DISCLAIMER AND AUTHOR'S NOTE: All Xena stuff is the legal property of MCA/Universal and Renaissance Pictures. No copyright infringement was intended in the writing of this fiction. All other characters that appear belong to me. This story cannot be sold or used for profit in any way. Copies may be made for private use only and must include this copyright notice and disclaimer. This one was inspired by the Xena - Warrior Princess episodes The Debt 1 & 2. There is some subtext here. If this kind of stuff is illegal in your neck of the woods, if you're under 18 or if you find the notion of two women being in love offensive, read at your own risk.

The Way
By Kristjan Brezovnik

Callisto grinned as she saw that each of her soldiers held a hostage or two. They had taken an entire village and so far they haven't killed any one. So far. They had been trying to escape from the valley, but the pursuing army had them surrounded and the only way to get out of there alive was to have hostages. She didn't like the thought of having to take hostages, but the enemy was stronger and she had no choice. At least she would get the satisfaction from killing them later.

Suddenly, a woman about Callisto's age entered the camp. Callisto observed her as she approached. She was confused. She had expected the army to just attack or maybe a general to come and talk to her, but not some villager. She stared at the woman and saw no fear in her eyes, only peace.

The woman came straight to her.

"I am Hekale," the woman introduced herself. "I am sorry to intrude into your camp uninvited, but it was necessary."

"What do you want?" Callisto demanded.

"I would like you to let the villagers go."

Callisto stared at Hekale with disbelief for a moment and then burst into laughter. The soldiers joined her.

"I don't think so," Callisto said after she stopped laughing. "Tell me, couldn't the army send a general or something?"

"I'm not with the army."

Callisto was surprised.

"You're not? Then who are you with?"

"I am alone."

"Alone?" Callisto grinned and pulled her dagger. "You should know better than to come alone into my camp. Tell me, do you know who I am?"

"You are Callisto," Hekale said.

"So, you know, hm? Then you should also know what I do to fools," Callisto said and put her dagger onto Hekale's neck.

"Yes," Hekale said without flinching.

Callisto slowly pulled the dagger along Hekale's neck, leaving a red trail behind. Hekale's expression didn't change and that surprised Callisto.

"You wouldn't happen to be from that village, would you?" she asked.

"I am."

Callisto laughed.

"And you came to save your friends?"

"Yes."

Callisto kicked Hekale in the face. Hekale didn't move and her expression didn't change. Callisto didn't like that and she started to beat her. Hekale didn't defend herself and she let Callisto hit her and kick her.

When Callisto was done, Hekale got up.

"May they go now?" she asked.

Callisto stared at her, surprised. Despite just being severely beaten, the woman apparently bore no hard feelings. It was like hitting a rock or water.

"No, they may not," she finally said and hit Hekale again. "Theodorus!"

"Yes, my queen?"

"Take her to the rest of the hostages."

"Yes, my queen."

Theodorus grabbed the bleeding Hekale and took her to the hostages.

The moment they were within the hostage circle, Hekale knocked Theodorus to the ground. She concentrated and started hitting the air. Only it wasn't the air she was hitting. She directed the energy and every invisible bolt hit one of Callisto's soldiers. The soldiers let go of the hostages and turned toward the new enemy. Hekale knocked them out one by one.

Callisto stared at Hekale with disbelief for a while and then screamed her battle cry and attacked.

Hekale heard her and knocked her out in mid air. Then she disposed of the rest of the soldiers.

"Go home," she said when all were down.

The villagers heartily obeyed and quickly left. Hekale then went to Callisto and kneeled beside her. She caressed her and Callisto stirred.

"The soldiers will be here soon," Hekale said when Callisto blinked her eyes. "Take the path by the river. Hurry."

She caressed her again and smiled softly. Then she left.

Callisto just stared in the air for a few moments, confused. Then she got up. Her whole body hurt. She didn't understand Hekale, but she had a strange feeling that she could trust her. She looked around and quickly located Theodorus. She went to him.

"We have to leave, the soldiers will be here any minute."

