DISCLAIMER 1:
Violence: Same as the series.
Subtext: This is an alt story.
Timeline: Late season 3.
DISCLAIMER 2: Where I live X:wp hasn't aired beyond season 4. So I don't know what transpires beyond that point. Yet!
DISCLAIMER3: Xena, Gabrielle, Argo and all other characters who have appeared in the syndicated series Xena: Warrior Princess, together with the names, titles and backstory are the sole copyright property of MCA/Universal and Renaissance Pictures. Absolutely no copyright infringement was intended in the writing of this fan fiction. All other characters, and the story itself are the sole property of the author. This story cannot be sold or used for profit in any way. Copies of this story may be made for private use only and must include all disclaimers and copyright notices.
An Ordinary Day
by Cokke
PrefaceAs any astute follower of our two heroines knows, their lives are filled with adventures of every kind. It would seem that hardly a day passes without some spectacular and dangerous event, taking place. The truth however is quite different. In fact most days pass by without much fuss at all. It's that most of us are only privy to those hectic days of high adventure that gives us this mistaken perception. Let us visit our heroines then and see what a typical day is like. An ordinary day.
Morning
In a seldom-traveled forest in northern Macedonia the darkness of a cold and rainy night was grudgingly giving way to morning. Though it had recently stopped raining there would be no sun to judge this morning's progress by for a heavy layer of clouds stretched across the sky as far as the eye could see.
One wouldn't expect to find a lone untethered horse in this forest, more than a weeks travel from the nearest settlement; still there it was bending its neck snuffling at the wet ground. Apparently finding nothing to appease its palate the horse took a few measured steps and examined the ground again this time finding a choice morsel to munch on. The chewing stopped abruptly and its head came up with pricked ears. The horse turned its head to regard a slight rise nearby. It stood still for a few moments before quietly returning to searching the ground seemingly satisfied that no danger lurked.
Some sixty paces away, in the direction the horse had looked, a piece of canvas was suspended a few feet off the ground. In the cramped space under the canvas two women were laying surrounded by their gear. The taller of the two, a raven-haired woman, was awake.
A scowl marred the beautiful lines of the woman's face as she poked her head out from under the canvas. With a quiet grunt she pulled her head back and reached for her boots, careful not to disturb the sleeping woman by her side.
The woman with the boots was Xena, a warrior and formerly a warlord. A few years ago her name had been spoken with fear from Arcadia in the south to Macedonia in the north. Her army of mercenaries and cutthroats had pillaged settlements small and large across the lands making her one of the most feared and hated women in Greece at the time. Though she had turned her life around since then, not only steering away from her own evil ways but actively trying to atone for her past by stopping those who would seek to pray on others, many still cringed at the mentioning of her name. Word of mouth only traveled so far and those that did hear were understandably reluctant to believe.
Xena shivered slightly as she pulled her boots on. The morning air was raw and she was still in the grip of the chill one experience when waking up from sleeping in the cold. Her eyes lingered for a moment on her companion. The sleeping woman was quite young and while a casual observer might have guessed Xena to be only a few years older there was a certain quality to her demeanor, something in the depth of her eyes maybe, that said otherwise. In truth Xena was ten years older. That didn't mean she wasn't in excellent physical shape, and although many women of the time toiled with physically strenuous activities they didn't develop the kind of body Xena had. It was a warrior's body plain and simple. It was uncommon for a woman but not unheard of and it certainly didn't make her unattractive.
Strange as it may sound people could accept the idea of a woman taking up arms and earning her bread as a warrior more readily than they would accept the profession of the younger woman. She was Gabrielle, a self-professed bard and chronicler of tales. First and foremost the life and times of the tall warrior she traveled with but any story that struck a cord with her usually found its way into her scrolls. Two hands shorter than her companion, with an innocent look about her and a ready smile, she seemed to be almost the opposite of Xena. Unless, that was, you happened to notice that her body was starting to take on some of the hardened characteristics of her companion. After nearly three years on the road with Xena she was an accomplished warrior herself, something she would vehemently deny if asked, however.
Gabrielle was still sound asleep, her breathing was regular and relaxed. Xena's face revealed no emotions as she pushed back a strand of blond hair from the young woman's face. Something could have been made of the way her eyes moved across the face of the sleeping bard though.
