As Xena set about cleaning her game Agnes began the
ceremonial circle of protection.  This was now known to be efficacious.

                                    CHAPTER THREE

The next several days had gone pretty much as usual.  They had been
able to keep on the move without any more trouble, and the nights had been
uneventful.  The children were back to their usual chattering happy selves.
Game was plentiful, but they were getting low on other supplies.  They soon
stopped in a fairly large town to buy staples.  Agnes stood behind and to one
side as Xena and Gabrielle did their business.  She was on full alert and no
slightest motion escaped her gaze.  Several people had given her a close
scrutiny, but the sight of the amulet about her neck soon gave them cause to
move on.  Two drunks entered the merchant's premises, loudly calling to
each other, then began to rifle the contents of the shelves.  The merchant
asked them politely to leave, but they just laughed and pushed him out of
their way.  They tried to push Eve as well, but before they could set hand
on her, both were struck firmly behind the neck and dropped to the floor.
Agnes stood there with a perfectly calm expression on her face and the
spear haft in both hands.  She had used the metal haft as a fighting stick.
It was all over before most people in the store were even aware that it had
started.  Both of the assailants were unconscious, struck with just enough
force to immobilize, but not enough to kill.

Xena was the only one who had quick enough reflexes to be aware of
all that had happened.  She was impressed.  She couldn't have done any
better herself.  This woman was definitely someone who knew how to fight.
She had already been aware of the basics, but now she realized that there
was more... she hadn't seen anything yet.  The children looked on with wide
eyes, then began to grin as the men groaned and tried to get up.  They
weren't too steady on their feet, and were easily escorted to the door and
told to go home and sleep it off.  They leaned on each other as they
staggered down the street.  The onlookers grinned, then went on with their
business.  The supplies having been purchased, the party loaded their
horses and left.

Two more days passed quietly, but the peace and quiet ended when Argo
threw a shoe.  They needed to find a blacksmith and quick.  The children rode
behind Agnes and Gabrielle, while Xena walked.  They had covered several
miles before they saw signs of civilization.  A small village appeared around a
bend in the road.  Thank the Gods, they had a small forge.  The blacksmith
soon had the new shoe in place, and they decided to stop at the inn for lunch.
There was a huge ham being sliced as they entered, and a large pan of
roasted potatoes with herbed sauce was soon pulled from the oven to go with
it.  They had fresh greens with an oil and vinegar sauce to go over it that was
very tasty.  The bread was fresh and still warm from the oven, as a basket of
rolls was placed on their table. The food was excellent and was enjoyed by all.

As they finished their lunch, they got up and headed for the door.  A drunk
lurched into their path and pushed at Gabrielle to get her out of his way.
Xena punched him firmly in the jaw and he staggered back.  Rubbing his jaw,
he stood there for a moment, then he roared out an expletive and charged.
Xena just stood there and waited for him.  As he neared her, she made a
leap and kicked him twice in the head, once on the way up and once on the
way down.  One kick was to the right side of his head and the other was to
the left side of his head.  He just stood there in stupefaction, then slowly slid
to the floor.   The children had watched in fascination throughout the fight,
and giggled as the big man stretched his length on the floor with arms spread
out  They hopped over the burly arm that impeded their progress to the door
and left the Inn.

The children were still talking about how funny the man had looked when
he was laying on the floor.  Xena told them that being drunk wasn't funny.
that it was obnoxious behavior like that that sometimes got people killed, and
often caused real trouble for others.  They listened solemnly while she made
these observations, then settled down to talk about something else.  They had
watched the blacksmith shoe Argo, and had been in awe of the strength it
took to hammer and fit the shoe to the foot.  This discussion ended after a
while also.  They rode in silence for quite a while, but all three women knew
that was too good to last.  As they prepared to make camp, the two little ones
started to scrap over a toy.  Xena and Agnes were out getting firewood and
supper.  Gabrielle had to break it up.  She took the toy in question and gave
them each a different toy.  Peace returned to the campsite.

