I'd like to extend my sincere thanks to those who aided in the completion of this story. To Sura, for the use of her character and for the laughs. J Though it was sometimes impossible to type due to tears of laughter, it was one of the most enjoyable stories I've ever written. To Ceallach for her help in finding a title and for her always appreciated input.

Also, I'd like to point out that the song is from the musical Jekyll and Hyde. I wrote the story before I'd ever even heard of the song, but it fit so perfectly that I just had to include it. Enjoy! J

by Arete

If you'd like to download a zipped file of this song (sung by Robert Cuccioli and Linda Eder) go here it's well worth it!! (file is 1.5MB zipped)

"It will be dark in a few hours," Sura pointed out. "We'd better think about finding a place to make camp."

"I've got a better idea," Arete mused wearily. "We've been on the road for three days now. It's going to take us at least another three to get back to the amazon camp. There's a small village right over that hill, why not splurge and get a real room tonight?"

Sura glanced at her oddly. "You OK?" she asked. "I've never known you to prefer sleeping indoors, especially on such a nice night."

Arete shrugged. "Just tired, I guess. It was just a thought. We can set up camp here if you'd rather."

Sura pondered the words for a moment. It wasn't like Arete to give up on an idea so easily. "No," she replied. "I think you're right. A soft bed would feel good for a change. I'm willing to spend a couple of dinars if you are."

Arete smiled weakly. "Then let's go. The sooner we get there the sooner we can get something to eat and hit those nice soft beds."

Sura watched her friend as she headed for the hill. Something didn't seem quite right, but she couldn't exactly put her finger on it. One thing was for certain, Arete hadn't been acting herself lately. She'd grown increasingly quiet over the last couple of days, making Sura wonder if there was something wrong. Whenever asked, however, she waved her hand in dismissal saying everything was just fine. Knowing there was nothing more she could do until the other Amazon was ready to talk about it, she followed along behind.

Cyrus wasn't exactly what you'd call a large village, but to Arete's relief, it did have a small inn. "Let's hope they still have a room," she sighed as they entered. "I'm exhausted."

"It seems pretty quiet," Sura noted, looking around the near empty establishment. "Shouldn't be a problem."

"Excuse me," Arete interrupted the only two men in the room. "Can you tell us who's in charge of renting rooms?"

"That would be me," the larger of the two men announced brightly. "It's a room you're looking for?"

"Yes," Sura acknowledged. "Preferably one with two beds."

"Sorry," the man shook his head slightly. "None of our rooms have two beds." He smiled apologetically. "We don't honestly get that much traffic here and the rooms are small."

"Fine," Arete sighed. "Do you have two rooms available then?"

"Of course," he smiled brightly. "Two rooms coming up." He scurried behind a large counter and pulled out a dusty scroll. "I'll need you to sign in and ..." he blushed slightly. "... well, pay in advance if you don't mind. We've had trouble with people sneaking out in the middle of the night."

"No problem," Sura chuckled slightly. "How much for two rooms?"

She paid the innkeeper while Arete signed the parchment. Taking the quill, she too signed her name and turned to her friend. Frowning, she noticed Arete had paled considerably since coming inside. "Are you sure you're OK?" she asked, concern evident in her voice. "You don't look well."

"I just need some rest," Arete smiled weakly. "I'll be fine." She nodded at the innkeeper and headed for their designated rooms. Stopping in front of the first door, she turned to Sura. "If it's all right with you, I think I'd like to rest for a bit. Maybe an hour or so and then we can get something to eat, OK?"

"Fine," Sura shrugged. "I could use a little nap myself. I'll stop by in a while; try to get some sleep."

Arete smiled in agreement and entered her room leaving Sura waiting until the door closed softly before heading for her own quarters.

Sura glanced around the tiny room. The innkeeper hadn't been kidding when he'd said there was no room for two beds. Still, it was warm and clean and she suddenly found the lure of the soft bed too much to resist. Stretching out, she closed her eyes and allowed sleep to take control of her weary mind and body.

It was dark when she awoke. Frowning, she looked out the window and realized she'd been sleeping longer than she'd intended. She'd needed it though. Both she and Arete had been pushing themselves in order to make it to the Amazon camp in time to warn their sisters about the possible threat from King Astoples. Feeling refreshed, she realized how hungry she was and headed for Arete's room.

Knocking on the door, she waited for an answer. "Arete," she called, frowning as she was rewarded with silence from the other side of the door. Turning the latch, she opened it a crack. "Arete?" After still getting no response, she swung the door open only to find the bed neatly made and no sign of her friend.

"Strange," she mused aloud. Thinking Arete had likely already gone for something to eat, she made her way to the area at the front of the inn.

As she entered the large room, she noticed there were more people than there had been earlier. Three men stood at the bar and a young couple sat eating at a small table. There was no sign of Arete, however, and Sura felt a tightening in her stomach as the first strands of worry began to make themselves known. Making her way to the same counter where they'd signed in, she addressed the innkeeper. "I'm looking for my friend," she stated without preamble. "Any idea where she went when she left here?"

The man frowned in confusion. "Your friend?" he asked. "I'm not sure to whom you're referring."

Sura studied him suspiciously for a moment before answering. "Arete," she replied. "The woman I came in with. She's not in her room."

She noticed him raise his eyebrows as though in surprise. "I'm sorry," he shrugged. "I don't know of anyone named Arete."

Sura felt her temper begin to get the best of her. Leaning on the counter, she brought her face to within inches of his while she glared at him, eyes narrowed. "I'm not in the mood for games," she informed him flatly. "You know who I'm talking about. We signed in together earlier today."

He took a cautious step backward. "You came in a few hours ago," he nodded warily. "But you were alone. I have no idea who or where this Arete might be."

Sura studied his expression carefully for a moment before looking around at the inns other patrons. All eyes were on her as she studied each of them in turn. Slowly turning back to the innkeeper, she pushed further. "I want to see the register," she stated. She saw him blink as though he didn't understand the request. "Now," she lowered her voice threateningly.

Shrugging, he reached down and retrieved the scroll, unrolling it and handing it to her without taking his eyes from hers.

Smiling smugly, she glanced at the names on the parchment. Immediately her gaze shot back to his. "Where's her signature?" she demanded. "Arete signed the parchment right before I did."

The innkeeper shrugged again. "I don't know what you want me to tell you," he began cautiously. "If her name isn't there, she never signed in."

Losing the grip she'd been able to maintain on her temper, she reached out and grabbed him by the tunic. "Listen here," she growled. "I've had enough of this. I want to know what happened to my friend. I know you remember her."

He shrugged helplessly. "Please," he swallowed hard. "I don't want any trouble."

"Well you've got trouble," she hissed, tightening her grip on his clothing. "And you're going to get a lot more unless I start getting some answers."

"Is there a problem here?" came a voice from behind her.

Without loosening her grip on the frightened innkeeper, she glanced sideways at the newcomer. "Nothing I can't handle," she informed him. Turning back to the proprietor, she added. "Just a friendly little exchange, right?"

"She's looking for a friend of hers," he blurted out nervously. "Claims they came in together a few hours ago."

"And?" the intruder prodded.

The innkeeper was about to shrug again, but in light of her warning look, he changed his mind and swallowed hard. "And nothing," he said weakly. "I didn't see her with anyone. She came in alone."

The man came to stand directly beside her, glancing from her to the innkeeper and back again. "Perhaps there's been some sort of mistake," he offered helpfully.

"There's been a mistake all right," she agreed, her voice low and threatening. "And he's the one who made it."

"Why don't you let him go," the other man suggested. "My name is Colten. If anyone in Cyrus can help you find your friend, it's me."

Sura looked at him suspiciously before turning her attention back to the innkeeper. Studying his expression, she could tell he wasn't about to give her any further information. She released her hold reluctantly and turned warily back to Colten.

"What's going on here?" she demanded. "People don't just disappear."

"You're quite right," he shrugged. "If something has happened to your friend, we'll get to the bottom of it."

"What do you mean 'if'," she glared. "Arete is missing and someone here is responsible."

"Perhaps your friend left willingly," he suggested. "Did you look for a note?"

Sura closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "There's no note," she spat, fighting to maintain her control. "Arete wouldn't have left without telling me."

"Take it easy," he soothed, his voice patronizing. "We'll find her." He reached out a hand to pat her on the shoulder.

Without thinking, she grabbed the dagger she always kept handy and had it at his throat, his hand frozen only inches from her. "Don't use that tone of voice with me," she warned. "I don't know who you think you're dealing with, but I'm not some child you can dupe into believing your lies. I will find Arete, and so help me, if she's harmed in any way, you'll all pay with your lives." She noticed the frightened expression at her words before his eyes once again took on a condescending appearance.

"Now, now," he tried to soothe her. "There's no need for any of that. Why don't you put that thing away before someone gets hurt."

"The only one who's going to get hurt is you," she smiled evilly. "Now either tell me where I can find my friend, or get out of my way. I'm not about to ask you again."

She noticed a shift in his gaze and whirled to see another man approaching her. "You," she frowned. "You were here when we came in. You saw my friend."

He looked at her in confusion. "You were alone, miss," he answered as the innkeeper had. "I saw no one else."

"You're lying," she seethed, her eyes darting wildly around her at the other patrons. "You're all lying." Quickly, she grabbed the man by the arm and whirled him around, bringing her blade to rest at his throat. "Now," she smiled in satisfaction. "Someone had better start talking or I'll spill his life's blood right here and now."

"Ok," her captive blurted out, fear evident in his voice. "Let me go and I'll tell you anything." She released her hold on him and whirled him once again to face her, the dagger still pressed to his throat.

"Start talking," she hissed. She pressed the point of the knife into his skin, watching as a trickle of blood rolled down toward his chest. "I'm not a patient person," she warned. She saw his mouth open as though he were going to speak before a black fog closed in on her. The pain in the back of her head had time to register only briefly before she lost consciousness.

"Now what?" the man asked as he checked the small injury to his neck. "This one could be trouble."

"Take her back to her room," Colten ordered, still wielding the heavy tankard he'd hit her with. "By the time she comes to, I'll have thought of something."

He watched as she was lifted and carried away. "You just picked the wrong inn this time," he smiled sardonically.

Sura awoke slowly, her mind trying to register her surroundings through the thick fog that seemed to cling to her memories. "My head," she groaned as she tried to sit up. Instantly, there was a hand on her shoulder.

"Lie back," a soft voice instructed. "You've got a nasty wound there."

She frowned at the sound of the unfamiliar voice. "Where am I?" she asked, her voice groggy. "What happened?"

"You're in Cyrus," the stranger responded. "Someone found you injured on the road outside of town. You've been in and out for two days now."

"Two days?" she repeated, her frown deepening. "That's impossible." She allowed her eyes to focus on the well-meaning stranger. "Who are you?"

"Name's Celtius," he smiled slightly. "My father asked me to watch over you until you regained consciousness. I'll go tell him you're awake." He made a move to leave the room, only to stop as he felt her hand on his arm.

"Wait," she instructed, still struggling with the bits and pieces of memory. "Something doesn't seem right. I can't remember exactly..." Her voice trailed off as she tried to put it all together. "I was doing something, or going somewhere..." Suddenly, realization dawned and she sat up, swinging her legs over the side of the bed much to his protests. "Arete," she murmured, looking around. "Where's Arete?"

She could see the confusion mixed with concern in his eyes. "Arete?" he repeated.

"She was with me," Sura answered impatiently. "We were on our way back to the camp and decided to get a room for the night ..." She frowned thoughtfully. "That's all I can remember."

"I know nothing of anyone else," he replied. "As far as what I was told, you were found and brought here alone. It seems you were set upon by thieves."

"If that's true," she mused aloud, "then what happened to Arete?"

"Can't tell you," he shrugged. "Like I said, I haven't heard of anyone else."

"Who found me?" she changed the subject slightly, realizing she was going to get no more information from this man. "I want to speak with him."

"That would be my father," Celtius explained. "I'll get him." Once again he made a move to leave the room, slightly relieved that she didn't try to stop him this time.

Sura steadied herself on the side of the bed before trying to stand. Though slightly dizzy at first, she could feel her strength start to return once she was on her feet. She walked unsteadily toward the window and looked out at the village. She frowned at the throng of people milling about. It was a little strange, she thought, for such a small place to be so crowded. Making a mental note to ask about the reason behind Cyrus' popularity, she looked around the room for her sword. As the door opened, she abandoned her search in favour of asking a few more questions.

"Glad to see you're feeling better," came a cordial voice from the doorway. "I wasn't sure you'd make it."

"I'll be fine," she answered distractedly. Frowning slightly at the newcomer, she added, "I understand you are the one who found me and brought me here. I guess I owe you a debt of thanks."