Xena found it disheartening to wake up to the same cold and rain that she and Gabrielle had experienced for the better part of a week. Although it wasn't raining right now the look of the sky wasn't promising. She had hoped the weather would have cleared up during the night but apparently this was destined to be an uncomfortable journey from start to end.
With swift movements she pushed and prodded the canvas overhead so that it deposited the water it had gathered during the nigh. The inside of the canvas was also wet, covered with drops formed from their breath and the warmth of their bodies during the night.
With a grunt Xena scrambled out from under the canvas and stood up. She bit down on a gasp as the biting wind swept across the small rise they had camped on. Clasping her arms around herself for warmth she turned around looking for Argo, her horse. It wasn't long before she spotted the mare partaking of the local fauna. Satisfied that her horse hadn't wandered off, Xena turned back to the shelter and kneeled down to pull out her woolen cloak, it was still damp from yesterday. Without hesitation she put it on. The cold wetness made her shiver again. Quickly she examined the wood she had collected the night before and placed under the canvas. It wasn't exactly dry but with some effort she should be able to make a fire and the way the sky looked it might be some time before she got another chance. Also she had a feeling her sleeping companion would be grumpy this morning and a fire would help mellow her.
Getting the fire started did take some time, and with the inexplicable timing of such things the rain started up just as she was done. By rights, the oaths she produced should have made the rain sizzle off her face.
The rain turned out to be just a soft drizzle and it seemed content to remain that way for now. Xena didn't waste any time, she would be damned if all her efforts this morning were for nothing. She quickly put some of their dried provisions in a pot added some water and hung it over the fire. As a final touch she added some fresh herbs that Gabrielle had picked up yesterday, she thought that would please her friend.
As soon as the content of the pot was starting to warm up, Xena ducked under the makeshift rain shelter and collected her armor and her sword. On her way out she grabbed her friend's shoulder and shook it firmly. "Gabrielle wake up."
Gabrielle sat up with a drowsy expression on her face. "What?"
"It's a cold morning and the rain just started up again. If you want to warm yourself by the fire you better hurry while it's still burning."
The young bard made a face. "It's raining still?"
"'Fraid so. Hurry up, I have some broth warming." Xena went back to the fire and started to don her armor.
Moments later a slightly disheveled looking Gabrielle emerged from under the shelter. She pulled up the hood of her cloak and sat down by the fire. "Small fire."
Xena had a biting remark on the tip of her tongue but instead she said: "Broth should be ready soon."
Gabrielle smiled. "You're cooking for me."
"It's just broth."
"As long as it's hot it's fine with me." She reached her hands out to the fire. "Is it just me or is it even colder than yesterday?"
"You'll get warm as soon as we start moving."
Gabrielle replied with a grimace.
In the short time since she awoke Gabrielle, Xena had felt the rain increase steadily. "Better grab it." She nodded towards the small pot dangling over the fire. "Rain is picking up."
In familiar fashion, Gabrielle pulled her hands back inside her sleeves and grabbed the pot off the fire. She blew on it a few times before carefully sampling the content. "It's good, hot."
Xena didn't harbor any illusions about her cooking skills; she knew her friend would have gulped down just about anything that was hot this morning. "Take as much as you want and pass me the rest."
While her friend huddled over her meal, Xena started to pull down their shelter. After dumping the rolled up canvas on the ground she gave a sharp whistle over her shoulder. Argo lifted her head in response and started moving towards the camp.
"Xena, is this my herbs? The ones I picked yesterday."
"Yes I put some in to give it flavor," Xena replied with her back turned.
"How much is some?"
There was an unexpected edge to Gabrielle's voice and it made Xena turn around. "Most of them to be honest."
"Damn it Xena, I was going to use those for a proper meal," Gabrielle said in an exasperated tone.
Xena's face stiffened. "I see."
Gabrielle's gaze dropped to the ground momentarily before returning to Xena. "I didn't mean it like that. It's just that we've had nothing but trail rations for a while and I know you've had no luck hunting in this damn forest, and the weather and all."
"This damn forest that I insisted to drag you through," Xena cut in. "I'm sorry that the weather is bad and that the game has been scarce, and I'm sorry that I decided to take this shortcut instead of going the long way around but it's how it is now, no use complaining endlessly about it."
The green of Gabrielle's eyes seemed to take on a darker hue, and the set of her jaw hardened.
