Regrets Chapter 11
"We're going to get a storm," Xena told them, later that afternoon.
Gabrielle knew better than to doubt her, but Jamen was curious, as there wasn't a cloud in the sky. "How can you tell?" he asked.
She shrugged. "I can smell it," she answered.
Jamen sniffed the air, and couldn't detect anything different. Gabrielle, who was on foot now, grinned at him and said, "Don't worry if you can't tell…I gave up a long time ago."
Jamen nodded silently, and they continued. It wasn't long before they could hear thunder rumbling in the distance.
"It's going to be a bad one," Xena said, after spotting dark clouds over the horizon. "We should find someplace to wait it out."
"Darnith isn't very far from here," Jamen replied. "We could stay at an inn there." He couldn't help but grin at Xena, thinking of their earlier conversation.
Xena couldn't return the smile though. "I'm not too popular in Darnith," she told Jamen. "A remnant from my warlord days." Gabrielle furiously nodded her agreement. Many of the people in the villages Xena had terrorized had been able to forgive Xena when she had turned her life around. The people of Darnith were an exception though…even the farmhouses surrounding the town were full of hostile citizens.
"How about Gabrielle and I go ahead and get us a room?" Jamen replied, "And then you can sneak in?"
Xena considered it. "That might work," she said," but they may recognize Gabrielle, so you should go on your own."
"Okay. I'll be back in a while." Jamen dug his heels into Mercury, and the horse bolted off.
Xena slid off Argo, and walked beside Gabrielle as they continued in the direction Jamen had ridden off in. Both of them were watching his retreating figure.
"I really like Jamen," Gabrielle commented finally, with a sidelong glance at the Warrior Princess.
"Uh huh," Xena replied, not taking the bait.
Gabrielle was nonplused. "How about you?" she asked.
Feigning ignorance, Xena mused, "Huh?"
"Do you like him?"
Xena knew where Gabrielle was heading, but wasn't going to let it be that easy. "Oh sure, he's a nice guy."
"Yes," Gabrielle replied, disappointed. After a few seconds, she continued, "He's not bad to look at, either."
Xena shrugged. "I suppose not," she answered, still indifferent.
Gabrielle shook her head, frustrated now. "Do you think he's too old for me?" she asked, going for yet a different tactic.
Xena stopped walking and looked at her "What?"
Gabrielle continued to walk; glad Xena couldn't see the grin on her face. "I was just wondering if you thought he would be too old for me," she repeated.
Xena started walking again. "No," she answered carefully. "But I don't think you could handle the competition."
"The competition?" Gabrielle echoed vaguely.
Xena was grinning now. "Yes, I got to know Jamen pretty well during your time in Acrimonius. Turns out he has a wife and three kids in Sparta."
Gabrielle whirled. "What?" she demanded.
"Oh, yeah," Xena continued; this time she was the one who continued walking. "Turns out number four will be here before the winter solstice."
Gabrielle trotted to catch up with her long-legged friend, and put an arm on Xena's to stop her forward momentum. "You're kidding, right?" she asked, not sounding so sure.
"Yes, I'm kidding," Xena answered finally, letting her friend off the hook. "Abut the wife and kids, that is…I was serious about the competition…"
Something in her expression confirmed Gabrielle's suspicions. "Then you really do like him!" she exclaimed.
"Yes," Xena finally admitted. "I do like him."
Gabrielle smiled victoriously. "I knew it!" she said, excited. "I swear I see sparks between the two of you sometimes!"
Xena wasn't comfortable discussing romantic situations, but she felt she owed Gabrielle an explanation. "I feel them too," she responded. "I feel more comfortable with him than I have with any other man."
Gabrielle considered the import of that statement. "That's saying a lot," she finally responded. "Even more than Hercules?" She knew of the attraction between the demigod and her friend, and given she was also fond of Hercules' companion, Iolas; she had always held the hope that Xena and Hercules would allow their relationship to develop further.
"Yes," Xena answered without hesitation," Even more than Hercules."
"I think that's great! " Gabrielle enthused. "He's a wonderful man!"
