"You know Sappho," said Gabrielle, incredulous.

Xena shrugged and smiled a little crookedly.

"You know Sappho," Gabrielle repeated, rising from the log on which she’d been sitting and starting to pace in a most agitated manner. "And you never mentioned that fact to me?"

"It didn’t seem … relevant," said the warrior, calmly.

"I can’t believe you would say that!" Gabrielle cried, flopping back down next to her companion. "You actually know Sappho – one of my personal role models – after you, of course – and you didn’t think it was relevant? Xena!"

"What?" asked the Warrior Princess, now growing annoyed with the Bard’s agitation.

"Gods! Never mind, Xena," said Gabrielle. "How did you two meet?"

Xena merely looked at her with one eyebrow raised and said nothing.

"Okay, fine – I know better than to ask about your oh so mysterious past," said Gabrielle, rolling her eyes. "What does she want us to do? Chase off some slavers who are after her students? Or maybe there’s a sea serpent keeping people from coming to or leaving her island?"

"Nothing that exciting," said Xena, drily, "She wants us to escort one of her pupils to Mt. Helicon."

"The sacred mountain of the Muses? The birthplace of Pegasus?" said Gabrielle, excitedly. "Oh Xena – we’ll be there in time for the Museia! Do you think we’ll get to see some of the competition?"

The shining excitement in the bright green eyes of her friend made up the warrior’s mind.

"Yes, Gabrielle, we will," she said. "In fact, that’s why Sappho is sending the girl; she’s to compete in the Thespian games."

"Oh, Xena – this is so exciting!" said Gabrielle, hugging herself.

"Yeah, remember that when we’re crossing over to Lesvos. It’s an island, remember?" said Xena, unable to contain her grin at the memory of her companion’s last sea voyage.

"Oh … I hadn’t thought about that," said Gabrielle, already looking a little pale. "Oh, well. To meet Sappho and to attend the Museia, it’ll be well worth it. Just … don’t let me near any raw squid, huh?"

"I promise," said the warrior, holding her hand up in an oath-taking gesture.

Her companion leaned on her staff and stared starry-eyed into the campfire, leading Xena to believe that dinner would be her responsibility; the warrior couldn’t even begin to imagine what wonderful images and dreams were filling the little bard’s head at that moment, but she could see by the wistful smile on her friend’s face that they were good and peaceful. The Warrior Princess wished she could provide more goodness and peace for her companion, so she left the Bard to her pleasant daydreams and headed to the trees to snare a rabbit for their supper.