Iolaus sang quietly to himself as he puttered around his camp. If Herc had been here, he would have sung *much* louder. He grinned slightly thinking of his friend and what he would have said about his so-called singing. He had been at this site two days waiting for Hercules. He would wait longer. It was way too late for Herc to show up tonight. He would have plenty to say to his friend once he arrived.
The night was quiet and that disturbed him a little. There should have been a *few* rustlings in the bushes. He wasn't even bothered by the mosquitoes tonight. Not that he was complaining! This was providing him a nice rest, something that he took advantage of every chance that he could when he was with Hercules. Because you never knew just what the next day might bring.
It was the faint acrid stench of smoke that first alerted him to danger. Iolaus poked at his campfire, sniffed quizzically, and rose to scan the darkened forest around him. A light ruddy glow showed faintly through the trees. Ignoring the rabbit roasting over his campfire, he grabbed his sword and moved quickly down the moonlit trail.
"Stupid!" Iolaus said to himself. "I'm running right toward a forest fire. Shouldn't I be going the *other* way?" He shook his head wryly as he trotted further into the woods. Soon he came to a clearing in the forest where the flames roared and danced. But it wasn't the forest burning...it was a village. Iolaus could hear the screams and clash of battle amid the crackling of the flames.
"What a time for you to be late, Herc!"
He paused a moment at the edge of the forest watching as several shadowy rough looking men pushed dozens of crying children into enclosed wagons. Slavers! Gripping his sword more firmly, he took a deep breath and with a cry launched himself into the thick of them.
"Five or six shouldn't be that hard," he thought as he rolled beneath the feet of two of them, knocking them into another. He blocked a sword blow and threw himself backwards whipping his head against a figure sneaking up behind him. A club thrown out of the darkness just missed him as he ducked and snapped a kick into a leather armored chest. Jumping to his feet he threw himself in front of the children facing the rogues. He shook his finger at them. "It is not polite to take things that don't belong to you." As the men's shocked faces turned toward Iolaus, their eyes flickered past him, and they slowly began to grin in anticipation.
Uh, oh... Shuffling out of the dark appeared thirty or more filthy hard-edged men. They encircled him, cruel eyes glinting in their smoke-blackened faces. Hercules could have taken care of these guys in five minutes. But he was not Hercules. A stout evil looking man with a scar scratching from his left eye to his chin laughed loudly. He pounded his chest and shouted "I am Braxis! They *are* mine. And now *you* belong to US!" Pain clubbed Iolaus from behind as the fire, wagon and evil grinning faces spun slowly above him. Then the darkness reached out and closed over his head.
The sun was beginning to heat up the day when Hercules finally could see the place that he was to meet his friend. He hoped Iolaus would not be too upset with his delay. At least he could count on a good lunch with him. Iolaus never stinted himself when it came to food.
"Iolaus!" Hercules called. He had reached their campsite but could not find Iolaus anywhere. He saw the empty unused bedroll and poked at the charred rabbit. The fire had long burned itself out. Whatever had happened must have happened quickly; he could see no signs of a struggle. It appeared Iolaus had just wandered off and not come back.
"I'm a day late and you couldn't wait to get yourself in trouble," he grumbled to himself as he gathered Iolaus' things. He slung them on his back and started trudging down the path. "I rescue you - you rescue me. Warlords...monsters...Hera. I'm getting too old for this!" he muttered.
He did not want to open his eyes. He knew that if he did the pain would return. Gut wrenching, eye crossing agony that shot through him with every breath. If he wasn't conscious he wouldn't feel it. So he just wouldn't be conscious. Unfortunately, his body knew that he was lying. He moaned softly as the pain washed through him again leaving him sweating and shaking - a reddish haze obscuring his vision. He could feel the straw sticky and smelling of blood beneath him and hear the curses and cries of others beside him. He could not speak, even to ask for water. Gradually the light went away and the voices and soon so did the pain. He floated and rocked somewhere far away as the wagons slowly creaked their way down the dusty road.
Hercules strode out of the forest into the village clearing. Or what used to be the village. Blackened timbers, some still slightly smoldering were the only signs of a once small thriving hamlet. Now only silence and smoke greeted him. Gray ash eddied around his boots, uncovering a half burnt doll lying in the street. Anger thinned his lips and snapped in his blue eyes. He sensed something moving near the edge of the town. Cautiously he crept down the lane to find an old bent woman. She wandered vaguely back and forth in front of a burned out cottage.
"Leysa, I came back with the tea. Leysa, they're gone, please come out."
Hercules turned the old woman gently to him.
"Can you tell me what happened here?"
The woman's eyes slowly focused on Hercules. "They came out of the dark. I...I was coming back from Golath with the tea for Leysa. She's going to have a baby. They didn't see me." He eyes unfocused and she turned back to the smoldering cottage. "Leysa come out."
Hercules moved in front of her.
"Who did this?" he said urgently. "Who burnt your village?"
"They took the children, and the young boys and women. The men they killed. A young man came out of the forest and tried to save the children but they took him too."
"This man...what did he look like?"
She shook her head. "Quick, bouncing, laughing. But there were too many. Too many." She put her head down into her hands and began to weep.
"Come on," Hercules said as he put his arm around to guide her. "I'll take you to Golath. They will take care of you there." And maybe they will know just where these slavers are taking the villagers...and Iolaus!
He was drinking a tall cold mug of water that spilled down his chin, onto his bare chest, into his ears and...he was awake. And soaking.
"Wakey, wakey!" He heard rough laughter surrounding him. Iolaus tried to jump to his feet. He barely managed to lift his head. "Come on, little man. You slept all the way to Colonus. It's time to wake up!" "Yeah, your beauty rest is over!" Another bucket of scummy water gushed over his head. "You got to be all prettied up for the customers!" A round of raucous laughter followed the guards out of the cell.
Iolaus felt hands supporting his head as he tried again to lift himself up. With the other's help he managed to sit, propping himself against the gritty walls of the cell. "Well, I gather we are in Colonus," he said. The other man, no - make that boy, nodded his head slowly. "Yes, you were unconscious most of the journey. They put us in here yesterday. I heard the guards talking. Some of the buyers will be here today to look us over." The boy shivered slightly as he touched the iron ring around his neck. Iolaus could feel a matching ring laying against his skin. The slave pens of Colonus were not really where Iolaus wanted to be. Not now. Not any time. "Thanks for helping me," he said. "My name's Iolaus."
"Aron,"nodded the boy. "You tried to help us in the village."
"Yeah, a lot of help I was!"
