Joxer sat in the forest alone and half scared. Xena and Gabrielle were a few feet away taking care of their camp site. Joxer looked at the helmet and remembered when he had first gotten this gift. Xena, Gabrielle, and Joxer had just fought eleven men a while back on the trail. Usually his confidence after a fight was high, but not today. Gabrielle saw Joxer looking at his helmet. He was sad and depressed about something. Gabrielle walked over to him.

"Are you OK?" asked Gabrielle knowing something must be wrong.

"Huh? Yeah I'm fine." said Joxer waking up from a day dream.

"Why do you wear all that armor?" asked Gabrielle trying to figure out Joxer. She knew that she wouldn't get the same response as when she tried with Callisto.

"To protect myself." he lied.

"What were you like as a kid?" asked Gabrielle hoping this would have him open up.

"You really want to know?" asked Joxer.

"Yes."

"I use to have a brother. His name was Owen. He was tall and smart. He had blonde hair and blue eyes. He was perfect. For either Warlord or music. He played the lute. Anyway a year after he had faked his death he had come back to check to see if I was OK. I told him everything was fine. He walked out the front part of the stables. The front part that faced our house. He walked out just as father was walking out of the house with two soldiers. When I followed behind, father had the soldiers chain Owen to the stables and he had me chained to the house. My father had a whip and sword next to him." Joxer stopped, rubbed his hands through his hair and continued, "He whipped Owen several times and after what seemed like hours. He asked if Owen would be his slave. Owen said no. Father beat him with his own hands for a few minutes and then asked again if he would. Owen said no. Father picked up the sword and......and stuck it through Owen's stomach then he slashed it across his arms and legs. He finally chopped off his head. When he was done he walked up to me and whipped me a few times and then........" Joxer stopped and looked down. Sweat dripped from his head and tears fell down his eyes.

"And then?" asked Gabrielle, half eager to hear the rest.

"And then he took out his dagger and slashed me across the stomach." he finished. Gabrielle knew Joxer had seen plenty of wars and he could've made this up. If he had he was pretty good at telling it because the tears and everything looked real. Joxer looked into her face and knew that she didn't believe him. He lifted the back of his shirt. Their were scars all over going all sorts of ways.

"His whip." said Joxer. He then lifted the front of his shirt to show his stomach. There a scar ran from waist to waist. It was red and white. "His dagger." whispered Joxer. Gabrielle gasped. It was true.

"Then of course the arrow from Callisto's archer. My only war scars." he smiled "What do you think?"

"I think your the bravest person in the world." said Gabrielle.

"Not to mention he has the truest heart in the world." said Xena walking over. She had heard everything.

"To live through all that and not to become a Warlord means and takes a lot." said Xena.

Joxer smiled.