"You're not just saying that because he likes your stories, are you?" Xena asked, the wicked grin popping up again.
Gabrielle laughed. "No," she replied. "Although that doesn't exactly count against him."
Xena nodded, and they walked in silence for a couple minutes. Gabrielle had a million questions, but knew better than to ask too many, too soon. She was surprised when Xena began to speak again.
"I'm not sure how it happened," she said thoughtfully. "I didn't plan it. But something in his nature speaks to my heart."
Gabrielle was amazed by this. She had never thought she'd hear Xena speak like that. "It was obvious he was crazy about you from the beginning," she mused.
"It was?" Xena asked. "Maybe to you…"
"Oh yes, very obvious. I didn't suspect it was mutual until I saw you two in the crowd at the bard's contest."
"What was it that gave it away?" Xena asked, curious.
"You two were holding hands," Gabrielle replied. "I don't think I've ever seen you hold hands with anyone."
Xena wasn't the type to blush, but her face felt hot as she realized she and Jamen had been wasting their time trying to hide their relationship. "Good eye," she muttered.
Gabrielle noted her friend's discomfort and laughed. "It's your fault," she told Xena, her green eyes sparkling. "If you hadn't trained me so well, I never would have noticed."
Xena chuckled then, at the irony. "Why did you keep quiet about it until now?"
"I knew you'd tell me when you were ready," came the easy response.
Xena nodded, thinking about that. "To be honest," she said, "I'm still not exactly sure how I'm feeling."
"Really?" Gabrielle asked, incredulous. "You just told me you felt more comfortable with him than any other man."
"And that's true," Xena answered. "But being comfortable with someone isn't that unusual."
"Maybe for most people; but let's face it, Xena…you're not like most people." Xena quirked a grin. "Besides," Gabrielle continued, "if you're comfortable around him, then he's comfortable around you, and that's even more rare. You're not exactly the easiest person to get close to. The gods know it took me long enough to manage it."
Xena shook her head at that, but her eyes were twinkling. She knew the wise bard was speaking the truth.
"Look Xena," Gabrielle said, after carefully thinking about her choice of words. "I don't know what you've got brewing in that head of yours, but I hope it doesn't include any worries about me. We've been down through this road before, with Perdicus and Ulysses. Don't let our friendship stand in the way of being with the man you love."
Xena stopped in her tracks again. "Wait just a minute," she said. "Who said anything about love?'
"No one," Gabrielle admitted, "but if it should turn to love…" Her voice trailed off as she realized Xena was no longer listening to her. Instead she was peering straight ahead, in the direction they had last seen Jamen. "What is it?" Gabrielle asked, realizing the subject was closed for now.
"Trouble," Xena responded. "Come on!" It took her about a second and a half to mount Argo, and then she was reaching down for Gabrielle's hand. Gabrielle took it, and was pulled up behind Xena in an instant.
"Hang on!" Xena called, before urging Argo into a gallop.
Gabrielle peered over Xena's shoulder, as Argo raced toward what looked like a farm. It had begun to rain, and that made the visibility very poor. Gabrielle found that she could hear the sounds of a battle better than she could see the actual events.
Argo skidded to a halt, and Gabrielle hopped off, followed by Xena. Jamen and a couple of men, dressed like farmers, were fighting off twelve dirty, raggedy looking men.
Xena drew her sword with her battle cry, and three of the four men who had been going after Jamen decided to give her a try. They offered little challenge to Xena, however. She sparred with them, easily blocking their unorganized attacks, and still managed to catch some glimpses of Jamen's fighting. He didn't use the acrobatics she used, but he was quite skilled with the sword, and extremely quick and lithe.
"What took you so long?" he asked Xena, his voice heightened over the rain and the battle.
Xena grinned. "Girl talk," she answered. She spun around in time to block a swing from behind, and cut the attacker's shoulder, not seriously, but deep enough to get his attention. Gabrielle was handing out serious damage on her own. The staff was her weapon of choice, and she had soundly thrashed two of the attackers.
