Legal Disclaimer: I don't own Xena: Warrior Princess. Heck, I don't even lay claims on Joxer, and hey, who'd want him?
Artist's Disclaimers: This is my first fanfic ever. Although it's been revised and edited a great deal, it still reflects my first fanfiction attempt, when I was around 13 years old. You have been warned.
Forever More
She moved with a swiftness that was unbelievably silent. The trees quietly witnessed the dark form moving amongst them; they were the audience in this strange dance, one of life or death.
The huntress stopped mid stride, her head cocking-she listened. There it was, than it stopped. This strange pattern repeated itself many times.
Step. Pause.
Step. Pause.
Finally, she grew tired of the game, and leapt into a nearby tree. She did not unleash her powerful war cry, lest she alert the ever advancing enemy.
Tirelessly the dark woman climbed upward. Then, she halted her motions, and peered from high above the Earth below. There it was. Her pray. He thought he was the hunter, but he was mistaken. He had been the hunted all along.
Letting loose her maniacal war cry, she descended rapidly. Her feet barreled straight into the man's back, and he fell to the hard packed dirt below his feet. She smiled, and unsheathed her sword. His eyes became fearful as he gazed into the cold azure gaze of the huntress, as she prepared for the kill.
"You should know better than to stalk a hunter."
Those were the last words that Sarpedious ever heard.
XXXXXX
It was a warm day. The sun was thrusting golden rays towards the earth, and the sky was illuminated from the efforts. It is on this beautiful day that our tale begins.
Xena was astride Argo, her golden mare. Her long legs dangled out of the well-fitted stirrups lazily. Her hands rested on the saddle pommel as she looked down at the young woman walking beside.
Her hair was the same color as Apollo's rays cutting through the darkness. Her eyes were the color of the leaves on the trees, and the long grass growing by the streams. Her name was Gabrielle.
As the bard walked, her staff dug into the ground. To any who listened to her footfalls, it sounded as if she had three legs. Step. Step. Clunk. Step. Step. Clunk.
The walk, however, was not without conversation.
"Xena, look over there!" Gabrielle exclaimed, as she pointed an excited finger in the woods. The warrior looked, and saw what Gabrielle was referring to. A small baby deer walked on wobbly legs, near its mother.
Xena nodded, loving the innocence that her companion displayed.
"Gabrielle, we should probably start looking for a place to camp out." Xena said, while scanning the area crucially. Gabrielle turned her head curiously at her friend.
"Xena, there are still several hours of daylight. Why do you want to find camp so soon?" she questioned.
"I think we could both do with a nice comfortable rest." Xena said gently. "So start looking."
Gabrielle smiled, knowing not to look a gift horse in the mouth, and began to scan the area for more than just the small innocent creatures.
"There!" Gabrielle exclaimed several minutes later, pointing yet again. Xena followed Gabrielle's finger, and saw a grove a little ways from the path. She listened closely and heard a stream bubbling near by. They could fill their water skins, wash clothes, catch fish for supper, and, depending on the water temperature, and how clean it was, even take a long bath. Xena smiled at all the possibilities that Gabrielle's spot seemed to have, and she nodded at the bard.
"It's perfect, Gabrielle." Xena said gently, as she nudged Argo into the trees. Gabrielle's face visibly brightened at the praise, and she followed after Xena with a large smile on her face.
XXXXXX
After camp was made, Xena went fishing. Gabrielle stayed behind to do some writing, her mind filled with the last adventure they'd experienced together.
Xena had been gone for about a half a candlemark, and Gabrielle hadn't gotten much written at all. The story was there, but the words would not come. Sighing, she decided that she needed to let the excitement from the busy past week settle better in her mind and become less jumbled before she could do the story justice. Standing up and stretching her back a bit, she made to join Xena at the stream. Picking up her staff, she walked through the woods to the stream. There, Gabrielle saw Xena standing in the water.
"Hey, Xena!" She called. The warrior turned her head, and looked to Gabrielle. Her eyes, she knew, betrayed her love and lust for the bard, something she had been trying to cover up until she was able to get over what she felt was an inappropriate fondness.
Gabrielle looked into Xena's eyes for a minute, noting how dark and clouded they looked, and then began to undress. Xena's eyes feasted upon each new piece of skin that Gabrielle so generously gave to Xena's senses.
Gabrielle finished removing her clothes, and then slowly waded into the water. Her heart pounded so fast that she swore Xena must be able to hear it. Se couldn't believe that she was doing this, but she had seen the look in Xena's eyes, and she knew that her warrior felt the same way as she did.
Ever so slowly, Gabrielle inched toward Xena. Their eyes were connected, and the thousands of words the two had been too scared to say all these years were conveyed in the simple contact of their eyes.
Xena unconsciously wet her lips as she watched the woman who she had been longing for every day, and dreaming of every night, inch closer and closer, the gentle waves washing against her and drawing Xena's attention down the Gabrielle's beautiful breasts, their wetness causing the light from the setting sun to reflect in an ethereal glow.
