One Wild Ride
Part 21
Xena felt the water suddenly rush over her as she steppedinto the whirlpool, and the suction of it pulled her under. A tumbled moment ofdisorientation later she broke the surface and sucked in a breath, glad she’dtied the rope tightly around her.
She was too off balance, with her hands behind her to stayupright, however. “I’m gonna let go!” She called back. “Gotta swim!”
She released her grip on the pallet and was immediatelysucked under again, as the water pushed her through a gap between two stonesand rattled her against both of them like a rubber ball.
Ow. Xena kicked away from the closer rock and got her headabove water again, coughing a mouthful from her lungs as she emerged into thehalf light of the cavern.
“Xena!” Gabrielle’s hoarse bellow was equal parts warning and worry.
Predictable as the day is long. The warrior shook the hairfrom her eyes and started swimming, pulling herself forward with powerfulbreaststrokes. “Hang on!” She yelled back over the sound of the water.
The rope went taut, stopping her progress very brieflybefore it grudgingly gave way and she felt the strain as she pulled hercompanions after her. The force of the water wanted to pull them in circles,and she found it hard to move forward, most of her energy going towards stayingbelly down as the underground river wanted to roll her over.
She let her feet drop briefly, but couldn’t touch bottom soshe cursed silently and kept on swimming as hard as she could, making scantheadway despite going with the current. She glanced behind her, anxious untilshe spotted both Pony’s and Gabrielle’s heads above the water, sticking by thepallet as the river shoved them to and fro.
Ares was half underwater, but she really didn’t have time toworry about him right now. Xena felt the water pull her sideways, and shefought against the current, ending up going under again as the rope tangled onher leg and stopped her progress.
Damn it. She rolled and freed her boot, then kicked up ward,reaching out as she felt something closing in on her. Her hands struck hardstone, and the next moment she was forced up and out of the water, blown over aslick boulder in a rush of white froth.
Twisting quickly she got her hands on a ridge and managed tostop her progress, pulling herself up onto her knees as the current broke overher chest.
She barely had time to recognize the dark shapes hurtlingtowards her, and her eyes widened as Pony, Gabrielle and Ares whipped by her onthe other side of the rock, moving at a rapid clip downstream.
Her heart started beating double time as she reversed herposition, putting her back to the current as she got her boots braced just intime to take the strain as the rope snapped taut and came very close to yankingher right off her perch headfirst.
For a moment, her balance hung on a thin line as she threwher weight backwards and teetered on her heels, the weight on the other end ofthe rope pulling her inexorably forward.
Then she crouched more deeply and shoved backwards, herthigh muscles standing out in rigid relief. Through the swirling half light,she saw the current grab the pallet and swing both Gabrielle and Pony aroundvicously as they fought to hang onto it, the extra drag almost pulling her in.
The experience of a thousand battles stood her in goodstead, and a cold reason narrowed her choices without effort. “Gabrielle!” Xenayelled at the top of her lungs. “Let him go!”
Pony released the pallet with little hesitation, grabbingthe rope instead as Gabrielle swung around, her hands still clamped on the endsof the sticks just long enough for her to turn towards Xena, making eye contactthrough the swirling surf and half-lit dimness.
An unspoken question and immediate answer floated betweenthem, then Gabrielle uncurled her hands and released the pallet, letting thewater take it swirling away into the darkness beyond them.
Xena released a held breath. Then she wrapped her handsaround the rope and unlocked her knees, hopping quickly to the next boulderwhile keeping her weight back on her heels. “Keep feeling for higher ground!”She called to her partner. “I’ve gotcha!”
Resolutely, Gabrielle turned her head and ignored the pressof the water behind her, the rope keeping her steady in the cold water as shefelt around with her hands and feet for the ground beneath them.
She knew she’d just done something wrong. Both in a personalsense, and in the bigger picture because she’d dealt with Ares long enough toknow their fates were intertwined with his in some dark, yet final way.
If he died, from what she’d just done, nothing good wouldcome from it for herself or for Xena. She didn’t know what his family would do,but she knew in her heart they would do something and whatever it was wouldn’tbe kind.
And yet, knowing that, her gut instincts agreed fully withwhat Xena had ordered.
She felt a jerk, then a release on the rope and she movedforward in the water a few bodylengths. Despite the shift, she still feltnothing under her and she had to wonder where in the world the path had goneto.
More importantly, how had Gran and her kidnappers gottendown here, and had Ares really seen nothing of this when he’d come up? Itseemed so unlikely that it would have come on like this so suddenly…
A bleak thought occurred to her. What if this wasn’t theyway out?
What if there was another way, a fork, and they’d missed it?
“Gabrielle! I’m jumping in.. hang on!”
From a near stop, she suddenly started moving again as therope slacked behind her and she had to fight to stop from going face first intothe water. Gabrielle threw herhands out instinctively and tried to lean back, keeping her head above thesurface as she hurtled into the churning darkness. “Pony!”
“Yeowp!” Pony tumbled past her with a squawk, out ofcontrol.
Gabrielle grabbed at her, wrapping her hand into the ropebetween them and hauling her back as they both twirled around each other as thewater swirled into a whirlpool with them in the center. She could just barelysee the fear in Pony’s face as she linked arms with her and knew a moment ofodd pride as she knew she didn’t share it. “Gotcha!”
Moments later, something big and heavy slammed into the backof both of them and they were slammed forward for a split second before theywere grabbed by the scruffs of their necks and hauled backwards. “Now Igotcha.” Xena’s voice rose above the water as she took hold of them both.“Everyone hang on.”
Gabrielle took hold of her partner’s leathers as Ponysomewhat warily grabbed Xena’s arm. Once in a somewhat circle she realized theystablilzed each other and for a brief moment she felt a margin of safety asthey bobbed in the current. “Wow.”
“Shit.” Pony took a ragged breath. “That sucked. Really,really, really sucked.”
Xena refrained from adding to the conversational pool andconcentrated on searching the darkness ahead of them the best she could. They’dlost the torches at the pool and she only hoped they didn’t need them beforethe water pushed them out into whatever end it eventually came into.
She hoped it was aboveground.
She hoped the water didn’t go underground first.. under therock, in the darkness, where they’d be trapped for who knew how…
Xena slowly let out her breath, refusing to let the old feartake her over. She felt an icy cold block form in her guts, only faintly counteractedby the bit of warmth on her hand where Gabrielle’s cheek was pressed.
She knew if she looked up, the bard would be looking back ather despite the water boiling between them and the darkness around,understanding to an almost uncomfortable intimacy how she was feeling. Had itbeen anyone else, she would have hated that feeling.
“Xe.”
Xena looked up. “Yeah?”
