Chapters 721-730 by Calee's Castlewarming Scribes

Chapter 721
by Aquillea

Awareness came at a gentle pace to the Golden unter, a slowly dissipating fog of relaxed contentment. His beloved Quilla lay curled up against him, his arm still draped over her, possessively protective. The reassuring cadence of her deep and even breathing brought a smile to Iolaus' heart. In that predawn of consciousness, in the natural beauty of that slowly brightening horizon, there was a quietly blissful serenity. But when the sun, at last, peeked over the edge of thought, the light that was his reflection upon the last few perfect hours that he and Aquillea had shared also produced the contrasting long, murky shadows of early morning.

Shadows of what lay behind the couple. Shadows of what lay ahead.

Iolaus had been forced to make an impossible choice when the dark Amazon had run off, alone, to confront the Bacchai threat. His sense of obligation to the people of Antianos, the entire Cooperative really, had won out over his fear for the woman he loved, and the warrior-hero had nearly paid an unthinkable price. Now he was facing an equally impossible choice, a decision made all the more burdensome by the nearly devastating outcome of his last one.

Nothing but heartache could possibly await Aquillea in Corinth. There was no doubting that she would be disappointed if this quest failed to deliver her long lost brother. But there was equally no doubting her disappointment if she found Nikolos amongst the cohorts of the notoriously malignant and greedy warlord, Maloran. This little "escape" Shait had sent her on was not at all likely to have a happy ending, something the mysterious and unnaturally wise Amazon surely must have known.

That could only mean that whatever was transpiring in Antianos would be far more devastating. Given what Ioannes had told him before leaving base camp, Iolaus had a very strong suspicion of what he and Shait were protecting Aquillea from. And in this knowledge lay his dilemma and his impossible choice.

Nothing in the world could keep the Golden Hunter from Hercules' side at a time like this. And yet here he was, snugly holed up in an inn, alongside his lady love, while his best friend was miles away, likely facing untold dread and quite possibly sorrow. 'Will he ever be able to forgive me?' Iolaus wondered in despair. But he knew, if anyone would understand what he was doing and why he was doing it, it would be Hercules. Come to think of it, Aquillea had almost as much to lose if the worst happened, and she might be less
understanding.

In truth, Iolaus was avoiding his real question. Would he ever be able to forgive himself?

The bedchamber was still quite dark. The fire and candles had burned themselves out many hours ago, the sole window was shuttered against the winter chill. Metaphors of consciousness not withstanding, the light seeping through the cracks in the sill in combination with his hunter's instincts told the troubled man that the pair had slept late into the morning.

Iolaus was too agitated to remain in bed any longer but he had no desire to rouse Aquillea
from the peaceful and healing slumber she needed so badly. With great care not to wake his sleeping beauty, he slipped out from under the blankets and made his way downstairs. He had to do something to keep from going crazy.

Making up a breakfast tray was the first thing that came to mind.

Posted on Mar 04 2000 , 07:55 PM

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Chapter 722
by Aquillea

Mae didn't have to be a seer to recognize the dark cloud that hung over the handsome new 'adoptee' into her family. Although she was dying of curiosity, for once she didn't let it get the better of her. After all, menfolk didn't much like talking about their troubles. And since the matron knew that the way to a man's heart was through his stomach, she set about trying to distract her favorite male lodger with food.

She had only recently met the Golden Hunter, so she had no idea just how successful that strategy would be.

Iolaus was encouraged to sample every dish the woman had prepared. For a fellow who professed not having much of an appetite that morning, after two bites of Mae's sweet breakfast biscuits, no additional encouragement was required. The purpose of the taste testing, ostensibly, had been to help the heroic traveler narrow down his choices. But the innkeeper's wife had such a talent for cooking that the increasingly eager blonde was unable to rule out a single item. Although Mae couldn't help but tease, she was beaming with pride and joy. The cloud that had obscured the fine young man's radiance had disappeared.

Both the Golden Hunter and the innkeeper's wife participated in the creative and engineering feat of stacking all the various plates, bowls and utensils onto a single tray.

"You're planning on feeding a small army, I take it?"

"Are you kidding," Iolaus teased back. "If soldiers even suspected that
there was food like this out there in the world, they'd lay down their weapons, just like
that," he said with a snap of his fingers. "Believe me. . . I know. . . You'd
better watch yourself. You could easily wind up on Ares' list."