"It's typical, whenever I dare to criticize you're plans you get all defensive. It wouldn't kill you, you know, to ask my opinion sometimes."
"Whatever. When you're done with that rinse it out and put it in the pack. The sooner we get going the sooner we'll get out of this forest."
"The rest is yours," Gabrielle said holding out the pot.
"I don't want any."
Her companion moved closer and shoved the container in her chest. "Don't be silly." When Xena hesitated, Gabrielle added. "Take it! I'll finish packing up our stuff."
Reluctantly Xena took the pot.
Gabrielle immediately went by and busied herself with their gear.
Xena thought she should say something to defuse the situation but at the same time she was mad with Gabrielle for lashing out at her because of a few leafs. She ate the broth in silence trying to think of what to say and all the time expecting Gabrielle to say something, but she didn't and neither did Xena.
The silence of travel
Though the rain had let up, Gabrielle felt miserable. Her fingers were stiff with cold, her clothes were wet and as soon as she stopped walking she started to shiver all over. Several times she had contemplated asking Xena if they could stop and wait for better weather. They weren't exactly in any hurry, except maybe that their rations were running a bit low. After what happened this morning, however, she wasn't going to complain anymore. Not even if she was starving or freezing to death. On some level she knew that she was blowing the whole thing out of proportion but she was still angry enough to ignore that.
It was usually Gabrielle who kept the conversation going while they traveled, chattering about this and that often without much input from her friend. So far this morning they had traveled mostly in silence. It wasn't just that the mood was a bit tense, Gabrielle didn't feel very talkative and Xena didn't exactly pick up the slack. Not that Gabrielle had expected her to.
They were coming down a stony slope when Gabrielle saw Xena drop off Argo ahead of her. Gabrielle stopped briefly half expecting Xena to turn around and give her a warning sign, but there was no sign and her friend didn't turn around. Somehow the warrior managed to look impatient though even with her back turned or maybe it was just in Gabrielle's mind. Whatever the reason, the bard resumed walking with lengthened steps and soon came up alongside Xena.
"This looks like a good spot," Xena said without looking at Gabrielle.
For a moment Gabrielle's spirits rose. Maybe Xena had decided to camp for the day. She should have known better.
"You remember two weeks ago," Xena said still without looking at Gabrielle. "That man in the tavern. The one with the knife."
"Yes, I remember. What about him."
The warrior turned around and fastened a penetrating stare on Gabrielle. "You didn't have your staff at hand and you hesitated, and because you didn't know what to do you ended up getting cut."
The accusing tone of Xena's voice felt like a slap across the face to Gabrielle. Something boiled up inside her. "Well I'm sorry I continue to disappoint you. We can't all be as skilled as the warrior princess." It came out stronger than she had intended and she was surprised at the amount of vitriol in her own voice.
"What?" Xena looked confused.
Gabrielle wished she could have bitten her tongue off. "Forget it, I don't know what I'm..." She let the sentence trail off. "You were about to say something."
"You don't disappoint me, Gabrielle. You could never disappoint me."
The earnest tone of Xena's voice and her concerned expression had Gabrielle pressing her lips tightly together in order to keep her composure. She nodded because she didn't quite trust her voice to bear right then. Thankfully Xena turned away from her again.
"I just noticed there's a patch of open ground up ahead, reasonably flat. I thought I could show you some things to do if you don't have your staff."
"Yes, sure. It's nice to get a break from walking," Gabrielle replied quickly. She instantly regretted her words. Could she say nothing but stupid things this morning? A quick glance was the only indication that Xena had heard her. Gabrielle was convinced that there had been a flicker of hurt feelings in her friend's eyes. "Xena, I..."
Xena faced her with an attention like she expected Gabrielle to make some profound statement. "Yes?"
Under that gaze Gabrielle lost her words. It was like her mind had been wiped of its content. She sought to regain her scattered thoughts as the silence continued to grow. All the words that came to her seemed banal in the extreme; in the end she thought it better not to risk it. "Nothing," was all she said. The word felt as empty as its meaning.
Deep blue eyes regarded her intently for a moment, then with a shrug Xena gripped Argo's reins and walked out onto the patch of open ground.
Still Gabrielle could think of nothing meaningful to say, so she followed in silence.
