"Wait." Lila slowly twirled the
staff, as trepidation showed in her face, "let's give this
another go around."

They practiced for another few moments as
Lila's muscles burned from the strain.

"Okay, Gabrielle, enough." She
lowered herself to the ground. "How long did it take you to
learn the basics of the staff?"

"You really want the truth?"

"Yeah."

"About a day." Lila looked on in
shock. "But I had Ephiny and Eponin as my instructors. And it
took me weeks to get real good at it. Xena had me doing drills at
least twice a day."

"So all I have to do is practice twice a
day, and I too can become a hero, huh?"

Gabrielle sat down by her younger sister.
"What are you talking about? I'm not a hero."

"Oh yeah, well how about those stories I
heard about you? From what I heard, you and Xena are walking
legends."

Gabrielle turned to Lila. "Xena does most
of the fighting, I record the events."

“Not according to this bard that came
through town. He told a story about you and Xena. I told him who I
was and then I asked him where he heard that story from, because it
sounded like one of your stories."

"And?"

"And he said he heard the story told by a
young man named Loka, Loko…"

"Loki?"

"Yeah, that's it! So sis, you are a
hero."

Hecuba smile became a frown as she listened to
her youngest child's words. The word hero rang in the older
woman's mind. Hecuba refused to give in to the fear that
threatened to overwhelm her.

Gabrielle groaned as she lay down with a thud.
"I'm going to kill Xena."

Lila giggled. "You can't do
that."

"And why not?"

Lila began to badly hum a tune,
"Da–da–da-daaa, da–da–da-daaa."

Hecuba snapped out of her thoughts as she
listened to Lila's humming. Who's getting married? Hecuba
hoped it was Gabrielle. Maybe now she will settle down. She
listened carefully to the conversation.

"And have you set a date yet?"

"No."

"And when are you going to do that? As
Queen it is your decision."

"I don't know, maybe next
spring."

"Can I help plan it?"

Gabrielle smiled. "I can't think of a
person who I want more to help." Lila shouted and pulled her
sister into a hug. It was then that Gabrielle saw their mother
looking on. "Looks like Mom wants to talk to you
Lila."