"No need," the elderly man waved his hand in dismissal. "I couldn't very well leave you out there to bleed to death now, could I?"

Something in his voice set off a warning in her head and she studied him suspiciously. "Still," she mused thoughtfully, "I'm grateful for your help."

"You're quite welcome," he smiled. "I'm just glad I found you when I did."

"Celtius tells me I was alone when you found me," she pressed for more information. "There was no sign of my traveling companion?"

"You were alone," he answered, a puzzled look on his face. "I just assumed that's the way you'd been traveling."

"No," she answered, trying to clarify everything in her mind. "I was with someone. A friend of mine."

He shrugged. "If that's the case, then where is she? I didn't see anyone when I found you."

She glanced up at him warily. "How did you know it was a woman?" she asked pointedly. "I didn't mention that."

He hesitated only briefly before chuckling. "Celtius told me you'd asked about a woman," she answered. "How else would I know?"

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Celtius and his expression. "I see," was all she said. "If you don't mind, I'm still rather tired. Maybe I should get a little more rest and regain my strength before I leave."

"By all means," he nodded amicably. "I'll have Celtius bring you some food if you'd like. You haven't eaten in two days."

"That would be very nice, thank you," she forced a smile.

She waited until both men had left and started pacing. Things just didn't add up and the more she asked questions, the more certain she became that there was something strange going on. Knowing Celtius was her best chance at getting to the bottom of things, she waited for his return. Her wait proved to be a short one as she heard a soft knock on her door.

"Come in," she called quietly. She watched as he entered carrying a tray with steaming broth and bread.

"Smells great," she acknowledged, watching him carefully. His expression seemed sincere as he smiled at her.

"I can't tell you how glad I am to see you up and around," he laughed lightly, relief evident in his voice. "I would never tell my father this, but I was afraid you were going to die while I was watching you." He blushed slightly. "I've never actually seen anyone die before."

"Then you're a lucky man," she smiled gently. "Thank you for taking such good care of me."

"Well," he blushed again, looking down at the floor. "I can't take any of the credit, really," he admitted. "I didn't do anything but stay with you. It was Father who brought the healer and all."

"Healer?" she asked curiously.

"Yeah," he nodded. "He bandaged your wound until it stopped bleeding. He also gave you some herbs to fight infection."

"Of course," she forced a smile. "How kind of him." She watched him fussing with the tray while she carefully chose her words. "Celtius," she began, watching his expression closely, "you didn't actually tell your father that I had asked about my friend, did you?"

He fumbled slightly in what he was doing before turning to face her. "What do you mean?" he stalled.

"I saw the look on your face," she answered evenly. "I could tell you were surprised at what he said."

"Don't pay any attention to that," he brushed the notion aside nervously. "I suppose Father just assumed since you were a woman, you'd be traveling with a woman. Is it that important?"

"It is to me," she persisted, taking a step closer to him. "I know Arete was with me. If I was found alone, then what happened to her? She couldn't have been killed, or her body would have still been there. Don't you think it all sounds just a little strange?"

"I suppose," he shrugged. "But Father said you took a nasty blow to the head. He said you could imagine all sorts of things while you were unconscious."

"And what of my weapons," she continued pointedly. "They're nowhere to be found."

"Don't know about that," he answered, obviously uncomfortable with the continued questioning. "All I know is what I've told you. Maybe I should leave and let you get some rest. Colten said I shouldn't stay too long and tire you further." He hurried toward the door, only stopping when he heard the realization in her voice.

"Colten," she repeated triumphantly. "Of course, I remember now. I was never brought to this village. Arete and I walked in under our own power. It was Colten who hit me when I started asking questions about her whereabouts."

"Maybe I'd better get my father," Celtius suggested hopefully, her words frightening him more than he would like to admit. "Or perhaps the healer."

"No," Sura shook her head. "I don't need a healer, Celtius. I need to find out what happened to my friend." She walked purposefully toward him, taking him by the arm. "I need your help, Celtius. Something has happened to Arete and they're going to great lengths to ensure I don't find out about it. Will you help me?"

He looked at the door, almost willing someone to come in. "I don't know," he replied uncertainly. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Listen," she insisted. "My name is Sura. I come from the Amazon camp three days south of here. Arete and I were on our way back there with information of great importance to our Queen. This is very important, Celtius. I need to get word to the Amazons about what's happened, but I can't leave here without Arete. Everyone I've encountered to this point has gone to great lengths to convince me that she's never been here. I know I'm neither crazy nor delusional, and I intend to get to the bottom of this one way or the other. What I need to know is, can I count on you?"

His eyes grew wide. "Amazon?" he repeated as though that were all he'd heard. "You're really an Amazon?"

Sura sighed inwardly, but tried to exhibit as much patience as possible. "Yes," she answered softly. "But that should remain our little secret for now, OK?"

"Sure," he breathed. "I've never met an Amazon before. You're not quite what I'd expected."

"Sometimes we expect too much," she quipped. Immediately regretting the remark, her voice softened. "Like I said, Celtius, this is important. You are the only one I can trust in Cyrus. Will you help me?"

"If I can," he shrugged uncertainly, "but I'm telling the truth, Sura. I have no idea about any friend you may have come into town with."

"I believe you," she smiled slightly. "But someone around here does. Any idea where they may have taken her? Have there been other instances like this in Cyrus?"

"Never," he shook his head emphatically. "Not even during the swine sale has there ever been a problem like this that I can recall."

"Swine sale?" she repeated frowning.

"Yeah," he nodded, "once a year there is a great sale. All the farmers from around these parts bring their livestock to Cyrus in hopes of getting top dollar. Buyers come from all around. Its the only time this village ever sees any real life."

"So that's why the place is so crowded all of a sudden," she mused thoughtfully. "When is the sale?"

"Day after tomorrow," he informed her. "Buyers are already pouring in. Good thing you came when you did or you'd never have gotten a room."

"Lucky me," she murmured, her mind trying to piece together what she'd learned. "I wonder if the timing is merely coincidence," she thought aloud. "Or maybe its got something to do with Arete's disappearance, but what? What could one possibly have to do with the other?" She began to pace again, almost oblivious to the young man's presence. Only when another wave of dizziness hit her did she realize he was still there as he came to her aid, steadying her and leading her to a seat on the edge of the bed.

"You should eat something," he suggested with concern. "Whatever happens, you're going to need your strength."

"You're right," she sighed, shaking her head slightly to clear it. "I guess I'm more hungry than I thought." She picked up the wooden spoon and took a sip of the warm broth. "It's good," she commented politely. Breaking off a piece of the bread, she dipped it into the bowl and took a bite, her mind still trying to work out a suitable plan. "First thing," she mused, swallowing the food, "I'll need my weapons."

"Maybe I can find them," he offered, still not altogether certain he was doing the right thing. "What sort of weapons did you have?"

"A dagger and a sword," she answered, taking another bite of the broth-laden bread. "Arete had a smaller dagger and a crossbow."

"There are many weapons in town at the moment," he shrugged helplessly. "How will I even know if I find the right ones?"

"My sword," Sura explained, swallowing more of the meager lunch, "not only has my name inscribed on the hilt, but also a small symbol on the blade. Likewise, Arete's crossbow has her name on it and both weapons are trimmed in gold."

"Gold," he breathed, obviously impressed. "I've never even heard tell of such a weapon before."

She smiled at his innocence. "You needn't sound so impressed," she informed him. "It's not solid, merely trimmed. Not enough gold for anyone to bother with really." The smile faded from her face as she experienced a strange sensation. "Celtius," she murmured, trying to stand and finding her legs like rubber.

He was at her side in an instant. "What is it, Sura? Shall I get the healer?"

She tried to clear her head, frowning slightly at the bread in her hand. "No," she whispered hoarsely, trying to maintain control of her thoughts despite the fog beginning to envelope her mind. "It's the food..." she continued weakly, her strength being quickly zapped by her efforts to remain conscious. "There's something in the food ..." She felt the spoon slip from her fingers as she lost the battle for control of mind and body.

The next time she awoke, he was still beside the bed, looking down at her with concern.

"Sura?" he prodded gently. "Are you awake?"

"Celtius," she frowned. "What ..." Her voice trailed off and she closed her eyes as she remembered what had happened. "Why, Celtius? What is it they're trying to stop me from finding out?"

"I swear, Sura," he insisted, "I didn't know about the food. Father handed me the tray and I brought it in."

"Don't worry about it," she assured him, her voice growing stronger. "I should have been more careful given the circumstances. How long have I been asleep?"

"A couple of hours," he informed her. "I'm sure they think you'll be out a lot longer. I emptied the rest of the broth out of the window and took out the empty bowl."

"Good thinking," she smiled slightly. "Now to find a way to get out of this room without being seen."

"This might help," he whispered conspiratorially. He handed her an object covered in rough burlap.

Sitting up, she uncovered the gilt-edged crossbow. "Where did you find it?"

"It was hidden under the stairs leading to the store room," he answered, obviously proud of his discovery. "They don't know I found it, at least not yet. No sign of the other weapons though."

"That's ok," she assured him, squeezing his arm slightly. "This will do for now. You took a great chance, Celtius, I won't forget it." She looked around the room in dismay. "I don't suppose there's another way out?"

"Only through the front of the inn," he answered regretfully. "Its crowded with people right now though. Maybe no one will notice."

She looked down at her attire. "I'm sure there won't be a lot of swine buyers dressed like I am," she sighed. "We won't be able to just walk out the front door."

"Then what?" he shrugged. "The window isn't large enough. There's no other way out."

"I'll need some different clothes," she replied. "Can you get me something else to wear? Something that will fit in a little more with the people around here?"

"I could borrow something of my sister's," he answered. "That should do."

"Fine," she nodded, getting to her feet. "Come right back here and if anyone asks, tell them I'm still asleep, OK?"

He nodded but didn't answer as he headed for the door. Sura waited until he'd left before returning to the window. Being careful not to be seen, she watched Celtius leave and was convinced he hadn't spoken to anyone. Feeling confident that her plan would work, she turned her attention to the next step. Once she was safely out of the inn, then what? She still had no idea where to find Arete, or even why anyone would go to such trouble to hide the fact that she was in the village. She secretly wished that some of her Amazon sisters were with her. There was no doubt they'd be able to get some answers out of the townsfolk. On her own, however, she wasn't sure of her chances, especially with the growing number of people in the village and the fact that she had no idea how many of them might be in on whatever was going on.

She hurried to the door quickly when she heard a soft knock. "I'm glad you're ..." The words died in her throat as she found herself face to face with Colten. "You," she whispered, her eyes narrowing. "I'll see you in Tartarus for what you're doing."

He only laughed. "Don't get so uptight, my dear," he chuckled. "No one is going to get hurt as long as you don't cause any further trouble. All we want is for you to wait here a couple of days and then you can leave. You could have avoided this, you know. You should have left instead of sticking your nose into business that doesn't concern you."

"My friend concerns me," she seethed. "And if you thought I'd leave here without her, you were sadly mistaken."

"So I found out," he concurred. "But it doesn't really matter much now. You'll be our guest for a couple of days and then you'll be free to go on your way to wherever you were headed."

She backed up cautiously as he made his way toward her. "Don't be frightened," he soothed, a condescending smile on his face. "I've no intention of hurting a woman, despite your little episode with the dagger earlier. I'm willing to chalk it up to stressful conditions and leave it at that."

"How generous of you," she stalled, still making her way backward toward where the crossbow lie on the bed.

"What can I say?" he shrugged, "I'm just a generous kind of guy."

Glancing toward the bed, she smiled maliciously. "I can see that. In turn, let me show you just what kind of girl I am." Quickly, she rolled onto the bed, grabbing the weapon and dropping off the other side onto the floor before he realized what was happening. Raising her head just enough to aim, she shot quickly, hitting him just below the ribcage. She grimaced at the inaccuracy of the shot; she'd never liked the weapon. Moving to stand over the body, she smiled wryly. "So much for getting to know one another," she murmured. Turning quickly, she made her way to the door. She peered out cautiously, ducking back inside as she saw someone approaching. As she heard the footsteps stop outside her door, she wished she had her own weapon. Should she be forced to defend herself against whomever stood on the other side, she knew the crossbow would be useless. No wonder Arete kept that dagger handy, she thought wryly. She never could understand how her friend could possibly prefer the heavy crossbow to a sword or staff. Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door and she held her breath as she waited. She knew she couldn't answer. The only person she'd even felt she could vaguely trust had been Celtius and she had caught enough of a glimpse of the man approaching to see it wasn't him.

She glanced at the body in the room. There wasn't really room to hide it, even if she'd had the time. Readying the weapon, she waited while the man continued to knock and call out to his silent friend. When he got no answer, he burst through the door, sword drawn.

