- Anything to do with Gabrielle is never easy, - she reminded herself with a wry smile.
It didn't take her long to get to the barracks and, in fact, she slowed down as she neared them giving her both time to continue thinking and to make sure her breathing appeared to be regular: the last thing she wanted was for the rebel Amazons to guess something was wrong. - No this visit to the barracks must appear to be perfectly normal, - she told herself.
Nodding to the guards as she passed them, Eponin entered the large building, checking the dormitories and finally the dining hall until she located the face she wanted. Then looked around for a couple of her most trusted warriors, "Kyana, Karrellie," she scanned the dining hall as if randomly selecting another warrior, "Yes .. and you, Jerri," she signalled, "Ephiny has a task that needs to be done and I think you three have the right skills between you. Get yourselves to her suite as quick as you can."
She watched as the women collected their gear and snagged Kyana's arm, as she passed by, to whisper some extra instructions that made the warrior's eyes widen before she nodded her understanding and called out, "Come on you two slugs. The Queen wants us and you dawdle as if about to go for a stroll through the park with your latest lover!" grinned the youthful Amazon.
That got some hearty chuckles and good natured ribbing from the rest of the occupants of the dining rooms, some of it so earthy that even Eponin felt some heat coming into her cheeks. She shook her head at her sister Amazon's and tried to remember some of the more outrageous cracks to tell Ephiny when she got her alone.. she definitely was not going to repeat them in front of Gabrielle!
With Jerushan on her way to be interrogated, she turned her attention back to gathering the information she needed to collect. A longer glance around the hall allowed her to pick out another three trusted faces, "Hakine, Cassie, Turra," she waved her arm to signal them to her side. She had known these three women almost as long as she had known Ephiny and she trusted them with her life .. - More importantly, - she silently acknowledged, - I'd trust them with Gabrielle's life. - Quickly leading the trio away to a private room, she explained the broad outline of the situation that had come to their attention .. omitting Jerushan's foray out to visit Caesar's palace, "Basically," she told them, "I need you to keep a tight watch on Tarelle and her bunch and make sure that you keep a close eye on those who talk to them .. even if in passing, and who those women are friendly with. We need to eliminate the problem within our own ranks or we're going to be in big trouble here." She warned them, conviction overlaying her solemn words.
A shadowy figure watched and listened to the preparations being made to identify and isolate the rogue Amazons. It made itself familiar with the known rebels so that it would be able to observe them at it's leisure, after it had finished the tasks it had set for itself this dark evening.
Pompey sat back in his chair, steepled his fingers and pressed them to his lips. Antonius, his aide, waited patiently before him, knowing that his commander had weighty problems to solve, grown heavier with the return of Caesar. That they'd been able to tweak their rival's nose by denying him a much sought after treasure, had caused his mentor great delight, but Antonius wondered if Pompey had been wise to hand Caesar's property over to the visiting Amazons, - But then again, we still have them tight within our grip here. None of them will leave without Lord Pompey's let. -
The silence was suddenly filled by Pompey's voice held down almost to a whisper, "The fools greeted him like he was some kind of divine saviour, and he revelled in it. You should have seen him, Antonius. He was in his glory and loved every minute of it." His eyes took on a rather distant look, "Well he can have his moment of triumph, but he better make the most of it, because I intend to win in the end."
"Sir?" asked Antonius not sure if he was being asked to respond to the quiet words, not knowing what he should say anyway.
Pompey looked up at the young tribune. Antonius was tall, broad shouldered with an athletes frame. He spent time wrestling and was proud of his prowess. His chestnut coloured hair was cropped into short curls and his eyebrows were so fair that they were almost invisible. His hazel eyes showed a sharp intelligence that the Magnus had found more than useful in his service and he had not, so far, regretted his inordinately fast promotion of this promising junior.
A grim look transformed Pompey's face as he spoke in a firm voice, "We are at war with Caesar. The prize is Rome and the Empire. I don't intend to lose either the war or the prize. That means I will use whatever tools come to my hands. At the moment our sharpest weapons are the Amazons and, more especially, the little haul of men and the one woman that we snatched from Brutus' grasp. The Amazons may have free access to come and go as they please, but everyone in that party, that was brought in from the country, stay in the palace unless I say otherwise. If any one of them attempts to leave here, I want all five of them locked up. Is that understood?" he demanded tonelessly.
"Yes sir," agreed Antonius.
"Take a head count .. one a day .. Antonius. It's your task to make certain that they remain 'safe'. Mars has given me the keys to victory, but I need to make sure that we don't lose them."
"What if the Amazons attempt to interfere, sir?" questioned the clever young officer who personally felt that the Amazon women were a far deeper menace than his commander was giving them credit for. And that silent slave they had with them, well there was just something about him that didn't quite add up and it had Antonius on edge.
"Amazon's are great warriors," Pompey told him, "But even their legendary battle prowess can be neutralized. They have only a hundred fighters, I have an entire loyal legion within easy access and there are even more troops available within Rome should it become necessary to subdue the Amazons." He smiled mirthlessly, "I suspect, however, that they will be far more valuable to me than half the senate, because I think that Caesar will be rather distracted by them ... especially their Queen, Ephiny. He could hardly keep his eyes off of her tonight, and I took a few minor steps to ensure his continuing interest. His wife, Pompeia, will be embarrassed yet again by her husbands lusts. It's just a pity he couldn't keep his lusts firmly focused on his groin and away from the political arena."
Antonius forced a 'natural' laugh at his commanders crude witticism, before seizing upon the opening that mention of arenas brought, "What of the Warrior Princess, sir?"
"Ah yes! .. Xena!" he almost purred, "You know, I really admire that woman. Her animosity for Caesar is so refreshing in this jaded city .. you could almost see it radiating from her in waves of heat. My dear friend, Julius, however," he barked with a short staccato laugh, "Would like nothing better than to prove his mastery over her between the sheets. Unfortunately, even with his .. ego .. he wouldn't risk that particular little foray. She'd rip his manhood off and feed it to him before taking him apart piece by piece."
Sighing heavily, Pompey stood up and moved across to the window to look out into the sculpted peacefulness of the palace grounds, "You know it's a real pity that she didn't just stick that dagger I gave her between Caesar's shoulder blades. Oh, I admit that her manipulation of Caesar was masterful and I really enjoyed watching him writhe when he realised that he was going to have to execute Crassus and that he'd lost both Verchinex and the Warrior Princess. But I could have forgone all that quite happily to have him dead."
"Wouldn't questions have been asked in the senate about your involvement if that dagger had been found in his back?" asked the tribune, who was politically astute enough to realise that although Pompey the Magnus was a magnificent general and leader of men, his grasp of politics had been called both a little petulant and naive at times.
The blonde haired soldier chuckled, "But that was the beauty of the whole scheme, my dear Antonius. Xena would have taken the dagger with her as a passport through my legions .. all my men would have recognised that dagger as mine. And the legion had orders to arrest the bearer and anyone along with them. I'd have been a hero. I would have captured the murderer of Caesar and could have had her crucified along with her friends. All Rome would have been at my feet."
Antonius swallowed quietly. It was a bold and carefully laid plan that showed a grasp of political manipulation that he hadn't realised his commander possessed. Now he felt even more certain that he had been right to fix his future to Pompey's ascendancy .. eventually they must all reap the benefits that would come from Caesar's fall, "What will you do with her now if .. I mean when, we get her away from Caesar, sir?" he corrected himself quickly.
For a while, Antonius didn't think his master would answer the question, so silent did he remain. However, Pompey finally shrugged his shoulders and replied, "In truth, I wish I could keep her as my own slave .. Caesar is right that she is too dangerous to Rome to be allowed to roam free. Yet letting her go would always give me a very powerful weapon to use against our mutual enemy .... Perhaps if I held the bard here against her co-operation?" he mused thoughtfully.
The tribune shuffled his feet waiting for his commander's nodded invitation to say what he was thinking, "If I might point out sir. The Warrior Princess is renowned for repaying debts of honour. However, I think if anyone held, or threatened, her friend, she might take that as a direct action against her and act in the aggressive mode that she is legendary for."
The blonde Roman General nodded his head thoughtfully, "So you think she would be safe to trust if we let them all go?" he questioned rhetorically, "Well maybe you're right, Antonius. But we have time to figure our actions out still, so lets not make any snap decisions, right?"
"As you say sir," agreed the tribune.
The lurking shadow had been intensely interested in this particular conversation knowing that it had important significance on forthcoming events. Hanging precariously just beneath the balcony window, the shadow had listened with a practised ear to all the facts and nuances that were being exchanged by the two men within the room.
When there had been movement towards the window, the shadow had held it's breath, knowing that it would be deathly dangerous if it were caught there, and the repercussions into other peoples lives would be a harsh forfeit to pay for eavesdropping.
However the information gathered was worth it's weight in gold .. once it was delivered to the right ears. The shadow almost chuckled at the easy dinars that could be earned from some simple eavesdropping in the right quarters.
The guards, from Caesar's elite maniple, were tense and nervous as they settled into their new routine within their commander's Palace. Their task, however, remained the same; to maintain a vigilant watch over the erstwhile Warrior Princess and ensure that she neither got out, nor anyone else got in. Being in their home city, safe from barbarian rescuers, should have made this well worn duty more relaxing. But firm and explicit warnings, from the senior centurion, about just what fate would befall them, should he find any laxness in their watchfulness, had insured that the guard detail was on full alert and ready for anything.
The night was cold and clear with a full moon, and the heavens were alive with brightly shining stars. Anyone approaching the palace could be seen clearly by the alert sentries. Anyone trying to sneak close to the palace without being seen, would have to be very good to avoid detection. Anyone attempting to approach, unseen, the proximity of the enclosed drill yard would have to be a master of his or her trade as the guards excelled at their own trade and had been rigorously motivated for their task.
Twenty men patrolled the high walls of the enclosure that was brightly lit by many torches. High mounted braziers surrounded a barred pit in the centre of the parade ground, lighting the area almost to the brightness of day. Six more guards stood with their eyes trained on the hole in the ground, their gazes occasionally flickering around the open spaces that surrounded them, looking for intruders, but their eyes never left the pit for long.
No one could approach that pit without permission! The soldiers who guarded the slave held within it, knew that their lives depended upon their vigilance and ensuring that the woman, who they could hear groaning softly in her sleep, did not escape them.
Every quarter candlemark, one of the six men would approach the pit, with a torch in his hand to light the dim recess at his feet, to check that the woman was still there and, just as importantly, was still alive. None of the soldiers wanted to know what their fate would be if they allowed this particular slave to die.
For someone of the shadow's talents, reaching the enclosed drill-yard proved challenging, but far from impossible. Using the natural camouflage, of the patches of deep blackness thrown by the moonlit sky, slipping from one to another like a ghost through the night, it easily reached the high guarded walls of the parade ground. From there it was just a case of mastering the guards routine as they patrolled the walls. Luckily they were far more interested in keeping an eye on what was going on inside the compound than looking for anyone trying to gain access from outside the walls.
The shadow slipped over the wall and crouched in shrouded silence in the darkness offered by a watchtower. Breathing was suspended as a soldier passed by close enough to be touched, unaware of the intruder who blended in so well with the wall and blackness.
As the sentry passed, the shadow slipped noiselessly in the opposite direction and melted down the stone stairway, where it was able to find refuge once more from the artificial light that shone like the bright beacon of day within the parade ground. Waiting beneath the light eclipsed stairs, the shadow observed, minutely, the routines that all soldiers fell into when performing a duty that had been done on a regular basis many times before. The shadow admitted, to itself, that the routine was not likely to be settled here yet, as the guards had only just taken up possession of their new space. But the task was one they had now performed for many moons and a feeling of familiarity was almost tangible here.