"Yes, my queen," Theodorus said, got up and started issuing orders.

Callisto looked around for any signs of the approaching enemy, but there were none. She did see Hekale in the distance, watching. Me? That woman was definitely a mystery to her. She shook her head and concentrated. Hekale had mentioned the path by the river. She was not aware of a path there, but she had a gut feeling that there was one. She trusted no one, but something inside her was telling her that she could trust Hekale. She shook her head again and then went to Theodorus.

There was a path by the river and Callisto and her army had almost escaped the death trap, but one of her soldiers betrayed them and now she was alone. The forest was swarming with enemy soldiers and Callisto couldn't afford to rest. She was exhausted from constant fights and when she chanced upon a rabbit or a squirrel, she ate the meat raw, afraid that the fire would give away her location. She was dirty and covered with blood, some hers, some of the animals she had caught and most from the enemy soldiers. In one of the last fights had broken her sword arm and in the last one, she had broken her left leg. The situation definitely didn't look good.

Suddenly she spotted enemy soldiers moving in her direction. She took cover and looked around. Right now she was on a ledge and the soldiers couldn't see her yet, but, when they got closer, they would. She spotted another ledge a bit farther on and she decided that it was a better place to hide. She got up and tried to climb back from the ledge. She managed half way, but then the edge crumbled under her weight and she crashed back on the ledge. The ledge couldn't handle that and also started to crumble. Callisto grabbed the tiny bush that by some strange fate grew on that inhospitable ledge. The ledge gave up and crashed into the deep. Callisto felt her conscience leaving her and she held on to the bush by sheer force of will.

Suddenly, she felt someone pick her up and caress her. She forced her eyes open and was astonished to see Hekale's face smiling softly at her.

"You're safe now," Hekale said.

Callisto lost her conscience.

When she finally woke up, Callisto felt strange. She opened her eyes and was surprised to see Hekale smiling softly at her. She was confused. She looked down her body, but it was covered with a warm blanket. Then she noticed her armor and realized that she was naked. She tried to sit.

"Don't move," Hekale said and put her hand on Callisto's shoulder. "You have been through a lot and you need to rest. You are safe here."

Callisto stared at the strange woman and the suddenly realized that there were no signs on the woman that she had ever been beaten. She was confused. She wanted to ask a question, but Hekale put her fingers on Callisto's mouth.

"Shh," she said. "Just rest."

Callisto stared into Hekale's eyes for a while longer and had a strange feeling that she really was safe here. Hekale caressed her.

"I'll be in the next room," Hekale said and then left.

Callisto stared at the door, totally confused. She had beaten the woman in front of her fellow villagers, cut her with a knife, and the woman let her, although she could have easily defended herself. Callisto realized that she didn't defend herself because she was afraid that Callisto might order a villager killed. Callisto sighed. After all that, the woman didn't kill any of her soldiers and not only that, she had saved her from certain death and took good care of her.

She suddenly realized that she felt no pain. She couldn't understand how that was possible, nor how the woman had saved her or why. She remembered Hekale's expression when she first saw her and realized that she still wore that same expression of absolute calmness, only she was also smiling now. Like Mama. Callisto shuddered as she remembered her mother's smile. A tear came into her eyes and she wiped it. Then she slowly drifted into sleep.

She had a nightmare, but was awoken before it reached its terrible peak.

"Shh," she heard a soft voice and felt her tears being gently wiped away. "It's all right, you're safe here."

She stared at Hekale, still shaken from the nightmare. She turned her head away, not wanting to let Hekale see her like that.

"Are you hungry?" Hekale asked.

Callisto looked at her. She hesitated for a few moments and then nodded.

Hekale got up and returned a few moments later with a plate of soup. She put it on a chair and helped Callisto sit up. Callisto felt weird being fed, but Hekale's demeanor gave her a strange feeling, one that she hadn't felt in a long time.

When Callisto ate up all the soup, Hekale helped her lay down again.

"I'll check your wounds now," Hekale said and removed the blanket.