Giving Iolaus custody of the breakfast tray with a giggle, Mae stepped in front of the jovial 'youngster' in order to get the door for him. At that moment, however, her husband walked in, took one look at the boarder and said something curious.

"You're here." The odd thing was that Aristeides seemed surprised.

Before Iolaus had a chance to respond, the innkeeper continued, "I thought you were still upstairs. . . I guess the little missy must have been talking in her sleep."

Their esteemed guest visibly blanched at the comment, distressing the older couple
greatly. In his mind's eye, Iolaus could see the crown of red poppies lying on the table
where he'd forgotten it the night before. Its protective power totally neglected.

"Bastard!" he whispered absently then abruptly thrust the tray into Mae's unexpectant hands. Iolaus turned on his heel and hurriedly exited the kitchen.

Posted on Mar 04 2000 , 11:06 PM

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Chapter 723
by Aquillea

Each moment brought the distressed hero closer to panic. With each step, his stride lengthened and his pace quickened until, by the time he reached the stairs, Iolaus was almost sprinting. He practically flew up the steps, taking them two at a time and when he threw open the bedchamber door, he was simultaneously relieved and alarmed by what he saw.

Aquillea was awake, that was the good news. She had been watching the door expectantly as she sat on the bed, wrapped in a blanket. What was troubling was the way she was obviously hugging her knees and the single tear that was slowly wending its way down her cheek. Any doubt Iolaus might have had about what had taken place was erased by the dark Amazon's slightly trembling voice.

"You were there."

Morpheus had made her see the truth. The hateful Olympian knew that he had entered Aquillea's dreamscape and, by revealing that fact when Iolaus had hidden it from her, the god was exacting his revenge on them both. Certain that the dark Amazon felt embarrassed and betrayed, her anguished love turned his back on the woman, as he closed the door, struggling to gather his wits about him.

"All these years. . . you never said a word."

Iolaus froze in confusion. 'All these years?' He turned around to see Aquillea bravely forcing a small smile. With reason to hope the situation was not as bad as he'd originally feared, the off balance hero decided it would be acceptable to resume breathing again.

He shrugged a little and shook his head as he crossed the room. "I. . . um. . . I don't. . . Quilla, I. . ."

The concerned voice of the innkeeper's wife followed a knock at the door. "Everything all right?"

The dark Amazon sprang to her feet and grabbed her clothes off the chair that had served as a drying rack. She took a position behind the door as Iolaus opened it to reveal both Mae and Aristeides waiting in the hallway.

"No problems, I hope," echoed the innkeeper.

Looking almost embarrassed, the Golden Hunter reached for the tray in Mae's hands, assuring the couple, "Sorry about that. Nope, nothing to. . . ah. . . worry about. . . here."

Iolaus pulled the tray to him but the grandmother's hands came with it, reluctant to let
go. Mae leaned further and further into the room trying to catch a glimpse of her other favorite lodger until, at last, she let go of the tray to avoid toppling over. Aristeides pulled her back into the hall by her apron strings.

"Come along mother. We do have other patrons to look after."

"Thanks." Iolaus smiled sheepishly at the insightful innkeeper and then nudged the door closed with his shoulder.

Now fully dressed, Aquillea stood eyeing the small feast in the Golden Hunter's hands appreciatively, but her thoughts were elsewhere.

"You really don't know what I'm talking about, do you?"

The dark Amazon fell in behind the uncertain hero as he brought the tray over to the table, racking his brain as he went. She nearly knocked him over with the chair she was carrying when he suddenly came to a stop.

'It can't be,' he thought to himself. 'It doesn't make any sense.'

Iolaus glanced at his dear Quilla over his shoulder, hesitating to even pose the question.

"This um. . . this doesn't have anything to do with. . . your father?"

Aquillea nodded slightly then took a seat at one end of the table. There was a far away look in her sparkling eyes and on her lips, unbelievably, the trace of a warm and loving smile.

Posted on Mar 05 2000 , 03:17 PM

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Chapter 724
by Aquillea

Over breakfast, the couple discussed Aquillea's latest dream, revisiting the awful day that Mathias had forbidden his daughter to ever see Iolaus again.