The shadow watched for some time, maybe a candlemark, noting that never once did the six soldiers, that patrolled the pit area, move away from the lighted confines of their designated area. Approaching the pit - Is, - the shadow admitted, - seemingly impossible. - On an impulse, the dark figure picked up a smooth pebble and lofted it towards the grating.
The light 'ping' as the stone clipped a bar on it's descent into the hole, drew a grunt of surprise from the prisoner within, and immediate, alert attention from the six sentries, all of whom approached the hole with torches to ascertain that their captive was not attempting some impossible escape.
With attention firmly on the pit, the shadow slipped from it's chosen concealment and sped silently towards the palatial walls of Caesar's home.
Allowing an unpleasant smile to play on his boyishly youthful features, the conquering hero moved deliberately across the room he used as his day office and looked from the large window out onto the drill-yard where his prize captive had been housed. He'd had his people start constructing that pit, with this day in mind, just after she had left Rome the last time. He could, of course, have had Xena housed in his dungeons, but the ease with which she extracted herself and Verchinex had made him leery of entrusting her confinement to a place that she might well have plans laid for removing herself from.
Then again, he could have had her held in the gladiator pens of the coliseum. It would have been functional for training purposes with tight discipline and tighter security. None of the highly trained and deadly fighters that graced it's facilities had ever managed to escape from there .. but then again, none of them were the highly intelligent, infinitely resourceful and unquestionably lethal Warrior Princess.
- No, Xena, - he grinned as he looked towards her prison, - I far prefer having you under my eye. I don't trust you too far away from me, and I want to know just what you're up to every moment of every day. -
Having drunk enough wine for one day, he ignored the refreshment tray and sat down at his familiar desk, glancing through some of the more pressing of the accumulated paperwork that had been left for him by his secretary. His busy mind sorted through, digested and stored the information as he mentally concocted lists of points that required immediate action or clarification.
Never having been a man who believed in wasting more than a minimal amount of time in the arms of Morpheus, Caesar worked long into the darkness, and it was past midnight when the sentry rapped at his door to announce the presence of Brutus.
"Send him in," he replied curtly.
Brutus stepped through the door. He looked tired and harassed, but still executed a smart salute and a confident tone as he spoke, "Welcome back, my Lord. I was delighted to hear of your victory at sea and trust you enjoyed your triumphal entry to the city." He approached his mentor, a man he had called friend for many years.
Caesar watched him coolly, "The Carthaginians were agreeable enough to provide some entertainment for Varanius. Xena, of course, took the opportunity to prove just how dangerous she is and I spent a long day and night adrift with her on the wreckage of a Carthaginian trireme." - No point in not telling him about it, the rumours would be abroad soon enough. - "However, that situation was rectified and the Warrior Princess is where she belongs .. a hole in the ground and under my dominion. Unlike a certain bard, thief and fool that I entrusted to your care. Just exactly how did you allow their escape?"
Brutus flushed redly and stammered, "My Lord, we were hit by a storm and the prisoners were washed overboard," - Well it was close to the truth, - grimaced the swarthy subordinate. "Not trusting to believe that the prisoners had drowned, I had men scouring the countryside as soon as possible .. but they proved to be far more resourceful than anticipated." He was aware of the anger in Caesar's intense brown eyes.
"I see," the powerful Roman Lord said softly. "And just how did three, chained, slaves manage to firstly survive being 'washed overboard' in high seas, and then managed to elude you and half the garrisons of Italy without you managing to retake them?"
"My Lord .. umm .. the thief, Autolycus, he must have found a way to remove the chains before they went into the sea," he tried to explain, knowing that Caesar was livid at the failure of what he perceived as a simple task.
"Ah, so they weren't so much washed overboard as much as they staged an escape," nodded the dark haired noble, seemingly understandingly.
"Yes .. ah .. no," squirmed Brutus, "The situation was very confused. The storm came up suddenly and everyone was forced to crew the ship, or risk going down with her on the reefs that we were close to. The prisoners were shackled to a ringbolt on the decking at the prow of the ship, and appeared to be safe enough .. no one could have assumed that they'd be crazy enough to throw themselves overboard in that high sea with rocks all around us," blurted Brutus desperately.
Caesar watched him with eyes blazing darkly in the shadowy room. What his aide said .. - My friend, said - he thought sarcastically to himself, .. was mostly true. The thief was a dangerous man to try and keep imprisoned, - Almost as difficult as Xena, but in a different way, - he conceded. - I'll have to work out something special for him when I re-take him and the others. Either that, or I'll execute him as an example. Yes, that might well be the answer. It would be a valuable lesson to the bard and the others, and would really cause Xena pain. - His smile was mirthless and chilling, making the swarthy, black haired soldier even more uncomfortable.
"What about the other two?" he snapped at Brutus, not yet willing to allow his 'friend' to relax, enjoying watching him squirm.
"While searching for the escaped slaves," came the answer, "reports came in that the other two we were seeking had been seen in Pisae .. I had their descriptions circulated at the same time as I posted the news about the bard and the other two. It seemed likely that they might show up close to Rome at some point."
"Well at least you did something right," conceded Caesar watching the bearded man carefully as resentment began to flare in his eyes, "So why haven't you managed to lay hands on any of them?" he asked, pushing some more. - Brutus has to understand that he can't rely on friendship to cover for his ineptness in this situation. A sharp lesson now may prove valuable later. Hopefully he won't make such glaring mistakes again .. if he does ... - he allowed the thought to hang as he listened to what his second in command had to say on the subject.
Stifling his flaring feelings, he explained what had happened in a rigid voice that spoke volumes about his anger and embarrassment over the situation, "I had everything well in hand. My men were herding both the bard and her party, and the other two men, into a tight cordon where the trap could be sprung so that the whole bunch would be netted in one fell swoop." He began to get more animated as he related how troops loyal to both the senate, particularly Graccus and his supporters, and those under the command of Pompey, began to execute manoeuvres in the areas where he was forcing the prey into.
"I hadn't got the authority to deny access to either group, and men from either party could have picked up the fugitives, although I strongly suspect it was Pompey's men," he snarled, knowing that the action had caused this humiliation in front of Caesar.
Having shown the stick, it was time to surrender the carrot, "Take a seat, my friend," the nobleman invited, no longer inflicting his anger on the other man, "Indeed, I believe you are right about the good Pompey's involvement in my business. He seems determined to interfere where he is not wanted. I suspect he is going to try and use those 'charming' Amazons against us somehow," he deliberately used the word 'us' to let his friend know he was once more included in his own grand plans.
"Do the Amazons have any connection with the bard, or Xena? If they should join with Pompey against us could it prove to be a problem?" Brutus asked pertinently trying to relax after the grilling he had just endured.
"The Amazons say that they want Xena dead for crimes she committed against one of their past queens," Caesar told him flatly. "That could, of course, have been a lie, but there was something in the Queen's eyes when she told me about it that said there was some real ill-feeling between them over the issue." He drummed his fingers on the polished wood desk before continuing, "The fact that they are residing with Pompey is a problem, but as senior member of the government here when they arrived, he was duty bound to offer hospitality and there isn't a lot that can be done about that now .. although I think I might be able to persuade Queen Ephiny that she would gain more from an alliance with me."
Brutus grinned in response, knowing just what kind of alliance Caesar had in mind. If he succeeded with his ploy then the Amazons would be putty in his hand, for he doubted that the barbarian queen would be able to deny the charming and seductive Caesar anything, once she had fallen into his toils.
"As for the bard and her confederates, I have it on good authority that they are securely locked in Pompey's dungeons under a four man guard's watchful eyes at all times, much like our friend Xena is here. Unfortunately there is no way that I can challenge him to return my property, as I don't want to expose my informant's presence amongst his men. So for now we must be content with knowing where our insurances are, while we work out a way to extract them from Pompey's grasp."
"Did I hear right, from the guards, that a messenger from the Amazons visited here tonight?" asked Brutus testing his re-acceptance into Caesar's confidence.
Frowning the Roman noble considered whether he should issue a reprimand against his guards for gossiping. He decided against it, reasoning that there was nothing really secretive about the message anyway, "It was just a message stating that a high ranking Amazon in the delegation wished to hold talks with me about the Amazon Queen." His frown deepened at the oddly worded and rather cryptic message, "I take it to mean that Queen Ephiny wants to pursue a mutual attraction, but I'll reserve full judgement on that until I meet her envoy."
"Has a meeting been arranged?" asked his swarthy aide, interest piqued.
"Yes. I'll see the envoy tomorrow in the foyer of the senate, before I address that 'august body'," he intoned with deliberate sarcasm.
- Soooo, - the shadow thought, - Caesar has designs on the Amazon Queen. I wonder just how valuable that piece of information is? -
With audacious skill, the intruder scaled the side of the high palace wall and picked a path across the high rooftop, until a place was found where the shadow was able to return to a secluded spot of garden and spirit itself away into the welcoming embrace of the shrouded city.
- Just two more stops tonight, and then home for some well earned rest, before I figure out just how much all this information is worth! - a disembodied voice chuckled within the safety of the shadows.
It was close to dawn when a yawning Autolycus threw his grapnel up to the bathing room's window and scuttled up the side of the building with an agility that almost amazed him .. considering how tired he was, and his still splinted wrist. Still he was feeling pretty good and more than a little pleased with himself. He was certain that he'd been able to identify another four conspirators that Eponin wasn't aware of. His impromptu vigil had put him in place to see some very early morning, hastily whispered, conversations that was a clear identification of guilt, especially since all the chatting had been done with Tarelle.
He gave himself a mental pat on the back as he reached the window and dropped over the balustrade saying softly, "I'm just so good at what I do. I'd take a bow if I had an audience!" he chuckled in a self satisfied manner that was instantly dispelled as a hand grasped his collar.
"You have," a very familiar voice growled in his ear.
The King of thieves stiffened and after a quick attempt at shaking himself loose from his captor, decided to fall back on his unique brand of charm, laughing nervously and saying, "Oh, hi Hercules. Umm shouldn't you be getting some beauty sleep? You need to keep your .. um .. strength up for the contests, you know."
A very strong fist lifted the squirming thief from his feet and turned him so that he could see a very irate looking demi-god, "You better have a very good excuse for putting us all .. and Xena .. in jeopardy, or I might just decide that I'm in need of a sparring partner for a little practice!" drawled a very unamused voice.
Autolycus looked sick, "Er, funny you should say that, but as it happens I do." He saw the blatant distrust and silent demand for an explanation in the big man's eyes, "Aw, c'mon Hercules," pleaded the good looking thief, "Put me down and I'll spill the beans." The look of distrust was still there, "I swear it," he promised, "On my brother's memory."
Knowing that Autolycus never took his brother, Malachus', name lightly, the big man allowed him to drop from the short height that he held him at, eliciting a guilty clink from somewhere within the man's clothing, "Now, Hercules," tried the thief, holding up his hands in front of him in a vain attempt to stop the demi-god's advance on him.
Ignoring his 'friend's' words, the son of Zeus took another secure hold and quickly frisked him, coming up with two heavy pouches full of golden dinars. Letting go of the thief, the tawney haired giant hefted the heavy bags and rumbled menacingly, "Care to explain these?"
"Umm, funny thing about those," he chuckled weakly.
"I'm not laughing," Hercules reminded him.
"Yeah," agreed the thief swallowing, "Well, umm, you see I was, ah, just passing the city's treasury and .. ah, I thought, let's see what kind of security the place has." that last part came out in a rush as he found himself backed up against a very cold marble wall by a slowly advancing hunk of menace.
"So you thought you bring back some souvenirs," growled the demi-god his light blue eyes holding a touch of menace that Autolycus had rarely every seen, "Gods above, don't you realise that if you'd been caught we'd have been in even more trouble?"
Hearing the disappointment in the big man's voice, Autolycus tried to smooth out the situation, "Oh, c'mon Hercules! Do your really think Roman treasury guards could catch the King of Thieves?"
"You've already been caught once," he was reminded.