"Sorry," she shrugged carelessly. "I'm afraid your friend isn't up to visitors right now."

"Wench!" the man called out, raising his sword to attack.

She quickly fired and hit him in the chest, flinching slightly as a sudden spurt of blood sprayed over her. "Great," she muttered, wiping the sticky, warm liquid from her cheek. "Just what I needed right now." She made a move to step over the second attacker to reach the door. As she did, he summoned his remaining strength to grab for her, catching one ankle and knocking her slightly off balance. Kicking forcefully with her captive limb, she managed to steady herself, but the distraction proved to be enough. She barely had time to register the sound of men approaching as darkness once again swam into her field of vision.

She woke once again to a throbbing in the back of her head. "This is really getting old," she groaned as she tried to stand. It took her fogged mind a second to realize that her wrists were bound behind her back. "And it just keeps getting better and better," she sighed. Trying to focus, she studied the room she was in and guessed it to be a store room beneath the inn. She managed to get herself into a sitting position and leaned against the wall, feeling the cold stone at her back. Instantly, she began to work on the bindings at her wrists, grimacing slightly as the cord cut into her flesh. She heard a noise outside the door and paused in her attempt at freedom.

"Who's there?" she called out. Hearing no response, she tried again. "Celtius? Is that you?"

She heard an evil laugh as the door opened. "Sorry, darlin'," he growled. "There's been a changing of the guard. Seems Celtius wasn't quite up to dealing with you in your deranged state and asked to be removed from his post."

"What've you done with him?" she demanded.

"He's fine," the man shrugged. "You will be too if you just do as you're told."

She tried to keep his attention focused so he wouldn't notice that she was working on her bonds. "What is this all about?" she asked. "What purpose does any of this serve?"

"Suffice to say it really has nothing to do with you," he grinned. "You were just a meddlesome woman who got in the way. Day after tomorrow you'll be free to go on your way."

"And what makes you think I'll just walk away after all that's happened?" she laughed, amazed at the statement. "You've drugged me, tried to kill me and I still don't know what you've done with my friend."

"No one tried to kill you," he pointed out angrily. "All we wanted you to do was leave. If you hadn't been so stubborn, you wouldn't be in this predicament right now. Furthermore, two of my friends wouldn't be lying injured upstairs."

So she hadn't actually killed them. Though she was slightly surprised, especially considering the wound on the second man, she was also relieved. That damn crossbow, she smiled wryly. They'd surely be dead if it had been her sword she'd been wielding.

"The way I see it," she countered, "that's nobody's fault but their own. We weren't here to cause trouble, only to get a good nights rest. There wasn't any need for violence of any kind."

He turned toward the door as he heard his name being called. Glancing back at her, he smiled evilly. "I'll be right back," he chuckled. "Don't go away."

She heard him laughing as he left the room, but noticed it seemed to be cut off abruptly. Frowning, she wondered what had happened to him and worked more insistently on the ropes that held her wrists. A slight sigh of relief escaped her lips as the door opened once again.

"Celtius," she breathed. "I'm glad it's you."

"When I got back to the room you were gone," he explained quietly. "It took me a while to figure out where they'd taken you. When I saw the crossbow was still there, I knew you hadn't escaped." He hurried toward her, one arm full of clothing, the other brandishing the weapon.

"Not sure the disguise is necessary now," she commented. "They no longer think I'm asleep in my room."

"Still," he shrugged slightly as he reached to help her with the ropes. "They'll be looking for you and they're less likely to recognize you if you're dressed differently." He paused as he noticed the blood. "You're hurt," he acknowledged.

"Most of it isn't mine," she admitted, finally freeing her hands. "Though my head feels as though its been split in two."

He checked the wound. "Pretty close to it," he murmured. "We've got to cover that."

"No time right now," she shook her head slightly, wincing at the pain her movements caused. "Let me just get into your sisters clothes and we can deal with the wound later."

"I had an even better idea," he smiled mischievously as he handed her the clothes.

She studied the articles and smiled. "Perfect," she nodded. "They won't be expecting me as a man."

"They may be a little snug," he added sheepishly. "My younger brother is a little smaller than you."

"They'll be fine," she assured him, holding the trousers up to her body. "A bit short maybe, but the boots will hide that." She tossed them on the bed and slid the straps of her leather dress from her shoulders. "Um," she hesitated, not wanting to embarrass him. "You might want to turn around?"

It took a moment for the meaning of her words to register, but when they did, he blushed profusely. "Sorry," he managed, turning his back quickly. She smiled slightly at his reaction and quickly changed into the disguise.

"There," she announced when she was done. "What do you think?"

He turned to inspect the transition. "They look better on you than they do on my brother," he grinned approvingly. "But the hair has to go. Here." He took off his own hat and handed it to her. As he watched, she gathered her long chestnut locks deftly in one hand and piled them on top of her head being careful of the bleeding injury while the other hand covered them snugly with the hat.

"Better?" she smiled.

"Perfect," he agreed. "Now, we should be able to go right out the front door without notice. Anyone who does see you will think you're my brother."

Celtius left the room first, making certain that no one would notice them. Gesturing to her, he led the way up the stairs and into the crowded bar. Sura kept her head down as she moved through the crowd of men and women. Though reluctant to make eye contact with any of the patrons, she was carefully listening to the voices. One in particular caught her attention and she looked up quickly in the direction of the voice, a small smile spreading across her face before she once again lowered her eyes. Once outside, she turned to Celtius. "Things are looking up," she smiled. "There's someone in there that I know."

"Who?" Celtius frowned, glancing back at the tavern.

"A friend," Sura explained. "He'll be able to help us." She quickly gave a description and sent Celtius back inside with instructions to bring the other man to her in back of the inn. As she waited, she breathed a sigh of relief. Now things would start to happen, she thought to herself. She'd no longer feel as though she were fighting a losing battle all by herself.

Mere moments went by before Celtius returned with the other man. "Hi there stranger," she smiled sincerely. "Long time no see."

"Sura?" Iolaus exclaimed, taking in her appearance.

She laughed. "Yeah, it's me all right. Though I'm hurt that you were able to see through such a clever disguise."

He got over his initial surprise and laughed, embracing her in a warm hug. "It's good to see you," he said. "As for the disguise, I'd have to be blind to mistake you for a man, even in those clothes."

She laughed. "Still as charming as ever, I see," she teased. Sobering slightly, she turned toward Celtius. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "Celtius, I want you to meet Iolaus, a dear friend. Iolaus, this is Celtius. He's been helping me."

"Iolaus?" Celtius' eyes widened. "The same Iolaus who travels with Hercules?"

Iolaus chuckled, extending his hand in a greeting. "One and the same," he smiled, grasping the other man's forearm. "It's good to meet you, Celtius."

"First an Amazon and now you," he breathed, still in a state of surprise. "I can't believe it. I've lived in Cyrus all my life and never met anyone so important."

Iolaus scoffed good-naturedly, though Sura could tell he was pleased with the compliment. "Naw," he brushed away the remarks. "I'm not that important really. Besides, I've been in Cyrus many times. I rarely miss the swine sale." He turned to Sura, his face taking on a more serious expression. "You said Celtius has been helping you. Helping you with what, exactly?"

Sura explained what had transpired since she and Arete had come to the strange village. "And that's all I can tell you," she concluded with a shrug. "Arete is missing and no one here will tell me what's going on. In fact, they've gone to great lengths to keep me out of the way as well."

"Odd," he frowned. "I've known a lot of these men for years, at least on a business level. I can't believe they'd be involved in something as serious as kidnapping anyone, especially an Amazon. Surely they realize that such an action could lead to dire circumstances."

"They have no idea we're Amazon," Sura clarified, "But that really doesn't matter at this point. The most important thing right now is to find out what's happened to Arete."

"Right," he nodded grimly. "Any idea where we should start?"

"The innkeeper," Sura suggested. "He was the one who was there when we signed in. He also must be the one behind the changing of the parchment. I'm sure he forged my name on another document to make me believe that Arete was never there. It's almost as if she hadn't existed at all, Iolaus. If I weren't so certain that we came in together, I'd begin to wonder if I was imagining the whole thing myself."

"None of that," Iolaus scolded softly. "She's here somewhere and we're going to find her." Turning to Celtius, he added, "I'm going to talk with the innkeeper. Take Sura to the livery stable and wait for me there. Don't stop to talk to anyone."

"Right," Celtius nodded, taking Sura's arm. "Good luck." He quickly led the disguised Amazon toward the livery stable. Cautiously, he checked the interior of the large barn before ushering her inside. "There's no one here," he explained. "Quick, up into the loft before anyone sees you."

Sura climbed the ladder and waited for Celtius to join her. "Finally," she breathed. "At last, we're going to find out exactly what's going on in Cyrus."

"Well first, I want to take a look at that head of yours," he frowned seriously. "Take off the hat."

She did as instructed, wincing slightly as he prodded the injured area. "The bleeding has stopped," he announced. "That's one good thing at least."

"Sorry about your hat," she apologized, noting the dark crimson stain.

"You amaze me," he smiled in admiration. "After all you've been through the last couple of days, you can still worry about an old hat."

She laughed lightly. "Well don't get me wrong," she pointed out. "My main concern is still what's going on in Cyrus. How long have you lived here, Celtius?"

"All my life," he shrugged. "It's basically a quiet village, mostly serving the pig farmers in this area."

"I'd never realized pig farming was such a big thing," she frowned.

"It wasn't until a few years ago," he admitted. "It seems that the meat is considered quite a delicacy in the East. There's big money in it if you know how to get it out of the country."

"And who handles that?" she asked, forgetting her injury as she thought about what he was saying.

"Colten," he answered without hesitation. "About four years ago, he came into town with a proposal for the farmers. He suggested they take to raising pigs and he assured them a small fortune for the meat."

"But Cyrus doesn't strike me as a prosperous village," she interjected.

"Cyrus isn't," Celtius agreed. "Colten seems to be the only one making the money. He has the animals sent out by boat and apparently receives a large sum each year. Mind you, what he pays the farmers barely covers their costs in raising the animals."

"Then why continue with it?" she asked.

"They're afraid of him, I guess," he shrugged. Hanging his head slightly, he stared at the floor of the loft. "I guess we all are. One of the farmers tried to back out of the deal after the first year. A few people witnessed the argument in the tavern."

"So what happened?" Sura pressed.

"Two days later that same farmer was found dead. There was no proof that Colten was responsible, but I think it was pretty obvious to everyone in these parts."

"Why the swine sale?" she questioned further. " I mean, if he sends the meat to the East, why the big sale every year here in Cyrus?"

"The sale is legitimate," he explained. "Buyers do come from miles around to buy the pigs. Not in large quantities, you understand, just one or two here and there. There are always so many people here that no one realizes that the majority of the animals are never sold at the sale. Colten figures that no one will get suspicious that way. If the wrong people were to learn of his secret enterprise, they might decide to go into business for themselves and Colten's prices would be forced way down."

"Seems like an awful lot of trouble to hide a legitimate business," Sura speculated. "Unless its not all that legitimate."

"The selling of the animals is, I guess," Celtius shrugged. "But the methods he uses to force the farmers into complying with him aren't. Colten is a murderer, Sura. I'd bet my life on it. It's just not easy to convince anyone around here to go up against him."

"Is that why you helped me?" she asked quietly.

He smiled. "My secret's out," he admitted. "When I saw how determined you were to find out what's going on, I thought you'd be the perfect ally."

"Do you think Arete found out about Colten?" Sura asked, frowning. "Do you think that's why they've..." Her voice trailed off as she realized she didn't know what they'd done with her friend.

"Hey," he smiled gently, taking her hand. "Don't worry, we'll find her."

She tried to return the smile but wasn't very successful. At that moment, their attention was caught by someone coming into the livery stable. Celtius moved to the edge of the loft and peered down. "It's ok," he assured her, "it's Iolaus." He called to the other man, indicating their location. In a moment, Iolaus joined them in the loft.

"How are you doing?" he frowned in concern at Sura. He hadn't noticed with the hat on that she was injured.

"I'll be fine," she brushed away his concern. "What did you find out?"

"Not much," he sighed. "I told the innkeeper I was expecting two friends, both women. I explained that they should have been here a few days ago and that they likely would have tried to get a room."

"And?" Sura prodded.

"And," Iolaus sighed. "He insists that no women have rented rooms in the last few months."

"Did you ask to see the scroll?" she persisted, frowning.

"I did," he stated. "Neither of your names are on it."

"But that's impossible," she retorted in frustration, standing to pace as her anger grew. "I saw Arete sign it. Later her name was gone but mine was still there. Now you're telling me that its not there either?"

