Regrets Chapter 6
Xena and Jamen thanked Laurel for the care package, and then left the house. They let Argo and Mercury drink from the
trough outside the barn, then mounted for the ride back to Acrimonius..
Both of them were lost in thought, and they didn't talk much on the ride back. When they passed the spot where Dal's wagon had overturned, they saw that Dal had been correct. A group of about ten men had turned the wagon upright, and were busy loading the sacks into another wagon. One of the men waved at Jamen, and he waved back, telling Xena, "That's Lors."
Xena nodded, and then said, "Looks like they've got the situation under control."
"Yup."
The silence continued as they rode on. As they passed the spot where they had fished earlier, Jamen stole a look at Xena. Her eyes were on the spot at the bank, a pleasant expression on her beautiful features. She looked back at him, and their eyes locked for a moment, both thinking similar thoughts.
The sun slipped down below the horizon, as they finally entered. "Let's let the horses run free," Xena suggested. "I'm sure the stables are overflowing, and Argo won't let them wander far."
"Okay," Jamen replied, dismounting Mercury, and grabbing his saddlebag. Xena did the same with Argo, leaving the bag
of food tied to her horse's saddlehorn. Neither had felt like eating on the way back.
They watched the horses amble away in the direction of the river, and then started for the spot they were to meet Gabrielle. "I don't suppose you want to tell me what Del whispered to you," Xena said, as they walked.
Jamen grinned secretly, and shook his head. "Maybe later," he said, mischievously. "If you're really, really good to me."
Xena nodded, as if she knew that was the answer he would give her. She flashed him a half-grin, then began to search the crowd, looking for her blonde-headed friend. After a while, she spotted her surrounded by a group of tall young men. Jamen stood on his toes, and could barely make out the top of Gabrielle's head, and he was at least two inches taller than Xena. "How did you spot her so quickly?" he asked Xena.
"I didn't see her…I heard her," Xena replied.
"Of course!" Jamen said, with a grin. He loved the way she constantly surprised him.
A couple of minutes later, Gabrielle saw them, and made her way through the crowd to join them.
"Having fun?" Xena asked the young bard, even though the answer was obvious. Gabrielle's eyes were glowing with enthusiasm.
"It's been great," Gabrielle answered. "And I've got some friends who are dying to meet you."
Xena looked at the four men, flanked on either side of Gabrielle. They were staring back at her with either a look of adolescent lust or of hero worship. This would take her last bit of patience!
"Why don't you just introduce us when we find someplace to eat?" Xena asked, starting to feel a bit smothered by all the people around her.
One of the men, the shortest of the four spoke. "That's kind of a problem…all of the taverns are full."
Xena glanced at Jamen. He nodded. "Just what I was thinking."
Gabrielle and the others looked at them, puzzled. "Just follow us," Xena said then, with an enigmatic smile.
Once outside the noise of the crowd, Xena whistled for Argo who appeared within seconds, with Mercury at her side. Jamen pulled the bag Laurel had packed from Argo, and Xena grabbed a blanket from one of the saddlebags, and spread it on the ground.
"That'll make due as a table, won't it?" Xena asked, and there was an immediate murmur of agreement as everyone seated themselves around the edge of the blanket.
"Where did all this food come from?" Gabrielle asked, eyeing the feast Jamen was laying out before them. There were sliced cheeses, sliced ham, chicken, bread, fruits, and a huge pie. It would be more than enough to feed them all.
"It's a long, dull story," Xena answered. "Don't worry…it's nothing you can use in the competition."
Gabrielle laughed, as did the others. "Xena, these are my friends, Orion, Euripides, Stallonus, and Twickenham. I met them all in Athens."
"I remember well," Xena said, after politely nodding to each of the quartet.
"And guys, well you know this is Xena. And our new…friend, Jamen." She didn't know how else to refer to him, but that seemed to settle well with all of them.
The lights of the city provided enough illumination so they didn't need a campfire. The young men suddenly went shy as they realized they were finally meeting the famed Warrior Princess…the amazing heroine that enthralled them in Gabrielle's many heart stopping tales. "Eat up," Xena said, noting their reticence.
Orion was the first to reach for some ham, and then the others joined in. It wasn't long before their shyness was gone, and Gabrielle and the men were chatting excitedly again.
Xena had fully expected to be overrun with questions, but Gabrielle's friends spent very little time actually talking to her. That's not to say they didn't spend a good deal of time looking at her. They were at least trying to be discreet though, and Xena didn't let their curiosity bother her.
After they finished eating what turned out to be a delicious meal, Euripides reminded Gabrielle that they were expected back in town to tell their scariest stories as sort of an informal warm-up for the contest.
