Making Amends --Xena's Scroll

I wish I could just make myself forget my last six days of existence. Despite the constancy of the physical pain, it was the mental anguish that made me want to erase my immediate past.


I hadn’t been truly warm ever since I was pitched down here in this gods forsaken cesspool. Even when I had been dragged upstairs for the mockery of a trial, it hadn’t been long enough to get the feeling restored to my limbs. I managed to keep the shivers at bay, but that’s just because I didn’t want to give Ming T’ien or Gabrielle the satisfaction of seeing me suffering.. They might read them as…signals for something else…


She had betrayed me. Gabrielle had betrayed me. I know we were having troubles in our relationship, but I thought the love she felt for me surely matched the depth of my own. I had left for Chin, wondering what I needed to do to get our life back in order. I was determined above all else, to make it work. And I stupidly had assumed that Gabrielle would feel the same way.

But when she had somehow managed to reach Chin ahead of me, and had shown up in Ming’s bedroom, with a “I’m sorry, Xena. I couldn’t let you do this” as an explanation, I knew I had been fooling myself.


I thought I had seen regret in her eyes, at least when I first saw her, but now, after being in this dungeon the past few days, I was sure I hadn’t. In fact, the more I felt the wounds on my legs and back fester in the dampness, the more convinced I became that she had actually looked vindictive when she surprised me.

Now, in the near darkness of this Tartarus on Earth, other thoughts were starting to come unbidden to me. The last two times we had sex, we were both so out of synchronization with one another. Either she and I were stopping in the middle of the act for one reason or another, and although that had never happened before, and could easily be a temporary problem, it was having a long-lasting effect on me. Let’s face it, if we weren’t sexually compatible anymore, I didn’t have any hope with Gabrielle. Sexually was the one way I could always count on myself to be expressive in.


I heard the tell-tale splash and moan that told me someone had lost their balance with the huge wooden square around their neck and fallen into the filthy water. That was a fairly common occurrence as the mobile stocks were very heavy and at least two people had drowned since I had been there. I suppose that would be the fate awaiting me, if I allowed it.


Why had she screamed at me, then slapped me in an effort to make me talk? My gentle little Gabrielle seemed to be gone, and in her place was a hateful, hurtful yet still achingly beautiful young woman. Without even having to pause, my thoughts turned to the room I was in earlier. It was the room where I had been fitted for my wooden collar. Ming T’ien had barked at Gabrielle to leave us there, and she had done so after speaking in a low voice with him, although her eyes had nervously flitted around the room while they whispered. I was taking in the room myself…seeing the wooden square wooden planks lined along one wall. They were held snugly in some sort of frame, and I had seen their use before. They could be used as stocks, locking a person inside them and holding their heads so they couldn’t see what was happening behind them. Their arms and legs would remain free to be positioned however the punisher saw fit, and would flail uselessly as they were tortured.

Along the opposite wall…my eyes had caught a more conventional stock…a narrower board that had holes removed for both the victims neck and hands, but allowed the person locked inside to see more of what was happening to them. Either contraption built the fear effectively, but the square restraints had more permanence as well as more mobility, and I hadn’t been surprised when that’s where Ming T’ien had led me to them. I had never worn them before, but had seen enough hunchbacked remnants to know they were devastating.

Since I still had my hands still tied behind my back, Ming T’ien and two of his men had easily bent my head to rest my neck against the bottom half of the wood, and I heard the click as the upper piece was lowered to fit against it. There was the sound of the lock being slid into place, and then my hands were released. They dangled uselessly at my side as I stared at the blank wall ahead of me, trying to hear what was happening behind me.

I heard Ming hiss out the words in his native language, and then felt the first touch of a lash at my back. It was a whip of Chinese design…a short handled broad strap that had been split into many smaller strips, each with a small weight secured at the end. It hurt like Tartarus, and the whip handler was soon opening a myriad of tiny cuts along my upper thighs and lower back. He was avoiding my backside though, and for that, I was almost grateful.

The whipping stopped after a while, and I felt the whip handle rubbing over the wounds it created on my legs. A hand had just fondled against my crotch when again I heard Ming give some terse statements…my limited knowledge of his natural language told me I was safe from any sexual abuse at his command…apparently, I was considered unworthy, even for his soldiers.


But I certainly didn’t find Gabrielle unworthy of my sexual demands. Perched on my rock, I rubbed my hands together as I pictured breaking free of my imprisonment, and searching the palace until I found her all snug in a bed somewhere thinking she was all safe and secure. It didn’t matter to me if it were day or night outside…it was always dark in my fantasies, and I would pounce on her in her bed, clamping a hand to her mouth to keep her from crying out.