It was shortly after Aquillea's mother, Marina, had passed away. .Already back in school, the young girl had stayed especially late quizzing her teacher endlessly, really as a means of avoiding going home more than anything else. The sun was quite low on the horizon by the time the reluctant child was finally on the path to her cottage. Little Quilla had become like a sister to Iolaus by that time, and when he spied her walking alone in the lengthening shadows of near evening, he decided to accompany her to make sure she made it home safely.

Unfortunately, Aquillea's already grieving father had been going out of his mind with worry. When he intercepted the children, he blew up in an uncharacteristic display of emotion the likes of which Aquillea had never seen. The severe tongue lashing had been especially harsh on Iolaus, the infamous juvenile delinquent who no doubt was responsible for his daughter's growing irresponsibility. The golden haired, golden hearted boy with the bad reputation hung his head low, staring at the ground. He never uttered a single word in his own defense.

Aquillea tried to. In miserable desperation the young girl tried to get a word in edgewise, but her father was having none of it. An equally miserable Iolaus watched Mathias practically drag his resisting daughter to the house. Quilla too was behaving out of character, alternately sobbing, pleading and crying out as she tried to break free from her father's iron grip.

"No Papa. . . Iolaus. . . Papa, please. . . No. . . You don't understand. . . Iolaus. . . Iolaus. . . ."
The adults at the table sat silently for a moment, then the dark Amazon spoke. "In the dream, it was like I was watching everything. It wasn't actually happening to me. . . Except that it had. . . It was really quite . . .odd. It wasn't just that I could see how upset she was. . . you know? . . . I wanted so bad to just take her in my arms and tell her everything was gonna be all right."

"So did I. . . " Iolaus said quietly. ". . . All my life. . . it's always made me crazy to see you cry." He paused for a long moment before adding, "Then, just before you got to the house, it all stopped. Any trace of emotion just disappeared. . . That scared me even more."

Quilla reflected on what was said and seemed about to comment, but then apparently changed her mind.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Tell me."

The dark Amazon tilted her head with a sigh and stared down at her plate, unable to look her love in the eye. "You just stood there. . . You didn't argue with him. You didn't say anything at all. And it felt like. . . like it was OK with you. . . Like it didn't really matter."

The words hit Iolaus like a ton of bricks. His jaw dropped and his expression took on a wounded look. "Oh gods!" he mumbled with his eyes closed and it took some time before any other words would come.

"Quilla. . . I. . . I thought he was right. . . Oh, I knew your being late wasn't my fault. But it wasn't exactly the first time I'd been called a bad influence. I figured you'd be better off if you stayed away from me. . . Gods, it wasn't that it didn't matter to me. . . I just wanted what was best for you. . . I've always wanted that."

"I know that. . . I think I've always known it. . . Except for that night. It sure didn't feel like it that night."

More silence followed as the couple stared at their plates, off into space, anywhere but into each others' eyes. It was Aquillea who looked up first, her voice wavering almost imperceptibly as she asked, :But what I don't understand is. . . if that's really the way you felt. . . why did you come back?"

Posted on Mar 05 2000 , 09:01 PM

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Chapter 725
by Aquillea

"You did come back that night, didn't you?" Aquillea asked although it was more of a statement than a question. "That was real too, wasn't it?"

Iolaus nodded, then started shaking his head. "I don't understand what Morph. . . what he . . has to gain from this nightmare of his."

"No, not a nightmare," the lovely brunette contradicted. "Not unless it was a lie. . . But it wasn't." Aquillea's eyes were brimming with her barely contained emotion. "You don't even have to say a word. I know it wasn't."

"But why would. . . Oh, hold on. You think it was Hypnos ?"

The dark Amazon shook her head. "No, Hypnos would have shown himself, I'm sure. I'm guessing it was one of his other sons who brought this particular dream. . . but here at his request, no doubt."

The Golden Hunter eyed his lady love with a healthy dose of skepticism. Certainly, the way he remembered what happened, reliving that evening was far from a gift from the gods.

After young Quilla had disappeared into the cottage, she had remained perfectly stoic the rest of the night. She hadn't even felt the urge to cry, not until she was lying sleepless, alone in her room. It wasn't supposed to be her room, of course, it was supposed to be the children's room. Except she was the only child left. The room where her father now slept alone wasn't supposed to be his room either.

