Home for the First Time--Xena's Scroll
“Are you a man?”
“Yes.”
“Are you a man…that I’ve met?”
I grinned at Gabrielle. “Yes, in a manner of speaking.”
“Hmmm…” We walked along the well worn path, the midday sun beating down on us, but this game that Gabrielle had come up with did make the time go faster.
“In a manner of speaking,” she repeated. “There’s a clue in that, isn’t there?”
I shrugged, not willing to give too much away.
I reached for the waterskin on Argo’s saddle, and took a long draught, before offering it to Gabrielle. She held it thoughtfully to her mouth. “Is he normally armed?” she asked.
“Yes.” I made sure my smile never faltered.
“Yes? Okay…uh…did you have something to do with him dying in battle?”
“Nope.”
“No? Then it’s not Goliath.” She was thinking hard as we continued down the road at a leisurely pace. It wasn’t very often that we had no agenda to follow, no places we needed to be, and no people we were supposed to meet up with. When I had told Gabrielle that, she suggested we visit my hometown of Amphipolis. The last time we were there, my mother had asked if we could watch for the sweet pepper called pimento while we were traveling. It was very hard to come by in Amphipolis unless a traveling salesman just happened to be carrying some, and that didn’t happen very often. Gabrielle had bought some a while back at the port town of Namia, and suggested now that it would be a good time to deliver it. Since I didn’t have a better suggestion, I agreed with her.
We were less than a full day from Amphipolis, but the steamy weather had us slowing our pace. Actually, I was grateful for the excuse to maintain a slower pace. I loved these relaxed times alone with Gabrielle as much as I loved a heated battle, and lately, we’d been doing more battling than relaxing.
“Is he good looking?” Gabrielle was asking me.
“Yes, I’d say so,” I answered.
“Is he a warrior?”
“No.”
Argo’s ears were twitching, telling me she sensed there was a source of running water nearby. I winked at my horse, giving her the go ahead to seek out the source. I had a hold on her reins, but gave Argo her head, trusting her.
I had to smile at Gabrielle’s look of concentration. “Well?” I asked her.
“Just a minute,” she said, raising her hand. “I’m thinking. That ‘in a manner of speaking’ has really got me puzzled.
“We’re going to have to start putting a time limit on this game,” I mused, even as I slid an arm around her shoulder and steered her in the proper direction. She was still heading west, while Argo had turned north.
I gathered enough wood for a fire to cook us some super, before telling her I’d only allow her three more questions. I had given her my most seductive smile before telling her, “If you guess correctly, I’ll give you a prize.” I loved watching her eyes light up with excitement at that.
She made us a very filling supper of rabbit stew, and we hardly spoke a word as we ate. I chuckled at her intensity, and at the same time, admired her tenacity. When the meal was over, however, I decided to press the issue.
“Okay,” I said, settling back against a log we were using for a backrest. “Time for the last three questions.”
She finished putting the dishes away in our saddlebags, and then came to sit down on a log beside me. I peered up at her.
“All right,” she said slowly. “You say he’s not a warrior, but he is armed. He doesn’t sing, and he doesn’t own a horse, as far as you know. Right?”
“Right.”
“Okay…if he WERE a warrior, would he fight on the same side as us?”
“Undoubtedly, “ I answered.
“One of the good guys…all right.” She absently stroked over my hair as she continued. “Is he now, or has he ever been married?”
“Nope…and only one question left.”
She blew out a frustrated breath upwards, ruffling her bangs. “One more question…come on, Xena. Can’t I have two more?”
I chuckled up at her. “No, and don’t even try that beseeching expression on me. It’s not going to work…this time.”
She giggled at me, as though she didn’t really believe that, then asked her final question. “Is he mortal?”
I had leaned back into her massaging fingers, my eyes closed, but I sat up a bit now, so I could face her. “A very good question,” I praised her.
“And…”
“And…no…he’s not.”
“He’s not…so he’s immortal…” she drawled. “Immortal…immortal…good looking…armed…but not mortal…” she laughed then, and dropped to her knees on the ground between my legs. “I’ve got it!” she exclaimed. “Cupid!”
“Oh, so close!” I smiled, indicating with my thumb and forefinger just how close she really was. “But you forgot one of the clues….Cupid is married.”
“Oh Hades!” she muttered, slapping her thigh when I pointed that out. She peered up at me from under silken blonde bangs that could use a good trimming. “It’s Baby Bliss, isn’t it?”
“You’ve got it,” I nodded. “Very good, but it took you one extra guess.”
“No, but my first guess was in the right family,” she said, looking up at me hopefully.
I grinned wickedly at her. “Yes, but technically you could have guessed someone like Ares and still have been in the right family.”
“Oh, I hate it when you get…technical.” She sank back on her heels and pouted at me.