By this time they had a set routine for camping.  Each did their part, and
it worked out well for all.  Gabby was the chief cook, but sometimes Agnes
would prepare something different.  She was an excellent cook in addition
to all her other skills.  As soon as they had all outside work accomplished,
Agnes would set the circle ward about the camp.  The faint glow of the blue
light was comforting.  Nothing could enter the circle while they slept without
everyone knowing about it.  Or at least nothing mortal.  During that late
evening Agnes and Xena both came to attention.  There was a large dark
figure leaning against a tree with folded arms and a grin on his face.  The
figure walked toward the circle, stepped into the aether, and reappeared on
the inside of the circle.  Xena wondered what would have happened if he
had attempted to cross the line.  He looked at her for a moment, then grinned
again and walked back across the circle.  He made sure not to smudge the
line itself, stepping carefully, but as he passed the circle all hell appeared to
break loose.  Blue coruscating sparks lit up the entire clearing, reaching to
a height above the tree tops in the area, and only ceasing when he had
passed the line in question.  He was unharmed but she hated to think what
would have happened to a mortal who attempted to cross the ward.

He again stepped into the aether and recrossed the line.  Appearing by
her side, he asked. "Does that answer your question?"  She laughed quietly
and nodded.  He gathered her into his arms and held her for a few moments.
He then greeted Gabrielle and Agnes.  Agnes greeted him with several hand
gestures to which he nodded and made a few in reply.  Xena was not
familiar with most of them.  She recognized the greeting sign, and one that
said that things were well, but the others were unknown.  She was going to
have to get to the bottom of this sooner or later, but for now she would let
it go.  He returned to her side, then greeted the children.  They rushed to
meet him.  He had to hug each of them in turn until they finally let go and
settled down again.  Gabrielle was in the middle of cooking dinner at the
time and they quickly arranged themselves on either side of her to watch.
Ares gave Xena another hug and a long kiss before he settled down beside
her.  He ate with them and provided fresh fruit to go with dinner.

He was surprised and displeased when he learned about the invisible
fighters that had tried to sneak up on the party.  Who had that kind of power?
He couldn't think right offhand of anyone.  He was going to have to ponder
this situation.  He didn't like it at all.  Something told him that it wasn't over.
He had assigned the right person for the job.  Not much got past Agnes.  She
was one of the best he had, and he had given her as many sources of power
as he had been able to think of.  This child and it's mother must be protected.
He had never felt toward any other woman the love he felt for Xena.  Some
of his priestesses over the eons had held his affection.  Some of them had
been favored more than others.  None of them had compared with Xena.

                                         CHAPTER FOUR

The next morning before dawn he had held her for a moment before
they got up to start their day.  He had looked deep into her eyes, finding
the love he needed so desperately still there.  She had returned his gaze
with a warm regard, then had kissed him full on the mouth, passionately.  He
groaned, she would have to do that.  He absolutely had to be back at the
temple this morning.  He had a meeting with several Warlords to discuss tactics
for the upcoming battle.  He had roamed his hands over her form, making sure
that she was going to miss him as well, tweaking a few sensitive points gently
then gripping her firmly against himself.  He practically crushed her in his
embrace.  The kisses were becoming more passionate by the moment, and
he hated to break it up.  He REALLY hated to break it up.  Duty called, and
he groaned again.  He gave her one last tender kiss, and disappeared.

He appeared in his temple in plenty of time to see that everything was
set up and ready for the meeting.  There was a huge map on the table with
weights firmly holding the corners and sides down.  The Warlords filed into
the room and gathered around the table.  There was a great deal of talk.  He
began to get impatient with them, and called them to order.  He then set one
finger on the map and informed them that here was where the opposing
general would be setting up operations.  If they could get a large group of
archers up on top of this hill, they could set the encampment in flames and
rout a good number of the enemy.  If they had troops here and here, they
would be in position to kill or capture them as they ran from the flames.  The
Warlords agreed to the plan readily, their own positions would be reinforced
when and if they could pull this off.