“Desert.” Gabrielle’s tone was wryly humorous. “Please?”
“Sure.” The warrior agreed easily. “Until you start bitchingabout the sand.”
The bard stuck out her tongue, and despite it’s blue tinge,they both smiled. Then Gabrielleshifted her eyes towards Pony. “You okay?”
“I suck.” Pony’s teeth were chattering. “I can’t tell ya howmuch I suck right now.” She glanced down stream. “Where the Hades are wegoing?”
“Hades.” Xena replied dryly. “We figured long as you’re onour tour, we might as well do it right.”
“Shut up, Xena.” Pony snapped at her. “Stop the damnbullshit jokes this ain’t funny.”
Gabrielle leaned a little more against the hand on hershoulder. The walls were rushing past them at a scary rate, but now it was sodark she could barely see them, in fact, she could barely see anything and herworld was narrowing down to the icy touch of the water and the solid warmth ofXena’s hold on her.
The only thing missing was fear, and feeling Xena’s throughtheir connection Gabrielle found herself glad she had none of her own to worryabout for the moment. She brushed her lips against the warrior’s knuckles andtightened her grip on the bit of leather she was clutching, simply hoping itwould end sometime soon.
“How much longer/” Pony asked, suddenly.
“Don’t know.” Xena answered. The water had smoothed out, past the rumbling boulders andthey were moving fast through a narrow, dark channel that seemed to be pitchingdownward at the steeper rate. Shecould hear the water slapping against the rocks on either side of them, butbelow that, at the very edge of her hearing she became aware of a very soft, lowrumble.
“I think we’re coming to the end.” Gabrielle spoke up.
“Why?” The Amazon asked. “You got some vision super warriorhere doesn’t?”
“Definitely.” Xena didn’t even sound angry, just tired.
“I just.. I think we are.” The bard replied in a quiet tone.“It feels like we’re coming to an end. To the finish.” She paused. “I mean, ofthe tunnel.” Her focus turned to Xena. “You know, I think those walls..”
“They are.”
“Mm.” Gingerly, Gabrielle poked her foot down, hoping tofeel bottom. She felt her toe brush against something, but not close enough forthem to be able to stop. “You don’t think..”
“Can’t tell.”
Gabrielle sighed again.
“Would you talk like normal people!” Pony snapped. “Artemis’left tit, damn it!”
“Why?” The bard asked, as she took a firmer hold on Xena,and felt the warrior’s grip tighten on her. “We’re not normal.”
“Stupid son of a…”
“DUCK.” Xena suddenly bellowed at the top of her lungs.“TAKE A BREATH and HOLD IT!” She grabbed Pony and Gabrielle by the back of theneck again as the tunnel narrowed swiftly into a hold in the rock wall and justlike that, in a rush of deathly cold they were underwater and slamming throughit.
Narrow.
Too narrow. Xena instinctively grabbed both her companionsand pulled them closer as they hurtled feet first through the dark water. Thewalls on either side scraped her shoulders and she felt the pressure begin tobuild in her lungs.
Pony started to struggle wildly. Xena hesitated, thenshifted her grip and jabbed, sharp and hard at the side of her neck, takinghold of the suddenly limp body and hoping Pony didn’t breath in too much water.She felt Gabrielle wind her arms around her and jerk slightly, and then therewas really nothing more for her to do but wait.
Hope.
Wonder if this was finally it, for them.
Gabrielle’s body began to shake, and Xena ducked her head,pressing her lips against her partner’s chilled ones. She felt them part, andshe contracted her chest, forcing the little remaining air she had into thebard’s mouth.
Only to feel it warm against her tongue as Gabrielle forcedit right back at her.
Then just as quickly, darkness exploded into light and for aminute Xena thought they’d died, it was so brilliant around them.
Her senses kicked in, though, and filled with the smell ofwater and foliage as they spilled out into a thickly grassed marsh full ofheat, and mud and sunlight.
They rolled over and over and over, finally separating asthe thick grass and the water slowed them, rapidly warming from the icy blastof the cave to sun drenched soggy heat and the pungent scent of algae.
Xena ended up half on her side, the breath knocked out ofher as she rubbed the water from her eyes and got quickly to her knees,reaching for Pony’s still form. She unblocked the nerves and got quickly out ofthe way as the Amazon started retching into the grass, her body convulsing hardas her hands grasped the stalks.
Content that she was breathing, the warrior turned toGabrielle, who had landed sitting up in the marsh, legs splayed and covered inmud and pollywogs. “You okay?”
The bard’s chest was still heaving, and she looked up at herpartner through wet bangs hanging into her eyes. “Pony all right?” She asked,after a moment.
Xena studied her briefly, then, apparently satisified withwhat she saw, she turned back to the weakly writhing Amazon. “Hey.”
Pony rolled over onto her back , her arm slapping into theshallow water. She blinked her eyes open into the sun and turned her headslightly, still coughing. “What the crap happened?”
“You passed out.” Xena informed her calmly. “Under thewater.”
Pony looked at her, then she rotated her head round andstared at the gushing torrent coming from the hole in the mountain, the waterspreading across the marsh in all directions. “We came outta that?”
“We did.” Gabrielle confirmed.
“Godsbedamned good thing I passed out.” Pony coughed again.“Crap!”
Xena scanned the area around them, her eyes catching no signof Ares, or the pallet, or Granella for that matter. The marsh was quiet, savethe rush of the water and a few crickets, and even as she watched the flow ofthe outlet seemed to be lessening. “Figures.”
“What?” Gabrielle stirred and rolled onto her side, gettingto her hands and knees and half sloshing, half crawling over to where Xena wassitting. She sat down next to the warrior and draped one arm over her thigh,exhaling heavily. “Well, at least we’re not sitting on rocks anymore.”
Xena nodded mutely. She studied the empty marsh again, thengathered herself to stand up. “Let’s get to higher ground.” She said. “And seewhat we can find.”
“Sounds good to me.” Gabrielle got up and shook her handsrapidly, ridding them of mud and a few other things, then pausing as she felther knees start to give out and the world start to spin. “Uh..” She reached outblindly and felt Xena’s presence envelope her as everything faded out and thecricket’s chirp turned into an unpleasant buzz.
“Easy.” Xena patted her cheek gently. “Stay with me.”
It was so tempting just to give in to the overwhelming urgeto close her eyes and let the darkness take her. Gabrielle knew Xena would takecare of her, and she’d be in no danger.
“Gab?”
However, she just couldn’t take advantage of her partnerlike that. “Yeah, I’m here.” Thebard rubbed her eyes and took a deep breath, the dizziness receding as Xena’sfingertips traveled lightly up and down her spine. “Sorry.”