Xena recognized the looks the men were giving each other. Even though the ruffians outnumbered the defenders, they were sorely outmatched. Finally, one of them bellowed, "let's get out of here!" and they all limped and shuffled their way back to their horses. Even the animals looked like a motley bunch.
Xena and Jamen watched the group ride off to the north. It was pouring now, but neither seemed to notice. "Were they part of Barclan's bunch?' Xena asked Jamen.
"No, I don't think so," Jamen replied. "They looked like plain and simple horse thieves to me."
"They sure were," said the older of the two strangers. "I can't thank you enough for helping me," he added. "This gang has been running loose for some time now, and no one has ever been able to defeat them. This ought to make them think twice before attacking again. How can I ever thank you?"
"No need," Xena replied, with a hand in the air. She immediately felt a tug on her scabbard. Turning, she saw Gabrielle giving a pointed look toward the barn.
Whether or not the farmer knew what she was doing was beside the point. "At least let us give you a dry place to spend the night," he said, almost pleadingly. "Plus my wife will cook you a hot meal."
Xena looked from Jamen to Gabrielle, who both seemed to approve heartily of the idea. "Thanks," she said simply to the farmer.
"Pascin," the man said, turning to the younger farmer. "Take their horses and get them settled in the barn."
The young man nodded, and gathering the reins, Argo and Mercury trotted obediently after him. "Come on up to the house," the man said, then. "My name is Basil."
"I'm Jamen," was Jamen's reply, "and this is…" he trailed off, thinking about the unfriendly greetings Xena had told him about earlier.
"It's okay," Basil said, with a friendly smile. "I know you're Xena."
Xena could help registering a little surprise at that. "And you don't have a problem with that?" she asked.
"After what you just did?" Basil replied. "Of course not! I had heard you had turned to good. That's good enough for me!"
"Thank you," Xena smiled softly, her voice truly grateful.
As they crossed the front porch, Xena caught a glimpse of the interior of the house. "Are those all yours, Basil?" she asked, referring to the numerous children in the room.
"Yep!" Basil replied proudly. "All eleven of them…they're quite a handful, but they're all good kids." He had his hand on the doorknob, but released it when he noticed Xena and Jamen's hesitance. "Would you rather stay in the barn?" he asked, as if he understood.
"I would," Xena replied quickly, and Jamen echoed his agreement. Gabrielle, on the other hand, wasn't so quick to speak up.
"You must be Gabrielle," Basil said to her with a warm smile, as if he just now noticed her presence. "Would you rather stay in the house?"
Gabrielle loved kids, and she didn't relish the idea of spending the night in a scratchy bed of straw if she could have a nice warm featherbed instead. She looked to Xena, who nodded at her, knowing what the bard wanted.
"Fine," Basil beamed. He was a heavy set older man, but despite his balding head, he was almost handsome when he smiled. "If you two want, you can go ahead and head out to the barn. I'll send Pascin out with warm blankets and some food in a little bit."
"That sounds great," Jamen replied for the both of them. They turned as one, and seeing the rain showed no signs of slowing, he looked at Xena with a grin. "Race you?" he asked.
"You're on!" Xena replied, taking off like a bow from an arrow.
"Cheater!" Jamen called after her. With her head start, there was no way he could ever catch her, but he was right on her heels when she pulled the barn door open. They were still laughing when they entered the large structure.
Pascin peered at them curiously. He was just exiting Mercury's stall. A couple of minutes ago, these two people had been slicing and dicing, and now they were carrying on like school children.
"Your horses are fine," he said, his angular tanned face looking slightly paler than it had a moment ago. His brown eyes darted much more toward Xena than Jamen. He couldn't help but wonder if the two had come to the barn to check up on his care of their well-trained horses.
"Thank you," Xena replied, with one of her sweeter smiles. Jamen watched the effect it had on the young man. Soaking wet, Xena was, if possible, even more alluring.
"We're staying in the barn tonight," Jamen told him, standing so he was shoulder to shoulder with Xena.
Pascin swallowed visibly, as he got the message. "Oh, all right," he said. He walked to the exit and gave one last look at Xena before leaving.
