One Wild Ride
Part 16
Xena found herself jerked out of a surprising sleep, herbody reacting to the bellow that roused her by bringing her to her feet evenbefore she’d properly opened her eyes. Her hands reached for weapons she didn’thave and she whirled, throwing her arms out in a defensive motion as her sensessought an attack she could defend against.
Her heart was pounding as she fell into a half crouch overthe utterly still, but awake Gabrielle, the silence of the night now beatingagainst her ears.
Gabrielle moved carefully, reaching up to put her hand onher partner’s tensed leg. “You all right?”
Xena listened hard to the wind, trying to recall from herwaking memory what the sound was. “Yeah.” She felt her breathing slow, and theshaking in her legs eased. “Yeah, sorry. Thought I heard something.”
The bard sat up and gathered her wits about her, after beingshaken so unexpectedly from a deep, pleasant dream of Solstice, and home, andlaughter. “Well, you could have.” She offered. “There was that cat sound weheard earlier, remember?”
“Wasn’t that.” Xena sat back down, rubbing her face with onehand. “Ah, maybe I was dreaming.” She leaned back against the boulder they werecamped next to. “Teach me to fall asleep at the wrong time.”
Gabrielle took up a spot next to her, stretching her legsout and pressing her thigh against her partner’s. Privately, she doubted that,since Xena’s instincts were what they were, and if even in sleep, she’d heardsomething, well then, she’d probably heard it. “Were you dreaming?”
Xena shrugged.
“I was.” Gabrielle acknowledged. “No screaming, though. Itwas a really pretty dream, about us.”
“Mm?”
“It was your birthday.” The bard supplied. “We were openingpresents.” If she closed her eyes, she could just catch a faint image of thelast of the dream, and wondered what she’d managed to give Xena that hadresulted in the look of delighted wonder on her face.
Xena smiled in reflex, despite the lingering tendrils ofalarm still prickling over her skin. “That does sound nice.” She allowed. “Wishwe were home right now.”
“Me too.” Gabrielle took a breath to go on, then stopped, asa loud trumpet broke the silence. “Oh!”
Xena’s eyes widened. “Maybe I wasn’t dreaming.” She said. “Ithink that was the sound I heard.”
“It’s those big animals.” The bard said. “What’s happening?Do you think they’re being attacked?” She reached for her staff automatically.
Another trumpet sounded, this one higher, and brassier. Xenastarted to scramble to her feet again. “Let’s go find out.”
Willingly, Gabrielle got up and followed her, grabbing theirpack and swinging it to her back as she trotted in Xena’s footsteps towards abreak in the bushes.
They pushed their way through the underbrush, adding a fewscrapes as they struggled through brambles and ducked under low overhangingbranches. “Ugh.” Gabrielle shook her hand rapidly, as she felt a slimy suckingon it. “Slugs!”
“Guhh.” Xena grunted. “Figures.” She increased her pace.“Over there.”
They heard another trumpet, and this time, more joined it.Gabrielle pushed forward anxiously. To her ears, it had a frantic sound. “Hurry.” She told her partner.“Something must be wrong.”
Xena didn’t reply, saving her strength for the stubbornfoliage that was now not only blocking her way, but depositing slugs onher. “Give me your staff.” Shereached back, closing her fingers on the smooth wood and taking hold of it.“Thanks.”
“Anytime, hon.” Gabrielle patted her back, then dropped backa step as her partner started to take short, savage swings at the bushes,sending twigs, leaves, and she suspected, slugs flying off into the darkness.While she never really felt good about killing anything, slugs were way down onher list of things to sympathise with, and so, she merely tried not to hearthem slapping into trees around her.
They finally broke out of the hedges and found themselves ona small ridge overlooking a flat plateau. In the starlight, they spotted thebig animals all clustered around one area, and milling around anxiously.“There!” Gabrielle pointed. “Look!”
“Something’s got them upset.” Xena agreed. “Cat, maybe?”
“Let’s go help them.” Gabrielle retrieved her staff from herpartner’s hand and started down the ridge at a good clip, feeling a bit moreconfident in the silver dimness. “C’mon, Xe.”
Xena just watched her for a moment, before she shook herhead and started down after the bard. “You know something?” She called out. “Yalittle…Gabrielle!”
“What?” Gabrielle shouted back over her shoulder.
“Next time you ask me how we get into things like this, I’mgonna hand you a damn mirror!”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Gabrielle waved her free hand in theair. “C’mon, Xena… they’re the only things we’ve found here so far we’veliked!”
The warrior broke into a jog, catching
“Ah.” Xena spotted the big animal herd just off the centerof the plateau. “Least we can see what’s going on.” She glanced up, judging the angle. “But we don’t have long,so…” The warrior loped ahead, her longer stride eating up the distance rapidly.
“Now who’s rushing?” Gabrielle sped up to catch her, thelong grass lashing against her thighs. Something moved in front of her and shejumped over it with wide eyes, then exhaled as she recognized it as a rabbit.“Whoa, buddy.. watch it!”
The big animals made noise again, this time louder, and shesaw one turn it’s head and spot them. “They see us, Xe!”
“Yeah.” Xenawatched the animal carefully as they closed in on the herd. The one who hadseen them lifted it’s snout and waved it, almost as if in greeting, and made asound, but to her admittedly limited knowledge of the noises, it didn’t soundthreatening.
She hoped. As they got closer, she slowed and put an arm outto keep Gabrielle from flying past her. “Easy.”
Gabrielle obediently eased her pace, putting her free handon Xena’s back as they eased closer to the big animals. They were clusteredsomewhat tightly in a group, around what she now realized was a small lake. Shecould hear splashing from the center of the crowd, and now that they werecloser, frightened squeals.
“Oh.” Gabrielle had ducked down and was peering through thelegs of the animals. “Xena, I think that’s the baby!” She scrambled fearlessly forward, reaching the sides of thenearest of the beasts before she felt a tug on the back of her belt. “Stopthat!”
“Just making sure I don’t lose you.” Xena replied,unperturbed. “Watch it. One of these thigns could move and mash you and neverknow it.” She slowed the bard’s progress, keeping a very wary eye on the twoanimals on either side of them.
Gabrielle boldly put her hand on the nearest animal’s legand leaned against it, easingaround it so she could see what they were all looking at. “Oh!” She inhaled inalarm, spotting the problem. “Xena, look!”
“I see it.” Xena put an unobtrusive arm around her partner’smiddle in case she had to toss her out of harms way. At the edge of the littlelake was a huge patch of churned up mud, and in the middle of that was the babyanimal, caught fast.