Mathias was turning in later and later each night, but Aquillea waited. She didn't want her father to hear her crying. When the light under her door at last flickered out and her father's heavy footsteps faded into the night, she still waited. Then finally, when the utter stillness had fed the child's loneliness and guilt to where she just couldn't bear it any longer, she grabbed her blanket and shimmied out her bedroom window.

If she had waited just a short while longer, Iolaus might have caught her as she dropped to the ground outside of her room.

The Golden Hunter set down a mug and commented, "Ya know, I just about died when I saw you tumble out of that window!"

Seeing the question in Aquillea's eyes he continued, "I still can't fully explain what drew me there. I just. . . I had to make sure you were all right. . . And as for your father. . . I sorta decided, he had the right idea. . . but his timing was off. You'd already lost too many people who were important to you." As he went on, Iolaus got more and more self-conscious. "For the life of me, I couldn't. . . I. . . I couldn't figure out why. . . well, you know. . . but it was, I mean it. . . it seemed pretty obvious. . . ."

"You were important to me too."

The Golden Hunter was practically blushing at that. "Anyway. So I told myself I was absolutely
gonna do the right thing, and disappear from your life, when the time was right. . . it just. . . never seemed like the right time."

"And it never will be!" Aquillea declared emphatically, and then it was her turn to smile a bit sheepishly.

Posted on Mar 06 2000 , 10:32 PM

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Chapter 726
by Aquillea

The reminiscing continued.

Much to young Iolaus' dismay, he watched the tiny girl stumble in the darkness across the entire length of the property. The trek ended at the young family's plot which had all too quickly come to resemble a legitimate cemetery. The heartsick child curled up there, beneath the giant walnut tree, and broke down into a torrent of tears.

Aquillea cried and cried, so long and so hard it made her head pound and her eyes burn, but she didn't stop. The desolate sobbing continued until her chest ached and she felt sick to her stomach, and still there was no end in sight. Only when every teardrop in her had been squeezed out, every ounce of emotion, spent, did the exhausted child finally fall asleep.

"It wasn't an easy thing to watch," the adult dreamer observed simply, but Iolaus read something more between the lines.

"No, it wasn't. In fact, it hurt like Hades. . . But if I had come to you, you would have tried to be brave. . . and that would have been worse."

The dark Amazon pondered that for a moment then grinned. "Tossing the walnuts at me to wake me up. . . very resourceful."

"I didn't really relish the idea of your father catching either one of us."

"Except you were too late," Aquillea informed her darling hero and enjoyed watching his eyes grow wide with astonishment. "Papa relented about you that very morning. I always thought he just realized he'd overreacted." The lovely brunette shook her head in the negative. "He knew," she murmured as she somewhat shyly reached across the table and took Iolaus' hand. "I still can't believe you 'stood guard' over me. . . the whole night."

"Well, I did doze off once or twice. . . " Iolaus replied, modestly, causing Aquillea to roll her eyes. He smiled, bashful in his nostalgia adding, ". . . and it's not like I had anything better to do."

"Well you could have at least told me. . . sometime . . . Somebody could have told me!" Then the brunette tilted her head reflectively adding, "Not that it would have made any difference, I suppose."

"Then you're not mad?"

"Mad?" asked the dark Amazon in quiet disbelief. Then her expression changed making Iolaus instantly uneasy. "Mad?"

The next thing the bewildered blonde knew, his fingers felt warm and sticky. Iolaus looked down at the table to see that Aquillea had pushed his hand into the bowl of honey.

"Ooooops," Aquillea grinned mischievously, but her warm brown eyes were awash with emotion. Her voice lowered noticeably as she commented, "I guess I'll have to clean this up." With that, she raised Iolaus' hand to her mouth and gave it a good lick. "Mmmmmm!"

Iolaus smiled and his heart began to beat a little faster as his dark Amazon love continued to extract sweet droplets from his fingers in between saying, "Nothing like a little. . . Honeyed. . . Golden. . . Iolaus. . . to start the day off right."

The next moment the couple were in each other's arms. Their fervent lips pressing together in kiss after deep, intoxicating kiss. Then Aquillea's legs gave out from under her as Iolaus swept her up into his arms. Pausing beside the table, he pulled away enough to utter one word.