Hours later, Ares was still in discussion about the details of the plan when
he suddenly raised his head.  He cocked it to one side, as though listening,
then disappeared.  He reappeared near Xena's campsite.  Watching all that
occurred, he soon saw that it wasn't anything too bad.  A mother bear was
trying to reach her cub, which was on the other side of the clearing.  She
was determined to take the shortest possible route to her cub.  This would
involve passing through the clearing which she was unable to do.  He scooped
up the cub, and delivered it to the female, making sure to keep out of reach.
The sow was incapable of harming him, but if she was aroused to fight, she
might later take it into her head that Xena and party were responsible for her
problems.  She could track and attack them later.  He watched her as she
shuffled off into the forest and continued to watch until he was sure that she
was settled down and back about her own business.  He saw Agnes and Xena
in defense postures, which relaxed as soon as they felt his presence.

He had ordered Agnes to start setting up the ward whenever they were
going to be staying in an area for any length of time.  It was as well that he
had.  It would have been terrible if they had been forced to kill the mother
to defend themselves.  The cub was much too young to take care of itself.
There had been only the one cub, so the mother would have been just that
much more defensive of her only surviving cub.  All had gone well because
Agnes had followed orders.  He signalled her *Good job!* and she replied
*Thanks!*  Xena just looked on.  She had recognized both signs easily.

He waved, then returned to his meeting.  The warlords had been upset
at his sudden disappearance.  What could possible be more important than
their plans for the battle.  Ares didn't even bother to make an explanation.
He simply returned to the exact topic he had been discussing when he left.
There were a few quiet murmurs in the background, but no-one dared to
question the actions of their Lord Ares.  One idiot had dared question him
several years ago.  Everyone was aware of the results of his behavior.   He
had been fried with a lightning bolt.  The ashes just sat there on the floor
during the rest of the meeting.  When it was over a priest had calmly come
in, swept up the remains, and taken them away.  Therefore there  were no
objections.  The meeting  finally came to a close, the Warlords left, and
Ares retired to his own quarters.

Things were going well for Xena, Gabrielle, and Agnes.  The children
were behaving well, there had been no more excitement after the bear, and
they were making good time.  They arrived in Potedaia late the next day.
Gabrielle's family were all excited at the chance to show everybody off.  The
whole village had heard of Xena, everybody knew Gabrielle, and they soon
met Agnes as well.   There was a temple to Ares in the village, and her first
action after the introductions was to make a visit there.  She entered the
temple through the back door, having a key to all the temples, and went to
the office of the high priest.  He was tempted to ignore the stranger until he
noticed the amulet about her neck.  He leaped to his feet, bowed humbly, and
was urged to stand up again.  The amulet had been recognized as the
personal property of Ares, and at first the Priest had thought Ares himself was
before him in disguise.

Having been assured that she was only acting on the behalf of Ares, and
was on duty in the area, he soon relaxed.  She reported the attack of the
invisible fighters, and the fact that Ares believed that it was not over.  The
Priest ordered several of his best men to keep an eye on the group she was
guarding.  Each had some magical ability, and he had given each person a
talisman with which they could call for help if attacked by a superior power.

Two days later, the enemy struck again, wounding Gabrielle.  It wasn't
serious and she was soon treated and released by the local healer.  The
bandage wasn't large or cumbersome, but it made her feel self conscious.
The arrow had taken her in the thigh.  The force behind the arrow was
nearly spent by the time it struck, and the wound was less than an inch deep.
The bandage came just below the hem of her skirt, and the white cloth stood
out against her tanned skin and dark skirt.  She soon borrowed a longer
skirt from her sister which came to just above her knees.  This covered the
bandage and made it disappear.  Agnes had come in later, and done a healing
spell on the wound.  It had almost disappeared, but the surface was still open.
The bandage was mostly to keep dirt out of the opening.

