"So why haven’t YOU TWO been affected?" Xena asked him.

"Because we’ve been smart. Aphrodite and I have been watching things from Mt. Olympus where this evil energy can’t get to us, or just hasn’t gotten there yet."

"A likely story. I think you’ve sided with Dahak and you’re just trying to recruit one of us," Gabrielle said.

"If that’s what I wanted to do, then why didn’t I just let one of you be killed and take the other?"

Neither woman spoke, not knowing what to believe.

"I think the best thing right now is for both of you to come back to Mt. Olympus with me until you are back to normal, and then we can figure out some kind of battle plan."

Gabrielle laughed a mean, humorless laugh. "Oh, yes, you’d like that, wouldn’t you? Then you and Dahak would have us exactly where you’d want us. Not ME. I’m not going anywhere."

Ares looked at Xena. "Are you coming, then?"

"I don’t think so. I like my chances better here than up on your dungeon mountain."

"Stubborn, stubborn, STUPID women! Dahak knows you two are the only ones who can defeat him, and you’re following his plan right to the end. You’ll kill each other, or one of you will die, and he wins. But you’re both too stupid to see it!"

"I’m staying here," Gabrielle stated.

"Me, too," Xena added.

"Great! Then if you two are staying here, then I’M going to have to stay just to keep you two apart. So — a few rules. NO ONE talks to the other!  NO ONE looks at the other! And NO FIGHTING!"

Xena and Gabrielle gave each other and then Ares a dirty look, then walked in separate directions. Xena went to see about Argo, and Gabrielle did the same for Milkspot.

The rest of the day Ares made sure he was always between them, just in case.  As the sun began to set, Ares managed to talk them into at least sharing the campfire, even though Xena was the only one who needed its warmth, or ate anything.

"You keep her away from me!" Xena warned Ares as she lay down on her bedroll for the night.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As Gabrielle and Milkspot were riding along the narrow trail of the forest they were traveling through, Gabrielle noticed that Xena wasn’t with her. "Did she say she was going on ahead? Or is she going to catch up later?" she thought to herself. "I wish I could remember."