"It's obviously a different scroll," Iolaus pointed out. "The question is, why are they going to so much trouble to make everyone believe you never arrived? What's going on with the Amazons? Anything that might want them to delay your return to camp?"

"I've thought about that," Sura admitted. "We were on our way to warn the Queen that Astoples is getting restless about the treaty. All he really wants is some sort of reassurance from the Amazons. I doubt he'd actually go to war against them."

"Doesn't sound like a serious threat," Iolaus agreed. "At least not at this point." Frowning, he turned to Sura. "Who would benefit if he were to go to war? Who might want to delay the message long enough for Astoples to think Apollena had ignored his request for confirmation of her alliance?"

Sura shrugged. "I can't think of anyone who'd benefit," she admitted. "On the contrary, it would no doubt be costly to both sides, but not enough to make either party vulnerable to outside interests."

"Maybe that would be enough," Iolaus mused. "Perhaps whoever is responsible isn't interested in who wins, but only in harming one or both sides. Maybe they've got a grudge against Astoples or the Amazons."

"Or maybe its just someone who thrives on war," Sura added grimly.

"Ares?" Iolaus frowned. "Why would he bother with something so trivial? Besides, if he were going to try to start something with the Amazons, it wouldn't be the two of you."

"Ares?" Celtius interrupted, his expression one of surprise. "You know the god of war?"

Iolaus scoffed. "I've had the misfortune," he grumbled.

Sura shot him a look, knowing full well that he didn't share her fondness for the god. "We've had dealings with Ares in the past," she explained to Celtius.

"And you think he's behind this?" he tried to clarify.

"Not really," she admitted. "Iolaus is right. It seems pretty trivial for Ares to involve himself in. Besides, if he wanted to start a war between Astoples and the Amazons, he could do it with a lot less trouble than whatever is going on here."

"Not to mention the fact that he seems to have more than a passing interest in certain members of the Amazon nation," Iolaus remarked cynically.

Sura shot him a warning look, but said nothing. The tension was broken by Celtius. "Whatever else he's done, I can't fault him for that," he murmured, his gaze fixed on her face as though seeing it for the first time. Realizing he'd spoken the words aloud, he averted his eyes, blushing slightly. "I'm sorry," he mumbled. "I just meant..."

Iolaus was grinning mischievously. "Oh, I know what you meant," he teased. Turning to Sura, his eyes twinkling, he added, "How bout you, Sura?"

"Can we please just stick to the problem at hand," she quipped uncomfortably, the colour rising slightly in her cheeks. "Celtius, I think you should tell Iolaus all you've told me about Colten. I think he's the one behind all this."

She listened while the younger man recounted his story. As she watched him, she began to notice for the first time how handsome he was. She guessed him to be roughly the same age as she was, but he seemed much younger in a lot of ways. Probably due to the fact that he'd spent his entire life in such a small village, she thought. In some ways she could almost envy him. He'd admitted he'd never before had to watch anyone die, never had to deal with the lasting feeling of taking a life for the first time. Even now, as he told his story to an attentive Iolaus, she could tell he thought the whole thing very intriguing. She wondered briefly what it must be like. How did it feel to live a life of relative security, practically being able to predict what every new day would bring and how it would end? As suddenly as it had come, the appeal of the innocent life was gone. There was no way she could do it, not now. After living so long with the Amazons, how could she ever feel complete in a mundane existence? How could she live without the adventure and unpredictability of her current lifestyle? She knew the answer; she couldn't. Furthermore, she had no desire to merely exist as many did. Still, she found herself glad that Celtius seemed happy in his way of life. Perhaps some people were more suited to a quiet existence. Her thoughts were interrupted as he finished his story and Iolaus turned to address her.

"You think Arete may have stumbled onto Colten's secret?" he asked, frowning.

"I don't know," Sura sighed. "Arete was very tired when we got here. I assumed she'd go right to sleep. It was only a matter of a couple of hours between the time I saw her go into her room and the time I discovered she was missing. How much could she have found out in that time?"

"Hard to say," Iolaus admitted thoughtfully. "There's always the possibility she doesn't know about any of this. Maybe her disappearance is totally unrelated to Colten and his plans."

"To his plans, perhaps," Sura agreed, "but I'll guarantee you her disappearance is related to Colten, in one way or another."

"So what do we do about it?" Celtius interrupted.

"The way I see it," Iolaus volunteered, "I think we should try to stop Colten. If he really is a killer, there are a lot of innocent lives at stake. He won't think twice about killing whomever he has to in order to keep his secret."

"But what about Arete?" Celtius frowned. "She's your friend. If Colten took her because she found out about him, then her life is in danger. We have to find her first."

Sura and Iolaus exchanged knowing glances. Turning back to Celtius, Sura explained in a quiet voice. "The only reason Colten hasn't tried to kill me is because he doesn't know that I know anything. If he suspects Arete is on to him..."

"Then she's dead already," Celtius finished as realization dawned.

"Arete can take care of herself," Sura smiled slightly, trying to hide the concern in her voice.

"That's right," Iolaus tried to reassure the farmer. "Besides, rumour has it that she is protected by ..."

"Certain forces," Sura cut in, shooting another warning glance in Iolaus' direction. Turning back to Celtius, she smiled slightly. "It's a long story. Has to do with Amazon legend and the like. You wouldn't understand."

He glanced warily at both of them in turn. "If that's the case," he replied uncertainly, "then I hope for your friend's sake that the rumours are true.

'You and me both,' Sura thought to herself. In an attempt to break the uneasy silence, she turned back to Iolaus. "So, any plans for Colten?"

"I think its important that he think nothing is amiss," Iolaus shrugged. "The sale needs to go on as it normally would." He turned to Colten. "Are things progressing like they usually do? In connection with the swine sale I mean."

It was Celtius' turn to shrug. "As far as I can tell. I'm not really an integral part of the whole thing, you understand. One of my main jobs during this time is looking after the animals until the sale. After that, my father and Colten take care of getting the remaining pigs to the shipyards."

"Your father," Iolaus frowned thoughtfully. "How mixed up is he in all of this?"

"Well he knows what Colten is doing, of course," Celtius informed them. "He goes along with it to protect his family, the same way most of the other farmers around here choose to turn a blind eye to the whole thing."

"Colten must trust your family," Sura interjected. "You can get close to him without him being suspicious."

"I'm not sure its a matter of trust," Celtius sighed. "He knows my father is afraid of him and wouldn't do anything to jeopardize his plans. I'm not sure what he thinks of me, but he knows I wouldn't cause any trouble that could endanger my family. At least not as long as I don't have a chance at winning."

"Are there others who feel the same way?" Iolaus asked. "Other farmers in the area who would go up against Colten if they thought they could win?"

"I know for a fact they would," he nodded. "There were a bunch of us who banded together a year or so ago in an attempt to intimidate Colten into giving us our lives back."

"What happened?" Sura frowned.

"Colten had one of the farmers homes burned. Beat his wife and son to within an inch of their lives. After that, most of the folks around here lost the ambition to challenge him. Didn't want to be next on his list. They're not warriors, these men, simply farmers, that's all."

Sura placed a hand on his arm and smiled gently. "There's nothing wrong with being a farmer," she assured him. "It's a noble way of life and no less worthwhile than that of a warrior."

"Thanks," he smiled in return. "Most of the time I enjoy this way of life, Colten and his schemes aside, of course. But there are other times when I wonder what I'm missing, when I feel that I should be out there making a difference."

"You do make a difference," she smiled. "To me, meeting someone like you is a like a ray of sunshine on a stormy day. Many would give all they have to trade places with you."

"You think so?" he frowned in surprise.

"I know so," Iolaus interrupted. "Always remember, Celtius, follow the path your heart chooses for you, not the one you feel others would rather you take."

"I'll remember," he smiled slightly. "If I do leave here someday, it will be because I want to, not because of a misplaced sense of guilt."

"Good," Iolaus smiled. "Now, we need to have a plan for Colten and I think I've got one. Can you get some of the farmers together without him knowing?"

"Sure," Celtius agreed immediately. "Colten is pretty busy now that there are so many buyers in the village. He wouldn't notice anything strange about a few farmers getting together."

"Good," Iolaus nodded in approval. "See if you can't get them to meet at one of the farms close by. Sura and I will meet you out there later, around nightfall. I'll let you know what I have planned then."

"OK," Celtius nodded in understanding. "Meet us at the farm of Tropius, the first one as you leave the village to the East."

"Got it," Iolaus agreed. "Be careful, Celtius."

He smiled and nodded but said nothing as he began to climb down toward the lower stable.

Sura waited until he was gone before turning to Iolaus. "So," she pressed, "what's this plan of yours?"

"We're going to get some help," he informed her. "Come on, I'll fill you in on the way." He started for the ladder and then turned, his expression one of slight confusion. "Why didn't you want Celtius to know about Ares?"

"Look around you, Iolaus," she gestured at the stable. "These people are farmers, they don't worship Ares. If word got around that there was any association there, I'm not sure they'd be quite so ready to listen to any plan of ours and we wouldn't get any assistance from them in finding Arete."

"I suppose that's possible," he conceded, frowning. "But what if he finds your sword? The fact that Ares' symbol adorns the blade may not work in your favour either."

"We'll deal with that when the time comes," she sighed, glancing at the crossbow. "Until then, I'm stuck with using this cumbersome weapon. Can't wait for Arete to take it off my hands. She's much better with it than I am."

"Don't worry," he smiled gently, noting the tinge of dismay in her words. "You'll have the opportunity to give it back to her very soon."

"Yeah," she said quietly, seeing her own concerns mirrored in his blue eyes. "But will she be alive to use it?"

She was suddenly startled by a flash of brilliant light as it illuminated the loft. "Ares," she acknowledged, frowning. "What are you doing here?"

He glanced dispassionately at Iolaus before turning his attention to the Amazon. "You wished I was here, didn't you?" He shrugged, though his expression remained grim and slightly angry. "Well, here I am."

Iolaus shot her a withered look. "Can't you control that?" he quipped.

"Sorry," she smiled sheepishly. "I didn't actually wish for him... I mean, I guess I wished that he was here to help, but I didn't consciously..."

"Hello?" the god of war interrupted sarcastically. "I didn't come down to listen to the two of you discuss me as though I weren't here. I was in the middle of something important, now what is it?"

"There's been a misunderstanding," Iolaus smiled wryly. "Your services are neither needed nor wanted, Ares, so feel free to get back to whatever mayhem it was that you were planning."

Ares glared angrily at the blond hunter. "If I had the time, I'd ..."

"Ares," Sura interrupted, shooting Iolaus an admonishing glance. "I didn't actually mean to call you, but now that you're here, do you have any idea what's become of Arete?"

"Arete?" he frowned. "What of her? I'm not her keeper. I have better things to do than keep track of her every move."

Sura sighed, her own anger on the verge of surfacing. "I'm sure you do," she quipped shortly. "But the least you can do is let us know if she's still alive."

"Of course she's alive," he gritted his teeth, his patience wearing thin. "I'd know if anything happened to her. What's going on here, Sura?"

"She's missing," Sura explained. "We came to town together and now everyone is trying to convince me that she was never here. We can't find her and don't have any idea what's happened to her."

"Not that we've had a chance to really look," Iolaus explained. "We'll find her, Ares. Don't trouble yourself."

The god looked as though he could strike the man dead at any second. Instead, he closed his eyes briefly and took a deep breath. Turning to Sura, he said, "She's in a room at the back of the inn. Now take your little friend here, and take care of whatever it is you need to do."

"How did you know that?" Iolaus asked suspiciously, choosing to ignore the barely veiled insult.

"It's a god thing," Ares sneered in response. Turning back to Sura, he added, "She's there and she's alive, though not entirely well. I'll see what's going on at the inn. You and the Hercules wannabe can go after Colten if you're still interested in doing so."

"I thought you were in a hurry," Iolaus retorted sarcastically. "Why the sudden urge to help?"

"Help?" His eyebrows shot up in a smug look before he threw his head back and laughed. "I'd no sooner help you than I would my dear half-brother," he sneered, his voice dripping with derision. "On the other hand, Arete belongs to me, as does Sura here," he turned to her and smiled evilly. "Isn't that right, Sura?"

"We belong to no one," she snapped, her eyes darkening in obvious anger.

"Believe what you will," he continued, oblivious to her indignation. "You can't deny me what's mine. You belong to me and no mortal will intervene in the plans I have for you or your Amazon sister. If she's been harmed, I'll take care of whomever is responsible, but make no mistake, it will be for my own purposes and not to further any plans of yours." With a hateful glance in Iolaus' direction, he was gone.