"Honey."

Quilla knew precisely what her love meant, and it sent a shiver of amorously playful expectation through her body. Still, she couldn't resist teasing him just a little.

"Yes, sweet pea?"

"No. . . honey."

Pouting coquettishly, Aquillea inquired, "What? You don't think I'm sweet enough?"

"There's only one way to find out!"

It was just past midday before the heroes of Delios bid their reluctant farewells to Mae, Aristeides, Taia and, in fact, seemingly half the village. At long last, they were back on the road to Corinth.

Posted on Mar 06 2000 , 10:49 PM

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Chapter 727
by Aquillea

It was nearly sundown by the time Iolaus and Aquillea reached Jason's homestead. As it happened, another rider could be seen approaching from the north just as the couple were about to turn off the main road. Since no smoke rose from the chimney of the cottage before them, it wasn't hard to guess who the fellow was.

"Jason?" queried the blonde war hero while the horseman's face was still obscured by the shadows of evening.

The response was enthusiastic. "Iolaus! By the gods, it's good to see you my friend!" The Academy cohorts, still mounted, were side by side now and clasped arms in a heartfelt greeting. As the trio made their way toward the house, Jason remarked, "So, Hera's been foiled again I take it? She must be getting used to it by now."

"All right, answer me this. . . Was there nyone. . . in all of Greece. . . who didn't
know about Hera's latest plot?" asked the Golden Hunter.

"You mean, besides you?"

"Yeah, besides me."

"No," chimed both Jason and Aquillea in unison. Then all three burst out laughing.

When they had quieted down a bit the dark Amazon said, "You may not remember me. . .
"

"Nonsense, Aquillea," Jason corrected her as he dismounted. "You were unforgettable as a child, time hasn't changed that."

The former King of Corinth extended his hand in a chivalrous offer to help the lady down from her steed. Aquillea stared for a moment with raised eyebrows, then she smiled almost shyly and hopped down into his waiting arms.

"I am an Amazon now, ya know."

"Not to mention an old friend, and a very beautiful woman."

Aquillea was grateful for the gesture because it afforded her the opportunity to throw her arms around Jason, give him a peck on the cheek and whisper, "Thank-you." It wasn't the compliment she was thanking him for, but the gift of the Chronos Stone which had helped to save her dear heart's life.

Now standing beside the pair, Iolaus rolled his eyes, interjecting, "Hey buddy,
hands off. She's spoken for." His smirk was all mischief but his expression was half-serious.

"I dunno 'bout that," Aquillea teased. "Nice place you've got here, Jason! . . . Reeaally nice."

"Very funny!" the handsome hunter sulked.

Everyone waited to see who would be the first to crack. The rational Amazon started snickering first, but in short order all three were chuckling once again.

"From the looks of it," observed Jason as he pretended to brush some dust off his chum's shoulder, "it's been a long day on the road for you two. Iolaus, I presume you remember your way around Alcmene's pantry? . . . So, why don't the two of you make yourselves comfortable while I stable the horses."

"No, Jason, let me give you a hand with that. You go ahead though, Quilla. We'll be right behind you."

"Iolaus, toss me your pack," Aquillea directed as she untied her own. Then to her host she added, "We've got some 'trail provisions' here that I'm guessing King Iphicles would be thrilled to serve to visiting dignitaries! I bet they'll shape up into a nice supper for the three of us."

Trading her horse's reins for Mae's sack of treats, the dark Amazon disappeared into the cottage with a grin, suddenly feeling quite famished.

Posted on Mar 09 2000 , 08:16 PM

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Chapter 728
by Aquillea

She was getting more than a little irritated.

Or was she worried? The way the last several days had gone, there was no telling what might be keeping the guys so long. Aquillea stopped pacing, plopped down in a seat next to the fireplace and began drumming her fingers on the arm of the chair. It was about the third time she'd done this, and that was after acquainting herself with the cottage, starting a fire, lighting a couple of candles, and setting up the evening repast.


And now, the whole pacing and sitting routine was starting to wear a bit thin.

