*******

Her eyes squeezing tightly shut, Gabrielle gritted her teeth as she heard the animal-amazon rear back and release her weapon. She winced when startled by the frightening crack of Wolf's whip right above her head. The action was done for effect, designed to display the thrasher's skill. It was also a cruel test to enlighten, a demonstration of what to expect; what the victim should fear.

Gabrielle's face was pressed hard against the wall, hidden from those who watched. The amazon-bard was relieved she was allowed this one small mercy. It would be much more difficult if she were facing forward where she could see the weapon and anticipate the terror her torturer symbolized. Thank the gods she didn't have to watch the others as they scrutinized her reactions.

And she didn't have to see Iolaus either, to witness his guilt and unconcealed agony as he was forced to observe the abuse. Gabrielle had heard his frantic shouts whilst she was being tied to the wall and she could still hear his struggles. He was pleading with their captors, demanding clemency. Even now he amazed Gabrielle. It was almost as if he was **eager** to be brutalized in her place. But, of course, that wasn't going to happen ...

Then, unexpectedly, something warm and smooth was covering her back.

"Gabrielle," he whispered urgently into her ear. Iolaus was behind her, shielding her body with his own, protecting her from the blows to come.

Stunned, Gabrielle lifted her head and tried to turn, to look at him. It was useless - "Iolaus, what are ... how ...?" she started.

He had watched, nearly panicking when he saw the whip's release then the loud report echoing about the encampment. Iolaus had said it once and meant it. He could not see her suffer. Thoughts of Gabrielle's smooth unblemished back torn and bleeding were too much to endure. With a super human explosion of strength and energy Iolaus managed to get away, once again, from the Amazons. Yet, this time instead of fighting he was on the platform, "Don't move, Gabrielle." he told her. Then, over his shoulder, Iolaus shouted: "Do your best!"

"What are you saying?" Gabrielle gasped in fear, "Are you insane?" she added.

"Absolutely not!" Iolaus replied vehemently but thought the opposite, 'Oh yeah, I'm nuts all right! I should be locked up, I should be put away somewhere and sewn into one of those white jackets. And for the gods sakes keep knives and forks away from me!'

Two of the amazons, Ferret and Lynx, rolled their eyes at the hunter's heroics and move to pull him away.

Peacock had other ideas. She snapped her fingers, "I'll allow this." she said, stopping her warriors. "By protecting her he's stating she's weak and in need of him. He's humiliating her." The High Priestess surmised, "What would your queen say to that, girl?" she asked.

Gabrielle held her tongue. She wouldn't give these demon's the satisfaction.

Wolf lifted her whip once again and at Peacock's nod she let it fly, striking Iolaus wickedly across the shoulders.

Although a cry did not leave his lips, he closed his eyes and suddenly felt sick and out of breath. Iolaus could feel Gabrielle tense under his protective embrace. He was holding on to her for dear life. If she wasn't there, if it wasn't she he was protecting, he might have fallen down. Then he heard her voice, strangled as she begged him to move away. She was saying she couldn't bear his trial, this whipping was meant for her and she could take it.

"I know you can." he whispered in reply, biting his lower lip against the pain. "But if I can help it, you won't." he vowed just before feeling the second lash to his back, the blow parting the fabric of his thin, already battered vest.

Wildly, in the recesses of his tormented brain, Iolaus thought: 'It's ripping my vest. It'll be ruined.'

Gabrielle felt the third blow vibrate through Iolaus body and she wept, feeling totally powerless. She could not believe this was happening. "Iolaus ... oh, Iolaus." Gabrielle keened, her body trembling. Fears for her own well being had long ago evaporated, now she feared for her brave hunter. Damn him! Why did he have to be such a ... hero! She felt an incredible array of emotion. Not the least of which was despair. She hadn't felt this way in months, since Xena's death. "I'm so sorry, Iolaus." Gabrielle sobbed, quietly, "This should not be happening. It's my fault. You tried to get me to leave and now you're paying the price because I ..."

"Don't." he replied, breathing heavily and whispering brokenly into her ear, "You did what you had to. **I** was the one who was selfish. I wanted what Hercules has ... A life mate; a future with children. Someone to love me. I was wrong to ever expect you to ..."

And the whip came down again.