The big ones kept shifting and moving towards him, but theirfeet were sinking fast into the soft mud, and after a few steps they backed outnervously, sending up a cacophony of sound that was ringing Xena’s eardrumsfrom the inside out.
“We can help it.” Gabrielle started to move past the animal,but it shifted and let out a squall, and she stopped, as the groups attentionturned to them and she could sense anger in the attitudes around her. “Um..”
The animals moved restlessly, and the one nearest raisedit’s snout and waved it, swinging it dangerously close to Gabrielle’s head.
The bard ducked. “Uh… Xena, can you do that animalmagic of yours?”
“Now you’re asking me?” Xena picked her up and hauled herbackwards, turning to drop her behind where the warrior was standing. “Stay.”
Gabrielle knew perfectly well neither of them reallyexpected her to obey the command, but she nodded, and watched as the warriorturned and faced the biggest of the animals, her body posture alteringsignificantly as she moved forward.
“Easy.” Xena focused on the animal, who was watching herwith angry eyes and an upraised snout. She spread her arms out a little from her body, and opened her hands,turning them palm upward and letting her fingers relax.
These were not horses. Xena knew that. But when you didn’thave a common language with another creature, you had to start somewhere.
Her voice pitched lower, gentler without her consciousthought, and she kept eye contact with the animal despite the fact that it’seye towered over her. “You got a problem there, right?” She shifted her eyes tothe baby, then back, very quickly.
The animal stopped trumpeting. It stared steadily at Xena,then, in uncanny mimicry, it looked at the baby and then back at her.
Xena felt a prickle run up her spine. There was intelligencebehind that eye, and she knew she’d better respect it. “Okay.” Slowly, sheknelt, and untied the gut holding her boot closed. “Now… here’s the deal.” Shepulled off her boot and tossed it in Gabrielle’s general direction, thenswitched knees, and did the same for the other.
“What are you doing?” Gabrielle asked, in a low voice.
“Stripping.” The warrior spared her a wry look, before shestood up and focused on the animal again. She moved a step towards it and itshifted, raising it’s snout over her head, moving to block her advance, andstaying between her and the baby.
Its back legs sunk into the mud, and it shifted anxiously.
Xena took another step forward, the sticky mud just solidenough to hold her weight. She made eye contact, then deliberately she lookeddown at her own feet, and then back up at the creature’s eyes.
Still sinking, the creature moved, flapping it’s ears andcurling it’s snout up as it moved away from the baby, and towards Xena, andtowards more solid ground.
“Xe.” Gabrielle swallowed a nervous dryness in her throat asshe watched the huge beast tower over her partner. The animal next to her shifted, and looked at her, it’ssnout slithering in her direction curiously. She caught it in her hand and kepther eyes glued on Xena’s casually erect posture as the warrior stood her groundand let the agitated creature come right up against her.
Next time, Gabrielle. The bard exhaled. Think. Think aboutwhat the Hades you get into. She tightened her grip on her staff, having noillusions as to whether it would do anything against the huge animals butknowing she’d at least be in there swinging. “Xena!”
“Easy.” The warrior lifted a hand in reassurance. “Don’t hitanything yet, okay?”
Xena could almost sense the teeth grinding behind her, asshe let the big animal bump into her with it’s snout, the impact nearly knockingher over. She was now nose to snout with it and before she could move back, itwrapped it’s snout around her and the grip tightened.
Uh oh. Xena’s sensitive ears caught the sound of Gabrielle’sincreased breathing and the soft scuff as the bard set herself to attack. “Gab,stay still.” She warned. “I thinkit’s just checking me out.” A moment later, she almost regretted saying it asthe animal lifted her up and turned her sideways, making her fight to remainstill.
“Xena!” Gabrielle bolted between the legs of the nearerbeasts and headed for the big one, her staff out an in a ready position. Shecharged right for the animal’s legs and got her hands set, aiming for it’skneecaps. “Let her down you…. You…. !!!!”
Xena had a good look at the animals eyes from upside downand she saw them widen at this sudden, noisy attack. “GABRIELLE!!!!”
Somehow, the bard did, skidding in the mud and slamming intothe animal’s legs instead. She bounced off and backed up, just barely keepingfrom falling on her butt. “Let her down!”
The animal swung around, stepping away from Gabrielle andback into the mud. She tossed her head, and at the top of the swing shereleased Xena’s body, throwing it towards the baby with a negligent strengthand a single, brassy bugle.
Feeling herself released, Xena found her place in mid airand flipped, her body easily handling the rapid change of direction andtwisting to bring her feet under her as she landed not a bodylength from thebaby animal, the impact driving her almost to her knees into the gooey clay.
The big animal turned back to Gabrielle and bugled again,defiantly.
Gabrielle hauled off and whacked it in the kneecap as hardas she could.
Snorting in surprise, the animal backed, then swung it’ssnout at her, pausing when Gabrielle shifted her staff warningly, glaring upfearlessly at it’s big eye.
Caught between wanting to help the floundering baby, andanxiety about her reckless partner, Xena grabbed up a handful of the mud and threwit, hitting Gabrielle on the side.
The bard jumped back, and turned, surprised at the attackfrom an unexpected source. “Hey!”
“Chill, wouldja!” Xena said. “”I’m fine!” She turned to thebaby and yanked one of her feet free of the mud to move closer. “Now, kiddo…”She told the small animal. “ You just relax, huh?”
The baby bugled in fear and tried to struggle away from her.
“Shh.. shh..” Xena held her hands out, keeping one eye onthe huge beasts shifting restlessly around her equally restless partner.“It’s okay. Easy now.”
It was scared. Xena could feel that, see it in the smallface. The animal was sunk upalmost to it’s shoulders now and it was weakening, it’s cries growing softer asshe watched. Touched, she held ahand out to it, palm up. “Easy, little one.”
The baby looked at her, and then it looked over at the restof it’s herd. The biggest of the animals raised it’s snout and waved it.
The baby looked back at Xena, and, hesitantly, extended it’ssnout towards her and touched her hand.
“I won’t hurt you.” The warrior told it, gently, as shefolded her fingers around the snout, rubbing it softly with her thumb. “We justwant to get you outta here.” Cautiously, she edged closer, the mud sucking at her legs, but unable tohold the more slender, and irregular surface as it was the creatures’. “Easy.”
The baby stayed quiet, only it’s eyes moving to watch her asshe got up next to it, and started digging one leg free of the mud.
The bard looked around, then back at her. “How about longgrass?”
“Fine.”
