"Xena, have you stayed awake all night long? I was supposed to have the second watch," said the blonde drowsily. When she got no answer, she frowned, and nudged the warrior on her shoulder.

Xena started awake. She swung around and attacked, pinning her friend down against the raft. Then she pointed a dagger at her throat, with an unfocused and frightened look in her eyes. Using more her instincts than her brains, Gabrielle twisted Xena's wrist, and lifted her midriff at the same time, using a wrestling technique that Xena had taught her. When her senses took over a second after, she was genuinely astonished to find her moves working. They had never before worked against Xena.

"Xena?" Gabrielle called, more frightened of the expression on her friend's face than the attack itself.

"Gab-, Gabrielle?" Xena answered with trembling voice, and throwing frantic looks around until she finally found the bard's eyes to focus on.

"Xena, what's wrong?"

"I, -- I don't feel very good."

"How? Are you ill, Xena?"

"I don't know. It's all so -- weird. Tell me, Gabrielle, the arrow that you removed from my side; what did it look like?"

"Well, it looked like any arrow. You think it was poisoned?"

"It's possible. Remove the bandage, and tell me what you see," Xena said, and turned to her stomach.

Gabrielle removed the cloth, and couldn't believe her eyes. The wound that had looked so harmless, had turned angry, and the red color of an inflammation was making its way up her side.

"What is it?" Xena asked, when the bard had been silent for a while. She turned her head, and saw a very upset Gabrielle holding a hand over her mouth. And from that she drew the conclusion that it was bad. She reached behind to touch the wound, then smelled her fingers. A deep sigh expressed, that she now knew.

"It really is poison, isn't it?" the bard asked.

Xena nodded. "Of the worst kind. I've seen it at work before. First, the victim loses the ability to reason. His thoughts become confused and his choices are bad. Then his muscles stop answering to his will. He becomes clumsy. In the end he's a blubbering idiot who's unable control his body, and at last he dies when his breathing stops. If he's lucky, he won't be awake when that happens. It's not pretty."

"And this is going to happen to you? How long?"

"To the end? A few days. The first symptoms appear almost immediately, and little by little it gets worse. It's a horrible, horrible method of warfare, as it attacks the morale of the troops as well as the individual. I don't know why they shot me with that arrow. It's not their usual way."

"So, how do we fight it? I mean, there has to be a cure."

Xena turned her eyes up at the sky. "So far, I haven't seen anyone recover, and the cure - I don't think there is one."

"So you're just going to die?" said Gabrielle with a teary voice, but then she straightened up. "Well I don't buy it. Through the years that we've been together, you have been shot, hammered, punctured, drowned, dropped from a cliff, and buried under a pile of rocks. I've grieved your supposed death so many times that I've lost the count. You can be damn sure I won't let you die on me like this. Do you hear me! Now, how do we keep you alive until we can find a way to make you better?"

Gabrielle's determination strengthened Xena's wavering will. Even though she knew she just might be denying the truth, she would make it last as long as possible. And she would fight. As long as there's life, the hope remains - at least that's what she wanted to believe.

Following Xena's instructions, Gabrielle cleaned the wound again. She dug into the gash, and found the hard arrow head containing the poison. She took it out, then flushed the wound thoroughly with cool water by blowing it through a hollow reed.

The source was gone, but the poison was already in. Xena could only delay the inevitable. By the evening she was still getting worse. She had hallucinations about Mumakil, those gigantic creatures from the South, and she couldn't stand on the rocking raft any more. Most of the time she was tired because of the lack of nutrition. They had food, but she couldn't stomach it. Part of the disease, she explained to Gabrielle who watched helplessly as her strength gradually drained away.

They steered the raft to a shore, and pulled it up. Gabrielle knew it was dangerous to make a fire, but she did so anyway. For now the enemies were the least of their worries. She cooked the last pieces of the dried meat, spicing it with some roots that she found nearby, and they ate that in silence. After the meal they had trouble falling asleep, even Xena, who usually passed out immediately, no matter where she lay.

Gabrielle watched her rolling and twisting a moment, then asked, "Can't get sleep, either, huh?"

"Hmm," Xena grunted in affirmative.

"Would it help if I told you a story?"

"I doubt it," said Xena laughing, "Since when have I ever slept during your tale? They're too good for that."

"Well, maybe you've never heard me tell a real bedtime story before."

"Okay, okay, give it a try."

"I know this is hard for you, so it's very special story. Ever heard about the Ents?"

"Aren't they a species of tree-like, mythological creatures?"

"Yes. This is their story. Hooommm. Hooooooommmm," the bard began.

"Why do you hoom like that?"

"It's an essential part of the story. It is an Ent-story, you know. Veeery long, veeery boring."

"Ah. Well, go on. I have nothing to lose."

"Hooomm. Hrum hoom. In the beginning there was Fangorn. Hooooommm. Just Fangorn, Treebeard. And Fangorn was in the beginning. Alone. Hoooom." That went on for a while, then the bard threw a glance at her friend. The warrior was in a deep sleep. "Yeah, that's about the point where I fell into sleep when my father told this tale to me," she said, and pressed a kiss on Xena's forehead, then laid down herself.

When the morning came, it brought nothing new to Xena's state. Now they were out of food, and in her current condition Xena couldn't even think of hunting. Well, she did, but luckily Gabrielle was able to change her mind, and she left to hunt by herself. Of course, hunting was not one of her strongest skills, but she managed to find more roots, some fine berries, and a few mushrooms.

When Gabrielle returned, she found her friend lying on her stomach by the raft. Xena didn't seem to breathe, her eyes were closed, her face was pale like death. Gabrielle rushed to her, and shook her, and at last she woke up. "Xena, are you all right?" the bard asked.

"No, but for now I'm just tired," Xena answered, and compelled herself to sit.

"I found some food. Here, try to eat some."

But Xena pushed her away. "I don't think I can eat anything," she said and glanced at a place little further, where she had felt sick only minutes before.

"I found blueberries."

The mention of that drew Xena's interest. "Blueberries! That's good. Those are probably the only thing I can hold down by now." She took a handful of berries, but her mouth had no taste. Then she froze, and wrinkled her forehead as her brains were trying to form up a theory. Her eyes widened, and she darted them at Gabrielle. "Blueberries!" she yelled, startling the younger woman. "Blueberries this time of the year!? It can't be. Where did you get these?"

"Hey, take it easy," said the bard with calming voice, thinking the warrior was having one of her not-so-sane moments again. "They're just berries."

"No, this isn't right. These shouldn't be growing here. Unless..."

"What?"

"Unless we're much further in south than I thought. This river, I thought it was Gladden, but it must be Silverlode instead. Oh, it's all so clear to me now. Oh no! We must turn back! We shouldn't be here. If they catch us, we're lost. Go, get on the raft and go back!"

"Who? Where are we, Xena? No! I won't move anywhere until you explain."

Xena was already going, pulling the raft to water, but Gabrielle tripped her down. They fell onto the raft which started to drift down the river with the two women wrestling on it.

"Stop fighting back, Gabrielle," Xena said, using her brute strength to restrain the smaller woman. "Don't you see we're only being driven deeper into the forest?"

"So what? What is it with this place, anyway, that scares you so much?" Gabrielle asked, giving up under superior force.

"Lorien," Xena sighed.

