Honey-Cakes

"Xena, what is that?"

"What's what, Gabrielle?" Xena drawled, looking down at her young friend from the back of Argo. They'd been traveling together for a little over a year now –just enough time to get to comfortable with each other. Gabrielle was changing and maturing, and Xena hadn't missed both the mental and physical changes the bard had gone though. She was an Amazon princess now, had gotten quite good at the using the staff, and the daily drilling combined with the long days on the road had begun to shape the bard's body in ways it was hard for Xena to ignore.

She'd recently even changed her look, opting for a short brown skirt and a green top, which in an Amazon fashion exposed her midriff and her ever hardening abs, but at the heart of things Gabrielle was still Gabrielle. She was changing, but she still had that innocence and a perchance of finding trouble, both qualities Xena had come not only to admire, but enjoy, even if it did make their lives a bit more interesting.

"Don't you hear it? It sounds like bells," Gabrielle continued, looking over her shoulder and around the general areas as if trying to location the source of the sound.

Xena stopped Argo and furrowed her brow, tuning in her senses and listening for whatever Gabrielle was referring too. She heard the wind gently rustle through tops of the trees. She heard a far off stream softly babble over rocks as it wound its way along its path. She heard the slight rustling of Argo's saddle, and somewhere in the distance, she heard the sweet mating call of a song bird. What she didn't hear was any time of sound that could be described as a bell.

"Maybe you need your ears cleaned out. I don't hear any bells," Xena replied with a huff, making Gabrielle frown.

The bard tilted her head to the side and then frowned. "It's gone now. That was strange. Maybe you're the one that need your ears checked, Xena."

Xena rolled her eyes and gave Argo the signal to continue, which they did thankfully in silence. Perhaps Gabrielle was just listening for her magical bells again, but Xena for one wasn't going to complain. She didn't remember the last time Gabrielle was so quiet, and was planning on enjoying it.

The quiet persisted for some time, ten minutes at least, until Gabrielle stopped once again. "Xena, did you see that?"

Xena looked in the direction that Gabrielle indicated, again tuning in all her senses. She saw the shadows dance slightly in the breeze, but no other signs of moment. "What was it, an animal? A person?"

"A light," Gabrielle replied. "It was just there, whizzed by the corner of my eye, like an arrow that had been set afire. But it's gone now," she added with a frown.

Xena sniffed the air for any hint of burning wood, but again, found nothing out of the ordinary. "Maybe you should ride with me for a while," she offered lending her hand.

Gabrielle sighed, but took the offer, sliding up behind Xena on Argo. Xena knew she didn't care to ride, but between the odd noises and seeing things Xena felt more secure with Gabrielle behind her. At least if there were trouble they could run.

Another ten or twelve minutes of blissful silence went by before Gabrielle wrinkled her nose. "Xena, I smell something."

"I swear it wasn't me," Xena said automatically. "But then, you are riding a horse."

Gabrielle rolled her eyes. "No, not that. It smells good."

"Are you implying that I don't smell good?"

"Well you are riding a horse," Gabrielle replied with a smile.

Xena snorted, but carefully smelled the air around them. "What does it smell like again?"

"I don't know. A cake maybe, or cookies; definitely something sweet and fresh, and warm."

"Is this your way of telling me you're hungry?"

"No, I'm not…. Actually, I am a little hungry. But no," Gabrielle stopped and took in a deep breath, before frowning. "It's gone now," she said with sadness.

Xena sighed. "Maybe you need more sleep."

"How far away is the next village? Maybe we could find a bed and something good to eat?"

"What, you don't like my cooking?" Xena teased, looking over her shoulder.

Gabrielle just gave her a look. "Cooking is my job for a reason, Xena."

Xena again snorted. "Well, I don't think we're close enough to find a bed tonight, but I did hear some water. We might be able to go fishing."

It was then Gabrielle's turn to snort. "Talk about things stinking," Gabrielle muttered under her breath. "Sure, why not. If the water is deep enough we can go for a swim. They you won't smell like Argo anymore."

Pretending not to hear Gabrielle's first statement, Xena sarcastically chuckled at the second before agreeing and veering off the road and toward the sound of water.

1*&*1

Gabrielle sat on the bank of the stream, watching Xena fish. The warrior had removed her boots and was knee high in the shallow water trying to find something edible. She'd already set up camp and gotten a fire going, but she kept being distracted by what she'd seen, heard, and smelled earlier. If it was just one of those things she could dismiss it as her imagination or perhaps misinterpreting something, but all three, it made no logical sense.