Gabrielle laid her staff down and ducked between thecreatures, taking her knife from her belt and startng to saw at the wheatcolored grass. A glance overhead told her they didn’t have much moonlight towork by, and she hacked at the thick, tough stalks as fast as she could.
She got an armful, and went back to the mud’s edge, layingthem down in a clump before she turned and started back for more. “Hope I cando this fast enough.” She muttered, knowing the grass would soon sink in to theclay surface.
The vibration of the ground nearly knocked her down, and she turned to find the rest of theherd behind her, watching herintently. One of the smallercreatures came up next to her and wrapped its snout around a thick batch of thegrass, ripping it from the ground with little effort. It looked at her, and waved the batch, in an almost inquiringmanner.
Gabrielle got up and held her arms out. The animal steppedforward and gave up the bundle to her, then stepped back. “Wow.” The bardmanaged to get out. “You really are smart, aren’t you?”
“Busy now.” Xena was almost under the baby,
The bard dropped her load, then started back, only to findthe animals approaching, each with a snoutful of grass.
Xena grunted, straining her body to support the baby, which,though young, outweighed her by a good deal. “C’mon, kid… you can do it.”
Gabrielle quickly spread the grass out towards them, yankingher boots free of the sticky stuff as she moved back and forth. She got to herpartner just as the moon started to set and threw the last armful down. “Okay!”She got down next to Xena, and grabbed the baby’s other leg, as it struggled toget free of the mud. “Boy… glad Dori’s not this big.”
The warrior snorted. “Where’d you get the scythe?” Sherasped.
“Didn’t.” Gabrielle slipped and dropped to her knees.“Ow.” She got an arm under thebaby’s knee, then wrapped her other arm around it and strained her back musclesto their fullest trying to pullthe leg free. “Sheeps!”
Their heads both jerked up, as a wild yowl floated over theplateau. “Oh, peachy.” Xena hauled upwards. “C’mon kid, you don’t want to bekitty chow.”
The baby squealed, apparently recognizing the sound, and itstarted to struggle harder, lashing it’s snout around and whacking it’searstwhile rescuers.
“Ow!” Gabrielle repeated, ducking. “Cut that out!” Shemanaged to pull the baby’s leg free and she grabbed the flat, round foot andput it up onto the straw covered surface. “C’mon! You can do it!”
Xena got behind the animal and wrapped her arm around a hindleg, getting her thigh muscles into the picture and tensing her entire body asthe baby struggled. “Get the other front leg!”
“Getting!” Gabriell sprawled over the top of the animal,landing mostly on her head and shoulder in the mud on it’s other side. Shesquirmed around and got her arm under the stuck right leg and hauled upward.“Pull baby.. you can do it!”
The baby seemed to understand, and it started yanking it’sleg as she tugged, it’s snout reaching forward to touch the grass.
“Pull!” Gabrielle gasped.
“One…” Xena readied herself. “Two..”
“Threee!” The bard finished, and they hauled in unison, asthough their bodies were joined together.
With a squeal, the baby lunged forward, and got both frontlegs on the straw. It pulled forward, almost crawling on it’s knees as Xenagave it one last shove from behind.
“Xena!” Gabrielle yelled, spotting long, racing figures onthe shore. “Look!”
The big animals spotted them too, and as one, the herdwheeled and charged, making the ground shake and the air vibrate with theirtrumpets.
The baby squealed in fear, it’s small snout waving as itcried out to it’s family. Xena scrambled up onto the straw and pulled the babyforward. “C’mon, little one. This stuff wont’ last.”
“Xena… “ Gabrielle grabbed her. “Look.”
“I know.” The warrior said. “But we’ve got to get this donewhile we can, Gabrielle. Let them take care of the cats.” She got an arm aroundthe baby’s head and coaxed it forward. “Give me a hand here, huh?”
Gabrielle tore her attention from the warfare ashore andstruggled up next to the baby, taking hold of it’s leg and helping Xena to moveit forward. “C’mon, sweetie.” She listened to it’s soft cries. “It’s okay.”
They just reached the edge of the lake when a scream rentthe air. Xena and Gabrielle turned to see one of the big creatures stomping onsomething on the ground, it’s snout waving angrily in the air.
“Wow.” Gabrielle’s eyes widened. “Look at them go.”
Two cats tried to jump on the biggest animal, but it knockedthem aside with it’s tusks in mid air, and they heard a squall as one cat wasimpaled with a toss of the big animal’s head.
Casual. Just ascasually as it had tossed Xena. Gabrielle exhaled shakily. They were playingwith a fire they didn’t really even understand. “Whew.” She wiped mud from her eyes.
“Mm.” Xena’s nose twitched, catching the scent of blood andmusk, and she sat down next to the exhausted baby, glad enough to let somethingelse do the fighting for a change. She patted its shoulder. “You all right, little one?”
The baby waved its snout, reaching over to touch Xena’s facewith the soft nub on its end. It explored her cheekbone curiously, a gentletickle that made the warrior’s lips twitch just a little.
Gabrielle plopped down next to her, as the last of the moonlight faded and left them in thestarlights’ bare dusk, the stench of mud and animals all around them.
“Me too.” Xena now had her hand open, and the baby wascurling it’s snout around her fingers. “But I don’t’ want to see what we looklike when the damn sun comes up.”
Gabrielle chuckled wearily.
The thunder against the ground warned them, and they lookedup to find the herd returning, coming to cluster around them, towering overthem and blocking out the stars as they shifted and shuffled, standing shoulderto shoulder facing the two of them, and the baby.
Everything went quiet.
**
Gabrielle waited for several breaths before she turned herhead cautiously towards her partner. “So now what?”
Xena was busy watching the big animals, who were apparentlyjust as busy watching her. Shecautiously shifted her position, easing away from the baby. “Don’t move.”
“No problem.” The bard was content to lean on her elbows,despite the caking of the mud and rest, twisting her head from side to side torelieve the beginnings of a headache. She was very happy they’d gotten the babyanimal out of trouble, but she was beginning to wonder what kind of troublethey’d gotten themselves into in the process.
It always worked out that way, she reflected. The greatergood always had a price, and usually they were the ones who ended up paying it.She found a small rock on the ground, half buried in the mud and she picked itup to look idly at it, the rough surface rubbing against her fingertips.
“Stop that.”
Gabrielle looked over at her partner in some puzzlement.“It’s just a rock.” She said, then straightened as she realized she wasn’tbeing addressed. The baby animal had gotten to it’s feet and was busy exploringXena with it’s snout, pawing over her soulmate’s skin with impunity.
“This isn’t funny.” Xena was trying to get the animal tostop fondling her. She waswatching the big animals from the corner of her eye, but they didn’t seeminclined to interfere, and in fact, seemed a bit amused as well.