I slid down a little against the log. “You seem to like it when I’m thorough,” I leered at her.
She switched gears as easily as I did, and in the dim moonlight, I could see her answering my lewd expression with a blush. “Yeah, you’re right,” she admitted quietly. “Do I get my prize?”
“Oh, aren’t you the sly one?” I shook my head at her. “You didn’t earn it fair and square, but it seems a shame to let it go to waste.”
“Oh good!” She rubbed her hands together and leaned forward to place a quick kiss on my nose.
I bent way over and snagged the straps of my saddlebag. “Close your eyes,” I told her.
She did so immediately, her face glowing with anticipation. It was times like this when I was reminded how young she seemed compared to me. I was only a few seasons older than her, but had long ago lost that youthful exuberance that she was so blessed with.
I took the prize out of my saddlebag, and punctured it with my thumbnail, so its scent would reach her nostrils. I held it just below her nose.
“What do you smell?” I asked her.
She inhaled deeply. “Mmmm…orange!” she exclaimed.
“You can open your eyes, My Beautiful Little Bard,” I told her, not surprised that she had dutifully kept her eyes closed until this point.
“It IS an orange! Where did you get it?”
I shrugged. “I can’t tell you all my secrets.”
She dug her fingers in the orange peel, and quickly had it peeled, pausing a few times to inhale the fragrance. She had confided to me a long time ago that oranges were her favorite fruit, but she hadn’t had one in years, and ever since then, I had been watching for them. When we had been in Namia, I had spotted a ship that had just sailed up from South Africa on its way to Britannia. It hadn’t been hard to talk one of the men into giving me one. Surprisingly, all he’d asked for in return, was a demonstration throw of my chakram.
I watched her dig her thumbs into the fruit and split it in half, but shook my head when she offered part of the orange to me. “No, it’s all for you.”
“No, take it,” she urged. “I couldn’t just sit here and eat it all in front of you…especially when my first guess was wrong.”
I took the offering, but only ate a couple sections as she quickly took care of her half, beaming the whole time. “Thank you, Xena!” she said sweetly, before pushing herself up on her knees and giving me a rather sticky kiss.
“You’re welcome,” I growled, before lunging forward, taking her down on the bedroll behind her. She squealed, but didn’t resist when I pressed a section of orange into her mouth. I proceeded to feed her the rest of the orange in that manner, only tasting a morsel now and then, and most of that was Gabrielle.
When it was all gone, she took my hand in hers, and licked the traces of juices from my fingertips. I felt the erotic suction clear down to my toes. She wrapped her hands around my neck, and pulled my head down to hers, thanking me with her body long into the night.
I let her sleep a bit longer than usual the next morning, but we were on the road to Amphipolis before the sun got too hot. Gabrielle was in an extraordinarily good mood, humming and smiling to herself as we walked.
I took her hand with my free one. “I had no idea an orange would have that long-lasting an effect on you,” I mused, half-serious.
“Oh, it’s not just that,” she replied, giving my hand a firm squeeze, and then pulling it backward so it would settle around her waist. “I’m just happy to be going to Amphipolis, seeing your mother, maybe meeting some of your old friends. And more than that, I’m just happy to be here with you.”
I pulled her a little closer to my side. “And I’m happy to be here with you,” I told her. “It will be good to see Mother, but I’m not sure how many old friends you will find. I didn’t have many.” I paused, and then pressed a quick kiss to the side of her face. “But there’s no place I’d rather be than with you.”
We entered Amphipolis early that afternoon. Even on such a warm day, there was plenty of activity in the city. A few of the people we passed just nodded nervously at me, but for the most part, their greetings were friendly. I was no fool. I knew that was entirely due to Gabrielle’s presence.
After stabling Argo, we made our way directly to my mother’s inn, located near the center of town. Gabrielle gave me a nod, before pulling open the door.
This wasn’t a particularly busy time of day, and the dining room was empty when we entered. “I’ll be there in a minute,” I heard a familiar voice call from the direction of the kitchen.
I grinned at Gabrielle, and plopped myself down at one of the tables, leaning back so I could rest my feet on the edge of the table. I entwined my fingers behind my neck, making myself comfortable.
“You’re gonna get it…”Gabrielle singsonged out of the side of her mouth, watching me.
“I’ll risk it,” I answered.
Mother entered the dining room then, wiping her hands on a towel. Her eyes widened when she took in who her guests were, then she broke into a wide smile. “Xena! Gabrielle! What a surprise! I’m so happy to see you!”
I smiled smugly at Gabrielle when Mother bent to hug my neck, and then, I didn’t bother trying to hide my annoyance when she reached down and gave my feet a shove. “Get your dirty boots off the table, Xena,” she chastised me, before she made her way to Gabrielle.
”Gabrielle, you look wonderful!” she crooned, offering another warm hug.