Xena was angry.  How could someone have gotten that close without her
being conscious of it.  The fact that they were inside a town with strangers all
around her wasn't considered a good enough reason in her mind.  The sudden
appearance of half a dozen priests of Ares immediately after the attack hadn't
gone unnoticed either.  What was going on here anyway?  She called his
name, and he immediately appeared.  He looked around anxiously for a
moment, then realized that she was simply calling him to talk.  He gathered
her up in his arms, kissed her gently, then waited for her to speak.  She was
silent for a long moment, then asked him what was going on.  He replied that
he had no idea.  He was just certain that someone somewhere was trying to
make things difficult for her.  He intended to take steps to bring these actions
to a sudden halt.

                                   CHAPTER FIVE

Agnes was spending most of her time near Xena and the children, but
took time every so often to patrol the streets and probe for magical traces.
Nothing had shown up until just before the attack on Gabrielle.  She had felt
a surge of power, then known that an attack was under way.  She had then
whistled a command for backup.  Shadows had coalesced into priests, who
had immediately fanned out to find the source of the magic.  It had melted
away even as they searched.  The arrow had arrived from out of the distance
and there was no further contact.  Gone....just like that.  This was unacceptable.
She made a great circle around the town, found the place where the archer
had stood, and near that  the place where the magician had stood.  He had
kept the archer and himself invisible until they could make the attack, then had
quickly left the area before anyone could find them.  The attack had been
made from extreme range.

The priests formed a great circle around the village, being relieved every
so often by fresh members of their group.  There were six in position at all
times.  More roamed the village.  The high priest had called in reinforcements
from a larger temple  near a  city not too far away.  The call had been
accompanied by a wax impression of Ares' medallion.  This had ensured that
there would be no hesitation.  A group of 24 priests had arrived the next day.
All were skilled in the magical arts, with a few being very powerful indeed.
Most were intermediate level priests, but three were high level, bearing an
assortment of talismans to counteract everything they could think of.

The next attack came without warning of any sort.  A man simply stepped
out of an alleyway, threw a knife at Xena, and ducked back inside the dark
recess he had left.  The man was quickly captured, but found to be under
the influence of some kind of drug.  One of the senior priests had quickly
identified the drug and had given the antidote.   The man had no knowledge
of what he'd done.  He had been like a zombie, completely without volition.
Since he was a well known member of the village, and had no reason to make
such an attack, he was soon released.  Now they had to worry about normal
villagers.

The knife attack had failed miserably, Xena had immediately used her
Chakram and deflected it into a nearby wall.  She was becoming angry.  She
knew that the man who made the attack was not responsible for his actions,
but she wanted to bring this whole thing to an abrupt end.  It might be better
if they left.  They were endangering the whole village with their presence
here.  Gabrielle's family disagreed.  They wanted the group to stay.  They
had just gotten to know Jeb and didn't want to be parted from him so soon.
When Xena thought about it, she sudden;y realized that Gabrielle hadn't
been the target.  Gabby had suddenly stepped in front of Xena to catch one
of the children.  The arrow had been meant for her.  Someone wanted her
dead.

That evening she again called Ares.  Again he appeared, looked around,
then settled down beside her.  "Is there a problem?" he asked softly.  Xena
filled him in on her suspicions.  Told him about the sudden move of Gabrielle
that had placed her in the direct line of fire.  The fact that the first group had
all been heading toward her and only broken into segments when they were
visible.  He considered her comments very carefully.  There did seem to be a
definite trend here.  If the enemy were after Xena.....why?  They had kept
the fact of the coming baby totally to themselves.  Only a very few totally
trustworthy people were even aware of the situation.  What other reason
could they have?  They didn't have all the pieces of the puzzle yet, but the
pieces were beginning to add up.