Xena didn't seem concerned, and for some reason that made Gabrielle all the more conflicted. If Xena, and her incredible senses, didn't pick it up, maybe she was indeed imagining things. Still, she hadn't seen, heard, or smelled anything strange since, and so maybe it was just one of those weird things.

Looking up and seeing Xena pull a smallish fish from the stream, she then watched Xena throw it up on the shore where it wiggled and struggled as Xena found more of its friends. With a small sigh, Gabrielle was contemplating taking out her scrolls when something caught her attention. Like before, it was a light, something small and fast and she could just see out of the corner of her eye.

Turning her head and seeing nothing, she then looked back toward Xena. The warrior was busy looking for fish and Gabrielle knew from experience she would get agitated if she interrupted her now. Deciding it wouldn't hurt to check out the general area where she saw the light, she decided to take the chance. She wouldn't go far, just enough to see if it really was her imagination, or if something else was going on.

Moving into the trees, Gabrielle paused and listened. She also took a deep breath, hoping to catch the sweet scent once again. For a long time she was quiet, just taking in the nature around her. Minutes pasted, and when she still found nothing she decided she was being silly and started back toward Xena. The warrior was probably done playing with the fish by now and if she wanted dinner to be somewhat edible, she'd have to get back before Xena tried to cook.

Just as she turned back toward camp again, however, she heard it. The same bells as before, and they were closer and louder than ever. Spinning back around quickly, she called out, "Hello? Is anyone there? I can hear you. Please, I won't hurt you. Come out and talk to me."

The bells abruptly stopped. Gabrielle saw a flash out of the corner of her eye, and turned quickly before seeing it again on the other side. Turning around once more Gabrielle did a full circle before stopping at the place where she'd started.

"Gabrielle? What are you doing?" Xena voice suddenly brought her back and she turned again only to find a slightly irritated warrior waiting for an answer.

"I ah. Nothing. Hungry? Did you find enough fish?" Gabrielle tried to change to subject.

"Yes," Xena drew out. "Let's go."

1*&*1

Xena watched Gabrielle closely as the bard picked at her fish. Gabrielle usually practically licked her plate clean, and although she admitted to being hungry earlier, she's barely touched her meal. "What's the matter?" Xena asked. "Something wrong with your dinner?"

"No," Gabrielle frowned. "I was just thinking."

Xena sighed, knowing that if she asked, Gabrielle would tell her… and would probably talk insentiently for the rest of the evening. But then she'd been trying. Gabrielle had become part of her long term plan, and staying with her meant indulging her by at least pretending to listen. "About what?" she finally managed.

"You'll just think I'm silly."

"I never think you're silly."

"You don't lie very well, Xena."

"Well, excuse me for trying," Xena huffed.

Gabrielle rolled her eyes, and looked back down at her fish. Xena waited, hoping the conversation was over, only to suppress the sigh when Gabrielle continued, "I heard the noise again… and I saw something."

"Something?" Xena asked with a raised eyebrow.

"A light, out of the corner of my eye."

"Did you smell that smell too?"

"No, but it's more than just my imagination, Xena." Gabrielle looked at her for a long time before she set her fish aside and challenged, "If you don't believe me, you could just say so."

"I didn't say I didn't believe you," Xena answered in an even tone. "I was just going over the possibilities of what it could be. You have to admit it's an odd combination; the light, the bell sound, and that sweet smell. There might be some god or even a minor deity out here."

"You mean you really do believe me?"

"I've seen odder things," Xena nodded, turning her attention back to her plate. "You better eat." Gabrielle smiled at her, and Xena resisted the urge to smile back. Her young traveling partner was sometimes annoying, but to see her smile like that almost made the rest of it worth it. "I mean it," she added with a slight scold. "You'll be hungry later and I don't want that stomach of yours to keep me up all night."

1*&*1

Gabrielle lay on her back and looked at the sky. Xena had fallen asleep some time ago, but try as she might; Gabrielle wasn't able to join her. Her mind kept flowing back to earlier in the day and to what Xena had said. Could it be some god, or something else. It was said that nymphs sometimes lived in these woods. Of it could be some other sort of mythological creature. The problem is she had no idea what. In all the stories and all the reading she'd done, she'd ever come across a creature or god who sounded like a bell, exuded small bursts of light, and smelled like a sweet pastry. She had to be missing something.

She let out a small sigh, and closed her eyes. She had to get some sleep or else tomorrow wasn't going to be pleasant. Xena liked to get up early, and Gabrielle knew that if she was tired she'd be grumpy. Xena hated it when she was grumpy. Then Xena got grumpy too. Gabrielle hated it even more when Xena was grumpy. That's when people ended up dead… or worse Xena tried to do something out of the ordinary, like cook.