I know she would be afraid when she took in my condition…the very fact that I wouldn’t try to dress or clean the muck off my body would tell her I wasn’t in my right mind. I wanted that…wanted to see the fear as I forced her over on her stomach and slid the sash from the exquisite robe Ming had given her as part of the deal. I would wrap it around her hands and tie them, before ripping off a bit of bed sheet and using it as a gag. Yes, that would do nicely.

Then, so she would know what her punishment would consist of, I would take the sash that held her hands and roll her over again, drawing it tight between her legs. It would become a leash, as I would lead her down the hallway to the room where I had been whipped.

With no tie to hold it, her robe would work its way open by the time we arrived, and I would see her light flesh underneath. Once the door was secured, I would turn on my heel and stare at her body for a long time. I know my own body would react by growing wetter, my clit would swell and fill with blood…it was a natural reaction. But would her own cunt be wet? Would she think I was playing with her?

I wouldn’t untie the gag until I had her body firmly locked in the stocks. Only then would I drop the sash and reach up to pull the silencer from her mouth. She would gasp as the cloth tie continued to stay embedded against the length of her cunt even when she spread her legs and tried to shake it free…I would have it pulled so tightly against her it would be partially embedded in the soft valley of her cunt.

The minute she tried to defend herself, and I had no doubt she would, I would pull violently on the hair sticking through the neck hole, and the back of her head would knock painfully against the wood of the stocks. My voice would wash over her…”Shut your mouth, you traitorous little whore…the only reason I took out the gag was to hear you scream. If you insist on trying to talk, I’ll shut you up permanently.”

Her gasp of shock would tell me she’d realize this wasn’t a game, and that I had truly lost my mind. She’d whimper then, terrified of what I was going to do to her. It would just make my cunt juices flow harder.

Gods, with her bent halfway over like this, my urge to hurt her would be overridden by the demanding pounding between my legs. I’d have to relieve myself before I could get on to returning some of what Ming had given me.

She’d moan slightly when she’d feel me reach for the hem of the robe and lift, uncovering her lower half to my prying eyes. I’d see her buttocks quiver with fear…and then I’d see the extent of her arousal…the juices would be running down her thighs. Despite the fact that she was terrified, she could never deny that she was excited by me, even when I was mistreating her like this.

Very gently and deceptively I’d run my fingers over the delicate flesh that had brought me so many experiences of sheer pleasure. Her thighs would be taut in this awkward position, but even so, they would be velvety smooth…twitching…enticing…calling out to me.

“Ungh!” The cry would wrench from me as I thrust forward with my hips, my clit straining in its effort to make contact with her ass cheek. I’d readjust my stance, spreading my legs, and then the blissful connection would be made…and I’d begin thrusting hard against her butt, leaving muddy trails of arousal and my imprisonment on her pristine flesh that was now imprisoned.

“Nice…” I could hear myself hiss…”I’ve always wanted my own fuck toy…this is SO good…” My statements would be punctuated by guttural growls of the animal pleasure the act would bring me…as I nearly knocked her off-balance with the force of my actions. “I’m going to leave you here Gabrielle, fastened in the stocks…while I take care of Ming and his household…” My pussy would galvanize then, as I would play over in my mind of doing just that…leaving her restrained and wanting…afraid and curious… I would cover her body with mine, wrapping my hands over the top of the stocks and entwining my fingers with hers.

My mouth would be near her ear. I’d nip the lobe and then whisper…”And then I’ll be back…to play with my toy some more…”


The sound of one of my fellow inmates coughing violently abruptly kept me from letting my mind wander to the next part of the fantasy. I snapped to awareness, immediately aware of my current position again. It was amazing how the simple pleasures in life could become so important to you, and I was in the process of trying to reach a serious itch in my nose, when I heard the cell door open. I was shocked to see Gabrielle hop down into the filth, and stand there for a second no doubt trying to keep from getting nauseous from the smell, before she made her way toward me.

I quickly turned my head and stared before me, trying to maintain the hatred in my heart that was so prevalent just a couple of minutes before. I reminded myself why I was in this horrible place, hurting both physically and mentally. I told myself over and over again it was all Gabrielle’s fault.

But as she slowly approached me, tears and regret in her eyes, I knew I was just kidding myself into trying to believe she really meant to hurt me. I knew without a doubt that she had been trying to do what she was thought was right for everyone involved. She was trying to save Ming T'ien’s life, and at the same time, trying to save me the consequences of causing a death that she couldn’t see warranted. She was trying to save me from my own guilt that was sure to follow. The shame I suddenly felt at imagining taking her captive hit me like a heavy fist to the stomach, and I couldn’t look at her at first, as I tried to fight down my own nausea.