He took her back to his quarters, where they could have a little privacy.
She reached up, drew his head down, and kissed him fondly.  He responded
in kind.  She slipped both arms about him, stretched herself to her limit and
pressed herself firmly against his body.  Her abdomen was beginning to make
this a little more difficult.  He arched himself around the bulge and hugged her
close.  Their kisses were becoming longer and more detailed.  Their bodies
were becoming insistent.  He suddenly lifted her in his arms and carried her to
the bed.  Placing her gently on the covers, he removed their clothing with a
thought.  Then things started to get really interesting.

The next morning he returned her to the room she had been staying in
since arriving in town.  The Mayor had a large house, his children were all
grown, and he had offered to put them up there.  These rooms were much
finer that those at the small inn, and they had accepted graciously. His cook
was excellent.  She was elderly, and had cooked all her life for the well to
do in the town, coming to the Mayor's house 15 years ago while his children
were still living at home.  The house had been terribly quiet for the last few
years and she was in her element with all the guests.  She love to cook for
a crowd and especially she loved to cook for children.  Eve and Jeb had soon
made friends with her, and spent a good part of each day *helping* in the
kitchen.  She found all kinds of interesting things for them to do.  She let them
roll out cookie dough, showed them how to cut out the shapes, and wait near
the oven until they were done.  The aroma of cookies filled the house almost
every day.

This particular day they were helping shell peas.  She had showed them
how to pull the string on the pod, and pop the peas out into a bowl.  They had
shelled nearly a bushel of peas before they were finished.  They actually
were a lot of help, so long as you gave them simple jobs to do, and kept an
eye on them while they worked.  They kept sneaking one or two of the raw
peas into their mouths and chewing feverishly.  Since she was fully aware of
their actions, and just as aware that it wouldn't hurt them any, she ignored
their behavior.  Most of the peas were going in the bowl where they
belonged.  Eve was the first to notice that the cook had developed a strange
look on her face.  She had been chatting and laughing with them but was
suddenly silent and withdrawn.

Something was wrong, and she grabbed Jeb by the hand and led him,
protesting, into the main part of the house.  She called "Mama....Mama..." until
Xena caught up with them.  Eve had such a serious look on her face, and
was holding so tightly to Jeb's hand, that Xena knew that something was
seriously wrong.  "What is it sweetie?" she asked.  "Cook...something's wrong
with her....she's acting strange...I don't like it."  Xena called Gabrielle, and had
her keep an eye on the children while she made a dash for the kitchen.  She
was just in time to see the cook putting something into the stew they were to
have for dinner.  She rushed over, smelled the substance, and knew that it
was poison.  She lifted the pot off the stove, and carried it outside.  One of
the gardeners was working in the vegetable garden, and she ordered him to
dig a deep hole and bury this mess.  She informed him that it was poisoned,
and that he should see to it that none of the animals around could get to it.

The man dug a very deep hole, poured the stew into it, threw manure in
with it to cover the smell somewhat, piled a lot of rocks in the hole, then filled
it with dirt.  He spread fresh manure over the ground to help overcome any
trace of the odor of food.  He had rinsed the pan out thoroughly, and the
water he used also had gone into the hole.  The pan was then washed
several more times.  The children were questioned very carefully as to when
the cook had started  acting differently.  No, no one had talked to her but
them. No, she hadn't left them alone for even a minute.  No she hadn't eaten
anything while she was with them.  Wait a moment, she had been drinking
from a mug off and on all afternoon.  The mug had stayed on the table all
day, she had gotten up several times to refill it from a pitcher in the kitchen.
Since the kitchen was right off the porch where they were shelling peas,
they hadn't considered her to have left them.  She had stepped inside for
only a moment, refilled her mug, and stepped back outside.

Agnes quickly stepped into the kitchen, and examined the pitcher.  It
had hard cider in it, but it also had a rather metallic smell to it.  She knew
that smell.  It was a drug used to control minds.  The magician didn't have
to even be near for the drug to sensitize the victim's mind to where they
would do anything they were mentally ordered to do.  Anyone in the near
vicinity could be the magician.  Someone had to have put the powder in the
cider.  Someone also had to provide the poison for the stew and make it
available to the cook.  Someone who could apparently slip in and out of a
closely guarded house.