"Yeah, but that was because I'd got Joxer the Lame Brained along for the ride." He looked at his friend and felt a compulsion to try and ease his fears, "Look, Herc. There really wasn't any danger. I just took a quick look, pocketed a few coins for playing dice with ..." he looked at the two heavy sacks, "well maybe more than a few," he admitted, "and then came right back here. Harpies hairdo's! It was easier getting into the treasury than it was getting close to where Xena's being held," he blurted before he realised what he had said, trying to get through to the demi-god that he'd been perfectly safe.
He knew he'd made a mistake as soon as the big man whirled on him again, "Where did you say you've been?" came the forceful demand.
"Umm, to the Roman treasury?" he tried with a grimace and knew that he'd failed when he saw the demi-god's hands clench. Dropping to his knees, the thief held up his hand in supplication and cried, "Alright, alright, I dropped in at Caesar's to see what the set-up was with Xena and see if she could be broken out!" He closed his eyes, "If you're gonna kill me, make it quick, I can't stand the sight of blood .. especially my own."
When nothing happened, he opened one eye and squinted at the big form in front of him, "Am I still alive?" he asked cautiously, trying to judge the other man's mood.
"For now," Hercules replied, pulling him up to his feet, "But I want to know every detail of where you've been tonight, and exactly what you've been doing."
Pulling his tunic straight, Autolycus watched the demi-god start to precede him into the main room of the suite, "Sheesh!" he breathed, "I was going to tell you all about it anyway." He eyed the sacks in Hercules' big hands and amended, "Well maybe not all of it .. but all the important stuff!" His hands moved quickly to catch the two sacks that were lobbed at him, "Gee thanks!" he muttered sarcastically as one of the pouches split and spilled dinars all over the floor.
The guards, in the hall outside, were Amazons that Eponin vouched for with her life. Berra and Turra would ensure that no one got close enough to the door to be able to overhear the conversation, even if they could manage to hear anything that was being said behind the thick wood panels.
They lounged on large cushions, around a cleared space on the floor which had been covered with plates and dishes that bore various products from Pompey's industrious kitchens. There was a pot of nutty cereal and bowls of honey for those with a sweet tooth. A wide variety of meats and cheeses were piled liberally on serving dishes and the freshly baked, warm bread gave off an enticing aroma. Fruit was abundant, including figs, dates and oranges as well as apples, pears and grapes. All in all there was enough to satisfy anyone's appetite, even the legendary one of a certain bard.
Iolaus, looking bleary eyed was giving a report on just what he and Toris had been able to find out from Jerushan, "We used the method that we'd worked out in Lugdunum for questioning the guard that we abducted. Once we got enough of the wine into her, Jerushan told us what she knew."
"Which was?" prompted Gabrielle, from her position at the head of the gathering, as she popped another date into her mouth.
"From what she said," Toris responded, "It was just a note from Tarelle trying to make contact with Caesar. She says she doesn't know what was in the note, but she told us that she was supposed to go back tomorrow evening so that she could make further arrangements with him."
"You might want to re-think that little bit of information and the accuracy of your examination technique," Autolycus commented wryly. All eyes turning towards the thief and he suddenly felt how a rabbit must when finding itself surrounded by predators. "Now look," he began in self defence, "I know I'm not too popular at the moment .. going off without a word to anyone like that, but," he countered their glowers and raised eyebrows, "I did it with the purest intentions."
"Pure gold intentions?" sniped Hercules pointedly looking at the bulges made by the purloined pouches under the thief's tunic.
"Yes," agreed the darkly handsome man. He caught Hercules' look and had the grace to flush a little, "My intentions were pure gold," he protested, "Look, we needed information. Our current position here is rocky to say the least, we need to know just what is going on amongst our 'friends' and enemies."
"Oh sure, chuckled Iolaus, "I bet you found out plenty in the Roman treasury."
"That," shrugged Autolycus uncomfortably, "was just a training exercise .. I need to keep my business hand in. However," he went onto the attack, "my other little visits were very productive and worth far more to us than all the dinars that they've got stuffed away in that vault of theirs."
He had everyone's attention now and a silence crept over the richly appointed room before Gabrielle sighed and asked, "Alright, Autolycus, tell us all about it."
The King of thieves chuckled and rubbed his hands together, "Well when Shorty's pirate friend," he got a quick couple of digs in a Iolaus for the fun of it, "dropped those lightning bolts on us, I figured we needed to know as much as we could about what everyone else in this game was up to. Now since I, by nature of my expertise, was best suited to finding these things out ..."
"Sneaking around and listening at doors," interpreted Iolaus annoyed about the cracks at his height and the nature of his friendship with Nebula.
"... I took it upon myself to find out what I could on our joint behalf," he brushed an index finger across his moustache," even at the risk of my own life."
"Just so he could play the hero!" sniped the blonde warrior.
"Cut it out Iolaus or we'll be here all day," Hercules pointed out.
"Well most of us can't go anywhere else anyway," snapped the blonde man, who was beginning to get 'cabin fever'.
"Hey guys," Ephiny interrupted them, "Whatever Autolycus has to say could be important to us, so why don't we just listen for a while, huh?"
"Please go on, Autolycus," encouraged Gabrielle with a small smile, "but try to stick to the point. We all know how highly you value your own skills .. not that we don't value them too," she assured him as she saw him frown at the small dig she couldn't resist giving voice to.
The thief gave her a look before deciding that it wasn't worth the energy in defending his, admittedly, dubious honour when everyone else was likely to side with Gabrielle against him, "Yes, well .. hrmph. I dodged over to the Amazon barracks to check out just who the main suspects were, and decided that I'd snoop there a bit later when Eponin finished doing her thing. Being at something of a loose end, I just happened to see Pompey returning from that banquette thing you went to, so decided to try and find out what was on his mind."
"And ..." encouraged Ephiny when he stopped to swallow some fruit juice.
"And basically he's going to use the Amazons for all their political worth, while making certain that Gabrielle, Toris, Joxer, Curly and me stay put ... even if he has to lock us all up in his dungeons. Which he will do, by the way, if any one of us tries to leave this building .. conventionally at least." He then filled them in on exactly what had been said between Pompey and Antonius.
"So in a nutshell," Eponin summed up, "You're saying that Pompey has little intention of letting you, Gabrielle, Toris, Joxer or Iolaus go. That he wants to distract Caesar by using Ephiny as a blind, and will happily see Xena, and everyone of us, dead if it serves his personal vendetta against Caesar?"
"That's pretty much spot on what he was saying," agreed the thief.
"Well at least we know exactly where we stand with Pompey," muttered Hercules, who was beginning to appreciate the true value of what Autolycus had been doing in the night.
"Alright," said the bard before taking a bite out of a pear and chewing thoughtfully for a moment before swallowing and asking, "What did you do next?"
The King of Thieves grinned rakishly at her before continuing, "Well having heard Nebula say that Xena was taken to Caesar's palace, and as I was intending to head over there anyway, I thought I'd take a look at how difficult it would be to 'steal' her out from under their noses." He nibbled thoughtfully at a fig before continuing, "I gotta tell you, it's a whole lot easier breaking into their damn treasury than getting close to the Warrior Princess. I never even got a look at her. She's being held in the drill-yard ..."
"In the yard?" questioned Toris confused.
"Weeell," drew out Autolycus, "not so much in as under."
"Are you being deliberately cryptic?" demanded Gabrielle, "And I thought Xena was bad!"
That got a full, white toothed, smile from Autolycus, "Habit," he said apologetically, "always keep 'em guessing." That earned him a snort of laughter from the bard and a few grins from amongst the others on the floor. "Actually, someone had dug a pit in the centre of that parade ground and covered it with a very heavy looking metal grill. They've set up beacons around the pit that flood the area with light and there are six guards in that lit area who check on her every quarter candlemark or so to make sure she's just where they left her. On top of that there's twenty guards all armed with nasty looking pistol crossbows that shoot darts, which I guess would be coated with some kind of sleeping drug."
"They had those while we were in Gaul. I think Caesar would rather not kill her unless he has to," interrupted Gabrielle. Everyone nodded thoughtfully at this information.
"Well anyway," continued the thief, "any thoughts I had of busting her out were ended then and there, because there's no way to sneak past those guards without being caught." He allowed that information to sink in before he went on to detail what he had overheard Caesar saying.
"So he knows we're here, then?" questioned Toris slamming his fist against his knee in anger.
"Hey!" Joxer suddenly chirped up, "You guys know what that means, don't ya?" He hurried on without waiting for an answer to his question, "It means Caesar's got a spy in Pompey's household working for him."
Iolaus shook his head in mute disbelief at the wanna be warrior, "More likely a double agent," the blonde warrior commented, "Otherwise Caesar would know that we weren't in the cells."
"Well done, short stuff," snickered Autolycus giving him a soft round of applause, "You're smarter than you look .. of course that isn't difficult."
Iolaus was up on his knees about to make a lunge at the thief, when he was restrained by Hercules' firm grasp, "Calm down, pal. We're all on the same side here."
Yeah!" retorted the smaller man, "Well tell that to the prince of .. of .. pilferers over there," he snarled.
"Cut it out Autolycus. We've got enough problems without fighting amongst ourselves," insisted the demi-god.
"Yeah, well," the thief said as he settled back down in his place, "We have a bigger problem than shor ..." he caught Hercules' steely gaze, "Umm .. Iolaus' prickly feelings."
"Like what?" questioned Joxer with zealous interest.
"Like the fact that Caesar's got the hots for Ephiny and is likely going to be panting after her like a resident of Tartarus would an ice-cube!" he pointed out.
Ephiny, Gabrielle and Eponin looked at each other almost seeming to have a silent conversation, one which neither the bard nor the Weapons Master was very happy with, "Well," said the Regent at last. "I think that if I can keep Caesar chasing me, it might just keep him off balance enough for us to get this plan to work."
"You'd be taking a big risk, Ephiny," Hercules warned, worried about just what could happen.
Gabrielle laid a concerned hand on her friend's arm, "Eph, that man is dangerous .. even Xena is careful about him. There's something about his personality .. it's strange. Xena says it's like a moth and a flame, an he's the flame. The attraction he exudes is almost impossible to resist, even when you know you're going to get burned. I don't want you to get hurt .. and I know Xena wouldn't want you to either," she told her friend with worried sincerity.
"I'll be alright, Gabrielle. I'll make sure that I've always got Hercules or one of the Amazon guards with me whenever I see him, that way I'll be protected," the Regent tried to reassure her Queen with more confidence than she really felt herself, - I've already felt that attraction, and it's going to be hard to resist him, - she admitted to herself.
"Well that just leaves our rebellious Amazons to deal with," put in Eponin gruffly, not at all happy with Ephiny's decision. "I'll get my head together with Autolycus and compare notes with him. Between us, we should be able to clear out the rotten eggs and get them safely out of the way aboard Nebula's ship."
"What are we going to do about this 'meeting' with Caesar tomorrow at the senate?" asked the bard, "I mean, someone needs to show up so he doesn't become suspicious."
There was silence in the large room for some few heartbeats before the Regent made a suggestion, "I think we should send Malonda with a message saying that I'd like to meet with him on a more private basis. We can then quibble about arrangements for a few days before we have to make up our minds what to do next." She looked around to gauge the response.
Eponin shook her head violently, "No. It has to be someone who knows what's going on here. We don't want to include anyone else, so it'll have to be me who goes."
Ephiny gave her friend a hard look, "You sure Poni? I mean, you're just not cut out to be a diplomat."
The Weapons Master shrugged, "Write a note and I'll just deliver it." She grinned as a thought struck her, "And if you're worried about my safety, you can send tall, fair and godly along with me as an escort .. might look cool wandering around Rome with him as my body slave." Her grin widened as she glanced over and saw the look that Hercules was giving her.
He transferred the look to the Queen Regent when she said thoughtfully, "That might not be such a bad idea, Poni."
