After lunch was eaten and the dishes cleaned and put away, Xena looked toward the doorway where Gabrielle was standing, her hair softly borne up by a gentle breeze, a cool glass of lemon water in her hand. The warrior stole quietly behind her partner, encircling the bard’s narrow waist with her long arms and resting her chin atop the golden head. "Hey," she said softly. "You up for a little walk to work off lunch?"

Smiling, Gabrielle leaned back into the solid warmth of Xena’s embrace, lifting the chilled glass to her lips and taking a sip of the refreshing liquid. "Mmmm. Sounds wonderful. It’s one of the things I missed the most, being in the Fields. I walked some, but it just wasn’t the same without you, you know?" Gabrielle gazed into the tree line, her eyes far away.

Xena squeezed her partner gently, nodding against the honey hair under her chin. "Yeah, I know." Making a quick decision, the warrior released Gabrielle and turned from her. "Stay here. I’ll be right back."

A few moments later, the warrior returned, bearing her sword tucked safely in its scabbard, and Gabrielle’s staff, which she threw to the surprised bard. "Woah," Gabrielle cried out as she caught and reflexively twirled the stout wooden staff. "It’s heavier than I remember."

"That’s just ‘cause you’re not used to it. I figure we can go out deep into the woods and spar a little."

The bard looked at her tall partner doubtfully. "I don’t think I’ll be very much of a challenge, Xena. You forget, I haven’t practiced for three thousand years." She laughed. "I’m bound to be a little rusty."

Slipping her arm through the leather thong she’d made for the scabbard and slinging it onto her back, Xena grasped Gabrielle’s free hand, leading her out of the house and toward the massive garage that stood a short distance away. "Nah. You’ll pick it up in no time. Easy as falling off a horse."

"Xe-na."

"Bad analogy. Sorry."

Gabrielle elbowed her friend as Xena hit the button to raise one of the garage’s four doors. Stepping inside the cool darkness, she snagged a set of keys from a hidden niche and sprang open the hatch of her black and gold Land Rover, placing her sword and Gabrielle’s staff inside, then closing the door. Then, opening the passenger door, she ushered the bard inside, helping her up the high step and making sure she was comfortably situated in the lush leather seat before closing the door securely and moving to enter the vehicle from the other side.

The big engine came to rumbling life and the warrior threw it into reverse, backing slowly out of the garage, the off-road tires crunching softly over bits of desert blown into the driveway by the ever-present wind. Hitting a button located under the dash, Xena armed the house’s security system, then put the Rover in gear and drove down the circular driveway and out onto the well paved road.

Gabrielle grinned at the comfort surrounding her, snuggling down into the padded comfort of butter soft leather and opening her window to let the clean scented air lift her hair from her brow. "As a means of traveling, Xena, this has riding double on Argo beat all to Tartarus."

A raised eyebrow was the warrior’s only comment as she kept her attention firmly centered on the road ahead, heading north, past the red rock vistas of Sedona and into the pine forests and mountainous areas leading toward Flagstaff.

For herself, Gabrielle divided her attentions between the lush forested areas displayed before her and the proud, noble profile of her beautiful lover. Throughout her years in the Elysian Fields, Gabrielle had kept a picture of her lover firmly ensconced in her mind, her bardic imagination serving her well in this area. But the first sight she had had of the living Xena, two weeks ago, had been enough to set her heart thundering in her chest. She had to admit then that three thousand year old memories were sorely lacking compared against living, breathing reality. She had been shocked, all over again, at the somber beauty that was the Warrior Princess.

Though not physically, however, Xena had changed a great deal in the last three thousand years. She had always been somber, stoic, carrying her regret for past actions around her like a shroud. But eons without the one thing that completed her, regardless of the darkness within, had turned her into an almost empty shell. Even now, with Gabrielle firmly placed back into her living reality, the warrior’s eyes spoke of a deep emptiness, an almost all-encompassing loneliness that called out to the bard and made her heart ache. She wanted to grab Xena by the shoulders and shake her. To tell her that this was no dream, no fantasy, no betrayal of a mind frantic to find some peace at any cost.

Gabrielle slumped against the seat, sighing inwardly. She knew that the only thing that would heal the warrior’s fractured soul was time. And time was what her beloved warrior had too much of and she, trapped within the shell of an all too mortal body, had entirely too little of. I’ll find a way, Xena, she promised again, silently. I just have to.

The bard shivered slightly as a gust of cold air entered through her open window. Xena had been driving into the foothills for the past half hour and the air was becoming decidedly chilly, though they were still well south of the snow line. Rolling her window closed, Gabrielle praised the foresight that had bade her dress in jeans after lunch. Still, she could have done with something heavier than a T shirt.

As if reading her thought, Xena turned her attention from the road for a moment to smile at her lover. "I’ve got a couple of sweat shirts in the back. You’ll warm up once we start walking."

Gabrielle grinned, then looked pointedly at her partner’s bare legs peeking out from beneath the athletic shorts she wore. Xena caught the look and shrugged. "You must have forgotten about my hot blooded personality."

The bard’s tongue slipped over her eyetooth as she smirked at her raven haired companion. "No comment."

Xena returned the smirk with a moue of her lips, then turned her attention back to the road. A short distance ahead, she brought the Rover over the curb and into the forest, easing the large vehicle through the tall stands of birch and pine with a grace borne of long practice. Dried pine needles and small downed branches crackled crisply under the Rover’s fat tires, the sound oddly comforting to the bard The air was thick with the scent of pine which flowed through the truck’s vents and Gabrielle inhaled appreciatively, almost humming with delight.

The warrior smiled at the tiny mewling noise emanating from her partner, then slowed to a stop when it became apparent that further forward progress would be seriously impeded by the giant trees that stood silent sentinel over the forest.

