Disclaimer - these characters are the property of MCA/Universal and Renaissance Pictures and no attempt is made to infringe the copyright thereof. We are just borrowing them and will give them back at the end of the story!


VALLEY OF THE SHADOWS

By Shawnee

Chapter Two



Hercules had been dismayed when Iolaus was sent away. He had to tread carefully here. There was a possibility Iolaus would be made to pay for his, Hercules', transgressions. Hercules wouldn't be able to live with himself if he was the cause of any pain inflicted upon Iolaus. Hercules listened to the slaves whispering among themselves. He saw Seagare and walked over, crouching beside the bench the older man sat on. "Seagare? What's going on?"

"The messenger said Vali saw the marks on Iolaus that Linn inflicted with her whip and has gone into a rage. She summoned Linn to appear at once."

"So why all the excitement?"

"You don't understand. Linn is only a slave trainer. Vali is a princess and next in line for the throne. She could kill Linn with impunity."

Hercules frowned. "Because she whipped Iolaus?"

"Yes. She marked Vali's prize, without her permission. Vali has been known to kill with very little provocation, slaves and citizens alike."

Now Hercules was worried, concerned for Iolaus' safety in the hands of such a woman. He had to know that Iolaus was all right. He had seen Vali beat one of her warriors while they were traveling, flying into a rage over an inconsequential incident. He knew she was mad and didn't understand why she was tolerated.

Everyone was shocked by Linn's appearance when she returned. She was helped to her quarters by one of her aides and Seagare was sent for. He took Tera with him, then a little later came for Hercules. Linn was lying in bed when Hercules walked in. Her left eye was swollen shut, she had a goose egg on her cheek and her lower lip was split and swollen. Seagare had told him she had badly bruised ribs, one was broken, and she had been badly battered. Vali had been like a demon, determined to kill her, until Iolaus had interfered. He reassured Hercules that Iolaus was all right, and that Vali hadn't turned her anger on him.

Linn looked at Hercules. "Why did he do it?" she asked.

Hercules knew what she meant. He shook his head. "I don't know. Will you tell me what happened, please? Perhaps I can tell you then, Mistress."

Linn told him what had happened. "She could have killed him. After the way I treated him, he should have enjoyed watching me die at her hands, beaten the same way I beat him."

Hercules shook his head. "He couldn't. It isn't in him. Iolaus has the purest soul of any person I have ever met. He believes in people. He believes there is good in everyone, and he'll find it if he looks hard enough. And he didn't want to be responsible for your death."

Linn looked at the ceiling. Tera was sitting in a chair at the head of the bed. "She needs to rest now," she said quietly.

Hercules rose. He was stopped at the door by Linn's voice. "I wouldn't have done it. If I had been in his place." She looked at Hercules. "I would not have had the courage."

Hercules shook his head. "Courage is doing what you know is right, whatever the cost. And we all have that capacity." He bowed and left.

Hercules was determined to survive. He remembered what he had endured during his Labors, and thought of Menas Maxius and his gladiators, as well, and knew that he could do this. He thought of his mother and brother, of Jason, Rena, Salmoneous. Of Xena and Gabrielle. All his and Iolaus' friends and family, waiting for them to return. He wouldn't let these women beat him.

Hercules learned first-hand what Iolaus had been trying to tell him. These women did want to break them. And they would employ whatever technique they felt necessary. They had become masters of inflicting the most torturous pain, without damaging a healthy, valuable slave. It was no wonder the men here were so meek. Generations of this had broken them. But Hercules often found Linn watching him, studying him. She never raised her hand against him, whether in fear of Vali or Deron, as he was to go to the queen, or because she had learned a lesson in pain herself, he didn't know.

Hercules stood quietly as Deron inspected him. He answered when spoken to and waited. Finally, she seemed satisfied. He was taken to her villa and trained as her personal body slave. He was to remain at her side at all times unless dismissed, and his duties were varied. He was surprised to find, however, that she did not expect him to warm her bed. Hercules looked up as someone stopped beside him. He started to rise, but Deron shook her head. He remained where he was, sitting on a balcony watching the sun go down. Deron put a hand on his head and stroked his hair.

"It's beautiful, isn't it, Hercules?"

"Yes, it is, lady."

Deron shook her head. "Not when we are alone, Hercules. I am an old woman, and I know it. You may call me by name, and speak freely."

Hercules slowly shook his head. "No. I don't think you really want me to speak freely."

"You're wrong. I do. What were you thinking about, just now?"

Hercules returned his gaze to the sunset. "I was thinking about my mother. She's probably worried about us now, wondering why we haven't come to visit in so long. She'll be sending messages out soon, for us to come home."

"And when no word comes, and you and Iolaus don't appear?"

"She'll get my brother to begin sending out searchers, men on horseback to scour the country asking about us. Our friends will hear that we can't be found and begin to search for us. Jason and the Argonauts who are left will find a ship and search the islands. Xena and Gabrielle will follow our trail. They might even could find us, given enough time. Salmoneus will keep an eye and ear out for us or word of us. Autolycus will look for us. He calls himself the 'king of thieves'. I've seen him steal things right out from under its guards noses, so I guess he deserves the title." Hercules chuckled. "He's not such a bad person, though he tries to act tough."

"How long will they search? What will happen when no one finds you or word of you?"

Hercules leaned back on his hands. "My mother will probably demand that my father find me. Xena will get Ares involved. If I know her, she'd make a deal with him to find us."

"Your father is Zeus, correct? King of the Gods? Which would make Ares, the God of War, your older brother."

"Yes, on both counts. Not that I get along with either of them. I don't expect them to help me and I won't ask for their help."

Deron looked at the horizon. "I know how that feels. Not wanting to ask for help. Not getting along with family who should be close to you." She looked at him. "You love your mother very much."