The group settled down to plan out their various campaigns, knowing that they were very much resting between a rock and a hard place and needed to make absolutely certain that their actions were thought out well in advance with as many different contingencies for emergencies as possible.
Eponin stood in the foyer of the Roman Senate tapping her right foot in increasing agitation. She really hadn't liked Ephiny's plan, but she'd been so tied up in getting Tarelle and her confederates sorted out and hustled down to Nebula's ship, that she just hadn't found the time to get Ephiny alone and voice her strongly felt opinions.
- This is crazy, - she thought for about the hundredth time, starting to pace back and forth while ignoring the frown that she knew she was getting from Hercules. - From everything that Gabrielle's said, and what she's told us that Xena has said, Ephiny has got to be a sandwich short of a picnic to try and flirt with that man. - A grim look came on her face as a thought struck her, - If he does anything to hurt her, I'll gut him! -
Hercules watched the edgy Weapons Master feeling very much out of place and helpless here. He could say nothing to get the severely agitated Eponin to calm down even if he hadn't, in fact, shared the same reservations about the scheme to keep Caesar occupied as she did.
He forced himself not to sigh, knowing that almost any sound emanating from him would not be in keeping with his cover, and he could feel someone's eyes watching him with a burning intensity. Squatting down next to a marble column, he leaned his back on it and tried to look around the impressive architecture like some uncouth, uneducated bumpkin, while in truth the surrounding magnificence meant nothing to him .. after the wonders of Mount Olympus, most buildings were just pale imitations. Oh, another time he might have admired the craftsmanship, but today his mind was fixed firmly on locating the person who seemed to be showing such an intent interest in him.
Eventually he found the interested observer, partially hidden by a colonnade up on the balcony that rimmed the foyer, giving entrance to the gallery for spectators who followed the Senate's deliberations. Taking very casual looks in the direction of the man, Hercules determined that the watcher had not seen many more than twenty summers. He appeared to be good looking and had very distinctive, chestnut coloured, curly hair. The demi-god was fairly certain he had seen the man around Pompey's palace.
- Obviously Pompey wants to know what's happening between Caesar and the Amazons, - he mused, - but why is he showing so much interest in me? - he asked himself, well aware that the observers eyes stayed pinned on himself rather than the pacing Eponin.
He pushed his deliberations into the back of his mind when he saw the Weapons Master stiffen and look towards the entrance portico as Caesar and his entourage arrived, attracting all the attention of the milling crowds. Hercules noted that Eponin made no move to approach the Roman, he knew that they were there. He would just have to come to them.
As Caesar approached, Hercules made an obvious ploy of looking in the Roman noble's direction before pushing himself up to his full impressive height. It was necessary for everyone to think that he had seen Caesar before moving .. his disguise required that he maintain the impression of deafness.
Eponin tried valiantly to erase the scowl from her features as she watched Caesar approach her with a tail of fawning, advancement seeking, men trailing after him. - He is, - considered the Amazon, - the most arrogant, condescending, man I have ever had the misfortune to meet. -
Applying a stone faced mask to her features that made her look far more
menacing than normal, she greeted Caesar with flat formality, "Hail Caesar,
I bring you a message from Ephiny, by the grace of Artemis, Queen of the
Amazons, Lioness of Themiscyra, Daughter of the Moon." She handed over the
letter that the Regent and bard had worked hard upon crafting, adding things
and removing others until they had constructed what they believed to be a
suitably amiable and flirtatious missive that would both encourage and
intrigue the Roman.
It said:
|
My Lord Caesar I so enjoyed your victory celebrations yesterday, I found it all so riveting. Is it true that everything Roman is always exhibited on such a grand scale? If so, that must keep the Roman population in a state of satiated exhaustion. How do you ever manage to pursue your conquests? My Amazons have been keenly comparing the performances of your Roman ... gladiators ... to the men of Greece. They seem to think that the Greeks make up in stamina and endurance what they loose to the Romans in weapon size and technique. However, as I frequently have told them, it's not the size of the weapon, but the skill of the wielder that makes a great .. gladiator! I find myself incredibly tied up with so many functions that I just must attend. I do so hope to be able to meet with you at some of them. I anticipate some lengthy discussions and look forward to hearing how well your training of the animal is going. I find myself looking forward with eager expectation to the match between your slave and my Heston, although we still have to negotiate the terms of the wager. Personally, I hope you drive a hard bargain and that we both gain some mutual satisfaction from this encounter. If you are not too burdened by affairs of State, perhaps we could discuss more of these issues at Ambrosius' party tomorrow evening? Just let Eponin know your answer and I will adjust my plans accordingly. Ephiny |
Caesar's breathing seemed to quicken as he read the note and both Hercules and the Weapons Master noticed a predatory gleam kindle in his brown eyes. The Roman read the missive through a second time before casting an assessing glance at the demi-god, noting the 'concubines' sculpted muscular body and remembering the strength and endurance he had shown when fighting the Ethiopian, before tapping the letter lightly against his right thigh and telling Eponin, "Inform Queen Ephiny that I will look forward to our encounter at the house of Ambrosius, tomorrow night."
Poni answered with a short bow, and watched as Caesar disappeared towards the Senate door, still surrounded by a crowd of hangers-on that would have been ready to clean his boots with their tongues had he but asked them to. The Weapons Master's lip curled in distaste. - Well whatever he's got, I seem to be immune to it! - she sneered silently. - What a goat sucking, pig fricking, asshole of a male! - she crudely described him to herself.
As Caesar left them, Hercules' eyes had turned in the direction where the unobtrusive observer still remained at his post, carefully monitoring the exchange between the rival power in Rome and the Amazon's emissary. When he realised that he'd been spotted by the huge, silent man, the spy quickly ducked out of sight.
- I hate politics! - thought Hercules, - Xena, when all this is done, you and I are going to have a long discussion about just how much you owe me for this .. and just how you're going to repay me for it! - he thought with a wry grin, pretty much certain about what the method of payment would be.
Eponin turned and touched his arm, and soon the two were picking their way through Rome's crowded streets back towards the palace to let the others know that Caesar had taken the bait.
The party at Ambrosius' was an elaborate event, with groaning tables of exquisite finger foods, indoor fountains that spouted an endless supply of good wine, musicians, bards, acrobats, jugglers, poets and sundry other forms of entertainment including card tables for those who wished to indulge in, relatively, bloodless gambling and, of course, the inevitable series of pit matches that, Hercules was thankful, did not include an appearance by Heston, who was being saved for the potentially titanic contest with Caesar's barbarian slave.
Both Ephiny and Caesar attended, with colourful entourages, although the Amazon's leather, feather and bead ensembles far outshone the native population's in both exoticness and colour. The occasion was one of glittering spectacle and lavish over-abundance that spoke volumes for the extravagance and waste that was generated by the elite of Rome.
"By Artemis," grumbled Malonda to a tired Eponin, "The food that will be wasted here would feed most villages for a month!"
The Weapons Master nodded her agreement and stifled a yawn while keeping a discreet eye on Ephiny. She was being faithfully shadowed by Hercules as the Regent fenced with the enthusiastic Caesar who was preparing his pursuit and eventual seduction of the Amazon Queen, "Eph seems to be holding her own," she commented wryly, knowing that when they got back into the relative safety of their suite at Pompey's she'd be treated to chapter and verse of just what a slimy slug the Roman was.
- Still, - considered Eponin silently, - she's led him a better dance than I thought possible. He's practically broken his neck trying to get her off somewhere alone only to be frustrated at every turn by a big concubine or a variety of feathered Amazons. Definitely a good start to the game. -
"How much longer before we can all get out of here?" asked Malonda irritably, "These people are beginning to make me twitch .. and if just one more young Roman buck comes up to me and asks if he can pluck my feathers, I think I'll just take his head off at the neck and stuff it where the sun doesn't shine!" she growled belligerently.
Poni laughed mirthlessly, "Ya just gotta give them the right look. Make them think twice about even coming near." She demonstrated with an imitation of one of Xena's patented warrior glares that had a lurking Roman heading for the opposite side of the hall.
"You learn that from the big, bad, Warrior Princess?" questioned Malonda, a faint trace of disdain in her voice.
"Sure," agreed Eponin casually, "She's got many skills and that one comes in damn useful. Why?"
"Nothing," grunted the dark haired Amazon, "I just think everyone wants to make too big a fuss over her. For Artemis' sake! She's just another warrior .. a good one, I'll grant you," she added, noticing the Weapons Master about to object, "but just how much of her intimidating presence is based on reputation. Hades!" she swore, "Tarelle and her bunch want to get rid of her 'cause they're scared spitless of her. Ephiny and Gabrielle are so in awe of the superstar that they can't see any of her faults. It would just be nice if everyone saw her for what she really is."
"What's that, Loni?" questioned Eponin carefully. She wasn't sure that she liked what she was hearing from her fellow Amazon.
"A murdering bitch who's gotten away with her crimes time and again for no logical reason that I can see!" snapped the Malonda angrily.
Eponin stood quietly for a moment before she responded softly, "You're wrong, Malonda. Xena has never gotten away with anything. Her past is always with her no matter what she does, and her enemies are the kind with the power to hurt her badly, like Caesar has here."
With another disdainful look the scout commented, "Never thought you'd be drawn in by her, Eponin. Thought you were too pragmatic for all that bullshit that surrounds her," she snarled.
Sighing, the Weapons Master gave her second-in-command an appraising look, "I can understand someone not liking her," she told the other Amazon, "The gods know she's got enough history behind her to make half the world hate her. What you feel is entirely up to you .. just so long as it doesn't interfere with our sworn duty to protect our Queens."
Malonda gave her an almost outraged look, "Hey I never said anything against either Ephiny or Gabrielle."
"I never said you did, Loni," replied Eponin. "But anyone who does is going to answer to me." She fixed the other woman with a glare, and then decided to let the whole thing drop, "Look, that's the signal," she nudged the dark haired scout with her elbow as Ephiny ran her fingers through her golden curls, "It's time to get her out of here before the horny toad gets too insistent."
Chuckling, the two Amazons collected the rest of the honour guard and went to rescue their Regent from the insidious clutches of Caesar.
They were now deeply embroiled in the dangerous game that they were forced to play with Caesar, while keeping Pompey assured that they were still his pawns. It was difficult and draining. Those who could not leave the palace became testy and irritable with heavy doses of "Cabin Fever" as Gabrielle called it, having seen it before in Xena when she was forced to remain inactive and confined to one place. The four men with her all exhibited it to one degree or another. Joxer was hardly effected, but Iolaus and Toris were becoming more fractious as endless days ground on. Autolycus found relief by slipping out at night to keep track of what was happening in the enemy camps.
Ephiny and Eponin were continually at odds over the problem of keeping Caesar at a wide enough distance to insure the safety of the Regent. The Weapons Master thought two miles was too close, while Ephiny argued that Caesar's pursuit of her kept him enough off balance to avoid him starting to make awkward inquiries .. well that was what they hoped.
The rogue Amazons were contained in Nebula's ship and engaged upon useful activities there, keeping them occupied, out of harms way and out of a demon brew that was difficult enough to keep in the pot without everything boiling over anyway. It was an uncomfortable situation to say the least, and it teetered along for a full fourteen days towards the new moon before the pot got stirred hard.
Xena moved back across the length of the parade ground and bent to seek another hand hold on one of the head sized boulders that lay in a pile there. Picking up the one closest to her she worked, without need to concentrate, upon her mindless labour.
There were two hundred and thirty eight rocks in the pile. She knew each one intimately as, for the past fourteen days, she had spent every afternoon since arriving in Rome moving the pile from one side to the other of the drill yard, under the full glare of the burning sun. The task was designed to keep her active and fit, occupied, and exhausted. It was mind numbing, endless, pointless, physical labour, devised to break her spirit.