Gabrielle jumped down from the truck as soon as Xena shut the engine off, smiling happily and rubbing her arms against the cold inspired gooseflesh that humped up on her skin. Her breath plumed in a frosty vapor around her head before dissipating into the pine scented, sun dappled air. Walking around to the rear of the vehicle, the bard met Xena just opening the hatch and pulling out a thick, fleecy hooded sweatshirt which she handed over to her companion with a grin. "Put this on. It should keep you warm enough."

Sighing in utter contentment, the bard pulled the thick fabric over her head, breathing in the exotic, enticing smell of her partner that clung to the threads. She laughed softly as she noticed the sleeves hanging several inches past her fingertips. The waist hung halfway down her thighs. She pushed the sleeves up, then accepted the staff that Xena thrust into her hands, stepping away from the Rover and twirling it experimentally. Though Sara’s body was unfamiliar with the heft and movements of the staff, Gabrielle’s memories made the wooden weapon move fluidly through the chilled air.

"See?" Xena noted, pulling on a second sweatshirt and shouldering her sword. "Told ya."

"Yeah, well we’ll just see how long it takes for me to knock myself unconscious with it."

Xena raised an eyebrow. "I somehow doubt that’ll be happening any time soon."

"We’ll see."

Her hand on Gabrielle’s shoulder, Xena gently steered her partner deeper into the forest. A narrow, mostly overgrown path sprung up beneath the trees and it was to this the warrior walked. "It’s an old Apache hunting trail. Leads along a stream just beyond those stand of trees, then opens out into a small clearing about five miles west of here. The hunters used to make camp there."

"Sounds wonderful. Lead on."

Nodding, the warrior brushed past Gabrielle, taking the lead down the narrow path, her tread completely silent despite the carpet of dried pine needles that blanketed the winter ground. Gabrielle smiled and shook her head as she followed her partner’s lead, not being half as quiet, but also knowing that there was no need to be. It felt strange, walking with Xena and knowing there wasn’t a thug or bandit around to jump from behind the next bush. Sarah had told her that much, explaining that these days, the outlaws tended to stick to where the people were and the people tended to stick close to the big cities.

Still, for all that, the bard had to smile at her friend’s erect, ever vigilant bearing. Gabrielle knew the warrior’s keen senses were spread to cover them both as well as the surrounding woodland. From long experience, the blonde knew her tall companion could hear a fly alighting on a spring leaf five miles away and that knowledge always comforted her as it did now, though they were many miles from any human habitation. When Xena’s head turned to gaze off to one side of the path, Gabrielle noted with pleasure the hawk-like profile and the narrowed icy eyes that took in everything they fell on. Her grin widened at the familiarity of it all and she resisted the impulse to whistle a jaunty tune as her body easily fell into well remembered and well loved rhythms, her staff keeping time with her steps.

Almost before she knew it, the path widened before the bard and she stepped out into the clearing, almost gasping at the view of snow capped peaks which spread out in a breathtaking vista beyond the cheerful burbling of a winding stream in the foreground, several yards from her position. "It’s beautiful."

The warrior, typically, shrugged. "It’s not bad."

Gabrielle uttered a soft laugh, shaking her head at Xena’s typical bluntness, casually flicking her staff at the tall grasses which stood on the bank of the swift moving stream. A giant pinecone rested at her feet and she bent to pick it up, marveling over it. She threw it back down quickly when a friendly beetle decided to investigate the reason why its home had suddenly levitated around it. She turned to glare, eyes narrowed, as a soft chuckle sounded from behind her. "Just you wait, Xena. One of these days . . . ."

Xena’s grin widened. "Oh, I’m counting on it." The whispering sound of steel against leather filled the clearing as the warrior drew her sword, twirling it once in her hand. Then she cocked a knowing brow at her partner. "Better stretch first. Sarah’s body is in good shape, but I’m sure this is a little more than she signed on for when she volunteered to be your host."

Nodding, the bard began a slow, systemic stretching of her body’s muscles, enjoying the movement and the increased flow of blood that the actions caused. She paused in mid stretch as a warbling cry rent the air and her partner backflipped from a standing position, her weapon flying about her body in a symphony of movement. Slowly straightening, Gabrielle stood entranced as she watched a lethal dance she hadn’t seen in eons take place before her eyes. Her body filled with a tingling warmth as her heart sped up its pace and a radiant smile formed over her lips.

Xena’s body danced and weaved, ducked and spun as her sword lashed out with ever increasing speed, the dappled sun winking off the meticulously cared for blade in random patterns, scattering shards of light through the silent forest. She punctuated phantom blows with soft grunts and louder yells, her fertile mind imagining a hoard of unwashed thugs intent on doing harm to those she loved. A pine tree rattled in protest as her booted feet bounced from its solid trunk, propelling her body high into the air as she tucked and flipped, landing solidly and silently on the ground before spinning to do battle with yet another attacker. "You’re not stretching," the warrior noted mildly, after ducking and launching a powerful overhead swing to decapitate yet another invisible thug.

"What’s stretching?" Gabrielle mumbled, her throat and eyes both suddenly dry.

The warrior grinned slightly and shook her head, before launching herself into the accommodating branches of a huge pine, then tucking into a double front flip to land inches from her lover. She waved her hand in front of the bard’s mesmerized face before snapping her fingers a couple of times. "C’mon, my bard, snap out of it. It’s not like you haven’t seen me do this a thousand times before." Her tone was gentle, her words teasing.

Gabrielle blinked, then blushed. Dropping her staff, she wrapped her arms tight around her companion, squeezing the magnificent woman in her arms for all she was worth. "By the gods, I love you."

Slightly uncomfortable with the unexpected display of emotion, Xena gently cradled Gabrielle, her actions hesitant. "Gabrielle? What’s wrong?"

The bard hung on for several long moments, causing the warrior to almost give up expecting an answer, when she finally released her lover and stepped away, wiping her eyes with the heels of her hands.