This latest piece of info finally jiggled a faint memory in Ares' mind.  He
had run into a very powerful magician many years before.  The man had
been a complete basket case by this time, and had caused Ares a great deal
of trouble.  He  was obsessed with the Greek Gods and had determined that
he wanted to be just as powerful.  Since Ares had promptly disabused him of
that idea, he had determined that he was going to get even.  He had informed
Ares that he would one day take something Ares valued immensely.  He had
been a complete nuisance.  Ares had assigned Discord to take care of him.  He
didn't want to ever see that man again...yada...yada.  She had returned with the
word that everything was taken care of and the man would never bother him
again.  He was going to have to have another talk with Discord.

                                      CHAPTER SIX

That talk with Discord didn't take long to arrange at all.  Ares was aware
that Discord was jealous, but hadn't thought much about it.  Now he was on
the verge of doing something about that jealousy.  If she wouldn't accept no
the easy way, then she would have to learn it the hard way.  "DISCORD!!"
he bellowed.  When she appeared with a big grin on her face he scowled.
She soon realized that something wasn't funny.  His visage was growing
darker by the moment, and she suddenly hoped she wasn't the cause.  He
could be really dangerous when he was angry, and he was obviously angry.
"What's up?" she questioned cheerily, trying to the last to keep things light.
"What was the name of that Magician I ordered you to remove many years
ago."  "What Magician?" she asked in return.  The Glare got deeper, the
swirling lights in his eyes deepened in color.  She suddenly decided that it
would be wiser not to try to play games today.  "Oh, that Magician.  Why I
disposed of him just like you told me."  "What did you do with the body?"
he asked gruffly.  "Well...uh..." she stammered.  "I ASKED YOU WHAT
YOU DID WITH THE BODY!!!!" he bellowed.

It soon came out that she hadn't killed him at all, but had imprisoned him
instead.  She had thought she might be able to use him someday.  That day
had come when she found out about Xena carrying the child of Ares.  She
had determined to dispose of both Xena and the child.  Of course none of
this was admitted freely.  Ares had called in a torturer, chained Discord to
one of the pillars in the temple, and given the torturer some special tools that
had been designed especially for Ares by Hephaestus.  They even worked
on gods.  The fact that she could heal the wounds quickly didn't help the pain
at all.  She had finally admitted everything.  Ares took her to Mount Olympus
for justice.  The charges were attempted murder of the child of a god.  Open
rebellion against authority, and disobedience of a direct order.  She was sent
to a special prison for gods.  There was no escape until your term of years
had been completed.  The walls were made of special metal, the windows
were barred with the same metal, and so was the door.  Magic couldn't pass
through or between that metal.

Ares had gotten the location of the Magician from Discord before he
took her for justice, and made a quick trip to take care of that bastard once
and for all.  He found him working on some potions.  Standing quite close
behind him, Ares tapped him on the shoulder.  The magician spilled the
concoction he was working on, and the workbench began to dissolve.  He
spun in place to see who had touched him.  He gasped when the realization
struck as to who it was.  He started to back away, but suddenly remembered
the dissolving workbench behind him, and started backing crab wise.  It did
him no good at all as he backed around the end of the bench Ares disappeared
from in front of him and reappeared behind him.  The magician suddenly felt
a sharp point digging into his back.  He turned slowly and carefully and found
himself facing the mighty sword of the God of War.  He raised both hands in
front of him in a warding gesture, but that did him no good either.  Ares said
calmly and coldly "This is for attacking the love of my life, and the future
mother of my child."  He raised the sword, and with a mighty heave cleaved
the magician exactly in half lengthwise.  The two halves lay there on the floor
with blood leaking out of them for a moment, then they began to smoke.  The
pieces quickly were consumed in flames until all that was left was ash.