That first night in the pit had been one of mixed despair and tentative hope. Despair, because she felt helpless and totally without control. She hated that feeling with all her being. Not since the age of five, when Toris and his friends had ambushed her and locked her into a grain bin for an entire day, as retribution for some prank she had pulled on them, had she been in such a situation .. and she'd sworn at that early age never to be so again if she could do anything at all about it.
The misery and the despair was only staved off by the small shards of hope that seeing Hercules and Ephiny had created within her. She had friends working for her freedom and, - If only I understood what Eph meant correctly, - she'd told herself, - then Gabrielle is free and safe! - It was a warm ember of comfort that allowed her to pass her an uncomfortable night, huddled in one of the two, mainly covered, corners of the hole, under her two blankets.
At first light, come morning, she was awoken by the sound of the locks being opened and the bolt drawn back on the barred grill. She roused herself and slowly stood as the trap door was thrown back and a ladder let down into the hole, "Get you worthless carcass up here, slave!" had come Flaccus' unmistakable growl.
She could have forced them to come and get her, but self-preservation dictated that she co-operate .. she needed to get herself fit if she was ever going to wriggle free from Roman clutches. She had slowly climbed the ladder and, upon gaining the drill yard, stood docilely before the centurion, with her head bowed in seeming meek submission.
Flaccus was not fooled by the act. She knew it, and he knew that she was aware of it, but while she was being amenable, he was content to let things be, other than to warn his men about becoming lax, "Whatever face she chooses to display, she's still the same barbarian bitch that has slaughtered her way around the Empire! So for your own sakes, never .. ever .. relax around her."
They'd taken her into the palace and down into the basements where baths had been built for the use of the household's slaves. Entry was via a thickly barred gate that was closed and locked as Xena, Flaccus and a guard of twenty passed it, leaving a further twenty men on duty on the far side, should they be required to subdue their charge.
Taking note of all salient facets of the facility, Xena was not surprised to find Patroclese waiting for her. What did, mildly, surprise her was that after the centurion locked the collar chain to her neck and a ringbolt set into the floor next to the bath, he proceeded to remove both her leg irons and the manacles along with the leather belt.
"Strip your trousers off, Xena, but leave your shirt on. I want to give the water a chance to loosen the dried blood before we attempt to get it off. I'd rather not have to deal with more bloody wounds than necessary," Patroclese told her.
She did as she was instructed, and slipped into the water, eager for the chance to remove the filth and grime that had encrusted itself on her body since her last bath in the river after the treaty agreement with Verchinex, - How long ago was that? - she silently questioned herself, - Close on a moon ago, - she calculated. - Other than being doused with sea water after the flogging, I haven't been close to wash water. I must smell riper than a midden! -
She was pleasantly surprised at the gentle warmth of the water and Patroclese noticing the look on her face, told her, "The baths here are heated by a hypercaust. Slaves don't get the full range of baths, but the tepidarium here is nice enough."
Sinking down into the relaxing warmth, she resisted the urge to wince as her assorted wounds stung from the water. She watched silently as Patroclese stripped down to his loincloth, selected a thin sharp knife from his kit, and slipped into the water, wading in behind her, where he began to delicately cut the linen fabric away from the crusted lash cuts.
He took his time, allowing the water to do most of his work for him, intent upon insuring that he did as little damage to the healing skin as possible. Xena sat motionless beginning to relax in the seductive warmth of the water, enjoying a small luxury in her Tartarus filled existence.
Finally, Patroclese finished easing the shirt off of her back and she was able to discard the garment to the side of the bath. She heard the healer splash his way out of the pool and turned when he called her name, "Xena, here catch," he said as he threw her a bar of strong smelling soap.
A graceful, golden arm, striped with blue and purple welts, snaked out of the water and caught the soap in mid flight, "Thanks," she grinned, and began to work on cleaning the collected filth from her skin and hair.
She had been escorted from the baths, through the barred door and down another long corridor to a small windowless room containing a long marble slab table. Even on such a short walk, Flaccus had not relaxed his vigilance. As soon as she stepped out of the bath, the leg irons had been replaced. Patroclese had given her a length of linen to wrap around herself, and then the centurion had replaced the belt and the manacles, before releasing the leash and tugging her in the direction of the exit.
Once she had reached the small cell like room, the belt and manacles had been removed, "Get on the table, face down, slave," Flaccus had ordered.
She did as instructed, not speaking, not hesitating to obey. She needed to avoid more injuries if she was going to be in a fit state for escape and that meant putting the lid on her pride and stubbornness for a while. Once she was settled in place, the centurion secured the leash to a ring in the base of the slab, and used a chain already set for the purpose to lock to the links of the leg irons, pretty much holding her in place.
"Is that really necessary," Patroclese asked in a patient though already defeated tone.
"The room's not big enough for more than one guard in each corner," the centurion stated flatly, so the restraints should make sure she stays put … at least until I can get enough men in here to secure her should it prove necessary." His hand shot out and grabbed a large fistful of her wet hair, turning her face towards his, "I'm watching you," he warned, "This sudden compliance doesn't fool me. You're up to something and I'm ready for it."
She kept her eyes cast down, refusing to look him in the eye knowing that, however else she acted, she couldn't disguise the fire that burned there. So she took shelter in silence and docility, aware that this 'new' tactic would probably have Flaccus on a razor edge of expectation, waiting for her to try something.
"That's enough, Flaccus," the healer told him sternly. "I have my job to do and there's much scheduled for the rest of the day. Let me get my work done so we can all get on."
Patroclese had worked steadily for more than two candlemarks checking over the lacerations that scored his patient's back; adding extra stitches where they were required, using a biting cleanser to ensure that there wouldn't be any risk of infection, tending the lash weals over her arms and legs; applying salve to all the injuries and aloe to the blistered burns that still marked her shoulders and arms.
When he had finished working on her back, he'd called Flaccus in to release the lock on the leg irons so that Xena could turn over to enable him to tend the various injuries that ran down the front of her body. The centurion complied wordlessly, but made sure the restraints were secured once more before he allowed the physician to continue his work.
After Patroclese had finished his ministrations, Xena was given a gray, thigh length tunic and a pair of under-britches, for modesty's sake, as well as having her boots returned to her. After being allowed, with the normal elaborate precautions, to dress once more she was escorted, fully shackled, back up out of the palace's cellars into daylight once again.
As she blinked in the bright light of morning, Xena felt better than she had in days and she knew that being clean played a part in that, although the thought of the close proximity of her friends definitely helped. A ghost of a smile almost played across her lips as she allowed the tug of the leash to guide her from the door of the cellars and across the drill-yard towards a different part of the palace.
Half way across the open yard, her good mood evaporated as she caught sight of a group of soldiers escorting a small woman with golden, honey blonde, hair down a colonnade away from her. Xena felt her heart clench, "Gabrielle," she whispered. And then, as the guard around her friend closed tighter and hurried the struggling woman away, she cried louder, "Gabrielle!" and took a lunge at the wall of soldiers surrounding her, trying to break through to reach the bard.
The guards swarmed around her. Flaccus retained a firm grip on her leash as she struggled to bypass the flesh and blood barrier that restricted her progress. Surprisingly, they didn't hit her. Just used their weight of numbers to bear her down to the ground and contain her there until she finished heaving.
"Gabrielle," she whispered again, despondency seeping into her with the knowledge that her hopes for escape were shattered.
Seeing the fight drain out of his captive, Flaccus ordered her to be hoisted upright. He indulged himself in a full-blooded slap that left the print of his hand emblazoned upon her left cheek. He noted, with satisfaction, the dull look of uncaring acceptance in her eyes, "Your outburst here will cost the bard five strokes of the strap tonight. I'll have them administered here in the courtyard after you're back in your kennel. If you give me any cause to reprimand you again, she will receive an additional five strokes,"
He recognised the brief flare in the blue eyes, but it was quickly extinguished, "All punishments you earn will be taken by the bard. Lord Caesar wants you fit and well to fight in the pits. What that means is, you behave or she suffers the consequences. Do you understand that?"
"Yes, sir," she answered flatly, and knew that she was once again hamstrung.
The whole maniple had been assembled to escort her down to the Coliseum. There she was given into the care of the Lanista, Marius Sutones, who had been instructed to put her through the gladiator school training schedules from three candlemarks after dawn, until one candlemark after midday.
The Coliseum's training areas were mostly indoors and very heavily guarded. Even so Flaccus, and forty of his men, armed with pistol crossbows and drugged darts, remained on duty in addition to the normal gladiatorial guards that surrounded their charges.
Standing in the Lanista's office with Xena and six guards, Flaccus instructed, "Nothing too strenuous, at least to start with. She's got a lot of injuries to heal from. And she's not to get near any weapon of any description. She won't be fighting in the arena, Lord Caesar wants her for the pits."
Sutones considered the slave cautiously. His professional eye noted the quality of the shackles that bound her and the very unusual slave collar. He could see the sleek power of her muscular body and was very aware of the uneasy respect that the guards surrounding her were giving to their charge.
Walking behind Xena, he pulled at the neck of her tunic and looked down it to the mixture of raw and healing wounds that covered her flesh, "She looks like trouble," he stated matter-of-factly, "Any other instructions come with her?"
The Warrior Princess had closed her eyes and clenched her fists until her knuckles shone white through her bronzed skin. She had always borne a hatred of the principle of slavery and now, after experiencing the dehumanising process for herself, she had further reasons to despise it as an institution.
Noting Sutones's careful study of his charge, Flaccus approved of the Lanista. He was a man who knew his job and was businesslike in it's performance. As one professional to another, Flaccus knew the man would accept some advice without getting prickly about it, "No instructions, but if I were you I'd make sure that she only trains in closed, closely guarded, areas. Keep her in those fetters unless it's necessary to do otherwise, and if she causes any trouble get my boys to deal with it. They're used to handling her," he smiled grimly. "Oh, and one last thing. Don't ever make the mistake of thinking she's harmless, even when safely shackled. In the time we've had her she's killed twelve of my men and put another thirteen out of commission."
"So a real savage," breathed Sutones not in the least put out by the information, "Don't worry, we've had her type here before, I'm sure we can accommodate her."
Clenching her jaw tightly, Xena resisted the urge to make a scathing comment about the type of person that both the Lanista and the centurion were. She couldn't afford to provoke either man, although she longed for a time when such considerations became moot.
"Just a word of caution, Lanista. Whoever you've had to deal with before, if you multiply their capacity for causing trouble by ten, then maybe, just maybe, you'll get close to the danger she can cause you."
"She's that good?" questioned Sutones incredulously, finding it difficult not to doubt the centurion, even though he could tell that Flaccus was not the man to exaggerate.
"Took almost two hundred men to take her," acknowledged the centurion, "along with an awful lot of planning and a small grain of luck.
Marius Sutones nodded his head impressed as much by what Flaccus didn't say as by what he had, "Your men will be in close attendance whenever she's here?"
He received a curt nod in reply from Flaccus who then turned to Xena and, using the butt of his whip under her chin, lifted her head to look directly into her eyes that flashed dangerously for just a heartbeat, "You will obey all instructions given to you promptly. You will answer any question put to you respectfully. In fact you will behave as a model slave should, or … well you know who will suffer if you don't, don't you?"
Glaring, Xena had responded, "Yes, sir."
Bend, search for a hold, hoist, shuffle ... shuffle ... shuffle ..., drop! Shuffle ... shuffle, shuffle ....
She had spent five candlemarks jumping rope, running sprints, lifting weights and hitting punch bags. If the trainers didn't think she was applying herself diligently enough, she was encouraged in her efforts by a stinging whip that flicked at her bare thighs, and all the while the guards from the elite maniple watched her like hawks, knowing that their lives depended upon her continued captivity.
The exercises had been taxing and close to exhausting in her current state of health, but she had completed each session to the specific demands of the trainers without feeling the sharp sting of the lash too many times.
She felt like an animal being put through it's paces.
