“c1″> 

“c1″>"You can get back up now, Toris. They’ve
finished. Thank you for your help."

“c1″> 

"I
really hope it won’t have to be done a third time. But
you’re welcome, sis."

“c1″> 

“c1″>"I’m afraid it will have to be repeated at
least twice to be really effective.

“c1″> 

“c1″>“I never thought I would live the day you’d
once again call me your sister. The dagger only did minor damage, I
won’t die, so you don’t have to be nice or
anything."

“c1″> 

“c1″>"My sister died the day Lyceus was killed. –
I know what I said, and only the day before yesterday I was sure
that it was still true. I can’t really understand it, I
don’t understand how it happened, but the person I see now is
my sister. The way you were buying time by allowing this Darphus
person to hit you, how you got this Amazon away from me, the healer
tending to all others but forgetting about herself, yes, this was
the sister I remember, the child I never was able to forget, the
child I never hated. This sister never died,
Xena."

“c1″> 

Silent tears
were running down her cheeks, the soft fingers of a child were
quickly brushing them away and a small voice asked. "Are you
okay? Is your leg hurting this bad? You didn’t cry before.
Mother cried before she died. “c6″>Don’t die!"

“c6″> 

"I
won’t die, Lyceus, I’m okay. class=”c1″>The leg will heal just fine, don’t you worry.
I’m crying because your father said something very, very nice
that made me very happy." Xena smiled at the frown on his
face. "You know, sprout, grown-ups sometimes are a bit goofy.
I’ll be back on my two feet very soon. Big promise. And if
you give me a big hug I will heal even faster."

“c1″> 

So the boy
did and Xena turned her head back to his father. "You know,
Toris, you were right then, your sister died this day. But somehow
at least a part of her was reborn and over the years, she bid by
bid was able to control the monster I had become. Now, tell
me," she continued in a desperate need to lighten the mood,
"why are you in “c1″>Greece? The orders of the
Conqueror were unambiguous, as far as I remember."

“c1″> 

“c1″>"Albion
was far too cold in winter, and I
didn’t get along too well with their leader."

“c1″> 

When
Xena saw the expression of uneasiness on his face, she
couldn’t help a hearty laugh being rather well aware of
Boadicea’s voracious sexual appetite. "Well, I would
have loved to see you at the head of her clan, Toris. She seemed
rather taken with the looks running in our family." Uneasiness
quickly changed to discomfort, so Xena choose to change the
subject. "I suppose you’re on your way to
mother?!"