Hercules nodded. "Yes, I do. She's endured a lot, both because of my father and because of me. She's the strongest, bravest woman I know."

"Hercules...I am sorry. I hope that, one day, you will find it in your heart to forgive me."

Hercules frowned, looked at her. "For what?"

"I am the reason you and your friend are here."

"I don't understand."

"You spent four weeks with my daughter. You've seen what she is capable of. I have taken a good look at my people, Hercules, and I am horrified at what we have become. We have become a debased, sadistic society that is slowly crumbling into ruin. All this beauty is but a thin veneer over a rank and decaying body. The time has come to put it out of its misery before it can harm too many more people. I prayed to my goddess, Hercules, to send someone to help my people. I wept for many nights in her temple, begging her to somehow spare us, to save us from this degeneration. And then my sister's pet ran away, only to be returned with two men the likes of which none of us had ever seen before."

"How is it that this valley remains hidden? Don't people find their way here, see you from the bluffs?"

"No. There is a spell laid over the valley by our goddess, to protect it. We may come and go, but no outsider may enter here. Anyone looking into the valley would just see a valley, perhaps hidden by dense mists."

Hercules shook his head. "What do you expect us to do? You have made us slaves, separated me from Iolaus."

"Vali knows you have my permission to seek out Iolaus whenever you wish." Deron smiled. "I told her I would make this one concession, to keep the two of you happy and subservient." Her smile dimmed and she sighed. "Vali. My daughter. She was so beautiful when she was a little girl, so happy. What did I do wrong?"

"From what I've seen, it wasn't just you."

"You're right. You know, legend says that our foremothers were kept in virtual slavery by their husbands and fathers. And one day they revolted, and drugged the men, and turned them into slaves. They wanted to teach the men a lesson. But many women didn't want to go back to the 'old' ways. They found they liked being in power. So men became slaves. And as the years passed, men were seen as having little value beyond breeding either more slaves or daughters to rule after their mothers. But there was no new blood coming into our culture. And it was continuing to change. Until it reached a point where a woman could kill her newborn son as if he were nothing. I have sons, Hercules. Two of them. I had both dedicated to the temple at birth, in order to save their lives. No one can touch them, they belong to the Goddess. I also had four daughters. Only Vali now lives. One died as an infant. I suspect she was smothered by one of her sisters, most probably Vali. One died in childbirth, and left me a granddaughter. And Vali murdered the other, though I have no proof of this."

"Aren't you afraid for your granddaughter's life, if Vali did kill two of her own sisters?"

"No. Vali has raised Asha as her own, and she is a devious, evil girl now fifteen years old." Deron sighed, shaking her head. "My people are becoming a festering evil, Hercules, and it must be stopped. Even if it means the destruction of this valley and all of my people with it." She placed a hand on his head and stroked his long hair. "I'm sorry, Hercules, that you and your friend were dragged into this."

Hercules took her hand and kissed it. "Deron, we will find a way to help you." He grinned. "As Iolaus would say, it's what we do."

Deron laughed. "May the goddess protect you both, Hercules." She kissed the top of his head, rather like his mother was apt to do, then went inside.

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Iolaus jumped as something crashed to the floor near him. He looked around, to find Sivari had dropped a tray of sweets. Iolaus went to help him clean up the mess.

"No, Iolaus! You'll get into trouble, too!"

"It was an accident, Sivari. No one's perfect. Accident's happen."

Mistress Linn appeared. "You again, Sivari! You clumsy excuse for a man! What does it take to teach you to walk a straight line?!" She grabbed him by the shoulder. "Maybe if I lay a few lashes along that back, you won't forget so easily!"

"It wasn't his fault. It was mine. I didn't see him when I rounded the corner and I bumped into him. I should've been watching where I was going," said Iolaus.

Mistress Linn looked at Iolaus. She studied him for a moment. He looked at her calmly. "You should be more careful, Iolaus. He could have been carrying a tray of hot soups."

Iolaus nodded. "Of course, Mistress." Iolaus couldn't resist smiling at her and winking. He knew she knew he was lying. To his surprise and delight, she smiled at him and winked back.

"Sivari, when you finish cleaning this up, I think you should seek Tera out.
Talin worked you hard today, you should rest."

"Y.yes, Mistress." Sivari looked from her to Iolaus and back, mystified.

"Iolaus, you'd better get back to Vali, I think she's about ready to send the guards after you."

"Yes, Mistress." He waved at Sivari and left, almost bouncing. Iolaus grinned at Hercules, who was sitting beside Deron. He smiled back, watching as Iolaus slid onto the couch behind Vali, grabbing her wrist as she started to take a bite of a fig and guiding it instead to his own lips. Vali laughed and stroked his cheek, commenting to the other banquetors around her that she'd never enjoyed a slave as much as she did Iolaus. He put his chin on her shoulder and grinned impishly.

"Well, she keeps me well-fed, bathed, I don't have bandits and warlords chasing me and trying to kill me, and I don't have to work." Iolaus laid down, his head on her stomach. "Who wouldn't be happy?"

Vali laughed and fed Iolaus grapes. "Pest! You're becoming spoiled!"

"Mm-hm. And you love giving me anything I want." He pulled her into a kiss.

"Imp!" Vali laughed. She stroked his chest. "Off with you, now. Get a good night's rest, you'll be busy tomorrow."

"Anything for you, Mistress." Iolaus stole another kiss, one that took her breath away, then he, along with Hercules and the others slaves, left the room.

Hercules waited until they were out of the room before leaning against the wall and laughing until tears ran down his face. "Iolaus!" He shook his head. "You're impossible!"

Iolaus was grinning fit to bust. "Hey, she likes me. Of course, what woman can hold out against me for long?"

The two headed for the quarters they would share that night, as both Vali and Deron were staying overnight, along with several other high-ranking women. They would be making choices of which of Linn's 'trainees' they would take with them tomorrow.