“For what?” Pony was still seated I the muck, resting herhands on her thighs. “That sucked.” She added. “Least you didn’t conk out inthe middle of it like I did.”
“Mm.” Gabrielle glanced at Xena, who looked off over hershoulder into the distance. “Well, don’t feel bad. That was really stressful.”She said. “I guess I just had a delayed reaction.. happens to everybody.”
Pony tilted her head and peered up at Xena. “Bet it don’t.”
Gabrielle smiled in sweet memory. “Bet you’re wrong.”
“Ugh.” The Amazon straightened out one leg, which had along, red scrape on it. “Least we’re outta there.”
Gabrielle found herself in heartfelt agreement, as the roughtravel was now making itself know forcibly as dozens of scrapes and bruises anda throbbing headache that the watery sun was only making worse.
Pony got to her knees, waving off the help and staggered toher feet. She rubbed her neck and coughed. “Bleah.” She slowly turned in acircle and looked around. There wasn’t much to be seen anywhere but marsh, andin reflex, she looked down at the foot or so of water covering her boots. “Somuch for a trail.”
Xena moved away from the gushing water, stepping carefullythrough the muck as she searched the area. Her head swept slowly back andforth, but the sodden grass gave up no hints of anything other than frogs andbuzzing flies.
No sign of the hooters. No sign of Granella. No sign ofAres, or the pallet. Xena put her hands on her hips, and searched again, hopingto see any hint of debris, but nothing met her eyes more significant than a fewwaving green leaves she recognized. With a sigh, she waded over to them andknelt down, rooting in the marshy grass with her back turned to her companions.
Pony rubbed the back of her neck, watching Gabrielle fromthe corner of her eye. “You okay?” She asked, hesitantly. “Ya look kindawobbly.”
Gabrielle located a patch of sunlight and edged over tostand in it, a little disturbed at the lingering shakiness she could feel inher legs. She rubbed her arms with both hands to warm up, and refused to thinkabout how empty her guts felt. “Ohwell.” She shrugged slightly. “I guess I just.. a reaction to all the action,you know?”
Pony came over to stand next to her, blinking into the sun.“Yeah, I know.” She replied briefly. “But you do this stuff all the time and Iain’t never seen you turn that shade of pale before.”
Ah. “Yeah, I feel kinda.. um..”
“You want some water or something?” Pony’s voice took on ahint of alarm.
“No, I’m okay, I just..” Gabrielle half turned as Xenastolidly sloshed up next to her, the warrior’s blue eyes fastened knowingly onher face. “Hey, Xe..”
“Here.” Xena opened her fist and offered up a handful ofbrown nuggets.
Gabrielle selected one of the water chestnuts and studiedit, allowing Xena to put an arm around her as they started moving through thewater. “Thanks” She removed her small knife from her boot and cut a delicateslice from the crunchy vegetable, nibbling on it with a sense of ruefulembarrassment.
“Got any more of those?” Pony asked, giving Xena alook. Without comment, the warriorhanded some over and they continued on, moving away from the gushing water andacross the open space in front of them.
They walked in silence through the marsh. Xena left her armaround Gabrielle more for the contact than for support as the bard seemedsteady enough on her feet now, but she was making no effort to move awayeither.
“Xe.” Gabrielle murmured, after a few minutes. “What do youthink..”
“I don’t know.” The warrior cut her off gently.
The bard exhaled unhappily. “This.. is gonna be trouble.”
“Yeah.”
Gabrielle finished her water chestnuts and put her knifeaway, dusting her fingers off lightly. “Maybe it’s a good thing we’re nowherenear home.” She stated, in a reflective tone. “Less chance of anyone elsegetting hurt.”
Xena glanced quickly at Pony, then nodded. “Yeah.” Sherepeated the word, with a completely different intonation and meaning.
Gabrielle ran over the moment in her mind, closing herfingers into a light fist and releasing them as she recalled the feeling of thepallet supports leaving her grip. Despite how she felt about Ares, few thingshad gone against her grain the way doing that had, not only just for moralreasons, but from a bone deep instinct that no matter the cost, the act itselfwas just wrong.
But what choice had she really had? “I wasn’t ready to diefor him, Xena.”
The warrior laughed shortly, with little humor. “I wasn’tready for any of us to die for him, Gabrielle. Least of all you.” She gazedpensively at the grass, the tips becoming drier as they moved slowly away fromthe rock wall.
Despite the sun, she felt cold of a sudden, and she was gladshe had Gabrielle tucked up against her right side sharing admittedly damp bodyheat with her.
“But hey.” Gabrielle’s optimism surfaced unexpectedly. “Younever know, hon.. maybe that was his best chance too, going down there. Wecould have really done a good thing there.”
“With a sword wound the length of my arm in his chest?”Xena’s pragmatism responded. “That I gave him?”
Gabrielle sighed. “How about a story?”
With another wry chuckle, Xena leaned over and gave the barda kiss on the top of her head. “Too late to worry about it now. Let’s find Granand fix what we can.”
The ground started to slope upward, into a grassy plain thatstretched to the walls on either side. It was warm with sunlight, and the soundof crickets rose around them as they left the water at last and climbed ontodry land.
It seemed eerily peaceful, especially to Xena who keptexpecting hooters or the gods only knew what else to pop up in front of her atevery step. After what they’d just been through, it seemed impossible to now bestrolling through a quiet afternoon where the most threatening thing she couldsee was a single bird of prey circling high overhead, wings stretched lazily outto catch the updrafts.
Damn, she wished she had those wings. Xena sighed silently,her head turning right and left as she hoped for any sign of.. well, anything.
“Maybe I’ll make up a story about turtles.” Gabrielle said.“I remember you showing me a box turtle once, Xena.. but you never did tell mewhy they call it that.” She put her arm around Xena’s waist and matched stridesas best she could with her. “It wasn’t square or anything, so why do they callit that, anyway?”
Xena reached up and rubbed the side of her nose,appreciating her loving partner’s intent at least. “Sweetheart..”
“I mean, I understand why they call snapping turtles that.”Gabrielle rambled on. “I sure remember that one nearly snapping your nose off,remember that?”
“Gabrielle.”
“But I don’t get that whole box thing.”
“Gab?”
“Hm.” Gabrielle looked up at Xena.
“Shut up, willya?
Green eyes sparkled gently as Gabrielle smiled at the words.“You know I knew you really loved me the first time you said that to me insteadof just ignoring what I was saying.” Of course, it hadn’t really been the words that time either, sheconceded, as she acceded to her partner’s request. It had been the tone and thesmile, that sweet exasperation Xena used only with those closest to her heart.