Gabrielle gulped softly. For a moment she faltered as doubt after doubt ran through her mind. However, Xena's eyes gave her all the confidence she needed to continue her slow journey forward.
Finally, Gabrielle came to a stop. She was standing mere inches from Xena, and she could feel the heat radiating from her muscular form. Gabrielle trembled slightly, and Xena pulled her into her arms in a moment of abandon.
Their lips met, tentative at first, but then again with more confidence and passion. Xena ran her hands up and down Gabrielle's back, eliciting a soft moan from her bard. Gabrielle's gentle, timid fingers laced through Xena's hair, pulling her even closer than she had been before. Xena moaned gently as she cupped Gabrielle's behind, than moved up her back, and to her breasts. She rubbed gently, loving the whimpers and moans that Gabrielle let loose from the contact.
"Xena...please..." Gabrielle whispered, her voice breathy. She wasn't sure exactly was she was asking for, she only knew that she needed it badly.
Xena knew what Gabrielle wanted, and she brought her hand down, allowing her fingers to rest at the apex of Gabrielle's thighs. Gabrielle whimpered, and Xena gently pushed one finger into Gabrielle. A deep moan escaped her lips at the exquisite feelings this brought to her senses.
Xena kissed Gabrielle passionately, and Gabrielle reciprocated with equal vigor as Xena began to move her fingers in and out of Gabrielle, and the bard's hips bucked in time to the movements of the Warriors hand.
Xena pushed another finger into Gabrielle, and was rewarded with a low moan. Gabrielle's hips moved at a very rapid pace, and Xena knew that her bard was very close to reaching her release, a fact that caused her to feel her arousal grow even more. She looked at Gabrielle's face. The bard's head was thrown back in ecstasy, her lips were parted slightly. Her tongue rubbed against her bottom lip, and Xena could feel herself getting close just from touching her beautiful companion.
Gabrielle brought her hand down and began to mime Xena's ministrations. The warrior moaned deeply, and began to buck her own hips.
They kissed, long and loving, before they looked into each others eyes, and released at the same time without breaking eye contact.
The soulmates slumped against each other, almost forgetting that they were still in the stream. Xena spoke first.
"Gabrielle...I need you to understand... for me...for me this wasn't just a one time thing. This was commitment… I..."
"Xena," Gabrielle cut her off, knowing what she meant. "I understand. I love you." She said, placing he hand on Xena's cheek. "Our love is forever." She moved her hand to rest over Xena heart, and then moved Xena's hand over her own. "This," she motioned to the hands, "is Forever."
Tears formed in Xena's eyes, and she kissed her lover again.
XXXXXX
A few days had passed since the two lovers had become one in the river. They had entered a small village, which seemed to be quite poor, and it appeared that many of the huts had been burned down recently. Curious heads of all ages looked out from doorways to peer at the strangers that entered.
A man who appeared to be the village leader, stepped up to Xena and Gabrielle.
"Hello, I am Zangious. If you are here to raid us, I'm afraid we haven't much left. Sarpedious took mostly everything we have."
Another man walked up.
"He took all of our horses, wheat and grain. He sold them all and left us with no transportation, or ways to harvest from our fields!" He exclaimed.
A look came into Xena's eyes.
"That man..." Xena said to herself.
"What man?" Gabrielle questioned, looking at Xena curiously.
"A few nights ago, when I was hunting… a man tired to steal Argo. When I caught him, he fought me for a while, than he ran away. I chased him down and..." Xena trailed off, glancing meaningfully at Gabrielle, then looked back to the man beside them. "What does this Sarpedious look like?" She asked.
"He's tall..
about as tall as you,"
he motioned to Xena. "He has long dark black hair, and a scar on
his face right here." He stated as he pointed to a spot on his
face. Xena nodded.
"That's the man, all right."
Zangious gaped. "You mean he's gone? He won't be back to take more from us?" Xena smiled.
He's gone."
"Oh! Oh! Thank you!" He exclaimed, throwing his arms out and hugging Xena while mumbling incoherent praises. Gabrielle smirked at her lover, and Xena glared, but then gave Zangious a warm smile and firmly pushed him back to a comfortable distance from her person.
"How can we repay you?!"
"Oh, nothing is necessary. However, you need livestock." Gabrielle jumped in, stepping in front of the warrior slightly. "Xena, there must be something we can do..." Gabrielle whispered. Xena nodded.
"Why don't Gabrielle and I help you with Argo to harvest your wheat and grains, and anything else you need right away. Then, we'll take some of it to the next village, and trade with them for some horses. When you bring them back here, you can use the horses to harvest the rest of your crops."
Zangious nodded. "If your willing to go to all of that trouble for us..."
"Of course we are!" Gabrielle said generously, putting a hand on Zangious' arm comfortingly.
XXXXXX
Soon,
the village had horses, food, and new friends by the names of Xena
and Gabrielle.
Argo had gotten a better workout than she'd had
in ages, pulling plows and carts, children perched on her back the
whole time, and our heroes were on the road again, as they walked
hand in hand into the beautiful golden sunset once more...
And Forever More, too.