"Gabrielle?" If there was one thing that broke the heart of the mighty Warrior Princess, it was the sight of her beloved bard in tears.

"I’m . . .I’m sorry, Xena. It’s just that . . . gods. I gave up hope of ever being able to see you do that again, I guess. I tried so hard to have faith, to stay strong. But every morning that I’d wake up and you weren’t there made it harder to believe that there’d come a time when my dreams would come true and you would be." She sighed, wiping at her eyes again. "I’m sorry," she repeated. "I know it was harder on you. At least I could hear your thoughts."

Reaching out a gentle hand, Xena tipped the bard’s chin so their gazes met. "Never apologize for loving me, Gabrielle." Her smile was loving and the emotion in her eyes wrapped a cocoon of devotion over the grieving bard. "When I’d given up every last hope that there was something in me worth saving, you came along and taught me that there are always possibilities. When a soul as dark as mine can find a place beside a heart as good as yours, nothing is impossible."

The sun of Gabrielle’s smile swept away the storm clouds of her tears. "You kept the poet hidden next to the artist, didn’t you."

Xena smirked. "Some of my skills are better left unexperienced."

Gabrielle groaned and playfully slapped one broad shoulder, then came in for a hug that was less intense, but no less loving. Returning the smile, Xena gratefully gave in to the embrace, stroking her companion’s soft hair and kissing the crown of her head. After a moment, they released and Xena dipped her head slightly to look into her lover’s jade eyes. "Ready for some sparring, bard?"

Nodding, the blonde woman stepped away from her partner, hefting her staff and twirling it slowly. "Just give me a minute to get used to it again." Though Sara’s body had never known the motion of handling a staff before, Gabrielle’s memories enabled the muscles to move freely and, after several moments, fluidly, swinging the weapon in ever more powerful arcs. Soon the movements of the staff blurred as it whooshed through the silent clearing. Gabrielle’s face split in a radiant grin as she eyed her appreciatively watching partner. "Ok, I think I’m ready. Just remember to go easy on me. I’ve got three thousand years of rust to work off, you know."

An ebony eyebrow raised. "Don’t worry, I will." With a lazy swipe, Xena’s sword came up at the middle of the staff from below. Gabrielle countered the slow move, swiping the weapon with enough speed and strength to almost free it from the warrior’s hand. Xena smirked and eyed the bard from head to toe. "Nice one."

"Yeah. It felt pretty good, if I do say so myself."

With a firmer grip on her sword, Xena began the sparring session, still going at a quarter speed, but putting more strength and finesse into her movements, testing Gabrielle’s strength and the memories of her skill.

Gabrielle whooped with joy at the exercise, feeling the pleasant pull of her muscles as she defended and attacked. The clash of steel against wood filled the forest with its martial melody. The rush of adrenaline filled her body with a power she’d forgotten over the years, making her feel truly alive and at one with the elements surrounding her. The peaceful bliss of the Elysian Fields had nothing on this feeling, she decided, determined to enjoy every moment as it was given to her and treasuring it for the gift it surely was.

The sun began to slant through the trees from the west when they started the cool down phase of their sparring. Though Xena showed no evidence of the exertion, Gabrielle’s body was covered with a fine sheen of sweat and her breathing was slightly labored. The warrior took them both down slowly and easily, tipping her sword at her companion and smiling slightly. "How ya doing?"

"Me? Just great." The bard bent over at the waist, laying her staff on the ground and putting her hands on her knees, taking in deep breaths of air to calm her rapidly beating heart. Running a hand through her sweaty bangs, Gabrielle straightened, throwing a delighted grin at her waiting partner. "That was wonderful!"

Nodding in agreement, the warrior approached the bard, flipping the staff up into her hands and guiding the smaller woman over to the quickly flowing stream. Kneeling down on the gently sloping bank, Gabrielle plunged her arms and head directly into the crystal clear water, coming up a second later, spluttering and gasping. "Great Zeus, that’s freezing!!"

Biting back a laugh, Xena knelt beside her partner, dipping her hands in the water and rubbing the liquid over her face. "Should be. The stream’s fed by run-off from the mountains."

Narrowing her eyes at the tall warrior, Gabrielle flicked a bit of water at the lean body next to her. "You could have warned me."

Xena contrived to look shocked. "Gabrielle, it’s winter, in case you hadn’t noticed. See that white stuff on top of those mountains up there? It’s called ‘snow’."

Crossing her arms over her chest, the bard cocked a withering stare at her partner. "Very funny, Warrior Princess."

Flicking an errant drop of water at Gabrielle’s scowling face, Xena rose to her full height, taking a last long look around. "It’ll be getting dark soon. Ready to head back?"

Wiping the drop of water from her face, Gabrielle stood, pulling her sleeves down to cover icy flesh, then twirled once on her toes, her arms flung out from her sides. "Xena, this place is absolutely beautiful. Promise me that we can come back for a longer visit some day."

Smiling, the warrior handed the staff back to her partner. "Tell ya what. When the weather gets a little warmer, we’ll bring some bedding and come back out here. I’ll catch some fish, we’ll build a fire, you can tell me some stories, and we’ll spend the night under the stars like we used to. Deal?"

Gabrielle’s answering grin nearly swallowed her entire face. "Deal!"

*******

Sighing, Xena rested her cheek on her upturned hand as she leaned on the computer desk and peered at the scant information on the screen in front of her eyes. Her face was bathed in stark light as the fingers of her free hand tapped restlessly on the wood grain of the highly polished desk, leaving smudge marks in their wake. Another sigh as she lifted a mug of tea from its place beside the monitor, sipping without tasting the fragrant brew.

