"She's a perfect little girl Gabrielle, you should be proud." Xenon said handing Ebony to Gabrielle. Gabrielle smiled down at her daughter.

"I am proud," Gabrielle nodded.

"Where will you go?" Jade asked. She had decided to stay with the Centaurs to make sure Ares didn't try any more tricks.

"We're going to visit the Amazons." Gabrielle said. "My tribe is near by here, just across the river."

"Your tribe?" Jade asked.

"Yes," Gabrielle nodded. "A long time ago I accepted the Rite of Caste of an Amazon Princess. Ephiny was Queen only in my absence. Melosa is also only Queen whilst I am away."

"My Queen," Jade said bowing her head and dropping to one knee.

"Stop that." Gabrielle said putting her hand on Jade's shoulder. Jade looked up at her and smiled. She got back to her feet. "I'm taking Ebony so she can be initiated into the tribe. I'm going to make sure she's in her rightful place, as an Amazon Princess."

"That sounds wonderful." Jade smiled.

"Will you join us? For the Rite of Caste Ceremony?" Gabrielle asked. "You are an Amazon, of the same Tribe if you knew Ephiny. I'd like for you to be there. Ebony is your Aunt after all." She smiled.

"I'd be honoured." Jade nodded. Jade drew a small knife from a sheath at the back of her belt and knelt down. "Hold still Son." She gently took one of Borias' dark curls in her fingers and cut it away. She then cut a lock of her own red hair. She untied one of the pieces of leather around her wrists and quickly bound the hair together securely. Still on her knees she turned to Gabrielle and held out the hair.

"Jade?" Gabrielle asked glancing across at Xena.

"She's asking your permission to allow a male, her son, to enter Amazon territory." Xena said.

"Queen Gabrielle," Jade said. "Will you allow my son to enter the lands of your tribe? I swear on his behalf, and on his life, that he will grow to respect The Great Amazons and their ways. It is my promise to you that he will never raise a weapon against an Amazon nor ever speak of their secrets lest I be punished for his indiscretion. I accept the penalty of death, upon him and upon myself, should this vow ever be broken."

"Your son will always be welcome on Amazon lands." Gabrielle said taking the hair. Jade bowed lower resting her head on Gabrielle's feet. After a second she rose to her feet again and smiled.

"A Rite of Caste Ceremony is performed under a full moon, which is in four days." Jade said. "If you and Xena head to the Amazon village and make the preparations, I will join you for the ceremony. I have a lot of catching up to do here, I've been gone some time."

"Alright." Gabrielle nodded. "We'll see you in a few days."

"Travel safely." Jade smiled. Xena and Gabrielle were warmly welcomed at the Amazon Village. There was a short ceremony in which Gabrielle accepted back the Queen's mask and then preparations were made to welcome Ebony as a sister Amazon.

Jade arrived mid morning on the day before the Ceremony was to take place. The Amazons all recognised her and were glad to see her again. Gabrielle had made it known that Jade would be coming and that her son was a friend of the Amazons and was welcome among them. The younger Amazon's delighted in having another child amongst them to play with. Ebony and Borias didn't mind the attention either. Ebony had continued to grow quickly and was now walking around and was beginning to talk.

"Jade, I need to talk to you for a minute." Gabrielle said taking Jade by the arm and leading her away from where she'd been playing with her son and Ebony. The moon was starting to rise on the evening of Ebony's coronation.

"My Queen?" Jade asked glancing at her son and smiling.

"Jade, I want to ask you something." Gabrielle said. They sat down a short way from the children. "I wanted to ask if you'd do something for me," Gabrielle hesitated.

"Anything," Jade smiled. Gabrielle looked up at her friend and was lost for a moment in the intensity and depth of her green eyes.

"You don't even know what I'm going to ask."

"It doesn't matter."

"Well since you'll do it, will you let me explain what it is?"

"Of course My Queen." Jade nodded. Gabrielle drew a deep breath before continuing.

"Jade if something ever happens to me and Xena before Ebony is grown, I need to know that my daughter will be taken care of. After tonight she will be an Amazon Princess and I know that the Amazons will always take care of her but no one will every be able to love her like her own blood, like her family. There's a lot about Ebony that is hard to explain, she's special, but you, you understand her and you accept her for who she is." Gabrielle sighed again and looked down at her hands which rested in her lap.