Jamen immediately turned to Xena, taking her in his arms. "I think you broke another heart," he said gently.
"Nah," Xena replied easily. "He'll get one look at Gabrielle and forget all about me."
Jamen bent in very close. "That would be best for him," he whispered. "because you are definitely spoken for."
"I am?" Xena asked with a demure smile, before his lips came down to meet hers.
They stood at the entrance of the barn for several moments, tasting the other's mouths, and finally, Xena pulled away. ""Pascin will be back soon with food," she told Jamen when he started to protest. "We'll get a warm meal in us, then pick up where we left off."
Jamen nodded, knowing what she said made sense. "Are you cold?" he asked her.
"No, not really," Xena replied. She was retrieving her saddlebag from outside Argo's stall. "You?"
"No, just wet." Xena smiled at him, then rummaged through her saddlebag. "If we get cold later," she mused, "I've got something to warm us up."
Jamen watched her curiously. She held up a small flask. "Port," she told him. Laurel included it along with all the food she packed. I'm sure it's for medicinal purposes only."
"You need a doctor?" Jamen asked, trying to keep from smiling.
Xena winked at him. "No, but I want to play doctor later. Does that count?" she asked, with a purr in her voice.
Jamen felt a lurch at his crotch. Staying in the barn definitely had its advantages. "Are you sure we have to wait for Pascin?" he asked with a wicked leer.
Xena's smile broadened. "I think we'd better," she replied. "He seems a little young to be getting such a full education."
"All right," Jamen responded with an exaggerated sigh. "I'll go brush down Mercury and Argo."
While he was completing the tasks, Xena checked out the layout of the barn. The main floor had the unmistakable odor of horses, but the hayloft had a large window that faced south. Since the storm was coming from the west, Xena was able to open the window, and the loft was filled with fresh air. She peered down over the edge of the loft, and then effortlessly somersaulted her way down to land beside Jamen. He grinned at her unconventionality. "I think I found us a bedroom," she told him.
"Good deal," he answered. Xena took a currycomb from one of the hooks on the wall, and began brushing the opposite side of Argo. Jamen had already finished grooming Mercury.
As the were finishing with Argo, the barn door opened. In stepped Pascin, followed by Gabrielle, who was covered from head to toe in a cloak that seemed to shed water. "Told you," Xena whispered to Jamen, before stepping forward to meet them. Pascin was loaded down with several blankets, wrapped in the same waterproof material. Gabrielle was carrying a covered basket.
Jamen took the blankets from Pascin with a "thanks", and the young man wished them a good night, and then left the barn quickly.
"I'll put these in the loft," Jamen said, heading in that direction.
"I think you two scared Pascin," Gabrielle, her voice lowered, told Xena as she handed her the basket.
"It wasn't intentional," Xena assured her. "I think his imagination just got carried away."
Gabrielle nodded, then asked, "Will you two be all right out here?"
"Yeah, we'll be fine…How about you?"
"Oh, it's great!" Gabrielle enthused. "The kids are all very friendly, and they've already made me promise to tell them a bedtime story."
Xena glanced towards the loft, but Jamen was out of sight, probably readying their makeshift bed. Gabrielle," she said, her voice lowered. "Are you staying in the house because you really want to or is it for Jamen and my benefit?"
Gabrielle shrugged. "I really want to stay in a nice warm bed," she replied. "And if you don't…well…that works out for all of us."
Xena gave her friend's shoulder a squeeze. "Thanks", she said.
"I'll see you in the morning," Gabrielle replied, with a smile. "G'night, Jamen!"
His fair head peeked over the edge of the loft. "G'night, Gabrielle," he replied with a wave.
Xena opened the door for the bard, and watched her make her way across the quite muddy pathway to the front porch, where Pascin was waiting for her. She then shut the barn door and bolted it from the inside.
Jamen jumped down from the upper level, not with the same acrobatics Xena had used, but athletically none-the-less.
"Wanna eat in the bedroom?" he asked Xena.
She smiled at him. "Sure," she replied.
Chapter 12
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