"No, really!" Aron protested. "You gave us hope. We may not be free again, but we will honor you for your courage." His words sounded stilted, almost rehearsed.
Iolaus grimaced, "Well, honor won't get us out of here. We need to see what we can ... oooh."
"Here, don't move. I think they broke several of your ribs and you have a bad cut on your head. They beat you pretty badly." Aron pushed Iolaus back down. "Eat." He handed Iolaus a small crust of moldy bread. "I saved this for you. In case you woke up, that is."
"Thanks." Even though he didn't want it, even though it looked disgusting, Iolaus managed to choke it down. He knew that he would not be able to do anything to help himself, much less anyone else, if he could not get his strength back. And the gods knew what he would be able to do then! This was not going to be one of his favorite adventures, he could tell.
Iolaus glanced calculatingly around the prison. The slave pens of Colonus were well known for their squalor. "They deserve every bit of their reputation," he thought to himself. The reeking cell was half filled with defeated, filthy men. Several cursed and raged at the guards, their fellows, the gods. One man sat slowly pounding his head against the wall. Blood dripped down soaking into the fouled straw. Sanitation was an overflowing bucket in one corner of the cell. Iron bars covered one side of the cell, bare rock made up the rest. Smoky torches in the corridor outside the cells provided the only light. Without windows, Iolaus could not tell if it was day or night. "OK Herc. You can find me and get me out anytime now."
A commotion in the corridor drew the men's eyes. Several guards escorted a tall silver haired dignified Captain immaculately uniformed in blue trimmed with gold. A silvery metallic circlet lay against his throat in imitation of the iron slave rings those in the pens wore. A figure completely muffled in a black robe and a young blonde female also dressed in blue with her circlet followed him. Braxis strutted importantly behind them. The hooded figure began to pass the cell but suddenly halted and turned slowly to examine the men. One of the guards nervously cleared his throat. "Lady, the children's pens are further down. These are grown men." A hissing sound came from the hood and a flowing black sleeve rose to indicate that they open the door. The Captain's tone was dry but brooked no opposition. "The Lady wants to see these men. Open up. Now." The first guard fumbled with the keys and unlocked the door with trembling fingers. A faint sheen of sweat covered his face. He pushed the door open and backed as far away from the figure as he could so as not to be touched by any part of her rustling robes. The figure glided into the cell.
A chill wind seemed to blow across the men. Iolaus felt Aron begin to shake beside him. "The black witch!" he whispered. The figure circled the cell and stopped directly in front of them. Iolaus could see nothing of the features, only an impression of two glowing red eyes examining him. The robes curled and swayed around the figure. A faint scent of carrion wafted toward him and he stifled the urge to gag.
"Theeessse ttwwooo." If a snake could talk, Iolaus thought, this is what it would sound like. A dry hissing sound, unlike any a human's lips could produce. The figure stared a bit more at the two, nodded it's head once, then ignoring all else in the cell, glided back into the corridor. The Captain studied Aron and Iolaus as if to memorize their features. He bent down to the Lady to listen to her whispered words. The Captain saluted her with a fist against his heart and turned to the guards. "Bring the boy this afternoon. The man is to be brought tonight. The Lady will decide if she will keep them. Now, show us the children."
Braxis began to bluster a protest. "Lady, I had planned to sell that one to the mines. He is a troublemaker and..." The Captain put a firm hand on Braxis' chest. "That is not your decision." Braxis' red face drained of all color leaving only the scar to shine silvery in the darkness. The rest of the party ignored him as they moved down the corridor. "There waasss alsssoo a woman with chiilldd," the black figure hissed as it moved away.
Iolaus looked over at Aron. He appeared to be in shock.
"Aron, who was that? *What* was that?"
Aron wrapped his arms around his body trying to warm himself. The blast of cold wind that accompanied the dark figure still seemed to blow through him. "That was the black witch. We've heard about her even in our small village. She buys children. Only children." He stopped and stared sightlessly at the wall.
"What does she do with them?"
Aron bit his lip and turned slightly to face Iolaus. "They are never seen again. Some say she takes their hearts!"
And now, Iolaus thought grimly, she has us. He gingerly reached out an arm and placed it around the obviously terrified boy. It was not much, but he would offer what little comfort he could.
Golath was bigger than the now extinct village. Too big for the raiders to even consider hitting. Hercules led the old woman down the middle of the town. It had taken nearly the whole day to get her here, but he could not begrudge the time. She definitely needed someone to help her in her grief and shock. She would not have made it on her own. It was not difficult to find the local healer in Golath. Hercules was able to leave the old woman with her knowing that she would be well looked after.
The local tavern was the next place that Hercules headed for. Not only for the food, but for the information. If anyone knew anything about these raiders, it would be there that he would find them. He was not wrong.
"The whole village gone?" a shocked voice came from the back of the room. "My cousin and his wife lived there!" said another. Most of the men gathered around Hercules to get the details of what and who he had found.
"Some of the women and children may still be alive, and I know they took my friend. Do any of you have any idea who is raiding in this area? Where they might be? Where they may be going?"
"Braxis."
Hercules swung around from the bar to see a bleary eyed man slouched in a chair in the corner, his feet up on a table. It looked like he had been sitting there a long time. The man slapped his tankard down with a thud. The ale slopped onto the table.
"His name is Braxis. Nasty dirty slave raider. One of the worst. Worst looking. Worst smelling. Worst paying. I rode with him for six months. Don't ride with slavers no more."
Hercules came over to sit across from him. "Tell me more about Braxis. Why did you quit riding with him?"
The man held up his left arm. It ended at his elbow. "Braxis has the rest," he said. "I didn't like what he was doing to one of the kids. Heck, I had kids of my own once. The dirty bastard made sure that I wouldn't object again. I crawled away that night. Ha! At least he didn't get to sell me in the pens!"
"Where does he go? What pens does he take them to?"
The man's eyes began to close. "Colonus," he slurred. "Colonus and the witch." His head tipped back against the chair and he began to snore softly. Witch? Well, Hercules would get no more out of him tonight, but he had what he needed. A destination. The slave pens of Colonus. A place where he would not leave anyone for long, not and expect them to come out sane. Hang on, Iolaus, he thought. I'm coming. And soon we'll have Braxis trade places with you!
Iolaus could hear the screaming before they even reached the apartments. The guards behind him pushed him roughly forward; he barely kept his footing, the manacles and shackles were enough to keep him slightly off balance even when he was walking normally. And this was far from normal. The tall Captain paced in front of him, two slave pen guards behind and Braxis. Iolaus could tell from the ramrod straight posture that this displeased the Captain, but Braxis had insisted that he see Iolaus to the Lady's quarters personally. "Just in case," he said. Just in case what, Iolaus wasn't sure. There was no way that he could escape yet. Even so, he had kept his eyes peeled during their walk to the apartments for Herc, though he knew that there hadn't been time for Hercules to find him yet.