Just as she was finally settling into the realm of Morpheus, however, she detected that sweet smell once more. At first it was just a hint, and she froze, keeping he eyes closed, she turning in her other senses to see if she could hear the bells as well. And then there it was - a gentle ringing. Like the smell it slowly grew in intensity. It kept getting louder and louder until Gabrielle felt like it was practically on top of her. Not being able to keep her eyes closed a moment longer she opened them.

Right on top of her, hovering just over her chest, was a small, glowing woman. She was dark, haired, was wearing a shiny, iridescent gossamer skirt, with a matching top, which barely covered more than what it needed too. Most surprisingly, however, that it had the most beautiful and delicate wings. They looked like a butterfly, but without color and almost as thin and translucent as a spider web. Gabrielle gasped in surprise, and then suddenly jumped as Xena's hand flew out of nowhere and caught the creature in her fist.

"Hey!" Xena then protested, flicking the winged creature out of her hand and then shaking it. "It bit me!"

"Well, what do you expect, grabbing people like that," the creature scolded, carefully hovering just out of reach.

Gabrielle's eyes went wide. "You talk?"

"Of course I talk," the creature scolded, "What do I look like a potato?"

"A… what's a potato?"

"Doesn't matter what you're not, what are you," Xena challenged. "And what are you doing sneaking around while we are trying to sleep?"

The creature huffed. "I," it declared, "am a pixie. And I am looking for others of my kind."

"What's a pixie?" Gabrielle asked.

"You should know, you are one of us."

"I am not. I'm a human, and I'm Gabrielle, this is Xena. Do you have a name?"

"Kalena, and you are too a pixie. I can sense it. I could feel you as soon as you entered my woods. And I know you sensed me too. You saw me, you heard me, when your warrior didn't."

"Your woods? We didn't know," Gabrielle said with a small wrinkle to her nose. "But, I guess that is true, now that you point it out. I did see and hear you when Xena did. I'm not sure how to explain that, but I'm sorry, I don't know what you sensed, but I'm no pixie."

"Why not, you look like one," Kalena dashed from one side of Gabrielle to the other. "True, you're a little tall, but you do dress like one of us."

"I told you this shirt was too small, Xena," Gabrielle griped.

"No it's not. It's perfect," Xena vetoed.

Gabrielle rolled her eyes, but turned her attention back to the pixie. "I'm sorry, you were mistaken. Did you need something else?"

Kalena hovered for a moment. "Are you sure? I can feel it in you, maybe you're half pixie?"

Xena snickered and Gabrielle shot her a look. "That better not be a short joke, but now I'm curious," she looked back at Kalena. "What do you mean you feel it in me?"

The pixie dashed back and forth between Gabrielle Xena, leaving a trail of light and a jingle of bells as it did. "You feel it, don't you?" she finally said, looking at Xena.

"What exactly am I supposed to feel?" Xena said with a raised eyebrow.

The pixie rolled her eyes. "Her innocence, her life, her child-like enthusiasm at the world. The way she sees love and hope everywhere she goes. You feed off of that, you need that, don't you?"

Xena blushed, and even in the low light of their simmering campfire, Gabrielle saw it and her eyes suddenly went wide in understanding. She then chuckled, giving Xena a chaste kiss on the cheek. "I had no idea you felt like that."

"Well… I um," Xena stammered. "You know the old saying, opposites attract."

"You're selling yourself short, warrior," Gabrielle smiled before turning back to the pixie. "Again, thank you for the kind words, but that's just how I am. I know I can be a little naive, but I'm trying. After all I'm learning from Xena too. I guess we just make a good balance of each other."

"Hmmm," said Kalena, zooming closer to Gabrielle and staring at her eyes for a deep moment. "Perhaps you are right. If you change your mind, and decide that you want to be a pixie, you know where to find me. In the meantime, I have other things to do. Good night, Xena. Good night, Gabrielle," she declared before zooming towards the woods, her little light dimming as it disappeared in the dense trees.

"Well that was odd," Gabrielle commented. "Is your hand alright?"

"Huh? Yeah, it's fine," Xena mumbled. She was looking toward the woods, when she suddenly took in a deep breath. "Do you smell honey-cakes?"
Gabrielle smiled. "Honey-cakes. That's exactly what it smelled like."

** The End**

Fun fact of the day: Potatoes originated in the Americas and therefore were not introduced into Greece or the rest of Europe until the 1500s.

****Also, if you like my stories check out my uber's that are available on Amazon. The Information on all my books, including my newest, The General's Guardian, coming out in mid-January, is available on my profile. ****