Ari knew that her sister's words were enough to convict her of the crime regardless if she could recall it. She had known
from the look on Xena's face the night before that she had committed an evil against Eve. Such an act as this, the warrior
princess would not easily forgive and although Gabrielle had seemed to truly care for her, more than anyone, the dark
child knew that if her birthmother no longer wanted her, then the decision had been made.
As sadness filled her, Ari remained still as she tried to think through her options. She had never needed to make any
decisions for herself in the past. Since she had first arrived in Alti's mysterious cave, everything was decided for her. From
the time she woke up to when she went to relieve herself. From the amount of time she spent exercising to make herself
stronger, to what she ate, drank or wore her adopted mother had decided everything. Even the time that she was to
emerge into the world was carefully planned beforehand.
Once she was free of her mother's binding control, Ari was still not free to decide. Yet this never truly bothered her. In
fact, she found it comforting to let her birthmother make the decisions for her. With the older warrior making all the
decisions, the weight of her future was suddenly lifted from her. But this, the teen knew, was about to change. With Eve's
news, she was convinced that Xena would never allow her to stay.
The daunting prospect of life alone weighed heavy upon her soul; yet the idea of Xena asking her to leave sent a searing
pain through her heart that she had never felt before. As the melancholy crept through her, she silently rose and slowly
dressed. She was not certain what her future held, but she knew that she could not bear to face her birthmother's anger
and ultimate rejection. With this in mind, Ari swallowed hard as she made the first decision of her life.
Careful not to waken anyone, she slowly gathered her sword, pack and bedroll and then made her way silently from the
camp. Ari remembered her lessons well as she crept soundlessly over the dirt, fallen leaves and branches. With each slow
step she took, she glanced back over her shoulder to assure that no one had awakened. Only when she was in the
darkness away from camp did she move a bit faster to where the horses waited. After setting her sword and pack aside,
she rolled her bedroll into a tight bundle and then turned her attention to Thanatos.
Understanding her thoughts, her horse snorted softly then moved to her side, his nose pushing against her until she reached
up to scratch his muzzle. She rested her forehead against his as she closed her eyes and fought back tears. Ever since
arriving in this strange world, Ari had never felt closer to anyone or anything than she did to Than. He was only a yearling
of two when she first laid eyes on him, and together they both finished their final year of tutelage until they had transformed
into the team they had become. With a sigh she gazed into the liquid darkness of her horse's black eyes and knew that he
understood all that she was feeling at this moment.
A deep depression settled over her at the thought of leaving. In the short time that she had been with her new family, she
had begun to feel comfortable, or at least as comfortable as she had ever felt in her life. But now it seemed that she had
little choice.
Filled with a new resolve, she took Than's blanket and saddle and quickly readied him for their journey. As the sounds of
the night crickets registered in her senses, she blanked everything else from her mind. The soft whispers that were always
near were blocked from her mind as her concentration focused on preparing for her departure. When her saddlebag and
bedroll were tied to the back of Than's saddle, she glanced back at the camp as she strapped her sword around her
waist. At the silence from the sleeping women, Ari took Than's reins and led him away from the only family she had ever
known.
Ari felt the familiar pain in her head growing with each passing minute. Ignoring it, she silently walked Thanatos down the
dirt road. With each step she took, the soft whispers slowly disappeared until all she heard were the sounds of the forest
around her. As her mind wandered over a myriad of thoughts, she contemplated many things. She didn't know where she
was going, nor did she know what her future held. All she knew was that for the first time in her life, she had made a
decision on her own and it frightened her.
Only when she was far enough away, did the girl mount the Andalusian stallion. As she held the reins loosely, she glanced
back through the darkness. Somewhere around the bend, her family was still asleep. If she had wanted to, she could have
returned and no one would have known. But even as this thought crossed her mind, it was quickly wiped away by the
memory of Xena's expression from the night before. The tall warrior's look of disbelief, then the anger that surged from
her dark features was enough to bolster Ari's courage to leave.
Without another thought, she kicked her boot heels into Than's sides and urged him down the road. Ducking low in her
saddle, she held on tight as her faithful friend tore off at full speed. As the wind whipped past her, she closed her eyes
against the blinding tears threatening to fall. Ignoring the gloom surrounding her heart, Ari willed herself to stillness as she
rode away from her birthmother all the while unaware that even as she rode, the prophet, her sister, had awakened with
an urgency that would not be silenced.
~~~~~~
Ari was not certain how long she had been riding, nor how much distance she had covered. Her mind wandered over past
events and the slight memories of her childhood. Everything came back in a pile of jumbled images that only managed to
make her head ache even more.
As she approached a junction in the road, she slowed the horse down. She looked at the writing on the wooden boards
and recognized the names of the villages. As the dull ache pounded in her head, Ari pondered each name.
Pella was the closest village down the left trail. Its defenses were non-existent and its fighting force laughable. The road on
the right led to the coastal city of Pydna and although it was considered small, compared to some villages, it housed a well-
equipped army and stockade. The road that went forward led to Therma, a village that held only the most modest of
defenses, yet was under the protection of the local magistrate because of its busy location. Alti had said that Therma held
the key to all roads because it was at Therma where the roads leading to both Potidaea and Amphipolis were located.
With a sigh, Ari reached up and rubbed her aching head as she tried to make yet another decision. What she knew of the
region had only to do with each village or town's defenses. Anything else was a complete mystery to her. Although Alti
had always taught her what she needed to know to conquer the various kingdoms and the land, very little was mentioned
about the people who lived in the areas. With a slight grimace, the young warrior continued to gaze at each name, the dull
ache of her head turning into full-blown pain as she tried to organize her thoughts.
Not for the first time, Ari found herself cursing her mother. Alti had thought of everything. She had taught the girl to read
and write, as well as how to make maps and she taught her battle strategy, all while physically training her for conquest.
Despite all of her training, found that she was almost incapable of making the simplest decisions on her own. If only Alti
had explained this little ability as well, then she may have had an easier time now that she was alone but that would have
meant relinquishing a measure of her control of the child and that the sorceress would never do.
“But mother never expected me to be alone. She never expected me to live long after the battle with Xena,” Ari thought
as a grimace crossed her features. With an audible sigh, the teen closed her eyes as she tilted her head back. She felt the
early morning sun on her skin and smiled at its warmth.
The newly freed captive allowed her mind to wander as the sun bathed her exposed flesh. She remembered the cold
darkness of the cave, its shadows caused by the lighted torches hanging from nooks in the rock wall. When her
mother first brought her out into this world, Ari found the light blinding. For a time, she was forced to wear a
shield on her eyes whenever she was out under the sun until she gradually became accustomed to its brightness.
Having never seen or felt it before, the girl found that she wanted to spend as much time as possible basking