Even par with Argo. Ah, what a beautiful moment that hadbeen. Gabrielle felt a silent chuckle shake Xena’s body and knew a squeeze ofher shoulders with follow, which it promptly did.
So they were in trouble, again. Gabrielle gazed across the grass, savoring it’s creamygolden contrast to the deep green trees and the blue of the sky. They’d find away through it, one way or the other.
“C’n I ask a question?” Pony spoke up after a few quietminutes.
“Sure.” Gabrielle looked up from trying to wring thedampness from her skirt.
“If he didn’t.. like.. make it.” The Amazon respondedslowly. “What.. does that mean? What happens now?” She asked. “They draw strawsup there? Someone else just steps in.. or.. like what?”
Both Pony and Gabrielle looked over at Xena, who lookedright back at them, both eyebrow lifting sharply.
“How should I know?” The warrior asked. “Don’t say it.” Shewarned the bard. “I don’t have a damn clue what’ll happen.. “ She paused. “ButI don’t’ like the idea of them having that sword.”
Serious now, Gabrielle frowned. “You don’t think just themhaving it makes one of them the God of War, do you?” She asked. “You said before they already had to be a god forthat to happen.”
“We think.” Xena clarified. “I think.” She said. “But youknow the gods, Gabrielle. They make and break rules to suit themselves.”
“Mm.” The bardnodded. “Well, but so do we, most of the time.” She turned to Pony. “Somehow Ican’t imagine Zeus letting a hooter take over as God of War, Pon.”
Pony nibbled on her lower lip, then she shrugged. “Didn’tsee that much difference, y’know?”
Xena paused, her peripheral vision catching motion at thevery edge of the grass and she focused intently on it, the corners of her eyestensing as she sorted the tiny images into something her mind recognized.“There they go.” She felt almost a sense of relief, as a goal presented itself.
“Critters?” Pony seemed relieved as well. “They got Gran?”
Xena blinked, and focused again. “They’ve got something.”She concluded. “Let’s go.” Shetightened the straps on their much battered gear pack, wincing at the clammychill of it against her shoulders. There’d be little time to dry anything, andshe suspected a lot of what she had in there would be ruined, but there wasn’tany help for it.
They started off at an angle towards the treeline, only topull up seconds later as a wavering in the grass right in front of them broughtXena’s sword out and Pony a close second.
“Whoa.” Ares voice rose weakly from the earth. “Not so fast,chickenshits.”
Gabrielle found herself in a moment of total emotionalconflict. She stepped up to Xena’s side as the warrior brushed the grass asidewith one booted foot, exposing the battered figure lying on the ground, justcovered in the tatters of the catskin.
The blood had been washed off him, but so had most of thebandage, and the wound she’d made in his chest was oozing several differentcolor fluids. Bruises from thepassage through the mountain had been added to the ones he already had, and thegod of war didn’t look particularly godly, or even manly at the moment. “Ares.”
“Say it like ya mean it.” Ares rasped. “Thought you were ridof me, eh?.” His fever had apparently broken, but there were dark circles underhis eyes and he was very pale. “Nice.”
“Great.” Pony spoke up glumly. “Just what we needed. I wasjust getting over being a bitch.”
Ares stared steadily at Xena, then his eyes shifted toGabrielle. “I’ll remember you did that, kid.”
Gabrielle didn’t even blink. “So now we both have memories.”She replied. “But we all had the same chance in there, Ares.”
Unaccountably, Ares smiled at her. Then he focused on Xenaagain. “Nice try, babycakes. But you got me into this and you’re gonna get meout of it.”
Xena studied the bedraggled god with a seriousexpression. “I didn’t get you intoanything, Ares. You got yourself here. So the deal’s the same as last time –keep up, or get lost.” She walked around him and headed off in the direction ofthe now vanished hooters.
“Hey, I’m bleeding here.” Ares reminded her. “From yourhole, remember?”
Xena paused and looked back at him. “I’m out of bandages,and out of patience. If we find something, I’ll see what I can do.” She turnedher head and kept moving, keeping the edge of the grass in her focus.
After a brief pause, Pony followed her leaving Gabrielle andAres alone together. The bard and the god eyed each other, then Gabriellestepped forward and offered him her hand. “We have to go find our friend.” Sheexplained quietly. “And your sword. You know how Xena gets when she’s on amission.”
Ares looked at her for a very long moment. Then he reachedup and took her hand, watching intently as she leaned back and helped him standup, the muscles standing out on her arms and shoulders.
Gabrielle released his hand and retrieved the three quartersof a staff left of the pallet, brushing it off and handing it to him. “I’m nottrying to be.” She said. “I’m just who I am.” Her eyes briefly met his, then she turned and beganfollowing Xena and Pony.
Ares put most of his weight on the stick and limped slowlyforward, obviously in pain. “Question is.. who the blazes are ya?” He muttered,as he followed in her footsteps. “And by the way.. humanity sucks!” He added,in a louder voice.
“Go find some gods to get ya out of here then.” Xena calledback. “See if they care.”
“Bitch.” Ares snorted, shaking his head, glancing atGabrielle who had slowed a little to let him catch up. “What do you see in her,again?”
The turnabout wasn’t lost on the bard. “The cornerstone ofmy life.” She answered, with a smile. “The other half of my soul, my bestfriend…”
Ares rolled his eyes. “Oh, gag me.”
“Don’t give us any ideas.” Gabrielle said. “Want to hear astory about a turtle?” Shecouldn’t pretend even to herself that she wasn’t relieved Ares had made it, butshe knew it wasn’t for the right reasons.
Maybe he knew that too. She could see the smirk lurkingthere behind those exhausted eyes. Even as a human, there was a sense of old knowledge there and she wasstruck abruptly with the realization that this adversary of hers mightunderstand her far better than she was comfortable with.
“Turtles. Yeah. Sure.”
On the other hand.. Gabrielle guided them both in Xena’sfootsteps, knowing her partner would have found the easiest path for them. Onthe other hand, it was just possible she might have more insight into parts ofAres than he ever dreamed. “Okay, no turtles.” She agreed. “How about the storyof the Trojan War?”
“Now you’re talking.” Ares struggled to keep up with her.“And if you’re a good little girl, I’ll tell you the really juicy parts you ain’t never heard of.”
Oo. Gabrielle couldn’t stop her ears from pricking up atthat. Temptation, after all, came in all sorts of flavors now didn’t it?
Yes, it did, indeed.
**
Night fall found them deep inside the forest, in a quietdell surrounded on three sides by overgrown trees with interlaced branches thatwere thick enough to block out almost all the stars overhead. The fourth sidewas filled by a neatly laid fire, and Pony knelt beside it to light the tinderas the last bit of twilight faded.