"Go on and head back," Gabrielle told the group. "I'll catch up in a little bit. I need to talk to Xena for a minute."
"I'll go brush down the horses," Jamen said, figuring he wasn't too welcome either.
"Thanks," Gabrielle replied, watching him leave.
Xena looked expectantly at her young friend. "What's on your mind?" she asked.
Gabrielle fidgeted a moment, and then finally said, "There are a lot more people here than expected."
"There's a lot here, all right," Xena replied evenly.
"There are no rooms left anywhere," Gabrielle continued. "Even all the barns and stables have been rented out."
"Uh huh," Xena said slowly. She suddenly had an idea where Gabrielle was headed with all this.
Gabrielle drew a deep breath, then finally blurted out," Orion was the only one of us who was smart enough to get a room ahead of time, and he's invited us all to stay with him."
A half-grin flirted with Xena's mouth. "Is that what's bothering you?" she asked.
Gabrielle blinked, surprised. "Well, yeah!" she finally answered.
Xena gave her one of her trademark quirky grins then. "Gabrielle, I don't look a thing like your mother."
Gabrielle burst out laughing. "I know that!" she answered. "I just wanted to know if you thought there'd be anything wrong with me spending the night with them?"
"You trust them, don't you?' Xena asked her.
"Oh yes, of course!"
"And if something were to happen, you can more than take care of yourself," Xena added. Over the last couple of years, Gabrielle had proven herself to be very capable in a fight.
"Yes," Gabrielle agreed.
Xena grinned at her. "Then go have fun," she told her.
Gabrielle beamed back. "I will!" she replied, gathering the saddlebag that held her belongings.
"I'll see you tomorrow," Xena said, watching her.
Gabrielle suddenly whirled back around. "Wait a minute!" she exclaimed. "What about you and Jamen?"
"What about us?" Xena echoed, her voice betraying nothing.
"Are you going to stay out here?" Gabrielle asked.
Xena eyed her, and realized the question was asked innocently. "We'll be around somewhere," she replied, with a wave of her hand. "Don't worry, we'll be at the contest in time to see you perform tomorrow."
"Okay," Gabrielle replied. "I'll see you tomorrow!"
"Tomorrow," Xena replied. She walked Gabrielle part of the way back to town. Xena was glad they had come, despite having to fight their way through mobs of people all the time. Gabrielle never complained about the fact that she got lonely for people her own age, but Xena knew it was true. Even thought they were only going to be in a couple of days, Gabrielle would make the most of it.
Then her thoughts turned elsewhere, to the kisses she and Jamen had shared earlier that day. It had been a long time since she felt the kind of connection with a man that she felt with Jamen. The last person had been Marcus, and although she had loved him, he had a lot of demons in his past to overcome. He had decided to make a stand for good, and had been murdered by his own boss, a despicable warlord named Mzentius. Xena always wondered what would have developed between them had Marcus not been killed.
Marcus had never been uncomfortable or intimidated by her strength or skills, which outshone his. He had accepted them readily, and praised her for them. So far, Jamen was reacting the same way. He was surprised when she did something unusual, but he wasn't bothered by it.
Jamen was an extremely handsome man, but it took more than a good-looking face to attract Xena. Jamen really hadn't demonstrated any powers or skills out of the ordinary…except for his power to love.
He had grown up knowing a parent, but not knowing the love of his parent, yet would still shed tears when he thought of people he cared for being hurt. He was gentle and even-tempered, quick to smile, and easy to talk to. He was intelligent, and courageous, and determined in his quest to stop his father's rampage. He was nothing like her…if anything his personality was closer to Gabrielle's. But still, there was something…something just beyond her grasp.
He reminded her so much of someone from her past…someone she couldn't quite picture in her mind, but knew she should recognize. She had been looking at him off and on all day, observing his different facial expressions, but it still hadn't surfaced in her memory…Who did he remind her of?
"You look like you're awfully deep in thought…"Jamen's deep voice broke her out of her musings. Yes, he was very smart…smart enough to let her know when he was approaching. Sneaking up on the Warrior Princess could get one killed.
"Not really," Xena responded, giving him a smile. "How about we find somewhere to settle down for the night?"
Jamen glanced around them. "What about Gabrielle?" he asked.
"She's staying in town tonight," Xena replied in even tones.
Jamen nodded, his eyes brightening just a bit at that news. "Uh…how about that spot by the river we were at earlier today?" he asked.
Xena's eyes reflected the quarter moon, turning more silver than blue as she nodded. "Good idea," she said.
Chapter 7
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