Warlord Daze

The following is a bit of alternative fiction based on certain characters from the Xenaverse. It is not meant to infringe on anyone else's rights. If you don't agree or disapprove, please go read something else.

Xex Alert: Oh Boy Is There. .This is a Prurient Piece with a Bit of Kink (If you hear the crack of the whip then you'll be in the neighborhood) Proceed at your own risk. :)

Remember, this is all meant in fun!

The first thing Gabrielle did was get rid of the slave who purported himself to be Xena's. Gabrielle marched right up to him and ripped away part of his shirt and finding no evidence of the brand she short marched the man with his arm bent at an uncomfortable angle (to his unabashed shock. Who knew someone so small could be so tough?) right out of Xena's tent. Then she set the Amazons to moving things around, bringing in the goodies and cleaning up. It wasn't long before Xena's tent, which had looked kind of austere for a warlord's, now looked like a oasis of prosperity in a desert of poverty and all with a certain bard's flair for the dramatic.

The only reason Xena's jaw didn't drop open upon entering the tent was that she had long ago trained herself not to show surprise. Instead she paused. She let her nostrils flair in inhalation, thus taking in the various scents (all of them very good) that permeated the tent. Her eyes drank in the vibrant colors, shiny surfaces and the obvious changes that had occurred while she was out fighting yet another small skirmish in preparation for war. She spotted the cause and her heart nearly stopped.

The strawberry blonde stood patiently, alertly by the main table, which was heaped with food. Her hazel eyes were bright with waiting and inquiry. A golden hoop dangled from each earlobe. Her build was compact, which was not usually the warlord's type, though there was a definite strength of character that Xena found immediately appealing. Xena's gaze traveled the length and width of the woman before speaking, "Where is Harrel?"

Apparently she knew who Xena was talking about. "I sent him out." The woman sounded peeved, pleased and offended all at the same time. "His decor was atrocious." She made it sound like, *and if that was a problem, imagine his other insufficiencies.* The slave glanced around meaningfully at the tent, which showed the obvious difference.

Xena's mouth quirked in recognition, which hid her concern. She decided to act as if she knew this woman was supposed to be here. She turned and made a summoning movement, then she stamped her boots to clear the mud and strolled into the tent. She noted that the surface of the trafficked areas were covered with a mat, while the rest was covered with a carpet. She deliberately shifted her focus away from the red head and watched her out of the corner of her eyes. She noticed that there was a small plate of food by the woman. It held items that had been bitten, but not eaten. Xena's eyes widened imperceptibly. The food had been tested? Gods.

A large man, not too unhandsome, followed. He didn't bother to stamp his boots, but he did gawk. The woman's eyes narrowed and the warlord swore she saw a small plot of vengeance being planned before her eyes. She decided to forestall that. Xena kept her voice casual as she approached the table. "And where have you been?"

Gabrielle launched into a shortened version of her story. Xena had given her permission to visit her parents, then she received word that her mistress had joined up with the warlords Colchak and Nisus without so much as a change of clothing. (The small woman's facial expression indicated an extremely low opinion of said warlords and their hospitality.) Therefore she had cut her visit short, called upon some loyal servants and procured necessities for her mistress.

Xena picked up one of the slices of beef and tucked it into her mouth. It was still warm and quite tasty. Then the warlord stepped close to the woman and very casually laid a finger on her collarbone, tracing it till she pushed the edge of the Amazon top to the side. The redhead's breathing changed, but she kept still and lowered her eyes so they focused straight ahead. Xena's finger circled the brand, then she hooked it through the cloth and re-covered the shoulder. The warlord's hand drifted up and she cupped the face of this woman who bore her mark. Xena forced the woman to look her in the eyes, "Were there any problems along the way?" she asked very gently.

Gabrielle swallowed at the sudden intensity of the feelings welling in her heart and she couldn't hide the worry that she'd felt. Xena's blue eyes were hooded and so seemed much more dangerous than she remembered. She kept her response simple, "No mistress." Xena's thumb traced the edge of Gabrielle's bottom lip, which quivered in response and the warlord looked thoughtful. Then she looked as if she had suddenly made a decision.

"Good."

Xena released the slave's face and turned to her guest. Her voice rang through the tent, "Your services are no longer necessary. I now have," her voice changed in pitch and depth, "other means to meet my needs."

The man nearly whined, but didn't quite get past the, "Aw, but, Xena. ." part of the phrase before there was a snap of the fingers by Gabrielle and he was surrounded by five unfriendly looking slaves who looked incredibly like Amazons. Xena smirked and again covered her surprise. Amazons? This whole situation was becoming more intriguing by the minute.

Another man found himself short marched out of the tent.

ŠAugust 1997