Gabrielle was sorting out what gear they had left, her legssprawled out as she leaned back against a tree trunk, sparing an occasionalglance over at Ares, who was seated nearby, slumped against a second trunk withhis eyes closed. A bandage of leaves was tied around his chest with a bit ofhide, some of the leaves stained a deep rust.
Two dead rabbits, and three fish, likewise, were laying nearthe fire, waiting for it to catch and provide their first real meal of the day,and Xena was kneeling over them sharpening sticks to use to cook them with.
“Think we’ll catch up to them in the morning?” Pony brokethe silence. “Maybe we shoulda kept going.”
Xena looked up briefly, then returned her attention to whatshe was doing. “They don’t travel at night.” She replied, in a flat tone.“Things hunt them.”
“And us.” Gabrielle spoke up. She was glad enough to be sitting down after being on themove all day, after their adventure in the mountain and she felt an almostaffection for the big hunting cats and the huge bears she knew the hooterswould be hiding from.
Pony simply nodded, and went back to starting the fire.
Xena finished getting the sticks ready, and startedthreading chunks of meat and fish on them.
“Xe, you want me to..”
“No.’ The warrior wiggled another piece onto a branch.
Gabrielle went peacefully back to her sorting, setting asidethe few nuts and by now dried berries she’d found in the bottom of the pack.The hide was already stretched between two of the tree branches, having beenbeaten free of a degree of it’s travel dirt and she’d washed out their skulland had some dried figs soaking in it.
The fire caught, and the glade started to fill with crimsonlight, spreading a familiar rich scent along with welcome heat Gabrielle couldfeel against her bare feet. She flexedher toes gratefully and set the last bits of tools and rocks down as she leanedback to watch Xena from across the glade.
The warrior was tense. Gabrielle could see the stiffness inher shoulders, and the faint grimace as she twisted her neck as she worked.They’d really made pretty good time, considering they had Ares to deal with andhad to watch out for ambushes, but she knew her partner was really worriedabout Granella and wanted to find her.
Had it been Xena alone, she’d have kept going. Gabrielleknew that absolutely, and in fact, if it had been just the two of them theystill might have, if Xena didn’t think it would be too much for Gabrielle tohandle.
Or if Gabrielle couldn’t have talked her into it.
“One of them.” The warrior exhaled, leaning back a trifleinto her touch. “That path they’re taking.. looks like it leads back to thosecaves.”
“The one with the bear?” Gabrielle put a little morepressure into what she was doing.
“No.. that wasn’t.. ah.” Xena rocked her head back andforth. “The place with the eyes.”
“Eyes?” Pony looked around from where she was holding herhands out to the fire. “What doesthat mean?” She watched Xena layher kabobs down and surrender herself to Gabrielle’s touch, the bard standingover her with an expression of gentle indulgence on her face. “Whose eyes?”
“We don’t know.” Gabrielle answered. “Xena, are you surethat’s where they’re headed?” She glanced down at the dark head bowed in frontof her. “They were more scared of those things than we were.”
“What things?” Pony asked.
Xena straightened, and tipped her head back to rest againstGabrielle’s belly. “It’s just past the cleft up above us.” She exhaled. “Theycould be going somewhere else, but something tells me that’s where we’ll findthem.”
“Really?”
The warrior nodded. “Yeah.”
Pony turned and rested her elbows on her knees. “Why?” Sheasked. “I figure if I keep asking you’ll answer something sometime.”
Gabrielle gave her an apologetic look. “Sorry, Pony.” Shetook a breath to continue, then frowned and looked back down at her partner.“Why?”
“Because it’s the place I least want to go.” Xena respondedreadily. “And that’s just how my life’s been going the last week or so.”
Gabrielle gave her a kiss on the head and then eased aroundfrom behind her and took possession of the kabobs. Seating herself on a flat rock to one side of the fire, shecarefully sorted them and set them into the structure of the campfire, somecloser to the heart and some further away. “We found a cave while we were looking for a way out.”
“One of many.” Xena muttered.
“Mm..” The bard moved a stick closer, watching it with aknowledgeable eye. “Anyway, we found some really creepy invisible things withfloating eyeballs in there and didn’t stick around.”
Pony merely stared at her.
“You asked.” Gabrielle smiled.
“Uh huh.” The Amazon watched her curiously. “How do you knowhow to do that?”
“What?” Gabrielle paused in confusion.
“That.” Pony pointed at the kabobs.
Xena had seated herself on the ground, and pulled her bootsup under her cross legged. “Self preservation.” She said. “She’d have starved along time ago if she hadn’t figured it out.” She rested her fist against one hand. “Anyway, their trackis heading for that pass, so that’s where we’ll make for tomorrow.”
Gabrielle glanced past her partner’s shoulder, as she caughtmotion from Ares from the corner of her eye. “Xe.”
The warrior turned as Ares sat up. “Don’t move around.”
The god glared at her, his arm clamped over his chest.“Don’t you tell me what to do.” He snarled. “Thought you were supposed to bethis great healer, Xena. I’m not healing.”
The warrior got to her feet and dusted her hands off,walking over to crouch down next to Ares, pushing him back down and reachingfor the leaf bandage. “Lay still.”She removed the leaves and studied the wound, grimacing at the swollen, rededges. “You’re not helping.”
Gabrielle watched them for a moment, then she went back toher careful turning and arranging of kabobs. “Xena’s half right.” Shecommented, more to take Pony’s attention off the two at the far end of thecampsite than anything. “I’m sure I wouldn’t have starved.”
“Uh.”
“And, I kinda knew how to do this before I met Xena, so it’ssomething that.. “ Gabrielle edged one kabob over a little. “Something that Ibrought to our partnership, in a way. Something I could do well.”
“Oh.” Pony wrapped her arms around her knees. “Some peopleare like that in the village.” She offered. “They kinda come to it early, Iguess, and the kitchen bosses catch em and put em to work.”
“Mm.” The bard nodded slowly. “Well, I like to cook.. butreally I was told when I was little that I’d better develop some kind ofskill.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.” Gabrielle half smiled. “So I’d be worth a brideprice, you know?”
Pony blinked. “Oh.”
“Yeah.” The bard chuckled softly. “I’d have been a goodlittle wife, huh? Demure, obedient…”
Pony burst out laughing, covering her mouth hastily.
Gabrielle glanced over at her, with a wicked grin. “Yup..Xena picked up a bargain that day, didn’t she?”
“What?” Xena turned her head and looked at the bard. “Youbetter not be telling stories about me shopping, Gabrielle T. Bard.”
“Pon wanted some lingerie tips.. you’ve got the nicest Iknow of, hon.” Gabrielle called back. “Boy, you should see her in this littlelacy blue number she go.”
“GABRIELLE.”