Ares arrived at the Mayor's house bright and early the next day.  His
arrival was greeted enthusiastically by the children, and less so by Gabrielle.
She had finally accepted him as Xena's lover, and the father of her coming
child, but she still didn't like him.  Xena raised one eyebrow at the sight of
him sitting there with the two children on his lap chatting with the Mayor.
The Mayor was dumbfounded.  He was sitting there in his own parlor talking
with Ares, the God of War.  As he noticed her entering the room he was
quick to rise and give his seat to Xena.  He then left the room, wiping sweat
from his brow.  He wasn't a worshiper of Ares, but he had definitely felt the
power of his presence.  Xena had sat herself down and waited for Ares to
speak first.  The children chattered on, and he continued to answer their
questions.  She raised one eyebrow and continued to look at him in silence.
He finally gave in, sent the children outside, and moved over to sit beside
her.  "It's over now.  I found the perpetrator.  It was Discord....with the help
of an old enemy of mine that she had supposedly killed many years ago."
Xena furrowed her brow and asked "But why?" "She was jealous.  She had
learned about us, and then learned about the baby.  She was determined to
make an end of both of you so that she would get what she wanted from me."

Agnes entered the room quickly and seated herself in one of the chairs.
She made several hand gestures, to which she received replies, then spoke
up.  "I'm glad that's over.  Do I remain on duty, or do you want me to return
to my duties at the temple?"  Ares smiled fondly at her and informed her that
she was on permanent duty with Xena.  Xena looked askance at him and he
laughed.  "I've put my very best on duty with you Xena.  This is Agnes.  She
is my daughter by a favored priestess many years ago.  I could think of no
better guardian for our child than another of my children.  She has the talents
and the personality that work well in the situation.  She also loves children
although she never had any of her own.  Her three sisters all married and
had children, and she has spent a lot of time with those children.  She chose
to enter the temple when she was old enough.  I personally trained her in
battle techniques and magic after she had surpassed all my lieutenants.

Now things were beginning to make sense.  Xena found herself liking
Agnes even more now that she knew her background.  There had always
been something familiar about her, but she had never been able to put her
finger on it.  She now had a permanent guardian who meant a lot to her
even though she still didn't think she needed a guardian.  When it came to
magic, however, she was totally buffaloed.  Maybe it would work out after
all.  At least she was good company, and the children loved her dearly.

That evening Ares arrived in her bedchamber and took her back to the
temple.  She knew that with Agnes and Gabrielle watching over them the
children would be fine.  She slowly began to remove her clothes, shaking
her head when he moved to do it for her.  She began to weave her body
from side to side as she stretched her arms over her head.  He drew in a
quick breath and began to move toward her.  Again she shook her head
and motioned for him to take a seat on the bench.  She reached in one of
the drawers, drew out a large silk scarf that was semi sheer, and wrapped it
about her hips and tied it at one side.  She then drew out another and began
to swirl it about her body as she danced.

The shadows from the candles created a frenzy of motion about her,
revealing and covering vital portions of her anatomy.  He was mesmerized.
He slowly began to lick his lips.  Then he began to squirm uncomfortably
on the bench.  She was looking at him over the top of the scarf, slowly
swaying it and her body back and forth before his gaze.  It soon became
impossible for him to remain seated.  He quickly reached out and grabbed
the scarf.  He flipped it over her head and used it to draw her closer.  She
put on a shy act, covering herself with her hands, and looking at the floor.
He got one arm around her, and with the other hand, he released the half
knot in the tied scarf and removed that as well.  With her totally disrobed,
he lifted her into his arms and carried her to the bed.

That was one of the most passionate nights they had ever spent.  He had
thoroughly enjoyed the strip tease she had done for his enjoyment, and he
had rewarded her accordingly.  She had later done other things with the
scarf that he had never before considered.  She was remarkable, there was
no denying that even if he had wanted to.  There was no other woman for
him.  As long as she lived, she was his.  Now he had to get her to agree to
make her life much...much...longer.

THE END.