At last, the impatient brunette grabbed the candle off the mantle and walked outside. She
could see a tiny shaft of light flickering through the slightly ajar, barn door, and it
immediately struck her as kind of odd. Nonetheless, the rational Amazon continued on
without giving it any thought, almost as if she didn't want to think about it.

Voices, low but emphatic, drifted through the brisk night air as Aquillea approached. The
pair of old friends were engaged in a conversation that the woman suspected she was not
meant to hear. That suspicion added to her edginess, yet she slowed her pace as she
considered turning around and heading back to the cottage. But as the Amazon began to make
out Jason's words, she knew the only direction to go was forward.

". . . don't. . . what. . . two of you think. You're wrong. You can't keep this from
her, Iolaus. It'll only make things worse. . . You have to tell her."

The Golden Hunter started to argue but Aquillea knew her cue when she heard it. She shoved
open the barn door asking, "Tell her what?" Iolaus darted a glance at Jason,
then back at her, and there was something unnatural in his eyes. He was going to make up a
story! The dark Amazon squinted at her love and admonished him, "Don't even think
about it!"

The handsome blonde's head bobbed in defeat, then he threw a hostile look at his old,
Academy friend. Jason was not unaware of this despite the fact that his eyes never left
Aquillea. "You might want to sit down," he advised somberly.

"I don't think so."

"Well, someone should sit!" Iolaus declared in frustration. He dropped
down onto a nearby barrel with a heavy thud, his arms folded in front of him, his head
shaking in consternation. Staring down at his hands the unhappy hero muttered, "I
think there's trouble in Antianos." But then he exhaled deeply and caught Quilla's
eyes when he added, "I think it has to do with Lyrical."

Aquillea listened silently as Iolaus recounted the conversations with Shait in the
lean-to, Ioannes' parting comment as the pair left base camp, and what he thought it all
added up to. The dark Amazon struggled to concentrate on the words but she felt so
thoroughly frozen that it was hard to even breathe. She had known there was something
wrong with their all too hasty departure from Antianos, but this. . . this was far beyond
her imagining. . . too impossibly devastating for acceptance.

When the short narrative was finished, the Golden Hunter studied his tormented love with
anxious despair. Her dark eyes glistened slightly as she stared, transfixed, into the
steady flame of the candle. It was the only evidence of emotion in her rigidly set face.
Unwilling or unable to speak, Aquillea turned around, without so much as a parting glance
for either of the men, and walked toward the barn door. Iolaus jumped down off the barrel,
but it was Jason's words that brought the beleaguered Amazon to a halt.

"There's something else you should know."

Posted on Mar 10 2000 , 11:55 PM

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Chapter 729
by Aquillea

'Naturally,' Aquillea thought to herself as she paused in the barn's entrance. Keeping
her back to her companions, she leaned a hand against the door frame, stared out at the
bleak evening sky and waited.

"I rode into town this afternoon to touch base with Iphicles. . . see if he had any
news about Iolaus. . . " Jason began. "Well. . . there was a prison break today,
five of Maloran's elite escaped, . . a guard was killed in the process. . . Iphicles is
very protective of his men. He's issued death sentences for all five. The soldiers are
already out searching, with orders to bring them back dead or alive. . . If your brother
is one of them. . ."

He trailed off there, not wanting to continue, and really there was no need. The hand in
which Aquillea held the candle trembled slightly as she threw a half-nod of understanding
over her shoulder. Then she walked out into the cold, dark night.

Iolaus made a move to go after his lady but the former king of Corinth grabbed him and
shook his head. "She needs some time. . . time to absorb all this. . . It's not like
she's really going anywhere."

The younger man angrily yanked his arm away and held out his hands in warning. Then he
took another step toward the door and Jason shadowed him, not fully blocking his friend's
path, but hopefully providing enough of an obstacle to make him stop and think. Instead,
Iolaus roughly shouldered past him and out of the barn.

With a heavy sigh, Jason followed his distressed friends outside. It brought him something
akin to satisfaction to discover that, although Aquillea had disappeared into the shadows,
his former comrade in arms was trudging back to the cottage. 'If only Alcmene were here,'
the aging hero thought sadly. 'She would know how to comfort them.'