Iolaus frowned as he examined the torque. "Herc, I can't even find where this thing fits together." He sat down beside his friend on the bed. "We gotta get that thing off of you. If I could just get into the forge...."

"Forget it, Iolaus, the place is off-limits. We'll fine another way to get it off. In the mean time, just keep playing their game."

Iolaus laid down, looked at Hercules. "You know that Vali's absolutely certifiable."

Hercules nodded. "I know. You be careful, Iolaus. Promise me. No matter what, don't let her goad you."

"I promise I'll try, Herc. That's the best I can do."

Hercules grasped his arm. "No, Iolaus, it's not. However long it takes, you can do it. I need you to be here." He leaned against the headboards. "I'm scared, too, Iolaus. I had a taste of this before...."

"With Serena," Iolaus whispered.

"Yeah. I gave up my powers so I could marry her. And it made me appreciate what you go through to be with me. I may not say it very often, but I do appreciate you, Iolaus."

"I know, Herc." He flung his arms over his head. "Now how are we gonna get out of this mess? I'm starting to miss Alcmene's cooking!"

Hercules laughed. "Vali's right about one thing, you are an imp!"

Iolaus tried to give him an injured look, but couldn't keep a straight face. Their laughter was a relief from the stress of the last few days. At least they were in this together.

Vali watched as Iolaus went through an intricate Tai Ch'I exercise, every move slow and controlled. He finally finished and walked over to a bench and picked up a towel. He didn't hear Vali as she walked up behind him and his response was automatic as she touched him: he jumped and side-kicked. Vali saw the kick coming and leaped out of the way.

Iolaus froze, a horrified look on his face. "I...I'm sorry. I didn't know you were there."

Vali's smile never wavered. "It's a good thing I believe you, golden one. If I didn't, I'd have to teach you a lesson about the folly of attacking your mistress."

Iolaus lowered his eyes. "I am a warrior. It's what I've been for most of my life. That kind of response can't be conquered in such a little amount of time, if ever."

"That's what makes you so interesting, Iolaus."

Iolaus jerked his head up. That was the first time she'd called him by name. He accepted her kiss. "There's a council meeting at my mother's tonight, as well as a banquet. I want you to look your best. Have Sivari help you get ready."

"I don't need his help."

"But you'll let him help you anyway, won't you."

Iolaus sighed. "Yes, Vali."

"Good. Now, go on."

Sivari sat on Iolaus' bed, watching him putting on his boots. When he had arrived, Iolaus had pointed at it and told him to sit and not to move. Sivari had obeyed, dismayed by the look in Iolaus' eyes.

"Iolaus, you could get into big trouble. She said I was to help you. If she finds out I didn't, she could have both of us whipped. It's not worth it."

"Don't ever say that!" Iolaus said fiercely. "Every man deserves the right to make his own life, to be free! There's only so much she can take away from me!"

"You really believe that?"

"I *know* that." Iolaus shook his head. "I'd better go. Vali wants to show me off, she's going to get a show indeed!"

"Be careful, Iolaus."

"I will." He squeezed Sivari's shoulder and went to meet Vali.

Hercules stood behind Deron's chair, arms crossed across his chest. He was dressed in deep hunter green again tonight, from his boots to the open vest he wore. A metal headband of silver held his hair away from his face, like a coronet. Deron had chosen not to adorn him further this night, for which he was grateful. Hercules watched as Iolaus walked in with Vali, a huge smile on his face as he escorted her to her couch and bowed as she sat. He kissed her fingers, looking into her eyes as he released her. He was dressed all in violet and gold. Hercules had never seen him looking more beautiful. He could also see the rage in his eyes.

Iolaus played his part well all night. Hercules intrigued the women because of his size, but Iolaus drew them with his beauty. All of them wanted to touch him. Several offered Vali exorbitant prices for him. One said she would give up all she had for him. Vali laughed them all off.

"Vali, I'll give you anything you want for him," said a priestess of the Lady.

Iolaus smirked at her, then looked innocently at Vali. "Mistress, you wouldn't sell me so soon, would you?"

Vali laughed and caressed his curls. "Hardly, golden one. No, you are my treasure, now and always."

Iolaus kissed her hand again, stroking her arm. "And shouldn't the next queen have the best treasure?"

"Is that what you are, the best?"

"Of course. I belong to you, don't I? How could I not be?"

"You play with words, golden one, as nimbly as your fingers stroke my flesh, but I enjoy it just as much!" Vali laughed and fed him a honey cake. Iolaus grasped her hand and licked the honey from her fingers.

Finally, the servants were all dismissed. Vali would be staying overnight, so Iolaus could share Hercules' quarters.

Once in the slaves quarters, Iolaus stripped off the clothes Vali had chosen for him, then ran and dove into the pool. He came up and shook his head, whipping hair and water out of his eyes. But he said nothing. He caught Hercules' eyes with his own, then looked up and to one side. Hercules followed his gaze. Two guards stood in the shadows of a balcony, watching and listening.

"C'mon, Herc. The water's from an underground hot spring. It'll help you relax and you'll sleep better."

Hercules stripped and joined his friend in the pool. They talked about what they had been doing, how their training was going, until the guards left. They waited, then left the pool. Wrapping towels around them and gathering their clothes up, Hercules led them to a small garden set aside for the use of the slaves.

"All the others will have gone to bed. We'll have the place to ourselves. The guards never come here. They think there's no way out, that no one could get over the wall." Hercules put a hand on Iolaus' shoulder. He pulled him into a patch of moonlight and turned him so the light was falling on his chest and shoulders. "I hope for your sake you're keeping these clean," he said quietly. Iolaus had several obviously human bites on his chest and shoulders, as well as many red claw-marks across his back.

