Chapter 1

Ephiny glances over at the table that Queen Melosa is sitting at, and sighs when she sees the empty seat to her right. She returns her gaze to her porridge and stirs it gloomily. She can hardly believe it has been a week since Terreis has been killed by Krykus. As she thinks back on that terrible day, she can't help but wonder if she was more focused on their surroundings instead of Xena, would she have noticed the attacker sooner? Maybe if they reached the safety of the trees a few seconds earlier, one of her closest friends might still be alive.

With that thought, Ephiny shoves her porridge away and gets up. The sudden noise attracts Eponin's attention, who shoots her a concerned look. "Starving yourself won't bring her back, Ephiny."

"I'm not starving myself. I've had enough to eat." Before Eponin can point out that she hasn't had a bite, Ephiny walks out of the dining hut and starts making her way to the training field. But before she gets too far, Ephiny sees movement out of the corner of her eye. When she turns her head, she sees Solari entering the village on a wagon pulled by two horses. The morning that Terreis died, Queen Melosa sent Solari to Corinth to buy supplies for the healer of the village. Solari left for Corinth before they went on Terreis' last patrol. How is she going to find the words to tell her that one of their closest friends has been killed? Ephiny takes a moment to figure this out. Once she feels ready, she calls out to her friend.

Solari stops unloading the wagon as soon as she hears her. As Ephiny approaches her, Solari smiles warmly at Ephiny and says, "It's good to be home, Eph. I hate going to Corinth. It's too crowded for my liking." Ephiny tries to return Solari's smile, but she can't force one onto her face. Picking up on her mood, Solari places the bundle of dried herbs back onto the wagon and turns towards her. "What happened, Ephiny? Did someoneā€¦ Solari trails off as she sees Ephiny nod her head. "Who?" Solari whispers.

Unable to look Solari in the eye, she lowers her gaze as she forces herself to say, "While we were escorting Xena, the warrior princess, and her companion Gabrielle to the village, we were attacked. As we were making our retreat into the trees, Terreis was shot. She didn't make it, Solari." Solari pales when she hears this last bit and takes a seat on the wagon. She stares at the ground wide-eyed for a few moments.

"Please tell me we caught the son of a Bacchae."

"He's currently in the holding cell awaiting his trial."

" Hopefully soon he will be rotting in Tartarus." Ephiny nods her head in agreement and bites her lip. Solari looks at her in concern and asks, "What else aren't you telling me?"

Ephiny looks up and meets her questioning gaze. She doesn't want to disappoint Solari. What if she thinks less of her? But Ephiny has never been able to resist Solari when she gives her that deep-searching look. Ephiny sighs and takes a seat beside Solari on the wagon. After taking a few moments to gather her courage, Ephiny tells her, "I can't help but feel that what happened to Terreis is my fault. It was my responsibility to protect her, and I failed." Unable to look at Solari after admitting this, Ephiny looks down and continues, "If I was paying more attention instead of trying to intimidate Xena, I might have noticed the attack sooner. If Terreis had a few more seconds to get into the trees, she might still be alive."

"Ephiny, now you listen to me," Solari tells her firmly. "What happened is not your fault. The only person that should be blamed is the one who killed her. Understand?" Ephiny knows what Solari says makes sense, but she still can't help but feel guilty. Solari places her warm, calloused hand on hers, and squeezes it gently, which causes Ephiny to meet Solari's gaze. She catches her breath when she sees Solari staring at her with nothing but sadness and sympathy. "Understand?" She repeats softly. Ephiny nods her head and allows her shoulders to slump as she slowly begins to let go of her guilt. There will probably always be some part of herself that thinks she could have done more to save Terreis, but Solari is right, the only person that is truly to blame is currently in the holding cell.

As Ephiny comes to this conclusion, she looks up and sees Magdelus walking towards them. Once she reaches them, she turns to her and says, "Ephiny, Melosa wants to speak to you alone."

Ephiny frowns and looks at Solari, who stares back at her in confusion. She sighs and gets off the wagon. "Okay, I'm coming," She tells Magdelus, who then leads her to Melosa's hut.

Author's Note: This is my first time writing fanfic for Xena. I hope you enjoyed it!