Callisto felt uncomfortable lying naked in front of a stranger. It wasn't that she was ashamed of her body, but the fact that she felt vulnerable without her armor made her nervous. She observed Hekale as she gently checked each wound. She had a strange feeling that there was something else in Hekale's eyes beside peace and concern. Motherly love, Callisto thought and sighed as she recalled how her mother took care of her and her sister when they were ill or hurt.

No, it's just love, she suddenly realized. She was astonished by that fact. After all she had done to that woman, she still saved her life and was in love with her. Callisto knew that men found her gorgeous and that even women thought she was very attractive, but that a woman would fall in love with her, that had never crossed her mind.

She continued to observe Hekale and soon realized that Hekale didn't save her just because she loved her, but because she would save anyone, no matter what that person did to her. She could forgive Xena, Callisto thought and shuddered as the memory of that night came back.

"I'm sorry," Hekale said.

Callisto looked at her, startled.

"Oh. It's not your fault. Bad memories."

"Oh."

Hekale continued to check the wounds. Callisto finally looked at her body. It was clean, except for some dried blood around the wounds which seemed to be almost healed. She noticed that she didn't have any splinters on her legs or arms. She moved her fingers and her toes and was surprised when she realized that her leg and her arm were healed.

"My arm and my leg, did you heal them?" she asked.

"Yes," Hekale confirmed matter-of-factly.

Callisto stared at her, confused. Finally, she decided to ask the questions which had been troubling her.

"Why did you save me?"

Hekale looked at her.

"You were wounded and you would have died if I hadn't saved you."

"I know. That still doesn't answer my question."

"It does, Callisto. I help those who need help and who want it. If you do not want my help, I will not force you to endure it."

Hekale stopped and waited for Callisto's reply. Callisto stared at her, confused. No one had ever helped her before, at least not for free. And yet, this woman helped her, not expecting or wanting anything in return, and not only that, she gave her a choice whether she wanted help or not.

"You would let me die if I refused your help?"

"Yes. It's your life, Callisto, only you can make decisions for yourself."

Callisto was surprised by the honest answer. She gulped.

"I want your help," she finally said.

Hekale smiled and returned to work.

"How did you get me from that wall?" Callisto asked after a while.

Hekale looked at her, smiling.

"Like this," she said and pointed at the table.

She concentrated and the table suddenly rose into the air, spinned around its axis and softly landed back on the floor. Callisto stared at the table and back at Hekale. She was astonished.

"How did you do that?" she asked.

"It's easy," Hekale said mysteriously.

"Is that how you defeated me and my soldiers back in the camp?"

"It's similar."

"Why did you let me beat you?"

"Because I couldn't risk your men killing my people. I had to get inside the circle first."

"You're not a goddess."

Hekale smiled.

"No."

"Where did you learn that?"

"In Chin."

"Chin? Where is that?"

"It's very far to the east."

"Oh."

"Turn around."

Callisto jerked, confused, and then turned around. Hekale then checked her back. She concentrated.

When Callisto woke up, she was still lying on her stomach. She turned around, confused that she had fallen asleep.

"Good morning," Hekale said and caressed her.

Callisto jerked and wanted to back off, but then she decided to let Hekale caress her. She was surprised when she realized that she actually liked her touch.

"You can get out of bed, if you want," Hekale said.

Callisto sat.

"You can put on your armor or one of my dresses," Hekale continued.

Callisto stared at her for a few moments.

"Are the soldiers still around?"

"Yes. You can leave or you can stay."

Callisto didn't feel like running and fighting again. At least not yet.

"I'd like to stay."

Hekale smiled.

"Then I recommend you put on one of my dresses. They are much more comfortable than your armor."

Callisto looked at her armor and then at the dress Hekale was wearing and considered the offer.

"I'd like to try one of your dresses," she said, insecure.

"Come."

Hekale took her to the closet and opened it.

"This is your room!" Callisto suddenly realized.

"Yes."

"And where did you sleep?"

"In the main room."

Callisto was speechless.

"So, which one do you like?"