Iolaus shrugged. "She's like having a tiger by the tail. She's unpredictable. She bites like one, too, her teeth are sharp. I swear she has fangs." He chuckled. Hercules didn't. Iolaus turned his back on his friend and walked off a few steps. "I want to go home, Herc," he said, very quietly.

Hercules put his arms around Iolaus and hugged him back against him. Iolaus let his head fall back against Hercules' shoulder as he grasped his wrists. "I know, Iolaus. So do I. I just don't know how to get away from here." Quietly, he told Iolaus everything Deron had told him. Iolaus just listened until he was finished.

"She's asking us to destroy this place, basically."

"Yes," said Hercules.

"Huh." Iolaus shook his head. "I wouldn't have believed a person could actually want to do something like that."

"I think Deron's basically a good person, Iolaus. She knows right from wrong, even tho she was raised in this culture. Maybe, too, the fact that she's a priestess of this goddess gives her some insight."

"Maybe." He looked at Hercules. "Then why doesn't she take this off of you?" He gestured at the torque.

"I don't know. Maybe she's waiting for the right time."

Upon returning to Hercules' quarters, Hercules insisted on cleaning the bites Vali had inflicted upon Iolaus. He gathered ointment, clean cloths, and herbs and returned to his quarters.

Hercules mixed the herbs into a concoction to clean the wounds with. Iolaus hissed as he cleaned a bite on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Iolaus, but they're deep and will get infected if I don't do this."

"I know. Don't mind me."

Hercules shook his head. "I've seen people bites turn poisonous a lot more often, and more quickly, than dog bites or bites from wild animals."

Iolaus nodded, then jumped. "Ow!" Hercules was shaking his head over a bite on the back of Iolaus' left shoulder. "I know, I know! If I didn't know better, I'd swear she was one of those blood-drinkers I heard about in Egypt."

"Blood-drinkers?" asked Hercules. "I don't remember that story."

"It's said that there was this man who was cursed by a god. He's not dead, but he's not alive. He can't come out in the day, sunlight would kill him. And he can only drink blood to sustain himself. He can pass this curse on if he wants, to his victims, by taking their blood into him, but just to the brink of death. Then, before they lose consciousness, he opens a vein and give it back to them, by them drinking it. And they die, yet live. They're immortal."

"Whoever told you that story didn't believe it, did they? Surely something that disgusting can't be true."

"Hercules, where the gods are concerned, I wouldn't put it past them."

Hercules grinned and nodded his agreement. "You're right, Iolaus."

Hercules didn't share his quarters with another slave, so there was an empty bed for Iolaus' use. Both men were sound asleep within minutes of lying down.

As Vali's party prepared to leave the next morning, Hercules clasped Iolaus' forearm in the warrior's handshake. They locked eyes and Iolaus nodded. Neither said a word and Iolaus followed Vali down the street.

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Iolaus lifted his head as he heard Vali scream. She was yelling at someone, then he heard the snap of a whip. He jumped up and ran toward the sound. Vali was standing over Sivari, who was curled into a tight ball on the floor. She was yelling at him how worthless he was, and not worth the effort she'd put into him, and she should never have saved his life to begin with. She lifted the whip to hit him again and Iolaus caught the end of it.

Vali spun to see what had caught her whip. "What do you think you are doing?" she asked, her voice calm, but with an underlying threat to it.

"What did he do?"

"What business is that of yours? You're only a slave, just like him!" Vali's eyes narrowed. "Careful, golden one, or you may share his punishment."

Iolaus cocked his head. "He's not an animal. Even animals aren't beaten for the slightest error. No one's perfect, everyone, even you, make mistakes."

Vali snarled at him and jerked the whip free. "You're right. And you just made one." She jerked the whip away from him and lash out with it, a strike Iolaus deftly avoided.

Iolaus crouched, smirking at Vali. He knew this was a reckless thing to do, but he couldn't let her beat Sivari for some imagined slight. He caught the whip, wrapping it around his hand and jerking it away from her. As she lunged at him, he threw himself to one side. But the floor was slick marble, and he slid, giving her a chance to grab his leg. She straddled his waist, pinning his arms over his head. He wrapped his legs aound her waist and flipped her off of him, so that he was straddling her, with her arms pinned.

Vali smiled at Iolaus and then struck, hitting him in the shoulder with enough force to knock him off of her. She followed and touched the inside of his right thigh. Pain exploded through Iolaus' body. He clamped his jaws shut in the effort not to scream, curling into a ball. Vali released him and he lay on the floor, gasping, tears flowing down his face. She knelt beside him, stroking his curls and wiping his tears away.

"You will learn not to defy me, golden one. One way or another." She touched the back of his left shoulder, and this time Iolaus did scream.

Sivari, hiding behind a marble pillar, drew his knees up to his chest and put his hands over his ears in an effort to shut out the sound of Iolaus' screams. Tears flowed down his face. Iolaus was suffering because of him. It was his fault. But he was too much of a coward to help Iolaus now. He prayed to the Goddess to help Iolaus, offering to trade his own life for that of the brave warrior.

Iolaus was unconscious by the time Vali was satisfied he'd learned his lesson. She called two of her guards to take him to the slave quarters.

Once Iolaus was in his quarters, Sivari set a younger man to sit with him. There wasn't much that could be done, but Sivari would do what he could. The first order of business was to send someone for Tera. She was the only one who could help after this kind of attack, which left the victim with cramping muscles and twitching limbs.

When the messenger came, Tera went to Linn. Hercules was also there, having been 'loaned' to Linn for the day by Deron. Linn sent him with Tera, as her guide, though she didn't need one.

When they arrived, and Hercules saw Iolaus, he was appalled and angered. "Why?" he asked as he crouched beside the bed, one hand stroking Iolaus' tousled curls. He lay curled on his side on the bed, obviously still in pain. His breathing was uneven and he was covered with sweat, hands twitching uncontrollably, spasms contracting his arms and legs painfully.