He had tried his usually witty repartee to get a reaction from them, but the only reaction he received was a solid blow against his bruised ribs. Braxis had gazed at him with such vicious hatred that he knew if he said another word, it would be a knife that encountered his ribs, not a fist. That was enough to keep Iolaus uncharacteristically quiet.
The Captain turned at the door to face them. Ignoring the sounds emanating from behind him, he said to Braxis, "You have escorted your slave here. The Lady will now assume responsibility for him."
"But I haven't been paid yet. I expect a good price for this one!" Braxis was almost whining.
"You may return later tonight after the Lady has evaluated him and made her decision about keeping him. You will be sent for." The Captain stepped closer to Braxis, his eyes raking him in cold contempt, and lowered his voice. "Now I suggest that you leave, and take these guards with you. Or the Lady just may decide to *evaluate* you, too." The guards hastily saluted and moved quickly away. Braxis wasted no time in following them, but glared back over his shoulder at the Captain. This was not over yet. The Captain gazed at Iolaus unemotionally. "Come," he said, and took Iolaus by the arm to hustle him into the Lady's apartments.
The woman's screams were louder inside the apartments. The Captain quickly led him down a long hallway with doors on either side. The doors were all closed except for one. As they reached that particular one, Iolaus turned his head to see the Lady's black robed figure standing on one side of the room. He could not see the other side. The young blonde girl moved into view, her arms and dress stained with blood. The hooded robe looked up toward the door, made a gesture and the door flew shut with a solid boom. The screaming and moaning sounds diminished. They moved onward.
The Captain opened one of the doors near the end of the hall on the right. He pushed Iolaus forward. "Sit," he said and forced Iolaus down onto a stool. He snapped the manacles into a hook beside the stool. "Hold still." He turned and grabbed hold of a large cutter on a table behind him. The table was covered with many sharp pointy items that Iolaus could not identify. He was not sure that he wanted to know what they did. "Don't move." Carefully, the Captain cut the iron slave ring from Iolaus' neck and threw it into a corner of the room.
The Captain bent down to Iolaus, taking his chin in his hand. "You will wait here. You will not try to escape. If the Lady wants you, she will set her own ring on you." He reached up to touch the circlet around his neck. Iolaus stared at it in sick fascination. The silvery blue ring had no clasp and seemed to be made up of hundreds of metallic scales. The circlet seemed to writhe against the Captain's fingers as he stroked it. "If you leave this room, I will kill you. I do not wish to do so. The Lady would not like it." He stood up and left the room without a backward glance. The screaming abruptly stopped.
"OK, now what?" Iolaus said to himself. He knew that the Captain had been telling the exact truth about killing him if he tried to escape. Despite who the Captain worked for, Iolaus could tell that the older man was inordinately truthful and honorable. Under any other circumstances, Iolaus would like to be his friend. He would make a good one. How such a man could become the head of the Lady's guards, Iolaus could not imagine. Unless that mysterious circlet was exerting some sort of influence upon him. He considered that for a moment, shrugged and decided that he would probably find out first hand later, then turned his attention to the room he was in.
The room was rather narrow but long. Various bottles and jars covered shelves along one side of the room. The end of the room was sloped steeply downward and seemed to have a hole in the floor. The other side of the room contained a basin, rags, bandages, and other items Iolaus was not able to see. He sat back to wait for whatever was about to happen.
The wait was not terribly long. The door opened and the young blonde girl stepped in. She went directly to the basin and started to wash her gory blood stained hands. She looked over at him, green eyes twinkling, and smiled brightly. "Hi! So you are the new one! I'm Havala, the Lady's healer." Iolaus was flustered. Such an innocent, so cheerful, and so bloody. "I'm Iolaus, and *that*," he nodded at her stained gown, "hardly looks like you have been healing anyone."
She looked down at her dress and made a face. "Oh, pooh. That happens every time."
"Every time?" Iolaus asked nervously.
An infant's thin wail was heard echoing down the hallway, it quickly was shushed.
"You men are so squeamish about birthings." Havala carefully stripped off her stained dress. She stood unblushing in her shift. "A fine healthy baby boy. It was a difficult birth, but both the mother and child are fine. The Lady is well pleased. She always likes to get newborns. Now let's look at you."
Havala walked over to Iolaus and began examining the wound on his head. A soft glow surrounded her hands and he could feel the warmth of healing easing the pain that he had been living with since his capture. Iolaus tried to keep his eyes off of her nearly undressed state. He was at the wrong height to ignore everything. His eyes focused on a thin scar above her right breast. "You were injured?" She glanced down to see where his gaze was falling. Havala touched the scar. "This?" she smiled with pride. "This is where the Lady took my heart."
The door opened before he could respond. The Lady's black robed figure glided into the room followed closely by the Captain. She stood two paces away from him. Iolaus could again feel the cold wind blowing around him and he shivered slightly. The blood smell hung heavy in the air around her. Havala and the Captain seemed unaffected by it, they seemed to notice nothing. Iolaus tried to tell himself, it was only because she was involved in the birthing. But he could not quite believe that. He could definitely see the glowing red eyes now beneath the hood, staring at him, but nothing further.
"He isss diiirty. Clean hiimm."
Both Havala and the Captain bowed low to the Lady. The Captain saluted with his fist to his heart. Havala touched her heart with just her fingertips. At least, Iolaus thought, where her heart should have been. As the Lady turned toward the door, the Captain opened it and followed her out, shutting the door carefully behind her. He nodded gravely at Havala, but spoke no word. The door closed quietly.
"Chatty couple, aren't they?" Iolaus quipped. Havala giggled as she gathered together the keys to free him from his manacles and the salves needed to clean and heal him of his more serious wounds.
Hercules was traveling as fast as he could toward Colonus, but he still had to eat and sleep. He would not be in any shape to help Iolaus when the time came if he did not. So here he sat, staring at his campfire. He was safe and warm and his stomach was full. He knew that Iolaus probably had none of those comforts. Too many people died in the slave pens every day for Herc to have any illusions as to the conditions Iolaus was experiencing. Hercules looked toward the setting sun toward Colonus. "Hold on my friend. Hold on." Sleep would not come easily this night.
