“c1″> 

As the
Queen, Melosa also was the priestess of her tribe and it was her
duty to perform the funeral service. The drums began a slow and
steady beat, like a heart healthily pounding, symbolising the life
of the Amazon Nation. A roar of grief resounded throughout the
whole forest, and the pyres were lit. Melosa invoked the power of
the goddess to guide the souls of their fallen sisters and their
male allies to a well-deserved resting place. She implored Artemis
to welcome them in her forest and bid them
farewell.

“c1″> 

Then a
slim curly-haired red head took her place next to the Queen. Ephiny
was not only a good archer and a fine lawyer but also one of the
best singers of the nation. Her clear voice filled the clearing
with the traditional mourning song, rising easily above the roaring
flames. It was the last good-bye to the warriors, an attempt to
honour their courage and dedication to the nation, an offer of
comfort for the loved ones they left behind.

“c1″> 

When
her fair voice finally began to trail away and literally seemed to
mingle with the flickering fire another voice was heard: a
woman’s voice, deep, and full, with a timbre somewhere
between velvet and silk.

“c1″> 

She
sang of the love of a warrior but not to a woman or a man, not to
bloodshed and violence, not to the simple pleasures of life. The
song told about the love of a warrior to his home and his family
and about the things the warrior had to do to protect them. His
heart grew heavy and heavier with every new enemy killed but he
knew that this was the price he had to pay, and that in the end the
scales would be balanced and the Elysian Fields
awaiting.

“c1″> 

All but
several heartbeats after the song’s end the Queen realised
that it was Xena’s voice they’d heard. The pyres had
burnt low by now, and one by one the women returned to their huts
taking special care of the wounded. Soon Melosa found herself alone
with her new slave.

“c1″> 

“c1″>"Thank you, Queen Melosa. You made the men very
proud by allowing them to participate in your sacred
ritual."

“c1″> 

“c1″>"Your soldiers died defending the Amazon nation.
The very least we can do is to treat them with respect. Your voice
is breath taking. One day I’d like to hear it in concert with
Ephiny, the young woman who sang before
you."