The already tense atmosphere inside the home grew increasingly strained the longer the men
waited for the dark Amazon to return. Iolaus couldn't know it, but he was almost perfectly
reenacting the woman's earlier ritual of fidgeting. When he couldn't pace or sit another
moment, he rose to his feet declaring, "That's it! I'm going after her. . . Like I
should have done in the first place!"

If he had taken just two more steps, the door would have hit him as Aquillea entered the
cottage.

Posted on Mar 13 2000 , 02:04 AM

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Chapter 730
by Aquillea

Neither man was sure of exactly what to say, so they watched and waited as the
shivering brunette crossed over to the fireplace to warm herself. There was silence for a
while, then with quiet resolution the brunette spoke at last.

"You have to go back."

"Oh. . . I don't think so," Iolaus contradicted. "I'm not going without
you." When his words elicited no response, he walked over to his dark love and spun
her around to face him. "Do you remember what I told you on that bridge?" he
asked gripping her shoulders for emphasis. "I'm not letting go of you again!"

Aquillea let out a small sigh and closed her eyes. "I remember," she whispered.
Then her deep brown eyes met and held his baby blues as she reached out her hand and
placed it on her love's shoulder. "They were nice words," she said. She started
to look away but hesitated. "They were beautiful words." Her whole body,
her whole being felt so incredibly heavy. Wearily, she lowered herself into the chair by
the fire, adding, "They weren't practical words."

"You want to tell me what that's supposed to mean?"

"I dunno. . . You wanna sit down?"

The Golden Hunter grabbed a straight-back chair and dragged it loudly across the wooden
floor. He placed it, with a thunk, right in front of Aquillea so that their knees almost
knocked together when he took his seat. The dark Amazon rolled her eyes and let out a
half-chuckle. She placed her hands on her thighs and leaned forward to speak, but she was
forced to look down quickly to stifle more snickering. When she leaned forward again to
meet Iolaus' challenging gaze, it was with a tilted head and arched eyebrows.

"You gonna just stop travelling around with Hercules, helping people in need? . . .
Cuz, old friend or not, I don't think he's gonna be real thrilled with me tagging along
after the two of you."

To his irritation, Iolaus didn't have a quick and easy answer for Aquillea, but he wasn't
about to just let the matter drop. "Before we start worrying about the rest of our
lives, why don't we focus on the next couple of days."

The dark Amazon ignored her love's words having caught Jason rising out of the corner of
her eye. "You don't have to leave," said Aquillea. "In fact, I'd kinda
prefer it if you stayed. . . Our last few days have been. . . well, they've been pretty unreasonable
. I think we could use a voice of reason right now."

"I think he's said more than enough already," Iolaus fumed. Then his entire
demeanor changed. "Quilla," he said quietly as he reached for the woman's hand.
The handsome hero could barely force out the words that followed. "You're forgetting
one thing. . .It. . . it might already be too late."

"No!" Aquillea asserted shaking her head vigorously as she pulled her hand away
and wrapped her arms around herself. After a deep breath she continued on more calmly.
"If Lyrical was . . . If she were dead. . . I'd feel it. No. . . she's still
alive, I know it . . . just like I know Niki is one of the escapees." She could see
the Golden Hunter's doubt and wished she had less of it herself.

"I don't know how I know, I've never been the intuitive type," admitted the
rational Amazon. "But I'm sure about this. . . She's alive, Iolaus. And as long as
she's alive. . . there's still hope."

The couple continued to debate whether the Golden Hunter should return to Antianos or stay
with Aquillea as she looked for the escaped prisoners. Finally Iolaus said, "Whatever
happens with your brother, I should be there. . . with you !"

"Yeah. . . In a perfect world," the dark Amazon remarked then her eyes slowly
began filling with tears. "Whatever happens with Lyrical, I should be there with her
too. . . But I can't be in two places at once. . . Neither of us can."

There was no holding back the flood of her heartbreak when she continued. "Gods,
Iolaus! My sister, or my brother? . . . I could lose them both. . . How am I supposed to
choose?"

The Golden Hunter dropped to his knees planning to take his dear Quilla into his arms to
comfort her, but she sniffed a bit and rested her hands on his chest. "But see, if
you go to Antianos. . . you take part of me with you. Part of me will be there. . . "

"I have to be there. . . Hercules needs you there. . . It's the only
way."

Posted on Mar 15 2000 , 02:07 AM