"Hold on! Hold on!" Havala called to the two giggling young women holding the struggling Iolaus under the water. They brought him back to the surface with a whoosh. "Come on!" he gasped, "I can take a bath on my owww..." The women dunked him again. "Wash his hair again. She said it should be blonde, but I can't tell yet." Havala dumped another bucket of hot water into the bathing pool, dried her hands on her fresh gown and stood grinning at the sight below her.
Iolaus had been pleasantly surprised when warm water started to fill the sunken area in the room. He also didn't mind when two very pretty young women helped him out of his clothes and into the pool. But if he thought that it was going to be a relaxing soak...! "Hey!!" he yelped. "I can wash that myself!" The girls giggled again, but determinedly continued to scrub every inch of him. Finally, when he was cleaned to their satisfaction, spotless, they led him out of the pool to wrap him in several warmed towels.
The young healer dropped some fabric onto a chair. "The Lady has instructed that you are to wear this." Iolaus looked at her aghast. "That's...that's nothing but dandelion fluff!" Havala picked up the outfit and held it up to the light. "And spider web silk," she agreed. She looked at it again critically. "With just a hint of fog!" she concluded triumphantly.
"I will NOT wear that!"
The Captain stepped into the room to stand arms crossed and silent behind Havala. She glanced at him over her shoulder, then turned back to the dripping Iolaus. "If you don't wear this, the Lady will have you brought to her like you are ... minus the towels!"
Iolaus frustratedly growled his agreement, dried himself, and began to dress. The fabric was silky, blue and sheer. The long sleeved tunic shimmered as he pulled it on. It was cut low in front almost to his navel. The silken, sleek pants were opaque only where absolutely necessary. Soft soled blue leather boots completed the outfit. Iolaus was shocked to discover just how far down his blush really went.
Although Havala winked at him as he finished, the Captain simply looked him over, took him by the arm, and led him out into the hallway. "Say nothing if you wish to live unless the Lady asks you a question," he said in a low voice. Iolaus did not reply. He was trying to think of a way to sit that would scrunch him enough together... The Captain opened the door at the end of the hallway. Any thought of scrunching died altogether.
It was a lady's private room, an elegantly appointed sitting area and silk-draped bed chamber. But that was not what captured Iolaus's attention. A golden swath of fabric framed one open area of the wall. But the manacles hanging on that wall told him that he was to be the picture displayed in it. Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. The Captain led him to the wall and snapped the manacles on his wrists. He looked Iolaus straight in the eyes. "Courage," he said. Then he turned sharply on his heel and stood stiffly by the door, his fist clutched tightly over his heart.
It took a few moments before Iolaus saw the dark figure standing motionless in one shadowy corner of the room. A rap sounded sharply on the door. The Captain opened it wide and Braxis swaggered in. He stopped in shock upon seeing Iolaus chained to the wall, but then grinned widely and began to move toward him.
"Braxxxisss!!" hissed the voice.
He jumped and swung around to see the black witch standing directly behind him. "Lady!" he gasped. "I was just..."
"You were jussstt about to asssault my prrroperty." She moved past Braxis brushing him with her robes; his eyes widened and he swayed as if struck. "No, Lady! I..."
"Be sssilent!!" she hissed.
The Lady moved to stand in front of Iolaus. He could feel her eyes raking him from head to foot. Her black robes swirled in an unfelt wind. The hairs on the back of his neck began to rise. "Verrry nicce." A black sleeve rose with a short silvery rope draped from the end. No, it was an unbound circlet. She brought it close to his throat. Iolaus pushed his head backward against the wall. The circlet *moved*. It slithered its way around his neck, flexing and writhing until it met itself, then lay still, warm and pulsing against his breast.
"Nnnoo one but I ssshall removvve thisss. You belong to meee!"
Havala breezed into the room, laughing. "Lady isn't he absolutely gorgeous!"
"SSSSSSSS!!!" The black robes whipped around. "Wwwoman, you are ssstill a chillld!"
Havala stopped in shock, dropping to the floor in obeisance, her face draining of all color at the threat implicit in the Lady's words. Touching her fingertips to her heart, she stared at Braxis and Iolaus, sobbed low in her throat, and stumbled blindly from the room.
"SSShe isss correct." The sleeve rose again, Iolaus could see a long, sharp black claw emerge from it. The claw came forward to touch his chest, following a bead of sweat trickling from his neck - down and down. His mind was screaming, although not a sound passed his lips. His breath came in gasps and his skin quivered in revulsion at her touch. "Ssshall I take your hheartt now?" The claw began to cut a shallow line above his breast, bright droplets of blood started to flow down his chest. Her head bent to taste the warm fluid of his life. Iolaus could not stifle a low moan of horror.
Braxis began to gag. Without moving the Lady said, "Payyy himm, Captain. Then removvve him!" The Captain handed a small pouch to Braxis, the soft chime of the coins and their weight indicating the coins were gold, not silver. Braxis stole one last look at Iolaus, his face slightly green, imagining himself hung on the manacles. Then he strode urgently out of the room.
The black hood came closer to Iolaus' face. He tried to jerk his head away, but there was nowhere to go. The velvet blackness under the cowl was complete, he could see nothing but darkness. The foul blood stench was overwhelming as she came forward to press burning cold hard lips against his, pointed teeth starting to tear. He felt faint and was not sure that he could keep conscious much longer. Dimly, he heard the Captain's steps following Braxis and the gentle clicking shut of the door. Just as his sanity began to fray, something changed. Gradually, the lips against his softened. The stench blew away with a warm soft breeze that brought the scent of summer fields to mind. His head swam in confusion. Slowly the Lady backed away from him.
"What," he croaked, his throat raspy as if he had been screaming, "is going on? What are you doing to me?"
The dark form bent forward into a low bow before him. "Forgive me," a low gentle voice said. "I will not touch you again without your permission. However, what I did was necessary. It does your reputation no harm and mine much good." Black sleeves rose to push the hooded cowl back to reveal her face. "Hello," she said, "I am the black witch." It was too much. Blackness twisted in front of his eyes and he sank heavily down held only by the thick chains. Iolaus fainted.
He was only out for minutes, maybe just seconds. When he opened his eyes again, nothing had changed. The Captain stepped back into the room, standing silently at the door. The witch still stood, hands clasped modestly in front of her. She gazed serenely at him. This was the black witch? This was the horrifying fiend? Her hair was dark but scattered with gray. A streak of white shone over her right temple. Gray eyes twinkled in amusement. The lines around her generous mouth indicated that laughter and smiles were constant companions in her life. She would never be called pretty, but she had a kind of quiet beauty that some mature women acquire after a life full of love and loss. She looked like any common woman found gossiping and swatting at frolicking children at any village well. Except. He took a second look at her eyes. They looked strange. They looked old - very, very old.
