Gabrielle moaned as she felt the large hands on her. "Gabrielle, it’s me Xena. We’re going to get you out of here." She gently lifted Gabrielle up into her arms. Gabrielle moaned again. "It’s me, baby. I promise you are safe now. Come on, I’ve got to take you to the horses."

As she past by, Sophia kept her eyes closed. Unfortunately, her ears worked fine. She heard Gabrielle’s moans, and her raged began to grow. She could hear Xena walking by. And the next thing she heard would send shockwaves through her.

Gabrielle realized that Xena was carrying her. Her voice was hoarse and barely above a whispered. "Xena, please. Let me die. Please." The darkness mercifully took over once more.

Xena stopped. She looked down at her love. "No, no don’t give up Gabrielle. Don’t give up, we’re too close." She moved toward the horses. "Down Argo." Argo lowered himself to the ground. Xena straddled Argo, while she placed Gabrielle sidesaddle across her lap. She looked at Sophia. "Aren’t you coming?"

Sophia did not look up at her friend. "I’ll catch up with you. Go now. See you in Amazonia." Xena took off carrying her precious cargo. Sophia lowered herself back to the ground and burst into tears of anguish.

 ********

Herodotus staggered back into the makeshift camp with a bottle in his hand. He looked over to the figure laying on the ground. "Oh daughter, are you up yet?" No sound came. He took another swig from the bottle and walked over to the blanket-laden figure. "Don’t tell me your dead already?" He lifted the blanket. A hand quickly grabbed his throat.

"No, Herodotus, I’m not dead. But you are going to wish that I was." Sophia stood up, keeping her vise-like grip on him. "Tell Herodotus, did you really enjoy hurting her like that? I didn’t see her, but you really must of done a number of her, because she was begging Xena to let her die." She tightened her grip and in return she could hear him struggling for air. She looked down and noticed the bottle in his hand. She snatched it away from him and brought it to her nose.

"So, getting drunk Herodotus? Why? You know I really hate this. I wanted you to be sober when I killed you. I wanted you to feel every bit of pain. Well, I guess I’m going to have to sober you up myself." She dropped the bottle to the ground and placed her free hand on his forehead. "I won’t lie to you Herodotus, this will hurt you far more than it hurts me."