"Lorien? Lothlorien?! Where the Elves live?"

"Yes. But these Elves are not our friends. In fact, no one entering this forest has ever been known to come back. No one."

"Come on! You don't believe that. It's just a legend, like a story that parents tell to keep their children out of trouble."

"No, Gabrielle. This is real! And even if it wasn't -- well, I'm not one of the persons these Elves would like to see, that's for sure."

"What do you mean?"

"Uh, you know I did some horrible things in my past. Conquering most of the towns and villages from Mirkwood to Misty Mountains, and from Beorn's land to Lorien. So, in the end, my land and Lorien had a common border. Obviously, I couldn't let it be that way."

Gabrielle shook her head, upset. "You attacked them. Boy, you must have been really out of your mind that day."

"I planned it so well. It was not the tactics, not the lack of skill of my men. We were prepared and ready, oh yes, we were. Then it came to the fight and ... little things turned against us. I don't believe in luck, but that one time... I don't know what else to blame. It was my first real mistake as a warlord."

"And I'm glad you failed," said Gabrielle, without the smallest sign of accusation in her voice. "There goes your legend, though; you entered the forest, and you came back alive." She smiled a little when Xena muttered something about an exception to every rule, and then she continued, "But wait; you mentioned Beorn. Did you attack him as well?"

"Not really. I was about to, but something came up."

"Then why does Grimbeorn hate you so much?"

"He has every right to hate me. You see, I sort of killed his father."

"You WHAT?!"

"Yes, I did kill the old Beorn. That was because of my second mistake," Xena sighed, and continued, "But I don't want to talk about it now. So, will you help me get this raft turned?"

"Well, there wasn't anything helpful in the way we came, as far as I know, but I tell you what. I'll give you a chance to convince me and come up with a better idea. Until you do, I'll help you steer the raft back to shore. But we're running out of time, I think, so I won't give any promises after that."

But they ran into the first problem immediately when they couldn't find the pole that Xena had used for steering. They had forgotten it on the beach near their camp site, or it had fallen from the raft when they were wrestling with each other. Either way, the pole was missing. They tried paddling with their hands to drive the raft closer the bank, but the current was too strong and it brought them back to midstream every time they gained a foot or two.

"Looks like we have to swim to the shore," said Gabrielle, and stopped paddling.

"Why don't you swim there by yourself. I'll find another way, if you don't mind," Xena retorted coldly.

"Since when have you been afraid of ... water?" Gabrielle asked, starting with a teasing tone, but then she realized that there was something very wrong with Xena. The warrior was pale, she was making a brave effort to sit straight up, but her muscles were already shaking with the strain.

From there they just drifted. Xena lay on her back, head on Gabrielle's lap, and the bard caressed her hair. During the rest of the day Xena suffered from cramps and hallucinations which weakened her even more. In the afternoon it was becoming obvious that the conclusion, what ever it was to be, wouldn't be far away.

Suddenly, the warrior stiffened and grasped Gabrielle's hand. "Gabrielle," she said with the last bit of strength she had.

"Yes, Xena?"

"Be careful, friend. Something in the woods has spotted us. You must make it alone from now on." With those words, she passed out.

The bard wiped away the tears blocking her sight and glanced around. All that she saw was mallorn trees, but she had become used to the fact that Xena's senses were much more accurate than her own. Maybe she really had noticed something this time, or maybe it was only a hallucination. Whatever it was, Gabrielle had nothing to lose any more.

"Hello! Can you hear me?" she shouted at the forest. "We are friends, mellon." Nothing told her that anyone was hearing her, but she continued anyway. "Listen to me, Elf-people. "Please! Help us! I travel with a great warrior who has slain many Orcs up on the Misty Mountains. Now she is very sick. I beg you, help her if you can. She's not only a warrior, but also a kind and good person. My best friend."

She listened silently, hoping to hear an answer; a word, a crackle, anything at all. Nothing happened. Only a southern breeze came to console her, waving her long, blond hair as she laid her head on Xena's breast, and sobbed.

Doing so she didn't notice that the breeze had grown into a strong wind that drove the raft ahead, until it bumped into the shore on the north side. She lifted her eyes up, and saw a group of Elves waiting for her. They were beautiful and fair, but also very serious.

"Will you... Will you help her?" Gabrielle asked, but the coldness of their response made her think that maybe this wasn't so good an idea after all.

"Sadly, it's not up to me," said one of the Elves with a freezing tone, and gestured her to step to the shore. She did so, and two others put Xena on a stretcher, immediately starting to carry her away to the woods. Gabrielle was going to follow them, but the Elf stopped her, saying, "We have a rule; no human is allowed to know the path to our sacred city. Put this cloth over your eyes."

"And if I refuse to be blindfolded."

"Then you'll follow your companion on biers."

Gabrielle revised her impression of the gentleness of the Elves, and let them tie her eyes, and after making sure that she couldn't see a thing they started the journey north through the woods. She wanted to stay close to Xena, but that luxury was denied her. Her attempts to converse were met with cold silence, but she didn't feel fear because she knew that it couldn't get worse. She had brought Xena to the only people who, if any, could help her.

At first they walked north, soon turning to the west, then north again, and so on, so that she quickly lost her sense of direction. All this meandering slowed them down, of course, and that made her very nervous. She didn't know how long Xena could stand the delay. When she asked them about that, they told her to keep quiet and let them take care of everything.

When night fell, they stopped, and removed the cloth covering her eyes. Immediately she wanted to check her friend, but the warrior was not with them. "Where's Xena?" she asked, upset and frightened.

The Elf setting up a camp fire glanced her, and stood up. "She took a faster route. Don't worry about her," he said.

"Where did you took her? I want to be with her. What if she needs me?"

The Elf came closer, and Gabrielle noticed that the hardness in his eyes had softened a bit, and replaced with curiosity. "I see you are not like the Warrior Princess," he said. "I see that you care about her very much, though I can't see why. You must understand; to my people your friend's name is like a swear word, and if I hadn't been following my orders, she wouldn't be alive now."

"But... where is she? What are you going to do with her?"

Before the Elf could answer, a new Elf came to the camp site. He pulled the first one aside, and they had a short and intensive talk. Then the newcomer left and the other came back to the young woman, looking thoughtful and confused. "Well, Gabrielle," he said, for the first time addressing her by her name. "It was unusual enough to let you pass by the stream this deep into our forest, and now the Lady herself wants to see you. What that means, whether it is good news to you, or bad, I do not know. But I do know that the first thing tomorrow morning, I will escort you to Caras Galadhon, and there it all will become clear."

She entered the hut and found it larger inside than it had seemed, mostly because it was carved partly inside the tree trunk. The Elf sitting in one corner alertly sprang up, but Elidon signaled him to relax. The window on the southern side was closed with shutters which let only little light into the room. By the opposite wall there was a single berth, on which a human figure lay wrapped on blankets; Xena.

Gabrielle approached her friend's immobile figure, terrified. She was so still, so pale. The bard feared the worst as she knelt down and put her hand on Xena's heart to feel if it was beating. It was, but the beat was slow and faint. She whispered her name, and got no answer, as she had expected. Minutes passed before she came to think that there was no healer present, and she wondered if the Elves had given Xena any treatment at all. She took a look around, but nothing in the room looked like medical aid.