“Can we talk?” I heard her ask, and she continued. “Of course, not, I betrayed you. The pathetic thing is…I thought I was saving you. My reverence in life kept a brutal tyrant in power and led to my best friend’s execution. I know you hate me, Xena…no more than I hate myself.”

Her words tugged at my heart. She spoke them in a shaky voice, and I could feel the emotion behind them. She was telling me the absolute truth, except for one thing, which she should have realized. I didn’t hate her and there was no way I could let her go on hating herself.

My neck had stiffened so that it was almost impossible for me to turn my head while in my captivity, so I painfully made my way off the rock and turned my entire body so I was facing her. Still lacking the courage to look her in the eye just yet, I instead decided to try for the light approach, at the same time, hopefully, get some relief of one of the least of my troubles.


“Scratch my nose, will ya?” I finally said.

I expected a smile, but not the half smile, half sob she gave as I urged her again, and then she did as I requested. Just the touch of her fingers moving so eagerly to please that simple need sunk straight through the anguish in my heart, and then her hand cupped my cheek, giving me the first feeling of warmness I had experienced in days. The board shifted positions, and Gabrielle grabbed at the edges, helping lift some of its weight and helping me keep my balance. Her expression told me she was suffering to see me in such pain. I suddenly felt the need to explain myself.


< “I know you only did what you thought was right,” I said, and the words warmed me even further. “I was angry with you, but I didn’t hate you. I never could…” My voice trailed off for a minute, as the words I had just spoken in sunk in deeper. I felt I was speaking the truth, when moments ago my anger had led me to fantasizing about doing horrible things to her. When I thought she had rejected me and threw my love back in my face, I suppose I was defending myself in the easiest way for me to do so…physically. But it was no excuse, really.

But now…I knew without a doubt that she wasn’t lying about our love, and that she had acted the way she had because of that love. I know the pain and discomfort had clouded my judgment, but it was much easier to believe she still loved me, and I willingly accepted.

She was speaking again, telling me she thought she understood why I felt I had to kill Ming T’ien. “It was Lao Ma’s last request…and she saved your life.”

“Not just my life…she saved my soul…my spirit…my entire being,” I replied. How could I begin to explain to her that Lao Ma had shown me I was capable of more than violence and dominance…that I was a woman who if I allowed myself, could feel the love of another human being? I’m not sure I ever could have seen the light without Lao Ma’s firm guidance, and that light was Gabrielle.


I spent a few minutes telling Gabrielle more of the story, trying to get her to understand what Lao Ma had meant to me. It was an ugly story, especially because I had to admit my own ignorant blood thirst and obstinacy, but Gabrielle seemed to understand what I was trying to say to her. She listened silently as I explained the debt I owed to Lao Ma, and I loved my golden-haired bard even more for it.


Later though, I found myself out and out deceiving Gabrielle just for the sake of avoiding another argument, and upsetting Gabrielle even more that I had before. I know I told myself that I was keeping the truth from her for the same reason she had been dishonest with me…out of love…but it still didn’t rest easily with me.


I had killed Ming T’ien, the “Green Dragon” whom Gabrielle had gone to Chin to save. Despite his villainous ways and knowing more of the story, Gabrielle had implored me not to kill him, and I had finally agreed to it. I had meant it when I promised her that I would spare him.


But I had miscalculated just how evil Ming T’ien really was. Despite the fact that he should have known he was at my mercy, he taunted me about Lao Ma.

Had he shown the tiniest bit of remorse, I would have let him live, but he demonstrated just the opposite. Not only did he confirm Lao Ma’s death, but he also bragged about the fact that he had been the one doing the killing. The hatred and anger had welled up in me when I told him that Lao Ma was his mother. He had smirked that he had already know that. His mother had saved his life many years ago, when I would have struck him down as a child, and now, he had intentionally killed the woman who gave him life, then preserved it.


< This was the determining factor, and I used the hairpin Lao Ma had given me to stab through the monster’s temple, into his brain. He died almost immediately, his eyes staring blindly in the distance.


Would Gabrielle have understood why I killed him? Possibly. But she had shown up in Chin to prevent me from killing Ming T’ien in the first place, and despite knowing what kind of tyrant he was, had pled with me not to kill him. That nagged at me, and kept me from telling her what I had done.


And now that we were both in Chin, the road had been so long and rocky that I didn’t want to head down it again. I was beginning to feel we were both partially at blame for what had happened, but I was most of all guilty of not giving Gabrielle the whole story of my time in Chin, and especially of my relationship with Lao Ma.

