“c1″> 

For the
next candlemarks all the others could do was to wait, at a safety
distance of about fifty paces. Gabrielle was sitting in the
wheelchair nervously drumming her fingers on her left thigh and
envying Toris, Lyceus and Melosa who at least could express their
anxiety and uneasiness by pacing to and thro’. The sun
already was high in the sky when the blonde woman couldn’t
stand it any longer, neither the waiting, nor the uncomfortable
silence.

“c1″> 

“c1″>"Tell me about your sister, Toris, about her
childhood. In all our moons together, she never willingly spoke
about her home. And when she did there always was so much sadness
and loss in her voice. Tell me about her."

“c1″> 

“c1″>"It’s no good to dwell in the past, there are too
many dark corners, and ghosts who’d better stay hidden. I
haven’t seen her in years, and the last time we didn’t
part on friendly terms. You all know more about her than I do. This
slime, Darphus, he wanted me to believe that she ran away
from Corinth
and her throne and her power and all
the things she lost her soul to gain. And when this woman told me
she lives as a slave with the Amazons I was sure that they were
lying."

“c1″> 

Melosa
and Gabrielle tried to fill him in on all the things that had
happened the last moons and quarter moons. He really had a hard
time even hearing it. What they told him just didn’t fit with
the picture he long ago had forged about his sister, about the
Conqueror.

“c1″> 

It was way
after noon “EN-US” class=”c1″>when the small door to the sweating hut was
opened. Akyra was visibly exhausted but there also was a smile on
her face. She shielded her eyes against the sudden assault of
daylight, but before she could say anything Melosa burst inside the
hut. It took some time to get two more stretchers from the village
but soon they all were back in the healer’s hut.

“c1″> 

Xena
and Eponin were asleep but the girl was conscious, feeble, but
conscious. She even asked for water and something to eat. There was
no more fever, the inflammation was gone, her breathing was
regular, and there was a smile on her face whenever she looked at
one or the other of the two women.

“c1″> 

“c1″> 

“c1″>-x-x-x-x-

“c1″> 

“c1″> 

Instead
of regaining the healer’s hut with the others Akyra insisted
on taking care of the fire in the sweating hut first but this
wasn’t the reason for her lingering behind. She sat down in
front of the hut and waited for the other woman to join
her.