Bodega came back to Gabrielle. She saw their time there with crystal clarity. "Iolaus." she moaned, almost as if she were feeling his pain - and in a sense she was - **Bodega** His laugh. His touch. The fun they had just being together. Their yearning and guilt. Guilt because they were experiencing such passion when their partners were so close and unsuspecting.

Hercules .... Xena .... 'We will be together forever ...'

But his eyes were looking into her soul and his touch filled her with a fire and pleasure and, yes, a **security** she had never known before. Not at home in Potedia. Not even with Xena.

"Please stay with me Iolaus ..." Gabrielle pleaded, feeling him weaken, his breath growing short and warm against her neck. His hands were beginning to loosen, his embrace becoming infirm. And Gabrielle could suddenly see the two of them, as if from a third party's eyes, after having loved him. They were laying together in grass near the lake, speaking softly and lost in thought, sadly taking comfort in a hold and tenderness that could mean nothing more than a special evening between a man and woman. After all, they were already taken, committed to the two most important people in their lives ....

The whip snaked out one last time.

Gabrielle could feel him falling away from her, "No!" she cried, in alarm. "Iolaus, I love you!"

Then something as timely as it was mysterious happened. The bindings that held Gabrielle to the wall dissolved away. She took two brief seconds to knowledge the miracle before rapidly turning about and grasping Iolaus in her arms, before they crumpled together onto the platform.

"Stop!" came a demand. The tone resonated bizarrely, causing the ground beneath them to shake.

With the exception of Peacock all the amazons fell to their knees in respect and trepidation.

Artemis, impressive in full huntress regalia, stood before the assembly.

Iolaus and Gabrielle watched the scene. He was conscious but his head rested on her shoulder. At the moment he was just too fragile to do anything more than observe.

"Good to see you again, My Goddess." Peacock greeted with near sarcasm and a short bow, "It has been two hundred years, hasn't it? I trust all is well?"

Artemis ignored the niceties, "I want you to leave these two mortals alone, Xindra." she demanded, "They are both looked upon with favor on Olympus."

"These insignificant play things?" Peacock mocked surprise, giving a perfunctory glance at the couple, "Since when, Goddess, do the Olympian gods care about mortals?" she asked, boldly.

"Xindra, I am the Goddess of The Hunt!" Artemis reminded forcefully, "My reasoning and that of my kin, is not an issue. Your people may be renegades but there are still certain ancient rules that even you must obey."

"Of course." Peacock, paced slowly before her patron, her feathers swaying slightly in the twilight of early evening. "Are you siting the ancient scroll of Jacusus? That was written a long time ago, Goddess, and only applies to an amazon queen and her betrothed ..." Peacock abruptly hesitated and looked once again to where the couple sat together on the platform. "**She** is Gabrielle?" then a laugh escaped the woman's lips, "Of course!"

The other Amazons looked upward at this revelation.

"We had her within our grasps this entire time." Tiger murmured, "The Melosans ... the **world** is ours for the taking!" The Amazon stood upright and her sisters followed, equally inspired, staring intently in the hunter and bard's direction.

Justifiably frightened, Gabrielle began to breath rapidly in fear. She felt like a piece of fresh raw meat being dangled in front of ravenous lions. The only thing that kept her still was the feel of Iolaus at her side, his fingers squeezing her hand gently.

Aware she was about to loose control of the situation, Artemis also turned in the couple's direction and raised a hand. A white lighted force field surrounded Gabrielle and Iolaus, "If you attempt to penetrate it," the goddess announced, "you will die."

"You can't keep them in there forever." Peacock bristled, "You know what the ancient scroll of Animzo says. Her life means our death!"

"What are you talking about?" Gabrielle called, feeling confused and slightly undaunted behind the barrier, "I've never even heard of your people before I returned to my tribe."

"She doesn't know?" Tiger questioned, unbelieving.

"No." Artemis replied without elaboration.

Peacock nearly smiled, "Then, my dear ..." she drawled in her adversary's direction, a mature and nearly aristocratic tone once again over-taking her tone. The High Priestess walking carefully up to the force field and gazed at the couple with interest, " ... allow us to enlighten you."

Once upon a time, nearly one thousand years ago, they were called the Beauteus, an ancient race of athletic women that became Hera's favorites. She bestowed upon them, the most ravishing women in the known world at that time, mighty gifts of power, agility and a hunting prowess beyond no other. The women were also granted a nearly inconceivable freedom to do whatever it was they wished within their mortal world. They had become the most powerful Amazons in the world.