Gabrielle cleared her throat gently. “I’m at eye level withhis.. um… “
“Ah.”
“Mm.”
The biggest ofthe animals now moved forward, it’s steps making the muddy, caked groundvibrate. It stopped next to thebaby and reached out to caress it with it’s snout, urging it away from Xena andinto the circle of the herd.
The baby protested, bugling and running behind the warrior,to stand there with it’s snout draped over Xena’s shoulder.
“Hey!” Xena leaned on both hands and looked behind her atthe baby. “Cut it out before your mama over there gets mad at me!”
Gabrielle started to laugh silently. She covered her mouthwith one hand and forgot her exhaustion, wishing she could capture and keep theimage in something other than her memory.
The big animal reached over Xena’s head and tapped the babyon his back, a gust of breath from the tip of it’s snout blowing the warrior’shair back.
Xena took the opportunity to roll towards Gabrielle and comeup onto her knees, catching the bard by the arm and pulling her up right.“C’mon.”
“Awwww.” Gabrielle pointed at the now squalling baby.“Honey, he likes you!”
“Gabrielle.” The warrior sighed.
“Well, he does.” Gabrielle approached the mother animal andheld a hand out to her, delighted when the creature reached out and took it inher trunk, tickling her palm with the nub on the end of it. “Are you happy withus now?” She tipped her head back and found the animal’s eye, towering aboveher. “We’re okay, huh?”
Xena cautiously approached, as the animal shifted and made asnuffling sound. “They’re really something else.” She admitted. “Look at thosetusks.” She leaned closer toinspect the curving white tooth, then straightened, as the animal amiably movedand tilted it’s head a bit, to give her a better view.
“That’s so amazing.” Gabrielle stepped closer, putting herhand out to touch the tooth, feeling faint ridges on it. “It’s pretty.”
Masked in shadows, Xena’s face suddenly went pensive. “Mm.”She murmured. “Where I saw the smaller ones… a lot of them were killed so they could take these.” Shetouched the tooth. “To carve things.”
Gabrielle turned her head, her jaw dropping slightly.“You’re kidding, right?”
“No.”
“Wait.” The bard turned all the way around and faced her.“You’re telling me they killed one of these animals.. these huge, huge animals,just for that?”
Xena nodded somberly. “They were smaller.” She said. “Butyeah.”
Gabrielle looked away, then back at her. “Not even.. I mean,we use animals we kill, Xena. I know that.” She said. “But for food, andwhatever else..”
“Yeah.” Xena cut her gently off, sensing the animals weregetting restless. “Let’s not talk about this right now, huh?”
The bard’s brows creased, what could be seen of them thatwasn’t covered in mud, then her eyes shifted to the animals. “Oh. Right.” Shemurmured. “Well, you brought itup.”
Xena wrinkled her nose, then reached up and scratched it,removing a patch of dried gunk as she did so. “How about a bath?”
“Uuunnnggh.” Gabrielle issued a tiny groan.
Xena took that as the answer it obviously was, and aftergiving the big animal a last pat on the snout, she started to edge around her.
The animal bugled, wrapping her snout around Xena andpulling her to a halt. The baby also scrambled after them and thumped into thewarrior’s knees, letting out a surprised blatt. It wrapped it’s snout aroundXena’s leg and sat down, flapping it’s ears vigorously.
Xena exhaled. She took a firm hold of the big animal’s snout, and unwound it from herbody. Then she did the same thing with the little one’s, springing sideways aentire bodylength after she got free and ducking between two of the otheranimals.
“Hey!” Gabrielle scrambled after her, hoping they didn’t getsquashed.
The big animal trumpeted in surprise, then the entire herdshifted and moved around, getting out of the big one’s way as they wheeled andstarted after their escaping entertainment.
“Next time, Gabrielle.” Gabrielle put on a burst of speedand caught Xena as they got clear of the mud. “Just plug your darn ears.”
“Nah.” Xena headed for a rock escarpment over the lake,where she was reasonably sure the animals couldn’t follow them. “They’re justplaying with us.” She felt a thunder under her feet as the herd got up to speedand chased them.
“Uh.. huh.” Gabrielle glanced behind them. “Xe, we left ourpack back there.”
“Yeah, I know.” The warrior reached the rock escarpment andscrambled up onto it, turning as she got to the top an extending her hands toGabrielle. “C’mon.. we can go back for it.”
“Go b..” Gabrielle caught hold of her fingers and tensed hershoulders instinctively as Xena lifted, hauling her up off the ground withlittle effort on her part. She got her feet on the top of the rock just as thefirst of the big animals got to them, and a snout snaked between her legs asshe hopped awkwardly forward out of reach. “Yahh!”
The animal bugled indignantly at her, and she turned to seethe whole herd standing there watching them. Behind her, Xena chuckled softly,and as Gabrielle turned, the warrior put her hands firmly on her hips andsmiled. “Now what?” The bardasked. “This rock isn’t that big.”
Xena turned and went to the edge facing the water. “Doesn’tneed to be.” She turned and extended her hand as the animals started bumpingagainst the rock, jarring them both. “Uh oh.”
Gabrielle lurched forward, grabbing hold of Xena just asXena reached and latched on to her waist, and just as the animals snouts curledaround both their legs. She feltXena’s body coil and knew what it meant, and as the pressure increased aroundher middle she closed her eyes and held her breath.
Her feet left the ground, and she felt the cool air surroundher, as the touch of the animals and the thick, musky scent of them fell backto be replaced with the strong, clean smell of water. She just had time to takanother breath when they plunged into the lake, and the darkness of the air wasreplaced with the colder, denser darkness of the water.
Xena’s hold on her never wavered, though, and she justwaited as the warrior kicked hard, sending them back to the surface in a showerof chilly droplets and starlit sky overhead.
“Bwha.” Xena spat out a mouthful of water. “That was colderthan I expected.”
Gabrielle shook the hair out of her eyes and looked back atthe shore. “Oh gods.. Xena! Look!!!”
The warrior whirled in the water, her eyes widening as shewatched the animals shove the rock they’d been standing on into the lake.“Woah!”
Two of the largest animals then nudged it out of the way andstrode into the sloshing lake, heading in their direction with utterdetermination.
“Uh.. Xe?”
“Yeah, I’m thinking.”
Gabrielle felt below her, and realized it was too deep tostand. She treaded water uncertainly, watching the animals as they plowedtowards them. “Hey!’ She did the only thing she could think of, and splashedthem with the water. “Whoa there!”