Iolaus noticed the brief look of distress that flashed through her eyes and smiled slightly. "Hey," he prodded, laying a hand on her shoulder. "Don't let him get to you. You know what he's like."

"I know," she sighed in frustration. "He just makes me so angry at times. Arete doesn't belong to him anymore than you do. Neither do I nor any of the other Amazons."

"I know that," he assured her. "And you know that, that's all that matters. Let Ares think what he wants."

"You're right," she forced a small smile. "At least he's going to check on her and we know exactly where she is and that she's alive."

"That's right," he nodded. "Now we can concentrate on Colten and his little business ventures. You ready to go?"

"Let's do it," she nodded. "The sooner we can get out of Cyrus, the happier I'll be."

Arete opened her eyes to see a brooding figure standing over her. "Ares?" she whispered through dry lips. "I'm dreaming again," she groaned as she turned her head away from the vision.

"Perfect," he smiled in satisfaction. He sat next to her on the bed, feeling her forehead with his hand. "Yes," he soothed gently. "You're dreaming, Arete. You've seen many images in the last couple of days, haven't you?"

"Yes," she whispered. "I don't know ... its all so blurry to me..."

"I know," he smiled. "But I'm here now. I'll help you, Arete. I'll make it all clear to you."

"How?" she frowned, wondering if this new vision was a sign that the fever was getting better or worse. "Why?"

"Because you're mine," he cooed, stroking her cheek with one finger. "You know that, don't you?"

"No," she tried to shake her head. "You're not real, Ares. You're a result of the fever."

"That's right," he agreed. "I'm only a figment of your imagination. I'm here to comfort you through your illness. Isn't that what you wished for, Arete? Someone to comfort you and care for you?"

She could remember being ill once as a child. Vanessa had stayed by her side and nursed her until she'd regained her strength. "Yes," she whispered, a slight smile on her face. "Vanessa, I want Vanessa."

He frowned slightly. "Vanessa isn't here," he informed her shortly. His voice softening, he allowed his finger to descend to the column of her throat. "But I am. No one cares for you as I do, Arete. I can give you strength and health, take away the fever and replace it with a sense of comfort and well-being like you've never known."

"No," she frowned, eyes closed. "I need a healer, Ares. Get me the healer."

"He can't help you anymore," Ares whispered in her ear. "Let me help you, Arete."

She swallowed hard, feeling his breath against her fevered skin. "Yes," she managed. "Help me, Ares."

He smiled in satisfaction. "All you needed to do was ask," he said, lowering his face to hers. As he kissed her, he allowed her to draw strength from him. Raising his head, he stared down at her, a manipulative smile on his face. "Better?"

She opened her eyes slowly, her face a mask of confusion. "This isn't real," she tried to convince herself. "It's a dream, a mere vestige of the fever."

"Of course it is," he assured her. "I'm merely a product of your wish for comfort."

"But it feels real," she frowned again. "I don't understand..."

"Shhhhh," he placed a finger on her lips. "Don't try to understand. It's the fever. None of it makes any sense to you."

"The fever," she repeated, closing her eyes once again.

"Yes," he whispered, brushing the hair from her face. He kissed her once again, his passion increasing as he felt her begin to respond. Only when she raised her hands to pull him to her did he take her fully in his arms. He knew she was only responding to him because she thought he was no more than a vision, but at the same time he knew her feelings were real.

"You've missed me, Arete," he murmured in her ear as he held her.

"Yes," she whispered. "I've missed you, Ares."

"You want to be with me always."

"Always," she sighed wearily.

"What's going on here?" came a voice from the doorway.

Arete's eyes shot open instantly, trying to focus on the figure in the doorway. "Sura?"

Ares grinned and raised his hands in a gesture of mock supplication. "Hey, I was just trying to help."

Arete looked at him in confusion while everything registered in her mind. "Ares!" she croaked, both embarrassed and angry that she'd been tricked so easily. She pushed him away from her. "How dare you!"

"You weren't complaining a moment ago," he smiled maliciously, rising to stand beside the bed. "Ill or not, you can't feign a response like that."

She felt a heat rise in her cheeks that rivaled that of any fever. "I knew you were pathetic," she retorted angrily. "But I never realized how pathetic until now."

"Watch it," he advised sternly. "Regardless of what you might think of my methods, I did help you. The fever is gone." He smiled again. "At least the one brought on by your illness."

"Fever?" Sura frowned. "What's wrong with her, Ares? What have they done?"

"They," he stressed the word emphatically, "have done nothing. You summoned me here for a simple virus, Sura."

"Virus?" she frowned in confusion. Relief was evident in her voice as she spoke again, this time directing her words at her Amazon sister. "I thought they'd killed you."

Arete forgot her anger for the moment. "Who?" she asked, puzzled.

"Colten and his men," Sura explained. "They're running some sort of scam here in Cyrus and I thought they'd killed you because you found them out."

"I have no idea what you're even talking about," Arete shook her head slightly. "All I remember is going to my room and feeling progressively worse. I sent for a healer ... and then nothing."

"Why didn't the healer just tell me you were ill?" Sura frowned. "Why go to all the trouble to try and convince me that you'd never been here?"

Arete stared at her in disbelief. "What?"

Sura waved her hand as though to dismiss the question. "Never mind, I'll explain it all later. Right now, I have to get back to Iolaus."

"Iolaus?" Arete frowned again.

"You remember him," Ares feigned a thoughtful expression. "Short, blond, not all that bright."

"I know who he is," Arete snapped, glaring at him hatefully. "I meant what does he have to do with any of this."

"Don't know, don't care," Ares shrugged, crossing his arms over his chest.

"He came to Cyrus for the swine sale," Sura explained.

"As appropriate as that may be," Ares muttered.

Sura shot him a withered look but didn't comment. Turning back to Arete she continued to explain. "I met him here strictly by coincidence," she went on. "I told him about your disappearance and he's been helping me piece together what's been going on here. Now he has a plan to stop Colten, but he needs my help."

"Count me in," Arete volunteered without hesitation. "Don't know who Colten is, but if you need me, I'm here to help."

"I don't think that's a good idea," Sura frowned as she watched her friend stand, her knees nearly buckling. She had to hide her smile as she saw Ares reach out to steady her and Arete slap his hand away indignantly. "You're still in no shape to go up against the likes of Colten."

"I'm fine," Arete answered, ignoring Ares' presence altogether. "I'm feeling stronger by the moment."

"You're welcome," Ares interjected in a mocking voice.

She flashed him her sweetest smile. "Drop dead," she countered.

"Sorry, no can do," he shrugged, his eyebrows shooting up in that smug look that annoyed them both to no end. "It's an immortality kinda thing."

"Isn't there someplace you need to be?" Sura sighed wearily.

He shrugged again. "I'll admit I had other plans for my day," he agreed, "but the truth of the matter is, I find this much more intriguing at the moment."

Arete took a few steps away from the bed and was immediately overcome by a wave of dizziness. Ares didn't bother trying to steady her this time, but rather looked on with a smile of pure amusement on his face. "You'll do well up against Colten," he teased, still smirking. "I'll be surprised if you can even lift the crossbow. I wouldn't miss this confrontation for the world."

"I think you'd better stay here," Sura advised, taking her arm and forcing her to sit back down. "Iolaus and I can handle Colten."

"Maybe you're right," she sighed in resignation. "As long as you take him with you."

"You heard her, Ares," Sura turned to him. "She doesn't want you here and I'm not leaving until you do."

"It was you who summoned me, my dear Sura," he grinned maliciously. "For something as trivial as a common virus, no less. Admit it, Sura, I'm never far from your mind, even now."

"I've got other things on my mind right now," she retorted. "I'm not the least bit interested in your little games at the moment."

"Sura," he pouted mockingly. "I thought you'd learned more from me than that. You still don't get it, do you?" His eyes narrowed as he glared at her. "There is nothing else. This whole absurd ritual you mortals call life is nothing but a game, all of it."

She glared at him in disbelief as Arete watched the scene unfold halfheartedly. "If that's the way you feel," Sura responded, "then I really do feel sorry for you."

"No need," he shrugged. "I'm one of the winners. I have no reason not to go on enjoying the fun."

"Winning isn't everything," she snapped.

"That's where you're wrong," he laughed sardonically. "Winning is all that does matter, and the only thing separating the winners from the losers is how much you're willing to gamble ... and what you're willing to lose."

"And what if the stakes are just too high?" Arete interrupted.

"Then you're not playing the right opponents," he returned, smiling maliciously.

"The only worthwhile opponent," Sura pointed out angrily, "is one who knows when the game is over. I'm done, Ares, find yourself another player."

"That's just it, Sura," he smiled smugly. "You are a player. You, Arete, Lessa ... The life you've chosen for yourself is proof that you were born to the sport. It's in your blood. You can't walk away, not now, not ever."

"Just watch us," Sura seethed, her eyes narrowed.

"Oh, I'll be watching all right," he growled, the taunting tone of his voice having been replaced with a more threatening quality. "I'll be watching as you struggle against what's inside you and who you are, but make no mistake, Sura, once you begin, quitting is not an option. The game isn't over until I say it is."

"And when is that, Ares?" she demanded angrily. "When you're managed to crush your opponents' will? Broken them and ground them into dust? When they can no longer pose a threat to you and that sense of control you seem to thrive on? Is it over then, Ares? Or do you just move on to the next player?"

"Now you're getting it," he smiled cruelly, grabbing her by the upper arms and bringing her closer to him, his fingers digging into her flesh with a severity that made her wince slightly in pain. "Remember this," he continued, his voice hard, "I never lose. No once claims victory over me, god nor mortal. Those foolish enough to try soon find themselves leaving the playing field by way of Hades."

"Is that a threat?" she glared.

"I don't make threats," he chuckled maliciously. "That, my dear, is a simple fact. A rule of the game, if you will." He released his hold on her, pushing her away roughly. "As much as I've enjoyed the level of challenge you Amazons have contributed, don't think for one moment that I can't find more compliant players to take your place."

"Go ahead," Sura dared. "Kill me and get it over with. An eternity in Tartarus is preferable to continuing to play a part in your constant manipulations."

"Don't push me," he glared angrily.

"Not that I don't find this whole conversation fascinating," Arete commanded their attention. "But if it's going to end in bloodshed, I'd rather you take it outside. Not sure my stomach can handle it at this point."

Sura glanced at her briefly before turning a hateful look back in the god's direction. "Well, Ares? What's it going to be? Do we end this here and now?"

He glared at each of them in turn. "What would be the fun in that?" he sneered. "It's so much more enjoyable for me to watch you struggle with the part of you that knows I'm right." He glanced back at Arete distastefully. "Besides, how sporting would it really be in her condition?"

"My condition," Arete intervened, pushing herself to a standing position once again. "Is none of your concern, Ares. Never has been, never will be."

"We'll see about that," he grinned balefully. "Perhaps once you manage to rid yourself of the effects of that disgusting illness, we can pick up where we left off." With no warning, he grabbed Sura and kissed her forcefully, oblivious to the attempt she made at freeing herself from his grasp. When he finally let her go, she glared at him with contempt.

"You bastard," she spat distastefully.

"Didn't want you feeling left out," he shrugged, his expression smug. Grinning, he added, "Besides, I remember a time when you welcomed my touch. Surely you haven't forgotten that, have you Sura?"

"I forget nothing," she glowered at him. "Including every mean, nasty, spiteful thing you've ever done. Don't think you can lay claim to any of the Amazons, Ares, because you can't."

He smiled at her anger. "I'll let you in on a little secret," he whispered tauntingly. "I already have." He disappeared even as his laughter still hung in the air.

"Maybe he's right, Sura," Arete sighed. "I'm beginning to wonder if we'll ever really be free of him."

"It's your illness talking," Sura answered curtly, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand as though she could erase the memory of his kiss. She still stood looking warily at the spot he'd vacated. "He wants a game, we'll show him the Amazons can play better than he'd ever imagined."

"What do you have in mind?" Arete frowned, not sure she liked the implication of her friend's words.

"Don't worry about it right now," Sura sighed, turning to face the other Amazon. "He's gone, that's the important thing. I need to get to Iolaus and help him with Colten. Will you be all right here alone?"

"I'm fine," Arete waved away her concerns. "I'll get some rest and tomorrow I should feel more like myself."

"Glad to hear it," Sura smiled slightly. After taking a few steps toward the door, she turned abruptly. "Oh, by the way, I'll be needing your crossbow for the moment. Seems my sword has been absconded."

Arete smiled weakly, knowing how much her friend hated the weapon. "Help yourself," she shrugged. "I'm sure I won't be needing it as long as I stay in the room."