“Thank you, Cyrene,” Gabrielle replied. “So do you.”
Mother held her at arm’s length for a minute, then said quickly, “Sit down, Dear Girl. Make yourself at home! Are you two hungry?”
“No thanks, we ate a while ago,” I answered.
“Do you have time to talk for a while?” Gabrielle chimed in.
“Sure, I just put a turkey in the oven, “Mother answered. She sat down next to me and took my hand in hers. “So what do I owe the pleasure of this visit to?” she asked.
We talked for the better part of an hour. Well, Gabrielle and Mother did most of the talking, but I added a comment here and there to show I was paying attention. Gabrielle told Mother of several of our most recent adventures including our time with Ulysses. I tensed up a bit at that, but she gave me a warm look, silently assuring me she wouldn’t be getting into some of the more sordid details. I surprised myself when I realized I almost wanted her to tell my mother the rest of the story…how I had pretended to have a romantic interest in Ulysses, only because I wanted to make Gabrielle jealous. When that had backfired, we had run into trouble with the Horde, and I had been so appalled at my own actions that I was convinced I was incapable of giving Gabrielle the kind of love she deserved.
And yet, my love for her raged even hotter, and it seemed my every waking moment was filled with fantasies of showing her how much I wanted her. Little did I know, there was an identical fire raging inside Gabrielle, yet she was too afraid I could never return her feelings. It wasn’t until we were placed in a situation in a tavern in Pergos, did our true feelings find their way to the surface. And it was Gabrielle who had taken the first real step. Once she had done so, however, I stepped right off the abyss with her, and since then, I had learned what loving someone, truly loving someone, was all about.
That had only been about a month ago, and I had quickly discovered the sex with her was the most exciting and arousing I’ve ever experienced. Each time still had a “first time” quality to it, but in some ways, it felt like Gabrielle and I had been together forever. All my life, I had been searching for her; but I had no way of knowing that until we were together. Then the void that had afflicted my heart was suddenly overflowing, and it added the first twinge of contentment to my life that I ever honestly felt, at least since I was a very small child…
“Xena, are you in there?”
I suddenly realized my mother was shaking my arm. I was sitting there staring at Gabrielle with a goofy smile. She wrinkled her nose at me, understanding, as I turned to look at my mother.
“I’m fine,” I told her, hoping that would answer whatever question she had obviously just asked me.
“I can see that,” Mother replied thoughtfully, darting her eyes from me to Gabrielle and back to me again. She gave us a small smile, then said, “I suggested you and Gabrielle go upstairs and get settled in your rooms. You can get a bath before suppertime if you like. Gabrielle says you’re planning on staying at least a couple of days.”
I raised an eyebrow toward Gabrielle. This was the first I had heard about that, but I could have expected it. Gabrielle seemed as excited to visit Amphipolis as she was whenever we visited her own hometown of Potodeia.
I stood and picked up our saddlebags. “My usual room, Mother?” I asked.
“Yes, Dear,” she replied. “And Gabrielle, you can have the room just across the hall. Xena will show you to it.”
“But-“ Gabrielle had just opened her mouth to protest, but Mother had already disappeared inside the kitchen again.
“Xena,” she said. “Do you think we should have told her?”
We had discussed telling my mother we were lovers. I didn’t really think she would be upset by the news: my mother seemed to be able to handle just about anything. But Gabrielle didn’t seem comfortable with the idea, and I didn’t want to push her. Being in an intimate relationship with another female was still new to her, and I didn’t want to do anything to make her feel overwhelmed.
I threw the saddlebags over my left shoulder and took Gabrielle’s hand in my own right one. “It’ll be okay,” I told her. “It’s only for a night or two, and we’ll find a way to be together.”
She didn’t look very confident, but she nodded, and allowed me to lead her upstairs.
I showed her to her room, and left her to unpack while I went to my own. Although Mother’s inn kept fairly busy, she never rented out my room, or the room my brothers had shared for that matter, so my room looked virtually as it had when I had left home. Gods, I had only been seventeen.
I didn’t look around for very long; on the contrary, I grabbed a fresh pair of breeches and a clean shift from my saddlebag, and went across the hall to Gabrielle’s room. “We could haul a bathtub up here,” I told her. “But I know a better spot where we can get a bath in private.”
“Sounds good.” She kept the towels and the soap in her saddlebag, so I picked it up and shoved my underclothes in it, before we headed back downstairs.
Mother wasn’t in the dining room or the kitchen when we came back downstairs. “Maybe she’s in her room,” Gabrielle suggested.
“I’m out here, Girls!” I heard my mother’s voice from outside. I rolled my eyes at the “girls” comment, and followed the sound of her voice.
Mother was out on the front porch, sitting in a rocker I had built years ago.
“Whatcha doing, Mother?” I asked her.