To her surprise, and likely to Xena’s as well, the animalsstopped, and bugled. Bard andwarrior exchanged glances, then Gabrielle shrugged, and splashed them again,sending a sheet of water towards them and drenching their snouts.
The biggest one gave her a look, then lifted her snout fromthe water and pointed it at the bard, blowing a sudden blast of water rightback at her.
“Bah!” Gabrielle held a hand up to shield her face.
The other one got the idea, and blasted Xena, showering thewarrior. “Hey!” She splashed back,and in a moment, there was a full on water fight in progress.
It really was no contest. The animals had an inexhaustible supply of air and water,and it was costing them much less energy to douse the two humans than it wasfor them to battle back. Thebiggest one bugled in triumph when Xena turned her back and got betweenGabrielle and the shore, blocking the worst of it as she went nose to nose withthe bard.
Gabrielle took advantage of that and kissed her. “Our lifeis so darn bizarre.” She chuckled softly. “Wait.. a sheep’ll drop out of thesky next.”
Xena tilted her head back and looked up in reflex.
The big animal sprayed her with water again, waggling hersnout at Xena. Then she waited, snout waving over the water.
“She wants us to come closer.” Gabrielle said, positively.
“And you know that… how?”
The animal slapped the water’s surface, then sprayed themagain. She waggled her snout, curling the nub at the end at them.
Xena looked at Gabrielle for a long moment, before sheexhaled, and swam a few strokes back towards the animal. She paused and waited,lifting her hands clear of the water in a questioning gesture.
The animal bugled at her, a sound that was almost likelaughter.
“I swear, Xena.. she understands everything you’re saying.”Gabrielle marveled. “I know she does. That’s amazing!”
“Hmph.”
Gabrielle gave the back of her partner’s neck a friendlyscratch. “C’mon, Xena… so many rotten things have happened to us here – isn’tit nice when something cool happens instead?”
“Grumph.” The warrior started back towards the shore, towingher partner until her feet hit gravely bottom and she could stand.
“Grumpy old thing.” Gabrielle got her boots under her andstood, emerging from the water up to her shoulders. She rubbed her skin, nowonly tingling from the cold and wished for some soap to get the gray muddyresidue off.
Xena stripped off her catskin and rubbed it, fur to furunder the water. “Yeah, yeah.” She muttered, standing up and baring her body tothe starlight to the waist.
The animal nearest her bugled in surprise, and came sloshingover. The rest of the herdfollowed, nearly swamping both women with their wake, and investigatedXena’s relatively pale skin withinterest. The warrior watched them warily, but continued her task.
Gabrielle also removed her garments, first using theroughness of the cloth to aid the water in scrubbing her skin, then sloshingthem vigorously in front of her. From the corner of her eye, she spotted the baby ambling into the waterand heading towards her, snout held high above the water.
It was amazing, she thought, how ready she was to assignbenign intelligence to these huge beasts, when they’d found so little of eitherin their own kind here.
But then, she andXena knew better, didn’t they? Better than most that many things were in the eye of the beholder, andnothing was always as it seemed? “Hey, little one.” She greeted the babycheerfully. “Can you swim?’
The baby stopped near her and reached out with it’s snout,pulling curiously at her skirt. Gabrielle swam closer, and scratched his ear with her fingertips. “Darn,he’s so cute.”
Xena merely watched her, seeing the gentle loving warmth sotypical of the bard ignite in her eyes as she interacted with the youngster.One of the bigger animals draped it’s snout over her shoulder and as she turnedher head, she noticed it was watching the two also.
Damned if there wasn’t something intelligent in there.“Don’t worry.” She told the animal. “She loves everything.”
The animal observed her, a twitch of the ridged skin aroundit’s eyes giving an uncanny impression of a raised eyebrow.
“Even me.”
The animal patted it’s snout against her cheek, and Xena hadto smile. Then something tickledher hearing, and she frowned, reaching up in reflex to put her fingertips nearher ear. The sound stopped, thenhappened again.
“What’s wrong?” Gabrielle had noticed the motion.
“I hear something… not sure what it is.” Xena said.
Gabrielle cocked her head, her hands stilling the curioussnout of the baby. After a moment, she glanced back over at Xena. “I don’t hearanything.”
The tickle returned, something so faint, and so low Xenaalmost thought she was imagining it. It was more a vibration against hereardrum than a noise, but it was unlike anything she’d ever heard.
She looked at the big animal, only to find the liquid,intelligent eye watching her just as closely.
Another mystery? Xena heard the sound again. Or maybe theanswer to one?
**
“Almost dawn.” Pony observed, as she dipped her paddle in alittle deeper. “Figures.”
Granella arched her back a little, stiff from the long hoursin the back of the canoe. The bit of land they’d thought they’d stop at hadturned out to be a rocky point with an unexpected marsh behind it unsuitablefor anything but a handhold before they launched back down the river to findsomeplace else.
Problem was, there was no other place. They’d passed leaguesand leagues of marshy riverbank, where the flooding had overrun the land anddrowned most of the foliage on either side of it. Though the waters werebeginning to recede, the swamp remained and so they’d kept on, hoping forbetter after each bend.
Now they swept around a last angle in the stream, finding astiff current they had to stroke against, and as they cleared the cliff walls,they found themselves in a lake. “Well, damn.” Pony sighed.“Lookit that.”
The lake dead ended as the walls rose up to a plateau highoverhead, and a small waterfall spilled off the edge of the plateau to drop atthe far end.
“Guess we’re done cruising.” Granella agreed. “There’s a landing over there. Might aswell get out, and wait for dawn.”
“Yeah.” The weapons master said. “Maybe there’s a way aroundthat thing…path over there.” She pointed towards one side of the plateau.
They beached the canoe at the landing and got out. “Whoa.”Pony stretched gratefully. “Hey, we can get a little bit of shuteye.. lookspretty quiet here.”
Her companion tugged the canoe a little further up, and tiedthe rope on the front firmly to a rooted tree. Then she turned and surveyed thearea, what she could see of it in the dim starlight. There was a short, grassy slope that led up from the water,the grass poking from the edge of the lake and indicating it’s rain swollenstate. “Nice.”
The slope ended in a rocky embankment a little taller thanthey were, which curved around and provided a relatively safe camping spot.They dragged their gear up against it and sat down, extending their legs outacross the soft grass.
The night sky was still inky black, scattered with twinklingstars, and Granella felt a moment of peace settle over them.
She tipped her head back and studied the edge of the clifffar over their heads. “Hey.” She looked over at Pony. “Y’know, maybe if we getup that thing, we can find a way out.”