True to his word, Nigel had sent over all the information he could quickly dig up on the Ares cults sprinkled throughout the world. As she’d suspected, though, it wasn’t much. Gabrielle’s assessment of the cult’s origins was correct in that the first recorded mention of it was associated with a Turkish soldier by the name of Umit Suleyman. Suleyman was a no more than average soldier, his career undistinguished except for his eccentricities, to which most of his compatriots turned a blind eye. The man, apparently, had always claimed to hear voices, each one more outrageous than the last. To say that he heard the voice of the Greek God of War whispering in his ear during the night didn’t stir many comments. Running around buck naked through the camp spouting ancient Greek earned the man a few days in the brig but not much more than that.

Xena smirked at this information. It appeared her former mentor was still picking out the help as poorly as ever. Storing that information away for possible use later, she continued to read the scant lines of text presented her by the ever helpful Nigel.

Apparently, Ares used Suleyman’s time in the brig to instill a few lessons in decorum to his new convert, for when the Turk left his holding cell, he was a changed man. His bearing became erect and totally focussed, he never claimed to hear another voice speaking in his head, and he became an exemplary soldier. At the end of his tour of duty, he resigned without fanfare and went to live a hermetic life in the mountains. Apparently, other soldiers in his unit, their own tours over, decided to visit their compatriot, intrigued by his total change in character after his time in detention.

Suleyman won his friends over with his newly calm, rational style. He spoke with true awe and reverence about the power of the great god Ares and the things Ares was teaching him about power, strength, focus and the art of war. The more the men listened to his words and watched the truth of his actions, the more they believed in the outlandish tale. Morale was low in the Turkish army; fighting men respected strength and it was conspicuously absent in the ranks. And so, the modern world’s first known cult of Ares was born. A mercenary camp sprouted in the barren foothills of Turkey, filled with heavily armed and well trained men all falling willingly under the banner of Suleyman, who, in turn, fell under the banner of a long departed Greek god.

Xena’s eyes quickly skimmed the rest of the story, already guessing the violent ending. The Turkish government, well used to civil war, was nothing if not suspicious. When word came down from the mount that a large, and still growing, group of mercenaries was perched in full view of the large cities, the heavy artillery was pulled in and the threat was ended, easily and efficiently.

So ended the first known cult of Ares in modern times.

Raising an ebony brow, the warrior smirked again. It appeared that Ares had a great deal to learn about modern warfare. No matter how many men you had under your banner, all it took was one strategically placed bomb for your plans to be scattered to the four winds and your men right along with them.

Nigel hadn’t been able to come up with much more information than that, beyond saying that there was evidence of other cults springing up in Greece, Pakistan and perhaps one in Russia. He had signed off saying he’d check further into these areas and get back to her as soon as he had anything of note to report.

Rubbing eyes made dry from hours of staring at the monitor, Xena leaned back in her chair, stretching as she snapped off the computer monitor, her back cracking pleasantly. Turning her head, she noted, with a small smile, the relaxed figure of Gabrielle, who had contented herself with keeping her partner company and reading one of the many books found in the office. Stretched out on the leather couch with a thin blanket covering her legs, Gabrielle was fast asleep, the book she’d been reading covering her chest.

Stretching one more time for the sheer pleasure of it, Xena pushed her chair back and stood to her full height, straightening out the arms of the light sweatshirt she’d donned when they returned from their trip to the woods. She walked over to her sleeping lover, reaching down and retrieving the book, closing it and laying it on the desk before scooping the petite bard up into her arms, blanket and all. Easing out of the office with her precious burden, she paused to turn off the lights, then walked through the den and into the living room. Setting Gabrielle down on the thick hearth rug, the warrior proceeded to bank the fire for the evening. Then she returned to the bard’s side, fully intending to carry her up to the bedroom. Gabrielle had curled up into a ball, snuggling down into the blankets. The sight of her, so content, the firelight bathing her skin in a gentle glow, changed Xena’s mind. With a smile of profound happiness, the lanky woman eased her body down beside that of her sleeping lover, curling around the tight ball of living flesh and settling down for a well deserved rest. Within moments, she was asleep, the sound of a crackling fire in her ears and the smile still on her face.

*******

Manuel opened the solid door, stepping into the kitchen, his two youngest sons, both bearing several bags of groceries apiece, entering behind him. Hector and Carlos were twins, his pride and joy, and the last link the quiet, somber caretaker had to his beloved wife, who had died bearing them. Both were tall, strapping and strong young men in the first blushes of maturity, stepping over the line between boy and man with the grace and geniality characteristic of their people. Manuel thanked the Great Mother every day for their health and prayed they would be spared the curse of Diabetes which continued to run rampant through their Tribe, taking men and women alike in the prime of their lives, often hooking its talons into those just born.

Gesturing for his sons to put away the food, the caretaker stepped into the living room and stopped, his eyes fastened on the scene before him. One the floor, in front of the embers of a dying fire, lay Xena and Gabrielle, entwined like the vines growing around the trunk of a mighty oak. His normally austere face broke into a warm smile at the picture, at the simple rightness of the vision. He was seeing something very ancient, very precious, and he knew it.

As he lowered his gaze and started to back away, his progress was stopped by a solid body colliding into him from behind. "Woah, papi, what’s up?" Hector asked, steadying his father with one strong arm as he looked over the top of the older man’s head. His eyes widened slightly. "Wow." Turning his head briefly, the young man beckoned his brother. "Carlos, get your butt over here and check this out."

Carlos entered the living room and looked on, eyes wide. From the time of his birth, the young man had had a fascination with the tall beauty curled up on the hearth rug. As he grew, his obsession had turned from awe into a full blown crush, one which he had yet to lose. He knew, as did the entire Tribe, who and what Xena was, and the fact that her stunning beauty remained unchanged the whole of his life did nothing to dampen the young man’s feelings for her. Yet he knew, as they all did, that no one person could fill the hole left behind by the death of the one she loved above all others. Seeing the two women curled together on the rug, fitting together seamlessly, brought that fact home to him more clearly than any words ever could. Though a part of his heart stung at the picture, a bigger part was happy, relieved beyond words that the woman he had come to truly love had found the other half of her soul.