She stepped forward to a small wooden table beside him. Opening her hand she dropped a small black bladed knife onto the tabletop and stepped backward. She made a waving motion with one arm and his manacles opened. His arms dropped forward and he rubbed his wrists trying to get the circulation flowing back into them.
She nodded toward the knife. "Take the knife. With it I will take your heart - or you will take mine. If you wish, you may end the reign of the black witch. It is up to you."
Iolaus moved forward slowly and grasped the knife. The blade was black obsidian, the hilt a dark mahogany, engraved into the wood was a stylized golden sun. Why would she have a knife with the symbol of Apollo? "Who are you?" he demanded. "What kind of game are you playing here?"
The Lady shook her head slowly. "No game, this is very serious. But you must now choose. End my life or give me yours. As you can see, I am helpless before you." Iolaus looked meaningfully at the Captain, whose hand was clutched on his sword hilt, tension radiating from him. "The Captain will not interfere with what transpires between us. This I swear."
"And I am to take the word of a witch?" he spat.
"No, you are to take the word of the Lady," the Captain replied grimly. His hand relaxed off of the sword and he crossed his arms, but his eyes were cold and the tension in his body was not relieved. Iolaus knew that the man would be in motion within seconds of being released of his vow. He might be able to kill the witch, but could he kill the Captain, too, or even manage not to be instantly killed himself by the Captain? For once the Lady's blood was on the knife, no vow of obedience would stop such a man from taking his vengeance.
Iolaus turned the knife over in his hands. What honorable man gives his loyalty so to a witch? What fun loving innocent healer serves such a witch? Was it the influence of the circlet? Probably not, although it was warm against his skin, he felt nothing malevolent from it. He could still think, still reason, his will was still his own. Perhaps the question was, what sort of Lady could command such loyalty and service? There were too many questions for such an easy answer as the knife held. With a sigh, Iolaus dropped the dark blade, it clattered onto the table. "I do not understand," he said simply. "And I won't kill someone just because I can."
The Lady's face became radiant. She beamed at the Captain. "You may leave now. It will be all right. Good night, Captain." The tension left his body in a visible rush. The Captain bowed to the Lady, saluted her, and said quietly, "As you wish." He left the room without looking back.
The Lady came forward and gingerly picked up the knife between them. Taking it to a shadowy corner of the room she gently laid the knife upon a small shrine and lit several golden candles. The soft glow revealed another stylized sunburst above the shrine. Apollo again. Then the Lady removed her black robe. It swirled and drifted around her as if alive, clutching at her until she finally had released her body from it and placed it upon the shrine. Even so, she watched it until the last flutters had quieted before turning back to Iolaus. She now wore a soft blue gown with a sunburst on the left breast and gold trim around the neck, sleeves and hem.
She motioned him away from the wall and into the sitting area of the room. A warm fire was burning brightly before several furs and soft pillows. She gestured for him to sit and almost reached forward to touch him as he stumbled slightly. She caught her hand back self-consciously.
"Havala!" she called.
Havala entered the room, warily, her eyes red-rimmed and tear filled. "Lady, forgive me, I am so sorry. I did not realize..." "Havala," the Lady interrupted, "we must always be on our guard in Colonus when others are around. Especially Braxis! He would destroy us in a moment if he could. You have been with me for two years, you know this. Now," she smiled, "bring our guest a some food and a robe; I appreciate the view, but I am afraid that it is making him a little uncomfortable." Havala bowed to the Lady and retreated to do her bidding.
"Havala is a sweet girl," the lady said with an affectionate smile. "But she is still very young. She is strong in her healing arts, as you should be able to tell. Your ribs are very nearly healed. But I'm afraid that she will not be the true healer she is meant to be until she experiences a more profound point, a deeper point in her life. She will have to have a true sorrow, a complete loss before she sees just what is truly involved in healing, in living, and in dying." The Lady shook herself slightly as if to stop a memory and clear the way for another subject. "I suppose that you have many questions," she said when Iolaus was clothed and settled again.
"That is an understatement!" he exclaimed taking a sip of something incredibly warm and good. He wasn't sure just what it was, but he was making no complaints. It tasted nourishing and slightly intoxicating, he would have to be careful not to drink too much. "But I suppose it all boils down to Why? and What are you doing? You really aren't going to take my heart, are you?" he said a bit worriedly.
The Lady laughed quietly. "Of course not. I take no one's heart unwillingly. Hearts cannot be taken by force, or they are of no use. They can only be given freely. You have a very strong heart, a very noble heart. When you give yours, to whomever you give it, the gift will not be a small trinket but a treasure to be valued and guarded."
Iolaus looked at her quizzically. "Thanks. I think." His head started to buzz. He shook it, the buzz faded but remained. "I have a friend who will be looking for me," Iolaus said slowly.
The Lady's gaze turned slightly worried. "I know." Her voice changed slightly, it became more - intense. "'Two men shall appear for the last journey. The Golden Warrior and the Man of the Shadows. One to bring salvation, the other destruction.'" She shook her head slightly. "He will catch up with us later."
"Shadows? His name is Hercules. I suppose you've heard of him."
"Hercules?" She seemed surprised. "But why would he..." She paused and made a gesture to indicate that she would not talk about this any further.
Iolaus touched the circlet around his neck. "What is this?"
She smiled slightly, "The circlet will do you no harm. It is attuned to me. While you wear it, I can tell where you are and how you are - if you are hungry or hurt. It is one way I protect my people."
"Protect? But then what was all that - the robes, the claw, the witch?"
She tipped her head, "Apollo has given me three gifts to help me in my work. One of these is the robe. It can cast spells of illusion. People see what they expect to see. It is extremely useful."
"Your work?"
"I help the children. They are important to me. I make sure that they get to a safe place, where slavers and raiders cannot touch them. Where they can learn to grow up happy and secure."
"But if you buy the children, doesn't that just encourage people like Braxis to capture more? If you didn't buy them, wouldn't he just leave them alone? There's no profit in it for him."
She shook her head sadly. "No, that's where you are wrong. If I did not buy the children, he would simply kill them. They are too much trouble to bring to the slave pens. It is easier to only take the young women and men." She paused as if considering whether to add something, but then simply said, "I know."
"But if you take only children, why me? Why did you pick me out of the pens?" Iolaus' eyes seemed to have a hard time staying open and he yawned widely.