She fanned herself with the back of her hand. “It was getting stuffy in the kitchen,” she answered, “So I came out here to get some fresh air. It’s not much better out here, though, is it? What are you two up to?”
I realized I was still holding Gabrielle’s hand, but I released it suddenly. Mother didn’t act as if she had noticed. “I’m going to show Gabrielle around a bit,” I answered. “We’ll be back in an hour or so.”
“All right. Supper will be right at sundown.”
“Okay, see ya,” Gabrielle and I waved goodbye, and I led her toward the stable.
“Your mother is so wonderful,” Gabrielle said, as we entered the structure.
I patted Argo’s neck, and then began to saddle her. “Yeah, she’s put with a lot from me,” I answered. “Most other mothers wouldn’t have been able to forgive me for the things I have done.”
Once Argo was saddled, I climbed on her back and reached down for Gabrielle’s hand. I swung her up in the saddle behind me.
“Why are we riding?” she asked me. “Is it far?”
“Not real far…just secluded. But what’s the point of taking a bath if you get all hot and sweaty on the way back? Besides, I thought Argo would enjoy the trip. She always enjoyed the spot too.”
“Sounds good to me,” she said, resting the side of her head against my back.
It took less than ten minutes to arrive in the woods. Argo remembered the path well, and didn’t complain when she got some burrs from the thick underbrush. A few twists and turns, and the path opened to a clearing. The river ran right through it, and there were several flat rocks just at the shoreline, half submerged in the water.
“It’s just the way I remember it,” I said, helping Gabrielle down from Argo. I glanced at the circle we used to use for a campfire. “It doesn’t look like anyone else had been here since I was last.”
Gabrielle pirouetted to check out her surroundings. “It’s lovely,” she smiled at me. “Is this where you used to sneak away with your boyfriends?” she asked me, with a glint of mischief in her eye.
I knew she was just teasing, and I worked up a return smile for her benefit. “No, this is where Lyceus and I used to sneak away and practice our sword-fighting,” I answered. “Lyceus, Argo, and I were the only ones who knew about it.”
It was the simple truth, and I never expected my words to have such an effect on her. She stared at me, open-mouthed for a minute. “You’re serious,” she said finally.
“Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?” I asked, confused by her expression.
She walked up to me then, and laid both her hands on my right arm. I looked down, and as always, was captivated by her emerald gaze. “You shared this spot only with your brother; the person you love more than anyone else in the world. I’m honored that you shared it with me.”
I was somewhat taken aback by this. I had never given a second thought to bringing Gabrielle here. I knew she’d appreciate the beauty of the spot, and looked forward to having a little privacy with her here. I suddenly remembered the specific words she had used.
“I love Lyceus with all my heart,” I told her, slowly. I searched for the right words. Speaking from my heart was definitely not my strong suit, but I was willing to give it my best effort. “He was my best friend, and he would support me when no one else believed in me. He laughed at my jokes, encouraged me when I was down, and never judged me for the kind of person I was. I’ve never known another person like him.”
Gabrielle nodded, smiling. She had heard all this before, I know, but I was finally ready to tell her the rest. I reached under her chin and lifted it so I could look deeply into her yes. “Until you,” I concluded.
She wrinkled her brow and stared at me, trying to figure out what I was saying. “Huh?” she said finally.
I chuckled at her. “Gabrielle, you remindd me of Lyceus in a lot of ways. You share many qualities with him. I never thought I’d be able to love anyone else in any way after he died, but I was wrong. And my love for you runs much deeper than the love I had for my brother. It makes my heart beat faster whenever you come near me, makes me catch my breath whenever I think of you, and makes me desire you constantly. I’ve never felt that way with anyone else, Gabrielle. I never knew that kind of love existed…at least for me…” I trailed off, embarrassed I had gone on too much.
Gabrielle continued to stare at me, her eyes wide and her mouth gaping. I began to feel a little uncomfortable under her scrutiny, and released her chin, intending to back away. She stopped me, wrapping her arms around my neck. She tugged hard, forcing me to bend so I was once again looking her in the eye.
“Thank you, Xena,” she whispered, and I was surprised to see her eyes were sparkling with moisture. “That was the most beautiful thing that anyone has ever said to me. And coming from you, well, I know you would never lie to me, not about something like that.” Her hands left the back of my neck, and she had my face between her palms. “And I want you to know, I feel exactly the same way about you. I love you, My Warrior Princess.”
Warmth surged through my body when she whispered those words to me. “And I love you, My Bard,” I replied before finally covering her lips with my own.
We stood there for a moment, in the clearing, our mouths pressed together in a long tender kiss. Gabrielle’s hands had moved behind my head again, and she was holding me to her as though she were afraid I was suddenly going to pull away. I had my own hands rubbing over her lower back, stroking the firm flesh. I had no intention of ruining the intimacy of this moment.
