''Damned dry lands'', an annoyed and worn-out Xena groaned, nonchalantly riding her horse through the faded summer wood with a drowsy Gabrielle clinging onto her. ''If I knew this was more of a desert than it is a forest, I'd have gone the other direction.''
Gabrielle grinned. ''I thought you would've known these lands by detail by now.''
Xena skeptically observed the monotonous surroundings. ''There are many ways that lead to Amphipolis.''
Her eye then fell on a dim shimmer deeply hidden by surrounding rocks and bushes, and she hinted Argo to stop its paces to look more closely. Gabrielle's face grew suspicious as she looked swiftly around her, thinking Xena must've heard someone among the trees.
''Xena?''
''Water, at last!'', Xena sighed of relief, jumping recklessly off Argo, ''come on, Gabrielle!''
Within seconds she started carelessly dropping her leathers, her bronze flesh daringly showing to Gabrielle from behind. The talkative girl from Poteidaia was suddenly silenced after a whole day of ongoing chatter. She was overcome with unconscious fixation - she stared at the warrior woman in awe, as if at a painting – her eyes fixed on every inch of skin to be seen. Without realisation of her own stillness she examined the way Xena's wild, midnight tresses rested on her broad, exposed shoulders, how her fierce curves framed her body so beautifully, how her full thighs glowed like silk in the flaming sun. Xena turned around and noticed her stare, raised an eyebrow and looked at the blonde girl surprisingly.
''Never seen some bare skin, have ya?'' the husky voice asked, confidently showing her pearly whites.
Gabrielle cleared her throat and looked down, embarassed and shocked by her own inner reaction.
''I – that's not it. It's just...''
Gabrielle wanted to tell her there and then, how beautiful she thought Xena was. But how to, without daring to admit it to even herself? Without understanding the unknown sensation she felt overpowering her? The unfamiliar, exotic warmth that was brewing inside of her chest whenever she was in Xena's presence, she wanted nothing more than to ignore it. She had tried. But she had already lost herself completely, and she was aware. It was a challenge to simply look at her without being at a loss for words, without the sudden racing of the heart, the forgetfulness of breathing air - but how it all sickened her in the most addictive way.
Xena kept her eyebrow raised at the silenced Gabrielle and looked her up and down.
''It's not gonna take it off itself, is it now?''
She gazed at her playfully, noticing the faint blush that started blossoming upon Gabrielle's cheek with the realisation of what the dark-haired woman was referring to. Xena smiled at her and slowly started undressing the girl, soon enough carrying on with great swiftness, feeling the fragile figure shiver from the experienced fingers that were leaving lingering prints in all the places.
She smirked and in turning around winked teasingly. ''Finish it off now and come to me, will ya?''
In the blink of an eye Xena started running toward the body of water like a restless child, joking her war cry as she dived in from the rocks with a big splash that silenced all the birds. Upon arrival of the unexpected cold overtaking her body she let out a surprised moan and screamed out for Gabrielle.
The girl hesistantly showed herself from behind the rock and made little, careful steps into the crystal water, like a fawn standing on its legs for the first time. Now Xena caught herself blinded, staring at every little detail of her companion; her pale feet awkwardly entering the sudden wetness, the goosebumps all over her legs activating by the cool, the little sighs coming out of her mouth each time she went further in. She never wanted to look away, she thought, she never wanted to unsee the innocence and pureness that was Gabrielle's being. It was one of those handful of moments that made her certain of that she had found her light, and how good it felt, she admitted to herself; to feel its radiance on her bare skin after having been in the shadow for so long.
Barely knee-deep into the azure water, Gabrielle paused her movements.
Xena awoke with a shock from her unusual daydreaming. ''Hey, come on,'' she teased, splashing the angelic body from a near distance.
Gabrielle shuddered. ''Xena!''
''What, now? Weren't you the one moaning about desperately needing a bath?''
''Well, yes, but -''
''Then deal with the cold and get your buttocks in,'' laughed the warrior as she swam toward her, gently leading the blonde girl deeper in until the water reached both their chests. ''Let me warm you up a bit,'' she said softly, pulling her slowly but passionately up against her own balmy flesh. She caressed the girl's face lovingly, her sultry breath filling the air around them with a whisper that made Gabrielle's cheeks fade to even a deeper crimson. Gabrielle noticed her own stare weakening - she started drowning in the warrior woman's deep sea eyes and knew that once that happened, she was forever lost like a shipwreck at the bottom of the ocean. Tenderly running her hands through the golden locks of hair, Xena's stare intensified. She felt the quiver of Gabrielle's body, the loud beating of her heart like a drum. She touched the girl's lips with her finger, slowly leaning in...
''Xena...''
She kissed her softly but deeply, her hands taking hold of the girl's wet back, her breasts slightly touching Gabrielle's. She felt the rosy lips answering and the moment soon became intense enough for them both to forget the cold that beforehand made their bodies shiver. There was a moment of silence as they looked into each other's eyes, both waiting for the other to say something. Xena's pupils were filled with warmth and she felt her own pulse dominating her entire body, as her mouth awkwardly opened and closed in search for words. ''I... listen,'' she started hesistantly, ''when I first laid eyes on you, Gabrielle...''
''I felt the same.''
Gabrielle shyly locked eyes with the woman at her confession and Xena lovingly gazed back at her. Little droplets of water travelled down their faces as they focused on the change of atmosphere that started covering them - the surrounding wood was now slowly darkening; the peachy sunset showed the last of itself from behind the branches and the deep, purple blanket of twilight started falling upon the two figures like velvet.
Xena smiled. ''Let's find a place to rest, alright?''