"Apollo also gave me the gift of foresight. I knew that I had to find the man with the sky in his eyes and the sun in his hair." She reached forward, her eyes asked for his permission, and gently touched the fresh washed golden hair that curled around his ear. "Without you, I cannot save them this time. I need you. But you must sleep now. We can talk more in the morning." Her words echoed hollowly around him. Iolaus felt like he was moving through warm sweet golden honey. A low gentle humming sounded in his ears. A soft lullaby for an ailing child. He could not help himself as he slumped down on the pillows. It was so warm, and the fire danced in his eyes until they drifted slowly closed.
The soft clattering sound of crockery and yeasty smell of fresh bread, roused Iolaus. He felt wonderful! His eyes fluttered open. He yawned and stretched and froze. He was lying in the silk draped bed, his head resting on the Lady's breast, legs curled up, her arms cradling him like a small child.
"Good morning, Iolaus," Havala said quietly and unsurprised at his position. She came to his side and gently eased him out of the Lady's embrace. "Don't wake her, she spent the whole night awake watching over you. Come and eat. We must leave today, and she needs all the rest she can get. Night healing always exhausts her."
Havala took him to a small kitchen, where she served him breakfast and spent the rest of the time packing for the journey. Iolaus was bound and determined to get some more answers to his questions. Not all of them had been asked last night, and at least talkative Havala would not put him to sleep before they were all answered.
"Who is the Lady?" Iolaus asked as he ate. "And how did you get hooked up with her?"
Havala's bustling slowed as she considered her answer. "She was a farmer's wife. She lived not too far from here, but there were no neighbors close. One day while she was in town, raiders came to her farm. They burned the buildings, killed her husband and infant son and took her daughter. The daughter never made it to the slave pens. In her grief she entered the temple to become a daughter - priestess - of Apollo and remained in the inner sanctuary alone for three days. It was the Lady who emerged."
Havala sat down at the table across from him, wringing a cloth in her hands. "Apollo not only took her name from her but "favored" her with three terrible gifts. Illusion - you have seen the robe. But she can only make horrible things, never good or beautiful illusions. Foresight - but she can only see bits and pieces. Never enough to know exactly what to do to stop or make something happen. That is how she knew about you in the slave pens, and whatever it is that makes you important on this particular journey. And Healing." Havala suddenly got up and moved toward the packs she was filling, her back to Iolaus.
Iolaus stopped chewing and looked at her quizzically. "Healing? But that is a good gift. Isn't it? You have that."
She did not turn around. "I have been gifted with the healing of the body. It drains me but does me no harm even if my patient does not survive." She turned to face him and leaned back against the wall. "The Lady can Heal the soul. She must touch each one deeply. She must feel what they feel. Experience every agony, doubt and heartache. And the sickness of a soul is much worse than the illness of a body. She can not only bring life but bring peace. I love her, I admire her, I respect her - but what she can do, what she *must* do, terrifies me."
"And you," Iolaus said quietly. "Why are you here?"
"She bought me out of the pens ten years ago. I was trained at Apollo's temple for eight years as healer. I have been traveling with her for two years now."
The Captain strode into the kitchen, grabbed a hunk of bread and cheese and started out again. He nodded respectfully to Iolaus and Havala. "We leave in three hours," he warned them. Then he was gone.
Havala smiled gently toward the door. "The Captain was in the first batch of slaves she bought fifteen years ago. His wife was killed in front of him, but the Lady managed to save his young daughter. Now he is the Fist - the Protector of the Heart. He would do anything for the Lady. As would we all," she said quietly. She tied off the packs. "Now let's get these ready. It is a long journey to the temple. And she has foretold, it will not be an easy one."
Colonus was a big city. Dirty, dusty, smelly, and confusing. Even after asking directions at the gates of the city, it took Hercules the better part of the day to find someone to get information from about the slave pens. Finally late that night at a filthy table in a disreputable tavern he found two drunken guards who, he was told, had been on duty the day Braxis' slaves had been brought in.
"Yeah, I remember them. Braxis always brings a load in."
"How many?" Hercules asked.
The second guard thought ponderously. "Lots."
"Yeah, lots," the first guard agreed.
"Not always in the best condition," the other guard snickered.
"Did they have a blonde man with them? About this high?" Hercules was beginning to get angry.
The first guard grinned, showing that he was missing three teeth. "Yeah, I remember that little guy. Boy wasn't he a wreck!"
"Not as bad as what *she* did to him!!"
"Where is he? Who has him? Tell me now or you will join your friends in the pens!" Hercules demanded impatiently. These two were too drunk to understand subtlety.
The two guards stared at each other. This was almost enough to sober them up. "It was the black witch," one whispered.
"They left this morning," the other slurred. "Or was it yesterday? Anyway, they went north. Don't know where she takes them, but they don't come back. Sorry about your friend mister, by the time you find him, there won't be much left."
"Yeah, why don't you stay here and become a guard. You got the body for it! You could even make a few dinars on the side. Lots of people would be your friend here." Both of the guards started to snicker again.
"Thanks! I have a friend! And now I'm going to find him." Hercules' voice was icy. "You really shouldn't drink so much, it's bad for your health." Hercules threw their drinks in the guards faces. They fell backward off of the bench hitting their heads on the wooden floor with a thunk. They stayed down with their legs sticking straight up at the ceiling. He didn't look back as the sounds of drunken snoring were cut off by the slamming of the tavern door. Hercules stalked down the darkened streets, not noticing the stealthy figure following him from the tavern, keeping to the shadows.
The road was dusty, the travel slow and hot, but the spirits of the people started to rise the further away from Colonus they were. Iolaus watched as the Lady took the smallest children into the wagon with her and cradled them, brow furrowed and haunted eyed, as they napped. When they awoke, it was as if they were re-born. The children began to chase butterflies and pick wildflowers as they walked along the road. Iolaus had even seen Aron, silver circlet shinning in the sun, beaming at him from horseback. The Captain had taken him on as one of the Lady's guards. By the fourth evening as the women set up the camp, the feeling was almost festive. And why not, Iolaus thought, these were people who had lost everything, and now found that they were on their way to safety instead of slavery.
He wasn't sure when the music first started. It seemed to start soft and slow, a single flute serenading the setting of the sun. Even Leysa's baby was quiet, entranced by the hymn to the darkening heavens. She rocked him, swaying gently with the rhythm. A finger drum tapped out a slow low beat. As the stars began to appear, voices added their rich harmony.