Pony turned around and looked. “Worth a shot.” She said.“Specially since… yeah, I can see Xena and Gab thinking the same damn thing.”
“Yup.” Granella wriggled into a more comfortable position.“Now, if we could just find some sign of them, I’d be happy.”
“Me too.”
Pony sighed. “We gotta stop saying that.” She said. “It’s likea jinx.”
“It worked the first time.” Granella said. “Like a charm.”
They both fell into introspective silence.
Briefly, she wondered what was going on back home. The twinswere surprisingly well behaved most of the time, so she figured Toris wouldhave them under control, but she’d sensed a storm brewing over the flooding ofthe lower town and she hoped the lid would stay on that until they got back.
Until they brought Xena and Gabrielle back with them. Shesuspected that the trouble rearing it’s head wasn’t going to be fixed by anyoneother than them, because anyone else would crumble under the pressure of allthose merchants and the expectations of the town.
Even Cyrene, who had the most backbone of anyone in thevillage, hands down. In fact, Granella suspected she was the second most fearedperson in Amphipolis.
Or third, if you counted Dori.
Xena and Gabrielle wouldn’t cave to the merchants.. Not onlythat, Granella had to smile a little, not only that, they’d probably turn thesituation around so that the merchants would end up paying the town rather thanthe opposite.
She had confidence in that, and so did Toris and evenCyrene. If Xena couldn’t scare them to death, Gabrielle would argue them intostark raving madness, but either way the result would be the same, and thenthey could go back to cleaning up and rebuilding.
Getting on with life.
So they had to find the two of them, and get back. Granellanodded silently to herself. And they would. She was sure of it.
**
Pony walked along the ridge, until it sloped down low enoughfor her to see over it. Barelyvisible in the starlight she could see a half hidden stream that carried thewater from the small falls down to the lake, and a thick stand of bushes thatsloped up towards it.
She put her hands on the ridge and boosted herself up ontoit, standing and brushing her hands off as she continued on her way.
Worry was a part of that, she figured. Somewhere out there,Xena and Gabrielle were under the same stars as she was, and she just had thisfeeling that where ever they were, it wasn’t a very good place.
Then she stopped, a sound reaching her ears she hadn’texpected. She straightened up andlistened again, cocking her head to one side and closing her eyes.
All she heard now was normal night sounds. Crickets off inthe bushes, the whisper of wind through the trees. The soft trickling roar of the waterfall.
After a long moment, she opened her eyes and frowned,putting her hands on her hips. “I’m not nuts.”
“Pon?”
Pony looked around, spotting Granella’s head poking over theridge. “Yeah?”
“You say something?”
“Um..” Pony listened again, but the sound wasn’t repeated.“Nah, I was just taking a drink.” She trudged back over to the embankment andsat down on it, dangling her feet to one side of Granella. “You hear anybirds?”
“Birds?” Granella frowned. “At night? No.. should I have?”
Pony tapped the side of her head. “Probably just thewaterfall then.” She said. “Heard Gabrielle once say it sounded like musicsometimes.”
Granella snorted softly. “She sees stuff in everything.” Shesaid. “Must be part of that storytelling thing.. I’ve seen her sit and watchbutterflies for freaking ever, and then start talking about one of them wasthis color, and one was that color, and why did they fly this way.. whatever.”
“Yeah.” Pony said, after a moment of silence. “Xena oncetold me the scariest thing in the world was knowing she had to live up to whatGabrielle saw in her.”
“Hm.”
“So.. if I didn’t actually know big X, I’d kinda have towonder how much of her rep was her, and how much was Gabrielle’s imagination, y’know?”
Granella plucked a bit of river grass, and chewed the end ofit. “If you ask Gabrielle.” She said, matter-of-factly. “She just writes whatshe sees.”
They both were silent for a while. “So, are they both nuts?”Pony finally said.
“A little.” Granella admitted. “But in a good way.”
Pony sighed, and leaned on her hands. “Wish we could findem.” She said. “Nutty or not, make believe or not, stories and all.”
Granella patted her knee. “We’ll find em.” She said. “Forall we know, they could be up on that flat part, looking down at us.”
They both looked up in reflex, but the darkness defeated anyattempt to view the cliffs. Ponyturned back around and hopped off the ridge, landing with a thump. “C’mon.” Shesaid. “Let’s get some rest before the birds really start singing.”
“You really heard a bird?”
“I heard something.” Pony walked over and dropped down ontothe grass, rolling onto her back and putting her hands behind her head. Sheclosed her eyes and exhaled.
Granella took a spot next to her and did the same.
**
Gabrielle laid her skirt and top out on the rock, and stoodbehind it so it blocked the wind. Her skin was chilled, and now so was the rest of her from being in thewater and she hoped the breeze would dry her clothing in short order.
Now that the excitement was over, her headache was comingback and all the small discomforts were adding up to make her miserable, andthere was little indication it was going to get any better any time soon.
At least, not unless Xena came back from her reconnaissance,anyway. Gabrielle sighed andleaned her arm against the rock, rubbing the back of her
Or her partner, at most.
Xena appeared from around the rock as if by magic, anddraped her catskin next to Gabrielle’s togs. She casually stepped behind thebard and wrapped her arms around her, resting her chin on Gabrielle’s shoulder.“Hey.”
“Hey.”
“Tired?”
“Tired. Cold. Wet.” Gabrielle replied, blissfullyappreciating the warm body now pressed against hers. After a moment sheexhaled. “Okay, scratch the second.”
Xena leaned against the rock and pulled Gabrielle to restagainst her, one hand rubbing the bard’s back in a rhythmic pattern. “Better?”She asked, her fingers kneading the knots she could feel along her partner’sspine.
“Ungh.” Gabrielle sighed. “I love you.”
Xena smiled, unseen, over her shoulder. “I love you too.”She replied. “How about we get away from the water.. maybe we can find someshelter behind those other rocks.”
The wind was keeping up it’s incessant rush over theplateau, and Gabrielle privately doubted they’d find anything much. “Sure.” Shepeered around the rock, finding the herd having moved a little ways off. “Whatare they doing?”
“Sleeping?” Xena gathered their clothing and nudged thebard. “At least that noise stopped.”
“What noise?” Gabrielle winced, as the wind hit them againand the chill cut right through her. “Oh, brr.”
“The noise I’m trying to convince myself I didn’t hear.”Xena detoured over to where they’d left their pack, and found it being examinedby one of the big creatures. “Hey.”
The animal turned and looked at them as they came up, it’ssnout still wrapped in the pack’s straps. It bugled softly and lifted the bag,swinging it towards them.
“Thanks.” Gabrielle caught it. “Maybe we can use the skin tomake a tent, huh?”