Gabrielle, on the other hand, acted without learning the whole story before she declared my killing Ming T’ien a totally wrong deed. I’m not saying she would have changed her mind if she had known the whole story, but she might have been more receptive to my plans.


I intentionally directed Gabrielle away from the direction of the temple, telling her that Ming had lost face with his people. That was true all right…it wouldn’t be that long before it had rotted off.


She took my hand as we left the crumbling structure of his palace. After we had had gotten a responsible distance away, she turned to face me, intertwining her fingers with mine.


“Are you all right, Xena?” she asked me.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” I answered, smiling down into her eyes.

She narrowed her eyes at me, as though she didn’t quite believe me. “This has been a difficult trip for you,” she said. “Admit it…”

I shrugged. “I s’pose,” I answered. “But it was a lot of unresolved business too, and I’m glad that it’s out of the way.”

She nodded, although I knew she didn’t rally understand all the things I needed to do. But she wasn’t going to question them right now, either.


A few of the natives came up to us then, presumably to thank us for freeing them from Ming T’ien’s rule. Gabrielle and I smiled and nodded, and tried to back off only to be approached by more grateful people of Chin.


This went on for quite some time. With the language barrier, though, Gabrielle was looking as uncomfortable as I was feeling. I took her hand again. “You wanna get out of here?” I asked her.

“Yes!” she answered enthusiastically.

I smiled at her. “Follow me,” I told her.


Gradually, the woods we were traveling through began to thin out. I took a couple more turns, and then we were approaching a narrow path. The path grew wider, and eventually, becmae more like a road. It wasn’t long at all before we were entering a bustling village.


“I don’t think we’ll be ready to head back to Greece for a day or two,” I told Gabrielle. “And I think you’ll like it here better than you would in the village we were at.”

She was already looking around at the various buildings, brightly colored and oddly shaped. She couldn’t read the language the signs were written in, but I had learned to read a few basic words when I was here before, and pointed out the healer’s hut, the food store, and the inns to Gabrielle.

“Wanna get something to eat?” I asked her.

She lifted her nose and sniffed the air around us. “Mmm…that smells good. Yeah, let’s eat.”


I led her down the street to a restaurant and watched her take in the surroundings.

“Xena…” she said, “why are the tables so close to the ground?”

“That’s the custom here,” I explained. “You’re supposed to sit on your cute little ass when you eat.”

As we stood inside the doorway, we were being rapidly approached by a thin man. He wore a round cap that covered most of his dark gray hair. He smiled and folded his hands and bowed before us.

I returned his bow, and gave Gabrielle a soft elbow to her side. She did the same, only she lowered her head way over when she bowed. When she straightened, I leaned over and whispered, “When you bow, continue to maintain eye contact.”

“All right.”

I held up two fingers, indicating we both wanted to eat, and the man led us to a table.

“Custom says we should take off our boots,” I told Gabrielle as we lowered ourselves to the floor. “But they don’t get upset if visitors don’t remove them.”

I sat down cross-legged at the extremely low table, and Gabrielle did the same opposite me. Once again, she began checking out the décor of the restaurant.

The thin paper-like walls were covered with watercolors of flowers and fruits and birds, and the lights that illuminated the building were of colored paper, carefully constructed as to not burn. There was some strange kind of music filtering though the air. It sounded like a stringed instrument was mainly responsible, but had a low twangy sound that was unfamiliar.


The only dish I could remember the name for was a type of pastry stuffed with cabbage and chicken and various spices. The server, through hands signals, also suggested some sort of rice which we later learned was flavored with bits of chicken and a Chin ale for our drink.


Gabrielle was busy watching the other eaters, and asked me why they weren’t using forks or spoons. I laughed at her. “They use chop sticks,” I told her, and I held up a pair that was at my place on our table. “Didn’t they feed you the last few days?”

“Not with these,” she answered, observing her own pair of wooden utensils. The waiter brought us some little cubes of bread and a cheese sauce to dip them in. “Perfect…we can practice before our meal arrives.”


It took a lot of time for Gabrielle to get the hang of them. We had a lot of fun as she tried to learn, and at some points, would just stab a chunk of bread and eat it that way. By the time our meals arrived though, she was fairly adept at the instruments.


Supper was quite tasty, as we both agreed. I told Gabrielle that rice, chicken, and noodles were a staple in the Chin diet, and described some of the other foods I had eaten while visiting there before. I wasn’t about to tell her that the meal we shared was the first one I had eaten since arriving in Chin. Part of Ming T’ien’s ploy to weaken me was to starve me.


