The Princess looked at Xena shyly. "Do you know what a salamander is? They are large, with claws and teeth. Very dangerous."

Xena tried to picture her pet salamander as a fire-breathing monster and failed entirely. She shrugged. "So? I'm willing to give it a shot. None of this is probably real anyway."

"But I assure you, it is real! You could be killed!"

"Perhaps, and I could be run over by a herd of giraffe tomorrow too."

The princess looked at her strangely and opened her mouth to reply, but the door was thrown open with a boom, interrupting her. The King entered followed by his flock.

As he began to speak, his ears blushed to a deep scarlet. "Because we are in such desperate straits, we have decided to allow you to attempt this deed. If you are still willing, that is," he added in a rush.

Xena rolled her eyes. "Just show me where the damn thing is."

The King's mouth snapped shut, and he blinked at her bewildered. Xena realized that she was totally beyond his comprehension. He'd sent his daughter out as bait to capture Beowulf or Siegfried, and what he'd gotten instead was a semi-retired mercenary, like a deep sea fisherman reeling in a great white shark instead of the expected tuna. She grinned mischievously and gestured to the door.

"Well? Shall we go salamander hunting?"

~to be continued~