When Xena reached the center of the open area she took off her cloak and threw it across Argo's saddle. Bending down, she pulled a dagger from her boot. "There are a few simple rules to fighting unarmed against someone with a knife or similar weapon," Xena started without preamble. "First, expect to get cut. Second, make sure you survive that cut. Third, don't get cut twice." She looked imploringly at Gabrielle, who nodded in response. "Good, now loose the cloak and staff, and come over here."
Some time later, Gabrielle once again managed to fend off one of Xena's attacks but also like before she failed to execute the counterattack. The two women ended up in a stalemate, each holding the others arms and Xena trying to bring her wooden stick to the bards face. The stick Xena wielded in lieu of a real knife was smeared with soot and Gabrielle already sported a number of black streaks across various parts of her body. She really wanted to do her best, but hard as she tried she couldn't quite get it right. Maybe it was the cold; it didn't really matter. She dropped Xena's arm and stepped back. The vegetation was trampled where they had been fighting. It felt like they had been at it for a long time, but Gabrielle knew it wasn't long at all.
"Xena, could we not do this today. I don't feel up to it." Her stomach muscles tensed up in expectation of a lecture about how danger would approach whether you were ready or not. She didn't want to get into another fight with Xena today.
"Sure, we'll pick it up tomorrow," Xena said in a light tone. She gave Gabrielle a questioning look. "Are you feeling alright Gabrielle?"
"Yes, I'm fine." She saw Xena's doubtful expression. "Really."
The warrior continued to regard her for a moment longer before reaching out towards her face.
In a reflex that came from whence she knew not, Gabrielle jerked back. The surprise she saw in her friends mien mirrored her own. "I'm sorry, I was still in combat mode," Gabrielle blurted out.
"It's ok." Xena reached out again and her fingers lightly touched Gabrielle's face. "You have some soot here."
Gabrielle held still while her friend wiped the soot off her face. "Is it gone?" She asked as Xena pulled her hand away.
"You got a spot on your nose."
Gabrielle quickly rubbed her nose. "Better?"
"Hmm no other side," Xena replied with furrowed brows.
Gabrielle tried again. "Now then?" She noticed a slight movement at the corners of Xena's mouth. "Wait a minute! I don't have any soot on my nose, do I?"
"No, but you make mean squirrel imitation." Xena's eyes glittered with mirth.
Gabrielle made a face of mock anger before turning around and grabbing her cloak off the ground.
"Nice tail too," Xena said behind her back.
Gabrielle whirled around. "That does it. I'm gonna kick you're ass now." She tried to sound menacing but the effect was spoiled by a wide smile. With a brisk movement she threw the cloak at Xena's head and dove for her feet. The cloak distracted the warrior and Gabrielle managed to tackle her to the ground. With great speed, Gabrielle scurried atop her fallen adversary.
A melodious laughter rolled across Xena's lips as she tried to fend off her suddenly very energetic companion. Finally she gave in and let Gabrielle pin her arms to the ground.
"Alright, alright, I surrender."
Gabrielle showed a lot of teeth in a feral smile. "Not bad for a squirrel eh?"
"Not bad at all," Xena mumbled.
Gabrielle distractedly dropped her smile as she noticed her companion's eyes caressing her face, tracing every minute detail it seemed. Gabrielle never ceased to be amazed by how those blue eyes that could freeze to jagged pieces of ice in an instant, could contain so much warmth and unconditional love.
Xena was simply enchanting when she smiled, a pity it didn't happen more often. That she was the reason for Xena's smile gave Gabrielle a nice sense of butterflies in her stomach. She waited patiently while Xena seemingly became entranced with her mouth. When Xena's gaze finally rose to meet hers, Gabrielle slowly and deliberately leaned down, stopping just before their lips met. The anticipation was like the sweetest honey and razor-sharp pain rolled into one. The eternity lasted only a moment before Xena met her and sealed the kiss.
Sometime during the kiss Xena must have freed her arms because suddenly her hands were resting on either side of Gabrielle's face. The taller woman gently broke the kiss. Their faces rested a mere finger's breadth apart and Gabrielle's eyes were half-closed and unfocused. She had descended into a warm and fuzzy place where the rigors of the normal world had little meaning.
"We should get moving," Xena said softly.
The real world came rushing back like the depth of the sea into a sinking ship. It was cold, harsh and cared not for the occupants. The unfairness of it made Gabrielle grumpy. "No," she said stubbornly.
Her friend pushed her a little further back. "Yes we do Gabrielle. If we continue to lie on this cold and wet ground we'll catch something for sure."