"I was afraid you were going to say that," Sura sighed, wrinkling up her nose at the weapon. "Gods, what I wouldn't do for my own sword right about now." Turning to face Arete again, she added, "Get some rest and be careful what you say if anyone should come into the room, got it?"

"Got it," Arete smiled slightly. "Be careful, Sura."

"Always," her friend smiled in reassurance. Without another word, she turned and left the room.

Arete sighed and stretched out on the bed once again. As much as she hated not being able to go along, she knew she was still relatively weak and didn't want her friends having to worry about her in addition to their current problems. Though the fever seemed to be gone, it would be another day or so before her strength was back in full force.

"It needn't be that way," a voice whispered in her ear.

"Not now, Ares," she closed her eyes in dismay. "I'm miserable enough already."

He appeared at her bedside, looking down at her in mock sympathy. "That is a pity," he concurred. "But I meant what I said, you could have your health and energy back in a heartbeat. All you have to do is ask."

She sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed causing her head to spin with the sudden movement. "You were a lot more tolerable when you were a hallucination," she murmured, holding her head in her hands.

He chuckled slightly. "See? Already you're sounding more and more like the Arete I know."

She raised her head to look at him. "You mean the Arete you think you know," she corrected.

"Maybe," he shrugged. "I guess its possible I could be all wrong about you. Perhaps you really would prefer to stay here in the safety of the inn rather than help Sura and the blond runt restore peace to Cyrus."

"Very funny," she jeered. "You know I'd rather be out there."

"Then what's stopping you?" he raised his eyebrows.

"I know its not possible," she glared, "but I'd give anything to see you struck down by a mortal illness. You have no idea how these things work; they take time. I'd be no good to Sura and Iolaus in this state."

"Can't argue with that," he eyed her critically. "Yet you refuse my help."

"Because I'm not willing to pay the price for your so-called help," she returned wearily. "Give it up, Ares."

"Suit yourself," he shrugged. "But I sincerely hope your friends know what they're up against." He laughed evilly.

"What do you mean?" she frowned. "What do you know?"

"Now you want my help?" he taunted.

"Information," she clarified in frustration. "All I want is information."

He studied her thoughtfully for a moment. " As you wish. It seems the little surprise your friends had for Colten is out of the bag. As we speak he's gathering more men to fight against the pathetic farmers around here." He smiled wickedly. "They really don't stand a chance, you know. By this time tomorrow, most of them will be dead."

"How did Colten find out?" Arete frowned. "One of the farmers?"

Ares pondered the question for a moment, an amused smile on his lips. "Let's just say he found out and leave it at that," he informed her, grinning.

"You didn't," she whispered in disbelief. "Why would you do that, Ares? This had noting to do with you."

"Ahhh," he raised a finger as though trying to make a point. "But it does have something to do with Sura, and with you. Every once in a while I sense a need to remind you both that you wouldn't be here if it weren't for me. You seem to wish to forget the debt you owe, but I'll tell you something, my patience has its bounds and you've both pushed it beyond its limits as of late."

"And you'd watch innocent people die to punish us for some imagined offences?" she frowned in dismay.

"Make no mistake," he shrugged, "those lives you speak of mean nothing to me, but that's not the point of this little exercise. The point is, how much do they mean to you? Like I told Sura, it all comes down to winners and losers. How much are you willing to gamble, Arete? If it hadn't been for you and Sura, I would never had bothered with Cyrus. Their petty problems really are beneath me, after all. Knowing you're the reason I'm here, can you afford to have your pride stand in the way of helping these people?"

"My pride has nothing to do with this," she hissed angrily. "It's your arrogance and misplaced sense of duty that poses a threat to these people."

"But you could stop it, Arete," he smiled sardonically. "All you need to do is admit you need my help and I'll give you your strength, your weapons, and the location of the impending battle."

Arete thought for a moment. She knew she'd have no trouble getting out of the inn. Even procuring a weapon wouldn't be a problem, but how was she to get to Sura and Iolaus in time if she had no idea where they were? She silently cursed herself for not having asked Sura for more details. "Where are they, Ares?" she demanded.

"You're getting a little ahead of yourself, aren't you?" he smiled. "Before I give you anything, you have to ask me. You have to admit that you need me and that without my help you'd be useless to these people."

"You bastard," she growled, her temper reaching the breaking point.

"I've heard that one before," he laughed maliciously. "So often, in fact, that I'm thinking of changing my monogram. Your names aren't going to change my mind, Arete. There's only one thing those lips can say that will make a difference at this point."

She glared at him, desperately searching her mind for another solution. She could tell there wasn't much daylight left and knew her time was running out. "How do I know you're telling the truth?" she asked warily. "For all I know, Colten is still unaware of what's going down."

He took a step toward her, smiling wickedly as he noticed her body tense. "You'll just have to take my word for it," he shrugged nonchalantly. "I have no reason to lie to you."

"And if I were to ask for your help," she swallowed the revulsion her words caused, "how do I know you'll follow through on your promises?"

He reached out a hand to stroke her cheek, chuckling as she turned her head away from him. "I take care of my own, Arete," he whispered. He tilted his head to one side, as though listening to something she could not hear. "Ahhh," he smiled in satisfaction. "The first of Colten's reinforcements have arrived." He looked at her, his expression one of mock dismay. "Too bad there is no one to warn Sura of the change in plans."

"You wouldn't let Sura die," Arete replied, her hope fading.

"You're right," he admitted. "I wouldn't. The life of those innocent farmers and their families though, well that's another story. They'll die before her eyes, Arete, along with that blond runt who trails after my bastard brother like a lost puppy. Oh, Sura will live all right, but it will come at a high price to you both."

Arete's mind darted back and forth, looking for an alternative to what he was suggesting. She didn't doubt for a second that lives would be lost. It was just as obvious to her that Sura would forever realize that it was she who had brought the suffering among them, no matter how unintentional. She knew it wouldn't sit well with her friend, and desperately wanted to save her the torment of living with the knowledge. She raised her chin slightly, a look of determination in her eyes. "You'll always know why I did this," she informed him flatly. "If somewhere in your twisted mind, you can convince yourself that it was for any other reason than to save my friends and the innocent lives here, then that's your problem, Ares, not mine."

He grinned, not the least bit put off by her words. "Say it, Arete," he whispered intently. "We both know you want to."

She couldn't think. There had to be another way. When he stood this close, she could almost feel his gaze invading her soul, bringing forth memories of forbidden pleasures she dared not make her own.

"I hate you for this," she whispered, her eyes a mixture of anger and helplessness.

His grin only widened. "Say it," he urged.

"I need your help," she managed, barely able to keep herself from choking on the words.

She felt her body flinch as he touched her cheek, his voice soft and seductive. "Tell me what you need," he encouraged her to continue.

She closed her eyes to block out the image of his gloating expression. Clenching her teeth, she continued to play his game, hating herself for having to say the words, but knowing there was no other way. "I need your strength," she whispered hoarsely. "I can't make it to Sura in time without your help."

He smiled, enjoying the upper hand he held. "My strength is yours," he whispered, his lips brushing against her cheek. "Draw energy from the deep wells of my power. Immerse yourself in all that I am, Arete. No regret, no shame, just the fire and fury that you long for, the flame burning within you that you cannot deny. "

She opened her eyes in confusion. "I don't ..." she began to protest. As her eyes locked with his, realization dawned on her. He wasn't going to make it easy. She knew he could give her what she needed, but he was determined to have her reach out for it, to admit to herself that she not only needed his help, but longed for his touch. "Damn you," she whispered, her voice barely audible. He held her gaze, the liquid brown of his eyes threatening to draw her in, to drown her in a sea of emotion and turmoil. Reluctantly, she reached for him, her fingers entwining in the soft curls of his hair as she pulled his head toward hers. Soft lips welcomed hers and she closed her eyes, silently begging forgiveness from herself for what she was doing and for not being able to deny the feelings he invoked in her.

He responded to her as she knew he would, a response that he had expected her to elicit. As the kiss deepened, she could feel his warmth, his energy flowing through her. All remnants of her illness seemed to recede as she reclaimed the health that had been hers. With it came the knowledge she had been seeking. She knew where the others were, could see the beginnings of the fight.

She'd been about to pull away, both frightened and dismayed at the realization that she'd welcomed his lips on hers, when he pulled her even closer. She braced her hands against his hard chest, feeling the warmth of his body beneath her palms as she struggled against him. She could feel something tugging at the edge of her consciousness. As she realized what it was, she summoned all her restored strength and pushed him away, a gasp escaping her lips.

"What?" he smiled smugly. "Did you not get all I'd promised? Are you not stronger? Healthier? Ready to aid your friends in their battle?"

"You!" she whispered, her body trembling. She saw the flicker in his eyes and her blood ran cold. Should she confront him with what she'd discovered? If there was one thing she'd learned about Ares over the years, it was that he was a god of many moods. She knew when she could push him, and when she shouldn't. Not that she worried about her own life, she didn't. But she also realized that he knew this. He knew the way to get to her, or to any of the other Amazons, was through those they cared about. Now, looking into his face, she could see the smug smile that she was accustomed to, but what worried her was the glint of serious anger in his eyes. It was a sobering reminder of what he was capable of and it made her shudder slightly, despite the warmth of the blood coursing through her veins. Her very nature, however, wouldn't allow her to let it go without at least trying to find out why he'd done it.

"Why, Ares?" she asked, her voice low. "You staged this whole thing from the start. Why?"

"You know the answer to that," he hissed, the amusement gone from his features. "Just as I knew that you'd figure it out, sooner or later."

"Control," she stated the word flatly.

He smiled in satisfaction, but said nothing.

"What about Sura," Arete asked, frowning. "How have you planned this to turn out?"

"That's up to the two of you," he shrugged. "I merely set the stage, it's up to you to play out your roles to their ultimate conclusion."

"Then I'll be on my way," she informed him evenly. "If we still have some say in the outcome, it's going to go the way we want it to."

"Be my guest," he gestured cordially toward the door. "But you might want to take these with you." He produced a long sword and a couple of daggers. Arete immediately recognized them as the ones the Amazons had come to the village with. She took Sura's sword and dagger in one hand, and reached for her own blade with the other, only to have him pull it just out of her reach.

"Allow me," he smiled teasingly. With a deliberately slow movement, he slid the blade into the sheath hidden between her breasts. The fact that she stood her ground defiantly pleased him. "I guess that's it," he concluded, still smiling. "You've now got everything you wanted."

With a glance of contempt in his direction, she hurried from the room, oblivious to the sound of his laughter.

By the time she reached the farm, things were already well under way. She spotted Sura and quickly caught up with her.

"Arete!" she exclaimed breathlessly. "What are you doing here?"

"Don't worry," Arete assured her. "I'm as good as new. I won't hinder your efforts."

"Well we sure could use the help," Sura admitted. "Colten apparently has a lot of friends."

"I know," Arete sighed, surveying the unfolding battle. "Ares set it all up. He informed Colten and saw to it that he'd be well equipped with extra men and weapons."

"I don't believe it," Sura hissed in surprised anger. "Why would he do it?"

"I'll explain it all later," Arete evaded the question as she saw one of Colten's men coming toward them. She raised her weapon before she realized it was the sword she was holding and not the crossbow. "Here," she called to Sura, tossing the sword in her direction. "I'll trade you."

Sura caught it and frowned slightly before allowing her face to break into a grin. "Yes," she exclaimed triumphantly. "This is much better." She handed Arete the crossbow and readied her own familiar weapon. "Now you'd better watch out," she murmured under her breath at the approaching attacker. She took him out in short order, one blow being all that was required. Turning to Arete, she smiled wryly. "I still don't know how you manage to use that thing efficiently. Give me a good sword any day."

"Glad I could help," she answered distractedly. "Where's Iolaus?"

"I just saw him a minute ago," Sura replied, searching the field. "There he is," she pointed out. "Over there by the side of the barn."

Arete followed her gaze and saw Iolaus taking on three of Colten's men. "Looks like he has things well in control over there," she acknowledged. Turning, she saw one of the farmers losing his battle against another of Colten's men. "He, on the other hand," she added, already moving toward the man, "could use some help."

She fired only once, her arrow hitting the assailant squarely in the chest. The farmer turned around to see who had come to his aid and his eyes grew round. "You!" he exclaimed, his expression one of fear.

Arete looked at him in surprise. "Do I know you?" she asked, frowning.

"You've got the fever," he gasped, staggering backwards in an attempt to get away from her.

"How did you know that?" she asked suspiciously.

"Colten," the farmer stammered. "He said you'd give to every last one of us as well as the animals. He was afraid all of the buyers would be scared off if they knew there was fever in the village."