The night progressed, the music increased its tempo, turning joyful. Havala entered the circle of firelight. Flames dancing in counterpoint behind her. Her blonde hair whirled and floated around her as she spun, green eyes sparkling, throwing her hands in the air, feet pounding a swift double beat. She reached her arms forward, pulling Iolaus into the dance with her. The Lady laughed and clapped her hands, encouraging other couples to join in the celebration. She was dressed in her blue gown, black robe put away. Tonight, she was just a woman, not a daughter of Apollo. She blushed as the Captain bowed in front of her, protesting unsuccessfully as he tugged her upward, and swung her into the swirling revelry.
Iolaus staggered out of the circle, winded and head whirling. Drink in hand, he moved away from the firelight to give his eyes and ears a chance to rest. The moon was full and a fresh breeze ruffled his hair. As he moved away from the camp, the music faded behind him leaving only the night sounds. A low murmur of voices drifted to him on the wind. Cautiously he moved forward, curious, but not willing to intrude on anyone's privacy.
Underneath the bright moonlight, he could see two people, a man and a woman. It took a moment to recognize them as the Lady and the Captain. She laid her head on his chest, quietly whispering. Iolaus could hear just fragments of their words.
"...trust him."
"You know I would do anything, just tell me...."
"...can't... tomorrow... understand... forgive me."
The Captain pulled her to him, crushing her in a passionate embrace, then pushed her away, almost angrily. Not looking back, he strode determinedly away. The Lady stood silently with her head bowed. Then she raised it as if scenting the night air.
"Iolaus, come out. I know you are there."
He moved forward hesitantly. "I'm sorry, I did not mean to intrude."
He could not see her face. "That is all right. You are a big part of tomorrow, it is important that you be prepared. I am not certain what will happen, only of events that may or may not occur. You and the man of shadows are involved in all of them."
"What events? What man of shadows? Do you mean Hercules?"
"Tomorrow is the crux. If we can get through tomorrow... But you are here, and the children will be safe," her words were spoken low as if to herself. "Iolaus, you must rest. Tomorrow will be a very long day. Good night." She placed her hand over his heart. Iolaus could feel the fatigue, worry and tension of the day draining away. He caught her hand gently to stop her.
"Good night." Oh Lady, he thought sadly, who will heal *your* soul?
The Lady turned away from him and lifted her face to the sky. Moonlight glittered in the traces of the tears she was silently weeping.
Hercules moved easily down the trail, following the witch and her people. Although he did not have the tracking skills that Iolaus had, it was not difficult to follow forty people, four wagons, and ten horses. He was surprised at the tracks he had found yesterday, the children seemed to be running free. Now today, however, he noticed that the group was bunched up, no tracks heading off away from the group, and none of the children walking. He would meet up with them soon, and as yet, he had not devised a plan to get Iolaus and the children away from the witch.
The children were hushed, their eyes wide as they stared out of the wagons. They knew that something was wrong. An air of expectation and tension filled the party. The only sound was the creaking of the wheels and the soft clop of horses' hooves. Iolaus moved cautiously, eyes darting around the rocky gorge they were following. A small scattering of rocks tumbled down from the heights causing everyone to jump. The Captain pulled his horse to a halt, until all the wagons safely passed him. Then with his gaze scouring the walls of the canyon, he moved forward again.
Hercules crouched down behind a rock, examining the band below. He could see Iolaus, hands bound in front of him, walking beside a wagon being driven by a figure robed in black. Several men on horseback escorted the wagons filled with young children. They seemed alert, but not aggressive. Not sure about plan B much less plan A, he decided on the direct approach. He moved ahead of the group and stood up.
Iolaus saw a figure moving in the rocks ahead. Suddenly it stood, silhouetted blackly against the sky. They could not see the features of the man, but the form was comfortably familiar to Iolaus. "Hercules!" he shouted in greeting.
A woman's voice cut sharply through the silence. " 'WARE! ATTACK!!"
An arrow snapped past Hercules. Confused he looked behind him. Dozens of men were crawling over the rocks, swords in hands to attack the party below. A stout scarred man bellowed as they flowed down the walls to the canyon floor.
"IOLAUS!" The black robed figure stood and cast her arm up and toward his friend. A silver streak caught the sun, glinting as it tumbled end over end. A spell? Iolaus reached up, his bonds bursting like soap bubbles, his hand opened to feel the hilt of the sword slap securely into place. He stood, back to the wagons, facing the oncoming horde. Hercules scrambled down the rocks to stand beside him. "Iolaus, what...?" Iolaus pointed his sword to the wagons moving back to form a semicircle against the rocks, "Good guys." He pointed it to the whooping men running toward them, "Bad guys." The Captain threw Hercules a sword. "Right!" he replied and swung his blade up to parry a blow.
"Who are these guys?" Hercules reached out and grabbed his opponent by the throat, throwing him away.
"Braxis." Iolaus ducked as a sword whistled over his head. He grabbed a handful of dirt and threw it in the raiders eyes, then bopped him on the head.
"Isn't he the raider that caught you the first time?" "Yeah." Iolaus jumped upward, his hands pushing his victim down, then leapfrogged over him. Hercules pulled the stunned man onward and cracked his head against a wagonwheel.
"And he wants you back again?!! Why?"
"Cause I'm not dead yet." A rain of arrows fell over them, reaching toward the wagons and the children.
"They must have followed me from Colonus. I wasn't making it a secret that I was looking for you." The figure in black and a young woman rushed trying to get the children out of the wagons and crouched down by the rocks.
"That's all right. She was expecting this." The Lady had grabbed a staff and was trying to keep the raiders away from the children. She paused a moment and threw her arm up, motioning toward the end of the gorge.
A colossal roar sounded down the canyon. Pacing slowly toward the battle, a massive green dragon appeared. It shook its mighty head and raised one giant paw to bat at the men.
"Where did *that* come from?" Hercules asked as he dispatched a man coming up on Iolaus' blind side. Iolaus glanced at the dragon before shrugging and ducking under a wide swinging arm. "Don't worry about it. It's on our side." Hercules looked again at the fire-breathing monster terrorizing several attackers. "Lucky us."
Another volley of arrows streaked toward the wagons, but these were fire arrows. Some became embedded in the fourth wagon. Flames snapped and flared. Hercules rushed to help. The blonde woman was trying to get all of the children out, but some of the smallest were too terrified to move. They only wanted to hide. With a mighty blow, Hercules punched in the side of the wagon and reached in to pull a young boy to safety.
Small rocks rattled down on the children from above. Iolaus looked upward and saw three men trying to maneuver a large boulder closer to the edge. If they managed to push it over the edge, the landslide it would cause would bury the children. Iolaus scanned quickly to find Hercules - he was still busy fighting the fire on the wagon. He could not help in time.