Upon return to Caesar's palace, she'd been escorted to a room not far from the kitchens, where she had been served an excellent meal of soup, roast chicken, three different kinds of vegetables, bread and cheese, all washed down by a sharp wine. It was fairly obvious that Caesar wanted his prize fighter fit and healthy enough to take on all comers.
After eating she was taken back out to the drill yard where she had immediately noticed the huge pile of rocks in the far corner of the yard by the wall. Somehow she just knew that she was going to get to know each one of those rocks in intimate detail.
"Alright, slave," Flaccus had said, "Your task for the rest of the day is to move those rocks from where they are to the other end of the courtyard. If you've behaved yourself, like you have today, you'll only have to move them once a day. If I think your behaviour has warranted it, you'll move them back and forth until I give you leave to stop. Is that clear?"
"Yes, sir," responded Xena trying hard to fight the dejection she felt. She knew the purpose of this useless task. It was designed to 'gently' break her spirit. There was no point to it, other than to emphasise her helplessness, to sap her morale and mental strength. It was an exercise tailor made to wear on her and she was well aware of it.
That first day had been one of agony for the Warrior Princess. It had taken her until close to dusk to finish her task. Her muscles had begun to protest every movement, her back once more felt lanced with fire, but she had completed what she had been instructed to do, and when she had finished she had been taken back to the baths where Patroclese waited once more to help her clean up, then tend her wounds and even massage some of the knots out of her protesting muscles.
When she was returned to her kennel, she actually felt human once again … at least she did until Gabrielle had been brought into the drill-yard and given the promised five strokes of the strap. Xena had stood, helpless, below the grating, flinching with the sound of every blow as it fell and the anguished scream that accompanied it, imagining her friend's green eyes filled with pain, and knowing all too well that she was responsible for it.
Her eyes slitted to icy blue chips as she thought of yet another way to add to the growing list of how to kill Caesar and Flaccus!
That first day had become the pattern that her routine was now based upon. Oh, there had been adjustments as the days wore along. With her back healed, Patroclese no longer ministered to her wounds, instead after her morning and evening bath, a masseuse worked on her body, toning the strengthening muscles and pampering Xena like the prize piece of property she was.
Her training at the Coliseum was also adapted to her growing fitness. Added to all her initial activities, sparring with the other gladiators in unarmed combat techniques now became a daily ritual, sharpening her skills to a fine degree, and distance running for stamina was included. This took place in the main Coliseum arena, on her own except for six trainers and Flaccus' forty guards who lined the walls, alert and ready for any sign that the Warrior Princess looked likely to try for an escape.
Her outbursts of temper and stubbornness became rarer and that had more to do with the sound of Gabrielle being beaten in the drill-yard on the evening of the occurrence, than the added time she was sentenced to spend lugging rocks from one side of the yard to the other .. an activity she was beginning to heartily loathe.
As she picked up yet another of the head sized boulders she felt an ominous tingle and the hairs on the nape of her neck rose in warning. She knew he was there before he chose to materialise himself for her. She chose to ignore him, turning away from the pile that she knew he was sitting on and heading, determinedly for the other end of the parade ground where a growing, small pile awaited another deposit from her.
She saw the silver blue light from the corner of her eye as Ares materialised beside her, matching her shuffling gait as she continued with her task and ignored his presence. She could feel his hot eyes on her and could picture the smugly sardonic smile on his face .. she was after all very familiar with him. Dropping the rock, she turned deliberately so her back would be to him and started the long return to the other pile of stone, with Ares sauntering by her side.
"My, my. Is this really a suitable occupation for a Warrior Princess?" the God said at length, growing slightly irritated by her lack of acknowledgment.
Without bothering to answer, she hefted another rock and began to make her tedious way with it to the other pile. She was well aware of what he was there for, and he'd get around to it in his own time without her having to contribute anything to the conversation.
"You know, if someone had come to me and told me that Xena was happy to be lugging rocks around in a yard as hot as Tartarus, I'd never have believed it. If you'd told me you enjoyed this kind of thing, I'd have arranged for you to spend some quality time with Sisyphus rolling that Zeus be damned rock of his," he smirked.
Then scowled as she continued to ignore him.
She dropped the stone, and turned back to collect another. Ares tried a different tack, "Hey! Doesn't it make you all warm inside to know that one of your ex-lovers is doing so well for himself? I mean Julius, under my guidance, is setting himself up to be the conqueror of the World. Admittedly he wasn't my first choice for the job, but I'm nothing if not flexible … when I have to be."
Xena ignored him, claiming a rock from the pile and turning back, for what seemed the millionth time, towards the far end of the yard, only stopping moving forward when Ares, having tired of speaking to a seeming brick wall, placed himself directly before her.
"Xena, why haven't you called me?" he asked with apparent concerned sincerity, "You know I'd have taken you away from all of this," he smiled gently waving his hand at the rocks and the guards who seemed to have frozen in time standing motionless in the heat of the day.
She looked him squarely in the face and, in a voice as cold as death, snarled, "Move!"
Ares smiled indulgently and stroked her cheek in a possessive gesture that reminded her all to readily of Caesar's touch. She closed her eyes and fought to control the mad surge of rage that erupted deep within her, "I'll move when you tell me why you didn't ask me for help," he answered, a caress filling his voice.
Drawing a deep breath she told him calmly in a tone that belied the turmoil that surged within her, "You are about the last person, man or god, that I would ask help from. I've paid my dues to you, Ares. I'm never coming back to you, so why don't you just butt out of my existence!"
"Oh, Xena, Xena, Xena," he shook his head in mock regret, "You really don't think it's that simple, do you? I'm part of you! You can fight it, but you can't deny it. And one way or another, you will be mine again."
"Get out of my way, Ares. I've got better things to do with my time than listen to you," she growled.
"Ah, I can see that, my dear," he nodded, biting his lower lip to prevent a grin from spreading over his entire face. "Look, why don't you just drop all this and let me take you .. yes and that pesky bard .. away from this mess you've got yourselves into? Mmm?"
Xena looked at him, seeming to weigh the prospect. Ares knew that she would be hard pressed to forego a chance of getting Gabrielle to safety, "Drop this?" she asked softly.
"Oh yes, Xena, drop it and come ..." he got no further as an excruciating pain throbbed through him thanks to the rock crushing his right foot.
"Forget it, Ares. I'm not interested. Not now. Not ever." She grinned impudently as the God of War did his best not to hop around clutching his sorely bruised toes. She stooped to retrieve the lump of stone and continued her shuffling passage across the drill-yard to where she dropped it once again.
"Xena, you're making a big mistake!" Ares threatened explosively.
"Going with you would be a bigger one," she replied as she moved past him on the way to fetch another chunk of rock.
"Do you think you're going to get any help from the Amazons? Get real, Xena! Most of them hate you worse than Caesar does .. at least he still has a lingering interest in ..."
"GET OFF IT, ARES!" roared the Warrior Princes, well aware that only he could hear her. They glared at each other for several heartbeats before she added in a far quieter tone, "Just get outta here. Don't you have some brown nosing to do with Zeus to make up for all your recent indiscretions?" she questioned with marked pointedness.
Anger and frustration waged war on Ares' handsome features as he glowered at HIS Warrior Princess. Now was not going to be the time to press his arguments as she was still no closer to being ready to listen to him, even with all that Caesar had put her through, "Alright, Xena," he snarled. "I can be patient. Eventually you're going to get tired of this and you will ask me for help. I'll give it too .. even after all the insults you've thrown in my direction since you got onto this goody, goody kick of yours … but you will pay me for that rock! One way or another!" he warned as he vanished in an explosion of blue and silver light.
"Oh Hades!" swore the warrior as she saw the guards reacting in panic when they returned to motion to find that she'd vanished from the spot they were watching and was, in fact, some distance down the length of the yard. She dropped the rock onto the hard packed earth and squatted down, curling her body, hands covering her head, to make as small a target as possible as her six personal watchdogs descended on her, lashing out with the heavy batons they carried, the solid blows powered by the fear and anger they felt at having lost sight of her.
The junior centurion, Titus rushed onto the scene and demanded to know what had happened. The guards, calming down, finally, after having seen their prisoner was not going anywhere, stopped hitting Xena and one of them answered his officer, "Sir, we was watching her shift them rocks as we always does. Everythin' seemed like normal, but then one moment she was right in front of us an' the next moment she was halfway down the yard. She must have bin tryin' to make a break for it, but we managed to catch her afore she could get away."
Titus gave Xena's ribs a sharp kick, "Get up, slave!" he ordered.
Slowly unwinding from her protective huddle, the warrior stood, hiding the winces she felt from the bruising her back had just taken. She stood calmly in front of Titus, her blue eyes meeting his brown ones as she waited to hear what he had to say.
"Have you got an explanation for what happened?" he asked. He thought it unlikely that she was trying to escape, the fact that one of the rocks lay beside her made the idea seem rather incongruous, but he could think of no other explanation.
"You'd never believe me," she told him flatly.
"Try me," he encouraged, ignoring, for the moment, the fact that she had failed to address him correctly.
"A god dropped by for a visit. He froze time for all of you and I continued working while he ..." she tried.
"Alright. That's enough. You just never learn do you?" he rasped, angry that she was trying to make a fool out of him.
Xena shrugged, "You asked what happened."
Titus glared at her, "Put her back in the hole, while I report this. I think the bard's going to get a few more stripes tonight," he commented, watching as the slave began to struggle and shout.
"No! You can't do that. I told you the truth ... get your hands off me!" she yelled as she fought against the guards.
Titus signaled for extra men to help the other six, and against increasing numbers, the Warrior Princess was inevitably forced down into the pit that acted as her cell. Titus looked down on the violently angry woman as the grating was locked firmly shut.
"Calm down and behave yourself," he warned, "You'll only make things worse for your friend."
Xena glared up at him, but her true ire was aimed at a black leather clad, bearded, God who managed to cause her trouble no matter what she did, - Damn you to Tartarus, Ares! - she cursed.
She stole a look to her left. There set up on display like a trophy from the hunt, was Xena's armour, leathers, sword, chakram and daggers: a reminder to all visitors to Caesar's offices, that he had taken, subdued and held Xena, the Warrior Princess, Destroyer of Nations and enemy of Rome. Wishing she could take the armour and weapons with her when she left, Ephiny turned her attention back to their erstwhile owner.
Watching intently, the Regent, never-the-less, felt the approach of Caesar behind her, joining her to observe his prized possession, "Ah, I see you're watching my slave," he murmured as his hand slid over her shoulder in a soft, half touch, and allowed it to linger on her arm, "She'll be fit and well to take on you man in seven days as agreed," he smirked, "I hope you're ready to lose an awful lot of dinars on this fight. I don't expect my slave to lose."
Ephiny's skin jumped in response to his hand and she bit her lip to avoid making any sound. - Oh Artemis! How can I hate this man so yet respond so to his touch? - Her heart beat faster as he leaned closer to her ear, his sweet breath warm on her neck, made her pulse leap erratically. - This is ridiculous! - her mind protested. - This man is brutal, callous and power hungry. He has brutalized two of my best friends and wants to rule the world which will, in the course of things, include the Amazon Nation. I cannot get involved with him. - "We'll see who loses what," she responded with a smile, inwardly dismayed at how easy she found it to flirt with this man.
"Ah, a worthy opponent, I feel," his lips brushed her cheek in an intimate caress as his arms encircled her waist, "It is such a pity that you must return to your homeland so soon, but with time so short we must relish the opportunities we have."
Her heart fluttering wildly and her body betraying her will, Ephiny turned in his embrace and engaged the enemy in a passionate kiss that left her breathless and receptive to his further advances. While a part of her mind screamed out against the betrayal of her dead husband, Phantes, and her live friends, the Regent felt somehow powerless in this calculated seduction by Caesar, as though she was being driven by a will other than her own.