One of the irritating things with Xena was that she was always right, well almost anyway. And how come she had the wherewithal to think of their health when she had Gabrielle's tongue in her mouth. It was childish concerns and Gabrielle knew it, but still.
She scrambled to her feet and reached a hand out to Xena who let Gabrielle help her up. Gabrielle avoided Xena's eyes as she turned to pick up her cloak again. She knew Xena would notice the disappointment in her companion's eyes and Gabrielle didn't want her to feel guilty because she had no reason to.
"I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you tonight," Xena said.
"No, you were right. You were the one on the ground, I didn't think that's all."
Xena gave Gabrielle's shoulder a quick squeeze. "Let's get moving then."
The eyes of the bard roamed the sky looking for any sign of a break in the weather but it was a solid blanket of gray clouds. "How long till we clear the forest do you think?" She had asked before, but not in the last two days and Xena might have reassessed the time based on their progress so far. Unfortunately Gabrielle feared any change would be for the worse.
"About two days after today," Xena said. "If we can keep the pace up and the weather don't get any worse."
Gabrielle sighed inwardly as she started to trudge after Xena.
Artemis where art thou
While the sun reached its zenith somewhere far away behind the gray mass of clouds, the two women moved through a densely forested valley and over some ragged hills strewn with sharp rocks that jutted out of the ground like they were trying to claw their way up. The trees grew farther apart on the hills and not to the same height as they did in the lowlands; the undergrowth was far more developed though. In particular there were a lot of thorn shrubs and dog-rose bushes, which forced the women to more than one detour as they trekked across the hills.
There were animals in this forest; Xena had seen their tracks and their droppings. She had even heard them on a few occasions. What she had not managed to do was to hunt any of them down. Her traps, put out nightly had yielded nothing and there had been only one lake where she had been able to put a line out. She had gotten a decent catch but that was days ago. They were not going to starve not even if they had nothing but the dried provisions they carried with them, but this had been a miserable journey so far and Xena really wanted to give Gabrielle something to cook. Her companion didn't say anything but Xena knew she loved to try and make something nice out of their meals, and with only trail rations there wasn't much one could do. That was why Gabrielle had been so upset this morning when Xena had squandered her herbs. She was sure her friend had been keeping her spirits up by planning what to do with those herbs. The irony of it was that Xena had used the herbs because she thought it would get a smile out of Gabrielle.
What had she been thinking? Well it was done now and couldn't be undone, but Xena was more determined than ever to bring Gabrielle restitution.
As it turned out they consumed some salted meat and dry biscuits huddled together under the cover of a small cliff overhang; that was their midday meal. The rain had started up again and they were fortunate to have found a somewhat dry spot. However, the wind was biting up on the hills and their current location offered no protection from the wind, otherwise Xena might have been tempted to hole up for a while. As it was now they had to move and also, Xena still hadn't given up on finding something for their dinner.
Gabrielle had been complaining about the weather and the terrain the last few days. After this morning she hadn't said much of anything. That she was quiet was more cause for concern than the complaining in Xena's mind. She knew her companion well enough to know that as long as she was complaining it wasn't too bad. When she turned quiet it was usually something more. Xena felt she had to broach the subject but now sitting on this hill exposed to the cold wind wasn't the time. Tonight, she would do it tonight.
Domestic entertainment
After the less than inspiring midday meal, Xena had led them mostly though valleys, keeping to lower ground whenever possible. Gabrielle appreciated Xena's effort to keep them out of the wind, but by necessity it made their route a snaking path that increased the distance they had to travel. Gabrielle had been of a mind to ask Xena to just stick to the shortest route for she was sure Xena did what she did to spare Gabrielle. In a way it irritated Gabrielle but then she had been complaining like a spoiled child the last days. Not only that, she had noticed Xena's roaming eyes, always alert for some prey to fall within her range. Gabrielle didn't doubt that Xena's lack of success in adding to their frugal trail rations vexed her mightily. Probably doubly so after this morning. Heavens, Gabrielle had been such a bitch this morning. She was just about to call out to Xena, to ask her to stop, when Xena turned around.
"Listen," Xena called out.
Gabrielle stopped. At first she heard nothing but the wind through the trees and the lonesome call of a bird, but then it filtered through. Running water.