Iolaus knew instinctively that this was it. This was what the Lady had seen - the reason he was needed here. It was not strength that would save the children but agility and speed. And he could move like the wind when he needed to.
Iolaus launched himself straight up the canyon wall. He scrambled over the rocks, clinging to fragmentary handholds that crumbled away the second he reached and released them. His arms and legs trembling from the strain, he pulled and shoved his way upward. If Havala hadn't healed his ribs, he would never have been able to do this. Lungs heaving, he scratched and clawed his way to the top. He threw himself over the lip of the wall, rolling as a sword came stabbing down to where he lay. He kicked the sword over the edge and snapped a punch upward. The raider's head flew backward toppling him over to follow his sword.
Iolaus rolled to his feet and shooting upward, did a handspring over the boulder to the two men frantically pushing behind it. He hit them with both feet as his legs came whipping down. Four quick jabs and the two were left sleeping, heads propped together behind the large stone. He dusted his hands off and looked back down at the fight still raging below. Taking a deep breath he scrambled, slipping and sliding, back down to the canyon floor, to stand once more beside Hercules.
Braxis' voice echoed across the canyon. "It's not over, Captain. I'll see you and the witch dead yet!"
The Captain broke away and whirled his horse to gallop up the farther slope heading for the attackers' leader. "Braxis!" Braxis laughed and lifted a crossbow to fire it at the wagons. It struck the black robed figure fighting before the children. The Lady fell. The dragon bellowed in rage and pain, raising its body up to claw at the sky before exploding in shards of sunlight. Iolaus' circlet burned icy cold. "NO!!!" The Captain's shout echoed over the battle. He reached Braxis and brought his sword up in a silver arc that thrust, then sprayed red droplets across the rocks. Braxis toppled backward nearly cut in half. Without their leader, Braxis' men did not have the courage to continue the attack. They faded back into the rocks. No one pursued them.
The Captain raced back to the group surrounding the fallen Lady, hooves spraying gravel as he reigned in and threw himself out of the saddle. The Lady lay with her head in Havala's lap. The arrow had pierced her lung. She did not have much time left and she knew it. She had seen this. There was no surprise only sorrow. Havala was sobbing, vainly trying to stop the bleeding.
"Havala, don't. There is nothing you can do. You must be - my heir. You must continue - for me. There must always be a Lady."
Havala shook her head in denial. "No, I can't. I can't do this."
"You must. You will not have the choice. I did not. As long as there are children, and need - the Lady must survive!" She coughed and the breath rasped in her throat. "Man of shadows." Her eyes flickered to Hercules. He bent down to hear her better. "You were our warning - our harbinger of destruction - but not the cause of it. Do not blame yourself."
Iolaus knelt beside her to hold some water to her lips, he could feel her weakening. She reached forward to grasp his circlet. As her bloody fingers touched the metal, it slithered off his neck and dropped dull and lifeless in the dust at his feet.
"I told you - that I would be the one - to take that off." She said haltingly. "You must get - the children to the Temple. Please."
"Of course." He gently wiped away a tear that slid down her cheek.
She smiled wearily at him. "My golden warrior."
He bowed his head to her and touched his heart with his fingertips. She reached out and took his hand away. "No, I take no one's heart with me.-- Not even mine. I gave it piece by piece to each of you.-- Now there's nothing left." She broke off with a gasp of pain.
"That is not true. Never true. You hold so much of us! Of me." The Captain fell to his knees beside her and took her hand. His mask of reserve had finally fallen. She searched his anguished face.
"You must remain the Fist - the Protector of the heart," her eyes turned toward Havala and back. "Promise me." His eyes remained on hers. "Always - Alora." He placed his hand on his heart then reached forward and cupped her cheek gently. She smiled, her eyes closed and her tears washed the blood from his fingers.
Suddenly a great stillness seemed to descend upon the canyon. A golden beam of sunlight arched down to shine upon the Lady and Havala. The others moved back away from the heavenly glow. It became brighter and brighter until they had to shade their eyes from the brilliant glare. Then as the light faded, they saw Havala weeping silently, clutching to her breast a bloodied arrow and an empty black robe. She raised her grief filled, tear stained face to the sun; and Iolaus saw with a shudder, that she had a white streak in her hair and her eyes were gray and very, very old.
They came upon the temple several days later. It was hidden in a small river valley, surrounded by a peaceful wood and fertile cultivated fields. The temple of Apollo glittered in the sun. The party approached slowly. Iolaus pounded on the temple doors. Several young acolytes opened the heavy wooden gates to reveal the High Priestess of Apollo. She smiled and opened her arms in welcome.
"The Lady has brought her children to the temple," he announced solemnly.
A black robed figure moved forward toward the Priestess. Hands pushed back the cowl and Havala's face appeared. The woman's smile faded, changing in turn from confusion, to comprehension, to grief. She touched her hand to her heart, bowed and said, "The Lady and her children are always welcome here. Come in, daughter." Havala led the group into the courtyard. She moved to the side to make sure that all her charges safely entered their new home.
Hercules and Iolaus stood back and let the horses and wagons enter. The Captain strode forward and clasped hands with Hercules and Iolaus. He nodded to Iolaus in thanks but said not a word. He had not said much of anything since the Lady's death. A young woman in temple robes ran to throw her arms around the Captain. "Father!" He hugged her and whispered something to her that caused her to cry out and embrace him harder. Together, they entered the temple sanctuary.
The Priestess walked up to them. "Won't you stay with us a while and rest?"
Iolaus shook his head, "No. I think we had better move on. Hercules and I - have some catching up to do."
"Then I wish to thank you for the help you have given the Lady. You will always be welcome at Apollo's temple. You have a refuge, a home, here." The Priestess bowed her head to him and touched her heart. Iolaus nodded back and moved his hand to his chest. Slowly he clenched his hand into a fist and placed it against his heart.
As the heavy wooden temple doors slowly closed, Iolaus' last glimpse was that of Havala's gray haunted eyes burning in a black robe that swirled and billowed around her. The Lady would survive.
Hercules and Iolaus began to retrace their steps back out of the valley.
"Are you all right?" Hercules asked, concern for his friend heavy in his voice.
"Yeah. But I'd rather not talk about it right now. Maybe tonight. After the sun goes down - when it's dark." He squinted as if the light hurt his eyes, or his memories. Hercules clapped his hand on Iolaus' shoulder. They walked silently through the golden afternoon together. Above, the sun's rays shone down brilliantly, warmly falling on Iolaus' head like a benediction.
Disclaimer: No half alive black robes were permanently harmed during the construction of this story - although they did get a little faded from the sun.
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