"Gabrielle," Jade said taking one of Gabrielle's hands. "I promise you, if anything ever happens to you and Xena, Gods forbid, I will raise Ebony as though she were my own. I swear I will do anything and everything in my power to see that she is safe and loved."

"That means that you'll have to act as Queen here until Ebony is old enough."

"I will take on all the responsibilities being mother to an Amazon Princess entails."

"One of the Amazons told me I had to name someone to rule in Ebony's place if she were too young to do it. Normally I'd pick Xena, but she's not an Amazon and I were to die chances are Xena would be killed as well."

"I'll always be looking out for you Gabrielle, Grandmother." She smiled and squeezed Gabrielle's hand. "Come on now, we best get this Princess ready, other wise she'll be late for her own coronation and that would never do." Jade said standing up. Ebony was dressed in a black dress and small symbols were painted on her young face.

Gabrielle stood in front of the entire tribe with Ebony and began the ceremony. Xena and Jade were close by.

"My Daughter Ebony will tonight be welcomed into this Tribe. I give her my Rite of Caste as leader of the Amazons. As she grows I will teach her the ways of the Amazons so she can one day be a great leader to the Amazons. She will learn to fight for a strong Amazon nation. If ever the day comes that Ebony is Queen but is not old enough or ready to undertake the task, our sister Jade will Rule on her behalf."

Gabrielle laid Ebony on a decorated table and drew a symbol on her forehead. She picked up a small sharp knife and hesitated before piercing the tip of one of Ebony's fingers. A worried look crossed Ebony's face but she didn't cry. Gabrielle collected a drop of blood on a large round bead that hung from an Amazon necklace and held it up towards the full moon. She closed her eyes for a moment and prayed to Artemis. She then tied the necklace around Ebony's neck and lifted the child from the table. She held her daughter high in the air before the Amazons.

"Our sister Ebony." Jade said. "Princess of the Amazons." She and all the other Amazons held their hands towards Ebony for a moment before kneeling and bowing their heads forward.

"For a strong Amazon nation." They said in unison.

From then until sunrise the Amazon's danced around a fire and enjoyed a feast in honour of their new Princess. They had been fasting since noon as part of the ceremony. They also came in small groups and offered gifts to Ebony and Gabrielle. They were all hand made gifts but Gabrielle knew that Ebony would grow to treasure the clothes, jewellery and trinkets. The Amazons all knew of Ebony's quick growth and the clothes that were offered to her would fit her at different stages of her life.

Jade was the last to offer a gift. She smiled and knelt down in front of Gabrielle, Xena and Ebony, who were sitting back watching the dancers. She held her arms out for Ebony and the girl willingly stepped forward to sit on Ebony's lap. "I have a present for you Ebony." Jade said untying the necklace she was wearing. The ceremonial necklace Ebony had been wearing had been returned to the Amazon Archives to be used in the next Rite of Caste ceremony.

"Jade." Ebony smiled and lent back against Jade's chest.

"Someone very special gave this to me." Jade said holding the necklace where Ebony could see it. "A wonderful Amazon Queen named Ephiny."

"Eph-nee." The child said touching the different coloured beads of the necklace.

"There's a bead on here for all of my sisters, and special ones for my son and his father." Jade said showing Ebony two of the beads. "This one is mine." Jade said showing Ebony another bead. "It's made out of jade, which is a special kind of green rock." Jade smiled. "Ebony is a very special kind of hard black wood. "This black one here is made of ebony, it's the newest one, and I added it for you." She said. "One day when you're older I'll tell you the stories of all these beads and who they stand for." Jade said tying the necklace around Ebony's neck.

"Thank you Jade, it's lovely." Gabrielle smiled.

"For you my Queen." Jade said handing Gabrielle something wrapped in cloth. Gabrielle accepted the gift and unwrapped the cloth.

"Your Sais?" Gabrielle said.

"I want you to have them." Jade said. "I know that you'll be able to use them just as well as I can. I notice that you don't use a sword, even though you can."

"Because I find it too threatening." Gabrielle said. "Xena once taught me that having a sword makes you a target. With a staff, it can be a weapon, or it can just be a walking stick."

"These," Jade said lifting the Sais and spinning them around her fingers. "Are pointed but you can spin them around," She said demonstrating the move. "And use the blunt handles if you only want to stun your attacker. They'll fit perfectly along your arms, they're light and perfect for defensive fighting. You can carry them as well as your staff. They were my first weapon before I started to learn swordplay."

"Thank you." Gabrielle said again. "I'll start practicing right away."