We talked about anything and everything, except for the reasons for our separate trips here. I don’t know why, exactly, but it was all so new and weird to us to come so close to separation that we were afraid to discuss it.

After dinner, Gabrielle’s eyelids were growing heavy, so I asked her if she wanted to stay in the nearest inn. She yawned then grinned sheepishly before nodding gratefully. “Yes, please.”


We soon secured a room in the single storied inn and I led Gabrielle to it. Numbers were another symbol set I seemed to remember most of.


Gabrielle exclaimed the minute she stepped foot inside the room. “This is so wonderful!” she enthused.. She spent several minutes just walking around the room, checking out its various features.

In addition to the same kind of low tables as were in the restaurant, the beds were unique too. There was no wooden frame for them, instead they looked like thick mattresses laying on the floor. At the head of both of them, were big fluffy pillows.

The beds, a couple of feet apart would take little effort to push together.


On the far side of the room was another one of those thin paper-like walls. It didn’t reach up to the ceiling or across the entire end of the room, and looked like more of a partition than a wall. Gabrielle walked to it and peeked behind it.

“Ooo…Xena…” she called. “Come look at this!”

I did as she said and looked behind the partition. There was a whole other atmosphere as the room consisted of a fair-sized pool of what appeared to be steaming water.

“The inn is built on a hot springs,” I mused aloud. “Every room in the inn must have its own built in bathtub.”


“Why don’t you come take a bath with me, Xena?”

I had been leafing through Lao Ma’s book of wisdom, marveling at her clarity and unique viewpoint of the world. I wasn’t actually reading what she said, somehow, I didn’t feel as though it was my place to read it. All right, I’ll admit it…I didn’t feel worthy enough to read it. I was greatly honored that Lao Ma had entrusted her writings to my care, but was already working on figuring out a way to leave the book behind in Chin. As much as I wanted to keep that part of Lao Ma with me, I felt her legacy should stay behind in the country where she had spent her life.


But now, I was setting the book aside, as Gabrielle’s words sunk in.

“I’d love to,” I answered standing up. I had already removed my armor and my weapons. And now I undid the laces of my battle leathers. I was soon standing before Gabrielle, clad only in my shift.

She was still wearing the ceremonial robe she had worn in Ming T’ien’s palace, but as she opened it before me, I saw she wore a peach colored dress underneath it. I just stood still for a minute, taking in the beauty that was my Gabrielle. She was looking up at me, her eyes soft and huge.


“Xena,” she said slowly, “I just want to tell you that I love you more than anything in the world. And I’m so sorry I’ve been acting the way I have been. I know you’ve been with a lot of people in your past…I’ve even met some of them. Xena, somehow, I’ve never felt threatened by any of them…before… .”

Each of her words seemed to sink in a little more than the last. I saw the sincerity and doubt in her eyes as she spoke.


“Before Lao Ma,” I concluded for her.

She shook her head. “Yes, before Lao Ma,” she agreed.

I took her hand and pulled it to my cheek for a minute. I took a deep breath. “Gabrielle,” I began slowly, “I get the feeling you’re getting ready to start apologizing for the way you feel.” She opened her mouth to speak up, but I cut her off. “No, let me.” I took her hand and led her behind the partition.


Along one side of the raised edge of the pool, there was a long cushioned shelf which served as a bench. I had Gabrielle sit down on it so she was facing me. I knelt before her, and gazed up into her bright green eyes. It had been so long since we had done anything like this!


She stroked her fingers over my head, and I bent in reverence to her, cherishing this gentle moment. I laid my head in her lap, turning my face sideways so I could look up into her pristine features.

For a couple of minutes, we maintained these positions, and then I began to speak again. “Would you please listen to me for just a minute?”

“All right,” she answered.

“Thank you,” I wished I was better at speaking, but just decided to let my heart lead the way. “I don’t want you to apologize for feeling the way you do about Lao Ma. You have every right to. I was insensitive to how you might be feeling, and I didn’t tell you the whole story of my time there with her. It wasn’t because I didn’t want to tell you, or was trying to keep the truth from you. But I know I allowed your curiosity and jealousy to grow without trying to comfort you.”

I stopped talking for a minute, wondering if my words had done any good. Somehow, even if they didn’t help her, they did make me feel better. I drew in a ragged breath, and then continued to speak. “Gabrielle, the truth is, as much as I loved Lao Ma, I had unfinished business with her. I honestly didn’t know if I’d be able to finish when I went back to Chin or not. I think I was afraid to have you there while I tried to complete it.” Done speaking, I cuddled my head deeper into my lap, and waited to see what her response would be.


She didn’t take long. “How much did you love Lao Ma?” she asked me.

