Lessons

Xena snuck into the weapons room, giving in to the urge to play with some of the weapons that Ares kept there. It had been easy to get past all of Ares' priests and priestesses because they were all busy trying to instruct a new couple wanting to serve Ares.

The young goddess was forgotten or ignored most of the time. The ones that looked after the temples didn't really like her very much and decided that they would act as if she didn't exist, unless Ares was around.

Xena didn't mind very much. She knew that they were jealous of all the attention Ares paid her. Ares was the best! He would always make sure that she had her room clean and that she was practicing with her powers, but he also always checked up on her.

He'd check that she was eating and drinking, the she kept herself clean and that she didn't go anywhere that she wasn't supposed to. She had learned at an early age that around Mt Olympus and the other gods private quarters in the mortal realm, there were traps. Ares had taught her where all the traps were in his temples.

She was free to go wherever she pleased in his temples. She had grown up in them. But the best thing of all, Ares was her best friend. She only needed to say his name and he would be there. Xena tended to get into things. She reasoned that was why she was the Goddess Of Discord.

Ares would always correct her and say that she was the Goddess Of Mischief, but she knew that that's just the way he preferred it. But unlike Ares, the gods didn't hold it against her. They all liked her. Well, except for Athena. Xena didn't think that Athena liked anyone. But Xena wished that they liked Ares more, he was cool.

Xena looked down at the numerous swords and arrows and other things that lined the walls of the room. There were some tables in the center of the room with daggers and other blades on them.

The little goddess picked up a strange looking dagger. She liked it on sight. The handle was split into two, making it look like a bird in the sky from a distance. Xena turned it in her hands, getting used to its weight. It was a little heavy for her now, but when she grew up, it would be perfect...

"What are you doing in here, brat?" came a feminine screech from the doorway behind her.

Xena turned around, dropping the dagger in shock. No one spoke to her that way! "Leave me alone!" she shouted. "You're not supposed to be in here!"

"Neither are you! Lord Ares doesn't like children in his temples, now leave, before I throw you out!" the young woman yelled at Xena.

"You can't tell me to leave! I belong here! It's my temple, too!" the child yelled back.

Suddenly, the woman slapped Xena across the face, hard. She then picked Xena up, carrying her through to the main hall and tried to toss her out of the temple.

Xena kicked the woman in the stomach when she regained her senses. The goddess had been too stunned to understand what was happening for a few seconds. The woman dropped her when she felt the pain in her stomach.

The God Of War appeared in an instant. "What is it, princess." He zeroed in on the red hand print on her tiny face. "Who did this?" his tone was furious.

Xena pointed to the young priestess who was doubled over, clutching her stomach.

"Elaina!" the god's voice bellowed for his head priestess. Several of his priests and priestesses appeared. They had never heard their lord so outraged.

Elaina looked to the other priestess. "Ashta, Lord Ares. She's new, along with her brother, Arcon." The priestess gestured to a young man behind her.

The entire group, save for Arcon, who didn't know who Xena was, gasped. They all looked to the little goddess who had wrapped her arms around Ares' leg, and saw the already-fading imprint on her cheek.

Elaina bowed to her lord. "Lord Ares, we hadn't yet informed priestess Ashta or Priest Arcon of Mistress Xena's presence. Not many know of her and even less of the regular mortals.

Ares bent down to pick Xena up. When he held her in his reassuring embrace, Xena wriggled until she got comfortable. Ares kissed the top of her head. He turned to the new priest and priestess.

Arcon crossed to his sister and helped her to stand respectfully before her god while Ares addressed them. "Xena is the Goddess Of Mischief..."

"Discord!" she stuck out her tongue. Ares glared at her. Xena shrug her shoulders with a grin.

"As I was saying...Xena is the Goddess Of Mischief..." he glared Xena into silence. "And is under my care. Even if you believed her to be a normal child, why did you strike her?"

Ashta nearly trembled under her god's glare. "She was in the weapons room, Lord Ares. She appeared to be stealing a dagger, then when I told her to leave, she said it was her temple."

Xena squinted angrily at the priestess. "I said that it was my temple, too." She looked up at Ares. "You said it was!"

He smiled gently at her. "It is, sweet." He turned back to the priestess. "Xena is free to wonder any temple of mine. She is free to do as she pleases as long as she doesn't injure herself, and since she is a goddess, not much can injure her. However, since you were protecting what is mine, I won't kill you, but you are never to be in the same room as Xena unattended. Is that clear?"

The last sentence was to the room in general. Everyone nodded their understanding.

Ares turned to Xena after he dismissed the group. "Now, sweet, what was it that you were interested in?" he asked, carrying her to the weapons room.

She pointed to the dagger that she had dropped on the floor when the priestess had found her.

Ares bent down and picked it up. "Not bad. It's a breast dagger. Appropriate, but not until you grow up, okay?" Xena nodded. "Until then, I'll hold onto it so that no one else gets it."

The God Of War transported them back to his chambers. He placed the breast dagger in a drawer. "There you go. It'll be safe there. No one would dare enter here without our permission."

Xena smiled sleepily. She rested her head on Ares shoulder and went to sleep. Ares kissed the top of her head before laying her down in her bed and pulling the covers up over her.