The rest of the herd wandered over, now seeming benignlycurious around the two strange creatures they’d apparently accepted.
“Uh.” The bard glanced down in some surprise. The snout feltprickly against her skin, but the hold was light, and there seemed to be noaggression in the act. She looked up at the animal, to find it watching herwith that same intelligent interest she found so intriguing. “Thanks.”
“Touchy things.” Xena commented. “You must be related.”
“Hah, hah.” Gabrielle gently unwound herself. She gave thesnout a pat, then realized the surrounding animals were effectively blockingthe wind. “Too bad we can’t just stay here.”
“Here?” Xena looked quizzically at her.
Gabrielle rubbed her arms. “It’s warmer.” She said, in anapologetic tone. “Wind’s getting to me, and I’ve got a darn headache..I thinkfrom the chill.”
“All right.” Xena studied their surroundings, which didn’tgive much in the way of significant shelter. The plateau was almost flat, withjust the lake near one end and a scattering of boulders. They could, shereasoned, go back up into the scrub forest. “Give me a minute. I’ll figuresomething out.”
Except there were slugs there. The warrior winced.
“Good as it’s gonna get.” Gabrielle took a seat and waitedfor Xena to settle next to her. The warrior took the ends of the skin and pulled them up, wrapping themin a slightly soggy bundle. It got warmer immediately and she felt the tensionin her body relaxing. “Ahh.”
“Warmer?”
Gabrielle nodded. “Xe.”
“Mm?”
“I really like these guys.” Gabrielle watched as the animals drifted over and took uppositions nearby. They cropped the grass, ripping it up and stuffing snoutsfulinto their mouths, chewing with placid unconcern. “They’re grass eaters.”
“Mmhm.” Xena nodded. “Lucky for the other plant eaters. Canyou imagine how many rabbits it’d take to feed one of these things?”
Gabrielle chuckled softly.
“Hard enough keeping you fed.”
“Xena.” Gabrielle gave her a poke. “I’m serious. There’ssomething special about them.”
One of the animals, the biggest one, came over, it’s hugeshadow plunging them into complete darkness as it blocked out the stars. Itreached it’s snout out and idly plucked at the skin, whuffling softly.
“Amazing.” Gabrielle whispered. She was about to go on, when she felt Xena take a deepbreath, and a moment later she held hers as the warrior began to sing.
It was a low, gentle song, that vibrated the air, andthrummed right through Gabrielle where she was pressed against her partner.
The animal stopped moving, it’s trunk lightly resting onGabrielle’s arm. The rest of the animals turned their heads towards them, andthe baby, who had been lying down, jumped up and ran over, skidding to a haltin front of them.
Gabrielle watched them in fascination, as they seemedmesmerized by Xena’s voice.
But then again, who wasn’t?
**
Morning brought a rich, golden light and a sweet breeze thatsmelled of spring. Gabrielleopened her eyes into it and knew a moment of peace as the thick grass rippledaround her and a single, lone hawk sailed overhead.
She watched it disappear, and then she turned her head tostudy Xena’s profile. The warriorwas lying on half on her side, half on her back, with Gabrielle tucked insidethe circle of her arms, apparently content to stay like that until whenever…
Well, whenever. “Morning.” Gabrielle cleared her throat ofthe huskiness of sleep.
“Morning.” Xena returned the greeting amiably. “How are youfeeling?”
“Feeling?” Gabrielle cocked her head a little to one side.
“You were a little stressed last night.”
The bard gazed quietly into the dawn before she flicked hereyes up to her partner’s face, and smiled. “There’s never been anything in theworld wrong with me waking up in your arms couldn’t cure.”
Xena blinked a few times, her dark lashes fluttering overher pale eyes.
“Except over the top romanticism.” Gabrielle amended. “Nocure for that. Sorry.”
The warrior chuckled softly, leaning forward to give herpartner an affectionate kiss on the head.
Gabrielle rested her cheek against Xena’s collarbone. “It’strue though.” She murmured. “All the dinars in the world couldn’t buy what thisfeels like.” She rubbed her thumbacross one of Xena’s ribs. “You know – that’s what’s so alien about thosehooters.”
“Uh?” Xena’s brows contracted. “What?”
The bard turned, and gestured towards the huge creaturesthey’d spent the night with. They were browsing nearby, and one was caressingthe baby. “Look at them. They’re not even remotely like us, Xena, and they knowwhat love is.”
“Oh.” The warrior grunted. “Yeah, I see what you mean.”
“Those hooters… its like they had no emotions.” Gabriellewent on. “Nothing except for fear, and.. um.. “
“Lust.” Xena supplied succinctly.
“Yeah.”
“We know both of those things.” The warrior added. “Don’twe?”
Gabrielle was momentarily silent, then she tipped her headback and made eye contact. “Yes.” She pronounced delicately. “We most certainlydo know those things. But that’s not what I meant and you know it.”
“Hm.” Xenamurmured, her face shifting as she thought. “Maybe that’s why we couldn’tcommunicate with them.” She suggested. “Even the one who could talk.. there wassomething just not right there.”
“She had no emotions.”
“Mm.”
“I can’t even imagine what that would be like.” Gabriellesaid. “I think the closest I’ve ever come to that is right after the war. Ifelt… “ She hesitated. “Burned out, I guess.”
Xena looked down at her. “That was a pretty intense time forus.” She acknowledged. “But I don’t think you were ever that burned out. Even Iwasn’t… that time in Chin.”
They both remained silent for a few minutes after that.
Xena sat up with her, but instead of getting up, she wrappedher arms around the bard and gave her a big hug, pulling her close and kissingher soundly.
The bard squeaked a little in surprise, before she relaxedand fell back against her partner, accepting the smothering hold and thesincerity of the passion beneath it.
They parted, and Gabrielle had to catch her breath.“Whoa.”
“Gabrielle, you saved my life, and saved my soul in a placethat no one would have blamed you to walk away from.” Xena whispered to her, asthey sat there nose to nose. “Please don’t ever think I regret that.”
The bard looked into her eyes, shocked at the sudden,desperate emotion of the moment. She hadn’t meant to drag any of that up… Hades, far from it!
But here it was, looking back at her from Xena’s brilliantblue eyes, a truth she hadn’t even considered wondering about for a very longtime. “Xena.” She exhaled. “You saved my life, and my soul in that same place.”She lifted her hand and touched her partner’s cheek. “No regrets. For either ofus.”
Xena smiled, after a moment. “Okay.” She replied. “Justwanted to clear that up.”