Pony had merely covered her ears, and was hummingtunelessly.
The bard chuckled again and went back to her cooking.“Anyway.” She lowered her voice. “It’s nice to be good at something, you know?”
“Yeah.” Pony agreed. “You know I’m a leather crafter,right?”
“Eph told me that, yea.”
The Amazon was silent for a moment. “She did?” Her voicerose a little in surprise. “Really?”
“She did.” Gabrielle confirmed. “She was talking about thosebracers you made for her. She really likes them.” Her eyes lifted as she studiedPony’s face, seeing a startling openness there that charmed her. “We weretalking about gifts that meant the most to us.”
What had she told Ephiny? What gift could she consider themost valuable? Gabrielle smiled to herself. Eph had expected her to say somethingincredibly sappy, like Xena’s heart. And of course, that was the absolutetruth, but she remembered saying something very trivial – was it her flavoredquills? Something so completelypointless it meant nothing to anyone but her.
A warmed linen in the chill weather when she got out of thebath? Her scrolls neatlyordered? A cup of hot tea waitingby the bedside when she woke?
The truth was, she cherished every moment she had with herpartner now, because she knew exactly what the price of what she had was.
Pony twisted her hands together, looking up after a momentto meet Gabrielle’s eyes. “I never figured to understand what you meant bythat.” She admitted. “I mean, I always knew you had this whole gooshy thinggoing, y’know?”
“Mm.”
Pony nodded slowly. “Y’know, then one day I realized youknew what the Hades you were talking about and I gotta be honest.. that’s thefirst day I really looked at you as my Queen.”
Gabrielle slowly turned the kabobs. “Really?”
‘Yeah.”
The fire crackled and popped, sending sparks flying upward.“Well.” The bard sighed. “The day the Amazons accepted Xena as my partner.. wasthe first day I really thought of myself as your Queen.”
Pony considered that in silence for a bit. “Figures.”
“Mm.”
Across the campfire, Xena emerged from the shadows, her armaround Ares as they moved slowly towards the fire.
“There goes the neighborhood.” Pony muttered.
“Mm.
**
Gabrielle examined a bit of leaf she’d removed from underher knee. Though it was dead, it fascinated her to see the lacy filigree leftonce the flesh of the leaf had fallen away. A skeleton of sorts, but far more beautiful than an animalscollection of large bones.
Nature was funny that way. It gloried in the tiniest details, like the wonderfulpatterns on a bumblebee and the exquisite perfection of a feather – and yet somuch of it was senseless like the flooding that had overtaken their home.
The bard carefully folded a bit of bark around the dead leafand tied the makeshift case up with a scrap of gut. Then she put the wholething into their carry bag and leaned back on her hands, stretching her legstowards the fire.
She’d finished telling stories a little while ago, and anexhausted silence had fallen over the camp. Ares was huddled close to the fire,Pony was as opposite him as she could get, and she and Xena were sitting nextto each other on the side of the fire closest to the opening.
Xena was gazing into the flames, her hands curled around acup she was slowly sipping from. She was keeping an eye on Ares, but asGabrielle shifted she turned her attention fully to her partner. “You shouldget some sleep.”
Just the suggestion almost made her close her eyes. “Areyou?” Gabrielle countered, studying the tired furrows in her partner’s brow.
For an answer, Xena glanced around the camp, then swirledher cup and cocked an eyebrow.
Gabrielle clucked her tongue and shook her head. “What am Igoing to do with you?”
Xena’s lips twitched. “Anything you damn want.”
“Would you two cut it out.” Ares glowered at them, wrappinghis catskin more firmly around his shoulders. “No wonder you turned away fromme, Xena. You got caught in goo-ville.”
Gabrielle rested her cheek against Xena’s shoulder andfought the urge to stick her tongue out at him. “You sound just like yoursister when you talk like that.”
“Shut up.”
“Yeah, he does, doesn’t he?” Xena agreed. “Maybe she’srubbing off on him.”
“When I get out of here.” Ares warned. “I’m gonna turn bothof you into chipmunks.”
Xena and Gabrielle looked at each other. Gabrielle solemnlyreached up and put her fingertip on Xena’s nose. “Wiggle for me.”
The warrior bit her finger instead, mock shaking her headand making a growling noise.
“I’m gonna throw up.” Ares turned away from them and lookedback at the fire. “You coulda really been someone, Xena.”
Coulda. Xena gazed thoughtfully up at the night sky, andpondered as to whether that was the first time she’d really heard Ares speakabout her.. about her potential, in the past tense. Before it had always seemedto her that he’d been trying to turn her, trying to get her away from what he’dconsidered a useless path.
So, did that mean he’d finally acknowledged the strength ofher relationship with Gabrielle, or had he simply given up on her?
Curiously, she wasn’t sure exactly which option sheconsidered more appealing. “Ares, I am somebody.” She remarked mildly.
The god snorted, and shook his head.
“I like who I am.” In a moment of personal revelation, Xenarealized how true the words really were, and she wondered how she’d come sofull circle in herself without even noticing it. She looked down at Gabrielle, surprised, or perhapsunsurprised to see tears rolling down the bard’s face, as she, too, gazed intothe fire.
“You’re a fool.”
“You’re the fool, Ares.” Xena replied. “For thinking youcould give me, or anyone anything worth having.”
Ares turned and stared at her, shadows erasing the pain fromhis face and replacing it with menace.
“What could you offer me?” The warrior asked, unfazed.“Glory? War? Fighting? Blood?” She watched Gabrielle’s hand close around hers,the fingers tightening. “It’s nothing, Ares. Nothing without family. Friends..“ She rested her cheek against the bard’s hair. “Love.”
Pony was curled up on the ground across the fire from them,and Xena could see her eyes flicking between Ares and her, wide and fascinated.
“You don’t know anything.” Ares told her. “Life isn’tanything without power. You don’t have that, you’re just so much cattle. That’swhat you are now, Xena. Just a cow.
Xena thought the words should have stung her more.Certainly, Ares meant them to, this sharp edge lashing at her grounded in hisown pain and discomfort. She thought about what he’d said, and nodded a
She was never going to rule the world. Even if she turnedaway from her family now, gave up all she had, and went with Ares it was toolate. She’d seen too much, done too much. Experienced too much.
Grown too much as a person. Xena licked her lips, tasting a hint of the broiled fishGabrielle had made them. Gottentoo old? A faint smile appeared. Maybe. “Power only matters when you’ve got an eternity to wield it in,Ares.” She answered him finally. “When you don’t, you find out just how useless it really is.”
The god snorted. “Spare me the mortal martyrdom, Xena.”