Blinking his eyes once and committing the scene to memory, he set gentle hands on the shoulders of his brother and father and turned, gently ushering his family back into the kitchen. "Let’s leave them to their privacy," he whispered.

Pale eyes opened as the trio retreated back into the kitchen. They sparkled with faint amusement, then turned to look down at the blonde head resting against her chest. Xena tightened her hold on her partner, relishing the warmth of Gabrielle’s soft skin as it melded with her own. The bard’s gentle breathing tickled against her chest and the warrior let the warm contentment of that simple feeling suffuse the parts of her that were still hurting, wounds that would never fully heal, soothing her in a way nothing else ever could.

At the increased pressure and warmth surrounding her body, Gabrielle made a sound deep within her throat and burrowed closer, shifting slightly against the rough woven rug before the stiffness of overused muscles yanked her out of the warm haven in which she had been resting. Jade eyes popped open, then a scowl lowered amber brows. "Ow."

Cocking a half smile at her lover, Xena rubbed the knotted muscles of her partner’s back in gentle circles. "Overdid it a bit yesterday, huh?"

"You could say that."

Xena tried for chagrined, but failed miserably.

That earned her a poke in the chest. "You could have reminded me of this particular downside, ya know."

Blue eyes widened. "Hey, I warned ya. It’s not my fault you didn’t stretch enough."

And that earned her a trip flat on her back with a bristling blonde bard fully covering her body. "I’ll show you ‘stretch’, you big headed, overgrown . . . .mmmmph." Gabrielle’s words were silenced effectively by a pair of soft lips covering her own. Outmaneuvered, she thought, sinking into the warm passion of the kiss, her righteous indignation of a moment ago totally forgotten.

After several long, breathless moments, Xena pulled up and away. "I’ve got just the thing for sore muscles."

Gabrielle scowled. Again. "What you were just doing was working just fine, Xena," she rumbled, her tone of voice easily conveying her displeasure over the warrior’s abrupt change of tactics.

"Ah, but this will work better. Promise." Coming to her feet gracefully, the warrior reached down and pulled the bard up, steadying the smaller woman as her legs swayed beneath her briefly.

Gabrielle hissed at the sharp pains shooting through the big muscles in her thighs. "Whatever it is, it had better be good," she warned darkly. "I don’t remember feeling this stiff and sore even when I was just starting out on the road with you."

Grasping her partner’s hand, Xena led Gabrielle through the huge house without comment.

"Where are we going, anyway?"

"The gym."

Gabrielle stopped all forward progress, tugging on the big hand encircling hers. "Oh no. I am not going to punch some stupid sandbag or lift huge pieces of iron, Xena. No way."

Xena grinned. "Relax. Nothing so bad as that, I promise. Though a good workout would loosen you up some."

"I was getting a good workout back in the living room, Xena."

"Not that kind of workout, Gabrielle."

Grumbling darkly, the bard allowed herself to be tugged forward again. They continued through the house, then down a long, windowed hallway of sorts, actually a long extension to the main house, stopping before a heavy wooden door which Xena proceeded to open, stepping into the vast space and snapping the lights on as she did so. Bright, softly humming flourescents shone down on the gleaming metal of exercise machines and free weights and their attendant benches. The open space was huge and the mirrors lining three of the four walls only made it appear that much more so. Fully one quarter of the room was roped off to form a ring of sorts. Boxing equipment, from a huge heavy bag tethered to the ceiling by a stout chain, to a quick bag and man sized dummies took up most of the space. A small tumbling mat sat benignly in one corner, edged weapons covering the wall beside it.

The pair walked silently through the room, stopping at yet another door on the far side. Xena opened it and the women’s senses were assaulted by the fresh, spicy smell of cedar. This room was smaller than the other, and paneled entirely of the red cedar wood. It was broken up into three distinct sections. On the far side, a sturdy platform stood and sunken into this platform, a large whirlpool sat, waiting. The middle of the room held a large, leather massage table. The closest third of the room was completely walled off and was entered into by yet another door.

Opening the door, Xena ducked through the low thresh hold, coming to stand fully erect again in a small, square room. A long bench, thickly padded, lined one wall. Along the opposite wall, a large round brazier stood, filled to the brim with flat river rocks. Stooping next to the base of the structure, the warrior extracted a long match from a hidden niche, striking it off the rough metal base and lighting the tinder placed beneath the rocks. The dry wood caught fire quickly, warming the coals beneath and spreading heat up through the piled rocks.

Gabrielle looked on curiously. "What is this?"

Rising to her full height, Xena cocked an ebony brow at her partner. "Think of it as a sweat hut."

Green eyes narrowed. "A sweat hut," she repeated, her voice disbelieving. "Xena, you took us all the way out here to do what? To sweat??" She placed her hands on her hips, scowling at the tall woman. "In case you hadn’t noticed, I was working up a pretty good sweat back in the living room!"

The corner of Xena’s mouth lifted in a slight smirk. "Oh, I noticed alright."

"Then why this?"

"Strip."

"What?"

"Strip. Take your clothes off, Gabrielle."

The bard took a step back, crossing her arms over her chest. "Oh no, Warrior Princess. You had your chance in front of the fireplace."

"Gabrielle . . . ."

Gabrielle lifted her head at the warning tone, then sighed. "Oh alright."

Holding out a long arm, Xena caught the clothes as they were flung at her. Stepping briefly out of the room, she returned with a large, fluffy white towel which she handed to the bard. "Here. Wrap this around yourself, or put it on the bench over there."

"What about you?"

"What about me?"

The bard tapped her foot impatiently on the wood floor. "In case you’re not aware, Xena, one of us is still fully clothed."

"And she’s gonna stay that way," Xena replied, eyeing her beautiful lover. "I’m not the one who’s sore here."

"You will be," the bard mumbled under her breath.

"Say again?"