Gabrielle’s eyes dropped, and she let her shoulders relax.“Sheep tails, Xena… it’s too early for all this stuff. My head’s still insidesome dream or something or..”
“Shh.” The warrior pulled her close again, and they sattogether, just rocking for a fewminutes. “I know. We’re idiots sometimes.”
“Ungh.” Gabrielle thumped her head gently against herpartner’s chest, then merely leaned against it for a bit. After her heartbeatsettled down, she straightened up and faced Xena, giving the warrior a tiny,wry shake of her head. “Yeah, weare, aren’t we?”
Xena reached up and gently caught her head between bothhands. “Now.” She patted the bard’s cheek. “Let’s go find breakfast.”
They unwrapped themselves from the skin and stood up, exposingbare skin to the sun which quickly warmed it. “Ah.” Gabrielle walked over to the rock surface they’d lefttheir clothes on and touched hers, which was comfortingly dry and warm.
She put on her wraps, and then her half shirt, drawing thelaces closed as her still buzzing mind thought about what had justhappened. She glanced at Xena asthe warrior joined her in dressing, her eyes searching the angular planes ofher face. “I don’t feel like eating much right now.”
The corners of Xena’s lips twitched. “Me either.”
And then, suddenly, it did become funny, at least in a sad,somewhat wistful way. Gabriellepicked up her wraparound skirt and bumped Xena’s hip with hers before she putit on, adjusting the belt as she tied it. “But I guess I’d better, huh?” Sheasked. “Otherwise I’m going to have to learn to use that staff one handed,cause this thing’s falling off me.”
Xena reached over and stuck two fingers into the belt andpulled, drawing the leather away from the bard’s waist. “Yeah.” She agreed. “GuessI’m going fishing.” She tied therough belt Gabrielle had made her around the catskin and ran her hands throughher hair. “Before you gettransparent.”
“Hey.” Gabrielle patted her on the side, giving the ribsthere a tickle. “Get some fish for you too, huh?” She studied the warrior, reaching up to touch her cheek.
Xena managed a brief grin, and a wave before she turnedaround and headed for the lake, still barelegged. She waded into the water with a stolid stride, her attentionalready focused below the surface.
The sun spilled over her, and made her almost glow as shestood there, amidst the sparkling water, and despite the ragged clothing andunkempt hair, the wild beauty showed through without effort.
Gabrielle rested her hand on the rock and watched her for along moment, before she turned and picked up one boot, starting to tug iton. The leather was stiff fromit’s long soaking, and she had to stamp and work at it to get it to fit, whichattracted the attention of the big animals.
The baby came running over to check her out, immediatelygrabbing her other boot with his snout. “Hey!” Gabrielle hopped after him. “No,honey.. I need that.”
The baby bugled happily, scrambling back out of her reach ashe waved the boot in the air. Hiseyes, in the daylight, were a deep hazel and they sparkled with mischief.
“Good grief.” Gabrielle was caught halfway between annoyanceand laughter. “Now, c’mon, little guy… don’t make me chase you, okay?” Sheknelt, and extended her hand to him. “C’mon, bring it over here.”
He stopped and watched her, his snout swinging back andforth, all but saying ‘dare ya!’ to her.
Gods, Just like Dori. The bard put her hands on her hips andshook her head. The baby shook hishead back at her and danced from foot to foot, then scampered a few steps back,enticing her to chase him. “Oh no.” Gabrielle told him. “I’m a mother, I’llhave you know, and I know better.”
The baby bugled, and one of the big animals bugled back withwhat had to be a note of amusement.
“Oh yeah?” Gabrielle took a seat on the thick grass andpulled her legs up crossed under her. She plucked a few strands of the pale strands and started weaving themtogether into the beginnings of a basket, keeping her attention strictly on hertask and ignoring the baby animal.
The baby bugled and stamped a foot.
Gabrielle kept up her weaving, adding another few strands tothe task. She was aware of a soft percussion moving towards her, but she kepther head down.
A faint, warm amusement suddenly washed over her, and sherealized after a startled moment that it was coming from Xena and not from the animals. She casuallylifted her hand and made a sign, and the warmth intensified, soothing her stillslightly rattled insides.
Damn, that had knocked her off balance. Gabrielle frowned,wondering at the sense of fragility she’d felt. After all this time, itsurprised her to have the ghost of Lao Ma kick her in the rear at the mostunexpected of moments.
Ah well. Gabrielle peeked up, and saw the baby edging closer, dragging her bootby it’s laces from his snout. Xenahad, after all, known how to handle it, even though she hadn’t answered quitethe question that had sprung up in Gabrielle’s mind.
She’d answered a more important one instead.
Gabrielle sighed a little, as a curious snout came creepingthrough the grass to curl around her nascent basket. “Who’s that?” She put afinger on the little nub, and watched it investigate the braiding. “Hey, wannatrade?”
The baby bugled softly.
“Trade ya this for that, what about it, huh?” Gabrielleoffered up the grass, and took hold of her boot. After a brief ponder, the babytook the grass and sat down, stuffing it into his mouth and chewing it with alook of smug cheerfulness.
Gabrielle put her boot on and tied it. “There.” She reachedover and scratched his head. “Now we’re both happy.” She looked up as the big animal she’d decided was the baby’smother strolled over and took up a position nearby, pulling up the thick grassby the snout full. “Boy.” The bard rested her chin on her fist. “I’d love to beable to eat grass sometimes, you know?”
The big animal tossed a bundle her way. It landed near herknee, and Gabrielle picked up a few stalks of it, rolling them between herfingers thoughtfully. The baby gotup and came over, reaching for the grass with a little gurgling noise. “Here,you want this?” The bard handed it to him, watching the serious expression onhis face as he collected it and stuffed it into his mouth.
It made her smile. “You’re so cute.” She told him. “My daughterwould love you.”
The baby looked up and past her, his eyes widening a little,but Gabrielle recognized the presence approaching, and she gave the little onea comforting pat. “Is that your buddy coming?” She turned her head to see Xena strolling up from the lake,two big fish clutched in one hand and a piece of driftwood in the other.
Xena smiled, taking a seat on a rock nearby and setting thefish down. She turned her attention to the driftwood, breaking it into smaller pieceswith casual strength.
Then her head lifted, and she turned her face into the wind.“Gab?”
Gabrielle got up and went over to her. “What’s up?”
“Smell that?”
Gabrielle breathed out, waited, then turned into the windand inhaled, opening her mouth at the end of the breath and tasting the air asXena had taught her. “Smoke?” She questioned.
Xena nodded.
“From where?”
The warrior stood up and scanned the space around them. “Let’s find out.”
**