Callisto jerked and looked at the dresses. They all looked pretty, but, since she never wore anything like them, she didn't know what to choose. Hekale noticed her embarrassment.

"This one would look good on you," she said and picked one.

Callisto looked at it. It seemed good enough. It was from the same smooth material as Hekale's.

"Okay. What is this material?" she asked and touched the dress.

"Silk."

"Silk?"

"Yes. It is from Chin."

Hekale took the dress out of the closet and put it on the table. Then she took out some underwear and a spare pair of shoes.

"First, you have to wash yourself," Hekale said and took a towel and a small cloth out of another closet. "Come," she said and picked up the clothing.

"Where are we going?" Callisto asked.

"Outside, to the pond."

"What about the soldiers and the villagers?"

"Don't worry, my house is outside the village and right now the soldiers are mostly concentrating on the village."

Callisto followed Hekale to the pond. Hekale put the clothing on a near-by rock.

"Would you like me to help you?" she asked.

Callisto looked at her, surprised, and felt herself blushing. She quickly turned away, angry at herself for feeling this way. She decided to endure. She turned back to Hekale.

"Yes, I'd like that," she said.

Hekale started to undress herself and Callisto just stared at her, surprised. She felt butterflies in her stomach and she gulped.

"Are you ready?" Hekale asked when she was naked.

Callisto silently nodded and let the blanket slide to the ground. Hekale took the small cloth and stepped into the water. Callisto quietly followed her.

Hekale gently washed Callisto and Callisto actually felt herself enjoying the bath. She relaxed, closed her eyes and let Hekale clean her.

"We're done."

Callisto jerked and opened her eyes.

"What do you mean? We just started."

Hekale smiled.

"We started half an hour ago."

"What?" Callisto was confused. "But I only closed my eyes for a moment."

"You slept."

"What? That's impossible."

"Come," Hekale said and offered Callisto her hand.

Callisto stared at her for a few moments and then took Hekale's hand. They got out of the water and Hekale dried Callisto's body and helped her dress. Then she dried herself and dressed.

"It bothers you that you fell asleep," Hekale observed when they returned to the house.

"Yes."

"I'm sorry. If I had known that it would bother you, I wouldn't have let you."

"Sleeping doesn't bother me, it's the fact that I couldn't control it that does."

"I see."

"I felt so relaxed and I liked it a lot."

"Maybe you did control it."

"What do you mean?"

"You wanted to feel relaxed, but you stopped trying."

"I don't understand."

Hekale smiled.

"You have to stop willing."

Callisto stared at her host, not comprehending.

"Anyway, thank you."

Callisto frowned at herself, surprised that she said that.

"See?"

Callisto didn't see, but she decided to think it over.

"I'll make us a breakfast," Hekale said and went to the kitchen.

Callisto automatically followed her. She sat on a chair, observed Hekale and thought. Ever since she had been brought into this house, she had been feeling so strange, relaxed. And Hekale, there was something about her presence that wanted her to stay and never leave. Then she remembered Xena. She bit her teeth angrily. Hekale noticed her look.

"You are hurt," she said in her soft voice.

Callisto jerked and looked angrily at her. Hekale smiled back and Callisto couldn't help herself from smiling back. She shuddered and her look became serious.

"What do you know?"

"I felt your pain."

Callisto laughed.

"You have no idea about my pain!"

"I didn't say I do. If you want to talk about it, I will listen."

"I don't."

Hekale nodded and returned to the food. Callisto stared at her. It was as though Hekale had no feelings whatsoever.

"Do you have any feelings at all?" she asked.

Hekale looked at her, smiling.

"Of course I do."

"But you don't show them."

"I do, just not in a way that is immediately clear to everyone."

Callisto thought about what Hekale had said. She realized that Hekale did indeed have feelings, but that there were no negative ones among them and that confused her. She remembered how she had beaten up Hekale and how the woman kept smiling and even saved her life. Then she recalled how Hekale disposed of her soldiers without even touching them. She found that very intriguing. She grinned as she realized how handy that could come when fighting the Warrior Princess.

"Could you teach me how to throw bolts?"

