“What?” Eve’s voice sounded hurt.
“J-Just shut up! All you ever p-prattle about is ‘Eli’ this and ‘Eli’ that! ‘Love is the way,’… ‘only through non-
violence!’ All mighty Hades, it’s enough to drive a person crazy!” Ari shouted.
“You didn’t seem to mind in the hospice,” Eve protested, a hurt look crossed her features.
“I was half out of my mind or unconscious at the time!” Ari screamed back. “I’m not in a fevered s-state anymore,
unfortunately, because if I have to listen to your rubbish, I’d rather be unconscious!”
“But I’m only trying to help! With a little guidance, you’ll be able to feel at peace too!” Eve protested.
“Well maybe I don’t want your help,” Ari mimicked her sister in a sing-song voice.
“If anyone needs guidance, it’s you!” Eve nodded solemnly. At her words, the dark child shook her head, then reached
over and slightly shoved her sister in hopes of silencing the woman’s words. With a frown, Eve leaned over and pushed
back. The open challenge could not be overlooked and Ari reached back and shoved even harder.
“Hey!” Eve protested, then reached over, and shoved back.
“HEY!” Ari shouted back then reach over and pulled a lock of Eve’s hair, which brought a slight, high pitched scream
from the prophet.
“Why …!” Eve began to protest as she was reaching over the pull Ari’s hair, but was stopped in mid-stride by Xena’s
deep, commanding voice.
“Hey!” the warrior princess shouted back as she stopped in the road and turned in her saddle.
“But, mother, she started it!” Eve protested.
“S-She’s been doing nothing but going on and on about p-peace and love and all that dung!” Ari defended herself, and
she could see that Eve was about to open her mouth in protest.
“Both of you, be quiet!” The older woman shouted back, as Eve was about to protest again. Before the younger one
could speak, Xena pointed a finger at her, “I said, be quiet! Both of you! Eve, stop tormenting your sister, and Ari, stop
touching your sister!” She commanded.
In begrudging silence, Ari shot Eve a pure look of hatred. Seeing her sister’s expression, Eve stuck her tongue out at Ari,
which brought a look of surprise. If Eve had not turned away, the girl might have caught the slight smile that crossed the
young prophet’s lips. Instead, all the dark child noted was the strange way that her sister chose to mock her.
“I said both of you, Stop It!” Xena ordered again as she shot Eve a warning glance. “Don’t make me come back there!”
their mother’s voice held a menacing promise to both of her daughters.
At the mysterious threat, Ari blinked at the commanding woman, then lowered her eyes as a show that she was backing
away from a fight. Eve glanced over at the distant trees as a sigh escaped her control. Pleased by their new silence, Xena
nodded, then turned back to face the road they were traveling on. With a grim expression, she goaded Argo forward.
In silence the party of four continued down the dirt road.
“Xena,” Gabrielle pulled her mare closer to her soulmate, “What would you have done if you had to go back there?”
The warrior princess maintained her stoic expression, her eyes never wavering from the road, then she answered her
soulmate softly.
“I don’t know, but it seemed to work on me and my brothers, so I thought I’d use it,” the dark haired woman shrugged as
she kept her voice low.
With a slight smile, the storyteller nodded as she glanced back at the two silent figures. “Hopefully you’ll figure it out if it
ever gets that far,” the blonde softly chuckled.
“I hope so, Gabrielle, I really do,” Xena sighed, before her expression grew stern, and she returned her eyes to the road
ahead of them.
of
Sins of the Mother (1) - Introduction