When we had to break for air, Gabrielle’s eyes glowed into mine. “I never knew kissing could be so…stimulating,” I had to smile at that. I had felt a little stimulation of my own from just her gentle lips on mine.
“It can be with the right person,” I answered, brushing a bit of her hair behind her ear.
“There’s no doubt who the right person is,” she told me. “Because right now, I’m feeling very stimulated.”
I released her and said, “Don’t move. I’m going to make you feel even more stimulated.”
She did as I said, standing still as I removed my weapons, then my armor and boots. My battle dress was next, then I approached her again.
“Lift.” She dutifully raised her arms so I could pull her blouse from her head. I unfastened the ties on her skirt, and she shimmied out of it. She put her hands on my shoulders as I helped her step out of her boots, one at a time. That left her clad only in her panties.
It hadn’t been that long ago that I had to convince her I wanted her to undress for me. She always seemed eager to see my naked body, but wasn’t nearly as eager to let me see hers. But after a lot of coaxing, cajoling, even a little threatening, she finally began to realize that I did indeed find her body beautiful and very desirable.
It was more than merely beautiful to me, her compact height just served to lend her more curves, and right now, I had sunk to my knees my hands were stroking over the curves of her calves. She had been in decent shape when she began traveling with me, but after two years, she had become amazingly toned. Her abdominals where the most gloriously defined I have ever seen. And her breasts…perfectly shaped mounds of flesh that had to have been designed specifically to fill my mouth. While my areolas and nipples were dark red, hers were a soft pink, and I loved the way they were so exquisitely sensitive. I sat up on my knees at her feet now, and I moved my fingers from her calves up over her thighs, watching the muscles tense there. I could smell the fragrance of her arousal, despite the barrier of her underwear. I let my fingers grab her ass and gave her a firm squeeze before continuing up her body. She was looking down at me, her eyes half-closed in pleasure. I strummed my fingers across her back, and up under her arms which made her giggle, for she was extremely ticklish there. She bent down toward me, trying to get me to pull away from her underarms. I considered tormenting her for a while longer, but didn’t want to . I wanted to taste her.
I let my fingers meander down her ribs, and cross to her naked breasts. My hands cupped the silky flesh, and my palms rubbed gently against her nipples. My face, which was at waist level suddenly pressed forward, so my nose was pressed into the moist crotch of her cream-colored panties. I loved hearing the gasp she uttered in response to my abrupt movements. Then her hands went to the sides of my head, slightly holding me to her, her fingers stroking me the whole time.
I sucked hard against the cloth, sucking out her juices that had soaked in and then siphoning fresh ones directly from her. One of my fingers slipped beneath the leg band, and brushed over her plump outer labia. That earned another moan, and her legs started to buckle. I helped her to kneel on the ground, but kept her from laying all the way down. Instead, I did that, so I was looking directly up at the wet spot in her panties.
I grasped her waist, and pulled so she was sitting on my face. She shivered heavily when I nibbled at her still-covered flesh. I let my sharp teeth pinch her sensitive folds, holding her firmly to me when she tried to jump free. I kept at it, making sure I occasionally caught hold of her clit, until she screamed her climax out. She lifted off me, and was reaching for my shift. I know she was intending to repay my actions, but once I was naked, I scooped her up in my arms, underwear and all, and was walking into the river with her. “We came here for a bath, remember?” I asked her with a wicked grin, before I dumped her into the water. She came up spluttering, then swept one of her legs behind mind, knocking me off balance into the water beside her. I could hear her giggling even as I surfaced.
After we bathed, she urged me to lay out on one of the rocks, and she instantly buried her head between my thighs. Of all the ways we had made love, this seemed to be her favorite, even more than she loved my orally pleasuring her. The river water had washed away my earlier arousal which had bubbled abundantly out of me while making love to her. Now, my juices were quickly being replaced as my pussy pumped out more liquid. I couldn’t resist reaching down and slipping a finger into my tingling cleft. I brought it up to my nose to deeply inhale the scent, and as her pursed lips sucked the climax out of me, I sucked the finger in, tasting what she was tasting. I growled my fulfillment as my thighs clamped around her ears briefly, involuntarily. When they relaxed, without a beat, she began again, this time sliding three fingers inside me while her tongue licked back and forth over my erection. “Gabrielle,” I groaned, as the pleasure rapidly mounted once more.
A while later, we reluctantly got dressed and started back toward Mother’s inn. Our lovemaking had been wonderful, and our climaxes extremely satisfying, but we were both aware that the other’s desires weren’t fully met. But we had promised Mother we’d be there for supper, and the sun would be setting soon. We didn’t want to disappoint her.