However, as the years passed and one generation over-took another, the new Beauteus became ambitious. They not only grew war-like in their mortal realm but also threatened the gods.

One day their High Priestess, Xindra, was presented with a valuable gift from one of her demigod lovers. It was a silver ring with a hidden compartment. Inside rested five precious drops of hind blood. The Beauteus, with this valuable weapon, knew they had power over all the gods. The blood was tested on the presenter, Konfideus, the son of Apollo and some unknown mortal female he had bedded. The young man died instantly. When Zeus heard he became enraged, as did Hera and many of the other gods.

They sent Artemis down with Hera's archers to discipline the Beauteus but The Goddess of the Hunt, patron of all amazons, decided against torture. Yet, in the eyes of the amazons it was an even crueler punishment. She turned the Beauteus into animals so that they might learn what it was like to be the hunted. As time passed the women who were both human and animal, evolved into the animal-amazons of current time. They renamed themselves Animzo, because they were not just animal/women but Amazons too ... the greatest in the world. And despite their fall they would return and reclaim their glory.

There leader, the descendent of the original Xindra, kept her title and spoke calmly as she concluded the tale: "... and in our ancient scrolls it is written, after a thousand years, our ultimate doom - the end of our mighty tribe - will come about entirely if we meet up with the greatest warrior in the land ... Gabrielle." Peacock's eyes met Gabrielle's and studied her for a moment, "We're assuming that means you. Although you are not quite what we expected."

Baboon spoke from behind their Priestess, "Mieka said you were very tall, had black haired, wore dark warrior leathers and also had stunning blue eyes."

Iolaus and Gabrielle looked at one another. They knew who Mieka had described.

Tiger stepped forward, impatient and ready to do some damage. "We knew the time of confrontation was here. We've made it our mission these last few years to hunt you down and destroy every amazon tribe in our way until we found you."

Gabrielle wanted to say something but the unsound gleam in Tiger's eyes and the little snarl she heard pass the Animzo's lips paralyzed her into silence.

"So, you see Iolaus ..." Artemis spoke directly to the hunter, ".. you were correct when you came to the conclusion that these amazons are 'not quite human'. They're not. Their masks are their true faces."

With a gulp and iron will, Iolaus sat up and pulled gently away from Gabrielle, "And now?" he asked. Feeling a renewal of energy he should not have had, the hunter stood up under his own power and felt a concerned Gabrielle do the same beside him. "Are you going to help us escape, Artemis?" Iolaus expression was no nonsense. Both he and Gabrielle had been through too much to be left hanging now.

"Go ahead, release her." Tiger urged, "We will only track her down and kill her."

"Enough, Tiger." Peacock raised a hand to quiet her warrior.

"Iolaus, I'm here for two reasons." Artemis explained, "You're one of the few mortals I respect. I want to help you and Gabrielle but it's not as easy as it looks. Despite what their ancestors did, these Amazon's are still under the protection of the gods. We can't just tell Zeus and Hera to destroy them. Besides, from what Hercules has told us, I don't think either of you would want that anyway."

"Hercules?" Iolaus eyes averted.

"He too is on Olympus right now with Hebe. He knows what's been happening and is worried." She added, "He misses you."

Iolaus looked downward and felt Gabrielle's hand lay gently on his shoulder.

"It's going to take negotiation. A lot of it. I need to take Xindra to Olympus and leave you here alone." Artemis revealed.

"The force field?" Gabrielle questioned, quickly.

"My powers are limited. I'm not certain I can keep it up for more than eight hours. And this leads me to the second reason I am here," Artemis tone strengthened to take in all those who listened, "According to the scroll of Jacusus a married Amazon queen is allowed peace on her wedding night. No abuse, no interruptions and no warring of any kind." Now she looked sincerely at the couple who stood staring at the goddess, an odd reality all at once slapping them in the face. "Do you love her?" Artemis asked Iolaus.

"Y ... yes." he spoke softly.

"And do you love him, Gabrielle?"

She nodded slowly, her eyes never leaving Artemis', "Yes. Yes, I do."

"By the powers invested in me as the goddess of all hunters and amazons, I pronounce Iolaus of Thebes and Gabrielle, Queen of the Melsoan tribe officially wed."

Stunned speechless by the brevity of it all, Iolaus and Gabrielle could only look at one another.

*****

Chapter Nine (he final chapter)
soon to come ... Stay tuned!!