Hercules looked at Sivari, who shook his head. "He heard Mistress Vali beating me and interfered. She didn't like it. It...it was like he goaded her into attacking him. And he fought back. I think that enraged her the most. I...I thought she was going to kill him."

"He isn't safe yet," said Tera. "The body can only withstand so much pain before it gives in. She has pushed Iolaus to the edge. His heartbeat is unsteady, his breathing is uneven. He's already feverish. This is not good." She began giving orders to Sivari, telling him what she needed.

Hercules held Iolaus' hand and stroked his hair. "Hold on, Iolaus. My brave, fool-hardy friend, don't leave me in this alone."

Iolaus stirred. "H.herc?"

"I'm here, Iolaus."

"G.guess...I w.was...pretty dumb...huh?"

"Let's just say, maybe you went a little too far. How do you feel?"

"I...I hurt...everywhere."

"Why did you do it, Iolaus? She could have killed you."

"N.no. N.not...not yet. S.she won't." He swallowed hard, wincing. Hercules saw the shiver that ran through him. "Sh.she was going...to kill ... Sivari. I saw it...in her eyes. I c.couldn't...let that happen."

Hercules sighed. He was in agony, seeing Iolaus like this. He knew that Iolaus, with his spirit, was in constant danger, not just from Vali, but from any of these women. None would hesitate to hit or use their pain technique on him at the slightest provocation. And there was nothing Hercules could do except pray that Iolaus would be careful.

Tera, who had left the room while Hercules was talking to Iolaus, returned. "Hercules, I've had a warm bath prepared for Iolaus. It will help the cramping in his muscles. Will you bring him?"

Hercules picked Iolaus up. The fact that Iolaus didn't protest being carried worried him more than anything. Once, he'd even refused to be carried after breaking his leg, hobbling around on a crutch instead. Hercules helped Iolaus undress, then set him in the warm water. Tera gently massaged his abused muscles, which also helped to soothe frayed nerves. Finally, the twitching stopped and so did the cramping. He was still unsteady, however, and had to lean on Hercules as he stepped from the bath. Hercules wrapped him in a large, thick towel, helping him dry off. Iolaus' shaky legs wouldn't hold him, so Hercules carried him back to his quarters after helping him dress.

Iolaus was asleep by the time Hercules laid him on the bed. Tera commented that she wondered how he'd managed to stay awake as long as he did. "He's very lucky, Hercules. Talk to him. I know how this captivity is wearing on him, but goading Vali into killing him isn't the answer."

"I know. Tera...thank you."

"I admire him, and you, Hercules. Your presence here has triggered something. Because of my skills as a healer, I have access to almost every home in this valley. I hear things. And I know that in a few of these homes, though it is kept a carefully guarded secret, men are not slaves. They are lovers and fathers. Boy children are hidden and raised by both mother and father...loved by both parents. But it isn't enough anymore. They want to bring this into the open, for men to be the equal of women. They want to rejoin the outside world. And some have seen you and Iolaus and are asking themselves questions. If the rest of the world is such a bad place after all, and if it can be so wrong for men and women to be equal." She put a hand on Hercules' shoulder, then touched Iolaus' chest. "He will be fine by morning, though sore. I will return to Linn. You stay with him, but try to keep out of Vali's sight, and return to Linn's first thing in the morning."

Hercules nodded. "I will." He squeezed Tera's hand and she left.Hercules sat beside Iolaus all night. As the night wore on, just as Hercules had expected, Iolaus began to toss as nightmares invaded his sleep. He reached out to put a hand on Iolaus' shoulder as he jerked and awoke.

For an instant, Iolaus didn't know where he was or who was beside him, and he leaned away from Hercules' touch. Then he heard Hercules' voice, speaking softly to him, and relaxed.

"Herc." He laid back. "You're still here."

"Yes, Iolaus. I have orders from Tera not to leave you alone."

"I'm not a child, Hercules, who needs comforting after a nightmare," Iolaus said peevishly.

"I know that. But she was worried you might have more cramps. The damage may not be visible, Iolaus, but your body took some major punishment."

Iolaus sighed. "I know, I'm sorry."

"It's OK." He poured a cup of water and handed it to the hunter. "Here. Tera also said to get you to drink as much water as possible."

Iolaus took the cup. "What are you doing here in the first place?"

Hercules chuckled. "I was helping out at Linn's when the messenger came for Tera. Linn sent me along to help. She said you needed me, and I was to do whatever Tera said."

"Hmm. Linn said that?"

"Yes."

Iolaus laid back against the pillow, then moved down. Hercules tucked the blanket around him, even as Iolaus mumbled about not being a kid. Hercules only smiled and stroked his hair back as he sighed and went back to sleep. Hercules sat back in his chair. "What would I ever do without you, my friend?"

Next morning, before Hercules left, he had a long talk with Iolaus about why he'd goaded Vali into attacking him and tried to make him promise not to do it again. Iolaus refused and Hercules finally gave up. Hercules hugged Iolaus. "Be safe, Iolaus. Please. If not for your sake, then for mine."

Iolaus hugged Hercules tight in return. "OK."

Sivari watched the two men from the shadows. A thoughtful look crossed his face. What kind of world could produce two such strong, independent men, who yet depended on each other so much? And where this wasn't seen as a weakness, but as perhaps their greatest strength? He had a lot to think about.

Iolaus walked into Vali's quarters as if the previous day hadn't happened. She was lounging in bed and watching him as he went about his duties. When he finally looked at her and grinned, and asked, "Do you trust me to touch you?", she had to laugh.

"Come over here, golden one, and brush my hair for me. I love the feel of your fingers in my hair."