Gabrielle felt her thigh muscles uncoil as she listened tothe evenly beating heart under her ear, realizing that Ares taunting wasn’thaving it’s intended effect. Shecould almost feel the steady confidence exuding from Xena, as the warrior’sarms curled around her and she was pulled a little closer into the warmth ofXena’s embrace.
“What would you know about it, Ares?” Xena asked. “You’venever lost anything. Maybe if you had, you’d understand why your way doesn’thold any interest for me anymore.”
Ares curled up against the rock he’d been leaning on and pulledthe catskin closer. “Shows how little you know about anything, doesn’tit.” He focused on the fire andturned his back on them, letting the silence lengthen into the darkness.
Gabrielle waited through it, breathing in rhythm with hersoulmate quietly before she looked up at the firelit profile above her. After abrief pause, Xena tilted her head and their eyes met and the connection surgebetween them so strongly it made the hair on the back of her neck stiffen inreflex.
There were times, and this is one of them, that she couldsense that other facet of her partner. The thing that was more than human inher, that sense of destiny that sometimes took Gabrielle by surprised and lefther wondering if her own life could live up to the potential of her soulmates.
The something that made her ask, every once in a while, ‘whyme?’
Why me? Why was I in that little clearing on that day allthose years ago?
Why was I the one she chose? Why did I choose her?
“Hey.” Xena broke her profound musings. “Got any of thoseherbs left for tea?” She leaneddown and gave Gabrielle a kiss on the lips. “On second thought…” She murmured,going back for a second and lingering there as they gently explored each other.
They’d been suffering hardship for so long now, the surge ofpassion was almost a shock and it took them both somewhat by surprise.
She felt Xena inhale sharply as her fingertips gently tracedthe curve o the warrior’s breast and an insistent growl started in her own gutsas Xena’s hand dropped casually to her thigh and the edge of her thumb strokedthe inside of it.
They separated a little, and Gabrielle pulled back to see adefinite, dark passion gazing at her from the depths of Xena’s eyes. “Hon.” Sheexhaled in audible frustration, her eyes flicking to Ares turned back.
Xena smiled, one of her sexy, impudent ones that usually gotthem both into trouble. Gabriellecaptured her hand in her own, and kissed the knuckles of it, then rubbed hercheek against them.
Xena sighed, but she leaned back against the rock and pattedher lap, pointing at Gabrielle’s head and indicating she should lay down.
She had no problem necking in front of Ares. But sherespected the fact that Gabrielle did, and she knew the bard was exhausted,though…
Damn. Xena could feel her skin tingling, and she couldn’t helptracing a lazy circle on Gabrielle’s shoulder as the bard settled herself downwith a sigh. After a minute, shewriggled backward a little and tucked the back of her head up against Xena’sstomach, her hand casually coming to rest on the inside of the warrior’s thigh.
Xena threaded her fingers through the bard’s hair, tracingthe edge of her ear. She couldfeel the warmth of Gabrielle’s breath against her leg, and the energy that wasrunning between them, the warm sensuality overriding their conscious decisioneffortlessly.
Now that, that had surprised her, frankly. Xena smiled, halfclosing her eyes as Gabrielle drew a teasing line up the inside of her thigh.She loved Gabrielle with all her heart, but she never expected her village bornpartner, so innocent in many ways, to be as openly seductive as she was.
“Xe?”
The warrior brushed her knuckles over Gabrielle’s cheek.“Mm?”’
“You’re so not a cow.”
Xena laughed softly. “I’m not?” She asked.
“No.” Gabrielle leaned over and kissed the slightly dustyskin she was lying over. “You’re wild.” She curled her arm around the warrior’s leg and continued herattentions, placing tiny kisses up her thigh. “Totally undomesticated.”
Xena felt her heart rate jump, and she was suddenly a littleshort of breath. Her eyes flicked to the fire, realizing Ares was now curledagainst the stone with his head resting on it, and Pony was wrapped up on teother side of the flames. “I am, huh?”
Gabrielle’s hand reached the edge of her leathers, andslipped under it. “Yeah.”
The touch was getting to her, dark energy rising as herfingers started twitching and she reached for Gabrielle in return, wanting thefeel of her warm skin and stifling a gasp as she felt teeth nibbling just onthe inside of her knee.
Undomesticated. The warrior almost laughed. Yeah right.
Slave to love, more like it. .
**
Xena was ripped out of sleep mostly by her own conscience,her eyes opening as she gazed somewhat dazedly around at the quiet, dimly litcamp. The air was lighteningaround them in the secluded dell, and her time sense told her dawn was not faroff.
Exhaling, she eased down off her elbow and tried to collecther wits, not even remembering falling asleep. Gabrielle, tucked against her left side, was still deeplyso, the bard’s slow, even breathing and completely relaxed body oblivious totheir surroundings.
Well. Xena rubbed her eyes with one hand. That was good atleast. Gabrielle had needed the rest badly and apparently so had she. Thewarrior glanced around the campsite again with a touch of chagrin, hopingneither of their companions had been aware of the lapse.
Gabrielle shifted slightly, wrapping her arm more firmlyaround Xena’s waist and murmuring softly under her breath. “Love you.” Thewords floated up, just audible to Xena’s ears and they immediately melted herheart in a small, surprising wave of joy.
Funny, how that worked. It wasn’t as if she didn’t know howGabrielle felt about her, after all, and it wasn’t as though Gabrielle didn’tregularly tell her she loved her, but somehow these tiny leaks of herunconscious mind affected her differently.
She remembered at the end of their estrangement, duringthose long uncertain weeks they’d spent working back towards each other, howshe’d stayed up at night, listening for those odd, occasional broken whispers.
So often they’d hurt. So often she’d had to listen to theaching heartbreak there was a twin to inside her. But one night, during arainstorm, something changed.
Xena sat against the wall, her knees drawn up and herforearms resting on them as she watched the fire consume the last batch of woodshe’d just put into it.
They were in a sandy cave, protected from the weather shecould hear lashing hard outside, and she was able to gather to herself a momentof bleak peace as her eyes strayed to the furs next to her, where Gabrielle wascurled up asleep.
Close, but not too close. Side by side, but with justenough distance to clearly mark that there was, in fact, distance between themstill.
Gods.
So much strain was etched across the bard’s face. It agedher beyond her years and Xena could see the exhaustion even in the dimfirelight, more emotional even than physical as being together every minutebrought them both a certain level of unending pain.
She looked, pretty much, like how Xena felt, in fact.Tired, and sad, and aching inside – holding on gingerly to the tentativelyre-emerging relationship between them, wishing for better, wanting a healing,but bowed under the weight of the dark clouds overhead.
“Xe.”
