Diana eyed the young blonde woman, then glanced
briefly at the tall dark-haired warrior. She beckoned Gabrielle
closer.

"It's a magic tree, you know," she
whispered in Gabrielle's ear.

"Oh, I know," said Gabrielle, grinning.
"Anyone can see that. That's why we asked if it would be
alright first – is it?"

"Oh, sure!" Diana nodded eagerly.
"I'll bring Argo some water, too."

The child skipped off and Xena and Gabrielle sat
wearily.

"So, is she the one, Xena?" Gabrielle
asked.

"Yep," said Xena, leaning back against the
tree. "I saw it– a crescent moon shaped birthmark
– just like Hercules said. She's Hippolyta's
daughter, alright."

"Do you think that her family will let her go
back to the Amazons with us?" asked Gabrielle.

"You heard the kid – nobody loves
her," said Xena with a shrug. "And she was crying for her
real mother."

"Yeah, but Xena, kids do that stuff all the time
when they're mad at their family – I remember I used to
pretend I was adopted – a lot," said Gabrielle.

"Well, if nothing else, this," Xena hefted
a heavy pouch, "ought to help with convincing them. If not,
the threat of Amazons riding on the village certainly
will."

Gabrielle bit her lip.

"I don't want to see that happen,
Xena," she said, then leaned back against the tree beside Xena
and patted the trunk. "Do you think she knows her mother's
ashes are buried under

this tree?"

"What? Gabrielle, why would she? The poor kid
still thinks her mother is alive," said Xena, shaking her
head.

"Just … she said the tree was magic,"
Gabrielle looked up and saw books tucked into the crease of
branches higher up and an old blanket draped over the limb.
"She obviously spends a lot of time in this tree."

Gabrielle glanced over at her friend and saw that her
eyes were closed in a light doze from which the warrior could
awaken instantly should the need arise. She smiled, and sat back,
watching as Diana came up the hill from the village, carrying a
full bucket of water

with some difficulty. The bucket kept bumping Diana
in the knees and sloshing the water all over her. Gabrielle started
to get up to help her, but a heavy hand gently pushed her back
down.

"Let her do it," said Xena. "Life with
the Amazons is no stroll through the Acropolis. She needs to learn
early that she'll be expected to stand on her own two
feet."