That was easy. “At the time, I loved her as much as I was capable of. But it wasn’t nearly as much as I’m capable of now. Lao Ma showed me how to open some doors, but you’re the one whom I allowed inside.”


Gabrielle smiled and blinked down at me. “Did she teach you that?” she asked.

I quirked a grin. “No, I came up with that one on my own.”

“It’s beautiful, regardless,” she whispered. She bent and gently kissed my forehead. I now she was probably curious as to what the unfinished business consisted of, but she didn’t ask.

“Come up here, My Love,” she said softly, gently lifting my head toward hers.

I obeyed, coming up to sit next to her on the bench. She reached out for me at the same time I was reaching for her. Our lips met in a mutual expression of our love and the emotions that had built up while we were missing each other.

Her lips tasted so sweet, especially to my own starving mouth. I moved my mouth hungrily against her, sucking occasionally at one of her lips, sometimes licking over them. My hands caressed her shoulders and neck, feeling the way her body pressed toward mine, as her own fingers did the same to me. She didn’t resist when I slid a couple of fingers into the neck band of the dress she wore. I widened the gap, letting my fingertips delve into her cleavage loving both the warmth of her flesh and the beating of her heart which was picking up speed even as I continue to fondle her.


“Xena…:” she whispered breathily, and I felt her hands on mine. “Please…undress me…”

With joy, I did as she asked, untying the sash at her waist and then slipping the dress totally off her shoulders, baring the delectable flesh I had been craving. With a groan, I pressed my mouth to the closest nipple, sucking hard. I heard the satisfied hiss that told me it was good for her, and out of the corner of my eye could see her head throwing backward in pleasure.

I wrapped one arm around her lower back, and the other found its way to her other nipple, and I did my best to imitate the same motion as my mouth with my fingers. Her nipples had been partially erect when I started, and it wasn’t long before they had hardened and tightened into the firm peaks my mouth watered for. I switched breasts, and began to swirl my tongue round and round the areola, while gently kneading its wet twin.

I became aware that I was supporting most of her weight as she laid back over my arm, but was more than a little irritated when she wiggled her way free. “I wasn’t finished,” I protested, but she just smiled patiently at me, and was lifting for the hem of my shift. When I was as naked as she was, she gave each of my own nipples a brief nip and then a quick suck with her lips. She gave me that seductive grin I loved so much, and without further words, she stepped into our bathtub.


There was more than enough room for me to join her, and she held her hand out toward me, and I accepted. The water was so soothing, so very different than the clammy, scummy water I had spent the last few days submerged in. It immediately began to relax my sore muscles, and although it stung some of the more raw whip marks, eventually, the heat even made them feel better.

I gently sat down, leaning my back against the smooth stone wall of the tub, across from Gabrielle. She smiled at me again, and then laid back against the opposite wall, her eyes rolling shut. Under the water, I could feel her lower legs touching mine on either side, but that was the only contact we made. Surprised at her lack of motion, I took the time to just look at her, wondering once again how I could ever felt like she had come to Chin with the purpose of hurting me. Just as the dark feelings had excited me earlier, now I was feeling excited having her purity and goodness near me.


I guess the exhaustion of the last few days finally kicked in, and I fell asleep in the pool, because I was startled when I heard the water sloshing. “What?” I stated to say, but Gabrielle just whispered a “Shh” in return, and then she was slipping behind me to sit on the tub’s edge.

“I know you’re hurting Xena…even when you were asleep I could see the pain in your face.” I felt her hands on my shoulders. “Try to go back to sleep…and let me take care of some of your aches.”

I did as she said, leaning back into her hands, and allowing her fingers to work their magic over my knotted shoulder and upper back muscles. As I felt some of the tension eased out of me, I became more aware of the other aches and pains in my entire body. I ignored it though, and just concentrated on the bliss she was creating.


She had nearly lulled me back to sleep when I felt her touch change. Hands that were healing were now enflaming, as she let them move over my collar bones and brush over the tops of my breasts which were exposed above the water. I felt her tongue lick over the side of my neck, and then she was kissing me there, sucking and nibbling until goosebumps arose, despite the warm water.

I moaned languidly, and tilted my head, giving her more of my skin to use her mouth on. Her own voice echoed the moan, and I felt her fingers dip below the surface of the water, towards my achy nipples.


A half hour later, she was sitting in my nap, and despite our nakedness, we were necking like a couple on the front porch of a young girl’s house. Our fingers were entangled in each other’s wet locks, our mouths working hungrily. Occasionally, our hands or arms would brush across somebody’s nipples and despite the shiver that resulted, we seemed to be holding back. It was as if we were both tentative to go further, and I know our last couple of times was uppermost in both our minds.