There were several customers in the dining room tonight, and as we entered, I told Gabrielle I was going to help Mother serve. She smiled gently at me. “Go ahead and sit down, Xena. I think I’ll be of more help to your mother than you would.”
I recognized what she was saying immediately, and gave up without a struggle. “I’ll save you a seat,” I told her gratefully.
After a wonderful supper, during which I realized how much I missed my mother’s cooking, Gabrielle and I convinced Mother we’d take care of the dishes. I began to wash, as Gabrielle made the repeated trips to the dining room to retrieve the dishes.
After we’d been working about fifteen minutes, Gabrielle approached me with a sparkle of mischief in her eye.
“What is it?” I asked her, glad for the excuse to take a break.
“Come with me, Xena,” she said, holding out her hand to take mine. “I want to show you something.”
Of course, I let her take my left hand and lead me back into the dining room. Looking around, I didn’t see anything amiss, and then I noticed where Gabrielle’s eyes were focused. She was looking through the big window to the right of the front door, and I’m sure I held my breath when I saw what she was gazing at. My mother was standing in the street, talking to a man I didn’t recognize. She was smiling up into his eyes, and they had both hands intertwined with the other’s.
“Looks like you and your mother are both keeping secrets,” Gabrielle said to me quietly.
I gave her hand a squeeze. “Yeah,” I answered. “I wonder if we are as obvious as they are?”
She shrugged…”I dunno.” We watched for a few more seconds, and then I felt the need to pull away.
“Is something wrong?” Gabrielle asked, when I made my way across the dining room back toward the kitchen.
“No,” I smiled at her, opening the kitchen door for her to enter first. “I just didn’t feel right watching my mother in that situation.”
Gabrielle nodded before I turned back to the sink. She leaned back against it for a moment, just watching me. “What?” I asked her.
She shrugged at me again. “You’re acting kind of funny about what we just saw. Just trying to figure out what was going in that beautiful head of yours.”
I realized I was frowning, and made a conscious effort to relax my expression. “I’m just kind of surprised, that’s all,” I answered. “But to be honest, I don’t really know what to think.”
Gabrielle nodded. “I understand,” she said. “Maybe this is a new development for your mother too…and she just hasn’t gotten round to telling us yet.”
“Could be.” I washed a plate, and then said, “If she wants us to know, she’ll tell us, right?”
“Right,” Gabrielle answered. “I’ll go get the rest of the dishes.”
“Okay.” As we continued to work, I tried not to concentrate too much on what we had seen. I certainly wasn’t one to jump to conclusions, and I didn’t want to do it under these circumstances in particular. Besides, my mother was a grown woman, and it really was none of my business if she was involved with someone. I think.
I grinned ruefully when I realized I didn’t have a clue how to handle this situation. It was totally new to me.
After a couple more trips, Gabrielle told me she was done, and began to dry. I know she kept looking at me out of the corner of her eye, but my mind was too busy thinking to make conversation. She must have understood, because she was silent as well.
Mother came in a while later, and smiled at the both of us. “Thank you very much you two, but you really didn’t have to do that.”
“It was our pleasure, Cyrene,” Gabrielle spoke up. “And the least we could do for letting us just drop in unannounced.”
“You’re family!” Mother exclaimed. “You are supposed to drop in unannounced. I just wish the two of you would do it more often!”
“Thanks, Mother,” I smiled at her. I set down the towel I had been using to help Gabrielle dry, and looked at Gabrielle. “I’ve got to go brush down Argo,” I told her. “Do you want to come with me?”
“Sure.” Gabrielle set down her drying towel as well, and pulled off the towel she had tucked in her waistband to protect her clothes. She had laughingly claimed she didn’t trust me around water.
“I’ll see you two in the morning,” Mother said then. “I’ve gotten up early the last few mornings, and I’m pretty well beat. You two will be okay getting settled in for the night, won’t you?”
“Sure,” I said, giving my mother a kiss on the cheek. “We’ll see you in the morning, and I’ll start on some of those repairs you mentioned earlier today.”
“Now, Xena, you and Gabrielle are here to enjoy yourselves and get a much needed rest,” she protested. “I wasn’t hinting I wanted you to fix anything up around here.”
“I want to do it, Mother,” I answered. Gabrielle nodded, understanding why I said that, and then gave my mother a kiss on the opposite cheek.
“We’ll see you in the morning,” she said sweetly.
Argo was glad to see us, as some of the burrs in her coat were pretty tangled up. Gabrielle groomed one side of her, while I took care of the other. Thunder was rolling in, and there was a change in the air. The temperature dropped significantly in the fifteen minutes we spent in the stables, as the wind picked up.
While we worked, I told Gabrielle about Will, the old guy who used to own the stables. Growing up, he was one of the people I enjoyed spending time with most. I already knew how to ride adequately, but Will had taught me that the more time you spent with your horse, the better the animal would come to understand you. I would have liked to have seen him again, so I could tell him he had been very right. Argo was the only companionship I had for days on end sometimes, and she certainly understood me better than anyone, except for Gabrielle.