"You heard me." Gabrielle tried another maneuver. "You’ve got two options, Xena. Either you strip down to your birthday suit, or I walk on out of here and force you to listen to an entire day of me complaining about how sore I am." She smiled sweetly at her partner. "In a really annoying tone of voice." She took a step closer to the warrior, her victory all but fully assured. "Repeatedly."

After a long moment, blue eyes rolled and Xena exited the room, returning a short time later, naked and bearing her own white towel. "Better?"

Gabrielle’s grin was positively smug. "Much." She allowed her gaze to roam avidly over her lover, her heart-rate doubling in strength and rhythm as she did so. Past the beautiful face with the raven hair, high planed cheekbones, clear azure eyes and full, ripe lips. Down a long, elegant neck to measure the breadth of wide, well muscled shoulders. Down further to zero in on proud, full breasts and a tapering waistline outlining a ribbed abdomen. Hesitating for a long moment on the triangle of dark hair at the apex of immensely strong and well defined thighs. And finally down along the smooth skin of legs that seemed to go on forever. Gabrielle ran a tongue over suddenly parched lips and when her gaze returned to the warrior’s eyes, her own were smoky with desire. "This was a wonderful idea," she said, her voice husky and seemingly deeper by at least an octave.

In her thousands of years on earth, Xena had put her body on display countless times, and always for her own benefit. Always, that was, except when it was subject to the claiming gaze of the gentle bard from Poteidia. Her body reacted as it always did when those emerald eyes beheld her. Her adrenals kicked in, thumping her heart into stronger, quicker action, her blood flowing in electricity-driven spurts through her body to land, pulsing, into the areas most nerve enriched. Her breathing quickened as she took a half-step toward Gabrielle’s compelling visual summons, drawn to her like iron filings to a magnet, so strong was the intensity between them.

She blinked once, then again, to break the mesmerizing lock, smiling slightly at the look of defeat that spread over her soulmate’s face, watching as lightly tanned shoulders slumped slightly as the body they belonged to sat down on one end of the long bench with a loud, dejected thump. Xena’s smile widened, slightly, as she walked over to the small wooden barrel and retrieved a filled dipper from it, casually pouring the clean water over the heated rocks. Steam rose in a misty wave as the water sizzled on mineral surface, vaporizing quickly in the heat. Another two dipperfuls and the room was filled with fragrant steam. "Patience," the warrior intoned, moving to sit on the bench next to Gabrielle. "This’ll loosen up your muscles enough so I can give you a proper massage."

The bard’s shoulders straightened at Xena’s words and her pout changed into a hesitant smile. "Massage, huh?"

"Yup. I’ve got some oils heating up in the other room."

"Welllll, I think I might be able to live with that."

Xena’s lips pursed against a half grin that threatened to erupt. "I sure you can."

Gabrielle stretched out on the bench, laying on her back and pillowing her head on Xena’s muscled thighs. "You’ll just have to get used to me using you for a pillow then." Clasping her hands together and resting them on the sweating flesh of her naked abdomen, the bard contentedly closed her eyes and appeared to fall asleep.

Shaking her dark head and narrowing her eyes, the warrior let the earlier suppressed smile come to her face before leaning her own head back against the smooth wood of the wall, regarding the steam benignly and thinking of nothing.

*******

"Gabrielle."

"Mmm?"

"Gabrielle, wake up."

"Don’t wanna."

"C’mon, Gabrielle. If we stay in here much longer, we’re gonna turn into a couple of sweaty puddles."

"So? ‘s comfortable here."

"You’ll be more comfortable on a nice soft massage table with warm oil coating your body."

In the space between one heartbeat and the next, Xena found herself alone in the steam room, snorting softly in amusement as she watched the door slowly swing closed. Rising gracefully from her place on the bench, the warrior doused the flame under the rocks, then leisurely ambled out into the main room, lashing a dry towel around her hips. "Comfortable?" she asked, eyeing her partner’s prone, naked form sprawled out on the large leather table.

"Very." Gabrielle’s voice was muffled by the leather upon which her damp head was resting. "Could be a little warmer, though."

"I think I can take care of that for you." Walking over to the small hotplate, Xena removed a small bottle of massage oil, opening it and inhaling the spicy fragrance before pouring some into her hands and coating them thoroughly. Stepping back to the right side of the table, the warrior gently pushed her partner’s long hair out of the way before digging oiled hands into the flesh of her shoulders, pressing down firmly and loosening knots of tension in coiled muscles.

"By the gods that feels good," Gabrielle mumbled, closing her eyes in bliss.

"Many skills, Gabrielle," Xena teased.

"Less talk, more rubbing."

"Yes, my Queen." Smirking, Xena proceeded to give her lover a most thorough massage, leaving no muscle untouched, no inch of skin uncaressed. Her strong hands prodded, kneaded, loosened and smoothed, liberally coating the silken flesh of Gabrielle’s body with musky scented oil.

After thoroughly massaging Gabrielle’s feet, the warrior moved up and gently swatted the muscled firmness of her partner’s posterior, earning her a small squeak of outrage from her half-stuporous lover. "C’mon, Gabrielle. Turn over so I can do your front."

"Don’t wanna move," the bard protested sleepily.

"You’re gonna have to. I’m not about to listen to you complaining about how stiff you are all day, Gabrielle. Now flip over."

Grumbling slightly, the bard wiggled and flipped over on her back, her languid green eyes flashing a warning to her partner that she hoped would be well read. "Better?"

In lieu of an answer, Xena merely smiled enigmatically and poured more oil on her already liberally coated hands, beginning her frontal massage with a warm manipulation of the sensitive flesh covering Gabrielle’s collarbones and spreading downward, carefully avoiding her partner’s breasts, much to the bard’s extreme consternation. Xena contented herself with the warm, vibrant flesh beneath her palms, coaxing relaxation from abused muscles. Sara’s abdominal muscles weren’t as pronounced as Xena remembered Gabrielle’s being, but they were well toned and accepted the knowing pressure of the warrior’s large hands greedily.

