Chapter 10

A Challenge

“Things have been in a constant turmoil since Varia died. Just before she was taken from us, we decided to adopt the remnants of a tribe that had been captured and were on a slave ship bound for Rome. Of course, being Amazons, they were able to free themselves and make their way to Greece. Unfortunately, most of the older, and wiser, of them had been killed.”

“I thought they all looked rather young.”

“Yes, they are. And being young, they are impatient and hotheaded. They follow Canova. She isn’t that well liked, but she is big, strong, and strong-willed, and so they will do pretty much everything she tells them.”

“She is a powerfully built woman, that’s for sure. You will have your problems with her.”

“I know. I have a feeling it won’t be too long before she will be challenging me as leader and queen.”

“So, how did Varia die? I heard something about a fever?”

“Yes. It was totally unexpected. One evening she said she wasn’t feeling well and retired early. The next day she said she thought she felt better, but was running a slight fever. That afternoon it was the same – she decided to return to her hut even before dark. When she didn’t appear the next morning, I entered her hut and found her. She had died sometime in the night.”

“You were next in line as leader?”

Ephiny nodded, noticeably subdued at the memory.

“You were close to her?”

Ephiny nodded, and barely above a whisper said, “We … sometimes shared … each other.”

She glanced at Gabrielle to see what her reaction was.

Although her face was unreadable, Gabrielle said softly, “If you made her happy, then I’m glad.”

Ephiny let a small smile come to her lips, then she was serious again.

“As I recall, you once had a companion, yourself — Xena? You two have parted ways?”

Now it was Gabrielle’s turn to be subdued.

“We were fighting an army of warriors in a small village west of here. They set fire to the village as I was leading the women, children and old men to safety. It was completely burned to the ground and many died. Then there was a great storm and small flood that washed everything away. After that, no one seemed to know what happened to her. No one had seen her.”