"So that's it," she mused aloud. "That's why they wanted to keep my presence a secret." She noticed the man was still backing away and held up her hand. "Wait," she called, trying to reassure him. "I'm fine. There is no fever, it was a ploy of Colten's to frighten you."

"No fever?" he asked uncertainly, frowning as he looked her up and down.

"Do I look ill?" she countered. "We've got to beat Colten and his men and we can't do that if everyone is worried about catching some imagined disease."

"I'll inform the others," he smiled gratefully, relief evident in his eyes.

She watched him turn away and rolled her eyes slightly. "And now I have to convince them to accept my help," she murmured in exasperation. Her thoughts were interrupted abruptly by another attacker converging on her. "I'm in no mood," she quipped, firing without even thinking. He dropped in the dirt at her feet and she looked at him with little interest. "A fateful lesson in choosing the right friends," she quipped miserably.

Iolaus dispatched of the three men and turned to assess the situation. "This isn't quite what I had in mind," he muttered, taking a moment to catch his breath.

"I'm sorry," a voice caught his attention. "Perhaps I should have made you aware that there had been a slight modification to your plans."

Iolaus whirled in an attempt to identify the owner of the cynical voice. "Colten, I presume," he grinned in satisfaction.

"At your service," the other man bowed slightly in mock congeniality. "I wish I could say it's been a pleasure, but you've made quite a lot of trouble for me."

Iolaus simply shrugged. "Hey, I told my mother I'd sell her pig."

"Then you should have stuck to that plan," Colten smiled wryly. "Perhaps you need a lesson in minding your own business."

"Perhaps you'd like to try to give me that lesson," Iolaus grinned slyly, tightening the grip on his sword.

He didn't have to ask twice. Much to his satisfaction, Colten descended upon him immediately, barely giving Iolaus time to duck as his sword sliced through the air directly above his head. He moved with lightening speed, coming up to deliver a blow of his own and knocking Colten off balance.

"You can do better than that," Iolaus grinned. "I've heard you're a pretty tough guy, Colten. Or is that just when you're dealing with farmers and their families?"

"You won't leave here alive," Colten growled, coming at him once again with a thrust to the midsection.

Iolaus neatly sidestepped the blow and came up with one leather clad foot, watching as his opponents weapon flew from his hands.

"Aw," he teased. "Look at that, you've lost your sword. Hardly seems like a fair contest now, does it?"

Colten glared at him hatefully while he quickly extracted a large dagger from his belt. "Better?" he grinned maliciously.

"Much," Iolaus smiled back, his eyes flashing with the exhilaration of the fight. "But I've got some bad news for you, Colten."

"Oh?" the other man returned tauntingly. "And what might that be?"

"You're not going to get a chance to use it," Iolaus grinned. Even as the words left his lips, he dropped to one knee, swinging the other leg around and bringing it in behind his opponent's legs. Colten crashed to the ground with a cry of surprise and immediately rolled to one side in an attempt to avoid a fatal blow. Jumping to his feet, he made a hurried swipe with the dagger, leaving his chest exposed only briefly, but long enough for Iolaus to take advantage of the situation.

He could feel the cold steel as it plunged into his chest, but couldn't immediately comprehend it's meaning. Only when he looked down at the gaping wound and the blood spilling from his body, did it became clear what had happened. After managing one horrified look in Iolaus' direction, his eyes closed for the last time as he fell to the ground.

Iolaus looked down at him, a slight look of contempt in his clear blue eyes. "I'd say the lesson is over," he muttered.

There was no stopping Sura now that she held her own weapon in her hands. The more men that came at her, the more that fell to their fate. "This is much better," she smiled to herself. She turned quickly as she heard her name being called and saw Celtius being converged on by four men. Quickly coming to his aid, she neatly disposed of three of the attackers herself, leaving the last one to her new friend. Once the four lay dead on the ground, Celtius turned to her.

"You're pretty good with that thing," he nodded toward the sword as he tried to catch his breath. "You saved my life."

She smiled. "It was a life worth saving," she replied softly. She looked around and could see the battle in its last moments. Colten's men littered the field and she felt a strong sense of satisfaction at what they'd managed to accomplish. "Guess that does it," she sighed. "The people of Cyrus should be free to choose their own livelihoods from now on."

"Thanks to you," he said quietly, coming to stand before her. "How can we ever repay you for all you've done?"

She smiled. "By making Cyrus a prosperous village in it's own right," she answered.

"It's not a bad place to live," he smiled sadly. "If the Amazon way of life ever gets to be too much for you ..."

"I'll keep that in mind," she cut him off gently. "Like you, I have to do what my heart calls me to do."

He took a step toward her, gently cupping her upturned face with one hand. Without saying anything, he bent his head slowly to kiss her. She closed her eyes as his lips touched hers, feeling a slight sadness in the fact that they hadn't met under different circumstances.

The tender moment was shattered by the sound of swords clashing nearby and Sura turned toward the commotion, her weapon at the ready. His hand on her arm gave her reason to pause.

"Allow me," he smiled slightly.

She watched as he hurried to help his fellow farmer. There was only one of Colten's men to dispose of, and she knew the two men could handle him. "You're a good man, Celtius," she whispered to the wind. Turning away from the skirmish, she went in search of her friends.

The trio stood together, surveying the littered field. "I don't think any of the farmers were actually killed," Iolaus pointed out hopefully.

"There are one or two who may or may not make it," Sura elaborated. "But all in all, it could have been a lot worse."

"Colten?" Arete questioned.

"Dead," Iolaus answered flatly.

"But where's Celtius?" Sura asked frowning.

"I'll do you one better than that," Arete interjected. "Who is Celtius?"

"You're about to find out," Sura smiled as she saw him coming toward them. The smile faded slightly as she saw the blood on his tunic.

"Relax," he smiled, noticing her expression. "It's not mine."

"Glad to hear it," Sura smiled in response. Turning to her Amazon friend, she added, "Arete, I'd like you to meet Celtius. Without his help, we never could have stopped Colten. Celtius, my recently missing friend, Arete."

"I saw you fighting earlier," he smiled, extending his hand in greeting. "Let me say you are far better with that crossbow than Sura was."

"It's good to meet you, Celtius," Arete smiled slightly, noticing the playful slap Sura gave him in response to his comment.

His expression sobered. "I'm afraid I owe you an apology of sorts. My father was the one behind hiding you in the inn. Colten convinced him that Cyrus' very future would be in jeopardy if anyone were to find out that you were ill. He meant no harm, Arete. Once the buyers had left, you both would have been free to go on your way."

"I know, Celtius," she accepted his apology. "I don't blame your father for anything that's happened."

Sura frowned slightly as she caught the tone in her friend's voice. Remembering Arete's earlier promise to explain things, she made her excuses to the men. "We're going to go and see if we can't help with some of the injured," she informed them. "Perhaps the two of you can do something with some of these bodies."

"Clean-up detail," Iolaus sighed in mock disappointment. Slapping Celtius on the back, he gestured toward the field. "Come, my friend. The only ones who are going to be willing to listen to our tales of glory are those corpses over there. We'd best get to it."

Sura laughed lightly as he passed, his eyes twinkling good-naturedly. Once they were out of earshot, she turned to Arete. "We can talk while we work," she stated. "I'm interested in hearing all that Ares had to say."

Arete nodded but said nothing as they went to lend aid to the injured.

"So," Sura prodded, while she held a man's broken arm. "What reason did he give for all this?"

"What reason does he ever give?" Arete answered as she put the splints in place. "You know what he's like."

"I do," Sura nodded, frowning, "And that's why I want to know everything he said."

Arete met her gaze for a moment and then shrugged. As she wrapped a clean cloth around the limb to hold the splints in place, she recounted all that had happened at the inn.

"He can be such a monster at times," Sura seethed when she had finished. "He thinks he can use our emotions against us whenever it pleases him."

"Isn't he right in thinking that?" Arete replied quietly.

Sura's glance shot sharply up to meet her friend's. "What are you saying?" she insisted.

"We did exactly what he wanted us to do," she shrugged in something akin to resignation. "You didn't give in until you found out what Colten was up to. You promised to help Celtius solve the problems in Cyrus." She paused for a moment, "And I actually asked for his help. I admitted that I needed him to help me, Sura. If he can do that, if he can make us literally ask for his help, what can't he do?"

"It was only because you were ill," Sura tried to rationalize the situation. "You couldn't take the chance that all these farmers would be killed. I would have done the same thing, you know that."

"That's my point," Arete sighed. "He knows how to get to us. He holds the innocent lives of others over our heads and we end up doing exactly what he wanted us to do in the first place."

"But in this case, it worked to your advantage," Sura pointed out, unwilling to admit he had any real hold over them. "He did allow you to recover in record time. Otherwise you'd still be back in that bed at the inn."

"He gave it to me, Sura," Arete stated flatly. "Don't ask me how, but I know its true. He's the reason I was ill in the first place. He as much as admitted it."

"Why?" Sura frowned in disbelief.

"The control," Arete explained. "Think about it, if it weren't for the fact that I wasn't feeling well, we never would have even been in Cyrus. If I hadn't sent for the healer, he wouldn't have panicked the villagers about the spread of the disease and locked me away in a room at the back of the inn. Celtius would have had no reason to help you, and therefore no opportunity to explain to you what had been going on and convince you to help him."

"What about Iolaus?" Sura asked.

Arete smiled in spite of her current mood. "He just likes pigs, I guess," she laughed lightly. "I think his being here was something Ares hadn't counted on."

"There's got to be a way to stop him," Sura fumed. "Ares has to be shown that he doesn't control our lives."

"It isn't just us," Arete reminded her. "There's Lessa, Kendaa ... everyone that he's had any amount of contact with. All those, Amazon or not, that he's been close to for whatever reason. Like him or not, he is a great manipulator. He can read us like a scroll."

"Can he?" Sura smiled mischievously. "Or does he just possess a remarkable insight into our behaviour patterns?"

"What's the difference?" Arete shrugged in confusion. "The results are the same."

"No," Sura shook her head slightly. "There's a big difference. If he were able to read us so well, then he'd know exactly what we'd do in any given situation. I think it's more a matter of what he expects us to do, given what he already knows about us. Because we are who we are, he's usually right."

"So?" Arete prodded, "How does this help us, exactly?"

"Let's think about it for a moment," Sura urged. "What if we hadn't gone along with his plan?"

"Then a lot of innocent people would have died," Arete reminded her.

"Exactly," Sura exclaimed in triumph. "But we'd never let that happen. Don't you see, he didn't force us to stay here, but expected us to do what we could to help."

"And?" Arete waited for further explanation.

"And we did," she concluded. "But, not because he made us, because he created the situation."

"True," Arete frowned. "Like I said, he knows what's important to us."

"Yeah," Sura agreed, "Our loyalty to one another and our desire to help those who can't help themselves. Those are the two things he's most likely to use against us."

"But if we don't help these people, they'll die," Arete pointed out. "And you and I both know that Ares wouldn't care in the least."

"No, he wouldn't," Sura mused thoughtfully. Sighing, she added, "Come on, let's get the rest of these people cared for."

The morning sun had barely begun to lighten the countryside when Sura emerged from the farm house. Slowly but deliberately, she made her way to a spot far enough from the building and started to dig.

"What now?" came a voice from behind her. "Saving their pathetic lives wasn't enough? Now you have to plant their crops as well?"

"It's a grave, Ares," she replied, not bothering to turn around.

"Iolaus?" his face lit up, his voice filled with hope.

"Tropius," she clarified, turning only long enough to shoot him a distasteful look.

"Oh," he feigned a look of disappointment before shrugging indifferently. "Didn't know him."

"It was his farm you played your little game on last night," she informed him coldly. "He died of his injuries this morning."

"That's life," he quipped. He smiled in amusement. "Or in his case ... not."

"I've got enough problems right now, Ares," she sighed. "Why don't you just take your leave before I say something I won't regret."

"My dear Sura," he clucked. "What problems could you possibly have at this point? You did what you set out to do. Colten has been stopped and Cyrus' future has been secured. Not a bad days work for a mortal, even an Amazon."

"Ex-Amazon," she corrected, finishing the task at hand and climbing out of the hole. "I'll be staying in Cyrus."

He stared at her as though she'd spoken the words in a language foreign to him. "Excuse me?" he finally managed, his eyes narrowing.

"You heard me," she replied evenly. She brushed past him to the house and disappeared inside. When she came out, carrying the body over her shoulder, she wasn't surprised to see he was still there.

"You've got to be kidding," he smiled in amusement. "This is no life for you."

"I have no life, remember?" she shrugged briefly before lying the body beside the hole. "It's all a game, Ares. You were right. Now I've decided to switch teams, so to speak. The rules are the same, only the stakes are different."