She continued down over the bard’s slim hips, then stopped to work out the big, knotted muscles of her thighs, kneading and coaxing them into a state of blissful lassitude, before continuing her trek downward, working over shins and ankles before finishing off with the tops of Gabrielle’s feet.

Gabrielle’s verdant eyes were half lidded and sleepy, though her gaze took in her partner’s actions like that of a hawk. The warrior’s attentions had put her in a wonderful, warm space; peace and contentment radiated out through her limbs and she blinked sleepily as Xena returned to the head of the table, smiling tenderly down at her, pale eyes suffused with love and devotion.

"How ya feeling?"

"Mmmm. Like a fat, happy, totally limp noodle."

"Any pain?"

"None at all."

"Good." Xena gave her lover a half smile as she retrieved the bottle of oil once more, uncapping it and holding it up to the light. Then she tipped it, just slightly, and watched as a few drops eased out of the neck to land on the creamy skin of Gabrielle’s breasts, running sluggishly down the peaks to pool in the valley between them, gleaming in the mellow light of the room. Using the last of the oil to coat her hands again, the warrior slowly dropped them to cover the bard’s firm breasts, just resting them there for a second while looking up to capture her young lover’s gaze.

At the feel of those warm, slippery hands on her sensitive breasts, Gabrielle’s breathing halted as her slowly beating heart clenched, then thundered in her chest. The relaxation in her eyes was replaced with a smoky arousal and she bit her lip, hoping beyond hope that this wasn’t just another part of the massage. I should know better than to challenge her by now.

White teeth flashed in the light as Xena spied the change in her lover. Using just the flesh of her palms, she massaged small circles over the firm flesh beneath them, feeling Gabrielle’s nipples stiffen and stand erect, brushing against the callused skin of her hands needfully. Slipping both hands to the valley of the bard’s breasts, she gathered up the pools of oil and spread it entirely over the ripening flesh, now using the strength of her fingers to add to the stimulation, expertly manipulating each tiny area of flesh under her fingers while listening to the low moans forced from her companion’s throat.

Once both breasts were glistening, Xena returned her attention to Gabrielle’s nipples, using the well oiled tips of her index fingers to trace rings around the tightly coiled areolas, forcing the small buds of her nipples to become almost painfully tight and erect. Gabrielle squirmed against the sensations, tiny mewling noises coming from deep within her as her oiled body slid sensuously against the leather of the padded table.

Xena tweaked the bard’s engorged nipples, pulling and squeezing them in a rhythmic motion which the bard’s body quickly mimicked on a grander scale. Then she released the flesh from her fingers, blowing a jet of air from her mouth, cool against the heat of the oil. Gabrielle’s body convulsed at the sensation, her stomach muscles clenching, drawing her head and shoulders up off the table and arching her back. Breath hissed from between her teeth as her eyes rolled back in her head and thickly lashed lids clamped tightly over them. She relaxed against the table, but arched up again as a hot, wet mouth clamped over one breast while knowledgeable fingers claimed the other. "Xena," she groaned softly. "By the gods . . .Xena . . . ."

Taking the bard’s heaving breast into her mouth, the warrior insistently tongued the erect nipple, before gripping it in her sharp teeth and biting down gently, setting off another spasm in the body below her. Releasing her purchase on the other mound of needful flesh, Xena reached over and grasped Gabrielle’s arm, urging it over until the bard’s hand covered her own breast. A large hand urged Gabrielle to continue her actions of kneading and caressing. Sure her message was received and understood, the warrior’s now free hand began a journey over taut, oiled flesh, smoothing down over Gabrielle’s belly and tangling in the soft hairs of her sex. Her middle finger split the bard’s swollen folds, oil mixing with the copious fluids she found there. She ran a slick trail over the exposed head of the bard’s clit, feeling her lover’s body clench and writhe against her.

Gabrielle’s body jerked beneath her as she panted. Xena knew her lover was close to the zenith, so she backed off, instead carefully oiling and manipulating her labia, gently tugging on the engorged skin and listening to her lover’s groans of delight mixing with fractured utterances of her name.

Xena’s fingers darted back in to the source of greatest heat, circling around Gabrielle’s entrance teasingly before being taken into the hot tunnel by a strong, demanding thrust of bardic hips. Chuckling softly against the flesh in her mouth, the warrior pumped into her lover’s depths, fingers tickling against the inner walls which clamped and expanded around her in a fevered greeting.

"Xe-na. Please. Pleease . . . . ."

Lifting up from her cherished duty, the warrior smiled at her lover’s passion flushed face. "Patience, beloved," she purred in a low, sultry voice that raised gooseflesh over the bard’s exposed skin.

"Please. I . . .can’t . . . . Please . . . ."

"Shhhhhh." Reaching down, Xena grasped Gabrielle’s other arm, urging it to join it’s partner in the pleasuring of the bard’s firm breasts. "Keep these warm for me, will ya?" Then she removed her other hand from its haven, to the bard’s exasperated groans. Biting back a smile, the warrior walked to the foot of the table, grasping her partner’s widely splayed ankles and tugging downward. The bard’s oiled body slid easily against the smooth leather of the table until the cheeks of her ass were at the very edge. Strong hands eased Gabrielle’s thighs apart again, then the tall warrior knelt between them, hooking both of the bard’s strong legs over her shoulders.

Xena took a long moment to gaze at her lover, her partner’s hands clenching and squeezing at her own breasts in a dance of erotic abandon, the long blonde hair whipping back and forth over the tan of the table as her head rolled right and left. Her eyelids danced, golden lashes fluttering. Lightly tanned skin gleamed in its blanket of oil, muscles stood out, clenching, shadowed against the light shining down on them, bathing them in an intoxicating beauty.

