Disclaimers~ Someone owns Xena and Gabrielle, but unfortunately it isn't me. As far as this piece of fiction goes, I'd be surprised if I received any legal papers at this late date.

Warning~ Violence, maintext, Callistotext, bloodytext, and etc�text. My advice is to read the first "books" of this series A Crown of Laurel then Passage into Darkness, if you can read both and still want to go on, then read this. I'm assuming you know what you like and don't like by now.

This story takes place just before The Debt, not that it really matters anymore since the series is over. I know it's been what?? Four frikkin years? LOL. But let's just say I got tired of writing. As for �And Beyond, kindly don't email me asking about it. There will be some continuity problems but I'll try and keep them to a minimum. Most of this was planned and plotted out before most of season three even happened.

The poems Sun Rising and the segment of Fierce Tenacity were written by Halcyon and are used here with her permission. Both are copyrighted to her. Thanks, Haly, for allowing me to use them. I know it's been years, but I finally got around to it.

Chains of Love
by Silk
[email protected]
copyright 1997-2003

Part One

I felt a cleaving in my mind
As if my brain had split;
I tried to match it, seam by seam,
But could not make them fit.

The thought behind I strove to join
Unto the thought before,
But sequence ravelled out of reach
Like balls upon a floor.
Emily Dickenson

Fiery, dry heat filled the cavern as a tall dark-haired man stood over the glowing coals and worked a huge set of bellows, blowing air onto the coals. From dull red, they brightened to orange, then finally to glowing white, causing the temperature in the cave to soar. No mortal man or woman would have been able to stand the heat, for it would have sucked out all the moisture from their bodies in an instant, but then, this was no mortal man.

Hephaestus reached into the white-hot fire with a pair of tongs and pulled out the next piece to his newest creation. Placing it almost lovingly against an anvil, he took his great hammer and began to beat the metal, molding it into the shape he desired. It was only when he deemed it perfect that he joined it with the others, making it whole. Then, after quenching its remaining heat in a barrel of water, he placed another chunk of the gleaming ore in the fire and put his hand to the bellows one again.

*****

Xena drifted up slowly out of her dark, liquid dreams, waking to find herself no longer in Callisto's realm, but somewhere else all together.

The sounds of a war camp came to her. The deep voices of men, the sharp tones of metal on metal, and the soft nickering of a line of horses nearby told her this.

She opened her eyes and turned over on her side to look at her surroundings.

It was a tent, not unlike many she'd seen and lived in over the years. There were two small braziers nearby, so Xena was able to see fairly well about the tent. She already knew there was no one else nearby but herself. Still, long habit sent her gaze hunting within the shadows for intruders.

Swinging her legs around, she stood up and grabbed a dark blue silk robe that had been conveniently placed at the foot of the bed. The fact that she was stark naked wasn't a concern for her, finding out where she was, was far more important.

As she walked toward the entrance, she saw her armor and weapons, cleaned and oiled, on top of a chest at the foot of the bed.

So. I'm no prisoner. Interesting, she thought silently as she unsheathed her sword and continued towards the tent flap.

She could make out the shadows of what could only be two guards, which broke the line of sunlight that crept under the thick tent walls.

To keep me out? Or to protect my privacy? Let's find out.

Xena threw back the tent flap and had the tip of her sword at one of the guard's throat and the other soldier groaning on the ground from a sharp blow to his neck.

It was just after dawn, and the camp was already awake, readying itself for the day.

Xena eyed the warriors for a moment, intrigued by what she saw. Whoever was in control of this camp had done a good job of making sure the men were clean and orderly. Not your ordinary band of bandits at least. But whether or not they were worth the expense of the soap they'd used was another matter to determine later.

Her sharp blue eyes caught the frightened brown ones of the guard under her sword. Like a rabbit seeing a wolf.

Xena sneered. Since none of the passing warriors seemed at all concerned with her hostile actions towards the two men, that meant she was known here...and her action accepted.

"Who's your commander?" she asked, her voice a low purr.

"You are, Chosen," came the trembling reply.

Better and better. This must be the present Callisto had promised her.

At the thought of her goddess, Xena repressed a shiver. The night before had been...interesting, to say the least.

Xena had no animosity towards Callisto and what had happened. On the contrary, it was almost...reassuring, as if the attention she'd been given was just the goddess' way of loving her Chosen. The contest of wills and the pain had been made the first meeting between goddess and Chosen delicious, quite different than the technique Ares had used.

Not completely satisfying, but then I'm sure Callisto has something in mind for later. In fact, Xena knew she did. A low undertone of sensual energy flowed underneath the darker, more intense, emotions that surged between Callisto and Xena, and when the warrior concentrated on it for that split second, she could feel Callisto doing the same.

Did you have a nice sleep, Xena dear? Callisto chuckled softly in Xena's mind.

The warrior ignored her for a moment. "Go find my second in command. Now." Xena lowered her sword and turned her back on him, entering the tent again. The other guard was only now recovering from her blow and refused to meet her eyes as he stood back up and went back to his sentry position.

The near darkness of the tent enveloped her as she dropped the flap behind her and tossed her sword onto the bed.

"So. Where have you dumped me, Callisto?" Xena asked the goddess as she stripped and dressed in her leather armor.

I'm surprised at you. No angry recriminations about last night? No threats to do me bodily harm?

