"See?" Xena said afterward. "They appreciated what you did for their son. Not like that old lady."

"Xena, what do you want me to do? Go back and un-heal her?"

"No, I guess not."

 Their third stop was at the house of Trius, one of the village elders, now retired since he had come down with a severe lung infection. He spent most of his time lying in bed, wracked with a severe cough. 

He never married and had no one to see to his needs. He received only one daily visit from one or another of the other elder’s wives to bring him food and to make sure he hadn’t passed away.

"I don’t know how to thank you," he said to Gabrielle as he walked out of his hut for the first time in over a month.  "It was — uncomfortable, having to be waited on, and tended to, by someone else’s wife."

"Well, you should find yourself a mate," Gabrielle told him.

"This is a small village. Our young men have to find wives in other towns."

"What about that woman who lives near the edge of town? She sure needs a man around," Xena suggested.

"Ah yes, Albas. There was a time when she was a fine figure of a woman with a delightful smile and keen sense of humor, but after her husband was killed, she changed. She became hard and resentful."

Xena expected Gabrielle to say something encouraging, but instead she seemed lost in thought.

"Well, I guess we should be going. It appears Gabrielle has other things on her mind."

"Well, thank you again. I shall never forget it."

As Xena and Gabrielle walked away, Gabrielle suddenly stopped and turned back to Trius.

"Would you walk with us to the edge of town?" she asked him.

"Well, I suppose so. I think I’d like to walk around my village again."

It didn’t take them long to reach the hut of Albas. And when they did, Gabrielle, called her out.

"What do you want?" she asked, not happy to see any of them. "What’s HE doing here?"

Gabrielle took Trius by the hand and walked him over to Albas. She then took the old woman’s hand and put it into Truis’, holding them together. A soft, golden glow surrounded the couple, and after a very short time, Gabrielle released both hands and backed away as the glow dissipated.