Hekale turned to her and Callisto saw that there was a well hidden sadness in her eyes. It confused her.

"I could teach you the moves and the breathing, but you will have to stop willing before you will be able to throw bolts."

"What do you mean, stop willing?"

Hekale smiled.

"I could talk to you about that for a whole year, but it would not help you. I don't know what hurt you, but you would have to let go of your pain before you could throw bolts."

"I will never let go of Xena!" Callisto exploded. "Don't even think of telling me how to run my life!"

Hekale's look became serious.

"I am not trying to tell you how to run your life, I am merely telling you what it would take for you to master throwing the bolts."

Callisto stared at her for a few moments and then burst out laughing.

"So, if I master throwing the bolts, I couldn't use them against Xena?"

"You could, but you would not want to anymore."

Callisto frowned.

"Useless," she said.

Hekale smiled.

"It is not useless, you just don't like the path."

Callisto wanted to say something, but Hekale was done preparing the food and she served it.

"What is this?" Callisto asked when she saw mostly vegetables on her plate.

Hekale smiled.

"Try it, it's very healthy."

Callisto hesitantly tried it. She took a bite and slowly chewed on it.

"Not bad," she said, surprised, and took another bit. "Not bad at all."

"Thank you."

They quietly ate the breakfast and then Hekale cleaned the dishes.

"I am going shopping," Hekale said when she was done. "I will try to find out what the soldiers are planning."

Callisto nodded absentmindedly and Hekale left. Callisto then got up and wandered around the house, trying to find out more about her hostess.

Hekale returned an hour later and found out that Callisto was not there. She sighed and went to the kitchen to put away the food. She soon felt that someone had entered the house and she smiled, because she knew it was Callisto. She turned.

"I couldn't stand being in the house with nothing to do," Callisto said.

"I understand."

"So, what did you find out?"

"The soldiers think that you have fallen into the river. They are still checking out the river banks to make sure that you haven't gotten out. They will leave the day after tomorrow."

"I see." Callisto thought. "You have a beautiful garden. I've never seen anything like it."

"Thank you."

"Where did you learn how to grow flowers like that?"

"In Chin."

"Oh."

"Would you like me to teach you?"

Callisto jerked. The warrior in her hated the flowers, but the child in her loved them. The warrior won.

"No," she said and almost regretted her choice.

"Is there anything else you would like me to teach you?"

Callisto thought.

"Those bolts would be great, but, as you said, I don't like the path."

Hekale smiled.

"Why don't you accompany me while I tend the flowers? You don't have to do anything, just walk with me."

Callisto thought.

"Okay."

Hekale got her tools and went into the garden. Callisto followed her. Hekale went from bush to bush, from flower to flower, examining every single bud. She even checked out her vegetable garden. Callisto walked beside her and observed. She realized that she was observing Hekale more than her work. She shuddered and concentrated on Hekale's work.

"You take care of the flowers like they were children," she observed after a while.

Hekale looked at her, smiling.

"If I want them to grow the way they are, I have to take good care of them. Flowers respond to good treatment, you know, just like animals or people."

Callisto didn't respond.

After they were done an hour later, Hekale cleaned and put away the tools. Then she went out into the garden again, sat on her feet and started to meditate. Callisto observed her for a while.

"What are you doing?" she finally asked.

Hekale opened her eyes and looked at her guest.

"I am meditating."

"What is that good for?"

"It can either help you think more thoroughly or it can relax you."

"And why are you doing it?"

"Both."

"Is there some trick involved?"

Hekale smiled.

"No. You just sit and let your mind do the work. Would you like to try?"

Callisto thought for a moment.

"No."

"Is there anything you would like to talk about?"

Callisto thought.

"No."

"Is there anything I can do for you?"

"No."

Hekale closed her eyes and returned to meditating. Callisto observed her for a while and then left. She went into the house and looked around, considering what to do. She finally decided to go hunting. She knew that there was danger of being seen, but doing nothing was slowly driving her crazy. She changed into her armor and left.