"A stream," Xena said when she saw that Gabrielle had picked up on the sound. "Sounds big enough for fish, lets go." Without waiting for a reply she cut a new direction towards the sound of the stream.
The rushing noise turned out to be a spirited brook hurtling itself down from the hills above, no doubt inspired by the recent amount of rain. Presently the rain had receded to a drizzle, the wind however had lost none of its bite. It was no matter to Xena though; her mind was focusing on the challenge ahead. The silvery treasure found in a stream of this size would be wary, hard to catch unawares. A challenge indeed. She turned to face her companion.
"Gabrielle..."
"I know," Gabrielle interrupted. "You're going to stalk the fish. You go ahead, I'll stay here and... I'll do some laundry."
Xena frowned. "Laundry?"
"I don't know about you but I for one could use some clean smallclothes."
"You'll scare the fish," Xena protested.
The blond woman looked up and down the stream as if she was trying to assess how easily scared the fish were. "Sure I will, right here but you're going to hunt up- or downstream for the right spot anyway." Her voice was matter-of-fact with an aura of unassailability to it.
"Upstream," Xena mumbled.
"What?"
Xena drew a breath. "Upstream, I'll have to go upstream." She gestured vaguely at the brook.
Gabrielle nodded. "Fine, upstream. I'll be here." She went over to Argo and started to unstrap the packs. Before Xena could come to her aid Gabrielle turned and tossed her the small sackcloth bag that contained the fishing gear. "Catch a big one for me will you."
"You got it," Xena said with a quick grin before turning around and heading upstream and away from the brook.
Some time later, Xena picked up the last of her catch from the ground, a speckled trout of descent size. She threaded it onto the stick she had cut to carry her catch. Five in all, some a bit small but it would definitely be enough for a nice meal and then some. She was pleased with her haul but it was high time to get back to Gabrielle now. She snatched up the sackcloth bag and headed downstream.
Normally fishing this brook would have been a real treat but from the start she had been anxious to get back to Gabrielle as quickly as possible. That feeling was in sharp contrast with her experience of small streams like this one. It took patience to find a spot and sneak close enough without scaring away the skittish fish that resided there. She had been determined to succeed, however, and had forced herself to take as much time as necessary. It came naturally to her to push away her emotions in order to concentrate on the task at hand. Maybe too natural, it had taken longer than she had hoped. In fact she was a bit surprised that Gabrielle hadn't come looking for her.
When she neared the spot where she had left Gabrielle and Argo, she hid the fish behind her back. She was already imagining how her little bard's face would light up when she beheld Xena's catch. Xena loved that smile and though she would never admit it she also loved Gabrielle's exuberant praise of her skills.
A large patch of thorns grew just upstream of where she had left Gabrielle; Xena was circling around it away from the brook when she spotted Argo. Her anticipation rose as she continued around the patch of thorns. At first she didn't see Gabrielle and with a frown she started to turn around, just then she noticed a movement by the brook. Sure enough, Gabrielle was on her knees by the brook. Xena didn't need to see Gabrielle's rhythmic movements to know what was going on. Xena stifled a curse as she strode down to the kneeling woman.
"Gabrielle! By the gods! Why are you still doing laundry?"
At the sound of her voice, Gabrielle got to her feet and turned around. "Hey, Xena. It took longer than I though. I had to take breaks cause the water was so cold. I'm about done now thought. Yours too." As soon as she stopped talking her teeth started to chatter. Then she caught sight of the fish. A wide smile burst forth on her face. "You got some," she exclaimed and even managed to jump up and down a few times.
Xena shook her head. "Silly girl look at you, you're freezing to death."
"Nah, I'm fine," Gabrielle protested but the trembling of her limbs betrayed her. "If you start packing up everything, I'll finish up the last and we can get going. Unfortunately nothing's dry because of the rain. I didn't even think of that at first, I'm such a ninny head. Anyway, I just figured so what, as soon as it stops raining it'll dry in no time in this wind, unless the wind quiets down of course but then..."
"Shush Gabrielle. Your lips are blue, that means no more laundry for you." Gabrielle started to protest but Xena cut her off. "No! Go and pack up while I clean the fish." She bent down and placed a quick kiss on Gabrielle's trembling lips to soften the harshness of her voice.
"Please."
Gabrielle nodded and a small smile graced her face as she moved passed Xena, away from the brook.