Then, a new Elf entered. He greeted Elidon, before turning to her. "They're waiting," he said, and turned around. Elidon beckoned Gabrielle to follow him as he led them out, down the tree, and across the city to an enormous mallorn tree. It was both wide and tall, and also amazingly green and thick. Near its smooth bole a broad, white ladder stood, which they started to climb up. Soon the ladder dived amongst the first branches, but still they climbed. It must have been the longest ladder she had used, and it went so high that she had to close her eyes to be able climb at all. At last they reached a platform similar to the one Xena was placed on, but much larger. It reminded her of a deck of a great ship, and she didn't like ships. They tend to rock, which again made her feel sick. This platform didn't rock, though, and feeling something virtually solid under her feet again made her very happy.

On the platform there stood a house; a real house, not just any collection of sticks and leaves, under which these Elves usually dwelled -- a thing Gabrielle later came to know. The only room in the house was a large, round hall built around the bole of the mallorn. Inside this hall the most important Elves had formed an alley through which the bard now had to walk towards two people on the other end, sitting in tall chairs by the bole. One was a man wearing simple, white clothes with a silver cloak, the other the most beautiful Elven lady she could possibly imagine, dressed in a similar manner.

"Good day to you," said the Elf man when she stopped before them. "My name is Celeborn. I'm the Lord of Lothlorien. The lady by my side," he paused and made a gesture towards the woman, "is called Galadriel." The woman nodded. Neither of them smiled.

He paused again, this time expecting for the guest to introduce herself, even though he probably knew her already, at least by her name. "I'm Gabrielle," she said, then added on a whim, "the Queen of Amazons." Then she curtseyed -- not too deeply, as she wished to be treated as their equal -- and noticed to her pleasure a rustle of surprise and some unattended glances between the Elves.

"Welcome, Queen Gabrielle," said the Elf Lord, and quickly covered his mixed feelings. "What are you doing in our forest?"

"First things first," said the bard showing nothing but self-confidence, "Before me, my friend was brought here. Her name is Xena, and she was poisoned up on the mountains, which made her very sick. I want to know what you're going to do to help Xena. She claimed there's no antidote for this poison, but surely you can do something."

"Your companion was right; there is no antidote. We have done everything we can, but don't give up hope yet. Now, answer my question."

"We came here mostly by accident. We were on our way to Rhosgobel, when I was captured by Orcs on the mountains. Xena rescued me, but we got lost. If you're interested in knowing, I can tell you about it."

"Yes, I'm very interested. As a matter of fact, I insist you do so."

Gabrielle told them the whole story from her kidnapping to their wet escape. When she got to the point where Smeagol attacked her, she was interrupted by Lady Galadriel, who raised her hand and stood up, and when she did that, everybody's attention turned to her. "What day was it when you met Grimbeorn, and the Orcs kidnaped you?"

The seriousness in her voice and the question itself surprised the young woman. Now everyone was looking at her, and somehow it made her nervous. "It must have been on the second week of October. I'm not sure of the exact day."

"Then, what happened to you on the third of October?"

Again, Gabrielle had to think it over. "I left my sister in Bree on the last day of September, and the day after Gandalf caught me up. I believe that night I was touched by one of the Ringwraiths on Weathertop. Why do you ask?"

Now Celeborn sprang up, and demanded Gabrielle to tell about that as well, but Galadriel slowly sat down into her chair. The bard began another story, strongly emphasizing Xena's good sides. When she was done, Celeborn had regained his calmness. A moment of silence followed.

Then Galadriel took a very deep breath, and turned her thoughtful gaze up at the ceiling of leaves. "Did you know, Gabrielle, that anyone entering this forest uninvited will never leave?" she asked dryly.

"That's what Xena told me."

"And did you believe her?"

"More or less. Didn't take it too seriously, though."

"Well, you should have, as she was right. But things are changing," said the Elf Lady, sighing. "No more than a month ago I wouldn't have had any second thoughts about what to do with you two, because the Xena I knew brought us much grief and trouble. Now, I don't know. So, I'm expecting you to convince me that I did the right thing when I saved her life.

"Saved her... but he said..."

At that moment, a faint smile rose on Galadriel's face, and suddenly she radiated compassion and beauty. "When my husband said that there is no antidote for the poison, he spoke the truth. When he said that we had done everything we could, he spoke the truth. But he left untold that the poison is not in Xena's body any more. Not even the Elves have an antidote for this poison, but we can take it out of her. Yes, we can. And we did. Now it's up to Xena to repair the damage. It remains to be seen if she's up to the task, as there is much to repair."

"So she's not poisoned any more," yelped Gabrielle with excitement, "In that case, I'm sure she'll be all right. She's the strongest and most strong-willed person I know. She will recover."

"If she was anyone else," said the Lady, "I'd say she wouldn't. You may be right, though. So, this is my decision for the time being," she said, addressing her words to everyone in the tree house, "Gabrielle, the Amazon Queen, is to be treated as a guest of honor. She may freely move in the town, go where ever she wants. Only passing through the gate is forbidden. Same applies to Xena if she wakes up."

The meeting ended, and Elidon took Gabrielle back to the hut where Xena was sleeping. The Elves had offered her a place of her own, but she had preferred to share the talan with Xena. "What happens next?" she asked when her guide was leaving.

"Probably nothing," he answered, "Not until your companion wakes up, if that ever happens. After that, I don't know. The best you can do for now is rest and take care of her."

"One more thing, Elidon."

"Yes?"

"Thanks for being kind to me. I'd guess it wasn't easy, considering I'm so close to one of the past enemies of your people."

"You're welcome," said Elidon, smiling. "I may not like Xena, but I've nothing against you. And who knows, if what you say is true, that she has changed for good -- who knows, maybe some day I won't have anything against her either."

"I'm sure of that," said Gabrielle, and continued, "Will you be here tomorrow?"

"I have my duties outside, guarding the river," the Elf answered, but seeing the disappointment on the bard's face, he continued, "but I'm sure I can arrange something." Then he smiled widely, waved his hand, and so he was gone, singing a joyful song. Gabrielle made her bed next to Xena, and went to sleep.

The next morning, something woke her up. The sun peeping in through a gap in the wall hit her directly in the eyes. Everywhere around her, the Elves were singing; not for her, but for themselves. She listened to them for a while, and it made her feel warm and happy. She nudged the warrior beside her, then she remembered how ill she was. But she looked a little better than last night. Then a snap behind made her turn quickly around. At the door there stood a dark-haired child in a silver jacket and tattered, green trousers.

The woman and the child watched at each other, both in amazement. She had never seen an Elven child before. In that she didn't differ from most of the humans. The child was a boy about seven, but who could tell an Elf's age for sure. If he was an Elf, after all! He wasn't as lean as she'd have expected an Elf child to be, and his ears peeking under his long, black hair lacked the peaks so typical to Elves. The more she looked at him, the more he started to look human. A human child in Lorien -- that would be strange.

"Hi," she said. The boy remained silent. His left thumb searched for his mouth, found it, and went in. "What's your name?" she added. That moment, the door opened and Lady Galadriel herself entered.

"Estel, you shouldn't be here," said the Lady with a voice that didn't leave a chance for misunderstanding. It was stern, maybe even angry, but still tender and loving. The boy didn't need another call, and in a flash he was out. "I'm sorry," she added, turning to Gabrielle, "He's curious, and not used to humans. But I didn't come here looking for little rascals. Before we can make the final decision about what to do with the two of you, I must ask you about something. Answer with truth, even if it seems to go against your friend." Gabrielle nodded cautiously, and Galadriel continued, "When you were accompanied with Smeagol, did he mention a certain object. A ring, perhaps?"

