Xena Warrior Princess; Sins Of The Past

Chapter Two

   In a camp a few miles away, an archer drew his bow and let a red-tailed arrow fly. It cut through the air straight towards a  man who's skin was the colour of rich chocolate, on his was a piece of thick carved, curved wood on his but no mohawk stood straight instead some his long black hair fell downward through the slit in the wood and the rest was tied neatly  back. He standing before a target, and caught the red tailed arrow neatly in one hand.

 “Alright.” The man said, throwing the arrow aside. “Now all four of you.” Three more archers joined the first; they all had different coloured tails on their arrows, they lined up at one end of the large tent. They drew their bows taught, the strings creaking as they were pulled tight, then released.

 “He caught three of them!” A solider standing guard, murmured in awe.

 A green-tailed arrow had nicked his upper arm and hit the target. He dropped the others, touched the cut on his arm, almost.incredulous and pulled the arrow out of the target.  ‘”Who has the green arrows?” He asked, the fire light from the torches in the tent showing up a long scar on his right cheekbone. Three archers backed away muttering; “Green. Not me.”  "Thank the gods.”

 Two guards marched the man with the green arrows forward. “Ares has smiled on you.” He smiled at the archer, lips curving upwards sarcastically inside a small beard shaven so it circled his mouth. He gave the archer his arrow. “Sign him up. Get the others out of my sight.” He ordered clicking his fingers.“Yes Draco.” His guards replied. An atenneding solider handed him a rag and he ran it over his hands. “Hector, how’s the throat?” Draco asked the man sitting to his left with bandage around his neck.

 “Next time I see her I’ll kill her.” He said hoarsely.

 Draco almost laughed. “Pray to the Gods you never have to deliver on that boast.” He threw down the rag and walked off. One of Draco’s men who was standing next to Hector looked down at him, disdain on his face.

 Back in his tent, Draco picked up one of the two scrolls that lay on his desk along with his sword, a candle and two bottles of green liquid. 

"Night watch!" "All clear!" Came the voices of the guards on patrol.

  He unrolled the scroll and began reading, the light of the candle on the desk illuminating the markings.
A dark haired woman slipped in through the tent opening behind him, pushing aside the red and blue material without a sound.

 “Hello Draco.” She said, her tone somewhat smug. Draco grabbed the sword on the desk with both hands and spun round to level it at her.

 “Xena…" he paused.  "You look good.” He said, half smiling and looking mildly surprised.

 She walked towards him brushing the sword aside dismissively with one hand.  “So do you.” She smiled slightly.“Except for that ugly scar.” She trailed the back of her fingers down his cheek.

 “Nice of you to give me something to remember you by.” He grabbed her hand.

“You picked the wrong woman to get rough with.” She forced his arm down towards herself.

 “It never would have happened if you’d been more cooperative.” He pulled her hand toward him and kissed the back of it. Xena's expression was somewhere between disgust and sweet remembrance.
   “What are you doing here?” He asked. “If you’d wanted to kill me…”

 “You’d be dead.” She said dropping his hand. She walked around him,  stopping with her back to the warlord.  “I want to ask favour.”

 Draco went over to his bed and sat down on the sheep skin covering it, resting a hand on the soft curls. “What do you want?” He asked. She glanced at him then away, blue eyes unreadable. “Your men were at a village today.”

 “I heard they got a large dose of the Warrior Princess.” He said a slight smile on his lips as his eyes roamed down over her body and back up again.
“I want you to spare that village.” Xena walked up to him stopping only when there was less then half a foot between them.

 “You care about those pheasants.” He assumed.  “I could have mercy on that village… if…” His earrings glinted in the torch light.

 “If what?” She asked, through almost clenched teeth. “You join with me.’ He answered. “We’d make an invincible team,” his voice was fervent.

“I can’t do it Draco.” Any emotion in her expression closed down.

 “What does that mean?”

 Xena turned away from him and walked a few paces. “I’m going home.” She replied.  Draco clenched his teeth, pulling his dagger; he came up suddenly behind her and held it to her throat. “I dreamt of being with you in love or against you in battle.” He said, anger twisting his face. “You won’t give me the satisfaction of either will you, will you?!”

 Xena turned to face him her pale-blue eyes wide as she looked up at him. A moment later he sighed, giving in. “I’ll spare that village, for old time’s sakes.” Her expression softened, she blinked a few times.

 “Thank you.” She turned to go but he grabbed her arm pulling her back.

 "What do you hope to find back in Amphipolis?" He asked. “Forgiveness? I tried to go home once. My father almost beat me to death with a blacksmiths hammer. You’ll get the same treatment. I guarantee it.”

 “Good bye.” Xena said softly, looking at him, a thousand memories in her gaze.

 Then she turned and left.