For her part, Xena moved down to the water's edge and pulled a knife from her boot. "We'll not move far," Xena called over her shoulder. "Only until we find a suitable shelter for the night, then we'll camp."
"Sounds good to me," Gabrielle replied.
The coming of night
Finding a suitable shelter for the night turned out to be not so easy. Even though it stopped raining after a while, Gabrielle was certain that Xena was looking for a campsite that was at least somewhat protected in case the skies opened up again. They passed several spots that would have been as good as the one they used last night but Xena just kept moving, and darkness wasn't too far off now.
The thought of a blazing fire and a dry place to sleep was what kept Gabrielle's spirits up, more even than the possibility of grilled fish. It felt like ages ago that she had been completely dry. Wrapping her arms tighter around herself she almost bumped into Xena who had abruptly stopped between two trees. The warrior was intently studying a hillside to their right. Gabrielle shouldered herself up next to Xena and tried to follow her gaze. Maybe Xena had found a cave for them to hole up in.
Xena slipped an arm around Gabrielle's shoulders. "Are you cold?"
"A little," Gabrielle replied with sniffle. "Have you found something?" she continued casually.
"I think so. Look over there, to the left of that clump of tall trees.
Looks like an overhang, hard to tell from here."
"I see it." Gabrielle felt a surge of excitement. "Looks like it should be protected from the wind as well."
"As long as the wind doesn't turn."
Gabrielle gave Xena a playful nudge with her hip. "Don't be a pessimist, Xena. Come on lets check it out."
It was indeed an overhang that Xena had spotted, and a fairly sizeable one at that. Farthest in the ceiling slanted sharply downwards and you couldn't stand up straight in there, but the ground was completely dry. "This is great! We can sleep back here, it's dry and out of the wind." She turned around. "And we can have a fire over there, and if we put up our canvas between those trees it should be even more protected from the wind, even if it shifts."
"Not bad," Xena said in her typical understated way. Although if she meant the spot itself or Gabrielle's plans was not clear.
"Not bad? Come on Xena, this it; I can feel it. We're going to be dry, and we're going to have a fabulous dinner thanks to you. I bet the weather is going to clear up for tomorrow too."
Gabrielle could tell that Xena was still evaluating the spot, deciding if it was good enough. In her experience her companion wasn't usually this picky with campsites and Xena herself could sleep on a pile of sharp rocks, which could only mean that Xena's concern was for her. A wide smile crept onto Gabrielle's countenance. Behind that hard demeanor was a big and wonderful heart, not many got to see it and only one got to possess it. She sneaked one arm inside Xena's cloak and wrapped it around the warrior's waist. "It's fine, Xena."
The crease between the raven-haired warriors eyebrows disappeared. She nodded, still looking very serious.
Gabrielle couldn't stop herself from giggling.
"What?"
"Nothing," Gabrielle said while trying to suppress her mirth.
"Really?" Xena scrutinized Gabrielle's face for a moment. "Did you unhook my breastplate?"
At that, Gabrielle burst out laughing. "No, I didn't do anything. I swear." She pulled back her arm from inside Xena's cloak. "Look, two empty hands." She beamed a mischievous grin at Xena. "Can you distrust this face?"
Xena looked skeptical. "If anything falls off me."
Gabrielle made a face. "Ooh, I'm scared now. By the way, what happened to that round thing?"
The warrior's hand instantly closed around the chakram at her waist. "Ah, very funny. I can tell someone is headed for a spanking."
Gabrielle's face went from mischievous to sultry. "You mean I've been a bad girl?" She moved up close to Xena and slid both arms around her waist. "How bad?"
Finally Xena's stone face gave way, replaced by a smile. The sort of smile you reserve for intimate friends. Very intimate.
The embrace lasted for a moment of eternity.
"You're shivering," Xena said.
"With pleasure."
"And cold. I'll get started on a fire."
Gabrielle reluctantly released the taller woman. "I'll start on our dinner then."
"Hold off on the dinner for a while. I have to go and put out the traps after I get the fire going."
"In that case take care of the traps right away and I'll fix the fire."
"Are you sure," Xena asked.
"Sure I'm sure, just bring back some more firewood when you head back."
Xena nodded. "The kindling is in old saddlebag, left side."
"I know."
Xena went over to Argo. "Would you mind unsaddling Argo?" she said over her shoulder. "You don't have to rub her down or anything, I'll take care of that when I return."