We finished up with Argo, and walked back to the inn. “I think the rain’s going to miss us,” I told Gabrielle, as I looked up at the sky. The thunder was already growing more distant.
“At least the weather cooled off,” she answered. “It’s almost chilly out now.”
“Yeah, it’s nice.” We held hands as we walked, but even as we climbed the stairs toward our bedrooms, we just couldn’t muster up much conversation. The hallway was dark, except for a candle burning at each end of it. Mother always kept those lit for guests who might need to go out for something in the dark hours of the morning.
I walked Gabrielle into her room, finally releasing her hand. Mother had lit a candle in each of our rooms as well, and had turned down the bed covers. “Want me to start a fire for you?” I asked, feeling the chill start to creep over the room.
“No, no, I’ll be fine,” she answered. She pulled a quilt up from the foot of the bed, over the length of it, then turned to face me. “I guess I’ll see you in the morning?” she asked, not looking terribly happy at the prospect.
“Yep, first thing…we’ll sneak off for a while before I start helping Mother.”
For a moment, we just stood there, both not wanting to let the other out of her sight, but finally, she took the initiative, and gave me a quick kiss. She smiled at me, and I smiled back, knowing she wasn’t angry with me for our sleeping arrangements. I gave her a kiss of my own, then turned to cross the hall and entered my own room.
I stripped down to my shift, and washed my face and hands before climbing into bed. Instantly, my body relaxed in the familiar comfort of its confines. I had always loved this bed, and felt a pang when I realized how much I had been looking forward to having Gabrielle experience it as well. The thought had never occurred to us that Mother might not put us in the same room, but telling Mother why we preferred those arrangements would have been too revealing for Gabrielle. I could put up with sleeping alone as long as she could.
I was awakened from a sound sleep by a tiny noise, and I barely moved my head so I could see the door. Sure enough, it was stealthily opening, and then I saw a blonde headed apparition tiptoeing into the room.
I watched her out of the corner of my eyes as she hesitantly approached the bed, and then stopped near the head of it. I wanted to laugh with joy at the unsure expression on her face, but I thought it might startle her. We needed to be quiet.
“Did the room get colder than you thought?” I whispered. She jumped at my sudden speaking, but she didn’t seem overly concerned or surprised.
“No…it’s just…I couldn’t sleep knowing you were right across the hall.” She gave me a little half-smile, as though she were embarrassed to admit it.
The irony that I could sleep that night, while she couldn’t, didn’t escape me, but I didn’t bring it up either. “Come on,” I said, lifting up the edge of the covers.
She gave a little happy noise as she hopped into bed with me, and slid her arms around my neck. “Thank you,” she beamed. “That is so much better!”
I had to agree with her about that, and pulled her tighter against me, savoring the velvety firmness of her body. “Yeah, it is,” I told her. I gave her a long, gentle kiss, then urged her to cuddle up against me. Even with the barrier of my shift and her clothes, the feeling of her body against mine sent tingles through me. Remembering where I was, I calmed myself down for sleep.
“Thank you,” I heard her whisper again, and then her breath took on the deep regularity of sleep. I let the sound of it lull me back to sleep.
I’m not sure how long I slept this time, but I’m sure I became wide awake when Gabrielle pulled herself away from my embrace. “What’s going on?” I asked her.
“Just getting more comfortable,” she answered, and I was surprised to hear her clear voice not sounding sleepy at all. She had obviously been awake for a while.
I rolled over on my side to see what “getting more comfortable” consisted of. I’ve got to admit, I approved heartily when I saw it involved taking off her shirt, and then her skirt and panties. She was soon naked, and my eyes were riveted to the hard points of her breasts. Her nipples had tightened and constricted until they appeared darker and smaller than usual. I licked my lips as I locked eyes with her.
“Let’s get you more comfortable too,” she said then, and I didn’t protest when she grasped the hem of my shift, and pulled it up and off my body. I had skipped wearing breeches to bed, and was suddenly, as naked as she was.
“What now?” I asked, noting the hardness of my own nipples were well on their way to rivaling hers. Something in her confident actions was very intriguing and arousing to me.
“I want you to touch me, Xena,” she answered, her voice shaky with emotion. “I want you to make love to me, right here in your bedroom in Amphipolis.”
Something in her mannerisms told me she had been thinking about this nonstop since I had agreed to travel with her to Amphipolis, and I wasn’t about to let her down. I reached out, and gently ran my hand up her arm, and onto one of her breasts. I cupped it in my palm, feeling the erect nipple poke into it.