"And you accept that?" he laughed incredulously. "I think I know you better than that, Sura."

Much to his surprise, she turned and smiled at him. "It's true, Ares. No one knows me like you do. Maybe that's what finally made me realize I don't belong with the Amazons."

He began to like what he was hearing. He watched her for a moment while she slid the body easily into the hole and began to cover it. "But Cyrus? Surely you know that's not your only option."

"I have a responsibility to these people," she pointed out, her voice devoid of the emotion he'd expected after hearing his words. "I'm one of the reasons this happened. I'm not going to walk away and leave someone else to clean up the mess this time."

"How noble of you," he mocked, his voice edged with anger.

She finished with her task and came to stand before him. After studying his expression for a moment, she smiled. "Thank you, Ares," she said softly. "It's because of you that I finally realize where I belong, at least for now." She reached up and kissed him gently on the lips, trying hard not to laugh as she noticed the expression on his face. "Don't worry, I'll stay in touch." She turned to leave, only to feel his hand on her arm. Frowning slightly in confusion, she looked into his eyes and felt a shudder go through her body.

"You wouldn't have to stay in touch," he whispered throatily. "As long as you were staying in my temple. Come back with me, Sura. Let me remind you of the way things used to be." He pulled her close to him, slowly lowering his head as his lips sought out her own.

She resisted at first, but then thought better of it. Running her hands lightly over his broad back, she returned his kiss, responding to him in a way that renewed memories long thought forgotten. As she pulled away, she looked into his eyes, seeing a familiar desire in the deep pools of brown. "I remember," she smiled slightly, tracing a finger lightly down his chest. "But things are different now, Ares. We both know that."

"They don't have to be," he insisted, his voice thick with emotion. "I can give you all you've ever desired..."

"Shhh," she smiled gently, placing a finger lightly against his lips. "I know what you have to offer, Ares. I'm just not ready for that, not now."

"You'll never be happy here," he frowned, still hoping to change her mind.

She knew exactly what she was doing to him and smiled inwardly. Careful to keep her thoughts from showing on her face, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I've already been through all this with Arete," she replied, her voice taking on a tinge of resentment. "The truth of the matter is, this is what I choose to do for now. I've experienced life at the temple, I've had a taste of the Amazon lifestyle. Now, I just want to stay here for a while and explore other possibilities. There's nothing wrong with that, is there?"

"Depends," he frowned, his jaw clenching slightly. "Do these possibilities include Celtius?"

She tilted her head to one side, a slight smile turning up the corners of her mouth. "Perhaps," she answered coyly. "He's a good man, Ares. Strong, young, virile ..." She sighed happily and turned to leave him standing there, his mouth open in surprise as she walked over to a small patch of flowers and began picking the bright blossoms.

"Sura!" he called as he stormed toward her, no longer bothering to keep his temper under control. "I didn't do all I did for you to have you become some farmer's wife. Now if you don't want to return to the Amazons, I personally couldn't be happier, but I refuse to leave you here in this godsforsaken excuse for a village."

His voice trailed off as he caught her expression. She wasn't even listening to him, but her eyes had taken on a look of anger and hatred. Following her gaze, he turned to see Arete emerging from the house, Iolaus close behind.

"Arete!" the blond called out in frustration. He stopped as she stormed toward Sura in the field.

"Hold these," Sura growled maliciously, handing Ares the flowers she held, her gaze still locked hatefully on that of her fellow Amazon.

Ares had no time to protest as she thrust the fragrant blooms into his hand. Looking down in surprise, he was annoyed to see them wilt the moment he laid his eyes on them. "Great," he muttered. Still holding the wretched bouquet, he made his way toward where the two women were confronting each other. He listened raptly as they shouted at one another, still not sure what was happening between them.

"I can't believe I ever called you my friend," Sura glared at the woman before her. "You're not fit to be an Amazon."

"Friend?" Arete practically spat the word. "You don't know the meaning of the word, Sura. Friendship means loyalty and I think it's obvious that you don't happen to possess that particular quality."

Ares made his way over to where Iolaus stood watching the events unfold, an anxious look on his face. "What's going on here?" he asked in frustration.

Iolaus turned to respond when he saw the wilted flowers in the gods hand. Raising one eyebrow, he decided against commenting. "Seems each of them blames the other for what happened here in Cyrus. It started when Tropius died. It's Arete's fault for suggesting they stop at the village. It's Sura's fault for not leaving and for getting involved with Colten." He sighed wearily. "They've been bickering about it all night. I was hoping it wouldn't get to this point, but neither of them will listen to me. I've never seen them like this. I don't like it."

"Then maybe you'd like to try and give me a lesson in loyalty," Sura grinned evilly, drawing her sword. "I'd be most interested in hearing your definition of the word."

"Gladly," Arete smiled wryly, taking the crossbow from her back.

"Here," Ares frowned, thrusting the flowers in Iolaus' hands as he stalked toward the warring Amazons.

Iolaus looked down at the pitiful plants in confusion. "Hope this doesn't mean we're going steady," he murmured under his breath. He turned his attention back to the scene before him.

"That's enough," Ares commanded, his voice dangerously low. "I don't know what got into the two of you, but it stops now."

"Get out of here, Ares," Arete muttered, not taking her eyes from Sura. "This has been a long time in coming. Stop it now and you postpone it; but you can't prevent it."

"I won't have it," he warned. "Both of you belong to me. I won't have you trying to destroy each other."

"You won't even miss her, Ares," Sura smiled wickedly. "A month from now she'll just be a painful memory that you're glad to be rid of."

He lost the hold on his temper. "I said that's enough!" His voice boomed in the still morning air and a flash of light knocked them both backward.

Shaking her head slightly, Arete got to her feet in an instant, looking around for her crossbow. She glanced at Sura, who also was looking for her weapon. Both women turned their attention to the god of war. "Taking our weapons won't stop us," Arete informed him cooly. "She's abandoning the Amazons. She's a traitor and deserves to die."

"I'll be the judge of that," Ares seethed, his anger still evident. "Now I suggest you come to terms with your differences because you're both going to be around a long, long time." He turned away from them and strode angrily toward Iolaus, intent on taking out his frustration on the blond man he disliked so much . The look on the hunter's face surprised him and he faltered in his step. As he heard Iolaus call out, he turned, time seeming to stand still as he heard the words.

"Sura!! Noooooo!"

Even as they came into his field of vision, he knew it was too late. Sura stood over the crumbling figure, the blade of her dagger sticky with blood. As though in slow motion, he saw Arete's hands clutched to her chest, crimson liquid spilling between her fingers, a look of betrayal on her face. His breath caught in his throat as he saw her slump to the ground, her body motionless. "No," he whispered in disbelief. The look of utter confusion he saw as Sura turned her gaze on him was like a cold splash of reality. "No," he repeated, his shock being replaced by mounting anger and regret. With all his strength, he looked to the morning sky and bellowed. "NOOOO!!!"

By the time he looked again, Iolaus was kneeling beside the still figure while Sura sank to her knees in the dirt. "What have I done?" she kept asking, her voice weak.

Ares made his way toward Arete, only to have Iolaus stop him, his expression grim. "Stay away from her, Ares. You've done enough already."

His eyes were burning holes of fury. " I didn't do this!" he shouted. "This was not a part of my plan."

"Plans sometimes have a way of going awry," Iolaus gritted his teeth. "Maybe you should think about that sometime before trying to manipulate emotions." With a look of utter disgust on his face, he turned away from the god.

Ares stood looking at his back for a moment while the words registered. His anger surfacing once again, he whirled to face Sura. "You!" he growled, reaching her in two easy strides. He grabbed her by the arms and pulled her to her feet. "What have you done?"

She looked at him with an expression of mixed confusion and sorrow. "But you wanted me to do it, didn't you? You wanted me to play the game, Ares. Winning is everything, remember? I couldn't let her get away with it. It was all her fault. I couldn't let her win, could I?"

He frowned at her child-like babble. Who was this woman? Sura had always had one of the strongest spirits he'd ever encountered and now here she was, desperately trying to rationalize her actions with her friend's blood still on her hands. Had he done this? After years of manipulating her emotions and trying to bend her to his will, had he finally broken her? Was this the result of all he'd done to try and win her to his side? "I never wanted this," he hissed, shaking her slightly.

"But the game," she pouted. "What about the game, Ares?"

"The game," he swallowed hard, trying to maintain control on his anger and frustration. "The game was my game. It was to be played out to my end. Arete was one of my own, not some disposable pawn." His voice rose slightly as he shook her again. "This wasn't supposed to happen!"

"You didn't want her dead?" Sura asked innocently.

"Of course not!" he exclaimed. "I had great plans for her, as I do for you." His voice trailed off as he realized that both were now impossible. Releasing his hold on her, her glared into her face. "When I think of all the time I took to train her ... to train both of you... I could just..."

"Just what, Ares?" came a voice from behind him. Whirling in surprise, he gaped at Arete standing in the spot where her seemingly lifeless body had lain only moments earlier.

"Arete," he whispered in disbelief.

"That's right, Ares," Sura concurred, causing him to whirl again to face her.

"You didn't..." he began, his eyes narrowing as he realized what had happened.

"Of course I didn't," Sura laughed despite the look of anger on his face. "Not even you could make me turn on one of my sisters, Ares."

"Then why?" he demanded, losing the grip he'd been able to maintain on his temper.

"I think you know the answer to that," Arete repeated his earlier words to her.

He glared at them both in turn. "You've both made a big mistake," he hissed.

"We don't think so," Sura grinned, enjoying the situation. "We've made a point. It's a little different being on the other side of the game, isn't it? You overlooked one little thing, Ares. It's not just your game anymore. When you chose the Amazons as opponents, you gave us the right to make our own rules."

"This isn't over," he fumed. "Not by a long shot."

"It never is," Arete smiled wryly. "At least not until you say it is, right?"

He clenched his jaw, struggling between his anger and admiration. They'd obviously learned a lot more from him than he'd realized. "Don't think for a moment that I'll forget this," he smiled malevolently.

"What will you do, Ares?" Sura taunted. "Kill us? Go ahead."

"That would be too easy," he sneered. "But know this, by the time I'm finished with you, you'll both wish I had." Without another word, he disappeared in a flash of shattering light.

Iolaus waited for that moment to approach the two Amazons. "Not that I don't admire your fortitude," he frowned in concern, "but do you think that was a good idea? He's bad enough at the best of times. Now you've angered him and he's going to make your life a living Tartarus."

Sura glanced at Arete, a satisfied smile on her face. "Think we'll notice any difference?" she mused aloud.

"You mean from the way he's tried to make our lives miserable already?" Arete shook her head slightly. "I doubt it." She couldn't resist a mischievous smile. "But it was fun to give him a dose of his own medicine, wasn't it?"

"You two are really starting to worry me," Iolaus laughed, shaking his head. "I just hope I'm not around when he tries to get even for this one."

Their expressions sobered as they glanced at one another. "Maybe he's right," Arete wondered aloud. "Maybe we went too far."

Sura thought about it for a moment. "No," she shook her head. "He's the one who's gone too far. Look at what he did to Cyrus with no provocation at all. Whatever he dreams up for us in the name of revenge, it can't be any worse than what he does for plain sport."

"I suppose," Arete agreed reluctantly.

As they turned back toward the farm house, Iolaus stopped them both with a hand on their arm. "Wait a second," he frowned. "There's something that still doesn't make any sense to me."

"What is it?" Sura asked.

"The flowers. What was it with the flowers?"

"Flowers?" Arete asked, frowning.

"Yeah," Iolaus nodded. "Ares handed me this bunch of dead flowers. What was that all about?"

Sura stifled a giggle but turned to him with a look of pure innocence. "I don't know anything about any flowers," she shrugged.

"Me neither," Arete joined in, noticing Sura's wink behind his back. "But I have a word of advice for you, Iolaus."

"What's that?" he frowned, still trying to figure out the meaning of the dead plants.

She leaned in close and whispered, making sure Sura could hear. "I'd hold out for candy before I made any real commitment."

Sura clapped him on the back, a serious look on her face. "Maybe even dinner. You can't be too careful."

He stopped in his tracks as the two women continued on toward the house. "Funny," he murmured. "Very funny."

Disclaimer: The characters of Ares and Iolaus belong to Universal Studios and Pacific Renaissance and no copyright infringement is intended. The author is just having fun.

The character of Surabufix is used with the creator's permission. All other characters are purely fictitious and any resemblance to persons or pigs, living or dead, is strictly coincidental. Furthermore, no pigs were harmed in the writing of this story, though there were rumours of a huge ham supper shortly thereafter.

Any comments on the story can go directly to the author. Email Arete

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