"This is a new day. Besides, what's there to be angry about? The balance between us is as it should be. I didn't cave into your little power play, although I'm sure you would have loved it if I had." She pulled the straps up onto her shoulders and pulled her hair out from the back. Almost as an afterthought, she touched the cheek that Callisto had branded with her finger. There was nothing there.

It was just the first stage of the new game. I'm sure tonight will have a much...different outcome, Callisto hummed happily in her Chosen's mind.

Xena shrugged as she clipped the last catch of her breastplate and settled it on her body. "I'm sure you think so." She changed the subject. No matter what interesting plans the goddess had for that night, there was the rest of this day to get through. And there was much for her to do. The Chosen of the Goddess of War was back and blood would flow freely because of it. "Is this camp the present you alluded to last night?"

Her only answer was the goddess leaving her mind and distancing herself. She could tell Callisto was still paying attention to her, but she was only observing in an absent way.

At that moment, the tent flaps opened and someone came into the tent. Xena turned and raised an eyebrow. A tall, dark familiar form stood near the entrance, his leather armor well cared for, showing off his impressive body.

Well, well. This is a surprise, she said to herself. "Draco."

The powerful warlord smiled widely at her, his pleasure at seeing her apparent. "Xena," he purred her name. "It's nice to see you again...and with both of us on the same side."

Xena sat down and began lacing up her boots. "Last time I saw you, you were vowing to become the next hero of Greece."

"Callisto took Cupid's spell off me." Draco's face took on a look of disgust. "I can't believe I fell for that little friend of yours. You were always more my type." His dark eyes told her how much he appreciated her as they roved over her beautiful, lithe body.

The look wasn't lost on Xena, and her body was indeed responding to it, but now wasn't the time. Perhaps never. She liked Draco well enough, and he might be useful to ease her appetite once in a while, but for some reason she found her old desire for him just wasn't there. She stood up, placing her chakram on her hip and her sword in its sheath at her back.

Turning her intense blue gaze on Draco, she was pleased to see him react. In fact, Xena could swear she hear his pulse grow rapid. A wolfish grin graced her lips as she stepped forward and ran a long finger down the livid scar on his cheek. "Sorry to disappoint you, but you weren't mine…type that is."

Draco caught her hand in his and placed a kiss on her palm. "I could be, if you let me. Just think of it, Xena. I've told you before...we'd make an unstoppable team."

Xena tried to remove her hand from his, but the warlord held it firm. The smooth planes of her bronzed face became as hard as stone, as the dark fires were set free, the flames roaring up within her.

Callisto's Chosen set her other hand on the one that held hers and pried each finger off. Then, still holding his hand in hers, she squeezed. Knuckles ground together painfully and bones threatened to shatter. Draco fell to his knees with a grunt. Xena just looked down at him, expressionless but for the energy that was coming off her in waves. Draco didn't know what scared him more, the casual physical power she displayed or the grim aura that pulsed around her. He could almost feel it through her touch, the taste of his own blood in his mouth, as he bit the side of his lip from crying out, enhancing the sensation.

It reminded him of the kiss that Callisto had bestowed upon him, freeing him from Cupid's spell. Cimmerian dark and delicious, but a dangerous undercurrent that threatened to drown him if he swam against the tide.

"There is no team, Draco. I give orders. You follow them. That should be simple enough for you." She emphasized her point by shifting her hand, grinding Draco's bones together harshly. A hiss of pain escaped from him, but otherwise he kept silent, only nodding his acceptance of her terms.

"Good." Xena released him, raising her hand before her and prying out a bit of bloody skin that was wedged under her fingernail.

Draco got to his feet and eyed the woman before him with an appraising look. This was not the Xena that had run around the countryside doing good deeds for the last few years. True, she was still known for her physical prowess, but the cruelty that he remembered from before was back...but more so. A tremor of excitement and fear swept through his body at the thought. The world was a more interesting place with Xena on this side of the battlefield.

As if she could hear his thoughts, Xena spoke. "It's time the world knew what fear is, Draco...and I'm here to show them." She paused. "Do you know what fear tastes like?" she asked, even though she already knew the answer. The Chosen of War could taste the rank odor of it coming from his body.

But Draco was a proud man, a warrior. And no warrior, let alone a warlord, admitted to weaknesses of any kind. "No. I don't fear anything."

A smile cracked the emotionless mask. "You should. Everyone should know what fear is and what it feels like."

"What do you fear then?" he asked boldly.

"Me?" Her smile turned predatory. "I am fear."

The air shivered and vibrated as the energy flared off her again, this time so thick and strong that Draco had no doubts whatsoever that the emotion which was welling up within him was fear. Blood chilling, flesh crawling fear that sapped his strength and shriveled his privates.

Then as suddenly as it came, it was gone. Almost. Now that he'd had a taste of the essence, he could feel it coming off her, like a bank of clouds that came between the sun and earth, cloaking the land in shadow.

Xena's eyes danced with amusement as she watched Draco. She could tell just from his body language what he was thinking and feeling, and it pleased her to no end. It had been a long time since she'd taken up the Chosen's blood soaked mantle.

Far too long, she observed silently.

Callisto's far off chuckle echoed faintly in her mind.

Shut up, the warrior replied and turned back to Draco.

"Now. Let's get to business, shall we?" Xena headed out the tent, clearly expecting Draco to follow her as she left to take control of her army.

"Yes, Chosen," Draco replied, right on her heals.

*****

To Be Continued

Two editors wanted (or one really good one), since I can't get ahold of my old and dear ones. email me