I rolled over a little more, so my head was very near hers. “Are you sure about this, My Love?” I felt obligated to ask her. “My mother is only a couple of doors down, you know.”
“I know,” she answered. “But I can’t think of anything else. Please, Xena.”
Her voice was taking on a pleading tone, that wasn’t really necessary. I would be more than happy to make love to her anywhere, but she could be so shy at times, I held back from some of my crazier desires. The hungry look in her eyes convinced me that she really wanted this, and I let my lips lower to hers.
She moved her mouth beneath mine eagerly, and licked her lips over my own as I opened my mouth and deepened the kiss. My hand began to stroke the smoothness of her breast, as I scooted in closer to her.
“Do you want me to use my mouth?” I asked her, when the kiss had ended. My hand sought out her other breast, bringing the same amount of stimulation to it.
“Yes,” she whispered back, her eyes searching mine. “On my mouth…I want your fingers inside me, Xena…please.”
That kind of surprised me at first, but as I stroked down over her stomach, I heard a moan well up in her throat, which she effectively silenced by dragging my mouth to hers again. She was very clever, my bard.
I slid my fingers lower still, and lifted her left thigh so she was rolling on her side and draping it over my waist. From underneath, my fingers brushed up over her entrance. I loved the feeling of swallowing down the hiss that slipped from her throat.
She was sopping, as I had expected, and I began to penetrate her more and more with each pass of my fingers over her vagina. Her hips moved in rhythm with me, pushing toward me in an effort to get me to move faster. I took my time for now though, just reveling in the silky heat of her wet pussy, tasting the sounds of pleasure that she was emitting.
I pulled my lips from hers, and plunged my face into the soft flesh of her neck, licking and stroking her in tandem with what I was doing to her cunt. I had to hear at least a few of the sounds she was making, before she got too vocal.
“Oh gods, Xena…please don’t tease me,” she was mumbling almost immediately, her hips pressing harder into my hand now. Her own fingers came down to grasp either of my nipples, and she gave them an emphatic twisting motion.
I grinned and nipped at her skin just above her collarbone, and then I gave her what I wanted, letting my thumb come up to stroke over the hardened nub of her clit while I continued to plunge two fingers in her repeatedly. She mewled and squirmed out her approval, and I pressed a little harder into her clit, working it against her pubic bone.
I released her flesh from my teeth. “How’s that?” I asked her.
“Mmm yeah, just like that,” she replied, and her eyes were closing as she bared her teeth in an effort to stifle her sounds.
I felt an answering tension building in my own cunt as I stroked her womanhood, but she was too close to the edge for me to do anything about that right now. I watched as her breathing grew uneven and she released my nipples to wrap her arms around my shoulders. A delicate ear was suddenly near my mouth, and I whispered the now familiar words into it, “Come for me, Gabrielle.”
And she did as I commanded, her body jerking violently against mine as her thigh tightened itself around my waist and her pussy danced on my fingers. She gave a loud shriek before I could help her control it, but it was brief, and then she just gasped for air as I started in on her neck again. This time, it tasted sweaty from the perspiration of her efforts.
Her leg eventually slipped from over me, and she laid back flat on her back, humming softly to herself. As I continued to lick and suck at the flesh of her neck, she wound her fingers through the hair at the back of my neck, and kneaded the skin there, thanking me with her actions.
I was just gearing up for round two, when I heard the unmistakable sound of a door being opened. I froze where I was, when I realized it was Gabrielle’s, across the hall, and then I heard my mother’s voice. “Uh oh,” I whispered to Gabrielle.
Her eyes came open, and then widened considerably when she heard the sound of my own door being opened. I heard my mother call out Gabrielle’s name.
Slowly, I lifted my head from Gabrielle, and turned my head so I could look my mother in the eye. Gabrielle would be obscured by the shadows of the covers bunched up around us. “Gabrielle’s fine, Mother,” I told her. “Go back to bed.”
I saw my mother stare at me, slightly shocked and confused. I don’t what made her suddenly realize what was going on, but I will never forget the serene smile that suddenly slid over her features. “All right…sorry to bother you two,” she said finally, and she turned and left my room, without another word.
I could feel the heat radiating from Gabrielle’s face as I turned again, and faced her. She had flushed red with abject embarrassment as I expected, but she honestly didn’t look too distressed. “Are you okay?” I asked her.
I felt her fingers stroke over the cleft of my ass, and then her index finger was probing the entrance to my throbbing vagina. “Yes,” she answered, “and now it’s my turn to touch you.” I made myself more comfortable atop her as I allowed her to do what she wanted.
COMING NEXT WEEK: Xena and Cyrene discuss the secrets they’ve both been keeping, and Xena introduces Gabrielle to an old friend, as the bard learns more about the warrior princess’s past.
Gabrielle's Scroll
The Xena and Gabrielle XXX Scrolls Page 2
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