"Man that mortal's a fast worker," grinned Aphrodite as she watched Ephiny lose to Caesar's seduction. "What a trip! You sure you really want this, Arte? I mean your Regent fought my little charm tooth and nail. She'll go ballistic when she finds out we've been juggling her hormones."
"Don't worry about it, sis," grinned Artemis as she watched the carnal passions being played out in the scrying bowl. "The child from this union is gonna be a major influence on my Amazons when she comes of age. I checked it out with Clotho and Lachesis and although they did their normal game of smoke and mirrors, I did get them to admit that if the girl makes it to be an adult she will be a power for good for my Amazons."
"Rippin!" congratulated the bubbly Goddess of Love, "Just remember you owe me big time for this, Arte. I'm gonna have that Amazon chick burning my ears for sure for this stunt."
"Don't sweat it 'Dite. I owe ya one, but we've still got work to do with our little mortals, and we have to be ready for the opportunities as they arise," her voice trailed off absently as she watched the bodies writhe in the water before her. "Hey, he's got some technique. If I was into that kinda thing he'd be a guy to check out."
Aphrodite examined the scene critically, "Well if nothing else he's rockin' her world. Quite the stud muffin! Trouble is, as I tried to explain to Cupid, mortals are like plums .. they taste great for a while, but before you know it .." she threw her hands into the air, "prunes! They're great to mess around with but not worth getting attached to. Still it's a pity that you don't go in for the love thing." She frowned as the image on the scrying bowl shifted perspective and settled on Xena as she worked to haul rocks across the drill-yard. "Hey! No fair, Artemis, that dude had great ..."
"Aphrodite!" broke in Artemis in an almost shocked tone.
"Stamina, sis, stamina. That guy has definitely got rock hard ..."
"APHRODITE!" gasped the other goddess as she anticipated what her sister was about to say.
".. assets, Artemis, assets!" grinned the blonde cheerfully.
"Quit this, ‘Dite. It's not a game I like to play," her sister told her prudishly.
"Yadda, yadda, yadda! You sure know how to ruin a girls fun," moaned the curvaceous Love Goddess. "How are you gonna square it with your Amazon babe?" she asked to pass the time.
"Oh, I'll just get the temple High Priestess to inform her it was necessary," Artemis replied in an off-hand manner.
"You know what? I don't get why you didn't get me to do a tango with Xena's hormones. Caesar's hot for her and any child of hers is going to be something special."
"Don't even go there, 'Dite." warned her sister with a shudder.
"I kinda thought it would be a killer idea," persisted the blonde as she watched Xena at her endless task.
"That's just about the word for any child coming from the lines of those two. I checked that with Clotho and Lachesis as well. If they'd been mortal they would have dropped dead on the spot as soon as I brought the subject up. Any child from a pairing of Xena and Caesar would be a savage with a mind of a genius in excess of both it's parents. It would be unstoppable and strong enough to challenge even us." she informed her sister firmly.
"Oh," answered Aphrodite thoughtfully, "Guess that's why old cow face interfered the first time they got together then."
"If mother hadn't made a few suggestions to Caesar, it's quite likely that the pair wouldn't have just one, but several, off-spring by now and that would have proven a disaster for everyone and everything," Artemis told her suppressing another shudder. "Look, 'Dite. Here comes Ares. Tits and Titans, he's so predictable!" she complained. "You don't need sound to know just what he's saying to her." She made a hacking cough, pumped up her shoulders a bit and gave her best impression of her brother, "This is no situation for a Warrior Princess. Come with me and rule the world."
Aphrodite laughed hysterically, "Bitchin'! That is sooo wicked, Arte! You just gotta do that at Hera's next party. She'll be so ticked to see her precious baby's short and curlies yanked."
"Mother hasn't invited me," Artemis informed her giggling, "She didn't like it when I told her just what I thought about Ares involvement in the Dahak thing."
"Oh! did you see that?" howled the blonde. "The warrior babe just dropped a rock on his foot! That's gotta hurt!" She screamed with laughter and had tears streaming from her face as Artemis joined in with her.
"Don't you just love it when a plan comes together?" choked the Amazon Goddess between gales of laughter.
Ephiny straightened her clothes, her emotions in riotous turmoil after having sported with Caesar on a thick bearskin rug on the floor. She didn't know if she wanted to kill him for taking liberties with her, admittedly extremely responsive, body or fling herself back into his incredible embrace for another round of energetic, passionate, lustful, sex.
She suppressed a shudder of growing desire at the thought and headed back to the window, hoping that seeing Xena being forced to endure the role of a slave would help her get her priorities in order. She soon picked out her friend at one end of the yard as she dropped a rock on the growing pile. Running her fingers through her mass of curly blonde hair, Ephiny continued to watch as the warrior moved back to the other pile to collect another stone.
"You really seem quite taken by my slave, my sweet," Caesar said smoothly as he slipped his hands around her.
Ephiny slapped him away as questing fingers sought out her breast. She was beginning to regain control of her senses and felt the first stirrings of real horror about what had just taken place, "She's special to the Amazons," she growled a little more tartly than she should have as she wondered how she was going to cope for the next seven days if Caesar believed he had made a conquest of her and expected a repeat performance of the exercise.
Both of them stood looking at Xena for long moments, then both blinked in shock as the woman suddenly disappeared, "Where in Tartarus ...?" yelped Ephiny as she registered the fact that Xena had vanished from the place she had been.
Caesar's eyes darted around wildly until he picked her out close to the smaller pile of rocks, crouching down, using her hands and arms to block the blows she knew would be coming in her direction as soon as the guards caught up to her, "How in great Jupiter's name did she manage that?" he demanded of no one in particular.
Ephiny had her suspicions, but she was damned sure that she wasn't going to share them with the enemy. - How, in Artemis' name, could I have let him do that to me? - her mind demanded as she watched the soldiers converge on Xena to administer chastisement for managing to escape their observation. She struggled not to wince as the batons descended time and again, - That has got to hurt! - she thought distractedly, before turning her unquiet musings back to what had happened with Caesar, - How could I have encouraged him to do that? - her mind wailed.
Her face froze as a very unpalatable thought sprang to mind. She was well aware that her body bore the frenzied marks of the passion that had been expended, - How am I going to explain this to Gabrielle and Eponin? They're both going to see the marks and they'll know just what caused them! -
She thought about that for a heartbeat as she saw an officer hurry to the disturbance in the yard and order Xena to be taken back to her cell. She couldn't understand why the warrior had suddenly started to struggle against her guards and create a rolling brawl until she was finally forced into the barred hole in the ground and locked in.
Ephiny's churning, turbulent, thoughts returned to Gabrielle, - Well maybe she won't know what the marks mean .. I mean, alright she's been married, but one night of gentle love doesn't give her the necessary expertise to realise what these are ... does it? - She gave herself a mental shake, - Oh c'mon Eph! She's a bard for Artemis' sake, she's travelled for three years with Xena. She not the naive little girl you first met! Besides, I'm sure Poni and the men will soon let her know all about it. Maybe I could get Nebula to take me back home before they see me, - she thought miserably.
She was jerked from her thoughts as Caesar spoke to her, "I'm sorry, what was that you were saying?" she asked, mentally kicking herself for not paying attention to what was going on around her.
He gave her a quizzical look and then repeated, "I said, I'm sorry, my dear, but I fear I'm going to have to cut your visit short. I need to investigate just what went on out there. I don't like unexplainable little events like that taking place around me. The slave will know what occurred and I think I'll need to question her."
Ephiny's brain raced, - Here's the perfect opportunity to make sure we don't get a repeat performance of the madness that just took place! - her mind crowed. "I see," she answered her countenance filled with icy disdain and tone brittle with frigidity, "So some murdering harlot of a slave is more important than the Amazon Queen." - Forgive me for that, Xena, - she made a mental apology as she collected the remainder of her things and started for the door.
Caesar hissed in annoyance, "Ephiny, wait ..."
The Regent turned and gave him a chill glare, "That's quite alright, my Lord Caesar. If your tastes run to such a 'low' standard, you'll fully understand if I find it socially politic not to meet with you until the night of the match, here, in seven days time." Without waiting for a reply, she stalked across the large chamber and stormed out of the room, for all the world acting the part of the slighted lover.
Slamming a fist down on his desk, Caesar swore long and inventively over his blunder. Having ardently pursued the Amazon Queen for fourteen days, he'd at last managed to taste her sweetness, only to have it taken away from him again because of a disturbance caused by ... Xena! "Lucullis!" he yelled for one of the guards stationed outside of the thick doors.
The door swung open promptly and a member of his personal guard stepped through smartly, jerked off a salute and inquired, "My Lord?"
"Get down to the drill-yard. Tell whoever's in charge that I want the slave brought up here immediately," he snarled angrily.
"At once my Lord," accepted the guard who turned and left the room as quickly as was prudent. Caesar knew that as soon as the door closed the man would be running down to the yard as though a horde of harpies were on his heels.
Standing up, he made his way back to the window to watch proceedings.
"Ephiny? Is everything okay?" tried Malonda tentatively, throwing a glance back at the closed door and wondering whether she ought to pay a brief visit to Caesar and let him know that no one touched the Amazon Queen without retribution ... but then again, Ephiny hadn't called for help. "Eph?" she asked again.
"Let's just get out of here Loni. I've just about had enough of Caesar's company to last me a lifetime," answered the Regent sharply.
With Ephiny setting the pace, the group of Amazon warriors found themselves pushed to keep up. It was obvious that the blonde ruler wanted to put as much distance between herself and the Roman as possible.
"Ephiny where are we going?" demanded Malonda as she realised that the Regent was not heading back towards Pompey's Palace.
Pulling up short, the Regent looked around in something of a daze. She had been in such deep thought that she hadn't really been paying much attention to the direction she'd been leading her guard, but when she stopped and thought about it, she knew that she was heading towards the docks, "I think we'll pay a visit to Nebula. I want to see how things are working out there anyway." Having made up her mind, Ephiny set off once again at her bustling pace.
Rome's streets, as usual, were teeming with life as citizens and slaves hurried about their business in a never ending whirl of noisy, colourful, vibrancy that had taken the Amazons a little time to adjust to. After having been in the city for nearly a complete lunar cycle, however, they no longer found the sights and sounds strange. In fact, once the initial awe had worn off, the majority of the women had found themselves longing for the simplicity of life back at Themiscyra where they were surrounded by a natural world, not the deadly artificial life of an expanding city where every move was watched and examined for political implications, and stabbing your neighbour in the back, or spicing their meals with poison, was acceptable social behaviour.
In all the crush and rush of the streets, it was still noticeable, however, that the people of Rome made way for the body of armed Amazon women that seemed to be moving with implacable intent towards the upper docks. With the grim look on the leading woman's face, no one thought it politic to get in her way, let alone the seven guards that were hustling to keep up with her.
At the speed they were moving, it didn't take long to reach 'Wave Dancer' and Ephiny easily picked out the pirate captain on the maindeck as she chased her Amazon 'crew' around in the necessary chores that took up any crews time when they were at anchor in a dock.
With a practised eye, the Regent also found and identified half a dozen heavily armed Amazons who watched over the rest of the crew with eagle eyed intensity. Ephiny knew it wasn't a perfect solution to her domestic problems, but confining the suspect Amazons to the ship under the guard of Nebula and a dozen warriors, that Eponin trusted without reservation, seemed to be the best of a selection of poor choices.
Once they had realised that they had more of a problem than just Tarelle and her band of confederates, the blonde Regent and Gabrielle had ordered an investigation into just who was over-friendly with the dissidents. The fact that Autolycus had joined in with the hunt for rogue Amazons, meant that they had unearthed a further nine women, along with Jerushan and Essaine, who appeared to be sympathetic to Tarelle and her views.
That's when the decision had been made to confine the women on Nebula's ship. Malonda hadn't been happy about the move, citing the fact that it badly split their forces should they need to fight their way clear of the city, but when Eponin had pointed out that having likely traitors running lose could be much worse, and that if it came to fighting their way out, a couple of dozen extra swords was not going to be much help against two or three legions.