"Yes, no problem."
Xena nodded again and started to dig out their traps and snares from the packs while Gabrielle went over to the other side of Argo to retrieve the kindling.
The reckoning
Darkness had fallen while they ate and Xena was watching Gabrielle as she finished the last of her meal. The grilled fish had been a treat after a week of trail rations, and Gabrielle had even managed to make some bread. They didn't usually carry any flour since it was too heavy, but apparently Gabrielle had snuck some into their packs and Xena had chastised her for it. In response the bard had beamed her a smile and handed her a piece of warm bread, well aware that she could have made Xena beg for it.
Xena's eyes refocused on her companion. She watched as the flames from their fire caused shadows to dance across Gabrielle's face. A few strands of golden hair were stuck in the corner of her mouth and Xena reached out and cleared them away. "You had some hair," she said quietly.
Gabrielle smiled. "Thanks, for a second there I though you were going to steal my fish."
Shaking her head, Xena returned the smile. "No, I don't have a death wish, and besides I'm full."
"Me too." Gabrielle dropped the remains of the last fish and started to lick her fingers clean. The bard seemed as happy as Xena had seen her since they started this journey. There were things that needed to be said before Xena could rest comfortably this night, however
"Gabrielle," she said to get her attention. Something in her voice must have registered with her companion. She looked up at once all attention focused on Xena, but didn't say anything. "About this morning." Gabrielle immediately started to say something but Xena wouldn't let her. "No, let me finish. It was wrong of me to use you're herbs without asking, and then I lost my temper for no reason when you pointed it out." She paused to observe Gabrielle's reaction.
The blond woman's face was unreadable. She met Xena's gaze with a thoughtful expression obviously sensing that Xena wasn't finished yet.
"I know I have kept a hard pace this week despite the weather. And then I nearly let you freeze to death doing laundry while I enjoyed myself fishing. I'm sorry for that too." There was a lot more that she had wanted to say but she couldn't quite put it into words.
"Are you finished," Gabrielle asked in a serious voice.
Xena nodded. "Yes."
"Well, first of all. About this morning, I was such a bitch. I wouldn't have blamed you if you slapped me. Seriously, you get up before me, make a fire despite the rain and prepare hot food and all I can do is whine about a few herbs. As for the journey, I agreed to it and the weather is out of our hands. And if you enjoy yourself fishing, good for you. I won't deny that doing the laundry was no fun at all but no one forced me. I did it partly because I felt bad about this morning."
There was a stab of pain in Xena's chest as she realized that Gabrielle had been working in the ice-cold water as a form of atonement because she thought Xena was rightfully angry with her. She knelt down in front of Gabrielle and grabbed her shoulders. "I feel like ten kinds of a jerk for not telling you this earlier. I'm not angry about this morning. We both overreacted, lets leave it at that." She gently caressed Gabrielle's face with one hand. "You're more dear to me than my own flesh. Silly girl, don't you know that." The green eyes opposite her was glittering with reflected firelight and the long lashes above them fluttered momentarily. A wide smile appeared beneath them and then Gabrielle threw her arms around the raven-haired woman and they were hugging like two foundering shipwrecked grasping flotsam.
A warm, lazy feeling had enveloped Xena. She was resting on one elbow while the fingertips of her other hand were tracing intricate patterns across the naked skin of Gabrielle's belly.
"You like my tummy, huh?" Gabrielle said.
"Oh yes." Her gaze glided up to the bard's face. "So, are you going to join the squirrel Amazon tribe now," she asked in a completely serious voice.
Gabrielle's mouth fell open in mock indignation. "There is no such tribe."
"Sure there is and only small and very cute Amazons can join it."
"Well, I'm not that cute," Gabrielle said whimsically.
"Trust me, I've seen some cute Amazons in my days and you're the cutest of them all."
The blond woman raised an eyebrow. "So you're looking at cute Amazons are you?"
"Ah, what I meant to say was..." Xena floundered under the brilliant gaze of her mate.
"If I were you," Gabrielle said meaningfully. "I would think carefully about what I'd say next."
The warrior, ever a woman of action before words, simply leaned down and placed a lingering kiss on Gabrielle's lips.
"That works too," Gabrielle breathed when Xena pulled back.
"I love making up with you," Xena said.
"Mmm, so you wanna have another fight tomorrow?"
"Nope."
"Me neither."
The end