She wrenched her mouth away. “I’m turning into a giant raisin,” she giggled at me.

“Same here.” I held her gaze in mine. “Shall we move this to the bed?”

I barely heard her whisper her affirmative reply, but she gave me one more kiss, and then was standing up. I chuckled at how wobbly she looked on her knees, but it wasn’t funny when I stood up feeling a little shaky as well. Still, I’m sure it was as much a reassurance to her as it was to me.


We dried ourselves off without speaking, and left the towels on the rack they had come from, and this time, I reached out my hand to Gabrielle’s. She took it without hesitance, and allowed me to lead her back toward the part of the room with the beds.

I released her hand long enough to press the two mattresses together and I laced them together with the short strings located strategically along the sides of the thick pads. Then, still lounging on my side, I reached a hand out toward her again.

She sank to her knees in front of me, and bent over, taking my face in her hands. “I love you, Xena,” she whispered. “I love you so much, and I want to make love with you.”

I smiled tenderly. “What a coincidence.”

She bent in to kiss me, but when I moved to deepen the kiss, she pulled back a little. “What is it?” I asked.

She sunk back so her weight was rested on her bent lower legs. I saw her worry her bottom lip with her teeth, and realized she wanted to ask me something, but was hesitant to do so.

I tried to smile reassuringly. “Come on, Gabrielle…after all we’ve been through, you’re afraid to ask me something?”

“Not afraid, exactly…” she replied her voice trailing off. Then I saw her take a deep breath, and she spoke again. “You’ve told me a little more about Lao Ma the last couple of days.”

“Yes?”

“And she was the first woman you made love with…”

I arched an eyebrow. “Yes?…”

“Well, she made such an impression on you, Xena…I can’t help but wonder…”

I left the eyebrow arched, but added a hint of a smile. I knew where this was going.

“What kind of lover was she?”

I let the grin widen slightly. It WAS headed where I thought it was.


“She was my mentor,” I finally answered honestly. “She taught me about a lot of different things, as well as teaching me the things my heart desired, whether or not I was aware.”

“And you desired her?”

I shrugged. “Yes. I desired her acceptance, her approval, and yes, her touch. And in exchange, she asked for my willingness, my attention, and…permission to touch me.”

I saw my bards eyes widen slightly. “Didn’t she want you to touch her?”

I took a second before shaking my head no. “Eventually, she promised me I could, but we were separated before that time came. She wanted to focus on my learning to feel her both physically and emotionally, and with me, it was a long journey.” I gave a wry smile. “I wasn’t known for my smarts back then.”

She smiled in return, but still looked puzzled. “What was that like?” she asked me, seriously. “To be touched, but not to be allowed to touch in return?”

I reached up and pulled her down, so she was stretched out beside me. “At first,” I admitted, “I thought it was great. Once I got over the shock that she was another woman, I enjoyed the things she did to me. She would spend hours stroking the same body part, often non-sexual ones, asking me what I felt and what it made me feel like doing. Then, when I had answered to her satisfaction, she would use her fingers to bring me to climax. I found it didn’t take long.”

Gabrielle’s hand had found its way to my hip, and was resting there, but I could hear her breath catch in her throat a couple of times as I spoke. I continued talking.

“Then after a few days of that, she began to concentrate on my orgasms themselves. She would touch me in more intimate places, urging me to try to hold back my orgasm, and often stopping her touch, just as I was about to come. Then, after my breathing turned normal, she’d start all over again, this time, with a slightly less urgent touch. She’d do this over and over again until she deemed I was ready to climax, and a very slight touch would be all that it would take to make me spill.”

I felt her fingers stroke over the curve of my hip slightly. “And you stood for that?” she asked.

I laughed. “Actually, I laid down for it,” I replied. “And you’re right, I didn’t take it very well, at least at first. But over time, I learned to accept it as part of my lessons.”

“You never got to bring Lao Ma to orgasm?” she asked then.

“Oh yes, I did…so to speak.”

“But you said…”

I shook my head, cutting her off. “Lao Ma was an amazing woman, Gabrielle. She had taught herself to reach fulfillment without any physical stimulation. I found that when I had a particularly strong orgasm, one that would affect me emotionally as well, she would experience her own. She was far less vocal about it, of course, but she assured me they were quite satisfactory.”

Gabrielle propped a head up on her bent arm. “She orgasmed without anyone touching her? Not even herself?”

I watched delightedly as a flush stole over her features as she realized what she had just said, but I let her off the hook. “That was the nature of Lao Ma…she was so in tune with the world around her that she fed off my pleasures, and found her own release that way.”