Iolaus settled on the bed behind her. As always, a part of him tried to pretend that this wasn't Vali, but his wife, Anya. He had loved to brush her hair for her, and she had said the same thing, purring like a cat as he played with her hair.

Iolaus was jerked from his memories of his wife when Vali suddenly slapped him. It wasn't a hard blow, just enough to startle him.

"Who were you thinking about?" Vali demanded.

Iolaus shook his head. "No, Vali. She's dead, and I won't have her memory sullied by hearing her name on your lips. She was my wife, the sweetest thing that ever happened to me. She died giving birth to my son."

Vali looked at him. "And the child?"

"Was taken by a plague in his third year. Many children died that year." Iolaus stood and walked over to a table littered with Vali's toiletry items.

Vali walked over and put her hands on Iolaus' shoulders. "I'm sorry," she whispered in his ear. "I can hear in your voice the love you had for both of them."

Iolaus shrugged away from her and moved away a few feet, keeping his back to her. "It doesn't concern you."

Vali went to him. She put a hand to the back of his head, caressing his curls, then sliding it down his neck to his back. "But it does. Anything that concerns you concerns me. You miss them, and it makes you sad." She moved his hair aside and bent to kiss his neck. "Let me make you feel better," she whispered.

Iolaus looked at her. "And just last evening, you were trying to kill me."

Vali chuckled. "Oh, no, golden one, if I wanted you dead, dead you would be. I was only trying to teach you a lesson." Her hand slid down his back to cup his buttocks.

Iolaus moved so suddenly, Vali was caught by surprise. He spun and caught her face between his hands, pulling her down into a kiss. Iolaus had no illusions about what they were doing. It was simply another form of combat, another test of wills. But in this, at least, he was more than equal to her, for she had never had a strong lover before, one who would take the lead and show her pleasure undreamed of. Iolaus backed her to the bed and pushed her down on it. He caught her lips with his again, ravaging her mouth. Her hands slid under his tunic, pushing it off him. He caught it and flung it to the floor. As his lips moved to her throat, Vali flung her head back and moaned. Her hands tangled in his hair as he pushed her dress from her shoulders, kissing the flesh as he exposed it. As he felt her hand begin to slide down his neck to his back, he lifted his head.

"Not this time," he whispered. He caught her hands and pushed them over her head, holding them there. Tho she could free herself at any time, Vali let him hold her. He was driving her wild and she didn't want him to stop.

By the time Vali's last scream of pleasure had faded away, they were both exhausted. As Iolaus slid his arms under a pillow and dropped off to sleep, Vali curled up beside him, purring like a sated kitten. She slid one arm across his back, draping a leg over his, as she dropped off to sleep beside him. Some time later, Vali awoke, to find herself pressed against Iolaus' back, her arms around him. She raised up to gaze down at him. He was so very beautiful. Asleep like this, he looked much younger than he actually was. And she realized that, even in his sleep, he was turning away from her. She knew that he hated her. But she couldn't let him go. From the moment she had laid eyes on him, he had owned a piece of her soul and she knew she had to have him. She also knew that he would probably be her downfall.

Vali stroked the back of her fingers down Iolaus' cheek. "You would be worth dying for, golden Iolaus," she whispered. She lay back down, tightening her arms around him and watching him sleep.

Hercules looked up from his task as Linn came into the room. She beckoned him to come with her. He followed her to a bench on the far side of the gardens.

"How is Iolaus?"

"He was pretty sore this morning, but he seemed fine otherwise."

"Good." Linn looked at him, tucking a strand of hair behind one ear. "Everyone's talking about the two of you, from the men to the priestesses."

Hercules shrugged. "And why would everyone be concerned with a pair of slaves?"

Linn laughed. "Hercules, the two of you will never truly be slaves. You may be playing along now, but eventually, when the time is right, you will tear away any perceived shackles and leave this place. And in doing so, you will turn our world upside down and inside out. Whether that be for the best or the worst, only time will tell."

"You don't seem too concerned."

"Ah, but I have Seagare, and my daughter. I am learning what it is like to care about more than myself. And I have you and especially Iolaus to thank for that. I feel as if I have been asleep for a very long time, and have just awakened to find that the world is a very different place than when I went to sleep." Her smile faded. "Our people are splitting into two factions. Deron has been quietly and privately querying who is for equality for the men and who is against. Those for are rallying to her; those against are supporting Vali."

"And Iolaus is caught in the middle," Hercules muttered.

"Yes." Linn put a hand on his arm. "Hercules, you can best help him by helping us change our way of thinking. Some of us are gathering tonight, at Deron's, to talk about this. About the changes we want to make. Will you talk to us? Answer our questions about what it's like out there?"

Hercules nodded. "Yes. I will."

"Good." She stood. "I must go. I am lunching with my daughter." She shook her head. "I was a fool and missed out on much of her first seventeen years. I want to miss as little of the next seventeen as possible." She smiled and left him to return to his task.

Vali dismissed Iolaus and watched him leave, then summoned one of her guards. Giving her a jar, she told her, "Take this to Locita. She'll know what to do with it. And whatever you do, don't open it!"

"Yes, Vali!" The guard bowed and left.

Vali rubbed her hands together. "So, you're plotting against me, are you, my mother? It won't work. Enjoy your evening; it will be your last!"

At Deron's villa, the guard, Nika, went to the guards quarters. Her sister, Locita, was there, preparing for the evening.

"Locita?"

Locita looked up and frowned. "What do you want?" she asked brusquely.

"Nothing. But the Lady Vali has a task for you."

"No."

"Do you really want to refuse her?"

Locita looked at her sister. "You're as mad as she is," she spat.

Nika laughed. "Perhaps." She held out the small jar. "She said you would know what to do with it."