Gabrielle’swhisper caught her ear, and she leaned closer, despite the fear that almostmade her cover her ears and turn away. “”I’m here.” She whispered back, liftingher hand, then letting it drop back down in a moment of sour uncertainty.
The bard remained silent, her fingertips twitchingslightly. Xena could see her eyes moving behind her eyelids and realized shereally almost didn’t want to know what she was dreaming about.
Not if it included her, at any rate.
And damn, that hurt.
Suddenly, Gabrielle shifted, rolling half onto her backand reaching out blindly into the air. Without really thinking, Xena caught herhand and held it, catching her breath as the bard went very still.
She saw Gabrielle swallow, the movement visible againstthe skin of her throat. “Gab.” She mouthed the word, wanting for the thousandthtime for things to be different again.
She was so tired of the pain, for both of them.
Then Gabrielle’s fingers closed around hers, and thebard’s body relaxed, as she pulled Xena’s hand closer and her expressionlightened. “Good.” She mumbled softly.
And just like that, the cave around her becamefriendlier, the fire crackled with cheerful warmth, and the rain outsidebrought back to her memories of a better time.
An immeasurable gift she was only now coming to trulyunderstand and appreciate.
Xena sat in silence, watching Gabrielle sleep for a longtime, gaining peace from giving it. Eventually she carefully lay down next tothe bard, leaving her hand right where it was, and released a slow breath,blinking as warm tears rolled down her face.
It was just such a relief not to hurt for a little while.She wished it would last just long enough to see the dawn.
Then, after a popping crack from the fire, Gabrielle’seyes opened and she looked around in confusion, finally focusing on theirjoined hands. After a frozen moment, her eyes lifted slowly, almost fearfullyto Xena’s and they lay there in silence staring at each other.
The world, so echoingly large around them shrunk to thesimple sound of two hearts.
Gabrielle finally smiled. Then she closed her eyes andsighed, tightening her hold on Xena’s hand as her body relaxed again intosleep, coming to a crossroads in their life and passing through it with no morefanfare than that.
No more fanfare. No more knot in her throat, no more ballof festering tension in her gut. For this one moment in this one crossroad intheir lives she could lay back and savor the warmth curled around her hand andjust listen to the rain outside not falling on them.
Xena let her head rest back against the leaves, taking amoment to sort out her thoughts as she cradled Gabrielle against her and shewaited for her heartbeat to even out and steady. As she studied the sky above them, watching the first hintof dawn bleaching the solid black and dimming the stars, Gabrielle shiftedagain and squirmed closer, sliding her knee over Xena’s and pinning the warriorfirmly to the ground.
Xena eyed the blond head tucked into her shoulder with a lookof mild bemusement. She could rollthe bard over, of course, but the look of utter, blissful contentment on herface was hard to disturb immediately. She let her fingers tangle idly throughthe bard’s thick, blond hair as her breathing slowed to match her partner’s andshe felt the tension in her shoulders relax.
If she stayed like this, she suspected she’d drop back offto sleep, a somewhat unnerving side effect of the deepening bond she had withGabrielle that could now override even her most profound defensive instincts.This was in no way a safe place for her to unaware, but her partner’s sleepingpeace was stealing over her and making it hard to even keep her eyes open.
Well, damn. “Gab.” Xena ran her fingertips up and down thebard’s spine. “Gabrielle?”
Reluctantly, the bard stirred, opening one eye to examineher grumpily. “It’s still dark out.” She complained. “Sheeps, Xena.”
“I know.” The warrior agreed. “But I need you to wake up.”She told her partner. “Or else find something else to use as a pillow.”
Gabrielle’s eyes dropped momentarily, then lifted again.“Knocked you out, huh?” Her lips twitched wryly, silently acknowledging therecently developed issue’s complication in their lives.
“Mm.”
“Well, you needed the rest.” The bard gave up her spot,though, easing over onto her side, then sitting up. She felt much better forthe night’s sleep, so even though she could have easily remained snoozing untildawn, she really didn’t mind starting her day now. “And anyway, nothing happened.”
“This time.” The warrior groused.
“Sorry, hon.” Gabrielle watched Xena sit up and rub her eyeswith the back of one hand. The warrior had dust smeared across one cheekbone,and her dark hair was in disarray, and when she looked back at her partnerthere was a wry plaintiveness in her expression that tugged strongly at thebard’s caregiving instincts.
She reached over and smoothed the disheveled bangs fromXena’s forehead. “Better we get ready to move as soon as it’s light anyway,huh?”
“Uh huh.” The warrior nodded. “You want to..”
“Yep.” Gabrielle stood up and twisted her body right andleft, loosening up the stiffness from a night lying on the ground.
She set the skull down and plunged her hands into the water,flexing her fingers against the chill. “Brr.” She steeled herself, then leanedover and splashed the handful into her face, shocking her senses into completewakefulness as she scrubbed the dust from her skin. “Buuuhhhhh…”
Away from the fire, the chill worked it’s way down her bodyand made her shiver, but she kept washing, running the water up her arms andgiving her hair a quick rinse. Itseemed, perhaps, a bit crazy but she did it out of personal preference, andlong habit, and she knew Xena would do the same when it came her turn in alittle while.
There were some, she knew, who reasoned that traveling was adirty business, and keeping your body clean when it was just going to get dirtyagain made no sense. That had acertain logic, but from the very start of their travels Gabrielle had realized that her rough, tough, no nonsense,gruff and dour companion was really quite the princess in terms of dislikingbeing grungy.
It was really kind of funny, in a way. Xena never mindedgetting dirty, or muddy, or gods knew, bloody – but she really hated stayingthat way for any length of time and the first thing she always browsed themarket for was local kinds of soap and things to apply it with.
Sponges, mostly. Gabrielle sighed, and wished for a spongeherself, as she shook her hands rapidly to rid them of droplets.
Xena was still reclining next to it, her ankles crossed,hands folded on her stomach as she watched Gabrielle return.
“Yep.” Gabrielle bumped her with one shoulder, then stoppedas Xena circled her waist and drew her close for a simple, passionate kissbefore she released her and gave her a slap on the behind as she continuedpast. “Eheh.” She cleared herthroat and wrinkled her nose at the sudden flare of passion. “Thanks, Xe.”
“Anytime.” The warrior called over her shoulder as she kneltby the brook.
With a tiny shake of her head, Gabrielle lowered herself tothe ground near the fire, setting the skull in an ashy depression to heat thewater within it. She heard a sound nearby as she finished her task, and lookedup to see Ares stirring, and across the fire, Pony rising and shaking herself.“Good morning.” She called out in a cheerful voice.
Both turned and glared at her. Gabrielle muffled a smile, and dug in her pouch for someherbs to soak for tea, whistling softly under her breath.
**