"Yes, he did. As a matter of fact, he asked me a riddle of it. How did you know?"

"And later, did you tell about it to Xena?"

"Of course. It was a good riddle, but Xena spoiled my fun by guessing the answer immediately."

The Elf sighed. "I was afraid of this. But thank you for telling me. Had it been the other way around, my decision would have been much easier to make, though. Now it requires more pondering." She glanced at Xena, and lost in her thoughts she frowned, and walked out.

Gabrielle spent the whole morning watching Xena and nursing her the best she could. The warrior was getting better, which encouraged her to keep trying. In the afternoon, a light-hearted voice sang for her outside at her door, "Gabrielle, Gabrielle, come out, greet the sun. Gabrielle, Gabrielle, enjoy this meal, have a little fun."

"Hi, Elidon," she uttered to the Elf standing on top of the ladder, holding a packet wrapped in one, big leaf of mallorn. He sat down on the edge of the talan, and opened his packet. The bard sat down next to him, inadvertently looked down, and decided to move away from the edge to lean on the hut wall. Elidon offered her food from his packet, and she took it with great pleasure. While eating she, for the first time, had a good view of the city. Everywhere, tall mallorn trees in colors of green and silver towered, reaching for the clouds. Not many Elves were in sight, but all the trees seemed to be singing with multiple voices, sometimes in unison, sometimes each their own song.

The Elf told her about the town, but soon they just talked about anything coming into their minds. He might sing a piece of a song, and Gabrielle then tried to translate it to common language, just for practise and entertainment. She made some funny mistakes, but succeeded very well in general. Their happiness was so real that it was no wonder they soon enticed an increasing amount of listeners who after a short time of curious observing took part in their conversation. They came from down by the stairs, but also up from the same tree where the bard could have seen many other talans if she just had bothered to take a look. They sat down on the nearby branches, and on the roof of the hut.

Then the Elves started singing and their songs were happy and joyful. When a few hours had passed, Elidon turned to Gabrielle and said, "My friends, we have almost forgotten our guest. I have heard she is a skilled bard and storyteller. Why don't you sing for us."

Gabrielle looked at him shyly and answered, "True, I tell stories, but I doubt they would fit here. Besides, I'm not too much a singer. My way is more of just reciting."

But the Elves insisted and she had to yield. Maybe she could turn this to her -- and Xena's favor, even though directly telling about Xena's adventures wouldn't be appropriate. She stood up, closed her eyes and concentrated. Then she raised her head and looked directly into the eyes of of the listeners, and anyone she looked at got a feeling that they were about to hear something very, very special.

"I'm going to tell you a story that no one has heard before," she begun after a moment. "It is not about Love. It is not about Heroism. It's not about Good or Evil. Or maybe it is. It is about Life. This is the story of one woman."

Inside the hut, Xena started. She had been awake for some minutes already, but being unsure of her situation, she had chosen to keep still. Then she had just listened to those beautiful voices until it was Gabrielle's turn. If the bard was to tell the story that Xena was feared she would, then she would be in trouble. She desperately wanted to go and stop Gabrielle, but she was too weak to do that. And soon it was too late, anyway. But as the story went on, she couldn't help being drawn into it, despite the fact that she was the main subject; so vivid was Gabrielle's presentation.

And something strange seemed to be going on with the Elves, too. They were all silent like stones, but from their faces an attentive observer could read expressions of surprise, excitement and anticipation. At first, they had just politely asked Gabrielle to tell her stories, they were not expecting anything like this.

Because she was good.

Not that they expected her to be anything else, but the Elven standards for a good song or story were often quite far from what humans ever can present. This time, something changed.

Gabrielle told them about a girl, and how she grew up in a peaceful little town living on farming. She told them how one day, everything changed when an enemy struck and how the girl was forced to take the lead of resistance. And how one day, the attacking enemy met a defense they hadn't expected. She told them how this young woman turned the farmers into soldiers, plows into swords, and how valiantly they one time after another defeated the enemy. And then she told how things went awry, how the defensive force became offensive, and how the woman slowly slipped into the darkness, destroying everything and everyone that was standing on her way.

She never told any names, not even Xena's. Nor did she mention places by their real names. It was a long story but the time seemed to fly. At last, Gabrielle was preparing for the end. "... and ever since that she has tried to pay back what she did in her past. Her past comes into her nightmares and her victims haunt her at night. Maybe some day she'll find peace. But she proved that one can change if there's even a little good in him or her. And there is, in every one."

The story ended, but the Elves remained silent. Gabrielle started to feel a little uneasy. Had she done something wrong? Was it something she had said? At last one of the listeners dropped down from the roof and said, "I'm sorry. We are amazed and therefore silent. Your story has touched us deeply and we'd like to hear more, if you don't mind."

"I'm glad you liked it," she replied, "but I feel too exhausted right now. Usually, I write down the stories I tell and I can remember them nearly word by word with no effort, but this one is different. I have never told it before and I will not write it down. At least for some time."

"My people don't write our songs down on paper, like you humans, or carve them into stone, as do the Dwarves. Our stories are meant to be remembered in the song format. This one we wouldn't like to forget. We will make a song of it and so it will live on with us 'til the end of days." He was about to continue when he happened to look at the door of the hut, and started.

Everyone turned to watch Xena who stood in the doorway, leaning on the wall. "Hi, Gabrielle," she said, as soon as her friend saw her. "Did I miss anything?"

Gabrielle sprang up and leaped to Xena, speechless of relief and happiness. She gave her a tight hug, then took her back inside, as she was still too weak to stand. Elidon followed them, but the other Elves left in silence, each to their own direction. He asked if they needed anything, but Xena shook her head, and so he left because he understood that she still had a problem trusting his kind. After some time he came back, though, and slipped in a pint-sized pot of golden liquid. It was sweet and nourishing when the Gabrielle tasted it, and she persuaded Xena to drink some, too. After that, the warrior went to sleep immediately. The younger woman stayed up long, guarding her dreams, until she fell asleep herself.

The next morning, Xena slept long, but she still woke up before her friend. She sat up carefully, flexed her muscles and felt them responding, but they were lazy and weak. Shaking her head she shook off the last bits of drowsiness, and made a decision that she would feel good. She gave a brief look at the hut interior, then took a quick peek out of the door, making sure she remained unseen. Then she sat down in the center of the open floor, crossed her legs, and started meditating. Not long after that, some very sweet and very drowsy creature yawned in the corner.

"Good morning," said Gabrielle, "How are you today?"

"Fine, thanks to you," Xena answered without moving. "You saved my life."

"Well, you saved mine at the mountains, so let's say we're even."

"You saved me on Weathertop as well."

"Hey, if this is a contest, you'll lose it big time. I'm hungry. Aren't you? Why don't I go and see if I can find something to eat. You may as well wait here and finish with what ever you're doing." She gave Xena a tight squeeze on her way out, and in her mind the warrior thanked her for being so prudent, as she wasn't ready to face the Elves yet. It didn't take long for the bard to return with a basket full of food.

