The tall Warrior Princess and her little bard were traveling through a very snowy mountain trail in one of the Nordic countries. It was very beautiful. The snow was knee high and all of the pine trees had a glossy coat of white paint. It was just near sunset and the sky was turning a gentle orange colour.
Gabrielle exhaled her breath into the cold air watching it morph into a small cloud of fog and began to shiver. She was scolding herself mentally that she should have dressed heavier than just a cloak over her usual attire, when she felt a warm coat of fur upon her shoulders. She looked over to Xena smiling at her, which is a rare sight for most people but not for Gabrielle.
"Are you sure you won't get cold?" Gabrielle asked with a tone of concern.
"Nah, it's alright Gabrielle. We're going to be there soon anyway."
The taller women reached out and grabbed Gabrielle's hand. Gabrielle didn't object and for the rest of the journey they walked hand in hand through the snowy trail.
The two women arrived at a small wooden cabin. Xena opened the door and they walked in to see a small cooking pot, a table with a couple of wooden chairs, some scrolls and a bed. The small bard's face lit up fast and she grabbed Xena's hands with excitement. It's been a while since she's slept in a real bed, not that she minds curling up beside Xena on her bedscroll.
"You didn't tell me that we were going to such a nice place."
"It was a surprise." Xena said softly.
Gabrielle leaned up and kissed Xena on the cheek, but before she could pull away Xena cupped her face and directed her towards her lips. They kissed for a lengthy time and then Gabrielle decided that she needed to remove the large coat Xena had lent her. The two women hung up their coats on the cute little hooks near the entrance and then Gabrielle wandered over to the scrolls on the shelf.
"What are these Xena?" The small bard said as she examined the scroll in her hand.
"They're a gift for you."
Gabrielle opened the scroll carefully and began to read it to herself:
Dear Gabrielle,
I know I'm not as good as you in the written arts, but I wanted to try for you.
You're my light
You guide me when I think I'm lost.
Without you I wouldn't be who I truly am today.
I love you.
You're beautiful.
I love your soft skin and your gentle green eyes.
I love the way your hair falls.
And most of all I love your smile.
Because it's the purest smile I've ever seen.
Gabrielle's cheeks turned a light shade of pink and Xena leaned in for a passionate kiss. The warrior's hands found the bard's petite shoulders and her arms wrapped around her pulling her began to run her fingers through the warrior's sliky long dark hair.
"I love you." The bard whispered
"I love you too." Xena replied softly.