Locita took the jar carefully. Unsealing it and opening the lid just a crack, she peered into it, then shoved the lid back on. "Merciful Goddess," she breathed, shuddering.

Nika's eyes had widened at the hairy, sun-colored leg that had thrust through the crack. "Goddess, what is that?"

"What do you think?" Locita snapped.

"How did she catch it?"

"Probably with her hands." She carefully re-sealed the jar. "This is the last time, Nika. You tell her."

Nika smirked. "Then you can watch your lover die on the alter of the Goddess."

"The Goddess has never asked for human blood to be spilt for her! You don't worship the Goddess, but some demon! Or perhaps it's just Vali's whim, a way for her to control the rest of you! Get out!"

Nika laughed. "You just remember, little sister. You're love's life depends on you obeying Vali. And in case you're thinking about warning Deron, don't. You don't know who here is actually loyal to Vali." Nika's laughter echoed back to her as she left.

Locita looked at the jar. Tears trailed down her face. "Goddess forgive me," she whispered.

That evening, Hercules helped Deron get ready for the evening and they talked about Vali. Deron told him what she had been like as a child, and of her dismay when she saw the beginnings of her daughter's madness. "I knew she had a cruel streak. She would beat slaves and citizens alike. I thought at first that she was simply spoiled. But by the time she reached her teens, I knew it for what it was. She had no sense of the other person's pain. No one, not even myself, truly meant anything to her."

"And yet she was allowed to continue, to become a leader."

"I couldn't prove anything. Most everyone else saw nothing wrong with what she was doing. My own sister was apt to kill her slaves on a whim; Vali was no different."

"Vali did something, didn't she, that woke you up to what your people were becoming."

"Yes. She gave birth to a boy child. And as soon as she saw that she had born a male baby, she cut his throat. I was there, I saw her. She ordered the body burned. And I learned that she wasn't the first to do something so atrocious. I remembered the boys I had given birth to, and whom I had dedicated to the temple. I looked at the men around me, and for the first time, I saw fathers, and lovers, and sons and brothers. They were us, our other halves, and we needed them. That was almost two years ago. That was when I began praying to the Goddess for help."

Hercules fastened a necklace for her and put his hands on her shoulders. "Your people have to want to change, Deron. Iolaus and I can only show you the way. We can't make you take it. And we have our own lives and family to return to." He touched the torque at his throat. "And I can't do as much as I would like so long as I wear this."

"I know, Hercules." She put a hand over his and sighed. "I cannot remove it. Only the Goddess can. There is a secret to it that only she knows. She said that it would bind you until the time came. I don't know what she meant. I'm sorry." She looked at him. "If I were thirty, even just twenty years younger, I wouldn't let you get away from me, you know." She smiled at him as he chuckled and bent to kiss her cheek.

"My Lady, you remind me too much of my mother."

Deron laughed, then slipped her arm through his and he led her out to the waiting guests.

Hercules found that he wasn't to serve on this night. He was there as one of them, to answer questions about the outside world and how to best defeat Vali and her warriors, for they all knew she would never willingly let any of them leave.

"Then you have three choices, as I see it," said Hercules. "You can sneak out. You can fight. Or you try to bring as many of your people around to your way of thinking as possible, and force Vali out of the valley that way."

"I'm not sure that would work. There are too many of the younger generation who are as debauched as she is," said Gellan, a matron of Deron's generation.

"Maybe not as many as you think," said Zera, who was of an age with Vali. "She has the warrior class, yes, but most of the citizenry still follow Deron, regardless of their age. And we are all as skilled warriors as her followers, moreso in many cases."

Hercules glanced at the tray of fruit sitting between he and Deron and reached for one of the figs. His hand froze as something moved. "Deron...move away, please."

"What is...."

"Just...move away."

Deron moved away. Everyone watched as Hercules slowly pulled his hand back, only to have something move even faster than he and fasten to his wrist. It was a large yellow spider, almost the size of his hand. It had been hidden under the golden grapes and apples. Hercules cried out as the thing bit him. He flung it to the floor, then grabbed a knife and threw it, impaling it to the floor, where it writhed until a servant killed it and removed it.

"Hercules!" Deron raced over as he looked at his hand. She got his hand. "Linn, send for Tera, now! Vali, what have you done?"

Hercules was shaking his hand. "My hand's gone numb! What was that?"

"We call it a death's head spider, because on their abdomen they have a mark like a skull. They're venomous." Deron was shaking her head.Hercules looked at her. She was tying a tourniquet above the bite.

"How bad?"

"Depends on how much venom she got into you, and how much protection your divine blood affords you."

"And is there a treatment for the venom?"

"Yes...but it doesn't always work. And before you ask, sucking the venom out doesn't work and would only endanger the one sucking it out." She saw him wince in pain. "How do you feel?"

Hercules swallowed hard, his head was beginning to spin. "How fast does the venom work, Deron?"

"It's different for different people. Come, let's get you back to your quarters."

Hercules was stumbling by the time they got to his quarters, leaning heavily on the two women who served as Deron's bodyguards. He wasn't very lucid as he was laid on the bed, but he was lucid enough to know there was something he had to tell Deron, had to make her understand.

"Deron," he rasped.

Deron sat down beside Hercules, taking his hand. "I'm here."

"Deron, swear to me, by your goddess, if anything happens to me, you won't leave Iolaus in Vali's hands. One way or another, you'll free him."

Deron clutched his hand and finally nodded. "I swear by my Lady, Iolaus will be free."

"Thank you."

Deron stroked his face. "You will be all right, Hercules. I know it."

"I...I feel...numb...."

Zera leaned over. "That's a good sign, he's only experiencing the numbness, not the pain," she whispered.

Deron nodded. "Yes. Did Linn send for Tera?"

"Yes, but she was at Vali's checking on Iolaus. She will be here soon."

"And Iolaus will no doubt be with her, even if he has to defy Vali."