It took two full days for Xena to heal before she could even climb down from the tree unassisted. The Elves were wary in her presence, but after time they learned that she wasn't a threat to them any more. Even though they seldom voluntarily talked to her, Elidon excepted, at least they didn't avoid her. Lady Galadriel had very clearly stated that she accepted both of the guests, and her word was something that counted. But it took a whole week before Xena finally met the Lady in person.

It happened like this. One day, Elidon came to the place where Xena was practicing her battle skills while Gabrielle watched and wrote down her stories into a little book. The Warrior Princess was still not up to her previous skills, but she made progress every day. Elidon took them to the same, huge tree where Gabrielle had first met the Elven rulers, and they climbed up, Xena first, the bard on her heels. The Elf followed them, but when the women stepped onto the talan, he stayed at the top of the ladder.

This time, there was only two Elves in the big tree house. When Xena entered, they stopped talking with each other and turned to her. "Ah, Xena," said the male Elf, "We meet again."

"Celeborn," Xena responded cautiously. Her last meeting with this man had been relatively bloody, and she didn't quite know how he would feel about her.

"And this is Lady Galadriel, as you probably know," he continued.

"Xena, Gabrielle," said the Lady, nodding at each of them in turn, but only smiling for the bard. It was the first time that Gabrielle noted how tall the Lady actually was, now that she stood so close to Xena. Those two were practically the same height.

And Celeborn continued, "You have perhaps wondered why you were let into our forest, and even into our sacred city. It is highly unusual for someone with Xena's reputation. But maybe it's the best that the Lady tells about it herself."

Galadriel nodded, and spoke. "I have this thing that I call a mirror. It can show me things from the past, present and future. Ever since the evil settled in Mordor it has shown me nothing but fire and destruction. It all changed some weeks ago, the same night when you helped Gandalf fight the Ringwraiths on Amon Sul which you call Weathertop. That night, a small sparkle of hope suddenly flashed though darkness. The same happened ten days afterwards, and the sparkle has been getting stronger ever since."

"Lately, I've been using the mirror all too much, more than is safe, and its visions are getting more and more vague, often mysterious, and almost impossible to interprete. One thing remained the same, though. It was a twosome of warriors; one of light, one of dark, two opposites that complete each other. For a long time I didn't understand what it meant, not before you two crossed our border. I didn't know if you really were the twosome, that's why I asked so many questions. But you are, I don't doubt it any more, as last night I directly asked the mirror about you, and this is what it told me. You two share a destiny that will take you through great dangers and many battles. But it needs both of you to be fulfilled. Neither of you can do it alone, it's always the two of you together! What is this destiny, that I don't know. It may be to secure the way for the One to come after you, but I believe it might be something even more noble. Be it the one or the other, you must find it out yourselves. This is all I can tell you."

"Destiny, huh? I don't believe in destiny," said Xena dryly.

"You don't need to," answered the Lady. "It's only required that the destiny believes in you! Anyway, that is not important. You will stay here until Xena is fully recovered. If you wish to leave sooner, I won't stop you, but know this; I can only offer my help inside this forest. After you leave, you're on your own again, and the outside world these days is cruel and dangerous."

Xena looked at Gabrielle, who immediately understood her thoughts. "My Lady," the bard said, "I'd like to ask you a favor. We need to know how things are in Rhosgobel, as that is where we are bound. Maybe you could send a scout to assess the situation. It would put our minds at ease."

"Yes, we can do that," said Celeborn. "I'll send a few men out there first thing in the morning tomorrow. But they will only observe. No matter what they might run into, they'll be forbidden to take part."

"I'd like to ask for a favor, too," Xena said, and when she heard no complains, she continued, "My weapons lay on our last camp site up the river, together with some other things. Could you get them for me, please?"

The Elves looked at each other, and for a while it looked like they weren't going to accept her request, until Galadriel nodded, and Celeborn said, "Your equipment is already here." He walked to the other side of the hall where a broad table stood. He removed the cloth that covered some things on it, and took a sword from the table; Xena's sword. He spun it skillfully a couple of times, admiring its fairness. He seemed to hesitate for a while, and then flipped it over and offered it hilt first to its rightful owner. Xena took the sword and quickly glanced it for damage until she put it into the scabbard also lying on the table.

"It's a remarkable weapon," said Galadriel suddenly behind her. When Xena glanced at her, she understood that the Elf wasn't referring to the sword.

"I've found it useful," Xena replied dryly, as she picked up her chakram.

"I wonder if you've realized how unique it is," the Queen added.

"What do you mean?"

"Let me have it for while." After a brief moment of hesitation, Xena handed the round weapon to the Lady. "Look. There is an inscription in the inner edge. Normally you cannot see it, but when exposed to certain things it becomes visible. See?" She made a gesture over the weapon, and indeed, some writing appeared in the inner edge.

"I can't read this," Xena complained when she had seen the text.

"I'd be surprised if you could," said the Lady, "because it's very unusual writing you've got there. First of all, the language is a Dwarven dialect, but it's written with Tengwar letters, which again are Elvish."

"What does it say?" asked Gabrielle impatiently.

"It doesn't translate very well to common language, but I'll try. It says:"

    When the mind is still
    and the cause is right,
    the wielder's will
    guides the flyer's flight.

"But that is not all," she continued. "The metal is from Westernesse which once resembled the peak achievement of the Human race. So this weapon is what comes from combined knowledge of Humans, Elves and Dwarves. Not many items of such exist any more, and not many was ever made. Keep it well, Xena."

"I will. But you didn't explain the meaning of that writing."

"I thought it was obvious. Very well. In a nutshell, it means that with practice the owner of this weapon can guide it with the power of his or her mind."

"You're saying that when I master it completely, I won't have to calculate how it bounces from the walls?"

"No. I say that when you master it completely, you won't be needing any walls."

Xena watched Galadriel dubiously. Then she picked up the rest of her belongings, asking, "Are we done here?"

"Yes, I guess we are, unless my dear husband has something to say," the Lady answered, and as Celeborn said nothing, she continued. "I was hoping you would stay for dinner. I'd like to get to know you a little better. To build trust between us. Things like that."

Xena immediate inclination was to reject the invitation. On the other hand, it might be her only means to break the circle of fear and doubt. And on top of everything, to chicken out like that would mean that she could never look in Gabrielle's eyes again. That she was able to read on the younger woman's face so vacant that it gave nothing away to a stranger, but somewhere behind the mask it was there. So, she sighed and promised that they'd be there in time.

After the dinner came a time for conversation and free entertainment. Gabrielle took the chance and pulled Xena aside. "What?" asked the warrior, seeing the grave expression on her friend's face.

"Now I'm embarrassed because of you. If the Elves don't seem too eager to be friends with you, I wouldn't be blaming them. Why so grumpy?"

"I'm not grumpy."

"Yes, you are."

"Does a woman need to be happy all the time?"

"You've been like that ever since we arrived Lorien, and for your sake I hope it's just the after effect of the poisoning. I thought tonight would be perfect for peace making, but you're not even trying. Come on, Xena. Get a grip!"

Xena poked Gabrielle's chest with one finger, and pushed her away. "Easy for you to say, little Miss Perfect," she retorted before storming out, and leaving the surprised bard behind, mouth open.

"Lothlorien shouldn't be the place for quarreling," said Galadriel's voice behind the bard. "What was that about?"