Gabrielle’s hips flexed and released, begging. Xena lowered her head slowly, painfully slowly, breathing into the fragrant nest aching for her touch. The legs over her shoulders tightened convulsively. "Easy, love. Relax. Let me in."

The purring tone of her lover’s voice shot sparks along Gabrielle’s nerve endings as she obeyed, relaxing her clenching thighs to permit Xena access to her body, heart, mind and soul. She cried out as the feel of wet lips and sharp teeth settled against the engorged, throbbing flesh between her legs, stroking her to heights she heretofore thought impossible to attain. A sobbing gasp left her throat as she felt teeth gently bite down on her clit. She felt herself stretched as she was drown into Xena’s mouth by a powerful suction that almost ended things there and then. She forced herself not to go over the edge, knowing that if she was just able to muster up the patience her lover desired, it would be well worth the effort. The flat of a soft, muscular tongue bathed her in long, soothing strokes as a throaty growl tingled against her slick skin.

She was filled to bursting again as long fingers reentered their welcome haven, stroking her walls with expert skill, hitting, repeatedly, each sensitive spot deep within. "Oh gods, Xena," she breathed, "that’s it. Ohhh yes. You’re sooo deep in me. Gods. You feel so good. Like that. Yes! Pleeaaasseeee. . . ." Words became impossible for the bard then, as those fingers began a primal rhythm, that was joined by the concentrated stroking of her partner’s talented tongue, circling, dancing, lapping at her with exquisite knowledge. Her hands renewed their own dance upon her breasts, picking up Xena’s rhythm as brilliant beams of light fractured and reformed behind her tightly clenched lids.

"Oh, Xena. . .that’s it, my love. Oh yes, that’s it. Just like that. Ohhhhhhhhhh." Her moans reached a crescendo as her mind gave up the fight, letting her body take over, allowing her lover to guide her up the long hill to ecstasy before exploding at the summit, robbing her of the ability to breathe, to think, to do anything but feel. Her back arching, oiled shoulders sliding against the table, a scream burst forth from her throat as her body rode the crashing waves of her lover’s making, hurdling joyously through space.

Xena guided her back down gently, easing from the depths of her passion after she relaxed and let those wonderful fingers loose. She was gathered up in a strong embrace, surrounded by the essence of her soul’s mate, the exquisite feel of her tingling, slippery breasts sliding against Xena’s threatening to start her up all over again. "I love you," she whispered into long raven hair. "I love you so much, Xena." Tears filled her eyes, spilling over to cover the soft down of her cheeks.

"I love you too, my Gabrielle," Xena replied, low toned and crooning into her ear as long fingers stroked through her sweat stained hair, easing her trembling, soothing her as even the Fields could not.

After several moments, Xena gently pulled away, then scooped her lover up into a secure hold and crossed the room to set her gently into the heated Jacuzzi, flipping on the controls with her foot. Positioning Gabrielle’s half-asleep body so that it would not slip beneath the surface of the churning water, Xena left briefly, returning with a washcloth, several towels and a bar of soap. Shedding her own towel, the warrior climbed down into the bath, wetting the rag and lathering it up with the fragrant soap. Then she tenderly began to cleanse the oil from her lover’s warm skin, guiding the pliant body to reach all areas. Sated green eyes followed her movements lovingly and Xena smiled, a rare full one that made it to her eyes, deepening the icy pools to a vibrant blue reflected and enhanced by the swirling water as it churned around their bodies. When she was finished, Xena wrung out the rag and placed it over the side of the tub before sitting on the bench and scooting over to embrace the bard. "How do you feel?"

"Mmm. Heavenly," came the slightly slurred words.

A tentative hand smoothed along the warrior’s spread thighs, causing Xena’s already aroused body to go into overdrive. Flinching, she pulled away. "No. There’s time enough for that later."

"But . . . ."

"Shhhh. I wanted to relax you. You just say in here as long as you want, but be careful not to fall asleep." Leaning over, she placed a gentle kiss on Gabrielle’s head. "I’m gonna go work off some of this tension." With a cocky grin, she hopped out of the churning water, grabbing a towel as she walked from the room and leaving Gabrielle to her bliss.

*******

Having finished her workout, grueling even by her own exacting standards, Xena sat perched on her office chair connecting to the internet when the door opened to admit a slightly wobbling bard, fresh from her bath.

"The Fields have nothing on you, Xena," Gabrielle remarked as she took slow, measured steps across the room to the couch at the other end, collapsing into it with a relieved sigh. "I’m about as weak as a newborn lamb."

"A lot cuter than one, though," Xena observed, taking in her partner flush with the glow of the afternoon’s activities.

Gabrielle’s eyes narrowed. "Thanks. I think." She gestured to the computer with her chin. "Whatcha doing?"

"Connecting to the internet to see if Nigel was able to dig up any more information." Xena typed in her password and was just about to sign on when the phone rang. After a second, she picked it up, cradling it against one broad shoulder as her fingers tapped out the keyboard commands. "Yeah."

"Bluu jicho! How goes the vacation?"

"Simba!" Xena returned, smiling. "How’s the fort holding going?"

At the mention of her friend’s nickname, the man who had saved her life from the murderous Paul Magasee, Gabrielle straightened, her face creased with an excited grin.

"Wait a minute, Jarrod," Xena said, "there’s someone here who wants to say hello. I’m gonna put you on speaker."

"Jarrod!" Gabrielle piped up happily from her place on the couch.

"Dhahabu malaika!" Jarrod retorted in his mellifluous Swahili accented voice. "How are you doing? Is bluu jicho treating you well?"

"An Ibilisi," Jarrod answered forcefully. "A demon in human form. He runs an organization he terms a ‘church’ called ‘The Church of Christ the Judge’. It’s just a front for a militant white supremacist group that spouts hatred like water from a tap. I’ll send you his dossier and an .avi file I have to give you more of a taste of his particular brand of medicine, Xena."

Continued...Part 3

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