When Callisto returned several hours later, Hekale was still meditating. She went inside and cleaned the prey. Then she changed back into Hekale's dress and went outside. She sat on a bench near Hekale and observed the woman. Hekale seemed so at peace and it surprised Callisto when she saw that her cheeks were wet. She was confused. She observed Hekale, but Hekale had her usual angelic expression on her face.

Callisto couldn't understand how someone could be so peaceful and so good without seeming like a hypocrite. The only person that reminded her a bit of Hekale was Gabrielle, but she was sometimes hypocritical. She knew that Gabrielle was good by nature, but something was telling her that Hekale had to fight her own demons. And she won.

Callisto sighed. She wished that she would also defeat her demons one day. Suddenly she noticed that Hekale was looking at her. They silently stared at each other for a few moments.

"What did you meditate about?" Callisto finally asked.

"My family, you, everyday life."

"You meditated about me?" Callisto asked, surprised.

"Yes."

Callisto thought.

"You have a family?"

"No."

Callisto was confused.

"They are dead," Hekale explained.

"Oh. I'm sorry."

Callisto frowned at herself, confused, and Hekale smiled.

"Why do you keep smiling?" Callisto asked, annoyed.

"Because I am glad to see the good side of you."

Callisto frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"You thanked me."

Callisto stared at Hekale, baffled. She was loosing her touch and it annoyed her.

"Would you like to know why I became the way I am?" she asked after a while.

"Yes."

"Because Xena burned down my village and killed my mother and my sister. That's why."

"So you kill people just to get back at her?"

Callisto was surprised.

"Yes. Well, at least at first, when I wanted to damage her good reputation. Now, I just kill them if they're in my way."

"And if Xena hadn't changed?"

Callisto was surprised.

"What do you mean?"

"You can hurt Xena because she has changed. What if she hadn't? You can hurt her now because her consciousness had resurfaced and having a consciousness can be worse that Tartarus. What if it hadn't resurfaced?"

Callisto stared at Hekale confused, she had never thought of that.

"You dream of your family, don't you? You want to make Xena hurt, make her suffer for what she did to you." Hekale paused. "Tell me, Callisto, do you miss your family?"

Callisto jerked.

"Yes."

"Would you like to be with them someday again?"

"Yes."

"It doesn't look that way to me. If you really wanted to be with your family again, you would have done something about it, you wouldn't have gone killing people. Xena realized what she had become, can you?"

Callisto stared at Hekale. She was confused, furious and sad. She wanted to yell at Hekale, but she knew that the woman was right. She didn't know what to do. She finally screamed and ran away.

Hekale stared after her, sad. Then she got up, went into the house and started to prepare the food.

When Callisto returned, it was already night. She stopped in front of the door, not sure how she felt. She finally decided to enter. She went into the main room and saw that Hekale was lying there on her bedroll. She was confused for a moment. She guessed that Hekale knew that she had come, but that she chose not to speak to her. Callisto had a weird feeling in her stomach, almost like she was feeling ashamed. She shook her head and went to bed.

When she woke up in the morning, she went into the main room, feeling a strange need to talk to Hekale, but Hekale was not there. She looked through the window and saw that Hekale was in the garden, dancing. Callisto was confused and she observed Hekale. She found the dance soothing and very attractive. Suddenly she realized that that was no dance but a martial art. She didn't understand why it was so slow, most forms she had seen were fast and aggressive, but this one was like a slow dance. She watched for a while and then went to fresh herself.

When Hekale returned into the house, she saw that Callisto was already up.

"Good morning," she greeted her with a smile.

Callisto stared at her for a few moments.

"Good morning," she said, her face serious.

Hekale went to the kitchen and started to make breakfast. Callisto sat at the table and thought.

After the breakfast, when she cleaned up the dishes, Hekale returned to the main room. She knew that Callisto was still there. She sat down.

"I'm sorry for being so rude yesterday," she said.

Callisto stared at her eyes, surprised, and saw that Hekale really was sorry. She looked away, still disturbed. She knew that Hekale was right, but it still bothered her.