"She didn't like the truth," Gabrielle muttered before facing the Lady. "I'm really, really sorry for my Xena's behavior. You're getting the completely wrong picture of her. She really is a caring person."

"If you say so. The more reason that we have this talk now. Come, let's move further away from the ears of others. They might not agree with my reasoning."

"What is it, my Lady?"

"You must know that I'm taking a great risk telling you this. I have to hope my decision doesn't turn ill. It concerns the Ring."

"What ring?"

"The One Ring. The ring Smeagol once possessed. The ring that can make one invisible, but that's only the smallest part of its power. Whoever is strong enough to wield it, can rule the world. Long time ago, the Dark Lord made it for himself, but it was taken from him. Now he wants it back, and if he gets it, everything is lost."

"If it's so powerful, so why don't you use it? You or Gandalf, or some other of the good guys?"

A dark shadow ran over Galadriel's face, and her appearance changed as she screamed, "Don't even consider it!" Then she reclaimed her composure, smiled awkwardly at the frightened young woman, and continued with a slightly lower voice. "The Ring is evil, and able to corrupt any mind. In the end there would still be a dark ruler, as bad as Sauron. No, that possibility is unthinkable."

"Oh-kay, but I still don't understand why you are telling this to me?"

"Because Xena already knows about the Ring. She knows what it is and what it can do. Can you now understand its power? She hasn't even touched it, or seen it, and still she wants it, and it calls for her. She may not even realize it herself. Not many humans could master the Ring, but undoubtly, Xena is one of them. With its power and her skills... Melian save us! Those two are like made for each other! Were they united, and there would be no force on earth to stop her. Perhaps I'd be wiser killing her now while I still can."

She made a long pause before continuing. "But I won't do that. If Xena gets the Ring, she'll become the Dark Ruler. If I kill Xena, she can't save the world. That's why I need you. You must keep her far away from the Ring."

"You don't know what you're asking," said Gabrielle wryly. "When Xena's decided something, nothing can turn her head. How come you're so positive that she knows at all? Surely she'd have mentioned me about that."

"I can see it in the way she is. I'm a little surprised that you don't see it as well. You have the gift for that; the gift to see into one's heart. Why do you think she's been so quiet, and why she's keeping everyone away, you included? You think she's afraid of my people? I don't believe so. But if you need proof, I'll give it to you. You were on a way to Rhosgobel, weren't you?"

"Yes, and that's still the plan."

"That town lies north-east from here, and the Ring is still in the West. If Xena wants the Ring, she'll find an excuse to to turn back."

"That won't happen. She feels too much responsibility to her hometown to turn back before she's seen it's all right."

"Then we shouldn't have a problem. But I'm sure you'll know what to do if it doesn't go like that. Keep her away from the Ring."

Lost in thought, the bard turned her back to the Lady and was going after Xena, but suddenly she kicked at the wooden wall, annoyed. "Gabrielle? What is it now?" Galadriel asked.

"Nothing. Just that... you see, I'm only recovering from that destiny thing, and now this. I'm to fight WITH Xena to save the world, and I'm to fight AGAINST Xena to save the very same world. And I've no weapon. So, how do I do it?"

"I thought you're a quite capable staff fighter."

"Yeah, well, that's the problem. Staff is my thing, but it's more or less useless against thick Orc skulls. I tried, believe me. And I hate it when I have to keep secrets from Xena." She walked away, mumbling something to herself.

From then on, the women were left mostly on their own. Xena started her exercises early in the morning, and ended them when the sun set, and it became too dark for practicing. She only paused to eat and sleep, and when she ate, she didn't talk much. Gabrielle wanted to keep her company, but due to her ill temper the bard soon found herself searching for someone more lighthearted to talk with. Such person she found in Elidon, with whom she had some rich conversations. Xena, on her behalf, sought company among self-made wooden practice dummies.

Another week passed, and the anxiously awaited scouts returned from Rhosgobel. They had traveled the distance in half of the time a normal traveler would need. Still, they hadn't used any means of transportation other than their feet, but the Elves could run faster and longer than humans, as they didn't tire out easily. Only very briefly had they stayed in the vicinity of the town before turning back, so their story was short.

"We went as near the city wall as we dared," they said, "but we had to stay in the shadows of the forest. Still, I think we had a good look of the town, even though we didn't see the interior because of the fortification. Be in peace, Xena, your home was still there and well guarded. Up on the wall, keen-eyed men paced day and night, and farm animals pastured in the fields outside."

"Well, that sounds like good news. Thank you," Xena said, and the scouts walked away.

"Did you hear that, Xena?" said Gabrielle happily. "Your hometown is still holding. Now you don't have to hurry on. We can rest here and make sure you're fully recovered before going on to Rhosgobel."

Xena didn't look at her. "We're not going to Rhosgobel," she said slowly.

"We're not?!"

"Nope."

"Why?"

"I need to find out what happened to Argo."

At that moment, Galadriel's warning flooded into Gabrielle's mind. "You mean you'd travel back the way we came from just to find Argo?"

Xena gazed her sharply, and said, "You have a problem with that?"

"But we're so close to Rhosgobel. I thought you were worried about your family, and now suddenly you just changed your mind."

"Argo's my family, too. I'm going to find her first. Rhosgobel won't go anywhere in the meantime. You heard that Elf. They're fine."

Gabrielle was so shocked that she had to sit down. Had the Lady been right? If so, what should she do? What could she possibly do? "Xena," she said quietly, "there's no need to go after Argo."

"How can you say that?" the warrior yelled. "She could be hurt and suffering somewhere up there. I can't leave her like that."

"Xena, don't. At these times, you must concentrate on the living."

That startled Xena. "You're saying Argo's dead?" she stuttered.

"Yes. Argo's dead. I saw it happen."

Xena watched her friend in disbelief. Then her eyes narrowed, and she said, "No. You're lying Gabrielle. You've never been a good liar, so why do you even bother."

"No, Xena. I'm not lying. Please, believe me. Why would I lie you about a thing like this?"

"I don't know. But there must be some reason."

"Xena!" the bard yelled, and grasped her friend from her clothes. "Argo's dead, and there's nothing you can do about it. I saw it happen ... in the cave when the Orcs captured me. They... they hurt her, and I saw it was bad, and the last thing I saw was them dragging her body away, before they knocked me out."

Xena took a breath, and said, gritting her teeth, "Just to amuse you; if you're telling the truth now, it would mean you lied when we left the mountains. Why would that be?"

"I don't know. Maybe... maybe I was still on denial back then. Couldn't believe it true. And knowing how you could react, it probably was the best this way."

"You sure have good excuses," Xena said bitterly, and strode away with long steps. She was angry; angry and hurt. Before she knew it, she was running as fast as she could, until at last she stopped on top of a hill, her lungs about to burst. The running had burnt down her anger. All that was left was sorrow which she cried out loud. Then she dropped down to her knees and was quiet.

She missed Argo, she realized it more than ever. The steed had been there through good and bad, always staying by her side. That had Argo done for so many years. So many years. More than any other horse she had owned. The thought of that made Xena think of how old Argo was, actually. Argo had passed her best years already, and had she lived, she would only have a few more left. She had lived like a war horse, a warrior. What could be more appropriate for her than to die like a warrior. Not in old age or in some disease in the back of a stable. So maybe it had been her time.

