I do not own the characters, no profit made by the ramblings contained within this tale.

Rated T to M: Kissing and such, probably with some smut at the end.

Please Review, even if you just want to say YO.

POV from Xena: Spoilers for the episode The Price: Season 2 of Xena :WP. I took the premise of the episode and ran with it. It is my favorite episode and LL and RC did an excellent job acting the parts.

Betrayed Cravings

Chapter One:

Gabrielle and I walked along the riverbank on our way to Athens. The sun shone down on our bare shoulders, warming my skin and turning her fair skin a reddish hue. I smiled as I listened to her talking about this and that as we walked. After several kilometers, I heard her stomach growling loudly.

I turned to her and suggested we stop to eat, getting an emphatic nod in response. I chuckled at her answer. She is as obsessed with food as she is about sleeping, and she would sleep all day long if I allowed her, of course I don't. We foraged for two long, thick sticks to use as poles, figuring that fishing would be the quickest way to eat.

I tied some twine on the poles and we cast into the river. We caught fish after fish, they practically jumped onto the shore, no line or bait required, which was odd, but I didn't give it much concern. Normally I have to go and catch the fish with my bare hands because they evade our lines. Gabrielle was in the middle of explaining some philosophy of hers about the origin of people and fish when a man jumped out of the water, startling us both.

He rambled on about savage men, skinning his troops and the Horde. I immediately went still upon hearing the name of the savages called the Horde. Like a flash from a flint, fear raced through my veins, seizing the joy from my face and the love from my eyes. A brief image of my last battle with the Horde invaded my vision, blood and warm, pealed skin fluttering about the field of battle, before I shut my eyes to it. Opening my eyes and schooling my features, I said in a breathy voice, "Gabrielle, grab your things, we must leave. Now."

She heard my tone and faltered in her stumbling away from the riverbank, her fishing pole still clutched firmly in her white hand. "What, why? Who's the Horde?"

I growled out, "will explain later. Get in the raft, we must go." She dropped her pole and stood still. I grabbed her wrist and yanked, knowing she was about to dig in her heels and refuse to go; she always does when I won't explain immediately the situation.

Gabrielle is a talker not a fighter and I'm the opposite. Sometimes, she aggravates me so much, but over the past year, I've grown to understand her reasoning, though I don't always agree. I walked with her arm firmly clasped in my hand, our bags thrown over my shoulder, her staff clutched in her hand, and helped her in the raft, jumping over the edge to take the rear position, the rowing position for the strongest person.

I angled us away from shore and said, "Row, just row as hard as you can. Please."

My use of the word please put any protest about to utter out of her mouth to rest; I don't ever request using the word please. I watched her eyes widen in understanding of the sudden danger we are in as she picked up her oar. I rowed and rowed as I watched Gabrielle do the same, fighting the current as best as she was able.

She said my name in a low and scared voice, a plea for me to save us, her voice shook and I noticed her knees bouncing in fear. I looked to the banks of the river, noticing the bodies of the soldiers strung up like trophies, or possibly beacons for the foolish enough to try to save them.

A low sound fluttered on the breeze and Gabrielle shouted, "Xena, there are soldiers, moaning. Alive, we have to save them."

"They are dead already. We'd just die too. Get rowing faster. Push it." I commanded in a strong voice.

She halted for a moment, then rowed as deep and fast as she could. I steered us as close to the middle of the river, and kept us there, fighting the current with each deep plunge of my wooden oar. After several strokes, I saw a man running along the shore, attired in Athens colors. He veered into the river and jumped to swim towards us.

"We have to save him," Gabrielle pleaded in a squeaky, scared voice. She would sacrifice us for the sake of another. Not listening to my head but instead my heart, which sat two feet in front of me, I rowed us over to save the wounded soldier, and praying to Aphrodite as I rowed faster, that we live to reach the shore again.

I watched helpless as waves fluttered in the river, not the correct direction for the current. The Horde hide under the river.

"Gab..r…ielle…We need to get to the riverbank. We're not safe out here." I rowed and steered us into the shore, knowing the minute we set foot on dry earth, the Horde will attack and kill us. What choice do we have though, die in the water or die on the dry dirt.

As the boat touched the shore, a couple of Horde appeared before us, marching towards. I helped Gabrielle out of the raft and held her arm tight, then let go and raised my sword. If I am to die, I want to die fighting.

The bushes off to the left shook violently as I faced two of the Horde, parrying their ax strikes rapidly, the muscles of my forearms burning with the speed of my thrusts. Three men in Athens uniforms leapt beside me and aided my fighting. They helped me to scare off the attackers and carry their wounded man from our raft.

I introduced Gabrielle and me, agreeing to follow them to their encampment. As they gathered their supplies from their nearby sleeping sacks, I sat down beside Gabrielle on a log, my sword at the ready by my side, and explained my history with the Horde. I uttered in a cold voice the devastation these painted savages caused me during my days as an army leader.

Gabrielle grabbed my wrist, hanging on tight, supporting me through touch during my narrative. I only let Gabrielle touch me and lately she takes advantage at every opportunity.

She stayed quiet, her green eyes widening as my story grew more and more gruesome. I sighed, and ended by explaining that once the Horde gets you, there is no way out. They surround and tear a person apart like a pack of wolves, chomping down the kill quickly. I look to the grass surrounding my blood-splattered boots, lost in past thoughts for a few heartbeats.

The reality that we might die before sundown hits me in the gut, spasming my empty stomach, and I feel my heart cry out for Gabrielle's death next to me. I never considered my death as a devastating situation, but looking into shining eyes full of affection for me; I realize I'm not ready to greet Hades. I felt a brief flash of peace, knowing Gabrielle will greet Hera in the fields, while I will be tortured for eternity.

Determination to get us out of here suddenly floods me, layering my fear with a newborn anger, a vengeance to slice the savages for perseverance sake. I smiled and I clasped her warm hand, intertwining our fingers briefly before arising and tugging her up to move on. We need to get to an enclosed structure and fast.

The Horde is on the hunt, and we are the prey they seek.

A short walk between the five soldiers and we arrived at the fort, walking quickly inside and shutting out the danger with large wooden gates. Gabrielle was with me at Troy, and knows I need to talk with the Generals immediately, so I politely head in the command room direction, leaving Gabrielle to get acquainted with our temporary home.

I kept my glance on her until I moved out of sight, watching her approach the dirty soldiers. I flashed jealousy then quickly shut it down, realizing she is just exploring, getting comfortable the best way she knows how, through the people.

We are so opposite yet so similar; I raise my sword in inquiry and she opens her mouth, but we both are able to reach the answers we seek.