**********************************************************************************

Iolaus stood in front of Vali, hands curled into tight fists, jaw clenched.

Vali looked at him. "I said, no."

"I have to go to him!"

"You don't *have* to do anything but what I tell you to do, slave!" Vali retorted sharply. She gestured to her guards. "Take him to his quarters. See that he stays there."

When the guards reached for him, he kicked one, doubling her over, and grabbed the other by the wrist and flipped her over his hip. He backed toward the door, only to suddenly find himself grabbed, his arms pulled up behind him and a knife laid to his throat. Vali looked at him coldly. "Take him to a detention room."
The detention room was an empty room, with only a pile of straw covered by a blanket. There were no windows. It was totally dark. Shackles were bolted to the wall and ceiling. Iolaus' wrists were imprisoned by the shackles and he was left in the dark, cursing Vali, the guards, and himself.

Tera walked into Hercules' room, to find Deron herself taking care of him, bathing his face with cool water as he mumbled in delirium. Deron looked up as she walked in. "Did Iolaus come with you?"

"No, Lady, Vali forbade him." Tera moved to the side of the bed and sat down on it. She examined Hercules, then had Linn send for Aran. "I will need his help. Tell him we will need tea made from the borage plant, strong, to dose him with, and cedron seed to make a poultice with, to help draw out the poison, and if he doesn't have any, there is some in my workshop, he'll know where." She put a hand on Hercules' chest. "And Linn? Tell him to *hurry*.

Linn went to take the message herself. Deron looked at Tera. "Are you totally blind?"

"Since the day of my birth, My Lady."

"Then how is it that you are a healer?"

"I see with my hands, my fingers are very sensitive. And I see with my heart, as well."

"And this Aran? Who is he?"

"He is my brother, and he is also a healer. We work well together."

"Is he also blind?"

"No. He is a man." Tera shrugged. "He is two years my junior, but he is a very talented healer in spite of his youth."

Deron looked at Hercules. "Will he live?"

"By the grace of the Goddess, yes."

Linn and Aran soon arrived. The two healers ignored everyone else in the room, and Linn made everyone leave except Deron.

As Linn shooed everyone out the door, she saw one of Deron's guards looking at Hercules with tears running down her face. She frowned. "Locita?"

Locita didn't look at her. "Hercules...oh, Goddess, what have I done? Forgive me, Hercules!"

Linn grabbed the woman's arm and made her look at her. "Locita, what are you going on about?"

Locita looked at her. "I'm sorry, Linn. Tell him that for me, will you?" She pulled away from Linn and began to back up. "I'm sorry." She shook her head.

"Locita?" Linn's eyes widened as she saw the guard pull a dagger. "Locita, what are you doing?"

"She made me do it! She has my lover! My beautiful lover whom I pledged my heart to, and who pledged himself to me! I failed, and she will kill him! I can't live like this anymore, I won't live without him! Better to die now than be sacrificed to Vali's madness!" She plunged the dagger into her own chest.

"NO!" cried Linn. She ran to the guard, but it was too late. She was already gone. Linn closed her eyes and signaled two of her own guards to carry her out. She looked back toward Hercules' room. "Vali, you have gone too far. Now you have us turning against each other and ourselves. You have to be stopped, one way or another." She returned to Hercules' room and told Deron what had happened.

Iolaus shielded his eyes as the door was opened, the sudden light blinding him. The shackles holding him were long enough for him to sit down, but his hands were held at shoulder height. As his eyes adjusted, he blinked, trying to see who had come.

"Are you ready to be reasonable now?" came Vali's voice.

"Are you ready to let me go to Hercules?" he asked in the same reasoning tone.

Vali backhanded him. "You really are a glutton for punishment, aren't you, golden one?"

Iolaus looked at her. "Aren't you?"

Vali crouched in front of him and grasped his chin. She kissed him, hard. He bit her lip, making her jerk back. She grabbed him by the throat and squeezed. Iolaus began to thrash, kicking her away from him. Vali picked herself up, her eyes never leaving Iolaus as he gasped for breath. "Why don't you kill me?" he gasped. "I'll never let you break me, Vali. Never."

Vali grinned. "But Iolaus, that is what makes you so interesting. This test of wills between us. Because I know that one day, I will break you, and you will be mine forever." She caressed his curls, laughing as she stepped out of reach of his kick. He was left in darkness again. Iolaus laid his head back against the wall, his thoughts turning to Hercules. "Hang on, Herc," he whispered. "Please."

The spider's venom was still coursing through Hercules' veins, making him feverish and delirious. He'd also had a bout of seizures, which alarmed Tera and Aran both. Aran immediately began gathering the ingredients for a stronger medicine that would prevent the seizures, but he was missing one.

"I don't have any valerian root!" he told Tera in frustration. "And I know you don't either, because you gave me the last of yours for Timus!"

"You must calm down, Aran. You know where to find it. Go."

"It will take several hours to go there and back. He may not survive."

"He will. We will see to it."

Linn gestured to Aran. "Aran. Come. I'll have my fastest horse saddled and get you where you need to go as fast as he will carry us."

"Thank you, Mistress!" Aran scrambled to his feet and they were both hurrying to the stables.

Deron went to the door and looked for her guards. She thought sadly of Locita, knowing she would give the woman a proper funeral. But right now, Hercules needed her.

"Keth! Sylea! Go to Vali's. Bring Iolaus to me. If Vali protests, arrest her and bring her as well. Take as many guards with you as you think necessary."

"It will be done, My Lady!" Keth bowed and the two guards left.

Iolaus lifted his head. He could hear the sound of people yelling. The door was suddenly jerked open, blinding him. As his eyes adjusted, someone came to stand beside him, unlocking the shackles.

"Deron has summoned you," said the guard, helping him to his feet.



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