She raised her face at the clear star sky, and let the tears flow. Then she began a song beautiful and full of sorrow. If there were any Elves near, they were quiet and let her have her space to mourn. When the song ended, she sat down on an outstretched tree root, and buried her face into her hands. And then, when she most needed it, a friend sat down next to her, wrapping her arms around her.

----

The next few days were the best of those that the women spent in Lorien. Had it been the sudden grief, or had it been something else, but it made Xena open up. She became much more lighthearted; more like the person she had used to be, and some of the Elves accepted her in their company. That usually happened when she was performing her exercises.

One of those days, Xena was doing her things and Gabrielle had a discussion with Elidon and a bunch of his closest friends. It happened that Lady Galadriel herself surprised the bard by appearing, and she asked to talk with her in private. They went to another huge mallorn and climbed up to a talan where she hadn't been before.

"Welcome to my personal quarters, Gabrielle," said the Lady.

Gabrielle was overwhelmed. "These are yours? What have I done to earn this honor?" she responded.

"I've a lot of reasons. One of those is that I like you. Another one is that I have a gift for you. It's something that should qualify even for an Amazon Queen."

"You know the Amazons?"

"We Elves used to have good connections with them, but it was a long time ago. Many human generations have passed since then. In fact, I didn't know there were any Amazons left any longer, and I'd be interested in hearing about them sometime. But that must happen on better time." The Lady gave a sign, and two of her maids came in carrying a long object wrapped in mallorn leaves. The Lady took the packet, opened the strings holding the leaves together, and tenderly extracted a beam of pure white metal. "This," she said, "is the Spear of Alatariel." She handed it over to Gabrielle who examined it with interest.

This weapon was certainly made of metal, but in spite of that it was surprisingly light. Its pure white surface was absolutely smooth; no decoration, not a single dent. It was about the same length as Gabrielle's staff had been, but with a slightly narrower diameter. Both ends were blunt, which made the bard ask a well-founded question; "What makes this a spear?"

"You're asking the wrong question," the Lady replied. "You should ask, why would I give you a spear; you, who utilize a staff. And I would answer: because this spear can also be used as a staff, as you see. And if you're afraid this isn't enough to crack an Orc skull..." She paused, and set her hands on the middle part of the spear, and turned it. The spear went 'click', and popped out a sharp head from one end. "It really becomes a spear, if you prefer," she continued, paused again, and turned it another time. "It can also be something even more lethal." Now the other end popped out another sharp head. One more turn, and both ends clicked back as they were originally, and the young woman was holding the metal staff again.

"This is... quite a special weapon. I can't possibly accept this gift."

"Yes, you can. I won't take no as an answer. It's been hanging in the back of my closet for centuries, and no one has used it. It's time someone takes it into action once more."

Gabrielle waved her new weapon in large curves. It felt so light that it made her wonder if it could ever do any serious damage to anyone. But it was easy to handle, and felt good in general. "I don't remember hearing about this Alatariel before. Who was she?" she asked while spinning the staff faster and faster.

"Alatariel - she was a fearless warrior," Galadriel mused. "In her youth she was wild spirited, even arrogant sometimes, and she fought in many battles. Sometimes she was called Alatariel the Impatient, as she was always the first to go, and the Elven way of waiting and observing made her uneasy. She made this spear herself to be the best spear ever made. I believe you'll find it very useful, even if you only use it as a staff."

"What happened to her?"

"She retired."

"Just like that? Aren't you going to tell me more about it?"

The Elf smiled at her, and said, "Maybe some day I will. Well? How do you like it?"

"It responds nicely. Very precise. Very agile. Feels like it's glued to my fingers. Perfect balance. If what you say is true, that this really is a spear and the staff property is just a bonus, then this must be an incredible spear. But of course, many of these characteristics are due to its lightness, which may turn out to be a problem."

"You think you can't have enough power behind your strikes?"

"Yes."

"I understand. Don't worry. You won't think so after your first fight."

"Really? Well, maybe I'll go and try this against some of Xena's practice dummies. Thank you." The woman left and headed to the training field. Xena was already there, as was expected. She was practicing her flips which were getting near to her usual heights. "Hi, Xena. Looking good. You've healed well."

Xena stopped and turned at her friend. "Thanks. What have you got there?"

"A new staff. Galadriel gave it to me."

"May I?" Gabrielle handed her new weapon over. Xena examined it a while, then threw it back. "A bit light, don't you think?" she criticized.

"I know. Galadriel said it's supposed to be like that. But look at this." She twisted the middle part and demonstrated the pointy heads. "Impressive, huh?"

"Hmh. It's nice," said Xena laconically. "If you're interested in trying that out, I'll give you a few minutes. I could use practice against a real opponent. Let me just get a staff somewhere."

Xena found a staff and they started, as usual, with light, tentative hits which the other had little difficulty to block. Then Xena added more energy, and forced the bard backwards, but Gabrielle stepped aside and countered with a series of very fast strikes, that way making it even. Xena winked at her and smiled, giving her a credit for a good start. Then she started a combination of movements which aimed to a quick ending of the battle. But it didn't go quite like she had planned.

Gabrielle had seen it happen too many times. First, Xena played with her a while, then made a few moves so quick that she had nothing to put against it. This time she wondered why the warrior had the patience to keep it going so long, as the attack that she had though to be 'it' had been easy to block. But when she looked into Xena's eyes, she could read tension and disbelief. What had happened? She thought that she should push on, and put her everything into the game. It led into something that had never happened before; Xena had to take a back flip to retreat.

That turned the fight into a new course. Xena didn't underestimate Gabrielle any longer, and so it became a battle of two evenly matched combatants. The warrior held her staff from the very end, and tried to spear Gabrielle from long distance. However, Gabrielle blocked her attempt.

Xena locked their staffs to an upright position, then let her staff slide down by Gabrielle's in order to hurt her knuckles, and make her break the hold of her weapon. That didn't work, either, as Gabrielle changed her hold, and made Xena's plan fail.

Xena flipped up and landed behind the bard, trying to surprise her that way. Futile again, as Gabrielle anticipated her move, and tumbled to the point where Xena had been standing a moment before.

Xena noticed that her tricks didn't work, as the bard seemed to know them all in advance. That lead a situation where they both held their positions, exchanging strikes, blocking, and dodging, with amazing speed, fighting like they'd never fought before.

Gabrielle's strikes started to fall more heavily and more often, and that left Xena little or no time to hit back. The warrior was too stubborn to retreat, and therefore all she could do was try to block. Soon that wasn't enough, and at last she was forced to take a step back, then another, and finally the impossible came true. Gabrielle performed a combination that hit the staff out of Xena's hands, then made her dodge before an over-head strike, and finally, she placed a hard punch in her stomach, making Xena bend over, fly a few yards back, and then just lie down.

The bard remained in a battle stance, waiting for her opponent to rise up against her again. When that didn't happen, she realized that the battle was over and that her best friend was in pain. She threw her staff away and ran to Xena. "I'm sorry, I'm so very, very sorry. Are you all right? I didn't hold back, I didn't think... I didn't hold it back at all."

"That's fine, Gabrielle. Let me just take some breath. I don't think anything broke. There, I'm okay." She stood up slowly, but bent over and leaned to her knees for a while before straightening up.

"Xena, what just happened?" Gabrielle asked, as everything that she had accomplished had just dawned on her.