Hekale waited for a response, but there wasn't any.

"If you want to talk about it, let me know. I'm going shopping now."

Hekale left, but Callisto remained sitting for a while.

When Hekale returned, she saw that Callisto was in the garden, sitting on a bench, staring at the pond. Hekale went to another bench and sat down.

Callisto immediately noticed her, but she didn't look at her. She knew that Hekale wanted to talk to her, but she didn't want to intrude upon her privacy. She had sat just far enough from Callisto to let her know that she was there, but not too close to intrude. Callisto thought about her hostess. She was a strange woman, well, at least unusual. She was so kind, if you ignored the lesson from the previous day. Callisto remembered the look in Hekale's eyes. It was important to her. I am important to her.

She glanced at Hekale. It was strange to be cared for, to be important to someone. It was also scary because she could start to care back. She considered killing Hekale, but she realized that that was impossible. Then she considered to just walk away, but she realized that all ways out of the valley were most probably still being heavily guarded. She sighed as she realized that staying was the only acceptable option left. Unfortunately, it was driving her crazy. She had to find something to do. She looked around and then got up. She went to Hekale.

"Can you teach me how to take care of the flowers?" she asked.

"Yes," Hekale said and fetched the tools.

Hekale showed her and Callisto then continued herself. Since Callisto was obviously not in the mood for talking, Hekale went to a bench and sat down.

When Callisto was done one hour later, she went to Hekale, who was still sitting on the bench. Hekale looked at her.

"I'm done," Callisto said.

Hekale got up and took the tools.

"Were you meditating?" Callisto asked.

Hekale smiled.

"No, I was just enjoying the view."

Callisto looked around and decided that it was a wonderful view. If you cared about it. She followed Hekale into the house. She thought what else she could learn to pass the time. Cooking!

"Can you teach me how to cook?" she asked.

"Yes, but it is not time yet."

Callisto thought.

"What was that you practiced in the morning?" she asked. "It looked like a dance."

Hekale smiled.

"You could say it is a martial art, though it is also used for medical purposes."

"Medical purposes?" Callisto asked, surprised.

"Yes. The movements are combined with the breathing and it has a good effect on the body. It helps you channel your internal energy."

"So you can throw bolts?"

"That too."

Callisto thought.

"Is that how you healed me so quickly?"

"Yes."

"Can you show me?"

Hekale smiled.

"I can, but do you want to learn it or just pass the time? If you want to learn it, you will have to stay here longer than you probably want."

Callisto thought.

"How long did it take you to learn it?"

"I'm still learning."

"What do you mean?" Callisto asked, confused.

Hekale smiled.

"Let me tell you a story. A student was learning with a master. The master showed the student everything he could and then sent him away. The student returned three years later and complained that one third of the figures was not the same anymore. The master sent him away again and told him to study harder. The student returned after another three years and complained that two thirds of the figures were not the same anymore. The master sent him away again. Three years later the student returned again and complained that none of the figures was the same anymore. This time the master said it was okay." Hekale paused. "Learning never stops, Callisto. My master taught me everything he could, but I still have a lot to learn. He probably too, if he's still alive."

In the afternoon, Hekale showed Callisto some basic principles and demonstrated the whole form. Callisto tried to imitate. She wasn't very successful, but she enjoyed the fluidity of the movements in spite of their complexity.

When it was time for dinner, Callisto decided to skip the cooking class and stay outside a bit longer. Hekale went inside and prepared the dinner.

The next morning Callisto observed Hekale again and when Hekale went shopping after the breakfast, she tried to repeat the movements. She tried for a while and then gave up. She sat at a bench and stared at the pond for a while. She finally decided to try and meditate.

She sat down like she saw Hekale, closed her eyes and let her thoughts flow. Nothing happened for a while, but then the memories started to come back. She saw her mother and her sister and she remembered how it was to be with them, to love them and be loved back. She remembered playing with her sister and their friends and she remembered helping her mother.

But then Xena came and her whole world shattered. She saw the fire sweep across the village, killing many people, including her family. She remembered burying them and then wandering around, full of pain. She remembered her first kill and then all the rest.