Another decision had also been made, and that had been not to include anyone in their plans other than the men, Nebula, Gabrielle, Ephiny and Eponin herself. It was difficult excluding Malonda, but Ephiny and Gabrielle had decided that they couldn't afford to take any more risks than they had to and they knew that those they had named were beyond reproach in loyalty.
The Regent quickly ascended the gangplank and moved to greet Nebula who turned towards her with a smile, "Your Amazons make pretty good swabbies," she laughed.
"I'm pleased that they meet with your exacting standards," returned Ephiny, "Keep them busy and tired and they might stay out of trouble for a while."
"Well other than to inspect my very unwilling crew, what's brought you down here in the heat of the day? And were you mauled by a bear, or did Malonda let you get mugged?"
"Can we talk in private?" Ephiny asked, not willing to discuss what had just happened when surrounded by several, potentially hostile, women who would probably be delighted to use the Regent's problems against her. "Sure," agreed the pirate easily, "C'mon down to the cabin."
Motioning Malonda to wait on deck with her escort, Ephiny followed the tall, lithe, sea woman and descended down the companionway into the narrow corridor that led past the small cabins for officers and back to the much larger one that was the traditional abode of the captain.
Nebula opened the door and motioned for Ephiny to take a seat while she went to the wine cooler and poured two goblets of a sweet red vintage that she'd picked up locally. Passing one of the cups to the Regent saying, "Here you look like you need this," she rested herself against the edge of her heavy desk and raised an eyebrow that invited the blonde to speak.
Stalling, Ephiny took a sip of the wine and asked, "Had any trouble with Tarelle or the rest of them?"
Nebula shrugged, "Nothing that the guards couldn't handle. But that's not really why you've come here, is it? C'mon, Ephiny, out with it. How'd you managed to get .. those particular types of marks, and why are they worrying you?"
The Regent let out a long heavy sigh, "You know that Caesar's been making his attentions fairly clear over the last few days?"
"Stood out like a bald wolf in a pack," agreed Nebula, "The guy's got the hots for you." Her brows drew together and her eyes narrowed as she made a connection, "You telling me that he forced you?"
"No!" responded the blonde sharply, pushing herself out of the chair to pace the narrow confines of the cabin in agitation, "I mean yes .. well maybe it was both of us!" She stopped in the middle of the cabin, threw her head back and took a deep breath. "I went to see him .. more to get a look at how Xena was doing than anything else. She's looking pretty good, by the way."
Nebula said nothing, just crossed her arms and waited for the Amazon to get to the point of what had taken place, knowing that the woman needed to get it off her chest and sort it out in her mind before she went back to face the others.
"Caesar .. well, you know he exudes this kind of aura that draws women to him?" she saw Nebula nod in reply, "Well I've felt that increasingly for the last few days. I've known about it, and I dislike him so much for what he's done to Xena and what he's put Gabrielle through .. yet I've been increasingly drawn, or maybe pushed to him." She drank down the rest of the wine and set the goblet on the table before starting to pace again.
"This morning it was like I couldn't control myself. He touched me and I was on fire. Whatever happened my body was a willing participant in it, and now I feel like I've betrayed my friends and myself and, most especially, the memory of my husband, Phantes," she finished softly.
"What do you feel about Caesar?" the tall, dark skinned woman asked the smaller Amazon.
"What?" responded Ephiny, surprised by the question. Nebula waited, "I .. I can't bear him. I despise all he is and all he stands for, I always have. How could I have done that with him, Nebula? It makes me sick just to think about it."
The two women remained silent as they thought about what the Amazon had just revealed. Each pursuing her own thoughts as they tried to understand the implications behind the conflicting emotions and actions that Ephiny had just admitted to.
"You know, I'd almost swear that you were 'interfered' with by a god," mused Nebula having examined and discarded all other possibilities, including the one where Ephiny was denying her love for a man she considered to be an enemy. Mood swings like that just didn't happen naturally.
The Regent slumped back into the chair and drummed her fingers on the arms, "Yeah, I kinda figured that might be the case. But which one's gonna gratify Caesar's lusts by playing fast and loose with mine? I know Ares is supposed to be pretty thick with old Julius, but something like this really isn't his style."
"Well the obvious suspects have to be Aphrodite or Cupid. But I can't honestly see what either one gets out of doing it. I really can't see that Caesar's going to have any time for love deities, can you?" appraised the pirate.
Ephiny massaged aching temples with her strong fingers, "I just don't know, Nebula," she answered honestly. "I guess it'll have to wait 'til I get home and can petition Artemis to find out just what was going on. If anyone will be able to tell me, it will be her."
"What's next on the agenda then?" inquired the tall sea woman as she crossed back to the wine cooler and refilled both cups, giving Ephiny hers back as she crossed over to her perch against the table.
Sighing, the blonde swallowed a mouthful of the wine before looking despondently at the other woman, "I suppose I'd better find some way of cleaning myself up and hiding as many of these marks as possible. I really don't want to have this discussion with Gabrielle."
"Ephiny, my dear," Nebula smiled sadly, "You've got a snowball's chance in Tartarus of avoiding that. I'd suggest you try to tone down the passions a bit if you want to avoid answering embarrassing questions from nosey bards." She shook her head in mock admonition, "Still we'll do what we can, and hopefully we can come up with some kind of tale between us that will satisfy at least Gabrielle's curiosity."
Titus received the order to take the slave up to Caesar's offices with some trepidation. Not only was he worried that his commander had seen the whole sorry affair, particularly the guards allowing the slave to get past them somehow, but as he looked into the pit, he could see Xena working herself up into a fine rage and he was certain that he didn't want her out of that pit if her temper was about to explode .. chains or no chains.
Unfortunately, Caesar's commands could not be safely ignored, and he would not appreciate being kept waiting for a slave to be brought to him. He took a deep breath signalled a runner to call out the reserve guard of forty men, just in case they were needed and decided to try and calm the warrior down before unlocking the gate to the pit.
"Lord Caesar wants to see you, slave. If you calm down I'll drop the ladder so that you can climb up here under your own power," Her glaring, pale blue, eyes snapped up to focus on him and he knew that he'd probably not had the desired effect with his words.
"Both you and your precious Caesar can go to Tartarus for all I care," she snarled, "You put me in here. You get me out if you can." Her anger at Ares had forced itself past the blocks on her temper and she was finding it impossible to put the brakes on again.
- There's that plain stubborn reckless defiance .. again! - she conceded to herself. But she'd kept the lid on her emotions for so long now, through all the indignities and humiliations of being kept like some animal in a hole, all to keep Gabrielle safe from the beatings that had been threatened, only to have Ares turn up and cause problems that were going to cause the bard to suffer.
- Well enough's enough! - she goaded herself. She stopped her pacing as a sudden thought slapped her between the eyes. She hadn't actually seen Gabrielle's face since she'd been in Rome and Ephiny had hinted that the bard was safe with her, - Gabrielle hasn't called out to me once when she was being beaten, in fact she hasn't tried to speak to me at all! That's not like her. She'd have said something even if it was just to tell me not to worry about her. - She felt like kicking herself for not seeing through the ploy sooner.
- Damn! Have I been a prisoner under a false threat? Well it's time I damn well cleared up that question. What's the matter with your brain, O Great Warrior Princess. You beginning to get sloppy in your old age? - she chided herself caustically. - It's taking a chance with Gabrielle's safety if they have got her, but I'm willing to stake my boots that she'd safe with Eph. -
Titus saw her stop pacing and the strange look that crossed her face, - Oh Mars! - he cursed silently, - What's going through her brain now? - He swallowed his trepidation and tried to sort the situation out before Flaccus appeared. He knew that he didn't command the same respect as the hardened veteran from either the men, or the woman that they were responsible for.
"Listen slave," he tried to imprint authority into his voice, "Get your sorry carcass up here before I have to start getting rough."
She looked at him. Her eyes had paled to icy slits and her voice was cold and menacing, "I want to see Gabrielle .. NOW!"
Titus was beginning to lose his temper, "Oh no! You don't get to demand anything, and you don't get to see the bard. But you'll hear her scream. You're building up quite a fund of punishment for your friend."
"That's not going to wash anymore, Titus," she snarled slipping into full warlord mode, allowing the anger and hate to wash through her. - Gods! Gotta be careful here, - she acknowledged to herself, - this feels too damn good. I can't afford to let it take control of me again. - She turned her attention back to the junior centurion, "I don't believe you've got Gabrielle, and I don't give a flying centaur's butt for anyone else."
"Shit!" Titus swore softly as he stood up and moved away from the hole. He looked around and felt relieved that Flaccus was heading across the yard towards him with the reserve guard falling in behind him. He decided that he'd better inform his superior of what had taken place and the demands that the slave was making.
"What's going on?" snapped Flaccus briskly, as Titus stopped him.
His junior officer quickly outlined the incident where the slave just seemed to disappear from sight, that they'd had to force her into her cell when she became aggressive, that Caesar wanted to see her immediately, and that she refused to come out of the hole, "Now she's demanding to see the bard. I think she's worked out that we don't really have her."
Flaccus wore a grim frown. He'd feared this situation developing, knowing that the warrior would not accept not seeing her friend indefinitely. In fact he'd expected the problem to arise sooner, although he'd hoped to make it through to the time of the pit fight against the Amazon's champion as Caesar wanted her in top shape for the match. Now they were going to have to fight her every step of the way.
Turning to the men behind him, he gave them a quiet order before heading over to the pit cell to confront the slave. What he found was the fully fledged Warrior Princess, full of righteous anger and indignant wrath. Gone was all pretense at docile tractability.
He looked down at her, locking his grey eyes onto her deadly blue orbs. They stood so for many heartbeats, neither willing to give an inch to the other. Finally Flaccus spoke, "Caesar wants you, and you're going to climb out of there quietly and behave yourself, or ..."
"Or what?" she sneered, "Forget it Flaccus! Unless you produce Gabrielle I'm not following any more orders, and I don't give a damn what you do to me or anyone else, for that matter."
The senior centurion glanced over his shoulder and saw his men hurrying back with the equipment he'd sent them for, "Open it up," he instructed two of the guards, and watched as the heavy grill was unlocked and swung open. "Last chance, slave. You come out or we come and get you."
"Try it," she sneered, and suddenly found a net smothering her quickly followed by a second.
"Get in there and secure her, " he ordered six of his men, who quickly dropped into the hole with a rope that was swiftly wound around the struggling mass of net and woman.
"Alright, pass her up here," instructed Flaccus, something easier to say than do as Xena struggled against the hands that tried to hoist her up out of the cell.
Finally she was deposited on the dusty ground of the drill-yard where the centurion ordered the removal of the netting, while eight men used their weight and numbers to hold the warrior down. Two thick chains were attached to her collar, the long absent oak beam was thrust behind her elbows and guide chains attached to the rings while cuffs with long chains were fastened to each ankle. Once everything was locked in place, Xena was pulled to her feet. Any movement she attempted to make was easily controlled by the chains held by the six bodyguards.
Flaccus shook his head in mock disappointment, "I had hoped that we'd got past the need for these," he gestured at the extra fetters and wood, "but you're backsliding again."
"Where's Gabrielle?" she growled, jerking hard against the restraints, but the weight of six men held her secure.
"You will be respectful, slave," the centurion reminded her with a backhand slap that knocked her head sideways.
"You can go to Hades," she sneered back at him, "I'm finished playing that particular game. You either produce Gabrielle or, if you don't, I'll know you haven't got her. Then ..." she allowed the sentence to trail off. "Then what?" Flaccus felt compelled to ask.
She gave him a feral smile and ignored the question, allowing him to think whatever he wanted to. She tugged on her bonds and said instead, "Thought Caesar wanted to see me. You intend on keeping him waiting?"