“That’s amazing,” she mused. “Did she teach you that little trick?”

I laughed at her wistful expression, but grew serous again as I remembered. “She tried,” I answered. “She tried over and over again, but I was too untamed and stubborn to learn. And…well…we were separated before I could learn.” I reached up and stroked the side of Gabrielle’s face. “I have been close a few times,” I said slowly.

“You have?” she asked, her lips a hairbreadths from mine.

“Uh huh,” I said, leaning over just far enough to barely brush her lips with mine. “Haven’t you ever noticed?”

She beamed at me. “With me?” she asked.

“And no one else,” I answered, before pulling her to me for a long, loving kiss. My tongue flicked out to swab over her lips, and she opened up immediately, giving me full access to the warm treasures within. I spent several moments exploring, but couldn’t content myself with some innocent sparking this time. I slid one hand below her ass and pulled her body tightly against mine, loving the feeling of her pubic hair against my stomach.

I finally pulled my mouth away. “I’ve missed this,” I told her, before opening my mouth against her neck, my tongue searching out one of my favorite spots. She nodded her agreement, and wound her fingers through my hair, encouraging me to continue.


Like I needed encouragement…


Sometime later, I gave another luxurious kiss up Gabrielle’s slit, gathering as much of her moisture on my tongue as I could. I was laying flat on my stomach, an arm under each of her thighs, my face buried in the most delicious taste and scent I knew.

Above me, I could hear my love trying to draw in deep breaths. I had lost count of how many times I had brought her to climax, but each time, seemed a little more glorious than the last, and that kept me reaching for the next one. I licked her again, and this time, stroked the flat of my tongue over her clitoris, which had retreated beneath its protective hood, no doubt hiding from me.

“Xena,” she groaned…”I don’t think I can take any more…”

“Sure you can,” I winked up at her, before licking at the sides of her clit in short brisk strokes, like a dog drinking water. Her ass danced beneath my fingers, but it wasn’t long before her hips were moving up towards my working mouth again, rather than away from it.

“Gods, Xena, you’re insatiable!” I heard her gasp, as her thighs tightened further around my neck, and her pussy pumped out more juices into my mouth. I had yet to reach my own climax, but tonight, I only desired bringing her satisfaction, and I was sure she was about at her limit. Just a few strokes more…and once again, there’d be no return for her. I wiggled my own hips harder into the soft bedroll, my cunt feeling as though there were a million ants crawling across it, prickling me, itching me, inciting me.

“Oh, Baby, I’m gonna come again…” I heard her moan and lifted my head enough so I wouldn’t lose contact with her succulent flesh, but was positioned where I could still watch her face as she came. Her brow was wrinkled in concentration, as if the climax was eluding her, and then her mouth flew open at the same time her eyes did. Her head and neck lifted from the pillow as she screamed her rapture at me and anyone else who cared to listen. I watched as she struggled for breath, and then another wave overtook her, this time making her groan long and hard, as her vaginal opening palpitated around my pistoning fingers.

She released me suddenly, and bonelessly, her thighs sliding off me and her arms flailing uselessly at her sides. “I can’t move, Xena,” she said with a wry smile. “I’m not going to be moving for a very long time.”

I couldn’t answer her. My heart had momentarily stopped as I felt the familiar rush through my body, and I froze above her, my pussy humping against the air, as I orgasmed…without any physical contact. I clenched my thighs as the sensations rushed through me, along with the sense of peace and security that Lao Ma had desperately tried to get me to arrive at.

Gabrielle was watching amazed, as I gave a final shudder, and twisted my body before I collapsed on the mattress next to her, flat on my back. I was speechless.


She was silent and motionless for a moment, and then she was moving to roll half on top of me, her hands crossed over my shoulder. I opened my eyes, and saw her own a few inches from mine, staring down at me.

“Thought you couldn’t move,” I said, when I finally found the energy to speak.

“Oh shut up,” she replied amiably. “Did I just hallucinate what happened, or did it really happen?”

“It really happened,” I answered finally. “I can’t explain how, but it really happened.”

She looked as amazed as I was feeling, but she reached down and pulled up the blanket over us. Snuggling down next to me, she lifted her head one more time.

“I’m quite taken aback at this new skill, Xena. But as exciting as it was, I think I’d rather help you get your orgasms the old-fashioned way in the future.”


I woke her up early the next morning, so she could prove her point.



COMING NEXT WEEK: It’s a most intense scroll that finds Gabrielle suffering her first true battle lust after the events at Helicon, and finding Xena a willing participant in helping her deal with it.


Gabrielle's Scroll
The Xena and Gabrielle XXX Scrolls Page 3
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