"What do you think happened?" Xena asked back, "You beat me in a fair fight."

"So, you didn't let me win or anything?"

"And let you punch me like that? Are you out of your mind?" Xena said, and laughed shortly. Yet she couldn't believe it true that Gabrielle had won. It must've been the staff, she thought, but she couldn't be sure, since the more she thought about it, the more she came convinced that the younger woman hadn't executed any moves that Xena hadn't seen her do before. But no one would call Xena a bad loser. "It was a fair fight, and you won. Be proud of yourself. I'll try to make sure that it won't happen again."

"So I really, really won the match?"

"Yes, you did."

"This is so cool! Incredible! Oh, don't worry. I won't become haughty because of it. I won't start thinking that I've become a better fighter than you. Well, maybe a better staff fighter, but not a better fighter in general. So it's like..."

"Gabrielle! Cut it out."

"Sure, Xena. Sorry, Xena. You won't hear me talking about it again. Not a word. My lips are sealed."

"We'll see how long that promise lasts," Xena muttered under her breath.

"Say what?"

"Let's go back to the hut."

----

The following morning, Gabrielle woke up in the hut, and quickly found out that Xena wasn't there. Gone to get some exercise, she thought, and turned to her other side, closing her eyes again. Then sounds of metal clashing against metal far away made a grin appear, and she decided to get up. She had always enjoyed watching Xena practice. She went out and neared the place of action, and while she did, she got worried. It was too quiet. Soon she realized that it was because the Elves had ceased to sing. The only sounds were those of the fight, and they were too intense to be plain practice.

She arrived to an opening that she had come to know so well during the past weeks. Now there was a large crowd of grave Elves watching a fight in the middle. And in the middle, there was Xena, surrounded by three Elven warriors, who attacked her ceaselessly. The fourth was lying down a little aside, holding his stomach as if in pain. It all looked very real, very serious.

"What's going on?" the bard asked Elidon, into whom she ran at the inner circle of observers. He only answered with grabbing her with a grim expression.

"Xena! Xena, do you need help?" she yelled at the warrior.

"Stay.. out.. Gabrielle, I'm fine!" Xena yelled back as soon as she was able to.

From Gabrielle's perspective the battle seemed terribly unevenly matched. The Elves used a sort-of hit and run tactics. One came in swiftly, made his move, and retreated, and immediately there was another attacker on Xena's back side. They moved so quickly and graciously that it was like a dance -- a deadly dance -- and Xena seemed awfully clumsy compared to them. It looked like she wouldn't have a chance, but somehow she always managed to get her defense up in time. Then one opponent attacked, and only barely was Xena able to parry him, but maybe he had become too confident for his success, as he failed to retreat fast enough, and the warrior didn't hesitate. She drop-kicked his weapon out of his hand, and stabbed her sword into his chest soon after.

Gabrielle quivered, and couldn't believe what she saw. "Stop it!" she cried, but the fighters didn't listen to her. Now there was only two Elves against Xena, and they attacked simultaneously from both sides. Xena dodged and got rid of one of them by slitting his midriff. Then she turned quickly to welcome the other, but there her luck ran out. Even though she was able to stab him lethally, she also received a strike herself, and that strike was no less serious. That's when the bard finally broke loose, and ran to her. "Why? Why?" she cried when she crouched beside her best friend.

"Gabrielle..." Xena started faintly with a very pale face.

"I thought you and the Elves had made up."

"Gabrielle, It's all..."

"I should have seen... I should've known better."

"Dammit, Gabrielle," Xena snapped. She reached out for the sword lying by her side, and thrusted it through the astonished bard's stomach.

The mental shock was worse than the physical. Gabrielle tried to form a question, but her mouth refused to function. All she could do was to stare at the hilt of the sword sticking out of her body, and at Xena, who slowly and painfully rose to her feet, and dusted off her leather armor. "Well," she said, "as I TRIED to tell you, I'll be fine. And so will you." She grasped the hilt and drew the sword out of Gabrielle, who could still but gag and tremble.

There wasn't any blood on the sword.

There wasn't any blood on Xena, either.

And her opponents were raising from the dead, unharmed.

"Practice swords," Xena explained. "A little more advanced than those we're used to. The blade only interacts with another blade, and goes right through everything else. These are something better than wooden sticks, don't you think?" She admired the weapon that felt so real but was in reality just a hoax. Then she glanced at her best friend, grinned, and offered her a helping hand, "Sorry I did that. The only way to silence you," she said, and pulled the bard up.

Gabrielle looked at Xena's face. Then she looked at the jubilant Elves. She couldn't explain it, but she felt fooled, betrayed, and angry. She grunted, stomped a foot, and stormed away. Xena, sensing how she felt, went after her, but she was intercepted by Elves coming to congratulate her for a good fight. They were impressed, despite that they had heard of her skill, and that some had even seen her fight before. It took her some time to shake them off without hurting their feelings.

At last she got away, and eventually found Gabrielle doing a vicious staff practice near their hut. The bard had badly mistreated a wooden dummy, and when she noticed Xena, she aimed a terrible blow at its legs, thus knocking it down and finishing its existence. Panting heavily, she turned at Xena, whose stoic face showed no impression. "Better now?" Xena asked.

"Yes. No. I don't know."

"Listen, I'm sorry I stabbed you with that sword."

"It's okay. What bothers me is that you fought four Elves at the same time. I know the swords were fake, but nevertheless, it was dangerous. Why did you do that?" When Xena didn't answer, Gabrielle did it for her. "Was it because you lost to me? You couldn't believe I was good enough to beat you."

"Maybe. At least now I've proved myself that I can still fight. It also means we're ready to move on."

"You mean, move on for Rhosgobel?"

"Yes. We're off tomorrow morning. You go and find Elidon and see if he can arrange us some things for the way."

"I'll do that. I love these people, but enough is enough. I'll be glad to be on the road for a change."

----

The mist of an early morning was still clinging in the river valley when a small boat set out, and headed north the Great River. The farewells had been brief, and only Elidon with some of Gabrielle's closest Elven friends had come to see them go. No sign of the Lady or the Lord, which saddened the young bard, even though they had met and said good-byes in the previous evening. The boat slid upstream lightly and with surprisingly little effort. Not once did Xena look back, but just before they dived into a ravine, Gabrielle stopped paddling and waved for the last time. Elidon waved back, and then the Elves were covered by forms of nature.

On the ridge above everything, Celeborn and Galadriel watched the boat drift up the river. The Lady was sad and quiet, and making the Lord suspicious. He was positive that she knew more than she had told him. He just couldn't quite put his finger on what it could be. "Why did you give your spear away?" he asked.

"Because she'll need it more than I."

"Against the Orcs?"

"No. Against Xena."

"You still think Xena will fall?"

"I'm afraid of it. I'm almost certain of it."

Celeborn was quiet for a while, pondering the situation, before he said, "Xena's too experienced. Gabrielle can't stop her."

"Probably not. But it may just be enough to make the difference."

"Let's hope so. We shouldn't forget their destiny."

"Their destiny? There's no such thing as 'their destiny'. It's Xena's destiny. I just couldn't think of any better way to prevent her from dumping Gabrielle at the first suitable moment. The longer they stay together, the better chances we have. She's such a nice and talented girl, though. What a pity she has to die before this is over."