When Hekale returned from the village, she saw that Callisto was in the garden, meditating. She had a feeling that Callisto would be hurt. She went to her and saw that tears were running down her cheeks. She kneeled beside her and hugged her. Callisto opened her eyes with a shriek and shivered.

"Shh, it's okay, you're not alone," Hekale whispered and caressed the blond warrior.

Callisto instinctively hugged Hekale. She cried for a while, shivering, and Hekale just held her and tried to soothe her.

When Callisto finally pulled herself together, she was confused. She let go of Hekale, and Hekale let go of her. Callisto stared into her hostess' eyes for a few moments and then started to get up. Hekale took her hand and Callisto turned around.

"Don't run away, Callisto. Please," Hekale said as she got up.

Callisto stared at her, not sure whether she wanted to run away or stay. She wanted to stay, but she was afraid to.

"Come," Hekale said and took Callisto to a bench.

Callisto mindlessly followed her. They sat down.

"I know what it's like to lose your family, Callisto, mine was also murdered." Hekale sighed. "My father was a merchant and we traveled a lot. One day he heard about the land of Chin and so we went there. Unfortunately, our ship was attacked and my parents were killed. I was sold as a slave, but I escaped. I was found by a monk and he helped me." She paused. "After my parents were killed, I was hurt and I wanted to die with them. I felt pain and I felt like a part of me was missing. Then I started to feel rage and it felt so good, having a purpose again. I wanted to kill the man who had murdered my parents." Hekale paused again and Callisto saw that it was painful for her. "My master helped my overcome my pain and I want to help you overcome yours. I want to help you find a way again, so you can be with your family again someday."

Callisto stared into Hekale's eyes and thought. She obviously meant a lot to Hekale and Hekale's peace was attracting Callisto like a flame attracted moths.

"Do you feel whole again?" she asked.

"Yes. I still miss my family, but the pain is not so strong anymore, nor is it always present. The emptiness is also gone."

Callisto thought.

"I have to think about it," she finally said and got up.

Hekale smiled.

"Good."

Hekale went into the house and Callisto walked around the garden and thought. Her only purpose in life so far had been to make Xena suffer. Now, however, she had found someone who cared for her, someone to whom she was important, someone who accepted her the way she was and was not condemning her for her actions. Someone who understood her. Callisto took a deep breath. She had forgotten how it felt to be loved or how to love.

Then she remembered the fire and she shuddered at the thought of feeling that pain again. She thought about Hekale. She was also hurt, just like she was, but she was willing to love again. Callisto knew that Hekale probably thought that she would leave soon, but that didn't stop her from loving her. She sighed and wished she had Hekale's courage.

Suddenly, a thought passed through her mind. Hekale had learned how to control the pain, maybe she could teach her. There was, however, still the matter of Callisto's own feelings toward Hekale. She had no idea how she felt and the more she thought about it, the more confused she felt.

She decided to talk to Hekale and she went into the house.

"Hekale."

"Yes?"

Callisto hesitated for a few moments.

"How do you feel about me?"

Hekale was surprised.

"I love you."

Callisto had expected that answer, but it still surprised her a bit.

"In what way? Like a sister? A friend? A child?" She paused. "A lover?"

"I don't know, Callisto, I'm still trying to figure it out. This is the first time I have ever felt like this."

"But you know that I'll leave as soon as the army leaves."

"Yes."

"And yet you still love me."

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because my life would be empty without love."

Callisto gulped and thought. Deep down inside she felt that she didn't want to leave, whatever the reason. It was confusing her. She didn't know how she felt about Hekale and she realized that it didn't really matter, because Hekale would accept her anyway. But it also terrified her, she might start to care for her and she might lose her. She shuddered and took a deep breath. To Tartarus with it, she might lose her or she might not. Fear from losing someone she cared for had stopped her from caring at all and it was about time that changed.

"I'll stay," she said and Hekale smiled. "Maybe I'll find the way."

"You will," Hekale assured her.

The End